Chapter 19

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For several days Harry simply watched Fleur Delacourt, trying to work out the right line of behaviour towards this French beauty. Ron and Neville had been teasing him without malice, while Draco had been inundated with advice on how to get the silver-haired Beauxbatons to pay attention to the hero of magical Britain. Harry reacted outwardly completely calm, but occasionally there was a snide sparkle in his emerald green eyes, promising the three friends insidious revenge.

 There was no telling how much more time Potter would have spent making plans for Miss Delacourt, but fate had decided everything for him. As it always did, though. On the third day of the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang schools' stay at Hogwarts, something happened that shocked many wizards in England. Specifically, the Daily Prophet published a sensational article about Sirius Black's innocence. And the shock was received not only by ordinary citizens, but also by the head of the Wizengamot himself - Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Not only was he not present at the meeting, but he didn't even know about it. No one had bothered to inform him of the trial of the Black heir. And it must be assumed that in the very near future that status would change. The heir will become head. Lord Black will return to the magical world. Who will take his rightful place on the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board of Trustees. Which will consequently deprive Albus Dumbledore of one of his three votes in the judicial branch of government. And something told the Headmaster of Hogwarts that he would be left with only one vote, as Potter had an over zealous guardian.

 Albus Dumbledore's POV.

 We must urgently check to see if this puppy's guardian had managed to get his hands on the information about the Wizengamot seat and shake the name of the daredevil out of the boy. Though... Hadn't Black been doing Potter over the summer? Sirius had always had a taste for the beautiful. And he certainly wouldn't be satisfied with his godson's previous appearance. Now the brat looks like he'd look if he lived in a loving family. And I couldn't find either this summer. So Black did turn against me after all. Well, he's a dark wizard, that's all he's got to say. But I'm not going to give him Potter, because he's too important to my plans. Instead of fighting Black, it would be much easier to just take him out...

 Well, how come Black was able to get the Minister to investigate him? Fudge was a coward, he'd rather feed him to the Dementors than let him try to prove anything to him. And this is such a bold move. You'd have to have a lot of power behind you or you'd have to be a complete idiot to go against me. He's always been afraid of me, knowing that I could remove him as Minister at any time. After all, I am a Knight of the Order of Merlin of the First Degree and Supreme Wizard of the Wizengamot. I'm listened to by many, and what is there to listen to? These donkeys do whatever I tell them. It's true what they say, a herd needs a leader. And the leader in this world is me, not Fudge. He's just a puppet, a pawn on a chessboard. And his wilfulness will come back to haunt him. I'll do my best. No-one is allowed to interfere with my plans and Black will be the first to know. And I can make a sensation out of his death as big as this. And I'll make the most of it...

 End of Albus Dumbledore's POV.

 The old man contemplated his plans without noticing that the mask of the kindly grandfather had fallen off, revealing his true face to everyone. The face of a rancid schemer, the face of a grandmaster for whom the whole world is a chessboard and all people are pawns. Nor did he notice the pure, untainted happiness written on Harry Potter's face. The green-eyed Gryffindor, on the other hand, watched carefully and with pleasure as the mask fell away from his blood enemy's face, revealing the unseemly, true nature of the evil, power-hungry spider.

- Acromantulus," Neville said quietly, sitting next to Potter.

- And unfortunately still poisonous," Harry looked back at his friend.

 The look on Longbottom's face was one of pleasure mixed with hatred. Potter understood him. He understood him very well. The old man had hurt his friend as much as he had hurt himself. And Neville had every right to hate the arrogant bastard. To hate him and wish for his utter destruction. "It's all right, my friend. He'll pay us for everything. Just give it time and everything will be as it should be. He will see and learn that for every power there is another," the brunet thought.

 The look in his emerald green eyes shifted to Ron. He was genuinely happy. No other trace of emotion was on his face. He just knew that this was another one of their small victories over Dumbledore, one of a string of victories that had already begun. And one day another victory would be the final one. And Harry knew that the redhead was frankly too lazy to show his hatred for the old man, but that hatred was blooming in his soul, just as it was in Harry's, Draco's and Neville's.

 Potter turned his head slightly and met the gaze of his third friend's silver-blue eyes. There was triumph burning in Malfoy's gaze. Oh yes, the old man's defeat was pure ambrosia to this, single-minded Slytherin. The desire to trample, to destroy, to kill Dumbledore was ineradicable. Malfoy hated the Hogwarts Headmaster for casting a shadow over their faculty, finding a Slytherin girl who was rotten, making her his spy, and teaching her by example how to pursue her goals. Parkinson had learnt her lessons well and used them to her advantage, sending his, Draco's, mother to the other side of the world. The old man himself had ruined many worthy members of the aristocracy of magical Britain. In fact, he had cut all of its colour down to the roots, destroyed, trampled into the dirt everything that was dear to any aristocrat...

 Harry and Draco smiled at each other. Despite all the evil that Dumbledore had done, he had done something else, something he hadn't even realised he had done. Through his efforts, these two brightest of their faculties had learnt the value of true friendship. A friendship that would endure through the years and live on in their descendants. Dumbledore didn't know that, and when he did, it would be too late to fix it. Although, it was already too late now...

 Behind Harry's back came a beautiful voice that the green-eyed wizard remembered from THAT past life.

- Mr Potter, may I offer you my congratulations on your godfather being cleared of such wrongful charges.

 Harry looked round and smiled at the girl.

- 'Thank you, mademoiselle.

 Polweila answered him with a charming smile, after which a curious light flickered in her eyes. The girl expected that the guy would immediately spread a puddle at her feet and start drooling. But nothing of the sort happened. Potter just smiled and looked at her with polite interest. There was an awkward silence between them, which after a few seconds was broken by the green-eyed wizard himself.

- How do you like Hogwarts, mademoiselle?

- Not quite what I'm used to. It's much colder here than it is here. There's no wind in the corridors at Beauxbatons. And everything here is so grey," Fleur said in a strong accent.

- Well, this is Scotland, mademoiselle. It's a harsher climate than France. So you'll have to get used to it," Harry snorted.

- I'll do my best," Delacourt gave the young man an assessing look. - Let's switch to 'you' and please, call me Fleur.

- I'd be honoured," Potter nodded and, remembering at last the rules of decorum, rose from the bench so that the girl wouldn't look down at him. - 'I would be very pleased if you would also call me Harry, as my friends do.

 Fleur nodded and smiled sweetly.

- Would you do me a small favour, Harry? - She asked.

- I'd be glad if I could help such a beautiful girl. What kind of favour are you talking about?

- I'd like to walk around the neighbourhood, but I'm afraid I'll get lost. Your school wins over ours in that it covers a very large area," she said, a smile on her face, as she seemed to like the guy's simple compliment.

- Sure. When would you like to go for a walk?

- Tonight before dinner. Unless, of course, you have any plans at that time.

- I'll be at your complete disposal.

 Harry and Fleur exchanged smiles again and the girl turned back to her friends.

- Neville, is something wrong? - Potter looked at his frowning friend in surprise.

- 'I don't want to upset you or seem paranoid, but...' - Longbottom whispered, and before he could finish his sentence, he stopped talking.

- But what?

- How did Fleur know Sirius was your godfather? Remember, she wasn't supposed to find out until a year later, when she would have joined the Order of the Phoenix.

- Maybe it was in the paper? We probably just overlooked it," Harry's stomach sucked in a bad feeling.

 He didn't even want to think that their actions in THIS life had changed anything and history had changed course.

- No, it didn't say that in the paper. I read it carefully," Neville shook his head.

- I'm meeting her today. And I'll find out," Potter clenched his fork in his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white.

- We'll go with you.

- No. I'll do it myself," the green-eyed Gryffindor's tone of voice made it clear that arguing with him was pointless.

- Are you sure you can handle this on your own? - Longbottom clarified just in case.

- Yes...

 * * * * *

 With difficulty waiting for the appointed time, Harry made his way to Beauxbaton's carriage. Fleur surprisingly didn't have to wait long, and she came out just a few minutes after Potter approached the carriage. Smiling sweetly, the girl leaned on the offered hand and led Harry quite confidently towards the forbidden forest. The young man walked in silence, listening to his senses and trying to figure out if Neville was right or wrong.

Finally, they came to a fallen tree and Fleur cast a muffling and distracting spell around them.

- What about the walk? - The young man squinted his eyes, preparing himself for anything.

 But he was clearly not prepared for what happened in the next second. The girl looked up at him with eyes full of tears and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

- 'Harry,' Delacour sobbed and burst into tears.

- Fleur, what's wrong?

- Harry, I know everything... Everything that happened last time... I don't understand how I got back to this time. It's not possible. Harry, you're different too. You're not the same.

- Fleur, I don't understand you," Harry eyed the girl warily and gently stroked her back.

 The French girl pulled away from the boy and looked at him with tearful eyes.

- 'In a past life a few years after defeating Voldemort, you, Neville, Ron and Draco Malfoy were imprisoned in Azkaban. I didn't believe you were guilty and looked for proof of your innocence. I was killed by Bill right in Azkaban in front of your camera, stabbed with a dagger. Why are you so afraid to tell me? You know I'm telling the truth.

- Swear it," Harry said hoarsely, afraid to believe that this Fleur was the one in THAT life.

- I swear...

 The girl said the words of the oath, proving that even in the magical world miracles happen and she had come from the past. Bright light wrapped the fragile figure, magic confirmed the oath. A lone tear rolled down the guy's cheek and hoarsely exhaling the girl's name, he squeezed her in his arms...