Draco entered the classroom silently and shut the door, smirking. "I have the blood test parchment," he told Harry, setting it down on the desk in front of him. "And the goblins want you to go to Gringotts as soon as possible after school ends, apparently they've been trying to reach you but something's been happening to the letters."
"Dumbledore," Harry said with a sigh. He pulled the paper closer to him. "I'm not exactly sure what to do."
"Put three drops of blood on the parchment," Draco instructed, sitting down across from him. "You don't mind if I stay, Potter?"
"We'll see," Harry mused, retrieving his potions dagger from his bag. He pricked his finger and carefully squeezed three drops onto the parchment.
Slowly, words began to form.
Blood Test for H.J.P.:
Name: Harry James Potter
Father: James Fleamont Potter
Mother: Lily Potter Née Evans
Godfathers: Sirius Lupin-Black (falsely accused, imprisoned) and Remus Lupin-Black (in hiding)
Godmothers: Andromeda Tonks Née Black and Alice Longbottom Née Fawley
Heir to:
Potter (paternal)
Evans (maternal)
Black (godfather/godmother/paternal)
Lupin (godfather)
Peverell (paternal)
Gryffindor (paternal)
Slytherin (conquest)
Ravenclaw (maternal)
Hufflepuff (maternal, adoption)
Hogwarts (paternal/maternal/conquest/adoption)
Lord to:
Potter
Evans
Peverell (third brother)
Gryffindor
Ravenclaw
Hufflepuff
Slytherin (conquest)
Hogwarts
CAUTION: BLOOD GLAMOR DETECTED
CAUTION: COMPULSIONS, BLOCKS, CONTROLLING POTIONS DETECTED
CAUTION: HORCRUX DETECTED
CAUTION: LOVE POTION DETECTED
Harry gaped down at the parchment, stunned into silence. After a while, Draco asked, "What's up, Potter?"
Silently, Harry pushed the parchment over to him, slightly dazed. He wasn't sure what to think....
Draco let out a loud sputtering noise a few moments later, and Harry looked up, confused. The blond stared at him in shock, before quickly collapsing to the floor and yelping, "My lord, I'm sorry-"
"Draco, what did you call me?" Harry demanded, appalled and confused. "And get up."
"You're the Heir and Lord of Hogwarts, my lord!" Draco stammered, staggering to his feet but keeping his head bowed. "You could do anything -- you could eject everyone from the school, hire new teachers, hire a new headmaster, fire the school governors-"
"Repeat that," Harry said slowly, a dark smile on his lips.
"You could fire the school governors, my lord," Draco said, frowning.
"No, the one before that."
"You could hire a new headma-" Draco cut himself off, his eyes widening. "You could get rid of Dumbledore..."
"Yes," Harry grinned. He paused as a thought occurred to him, and he scowled."Unfortunately I can't. If I do fire him, he'll be out of my sight, and as they say, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.' Draco, how many people will insist on calling me 'my lord' when they discover that I'm the Lord and Heir of Hogwarts?"
"Most of the students -- most of the Gryffindors, a lot of the Ravenclaws, and some of the Hufflepuffs won't like it -- and almost all the teachers, my lord," Draco responded nervously.
Harry took back the blood test and bit his lip thoughtfully. After a pause, he said, "I think you've earned the right to call me Harry, Draco. No need for this 'my lord' business."
"Yes, Harry," Draco replied at once. "Is there anything you need me to do?"
"Hmm. Not yet," Harry mused. "I do need to talk to my Demon twins, though... and my other helper... wait!" He snapped his fingers. "Fetch Snape for me."
Draco bowed in response and left quickly. When he'd gone, Harry reached into his sack and pulled out his mirror. "Fred and George Weasley," he stated clearly.
The red-headed twins appeared after a moment, looking eager.
"Yes-" said Fred, and George finished, "-little brother?"
"I have some news," Harry told them. "Bring Neville down to the unused classroom near the stairs to the dungeons, would you? Make sure Granger and your siblings don't notice."
"Granger and Ronnykins are-" began George.
"-in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom-" Fred continued.
"-complaining about-" said George.
"-your continued silence," finished Fred.
"Percy doesn't care unless you're breaking the rules-" George scowled.
"-and Ginevra is missing, probably talking to the bearded one," Fred sneered.
Harry frowned. "That's a problem. Try to see if you can find out what they talked about... and hurry, would you?"
"Of course-"
"-Harrykins-"
"-see you-"
"-in a moment!" The mirror went dark, leaving Harry chuckling quietly about his honorary brothers' antics.
There was a knock on the door.
"Draco?" Harry asked.
"Yes, it's me, Harry," Draco responded. "I've brought Professor Snape."
"Enter."
The door slammed open and an angry Snape stormed in, glaring at Harry. "Explain why you had the need to interrupt my grading with trivial nonsense, Potter?" he snarled.
Behind him, Draco looked livid. Harry raised a hand to calm him and said coolly, "This isn't trivial nonsense, Professor." He handed Snape the blood test. "Unless you think the business of the Lord and Heir of Hogwarts is trivial nonsense?"
Snape frowned, looking more curious than angry. He scanned Harry's blood test and slowly lost the color in his face. After he finished, he pulled out his wand and flicked it. The paper glowed green.
"This is your true blood test," Snape breathed. "You are the Heir and Lord of Hogwarts..." He looked up at Harry and grimaced.
"Why do you hate me, Professor?" Harry asked lazily, making Snape blanch and Draco smirk. "Why do you hate a twelve-year-old child who has done nothing to make you upset? I doubt it's because you hate children in general, because you obviously hate me more than everyone else."
Snape gritted his teeth. "Your father-"
"Ah, my father, I should have guessed," Harry sneered. "James Potter, the previous Golden Boy, the leader of the Marauders."
"How do you-?" Snape began.
"Peeves," Harry interrupted. "Tell me, Professor, have I ever humiliated you? Insulted you? Hurt you?"
"No," Snape muttered.
"Draco, do I strut around the castle? Bully younger children for fun? Treat Slytherins like scum?"
"No," Draco said automatically. Snape scowled.
"So you see, Professor, you have no reason to hate me," Harry said in a dangerously calm tone. "You may return to your... grading. But if you treat me differently because I am James Potter's son again, you will no longer have a job."
"Understood, Mr. Potter," Snape said flatly. "Draco-"
"I need him for a bit longer," Harry said sweetly. "Now leave."
Snape made a muffled growling noise before he swept out of the room.
A few moments later, he heard the twins' signature knock:
Fred: knock, knock-knock, knock, knock
George: knock! knock!
Harry chuckled at Draco's bewildered look and said, "Enter."
The twins came into the room, followed by Neville and a grinning poltergeist. Harry raised an eyebrow at Fred.
"We ran into our ally on the way here-" Fred began.
"-and we assumed you'd want to see him too-" George grinned.
"-so we brought him along with us," Fred finished.
"The golden snake calls and Peeves answers!" Peeves cackled.
"Thank you, Peeves," Harry said in amusement, and the poltergeist silenced.
"What's the 'news' you were talking about, Harry?" Neville asked, glancing at Draco curiously.
"This." Harry handed Fred the blood test. "I suggest you all read it at the same time."
Harry's four friends gathered around the paper, reading silently. When they finished, the three Gryffindors looked astounded. Peeves instantly swept the bowler hat off his head and bowed.
"My lord," he said dramatically, making Harry snort.
The twins looked at each other and nodded. Then they went down on one knee and pulled out their wands.
"I, Fred Fabian Weasley-"
"I, George Gideon Weasley-"
"-pledge our souls and magic to our chosen lord, Harry James Potter, to follow his commands, whatever they may be, even until death. So mote it be."
Their wands glowed, and Harry sighed, then said, "So mote it be."
The twins hissed in unison as a black lightning bolt appeared on the backs of their hands. The two stared at the marks in delight.
"I hope you know I'd rather you be my brothers instead of my followers," Harry said irritably.
"Of course, my lord," Fred grinned.
"But we were always yours, my lord," George reminded him.
"We just thought we'd make it more official," Fred shrugged.
"Stand. You will call me Harry," Harry ordered. "You are my brothers first, followers second." He glanced at Neville, who was blinking away his shock. "Nev, are you all right?"
"Um." Neville shook himself. "I guess?" He paused. "I can pledge my friendship and loyalty, but I don't think my grandmother would be very happy if I made the same promise as the twins."
"Vow!" the twins chorused indignantly.
"Vow," Neville corrected himself amusedly.
"Your friendship and loyalty are all I want, Neville," Harry smiled. "Especially after Granger and Ronald's idiocy."
Draco cleared his throat. Harry glanced over at him, and the blond began to kneel. Harry sighed again.
"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, pledge my soul and magic to my chosen lord, Harry James Potter, to follow his commands, whatever they may be, even until death. So mote it be."
"So mote it be," Harry sighed, and Draco hissed in pain. The same lightning bolt symbol appeared on Draco's neck.
"Can Peevesy pledge his loyalty to his lord?" Peeves asked eagerly.
Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose."
"I, Peeves the Poltergeist..."