The Secret Society Chapter 32

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“Is that all, Headmaster?”

“Hm,” Dumbledore looked up from whatever he was scribbling on, “Ah, yes. That will be all for tonight, Mr. Potter.”

Harry lingered for a moment before nodding at Dumbledore’s hat since he bent his head to go back to doing whatever must be so terribly important. That was the way Harry left the Headmaster’s office.

He had entered the detention expecting another round of verbal trickery and mind games, but it had disappointingly turned out to be bog-standard detention. He was made to sit and study, though he supposed it wasn’t standard that he could choose to study whatever he wished.

Since Dumbledore didn’t seem particularly motivated to say anything much to him, he decided to read the Book in plain sight. Harry had a silly thought that it would be similar to silently taunting the Headmaster, but it seemed that he was playing a schoolboy’s game in the old man’s eyes.

It was fine.

Harry didn’t expect something miraculous during his first detention. And while he could choose to get angry, the deal they had made was there for reassurance. Dumbledore would teach him what was needed soon enough.

He made his way through the hallways back to the Slytherin common room, slipping on his invisibility cloak when he came across Malfoy and Parkinson. It hadn’t been lost on Harry that the ponce had been suspiciously quiet since the absolute wrecking he put on him.

Of course, all the injuries were fixed after a night stay in the hospital wing under the watch of a disapproving Madame Pomfrey and visits from an overly curious Umbridge.

Harry wasn’t concerned about Malfoy babbling since he was literally incapable of it. If even the empty threats of telling his father weren’t feasible because of the magic enforcing the secrecy, Umbridge was nothing to waste time thinking about.

Still, Harry hadn’t missed Malfoy and Warrington talking to each other quietly in the corner. While his ego wasn’t inflated to the level of expecting their focus to be on him, the assumption had to be made when Malfoy glared at Harry even more than usual in recent days.

If he didn’t have other matters, mainly the unfulfilled contracts, to worry about, it would be something to put a priority on. Luckily, with Thompson’s issue soon to be resolved and Padma Patil seeming more interested in Goldstein than Harry would have assumed, the two most pressing contracts would soon be completed.

A boon, since Harry could feel the one he had with Goldstein enacting its punishment since he was already past the deadline. Thankfully, it was simply minor discomfort since the contract was nothing serious.

Harry shook his head to get his mind back to the present and moved closer to the Slytherin prefects.

“Why did we accept this.. honor?” Pansy scowled as she lazily glanced around the empty halls.

“Please, as if you would want another witch to be able to give you orders.”

“That’s true,” Pansy scrunched her nose, “Can you imagine Davis strutting around like she matters without the bitch protecting her?”

Harry raised an eyebrow at how these two spoke to each other more casually. A far cry from the usual simpering and cocky arrogance that was usually traded back and forth.

Come to think of it, Harry couldn’t really recall paying attention to these two while they were alone after the second year.

“You always did have it against Daphne,” Draco shook his head, ignoring the death glare he was getting from Pansy.

“Excuse me for not wanting to deal with that hypocrite. Don’t act like you don’t treat her differently because you can’t wait to get in her knickers.”

Harry’s eyebrows almost flew into his hairline when Malfoy casually agreed without Parkinson flying off the handle.

“Well, keep waiting,” Pansy scoffed, “I hear that she has been interested in Zabini for most of the year.”

“A toy,” Draco sneered, “Zabini isn’t a concern unless he can find where he lost his balls.”

“That is true,” Pansy gained a wicked look in her eyes, “So it probably makes sense that she switched her sights to Potter recently. I heard it was right after that night.”

Harry admired the different colors Malfoy’s face went through. It was a talent only the truly enraged could possess, and the ponce certainly qualified.

“I should have known someone like him would have no decency. Using such barbaric spells in such a minor dispute. Potter will get what’s coming to him when Warrington decides to act.”

That got Harry’s attention. He hadn’t heard anything about this before, but that might simply be because most of Slytherin now shied away from being in his presence. Unfortunately, that was the last time either Malfoy or Parkinson bothered to speak of him. However, there was a clue that the ponce revealed before the conversation changed to things that Harry couldn’t be bothered about.

“Warrington is going to have Sinclair ward the place to be sure.”

Harry left the two shortly after, inwardly scolding himself for forgetting about Penelope Sinclair. The girl that had warded his room to give him some protection from the rest of Slytherin. He still had two more favors to use from her, and he didn’t often let those escape. In fact, it had never happened before, but this year was unique in more ways than one.

Harry remembered that he wanted a reason to bring her a little closer to him in a way that would make her feel indebted, and tomorrow might be a perfect chance. Sinclair’s family was known to have lost its wealth in the last generation, and he was reasonably confident that they barely had more gold than him, a student of Hogwarts.

That being said, it also meant that it was quite possible that Sinclair hadn’t had much of an opportunity to see a true wardmaster at work. Of course, there might be some pureblood house that might have felt pity about Sinclair’s situation, but Harry doubted it.

For all the boasts of pure blood and declarations that some families were better than others, the pureblood houses cared about wealth above all in the end.

Harry eyed Davis sitting with Starkey in the usual spot, except without Greengrass accompanying them, but ignored her for now. He still didn’t know what to make about the claim of her innocence.

However, as much as he hates to think of it, he considered letting it go. The impulsive accusation was a wrong action to take. Still, Harry was more than happy to make another excuse for himself to avoid thinking about his stupidity. It must have been the euphoria from winning the fight with Malfoy in such a brutal matter.

The rush must have made Harry make a decision that was very unlike him. In the end, did it matter?

He glanced at Davis again before heading to his room.

[Break]

Harry’s classes had just finished, and he had gotten the property's location from Greengrass shortly before. She still seemed colder than usual, but it was something to consider once Thompson was settled.

Now there was just one last thing to do before leaving to meet the wardmaster. Get Penelope Sinclair.

It was something that Harry often rethought during classes, wondering if it was wise to try and bring someone completely unknown and unrelated to a place that should be unplottable. In the end, he decided that the risk was worth it.

Thompson was a wildcard that he wanted to have, just in case. Besides, with all of the issues behind her, there was no assurance that she would be of any use in the first place. Sinclair, however, was sure to be a wardmaster with the correct backing.

Harry could be that backing. Having a personal wardmaster was not a thing many could boast about, but to him, it almost seemed necessary. Plus, it might help make the girl a little more amenable when he told her to deny Warrington’s request.

If denying was too dangerous for her, he would settle for more information on what would be ambushed on him.

Harry remembered seeing Sinclair at the Library while he was with Hermione, but hadn’t bothered with her since he had honestly forgotten he still had favors owed from her. It should be possible that she was there once again devouring all the books about warding, being the fanatic that she was.

As he suspected, Harry found her holed in the corner reading.

“Hello, Sinclair.”

Harry saw her flinch slightly before glaring at him for his interruption.

“Potter? Finally, come to cash in another favor? I almost thought you wouldn’t bother.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but no,” Harry shook his head and leaned forward, “But I am about to do you a huge favor. Of course, you know how this works.”

“Is that right?” Penelope asked with little interest, “What is it then? Gold? I don’t really need that at the moment. If it’s that, let’s not bother with this, Potter.”

Harry didn’t stop her from putting her focus back on the book. It was the first time Sinclair didn’t seem interested in gold, at least in his memory. He didn’t know if it was simply a coincidence that Malfoy’s claims of Warrington hiring Sinclair made a lot of sense, but he certainly didn’t take it that way.

Then it was even better to try and lure Sinclair in. An independent wardmaster was near impossible to permanently retain. Still, when one was helped from their formative years, it was far more simple. Harry wanted to do the latter.

“How would you like to meet Archibald Thistledown?”

Harry had to hide a smile at the sudden change in expression when he name-dropped one of the most revered wardmasters on the British Isles. The Greengrass Family came through, hiring the best they could get on such short notice. Though it was included in the contract, still, there were plenty of ways to avoid paying the top dollar.

Soon, Harry led Sinclair through one of the hidden passageways that led them directly to Hogsmeade. The biggest worry he had right now was getting caught by Dumbledore, and when he entered the Three Broomsticks without incident, he felt a little more relaxed.

Being students, using the Floo wasn’t exactly sanctioned, but since when were rules ever followed all that closely by Harry.

“Etherwynd Place,” Harry commented before adding, “Our destination. We’ll have the wardmaster waiting for us. You can go first.”

He quickly cast the silencing charm when Sinclair ran to the Floo and yelled out the destination. He shook his head at her excitement and followed her into the fireplace.

Harry found himself in a small, cozy house that was fit for one person. Perfect for Thompson, and apparently Sinclair, who was staring out the window with a red blush on her face.

She was staring at an elderly old wizard that was slightly hunched, adorned in a midnight blue cloak with glowing runes, almost like the ring on Harry’s finger.

“Mr. Thistledown, I’m such a huge fan!” Penelope had practically run out of the house and screamed in the old man’s face. If she was trying to impress the man, that certainly didn’t seem to work.

Harry followed her leisurely out of the house and introduced himself. “Hello, Mr. Thistledown. I believe you might have been told by the Greengrass Family about me.”

“School children?” Thistledown murmured, “Interesting.”

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought along a companion,” Harry motioned to a still-drooling Sinclair, “Her biggest wish is to become a wardmaster, and I thought this might be a good experience for her.”

“I don’t care,” Thistledown waved his hand, “But she has to stay away when I’m casting the spell.”

“Yes, sir, Mr. Thistledown,” Penelope almost vibrated as she stood.

Harry spent the next hour or so watching Thistledown map the property before the old man spoke to Sinclair. “You can move away now.”

“Do you know what I’m casting today?”

After Harry shook his head negatively, his only requirement was that the property had to be unplottable. The details he had no clue about, only that it was possible.

“I’ll be casting the Fidelius Charm and making you the secret keeper. Do you know what the charm is?”

Harry would have said no a few weeks ago, but he had looked up why Dumbledore wanted him to read the piece of paper with Grimmauld Place’s address. It was because the Headmaster was the secret keeper of the Black Manor.

“I do, but not sure about the specifics to cast it,” Harry said with a bit of shame until it was whacked away.

“Heh, if you can cast the Fidelius Charm, then old codgers like me wouldn’t be needed. All you need to know is that you will be the secret keeper.”

“I suggest that you tell me nothing about the property after the spell is cast, unless you want me to know about the location for some reason.”

“Understood,” Harry nodded, reminding himself that if worse came to worst, this property could be something that could be used as a hideout.

When the wardmaster started to cast, Harry swore that he could hear sobs of joy coming from Sinclair, but luckily, it wasn’t an issue to the esteemed Thistledown. He ignored it and started to plan how to bring Thompson to the property right after the charm was in place.

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