Harry blushed. "I taught twenty-seven people in secret last year while Umbridge was failing at Defence. Every single one of my students got top marks in their exams that year."
"That was the secret club you were running!" Draco burst out. "It was a defence club?"
"Yes, you have to agree that Umbridge was an inept teacher, so I took matters into my own hands and I taught others how to defend themselves, no thanks to you and your Inquisitorial Squad." Harry sneered at him. "I was trying to help them fight, trying to teach them how to defend themselves because Umbridge was a tyrannical fool who taught us nothing. All because Minister Fudge is more afraid of losing his office than the education of young witches and wizards."
Rabastan's hand touched his right hand, where the scars that Umbridge had left were very visible. Any mention of what that woman had done to him sparked fury within Rabastan and Harry could see that rage in those beautiful blue eyes.
"Her trial is coming up soon, isn't it?" Narcissa asked calmly.
"Yes, dear." Lucius answered. "She will be getting her comeuppance as soon as all the evidence has been collected."
"Good, I don't want her to get away with harming my child."
Harry's gut squirmed pleasantly at that and he felt a warm sensation of acceptance and love wash over him. He'd never get tired of that feeling, never.
"She won't, dear." Lucius insisted. "With the evidence stacked up against her, she will be going to Azkaban. If our Harry doesn't have it shut down before then."
Harry bristled with fury at the dig and he struggled to hold his tongue and his temper. He took a deep breath and thought of how to civilly word all of the slurs and the rage-fuelled torrent running through his mind that he wanted to spit out all at once to defend himself.
He breathed and calmed himself as much as he could manage and he used his most civil tone of voice to answer, trying to imagine that this was a Wizengamot meeting and not a discussion around a private table.
"I do not want Azkaban shut down. I understand the need for a secure prison and a justice system. I am objecting to the presence of the Dementors only." Harry said calmly, if a bit shakily due to his suppressed anger.
"Good. You're gaining a greater control over yourself and that terrible temper of yours. Well done."
Harry blinked and frowned in confusion and then he blew out a breath as he realised that Lucius hadn't been picking pieces out of him, but had been testing his control over his anger issues. His shoulders slumped and he blew out another controlled breath before letting his feelings on the matter of being tested in such a way be known to all of them by turning to Rabastan and engaging him in conversation.
Unfortunately, the Malfoy's New Year party was drawing closer, it was tomorrow evening, and Harry was definitely not looking forward to it, especially as Lucius had told him that he couldn't exclude an invitation to Rowle, who had unfortunately sent his invitation back replying that he would be attending, but Lucius had assured him that he'd warned the man to stay well away from him during the party.
Harry hoped that Rowle listened to Lucius because if he didn't then he would be very happy to curse him again…if Rodolphus didn't cave in his face again. Now that could turn out to be very amusing, maybe the Malfoy New Year's Ball wouldn't be quite as bad as he'd been imagining after all. Maybe it could even be fun, after all, he and Rabastan weren't fighting this time around, so he'd have Rabastan right there next to him all night. He smiled and his hand gripped Rabastan's under the table, as they still weren't allowed to touch while sitting next to one another. He was actually looking forward to this now, though he definitely wasn't looking forward to Draco poking and pulling on him for half of the afternoon to get him ready. He wasn't fond of feeling like a human doll.
Last Time Harry hoped that Rowle listened to Lucius, because if he didn't then he would be very happy to curse him…if Rodolphus didn't cave in his face again. Now that could turn out to be very amusing, maybe the Malfoy New Year's Ball wouldn't be quite as bad as he'd been imagining after all. Maybe it could even be fun, after all, he and Rabastan weren't fighting this time around, so he'd have Rabastan right there next to him all night. He smiled and his hand gripped at Rabastan's under the table, as they still weren't allowed to touch while sitting next to one another. He was actually looking forward to this now, though he definitely wasn't looking forward to Draco poking and pulling on him for half of the afternoon to get him ready. He wasn't fond of feeling like a human doll.
Harry nervously tugged at his robes, this time they were a bright, Egyptian blue with gold embroidery along the hem, cuffs and on either side of the gold fastenings that held his robe closed over his smart shirt underneath.
He was once again wearing black underneath his robes, as apparently, according to Draco, black worked really well as his base colour. But, his black shirt had gold cuff links, which no one could actually see as his robe covered his hands, but, according to Draco, that wasn't the point, and his black sapphire and gold Lestrange crested pendant was on show around his neck. His shoes were highly polished and Harry was really nervous. He didn't like parties, he'd never been invited to any before the Parkinsons' winter gala the week before and that had been disastrous. The Quidditch parties didn't count as they weren't really formal parties and he didn't need to be dressed impeccably for them, most of the time he'd still been in his muddy, sweaty Quidditch robes. The Yule Ball didn't count either as he'd been forced into that because the fake Moody, Bartemius Crouch Jr, had put his name into that damn goblet and, as a 'champion', he'd had to perform the first dance. He had danced once and then sat down for the rest of the evening. He would never have chosen to go to the ball of his own volition if he hadn't been forced into it by being a Hogwarts champion. He hadn't even bought his own dress robes for that either, Mrs Weasley had picked them for him; he really did have a terrible dress sense.
"You look fine." Draco insisted. "Stop pulling on your outfit or you'll ruin it."
"I can't help it, you know I don't like this sort of situation."
"You need to get used to it, these sorts of social gatherings happen often throughout the year."
"Please tell me that there isn't one for Easter." Harry sighed.
"No, the next one is at the beginning of the summer, though you will attend more than I will, seeing as you're a member of the Wizengamot and they hold a party in April and then the Ministry hold a gathering in August and you will certainly be invited to that too as a technical worker for the Ministry as a member of the Wizengamot. The Ministry pay you, even if they didn't technically employ you, you're automatically on their payroll and the employment list because of your lordships." Draco happily informed him.
Harry groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "I don't have enough sets of dress robes to cover all of these parties."
"Of course you do, your third set now will be used for the Wizengamot party and before August we will have gone shopping for our new school things. Mother and father will have parties for their birthdays, but we'll be in school for those and then there are our own birthdays, of course, but those won't strictly be a dress-up affair as it'll just be a few friends and family, so dress robes won't be required. Father has worked it all out, stop fretting."
Harry scowled at himself in the mirror. He was in Draco's bed suite and they were waiting for the 'children' to arrive, as they had at the Parkinsons' party, only this time they were the hosts.
"I can't wait for this to be over." He complained as he watched Draco fluff up his baby fine, blonde hair.
"Midnight." Draco reminded him yet again. "Some of father's friends may stay for a while afterwards, but we won't be required to stay with them, now hand me that brush, I don't like the parting of my hair."
Harry rolled his eyes but he dutifully got Draco's brush and handed it to him, watching curiously as Draco once again brushed all of his hair back, parted his hair yet again and styled it meticulously.
"How does the back look? And, Merlin help me, don't just grunt 'fine' again."
"You look stunning." Harry told him with another roll of his eyes. "There are no creases in your robes and there isn't a hair out of place." Harry answered dutifully.
Draco nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect then."
There was a knock on the door and Draco quickly got rid of his brush.
"That had better be Blaise." He muttered to Harry as he went to pull open the door.
Narcissa was down in the receiving room and she was greeting everyone as the hostess of the party and she was directing them where to go; the children up to Draco's bedroom and any early arriving adults into the ballroom where Lucius was with Xerxes, Rodolphus, and Rabastan. Xerxes had banned Rhadamanthus from coming as 'punishment' for his lack of control on Christmas Day. Harry was incredibly grateful for that. He hadn't seen Rhadamanthus at all since Christmas Day and things had been infinitely more peaceful and relaxed without him lurking and skulking around. "Thank Merlin it's you." Draco said as he opened the door and pulled Blaise into the room.
Blaise gave a short whistle and an appreciative look to Harry when he spotted him. "Are you still free?" He asked with a lecherous grin. "Please tell me that you're free."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you enjoy reading? Visit my site on Tiendup! There you will find the advanced chapter in PDF format, ready for your convenience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://fictiontopia.tiendup.com/