Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Survival of the fittest	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 18502 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 9
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor profit from it. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Author's note: Yes, you are not wrong: this is indeed a new chapter - and I didn't make you guys wait for more than a month! A slight improvement LOL I'm working on the next chapter already, so I try to have that one posted as soon as possible, but you know the drill by now.
Anyway, yes, this is the second part, but they won't encounter Gryffindor yet *clears throat* I know I said in the other chapter that they would encounter Gryffindor, but well, the chapter was starting to get really long and I figured I best gave you something to read instead of making you wait longer for who knows how long. So there will be a third part in which they will finally encounter Gryffindor (I swear they will really find him in the next chapter)
suezq21643: Do you maybe have a fanfiction or an Archive of our own account? On those sites you could subscribe yourself to this story. In case you don't have accounts on there, I will send you an email whenever I update this story - I take it I can send it to the email that got displayed in the comment?
Warnings: Nothing special for now: only the check-up for the baby and the departure to Potter Manor
I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 14: Godric Gryffindor Part 2
"Let's see who mother recommends," Draco muttered once he and Harry had settled themselves comfortably on the couch, while their pets were enjoying the warmth of the fire in the fireplace.
Harry nodded and together they started reading.
Dear son
Before I give you my recommendation of a trustworthy Healer, I hope you won't mind my asking how you and Harry are doing. I sincerely hope Severus' potions are helping Harry, for I recall how bad my symptoms were when I was pregnant.
I want to apologize for not replying immediately, but I was doing research as you both deserve the best Healer. I found a very trustworthy, reliable, good Healer. You will probably be surprised to hear that this particular Healer is none other than Harry's guardian, Remus Lupin.
He apparently received his Healing's License two years after he graduated, but because of his magical creature status, it seems he was nowhere hired, despite his qualifications.
I presume you will not find anybody else who is better suited for this job than Mister Lupin. I suggest you ask him whether he is willing to perform the check-ups.
Should he not be willing to perform these check-ups, let me know and I will give you the name of the Healer who helped me.
Take care of yourself and of Harry and the baby.
All my love
Your mother
"Remus has a Healing's License?" Harry asked incredulously, squinting his eyes as if that would improve his reading abilities.
"I take it he never mentioned it?" Draco retorted drily, but most of his attention was still on the letter.
So Lupin had a Healing's License; that would of course be easy for them if the man agreed to help them.
Draco sincerely hoped Lupin would agree to help them, because he was probably the only Healer Harry would be willing to trust now.
Not that Draco could blame Harry for his distrust after what had happened in the Infirmary and the whimsical nature of the public towards their Saviour, but it made it difficult to find someone Harry was willing to trust.
"When are we going to ask Remus about the check-ups?" Harry broke through his musing and Draco glanced at him.
"We could ask him this weekend; we're meeting up with them to talk about the locations after all," he replied idly and folded up the letter.
"Do you think we'll be allowed to go to Potter Manor if they decide to go?" Harry asked curiously and kicked off his shoes, stretching his legs and flexing his toes in his socks before he curled them underneath him.
Draco looked at him, slightly amused. "So certain Lovegood is right with her comment?"
Harry shrugged and looked back with bright eyes. "I don't see why she would be mistaken now," he replied calmly. "If she says we can find one of the Founders there, we will find one."
Draco didn't see the need to hide his exasperation and rolled his eyes, prompting the other boy to scowl and give him a stomp.
Draco let a small chuckle escape and rubbed the sore spot on his arm and then answered, "They need you to come along with them, because as a Potter, you're the only one who can bypass the wards and reset them to allow the rest of us to enter. And there is no way I'm staying behind," he added with a scowl.
Harry blinked and looked worried. "How am I supposed to reset the wards? I've never done that before! Is there some sort of spell for it?"
"No, there isn't a spell for that. It's a complicated theory, but just remember for now that the combination of the wards recognizing you as the rightful heir and your will, will be sufficient enough to reset the wards," Draco answered soothingly and shook his head when Harry still looked worried. "Harry, there is no need to worry about it. If we go to the Manor, you'll know what to do once you're inside the wards."
"If you say so," Harry muttered unconvinced and gasped when his legs were suddenly pulled from underneath him, making him fall back on the couch.
Draco wrapped his legs around his hips and hitched them slightly higher so that Harry could get a better grip around him. He bent down and smirked; his lips were right above Harry's and when he breathed out slowly, Harry opened his mouth almost automatically, while his arms came up to wrap around his shoulders.
"What?" he asked softly and looked at him curiously.
"I think it's time I take your mind off your worries," Draco murmured and smiled when an airy chuckle escaped Harry's throat.
"Oh? How are you going to do that?" Emerald green eyes glittered amused, though his pupils slowly grew bigger as if he already had predicted what Draco would answer.
Draco smirked and whispered into Harry's ear, "Why don't I show you?"
Harry's squeak and moan that followed Draco's statement were enough evidence to prove that Harry didn't mind Draco showing him what he meant.

3rd of December
Remus blinked and put the paper down, musing over the content of it.
They were once again all seated in Severus' quarters, various papers laid out on the table while their content was being discussed.
Most of the locations they had found had seemed slightly logical at best, but Harry's discovery was the most interesting of them all and it made him wonder why he and Sirius hadn't come up with it. They had after all visited that particular manor before when their best friend was still alive, but it hadn't come up once in either of their mind to write down that location.
"So Miss Lovegood gave you the hint?" Severus asked sceptically.
Harry nodded, his hands slightly clenched in his lap. "Yes, she must have seen the titles of the books we were looking through and made the connection. She didn't outright state that we had to go visit the manor, but she did hint at it."
"You mean, she made a cryptic remark and then pranced away with her head in the clouds like usual," Draco muttered underneath his breath and stifled a yelp when Harry gave his thigh a pinch, scowling at him.
Severus looked irritated. "Didn't I specifically told you to keep the research a secret?"
"We did, sir," Harry retorted, slightly annoyed. "But Luna has always had a way of discovering things."
"You think we can trust this Miss Lovegood?" Lucius asked and he looked concerned.
Remus thought it was both his worry that they were being misled by the girl and him wanting to avoid a discussion between Harry and Severus that made him interrupt the conversation so suddenly.
Harry gazed at him calmly. "We can trust her, yes. If she says one of the portraits is in that manor, then we'll find one. She has never lied to me before."
"Well, it does sound plausible," Sirius said slowly, his eyes scanning the paper again.
"Have you seen the portrait in the Manor?" Lucius asked interested.
Sirius shook his head. "No, but that's not surprising. We tended to stay in James' wing, because that one was big enough for all of us. We didn't see the need to go anywhere else in the Manor."
"So there is a big chance that we'll find the portrait if we search through the other wings," Remus added.
"So it is already decided that we will go search in Potter Manor?" Severus raised an eyebrow and sounded as if he was supressing a sneer.
"Do you have a better idea?" Remus retorted calmly, but quickly enough as to prevent his lover from making a snide remark.
Sirius threw him an annoyed look, but he ignored his look and heard him huff in irritation, making Remus hide a smile.
His lover could be adorable in a weird way sometimes.
Severus glared at him venomously, but kept quiet.
"Thought so." Remus nodded satisfied.
"So it's decided? We'll start with Potter Manor?" Draco asked for confirmation. His hand was intertwined with Harry's and placed on Harry's thigh.
"It seems to be the best option now," Lucius confirmed. "We will probably have to Apparate, because the Floo network won't be connected between Hogwarts and the Manor."
"Yeah, about that." Sirius cleared his throat and looked uncomfortable. "We don't know the coordinates."
Harry blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean 'you don't know'? You just said that you visited my dad at the Manor!" he said incredulously.
"Yes, but your grandfather made it Unplottable after James and Lily moved to Godric's Hollow," Remus answered. "The information of the coordinates disappeared when the Manor was made Unplottable."
"Why did he make it Unplottable?" Harry asked bemused.
"As extra precaution – normally the Manor's defence wards would have been enough to keep Voldemort and his followers out, but he wanted to be certain." Sirius shrugged.
"Then why did my parents move out?"
"What do you mean?"
"If the Manor was as safe as you said it was – why did my parents move out then? Wouldn't it have been safer to stay in the Manor instead of relying on a Fidelius charm?"
"Harry does have a point," Draco said and he frowned. "I never gave it much thought, but it's indeed strange that the Potters decided to move out while they had a Manor that would have protected them."
Remus opened his mouth, but closed it again when he realized he didn't have an answer. Now that he thought about it, it was indeed strange that James and Lily had moved into a small cottage. When they had announced their moving, they had all been too busy with putting up Protection charms and Repelling spells to question their decision. He knew James' father had accepted Lily, despite her blood status, so it couldn't have been that they had been kicked out.
What had made the couple decide to move out from the one place that could have protected them?
"I don't know, Harry," he muttered. "We were so caught up in the war that we never really thought about how strange it was for them to move out."
"But now that you mention it, it is strange that they exchanged the heavy protection for a cottage under the Fidelius charm," Sirius piped up and his fingers tapped on his leg. "I know Charlus offered to let them have a wing, but James never said why he refused that."
"I believe Albus convinced them to move into the cottage; for which reasons I do not know," Severus murmured and his dark eyes flashed momentarily with something Remus couldn't identify.
Harry looked troubled and he shifted a bit, his free hand clenching into a tight fist.
"Well, if it's Unplottable, how are we going to find it?" Draco asked and he casted a glance at Harry. His look seemed to convey something, for Harry took a deep breath, shook his head and the troubled look in his eyes cleared up, making space for a determined gaze.
"There is one spell that would be able to get past the restrictions of the Unplottable spell," Lucius mused and his eyes narrowed a bit. "I have to look it up in one of the books in the Manor, because I can't recall the specifics of it now, but that one should be able to help us find out where the Potter Manor is located." He crossed his legs. "I can look it up tonight and I'll let you know tomorrow what we need to do."
"Sounds fine with me," Sirius said, nodding. "When we have the coordinates, we'll need to ask Minerva to let us go visit it. I can't imagine her being happy if she found out we went without informing her." He winced and Remus grimaced, both recalling how furious she had gotten at times when the Marauders had done something that she considered to be way out of line.
"Now that that issue is settled for now, kindly remove yourselves from my quarters, as I still have work to do, unlike others," Severus spoke up harshly.
Remus raised an eyebrow, but decided it wasn't worth it to go against Severus and stood up, tugging on Sirius' arm to make him stand up as well.
"Will we meet up tomorrow here as well or in our quarters?" he asked and Sirius made an annoyed tsk sound.
"I suppose people will start to question why three professors are regularly meeting up in the dungeons, so I propose we'll meet up in your quarters tomorrow," Lucius replied and Severus snorted, but didn't object.
"All right." Remus nodded. "We'll see you tomorrow then."
They exchanged their goodbyes and the four of them, with Mara and Ruby following their masters exited the quarters, stepping outside in the chilly dungeon hallway.
Sirius stretched his arms and cracked his wrists, making Remus wince and grimace. He hated it when Sirius made his bones crack.
"Well, at the very least we know where to start our search now," he sighed and rubbed his neck. "Who would have thought the painting would be in Potter Manor?"
"Remus, can we ask you something?" Harry asked and he sounded strangely nervous.
Remus blinked surprised. "Sure, what's the matter?"
With a quick snap, Draco had raised up a Privacy bubble around them and Remus felt Sirius tensing up beside him.
"Harry is due for his first check-up and we asked mother whether she knew someone who could help us," Draco started and looked at him speculatively. "She did some research and it turns out you have a Healing's License."
"So we want to ask you whether you want to do the check-ups," his cub added and his hand fleetingly dipped down to his stomach.
"You want me to do the check-ups?" Remus repeated baffled and wasn't certain whether he had heard correctly. They wanted him to do the necessary check-ups?
Yes, he did have a Healing's License, but various Healers had been quick to inform him that his magical being status would never get him any job as a Healer. Nobody would trust a werewolf to heal him or her and Remus had been forced to stop applying for a job as Healer when every application was turned down as soon as they had made the link between his request of having two days off each month and his lycanthropy.
As a result, it had been years since he actually had practiced Healing. Aside from the occasional healing of cuts and bruises, he hadn't had anything to do with Healing and his knowledge had become passive instead of active.
He was certain he could recall the necessary spells and wand movements if he needed to, but the knowledge didn't come as quickly anymore as during the days when he was still practicing it daily.
"Yes; I don't trust anyone else," Harry replied and his jaw tightened visibly. "I don't want to risk either the students or the press finding out about the baby and frankly, I only trust you with this." Deep green eyes looked at him with complete trust.
It was stupid. Harry's reply shouldn't have made him feel like he was about to cry. He was nearly forty years old – there was no reason why his breath hitched and why his face felt uncomfortably warm, his eyes prickling; a tell-tale sign that he was about to start crying.
But it had been so long ago that he had heard the words 'I only trust you with this'. Lily had been the last one to utter those words when she had gone into labour a week earlier than expected and he had been the only one who had been qualified enough to help her. He had panicked in the beginning, certain he would screw up and harm either the mother or the child or even both, but Lily had calmed him down, assuring him she trusted him with her and her baby's life and that she didn't trust anyone else to help her deliver her son.
It went without saying that James and Sirius trusted him, even after discovering his dark secret, but nevertheless it had felt good to hear that he was trusted, despite the fact that he turned into a monster each month.
After Lily, nobody had ever spoken those words to him again. And now here they were, seventeen years later; Lily's son stating the same thing she had said.
"Remus?" Sirius murmured softly in his ear and brought him back out of his thoughts by touching his arm fleetingly.
He threw him a quick smile and turned back around to address the couple in front of him, "If that's the case, I'll be happy to help you."
Harry sighed relieved and his shoulders relaxed. "Oh thank Merlin. I was afraid you would refuse."
"When do you want to have the first check-up?" Remus asked, forcing himself to push back the memories of Lily and instead bring back the necessary knowledge to perform the check-up.
"Is it possible to have the check-up now?" Draco requested and his arm slipped around Harry's waist, the latter relaxing into his embrace.
"Eh, yes, no problem," Remus replied bemused. "It's probably easier to do the check-up in your room."
Harry nodded and they all made their way to Harry's quarters; the dragon yawned when Harry muttered the password and after lazily flicking his tail, the portrait swung open.
"All right, you can just sit down on the couch and bare your stomach. This shouldn't take long," Remus instructed and grabbed his wand.
While Draco and Harry sat down on the couch – Draco urging Harry to lay down so that he wouldn't have to keep holding up his sweater – Sirius chose to sit down on one of the armchairs, his gaze flicking between the boys and Remus.
Remus took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a small moment. Once he was certain he remembered all the necessary spells for the first check-up, he crossed the room and came to a halt in front of the couch.
"Okay; first, I'll check your vitals and your magic level," he murmured, giving the explanation both for the boys' and his own benefit. If he didn't talk through the whole procedure, explain what he would be doing next, he worried that he would forget a vital part. Talking throughout the whole check-up would prevent that from happening.
The first spell created a soft purple light that enveloped Harry's body for a few seconds before it disappeared again and left a paper with the information behind. Remus casted a glance at it and from the looks of it, there was nothing wrong with either Harry's or the baby's health. He had been worried that Harry's lack of proper food when he was a child would have damaged him internally, but so far it seemed everything was progressing smoothly.
"Both you and the baby are healthy," he smiled and put the paper down. "I'm going to check your magic level now."
Harry nodded and didn't move when the next spell – in the form of a dark orange bubble – slid across his stomach, over his heart and floated above his forehead, before it disappeared with a soft 'pop' and two bars appeared above the boy: one a soft red, tinged with green and the other one a midnight blue, mixed with purple.
"Are those our …" Draco trailed off, staring curiously at the two bars floating in front of his face; both were equally big, though the blue one seemed a bit broader than the other one.
"Those are your magic levels, yes." Remus nodded and pointed to the soft red coloured one. "That one represents Harry's magic; the other one your magic. And if I do this …"
A quick snap and flick of his wand and the two bars became separated; a third smaller bar appeared between them. This one was coloured a very light green, though it had hints of red and blue mixed in it.
"That bar represents your baby's magic."
"And is that a good sign or …" Harry bit his lip and his nervous look didn't escape Remus' notice, nor his clenched fist.
Remus smiled reassuringly. "Yes, this bar is a good sign. See how it's exactly the half of yours? It means that your baby is getting enough magic."
"Oh thank god," Harry muttered and closed his eyes in relief.
"I told you it would be fine," Draco murmured in a chiding tone, but even he seemed relieved to hear the confirmation.
"Can you show the baby already?" Sirius suddenly asked and when Remus looked at him, he had to hide a smile when he noticed the concentrated frown on Sirius' face.
Despite the rocky start, Sirius seemed already fond of the baby and Remus was reminded of how impatient Sirius had become every time Lily had had a check-up scheduled. It figured he would be impatient now as well.
Chuckling softly, Remus turned and was met with the expectant, hopeful faces of both Harry and Draco.
"Can you? Can we really see the baby already?" Harry asked excitedly and his eyes shone.
"You won't see much yet, as the baby isn't that big yet, but yes, I can show you the baby already," Remus gave in and after making the bars disappear – them making a sharp sound as if glass that shattered – he muttered the spell that would call up a screen in which an image of the baby would be projected, once he connected the spell with Harry's stomach.
A thin, rose coloured thread shot out from the screen and touched Harry's bare stomach, who twitched a bit when the spell forced a connection with his magic. The thread seemed to vibrate and it let out a soft tingling sound, as if it were a bell dangling in the wind.
The screen, that had been filled up with grey smoke, slowly cleared up until the background of it was dark and a very small light grey spot could be found near the upper right corner.
"This grey spot is your baby," Remus said softly and pointed towards the little, bright spot.
Harry blinked rapidly and laughed weakly. "It's so weird to see it like that," he muttered and Remus saw how Draco grabbed his hand and squeezed in it.
Grey eyes shot to him and they glittered harshly in the light of the fire. "Could you …" Draco hesitated and then cleared his throat and went on in a gruff voice, "Could you create pictures of it? I think my parents would like to have a copy of this and well, I want one as well." He looked away as if he was embarrassed by his request and his cheekbones acquired a light red sheen.
Remus smiled indulgently and flicked his wand twice, gently murmuring the Copy spell. The flaw of this spell was that it delivered three copies as the minimum amount, so that left them with one copy too many, but it was the only spell capable of copying down the ultrasound, including the movements.
He snatched the copies out of the air – careful as to not wrinkle them – and handed them over to Harry, who accepted them eagerly with a big smile.
While the couple studied one of the copies with wonder visible on their faces, Remus cancelled the other spells; the screen disappearing with a loud 'pop'.
Harry looked up, a grateful smile adorning his lips. "Thank you for doing the check-up. We really appreciate it," he told him sincerely.
Remus shook his head with a bashful smile. "No need to thank me. I'm glad to be of help," he reassured his cub.
Handing over two copies to Draco, Harry turned around to face Sirius and absently pushed his sweater back down, covering his stomach. He offered the copy in his hand to a bemused looking Sirius and asked, "Would you like to have this copy?" He smiled faintly. "Seeing as you are going to be the great godfather of our baby."
Sirius stiffened and Remus saw his eyes mist over, his hands clenching on his lap before he abruptly stood up and quickly left the room; stepping hastily out of reach of Remus' grabbing hand.
"Sirius!" Remus called out, but his lover ignored him and the painting fell shut behind him.
The remaining Marauder sighed and slid a hand over his face.
"Did I say something wrong?" Harry asked confused and he looked troubled; the arm he had extended slowly lowering until it rested on the arm of the couch.
"No, Harry, you did nothing wrong," Remus reassured the worried teen quickly; his sharp hearing picking up the fading footsteps of the other man.
"Then what's wrong?" Draco narrowed his eyes. "I thought he had accepted the baby?"
"He has, don't worry about that. It's just …" Remus sighed again, looking at the boys tiredly. "You probably brought up a memory of James or Lily and sometimes he can't handle that."
"What kind of memory then?"
"Probably a memory of when James asked him to be your godfather by handing him a copy of the ultrasound."
"Oh." Harry stared at the copy, biting his lip.
"Give it to me; once Sirius has calmed down, he'll be happy to have a copy," Remus murmured and stuck the copy in his pocket. "I'll see you both tomorrow."
They said their goodbyes and Remus left the two boys, whose attention was redirected to the copy.
Shaking his head, a fond smile tugging at his lips, Remus hurriedly made his way to their private quarters; nodding politely to a few students he passed by in the hallways.
Like expected, he found his distressed looking partner in their living room, seated on the couch while sipping from a tumbler filled with what appeared to be Firewhiskey.
"You made them worried," Remus announced and sat down next to him.
"Not my intention," Sirius muttered petulantly and took a sip of his beverage.
"What happened?"
They sat in silence for a while; Sirius seemingly needing time to gather his thoughts.
Finally he heaved a sigh and discarded the glass on the table.
"Everything that just happened reminded me of James and Lily," he started and gazed blankly at his left sleeve. "I remember James asking me to become godfather when he showed me the first ultrasound and Harry calling me that … I don't know; it just became too much."
He shook his head and laughed hollowly. "I know I shouldn't think like that, but it seems that history is just repeating itself. I can't help but wonder whether Harry and Blondie will end up like Prongs and Lilyflower." Light coloured eyes looked at him in anguish. "I can't go through that again, Moony. I can't lose part of my family like that again!"
"And you won't," Remus stated determined and pulled the other one in his arms to comfort him. "We are better prepared now and we have powerful allies; history won't repeat itself. We won't let him win."
"I wish I could be as confident as you," Sirius chuckled darkly.
Remus just tightened his hold, closed his eyes and buried his face in Sirius' shoulder; praying to Merlin he was right and that they wouldn't have to bury a Potter and his partner again.

"For the Familia ritual, we will need your blood, Harry," Lucius announced the next day.
They were seated in Remus' and Sirius' quarters; Lucius had announced he would be coming over during the afternoon and after lunch, Harry and Draco had followed the two older men to their rooms.
Draco's father had arrived together with Snape and had immediately started explaining the ritual he had discovered in a book. The book was on the table, open on the page of the ritual. The pages were a light yellow, indicating the fairly old age of the book.
All the rituals described had been written in Latin and thus Lucius had translated the text for the benefit of those who couldn't read it; them being Harry and Sirius. Sirius hadn't wanted to learn Latin and Harry had never had the chance to study it.
"So I need to let a few drops fall on the map and then it will give the right coordinates?" Harry questioned to make certain he had understood the ritual correctly.
Lucius nodded and leant back in his armchair. "Yes, your blood will be able to bypass the restrictions of the Unplottable spell."
"All right," Harry muttered and was vaguely aware of his pets' gaze on him when he made a small cut in his thumb with a muttered spell.
Ignoring the slight stinging of the small wound, he pressed his thumb and index finger together tightly until a few drops of his blood bloomed up and fell down on a large map that showed the outlines of England and Scotland.

The few drops of blood glowed softly for a moment before they were absorbed by the parchment.
They all held their breath when a small, blue spark appeared suddenly on top of the map. The spark bobbed up and down over the paper; going from left to right and up and down.
After a couple of minutes spent in anticipated silence with the spark trembling all over the map, the spark stopped moving and a sharp whistle cut through the air before the spark burst apart and disappeared.
Slowly, a pair of coordinates appeared on the map, as if it was being sown on.
"Thank Merlin," Sirius muttered relieved and rubbed his cheek. "I was worried that Charlus had completely moved the Manor to a whole other location. He just hid the exact coordinates, making us forget about them."
Harry looked at him incredulously. "How on earth do you move an entire manor?" he inquired sceptically, while rubbing absentmindedly over his healed thumb, courtesy of Draco.
"It can be done, but it requires a lot of magic and energy of the master of the manor, so it's only done if it's absolutely necessary," Remus replied with a shrug.
"So what are we going to do now?" Harry looked from one person to another. He didn't have his Apparation license yet, so the coordinates meant nothing to him, but they finally had an exact location.
Snape looked up and replied calmly, "We will discuss it with Minerva. I imagine she would not be pleased if we left right now."
Sirius grimaced. "Yeah, probably not. Let's call her over now and then decide when we'll leave."
Salazar, who had followed them to sit in the painting displaying a rocking chair in a small, cosy library, clucked his tongue and stood up. "I'll give her a quick visit and tell her, her presence is needed."
Without awaiting a reply, he disappeared out of the painting, leaving a thoughtful silence behind.
McGonagall appeared exactly six minutes later, looked annoyed. "There better be a good reason to call me here on a Sunday," she warned them and approached the group. She frowned when she noticed the map spread out on the table.
"You remember us mentioning that we were searching for a location to find one of the Founders?" Sirius started.
She gave him a look of derision. "Yes, Sirius, I remember that conversation clearly, seeing as it only happened five days ago," she replied, light scorn audible in her voice.
To his credit, Sirius only flushed slightly and cleared his throat before he continued – ignoring Snape's amused snort, "Yes, well, we think we have located Godric Gryffindor."
She blinked surprised. "You did? That's wonderful news. Where do you suspect he's hidden?"
"Harry thinks we will be able to find Gryffindor in Potter Manor, because the Potters are direct descendants of Gryffindor," Remus replied and produced the text that Harry had discovered.
McGonagall accepted the book and after adjusting her glasses, read the page quickly. "It is a reasonable assumption," she agreed and handed the book over to Remus. She narrowed her eyes and looked at them suspiciously. "But I suspect that is not the reason why you called me."
"Despite your House, you still managed to retain your common sense," Snape mocked and ignoring her scathing glare, he went on, "We have attained the coordinates of Potter Manor and want your … permission to allow us to visit the place." His upper lip curled up at the mention of permission.
"I cannot allow you to visit that place during the week," McGonagall replied and pursed her lips. "However, if you can be discreet, you are allowed to leave during the weekend. I assume the entire group is going?"
"That's the plan. We need Harry to bypass the wards," Draco spoke up. "And I'm not planning on staying behind."
She let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like an amused snort. "Of course. Well, you are allowed to leave the school ground for one day, on the condition that you will be back by the evening. Three professors and two students missing will after all be noticed if you stay away longer."
"That is fine. One day should normally be enough if we leave early enough," Lucius answered and took a sip of his tea.
"However, may I inquire as to which means of travelling Mister Potter will be using?"
"What do you mean?" Harry furrowed his eyebrows and stared bemused at the Headmistress. "Can't Sirius or Remus Side-Apparate with me?"
"Unless you want your little brat to get Splinched during the process, I wouldn't recommend Apparating or Side-Apparating for the duration of your pregnancy, Potter," Snape remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"The baby can get Splinched?" Harry asked worriedly and one of his hands unconsciously curled around his stomach.
Lucius leant forwards and patted his knee in a comforting manner. "Harry, there is no need to worry. While you are indeed advised to not Apparate while you're pregnant, Narcissa has a device that will allow you to travel without any problems. She used it during her pregnancy and Draco is proof that the device is safe."
Sirius muttered something underneath his breath which Harry didn't catch, but whatever it was, it made Remus jab him harshly in his ribs and glare at him.
"Oh, okay, that's good," Harry replied weakly and his hand relaxed.
"Do you have an idea as to when you will leave?" McGonagall asked curiously, adjusting her hat absentmindedly.
Remus glanced at the others, shrugged and replied uncertainly, "Would you mind going next Saturday? It's probably best if we leave as soon as possible."
"Will Narcissa be willing to loan the device to Harry?" Sirius asked and raised an eyebrow.
Lucius chuckled softly. "Don't worry about that – Narcissa will be more than happy to help Harry."

Not trusting Harry's ability to keep his balance during the travelling, Draco had Apparated together with his father first to the place given to them by the coordinates, so he could be there to catch Harry in case he lost his balance.
Because the wards didn't acknowledge them, they Apparated on a spot in the middle of a giant field, with tall grass that swayed rather fiercely in the wind and some old trees. Draco looked around and couldn't spot any house near them nor a manor.
"Where do you think the Manor is located, father?" Draco asked and shivered when a gust of wind tore through his robes. He quickly casted a Warming up charm and sighed softly in relief when warmth enveloped his body and chased away the biting cold.
His father narrowed his eyes and looked around slowly. "The wards are keeping us out by putting up Glamours," he murmured and nodded his head to a point right next to them. "If you concentrate, you should be able to feel a soft hum – that's the magic of the Manor keeping it hidden from us."
Draco furrowed his eyebrows, but closed his eyes and concentrated deeply. He shut out the sound of the howling wind and the rustle of the tall grass; he ignored the rodents bustling around them, preparing themselves for the winter.
There.
Right next to him, the air seemed to hum and he could almost imagine the wards strengthening themselves, doing their best to keep the Manor hidden from undeserving eyes.
"Pay attention, Draco. Harry should appear any moment now."
Draco's eyes shot open and he nodded briskly. The device his mother had given to Harry made sure to envelop the person carrying it in a protective shell, while it transported the person away to the coordinates spelled into it. According to his mother, it was similar to Apparating only that with this device, Harry's body wouldn't be squished together and he shouldn't feel nauseous either. The device ensured a safe landing as well, but they had all quickly agreed that Harry's balance couldn't be trusted, even with the device and had decided that someone should be on the other side to catch him.
Harry had been offended by the notion that he wouldn't keep his balance, even with the device ensuring his safety, but he had later admitted to Draco that he felt better, knowing that somebody would be there to catch him in case he did stumble.
The air started shimmering in front of him, making the rest of the landscape surrounding the air blurry, and then Harry appeared; his eyes closed and the device clenched tightly in his closed hand. The bubble surrounding him popped away and Draco was immediately next to him, ready to catch him if he so much as stumbled an inch.
Emerald green eyes opened slowly and Harry blinked, shaking his head, appearing a bit dazed.
"Are you all right?" Draco asked concerned.
Harry looked up at him and slid the device in his pocket. "Yeah, it was just a weird feeling, being transported like that," he chuckled weakly.
"Well, at least we have finally found a Wizarding way of transport where you don't fall flat on your arse," Draco smirked and dodged the punch Harry wanted to give his arm.
"Not funny," Harry huffed and scowled.
"Hey, it's a good thing!" the blond chuckled and Harry just sighed and shook his head.
Garin's head poked out from underneath Harry's robes and he looked around, his tongue slipping out to taste the air.
"Lots of magic in the air," he hissed through their mental link, ensuring Draco understood him as well.
As it would be too much of a hassle to bring along all their pets, the animals had decided Garin would be the one who would accompany them on their journey.
Three loud 'POP's' announced the arrival of the three other adults and they landed behind Harry.
"All right, now what?" Harry asked and his eyes flitted around, taking in the scenery. "What do we have to do in order for the Manor to appear?"
"Well, the wards will react only to your magic, so you need to release some of your magic," Lupin answered calmly.
Harry frowned; a confused look crossing his face. "How do I do that?"
"Enter a light meditative state, connect your mind with your magical core and pick out a thread from it and release that thread," Severus instructed brusquely. "That piece will connect with the wards of the Manor, which will force it to drop its invisibility."
"I need to do what?" Harry asked perplexed and his eyes gained a blank look.
From his spot, Draco could practically hear Severus' teeth gnashing together and the older man pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes while he uttered something in annoyance.
"Explain it again, but easier," Harry snapped irritated and glared.
Severus' glower could have set one of the trees on fire. "I already explained it in an easy manner!" he hissed. "I cannot comprehend why your feeble mind is not able to understand the simple concept of releasing your magic."
"Severus," Father said warningly.
"Listen, Harry," Draco quickly interrupted, wanting to prevent the conversation from taking a turn for the worse.
Harry – luckily – shifted his attention from an annoyed Severus to him; his face showing frustration.
"Imagine your magic as a ball of yarn with a bright colour," Draco explained and rolled his eyes when Harry raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Just close your eyes and imagine that until it seems like you can touch it if you reach out your hand."
He pointedly ignored the amused and questioning looks of the others – or in Severus' case a sceptic look – and waited until the dark haired boy nodded slowly.
"Okay; I got it. Now what?" he murmured, still keeping his eyes closed.
"Good. Imagine yourself reaching out and picking out one thread. Once you have it, imagine that you open your hand and let the thread be swept away by the wind."
A concentrated frown marred Harry's forehead for a few minutes.
Then, at the same moment green eyes revealed themselves again, a blast of pure, strong magic was released in the air; nearly knocking the group off their feet.
"Well, it looks like you succeeded, Harry," Black remarked, sounding slightly winded.
They turned around to look at the direction of the blast and nearly gaped at the sight that greeted them.
"Oh wow," Harry breathed out and his eyes widened.
Draco would have teased him about his comment, deeming it too bland to properly define something, but this time it seemed to be the only appropriate comment that encompassed the brilliant beauty that was Potter Manor.
Even partially hidden behind large gates – made out of wood and metal – everyone could see how beautiful the Manor was.
The architect seemed to have been inspired by Hogwarts and medieval castles, as the Manor looked like a smaller replica of a castle. The walls were a pristine white colour and the large windows looked open, despite the fact that long, cerulean blue drapes hid the interior from prying eyes.
Two round, long towers were built on each side of the building, giving off the impression that they were watch towers.
Despite having been closed off for Merlin knew how long, the large garden surrounding the Manor looked extremely well kept: the grass had been cut evenly; fallen leaves could not be spotted, in spite of the presence of barren trees and flowers, that did well during the winter season, were slowly starting to bloom.
A long path, covered with small, black stones, started from the gates and ended right before the seven steps leading up to the front door; the main path split sideways into several smaller paths that led someone following them to the various flower beds; giving the visitor the chance to admire the scenery.
The garden didn't stop when it reached the Manor, but instead went further on each side of the building, giving the assumption that the domain was larger than anticipated.
Despite the sheer size of the Manor (it seemed to have around four to five floors, not counting the attic and basement), it looked invitingly as if the Potters were still living there, ready to welcome friends and other visitors.
But Draco knew that wasn't possible; if a Potter was still living in the Manor, Dumbledore wouldn't have been able to put Harry with the Dursleys. While he had had the power to ignore the Will – unfortunately – he wouldn't have been able to go against a Potter. If a Potter had still been alive when Harry's parents were killed, a charm would have been set in motion that would have transported Harry to his living relative instantly. The charm was used by Purebloods to prevent someone from kidnapping their children.
So with no Potters alive in the Manor, had it been the house elves who took care still of the entire property?
While it wasn't weird that the Potters had employed house elves – they were a Pureblood family after all – it was strange that the house elves had stayed to take care of the Manor even with their masters dead.
As soon as the last inhabitant of a manor died and was buried, the house elves left, as they had lost their purpose of serving with their masters gone.
So why had the Potters' house elves decided to stay?
Draco caught his father's gaze and father's eyes confirmed they both were brooding on the same question.
If they entered the Manor, what could they expect to happen?
"So have the wards reset themselves or do I still need to do something to allow you to enter?" Harry broke the silence and cocked his head to the left.
Black cleared his throat and replied gruffly, "The wards protecting the Manor from sight have acknowledged your magical signature, but the inner wards need something else to recognize you as the rightful heir."
"Let me guess: my blood?" Harry snorted and rolled his eyes.
"That is what the wards need, yes, as it is only your blood that can prove you're the legitimate heir," Father admitted warily.
Harry exhaled noisily. "Purebloods and their obsession with blood." He sounded disgusted, but continued before anyone could remark upon it, "So where do I need to, you know, give my blood to the wards?"
"When you stand in front of the gate, you'll see a small gap right above the lock. There will be a sharp pin in it; you need to prick your thumb – just a bit – and the wards will take you inside once they recognize you," Black explained, glancing up with dark eyes at the building. "Once you're inside the wards, you should have complete command over the property and you can command the wards to change themselves to let us in."
"Don't worry; you'll know what to do once you're inside," Lupin added when Harry's face gained a worried look.
"I hope so," Harry muttered darkly and strode to the gate.
They all saw him press his thumb lightly in the gap and a tremor went through the ground, leaving them on unsteady legs, before Harry got transported in a flash behind the wards.
Draco could only hope that Harry's magic would know enough to take command over the wards.

AN2: Yeah, not a lot of action I'm afraid, but well, can't have them jumping into action every time, right? Anyway, I hope you liked it, despite the absence of Gryffindor's painting and the lack of action ^^; Please leave a review behind with your thoughts!
Next chapter: Harry thought resetting the wards and making them bend to his will was the most difficult part - until they encounter something that prevents them from entering the Manor. If the group wants to find Gryffindor, they will have to do their best to not lose their lives in the process
See you all in the next chapter!
- 13
- 14
- 15
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Survival of the fittest