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Bound in Servitude

Summary:

Tied to a tombstone, being tortured by Voldemort. Harry wanted it to end. His mind, his soul cried for someone, anyone to help him. He hadn't expected for someone to actually answer. Now he will learn the truth about the Potter bloodline and prepare himself for the war that is at their doorstep. However, unlike what he had thought, he won't be facing what is coming on his own.

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

(See the end of the work for other works inspired by this one.)

Chapter 1: Slaves

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 – Slaves

"Crucio!"

It was pain beyond anything Harry had ever experienced; his very bones were on fire; his head was surely splitting along his scar; his eyes were rolling madly in his head; he wanted it to end... to black out... to die…

His very soul screamed for someone, anyone to help him. And then it stopped. He was hanging limply from the grave he was tied to, far to grateful that the pain had finally stopped to notice anything else. Otherwise he would have noticed that the graveyard was eerily silent. No Death Eaters laughing, no cackling Voldemort, not even the wind was heard.

Voldemort and the Death Eaters were looking wide eyed at what was happening in front of them, around the still unaware boy tied to the grave.

Shadows were appearing around him, far darker than a shadow should be. They swirled and seemed to become darker by the second, forming two tall shapes on either side of the boy. Voldemort could tell that it was some sort of magic. Dark, darker than anything he had ever felt before. It made even him uneasy. Even so he couldn't look away from the shapes that were forming, to transfixed with what was happening to be able to even move. He could feel the Death Eaters shift uneasily, but they too didn't move, couldn't move.

The shadows gained a humanoid form and in front of their astonished eyes two beings appeared.

They were male and more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. Both tall, taller than Voldemort even and well build, not to muscled but neither to thin. The one on the boy's right had hair darker than black and refined, aristocratic features. High cheek bones, straight nose and thin lips. Alabaster skin contrasted sharply with his shoulder length black hair. Then he opened his eyes to show amethyst colored iris that looked at them with cold disinterest.

The one on the boy's left side had silver hair that framed his face. He had slightly sharper features, but just as beautiful. He was a little less pale than the other one, not by much though. His eyelids opened as well, revealing ruby red eyes. He glanced at them, before turning around and looking at the boy tied to the gravestone. The other one doing the same.

They bowed to the boy.

"Master." they said at the same time. "We are here to serve." Before any of them could react the black haired one untied the boy and had him in his arms, mindful of the cut on the boy's arm and of his leg.

Overcoming his shock Voldemort pointed his wand at them, ready to throw the killing curse when the silver haired one turned around again and froze him in place.

"I would not recommend you doing that Dark Lord." he said, his voice cold and dark. His title was spat out with disgust and the other one turned around too, looking at them with contempt, as if the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord were nothing more than bugs.

"Who are you? What are you?" he hissed, shaking with suppressed rage, though slightly weary. He could feel their magic. It was dark. Darker than his own. He had never felt anything like it. He didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. He was the Dark Lord! How could there be anything darker than he?

"We are our Master's servants." the dark haired on replied in a deep velvety tone, though just as cold as the other one's.

"And just who is your master?" Voldemort asked, though he knew perfectly well who it was. He just needed to hear it spoken out loud. Things had been going so well. He had been resurrected, he was minutes away from killing the Potter brat and now... Now these two creatures were here.

"Harry James Potter, Heir of the Potter family, son of James and Lily Potter, is our Master." replied the one holding the boy.

"What?" Harry replied shocked. He didn't really understand what was going on. He was being tortured then, before he even knew what was happening, he was in someone's arms. He would have blushed if he didn't feel as weak as he did. He didn't think he had the strength to blush. His leg hurt, his arm hurt. His scar felt like it was on fire and he could feel the ghostly pain of the Cruciatus. Even so, he focused on what was happening around him, he had a strange feeling. He knew that whatever it was that was happening was important.

Both beings looked at him as soon as he spoke. Their gazes taking everything in.

"We have been bound to the Potter family for a long time, Master. We are bound to obey and protect our Master until he dies. Then we serve the next head of the family. It has been so for a very long time Master." the silver haired one replied, his eyes warming a little when he looked at the brat.

Voldemort narrowed his eyes when he heard the explanation. It didn't make sense. The Potters were old, but not that old. Besides the creatures in front of him didn't look older than twenty-five and the only immortal beings around were vampires, the two in front of him didn't look anything like vampires.

"I don't understand." Harry whispered. Master? Bound? Like house-elfs? His family had enslaved someone? And how could they be bound to his family for such a long time anyway? Now that he was actually looking at them he could see that they didn't seem all that old.

He saw the Death Eaters move a little from the corner of his eyes and, almost instinctively, he pressed his body closer to the one holding him. He didn't understand it, but he felt protected, safe. He knew that neither of the two would ever hurt him. For a second he had forgotten about the Death Eaters. How could he have forgotten about them? His arms tighten ever so slightly around the neck of the one holding him. Harry felt him move his head a bit and look at the Death Eaters making them freeze in place. Harry looked on wide eyed. Were they afraid? Why? He knew they were magical, he could feel it, but their magic felt so safe, so warm, how could they be afraid of it.

"It was revenge." the one on his left explained, though he was talking as much to Harry as to everyone else in the graveyard. Harry didn't know why they wanted the Death Eaters and Voldemort to hear what they were saying but he left them to it. At least Voldemort wasn't cursing him and maybe that would buy him some time. Time for someone to arrive, they must have noticed that they had disappeared, or at least time to find a way to escape.

"Revenge for what?" snarled Voldemort impatient. He hated not knowing something. He hated not understanding. And how could the Potter brat be so comfortable near them. Didn't he feel their magic? So dark and cold. It wasn't normal, it couldn't be. But then again, the Potter brat wasn't anything special, so maybe he wasn't able to feel their magic. Yes, that was more likely.

There was something feral in their eyes after Voldemort's question and Harry had the feeling they had been waiting for it. He had the feeling that they had goaded Voldemort in to it. They wanted him to ask the question.

"Around three thousand yours ago, my friend and I were hunting." the silver haired one told them, indicating the one holding Harry and himself. Harry was staring at them in disbelief, so was everyone else for that matter. Three thousand years? What were they? Ignoring their looks he continued, "We hadn't hunted mortals in such a long time and we were both bored. We found a female out in the woods, she was gathering berries. We killed her, then followed her scent back to her home and killed all of her family. At least we thought it were all of them. We were wrong. Her father had been out, hunting. He came back to find his family slaughtered, the walls of their home dripping with their blood. He swore revenge. He got it too. He knew what we were, one of the few mortals who still remembered that we existed, who still knew how to fight us. He lured us in and with a ritual we had thought long forgotten he bound us. He said that since we had taken the most precious thing in the world to him he would do the same to us. He claimed that he wasn't merciful enough to kill us. We had shed his blood, we would spend eternity protecting it. He impregnated a women, she gave him a son. He taught that son all about us, about our servitude, about our purpose. That son told his own son. It went like that till Charlus Potter told James Potter about us when he turned thirteen. Sometimes they interacted with us, other times they ignored us. Though most preferred to only call us when the family was in danger. We expected nothing else, they knew what we had done and if there is one thing that those of their blood know how to do it is to hold a grudge. This was our punishment for killing their family, why should they make our lives easier? Even if centuries had already passed, it did not matter to them. A little over a thousand years ago the knowledge on how to set us free was lost, along with almost everything else known about us because the Head of House died before he was able to pass all the knowledge along. But they still knew the most important thing, what we are and what we had done. Then you came along and killed our Master before he could tell his son. All the knowledge there was about us was lost and our new Master didn't even know we existed. So we have been waiting for our new Master to call on us. When he called we answered, just as we did for the first time over three thousand years ago."

"Wha-what are you?" Harry whispered in the silent night. He still wasn't afraid of them, but knowing that they had killed his family, very distant family but family nonetheless, because they had been bored was rather shocking.

"Demons." replied the silver haired one and Harry felt himself tense. Demons? Demons were real?

Voldemort had to stop himself from gasping. Demons? The brat had bound Demons in his service? That couldn't be true. Demons had been gone for a long time. They had left the mortal plane. Closing it's access to anyone. It was not possible to breach it, he knew, he had tried it.

The Death Eaters were restless as well and he could practically see the fear rolling of them. They were from old families, they knew how dangerous demons were. No wonder they were darker than he was. They were the origin of dark magic. The dark magic wizards used was based on the magic of the demons. Aside from that demons also had Black magic, no human could wield it. Their souls, no matter how dark, or how mutilated they were, couldn't handle something so inherently evil. It was evil in it's purest form. The closest a human could come to it was with the creation of Horcruxes and even that was nowhere near Black magic. And now they were learning that the Potter brat had two of them at his command. Without his permission a sliver of fear raced down his back. No matter how weak a demon was, and they couldn't be all that powerful to have been bound, they were fearsome opponents.

"Master," the black haired one spoke, his voice softer and looking at the Potter brat with warmer eyes, "Do not fear us. We will not hurt you."

"Our last orders, from our Master and Mistress, your parents, was to protect you with all we have, to take care of you." the other one added.

"If you were there why didn't you save them?" Potter whispered and Voldemort looked at them curiously. He hadn't seen them there. The night wasn't all that clear after he had shot the killing curse at the boy, but he didn't remember them at all.

"We could not. Your parents ordered us to protect you at all cost, no matter what. We told them we did not have enough time to raise a barrier that would be strong enough to stop three killing curses but that we could fight him off, giving them time to escape with you. They told us not to, they ordered us to protect you, that we should only focus on you. So we did. We left your parents to fend for themselves and created a shield only around you. We cannot disobey a direct order Master and your parents were very clear. Their only concern was your safety, even if it meant their own deaths." again the silver haired one replied, while the dark haired one held the brat closer to himself.

"This is your only warning Dark Lord," sneered the one holding the brat, "Cease hunting our Master. You will not like the consequences if you continue." then they were gone, leaving the Dark Lord alone with his followers, even the cup and the spare's body had vanished.

"Crucio!" he snarled and the Death Eaters caught in the curse screamed. Who did they think they were? Those filthy creatures dared to threaten him. Him! They would pay, they would all pay. And he would delight in killing their precious Master right in front of them.


They appeared at Hogwarts, at least it looked like a Hogwarts classroom, and Harry was even more confused.

"I thought that we couldn't apparate in or out of Hogwarts." was the first thing that came out of his mouth and he felt like smacking himself.Really, that was the first thing he could think of?

"Wizards and witches can not. It is not warded against us. No one alive knows how to ward against us. However we did not apparate. It is a form of demon traveling, it is similar to apparating, however it has none of the nasty feeling one gets from apparating." the silver haired one explained. He really should know their names, he was getting tired of calling them by their hair color.

"We brought you here to answer any questions you may have, however we can not stay long. People will start noticing you and your schoolmate are missing." the one holding him said.

"Besides we need to have your injuries treated." added the other, a light frown on his face.

"I just don't understand. Where have you been? You are basically slaves, right? How could my family allow that? It isn't right. Why did you help me? I didn't call you. I don't even know your names, how could I call you?"

"My name is Abanddon, little Master." the one holding him murmured and Harry stared. He knew that name, hell, every muggle the least bit interested in demons and such knew that name. Abanddon, King of the Demons of Hell.

"And mine is Caym." Harry started to shake, he knew that name too. Caym, The Grand President of Hell.

Oh dear sweet Merlin, please someone tell him that his family hadn't enslaved the rulers of Hell.

"There is nothing to fear little Master." Abanddon, the King of freaking Hell whispered and Harry let out a hysterical laugh.

"Nothing to fear? Nothing to fear?! Sure there is absolutely nothing to fear, my family just enslaved the rulers of Hell. What could there possibly be to fear? Were they out of their minds?" he knew he sounded a bit hysterical, but could anyone really blame him? First Voldemort and now demons. He just couldn't catch a break, could he?

"We already told you Master, we will not hurt you." Caym told him. His red eyes so different from Voldemort's. The first time he had seen Voldemort's eyes he had thought that if demons were real they would have eyes like the Dark Lord's. He couldn't believe that he had been proved wrong. He didn't know why, or how, but Caym's eyes were far more humane than Voldemort's could ever be.

"I'm sorry," Harry murmured, hiding his face in Abanddon's chest, realizing that the demon was still holding him. He knew he should probably stand on his own, but he was tired and his body hurt and he felt safe were he was. He didn't want to give that up yet. "It just... It has been a really bad night and it's just to much."

"We understand. If you wish we can talk tomorrow. Now that you have called us we will not go anywhere." Caym told him, walking closer to them and gently placing his hand on Harry's head. Harry hadn't been expecting such tenderness from them, they were demons after all. But he didn't object. He knew that he craved affection. It was something that he had craved since he was a small child and wondered why he was so hated by those who were supposed to love him.

"Could we?" he hated just how weak he sounded but he couldn't help it. The night's events were catching up to him and he had almost no strength left.

"Of course." they replied in unison and walked out of the classroom. He didn't know where they were going, but at the moment he didn't really care. Only a few seconds later they stopped and Harry looked around and saw the familiar stone gargoyle that lead to the Headmaster's office.

"Rise." Caym commanded and from the shadows a crow emerged. It was made completely out of shadows, though it had a slight glow to it. It almost looked like a black Patronus. "Deliver my message to Albus Dumbledore." the crow seemed to nod and disappeared into the shadows again. "Now we just have to wait for your Headmaster. I am sure he will not take long." Harry nodded and leaned against the demon's chest again. Not seeing the looks traded between the two demons.

No later than a few minutes he heard footsteps coming their way and looked in their direction. For the first time in his life he understood why people said that Dumbledore was the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared. Abanddon held him closer and Harry relaxed. He hadn't even noticed that he had tensed when he heard the footsteps coming their way. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Moody all had their wands drawn and looked ready to curse the two demons.

"Headmaster Dumbledore, several things took place tonight that you should be informed of. I suggest your office." Caym told them before they could say anything.

"And who would you be? And why do you have my student with you when he should be participating in the task taking place out in the grounds?" Dumbledore asked, no twinkle present in his eyes and power rolling of him.

"We are our Master's servants." Caym replied, just like they had done in the graveyard and Harry knew that they would say nothing more if no one asked. They seemed to enjoy it, provoking them seemed to be some sort of game.

"Who's your Master?" Moody growled and both demons glanced at him before a feral look entered their eyes. In that moment it was rather easy for Harry to see what they really were. He had never seen so much blood lust in anyone's eyes.

"Our Master is Harry James Potter, Heir of the Potter House, son of James and Lily Potter." replied Abanddon. His cold eyes locked with Dumbledore's and he continued, "May we continue this conversation in your office? Otherwise we will leave. Our Master is hurt, we would like to have someone look at his injuries as quickly as possible."

Dumbledore looked at Harry then, trying to see if his student was alright. Harry smiled, he wanted to tell him that Voldemort was back, wanted to tell him that he wasn't alright but that he trusted the two who called themselves his servants, but he couldn't. No words came, so he tried to give him a reassuring smile, though he was sure that it come out more as a grimace than anything else.

"Very well. My office." he ended up saying. Not happy with the outcome but knowing that there weren't that many other options.

"Headmaster, are you sure?" Snape asked, the grip on his wand tightening and looking at them all with distrust.

"Yes Severus. It does not appear as if we have much of a choice." Dumbledore replied, taking the several steps that he needed to stand in front of the gargoyle. As soon as Dumbledore was in front f it, the gargoyle jumped aside and Dumbledore walked up the stairs. Abanddon followed him, Caym right behind him and then the other three professors.

As soon as the demons entered the office there was a horrible screech. Harry and the professors covered their ears.

"Stand down Phoenix." ordered Abanddon, glaring at the immortal fire bird. The screeching stopped and Fawkes puffed up, glaring at the demons. Not paying attention to anyone else but the two demons in the office.

"We are bound, surely you can see that." Caym told Fawkes, looking at him with contempt.

Fawkes let out another screech, though not as loud or as sharp as the previous one, followed by a small thrill. Clearly he wasn't happy but he wouldn't do anything.

Waving his hand, Caym conjured three comfortable looking armchairs. Abanddon sat Harry in the one in the middle, while they took the others on either side of. Leaving them in a similar position as the one in the graveyard where they had faced Voldemort.

The professors took a seat on the other side of the desk, Dumbledore in the middle and the professors around him. For a moment no one spoke. Harry was wondering if he should say anything but before he could Dumbledore broke the silence.

"Now that we are in my office, can you tell me why you kidnapped my student? And what you mean when you say that you are his servants?" though he sounded calm it was possible to see the emotions raging in his icy blue eyes. They looked so different when there wasn't that twinkle present. Gone was the kind, if a bit mad, old man and in his place was a powerful wizard that had already defeated one Dark Lord and was the one man that the current Dark Lord was afraid of.

"They didn't kidnap me." Harry said before the demons could reply. He didn't see the amused and fond smiles that briefly appeared on their lips, though neither Dumbledore or Snape missed it.

"Then why were you with them Harry?" Dumbledore asked him, his eyes warming when looking at him.

"I..." instinctively his hand reached for one of his demons. Caym appeared surprised but he gave his hand a little squeeze and didn't let go. It was comforting and Harry liked it, just like with Abanddon, it made him feel safe, "It was Voldemort." he blurted out, "The cup was a portkey. We took it together and Wormatil was there. He killed him and he took my blood and Voldemort came back. He cursed me then they appeared and saved me." he rushed out, knowing but not really caring that he wasn't making much sense. He just needed to get it out.

The moment his words were out of his mouth the professors sat straighter, their eyes widened and he could see the fear in McGonagall's eyes.

"Harry, please tell me everything that happened." Dumbledore told him.

Caym held his hand tighter and Harry took a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts in order. Then he told them everything, from the moment he entered the maze, till his demons arrived. It was harder than he thought, it pained him to talk about Cedric. If it hadn't been for him Cedric would still be alive. But the two on either side of him helped him. They grounded him, they didn't let him drown in grief. He didn't know why he felt like that near them, but he couldn't deny that he did. He had never felt truly safe, not even at Hogwarts or with Dumbledore.

When he was done there was silence. He wasn't sure but for a moment he thought he saw unadulterated glee in Moody's eyes when he said that Voldemort was back. But it couldn't be. Moody was known for his hatred for anything dark.

McGonagall had a tears in her eyes, but they didn't fall. He guessed that learning of a student's death was a hard blow to her. Whatever one may say about her, no one would be able to say that she didn't care about her students.

Snape didn't show anything. He was as emotionless as always, though he did sneer here and there when he looked at Harry. He supposed that Voldemort being back was nowhere near enough of a reason to stop showing just how much Snape despised him.

Dumbledore though was harder to see. He seemed to age in front of their eyes and looked resigned. As if he had been expecting it, he just didn't know when it would happen. Harry didn't like seeing him like that. Dumbledore was supposed to be the one who knew what to do. Not that Harry had blind faith in the man, but even so it was strange to see Dumbledore as anything but in control.

"That still doesn't explain who they are." growled Moody, looking at the demons. He paled slightly when both of them glared at him. Harry was rather surprised, though he guessed if anyone else had been subjected to those glares they would have cried and ran away screaming for their lives. Really, what had he been expecting? They were demons. Their glares had to be rather terrifying.

"As we said, we are our Master's servants." replied Abanddon. He looked rather comfortable in his armchair, leaning back on it. He looked like a King really. Well, he was King of Hell, wasn't he? That arrogant air and pose would come with that particular title.

"What I find most curious is how you ended up the brat's servants." Snape drawled and Harry glared at him. He hated Snape, not even after the night he had would he stop that childish grudge. Maybe Snape would have been happier if he had stayed at that graveyard being tortured by Voldemort.

"The Potter family is far older than people realize." Abanddon said, "We were bound at the beginning of their line. We have served them ever since. Harry James Potter is the last Potter, he is our Master."

"That still doesn't tell us anything." snarled Moody, his hand inching closer to his wand.

"Very well." said Caym, his eyes cold and looking at them all with contempt. "Three thousand years ago, we went out hunting, we were bored and we hadn't hunted a mortal in a long time. We found a female and after we tortured and killed her we followed her scent to her home, where we spend hours torturing and then killing her family. We did not know that her father was out and when he came back and found his family slaughtered he vowed revenge. He found us, he knew what we were and he bound us. We had killed his family and now we would spend eternity protecting it. He had another son and told him about his first family, about what we did and what our purpose was. That knowledge has been passed from father to son since those times. Before James and Lily Potter could tell their own son about the true history of his blood-line Voldemort killed them. Before they died, instead of asking us to protect and save them, they ordered us to protect their son with everything we are."

Harry could see their shock, that was certainly not what they had been expecting.

"What are you?" Snape almost whispered, but they still heard him. Caym's and Abanddon's smile was the most bloodthirsty thing Harry had ever seen. Strangely enough it didn't frighten him.

"Demons." Abanddon replied and all the blood dropped from their faces.

Harry could see fear appear in their eyes, even Moody had both eyes fixed on them. And they didn't even know their names. He didn't want to imagine their reaction if they knew just who was sitting on either side of him. A part of him wanted to tell them, just to see their reactions.

Before anything could be said they had four wands pointing at them and Harry froze. Caym and Abanddon didn't seem all that fazed about the situation, though when Moody's wand strained a bit more towards Harry than either of them they growled. It was a deadly, low sound, that made the hair on the back of their necks stand on end. Moody's wand trained on them again and the growling stopped.

"Stop it." Harry yelled, getting up. The growling coming from them had broken him out of his shock. "They saved my life! They took me away from Voldemort! I won't let you hurt them." even though he seriously doubted that they would have been able to hurt either demon.

"Harry, you do not understand what they are." Dumbledore tried to reason with him, but Harry stayed where he was.

"I know perfectly well what they are. Even muggles know what they are, even muggles have books about them. So don't treat me as an ignorant child. They saved my life."

Dumbledore deflated a little and looked at the demons before looking at Fawkes. The phoenix gave a small thrill and the Headmaster put his wand away. The other three followed his example, but much more reluctantly.

"Master, please sit back down. Standing could aggravate your injury." Caym looked at him with warm red eyes and Harry complied, for a moment he had forgotten that he was still hurt.

Fawkes thrilled again and flew to him, landing on his knees. He glared at the demons on either side of him but then cried on both his wounds. Even the phantom pain of the Cruciatus that still lingered disappeared and Harry sighed in relief.

"Thanks Fawkes." Harry told him, petting his warm feathers and gained a little nip from the phoenix before he flew to his perch once more.

"Thank you Phoenix." the demons replied and Fawkes looked at them for a little bit then he nodded his head and thrilled.

For a few moments no one said anything. Even Snape wasn't sneering at Harry. His eyes fixed on the two immensely old and powerful beings on either side of Harry. All four of them knew what demons were, they had read stories about what they were capable. However no matter how weak or how powerful a demon was, there was on thing all the books, all the stories, all the legends agreed on. Demons were dark, true evil.

"How can I know you won't hurt him?" Dumbledore asked, looking at them.

Both of them tensed, their eyes frosting over.

"He's our Master." they replied as if that answered all their questions.

"Yes, but what if the leash he has on you comes off? Will you not attack the boy in retribution for what his family did?" Snape sneered. Harry had to admit it was a good question, his family had made them slaves.

"The knowledge on how to set us free has been lost over a thousand years ago and the only one who can set us free is the head of the Potter House." Abanddon answered. "Does that put your worries to rest?" his tone was almost mocking.

"Truly, it does not. However I do not believe you will give me anything else." replied Dumbledore.

Before they could continue their conversation there was a commotion outside Dumbledore's office and the door flung open. Fudge and a stern looking women with a monocle entered, followed by what looked like two aurors.

"Now see here Dumbledore, I do not know what is going on but it..." Fudge started ranting but he stopped when he saw how many people were in the office.

"Dumbledore, what is going on?" the stern looking witch asked in a no nonsense kind of voice. She reminded Harry a bit of McGonagall.

Without anyone noticing both demons had stood and were standing behind Harry.

"Cornelius, Amelia, as you know I received a message stating that one of my students had been harmed. It was young Harry here and mister Diggory. Both were kidnapped out of the maze. Young Cedric, unfortunately, was killed but Harry was saved before they could do any more harm to him."

The four newcomers were left speechless.

"What? How could that happen? And who did it?" the women asked.

"It was Voldemort." was all Dumbledore said and for a moment no sound was heard. Then Fudge exploded.

"That's preposterous! Vol-vo-v... The Dark Lord is dead!" he exclaimed, looking the picture of indignant.

"Explain." the women said, ignoring a spluttering Fudge.

And Dumbledore explained. He told them everything that Harry had told them, aside form the demons. Harry wasn't paying attention to Dumbledore though. He was looking at Fudge and he could see that Fudge didn't believe a word of it. He also didn't like the looks he was throwing him and couldn't help but lean back closer to his demons.

"And you believe that do you?" Fudge asked in a nasty tone, "You believe the boy? After everything..."

"I am not sure I understand what you mean Cornelius. I have no reason not to trust Harry."

"No reason? The boy is a parselmouth! Besides it wouldn't be the first time that he had some unbelievable story to gain some kind of attention. Remember last year with Black?"

"There is a rather easy way to find out if he is speaking the truth or not." interrupted Abanddon before Fudge could continue his little speech about Harry.

"And you are?" Fudge sneered and Harry looked at him incredulously. For a politician Fudge sure was rude.

"My apologies. Let me introduce ourselves. My companion is Caym and I am Abanddon, servants of the Potter House." Abanddon gave a polite bow.

Harry saw the four that knew what they were pale. 'So they recognized their names too', Harry thought. Harry didn't blame them for the sliver of fear that appeared in their eyes, one thing was to know they were demons, another completely different thing was to know they were the rulers of Hell, or at least they had been before they were bound. That however didn't change the fact that they were standing in front of the King and the Grand President of Hell.

The other four looked a little shocked at the names, but aside from that didn't make anything of it.

"Servants?" Fudge asked perplexed.

"Yes, servants." Caym replied. "Our families are born into servitude, we have been serving the Potter blood-line for three thousand years. It is an honor."

"You are slaves?" the women asked, looking aghast.

"If you want to employ that term then yes, we are, Madam." Abanddon confirmed and Harry's stomach clenched. He really didn't like that.

"But that has been outlawed centuries ago!" she exclaimed, looking at Harry, as if it were is fault.

"You are mistaken Madam..." Caym trailed off, "Bones, Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." she replied and Caym nodded, "As I was saying, you are mistaken Madam Bones. Slavery was indeed abolished, however there was an exception made for families who were bound by magic. As you must know it was the norm to tie the blood-lines together as Master and Slave, it made it impossible for betrayals to occur. However usually only nobility went to those extents, as a precaution of course. Nowadays there is no other family that still has bound servants as they were called after those laws passed, because most were set free through the appropriate ritual, while others just died out. Three thousand years ago our families were bound to the Potters, it was done with a ritual, no magical contract or anything like it. Our blood-line was tied to the Potter blood-line. The only one who could set us free is the Head of House, however the knowledge on how to do it was lost around a thousand years ago, because the Head of House suffered an unexpected accident and was unable to pass the knowledge to the next generation. It is impossible to use any other ritual, it would end up in our deaths. As you can see, we are our Master's servants till we die."

Bones was looking at them with something like pity in her eyes but at least she wasn't glaring at Harry anymore. She sure reminded him of McGonagall.

"The Potter's aren't three thousand years old." grumbled Fudge, "What nonsense is this."

"I assure you, they are." Abanddon told him politely. "You see, not wanting to attract unwanted attention the Potters changed their name every five hundred years or so. They would disappear and reappear as muggle-borns or half-bloods, pretending to be something they were not. However the knowledge and wealth they accumulated over the years remains and since the blood-line is the same if they went to Gringotts it is likely that the vaults would transfer to the actual Head of House, which would be our Master, Harry, since he is the last of the line."

Harry didn't need to know how to read people to see the way Fudge had perked up when he heard the word wealth. He almost sneered in disgust.

"While all of this is rather fascinating." Dumbledore interfered, "I do believe that we were discussing how to prove to your satisfaction that what we told you is the truth."

"Yes, yes. How do you think you can do that?" Fudge asked, going back to sneering, "The boy is clearly delusional."

"Why don't we just ask one of his followers? We do have one of them in the room. Three drops of Veritaserum and everything will be cleared up." Abanddon told them.

"What do you mean there is one in the room?" Fudge asked incredulously.

"He's right there, trying to get away." Caym told them, pointing at Moody, who seemed to be struggling to get away from the wall but unable to do so.

"Have you lost your mind?" Fudge practically screamed, "That's Alastor Moody, he may not be the sanest but he isn't a follower of You-Know-Who!"

"True enough." Caym conceded, "However that is not Alastor Moody."

"Of course it's Moody, who else could it be?"

"I do not know who it is Minister, but it is not Moody." Caym replied and Fudge started to turn as red as Ron usually did.

"If he looks like Moody and acts like Moody, who else could he be!" Fudge exclaimed again and Harry looked at the man incredulously.

"It is called Polyjuice Minister. It allows for someone to look like someone else for one hour. Besides, if the person who is supposed to be Moody has nothing to hide, why is he struggling so to get away?" inquired Caym.

Dumbledore was the first to point his wand at Moody, who apparently wasn't Moody, followed by Snape and McGonagall. Bones was next and both aurors followed her lead.

Dumbledore conjured a chair and sat the struggling Moody down, tying him to it.

"Severus, please bring us some Veritaserum." Dumbledore instructed and Snape left the office, ignoring a spluttering Fudge who was demanding to know what they were doing.

"Minister!" exclaimed Madame Bones, finally fed up with the man, "Sit down and let me do my job." looking cowed the man sat in one of the empty seats, looking like a chastised child.

Before Snape returned the potion started to ware off and in front of their eyes Moody began to change. Harry was as shocked as everyone else when he saw the supposed dead Barty Crouch Jr. in front of them.

"My Lord is back." cackled Crouch, sounding more insane than Harry thought possible, "And I will be rewarded for my loyalty!"

"Crouch? But he was dead!" Fudge exclaimed, looking around widely.

Crouch cackled again. He looked around and then his eyes landed on Harry, he gave Harry an insane smile.

"How was it Potter? How did my Lord's Cruciatus feel? Did you cry? Did you beg? He will kill all the blood-traitors and mudbloods and leave you for last, so that you realize how truly defeated you were before he tortures you to death!" he said it with such glee that it caused a shiver to run down his spine.

Snape entered the office then, stopping in his tracks when he saw who was in the chair. He looked wide eyed at Crouch for a second before he was back to sneering at everyone present. He gave Dumbledore a little bottle with a clear liquid that Harry guessed was veritaserum.

In no time at all Dumbledore and Bones had the whole story out of Crouch. How his father broke him out of Azkaban, how he escaped his father's control and found Voldemort. How he took Moody's place to fulfill his Master's orders and how he entered Harry's name in the cup. While they were hearing the whole sordid tale, Harry was leaning against the back of his armchair, willing his exhausted body to stay awake just a little longer.

"It will be over soon little Master." Abanddon's voice whispered near his ear, his warm breath giving Harry goosebumps.

He nodded, showing that he had heard. He would hold on for a little longer, besides he wanted to see how it ended. Or was it how it started? Voldemort was back, it was the start of something, even if he didn't know what that something was yet.

By the end of it Bones was looking slightly pale and Dumbledore had this look in his eyes that Harry had never seen before. Both aurors looked grim. No doubt they were remembering the previous war and all that was lost fighting Voldemort. They knew that soon enough they would have to go back to fighting. It was only a matter of him.

"No." muttered Fudge, "No, no, no, no, no. I refuse!" he exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "I refuse to believe in the delusions of this lunatic. Clearly he is out of his mind."

"Sure, he lied about all of it." Harry drawled, doing a rather good impression of Malfoy, "Cedric just dropped dead of his own will of course and the Cruciatus thrown at me was simply my imagination." he knew he probably shouldn't have said anything but Fudge was really getting on his nerves. They had a confession, what more did he want. "Do you want to question me under Veritaserum as well? We can even have a reporter here, you seem to like Rita Skeeter a lot. Why don't we call her and let her in on the news. Tell her just what you want to do to protect the citizens of magical Britain from Voldemort." he asked looking the Minister in the eye, just daring him to say yes. He wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing, though sometimes his Slytherin side also came out to play. It was very satisfying seeing him flinch from hearing Voldemort's name.

Fudge turned a little green when Skeeter was mentioned. No doubt knowing just how much she would enjoy this particular piece of news. She had no qualms about slandering anyone, so he knew that even though he was Minister, she would just find that as even more motivation to annihilate him.

"There's no need to get the press involved. It would only spread panic. No need at all to worry the people." Fudge proclaimed, "I will be leaving now. Lots of work to do. Yes, work. Madam Bones will take care of everything." he turned around and left Dumbledore's office trying, and failing, to look dignified.

"Well, at least we got rid of him." whispered Bones, though Harry still heard her.

"I do not believe he will be of much help." Dumbledore added and Bones nodded.

"I agree. Even if Crouch here was delusional, the fact remains that someone was giving him orders and he was following them. Aside from that it is clear that his Dark Mark is as clear as they were during the war. No matter how much I don't want to believe that You-Know-Who is back, it is more than likely that he is." her eyes gained a steely look and her back straightened ever so slightly, "We will be prepared for him this time." both aurors stood straighter and gained a determined look, though the shadows never left their eyes.

"If it is alright with you, we would like to take our Master to bed. It was a really tiring night for him and there is nothing new he can add to the conversation." Abanddon interjected when he saw Dumbledore open his mouth to speak.

"Yes, of course. Though I would like to speak with you tomorrow morning Harry." Dumbledore told him, his eyes warmer than they had been all night.

Harry only nodded and got up from his seat, stumbling a little before Caym caught his arm and steadied him. He was really tired.

"Just a moment please." Bones called them when they were near the door.

Looking at her questioningly Harry leaned against the demon beside him, he wasn't sure he would be able to walk all the way back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Could you tell us if Diggory's body stayed at the graveyard you were taken too, so that I can send my aurors to see if they can retrieve it?"

"There is no need." Caym told them before Harry could respond. He waved his hand and both the cup and Cedric's body appeared in the office. Harry closed his eyes, not wanting to see the empty eyes of the handsome Hufflepuff. Dead. He was dead and it was all because of him. A hand landed on his shoulder and gripped it tightly, giving him comfort. Ignoring the looks he received from such a casual use of wandless magic Caym continued, "We brought it back, we thought that his parents would have wanted to say their goodbyes." he turned around, leading Harry away from that accusing stare.

As soon as the door closed Harry was in Caym's arms. He had been picked up before he was even aware of it and automatically his arms went around Caym's neck.

"It's alright little Master." Caym whispered, "We got you. It's alright." Harry didn't want to, but he couldn't stop the tears from falling. He held on to Caym tighter and buried his face in Caym's neck, crying for the first time in years. "Shh, everything is going to be alright little Master. Sleep now, little Master. We will watch over you while you rest." Harry wanted to resist, he didn't want to sleep but he was so tired. Without his permission his eyes closed and he cried himself to sleep, secure in the arms of one of his demons.

Chapter 2: It begins

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


Chapter 2 – It begins

When Harry woke up the next morning he felt slightly disoriented. He didn't remember falling asleep, he didn't even remember going to bed. Then the memories of the previous night crashed down on him and he sat up abruptly.

He looked around and noticed he was in an unfamiliar bedroom and not in the Gryffindor Tower as he had thought.

However before he could start to panic the door to the bedroom opened and Abanddon and Caym entered. They walked towards the bed and stopped right beside it.

"Are you alright little Master?" Abanddon asked.

"I... I don't know." Harry admitted. To anyone else he would have said that he was fine, like he usually did, even when he wasn't. But they were different. Aside from the fact that they were demons, they made Harry feel safe. He knew they were cold and bloodthirsty, he had seen it. But to him they were kind and affectionate. He didn't know if they were faking it, but he hoped they weren't. He had never felt safe before, he had never felt like someone truly saw him for him and he really liked it.

His friends tried their best but their notions of him were always colored with his title of being the Boy-Who-Lived. He knew it wasn't their intention, but they couldn't help it. Abanddon and Caym though didn't seem to care about it at all.

"You still have questions." Caym stated, "If you wish you could have breakfast here and we would answer any questions you may have."

Harry nodded. He didn't really want to face the Great Hall yet. He wondered what Dumbledore told the students. Did he say anything at all? How would the students react? And Cedric's parents? He couldn't imagine how they were feeling.

Caym nodded and excused himself, leaving Harry alone with Abanddon, who was still standing beside the bed.

"Why don't you sit?" Harry asked, looking at him curiously.

"It wouldn't do Master. I am your servant."

"Please sit." Harry told him softly, "I will order it if I have to."

Abanddon looked at Harry curiously for a few moments, then he nodded and conjured an armchair. He sat beside the bed, looking just as regal as he had in Dumbledore's office.

"Did you sleep well?" Abanddon asked, looking him over critically.

"I did. I was expecting to have nightmares." Harry confessed. It wouldn't surprise him if he had, he had been having nightmares since he could remember.

"Caym did tell you we would not let anything happen to you, that includes nightmares." Abanddon told him and Harry stared.

"Are you saying that you can control if someone has nightmares?" he asked incredulously.

"Caym and I can cause nightmares. We are nightmares. However we can not control what you dream about. What we did was raise a ward to simply prevent bad dreams. It can not be used for a long time, but it was a ward that parents put up in the nurseries. The ward itself was lost some six hundred years ago."

Harry nodded, that made sense. Though he didn't really understand what Abanddon meant when he said that they could cause nightmares. He looked around and his eyes landed on the nightstand. His eyes widened when he saw his wand.

"We retrieved it last night." Abanddon told him, seeing where his eyes had landed.

Before he could ask how they had done it the door opened again and Caym walked in, a serving tray in his hands. He looked for a moment or two at Abanddon, raising an eyebrow, as if wondering why the other demon was sitting, then he conjured a table and chair and put the tray down.

"Breakfast, Master." he told Harry.

Harry was already getting up from the bed, now that he had smelled the food he realized he was rather hungry. He sat down and looked at the demons again. Abanddon was standing again, both on either side of him and he contained a sigh.

"Have you eaten?" he asked them.

"We do not require substance at the moment little Master." Abanddon replied and Harry could have sworn there was an amused glint in his eyes.

"Oh, alright. Sit down though, keep me company. Besides it's easier to talk if you are sitting."

Caym conjured two more chairs and they sat on the other side of the table. Smiling slightly Harry started his breakfast.

"Where are we?" he asked, the question had been nagging at him since he realized he wasn't in his dorm.

"We took over living quarters that were empty near the Gryffindor Tower. Usually they are married quarters, though as the age mortals usually get married varied over the years these quarters have been empty for a while. One of your ancestors stayed here for his fifth, sixth and seventh year with his wife. That's why we know of them. It was only a matter of setting a password and have it cleaned." Caym explained.

"Why didn't you bring me to the Tower?"

"We believed that you would want to be away from the masses for a little while longer." Abanddon replied and Harry nodded; he did want to be away from the students for a while. He knew that he had to face them sooner or later but he was perfectly fine with it being later.

"I just want to thank you for saving me yesterday. Voldemort would have killed me if you hadn't shown up."

"You called us Master. We just answered." Abanddon replied and Harry shook his head.

"That's just it. How did I call you? I didn't know your name or that you even existed for that matter."

"Well, you see Master, we may have bended the rules a little." Abanddon admitted and Harry wasn't sure but he looked almost sheepish. That certainly wasn't a look that he had expected to see on a demon.

"You called for someone, anyone, to help you. Technically, we fall under that category." Caym explained.

"But why did you answer? If I had died you would be free wouldn't you? You would be able to go back to your home and rule Hell or whatever it is you do. Do you not miss it?"

"It isn't that simple Master. We didn't like that we were bound but it isn't possible for us to go back to Hell. The gateways to Hell were closed shortly after we were bound. The higher up demons closed the gateways, sealed them really, so that we couldn't return. They knew they could not win in an uprising against us, but if we were not there then they would have no opposition. We didn't leave family or friends behind, so there is not much to miss. Do you understand Master?" Caym explained in a monotone.

"I think so." Harry muttered, chewing on a piece of pancake. "So... you can't go home? Ever? Couldn't you break the seal?"

"Technically we could break it, even though we never tried. However to break such a seal there would have to be a sacrifice, and it isn't really something we are willing to pay. Do not worry Master, we have long come to terms with it. Besides we do like the mortal world." Abanddon assured him and Harry nodded. He still didn't like the situation they were in but at least they liked this world. It would have been much worse if they had left families in Hell or something like that.

"What happens now?" he asked them, looking a little lost.

"Nothing Master, you continue to live your life as you want to. The only difference is that you have us now."

"That's it?" Harry looked at them incredulously.

"Yes Master."

"Can't I just set you free? I really don't like it that you are basically slaves. It isn't right. Beings like you... It just isn't right." Harry muttered looking down at his breakfast. He missed the astounded looks the demons were giving him and the brief shock that appeared in their eyes.

"We are demons Master." Abanddon told him slowly, as if he was making sure that Harry understood that.

"Yes, I know." Harry replied looking at the demon questioningly.

"Why would you want to set us free? We are demons, true evil. We do not regret killing your family we regret getting caught, but not killing them. We do not mourn those that died, including your parents. Everyone would agree that it would be best to keep us bound, especially those who know who we are." Caym looked at him as if he had never see anything quite like Harry in all his life.

"So? Just because people think that, doesn't mean that it's right. You have as much right to be free as everyone else. I know you killed them and I can't say that I understand or that I'm alright with killing. It's just, it's your nature isn't it? It's who you are. You said it yourself, you are demons, I can't exactly expect puppies and rainbows, can I?"

The two demons remained silent in their seats, looking at Harry with those otherworldly eyes, studying him, evaluating him and Harry couldn't help but blush. Why did he have to notice just how beautiful they were?

"Thank you Master." said Caym in a low, smooth tone, making Harry look up.

"For what?"

The demons just smiled, their eyes warmer than he had ever seen them and Harry's breath caught. They were truly beautiful. Clearing his throat Harry looked around the room, hoping they hadn't noticed his staring.

"Why did you tell Voldemort the truth about you?"

"He knows what we are now. Only if he were a fool would he continue to attack you." Abanddon told him.

"We do not think that it will stop him from trying to take over Magical Britain, but knowing that we are at your command will make him pause and think. You could order us to kill him and we would and there would be nothing that would be able to stop us. He knows that now." Caym looked a bit smug, so he supposed that it had been his idea. Or he simply liked that the big bad Dark Lord was afraid of them.

"You could actually do that?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"At the moment, no. No matter what we may think of him, he did make himself immortal, in a fashion. We believe we know how he did it, but we are not sure. We would need to look into it and confirm our suspicion. If he did do it the way we think, it would take a while to track down what he used." Abanddon explained, he looked a little disgusted. "Foolish human, playing around with magics he can not control. It never ends well."

"You'll stay with me right?" Harry asked, ignoring Abanddon's muttering.

"Of course Master." both replied in unison.

"Then what will I tell people when they ask who you are?"

"What we told Bones would be best." Caym replied.

"But there are lots of people who know the truth. What if one of the Death Eaters says something?"

Abanddon chuckled, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Do not worry little Master. Aside from you and us no one else will be able to reveal what we are. A little charm that was placed in effect by one of our previous Masters."

Harry nodded. He wanted to ask more questions, however most of them were about the demons themselves and he didn't think they would answer. He could always order them to, but he didn't want it. He didn't feel at all comfortable ordering them around. He didn't think he would ever feel comfortable doing it. They were old, powerful beings, it was degrading receiving orders from a fourteen year old boy. As he had said, it just wasn't right.

"I'm sorry." Harry told them solemnly, "For what my family did to you. For you being stuck with me." he truly was. It pained him knowing that they were slaves. He didn't even like the fact that house-elfs were enslaved but he understood that they wanted it, it was a symbiotic relationship. The house-elfs would live because of the ambient magic that was always around a wizard and the wizard had a willing and loyal servant. Both beings involved were willing participants getting something out of it. But this... This was nothing more than slavery. He doubted that Abanddon and Caym would have willingly left their positions in Hell to be servants, of all things.

Abanddon stood from his seat and knelt in front of Harry. He held Harry's hand between his own and Harry was surprised by how warm they were.

"It's alright little Master." Abanddon told him a small, soft smile on his lips. "None of it was your doing. We answered your call because we wished it. You did not call our names. We circumvented the rules because we wanted to. Even though we are slaves, we serve you willingly."

What? What did he mean when he said that they had answered because they wanted to? What did Abanddon mean when he said that they served him willingly? Why did they serve him willingly?

Before he could ask the questions that were bursting to come out there was a loud popping sound and a house-elf appeared in front of him. The elf looked around saw the two demons and actually squeaked. Harry would have laughed if the poor thing didn't look so terrified.

"Can I help you?" Harry asked, trying to hide his amusement.

"Mister Harry Potter sir. Headmaster Dumbly sir, is asking for you to be going to his office." the little elf told him, casting fearful glances towards the demons. Harry could see that they were finding it rather funny as well.

"Alright, thank you for telling me. I'll go as soon as I'm dressed."

The elf nodded and popped away with another fearful squeak when Abanddon chuckled.

"That's wasn't nice." Harry told them, his amusement showing in his eyes, even though he tried to look stern.

"You are right Master," replied Caym, nodding seriously, "We will endeavor to appear less frightening to the little beings. Perhaps if Abanddon and I were to smile and hug them they would not fear us so."

Harry couldn't help it, he really couldn't. He laughed. Just picturing it in his head was hilarious. He could imagine the little elfs running around trying to escape the hugs and Abanddon and Caym running after them with big smiles professing their desire to hug them and be friends. He was sure that the elfs would be traumatized for the rest of their lives.

"There are clothes in the wardrobe. We will wait for you outside Master." Abanddon told him, when he finally stopped laughing, though there was still an occasional chuckle slipping through his lips.

Harry nodded, he didn't even ask them why there were clothes for him in the wardrobe. They must have gotten his things from his dorm. At least that's what he thought till he opened the wardrobe.

"Abanddon!" he shouted and not a second later the demon was beside him, making him jump out of his skin.

"Holy Hell, how did you do that?!" Harry exclaimed, "Wait, never mind. What's this? Where are my clothes?"

"Those are your clothes Master." Abanddon replied and Harry did his best to ignore the amused glint in his eyes.

"No, they're not."

"Now they are Master. We could not let you walk around in the rags you had Master."

Harry sighed, he knew that there was no use arguing, besides the clothes did look nice and it wasn't like he liked Dudley's castoffs.

"Alright. I won't take long, just give me a minute."

"As you wish Master." Abanddon bowed and left the room, using the door this time. Really, if he didn't know any better he would say that Abanddon was trying to give him a heart attack.

A little over twenty minutes later Harry left his bedroom, showered and dressed in clothes that actually fit him. He would never admit it but he rather like it. It was nothing fancy, just some black jeans and a dark green shirt with a black and gray design of some kind of bird on the back. He suspected the clothes were muggle, but he didn't mind. It seemed his demons knew that he preferred the more everyday style of muggle clothes than the wizarding version. Why people wanted to wear robes every single day he would never understand. For formal functions or something like it he could understand, but every day? He truly didn't see why they would want to.

"I'm ready." he told both demons who were standing a few feet away from his door. He briefly wondered if they had stood there the entire time.

The demons nodded and opened the door for him. They stepped outside, Abanddon and Caym walking behind him and he contained a sigh. He had a feeling that he would get tired of the servant thing rather quickly.

They arrived at the gargoyle quickly and Harry was relieved that he didn't meet anyone on the way. He didn't want to deal with the students yet. They would stare and whisper and ask questions that he didn't want to answer. Yes, the longer he avoided them the better.

Only when the gargoyle didn't leap aside to grant them entrance did he remember that he had no idea what the password was.

"Rise." he heard Caym whisper and again a crow appeared in front of them. "Tell Dumbledore we are here." the crow melted into the shadows and Harry grinned.

"You have to teach me how to do that." he said turning around to look at Caym smiling, "It's awesome."

Caym chuckled and nodded.

"If you wish it Master. However it is what you wizards consider dark magic."

"Dark? Why is it dark?" Harry asked. From what he had seen it didn't seem dangerous at all, it seemed rather useful to be truthful.

Before Caym could explain the gargoyle jumped aside.

"I will explain later Master, now we have to meet your Headmaster."

Harry nodded and went up the stairs. He was rather curious about what the Headmaster wanted. He had already told him everything he knew about Voldemort.

Arriving at the door he knocked.

"Enter." Dumbledore's voice called them and Harry opened the door.

Harry wasn't really surprised to see that Dumbledore wasn't alone, however that didn't make him feel any happier about seeing Snape sitting beside the Headmaster.

"Harry I wasn't expecting you to bring your new companions along." Dumbledore remarked looking at the two demons without his usual twinkle.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting Snape either, so I say we're even." Harry replied, taking a seat. The two demons only sat on either side of him after he threw them a pointed look. Really they had to talk about this servant business.

"Professor Snape, Harry." Dumbledore corrected him while Snape sneered.

"Yeah, sure. Professor." he really wanted to tell Dumbledore what he thought about calling that man a professor, but he didn't want to start an argument. "You said you wanted to talk with me professor?"

"Yes. It is about your two companions and where you will be staying for the summer." Well, one thing Harry was already sure of, he wasn't going to like the conversation one bit.

"Harry I know that you think you know what you are doing, but I do not believe you understand just who those two are. They are not just ordinary demons..."

"Abanddon, the King of the demons of Hell. Caym, the Grand President of Hell." Harry interrupted him, surprising Dumbledore. Even Snape's eyes showed a little bit of surprise before it was masked. "As I told you, even muggles know about them. I know who they are. I know that if they wanted to they would make Voldemort look like a little boy throwing a tantrum. However I do not see where you are going with this professor."

"I believe it would be best if you send them away. From what I understood they have to obey you if you give them a direct order. If you told them to leave, they would have to obey."

Harry looked at the Headmaster incredulously, ignoring the twin growls coming from either side of him.

"Why would I send them away? They saved my live. Besides I like them." the growling stopped immediately and even Snape was looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

"You like them?" Dumbledore questioned, looking perplexed.

"Yes, I like them. They're funny and kind and they take care of me. They don't care that I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. Besides with Voldemort back it's better to have someone with me that I trust."

"You trust them?" Dumbledore asked, slightly perturbed.

"Yes, I do."

For a few moments no one said anything. Though Harry could tell that even his demons were shocked about his proclamation. Still he did trust them. He may not know them, but they had saved him and from what he understood from their previous conversation they had done it because they wanted to. Sure, they could have some hidden reason to have done it, but they had still done it.

"Be that as it may they will have to leave you when you return to your relatives."

"I could always go somewhere else. I don't like the Dursleys and they don't like me. Everyone would be happier if I just left."

"No. Now that Voldemort returned it is imperative that you go back. It is the only place that will keep you safe."

"Why?" he asked exasperated, he hated them and they hated him. Why did he have to stay there.

"Your mother gave her life for you, her sacrifice made it possible for you to survive. Bloodwards..." however Dumbledore didn't go any further in his explanation. Two ferocious growls were heard and even Harry felt a shiver run down his back.

"You raised bloodwards?" Abanddon snarled.

"It had to be done. His mother's sacrifice..." Dumbledore tried to defend himself but he was interrupted again.

"Were you not listening yesterday when we said that we raised a shield that protected him?" Caym asked mockingly. "Lily's death did nothing to save him, except buy us time to strengthen the shield."

"The bloodwards do nothing, they only feed on his magic. If he wasn't as powerful as he is he would have been no better than a squib when he first set foot in this place. And even so I guess he spends all of first term recuperating. That would explain why he always does best in his spell work after the winter break."

Dumbledore paled slightly at Abanddon's explanation.

"That can not be true. I researched it extensively. It said that it would feed on the feelings they had for each other and that it would strengthen the more they cared for each other and the closest they were related." Dumbledore argued and Abanddon snorted.

"Yes, however the wards need magic, so they feed on the wizards and witches they are keyed to. In this case the only wizard in that house was Harry, the wards couldn't even feed on ambient magic because it was a muggle neighborhood. They feed only on Harry's magic. Besides, from what I understand they despise each other, there is no love to power the wards."

Dumbledore seemed to age in front of his eyes. He had never seen the Headmaster look so tired. Not even the previous day when he told them that Voldemort was back.

"Are you certain?" Dumbledore asked, looking at both demons.

"Yes. Blood Magic, no matter the kind, is based on our magics." Caym confirmed.

"I see." Dumbledore murmured.

Harry didn't really understand what they were talking about, he knew nothing about wards and how they worked, however he understood enough. He didn't like what he was hearing.

"So, since those wards are worthless do I still have to go back there?"

"Just for a while. Let me set up a safe house. Voldemort is still back and for the moment that is the safest place, however I will have a house ready as soon as possible."

"Fine. Abanddon and Caym will be with me, so I guess it won't be as bad as usual."

"We haven't hunted a mortal in a long time." Abanddon remarked as if he were talking about the weather.

"Abanddon!" Harry exclaimed, though he tried to look stern he was unable to hide the amusement in his eyes and Abanddon smirked.

"Yes, Master?"

"Neither of you is hunting my relatives." he stated a small smile playing on his lips.

"Very well Master. However if you change your mind, you know what to do." Abanddon looked rather hopeful that he would change his mind and Harry couldn't help but chuckle. Caym shook his head and smirked at Dumbledore and Snape's expressions. It was clear as day that Dumbledore was afraid that they would corrupt his precious savior. Snape on the other hand looked like he was just realizing the kind of power Harry had. One simple order from Harry and the two seemingly docile demons could become the deadly creatures they were known for.

"Finally realized it, haven't you?" Caym asked, looking directly at Snape. He chuckled when Snape tried to hide the apprehension he felt.

Harry looked at him curiously and Caym shook his head.

"It's nothing Master. Are we done here?"

"Just one more question. Where were you the previous night? Mr. Weasley was rather worried, he said you were not in your dorm." Dumbledore asked looking at Harry.

"I don't really know. They told me it were living quarters near the Tower. I didn't really want to deal with the other students and they took care of it."

"I see. However you will have to stay in your dorm from now on. I understand you didn't want to face your peers yesterday. You were tired and had a rather eventful night. However every student must sleep in their dorms."

"I understand. Can I go?"

Dumbledore nodded and Harry got up, the demons following close behind and he left the Headmaster's office.

They walked in silence till they were almost a whole corridor away.

"I want you to tell me everything about those bloodwards. I don't think I understood everything but what I did understand I didn't like."

"As you wish Master." they replied in unison.

"Let's go back to those living quarters. Dumbledore only said I had to sleep in the dorm, he never said I couldn't use the living room there."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Harry was rather thankful that they didn't meet anyone on their way. Most students were probably in the Great Hall having breakfast, or in their common rooms, either way Harry was thankful for it. The time that he had to face them grew closer but at least he would be able to talk with Ron and Hermione before someone saw him in a corridor with two strange men and start to gossip about it.

"So... About those bloodwards." Harry started when he was sitting in a comfortable couch in the living room of the quarters that his demons had acquired.

"Bloodwards are one of the more powerful wards there are," Abanddon told him, "However they have a rather dangerous drawback. They are anchored to the people they are tied to. You see, it's like this, wards feed of the ambient magic and are anchored to a rune stone. The people tied to the wards can feel them and change them but if the wards were to break the backlash wouldn't harm the people tied to it all that much. At worst, in wards such as these here at Hogwarts for instance the people tied to it would pass out and feel a headache for a few days. Considering that these wards are some of the most powerful in the world, you can see that most wouldn't affect the people tied to them all that much."

"With bloodwards it's different." Caym continued explaining, "They are anchored to the people and feed of their magic and of ambient magic. In this case they would be anchored to you, your aunt and maybe your cousin. However both of them are muggles and you live in a muggle house-hold. The wards can only feed of your magic. It drains you. In this case it didn't harm you since your core is rather big. Consider it as your magic going to the gym every day while you are at your relative's home. It strengthens your core and helps you in having better stamina while casting. We suspect it is one of the reasons why you were able to cast a Patronus when you were thirteen, your magic was strong enough to hold such a draining spell because you were used to the strain the wards put on your core. However if you were weaker magically it could have drained you completely when you were younger. You would have been left a squib or died depending on the shock it would have been on your soul. The backlash in case they broke would have been just as harmful to you."

"It is one of the reasons that most people don't use them anymore, they consider the risk too great. As you know for a wizard losing his magic is worse than death." Abanddon added and Harry nodded.

"Is it dangerous for me to go back there?"

"No." Caym assured him, "We will be going with you, the wards will be able to feed on our magic as well. We will not let anything happen to you." Caym told him again and Harry had to smile. He had never felt so protected.

"I know." he replied, still smiling at them. Suddenly he laughed and the demons looked at him curiously, "I was just imagining the Dursleys reaction when you arrive with me and tell them you are staying and are my demonic servants." both demons smirked and Harry was sure they were imagining the same thing. He knew that they enjoyed the fear they caused and the Dursleys would be terrified of them. At least it would be entertaining staying with the Dursleys till Dumbledore had a safe place ready for him.

"Will you be staying with me the whole day?"

"Yes Master. We know that there are children of Death Eaters here, we do not know what their parents ordered them to do. It is best to be safe."

"Alright." he knew there was no point in arguing with them, "I'm going to talk with Hermione and Ron. Tell them what happened. I'm going to tell them the truth about both of you too. I don't want to lie to them."

"You are free to tell whomever you want Master. However they will not be able to spread the information." Caym told him and Harry nodded.

"Where could they be. Breakfast is over, so maybe the library or the infirmary looking for me."

"If you wish I could track them down and bring them here Master. So you will have privacy to talk to them." Abanddon offered.

"Could you? That would be great."

"I will be right back Master." Abanddon bowed and left the room.

Caym went to the small kitchen that was part of the living quarters and Harry could hear him going through the cupboards. Harry left him to it. He had other things on his mind at the moment.

He didn't really know how to feel about everything that happened. He didn't really know Cedric but it didn't mean that he wasn't sad about his death. He could blame himself for his death, he had told Cedric to take the cup with him, but he knew that it wasn't his fault. He hadn't been the one to kill him. He was no Seer, he couldn't know that the cup was a portkey. Blaming himself would amount to nothing. The ones responsible were Pettigrew and Voldemort. They were the ones that had killed Cedric. He was sure that he would have been dead too if it hadn't been for his demons. The previous night it had all been to fresh, he couldn't help but feel it was his fault. After a good night's sleep though he could be more rational about it. He was sad and angry but he wasn't feeling guilty. He hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe he would have felt guilty if it was someone he knew better, but even so he didn't think he would. He wasn't responsible for other people's actions. It wasn't his fault.

The door opening broke him out of his thoughts. He looked over and saw Hermione and Ron walking in, looking confused and Abanddon following them.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed as soon as she saw him and rushed to hug him. Ron following close behind her. Both of them were looking him over worried and Harry sighed. He knew that what he was going to tell them would make them worry even more. "Where were you?" Hermione asked, "We were so worried and no one saw Cedric after yesterday and Victor and Fleur have been in the infirmary. There were aurors all over the school and some of them were tearing apart Professor Moody's classroom and office. We thought something had happened to you. Dumbledore only said there would be an announcement today at lunch."

"Take a seat," Harry told them sighing, "It's a long story."

When they had taken a seat on the couch opposite his he took a deep breath and told them everything. From the moment they landed in that damned graveyard till they left Dumbledore's office after the interrogation of Moody who wasn't Moody. He saw their expressions grow more fearful by the second and when he told them that Voldemort was truly back they paled so much that Harry thought they would pass out. However when he told them the true about Abanddon and Caym as well as their names Hermione actually squeaked and crossed herself. He knew he shouldn't laugh but he couldn't stop the upturn of the corner of his lips. Abanddon chuckled darkly behind him and looked at Hermione smirking.

"Do not worry little girl, we won't hurt you. However what you are doing wouldn't have helped you any if we were going to hurt you."

Ron on the other had was pale and shaking a bit.

"Demons?" he squeaked, looking fearful at the two demons standing behind Harry as some sort of bodyguards. "I thought that demons didn't look human."

"We can look human." Caym told them, "However we do have a demonic form."

"You do?" Harry asked curiously, he hadn't know that.

"Yes," Abanddon replied, "However most humans can not stand our demonic auras so we usual use this form."

"Can you show me?" Harry asked, completely ignoring the horrified looks of his two best friends.

Abanddon and Caym looked stunned for a moment then they chuckled.

"Maybe later little Master." Abanddon told him, his eyes warm.

"Alright." Harry pouted, making both demons chuckle again.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked, doing her best to not look at the two demons standing behind Harry, while Ron had some difficulty looking away from them.

"Do about what?"

"About them!" Hermione shriek, it was quite clear who she meant.

"What do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes, he didn't like where this was going. First Dumbledore, now Hermione.

"You can't have them around you, Harry. They're demons! Dark, evil! You can't possible want to be near them!"

"Hermione, watch your tone." Harry snapped, shocking all those present. "I do not care what you think. Abanddon and Caym saved my life. They have been nothing but nice to me. I will not tolerate anyone talking badly about them just because of prejudice."

"Harry, mate, usually I'm all about equality and all that, but she has a point. They are demons. Even if they are nice to you, it does not change the fact that they are evil. There is a reason for people still fearing them even three thousand years after the separations of our realms." Ron told him, surprising Harry a little with his knowledge. Though Ron did come from an old pure-blood family, even if they didn't show it. It was one of those things that pure-blood wizards grew up with, almost common knowledge. Muggle-borns and half-bloods raised by muggles had to look for that knowledge while to the pure-bloods it was nothing new. Some knew more than others but they all knew the basics.

"I know what they are!" Harry snarled, "I know they aren't some fluffy little puppies. It was my family they slaughtered because they were bored. So don't talk to me as if I didn't know what they could do."

"Then why do you want them to stay?" Hermione asked, looking slightly exasperated.

"Because I like them!" Harry shouted, again stunning all those present, "They're funny and affectionate. They're sarcastic and intelligent. I like talking to them. I want to know them. I hate what my family did to them. I hate it. Beings like them shouldn't be bound, shouldn't be slaves." he spat the word out with absolute disgust, "They ruled Hell, for Merlin's sake! Bounding them... It's wrong." he whispered, he looked at Hermione, trying to make her understand. She fought for house-elf rights, if there was someone who would understand it would be her. Abanddon and Caym, should never have been bound, they should never have had to serve humans, even if they were magical humans.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione sighed. There was a look in her eyes that he couldn't place, but when she threw him a small smile he thought that she understood. "Alright." she said and a brilliant smile appeared on his face.

"If you like and trust them, then they can't be so bad." Ron muttered, though he still kept one eye on the demons. "What are you going to tell people about them?"

"What we told Bones. It's easier to tell them part of the truth." Harry replied and both of his friends nodded.

"Things will change now, won't they?" Hermione whispered.

Harry could only nod. Voldemort was back, he doubted that things would stay the same.

"How do you think people will react?" Ron asked, he was still pale. Harry was sure that only now had the fact that Voldemort was back truly registered in Ron's brain, having been to focused on the demons beforehand.

"I don't know. Fudge didn't react well at all. He accused me of lying." he sounded bitter even to his own hears. He couldn't help it, it was always the same, they either saw him as some kind of hero or villain. He was getting tired of it, "I don't think he will do much to help. Though Bones seemed competent. In the end I think it depends on who gets to the public first. I'm not sure if Fudge will tell the people what is going on and we can't forget that Malfoy has Fudge in his pocket and Malfoy is a Death Eater."

"Now I'm kinda glad you have those two." Ron muttered looking at the demons.

"Why?"

"Well, it's obvious that they won't let anything happen to you. With You-Know-Who back... Better safe than sorry, you know?"

Harry nodded. He knew that Ron was right but he didn't want to use the demons like that. As some kind of shield against Voldemort. He knew they would protect him if he ordered them to do it, but he wanted to stand on his own. He didn't want to be weak.

"Yeah, I guess." he muttered, not knowing how to breach the subjected with them. No matter what they had been through, Hermione and Ron were still far more innocent than he was and he didn't want to take that from them. How could he tell them that he wanted to learn more so that he could stand against Death Eaters? He was far from stupid, he knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against them with schoolyard curses.

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked, looking concerned. He contained a grimace, apparently he hadn't managed to hide his depressing thoughts as well as he had hoped.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." he smiled at her.

"Maybe we should leave then," Hermione told him, her eyes still holding a bit of concern in them, "You should rest a little and we'll come get you for lunch, alright?"

"Alright." he muttered, he tried to get up from his seat but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Rest Master." Caym told him, "Abanddon will escort them out." Harry nodded and with quick goodbyes the two were out of the room.

"They seemed eager to leave." he muttered, a bit surprised. Usually they would have insisted in staying longer, even if he claimed to be tired. They would fuss, Hermione more so than Ron, and nag, only leaving when they were sure that he was fine.

"Even though they accepted our presence they are still weary." Caym told him. "Truthfully, they were rather terrified of our presence. The only thing that kept them from running the moment they knew who we were was their concern for you. Truly remarkable."

A small smile appeared on his lips. It was good to know that his friends cared so much.

"Little Master, what had your thoughts so occupied?" Abanddon asked, standing in front of him and Harry sighed.

"I would prefer if you would sit down." he told both of them and they obeyed, "You know we will have to talk about this Master thing. Can't you just call me Harry?"

"It wouldn't be proper." Caym told him.

Harry looked at them incredulously.

"You are demons! Since when do you care if it's proper or not? I know that you are still my servants even if you call me Harry, I know it doesn't change the fact that you are bound to me. But I just... I don't like it. I would like it more if you were yourselves with me, not some perfect servant."

Again the two demons looked rather surprised and he almost smiled. Really one would think that no one had ever been nice to them. Realization hit him like a sledgehammer. Could that be true? Had his family always treated them badly? Could they have spend their lifetimes with these two demons always treating them as servants, never forgiving what they had done?

"How about a compromise little Master. In front of others we will call you Master and when we are alone we will do our best to be ourselves and call you by your name. Would that please you?" Abanddon asked and Harry nodded. It wasn't what he wanted but at least it was a step in the right direction. "Good. Now, stop stalling and tell us what you were worrying about."

Harry almost chuckled. He hadn't been stalling, well maybe a little, but he had really wanted to address the whole Master thing. He had no idea how Voldemort could stand being called that everyday.

"I was just thinking that I had to learn more. I can't beat Death Eaters with schoolyard curses, can I?" he smiled ruefully. "I don't think most people are going to like it."

"We will protect you, you know that." Caym stated and he had a look in his eyes that Harry couldn't really identify. There was anger there, but it was almost muted by several other emotions that he couldn't really place.

"I know." he whispered, "But I want to stand on my own two feet. I don't want to hide behind you. I know I'm not all that powerful, but I could learn to duel."

He looked at them and saw a hint of pride in their eyes, surprising him.

"Fight." Caym corrected, "You will learn to fight. You can not win if you follow the rules of dueling."

"If you wish to learn we will support you." Abanddon told him, "We will even teach you if you want."

"You will?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course. You are our Master. If you want to get stronger, better, then we will help." Caym looked at him with warm ruby eyes, "Though we warn you that most things we know are considered dark."

"But if it could save my life against Death Eaters..." Harry whispered. He didn't want to become like the Death Eaters, but he knew that sometimes you had to fight fire with fire. But how could he be sure that he wouldn't cross the line? To most wizards even knowing the Dark Arts was crossing the line. Would they fear him? Call him the next Dark Lord? Would he be shunned by his friends and family? He didn't even have to imagine what Fudge would do if he even suspect of Harry touching a Dark Arts book. He would be in Azkaban before he could say innocent.

"You don't have to learn it if you do not want to, and you can think it over." Abanddon told him, "Besides we will always stay with you, no matter what you chose. You could tell us you wanted to take over the world and we would support you."

A small chuckle passed his lips. Hearing that made him feel better. No matter what he would never be alone again.

"Thank you." he told them smiling.

"You are welcome. Do you want to rest before lunch?" Caym asked getting up from his seat.

"I... Yeah, I would like that." he hadn't lied to Hermione, he did feel tired. His emotions were still all over the place and even though he didn't blame himself anymore for Cedric's death it was still something that was heavy on his mind.

"Than go rest. We will wake you up when your friends arrive." Abanddon got up as well and helped him up from his seat. He wanted to roll his eyes, really, he wasn't that tired. But seeing the look in the demon's eyes he keep his mouth shut. He had the feeling that he wouldn't win an argument against him. At least not regarding something like this. Abanddon lead him to the bedroom he had spend the night in and as soon as is head hit the pillow he could feel his eyes close.

What felt like minutes later, but was in reality a good three hours, Abanddon was shaking him awake.

"Whaa?" he mumbled, burrowing deeper into the pillow.

"Your friends are here little Master. Lunch will start in a few minutes."

"Right." he muttered, sitting up. He saw Abanddon's lips twitch but didn't comment, who knew what was going through his mind. "Just give me a minute."

Abanddon nodded and left the room, and he slumped right back. He groaned, he was far more tired than what he had thought. Only knowing that Dumbledore would be giving a speech about what happened the previous day made him get up. He didn't even care that Hermione and Ron were waiting for him and only had Abanddon and Caym for company. They would have to get used to them sooner or later.

Not even ten minutes later, far sooner than he would have liked, he walked out of the room and saw Hermione and Ron sitting rather stiffly on the couch and both demons looking far more amused than they should.

"Hey guys." he greeted them and they smiled.

"Ready to go?" Hermione asked, looking slightly anxious.

"Not really, but I will have to face the masses sooner or later, right?"

Both of his friends grimaced. They knew he hated the attention and this situation was sure to bring even more of it. He would never understand those people who actually wanted to be famous. How could they want their lives scrutinized by everyone? It made no sense to him.

As soon as they left the quarters Harry was flanked by both his friends, Abanddon and Caym following close behind. The closer they got to the Great Hall the more students they saw in the corridors, most of them looking at Harry or at the two demons following them. He could hear them whispering as soon as they passed. It was bad now, he couldn't imagine how much worse it would be after Dumbledore's speech.

They entered the Great Hall, that was thankfully not full, and sat at the Gryffindor table. He sighed when most of the students looked at him. However Abanddon and Caym were gaining a lot of attention too. Especially because they were standing behind him in neat black muggle suits like some sort of bodyguards. He knew it would be pointless to tell them to sit. He had barely been able to convince them to call him Harry when they were alone, there was no way he would be able to persuade them to sit at the Gryffindor table.

When the last student finally arrived the doors to the Great Hall closed and Dumbledore stood up. As soon as the Headmaster got up the students stopped whispering and looked at him. Harry knew that the silence wouldn't last long.

"I know that all of you wondered what happened yesterday in the final task. You weren't told yesterday, nor this morning because we wanted to give the people involved some time to rest. It is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that your fellow student, Cedric Diggory, passed away last night."

The silence that followed was deafening.

He could see the stunned disbelieve in most of their faces and the downright denial in others. He didn't blame them, he would have felt the same if he hadn't seen it.

The professors were trying to keep it together, but most of them had tears in their eyes and Sprout wasn't even trying to stop them from falling. Harry assumed that the Headmaster had already told them what had happened because there was no surprise in their eyes, only bitter acceptance.

Then an agonized wail pierced the silence and Harry saw Cho, Cedric's girlfriend he remembered, stumble from her place at the Ravenclaw table and fall to her knees. A girl, a friend Harry guessed, tried to comfort her, both ended up crying on the floor, holding each other.

That seemed to be all that was needed for the dam to break. The Hufflepuffs were crying. Some silently, others sobbing. They knew Cedric the best, they were his housemates. But the others students weren't far behind. Most of them knew Cedric in one way or another, especially the younger years. Harry remembered Hermione telling him that Cedric helped them with their homework in the library when they needed. He even saw a few little Slytherins crying, while the older ones tried, and in some cases failed, to hold up their masks.

"How?" a Hufflepuff was heard over the commotion and Harry thought that it was one of Cedric's friends. At least he had seen him around Cedric the most.

The Hall quieted again, though there was still sobbing heard.

"Yesterday young Cedric and Harry were kidnapped from the maze." Dumbledore announced and Harry had never seen the Headmaster looking so old, nor had he heard him sounding so guilty, "Later that night, with the help of the DMLE, more precisely Madam Bones herself, we found out that a Death Eater, who disguised himself as professor Moody made the Triwizard cup a portkey that transported Cedric and Harry to a location where another Death Eater and the Dark Lord Voldemort were waiting for them. Cedric was killed as soon as he arrived. Then they captured Harry who was only able to escape with his life because he was rescued by the two men standing behind him at the moment. They were the ones who alerted us that something was wrong."

The students were so shocked that they didn't even flinch when they heard the Dark Lord's name. They were looking at Dumbledore with horrified expressions.

Then they looked at Harry and Harry felt like fidgeting, he truly hated all the attention.

"Why didn't you save Cedric?" that same boy asked, he looked devastated, "Why only Potter?" he snarled and Harry almost flinched.

"We are sorry for your loss." Caym said and a hush fell over the Hall. Even Cho stopped sobbing. All of them curious about what they would say and mesmerized by his voice. Harry didn't blame them, Caym's voice was enchanting and calming, even though Harry knew that Caym was lying he couldn't help but want to believe those words. He would have believed them too, hadn't both demons already told him that they did not regret or get saddened by the death of humans.

"However it was impossible for us to save Mr. Diggory." Abanddon told the students, "As the Headmaster told you, Mr. Diggory was killed as soon as he arrived. We were only able to appear at the location they were when our Master called us."

"Master? Are you a servant of the Dark Lord?" a Slytherin asked, before anyone else could say anything.

"No." Caym was barely able to contain the disgusted expression on his face, though Harry could still see it in his eyes, "We are bound servants of the House of Potter. When we felt that our Master was in danger we were able to appear at his location to save him and protect him as is our duty."

"That's impossible." muttered the same Slytherin, while other pure-bloods started whispering, "There are no bound servants anymore, the families who had them died out or the servants did. And there were no other slaves made after the laws passed."

Now even the muggle-borns were whispering and he could see their expressions when they heard the word slave. It was much the same he had felt.

"That is correct, there were no more new slaves made. However our bloodline has been tied to the Potter bloodline for over three thousand years and the rituals needed to set our line free have been lost for around one thousand years. As such we will continue to serve our Master till we die." Abanddon explained and he saw several people pale, though mostly Slytherins and a few Ravenclaws.

"Three thousand years?" the boy whispered, his eyes going from the servants to Harry. "The Potter bloodline is three thousand years old?"

"A little more than that yes," Caym confirmed and Harry knew he would be smirking if the situation in the Hall wasn't as somber as it was, "Now that our Master knows about us we will be able to show him his family history and all the knowledge they have accumulated over the centuries."

Now even the pure-blood Gryffindors were looking at Harry. Even if they weren't bigots, there was something that all pure-bloods valued, their history. Knowing that Harry's line was older than any line they had heard of was startling, however knowing that the knowledge accumulated over that time was still around was staggering.

The Great Hall was silent again, most remembering what had lead to that moment, while others were pondering about everything they had heard. Fear started to appear in many faces again when they remembered that the Dark Lord was back and a few Slytherins couldn't hide the excitement they felt. Though Harry was pleased to see that those Slytherins were few and far between, most of them seemed scared.

"I ask you that we hold a minute of silence for Cedric Diggory, a young man who was loved by many and embodied everything the Hufflepuff house represents. Remember Cedric Diggory, one of our own, and stand tall against the darkness that threatens us and our own once again." Dumbledore stood in front of them and bowed his head, everyone following his example, though Harry saw in the corner of his eye that the same Slytherins that couldn't hide their excitement had their heads high. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to curse them. He didn't but he wished bitterly for them to join Voldemort. He had seen how he treated his followers, maybe the best punishment they could get would be serving under him. A few Crucius would bend their necks. He doubted that they would be happy with his return then.

"Thank you and if you need anyone to talk to, your professors are always available." Dumbledore told them after the minute of silence passed and sat back down.

The food appeared then and the doors opened again. Pomphrey got up and went to Cho, who was still on the floor and took her out of the Hall. Harry guessed she was taking her to the infirmary to give her some calming potion.

The whole Hall was subdued but even so he could feel eyes on him. Abanddon and Caym took a step closer to him and their proximity calmed him down. He didn't feel like fleeing because they were with him. He could endure their stares, even if he didn't like it.

He had his demons now and somehow that was all that mattered.


 

Notes:

So, some people asked if this was based on the manga Kuroshitsuji. No, it isn't. While I know about the manga and anime I have never seen or read it. I have read and liked a few crossover of HP and Kuroshitsuji but that's all. I don't know the Kuroshitsuji world well enough to write a fic with it.

About the pairing; it's Abanddon/Harry/Caym. Though it won't happen right away. Harry will struggle a little with his attraction to both of them, and both Abanddon and Caym are trying to resist it as well.

So I don't remember who it was but they asked about the name Abanddon... To be honest I thought it was Abaddon as well, however several sites had it as Abanddon so since most of the ones I found had it as Abanddon I went with that.

Hope you enjoy it :) next chapter will take a little longer to update, but I had this one almost ready so I only had to finish it.

Chapter 3: Leashed

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


Chapter 3 – Lea s hed

Harry was more than happy when they finally closed the door of their compartment. Just as he had thought the attention he got skyrocketed after Dumbledore's little speech. The only ones who didn't approach him were the Hufflepuffs and most Slytherins.

The Hufflepuffs were mourning Cedric and didn't pay all that much attention to anything at all. The Slytherins simply didn't want anything to do with him, those that did approach him only wanted to know about his demons. He almost cursed one when he called them slaves.

Frankly he was quite glad he was leaving. He never would have thought that he would be glad to be leaving Hogwarts, to go back to the Dursleys. Though he supposed that the fact that he wouldn't be staying long was helping.

A few minutes later Hermione and Ron joined them. They were still a little weary about the demons but they had lost that terrified look when they were in the same room as them.

Harry had a good time with them. They talked and played chess and all in all tried to forget what the next months would bring. At the moment they wanted to forget that soon a new war would break out and that they would have to participate.

However their peace didn't last long and Malfoy made his traditional visit to their compartment.

"Well, if it isn't scar-head and his sidekicks." he drawled and Ron jumped from his seat, wand in hand.

"Ron don't." Hermione held him back, though Harry knew that she wouldn't be able to hold onto him if Ron really wanted to hit Malfoy.

"Yes, weasel, listen to your mudblood."

"Shut up." snarled Harry, taking his wand out as well and pointing at Malfoy's pointy little face.

"Don't pretend to be though Potter," sneered Malfoy, "If your little slaves hadn't saved you, the Dark Lord would have killed you. Did you cry when he tortured you Potter? Did you call for your mommy to save you? Oh, that's right... the mudblood is already dead."

Ron and Hermione were so shocked with what Malfoy had said that Hermione let go of Ron and Ron actually lowered his wand. Harry on the other hand was hearing a low ringing in his ears, that was getting louder by the second.

Malfoy got a satisfied smirk, he believed that he had somehow won the confrontation, however before he could make a parting comment the door slammed shut behind him and he heard the lock click.

Only then did he notice the glare Harry was aiming at him, only then did he feel the magic in the room.

"You know, I always thought that Slytherins were supposed to have self preservation." a voice remarked right behind him and he almost jumped out of his skin. He looked back only to come face to chest with Abanddon.

"I had heard the same thing, though I guess the information was false, after all only a suicidal fool would anger someone like our Master." Caym commented, as if he were talking about the weather.

"Maybe all the self preservation genes went to his father, what do you think Caym, Abanddon?" Harry asked, still glaring at Malfoy, he didn't know how but Malfoy would pay for what he said.

"It is probable Master." replied Abanddon.

"Well, he at least was intelligent enough to get out of our way. I do wonder how long it will take him to contact us."

"Why would he?" Harry asked, looking at Caym.

"Every wizard worth their salt that was in that graveyard knows the truth, and as long as Voldemort wants to harm you then he is our enemy, as such he will be eliminated. Even without knowing our names, they will know what we could do, especially the older families, they must have records about us. They know that you are our Master. If they have as much self-preservation as we think then they will contact us, or at least you, to make some sort of deal."

They were ignoring the spluttering Malfoy heir.

"It's time to wake up Malfoy," Harry told him, finally looking in his direction, "War is coming and you are still playing the bully in insignificant schoolyard squabbles. I have no time for people like you." Malfoy looked as if he had been struck. "Leave, now." Harry told him, the door opened and Abanddon pushed him lightly out the door.

Malfoy left without another word and Caym locked the door behind him.

"You handled that rather well Master." Abanddon told him, "Though if it were me I would have done it a little more bloody."

Harry snorted and sat back down.

"I know, that's why I stepped in. No matter how much I do not like him, I don't want him dead."

Abanddon looked offended and Caym seemed to be trying to hide a smirk.

"Master, I would never do that." Abanddon protested.

Harry gave him a look that clearly said, 'oh, really?'.

"I may have maimed him or just hurt him a little... But I wouldn't have killed him."

Harry snorted and ignored the looks Ron and Hermione had. They may have been getting used to them but they were still afraid and neither particularly liked Abanddon's sense of humor. Though Harry knew that Abanddon was only partially joking, he would have maimed Malfoy if Harry hadn't stepped in, as would Caym. He didn't know why but they were rather protective of him.

He supposed it should have frightened him, but it didn't. He felt safe and he loved it. Nobody had ever protected him, his mother had, but she died and even though he was grateful to his parents he couldn't help but resent them a little. They had left him. They could have asked Abanddon and Caym to fight and protect them all, but they hadn't. He knew that they did it out of love, he knew that, but it didn't change how he felt. They left him to the mercies of the world, with no one to look after him, no one to love him.

He looked to his right where the demons were standing by the door and a small smile appeared on his lips. He would never be alone again, he had them and they would never leave him. They had sworn it.

The rest of the train ride went by in relatively calm, they had a surprise visit from the twins and Ginny, who stayed for a little while then left. A few other students also came by, mostly from their year, wishing him a good holiday and telling him to be careful. He was surprised by their concern, apparently they understood what Voldemort being back meant. The Hufflepuffs that had come to greet him were subdued, but those that did come, Susan Bones, Ernie McMillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley, assured him that no Hufflepuff blamed him for what happened and were relieved that he had escaped.

Susan had been particularly distraught. According to Hermione she had a crush on Cedric, and was terrified about Voldemort being back. Her parents had been killed during the war, she now lived with her aunt Amelia Bones. However she believed him, which was good since he had already seen several declarations from Fudge stating that 'everything was fine and under control'.

Well, Harry didn't know how exactly it was fine and under control but he didn't say anything. He had suspected that something like that might happen, especially after he saw Fudge's reaction. He just hopped that people would be smart enough to not believe it and try and protect themselves, since the Ministry didn't seem to be going to do it.

Besides he couldn't forget that Malfoy had Fudge in his pocket. Who knew what he was whispering in Fudge's ear.

As the train slowed down he felt his nerves steadily getting worse. He was happy that he had left Hogwarts, but now he was thinking about his uncle, how he would react to Abanddon and Caym. He knew that they would be able to protect themselves but it didn't stop him from worrying. He just hoped that his uncle didn't start anything at King's Cross, he hadn't told the Dursleys that he would have both demons with him and he could just imagine his uncle's reaction.

Taking a deep breath he smiled at his friends and left the compartment with them, Abanddon had his trunk already and Caym had Hedwig's cage. Their meeting had been rather funny. Hedwig hadn't been at all happy with their presence and every time they tried to be near him Hedwig had pecked them ruthlessly. Caym had grumbled about feathery menaces and about making owl stew while Abanddon had actually pouted. Harry had laughed himself silly when he saw it. However after a day of tormenting them Hedwig let them be, she even became friendly towards them. He had no idea how the cunning demons had done it but he suspected it involved bacon.

As usual Mrs. Weasley was the first to spot them and he was engulfed in a bone breaking hug.

"Oh, Harry." she sounded sadder than Harry had ever heard her, "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that." she held him a little tighter and Harry could do nothing but hug her back. Was this what it felt like to be held by a mother? If it was Harry rather liked it, it was warm and gentle and he felt tears gather in his eyes, but he didn't let them fall.

"It's alright Mrs. Weasley, I'm alright." he whispered and he really was. He was sad, hurt, angry about what had happened, but he was alright. He had Abanddon and Caym and somehow they made it alright.

She pulled away a little and looked in his eyes, she could she the truth in them and a small, watery smile appeared on her lips.

"I'm glad." she whispered back. Then her eyes landed on the two demons behind him and even though her eyes narrowed slightly the smile didn't drop. "Thank you, for saving him." her words shone with her gratitude, even if there was a trace of suspicion in her tone.

"We did nothing more than our duty." Abanddon replied, bowing his head a little and Mrs. Weasley eyes narrowed further.

"So if it wasn't your duty you wouldn't have done it?" she sounded protective, the words almost a growl and Harry could see the resemblance to a lioness protecting her cubs. He felt his heart warm at the thought, even though he didn't like her attacking Abanddon and Caym.

Caym narrowed his eyes and Abanddon's expression closed off. Ron paled slightly when he saw it, his mother had no idea what they were, it wasn't a good idea to anger them. However even if she did know he didn't think that it would have made a difference. Ron knew that his mum really considered Harry another of her children and he knew that she would face against You-Know-Who himself to protect him, he didn't think that she would do anything different even if she knew that they were demons.

Caym's eyes landed on Harry and the trust the young wizard had in them was there for all to see, he wanted to shake his head. How could he trust them so, knowing what he knew? Knowing what they were. He couldn't call it naivety because he knew that Harry was far more cynical and bitter than he showed most people, he truly trusted them. It was mindbogglingly, even Lily, his mother, hadn't treated them like Harry did. She didn't hold a grudge against them as all blood Potters did, she did however fear them. Harry didn't. He treated them with respect, with care and affection. He would smile and laugh and touch them. He didn't shied away from them when they took his hand or even walked close to him. Harry could control them, but he didn't want to. Harry was different from anyone they had ever meet, he knew that Abanddon felt the same, so he answered truthfully, finally dragging his eyes away from Harry's.

"We did it because we wanted to. However if it were anyone else but Harry we wouldn't have saved them. We may have been duty bound to save him, but we did it because we wanted to."

The answer didn't please her completely, but it was better than nothing. She could tell that they were more than they appeared, she knew that they were dangerous. His answer just confirmed it. She could be dying in front of them and they wouldn't care but at least they cared about Harry. It would have to be enough. So she nodded, gave Harry one more hug and let them lead her child away, knowing that they would keep him safe.

When they crossed the barrier into the muggle world Harry was a nervous wreck. He had no idea how his uncle would react and he didn't want to make a scene at King's Cross. Besides he was sure that Abanddon and Caym would be less than pleased if his uncle tried something.

"Young Master." Caym's voice stopped him before he could walk towards where his uncle usually waited for him, he turned and looked at him curiously, "Abanddon and I won't be going in the car with you and your relatives. We know that they won't react well to you appearing with us so we will follow you to their home and we will explain things there."

He was kinda relived to hear that. It would be strange to be away from the demons, it was hard to believe but he hadn't been away from them since the graveyard. They only left him alone when he was sleeping or in the bathroom otherwise they were always there.

"Alright." he whispered. He felt strange, he knew that it was the best thing to do, but he didn't want to be away form them. Which was ridiculous of course, if there was one thing he was familiar with it was being alone.

"Don't worry little Master," Abanddon whispered against his ear, his warm breath making a shiver run down his spine, "We will be with you again in a little bit, you won't even notice that we are gone."

Harry nodded and tried to smile, though he knew that it came out rather strained. Taking a deep breath he walked towards his uncle, only realizing he didn't have his trunk and Hedwig's cage with him when he spotted his uncle waiting for him a few feet away.

"Boy, where are your things?" he barked, his face already gaining that red color it usually had when he was dealing with Harry.

"Friends of mine kept them." he replied, he wasn't even lying.

"Good riddance," his uncle muttered, "Moved it, I have better things to do than to wait for you." he practically snarled, even though Harry was standing beside him, waiting for him to lead them to the car.

Even so Harry nodded, knowing it would be futile to do anything else, besides knowing what was to come made him hide a small smile. He just couldn't wait to see their reactions when Abanddon and Caym came knocking on their door. He had a feeling that their boring little lives would be anything but normal with the two demons living with them.


As soon as they arrived at the Dursleys home he was practically showed inside and the door slammed shut. His uncle was already dragging him into the kitchen to be given his list of chores when the bell rang. He didn't even need to see who it was to know that his demons had arrived. He could feel them on the other side of the door and he was positively giddy about it.

"Open the door boy," growled his uncle and he would have cackled if he could. They were making it so much easier.

Keeping his head bowed he obeyed and went to open the door.

As soon as he opened the demons were inside, moving towards the kitchen. He knew the exact moment that his aunt saw them. He heard her gasp. It didn't really surprise him. His aunt was such a shallow person and they were beyond beautiful.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my home?" his uncle asked, and he moved towards the kitchen, he wanted to see what was about to happen.

The smiles that they had on their lips were terrifying and he saw Dudley trying to hide behind his mother. He almost laughed, it had been a long time ago since his aunt had been able to hide her son's bulk.

"We want to have a little talk with all of you." Abanddon replied and he levitated the three of them into the leaving room, depositing them on the couch.

Harry knew that they would have screamed if they could, but he could see that the Dursleys were frozen in place. They looked like marionettes that Abanddon was controlling.

"This way young Master." Caym got his attention with a soft touch to his shoulder and led him to the leaving room, where he conjured a plush armchair, telling him to sit. In a matter of seconds there was a small coffee table at his side with fresh orange juice and some pastries. "You should eat something young Master. This may take a while."

Harry just nodded and leaned back on the surprisingly comfortable armchair. He could see the Dursleys' eyes widen with horror but he payed them no mind. This was his demons' show.

Abanddon and Caym stood on either side of him and Abanddon lifted whatever he had had the Dursleys under.

His saw his uncle become redder and redder and finally he exploded.

"Get out of my home, freaks!" he screamed at them. He tried to get up, however he couldn't. None of them could move. They had their voices back, but nothing else.

"We would love to, however we can not. At least not at the moment." Caym replied, as polity as was possible. "I apologize for the situation you are in, however we must inform you of what will happen this summer and we believed that it would be easier to tell you while you are in your current situation."

"Than say what you have to say, then get out!" his uncle snarled, his eyes locking on him and promising retribution.

"I am afraid it is not that simple." Caym told him.

"You see, we will be spending part of the summer here." Abanddon informed them and Harry was sure that if his uncle wasn't frozen he would have jumped up and tried to strangle him.

"The Hell you will!" shouted his uncle, "It's bad enough that we have to keep the freak-" he wasn't able to say anything more.

The temperature in the room dropped and both demons looked deadly.

"We tried." Caym whispered.

"Yes, we did." Abanddon replied.

Their eyes started glowing and Harry swore that he could see the faint shadowy outline of wings. They looked deadly, terrifying and more beautiful than anything Harry had ever seen.

"We tried being polite, we were even being rather pleasant." Abanddon told them, his voice as cold as ice, "But you had to insult our Master, didn't you, you worthless mortal."

"Let us be perfectly clear," Caym continued, "The only reason you are still alive is because our Master told us we couldn't kill you, however, the second we deem that our master is in danger from you, your lives will be forfeit."

"W-who's your master? What are you?" his aunt asked and Harry could see true terror in her eyes. She knew a bit more about the magical world than his uncle, she knew that normal wizards and witches weren't like the two at his side.

"Our Master is Harry James Potter." Abanddon replied. "We are demons."

The three on the couch blanched. Unadulterated terror shone in all of their eyes, Dudley looked ready to faint and Vernon was no better. His aunt had her mouth open in a silent scream and Harry almost laughed. He knew he shouldn't but these people had basked in his pain, reveled in his sadness. He couldn't feel one ounce of pity or sympathy for them.

"De-demons?" his aunt whispered, her voice cracked and shook with fear.

"Yes, the Potters bound us as their servants over three thousand years ago. I am the demon Abanddon."

"And I am the demon Caym."

Dudley fainted and Vernon chocked on air. The spells on them had long since fallen away which became clear when Petunia crossed herself. Harry hadn't been lying when he said that even muggles knew their names. It was because of his relatives that he knew them. Vernon was incredibly religious, one of the reasons why he hated magic so much. His aunt in a bid to be normal had dedicated herself to normal things, religion was one such thing. They may not have truly believed, but they knew everything there was to know about it, it was what normal people did, so they did it too. They knew who they were. They knew and were terrified.

"No, no, no, it can't be." his aunt muttered and crossed herself again.

Abanddon chuckled darkly.

"You can do that how many times you want. It will do nothing to us. Silly mortal."

"We will be staying here with our Master for a little while." Caym told them. "It is just until his new accommodations are ready, then we will leave and never come back."

"We will retire to his room now. Have the rest of a good day." Abanddon motioned for him to get up and he did so, rather reluctantly, the armchair was the most comfortable thing he had ever sat one.

They made it to his room in silence and as soon as they were inside Abanddon locked the door. He knew that his room was small, but now, with both of the demons with him, it felt even smaller.

"Er... Where will you be sleeping?" he asked them, looking around. He guessed that he could give one of them his bed, but it was far to small for both of them to sleep comfortably in it.

"Do not worry, young Master. We will take care of everything." Abanddon assured him and made him stand by the door. Then he and Caym started to work. He had no idea what they were doing but everything in the room disappeared, then the room seemed to grow and the walls changed color, things started to appear all over the room and when they were done Harry could do nothing but stare.

His prison-like room was gone. He was now standing in a brightly lit living room with light blue walls and two comfortable looking dark blue couches near a coffee table. On the far corner, near the window, was a small kitchenette and an island with four stools around it. Three doors were where his bed used to be and with an encouraging nod from Abanddon he walked towards them and opened one. It lead to a bedroom, his bedroom. It was bigger than Dudley's and quite beautiful, with deep green walls and a spacious double canopy bed that had silver bedsheets and pillows. There was a desk to the side and what looked like a walk-in closet. He closed the door again and opened the one beside it. It was a bathroom, spacious with black and red tiles a shower and a bathtub. Closing the door he opened the last one. It was a smaller room, with two double beds, in the same colors as his new room. He turned around and looked at the two demons.

They looked far too pleased with themselves and he could do nothing but stare at them.

"Wha-... How?"

"People believe that demonic magic serves only to destroy. It couldn't be farther from the true. It is true that both Abanddon and I are more versed in battle magic, however that does not mean we do not know how to do anything else."

"Wizards have what they call wizard-space, like the tents at the World Cup, this is something similar, however it's demonic space. While in wizard-space it expands the space that you already have, with demonic space it creates a pocket-dimension that is able to coexist in the space that was already there and we are able to manipulate that pocket-dimension however we wish." Abanddon elaborated when he saw Harry's inquisitive look.

"It does have limits, of course. But those mostly depend on the demon or demons that created the pocket-dimension." Caym added.

"So, if I open the door to get out of the room, what happens?"

"Nothing. That door is the door to the pocket-dimension, we linked it to the door to your room. So anyone who goes through the door will come here, they won't even know that it's a pocket-dimension. Any wizard who walks through will think that it's wizard-space and if your relatives walk through they... well, they will think whatever it is they think." Abanddon explained and Harry nodded.

He didn't really understand how it worked, truth be told, but he didn't really need to. The summer was already looking up and he had only just arrived.

"Thank you." he whispered, sitting in his new couch, noticing that it was just as comfortable as the armchair he had left downstairs.

The demons smiled, giving him a little bow.

"You're welcome Master."


He had been right. The summer at the Dursleys was much better than all the previous summers. He would wake-up when he wanted to and he didn't have to make breakfast for his relatives. Most mornings breakfast would already have been made when he woke up, either Abanddon or Caym having made it. However, sometimes he would make lunch or dinner. He enjoyed cooking and those were the only times that he saw the demons actually eat. He had to almost order them to eat with him, but he had ended up convincing them.

His relatives left him pretty much alone, he only ever saw them when he would go outside for a little while. They always looked at him as if he were the devil himself. Apparently being able to have servants that were demons was even worse than being a demon in their eyes. It didn't really surprise him. Anything that had to do with him was always worse in their eyes.

Even so he couldn't wait to be away from their house. He had written Dumbledore a letter asking when he would be leaving, but the reply only told him to be patient. It was a rather worthless letter in his opinion.

His friends' letters had been no better, neither had his godfather's. From what he understood they were all somewhere together but couldn't reveal where or why or what they were doing because the letters could get intercepted. It was rather frustrating and he could only imagine how he would react if he had been alone.

Fortunately Abanddon and Caym where quite happy to keep him occupied. His favorite moments were the ones that they were all sprawled on the couch, though the demons managed to make it look elegant, and they would tell him stories about his parents and grandparents. Just little things like his grandmother chasing his dad around the manor because he had charmed her hair pink, or his grandfather teaching his dad how to fly, or how his mum had gotten revenge from a prank by charming all of his dad's clothing into dresses and making it so that everyone but his dad saw it.

It felt wonderful knowing those little things about them. It made them more real.

Though he also liked it when the demons talked about themselves. About things they did before they were bound. It let him know them a little bit more. Unfortunately they didn't tell him much. But it was better than nothing. It was fascinating to learn about civilizations that had been extinct for eons. Reading about the Ancient civilization of Mycenaen was completely different to actually hearing about it from someone who had actually seen it's rise and fall. And who would have guessed that Abanddon and Caym had been pharaohs in Ancient Egypt before it's unification? Two opposing pharaohs who went to war against each other, a mere game to both demons. They had been there when the pharaoh Namer had unified Egypt, becoming the first pharaoh of unified Egypt. Harry may not have liked history all that much when Binns was droning on and on about goblin wars, however the stories Abanddon and Caym told him were absolutely fascinating. Even if they were sometimes quite gruesome.

They didn't talk much about him, the demons knew almost everything there was to know about him. They had observed him all his life. He had felt a little awkward about that, but Caym assured him that there was no need for it. They had seen him being born, they had even bathed him when his mother hadn't been able because she had the flu and his father had been at work, so they hadn't really seen anything new. After that, for the following two days, he would blush every time he thought about it. Abanddon would chuckle every time he saw it and Caym had this smug little smirk that made Harry blush even more. Those damn demons were playing with his hormones. He had thought that he liked girls, dammit.

Anyway, aside from those little... situations... things were going rather well. And even knowing that Voldemort was back he felt strangely at peace. He had asked them when they would start training him, or teaching him and they had promised that as soon as they were somewhere where they could do magic freely they would teach him all they could. That didn't stop them from teaching him anything that didn't require wand magic, which was more than alright in Harry's opinion. So he was enjoying the summer, doing his homework and actually being a teen. He knew that soon enough he wouldn't be able to.

They were enjoying one of such nights when Abanddon and Caym suddenly stopped talking. They looked at each other and Abanddon nodded, the next moment Caym was gone.

"Abanddon?" he asked, slightly worried.

"It's alright little Master. We felt something. Caym just went to investigate."

"What did you feel?"

"Something that shouldn't be here." and Harry knew that he wouldn't get more out of him, at least not at the moment. He sighed and sat back down, waiting for Caym to arrive.

It didn't take long for him to come back and he looked rather angry.

"We were right. There were two of them." he told Abanddon, his eyes showing a little bit of the blood-lust that both kept so well hidden.

"What was here?" Harry asked exasperated when they didn't elaborate. The demons traded another look then turned towards him.

"Dementors." Caym replied and he paled.

"What?" he whispered, what were dementors doing outside of Azkaban?

"They were rounding the house, but I took care of it." Caym assured him.

"But what were they doing here?"

"Someone must have sent them, it is the only explanation." Abanddon concluded, his voice cold and harsh, his eyes gaining a faint glow.

"Voldemort?" Harry whispered and both of them shook their heads.

"We couldn't tell, but we don't think so. From what we have seen of him he wants to kill you himself, he wouldn't let dementors take your soul." Caym clarified.

He was about to ask something more when he heard an owl at his window. Hoping it was something from Dumbledore he went to open the window and let the bird in. It deposited a letter on the table and flew out again.

He picked it up and read through it. Then he read it again. He must be reading it wrong, there was no way that he could be reading it right.

"What's the matter little Master?" Abanddon asked, standing beside him.

Wordlessly he passed him the letter and slumped down on the couch.

Abanddon read the letter, then he copied it.

"Rise." his voice was cold, Harry had to suppress a shiver, and a wolf rose from the shadows. "Take this to Dumbledore, tell him to deal with it, before we do it." the wolf seemed to nod then it vanished into the shadows again.

"What was it?" Caym asked, looking slightly curious.

"A letter telling Harry that he was expelled for using magic, more precisely a Patronus charm."

"Harry didn't use magic." Caym stated the obvious.

"Which leaves us with only one conclusion."

"It's a set-up." Caym's voice was even colder.

"Yes, I just don't know for what exactly."

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Harry muttered, "I was expelled." he felt numb almost. He loved magic and now he had to give it up. He didn't know if he could, magic had made his life bearable. True, it had it's downsides, but magic was in his blood. It was what he was. Wizards, witches, it wasn't just a name that they gave themselves to be different, it was what they were. Magic was in their blood, in the very air they breathed and now they were telling him that he wouldn't be able to do it anymore. That he was expelled.

"Master we will not allow you to be expelled." Caym assured him, "Trust us. One way or another we will take care of everything."

Harry looked at him, his eyes locking on ruby red eyes, and in that moment in time he saw more than he had ever seen in them and he couldn't help but to trust them. How could people say that demons had no emotions, how could they say they were monsters? Those eyes couldn't possible belong to a monster and again he felt resentment towards his ancestors, how could they have allowed for them to be bound, how could they have not set them free? Even if it was the last thing he ever did he would find a way to free them.

"I trust you." he whispered, knowing that they would be able to hear him.

The demons smiled and for a second they looked more like angles than demons.

They sat in silence for a few minutes then the wolf appeared again and dropped a letter in Abanddon's hand. He read through it then frowned.

"Well, you are no longer expelled. You will have to attended a hearing where they will address your use of magic. Since you didn't do any magic there should be no problem." he told Harry a small reassuring smile on his lips, "Though," he continued in a low voice, far to low for Harry to hear but Caym had no trouble, "It is rather obvious that whoever did this has it out for him, we will have to go prepared." Caym gave a minuscule nod, neither of them wanted to break the happy moody that Harry was in.

"Did the letter say when we will be leaving?" Harry asked, he was rather tired of being at the Dursleys, he had his demons to thank for still being sane.

"No. Though I think it will be soon."

"It better be." muttered Caym, "We have been here far longer than what we had thought and those mortals are beginning to irritate me."

"Hey! I'm a mortal too, you know." Harry grumbled crossing his arms and slumping down on the couch.

Suddenly Caym was standing in front of him and leaning down. He felt Caym's warm breath near his ear and shuddered.

"I know." his voice was no more than a whisper, "But you are our mortal, my mortal." the last bit was said in a soft growl and he couldn't stop the blush from rising to his cheeks.

"Caym." Abanddon's voice broke the haziness in his mind and he took a deep breath. He lingered for a second longer then pulled back.

Abanddon chuckled, it was rather amusing seeing their little Master obliterate Caym's legendary self control. Though he doubted that he knew that he was doing it. Their Master was still so innocent in some ways. It was strange that they, as demons, felt rather drawn to that innocence. Usually they despised it, they wanted to take it and corrupt it, it was their nature. With their Master however they wanted to preserve it. Strange, such a strange mortal their little Master.

"Come little Master," he said breaking the silence, "It's time for dinner, what would you like today?" he caught Caym's thankful look and nodded. They had to be careful, losing their control wasn't an option, no matter how much they may want it.

A few days later his uncle barged into his room. Harry was lounging on the couch so he was able to see his reaction first hand. He walked in, doing a good show of looking intimidating and not the least bit scared, and stopped in his tracks. He looked around the room, his eyes lingering on the opened doors that lead to his bedroom and the one leading to the bathroom. He stared for a good ten seconds, his mouth opening and closing.

"Do you need anything uncle?" Harry asked when it looked like his uncle wouldn't say anything.

His uncle looked at him then, his eyes flickering from him, sprawled on the couch reading a book, to the demons, both sitting on the other couch, playing chess.

"We are leaving." he stated, trying to get himself back together, "Your aunt, cousin and I. We are going out and do not know when we will come back. You are to stay in your ro- in here, is that clear?" he glared a bit at the end but didn't dare do more, especially when he saw that Abanddon and Caym were looking at him.

"Crystal." Harry replied, not at all fazed with staying in his room, "Is that all?"

His uncle grunted, which he assumed meant yes, and left, slamming the door on the way out.

Harry shook his head and chuckled.

"I'm so glad he and I aren't actually related." he muttered, going back to his book.

"So are we Master." both demons replied, sharing a somewhat painful look. He guessed that they were imagining what it would be like to have a Master like Dudley, he couldn't help but wince. He felt their pain.

Later that night, after he was repeatedly beaten at chess by the two demons, and Caym was getting something for him to snack on, they heard noise coming from downstairs. Harry looked at them curiously and both demons got up. They opened the door and walked out, after a moment Harry followed them. He knew they wouldn't like it but they hadn't told him to stay put.

He wasn't really prepared to see what he saw. Abanddon and Caym were on the stairs, several wands pointing at them and what looked like Lupin looking at them warily.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he drawled, sounding a bit like Malfoy and he saw both demons smirk, everyone else just looked at him. Lupin seemed to brighten when he saw him, while who he guessed was Moody actually narrowed his eyes. The other three people he didn't know. There was a tall black man with a golden earring, a women with bright bubblegum pink hair and another man who seemed to be a little older than the women and was looking between Lupin and the two demons curiously.

"Potter." Moody growled, "Come down here."

"I think not." Harry replied, his eyes narrowing, "I spent a year with someone pretending to be Moody as my teacher, how do I know you are the real one? Besides even if you are the real one, what are you doing here?"

None of them replied and Harry sighed.

"Either I get answers or I'll let Abanddon and Caym have some fun." the demons' smile became slightly bloodthirsty and he saw Lupin flinch. Maybe the werwolf could feel that they were more than they appeared, it was something that he would have to see at a later date.

Moody actually snorted.

"We are the ones with the wands Potter." he stated, looking quite unimpressed.

"Yes, I can see. But if I recall correctly so was Voldemort and his little Death Eater friends, it made no difference. Besides I do believe that my questions are fairly simple to answer."

"For all we know you could be a Death Eater." Moody argued and Harry actually chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose I could be." his smile grew for a second, then he glared at them all, "However I am not the one breaking and entering, am I?"

"He's got you there Mad-Eye." the tall black man, muttered in a deep, smooth voice. He had a rather nice voice actually. It was calming but demanded attention at the same time.

"Harry," Lupin took a step forward, eying both demons warily, "Dumbledore sent us to take you to a safe-house."

"Alright." they seemed to relax at his apparent acceptance, "What do we need to say to use the Map?" he asked Lupin, his eyes never leaving him and he caught Moody's surprised look, something like approval in his one good eye.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Lupin promptly replied.

"And what was in a tank in your office when I went to have tea with you?"

"A grindilow."

"Great." and this time he did truly smile. "Abanddon, Caym." both demons relaxed and went to stand behind him, their usual place when around people they didn't know.

"Why the second question?" the pink-haired women asked him, looking at the demons curiously and with a touch to much interest for his taste, before focusing on him.

"Pettigrew is a Death Eater, he could have given the Death Eaters the answer." he replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world and the black man chuckled.

"He kinda reminds me of you Mad-Eye."

"Lad has gotten it right. Constant Vigilance."

"Come on up then." Harry told them, turning around and going back to his room, ignoring Moody's growled Potter. They had decided to pick him up unexpectedly, he wasn't going to rush for their sake.

Seeing no other choice they followed him and the reactions they had when they saw his room was rather priceless. They gaped for a second or two, then turned towards him, their eyes showing their curiosity. Caym ignored them, knowing that Abanddon would be able to deal with anything that may happen and went back to the kitchen to prepare Harry's snack.

"Potter, we don't have time to..." whatever Moody was about to say was cut of when Harry slammed his hand on the table.

"Then make time." he practically snarled, "I was here for almost the whole summer, when Dumbledore told me I would be here no time at all, then you show up and expect me to just follow along like a good little boy?" his eyes pierced them and even though he knew that it probably wasn't their fault he couldn't help but feel satisfied when none of them could hold his eyes for long. "You will answer my questions and after I have taken care of my things we will go to that so called safe-house."

"We could always force you." Moody stated as if he were commenting on the weather and Harry leaned back on the couch a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"You could try." as soon as he finished speaking both demons were at his side, a low, dangerous growl coming from them and Lupin flinched again. Harry looked at him curiously, that was truly a strange reaction.

"Why do you react like that to them, Professor?" he asked, truly curious about it.

"I haven't been your professor for a long time Harry, it's Remus." Harry nodded, pleased that his father's friend wanted to be close to him, "My wolf, he... He's afraid. Terrified."

"Abanddon?"

"It is a rather normal reaction. Magical beings, such as vampires, werwolves, goblins and centaurs, are more attuned to magic. They can feel us, our magic, our power, most feel the need to submit or run away."

Harry nodded. It made sense, all of their other senses were enhanced, why not the one that felt magic?

"They won't hurt you." Harry assured him.

"As long as he doesn't harm you Master." Caym interrupted.

"So how about those answers?" Harry continued as if Caym hadn't said anything and Moody actually chuckled.

"I think I like you kid." he stated and the pink-haired girl gaped at him.

"It's the first time I hear you say that you like someone." she stated, looking scandalized.

"Shut it. The boy has his head on right." he grumbled, sitting on the couch. He conjured a glass of water and popped his fake eye out and put it in the glass, "Hasn't been working properly since that scum used it." he said by way of explanation and Harry nodded. "So lad, what are your questions?"

The others seeing that Moody was actually going to answer sat down as well. Abanddon keeping his place behind Harry and Caym going back to the kitchenette.

"For starters, introductions would be nice."

"You already know me and Moody," Remus said, having taken a place beside him, though he looked at Abanddon warily for a moment, "The girl beside Moody is Nymphandora-"

"Don't call me that!" she exclaimed her hair turning red.

"Metamorphmagus." came the whisper from Abanddon to low for anyone but Remus to hear and Harry nodded to show he had understood. They had talked about it when he came across the term in one of the books they had gotten him.

"As I was saying, she's Nymphandora Tonks. Though she prefers to go by Tonks. Beside her is Kingsley Shacklebold and beside him is Sturgis Podmore. Dumbledore sent us to escort you to the safe-house."

"Why all of you?"

"Well, me because you know me." Remus answered, a small smile on his lips, "Moody because he is one of the best. Tonks and Kingsley are aurors, and Sturgis is actually an Unspeakable."

"Oh? I heard about those." he stated looking at the unassuming man, sitting beside the male auror. "Gotta say that I'm kinda curious about whatever it is that you do in there."

The man's eyes sharpened and locked on him, analyzing him with far more interest than before.

"How do you even know about us, or about the place we do whatever it is we do?"

"Abanddon and Caym." he answered without giving an answer at all. He knew about it because he had been dreaming about the Department of Mysteries and had told his demons about his strange dreams. They had been more than happy to tell him everything they knew and also why he was dreaming about a place he hadn't even known existed. He hadn't been at all happy when they told him that they suspected that he was seeing Voldemort's thoughts. Though he was quite grateful for their help in teaching him occlumency, of course they hadn't been satisfied with that and taught him legilimency as well.

"They seem to be rather well informed for servants." the man replied looking at them shrewdly.

"It is our duty to protect our Master to the best of our abilities." Abanddon replied, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"Are you dangerous?" Podmore asked them bluntly.

"Deadly." they replied in unison.

"Are you a danger to us?" Moody asked, also looking at the demons with more interest.

"As long as you don't pose a problem for our Master, then no." Abanddon told them.

"And if he told you to kill us, would you do it?" Podmore inquired, his eyes flicked between the three of them, trying to understand what they would be dealing with.

"Without a second thought." Caym replied, his blood-lust shinning briefly in his eyes.

Harry could see the others tensing slightly and sighed.

"Caym."

"Sorry Master." he replied, going back to standing behind Harry as if nothing had happened. Harry didn't truly mind, but he didn't want for the Unspeakable to ask too many questions. He doubted that they would be able to do anything even if they knew what Abanddon and Caym were, but he didn't really want to risk it.

"So, why did Dumbledore finally decide to come and get me?" he asked, as if nothing had happened. He didn't miss the look that Podmore sent him, nor the narrowing of Moody's eye.

"From what we know it's because of your hearing for underage magic." Remus replied.

"Yes, magic that I did not do." he muttered bitterly.

"Yes, Dumbledore believes that someone wants to get you in the open. The Ministry, though not the most dangerous place, isn't entirely risk free. It would be possible for someone to slip you a portkey and kidnap you." Remus explained and Harry nodded.

"That is why both of them are going with me." he replied, indicating the demons behind him. "Why did Dumbledore take so long to get me out of here?"

"He was getting the safe-house ready." replied Moody.

"Is it that same safe-house that my godfather and friends are at?"

When no one replied he snorted.

"Alright, I get it. He wanted me here." he remarked, a little bit of the anger he was feeling slipping through. Abanddon and Caym growled lowly and Harry turned around and smiled at them, "It's alright. Now we know." now we know how much he can be trusted, now we know how to proceed, now we know that we are alone. He didn't need to say it for them to understand. In the time he had been at the Dursleys he had time to think. Time to analyze everything and with their help he had been able to put everything in perspective. Dumbledore didn't know it but this had been his last chance. Harry hadn't asked for much, he had even agreed to wait till they had a safe place. However according to the letters he had received from hiss friends and godfather that safe place had been ready for over three weeks. He hadn't disliked his time at the Dursleys, he had Abanddon and Caym and they had made it the best summer of his life so far, however that was not the point. Dumbledore had promised and he hadn't kept that promise. There was no excuse, there were no wards to keep up, there was no reason for him to continuing being kept at the Dursleys, no reason at all unless Dumbledore simple wanted him out of the way. He didn't know if it was true, but what else could he think?

Abanddon and Caym had made it perfectly clear that they didn't really like Dumbledore. True they didn't like most people but Dumbledore was someone they particularly disliked. He knew for a fact that if they weren't bound they would have hunted Dumbledore down and killed him. He had asked once why they disliked him so, Caym had only growled and Abanddon had such a vicious smile that for a second he regretted asking. Though Abanddon ended up replying, "Several reasons Master," he had said, "The most recent one being that he wants to keep you away from us." he hadn't asked about the other reasons.

Dumbledore wanting to take them away from him was reason enough to resent the Headmaster for him as well. He had never had anyone, why couldn't Dumbledore let him have them? Someone he could call his own. He didn't understand, and frankly he didn't want to know. He would never give up his demons. He would set them free.

He didn't see the looks traded between the other people in the room but Abanddon and Caym did and they narrowed their eyes. They would keep their Master safe and happy, no matter what.

"Where are you taking me exactly?"

"To the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix." replied Moody, somewhat sullenly.

"Order of the Phoenix? What's that?" he asked perplexed. He had never heard of such an Order.

"It is an organization that is dedicated to fight against You-Know-Who." the pink-haired girl replied and Harry almost snorted, really? You-Know-Who? Wasn't she an auror?

"No, I don't know who. That's why I asked." he remarked, suppressing a smirk, really he was spending far to much time with Abanddon.

The girl looked at him as if he were insane. He merely quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, you know... He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named." this time he did snort.

"Voldemort?" he inquired, enjoying their flinch far to much. "You've got to be kidding me." he grumbled, just because he had enjoyed it didn't mean that it didn't frustrate him, "Have you actually ever met the man?" he asked all of them. They shook their heads, though Moody snarled the answer. "Then why are you so afraid of his name? If you had meet him and been tortured by him I would kind of understand it, but in this case..." he sighed.

"People are still afraid of what he did in the last war." Remus replied, trying to make him understand but Harry just shook his head.

"It makes no sense. I lost my parents, my home, the life I could have had. I was tortured by him more than once and he tried to kill me several times. I came face to face with him when I was eleven for Merlin's sake. Do not tell me I have no reason to fear him, but I will not lower myself, I will not give him the satisfaction of calling him You-Know-Who." the last bit was practically snarled and his magic filled the room for a second, before he got himself back under control. "If you fear his name... He's already won."

Kingsley was nodding and Harry wasn't sure but there seemed to be respect in his eyes when he looked at him.

"Do you have anymore question?" Kingsley asked him, opting to change the subject, knowing that even though Harry was right, it wasn't really the best time to deal with that particular subject.

"How are we getting wherever it is we are going?"

"We are flying." Tonks exclaimed, looking rather enthusiastic.

"Oh." he muttered, he rather enjoyed flying but it didn't really seem like the safest way, "Why?"

"It can't be traced." she explained, as if he was particularly slow.

"That's not really true is it? If someone is keeping an eye on me it would be rather easy to place a tracker on me or to simply follow the brooms." he stated, "Portkeys and apparation are safer, aren't they?" he asked looking at Moody and Kingsley.

"You can't apparate and to make a portkey you need a special permission from the Ministry, otherwise it's illegal." Kingsley replied, though it looked as if he wasn't pleased with the answer.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the three of you Ministry personnel?" he asked, looking at the two aurors and unspeakable. When they nodded he continued, "And all three of you know who my godfather is and have spoken with him recently, correct?" they nodded again, "Isn't that illegal as well?" Tonks blushed and both men looked away, "You have already broken the law, repeatedly, what's the problem with breaking one more? Especially one such as this that will cause no harm to anyone and may end up saving our lives if Voldemort is indeed watching me. Besides I may not know how to apparate, but all of you do, and there is such a thing as Side-along apparation." really were they trying to make their lives more difficult?

Moody barked a laugh and smirked at him.

"Knew there was a reason I liked you lad. I told Dumbledore it would be safer to use a portkey or apparating, but did he listen?" the last bit was more of a grumble, but even so his exasperation was heard by all of them, "Sturgis, make the damn portkey." he said gruffly, pooping his eye back in. "And you Potter, better get your things ready, we'll leave in five minutes at the latest."

Harry nodded and got up, the two demons following him, and went to his room. He didn't have all that much to pack, though it was far more than the previous years. Abanddon and Caym had bought him new clothes and several books. He actually enjoyed them. He liked learning magic, at Hogwarts there was just so much going on that he could never really relax and actually read a book. Besides, he liked to be able to chose what to read and learn. He knew that the professors were teaching them important foundations for their future but if he picked up a book in the restricted section that was slightly more obscure people would prey and nag. Abanddon and Caym though had gotten him books about everything he could think of and they had never looked at him differently when he wanted something different, like the occlumency and legilimency books. On the contrary they had seemed quite pleased.

Abanddon and Caym packed everything in under five minutes and they were back in the living room, where the Order members were sitting together talking in low voices.

"All done." he announced as soon as he was near them and Remus smiled at him.

"Then let's go." Moody said, getting up from his place and handing him what looked like a piece of rope, "All of you touch the portkey." he waited for them to have it then nodded, "We'll leave in three... two... one."

Harry felt a hook behind his navel and they were gone.


They landed in a somewhat rundown street. Harry managing to keep his balance thanks to Caym holding his arm.

"Read this." Moody instructed them, handing them a piece of parchment.

"Fidelius Charm." muttered Caym with some distaste.

"Who's the secret keeper?" Harry asked, giving Moody the parchment back.

"Dumbledore." Moody replied, setting it on fire, "Now focus on what you read."

Harry nodded, focusing on the address that was on the parchment and before his eyes a house appeared between number eleven and thirteen.

"Charming." he muttered, looking at the rundown house.

"Be quiet in the hall." Moody told them when he opened the door and ushered them inside.

Looking around he saw that it looked no better inside than it did outside and he felt a little uncomfortable. He stepped closer to Abanddon and Caym, wanting to feel their reassuring magic.

"It's the magic little Master. This house had many wizards and witches that practiced dark magic in it, so it retained that feel." Abanddon whispered, leaning closer to him. Abanddon contained a smile. It was strange how their little Master felt so comfortable around them, how he enjoyed the feel of their magic that was darker than anything he had ever encountered and yet the feel of the dark magic in the house made him so uncomfortable. He knew it had nothing to do with the fact that they were bound to him. All of the other Potters, either by blood or marriage, had all been rather uncomfortable around them. It was one of the reasons that they kept their distance from them.

"Oh Harry, you're here." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, coming from a door a little down the hall. She approached the demons without any fear and hugged him. "It's good to see you dear. How have you been?" she asked, looking him over, "You gained some weight." she noted, with a smile.

"Caym and Abanddon are rather good cooks." he replied, smiling at her. It was good to see that some things didn't change.

"Well that's good to hear." she smiled at the demons, her earlier mistrust abating to almost nothing after seeing Harry. "They are starting a meeting now," she told his escorts, "You should join Ron and Hermione, they are upstairs. First door on the right." she ushered him towards the stairs and both demons followed him.

He sighed when he heard the door close behind Mrs. Weasley. The Order, it could be no one else, was having a meeting. A meeting that he obviously wouldn't be a part of. A meeting about Voldemort. Didn't they think it was important for him to know what Voldemort was doing, considering that Voldemort seemed to make a hobby of trying to kill him?

"Abanddon, Caym," he turned towards both demons, "Could you go see what that meeting is about? Without anyone noticing that you are there?"

They smiled.

"As you wish."

Then they were gone.

Well, that answered his question. He continued going up the stairs, he had friends to greet.


"Is Harry alright?" was the first thing Sirius said as soon as he saw Remus.

"He is fine." replied Remus sitting in a chair beside him, ignoring Moody's snort.

Everyone else though looked at the former auror curiously.

"Dumbledore failed to mention that Potter had two watchers that wouldn't let a hair on his head be ruffled the wrong way." he muttered, leaning back on his chair.

"What?" Sirius looked as confused as most of them felt, the only ones that didn't were Molly, Arthur and Snape.

"You knew?" Moody asked the three of them.

"We meet them on the platform." Arthur replied, "And Ron told us a bit about them."

"I was there when they introduced themselves." Snape sneered. "Though by now everyone should know about them."

"Yes, everyone does know that Potter has servants," replied Sturgis, "Though none of us knew that they were that tightly bound or that well informed."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked. It had been a shock to know that Harry had servants, James had never told him and he had never seen them all those times he had visited. But from what he understood they had saved Harry, so he had nothing against them. As long as they kept Harry safe he would not utter a word against them.

"They know about the Department of Mysteries." Sturgis told them, frowning. He couldn't see how they knew. Weren't they servants? How could they know about it, it made no sense.

"So?" Snape sneered, "It's not as if the arrogant brat can do anything with that knowledge. Besides those two are nothing but leashed dogs, they do nothing without their Master's orders, it's even worse than the Death Eaters, at least they can act on their own. I doubt those two could even think without the brat's permission, and seeing as Potter is such a worthless wizard they can't be all that useful." he said hatefully.

Before anyone could say anything, before even Sirius had the opportunity to jump from his chair and curse Snape, the room's temperature drooped. Low growling came from the shadows of the kitchen and Remus flinched.

It was worse than the growling they had heard at the Dursleys. It had a feral edge to it that it previously lacked. Moody's eye was swirling around trying to pinpoint where they were. Tonks was fingering her wand and Kingsley was slowing putting his hands on the table, trying to show he meant no harm. Sturgis was looking around as well. Those two were more than they appeared, he knew that, he just didn't know what they were. He glanced at Snape and saw him pale. If he hazard a guess he would say that Snape knew what they were, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he saw a flicker of fear appear in his eyes.

Shadows rose around him, surrounding him. It felt cold and oppressive. For a moment he regretted opening his mouth.

"You know, usually you would be right." a voice colder than ice whispered, though everyone was able to hear it. It seemed to fill the kitchen, it was as if it was whispering in their ears. The shadows solidified and both servants appeared. They appeared human but looked far to inhumane to fool anyone there. "We are usually bound so tightly to our Master's will that we wouldn't be able to breath without his consent." the silver haired one said, leaning closer to Snape. "However our new Master... the leash he has on us is rather loose."

Snape paled and Sturgis didn't think it was possible for him to actually show fear so openly, but he did and more than ever he wanted to know more about those two. How had Potter called them? Abanddon and Caym, wasn't it? Why would anyone name them that? Didn't people know that names had power? Did the names mean anything?

"Through no fault of our own," the black haired one continued, Abanddon if he wasn't mistaken, "You see, our Master wants us free."

"What?" Snape whispered, horror apparent on his face.

Abanddon and Caym chuckled darkly and stood back, making Snape turn slightly to look at them.

"Our Master wants us free." Abanddon repeated, enjoying the words, not only the way they affected Snape but the actual meaning. Their little Master wanted them free.

"Is he out of his mind?!" Snape exclaimed jumping out of his chair. "Has he any idea of what would happen if you are free?"

Faster than they could react Caym had Snape by the throat, lifting him a few inches of the floor.

"Watch your mouth." he growled, his eyes glowing, his true nature showing through, "We do not like the way you treat our Master. He is not his father. Never was, never will be. We should know, we were there for both of their lives. Our Master is unique. He is himself."

"You should be thankful to our Master." Abanddon told him, a sneer appearing without his permission, "We would have killed you a long time ago for the way you treat him, however we knew it wouldn't please our Master. He is the only reason you are still alive."

Now everyone was looking at them, their eyes wide, a flicker of fear appearing in some. Sturgis and Moody were the only ones not the least bit surprised. They had seen the truth in their eyes when they had asked if they would kill if Potter asked them.

Caym threw Snape away, as if he were nothing. Snape landed painfully against the cupboards and groaned.

"Do not forget your place mortal." Caym sneered.

"What's his place than?" Moody asked, looking at them curiously. He knew about servants, his own family had had servants a very, very long time ago. None of them behaved quite like these. The word mortal hadn't escaped his notice either.

"Below our Master." Abanddon replied.

"That... That kinda sounds like how the Death Eaters think about You-Know-Who." Tonks remarked, looking at them wearily.

They didn't comment. It wasn't like the Death Eaters at all. Not even a little. They were loyal to their Master, to Harry, because they wanted to be. They had been with him all his life, they could have chosen not to answer because he hadn't called their name and upon his death they would have been free to once again roam the earth. But they hadn't wanted that. They had wanted to save him. Even if it meant their freedom. Those Death Eaters they would turn on each other and on Voldemort as soon as something better came along. And they would make sure that their Master was that something better. That was one of the reasons they had revealed what they were.

"You are nothing but slaves." Snape growled, "At least the Death Eaters are free."

One look from Abanddon silenced him, though Caym's was just as deadly.

"I wouldn't call us slaves, considering that we are quite willing to serve him." Abanddon remarked, smirking.

Snape paled again, the angry flush that had dusted his cheeks disappearing.

"It seems like you finally understand." Caym remarked, a cruel smirk on his lips. "The power that our Master has is absolute. You would do well to remember that. All of you."

"The Potter family kept us secret. They resented us, feared us. They wanted us bound and weak. Our young Master wants us free, this leash you mentioned... it's a mere decoration at this point in time." Abanddon told Snape.

"When our Master tells us that he wants something, we have free rein on how to accomplish it." Caym explained, "You should really be thankful that our Master never told us that he wanted to take over the world."

"So next time that you feel like bad talking our Master," Abanddon growled, "Remember that the world still stands because our Master is such a pure and kind soul."

"What are you?" Sturgis ended up whispering, because he was sure that he wasn't the only one that was just understanding parts of the whole conversation and he was certain that if he knew just what they were that he would be able to understand why Snape suddenly looked as if they actually could destroy the world.

The smiles that appeared on their faces were quite bloodthirsty.

"Demons."

Notes:

A.N.: I wasn't expecting people to like my demons so much. I'm really happy that they were so easily accepted :D

There have been questions about why wizards fear them so much, rest assured it will be addressed in the future as will Harry's bloodline, but please be a little patient. It's only chapter three, I'll get there :P

And the relationship between them... they won't jump right into it.

It will take a while, it won't be just about sex, They will have a deeper relationship than that. Harry is special to them. And Harry doesn't want to take advantage of them because he knows that if he orders them to do something they can refuse. So he will be struggling with that as well.

I'll keep Abanddon as Abanddon instead of Abaddon. I have seen it as both, though I did see that the more "official" looking sites did have Abaddon. To me it doesn't really matter since I will make them completely different from whatever was said on any of the sites. I was just looking for Demon names because I needed them to be known to the muggles and they needed to be really old and I didn't want to just come up with two demons out of nowhere. Besides, I kinda like the names as they are.

Chapter 4: The Potter Bloodline

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Warnings: this story will have slash.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


Chapter 4 – The Potter Bloodline

Harry felt somewhat strange when he left the two demons. It had been a long time since he had been without them at his side. Still he knew that what Abanddon and Caym had to do was important. He refused to be a mindless pawn in the coming war. No matter how much some people wanted him to be exactly that.

Containing a sigh he continued up the stairs and opened the door to his right. He had missed his friends.

"Harry!" not a second later and he had an excited bushy haired witch in his arms, giving him a bone breaking hug.

"Let him breath." Ron's voice came from his left and Hermione let him go. She looked a little sheepish and he chuckled.

"Missed me?"

"Yeah mate." Ron said and Harry was a little surprised. Ron wasn't the type to admit to something like that. Now that he looked closer both of them seemed to look rather worried. He sighed and sat on one of the beds that were in the room.

"I'm fine." he told them, knowing that he was the reason they had been so worried. Their letters had been rather vague, but he admitted that his hadn't been better. He assumed that they thought that he was angry with them because of the lack of information. He wasn't; he knew that it must have been Dumbledore's doing.

"We're really sorry." Hermione told him, sitting beside him, "We tried, we really did. But all of our letters were checked. We couldn't send you anything without them knowing. We tried to explain that we didn't know anything of importance, but they didn't let us write anything about the war at all." she sounded just as frustrated as he had felt.

"It's alright; I guessed it wasn't your fault." Harry assured them, and they relaxed. "What do you actually know?"

"Not much," Ron said, leaning on the headboard of his bed, "We know that this is the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, we know that it used to be a Black Manor and we know that they are guarding something, somewhere. Other than that… nothing much. Oh... apparently Snape is a spy for us." the last bit was said with so much incredulity that Harry snorted. He could understand Ron's point of view. If there ever was anyone that screamed Death Eater it was Snape. Still, maybe he had been one and changed his mind? Though he couldn't see how he would have survived it. Voldemort wouldn't let something like that slip and he doubted that Snape was good enough to fool Voldemort.

"What have you been doing then?" he asked. Opting not to share his thoughts on Snape; he saw the glare that Hermione was aiming at Ron.

"Nothing much, mostly cleaning." muttered Ron clearly displeased.

"Well, it does need it..." Harry trailed off.

Suddenly a crack was heard in the room and the twins were standing in front of them. Harry smiled when he saw them and looked at Ron curiously when he heard him groan.

"I hope mum didn't hear you. She told you not to use magic." Ron complained.

"Oh Ronnikins," Fred said, turning around and looking at his brother.

"We didn't know you cared." George finished.

"I guess you have been having fun now that you are allowed to do magic." Harry remarked.

"You guess right." grumbled Hermione, "They haven't stopped since the beginning of summer break."

"My, my," George began.

"Is that jealousy we hear?" Fred ended, with a mischievous smile.

"Jealousy? Why would I be jealous?" Hermione asked, looking at them incredulously.

"Because we can do magic and you can't." the twins stated in unison.

"Don't be ri-"

The sound of an explosion broke Hermione off. All four of them looked at each other in shook. Then Ron almost jumped from his bed and raced towards the door, the others following him. Harry had a rather bad feeling. He was almost sure that his demons were somehow involved.

They raced downstairs, meeting Ginny on their way, and burst into the kitchen. Harry followed the others since he didn't really know his way around.

They froze as soon as they saw what was happening.

All the Order members present were pointing their wands at Abanddon and Caym, who were in the farthest corner of the room looking utterly bored.

Their sudden entrance distracted the Order members and they looked towards them, though their wands stayed mostly trained on both demons.

"What are you doing here?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

"We heard an explosion." Hermione told her, her eyes fixated on the wands.

"The wards..." Mrs. Weasley mumbled.

"They came down because of the strength of the spells." Moody grumbled.

"That doesn't matter right now." Harry's voice was cold and at first most didn't recognize who was speaking. Then Harry stepped forward and the look in his eyes made more than one of them shiver. "What matters is the fact that you were attacking my servants." they couldn't meet those deadly green eyes, not even Moody could hold his gaze for long. "What were you thinking?" he snarled, the control on his magic slipping slightly making the plates and cups in the cabinets shatter. "Well?" he demanded when no one said anything.

"We didn't know your servants were demons, boy." Moody growled right back.

Harry merely raised an eyebrow.

"So? That gives you the right to attack them? Did they actually do anything?"

"They attacked Snape." Podmore said calmly, as if he were simply commenting on the weather.

"Did they?" Harry asked, looking at his demons, "Well, I'm sure they had a reason for doing it." he said nonchalantly.

Abanddon and Caym smirked and Harry walked towards them, ignoring the expressions on everyone's face.

"You just had to cause trouble, didn't you?" he muttered when he was standing in front of them, a small fond smile on his lips. "I thought you weren't supposed to be seen?"

"You didn't actually order it." Abanddon replied, both demons smirked and Harry shook his head.

"Harry..."

He turned around. Sirius was looking at both demons, he was pale and utter terror shone in his eyes. Sirius looked at him almost pleadingly.

"Sirius."

"Harry, demons?" there was fear in his voice; however Harry heard the pleading for an explanation in it as well. Sirius was a Black, if there was one family that would know something about demons, it would be the Blacks.

"They are bound to the Potters, Sirius. They aren't dangerous." he assured Sirius.

Moody's snort was loud in the quiet room.

"Do you think they are some harmless puppies?" Moody asked cruelly.

"I never said that, did I?" Harry's voice was colder than before, his eyes steely.

"You just said they weren't dangerous." barked Moody.

"And they aren't!" snapped Harry.

"Their attack on Snape contradicts that." Podmore still looked calm and collected.

Harry glanced at Snape, who was sneering at him.

"He looks fine." he commented. Sure he looked a little battered; however he was sure if the demons had been aiming to truly hurt him he would have looked much worse.

Snape's sneer deepened, his wand coming up.

The result was instantaneous.

Twin growls filled the silent kitchen making their hair stand on end.

"Abanddon, Caym." Harry muttered and the growling stopped just as quickly as it started. Most of the Order was looking at Harry with wide eyes. Some like Moody, Podmore and Kingsley were looking at Harry with a far more calculating look, though Kingsley's seemed to have much less hostile intentions.

"What Snape said was true..." muttered Sirius incredulously and Harry looked at him.

"What did he say?"

"That they were your slaves. That they had less free will than a Death Eater."

Harry froze for a split second. Then he moved faster than they thought possible and had his wand pointing straight at Snape's heart.

"You fucking bastard! How dare you say that about them?"

"What did you call me?" Snape snarled, wand rising again. Everyone else was frozen in shock. Even Sirius was far too surprised by Harry's outburst to do anything to intervene.

"I called you a fucking bastard."

"Harry! Language, he's your professor!" Mrs. Weasley finally broke out of her astonishment, glaring at him as if she wanted nothing more than to wallop him over the head.

"Not right now." Harry stated calmly. "Right now he's only a hateful, bitter man who takes pleasure in tormenting the teenage son of a dead man."

A curse went flying towards him, he wasn't even surprised. He had been expecting it. There were screams, two ferocious growls, and then silence.

Harry was sure that no one had seen them move. Abanddon was in front of him, the curse that was meant for him in Abanddon's hand. It looked like a small ball of energy. Caym had Snape by the throat, pushing him against the wall. Both of them looked far more demonic than Harry had ever seen them. The blood-lust they were feeling was visible for all to see.

"You dare!" Caym's voice was terrifying. Harry was sure that even Voldemort would have run for it if Caym had been speaking to him in such a low deadly tone. "You dare raise a wand towards him! You dare cast a curse at him." Caym's voice was becoming quieter, but no less deadly. It had gained a sort of echo, making it more haunting than Harry had ever heard it.

Abanddon was so close to him now that Harry could feel his body shaking. He looked up and saw complete and utter murderous rage on Abanddon's face and he understood how these two demons were able to rule Hell. He could understand why no one would be stupid enough to challenge them. The shadowy outlines of wings started to appear on the walls around them, and Harry could see their features starting to change. The blood-lust growing higher than anything he had ever seen. And he knew, with crystal clear clarity, that if he did nothing then Snape would die.

Most of the order members were pointing their wands at Caym, though Sirius and Remus looked ready to help him do whatever it was he was going to do to Snape. However they couldn't move. They seemed to be frozen, incapable of even moving their heads.

"Caym," Caym turned to look at him and Harry felt his heart jump. Those eyes. He had never seen anything quite like them. They looked like fresh blood. He should be terrified, he should be running, he should do a thousand of other sensible things.

He did none of it. He walked towards Caym, ignoring the shouts from Mrs. Weasley, and stopped right in front of him. He had to look up to meet his eyes. But he didn't care; for once his height didn't bother him.

"So beautiful," he whispered, so low that none but Caym, Abanddon, Remus and Snape heard him. He wasn't even aware of saying it. He raised his hand and traced Caym's cheek. It always surprised him when he touched them and felt how warm they were.

Caym closed his eyes, breaking Harry out of his trance. He blushed when he realized what he was doing, dropping his hand immediately. As soon as he moved his hand Caym opened his eyes. The murderous rage was gone, the blood lust had abated. His eyes were the usual ruby red. Caym dropped Snape and ushered Harry towards Abanddon, staying as close to him as possible.

"You owe Harry your life." Abanddon told Snape, the blood-lust still shinning in his eyes.

Podmore and Moody's eyes narrowed. They had seen the way the two demons reacted to Harry. They hadn't missed the way a simple word and touch calmed a bloodthirsty demon. Not just any demon either. Caym, the Grand President of Hell. They didn't know much, but the little they did know was enough to make them wary of ever fighting the demon. Not even considering the demon's age, Caym was rumored to be one of the best fighters Hell had. It was rumored that he was only second to Abanddon himself.

In just that one moment it became abundantly clear just what kind of power Potter had at his disposal.

Sturgis shook his head. He had always thought that Severus was an intelligent man. Apparently he had been quite mistaken. He would never understand what had possessed the man into attacking Potter, knowing just what he would be facing, knowing that he would never succeed.

He looked at Potter again. Both demons were on either side of him, their eyes still locked on Severus, though not as bloodthirsty as before.

Still, even if they were Potter's servants it didn't explain the way they obeyed him, the way they behaved. He was sure that it was a forced bonding; beings like them would never consent to be bound. They should resent Potter, at the very least. However it was clear as day that they didn't.

'We serve him willingly.' the demon had said. That would explain their behavior. And it was a rather terrifying thought. What was it about Potter that made demons, those demons in particular, willing to be his servants?

Truthfully, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.


Harry wasn't at all surprised when Sirius joined him in the library. He had seen that Sirius wanted to talk to him, but not with so many people around, especially not with Snape around. He may have stopped Caym from killing the man, but that didn't mean that he could stand him. He found it particularly satisfying when Mrs. Weasley started in on Snape for throwing that curse at him. He had also enjoyed saying all that to the man; he had wanted to do it for so long. However he wasn't suicidal so he refrained. This time though... well, he just couldn't resist. He knew that Abanddon and Caym would never allow for anything to happen to him, so he didn't contain himself. Years of humiliation and bullying were powerful motivators.

He left quickly after that. Most of the members had been busy with tearing Snape a new one, so he and his demons had left without anyone taking much notice of it. Though he knew that even now Moody's eye was on them. Moody may like him, but he did not trust Abanddon and Caym. Honestly Harry didn't blame him, knowing what he knew Moody was right in not trusting them. Abanddon and Caym would have killed them just because they could if Harry let them.

Knowing that should have made him afraid of the demons. But he truly wasn't. Maybe he was a fool for trusting them, but it was one of those feelings he sometimes had. He trusted them with everything he was and he didn't think that they could do anything that would make him change his mind. And it had nothing to do with the fact that they had to obey him. He wasn't sure but if he had to guess he would say that it was their magic. It made him feel safe.

Sirius took a seat next to him. He looked troubled, even though he was trying to hide it.

"Hey, Sirius." Harry smiled at him. He had missed his godfather. He may not know him all that well, but Sirius was family. True family.

The troubled look dimmed and Sirius smiled.

"I missed you Harry." Sirius said, and Harry's smile brightened.

"Missed you too. Now, tell me, what has you so troubled?"

Sirius actually chuckled though it was tinged with a slightly bitter edge.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking questions like those?"

Harry actually shrugged; he had no idea how this type of relationships actually worked. He had only the Dursleys as an example and he would rather do it his way than theirs.

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose it doesn't." mumbled Sirius. "You've changed."

Had he? Had he really change so much that it became obvious even to Sirius who hadn't interacted with him all that much? Thinking back on his summer he had to agree. He had changed, but so had everything else, hadn't it?

"Good or bad change?"

"Not bad... just different."

"I'm still me... it's just... Everything changed and I had to change with it."

"I just don't want you to lose who you are. Down in the kitchen with Snape... You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"Yes." he saw no reason to lie, "I knew that my demons wouldn't let him hurt me, so I just got it of my chest."

"Caym," Sirius actually shuddered when he spoke his name, "He would have killed Snape."

"Yes, he would have." Harry stated nonchalantly.

"How can you trust them?"

"I don't really know. I think it's their magic. It makes me feel so safe and warm. I really like them, Sirius. They are funny, intelligent. They don't care that I'm the Boy-Who-Lived. I know they are demons, I know they are dark, I know they are evil. But to me they aren't. What does it matter if they could destroy the world if they treat me the way they do?" Harry knew he was being selfish, but he didn't care. Not when it came to his two demons, "I never had anyone that was my own. I will not give them up."

Sirius slumped in his seat.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered, "If you had us in your life from the beginning you wouldn't have to feel like you only have your demons." seeing Harry ready to argue, Sirius shook his head, "It is our fault. I don't know how your life with the Dursleys was, but I know enough to guess. You had no one. I may not like it, I may not trust them, but I would never ask you to give up what you have now." Sirius sighed, not believing what he was about to say but deep down knowing that it was the truth, "Those demons they will stand by your side no matter what. Unfortunately I can't say the same about the rest of the world."

"Would you stand with me no matter what?"

"I... I don't know." seeing Harry's expressionless face he continued hurriedly, "I love you as if you were my own son. But there are certain paths that I can't take. I left this family for a reason, Harry. I would never stand against you, but there are certain paths that I can't walk with you."

"You think I'm going to turn dark?" Harry asked, not able to completely hide his incredulity.

"Yes."

Sirius's certainty surprised him a little, well... more like a lot to be honest.

"Why?"

"They are demons Harry. They will influence you, it is inevitable."

"They have been with my family for over three thousand years!" Harry exclaimed, "The Potters have always been light!"

"The Potters, yes. But… what about all the others? The names your family left behind for one reason or another?"

That made him freeze in place. Yes... What about the other lines? They were technically the same bloodline, but with a new name came a new start. What had they been like? He was ashamed to admit that he hadn't asked Abanddon and Caym about it. He had been so focused on his family, on his parents' and grandparents' lives that he hadn't asked about his bloodline's history. He should have asked. It should have been the first thing he asked.

Three thousand years was a long time, a very long time. For all he knew his family may have been worse than Voldemort in some of their lives.

"Abanddon. Caym." his voice was no louder than a whisper, however not a second later both demons were beside him, making Sirius almost jump out of his chair.

"Is something wrong little Master?" Abanddon asked him, throwing a quick glare at Sirius assuming that the man was the one responsible for Harry's somber mood.

"I... Was my family always light?"

"The Potters were always light, yes." Caym confirmed with a curious look in his eyes.

"No." Harry shook his head, "Not the Potters. All the others that came before."

Someone else might have missed the look traded between both demons, but Harry caught it.

"Please." he wouldn't order them, but he wanted to know. He had to know.

"No, little Master." Abanddon answered, "Your bloodline wasn't always light."

"Did you influence them?" his voice wasn't accusing. He wouldn't blame them if they had done it, however he couldn't say for sure what he would think about it. Could they influence him? Had they already done it?

"It was their choice Master." Caym told him.

"With every new name they took they changed their lives. They were light, dark, neutral. Your bloodline never really cared all that much. They just made sure that everyone in the family followed the same path." Abanddon elaborated.

"Though if one of them decided to walk a different path they weren't judged by the others. As long as they kept to the family motto." Caym added.

"What was it?"

"Numquam dimittere. Numquam obliviscar." Abanddon and Caym replied in unison.

"Never forgive. Never forget." whispered Sirius, "Well, that explains so much." seeing Harry's curious look he explained, "Your dad... well let's just say he could hold a grudge."

"It was in his blood." Abanddon confirmed, "Though they only started to use that motto after we were bound. Before that they had another one."

"Do you know it?"

"We were never told."

Harry nodded. He had already guessed that his family didn't treat Abanddon and Caym very well. From what he had guessed they were mostly ignored, only called upon when they were needed to protect the family. He hadn't asked them so he could be sure, but that was what it looked like.

"Didn't people find it strange when a family appeared that had the same motto as one that disappeared?" Sirius asked the demons and though there was a sliver of fear in his eyes he didn't look away when both demons looked at him.

"Every family had its own motto." Abanddon replied when he saw Harry's curious look. "However behind those, there was always the main one, the one only those belonging to the bloodline knew."

"What's the motto of the Potters?"

"Family first." Sirius answered, a small smile on his lips. "Your grandmother, Dorea, lived by it, one of the reasons why they took me in without a second thought."

"As did your parents." Caym added.

"That's why they ordered us to keep you safe, no matter what happened to them." Abanddon added.

Harry smiled, though there was a slightly bitter edge to it that only his demons noticed. He loved his parents, he truly did, but he still hadn't forgiven them for dying. And didn't that sound wretched? But he couldn't help it. Before he knew about the demons he had thought that there had been no possible way for his parents to make it out of it alive, but now... now he knew that there was. They could have ordered Abanddon and Caym to fight. He had no doubt that the demons would have been able to, at the very least, hold Voldemort of. But they hadn't. They hadn't thought about his future, about how life would be for him. He knew that they probably thought that he would end up with Sirius, but they had been at war, they couldn't be sure that things would turn out alright. They should have fought for their lives just as much as they fought for his, if not for themselves, then for him.

"Why did you want to know, little Master?" Abanddon asked softly, trying to break him out of his bitter thoughts. He smiled at him; he didn't think both demons knew just how thankful he was to have both of them in his life.

"Sirius thinks I'll turn Dark because you are demons and will end up influencing me." he stated, ignoring Sirius' wide eyed look.

Both demons stilled completely. Their eyes glowed slightly and their pupils dilated. Harry didn't know what to make of their reaction and it happened so fast that he was sure that Sirius hadn't noticed. Then both smiled, it was tender, full of genuine fondness and he heard Sirius' breath catch.

"You are our Master, little one." Abanddon said, his voice soft and warm. Harry wanted nothing more than to snuggle up to him and let that voice wash over him, "We want you just the way you are Master."

"It is true that we wouldn't mind if you were a little more ruthless, a little more vengeful." Caym added.

"But we will never try to change you, or influence you into becoming something that you don't want to become." Abanddon continued.

"Though if you do change, if you do become different from who you are now, we will still be beside you. Protecting you, taking care of you. We will be your servants till the end of time Master." Caym concluded.

If Harry had been looking at Sirius he would have seen his eyes narrowing, he would have seen the apprehension that flashed in his gray orbs. He would have seen comprehension appear in his eyes, followed by horror. He would have seen the pained smile and despair. If he had been looking at Sirius he would have known that his godfather knew something that he didn't. But his eyes were locked on his demons, noticing nothing but them. And that was what both demons wanted. Their little Master focusing only on them.

"Thanks." Harry whispered, his eyes shining brightly.

"You're welcome Master." they replied.

"What else could you tell me about my family?" a look from Harry made them sit at the table.

"Whatever you want Master."

Harry smiled and leaned back on his armchair.

"Tell me everything."

It was promising to become a rather good evening.


Harry grumbled a little when he felt someone trying to wake him. He didn't know what time it was but he just knew that it was far too early to get out of bed.

"Come now little Master, you have to wake up."

"Caym?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, little one, it's me." Caym smiled fondly down at him, knowing that Harry wouldn't be able to clearly see it. He tried to remains stoic, usually he had no trouble with it, out of the two of them Abanddon had always been the more emotional one, but their little one was just too adorable when he woke.

"Wha?" came the mumbled reply from the little mountain of blankets and he chuckled.

"Today is your hearing. You'll have to get ready; we will be leaving in a little over an hour."

The mountain of blankets stilled and lowered slowly, revealing a head of messy dark hair. He almost looked away when he saw the fear in those eyes.

"Caym..."

It was a whisper but he knew what the little one meant. He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, his hand going, almost without conscious thought, to the black silky strands. He smiled a little when Harry closed his eyes in bliss. Their little Master was so easy to please.

"Everything is going to be fine." he said, stroking the gravity-defying hair, "We have taken care of everything. You know what to say, what to do. If they try to ignore your claims then we will go through with our plan, after that... well, there really isn't much they can do if they wish to remain somewhat in control."

"Thank you." Harry whispered, "If it weren't for you and Abanddon I don't know how things would have turned out, but I'm sure it would have been far worse. You make my life better by just being with me. I'll never be able to thank you for everything you have done."

"Little Master..." he closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips, "Abanddon and I are demons." he stated and smiled a little when he saw the little one's raised eyebrow, "We never do anything without a reason. We are bound to you little one, we will never harm you. But we are not selfless beings. It pleases us that you do not fear us, that you trust us to some extent-"

"I trust you completely." Harry stated fiercely and Caym almost smiled.

"That's just it little one. I don't think you should. We would never harm you, but you cannot forget our nature." it almost pained him to say it, they adored the way their little Master interacted with them, but he had been honest when he said that they would always protect him; even from themselves.

He wasn't expecting the sweet smile that appeared on Harry's lips.

"That's exactly why I trust you completely. Anyone else would take my trust for granted, use and abuse it. But you, both of you, treasure it. I know you will do your best never to break it."

For a second or two he could do nothing but stare, and then he chuckled.

"You truly are one of a kind little Master." he whispered and got up from the bed, "Abanddon is preparing breakfast, it will be ready in a few minutes." with a small bow he left their little one's room, though the small smile continued on his lips till he reached the kitchen to help Abanddon. Their little Master was a delight. He was right though; they would do their best never to break his trust.

A little over an hour later they were ready to leave, even if there had been a little bit of friction with the Weasley Matriarch. She hadn't wanted Harry to go alone with the demons, insisting that her husband be the one taking him. They ended up compromising; both the demons and the Weasley Patriarch would accompany Harry. Everyone was more or less pleased with that outcome, though neither part would willingly admit it.

They traveled by muggle means, Abanddon and Caym gaining quite a few appreciative looks from women and men alike. Harry felt a slight pang in his chest every time he saw the lust in people's eyes when they looked at them. He didn't like it. Once or twice he swore he saw a smug little smirk on the demons' lips when they looked at him, but it was gone so fast that he convinced himself that it had been nothing more than his imagination.

Fortunately the trip to the Ministry was rather short, and he ignored the incident and his own reaction towards it as soon as they were in front of the entrance to the Ministry. He had more important things to focus on than the lustful looks that Abanddon and Caym received from people. As a matter of fact, he had no business thinking about those things at all. Besides, he was being a complete hypocrite. Even he found his eyes wandering to his demons and he was practically living with them, was it any wonder that the muggles would stare? It wouldn't surprise him if they had never seen anyone quite as beautiful as them. And why was he thinking about that again? He shook his head and listened to Mr. Weasley.

He had no idea how all four of them were able to fit inside the phone booth, he assumed it was magic, however it didn't look like it had expanded. And if magic had been involved he was sure that it would have expanded so that they could have easily fit inside, which wasn't the case. They were all inside, true, however he was being squeezed between Abanddon and Caym. He squirmed a little, though he froze when he felt two pairs of hands gripping his waist.

"Little Master," Abanddon practically purred near his ear. Harry was really thankful that Mr. Weasley wasn't looking at them, "Please don't do that."

One pair of hands on his hips tightened, and he felt the body behind him press closer. Caym leaned down, almost nuzzling his neck.

"You really shouldn't tempt us like that, little one." Caym whispered, his breath tickling his Harry's neck.

He shivered; he tried to ignore just how much he liked the feeling of being between them. He took a deep breath, doing his best to sound normal. Unfortunately it was harder than he though, since both bodies were still pressed against him.

"Sorry." he whispered, far too breathless for his liking.

"It's alright little Master," he could hear the smirk in Abanddon's voice, "We don't really mind."

His breath hitched and he heard two dark chuckles, one from each side if his neck.

When the doors opened he almost ran out of the elevator. He glanced back only to find two pairs of amused eyes focused on him. He cursed his pale complexion when he felt the heat rush to his cheeks.

His relatively new goal of ignoring just how beautiful his demons were was coming crashing down far sooner than he thought.

"This way Harry." Mr. Weasley said, pushing him towards what looked like a reception desk.

After enduring the staring from the security wizard, they were ushered inside and Mr. Weasley led him to his office. It was interesting seeing all the muggle things that some wizards had charmed to do the most absurd things. Though there were a few that could be really dangerous for muggles.

He was going over what he had to do at his hearing when the door to Mr. Weasley's office burst open.

"Arthur," Kingsley sounded slightly out of breath, "They changed the time of the hearing as well as the place. It's at eight, in courtroom ten."

Mr. Weasley's eyes widened.

"What? Why there?" he sounded and looked shocked, then panic appeared in his eyes, "Did you say at eight?" he almost shrieked, "That's ten minutes from now! We will never make it."

He almost dragged Harry out of the room, completely ignoring Kingsley. Abanddon and Caym followed, though at a slightly less frantic pace. They traded a look; they had expected something like this. They had hoped that they wouldn't have to use the plan that they had come up with, they were aware that their little one wasn't all that comfortable with it. They had hoped that their little Master would have been given the chance to explain what happened. However it seemed that the Minister was as corrupt as they had thought. A slightly malicious smile spread on their lips, they couldn't wait to see how people would react to what they had planned.

They followed their little Master into the courtroom, even though the elder Weasley tried to stop them. They almost snorted at the absurdity of it. As if they would leave their little one alone to face those jackals.

They almost snarled when they saw the chair they were forcing their little Master to sit on, especially when they saw the glee in several of their faces. Well, now was as good as any time to show them just how things were not going to go their way.

They took one step forward, bowing to their little Master.

"Master," Caym said, his voice colder than usual when talking with Harry, "Let us provide you with suitable seating." the 'since they clearly can't be bothered' rang loud and clear.

Casually, as if it were no more difficult than breathing, he waved his hand at the chair and it changed into a comfortable red high-back armchair. Well, it may look a little like a throne, but it made their point. Their little one was far more important than anyone in the courtroom. It was high time the wizards remembered the power the Potter bloodline wielded.

Caym locked eyes with Harry and he conveyed his assurance to him. Telling him, without words, that everything was going to be alright. That Abanddon and he would never let anything harm him.

Ignoring the spluttering going around him Harry gave them a minuscule nod and took his new and improved seat.

There was silence for a moment, then Fudge seem to get himself together and sneered down at Harry.

"You're late, boy. We know that you think you are high and mighty, however this esteemed body has far more important things to do than to wait for you." there were some appreciative murmurings with a few sneers and contempt filled looks thrown at Harry.

"Actually, I am not. Late, that is." Harry stated calmly, gaining strength from his demons. Knowing that they were with him made him feel as if he could do anything. He really had to thank Abanddon for all those hours they spent together, teaching him how to behave, how to talk.

"Of course you are." exclaimed Fudge, turning slightly red. "Your hearing was scheduled at eight am. It his currently ten past eight."

"True." Harry replied, leaning back on the throne like armchair. It was rather comfortable, if it didn't look so majestic he would have asked them to create a few of them to use at Grimmauld, "However the law dictates that as long as the person, or people, awaiting trial or a hearing were inside the Ministry before the allocated time, then they would not be considered late, since everyone knew that a number of situations could occur inside the Ministry building that would prevent someone to reach their destination at the allocated time. Since I arrived at seven thirty am, which can be confirmed with the wizard guard at the reception desk, I cannot be considered as being late." he almost laughed when he saw Fudge's expression, but he controlled himself. He was starting to see that he would have to use the plan that they had come up with, and for that to work he couldn't be seen as a child. Mocking them and subtle insulting insinuations were one thing, but childish behavior could destroy their plan.

"You're right, Mr. Potter," Madame Bones stated, glaring at Fudge, daring him to say anything. When the silence stretched for a few moments she nodded and looked back at him, "Do you know why you are here, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, I do." replied Harry calmly, making a few of the assembled Wizengamot members mumble, "However I do not understand why I am here."

"You just said you knew." exclaimed Fudge, an angry flush in his cheeks.

Harry leaned back and sighed, looking at Fudge as if he were an unruly child, he heard more than one person trying to stifle a chuckle and he smirked a little. He was spending far too much time with Abanddon, he thought ruefully.

"Yes, I said I knew why I am here, and I do know. I am here because I am being accused of doing underage magic, more precisely a Patronus Charm, in front of a muggle. However, I do not understand why I am here, since I did neither of those things."

"Of course you didn't." sneered Fudge, "However we have it on record. Are you suggesting that those records were faked?"

'Why, yes. Yes I am.' Harry thought, but he didn't say it. Abanddon and Caym were very specific. He said nothing. He looked at Fudge in disgust when he started looking happier the longer he remained silent.

"See?" Fudge exclaimed triumphantly, "The boy is speechless, caught in his own lie." he had an almost manic light in his eyes, "All those who consider him guilty?"

"Now wait a minute..." Madam Bones tried to interfere, though was having little success. Meanwhile Caym and Abanddon were memorizing everyone that was voting against their little Master.

Harry continued to play his part, leaning back on his seat.

When a triumphant smile spread on Fudge's lips he knew it was his time to continue with their plan. He chuckled, gaining everyone's attention. Even those that were trying, and failing, to defend him.

"Do you find something amusing, boy?" Fudge asked condescendingly.

"I find it funny that you believe that you can actually judge me... as if you were my equals, my peers." he said nonchalantly, doing his best to sound as aristocratic as possible. He was thanking all the deities out there that Abanddon had shown him how to behave. Eons upon eons of being the King of Hell made him known how to act; he did his best to teach Harry how to behave as if he ruled the place.

Several members started muttering, shooting him indignant looks, while Fudge actually turned purple.

"Now see here," he puffed himself up like a peacock, "Just because you are the Boy-Who-Lived..." Harry's laughter stopped him in his tracks.

It took a second or two for Harry to get his laughter under control, because he was truly amused with the whole situation. He had expected for Fudge to at least suspect something, but it seemed that everyone was willingly forgetting just how old his bloodline was, even with both demons in the room.

"All of you are purebloods, members of the Wizengamot, or employees of the Ministry, correct?" he asked, his attention on Bones, she seemed to be the only one to understand what was going to happen. Or at least suspect. She was a little pale, and there was disbelieve and fear in her eyes, eyes that kept flickering towards both demons. She may not know what they were, but she knew how old they claimed his bloodline was.

"Who do you think you are, boy?" snarled Fudge.

"Shut up, Cornelius!" Bones finally snapped, surprising most of those present. She was usually quite composed, to see her snapping at the Minister in front of the entire Wizengamot wasn't normal. That was when most noticed the look in her eyes. Those quieted down immediately, understanding that something was happening, something that they hadn't noticed. "Yes, Mr. Potter." she answered Harry politely, "All of us are."

"Well then, in that case you should really thank Fudge. He almost made all of your bloodlines lose its magic."

There were outrageous exclamations in the courtroom the second he stopped speaking. Though he saw Bones close her eyes, resignation in her whole posture. Her fears confirmed with that simple answer. She knew what would happen next, and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"What do you mean child?" asked an older wizard sitting in the back row, though it silenced all the others.

"I mean exactly what I said." Harry told them softly, knowing just how precious their magic was to a wizard, "All of you are purebloods, all of you are members of the Wizengamot, and all of you are members of the Ministry. All of you made an Oath. As purebloods you were burdened by that Oath by your forefathers, as members of the Wizengamot and of the Ministry you renewed that Oath."

The wizard paled, his eyes widening.

"Oh dear Merlin." his whisper rang through the courtroom loud and clear. Harry could almost feel the amusement coming from Abanddon and Caym.

"What does that mean?" Fudge demanded to know, even he was starting to realize that things wouldn't turn out the way he wanted it too, though he still had no idea how or why.

Harry felt a pang of sadness when he noticed that Fudge wasn't the only one that had no idea what was happening. Their history was almost lost, even to those that took pride in their bloodline.

"It means," Harry started, his voice solemn, knowing just how important the information he was about to share was, "It means... that a little over two thousand years ago the wizards of that time swore an Oath, an Oath on their bloodline. It was passed down from father to child. Every living pureblood carries that Oath in their blood. It is an Oath that is renewed every time someone comes to work for the Ministry, or takes their seat on the Wizengamot."

"What was that Oath?" a wizard asked after Harry remained silent. He was surprised to see that it had been Malfoy asking the question, though from the look in his eyes Harry suspected that he knew, or at the very least guessed, what it had been.

"I, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to Him and His descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Their service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be." he closed his eyes when he was done, not wanting to see their expressions.

He now knew how important that pledge had been. The Marcius bloodline was nothing more than a legendary Roman King to the muggles, but to wizards... He had been the first Wizard Monarch. He had unified the Wizards under one rule, his. The wizards of that time served none but him. The bloodline's reign lasted for five hundred years. No one knew what had happened to the family, it was said that they just disappeared on day. Harry now knew what had happened, his family moved on. Five hundred years had passed; it was time to start anew. That is what they did, even if they had to destroy a civilization to do it. And destroy a civilization is exactly what they did. Every magical bloodline was sworn to them, there couldn't be a new King. And by the time that there was a new generation of muggle-borns, pledge free, to be selected as a new Ruler it was already too late.

Several new governments had already started to appear throughout the lands. However in honor of their beloved Kings they implemented another Oath, that all those that took on a position of power in the Government had to take, "From that Oath came another one, the one that all of you have made; I, pledge on my magic to uphold the values of Magic's Chosen to the best of my abilities. I pledge my loyalty to Him. I pledge to serve Him even in His absence and to stay true to our forefather's pledge. So I pledge it, so mote it be." Harry glanced at them and saw that most were pale, "True, the second Oath is far less elaborate but it was more meant as a token of respect, since they had already pledged themselves and their children to the Marcius bloodline."

"What are you insinuating?" again it was Malfoy that asked, though Harry could tell that he really didn't want to know the answer. Malfoy's eyes kept flickering to Abanddon and Caym, understanding and denial in his eyes. Harry wasn't really surprised that he had found out, he knew what both of them were; with two demons obeying their every order was it any wonder that his family had been able to take control of the wizards? Malfoy was thinking the same thing, Harry was sure of it.

"My bloodline is over three thousand years old." Harry stated and saw surprise appear in some of their faces, apparently not everyone knew that little tidbit of information, "When we took the name Marcius, we were already over one thousand years old. After five hundred years we did what we always do, we vanished and started anew. Though even when we disappeared and took another name the pledge never dissipated. However none of us ever took a place in any Government, it would be rather ironic if we were to swear to uphold our own values and serve ourselves."

There was silence, oppressive, deafening silence.

Truly Harry hadn't expected any other reaction. It was true that most of the families in the Wizarding World weren't sworn to his bloodline anymore. Many died out, others were far more recent families, so all in all it didn't give him absolute control over the Wizarding World like his ancestors had. Those still bound by the original Oath were the Ancient and Nobel families, those who could trace their lines back to the Roman Empire, even those that had now different names, like the Bones family, were bound by that Oath. It was just his luck that every seat on the Wizengamot was hereditary and those that didn't have a seat and weren't from an Ancient and Nobel family, like Fudge, had to swear that secondary Oath as soon as they took a position in the Ministry.

That oath wasn't as binding as the first one, it didn't even come close, but it would be more than enough to achieve what he needed.

"That's preposterous!" Fudge exclaimed, though he and the witch that looked scarily like a toad were the only ones who seemed to think so. Every other wizard and witch present was silent. Harry could even see that a few of them had their eyes closed, he would guess that for the first time in a long time they were listening to their magic, feeling what it was telling them when they were in his presence. "Do you really think we would believe such a thing? The Marcius bloodline is dead." he looked around trying to find support, though none of the wizards and witches present were looking at him.

Harry took his wand out, making Fudge look at him again. He raised his wand; he looked around the room and sighed.

"Remember," He addressed the members of the Wizengamot, and especially Fudge, "This could have all been avoided if only you had been honest." he took a deep breath, "I, Harry James Potter, call upon my rights as the last living Heir of the Marcius bloodline."

There was silence again, the world seemed to have stopped spinning, and everyone had their eyes focused on him and him alone. When a moment passed and nothing happened a few seemed to straighten, as if a weight had been lifted of their shoulders. He was sure they believed that Harry had been lying. However, much to their shock and disbelieve, a wave of magic filled the room. It converged on Harry, then a bright light lit the whole chamber and when it dissipated Harry was leaning back on his throne like armchair, a crown on his head and a floating crest above it. The crest was fairly simple, a sword and a wand, crossed, with a crown identical to the one on Harry's head above it. Below it was the motto; Veni, Vidi, Vici. All of those present recognized the crest and the motto.

It was the crest of the Marcius bloodline.

Harry's eyes roamed over them and more than one looked away when their eyes meet. He was surprised to see that Malfoy was one of those.

"I am the last of the Marcius Bloodline, and the Oath still stands." he said when several minutes passed and no one had said anything. They seemed too shocked to say anything at all. "Though I have no intentions of claiming my rightful legacy." he saw several witches and wizards look at him incredulously, "I merely wished to prove my claims, since this esteemed body seems to be believe me a liar. Aside from that I wanted to prevent all of you, all of your bloodline, to lose your magic. What almost occurred in this courtroom would be considered nothing short of betrayal on my part, and now that I now of the Oath, the consequences would have been nothing less than the loss of your magic."

He had asked Abanddon and Caym how the Death Eaters had been able to harm his family the way they had if the Oath was in place. It didn't make any sense in his mind. Both demons had explained that most of the families weren't bound any longer. All in all, they said, only a little bit over one third of the Wizarding world was still bound by the first Oath and many followers of Voldemort weren't. Aside from that if the Oath wasn't acknowledged by the descendants of the Marcius bloodline, then its full effects wouldn't manifest. They told him that most of the family didn't study all of the history of their bloodline. It was incredibly long and most were content with knowing recent history. The Potters hadn't even known that they were the Marcius bloodline.

Even so it would still affect those bound by the Oath, which was the reason that his forefathers were so rarely bested in battle or duels. Their opponents, those affect by the Oath, couldn't harm them beyond a certain extent, at least not purposefully. Their very magic wouldn't allow it. When they did manage to harm them in some serious way, then their magic would punish them accordingly. That was one of the reason so many older families had so many Squibs. The offense against the family hadn't been strong enough to have Magic forsake the whole bloodline, but it had been grave enough that Magic left one of the bloodline.

"I have no intentions of claiming my throne," Abanddon and Caym had been a little disappointed when he told them that. Apparently when his family had been monarchs was the most interesting time in their servitude, at least that's what they said. When Harry asked why both demons got this bloodthirsty smirk that almost made him regret asking. Suffice to say, his family hadn't stayed in power for that long by being peaceful, "I only wish for a fair hearing. I am not asking for much. Just a fair hearing, instead of this travesty that Minister Fudge tried to shove down our throats. It seems to me like a fairly reasonable request, don't you think?"

"Of course, my Lord." Bones replied when Fudge didn't so much as look at them, his eyes still focused on the crest above Harry's head.

"Splendid," Harry replied with a small smile, "Then if you would question Abanddon and Caym," he completely ignored the widening of several eyes, Malfoy's including, when he said their names. He guessed that they were Death Eaters that had been present at the graveyard and knew what his demons were, "Since they were the ones involved, I would appreciate it."

The rest of the hearing went by fairly smoothly, the charges were dismissed since it was obvious that he hadn't actually done anything and he was free to leave. Though it was clear that none of the members paid all that much attention to the actual hearing. All of them still looked rather dazed, glancing at him and quickly looking away. Though none of them quite meet his eyes.

He shook his head, and closed his eyes. He hadn't wanted to do this. He took his crown from his head and gave it to Abanddon.

"Keep it safe and hidden, alright?"

"Of course Master." Abanddon replied, bowing.

The crest dissipated as soon as it left his head and he smiled. His family was truly talented. As long as the rightful Heir to the throne was touching the crown it would display their crest, however as soon as someone else touched it, it became nothing more than a simple crown.

He turned around to leave the room when he was stopped in his tracks by a body in front of him.

"My Lord," Malfoy intoned, head bowed and eyes lowered. Harry almost gaped at the man, "We never believed that your line had died, we searched. We spent years searching. Anywhere we could think of, we scurried the world to find even a whisper of your whereabouts. Even centuries later, we still looked, we still searched. And every child born into our bloodline was made to pledge the Oath. We remain loyal; you just need to call upon us."

"Thank you for your devotion." Harry replied sincerely, knowing it was the right thing to say. HE was beyond shock by the declaration but he knew it was the true. He knew Malfoy was being truthful, he just knew it. Besides he could see just how pleased Abanddon and Caym were.

"My Lord." Harry had never heard that tone coming from the Malfoy Lord and he could hardly believe the profound relief and gratefulness that saturated those words. Not wanting to linger, since he could see that there were others making their way towards him, he bowed his head a little and continued on his way.

"It's done." muttered Caym as soon as they left the room and Harry sight in relief. Caym had cast a charm that prevented the people in the room to spread the knowledge of his bloodline. He wasn't ashamed of it, but he truly didn't want to deal with more than he already was.

Both demons considered it a waste; they were firmly of the opinion that he should reclaim his throne and rule the Wizarding World. But even so, they both knew that it would be far more complicated than just reclaim the throne. So they respected his wishes, even if they reminisced about the good old days, where his family ordered them to destroy enemy armies, or to decimate a political faction that went against them.

"Harry," he looked up and saw Mr. Weasley standing there, waiting for him no doubt, however he wasn't expecting to see Dumbledore there as well, "How did it go?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking slightly anxious.

"Everything went fine." Harry replied, "The charges were dropped since it was clear that I did no magic." he turned towards Dumbledore and did his best to appear polite, "What are you doing here, Professor?"

"My boy," Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling though it was clear that he was avoiding eye contact with Harry, "I came here to help with your hearing, however I didn't have the right time and by the time I arrived the doors were locked and I couldn't get it. Since I was asked to leave my position as Chief Warlock, I don't have access to the courtrooms as I used to."

"Thanks." Harry muttered, though he still didn't trust Dumbledore as he used to, he was thankful for his presence, he was sure that if it hadn't been for both his demons things would have turned out quite differently, "Everything turned out fine though, Abanddon and Caym made sure of that." he added the last bit just to be spiteful, but he didn't really care. Not when Dumbledore hadn't even acknowledged their presence.

The door behind them opened again and the Wizengamot members started piling out. He heard Mr. Weasley gasp and looked at him curiously.

"That's the whole Wizengamot!" he exclaimed startled, "Why would Fudge call for the whole Wizengamot just for a case of underage magic?"

"Whatever reason he may have had, it backfired. Rather spectacularly in fact." Harry muttered, ignoring Dumbledore's pointed look.

His eyes narrowed when he saw a small group of wizards coming towards them. He almost cursed, he shouldn't have lingered.

"M-," Harry knew what they were starting to say and was rather pleased to see that the charm that Caym had cast would prevent them even from uttering that in front of people who weren't aware of the truth, "Mr. Potter," one of them quickly amended, understanding flashing in his eyes, "We were wondering if we were allowed to contact you." the tone was almost begging, and there was an underlying current of longing in his words that had Harry almost gaping, "We would really like the opportunity to talk with you."

"Of course." he replied, "Feel free to send an owl."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." the man replied, the little group bowed their heads and left. Harry was sure that their steps seemed somewhat lighter than before.

"Don't worry little Master, we will explain everything as soon as we are back at your Godfather's house." Abanddon assured him and he nodded.

He turned around, still ignoring Dumbledore's curious looks, and smiled at Mr. Weasley.

"Can we go home now? I'm sure that they are waiting for news."

"Of course Harry," Mr. Weasley replied with a smile, "Let's go give them the good news."


 

Notes:

A.N.: Hope you enjoy the new chapter, even if you had to wait so long for it. But I still don't have a laptop and I'm still using a friend's iPad to type all of this, so it takes a little longer. Here we found out a little more about Harry's bloodline. That Oath will explain a few things and why some things happened. Though Harry has no intention of claiming the Throne. And even if he did claim it, he wouldn't automatically rule over the Wizarding World. More than half of the witches and wizards are free from the Oath since there are newer families and many of those families serve Voldemort. Even if he claimed the Throne he would have to fight a war, and that's not even taking into account the mess that is the Muggle-Wizard relationship. They live on British soil, technically they fall under the Rule of the British Monarchy. I doubt they would be pleased with a King suddenly appearing out of nowhere. So, Harry wouldn't really have it any easier. Not that he thought about all of that when he said that he didn't want to claim the throne, he just doesn't want to complicate his life any further.

That said... Abanddon and Caym are so naughty... teasing poor little Harry like that... evil, evil demons, both of them.

Chapter 5: Consequences

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Warnings: this story will have slash.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


Chapter 5 – Consequences

One moment he was standing and the next he was being tackled to the floor. Well, tackled may be the wrong word. 'No, definitely the right word,' thought Harry when he felt more weight on him.

"Guys," he wheezed, "Need to breath."

Ron and Hermione scrambled of him, both looking slightly sheepish.

"Sorry, mate." Ron grinned, "Couldn't help ourselves."

Two pairs of hands lifted him of the floor and righted his clothing. He missed the glare that both demons sent Hermione and Ron. They paled just a little, they were getting used to the overprotective demons. Still, their glare was terrifying.

"How did the hearing go?" Hermione asked him, "Mr. Weasley said that he wasn't allowed in but that you weren't expelled."

"Of course he wasn't expelled," Ron muttered, "They didn't have a leg to stand on. I don't know what they were thinking. Harry didn't even use magic, how they expected to succeed, I'll never know."

"You weren't so confident a moment ago, were you?" Hermione muttered back.

"Well, if there is one thing we know is that the Ministry is corrupt. They could have made something up." Ron defended himself and Harry couldn't help but laugh. Their conversations may have become more mature as they aged, but the bickering was always there.

"Ron's right." Harry broke in before it escalated, "Fudge wasn't even listening to what I was saying. But thanks to Abanddon and Caym they couldn't do anything to me."

"Did they threatened Fudge?" Hermione almost whispered, but it was still heard in the whole kitchen. He could feel everyone's eyes on them and Harry almost sighed. He knew they didn't trust the demons, but they could at least trust him.

"No, they didn't say or do anything actually." he said, knowing that everyone was listening in, "They just told me things about my bloodline and I used it."

"What things?" Hermione asked curiously, sitting beside him while Ron took the seat beside her.

Harry looked around the room, trying to see just who was present. Sirius, Remus, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, Moody, Podmore, Bill, the twins, Tonks, and Kingsley. He trusted most of the people in the room, though he doubted that they would keep the information from Dumbledore. Maybe Hermione, Ron, and the twins would, but the others he doubted it. Even Sirius would tell him, Harry was almost sure of it.

"It's information I don't want to spread."

Moody snorted.

"So you revealed it to the whole Wizengamot?"

"They won't talk." he stated, surprising Moody, "Even if Abanddon and Caym hadn't spelled the room, they wouldn't have betrayed me."

"Awfully trusting aren't you?" Podmore remarked.

"It has nothing to do with trust." Harry told him, "They know the consequences if they did it. None of them would risk it."

"What are the consequences?" Podmore asked, looking only slightly curious.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Curiosity mostly. I want to know what kind of person is going to save us from Voldemort."

Harry looked at the man incredulously for a few moments, then he laughed. He laughed so hard that he had tears running down his cheeks.

"You really think I'm going to save you?" he asked after he got his breath under control, "I'm no one's Savior. Sure, I'll fight Voldemort if he harms the people I love, but the rest of the world? It can burn for all I care. I haven't seen anything in it worth saving."

"You truly mean that." Podmore was looking much more intently at him now.

"Muggles have this saying; Don't ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. It's all well and good when you put it like that, but I don't care about countries, I care about people. You could argue that people make the country, then I would ask why would I fight for people that want to bring me down just because they can."

"What about all the innocent people?"

"We are witches and wizards, we are given a deadly weapon when we are eleven years old. Every single one of us. If they expect me, a fifteen year old teenager, to take up that weapon and fight, why don't they do the same?"

Podmore studied him closely, his eyes showing much more emotion than his expression. He wasn't sure but he thought that there was a spark of respect in Podmore's eyes.

Hermione and Ron were nodding, agreeing with him. Both of them knew how he felt, both of them had been hurt doing what older wizards and witches should have done.

The other adults in the room look saddened, especially Mrs. Weasley and Sirius, and there was just a touch of shame in some of their eyes.

Harry excused himself and left the kitchen, followed by both his demons. He took refuge in the library and fell gracefully into a sofa.

"Well done, little Master." Abanddon whispered, leaning in close to him from where he was seated on his right. His warm breath caressing Harry's ear and making him shudder slightly.

"Yes, very well done." Caym added, sitting on the other side of Harry. "I doubt that they noticed that you left without answering their previous questions."

"So, it wasn't noticeable that I was evading the questions?"

"No, little Master. You did wonderfully." Abanddon complimented, a delighted smirk on his lips, "I'm pleased to see that my lessons are being useful."

Harry sighed and slumped a little on the sofa.

"I just don't want Dumbledore knowing about my Bloodline. I know he would find a way to use it. And if he couldn't use it he would make me out to be a new Dark Lord, especially now that I have both of you."

"We wouldn't let him touch you." both demons stated fiercely.

"I know." Harry whispered, leaning into them, seeking comfort, "I trust you." he murmured, closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him, knowing that Abanddon and Caym would watch over him.

Abanddon and Caym looked down at their sleeping Master. Almost without conscious thought Caym's hand started caressing the silky black locks.

A sigh coming from Abanddon made him look back up.

"He doesn't realize what he's doing." Abanddon remarked, eyes straying towards the sleeping figure.

Caym nodded, agreeing with the other demon, and went back to staring at their little Master.

"We could stop it." Caym suggested, even though the words tasted bitter on his tongue.

The vicious, feral growl that came from Abanddon was all the answer he needed.

"I know. But look at him..."

"Yes, Caym, look at him. Do you want to give it up? We waited for a long time. I won't force it, but I won't push him away."

"No," Caym sighed, "Neither will I. We are demons, being selfish is practically our nature."

"We will keep him safe, happy." Abanddon stated, his hand joining Caym's in petting Harry's hair, "It's more than these worthless mortals have ever done."

For just a fraction of a second their true faces showed, eyes filled with blood-lust and sadistic smirks on their lips. Yes, they would keep their little human safe and happy, and may God have mercy on those who tried to stand in their way.


Harry woke up slowly. He couldn't stop the moan that left him when he stretched slightly. He didn't think he had ever felt so comfortable. He snuggled deeper into the warmth that was enveloping him. He heard a low chuckle and slowly blinked his eyes open.

He was lying on his bed, was the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed was that Abanddon and Caym were on either side of him, both demons looking at him.

His breath hitched when he felt their hands on him. One of their hands in his hair, the other on his waist.

"Finally awake, little one?" Abanddon whispered, his hand continuing to pet his hair. Harry wanted to close his eyes again. This was bliss, he was sure of it.

Harry just nodded, his eyes on them, asking why they were in bed with him.

"You fell asleep in the library." Caym told him, "We brought you up here when the mortals started to search for you. We knew you were tired and wanted you to rest."

"We put you to bed and stayed in the room." Abanddon added, "You started having a nightmare and only went back to a peaceful sleep when we were with you, so we stayed beside you."

Harry snuggled deeper into their embrace, mind still too foggy to truly understand what he was doing. He sighed contentedly.

"You always take care of me." he mumbled, falling back to sleep.

"Always, little one." both demons whispered.

A little later Harry opened his eyes again. He noticed that both demons were still beside him, though now they were glaring at a cluster of owls that were perching at the end of his bed.

"Is there a reason for scaring the poor owls?" Harry muttered, sitting up on the bed. He immediately missed the warmth that came from both demons.

"They woke you up." Abanddon grumbled, his glare intensifying.

"They didn't," Harry assured them, "So," he continued, turning towards the owls, "Are all of you here for me?" he got several hoots in reply and nodded. He got up from the bed, climbing over Caym, since the demons didn't seem to want to move, and stretched a little before calling the owls towards the desk. He completely missed the way the demons' eyes latched onto his form.

"Well, let's see... one at a time. Those that require an answer, please wait somewhere in the house. The others can go." to his surprise all nine owls stayed after he took the letters, meaning that they all required answers.

"Before you start on the letters, little Master, you should go down to eat something. It's dinner time." Abanddon informed him and he nodded.

He let the letters on the desk, showed the owls were the water bow and owl treats were, and left the room.

The kitchen was full, well partially full, the same people that had been there when he had arrived from the hearing where still there.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, "I was just about to call you. I know they said you were tired, but you need to eat."

"Yeah, sorry about that Mrs. Weasley. They are a little overprotective," he glared slightly at both demons, "I wouldn't have minded if you woke me for lunch. Though I had a rather good nap." he blushed slightly when he remembered just why his nap had been so good. The wicked smirks that momentarily appeared on the demons' lips didn't help any.

Dinner was a quiet affair, none of the Order members seemed all that comfortable with the demons in the room. The only one who didn't seem too afraid of the demons was Bill. He was even looking at them now and then. Harry just hoped that he would stop it soon, he could see Caym's patience wearing thin.

"What?" Harry closed his eyes and sighed when he heard Caym's growled out question.

"Sorry." Bill sounded a little meek, but he was still looking at them, "It's just... I used to work in Egypt, and well... Is it true that you both ruled over Egypt?" he rushed out, as if he were afraid that they would curse him for talking.

Harry chuckled and leaned back on his seat, looking at both demons. The question had captured the attention of the others in the room and they were all looking at them. Harry outright laughed when he saw the put out look on both demons.

"Just tell him," Harry said between his snickers, "He truly does love history and both of you are almost a walking encyclopedia."

"As you wish, little Master." both demons replied, they walked towards the table and Harry pushed Hermione and Ron a little away to make place for both of them. Showing them that he wanted them to sit beside him. Both demons smiled at him indulgently and sat, though when they looked at the other people in the room all the warmth had left their expressions.

"Answering your question, yes, both Abanddon and I ruled Egypt. I was the pharaoh of Lower Egypt and Abanddon of Upper Egypt."

"Why didn't you unify Egypt?" Bill asked them and Harry knew what was coming.

Abanddon and Caym looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Why would we do that?" Abanddon asked him, "If we did that we couldn't have gone to war."

"Why would you want to go to war?" Hermione was looking at them incredulously.

"We were bored." Caym replied, a bloodthirsty grin on his lips.

"Those were the days," Abanddon sighed, "So easy to play with the mortals. If I remember correctly, I won that game, didn't I?"

"Game?" Moody growled, and almost all of the other people in the room had indignant expressions on their faces. "You call war a game? You start wars because you are bored?"

The smiles on their faces were terrifying.

"Measly, worthless mortals are nothing more than our playthings. Even you little magic wielders are nothing to us." Abanddon stated cruelly, "So yes, it is nothing more than a game to us."

"What about Harry?" Sirius whispered, "He's mortal. Is he your plaything?" there was a hard edge in Sirius tone.

"Sirius!" Harry snapped, not enjoying what was being implied.

"It's alright, little Master." Caym whispered, though he was glaring at Sirius.

"We understand that he is worried about you." Abanddon added.

"Our little Master isn't our plaything." Caym stated, his eyes promising painful retribution if any of them dared to imply otherwise.

"But he's mortal, just like us. What's so different about him?" Podmore asked them curiously. He remembered both demons stating that they served Harry willingly.

"He's ours." Abanddon and Caym stated in unison, making Harry blush and most of the adults in the room pale. Harry had no idea what they meant by that, but he kinda liked the sound of it. He had never belonged anywhere, was it so bad to belong to them? To finally have somewhere to belong sounded almost like a dream come true.

"Isn't it the other way around?" Ron asked, seemingly just as confused as Harry about what both demons meant, "You are his servants, so wouldn't that make both of you his?"

Both demons just smiled and Harry had a feeling that he was missing something. Though before he could ask anything an owl flew into the room.

It landed in front of Harry and stretched out it's leg. Harry took the letter, hiding the crest from the others in the room.

"Do you need a reply?" the owl hooted and he sighed, "Alright, come with me." he got up, knowing that both demons would follow him and left the kitchen. He ignored the calls from Sirius. He didn't really want to deal with Sirius at the moment. He hadn't liked what he had implied at all. Besides he wanted to see what all those letters were about.

He sighed when he reached his room and closed the door. Both demons were looking at him, and for the first time in a long time he saw no emotions in their eyes.

"What is it?" he asked them. He was worried, he wasn't used to seeing them like that.

"Little one," Abanddon said, surprising him. It was rare for them to call him that, "You know that you aren't like the other mortals to us, don't you?" there was an unidentifiable edge in his tone.

"I know." Harry replied, walking past them and fell on the bed, "I just don't know why. You should hate me." they truly should, if it weren't for him they would be free.

Caym took a seat on his right and buried his hand in his hair. Harry closed his eyes in pleasure, enjoying the simple caress far more than he should.

"We will never hate you." Caym stated, surprising Harry with his certainty.

"How can you know that?"

"Do you trust us?" Abanddon asked him, sitting on his other side.

"Of course." he replied without even thinking about it.

"Then trust us when we tell you we will never hate you. You are special to us, you will always be special to us." Abanddon smiled and Harry was sure he had never seen anything more beautiful.

"Alright." for now he would let it be.

He heard the owls hooting and glanced at the letters he had left on the desk. Abanddon got up and collected them. Harry smiled at him and took the letters.

"Do you know what this is about?" he asked them. They usually knew everything, or at the very least had rather accurate guesses.

"We suspect we know, yes." Caym replied.

"You're not going to tell me." Harry guessed, sighing when he saw their smirks. "Alright, let's get this over with."

He picked up the first letter and looked at the crest. It wasn't familiar to him, but that didn't surprise him. Unfortunately his knowledge on wizard aristocracy was perilously lacking. He only knew a few Family Crests, only the few that Abanddon had showed him that were bound to his bloodline. Though Abanddon had told him that some crests were changed over the centuries.

He opened the letter, missing the excited look traded between both demons.

'My Lord,

I ask for forgiveness in contacting you so rudely, however there is no other way I could have reached you. I am aware that you stated that you have no wish to claim your birthright, but our Oath still stands, our loyalty is yours.

I know I have no right to ask anything form you, even so I ask that you consider the possibility of a meeting between us.

I eagerly await your response.

In devotion and loyalty,

Gregory Greengrass'

Harry stared at the letter for a few seconds, trying to understand what he had just read. He picked another letter up and almost ripped it open.

'My Lord,

I do not believe you understand just how pleased I was with your return. Even if you do not claim what is rightfully yours, it will not change the fact that the Oath still bounds us. Though I would not have it any other way. After centuries of waiting we finally have you back.

I beg you, my Lord, please grant us an audience with you. Let us renew our oath.

Faithfully yours,

Cassius Lestrange'

He almost gaped when he was done with the letter. Alright he may have gaped a little. Fine! He was outright gaping at the letter. But could you really blame him? He hadn't expected this, he hadn't been expecting this at all. He narrowed his eyes when he saw the pleased looks form the demons. He shoved both letters at them and glared.

"You knew this would happen!" he accused, glaring for all he was worth.

"We had hoped." Caym admitted.

"Do you think they are all like this?" Harry asked, looking somewhat resigned. He should have seen it coming. He should have guessed, especially when those wizards approached him after the hearing. He really should have seen it coming.

But he hadn't.

He almost groaned when he saw both demons nod. Containing another sigh he opened the other letters.

Unfortunately they had been right. The letters were all the same.

All ten of them.

Greengrass, Lestrange, Longbottom, Malfoy, Gamp, Macmillan, Flint, Nott, Abbott, and Avery. All of them begging for a meeting, for a chance to talk to him, to see him.

"Hmm, I was expecting more." remarked Abanddon.

"More?" he squeaked, though he would deny it to his dying day.

"Yes, more." Caym agreed, "Though I suspect that the ones that did send the letters are the ones that still make the Oath. The others must be thinking over everything."

"What others?"

"The other families." Abanddon explained, "Do you know about the sacred twenty-eight?"

"Yeah. Ron told me about them."

"Those aren't the Ancient and Nobel families. Those are the families that remain pure by the standards of Cantankerus Nott. Not all of those families are Ancient and Noble. For example, the Weasleys, they are one of the twenty-eight, but not Ancient and Noble." Abanddon sat back down beside him, "Most people forget that. The ones still bound by Oath are the Ancient and Noble. We were expecting for all of them to contact you. Though, as Caym said, they may be thinking things through."

"How... how many?"

"There are thirty-one surviving Ancient and Noble families." Caym told him, "However, there are a few more who are still bound by the Oaths. Since if someone from an Ancient and Noble House married into a new bloodline, their descendants were bound too."

"So am I bound by that Oath? My grandfather married a Black. They are an Ancient and Noble family."

"No." Abanddon stated, "Your blood is stronger than theirs. Magic is somewhat sentient, and blood is just as powerful as magic. Both of those things made it impossible for your bloodline to be bound by that Oath."

"Considering how the Oath itself was made, it would have been detrimental to you if you were bound by that Oath. So your magic and your blood stopped it."

"Could anyone's magic and blood do the same?"

"No. No one's magic and blood but your bloodline's. Because the Oath was sworn to your bloodline." Caym explained patiently. Truthfully he didn't quite understand how it worked. He wasn't ashamed to admit that Magical Theory wasn't his strong point. He was sure that Hermione wouldn't have any trouble understanding the logistics behind it.

"So, who is actually bound to me?"

"Practically all the families that consider themselves purebloods. Though the younger ones aren't bound unless one of the older families married into that family. And since we know how much they want to keep their blood pure it is very likely that they did exactly that." the last bit was more of a mutter and Abanddon had a small smug smirk on his lips, "Half-bloods... well, those it depends on who their parents are. And muggle-borns aren't bound at all."

"Are you alright, little one?" he looked up and saw Caym's concerned face and only then did he realize that he had been quiet for a few minutes.

"I... I... Yes, I'm fine." he mumbled, "It's just so much to take in." it truly was, he hadn't realized it were that many people. Sure Abanddon had told him that it were a little over one third that were bound to him, but it was sounding like a lot more than that. "You said one third."

"The families that were there and swore the Oath on their bloodlines." Abanddon explained, "The other ones, the ones that had someone marry into their family and passed on the Oath that way, well... we have no way of knowing how many of those there are without looking over all of their genealogical trees."

Harry groaned and fell onto the bed, covering his eyes with his arm. He had thought it would have been impossible for his life to have gotten even more complicated. He wasn't happy that he had been proven wrong.

He felt hands bury themselves in his hair and he sighed. He felt his body relax and a shiver run down his spine. He loved it when his demons were so gentle with him.

"Everything will be alright, little Master." Caym whispered leaning slightly into him, "We will make sure of it."

Abanddon hummed, agreeing with Caym, and Harry finally looked at them. They were troublesome, but he wouldn't give them up for anything in the world.

"Now what?" he asked them, doing his best not to succumb to the gentle caress.

"Now we reply those letters." Caym informed him, and a smile tugged at his lips when Harry groaned.

"All of them?"

"All of them." Abanddon stated, outright smirking.

"Fine." Harry grumbled, though he smiled when he heard both demons laugh. "Help me with it, since it's your fault I'm in this mess." he had the feeling that the glare he aimed at them wasn't all that effective.


Harry sighed, he was doing that a lot lately, and prepared himself for the explosion he knew was about to come. Resigned to his fate he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen.

The people present stopped what they were doing and looked at him, their eyes widening slightly when they saw what he was wearing. He could practically feel the smugness coming from the demons and he almost scowled. He still didn't know how they had convinced him to wear it. Alright, he knew how they had convinced him, he just couldn't believe that he actually went along with it.

He was dressed in the finest robes he had ever seen. They felt featherlight on him and were made out of silk. He had a pair of black dragon hide trousers, with an emerald green shirt and a black vest over the shirt. A deep green robe, with silver threads completed the ensemble.

As if that wasn't enough they had lengthened his hair slightly, making it possible to control and gave him an actual hairstyle instead of his usual bird's nest. Now his hair reached his shoulders, and had a slight wave to it, with shorter bangs framing his face. But the demons didn't stop there, no. They corrected his eyesight. It was only temporary, something about needing a potion to correct it permanently and not having the time and ingredients to do it.

Truthfully Harry had never felt so... posh in all his life.

He didn't particularly dislike it. He just wasn't used to it, nor did he think it was necessary to dress like he was at the moment all the time. However he understood why he needed to do it for this particular occasion. Besides, he kinda liked not having to wear glasses, even if it was only for a while.

"Harry..." Mrs. Weasley breathed, as if she couldn't quite believe her eyes.

"Hey," he said, a little nervously, "I just came to tell you that I'll be out for most of the day." he informed them.

"What do you mean you'll be out?" came the incredulous question not a moment later, seeming to bring everyone out of their stupor. He was slightly surprised to see that it had been Sirius to ask and not Mrs. Weasley.

"I mean just that." he told Sirius, reverting back to the persona he had used in his hearing. He noticed that he had been reverting back to that role every time he felt even a little bit defensive. Abanddon had been quite happy with it. He had told him that it was about time that he grew confident in himself. He was above them, he should behave as such. It still surprised Harry that the demons truly believed that.

"You can't go." Mrs. Weasley stated, "It's not safe for you to go around doing Merlin knows what."

He raised an eyebrow, staring at her. Then he pointed behind himself, towards both demons.

"I don't know if you met," he started, doing his best to sound as innocent as possible, "That's Abanddon," he pointed to his right, "And that's Caym." he pointed to his left. "I don't believe there is anyone on this Earth that is as well protected as I am."

"Be that as it may," Mrs. Weasley persisted, "The Headmaster said that you had to stay at Headquarters."

"The Headmaster has no authority over what I do or don't do over the holidays." he stated firmly, surprising everyone present, aside from Hermione and Ron, "I am not a prisoner as such I am free to leave if I so wish it. I have no intentions of leaving, I just need to to take care of some family business. I did not even have to inform any of you that I would be gone. However I knew it would have been irresponsible of me to be gone most of the day without informing someone. But make no mistake, if you try to stop me, I will leave and not return."

"What family business?" Moody asked him, studying him carefully.

"Private family business." was his response and he actually saw a smirk appearing on Moody's lips.

"We'll have to inform Dumbledore if you go." Moody stated, a warning.

"Do what you must." he inclined his head slighty, thanking the man for the head's up.

He caught Hermione and Ron's eyes, promising to explain later and they nodded at him.

Harry smiled and left the kitchen, ignoring Mrs. Weasley's calls. He heard Moody's distinctive walk and knew he was heading towards the fireplace to call Dumbledore. He walked just a little faster, he wanted to be out of the house before Dumbledore arrived.

As soon as they were outside Abanddon pulled him into his arms and all three of them disappeared.


No more than a few moments after Harry had left the house Dumbledore stepped through the floo.

He looked around and saw that Harry was indeed gone. He couldn't even feel him in the house anymore.

"You let him leave?" he asked Alastor, surprised at seeing his old friend looking so at ease.

"Would you have gone against those demons of his?" came the gruff reply and he almost winced. No, he wouldn't want to face those two. Not if he could help it. He knew he was powerful, but even he didn't fool himself into thinking that he stood a chance against those demons. Even lower level demons were incredibly hard to fight, he had no wish to see just how proficient Abanddon and Caym truly were.

"Do you know where he went?" he asked Miss Granger and the youngest Weasley boy instead of answering.

"No, sir." Hermione replied, "Though even if we did know, we wouldn't tell you." there was a slight edge to her voice surprising a few people. Hermione was known for her respect for authority figures, seeing her being so disrespectful to Dumbledore was startling.

"Miss Granger, surely you know that it isn't safe for Harry to wander around unprotected."

Ron snorted and looked at Dumbledore incredulously.

"Unprotected?" he sounded incredulous, "I think Harry is the most protected person on Earth. I may be bloody terrified of both of them, but I know they would never let anything or anyone harm Harry." he expertly ignored his mother's reprimand.

Truthfully Albus knew that, however he just couldn't believe it. Demons were evil, even if they were bound, they were dangerous. Harry should be kept away from them. He was sure that if Voldemort offered them a good enough deal then they would take it.

"Alastor," he said, turning towards his old friend, "Gather a few members and search for Harry. Bring him back to Headquarters. Though do it discretely, I don't want to alert Tom to the fact that Harry is missing."

"Harry isn't missing," Hermione huffed, sounding just as annoyed as she did when people wouldn't let her read in peace. Anyone who knew her knew that when she sounded like that then it was time to clear out. Preferably rather fast, with a shield charm up, just in case. "He went out. I wasn't aware that he was a prisoner."

"He isn't a prisoner," Dumbledore assured her, "We just need to know where he is so that we can keep him safe."

Hermione sneered at the old man then a slightly malicious smile spread on her lips.

"I truly hope you find him," she told them sincerely, "I can hardly wait to see how Abanddon and Caym would react to that." with another smiled aimed at them she left the kitchen, muttering about arrogant old fools.

Ron just chuckled and got up as well.

"We aren't eleven anymore," he told the stunned Order members, "Harry isn't that naive little Golden Boy anymore. We grew up, especially Harry. If you think you can separate him from his demons, you are sadly mistaken and I would advice you to not even try. You seem to have forgotten, Headmaster, just what Harry is capable of doing for those he cares about." with that little piece of advice he left after Hermione.

"Go, Alastor." Albus instructed, containing a sigh. They were children, they didn't know what was best. Abanddon and Caym were a danger to Harry, he was sure of it.


Harry and his demons appeared silently in a muggle street. Harry had no idea where he was, but he knew where he was going. Abanddon said that his family had several properties all over the world, and they were going to one of those properties.

He looked around, noticing that it was a more rural area, though still muggle. He could barely see a smallish town down the road. Though Abanddon was leading him in the opposite direction.

"This is it." Caym said, gesturing towards a small side road on their left. "Three drops of blood on the ground will grant you passage."

"Alright." Harry replied, trusting them. He looked around trying to find a sharper rock on the road to make a small cut on his palm.

"Allow me, little Master." Abanddon practically purred, taking his hand. He blushed a fiery red when Abanddon put his finger in his mouth. He couldn't stop the shiver that raced down his back and he had to bite his lip to stop himself from moaning. Then he felt a sharp sting and Abanddon released his finger. Harry couldn't take his eyes from Abanddon's lips. There was a drop of blood on them and Abanddon's tongue slipped out to lick it away. Harry felt his breath catch in his throat and his cheeks reddened even more. He looked away, missing the smug smirk that appeared on Abanddon's lips.

"Three drops, little Master." Caym's voice was deeper, huskier. Harry had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. The damned demons were wreaking his self-control.

He let the three drops fall. As soon as the last drop hit the ground his hand was seized by Caym. He licked the wound. His blush came back with a vengeance. Where they trying to kill him? Another lick followed, then his hand was released. To his surprise the wound was closed.

"Come, little one, let's see how it looks." Abanddon whispered, bringing him out of his thoughts. Though from the amusement he could hear in his voice he was sure that Abanddon was finding his embarrassment quite funny. "Claim your birthright."

Harry took another deep breath and turned towards the non-descriptive road.

"I, Harry James Potter, last of the Potters, ask for entrance into my Home."

For a second nothing happened. Then a shimmering blue dome appeared in front of them. It touched his blood and glowed blood red for a few seconds, then it settled back down. The next moment Harry could feel the wards of the place and he had to stop himself from gasping. He could feel the magic welcoming him. He could feel every inch the wards covered. It was truly welcoming him home.

"Home." he whispered, and both demons smiled.

"Yes, little one." Caym confirmed with a warm smile, "This is Potter Manor. Not the oldest home of your bloodline, but the most recent."

"Thank you." he whispered, knowing that they had brought him to this Manor specifically only because they knew it would mean the world to him.

"You're welcome, little one." Abanddon said, pushing him slightly towards the road.

As soon as he passed the boundary of the wards his breath caught. Gone was the plain field and road. In front of him was a luscious expanse of grassland, with a brick road that lead to an iron gate. Beyond the gate was either a small palace or a large mansion. He didn't know which was the correct description. It was far to magical to be a simple mansion, but far to small to be a palace.

"Welcome to the home of the Potters for the last four hundred years." Caym told him softly.

They let him take it all in and he was thankful. When they had told him stories of his parents he had tried to imagine how Potter Manor looked, his imagination had nothing on the real thing though.

It had four floors, with two towers on either end reaching six floors. From what he could see, the two last floors on either tower were made completely out of glass. He remembered Abanddon telling him that his family had always liked Astronomy, he guessed that the towers were perfect for watching the stars at night. The manor itself was made of white marble and he could see their crest engraved with black marble over the dark wooden doors, the over nine feet wooden doors. He could see large windows decorating the front of the manor, and a few smaller ones on the side.

The front lawn was perfectly maintained and he could see different flowerbeds framing the brick road that lead to the entrance door. To the side there appeared to be several greenhouses and on the other side, a little further from the manor, was a Quidditch pitch.

The whole property was surrounded by woodland and he could just make out a few animals in the shadows of the trees.

"It's beautiful." he whispered. He hadn't even seen the inside, but he was already in love with the place. It felt like home.

"We are glad you like it, little one." Caym smiled at him warmly and Harry smiled back. He was truly glad he had them both. He didn't even want to imagine how his life would have turned out without them in it.

He almost ran up the path to his home, the gates opening on their own for him, and stopped at the door. He pushed them open, surprised by how featherlight they were, and felt his breath catch in his throat.

The inside was just as enchanting as the outside.

The walls were done in that same marble white, with obsidian floors. There were colorful tapestries on the walls, giving the place a welcoming warmth. A large fireplace, completely done in black marble, was on his left.

It was beautiful and he had only seen the entrance hall.

Before he had the opportunity to explore a few popping sounds brought him back to Earth.

In front of him was a small army of house-elfs.

"Master Potter," what seemed to be the oldest elf present greeted him, "Welcome back. I be Toppy. I be head-elf for the Potter family."

"Hello," he greeted them warmly, "Thank you for maintaining Potter Manor in such splendor for all this years." he could see tears forming in several of their eyes and he almost sighed. Sometimes the little elfs were far to emotional.

"Yes," came Abanddon's silky voice from behind him, "You did a wonderful job in maintaining this Manor for our little Master." most of the elfs squeaked in fright and Harry glared at Abanddon. He truly enjoyed tormenting the elfs far too much. "Now, your Master will be having visitors shortly. Lead them to the study on the main floor when they arrive." Abanddon instructed and the elfs nodded, popping away as soon as Abanddon dismissed them.

"Must you scare them so?" he asked, slightly exasperated.

"I did nothing, Master." Abanddon defended himself, though there was a sly smile on his lips, "How can I be at fault when the little things get frightened just by looking at me?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. He knew that Abanddon was right. There was truly nothing they could do. The elfs could feel what they were and were completely terrified of both demons. No matter how nice Abanddon and Caym tried to be it just didn't matter.

"Come, it's almost time." Caym lead him through his home, "I know you want to explore, but you'll have time after we have dealt with all of this."

Harry followed them, looking around his home. He could have sworn that he heard a gasp coming from one of the rooms, but when he looked he saw nothing there.

They arrived at the study and Harry tried to take it all in all at once. Two walls were covered in shelves filled with books. The one on his right had a fireplace that interrupted the flow of the shelves. It was a deep red, almost black. The wall in front of him had two floor to ceiling windows and showed the beautiful back garden and the forest. The desk itself was as large as the one Dumbledore had in his office, but of much darker coloring. The seat behind the desk was a high back armchair the same coloring as the desk, with black upholstery. The two seats in front of the desk were similar in design though they were missing the high back. It clearly showed who had the power in the room.

There was a small table by the fireplace with two red armchairs and one black sofa around it. Right behind the desk was a tapestry with their crest and motto. It was the only thing hanging on the study walls. The floor was the darkest obsidian he had ever seen and plush carpets in deep red covered part of it. It was much more intimidating than the little he had seen from the rest of the manor and he could understand why the demons had picked it.

He sat behind the desk and did his best to not appear nervous. However he knew he wasn't succeeding. He didn't think he had ever felt as nervous as he did in that moment.

"Relax, little one." Caym whispered from behind him and he almost jumped out of his skin. He had been so out of it that he hadn't even seen the demons move to stand behind him, "Everything will be alright."

"Yes, little one. Just behave as you did at your hearing." Abanddon added.

Harry took a deep breath and leaned back on his seat. Right. Everything was going to be fine because he had Abanddon and Caym with him and they would make sure that everything went fine. He was sure that even if he messed up then his demons would make it work somehow.

"Thanks." he whispered, getting two fond smiles in return.

Seconds later an elf popped in announcing that he had visitors. He took a deep breath, steadied his nerves and told the elf to show them in.

Moments later the elf stepped back in, a wizard following him. The wizard looked up and as soon as he saw Harry he went down on his knees and bowed his head.

"My Lord." it was no more than a whispered, but the reverence in the his tone shocked Harry to the core.

"Lord Greengrass," he spoke up after a little nudge from Caym, "Please take a seat." he offered. He didn't like seeing the man on his knees in front of him. It reminded him of how the Death Eaters behaved towards Voldemort.

The man looked up, though his eyes never met Harry's, and got up from his kneeling position. Slowly he walked towards the armchairs in front of the desk and took a seat. It was clear as crystal that he was nervous and Harry smiled at him warmly, trying to ease the man.

"Lord Greengrass-" Harry started again, though before he could say anything else the man interrupted him.

"Please, my Lord, it's just Greengrass, or Gregory." a moment later he looked scandalized that he had interrupted his Lord and Harry smiled again. It was kind of funny. He hadn't expected for them to be as nervous as he was.

"Alright, Gregory. I'm Harry." he almost chuckled when he saw the surprise in the man's face, "So would you tell me why you wanted this meeting?"

"I..." Greengrass started, though he looked rather hesitant.

"Feel free to speak freely. I would rather you be honest with me instead of holding back because you fear you would insult me."

Greengrass seemed to pull himself together and his posture straightened. There was new confidence in him and he truly looked like a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House.

"Truthfully I don't really know why I wanted to meet you. I know you said that you had no intention of claiming your throne but a part of me couldn't help but hope. The Oath is still strong in our line. Every Head of House swears it still. Now that I know that the Marcius Bloodline still lives my magic is almost demanding that we meet, that we establish the relationship our bloodlines had."

"You want to serve me?" Harry couldn't help but sound slightly incredulous.

"Yes." the certainty in his answer surprised Harry.

"Why?"

"We were the royal family's healers. Our blood, our magic craves for that position. For that trust we shared." the man sounded pained, and there was such longing in his voice that Harry almost gasped, "Over these long centuries we tried to appease the Oath as best we could. We remained neutral, we worked as healers and medi-wizards, but even so, the longing in our magic only grew."

And Harry could see the desperation he had felt coming from the letters. Just what had his family done to these bloodlines? Gregory Greengrass, a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House, looked almost broken. Were they all so affected now that he had revealed himself?

"I'm sorry." he whispered. He truly was. He ignored the looks he could feel from both Abanddon and Caym. "I didn't know how hard this had been for you. If there is anything I can do to make it better, I will. Just tell me what you need."

"I... Please, my Lord," he man whispered, "Just let me fulfill my Oath."

Harry could see the desire in Greengrass' eyes and he could do nothing but nod. He wouldn't take the throne, he didn't want it, but could he really deny such a heartfelt desire? He couldn't, especially because he could see how much it was paining the man to not be able to follow his pledge.

He stood from his seat and walked towards Greengrass, feeling both demons following him. He stopped in front of Greengrass and gave a tiny nod. Greengrass slumped in relief, a smile appearing on his lips.

Greengrass pulled out his wand and went down on his knees. He bowed his head and put his wand at Harry's feet.

"Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, my chosen King, I, Gregory Lucian Greengrass, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to You and Your descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Your service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be."

The magic build up and Harry knew what to do next, almost as if Magic itself was providing him with the words.

"I, Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, your chosen King, do accept your Oath. May Magic find you worthy, may your devotion and loyalty be rewarded. May your bloodline flourish in my service and perish if you ever stray from your path. So I say it, so mote it be."

He could feel their magic mingling, the joy coming from Greengrass' magic almost overwhelming the acceptance of his own magic. Then a bright golden light surrounded them and he felt the Oath snap into place.

He could feel the new bond shared between them and he was slightly surprised by the intensity of it. He could only imagine how his forefathers felt with hundreds of family pledged to them.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Harry almost gaped at the address but he guessed he should have expected it. Greengrass had pledged his bloodline to his chosen King, not Lord. For a fraction of a second he panicked. Just what the Hell had he agreed to? What should he do now? He had no idea on how to be a King, on how to behave. Then he got himself under control and did what he always did. He was a Gryffindor, he forged on.

"Rise." he ordered, surprised by how commanding he sounded.

Greengrass obeyed. He stood tall and proud. There was an excited energy around him that previously lacked and he seemed years younger. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Harry gestured towards the seats near the fireplace and took one himself.

"Now," he started as soon as Greengrass had taken a seat, "We need to decide what follows."

"I am at your service, Sire."

"You have my permission to inform your Bloodline about these events. They will need to be told so as to avoid unpleasant situations. None of them are required to pledge themselves to me, however if they so desire we will set a time and place were they will be allowed to swear the Oath. However they will be sworn to secrecy no matter if they personally pledge themselves to me or not." he really had to thank Abanddon for all those lessons. Even if he had believed that he wouldn't need them.

"Thank you, Sire."

"I have no immediate plans. At the moment I am trying to deal with the Voldemort situation. I ask that you inform me if he tries to contact you, or if Fudge tries another scheme." he instructed, falling into his new role. He had plenty of time to freak out as soon as Greengrass was gone.

"Of course, Sire."

"I will be receiving a few more guest later, depending on how things turn out with them I will call a meeting before I go back to Hogwarts. I'll inform you when it'll take place. Feel free to contact me if you need it."

"Yes, Sire."

"Do you have any questions?"

"Not at the moment, Sire."

"Very well," Harry replied, getting up. Greengrass followed him not a second later, "My elf will escort you out." the same little elf popped into the room.

Greengrass bowed, still looking more relieved and proud than Harry had ever seen. He straightened back up and followed the elf out.

As soon as he was gone Harry fell gracelessly into the armchair.

"Oh, dear Merlin, what have I done?" he groaned.

"You did really well, little Master." Abanddon purred. It was impossible to miss just how pleased he was with the outcome.

Harry glared at them, a small pout forming on his lips.

"I won't claim the throne." he stated. He might have sounded slightly petulant but at the moment he really didn't care.

"Of course, Master." both demons replied, and he knew they were just saying it to humor him.

He grumbled a bit, muttering about stupid, overconfident demons and continued to glare at them. No matter how ineffective said glare was turning out to be.

Unfortunately he couldn't wallow in self-pity for much longer because not even a minute later Toppy popped in to announce the arrival of another guest.

Harry almost cursed and went back to his original seat. He was a little more apprehensive about this meeting. Moments after he instructed Toppy to lead the guest in Cassius Lestrange walked into the office.

He gave Harry a deep bow and took the seat Harry offered him.

They were silent for several seconds. Harry felt highly uncomfortable. Lestrange's eyes were studying every little movement he made, studying him.

"Lord Lestrange," he greeted the man, doing his best to sound nonchalant, "Welcome to Potter Manor."

"Thank you, my Lord, for having me." Lestrange replied, bowing his head.

Well, now what? It had been much less intimidating with Greengrass. It may be because he knew for a fact that the man in front of him was a Death Eater. Father of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange who were in Azkaban for torturing Neville's parents into insanity. He, just like his children, where some of the most vicious Death Eaters in Voldemort's service. He was sure that if he didn't have Abanddon and Caym with him then he would never have agreed to meet the man.

"Funny," he knew that it wasn't the best of times to let his Gryffindor out but he couldn't really stop himself, "I thought your Lord was someone else." if he hadn't been observing the man with just as much attention as the man was observing him then he would have missed the slight tensing of the man's shoulders.

"I..." the man faltered slightly, then he seemed to pull himself together and sat up straighter, "We searched for your Bloodline. We couldn't find it, we gave up hope. Then, when I was in school, a first year Slytherin gave us hope. We believed he was of the Marcius Bloodline. He was so gifted, we thought he had been chosen by magic. We thought it was a sign that our King was coming back to us. We were eager to follow. By the time that we realized just how things would be under his rule, it was already too late for us. He had our children. I don't know what the other Death Eaters think, but I know that all of us, from the Ancient and Noble Houses, that joined him truly believed that he was our King. We didn't always agree with everything he said but he was our Lord and by the time our magic started to turn on us for swearing ourselves to someone other than the Marcius Bloodline we were too far gone to truly understand what our magic was telling us. Now we know the truth. I cannot, nor do I wish, to be loyal to a man who has harmed you so."

Harry was surprised by the desperation in the man's eyes. He could see that he was telling the truth, but the amount of longing for Harry to believe him was unexpected. He knew that the Oath was something that affected them, but he wasn't expecting it to be to such an extent.

"What about your children?"

"Both my sons are in Azkaban." Harry could see the pain in his eyes and felt a pang of sympathy for the man. Though it was harder to feel that same sympathy for the convicts. Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange were ruthless killers. They deserved Azkaban. Harry almost winced at that thought. Before he had met dementors he would have truly meant that, now though... Did anyone truly deserve to be a dementor's meal?

"What if they are set free?"

"They were given life sentences."

"True. However Voldemort is back. I don't think he will let his faithful servants in Azkaban for long." Caym had told him that it was very likely one of the things that Voldemort would do. Those that were in Azkaban were considered his most faithful, he would do anything he could to get them back. Caym was sure that he wouldn't start a war without them.

"Rodolphus and Rabastan know about the Oath. They were loyal for the same reason I was." Lestrange told him. He looked tired. For once he truly looked his age. "They will stand by the Oath."

"Even though I'm a half-blood?" he had to know. The old families, especially those who had joined Voldemort, were known to be pureblood supremacists.

"I went to school with the Dark Lord. I know his name." was the answer he got and he almost smiled. That answered his question rather clearly.

"What do you want from me?" he could almost feel Abanddon's exasperation. He had lost track of how many times Abanddon had told him to be subtle, but he was a Gryffindor. Subtle wasn't really their thing.

"I know you have no reason to trust us, to trust me. However I would like to prove to you that you can trust me. That my bloodline can be trusted. As I said in my letter, I don't think you truly understand what it means to us that we found you. Even if you don't reclaim your throne, it doesn't change who you are. It doesn't change what you mean to us."

He was just as passionate as Greengrass and again Harry couldn't help but wonder what his family had done to them. Their own magic turned on them because of an Oath made centuries back. They were bound to his bloodline until there were no more of his bloodline left.

"Do you ever resent it?" he couldn't help but ask.

"I did, when I was a child." Lestrange replied, "I didn't understand why my family would bound themselves so thoroughly to someone. How anyone could deserve that level of dedication was beyond me. I still can't understand just how charismatic and powerful your forefathers were, but I don't resent it anymore. It is part of us now, part of our magic. I've come to accept it. I can only wish that one day I'll understand why my forefathers felt like that and maybe feel the same."

"I don't plan on taking the throne." Harry stated. He needed Lestrange to understand that. He needed all of them to understand that.

"You don't need to take the throne for me to make the Oath and follow it." Lestrange countered and Harry almost sighed.

It seemed that it was just like Abanddon had predicted. He had hoped that it wasn't the case but it looked like it was, it looked like they were set on bounding themselves to him.

He got up from his seat, followed a moment after by Lestrange, and went around the desk to stop in front of the Death Eater. He gave one sharp nod and Lestrange looked shocked for a fraction of a second then he dropped to his knees. His hands were shacking slightly when he took out his wand and put it at his feet.

"Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, my chosen King, I, Cassius Roland Lestrange, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to You and Your descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Your service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be."

Word for word. It was word for word what Greengrass had pledge. No matter how many pledged themselves to him, no matter who they were, it would always be the same Oath.

"I, Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, your chosen King, do accept your Oath. May Magic find you worthy, may your devotion and loyalty be rewarded. May your bloodline flourish in my service and perish if you ever stray from your path. So I say it, so mote it be."

The magic surged around them. The Oath was sealed. The bond awakened.

Harry let out a shuddering breath when he felt the new bond settle beside the one he had with Greengrass.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Lestrange's voice almost shook with relief.

"Rise." he instructed, he wanted to get all of it over with. The sooner he could tell the man the same he had told Greengrass, the sooner he could put the whole crazy day behind him. He almost groaned when he realized that it was only lunch time.

He gave him the same information and instructions he had given Greengrass and dismissed him.

He felt arms wrap around him and was startled when he saw Caym beside him, holding him up. He hadn't realized that his legs had been only moments away from giving out on him.

Caym picked him up and went to sit on the sofa keeping him on his lap. Abanddon sat beside them, his hand caressing his hair.

"What's the matter, little one?" Abanddon asked and Harry could hear the worry in his voice.

"I just don't understand how my family could do this." he whispered. "They are practically slaves."

"No, they aren't." Caym stated, "They swore themselves to your family willingly. Your family didn't even know what they planned to do until it was to late."

"That was then. But these people... they had no choice."

"True." Abanddon nodded his head, "But it isn't your burden to bear."

"They are bound to me!" Harry exclaimed, "How is it not my burden?"

"You can do nothing to change it." Caym told him softly, "The only thing you can do is to be the best King you can be. Let them follow you. Let them prove that they are loyal to you, like their magic demands."

"But they aren't loyal to me." Harry countered, "They are only doing it because of their magic."

"They'll be loyal to you soon enough." Abanddon said with such certainty that he couldn't stop himself from gaping at him.

"How can you say that?"

"Because we know you." Caym replied, "We know that you will do anything in you power to make life easier for those that are bound to you. They will be unable to stop themselves from being loyal to you, not because of the Oath but because of who you are."

"But... I... I don't know what to do." even to his own ears he sounded lost.

"Just be yourself." Abanddon advised, "You don't have to decide what you plan on doing right this moment. You told them that you had no immediate plans aside from dealing with the Voldemort situation. We have time for everything that comes after that."

Harry nodded, feeling his body relaxing under the tender care of both demons. He had never felt spoiled before in his life, but he was sure that what Abanddon and Caym did for him could be considered spoiling. Oh dear Merlin, he just hoped that he didn't end up like Malfoy. He could actually picture it; 'Wait until my demons hear about this!'. Yes, he was sure that the world would never survive.

When a rather unmanly giggle left his lips he slammed a hand over his mouth, trying to cover it up. The teasing smirks that lit both demons' faces told him that he had been unsuccessful. Fortunately they didn't say anything but Harry was sure that they would bring the issue up as soon as it was convenient for them. They were sly little demons.

"How many more meetings?" he asked, doing his best to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Longbottom, Macmillan, and Abbott will be coming together. Then you'll be having Malfoy, followed by Nott. Avery and Flint will also come together and the last is Gamp." Caym informed him, shifting him to Abanddon's lap as if he were nothing more than a doll. He had gotten used to being carried around by them so he hardly batted an eye, but he still couldn't stop the slight blush that always appeared on his cheeks. But he dared anyone to sit on their laps, which were far more comfortable than any chair or armchair or any other seating apparatus around, and not blush. It was impossible, he was sure of it.

"The only ones that are Light are the Longbottoms, Macmillans, and Abbotts, right?" distracting himself from the hand that was stroking his hair.

"Yes," Abanddon replied, since Caym had left. He guessed he had gone to get them something to snack on, well at least something for him to snack on. He had never seen either of the demons eat. "The heads of the families are old friends, they trust each other and won't mind coming together, if there is anything they want to discuss in private there is a small parlor beside this office that can be used."

"When will they be coming?"

"A little over half an hour from now."

Harry hummed, leaning back against the muscled chest and letting his eyes drift shut. The demons were making him lazy. But, again, he dared anyone to be in his position and not give in.

The deep chuckle that came from Abanddon made him open his eyes to glare at the demon and he admitted to feeling a little depressed when he noticed just how ineffective said glare was.

Maybe Abanddon and Caym could give him lessons on glaring. They did have the Death Glare, yes their glare deserved capitals, down.

Not a moment later Caym stepped into the room with his snack and he chuckled when he saw the distressed elf behind him. He was sure that Caym had bullied the elfs in the kitchen so that he was the one who could make his snack. Though he doubted that he would have needed to do much, he was sure that the elfs would die of fright if Caym so much as glared at them.

He thanked Caym for his snack and started eating, absolutely refusing to be fed by Abanddon when he had offered. He wasn't sure if the demon had been joking or not since he had a teasing smirk on his lips, however he would rather not risk it.

As the time for the next meeting approached his nerves came back. He didn't think it was possible but he was even more nervous than when he met with Lestrange. Especially about meeting the Longbottom Head of House. He knew Neville. They may not be the best friends, but they were friends and just thinking that the decisions made at that meeting would impact him made the whole thing somewhat more real. Not that the previous Oaths hadn't affected him, but this was different. He knew the people that would be affected by it, that changed everything.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Caym informed him that the next guests would be arriving in a few minutes. He steeled his nerves and sat back behind the desk. Part of him still hoped that none of the following people would want to swear the Oath, but he knew that it was a fool's hope. Their letters were still in his mind and all of them had that desperate longing in them. These people, their magic, wanted nothing more than to pledge themselves to their King.

Another little elf popped in, he really needed to learn their names, and announced the arrival of more guests. After Harry told him to lead the guests inside the elf popped back out.

A few moments later three slightly older Lords stepped into his office. Harry recognized one of them from his hearing, it was the same one who had asked him what he meant when he said that they had almost lost their magic.

The three wizards bowed to him.

"My Lord." they greeted him, staying in their positions.

Abanddon conjured another armchair beside the two already in front of his desk and he gave him a small smile in thanks.

"Welcome to Potter Manor." he greeted them back, hoping that the three men would introduce themselves, "You may take a seat."

"Thank you, my Lord." the one on the left murmured. They took their seats and sat with a much more confidant bearing than the previous Lords. Though Harry could see the longing in their eyes quite clearly, even if it was overshadowed by overwhelming joy.

"I am Ernest Macmillan," the one of the left said, and now Harry could detected several similarities with Ernie. Especially the eyes, they were exactly the same color. "I thank you for accepting our request for a meeting."

"I am Stephan Abbott," the one in the middle said. Harry remembered Hanna talking about her grandpa, he supposed that this was the man, since she only had grandparents on her father's side, her other grandparents having died during the previous war. Though Harry could find no similarities between the stern looking man and sweet, bubbly Hanna. "I too thank you for granting our request and giving us this opportunity."

"My name is Algeron Longbottom," the man who he remembered from his hearing introduced himself. He would bet that this man was Neville's great-uncle Algie, "You honor us with this meeting."

"I'm Harry Potter, pleasure meeting you." Harry replied, smiling slightly, "If you could tell me why you wanted this meeting I would appreciate it."

There was a quick glance traded between the three men and a sharp nod from Longbottom.

"What do you know about the Marcius Bloodline?" Neville's great-uncle asked him and Harry was slightly surprised at the question. He felt Abanddon and Caym tense behind him and looked at them curiously for a second.

"Not much." he replied truthfully, "I'm still learning. I only looked as deep as that because I needed something to protect me from Fudge. As I said at the hearing if he hadn't acted the way he did then I wouldn't have said anything."

"I hadn't thought possible that I would have ever been grateful for Fudge's dishonesty, apparently I was wrong." Macmillan muttered, earning a smirk from Abbott and a small chuckle from Longbottom.

"I assume then, that you don't know much about the families pledged to you either, correct?" Longbottom asked, as if he hadn't heard his friends muttering.

"No." Harry answered, wondering where they were taking the conversation.

"Well, let us tell you then." a smile appeared on his aged features and he could see the same kindness he so often saw in Neville. "Every wizard and witch in the empire were sworn to the royal family. However it started with ten families. Around one hundred years after the Marcius Bloodline took the throne those ten families decided to prove their loyalty in an incontestable way. They wanted to show their King just how much they loved him, just how devoted they were to him, how grateful they were. They requested a meeting with the King and without his knowledge pledged themselves and their Bloodlines to him. At first the King was shocked, but then he thanked them for their dedication and loyalty with a blessing."

"May Magic find you worthy, may your devotion and loyalty be rewarded. May your bloodline flourish in my service and perish if you ever stray from your path. So I say it, so mote it be." Harry whispered and all three men gasped. Their eyes widened slightly and their shoulders relaxed.

"How do you know it?" Abbott asked him, looking less stern, almost awed by the words.

"I..." he hesitated for a second, should he tell them about the others? How would they react? Did it matter, they would learn soon enough and even if they didn't swear the Oath the rooms were spelled to keep everything a secret unless he gave them permission to share the knowledge, "Lord Greengrass and Lestrange were here," he glanced at Neville's great-uncle and almost winced at the flash of pain he saw in his eyes, "They swore the Oath. After they made the Oath it was as if the words appeared in my mind, as if the magic was telling me what I had to say."

A small laugh left Macmillans lips and the other two were looking overjoyed as well.

"Chosen by magic indeed." whispered Macmillan and the three friends shared a smile.

"Yes," Longbottom continued again, looking lighter than he had, "That was the blessing. Things changed for those ten families. Those families became the personal servants of the royal family. The names changed but the families still exist in these days. The Greengrass were their Healers. The Lestranges were their Bodyguards."

"The Macmillans their Historians." Macmillan informed him, smiling.

"The Abbotts their Enforcers." Abbott told him, his tone warmer than before.

"The Longbottoms their Botanists." there was pride in Longbottom's voice, "The Malfoys were their Diplomats. The Gamps their Merchants. The Flints were their Soldiers. The Notts were their Scholars. And the Averys their Explorers."

"Only ten?" Harry sounded a little confused, "Abanddon said that at the moment there were thirty-one surviving Ancient and Noble families."

"There are." Abbott confirmed, "However those ten were the first. Every other witch and wizard made their pledge after those ten. After a decade it became a law. If they wanted to live in the Empire then they had to take the Oath. All new muggle-borns made the pledge as soon as they were found. Usually when their magic started to manifest. Things were different back then."

"My family forced them?" it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"No, they had a choice. Either they took the Oath or they left." Macmillan told him.

Truthfully that didn't sound that much better.

"Alright," he said, opting to not think about it at the moment. He would have to talk to Abanddon and Caym about it. They hadn't told him that it was a law of the Empire, "But that still doesn't tell me why you wanted this meeting."

"We want the same thing as Greengrass and Lestrange." Macmillan stated.

"We want our magic to be strong again. We want our magic to be content again. We want to serve our King." Abbott proclaimed fiercely.

"We want our pride back, our honor." Longbottom declared.

"I... Are you sure?" he couldn't help but ask, "Just think about it for a moment. I'm just fifteen years old. I have no idea how to be a King. I don't want to claim my throne. I just want to survive this coming war and finally be able to live."

"Would you deny us?" Neville's great-uncle asked and he almost flinched. Of course he wouldn't. He couldn't. He could see just how much they wanted it, but he didn't know if it was the right thing to do.

He contained a sigh and stood from his seat. They followed suite. He stood in front of them. They knelt in front of him, their wands at his feet. They took their Oath. He gave them his blessing.

The bonds settle beside the other two and he closed his eyes for just a second. Now that he had five of them he could differentiate between them. He knew exactly which one was which. All of them had a slightly different feeling to them.

He gave them the same instructions he had given the other two Lords and let them go. The three of them looking as if a weight had been taken from their shoulders.

On the other hand he felt that his burden was heavier than ever. He had told the truth when he said that he wouldn't be fighting Voldemort for the Wizarding World. But now he had to be responsible for the welfare of these Bloodlines. He couldn't just leave them to Voldemort's mercies, especially those that were marked by him. He didn't even want to imagine just what Voldemort would do to them if he ever found out that they had pledged themselves to him. He was sure that it would end badly.

He relaxed into the arms that surrounded him.

"You did very well, little one." Caym whispered from behind him, his warm breath tickling his ear.

"We are really proud of you." Abanddon added, his lips grazing his neck.

A small content sigh escaped his lips, his eyes closing on their own volition. He had never felt as safe and protected as when he was between them, surrounded by their arms. It was illogical he knew, but he truly couldn't help it. They made him feel so safe, so protected, he never wanted to leave. He knew he shouldn't, he knew they were dangerous, deadly. He knew they were far worse than Voldemort could ever be but he just didn't care.

He suspected that most of the Order who knew what they were thought that they were controlling him. He could see it in their eyes. He had seen the same in Dumbledore's eyes. True they could be using him, lying to him, but he truly believed that they weren't. His own magic felt completely calm around them. It had never felt like that. Even when he was with Dumbledore his magic buzzed just under his skin, ready to defend him if need be, but with Abanddon and Caym it was completely calm. That, above everything else, was the reason he trusted them so.

"Come, little one, back to your seat. Malfoy will be appearing shortly."Abanddon murmured, relinquishing his hold on him and pushing him softly towards his armchair.

Before he could take his seat another little elf popped in announcing that Malfoy had arrived. Harry nodded and sat back down, telling the elf to escort Malfoy to the study. He was wondering why it was a different elf every time. Though when he saw the smirks on both demons faces he guessed that the little beings were minimizing their own exposure to the demons. He could almost see them playing rock, paper, scissor to see who would be the next victim, the next volunteer was what he meant.

Moments later Malfoy walked through the doors, the elf only peeking in then popping away again. His lips twitched without his permission, his guess about why it was always a different elf was likely true.

"Malfoy," he greeted before the man could say anything at all. It was strange but he felt more at ease with Malfoy than he had felt with all of the others. Not that he trusted Malfoy or anything as stupid as that, but he knew Malfoy. He may not have known him well but he did know him. So he could at least give an approximate guess on how he would react. Even if he didn't trust the man at least he wasn't a complete unknown, "Welcome to Potter Manor."

Malfoy bowed. Part of him was surprised, but a slightly larger part expected it.

"My Lord."

"Take a seat." he couldn't really help the fact that his voice his colder than with the others. This man was there when he was being tortured. He was there and he laughed.

Malfoy took a seat, his eyes pausing briefly on Abanddon and Caym. Harry could see the fear and he almost smirked. Malfoy knew what they were.

"They won't harm you." he assured the older wizard.

"Only if he doesn't harm you, little Master." Abanddon stated, speaking for the first time during the meetings.

"I don't think he came here to harm me." Harry remarked, "You did say that he was more intelligent than Draco."

"True." Caym conceded, "We would have been rather disappointed if he behaved like his son."

"Still, I would like to know why you came. What do you want Malfoy?"

"First I want to apologize." Malfoy said solemnly, surprising him a little, "Not only for the graveyard but for the diary as well. Though what happened with the diary was not my intention. I gave that diary to the Weasley girl because I believed that she would give it to her father once she realized that it wasn't a simple diary. I couldn't give it to the Ministry myself, nor could I destroy it. But I had hope for the Weasleys to give it to Dumbledore at the very least. I may not like the man, but I was sure that he would know what it was and how to destroy it. I never knew what it was but it always made me uncomfortable, I knew it could be nothing good."

"Why couldn't you hand it over to the Ministry?"

"I have a certain reputation. That reputation, more than anything, is what keeps my family safe. I couldn't risk it."

Harry nodded. He could understand that. If he had family, a son, he would do anything in his power to keep them safe, no matter the consequences.

"Alright, I accept your apology." the faint growl coming from Abanddon made it clear that he didn't like that, but Harry knew that if Malfoy was there for the same reason as the others, then they needed to have a fresh start. Or as fresh of a start as possible and that meant no grudges. "Is that the only reason you came?"

"I still want to keep my family safe." the Malfoy patriarch stated.

"And since you now know what my Bloodline is and if you continue to serve Voldemort trying to kill me, your magic will turn on you and your Bloodline."

"We were always loyal to the Marcius Bloodline!" Malfoy stated fiercely. Harry could see that his words had stung. "We were tired. We wanted our King. No matter what we did we couldn't find him. You have no idea what it's like to have your magic demanding you to find someone, day after day. Losing hope to ever feel content, at peace. The Dark Lord may have been the wrong choice, but all of us were desperate, all of us wanted something to hang on to."

"My views are nothing like Voldemort's. He and I... we don't want the same things. I don't even know for sure what I'll do once Voldemort is dead. Knowing that, would you still want to be my Diplomat?" Harry could see the surprise on his face at knowing what the Malfoys were to the Royal line. He really should look into all those things. He had heard the capitals when they had been telling him what each of those ten lines had been to the Royal line. He had a feeling that it was more than simply being a diplomat, or a healer, or a soldier.

"It would be an honor to have my Bloodline be the King's Diplomat once again." Malfoy replied, not completely masking the longing he felt.

Harry stood from his seat and stopped in front of Malfoy.

"I will allow you to swear the Oath. I will let you tell your Bloodline about today's meeting, if they are sworn to secrecy. Then we will see where this takes us."

Malfoy nodded and dropped to his knees, he laid his wand at Harry's feet and swore the Oath. Harry gave the blessing and an actual smile appeared on the older wizard's lips.

"Thank you, your Majesty." Malfoy whispered, his head bowed, but a far more proud look in his eyes than the one he had previously seen. It lacked that malicious, cruel arrogance that was usually present.

"You are free to go. I will be contacting you before the summer break comes to an end."

"Yes, Sire." Malfoy bowed low, "Have a good day, Sire." he said before leaving the room. His back straight and his eyes glowing with happiness.

"Don't be grumpy." Harry said without turning around.

"I am not grumpy." Abanddon muttered.

"Oh?" a small smirk appeared on his lips when he turned and saw a pout on Abanddon's lips, though anyone else would have missed it, "I thought you wanted this."

"I do." Abanddon agreed, "However that doesn't change the fact that I want to rip his heart out and feed it to his spoiled little spawn."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Harry said, a smile on his lips. He had gotten used to their morbid sense of humor. Though he was sure that Abanddon wasn't really joking, "But I believed that you want to do that to every mortal."

"Almost every mortal," his eyes shinning possessively, "But I may want to hurt him a little more than the other mortals."

"Abanddon... that wouldn't have hurt him. It would have killed him." Harry deadpanned.

Abanddon gave a little shrug.

"Same thing."

Harry looked at the demon incredulously then laughed. His eyes shinning brightly and a fond smile on his lips. He missed the pleased smiles exchanged between the demons. He sat back on his seat, a small chuckle escaping every so often, and waited for the next one to arrive.


"Enter."

Severus pushed open the door and stepped into Albus' office. He took his usual seat and declined the offered lemon drops.

"Did you find him?" Albus asked as soon as the pleasantries were out of the way.

"No. There isn't a trace of him anywhere."

"What about Tom? Does he suspect anything?"

"The Dark Lord has closed himself off in his library. No one knows what he is doing. Though the rumor is that he sent several Death Eaters all over the world to gather books, parchments, anything really, with information on Demons." he stated in his usual monotone. He was thankful that the Dark Lord hadn't thought to send him in one of those missions. He didn't want to think about what those two would do to him if they even suspected that he was doing something that could harm the brat.

"We have to find him, Severus. Those demons are evil, the longer Harry is with them the longer they will be able to influence him. He cannot be swayed to the Dark, Severus. We cannot risk it." Albus told him gravely and he almost sighed.

"I already gave you my opinion on that matter." was his reply, "I did as you asked. I attacked Potter, verbally and almost physically. They would have killed me if Potter had not been there. I may not like the brat, but I do not believe that the boy would become what you think." now that wasn't completely true.

He was sure that the boy would get darker, more ruthless, he had no doubt about that. He just didn't believe that the boy would become evil. He had too much of is mother in him for that to happen. Of course he wouldn't tell Albus that. Dark and evil had become synonyms to the man. Albus, in all his wisdom, had forgotten that the world wasn't black and white.

He meant well, but Severus was sure that the man would end up pushing Potter over the edge. He could only hope that those that stood with Potter would be enough to keep the boy anchored. He could only hope that even if he went dark that he wouldn't turn evil.


 

Notes:

A.N.: Hello all :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. We learn a little more about Harry's Bloodline and we can see that the sly demons are hiding something from Harry. Severus also reveals that he isn't as suicidal as many thought lol

Those ten families will have major roles to play in the story, they will be quite important to Harry and several plans that will unfold.

On another note, I started to write my own original story. Though I don't have the means to publish it so I decided to use crowdfunding. I started a project on indiegogo, I hope that you all could spread the word, so to speak.

The link is: igg.me/at/unclaimedthrone-exile if you could spread it on your social networks I would really appreciate it. Any help that I get is welcomed :)

Chapter 6: Home

Notes:

Disclaimer:This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Warnings: this story will have slash.

A.N.: I want to thank all of you who spread around my link for my campaign for my original work. The campaign is coming to an end and even though I'm nowhere near close to the established goal your support meant the world to me. Though even after the end of the campaign the link will remain up and anyone who wants can pre-order my book. So if you are interested, or just want to see what it's about you can find it at: igg. me/ at/ unclaimedthrone-exile

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


Chapter 6 – Home

Harry dropped gracelessly into one of the couches when the door to the study closed. He had the last meeting with his... followers? Subjects? Well, it didn't really matter. What mattered was that it was the last meeting and he was exhausted. And if that wasn't enough he could feel them. It wasn't overwhelming, but he could still feel them. As well as the strongest emotion they were feeling at the time.

How had his family done it? How could they have had thousands of people bound to them if they could feel them as he felt the ten that were bound to him? How hadn't they gone crazy?

Though that was a matter of perspective. He doubted that his family was particularly sane, they had after all destroyed a whole civilization just because they didn't want to change how they lived. That didn't really scream sanity.

The meetings with Nott, Avery, Flint, and Gamp had gone more or less like the previous ones. They had been overjoyed when he accepted their Oath. He could still feel their overwhelming pride.

It was a little disconcerting. He had done it but now he had no idea what to do with them. He said that he didn't want to be King, but they were almost forcing him to become one.

"Do you want me to be King?" he asked the demons sitting beside him.

"Yes." they replied in unison. It truly didn't surprise him. Now he could see how they were pulling the strings, how they were leading him in certain directions. There was no way they wouldn't know how people would react if he announced that he was the last of the Marcius Bloodline. Especially these ten families.

"Why?" he wanted to be angry with them, he really did. But he wasn't. They hadn't lied to him. They hadn't been underhanded in their methods. They had given him several other options. True, they didn't believe they would have worked, but they had given him those options anyway. It was his choice to use the Marcius Bloodline as a way to get out of the trouble that Fudge was causing him. Abanddon and Caym may have paved the road, but he was the one who walked it.

"It is nothing else than what you deserve." Caym stated.

"You should have them kneeling at your feet." Abanddon added.

"We may not have liked your Bloodline, but at least they did something right." Caym muttered, "They created the foundations of an Empire for you to rule."

"They had an Empire." Harry corrected, "All I have are broken Oaths and dying bloodlines."

"No." Abanddon stated firmly, "You have the foundations of an Empire. An Empire far greater than the one your forefathers ruled."

"But I don't want an Empire!" Harry exclaimed exasperated, "I'm fifteen. I don't want to rule an Empire. I don't even know how to rule an Empire! I just want to be a normal teenager. I want to go to school, fall in love, have a family. I want to live."

There was a moment of silence after his explosive exclamations. He didn't really know what he was expecting from them, but it wasn't for them to sit closer to him. I wasn't for Abanddon to pull him into his lap and for Caym to stroke his hair.

"Little one, having an Empire, ruling said Empire, won't stop you from doing any of those things." Abanddon said softly, "The reason why we want you to be King isn't because we want to prevent you from having those things. We want you to be King because it's the best way we know how to keep you safe and protected."

"With them sworn to you they can't hurt you. When you take your place as King, you'll be safe." Caym explained, "We want you to live and this is the best way to achieve that."

"Besides, have you forgotten who Caym and I are?" Abanddon asked with a slight smirk, "We know everything there is to know about ruling."

That got a chuckle out of him and he looked at both of them fondly. He couldn't help but believe them. He wasn't happy about it, but he understood where they were coming from. Still he had no intentions of accepting any more Oaths. He didn't even know what to do with the ten that he had, he couldn't even imagine what to do with more.

"Will you show me around the Manor?" he asked them, "I want to see where my dad grew up. And tell me all about the ten families afterwards?"

Both demons agreed and after he argued with Abanddon, the demon wanted to carry him around, they left the study.

Harry was enchanted with the Manor. It wasn't only the fact that the Manor was beautiful, it was the fact that it was home. He never had a home before. Having this piece of his family meant more to him than anything else. The demons pointed little things out to him. His grandmother's favorite tapestry, his grandfather's armchair. To anyone else it might have been worthless little things, but to him they were priceless treasures.

"Well, finally! We had started to believe that there were no more Potters left." a voice grumbled as soon as they stepped into the family living room. Harry would deny it to his dying day but he let out a small squeak of fright. He wasn't afraid, it had surprised him, that was all. At least that was what he told himself. Then his eyes landed on the wall farthest from him and he couldn't help but gap.

"Mum? Dad?" he whispered, looking at the paintings awestruck.

"And what are we? Chopped liver?" the same voice grumbled and he glanced at the portraits beside those of his parents.

"Honestly, Charlus," a woman that resembled Malfoy's mother quite a bit sighed, sounding slightly exasperated, "Leave the poor dear be." then she turned and looked at him, a warm smile on her lips, "Hello, darling. I have been waiting to see you for a long time."

He knew that he should do or say something, he knew that. However all his attention was on the portraits of his parents. Parents that were looking at him just as intently.

Abanddon's hand on his lower back brought him out of his thoughts and he glanced at the demon.

"Go say hello, little one." Abanddon urged him forward, smiling slightly.

He nodded and took an unsteady step towards the four portraits.

Caym sighed, picked him up, ignoring Harry's squeak, and walked towards the portraits of his former Masters. He ignored them and deposited Harry in front of them, keeping an arm wrapped around his waist.

"Oh, sweetheart," his mother broke the silence, tears streaming down her cheeks, "You got so big." she looked at him in wonder. "Look at our baby, James. He's so beautiful." she said to his father's portrait and grabbed his hand, a smile spreading on her lips. "Our baby, James."

"Yes," his dad seemed just as awestruck as his mom, "Our little Prongslet."

Harry smiled at them shyly.

"Hi." he greeted them, not really knowing what else to say.

"Hi, luv." his dad's smile was brighter than the sun.

"Oh, yes. I'm fine too, thank you." the portrait beside his father's grumbled. Charlus, wasn't that the name the other portrait had called him? "No need to introduce us at all, no, no need at all."

James looked sheepish and smiled over at the grumpy portrait.

"Sorry, dad." that caught Harry's attention and his head snapped to his left, his eyes looking over the portrait of his grandfather and, what he guessed, was his grandmother.

"Well, he truly is a Potter." his grandfather remarked, "Though he does have Black traits." he smiled at the witch beside him.

"Yes, he does." the witch stated, "I believe introductions are in order. I am Dorea Potter, your grandmother. The grump beside me is Charlus Potter, your grandfather. It is very nice to met you, Harry dear."

Harry couldn't quite stop the snort that left him when he saw his grandfather's indignant expression.

"Why did it take you so long to come here?" his father asked.

"I didn't even know the Manor existed till this summer." Harry replied, leaning against Caym. He completely missed the looks traded between his family, however Abanddon and Caym didn't and Caym's grip on Harry tightened ever so slightly.

"What do you mean, you didn't know the Manor existed?" Charlus asked angrily.

Harry knew that none of them would take what he was about to tell them all that well. He briefly entertained the idea of not telling them at all. However he quickly discarded it. He knew that he had no other choice. Besides he had questions for them. A lot of questions.

So he told them. He told them everything. The more he talked the more horrified their expressions grew. When he finally reached the third task and his kidnapping, his dad snapped.

"Where were you?" he snarled, looking at both demons, "We told you to protect him!"

Harry felt Abanddon tense slightly and he heard Caym's low growl.

"We did what he could with the orders we were given!" Abanddon retorted, "We couldn't go to him until he called us and he didn't even know we existed!"

"Then how are you with him now?" his mum asked, stopping whatever it was that his dad had been about to say.

"We circumvented the rules." Caym stated, "He called for help, for someone, anyone to help him. Technically we are someone."

"You saved him." his mum breathed, "Thank you."

"Why did you?" Charlus asked them shrewdly, "Don't misunderstand, I am glad that my grandson his safe, but why did you do it? If he died you would have been free."

"We wanted to." Abanddon told them simply.

"You wanted to?" the other three looked just as incredulous as Charlus sounded.

"Yes." Caym confirmed.

"I don't believe it. You must have something planed. Beings like you never do anything just out of the goodness of their hearts." Charlus was firm in his conviction and it pained Harry to see his dad nodding along, "I doubt you even have a heart."

"Don't say that!" Harry finally snapped, "Abanddon and Caym have been there for me when I had no one. They took care of me. They protected me. I trust them. They saved me from Voldemort. They protected me from the Ministry. I won't let you talk badly about them even if you are my family."

"They protected you from the Ministry? Why did you need to be protected from them?" Lily asked worriedly.

"Fudge, the Minister, didn't believe that Voldemort was back," Harry told her. He felt a little out of it and anything that wouldn't require him to think all that much was welcome. He hadn't meant to snap at his grandfather, but he couldn't stand the thought of anyone talking like that to both demons. Besides he still had that niggling feeling in the back of his mind that told him that his family hadn't been particularly kind to them. He hated to see that the feeling was most likely right. "They came up with some questionable charges and I had to go to a hearing. Fudge didn't even listen to what I had to say so I used our Bloodline to get out of trouble."

"Our Bloodline? What about our Bloodline?" James asked.

"You didn't know everything about our Bloodline." Harry told them, "Abanddon and Caym said that even we had forgotten most of the families we came from. They said that after the Head of House died without telling his son everything there was to know about our Bloodline that more and more knowledge was lost. They said that we knew where we came from, but not everything that happened from that time till now."

"That is true." his grandfather agreed, looking at him shrewdly, "We used what we needed but never went deeper than that. We intended to be as inconspicuous as possible."

"Well, inconspicuous wasn't really an option for me." Harry remarked somewhat bitterly.

"What did you do?" Charlus asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Did you know that we are the descendants of the Marcius Bloodline?" Harry asked instead of answering and he saw his grandparents and his dad pale.

"What?" came the whisper from his grandmother.

"We are the last of the Marcius Bloodline." Harry repeated, "I am the last of the Marcius Bloodline."

"You used that knowledge." his grandfather stated and Harry nodded, "I see. What will you do now?" Harry could see that his grandfather wasn't all that happy with his choices, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He had done the best he could with what he had.

"I don't know. Ten families renewed their Oaths. Though I'm not sure what I'll do with them. I know I have to do something. Now that I have awakened the Bloodline again the Oaths are waking as well. With the war starting up again... If I don't do something many of the families will lose their magic if they act against me."

He slumped a little. The reality of what was happening crashing into him. He had know but he hadn't truly understood. Now that he had spoken it out loud it was finally sinking in that he didn't have much of a choice in what he had to do. If he didn't act thousands of people would lose their magic. He couldn't live with himself if he let that happen. The least he could do is give them a choice.

"So you'll take control of the wizarding world? Become it's King?" Charlus snapped harshly and both demons growled.

"Mind your tone." Caym snarled.

"It's alright, Caym."

"No, it isn't, little one." Abanddon told him, looking just as enraged as Caym. "That mortal should mind his tone when speaking to you. They left you! They have no right to judge your choices."

"Abanddon..." Harry almost sighed, "They died. I doubt that they left me because they wanted to."

"They had us!" Caym growled, "They could have prevented it."

"I didn't know you cared." Harry remarked, trying to alleviate the anger that he could feel coming from the demons.

"We don't." both demons replied.

"We couldn't care less for the mortals." Abanddon added.

"But they left you. They hurt you." Caym stated, "If they had done things differently then you wouldn't have had to go through everything you did. So the least they can do is treat you with respect and not condemn your choices."

"Abanddon, Caym..." Harry whispered, warmth filling him. He hugged them, ignoring the looks from his family.

"Harry, son..." his dad murmured, his eyes looking from the demons to him. Harry could see the disbelieve in their eyes, the mistrust in his grandfather's but he didn't care. Abanddon and Caym were worth it. They were worth the scorn he was sure he would have to face from his family, they were worth everything. Even losing the chance he had to have his family in his life in some way.

He looked back at them defiantly. He wouldn't turn his back on his demons.

"What are you doing with those things?" his grandfather sneered.

"They aren't things!" he glared at the portrait. He hadn't like the insinuation at all, "Abanddon and Caym are my friends, I trust them. I absolutely despise what our family did to them and I can't believe that you would treat them this way. What did they ever do to you?"

"They killed our family!" his grandfather growled.

"Over three thousand years ago!" he exclaimed exasperated, "For how long are you going to hold a grudge?"

None of them said anything and Harry looked away in disgust. He just couldn't understand how they still blamed the demons for what happened. It made no sense to him. Hadn't Abanddon and Caym suffered enough? They had been enslaved, their will taken from them. How could they still not be satisfied?

"Sweetheart," his mum's warm voice made him look up, "What are you going to do now?" she asked him. She wasn't judging him, she was truly curious. Though he could hear an undercurrent of worry in her tone.

"I don't know yet." he told her truthfully, "The only thing I know is that Abanddon and Caym will be with me every step of the way." the hands that were still on his shoulder and waist tightened briefly and he smiled at them.

"Your mind is made up than?" his grandfather grumbled, his eyes narrowing when they landed on the hands still holding him.

"Yes."

"I see." then he turned around and disappeared from the painting.

His grandmother sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, dear." she said, "But your grandfather is a Potter, they know how to hold a grudge. Though the most important thing to them is family. I'm sure he just needs a little time." she smiled at him and followed his grandfather out of the portrait.

Harry glanced at his dad. He could see the struggle he was having with himself.

"How can you trust them?" he ended up asking. Harry could almost feel the incredulity coming from the portrait.

"How could I not?" he retorted, "They make me feel safe. They protect me, care for me. How could I possibly not trust them?"

"Harry, they are demons. They never do anything without a reason."

"I know." he replied, "I don't care. Even if I end up dead by their hand-"

Two ferocious growls broke him off. He looked towards Abanddon and Caym and his breath caught when he was the glowing eyes with snake-like pupils.

"We would never." Abanddon snarled, his canines elongating slightly.

"You are precious to us," Caym told him, looking far calmer than Abanddon, "We would never hurt you. Do not say such things again."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you."

Both demons deflated slightly, their anger leaving them in the blink of an eye.

"You didn't." Abanddon assured him.

"It distresses us to hear such things." Caym took a deep breath, his eyes going back to his usual ruby red, "Please, don't say it again."

"I won't." he promised, melting into their embrace. He felt just as safe and protected as ever when he was with them.

He saw movement form the corner of his eye and looked back to his parents. His mother had a small, sad smile on her lips. Though his father looked faintly horrified. He had the same expression that Sirius had the previous night. He knew he was missing something. Though he didn't really care all that much at the moment.

"Will you be staying here?" Lily asked, ignoring his dad and focusing only on him.

"No." he replied, smiling at her. She was just as he had pictured her. There was worry in her gaze, but none of the prejudice that was in his grandfather's and father's eyes. "I have to go back to Headquarters. I'm sure that Dumbledore has lunched a search for me already." he rolled his eyes and didn't even try to mask his exasperation.

His mum giggled and his eyes lit up with pleasure.

"I'm sure he did." she agreed, "Don't let him push you around, sweetheart." she told him, "There is no one who knows what you should do better than yourself. Ask for advice if you need it, but don't let anyone dictate your path. I am proud of you, son."

He felt tears in his eyes and nodded, doing his best not to let them fall.

His father didn't say anything but there was a smile on his lips and Harry knew that even though he didn't understand or like the relationship he had with the demons he would support him.

A weight he hadn't know he had on his shoulders lifted and he felt like he could breath for the first time since he saw them. Maybe he wouldn't have to lose them after all.


Maybe he shouldn't have let his demons apparate, or whatever their mode of transportation was called, them directly to Grimmauld Place.

Only their quick reflexes prevented them, more likely him, to be cursed to next week. When the shields came down he glared at the Order members in the kitchen, grumbling under his breath about trigger happy idiots. Some of them looked sheepish, though one or two glared back.

"So..." he said, "The kitchen looks a little more packed than usual." he made a show of looking around at all the people there.

"Harry," Ron said, standing up from his place beside Hermione, "Meet your brave rescuers."

"I didn't realize I was in need of rescue." he deadpanned, ignoring the snickering twins standing in the corner.

Ron nodded solemnly and Harry had to give him credit, he was an excellent actor.

"Yes, it's rather tragic. But, as you know, Dumbledore knows best and if he says that you need to be rescued, even though more than one person insisted that you were perfectly safe and not a prisoner in this house, then you need to be rescued." now the twins were laughing so hard that they made no sound. Harry was sure that in a few seconds they would start turning blue from lack of air.

"Yes," Hermione's bored drawl joined their conversation, "Since Dumbledore does the thinking for everyone around here, save for one or two souls, if he says you need rescuing, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary, then there are people falling over themselves to rescue you."

"Ronald! Hermione!" Harry had wondered when Mrs. Weasley would interfere, "Watch what you say about the Headmaster! Apologize at once!"

"Mum, you always told me not to lie." Ron remarked, "Or should I only tell the truth when it doesn't offend people's delicate sensibilities?" Harry had never seen Mrs. Weasley that shade of red.

"Well, Ron, you know that people don't like to be confronted with their shortcomings." Hermione commented nonchalantly and Harry almost gaped. It was quite rare to see Hermione add fuel to the fire, though it was always so satisfying when she did.

Again Ron nodded solemnly and turned towards the Order members that were either gaping at them or outright glaring.

"I apologize for pointing out your shortcomings. I failed to notice that you hadn't realized your inadequacy." he turned back to his mum, ignoring the gaping and spluttering Order members, "There, mum, I apologized. Happy now?"

Harry was sure that any second curses and hexes would have started flying, though the floo coming to life prevented it, at least for the moment.

Dumbledore stepped through, closely followed by Snape and the Order members fell silent. Harry almost snorted, the sheep analogy could truly be applied to this particular situation. They were looking at Dumbledore like little, lost sheep that needed a shepard to lead them home. And these were the people that had looked so indignant when Hermione had implied that they couldn't think for themselves. Well, there hadn't been much implying involved. She had outright stated that they were sheep. For being so indignant they sure were in a hurry to prove her right.

Dumbledore's eyes swept over the room, landing on his little flock before finding him. As soon as he saw him his eyes started to twinkle and a grandfatherly smile spread on his lips.

"Harry, my boy, it was very irresponsible of you to leave Headquarters," he sounded so very disappointed, "Though I'm glad to see that they found you safe and sound." the little sheep puffed up proudly, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't all that difficult to find me since I popped right into the kitchen." he remarked bursting their little bubble and enjoying it far more than he should, "Though, as Hermione already pointed out, considering that they seem rather lost without their shepard I quite agree that they should be rewarded for finding me. Even if I was right in front of their noses." the last bit was whispered under his breath and he could feel Ron shaking with silent laughter.

Dumbledore lost his twinkle, several Order members were looking at him as if he had declared his undying love for Voldemort, while others, those who knew him, were doing their best to look disproving even if their lips were twitching suspiciously. Harry would have sworn that he had even seen Snape's lips twitch. Mrs. Weasley was turning an alarming shade of red and Harry was quite sure that if it weren't for Mr. Weasley's hand on her arm she would have erupted like Mount Vesuvius. The twins on the other hand were looking at him with unholy glee painted all over their faces and for a second he wanted to groan. That look couldn't mean anything good for him.

"Be that as it may, it was still quite irresponsible of you to leave." Dumbledore persisted.

"Oh? Why do you think that?" he was done dancing to the old man's tune. He had given him countless opportunities to be honest with him, none of them had been taken. Dumbledore had omitted, tweaked, and outright lied about far too many things. To put matters quite simple, Harry just didn't trust him. Not anymore at least. Abanddon and Caym had been quite happy with that outcome.

"Harry, you know perfectly well that now that Voldemort is back it isn't safe for you to be out and about." the disappointment that Dumbledore was projecting was almost suffocating, "If you try to leave again I will have to make sure that you don't put yourself, or anyone else, at risk."

Suddenly the atmosphere seemed a lot more oppressive and low growls could be heard coming form both demons. It didn't take long for Dumbledore to figure out that he had said something that he shouldn't have.

"So, let me get this straight, if I don't do what you want you'll keep me a prisoner in this house?" his voice was low. He saw Ron take a step closer to him and Hermione got up from her seat and stood beside him.

"Now, Harry, I never said that. I would not keep you a prisoner-"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Hermione cut him off, "But isn't the definition of prisoner: a person deprived of liberty and kept under involuntary restraint, confinement, or custody?"

Some people were fidgeting in their seats and Moody was nodding, a spark of approval flashing in his eyes. Kingsley looked uncomfortable and slightly disproving, though it wasn't directed at Harry; the auror had his narrowed eyes fixed on Dumbledore.

"Well, yes, it is." Dumbledore said, looking at them as if they were unruly children who just didn't understand how the world worked. Harry didn't think he had ever seen anything quite as condescending, "However we only want to keep Harry safe. It's for his own good."

"Considering who I have with me," he glanced at Abanddon and Caym, "I could be sleeping in Voldemort's," he enjoyed their flinching far to much, maybe he was spending too much time with Abanddon, "Bed and I would still be quite safe."

"Even so," there was a flash of irritation that broke Dumbledore's grandfatherly persona, "You will be staying at Headquarters." Dumbledore proclaimed. A few sheep threw him somewhat smug looks and Harry wanted to sneer.

"On who's authority?" that made the smug looks disappear in a heartbeat. Had they really thought that just because Dumbledore said so he would do it?

"What?" he had never seen Dumbledore at a loss for words.

"I asked: on who's authority? Who gave you the authority to say what I can and can't do?"

"He's Dumbledore!" one of the sheep exclaimed, apparently not able to hold it any longer. Maybe he should learn their names, he couldn't continue calling them sheep.

"Yes, yes he is." Harry nodded, "I still don't see how that gives him the right to order me to do anything at all."

"He's your headmaster!" that same sheep added.

"True, and while I'm at Hogwarts I will comply with the rules and regulations. However that still doesn't explain why he has the right to order me around when it isn't school related."

"He's the leader of the Order of the Phoenix!" the woman persisted.

"Which I am not a member of. You are just proving my point."

"You little-"

"That's enough, Hestia." Dumbledore interfered, glancing at his little sheep, "I am your Magical Guardian, as such I do have authority over you." Dumbledore stated and Harry almost scowled. He had no idea what a Magical Guardian was, but he could guess and he didn't like it one bit. However he felt Caym's hand on the back of his neck and he glanced at both demons. There was a smirk on their lips and their eyes were almost shinning with glee. It seemed they had quite enjoyed the show and were about to step in as well.

"Actually," Abanddon's voice was nothing more than a dangerous purr. He saw several people shiver and he had to contain a smirk, "You are not our Master's Magical Guardian. The moment the Minister decided that our Master would stand before the whole Wizengamot for a hearing without his Guardians or Magical Guardian present he stated, quite clearly, that our Master was an adult, since only adults can stand before the whole Wizengamot without Guardians present. As such you no longer are our Master's Magical Guardian and have no authority over him."

A smirk spread on Harry's lips and he couldn't quite stop the small chuckle that left him. He saw Hermione and Ron shake their heads, though he could see a smirk on their lips as well.

"Well, that cleared that up." he chirped, smiling brightly at all the sheep.

"Harry," he turned around at Dumbledore's stern voice and his eyes narrowed when he saw the wand in his hand, "I must insist that as long as you are at Grimmauld Place you do not leave. You must stay inside Headquarters."

Harry glared at the old man. How dare he? Wasn't it enough that he lied to him, now he wanted to force him to comply? Sure it may not seem like much, he just had to stay inside, but that was beside the point. If Dumbledore was ready to force him to do this, what other things would he be forced to do? He could understand, now more than ever, why Abanddon and Caym were so set on doing anything they could to give him independence. Even if that meant leading him towards a throne that he had no wish to claim.

He felt Ron and Hermione grab hold of his arm. Only then did he notice that his wand had appeared in his hand. He took a deep breath, trying to keep calm but when he saw the smug look on Hestia's face he snapped.

"Alright." he ignored the incredulous look the twins were throwing him and relished in the look of accomplishment that Dumbledore had. In a second that look would be no more, "Then I'll be leaving." he smirked at the confusion he saw on their faces, "You said I would have to stay inside Headquarters as long as I was at Grimmauld Place. In that case, I'll just leave."

"Harry, you can't."

"I can, and I will." he stated firmly, "I am not your pawn, or your weapon, Headmaster. I am my own person and I can make my own decisions. If I need help I'll ask for it from the people I trust. At the moment you are not one of those people. And if you believe that I will let you move me around on your chessboard then you are sadly mistaken." he glared at the spluttering people around them grabbed Hermione's and Ron's hands and squeezed. He got an answering squeeze back and when he looked at them he could see the determination in their eyes. He nodded once and turned towards both demons, "Abanddon, Caym, take us home." before anyone could react both demons grabbed them and in the blink of an eye they were gone.


They appeared in the family room that had his families portraits. He glanced at the far wall and noticed that they were all empty. He released a relieved sigh, he would rather talk with Hermione and Ron without his family there, at least for the time being. He had a lot to tell them.

Hermione and Ron were looking around curiously.

"Where are we?" it didn't really surprise him that Hermione was the first to ask.

He took a seat, Abanddon and Caym sitting next to him, and motion for Hermione and Ron to sit as well. They did, though Hermione was looking at him expectantly.

"We are at Potter Manor." he told them and their eyes went wide. They looked around again, though this time with far more interest.

"This is were you came, this was the personal business you mentioned." Hermione concluded and he smiled at her.

"I have been asking Abanddon and Caym about my family. They mentioned the Manor several times. It's where my dad grew up." he explained, "I want to thank you, for standing up for me." he whispered, looking at his lap. He wasn't the shy, insecure, little first year anymore, but he was still incredibly grateful for their friendship. They would always mean the world to him. They had been there for him when he had no one and he would never forget that. That's why he was going to tell them the truth. They deserved it.

"There's nothing to thank us for." Hermione told him, "They were being incredibly dense. I never thought I would say it, but the way they follow Dumbledore's every word is sickening. He's human! He's bound to make mistakes but do they accept that? Of course not, they take his word as if he were Merlin himself." she sneered and Harry smiled.

"Yeah, mate. Though if my mum kills me, I hope you write on my tombstone: He faced a fire-breathing dragon for his best mate, unfortunately he didn't live to tell the tale." Harry snorted and Hermione smacked Ron over the head.

"Honestly, Ronald." she sounded exasperated, though there was a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"What? It sounds much better than: His mum killed him because of his lack of respect for supposed authority figures." Ron argued.

Hermione shook her head, apparently giving up on Ron, and turned towards Harry.

"So, you where here the entire day?" she asked, moving the conversation along and Harry took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Yes." he replied, "I had a few meetings."

"Meetings?" even Ron looked interested.

"Yes. Several things happened at the hearing. What do you know about the Marcius Bloodline?" he asked them.

Ron's eyes opened wide, though Hermione had a slightly confused expression.

"The Marcius Bloodline?" Ron whispered, tone tinged with awe and longing.

"What? What is the Marcius Bloodline?" Hermione asked, her eyes on Ron studying his reaction.

"The Marcius Bloodline, they... they are our Kings." Ron murmured.

"Kings?" Hermione almost shrieked, "I didn't know the wizarding world had a Royal Family. Why weren't we told?"

There was a brief flash of pain in Ron's eyes and Harry wondered how much he knew about the Marcius Bloodline.

"We don't, at least not anymore. The Marcius Bloodline is believed to be extinct." Ron told her and Harry leaned back, he would let Ron do the explaining, he was curious to hear what he thought about the whole thing, "Though there are still a lot of families out there that believe that the Bloodline is simply dormant. They are still loyal and believe that our Kings will return to us one day." Hermione was fascinated, her eyes were shinning with interest. She was devouring every word coming from Ron, "The wizarding world was scattered before they came. They created an Empire. It spread throughout what is known today as Europe. Every single witch and wizard that lived in the Empire was sworn to them. They were loved by the people and every new witch or wizard was more than happy to take the Oath when they were brought into the Empire. But one day the Royal Family disappeared. No one knows what happened to them. The families searched for them but there wasn't a trace of them anywhere. The Empire fell apart without the Royal Family and slowly separate government bodies spread all over Europe. However they were still loyal to our Kings so everyone who went to work for the Government had to swear a modified Oath. They still do it to this day."

There was silence for a moment. Harry could see that Hermione was deep in thought and Ron had a wistful smile on his lips.

"What do you mean they took an Oath?" Hermione asked.

"An Oath of fealty and protection." Ron told her, "I don't know the actual Oath, but my mum told me that there are families who still make the Oath even if there is no one to accept it."

Hermione nodded absentmindedly. Harry was sure that she was thinking of ways to find all the information that she could on the Marcius Bloodline.

"Why did you ask about them?" she directed her question at him and Harry sighed, knowing that there was no way he could avoid the question. Not that he wanted to, but he was slightly afraid of their reaction.

"As you know Abanddon and Caym were helping me with my hearing. They thought about several things I could use, however they all somewhat depended on Fudge actually listening and not being a prat. As you can imagine he didn't listen and he was a prat." Ron snorted and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like pompous windbag, Harry tactfully ignored it and continued, "So I used the last thing I had up my sleeve." both looked at him curiously and he did his best to calm his nerves, "I am the last of the Marcius Bloodline."

It became oppressively silent. Sure, there hadn't been much noise to begin with, but now it seemed somewhat more. Ron was outright gaping at him and Hermione's eyes were as round as a saucer.

"What?" Ron whispered. That single word was laced with so many emotions that Harry couldn't pinpoint one specifically.

"Abanddon and Caym have been telling me about my family. When the hearing came about they told me about the Marcius Bloodline. They told me about the Oaths and what they meant. Fudge wasn't listening to anything I was saying. He was so obviously dismissing anything I said that I found myself backed into a corner. When he asked for a vote I couldn't risk it. I laughed. That sure captured their attention, and when I had their attention I remembered them about their Oaths. There was one or two people who understood immediately what I was implying. They were quite shocked. However most didn't know. So I explained. I recited the Oath. I, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to Him and His descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Their service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be." Ron's sharp intake of breath was exceptionally loud in the silence that followed. However Harry plunged on, he had started it, now he would finish it, "Of course, most didn't believe me. So I called my birth right to me. I claimed my birthright. After that... well, they knew I wasn't lying. Several Lords asked to talk with me after the hearing. I received their letters and agreed to a meeting between ourselves. The meetings were today. Ten families swore the Oath and I accepted it."

There was a heartbeat of stunned silence.

"The first Ten." Ron whispered, his voice tinged with awe. Harry guessed he knew that the Oaths started with ten families, though he didn't appear to know who they were.

"I... I don't understand." Hermione murmured, "Are you King now?" that seemed to snap Ron out of his awed stated and his eyes bored into Harry's. A small part of him had expected to see bitterness and jealousy in his gaze, however there were none of those feelings there. There was joy, happiness, longing, and relief. Somewhat similar to what he had seen in the eyes of the others but more profound, more intimate. Harry supposed it was because Ron knew him in a way that the others simply didn't.

"No." he stated, "I didn't claim my throne, only my birthright."

"But your throne is your birthright!" Ron exclaimed, "You can't step down now!"

"I'm not. I can't. Do you have any idea what will happen to countless families if I do? The Oaths are awakening. Anyone who has even the smallest trace of Old blood in them... if they went against me... The magic would be ripped from the family line. I couldn't allow that to happen."

"What? What do you mean the magic will be ripped form the family line?" Hermione asked and there was a hard edge to her tone.

"Didn't you hear the Oath? They didn't just pledge themselves. They pledged their Bloodline. Now think about the purebloods, even the newer Lines. They marry each other to keep the Lines pure, the older the Line the better. The only ones truly free are the muggle-born, and even that is only the case if they don't work for the Ministry. If those tied to the Oath go against my family they are punished by magic. That's where squibs come from. When that happens is when the offense isn't grave enough to strip the magic from the whole Line. Why do you think that purebloods like the Malfoys are so ashamed of squibs?"

"I always thought that it was because they didn't have magic." Hermione replied.

"No. Most people who don't know the old stories think that," Ron told her, "But it's because they know that they somehow went against the Royal Family and are ashamed of it. That's why so many believe that the Marcius Bloodline was still alive. And they were right." he ended in a whisper. Then his eyes landed on Harry the intensity in them making his breath catch. He was stunned into stillness when Ron went down on his knees, and put his wand at his feet, "Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, my chosen King, I, Ronald Billius Weasley, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to You and Your descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Your service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be." Harry could feel the magic call to him and he could do nothing but gap at his friend, his brother in all the ways that mattered. "Please, Harry." Ron whispered, when several seconds had gone by and he still hadn't moved, "I grew up knowing about our Kings, hearing about how one day they would come back to us. Part of me always longed for it, though another part was afraid. Afraid that they would end up being someone like the Malfoys, or worse, like You-Know-Who. I would have still been loyal, I would have no other choice, but it frightened me. But now... I know you, Harry. I take the Oath not because I have no other choice but because I want to."

Harry looked into his eyes and saw nothing but truth in them. He nodded and got up. He stood in front of Ron, feeling at once much more comfortable and much more terrified than he did with any of the others.

"I, Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, your chosen King, do accept your Oath. May Magic find you worthy, may your devotion and loyalty be rewarded. May your bloodline flourish in my service and perish if you ever stray from your path. So I say it, so mote it be."

The magic sealed the Oath and Ron let out an exhilarating laugh. His eyes were shining with pride and Harry couldn't help but smile at him.

"What have you done?" the quiet whisper broke them out of their joy and both glanced at Hermione. She was looking at them, part in awe and part in horror, "You... you... your family! What will they think?! You bound them without their knowledge!"

A small smile spread on Harry's lips. They truly should have expected that reaction form Hermione. She wasn't against the Oath, only against it being done without someone's knowledge.

"Hermione, my family is already bound." Ron told her, getting up and taking his place back on the couch, "What I did was renew the Oath and bind my own bloodline. When I have children they will follow the King as well. It won't affect my parents or siblings, at least not more than they already are. It affects my direct bloodline, my descendants. If my parents would have made the Oath it would have affected me directly and my children indirectly. Me taking the Oath just bounds me and my descendants closer to the King."

"But that's... that's... You are taking away their rights!" she exclaimed.

"Not really," Ron shrugged, "Hermione, you have to understand, this is about more than rights. This is about our magic. Our magic longs for this connection. I only took the Oath mere seconds ago and I already feel the difference... it's indescribable. I never truly understood just how feeble my magic was, how sluggish. Now it's invigorating. What was set in motion over two thousand years ago cannot be changed, we are bound, we will always be bound. You don't understand because you are muggle-born. I'm not disrespecting you," he added quickly when he saw the glare Hermione was aiming at him, "But your magic isn't longing for this. You'll never understand just how much we suffered over the centuries missing our King. That is one of the reasons why muggle-borns started to feel shunned and to be shunned. In the old Empire as soon as a new muggle-born was discovered he was given the choice of making the Oath or leaving the Empire. It was extremely rare for people to leave. So the muggle-borns were integrated into our society; there was none of the prejudice that appeared later on. When the Royal family vanished the Empire crumbled. There was no one to take their place because everyone was bound to them. The muggle-borns not bound that appeared were children, far to young to be even considered for the position. Besides, people were far too loyal to the Royal Family to simply accept a new King. Don't you see, Hermione? This will make our society better. The Royal Family is back, magic will be strong again. Dark Lords, Light Lords, they'll disappear. Things will be as they should be."

They were silent for a moment. Both Harry and Ron knew that Hermione needed to think about everything that had been said. Harry himself was a little surprised by Ron's words. He realized he shouldn't be. Even if they were called blood traitors, they were purebloods, it shouldn't surprise him that Ron knew so much about the Empire. Stories about the Empire must have been told from generation to generation, becoming bedtime stories and household tales.

Though he had to admit that he hadn't expected Ron's reaction. It was a bit overwhelming but at the same time so incredibly rewarding. He felt so grateful for the trust and faith that Ron was putting in him. That, more than anything, made him realize that he had to do something. He wanted to live up to those expectations. He didn't want to fail them. Yes, them, not only Ron but the others as well. He wouldn't fail them.

"What will you do, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know yet. But I will have to do something. The ten that took their Oaths, more than half of them served Voldemort. They are loyal to me now, but how many other families that serve Voldemort are purebloods? If they go against me, they'll lose their magic. I can't let that happen."

"It's going to be such a mess, Harry." she told him, sounding somewhat resigned.

"I know, but I have Abanddon and Caym. They'll help me. They are rather set about me becoming King, even if I don't want to and have no idea how to do it." he threw a playful glare at both demons who grinned back innocently. It was really unfair how good they could pull of that look.

"Alright than," she whispered. Harry was beyond stunned when Hermione went down on her knees and put her wand at his feet. He could practically feel how pleased both demons were by her actions, "Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, my chosen King, I, Hermione Jean Granger, pledge upon the magic in my bloodline, to uphold the will of my chosen King. I pledge my bloodline to You and Your descendants. May the strength of our magic, mind and body be at their strongest when in Your service. May Magic forsake my bloodline if we ever stray from our path. We pledge our loyalty to the Marcius Bloodline, blessed and chosen by Magic to lead us. So we pledge it, so mote it be."

This time he reacted faster than he had with Ron.

"I, Harry James Potter, last of the Marcius Bloodline, your chosen King, do accept your Oath. May Magic find you worthy, may your devotion and loyalty be rewarded. May your bloodline flourish in my service and perish if you ever stray from your path. So I say it, so mote it be."

The new Oath was sealed and he looked at her when he heard the sharp intake of breath. Her eyes were slightly glazed and a soft smile was on her lips.

"Oh," there was such wonder in that little word, "This is how you feel?" she asked, turning her head to look at Ron. He smiled warmly and nodded, "This... This is wonderful. I feel like... like I'm part of something bigger than just me. I... I feel as if I belong." there were tears of happiness in her eyes and Ron gave her an awkward one armed hug.

They were silent for several moments, Harry still coming to terms with what Ron and Hermione had done and both of them enjoying the feeling the Oath was giving them. Though after a few moments they pulled themselves together and went back to their seats. Hermione and Ron looked lighter and had small smiles on their lips.

"So, what's next?" Hermione asked.

"Next, we work on establishing our little one's Empire." Abanddon replied and Harry groaned when he saw the enthusiastic glint in his best friends' eyes.


 

Notes:

A.N.: Well, here is the new chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Lines are being drawn now and things will start to move forward next chapter. The demons will also show that they are demons. It will be rather bloody, but they deserve it. They have been behaving so well, it's only right that they get a little something for their good behavior lool

Harry is feeling a little trapped, the poor dear, but he will come to accept his role. He may not want to be King, but it is what he is. He can't really change that and he is starting to realize it.

Chapter 7: Bloody Morning

Notes:

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.K. Rowling. No money is being made.

Warnings: This story will have slash, violence, torture, and a bit of gore.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 


 

Chapter 7 – Bloody Morning

When Harry woke up it took him a few moments to remember where he was. When he did he let out a tired sigh and wished to just fall asleep again.

He still couldn't believe what Ron and Hermione had done the previous night. How could they just bind themselves to him? He understood that Ron's magic was almost forcing him to do it, but Hermione had no such compulsion. Did they truly trust him that much? What if he went power crazy and decided to take over the world? Had no one thought about that?

He snorted when he thought about the demons' probable reaction to that. Yeah, his demons would be rather overjoyed. He was pretty sure they would volunteer to lead the slaughter.

Still, world domination plans aside, he had two other bloodlines sworn to him. He would have to call the other ten. He needed to start moving, start planing. The longer he stayed still the more wizards would be in danger, not only from Voldemort but from their own blood as well. That didn't mean he knew what to do though. The last thing he wanted was to publicly claim his throne. He didn't even want to think about how the wizards would react.

It could go either way. Either good or bad, but he was sure that either of them would be extreme reactions and he truly didn't want to deal with that.

He was almost sure that it would drive an even bigger bridge between the muggleborns and the purebloods. And this time even the so called blood traitors would be against the muggleborns. He could see it. The muggleborns wouldn't feel that pull, as such they were most likely to disagree with him and wouldn't want to bind themselves so fully to him. That would make the pure-bloods despise them, shun them more than ever. It would be a disaster, he was sure of it.

And he couldn't force them to take the Oath. Magic wouldn't accept a forced Oath, and that would just make the purebloods even more bitter.

He groaned. When had his life become such a mess?

"Little one." he heard coming from his right and glanced up to see both his demons standing beside the bed. He hadn't even noticed them entering the room.

"Good morning." he said, smiling at them. No matter how messed up his life had become he would change nothing about it, if only because it had gotten him his demons.

"Good morning, little one." Abanddon smiled at him, "Your little mortals are downstairs. They are talking to your parents."

"Have they been up for long?" he asked, getting out of bed.

"Only about an hour."Caym replied, "We decided to let you sleep in."

"You have a couple of letters waiting for you." Abanddon added.

"Who are they from?"

"The twins, your dogfather and the wolf."

Harry almost winced. He didn't want to think about what his godfather had to say about him leaving the Order Headquarters the way he had. Not going back for the night won't make it any better. He had to wonder if Mrs. Weasley had calmed down. He sincerely doubted it.

"Right," he muttered, "I guess hoping for a quiet day was too much to ask for."

Both demons chuckled and followed him out of the room.

"What were you thinking about when you woke?" Abanddon asked him.

"I was thinking about the Oath. About what to do next. About calling the ten families and discuss things with them." both demons smiled and Harry looked at them warily, "What?"

"It pleases us to see that you are finally accepting your role." Caym answered, while Abanddon looked rather pleased. There was this smug look about him and Harry shook his head. If he ever claimed the throne he was sure that the demons would become insufferable.

"I just don't want to be the cause of so many people risking losing their magic. It wouldn't be fair to them to lose their magic because of my inaction. They have the right to decide for themselves."

"Always such a pure soul, our little Master." there was a note of wonder in Caym's tone and Harry blushed a little. He couldn't stop it, even though it wasn't the first time he had heard them talking about him in such a tone. Still, it never failed to make him blush. He couldn't understand the fascination that the demons seemed to have with him.

"Harry!" the call of his name brought him out of his thoughts. His mom was calling him and he walked towards her. She was in a frame with his dad, both talking with Ron and Hermione. They smiled at him and he sat down between his two friends.

"Slept well?" he asked them, smiling.

"Yes." Hermione replied, while Ron nodded.

"It beats Grimmauld any day." Ron added making Hermione snort.

"And it has nothing to do with your mom being there and not here, right?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with self-preservation!" Ron protested and Harry laughed, he could certainly see where his friend was coming from. Mrs. Weasley was terrifying, he wouldn't want to be there when she was in one of her moods. Though that made him pity those they left behind a little.

"Good-morning, baby." his dad greeted him, smiling, "Did you have a good night?"

Harry smiled at his parents. He was so relieved that his dad was talking to him, that he seemed to be getting over the whole demons thing.

"Yeah, I had a good night." he replied, "Did you have breakfast?"

"Your house-elves gave us breakfast." Hermione glared at him and he almost groaned.

"Don't start Hermione," he wasn't begging, "I didn't even know I had elves, and even if I did I won't free them. You can feel our bond now, would you force another being to lose something like that?"

"It's not the same thing." she argued.

"It is rather similar." Ron disagreed, "It's just a different kind of binding, but they would feel the loss just as much as you would."

"It's true." his father added to the conversation, "Lily thought the same as you, but house-elves can't really live without a bond. They start to lose their will to live and end up fading away. They need a bond. Sometimes they just don't have much luck with whom they bond, and that's unfortunate, but they still need the bond."

"Fine!" Hermione exclaimed exasperated, "I won't say anything about the elves, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I can still do something for those that have bad families."

"That's the spirit." his mom cheered.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Hermione asked, smiling again.

"I was thinking about calling the ten families, to talk to them. They... I don't think... Half of them sided with Voldemort, I'm not sure how well they will deal with each other."

"Who are the ten?" Ron asked, looking a little uneasy. Just because they were now sworn to Harry didn't mean he wasn't a little weary about meeting anyone who had sided with Voldemort. They had to have done it for a reason and some things didn't change just because they took an Oath.

"Longbottom, Macmillan, Abbott, Greengrass, Gamp, Flint, Avery, Nott, Malfoy, and Lestrange."

"Bloody hell," Ron muttered palling slightly, "Flint, Avery, Nott, Malfoy, and Lestrange? Those aren't some no name Death Eaters, Harry. All of them were Inner Circle members. They are rumored to be some of the worst that V-v-vol-voldemort had."

"I know." Harry replied, "But they took the Oath. They seemed quite eager to do it actually. And... well, Lestrange told me why he joined Voldemort. I don't agree with his reasons, but I can understand them." he then told them what Malfoy and Lestrange had told him. Not everything, just why they had joined. Though he focused more on Lestrange since the man had actually gone to school with Tom Riddle.

"I see." murmured Ron when he was done, "I understand."

"Was it really that strong? The desire for their King?" Hermione asked Ron. There was a sympathetic look in her eyes, but Harry knew that it would be more difficult for her to accept it. She had suffered through their prejudice, and even though she had a big heart, certain wounds took a little more to heal.

"The older the family, the stronger it is." Ron replied somberly, "I can't imagine how those families suffered, especially the First Ten. It must have been horrible for them. Did you ever wonder why they called us blood traitors?" he asked her, "Because to them it's what we were. We were betraying our Oath in their eyes by believing that the Royal Line was dead and accepting muggleborns so openly, people who had no connection to the Royal Line and could betray them in a heartbeat."

"All this prejudice because of the Oath? Because their magic was compelling them?"

"Yes, though their personalities contributed to it too. The Longbottoms, for example, they are just as old as the Malfoys but they reacted in different ways. They were more open-minded, even if deep down they couldn't understand how some families could believe that the Royal Line was dead." Ron sighed and closed his eyes, "Though, now with the return of our King all of this will be a thing of the past." he smiled and Harry couldn't help but smile back. He just wished he had as much faith in himself as Ron seemed to have in him.

"Don't forget to read the letters from the twins and your dogfather." Caym told him from his spot behind the sofa making Hermione and Ron jump from their seat. They had completely forgotten that the demons were even in the room. In Ron's opinion it was rather creepy how they could just fade into the background. Beings that dangerous shouldn't be able to just fade away, it made them even more dangerous.

"Oh, yeah. Do you have it?"

Abanddon took out both letters and handed them over. Harry opened the one from the twins first and couldn't help but snort when he reached the end. He grinned at Ron and the red-head paled.

"Do I want to know?" Ron couldn't help but ask.

"The twins advise you to stay away till your mom calms down. They congratulate us on an epic prank and asked to be included next time."

"That bad, huh?"

Harry chuckled and opened Sirius' letter. Well, it could have been worse. At least Sirius wasn't freaking out.

"What did they say?" Hermione asked him, looking a bit worried.

"Sirius just wants to know where we are and if we're alright. Remus also said he would like it better if they could join us wherever we are."

"Do you want to get them?" Ron inquired.

"I don't know." Harry glanced at both demons, "What do you think?"

"They are both bound to you," Caym replied, "They would make good allies."

"Do you think it's a good idea to tell them, though?" asked Hermione, "What if they tell Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore is bound by the Oath too." Abanddon told them, "There would be nothing he could do to our little Master. He may try, but anything that would go against our Master would make Dumbledore's magic rebel."

"Then why hasn't magic punished him yet?" Ron looked confused, "Dumbledore hasn't really been acting in Harry's best interest."

"But it has," Caym said, smiling wickedly, "He's been getting weaker. He thinks it's age catching up to him, but it isn't. His magic is punishing him, though since he didn't actually do anything to harm our little Master he still has his magic. If he had been able to imprison him in Grimmauld, then... well, I suspect that his magic's reaction would have been harsher."

"So, there would be virtually no risk in telling Sirius and Remus?" Hermione confirmed.

"Not really, no." Abanddon answered.

"Alright." Harry nodded, "Then maybe the best thing to do would be to bring Sirius and Remus here, tell them the truth and then summon the Ten Families."

"Do you know what to tell the families?" Ron looked at him curiously and Harry sighed.

"Not really. I just want to get them together and see if they can get along and not try to kill each-other."

"That's a good plan." Hermione nodded.

"Could you get them?" Harry asked his demons and both smirked, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Maybe I should have told them not to scare anyone in the Order." Harry muttered, glancing at the place his demons had been.

Ron snorted, a small smirk appearing on his lips.

"I don't know if it would have done any good. Either way I think a good scare is what the Order needs. I have to admit that part of me can't wait to see their reactions when they learn who you are."

"Honestly, Ron, it's no joking matter." Hermione scolded, "If things aren't done right it may cause more harm than good."

"What do you mean?" Ron looked baffled, "Every witch and wizard will be overjoyed at having their King back."

"No, every pureblood, or half-blood that knows our history will be overjoyed. Muggleborns on the other hand... they don't know the history behind it and they won't feel the call of their magic. I can't see them just submitting without some sort of explanation. And even then most may not want to take an Oath as binding as this one."

"Oh," Ron murmured, understanding dawning in his expression, "That... that would be bad. They would be crucified, quite literally, by every family. Hell, even the Light families won't accept it."

"That's why Harry has to be-"

The sound of two loud bangs, followed by almost identical groans cut her off and the three teenagers looked up to see both demons standing with a smug smirk on their lips, with two lumps of blankets at their feet.

Two moving lumps of blankets.

Harry glared halfheartedly at the two demons, not really surprised that they had done something like that. He couldn't quite stop the blush that spread on his cheeks when they threw him the most adorable innocent look he had ever seen.

"What the hell!" Sirius' voice came from amidst the blankets and Harry could see Ron trying to stifle his snickers. Not that it was being very effective but at least he was trying.

"Hey, Sirius." he greeted his godfather and the cursing, rather creative curses at that, that were coming from the blankets ceased. Then there was a scuffle, for a moment Harry thought the blankets would win, and finally two heads popped out of the tangled mess.

"Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, a bright smile lightening his face. Remus remained silent, though his smile was no less bright.

"Sorry about the landing." Harry apologized, "I should have known that asking Abanddon and Caym to go get you was asking for trouble."

"It's fine," Sirius assured him, though he did throw a quick glare at both demons, "I'm just happy to see you are alright. You left quite a mess at Headquarters. Molly was still shouting hours after you were gone. Though it may please you to know that a few Order members were rather impressed with the three of you."

"So," Ron started, "From one to ten, how much does my mom want to murder me?"

"Oh... I would say about a fifteen." Sirius told him cheerily and even Remus had a small smirk on his lips when Ron groaned.

"As happy as I am to be here, I doubt you only called us over to see how murderous certain people were." Remus said, having untangled himself from his woolly prison, while Sirius was still struggling.

"Yes, speaking about bringing us over... where exactly are we?" Sirius asked, glaring at a blanket that was still wrapped around his right leg and didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon.

"I'm shocked you don't recognized it, Paddy. But I guess old age is finally getting to you."

At that both marauders looked up, their eyes wide and mouths open, Sirius had even gone a shade or two paler.

"Prongs?" came the whisper from Harry's godfather, since Remus seemed to be too shocked to say anything at all.

"In the flesh," James grinned, "Well, not really, but you know what I mean."

"Merlin." Remus almost stumbled over to the portraits.

"No, Moony, not Merlin. James. Repeat after me: James. S. James. Though I'm kinda flattered that you think so highly of me."

Lily was beside her husband shaking her head.

"Honestly," she muttered, glancing at her husband with sheer exasperation on her features, "You're incorrigible."

James just smiled innocently back at her.

That was all it took for Remus and Sirius to burst out laughing. Both men standing beside the portraits and looking at the occupants with tear filled eyes and happy smiles.

"It's good to see both of you." Lily smiled at them.

"Nowhere near as good as it is to see you." Remus countered, still looking a little dazed but his joy was clear for all to see.

"You could have come to the Manor any time." James said, his eyes sad, "You were never taken from the wards."

"I..." Remus words' caught in his throat and he looked away.

"We understand." Lily assured him, a small smile on her lips. "At least you are here now. And you, you mutt, we have much to talk about!" Lily glared at Sirius and the man actually winced, "What were you thinking!?" she shouted, "If I hear one more time that you blame yourself for what happened then so help me Merlin, I'll find a way to come back from the dead and curse you into next week! Do you understand me?"

Sirius was speechless while Remus had a satisfied smirk on his lips. James was just nodding solemnly beside his wife, though he did throw Sirius a pitying look when he thought Lily wasn't looking.

"I-I u-u-understand." Sirius stuttered, slowly inching away from the portrait as if afraid that Lily would jump right out of it and hex him.

"Good." Lily nodded, all sunshine and daises again.

That seemed to be the last straw and Ron burst out laughing, holding his stomach and tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Oh Merlin, that was too funny." he managed to get out while trying to catch his breath. Hermione was beside him nodding her head.

"Well, at least we know where Harry got his temper from." she remarked earning a glare form the boy in question, "Don't look at me like that, it's true. Your temper is quite legendary, I don't think that I have ever seen the Gryffindor common room empty as fast as when you are about to blow. It's one of those situations that's every man for himself, take cover and hope for the best."

Harry glanced at Ron, hoping to find some support from his best friend, only to be met with solemn nods. He looked away in a huff, a small pout forming on his lips, missing the fond smiles that his friends and family threw him.

Meanwhile Remus and Sirius had taken a seat on the couch opposite the teens, smiling at their bickering. It was always such a joy to see how close those three were. Just like the marauders, but without a traitorous little rat in their midst.

Remus cleared his throat, gaining back their attention.

"So, what did you want?" he asked, looking at the teenagers curiously. At the moment he was truly expecting anything. Nothing would really surprise him, especially since he didn't think that anything could beat demon butlers, or bodyguards, or whatever they were.

"Well," Hermione said, glancing at the boys at her side, "Harry has something to tell you." she deflected. She truly thought that it would be better if it came from Harry, it was his news after all. Also she kinda wanted to see their reactions. They would be a good example of how people may react. Especially Remus. He was a magical creature, would they have a different reaction to the Royal Family? Would the Oath even bind them? Logically it should, since they were magical, but would magical beings that had a deep seethed prejudice against wizards even want to take the Oath? She expertly ignored Harry's glare and continued to observe both men.

Harry sighed and looked at them both. Telling them was harder than telling everyone else. These two men were family to him. The last link to his parents. He didn't know how he would react if they started behaving all subservient to him because of the Oath, or even worse if they resented him because of it. He knew they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Even if they didn't take the Oath they were still bound, they still wouldn't be able to go against him.

"Well, what do you know about the Marcius Bloodline?" he asked, might as well get it over with.

"Our Kings?" Sirius asked, slight awe slipping into his tone.

"Yeah."

"Well, there isn't much we know about them. At least nothing concrete. We know we are bound to them, we know that the bloodline is still alive even though we don't know who it is. We know that if our King takes his throne again balance would come back to the Wizarding World. We know that some families are still searching for them and still take the Oath even though there is no one to accept it. We know that there were ten families, the First Ten, that started it. Those ten are the most loyal to the Royal Family and to this day still do everything they can to find our Kings. And that's about it." Remus replied, his sharp eyes taking the teens in. He was curious about why they were asking about it, especially since the demons lived during that time and would be able to give Harry all the information he asked for.

His eyes widened when that thought popped into his head. He had always wondered how a family could have such control, could achieve as much as the Marcius Bloodline, but if they had demons... well, that changed everything, didn't it?

His eyes focused on Harry, the wheels turning in his mind, but even with the answer practically screaming at him, he didn't want to believe it. At least not without Harry confirming it.

"Well, I'm the last of that Bloodline."

Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Well, that was the confirmation he had been waiting for. It seemed he had been wrong. There were still things that Harry could say that surprised him.

Oh dear Merlin, their King was back. Their King was sitting in front of them. Their King was their little cub.

"Oh dear Merlin." Sirius muttered, staring at his godson, "You're our King?"

"Yeah, that's what I've been told." Harry slumped a little on the couch.

"How... I just... How?" Sirius muttered, not really knowing where to start or what to say.

"Well, you remember my trial, right?" when Sirius and Remus nodded Harry continued, "Well, Abanddon and Caym were helping me to find a way out of it if Fudge decided to ignore all the evidence that pointed out that I hadn't done anything. So that's when they told me about the Marcius Bloodline. How my family gave up the name Marcius after five hundred years, just as they did with every other name. So I'm the last of the bloodline, heir to the throne."

"Wait..." Remus interrupted, "I know for a fact that the Potters had daughters, so the Marcius Bloodline had to have spread into other lines."

"They didn't." Caym told them, and Remus almost jumped out of his seat. Dear Merlin he had forgotten that the demons were in the room, "After we were bound our first Master told us to make it impossible for those of his blood to have daughters, just to prevent a situation where the main line died and we would end up bonded to someone who had forgotten the Bloodline's history."

"Which is rather ironic since we did end up bound to someone who didn't know anything about the Bloodline." Abanddon remarked.

"But there were Potter females." Sirius said, slightly confused, completely ignoring Abanddon's remark, as well as the resulting pout. He knew for a fact that there were females since he had been forced to memorize his family tree and there had been two Potters who had married into the Black family.

"They were adopted children." Abanddon told him, "The Bloodline searched for muggleborns, either in orphanages or in abusive homes, took those children, de-aged them, gave them appearance altering potions to resemble the new parents, and introduced them as their children."

"What?" Hermione looked scandalized, "Why would they do that?"

"Because they didn't want anyone to find out that they only had boys." Harry replied, "They did everything to keep their most guarded secret, the demons, and people would start to find it strange if they only had boys. So they did what they had to."

"The children were as cared for as those they gave birth to." Caym assured the young girl, "They learned the truth about us as well, though they were sworn to secrecy. They never knew that they weren't blood."

"That's... wow." Ron muttered.

"So, Harry's really the last of the Marcius Bloodline." Sirius whispered.

"Yes." Abanddon confirmed, "And he claimed his birthright right in front of the Wizengamot. No one will be able to contest his claim."

"Besides, the crown would appear to no one but the true Heir." Caym added nonchalantly.

"The c-crown?" Sirius stuttered.

"Yes." Caym nodded, "Our Master called his birthright to him, in front of the whole Wizengamot." he repeated, "Which means that the crown appeared on his pretty little head, with the Marcius Family crest above it."

"That's why you were so sure that no one would say anything." Remus remarked, remembering how Harry had looked so certain that there would be no one who would reveal whatever secret he had told them.

"Yeah, besides Abanddon and Caym spelled the room. They wouldn't have been able to say anything even if they wanted." Harry muttered, "I was approached as soon as I left the courtroom, and the letters came soon after."

"Letters?" Remus asked.

"Asking for meetings." Harry replied, "The First Ten asked to renew their Oaths. Ron and Hermione took theirs yesterday."

"Oh dear Merlin," Sirius murmured, "The First Ten? They have already renewed their Oaths." he seemed to be passed dazed and Remus was in no better shape.

Harry was still nervous and was sitting completely still. He didn't know what to do, he had no idea what was running through their minds. They were still far too dazed for him to be able to tell how they would react.

"I want to feel it." Sirius stated suddenly.

"Feel? Feel what?" Harry asked, slightly confused.

"Your magic. Let it free, I want to feel it." Sirius stated seriously but Harry continued to look at him in confusion. Let his magic free? Wasn't it already free? He didn't remember ever restraining his magic. He glanced at his demons, a habit he had acquired when he was confused, afraid, or unsure, and needed their unwavering support.

They smiled at him and leaned against the couch he was sitting on.

"Your magic is always masked. We believe you came into the habit of doing it while at the Dursleys," Abanddon told him, "It's why most people think you are only slightly above average in magical power, because if you were more powerful they think that they would be able to feel your magic since you're still young and wouldn't be able to mask it."

"None of them bothered to look deeper, to see if there was more." Caym added.

"So how does Sirius know that there is more?" Harry asked, focusing only on his demons.

"He has known you since you were born," Abanddon said, "He knows your magic."

"I see," Harry murmured, "But I have no idea how to do what he wants."

"We'll help you," Caym murmured, leaning closer to him, "Trust us." he whispered in his ear and Harry had to stop himself from shivering.

"I trust you." he whispered, his eyes closed.

He didn't see the feral smiles on the demons' faces, nor the widening of his friends and families' eyes. He could only feel his demons on either side of him, their magic surrounding him and invading his body. For a moment it felt like he was drowning, their magic was everywhere. Then it seemed to plunged deeper into him. He had never felt so exposed, but he didn't feel as if he were in any sort of danger. He felt safe, protected. He wanted this feeling to last, he never wanted their magic to leave him. And then it got better. Something inside of him felt warmer and it started to expand, he felt it envelop his whole body. Then his demons' magic retreated but he was still warm and safe, there was still that warm cocoon around him.

The sharp gasps around him brought him out of his haze and he glanced around, still a little out of it.

Ron, Hermione, Remus, and Sirius were gaping at him. He felt a little self-conscious. They had never looked at him like that, not even the previous night when Hermione and Ron had taken their Oaths.

"What?" he said defensively. Maybe there was truly nothing more to his magic and they were disappointed?

"Nothing." Remus replied, "We were just surprised, that's all. We hadn't expected your magic to have grown so much, nor for it to feel as it does."

"It's even more pronounced now." Hermione muttered, "Our bond feels even deeper."

"His magic isn't masked," Caym explained, "As long as our little Master doesn't mask it again you'll feel it like that all the time. Unless, of course, he's angry. In that case his magic will react to his feelings."

"So... this is what you wanted to feel?" Harry asked, looking at Sirius.

"Yeah," Sirius replied, nodding a little distractedly. He still seemed to be somewhat stunned by Harry's magic, "You said that the First Ten already took the Oath? I always wondered who the First Ten were, can you tell me?"

"Longbottom, Macmillan, Abbott, Greengrass, Gamp, Flint, Avery, Nott, Malfoy, and Lestrange."

Both Remus and Sirius paled.

"An-and they all took the Oath? You accepted?" Sirius asked, with a slight trace of skepticism.

"Yes, to both questions." Harry replied, narrowing his eyes.

"You do know that at least five of those families serve Voldemort, right?" Sirius asked again, anger slipping into his tone.

"Not anymore." Harry said, "They took the Oath, they are loyal to me."

"But how could you accept the Oath?!" Sirius shouted, jumping from his seat, "They are Death Eaters!"

"And what would you want me to do, Sirius?" Harry asked, a sneer appearing on his face, "Condemn a whole Bloodline for the errors of a few? Should I punish the Black Bloodline as well? Bellatrix is a Black by blood after all, should I condemn you to a life without magic because of her mistakes?" Sirius paled and a malicious smirk spread on Harry's lips, "Yes, let's not forget the fact that most pure-blood families have intermarried over the centuries. So what you are asking me is to destroy the whole Wizarding World, leaving only those of new blood with magic."

"I... I hadn't thought about that." Sirius replied, looking horrified.

Harry's features softened, a warm smile on his lips.

"I didn't mean to be so harsh, Sirius," he murmured, "But it isn't as simple as you want to believe. The world isn't black and white. I'm responsible for every single witch and wizard in the Wizarding World and my decisions will either damn them or save them. I have no wish to damn them."

"Sorry," Sirius looked down, "It's just... certain things are hard to let go."

"I know." Harry replied, "That's why I plan on getting the First Ten together and see how things go. I know that some of the families have a less than a stellar relationship. I can't force them to become best friends, but if our society has any chance of surviving what is to come than we need to at least be able to work together. Especially those families since they are the personal servants of the royal family. The Greengrass are the Healers, the Lestranges are the Bodyguards, the Macmillans the Historians, the Abbotts are the Enforcers, the Longbottoms are my Botanists, the Malfoys my Diplomats, the Gamps are the Merchants, the Flints are my Soldiers, the Notts the Scholars, and the Averys are the Explorers."

"That... that kinda makes sense." Sirius murmured.

"Sense?" Harry asked, "What makes sense?"

"The positions those families hold." Sirius replied, "As a Black I had to know everything about every pureblood family that my mothered deemed 'worthy'. So I had to study their history and such. I never noticed before, but those families always worked in something or did something that was somehow related to those positions."

"They have?" Harry wasn't the only one looking surprised.

"Yeah. Even those that married into other families worked in something related to it. It makes so much sense now. They wanted to keep their skills for when our King returned."

"That does make sense." Remus agreed, "You know what this means, don't you Sirius?" Remus asked then, looking at his best friend.

There was a moment of silence and then Sirius' eyes widened slightly.

"Our King." he whispered, a touch of awe entering his tone, "Moony..."

"Yeah." Remus nodded, that touch of awe entering his expression as well. It was as if they had only realized in that precise moment just what Harry had been telling them. Not that they could be blamed for it, it wasn't every day you were confronted by something you had longed for your entire life after all.

Then both men fell to their knees, their heads bowed, and their wands at Harry's feet.


 

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked as soon as he walked through the Floo and saw the commotion in the kitchen.

"They disappeared!" someone shouted, he couldn't really pint-point who it had been, and his eyebrows rose slightly.

"Who disappeared?" he asked, more than a little confused and just a bit worried.

"Remus and Sirius disappeared." Kingsley told him, though he didn't seem the least bit worried about the fact that two Order members had disappeared from Headquarters.

"What do you mean they disappeared?" right, now he was a little more worried. Things weren't going well, first Harry vanished from Headquarters, taking young Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley with him, and now Sirius and Remus.

"He means," Alastor said, appearing beside him, "They disappeared. They were in their rooms and then they weren't, and they didn't leave the house through the front door."

"You don't seem all that worried." he remarked.

"Come now, Albus, I would bet both my eyes that they're with Potter." Alastor said.

"Truly? Did you see anything?"

"I saw that they were in their beds this morning and then they weren't. Do you know anyone else who would have been able to do that aside from Potter's demons?" Alastor asked, both eyes looking at Albus.

"No, I can't say I do." he replied, "Now we just need to know why they took them. Though why wasn't I told sooner?" he asked.

"They are Harry's godparents, even if Remus isn't official because the Ministry doesn't allow it." Kingsley remarked, "It is likely that Harry wanted them with him."

"And you weren't told because Molly only just found out, since she went to call them for lunch, and I didn't think it would matter if you knew or not since there would be nothing you could do about it." Alastor replied.

"Do you really think so?" he asked Kingsley, for the moment ignoring Alastor's reply. It was true, there truly was nothing he could have done, but that didn't mean he hadn't wanted to know about it, "Harry made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with the Order."

"That's not how I saw it." Kingsley murmured, though he caught Alastor's eye and said nothing else.

Albus either hadn't heard him or ignored him completely and called the Order's attention.

"I believe that neither Remus or Sirius are in any danger." he assured the worried members, "Headquarters is rather well protected there is no way they could have been taken against their will." though if the demons had truly taken them he doubted that whatever protections they had around the Manor would have done any good.

As far as he knew there was no known protection against demons. They had been lost to time, the demons themselves had become nothing but myths. The fact that there were even demons had been forgotten by most. They had forgotten who had given them their magic. Not that they had done it intentionally. From what he remembered of the old stories, ages ago a demon raped a young woman, which resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. That's when the first magical child was born. Half-demon, half-human. They were all descendant from that one child. That child had been so powerful that he rivaled the demons, and his children were quite close as well. Fortunately they had retained their human minds. They hadn't been evil, just normal humans with power. However as time passed their power waned and they became what they were now. Witches and wizards, far more powerful than an ordinary human, but nowhere near close to the power of a true demon. Well, at least that was what the stories told, he had no way of knowing if that was actually what happened. He suspected that the demons knew, but he doubted that they would answer his questions.

"Albus!"

Startled he looked back, seeing his potions Master almost falling out of the Floo, looking worse for wear.

"Severus? Severus, what's the matter?" he asked, worry starting to grow as he noticed blood on Severus' robes.

"Albus," Severus seemed to be slightly out of it, and he practically threw himself into a chair, "It was... Albus, it was a bloodbath."

"A bloodbath?" he asked, highly alarmed, "Where? What happened? Was it Voldemort?

Severus shivered, going a few shades paler.

"Oh Merlin," Severus murmured, "The Dark Lord..." though more didn't come out of the potion Master as his eyes rolled back and he fell into unconsciousness.


 

Harry could hardly believe it. He had seen it, he had accepted it, but it was still hard to believe.

Sirius and Remus had taken the Oath. They had knelt at his feet and had taken the Oath.

They didn't resent him, they weren't angry. They were proud. It was clear as day in their eyes. They were proud that he was King, they were proud to call him their King.

It made him feel strangely good about himself. It was different from the other bonds. Completely different. It felt more intimate somehow. Not that the others weren't, they could feel him and he could feel them. They were in the back of his mind, a constant presence, assuring him that he was never alone, and they felt that same assurance. But with Remus and Sirius it enhanced the family bond they had. He could practically feel their love for him and it made him unbelievably happy.

"Now what?" Sirius asked, looking a little euphoric.

"Now we call the other families." Harry decided, knowing that he would have to get it over with, "Abanddon, Caym, can you summon them? I don't want them to take to long, tell them it'll be done before lunch. It'll be a small meeting, nothing formal. Can you do that?"

"Of course, little Master." Abanddon told him, "We will tell all of them and bring them here." then they were gone without a sound.

"They'll be a little shocked to see a convicted murder here." Sirius muttered, leaning back on the couch.

"I think the Death Eaters will be their main concern." Ron countered.

"Yeah, and that's what they think I am." Sirius argued back.

"Well, at least we'll get all the awkwardness out of the way." Remus tried to see the bright side of the whole thing, and Harry couldn't help but snort.

"Do you think so?" he raised an eyebrow, "How do you think people will react when we get the ones that are in Azkaban?"

"Those in Azkaban?" Sirius almost squeaked.

"Yeah, do you think that I would let them remain there?" Harry asked incredulously, "Especially after their families took the Oath?"

"They're dangerous." Remus remarked, his eyes narrowing.

"I know, but I'll deal with it. Don't think I don't know how to deal with those that are loose cannons. They are bound to me, and I'll use that as need be."

"Harry... they would be no better than slaves." Hermione murmured, "It would be inhumane."

"I know." Harry replied, "Though I can't in good consciousness let them roam free."

"Then why not leave them in Azkaban?" Remus asked, a frown marring his expression.

"Because the crimes they committed under Voldemort could have been prevented if my family hadn't given up the Throne. Aside from that they are bound to me as well, I can't just ignore their plight. They'll have their second chance with me, an opportunity to redeem themselves."

"Is it truly redemption if you force them to do it?" Hermione asked.

"I won't force them to do anything. I will just stop them from doing certain things. I won't be telling them how to act. They'll have their freedom, it's their decision what they'll do with it." Harry replied.

"Alright," Hermione nodded, "I have no idea if it will work, but at least it'll be something. I always thought that Azkaban was far to cruel."

Their conversation was halted when Abanddon popped into the room, Lord Greengrass beside him.

"Master," Abanddon bowed, "Caym and I have split and are gathering your subjects." he indicated the man standing beside him, "I brought you Lord Greengrass." with another bow he was gone, no doubt to collect another Lord.

Harry stood, the other four following suite and Lord Greengrass bowed.

"Your Highness."

"Gregory, welcome." Harry smiled at the man, he had been rather nervous when they had first met, but he had like the man. Besides, from what he could feel from their bond the Greengrass Lord was overjoyed to have been called. He just couldn't bring himself to be cold towards him. His family had truly caused a lot of damage, "Please take a seat, I'll introduce everyone as soon as the others arrive."

Gregory stood straight once more and took a seat in the armchair beside Remus, looking curious at the other four.

"Sire, if I may, who else will be coming?" he asked, once Harry had taken his seat.

"The First Ten." Harry replied and Gregory's eyes widened further.

"They... they all took the Oath? You accepted, Sire?" he seemed shocked but Harry could feel how fiercely happy he was at the prospect.

"Yes." Harry smiled again, "They all took the Oath and I accepted."

"That's great, Sire." Gregory smiled, his eyes sparkling, "We have been searching for so long, I'm sure they were just as relieved as I was."

"They were rather happy." Harry replied, a small chuckle leaving him. Rather happy didn't even come close to describing their emotions.

Though before they could say anything Caym popped back in. He gave Harry a quick bow and indicated the man beside him.

"Lord Macmillan, Master." then he was gone.

Harry stood again, motioning the seats near them.

"Lord Macmillan, welcome. Take a seat."

"Your Highness." Macmillan bowed and took a seat on the armchair beside Gregory.

Not a second later Abanddon was back.

"Master, Lord Flint." and he disappeared just as quickly.

"Lord Flint, please take a seat." Harry instructed, wondering if he should just stay up.

"Your Highness." Flint bowed as well, opting for seating himself on the couch beside Sirius.

Harry wasn't sure but the man seemed to recognize Sirius, since Harry noticed how his hand twitched towards his wand. Though if that were the case he wondered why Flint had chosen to sit beside a supposed convicted murderer. Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing if her frown was any indication.

Sirius and Remus were a little tense as well, having recognized Flint as a Death Eater. It was difficult to say if Gregory was nervous as well, since he seemed to be rather at ease and Harry could feel almost nothing beside joy. Though Gregory was a pureblood Lord, so Harry wouldn't be surprised if he could mask his feelings quite well.

The demons kept popping up for the next fifteen minutes, bringing all the Lords with them. Twenty minutes later they were all sitting around the small coffee table, some looking a bit uncomfortable and glancing at the people around them with weary eyes.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, and stood.

"Thank you all for coming on such a short notice, especially since it's so early." he smiled at them.

"There is nothing to thank us for, Sire." Lucius said, bowing his head, "We live to serve."

"Merlin," Hermione murmured, "That will take some getting used to." Ron nodded beside her, his eyes jumping from Death Eater to Death Eater.

"Even so," Harry continued, "I will do my best to call you with a little more time for you all to get ready. However this meeting was rather unexpected. I needed to talk with all of you and after these four took their Oaths, I believed it would be a good time to talk with you, before I decide to do anything else, since you ten are the First Ten and these four people are the people I trust most."

There was silence for a moment, while the First Ten looked at the new people that had been added to their circle, people that seemed to be rather high in their King's regard.

"I'm not sure if you all know each other," he said, looking at them all, "So I'll introduce everyone before we proceed with the meeting. Beside me are Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They took the Oath yesterday, after I told them about my heritage. On the sofa beside ours are Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Marius Flint. Beside them we have Gregory Greengrass, Ernest Macmillan, Stephan Abbott, Lucius Malfoy, Algeron Longbottom, Christian Gamp, Teodred Nott, Cassius Lestrange, and Alexei Avery."

"Sirius Black, Sire?" Stephan Abbott asked, glancing at the Black Lord curiously.

"Sirius never betrayed my parents. He never served Voldemort. He was framed by Peter and sentenced to Azkaban without a trial."

"Without a trial?" Stephan sounded scandalized, truly outraged by the mere thought of something like that. Harry supposed that the man being the Royal Family's Enforcer, wouldn't take well to something like that.

"Yes," Sirius nodded, "I was broken after their deaths, I blamed myself. They heard me say that I had killed them, that it was my fault, and that was all they needed to hear. They threw me into Azkaban and threw away the key."

"Peter was a very well kept secret." Lucius added to the conversation, "Even those in the Inner Circle didn't know about him, at least most of us didn't. I think only Bellatrix and maybe Barty knew about it."

"Why those two?" Harry asked, curious despite himself.

"They were the most trusted, Sire." Cassius replied, "Not that he trusted them, but he liked to say they were his most loyal."

"Why them though?" Harry tilted his head slightly, "You actually went to school with him, you knew him better, if there was anyone he should trust it should be you, no?"

"You hit the nail on the head, Sire." Cassius gave a small smile, "I knew him best. All his perceived faults. He could never trust someone he believed would be able to cause him harm, or had seen him as anything but the supposed all powerful, immortal wizard he wanted everyone to see him as."

"That doesn't really surprise me," Harry mused, "From what I know of him it seems like something he would do. Still, why were those two so important?"

"Bellatrix fancied herself in love with him, Sire." Lucius replied with a sneer, his thoughts about his sister-in-law clear for all to see.

"Barty on the other hand, well... his is a sadder tale, Sire." Marius said, "His father, Crouch, was rather abusive. His mother wasn't all that sane to begin with, and she started to get worse when he went to Hogwarts. His father when he wasn't ignoring him was abusing him. He was starved for any kind of positive attention. Voldemort knew how to use it, and he did. By the end of it he had twisted the poor child so much that he saw Voldemort as his own father. No matter how much he was tortured he never saw fault in anything Voldemort did, he could do no wrong in his eyes." all the Death Eaters in the room looked rather saddened.

"He was such an innocent child." Cassius murmured, shaking his head, "It's just one more life he destroyed."

"I don't think I was ever happier than the day I realized that he wasn't our King." Alexei remarked.

Harry could see that most of them were looking at the Death Eaters surprised. He was sure that none of them had expected something like this. He sure as hell hadn't.

"I see." Harry murmured, "I'll have to see how each of them react once they are out of Azkaban. I already told my family that I will be binding them. Though I won't force them to do anything. I'll just prevent them from hurting people."

"My sons will serve you, Sire. They will not need to be ordered to do anything at all. They only joined because if they hadn't they would have been killed on the spot, they did it for me. I would have never survived their deaths."

"In that case why did they attack the Longbottoms?" Harry asked, aware that Neville's great-uncle was looking rather pained.

"They didn't. Bella and Barty did, Sire." Cassius said, his head lowered, "They were there, but they didn't cast any curses at them. They protected the young child, Neville I believe his name is, They shielded him when Bella and Barty tried to use the child to make the parents talk. From what I learned, and from what I saw in their memories, both Frank and Alice thanked them for keeping their son safe and for keeping Bella's and Barty's attention on them instead of their son."

"Why didn't they say anything at the trial?" Harry asked, remembering both brothers' trial from Dumbledore's pensive and both had been silent through it.

"I believe they were ashamed, Sire." it was clear that it was paining Cassius to talk about it so he changed the subject, not wanting to subject the elder Lord to unnecessary pain.

"What do you think about Bellatrix than?" he asked, directing his question more towards Lucius.

"She's a lost cause, Sire." Lucius answered promptly, "She was damaged before she joined the Death Eaters. Her infatuation with the Dark Lord didn't help matters. She will follow no one but him."

"For once, I agree with Lucius." Sirius remarked, "Bella... Bella was a lost cause even before she joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. I doubt that she could have improved there."

"She didn't." Lucius confirmed, "She would gladly kill her whole family for Voldemort. Hell, she killed her firstborn for Voldemort."

"She did what?" Harry and his friends snarled, magic crackling around them.

"She killed her firstborn." Lucius replied, glancing at Cassius who had a stoic mask in place, though Harry could feel their bond thrum with anguish.

"How could she?" Hermione asked in a broken whisper.

"Voldemort asked it of her. So he could use the body of the child in a ritual." Marius answered, he was looking at Cassius as well. He shook his head and tried to erase that night from his mind. That had been the turning point for many of the Death Eaters. They had already been disillusioned with the Dark Lord, that had been the final nail on the coffin so to speak.

"Harry," Harry glanced at Ron, noticing the deadly tone, "Leave her there."

"Voldemort will take her if I do."

"Let him have her." Hermione snarled, "The second she turns against you she loses her magic. It's nothing less than she deserves."

"Hermione..." Harry sighed when he noticed the tears in her eyes, "Alright. I'll see what I can do." he had to be careful, if she went against him it could damn more than her magic and he didn't want for others to suffer for her insanity.

"If you want to, Master, we'll deal with her." Abanddon purred from beside them, a blood thirsty smile spreading on his lips. Most of those present almost jumped from their seats, having forgotten that the demons were in the room. Harry almost snorted, how could they not notice them? He never lost track of where they were, he didn't think he could. Their magic was like a beacon for him.

"Would you?" he asked sweetly, noticing both set of eyes starting to shine brightly.

"Anything for you, little one." Caym purred, "You only have to ask."

"You spoil me." he said, smiling at them and turning to look back at his guests, "So, Bellatrix is dealt with for the moment. I'll have a closer look at it later, either when Voldemort breaks them out of Azkaban or when we decide on when to bring my people out of Azkaban. Now, one of the reasons why I actually called you all." he was happy to see that Cassius seemed to come out of his anguish. He truly like the elder Lestrange and didn't want to see the man suffer. He had suffered enough, "I said I would keep you appraised if anything happened and if I made any plans, so I called you to inform you about these four taking the Oath, since these people are the closest thing I have to a family I consider them quite important. I probably won't tell you every time someone new takes the Oath, unless of course it's someone that will in some way influence how we do things, or will be able to help us, for example someone from the Wizengamot or with a high position in the Ministry. All of you, and possibly your heirs will be my Council. I'll call upon you, discuss things with you, and ask for your opinion. I ask that you always be honest with me. If you do not agree with something tell me, I don't guarantee that I will change my mind but I will take your opinion into consideration. I know that Hermione and Ron are young, and most of you must think that they are too young to be in the Council, but they are my brother and sister and I trust them with my life. Hermione is brilliant and Ron is as well, we have been through a lot together and I trust their judgment. Aside from that they will be quite useful at Hogwarts, which will be a little more difficult for all of you to access."

Harry couldn't believe how they were sitting there listening to him talk. It was slightly overwhelming to see that they truly took what he said seriously. From someone who was used to have things hidden from him because he was a 'child' it was a rather drastic change.

"I'm trying to do everything I can so that I don't damn the Wizarding World. As I told Sirius, I can't see the world as black and white, I can't condemn a whole Bloodline because of the mistakes of a few. I can't and I won't. It would condemn everyone if I did. Most pureblood families intermarried, I don't even want to think what would happen to the Wizarding World of Britain."

"Not just Britain, Sire." Lucius corrected, "The Malfoys come from France, we have been in Britain only for about three hundred years."

"And we come from Russia, Sire." Alexei added, "We've been here for about five hundred years, and our name change a little, but we came from the continent."

"And we come from Greece, Sire." Greengrass said.

"What?" Harry looked at them a little stunned.

"We are spread all over the world, Sire." Algeron told him, "The Wizards that went to the States are from pureblood families, so it is more than likely that most of them over there are in some way bound to you."

"But that's..." Harry was sure that he was almost gaping, "That can't be!"

"Sire, it has been a long time since the Royal Family disappeared," Ernest told him gently, "Even though many bloodlines died out, many survived. They survived, they prospered, they spread, Sire."

Harry looked at both demons, who were looking back at him stoically, and he closed his eyes. They had tried to warn him, but he hadn't listened. He hadn't believed them.

"So, they truly left me an Empire." he murmured, opening his eyes again. He truly couldn't blame them, they had warned him. He should have listened.

"They did, little Master." Abanddon and Caym chorused.

"I'll need a bit of time to see what I'll do about this," Harry murmured, "How many people are we talking about here?" he asked the room at large.

The First Ten traded a look, before Nott sighed.

"I believe around twenty million, at least, Sire." Teodred answered.

"Twenty million?" Harry did not squeak, no sir, he did not, "That's almost half of all the Wizarding population world wide."

"Yes, Sire." Teodred confirmed, "Though I am not including the Squib lines, since those lines went muggle and if they don't have magic then the Oath doesn't bind them. However if they produce a magical child then the child is bound as well." and Harry had to use all his will power not to groan.

Dear Merlin, what would he do with about twenty million people bound to him? Where would he even put them? He was coming to terms with him being King, but he could hardly be King if his people were spread all over the world. And he could hardly just walk into another country tell them he was King and that they had several of his subjects living there, and would they mind terrible if he used their country as some sort of empire. Yes, he could see how well that would go over.

"What's the problem, Harry?" Ron asked, "You didn't seem half as stressed a couple of minutes ago."

"A couple of minutes ago I didn't think there were around twenty million people bound to me." Harry snapped.

"It's only a little bit more, aside from that, nothing changed." Ron persisted.

"Everything changed, Ron!" he exclaimed, "If it were only Britain I would take care of the Ministry and change things. We would overthrow them, put competent people in charge and work from there. Sure it was a half baked plan, it needed work, but I knew where to start. Now though? I have no idea. I can't just walk into a country and say I'm a King and tell them they have my subjects living there. It doesn't work like that. And I can't have all those people move to Britain. We are short on space as it is, can you imagine how bad it would be to have twenty million more people here? The muggles would notice it for sure, and that's not even taken into account that there is nowhere they could live." he sighed and slumped a little on his seat, "I will have to think long and hard about this."

"Be that as it may, Sire, we are here for you, no matter what you need us for." Algeron told him, and Harry looked up, noticing that they were all nodding.

"That's good. I will need your help." he murmured, "I'm happy to see that we can put our differences aside and work for a common goal, and I can see no worthier goal than the survival of our society."

"We're honored to be able to help, Sire." Stephan replied.

"Well, that will be all then." Harry said, standing, "I'll think about this and then I'll call all of you. If you want you may bring your Heirs or family to the next meeting, though only if you have already told them about me and only if they want to take the Oath."

"Yes, Sire." the Ten bowed.

Harry dismissed them and they were all escorted towards the Floo in the Entrance Hall by a house-elf, leaving Harry alone with his family.

"Well, that went well." Harry murmured, slumping on his seat.

"Don't look so down, Harry." Remus smiled, "It could have been worse. They got on rather well. Besides they started to see the Death Eaters with different eyes, and not just them, I believe we did as well."

"I sure wasn't expecting some of the things they said." Sirius muttered, "Though can't say that I'm all that surprised about Bellatrix. She was never all that sane, even as a child."

"Still, I can't believe she would kill her own child." Hermione murmured, "That's just... I don't have words for it."

"At least we learned that the younger Lestranges didn't do anything." Ron tried to see the bright side of it, but he was just as angry as the others about what he had heard. Family meant everything to him, to think that Bellatrix Lestrange had killer her child just to please Voldemort... it filled him with rage. He was rather happy that Harry was thinking about letting his demons have their way with her. If anyone deserved it, she did.

"Yes, which helped make things less tense between Longbottom and Lestrange." Remus remarked, "Hopefully things will work out between the families."

"Yes, it's one less problem I have to worry about. Now I just have twenty million more." he grumbled.

"We'll come up with something, Harry." Hermione assured him, "You don't need to have the answers for it right this moment. Now that we know what you have to deal with we can plan accordingly. Besides, I doubt that your demons won't help you."

"The girl's right, little one." Abanddon said from behind him, "We will help any way we can. Do not forget just who we are. There is very little we cannot handle."

Harry smiled at the demons, feeling his nerves calm considerably. It was strange how he felt the most at ease with these beings that most people wouldn't even trust to walk behind them. It was difficult for him to understand how people could fear them, how they could call them evil, when everything he felt when he was with them was an overwhelming sense of safety. He knew nothing and no one would hurt him if he had his demons with him.

"Hey," Sirius suddenly exclaimed, jumping from his seat, "Why don't we go to Diagon Alley? We could buy your things for Hogwarts, and have a little fun. It will do you some good to go out and relax a bit. It's still early, we'll miss the lunch crowd so there shouldn't be that many people out yet."

"Well, there were a couple of books I wanted to buy." Hermione muttered.

"It's been a while since we went out." Ron added.

"Do you really think it's a good idea?" Remus asked, looking a little unsure.

"Don't worry Moony." Sirius grinned, "With Harry's demons there I doubt anything would happen to him. He's as safe as can be."

"I was more worried about us." Remus grumbled, "I don't really want to run into the Order."

Harry snorted.

"Don't worry Moony, I'll keep you safe from the mean Order members." he teased his former professor, making the others snicker.

"You laugh now, but let me see you laugh when you are confronted with Molly." Remus muttered.

Sirius, Ron, and Hermione immediately stopped, while Harry only grinned and looked at the demons.

"You'll save me from angry gingers, right?" he asked, still grinning.

"Of course, little one." Caym answered, his eyes shinning brightly, a smirk on his lips, "No ginger could hope to beat us."

Harry laughed and turned back towards his friends.

"I'm still safe." he told them smugly.

"See, Moony?" Sirius grinned, "Our cub is still safe. Won't you be brave enough to face the horde of angry Order members for our cub?"

"Very well. For our cub I'll face the horde of angry Order members." Remus replied, releasing a long suffering sigh, though the amusement was clear in his eyes.

"Then let's get going, if you plan on avoiding the lunch crowd we shouldn't waste much more time." Hermione got up, pulling Ron along with her.

Not ten minutes later they were stumbling out of the Floo in the Leaky Cauldron. Harry was happy to see that Sirius had been right. The place was almost empty and no one seemed to be paying them any attention. Not that he was worried but he would rather avoid any unnecessary hassle.

He glanced at Sirius once more, just to make sure that the glamor he had on hadn't slipped. He couldn't quite stop the smirk from spreading on his lips. Dear Merlin, who would have thought that Sirius would look so good as a witch?

He caught Ron's eye and both almost burst into laughter, especially since Sirius was still grumbling about his disguise. Remus' assurance that he was rather fetching wasn't helping matters.

Though Hermione had been right, no one would even think that the blond, green-eyed woman was Sirius Black. Harry doubted that even the Order would recognize him.

"So," he tried to get everyone's attention, "Does anyone need to go to Gringotts?"

"Nah." Ron said, "I won't be buying anything. So I'm good."

"And I have enough with me." Hermione assured him.

"Alright." Harry nodded, "Should we start with the bookstore? Then we can use the rest of the time to do some window shopping."

"That's seems fine." Remus agreed, "Though please don't wander off," he looked at the three teenagers, "Even if we are rather safe there is no reason to risk it."

The three nodded, seeing the logic in it. There was no need to tempt fate.

They made their way towards the bookstore, Hermione looking more excited the closer they got to the store. Harry shook his head, she really liked her books. Harry was sure that if she could she would live in a library.

Though he was a bit enthusiastic about it too, his demons had introduced him to rather interesting books. Nothing as dry as those he had to read for school. As it turned out when he wasn't forced to read what his professors at Hogwarts told him he quite liked reading and learning new things.

However he was sure that certain books that Abanddon and Caym had gotten him wouldn't be found in Diagon Alley, they didn't seem all that legal. Though he couldn't understand why, there hadn't been anything that seemed all that bad. There were only a few rituals, a couple elemental spells, and some wards. Nothing that seemed all that taboo, but according to Caym the book had been outlawed by the Ministry. There were a couple other books that were rather similar so he supposed that they had been outlawed as well. Just as the books about Legilimency and Occlumency had been.

That was just one more thing he would have to look into when he took the Throne.

Oh dear Merlin, now he was even thinking about taking the Throne. Alright he was coming to terms with being King, but he was sure that he hadn't been actively thinking about it. And now, after one meeting he was suddenly sure that he would take the Throne, that he would be King. Had he changed so much in a matter of hours? Had it been the meeting that had made him think about it? Seeing the impact that he had on their lives?

If things kept going like this he was sure that he would be insane in a matter of days. Life had been so much simpler only a few months back. Though if he did lose his mind he would blame everything on his demons, somehow he knew it was their fault.

He glared a little at the demons that were walking beside him. They must have felt it because they glanced back at him and upon seeing his no doubt terrifying glare they smirked. He pouted a little, though he would deny it to his dying day, and turned away from them. It was so unfair. How was he supposed to intimidated demons? Especially since the demons in question were a good head taller than him? Life sometimes really wasn't fair.

He heard them chuckle and his glare was back just as quickly as it vanished.

"Little one," Caym murmured, his warm breath caressing his ear, "You look like an adorable kitten."

He turned bright red and spluttered indignantly.

"I-I-I'm not ad-adorable!" he hissed, barely able to say the dreaded word.

Their smirks only grew and Harry saw Ron, the little traitor that he was, trying to muffle his snickers.

Harry huffed and quickened his pace, joining Remus and Sirius at the front.

"So... a kitten, huh?" Remus had a mischievous grin.

Harry glared at Remus, ready to snap at him as well, when his eyes opened wide. Instinctively he tackled Remus, both missing the curse coming their way by an inch. Though that seemed to be the start, since Harry could hear curses flying all around them, most hitting the stores but going by the screams Harry could guess that a lot of them hit people as well.

He glanced up, his wand already in his hand and a shield charm on his lips, and he caught sight of a sea of black robes and white masks.

"Dear Merlin." he heard Remus whisper with just as much disbelieve as he was feeling. That second that it took him to understand what was happening seemed to last an eternity.

Death Eaters.

Death Eaters were attacking Diagon Alley.

He had only a moment to spare to think about his people, wondering if they had been called as soon as they left him, if they were alright, and then he was moving. Almost dragging Remus with him, trying to find some kind of shelter. He knew his shield would never be good enough for some of the curses being throw around.

He caught a glimpse of blond and red hair and look back, noticing Sirius had Ron and Hermione with him. All three of them crouching behind a wall of debris from what seemed to have been the front of a store.

He breathed in relief, at least his family was safe.

He looked around trying to locate his demons when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, little one?" he heard Abanddon whisper in his ear and he almost sagged against the heat that was at his back.

"I'm fine." he murmured.

"You're shaking." Caym's warmth joined Abanddon and he closed his eyes. His demons were with him, there was nothing to worry about.

"He's just shocked." Remus replied from beside them, his eyes scanning Harry for any injuries as well.

"Yeah," he replied, "Wasn't expecting Voldemort to attack Diagon." he growled, looking around, the screams almost drowning his voice, "Oh." he whispered, and before any of them could react he had run out into the street. He heard his family calling his name, he could hear their panic, but he didn't stop, he couldn't stop.

Then pain exploded all over his back and he could hardly hold in his scream, before he crashed to the ground. He could feel blood drenching his clothes but it was all worth it.

"Hey," he murmured, his pained green eyes meeting fearful blue ones, "Are you alright?"

"Yes." the child, she couldn't be older than six, he had shielded muttered, tears gathering in her eyes, "Where's mummy?"

"I don't know." he told her, tightening his arms around her, "Don't worry we will find her." he tried to assure the small child.

He tried to sit up, but before he could he was picked up, the child still in his arms, and was taken back to his and Remus little shelter.

"Little one," Harry almost didn't recognize the growled voice, but the arms holding him were unmistakable, "You're hurt." Abanddon sounded almost pained.

"I'm fine." he replied, handing the child to Remus, who was doing his best to calm her. Though Remus was shooting him concerned looks. However neither Abanddon nor Caym were letting him step any closer.

"You're not fine." Caym growled, his eyes shinning brightly.

"Abanddon, Caym..."

"No, little one." Abanddon was doing his best to try and contain his overwhelming anger, "They went too far."

"They weren't actually aiming at me." he tried to reason, but he knew that it was no use, both Abanddon and Caym were far too gone.

"Harry!" he turned towards Sirius, who was running towards them, Hermione and Ron close behind him, "Harry, are you alright?"

As gently as if he were made of glass Abanddon handed him over to Sirius.

"Keep him safe." was Abanddon's growled order and then both demons were gone.

He heard Sirius muttering a couple of spells and he could feel his pain numbing, and sighed in relief.

"Thanks." he murmured, feeling far to weak to do much else.

"What were you thinking?" Sirius whispered, his hold on him tightening, "You could have been killed!"

"The little girl would have died." he defended his actions, and he heard four exasperated sighs.

"You never change Harry." Ron grumbled, leaning against the wall and looking incredibly pale, "You scared the hell out of us, mate." he muttered a little bit of color coming back to his features.

"Sorry." he replied, giving them a small smile.

"Yo-" whatever Hermione had been about to say was completely drowned by the scream that filled the street. It was nothing compared to the previous screams. Previously the screams had been full of fear, panic; but these, these were agonized, pain filled screams that would haunt their dreams for days to come.


 

"They hurt him." Abanddon's voice was as silent as a breeze but Caym heard him as if he were shouting.

"They did." he agreed, his voice just as low.

"Our little one." Abanddon growled.

"Yes, our little one." Caym nodded, moving as silently as a shadow across the Alley.

They saw him, the one who had dared to harm their little one.

They appeared beside him, startling the Death Eater. They ignored the person he had been cursing. They cared nothing about the noise around them, about the people running and screaming. They saw nothing but the mortal in front of them that had dared to harm their little one.

"Hello, mortal." Abanddon's voice was icy and Caym could see the mortal shiver.

"Do you know what you did?" Caym asked, leaning closer.

The mortal's eyes widened behind his bone white mask and he tried to take a step back, only to collide with Abanddon's tall frame.

"Where do you think you are going, mortal." Abanddon's voice was more feral than he remembered it being in centuries. It made a bloodthirsty smirk spread on his lips. Oh, how he had missed this.

"W-who're you?" the mortal stuttered, trying to appear fearless when Caym could practically smell the fear rolling of him in waves.

"We are your damnation." Caym whispered, all his teeth showing.

"What?" the man asked, confusion appearing in his eyes, though there was still that fear present. That fear that came to all mortals when they came face to face with something they knew they couldn't face, something that was so otherworldly evil that their souls could feel it and just wanted to flee.

"You just had to hurt him, didn't you?" Abanddon murmured, and Caym could see the shadows of wings spreading behind his fellow demon. He was sure that the same was happening to him.

In the blink of an eye the man was standing naked before them. Caym took a step back and observed their prey, who was shaking where he stood, far too terrified to even care that he was naked.

"Now, scream, mortal!" Abanddon snarled and the mortal screamed. Abanddon grinned savagely and Caym chuckled darkly.

"Pretty little corpse." he remarked, looking over the bleeding body. Abanddon had really done it this time. He had ripped the skin right off the body. He heard a whimper and glanced back at the body, "Oh, still alive?" he nudged the body with his foot, gaining a pained whimper from it.

"Of course." Abanddon replied, "Do you think I would let him off so easily after what he did to our little one?"

"Ah," Caym nodded, "I had wondered." he was quite happy that he would be able to show his displeasure towards the mortal as well, "Say, Abanddon, isn't it a little chilly?"

"Now that you mention it, it sure is."

"How about a bonfire than?" Caym asked, and in the next second the whimpering body caught fire and the screams were breathtaking, such a wonderful symphony.

"Now, let's hunt." Abanddon growled, his eyes having a feral edge that had been absent for centuries.


 

Severus looked around, making sure that no one was noticing him and cast a few shield charms towards a couple of children that were near him.

He cursed his luck when he noticed the destruction around him. He cursed the Dark Lord as well while he was at it. He was far more paranoid than he had been in the previous war. Not giving them any details to his plans at all. Severus hadn't even suspected that there would be an attack and he had no way of alerting the Order. The only positive side of it was that the Alley wasn't as full as it could have been if it were later in the day.

"Harry!"

He turned sharply at hearing the name, years trying to keep the brat safe made it an almost instinctual reaction, and tried to spot that messy mop of black hair.

His breath caught when he saw the brat being hit by whichever curse the Death Eater had cast. What the hell was Potter even doing in the Alley? He took several steps towards the brat only to stop in his tracks when he saw two blurs moving towards him. In the blink of an eye the brat's demons were beside him, picking him up and taking him towards shelter. Though he remained frozen in place for several moments after they brat was gone.

Dear Merlin, may the gods help them all.

The scream that filled the air brought him out of his stupor, but even so he could do nothing but stand there and watch. He didn't think he had ever been as terrified, he didn't think he would ever be as terrified. Though he dared anyone to look at the face of a demon and not feel the blood freezing fear he felt. This was what those things hid behind their seemingly human appearance? This monsters that could be nothing but the worst nightmares a person could have?

Rationally he knew that the demons looked the same as they usually did, but there was something much more feral about them, there was absolutely no illusion of humanity left. He watched, frozen in place, as they skinned the Death Eater alive and then set him on fire. And for a second he had thought that that would be the end of it.

He should have know better.

The blood lust in their eyes was all to visible, they wouldn't be satisfied with just that one death.

He could do nothing as they turned their eyes towards the helpless Death Eaters. He hadn't thought that he would ever feel pity for the followers of the Dark Lord, though as both demons moved through the Alley leaving a trail of blood and agonized screams behind them, he was proven wrong.

He couldn't even see what they were doing, he didn't even see them cast any spells. They moved and all they walked by ended in a pool of their own blood. Some were left with missing limbs, others were left inside out, though none of them were given a painless and quick death. He could hear their screams even as they tried to keep their intestines inside their bodies.

Then they were in front of him and he screamed, feeling something rip through his body.

"Severus," a darkly seductive voice whispered and he locked eyes with shinning amethyst orbs, "We'll let you live." even as the demon before him said that, he felt whatever had pierced him move out of his body. He had only a second to realize that it was the demon's hand, "Spread the word, Severus. Tell them what happens when one hurts our little one."

Then they were gone, leaving a bloodbath in their wake.


 

Notes:

A.N.: Hello all. I hope all of you had wonderful holidays and a great New Year. 

So... I'm aware that some of you may want to kill me for the long wait, and I completely understand, but it was completely impossible for me to post these last few months. I haven't been home and I had no access to Internet, nor did I have my laptop with me so anything that I wrote was in my notebooks, the old fashioned way; you know, with pen and paper. 

This one was the first one I was able to type and as soon as I finished it I put it up. Now, for those who read my other stories as well, I'm working on typing the chapters and as soon as I'm done they'll be up as well. If you are wondering the next one up will be Death's Son.

I'm sorry you had to wait so long and I'm so happy that you still stick with my story. We're finally moving along and Harry has finally understood just how screwed he is. Poor, little Harry has no way of wiggling out of it. He'll be King one way or another. And the demons finally had a little bit of fun, though it won't be the last time that they'll show their true colors. This was only a little warning, but as you all know Voldemort doesn't listen to warnings... though in this case he really, really, really should have. Now, here's a little SPOILER so if you don't want to know don't read; Voldemort won't be the biggest problem in the story, he won't even be a problem for very long. 

So many of you want to know about the demons' and Harry's relationship and what Sirius and a few of the other know that Harry doesn't... Well, I can't tell you. Well, actually I could but it would give a lot of the plot away. I can give you a little hint if you want but that's about it. Alright, so what Sirius thinks and what the demons' actual fascination with Harry is are completely different things. But Sirius only knows of that one thing, so he assumed that it was that and the demons are in no hurry to correct him. 

Don't get me wrong, the demons are in no way innocent or anything of the sort, but they truly mean Harry no harm, at least not in the way that most of the people that know a bit about the demons perceive it. END SPOILER

Well, that's about it. I hope you enjoy the chapter and continue to like the story. 

Next chapter: Well have the First Ten and their families in a meeting with Harry before they all go to Hogwarts. Voldemort's and everyone's reaction to the Diagon massacre, as well as Dumbledore trying to ban the Demons from Harry's side.

Again thank you all for reading and reviewing :) It always makes my day when I see all of your reviews :)

Chapter 8: Shattered Illusions

Notes:

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to the incomparable J. K. Rowling. No money is being made from this.

A.N.:

Hey all. So, I bet most of you thought I wouldn't update again. I'm sorry about that. To be honest, the thought crossed my mind. I think I owe you an explanation as to why I didn't update for so long. The truth is that I got tired of getting every other week or so messages saying: hey, I found your story posted on this or that site.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with people picking up concepts/ideas and using them. Hell, even whole scenes that they might find inspiring and want to do something with it. And if they credit me for it, even better. That's what writing is all about, at least for me.

However, it's horrible investing years of your life into a story, getting attached to characters that become yours through long hours of hard work, and then someone comes around and just claims it as theirs. Just copies the whole thing and posts it somewhere else as their work. It's... honestly, it's heartbreaking. That's why I stopped updating the multi chapters. I felt cheated. I felt horrible. I felt as if the time I invested in these stories was worthless.

I was ready to call it quits and just focus on my original stories.

However, even after all this time, I still kept getting reviewers and follows and people asking me to update, and I realized I was being so incredibly unfair to all of you. You've been with me for years now and I don't want to let you down.

Thank you for all your support. It's because of you that I came back to write these multi chapters and it's because of you that I will finish them. You are amazing and your support means the world to me. Thank you for sticking with me for so long. All of you are the reason why I write.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 – Shattered Illusions

Harry remained frozen in place as he watched his demons tear through the Death Eaters as if they were nothing. Part of him wanted to order them to stop, and yet his mouth wouldn't open.

He blinked, and it was over.

He blinked, and they were standing beside him, not a speck of blood on them.

"Harry!"

He jerked, glancing back towards Sirius who is still holding the little girl in his arms.

"We need to get to the Aurors; see if they can find her mother."

"Right." He nodded, letting Caym lead him towards a cluster of red-robed wizards that had appeared on the far end of the Alley.

The Aurors—everyone, actually—were looking at the bleeding and dying Death Eaters wide-eyed and terrified. None of them understood what had happened, and Harry couldn't help but feel relief that no one even suspected the demons at his back. Logically, he knew that no one could take them away from him; however, he was also aware of how deep the fear of demons was, and he was sure they would try to do their best to separate them. Hadn't Dumbledore already tried?

"Little Master?" Abandon leaned down. "Everything alright?"

Was everything alright? He had known what Abandon and Caym were. However, one thing was knowing something, and another was seeing that something with his very own eyes. Was what his demons had done any different from Pettigrew killing Cedric on Voldemort's orders? How could he shun one and accept the other?

He smiled at Abandon. "Yes," he whispered, just before they reached the Aurors, "everything's fine."

Did it make him a hypocrite? Maybe. Still, feeling the warm bodies of his demons at his back—knowing he was safer than he had ever been—he couldn't bring himself to care.


Voldemort sat back on his throne, sipping his wine goblet as he waited for his followers. The raid the previous day may have been hasty; however, considering that his return hadn't remained as secret as he had wished, he might as well remind the Wizarding World of his power.

His hand tightened around his wand as his Death Eaters started popping in.

"Lucius!"

Watching the proud Malfoy crawling towards him to kiss his robes calmed him somewhat until his eyes rowed over his diminished ranks.

"Explain."

Lucius kept his head bowed, nose touching the filthy floor. "My Lord," Voldemort relished the waver in his tone, "have… have you seen this morning's Prophet?"

"Crucio!"

He let the screams fill his head, drowning out the rushing of his blood—Potter's blood, a little voice in the back of his mind whispered. He let off the curse and gave Lucius a few seconds to get back on his knees. "I said: explain!"

"Yes, my Lord. I'm sorry, my Lord."

He smiled, baring his teeth, and watched as the Death Eaters shuddered. Good. They should know whom to fear.

"As you ordered, your loyal followers raided the Alley. According to reports, everything was going just as you ordered. We have no information as to how, but your loyal followers were killed before the Aurors arrived. There were no reports of any surviving." Lucius stopped, and Voldemort leaned forward on his throne. He twirled his wand, waiting. "Potter was there." He could see Lucius shaking, steeling himself. "What follows is mere speculation, my Lord; however, it is possible that his demons may have killed your followers, my Lord."

Lucius dipped even lower, his forehead touching the floor, but even that wasn't enough to calm him, Potter. It was always Potter!

"Crucio!" He sprang from his throne, throwing his goblet against the far wall. "Did I not tell you not to touch Potter!" His Death Eaters cowered in front of him and yet his rage would not abate. How dare they disobey him? How dare they go against him? "Crucio!" Another fell to his wand, their screams echoing in the vast dining room of his filthy father's once home. He kept the curse on for longer and longer until there was nothing but whimpers coming from the Death Eater at his feet.

He turned, pacing behind his throne, glancing at the bowing Death Eaters in the middle of the room. They were shivering, huddling as close together as they dared, hoping he wouldn't curse them next.

Good.

He slowed, gently tracing his fingertips over the back of his throne.

He was in control. They feared him above all else—as it should be.

Potter and his pet demons were nothing.

He walked around and took a seat. "Rise." His voice didn't rise above a murmur, but it still carried through the room. "Potter is mine." He narrowed his eyes as he saw Lucius hunch in on himself. "Crucio." Lucius fell and he stopped the curse. "Anything to say, Lucius?"

Lucius' arms shook as he pushed himself off the floor, and his lips pulled into a smile. It was always so pleasing seeing Lucius brought down to his knees.

"No, my Lord, nothing."

He leaned back, looking over his Death Eaters once more. "Dismissed," he said after seeing them squirm for a little while longer.

When he found himself once more alone in his father's former home, he summed a book he had found buried under hundreds of pounds of rotten wood and crumbling mortar.

Potter and his pet demons were nothing.


Albus sighed, leaning back on his chair as Poppy left his office. Severus had been in a medically induced coma for almost twenty-four hours. Poppy had been surprised he had been able to make his way back to Headquarters before his body gave up on him.

Still, the full scope of what had happened had only become clear after Kingsley reported back. Of course, no one but those in the known were aware what exactly had killed those Death Eaters. Albus shook his head. Such a loss of life, such a waste. Fifteen people dead because those demons couldn't control themselves.

He looked at Alastor, raising an eyebrow. "Still think it's a good idea to leave those demons unchecked?"

Alastor snorted. "If you think you can control them, go right ahead." Alastor stood and walked towards the window overlooking the grounds. "How old are these wards?" he asked. "The strongest in the Isles aside from Gringotts. They didn't even twinge when those demons walked in." He turned around to face him. "As far as you know, they were there when the wards were raised. Maybe even helped raise them."

Albus shook his head. "The Potters have no connection to the founders."

Alastor nodded. "True. However, as far as we knew, they weren't over three thousand years old either." Alastor went back to his seat. "We have to assume that everything we knew about the Potters wasn't true—or at least not the whole truth."

Albus leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "I still have trouble believing that the Potters kept such a secret from me."

"Come now, Albus, you know how families are about their secrets." He raised an eyebrow. "You keep a fair share as well."

Albus had to look away from those knowing eyes. Alastor never failed to bring those things up. Truthfully, Albus was sure that Alastor blamed him for those years he had spent with Gellert. For the things he had done but mostly for the things he hadn't done. It wouldn't surprise Albus if that were the case; he blamed himself as well.

"Which is why I need to keep them away from Harry." He looked back towards Alastor, standing up and walking towards Fawkes perch—petting the soft plumage had always soothed him. "Harry's a good person. Innocent and brave. I cannot let those demons taint him in such a way."

Alastor sighed, shaking his head. "As I said, if you know how to do it, go ahead. But I'm telling you, Albus, those demons will destroy you if you fail. I hope, old friend, that you're ready for it."

Albus hummed and continued to pet Fawkes. He didn't have a choice, did he? He wasn't willing to risk Harry, even if it meant facing the rulers of Hell.


Lucius staggered back to his office. He slumped onto the nearest soft surface.

"Darling?"

He opened his eyes and took a shuddering breath.

"I'm fine," he said, clenching his hands to stop them from trembling. This was meant to be over. She wasn't supposed to patch him back together when he came back from those meetings, not again.

"Liar." She walked into the room, and he leaned into the caress to his hair. "How bad?"

He turned his head, kissing her palm. "Really, I'm fine. Just… it has been a while. I'm not used to it anymore."

She pulled on his hair gently. "Liar."

His lips twitched. "Always too smart for me." He put an arm around her waist and pulled her down to sit on his lap. "There are some things I haven't told you." She leaned on his chest and he kissed her forehead. "Narcissa… Our King is back." Her body went rigid against him and his arms tightened around her. "The Marcius Bloodline lives," he whispered against her ear. Spoken out loud made it harder to believe, somehow. As if the words were not meant to be spoken. They had hoped for so long that speaking the words out loud seemed like they had finally given in to their desperation and delusions had taken hold of their minds. Even after having sat down with his King, saying it out loud still felt like a dream. He raised a hand to run through her hair. "He lives."

In his awe induced daze, he hardly noticed as Narcissa tore herself away from his grip.

His breath froze as a wand was jabbed into his throat and he looked up into the cold gaze of his wife.

"I love you with every part of my soul, Lucius." He knew that. He had never doubted her love for him. "However, I will not allow you to drag our son into this madness. That thing is not our King! I will not have our son succumb to this life. I won't allow it! I will kill you first, even if part of me dies with you."

Lucius had never loved her more.

Slowly, he went to his knees in front of her, never even reaching for his wand. "Cissa, the Dark Lord is not our King. I swear to you, Draco won't be forced to serve that madman. Our oath was renewed; I swore my services and Bloodline to our King."

The wand slipped from his neck. Narcissa's knees shook and he caught her as her legs gave up on her.

"What?" she whispered, trembling in his arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said. "We were sworn to secrecy when we found out, and it was only recently that we were told that we could tell our immediate family." Lucius cupped her cheeks between his hands. "Everything's going to change. We're free from the Dark Lord. It's only a matter of time."

Narcissa slumped against him and he held her as her tears soaked his shirt.


"Little Master?"

Harry looked up from his lunch, noticing everyone looking at him.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Sirius smiled as he reached for his drink. "I asked, when do you want to meet with the Ten and their families? You saw the papers this morning. The attack on Diagon Alley was front page for most publications; I doubt Voldemort will take the death of his followers lightly."

Abandon leaned over Harry. "If he has a shred of intelligence, he will do nothing," he said.

Caym leaned on his other side, baring his teeth in what he would call a smile. "We warned him. We told him not to harm our Master."

"Technically, Harry wasn't the target," Ron said, pointing his fork at the demon.

Harry was glad to see that Ron didn't fear them as much as he used to. For a moment, Harry thought that the brutal actions of his demons the previous day would shatter their slow gained trust in them.

"Semantics," Abandon replied. "No harm will come to our Master. Simple as that."

"They deserved it," Sirius replied, pointedly ignoring Remus' disproving look. "So, about meeting the others?"

Harry glanced at Abandon who nodded at him. "Abandon and Caym delivered a letter to them for us to meet tonight. All ten plus their families."

Hermione snorted. "Meaning Malfoy and the other little Slytherins. That will be fun."

Ron shook his head. "I told you, they'll behave. Having our King back is more important than any school grudge that Malfoy might have."

"And if he does step out of line, Abandon and I will be more than pleased to show him his place."

"Caym," Harry muttered.

"Master?" Caym replied all sparkling eyes and teasing grin, and Harry didn't even try to stop his own grin from surging.

"I don't want them to fear me. You know that." Harry sighed, leaning back on his chair. "I'm not Voldemort. I don't need them to kneel at my feet and agree with everything I say out of fear. If we are going to do this—create a new society, something we can be proud of, then I need them to trust me, to argue with me, to advise me. We need to be equals." A rueful smile spread on his lips. "Or as close to equals as we can get considering the Oath."

Remus nodded, putting his utensils down. "Harry may be our King, but he is still young, and those families are the ones that stood beside Harry's ancestors when the Empire was at its strongest. Besides, the Oath wouldn't let them betray Harry in any way."

Abandon huffed, standing back and crossing his arms. "Fine. Ruin all our fun."

Sirius gave his bark-like laugh. "Don't worry, I'm sure Voldemort and many of his Death Eaters will give you a reason to have fun."

Harry grinned, going back to his lunch as his family and his demons bickered with each other. This was everything he had ever wanted, and he would do everything in his power to keep it.


Harry had opted to hold the meeting in the family room. It was cozier than the formal dining room or the study. Hopefully, it would set the tone to what he wanted the relationship between all of them to be.

He knew it wasn't as simple as that. He knew some hurts ran deep; however, for this to work they had to make an effort. All of them. There was a lot of prejudice to overcome on both sides, a lot of hurt, a lot of anger.

It was something he had to work on as well.

Hermione took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "It'll be fine," she said. "We'll be with you, you know that, right?" She smiled at him, giving his hand another squeeze. "Sirius, Remus, Ron, and I, we'll always side with you."

"Thanks. It's just… it's a lot, you know? This isn't what I thought my life would be."

Hermione laughed and ruffled his hair. He batted her hand away, glaring mulishly. "Don't make it worse."

She grinned. "I don't think anything could make that birds' nest worse. Anyhow, I don't think any of us thought this was how our life would turn out. Even after magic was thrown in the mix."

Ron snorted, and Harry raised an eyebrow at him.

Ron raised his hands in surrender. "Don't look at me like that. It's just… considering Harry's track record, we should have suspected something like this."

"Hey!" Harry threw a cushion at him, which Ron dodged with a laugh.

"Master." Caym walked into the room. "Abandon opened the Floo, they should be arriving any moment now."

"Thanks." Harry took a deep breath. Ron stood up and took a seat beside him, calming him down considerably.

"I can't believe I'm really doing this." He bowed his head and closed his eyes. He needed a moment. Just one moment. Why did this feel more decisive than accepting their Oaths? Why did this feel like the point of no return?

"Master, they have arrived," Abandon said.

Harry looked up and saw the first family appear. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw Neville walk in beside his great-uncle and grandmother. For a moment he had forgotten that it wouldn't only be his childhood bullies that would be with their families. His friends would also be present. Would they treat him any differently?

"Harry," Neville said as soon as he saw them sitting in one of the couches, and Harry got to his feet.

"Neville." He reached over to shake his hand, and Neville smiled at him, no trace of discomfort to be seen. "How are you?"

Neville grinned at him. "Better than you I think. I could hardly believe it when my uncle told me. I can only imagine how surprised you must be."

Harry snorted. "You can say that again. Come," he pulled Neville over to the couch, "take a seat, we're waiting for the others."

Neville greeted Ron and Hermione and the three of them started whispering together. Harry let them be, glancing back at Neville's family as they took a seat on the opposite couch.

Truly, no going back now.

It didn't take long for everyone to be present, and Harry had to stop himself from fidgeting. It looked like a lot more people than he was expecting. Over thirty people just from these ten families. In a way, it made it easier to understand just how he had over twenty million people bound to his Bloodline.

"Welcome," he said when they were all seated. He tried to avoid looking at his schoolmates, but it seemed to be a futile effort—without his permission, his gaze would flicker to them. Most of them seemed to be in a state of controlled shock. Not that Harry blamed them. He didn't think he would have reacted any better.

Before he could say anything else, Malfoy—Draco—threw himself on his knees in front of him. "Sire, I apologize for any insult I caused. I beg of you, please don't blame my family for my shortcomings."

Harry heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath and felt Ron's right grip on his knee, but he couldn't look away from Draco's cowering form. This was what he wanted to avoid at all cost.

"Please," he stood up, grabbing Draco's shoulders and pulling him up, "don't do that."

Draco got to his feet but kept his eyes lowered.

"Look at me."

Draco raised his head, and Harry felt sick at the raw fear he saw in his eyes.

"We were kids," Harry said. "Stupid kids. I'm not going to judge your family, punish them for something we did as stupid kids that didn't know any better." He gently maneuvered Draco back to his parents and made him sit down.

He looked around his family room, full of people that were utterly different but deep down ached for the same thing. They were all here together because they wanted a better life for their families. After all, they believed in Magic and in the good that could be achieved when they worked together. Ultimately, Harry believed in it, too. Which was why he had ended up giving in to their pleas. If he could do good, if he could help, how could he even entertain the thought of not doing it? Even if it meant doing things he had no desire or inclination to.

He smiled at them. "All of us are guilty of the same thing. Prejudice. Intolerance. Sometimes, it's not even a conscious thought. We do it because we see others do it. It becomes the norm." He shook his head, smile slipping from his lips. "I'm not making excuses for our behavior. There is no excuse for it. We did horrible things to each other. We're all guilty."

The older people present looked away from him. In most of them, the shame was clear as day.

That wasn't what he wanted either. They needed to move forward. They needed to overcome the past. They had to do better if they wanted to achieve anything in their future. Harry didn't delude himself into thinking that it would be easy. He could foresee many arguments in their future, but they had to try.

"We are better than that," he told them. "We can be better than that. If are to have any chance of succeeding, then we need to at least try. I may be your King, but I will need your help to make something of this Empire. I don't want to repeat the mistakes made these last few decades. I can only do that with your help. And I can only accept your help if you are honest in your belief of establishing a society where everyone is equal."

Harry looked around, eyes lingering on his schoolmates—no matter how much help the older generation would be, he knew that the future lay in the hands of the younger ones.

"Please, help me make this a possibility. I believe with everything I am that together we can make this Empire grander than anything our forefathers dreamed of."

Again, Ron and Hermione surprised him when they knelt in front of him, the others quickly following.

"Sire," Hermione murmured, "it will be our privilege."

As murmured agreements came from all around, Harry pretended not to notice the smug expressions his demons were sporting.

"To our future!"

"To our future!" the others echoed.


 

Notes:

A.N.: I know this is shorter than I usually write and I had another scene planned for it; however, after having a rough draft of it, I thought it would end on too big of a cliffhanger. So I ended it here and shifted the end scene to the middle of the next chapter. Works much better, I think.

I hope you enjoyed it :)

The next chapter should be out sometime in the middle of next month. Since I'm unemployed at the moment, I have a lot more time to write, so I should be able to post one new chapter every month.

Also, for those reading my other multi chapters, I will be updating Morning Star sometime tomorrow, and The Rise of Dark Lord this coming week. Just a couple of scenes left to write for it.

I hope you're all safe and healthy.

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