- Timeskip: 2 Weeks Later -
France was absolutely beautiful in the summertime. The weather was warm and the sun bright, with beautiful blue skies and white puffy clouds that made it all seem as if it was taken right out of a painting.
Harry loved being in the country; it was such a nice reprieve from the dreary weather in Britain. He hadn't really noticed it while they were at Hogwarts, but after coming back to France, Fleur was noticeably more vibrant and happier as she wore dresses and lighter clothing instead of thick jackets and sweaters.
Because of how nice it was, they were going out every day to open markets and trying locale cuisines that Fleur recommended.
After being in France for a week, Apolline and Jacques helped them search for their first house together. It had taken some work, but they eventually found a small two-bedroom home by the beach, and Harry went ahead and used his Tri-Wizard Tournament winnings to purchase the property.
Something which Fleur thought to be totally romantic. And the moment her parents had left the house, Fleur had pounced on him and proceeded to christen the front-entry, living room, and hallway, before they both finally passed out in the main bedroom from exhaustion.
The next morning, Harry had to take a Pain-Reliever potion just to keep his groin from aching so badly. Whereas Fleur walked around as if she was glowing, though with a very noticeable limp. Something she took immense pride in, if the smirks she kept sending him were anything to go by.
It wasn't until their third week in France that things took a turn.
- Open Market, France -
"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Harry asked, glancing at a few fresh vegetables that were on sale. Thanks to the warmer weather, he had gone with a nice pair of shorts and a white long-sleeve button-up that had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
It was a style that he would have had very little chance to use in Britain's constant rain, and Fleur had patiently waited until they moved into their new home before dragging him off to one of her family's stores. The entire day spent buying a whole new wardrobe for him that worked with the new climate.
Fleur, dressed in a beautiful light-blue sundress with her white-gold hair in a braid, reached down to look at the price of some fresh salmon while holding hands with him.
"What about Salmon en Papillote?" She offered. Because of their closeness to the sea, many of the dishes Harry now ate involved some type of fish. It hadn't been his first choice, but the taste grew on him the more he tried it.
"Sounds good to me. Want to get us a bottle of wine that goes with it?" He asked with a grin, knowing that she loved a bit of wine with dinner.
"Oui!" She gasped excitedly, leaning in to kiss his cheek before letting go of his hand to race over to a shop nearby that sold her favorite wine.
Chuckling at her excitement, Harry bought the rest of the ingredients needed to make the dish before heading over to the wine shop, spotting her white-gold hair moving inside the front window. Before he could call out to her, his Animagus's danger sense went off, causing him to look around in a panic.
Suddenly, terrified screams filled the air as several pops of Apparition went off.
Turning to where the screams came from, Harry noticed several black-robed individuals with gleaming silver masks throwing spells wildly around the area. 'Death Eaters! What are they doing in France?' He thought.
Drawing his ebony wand, Harry used the nearby crates and items from the stalls to Transfigure a few small lions. It was the same spell Minerva used on the Dursleys so long ago, and when he had finished with his Sixth-year classes, she had taken him aside to teach it to him.
His lion Transfigurations were nowhere near as detailed as Minerva could make, but they worked perfectly as he sent them running at the Death Eaters. Glancing at the small fruits and vegetables nearby, he cast Avifors, turning them into eagles that he had focus on their masked faces. The smaller birds blocked the Death Eaters' sight of the approaching lions, causing the first few to be bitten before the others started assisting.
From over his shoulder, Fleur came running over to his position, throwing several curses at the Death Eaters who were trying unsuccessfully to get rid of his Transfigurations. Some of her spells got through their defenses as Banishing charms sent several flying into walls and getting knocked unconscious, while others lost arms and fingers to her Cutting curses.
Harry smirked at the ruthlessness of his girlfriend.
Had he been back in Britain, people would have been upset at the deadly tactics she was using. But here in France…they had suffered and struggled against revolutions and world wars that destroyed their homeland and killed enough of their people that the French became far less hesitance in striking back just as hard.
Amidst the chaos, one of the Death Eaters spotted Harry before calling out. "There he is! There's Potter! Get him!"
The shout signaled his comrades to turn their wands towards Harry, sending sickly-green jets of light flying in their direction. The one that shouted cast Morsmordre, conjuring the Dark Mark in the sky before joining the others.
Keeping behind cover, Harry watched as their momentary distraction allowed his Transfigurations to get past their defenses and start brutalizing them. His lions biting several legs and arms off, while one bit the neck of a Death Eater as he struggled to get up from being knocked down by Fleur's Banisher.
Suddenly, the sounds of several more pops filled the air as French Aurors, dressed in padded blue robes, descended on the area.
The fight quickly turned one-sided as the far more experienced Aurors quickly took down the Death Eaters with lethal precision. It seemed that the Death Eaters were too used to British Aurors tendency to use Stunners, and were left woefully unprepared for the Blasting and Cutting curses that ravaged their numbers.
Within minutes, all of the Death Eaters were bound and stunned, or dead. A team of Obliviators arriving on the scene moments later to begin erasing the memories of any non-magical in the area.
One of the Aurors came over to Harry and Fleur as they picked their bags up off the ground. "Thank you both for your help today. I suggest you get home quickly in case another attack happens." He said, though his eyes kept glancing at Fleur, struggling against her passive allure.
"We will, thank you." Fleur replied, picking up the bag of wine bottles she purchased, before taking Harry's hand and Apparating them back to their house. They needed to get in touch with her father immediately and find out what the hell was going on.
…
"Are you both alright?" Apolline asked worriedly, pulling them into a hug before checking for any wounds. Satisfied that they seemed to be alright, she stepped back to allow Gabrielle a chance to hug them.
Jacques had a similarly worried look, though he stayed back and allowed his wife to do the fretting while he asked for clarification. "You're sure that they were Death Eaters?"
"Yes Papa." Fleur replied, hugging her little sister's body tightly. "The silver masks were unmistakable, as was the Dark Mark in the sky."
Jacques went silent at that, his brow wrinkled as he thought over the new information. The others waited quietly for him to gather his thoughts before speaking. "This is…troubling. The Death Eaters were never as bold, or as foolish, to attack beyond British borders. If they're trying to target you, Harry, then they must be desperate." He thought out loud, drawing a surprised look from Harry and his family.
"Desperate, sir?" Harry asked, wondering what made him think that.
"Yes," He nodded, "My sources tell me that the Pureblood Faction is no longer backing Voldemort. Which means that he will have less forces on his side to take over Britain, than he had during Britain's Civil Blood War. If he wants to regain his numbers and his image, he'll need to get rid of anyone that stands in the way."
Locking eyes with Harry, he continued. "Your defeat of him as a child sullied his image, and he will want to kill you if he wishes to ever have a chance of regaining his former glory."
Harry sighed in frustration, even in France he couldn't escape the problems of Britain. "So, he'll come after me again?"
"Not for a while." Jacques refuted, drawing a surprised look from Harry. "As I said, he has far less support than he did before. If he sent them after you here, then it was a desperate gamble to take you out early…And that gamble has cost him dearly."
"What do you mean, Papa?" Fleur asked, looking just as confused as Harry felt.
"Many were concerned about a Dark Lord potentially taking control of a Magical community, but they could not act by ICW law unless the Civil Blood War spilled over into another community's territory." That wasn't new information to Harry, but he kept quiet as Jacques continued.
"By attacking Harry here in France, he has crossed beyond British borders and opened our country to their Civil Blood War. Now, France may involve themselves in it, and the British Ministry cannot stop us this time." Jacques grinned, and for good reason. The British Ministry, despite its new stance and revamping of its Aurors, was still lacking enough of its Aurors to stand up to a full attack from a Dark Lord.
France, meanwhile, still has one of the largest numbers of Aurors in all of the magical communities. Helped by the country's positive attitude towards those that take on the job, and the meticulous work ethic that the French Aurors employ in keeping the country safe.
Before Jacques could continue, an owl flew in through the open window. Landing on a side-table, it stuck out the letter attached to its leg at Harry.
Everyone watched curiously as he untied the letter before opening it.
"Harry,
If the news hasn't yet reached France, then you should know that Voldemort has attacked Azkaban.
The Aurors were quickly overrun, and a call was sent out for additional help.
There's not easy way to say this... Sirius and several others responded to the call.
When they got there, the freed prisoners attacked them…
Sirius was killed during their escape.
An emergency session has been called to discuss the breakout.
You're to be present at the Wizengamot within a week's time, as the new Lord of House Black.
My deepest condolences on your loss.
-Albus Dumbledore"
"'Arry? What's wrong?" Fleur asked tentatively, seeing the look of shock and sadness as he reread the letter multiple times.
"I-It's Sirius…" Harry replied, shocked at what he just read, "Voldemort attacked Azkaban, and freed the Death Eaters inside."
That shocked the Delacours. Despite the loss of the Dementors, Azkaban was still considered to be one of the most secure locations in the world, with its harsh terrain and the magically resistant walls.
"Sirius and a few others tried to help stop them…But he was killed." Part of Harry always knew that Sirius was going to die. The man only had another year at most before the damage to his soul from the Dementors killed him, but still…this was far sooner than he thought.
Fleur quickly wrapped her arms around him the second his words reached her ears. Despite the little time he had spent with Sirius, Harry was still connected to the man, and she knew that Sirius's death would have some effect on him.
As Apolline and Gabrielle came over to hug him, Jacques stayed back ponder the recent development. 'If Voldemort has released the Death Eaters that were locked up, then the numbers he has at his disposal will have risen dramatically…France will need to step in soon, if we hope to stop Voldemort from taking advantage of his new-found strength.'
Waiting until things settled down with Harry, Jacques went over to the Floo. He had a few calls to make.
- Timeskip: One Week Later -
Voldemort hadn't waited long to make use of his larger numbers. A day after he broke them out of Azkaban, the newly-freed Death Eaters went on raids into non-magical communities; killing, burning, and raping at their leisure as the Dark Mark lit up the night sky.
The Daily Prophet was having a tough time trying to cover everything that was happening. Barely able to finish one story of an attack, before another one would pop up somewhere else. The number of attacks were unbelievable, and the Death Eaters were using their old hit-and-run tactics to great effect, disappeared before any of the British Aurors could stop them and leaving ruins in their wake.
Because of this, trying to get a Portkey back to Britain took Harry almost a whole week. There were now several restrictions placed on any travel to and from the country by the ICW, and it was only after several letters and a personal word from Jacques that the French Ministry allowed Harry to travel to Britain.
He had been shocked to see the state of the country upon his return. Many of the shops in Diagon Alley were either boarded up and sold, or closed down until further notice. Some of the shops, like Ollivander's, kept their doors open for anyone who needed their services, but there were very few that did.
People walking the nearly vacant streets kept looking over their shoulders and moving quickly between the shops that were still open, trying to keep behind cover in case of another Death Eater attack. Even the streets where people lived, like the one where Harry's apartment was, seemed eerily quiet from the lack of people.
Panic was beginning to set in for many in the British magical community, and the question on everyone's mind was what the British Ministry would do about it.
…
"What is the DMLE doing about this situation?" Lord Nott demanded, standing up from his seat in outrage. All around the room, other Lords and Ladies added their own voices to his question.
Harry sat in the seat of House Black, feeling like the odd one out in the room, surrounded by others who were at least twenty years his senior.
Unlike the larger chambers that had room for the Heads of the Ministry's other departments and the press, this one was smaller and meant specifically for the highest members of British Society, the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
Around him, the Pureblood Faction glanced at his seat with disgust, having to tolerate his presence amongst their group. Because the Black family had been on their side up until his and Sirius's appointment, the seat was put near the middle of the Faction. And Harry had to hold in a flinch the first time he spotted the seat, and Lucius Malfoy sitting in the Malfoy House seat next to it.
On the other side of the room, there were startling few members that weren't part of the Pureblood Faction. Many of them having been killed off in the last Civil Blood War.
The only ones left were the Abbotts, Longbottoms, Ollivanders, Prewitts, Shacklebolts, and Weasleys. The Prewitt seat sat empty as their vote was given to Arthur Weasley, who voted in place of his wife Molly Weasley (nee Prewitt).
All of whom seemed to follow and make their decisions based on Dumbledore's own, who stood behind a podium in the middle of the chamber, moderating the discussion. Unfortunately, even they were voicing the same thoughts as Lord Nott was, demanding for more action on the Ministry's part.
"The DMLE is doing everything they can to find You-Know-Who and his followers. Without new recruits, the Aurors are stretched thin dealing with the numerous attacks." Dumbledore spoke up.
"And whose fault is that?" Lucius added, standing up from his seat next to Harry. "The Auror department cannot get new recruits, if Hogwarts doesn't pass more students with the necessary N.E.W.T. grades." The question was a jab straight at Dumbledore, and everyone knew it.
Severus Snape had refused to allow anyone who hadn't gotten an 'O' on their O.W.L.s into his N.E.W.T. Potions class. But because of his lack of teaching, it was nearly impossible for anyone to get an 'O'. The only ones who got the necessary grades, were pure-blood heirs that had private tutoring from professionals that their families hired.
And none of the heirs were ever going to get a job as an Auror, believing it to be beneath most of them. Kingsley Shacklebolt was the only member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight to become an Auror in the last century. Besides Frank Longbottom, who remained a permanent resident of the Janus Thickey Ward for Irrevocable Spell Damage at St. Mungo's.
"And now we hear that the French Ministry is getting involved! Their Aurors already making their way across the sea and into our country!" Lord Greengrass spoke up from a few seats to Harry's right, his tone clearly disgusted and outraged at the thought of outsiders coming into Britain. The sentiment was shared by every Pureblood Faction member around him, who began shouting their disapproval as well.
Dumbledore banged his gavel, calling for silence in the chamber before he spoke. "That is because the Death Eaters were found attacking a market in France, the Dark Mark on their arms and in the sky proving that they are members of You-Know-Who's followers." Several of the Lords and Ladies who knew what happened, glanced at Harry from their seats.
"By attacking a sovereign nation, and by ICW law, the Death Eaters have allowed France to legally involve themselves in our war."
That didn't sit well with many in the chamber, and similar arguments and statements were shouted or thrown around before Dumbledore finally called an end to the meeting. It was ultimately decided that there was nothing they could do to keep the French Aurors out, and they would just have to work alongside the French Ministry in dealing with the Death Eaters.
…
After the meeting, Dumbledore pulled Harry aside to speak with him privately, now that everything had calmed down.
"How are you, Harry?" He asked kindly, referring to Sirius's untimely passing and Harry's elevation to Lordship.
"I'm okay…" Harry replied, shrugging for lack of an adequate response. The ridiculous robes he had to wear scrapping against the floor with the movement. "It's…a lot to handle so quickly." Even with Sirius's lesson on being a Lord, it was something else entirely to be sitting in that chamber, making decisions that would affect all of magical Britain.
"Yes," Dumbledore chuckled, "It can be quite overwhelming the first time. Though you handled yourself quite well in there, despite the situation." Harry accepted the praise with a smile and a nod.
Thinking it over for a moment, Harry spoke up, asking the one question he had on his mind.
"What happened?"
Sighing, Dumbledore's shoulders dropped. "Voldemort planned two attacks that day…He sent part of his forces to attack you, while the other followed him onto the shores of Azkaban. Both were meant to happen at the same time, and provide two necessary victories for him to rally more followers to his cause."
"When the call for help came from the Aurors at Azkaban…Myself, and a group of likeminded individuals called the Order of the Phoenix, rushed to lend our support. Sirius, and your parents, where once members of that Order." Dumbledore stated, his eyes unfocused as he recalled what happened. The pain in his voice reminding Harry that, for all of his faults, Dumbledore was still a man that cared, just in his own way.
Pulling himself out of his memories, Dumbledore continued. "Voldemort and his forces had already broken through the Aurors defense, and the Death Eaters imprisoned were released before we could try and stop them. Sirius led a group against the newly freed prisoners, who had stolen the wands off the dead Aurors, while I led the others to challenge Voldemort."
"I'm told the battle between the two groups was fierce, and Sirius had managed to strike down his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, before her husband Rodolphus killed him." Dumbledore finished, and it was a long moment before either of them spoke.
Harry sighed, smiling at the aged wizard. "Thank you for telling me."
Glancing down at his watch, he added. "I need to get going, the Goblins want to speak with me about Sirius's will."
"Of course." Dumbledore replied. "If you ever wish to talk…whether about Sirius, your parents, or anything else…know that my door is always open at Hogwarts for a chat."
With a parting goodbye, Harry quickly left the Ministry, removing the formal robes he had to wear to the Wizengamot and replacing them with something less ostentatious.
When he was all set, he made his way over to Gringotts, noticing the increased goblin presence guarding the bank.
- Gringotts Bank -
Making his way into the bank, passing through the massive bronze and silver doors leading into the marble room, Harry paused to take a look around.
It had been a while since he entered Gringotts, and he couldn't help remembering the first time he saw the place after arriving in the world of Harry Potter, walking through the doors with Minerva as she explained what Goblins even were.
Gringotts main lobby had once seemed lively, full of witches and wizards waiting in lines for one of the goblin tellers to speak with them. Now, the room had almost no witches or wizards in it. The few that were had hoods drawn over their heads and were glancing towards the entry doors, worried that another Death Eater attack might happen on the bank.
The goblins, however, acted as if nothing was wrong. Every high stool behind the long counter wrapping around the room was filled with a goblin counting Galleons or weighing precious gems on scales, and other goblins went rushing in and out of the many doors along the walls to bring more gems and Galleons to be counted and weighed.
Making his way over to one of the goblins sitting on a tool reading through a massive book, Harry glanced at the sign above to make sure it was the right one.
Inheritances & Account Managers
Waiting for the goblin to notice his presence, who seemed to take a great pleasure in ignoring him, Harry finally spoke up. "I'm here to speak with the Black Family Account Manager."
An annoyed sigh left the goblin, who shut the massive book before glaring up at him. "Name and Key."
Pulling out the Black Family vault key, Harry handed it to the goblin as he replied. "Harry Potter, Lord of the House of Black."
Reaching a small, clawed hand out, the goblin picked up the key and focused on it intently before placing it back down. "Very well."
Turning his head, he gave a single sharp nod towards one of the many doors lining the walls. "Door to your left. Take it down to the third door on your right. Manager's name is Bogrod." Without waiting to see if Harry understood, the goblin opened his book back up and continued reading.
Grabbing his key off the counter, Harry moved through the door and into a stone passageway lit with flaming torches. Counting the doors on his right to make sure it was the third one, Harry knocked once before opening it.
Inside, the room looked remarkably similar to the passageway. The walls looked to be carved completely out of stone, and the room was lit by several torches along the walls, casting shadows on the floor and on the face of the goblin who sat behind the single desk in the room.
Hearing the door close, the goblin spoke up. "Ah! Mr. Potter, you're finally here…good!" Waving a clawed hand at the single chair in front of his desk, he ordered. "Sit."
Following the order, Harry quietly settled into the uncomfortable seat as the manager started. "I'm Manager Bogrod, overseer of the Black Family accounts. As you are no-doubt aware…with the death of the previous Lord, Sirius Black, you have now been placed in charge of the Black Family as its new Lord."
Reaching into a drawer, Bogrod pulled out an old book with the Black Family coat of arms on the front. "This is the ledger for your families vault. Read it over carefully, and we can discuss a recent change in your family's assets."
Nodding silently, Harry started reading through the ledger, realizing that it contained a list of withdrawals from previous Lords of the House. The records dating all the way back to when the Vault was first purchased, and the first page had a magically updating list of everything contained in the Vault.
Total Stock of Black Family Vault:
Galleons: 529,814
Sickles: 817,336
Knuts: 445,920
Items:
Various suits of armor
Various paintings
Various gems (Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond)
Various trinkets and jewelry
'Well shit…looks like Fleur and I don't need to worry about money anymore.' Harry chuckled, staring at the unbelievable amount of money the Blacks had. He had been slowly using up the money that his parents left him, and recently started wondering if he might have to start selling the Founder's artifacts he had kept in the bottom of his ebony and silver trunk. Now, even his future children wouldn't have to worry about money.
He couldn't wait to tell Fleur. They both thought that the house they lived in now would work perfectly for the two of them. But they would eventually like to have kids, and that would require either expanding their current home, or buying a bigger one.
"As you can see, the Black Family has a considerable amount of assets. Even more so, with the recent additions yet to be added." Bogrod spoke up, drawing Harry's attention away from the ledger.
"What do you mean?"
Sighing at having to waste time explaining himself, Bogrod replied. "The marriage contract the Black Family had with the Lestrange Family stipulated in one of the clauses…that Bellatrix Black would be married to one of the Lestrange sons, and in return, the Lestrange Family would never raise up arms against the Black Family and its Lord. Should they do so, all contents of the Lestrange Vaults would be rendered forfeit to the Black Family."
Harry's eyes widened at that, already realizing where this was going.
Either not noticing, or outright ignoring Harry's look, Bogrod continued. "With the murder of Sirius Black at the hands of Rodolphus Lestrange, the contract has been breached, and the contents of the Lestrange Vaults are now yours to do with as you wish." Pulling out another book with the Lestrange coat of arms, he handed it over to Harry.
Total Stock of Lestrange Family Vault:
Galleons: 342,927
Sickles: 165,102
Knuts: 83,414
Items:
Various suits of armor
Various paintings
Various gems (Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby, and Diamond)
Various trinkets and jewelry
Items of Note:
(x1) Cup of Helga Hufflepuff
"Would you like to consolidate your new assets into the Black Family's Vault?" Bogrod asked, impatiently waiting for Harry to finish reading.
Blinking, Harry pulled himself away from the book. "Y-Yes." Glancing down at the book, he added. "I would also like to have the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff brought to me, and I'll pay the fee for an enchanted bag to secure it in."
Bogrod nodded once, getting up from his desk and leaving through the door Harry had entered. A few minutes later, he returned with a black bag in his hand. "The contents of the Lestrange Vault have been emptied and placed into the Black Vault, and here is the item you requested. The fee for the bag will be deducted from your Vault."
Grabbing the light-weight bag from him, Harry grinned. "Wonderful. I believe that will be all for now, Bogrod."
Getting a shooing gesture from the goblin, Harry exited the office without another word and returned to the main lobby before exiting the bank. He was partially surprised that Bogrod didn't comment on the Cup being a Horcrux.
Then again, the goblins didn't seem to notice or care when the Philosopher's Stone was kept in their vault, and that was worth their attention far more than a Horcrux.
Clutching the bag tightly in hand, he hurried back down the main cobblestone path of Diagon Alley, quickly reaching his apartment before locking and spelling shut the door. Moving into the kitchen, he grabbed a towel before opening the bag and reaching in. The gleam of gold shining in the sunlight once it left the depths of the black bag.
Gently placing it on the table, Harry put the towel down as he stared at the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, a small golden cup with two finely-wrought handles and a badger engraved on both sides.
Now that he had the Horcrux, he needed to wait for Fleur to get home before he could call on Death, remembering her wishes that Fleur would be there the next time he called on her. Fleur had decided to come with him back to Britain, but had gone to pick up some enchanted luggage to pack all of the belongings in Grimmauld Place that they wanted to take.
They had no real use for the house, and it's terrible condition meant there wasn't much point in trying to get it fixed up when it wouldn't even be used. The only things they really wanted to take were all of the books from the library, after getting rid of the curses on them of course.
…
It was an hour later when Harry heard the door open.
"I'm back!" Came the beautiful voice of his girlfriend, hearing the click of her heels against the wood floors as she moved into the living-room before unshrinking several trunks and placing them down next to the L-shaped couch. "How was the meeting?"She asked, gliding into the kitchen as he came over to kiss her.
Sighing into the kiss, Harry almost groaned at the gentle touch of her hand running through his hair after he pulled back. "A waste of time. It went nowhere, and devolved into just a bunch of shouting."
Fleur chuckled softly at his response, the gleam of gold on the countertop catching her attention. "What's that? Wait-…is it?"Glancing back at him, she gasped when he nodded. "How did you get it?"
It took a few minutes to explain everything, and she patiently waited and listed to everything before replying. "I'm sorry that Sirius is gone, but at least something good had come of it…Are you going to call her?" There was no need to ask who 'her' was, they both knew what she meant.
"I was waiting for you." Harry replied, getting a beautiful smile in reply before calling out, "Death…"
…
A familiar black portal opened up in the doorway blocking off the living-room as Death stepped out.
Her pale skin glowing like moon-light from the sun shine coming through the windows as her black robe lightly skimmed the wooden floors. A warm smile stretching across her black painted lips the only thing noticeable underneath the wide hood of her robe.
"Hello you two, it's been a while…" Death greeted, bringing her arms up to pull them into a three-way hug. The strands of her ebony-black locks, peeking from under the hood, tickling their skin. Glancing over their shoulders, she spotted the golden cup sitting on the counter. "Ah, another soul fragment. Wonderful!"
Breaking the hug to move around them, she picked up the cup before coating it in chilling black energy. "There, just one more to go." Smiling at them, happy to be so close to getting her hands on Voldemort's soul, she placed the cup back on the counter. "Well done!"
"Now…" Death continued, moving around the counter. "I believe you'll be wanting your reward, yes?" Getting two nods, she waved her hand at the portal. "They cannot stay for long, but I believe you deserve an opportunity to speak with them for once."
"Who?" Harry asked confused, glancing at the equally confused Fleur.
From the portal, a woman's voice answered for Death. "Us."
Surprised, Harry and Fleur turned towards the portal. Their eyes widened as they gasped at the sight of two people stepping out of it.
Smiling brightly at them were a man and a woman who looked very familiar to Harry.
The man had wind-swept black hair and circular glasses, dressed in jeans and a sweater. He had a roguish grin on his face and a proud look in his eye as he stared back at them. Harry knew immediately who he was, "Dad?"
Glancing at the woman next to him. Harry's eyes were drawn to her long red hair leading down to a blue dress and sweater. She was smiling lovingly back at Harry with pride and happiness in her eyes. Her emerald-green eyes identical to his own, shimmering with held-back tears. "Mom?"
Lily and James nodded, opening their arms as Harry practically launched himself at them.
"Oh, my sweet boy." Lily muttered, pulling him tightly into a hug as James wrapped his arms around them. "Look how much you've grown!" She gushed, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at the face of her grown son.
Harry felt a tear fall before he remembered, turning his body so that his parents could see Fleur standing there, watching everything next to Death with a gentle smile on her face. "Mom, Dad…I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Fleur. Fleur, these are my parents."
Lily let go of the hug to introduce herself. "It's nice to meet you, Fleur. I'm Lily, Harry's mom." She said, smiling brightly at the beautiful young witch.
"It's wonderful to meet you." Fleur replied, sticking out a hand to shake before her eye's widened as Lily pulled her into a hug.
"None of that, now." Lily replied warmly. "You're family, and that means you get a hug too."
…
It was a surreal moment for Harry as he watched his girlfriend and mom hug, talk, and laugh together at a joke Fleur told, no doubt joking about one of Harry's embarrassing moments.
Instead of being embarrassed by it, he smiled at the scene happily as his father put an arm around his shoulder.
"That's a wonderful young woman you've found, Harry." James praised, unbelievably happy that his son had found someone who loved him just as much as he loved her. If Lily was hitting it off with Fleur that easily, then the girl must be a good choice. Before he was even born, Lily was extremely picky about who she thought was worthy of being with Harry when he grew up.
"And who would have thought she'd be a Veela, too!" He praised, ruffling Harry's hair playfully. "I see you have an eye for beauty, just like your old man!" He boasted with a grin.
Father and son stared at each other for a moment before laughing heartily.
Waiting until his chuckling subsided, Harry asked. "You don't mind the fact that we can't have any sons? Or that I might be leaving Britain for good? It's possible that the Potter and Black families could end with me…"
Harry tried not to show it, but that thought worried him. Not knowing if his parents would be disappointed that he could be the last of both lines with the way things are looking in Britain, had been a concern for him. It's possible that, because his and Fleur's children being Veela, the Pureblood Faction might take action against a Lord of the Sacred Twenty-Eight having 'creatures' for a wife and children.
"Son, I couldn't care less if the Potter and Black lines ended today, tomorrow, or a year from now." James replied, a serious look on his face as he tried to get his point across. "All Lily and I care about, is that your happy…If that means moving to France to be with that young woman, then so be it. We will never think any less of you for it."
Turning and grabbing Harry by the shoulders, James smiled brightly. "We're so proud of you Harry, and nothing you do can ever change that." Without waiting for his reply, James pulled him into a tight hug.
"What your father said is true…" Lily spoke up, walking over to them with her arm around Fleur's shoulders. "We couldn't be happier for you two, and we support whatever decisions you both make." With that, Lily and Fleur pulled the two men in for a family hug.
Their happy moment was broken by a voice near them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but you both cannot stay amongst the living much longer. Your souls are already being called back to the afterlife." Death spoke up, her tone gentle and apologetic at ruining their moment.
Sighing, Lily and James nodded as they broke the hug.
"Then there's one last thing we need to talk about." Lily said, drawing a curious look from Harry and Fleur. "Voldemort."
Seeing the recognition dawn on them, Lily focused her attention on Harry. "The blood ritual I used to protect you still holds, Harry. No matter how hard he tries, Voldemort can never touch you, nor can he be touched by you. Use that to your advantage..."
"I will." Harry replied as he gave a determined nod, causing Lily to smile proudly at her son.
"And I'll make sure 'Arry doesn't hurt himself trying." Fleur teased, drawing a chuckle from Lily and James.
"Atta girl." Lily laughed, "You definitely picked a good one, Harry. Make sure not to let her go, you two are perfect for each other."
Harry pulled Fleur against his side as he kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't."
Seeing Death's look, Lily and James smiled sadly. "Looks like our time is up."
Letting go of Fleur to hug them, Harry felt another tear fall from his eye. "Mom…Dad…I love you both so much."
"We love you too." They replied, hugging him for a final time before letting go to hug Fleur. "Take care of our son." Lily asked, getting a soft "Of course." from her.
With that, Lily and James held hands as they walked back through the portal.
…
Staring at the portal where his parents disappeared through, Harry turned to Death, who watched him sadly. "I'm sorry, my love. They are no longer meant for this world, and I couldn't ke-MMPH!"
Her response was interrupted by Harry pulling her into a passionate kiss, knocking her wide hood bad.
His hands moved around to her back before pulling her body flush against his. Deepening the kiss, his tongue swirled with hers before pulling back to stare into her ebony eyes. "Thank you, Death."
"Y-You're welcome, my love." Death replied, panting with a flushed face as she tried to pulled herself together from the sudden kiss.
Fleur, watching it from the side, smirked as she teased. "Oh my, 'Arry. So passionate with another woman, and in front of your girlfriend too!"
Laughing softly at Harry's sudden blush, Death pulled Fleur against her body, smirking at the surprised look. "We wouldn't want you feeling left out…" Fleur's eyes widened as Death's soft lips crashed against hers, her tongue worming its way into Fleur's mouth to coax her into responding.
Harry watched it all wide-eyed, the moans coming from the gorgeous lip-locked women as their bodies rubbed together causing a sudden tightness in his pants. "Holy shit…" He breathed out.
Pulling back from the kiss, Death smirked at Fleur's dazed expression. "Indeed…You are quite the kisser, my darling."Turning her head, Death winked teasingly at the obviously aroused Harry.
Letting go of Fleur, Death waited until she came of her daze before continuing. "That is all the time I have. I cannot wait to see you both again." Stepping over to the portal, she turned back to wave. "See you soon, my dears."
With that, Death disappeared into the portal as the flushed Harry and Fleur looked at each other silently.
"Bedroom?" An incredibly horny Fleur asked her equally aroused boyfriend.
"Bedroom."