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"What was that about, William?" Hermione asks when I turn to the door.
"Ah," my eyes flicker to the Delacours, two of whom are watching me curiously while the youngest of the three is watching me with her eyebrows raised, making my face heat a bit. "Just making sure."
"I got the door," Mr. Delacour says, waving his hand toward it.
Idly I wonder if he used a standard Locking Charm or something stronger, and if I did essentially the same thing. "Thanks," I say, nodding in his direction, "I was going to use the same Privacy Charm as before, unless you've got your own spells or wards?"
"How about both?"
"Sounds good."
Mr. and Mrs. Delacour glide around the room casting a couple spells I recognize, including "cave inimicum" which I believe is some sort of intruder alarm. I wonder how exactly the alarm actually works, if it will cross the Privacy Charm.
When they're finished I go ahead and put up the standard one. It occurs to me that I could probably modify it if I focused on making it a one way bubble – allowing sound in but none out – but I should probably practice that first, considering our findings with nonstandard magic.
Then it occurs to me that we made a rather stupid mistake...we should have tried casting a spell that wasn't so much like a normal spell. I think there's a good chance that the amount of magic a custom spell requires is inversely proportional to its similarity to a canon spell.
We all share glances, waiting for someone to start. Harry and Hermione seem to be looking at me, since I'm the one who asked the Delacours here, and said family follows the other two Hogwarts students' example.
I take a deep breath. "Okay, I think you'll understand why in a moment, but I'd like to warn you that both the information we are going to share and the information I'm going to ask for are dangerous, and it would be okay if you want to wait for a different chance to square the debt."
Mr. Delacour frowns. "Will there be an opportunity for my daughter to discharge the debt if we are only sharing information?"
I shrug. "Actually, I have no idea what a life debt entails, nor how to make sure one is no longer active. If you obtain the information we need, I would consider it a fair trade."
His frown deepens. "How is that a fair trade?"
"Because that information might directly save the life of one of the people within this room," I say slowly, "and by extension thousands of lives without."
The three Delacours pale at that.
"M. Delacour, Mme. Delacour," I begin, both using the French honorifics and pausing for effect, "what do you know about Horcruxes?"
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The night after meeting with the Delacours, Harry shakes me awake. "Hey, mate, sorry to wake you, but I need to ask you something."
With a grunt I sit up, startled, then when I realize that it's just Harry I yawn and try to rub the sleep out of my eyes. "What's up, Harry?"
"Something's been bothering me since we spoke to Fleur's family today, and I finally figured it out..." His Killing Curse-green eyes peer at me nervously and suddenly I'm nervous, too.
Suddenly I realize that we are already surrounded by a Privacy Charm. "Back during the Second Task, when you came to get Fleur, you told me to go get her sister."
Icy tendrils of dread grip my heart, and I hope it's dark enough that he can't see any reaction I may have given away. I seek the Void to calm myself.
"How did you know it was her sister down there?" I'm glad his voice isn't prodding or accusatory like Hermione's might be. He just seems curious, but I need to come up with a cover story, fast.
"Same way I know a lot of other things," I say honestly.
I realize I can't claim to have spoken to them before the Second Task since Harry was there when they introduced themselves.
"I knew she had a sister and I knew she wasn't too close with Roger Davies or any other guy. I will say I was somewhat surprised that Daphne was Krum's hostage, though. You'd think he'd have someone back in Bulgaria or something."
"Yeah, you'd think," Harry says softly. He doesn't speak for several seconds, but he makes no move to head back to bed. "You know, sometimes I think you know the future."
I manage to chuckle at that instead of choking on my own saliva. "I suppose Dumbledore would say something exceedingly clever about knowing the future by knowing the past."
Harry chuckles as well. "As crazy as it seems, though, it fits. The Horcruxes that even Dumbledore doesn't know about, you knowing that screeching was Mermish, you knowing that Fleur's sister was at the bottom...countless other things you've told or shown us this year. Your story of suddenly appearing with all this knowledge is already fantastic enough; knowing the future is just as believable."
"They do say 'truth is stranger than fiction,'" I admit.
"So," he says slowly, "you're not my son or anything, are you?"
I gasp playfully. "Are you saying you wouldn't be proud of me, dad?"
"Oh god, Hermione's not your mum, is she?"
We both laugh heartily at that. "That's gross, dude. Besides, you two are a bit on the short side, no offense. In reality, one of your other harem wives is a statuesque supermodel, and I obviously inherit her looks."
"That still means you snogged Aunt Hermione."
"I did nothing so barbaric," I argue, but inwardly I'm happy he can make a joke about it. "Besides, just think about your cousin Tonks."
"Who?"
"Oh, you don't know her yet, eh?" I grin widely and mischievously, since my exaggerated expression should be visible in the dim light.
"She's a metamorphmagus, which means she can disguise herself like someone else. Imagine how much fun that could be in—"
"Hey! That's my cousin!"
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Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 27+ chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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