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beren_writesTitle: Defence, Pretence, Offence - Chapter 34/70 - The Universe Objects
Author: Beren (aka Tasha)
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: This story is canon compliant until the end of Order of the Phoenix and then goes AU. None of the HBP or Deathly Hallows plot will be used, or the Horcruxes for that matter since this story was planned before we knew the details about those things, and hence has it's own fanon. This includes birthdays and other information that have since been revealed on Pottermore and in further productions.
Summary: The threat of open war in on the horizon. The Order and the Ministry are of one accord and both know that where Harry Potter is, Voldemort will eventually be. Preparations are being made and this time the side of the light will not be caught unawares.
Summer classes, sabotage, revelations about Draco's father, teaching and the final showdown with Voldemort all await Harry and Draco in this exciting sequel to Gold Tinted Spectacles (LJ | AO3 | Wattpad).
Author's Notes: This is the second story in the Hecatemae universe. It starts up just after the end of the first instalment and I advice reading that one first so you understand the premise. Thanks go to my sister Sophie for the beta reading.
It has taken me 12 years to finally get around to finishing this, I very much hope everyone enjoys it.
Link to other parts: LJ | DW | AO3 | Wattpad
New chapters will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
It was mid afternoon and it wasn't their weekend to supervise the Hogsmeade visit, so Harry was using the time to catch up on his Quidditch reading. When he had told Draco that he had to be up on all the latest gossip because of his position as a flying teacher, his soulmate had laughed at him for a good two minutes straight. Draco just did not understand how important it was in case his students ever brought it up.
The major advantage of teaching a discipline like flying was that it involved no essays, at least not unless he was making a point. He was willing to help Draco mark his, but today his aid had been turned down. Which was why Draco was down in the Potions classroom and Harry was in their room. They could easily have been in the same place, but Draco had wanted to test something or other and Harry wanted to read in natural light.
The feeling started at the base of his spine and lanced upwards, daggering into his skull. He couldn't help it, he dropped the magazine he was reading onto the bed.
[Harry?] immediately came from Draco's direction.
[Sirius,] was all he replied.
The grating sensation always made his nerves feel raw, even though Harry was always glad to see his godfather.
"Now this looks posher," were the first words out of Sirius' mouth as he faded into existence.
"We've gone up in the world," Harry replied and smiled.
Pushing the reaction Sirius caused in him to the back of his mind, he stood up.
"What have I missed?" Sirius asked.
"Well Albus held summer classes," Harry said, "and trained up a good percentage of the students from fifth year and above. It's now the Autumn term and fifteen of us are Assistant Professors to the teaching staff."
"That's fantastic," Sirius said. "How on earth did Albus get the Ministry to agree to that?"
"I think he probably bribed and subtly threatened," Harry replied and grinned, "because Fudge is still a moron."
Sirius lifted his eyebrows.
"What did he do now?"
"Well, promise you won't try and do anything rash."
[He can be as rash as he likes,] came from Draco's direction and Harry realised he had managed to open the connection between them rather wide; [what can Fudge do to him anyway.]
[Oh, he'd try something.]
"I don't like the sound of this," Sirius said, "why do I have to promise?"
"Because sometimes you do things without thinking," Harry pointed out.
Sirius looked no more impressed.
"Promise or I'm not telling you."
Harry could play that game too.
"Okay," his godfather said, "I promise."
Sitting back down, Harry waited until Sirius folded into the chair.
"Well, we have no actual proof, but let's just say everyone involved believes it has Fudge's fingerprints all over it," Harry began. "One of the Aurors who was here for the summer classes wasn't actually really an Auror at all, he was an Unspeakable."
"But what would one of them want outside the Department of Mysteries?" Sirius asked.
"Seems there is a new section of their department that not even most of the other Unspeakables know about," Harry explained. "They're tasked with investigating what creates a dark lord and how to stop another rising."
"Which sounds perfectly reasonable," Sirius said, "but Fudge is involved so I'm guessing it was a disaster."
Harry nodded.
"Wait, what was the man doing at Hogwarts?" Sirius added.
"You get one guess who they thought might be another dark lord candidate," Draco said as he walked through the door.
Harry did some mental calculations and tried to work out how on earth Draco had made it from the dungeons so quickly.
[Hogwarts likes me,] Draco said as Harry broadcast his confusion, [especially when it has to do with you.]
"Not you," Sirius said staring at Draco.
"No, even more ridiculous," Draco said and indicated Harry. "By the way, hello, Sirius."
"Hello, Draco," Sirius replied, "nice to see you again. You have to be joking, they seriously thought Harry is a dark lord in waiting?"
"Not only that," Draco said and Harry knew what was coming because Draco was never, ever going to forgive Fitzsimons and his superiors for what had happened, "they were testing him."
Sirius sat forward in his chair, all but radiating anger.
"They did what?"
"Fitzsimons set up little accidents in the classes to see what Harry would do," Draco said. "Of course Harry saved the day every time, but he had to endanger himself every single time. One of them was a shrinking shield around Remus."
Harry didn't even see Sirius move, he just kind of shimmered and he was on his feet.
"Fitzsimons as in Reginald Fitzsimons, dark hair, pompous ass?" Sirius demanded.
"Yes," Draco said.
"I already have a bone to pick with him," Sirius said, "he was one of the investigators in my case."
Now that was something Harry had not known.
"I'll make him wish he had never been born," Sirius continued.
"No you won't," Harry said very quickly. "Merlin knows what he worked on before he was sent on this errand for Fudge; he could have been in the Death Chamber. You promised not to do anything rash."
Sirius opened his mouth to object, breathing loudly through his nose, which given he wasn't really alive definitely made a point. Then he deflated a little.
"Argh," Sirius said and sat back down again. "The weasel would deserve it."
"Maybe," Harry said, "but he's in St Mungo's in psychiatric ward under guard. He's perfectly sane, but we can't do anything about it yet. We'll get him and we'll get Fudge, but legally."
"I thought you were a Gryffindor," Sirius complained.
"I am," Harry replied, "but I'm bonded to a Slytherin so occasionally I think things through. Albus has his eye on the whole thing and he's angry about it, so it won't just be swept under the rug. We've got a war to win first though."
"And what do you say?" Sirius asked Draco.
"Bury the body where no one will find it," Draco replied with one of his most evil smiles, "but Harry won't let me."
"Merlin save me from over protective, homicidal family," Harry said and threw his arms in the air.
Draco and Sirius just shared a grin. Harry really pitied anyone who went up against his soulmate and his godfather.
* * *
Harry tended to be somewhat pensive after Sirius visits, but Draco could tell that his lover was even more thoughtful than usual. The joy at seeing and being able to interact with his godfather was always clear in Harry; it burnt very brightly as far as Draco was concerned, but something had been bothering Harry this time, from almost the moment Sirius had arrived.
"It's not right," Harry finally said and turned to him as he changed for dinner.
"What's not?" Draco asked, fully aware that Harry would probably need leading through his thought process about this to be able to explain it.
"Sirius," Harry replied with a small frown, "the way he is. It's not right."
Draco stopped undoing his shirt and walked over to sit down next to his soulmate.
"It's never been right, Harry," he pointed out, taking Harry's hand and holding it gently.
When it came to Sirius, Draco liked to make very sure Harry knew he was there for him.
"But it's worse," Harry told him, the frown deepening. "I can shut a lot of it out now, but now it's worse. It's like the universe knows he shouldn't be like that and it keeps shouting louder and louder about it."
That did not sound good.
"How much worse?" he asked, needing to understand.
He could feel Harry's mind working and he thought about just opening up to find out what was going through his lover's head, but then Harry opened his mouth and began to speak.
"It's hard to explain," Harry said, unconsciously squeezing his hand a little; "it's not much more, but I still know that it is. I can sense it. I think we have to try and fix him."
That was not quite what Draco was expecting, but he realised he should have expected it; when Harry saw something was wrong, Harry always wanted to fix it.
"And you think you can?" he asked carefully, because when Harry set his mind to things there wasn't much Harry couldn't do, but Draco was not sure this would be possible.
"I don't know," Harry replied, looking down at the floor, "but I feel like I'm being asked to help."
Draco had experienced how Harry was connected to the universe first hand, but it was still something that only Harry truly understood and all he could do was believe his soulmate when Harry said such things.
"Harry," he said after a few moment thought, "have you considered that helping might mean sending Sirius to the other side properly?"
He felt a spike of shock from Harry and saw denial immediately flow through his soulmate's features, but as Harry went to speak Harry stopped himself. The frown that marred Harry's forehead was deep ridges that spoke of inner turmoil. Draco really didn't want to be the one suggesting what he was suggesting, but someone had to do it.
"I think it's more than that," Harry said eventually. "I don't know what it is, but I think there's something else, something I don't understand yet."
Once upon a time Draco would have scoffed at such a pronouncement, but now he simply accepted it.
* * *
Harry and Draco had rooted through the library for some time on Sunday, but there had been nothing that stood out to help with Sirius's dilemma. He would have asked Hermione, but she had been away visiting her parents for the weekend and, by Monday, they were all busy with work. It wasn't until their usual weekly meeting with Hilde that Harry thought about it again.
"It's cold out tonight," Hilde said as she breezed into their usual meeting room. "I think there could be a really early frost this year."
"You do have to wonder why the Founders picked Scotland," Draco commented. "A nice spot in Cornwall would have been much warmer."
"True," Hilde agreed. "Anyway, how are you both this week?"
"We were fine until Saturday," Harry said.
"Oh," Hide said, sobering immediately, "what happened?"
"Sirius visited," Draco revealed.
"And this caused issues?" Hilde asked.
"Nothing new," Harry admitted, "but it's the feeling of wrongness, it's growing. I don't think it can go on."
"How so?"
Harry sat down and frowned as he thought about it.
"It's nothing I can put my finger on. I've known that Sirius being here is an offense against the natural order since the moment it first happened, that's why it had always affected me so badly, but it's still changing. I think every time he visits makes things worse."
"And you sense this, but it's not quantifiable?" Hilde asked.
Harry nodded, sometimes talking to her was so much easier than anyone but Draco because Hilde understood that a lot about him wasn't straightforward.
"Is there any precedent?" he asked. "Has anything like this happened before or is there anything about it in Hecatemae Law?"
"Well, now that you mention it," Hilde said and immediately had both of their attentions.
"It has happened before?" Harry asked.
"You remember we talked about Primrose Bluebottle, the Hecatema who's area of study might have been useful for this problem, but most of the information on her has been lost?" Hilde said.
Harry nodded, he remembered that conversation all too clearly. It had been a low point of the whole Sirius situation.
"Well I think it may not all be as lost as I thought," Hilde told them. "I found another reference. I believe there may be more information out there, she is just one of those my department hasn't got round to investigating yet."
"What did the reference say?" Draco asked for, sitting down next to Harry.
"For a time she studied the Industriamorphius Curse," Hilde said.
"I've never heard of that," Draco said, which made Harry glad because, for once, he wasn't the only one in the room who was unfamiliar with something.
"Not many have," Hilde replied, "and how it is done is lost in time. We have records it existed mainly because of Primrose and we didn't have the name until I dug a little deeper. The curse is said to have been able to transfigure a body from matter to energy and then transfer that energy from one plain of existence to another, essentially from life to death."
"The veil," Harry whispered.
"My thoughts exactly," Hilde said with a nod. "From what little information I have been able to dig up, Primrose studied the mechanisms of the curse to see if it was possible to undo it."
"And what did she find?" Draco asked.
"We don't know."
That was not what Harry wanted to hear.
"Lost to time as well?" he asked.
Hilde nodded.
Draco put his hand out and took Harry's, giving him a comforting look.
[The information may be somewhere,] Draco said, [don't give up hope.]
Harry inclined his head a little, but he was fed up of coming so close and then finding out someone somewhere had lost something.
"Did you find anything else?" Draco asked.
"A little, and I will keep on looking," Hilde said. "I'll have everything I have copied and sent over as soon as I get back."
At least there was that much. Harry could only hope they would find more.
Author: Beren (aka Tasha)
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: This story is canon compliant until the end of Order of the Phoenix and then goes AU. None of the HBP or Deathly Hallows plot will be used, or the Horcruxes for that matter since this story was planned before we knew the details about those things, and hence has it's own fanon. This includes birthdays and other information that have since been revealed on Pottermore and in further productions.
Summary: The threat of open war in on the horizon. The Order and the Ministry are of one accord and both know that where Harry Potter is, Voldemort will eventually be. Preparations are being made and this time the side of the light will not be caught unawares.
Summer classes, sabotage, revelations about Draco's father, teaching and the final showdown with Voldemort all await Harry and Draco in this exciting sequel to Gold Tinted Spectacles (LJ | AO3 | Wattpad).
Author's Notes: This is the second story in the Hecatemae universe. It starts up just after the end of the first instalment and I advice reading that one first so you understand the premise. Thanks go to my sister Sophie for the beta reading.
It has taken me 12 years to finally get around to finishing this, I very much hope everyone enjoys it.
Link to other parts: LJ | DW | AO3 | Wattpad
New chapters will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
It was mid afternoon and it wasn't their weekend to supervise the Hogsmeade visit, so Harry was using the time to catch up on his Quidditch reading. When he had told Draco that he had to be up on all the latest gossip because of his position as a flying teacher, his soulmate had laughed at him for a good two minutes straight. Draco just did not understand how important it was in case his students ever brought it up.
The major advantage of teaching a discipline like flying was that it involved no essays, at least not unless he was making a point. He was willing to help Draco mark his, but today his aid had been turned down. Which was why Draco was down in the Potions classroom and Harry was in their room. They could easily have been in the same place, but Draco had wanted to test something or other and Harry wanted to read in natural light.
The feeling started at the base of his spine and lanced upwards, daggering into his skull. He couldn't help it, he dropped the magazine he was reading onto the bed.
[Harry?] immediately came from Draco's direction.
[Sirius,] was all he replied.
The grating sensation always made his nerves feel raw, even though Harry was always glad to see his godfather.
"Now this looks posher," were the first words out of Sirius' mouth as he faded into existence.
"We've gone up in the world," Harry replied and smiled.
Pushing the reaction Sirius caused in him to the back of his mind, he stood up.
"What have I missed?" Sirius asked.
"Well Albus held summer classes," Harry said, "and trained up a good percentage of the students from fifth year and above. It's now the Autumn term and fifteen of us are Assistant Professors to the teaching staff."
"That's fantastic," Sirius said. "How on earth did Albus get the Ministry to agree to that?"
"I think he probably bribed and subtly threatened," Harry replied and grinned, "because Fudge is still a moron."
Sirius lifted his eyebrows.
"What did he do now?"
"Well, promise you won't try and do anything rash."
[He can be as rash as he likes,] came from Draco's direction and Harry realised he had managed to open the connection between them rather wide; [what can Fudge do to him anyway.]
[Oh, he'd try something.]
"I don't like the sound of this," Sirius said, "why do I have to promise?"
"Because sometimes you do things without thinking," Harry pointed out.
Sirius looked no more impressed.
"Promise or I'm not telling you."
Harry could play that game too.
"Okay," his godfather said, "I promise."
Sitting back down, Harry waited until Sirius folded into the chair.
"Well, we have no actual proof, but let's just say everyone involved believes it has Fudge's fingerprints all over it," Harry began. "One of the Aurors who was here for the summer classes wasn't actually really an Auror at all, he was an Unspeakable."
"But what would one of them want outside the Department of Mysteries?" Sirius asked.
"Seems there is a new section of their department that not even most of the other Unspeakables know about," Harry explained. "They're tasked with investigating what creates a dark lord and how to stop another rising."
"Which sounds perfectly reasonable," Sirius said, "but Fudge is involved so I'm guessing it was a disaster."
Harry nodded.
"Wait, what was the man doing at Hogwarts?" Sirius added.
"You get one guess who they thought might be another dark lord candidate," Draco said as he walked through the door.
Harry did some mental calculations and tried to work out how on earth Draco had made it from the dungeons so quickly.
[Hogwarts likes me,] Draco said as Harry broadcast his confusion, [especially when it has to do with you.]
"Not you," Sirius said staring at Draco.
"No, even more ridiculous," Draco said and indicated Harry. "By the way, hello, Sirius."
"Hello, Draco," Sirius replied, "nice to see you again. You have to be joking, they seriously thought Harry is a dark lord in waiting?"
"Not only that," Draco said and Harry knew what was coming because Draco was never, ever going to forgive Fitzsimons and his superiors for what had happened, "they were testing him."
Sirius sat forward in his chair, all but radiating anger.
"They did what?"
"Fitzsimons set up little accidents in the classes to see what Harry would do," Draco said. "Of course Harry saved the day every time, but he had to endanger himself every single time. One of them was a shrinking shield around Remus."
Harry didn't even see Sirius move, he just kind of shimmered and he was on his feet.
"Fitzsimons as in Reginald Fitzsimons, dark hair, pompous ass?" Sirius demanded.
"Yes," Draco said.
"I already have a bone to pick with him," Sirius said, "he was one of the investigators in my case."
Now that was something Harry had not known.
"I'll make him wish he had never been born," Sirius continued.
"No you won't," Harry said very quickly. "Merlin knows what he worked on before he was sent on this errand for Fudge; he could have been in the Death Chamber. You promised not to do anything rash."
Sirius opened his mouth to object, breathing loudly through his nose, which given he wasn't really alive definitely made a point. Then he deflated a little.
"Argh," Sirius said and sat back down again. "The weasel would deserve it."
"Maybe," Harry said, "but he's in St Mungo's in psychiatric ward under guard. He's perfectly sane, but we can't do anything about it yet. We'll get him and we'll get Fudge, but legally."
"I thought you were a Gryffindor," Sirius complained.
"I am," Harry replied, "but I'm bonded to a Slytherin so occasionally I think things through. Albus has his eye on the whole thing and he's angry about it, so it won't just be swept under the rug. We've got a war to win first though."
"And what do you say?" Sirius asked Draco.
"Bury the body where no one will find it," Draco replied with one of his most evil smiles, "but Harry won't let me."
"Merlin save me from over protective, homicidal family," Harry said and threw his arms in the air.
Draco and Sirius just shared a grin. Harry really pitied anyone who went up against his soulmate and his godfather.
* * *
Harry tended to be somewhat pensive after Sirius visits, but Draco could tell that his lover was even more thoughtful than usual. The joy at seeing and being able to interact with his godfather was always clear in Harry; it burnt very brightly as far as Draco was concerned, but something had been bothering Harry this time, from almost the moment Sirius had arrived.
"It's not right," Harry finally said and turned to him as he changed for dinner.
"What's not?" Draco asked, fully aware that Harry would probably need leading through his thought process about this to be able to explain it.
"Sirius," Harry replied with a small frown, "the way he is. It's not right."
Draco stopped undoing his shirt and walked over to sit down next to his soulmate.
"It's never been right, Harry," he pointed out, taking Harry's hand and holding it gently.
When it came to Sirius, Draco liked to make very sure Harry knew he was there for him.
"But it's worse," Harry told him, the frown deepening. "I can shut a lot of it out now, but now it's worse. It's like the universe knows he shouldn't be like that and it keeps shouting louder and louder about it."
That did not sound good.
"How much worse?" he asked, needing to understand.
He could feel Harry's mind working and he thought about just opening up to find out what was going through his lover's head, but then Harry opened his mouth and began to speak.
"It's hard to explain," Harry said, unconsciously squeezing his hand a little; "it's not much more, but I still know that it is. I can sense it. I think we have to try and fix him."
That was not quite what Draco was expecting, but he realised he should have expected it; when Harry saw something was wrong, Harry always wanted to fix it.
"And you think you can?" he asked carefully, because when Harry set his mind to things there wasn't much Harry couldn't do, but Draco was not sure this would be possible.
"I don't know," Harry replied, looking down at the floor, "but I feel like I'm being asked to help."
Draco had experienced how Harry was connected to the universe first hand, but it was still something that only Harry truly understood and all he could do was believe his soulmate when Harry said such things.
"Harry," he said after a few moment thought, "have you considered that helping might mean sending Sirius to the other side properly?"
He felt a spike of shock from Harry and saw denial immediately flow through his soulmate's features, but as Harry went to speak Harry stopped himself. The frown that marred Harry's forehead was deep ridges that spoke of inner turmoil. Draco really didn't want to be the one suggesting what he was suggesting, but someone had to do it.
"I think it's more than that," Harry said eventually. "I don't know what it is, but I think there's something else, something I don't understand yet."
Once upon a time Draco would have scoffed at such a pronouncement, but now he simply accepted it.
* * *
Harry and Draco had rooted through the library for some time on Sunday, but there had been nothing that stood out to help with Sirius's dilemma. He would have asked Hermione, but she had been away visiting her parents for the weekend and, by Monday, they were all busy with work. It wasn't until their usual weekly meeting with Hilde that Harry thought about it again.
"It's cold out tonight," Hilde said as she breezed into their usual meeting room. "I think there could be a really early frost this year."
"You do have to wonder why the Founders picked Scotland," Draco commented. "A nice spot in Cornwall would have been much warmer."
"True," Hilde agreed. "Anyway, how are you both this week?"
"We were fine until Saturday," Harry said.
"Oh," Hide said, sobering immediately, "what happened?"
"Sirius visited," Draco revealed.
"And this caused issues?" Hilde asked.
"Nothing new," Harry admitted, "but it's the feeling of wrongness, it's growing. I don't think it can go on."
"How so?"
Harry sat down and frowned as he thought about it.
"It's nothing I can put my finger on. I've known that Sirius being here is an offense against the natural order since the moment it first happened, that's why it had always affected me so badly, but it's still changing. I think every time he visits makes things worse."
"And you sense this, but it's not quantifiable?" Hilde asked.
Harry nodded, sometimes talking to her was so much easier than anyone but Draco because Hilde understood that a lot about him wasn't straightforward.
"Is there any precedent?" he asked. "Has anything like this happened before or is there anything about it in Hecatemae Law?"
"Well, now that you mention it," Hilde said and immediately had both of their attentions.
"It has happened before?" Harry asked.
"You remember we talked about Primrose Bluebottle, the Hecatema who's area of study might have been useful for this problem, but most of the information on her has been lost?" Hilde said.
Harry nodded, he remembered that conversation all too clearly. It had been a low point of the whole Sirius situation.
"Well I think it may not all be as lost as I thought," Hilde told them. "I found another reference. I believe there may be more information out there, she is just one of those my department hasn't got round to investigating yet."
"What did the reference say?" Draco asked for, sitting down next to Harry.
"For a time she studied the Industriamorphius Curse," Hilde said.
"I've never heard of that," Draco said, which made Harry glad because, for once, he wasn't the only one in the room who was unfamiliar with something.
"Not many have," Hilde replied, "and how it is done is lost in time. We have records it existed mainly because of Primrose and we didn't have the name until I dug a little deeper. The curse is said to have been able to transfigure a body from matter to energy and then transfer that energy from one plain of existence to another, essentially from life to death."
"The veil," Harry whispered.
"My thoughts exactly," Hilde said with a nod. "From what little information I have been able to dig up, Primrose studied the mechanisms of the curse to see if it was possible to undo it."
"And what did she find?" Draco asked.
"We don't know."
That was not what Harry wanted to hear.
"Lost to time as well?" he asked.
Hilde nodded.
Draco put his hand out and took Harry's, giving him a comforting look.
[The information may be somewhere,] Draco said, [don't give up hope.]
Harry inclined his head a little, but he was fed up of coming so close and then finding out someone somewhere had lost something.
"Did you find anything else?" Draco asked.
"A little, and I will keep on looking," Hilde said. "I'll have everything I have copied and sent over as soon as I get back."
At least there was that much. Harry could only hope they would find more.
