Traditionally, Harry should never have met Lord and Lady Greengrass without his guardian, but the circumstances did not, unfortunately, permit the interference of Albus Dumbledore.
"Also, I was wondering if you would like to be my guardian. I've accepted the headship of my family, but I still need a guardian until I'm seventeen. Dumbledore is currently my regent and guardian -"
The older man sat up straight. "Do you have the papers?" he asked sharply, interrupting the boy.
Harry handed over a file containing sheets of parchment which Sirius read through, frowning in concentration. Fifteen minutes later, he grabbed a quill and signed his names on multiple copies. The documents glowed. A copy was automatically submitted to the Ministry of Magic, another to Gringotts and a copy remained with Harry. Since his godfather was his primary guardian as listed in James Potter's will, not to mention the closest blood relative, the guardianship transfer could be done automatically. It could be rescinded by the Wizengamot if someone raised a petition against it and if the body ruled against Sirius, but right now, no one would be willing to do that. The Sirius Black scandal was already tearing the Ministry in two.
"Thank you, Sirius. When are you claiming your Lordship?"
Sirius rubbed his face. "Once I'm out of this place. I'd actually thought that I was disinherited; my mother certainly would have done her best to see that happen. But from what I found out last week, my father Orion didn't think it was a good idea. After all, he had one son on either side of the war. It was practical to keep his options open so that he could side with the victor once the war was over. I have a lot of work to do once I'm free."
"I'll send you another contract which appoints you as my regent on the Wizengamot," said Harry.
Sirius nodded. They then spent the rest of the afternoon talking, with Sirius telling Harry stories about his parents. Harry was actually quite interested to know more about them despite the fact that he had read their journals. After a few hours, Harry decided to leave.
"I'll be attending the Yule Ball at Greengrass Manor tomorrow. How about we meet after that?"
"Sure, that will give me some time to talk to Amelia," said Sirius softly, looking conflicted. Harry soon went back home.
...
The evening of the twenty-first of December saw many important people of the British magical world at the ancestral manor of the Greengrass family. At Potter Castle, Harry checked himself in the mirror. He was wearing greyish blue Acromantula silk dress robes, tailor-made to fit his body perfectly. He was also sporting dragon hide boots and his silver locket with the Potter crest was hanging prominently over his chest. Once he was ready, he made his way to the Floo and disappeared in a flash of green flames.
When he stepped out of the fireplace at Greengrass Manor, he immediately dispelled the soot that might have collected on him. There were many people milling around the place. A house-elf led him to the Grand Ballroom where several prominent members of the British magical society could be seen. Harry searched for his fiancée and relaxed when he finally spotted her.
"Hey Daphne," he said quietly. The girl in question turned and smiled at him. Her wavy dark-blonde hair was expertly styled. She was wearing a flowing purple dress made of multi-layered thin fabric. "You look beautiful," he said after a pause, feeling a bit uncomfortable. There was still some awkwardness between them, not having figured out each other's personalities. Harry mentally decided to spend more time with Daphne at school when the next term began. After all, he did agree to befriend her.
"Thanks, Harry," she said, smiling shyly. "You're looking quite good yourself. Come on, there are several people who want to meet you."
And thus the evening began; Harry spent the next hour meeting many of his schoolmates; some of them were in his year, but many were older than him. They were all curious about him because he didn't really talk much at school, having chosen to be by himself. Harry made it a point to talk to everyone, even if it was frustrating to socialise. He was then dragged to meet the older people. At one point, he met someone who had a powerful, yet dangerous aura about him.
"Mr Potter," said the man smoothly. He nodded his head in greeting. "Lucius Malfoy; it is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Lord Malfoy," said Harry as he bowed slightly in respect. "Lady Malfoy."
The woman merely inclined her head. "Nice to finally meet you, Mr Potter," she greeted him. "I was wondering if my cousin was here too. It's been far too long since I've last seen him."
"He's still recovering from his terrible ordeal, Lady Malfoy," replied Harry, with a tight smile on his face. "I doubt it's a good idea for him to come to a large gathering such as this so soon after being released from Azkaban. What happened to him was a travesty. So many people seem to have an unhealthy interest in him. To think they could stoop so low…"
Lucius' lips curled. "Yes indeed," he said softly. "None of us are able to digest that Albus Dumbledore could do such a thing. Sending an innocent man to prison without a trail… I wonder if he is fit to be the Chief Warlock anymore."
Harry took a sip of his drink as he pondered the answer. Was that a trap? He realised that he would have to pay more attention to how people speak and how to respond to trick questions. He really had to develop his social skills, for they were lacking. "That's not something I can answer, Lord Malfoy. As you know, I'm not eligible to sit on the Wizengamot yet or mature enough to make such decisions. I'm only eleven, after all. However, Lord Black, my guardian, would be more than happy to talk to you about it."
"Lord Black?" repeated Lucius, with his forehead creased and eyes narrowed. "I believe there is no Lord Black alive as of this moment. Arcturus Black died several months ago. A pity; it will take several years for the House of Black to rise to its former glory."
"Several years?" asked Harry, feigning shock. "I'm not sure what you mean. My godfather, Sirius Black, claimed his lordship just this morning."
Harry was mentally cackling in delight as he saw Narcissa pale slightly. It was true. Sirius had gone to Gringotts just that morning and claimed his Lordship. He would have to tell his godfather about this. It was priceless! Who knew that such an innocent statement could cause so much damage? He would have to use it repeatedly while talking to others so that they would know about his godfather's new position too.
"Sirius Black?" whispered Lucius, his eyes burning with fury. "I don't think you understand, Mr Potter. Sirius Black was disowned by his family and was branded a blood-traitor."
Harry chuckled and shook his head. "I'm afraid you are mistaken, Lord Malfoy. Lord Black wasn't disowned at all. While it is true that his mother did push for it, Lord Orion Black tended to be a bit more practical in his approach. As someone said, it was a very wise thing to do considering he had one son on either side of the war. I'm sure he would want to talk to you very soon. You are, after all, family ."
Lucius looked into the emerald green eyes of the boy in front of him, trying not to let the nervousness and anger show. The Blacks were notorious for their blackmail material; if Sirius Black had indeed gained the Lordship, there was no telling what information he had at his disposal. He would have to think things through.
"It was good meeting you, Mr Potter," said Narcissa as she led her husband away, whispering heatedly in his ear.
The ball continued for several hours as dinner was served soon after. Harry stuck to Daphne the whole time, letting her introduce him to important people, one of them being the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.
"Ah, Harry Potter," the wizard exclaimed jovially. "It is simply marvellous to see you, young man. How wonderful it is that you're finally able to join us!"
"It's an honour to meet you as well, Minister Fudge," Harry greeted him. "I've heard wonderful things about you. I apologise that my godfather is not present here tonight. Lord Black is still feeling under the weather because of his unlawful incarceration, but he told me to send you his regards."
" Lord Black ?" blanched Fudge. After regaining his bearings in a matter of seconds, he forced a smile on his face again. "In that case, please let him know that I wish him a speedy recovery. I can't believe the previous administration allowed such a travesty to occur. It's something I cannot even comprehend!"
"Indeed, Minister," nodded Harry in agreement. "You certainly are a respectable man and I thank you for all that you have done to help my godfather."
"Oh, no thanks necessary, Mr Potter," said Fudge, smiling brightly as he puffed up at the praise. "Please tell Lord Black that he can visit me anytime once he has recovered. It was a pleasure meeting you, Harry. May I call you Harry?"
"Of course, sir. You are the Minister of Magic while I am just an eleven-year-old schoolboy. You have every right to address me by my first name. Please take care of yourself."
"That I will, Mr Potter, Miss Greengrass," he said as he walked away.
"And you were telling me you didn't like the politicking that went on in Slytherin?" whispered Daphne angrily in his ear. "What else are you doing now? You keep mentioning to everyone that your godfather is Lord Black, you mentioned his illegal incarceration too many times to count, and the way you handled Fudge was… well, you pushed his buttons… wait, how would you know to do that?"
"I was tutored by your father over the Floo last night," shrugged Harry. "I wouldn't have lasted five minutes with these people if not for him. I barely know how to talk to my classmates, let alone several politicians and businessmen. But it was a good experience, even if very annoying. I still have a lot to learn."
Just then, they heard the sound of clinking glasses. Everyone turned to see Cyrus and Elizabeth Greengrass standing at the end of the ballroom.
"My wife and I would like to thank all for being here tonight," said Cyrus. "But this ball is not just about us all socialising with each other or celebrating Yule; it is to announce the newest member of our family. We met him only recently after circumstances forced us together, but we hope to develop a strong bond with him in the days to come. I would like to take this opportunity to tell everyone present that because of a contract signed by one of my ancestors, my eldest daughter Daphne is betrothed."
There were whispers throughout the room as people tried to guess who the boy might be. Some were smart enough to realise who Cyrus was talking about; Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's faces reddened in anger but they both kept their tempers in check as they drew conclusions. After all, the said boy had been with Daphne Greengrass the entire evening.
"This betrothal contract was created by Lord Steffen Greengrass and Lord William Potter more than one hundred and fifty years ago and seems to have come into effect recently. My wife and I would like to take this moment to toast Harry Potter, the newest addition to the Greengrass family."
Harry simply smiled and nodded to the couple respectfully as people started clapping, though somewhat hesitantly. There were many discussions going on about it, so when the music resumed, people immediately congregated around Harry and Daphne on one side and Cyrus and Elizabeth on the other, all wanting answers.
"Betrothed?" Tracy exclaimed in awe. "Wow!"
"That wasn't our first reaction, to be honest," said Daphne wryly.
"Why not?" asked Theo Nott, frowning.
"Because we weren't given a choice," explained Harry. "It was something that was forced on us, but I think we can make it work. We were advised to become friends first and let it grow from there."
"Better you than me," shrugged Theo. "I don't even want to think about marriage this soon. It's ridiculous."
"Oh, is that the new ring you're wearing?" asked Susan Bones excitedly.
"Yes, he gave it to me two days ago, actually," Daphne smiled as she showed them her ring. "I actually thought it was pretty sweet."
"A ring, Potter?" asked Blaise Zabini, his eyebrows raised. "This soon?"
Harry shrugged. "I had no idea what that meant until my grandmother's portrait insisted that I present Daphne with a ring. I was told it was tradition, so I just went with it."
Blaise hummed in response.
....
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