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Chapter Text

Harry writhed and thrashed on the dirt in the graveyard of Godric’s Hollow, unable to think as his every nerve exploded with pain under the Cruciatus Curse. Something inside of him shattered, the additional pain only making the experience worse, and his back twisted unnaturally as something grew under his skin and forced its way through the surface.

His chest felt like it would burst, and a scream ripped through him, tearing his chest to pieces and breaking out of him in a long, drawn out howl of pain and despair. It went on for over a minute, Harry screaming the haunting sound and the pain racing through his body.

The curse abruptly stopped, and Harry collapsed limply on the ground. He was dimly aware of more people surrounding him than previously, and the sounds of combat, but was too exhausted and pained to process it, slipping into unconsciousness as an unfamiliar, but extremely concerned-looking blonde hovered over him.

Theodore Gorgens-Nott, known to those on Earth as Theodore Nott, looked around the graveyard where he’d been unceremoniously dumped by a pillar of white light and scowled. His arms and scales began to burn as temporary claim marks settled in, more than he could count at the moment. Well over a dozen. Even at sixteen he was capable of recognizing a soulscream, and judging by the Death Eaters he was still on Earth.

He’d better be on Earth. If the Death Eaters had spread to another realm without him realizing it then there were a whole other set of problems to deal with.

He looked around quickly, scanning for his new submissive. He frowned when he saw him lying on the ground, clearly in pain and apparently having a forced inheritance. He grimaced. Forced inheritances were nothing good.

Theo made his way over as quickly as he could, dodging spells from Death Eaters and returning fire when convenient. By the time he’d arrived, a blonde had already begun examining the submissive, his magic clearly marking him as both an Earth type and a Healer. That was a relief.

Theo looked down at his submissive, looking him over in more detail, and his jaw dropped. Harry Potter was not someone he had ever considered as a potential dragel, especially a submissive. Even less so his submissive.

He looked around again, scanning his new circle mates more closely, now wondering if he would recognize anyone else. His eyebrows raised when he saw three redheads. He most certainly recognized the Weasley twins after four years of school with the menaces. He was less familiar with the larger redhead, one of the Weasleys that had already graduated before he started. Still, he was fairly certain that it was the second eldest, the dragon tamer from the first task. Charles or Charlie? He frowned. There had never been any indication that the Weasley family had dragel roots, and all three were reacting as though their inheritances were new. Suppressions, he assumed. Likely linked to their blood traitor status, which would be a nightmare and a half to fix.

He frowned when he saw another dragel near the trio, one who appeared to be fluxing? That couldn’t be anything good.

As an oddly familiar honey-blonde man, a brunette with extremely large wings, a blue male, and a pale, almost translucent man that seemed to overflow with purple magic approached the four, hovering over and protecting them, Theo moved on.

His frown deepened when he took in a fire in front of a grave that had clearly been used in some sort of ritual. He didn’t have the talent for identifying rituals to know what exactly had been done, but something clearly had. He’d have to check Harry later to make sure nothing in it harmed him, and if it did…well the circle must have gheyos for a reason.

His frown turned into an outright scowl when his gaze fell on the dead body of Cedric Diggory, and his claws forced themselves the rest of the way out against his will. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened, and be relieved that it was Cedric, and not Harry, that had died.

He continued his examination, surprised again, though somewhat relieved to find one more he recognized. Blaise Zabini was one of his best friends in the wizarding world, and it was a relief to have him around in a strange circle. Especially a circle where he was given no choice in any of his bonded.

Theo growled as two men came up on either side of him, slightly behind him. Both moved fully into his line of vision, and one whispered to him, “Let us brace you, Alpha.” Theo growled lightly at the implication he would need bracing, but settled at the recognition of his rank, focusing again on the battle around them. It was admittedly somewhat grounding to have them brace him, the Earth one more so than the Air one.

Within minutes, the Death Eaters were all dead, the gheyos clearly highly efficient. Though, Theo thought wryly, wizards weren’t really all that much of a challenge for any experienced dragel. The power levels dragels had as a norm were so much higher than any wizard’s it was laughable. Still, it was good to know his new gheyos could handle this. Theo couldn’t help the grim pleasure he took in the deaths of Death Eaters. Any friends of his father’s were enemies of his, even before his new submissive was added to the picture.

He wondered idly how many of his classmates’ parents were here tonight, but pushed the thought aside. It didn’t really matter how many. They chose their side, and it was against his Harry. The gheyos were just giving them what they deserved for that.

Theo gave a sharp whistle, summoning everyone as close as possible, then cast a portal surrounding everyone, taking them all to his family manor. Everyone was jolted a bit as they landed, but it was a shockingly calm portal otherwise.

Much better than Theo had ever expected for this many people.

Much better than his own, admittedly considerable, elemental magic was capable of alone.

Powerful magic had been added to his, some earth and some another element, likely air. And not just any elements, either. Both had been extremely deep and strong, yet subtle, easily merging with his own. He was tempted to demand answers of the two dragels who had approached before the portal and offered help, as they were the most likely to have fed in the magic, but his new submissive took priority. He could get answers later.

Before Theo could even blink or catch his breath, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes as two figures attacked another three, and Blaise and another jumped into the fray a minute later. Gheyos. He’d never really understand them, even after all these years with Ilsa.

Speaking of Ilsa, with four new inheritances, three blood traitors, and just the situation in general, he very much wanted her here. He quickly reached for their mentor-student bond, pulling sharply on it and transferring a need for her to be here, but the fact that he was safe. He didn’t need her porting in with her killing aura, that would only make it worse.

He then turned to the Healer caring for Harry, only to find him and the white-haired man with the violet magic apparently squabbling about Harry’s care, though only the one with the white hair was speaking that he could hear. He watched as the Healer glared at the older man, but eventually rose and moved to the Weasleys, quickly beginning to cast spells over them.

“How is he?” he demanded after a second.

“Oh, words. That’s good. You’re not feral yet,” the white-haired dragel commented.

“Riven…” the Earth dragel that had supported Theo through the portal sighed.

“He’ll be fine. His inheritance is coming in properly, somehow, his shattered seals are mostly fine, again somehow, and if I could just figure out what this trembling is, we’d be good.”

Theo frowned. “Trembling? How are his nerves?”

The white-haired dragel, Riven, Theo supposed, shot him a sharp look. “A disaster, though I can’t find a reason for them to be. What do you know?”

Theo growled at the attitude in the statement, but answered anyway. “Those …people… are well known here for their fondness of the Cruciatus Curse.”

Riven’s eyes flashed purple and his magic swelled around him dangerously. The Earth dragel by Theo quickly approached, soothing him. “What is the Cruciatus Curse?” He asked after a second, looking between Theo and Riven. “Some sort of wizard magic, I presume?”

Riven shifted the Earth dragel out of the way and began to chant some form of enchantment over Harry, so Theo replied. “Of a sort. It is technically forbidden, but it is a spell that causes every nerve ending in the body to react in pain with no external sign.”

Raspen’s eyes went black, and he quickly chanted his binding spell, calling on Ergen several times to help him control his magic.

“What!” a voice behind Theo yelped, one Theo did not recognize but the Healer clearly did, as he immediately waved the green-haired fae over to him, the gheyo that he assumed was his guard following.

“What.” a second voice deadpanned from right behind Theo, one he easily recognized.

Theo turned to his mentor, quickly holding out his hand for a knowledge transfer of all he knew about the situation. She took it easily, her expression darkening. There was no need to ask to know how she felt about this. Blood traitors. Suppressions. Early inheritance. Torture of an underage, uninherited dragel. Nothing about this situation was good, except maybe that he could get the whole circle to Nevarah and just stay there for as long as possible, safely away from the wizarding world. He’d completed four years of Hogwarts. That would have to be enough to satisfy the requirements. Either way he’d be going to Nevarah with his new circle as soon as possible.

“Mera!” The honey-golden-haired male that had looked so familiar called out, staring at Ilsa.

“Ariki?” Ilsa gasped in shock, pulling him over in front of her, right next to Theo so she could inspect him too. Theo and Ariki exchanged glances, both very curious about who the other was. Ilsa clearly noticed this, as she commented, “You’ve met many times, you know. Ariki, my second eldest, Theo, my mentored student.”

Theo nodded, vaguely remembering at least hearing of Ariki, though not actually meeting him many times. Ariki hummed in affirmation, likely feeling the same.

A throat was cleared behind them. “Perhaps introductions of everyone involved in this soul scream would be useful.” Theo looked over and smiled slightly. Aracle was one of his favorites out of those he’d met in Ilsa’s circle.

The fact that he always had candy had nothing to do with it. He was more mature than that.

It took several minutes and a good deal of shuffling and growling, but they were eventually arranged in a circle in the manor’s largest courtyard, Theo holding Harry on his lap with Ariki to his left and the Earth and Air dragels that helped with the portal to his right. Ilsa stood behind Ariki, and Riven behind and between Theo and the Earth dragel, still monitoring Harry. The Weasleys were lying out all next to each other, with the blonde Healer and a female Healer that had come to help at some point hovering over them. The young dragel that had been fluxing earlier was being hovered over by the dragel with the large wings and the merrow.

A merrow. With three Weasleys. That should be interesting.

Theo glanced around, suppressing a grimace as he realized that he’d have to go first. “I’m Theodore Nott -” Ilsa coughed and flicked his head “- Gorgens-Nott, Alpha. This is Harry Potter. The twins are Fred and George, the older one I believe is named Charlie.”

“Parents or mentors?” Someone Theo hadn’t noticed before asked. He shivered. The speaker was clearly a shadow, gheyic alpha.

“Harry’s parents are long dead, I don’t know of a mentor. I had never heard of dragel heritage in his line, but it would have been kept secret. The other three have two living parents, though you’d have to ask them for any more information than that. I don’t know of any dragel heritage there either, though they are known blood traitors.”

Several people frowned and shifted at that. Theo nudged Ariki lightly with his elbow, prompting him to go next. “Ariki Deveraine. Air element, Beta. I work as a flight instructor.”

A dark-skinned man went next. “Brishen. Gheyo Joker.”

The merrow glared at everyone, but spoke. “Alec. Merrow, if you landwalkers really need it spelled out.” He shot Brishen a dirty look and hissed at him. Brishen growled back.

“Bran Kadel. Nameless,” the younger dragel next to him added in before Alec and Brishen’s bickering could escalate.

"Wikhn. Dark Fae, gheyo," was next, seeming about as friendly as the Merrow.

“Ethan Hartwood. Earth, Pareya.” The Earth type with the large wings commented.

“Devrim Ekene.” A dark-skinned dragel next to him commented, then glared at the group in general.

“Chatty, huh?” a high voice commented from where its owner was sitting practically on top of another dragel. The dragel he was sitting on promptly twisted his ear.

“Behave. Idan Kaelior and Minh Shiae. Air Gheyos,” he added.

“Blaise Zabini, Gheyo Joker,” Blaise added.

“Quinn Kalzik. Healer, Earth.” He sounded very distracted, alternating between looking over at Harry, Bran, and the Weasleys.

“Hadrian Maruke. Shadow, Ace, contracted to the Cunningham circle” the masked Gheyo commented.

“Blood Raven.” Bharin commented, causing Ilsa to look over from where she’d been focused on Theo and Ariki.

“Puppet Master. Blood Wraith.” Hadrian commented, nodding to Bharin, then Ilsa.

Theo couldn’t help the eyebrow raise. A blood title. Probably for the best, considering Harry’s luck. They may very well need his abilities if even a quarter of the rumors he’d heard in the last four years were true.

“Peryton. Air type. Advisor, most likely.” The Air type that had helped stabilize the portal went.

“Your highness!” Minh exclaimed, staring at him in shock.

Theo glanced over at him, questioning.

“Prince of the Air Courts, though not a Crown Royal,” he added reluctantly. A murmur of surprise went around the room, making him grimace.

After a moment, attention turned to the last sitting dragel, making him make a slight face. “Raspen, crown prince of the Earth courts.”

A louder murmur of surprise went around the room, and Ilsa chuckled softly at the shock coming from both Theo and Ariki. It was definitely a surprise to have her son and her almost-son bonded to the same submissive, especially by soulscream, but she was sure they’d be good for each other, and the circle present would be a good one for them.

She was familiar enough with most of the Gheyos, and was certain that Hadrian and Wikhn would be more than adequate protection for Theo and Ariki. Idan Kaelior would be an interesting combination with Wikhn, but she remembered him fairly well and he would be a decent Queen.

Prince Raspen’s presence would guarantee Theo’s Earth element was satisfied, and the Kalzik and Hartwood certainly wouldn’t hurt. Prince Peryton’s presence would do the same for Ariki’s air element, with help from the two Air Gheyos. Overall, the circle was probably about as good as she could hope her two children (even if Theo was not officially hers) would find.

Once everyone calmed down from Raspen’s announcement, the attention turned to Riven. “Riven Cariothe. Storm Mage.”

Almost as soon as Riven was finished speaking, Ilsa spoke up. “Who has experience with a blood purification ritual? All three redheads will need them, in addition to handling their new inheritances.”

Within minutes, everyone had separated. Those not in the circle, with the exception of only the Cunninghams, took the three Weasleys into the nearby casting grounds to begin the ritual, while Quinn and Riven both turned their attention to Bran and Harry again.

Quinn went over to Bran somewhat reluctantly. He had wanted to check Harry over, but Riven got there first. He would still be examining him before they left here though. His instincts demanded nothing less.

Apparently Ethan also had the idea to try to calm the young Consort, but when he tried to reach out for him, the Consort shied away with a small cry, “Don’t touch me!”

Quinn frowned. That didn’t sound good. He approached slowly, casting the spell that would let him draw words in the air. ‘Are you ok?’ he spelled out.

Bran read the words, looked at him for a second, then shrugged. “The portal and soulscream shook my control. I’m trying to get control again, its just taking a while.”

Quinn nodded once. That made some degree of sense. ‘A touch based ability?’

Bran nodded.

Quinn shifted slightly. ‘I’ll still need to do the diagnostics and treat anything I find, but I’ll avoid touch while doing them. Is there anything else I should know?’

Bran shifted awkwardly. “Magic sensitive.”

Quinn quickly adjusted the spell he was going to cast, then cast it. Nothing too bad wrong with Bran, just some pulled muscles and minor exhaustion. Some minor concerns if left untreated, but no real risks or dangers. ‘Some exhaustion and strain. You should try to take a nap when I’m done, but first let me deal with some of the strains.’

Bran hesitated, but eventually nodded, moving over to a bench and lying down. Quinn stood over him for a while, tending to strains and a lightly sprained shoulder caused by the portal and fluxing. That done, Quinn turned to Ethan. ‘And now, your turn.’

Quinn suppressed a smirk at the reluctant resignation on Ethan’s face at that. No dragel liked medical examinations, but at least he was cooperative.

He somehow doubted that all the others would be equally cooperative.

Raspen frowned as he watched Riven work on their new submissive, extremely concerned about what he’d heard so far. Harry still being unconscious now, after Riven had been working for over an hour and a half was indicative of how bad his state must have been. And his size…

“How old is Harry?” Raspen asked hesitantly once he could no longer resist, looking at the Alpha, who’d seemed to recognize the submissive.

Theo grimaced. “Fourteen.”

Raspen winced. Fourteen was far too young for an inheritance, even worse one triggered by something as bad as torture. If he had his way, Harry would be protected and pampered forever, never feeling pain again.

Realistically, he knew that he couldn’t shield his submissive - any of his bonded, really - from all pain, but he could do his best to shield him from most things.

He glanced at his new Alpha, considering his apparent youth, but eventually decided that it would probably be better to wait until a less tense situation to ask his age. It wouldn’t do to push Theo any closer to his instincts than he already must be, no matter how impressive his control seemed so far. A feral Alpha would help no one.

Raspen considered Harry again. He was so small, so delicate looking. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was more than just Harry being fourteen. He looked even younger and smaller.

A while later, he was yanked out of his consideration by cursing from Riven. “Kalzik, I hope you have no healings planned for the next month. He’s got a dozen different seals, some already broken - probably the soulscream - and a few more fraying now, but others will require more delicate removal.”

Quinn looked over sharply, glaring at Riven. Riven sighed. “Two soul seals, one shattered, another dissolving. The dissolving one is intertwined with two others - death and prophecy-” Bran cut him off with a hiss. Several in the circle growled, including Theo and the Gheyos.

Riven rolled his eyes and continued after a moment of Bran saying nothing. Three familial - two Evanson and one Peverell. One Evanson is rune-based.”

Raspen’s eyebrows shot up and he and Peryton exchanged looks. Peverell and Evanson heritage would certainly make things easier for both of them with their courts. Mixed circles were never really approved for royals, especially crown royals like Raspen, but at least it was a strong circle with a submissive from powerful families in both courts. It wouldn’t stop the scandal, but it would mitigate it some as long as the connections could be confirmed.

Raspen frowned. Normally, they would be very careful not to step on any claws with a clan recognition and claiming as family, but these weren’t normal circumstances. There were too many questions - how had an underage dragel ended up alone on Earth? Why did no one know about him? - to ignore, and fourteen was young enough that family connections would be absolutely required.

Riven continued on. “Three placed by a mentor, two intended for protection.”

Theo interrupted this time. “A mentor? Shouldn’t they have sensed the scream and come by now?”

Riven shrugged. “You would think, but maybe not. The third with a mentor’s signature is another death seal - “

This caused a minor uproar, with several slipping into halfling transformations.

Riven continued over the noise. “- that appears to have been an attempt to move the first death seal to his mentor instead. There are also general magic seals, one for wizarding magic and one for elemental. Those are frayed but not quite broken yet.”

It took almost an hour for everyone to calm down after that revelation, likely longer than usual due to Harry’s age and unconsciousness. Raspen was interested to note that while the gheyos were predictably furious, Hadrian and Brishen seemed to be the most so, followed closely by Blaise. He was also surprised when Blaise seemed to instantly gravitate towards Theo, as it was very rare for a joker soul bonded to a submissive to immediately accept anyone else in a circle. Especially an Alpha.

“Any idea what to do about Hogwarts? Our disappearances will be noticed.” Raspen heard Blaise ask Theo, and his curiosity was piqued.

“I’m tempted to say screw them,” Theo commented. “I’d rather go to Nevarah than back to Hogwarts. It’ll certainly be safer for all of us.”

Blaise simply nodded. He seemed to have expected this answer from what Raspen could tell. Still, he had to ask… “Hogwarts?”

Theo glanced over at him. “Wizarding school here. Blaise, Harry, the twins, and I all go, and Charlie used to go.”

Raspen simply nodded. That honestly raised more questions than it answered - like why was Ilsa Gorgens’ mentored student attending wizarding school after he’d clearly had a dragel inheritance - but now didn’t seem like the time to ask. Later, once they were settled somewhere safe with everyone healthy. There were several questions that would need answered later, he mused, continuing to watch Riven work.

Just over an hour later, Riven sighed and stepped back. Theo immediately approached Harry, crouching down next to him as he began to stir. Raspen quickly followed, standing over Theo with Peryton just behind him. Harry’s eyes blinked open, and Raspen couldn’t help but find him absolutely adorable with those big, bright green eyes.

“W- What happened?” Harry asked, looking around in confusion. Last he remembered he was being tortured by Voldemort in the graveyard. Now he was in a courtyard somewhere surrounded by strangers.

No, that wasn’t completely true. He recognized two as students in his year at Hogwarts, both Slytherins. Everyone else was a stranger though. Oddly, he felt inclined to instinctively trust them, though he knew that made no sense.

He squirmed slightly, trying to sit up but was gently pressed back to the ground by the golden-eyed Slytherin. “Easy, just lie down until Riven clears you.”

Harry sank back into the floor, then repeated, “What happened? And who are you?”

The Slytherin raised an eyebrow, then replied. “Theodore Gorgens-Nott. Theo, preferably. Though you should really know that after four years of school. As for what happened, what do you know about dragels?”

Harry frowned. He’d never heard of dragels. “Never heard of them. What does that have to do with anything? Where am I? Where are the Death Eaters? Voldemort?”

Theo paled slightly. “Voldemort was there?”

Harry nodded. “What happened?”

Theo sighed. “That’s a fairly complicated explanation, but firstly we are in my family’s manor. We are all safe here. The Death Eaters that were in that graveyard are all dead, and I don’t specifically know about Voldemort but I assume he is too.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “All of the Death Eaters are dead?”

Theo nodded. “All of them. They won’t hurt you again.”

A tall, masked Gheyo growled. “They never should have had the chance in the first place.”

Harry stared at him in shock, taken aback by the obvious protectiveness from someone he never met before. He then looked him over, and was even more shocked. The man was carrying more weapons than anyone he had ever seen before.

The Slytherin - Theo - sat next to Harry, gently pulling him to sit between his legs with his back against Theo’s chest. Harry went bright red and twitched slightly at the close contact with a near-stranger. Theo made a rumbling sound in his chest that relaxed Harry, though that confused him even further. Why would a stranger rumbling make him feel better?

Another golden-eyed man approached Harry and Theo, sitting a couple feet away facing them and smiling. “Hello, little one. My name is Ethan.”

Harry smiled slightly. “Hi.” He couldn’t help but like this Ethan. He had an open, friendly face and just generally seemed unusually likable and approachable.

Ethan smiled a little brighter then started speaking, “Dragels are a magical race of human-dragon elementals. We can -”

Harry interrupted. “What do you mean we? I’m not a dragel.”

Ethan continued smiling at him. “You weren’t a dragel, but what happened in that graveyard triggered an early creature inheritance, turning you into a dragel a little earlier than you usually would have become one. Most of those here are also dragels, with a few that are other creatures.”

Harry looked around again, this time actually paying attention to who he saw. He was surprised to notice that several of the people around him had wings and scales, and one even had a tail. He blinked as the tail disappeared as soon as the man realized he was looking at it, blushing bright red. It was oddly cute, for a grown man, Harry mused.

Harry turned back to Ethan. “And how did I end up here? With all of you?”

Ethan winced slightly. “What happened in the graveyard forced your inheritance out early, but in addition to that it was bad enough that you gave what’s known as a soulscream. To really explain that, first know that dragels bond - essentially marry - in groups known as circles. All circles have at least an Alpha, a Beta, and a Submissive, then most have a few Pareya, Gheyos, and other ranks. An Alpha is like the leader of the circle. They make sure that the whole circle is working together and cared for. The Beta is like a helper to an Alpha. They help with all of an Alpha’s duties, and help mediate disputes between the Alpha and the rest of the circle. The Submissive is the heart of the circle. They help care for everyone in the circle, along with any children the circle has. They also help keep the entire circle united. Does that make sense so far?”

Harry frowned. “Which am I?”

Ethan smiled gently. “You are the Submissive, little one.”

Harry bit his lip nervously. He didn’t like what that implied. Submissive. Would it be like the Dursleys again?

Ethan continued after Harry didn’t say anything for a moment. “Next are the Pareya. Pareya are protectors. They will always defend anyone in their circle if there is a threat, but most days they just take care of their circle by making sure everyone is fed, cared for, and not overworking themselves.” Harry tilted his head for a moment, considering. That implied that even if being a Submissive would get him stuck with housework, he’d have help with it. Ethan continued. “I’m a Pareya, and one or more of the redheads is probably one as well.”

Harry looked around in confusion. He didn’t see any redheads.

Theo immediately realized what Harry was confused about. “He means the Weasleys. Fred, George, and Charlie. They were blood traitors, so they are having rituals done to purify their blood.”

Harry frowned. “What do you mean? I didn’t know they were dragels. And what do you mean purify their blood?”

Theo shifted Harry slightly so that he could see his face, but Harry could still see Ethan. “The Weasleys are a family of known blood traitors. Dragels are made primarily of blood magic, so blood traitors’ blood is like poison to us. Because of this, they have to have their blood purified or it will poison them. They weren’t previously dragels because someone sealed their inheritances, making them seem like normal wizards.”

Harry frowned, but nodded. He was still confused about how they were dragels, but needing their blood not to poison them at least made sense.

Ethan continued again, “Next are Gheyos. I’ll let them explain their specific ranks within that category themselves, but overall they are fighters. They live to fight and will do anything to protect their circle and destroy any threats, especially to their Submissive.”

Harry blushed slightly at that. Did that mean him? They would want to protect him? His eyes drifted to the masked man with all the weapons.

“Yes, I am a Gheyo, an Ace specifically.” He commented. “My name is Hadrian, and I’ll explain the details of what being an Ace entails to you a little later once you’ve covered all the basics and what’s happening now.”

Harry nodded and waved shyly. Someone to his right cooed at him, but when he glanced over he couldn’t tell who it had been.

Ethan continued, “There are many other general ranks, but I’ll just cover the ones we have in the circle, since those are the ones that will be immediately relevant. Riven, here,” he gestured to a white-haired man standing behind him, “is a mage, basically a dragel with extremely powerful magic that requires a lot of responsibilities outside the circle. Quinn, there,” he pointed to a blonde hovering next to a younger-looking dragel, “is a Healer, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.”

He glanced over at Harry, who nodded his understanding so far. Powerful magic and a Healer weren’t too hard to understand.

“A Consort, like Bran there, is an underage bonded. He may or may not change ranks when he comes into his inheritance, and then he could be almost any rank. Alec, the blue one, is a Merrow. They are dragels with a water element. I’ll let him explain more about that, just know that Merrow do things differently.”

Harry nodded again. These two made a little less sense, mostly because both were fairly generic. He’d get more information from them later, though.

Ethan then pointed over to another golden-eyed dragel standing next to Harry. “Prince Raspen, here is a royal,” Harry’s eyes widened at this, “so he’ll also be similar to a Beta, but with more responsibilities outside the circle. Prince Peryton, here, is claiming an advisor rank but is also a royal, so he’ll be roughly the same as Prince Raspen.”

Harry looked the two over nervously. Both smiled down at him, and Prince Raspen sat down next to Theo, gently taking his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, little one.”

Harry blushed brightly, smiling at him shyly. Prince Peryton then sat down on his other side, brushing his hair back from his eyes. Harry looked over at him, blushing even harder as he took in the warm, inviting face smiling at him.

Ethan continued, “Because of the size of our circle, we might have a second Beta or a Rheyo. A Rheyo is a slightly higher-ranked Beta. I’m not entirely sure, it will depend on your fire types.”

Harry frowned. “Fire types?”

Theo was the one to answer. “Your three Weasleys. The red hair makes it pretty obvious their elements will all be fire.”

Harry nodded. That actually made some degree of sense, for once. Fire was red, and Weasleys were known for their fiery hair and tempers. “What element am I?”

Theo frowned for a second, not actually sure, then Quinn spoke up. “Nameless, which basically means your primary abilities are not elemental, they are based around a specific talent or talents. Yours is empathy, which allows you to feel and, to a degree, influence the emotions of others around you. You seem to have another, but it likely won’t show up until you’re at least 16, more likely older.”

Harry frowned. Of course he’d be an exception, and not have a standard element like the others. After a second though, he noticed that his bonded all looked rather impressed by that.

“You’ll be a bundle of fun, won’t you? Seals, empathy, fire types?” the blue man, Alec commented.

Harry whined softly at the comment, prompting Theo to pull him closer, tucking his face into his neck as he glared at Alec over his head. Harry couldn’t help but lick at the neck right in front of him, then again, then biting into it and enjoying the blood flowing into his mouth. After a second, his mind caught up with his actions and he went to pull away, but Theo’s hand had come up to rest on the back of his head, stroking his hair and holding him in place. “Shh, you’re alright. Take what you need.”

Harry whined, but kept drinking for a few more seconds before pulling away and licking the bite mark, watching in shock as it turned into a tattoo. “What was that?” he asked.

Theo smiled at him. “Claim marks. Dragels exchange them before bonding.”

Harry looked at him nervously. “Does that mean you’re going to bite me?”

Theo nodded. “It won’t hurt more than a pinch, and it will feel better after.”

Harry nodded. “Do it.”

Theo leaned in slowly, biting into Harry’s neck and drinking briefly, before pulling back and healing the wound, leaving the first claim mark on Harry. He then pulled Harry in for a proper hug, relaxing slightly as the bond settled between them. Harry gasped. That hadn’t hurt at all, it was nothing like what he expected. And the emptiness in his chest that he hadn’t even noticed before eased slightly as something clicked into place between him and Theo. He smiled slightly. If he felt that much better after just bonding to Theo, maybe he’d feel really whole after bonding to everyone. It was a nice dream, at least.

Harry just relaxed into Theo for a few minutes, enjoying the contact instinctively, even though he knew logically that he shouldn’t be so comfortable in a near-stranger's arms. Finally, “What was that other thing you mentioned? A soulscream?”

Another dragel was the one to speak up this time, a dark-scaled man with pink eyes and a ridiculous number of visible weapons. “Submissives initiate bonding in one of three ways. The first is a heart cry, which is voluntary and basically just a statement of interest that can be accepted or rejected. The second is a soul cry, which is involuntary on the submissive’s side, and indicates a soul bond is present. A soul bond means that the people are intended to be together by fate. It can still technically be rejected, but most wouldn’t do that. The third and last is a soulscream. Soulscreams happen in moments of great need, and summon all of your soul bonded to your side to protect you. They happen only under extreme circumstances, when there is no hope left. That is what happened in the graveyard. We won’t know the exact details of what happened until you tell us, but whatever it was was enough to force out your inheritance early and trigger a soulscream.”

Harry shivered, reluctantly remembering what happened in the graveyard. Cedric, the ritual, the Cruciatus, it was no wonder that it was enough to cause all of that. Even just the task in general would be enough. Krum using the Cruciatus, the acromantula, Fleur lying on the ground motionless…He huddled slightly closer to Theo, who nuzzled his neck gently in response.

Alec frowned, watching the submissive seek comfort from his alpha. His comment had been snarky, but not overly so, he felt. He must be even more sensitive than most landwalkers. That or just agitated from the events of the night. That may also be a factor.

Honestly, nothing about this soulscream was what he’d expected. A circle of landwalkers, with four fire types, would never be ideal, but a nameless sub with a talent for empathy may actually make it so it could work. An air royal would help some, and a storm mage and joker even more in balancing out the fire types so it wasn’t too overwhelming. He frowned. The size of the circle would still make getting time alone with his new submissive more difficult than he’d like.

He sighed softly to himself. The last three and half hours since introductions had been somehow both chaotic and slow, and threw so much information at him while not telling him what he really needed to know. The entire situation seemed to be a mess, as too much was not adding up.

It wasn’t even just the submissive, honestly.

The three fire types with the suppressions were obviously a concern, and their status as blood traitors only increased that. For them to be blood traitors, someone in their family must have knowingly and willingly sealed their dragel inheritances. Completely unacceptable, in Alec’s view.

The alpha, Theo, also had a variety of questions surrounding him. Why was he so close to Ilsa Gorgens? Even closer to her than her own son seemed to be. And why was he attending wizarding school when he was clearly aware of his dragel roots. Honestly, he looked far too comfortable in his status as a dragel and as an alpha for his apparent age. Alec refused to believe he was over 20, and would be shocked if he was 18 yet. That maturity would be good, however, if it continued. A young, insecure alpha could be a nightmare for a circle to work with. One Alec did not want to deal with. If this Theo could control himself and his instincts enough to ensure the circle could function properly, it may actually not be a bad circle for Alec to belong to.

The younger joker, Blaise, Alec believed, was also a major question. He also seemed young, but he didn’t even look 16 yet. That in and of itself was concerning. No one that age should be a joker, he really shouldn’t even have inherited yet unless he was older than he looked. Nothing good could cause an underage dragel to inherit, and it would have to be even worse to also make him into a joker.

Alec sighed again. Six with highly questionable pasts immediately obvious, plus two royals and his own drama. This would be a very interesting circle, one way or another. Alcandor would never let him hear the end of this once he found out. He grimaced. His cousin’s protective streak was guaranteed to go haywire once he found out the situation Alec had landed himself in.

Oh well, Alec thought, snickering slightly to himself as he saw Harry beginning to nod off again. At least it should be fairly easy to redirect the majority of that protectiveness towards Harry. He really was adorable.

Chapter Text

Perry smiled down at the submissive in his arms softly, watching as he squirmed slightly and began blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “Hello,” he whispered softly.

Harry smiled at him sleepily. “Hello,” he whispered, blushing as he realized that he was, once again, cuddled up in a stranger’s lap.

Perry gently ruffled Harry’s hair, glad he’d agreed to have his medical exam done earlier, during the hour or so that Harry had been asleep. It meant that he was now able to cuddle the submissive, enjoying some bonding time while those less willing got their medical exams. He snorted softly. As though they could ever truly avoid a medical exam with a Kalzik Healer present. It was a fool’s bet to even attempt it. No, he was glad that he had cooperated, especially seeing how reluctant his new Alpha clearly was.

And how determined his new Healer was.

His attention was drawn fully back to Harry a moment later, when Harry shifted slightly so he was sitting more than lying. “How was your nap? Do you feel any better?”

Harry blushed before replying, “Good. And yes.”

Peryton smiled. “That is good to hear. We were worried.”

Harry blushed even further. Perry decided to stop embarrassing him so much, and turn the focus to someone else’s embarrassment. Mostly so that Harry could see that he wasn’t the only one their Healer was going to harass in the name of better health. “If you’re up to watching the show, there’s some entertainment going on with our lovely Healer right now. Those of us who know better than to resist have been examined, but the majority of the circle are still holding out, so we can watch Quinn bully them into getting their checkups.”

Harry giggled softly. That did sound much more entertaining than it really should.

Perry turned his attention back to Quinn, seeing him begin to start in on Theo, who sat nearby with Ariki next to him and Ilsa behind him. It looked almost like Ilsa was trapping Theo in place for his exam, with Ariki helping her. He frowned slightly at that. An Alpha not willing to take care of himself was very typical, but it still didn’t sit well with his protective instincts. Quinn rolled his eyes then pulled out a gold band, snapping it around Theo’s wrist. A communication cuff, he realized. Hardly surprising, with the healer’s muteness.

Harry made an inquisitive noise when he saw that, and Perry murmured softly to him, “Communication cuffs. Quinn is mute, so those allow him to speak mentally to someone.”

Harry nodded, a slight frown on his face, but didn’t respond otherwise, so Perry returned his attention to Theo. It was really rather funny to see such a one sided conversation with a healer.

It suddenly became much less entertaining when Theo growled quietly, “yes, that’s current. I’m 16 now, my inheritance came in at 8.”

Everyone in earshot froze, staring at him. Theo looked around, frowning at the sudden lack of noise then scowling when he realized that everyone was staring at him. “I really don’t see how that’s relevant now. Ilsa had me examined by a healer right after and the inheritance flushed the poison.”

Ethan choked. “Poison!”

Theo grimaced, realizing his slip. “It was fine. No permanent damage and Ilsa took me off-realm with her after.”

Perry frowned. That was not at all reassuring, no matter what Theo may think. Ilsa was not known to be gentle or to support avoiding situations, so if she had thought removing him was required, it must have been serious. He wasn’t going to say so, however. Not when he had Harry in his lap. He didn’t want Theo to take him back already.

The conversation was apparently dropped when no one commented after a full ten minutes of silence, Theo glaring around the whole time, and Ilsa glaring at the gheyos specifically as though daring them to ask. Quinn clearly decided to cut his losses on that line of questioning, at least for today, because he began casting again, hitting Theo with another several barrages of diagnostic tests and minor healing spells for the, admittedly trivial, injuries he was seeing.

After a few more minutes, Quinn finished with Theo, turning to Ilsa and gesturing something in sign language Perry couldn’t quite catch. She nodded, grabbing Theo and dragging him away through an archway into a smaller offshoot of the courtyard.

Quinn nodded to himself, looking around at who was still present, apparently choosing his next target. Perry’s attention was caught by Harry before Quinn could decide, however.

“What does it mean that his inheritance came in at 8?” Harry asked hesitantly.

Perry winced slightly, “It means that something very bad happened to him when he was 8 that he likely would not have survived without the inheritance. Similar to what just happened to you tonight. It forced the inheritance out and he became a dragel very early.”

Harry bit his lip. “He said something about poison.”

Perry nodded. “It was likely something that was toxic to wizards, but not deadly to dragels, therefore the inheritance came in to save him. And he clearly was safe after, as Ilsa came and took him away.”

Harry nodded, though Perry couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He couldn’t help but wonder anyways.

After a minute, Harry asked "How does bonding work?"

Perry smiled. He'd hoped that topic would come up sooner rather than later. "Under normal circumstances, there are four stages. Heartcry, courting, claiming, and bonding. Heartcry is exactly what was explained earlier. Courting is exactly what it sounds like, basically dating and getting to know each other. Claiming is exchanging claim marks, and bonding is fully sealing the bonds."

Harry nodded. Those all made sense, though… "These aren't normal circumstances, are they?"

Perry shook his head slightly. “No, not quite. Because the circle was formed by soulscream, the order changes a little. We essentially replaced the heartcry with the soulscream, and we’ll complete the claiming and bonding before the courting, because the open soulbonds need to be sealed as soon as possible. Because you’re underage, the bonding will be completed just with a hug instead of requiring sex or something similar.”

Harry blushed bright red at the mention of sex. Perry couldn’t help the soft coo he gave at the sight. “So, are Theo and I already fully bonded?”

Perry nodded. “Yes. When you exchanged marks you completed the claiming, and when you hugged after it completed the bonding.”

Harry shifted nervously. “Do you want to bond with me?”

Perry smiled happily, pulling Harry’s head closer to his neck. Normally, a bond with a Beta would be required first, but he had no doubt that would be handled soon enough. Plus, Harry was too adorable to resist.

Hadrian scowled slightly when he saw Marianna Cunningham materialize out of the air next to him. “I release you from your contract,” she commented. “I normally wouldn’t this easily, but you’ll have enough of a mess to deal with with a 14-year-old newly inherited submissive and that suite.”

Hadrian gave her a dark look.

Marianna ignored him. “You won’t be able to fix their issues without facing your own, you know. And you’ll have to do it soon. I recognize four, and none will be easy. They may be worth it, though. One I don’t recognize, but I know another of his kind and if he’s anything like her, it won’t be anywhere near easy. Their interactions are nothing like ours. The last will be difficult for a whole other set of reasons. He’s not more than 15, you realize. And he’s not that new of a joker, either.”

Hadrian scowled fully now. He’d had his suspicions, but was still less than pleased to receive confirmation. A 15-year-old joker couldn’t mean anything good. And her descriptions of the rest of his suite were certainly not encouraging. At least Harry wouldn’t have to request the contract be broken, though. That would be a nightmare, especially with him being underage. Hadrian would have had to avoid even a hug until the contract was broken.

Hadrian’s already scowling face scowled harder when he noticed Quinn’s attention fixed on him. He’d really rather not be examined, but it appeared that that was one wish that would not be granted. He hated having to explain being a reaper, especially to Healers. They always freaked out. Unfortunately, far before he was ready, Quinn reached him, Ethan close behind.

He blinked quickly, then followed the words Quinn was tracing in air. ‘Communication cuff for a temporary mental connection or Ethan? I’m not writing out a medical checkup.’

Hadrian considered his options for a moment, then accepted the communication cuff. He had enough control over himself and his magic to ensure nothing he did not wish to share slipped along the temporary bond. It was better than using an intermediary, even if the Pareya in question did seem very pleasant.

Any surprises going to show on your exam? Quinn sent him.

“What qualifies as a surprise?” Hadrian asked, mostly to be difficult, if he was entirely honest with himself.

So there is something. Quinn somehow managed to deadpan even across the mental connection.

Hadrian grimaced. “Grim Reaper.”

Quinn nodded once, then cast his diagnostics. It wasn’t the standard one, but it was one Hadrian did recognize. His opinion of Quinn reluctantly improved slightly. Only healers that seriously cared and paid attention to patients with darker inheritances would ever bother learning that particular diagnostic. It boded well for Hadrian’s chances of happiness in this circle.

Cleared for now, so long as you sleep at least eight hours in the next twenty-four, but make sure you don’t overdo it in the future, Quinn informed him. Hadrian nodded. That was honestly the gentlest scold he’d ever heard from a healer.

He wasn’t naive enough to believe that that gentleness would continue into the future if he got injured again, of course. It was a one-time thing because of the circumstances and him not being overly difficult, even if he certainly had not volunteered.

I have to check all the other gheyos. Your presence as Ace may be helpful. Quinn commented, eyeing Devrim, who was still shifting around and glaring at anyone who approached meaningfully. Hadrian smiled darkly. He hadn’t had the chance to really prove his position yet, and was somewhat looking forward to it. He rather hoped some of the other gheyos would fight, though it may need moved out of the room first.

Harry was rather young after all. And he seemed completely clueless about dragels. He wouldn’t understand what was happening if the necessary fights started now.

Devrim frowned when Hadrian approached him as Quinn headed towards Wikhn. He’d assumed when Quinn had started with the Ace, despite the Queen, Princess, and one Joker being closer that the exams would go in order, but now he was no longer sure. His attention was dragged back to the present as his new Ace stopped in front of him. Despite his best efforts, he gave a quiet whooping noise then tugged on his braids.

Devrim winced. That was a nervous tick he’d been trying to get rid of for decades, but never quite managed.

To his slight surprise, Hadrian didn’t even comment on it. Instead, he asked, “What has you so unsettled?”

Devrim hesitated, rubbing his arms. “After the soulscream … nothing happened.”

Hadrian looked confused for a moment. “What specifically didn’t happen? A lot has happened.”

Devrim repeated the whoop and braid tugs. “No claim marks. Ranks aren’t settled,” he reluctantly admitted.

Hadrian frowned slightly. There were very few creatures for whom that would cause such a severe reaction. “What are you?” he asked bluntly

Devrim winced and stepped back slightly. “Triad parentage. Dragel bearer, were-hyena sire, vampire father.”

He was shocked when, instead of commenting, Hadrian asked, “Which is causing problems?”

Devrim shifted around for a moment, unable to really comprehend the question through his shock. “Were-hyena instincts upsetting storm and wild magic,” he admitted after a moment.

Hadrian nodded. That at least somewhat made sense. But what hadn’t happened after the soulscream that involved rank and impacted were-hyena heritage? After a second, he realized it. He could slap himself for not getting it earlier. Were-hyenas based their interactions almost entirely on rank. Until they established their suite, or at the very least Harry and Theo placed claim marks, Devrim technically had no rank.

Hadrian considered his options briefly. With his contract broken, the simplest option was now available to him. He stepped closer to Devrim.

Devrim blinked in surprise again. None of this was going how he’d expected. His new Ace hadn’t even blinked at his heritage. He quickly paid attention as Hadrian began speaking. “Harry is too young and oblivious about dragels to allow the necessary fights to happen in his presence, and we can’t leave him until we are safely in Nevarah. However, if you accept me as Ace I can claim you. If you plan to challenge me, it will have to wait.”

Devrim let out a breath of relief. “I have no desire to be Ace. If you would accept me, I would gladly bear your mark.” He gasped slightly as he was pulled closer and turned around by Hadrian, shadow wards coming up to give them privacy. Hadrian’s hand swept the hair off the back of his neck, causing his eyes to widen just before fangs sank in right across the back of his neck. He went limp against Hadrian, sagging in relief.

Hadrian held him for several minutes, until he eventually managed to regain his feet and pull away slightly. When he turned back around, Hadrian had removed an armguard for him to place his mark. He still looked up to him for confirmation, smiling slightly when Hadrian guided him to place his mark on the exposed arm.

Too soon for Devrim, though admittedly much longer than necessary to place a mark or even appease his vampiric nature, Hadrian gently tugged his hair, prompting him to release the arm in his fangs. He looked up to see what his new Ace wanted.

“Quinn will be over here in a minute for an examination. Just a quick one, with basic diagnostics unless he finds something immediately dangerous. I’ll stay here the whole time.”

Devrim would never like hearing that a Healer was coming, but Hadrian staying with him did make it a little more tolerable. Still, … “I hate healer exams. They’re always scared of me to the point I choke on the smell of it.”

Hadrian spoke again, “I doubt Quinn will react that way.”

There wasn’t time for any further conversation, as Quinn arrived only a second later. Devrim winced, but stayed still as Quinn counted down, then cast a general diagnostic on him. He was pleasantly surprised when Quinn simply raised his eyebrows at the results, then cast another spell, one more suited to his species and affinities. “Well?” Hadrian prompted.

Quinn switched back to his writing spell. ‘Cleared. He will be having weekly checks.’

Devrim frowned slightly at the mention of weekly checks, but figured that was a problem for later. He was cleared for now, which at least meant that he wouldn’t be prodded at today.

He’d deal with anything further into the future if and when it happened.

Minh couldn’t help but frown slightly when he saw the Ace and healer turn to him and Idan. He personally didn’t mind a quick medical scan, especially since he knew he was healthy, but Idan…

Minh had never understood how someone so particular about his health could be so against any kind of Healer or anyone else trying to take care of him. Oh well. It wasn’t his problem to deal with alone anymore. He had a full suite - a full circle, even - to help handle it. He smiled grimly. He had the feeling that the truth about Idan’s condition would come out much sooner than he’d like, and he’d be forced to truly take care of himself.

Somewhat predictably, Idan managed to disappear and go hide behind Harry and Prince Peryton by the time Hadrian and Quinn got over to where they’d been standing.

Hadrian raised an eyebrow at Minh, who simply shrugged. “He hates Healers.”

Quinn rolled his eyes this time, hitting Minh with a diagnostic spell without even saying anything.

He must be getting frustrated with the disaster that is this circle, Minh mused. The circle certainly had potential, and Minh was generally pretty happy with what he’d seen so far, but he couldn’t imagine the Healer was pleased by what he was discovering.

A second later, Quinn wrote ‘Cleared,’ then stomped off towards Idan. Hadrian moved to follow him, but Minh stopped him.

“So you’ll mark that pretty one, but not me?” he asked flirtatiously.

Hadrian turned towards him, eyes flashing with interest. “If you accept my position as Ace, I will mark you. No more than a mark here with Harry around, and no fights here in front of him.”

Minh nodded, easily accepting those requirements. He had no desire to be Ace, nor the training required. It was too bad no fights would happen now, because with two jokers there was guaranteed to be at least one. They would be interesting to see, considering the potential fighters. Oh well. He’d still see them; he’d just have to wait a while.

“I’ll gladly accept your mark. I have no desire to be Ace.” Minh said formally.

Hadrian’s shadows surrounded the pair as they had Devrim, and Minh briefly wondered what exactly he would do since he hadn’t been able to see the previous marking. He was slightly surprised when he found himself turned around and pulled so that his back was pressed against Hadrian’s chest, but slightly less so when his hair was gently moved aside. It made sense, in a way, that a blood title like Hadrian, especially a shadow one, would require total submission. Minh happily relaxed into the claiming bite Hadrian gave, in no hurry for it to end.

It did end, however, a few seconds later. Minh turned back around to face Hadrian again, pleased to see an armguard being removed for him to place his mark. He wasted no time in doing so, and took the opportunity while the privacy spell was up to sneak in a quick snog as well. Hadrian looked vaguely amused, but did not object.

After they had finished and the privacy spell had dropped, Minh looked around the room for Idan, spotting him flying away from Quinn at top speed across the courtyard. He couldn’t help the snicker that escaped at the sight, nor the second one that escaped when Hadrian sighed before using his shadows to drag Idan over to them, Quinn following along.

Minh watched, unsurprised as Quinn lectured at Idan for being difficult. He couldn’t hear it, because Idan had been given the communication cuff so Quinn wouldn’t have to expend extra effort, but he was willing to bet it would be both very impressive and entirely unsuccessful. Idan simply did not cooperate with healers. Ever.

After a while, Idan was allowed up. Quinn turned to Hadrian, writing in air again, ‘Cleared, but another for weekly checks. Since apparently he can’t be trusted to cooperate.’

Minh suppressed a smirk at that. In trying to avoid one medical exam, Idan had unwittingly signed himself up for many more.

It was good though, Minh felt. Idan’s scans were fine tonight, but he’d just taken his potion this afternoon. There would be other times when he may not be so fine.

It was just a question of whether Quinn found out the truth before or after one of those times.

There was no doubt in his mind that Quinn would find out.

Brishen grimaced as he saw Hadrian and Quinn’s attention fixate on him. He was less than thrilled to have both coming together, even if he did somewhat understand the reasoning. Quinn was a healer. If he reacted badly, he may hurt him. It also wouldn’t surprise him if Hadrian was trying to get an idea of how the suite’s hierarchy would work and where he would fit in.

Brishen snorted softly to himself. He’d fit when and where he wanted to. He was a joker, not a ranked gheyo. He didn’t need to fit in nearly as much as the others.

A few seconds later, Quinn and Hadrian stopped in front of him. Hadrian commented, “Anything either of us ought to know before Quinn starts?”

Brishen made a face. “Phoelix. Since you’re dragels, as opposed to dragons, I assume that you can figure out what that means.”

Hadrian resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the snark in that comment.

Quinn simply replied by hitting Brishen with at least six different diagnostic charms, some totally irrelevant to the situation at hand, as revenge.

Brishen scowled, but had to admit to himself that that was fair.

Quinn nodded sharply and stalked off after a moment, leaving Brishen and Hadrian alone.

“I’m swearing to Harry, if that wasn’t obvious,” Brishen commented.

Hadrian simply nodded. “I figured. It was a soulscream.”

Theo frowned when he noticed Quinn heading towards him again, but then relaxed a second later when he realized he was focused on Blaise, not him. A small smirk crossed his face as he lightly poked his friend. “I think your turn’s coming now. Hadrian and Quinn are both heading this way.”

He stifled a laugh at Blaise’s disgruntled expression, which became much harder after the dirty look Blaise sent him.

By the time Theo had control of himself and Blaise had given up glaring, Quinn and Hadrian were in front of them.

“Any surprises?” Hadrian asked.

Blaise simply hissed, refusing to answer. Theo rolled his eyes, then asked, “What’s really a surprise at this point? I mean, it might be a bigger surprise for a wizarding-raised dragel to make it to 16 without an early inheritance or major suppression lasting past 16 than to have a normal inheritance at 16.”

Hadrian’s eyebrows raised at that. “So an early inheritance, then?”

Theo elbowed Blaise, prompting him to answer. “If that wasn’t already obvious, yes. Considering I’m 15, my inheritance had to be early,” Blaise grumbled.

Harry, sitting a few feet away, made a confused noise. “What is it, treasure?” Theo asked.

Harry blushed bright red at the nickname, but asked anyway. “If you’re under 16, why aren’t you a consort? Or me, for that matter? I thought underage bonded were consorts.”

Theo smiled softly at him. “It's about your inheritance, really. You technically had your inheritance before you gave the soulscream, even if only by a second. The circle was formed around you, as the submissive. Blaise already had his inheritance many years ago, so he already has a permanent rank. He doesn’t need to be a consort.”

Harry nodded, smiling slightly at Theo. Theo smiled a little more at Harry, reaching out to brush his fingers across his forehead.

He turned his attention back to where Quinn was casting several spells at Blaise, looking no happier now than he had earlier when he examined Theo. Honestly, he looked even less happy, which kind of made sense considering Blaise’s past. Yes, Theo also had an inheritance triggered early, but he hadn’t had a second event change him into a joker like Blaise had.

“9 for the inheritance, 12 for the joker rank. So you really don’t need to fuss, it's all settled. It's all been settled for years,” Theo heard Blaise comment.

He was willing to bet that that didn’t help matters.

It didn’t seem to when he tried it about an hour and a half ago.

He supposed he couldn’t really be surprised. He was furious about what happened to Harry, and he was sure if he heard the same about any of his other circle mates he would also be furious.

He’d certainly been furious when he’d learned about Blaise’s past, and they hadn’t even been bonded into the same circle yet. And, he recalled, Blaise had been furious about Theo’s own past when he found out the truth.

He supposed that it must go both ways.

It took another twenty minutes of spells before Quinn was satisfied enough to leave Blaise alone, though he hadn’t actually found anything that needed treatment beyond a slightly strained shoulder.

Theo suppressed a smile. It was actually kind of cute watching Quinn fuss when it wasn’t him being fussed over.

Only when it wasn’t him, though.

Alec rolled his eyes when he saw the Healer focus in on him. He wasn’t seriously going to try to give a Merrow a checkup, was he?

Apparently he was, because he was right in front of him a few seconds later, thankfully without the Ace. Alec rolled his eyes, but didn’t resist as Quinn cast a diagnostic spell. Alec was somewhat surprised to see that it was actually a proper spell for use on a Merrow.

It wasn’t necessarily a Merrow spell per se, but it was the recommended standard diagnostic spell used on Merrow while out of the water. He was reluctantly impressed.

Not that he’d find anything, of course. Even with the proper spell, there was nothing to find. Alcandor was very particular about the court’s health, especially those related to him. Alec was one of those lucky (or unlucky, it depended on the day) enough to qualify. He saw a healer at least twice a month, more if his … special duties were required.

Quinn simply gave a nod at the results, and wandered off again, targeting Riven. Alec snorted. That ought to be interesting. Storm mages weren’t exactly known for their cooperation, and Alec was petty enough to recognize pettiness when he saw it. There was no way this wouldn't be at least partially revenge for Riven taking over Harry’s healing earlier tonight.

He snickered quietly. At least there would be some entertainment in this circle.

Riven frowned as Quinn made a beeline towards him, wondering what he wanted. He’d already shared the details of what he knew about Harry, so there really wasn’t anything else he could think of that the Kalzik would need from him.

Riven’s frown deepened as Quinn stopped right in front of him and asked, ‘Anything I should know?’

Riven grimaced. “Harry should be stable enough for a portal, though the seals will still need a lot of work. Bran-”

Quinn cut him off by pinching his ear. ‘I meant about you. It's your turn to be scanned.’

Riven blinked twice, not really understanding. His turn?

Quinn apparently didn’t feel like waiting for Riven to process, because he was suddenly hit with a wave of diagnostic spells. Quinn’s frown deepened the more he cast, the spells continuing to come as he kept finding more problems that would need fixed.

Riven blinked again as a wave of intense healing magic washed over him, fixing a variety of old and new injuries, all little things he would have never bothered to fix. They were just minor injuries, after all. Nothing that interfered with his work.

Quinn glowered at him. ‘You really need to take better care of yourself. That’s all I can do here, but you will be having your wings and general exhaustion taken care of in Nevarah. Within the next two or three days, at most’

Riven blinked. “Focus more on Harry. I’m fine.” He was always fine. Harry was much more important.

He squawked slightly as Quinn pinched his ear again. ‘Harry is important, obviously. But you are important too, and I have enough magic to handle the entire circle’s health. You will be getting to a decent baseline of health.’

Quinn then turned and stalked off, heading towards Harry.

Riven watched him go in shock. It wasn’t entirely that Quinn had said anything new, Maia was always telling him he needed to take better care of himself. But Quinn had said he was important.

Riven shook his head slightly. Any importance he had was because of the importance of the work he could do, the power he had.

Quinn sighed as he stalked over to Harry again, eager to now be able to scan him. He wasn’t thrilled that Riven had taken Harry earlier, though he would admit if forced that Riven’s immense magical reserves were slightly more suited to handling the initial shock and stabilization.

Only slightly, though.

Quinn thought back to his exam of Riven and grimaced slightly. Riven was a mess, medically. Nothing was immediately dangerous or overly severe, but there was so much wrong that it all added up to him being one of the least healthy dragels he had ever seen. And his attitude towards his own health…Riven would probably need to be added to the ‘weekly checks’ list. Quinn rolled his eyes. He never would have thought such a list would be needed for his own circle, but already suspected several would be on it permanently. Harry. Theo. Blaise. Devrim. Idan. Riven. Not a single one was in any appropriate condition, and all would need careful monitoring. Well, Idan was currently fine according to standard diagnostics, but his lack of cooperation earned him a spot, and something just seemed off.

Quinn was both relieved and slightly disappointed to find that there was nothing more he could really do for Harry while they were on Earth. He could remove a few of the seals on him, but it would be much safer to do so in Nevarah, and ideally after some sleep.

It had already been evening here when the soulscream had happened, and it had been over 8 hours since then. Added to that, he’d been casting fairly consistently most of that time. He sighed. He doubted he’d get the chance to really rest before returning to Nevarah, and that couldn’t happen until the blood purification rituals were done, those three had their checkups, and all of Harry’s bonds were completed.

Quinn glanced idly at the archway behind which he knew the blood purification rituals were taking place. They usually took a full 24 hours to complete, but Lady Gorgens had said they’d be around 9 hours. Quinn couldn’t help but wonder how that would work, and hope they were still taking appropriate precautions. He somehow doubted it, however.

Quinn’s attention was suddenly caught by Riven coming back over, a slight smirk on his face. He frowned as a diagnostic spell washed over him, Riven clearly intending to do his own check up. Quinn rolled his eyes. That made sense. The Mage giving the Healer a check up. Why not?

Riven frowned at the feedback he received. “You really need sleep. And I can’t do anything about your neck now, but there are rituals that can help.”

Quinn frowned, but wrote, ‘Mama called a specialist. He should be here during the hunt. And I’ll sleep when I have time. We all need sleep, frankly.’

Riven nodded, clearly not surprised by Quinn’s reply. Both turned their attention back to Harry, who Alec had stolen from Prince Peryton after his exam.

Quinn glanced over at Riven after a moment, somewhat surprised. Perhaps they would get along after all, he mused. He had been somewhat concerned considering the known tension between his parents and Riven, but Riven seemed willing to play nicely.

Alec smiled smugly to himself as he carried Harry off to an empty corner of the courtyard. He’d tolerated the others for as long as he was willing to, and after that medical exam he felt he deserved some one on one time with his new submissive. He especially wanted it before the blood purification rituals finished and the fire types came back.

He grimaced. He’d almost managed to forget the fire types for a while.

He sat down on a step, settling Harry on his lap. Harry blinked in confusion, then asked, “Why are we over here?”

Alec snorted softly. After being picked up and carried off, that was all that he asked. “It’s my turn to have time with you. Preferably without all those landwalkers.”

Harry’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “Landwalkers?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Yes, landwalkers. You wouldn’t expect Merrow - water dragels - to live on land, would you?”

Harry frowned. “Does that mean you won’t be able to live with us?”

Alec sighed. He’d forgotten that Harry would be completely clueless. “No, I’ll just have my own room set up to be underwater. And I’ll have to spend a decent amount of time in the water.”

Harry relaxed at that. That was oddly cute, that he was already caring about Alec being present. They’d just met, after all. Still, there was a clear soulbond, so obviously there was something there proving they were suited for each other.

Alec waited a moment, then began to grow impatient. “Any time would work.”

Harry frowned. “Any time for what?”

Alec rolled his eyes. What else could he mean? They were apparently doing the whole bonding process, and he’d stolen Harry away for alone time. “Claim marks and bonding, of course. What else?”

Harry rolled his eyes, but leaned up to place his mark on Alec’s neck.

Alec smiled slightly, relieved to have the open bond closing.

Charlie blinked as the world faded back into clarity, and stayed clear this time. It had been fading in and out for the past … he actually didn’t know how long. Only that it was long enough that the puddle of blood surrounding him must be almost all the blood in his body. That raised several questions.

Mainly, how was he alive with all the blood gone from his body?

And for that matter, where was he? This was definitely not the Romanian dragon reserve.

Charlie forced himself to sit up, ignoring the pain and stiffness in his back, and looked around. His eyes widened when he saw the twins lying nearby, each also surrounded by a pool of blood.

Hands pressed him back to the ground when he tried to stand up. “Give it another few minutes for the healing spells to do their work.”

Charlie frowned, looking up at the woman holding him down’s golden eyes. “What happened?”

The woman sighed. “What do you know of dragels?”

He frowned. “Something about fairy tales, but that’s it.”

She rolled her eyes, but began to explain something he’d never have believed if the proof wasn’t right in front of his eyes.

About twenty minutes later, after the woman, Ilsa apparently, decided Charlie and the twins had enough of a basis to understand what was happening, a strong gust of cleansing charms swept through the room, erasing all evidence of what had been done in the room. Charlie was impressed. Giant puddles of blood were not the easiest to clean, especially while people were still standing around, some even in the pools.

A moment later, the privacy wards fell, and Charlie and the twins were ushered through an archway into a larger courtyard that was already full of people. His eyes were immediately drawn to Harry, and he and the twins immediately started heading towards him.

Charlie was somewhat confused when the man holding Harry stood up, hissed at the approaching trio, then stalked off, leaving Harry alone waiting for them.

It didn’t matter, Charlie decided. They would be able to check over Harry and make sure that everything was alright.

Ariki watched as Quinn finished examining Charlie, the last of the three redheads to get a medical check. It had been much more entertaining than he’d expected to see the checkups, mainly because the twins kept pulling ridiculous stunts to try to get back to Harry instead of holding still and getting the spell over with.

One twin, he believed it was Fred, had attempted to jump and do a flip over Alec, who was sitting on the floor watching Harry. He didn’t quite manage it, though, instead landing so Alec was lying flat on his back with Fred lying on his stomach on top of him.

Ariki snorted. Alec had been less than impressed, turning Fred’s hair purple and holding him immobilized in the air for Quinn to finish his exam as revenge. It seemed to be all of his hair, from what Ariki could tell, considering that his arms were definitely included. He smiled to himself. The fact that Alec hadn’t gone immediately for a lethal or dangerous option when provoked, even by a fire type, was promising.

The other twin, George, tried to do the opposite, attempting to dive between Quinn’s legs to get back to Harry after Quinn trapped him in the corner to avoid another incident like Fred’s. Ariki snickered. Quinn had been less than impressed at that attempt, casting several more diagnostic spells that probably weren’t needed after.

Ariki couldn’t entirely blame the twins, though. He was definitely eager for some time with Harry, too.

Who wouldn’t be?

Ariki was somewhat disappointed when Charlie’s exam ended without incident, his much shorter than the twins’ due to his lack of antics. He was sure Quinn would disagree, but he’d quite enjoyed watching the twins’ attempts at gymnastics.

Ariki watched out of the corner of his eye as Theo and Ethan approached, Theo pulling Charlie aside and Ethan the twins. If he had to guess, that was likely Theo wanting to confirm things and place a mark on Charlie, and Ethan wanting to explain rank-specific information to the twins.

Ariki frowned. He’d need to try to get Charlie either alone or just him and Theo later, to go over their rankings and dynamics. He hadn’t been sure earlier, but with the suppressions lifted Charlie was clearly a Beta, and a more dominant one than him at that.

He blinked as Harry came to stand in front of him. “Hello, little one.”

Harry blushed. “Hi.”

Ariki held out his arms invitingly, smiling happily when Harry willingly settled onto his lap, then frowning slightly while Harry was facing away. He was far too light.

His expression was back to a smile, however, when Harry looked back up at him.

“What rank are you?” Harry asked.

Ariki replied, “I’m a Beta, like your Charlie over there. You have two Betas in your circle, which is probably a good thing considering the numbers.”

Harry nodded slightly, looking worried. “There are more than usual?”

Ariki nodded. “Somewhat. Not enough to be shocking, but over average. It’s a good thing, though,” he spoke carefully, mindful of Harry’s apprehension at having more than typical. Or maybe at being different than typical.

Something to consider later, when everyone wasn’t so exhausted.

Harry nodded. “So there’s no problems with the circle? Or with me bonding to everyone?”

Ariki shook his head. “None that I can think of. The fire and water types will bicker, and everyone will have to learn to live with each other, but that’s not really anything significant. Every circle has that, to some extent.”

Harry smiled shyly. “Can I mark you?”

Ariki smiled happily. “Of course.”

Chapter Text

Dahlia smiled slightly as she watched her little brother bond with his new submissive. This circle would be interesting, to say the least. Twenty was certainly very large for a circle, especially one that isn’t a merged circle. Her parents only had one more, and theirs was a merged circle. Still, she felt it had good potential. And there was another Beta, so Ariki wouldn’t be stuck playing mediator for nineteen others alone.

She turned, sensing Wikhn approaching her. “You’ll have to accept him, you know. A soulbonded submissive isn’t something you can give up.”

Wikhn made a face, but nodded. “He’s so young. My instincts wouldn’t let me reject him.”

Dahlia nodded. That was better than expected. Much better.

She’d expected some resistance to going to a circle other than hers, but apparently Harry’s age, and probably his cuteness, were enough to force Wikhn to accept this. “It’ll be a good circle for you. The shadow blood title -”

Wikhn shook his head. “I’ll accept Harry, but I don’t think I can force myself to accept another Ace or an Alpha.”

Dahlia frowned. “That may not work, Wik. You’re the King. The closest rank to the Ace, and with a full suite and two jokers, that won’t be an easy balance even with completed, strong bonds.”

Wikhn made a face, but didn’t answer. Dahlia sighed. Wikhn was so stubborn, but she understood why.

After a moment, she realized she wasn’t going to get an answer, or get anywhere on persuading Wikhn to accept his new Ace and Alpha today. She pulled out their contract, tearing it. “I’ll miss you, Wik,” she said, then walked over to her mother, leaving Wikhn alone.

Ethan smiled softly as he walked up to Harry and Ariki and settled on the ground next to them. “How are you both doing?”

Ariki smiled back. “Pretty good. Any idea when we’ll go to Nevarah?”

Ethan shrugged. “Quinn finished all the medical checks, so probably once all the bonds are sealed.”

Harry peaked over at him. “Nevarah?”

Ethan explained, “The dragel realm. Most dragels, and many others, live there. It's a sanctuary realm, so everyone is welcome there.”

Harry bit his lip, but nodded. Ethan could tell he was worried about something, but not what that was. “What’s wrong?”

Harry hesitated before answering. “What about my friends here?”

Ethan nodded. He couldn’t say he was surprised by the question, though not asking about his family was a little unusual. He couldn’t help but wonder about that, especially in light of how small Harry was. Still, that was a problem for later. “We can try to contact them sometime soon, but right now we need to get to somewhere safe, and you and your fire types need to learn about your dragel inheritance and magic.”

Harry nodded. Ariki glanced around, noticing that Ilsa and Dahlia were standing together nearby. “I’m going to leave you with Ethan for a bit, ok Harry? I want to check in with my mother and sister and see if there’s anything I need to know.”

Harry blinked in surprise. “Your mother and sister?”

Ariki nodded and pointed over to them. “Ilsa is my bearer, and Dahlia is my older sister.”

Harry nodded in understanding, watching as Ariki walked away before turning back to Ethan. Ethan smiled slightly, grateful for Ariki leaving the two of them alone. He would certainly never object to some one on one time with Harry, and the bond needed to be settled.

Ethan held his arms out invitingly towards Harry, sighing happily when Harry shifted over so he was cuddling against him. He tilted his head, exposing his throat to Harry, chirring as fangs gently bit down. The tension drained from his body as he felt the bond began to settle, and he was fully relaxed by the time he’d placed his own mark on Harry and continued holding him for another few minutes as the bond settled.

Well, he supposed, his mother ought to be happy. She’d desperately wanted him to bond, and preferably into a high noble circle. He'd now bonded into a royal circle.

His siblings would never let him hear the end of it.

Hadrian carefully kept his face blank as Ethan and Harry approached. He was eager for time with Harry, but had mixed feelings about the Pareya accompanying him.

He had nothing against Pareya, or Ethan for that matter, but some alone time with Harry would be greatly appreciated.

He hid a frown when he saw Harry appearing to get more nervous as he and Ethan approached. He was confused for a moment before realizing that a masked Gheyo with full armor must be fairly intimidating, especially for someone wizard raised. He forced his expression into a gentler look, and gently reached out to pull Harry in for a hug as he walked into reach. “Hello, little one,” he whispered to him.

Harry blushed then looked up at him. “Hi.”

Hadrian couldn’t help but wonder how he got such an adorable submissive. “Have the others explained Gheyos to you? Or the rank Ace, in particular?”

Harry shook his head. “They said you were a fighter, but that’s it.”

Hadrian nodded. “That’s true, though there’s a bit more to it.”

It took a little while, but Hadrian patiently walked Harry through Gheyos and Gheyo society in general, then each of the ranks within a Gheyo suite. Harry was still reluctant at the idea that they would happily fight and die for him, but Hadrian supposed that wasn’t surprising. Some Nevaraean submissives struggled with that idea, and Harry was wizard-raised.

Fortunately, by the time he’d finished explaining everything Harry seemed much more comfortable with him, and was fully cuddled against him in his lap. Hadrian smiled softly at him. “Are you ready to exchange marks? Because I am Ace I will mark you first.”

Harry blushed tomato red and nodded. Hadrian gently turned him so he was sitting facing away from him, and shifted his hair to the side so he could carefully place his mark. He frowned slightly when Harry didn’t even whimper. No mark or bite was entirely painless, and his was worse because he had a second row of fangs that were specifically designed to burn. He’d bitten as gently as he could, but there was no way it wasn’t painful.

He frowned. He’d have to have Quinn check Harry over again later to make sure that pain curse he’d been hit with didn’t do permanent damage. The Alpha hadn’t mentioned anything like that, but he couldn’t see why else a fourteen-year-old would have such a high pain tolerance.

He wiped the frown off his face as Harry turned back around, and quickly removed his neck armor to allow the mark to be placed. He sighed slightly in relief as the bond settled, relaxing as he felt Harry relax in his arms.

Wikhn frowned as he watched the Ace mark Harry. He understood what Dahlia had said about his refusal to swear to the Ace causing problems for the suite, but he didn’t think he could force himself to offer that kind of submission to anyone. He didn’t even think he could do it for Harry, and he was a fourteen-year-old submissive Wikhn was soulbonded to. He couldn’t even imagine how he could possibly trust an unfamiliar Ace enough.

He brushed the thoughts aside as Harry shyly approached him. He considered his options, then gently guided him into a nearby alcove.

Harry looked up at him in confusion. Wikhn snorted softly at the expression, then explained “Some things should be private. I consider claiming and bonding to be included.”

Harry blinked, then frowned. “Is it bad that I’ve been exchanging marks in the courtyard with everyone?”

Wikhn shook his head. He should have expected that idea, honestly. “No, I just would rather not have a private moment between us in front of everyone. There’s nothing wrong with it, though.”

Harry nodded. “Is there anything else I should be aware of with this? Any other preferences or requirements?”

Wikhn paused. He had been wondering how to handle this, but that question was close enough that he could probably go with it. “Are you asking me for any conditions I may have?”

Harry paused for a second, then answered. “If that’s what it would be considered, then yes, if you have any.”

Wikhn nodded. “I do have one, and the others will question it. I will swear to you, and only you. If I ever bond to any of the others, including your Alpha and Ace, it will be my choice only. Even if I do bond to anyone else, I will remain primarily your Gheyo, and if the choice comes between being your Gheyo or the Ace’s King, I will always be your Gheyo first. Do you accept that condition, Submissive?”

Harry nodded. “I accept that condition, Gheyo.” He frowned in slight confusion. He wasn’t sure why he’d replied in that way, but he hadn’t been able to help it.

Wikhn relaxed slightly. “Do you have any conditions for me?”

Harry paused for a moment considering. “If you are my Gheyo primarily, or even only, I would ask that you at least consider requests from others. If possible, I would also ask that you try to give a reason why you are refusing if and when you do refuse requests.”

Wikhn nodded. That was a very mild request, and honestly only the part about explaining was really necessary. “I accept that condition, Submissive. Where do you want to place your mark?”

Harry shifted, pausing for a moment to consider. “Chest?”

Wikhn smiled softly, removing his chestplate so Harry could get to his chest. It was a good place for a mark, in his opinion. Easily covered, so it wasn’t always on display, but also easily shown off. Not that he went shirtless all that often, but he could if he wanted to.

Glancing around at some of the others in the circle, he thought he might want to a bit more than previously.

Harry did seem to have good taste.

Idan blinked in surprise when Harry started to approach him slowly. He supposed it made sense, though. He’d been going more or less in order, likely instructed to do so by Ethan or Hadrian. He certainly wouldn’t object, especially since it was his turn now.

“Hi,” Harry said quietly, coming to a stop in front of Idan.

“Hello little one. Ready to exchange marks?” Idan asked, not seeing any reason to waste time.

Harry nodded, blushing brightly.

Idan smiled softly. That was adorable. He’d have to be blunt more often if it got that reaction. He leaned down, tilting his head so Harry could easily have his choice of location for the mark.

Harry stepped forward carefully, then gently bit where Idan’s neck met his collarbone.

After a minute, Harry pulled back, and Idan gently shifted his shirt to reach his shoulder, carefully placing his mark, holding Harry close as the mark took and the bond settled.

He could honestly say that he’d never expected something like this, but he had to admit that it made everything worth it.

Devrim shifted slightly, extremely pleased when Harry approached him. “Hello,” he said awkwardly.

Harry blushed. “Hi.”

Devrim smiled slightly. Harry was too cute for words. He really didn’t understand how he could be soulbonded to someone as perfect as Harry, or possibly belong in a suite like this one, but he couldn’t help but want it more than anything he’d ever wanted before.

After a second, Devrim carefully asked, “Is there anywhere you’d prefer to place your mark, or do you want the neck?”

Harry blushed harder. “Neck, if that’s ok.”

Devrim smiled. “Neck is perfect,” quickly removing the armor piece covering his neck and leaning down to make sure Harry could easily reach.

Once Harry was done, Devrim carefully adjusted his position so he could place his mark. “Is the shoulder alright or is there somewhere you’d prefer?”

Harry smiled slightly. “Shoulder is good.”

Devrim smiled softly, then bit down carefully. He carefully placed his mark where it wouldn’t be visible in normal clothes, since he didn’t want his nature to be an issue for anyone who saw Harry. He drank for a few seconds longer than necessary for the claim mark, satisfying his vampire nature, but still stopped sooner than he’d have necessarily preferred, mindful of Harry’s other claimings and the events of the evening.

He did hold Harry for a few minutes longer after, though. How could he not when given the opportunity?

Minh grinned happily as he saw Harry turn towards him after being released by Devrim. He’d been waiting impatiently for his turn, and was thrilled that Harry was approaching him, instead of the other way around. He’d honestly thought that he and Idan would never find a suite, much less a full circle. He was pleasantly surprised to be wrong, especially since Harry was adorable and his new Prince was very pretty.

He couldn’t wait until he and Idan were able to get Devrim alone.

He quickly cut off that train of thought as Harry reached him. Minh smiled down at Harry, then guided him over to a bench, sitting on it and pulling Harry into his lap.

He smothered a laugh at Harry’s squeak of surprise. “So you can reach more easily,” he explained. It was true, actually. Minh was very tall, and Harry was quite short, so if Harry chose the traditional neck mark, he would have to bend almost in half to make it convenient.

It was much simpler to just sit down and have Harry sit on him. The increase in cuddling opportunities was just a coincidence.

Minh smiled encouragingly at Harry when he hesitated. “Go on. Anywhere you want is yours, just tell me if you need any armor moved.”

Harry hesitated another second, then leaned in and placed a claim mark on Minh’s neck. He started to pull away after it was placed, but Minh held him close for another few seconds before letting him.

Harry was smiling slightly by the time he was done placing his mark, and happily shifted to let Minh place his own mark more easily. Minh hummed happily as he felt the bond click fully into place, continuing to hug Harry for several more minutes afterwards. Eventually, however, he had to let Harry go.

Harry glanced at Minh shyly. “Which of the Jokers would I do first? They’re the same rank, so how do I know which is first?”

Minh shrugged. “The order won’t really matter for them, so whichever you feel like. Brishen is closer, but Blaise is more your age. Either way you’ll bond to both, so it shouldn’t make too big a difference.”

Brishen blinked in surprise as Harry’s focus narrowed in on him. He’d expected to be later, at least the last of the Gheyos. He certainly wouldn’t object to being earlier, though.

He could honestly say that of all the possibilities for what could happen to awaken him, a soulscream from a fourteen-year-old dragel submissive on Earth was not something he’d ever considered. He certainly wasn’t disappointed, though. Harry was adorable, even if there were several major questions that would need answered.

His age, size, and the presence of both basilisk venom and phoenix tears in his blood, to start with.

He sighed quietly to himself. Nothing had ever been simple before, so why would his circle be? And the issues weren’t the end of the world. If half of his concerns were substantiated, there would be plenty of hunts for the suite to take on. It would be a good way to see how they would operate and potentially bond.

Brishen cut off his thoughts as Harry approached, not wanting his bloodlust to scare the little submissive. There would be a time for it, but that would come later, after everyone was settled safely in Nevarah.

Harry stopped in front of him, then paused for a minute. “Does you being a joker change anything for bonding?”

Brishen smiled softly. “As joker, I have the right to request conditions.”

Harry nodded. That made sense, in a way. “What are your conditions?”

Brishen relaxed slightly at the easy acceptance. “My conditions are that you will eventually tell me what happened to leave you with basilisk venom and phoenix tears in your veins, and that you will tell me when something harms you, including what it is and who or what was responsible.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably. He knew that Brishen probably wouldn’t like the answer to the first condition, and he wasn’t very comfortable with the second one. Still, it wasn’t unreasonable. “I accept those conditions,” he reluctantly agreed.

Brishen nodded. “Do you have any conditions for me?”

Harry nodded. “If I tell you something that harmed me, if it is not a danger to me or the circle I would ask that you not tell anyone else without my agreement.”

Brishen nodded. “I accept that condition.” It wasn’t a typical condition, and it could cause problems with the suite, but he didn’t feel it was unreasonable. Especially since he was Harry’s Joker, not a ranked Gheyo in the suite.

He tilted his head invitingly, reaching back at the same time to pluck a loose feather. Harry gently placed his mark, then pulled back a few seconds later. Brishen placed his mark in return, then presented the feather that he’d plucked to Harry. “This feather will let me find you anywhere. I would prefer you always keep it on you. If something ever happens that you need me, it will be destroyed, but I will provide another one.”

Harry nodded, and took the feather, hesitating for a moment over where to put it. Brishen noticed his confusion, and quickly conjured a spun cord for him to wear around his neck. “You’ll get another one later, one meant to last and made from hair from everyone in the circle, but this will last at least a few months, so it’ll work for now.”

Harry smiled slightly as he took the cord and put it on. He wasn’t sure why, but he really liked the idea of having something from everyone in the circle to wear.

Brishen smiled once the cord and feather were safely around Harry’s neck. He felt much better now that he could guarantee his access to Harry if needed.

He pulled Harry into a firm hug, relaxing as he felt the bond click fully into place.

Blaise blinked when he noticed Harry approaching him, shifting nervously. For all that he’d had his inheritance for several years, he’d never really expected to bond for another decade or two, if ever. Still, he would never give this up.

This circle would certainly be interesting, he mused. Potter, three Weasleys, and Theo, plus fourteen others from Nevarah. He snorted. At least Theo was here to buffer all the Gryfindors, though he was well aware that being close to both the Submissive and Alpha may cause problems for him later if he continued to reject the Ace.

He brushed the thought off. He was a joker, close to Theo because they were best friends, and he would be close to Harry because they were soulbonded.

If the Ace wanted a similar relationship, he’d have to work for it.

He winked at Harry as he came to a stop in front of him. “Decided to join the early inheritance club, huh Potter? At least you did it in style.”

Harry blushed. “What do you mean in style?”

Blaise grinned. “Two princes and a blood title? I’d say that counts as style.”

How can someone be so cute while impersonating a fire hydrant, Blaise wondered. “Don’t worry about it, Harry. I’m just teasing you. How can I not, you’re adorable blushing like that”

Harry nodded, relaxing slightly though not blushing any less. “Brishen said that Jokers can have conditions. Do you have any?”

Blaise considered for a moment. Honestly, he really didn’t have any for Harry. On the other hand, though, “I have one. I would request that no one in the circle other than you or Theo can demand details about my past, particularly about my inheritance or becoming a Joker.”

Harry nodded. He wished he could get away with a making condition like that. He could already tell that several in the circle would be very protective, and probably wouldn't react well to his experiences at Hogwarts or with the Dursleys. “I accept that condition.”

Blaise nodded, sighing slightly in relief and letting himself relax. “Do you have any conditions for me?”

Harry considered, but eventually shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”

Blaise nodded, pleasantly surprised. He’d expected something, though he had no idea what honestly. It was very rare for someone to not ask for anything, especially right after granting a request. “Where do you want to place your mark?” he asked, pulling Harry down next to him on the steps.

Harry smiled a little. “Neck, if that’s ok.”

Blaise smiled. It was traditional, but he felt that particular tradition was there for good reason. He carefully removed his armor, tilting his head so Harry could easily reach whatever spot he wanted. When he was done, Blaise gently shifted Harry’s sleeve so he could place his own mark on Harry’s bicep.

They sat together for several more minutes after, relaxing as the bond was completed. “How long does it take to get used to this?” Harry asked.

Blaise hesitated. “Depends what part of it. Some things, like the abilities and the physical traits are almost immediate, within a year. Other things, like circle and ranks take longer. I’m still working on adjusting fully, though that was partially because I didn’t have a good introduction to all of this.”

Harry nodded. It wasn’t exactly the most encouraging answer, but he preferred an honest answer anyways.

Blaise relaxed slightly when he saw Harry nod. He knew his answer wasn’t the most positive or hopeful, but from what he knew of Harry, he’d prefer truth to a pretty lie any day.

He couldn’t help but be glad about that. It would make this circle a lot more likely to work out.

Raspen smiled as he saw Harry turn towards him after finishing his conversation with Blaise. He’d been eagerly awaiting his turn for awhile now, but understood the need for patience. Sticking to a traditional bonding order was honestly the smart choice for right now, even if it did mean that he was stuck waiting til toward the end as an “other rank”. Technically, he could have gone with the Beta ranks, like Perry had, but he was still keeping an eye on Theo’s magic output and everything else going on too much to really try to make sure to get a turn then.

It wasn’t that important, honestly. All the bonds would have to be completed before they could leave here, so he’d get his turn either way.

Raspen held out his arms invitingly, guiding Harry to sit in his lap on the spot of dirt he’d claimed earlier. It was a little less proper to sit on the dirt than the stone bench available less than five feet away, but with everything going on he’d needed the grounding.

“How are you feeling, little one?” he gently asked Harry as he got settled.

Harry smiled. “Pretty good. Tired, but not as much as I should be by now.”

Raspen nodded. “That’s likely from the bonds. There’s a lot of magic and energy involved, so you’ll probably stay awake as long as it takes to complete them all, but fall asleep soon afterwards.”

Harry nodded in understanding. “Is that normal? I mean, I was unconscious earlier.”

Raspen nodded again. “Definitely. You were unconscious because of the backlash from the early inheritance and the soulscream. Either one would have been enough to knock you out, so both was pretty much guaranteed to do so. That wasn’t really proper sleep though, so it only did a little for you.”

Harry smiled, relieved to have it confirmed that he wasn’t just being childish.

Raspen smiled, feeling Harry relax. “Do you know where you want to place your mark?”

Harry nodded slightly. “Shoulder blade?” he asked. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted a more private mark on Raspen.

Raspen shifted so Harry could place his claim mark more easily, then relaxed as he did so. He smiled softly at the placement of the mark. It wasn’t the traditional neck mark most submissives used as a standard, and he’d noticed Harry tending to prefer, but it seemed more appropriate for them. It was easily shown off, visible in any sleeveless shirt, but also easily covered by sleeves if he didn’t want to show it.

He personally wasn’t a fan of showing off bondings and personal matters more than required, and he got the feeling Harry wouldn’t be either. He couldn’t help but feel pleased by that.

The Earth royals worked hard to keep their personal lives and circles as private as possible, with mixed results. The inner courts always knew who was in the circles and any major developments, but they’d gotten better about keeping details away from the general public and sharing less even with the inner courts. The Air royals were less successful at this, but fortunately Perry wasn’t the crown royal, so hopefully it wouldn’t be too big of an issue.

Raspen smiled softly at Harry as he pulled back, then gently leaned forward to leave his claiming mark on his neck, directly below Theo’s. He stifled a snort when he noticed how Perry, Ariki, and Charlie had handled the issue of three claim marks where only two normally fit. The other side of Harry’s neck did fit all three marks, because they’d staggered them so they zigzagged back and forth as they went down, Charlie, then Ariki, and finally Perry.

His consideration of the other marks faded as he bit in, leaving his own mark. He released the bite as soon as it took, not wanting to take more blood than necessary, but continued holding Harry long after the bond had settled between them.

After a few minutes, Raspen reluctantly pulled back. “I would recommend doing Riven next, since he’s right there. He’s a mage, so the power from that bonding might be a little much. Make sure that you’re both sitting when you complete the bond.”

Harry blinked in surprise, but nodded, turning towards Riven.

Riven shifted slightly as he saw Harry turn his attention to him, likely prompted by Raspen. He honestly was fairly uncertain about this circle. He hadn’t intended to bond for another few centuries, if ever. Certainly not now, with the hunt and the Night of a Thousand Prophecies approaching, and the immortals waking but not fully awake.

Still, he didn’t think he’d be able to refuse now that it had happened. Not when Harry was looking at him with those green eyes so hopefully.

He hoped that Harry knew what he was getting into by bonding with him, but he was sure he didn’t. He’d just have to hope that the circle could handle the consequences of having a mage, spellweaver, and realmwalker in the circle.

He smiled softly at Harry as he approached, guiding him to sit on the bench next to him. “Before we exchange marks, I need to make sure you are aware of a few things.”

Harry nodded slowly, almost hesitantly. “Is this like the gheyos asking for conditions?”

Riven blinked. That was surprising. “The gheyos asked for conditions?”

Harry shrugged. “I technically asked them first, but Wikhn, Brishen, and Blaise all had conditions.”

Riven nodded slightly. The jokers were no surprise, though the King somewhat was. It wasn’t unique, but it also wasn’t typical for a ranked gheyo to have conditions. “Not really, just things that you will need to be aware of because of what I am. I’m a mage, spellweaver, and realmwalker. This means that I have many duties, and some can’t be done in Nevarah. I may be gone for weeks, or even months or years at a time if things are going on elsewhere that I am required for. My magic will require that I go.”

Riven paused watching Harry’s reaction. He didn’t look thrilled, but he also didn’t appear to be strongly opposed to bonding with Riven now. “As long as you tell me when you’re leaving and why that’s ok. I might not be too thrilled if you’re gone for months or years, but I can accept it as long as you let me know.”

Riven relaxed slightly. That was one of the main issues that tended to make the mages in his clan not bond. Not everyone was willing to accept a bonded who could disappear for months on short notice. “I can definitely give you notice, though it may not be much time. The second thing you need to be aware of is that when we bond, there will be a significant amount of magical imbalance as magic flows from me to you. It may be overwhelming, and everyone will feel it to some degree.”

Harry nodded. “Raspen mentioned that. He said that I should make sure we’re sitting for it.”

Riven snorted. Trust Rasen to choose the most mild take possible on the consequences he brought. He’d known Raspen since he was born, and the prince had never even questioned the oddities that came with Riven. The only thing Raspen ever questioned was Riven’s lack of self-care. “That sounds like him. Do you know where you want to place your mark?”

Harry smiled slightly, blushing again. “Is the neck ok or does it need to be hidden easily for your work?”

Riven shook his head. “The neck is fine. Anyone I’m working with isn’t typically in a position to gossip about my bonding status.”

Harry giggled softly at that, leaning in to place his claim mark delicately on Riven’s neck. Riven relaxed into it, feeling the bond start to activate. It fully activated and clicked into place as he returned the mark with one of his own on Harry’s collarbone, then held him close for several minutes as he waited for the magic filtering through the circle to settle. Honestly, it would be a few days to fully settle, but it did tone down a little after a few minutes.

It was probably a good thing Harry had bonded to him before Bran. The changeling was having enough trouble with the backlash of the soulscream and portals, without the added imbalance of bringing a mage into the circle.

Riven found it harder to care about the consequences of his bonding though, as he held Harry and relaxed, surprised to feel how much more settled he was with the bond completed. He’d heard of such a thing, but never really believed it.

It was undeniable now, though. He felt more settled than he had in decades, even centuries as he just sat there holding Harry.

Bran smiled slightly as Riven directed Harry’s attention over to him. Bonding wouldn’t be easy with his talents acting up, but it was necessary. Honestly, even the pain of his abilities would probably be better than the activated but unsealed soulbond lingering over him.

He chirped quietly as Harry approached, gesturing for Harry to sit next to him. “So you know, I tend to avoid touch. My particular abilities make it complicated, but I can handle it as long as I’m expecting it.”

Harry shifted slightly, and Bran almost regretted mentioning it. Still, it would be worse later if Harry caught him off guard and the memories overwhelmed him.

Bran continued on, pretending not to notice Harry’s slight discomfort with that statement. “Where do you want the mark?”

Harry shifted uncertainly. “Neck, unless that’s an issue for you.”

Bran shook his head. “That works as well as anywhere else.” He shifted his high collar so that Harry could more easily place his mark, tensing as the memories flooded into his mind too fast to process. He forced himself to relax, waiting out the memories.

After a few moments, Harry pulled back carefully. “Where do you want to place your mark?” he asked.

Bran considered for a moment, then “Wrist”, he decided. Harry easily held out one hand, and Bran gently brought it up to his mouth and placed his mark. Once it had taken, he transitioned to his other form. At Harry’s questioning noise, he explained. “I’m a changeling, so I have both male and female forms. I don’t like this form, so I usually stay as Bran. I go by Brynn in this form, but don’t expect to see it much.”

Harry nodded, waiting while the second mark was placed just as carefully as the first. Then, Bran switched back and pulled Harry into a hug, waiting as the bond clicked fully into place.

Quinn smiled slightly as he watched Harry and Bran bond. That was everyone except him, so as soon as he and Harry bonded they could go to Nevarah. That would be a relief. He was exhausted after nineteen medical checks, and everyone else seemed to be as well. Kyle especially was slumping, as Dyshoka told him that he’d been helping as medic and maintaining the barriers around the ritual at the same time. He sighed. His brother was so determined that he always seemed to work himself far more than appropriate.

He was well aware that that thought was very hypocritical, but he didn’t really care.

Quinn gently ran another diagnostic spell over Harry as he stopped in front of him, unable to resist the instinct to do so. He quickly passed Harry the gold cuff for the mental connection. He’d avoided using the speech spell so far and had no desire to deal with the lectures should he use it now.

Once Harry had it on, Quinn gently sent, ‘Sorry about that, but my instincts won’t let me resist checking on you.’

Quinn covered a smile as Harry blushed. ‘Do you have any questions first, or are you ready to place your mark?’

Harry shifted. “I don’t think I have any questions, unless you have anything you need to say or request.”

Quinn’s eyebrows raised. Most submissives wouldn’t even think to ask about conditions in a situation like this, and Harry shouldn’t even know they existed. After a moment, he realized one very likely reason for Harry to know about conditions. ‘Wikhn asked for conditions?’

Harry shrugged. “I asked if he had any, and he did have one. Brishen and Blaise did too.”

Quinn nodded in consideration. That made sense. The jokers were fairly typical, and Harry did have two. ‘I don’t have conditions, really. I would like to continue practicing as a general healer, but that is a circle discussion, not a condition for you to decide.’

Harry nodded. “I don’t know much about what that involves, but that basically means that you want to keep your job, right?”

Quinn nodded. ‘Essentially yes.’

Harry smiled slightly. “I have no issues with that.”

Quinn smiled. He was glad to hear that Harry, at least, would likely side with him if he faced resistance to going back to work normally. Realistically, though, the decision lay more with the Alpha than with Harry, and he hadn’t seen enough of Theo’s personality to know what he would do. ‘Are you ready to place your mark?’

Harry nodded, blushing. He stepped towards Quinn, who quickly shifted the high collar of his shirt so the mark could go on his neck. He paused for a moment, likely seeing the scars, but didn’t ask, instead just placing his mark.

Quinn breathed in relief. He knew he’d have to explain the scars eventually, but he really did not want to do so now. Having them seen and accepted, even ignored was shocking, but extremely encouraging.

Once Harry was done, which had taken longer than strictly necessary since he’d continued to nuzzle Quinn’s neck for a little while after the mark was finished, Quinn gently adjusted Harry’s shirt so he could place his own mark on Harry’s shoulder blade. After healing the bite and watching it turn into a mark, he held Harry for several minutes even after the bond fully settled.

After a few minutes, Quinn pulled back. ‘I suppose it’s probably about time to return to Nevarah. Some of the others seem to be getting restless.’

Harry nodded. The gheyos especially were getting very growly, and shifting around a lot.

Theo blinked in surprise as Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton approached where he was sitting with Blaise. His surprise only increased when Prince Raspen asked “Do we need to consider any other family members here? I couldn’t help but notice that this manor is empty, but if we are going back to Nevarah soon we should get any family members that want to come here now.”

Theo hesitated, considering his reply. “Ilsa is already here, so that’s the only family I’d consider.”

Raspen blinked. “Ilsa is your mentor, I believe? But what happened to your family?”

Theo shifted slightly, keeping his face carefully blank. He’d never quite figured out how to feel about what had happened, or even truly processed it. “My mother died when I was four, murdered by my father. My father and all of his family died when I was eight and my inheritance came in.”

Raspen paled slightly. “What happened, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Theo shrugged. It was no secret. “My uncle poisoned me the day after his son received his Hogwarts letter. The letter proved that he was a wizard, and therefore eligible to inherit, so he wanted me out of the way so he could. My inheritance came in, caused an earthquake, and brought down the building.”

Raspen couldn’t reply for a few seconds. Theo hesitated, then decided he may as well finish and get it over with. No sense leaving it half done and being asked about it again later. “I was in this very courtyard, and they were all in that room through the archway where the blood purification rituals were done. Almost immediately after my inheritance was finished, Ilsa arrived and rebuilt the manor with a wave of her hand.”

Theo blinked in surprise as Prince Peryton immediately pulled him into a tight hug after he finished speaking.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. Children should be cherished, especially by family,” Prince Peryton whispered in his ear.

Theo tentatively returned the hug, but didn’t answer. Instead he just looked at Blaise over Prince Peryton’s shoulder.

Blaise grimaced. “I’ll send a message to Mother, but she won’t come to Nevarah.”

Theo nodded, unsurprised. Prince Raspen also nodded, but was frowning. Theo couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

Theo then looked to the three Weasleys. “Any family members that should come?”

Charlie shifted awkwardly. “Mum and Dad need to handle Ron and Ginny, but maybe Bill? If there’s a way to get him here without letting anyone know. If we don’t bring him, he’ll find a way to follow.”

George snorted. “That’s an understatement. He’s the biggest mother-hen ever.”

Fred smirked. “And he’s an international top-five curse breaker, so he may have a chance of finding us.”

Theo blinked in surprise. He’d known the oldest Weasley was a curse breaker, but not that he was international top five. That was actually very impressive. “Is he likely to also have a sealed inheritance?”

The twins shrugged. “We’re three for three so far, so probably.”

Prince Raspen nodded. “Hadrian, would you be able to pick him up? As soon as possible if you can, all the bonds are completed so we can leave once we have everyone ready.”

Hadrian nodded once and vanished into the shadows.

Harry blinked. “How did he do that? There was no noise.”

Wikhn blinked at him. “Noise? What would make noise? That was a Shadow way of transportation, literally traveling through the shadows.”

Theo smiled slightly, realizing what Harry was confused by. “Dragels don’t apparate. Most use portals, but Shadow and Storm do things their own ways using raw power.”

Less than a minute later, Hadrian re-appeared the same way with a struggling redhead in his grip. Theo was quite impressed as he watched them fight, Bill clearly showing why he was a top-ranked curse breaker. Still, Hadrian was a dragel and gheyo, and a blood title at that so a wizard like Bill really didn’t have a chance.

Even if Bill probably wasn’t actually a wizard, the seals on his inheritance made him effectively one.

“Bill!” Fred yelled, distracting the redhead and making him stop fighting for a moment. Hadrian stopped when he did, watching him closely in case he started throwing curses again.

Instead of fighting more, though, Bill hurried over to his siblings, inspecting them all very closely and making sure that they were all ok. Once he was done with Charlie and the twins, he moved on to Harry, making others in the circle blink in surprise. Theo, while he knew Harry and the Weasleys were close, hadn’t realized that they were close enough that the oldest would automatically include Harry with his brothers.

It took several more minutes, but eventually Bill was satisfied and everything was explained. To his brothers’ surprise, he already knew about dragels, having worked with them before on curse breaking digs. Despite that experience, he had never even suspected he may be one himself.

Theo rolled his eyes as the explanations finally finished. “Harry, anyone we need to bring for you?”

Harry paused for longer than Theo expected, given the rumors about his family, but ultimately shook his head no. Several in the circle frowned at that, but Theo simply nodded. It was the expected response.

He looked around again, taking in everyone present. “Is there anything else that needs to be done before we go? Speak now or forever hold your peace.” He waited a few moments, but when no one replied, he nodded to Ilsa. “How do you want to do the portal?”

Chapter Text

Harry shifted slightly, testing the arms holding him. He was pressed firmly to Hadrian’s chest, trapped with his face pressed to Hadrian. He frowned slightly when the arms held firm. Hadrian gave a soothing rumble, but didn’t loosen his grip.

Harry poked Hadrian’s side. “I can’t see.”

Hadrian rolled his eyes. “It’s a portal. There’s nothing to see.”

Harry rolled his eyes. That wasn’t the point. “I still want to see,” he commented.

The arms tightened further, instead of loosening. Harry gave a light growl in response.

Hadrian sighed, allowing Harry to turn so he could see the rest of the circle, but did not release him or hold him any less tight once he was settled. Harry chirped happily, unreasonably glad to be able to see the rest of the people in the portal.

There were quite a lot of them, he mused. Even just his circle was a lot of people, and there were several others present. Hadrian’s shadow friends had disappeared earlier, something about hunting for his mentor, but everyone else that came after the soulscream was porting back with them.

He sighed to himself, making sure not to change his breathing enough to alert Hadrian. Honestly, this whole experience had been horrifying, though he would admit that having this circle may make it worth it. He’d have to see how he felt about it once he was used to the changes.

He tensed as he felt the magic around them change slightly, looking up to Hadrian in confusion.

“The changeover,” he explained. “That was the point where we left Earth’s anchoring and timeline and entered Nevarah’s.”

Harry blinked in confusion. “Timeline?”

Hadrian explained carefully, “Nevarah is a Nevermore realm, which means that it is not connected to other realms in any way. Because of this and some other details, time runs differently there. Generally, one day on Earth is four days in Nevarah, though there is some leeway in portals like this. It sounded like Riven and Aracle were going to get us back around ten hours after those of us in Nevarah were summoned, so a similar time difference to on Earth.”

Harry nodded. That somewhat made sense, though it also sounded like a complicated and esoteric magical subject.

“Will being gone be an issue for everyone?” he asked nervously. He really hadn’t meant to upend anyone’s lives, but he hadn’t had a choice.

Hadrian smiled down at him, guessing where his thoughts were going. “No, there are policies and procedures in place to handle soulscreams. There’ll be some paperwork to fill out, but nothing overly arduous or difficult. Plus, we will have been gone from roughly 4 in the evening to 2 in the morning, so it was late in the work day, if not after work, to the middle of the night. None of us will have missed much.”

Harry relaxed slightly.

Hadrian felt his relief at not being too big a disruption, and continued. “Actually, most of us will get some time off work because of this, which is rather nice with the hunt starting.”

Harry tensed again a few minutes later when the portal ended, leaving them all standing on a large section of wall, facing a large group of people who were clearly waiting for them. He whimpered softly as he took in how many people there were, and how intently they were examining the group.

Perry smiled slightly as he spotted his sister heading their welcoming committee. Despite the added protocol her presence would bring, he couldn’t help but be relieved. She’d always been good at reading crowds, so hopefully she’d realize that getting this done as fast as possible was the best option.

“Peryton, Prince Raspen. It is wonderful to see you back in Nevarah, I hope in good health?” Princess Dawne asked.

Perry smiled reassuringly at his sister. “We are all in good health, thank you. Some exhaustion, but nothing beyond that, I believe.”

His sister smiled in relief. “We had intended to prepare quarters that you could use, however they are unfortunately not ready yet since the royal quarters for the hunt weren’t supposed to be created until this coming afternoon. Do you know where you can safely stay tonight or would you like a set of rooms in my suite?”

Blaise gently tapped Perry’s shoulder. “I own a house, well, an estate in Nevarah. It’s storm-oriented so it probably won’t work long-term, but it's good enough for now.”

Perry nodded. Storm sounded fine to him, close as it was to Air, but he was sure Raspen and the Earth, Fire, and Shadow types would disagree. Still, a property owned by someone in the circle was preferable to a handful of rooms in his sister’s suite. “We have somewhere we can stay temporarily.”

Princess Dawne nodded. “Then I won’t keep you, you must all be exhausted. Perhaps we can schedule a late brunch, though? I know mother and father are quite eager to meet your circle, and I imagine Prince Raspen’s parents must be feeling much the same.”

Perry smiled. “That would be lovely.”

Honestly, he’d rather not since it would mean exposing his circle, especially Harry, to the Earth and Air royals right away with almost no preparation. However, there wasn’t really a choice in the situation. The crown princess had made the request, and Perry was smart enough to realize that it had come directly from the King and Queen themselves.

Oh the joys of having a sitting King and Queen as parents.

Perry smiled in relief when the formal goodbyes were done and they were ready to port to the house Blaise had offered. Riven was once again the one to cast the portal, this time only including the circle and Bill Weasley.

Theo sighed slightly when they reached Blaise’s house, though not entirely in relief. It was a relief to be away from that welcoming committee, especially the royal aspects of it, no matter how nice the princess seemed. On the other hand, however, Blaise’s home was very clearly meant for storm types. He could tell within seconds that it wouldn’t work for any real length of time.

Still, he figured, it was better than a set of rooms in the Air crown princess’s suite. Even if her brother was in their circle.

Maybe especially since her brother was in their circle, if they got to the point of bonding further than just to Harry.

“This is an old estate,” Ethan commented, looking around.

Blaise shrugged. “My sire was from an old family. Last of his line, and I’m an only child.”

Theo ignored that explanation, already knowing this. Blaises’s past was one topic he only had an outline of, but that outline was more than enough to be utterly horrifying.

“Is there a resting room we can use? And perhaps element-specific rooms?” he asked, hoping to hurry things along.

Blaise nodded. “Somewhat. There are three Water rooms down that hallway there, and an open-air bedroom at the end for Air types. The resting room is upstairs. There isn’t anything directed for Earth, Fire, or Shadow, unfortunately. This estate has always been for storm elements, with only a few rare Merrow or Air involved.”

Theo nodded. Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if there was an Earth room. His instincts were more insistent about staying with Harry than going somewhere that suited his elemental inclinations.

He began herding everyone towards the resting room, except Alec and Brishen who slipped off into the water-specific rooms. He raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t realized Brishen was a water element, though it was certainly something to be aware of.

While he herded his circle into the resting room, Blaise showed Bill a room across the hall that he would stay in. It was smaller than the resting room, meant for three or four people instead of a whole circle. Still, it was more than enough for just Bill.

Within a few minutes, everyone willing to sleep there was settled in the resting room. Ethan had done the customary check that every Pareya does in a new environment, but found nothing objectionable. Soon after, everyone was asleep on the large bed, cuddled together with Harry in the middle.

Bill woke up slowly, blinking in confusion at the strange place he found himself in. He briefly panicked, then remembered the events of the previous night. He sighed, sitting up. Only his siblings would manage to find themselves in a situation like this.

Harry had gotten stuck in the tournament, been tortured, had a forced early dragel inheritance, and given a soulscream, summoning nineteen bonded to him.

Charlie, Fred, and George had all been summoned by that soulscream, forcing out their own dragel inheritances and requiring blood purification rituals.

He shivered. He’d been required to have one done for his work at Gringotts, and it was one of the worst experiences of his life. He did not envy his siblings being forced to have them right after having suppressions forcibly removed.

Actually, he mused, it may be for the best that the goblins had required it. Otherwise, he’d have to get one done now, when his suppressions were removed.

He sighed, standing up. Not even a minute later, there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find the blonde with the scars on his neck - Quinn, he thought he’d said.

‘My parents are here, and ready to remove your suppressions if you are,’ he wrote in the air with his spell.

Bill nodded. “I’m ready whenever it's convenient.”

Quinn nodded. ‘It should be now. Before breakfast, at least.’

Bill nodded again, stepping out into the hall and following Quinn downstairs and into a small sitting room, finding three adults there, clearly Quinn’s parents.

“Hello,” he said, not really sure what else to say.

“Hello, dear. I’m Surajini, and these are Patrick and Hiram. Now, before we start, how old are you?” the woman asked.

Bill blinked. “Twenty-four. I turn twenty-five the first week of July.”

Surajini nodded, “Then we’re just in time. The removal will be painful, but not as bad as a purification ritual. Do you know why you don’t need one but your brothers did?”

Bill nodded. “I’m a curse breaker for Gringotts, so I was required to have one done. They either didn’t notice or didn’t say that I had suppressions, though.”

Surajini smiled. “Both are equally likely, unfortunately. That’s good though, that it was removed a while ago. It’ll make this process a lot smoother.”

Bill relaxed slightly. “What do I need to do?”

Surajini smiled softly. “Just sit there. We’ll handle the rest.”

It took a few minutes, but suddenly wings were bursting out of Bill’s back, and he had to fight the urge to fight and protect. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to fight, or protect for that matter, but his instincts didn’t seem to care. He blinked in surprise. “What am I?” he asked.

Surajini considered for a moment. “You appear to be a Gheyic Pareya. Somewhere in the middle between a protector and a fighter.”

Bill nodded, forcing his instincts down for now until he could work through them later. “And element? Fire?”

Surajini nodded. “Most definitely. And you appear to have a strong affinity for family magics, though I can’t tell the specifics.”

Bill nodded. That made more sense than it didn’t. “How do I learn to control this?” he asked.

Surajini smiled again. “You’ll apply for a mentor at the city hall, and you’ll either meet one you like or one will be assigned using magic to ensure the best possible fit.”

Bill nodded. “Thank you. Is there anything else I should know or do?”

Surajini frowned, considering. “Be careful with your wings, don’t try to fly for at least a week. Practice opening and closing them as much as you can stand. Also, be careful with your spells since they may be overpowered. You likely won’t like water spells anymore.

Bill nodded. All of that made sense.

Theo frowned when he woke up, noticing that Quinn was missing from his former spot near him. He shifted, glancing around, and paused when Ariki lightly tapped his hand. He glanced down frowning, but relaxed when he saw his hand held out for a knowledge transfer.

He paused for a moment for everything to settle and to process the transfer. It’d been a long time since he’d had one, and most of it was clearly second hand, which did not make it easy to understand. Still, it worked, as he now knew more about healer requirements and routines than he’d ever wanted to know. He nodded as he watched Ariki looking at him nervously.

Apparently, Quinn had woken up for his routine, and wanted permission to go. Ariki had been awake, and had not wanted to wake Theo, so he’d given the permission because it seemed simple enough. Theo saw no reason to object to that.

Quinn had also indicated that he planned to have his parents come here so they could remove some more seals from Harry and check those he was concerned about over again.

Theo sighed slightly at that. He’d rather not get a check-up again, and he was willing to bet the age of his inheritance would guarantee him one, but he did want Harry to get one.

He shifted, sitting up fully and looking around. There was no way off the bed without waking someone, but realistically everyone needed to be awake soon anyways, since he didn’t know when the Kalziks would arrive.

He gestured to Ariki to go off his side, since it was a little less crowded with Quinn gone. Also, it was the opposite direction of Harry, on Theo’s other side. Theo was firmly convinced that Harry needed as much sleep as possible, without missing the chance for a check-up.

Harry groaned as he was gently shook awake.

“Come on, Treasure. It’s time to wake up,” he heard someone say. He blushed slightly. Treasure, the voice called him.

He blinked his eyes open, surprised to find Theo over him. Then again, since Theo was Alpha, maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. The others had made it sound like he and Theo would end up being pretty close.

He blinked his eyes open. “What is it?”

Theo smiled softly at him. “It’s time to wake up. The Kalziks are here to give everyone who needs them check-ups, and you need to wake up so you can eat something before yours. I ported over our school trunks and some other things, but if there’s anything you want not in your trunk I can port that over too.”

Harry nodded. That was fairly convenient. Everything should be in the trunk except Hedwig, and he didn’t think she’d appreciate a portal snatching her up out of nowhere. “Everything should be in the trunk. I’ll check, though.”

Theo nodded. “Do you want to get dressed for now? I ordered you some Nevaraean formal wear for brunch, but it won’t be here for another few hours even with a rush on it.”

Harry blushed at the implied need, and stifled a whimper at the idea of a formal brunch with his new bondeds’ families. Especially the royals. Still, he reluctantly got out of bed, going over to his trunk and searching for clothes that weren’t in too bad condition.

He was pleased to see that his map and cloak were both present, and he already had his wand with him in the graveyard. If he could just get Hedwig here, he’d be satisfied.

Bran, apparently, was less than pleased with what he saw Harry put on. “I knew the wizarding world was different, but you can’t wear those. I have extras, you can wear mine.”

Before Harry could respond, he found his clothes swapped out for another pair that definitely weren’t his. Bran’s, he assumed. “Was that really necessary?” he asked.

“Yes.” Bran insisted, Minh nodding along.

Harry blinked. He knew his clothes weren’t in great shape, but those had been the best he had. His jaw dropped as Theo commented, “A new wardrobe would probably be for the best. At the very least for you, possibly for the Weasleys as well since they don’t have anything Nevaraean either.”

Harry blushed, but didn’t respond.

He smiled softly when Ethan poked his head in the door. “Breakfast is ready, and the Kalziks are here. Quinn had them start with Bill so we’d all have time to eat first.”

Harry smiled at him, following along as Theo guided both him and Bran out of the room and down to the kitchen.

Breakfast was fairly quick and quiet, everyone well aware of the healers appointments that they needed to get to. Towards the end, though, Raspen said hesitantly, “Everyone probably doesn’t need to be here…”

Theo nodded. “I think only those from Earth and those Quinn believes should be seen by the healers need to stay.”

All eyes turned to Quinn. ‘Everyone from Earth, Bran, Riven, Idan, and Devrim all need to be seen.’

Harry blinked. That was a longer list than expected, but at the same time it made him feel better that half the circle was being checked.

He wasn’t being singled out as the one with problems.

Theo nodded again. “Anyone who leaves please try to be back by noon. Brunch is at 1, so we need to get ready and not be late. Is there anyone who does not plan to go?”

Alec spoke, “I probably can’t. I have to report back to the Merrow courts and that’ll probably take all day.”

Harry blinked. First they were having brunch with the Earth and Air royals, now Alec was reporting to the Water courts. He seemed to have gotten himself into a circle that was very…interesting politically.

Sooner than Harry would have liked, breakfast ended and they were all moving to the hall with the Kalziks. He blinked in surprise as Alec grabbed his arm, pulling him closer. “Just so you know, I will be courting you in the Merrow fashion,” he said, slapping a gold band around Harry’s wrist.

Harry blinked. He had no idea how to respond to that, or even what that meant. Alec disappeared before he could ask though, literally vanishing into a stream of water.

Once they arrived in the hall, he was surprised to recognize one of the waiting healers. Dyshoka from last night was standing with three adults who must be Quinn’s parents. He shifted uncomfortably. That made these the dragel equivalents of in-laws.

The woman spoke first. “I’m Surajini, and from what Quinn said, there are nine that need check-ups?”

Quinn nodded. ‘Theo, Alpha. Harry, Sub. Fred and George, twins and Pareya. Charlie, Beta. Bran, Consort. Riven, Mage. Idan, Queen. Devrim, Prince.’ he wrote in the air so everyone could see.

Surajini nodded. “I can take Harry and Bran, perhaps. Hiram can take Theo and Riven. Patrick can take Charlie and the gheyos. Then Dyshoka will have the twins.”

Harry nodded his acceptance along with the others, then they were quickly shuffled towards a handful of rooms nearby. “Would you prefer to go together or separately?” Surajini asked Harry and Bran.

Harry shrugged. He didn’t really care either way.

Bran shifted. “Together,” he all but demanded.

Surajini smiled, and gestured for them both to enter the room. Once inside and settled, she closed the door. “I’ll start with Harry, if that’s ok.”

Alec blinked as he felt the magic flowing through the circle increase suddenly. He frowned in confusion, but quickly realized the issue. Harry had had seals on his general and elemental magic, as well as a soul seal and several others - an intact soul seal, that was. Not the seal he’d already apparently shattered. They must have been removed, or at least some of them.

He couldn’t help but be pleased by the increased power. Harry had been reasonably powerful with the seals on, but without them he was quite strong. He’d be one of the most powerful dragels Alec knew by the time they were all removed and he knew how to use that power.

Alec couldn’t help but to feel smug about that.

A few seconds later, though, he quickly smothered that smugness as he arrived at the Merrow courts. He was surprised to find Advisor Kieran and King Alcandor already waiting for him outside the gates. “You were seen in storm territory,” Alcandor commented. “Why were you in storm territory when you’re supposed to be in the palace every night?”

Alec grimaced. “Soulscream yesterday. On Earth.”

Alcandor blinked. Whatever he’d expected, that was not it. “Landwalkers?” he asked.

Alec nodded. “All elements. Including Fire types. Nameless submissive - empathy and something else, not sure yet.”

Alcandor paused, frowning. “Why aren’t you sure?”

Alec grimaced. “He’s too young for it to have settled.”

Alcandor glared. “How young?”

Alec hesitated, but answered. “Fourteen. The same event that triggered the soulscream also caused an early inheritance.”

Alcandor frowned. There was no way for that to be good. “Anything else I should know?”

Alec tilted his head, pretending to consider. “Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton are both in the circle. Princess Dawne is hosting a brunch at 1. I didn’t ask to bring you but I doubt she’d say no.”

Alcandor paused, considering. “Kieran, clear my schedule for the early afternoon. I need to see this circle myself.”

Kieran hesitated, “You have Lord Alvon coming, Your Majesty.”

Alec blinked. “One night doesn’t seem enough for my brother to be called.”

Kieran shook his head. “It wasn’t because of you. Something else happened.” Alec was not pleased to note that he looked almost scared as he said that. He’d have to get full details later.

Alcandor smirked. “I suppose I had better send Princess Dawne a message that I will be gracing her brunch with my presence. Lord Alvon can wait. It will be much better to meet him after I can assure him of Alec’s safety with his new circle. Fully bonded?” he asked at the end.

Alec nodded. “Underage, so it was just claim marks and a hug. We did it before leaving Earth”

Alcandor nodded. “Good. Go back to your circle. Goonter can handle one day off from training.”

Sirius grimaced as he spotted Filch coming, ducking behind a tapestry and pulling Remus with him. It wouldn’t do to get caught at Hogwarts now, not when they were supposed to be searching the English countryside for Harry. Still, neither of them had been able to dismiss their suspicions that Dumbledore knew more than he was telling.

Especially considering the way that the several Weasleys had vanished shortly after Harry.

Sirius froze as he heard Filch muttering to himself. “All this fuss over that nasty Potter brat. He was a nasty dragel. Why fuss over a dragel brat?”

He and Remus exchanged glances. They knew about dragels. Sirius was arguably one himself. Only arguably because of the Black family tradition. The moment the inheritance comes in, it is sealed away so it can’t be used or detected. It still came in so it could be unsealed, if someone had a skilled enough runes master willing to help, but no one had ever actually had it unsealed.

Remus carefully sniffed for anyone else around, using his werewolf senses to be sure. He shook his head. No one.

They quickly burst out from behind the tapestry, stunning Flich and dragging him into a nearby secret passage. “What do we do with him?” Remus asked.

Sirius paused. “There’s a Black family spell that can kill someone while stealing all their knowledge. I’ll have to occlude to make sure I don’t see or learn anything I don’t want to know, but it will get us what we need.”

Remus nodded. It sounded dark, but he didn’t really care right now. “Do it.”

Remus glanced around as Sirius cast the spell, spotting Mrs. Norris attempting to escape. “Not today,” he muttered, and threw a quick curse, killing her. He blinked in surprise when she turned into a dead creature, a Torvak if he remembered right. That wasn’t good. Not good at all.

If Harry really was a dragel, he hoped he was safely far away if Torvaks were around.

Hadrian blinked in surprise when Devrim suddenly appeared and practically clung to him. “Did you finish your appointment?” he asked.

Devrim nodded.

Hadrian rolled his eyes. “Anything wrong?”

He shrugged. “Just some old strains and things. He said to indulge my Vampire nature more.”

Hadrian nodded. That wasn’t surprising. He blinked again when Minh also decided to cling to him. “And what is your reason for this?” he asked.

Minh shrugged. “I wanted to. Plus Idan’s unsettled.”

Hadrian rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help but be somewhat pleased. His prince and princess were already seeking him out for comfort when needed, and it hadn’t even been a day yet.

They hadn’t even fully bonded or settled their suite so far.

The exams took longer than Ethan would have liked, but still ended well before noon. He smiled. That meant they would have plenty of time to get ready, instead of rushing around or being late. He chirped happily as Harry came over and hesitated, clearly wanting a cuddle. He happily held his arms out, pulling Harry into his lap and relaxing with him. He frowned at how tense the younger dragel was. “Is everything ok?” he asked.

Harry shrugged. “She asked about things I don’t want to talk about.”

Ethan frowned. “Were they health related?”

Harry nodded. “Old injuries, so probably. But I don’t like talking about them, and Bran was there. But he would have known anyways because of his talent.”

Ethan frowned. He actually wasn’t sure what Bran’s talent was. “Is anything still affecting your health that I should know?”

Harry shrugged. “I should eat more nutritious food, apparently.”

Ethan smiled. “I doubt that will be an issue with Quinn around. Healers tend to be very particular about food for them and their circles.”

Harry relaxed slightly. “That’s good. How long until we have to leave?”

Ethan considered the time. “I’m not sure when Theo wants to leave, maybe 12:30 or 12:45? It depends on where the brunch is. So about an hour, maybe a little more?”

Harry nodded and relaxed, just enjoying the cuddle. After a few minutes, the urge to bite appeared again, and he struggled to get it under control.

Ethan noticed, and commented, “If you want to bite, you can. You’ll never need to ask when it comes to me.”

Harry blinked in surprise, considering him carefully. After a second, though, he did bite down, relaxing completely as the blood soothed him.

Perry smiled as he watched Harry cuddle with Ethan. They both looked the most relaxed he’d seen them yet, Harry likely because he was safe and secure with his Pareya and a comfort feed. Ethan was likely settled by being able to comfort his submissive like this and see him finally calm.

He was reluctant to disturb them, but unfortunately they did need to start getting ready.

He blinked in surprise as a message appeared from Dawne, playing it privately. He frowned slightly as he took in the message. Apparently Alec had informed Alcandor of exactly what had happened, because Alcandor was now attending their meeting. He sighed, turning to Raspen and Theo. “There’s been a slight change of plans. Alec must have told Alcandor what happened, because now he’s coming too.”

Raspen blinked. Theo frowned though, asking “Alcandor?”

Raspen replied, “The Merrow crown prince.”

Perry grimaced. “King, now, apparently. Dawne said that’s how he signed the formal notification, at least.”

Raspen blinked in surprise. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

Perry shrugged. “Neither was Dawne.” He rolled his eyes. Somehow, Alcandor becoming King without telling any of the other royals did not surprise him in the least.

He frowned as he looked over at Harry and Ethan. “I really don’t want to make them move,” he commented.

Theo shrugged. “Switching and cleaning spells?”

Perry blinked. He hadn’t considered that as an option, though maybe he should have. It would certainly work, he was just used to avoiding casting on others unless necessary and expected. An argument could be made for it being necessary, though.

He certainly felt that this bonding time was necessary for both dragels.

Raspen smiled slightly as he examined the gathered circle. Everyone was present now, even Alec. He’d arrived soon after Dawne’s message, apparently sent home by Al to spend more time with his new submissive. Bill was also present, since they’d figured he may as well start socializing and they hoped to visit the library to check on Harry and the Weasleys’ heritages after.

Raspen watched as Perry waited for everyone to brace themselves, then cast the portal taking them to just outside the Air royal quarters. He blinked as they landed, slightly surprised by the brightness after the cloudiness of the storm areas.

He couldn’t consider it long, though. Perry quickly led the way inside, Raspen and Theo just behind him.

He hid a grimace as they entered the room and he saw his parents’ entire circle present. It was nice to see family, of course, but there were quite a lot of them, and all were sure to have opinions on his circle. Perry’s parents’ circle appeared to also all be present, along with Dawne.

Alcandor wasn’t present yet, but he was sure it wouldn’t be too long. Not when Alec was part of the group, and a young submissive was involved. He wouldn’t be willing to miss the drama any more than absolutely necessary.

Raspen smiled softly at his mother as she approached him. “Raspen, dear. It is good to see you back, and in good health.”

Raspen nodded. “It is good to see you as well, Mother. Everyone is healthy, we just saw the Kalziks this morning.” He neglected to mention that not everyone saw the Kalziks, seeing no reason for his mother to know that. It was much simpler to just have everyone present reassured that everyone in the circle had been examined.

They all had been, after all, just last night. By a Kalzik, at that.

Raspen could tell the exact second that his mother spotted his submissive, because her jaw dropped slightly.

He supposed no one must have mentioned how young Harry was to her.

Harry resisted the urge to hide behind Hadrian as he noticed all of the eyes on him. Several looked quite upset, and while he understood that having an inheritance and soulscream at fourteen was upsetting after his talk with Surajini, he still wasn’t comfortable with the attention. “And your submissive?” Raspen’s mother asked.

Harry smothered a wince as Hadrian gently pushed him forwards so he was standing by Raspen. “Um, hello?” he asked hesitantly, not really sure what else to say.

He relaxed slightly when Raspen put an arm around him, pulling him closer. “Mother, this is Harry Potter, my new submissive. He’s fourteen and came into his inheritance last night right before the soulscream.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably at that being said, prompting Raspen to squeeze his shoulder apologetically. He bumped Raspen’s shoulder with the side of his head to show he wasn’t upset with him. He understood why getting that out in the open was necessary, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

He frowned slightly as he noticed expressions of shock, horror, and rage from the gathered royals. Apparently neither Raspen nor Perry had told their families any details yet, and their reactions were certainly not disappointing. He blinked in surprise when Raspen’s mother and a blond woman were suddenly on either side of him, fussing over him together. He stayed still carefully, looking to Raspen and Perry for help. “Mother, perhaps don’t smother him so much? I’m sure others want to meet him too,” Perry commented.

The blond woman, Perry’s mother, retreated reluctantly. “Sorry, dear. It was too hard to resist, and you definitely need some smothering after a forced inheritance and soulscream. For future reference, I am Peryton’s mother and bearer, Queen Arista of the Air Courts.”

The dark-haired woman on his other side also pulled back. “I am Queen Calla of the Earth Courts, Raspen’s mother and bearer.”

Brishen groaned softly when Alcandor came into the room soon after the queens finished fussing over Harry and demanding answers about the entire circle’s health. This meeting was going better than expected so far, but it was guaranteed to be interesting now that Alcandor was present.

He couldn’t help the snort, though, when Alcandor noticed him standing against the wall and choked. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

Brishen smirked. “Accompanying my circle, of course. What else?”

Alcandor blinked in surprise. “You’ve bonded into this circle? The soulscream woke you?”

Brishen nodded. “That’s what I said.”

Alec glanced back and forth between them. Alcandor couldn’t help his own smirk. “Ah, Alec. You apparently managed to bond to the Immortal your brothers were supposed to be guarding. The one they lost, apparently.”

Alec’s eyebrows raised, along with several others in the circle. Brishen rolled his eyes. Trust Alcandor to out him as an Immortal. Still, he couldn’t resist poking again. “Sadly, I’m not the only thing they’ve lost. Still, I’ll have Riptide retrieved by the end of the week.”

Alcandor blinked. “You know who stole it?”

Brishen shook his head. “No, but I know where it is now. I have a contact that kept an eye out, and would have stolen it back and passed it to someone that will take care of it until I could retrieve it.”

Alcandor nodded, and the subject was dropped. He then turned to the rest of the circle.

Brishen snorted again as Alcandor next demanded, “Now, where is Alec’s new submissive?”

Alec quickly pulled Harry towards Alcandor, not letting him stop until he was right in front of him. Alcandor frowned and looked at Alec. “Why didn’t you mention he’s part Merrow?”

Brishen and everyone else present blinked in surprise, including Harry himself. “Part Merrow?” Harry asked.

Alcandor nodded. “It is quite obvious, and likely linked to you being Nameless. Your third must have been a Merrow. I’ll have to test to see who, though it does have to be done in the courts. Alec will bring you down someday there’s time for it.”

Devrim sighed in slight relief as they finally sat down to eat the brunch this meeting was supposed to be. It was a good thing they’d had breakfast this morning, considering how late it was. Harry especially shouldn’t be missing meals.

He was surprised but pleased that he was seated between Hadrian and Minh. Hadrian had been very helpful yesterday and today, and he would likely finish their bond as soon as there was an opportunity and Hadrian was willing.

Minh also seemed very receptive to his presence, hanging on to him and practically demanding that they exchange claiming marks while getting ready. If not for Idan’s intervention, their bond would probably already be finalized.

He smiled slightly, eyeing the table. He was hungry, and the food looked good, but his instincts and habits wouldn’t let him take anything. He blinked in surprise as food appeared on his plate from two different directions. Apparently both Hadrian and Minh had noticed his lack of eating, and objected to it. He couldn’t help the soft purr that escaped at that, and blushed when Hadrian gently patted his leg while Minh squeezed his arm.

He ate slowly, carefully minding his etiquette. Still, he couldn’t help the snicker that escaped when several royals fussed at Harry about not eating enough. They weren’t wrong, but he somehow didn’t think that pointing it out would help any.

Plus, it was just funny to watch the crown royals for three different elements fussing over one overwhelmed submissive.

Honestly, the Merrow king was a surprise. He seemed very inclined to be protective of Harry, especially now that he knew he had Merrow heritage. Just during the course of the meal, he’d cast several detection and healing spells on Harry. He’d then promised the assistance of his personal and court rune masters and mages when they removed the more delicate of Harry’s seals - on the condition that it be done in Merrow territory with Merrow healers overseeing it.

With that in mind, Devrim couldn’t help but wonder what court Harry would technically belong to. Nameless could go any way, really. He had the Earth crown prince as a bonded, and three other Earth types, so Earth would make sense. On the other hand though, he had an Air prince and two air gheyos. Then, he had three fire types. And finally, Merrow heritage, a bonded Merrow, and a water phoelix.

Honestly, Harry could end up affiliated with any court. Even shadow and storm technically, with the rest of his bonded, himself included.

He smothered a snort. It did fit, in a way, that he’d have such an unusual submissive.

He supposed all the bad luck he’d had the past two decades was finally turning, and he was getting some extremely good luck out of it.

Charlie sighed in relief when they arrived in a small square, slightly away from the main stretch of Nevarah’s streets. He understood the importance of meeting families and that splitting them up and doing one first would be a bad idea, but that was still a lot. He was barely involved and mostly just stuck close to Bill and the twins, but it was still a lot to deal with.

He felt sorry for Harry, stuck in the middle of things. Still, he’d handled it pretty well after Quinn cast that dampening spell on his empathy. He hadn’t considered the effects feeling everyone around’s emotions must have, and it seemed that the others hadn’t either.

He sighed, stepping away for a few moments alone as he waited for the others to figure out who was going to the library and who was going elsewhere. He didn’t really need to be involved in that conversation, since he was part of the reason they were going to the library in the first place.

A minute later, he startled when someone tapped his arm, getting his attention. “You look oddly familiar,” a girl with long red hair, so dark it almost looked black, commented.

Charlie blinked. That was a somewhat odd way to start a conversation. “I don’t see how. I just arrived in Nevarah with my circle last night.”

The girl tilted her head in confusion. “What circle is that? And who are you? And who is your mentor?”

Charlie twitched. “The Nott Circle. I’m Charlie. I don’t have a mentor.”

She blinked in surprise. “No mentor? Why not?”

Charlie grimaced. “My inheritance was just forced out by a soulscream last night.”

That was clearly not an answer she’d expected. “Really? Well, you’ll need a mentor and it’s been a few years since I’ve had a student. Your flames are quite nice, too. I’d be happy to be your mentor, if you’d like.”

Charlie froze for a second, not entirely understanding the question. She laughed softly. “Don’t answer now. Think about it, and I’ll find you sometime later this week. It might not be until after the Introductions though.”

Charlie nodded. “Who are you?”

She smiled. “My name is Ebony of the Caveral line. Sometimes I prefer Eby, sometimes not. When I do ask for your decision, make sure it is your own. It is not a decision to allow others to influence”

Charlie nodded. “My decision will be mine, and no one else’s.”

She smiled, then ported away.

Charlie shook his head and went back to his circle. Getting a potential mentor wasn’t quite the break he’d wanted, but he supposed it was better to be productive.

Chapter Text

Harry frowned slightly when he saw Charlie return to the group, looking pensive. He slipped away from where the others were debating who would go to the library to talk to Charlie instead.

“Are you alright?” he asked his Beta.

Charlie nodded. “I’m fine. Someone just offered to mentor me.”

Harry blinked in surprise. “What do you think? Did you like them?”

Charlie considered a moment. “I did like her, but it seems fast. And you don’t have a mentor yet, or the twins, and -”

Harry cut him off by flicking his nose. “You delaying getting a mentor won’t speed up anything else that needs to happen. If she seems like someone you want to spend a significant amount of time around and learn from, and you think you’ll work well together, accept. If you don’t think it will work out, don’t.”

Charlie shrugged. Harry rolled his eyes. “Talk to Theo about it if you’re concerned, or Ethan.”

Charlie nodded. Harry smiled at him, and was soon pleasantly surprised that the others’ debate apparently finished, as Theo called for them to get going.

A few minutes of walking later, Harry gasped in shock as he took in the sight of the giant library. It was easily the size of Hogwarts, and parts of it were held up by large dragon-like creatures.

“Nytura,” Bran commented, seeing where Harry’s attention was focused. “Guardians, typically, or pets.”

Harry nodded. He couldn’t help but want one, even though it was a horribly impractical idea.

He smiled as he walked into the library, enjoying the quiet and peace that came with it. He’d always liked libraries growing up, but for some reason the Hogwarts library had made him feel uncomfortable. Almost unsafe, really. He’d never understood it, and Hermione and Ron hadn’t seemed to feel it. Luna agreed with him, though. She said it had a major infestation of wrackspurts.

It had always been that way, ever since he’d made friends with Luna in his second year. He’d get feelings that something was bad or dangerous, and Luna would agree that there were too many wrackspurts or nargles around it. Hermione and Ron would just stare at the two like they were crazy, but typically humor them by avoiding it.

More often than not, he and Luna were right.

He crossed his fingers. Hopefully his good feelings would be as accurate as his bad ones.

Bill relaxed as he walked into the library, highly bemused by Ethan ushering him into a hallway covered in tapestries with the rest of the group. Circle, he reminded himself. His brothers, and he himself, were dragels now.

He rolled his eyes when he considered who was here. It was definitely way more than was needed, as only Alec, Prince Raspen, and Prince Peryton hadn’t accompanied them. An alpha, two betas, sub, three pareya, seven gheyos, healer, consort, and mage did not seem to be necessary for a library trip, and yet they were all here.

And him, of course. But at least he was involved.

He snorted to himself as he saw Wikhn redirect Bran when something caught his eye and he started to wander off. Maybe some were needed, after all. But still. Seventeen of the circle, plus him, seemed a bit excessive.

He continued walking, taking in the library happily. It was easily the largest he’d ever been in, and he desperately wanted to come back when he could read as much as he could. He was so caught up in looking around that he missed that they were supposed to enter an alcove, only realizing it when he almost walked into Hadrian.

He blushed slightly, but turned and walked into the indicated alcove with the others, hesitating when he saw that others were already inside.

He blinked in surprise as he spotted a familiar trio. He coughed, but didn’t say anything.

They turned at the sound of the approaching group and his cough, and he could easily tell when their eyes landed on him. “Bill!” Malachi exclaimed, moving towards the circle. “I didn’t know you were a dragel. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Bill grimaced. “I didn’t know,” he admitted. “I had suppressions that just got removed this morning.”

Malachi and the twins froze. “Suppressions?” Gideon asked, a dangerous tone in his voice.

Bill nodded, ignoring the tone. “Yeah. Me and three of my brothers that we know of so far, no one’s been able to check the others yet.”

Fabian interrupted. “Your brothers? These redheads here?”

Bill nodded. “Yeah, these are Charlie, Fred, and George, and the rest here are their circle.”

Introductions and explanations took a little while, but once the other redheads realized that they were looking for Bill’s family connections, they were happy to help. “Do you have any indication which families you’re looking for?” Malachi asked.

Quinn wrote out ‘Evanson and Peverell for Harry. Prewitt for the others.’

Bill blinked in surprise, as did the Prewitts. Quinn must not be familiar with the Prewitt family or have recognized them, but these were Prewitts. He wasn’t sure if it was the specific Prewitts they needed, but it was definitely a Prewitt circle.

Gideon smirked. “Well, if its Prewitts you need then we can definitely help. We have the tapestry here,” he gestured towards it.

Fabian was already considering it, and suddenly turned around, hitting Bill with a spell he didn’t recognize.

Bill twitched, but didn’t otherwise react. “What was that?” he asked when Fabian just stood there frozen.

Fabian hesitated. “What is your mother’s name?”

Bill blinked. He really didn’t see how that was relevant. “Molly. My parents are Molly and Arthur Weasley. Why? What’s going on?”

Fabian paused for a moment, considering his answer. “Molly is our little sister. She ran away with a man she insisted was her soulmate decades ago, and hasn’t been seen since.”

Bill froze. The dragels he’d enjoyed working with in Egypt were his uncles?

Charlie cut in before he could answer. “Are you saying that you’re our uncles?” he asked, needing confirmation.

Gideon nodded. “It would appear so. Mother will be thrilled. She’s always wanted grandchildren, but we’ve been too busy with our curse breaking trips to manage it.”

Bill winced slightly. He’d heard of Sadara Prewitt. According to the twins’ stories, her fussing was just as bad as his mother’s. Actually, he considered, that made sense considering she was Molly’s mother.

Malachi smirked, guessing the reason behind Bill’s wince. “We’ll have to set something up soon so the clan can meet your circle. Not today, of course, but perhaps Wednesday or Thursday?”

Bill glanced over at Theo, who nodded. “That would be excellent. Please let us know when and where would be convenient.”

Malachi nodded. “Certainly. And to whom should I direct it?”

Theo smiled. “Theodore Gorgens-Nott. No official circle name has been registered yet.”

Malachi nodded. “Of course. We will see you soon then, we’d best not delay informing Sadara. She’d be quite upset.”

Bill nodded, smiling at him. “Good seeing you again, Malachi.”

Malachi smiled. “Good seeing you Bill. We’ll look forward to seeing you again, and getting to know your brothers and their circle.”

“Little Whinging Primary School,” Mariana mused quietly. “That’s dreadfully boring. Why only whinge a little when whinging a lot is much more effective?”

Several members of her circle snorted. Mariana was quite talented at excessive whinging if things didn’t go her way.

“So this is a muggle school,” she commented. “They must have an office, no? With records of their students?”

Her Alpha nodded. “One would think so, though muggles rarely make sense.”

Mariana smirked, banishing a door and finding what appeared to be a nurse’s office. “Not quite what I meant, but I suppose a medical office is worth searching.”

Lord Cunningham nodded. “He is far too small and skittish. Check for both him and that cousin, see how they compare.”

Mariana nodded, opening a cabinet and beginning to search. The rest of her circle spread out, each taking a cabinet, set of drawers, or closet.

It took a while, but eventually the needed records were found in a box near the back of the storage closet. “Strange,” commented one of the Vega twins. “So many injuries, and yet nothing seems to have been noticed.”

Mariana frowned. “Oh?” she asked dangerously.

The Vega twin winced. “He was in here at least twice a week for injuries that were clearly either abuse or being pushed around by other children. There’s really no excuse for it not being noticed and taken care of.”

Mariana growled. Lord Cunningham commented, “It may be different for muggles. Would it meet the standard for Nevaraean courts after the fact?”

The Vega twin nodded. “More than. There is definitely probable cause for abuse, and full evidence of neglect. Even if the injuries weren’t caused by the aunt and uncle, they did not prevent them or treat them properly.”

Mariana spoke in a dangerous tone, “And the cousin?”

The Vega twin shifted papers. “One paper cut and one bloody nose. Notes that his diet is too rich, and he is given far too much food. That is all in the five years he attended here.”

Mariana’s voice was pure ice. “So they abused one child and spoiled the other.”

The room was filled with the sound of hisses and growls for several minutes. Child abuse was anathema to dragels. Children were precious, and always protected. Especially by family. To hurt a child, one of your own family, was one of the worst crimes there could be.

Mariana growled. “Would official reports about abuse be in this office?”

The other Vega twin commented. “Probably not. I think one of the watchers that patrols Earth occasionally mentioned something about counselors that would handle that.”

Mariana nodded. “Then we need that office next. Bring those files, and anything else needed to identify who saw this and did nothing to stop it. They are complicit and will face the courts.”

Remus frowned when Sirius’s first reaction after killing Filch and stealing his memories was to immediately bend over and vomit. Sirius had always had a strong stomach, courtesy of the Black family, so whatever he saw must have been quite bad.

A moment later, Sirius had straightened up. “They were planning to break into Nevarah and kill all dragels.”

Remus froze. “What?”

Sirius grimaced, banishing the vomit from the floor. “They were sealing young dragels and other powerful creatures’ inheritances so they could leech their power without being detected, and they’re planning to use it to attack Nevarah and kill everyone there. The main focus is the dragels, but they’ll kill everyone else for being associated. Then, they’ll move on to other realms and species.”

Remus frowned. “Who are they?”

Sirius shifted uncomfortably. “Filch, obviously, is - well, was involved. The leader is Dumbledore, who is apparently a Torvak. About half the Torvak’s are involved knowingly, and the rest will do as their leaders tell them.”

Remus pulled Sirius into a hug. “And Harry? He’s involved because he’s a dragel?”

Sirius made a face. “Worse. They deliberately set things up so he’d be born. James had Peverell blood, you know this.” Remus nodded. “His mother was my aunt, Dorea. So Black blood.”

Remus grimaced at this. Two decently powerful dragel lines, even if one was always suppressed by the family itself, were not a good thing for Torvaks to have access to.

“Lily was apparently dragel too. An Evanson.” Sirius commented.

Remus’s jaw dropped. “How did she end up here? You never mentioned the Evansons being on Earth.”

Sirius shook his head. “That’s because they aren’t. Dumbledore somehow got ahold of Lily and Petunia as babies - Filch didn’t know how - and he sealed their inheritances and gave them to muggles to raise.”

Remus blinked. “He managed to turn Petunia from a dragel to a muggle with seals and suppressions?”

Sirius shook his head. “No, apparently Petunia should have had magic, but Lily’s developed first despite being younger. Her jealousy caused her magic to twist and become unusable. She’s almost an obscurial, actually.”

Remus winced. “And her son?”

Sirius nodded. “Sealed dragel inheritance, though he does have accessible magic and should have gone to Hogwarts. Dumbledore removed him from the register.”

Remus growled at that. “What else? You said he set things up for Harry to be born.”

Sirius grimaced. “He encouraged Lily and James to get together so Harry would be born with three dragel lines.”

Remus frowned. “He is a threat to our cub.”

Sirius nodded. “More than you know. Filch seemed to believe that Harry was being abused by Petunia, and that Dumbledore was encouraging it, or at least happy about it.”

Remus growled deep in his throat. “I think it may be time to consider some muggle hunting. It is a family tradition for you, after all.”

Sirius nodded, a dark smirk on his face. “I quite agree.”

Lord Cunningham winced as he took in Mariana’s face. She’d claimed the folder with Harry’s information the second it had been located in the counselor’s office and refused to let anyone else read it until she had finished.

With that expression, he was willing to bet there was more evidence of abuse.

He sighed to himself. All dragels took abuse of a child, especially a dragel child, personally. It was in their nature. Mariana even more so, though. Their circle had never been inclined towards children due to their military nature, but that didn’t stop Mariana from adoring all children, especially her nieces and nephews. To her, abusing your own nephew was likely incomprehensible and inexcusable.

After a few minutes, she handed the folder over to him and yanked their ACE in for a rough comfort feed. He blinked in surprise, obviously not expecting such a thing while on a hunt, but willingly complied.

Lord Cunningham snorted softly, then turned his attention to the folder in his hands.

Nothing in it was good, he mused. Over a dozen reports per year from age six to ten, and nothing was done. Bruises, including in the shape of a man’s hand, were somehow reported but not investigated. Repeated broken bones, including spiral fractures and rebreaks of the same injuries, with no medical treatment provided, somehow didn’t warrant an investigation. Fainting in class due to hunger and dehydration was brushed off as pickiness.

Overall, it added up to clear abuse and neglect, and the entire family was implicated.

Even the child, Dudley. He seemed to be a major bully, against Harry and several other children. Apparently, the only place he didn’t go was the library, because the librarian was very strict and had no problems going against the Dursleys.

It seemed that one counselor had actually taken to recommending Dudley’s victims spend as much time as possible in the library, so that Dudley wouldn’t find them.

He couldn’t help but hope that Harry had taken that advice.

The files indicated that too much had happened, but having a safe space could have at least made it a little less intolerable.

He couldn’t help but wonder if that healer knew. The Kalziks were known for being thorough, and something like this would leave very clear evidence on a medical scan. He’d likely left it temporarily because of the circumstances and more immediate issues. Still, he couldn’t help but hope that either Harry or Quinn informed the rest of their circle before the Cunninghams returned to Nevarah.

Mariana would not be willing to keep something like this quiet. It would be going straight to the courts if she had her way, and he would not be able to deny her request. Not about something like this.

And there was no way she would not make the request. Honestly, the more he saw the less she needed to make the request. He was tempted to do it already.

He snorted. At least the circle was well-prepared to handle blood prices. Hadrian was quite capable of claiming them, and several others in that suite would likely be skilled as well.

Not to mention the familial connections. The Peverells were generally peaceful, but they were still clan chiefs. They would not allow the abuse of one of their children to go unpunished if they knew.

It all depended on timing, he decided. If they learned of Harry’s existence before the trial, they likely would end up present and demand a pound of flesh, if not more. If not, there’d likely be political complications for Prince Raspen and the Air royals for not informing them.

The Evansons were slightly less certain. They’d be furious about what had happened to Harry, but Petunia was their daughter. They may stay out of things, if they even knew. They hadn’t been seen in decades, except for Briar’s attendance at mandatory shadow functions and reapings, sometimes accompanied by his Beta.

He sighed. Fortunately, none of those issues were his problem. He just had to collect the guilty and transport them to Nevarah.

It was the courts’ and official royals’ issue from there.

Harry shifted as Ethan pulled out another tapestry, unrolling it carefully. They’d continued looking over the Prewitt tapestry for a little while after the three Prewitts had left, just to see what they were getting themselves into by agreeing to meet this week.

Apparently, it was a lot.

He sighed quietly as he saw the size of the Peverell tapestry. It would take forever to figure out where he’d be. If he was even there.

The Prewitt one was no smaller, but Fabian had clearly known it and was able to find Bill, Charlie, and the twins quickly. They had no such help for the Peverell one. Honestly, he could probably walk straight into a Peverell without realizing it.

He grimaced and started towards the entrance.

Theo stopped him before he got far. “What’s wrong, treasure?”

Harry blushed at the nickname. “Bathroom,” he mumbled.

Charlie, standing next to Theo, clearly heard. “I need to go too. Mind if I come with you and we find it together?”

Harry smiled hesitantly and nodded. A few minutes later and with directions from Bran, the two set off.

It took longer than Harry had expected to find the bathroom, but that wasn’t entirely surprising given the size of the building. He finished first, and wandered outside to see what was around.

He smiled slightly as he took in the rows and rows of books, wandering towards a row and completely missing the man coming quickly around the corner in front of him, knocking him flat on his back.

He gave a squeak of surprise when a stranger was suddenly fussing over him, apologizing repeatedly. He was carefully pulled to his feet, and settled in a chair nearby, the stranger apologizing the whole time.

“Is everything ok here?” Charlie’s voice asked a minute later, sounding more threatening than Harry had realized he was capable of.

“Charlie!” Harry called, holding his arms out to him. He’d really rather not deal with Charlie’s Weasley temper causing a scene or starting a fight. The stranger quickly stepped back as Charlie approached, pulling Harry into his arms. “I fell.”

Both Charlie and the stranger blinked. “Fell?” Charlie asked.

The stranger shifted. “I was walking quickly, and didn’t see him before rounding the corner, so I bumped into him and knocked him over. I’m very sorry, I didn’t mean offense.”

Charlie nodded. That at least made more sense than Harry just “falling”.

The stranger shifted again. “I’m Lewis Peverell, of Henry Peverell’s circle. Who are you, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Charlie blinked. “Charlie Weasley and Harry Potter.”

The stranger, Lewis, nodded. “If you don’t mind my asking, what circle?”

Charlie paused. “I don’t think we have a circle name yet. It was a soulscream last night.”

Lewis blinked. “Oh, dear. Is everything ok? And is Harry a Consort?”

Charlie hesitated. “Everything’s fine now. Things were handled and we came to Nevarah. Harry is actually our submissive.”

Lewis froze for a second, considering. “I’m sorry if this is an imposition, but would you mind if I cast a diagnostic spell? I’m a medic, and I thought I felt something off when I ran into Harry.”

Charlie frowned. “I think it would be best to return to our circle and let our Alpha and Healer make that decision.”

Lewis nodded. “Yes, that would likely be for the best. Pardon me for asking, but you aren’t very familiar with Nevaraean society, are you?”

Charlie shook his head. “Nope. Just got my inheritance forced out yesterday and came here last night.”

Lewis blinked in shock. “I do think it would be best for me to accompany you two back to your circle then.”

Theo suppressed a groan as Charlie and Harry returned with a stranger in tow.

An oddly familiar-looking stranger.

Theo frowned. The stranger looked undeniably similar to Harry, and almost identical to the pictures he’d seen of James Potter.

It seemed Harry’s wild luck followed no matter where he went.

He sighed softly, tugging lightly on the distant bonds to Ethan and Quinn to get their attention.

He frowned. He didn’t like having the bonds so distant.

They’d have to complete them sooner rather than later.

He turned his thoughts back to the matter at hand, tilting his head to direct their attention to Harry and Charlie’s approach with their new companion. Ethan blinked twice, then frowned slightly, likely put off by the surprise of the development. Quinn simply rolled his eyes, walking over to stand by Theo.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Harry walked up to him and simply said “This is Lewis Peverell. I ran into him by the bathroom.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “Ran into him, treasure?”

Lewis blushed, to Theo’s surprise. “That was my fault. I was hurrying and came around a corner without looking. I knocked him over.”

Theo blinked. “Oh? Harry, are you ok?”

Harry nodded. “I’m fine. But he said he’s a medic and he thought he sensed something off and wanted to do a scan.”

Theo suppressed a snicker as Quinn scowled. ‘Something like what?’

Lewis blinked, but didn’t visibly react to the question being written out. “I thought I sensed a seal, but it doesn’t make sense for him to have that particular seal.”

Quinn frowned but nodded. ‘I think I know what you’re talking about. I’d agree to let him check, Alpha.’

Theo nodded consideringly. “You can cast. Quinn and Riven will watch.”

Riven blinked. He’d thought he was subtle when he came up to stand behind Charlie, mirroring Hadrian’s position behind Theo, Wikhn’s behind Quinn, and Brishen’s behind Harry. He didn’t object though. He’d have watched this stranger closely anyways.

Lewis blinked, apparently just noticing the presence of powerful, armed circle members around him, but continued with his diagnostic spell anyways. He cast three times, each time getting more confused. “Why do you have that seal?”

Harry blinked. “Which one?”

Lewis frowned. “What do you mean which one? You’re far too young to have multiple seals. Actually, how old are you? You don’t look old enough to have a circle, or your inheritance.”

Harry frowned slightly. “Fourteen. I got my inheritance and had a soulscream last night.”

Lewis winced. “I’m sorry to hear that, and for asking, but it was relevant.”

Quinn glared. ‘How is it relevant?’

Lewis shifted uncomfortably. “You have a Peverell family seal. Which means Peverell blood, but I don’t recognize you.”

Harry shrugged. “I lived on Earth, and was wizard-raised. Well, muggle-raised really. I just found out that dragels existed last night. Quinn did mention the Peverell seal, but I don’t really know what that means.”

Lewis shifted his attention to Theo and Quinn. “Oh. Did you send the requests in for the recognition and the seal removal?”

Theo frowned. “Not yet. Another of our bonded was planning to send them in while we were here.”

Lewis’s head tilted, likely wondering at the size of their circle, then nodded after a moment. “The seal is clearly paternal. Do you know your father’s line? To try to find it on the tapestry?”

Harry shrugged. “My dad’s name was James Potter. He and the rest of the Potters died before I was two so I don’t know beyond that.”

Lewis winced. “I’m sorry to hear that, as well. Let me find the tapestry and we’ll see if we can find it.”

Ethan smiled. “We have the tapestry. We came here to try to figure out the connections, though we weren’t expecting to actually meet any.”

Bill snorted at that understatement.

It took longer than Ethan would have liked, but they did find and confirm Harry’s connection to the Peverells. It took the rest of Lewis’s circle coming to officially verify the connection, and Harry looked more tired than Ethan would have preferred, but it was finally handled.

At least the Peverells seemed apologetic for all the tests they had to make Harry take. He understood the requirements, but if he’d had his way it would have been left for another day when they hadn’t already had a stressful “meet the parents” brunch and a “meet the uncles” surprise.

Harry hadn’t wanted to wait though, and he’d demanded to do it now. Theo had been hesitant, but unwilling to deny Harry, and Charlie and Ariki supported whatever Harry wanted.

“Well, that will satisfy the clan chief. He’ll be here soon for the hunt, he’s currently dealing with his submissive’s pregnancy. Once he’s here we’ll be able to make the arrangements and get this seal off,” Cora Peverell assured Harry’s circle.

Harry looked relieved, and nodded. Theo spoke up instead. “How soon is that likely to be?”

Henry, Lewis’s Alpha, replied, “I’m not sure. He’ll be here Friday because we’re in the clanchief introductions. He should be able to meet you then or Saturday, but I don’t know how long the preparations will take. There are extra calculations, lunar calendars and your birthday and power levels. Your age will also likely influence things, they’ll want to be completely sure it's safe for someone underage before doing it.”

Harry frowned, but Ethan relaxed. Seal removals were delicate, and Harry was young. His magic wouldn’t be fully settled until he was at least sixteen, and he had already had enough issues, Ethan felt.

“Who’s your maternal family?” Henry asked after a few minutes. “We may be able to help find them, depending on who it is.”

Ethan gave him a look, easily identifying that his interest was at least partially wondering what sort of connection it would be. Not quite as generous to offer to help considering he was seeing what they were getting into, but certainly understandable and not at all unusual.

Family connections were key for dragels, and if the Peverells planned to act as Harry’s family circle, they’d have to ensure they were on reasonably friendly terms with his mother’s family. If they did find Harry’s third and the two built a relationship, the Peverells would be expected to become somewhat friendly with that family, too.

It didn’t matter that, from what Ethan could tell, Harry would never ask such a thing of them. He honestly didn’t think Harry would be confident enough to do so. If the Peverells wished to be actively involved in his life, dragel society and instincts would require them to play nicely with the rest of his family.

The Peverells would be even more careful of this now, most likely, after finding out that they’d missed three generations of Peverells with sealed inheritances. Not to mention the sheer number of questions and concerns Harry’s existence, health, and history created. They’d likely do whatever it took to make sure to stay involved with him and ensure nothing like this happened in their family again.

Ethan was willing to bet that the family would be using this as evidence of why it was important to keep your connections close and play nicely with other families for centuries to come. They hadn’t done that with Aldor, and this was the result. Three Peverell generations dead when they should still be not even middle aged by dragel standards, and another left orphaned in the muggle world on Earth, with no Peverell connections or knowledge.

It was clear proof of the need for families to be at least neutral towards each other, if only for the sakes of their children.

It never went well for anyone involved when the families failed to do so.

Riven twitched as he finally found Harry on the Evanson tapestry, frowning deeply. Like the Peverell tapestry, it showed Lily and James, but did not show a third parent for Harry. The Prewitt one had been the same way. Arthur and Molly were present, but not thirds for any of the children. “Harry, do you know these people?” he asked, pointing out who appeared to be his aunt, uncle and cousin.

Harry came over, looking at the tapestry. He nodded. “Yeah, that’s the relatives I lived with on Earth.”

He hid a wince as he looked at their pictures. He didn’t even want to know how furious they’d be when either someone from the wizarding world showed up at their perfectly normal house to tell them he was missing or they went to King’s Cross for him and he never showed up. He couldn’t help but be glad that he was in an entirely different realm, and he subconsciously shifted so he was right against Riven. He relaxed slightly when he felt the mage put an arm around him, gently squeezing.

Riven nodded, frowning. He couldn’t imagine why all three would appear as though the tapestry couldn’t tell if they were dead or alive, and the uncle had a death seal. “Muggles, wizards, dragels?” he asked.

Harry shook his head. “Muggles, as far as I know. All three. Everyone thought my mum was muggle-born, but apparently not. I don’t know how Petunia ended up a muggle though. Or why my mum somehow never had a dragel inheritance, that I know of.”

Henry Peverell frowned. “Suppressed inheritances are a very serious issue. And a death seal on a muggle is no less severe. An investigation will have to be launched.”

Riven nodded. “The Cunninghams are hunting regarding a separate, though potentially related matter right now. I’ll bring it to Prince Raspen, and if they don’t find this themselves anyways we’ll send them or someone else back to investigate. He probably won’t want to send anyone else to Earth right now though, with the Cunninghams already there.”

Henry blinked. “The Cunninghams are handling a hunt for your circle?”

Hadrian nodded. “I was contracted to them before the soulscream. They are hunting partially as a favor to me.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

Hadrian shrugged. “It's certainly not an official favor. Lady Mariana’s attention was caught by something while we were on Earth, so she decided to take up the hunt. She’ll pass on the information when she returns because of our connection.”

Riven nodded. That sounded about right for the Cunninghams.

At least this time it was something helpful. Not that their rampages weren’t usually necessary, but he couldn’t help but feel that this was more deserving of a rampage than some of the others were. Though their circle’s gheyos would likely appreciate the chance to rampage and take revenge themselves once appropriate targets could be produced.

He knew he was biased, but he also knew that even without a soulbond to Harry he’d be horrified by the situation.

Harry frowned. “Is the death seal the skull and cross bones?”

Riven nodded. “The fuzziness means the tapestry can’t determine their condition with enough certainty. The skull and crossbones means he is not dead because of a death seal.”

Harry nodded. That certainly didn’t sound good.

Riven frowned again. Harry’s reaction to learning that his family members were near death was quite telling. Combined with the other small things that were just enough to be concerning - especially given that everyone wizard-raised seemed to be already aware of the issues - it added up to a picture he didn’t like. Add the medical exam he had done at the Nott manor, and it was even worse.

It certainly did not indicate the closeness that would be hoped for in a family. Combined with Harry’s size, eating habits, medical exam results, and the state of his clothes before Bran put his foot down and swapped them, it all but guaranteed abuse and neglect. He winced at the thought.

He really hoped he was wrong, but he was willing to bet that the Cunningham’s hunt on Earth would prove he was right.

Sirius frowned as they arrived in Privet Drive. He didn’t know what it was, but something felt off here. Almost like the shadows had too much in them, and were too active.

It made no sense and he knew it, but it still left him unsettled.

“Four, right?” he asked Remus, starting towards the house at his nod. “Think they’re all home?” he asked with a bloodthirsty grin.

Remus smirked. “Let’s hope so.”

Sirius suppressed a snort as he considered the pair of them. He was willing to bet that they fit all the stereotypes of a Black and a werewolf right now. Vicious, feral, dark. Both could be when threatened or angered enough, but both avoided showing those traits generally.

Neither cared to hide them right now, though.

Both men froze when a large group of strangers appeared between them and the house. Dragels, Sirius realized. Not something he had expected to see.

Then again, if Harry had managed to somehow get his dragel inheritance or meet other dragels, they may have sent these ones to see what was going on.

He blinked as a doll-like woman spoke to them. “Who are you? And why are you here?”

He growled slightly at being questioned. “Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. We’re looking for our godson, and found something to suggest that the people here hurt him while he lived with them.”

The woman tilted her head. “That would be Harry Potter, I presume?”

Sirius stiffened. He hadn’t expected her to know that. “Yes. Who are you, what do you know, and where is my godson?”

The woman laughed. “I am Lady Mariana Cunningham, this is Lord Cunningham and the rest of our circle. We are the nominal leaders of the dragel shadow clans. I know that your godson was almost certainly abused by the people in that house, and that that is why we are here. We are to bring them to Nevarah for a trial and so a blood price can be claimed. Your godson is safely in Nevarah with his new circle.”

Sirius frowned. There was a lot to unpack in that response. He decided to start with the most immediate issue. “Nevarah? The dragel realm?”

She nodded. “You do know of dragels, then?”

He considered for a moment, then decided he may as well tell the whole truth. Dragel heritage might make them more likely to bring him with them. “My family are technically dragels, but practice runes-based sealing as the inheritance comes in so I don’t actually have my inheritance.”

She looked shocked and furious. “Would you have done that to Harry?”

He shook his head. “No, I hated that tradition but they were very…determined. I always wished my inheritance wasn’t bound, so I’d never have sealed Harry’s.”

She relaxed. “A runes-based suppression as the inheritance finalized?”

He nodded.

She smiled slightly. “A runes-master should be able to fix that. You’ll come to Nevarah with us after and we can remove it.”

He nodded, immediately accepting that. “Remus needs to come too.”

She nodded. “I presumed so. You two are clearly bonded.”

They both blushed. Remus cleared his throat. “Perhaps we can return to the matter at hand?”

Mariana looked amused, but obliged. “The three inside are already restrained, but we still have to search for evidence.”

All three were shocked when, as soon as she said that Hedwig swooped in and hooted demandingly.

Mariana frowned. “Who is she?”

Sirius quickly explained. “Hedwig. She’s Harry’s owl. Very smart.”

Hedwig landed on Sirius’s shoulder imperiously, then pointed her wing at the door. Sirius blinked. “You want us to go inside?” She hooted, which he took as a yes, and obeyed, entering the house.

He heard someone behind him mutter, “I knew the wizarding world was strange, but I still didn’t expect to follow orders from an owl.”

He stifled a laugh as Hedwig’s head rotated around so she could pin the speaker with a beady-eyed glare. That cut off as they entered the house, and Hedwig clearly indicated the hall. He started down it, but as he passed the cupboard she hooted sharply. He paused and looked at her, and was confused when she pointed her wing at the wall. No, not at the wall. At the cupboard under the steps. Mariana was closest to the door, and opened it carefully, then went white with rage.

Sirius frowned, and moved so he could see what was inside. His vision started to go black at the edges and magic started to swell, a clear sign of the Black family madness coming on. He blinked a minute later when the rage receded, and he was left calm despite knowing he was furious. He blinked in shock when he realized that he was being held close to a stranger’s chest. Lord Cunningham, he believed.

Remus was watching in concern, which changed to shock when he relaxed, pulling away. Sirius didn’t have to wonder why. He’d never been able to come back from that edge without a long and bloody fight. It had happened many times to him, and several to James.

He was distracted by Mariana's comment, “That should be more than enough evidence. We should go back to Nevarah. Don’t want to end up too far out of time, I’d rather be back on Tuesday instead of stuck with Thursday.” She noticed Sirius and Remus’s confusion. “Time runs differently in Nevarah. Every day here is four days there, and our mage can only pull the timelines together so much.”

Alcandor smirked as he approached the palace and examined the memory orbs hidden on the walls. Apparently Alvon had arrived not long after he left, and was sulking about him leaving for the intended meeting time.

He should feel bad about that, but Alvon had always gotten on his nerves more than was appropriate for a court member and cousin.

He sighed as he made his way through the palace to the throne room where Krym and Kieran were keeping Alvon. Alvon had always been difficult. He was glad when the current Crimson Tide, Krymsen, had won the position, because the former one was Alvon’s brother. It gave Alvon a closer link to the throne than Alcandor wanted him to have. Alvon still had all three of his gheyic brothers in Crimson Tide, and Alec was in the court, but Alec was sworn to Alcandor, not Alvon, and a member of Crimson Tide was less significant than the title holder himself.

His expression was smug by the time he entered the throne room. This ought to be entertaining, if nothing else. “So, Lord Alvon, would you like to explain how you lost Brishen? You had one job, you know. Especially after the loss of Riptide.”

Lord Alvon bristled, but replied appropriately. “He woke and vanished in a flash of white light, taking a guard’s spear with him, Your Majesty.”

Alcandor hummed. “Fortunately for you, I am aware of his current location. As, incidentally, is your youngest brother.”

Lord Alvon blinked. “Alec, Your Majesty?”

Alcandor nodded, falsely idle. “Indeed. Apparently he and Brishen have similar taste in submissives.”

Lord Alvon looked bewildered, but Advisor Kieran’s jaw dropped, clearly understanding.

Alcandor continued. “I suppose you’d best prepare. Alec will almost certainly follow the appropriate courting rituals, especially since his bonded does have a Merrow third, despite the primarily landwalker heritage.”

Advisor Kieran blinked in surprise at that, but looked somewhat relieved. Lord Alvon still looked completely lost. “What do you mean? I received no notification that Alec was courting, and Brishen has been asleep.”

Alcandor smirked. “The soulscream, of course. The bonds are fully completed already, thanks to the submissive - Harry - being fourteen, but the courting should still be done, don’t you agree?”

Lord Alvon froze. He clearly hadn’t expected to hear that, but that question had only one possible answer. “Of course. He will certainly follow our family’s courting traditions, only you can decide about your family’s.”

Alcandor blinked. That was certainly a much better response than he’d expected, and was actually respectful of Alec’s choosing Alcandor over his brothers.

Lord Alvon sighed, likely guessing that he was surprised by. “We don’t approve of Alec choosing you, or not swearing to our family, but he is still our baby brother, and he’s always welcome with us. Remind him of that sometime, please.”

Alcandor waved him away. He would, but he certainly wasn’t going to say that. He’d let Alvon stew for a bit, wondering if Alec would ever accept him as family again.

He certainly deserved it, for how he treated Alec this last decade.

Chapter Text

Ariki sighed in relief when they arrived back at Blaise’s manor. The day had gone well, but been longer and more stressful than expected with the Prewitts and Peverells involved, after the already stressful royal brunch. He’d been eagerly waiting to return the house, especially after Theo had indicated that he intended for the two of them and Charlie to complete their bonds.

Honestly, it should have probably been done before going out in public, but there hadn’t been time this morning with the medical exams and paperwork that required Theo’s signature. And the brunch with the royals certainly couldn’t be moved.

He had to smother a laugh when, as soon as Fred moved away from Harry to look at something George was asking about, Alec suddenly appeared, grabbed Harry, and literally carried him away out of the room.

It wasn’t really that surprising that he would do so. Alec hadn’t seen Harry since brunch, and this morning he’d been around Harry, but Harry had been mainly focused on Ethan. Merrow were known for needing extra alone time with their chosen bonded, so it was only natural that Alec would need to have Harry to himself a bit more than the rest of them.

Especially since he hadn’t chosen any other bonded to attach himself to. Ariki sighed, shaking his head. Hopefully, Alec would choose at least one or two others. It would be much easier to keep him happy if there were multiple people he wanted to spend time with, instead of only Harry.

He smiled when Charlie snorted. “Is that going to be a regular thing? Because Harry’s going to get sick of being carried around and picked up without warning all the time.”

Theo snickered. “It’ll probably settle down some once the circle is more fully sealed and instincts aren’t running so high. Harry will probably have to make his objections known to get it to completely stop.”

The twins both winced. Ariki looked at them confused until they elaborated. “Harry has quite the temper. It was actually famous at Hogwarts.”

Theo nodded. “I remember hearing about that. Draco was actually terrified of him for weeks after one incident. Something about a Grimm and a broken mirror?”

Fred and George shifted uncomfortably.

Theo frowned. “What?”

Fred hesitated, then answered. “That Grimm was Sirius Black. Harry’s godfather.”

Theo’s face darkened. “The one who gave Voldemort his and his parents’ location?”

Most of the room froze, listening closely.

George shook his head. “He was technically sent to Azkaban for that, but he didn’t do it. It was actually Peter Pettigrew, he’s a rat animagus and was hiding as Ron’s pet rat Scabbers.”

Theo’s face was actually scary, but Ariki didn’t blame him. He was furious too and he didn’t even fully understand the conversation. “Hadrian, that is a hunt for you I believe,” Theo commented, his voice shockingly calm, despite the rage in his face and aura.

Hadrian simply nodded. He’d get more details out of Harry later.

Theo shook his head. He would deal with it sometime when Harry and Hadrian were both available. For now, though, “Draco once mentioned something about Hermione actually punching him?”

The twins nodded. “Yep. Our lovely Mione punched darling Drakey-Poo in the face like he deserved their third year.”

Most of those present snorted, including everyone from Earth. Blaise snickered. “Wish I could have seen it. Draco was such a pain to be around, it would have been great to see him get punched, and by a muggle-born at that.”

Ariki jumped slightly when there was a small scuffle behind him and Wikhn suddenly had Minh pinned to the ground. He suppressed a frown. Ranks were still not entirely confirmed for the circle, but he was willing to bet that it was worse for the gheyos.

They’d need to be settled sooner rather than later, he mused, if they wanted to keep things relatively calm and any fighting away from Harry.

Blaise shifted somewhat nervously as he led the way into a large, open courtyard. Hadrian had decided that it was time to settle their suite, and now they’d have to have the necessary fights. He normally wouldn’t be so nervous, but this was the shadow blood title. He was decently powerful for his age, and had some tricks that were extremely painful for the recipient, but he was only fifteen.

He could probably prove himself decently well and show that his age didn’t mean he was helpless, but he wouldn’t stand a chance, really. He doubted he could win against any of the other gheyos in the circle right now. Harry seemed to have a taste for power.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure he wanted to fight Hadrian’s claim over him, if the Ace chose to make one. He wasn’t a Joker by choice, after all. He’d originally been a Queen, and there were remnants of that dramatic and connection-loving rank left behind. They were mostly overridden by the feral edge and distrust for authority that came with being a Joker, but they were still there, and his age only made them stronger.

He sighed under his breath. He’d been hoping to have more time to observe Hadrian before deciding to accept his scar or mark or to fight him.

He considered. He wasn’t ready to bond to Hadrian yet, and with his age accepting his mark would almost certainly complete the bond. He probably would bond to him, sooner rather than later if Hadrian was willing to treat him how he had Devrim and Minh this morning, but he just wasn’t ready yet.

Trust was an issue for him, he knew this. Knowing didn’t make it any easier to accept an unfamiliar ACE.

He blinked in surprise when the first to move to challenge Hadrian was Wikhn. He’d expected a challenge before his, but he’d thought it would be Brishen. Not the King.

He was even more surprised that Wikhn had made being only Harry’s a condition. It wasn’t totally shocking that Wikhn had made conditions, Harry had even mentioned something about it at Theo’s manor, but this condition was certainly shocking.

He winced as he watched the two fight. Both were extremely powerful and talented, plainly having decades of experience as well as their natural abilities. It was certainly attractive, but it also meant that he had no chance in a fight against either of them. Still, he didn’t think his instincts would be settled without one, no matter how lopsided it may be.

It took a while, but the fight finally finished. Hadrian won, unsurprisingly. Blaise snorted when Wikhn placed his scar immediately after Hadrian placed his own. It wasn’t traditional, but it also was not surprising at all. Nothing about anything that had happened so far had been traditional.

He sighed when Hadrian’s attention turned to everyone else. To his shock, Brishen immediately accepted Hadrian’s scar, but made it clear Harry would still be his only priority and he was not swearing to Hadrian.

He hid a wince when Hadrian’s attention turned to him, and pulled out his preferred weapon, an electrified whip.

Hadrian simply nodded. Apparently, Blaise’s challenge was not unexpected.

He sighed. This was going to hurt.

Hadrian sighed as he finally finished his fight against Blaise.

He’d been surprised and disappointed when Wikhn had refused his mark, and insisted on a fight and scars instead. The one that should be his King refused to operate within the suite.

He’d been absolutely shocked, though he certainly didn’t object, when Brishen had allowed him to place a scar without a fight and indicated that he would be open to eventually exchanging marks and bonding. It would be nice to bond to at least one Joker, especially since Wikhn refused.

Blaise challenging him was the first normal part of this whole process, though even he had varied from the norm by indicating that he was considering exchanging marks and bonding. Honestly, he was surprised by how well Blaise fought. It wasn’t a close fight, and he wasn’t nearly as skilled as Wikhn had been, but he was fifteen. Something would have to be very wrong for him to be as skilled as fighters who’d been training significantly longer than he’d been alive.

More wrong than it already was, that is. Nothing about Blaise’s situation was right. He should be a Consort, like Bran. Not a Joker of three years.

He placed his scar a bit more gently than he had with Brishen or Wikhn, then pulled Blaise to his feet as he rose, pulling him in for a firm but gentle hug. “Whenever you’re ready for more, or need something specific for your rank or age, tell me.”

Blaise nodded. He looked like he wanted to say something, but eventually didn’t. Hadrian sighed. It would have been very helpful for Blaise to say exactly what he needed, but he seemed too nervous to actually do it.

Honestly, Hadrian was willing to bet he knew what Blaise wanted. He’d seen how he watched Devrim and Minh cuddling with him that morning. Still, he didn’t want to push if Blaise wasn’t ready. He squeezed tighter for a moment, then released him. “Anyone else?” he asked.

Minh, surprisingly, spoke next. “Not unless it means I can get you in bed sometime tonight.”

Hadrian blinked, slightly taken aback. That was…direct. “It would probably make that less likely, considering that it’s not that far from dinner time. We’ll finalize the main triad before dinner, and anything else involving the three of us after.”

Minh sulked, but Idan and Wikhn both looked eager, moving closer. Blaise wandered over to stand by Devrim.

Hadrian smiled slightly, and led the King and Queen out of the courtyard in search of somewhere more appropriate. He’d have Idan fully bonded to him soon, and even if he couldn’t have Wikhn bonded, he still seemed more than willing to join them in bed.

Theo turned his attention to Charlie and Ariki once the gheyos had left the kitchen. He was somewhat concerned for Blaise, knowing he would take longer to really accept a new Ace, but he had other priorities right now. Specifically, getting Ariki and Charlie into an appropriate bedroom.

He smirked and grabbed Charlie’s arm, starting towards the door Ariki was standing next to. Charlie looked surprised, but followed willingly. Ariki smiled as they approached, quickly moving so he was walking right next to Theo and Charlie.

Theo smiled slightly at that. He wasn’t sure Charlie really understood what he intended, but he didn’t expect him to object. He and Ariki had explained things last night at Nott manor, and Charlie had been very interested then. Ariki had also made it clear earlier in the afternoon that he was more than willing, and he seemed eager now.

He couldn’t help but wonder how exactly it would go. As Alpha, he would be most dominant, but Charlie and Ariki were both Betas. One would be more dominant than the other, and they would find out in the next few minutes if he had his way. They’d either fight or one would instinctively submit.

Soulscreams were convenient because most ranks were automatically settled, but some details couldn’t be settled just with that. Like multiple Betas. They had to figure out their own ranking, and the difficulty in that process varied. Gheyos always had to continually establish their internal hierarchy and fights were generally required, but that was different. Living with Ilsa for five years had been more than enough for him to know that gheyo needs were different, and fights were part of that.

As long as they kept it away from Harry when possible, he had no issues with that.

His attention returned to his two Betas as they entered a room Blaise had pointed out to him earlier. It was larger than usual, but only had a bed big enough for four or so. The rest of the room was mostly open space, so if Charlie and Ariki did fight they shouldn’t destroy too much.

He grinned slightly, and turned, yanking Charlie around and pulling him into a hard kiss. Charlie froze in surprise for a moment, then relaxed into it. Theo was pleased to feel the contentment and growing interest coming from him across the bond.

After a few minutes, he pulled back and pulled Ariki in instead. Once he was satisfied, he pulled back and released him, then paused for a moment to see who would do what.

He blinked when Charlie pulled Ariki in. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d expected Ariki to be more dominant. Clearly Charlie was though. There was no real room for question, given what he was seeing between the two right now.

He supposed he’d been expecting Ariki’s experience as a dragel to win over Charlie’s newness, but at the same time Charlie was a dragon tamer, second oldest of seven children, and had been a Quidditch captain. It did make sense, in a way, for him to be higher up the hierarchy.

He smiled. He certainly wouldn’t object. It seemed as though Ariki wouldn’t either, which meant they’d be able to function appropriately as a circle.

This would be fun. Both Charlie and Ariki were quite attractive.

Devrim sighed once the top three of the suite left. He snorted, amused, when Minh somehow managed to get Brishen to go with him out of the room. It didn’t take a genius to guess what they’d be doing.

He blinked in surprise when Blaise approached him.

Blaise hesitated, then asked, “You’re storm, right?”

He nodded, not sure where Blaise was going with this. “Nameless and shadow too.”

Blaise nodded, then paused. “My storms are unsettled without an anchor, and Harry’s nameless and can’t really deal with this. Well, he shouldn’t, at least.”

Devrim nodded. Unsettled storms were something he was intimately familiar with. The best way to fix them was bonding to a fellow storm element, but he’d never thought he’d have another storm element willing to bond to him.

Until now, at least. If that was what Blaise was interested in.

“Are you asking to bond?” he asked uncertainly.

Blaise blushed, but nodded. Devrim blinked. Blaise was surprisingly cute blushing like that. He would be very attractive once he was older, even if he was a bit too young for Devrim now. “If you wouldn’t mind. I’m fifteen, so it would just need the claim marks and a hug, you wouldn’t have to do anything else.”

Devrim shook his head, trying to cut off that train of thought in Blaise’s head. “I’d be happy to. And if you were older it would certainly be no hardship to bond with you the traditional way.”

Blaise blushed harder, but moved closer, tilting his head. “Anywhere you want is yours, except for where Hadrian’s mark will go.”

Devrim hesitated. “You intend to bond with Hadrian?”

Blaise shrugged. “I’m not a Joker by choice. Not that it is ever really a choice, but still. I was supposed to be a Queen, and I still have some of those instincts. I’m not opposed to Hadrian, either in general or as my bonded Ace, I’m just not comfortable accepting him in that position yet.”

Devrim nodded. That made more sense than it didn’t. He honestly couldn’t blame the younger gheyo, either. Whatever happened to make him a Joker had almost certainly left some trauma. And the underage inheritance likely had too. He smiled softly at Blaise, then stepped closer so he could easily place his mark on his chest. Easily hidden, but Blaise would still see it when he wanted to.

He stepped back a little, and gestured for Blaise to take his turn. “Anywhere you want is yours.”

Blaise smiled, and stepped in close, placing his own mark on Devrim’s chest, mirroring the one Devrim had just placed on him. Once the mark took and he healed it, he shifted so they were hugging.

Devrim smiled as the bond settled. He was shocked by how much a completed bond to another storm element settled his own storms, and judging by Blaise’s reaction, he was likely feeling the same.

He wondered what bonding to Riven would do.

Hermione sighed as she and Ginny wandered around the corridors of Hogwarts. The pair had been in the library, trying to find something that would help them find Harry and the twins. After a few hours, though, they’d decided to take a break. Both were too stressed to really focus, and they hadn’t made the progress they had hoped for. They’d wanted Ron to come, but he’d refused to even consider going to the library after exams were over, saying that Dumbledore was looking and that should be good enough.

Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron’s attitude and behavior had really gotten on her nerves this year, to the point where she was honestly closer to Harry, Ginny, and Luna than him. His betrayal of Harry after the Goblet of Fire was completely unacceptable, and she’d only played nice with him in the month that followed so she could make sure he didn’t try to act out against Harry. Fortunately, Luna had always been around to support Harry when she was with Ron, and more often than not Ginny was happy to either help Hermione beat some sense into Ron or hang out with Harry and Luna.

Hermione frowned, watching Dumbledore appear in the hallway from a secret passage she hadn’t known about. She was taken aback to see that man with him. Red eyes, tattered clothes, fangs, and a generally dangerous aura. Somehow, that didn’t seem like the type of person a headmaster should be walking around a school with.

Ginny grabbed her arm, dragging her behind a nearby tapestry. She looked over at Ginny, but the younger girl simply rolled her eyes and pointedly went back to watching Dumbledore and the strange man.

A few seconds later both girls’ jaws dropped when Dumbledore opened a door and led the man into the room. On the ground behind the door were two dead…things. Some sort of creature, she assumed.

Her shock only increased when she realized that one of the dead bodies was Filch.

“See? I haven’t been able to determine what happened here. Combined with the Potter brat’s disappearance, I need answers.”

The stranger nodded. “Certainly. We’re too close now to have things unravel.”

Dumbledore growled. Hermione was utterly flummoxed. He literally growled, and called Harry ‘the Potter brat’. “Nothing will unravel. We’ll get into Nevarah and destroy those disgusting beasts one way or another.”

Hermione and Ginny exchanged looks. What was Nevarah, and what beasts was Dumbledore talking about? And how did this involve Harry? Or the twins, for that matter. They had also vanished that night, along with two Slytherins.

She gasped in shock when the man with Dumbledore suddenly leaned down and began to drink the blood out of Filch. She glanced over at Ginny, finding her frozen with her mouth wide open and face completely white. She winced, but turned her attention back to the scene playing out in front of her. The strange man finished with Filch, and moved over to the woman with him.

Before he started, he glanced up at Dumbledore. “How did anyone even know to kill her? She was disguised as a cat. Not exactly a threat.”

Dumbledore shook his head. “We must have a traitor. Whoever it is, I will find them.”

The man nodded, then began draining the woman’s blood. Mrs. Norris, Hermione realized. There were no other options, even if that realization caused even more questions.

Soon after, the man stepped back and Dumbledore casually banished the bodies. “Did you get anything?”

The man shook his head. “Some evidence of a dragel, not that that tells us much. There’s enough dragels in this castle and he was investigating them, so it means almost nothing. Even if it did mean something, it wouldn’t give us a specific one.”

Dumbledore growled angrily and stormed off. The man looked around for a moment, then followed.

The girls stayed behind the tapestry for several more minutes, making sure no one was near, then fled in the opposite direction than Dumbledore and the blood-drinking man had gone.

George smiled as he helped Quinn move dinner to the table so it would be ready when everyone came back from their…activities. He knew he shouldn’t be jealous of any of them, especially since he’d have his turn, but he couldn’t help it. Harry had good taste, and so far he and Fred had only gotten Quinn and Ethan before they started making dinner.

That had been quite fun, and he very much hoped for another occurrence. For now though, he was surprised to find how calming making sure everything was ready for the circle was. Ethan had said that it would be, but he hadn’t really believed it.

Now that he was doing it though, it was undeniable. His smile widened as Theo came into the room. He chirred in surprise when Theo approached him, pulling him in for a hug and nuzzle. He purred subconsciously, then blushed when his mind caught up with his actions. Theo smiled. “Good Pareya,” he whispered to George.

George blushed bright red, but couldn’t help the happiness he felt at the comment.

Theo smiled at him, then let him settle him into a seat. George blinked, confused by his own actions, but at Ariki’s approving look he continued on, bundling Charlie and Ariki into their own seats.

He smiled a few minutes later when Fred returned with Harry and Alec. He couldn’t help the snort when he saw that Fred was soaked from head to toe and Alec was looking particularly smug. Harry looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to be annoyed or amused.

He saw Ethan roll his eyes before casting a spell to dry Fred and moving past him to hurry Harry into the seat left open between Theo and Charlie. Alec looked around as though considering, then wandered over to the counter, leaning against it. George frowned, but didn’t comment. He wasn’t familiar enough with the Merrow to know how to handle that.

He snickered when Minh flounced into the room with Brishen stalking along behind him. Brishen looked more relaxed, but Minh seemed almost sulky. He frowned. He didn’t know why Minh was sulking, or why it bothered him, but he didn’t like it.

A few minutes later Minh perked up, happily throwing himself on Idan, who was walking through the door. George snorted. Minh seemed to have a very one-track mind.

George smiled as Idan, Minh, Wikhn, and Hadrian all settled at the table with no further complaints or drama.

A few seconds later, Blaise and Devrim walked in. Both seemed uncertain about where to sit, but finally settled with Devrim between Idan and Minh and Blaise between Theo and Riven. George shook his head. Those arrangements seemed odd to him, but so did pretty much everything about gheyos.

Within another five minutes, everyone was present, seated and eating. Goerge hadn't thought Alec would actually sit and ear, but apparently Harry’s puppy dog eyes were stronger than Alec's stubbornness.

He smiled as he ate. He didn't understand why he liked having the whole circle together eating so much, but he did. It was probably the most relaxed he’d been since the start of the third task.

Ethan blinked in surprise as Theo wandered back into the kitchen. He’d left earlier with Charlie, Harry, and Bran, so he hadn’t expected to see him again for a while.

“How’s everything going?” Theo asked him, pulling him close.

Ethan blushed, but smiled. “Much better. That dinner helped settle my instincts a lot, and everyone needed a good meal.”

Theo smiled. “That’s good to hear. Fred, George?”

The twins both blushed but nodded. “Pretty good.” George commented.

“Would be better with you in a bed though,” Fred added.

Ethan and Theo both were shocked at that bluntness, but Theo smiled. “Certainly. You look about done here, and there’s a good room just down the hall that’s clean.”

The twins eagerly hurried over. Ethan moved to leave, thinking the three would want some alone time, but Theo stopped him. “Where are you going? You’re more than welcome to join us, as long as you’d like to.”

Ethan blushed and smiled. He couldn’t help but feel pleased that his Alpha wanted him.

He relaxed as he and the twins were led down the corridor and to a nearby bedroom. With this, his instincts would likely be almost completely settled.

He'd just need Charlie and Ariki, and he'd have the main triad - all four of them, in this case.

Luna smiled as she skipped down the hall at Hogwarts. These last few days had been interesting, to say the least. Harry’s experience in the Triwizard Tournament and after were horrible, but they led to some of the more positive of the visions she’d seen.

There had been so many possibilities in the last few months, and so many had been horrible. Her visions had been much worse than usual, and harder to handle. She could usually control them to an extent, delaying them until she was in private somewhere so no one would find out what she was or what she could do. Her luck had been hit or miss this last month, but fortunately no one with enough of a clue to really understand what was happening had ever found her.

She sighed. These next few days would be very stressful, if her visions were to be believed. And they generally were.

She really wished she’d find her shoes already. She knew from her visions that she’d find what she needed to know after she found her shoes, but they hadn’t given any indication of what she needed to know or where the shoes were.

That was what always seemed to happen. Her shoes would disappear, stolen by the other Ravenclaws. She would search the castle for them, and inevitably she would find or overhear something new that was worth telling her Queen.

She winced. If things went as she expected them to go, her Queen would be very upset with her. She hated when Luna took risks or put herself in danger, and her plan was somewhat dangerous.

She didn’t know yet if it was the right choice, sadly. She wouldn’t be able to truly decide until after she found whatever she needed to know.

Luna smiled as she turned a corner and spotted her shoes. Finally.

A few quick spells was all it took to get her shoes down. Honestly, the older girls thought they were so very clever, placing several spells and minor wards over the shoes to make it harder for her to get to them, but she’d been able to get around those sorts of spells and wards as a toddler.

She sighed, then turned around, wandering over to a bench to put the shoes on. She knew that she would soon find what she needed to know, but she didn’t know exactly when or where.

She frowned when she heard a growl. It appeared that when was now. She cautiously walked over, stopping just next to the window the noise had come from, making sure she wouldn’t be visible from outside. Sadly, that meant she also couldn’t see out, but something made her believe that caution was for the best right now.

“You’ll take what you get and like it,” Dumbledore snapped.

Luna’s eyebrows raised. She knew Dumbledore wasn’t really a good person, she even had firsthand knowledge that he was a murderer. That comment and attitude was still unexpected of him, though. He was usually very careful to keep his kindly grandfather persona in place when anyone could see him, because so much of his plans and power were dependent on his public image.

“You promised blood. As much creature blood as we wanted and rule over our lands,” another man hissed.

Luna frowned. That voice was completely unfamiliar to her, and it was quite strange sounding. She couldn’t place the accent. It sounded almost too old, like someone used to speaking an Eastern European language from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Asking for blood was concerning, and pointed towards a vampire. That would explain the old-fashioned accent, but still wasn’t good. Wanting rule over their own lands was quite strange for a vampire, because the vampires already had that.

“You’ll get your blood when we’ve taken Nevarah.” Dumbledore snapped. “There’ll be plenty of filthy creatures there for you to drain, and no one will know or care. Earth isn’t safe for you to be running wild like the rogues you are.”

Luna’s jaw dropped. Rogue vampires were very dangerous. They refused the authority of their Monarch, and did not live in the vampire territories. They tended to be totally uncontrolled and uncivilized, only concerned with drinking as much blood as possible. Some were extremely sadistic, some were incredibly cruel, and all were terrifying.

Either way, she almost couldn’t believe that Dumbledore was working with them. He claimed to hate dark magic and creatures, but rogue vampires were some of the darkest out there, so why would he be willing to work with them? And even beside that issue, it was a huge risk to rely on or trust them. They weren’t loyal to anyone or anything other than themselves and getting blood. That was why they were called rogues. She shook her head silently. She really didn’t understand why either side was willing to work together, but it couldn’t be anything good.

The vampire hissed. “We need blood sooner than that. We can’t wait years, we need blood now. Especially now that you’ve lost the brat you were going to use. How long will it take you to replace him?”

Dumbledore hissed angrily, and Luna had to stifle a gasp when a wet squelching sound came from the window, followed by a raspy gargle.

A few minutes passed in silence, and Luna barely dared to breathe. “Anyone else have issues with me or my methods?” Dumbledore hissed dangerously.

There was silence for a good minute. Luna felt like she would faint, standing against the wall with a hand over her mouth.

“Good,” he said, his voice returning to his usual grandfatherly tone.

After a few minutes, the vampires and Dumbledore seemed to be leaving. Luna quickly snuck back to Ravenclaw tower, her hands shaking. She hurried to her room, casting several privacy wards she knew she shouldn’t because they didn’t suit Loopy Loony Lovegood, but she didn’t care right now. She dug out her communication journal for the Light Fae Queen, and quickly wrote out what she had just witnessed.

Her hands had thankfully stopped trembling by the time she finished, and she considered what she had learned.

Clearly, Dumbledore was even more dangerous than she’d realized. She’d known he was dangerous and not to be trusted, but she hadn’t expected this.

No one in the Fae Courts had. She never would have been allowed to attend Hogwarts if they did.

She sighed. She was quite sure they’d demand she return once they read her message, but they probably wouldn’t see it for a day or so. Most days there was nothing to report, and she’d just had a written conversation with Rolf this morning.

It would have to be enough time for her to finish what she needed to do here. One particular future would require her presence, or it would go very badly.

She sighed again. She’d known this would be a lot when she’d volunteered, but sometimes she wondered if the Queen’s advisors were right about it being too much for her at her age. It sometimes felt like it, but other times she knew she’d never give it up for the world.

If she hadn’t volunteered, she wouldn’t have come to Hogwarts. She wouldn’t know Harry or Hermione or Ginny or the twins.

Dealing with some stress was a trade she’d make any day for her friends.

Idan smiled as Minh happily followed him out of the dining room, dragging Devrim with him. He shook his head slightly. Devrim looked very confused by what was happening, but also didn’t seem like he wanted to object.

How could he, Idan thought, with Minh practically hanging off him.

It didn’t take long to find the open-air bedroom Blaise had mentioned the night before. Idan entered, then turned around, a smirk on his face as he took in Minh and Devrim.

Minh had somehow managed to wind himself around Devrim even while walking, and had a hand up his shirt. Devrim was blushing bright red, but didn’t comment.

“Behave,” he snapped at Minh. “Honestly, you’d think you had no manners taught to you at all, the way you’ve been acting the last couple days.”

Minh sulked, but unwound himself from Devrim.

Idan rolled his eyes, but turned his attention to the matter at hand. Or rather, the person at hand.

Devrim looked very uncomfortable standing in front of him. “What exactly are you?” he asked, deciding to get it over with.

Devrim shifted. Idan resisted a frown. He hadn’t meant to stress him out that much. He really just wanted to know what he was getting into by accepting him.

“Triad parentage.” Devrim finally answered. “Werehyena sire, dragel bearer, vampire third.”

Idan nodded. Werehyena rarely ventured out into Nevaraean society, and the ones that did tended to be vicious and borderline feral. Neither of those really fit what he’d seen of Devrim. He reconsidered after a moment. Devrim had struggled after the soulscream, needing more settling than the rest of them. He hadn’t really paid attention to it at the time, but it was likely linked to his heritage.

“I am Queen. I will not judge your heritage if you do not judge my curse,” he stated. Formal and traditional were likely the best option here. Devrim seemed terrified of rejection, and to believe that his heritage made him less worthy of connections like this. The traditional bonding would leave no room for misunderstanding. It did not allow room for lies, mistruths, or omissions. When he said he wouldn’t judge Devrim’s heritage, the ritual would ensure it was true.

Devrim stared in shock for a moment before replying. “I am Prince. I will not judge your curse if you do not judge my heritage.”

Idan smiled, pulling Devrim in and unlatching the basic flexisuit so he could place his mark. He waited until the mark took, then pulled away and let Devrim place his own mark. Then he turned Devrim to face Minh.

“You already placed your marks - in front of half the circle, I might add - this morning, so I suppose it’s time for us to finalize the bond.” He made eye contact with Minh over Devrim’s shoulder as he pulled the smaller gheyo so his back was against Idan’s chest.

Minh smiled happily, approaching quickly. Idan smiled too. Even just exchanging claim marks with Devrim had significantly settled his magic. Bonding would likely do even more.

Blaise watched Riven hesitantly, wondering if he should approach. Bonding to Devrim had made such a big difference in controlling his storms that he wanted another bond with a storm element, but he wasn’t sure Riven would be open to the idea. He sighed softly, turning his attention back to Hadrian, who was playing some sort of card game with Wikhn and Brishen. The three had offered to teach him, but he’d refused.

He wasn’t opposed to playing cards, but he also didn’t feel like learning a new game right now. He already had too much to think about.

The main subject he was uncertain about was bonding. He wanted to bond to several in the circle, and had managed Harry and Devrim so far, but there were some he was hesitant about. He didn’t want to cause any more issues by appearing to pick favorites, if he were to bond with Minh or Ethan, or if he bonded to Theo before Hadrian.

Then there was Riven. The older man was a powerful storm element. If he was willing to accept Blaise, the bond could help settle both of their storms.

Honestly, he wanted to bond to Riven even without the storms. His magic felt safe, and Blaise could honestly say he rarely considered people or their magic safe. He also hadn’t asked too many questions, despite knowing what was on Blaise’s medical exam. He made no secret of the fact that he thought what had happened was horrible, but he also didn’t push.

He sighed a few minutes later when he saw Riven wander out of the room. He stayed another minute or two, but then the urge to find him grew to be too much, so he followed.

Riven hadn’t gone far, simply stopping in a nearby alcove with open windows. “Hello,” Blaise started awkwardly. He really didn’t know how to do this.

Riven blinked at him. “Hello. Was there something you needed?”

Blaise blushed bright red. “Will you bond with me?”

Riven looked like he’d been hit by the Knight Bus, so Blaise quickly began to backtrack. “Only if you want to, you obviously don’t have to. Forget I said anything,” he quickly turned to leave.

Before he could take a step, his arm was caught and he was pulled back around to face Riven. “Do you really want to bond to me? Even after feeling the feedback from my bonding to Harry?”

Blaise continued blushing, but nodded. “Yes. Your magic feels safe, and makes my magic calm for the first time since I was nine.”

Riven sighed. “You will have to speak of it eventually. Not necessarily to everyone or even me, but you can’t process it on your own.”

Blaise shrugged. He wasn’t willing to even consider that right now.

Riven sighed. “I know it won’t be now, or likely any time soon. Just remember that you have a circle now, a suite now. They will support you if you let them.”

Blaise blushed. “And you? Will you let them?”

Riven froze, clearly not expecting that question. “I will try. I can’t guarantee I’ll succeed, because I’ve been alone so long. But I will try to let you, if no one else.” After saying this, Riven gently shifted Blaise’s flexisuit so he could place his mark. “Are you sure? Am I really what you want?”

Blaise nodded. “I’m sure. You’re exactly what I want.”

Riven nodded once, then placed his mark. He waited while Blaise placed his own mark, then held him while the bond settled.

Blaise relaxed, shocked to find how calm his storms were. They hadn’t even been this calm when his inheritance first came at nine, when he’d been a Queen instead of a Joker.

Riven blinked in shock when he saw Devrim approach him in the nook he’d found not an hour after Blaise had wandered off to see if he could get some time with Harry before bed.

“Are you ok?” he asked, taking in Devrim’s nervous look.

Devrim nodded. “I just wanted to ask you something - only if you want to though.” Devrim cut off suddenly, apparently too embarrassed to continue.

Riven blinked in surprise. Was this the same as Blaise?

“Are you asking me to bond?” he asked bluntly.

Devrim blushed, but nodded. Riven smiled, also blushing. “I would love to,” he said.

Devrim smiled, stepping closer so Riven could place his mark wherever he liked. Riven placed it on Devrim’s collarbone, enjoying the blood and the way it settled his storms slightly.

He was somewhat surprised to see how much just placing a mark did with Devrim’s triad heritage. Then again, sometimes a storm affinity was better for settling storms because there were other areas of magic that could absorb some of the excess power. He wondered if that was what was happening here.

After a moment’s hesitation, Devrim leaned in and placed his mark on the shoulder Riven indicated. Riven knew that Devrim had been preferring the chest or other places it would be hidden, but he didn’t want to hide it. He was going to be bonded to Devrim, and he did not consider that to be something shameful.

Once Devrim was done, Riven smiled at him and pulled him out of the alcove and into a bedroom across the hall that Blaise had pointed out earlier.

He smiled as they entered the room. He’d never felt more confident, or more seen. Devrim didn’t know what he could do, his powers and responsibilities, but he still wanted him. Riven had never had that before. People had wanted him, but it was always because of his power.

The only ones to really want him without knowing his abilities so far were Devrim and Harry. And Harry was his soulbonded submissive.

Chapter Text

Harry smiled slightly as everyone settled in to eat breakfast. It was nice having them all together without fighting, he decided. Some were deliberately sitting far away from each other or ignoring each other, but they weren’t fighting. That was progress as far as he was concerned.

He rolled his eyes a few minutes later when Theo deposited more food on his plate. “Theo, that’s too much food,” he commented.

Theo’s eyebrows raised. “It’s really not much.”

Harry shook his head. “Maybe for you,” he muttered, eating some of the food on his plate.

He completely missed the concerned or upset glances traded around the table while he wasn’t looking.

A few minutes later, Raspen changed the subject. “I have to go to the courts today, there’s too much paperwork to be gone another day, and I need to see what the requirements are for the Introductions now that we’re bonded.”

Harry looked confused. “The Introductions?”

Prince Raspen frowned slightly. “The Hunt starts this week. It’s a very important time, and is the main time for courting and bonding. There are introductions going on throughout the week so everyone is presented and known by the appropriate parties, but high nobles and royals are presented on Friday. There’s a bit more to royal introductions, and quite a bit of fuss and preparation. Traditionally, my circle would be required to be presented with me, or at the very least my submissive and any other Earth elements. I’ll need to find out what’s required, what the options are, and what we need to do for it.”

Harry frowned. “That sounds public.”

Prince Raspen nodded. “It is very public.”

Harry shifted uncomfortably, but didn’t say anything more. Several of his bonded frowned, but no one commented.

A minute later, Devrim spoke up. “I have to run an errand today. I’ll probably be gone for a good bit of the morning.”

Riven spoke next. “I do as well. Probably just morning for the errand, but I’ll stop in at the Earth courts and see what’s going on and then decide about the afternoon.”

Brishen spoke up too. “I have to pick something up. Shouldn’t take long.”

Alec cut in. “I have to go to the courts today and actually work.”

Harry rolled his eyes at the snark in Alec’s tone. He really didn’t understand why his Merrow seemed determined to annoy the others as much as possible, especially Brishen.

Theo nodded, then added, “The Deveraines have invited us to a clambake at their beach house. Anyone who can, please try to attend. It will likely end up extended well into the afternoon.”

Harry sighed a little bit later once breakfast had ended and some of his bonded had left. Not that many were gone, but it was still noticeable.

He was not looking forward to the times when most of the circle would have jobs or responsibilities to see to, requiring them to leave for most of the day consistently. Some of the circle, like Riven, would be even worse with the long periods away he’d warned of. He didn’t like being alone, and being alone in a house with nothing to do sounded awful.

Then again, maybe he’d be able to find something to do himself by then. He’d have to ask Bran how things worked here, but he really should still be in school. He hadn’t even come close to finishing Hogwarts, so he’d need to either return or find whatever the dragel equivalent was.

He knew he should feel more strongly about returning to Hogwarts, but for some reason he just wasn’t that concerned. Hogwarts was the first place he considered home, but he never felt fully safe there like he did here in Nevarah. The family he had there was mainly the Weasleys, Hermione, and Luna, and he had three of the Weasleys here in his circle. Not quite the usual Weasleys, he typically had Ron, Ginny, and the twins instead of Charlie and the twins, but still three Weasleys.

The main thing he missed at Hogwarts was honestly Hermione, Luna, and Ginny, and Ron to an extent. Here, he had a full circle. He’d never felt so accepted or loved as he did now. It had only been a day and a half, and these people felt more like family than his own actual family ever had.

He sighed again. If he could just have the rest of his friends, Sirius, and Remus here, even just for visits, he really didn’t see a reason to ever return to Earth long term. The way the school and the press had treated him this last year clearly showed that he was disposable to them, and that no one there outside his small friend group and godfathers really cared about him. Even within his friend group, Ron had proven that attention and jealousy were more important to him than Harry himself. They all wanted the Boy Who Lived, but no one wanted Harry. Here, only a few of the circle knew about the whole Boy Who Lived thing, and none of them cared.

All of his new bonded seemed to consider him important. Theo called him Treasure. All the gheyos were insanely protective, even when the threat was already gone. Ethan and the twins seemed determined to smother him with care and love. Charlie and Ariki weren’t far behind. Raspen, Perry, Riven, Quinn, Alec, and Bran all seemed determined to make sure he was happy and safe at all times.

He’d never had that before, and honestly, after having it now he didn’t think he could ever go back to living on Earth with the Dursleys.

Devrim suppressed a wince as he followed Audra, his grandmother’s bonded Queen, into the home of the Storm’s nominal leader. His grandmother, Lady Bianca, was always busy but still made time for him when he was around. Her gheyo suite were also always happy to see him, and fussed over him as much as Pareya.

The same could not be said for Lady Bianca’s actual Pareya, who loathed him.

They had never approved of his mother’s choice of his father or his ren, and had made that very clear over the years. It was the main reason why he only visited when absolutely necessary. Sadly, it was necessary for him to visit now, as he needed permission to wear the family crest at introductions.

It was the only thing he could think of that could possibly mitigate the scandal of his werehyena heritage. A scandal that Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton especially didn’t need, but he would rather keep away from the entire circle.

He frowned slightly as Audra paused in a corner of the hall. “Bianca’s on the way down, she’s finishing up with another unexpected visitor. It’ll be easier to just wait for her here. Social or business?”

He shook his head. “Business. I need to get back soon.”

She frowned. “Back where? Is it safe?”

He paused, not sure how to explain. Before he could decide, Lady Bianca and Riven came in together. He blinked. He hadn’t known that Riven would be coming here.

He blushed slightly, grateful that his dark skin hid it somewhat. He couldn’t help but remember last night, when Riven had been fully accepting of him as they bonded, as though there was nothing that could possibly be wrong with him.

Riven looked shocked when he noticed Devrim. “Devrim? I didn’t know you were coming here.”

Bianca and Audra looked surprised. “You two know each other?” Bianca asked.

Both blushed deeper red, causing both women to raise eyebrows at them. “We’re bonded,” Devrim mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Both women looked shocked, and he could smell the surprise coming from several others nearby who must have been eavesdropping.

Audra hesitated. “I wasn’t aware that you were courting. From either of you.”

Riven tilted his head. “We weren’t, actually.”

Audra looked highly confused. “So what, you met one day, decided you liked each other, and bonded on the spot?”

Riven smirked. “We waited til the next day to bond, but otherwise essentially.”

Both women looked absolutely shocked.

Devrim cut in before Riven could get him in too much trouble with his grandmother. “It was a soulscream. Sunday evening. We all bonded to our submissive that night, and the two of us bonded to each other last night.”

Bianca and Audra still looked stunned, but now looked somewhat pleased. “That’s wonderful news. I thought the two of you would never bother to bond. Is everything ok after the soulscream?”

Riven considered a moment. “Several questions and issues were found while we were there, and a few of the medical exams don’t look good. You’ll probably hear full details sooner or later, it will almost certainly end up in the courts.”

Bianca frowned. “Do you need help? Storm isn’t an official element, but we still have significant pull and will be happy to help you both.”

Audra nodded along. “How could we not help our precious Cubby?” she asked, pulling Devrim closer to her.

He shifted slightly, but was surprised to find that the scent she gave off as she spoke indicated that she was slightly teasing, but did still genuinely mean it. He’d never really been supported by his grandmother’s circle, and they certainly never claimed him publicly, but Audra had always been kind. He probably shouldn’t be surprised that she, and perhaps the gheyo suite, were willing to help him. He was still fairly sure that the overall circle wouldn’t act on his behalf. The main trio supported him, and the gheyos tended to be nice enough to him, but the Pareya were quite vocal about their dislike and disapproval.

His presence and species threatened their position. And no matter how much his grandmother may like him and care about him, she was an elemental leader. Her people came first.

Riven smiled slightly. “How could you not indeed. But I don’t think we’ll need too much support, we have Prince Raspen, Prince Peryton, and a first cousin of King Alcandor who is also a member of his inner court in the circle.”

Bianca and Audra blinked in shock. “That’s certainly an interesting circle. I think we need more details,” Audra commented.

Bianca snorted. “Full details, you mean. Two of our own in a circle like that, one my own grandson. I need to know, before it comes up in public and I’m surprised.”

Brishen sighed as he followed the feather down the crowded market streets and into a robes shop. It wasn’t somewhere he’d expected to find Inanna, and he honestly didn’t understand why she’d be here.

He blinked in surprise when he took in the sight inside the room. Inanna was sulking on a pedestal while an Alpha and Ace considered clothing options for her. That was shocking enough, but it was even more shocking considering he knew that Alpha.

That was Malachi Prewitt, who he had just met in the library yesterday.

Inanna was apparently bonded to his Beta and Pareyas’ uncle.

Wonderful. Just wonderful. He’d never be rid of her now.

He let the door close behind him, making all three fire types’ heads turn towards him. He smirked slightly at the shock, annoyance, and embarrassment on Inanna’s face.

Malachi spoke first, frowning. “Brishen, was it? Is everything alright?”

Brishen nodded. “Yes, Brishen. As far as I know, yes, though I didn’t know you knew Inanna.”

He looked confused. “Inanna and I are bonded. We have been for several decades now.”

Brishen blinked. Decades was longer than he’d expected, though not all that long considering how long he’d been asleep. “Interesting. Inanna, I need what I left with you.”

Inanna nodded, though Malachi and the other woman still seemed confused. “I don’t have it with me now, it’s at the manor. I’ll have to grab it.”

Brishen nodded, but Malachi frowned. “What is it?”

Inanna hesitated, glancing around. “That weapon. The water one, you know.”

The Ace frowned. “That’s yours?” she asked Brishen. At his nod, she continued “Good. Please do take it far away.”

Malachi raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. “Well, it seems that the two of you will both have to make sure you’re at the lunch we’ll have for everyone to get to know each other. Tomorrow, I believe? I sent the request over to your Alpha earlier, and he agreed.”

Brishen nodded, unsurprised. He wasn’t thrilled to have to go to lunch with a clan of fire types, but it wasn’t unexpected. Not with three of their clan in the circle and a fourth staying with them.

Inanna and the Ace looked completely lost. “Why are we having lunch with him and his Alpha?” Inanna asked.

Malachi blinked. “Because he’s bonded to three of ours and a fourth is staying with them. Molly’s sons, you know. Fabian and Gideon’s little sister. She’s still off-realm somewhere, but four of her sons are in Nevarah, and Brishen here is in a circle with three of them.”

Inanna frowned. “When did you bond? You were asleep. Actually, when did you wake up?”

Malachi and the Ace looked confused, but neither commented. Brishen shrugged. “Sunday night. Soulscream on Earth, with a fourteen-year-old dragel submissive.”

Inanna and the Ace looked completely shocked, but neither commented. Brishen suppressed a smile at the look of righteous fury on Inanna’s face. She’d always deny it, but she was very sensitive and caring, and easily became upset on others’ behalf. If she knew the full details of Harry’s situation and had access to those responsible, there’d be no stopping her rampage.

He’d have to make sure she didn’t get full details until after he and his suite were done. Harry was theirs, after all. Inanna could have the leftovers, if there were any after the Peverells and perhaps Evansons took their rights. And maybe the Earth and Air royal families. Harry was the Earth crown prince and an Air prince’s submissive. Any threat or harm to him was technically a threat to the crown itself. Alcandor might even be able to get involved too. Alec, as a cousin, wasn’t technically close enough for Alcandor to really claim an immediate threat to the Merrow crown, but if Harry was part Merrow he may be able to make a claim.

Inanna growled quietly. “If you don’t destroy whoever is responsible quickly, I will.”

The Ace rolled her eyes. “It’s their hunt, Inanna. Though she isn’t wrong. It will need to be handled as fast as possible. We’ll have your weapon ready to go when you arrive so you’ll have it for that hunt or blood price.”

Brishen rolled his eyes, but let it go and left. He’d get Riptide back tomorrow at lunch, which would have to be good enough. It was before introductions and before he was likely to get to go to the pits, so it would do.

Riven snorted when he realized he and Bianca had just made a loop, ending up right back in her office. He'd come to tell her about the immortals he'd been searching for and what he'd found so far, but then he'd seen Devrim and their bonding had come out.

He'd definitely be hearing about not telling her during their initial meeting later, but hopefully not in front of Devrim. She'd also likely have something to say about him bonding to her grandson without her permission, but he'd genuinely not known that they were related. It wasn't common knowledge that she had a grandson, and Devrim had never said anything.

He winced slightly as she spoke. "The circle first. Names, elements, any other relevant information." She was definitely annoyed at not being informed earlier. Still, she was right that she did need to know before the events of the hunt required her to interact with any of the other courts.

He sighed. "The Alpha is Theodore Gorgens-Nott, Earth element and Ilsa Gorgens's mentored student. Seems more like her child with the way the two of them act, and he's got nearly as deep of a connection to the Earth element as her. He's sixteen, so it may well be as deep and powerful as hers by the time he's fully grown into it."

Bianca winced. "Sixteen for an Alpha? He can't have had his inheritance long, and she's been off-realm for over a decade."

Devrim shifted. "He got his inheritance at eight, and she raised him since."

Bianca frowned. "That can't be good. Is that something that will require support or is it a personal matter?"

Devrim shook his head. "Personal. It was a family matter that was handled."

Riven snorted. Handled, indeed. To be fair though, the father murdering the mother and an uncle poisoning Theo meant that death was almost certainly an appropriate solution. If it had gone to the courts, and Lady Gorgens would have been sure it did, it would have been the outcome anyways.

He continued on. "The first Beta is a wizard-raised fire type named Charlie. He's decently powerful, but he was under suppressions so he just got his inheritance Sunday night, despite being over twenty. He has a confirmed connection to the Prewitts, he’s Sadara’s daughter Molandria’s son."

Bianca blinked. "Is something being done about the suppressions?"

Riven shrugged. "The Cunninghams are investigating pretty much everything they can about the members of the circle on Earth. They're primarily focused on our submissive, but I'm sure they'll get to the others."

She blinked again. "The Cunninghams are involved?"

Riven simply nodded and carried on. “The second Beta is Ariki Deveraine, Ilsa and Ithycar Deveraine’s son. He’s an Air type.”

Lady Bianca nodded. That would make for a strong tie to the Deveraines, between him and Theodore.

"Our submissive is Harry Potter. He's nameless with a talent for Empathy and something else, but the second hasn't settled yet. He was wizard-raised with no knowledge of dragels, but has a confirmed blood connection to the Peverells and a second to the Evansons. He's fourteen, so the incident that caused the soulscream also caused the inheritance."

Bianca and Audra both looked furious, scales and claws coming out. “Fourteen?” Audra hissed.

Devrim nodded. “Yes. He’s fourteen, and wizard-raised. His father was descended from the Peverells - Aldor, specifically, and his mother was Juniper Evanson’s daughter.”

Bianca frowned. “I remember hearing about Aldor Peverell leaving Nevarah, but I don’t remember an Evanson daughter going to Earth. I could have missed it since it's not my court.”

Devrim shrugged. “The Earth courts didn’t even know she existed, but I don’t think the Fire courts have been asked. A lot isn’t adding up there, that’s why the Cunninghams are hunting.”

Bianca blinked. “Hunting? Not just investigating?”

Devrim nodded. “They said hunting.”

Riven continued on. He didn’t see a point in going into details now, when they wouldn’t be publicly shared and she’d learn them in court anyways. She knew enough to be aware that there were concerns and may be issues, but she didn’t need details about Harry or their other bondeds' situations. “Three Pareya. Fred and George are Charlie’s younger brothers, both seventeen with the same suppressions. Ethan Hartwood, Earth type from the main Hartwood line.”

Bianca nodded. “A Hartwood will be helpful with several new dragels. They tend to be good at explanations and identifying sources of confusion.”

Devrim and Riven both nodded. Ethan had already been a significant help in getting Harry, Charlie, Fred, and George caught up on dragel society and instincts, noticing issues the rest of them tended to miss.

Riven continued. “A full gheyo suite, plus two jokers. Hadrian Maruke, the Blood Raven, as ACE.”

Bianca and Audra’s eyes widened. “That’s … impressive.” Bianca commented after a moment.

Audra was more interested in Devrim. “How’s he been for you? Is he a good match for your shadow element?”

Devrim nodded. “He’s definitely helped settle the shadow affinity. And he seems like he’ll be a good ACE.”

Bianca and Audra nodded. They knew they wouldn’t get any more out of him, but Devrim seemed genuinely pleased with his ACE, so they weren’t too concerned.

Riven, sensing the two women seemed satisfied, continued. “Wikhn, the Black Dahlia’s Shadow King, is the King.”

Bianca and Audra looked surprised, but didn’t comment, simply watching for Devrim’s reaction.

Riven kept going. “Idan Kaelior, Helios, as Queen and Minh Shiae, Prism, as Princess.”

Both women’s eyebrows raised. “How are they?” Audra asked Devrim.

Devrim smiled slightly. “They’ll be a good Queen and Princess. Their Air element works well with my Storm affinity.”

Audra smiled slightly. She always liked when Devrim acknowledged his Storm affinity instead of trying to suppress it. It meant he was more accepting of his dragel heritage, of them.

Riven grimaced. This one would be somewhat complicated, depending on what Lady Bianca knew of him. “The first Joker is Brishen, a water phoelix. He’s an immortal.”

Both women froze. “Brishen?” Lady Bianca asked. “Are you sure?”

Riven nodded. “King Alcandor confirmed it, and was the one to inform the circle that he was an immortal.”

Audra hesitated. “You don’t have King Alcandor in your circle, do you?”

Both men quickly shook their heads. “No, just a relative of his,” Rivne assured her. “We met some of the families Monday, but didn’t realize that you were related to Devrim so we didn’t know to include you.”

Bianca smiled sadly. “Politics and species issues have prevented us from publicly claiming Devrim, but he is ours.”

Riven blinked. Bianca didn’t seem like the type to let politics prevent her from claiming a grandson she was clearly fond of. “What do you mean?”

Bianca sighed. “The Storm clans were in chaos when Devrim was born, so we couldn’t safely claim him. We were on the verge of clan war, and couldn’t guarantee his safety. By the time things were settled enough to be safe, he’d already been claimed by the werehyena clans, and it was made clear that our involvement was not welcome. We managed to get him put into a dragel gheyo training camp once he was old enough and helped his ren get some influence over him after he’d started getting involved outside the werehyena territories, but could not act directly or get contact or custody ourselves until a few years ago.”

Devrim blinked in surprise. “You tried to get in contact with me before I left the clans?”

She nodded. “I thought you knew, though maybe I was giving that mentor of yours too much credit. He hates dragels, you know, and wanted to prevent you from having any more ties to us than absolutely necessary.”

Devrim blinked again. “I thought you didn’t want me to have connections to Nevarah, or dragels. Well, not you two specifically, but the circle. Especially the Pareya.”

Bianca sighed. “No, we always wanted you. The Pareya were upset by what happened to Mara, and have handled that badly in regards to you. I’ll talk to them later, see if I can smooth things over.”

Devrim nodded, looking shocked. Riven frowned. He’d talk to Devrim later, and see if he could bring Hadrian and maybe Idan and Minh in, but for now he’d rather not have him so upset in front of others. Even if they were family, it would take time for things to settle and Devrim to be really comfortable with them after all these years believing he was unwanted.

“The other Joker is named Blaise Zabini. He’s another Storm element, but has never been to Nevarah before now so he’s likely not on your radar.”

Lady Bianca shook her head. “I know of the Zabini family and what happened, and I certainly know of Blaise, but I didn’t know he was a Joker. He’s still quite young, though, isn’t he?”

Riven nodded. “Fifteen. He didn’t say what happened to cause the inheritance and change to Joker though. Just that the inheritance came at nine and he became a Joker at twelve.”

Lady Bianca frowned, then nodded. “So roughly three years on Earth, or twelve here for becoming a Joker, and six years on Earth or twenty-four here for the inheritance. I’m not completely sure, but I’m willing to bet I know what caused both events, and they are most definitely his to share or not in his own time.”

Riven nodded. That was about what he expected from Lady Bianca. She was very good about guarding individuals’ secrets without a very strong reason not to, and it was something that he very much appreciated about her. He appreciated it a little less when it made it hard to get information that was relevant and important.

Still, he knew that she kept many of his secrets, and it was hard to be upset about the secret-keeping he himself relied on. “Two royals as I mentioned earlier, though Prince Peryton has claimed the advisor rank officially to avoid issues with two Royals in one circle.”

Lady Bianca simply nodded. It was shocking, but he’d mentioned it earlier and there was certainly nothing objectionable about those connections.

It might even be enough to keep Devrim in Nevarah more.

“Quinn Kalzik as the Healer, Earth element, obviously,” Riven commented. He’d honestly been surprised by how pleasant Quinn had been to him, as though the issues between him and the older Kalziks didn’t matter. Even the main Kalzik triad had been friendly when he’d seen them the morning after they arrived in Nevarah, when before they’d been tense and silent at best.

Audra frowned, knowing the issues between the Cairothes and Kalziks. “Will that be an issue?”

He shrugged. “Apparently not. Quinn doesn’t seem to care about the family issues, and his parents were all actually friendly toward me when they came for the circle’s medical exams. Then we have a Merrow named Alec, who is apparently related to King Alcandor and part of his court.”

Lady Bianca nodded. “I am familiar with Alec and his position.”

Riven paused to see if she’d say anything more, but continued when she didn’t. “We also have a Consort, Bran Kadel. He has a nameless talent and an Air affinity and is fourteen.”

Lady Bianca nodded. “It’s probably for the best that you have him. He’ll give the other two - Harry and Blaise, was it? - an idea of what is typical for children around their age.”

Riven nodded. Bran was strongly opinionated and came from a very protective clan. He would be a good influence on Harry especially. Blaise was a gheyo, so he’d probably just assume that it was a difference in ranks and ignore any comments on what was age-appropriate for him.

Lady Bianca sighed. “Audra will take your measurements now, before you leave. She’ll also key the both of you into the wards. The armor will be here Friday morning, I expect to meet at least three circle members other than Riven when you come to get it, preferably including Blaise.”

Devrim blushed, but Riven was pleased. It showed that Bianca truly meant what she said about wishing to claim Devrim and be involved in his life. Meeting his circle was an important part of that.

Bran smiled as he and Harry settled on a couch, while Fred and George went over to the kitchen for tea and snacks. They’d just finished breakfast, but Harry hadn’t eaten much, so it was no surprise that the twins’ instincts were insisting on feeding him more.

He sighed softly. He’d finished going through Harry’s memories that morning, and was not pleased by what he’d seen. He’d been horrified by Theo’s memories, but Harry’s were so much worse.

It seemed that he’d been in constant danger since he was an infant, to the point Bran was almost surprised he hadn’t had an inheritance and soulscream even earlier. A few times his uncle took things dangerously far before he was even eleven. His first year at Hogwarts, he had the troll, a murder attempt, and everything in that corridor, including that dark lord from the graveyard. His second year at Hogwarts brought a murderous tree, murderous giant spiders, a crazy house elf, and a literal basilisk, with help from that dark lord again. Third year was somehow calmer, with only soul-sucking creatures attacking him and a werewolf accidentally trying to kill him.

Bran rolled his eyes. He didn’t understand why wizards allowed that version of lycanthropy to continue, when it was so easy to convert it to being a true werewolf. It was a blood magic ritual, but it wasn’t really dark, and it made things so much safer and easier for everyone involved. He was sure that if that werewolf Harry was so fond of came to Nevarah, he’d be required to have the ritual done. If the realm and courts didn’t demand it, Theo and Hadrian almost certainly would for Harry’s protection.

Harry’s fourth year was horrible. A dragon attacking him, merpeople and other water creatures attacking him, and then a maze full of dangerous spells and vicious creatures. Then, the graveyard. It was worse than Bran had expected. He’d known the curse was some kind of pain spell, he’d heard Theo explain it to Prince Raspen. He still hadn’t expected the echo of it in the memory to be so bad.

He sighed again. Overall, it was no surprise that Harry had had an early inheritance and given a soulscream while underage. It was honestly more surprising that it hadn’t happened sooner, though Bran didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if the circle had come to find Harry in the Chamber of Secrets, with a basilisk attacking him. Especially if it was after he’d been bitten. The bite itself would be plenty to trigger the inheritance, and Tom’s still being present and a threat would be enough to force out a soulscream.

Bran wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that the soulscream didn’t come earlier. Theo was only sixteen, almost seventeen. Two years earlier he had his inheritance, but hadn’t settled into his rank. Theo would be a consort, and someone else would be Alpha. Or, someone else in the circle would have had to fill that role.

He made a face, turning his attention back to the present. He happily accepted a mug of tea from Fred, smiling when Harry accepted his from George.

“So, since we’re in a totally different realm, who were you blackmailing this year?” Harry asked the twins.

Bran snorted. He’d seen the blackmail in Harry’s memories, but not really paid attention to it, more concerned by other issues. He had access to Fred and George’s memories after bonding with them, but he’d processed Charlie next, and was only halfway through Ariki’s memories. He’d wanted to see more about his dominant bonded first, then he’d move on to the pareya.

The twins shrugged. “I don’t suppose it matters now, considering we’re in a completely different realm. It was Ludo Bagman.”

Harry looked shocked. Bran was somewhat surprised too. Harry’s memories painted Bagman as an idiot, but friendly enough. “Why?” he asked.

George shifted. “Remember that bet from the World Cup?”

Harry and Bran nodded.

Fred continued. “He paid us in leprechaun gold. And refused to pay us real gold or even just give us our money back when we realized.”

Harry looked shocked. Bran frowned. “Technically, we could have the gheyos hunt him and get it back for you.”

Harry and the twins blinked, all clearly not having considered that option. George frowned. “That’s tempting, but probably a little excessive.”

Harry frowned. “Would it be inconvenient for them? Or dangerous?”

Bran shook his head, a little amused at the idea. A hunt being inconvenient for gheyos was like flying being inconvenient for an air type. Hunting was what gheyos enjoyed, along with fighting. “No, gheyos enjoy hunts. I’m sure they would be more than willing, the biggest hassle would probably be deciding who gets to take the hunt.”

Harry blinked in surprise, but smiled a little. Fred nodded. “Once things are settled down, maybe. It would be nice to have our money back, we needed it to try to finish our products.”

Harry and Bran blinked. “Products?” Bran asked, a little nervous.

The twins smiled and nodded. George explained “Yeah, our noises and explosions were experiments, we’ve figured out how to make most of the products we want in our joke shop. The problem is that mass production requires more materials than we can scavenge, so we need money to get started.”

Bran nodded. “What types of products? You might be able to open your joke shop here in Nevarah.”

The twins smiled. “Well, Harry knows about the tongue ton toffees, but we also have some other sweets called skiving snackboxes. If you eat one end, you get sick, but if you then eat the other, you’ll be immediately better. We have them finished with fainting, vomiting, and nosebleed, but we haven’t quite gotten the fever one right. It goes up too fast.”

Bran laughed. “I’ve never seen anything like that, but it would definitely sell here. I assume we’ll be staying here, Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton can’t leave, and Hadrian has a lot of responsibilities here too.”

Harry nodded. “I’m worried about some of the others on Earth, but otherwise I don’t see why we couldn’t stay here.”

The twins smiled. “I’d like some answers from Mum and Dad, but otherwise I’d be fine with staying,” George commented. Fred nodded along.

Bran smiled, leaning against Harry. He was certainly happy that Harry and the twins seemed willing to stay in Nevarah. He really didn’t want to leave, especially to go to the wizarding world. Nothing in any of the memories he’d seen so far made him feel in any way inclined to go there.

Fred made a face as he was forced into yet another outfit, this one even more excessive than the last. For some reason, Theo had decided that there were enough of the circle present to get everyone except the gheyos’ outfits ordered. He rolled his eyes. “Is this really necessary?”

Theo and Bran gave him looks. “Yes.” Theo said simply.

Bran shook his head. “Of course it is. We’re in the Friday introductions, which means the best is absolutely required.”

Fred rolled his eyes again. He really didn’t see why being introduced on Friday was such a big deal. They still didn’t even know if they were doing High Noble introductions, Royal introductions, or some combination of both.

He sighed as his outfit was swapped again, glancing around to see where Harry had gone. He’d originally been the intended manakin, until it was pointed out that his relative youth and small size would make it so he wasn’t a good model for the older members of the circle. Fred had tried to use that to argue that Ethan should model since he was in his twenties, but that had been shot down since Ethan needed to be able to move around and look at options.

Theo smiled at him, pulling him in for a hug. “It’s just a little longer, we’ve almost got it figured out.”

Fred nodded. “Where’s Harry?”

Theo blinked, looking around. “Charlie, do you know where Harry went?”

Charlie nodded. “He needed a minute of fresh air but Hadrian’s with him. I can go find him if you want?”

Theo nodded. “Take Devrim.”

Fred sighed as Theo’s attention was turned back to him, and the outfit was suddenly adjusted. Somehow, he didn’t think it would be just a little longer.

Theo smirked. “Cooperate, and I’ll make it up to you later.”

Fred brightened. He could definitely do with some alone time with Theo.

Charlie sighed in relief as he and Devrim stepped outside in the sun. The shop wasn’t horrible, but he was still pleased to be out in the sun instead. He took a step forward, and blinked in surprise when he was suddenly grabbed by a small hand and pulled slightly to the side. Devrim frowned, shifting slightly so he was in between Charlie and the woman.

“Charlie, it’s good I ran into you today. Have you decided on my offer?” Ebony asked, ignoring Devrim’s protective posture.

Devrim choked when he realized who she was, making Charlie frown slightly in confusion. He still hadn’t figured out who exactly she was, just that he liked her and her magic, and Harry, Theo, and Ethan thought that if he liked her and wanted to learn from her he should do it. None knew her name yet, but all three had said it should be his choice.

“Yes, milady, I have decided to accept.” he answered, not really sure what the appropriate response was.

Ebony smiled. “Excellent. I’ll have the ceremony set up, though it might not be for a few days, or even after Introductions, there’s so much going on right now. Is this one of your gheyos?” she asked, gesturing to Devrim.

Charlie smiled and nodded. “Yes, this is Devrim, my Prince.”

Ebony nodded. “He’s quite lovely. Your submissive clearly has good taste.”

Charlie and Devrim both flushed bright red, making Ebony laugh. A bell tolled in the distance. “Drat, I’m late again. As always, it seems. I’ll be in touch soon, Charlie.” She then vanished in a pillar of flame.

Charlie blinked. “I want to learn that.”

Devrim snorted. “She’s one of very few to know how to do that, both because of her position and power. Still, if you’re able to handle it, she’ll probably teach you.”

Charlie frowned. “Her position? I don’t actually know who she is, just that she offered to mentor me and I liked her and her magic.”

Devrim snickered. “You’re lucky you didn’t have one of the other gheyos then. They’d have teased you mercilessly. I’m not going to tell you, though. It will be better for you to find out for yourself.”

Charlie rolled his eyes, but moved on. “Any idea where Harry is?”

Devrim nodded. “His scent leads this way.”

Hadrian sighed when a girl he didn’t recognize suddenly attached herself to Harry. He frowned deeply. “Excuse me, miss, but where is your escort?”

She shook her head. Hadrian blinked in surprise. She was clearly a submissive, and a young, unbonded one at that. “I’m sorry to intrude, but I didn’t bring an escort, it was supposed to be just a quick trip. Someone has been following me, and I’d hoped that standing near another submissive with a gheyo present would scare him off.”

Hadrian frowned, but nodded. “Do you know who or is it just instinct?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t want to cause a scene by checking, either.”

Hadrian nodded. “I see three options, but one is actively approaching us. Red hair, fire gheyo.”

She frowned. “That could be my father, he generally follows when I come here because he worries.”

Hadrian nodded. “He’s approaching now, so we’ll know in a moment.”

Hadrian was right, as under a minute later a fire gheyo arrived at the three. “Soula, are you okay?” he immediately asked.

The girl, Soula, nodded quickly. “Yes, I’m fine. I noticed someone following me so I came over to these two since I figured they’d be less likely to bother me if I was with another submissive and a gheyo.”

The strange gheyo snorted. “Well, you certainly chose well if you wanted someone threatening.”

The girl frowned. “What do you mean?”

The man rolled his eyes. “Did you not give any kind of introduction?”

She shook her head. “There wasn’t time. I told them why I was intruding, and he looked around to see if he could tell who was following me.”

The man shook his head, then spoke. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, and the lateness of the introductions. I am Loren Deveraine, this is my daughter Soula Deveraine, both of the Deveraine circle.”

Hadrian nodded. “There’s no need to apologize, it is totally understandable under the circumstances. I am Hadrian Maruke of the Nott circle, though the name may be changed later. This is my submissive, Harry Potter of the Nott circle.”

Harry smiled shyly, waving at the two. Hadrian hid a smile. His submissive really was adorable.

The girl, Soula blinked. “The blood raven?”

Hadrian nodded. “Yes, and I’m pretty sure I know which one was following you. He’s gone now and I don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him before. He’s one of the Guantrell gheyos. You won’t be able to get him on charges though, he’s approached another submissive he seems friendly with so he’ll say he was just here for that.”

Loren rolled his eyes. “Even with full proof, we probably couldn’t get a Guantrell on charges. You know how the Air courts protect them and their allies.”

Hadrian nodded. He knew of several times Guantrells and others closely tied to the Vaughns had committed terrible crimes, and gotten off. He had no reason to believe this time would be any different, if there had even been evidence. “The Air Queen specifically.”

He blinked a moment later when Charlie and Devrim arrived. “Sorry to interrupt, but Theo was looking for Harry.”

Hadrian smiled slightly. That was not at all surprising. “We’d best head back soon. It was good meeting you two.”

The two Deveraines smiled and nodded. “Indeed. We’ll hope to meet again soon,” Soula agreed.

Harry smiled and waved again, clearly not sure what to say. They really did need to find him a mentor. Harry was clearly uncomfortable not knowing the proper protocols or responses in social situations. Hadrian sighed. It would only get worse after introductions, when his status became known.

Chapter Text

Alec frowned as he approached the Merrow courts, taking in the scenes shown in the orbs on the outside. Nothing was particularly worrying, all members of the court were where they belonged for once, with none causing problems. Even Killigan was safely inside the castle and being useful, helping Alcandor go through reports. Sadly, that didn’t mean there were no issues or complications present.

One in particular would be a nightmare to deal with. He’d hoped that Alvon would be gone by now, as he had no desire to interact with his oldest and least favorite brother. He knew that Alcandor would have spoken to him yesterday about losing Brishen, so if he was still here it was because he was looking for Alec. Alcandor must have told him what happened, and Alvon must have felt the need to stay and see Alec.

Even if they didn’t agree with or like each other, and barely acknowledged each others’ existence most of the time, they were still technically brothers. Alvon would instinctively need to know that Alec was safe after what had happened, and the nosy piece of kelp would likely want to gather as much information as possible while he was at it.

Why he’d want that information was an open question. Alec would like to think that Alvon might care about his safety or happiness, but he didn’t really believe that. Too much had been said and done over the last decade or so for him to really trust Alvon’s notions of family and duty. It was more likely that Alvon wanted to snark at Alec, complain about anything and everything he could think of, and gather enough information so that he could assure the rest of the family and the court that he was meeting his obligations as a Lord and family head.

He generally didn’t get along with his family, but some of his brothers were less complicated and antagonistic than others. They would demand that Alvon prove that he was ensuring the safety of their youngest brother, and having enough information about his new circle would be an important part of that. He’d probably want to know who was in the circle, what connections they had, what abilities and alignments they had, and what their attitude towards Alec and his element had been. He was almost tempted to refuse to answer any questions, just so Alvon would have to return home with nothing to show for his efforts, but he was sure there would be consequences he didn’t want to deal with if he did that.

Three of his brothers were still court members due to their membership in Crimson Tide, and would certainly make their objections known. One of his other brothers, Aldion, was very … aggressive … with his protective instincts. He wouldn’t put it past him to go onto land and find Alec’s circle, getting the information directly from the source.

Between Brishen, the rest of the gheyos, and the fire types, that would probably turn into a complete disaster. All had shown strong protective tendencies towards Harry, and some had even seemed willing to extend them to him during the brunch with the royals. He’d been shocked when Fred and George were included in that number, setting a pair of cursed plants that had somehow escaped the gheyo exotic plants arena on fire when they had tried to grab him. It meant there had been magical fires much closer to him than he was comfortable with, but it got rid of those blasted plants. Fire types were not known for protecting water types, but those three didn’t seem to care. Some of their strange outlook was likely their upbringing far away from Nevarah and dragel society, especially the fire courts, but most seemed to just be their personalities.

It would probably be best to avoid his family meeting his circle if at all possible. There would be far too much drama and too many people believing they had a say in his life and choices when they didn't. Alvon was guaranteed to throw a fit over the three Prewitt descendants after the mess with Riptide and the insult of not being allowed to hunt on land, even after evidence that members of the fire courts were involved was discovered. Alec really didn't want to deal with it, and didn't see any reason why he should be forced to humor his brothers. After all, he was sworn to Alcandor, not Alvon. He lived at court, not the family estates. Even his guardian, now former guardian, was an advisor of Alcandor’s, with no ties whatsoever to Alec’s brothers or their family. It wouldn’t be too hard to claim that his family had met the circle, based on Alcandor meeting them.

It would certainly cause more drama and resentment between Alec and his brothers, but he didn’t think that would make much of a difference. There was already enough history that he’d be shocked if he was in a room with all of his brothers ever again. This would be just one more disagreement to add to the list, and a relatively minor one at that. It would technically be the first courting where one or more of the brothers were not included, but Alec was the first to bond since everything had happened and he’d left. It was bound to happen eventually, two of his other brothers weren’t bonded yet.

He sighed. If things were different, the courting rituals could be used to calm things down between him and his brothers, but he didn’t think that would work out. Alvon had never accepted Alec’s choice, and the others wouldn’t go against him.

He’d considered trying to talk to some of his brothers other than Aloysius and Aldion before, or talking more to those two since they seemed surprisingly open to him when they did talk. Alcandor had also pushed for him to try it, but he really didn’t see a point. Alvon had made his stance clear, and was unlikely to ever change.

As long as Alvon didn’t change, the other seven wouldn’t either.

Harry sighed slightly in relief when he entered the shop and saw Fred off the pedestal and Theo at the counter. This shopping trip really hadn't been more than an hour total, but it felt much longer. He made a face. He knew part of the reason it had felt so long was because he was feeling his own boredom and impatience, along with the emotions coming from everyone else in the room. The vast majority had been bored, only Theo, Ariki, Bran, and Ethan really wanting to be there.

He didn’t really think everyone that had been home at the time needed to come, especially the entire gheyo suite, but they had. They were only missing the royals, Alec, and Riven. Sixteen seemed ridiculously excessive for this trip, especially since the eight gheyos present wouldn’t be wearing dress robes anyways. It also didn’t help that more people meant more emotions in close proximity, making it much harder for Harry to even figure out what he was feeling as opposed to what everyone else was feeling. It all added up to an extremely overwhelming atmosphere, and he’d needed to be somewhere outside, without so many people around for a little bit.

It was partially his own fault he'd gotten overwhelmed, though. Quinn had offered to cast a dampening spell on his empathy, but he'd wanted to see how he did on a short, relatively controlled outing first, to have an idea what he was working with. This little shopping trip had seemed like the perfect time to test it.

Harry smiled slightly when Fred was suddenly right in front of him fussing. It really wasn't necessary, but Fred had been the model instead of him, so he'd just let him fuss if it made him happy.

His smile widened a minute later, when Theo finished at the counter and came over by the door with the rest of the circle, wrapping an arm around Harry and directing him through the door into the sunlight.

"I think a treat would probably be appropriate right now," Theo commented.

Harry chirped in curiosity. He couldn't help but wonder what was considered a treat in Nevarah. He’d liked everything he’d eaten so far much better than he did most muggle or wizarding food, so he hoped that treats would be even better.

Theo smiled, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "Maybe some of those pastries over there, by the corner? They're fairly generic, elementally, so everyone should be alright to eat them."

Harry smiled when he saw Ariki and Bran's eager looks. Apparently they agreed with Theo’s choice of treat.

There was a slight line, but not too bad. The square was a nice open area in the warm sun, so Harry had no objections to staying in it a little longer while they waited. They had the time, after all. They had more than two hours until they had to meet the Deveraines for lunch, so there was no rush.

Harry frowned slightly. They were meeting the Deveraines, who were apparently Ariki’s family and Theo’s adopted family.

He and Hadrian, and Charlie and Devrim to an extent, had met two Deveraines just a little while ago. He hadn’t made the connection then, too distracted with all the names he’d learned the past few days and the tension of the meeting to really think it through, but now he wondered if Soula and Loren had some connection to Ariki and Theo.

He hid a frown a moment later when Theo tensed, his bond closing off slightly. Harry's empathy was still more than capable of picking up on him becoming increasingly wary and uncomfortable. Ariki apparently also noticed whatever it was, as he stiffened and moved closer to Wikhn, pulling Bran with him.

Hadrian clearly noticed this action, and stepped behind Harry and Theo, his posture casual but stance protective. Minh draped himself over Charlie like a cat, and the rest of the gheyos moved closer to Quinn and the Pareya.

A moment later, Ethan's emotions flickered as well. He wasn't nearly as upset to see whoever the group approaching was as Theo and Ariki, but he clearly recognized them and wasn't thrilled.

Harry shifted uncomfortably. Theo and Ariki’s obvious discomfort and Ethan's dislike was putting the others on edge, and it was all being filtered back to him through both the bonds and his empathy.

Maybe he should have let Quinn place that dampening spell. This trip was turning out to involve much more intense emotions than any of them had expected.

“Theodore? Theodore Gorgens? I thought I recognized you,” a young man commented as he approached, three Pareya following behind him.

Theo looked confused and thoughtful for a moment, as though he couldn’t place the young man. Harry forced his expression into what he hoped was a curious and friendly look as his nerves rose. Theo may have a fairly neutral and polite look on his face, but his emotions were anything but. He was extremely uncomfortable, and clearly wanted to be far away from here. Away from this strange submissive. Ariki also seemed nervous, despite his neutral expression. He clearly recognized this man, and did not want to be near him any more than Theo. Even Ethan, who was always calm and pleasant, felt like he didn't want to be in the same realm as this stranger, though his face also remained polite.

“Yanek Calamaris, of the Calamaris circle. Previously Yanek Doursen. We went to flight classes together?” the submissive prodded, clearly not appreciating Theo’s lack of obvious recognition.

“Oh, nose-dive Yanek. I do remember, vaguely,” Theo commented, giving a friendly nod.

Yanek clearly didn’t like that response either. His face remained neutral, but his emotions were furious. Harry resisted the urge to grimace. His empathy could be an advantage, clearly, as it would let him see when people were lying and hiding things to an extent, but it would also be very difficult to learn to manage in day to day life. “Indeed. My Pareya, here. I assume some of these are yours?’ he commented, falsely idle.

Theo smiled, face impressively pleasant considering his emotional state. “Indeed, this is most of my circle, there’s a few more that weren’t able to avoid working today.”

Yanek blinked in surprise. Harry didn’t have to think about it to realize why. It was a large circle even with just the sixteen present. More that were currently absent pushed it into the category of almost being shocking.

Harry relaxed when the group in front of them suddenly moved, allowing them to move up and order. “I’m sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we don’t want to keep the line waiting, and it is our turn,” he carefully kept his voice light and friendly, as though he wasn’t picking up on any of the emotions currently running rampant.

Theo relaxed at the provided excuse. “Of course, Treasure. Yanek,” he nodded, then pulled Harry towards the vendor’s stand with him, the rest of the circle following.

Harry relaxed fully as Yanek and his Pareya left, smiling when Theo passed him his treat and led the group to a smaller, nearly empty courtyard nearby to sit and eat. He smiled as he looked around at everyone relaxing and enjoying their treats.

He could definitely get used to this.

Aloysius sighed as he sensed Alec approaching the room where he and Alvon were waiting. The last decade had been filled with so much drama that he wondered how he had a relationship at all with his oldest and youngest brothers.

Alec probably barely counted it as a relationship, but he still considered Alec his baby brother, and nothing and no one would ever change that. Not Alcandor, not Alvon, not even Alec himself. He’d noticed Alec pulling away and allowed some space, but he’d made sure to stay nearby whenever needed, offering support where it would be accepted. It wasn’t nearly as much as he’d wanted to offer, but he knew Alec wouldn’t accept anything more.

Alvon probably did count their relationship as decently close, though he knew and respected Aloysius’s disagreements. He’d made no secret of the fact that he thought Alvon had gone way too far in his comments and actions towards Alec. His belief that they should have always stayed loyal to their little brother, no matter what, was something that was heavily debated among their brothers. Aldion agreed with him, but most of the others refused to say one way or another, believing that both Alec and Alvon were at fault while refusing to speak or act against Alvon, as the oldest brother and lord.

He shifted as Alec entered the room, pinning Alvon with a glare. He’d made his stance quite clear over the last day, and would enforce it.

He was on Alec’s side in this, and would support whatever he chose. If he wanted to refuse to talk about his circle, Aloysius would defend him if Alvon tried to push too hard. If he wanted to give some information, but refuse to follow the courting rituals of their family and follow Alcandor’s instead, he’d support that too. He’d be disappointed, but he’d defend the choice and keep Alvon from pressing the situation or bypassing Alec. Hopefully, Alec would agree to follow their courting rituals. One of the main parts of those rituals was the entire circle and their immediate families meeting the entire immediate family, spending time peacefully and putting to rest grudges and feuds. It was probably the only thing that could get his family back together at this point.

It didn’t have to be right away or even fast, thankfully. That would never work, and likely would just make things worse. The courting rituals were designed to allow members of feuding families to bond, and therefore took a long time to complete. There were many steps, and it included introducing members of the families at different times, working up to large groups or the most objectionable members.

That might be the only way it could work. If they could start off with him or Aldion, then move to the rest, progressing from those who’d been simply distant to those who had been actively attacking, Alec might be willing to go along with it.

He could only hope. He really did want his baby brother back and family together.

Devrim blinked in surprise when he was pulled toward the gheyo quarters as soon as they arrived home from their shopping trip. He smiled slightly when he saw that Hadrian was the one pulling him, glancing up at the older man to see if he’d say anything.

Hadrian smiled slightly at him, then spoke. “I’ve waited long enough to complete the bond. We’ll do that now before the clambake, unless you have any objections.”

Devrim shivered slightly at the clear intent in Hadrian’s voice. He certainly wouldn’t object to that. He nodded eagerly, moving so he was pressed against Hadrian’s side while walking. Hadrian’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, and his shadows rose.

Devrim blinked a moment later when the shadows deposited them in a bedroom. He smiled slightly. Hadrian had apparently not wanted to wait long enough to walk to the room, and decided to use his shadows to port them there instead.

He couldn’t help but be pleased by that. His Ace was very controlled, so causing him to show a sign of impatience and desire was something Devrim couldn’t help but feel satisfied by. He wasn’t used to being wanted, but Riven, Blaise, Idan, and Minh had all made their interest more than clear. Then just this morning his grandmother had claimed that she’d always wanted him, and tried to get in contact with him when he was young.

It was confusing and exhilarating all at once, and he really didn’t know what to do with the idea. He’d never been wanted, not really, and suddenly he was surrounded by people who wanted him. Harry looked at him like he was someone worth having, as though there was no reason why he wouldn’t want him. The other two storm types immediately accepted him, with no questions asked. Not one of the gheyos had taken issue with his species or rank so far, and he’d bonded to three of the seven.

Soon to be four, he thought. He smiled again, watching as Hadrian used his shadows to ensure their privacy. He’d been waiting eagerly since the marks were placed after the soulscream, but there hadn’t been an opportunity yet. Both gheyic triads had needed to be solidified, then Blaise and Riven had approached him. Almost all of the rest of his time so far had been spent sleeping, eating, or in public.

He shivered again when Hadrian’s attention turned fully to him, and he stepped closer, eliminating the little space that had been present between them. “If you have any hesitation or objections, say so now,” Hadrian purred darkly.

Devrim shook his head. “I have no objections. Whatever you want is yours.”

Hadrian frowned slightly, making Devrim whine. “Whatever you want, too. Never forget or doubt that your needs and wants matter just as much as anyone else’s.”

Devrim shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t really sure what to do with that idea. He’d really rather not think about it right now, when he finally had his Ace’s full attention.

Hadrian sighed softly. “We’ll discuss that more later, after the bond is finalized and I have Idan here to help explain how these things really should work. For now, though, I’ll give you some idea what to expect.”

Devrim blushed, and kept blushing the entire time, as he received more concentrated attention than he’d ever had in his life.

Alec hid a grimace behind a scowl as he swam into the room to find Alvon and Aloysius. Neither was his favorite person, though Aloysius had never really given him problems. He’d even been helpful to Alec during his time living at court.

He’d never quite known what to make of that.

He gave a hiss of surprise a moment later when he was suddenly hit by a diagnostic spell. One of Alvon’s. He’d recognize that magic anywhere, even if it had been over a decade since he’d felt it.

“He’s uninjured, though there are signs that he had some small injuries that were healed by someone whose magic I don’t recognize. Not a court member, but at least part Merrow.” Alvon said, voice almost reassuring.

Aloysius relaxed at that. Alec blinked. “If you’d asked, I could have told you that. We have a quarter-Merrow Kalzik healer in the circle.”

Alvon snorted. “Would you tell us if we asked? You always hid your injuries, even as a child. I doubt that’s changed now, especially considering your position in the court.”

Alec rolled his eyes, but didn’t answer. Alvon wasn’t technically wrong, but he still didn’t want to hear it from him.

Aloysius spoke instead. “You could have given a warning, you know.”

Alvon rolled his eyes. “And what good would that do? I was doing it no matter what he said. Feud or not, he’s our baby brother. I’m not leaving him injured, no matter how stubborn he’s being.”

Alec rolled his eyes. That was rich, coming from Alvon. “Where did this sudden care come from, brother dearest? And you, other brother dearest?”

Alvon rolled his eyes. “We always cared. How could we not, you’re the baby. We just didn’t approve of you taking such risks or leaving home. We didn’t like you supporting a different candidate, especially because it destabilized our own attempt, but it shouldn’t have prompted such a strong reaction. We were upset, but our reaction was way out of proportion and we know that.”

Alec looked at him like he was crazy.

Aloysius sighed and cut in. “Alec, Alvon and the rest of us were all worried sick the first few years you were at court. It was too turbulent at the time, there were no guarantees and nothing was safe. We don’t necessarily object to you assisting Alcandor as you are now, but we objected to you entering the courts while it was so dangerous, supporting another candidate when we were trying to get the position for Alvon, our older brother, and refusing to swear the family oaths.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “So what, you wanted me to wait five years for everything to finish one way or another, swear our oaths, and then join the court under whoever won?”

Alvon nodded. “Exactly. But we wanted you to only join the court if Alcandor or Alvon ended up winning.”

Alec blinked at him in shock. “Why didn’t you say so then?”

Alvon sighed. “I thought we did. I didn’t realize until years later when I went through and reexamined all my memories that we never explained what we wanted or our reasoning. I just told you not to join the court or support Alcandor publicly, without explaining our family’s role or strategy.”

Alec sighed. “I’d probably have still supported Alcandor and joined the court. You saw the other options, there was too much risk if they won. Alcandor was the stronger candidate, he was a much safer bet than you.”

Alvon grimaced. “I wish I could say you were wrong, but we would have had a chance of winning if you hadn’t joined Alcandor.”

Alec shrugged. “Honestly, Alacandor seemed like a better choice. He has the training, connections, and temperament, as well as public support.”

Alvon sighed. “And that attitude is why we clash so much. We’ll never agree, so let’s move on. Tell us as much as you can about your circle, so we can figure out how the courting rituals will work.”

Alec blinked in surprise. Alvon had never just accepted his choice so easily, nor had he ever backed off from that debate.

Every other time they’d met in the last decade, it had gone into that debate, then descended into shouts, threats, and curses. He really didn’t understand why this time was different, except for maybe Aloysius’s presence. But that shouldn’t really matter, Alvon was Alvon, always. He didn’t care what people thought, he did what he wanted. Or at least he had, Alec considered. It had been seven years since they’d actually seen each other, Alec always making sure to be coincidentally away on unavoidable business whenever Alvon visited the courts. That wasn’t that long, but it was still fairly significant. Not to mention the blow losing would have been to Alvon’s ego. Alvon changing was unlikely, but not technically impossible Alec supposed.

He hadn’t really intended to do the full courting rituals, instead planning to just drag Alcandor in to stand as his family so he could do enough to satisfy the requirements. Still, if Alvon and Aloysius were willing to play nice, some of the others might be too.

He’d probably never have a close relationship with his brothers, but maybe his distant ones with Aloysius and Aldion could be a little closer, and the rest could be more distant or indifferent instead of antagonistic. It would be better, at least.

He’d already written them all off as a lost cause years ago, so almost anything would be an improvement.

Theo smiled slightly when Fred approached him in the hallway. “You said you’d make it up to me when we got back,” he commented.

Theo’s smile widened, and he focused his attention fully on Fred. “Anything in mind? We don’t have terribly long before we have to get ready to go, but we can either go find an empty room quickly or I can explain anything you have questions about and we can do other activities later.”

Fred shifted, clearly considering his options. He did want to go find a room with Theo, as the Alpha put it, but he also had questions he needed answers to, preferably sooner rather than later. And Theo had indicated that he was willing to explain things now and still have some time together for other activities later. “Explanations, as long as the other activities later aren't too much later,” he decided.

Theo pulled Fred into a hug. “Of course. Tonight or tomorrow, depending on how late the clambake goes and if we’re awake enough when it ends.”

Fred shifted slightly. “You don’t know?”

Theo shook his head. “It’s Bahn,” he said by way of explanation. “It’s hard to predict what he’ll want or do, especially when he’s pregnant. And between me and Ariki, they’re going to want to get to know everyone pretty well and make sure everything is going well.”

Fred smiled as Theo pulled him onto a couch against him. “How does that work? You and Ariki being basically adopted brothers?”

Theo shrugged. “We weren’t around each other enough to consider each other friends, much less brothers, so it isn’t really an issue. We only met a dozen or so times, because Ilsa and I lived mostly off-realm. There was some drama, which is really their business, not ours unless they share it, but it meant that Ilsa mainly raised me alone. I had some contact with the rest of the Deveraines and stayed with them a few times, but Ilsa didn’t want me to age any faster than I would have on Earth, to avoid suspicion when I went back, so we spent most of our time on realms whose times are more like Earth’s.”

Fred nodded. “So it’s really only Ilsa and maybe some of the other adults that will see it that way, since they knew you as a kid.”

Theo nodded. “I see some of the Deveraines as parents, and I have been repeatedly reminded that some of them see me as their child, but I’ve never known the other Deveraine children enough to consider them siblings. It’s not a direct comparison to your situation with Charlie and George, if that’s why you asked.”

Fred blushed. Theo smiled slightly. It had been fairly obvious why he’d asked, but it really wasn’t nearly as big of a deal as Fred thought it was. Not to dragels, anyways.

Theo ran a hand through Fred’s hair, massaging his scalp. “Siblings, especially twins, aren’t uncommon in dragel circles. You won’t bond to Charlie or George like you will the rest of the circle, but you probably wouldn’t want to either. It’s not an issue and the lack of a traditional bond won’t destabilize anything in the circle because you already have a sibling bond. It’s not the same, but it covers what’s needed.”

Fred relaxed slightly. “So there’s others with siblings in the circle?”

Theo nodded. “It’s not unique, or even rare. Twins especially tend to bond into the same circle. Just look at your uncles. Fabian and Gideon are in the same circle. Bahn and Bhindi Deveraine are also bonded into the same circle, though they went about it slightly differently than your uncles. The Vega clan has a tendency to have gheyo twins or triplets, and almost all bond into circles together. It’s just expected in many cases. Magical twins tend to stay together.”

Fred nodded. “And other siblings? George and I are twins, but Charlie isn’t.”

Theo shrugged. “Less common than twins, but still not really unusual, especially with a soulbond involved. There’s plenty, though you wouldn’t necessarily notice them all at first glance. It really doesn’t matter, and no one will pay attention to it beyond assuming you all are a tight-knit family.”

Fred relaxed a bit more. “I keep feeling the urge to smother and feed everyone, but I can’t really control it. Ethan said it’ll get easier, but it doesn’t seem to be improving.”

Theo smiled slightly. “A mentor will be able to help you with that. There are elemental and rank-specific methods of calming yourself, and it will get easier over time. The time involved is a bit more than the day and a half it’s been since the soulscream, though. It’ll probably be months, if not years before you have full control and are completely comfortable in what you know and can do, but it will improve significantly once all the bonds are sealed and you get a little more used to things.”

Fred frowned, but nodded. He didn’t necessarily like that answer, but he appreciated that it was at least the truth.

Theo ran his hand through Fred’s hair again. “You’re doing fine. A little smothering is a good thing, as long as you don’t always choose the same person. Your instincts will tell you who needs it most, you just need to consider if the smothering will help, and if it won’t then you can just choose someone else to fuss over.”

Fred snorted. That was an interesting way of looking at it, though it did make sense.

“Is not having a mentor going to be an issue?” he asked a little later.

Theo shrugged. “It will make things a little harder in social situations until you do have one, and we don’t have any other fire types to teach you the elemental magic so that will slow you down some, but it’s not the end of the world. We’ll get you one soon, Raspen already submitted the forms for you and George to get mentors, and he was considering submitting one for Blaise but I convinced him to wait.”

Fred blinked. “Blaise doesn’t have a mentor?”

Theo shook his head. “He has dragel family members, so he didn’t necessarily need one, I guess. It may have been better for him to have one, but he didn’t get one when he could have used one and unless he decides he wants one, I don’t think we should meddle. He knows protocols in social situations as well as any Storm Joker will ever bother to follow them, and how to use his element fairly well. I do think it would help him, but I won’t push it.”

Fred frowned. “Did you ask him?” he asked.

Theo shook his head. “Not yet. I haven’t had a chance to get him alone and ask. That will be a private conversation, because of Blaise’s history, so I won’t have it with others around”

Fred nodded. “His history is bad, isn’t it? The others certainly act like it must be, to be a joker so young.”

Theo sighed, but nodded. “It’s his to share, but yes. It may make him more or less accepting of you fussing, and it may vary by the day or hour. Storm types are always difficult to predict because they change at a moment’s notice, but Blaise is even worse sometimes. You’ll have to be patient if you choose to get closer to him.”

Fred nodded, nuzzling Theo’s neck. He smiled, gently pulling the Pareya closer, almost into his lap. They didn’t have too long before they had to leave, but a quick cuddle wouldn’t hurt.

Alec settled into a chair, delaying slightly by shifting around dramatically until he was comfortable. He knew that Aloysius would realize he was delaying, but hopefully Alvon wouldn’t.

“I suppose the triad would be a decent start,” Alec mused. “The submissive is named Harry Potter. He’s Nameless, an Empath specifically, and has a dozen seals.”

Alvon blinked. “And why does he have so many seals as a submissive?”

Alec’s face was shark-like. “Good question. The Cunninghams are being dears and hunting that answer for us.”

Both of Alec’s brothers blinked. “Any other issues we should be aware of with him?” Aloysius asked, apparently wanting to move on from that bizarre statement.

Alec pretended to consider. “Well, he’s wizard-raised and fourteen, so that may come up at some point.”

His brothers’ reactions did not disappoint. Alvon choked and nearly fell off his chair while Aloysius slipped into his halfling transformation. “What?” Alvon hissed dangerously. “Fourteen is too young for an inheritance.”

Alec shrugged. “It was forced, obviously. Same incident that forced the soulscream. Something about a wizarding dark lord and torture.” He couldn’t help the darkening of his eyes or the appearance of his scales and fangs. If he ever got a hold of any of those involved in what had happened to Harry, there would be nothing left of them.

His brothers somehow managed to look even more upset. “If you need the family’s blades, they’re yours,” Alvon pledged.

Alec’s jaw dropped. He’d never expected something like that, especially from his least favorite brother.

Alvon shook his head at Alec’s reaction, but gestured for him to continue. “That’s really all we know so far, the Cunninghams are investigating the rest. The Alpha is Theodore Gorgens-Nott, Ilsa Gorgens’s mentored student. Earth type, fairly powerful. He’s sixteen but got his inheritance at eight because of family issues.”

Aloysius finally managed to calm down enough to change back. “Family issues? What kind of family issues cause an early inheritance at eight?”

Alec shrugged. “Apparently wizarding family issues that involve poisoning nephews.”

His brothers looked somewhere between bewildered and furious. It was actually somewhat amusing. “The first Beta is named Charlie. He’s a fire type, but surprisingly mild for one. Also wizard-raised, and was under suppressions that the soulscream ripped through.”

Alvon frowned. “Are you safe with him as a Beta?”

Alec shrugged. “Probably. I’m not exactly in a rush to bond with him, but he’ll be fine to have around. His brothers too. Twins, both Pareya. Fred and George.”

Harry shifted nervously as he waited in the front entryway for the others. Theo and Ariki had both insisted that this clambake was nothing to be nervous about, but it was hard not to be. He’d met several of his bondeds' families so far, and all had been stressful in different ways.

At least the others only had one child each in his circle, except the Prewitts. The Prewitts hadn’t been expected, and there were four connections present, with Bill around, but it had only been three people to deal with that time. It had also helped that Bill already knew the three they met, so he handled most of the interactions and Harry was just introduced, but not fussed over too much. The lunch tomorrow with the rest of the Prewitts would likely be much more stressful, but that was an issue for later.

Even then, that was a grandchild or nephew connection at closest, not a child. It was still a significant connection, but not quite the same thing. It was much easier for Harry at the library with the Prewitts because the Prewitts were more interested in their newfound nephews, considering that they had only met one before, without knowing the relation there, and had never met the other three nephews. The Deveraines were Ariki’s parents, and seemed to have unofficially adopted Theo from what he’d heard the pair and Ilsa say. That was two immediate connections.

He gave a squeak of surprise when he was suddenly hugged from behind and pulled against a warm chest. “It’ll be fine,” Ariki whispered in his ear. “They’ll all love you, and the rest of the circle as well. You have nothing to worry about except being smothered by the Pareya once they decide that you’re their child too.”

Harry gave an inquisitive chirp.

Ariki smiled. “You’re my and Theo’s bonded submissive, making you their son-in-law, plus you’re adorable, so they’d adopt you even without that connection, if they could find a good enough excuse to get it through the courts. My parents’ Pareya tend to smother everyone they consider family or friends, so they’re all but guaranteed to smother you with attention. It’ll probably be worse than usual because of your age, but it’ll be good for you to be smothered some.”

Harry made a face. He’d really rather not be smothered any more than he already was by his circle. He did like the attention and love, but it was a little much sometimes. He was fourteen, not helpless.

Ariki seemed to sense the direction of his thoughts. “You’ll probably always be smothered to an extent by almost everyone in the circle and our families, but once the initial shock wears off and you’re a little older, it’ll settle down to a more tolerable level.”

Harry frowned. “How long will that take?”

Ariki shrugged slightly. “It depends. Some, like family and friends will probably slow down fairly quickly if you make it clear when they’re overwhelming you. Others, you may have to be more direct. If it gets to be too much, you can always try to redirect them, too. That tends to work better than getting them to stop, and there’s usually someone willing to at least humor a fussy Pareya around. Bran would probably help.”

“Bran would probably help what?” Bran asked, appearing next to Harry.

Ariki smiled, and shifted so he had one arm around each of Harry and Bran, carefully avoiding any skin contact with the Consort. “If Harry gets overwhelmed by Pareya, he’ll send some your way.”

Bran laughed. “That works, though I’ll probably be nearly as smothered as you. Consort rank kind of guarantees that. Smothering is nice though, to an extent.”

Harry gave him a dubious look. Bran shrugged. “It’s cuddling, snacks, sweets, and just general attention and love. What’s not to enjoy?”

Harry shrugged. “Attention isn’t necessarily good. And it’s a lot, sometimes.”

Bran nodded. “It can be a lot, but if they’re fussing, it’s good attention. Or at least well-intentioned attention. If they didn’t like you and care about you they wouldn’t be fussing over you.”

Harry blushed, making Bran and Ariki smile.

Alec relaxed back into his chair more as he ran through those in the circle that were left to explain. He’d gone through most of the circle, all that was left now were Brishen, Raspen, Peryton, and Blaise. He sighed. None were easy or simple, exactly, but they probably already knew about Brishen and the royals from Alcandor. Maybe. It depended on how petty he’d felt like being.

“I assume Alcandor mentioned Brishen to you,” he commented, not overly concerned by this one.

Alvon nodded, but Aloysius looked confused. “Brishen? The immortal that disappeared Sunday?”

Alec raised an eyebrow. “Obviously. Alcandor confirmed it, and apparently told Alvon. What, you couldn’t be bothered to fill Aloysius in?”

Alvon shrugged. “I assumed you knew. You’re closer to Alcandor than I am.”

Aloysius frowned. “I’m really not close to Alcandor. The only one of us who is close to him is Alec.”

Alvon sighed. “Still closer than me, not that that’s saying much. He told me, though I think it was just for the opportunity to goad me.”

Aloysius and Alec both snorted. That sounded about right.

Alec continued on, getting bored with this conversation. Goonter was almost ready for the introductions, so once he fed him and did a quick run-through he’d be able to leave and go back to Harry. “Prince Peryton, of course, is an air type. I don’t know of any issues he has.”

Alvon blinked in confusion. “What does he have to do with anything?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “He’s our advisor, of course. He considered claiming a royal rank, but Prince Raspen claimed it first.”

His brothers both looked shell shocked. Two princes in a circle was almost unheard of, not to mention Alec’s own status. Raspen was especially shocking, as a crown prince.

“How is that going over?” Alvon asked, well aware of the difficulties of navigating court politics.

Alec shrugged. “The families accepted it, so it will be fine. There’ll be some drama, but it won’t really get anywhere. Not with the Air, Earth, Shadow, and Water courts supporting the circle.”

“Shadow? Because of your Ace?” Aloysius asked.

Alec nodded. “He was contracted to the Cunninghams, and Lady Mariana seems to approve.”

“Good,” Alvon commented. They’d need all the support they could get, if what he was hearing was right. “Any other shocks?”

Alec shrugged. “My last bonded is a storm joker named Blaise Zabini. He’s fifteen, and has been a joker since he was twelve.”

The reactions did not disappoint.

Chapter Text

Ariki smiled as he examined the gathered circle. Not everyone was present, but there were far less absences than he’d expected. Only Prince Raspen, Riven, and Alec were missing, and Prince Raspen and Alec had been guaranteed to miss at least the first few hours. Riven’s absence was also expected, as he’d shown a strong preference to stick close to Prince Raspen in the past days.

It may be for the best that they weren’t present yet. His family could be a little much, and Bahn and Bhindi had never been able to avoid political scheming when an opportunity was presented. They didn’t mean anything bad by it, and would scheme in a way that benefitted his new circle, but it could be a lot to deal with in a first meeting.

Theo also looked pleased, especially at Prince Peryton’s presence. His ability to attend had been questionable, as he had to report to his sister and parents to ensure he wasn’t required for the afternoon. Fortunately, they had released him for the clambake.

That particular introduction could get interesting, he mused. There was a lot of history between his family and the Air royals, and not all of it was good. It all involved Queen Arista, not Princess Dawne or Prince Peryton, but it could still be something that needed to be navigated carefully. Princess Dawne’s elevation to acting Crown Royal would help smooth things over, and the strong relationship between her and Peryton may also help.

He wondered how much his family knew so far, and who would be around. He’d sent a few messages, but there really hadn’t been time to talk as much as he would have preferred while preparing for introductions and sealing the circle as much as possible. Bahn had mentioned that his sire, Ithycar, had been called back as soon as the soulscream happened, but Ariki didn’t know how long it would take for him to arrive. The journey from the Elven realm Tsuach to Nevarah took time, and Ithycar may have required more time to wrap things up before leaving.

The rest of his parents’ circle would be interesting to see today. Ilsa’s return would likely prompt the gheyos to come so that they could see each other again and begin to settle their suite once more. The resettling of the suite after over a decade and a half of separation would be a tense and complicated process, that would hopefully be handled after the clambake and away from Ariki and his new circle. If Ithycar came, Bhindi may even come as well, with more of her side of the circle.

He sighed. He really wished he knew who would come, so he’d have some idea what to prepare for. As it was, the only people he knew for sure would be present were Ilsa, Delani, Banh, Takar, Alma, and Sueh.

A moment later he brightened as Harry leaned against him, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Is there something I need to worry about? You seem nervous.”

Ariki smiled down at him. “No, I’m just not sure who all will be there. A few of them have been away for a long time, but either are or will be back soon. My sire is one, and I’m hoping he’ll be back even though it’s not particularly likely given the distance. There won’t be any issues for you, they’ll all love you.”

Harry nodded, squeezing tighter. “Hopefully he will be back. If not today, then soon.”

Ariki hugged Harry back, content to simply stand there holding him while they waited. His attention turned back to Theo, who seemed to be trying and failing to get the twins to calm down and stand still while they waited until it was time. Fred’s shirt was slightly wrinkled, and George was missing a button, both of which Theo and Ethan seemed to disapprove of. Ethan eventually rolled his eyes, freezing the twins in place and casting repairing and neatening charms over the pair before releasing them.

He shifted eagerly when Theo nodded, satisfied. “It’s time. Do you want to cast it or should I?” he asked.

Ariki shrugged before answering. “Whichever works. You can, if you prefer.”

Theo nodded, then quickly cast a general portal, taking the seventeen circle members and one additional Weasley present to the Deveraine beach house.

Blaise shifted uncomfortably as they landed on the beach, forcing the sparks his storms were producing to die quietly. Portals were highly uncomfortable for him, especially the general ones. He almost exclusively traveled using sheer power, not a portal. When forced to use a portal, only the Air specific one had been tolerable so far, though the water one would likely be equally less awful.

He took in the group present, and grimaced. He’d expected around five or ten, not seventeen. It made sense in a way, with Theo and Ariki present, but there were still a lot of people to deal with. Including a full gheyo suite, if he was reading things correctly.

Blaise suppressed a smile when Ariki was quickly dragged in for a hug by a tall, handsome alpha with golden eyes, and Theo was dragged in for a hug by Ilsa.

A few minutes later, once Theo and Ariki had been hugged and examined by several Deveraines each, they turned to the rest of the circle for introductions.

Theo hesitated, but began carefully. “How much do you know about the circle? Names, ages, elements?”

A male submissive from the Deveraine circle rolled his eyes. “We know there are twenty of you in total, with all different elements represented. Ilsa refused to give more than that, she said you two should do it. Dahlia and Aracle refused to add more details once Ilsa refused.”

The alpha that had fussed over Theo earlier cut in before Theo could continue. “Bahn, dearest, don’t forget our manners. We are hosting, we’ll introduce our circle first.”

The submissive, Bahn, rolled his eyes but nodded. “Of course. I’m Bahn, obviously, one of the two submissives of our circle. This is my twin sister Bhindi, the other submissive.”

A haughty-looking girl nodded at the group, her attention mainly on Ariki. “Pleasure.”

Bahn continued. “These are our alphas, Ithycar is the head alpha, and Delani is primarily my alpha. Our rheyo Aracle and beta Takar.”

All of those mentioned nodded or waved. Blaise was somewhat surprised by how friendly they all seemed. All but one appeared to have Elven heritage, and elves were known to be much more … particular … about the families they associated with, and even more so about the families their children bonded into. Such open and immediate acceptance was highly unusual, but not unwelcome.

Bhindi suddenly cut in, apparently wanting to take some of the introductions. “Our pareya Salani, Bu, and Alma. Our gheyos Ilsa, Greta, Loren, Nathan, and Edora. Edora is sometimes Edor, it should be fairly obvious which she is at any given time. Our advisor Nara, and our mage is Callistair. Our children here are Bruen and Camalis. Dahlia and Soula should be here soon. There’s a few more not here, but we can introduce them when you do meet them. Now your circle, please.”

Blaise blinked. That last comment was much blunter than he would have expected, but he supposed it made sense. This was a circle that their son and unofficially-adopted son were bonded into, one that they apparently knew almost nothing about. Some degree of urgency or impatience was to be expected.

Theo nodded. “Alright. Let’s see, this is Harry, our submissive. He’s nameless, with a talent for Empathy and another two affinities but we aren’t entirely sure what they are yet.”

Bhindi nodded at him. “Hello Harry. Your pareya really need to feed you more, you’re far too small to look old enough for a circle.”

Blaise was slightly taken aback. She wasn't wrong, but it was highly unusual to say something like that the first time you were introduced to someone.

No wonder the Deveraines needed a full gheyo suite, including two blood titles.

Bahn rolled his eyes. “Ignore her. We are very pleased to meet you and are eager to get to know you as our sons’ bonded. You are small, but you have time to grow, you’re clearly young. How old are you, actually?”

Harry blinked, pausing for a moment. Blaise couldn’t blame him for taking a second to process. That had been two very blunt statements in a row, neither one anything he’d expected. “Um, fourteen?” Harry replied hesitantly.

Blaise blinked at the clear worry, anger, and shock displayed by the Deveraines. Bahn and Bhindi immediately pulled Harry towards them, clearly intending to teach and smother him.

It would be good for him, Blaise felt. He needed another submissive to give him advice, and these two were old and experienced enough, both in general and in the courts, that they would be quite helpful if they were so inclined.

It would be especially helpful with his mentor missing. Harry knew little to no social protocol, but would need it badly starting Friday after introductions. It would be better for him to know what he was doing as soon as possible, and the Deveraines were a well-known, politically active circle. Bahn and Bhindi would be more than capable of giving Harry an appropriate crash course in all that he needed to know immediately, and his mentor could handle the rest once they were found.

Blaise grimaced. He was willing to bet there was a lot that Harry should know but didn’t, but at least he’d have help. Blaise himself had little to no training in court behaviors or protocols, so he really didn’t know what to do. Excuses could easily be made for a storm type, and even more easily for a storm joker. Add his age in, and almost anything could be excused.

Just because it could be excused didn’t mean it was good or desirable, though. He’d really rather not end up in too many situations where excuses needed to be made, but there weren’t a ton of options for him to learn court protocols. Devrim didn’t know any more than him, only the bare minimum. Idan and Minh probably would, but he had been avoiding getting too close to them until he was sure about Hadrian.

He sighed. He’d figure something out. Maybe that King in the Deveraine circle would be willing to help. She was a storm gheyo, after all, one bonded into a political circle.

“Luna!” Ginny gasped, spotting the blonde coming down the hallway towards her and Hermione.

The younger girl smiled at her before replying. “Hello Ginny. You look like you’ve seen some rather troublesome heliopaths.”

Hermione snorted, reaching out to grab Luna's arm. “That’s one way to put it. Come on, we need to talk now.”

Ginny rolled her eyes when she felt her wrist seized, and Hermione began dragging her and Luna behind her. It took a while, but once they reached the seventh floor she realized Hermione’s intended destination. The room of requirement was a bit more than necessary, but not necessarily a bad idea. They were the only students who knew about it, and even they only knew because Dobby had told them when Harry had needed somewhere private to hide away from everyone this year. They weren't sure if any of the teachers or the headmaster knew about it, but they'd never seen any around, even on the map, and Dobby didn't think they did. He helped Winky use the room fairly often to sleep off the results of her Butterbeer binges, and had never seen anyone else nearby.

Ginny reconsidered. The room of requirement may actually be necessary if Dumbledore and some unidentified creatures were working together to do something bad. She had no idea what they may be doing, but it certainly couldn’t be legal or good. If it was, they would have reported Filch’s death to the aurors and had an investigation launched instead of destroying his and Mrs. Norris’s bodies.

Ginny sighed. At this rate, they would need to start testing every animal they saw for being a human in some kind of disguise. Last year, Peter Pettigrew had been hiding as Scabbers the rat. Now, Mrs. Norris was a human woman. Hedwig, Pig, Trevor, and Crookshanks had better not also be people in disguise, or she was going to start cursing first and asking questions later.

She waited impatiently as Hermione summoned the room, frowning as she considered Luna. The blonde girl's eyes were the most focused she’d ever seen them, and she stood completely still. It was unnerving, frankly. Luna was always dreamy, almost whimsical. She never stood still or appeared focused. Ginny knew for a fact that most of that was intentional, a coping mechanism after her mother’s death turned defense against bullies that had now developed into a habit that was maintained for fun and convenience.

For her not to bother with the ‘Looney Luna Lovegood Routine’, as they’d nicknamed it, meant that something was seriously wrong.

Ginny frowned. She and Hermione had found something extremely concerning, but didn’t understand it. She couldn’t help but wonder if Luna knew something more, or even had found something herself that would let her understand whatever it was that she and Hermione had seen.

She wasn’t sure whether or not to hope Luna knew. On one hand, knowing would likely aid in finding Harry and her brothers. On the other hand, that whole incident had been disturbing, and she’d rather no one she cared about be involved in something like that.

Ginny snorted. Precedent had shown that if something scary, dangerous, or disturbing happened around Hogwarts, Harry would be involved. That alone all but guaranteed that whatever Dumbledore was doing would impact Harry, even before she added in the comments about the ‘Potter brat’.

The second the door appeared, Ginny barreled straight through it, pulling Luna with her and sweeping Hermione along as well. She barred the door behind her, blinking in surprise as she took in the various secrecy measures Hermione had built into her request.

They were certainly justified, Ginny felt, but it was still a surprise.

She took in the room, her eyebrows raising as she noticed a projection pensieve perched near the chairs. That would be useful, though it was not something she’d considered as an option. Pensieves were rare and expensive, but apparently that wasn’t a problem for the room of requirement.

She’d have to make sure to remember that.

She sighed, turning her attention to the other two girls as they settled on comfortable chairs around a table made from that ‘dry erase board’ material Hermione had introduced them to. This would be an interesting conversation, one way or another.

Devrim frowned slightly as Greta’s attention fixed on him and Blaise as soon as introductions ended. Apparently, the presence of two new storm gheyos was something that the current storm blood title was quite interested in.

It wasn’t totally accurate to call him new, but he certainly hadn’t been in Nevarah all that much and had never interacted with the blood title holder. He wasn't really a full storm elemental either, but his affinity was quite strong and much more obvious than his nameless talent, especially after bonding to two powerful Storm elements. It was less known than his shadow affinity, though, so even if she had heard of him in the pits she probably wouldn’t associate him with her element. Either way, he’d never seen her before, and she would have no reason to know who he was or the nature of his connection to the storm courts.

Blaise was likely even more interesting to her. As the storm blood title, she was something of a leader for all storm gheyos. It wasn’t nearly as official as an actual clan leader or a royal, but it wasn’t as far off as it would be for another element. Storm gheyos were very particular and difficult, and therefore tended to stick to their own kind more than those of other elements. Because of this, some form of hierarchy, no matter how loose, was required. Greta had proved many times that she was a capable leader for all storm gheyos, despite being a king instead of an ace. She was well aware of the duties, both official and unofficial, that came with her title. Everything that Devrim had heard, from both his grandmother’s circle and from others, indicated that she handled those responsibilities well, keeping track of all storm gheyos in Nevarah and making sure everyone was accounted for.

The appearance of two storm gheyos she’d never met in a circle that was now a direct family connection was likely throwing her off, and making her question what - or who - else she might be missing.

Devrim had some presence in Nevarah, but he was still willing to bet that she wouldn’t recognize him by sight or name, or even by cage name. He tended to stick to using his talent for wildmagic or his shadow affinity in matches, even going as far as to actively suppress his storm talents. Between that and the general lack of time spent around dragels, Greta likely wouldn’t recognize him, even if she knew of him by reputation. His bearer’s fate was relatively well known in the storm areas, and Greta would certainly have heard of it. Whether she knew his fate was an entirely different question, considering his grandmother never publicly spoke of him.

Blaise would be even more obscure, and likely quite concerning. Introductions had been interrupted before more than names and general ranks could be covered, but he was clearly quite young for a joker.

“Hello there. I haven’t met either of you before,” Greta commented as she approached.

Devrim nodded. “Blood Rayne. I’m Devrim Ekene, gheyo Prince. This is Blaise Zabini, gheyo Joker.”

Greta frowned. “Pardon my asking, but how old are you Blaise? And how old were you when you became a joker?”

Blaise shifted, avoiding eye contact. After a moment of silence, Devrim answered for him. “He’s fifteen. He had his inheritance at nine, and the joker transition at twelve. He was originally a gheyo Queen, if that matters.”

Greta’s frown deepened. “Were you in Nevarah previously? I’m sorry, but I don’t know how I missed a storm gheyo that young.”

Blaise shrugged. “Kind of. I stayed here for a few weeks one summer, but never lived here longer than that or interacted with anyone here.”

Devrim frowned. He’d thought he had minimal contact with other dragels, but Blaise had even less. To be fair, Blaise was still younger than he’d been when he first had contact with dragels, but Devrim hadn’t had his dragel inheritance yet at the time. Once he did, he’d gone to the appropriate dragel training camps, though he’d never lived in Nevarah more than a few weeks or months at a time.

Greta frowned, but let it go for now. Instead, she turned to Devrim. “And you? Your storms feel familiar, but I can’t place you. What family are you from?”

Devrim shifted uncomfortably. His grandmother had seemed pleased that he would openly wear the Dreswell crest, and claimed that she wanted him as part of her family circle, but he still wasn’t sure if she’d want to publicly acknowledge him beyond that. Still, this was the Blood Rayne asking. “My bearer was Mara,” he admitted.

Greta’s eyebrows rose. “I have heard of you then. I wasn’t sure if you were still alive, you tend to vanish into the shadow haunts and not be heard from for long periods of time.”

Devrim shrugged. “I do what’s necessary.”

Greta nodded. “Will you continue to do so now that you’re bonded? The clans aren’t known to take bonding outside well, and they take leaving even worse.”

Devrim shifted slightly. “Only if I have to. I know who they’ll send, if they decide it’s even worth it. It shouldn’t be an issue if the suite backs me.”

Greta nodded again. “You’ll have my backing, either way. You’re a storm, that means you’re one of ours. Especially considering who your bearer was. Don’t forget that. Some may have disapproved of what Mara did, but we gheyos understood, and will support you.”

Devrim blinked in shock. He’d never even imagined that another dragel might possibly support his bearer’s choices, so the idea that most storm gheyos would was almost impossible for him to comprehend. This week was turning into a very shocking series of events, with almost no time to process one shock before the next arrived. He wasn’t sure he liked it, even though all of these surprises indicated that he might be accepted by those around him, something he’d always wanted but believed he’d never have.

He relaxed a moment later when Greta’s attention was caught by the larger group. Apparently, some sort of game was being organized, and the three of them were absolutely required to play. He snorted. It was somewhat ridiculous that three more were being summoned for a game when they already had almost double the usual number, but he wouldn’t object.

It looked fun.

Harry smiled slightly as he settled in under a pavilion with Bahn and Bhindi. The two had dragged him and Bran off as soon as introductions had ended, only waiting that long at Ithycar’s prompting. It was somewhat nice, he decided. Bahn seemed extremely kind and helpful, while Bhindi seemed curt and haughty, but still helpful.

Both twins seemed very invested in making sure that he and his circle got their best start possible, and were less than pleased by his lack of knowledge of Nevaraean society and culture. “Who is your mentor? They haven’t been doing a good job, you’re clearly missing quite a bit of information you should have been taught as young as possible,” Bhindi commented.

Harry found that he somewhat liked her bluntness. He could easily see it becoming an issue and even causing major problems if she went too far, but right now it was making it easier to get straight to the point. “I don’t have one. The Cunninghams are hunting for them, but I don’t know if anything has been found. I’d never even heard of dragels before my inheritance and soulscream Sunday night. My circle have been explaining things, but ranks, bonding, and elements have been the priority because they were issues right away.”

Bahn nodded. “Which makes sense. The lack of a mentor is concerning, but the Cunninghams are some of the most effective hunters there are. They’ll figure out what happened, and hopefully get your mentor back.”

Bhindi shrugged. “It makes sense, but making sense won’t help you in the courts. You will be in the public eye during and after Introductions, there is no avoiding it. You need to be ready before it happens, and know basic protocol. The Introductions are Friday for your status, whether you go as a high noble or as a royal. You have to know what you’re doing by then, or you’ll be either embarrassed or taken advantage of. The courts are full of leeches that would love a young, unsuspecting royal or royal’s bonded to latch onto and manipulate. Don’t let it be you.”

Bahn sighed. “Bhindi, he’ll be at least somewhat protected. He has plenty of bonded who know what they are doing and can help him, and we can keep him with us on the submissive floors until he’s more experienced if that helps.”

Bhindi shrugged. “It’s something, but we can’t guarantee he’ll always be accompanied by someone that knows how to handle any situation. It’s better for him to be prepared.”

Harry nodded. Both were right, he felt. It would be best for him to stay with someone that knew what to do, but it wouldn’t be smart to count on someone else always being able to step in and handle conversations for him. He needed to learn everything about the courts and dragel society in general, as soon as possible. He hadn’t had the chance to learn the proper protocols yet, though, and had no idea when he possibly could.

He was expecting to be here most of the rest of the day today, and they had lunch with the Prewitts tomorrow. He was supposed to try to meet the rest of the Peverells sometime this week, though he didn’t know when yet and it may be after introductions. He also needed to meet the Evansons, but the connection there wasn’t in Nevarah yet. He was also supposed to go down to the Merrow courts with Alec one day to try to figure out who his third was, and he had to assume that would lead to another ‘meet the family’ session.

The stress must have shown on his face, because Bhindi’s gaze softened slightly and she held out her hand. “Here, hold your hand out like this.”

Harry’s eyes widened when she placed her hand on his, and suddenly his mind was full of information on court manners. It was more etiquette than he’d ever imagined knowing, and he didn’t see how he could possibly use or retain all of it.

Bahn frowned at how long the transfer took. “How much did you give him? He only needs enough to get through Introductions and a few simple meetings right now.”

Bhindi shook her head. “I gave him all of it, for the dragel courts at least. We’ll have to do the inter-realm courts later, and specific ones for other realms another time. Just because the Introductions and standard meetings are all that are guaranteed to happen this week doesn’t mean other interactions won’t happen anyways. He needs to be prepared.”

Harry nodded slightly, agreeing with her. She was right, it was just a lot to process. With his luck, the most ridiculous and unlikely meeting possible would happen, requiring the most complicated and obscure protocol in existence.

Bahn sighed. “His situation should be understandable to anyone with a brain.”

Bhindi rolled her eyes. “What should be and what is are two entirely different things. You know this as well as I do.”

Bahn said nothing, simply shaking his head. Harry frowned, forcing himself to stay centered at the sudden sadness that welled out of both twins.

A moment later, Bhindi forced her sadness away and continued. “Besides, you know perfectly well that having a brain is not a requirement to be a member of the courts. Just look at some of those idiots on the councils.”

Bahn and Bran both snorted, cheering up significantly. Harry made an inquisitive noise, wondering what that meant. The dragel realm had seemed much better than the wizarding realm, and all of the royals he’d met were far more competent than the Minister of Magic or other high-level bureaucrats in the Ministry had been. Still, if the governments on Earth were any indication, a decent amount of incompetence and ridiculousness was to be expected in any government.

Bahn smirked, clearly very interested in the opportunity to introduce Harry to the idiocy and idiosyncrasy involved in the royal courts. He and Bhindi both made themselves more comfortable, adjusting so they could fully see Harry and Bran. “Well, there’s this one Councilman named Terius Baronsworth, who managed to get himself in a bit of a mess with some dark fae representatives …”

Fred laughed as he watched Charlie and Ariki fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs for the third time so far. The game was fun, but ended up with a lot of rolling around on the ground and wrestling.

Honestly, that may be part of why this game was so fun.

He was completely blindsided when he was suddenly tackled by an unfamiliar figure, eagerly beginning to wrestle himself. It took a few minutes to squirm to a position where he could see his attacker, but he smiled slightly when he realized that it was Wikhn.

The dark fae had been somewhat distant ever since the soulscream, appearing to make good on his promise to be exclusively Harry’s. This clambake was the first time he’d seen him relax at all, participating with all the others as though there was nothing different about him. As though he intended to be fully part of the circle, instead of just hanging around the edges, joining in when it suited him.

He kept squirming, trying to wrestle his way to some kind of advantage, but it was a futile attempt. Wikhn was much stronger than he was, and clearly had some training in wrestling. He had none, as the wizarding world did not approve of hand to hand fighting.

Honestly, the wizarding world didn’t approve of anything except approved, monitored honor duels that followed proper format to a T and ended with the more rich or pure-blooded wizard winning.

That was one thing he was liking about Nevarah so far. Doing different things seemed to be expected here, not looked at as a sign that there was something wrong with you.

No one here had questioned him and George’s bond as twins. In the wizarding world, they were too strongly connected. They always knew what each other was thinking and feeling, and could finish each other’s sentences. In the wizarding world that was strange and showed there was something weird about them. Here, it was fairly typical. It simply meant that they were magical twins, and expected to bond as a pair into a circle, as they had done.

He liked the way Harry was treated here better, too. In the wizarding world, he’d been a symbol of the end of a previous war, a national icon to be dragged around and pointed at, but never to really be his own person. They’d all wanted him to act just like his parents. He looked like his father, but with his mother’s eyes. To the wizarding world, that was enough to mean that he should act just like his father too, and fall in love and marry a redheaded girl, preferably Ginny.

Fred shuddered. The idea of Harry marrying his little sister was wrong on too many levels. The first was obviously that Harry was his and the circle’s, not Ginny’s. Even aside from that, though, was the fact that the two would never be attracted to each other. Harry and Ginny saw each other as siblings, and nothing more. It would never work in any way but the wizarding world, especially Dumbledore, seemed fixated on the idea of the two of them together just like James and Lily.

He hoped they could stay here. The only things in the wizarding world worth keeping were his family and a few friends, but three of his brothers were already here with him. If the four of them were all dragels, there was a good chance that the rest were too. If they were dragels, they should come to Nevarah where it was so much better, and they could all be happy here. Even if they weren’t, there were all sorts of people and creatures here. It seemed that almost everyone was accepted, so it would probably be fine even if they weren’t all dragels.

He didn’t know if it would really work, but it would be nice.

Luna sighed softly as she considered Hermione and Ginny. “I suppose you two should go first. My explanation will be significantly longer and more complicated, so if you want to show me what you saw that upset you I can then explain what I know and show a few of my own memories.”

Hermione and Ginny were clearly surprised, but quickly agreed. Both had known for a while that Luna was hiding things about herself, and that she knew much more than she let on about what was happening in Hogwarts. Neither had ever asked her what she knew and why she knew it, and she’d never told them. It had worked out well for all of them, until now. Now, what she was and what she knew were relevant, and Hermione and Ginny already knew enough that they’d be dead if the wrong people found out they knew. Nothing she could tell them would make it any worse, because they were already liabilities Dumbledore and his rogues would not take the risk to keep alive.

It took a couple of minutes for the two to decide, but eventually Ginny placed her memory of what the pair had seen in the pensieve, and Luna carefully activated it.

By the time it had finished, Luna was white as a sheet. “You are so lucky that they didn’t see you.”

Hermione nodded. “I know. I still don’t know what that man was, I thought vampires were more … I don’t know, refined, maybe?”

Luna shrugged. “Most are. Their hierarchies are fairly strict and traditional, so all interactions generally follow very old fashioned protocols. Some vampires rebel against their Monarch and the overall hierarchy, and refuse to follow them or their rules. They are called rogues, and are extremely dangerous. That particular vampire with Dumbledore was definitely a rogue.”

Ginny nodded. “That doesn’t sound good. I also want to know what Filch and Mrs. Norris were. I’ve never even heard of something like that.”

Luna nodded. “Filch and Mrs. Norris, and Dumbledore for that matter, are creatures called Torvaks. They’re vaguely bird-like, with feathers and elemental talents for fire or ice, depending on the family. They have a bad reputation outside the wizarding world because they tend to be very prejudiced and many of them kill other creatures simply for existing, usually under orders from their species leaders.”

Hermione and Ginny gasped. “I thought Dumbeldore was supposed to be accepting,” Hermione commented.

Luna shook her head. “He’s notorious for his hatred of anything dark, including both dark magic and dark creatures. He’s the reason why the Slytherins are so isolated from the rest of the school, and a major factor in why werewolves and other creatures can’t get jobs. That’s what makes it so strange that he’s working with rogue vampires.”

Ginny nodded. “It doesn’t really match with his ‘obsessively light’ thing.”

Luna shrugged. “Moral issues are the least of it. Even just from a practical view, rogues can’t be trusted. They only ever think as far as their next meal, so there are no guarantees that they’ll listen to him. They’re already rebelling to an extent, though he seems to have them in line for now.”

Hermione frowned. “What do you mean?”

Luna smiled. “I also saw something earlier today, well, more like heard. I didn’t want to risk being seen, so I couldn’t really see what happened. The noise was more than enough to tell, though.”

It took her a moment, but soon her memory was also playing on the projection pensieve. Hermione and Ginny looked absolutely horrified, and were pale as ghosts by the time the memory ended.

Hermione shook her head in silence, while Ginny looked upset enough she almost had smoke coming out of her ears. “And you said we were in danger? That was much more dangerous than us hiding behind the tapestry.”

Hermione shook her head. “I can’t believe Dumbledore did that so openly.”

Ginny blinked. “So openly? Not at all?”

Hermione shrugged. “I’ve had questions about him for a little while. First year, he did nothing useful to prevent a troll getting in and almost killing me, allowed Harry’s broom to be cursed and almost kill him, and let Harry, Ron, and I go down that trapdoor and all almost get killed. Second year he did nothing about the petrifications or Harry being bullied, and just immediately accepted Harry and Ron risking their lives in the Chamber of Secrets as normal, as though that was expected of them. Third year he allowed the dementors to be stationed here, let me play with the space-time continuum for two extra electives in my schedule, and told me and Harry to manipulate time, risking tearing apart the fabric of the universe if we messed up, to free a man and a hippogriff. This year he allowed the Triwizard Tournament to happen, along with everything involved and Harry’s participation.”

Ginny winced. “When you put it that way, he seems absurdly dangerous. Evil, even.”

Hermione nodded. “I didn’t really think about it all until recently, but now that I have I can’t stop questioning things. There really isn’t an excuse for doing this much wrong. It’s negligence at the absolute best, and even that is pushing the boundaries of credibility.”

Luna shook her head. “He definitely knows what he’s doing, and he’d been doing it for many years. Long before any of us came to Hogwarts, even before we were born. This plan he’s following has been in progress for a long time, the events of the last few years are just a small piece.”

Hermione frowned. “Do you know the overall puzzle?”

Luna shrugged. “It involves a realm called Nevarah, and many other realms that accept different creatures, and are generally friendly to almost everyone. He wants to destroy them, and will do anything he can. I’m supposed to find out how he plans to do that while I’m here, but all I’ve found for sure is the names of some of those involved and a few of the steps they’ve taken.”

Ginny made a face. “What kinds of steps?”

Luna winced. The entire Fae court, light and dark, had been furious at some of what she’d found. “They’re suppressing creature inheritances, particularly powerful ones. I don’t know for sure what you two have, but I’m pretty sure you both have some kind of inheritance that’s being suppressed.”

Both girls looked furious. “Can we get them back?” Hermione asked, clearly wishing to continue on.

Luna nodded. “Definitely, though you may have to leave Earth with me and go to Nevarah or the Fae realm. I’m a born Fae, so suppressions wouldn’t work on me. Fortunately, that means I can get you two off-realm with me, and we can go to the Fae court to get your suppressions removed.”

Hermione nodded. She still wasn’t pleased to have some part of her suppressed, but at least it was reversible.

Ginny frowned. “Have you found his endgame yet?”

Luna tilted her head. “I found that he wants to destroy most creatures and creature-friendly realms, starting with dragels and Nevarah, but not exactly how he intends to do that. I believe he intends to use the suppressions as leeches to drain magic from students and former students, but I don’t know exactly how or what that magic will be channeled into. I’ve been trying to find more information, but I can’t do anything too dangerous or the Fae queen will order me to go back to the court and abandon Hogwarts. She’s somewhat protective over young Fae.”

Hermione smiled slightly. “It’s good that she’s protective, you need someone that is. I’m surprised that what you saw earlier doesn’t count as too dangerous.”

Luna shook her head, blushing slightly. “It certainly does, but she won’t see that report until tomorrow. Time runs differently there, so that’s really only another two hours here, but that’s enough time to have this discussion and bring you two with me, if you’re willing.”

Ginny smiled, glancing at Hermione for confirmation. “Of course we’re willing, but there’s one thing we should probably do before we go.”

Chapter Text

Bran smiled as he relaxed into a blanket on the sand. The past two days had been chaotic, so it was nice to be able to slow down and just enjoy a lunch on the beach.

It was also nice to see Harry interacting with other submissives, especially more experienced ones like the Deveraines. He needed someone to advise him with his mentor missing, but Bran and the rest of the circle could only do so much. Bran had a disproportionate amount of knowledge for his age due to his hindsight gift, but he didn’t really have that experience. He’d seen and felt those people’s memories, but it wasn’t quite the same as living them himself. Some of the others were much more experienced, but they weren’t submissives so they didn’t know everything that was relevant for Harry. A lot of information for and about submissives was only shared amongst submissives, so other ranks would have no idea and no one else in their circle would have any idea.

Bahn and Bhindi on the other hand were both submissives, and had plenty of experience with the courts to prepare Harry well enough that his debut shouldn’t be a complete disaster. Bhindi was certainly blunt, and made far more snarky comments and minor insults than Bran thought was necessary, but she still seemed helpful and invested in their circle’s success. Bahn was much kinder, gently explaining things and reassuring Harry whenever something Bhindi said made him uncertain.

It was somewhat amusing to watch the interactions between the Deveraines and Harry. Once they’d covered the basic manners required for introductions and meeting various court members, the conversation had turned more towards court gossip. Bran knew a good bit of it because of his family, but the Deveraines knew even more.

“And that’s why you should never anger the dark fae courts,” Bahn finished.

Bran snickered as he looked over at Harry, who was laughing so hard he was almost crying. He wasn’t entirely surprised to hear that one of the Baronsworths had managed to offend the dark fae in such a way, but he was surprised that it was Councilman Terius. If he had had to guess, he would have bet on it being the infamous Lady Baronsworth.

A few minutes later, he chirped happily when Peryton approached, sitting carefully on the blanket with him. “Hello Lord Deveraine, Lady Deveraine,” he greeted them politely, nodding to each twin.

Bahn smiled, though Bhindi seemed slightly tense. “Prince Peryton. It is a pleasure to see you.”

Bhindi nodded. “Indeed. How are you today?”

Perry smiled slightly. “Quite well, thank you. The preparations for the hunt are taking much of my family’s time, but fortunately I was not expected to be present anyways, given that I was off-realm before the soulscream.”

The twins nodded at that. “Will you be participating in the introductions, then? Given that the circle must be introduced at some point?”

Peryton shrugged. “I will participate in whatever introduction the circle does, and will have to be present with the Air courts for the royal introductions if the entire circle isn’t introduced with Prince Raspen, but I’m not sure what will be decided for that.”

Bahn’s jaw dropped, and Bhindi’s eyebrows raised. “Prince Raspen? And how exactly is he involved?”

Peryton blinked. Bran couldn’t blame him. While he didn’t remember anyone ever explicitly mentioning Prince Raspen’s presence in the circle, it seemed as though someone must have, just because of the significance. After a moment, Peryton responded carefully “He is part of our circle, claiming a Royal rank. That is why I’ve claimed an Advisor rank, to avoid issues with the two ranks.”

Both Deveraine twins looked absolutely stunned. Bran couldn't help his amusement at the expressions. Both twins were well known for their social graces, and for never being startled or taken by surprise. Seeing them so obviously shocked was a rare opportunity.

“Well, that’s quite interesting,” Bhindi finally commented.

A moment later Bahn snorted. “Interesting is certainly a word for it. I suppose we should inform the others.”

Bhindi smirked. “I see no reason why we should be the ones to inform them of who our darling Theodore neglected to mention in the introductions. They can learn when he arrives or dear Theodore and Ariki remember to inform them.”

Bahn snickered, but nodded.

Bran resisted the urge to roll his eyes. That plan would certainly lead to some complaints from the rest of the twins’ circle, but he did have to admit that the reactions if Raspen just showed up with no warning may be worth seeing. Besides, more of the annoyance was likely to be directed at Ilsa, given that she’d known since Sunday and refused to say anything. The twins may be able to play innocent and avoid any consequences at all if they were good enough actors to appear surprised when Raspen’s involvement was revealed.

They were again interrupted a few seconds later, this time by Alma.

“Food is ready, though I don’t know if we can get everyone inside to eat it. Some don’t look inclined to stop playing or sit still, but serving food outside or buffet style isn’t really the protocol for a first meeting between families,” Alma explained, looking uncertain.

Bahn shrugged. “Buffet style outside is fine for this, everyone seems to be getting along well and I doubt anyone will care. It’s just a clambake with family, not a formal luncheon.”

Alma smiled slightly and nodded. “That seemed like the best option, it just isn’t as proper for a first meeting of the families.” She then hugged each twin, and wandered off to find what was needed to serve the food outside, looking much happier.

Bahn turned his attention back to Harry and Bran. “Sometimes Pareya have a tendency to overthink things. They know what the best option is, in this case serving the food outside since that’s where everyone wants to be, but they are trained to follow social niceties or protocols and it makes them doubt themselves occasionally. Just agree with what they think is best, let them fuss a little, and then let them get back to what they were doing. That will generally make them happy and satisfy their instincts.”

Bhindi nodded, clearly agreeing. “Satisfying their instincts is generally the easiest way to make sure any rank is happy. For Pareya, that means making sure that they are able to ensure everyone is safe, healthy, and happy. If their instincts aren’t satisfied, they will never be fully content, no matter what you try to do for them.”

Bahn nodded. “Satisfying their instincts isn’t all a relationship requires, of course, but it is an important piece of it. The rest is mostly the same as any other relationship you would have seen on Earth, just love, attention, and spending time together. The soulbonds guarantee that they all fit with you, you just need to see how they fit."

Bran smiled. That was definitely true, from what he'd seen. The Pareya in his family circle were always happiest during the rare occasions where everyone was together and in physical forms, so they could fuss, cuddle, and smother like a normal family. It seemed to hold for his new circle too. Fussing seemed to settle Ethan even more than most Pareya, allowing him to relax and think of something other than everything that needed to be done.

It was true that they all clearly fit with Harry, too. He still seemed a little uncomfortable with the idea of Pareya and Gheyos, but he didn't seem to have any issues with the actual individuals or their behavior. It was good to see, Bran thought. Harry clearly didn't understand the instincts or ranks involved, but he hadn't given any indication that he would object to them so far. It was a promising start.

Lewis shifted uncomfortably, feeling Tauria’s eyes rest heavily on him. “Are you absolutely certain? None of the others have been true, and there’s been more than enough claims. What makes you so sure this one is real?”

Lewis sighed. “I checked him over, a basic medical exam. He has a Peverell family seal that requires our blood as a base to even take in the first place.”

Tauria nodded, frowning. “That is certainly convincing, but also concerning. Those are supposed to wear off before the inheritance.”

Lewis shrugged. He’d been specifically avoiding mentioning Harry’s age, but it seemed it would be unavoidable.

It was probably for the best, he decided. She’d be furious if she arrived and learned that Lewis had neglected to mention Harry’s youth. “He didn’t have the inheritance under normal circumstances. It was forced out.”

Tauria’s eyes darkened. “Forced out?”

Lewis nodded grimly. “I don’t know what caused it, he’d been all but drowned in healing magic by the time I met him, but he’s fourteen. He had a soulscream, too. That’s how he was with people who could bring him to Nevarah.”

Tauria looked furious. “Fourteen?” she hissed.

Lewis nodded again. “Fourteen. No mentor, no family, nothing. Some friends in the wizarding world, apparently, but nothing he considers a strong tie beyond that.”

Tauria sighed. “Aldor never should have gone to Earth.”

Lewis shrugged. “He didn’t think he had a choice. They were soulbonded.”

Tauria growled. “He never should have been pressured to go. Just because her family were immature and couldn’t pull up their pants and play nicely doesn’t mean that our family had to behave the same way.”

Lewis blinked. That was almost exactly what he’d thought, but he hadn’t known his clan chief, then clan heir, agreed with him.

Tauria sighed. “Is it really that surprising? No, don’t answer that. The pregnancy seems to have stabilized, so we should be arriving in Nevarah tomorrow. I’m not committing to anything before the Introductions though. We can’t take any chances right now, so the circle will have to rest Thursday for the Introductions Friday. Either way, all of the tests need done before I can meet him, and the removal will take longer to prepare with his age.”

Lewis nodded. “We already did all of the tests in the library, Henry has the official results ready when you need them. He passed everything, even without explanations or having a clue what the tests really were.”

Tauria smiled. “Good. He’s an air element then?”

Lewis shook his head. “Nameless, with an Earth affinity. He has another affinity for sure, but I don’t know what it is yet.”

Tauria blinked. “They didn’t say?”

Lewis shrugged. “I don’t think they know. He has a bunch of other seals on him, but I don’t know all of them because I was hesitant to scan more deeply than necessary with his circle watching.”

Tauria’s expression turned almost threatening. "He's getting appropriate medical attention, though, I presume?"

Lewis nodded quickly. "Definitely. I saw traces of at least three people working on him, one mage and two healers - Kalziks specifically. He has one bonded to him that was present."

Tauria frowned, but looked less threatening. “Is the rest of his circle particularly dangerous? Either in general or to him?”

Lewis shook his head. “Certainly not to him. There are some very powerful individuals in it, including some extremely strong gheyos but all have stellar reputations and would never treat a submissive poorly.”

Tauria nodded, relaxing slightly. Issues like that were rare, but sadly not unheard of. She’d never heard of one following a soulscream or soulbond, but there were enough other issues with this young Peverell they had just found. She wasn’t going to risk something like that happening to him too. “Anything else to be aware of?”

Lewis shrugged. “He seems very shy, almost skittish. And he’s absolutely tiny. You’ll probably want to be a bit more careful than usual with him, and maybe not bring too many with you the first time you meet him.”

Ethan laughed breathlessly, stepping outside of the game boundaries to catch his breath. The game was fun, especially the wrestling, but some of his bonded were far more skilled than he’d expected. Or just quite heavy. Charlie was fairly tall and broad, and knew how to use that while wrestling. Theo was also quite skilled at the sport despite his relatively small size, though he supposed that he shouldn’t be so surprised. Ilsa Gorgens was the Blood Crowne, the most powerful of the blood titles that fought for the position. It was no surprise that she would teach her mentored student to fight, especially if she had concerns about him returning to the wizarding world.

He didn’t know that she did have those concerns, of course, or why she would permit it if she did. Still, she’d clearly taken at least some time to teach Theo combat techniques, and had allowed him to return to Hogwarts. He glanced over at her, considering.

He couldn’t help but wonder how everything between her and Theo had happened. Theo had been a new orphan by the time she met him, so his unofficial adoption wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was that only some of the Deveraine circle seemed to know Theo very well, and none of the children were included in that number. Not even Ilsa’s own children.

He sighed. Most of the focus was on Harry, and the hunts being ordered were all on his behalf so far, but there were others that justified hunts. Theo was one, as his care shouldn't have been left solely to a mentor. He had a third out there somewhere who failed to step up when he was needed. First when Theo’s father killed his mother, then when the rest of his family died. Failure to do so was almost unheard of, and whoever it was had better have a very good excuse.

The twins and Charlie would also probably end up being the justification for a hunt. Those seals were highly illegal, and should never have been placed. Siblings had also been mentioned, so more seal removals and blood purification rituals would be required.

He sighed. There was way too much going on right now, and he'd really rather not think of it while they were having a nice day.

Ethan smiled as he saw Harry and Bran relaxing under the pavilion, enjoying the shade from the hot afternoon sun with the Deveraine twins and Peryton. It was nice to see the two relax. Both had been far too tense since the soulscream, only fully letting their guards down a few times. Bran had been so avoidant of touch, though that was somewhat understandable given the situation. Harry was concerningly skittish, and Ethan was finding it more and more difficult to believe all of the obvious trauma and discomfort he showed was caused by whatever happened in that graveyard.

He frowned. They still hadn’t discussed what had happened. Yes, some ritual obviously happened and Harry was tortured, triggering the inheritance and soulscream. He winced as he considered that. His instincts were pushing him to smother Harry normally, and thinking of that was only going to make it worse. It didn’t help that he didn’t have confirmation of the threat being gone. Their gheyos seemed very competent and had completely annihilated every threat that Ethan had noticed, but they still didn’t have proof of death for everyone involved because no one had been able to go back and check yet.

He sighed. Maybe the Cunninghams would get to it, though he somewhat doubted it. They had seemed more interested in the missing mentor and Harry’s family.

He brightened again when he saw Alma and Nara bringing out trays of food and arranging them buffet-style on a table near the pavilion. It was easily time for lunch, and Harry and Bran both needed a good meal. Everyone did, obviously, but those two more than most. Blaise as well, but Ethan doubted he’d be nearly as receptive to his fussing as the other two underage dragels were.

He approached the table, gathering a platter of assorted items to bring over to Harry, Bran, and Peryton. He considered grabbing more for the Deveraine twins, but decided against it when he noticed Alma doing the same thing. She’d know better what her submissives liked, and what was appropriate for Bahn while pregnant. Ethan could just grab what looked good for his three circle members, and a bit extra in case any of the others decided to join them.

He finished gathering an appropriate collection of foods, and happily made his way over to the pavilion with his submissive and the others. He was unreasonably pleased when Harry smiled happily at his approach, moving so Ethan could sit with him on his blanket if he chose.

He carefully set the platter down between Harry and Bran, then sat next to Harry, gently pulling the younger dragel in for a quick hug. He frowned slightly at the sweat he noticed on Harry’s forehead, gently casting a light cooling charm over him.

He smiled as Harry purred lightly, squeezing him a little tighter and gently nuzzling his neck.

“What is all of this?” Harry asked, looking at the assortment on the platter.

Ethan smiled, pulling Harry so they were sitting back to chest, then began carefully selecting items to introduce.

Remus glanced around at the odd group they’d found themselves in as they stood outside Harry’s childhood home. He grimaced. Childhood prison was probably more accurate. The cupboard under the stairs was horrific, and Sirius said that Dumbledore and Filch believed that the abuse went far beyond simply leaving him in an inappropriate space. Filch’s memories implied outright abuse, and it hadn’t escaped Remus that Lady Cunningham had ensured that neither he nor Sirius could see the contents of the files she was holding.

He could still tell their general nature. He’d seen school files before, and those were obviously school records. Most likely Harry’s, which made him very much want to see them.

Maybe she’d let him once they reached their destination. Now that they had what she and her circle had come for, she seemed eager to return to Nevarah. Remus wasn't sure why she was concerned about getting there Thursday instead of Tuesday when it was currently Monday morning, but it didn't seem wise to question it right now. Maybe later, when they were settled in this new realm.

Remus shifted. He couldn’t help but be somewhat excited about a trip to Nevarah. He’d heard of it many times, and that they could turn his cursed wolf into a natural wolf. There were stories of complete acceptance, and that they would allow anyone who would live peacefully and not threaten the realm or its residents to enter and live freely.

That was something that the wizarding world hadn’t offered him since he was eight years old, when Fenrir Greyback had broken through his window and attacked him. Even though he'd done nothing, he was infected. No matter what he did, he'd always be a dangerous, vicious monster to the wizarding community.

Sirius would be free in Nevarah too. They didn’t follow wizarding law, and even if they did he’d be able to demand a trial and simply request a truth spell or veritaserum. With those laws in place and actively enforced, he’d easily be cleared of the murder charges. If Lady Mariana was to be believed, Sirius would be able to get his dragel inheritance in Nevarah as well.

Remus sighed. Nevarah seemed almost too idyllic, to the point where he struggled to believe that the promises and the opportunity that it offered was real. Things like that didn’t happen for him. They just didn’t happen for Sirius and Harry either, no matter how much they deserved it.

He blinked a moment later, forcing himself to focus. They were all being herded into a circle, him and Sirius pulled to different sections and Hedwig perching on Lord Cunningham’s shoulder. He glanced up at the tall man who had pulled him to stand right against his side in confusion.

“It’s best to distribute the magic. Your first trip to Nevarah, or any realm really, takes and releases additional magic. It’s best to not have more than one standing together if possible, and balancing out affinities and talents as much as you can is generally best practice,” the tall man explained.

Remus nodded, frowning slightly. That made some sense, but he’d still need to find a good book with a nice, in-depth explanation of the exact mechanisms behind this portal and how the experience, elements, affinities, and talents impacted its operations.

That was a problem for later, though. For now they needed to find Harry, find a place to stay, and make sure that Harry was safe and cared for. Anything else was secondary.

He looked around in awe as they landed in a shadowed manor, standing around a large courtyard. It wasn’t how he’d pictured Nevarah, but at the same time it seemed to perfectly suit these strangers that had brought him, Sirius, and Hedwig to Nevarah.

He blinked in surprise when Hedwig gave a satisfied hoot and instantly took flight, quickly swooping out of sight.

Sirius was the first to comment, clearly audible from across the circle. “I suppose that means we’re in the right place. She must sense Harry.”

One of the twins blinked. “Sense Harry? She just got here, didn’t even have time to orient herself. How would she be able to fly to him already?”

Remus shrugged. “All post owls are smart and can find almost anyone with magic on request, but Hedwig is smarter than the norm. She can always find Harry if there is a way to reach him.”

The twins still looked skeptical, but Lord Cunningham apparently didn’t want to consider the subject any further. “Enough for now. We have much to discuss. We need to know what you know, and what sent you to that home, then we will tell you what we have found. We can send a message requesting a meeting with your godson and his new circle, but with it being the first week of the hunt now it may be difficult to schedule a meeting time.”

Sirius frowned. Lady Mariana, seeing it, explained. “The hunt is an extremely busy time for almost all dragels, but especially higher-ranked ones. Your little godson managed to get himself several very high-ranked dragels, so they will be very busy. A proper meet the family includes the whole circle, or at least the vast majority. It might take longer than typical or preferred for the meeting to be arranged this week, but it will be arranged as soon as possible.”

Harry smiled as he relaxed against Ethan, enjoying the attention. He’d eaten far more than usual, unable to resist when Ethan was explaining the different items and offering them to him, but he surprisingly didn’t feel sick at all. Normally whenever he overate he immediately felt horrible, but dragel food seemed to agree with his stomach much better than wizarding food ever had. Elven food too, apparently. There were several items in there that were elven dishes, which made sense given Bahn and Bhindi’s clear elven heritage.

He’d also made sure Ethan ate too, since the Pareya seemed content to simply feed Harry and forget to eat himself. He’d have to remember that for the future and try to keep an eye out. He certainly didn’t want Ethan not eating appropriate meals or forgetting to take care of himself too. He glanced over at Bahn, wondering if he’d have any tips for that, but decided it would be better to ask later when they weren’t both being fussed over by their Pareya.

He then looked over at Bran and Perry, happy to see both relaxing together. Bran was still avoiding direct skin-to-skin contact, but he’d allowed Perry to wrap his arm around him while they ate, as long as he made sure to stay on his shirt and not brush against skin. Perry seemed quite pleased by this, as he also relaxed and ate happily.

Harry smiled. It was good to see everyone enjoying themselves. All but three of his circle were here with him, enjoying a nice day out with their new in-laws. Everyone here seemed to be having a good time, the bonds all radiating positive emotions and his empathy registering only contentment, excitement, and fun.

He blinked in surprise a few minutes later when a portal appeared, depositing three more individuals on the sand. He recognized two of them. The older girl, Dahlia, he believed, had been with them on Earth. She’d helped with the blood purification rituals for his Weasleys, and seemed to have some connection to both Ariki and Wikhn. The younger girl he could easily identify as Soula from the market earlier that very day. There was another man with them, clearly a gheyo, though he had never seen him before.

He sighed silently as he realized his concerns had been justified. He had managed to meet two new in-laws without realizing it, and he’d been so distracted by the introductions and the Deveraine twins pulling him away to realize that the gheyo she’d been with had been present the whole time.

He frowned when one of his bonds suddenly became very wary and muted, glancing around to try to see who it was. He had learned to pick out a few of them, but not the individual gheyos yet. He’d need to spend more time with them soon. He didn’t like not being able to identify all of them easily across the bonds.

His frown deepened when he realized the tension was coming from Wikhn, whose eyes were locked on Dahlia. He also seemed wary about the other gheyo.

He sighed. Things had been going so well, and he really didn’t want to deal with any drama.

Hermione stiffened when she was suddenly grabbed and dragged behind a tapestry for the second time in a couple of hours. She glanced over, surprised to realize that this time it was Luna. Luna, who was surprisingly pale and nervous looking, no sign of thoughtfulness or her usual unfocused look in sight.

She tensed further when she heard Dumbledore’s voice in the hallway. “There you are, Alastor. I’ve barely even seen you since the third task, have you had any luck locating young Mr. Potter?”

She rolled her eyes. Young Mr. Potter, indeed. Just a few hours ago he’d called him the Potter brat, and now it was young Mr. Potter. She couldn’t believe how fake the man was, and how naive she’d been to fall for it.

She’d known that not all authority could be trusted, her parents had taught her that from a young age. But they’d also taught her that teachers were generally a good authority, and all of the publicly accessible information about Dumbledore painted him as a good and kind leader of the light, promoting acceptance and general goodness.

What she’d learned in the last day seemed to directly contradict that idea, and reconsidering her time here at Hogwarts had only made it seem worse.

She stifled a sigh. The wizarding works had seemed so wonderful when she'd learned she had magic. Professor McGonagall seemed so professional, so wonderful. She'd never fit in before, so a new world had been a dream come true. She'd thought that she'd finally fit, finally be with people like her. Instead she'd been mocked and picked on for being too much of a know-it-all, being a mudblood, having bushy hair and large front teeth. The only real improvements here were her friends, excluding Ron. He really only seemed to use her for homework help.

She shook her head. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid, so childish. She knew better than to trust a stranger, or to believe that anything that seemed to be true could possibly be relied on. So much for being one of the brightest witches of her age.

Her jaw dropped when Professor Moody suddenly cackled, pulling his wand and sending a killing curse at Dumbledore. Dumbledore also seemed shocked, barely dodging the curse. A moment later she clapped a hand to her mouth, hiding her gasp of horror. Professor Moody's skin was bubbling and shifting, moving around until a much younger man was standing there, a crazed look on his face.

"Ah, young Bartemius. I see you are not quite so dead as your records claimed," Dumbledore commented calmly.

Hermione blinked, absolutely stunned at that response. Their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had just been revealed to be someone else entirely, someone that was supposed to be dead. Instead of questioning it or seeming surprised, Dumbledore was simply making idle comments.

The man, Bartemius apparently, sneered. "You claim to be so great and all-knowing, but you somehow missed me in this school all year."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Silly boy. Of course I knew you weren't Alastor. Your work for Voldemort was quite obvious, it was all but unmistakable. Fortunately, you did what I needed to not be seen doing, so I saw no reason to interfere."

Hermione couldn't move due to fury. He'd wanted Harry to be forced to risk his life in this tournament? And he'd known that Voldemort was involved in this somehow?"

Bartemius growled. "It worked, you know. The mark burned black. He's back."

Dumbledore shook his head, looking amused. "Not for long, though. It has already gone back to gray."

Bartemius sneered. "My lord wouldn't have been defeated by a child. He's simply chosen to keep his return secret."

Hermione was absolutely stunned a moment later when Bartemius suddenly shot a stream of fire at Dumbledore, who easily caught and vanished it. Dumbledore sneered at Bartemius. "Don't be childish, Bartemius. You could never match me in your wildest dreams."

Bartemius seemed as surprised as Hermione at that. Dumbledore wasn't known to sneer, or make snide comments like that.

A moment later, she was even more stunned when a curse suddenly flew from Dumbledore’s wand. A vivid green curse, the same color as Harry’s eyes. One she'd seen once before, when Professor Moody, who was apparently actually Bartemius, had demonstrated it to her first Defense class of the year.

Bartemius seemed too surprised to react, as he didn't even move or dodge before the curse hit him. He fell to the ground like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

Dumbledore sneered down at the body, then cast a Patronus. "Attend me in the fourth floor hallway," he demanded, sending it off.

Ariki groaned slightly when he noticed his sisters' arrival. Normally he'd be pleased to see them, but Wikhn had originally been Dahlia's, and some drama was all but guaranteed.

Harry really didn't need to deal with that, and neither did the rest of the circle.

He hurried over, making sure he was the first of the circle to reach them. "Dahlia, Soula. How have you been?"

Soula rolled her eyes. "Don't even try to redirect the attention onto us. How have things been going for you? How are you settling in with your new circle?"

Ariki smiled. "Very well, actually. Almost everyone is getting along pretty well, and there haven't been any major issues yet."

Dahlia nodded, lowering her voice. "Wikhn?"

Ariki shrugged. "He seems to be settling fairly well. He swore only to Harry, but no one seems too upset by that, under the circumstances."

Dahlia blinked. "The Blood Raven doesn't mind too much?"

Ariki shrugged again. "He hadn't indicated any negative feelings." He hesitated, but continued anyways. "It almost seems like Wikhn intends to function as a normal King but is just uncomfortable swearing to anyone other than Harry."

Dahlia nodded. "His past is his own to share, but that is almost certainly accurate."

Ariki sighed slightly when Rook, another Ace Dahlia was close friends with, approached Wikhn, drawing him away from the group. That would either be extremely helpful, settling Wikhn in a way that none of the rest of the circle could manage so soon or it would leave him in a horrible mood, potentially causing more discord within their ranks. There wasn't really a way to be certain, both Wikhn and Rook could be very unpredictable. It wasn't surprising given their dark fae heritage, but it was inconvenient.

Dahlia looked over his shoulder, noticing the game still ongoing. "That looks fun. I'm taking your spot, you can introduce Soula to your submissive."

Ariki shook his head as he watched her leave, then returned his attention to Soula. "Play nice with him. He's been with Bahn and Bhindi for a bit and they were going to go over normal social protocols, but he's young and doesn't have a mentor so he's not going to know everything your friends would."

Soula nodded. "Dahlia implied he'd need a friend who was also a young submissive but had more knowledge and experience in Nevarah. She didn't say why, though."

Ariki sighed. He hoped that explaining Harry’s situation would become easier or less necessary over time, but he doubted it would be as fast as he'd like. "He's only fourteen and doesn't know his mentor, if he even had one assigned at all. His inheritance was forced out by the same incident that caused the soulscream."

Soula winced. It wasn't hard to guess why. Everyone they'd explained the situation to had had a similar reaction, and he was sure that he'd also have had the same reaction if he'd learned about it as an uninvolved outsider. Some degree of shock, pity, concern, horror, and fury seemed to be the standard, with the degrees of each depending on the individual's personality. Dahlia and Greta had been furious, Soula and Aracle had been horrified and concerned. It was somewhat amusing that his two siblings had each had the same reactions as their sires, he decided.

Ariki smiled slightly when he looked over at the pavilion and saw Ethan and Perry keeping Harry distracted from the potential drama with Wikhn, Dahlia, and Rook. He gently guided his little sister over, smiling wider when Harry, Bran, and those of his parents' circle in the pavilion smiled at their approach.

Soula blinked in surprise as they approached, her eyes settling on Harry. "Harry, it's good to see you again. I didn't realize you were Ariki’s or I would have made sure to make more thorough introductions."

Harry smiled, nodding. "It's good to see you again too. I didn't realize that you were Ariki’s sister."

Ariki blinked. "You met?"

Harry nodded. "We ran into each other when we were shopping earlier, when Hadrian and I went outside during the clothes trip."

Soula winced. "I attached myself to Harry and his gheyo when I sensed someone following me in the market."

Bhindi hissed. "Following you?"

Soula nodded. "I sensed someone following me, Hadrian was able to identify him as one of the Guantrells."

Ithycar cut in. "Was it enough for charges?"

Ariki blinked, looking over his shoulder. He hadn't noticed his sire following them up to the pavilion, but he supposed it made sense.

Soula shook her head. "I didn't give them the chance to approach and try to do anything, but it wouldn't matter anyways. It was a Guantrell. The courts never do anything about them."

Bahn winced, glancing over at Perry. "Pardon my daughter, Your Highness."

Perry shook his head. "There's no need, she's not wrong. A few particular families in that group have used their connections, duties, and power to avoid responsibility for far too much."

Ariki blinked in shock at hearing a royal say what their family, and many others he knew of, had been saying for years. He glanced around, noticing that the rest of his family and circle, excluding Harry who didn't have the context to understand that, were also clearly surprised.

Perry shook his head, then spoke quietly. "The crown is not blind to the harm the Vaughns and their allies have caused. They are protected by the uniqueness and necessity of the task they perform for the crown. It must be done, and there isn't a circle readily available to take their place if they were to be deposed. If there were another similarly capable circle, we would replace them in an instant and allow them to face appropriate punishments."

Bhindi winced. "I don't mean to question you, but can they really be trusted for such an important role, whatever it may be, if they can't even be trusted to have common decency?"

Perry shrugged. "That's a subject we disagree about. Dawne and I believe that they cannot, but Queen Arista believes we can count on them for this one duty because they won't risk their position and unofficial immunity."

Harry made a face. "Is anyone watching them? Making sure they're doing things right?"

Perry shook his head, face grim. "No. Part of the nature of the work is absolute secrecy. There is no direct oversight and it is rarely spoken of openly. I'll have to ask that you all not repeat this. It's not confidential per se, but my personal opinions of them shouldn't be spread around."

Ithycar nodded. "Of course. We completely understand, this was simply information exchanged between family."

Perry nodded, relaxing slightly. "How was your trip, Ithycar? I've heard that the elven realm is beautiful, and several of the realms you'd stop in on the way are quite fascinating."

Ithycar smiled, easily accepting the subject change and began to detail some of his more recent adventures. "Well, there was this one realm where the air was probably the strongest I've ever seen. It was almost completely unpopulated, and the entire realm was covered in a giant rainforest. I've never seen anything like it."

Ginny held as still as she could, frozen behind a tapestry with her two best female friends. She'd thought that she could never feel more terrified than she had her first year when she'd realized she was being possessed and had been dragged down into the Chamber of Secrets to die. That had been proven wrong when she and Hermione had been hiding behind the tapestry watching Dumbledore and that rogue vampire destroy Filch and Mrs. Norris’s bodies. She'd then thought that she'd never be more scared again than she was in that moment, but now she was being proven wrong again.

Maybe she should just stop thinking she'd never be more terrified. Every time she did, something worse happened. Dumbledore casually killing a man while she hid behind a tapestry not even ten feet away now topped the list. She shook her head in shock. Two new most terrifying experiences in a couple hours was way too much for her to handle. She really needed things to settle soon, but she somehow doubted that they would.

She frowned when a new man, clearly another vampire appeared.

"You called?" he asked.

Dumbledore growled. "Obviously. He became a nuisance and needed to be removed. Destroy the body, drain the blood if you wish or not if you don't, just destroy any evidence."

Ginny winced, unable to look away as the vampire smiled eerily, leaning down and biting into Bartemius. She was shocked to realize she recognized the man when his head lolled to the side, his lifeless eyes seemingly to stare straight into her. No wonder Dumbledore thought he was dead. That was Barty Crouch Jr., one of the people who had tortured Neville's parents into insanity.

Ginny didn't even dare to breathe when the man finished drinking Barty's bloodnand stood, looking around. He grabbed Barty's wand, quickly casting a vanishing spell over him and several cleaning and repairing charms around the hall, ensuring it looked as though nothing had happened.

He looked around once more after he finished, then left.

The girls stayed frozen behind the curtain for a solid five minutes, just listening for trouble, then darted out and continued down the hallway.

Ginny winced. That had already been horrific and dangerous, and they weren't even close to where they wanted to be yet. If well-traveled hallways weren't safe, how dangerous would their destination be?

Chapter Text

Wikhn glared as he noticed the other dark fae approaching him quickly. He’d never had an issue with Rook, per se, but he still didn’t want to see him. Not now, when he’d just bonded to a submissive, ensuring that he’d never be able to bond to Dahlia as he’d intended.

Not when the only thing he’d really wanted in the last few decades had been torn from him, being all but guaranteed for Rook in the process.

He sighed. He really couldn’t blame Rook, the Ace had had nothing to do with what had happened. That didn’t mean that it didn’t still sting, making him want nothing more than to be far away from the Ace right now.

“We are going to talk. How are you settling in?” Rook went straight in for the hard questions.

Wikhn shook his head, walking away. He knew perfectly well that Rook would follow, though not following would work for him too. If he was going to have this discussion, it was going to be in private. Harry didn’t need to see or hear it, and ideally he’d be able to get out of range of his empathy as well. None of the rest of his bonded needed to be involved either.

He grimaced as he settled into a hammock on the porch, far enough away that they’d hopefully be undisturbed and unnoticed, but still close enough that he could see Harry at all times. So much had changed in the last forty eight hours, and he wasn’t sure what he thought about it. Harry was almost certainly the best bonded submissive for him, and he could never have rejected him, not under those circumstances. He wasn’t sure that there were any circumstances where he’d have been fully comfortable with rejecting Harry, but after the young dragel had been tortured and had a forced inheritance and soulscream while only fourteen was certainly not one of them.

He glared as Rook climbed into the hammock with him, sitting up so the two of them were facing each other. He’d intended for the other fae to take either another hammock, a chair, or the ground. Not to share a hammock as though they were still considering each other as potential circle members.

Rook smiled at him, putting Wikhn even more on edge. “I’m serious Wikhn. How are you settling in? Will you be happy with your new circle?”

He sighed. He should have expected this, really. Rook had never been one to leave well enough alone, and they’d become relatively good friends over the last few years. Some concern was probably expected, if not entirely welcome. “Fine. Harry’s worth having as a bonded submissive.”

Rook rolled his eyes. “Cut the crap, Wik. I know perfectly well that you wouldn’t have bothered bonding to him if he wasn’t much more than just ‘worth having as a bonded submissive’.”

Wikhn shrugged, though he couldn’t really deny it. He wouldn’t have accepted Harry if he hadn’t seemed special. He hadn’t really known much before accepting the submissive, just parts of his medical history and what had happened that night. Still, that was enough to forcibly yank on his protective instincts, demanding that he stay with Harry and protect him. That he make sure that he would never experience something like that again.

His instincts hadn’t been wrong, he knew. Ever since Harry had woken he’d shown that he was special. He didn’t care about the variety of powers, elements, and histories of his bonded, and there was plenty to object to, by traditional standards. He only seemed to care about if they wanted him, and if they were happy to be in the circle. The stories he’d heard so far also indicated that he was special. A house elf and a half giant for friends. Constantly surviving against impossible odds. It was all but unheard of, but in a way it made sense.

“He’s…special,” Wikhn reluctantly admitted.

Rook smiled. “He must be, to be soulbonded to you. What about the rest? The Ace and the suite?”

Wikhn shrugged. “I only swore to Harry. He asked if I had any conditions I wished to make, so I did.”

“What?” Dahlia demanded, coming onto the porch.

Wikhn rolled his eyes. Of course she’d come looking for him. The Ace he’d intended to bond to. The only Ace he believed he could ever even come close to accepting. “Exactly what I just said. I swore to be Harry’s gheyo only - not the circle’s King unless I chose to do so. Even if I were to do so, which is wildly improbable, I would still be Harry’s gheyo first, anything else second.”

Rook frowned slightly. “How did your Ace take it? He’s a Blood Title, they’re usually pretty possessive.”

Wikhn shrugged. “Fine, actually. He doesn’t seem happy about it, but he didn’t say anything either, and he hasn’t tried to push it yet.”

Dahlia’s face darkened. “Yet? Do you think he will?”

Wikhn shifted, considering. Honestly, he really didn’t think Hadrian would ever try to force a mark or a bond on him. He seemed surprisingly reasonable, and respectful of boundaries, both Wikhn’s and the rest of the suite’s. He’d demanded Wikhn have his scar, but that was pretty much a requirement for the suite to function at all. He hadn’t even really objected when Wikhn had placed his own scar, just a token comment that he hadn’t agreed to it. “No, actually. He didn’t seem angry at all, just placed his scar after the fight and didn’t really complain when I left my scar.”

Rook blinked. “You left a scar on him?”

Wikhn nodded, leaning back. “Yes. I’m not bonding to him, but I wasn’t going to not place a claim. Just because I’m not prepared to bond to him or swear as the whole circle’s King doesn’t mean that the position isn’t taken, or that Hadrian has a spot open in the suite.”

Dahlia rolled her eyes. “Of course you would think that way, Wik.”

Wikhn shook his head, pretending not to know what Dahlia meant. He refused to even contemplate the meaning of that, to admit that he was considering really bonding into the circle fully.

Harry blinked in confusion when Brishen suddenly froze while pinning Ariki, eyeing the surf with clear displeasure. He sat up slightly, chirping happily when he saw a blue figure come out of the water, weaving through Harry’s circle and the Deveraines. Alec had said he wasn’t sure if he’d make it, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him now.

Bahn smiled slightly at Harry’s reaction, pleased to see him lighten up some. He seemed so much older than he actually was most of the day, even though they were supposed to be relaxing. Sometimes, Bahn could have believed that Harry was almost as old as him, just from his behaviors and his eyes. Other times, like now, his youth was apparent.

“One of yours?” he asked wryly as the Merrow approached them. Really, there wasn’t much doubt given that reaction.

Harry nodded happily, reaching up for Alec’s hug. “This is Alec. Alec, this is Bahn, Bhindi, Ithycar, Delani, and Alma Deveraine.”

Alec nodded briskly. “A pleasure.”

Harry smiled slightly, pleased that Alec had opted to be polite. It certainly wasn’t what the court manners Bhindi had given him indicated was protocol, but they’d also made it clear that Merrow almost never followed protocol with non-Merrow. Given what he’d heard, Alec was probably being much more accommodating than most just by being vaguely polite.

His smile widened. It made him more happy than it probably should that Alec was so willing to play nicely with others, most of the time. Brishen and the fire types seemed to be a bit more objectionable to him, but otherwise he seemed fine with the circle. It boded well, he thought. He wanted everyone to be happy, to live together and enjoy being in a circle together. Being able to tolerate each other really wasn’t quite what he wanted, but after two days, he’d take it.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, Alec,” Bhindi replied, nodding back.

Bahn smiled. “Indeed. It is nice to meet more of my sons-in-law.”

Alec blinked at that, apparently having not really considered that detail.

Harry suppressed a snort. He’d also not really been thinking about that today. It made some of the advice he’d been given a little awkward, given that it was partially advice about how to handle a large circle with mixed elements. How to handle his bonded. How to handle the other submissives’ sons, realistically, given that both seemed to consider Theo their own even though he wasn’t technically their circle’s like Ariki was. .

Not that Ariki needed much handling, really. The Beta had fussed over Harry, but he seemed very easy-going, and hadn’t pushed things at all. The fussiest of Harry’s bonded so far had been Ethan, but Harry supposed that made sense. Bahn had said that Pareya needed their bonded to be healthy, safe, and happy for them to be satisfied. Harry was now safe and happy, but he wasn’t entirely healthy with all of the seals in place, and safe was still a little questionable with the issues in the wizarding world.

He still didn’t know what happened to Voldemort. He hoped he was dead, but he didn’t know. If he was dead, he didn’t know if it would actually take this time. He’d ‘killed’ the man three times already, but he’d still come back again in the graveyard. It’d be nice to think he was gone for good, but he didn’t know that yet. The Death Eaters present were also likely dead, but he didn’t know if that had been all of them.

He sighed. There was still much more left unfinished in the wizarding world than he’d like, and reluctant as he was to return, answers were needed.

Ethan rumbled soothingly, stroking his back. Harry smiled at him, silently asking him to leave it for now.

Alec snorted, flicking his nose. “Stop thinking about that. It’s not helpful, clearly, so there’s no point in you wasting energy on it.”

Harry stuck his tongue out at the Merrow, but couldn’t help the slight laugh. Alec really was good to have around, even if he could be quite prickly. “How were the courts?”

Alec frowned, looking almost uncertain. “Annoying. Two of my brothers were there, making nuisances of themselves as always.”

Harry frowned. “Any reason why?”

Alec shrugged. “They’re annoying. Almost more annoying than your fire types, impossible though that seems.”

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled slightly. Alec had been getting along with his fire types much better than he liked to say, even if he still wasn’t their biggest fan. If these brothers weren’t worse than the Weasleys, then they couldn’t be completely hopeless. No matter how unlikely Alec was to admit it.

Bahn smiled slightly at that comment. “Are you planning to do a Merrow courtship? I’ve heard those are extremely fun for those involved.”

Alec nodded with a snort. “Naturally. As though I could ever not.”

Harry tilted his head. “What does a Merrow courtship entail?”

Alec smirked. “You’ll find out when it happens.”

Bahn and Bhindi laughed, and Harry felt Ethan’s chest shake in a silent laugh behind him.

Harry blushed. He wasn’t sure why, but he was somehow both very nervous, and very excited at the same time.

Ginny froze as she heard footsteps while running down the hall, looking for somewhere to hide.

“Weasley, Granger, Lovegood. What are you doing running the halls so early?”

Ginny whirled around, simultaneously relieved and terrified to see Snape stalking towards them. It was better than Dumbledore or a vampire, she supposed, but still not ideal. Unless Snape was a vampire. They’d dismissed those rumors over the years, but they still kept popping up at the beginning of every school year, partially to scare the first years. Honestly though, he really didn’t look like he was one now that she’d what they looked like in real life.

“We were looking for the twins. We haven’t seen them since the third task,” Hermione quickly explained.

It was a decent explanation, Ginny decided. The twins had disappeared while at Hogwarts, so it wasn’t ridiculous to believe that they may be in some unoccupied section of the castle.

Snape rolled his eyes. “Those hooligans almost certainly wandered into the forest or some such nonsense. They’ll turn up before school ends tomorrow, no doubt, with some absurd prank.”

Ginny blinked. That had been almost … nice for Snape. Comforting, almost. It was very out of character.

Snape sneered. “Now get back to the main areas, you little dunderheads. Breakfast starts soon, and I don’t need Minerva wasting my time searching for her idiotic little lions or Filius searching for his missing raven because you passed out from hunger in some unused corridor.”

Hermione nodded quickly. “Of course, professor. We’ll be on our way, then.”

She then grabbed Ginny and Luna, pulling the pair down the hall, away from the professor. Ginny rolled her eyes again. This being dragged around by her arm thing was getting old. No wonder Harry sometimes complained, but never actually resisted going anywhere Hermione wanted, usually the library.

She shook her head. They couldn’t get this over with fast enough, honestly. She’d never even considered the idea of leaving Earth before today, but Luna’s descriptions of the Fae realm were promising, and under the circumstances Ginny had to agree that it seemed like the best choice. It was part of why she didn’t resist being dragged around like this. The faster they were done, the faster they could leave.

She just hoped Luna was right, and that her brothers were all in the dragel realm by now. It would defeat the purpose of leaving Earth if they weren’t.

It didn’t take long before they were standing in front of an unassuming door. The only notable feature was the absurdly long list of rules, and the equally long list of banned items posted to it. She started to reach for it, but hesitated.

“What if there’s some kind of protection or monitoring spell on it?” she asked nervously.

Luna frowned. “I don’t think there is, but it’s hard to be sure.”

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. “I can try a few testing spells I learned, but we can’t be fully sure without actually opening it and going in.”

Ginny grimaced, but nodded. That made sense, in a way. The whole point of the protection and monitoring charms, if they were there, would be to keep people like them out, and make sure they couldn’t find a way in. Knowing what charms were there could help them get in, so making the charms undetectable would help protect the office.

“Do it,” she decided. They really did need the information, and standing around here was probably no safer than going in.

Hermione glanced over at Luna, gauging her reaction. Seeing no objections, she drew her wand and approached the door carefully.

Ginny shifted nervously as Hermione examined the lock on the office door. She knew that this was necessary, but searching a dead man’s office still creeped her out. Still, Filch had known what was going on, at least to some extent. Otherwise he wouldn’t have been investigating dragels, and probably wouldn't be dead. He probably knew a good amount and was fairly involved in whatever was going on, or Dumbledore wouldn’t have been so upset about his death.

Not to mention Mrs. Norris. That was even weirder and more concerning than Filch’s being a Torvak and dying. Mrs. Norris was supposed to be a cat. The fact that she’d been some bird-like creature, simply pretending to be a harmless animal to gather more information in a school was nothing short of disturbing.

She was almost afraid of what they might find in this office, if they actually managed to get inside.

She sighed softly as the door clicked open, barely daring to breathe as Hermione edged into the room, almost expecting an alarm to go off and give them away.

Fortunately, there was no tangible response to the intrusion, so she allowed herself to breathe normally again. The twins had broken into the office and stolen back their pranks many times, so she wasn’t entirely sure why she was so scared this time. She supposed it was different now that she knew that Filch had been hiding what he was, now that he had clearly been murdered. She and Luna quickly slid into the room behind Hermione, shutting the door behind them. “Where do you think it would be?” she asked.

Hermione shrugged, looking around. “It could be anywhere, really. We don’t know what we’re looking for, so we’ll have to search all of it.”

Ginny nodded, reluctantly agreeing. It was more than she really wanted to search, but they couldn’t even eliminate anything because they had no idea where Filch stored any of his paperwork or personal items.

She wished that Fred and George were here. They’d been in this office enough times they’d probably know what some of these cabinets and boxes contained. That would at least let them avoid the things the twins had already ransacked.

Still, there were three of them and six filing cabinets. And a desk and two piles of boxes, but still. That was two filing cabinets and one other set of items each, which hopefully wouldn’t take too long. No one would question them missing breakfast the morning after their best friend and her brothers had gone missing, but missing two meals would certainly be noticed. They had to finish and get back before lunch, so they could avoid suspicion and move to the next phase of their plan. Then they could go to the fae realm, hopefully arriving safely and bringing useful information.

They could do this. They had to do this, really.

The next few hours passed fairly quickly and pleasantly. It had been a good few hours, Harry felt, enough time for Alec to settle on the blanket with Harry and Ethan and seem comfortable, though not particularly friendly, with the Deveraines. He’d still been relatively polite to all of them over the past few hours when they came to be introduced, which was a good start. Fortunately, they’d all come one or two at a time, careful to not be too pushy.

Apparently, they were familiar enough with Merrow to know not to push or take his snarky comments too seriously, as one had taken an interest in Bahn and Bhindi a few years ago, but didn’t finish the courtship after learning that they had a fire gheyo. Alec looked vaguely amused once the Merrow’s name was mentioned, and Harry couldn’t help but wonder if he knew the Merrow in question.

He smiled, leaning back against Alec again once Loren wandered off again and his skin became less icy cold as he relaxed. He’d been the last one to come and introduce himself, likely hanging back because of the elemental issues between fire and water. He rolled his eyes as he considered that. He’d already seen that Alec and the Weasleys could get along perfectly fine when they didn’t think about their elements or actively use their elemental magic too close to each other. He really didn’t see why there was so much tension between the elements, other than sheer stubbornness.

He glanced around, rolling his eyes as he realized that someone had placed another platter full of snacks between his and Bran’s blankets while they were paying attention to Loren. The Deveraine pareya weren’t too pushy or fussy while he was already surrounded by his own bonded, but they seemed very determined to make sure that food was always on hand and no one was ever hungry. Bahn and Bhindi on the other hand were being smothered in attention by their Pareya, but both were very clearly enjoying it immensely.

Even those not relaxing in the pavilion with them were occasionally coming up to check in, including both circles. Every fifteen minutes or so someone would wander up to them, checking in on either Harry and Bran or the twins, or all of them in a few cases. Ilsa seemed to have automatically included Harry as one of her own children since the soulscream happened, and included Bran in that as well today. Several of the other Deveraines also fussed over Harry, claiming that as his parents-in-law they had a right to fuss over him and that he clearly needed it. They were all careful not to overwhelm him, so it was actually surprisingly enjoyable. He would have never imagined that he’d enjoy being fussed over by people he’d met only a few hours before, but he really was enjoying it with the Deveraines, especially when he had Ethan and Alec both sharing his blanket with him and Bran and Peryton only a couple of feet away.

He shook his head, but couldn’t help his smile. It was so different from anything he’d ever experienced, but he couldn’t help but enjoy it. He’d had so many times when he was younger that he’d been hungry, even starving, while living with the Dursleys. If his time in Nevarah so far was any indication, he’d never experience that again.

He blinked in surprise when Raspen and Riven suddenly appeared in a bright whirl of sheer storm magic, clearly a portal of some sort cast by Riven.

He shook his head slightly, clearing the bright flash out of his eyes, then turned his full attention to the newly arrived pair.

Harry smiled. He was glad they were here, and could meet the Deveraines as their new sons-in-law now. They had probably met before, given their respective positions in society and the courts, but it was different to meet someone as their sons’ bonded.

A few seconds later he suppressed a snicker at the surprise apparent on several Deveraines’ faces as they realized who had just arrived. No one had bothered to mention just who else was in the circle to them after Theo had been interrupted before he mentioned it and Bahn and Bhindi had decided not to say anything when they found out, so really the only Deveraine parents to know were Ilsa, Aracle, Bahn, and Bhindi.

Harry raised a hand to hide his giggle at the looks of shock, lowering it to smile as Raspen and Riven approached. He happily reached up, accepting the hugs both men gave him as Raspen settled on the sand just next to him, breathing a sigh of relief. Riven remained standing, almost pacing a few feet away after hugging Harry.

Bahn blinked in confusion. “Hello, Your Highness. It is wonderful to see you again. Would you like another blanket, or a chair? We have plenty.”

Raspen smiled at him. “Hello Lord Deveraine, Lady Deveraine. It is wonderful to see you both again. I’m sorry for my rudeness, there was a disturbance at the courts just before we left that left my instincts somewhat unsettled, so the sand will be the best option for now.”

Harry frowned slightly in concern, noticing the others doing the same. “Disturbance?” he asked nervously.

Raspen grimaced, but nodded. “I’ll explain soon, just let me calm down a little more. Once again, I’m terribly sorry for my bad manners.”

Bhindi brushed it off easily. “There is nothing to forgive, we are just grateful that you were able to attend. We had very much hoped to meet our sons’ full circle today, so your attendance is wonderful.”

Ithycar and Delani reached the pavilion a moment later, Ilsa trailing behind them and Theo and Ariki following her.

“My Prince,” Ilsa greeted promptly with a slight bow.

“Lady Gorgens. It is wonderful to see you again, and you Lord and Lady Deveraine,” Raspen replied with a smile.

“Prince Raspen, we are honored by your presence. I didn’t know that you were in the circle, Theodore and Ariki forgot to mention it,” Ithycar gave a pointed look to Theo, Ariki, and Ilsa.

Prince Raspen smiled slightly. “I’m certain it simply slipped their minds, the circle is quite large.”

Delani bowed slightly. “We are honored by your presence, Your Highness.”

Raspen smiled at her, nodding deeply. “I am honored to be here, and to be bonded to your Ariki and Theo. You’ve raised wonderful children, they do you credit.”

All of the Deveraines present blushed, but looked extremely pleased. Delani paused a second, then asked carefully, “Would you like a chair, or a blanket? Or some food? We have plenty.”

Raspen smiled at her. “I’ll stay on the sand for now, my instincts were unsettled shortly before I left the courts but I’ll explain that later. It may affect the circle and you all should know about it, but Riven and I both need to settle our instincts before explaining what happened.”

Harry glanced over at Riven, frowning. Most of the attention had been on Raspen because of his position, but Riven honestly looked much more unsettled, and couldn’t just sit on the ground to settle his element. He considered a moment, then carefully isolated two bonds, tugging softly on them.

A few seconds later, he smiled as Blaise and Devrim wandered up, gesturing subtly at Riven. He smiled when they clearly got the message, both going over to him and drawing him a little away. Hopefully they’d be able to settle him. What he’d heard so far, what Bahn and Bhindi had implied, was that storm types could help settle each other. Hopefully that was true, and would apply for Riven.

Hermione sighed as she finished her second filing cabinet, moving over to one of the stacks of boxes. Luna and Ginny were still on their cabinets, but they seemed to each be on their last drawers, so progress was being made.

Not as fast as she’d like, but it was progress. It wasn’t quite eleven yet, and lunch didn’t even start until twelve thirty. It went until two, so they had another hour or so before they needed to worry about getting back in time to avoid suspicion.

She frowned when she opened the box, expecting to find more papers, but instead found a batch of potions. She’d never seen these particular potions before, and quickly went through the rest of the box looking for something to indicate what they were. She finally managed to find a slip of paper in the box, obviously a recipe. It didn’t say what the potions did, but it couldn’t be good. She didn’t recognize all of the ingredients, or know enough to know exactly what they would do when combined, but she could easily recognize several as being extremely dark or highly illegal.

“Luna? Ginny? Can you look at this?” she asked carefully.

A moment later the other two were standing on either side of her, also reading the ingredients list.

“Half of that is illegal. I mean, unicorn blood? That’s never used, there is no way to make that into something okay,” Ginny rambled, looking stunned.

Luna shook her head. “I knew there was something wrong, but this is far worse than I expected. I don’t know what it does, but we can take it with us for one of the potions masters in the courts to figure it out.”

Hermione nodded. “How will we transport it, though? Just take the recipe and leave the potions?”

Luna shook her head vigorously. “No, we don’t want to leave this here. I have a voidstone that we can safely carry everything in, we’ll put it there.”

Hermione nodded, relieved to have a safe way to bring it with them. Hopefully someone in the fae courts would be able to tell what these potions were.

The girls quickly returned to their search, wondering what else they’d find. Hermione frowned, considering the papers in the next box. “If something’s questionable, should we just bring it and look more closely later? This may be relevant, but I’m not sure yet and I don’t want to waste any time right now.”

Ginny nodded, clearly agreeing. “Do that. I have a strange file too, one that seems to indicate that the last caretaker may have been like Filch, but I can’t be sure. It seems like he was a ‘real one’, and Filch was a ‘created one’, whatever that means, that was brought in to replace the last one after he ‘rebelled’ and was killed.”

Hermione frowned. That didn’t sound good, though there was definitely context missing.

Luna clearly agreed, pulling the voidstone back out of her pocket and setting it in the center of the room. “Just set things on top of the void, and they’ll be safely stored inside.”

Luna gasped a few minutes later, examining the files in the first box in her stack. “This is a list of every student, their creature inheritance, and what they did about it. Most of them were sealed, but there’s a few that were ‘eliminated’, according to this file.”

Hermione and Ginny’s jaws dropped in horror. “They killed or sealed the students with creature inheritances? All of them?”

Luna nodded. “It appears so. I haven’t gone through all of them, but it looks like this entire stack of boxes is going to be student files like that.”

Hermione nodded, frowning. “Just take the stack then. We’ll go through them later, when we have more time.”

Ginny nodded, clearly agreeing. “We really can’t afford suspicion right now, we have to hurry.”

Luna nodded, sliding the stack over and into the voidstone. She then moved over to the desk with Ginny, starting to search the drawers on the other side.

A few minutes later, Hermione froze in shock, examining the contents of the last box. “Guys? Are you almost done there yet?”

The other two were next to her a second later. “Just finished the last drawer. Some papers about detentions, but that’s it. What’s up?” Ginny asked.

Hermione indicated the box wordlessly.

Luna gasped. “That’s blood, isn’t it?”

Ginny nodded, silent.

Hermione shifted, looking as closely as she could without throwing up. “I think so. It certainly looks like it, at least. And the runes aren’t good either. I can’t read all of it, but the parts I can read are all about destruction and death.”

Luna winced. “That can’t be anything even remotely good. I guess we’ll just take this entire box as well. We do need to get going, unfortunately. It’s already twelve fifteen, and it’ll take a while to actually get to the great hall from here.”

Hermione nodded, agreeing. Luna was clearly right. The more they found, the more dangerous their situation in Hogwarts seemed. They needed to avoid attention until they could finish getting whatever else they could find, and then get out of here as fast as possible.

Dumbledore and his allies were clearly much more dangerous than they’d realized.

Raspen sighed softly, smiling when Harry shifted so he was lying down with his head in his lap, while still holding Alec and Ethan’s hands.

“Hi,” Harry said shyly, smiling hesitantly up at him.

“Hello, little one. How is your day going?” he asked gently.

Harry’s smile brightened. “It’s been really fun. Bahn and Bhindi have been helping me learn more about Nevarah and court manners, and everyone seems to be having fun playing on the beach.”

Raspen smiled. “That’s wonderful to hear. I’m glad you’re having a good day, and getting to know our new in-laws.”

He glanced around, searching Riven out. He relaxed slightly when he saw him with Devrim and Blaise, looking much more settled than he had. It was good to see the storm elements together, and he was very pleased to see that they were willing and able to help settle Riven. He also blinked in surprise when he saw Bahn and Bhindi’s pleased looks. He glanced questioningly at them, smiling slightly when they both smiled at him.

Neither responded to his questioning look, instead opting to continue picking at a tray of crackers and cheeses seated near them. He shook his head, turning his attention back to Harry.

A few minutes later, he blinked when a piece of fruit suddenly appeared in front of his face, held out by a blue hand. He followed the arm, giving Alec a questioning look.

The Merrow rolled his eyes. “Your instincts were unsettled, and they need to settle sooner rather than later because I want to know what caused it. Eat the fruit.”

Raspen snorted quietly, but ate the fruit, shaking his head while doing so. He blushed slightly at Harry’s happy purr, but didn’t complain. It was actually pretty nice, even if it wasn't something he was used to.

He’d always known he’d be claiming a Royal rank, ever since he accepted the position as crown prince. Royal ranks didn’t usually have someone act like that with them, normally they’d be the ones feeding their bonded. He couldn’t deny that it was nice though, and it settled him much more than he really felt that it should have.

A few minutes later, he was completely settled, and Riven and the others had all returned to the pavilion, settling in around them. Within another ten minutes, the game had ended, and the entire Deveraine circle and Raspen’s circle were all gathered together, waiting for Raspen and Riven to explain.

Apparently they were all curious what could unsettle the normally unflappable Earth royal, and rile the storm mage up as well. Especially given that he’d mentioned that it would affect their circles.

He sighed, considering where to start. “Theo, I believe that you have a history with Yanek Calamaris, previously Doursen? I saw that there was a restraining order you previously had against him, but it lost its hold after both of you bonded.”

The Deveraines and Theo all tensed, clearly remembering Yanek and whatever had led to the restraining order being taken out. The paperwork Raspen had seen didn’t specify why, just that the courts agreed that it was appropriate.

Raspen’s circle, on the other hand, were clearly surprised by this. The gheyos looked almost furious, and Harry seemed very concerned, shifting so he could see Theo more clearly.

A few seconds later, Theo nodded slowly. “Yes, we had an issue with him when I was staying in Nevarah for a few months after a wing injury. I was nine and he was eleven, and Yanek and I played together sometimes. I was new, and he was an outcast because of his family being disgraced, so for a while we were each other’s only real options. Yanek quickly became strange though, obsessive really. He was following me around, and became violent when anyone else would talk to me, towards both me and whoever I was talking to. Eventually Ilsa found out, and had Ithycar take out a restraining order against him.”

Minh hissed, clearly displeased. None of the others seemed any happier. Raspen couldn’t blame them, considering that he was also furious that that had happened to his Alpha when he was younger.

Raspen nodded, considering as he forced himself to release those emotions. That made sense, given what he knew of that family, and was certainly more than enough to justify the restraining order. He considered the timing, quickly doing the math. Theo had lived on Earth, not Nevarah, so it was seven years ago on Earth, or about twenty eight here in Nevarah. Yanek was now thirty nine, which lined up with what his records showed.

“Did you see him again today?” he asked carefully.

Theo nodded reluctantly. “We ran into him in line for a snack while we were shopping. He very obviously recognized me, but didn’t seem to pay much attention to anyone else. He did glare at Ariki, Harry, and Ethan, though. I don’t think his obsession has gone away.”

Ilsa hissed, clearly not approving of the threat to two of her children and another two of their bonded.

Hadrian snorted. “It obviously did not. He went straight for you the second he noticed you, and seemed highly offended by the rest of the circle’s existence.”

Raspen grimaced, and several of the Deveraines seemed furious. He couldn’t help but feel extremely creeped out by this whole thing. It was a little odd and creepy that Yanek had been so obsessive as an eleven year old. It was downright disturbing now that Yanek hadn’t seen Theo in twenty eight years, but was still just as obsessed as before, maybe even more.

“I’ll be placing a new restraining order on him, as long as that’s okay with you. I brought the paperwork for you to sign tonight, and I’ll file it officially tomorrow.” Raspen commented, very much hoping that Theo wouldn’t object. He wanted this filed as soon as possible, to give his young Alpha some protection.

Theo blinked in confusion. “What happened? How did you even know about this?”

Raspen sighed. “I’m sure that you all noticed how unsettled Riven and I were when we arrived here. Apparently, Yanek still doesn’t know how to behave in public or control his emotions despite being more than old enough, because he turned up at the courts and threw a very public fit about your bonding. He was ranting and raving about the fact that he’d never seen Harry before, and that he had also ‘stolen’ Ethan. One of his brothers-in-law, Walford Guantrell also started throwing a fit, claiming that he’d also stolen Ariki and that he should have had him.”

Ethan made a face and Ariki shuddered. All eyes turned to the two.

“Ariki?” Ithycar asked.

The Beta shifted uncomfortably, not appearing able to explain.

“He was stalking him the other day,” Dahlia cut in, apparently not wanting to wait for Ariki to explain. “He was following him, acting like Ariki had to entertain his advances simply because he was a Guantrell.”

Raspen couldn’t help the hiss that escaped, not with how angry he was. Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one, as almost everyone else present either hissed or growled. He blinked in surprise when he noticed approving looks in the Deveraines’ eyes as they considered him and his reactions. Perry’s as well. Hissing like that was highly inappropriate for their station, but he supposed that wasn’t the Deveraines’ priority. They probably wanted to know that they cared for Theo and Ariki, and would protect their circle.

He relaxed slightly, running his fingers gently through Harry’s hair to calm them both. “I’ll file a restraining order against him as well, then. Ethan?”

Ethan shifted. “Last hunt Yanek took an interest in me, tried to court me. He didn’t want a Pareya, though. He wanted an advisor with royal connections, and I wasn’t going to force myself to be something I’m not. The more I saw of him, the more he kept pushing, really, the less I liked him. He just came off as cold, cruel. He was building a vanity circle, and wanted only the people with the best names and reputations. I turned him down quickly, but he really didn’t appreciate that. He didn’t stalk me or anything like that, I wasn’t from an important enough family to be worth the effort according to him. He’d just wanted my connections from working as a royal archive scholar.”

Raspen hid a growl. That wasn’t as bad as Theo or Ariki’s history with that family, but it still wasn’t good at all. “I don’t know if I can quite push through a restraining order for that, but I can probably get the one for his obsession with Theo changed to include the full circle. It’ll have to go to at least one other court officially, so it won’t be until tomorrow at the earliest.”

Perry nodded. “Dawne will do it. I’ll bring it to her so mother doesn’t get involved. Once it’s signed she won’t interfere.”

Raspen blinked. “You think she’d object?”

He shrugged. “She’d agree, but make it go through Ebony or Alcandor just to keep her hands clean. She doesn’t want the Vaughns to get mad and refuse to complete their duties like they keep threatening.”

Raspen rolled his eyes. “They shouldn’t have those duties. I don’t understand why she thinks they can be trusted.”

Perry shook his head. “I don’t think she really does, she just thinks their self-preservation and their desire to keep their position will keep them in check.”

Raspen shook his head. “That’s not reliable enough. Not with backstabbing sociopaths like them.”

Perry nodded. “I agree, but there’s not much that we can do until Dawne officially takes over as Queen or they do something that goes way too far. We’re looking for a replacement, but the Queen won’t agree to the change until they’re fully ready.”

Hadrian cut in. “Is there anything we can do? Is their task something our circle could take over or help find a replacement for? I don’t like leaving a threat like that in power.”

Raspen tilted his head. “Given the elements, abilities, and individuals involved we probably could, it would just be a large responsibility and require involvement from some of the families of those in the circle to pad our numbers. I doubt Queen Arista would agree until we’re more settled, she’ll demand at least a year or two together most likely.”

Perry nodded. “I’d certainly much rather have our circle handling this than them, if only just because we could trust our own like we can’t trust that family. But Raspen’s right, mother will never agree until we’ve been together longer. Not unless something completely unexpected and unacceptable happens, something significantly worse than the atrocities that they’ve already committed. Honestly, she’d probably only act if there was a threat to the realm or the courts, no matter how much damage those creeps do in the meantime.”

Raspen blinked when he took in the looks of shock on the Deveraines’ faces. He supposed that such opinions weren’t really expressed in public, even with just their inner courts. They must be fairly surprised to hear that they had such strong hatred for those in the courts.

If only they knew just how many … opinions … the royals really had on their courts and court members.

Chapter Text

Perry laughed as he was knocked into the sand by Minh, rolling together several times. The game had restarted slowly after their discussion about the Doursen, now Calamaris, brat and the Guantrell and Vaughn families, but it was back to full swing now. Some of the players had changed, as Theo and Hadrian, along with Ithycar, Ilsa, and Delani had remained up in the pavilion, but Perry and Riven had come to join the game instead. Still, the number of changes was small and even enough that the game had been able to continue without having to actually shuffle teams.

He was a little curious about what was being discussed in the pavilion, but the game had looked much more fun than sitting still after he’d already spent a couple hours sitting there and received news that had his instincts riled.

He’d considered staying up in the pavilion for the discussions that were sure to occur now anyways, but he’d eventually decided that he needed to be more involved in the games and activities if he wanted to build a stronger and more casual relationship with his circle and in-laws. Raspen would fill him in on whatever was discussed later, and Charlie and Ariki were playing too, so they’d also need to be filled in after the fact. Knowing what was going on was important, but he wanted the connection to his new circle and in-laws more than he wanted to know what was going on as soon as it was decided.

Honestly, he doubted much would be decided at all beyond possibly convincing Theo, Ariki, and Harry, and perhaps Bran and Ethan, to keep gheyos with them while in public. There was nothing wrong with them doing that, especially since their circle wasn’t hunting. They already had plenty of bonded.

Realistically, a gheyo’s presence would always be required for Harry once the royal introductions had been completed, and potentially for more of the circle. They still hadn’t said for sure who all would be on stage for them, but Harry and Theo were not optional as Raspen’s Submissive and Alpha. Peryton would be on stage as well, along with Hadrian, due to their own positions. The question was simply who they would stand with. The rest of the circle could be excused if they were reluctant to participate, but the connections would still be made based on them walking during the circle introduction. Whenever that circle introduction may be, if they didn’t do the full royal introductions.

He almost hoped that Bahn and Bhindi would offer to introduce them with their circle. That would allow them all to have their names read while they walked, and then those willing to do so could simply stand on the stage without having to directly participate during the royal introductions. Raspen and Perry’s presence in the circle would be revealed during the royal introductions no matter what, so the normal presentation for the high nobles wouldn’t be too bad. It would probably be the easiest option for everyone, despite technically being an extra presentation.

He shook his head, forcibly clearing it. They were having a clambake and playing games, not working or playing politics. He was supposed to be having fun and bonding with his circle and in-laws. Ideally, he’d be able to build more of a normal relationship without his royal status interfering. The longer they played, and the more the others saw him behaving like a normal dragel, the less cautious they were around him.

Minh was the first to actually tackle Perry, though. A couple of the Deveraines had had the chance so far, but all seemed hesitant to actually do it, almost certainly because of his status as a royal. He was glad that Minh had been willing to overlook that and play the game normally with him. Yes, he was a prince, but he was still a dragel.

Even more than that, he was his circle’s bonded and the Deveraines’ son-in-law now. He didn’t want them to be walking on eggshells around him or to be afraid of speaking or behaving normally with him. He enjoyed fun, wrestling, and connection as much as anyone else. He just couldn’t show much personality other than just the expected ‘stern royal’ in public.

He’d really rather not have to follow the full royal protocol when he was with only his circle or in-laws.

He blinked in surprise when he glanced around and saw that the Deveraine Pareya had all disappeared into the house. He’d somehow missed that, though he didn’t have to look far to see why. The sun was already sinking towards the horizon, so they must be preparing dinner now.

Several of the others seemed to be watching his reaction to the tackle, carefully gauging his emotions to see how he felt about it. He rolled his eyes, suppressing a smirk as he used his air element to stir up some sand to blow into Minh’s hair.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the offended squawk the sand generated, only increasing when Minh started ranting about the interference with his perfectly braided hair.

His laughter was cut off a moment later when he was tackled again, Minh apparently determined to return the favor. They rolled around on the ground for several minutes, and by the time Charlie broke things up both were completely coated in sand.

Charlie tried to seem serious and disapproving, but it was hard to take him seriously when he was laughing so hard.

It became even harder to take the Beta seriously when Minh dragged him in for a bear hug, getting the sand all over him as well. Fortunately, Charlie was much less fussy than Minh, and seemed pretty much indifferent to being coated in sand.

It was somewhat unusual how laid-back Charlie was, especially for a fire type, but it would be helpful as everyone settled in. Their circle was large enough that some tensions and tempers were guaranteed to flare at times, so the main triad, all four of them in their case given the two betas, would need to be able to stay calm and mediate any issues.

His circle and the Deveraines all looked highly amused, and everyone seemed less cautious around him as they continued playing. Not even ten minutes later he was tackled for the first time by a Deveraine. Loren was apparently the brave one willing to test his willingness to be treated normally, though it was still a much more gentle tackle than when he’d seen the gheyo hit some of the others.

Still, he’d consider it progress. And honestly, Loren had hit Fred rather hard earlier, so getting hit with less force than the others may not be entirely bad. He was still being included, and he wasn’t the only one they were being a little more careful with. Soula was playing the game, but both his circle and the Deveraines were a bit more careful with her due to her submissive status.

He laughed as he was pulled to his feet by Loren and quickly glanced over for injuries. It was good that they were all relaxing more with him. Especially the Deveraines. It was no secret that there was a lot of history between the air courts and the Deveraine family, and it wasn’t all good. The disaster with the Vaughns at the last hunt had been handled horribly by his mother, and the Deveraines had been the ones to suffer because of that. Dawne had been searching for ways to make things right with them for several years, but had not been successful so far. The only real solution was a harsh punishment for the Vaughns and their allies, but his mother had outright forbade them from even considering that until they had a replacement in place to take on their duties. Hopefully, his bonding to Theo and Ariki would allow for more communication and a better relationship between Dawne and Perry and the Deveraines.

Any possible relationship between his mother and the Deveraines was probably a lost cause after her failure to punish the Vaughns, but Dawne would be taking over in the next couple of decades. It wouldn't be bad at all if they could just get to the point where the Deveraines were comfortable with Perry and Dawne.

If today was any indication, the Deveraines seemed entirely willing to accept him as a son-in-law, they just needed to get used to interacting with him in a more casual setting than the courts. Hopefully that would continue, because he genuinely did enjoy spending time with them, and wanted a good, normal relationship with his in-laws.

Harry shifted so he was watching Theo, carefully measuring his expression. He’d been tense ever since the conversation about Yanek and the Vaughns, and hadn’t relaxed as much as Harry would have liked once conversations moved to random gossip about people Harry had never heard of.

That whole conversation had been extremely concerning, Harry felt. He didn’t like the idea of someone stalking his Alpha, especially when he had been only nine. The obsession still remaining now, almost three decades later by Nevaraean time, was even worse, and the other submissive had seemed very obsessed when they’d met earlier. Harry had not liked the impression he’d gotten of the other submissive this morning even without the added context of Theo and Yanek’s history. Yanek’s fury when Theo had pretended not to recognize him and had revealed the fact that he was bonded had been extreme and concerning at the time. Now it was outright disturbing. Harry really hoped that Raspen was able to get that restraining order filed quickly.

Actually, he wanted the restraining orders for the whole circle filed quickly. Yanek had apparently set his sights on Ethan also, from what his Pareya had said, and only left him alone because he and his family weren’t ‘important enough to bother with’. Harry shook his head. It made no sense to him how anyone could possibly not think that his wonderful Pareya wasn’t important enough, or wasn’t worth the effort to have. Honestly, nothing about this submissive’s personality made sense to him. Choosing bonded solely based on names was a completely incomprehensible concept to Harry. He hadn’t actually chosen any of his bonded, but he knew that if he had it wouldn’t have been based on name.

His gaze flicked to Ariki as he played in the game down in the sand. The harassment from that Guantrell they’d mentioned was also concerning. He wondered if Raspen would be able to expand that restraining order to the entire circle as well, since if the other dragel was willing to throw a fit in the middle of the courts he may be willing to hurt someone.

“Raspen? Would it be possible to expand the restraining order against the dragel that was harassing Ariki to include the whole circle as well? I don’t trust him around any of us.” he asked, somewhat hesitant.

The older dragel smiled gently at him. “I can certainly try, I also don’t want him around any of us. I’ll just have to get a second royal to sign off on it. I’m sure Dawne or Alcandor will do it.”

Ithycar blinked. “Prince Alcandor? Not Princess Ebony?”

Harry tilted his head.

Raspen clearly saw Harry’s confusion, because he quickly explained. “The fire crown princess, and acting royal this hunt. She’s a good friend of mine, but I haven’t seen her in a few weeks with everything going on for the introductions. King Alcandor is a more direct connection now that our circle has formed because Alec is a member of the Merrow inner courts.”

Ithycar nodded, smiling at Alec. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that. That is quite impressive.”

Alec snorted. “Why would you, I didn’t say so. Give me the papers, I’ll have him approve and file them tomorrow morning either way just to be sure. Actually, give me all of the restraining orders, he won’t mind. An extra royal approval never hurts, and Alcandor is a king now instead of prince or princess.”

Delani blinked. “Has King Alcandor’s ascension been announced? I don’t remember hearing about it.”

Alec shrugged. “It was pretty noticeable, for the Merrow. I don’t know if anyone bothered to inform the landwalkers.”

Raspen shook his head, looking amused. “It was not announced on land. We just learned when he came along to meet the circle Monday.”

Bahn snickered. “No doubt that lack of an announcement was deliberate.”

Raspen snorted. “Most definitely. He likely was going to just show up dressed as a King when he was announced as a Prince and embarrass Dawne for using the wrong title.”

Alec nodded. “I don’t have confirmation of that, but it is highly probable. Dawne is one of his favorites.”

Harry frowned, not really understanding that comment. Why would he want to embarrass someone who was one of his favorites?

Bhindi noticed his expression, and explained. “Merrow are known for being extremely capricious. Being favored by one really only guarantees that you will be on the receiving end of their spells, pranks, and attitude.”

Alec made an offended noise, but Harry couldn’t help but think she was probably right about that. Alcandor had seemed very pleased to announce the fact that Brishen was an immortal to the entire room, despite the phoelix clearly not wanting that to be common knowledge. Alec and Brishen were always snapping at each other, despite sharing an element. Alec also always complained about everyone, circle, friends, and family included. The complaints almost never seemed real though, it always just seemed as though he was complaining to complain.

He chirped, squeezing Alec’s hand lightly. Alec looked at him, cheeks purple. Harry smiled at the oddly adorable sight. Purple was an unusual color for a blush, but it suited his Merrow.

“Anyways, I should be able to push through those restraining orders fairly easily with Dawne and Alcandor’s help. We do need to discuss the introductions, though,” Prince Raspen commented, running a hand through Harry’s hair.

Bahn cut in quickly. “We’re happy to introduce your circle with us, if you’d like. It would be a less stressful introduction than the royal ones, and would be perfectly appropriate ,between Theo and Ariki.”

Bhindi nodded along. Delani, Ilsa, and Ithycar all looked agreeable as well.

“Introductions?” Harry asked.

Raspen smiled down at him. “The hunt starts this week, and everyone involved has to be introduced. Given the status of everyone in the circle there are a few options. Peryton and I have to do the royal introductions because of our royal status, and Hadrian has to be presented then as the shadow blood title. You and the Earth types in the circle will have to be on stage for the royal introductions as my bonded, but the rest of the circle has a choice. It is strongly recommended that the whole circle be present as not being there shows a lack of cohesion in the ranks, but isn’t necessarily a huge problem.”

Harry blinked. “We have to be introduced in front of everyone with the royals?”

Raspen nodded. “To an extent, yes. You can be introduced then, or you can be introduced earlier in the day when there’s a little less pressure and you don’t have to say anything. If you do that you just have to be standing on stage during the royal introductions. The stage will have a lot of people on it, so if you are introduced earlier the royal introductions won’t be too bad without a full introduction during it.”

Harry nodded slowly. “Earlier would be easier, wouldn’t it? But would everyone be okay with that?”

Theo smiled at him. “Earlier would certainly be easier, even if it is another introduction technically. I think most of the circle would prefer it, honestly. The gheyos can show off quite a bit more during the regular high noble introductions, which they usually enjoy, I believe?”

Hadrian nodded. “Certainly. We tend to enjoy the introductions because they are a chance to show off some tricks that are flashier or less practical. They’re good tricks, and take a lot of practice, but they’re almost never used in a fight. A good number of us would also probably prefer to simply stand there for the royal introductions instead of having to actively participate or speak. More of the bonds need to be settled, though.”

Raspen nodded. “Indeed. There hasn’t been much time around paperwork so far, but as much of the circle as possible does need to be settled by Friday.”

Harry tilted his head in curiosity. “Settled?”

Bhindi spoke before anyone else could, a smirk on her face. “Sex, for those old enough to participate. You have a more direct way to bond because of your age, and can’t actually participate until you’re sixteen, but those over sixteen will have sex once they’re willing to bond, or even before then just because they want to. You should know this by now.”

Harry blushed. He’d known that his bonded were likely doing that, but he hadn’t really been thinking about it. None had seemed inclined to bring it up around him, so he hadn’t paid attention to it beyond appreciating the decreasing tension as everyone seemed to settle in more.

Theo rolled his eyes. “Okay, enough teasing. It’s only been two days, it isn’t exactly surprising that not all of the bonds are settled. We have another two days until it matters, we can discuss it later tonight if needed.”

Raspen nodded, looking almost eager. Harry wondered if he had been hoping that bonding with more of the circle would come up. He couldn’t blame him if he had. Some of those in his circle were very nice to look at, after all.

Theo was certainly included in that number.

A few minutes later his attention was caught by a white figure flying towards them, aiming straight for him. A very familiar white figure.

He smiled, sitting up. Raspen frowned slightly at the loss of his head in his lap, shifting closer to him instead.

A second later, Hedwig swooped down, landing on his shoulder. Harry smiled, greeting her happily.

She’d clearly been quite upset by his absence, but had now definitively proven that she could find him anywhere.

Harry glanced around, hiding a smile at the shock and confusion of everyone around, both from Earth and from Nevarah. Apparently owls weren’t normally expected to be able to follow their humans across realms, but it honestly didn’t surprise Harry at all that Hedwig had managed it. She’d always been special.

Theo raised an eyebrow, considering for a moment. “Is this your owl, Harry? She does look familiar.”

Harry nodded happily. “This is Hedwig.”

Theo smiled slightly, pleased by how happy Harry seemed. “Do you have any idea how she got here? I wasn’t aware of any owl transportation options available, and I’ve never seen one in Nevarah.”

Raspen laughed softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen an owl in Nevarah either, though I have heard that they are used to carry mail in the wizarding world.”

Harry smiled. “Hedwig does carry mail, but she’s also my friend and much smarter than a normal owl.”

Hedwig puffed up her chest, clearly preening with pride.

Several of the dragels present blinked in confusion, evidently surprised by her behavior.

Theo shook his head, deciding to cut his losses and stop questioning things that happened around Harry. It was good to see him learning so fast. Hermione was still trying to apply logic and find reasonable explanations to things in their lives even now, when she’d had almost four years of experience with his luck. It was not working at all. Things just happened around him, and thinking about it too hard would give anyone a migraine.

Harry laughed slightly, leaning back against Raspen again, but not laying down fully so Hedwig could stay on his shoulder. The royal seemed very confused and surprised by her addition, but evidently decided not to question it too much out loud.

He and the others would probably harass Charlie and the twins for more answers later, but that wasn’t Harry’s problem right now.

Theo smiled when Alma came over, a large table covered in food platters floating behind her. The Pareya went inside a little while ago, claiming to be extremely late starting dinner despite the fact that there was still plenty of food left out from lunch and afternoon snacks.

He shook his head, amused. Pareya were always fussy, and Alma more than most. Bahn’s pregnancy was likely making her instincts even more aggressive than normal.

Fortunately for him, there were several other targets for fussing that she’d been focusing on instead. Bahn, Bhindi, Harry, and Bran were all very convenient for any Pareya that wanted to fuss, so despite Theo’s connection to the Deveraines he hadn’t been smothered too much.

Bahn and Bhindi seemed to consider the food necessary though, if their reactions to Alma’s arrival were anything to go by.

Theo smiled, shaking his head slightly. The food wouldn’t be bad to have, even if there was plenty still around. Hopefully they’d be able to get Harry to eat some more if everyone else ate the new food they had just brought. He really did need to gain some more weight. Bran also seemed to appreciate the new food, sitting up from where he’d been lying on his blanket.

Hedwig also seemed to approve, hooting happily and pecking Harry’s ear when she saw the food selection. Theo blinked. That was not normal behavior for an owl, but nothing Hedwig had done so far had been normal. He’d just have to get used to it, he supposed.

At least it was a smaller oddity than some of the others he’d heard of around Harry. The twins had mentioned something about an insane house elf that was obsessed with his submissive. An oddly intelligent owl was much easier to deal with.

Alma’s fussing was apparently in full swing as she prepared to serve the food, making plates for everyone in the pavilion, even those not in her circle. Harry seemed surprised and confused when a plate was suddenly placed in his hands, but Hedwig hooted approvingly and bumped her beak against his chin.

Theo blinked again. He really did need to stop expecting Hedwig to behave like a normal owl, but it was still strange to see an owl acting like a mother hen.

Harry sighed, clearly annoyed at the fussing and the pressure from Hedwig, but started eating.

Alma smiled. “It’s good to see that she’s so devoted. What does she like to eat?”

Harry smiled hesitantly at her. “Bacon’s her favorite, but she’ll eat most meat.”

Alma smiled, nodding. “I don’t have any bacon prepared right now, but we have some jerky she may enjoy.”

Hedwig hooted, sounding pleased with that idea. Alma laughed softly, then wandered off to fetch a plate of jerky.

Theo shook his head, laughing softly. His smile widened a few minutes later when plates were pressed into his and Raspen’s hands, Alma clearly not accepting any excuses for not eating as she left to fetch the next set of food before either of them could say anything.

Raspen seemed pleased, Theo noticed. He’d looked much happier once everyone had started relaxing around him, which did seem to be a trend with both him and Peryton. It made sense in a way. Royals always seemed so closed off, so isolated, but dragels were social creatures that thrived off of connections. It made sense that they’d want to be normal when not in the public eye.

Theo shifted slightly so he was leaning slightly against Raspen as they ate, smiling when he felt Raspen’s chest vibrate in a soft purr.

Harry glanced over at the two of them from where he was leaning against Raspen’s other shoulder, clearly approving. Theo smiled at him, reaching over to ruffle his hair before continuing to eat.

It was good to see him more relaxed, willingly eating a reasonable portion of food. Just the last two days had been enough to know that he wouldn’t eat nearly enough unless it was specifically given to him and he wasn’t thinking about how much he was eating. Even before that, it was common knowledge at Hogwarts that Harry didn’t eat properly.

Theo frowned, considering that. He’d never been very involved with the gossip chain in Hogwarts, but he’d still heard far more about Harry than he expected the submissive was comfortable with everyone in the school knowing. He’d never really thought about it, but it was actually a little disturbing that the whole school knew that Harry didn’t eat enough and lived with relatives that he didn’t get along with, but no one had ever said or done anything. They’d all just assumed that as the boy-who-lived he’d be taken care of.

He sighed softly. So much had been wrong in the wizarding world, especially regarding Harry. At least they had a full gheyo suite now. It would take a while, but ideally they’d be able to get vengeance for everything their submissive had gone through. They’d have to be sure to explain it to Harry as justice since he’d certainly object to vengeance on his behalf, but he doubted that would be a major issue.

Raspen gently bumped his knee, distracting him from his thoughts. He smiled at him briefly, then turned his attention back to the game on the sand in front of them. It was still going strong, but it looked as though it was reaching the end. He hadn’t played it in years, but it was still somewhat familiar.

He laughed a few seconds later as he saw Charlie and Loren go rolling through the sand, all the way into the edges of the water. Raspen followed his gaze, then laughed as well as they watched both fire dragels leap to their feet and scramble away from the waves as though stung by the water.

Charlie froze just a few feet away from the retreating wave, blinking in clear confusion. Theo couldn’t help but laugh at his expression. He couldn’t hear him from here, but he was clearly very confused about why he’d just reacted so strongly to water.

Harry, Bran, and the Deveraine twins burst into giggles as they watched Loren grab Charlie and drag him further from the water’s edge before the next incoming wave could reach him, clearly annoyed to have to do so. Alec snorted, muttering something about idiotic landwalkers and ridiculous fire types.

Theo snickered, shaking his head. Raspen rolled his eyes, but was still laughing.

George sighed in relief as the game ended. He’d had a good time, but it had been a fairly long game and he was getting exhausted. That was probably the point, though.

He smiled as they approached the pavilion, seeing Harry happily relaxing while leaning against Prince Raspen with an owl on his shoulder. Theo was also leaning against the royal, and George’s instincts very much approved. He didn’t know why, but the careful politeness and distance had aggravated his new instincts the last two days, so it was good to see Theo and Raspen relaxing together with Harry. Especially given that there were others present, non-circle members at that.

George did a double take a moment later, as his mind belatedly processed that there was an owl on Harry’s shoulder. Hedwig, specifically. He frowned, highly confused. Hedwig had been on Earth, still at Hogwarts when the soulscream happened. It made no sense whatsoever for her to be in Nevarah without anyone in the circle going to fetch her, no matter how skilled of an owl she was.

Fred apparently agreed. “How did Hedwig get here?”

Harry shrugged, seeming completely unconcerned by the odd avian behavior. “She just flew over a little before dinner. I don’t know how she got to Nevarah, but Hedwig’s always been good at finding me.”

George shook his head. “Of course she has. Even to the point of tracking you across realms, apparently.”

Harry shrugged, then nodded. “Yep. It’s not that surprising, really. She was able to find Sirius through the Black family redirection wards when other owls couldn’t.”

George simply shook his head, laughing slightly. Of course he was completely unconcerned about how impossible it was for an owl to find someone under the legendary Black wards, or to arrive in Nevarah without someone going back to Earth to get her. This was Harry after all, and the owl was Hedwig. He never questioned any of her oddities.

He never really questioned anyone’s oddities, actually. Not his and George’s bond as twins, far closer than wizards considered normal. Not Hermione’s bookish tendencies, or Luna’s whimsical but prophetic nature. He hadn’t questioned anything at all about anyone in their circle, just accepting them all as they were.

George couldn’t help but like things that way. Harry’s accepting nature was one of his favorite things about his submissive.

He blinked in surprise, then smiled happily when Peryton walked over so he was standing next to him, throwing an arm around his shoulders as they continued walking into the pavilion. It was nice to see the prince relax more around everyone, especially with people not in the circle present.

Once everyone was gathered around the pavilion, Bahn spoke up. “Just so you all know, I’ve invited all of your circle to walk with ours at the introductions Friday and Theo and Harry have said they’d accept unless anyone objected. Does anyone object?”

George blinked. That was certainly blunt.

Bahn’s two alphas clearly agreed, as both Ithycar and Delani looked extremely exasperated.

None of the circle seemed to have an issue with that suggestion, though. George didn’t really understand what they were talking about, but most of the circle seemed happy.

Ethan frowned slightly. “Would we still have to do the royal introductions if we do that?”

Raspen smiled slightly, seeming slightly amused by the question. “It would be better for you all to be on stage, but you won’t have to actively participate or speak if you walk with the Deveraines. Technically, only Harry and Theo are absolutely required to be on stage, but it doesn’t look good for you all not to be.”

Ethan smiled. “That’s fine. I definitely vote for the introductions with the Deveraines instead of a formal royal introduction, if we’re voting.”

The others all murmured in agreement. George was amused to note that it seemed unanimous, everyone seeming to strongly prefer sticking with the Deveraines instead of going with the royals. The only ones not strongly agreeing were him and his brothers, and that was only because none of the three understood what was being discussed.

Bhindi smiled. “It’s settled then. We’ll send the details about the time slot and everything once we have them, we just have to adjust the reservation slightly to make sure there’s time for both circles. Ithycar, you can do that tomorrow, right?”

Ithycar looked amused, but fond as he turned his attention to his female submissive. “Of course.”

Bahn nodded, seeming satisfied. “Excellent. We’ll see you all soon, but we should probably get going for now. I have some potions that I have to take in the next twenty minutes, and you all need some time together tonight without parents or in-laws present.”

George smiled slightly, enjoying Bahn’s directness as everyone said goodbye. He was honestly surprised by how welcoming the Deveraines had been all day, and that continued over to the goodbyes as well. He was hugged more times saying goodbye to the Deveraines than the first time he left for Hogwarts, and his mother had only released him to hug Fred and their older brothers.

Charlie smiled as they arrived back in Blaise’s house, relaxing slightly. He’d had a good time today, and enjoyed seeing Harry relax with everyone else in the pavilion, especially with the Deveraine twins. Still, it had been a long day in the hot sun.

He purred slightly when Theo’s arm snaked around his waist, his other arm around Prince Raspen. “Perhaps we should continue our conversation from earlier, Prince Raspen? And perhaps include Charlie, Ariki, and Prince Peryton, if everyone’s interested,” Theo’s voice was silky, almost a purr.

Charlie blinked, curious about the change in Theo’s voice. If he was suggesting what he thought he was suggesting, then Charlie was more than interested.

Prince Raspen smiled, nodding easily. “Certainly, so long as Harry is okay with our absence for a while.”

Harry blinked, then blushed bright red as he apparently realized what they were implying. “I have no issues with it. I guess Bran and I can just hang out some more, so we don’t disturb you or anything.”

Theo frowned. “You wouldn’t disturb us. We’d always be happy to have you with us, you just can’t actually participate until your sixteenth birthday.”

Harry nodded, seeming uncertain but pleased by the sentiment. Alec, apparently sensing Harry’s uncertainty, interrupted. “It’s my turn for some time with Harry.”

Riven made an offended noise. “You had time with Harry yesterday. I haven’t gotten any time with Harry yet.”

Alec shrugged. “I’m still taking him. You can follow along as well if you must, but I am getting time with Harry.”

Theo laughed slightly, shaking his head, but didn’t say anything. Charlie couldn’t help but roll his eyes, but he was still pleased. It kept Harry happy, and made sure he felt welcome and wanted without pressuring him about something he was clearly not entirely comfortable thinking about yet.

Fred interrupted before anyone else could. “If Alec and Riven get Harry, George and I want dibs on Bran.”

Charlie laughed, shaking his head. Of course Fred would claim Bran.

Ethan snorted at that, but blinked in surprise when Minh’s arms suddenly circled him from behind. “Dibs on Ethan. He didn’t wrestle with me enough earlier, he just got up and kept playing. It was a waste of a perfectly good opportunity.”

Ethan rolled his eyes, but smiled.

Charlie shook his head, struggling to suppress his laughter.

A few minutes later, he happily followed when Theo apparently had enough of listening to their circle members call dibs on each other and steered him out of the entrance hall and into a bedroom nearby.

It didn’t take long before all five of them were in the room, all seeming to be varying degrees of nervous and eager. Charlie blinked as he considered the overall makeup of this particular bonding. Alpha, both betas, and both royals, even if one royal had claimed an advisor rank. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was partially political, especially after the discussions about presentations and being unified by Friday.

He didn’t really like the idea that this bonding might be political, but even if that was a consideration the desire he saw in everyone’s eyes was real. That was enough to satisfy his instincts, allowing him to relax and enjoy their time together.

There was certainly plenty to enjoy with these four as his companions.

Hadrian blinked in surprise when Blaise carefully got his attention, pulling him aside when people began breaking off to go their own ways.

“Is everything alright?” Hadrian asked, frowning with concern. Blaise had seemed somewhat tense for the last two days, and he’d noticed the younger gheyo watching him closely several times.

Blaise nodded, shifting awkwardly.

Hadrian suppressed a sigh. He was never happy to have to extract answers from someone, especially when he had to do it gently. Still, he should just get used to it. Between Wikhn, Devrim, and Blaise he had the feeling that he would be doing it a lot.

“Is there something that you need from me?” he asked carefully.

Blaise shrugged, looking uncertain. As though he didn’t know if it was a need or not.

“Is there something that you want from me?” he asked, more directly this time.

Blaise looked even more nervous. “You seemed willing to cuddle with the others,” he said, carefully avoiding asking for attention or contact for himself.

Hadrian smiled, reaching out to rest an arm around Blaise’s shoulders. He’d suspected that Blaise would eventually need that kind of physical connection, but he hadn’t thought that he’d be willing to accept it from him for months, maybe even years. He certainly hadn’t expected to be asked for it the day after Blaise had refused his mark. “I’m certainly willing to cuddle with anyone in the circle who wants to. I just didn’t think that you’d be willing to allow that contact with me so soon.”

Blaise blinked, leaning into Hadrian but not responding.

Hadrian sighed softly. “I thought since you didn’t accept my mark you wouldn’t want to be closer to me than necessary to function as a suite. At least for a while, months to years at minimum, potentially decades.”

Blaise looked up at him, a surprised look on his face. “I don’t not want to be around you, and I am still considering your mark and a full bond. I just can’t make my instincts accept a dominant bonded that I don’t know. Not since becoming a joker. Back when I was a Queen I probably could have, but not anymore. You seem to be a good Ace and you treat the rest of the suite in a way that I never even imagined I could have, but I just can’t make my instincts accept a bond to you so soon.”

Hadrian couldn’t help but be pleased at that admission. He’d been upset that Wikhn had refused a full bond with him, but both Brishen and Blaise had indicated that they may be willing to bond to him in time. Blaise had now confirmed that he did intend to bond to Hadrian fully, he just wanted more time to be sure and know each other better.

He couldn’t blame the young joker for that. Almost all jokers took time to accept a bonded, especially an Ace. It took even longer when they were primarily sworn to someone else in the circle, if they ever bonded or swore beyond that one chosen. Between that and Blaise’s age, it was no surprise that he wanted more time to be certain.

There were definitely problems in his past, as well. You didn’t get your inheritance at nine and become a joker at twelve without something going very wrong.

“Just let me know if you are ready, or if you need or want anything before then, or after for that matter. For now, there’s some nice couches in the alcove here we can use.” He gently guided the young joker over to a couch, pulling him to rest against him.

Blaise was surprisingly cooperative, easily going with Hadrian’s gentle nudges. It was very unusual for a joker, but at the same time it made perfect sense for a fifteen-year-old. Hadrian blinked, considering. This was the first time outside of the game at the clambake a few hours ago he’d really seen Blaise act his age, instead of behaving like a seasoned joker.

It was a good thing, most likely. It couldn’t be healthy for a fifteen-year-old to be constantly acting like he was ten times his age.

Hadrian simply relaxed there, holding the younger gheyo for a while until the boy relaxed before speaking again. “If you ever need to talk, you can come to me. If you need contact or a spar, you can always come to me. Whether it’s about your past, what’s going on now with the circle, or something you want to do or know, or even just to blow off some steam, you can always come to me about it. Just because you are a joker and not fully bonded to me doesn’t mean that you’re not a part of my suite, or that I’m not your Ace.”

Blaise shuddered slightly, but didn’t respond. Instead he simply tucked his face under Hadrian’s chin, his breathing uneven.

Hadrian sighed softly, rubbing Blaise’s back as he waited for his breath to even out as he relaxed.

It took a while, but Blaise eventually fell asleep while relaxing on Hadrian. He smiled slightly, looking the younger dragel over more closely than he’d been able to previously. He was unusually muscular for his age, though still a touch underdeveloped for a joker. That wasn’t surprising though. Hadrian had never even heard of another dragel in his situation, fifteen and already holding a joker rank in a fully bonded circle.

He shook his head slowly, carefully shifting so he could stand up and lift Blaise without waking him. He walked back to the resting room as smoothly as he could, careful not to jostle the younger dragel, and gently settled him into the bed. Theo, the Betas, and the two princes weren’t back from their activities yet, but Harry, Bran, and the twins were all cuddled up in the bed. He carefully settled Blaise against who he thought was George, then climbed in behind him.

He relaxed into the bed, not sleeping but fully relaxed as he waited for the rest of the circle to wander in for bed. Alec was almost certainly in one of the water rooms instead of the general resting room by now, especially after he’d called dibs on Harry’s time earlier. He wasn’t sure where the other gheyos were, but Minh had seemed determined to have Ethan, and would have likely roped Idan and Devrim into it as well.

Hadrian would also need to bond to more of the circle soon, especially Theo and the Betas, but tonight Blaise had needed his attention. He couldn’t be upset about that if he tried, not when the younger gheyo so clearly needed reassurance from another gheyo.

Besides, his bondings would need to be more one-on-one, not a group like that. Dynamics were much more complicated between an Ace and other dominant ranks than they were between relatively standard ranks, even dominant ones.

Chapter Text

Quinn smiled slightly as he considered the array of food he’d made. All of it was tailored to meet the ideal health standards for each of his circle members and Bill, while still suiting each individual’s tastes. He was quite pleased to have finished it all in such good time, as Ethan and the twins still hadn’t made their way down yet.

That may be at least partially because the three had had Bran and Harry cuddling between them, with Ethan sandwiched in the middle. It wasn’t the traditional sleeping position, and Quinn had no idea how Ethan had ended up in the middle when he’d been near the edges with Minh when he’d gone to bed, but it was quite cute to wake up and see. Quinn definitely approved of the arrangement if it meant Ethan would sleep in or relax longer in the morning today, as the Pareya had been up and moving, bustling around and constantly fussing quite early the last two mornings. A slow, relaxing morning cuddling with their submissive and consort may help settle his instincts more than fussing ever could.

He chirped in greeting a few minutes later when Alec sulked in, holding out one of the plates he’d made for the two water types.

The Merrow blinked in confusion, staring at the plate for a solid five seconds before hesitantly taking it and sitting at the table to eat.

Quinn smiled softly, sitting across from him. ‘What time do you think you’ll be back?’ he wrote, wondering if the Merrow would answer.

Alec shrugged. “Depends. I have to train the idiotic serpent for the introductions, and check up on some other issues since I haven’t been there much the last few days. I also need to check the schedule for the next few weeks to see when we might be able to have Alcandor check who Harry’s third is.”

Quinn nodded. That was fairly promising, and Harry did need the connection with more family. The Peverells seemed interested in being involved, but they still hadn’t heard from the Evansons at all. After everything that happened, Harry deserved all three of his parents’ families attention and acceptance.

‘Do you think whoever it is will accept him?’ he asked, watching Alec’s reaction carefully.

The Merrow bared his fangs, looking downright dangerous at that idea. “They’d better, or else they’ll have me and Alcandor to deal with. Killigan as well, most likely. I’d rather not introduce the two trouble magnets until necessary, but they’ll certainly get along well.”

Quinn smiled slightly at the idea of another friend for Harry, even if he had no idea who this one was. ‘Killigan?’

Alec snorted. “Alcandor’s bonded. The new Merrow Queen.”

Quinn laughed, but nodded. Harry did seem to be making some very powerful connections, but it was probably for the best. At this point, they had a close connection to every court except storm and fire, that Quinn knew of. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise him if there were more connections that he didn’t know about yet.

Their luck seemed to be going that way.

Alec finished his food quickly, standing up and stretching. “I’m heading out now, the sooner I’m done the sooner I can get back, and there’s a lot to do with the hunt in two days.”

Quinn smiled slightly, hugging the Merrow carefully before he left. Alec had been shockingly mild this morning, likely because their elements were relatively complementary and the Merrow hadn’t seemed to be fully awake yet.

He wasn’t sure if the Merrow realized that Quinn had a slight water affinity due to his father being half Merrow, but he wasn’t going to point it out if not. Alec would either figure it out or not, it didn’t matter either way to Quinn.

He pulled out his paperwork, getting to work as he waited for the others to return. His mother had surprisingly put in the requests for him to receive his mastery and be allowed to work independently, despite previously saying that she didn’t think he’d be ready for a few centuries. It would be a good thing with Harry and their circle, but he was still surprised. He’d also taken time off at the clinic, but he hadn’t finished the paperwork to officially finalize his leave yet. He sighed, beginning to fill out the forms.

Paperwork really was the worst part of being a healer.

Raspen smiled as he and Perry wandered into the kitchen, hoping to find some food before leaving for the courts. They’d been planning on just grabbing whatever was in the fridge and charming it warm, but it appeared that Quinn had prepared food for the entire circle.

The healer didn’t even blink at their arrival, completely absorbed in his paperwork.

Raspen shook his head, wandering over so he was standing behind him. He waited until Quinn finished a page, then gently hugged the healer from behind. The healer jumped slightly in surprise, then relaxed, purring slightly.

Raspen smiled. “How is your morning going?”

Quinn blushed. ‘Pretty good. Too much paperwork, but Alec ate a full breakfast before leaving, and you two will, as well.’

Raspen laughed softly, but sat down when prompted, watching Perry do the same. Quinn quickly charmed two plates to float over, settling in front of the two royals.

“This looks delicious, thank you Quinn,” Perry complemented.

Raspen smiled when Quinn immediately blushed bright red. He carefully took a bite, then reached out to squeeze the healer’s hand. “It is excellent, thank you.”

Quinn didn’t reply, but his blush darkened slightly and he looked extremely pleased. Raspen smiled, watching him continue working through the mountain of papers. It was good to see the healer look so happy at them enjoying the food he’d cooked. Quinn may have previously had an Alpha rank that was now renounced, but some of the possessive and protective traits from the rank had clearly remained. Along with the stubbornness, he had to admit. All healers were relatively stubborn, but Quinn was even more than most. Even for a Kalzik.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing, with their circle. They would need someone to keep them all in line with their medical checkups and healings, and Quinn would be a large part of that. As their bonded healer, he’d know more about them and their pasts than almost anyone else, simply because he knew their full medical histories. He’d also apparently taken over choosing and cooking meals for the circle, likely a combination of enjoying cooking and wanting to ensure they were all at optimum health.

He finished his food quickly, sighing softly when he finished. He knew that he had to leave for the courts, and the sooner the better, but he was still far from eager to have to leave the rest of the circle. Especially considering that he hadn’t been able to talk to Harry this morning as the young submissive hadn’t woken up yet.

He sighed. That was life, for a royal. Things would calm down some after the hunt ended, so he’d be able to be around for breakfast and ideally dinner on days without formal dinners at the court, but until then he’d be lucky to get two meals a day at the house. He probably wouldn’t get more than one meal a day with the rest of the circle until after introductions. Unless the rest of the circle came to the courts and ate with him there, but he wasn’t sure that was a good idea right now.

Normally the courts were perfectly safe and relatively private unless there was some kind of open court or event going on, but the Calamaris and Guantrells had proven just yesterday that they were more than willing to cause problems in the middle of the courts with no notice. They hadn’t gotten violent, but the targets of their rage hadn’t been there, that they knew of. He and Riven were both part of Harry’s circle as well, so the two of them may well be included in their anger once their bonding was announced. He did have several suites of royal guards that could easily handle the troublemakers, in addition to the circle’s suite, but he still would prefer not to have to use them.

He really needed to get those restraining orders filed.

“We should probably head out. I want those restraining orders submitted as soon as possible. Dawne should be there by now, I think?” He glanced over at Perry for confirmation.

The air prince nodded. “Definitely. We’re the hosting element this time, so she’s working almost all of the time that she’s not sleeping. She’s probably sleeping there as well, by this point.”

Raspen nodded, unsurprised. Quinn made a disapproving noise, but didn’t comment.

Raspen smiled softly at the healer. “She can handle it. We all can, really. We knew the requirements when we accepted the positions, even if knowing and understanding aren’t always the same.”

Quinn nodded, but still didn’t look pleased. ‘Harry needs to not be involved in that any more than absolutely necessary for at least a decade or two.’

Raspen nodded, easily agreeing. “We have ten years until the next hunt, and even then it’ll be mostly my problem. Theo and Perry can help as much as they want or can, but it’s my responsibility. The rest of you just have to show up and follow protocol as well as you can.”

Quinn gave him a look. ‘Are you suggesting that I can’t follow protocol?’

Raspen shook his head, laughing softly. “I’m sure you can. I can’t imagine your mother would have allowed any of her children to not follow them.”

Quinn nodded, looking almost traumatized.

Raspen hid a laugh, moving on. “There are others that may not know the protocols. Harry was given the information by Bhindi, but hasn’t practiced or talked through it so he may not be completely confident yet. Charlie and the twins almost certainly know nothing about protocol given that they’re wizard-raised, so they might need help before the introductions. Blaise also seems uncertain about some of the protocols, though that may be because of his rank and element. Someone should probably try to fill him in if he doesn’t mind too much, before he has to be part of the royal courts.”

Quinn nodded. ‘I hadn’t considered Blaise. He seems confident enough with his element that I assumed that he had a full education, but it can’t hurt to check.’

Perry smiled. “Ethan will know all of the protocols too, and most likely more of the others. It might be helpful to divide and conquer, or have a large group practice. It might even be fun, if you practice some of the more ridiculous protocols.”

Quinn snorted. ‘Most of it is ridiculous, but I see your point. I’ll talk to Theo about it, and see if we can fit it in. I know there’s some more shopping he wanted to do, mostly picking up the clothes we ordered.’

Raspen nodded. “That’ll be good. The court tailors insisted on making clothes for everyone for the royal introductions and state dinners, given the strictness of the requirements. I made sure they’ll be comfortable, but there’s nothing I can do about the formality or the style.”

Quinn nodded. He didn’t look particularly pleased, but he also didn’t complain.

Perry quickly spelled their plates clean, then moved to hug Quinn. “We’ll see you this evening.”

Raspen also hugged their healer, then the pair slipped out to head to the courts.

This would be a long day, he could feel it already.

Quinn smiled when Bill wandered in, looking distracted. ‘How are things going? I haven’t seen you much the last day or so?’ he asked, handing him a plate.

The redhead smiled, sitting down. “Pretty good. Ethan taught me how to cast a general transportation portal, so I’ve been at the library to try to learn as much as I can. Malachi met me there for lunch so we could talk, and he offered to be my mentor. He said that because he’s an Alpha it isn’t traditional for him to be a mentor, but that it wasn’t really a problem?”

Quinn shrugged. ‘It isn’t traditional, but that’s because Alphas can sometimes have trouble not treating mentored students as either their bonded or their children. I doubt he’ll have that problem after you’ve been coworkers and he knows he’s your uncle.’

Bill smiled in relief. “That’s good to hear. I was planning to accept, but I wanted to talk to someone else to be sure.”

Quinn smiled, squeezing the redhead’s arm. This all must be fairly overwhelming for him. He’d known dragels existed, at least, but at the same time he was now a new species in a different realm with a family he hadn’t known was family. And he didn’t have the support of a bonded circle like his brothers did. ‘The rules around who can be a mentor aren’t really that strict. If it feels right, it probably is. You’ll also need a training circle for your gheyic instincts, but that won’t be hard to find’

The redhead smiled, finishing his food. “Thanks, Quinn. Breakfast was great, but I need to get to the library now if I want to finish the book I was reading before lunch.”

Quinn nodded. ‘Are you coming here and porting with us, or is one of the Prewitts going to meet you at the library and bring you over?’

Bill shrugged. “I’ll probably come back here. No one said anything about meeting me there, so that’s probably best. And I’d rather arrive with Charlie and the twins.”

Quinn wasn’t surprised. It would probably be completely overwhelming to arrive alone, especially if he was the first one there. At least with the others the fussing would be spread out.

Ethan wandered into the kitchen, smiling down at Harry who was excitedly explaining Quidditch to him. He’d woken up over an hour ago, but had not wanted to risk waking Harry or Bran, so he’d stayed lying in bed, relaxing and enjoying the time and cuddles.

Eventually, everyone had woken up, so Ethan had been freed to move and go see what their breakfast would be. Hopefully Quinn or someone else would have an idea, because he had never managed to get the hang of cooking. The failures had been rather spectacular, he had to admit.

He smiled when he saw Quin sitting at the table, apparently having just reached the bottom of a large pile of paperwork.

He winced as he considered the size of the pile. It looked like a nightmare to deal with, but the healer had made good progress. If he wasn’t mistaken, Quinn was just finishing his last form right now.

He smiled down at Harry, waiting while he explained the rest of his favorite sport. It was probably a good thing that Quinn wasn’t paying attention to them, because there was no way that the healer would approve of this sport. It seemed extremely dangerous, even by dragel standards. For Harry to have been playing since he was eleven would not be a good thing by healer standards.

He wasn’t even sure that it was a good thing by his standards.

The others from Earth all seemed to consider it normal, though. Charlie and the twins claimed to all play or have played at Hogwarts as well, and had been playing for fun with their siblings from an even younger age. Theo and Blaise didn’t play it themselves, avoiding attention-grabbing aerial sports while on Earth to avoid their wings accidentally coming out in public, but considered the game perfectly normal. They both acknowledged and disliked the injuries that their submissive had received in the game, but they did not seem to think that it was a bad thing that he had played.

A few minutes later, Quinn finished his paperwork and turned his attention to Ethan and Harry, and those who had followed them in.

Ethan glanced the group over, smiling when he realized that they had all but three of the circle here. They were only missing Raspen, Peryton, and Alec, all of whom had unavoidable duties at their respective courts. Especially today, when they were trying to quickly file restraining orders with as many royals’ approval as possible.

Ethan blinked when a scroll suddenly appeared in front of Theo, who reached out and grabbed it hesitantly.

The alpha broke the seal, examining the contents, before nodding. “We have the restraining orders in place now. Yanek Calamaris, originally Doursen, and Walford Guantrell are not allowed within two hundred yards of anyone in the Nott circle.”

Ethan tilted his head. “We’re going with Nott, then? I assumed so, but I wasn’t sure we’d decided.”

Theo shrugged, frowning slightly. “I don’t think we did. I know I didn’t decide on or agree to anything involving our circle name. The order must have needed a name filled in. None of the others could be used without asking, and I doubt Raspen would have wanted to put his last name on it, the politics would have been a disaster.”

Ethan shuddered slightly, not wanting to even imagine it. “Is it magically binding?”

Theo frowned, checking the memo. “It will be once it has been officially delivered to those receiving it. It should be done by this afternoon, so if we just wait until after lunch to go pick up our orders that would probably be for the best.”

Ethan nodded. Avoiding a confrontation with Yanek or Walford sounded good to him.

Hadrian nodded, clearly agreeing. “The suite will all accompany you.”

Theo blinked. “It will just be a quick trip to pick up our orders, but if it makes you more comfortable I don’t think we’d ever object to your presence.”

Hadrian smiled slightly at that. “At least until everything settles down. We’re all bonded to a royal and a crown royal now, so guards are expected for all non-gheyos.”

Harry blinked in surprise. “Not just for me?”

Ethan glanced over at him, curious. Guards would certainly be expected for Harry, as Prince Raspen’s submissive. Especially given his age and lack of a mentor. Still, he hadn’t expected the younger dragel to be aware of that requirement yet.

Harry noticed the surprise on several faces around the room. “Theo, Raspen, Hadrian, and the Deveraines explained it yesterday. I’m the Earth crown prince and acting royal’s soulbonded submissive, so I have to have guards because a threat to me can be considered a threat to the crown or realm. Right?” he turned to Hadrian nervously, looking for confirmation.

Hadrian nodded. “Precisely. Royals never travel without guards, and while you may be able to dodge royal duties for a while you are still Raspen’s soulbonded submissive, and expected to take some royal duties eventually.”

Harry blinked in surprise. “Royal duties?”

Ethan smiled, rubbing his shoulders to hopefully relieve the tension that had suddenly appeared. “Mostly just appearances at formal banquets and being present for the introductions and such. Basically attending formal events and being polite to important people. You can be more involved if you want, but it isn’t expected.”

Harry relaxed, seeming satisfied.

Ethan smiled. Harry still didn’t seem thrilled with that idea, but he also didn’t seem overly concerned by it. He’d handled the royals and the Deveraines just fine so far, so Ethan figured he’d be fine in the courts with some practice. They’d have to keep his interactions to more pleasant and trustworthy court members as much as possible to start, but by the next hunt he’d likely be fully capable of handling everything involved in being a royal’s bonded.

Quinn snorted, getting everyone’s attention. ‘Enough fussing. We’ll do a manners review later to make sure everyone knows what they need to do and say at the courts, but for now I made breakfast, so everyone needs to sit down.’

Ethan snorted at Quinn’s bluntness, but willingly slipped into a seat, chirping happily when Harry settled into the seat across from him, Theo and Charlie on either side of him. He smiled when Minh slid into the chair next to him, leaning on his shoulder.

He couldn’t help the blush that exploded across his face when Minh’s hand settled on his thigh, not doing anything except resting there. It only worsened when Ariki settled into the chair on his other side, smirking at the two of them.

A few minutes later Minh was forced to stop attempting to turn him into a tomato by the food being charmed over to the table.

Devrim whined softly from Minh’s other side when he saw the amount of food on his plate, stealing the gheyo princess’s attention away from Ethan. He couldn’t help but be relieved by that, though Devrim’s eating habits were certainly a concern. Quinn hadn’t given him that much food, no more than any of the other gheyos, and yet he was acting as though it was far too much for him.

Fortunately the other gheyos seemed more than willing to handle that, and would likely be far more effective at getting him to eat normally than a Pareya would be. Gheyos were finicky, and some only responded well to other gheyos’ fussing. Idan and Minh were on either side of Devrim already, and both seemed very invested in making sure that their prince ate properly.

Said gheyo prince seemed less than thrilled at the concentrated attention on his eating habits, but became much less opposed when Minh decided to skip trying to make him eat on his own and just fed the other dragel himself, by hand.

It was rather funny, Ethan had to admit, how the somewhat aloof storm gheyo became almost bashful when his queen and princess were feeding him breakfast in small pieces. Quinn rolled his eyes as he watched, looking highly exasperated, but didn’t comment. He probably realized, like Ethan had, that it was probably the only way the Devrim would willingly eat a full meal.

Ethan idly wondered if there would be a lot of finger foods in Devrim’s future. The healer did seem determined to get him up to a healthier weight, and the queen and princess seemed more than happy to help feed him.

Theo smiled as Quinn slid into the seat next to him, finally relaxing once everyone had been served and started eating normally.

Well, almost everyone had started eating normally. Devrim was only eating food that Idan and Minh fed him by hand, but as long as an appropriate amount of food ended up in the gheyo prince’s stomach he saw no reason to object.

It was kind of cute, actually. He had no inclination to test his prince’s temper by saying so, but it was still true.

He turned his attention back to Quinn, remembering a comment he’d made before they’d sat down to eat. “What did you mean when you mentioned a manners review?”

Quinn snorted, but answered with his usual writing. ‘Unless and until everyone can prove they know full court manners, we should spend the morning learning them. Most of those from Nevarah probably know most of it, but it may be different even for those who know the usual protocol once we’ve been introduced as a prince and a crown prince’s bonded.’

Theo winced at the thought, but couldn’t disagree. He was fairly sure that he knew the usual protocols, but he couldn’t be entirely sure how being Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton’s bonded Alpha would change things. Those changes could be important during this hunt, especially once their bonding was announced at introductions.

He grimaced again. He wasn’t reluctant to be bonded to either of the two princes in the circle, and he was glad that they were here, but he was not looking forward to the court involvement they’d bring for their circle. Neither had a choice in their court requirements, and it was certainly less significant of a negative than their presence in the circle was a positive, but it would be a complication that they would have to work around.

Theo sighed when he noticed most of the room’s attention was fixed on him, waiting for a reaction. “We probably should, just to be safe. Hadrian, as a blood title I assume that you know any gheyo-specific requirements?”

Hadrian nodded. “Of course. Not as a royal’s bonded, of course, but that isn’t really a big change from a court gheyo from what I understand. Mostly just having to coordinate with their royal guards so that we work with them without interfering with each other’s duties.”

Blaise seemed slightly relieved that the gheyos would be included in these lessons. Theo didn’t blame him at all given the circumstances. If Ilsa hadn’t come for him and been such a dedicated mentor, ensuring that he knew everything he could possibly need to know about his element, rank, magic, and social interactions he’d probably be just as lost.

He’d done a good job covering for the holes in his knowledge and dismissing any missed protocols with his rank and element, but Theo had always known that the lack of a mentor had led to some fairly significant gaps in his friend’s knowledge. He’d tried to fill him in on what he could over their years together at Hogwarts, including some court manners, but any subjects specific to gheyos Theo could only say what he’d seen. Yes, Ilsa was his mentor and had given him much more exposure to gheyo society than most alphas his age would have ever had, but he still was not a gheyo, and could not give him the same information as a gheyo or a proper mentor or training circle could.

The Weasleys likely needed these lessons even more, especially Charlie. As a Beta, he’d have to be able to interact with important people outside of the circle or connections, building new connections and reaffirming established ones. The twins would need to be able to deal with people as well, but Pareya weren’t judged nearly as harshly on their social skills as a Beta would be.

The three all knew almost nothing about dragel society, and none had mentors. He’d filed the paperwork for the twins, but Charlie still hadn’t decided if he wanted to go through that process or not.

“Charlie, have you decided about whether or not to request a mentor?” he asked, glancing over at his Beta.

The redhead blushed, to Theo’s surprise. “I actually met a potential mentor while we were out on Monday, before we went to the library, and agreed to have her as my mentor yesterday while we were out shopping.”

Theo blinked in surprise, hiding a laugh. It seemed that Harry’s luck must be contagious, as that sounded exactly like the sort of thing that would only happen around their lovely trouble magnet. “That’s good, you needed one sooner rather than later. Are you certain that she’s the right mentor for you? Did you like both her personality and her magic?”

Charlie looked surprised by the easy acceptance, but nodded quickly. “I did, she seemed like someone I wanted to have as a mentor.”

Theo smiled. “That’s good then. Let me know if you need a witness for the ceremony to officially become mentor and student, Ilsa and I will happily do it. Did anyone else meet them, just to confirm that there are no feuds or complications?”

Devrim snorted slightly, shifting awkwardly when the attention all turned to him. “I met her. I don’t know that no complications is really accurate, but there’s nothing more than we already have. There are no feuds between anyone in the circle and her, and I don’t know of anything objectionable about her either personally or as a teacher.”

Theo nodded, smiling at the gheyo prince. “Excellent. We’ll be glad to meet her once there’s time, just let us know once you and her can figure things out. Fred and George, I filed the paperwork to request mentors for you both but things are taking a while with the preparations for the hunt slowing down all administrative functions in Nevarah.”

The twins nodded, seeming fairly unconcerned. “That’s fine. We’d like to be able to use our element properly, but I’m sure Ethan or someone else in the circle can cover anything else we really need to know for now.”

Theo nodded, pleased that the twins were being so calm about all of this. The situation they were in certainly wasn’t ideal, but at least their attitude was good.

“Bran, you mentioned that you had thought that your rank would be submissive. Do you know the full court protocols for a submissive?”

Bran nodded. “I know them and have the full memories of several submissives that have been active in the courts.”

Theo smiled. He’d forgotten that detail. “That’s true, I forgot you would have those with your family and gift. Ariki, do you know them for Betas to help Charlie? The mentor will help, but we really need to be able to be in the public eye before he has time to cover everything with his new mentor.”

Ariki nodded, seeming pleased to be asked to help. “Certainly. I’d be more than happy to help.”

Theo nodded. “Well, then I guess everyone can use that open air courtyard Blaise mentioned and work on this after we finish eating. And I do mean everyone, we need to make sure that we all know everything we need to before we have to be in front of the courts. Raspen and Peryton will shield us as much as they can, but there’s only so much they can excuse without weakening their positions.”

The others all nodded, seeming willing to go along with it. Not everyone looked eager to have to practice their court manners, but no one looked like they’d object. If Theo had to guess, they all had probably accepted the necessity even if they didn’t love the actual process.

Bran settled on the couch between Harry and Blaise, careful to avoid direct skin contact with the joker. Harry’s memories certainly hadn’t been pleasant, but he’d processed everything up to yesterday when he’d bumped into him at the clambake. It wouldn’t be any real inconvenience to have contact with him today, when so little had happened since then. With such a short time window, the contact would actually be pleasant because he’d be able to focus on the connection instead of the pain or memories.

Blaise was another story. He hadn’t had any contact with him at all, so it would be a full fifteen years of memories to process, and they wouldn’t be good.

They’d have that contact eventually, it was all but guaranteed that they’d at least bump into each other at some point, but he’d rather not deal with it right now. He’d seen enough horrible memories from the wizarding world from Theo, Harry, and the three Weasleys. He wasn’t required to bond to their joker right away, so he was in no hurry to do so. Especially when the other gheyo didn’t seem overly eager to bond to him, either.

He snickered as Ethan quickly corralled the twins on a couch nearby, not giving them the chance to even examine the couches and choose their own seat. It wasn’t entirely surprising, he decided. Ethan was a royal archives scholar, so he knew all of the protocols, names, and titles that were even tangentially related to the courts.

He knew the stakes of these introductions and their first impressions, as well as exactly what would be required to ensure that they made a good impression. The mixed-element nature of their circle would ruffle many scales, so they would have to ensure that the overall circle was powerful and organized enough that no legitimate objections could be raised.

Theo, Quinn, and Ethan would all need to be willing and able to show off just how deep and powerful their Earth elements were, and what connections they had. Theo would need to play up the Gorgens part of his hyphenated last name, Gorgens-Nott. He needed to not introduce himself as Theodore Nott first, only adding the Gorgens when prompted. Normally it wouldn’t matter, but now he was the crown prince’s alpha. Names mattered in the inner courts, no matter how much everyone liked to pretend that they didn’t.

Quinn and Ethan would also need to make sure that their element, power, and connections couldn’t be overlooked. Quinn would need to make sure that the injury to his neck didn’t interfere with his chances, but his Kalzik name and connections would cover for him some, as well as his reputation as a powerful healer gifted in a rare specialty. Ethan would also need to ensure that he made a strong impression. The Hartwood clans were well-known for their powerful and deep Earth elements, but they weren’t politically inclined, preferring their scholarly pursuits.

He sighed. Prince Peryton’s presence may also actually help mitigate any fuss regarding Prince Raspen’s bonding. He wasn’t an Earth element, but he was a royal, and therefore hard to publicly criticize without risking major censure.

Even those that weren’t royal or Earth could still help limit any potential fallout from the mixed elements. Harry was too young and adorable to really criticize, and the Peverells had indicated their support of him already. He also seemed to have Merrow support, given Alec and Brishen’s presence and Alcandor’s clear receptiveness to him. If the Evansons publicly claimed Harry and supported him, he would be untouchable by most court gossip.

Charlie and the twins were a little less protected, but the Prewitts had made it clear that they intended to be involved with them, and would be a very strong, connected backing that many would hesitate to anger. As long as none of the three made any major social faux pas, it should be fine.

Everyone else in the circle except Devrim and Blaise were similarly situated. All were powerful and connected enough to be difficult to criticize without making more enemies than most would risk, except for those two.

Blaise seemed rather powerful, but he was only fifteen. Normally his age would protect him, but not in the pit of vipers that claimed to be a court. Any social issues could be excused based on his age, element, and rank, but it would be inconvenient.

Devrim was almost exactly the same, just substituting age with species in any excuses that needed to be made. He clearly did have family in Nevarah, ones capable of having armor made within a few days in the same week as the hunt introductions, which required money and reputation, but he hadn’t said who they were. Bran was hesitant to believe that a family that Devrim hadn’t even named could be counted on to back them, even if there did seem to be some relationship present.

He shook his head, forcing himself back to the present. There would be complications, but their circle had enough support from backers that no one would want to alienate that it shouldn’t be too bad. They just needed to ensure that everyone knew how to follow court procedures properly.

Blaise sighed as he settled onto the couch, carefully watching the rest of the circle settle in around them. He wasn’t thrilled to have been placed with Harry and Bran instead of the other gheyos, but it did make sense in a way. There were different rules for dragels under sixteen than there were for those over sixteen. More protections, really, based on their age and presumed lack of an inheritance.

It was decidedly at odds with the usual protocol for jokers, though. He’d been planning to simply avoid mentioning his age and just hope people assumed he was at least twenty or so, but apparently the others wanted to go the exact opposite direction. It seemed that Theo hoped to have his age become common knowledge, and use that to give him time to build a reputation in Nevarah before he’d be really judged as a gheyo. He was the least powerful and connected of the gheyos in their circle, but he did have strong magic. He just didn’t have the experience or training to use it effectively like the others could.

If he had some protection until he was twenty or so, the age when gheyos were usually expected to have a clue what they were doing, he’d probably be able to build up a strong reputation before it was really needed.

It made sense, in a way, it just wasn’t what he’d been planning on trying to do.

He still had to learn protocol though, both as a joker, a storm type, and as an underage dragel. It was somewhat nice that they were trying to get him the protection usually granted to those his age, but the requirement to now learn the full set of protocol a consort needed in addition to the protocols he would need for his actual rank was annoying.

He sighed as Hadrian started the lesson. Apparently they were doing gheyos first, so that the suite could go get some good fighting drills in before they went shopping. At least starting earlier meant they’d be done earlier, but he somehow doubted he’d be free as soon as the others gheyos were. Theo had all but ordered him to learn the consort protocols, and Hadrian had clearly agreed.

He snorted as Harry almost tripped over his feet for the fourth time, trying to complete some obscure protocol between a gheyo and their bonded that apparently had been relevant twice in the last millennium, but the others still felt they should learn ‘just in case’. He wished that he could believe that it was fully unnecessary, but it was hard to do so after so much exposure to Harry’s luck.

No matter how ridiculously and wildly improbable it was that this particular circumstance would ever be relevant, Harry’s luck was more than capable of making it happen. Honestly, the more unlikely it was to happen normally, the more likely it was to happen to Harry.

A few tries later, Harry finally got the steps down, and they were allowed to move onto a more normal, though still fairly complicated protocol.

Blaise sighed with relief a while later when they moved onto the last protocol that Theo and Hadrian insisted that they all should know. Apparently there was a full ritual to call a formal, magically binding meeting with someone that you were either in a clan war with or actively intended to declare a clan war against. Completing the ritual would evidently call upon magic herself to decide who was in the wrong and enforce punishments.

Blaise frowned slightly, somewhat concerned. Learning this protocol seemed to indicate that the pair expected to end up in or near a clan war sometime soon, which was not ideal during their first hunt as a circle. They could probably handle it, but that didn’t mean that they wanted to or should when they were so new.

Fred sighed as he watched the gheyos leave, somewhat jealous. They’d gone through all of their etiquette first, partially because most of it revolved around not insulting anyone too much while protecting their bonded in social situations, not just on their own personal behavior.

Even Blaise got to leave, despite needing to know some of the other etiquette, mostly because he complained enough and insisted that he could use his storm element and joker rank to excuse any issues. Hadrian had seemed willing to humor him, so he was allowed to leave as long as he promised to work with Ethan and Bran on it later.

The lessons really weren’t that bad, but it still wasn’t exactly fun. They had to stand with perfect posture and ensure that they enunciated every word. They couldn’t show too much strong emotion, and had to be polite and friendly to everyone unless they were in an active clan war or blood feud with them. At this point, they weren’t in any, and Theo had made it very clear that he didn’t want that to change any time soon.

It was somewhat odd that he and Hadrian had insisted that they were not in any clan wars and blood feuds and should avoid starting any, but had still insisted on them learning the full protocols for situations when there were clan wars or blood feuds involved. Hopefully that had just been out of caution, but at the same time they’d just taken out restraining orders against people in families that Raspen and Peryton had all but admitted were problems, and could get violent at slight provocations.

It added up to a clan war being relatively probable, and he didn’t really like that idea.

It was hard to keep that negativity when he was paired with Harry a few minutes later, as Theo, Bran, and Ethan had decided that they all needed to know the formal dances.

He’d never really had an interest in formal ballroom dancing before, but he couldn’t deny the appeal when it was with Harry. Neither of them were any good at it so far, and kept stepping on each other’s feet every few steps, but it was still fun. Memorizing who would take which role in each dance based on their social rank and position in the circle was less fun, but it was somewhat nice that he’d get to learn and do both sides of the dance.

It was more to learn, but the subject matter was interesting and the studying was more fun to do than classes at Hogwarts had ever been.

They’d had one dance class for the Yule Ball, but that had been a total joke. They had basically learned where to put their hands and that they needed to step in a way that would make them rotate both around each other and in a larger circle around the room, but they didn’t learn any real steps or how to not step on each other’s feet.

It had been a fairly entertaining afternoon, especially after Ron had been forced to dance with Professor McGonagall, but it was not helpful at all for actual dancing. It also wasn’t nearly as fun as dancing with one of his own bonded.

It took a little while, but eventually they got the hang of dancing in their current roles well enough that Theo was satisfied, and let them move on to learn the other side.

Technically Harry and Bran could avoid learning both roles, but Bran insisted that they needed to learn both so that the two of them could dance together in either configuration.

Fred smiled happily when Ariki approached him, clearly intending to work with him during this set of lessons. He hadn’t had much time with his new Beta so far, so this was more than welcome. George also seemed pleased with his new partnering, getting to work with Theo this time after working with Bran last time.

Maybe etiquette lessons weren’t so bad, even if the memorization required and the sheer number of spoons involved in a state dinner were completely ridiculous.

Chapter Text

Theo sighed, settling back on a sofa in the living room with Charlie next to him and the twins on the sofa across from them. The etiquette lessons had been tiring and repetitive, but necessary. Fortunately, they’d only taken a little under two hours, even if they had felt much longer than that.

He glanced around, smiling slightly when he saw Hadrian and Wikhn wander in, looking curious. He’d summoned the two earlier, just a light tug so they’d know he wanted to see them when they were free.

“Sorry to summon you like that, but there’s some things we should discuss while there’s time,” he explained.

Hadrian looked confused for a moment, then interested. “I assume you mean hunts that need to be completed?”

Theo nodded, smiling darkly. “Absolutely. Charlie and the twins should know most of the information you’ll need, and will likely be much more willing to talk than Harry. I’m hoping we can get at least a preliminary list built, and you can take it and go from there once you have time.”

Wikhn smiled dangerously. “We’ll make the time.”

Theo snickered. “I don’t doubt you will, but we do need to keep most of you close here until the issues with the Calamaris, Guantrells, and Vaughns settle down more, I don’t want Harry left without enough gheyos to protect him while they’re causing problems. We also can’t risk anyone missing introductions.”

Wikhn nodded, clearly willing to accept that limitation. It wasn’t surprising. No gheyo would be comfortable leaving their soulbonded submissive without adequate protection, no matter how eager they were to hunt.

Hadrian shifted slightly, settling into his chair. “Where to start? There’s a lot there to unpack.”

Theo considered, then turned to the twins. “Who do you think has done the most harm to Harry? It can be anyone, if they’ve done harm we want to know, even if it isn’t something we can justify a hunt for. Even if we just need to be careful or avoid contact, we will need to know.”

The twins considered, Fred apparently deciding first. “Harry’s relatives, the Dursleys. They neglect and abuse him, but he won’t admit it. I’m sure it’s because they’ve conditioned him to believe that his wants, opinions, and feelings don’t matter.”

Hadrian hissed angrily. “We’ll certainly have them on the list then. What evidence do you have?”

George frowned, considering his options. “I’m sure his medical history would have shown it, that’s probably the most solid evidence you can get.”

Theo nodded, carefully reaching out and gently tugging on Quinn’s bond. It only took a few minutes before the healer arrived, looking somewhat confused. ‘Is everything alright?’ he asked.

Theo shrugged. He couldn’t really say yes, because they were discussing their submissive being abused, but no one was actually injured. “No one is currently injured. We’re discussing what hunts we can clearly justify and what needs to be investigated so we can determine if a hunt is required. The twins indicated that Harry was neglected and abused by the relatives he lived with, and believe it should have shown on the diagnostic.”

Quinn nodded. ‘I can only say so much because of patient privacy, but I can say that there were certainly grounds for healer’s rights to be claimed, and the circle has more than enough justification for a blood price.’

Theo sighed, but nodded his acceptance. He’d believed the twins, but at the same time it was hard to hear confirmation that their submissive had definitely been abused.

Hadrian nodded. “We’ll place that hunt at the front of the list, then. Will Harry want to know what’s going on, or will he want to simply avoid them?”

The twins and Charlie all shook their heads quickly.

Fred spoke first. “He won’t want anyone to even know what happened. He’s always tried to keep it secret, even though everyone at Hogwarts suspected something was wrong. At least in Gryffindor, that is. I’m not sure about other houses.”

Theo shrugged. “Everyone knew that he didn’t eat enough and didn’t get along with his relatives, and there were rumors that they neglected him, but no one really believed that he was abused. Everyone just assumed that because of who he was, it had to be fine.”

Hadrian frowned. “Did you know him well?”

Theo shook his head. “We had some classes together because we were in the same year, but we’re in different houses so I never even spoke to him. Blaise didn’t either.”

Hadrian blinked, clearly surprised by that. Theo frowned. “Why is that so surprising?”

Hadrian shrugged. “You two have gotten very attached, and are already more stable and relaxed with each other than normal for such a short time. Alphas and Submissives tend to be very clingy when something like this happens. It made us think that you knew each other fairly well before the soulscream and had that foundation to build a solid relationship so fast.”

Theo shifted, frowning. “No, the first time we ever spoke was after the soulscream. Harry’s just a very accepting person, so he didn’t even really hesitate about anything.”

Hadrian nodded. He clearly had something else he thought about that statement, but he didn’t say. Theo rolled his eyes, but let it go. He knew enough about gheyos to know that if he didn’t want to say nothing would make him.

“Who all in the Dursley family are responsible? I assume the aunt and uncle must, there’s no way for them not to be, but is the cousin involved?” he asked after a moment, remembering the family members listed on the tapestry.

George nodded, looking vindictive. “All three are definitely involved. And the uncle has a sister named Marge, a horrible woman, that was absolutely terrible to Harry, including setting her dog on him.”

Theo cocked his head to the side, considering. “Is that who the rumor mill mentioned him blowing up the summer before third year?”

Hadrian blinked. “Blowing up?”

Charlie snickered. “Like a balloon, if what I’ve heard is right. And yes, that was her. It was very well deserved, she was calling Harry’s parents useless drunks.”

Theo’s jaw dropped. It was common knowledge at Hogwarts that Harry was very attached to the idea of his parents, and insulting them was the easiest way to make him angry. Well, insulting them or his friends. Harry was extremely protective of those he cared about. The only problem was that didn’t seem to include himself in that group.

“No wonder he blew her up,” he commented after he got over his shock.

Wikhn blinked, seeming surprised. “Harry seems fairly calm. It’s hard to imagine him getting angry like that.”

All three Weasleys burst out laughing, the twins so hard they were almost crying.

“Harry has a major temper,” Fred explained. “It’s legendary in Gryffindor. He’s usually calm, and it takes a lot to set him off, but insults or threats to his family or friends are more than enough to make him blow up, and the results are somewhat terrifying.”

Theo snickered, remembering a few incidents with Draco.

Wikhn frowned, but let it go. Honestly, Theo didn’t see Harry’s temper as a bad thing. He was far too accepting, and let too much go. It was good to know that he could stand up for himself and those he cared for, and wouldn’t always just let others walk over him.

Hadrian shook his head, apparently not wanting to chase down that rabbit hole. “So, Vernon, Petunia, Dudley, and Marge Dursley all need to be hunted?”

The twins nodded eagerly, as everyone else agreed more calmly.

Theo tilted his head slightly, considering the twins. He hadn’t realized that the pair were so bloodthirsty. They would have to make sure it was directed to appropriate targets.

Raspen sighed as he examined his calendar. It was good he had made sure he was at the courts on time, a new meeting had been scheduled fairly early.

The meeting was necessary, though. It was for all four acting crown royals to ‘discuss recent events and changes to the Introductions’. He snorted at Dawne’s phrasing. Recent events was one way to phrase ‘soulscream and unexpected bonding’, but it was better for a meeting name, especially when the bonding hadn’t been officially announced yet. The changes to the introductions did also need to be discussed, because now an entire circle had to be added.

He frowned. Ebony wouldn’t be thrilled to be the last to know, but at the same time it was unavoidable. She was the only one that wasn’t either in the circle or directly related to someone in the circle.

He snorted as he stood up, gathering some of his files that may be relevant. It wouldn’t do to be late to a meeting that was primarily about him, after all.

Fortunately, he didn’t see anyone on his way to Dawne’s private study, his only companion the Ace of his primary suite of guards.

He quickly slipped inside, his guard peeking in but easily relaxing outside once she determined that it was only Dawne, Perry, and Ebony so far.

“Raspen! It’s been a while,” Ebony said, quickly standing and hugging him.

“It has,” he agreed, quickly hugging her back.

“So, what events are we discussing?” Ebony asked, looking curious. Dawne said to wait for everyone, and I assume you are who she meant.”

Raspen shrugged. “I’m one, but I think we’re also waiting on Al.”

Ebony blinked. “Will he actually surface?”

Dawne shrugged. “I think so. He accepted, at least. And he did surface on Monday.”

Ebony frowned. “Monday?”

Raspen nodded. “It’s part of what we need to tell you. Something happened on Sunday, and those directly involved met Monday, the three of us included. There was too much to include you without overwhelming everyone too much, so we’ll explain things now and introduce you tomorrow or Friday.”

Ebony looked highly confused, but the door opened before she could continue, Alcandor, Alec, and a gheyo entering.

Alcandor noticed the glances towards the other two, then shrugged. “You all know Alec, my cousin. And this is Krymsen, Crimson Tide’s primary title holder. He or another member of Crimson Tide will be accompanying Alec whenever he is on land but not in his circle’s home until further notice.”

Ebony blinked. “I didn’t realize that you had bonded, Alec. Congratulations.”

Raspen sighed softly as Alec blinked in confusion.

“They didn’t explain yet?” the Merrow asked.

Perry shook his head. “Raspen just arrived, and we were waiting for everyone.”

Ebony frowned, glancing everyone over. “Do I want to know?”

Raspen shrugged. “Not sure, but you need to know. Perry, Alec, and I are all bonded into the same circle, as of Sunday night.”

Ebony looked surprised. “Congratulations. I didn’t realize that you were courting. Or even considering a multi-element circle.”

Raspen shook his head. “We weren’t. It was a soulscream.”

Ebony gasped, looking concerned. “Is everything alright?”

Raspen shrugged. “There are some complications, and about a dozen hunts or investigations will be required, at minimum, but no one is injured and everyone is now safely in Nevarah.”

Dawne blinked, clearly not expecting that. “At least a dozen hunts or investigations?” she asked, sounding hesitant.

Alec snorted. “Easily. I know of eight I already could justify giving Krymsen if our gheyos don’t get their act together soon enough, and I haven’t even talked to those involved to see about any other huntable offenses.”

Ebony blinked, looking shocked. Dawne and Alcandor also seemed surprised by the number. “Eight? Already?”

He nodded easily. “Eight. Several of which include multiple people. Two are for all of the staff at two separate schools, and one is for the entire wizarding government of Britain.”

Ebony looked stunned. “The entire wizarding government? Do we really have cause for a hunt against them?”

Raspen considered for a moment. “We have more than enough for an investigation, which is guaranteed to find individuals to hunt.”

Even Alcandor looked shocked at that, though Raspen couldn’t blame him. He hadn’t even considered the idea of investigating the entire government until Alec had suggested it, but now he had to admit he did like the idea.

Everyone knew that the government of Britain was ridiculously corrupt. Depending on who all they could get on charges, they may even be able to clean it out enough to make it a somewhat functioning government instead of a complete scourge. It was just a question of what would stick at the inter-realm courts, as that was where most of this was bound to end up. Only a few things, like the abuse or active attempts to harm or kill a dragel, could be handled only by the Nevaraean courts, things involving multiple beings or species would require the inter-realm courts as they represented all beings, and were seen as more impartial in cases with different species and realms.

Ebony nodded, apparently done with that line of conversation. “You mentioned complications. Are those the hunts, the members, or something else?”

Raspen shrugged. “A bit of each. The hunts will take time, and we will need to make sure that some things are kept private, with sealed courts and such, but it shouldn’t be too big of an issue. We have a full suite and two jokers, so there are plenty of available hunters. The Cunninghams have also already started hunting, though I don’t know which part of it they specifically took, or if Lady Mariana just wanted to go poke around and see what she found. I did notice when I came in this morning that they returned with prisoners and filed some court documents yesterday but wasn’t able to see what was filed exactly, it was under seal. The members of the circle are also somewhat complicated.”

Alec snorted, not that Raspen could blame him. Somewhat complicated was a bit of an understatement.

He sighed. “In most cases, it’s just the elements. We have all seven of them, even storm, shadow, and nameless.”

Ebony blinked. “All of them? In one circle?”

Perry nodded, smiling slightly. “Yep. We have at least two of each element.”

Ebony smiled slightly. “That’s actually kind of nice, though it means I somehow missed a soulscream taking two of my court.”

Raspen shook his head. “No, our fire types were all actually living on Earth under suppressions. That’s one of the investigations required, but for now they seem to be settling in pretty well here.”

Ebony nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll leave it be for now, but if there are fire types present I need to meet your circle tomorrow, not Friday. I can’t not meet them before introductions, and there won’t be time the day of.”

Raspen nodded, easily accepting that condition. It would be no hardship to meet Ebony tomorrow, just some scheduling difficulties. “Perhaps lunch would be best? Or dinner? I have to see what else our circle has agreed to, but I doubt it will be an issue.”

Ebony nodded, clearly pleased.

Raspen smiled, quickly sending a message to Theo, hoping the Alpha would answer quickly.

Alcandor snorted. “Now that that’s handled, I want to know more about these restraining orders you had me approve.”

Ebony blinked, clearly alarmed. “Restraining orders?”

Harry smiled as he rocked in a hammock, enjoying the peace and quiet. He hadn’t been alone much at all since bonding, so it was nice to have a little time to himself.

He’d enjoyed having everyone around, and had always hated feeling alone, but at the same time having nineteen circle members constantly with him had been a little overwhelming. It was nice to have just a little time alone, so the last half hour or so had been very welcome.

At the same time, though, he was already starting to wish someone else was here. He didn’t necessarily want to talk, or even really think, but it had been nice to cuddle so much the last two days.

A few minutes later he blinked as Idan, Minh, and Devrim walked in. Idan looked decidedly smug, and Devrim and Minh were both limping. He frowned in confusion for a moment, before giving a muffled squeak of embarrassment when he realized what they must have been doing. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the blush.

Apparently his squeak was louder than he thought, as the three gheyos all immediately turned towards him, brightening when they noticed him laying there. He couldn’t help his smile at that, pleased that they were so glad to see him.

Minh quickly skipped over, stopping right next to the hammock and smiling down at him. He blinked, smiling back up at the gheyo.

It was nice to have someone so clearly happy to see him and spend time with him. He shifted over slightly, pleased when Minh eagerly took the newly opened space next to him.

Idan and Devrim arrived while Minh was getting settled, both looking highly amused. Devrim also looked a little jealous that Minh had gotten the spot in Harry’s hammock. He felt much more pleased by that than he really should have, deciding on the spot to make sure he spent some time cuddling with the gheyo prince later today or tomorrow.

He really hadn’t spent much time at all with the gheyos, as Alec, Bran, and the Pareya had been with him most of the time. He’d have to pay attention in the future, and make sure he spent time with all of his bonded. Judging by how pleased Minh seemed to be cuddling with him, they wanted his time and attention.

Idan smiled, brushing Harry’s hair back from his face. “How are you feeling today?”

Harry smiled up at him. “Good. It’s nice to have some time to just relax.”

Idan laughed softly. “It has been pretty chaotic the last two days, hasn’t it?”

Harry nodded, giggling when Minh and Devrim both snorted at the understatement.

Idan shook his head, smiling softly. “How are you feeling so far? Are you missing Earth?”

Harry shrugged, cuddling closer to Minh’s chest. “Pretty good, actually. Better than I would have expected. It’s all still new and strange, but it’s definitely a good thing overall. The muggle world never felt like my home, and I was never happy there. The wizarding world was better, but it wasn’t what I hoped it would be when I first learned about magic. Everyone wanted me to be perfect, they all knew about my parents and wanted me to be just like them even though I never knew them. It was better than the muggle world, but any improvements definitely came with strings attached.”

Devrim nodded, clearly understanding. “What do you miss? There’s clearly something.”

Harry nodded, smiling sadly. “My friends Hermione, Ginny, and Luna are still there, and I’m sure they’re panicking trying to find us. Ginny’s also Charlie, Fred, and George’s little sister, and my friend Ron is their little brother - older than Ginny. Ron’s not really a very good friend or brother so he’s probably not particularly concerned that we’re missing. My godfathers are also there, Sirius and Remus. They’re probably frantic by now, they’re very protective of me and worry like mother hens.”

The gheyo prince nodded, looking pleased that Harry had some connections strong enough for him to miss. It made sense, he supposed. He knew that his lack of family connections when asked before returning to Nevarah had concerned the circle. Theo’s and Blaise’s too, though Theo had explained why he didn’t have any family around. Blaise hadn’t, but he seemed extremely unwilling to discuss it, especially considering that he’d made not being forced to explain a condition of bonding.

Minh shifted so he was able to look at Harry while holding him. “What won’t you miss?” he asked.

Harry blinked, surprised to be asked that. Realistically, there was so much more that he would not miss than he would ever miss. “Everything and everyone else, really. The Weasley family, Hermione, and Luna were the only ones to ever really pay attention to me, and not the stupid title and expected personality the wizarding world all decided I needed to have before I was even two. Not even all of the Weasleys really saw me, either. Ron just saw someone who he could use for attention and popularity. The rest of the wizarding world just wanted me to be a perfect clone of my parents, mainly my dad. It didn’t matter that I never met them, so I couldn’t have learned from them. If I did something like them, like doing well in Transfiguration or Charms or playing Quidditch that was good, but if I did something that my parents wouldn’t have done, like not wanting to be surrounded by people all the time, it was absolutely horrible and I was disrespecting their memories.”

Minh hissed angrily, squeezing him tighter. “That’s absolutely ridiculous. Children don’t need to be their parents, they just need to be themselves. They never should have even implied that you need to be just like your parents. I’m sure they would have just wanted you to be yourself and be happy.”

Harry blinked, burrowing into Minh for a moment. He’d heard it before from Hermione, Luna, and Ginny, but never fully believed it. It was different for it to come from someone older and uninvolved, though. Especially now, with the distance of being a new species in a completely different realm.

After a few minutes, he pulled away, determined to change the subject. He really didn’t want to think about that anymore. “Can you tell me more about gheyos? And yourselves in general? Hadrian only gave me the basic overview Sunday night, and I haven’t gotten the chance to learn more yet, or really spend any time with you three.”

Devrim smiled, clearly understanding and willing to go along with his rather blatant subject change. “Gheyos are fighters, basically. I’m sure you were told that already, but it’s really the main characteristic of gheyos. We have to fight, instinctually. We’ll never be content unless we can fight, and we tend to be much more physical than other dragels. Any disagreements will be settled by fighting or wrestling, at least within the suite. We won’t generally fight with any of the others, unless someone wants to learn to fight, and then it’s just sparring.”

Harry nodded, looking hesitant. “Will you hurt each other?” he asked, clearly afraid of the answer.

Idan shook his head, ruffling Harry’s hair again. “No real injuries. Some bruises and scrapes, potentially an accidental broken bone here or there, but nothing that would take a healer like Quinn more than fifteen minutes to fix.”

Harry nodded, relaxing. He really didn’t like the idea of his bonded fighting or hurting each other, but if it was just sparring and no real injuries it wasn’t such a big deal.

It was less important for now than getting to know the three, at least. “What do you like to do? All three of you?”

Minh smiled happily, and began explaining in detail the process of stunt flying at the Dive. It was a little funny to Harry that he was bonded to someone so flashy and attention-seeking, but it suited the gheyo princess’s personality. It was also adorable to see him so excited to talk about what he liked to do, though he somehow had a feeling that he shouldn’t tell the princess he was adorable.

Hadrian sighed, considering his notes so far. “Is anyone else complicit in the abuse? Schools, perhaps, for not acting on it?”

George snorted. “Definitely Hogwarts. His first school letter was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs as a bedroom. That should have alerted them, but nothing was done. He also went to a muggle primary school near where he lived before Hogwarts, but I don’t really know much about them. Wizard-raised kids don’t go to those normally.”

Hadrian frowned but nodded. He’d get more details on this ‘primary school’ from Harry later, and either Theo, Blaise, or one of the Weasleys could give him more information about Hogwarts and which teachers or staff should have known.

Wikhn tilted his head. “There were also injuries at Hogwarts, right?”

Quinn nodded. “Definitely child endangerment, possibly more. Do any of you know of anything else?”

Fred nodded, tilting his head. “Probably. What counts as child endangerment here?”

Hadrian looked at him like he was an idiot. “Anything that risks a child being severely injured or killed. Honestly, the descriptions of that Quidditch game are very close to the line, probably over it. I’d give it a fifty fifty chance of going through in court, but anything more dangerous than Quidditch is a safe bet.”

George nodded along. “So hiding a Cerberus in the third floor corridor with just a simple lock that a basic unlocking charm can open?”

Theo blinked. “There was a Cerberus in that corridor? The forbidden one?”

Hadrian looked stunned. “There was a Cerberus in your school? That’s definitely child endangerment.”

Fred nodded. “We saw it. Most of the Gryffindors did, really, including Harry and his friends.”

Quinn frowned. “Did anyone get hurt? Were there protections in place?”

The twins shrugged. “No protections that we know of. One student broke his arm when he dove through the door to avoid the dog and there were some other injuries that happened the same way, but no one got bit or clawed. I guess Hogwarts students are used to danger, so we just kind of go with it.”

Hadrian raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Theo to see his reaction. He shrugged, but didn’t disagree. “Slytherins, like me and Blaise, were less reckless than Gryffindors, but not all of the dangers were avoidable. The stairs certainly weren’t, and I know dozens of students get hurt every year on them.”

Hadrian was highly confused, and slightly concerned. Stairs weren’t supposed to be dangerous. “Stairs?” he asked.

Theo snorted at his confusion. “They move, and there’s a bunch of steps that either look like they’re there when they’re not, or they actually trap your leg if you step on them, or they look like an empty gap but they are there - but not every empty gap is actually a step and sometimes you’ll have five or six in a row that look like gaps but only two or three are steps.”

Wikhn blinked. “This is allowed in a school?”

Hadrian had to agree with his disapproval. That seemed like good training for gheyos or curse breakers, but not like something appropriate for a school. Especially a school that taught students from eleven to seventeen.

“Is there anything else?” he asked, trying to move things along. Stairs probably couldn’t be hunted, no matter how dangerous. He was more interested in the dangers he could hunt.

“Well, our third year, Theo, Blaise, and Harry’s first year, that cerberus was first, then Voldemort was possessing a teacher for the entirety of our third year, and Dumbledore knew about it and did nothing.” Fred commented, watching their reactions closely.

Hadrian growled. “That wizarding dark lord that killed Harry’s parents?”

George nodded. “And has tried to kill Harry several times, including then. The next year, there was a basilisk loose in the castle petrifying students. And a cat, too. I don’t think the teachers knew it was a basilisk, but they knew the attacks had happened fifty years ago, and ended when a student died. They didn’t do anything about it, though.”

Hadrian forced himself to remain seated despite his fury. He desperately wanted to go and hunt anyone who left his submissive in danger.

‘That would have been a threat to all of you, wouldn’t it?’ Quinn asked.

Fred sighed, nodding. “Yeah. To everyone in the castle, really. It was being controlled by Voldemort, who was possessing a student, so it was targeting muggle-borns mainly, but anyone could have been attacked.”

Theo blinked. “Voldemort possessed a student to open the Chamber of Secrets and unleash a basilisk, and nothing was said or done about it?”

Hadrian looked over at him, slightly surprised. “You didn’t know?”

Theo shook his head. “Everyone at Hogwarts knew the Chamber was opened, and that people were being petrified, but the basilisk and Voldemort weren’t mentioned.”

George nodded. “We only know because our little sister got dragged into the Chamber, and Harry and our little brother went in after her. They know everything that happened, and told us most of it.”

Wikhn raised an eyebrow. “Most?”

George shrugged. “Harry definitely neglected to mention something, I could tell that much, but I couldn’t tell what or get him to say.”

Hadrian shook his head. “So overall, more negligence by Hogwarts and attempted murder by Voldemort. What’s next?”

Fred tilted his head. “The dementors, I guess? The ministry sent them to Hogwarts to guard the school against Sirius, but they really just attacked the students, especially Harry. Dumbledore did apparently argue against them being there, but not successfully.”

Hadrian frowned. “The dementors are obvious, and the entire British Ministry of Magic as well, for sending them?”

Theo snorted. “Even if that one doesn’t stick, there’s others that will.”

Hadrian snapped his head over to him, barely able to keep his demand for answers polite. It wouldn’t do to offend his new Alpha, especially before they could settle a dynamic between them. Theo just shook his head, gesturing for George to answer.

Fred considered. “Oh, at the end of last year Dumbledore told Harry and Hermione to use a time turner to go back in time and save Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Sirius.”

Theo’s jaw dropped. Hadrian was sure his had done the same. Time turners were not something to be used without extreme caution, especially by thirteen-year-olds. “He gave Granger a time turner and told her and Harry to use it for something that dangerous?”

Hadrian’s frown deepened when Fred nodded. “I’ll add it to the list against Dumbledore. Anything else?”

George sighed. “This last year was a disaster. The ministry, Hogwarts, and two other schools and their countries’ governments brought back the Triwizard Tournament. It was discontinued centuries ago because there were so many deaths, but the minister wanted to bring back the flashy tournament because he thought it would look good. They changed some rules, made it seventeen and up, and claimed it would be safe now.”

Fred snorted. “Not that that meant anything. Harry got entered, even though he’s fourteen, and the first task was to steal a fake egg from a nesting mother dragon. It was not safer, and the age limit didn’t work. Harry didn’t even enter, but he was still forced to compete because someone else threw his name in.”

Wikhn growled. “Anyone involved in running that tournament is huntable. Along with whoever entered him.”

Theo nodded. “I don’t know who did it, but I’m sure you can find out.”

Fred nodded. “I’d start with Voldemort or the Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher. Voldemort was in the graveyard, so the whole thing was probably a giant setup by him, and every year the DADA teacher has tried to kill Harry somehow.

Wikhn frowned at that. “You didn’t include the third year professor.”

George shook his head. “He didn’t do it on purpose, and Harry would never forgive you if you hurt him. He’s his surrogate godfather, Remus Lupin. He’s a werewolf, and with the mess with Sirius he wasn’t able to take his potion and isolate himself like normal.”

Hadrian nodded. He really didn’t understand why those cursed werewolves were still present on Earth. Every other realm performed the appropriate rituals to convert them to true weres. “We can find him and bring him here, so he can have the ritual done to make him a true were.”

Fred blinked. “Ritual? And true were?”

Hadrian blinked in surprise. How could they possibly not know that? True weres had been on Earth before, not all that long ago, only a few centuries.

Theo cut in. “Here in Nevarah, all of the were-creatures you will see - wolves, hyenas, cats, panthers, whatever - have full control. It’s more like an animagus transformation but more innate than it is like being a werewolf on Earth. There’s a ritual that makes Earth werewolves like real weres, but the ministry has done a pretty effective job at erasing both that and the existence of true weres from people’s knowledge.”

Quinn looked shocked. ‘The wizarding government is deliberately hiding that true weres exist and cursed werewolves can become them?’

Theo nodded. Hadrian was surprised to note that, despite clearly never having heard of this before, none of the Weasleys were surprised that their government had been hiding this. It didn’t bode well for what they’d find in their hunts.

Hadrian sighed. “Anything else?”

George considered. “Maybe? There’s a reporter that was writing a lot of really rude, false stories about Harry during the tournament, and a few students were arseholes.”

Hadrian nodded. “We can definitely look into the reporter. The students are possible, but unlikely.”

George nodded. “That’s all that I can think of, then. Well, unless you want something more on the DADA teacher - Alastor Moody. He used the Imperius Curse on everyone so we’d learn to fight it off. It was helpful, but technically illegal.”

Hadrian frowned. “What ages did he use this on? Sixteen to seventeen is old enough by dragel standards, but it depends on the age.”

Theo shrugged. “I think all ages. He definitely did my class, and I’m in with the fourteen-year-olds since Ilsa had me go two years late.”

Wikhn hissed. “Fourteen is not old enough. Was it everyone at Hogwarts?”

Theo nodded.

Hadrian sighed. “Another hunt for the list. That should be enough to get started, though we’ll have to get more details out of all of you later.”

Quinn shook his head, standing up. ‘I need to go deal with Riven,’ he wrote, then stormed out.

Charlie blinked. “I suddenly feel very sorry for Riven.”

Theo snickered. “It’ll be good for him.”

Perry grimaced as Ebony’s attention locked onto him and Raspen.

“What restraining orders?” she demanded.

Perry sighed. “The circle has two of the Deveraines in it, effectively. Ilsa Gorgens’s mentored student, Theodore Gorgens-Nott, and Ilsa Gorgens and Ithycar Deveraine’s son, Ariki Deveraine. You know about what that Guantrell did to Kandra, and everything else wrong with the Vaughns and their allies.”

Ebony nodded. “They’ve been allowed far too much leeway. They should have been stripped of their titles and that blasted creep should have been descaled after he attacked that Fae girl and they backed him, he shouldn’t have even had the chance to attack anyone else.”

Dawne sighed. “I know, and I’ve been trying to make mother see that but she refuses because of their task. She insists that it’s too important to risk, which it is, but I think having such an untrustworthy and corrupt family in charge of it is a bigger risk than cutting them off.”

Alcandor nodded. “I can easily agree with that. Perhaps if I speak to her about it as the King of the Merrow she’ll see reason?”

Dawne considered. “It’s possible. Slightly more likely than just continuing to argue with her myself, at least.”

Alcandor nodded. “Honestly, their performance at that task has been pathetic. They’ve only found two or three, when we know there are dozens out there, maybe even hundreds.”

Perry snorted. “I’ve told her that, but she won’t listen. Maybe if it comes from you she will.”

Ebony nodded. “Not that their general corruption and immorality isn't a good reason to give everyone in Nevarah a restraining order against them, but I doubt that’s what you got approved and filed.”

Alcandor snorted. “Especially not with the two you chose. Yanek Calamaris, originally Doursen, and Walford Guantrell.”

Raspen nodded. “There is more history there. Our Alpha is Theodore Gorgens-Nott, Lady Ilsa Gorgens’s mentored student. When he was nine and Yanek was eleven, twenty eight years ago here in Nevarah, but seven on Earth where Theo has been living, Yanek became obsessed with him and began stalking him. The Deveraines took out a restraining order against him, but it only lasted until Yanek bonded.”

Ebony frowned. “That makes sense. What made it come back up again, though? Twenty eight years is a long time, surely Yanek’s outgrown that.”

Perry snorted. “You’d think so, but obviously not. Remember that disturbance yesterday? Two of the Vaughns’ allies were throwing fits because the dragels they wanted had bonded into another circle?”

Ebony gasped. “Yanek was involved? He’s still that obsessed after all this time?”

Raspen nodded. “Definitely. I saw it myself, and he was ranting about Theo and one of our Pareya, Ethan Hartwood. He was less upset about Ethan since the Hartwoods aren’t as connected as the Gorgens, but still angry that another submissive had gotten both Ethan and Theo.”

Alcandor nodded. “That’s certainly enough ground for me to sign, especially given that your submissive’s third is a Merrow. I assume the other one throwing a fit was this Walford Guantrell?”

Raspen nodded. “One of our two Betas is Ariki Deveraine. Walford apparently took an interest in him recently, and was harassing him in the market and when he went to register his family circle for the Introductions. Between that just in the last few weeks and the fit in the courts, I wanted the restraining orders in place.”

Ebony nodded. “I don’t blame you at all, I would too. How far did you extend them?”

Raspen shrugged. “Because they were ranting about the circle they bonded into I was able to expand the restraining orders to include our full circle, but I wasn’t able to extend it on their ends beyond the standard ‘anyone acting on their behalf’ clause, which isn’t magically binding. I don’t have enough to block any Calamaris or Guantrell, or even just those two specific circles from accessing anyone in our circle, tempting as it is.”

Ebony snickered. “That does sound tempting. All Dawne would have to do to avoid them would be keep Perry with her, and Raspen would never see them.”

Dawne snorted. “I wish we could do that. Sadly, we don’t have grounds and you know how my mother is about not alienating them.”

Ebony nodded. “Give me the papers when you can and I’ll sign them too. All four acting crown royals signing will be a pointed declaration, and it might help if Queen Arista starts complaining.”

Riven blinked as Quinn approached, an almost angry look on his face.

‘It’s time to handle your wings,’ the blonde wrote, grabbing Riven’s wrist and pulling him into a nearby room.

He frowned, but followed. He knew that resisting a Kalzik healer was futile, but he still didn’t really see a point in doing this. His wings weren’t in good condition, but they didn’t interfere with his work, and were therefore good enough.

Quinn hadn’t seemed to agree at Hogwarts, nor did he seem to agree now. It was strange to Riven, almost unimaginable. The healer seemed to believe that he should be fully healthy, not just healthy enough to complete his work. He knew that Maia had felt the same, but she had been the only one to really push that line of thinking with him. Most just assumed he was fine, since he was still working.

He blinked a moment later when he was gently pushed onto a bed.

‘Shirt off, on your stomach, wings out.’ the healer wrote impatiently.

He blinked. Quinn had seemed somewhat impatient every time he met him, but this was far more than usual. “Is something wrong?” he asked carefully.

Quinn sighed, seeming to consider. ‘We were discussing the hunts that need to be completed soon, mainly on Harry’s behalf. There were more than I realized, and a few that were for Harry, Theo, Blaise, and the twins.’

Riven blinked, slightly surprised by that collection. “Not Charlie?”

Quinn frowned, running through how the conversation had gone. ‘We only discussed Harry, really. The others came up incidentally. I’ll remind Hadrian that he needs to check with Charlie for anything that happened at that school before Harry started.’

Riven nodded. That made sense, at least. Harry would be everyone’s priority right now, as their soulbonded submissive. He’d be all of their main priority forever, most likely, with only other soulbonds that developed and their children coming close.

It would be good for him, Riven decided. He needed to be someone’s first priority, after what Riven had heard and seen from him, his diagnostic charms, and the others so far.

A few minutes later Riven gasped, relaxing fully into the table. He hadn’t felt so comfortable in decades, maybe centuries. He carefully glanced back, shocked to see that his wings were now perfectly neat and healthy.

Quinn snorted at his reaction, then quickly wrote again. ‘Roll over. I need to do the other side.’

Riven carefully turned over, unable to complain after seeing the difference. He still didn’t think it was necessary for him, given that it hadn’t interfered with his work, but he also wouldn’t resist. As long as the healings didn’t interfere with his work, of course.

It only took another minute or two for Quinn to finish, then Riven was allowed to sit up. He was pleased to see that Quinn looked much happier and calmer now that his wings had been fixed, likely because his instincts as a healer would have been pushing for him to fix everything that is wrong with any of his bonded.

‘Better?’ Quinn asked, hitting Riven with another few diagnostics to be sure.

Riven nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t had that done in centuries.”

Quinn snorted. ‘It shows. If they get messed up again, you get them fixed immediately. You will never let them get that bad again, or I’ll bring you straight to my parents and have them do a full intensive healing ritual on you. The five day one.’

Riven blinked. “That’s blackmail. I don’t need that, either.”

Quinn shook his head. ‘I’m not recommending it right now because none of the old injuries I’m seeing that I can’t get to without it are doing anything, but they are there. It wouldn’t be medically inappropriate to do it.’

Riven sighed, shaking his head. Somehow, he got the feeling that Quinn wasn’t going to let things go the way that Maia Kadel had.

To be fair, as his bonded healer Quinn had much more authority to make him accept his judgements and treatments than Maia did.

He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing for him or a bad thing.

Chapter Text

Blaise sighed as he was pulled onto the couch with Ethan as Bran moved to pour him a cup of tea. The younger dragel then settled back on the chair across from them. Apparently it was time for him to learn the protocols for consorts and other underage dragels involved in the courts. He’d hoped to get out of it, or at least delay it, but clearly that was one wish that was not going to be granted.

He’d known that Hadrian was serious about making sure he learned the consort protocols, but he hadn’t expected to be literally shoved into a study right after they’d finished cleaning up from their sparring. He hadn’t even had the chance to attempt to stall, much less escape. Not that there were many options for escape. This home had dozens of secret studies and passageways, but his Ace was the Shadow blood title. There was little doubt that Hadrian would find him almost anywhere in the house, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk the consequences of attempting to sneak away now.

It may give him more information about how Hadrian would handle a lack of cooperation, but he’d really rather someone else be the guinea pig. The consequences of not cooperating with an Ace weren’t generally pleasant, and this was a blood title. Wikhn’s clear agreement with the Ace wouldn’t help him get out of this lesson, either. The King was the only gheyo in the suite that would or could ever go against the Ace in an intra-suite issue like this or raise an objection to an Ace’s decision. Wikhn had clearly agreed with Hadrian, as he had stayed with them since the sparring session ended and helped make sure Blaise stayed with them instead of wandering off to find Theo or Riven.

The King had been watching him closely the entire sparring session, as well. Now, he realized that he was most likely keeping an eye out to make sure that he wasn’t going to run off and avoid the lessons.

It also explained why Hadrian and Wikhn had opted to stay with him in the showers instead of joining the others in their … activities. Both had seemed interested, but they had resisted the urge to join in, instead just showering and leaving with him.

For all that Wikhn had insisted on being Harry’s only and not the suite’s King, he certainly acted like he was the overall circle’s King. Assisting the Ace in corralling an unwilling gheyo was exactly the sort of thing a traditional King would be expected to do, and Wikhn had done it without hesitation. He hadn’t even required verbal orders. So much for ‘Harry’s only’ and ‘not going to be the overall circle’s King’.

Blaise deliberately ignored the fact that he himself was acting as though he was bonded to Hadrian, except for the sex, despite refusing his mark or the full bonding so far. His situation was a little different from Wikhn’s, primarily because of his age and rank. If he wasn’t a Joker he’d almost certainly be fully bonded to Hadrian by now. If he was older, he may be bonded as well, simply because Hadrian was extremely attractive. Unfortunately, given that he was only fifteen he was not allowed to actually do anything about that, so that reasoning for bonding wouldn’t apply for another five months. Even aside from all of that, he’d already admitted that he did intend to bond to Hadrian, he just needed more time getting to know the Ace before he could accept him as a dominant bonded.

Wikhn still insisted that he was not going to bond to Hadrian or accept him as his Ace, and that he was not the circle’s King.

“Do I really need this? I’m a storm joker, no one really expects us to behave according to full court protocols,” he commented. He really didn’t feel this was necessary, but he still was willing to bet they’d make him learn everything anyway.

Ethan sighed. “You’re still fifteen. Knowing these protocols will get you a lot more protection, especially since you should have learned them already. Did you ever have a mentor or training circle? They should have turned up by now if you do, but they still haven’t.”

Blaise sighed. He’d hoped no one would question the lack of a mentor’s presence. He’d thought he was covering for it fairly well, but apparently not well enough to fool everyone. “No, no one turned up. I learned my element from some old family tomes Mother had on hand, but no one ever came as a mentor or Training Ace.”

Bran huffed, shaking his head. “Technically, they may not have come because you’re not sixteen yet, but they still should have received a notification that you had your inheritance somehow. Lady Gorgens managed to come, even though Theo was too young. I’m not entirely sure how that works, though. Early inheritances are rare.”

Blaise snorted. Three early inheritances in their circle doesn’t seem all that rare, even if it wasn’t representative of the general population.

Ethan smiled softly. “Well, it’s usually rare. Our circle is not normal by any means, so don’t base any judgements on normality off of it.”

Blaise snickered. “Of course it’s not normal. It has Harry in it. His luck is legendary at Hogwarts.”

Bran laughed, shaking his head. “That does not surprise me at all, after seeing his memories. Even more reason for you to know the full protocols, though. Depending on what kind of crazy luck he specifically gets this time, you may need them.”

Blaise rolled his eyes, but nodded. He knew that he wasn’t getting out of this, no matter how little he wanted to have another lesson. Still, it couldn’t hurt too much to stall for a few minutes. “Seen his memories?”

Bran blinked, looking surprised. “I’d thought it would have been common knowledge among the circle by now. My nameless talent is hindsight. I can see someone’s entire past, all of their memories just from a simple touch. If I’ve touched them before, I’ll get what happened since the last time.”

Blaise blinked. “You should probably avoid skin contact with me, then.”

Bran nodded, looking amused. “I mean this in the nicest possible way, but I intend to, at least for a little while. Harry, Theo, and the Weasleys’ memories were disturbing, so I’d really rather not see yours just yet. Someday, we’ll bond, but there’s no rush.”

Blaise snickered, but nodded. “That’s definitely fair. So, what do I need to know for these consort protocols? Preferably the bare minimum for whatever Theo and Hadrian want to get out of this.”

Hermione sighed, slumping onto a bench at the Gryffindor table as Ginny and Luna slid in on either side of her. She didn’t particularly want to stop moving and spend time on something as trivial as food, but it was necessary to avoid suspicion, especially after running into Snape earlier.

It’d been risky enough to skip breakfast after being ordered to attend by Snape, even more so when they’d been caught where they shouldn’t be. Skipping lunch as well would be guaranteed to attract his attention, if they hadn’t already.

She was also hungry, though that wasn’t overly important. They could skip two meals in a row, even if it wouldn’t be ideal. This time, however, not being noticed by Dumbledore was more important than rushing to their next destination. Snape was likely already watching them more closely than usual, especially after they skipped breakfast despite his clear orders to attend. McGonagall was much less attentive than Snape, but even she would notice if they all three missed two meals in a row.

She shook her head, annoyed by the lack of attention paid to the students by the teachers that were supposed to be taking care of them. Flitwick was generally pretty good as a head of Ravenclaw, but he never noticed Luna’s movements or absences simply because everyone ignored the Lovegoods. She doubted he’d even question Luna’s disappearance until he was informed that the three of them had all disappeared after being together. McGonagall tried, but realistically Snape would most likely be the one to report them missing, with a scathing attitude as he did so. It was ridiculous that there were so few teachers, and the ones that did care were too buried under their extra duties to actually help the students when needed. The only times they ever spoke to the teachers was when something was wrong, usually because they were in trouble or their behavior was too strange and out of character to brush aside.

Hopefully, their odd behavior would simply be attributed to Harry, those two Slytherins, and the Weasley’s disappearances. It was common knowledge that they were quite close to Harry and the Weasley brothers, and Ginny was the Weasleys’ little sister, so ideally no one would question them being a little off or distracted again. As long as it could be brushed off as understandable under the circumstances, McGonagall would never even mention it or try to speak to them.

Ginny sighed loudly, piling her plate high then frowning at it. “I really don’t want to eat right now. Are we sure that we need to waste this time?”

Hermione smiled at the younger girl, glancing around the room. She hid another sigh as she subtly considered the head table. Both McGonagall and Snape were watching the three of them closely. Snape had his usual sneer, though it was softer than usual. McGonagall just looked extremely worried.

She hid a frown and took another bite. “Neither do I, but we do all need to. Try to act normal, just eat enough to keep McGonagall satisfied and we can leave.”

Ginny nodded, turning her attention back to her food.

A few minutes later, Ron slumped onto a bench across from them. “Wazzup with you three? No one woke me up, I missed breakfast.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “We got up at seven, like we said we would. We gave you twenty minutes but you didn’t come so we went to the library as we said.”

Ron grunted. “Seven’s too early. You should have come back for me before breakfast.”

Ginny sneered at him, clearly annoyed. Hermione couldn’t help but agree. Ronald’s obsession with food had always disgusted her, but ignoring his friend and brothers’ disappearance and instead focusing on breakfast was even worse than usual.

“We were focused on things that actually matter. Harry, the twins, Bill, and Charlie, remember? You said when you went to bed that you were going to sleep early so that you’d be awake to help today,” Ginny snapped.

Ron rolled his eyes, piling his plate with an obscene amount of food. Hermione frowned, pushing her plate slightly away from her. She no longer had any remaining appetite. “It’s fine, they’ll turn up. Harry always has weird shit happen, I don’t get why you’re so worried.”

Hermione glared at him. “That is not an appropriate response to your best friend and four of your brothers going missing. It’s like you don’t care about them at all.”

Ron rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. “So what. They’ll be fine, they’re just getting attention like always.”

Hermione hissed dangerously, “What do you mean just getting attention? They’re all missing, Harry, the twins, Charlie and Bill, and those two Slytherins.”

Ron scowled, shoveling more food into his mouth. “Who cares? Harry has this kind of thing happen all the time, the twins just love attention and are probably screwing around with a prank, Bill and Charlie are going along with it because they’ve always favored the twins.”

Luna gave him an offended look. “And Theodore and Blaise?”

Ron blinked at her in confusion. “Who?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Nott and Zabini. The two Slytherins that vanished.”

Ron shrugged. “Who cares? They’re slimy snakes. We’re better off without them.”

Hermione glared at him, shocked. She’d known he could be rude and callous, but this was on a whole new level. His behavior was absolutely disgusting. Glancing at Ginny and Luna, she could easily tell that the two both agreed with her.

“Will you ever grow up?” she demanded.

Ron glared at her. “What? I have my priorities in order. Specifically, me. Food, sleep, and chess. Harry and the others will be fine, and no one cares about Slytherins.”

Hermione’s glare was harsh enough to burn. “If that’s how you feel then there’s no need for us to continue speaking. Now or ever. You’re just a disgusting glory hound that wants the attention of being friends with Harry, but you don’t even care that he and your brothers are missing.” Her voice rose steadily as she spoke, until she was outright yelling for the last sentence. Everyone in the Great Hall had stopped talking and turned to stare by the time she was done.

She quickly stood up, feeling Ginny and Luna standing as well and stormed out the Great Hall, the younger girls right beside her.

It was time to finish this and get out of this stupid realm.

Alec scowled as he considered the conversations going on around him. Nothing about this lovely little royal meeting had been good for him.

First, King Alcandor had announced to Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton that he needed to have a guard with him. The fact that that guard was Krymsen, Crimson Tide himself, was both good and bad.

Good, because he was one of the few members of Crimson Tide that he actually liked, partially because he was not Alec’s brother. Bad because Krym was generally sworn to protect Queen Killigan. Having him follow Alec around took him away from protecting the lovely little trouble magnet of a Merrow Queen.

Killigan would be fine, of course. The rest of Crimson Tide was more than capable, but Alec still wasn’t thrilled that Alcandor was assigning his most powerful guard to his protection. Part of that was likely because Krym was still restless after transitioning from frequent hunting to being stuck at the courts since winning the position as Crimson Tide, and another part was almost certainly because of Harry. His youth, Merrow heritage, and questionable past had been more than enough to make Alcandor somewhat protective. Adding a threat serious enough for Raspen to practically demand two restraining orders in a row almost guaranteed Alcandor would demand a guard.

It was still highly annoying that he was going to be stuck with Krym or another of the idiots that made up Crimson Tide following him around.

The discussion about the Vaughns had been somewhat productive, at least. Their horrible behavior was well known, but no one ever did anything about it because Queen Arista believed that their assistance was critical to recover the Merrow’s lost children. Alec thought that was nonsense. They’d found two, maybe three children so far, and they’d had more than enough time to make more progress. Even the few children that they had found had involved other families and circles assisting.

He knew that he was always suspicious of everything and everyone, it came with his position in the courts. Still, he was reasonably sure that he’d also be suspicious of the Vaughns’ actions and intentions even without those tendencies. Krym certainly was, and he had only even gotten involved in the courts in the last sixty years or so.

He shook his head, forcing himself back to the present. Ideally Alcandor would get through to Queen Arista and the Vaughns and their allies would be booted out of their positions of power sooner rather than later. Really, an ideal scenario would see the entire clan or clans removed from Nevarah entirely. Still, that was unlikely, at least for now.

“What are we going to do for Introductions then? The full royal introduction for your circle, or are you planning on sidestepping it somehow,” asked Dawne, examining her itinerary for the Introductions.

Raspen shook his head. “The overall circle will be doing the high noble introductions with the Deveraines. Everyone except Perry, Alec, and I were planning on being introduced then, the three of us have to do the royal introductions.”

Ebony nodded, clearly agreeing with that idea. Alec wasn’t surprised. For a fire type, Ebony really wasn’t that bad. She was dramatic and her flames were annoyingly bright and hot, but she didn’t go out of her way to make a nuisance of herself like many others did.

Alcandor was the one to speak, however. “Yes, the three of you do have to do the full introductions. Will the rest just stand there and be referred to as Raspen’s circle?”

Raspen nodded. “That would be preferable. None of the others would want to speak or have to do any kind of presentation.”

Perry snorted. Alec couldn’t blame him. Harry’s reaction if he was forced to speak in front of everyone would probably be absolutely adorable, but the little submissive would most likely be traumatized by the experience.

Dawne nodded. “What names should we announce?”

Perry frowned. “What’s the bare minimum?”

Ebony blinked. “Technically, announcing the Earth Crown Prince Raspen and his circle would meet the requirements. It’s very minimal, though. People will wonder why there wasn’t at least a little more done, mainly a little more attention on your submissive.”

Alcandor snorted. “Even the most idiotic of your landwalkers should be able to tell at a glance why we are limiting the amount of attention on the submissive.”

Ebony frowned. “What do you mean? Why does he need the amount of attention on him limited?”

Raspen sighed. “He’s very young. Only fourteen. He had his inheritance at the same time as the soulscream.”

Ebony gasped. “Fourteen? That’s far too young.”

Dawne nodded. “Given that, I doubt anyone will question him not being quite as involved as some other royal bonded, at least for a couple decades.”

Alcandor snorted. “Anyone who does question it doesn’t deserve to have a functioning throat to voice their questions. Krymsen will be willing to assist with any who do, if your suite does not handle it first.”

Krym blinked, looking surprised but willing. Alec hid a smile. Of course Crimson Tide had no issues with causing some extra bloodshed. Not that Alec could blame him. If he had the chance to destroy anyone who threatened or insulted Harry he would gladly take it and revel in their destruction. He was reasonably sure that his circle’s entire suite would happily join as well, along with perhaps a few others.

Ebony sighed. “Tempting as that sounds, it may be best to avoid any scandals until the idea of Raspen and Perry bonding into a mixed circle settles in fully. There’s going to be enough uproar in the courts just with that.”

Alcandor sighed, looking disappointed. “If we must. Any threats will still be handled with appropriate force by either the suite, the royal guard, or Crimson Tide. Using Merrow standards of appropriate, specifically. Harry’s third was a Merrow, that’s enough for me to demand Merrow standards be applied to him.”

Ebony snorted, looking amused. It wasn’t hard to guess why. Merrow standards on what should or could be considered an actionable attack or insult were completely different than those of landwalkers. Demanding Merrow standards be applied would give them far more freedom than even the usual Crown Royal’s submissive’s standards would imply.

Raspen shook his head, looking amused. “We’ll avoid as many scandals as we can, though one may be all but guaranteed once that Calamaris brat and that Guantrell realize we bonded into a circle with Theo and Ariki.”

Perry shook his head. “That’ll be annoying, but it shouldn’t be too hard to dodge or redirect it onto them. We’re soulbonded to Harry, who is soulbonded to them, they’re not even vaguely interesting to Theo and Ariki.”

Ebony nodded. “There really isn’t a leg for either of the two to stand on in this, not that that’ll stop them from trying. Still, it should be fine as long as nothing overly unexpected happens.”

Perry winced. “You almost certainly just jinxed it.”

Ebony blinked. “What do you mean?”

Raspen sighed. “Harry has the craziest luck that I’ve ever heard of. Going both ways. He gets into situations that are wildly improbable and ridiculously dangerous, but then somehow comes out alive. Not uninjured, but significantly better than would be expected under the circumstances.”

Perry snorted. “Now something absolutely ridiculous is all but guaranteed to happen.”

Dawne blinked. “Is it really that bad?”

Alec snorted this time. “I’m tempted to have one of the scryers check him for a luck curse or blessing. It’s the only thing that would make sense in this situation.”

Ebony sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t know if I should be jealous or relieved that I don’t have a direct family member in your circle. It sounds like absolute chaos.”

Dawne smiled. “I will admit that I am somewhat looking forward to the chaos. Especially since it will mostly fall on Raspen, as he’s actually in the circle.”

Raspen looked mildly offended at that. Alec had to suppress a snicker. The girls weren’t wrong. Harry was a delightful little trouble magnet, one of the worst he’d ever seen. Even worse than Killigan, when he’d previously believed that was impossible. He was willing to bet that there would be a truly obscene amount of chaos left in his new circle’s wake.

Not that that was a bad thing, of course. The Nevaraean courts could use some shaking up, and Harry was too young and adorable to be blamed for any chaos his presence, actions, or luck caused. It was almost perfect, in some ways, no matter how much Harry’s youth aggravated his protective instincts.

Even now, while he was with two of his circle members and fully aware that Harry was safely at home with their circle, he was concerned about his little submissive’s safety. It was ridiculous, but at the same time he couldn’t help it. He’d always had, and always would have, strong instincts to fight and protect.

Ebony sighed, turning back to her papers. “What else? I assume that Perry will stand with Raspen and their circle now instead of the Air courts, but what about Alec? Are you presenting Goonter again, or will someone else handle it?”

Alcandor shook his head. “Alec needs to handle Goonter. It won’t be overly important for landwalkers not to know he’s there. Brishen will be there, he’s fairly obviously a water type for anyone that has a brain and looks. If anyone else needs to know of Alec’s presence in the circle they can find out another time when Alec deigns to grace them with his presence.”

Dawne raised an eyebrow. “Deigns to grace them with his presence?”

Alcandor smirked, but nodded. “Indeed. Alec is a Merrow, and my cousin at that. Any landwalker he deigns to meet should be grateful for his attention.”

Alec hid a snort, amused by how Alcandor was planning to play things. Alec himself usually preferred to downplay his role and connections in the court, not using his last name or referencing his royal status as the King’s cousin. Apparently Alcandor wanted to do the opposite instead, fully displaying the strength of his positions, birth, and ties to the Merrow courts.

It would work, of course. Especially if they could get those Deveraine submissives to help spread the appropriate gossip to boost his reputation and position on land.

Somehow, he didn’t think either twin would mind being asked to help spread rumors.

Devrim sighed as he shifted his weight on the hammock he was resting on so that he could rest his head more comfortably on Idan’s chest, just over his Queen’s heart. He smiled when Idan purred softly, one hand coming up to card gently through his hair

He’d had more cuddles and positive attention in the last two days than he could remember having his entire life before the soulscream happened. Idan and Minh seemed determined to be with him as much as possible, as his newly bonded Queen and Princess. When he wasn’t with them, and sometimes when he was, there were plenty of others that were happy to be around him. It was a new experience, to say the least.

He blinked a few moments later, surprised when Harry’s attention turned to him. He sighed, looking back into those eager green eyes, clearly wanting to get to know him better now that Minh and Idan had explained what they were willing to. Why Idan was so pale and how the two met and bonded was not in that explanation, but both had included enough information for Harry and Devrim to feel like they knew the pair much better.

He sighed, considering where to start. “Things are a little more complicated than normal with me, mostly because of my parents’ identities and species.”

Harry looked confused. “I thought Nevarah was supposed to be accepting of everyone.”

Devrim shrugged. “Generally yes. It depends on the elements, species, and areas of Nevarah, to an extent.”

Minh looked angry. “Nevarah is a sanctuary realm. Everyone is supposed to be welcome here, anyone who told you otherwise or made you feel unwelcome should be up on charges.”

Devrim sighed, smiling gently at the Princess as he considered how to best phrase his explanation. “Things are different in the Shadow haunts. They’re harsher, less accepting than most of Nevarah. Most are still accepted there, but some species, like werehyenas, are less welcome.”

Idan frowned, gently tugging Devrim’s hair. “I hadn’t thought werehyenas were real until we met. Why had I only heard of you like you were legends?”

Devrim sighed. “Most dragels would prefer that werehyenas just be legends. The societies are completely incompatible, the magic is a polar opposite to normal wizarding, dragel, or even elven magic, and the few werehyenas that leave the clans and venture into Nevarah are usually doing so for a purpose. When they’re doing that, they’re not exactly concerned with being friendly or following societal norms.”

Minh blinked. “If they just go around breaking laws, why aren’t there more stories? Is it that rare for them to come here?”

Devrim cocked his head to the side, considering. “It’s a combination of things. The werehyenas sent to handle issues violate norms, not laws. They are very careful to never do anything that they could be arrested for. It is also very rare, maybe two or three times per millennium.”

Harry blinked, looking almost unable to process the time periods involved. Devrim couldn’t blame him. It must be overwhelming for a wizard-raised fourteen-year-old. It was sometimes overwhelming for him, and he wasn’t fourteen or wizard-raised.

When no one commented on that, Devrim continued. “My sire was a werehyena, which didn’t help my status since both I and my only werehyena parent were male. Werehyenas are strictly matriarchal, with hierarchy ruling everything.”

Harry seemed highly disapproving. “So you were low ranked just because you were male and so was your sire? They didn’t even bother to consider you, they just brushed you aside because you weren’t what they wanted?”

Devrim blinked. That was probably the bluntest way he’d ever heard it phrased, but he couldn’t deny it at all. Really, that entire description was spot on for his situation.

He frowned, considering that. It was also spot on for Harry’s situation with his so-called family, just changing male for magical, even though Devrim was quite certain that they were entirely different. Harry was an innocent child that had been given to family members who had blatantly abused him, then he’d been introduced to another world that had also treated him horribly because of ridiculous assumptions and expectations. While those details may be mostly the same as Devrim’s history, it wasn’t the same thing.

Devrim would know if it was, and it wasn’t.

Harry shook his head when Devrim didn’t answer, evidently knowing better than to push right now. “What else is there? You mentioned triad heritage, and I doubt you were so eager to go see them this week, ungrateful as they seem to be for your presence.”

Devrim blushed slightly at the idea that his presence was something to be grateful for, but nodded and continued explaining the easier parts of his history. “My bearer was a storm dragel, a gheyo named Mara that died before I was born. I just learned this week that her family circle wanted to take me in but couldn’t because of politics and potential clan war, but I never realized that they actually wanted me before, they’ve been fairly hands-off and not officially claimed me. They will be publicly claiming me now, though. I’ll have family armor for the Introductions, to mitigate the issues with my sire.”

Harry glared softly at him. “Your sire is not an issue unless he did something to harm you, nor is your species or affinity a negative. There is no good reason to be ashamed of it, and anyone who has an issue isn’t worth having around.”

Devrim blinked, unable to really process that. He shoved the thought away, instead focusing on the rest of the basics about himself. “My third is a vampire, so he’s called my Ren. He was somewhat involved while I was growing up, but not all that much until the last five years or so when I became a runner between realms and started spending more and more time around him and other vampires.”

Idan frowned. “Why didn’t you have more contact with him earlier? Or your bearer’s family circle?”

Devrim sighed. “I always thought it was lack of interest on my bearer’s family’s side and a lack of ability to care for me on my ren’s side, but now I think it was my mentor. He hates dragels, and doesn’t particularly like vampires either. He took custody of me after my sire died, and controlled where I went, what I did, and who I had contact with. I never questioned it, but my grandmother mentioned it earlier this week. I’ve been thinking about it ever since, and she was right that he did restrict my connections to almost exclusively werehyenas.”

Minh hissed. “What do you mean he restricted your connections?”

Devrim shifted uncomfortably. “The only contact I really had with other dragels until I started working as a realm runner a few years ago was at the gheyo training camp I went to. I always assumed that I wasn’t welcome with dragels, but now I wonder how much was my mentor telling me that I shouldn’t go near them. Even now that I’m working as a runner, he’s still pushing for me to spend as much time as possible among the clans even though he knows I don’t like to be there. He always pushes that hardest, but also insists that I shouldn’t stay in Nevarah more than absolutely necessary. When I mentioned an interest in taking a contact in the pits he was furious. He even suggested that I go live with the vampires over staying in Nevarah, when he hated that idea before.”

Harry looked upset at the hypocrisy, shifting as though he wanted to join him and Idan in their hammock, despite it being full and the fact that he was cuddling with Minh in his current hammock. “He sounds like Dumbledore,” the little submissive grumbled eventually, burying his face in Minh’s chest.

Devrim couldn’t help but be pleased by that. It was nice to see his submissive clearly wanting to be closer to him and feeling upset on his behalf, even after everything he’d just revealed.

Alec sighed as they returned to the Merrow courts, approaching the palace slowly. His sigh turned into a scowl as he considered the images in the orbs.

Nothing was wrong inside the castle at the moment, even Lord Alvon was where he was supposed to be. Specifically, not present.

Outside the castle, near the edges of the realm was another matter. It appeared that there were some merfolk plotting something, if the orbs were correct.

He sighed. Hopefully it wasn’t yet another rebellion, but his hopes weren’t exactly high on that front. The last rebellion had been a mix of selkies and Merrow, so the merfolk hadn’t made a nuisance of themselves in a few decades now. It was right on schedule for them to start causing problems, no matter how inconvenient it was for everyone else to deal with them.

Honestly, merfolk were some of the most annoying water elementals he knew of. Second only to one particular phoelix that he had the misfortune of sharing a circle with.

He raised an eyebrow when Krym followed him into his office. “I don’t think you need to follow me around here. Alcandor said on land while I’m out in public.”

Krym snorted. “No, I’ll use the time you’re working here to try to keep up with whatever stunts the Queen is pulling on any given day. Right now, though, we need to figure out our communication around when you’re going to be in public on land and then we need to discuss the possible rebellion that I know you noticed in those orbs.”

Alec sighed, nodding. The Ace wasn’t wrong about the rebellion needing to be discussed as soon as possible, and they did probably need to settle on some way for him to alert the Ace that he was needed. The alternative was to have the Ace with him at all times, and he somehow didn’t think that would go over very well with the rest of his circle.

Well, some of them. Hadrian might be pleased at the opportunity to spar with the Merrow blood title, but others would likely be far less approving and Alec really didn’t see a need for his cousin’s sworn blood title and strongest protector to be around while Alec’s circle was settling ranks and bonding more fully.

“What did you have in mind for coordination?” he asked, considering his options. Some kind of message would likely be best, or just meeting him underwater, though that may or may not count as good enough by Alcandor’s standards.

Krym frowned slightly. “The easiest way would be to send me a message and then I’ll port to you, before you leave your home. That or you come to the water and meet me here, and then we can go on land. The message would be better, though. I’m not sure if King Alcandor will consider travel time to be time out of the water but not at your home.”

Alec sighed, but nodded. It would be a little bit of a hassle, but not that bad.

Krym nodded, then continued. “King Alcandor also said that if you are out in public with your submissive then we need at least two members of Crimson Tide, myself included, to be present.”

Alec blinked. “He didn’t mention that part.”

Krym shrugged. “Probably because he only told me right before that meeting, and he didn’t want you to argue with him about it. You know he doesn’t like to hear objections, especially about his family’s safety.”

Alec sighed, but nodded. Normally he’d object much more strongly to the guards, but Harry was an absolute trouble magnet. Guards might not be a bad thing for Harry to have around, and the submissive would be required to have at least one or two gheyos with him at all times once the Royal Introductions were over. Making two members of Crimson Tide’s presence a requirement, even if only when Alec was present, was not necessarily a bad thing.

“And the rebellion? It looked like Merfolk, though I didn’t recognize the realm or the water that was surrounding them,” Alec commented, grabbing a form and beginning to fill it out with what he knew so far. Seeing the information in the orb wasn’t good enough to make any investigations or hunts required official. He had to record what he saw, any additional context he knew of, and what actions were being ordered for it to become official.

Krym frowned. “It looked like Earth, near a school there. I was part of a fairly large team that investigated an oddity in that area many years ago. The water looks much darker and more treacherous now than it did then, which is an unusually quick decline, but I’m pretty sure it’s the lake by the school. It’s definitely Earth, though. That much I’m sure of.”

Alec frowned. “Unusually fast decline or unnaturally fast decline?”

Krym winced. “Unnaturally, for sure. Even the merfolk look strange in that orb. Look at their teeth and eyes. They’re not normal for merfolk.”

Alec nodded, marking another note on his form. “Were they normal when you were there last?”

Krym nodded, almost glaring at the orb in his examination.

Alec leaned closer so he could also examine the orb more closely, and found he had to agree with the Ace. The merfolk looked nothing like they should have, and he knew of no valid reasons for them to look that way. He actually didn’t even know of any illegal or highly questionable ways for them to have gotten into that state and the lake to have significantly darkened, which was a bad sign. Despite his relative youth, Alec had taken the time to learn a great deal about curses, spells, and mutations. Anything used in the last twenty five hundred years, he knew of.

It was certainly not a good thing that neither Alec nor Crimson Tide recognized the magic involved.

He sighed, extremely reluctant. Still, it was necessary. They needed to know what was going on in that lake, even if it wasn’t the one that Krym believed it was. “I’ll ask Brishen. He might know more, given his age.”

Krym nodded, looking relieved that someone may have answers. “He’s old enough he’s probably seen most curses.”

Alec snorted. “It depends. He seems to spend a lot of time sleeping. He may have missed a lot.”

Krym snorted, shaking his head. “Well, either way his assistance may be helpful, if he’s willing to come along as another blade. He’s certainly powerful enough, especially if he can get riptide back before we have to go handle this.”

Alec nodded. “Give it a few days or weeks for me to get more information first. Brishen may know what’s going on in that lake, but there’s others that can potentially get us more information as well and they need time to work and get back to me.”

Krym nodded, smiling slightly. “That’s no problem. Once you have enough, let me know and I’ll organize the hunt.”

Theo sighed, glancing over his circle and taking note of who was and was not present as they assembled in the hallway to leave for the Prewitts. He wasn’t sure who exactly was attending, especially considering who the hosts were. Alec and Brishen had not specified, but he would be very surprised if Alec attended a lunch with a fire circle. Brishen had also been questionable, but the joker was currently present and seemed to intend to attend.

It was nice, Theo thought, that Brishen was willing to play nicely with fire types for a couple of hours, if only to stay near Harry. It was more of a concession than most water types were willing to make, especially when fire types were involved.

He smiled slightly a few minutes later when Raspen and Peryton both ported in, looking tired but pleased. He carefully edged over so that he was standing close to them.

“Are the restraining orders finalized?” he asked softly. Everyone seemed to be in very good moods right now, and he didn’t want to ruin that by reminding them that their circle already had probable enemies.

Raspen nodded, smiling slightly. “Signed, sealed, and filed with all four crown royals’ signatures. Dawne scheduled a meeting for the four of us this morning, and Perry, Alec, and Crimson Tide all also attended. We were able to get the restraining orders explained and signed fully.”

Theo relaxed slightly, hugging Raspen gently. “That’s good to hear. Is there anything else that I should know about?”

Raspen appeared to consider for a few moments. “Alcandor has assigned Crimson Tide to guard Alec when he’s on land and not in our home. He doesn’t trust the Vaughns, and he also has indicated that he will consider Harry as a distant relation of the Merrow crown if any threats or insults are offered during the hunt.”

Theo blinked, considering that statement. Alec was likely displeased by the addition of a guard, but it wasn’t a horrible idea. As a fellow Merrow, Crimson Tide would be much more familiar with Alec’s needs and combat strengths and weaknesses than their own gheyos would be. Plus, he’d never turn down more protection for Harry while this was going on, which was essentially what this guard would be. After all, it was highly doubtful that Alec would be spending any significant amount of time out in public on land while not with Harry.

“That’s probably a good thing, I would think,” Theo said carefully, watching Raspen and Perry’s reactions. Both seemed pleased that he felt that way, so he assumed that everything should be fine.

Raspen nodded. “Indeed, especially if they’re willing to help Harry if needed. We also confirmed that the Royal Introductions will just be changed by having the circle, except for Alec, port in with me and just stand around the throne. We’ll have to figure out who stands where and how it changes where the court members can stand, but there are etiquette masters for those discussions. No one else has to talk or do any kind of showing off except Hadrian’s usual stepping forward to be presented as a blood title.”

Theo nodded, considering that. “Why isn’t Alec with us for that? Because he’s a Merrow?”

Raspen tilted his head back and forth as though he couldn’t say for sure. “Kind of? He’s the main beast handler for the Merrow courts, though that isn’t his primary job. He’s in charge of Alcandor’s familiar’s performance, so he’ll be required for that.”

Perry snorted. “Also, King Alcandor would prefer that rumors making it clear that there is a high-ranking Merrow in our circle be spread but anyone that wants to meet Alec has to be someone Alec ‘deigns to meet’, or they just won’t get to meet him.”

Theo raised an eyebrow, trying to suppress his amusement. “Deigns to meet?”

Perry laughed. “That’s what Alcandor said. He wants to make sure that Alec’s position is made clear and defended, and that Alec isn’t swarmed by landwalkers he doesn’t want to see.”

Theo snorted softly. “Think we can hide Harry away with him to keep him from getting overwhelmed?”

The two royals actually looked like they were considering it, much to Theo’s surprise. He had thought they’d just laugh, but apparently it may be a viable option.

It would be a good option to have, especially with Harry’s empathy.

Chapter Text

Charlie shifted nervously as they arrived at the Prewitt compound, glancing over to make sure that Bill was nearby and ready to speak up. He knew that he should be more comfortable here. After all, these were family connections. Knowing didn’t make meeting relatives that they either hadn’t known about or had been told were dead any easier.

He wasn’t sure if it was easier or harder for Bill, who had known several of these newly discovered relatives as friends and coworkers, but either way he was still more than willing to throw his older brother under the Knight Bus first to test how things would go. That was what older brothers were for, after all.

It would probably be fine. These were their mother’s family, and she was one of the most friendly, loving, and accepting people he knew. The three they’d met at the library had been similar. Bill should be fine if he did end up deciding to throw him to the wolves.

He was pleased to see that Harry was a little less nervous than he had been during their earlier meet-the-family type of meetings. That was likely because these weren’t his relatives or royals, but having some experience with similar meetings and now knowing the proper etiquette was almost certainly helping.

The royals had all been very intimidating in their own ways, so the entire circle had been on edge for the meeting except for Raspen and Peryton, both of whom were royals themselves and therefore knew the other royals well. The meeting with Harry’s relatives had been a shock, so no one had been able to prepare or really consider how they wanted to behave for something so important. Even the meeting with the Deveraines had been nerve wracking, despite being much lower key than the one with the royals and not a surprise like the ones with the Prewitts and Peverells in the library. The Deveraines were still a fairly important circle, and had two sons bonded into their circle.

It hadn’t helped that Harry and the Weasleys had gone into those meetings completely blind about what would be expected or what they may be required to do. At this point, they’d now learned basic protocols and met multiple combinations of families, so it was a bit easier to prepare to meet another.

It also helped that they’d met three of the Prewitts they expected to see today in the library, and they’d all been quite friendly once they’d realized what was going on.

His attention was forced back to the present events when Bill stepped forward and easily greeted Malachi, who was at the front of the group of waiting Prewitts. It really was quite a group, too. He really shouldn’t be surprised that the Prewitt clan was large, but at the same time this was only supposed to be a small segment of the clan. Just Malachi, Fabian, and Gideon’s circle and Charlie’s grandparents’ circle.

The rest of the clan would come later, they’d been assured. Most hadn’t arrived for the hunt yet, but they could apparently expect to meet almost everyone in the clan before the hunt ended.

He blinked a minute later when a redhead woman that looked so much like his mother that it almost hurt suddenly dragged him and Bill into tight hugs. He probably should have expected that, given that these were apparently his mother’s family members, but it was still surprising to be dragged into a hug by a complete stranger.

He was released a few seconds later, the woman pulling back so that she could see everyone in the circle. “Hello, there. I am Sadara Prewitt, and this is my circle, my sons Gideon and Fabian, and their circle. I believe that you all have already met the twins and Malachi, correct?”

Charlie nodded. “Yes, we met them at the library this week and I believe Bill knew them before, but didn’t know that they were related.”

Sadara laughed. “Yes, I heard about that. I’m glad that we know now, we’re thrilled to have you here in Nevarah. Why don’t you introduce us to your circle?”

Charlie smiled. She seemed very earnest and enthusiastic about wanting to get to know all of them, and it was starting to make him feel much more at ease with getting to know her and the rest of the Prewitts present. “Well, this is our Alpha, Theodore Gorgens-Nott and our Submissive Harry Potter.”

Theo nodded politely while Harry waved shyly from where he was standing tucked under his Alpha’s arm.

Sadara smiled at the pair. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. We’ve been quite eager to get to know you all since we learned that three of our grandsons and nephews bonded into a circle, and another is staying with them.”

Charlie’s smile widened as he relaxed a bit more. “Our Pareya, Ethan Hartwood and my brothers Fred and George.”

Sadara moved quickly, snagging the twins and pulling them in for a tight hug. “Oh, that relationship is quite clear. You look just like your uncles Fabian and Gideon did at your age, and you’re even named using our family traditions for twins.”

The twins smiled, obviously pleased by the comparison, and took over the introductions, clearly thinking Charlie was going too slow. Charlie couldn’t help but feel relieved by that. It was just introducing their circle to their family, but these were relatives that they’d never met and knew little to nothing about. It was somewhat nerve wracking to meet them and see what would happen like this.

It was much easier to just sit back and watch his brothers introduce the rest of the circle. It also meant that he could enjoy the shocked reactions the Prewitts had at some of their circle members. He didn’t have to continue speaking and the focus wasn’t on him, so his smirk and snickers weren’t as rude as they could have been if they had been noticed. The reactions were certainly worth snickering at. Even just the fact that they had a blood title, all elements, and a water phoelix seemed to be absolutely shocking to the Prewitts.

Prince Peryton and Prince Raspen had hung back when they arrived, standing mostly behind other people so that they wouldn’t be seen. Judging by their behaviors so far, Charlie assumed they were most likely trying to ensure that the Prewitts would react naturally to the rest of them, instead of immediately jumping to the full royal formality. Neither of the two seemed to enjoy the overly formal approach that was required for and with royals in public, if their actions in private and with the Deveraines were any indication.

Still, the pair were introduced, and the difference in how formally the Prewitts behaved once they realized there were royals in the circle was very pronounced. Charlie was quite sure that he personally did not like the change, but he had to admit that it made sense. None of the Prewitts were likely to know Prince Raspen or Prince Peryton very well, especially in informal settings. They weren’t royals, and they didn’t share an element with either prince. Under the circumstances, it made sense to default to the best possible manners and avoid any potential insults.

Fortunately, Raspen and Perry were quick to assure the Prewitts that formality was not required, they were simply here with their circle to visit family.

It was a relief when the twins were able to continue on normally, even if the Prewitts still seemed a little more stiff than before.

“We also have a Merrow, but he didn’t show for this visit. He works at the courts, so he’s probably doing something there,” Fred finished.

Fabian cocked his head to the side. “Something? What kind of something?”

George snickered. “Wrangling idiots, if what he’s grumbled about is accurate.”

Both sets of twins immediately burst into snickers, while the others present rolled their eyes at them all.

Charlie couldn't help his own snort at the sight of the four laughing while everyone else just shook their heads. That reaction was so typically Fred and George, it was funny to see another set of twins that looked like older versions of his twins having the exact same reaction. It definitely proved that they were related, at least as far as Charlie was concerned.

He hadn’t doubted it, of course, but some behavioral confirmation was good to have anyways. He hadn’t known relatives beyond his immediate family his entire life, and there were so many habits and ticks that he and his siblings had that neither of their parents did. It would be interesting to see what came from where and if there were any inherited personalities or behaviors.

A few minutes later, Charlie smiled softly as they were all hustled inside for some ‘light snacks to ensure no one gets too hungry before lunch’.

That sounded just like something his mother would insist on, especially with Harry around.

Arthur sighed as he landed in yet another section of the British countryside, Kingsley Shacklebolt at his side. They’d been searching non-stop since Harry, Charlie, the twins, Cedric, Nott, and Zabini had all disappeared after the Triwizard Tournament. Their search had taken on a new level of urgency and caution after Bill had gone missing. Very few were willing to act rashly when searching for something that may have gotten the best of a top five international curse breaker. That was why he was here with Kingsley, instead of traveling alone and using his more advanced hunting capabilities that came with being a Torvak.

He glanced around, frowning. This was certainly not the type of area he’d expected to end up in while tracing major magic uses in the last twenty-four hours. It was a little cottage next to a large manor, with a graveyard just visible on the other side of the manor.

His frown deepened as he looked at the graveyard closer. There appeared to be several people lying on the ground, and destroyed tombstones could be seen even from this distance.

That couldn’t be anything good.

Hopefully none of the missing boys were mixed up in any of this, but knowing Harry’s luck they almost certainly were.

He loved Harry like a son and considered him to be one of his own children in every way that mattered, but he still had to admit that the boy was a trouble magnet like no other that Arthur had ever seen. He’d never understand how one small boy could attract that much chaos, while still coming out of it all relatively unscathed.

He got Kingsley’s attention, gesturing to the graveyard. The auror frowned as he looked the area over, but nodded. Both men approached slowly, wands out and ready to cast if needed.

Even going slowly, their approach didn’t take long, and soon both men were looking around in shock, taking in the carnage left behind.

“Are those Death Eaters?” Arthur asked, frowning at the nearly destroyed corpses. It looked vaguely like them, but the bodies were so damaged that it was hard to be certain about any distinguishing features.

Kingsley crouched down, examining one body more closely. “It looks like it. Whoever it is is too mangled to identify just by looking at him, but he has a dark mark.”

Arthur nodded. That was about what he was seeing too. He continued on, his jaw tightening when he noticed another corpse, this one in the perfect condition only seen with the killing curse. “Kingsley.”

The auror stood and came over, frowning. “What is - oh. Amos will be devastated.”

Arthur sighed. It was certainly tragic to find Cedric’s body, but his priority was and would always be his own sons. “You’d better call in more aurors or whoever handles these things. And we really need to find Harry and the others.”

Kingsley nodded, pulling out a medallion and activating it. “Definitely. This is certainly confirmation that there’s danger, as though there was any real doubt.”

Arthur snorted. “The only one doubting it was Fudge, and he only questioned it because it would show how bad the security at an event he agreed to for publicity was.”

The auror shook his head, but didn’t verbally dispute the claim. He clearly couldn’t disagree, but also couldn’t say that he agreed without risking his job.

Technically Arthur was risking his job by insulting Fudge, but the man knew perfectly well what Arthur thought of him, and Arthur knew that Fudge would never let him be promoted even without comments like that. It really made no difference for him.

Arthur sighed, continuing to search the graveyard as they waited. “I don’t know if it’s good or bad that Cedric’s the only one of the kids here.”

Kingsley nodded. “It could be either, but I’d say good. They aren’t here dead with the others, so there’s a good chance that they’re alive. If they’re even all together. Technically, we can’t prove that at this point.”

Arthur snorted. “I know my sons, Kingsley. They’re all wherever Harry is, one way or another. I don’t know Nott or Zabini, but my children’s luck is more than enough to account for any and all chaos possible.”

A man that Arthur only vaguely recognized snorted, drawing his attention. Apparently Kingsley’s backup had appeared while they were searching, but it was only one auror.

At Arthur’s look, the man that snorted smiled. “Auror Peter Parkinson. I know Blaise, somewhat, and his luck is definitely chaotic enough to make sure he and Theodore are included in whatever is going on.”

Kingsley blinked. “How do you know him? We’ll have to make sure it isn’t against regulations for you to investigate, if there’s a connection.”

Auror Parkinson shook his head. “No, it’ll be fine, I’ll just declare it so there aren’t any issues later. His mother married my uncle - that one that was an absolute arse to everyone and anyone. He obviously died under questionable circumstances, leaving all of his money to her, but that was about five years ago now so I don’t think it will matter.”

Arthur blinked in surprise. “You don’t seem overly concerned.”

Auror Parkinson shrugged. “I’m not. I didn’t care for him at all, nor for her, really. Blaise was a good kid though. I felt sorry for him, stuck with his mother’s parade of husbands that would show up and die. She seemed to treat him well, but there’s no way that most of those stepfathers cared about him at all.”

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. “I’ll never understand how someone could marry someone that doesn’t care for their child, but it isn’t the issue right now. We need to find all of the kids, as soon as possible.”

Parkinson nodded. “Indeed. This is the first solid lead so far, but the entire department is out searching.”

Kingsley blinked. “I thought Fudge didn’t want to treat this as a serious issue.”

Parkinson snorted. “He didn’t. Amelia went behind his back to send most of you out last night, but then this morning the foreign guests were commenting on how they were surprised that we weren’t doing everything possible, and it made it look like we didn’t care about missing children. That got him to cooperate, he just claimed that he was waiting for daylight so we wouldn’t miss anything.”

Arthur sighed. “So instead of implying that he doesn’t care about missing children, he implied that his auror force can’t work in the dark?”

Parkinson shrugged. “That’s what it sounded like to me.”

Kingsley shook his head. “Great. Now Fudge is saying we can’t cast a basic lumos charm.”

Parkinson snorted. “Still better than last month when he tried to say that we couldn’t follow a man down an empty street for ten meters.”

Fred shifted in his chair as they settled in at the table to eat. Things had been going well, as far as he could tell, so he was just hoping that would continue until they could finish lunch, hang out for a couple hours, and leave.

He’d been having a good time, of course, but he was still eager to be done. Theo had promised him some more alone time yesterday, and he hadn’t gotten it yet. The Alpha had been busy with their royals, finalizing more of the circle. He didn’t begrudge them that, he had already gotten to bond fully to Theo, but he still fully intended to ensure that he got his time alone with him tonight.

Unfortunately, it would be several hours before they’d be able to get to the kinds of activities Fred wanted. They needed to finish this family lunch, then go pick up their shopping.

Oh well. At least the Prewitts were turning out to be fun to be around, especially Fabian and Gideon.

It was very easy to see where he and George’s closeness and senses of humor came from while with the older twins. He almost wanted to see how much chaos they could cause if all four teamed up for experiments or pranks, but at the same time he was sure that several of their circle members would not approve.

They’d still do it eventually, but maybe they should give it a few weeks before starting.

He smiled, looking over the rest of his circle. Everyone except Brishen seemed happy, and even the Phoelix seemed fairly neutral. They’d placed him right between Harry and Bran, as far away from the fire types as possible, so that he wouldn’t be too unsettled by the number of fire elementals present.

It seemed to be working, from what Fred could tell. Honestly, though, Brishen’s decent mood may be more attributable to being seated next to Harry than being seated as far as possible from fire types.

Everyone in the circle wanted to be near Harry almost all of the time, and Brishen, as a joker, was even more attached to Harry over anyone else. Getting Charlie’s usual seat right next to their submissive was probably a fairly major perk of this meal.

Thinking of Brishen dragged Fred’s attention over to Inanna on the Peverell side. She was also a Phoelix, albeit a fire one. The two seemed to know each other fairly well, too, as they’d been snipping at each other through most of the snacks and conversation earlier. There were no direct attacks or fighting, but they’d definitely been extremely snarky.

He suppressed a snicker when his eyes fell on Inanna and Brishen’s plates. For all their snarking and insistence that they were completely different, they certainly had the same taste in food. Both had taken the exact same things, specifically the food options with cinnamon.

Apparently that obsession wasn’t just a Brishen thing.

He glanced up when Sadara apparently decided that it was time for the real conversations, now that the food was here as a distraction. “So, tell me, how did your circle form? I know it was a soulscream, but some of you look quite young for your ranks.”

Harry shifted in his chair, looking nervous. “Some stuff happened, one of the others can explain it if they want to. I had my inheritance forced out by it and then I also gave a soulscream at the same time. Everyone else got summoned, and it broke the suppressions on Fred, George, and Charlie.”

Sadara nodded, looking concerned. “I see. I hate to ask this, and I’m not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, I just need to know what kind of support your circle will need going forward so that I can ensure we are able to provide it. Your circle will always have our support, after all we are family. We just need to know what is required to ensure you are in the best possible position.”

Harry nodded, relaxing into his seat. “Oh, ok. Thank you.”

Theo nodded. “Our entire circle is quite grateful for that, thank you.”

Charlie and the twins nodded. Fred wished he knew what to say, because it felt like something they should answer. At the same time, though, he had no idea what he could possibly say in the situation, even after the etiquette lessons that morning.

Sadara smiled, seeming satisfied. Fred relaxed slightly. It seemed that she didn’t expect much of a response, or at least not anything overly specific or formal.

“So, since I do need to know if and when it comes up in the courts, how old are you, Harry? And Theo, Blaise, and Bran? All four of you seem quite young, and yet only Bran is a consort.”

Harry grimaced. “I’m fourteen. Theo’s sixteen, Blaise’s fifteen, Bran’s also fourteen.”

Sadara frowned. “So you and Blaise both had early inheritances? With ranks settled in, one way or another?”

Harry nodded. “I had mine on Sunday, like we mentioned earlier. Blaise had his and became a joker a few years ago, but that’s his story if he wants to talk about it. Theo had his early too, so he’s been a dragel and was raised by Ilsa Gorgens since then.”

Sadara blinked. “Lady Ilsa Gorgens? The clan heiress and blood title?”

Theo nodded. “My mentor, and the reason my last name is Gorgens-Nott instead of just being Nott. I have no known blood relation to the Gorgens family.”

Fabian frowned. “No known blood relation?”

Theo shrugged. “I don’t know who my third is, they are not visible on my records, so I don’t know who I may be related to through them.”

Gideon also frowned. “Did they never approach you? If you were being raised by a mentor, I assume there was something compromising your sire and bearer. Any decent third would have stepped in.”

Theo shook his head. “I have never met, heard from, or learned the identity of my third. Ilsa raised me since my inheritance came in at eight, and all of my living relatives on Earth that I knew died that same day.”

None of the Prewitts looked at all satisfied with that answer, but Fred could easily tell that Theo did not want to discuss it right now.

“Do you know if prank candies could be sold somewhere here in Neverah?” George asked, blatantly changing the subject with no subtlety at all. Fred didn’t blame him, though. The questioning was making their Alpha uncomfortable, and they’d never approve of continuing something that made one of their bonded so needlessly uncomfortable.

The Prewitt twins both looked eager at that new idea.

“What kind of prank candies?” Fabian asked, grinning as he and Gideon gave Fred and George their full attention.

Malachi simply pinched the bridge of his nose, staring up at the ceiling. Somehow, Fred got the impression that his uncles must cause just as much havoc here in Nevarah as he and his twin did on Earth.

Luna sighed in relief when the door closed behind them, sealing them into the office and everyone else, particularly Dumbledore, outside of the office. It was time to finish their search and get off of Earth before it became too dangerous.

The Fae Queen would be furious if Luna got hurt, and would likely extend that fury to her friends if they were hurt in her presence. Especially when the three actively intended to travel to the Fae courts as soon as they had what they needed.

Luna winced, considering her options. This was one future that she’d known was possible, vaguely, but she hadn’t seen anything detailed about what would happen from here on. There had been flashes, but they weren’t clear enough for her to get any useful information. It meant that this had been one of the less likely possible futures, but that apparently hadn’t meant that it wouldn’t happen.

She had to admit that she wasn’t a fan of not having more information going into something as risky as searching Dumbledore’s office. She’d have much preferred to have seen exactly how this would end, or at least a clear image of herself, Ginny, and Hermione safely in the Fae Realm after this was over.

She shook her head, turning her attention back to the task at hand. They needed to find all of the evidence they could as fast as possible. They could not risk being caught here. Nothing good would happen if Dumbledore found them searching his office, with or without his Torvak or rogue vampire supporters.

“We need to find anything and everything useful here. More information on the potions, whatever he did for the creature inheritances, anything he shouldn’t have. Literally anything and everything that may be relevant or that he shouldn’t have, put in the voidstone and we’ll let the Fae Queen handle it,” she instructed the other girls, all traces of her usual dreamy personality completely gone.

Hermione and Ginny blinked in surprise at the unusual behavior, but nodded readily and separated, each choosing a section of the room to start in.

There were certainly plenty of places in this office where Dumbledore could store things.

Luna shook her head, moving to the desk to start. It was not the most likely place for him to have hidden the kinds of things she really wanted to find, but it also wasn’t impossible. Dumbledore was a narcissist, so it wasn’t unbelievable that he’d leave things in obvious locations, simply assuming that no one would break into his office and search his things.

That would be a very stupid belief in a castle that contained the Weasley twins, who had a tendency to break into anywhere and everywhere for their pranks, but she wouldn’t put it past Dumbledore. She wouldn’t count on it either, though.

Brishen sighed as he followed Inanna up to the gheyo quarters in the Prewitt’s manor. He did need to get Riptide back, and could easily understand why she’d want to do the handoff well out of sight of any of the others, but it was still a hassle to leave Harry and go further into the fire-oriented home.

This whole trip was already far too much fire to begin with, even before he’d had to go up to gheyo quarters for a pure fire circle. The only redeeming part of it all had been how friendly these Prewitts had been towards his circle’s Weasleys along with Bill, and the rest of the circle overall. They’d even been friendly with him, despite the problems between the fire and water elements.

The food had also been quite good. It was clear that the Pareya in this clan put a good bit of effort into cooking food that Inanna would eat, which was good for Brishen as their tastes in food were essentially the same, but there were also several things that they very clearly either didn’t realize were issues or just weren’t fixing. It was hard to say which it was, as Inanna wasn’t the most talkative when it came to issues or differences, and there were so few Phoelixes involved in dragel society that there wasn’t a comprehensive list of species differences available to help avoid issues.

Either way, it wasn’t Brishen’s problem. Inanna’s circle and their relationships were her own business unless and until she brought them up to him.

As long as she seemed happy enough here and Harry and the rest of the circle were enjoying their time with the Prewitt clan, Brishen wouldn’t complain about associating with them or visiting them when requested.

To an extent, of course. There was only so much he was willing to visit an all-fire clan, no matter how friendly.

So far, it seemed that Harry and the rest of the circle were enjoying their time here well enough. There had been a few tense moments at lunch, but nothing unexpected or overly concerning. Just Lady Sadara fishing for information so that she wouldn’t be blindsided at the courts once their connection was made public.

Now that lunch was over, the Prewitts had herded everyone outside, apparently hoping to play some games and burn off some of the energy that had clearly built up, especially in the two sets of twins.

It was now obvious where Fred and George’s love for pranks and inventing had come from. The pair were almost exact replicas of their uncles, just with wizarding sensibilities and methodologies involved in their pranks. Brishen could already feel the headache coming on from the mere idea of leaving Fred and George unsupervised, especially with Gideon and Fabian added in as well. A disaster was all but guaranteed with that combination.

Games and other ways to burn off their energy and keep them busy would be essential in limiting the amount of damage done when the four got together, Brishen was sure. The others seemed to agree, if the speed at which games were suggested before the Prewitt twins could suggest they take the Weasley twins to their workrooms was any indication.

Harry had also seemed to like the idea of games, fortunately. He hadn’t gotten to play at the Deveraines’ clambake because he’d been with Bahn and Bhindi the whole time trying to learn everything he’d need to know once the hunt started and he was introduced as the Earth crown prince’s submissive. It made more sense for him to spend his time on that, given the importance, but it was also good for him to get to play games and have fun.

He was only fourteen, after all. Far too young to be required to focus on politics and the like.

Fortunately for Brishen’s limited patience, they arrived at the gheyo office where Inanna had stashed Riptide fairly quickly.

Brishen frowned, glancing around. “Why did you keep it in an office instead of your own room?”

Inanna rolled her eyes. “This is the room I use, or a perch over on the other side.”

Sarai, Inanna’s Ace, rolled her eyes. “You could have used your room though. It’s not like it’s inconvenient, it’s right across from the balcony next to the stairs.”

Inanna blinked, looking confused. “Since when have I had that?”

Sarai frowned. “We made it when you and Malachi agreed to bond. You were supposed to be told about it the day you bonded into the circle, though I’m not sure who exactly we settled on getting to be the one to tell you. I got called away while the debate was still happening so I didn’t hear the final result.”

Brishen frowned, glancing between Inanna and Sarai. That seemed like a fairly major miscommunication, and also a conversation that he really didn’t want to be a part of. Still, he was hesitant to interrupt while they were discussing something so important.

When Inanna didn’t comment for a moment, Sarai shook her head. “We’ll discuss this tonight. With Malachi and the twins, too. For now, just grab that weapon so we can get back to the others.”

Inanna nodded, frowning, but quickly fetched Riptide and returned it to Brishen. The joker sighed in relief, sheathing it in the small holder specifically embedded into his armor for it.

Riptide wasn’t necessarily his preferred weapon, but it was a weapon that he preferred to be in either his hands or the hands of another Water element that he could trust.

Hermione sighed as she considered a bookshelf in one corner of the room. She’d selected the books because she was more interested in books, but that may not have been the best choice, all things considered. She’d put a lot of time and effort into learning as much as possible, but there were still a lot of things that the other two knew after being raised in wizarding households that she did not.

She sighed, considering. Honestly, she was tempted to throw all of these books into the voidstone and take them with them even if they weren’t dangerous or evidence, just to spite Dumbledore. “Luna? Can we just take the books here that look valuable? They shouldn’t be stuck in this office with him.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny’s snort from behind her, but Luna didn’t seem surprised by her question. “Sure, if you want. There’s room, and we don’t have time to go through and check them anyways.”

Hermione nodded, grabbing an armful and starting carrying them over to the voidstone as gently and quickly as possible. She smiled when she noticed Ginny doing the same thing with the magical gadgets and other devices scattered on the tables on the other side of the room, while Luna was making a large pile to take that seemed to include most of the papers in the desk.

Dumbledore would throw a fit when he came back to see his office ransacked and things stolen like this. Hermione would be surprised if half of what was currently in here was still present when they were done, at the rate they were going now.

Hermione sighed as she finished clearing her third bookshelf, leaning on the wall between it and the next bookshelf to rest for a moment. A second later, she jumped back in shock when the bookshelf she’d just finished clearing moved down into the floor, sinking until the top of the bookshelf was level with the floor.

She glanced at the spot where the bookshelf had been, her eyebrows raising as she realized that it was another bookshelf, this one slightly smaller and containing books that looked even older and more valuable than those on the shelves that were normally visible.

Ginny and Luna looked over, jaws dropping. “That’s a lot of hidden books,” Ginny commented, staring at the gap.

Luna nodded. “Yes. I’ll have to make sure to check the desk very closely, I guess.”

Hermione nodded. “Definitely. We’ll probably have to go through and look for hidden compartments everywhere when we finish searching the obvious places.

Ginny and Luna both nodded then turned back to their tasks, looking determined.

Hermione frowned as she turned back to consider a row of books in the hidden bookshelf she’d just found. She gently removed one from the shelf, turning it over carefully and inspecting the cover. Somehow, opening it didn’t feel like a good idea, though she wasn’t sure why.

“Ginny? Luna? Are these grimoires?” she asked hesitantly. They certainly looked like grimoires, based on the descriptions she’d read of them in the library, but she’d never actually seen one to be sure, and they weren’t the type of thing that Dumbledore should have a shelf full of.

That may be why they were hidden in a second bookshelf behind the first, though.

Ginny approached carefully, frowning. “Definitely. I wonder how he got them. Families are usually very protective of them, and they have strong blood magic that should have blocked him from possessing or reading them.”

Hermione blinked. “I assume I shouldn’t try to read it, then?”

Ginny shook her head quickly. “Absolutely not. They generally have some nasty curses on them. You really shouldn’t hold it longer than necessary, just put them in the voidstone and we can go through and see what families they belong to later. They should really be returned, but it’ll have to wait until we can get out of here.”

Hermione frowned slightly at her inability to access all of the knowledge that these books must contain, but didn’t argue. She wasn’t willing to risk blood curses over some knowledge, no matter how much she enjoyed learning.

She quickly began stacking the grimoires in her arms, intent on carrying them over to the voidstone as quickly as possible. They were on a deadline, after all. They needed to finish and be gone well before Dumbledore returned to this office.

Harry groaned in annoyance as he sat in the grass, glaring at his ankle.

It had somehow gotten snagged in a root as he ran under the tree, causing him to fall. It wasn’t too bad, but he could easily tell that it was at the very least sprained, and Quinn had seen it happen. Apparently, his bonded Healer was not willing to let injuries go, even minor ones like this.

‘It’s definitely broken. I don’t know how you aren’t reacting more strongly,’ Quinn wrote in air, looking concerned.

Harry shrugged, glancing around and hoping no one was paying attention. Unfortunately for him, everyone was standing around, watching and looking extremely worried. Even Brishen and the two Prewitt gheyos he’d gone inside with had gotten back over forty-five minutes ago.

Typical.

Quinn sighed, fixing Harry’s ankle quickly. ‘It’s healed, but you should stay off of it as much as possible for the rest of the day.’

Harry sighed, but nodded. Staying off of it as much as possible for the rest of the day was fairly minor as far as recovery went, so he supposed he shouldn’t be upset. Still, he’d been enjoying playing the game.

He blinked a moment later when two red-haired women sat down on the ground with him under the tree. Sadara and Inanna, he remembered. Mrs. Weasley’s mother and the other Phoelix that Brishen had neglected to mention was in the Prewitt circle.

“We may as well simply join you, I think. I’ve had enough of running around for the day, I’m not as young as I used to be,” Sadara commented.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the woman, but smiled. That was pretty thin as an excuse to sit down, all things considered. The woman didn’t even truly look middle-aged, much less old enough to not be able to play a game.

Still, it was nice that someone was willing to sit with him and watch, and she hadn’t seemed overly enthusiastic about the game even while she was playing.

He then glanced over at Inanna, curious what the joker’s excuse would be.

She snorted, seeing his look. “You clearly need an eye kept on you, from what I’ve heard so far. You also need to know some details about Phoelixes that Brishen may or may not think to tell you before it becomes an issue.”

Harry smiled, slightly relieved. Things had been going well with Brishen so far, but it would still be good to know more about his Joker’s species and any other concerns he may need to be aware of. None of the others knew much, if anything, about Phoelixes. Apparently they were fairly rare in Nevarah.

“That would be good. None of the others in my circle have met any other Phoelixes,” Harry replied, smiling happily at the joker.

Inanna blinked, but smiled slightly as she shifted to where she was more comfortably sitting between two large roots. “Well, the most important thing to be aware of is cinnamon. It is an absolute necessity at all meals, or we won’t be happy at all.”

Ginny sighed, moving to the next group of tables with gadgets and oddities on it. She’d stopped looking too closely at the objects on the tables a while ago, instead just throwing everything into the voidstone as she got to it.

She froze as she actually looked at the object that was taking up the entire table. It looked almost like a more advanced version of the Marauder’s map, but instead of showing Hogwarts it showed Number 4, Privet Drive. Harry’s relatives’ house.

The place that Dumbledore insisted was Harry’s home, but Harry and all of his friends and real family knew was not actually his home in any real sense of the world.

She frowned. The people listed on this map didn’t seem right. It showed someone underneath the house, and no one was actually inside. Technically the Dursleys could all be at work or shopping or something, but Harry had told her that Dudley had been suspended and placed on house arrest after being caught with muggle drugs at school. Dudley and Petunia should both be there, even with it being what would normally be a work day.

“Hermione? Does the name Maurice Elswood mean anything to you?” Ginny asked hesitantly. Hermione had known Harry longer, so it was possible she’d know if there was anyone that she hadn’t heard of with that name. A teacher or something, perhaps? Maybe a muggle auror or a social worker or something, there to see where Dudley was?

Hermione shook her head. “Never heard of him. Let me just get these last few books and I’ll look at whatever it is.”

It only took a few more seconds before Hermione was standing next to Ginny, examining the map. “That sick creep! This map shows the cupboard under the stairs quite clearly. There’s no way he didn’t know that the Dursleys were locking Harry in there instead of giving him a bedroom.”

Ginny frowned, looking closer. She hadn’t considered that aspect, but it was certainly worth considering. “He knew everything, didn't he? All of the neglect and abuse in that house, he knew all of it.”

Hermione frowned, considering. “I don’t see how he could have not.”

Ginny shook her head, turning back to the strange layered paper. It would be better to handle it later, she knew. With Hermione’s help, the map of Number 4 Privet Drive was quickly stowed in the voidstone.

They did need to get moving. Time spent considering how horrible Dumbledore was was time they didn’t have to get done and get out before they got caught.

Chapter Text

The game wound down slowly, but eventually a couple of hours had passed, and the game did wind down fully. It had been fun, Ethan thought, but they did have more to do today, so it was probably a good thing that it was ending.

He smiled as he wandered over to the tree where Harry had been sitting with Inanna and Sadara. It had been good to see Harry still having fun and enjoying spending time with the Prewitts, even after he had injured his ankle and not been able to play the game anymore.

His submissive really did have terrible luck. The first time he really played a Neveraean game and enjoyed himself, he tripped on a tree root and broke his ankle.

Or perhaps he was simply accident prone. Several of Ethan’s clumsier siblings had received similar injuries over the years. Harry certainly wouldn’t be the first dragel to do such a thing, and at only fourteen he was still in that awkward phase where everything was growing and you didn’t know exactly what to do with all of your limbs. The sudden dragel inheritance and the changes it had caused likely didn’t help either.

He came to a stop once he was standing close to Harry, frowning slightly when he heard Raspen sigh, sounding almost resigned. He glanced over at the prince, his frown deepening at the grimace his questioning look prompted.

“Nothing too serious,” the Earth prince assured him. “I just will have to go back to the courts again, another formal dinner has been scheduled and I am required to attend.”

Ethan made a face, but nodded. He certainly didn’t envy Raspen his royal title and responsibilities. They sounded like an absolute nightmare.

Ethan smiled slightly when Harry came and tucked himself under his arm. Apparently he, Sadara, and Inanna had all had enough sitting for today, as Harry had come to join him while Sadara had moved so she could fuss over George, who had skinned his knee, and Inanna went to stand near Malachi.

Everyone seemed to be ready to go except for their Weasleys, though that wasn’t particularly surprising. The lunch and the games afterwards had been fun, but sadly there was still quite a lot left to do today, so they did have to get going.

There was a significant amount of shopping to do, and even if they split up to handle it, it would still take some time. Bran and Riven had also mentioned wanting to go see Bran’s mother, and Hadrian had mentioned business in the gheyo areas.

Ethan wasn’t sure he wanted to know what kind of business the shadow blood title would have in the gheyo areas.

At the same time though, these were the Weasleys’ family, and all four seemed quite family-oriented. Not that that was surprising, given their Prewitt heritage. The Prewitts were known to be one of the most family-oriented clans in dragel society, to the point that several of their members, Sadara included, were known for a unique brand of family magic. None of the four seemed eager to leave, no matter how much more there was to do that day.

Ethan’s smile widened against his will when he noticed Quinn frown at Harry for moving, but not actually comment. Technically, their submissive had followed his directions to stay off his ankle as much as possible by sitting out the rest of the game. Perhaps he shouldn’t go for all of the shopping with them, but walking over and standing with Ethan was within the bounds the healer had said he should stick to for the day.

Not that that would stop Quinn from fussing, of course.

“Where are you all staying, if you don’t mind my asking? There are so many elements, it must have been difficult to find an elementally neutral location.” Malachi asked, considering the group.

Blaise shrugged. “I have a house in the storm areas, we’re using that for now. It won’t work for everyone long term, but it’s good enough until we can find a new place that’s actually suited for us all.”

Malachi frowned. “That’s not ideal for fire types, particularly ones not bonded into a circle that is inclined towards such an element. Bill, perhaps you should come and stay with us for a while. It would let us help you learn dragel etiquette and transfer all of your employment information and credentials over, and we could host you for the hunt officially without nearly as much politics and fuss as your brothers’ circle will have to deal with.”

Ethan nodded to himself, pleased. It would be much better for Bill to stay with a fire circle, in a house that was not intended for storm dragels. Much as he was sure that his brothers and Harry liked having him around, going with the Prewitts would be better for Bill, and they could visit as much as they wanted. Malachi wasn’t wrong about the politics of staying with them, either. It would be a nightmare once they were officially and publicly introduced as Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton’s bonded. Bill really didn’t need to get into all of that during his first hunt.

Bill glanced over at his siblings to verify that none of them objected, but they didn’t seem to mind at all. He nodded, smiling. “That would be great, thank you. The house we’ve been staying in is nice, but the storms can be a bit much at times.”

Malachi nodded. “That’s hardly surprising. Perhaps you should go pick up your things then port back over here? And perhaps your brothers can stay here with you and spend at least a little more time? I know you all have things to do today to handle getting situated here and preparing for the hunt, but perhaps you could spare our nephews for a little longer.”

Theo nodded easily. “Of course, so long as they’re alright with it. I believe we mostly just have to go shopping before dinner, so perhaps you three could be home to eat and we can fill you in if you’ve missed anything?”

Charlie, Fred, and George all nodded. Fred seemed to have something else on his mind, but Ethan couldn’t be sure what. Still, the Pareya did seem pleased at the chance to get to know his uncles better.

Bill ported away with one of the Prewitt Pareya in tow to help him gather his things and port back into the estate safely.

Ethan smiled. It was good to see how quickly the Prewitt clan had accepted their newly found relatives. Bill especially would need that acceptance and support, given that he had no circle or connections here in Nevarah apart from his brothers, but it would also be very helpful for Charlie and the twins. Family ties were very important to dragels, so not having any at all was certainly less than ideal. Not the end of the world, but also not good.

Once they had all said their goodbyes to the Prewitts, with many hugs involved for everyone, even the gheyos, they headed towards the gates.

Just before they reached them, Raspen paused. “I’m sorry to ask, but would you mind if Peryton and I ported out from here? We’re trying to keep what privacy we can, for now, so that Harry and the others can settle in before they’re mobbed. I’m concerned that us being seen with the rest of the circle in public may attract too much attention so soon.”

Sadara nodded, frowning. “Of course. How long do you intend to keep it private?”

Prince Raspen grimaced. “Realistically, the longest I’ll possibly be able to keep it away from the public is until the Royal Introductions. If I had my way, though, it would be forever for those we aren’t close with. There’s just no reason that everyone should know who my bonded are and be able to approach them with demands, questions, or just general social climbing whenever they’re in public. It makes it almost impossible to make new, reliable friends because you can’t trust anyone.”

Sadara winced, but her frown lightened.

Ethan frowned in confusion for a moment, then realized what she must have been concerned about. She must have thought that Prince Raspen was ashamed or hiding them away because he didn’t want to be associated with them. Wanting to shield them from the leeches in the courts was much more acceptable, as a grandmother.

Sadara sighed. “I wish I could say that your concerns were unlikely to actually happen, but I honestly can’t. In fact, I’d say they’re all but guaranteed. We can try to buffer it some in the fire courts, but there’s only so much we can realistically do.”

Raspen nodded, smiling slightly. “That would be good. We have enough gheyos and Nevaraean natives that we can ensure that no one is alone unless they’re familiar enough with politics to handle the usual groups of concern, but your assistance in the fire courts would be very welcome. Bill will probably also need that buffer, as well.”

Sadara frowned, looking confused. “Why Bill, specifically?”

Fabian shook his head, frowning. “Probably because he is unbonded and has three brothers in Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton’s circle. He’s the closest blood tie in Nevarah right now to the circle’s Beta and two of the Pareya. That’s a very strong connection.”

Sadara sighed, but nodded. “I suppose you’re right. We’ll just have to ensure he’s prepared before Friday and try to keep him with those we can trust as much as possible.”

Gideon nodded. “We have several curse-breaking friends that already know Bill and would be willing to help if we asked. Some may even be potential bonded for him, if so inclined. None would bother trying to use him to play politics, either. It’s just not something any of them would care about.”

Prince Raspen nodded, looking slightly relieved. Any avenue of attack for the social climbers in the courts that could be cut off before it was used was greatly appreciated by both him and all of the other royals. Especially if in cutting it off they could also build more of a buffer to keep those types away.

Fabian snickered, easily guessing the reason for Prince Raspen’s relief.

Malachi rolled his eyes at his submissive, but smiled at the group. “You can port from right here, it will just take a bit more power and be a bit bumpier. The wards will allow it, right now, though.”

Prince Raspen nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality. This lunch was wonderful, and it was good to get to know my bondeds' family more, especially in an informal setting.”

Prince Peryton nodded as well. “Indeed. I hope to see you again soon.”

Sadara smiled at the pair. “Of course. We’ll have to do this again regularly, as often as scheduling allows. Perhaps once every few weeks or so?”

Prince Raspen smiled. “I can’t guarantee anything about my schedule, of course, but I’m sure the others would be thrilled.”

Charlie smiled. “Of course. I’m sure we can make it work, at least for a smaller group even if we can’t get the whole circle here.”

Sadara’s smile widened. “Excellent.”

Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton said their goodbyes, then the two ported away so they could continue preparing for the hunt. Once they were gone, the attention turned to the rest of the circle, and the rest of the goodbyes began. Apparently with the Prewitts it was going to be a long process with many hugs involved.

Ethan laughed softly as they stepped into a busy square, safely away from the Prewitts so he wouldn’t give offense. The reactions some of their gheyos, particularly Brishen and Wikhn, had had when they were hugged by Sadara had been quite amusing. Both had frozen when they were hugged, clearly not expecting it or having any idea how to react.

Theo shifted, turning so he could see the whole circle. “Alright. So, where is everyone planning to go?”

Hadrian was first to speak up. “I need to take Blaise to the gheyo areas and register him.”

Minh frowned. “I thought you said we’d do the pits later in the week?”

Hadrian nodded. “I did. I’m not registering him for the pits today, just that he exists and is a gheyo. We won’t be able to register him in the pits for at least a day or two after that, so it needs to be today.”

Theo blinked. “Yes, I forgot about that. It would probably help to do that as soon as possible. I hope this is early enough to avoid all of the crowds from those coming for the hunt needing new or updated registrations.”

Hadrian nodded. “It should be. The gheyo areas tend to get busier, but registrations aren’t the most common thing required, especially this early.”

Theo nodded, then continued on. “Who else is going where? There’s plenty to do, so speak up now or be assigned.”

Riven apparently didn’t want to be assigned. “I should take Bran to his mother’s house, she wants to see him and has information for me from her scrying and foresight that she wouldn’t share over a message buble.”

Theo nodded, looking vaguely curious. “Alright. Let me know if there’s anything I need to know, after, would you? Who else?”

Riven nodded, looking surprised by how mild Theo’s request had been. Not even a ‘let me know what she tells you’, just a ‘tell me if there’s anything I need to know’. It was surprising for an Alpha to be that relaxed, especially when the circle had been formed only a few days ago and all of the bonds weren’t even settled yet.

No one looked certain where else they needed to go, so Quinn commented after a moment. “Harry shouldn’t walk around.”

Theo nodded. “Harry and one of the gheyos can stay in one of the little courtyards just off this square, then, and we can all meet them there after we’re done. The other options are a small trip to have something made that I will be going on, clothes shopping, and grocery shopping.”

Quinn frowned. “Groceries are mine. Ethan can come too and then the two of us can do both clothes and groceries.”

Theo nodded. “That’s fine, but bring two gheyos. We do have the restraining orders out, and they already showed an interest in Ethan.”

Ethan blushed bright red. He’d rather not think about that detail, especially since he wasn’t one of the two main targets of the Calamaris and Guantrell families. Three main targets, perhaps, given Yanek and Walford’s rants in the courts about Harry ‘stealing’ the dragels they were interested in.

Minh frowned, considering his options. “Idan and I can go with them.”

Idan nodded, looking unsurprised.

Theo smiled. It was good to see his bonded volunteering to protect and accompany each other. “Alright. I guess I’m taking Ariki with me, and perhaps Devrim and Wikhn? Given that you share a shadow element and Brishen is a joker?”

Wikhn frowned, but nodded. “I’m sworn to Harry only, but that works.”

Theo nodded. “I know, and I respect that. We just seem to be paring off, and Brishen doesn’t share an element as precisely with Devrim as you do.”

Wikhn nodded, seeming pleased at the Alpha’s easy acknowledgement.

Ethan couldn’t help his surprise at the Alpha’s easy acceptance of Wikhn’s refusal to bond beyond Harry. Most Alphas would never even consider accepting something like that, no matter how accepting they generally were. Even with how easygoing and permitting Theo had been so far, it was still unexpected.

Brishen looked extremely pleased to be assigned to Harry. “We’ll use that courtyard right there. It’s out of the way a bit, but still visible. It’s also empty, so everyone should fit once you’re done your shopping.”

Theo nodded, looking pleased. “That will be good. I supposed we’d better get started, I want to be done before dinner, preferably well before.”

Ariki blinked in surprise when Theo led them into a street full of jewelry shops. Popular as jewelry and other adornments were for the hunt, he hadn’t expected his Alpha to bother with it, especially when he’d already said he wanted to be done sooner rather than later.

His surprise shifted to interest when Theo turned into a ring shop. This shop was well known for crafting high quality rings, especially bonding rings.

It would be nice to have one, he had to admit. Especially if it was one chosen by his Alpha and prioritized enough that he got it right now, even with the hunt preparations and shopping that needed to be done today.

The man at the counter turned to them as they entered. “Hello there. Looking for anything in particular?”

Theo nodded. “Bonding rings for our entire circle.”

Devrim blinked, blushing bright red and making a surprised noise. Theo frowned, reaching out to pull the gheyo prince closer to him so he could wrap an arm around his waist, but didn’t comment.

Ariki sighed softly, shaking his head. Devrim’s confidence level was really quite dismal, and he really couldn’t see why. From what he’d seen of the gheyo, he was smart, kind, strong, and loyal. Precisely what a gheyo prince should be, as far as Ariki was concerned. Precisely what Harry needed in a bonded gheyo.

The man smiled, opting to ignore Devrim’s clear self-esteem issues. Ariki couldn’t help but be slightly relieved by that. Concerning as Devrim’s attitude about himself was, it was none of this stranger’s business.

“Is it new?” the shopkeeper asked.

WIkhn snorted, causing Theo to gently elbow him. “It’s very new. Just Sunday, but it is finalized.”

The man smiled. “Congratulations. How many?”

Ariki shifted so he could clearly see the man’s expression. It should be pretty funny, especially since he clearly didn’t recognize any of them, even with Ariki’s status as a Deveraine and Wikhn’s reputation and association with Ariki’s family. He probably expected normal numbers, perhaps nine or so.

Theo smiled. “Twenty.”

The shopkeeper’s reaction didn’t disappoint. His jaw dropped, and he stared at them, clearly shocked.

“That’s quite a lot of bonded,” he managed after a minute. “Merged circle?”

Theo shook his head. “No, standard circle. Just a little larger than usual.”

Wikhn snorted at the understatement.

The man shook his head, looking amused. “Standard indeed. Your submissive must be quite special to have that many bonded. What style do you want?”

Theo considered looking them over. “The gold band with the cuts for each bonded would be good. Would nineteen cuts fit on each ring? Each a different color, perhaps?”

Ariki couldn’t help his curiosity. “Different colors?”

Theo shrugged. “May as well make them distinguishable. Ideally I’d like to match them to everyone’s eyes.”

Ariki smiled. “Harry will like that.”

The shopkeeper also smiled, clearly approving of the idea. “It isn’t the most popular, but it is one of the options I personally like. Nineteen can fit, they’ll just have to be narrow cuts. Now, you can either choose the colors that best match out of a booklet or we can use a spell that will precisely match each of your bonded’s eyes.”

Theo perked up at the idea of the spell, clearly curious. “How does the spell work?”

Ethan couldn’t blame him for his curiosity. That spell sounded quite interesting to him as well, though he doubted they’d be learning it any time soon. Still, he’d have to do some research on that spell and similar ones as soon as he had the time to really spend a day or six in the library or archives.

The shopkeeper smiled, clearly enjoying the young Alpha’s enthusiasm for an aspect of his craft. “It uses your bonds and memories to pull on the precise color of your bondeds’ eyes. It makes the match much more precise than it could ever be using just the list of colors, but it does depend on the strength of the circle’s bonds. If the bonds aren’t present or are weak, the spell won’t be as effective.”

Theo frowned. “Do I have to be directly bonded to everyone? There’s a few I haven’t fully bonded to. Will it reach through my bond to my submissive, who is bonded to them, or do I need to have him do it, since he is fully bonded to the whole circle?”

The man smiled. “No, second degree connections will work as long as those connections are strong and there are no outright conflicts or major problems between you.”

Theo nodded, looking pleased. “That should work, then. How long will it take?”

The man shrugged. “Normally, not that long, but it will take a little while for twenty. They have to be done one cut at a time to really get the spells right and make each ring focus on each bonded correctly.”

Ethan smiled as they entered the clothing shop, glad to see that it was nearly empty. There were only a few people inside, all near the back.

He frowned after he considered the scents. He knew them all, quite well in fact.

It seemed that his parents’ main triad was in the shop, finalizing their own outfits for the hunt.

This ought to be interesting. His parents, also known as the Hartwood circle’s triad, tended to be a lot to deal with, and had made it clear that they very much wanted to meet - interrogate and smother, really - his circle. He’d been delaying a bit, concerned about having at least a little free time each day and not overwhelming Harry too much, but now that they were about to run into them, even if it was just Ethan, Quinn, and two gheyos, it was guaranteed that the whole circle would end up seeing his parents as soon as possible.

He’d never been able to refuse something like this in person. The only reason he’d been able to delay as long as he did was because it was over message bubbles.

It only took a few seconds for his mera to pick up his scent and turn to them. “Ethan! I didn’t know you were shopping today, you should have told me.”

Ethan smiled, hugging his Mera when prompted. “Hello Mama. I didn’t know for sure that I would be, or how the timing would work out. We had to meet the Prewitts for lunch because three of theirs are in the circle, and I wasn’t sure what else would end up happening today since it’s been fairly chaotic so far.”

His Mera smiled at him. “Well, I’m glad to see you all the same. Now, come. Introduce me to your bonded here, now, and then you can introduce me to the rest of them when you all come for a meal later this week. Perhaps tomorrow?”

Ethan sighed, but smiled. “I’ll have to see what’s going on. There are some complications that have made it so getting to everyone is taking a while, but we’ll come as soon as we can.”

She nodded, but Ethan knew perfectly well that she was not going to let it go, and neither were either of the other parents present. They all wanted to meet his circle, especially since he hadn’t really given them any meaningful information about who was in it, so they’d make sure he had to introduce them to everyone, sooner rather than later.

It was partially protectiveness, and partially just curiosity. Sadly, the curiosity was genetic, and shared by all Hartwoods, even those who had just married into the clan.

There would be no escape. There never was.

He sighed, turning his attention back to those of his bonded present. “Quinn, Idan, Minh, these are my parents. This is my Mera, Astrid, my sire Kunal, and my third Leonell. And the rest of their circle is over there still, pretending that they’re focused on clothes instead of watching us.”

“A pleasure,” his sire commented. “Now, Ethan, that was hardly a proper introduction. You didn’t even specify which is which, ranks, or anything else at all.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Of course, father. Quinn Kalzik, our healer, Idan Kaelior, our Gheyo Queen, and Minh Shiae, our Gheyo Princess.”

Each of the three nodded obligingly when they were mentioned, glancing the assembled Hartwoods over in curiosity.

For a few long moments, both triads - Astrid, Kunal, and Leonell and Quinn, Idan, and Minh - just stood considering each other before finally Ethan had enough and cut in. “We do need to pick up our order and get back to our submissive. He injured his ankle earlier today, so we left him in a courtyard with one of our Jokers while we came to do the shopping.”

His mother made a sympathetic noise. “That poor dear. Is he alright?”

Ethan nodded, a slight smile on his face. “He’s fine, Mama. Quinn just told him to stay off of it this afternoon to be safe, and he’ll probably enjoy relaxing in the courtyard better than he would running around picking up orders and grabbing groceries anyways.”

His father Kunal smiled. “I can’t blame him at all for that. You said he’s with one of your Jokers, but you also have a Queen and Princess here. How large is your suite?”

Idan gave a proud smirk. It was a little bit of a point of pride to have a complete suite, and additional jokers only added onto that. Add in the power levels of those involved and it became quite the suite to belong to. “We have a full suite, Ace through Princess, and two jokers.”

Kunal raised an eyebrow, but nodded. “Is it a military circle?’

Ethan quickly shook his head. “No, just a large circle. We have twenty total, so seven gheyos really isn’t all that much, proportionally.”

Leonell blinked, looking surprised. Ethan couldn’t blame him. “Twenty? Your submissive must be quite powerful to have pulled so many in his soulscream.”

Ethan nodded. “He certainly seems to be. He has both Peverell and Evanson heritage, it seems. The Peverell connection has been officially verified by the family, but we haven’t contacted the Evansons yet. There’s been too much going on so far, so we just haven’t gotten to it.”

His mother frowned. “Family connections are important. Do it as soon as you can.”

Ethan rolled his eyes. “I know, Mama. The specific connection we need there is off-realm at the moment anyways, so it would have to wait even if we did contact them.”

His mother nodded, seeming to accept that explanation. “So tell me, how are you all settling in together?”

Ethan rolled his eyes. Of course she would start the interrogation now, nevermind the fact that they were in the middle of a store with the shopkeepers eagerly watching, looking for new gossip.

Gossip that would be even juicer after Friday’s Royal Introductions were over, and people realized exactly who was in their circle.

Hadrian had to resist the urge to sigh as he yanked Blaise back against his side again, the younger gheyo’s attention clearly dragged away by the fight happening nearby.

Tempting as it was to get involved and break up the fight, he really didn’t have the time to do it right now. He had the right, as the shadow blood title and an Ace, but right now he needed to get Blaise registered and get back to Harry. The little submissive was a major trouble magnet, and he wasn’t thrilled about leaving him out in public with only one bonded, even if that bonded was an immortal.

He tugged Blaise into the registration office, rolling his eyes when the joker’s attention remained primarily on the fight happening behind them. It wasn’t overly surprising, especially given Blaise’s age and newness in Nevarah, but it still wasn’t ideal. This little excursion would be enough of a hassle without Blaise getting too distracted or wandering off.

He really didn’t want to deal with the fallout of a fifteen-year-old joker getting into fights and being far too skilled for his age today. They just didn’t have the time, and he didn’t want to deal with the headache alone. It would be better to delay until the rest of the suite was here to help buffer the attention, ideally keeping Blaise out of the limelight as much as possible.

Fortunately, there was no line in the office, and they were able to immediately approach the gheyo at the desk. She looked up, then blinked in surprise. “Blood Raven. How may I help you today?”

Hadrian smiled politely. “I recently bonded into a circle, and one of my new circle members is a gheyo joker who was raised off-realm. He isn’t registered in Nevarah, so I need to register him now.”

The gheyo working the desk looked surprised. “Congratulations. I hadn’t heard that you were courting.”

Hadrian shook his head. “I wasn’t. It was a soulscream.”

The woman winced, but nodded. “Well, I’m glad that you and your new joker are both alright after that. Here is the general registration for Nevaraean citizenship, here is the gheyo registration, here is the Joker bonding to a circle form, and here are the forms that will allow him to fight in the pits, though the permissions will still have to be finalized there, as well.”

Blaise blinked, looking shocked at the sheer amount of paperwork required. Hadrian had to resist the urge to laugh. It did seem a touch excessive, but that was fairly typical for anything involving gheyos.

They caused absolute chaos and sheer destruction at times, so the government liked to have clear records indicating who was responsible for the fines and damage caused by any given gheyo.

Hadrian glanced over the forms, frowning. He barely knew a quarter of the information that they were asking for. “Blaise, fill out what you can, and I’ll sign when you’re done.”

Blaise sighed, giving the stack a stink eye, but took the first form and began to quickly fill it out.

Hadrian and the woman working the desk both frowned when they saw how short some of his answers were. They couldn’t quite read all of them because his hand was blocking it as he wrote, but they could easily tell that any questions asking about family were not answered nearly as completely as usually expected.

Hadrian resisted the urge to sigh, but honestly couldn’t say he was surprised. Blaise hadn’t said anything about his family except that his sire was from an old family. It was likely that he would continue to refuse to speak about them unless forced, and Hadrian didn’t think it was a good idea to force him, at least for now. Their relationship was still too new, and Blaise was too skittish. Pushing would only push him away.

After a few minutes, Blaise managed to finish the general Nevaraean citizenship and residency forms, and passed them to Hadrian to sign. He quickly skimmed it, checking that the few answers he did know were correct, then signed as a witness and bonded and passed it to the desk gheyo to file.

The woman frowned as she examined it. “You entered the age wrong on this.”

Hadrian frowned. “What do you mean?”

She glanced at him. “It says fifteen.”

Hadrian shook his head. “No, that’s right. He’s currently fifteen.”

She looked up, staring at the two of them. Blaise rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m fifteen. My inheritance came in early and then I became a joker a few years ago. We’ve already covered it in the circle, I don’t want to discuss it again.”

Hadrian gave him a look, but didn’t dispute his statement. They really hadn’t discussed it in the circle yet. They had announced the fact and discussed the ages at which his inheritance and Joker transformation had happened, but they had not actually discussed what happened to cause either of those events. Still, that wasn’t the type of conversation to have in the gheyo registration office with strangers around.

Strangers that were all now staring at them, particularly at Blaise, in complete shock and horror.

Hadrian couldn’t entirely blame them, but he still wished they’d stop staring. Blaise wasn’t showing a thing, but his bond clearly indicated that he was not comfortable at all with having everyone in the building’s attention fixed on him.

Hadrian glanced around threateningly at everyone staring, baring a fang at anyone who didn’t look away. Sometimes it was good to have such a terrifying reputation.

He turned his attention back to Blaise, considering the likely consequences of that little interaction. He recognized two of the gheyos here as some of the worst gossips in the shadow courts, so news of Blaise’s presence, age, and bonding into the same circle as the Blood Raven was sure to get around sooner rather than later. The question was how that news would be presented.

He shook his head, turning his attention back to the form Blaise had just completed and passed to him. Whatever the rumors turned out to be, they’d work with it. If nothing else, Minh and his clan also had a reputation for gossiping. Hadrian was sure that they’d be willing to spread more useful gossip if needed.

He skimmed the gheyo paperwork, frowning as he considered the details listed. Or rather, those missing. Blaise listed that he had no mentor or training circle, which wasn’t entirely shocking given his clear lack of formal education, but it was definitely bad. He’d had his inheritance for six years, and been a gheyo that entire time. A mentor should have come, at the very least, and he really should have been with a training circle as well, to help him control his gheyic instincts and abilities.

He signed the paperwork, frown still fixed on his face, and then passed it over to the desk gheyo.

She also frowned when she got the part that had caught Hadrian’s attention. “No mentor or training circle? That shouldn’t be right. You’re full-blood dragel, you should at the very least have a mentor.”

Blaise shrugged. “No one showed.”

She nodded, looking hesitant. “Perhaps they somehow didn’t know you had your inheritance? You aren’t sixteen yet.”

Blaise shrugged. “I don’t know. Our Alpha had an early inheritance too, and his mentor showed up.”

The desk gheyo blinked. “How many of your circle had early inheritances?”

Hadrian shifted, not thrilled to have to discuss it. “Technically three, though we do also have a consort. We also have three who had their inheritances late due to suppressions.”

The gheyo growled softly. “I trust you are organizing a hunt?”

He nodded, gaze darkening. “We have a list of hunts for our suite to handle after the Introductions are over, and the Cunninghams are already handling some hunts that couldn’t wait.”

The woman nodded, seeming somewhat satisfied. “Good. If you need more blades, I think it’s safe to assume you’ll have as many volunteers as you need, under these circumstances.”

Hadrian nodded, but didn’t comment. He’d really rather handle everything in the circle, but he needed more information to know if that was feasible.

The gheyo nodded, stamping the last of the forms and filing them away, then pulling out an identification token for Blaise. “You should be good. The documentation probably won’t be available in the pits until tomorrow at the earliest, possibly the day after, but once it is you’ll be able to register him there if you want to.”

Hadrian nodded, smiling politely and guided Blaise out of the office and back into the streets of the gheyo areas. He smiled slightly when he saw Blaise looking around, clearly interested in the area even without a fight dragging his attention to it.

That trip hadn’t taken nearly as long as he’d expected, fortunately. He hadn’t wanted to mention it in front of the others, but Blaise needed more armor badly. The set he’d worn after the soulscream clearly did not fit quite right, and honestly Hadrian just wanted to get him a new set.

Blaise glanced up at Hadrian curiously as he was directed into an armor shop just down the street, but didn’t question it.

Why would he when he was getting a free set of armor?

Brishen smiled as he sank back on the stone bench in the center of the courtyard, enjoying the time alone with his submissive to just relax. The little offshoot to the main shopping area was quite nice to just wait for the rest of their circle in, and he’d never turn down alone time with his new submissive.

Especially when that alone time was calm. The past three days had been sheer chaos, and the rest of the week was guaranteed to be as well, so a break from all of that was extremely welcome.

His smile widened when Harry shifted so he was laying down with his head on Brishen’s lap and legs sprawled across the bench. It was good to see his submissive so relaxed. It didn’t happen nearly enough for Brishen’s liking.

“How are you feeling?” he asked carefully, gently stroking Harry’s hair.

Harry smiled. “Good, actually. Nevarah is much better than Earth. I don’t think I can remember ever feeling as good as I have this week.”

Brishen sighed, but nodded. “That makes sense. Nevarah is truthfully the ideal realm for dragels, and being bonded into a full circle is quite grounding.”

Harry nodded. “It really is. The Empathy is a bit much sometimes, but it’s gotten a little better when I’m just with the circle or small groups that are all feeling pretty happy. Out in the market in general it was a little much, though, and I can still feel it some now.”

Brishen nodded. “That’ll likely continue, if I had to guess. It’ll get easier to ignore or filter, but you probably will always sense this much or more, one way or another.”

Harry sighed. “I’d really rather not feel so much. It can be nice, sometimes, and I do definitely see where it could be useful, but it’s a lot.”

Brishen smiled down at him. “I wouldn’t worry too much. Quinn can cast the dampening spells, and we’re all willing to keep you away from people that we know will be problems.”

Harry nodded. “I know. And I’m sure there will be people that I’ll want to avoid, especially if and when I start being active in the courts, but I’m also sure that I’ll need to do some socializing if I don’t want to cause too much trouble for Raspen and Perry.”

Brishen frowned. “They’d rather you be comfortable than force yourself to deal with some of the idiots in their courts. If nothing else, there’s enough of us for you to never be alone in public and someone could have an emergency that you absolutely can’t not attend to at any time.”

Harry laughed softly. “Emergency that I absolutely can’t attend to?”

Brishen shrugged. “Why not? It could be anything from Fred and George set something on fire to Wikhn is being grumpy again.”

Harry laughed. “I’m willing to bet Fred and George will be constantly setting things on fire, once they learn how.”

Brishen nodded. “That’s a safe bet. As long as they keep it well away from Alec and me, it’s not necessarily horrible.”

Harry glanced at him, curiosity clear in his eyes. It wasn’t hard to guess why. Brishen’s easy acceptance of the idea of fire was unusual for a Water elemental.

He laughed softly, ruffling his submissive’s hair again. “I don’t mind fire much, really, as long as I’m not surrounded by it and it isn’t too close. It doesn’t actually harm me, it’s just somewhat uncomfortable because it’s directly opposed to my element.”

Harry nodded, seeming pleased by that explanation. “And Alec? Is it the same for him?”

Brishen shrugged. “It depends on the Merrow and their power levels. My guess would be that it is probably highly uncomfortable, but not as bad as he implies. Still, it’s generally a bad idea to expose a Merrow to fire or a Fire type to water.”

Harry snickered, clearly remembering something. “Like Charlie and Loren at the beach when the water got their ankles.”

Brishen snorted. That had been quite amusing, especially when Charlie clearly had no idea why he was reacting that way. “Exactly like that. It wasn’t harmful to them in any real way, but their instincts know that they generally shouldn’t be in water, especially not water that’s linked to the Merrow Waters like the beaches in Nevarah are. A large amount of water could be harmful, though. Charlie and the twins probably shouldn’t go swimming in unknown waters, just to be safe.”

Harry nodded, still looking amused. Not that Brishen could blame him, of course. The look of confusion on the Beta’s face had been hilarious.

Chapter Text

Riven sighed as he and Bran slipped through the gates and into the Kadel compound, walking slowly up the winding path towards the large house where he knew Maia would be waiting. He’d been to this home many times over the years, and yet somehow this time felt completely different.

Every time before he’d been coming as a skilled and powerful mage searching for information he needed to complete his assigned tasks. Perhaps as a friend, even, as he and Maia had gotten to know each other better over the centuries. Sometimes as a patient in need of medical assistance after something had gone wrong on one of his many dangerous assignments.

This time, however, he was here as her son’s new bonded. The two of them had not finalized a bond between them, but they had both bonded to the same submissive. That was enough to count as far as most in-laws were concerned.

She’d likely complain that the pair hadn’t exchanged bonds, as she’d always believed the circles should be as finalized as possible. By her definition, that meant that everyone in the circle who were capable of and open to the idea of establishing a bond with each other should do so as soon as they were willing and able to. Despite knowing that, he had been reluctant to allow the direct contact that would force Bran to see his entire past and all of the horrors he had seen, but was required for a bond to be established. If not for the consort’s hindsight talent and Riven’s own past, he likely would have allowed the bond, just so he could help ground the young consort. Despite his age, Bran would need the bonds settled sooner rather than later, if only for the grounding that they could provide.

His magical gift and power levels would require nothing less than total grounding, especially as he got a little older and needed to prepare to make his pact.

Riven still didn’t think that he was the right dragel to help ground Bran, though. He was a storm mage with a questionable past and too much power and history to allow for a pleasant bonding process. The only one worse than him may be Brishen, and Blaise would likely be quite upsetting as well. Riven and Brishen were almost certainly worse than the young joker, simply because of their ages, but that wouldn’t make Blaise’s past any more pleasant for Bran to experience.

He smiled when the door opened before they even reached it, Maia and two of her Pareya standing in the entryway. It was rare to see three Kadels all present at once, especially in fully physical form. Still, it was good to see in these circumstances, especially given how much seeing the trio clearly helped settle Bran.

The younger dragel’s entire face had lit up at the sight of them, and he ran forward so he could hug them all tightly.

Riven smiled, pleased at the sight. It was the first time since the soulscream that he had really seen the young consort act his age. Bran was extremely mature for a fourteen-year-old, likely because of his hindsight ability giving him the experience of dragels with centuries for each of his years, but he was still only fourteen. He shouldn’t be acting like he was middle-aged or even older most of the time.

His behavior wasn’t nearly as concerning as Harry and Blaise’s, partially because he still had confidence, was assertive, and had solid family support to fall back on, but it also wasn’t ideal. If nothing else, even just the confirmation that his maturity was the result of an innate talent instead of a traumatic incident or something similar was comforting, even though Bran had likely experienced many traumatic pasts through his nameless talent. Having the buffer of knowing that it was not your experience, it was not actually happening to you, and the person whose experience it was is still alive, along with the support of your family circle would make handling those pasts less unbearable.

Still, the more they could get him to act like a normal fourteen-year-old the better.

He greeted Maia easily, surprised when he was dragged in for a hug once she released Bran to be fussed over by her Pareya. Maia was sometimes a little more physical than some others when she was actually in a physical form, probably due to the fact that the amount of physical contact she could usually have was limited as her whole circle was often unable to be corporeal.

Still, she usually wouldn’t just pull him into a hug like that. The contact was usually limited to fixing his wings or other injuries, and perhaps expressing her annoyance with his complete lack of self-care. Not signs of affection.

“How are you, Maia?” he asked, gently hugging her back.

The woman rolled her eyes, returning to Bran with a snort once her Pareya released him from their smothering. “How am I? Don’t be ridiculous. I am fine, the same as always. How are you? Both of you? And your circle? I saw some about them, but not everything that I need to know to be comfortable with my son bonding so young.”

Bran made an offended noise, likely annoyed that his mother was asking Riven about the circle instead of him, but Riven simply chuckled. “We are well, now that we're back in Nevarah and everyone has bonded to our submissive. Everyone is well enough, as well. There are a few that our healer, Quinn Kalzik, wants to get into more medical checks and has been fussing over quite aggressively, but there are no immediate medical problems.”

Maia laughed softly, looking Riven over. “I assume you are one of those your Quinn has been fussing over. You do seem to be in much better health than I’ve seen you in for centuries.”

Riven blushed, but nodded. “He was quite insistent that I needed to have my wings and several other minor things fixed, and it didn’t seem wise to object with the mood he was in.”

One of the Pareya frowned. “The mood he was in? Do we have reason to be concerned about him?”

Bran snorted. “Not at all. Quinn is very controlled, and will be a good bonded for both of us. He was just a little upset because there are problems in our submissive’s past, including several questionable injuries and medical problems.”

Maia sighed. “I did look into his future and past, as much as I could with my gifts and what the fates were willing to show. I can easily understand why it would upset a healer, especially one that has almost certainly seen his full medical history.”

Riven frowned. He was almost scared to ask what she may have seen, but at the same time he really didn’t want to be blindsided by it in the future. He also knew that Harry would not appreciate them discussing it, especially with someone that the submissive didn’t even know. Still, he wouldn’t be telling Maia anything, just finding out anything that she already knew.

Also, Theo had specifically asked him to find out anything that their circle would need to know that Maia had seen and was willing to share.

After a few moments of quiet, he could no longer resist asking. “What did you see that we need to worry about?”

Maia smiled at him, completely unsurprised that he’d given in and asked what she’d seen. “Quite a bit, unfortunately. Some good, some bad, some somewhere in between. It really varies, and a lot depends on your perspective.”

Riven sighed. “Is there anything that either our circle or I need to know about or take care of immediately? Emergencies, or something similar?”

Maia nodded, looking like she was considering how to delicately phrase whatever it was. Riven grimaced. That was never a good sign.

“You said that your submissive had questionable injuries that upset your healer, so I assume you are aware that there were problems with his home life on Earth."

Riven winced. They were going straight for the hard subjects, it seemed. “We certainly know more than enough to be suspicious, but I don’t know that there is proof beyond the medical examinations and some questionable details.”

Bran nodded. “There’s more proof, enough to stand up in court even without me testifying based on his memories. The medical reports are plenty, and our fire types had a good amount of information they were willing to share with Theo and the gheyos.”

Riven nodded, frowning. “That doesn’t surprise me, though I do wonder if Raspen or Perry were informed. They need to know in case it comes up in the courts somehow. Why is this an immediate problem we need to be aware of? Shouldn’t Quinn have noticed if something was a problem?”

Maia sighed, shaking her head. “It isn’t necessarily an immediate issue medically, your healer is quite competent and can handle it. The complication you need to prepare for is the outcome of the hunt that was just completed by the Cunninghams. They found evidence on Earth and brought the entire Dursley family here to face trial and be punished.”

Riven nodded, frowning. “I’m sure our gheyos would have preferred to take that hunt themselves, but as long as we can get a blood price they should be settled enough.”

Maia nodded, smiling. “They will get their blood price, and it may be better this way because his family circles can get involved and get their blood prices as well. They deserve a harsh punishment, after all. The issue is that it will go to the courts and require Harry to be present in a courtroom with them, at least long enough to testify. It will be difficult for him.”

Riven winced, realizing the issue. Harry was so private, so reluctant to discuss his past and the obvious issues there. He hadn’t known his submissive long, but he was still easily able to tell that being forced to testify in court would be an extremely painful process. “I’ll talk to him about it tonight, in private. I can try to convince him to speak to the circle first, but it may be difficult to convince him.”

Bran nodded, looking concerned. “He won’t want to talk about it to anyone. He’s already not pleased that I know everything, he’ll be very reluctant to tell the rest of the circle or an entire courtroom.”

Maia sighed, considering the pair. “That’s why I warned you. It isn’t good news or ideal, but I did think that you need to be aware so you aren’t blindsided when the court summons arrives.”

Riven nodded. “Thank you for the warning. We definitely do need it, even if only so we can handle things more slowly and gently.”

Sirius sighed, settling onto a wall and watching as the Vega twins continued on with their drills. He’d known he wasn’t in good shape after twelve years in Azkaban, but he’d thought he wasn’t completely terrible after spending a year free and recovering.

Apparently not completely terrible was not nearly enough to even pretend to keep up with the Cunninghams. Even just their warmups were exhausting for him, and Remus wasn’t all that much better. The werewolf had never been to Azkaban like Sirius had, but between his monthly transformations, his lack of a job, and the general depression and despair he’d been wallowing in for over a decade, he was also in terrible shape.

Fortunately, the Cunninghams were surprisingly accepting about their limited physical capabilities, not questioning or commenting on them at all. They simply acknowledged that it was a shortcoming, recommended more appropriate exercises so they could catch up faster, and continued what they were doing. It wasn’t what he’d expected from a circle that had seemed so harsh, so aggressive, but they really weren’t that cruel behind closed doors.

They weren’t gentle, or sensitive, or delicate in the ways that many other families tended to be. They were certainly nothing like the Weasleys or the Potters, the main families that Sirius had spent time with that tended to be loving and accepting. At the same time though, they were nothing like the Black family. They didn’t torture each other or anyone else around to force them into compliance. No one in the circle seemed to be afraid of any of the other members. They were rough around the edges and a bit harsh, but they were not abusive or dangerous to their own.

It was something that Sirius had never seen before, but now that he had he had to admit that he did like it.

Kind, soft families like the Potters were difficult for him, because he struggled to accept that kindness and the gentle attention. It was too foreign to him. He never felt like it could be trusted.

No matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t relax into a soft environment. Not after the way he’d been raised.

Remus was similar, he knew, if for different reasons. As a werewolf, his needs and desires were completely different from those of normal wizards. He did his best to suppress those differences, to ensure that they would never be seen by the wizarding world, but he could never hide them from Sirius. They were best friends. Soulmates, really.

Soulbonded, he supposed, to use the Nevaraean term.

Ethan smiled fondly down at Quinn as he and their Queen and Princess followed the healer around the food section of the market, all following along to wherever he indicated he wanted to go next. Ethan was carrying several bags and a basket, but Idan and Minh had insisted on keeping their hands empty, just in case they needed to react quickly.

It wasn't totally surprising that they were somewhat more protective than usual, under the circumstances. Their circle had just filed two restraining orders that very morning, and Ethan was one of the reasons that the orders had been required.

A very small reason, compared to the outright disturbing behavior that Theo and Ariki had been subjected to, but still enough for the gheyos to be concerned.

He shook his head when their next stop was a spice merchant, and Quinn immediately went straight for the cinnamon. Harry had specifically requested that Quinn try to get some more of it and include it in dishes for Brishen, and it seemed that Quinn was more than happy to oblige, especially if it meant convincing their older joker to eat appropriate meals.

The discussion between Harry and Inanna about Phoelixes was somewhat surprising, given how antisocial she usually was rumored to be, but any information that they could get about a bonded who they knew next to nothing about was more than welcome. Inanna was the only other Phoelix that anyone in the circle, except perhaps Brishen, knew of and could ask their questions, so her willingness to share the differences that she’d found would be extremely helpful in getting the circle settled as neatly as possible.

It was all but guaranteed that there would be some differences between Inanna and Brishen, between their elements being polar opposites and just general personality differences, but major species issues were likely at least similar.

Cinnamon, apparently, was one of the things that carried over.

Along with the prickliness. Both Phoelixes seemed willing to play nicely with their circles at least part of the time, but only on their own terms, and both had made it quite clear that their priority was and would always be their chosen bonded only.

Inanna would always prioritize Malachi, and Brishen would always prioritize Harry.

It was how it should be, in some ways. How Jokers worked, typically.

He had to hide a laugh in his sleeve a few seconds later when Quinn managed to convey his requested cinnamon order to the vendor.

“Five pounds of cinnamon? Are you sure? The standard bottle that usually lasts for several months is a little under two and a half ounces.”

Quinn rolled his eyes, signing back. ‘I am aware. Normally that would be plenty, but I have one bonded that demands cinnamon in anything and everything, in large quantities.’

The man raised an eyebrow. “Five pounds for one bonded? How long do you plan to avoid purchasing more? A decade or two?”

Quinn snorted. ‘More like at least two weeks. I spoke to another of his kind’s Pareya, they go through close to this amount when they’re in Nevarah.’

The man blinked, considering Quinn more closely. “Is your bonded like that one Joker the Prewitts have? The Phoenix, I believe she’s called?”

Quinn nodded. ‘Same species, and they apparently know each other fairly well.’

The man laughed softly. “I’ll have to up my cinnamon orders if there’s another one of her that’s going to be staying around. Not to mention that circle being in Nevarah again.”

Quinn smiled, happily taking the cinnamon when it was held out, then continuing down the line to examine what other spices he wanted. The rest all passed without comment, none overly unusual or surprising.

The majority of the circle ate fairly normal food, even if somewhat varied due to the wide range of elements and species involved. Still, aside from Brishen’s cinnamon addiction, most of the shopping required would be fairly typical of a large circle.

Harry stiffened suddenly, sitting up and glancing around nervously. He wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt as though he needed to escape.

Someone felt angry nearby, someone with bad intentions. He had no idea how he knew this, other than the simple fact that his empathy was telling him so, but he was absolutely certain.

Something bad was about to happen, and someone nearby was going to be the one causing that bad thing.

Brishen frowned at his sudden motion, pulling a keychain-sized trident out of a hidden pocket on his armor and shifting so that he was between Harry and the entrance to the courtyard. His Joker clearly had no idea what was going on, but was still willing to rely on Harry’s instincts and prepare for trouble, just because Harry was unsettled.

It would have made him feel good and loved in any other circumstances, but right now he was too on edge to appreciate it like he normally would.

He gasped a moment later when a dagger flew into the courtyard, easily knocked away into the ground by Brishen’s now full-sized trident.

He was momentarily stunned by how fast that dagger had arrived, how quickly his Joker had reacted, and the sheer amount of wild magic that strange weapon Brishen wielded was emitting, but he couldn’t focus on that for long. He needed to either help Brishen fight or call someone else that could, and he didn’t think that he could handle something like this himself. No matter how much he hated to admit he couldn’t do it, he just didn’t have any training in fighting dragels or in using his abilities.

Still, just because he was less qualified than some of his bonded didn’t mean he shouldn’t take a potshot or two when possible, especially if he stayed safely behind Brishen and worked on figuring out which of his bonded he should call while doing so. He smiled grimly to himself as he threw a quick blood-boiling curse at one of the ten attacking gheyos whose armor left a fairly large spot open on his forearm, pleased when it connected and immediately seemed to be working.

That was one spell that he’d never used on a person before, only on pillows and other inanimate objects. Hermione had found it in an old book in the library, and decided that he should learn it just in case the tournament turned out worse than expected. It was completely illegal in the wizarding world, and most of the people on Earth that knew of him would all faint in shock if they learned he knew it, but he didn’t care.

It was quite effective apparently, even on dragels.

Even as he was throwing his curse, he reached quickly for a bond that felt like it could help him. Someone who would protect him and fight whoever was attacking them.

One felt perfect for this, so he grabbed it hard and yanked, forcing his fear, need, and want through to prompt whichever bonded this was to come immediately.

He really didn’t like that he wasn’t sure whose bond it was just from the feel, but he supposed that the newness of all of his bonds and the stress of the situation justified some uncertainty.

He blinked in surprise a moment later when Alec appeared, the Merrow quickly taking in the situation and glowering. He calmly cast a spell that seized two of the six remaining attackers - Harry blinked, surprised to see how efficiently Brishen was handling them - and forcibly bent their bodies in ways that they should not go. Harry gasped, shocked at the brutality and gruesomeness, but had to admit, if only to himself, that he really wasn’t upset at all about the results.

He’d have to examine that more later, though. It wasn’t the time for such reflection now.

Alec suddenly grabbed him around the waist and pulled him tight. “I called that Ace of yours, he should be here soon. I’m getting him out.”

Harry blinked. “What do you-”

He was cut off before he could finish by a wave of water being upended over his head, causing him to blink and sputter in the sudden darkness.

Hadrian froze suddenly, stiffening as he took his payment token back from the armorer who had just finished fitting Blaise for a set of new armor. A set that would actually fit, unlike the set the Joker had been wearing after the soulscream.

Something was wrong. More specifically, something was making Harry feel uncomfortable and scared.

That was definitely not good. With his gift of Empathy, that could easily indicate that he was actually in danger, and was sensing the potential negative intent before the attack could be launched. He shouldn’t be in danger right now, he was in a public courtyard near the main market, with a Joker guarding him. They had left Brishen with him for a reason, after all. He was a powerful Joker, and an Immortal to boot. There weren’t many threats that could easily harm Harry with him around, but that was less than comforting when the little submissive so obviously felt as though he was in danger.

“We need to get back to Harry,” he commented, quickly hurrying Blaise out of the shop and towards the nearest transportation portal. Technically, he hadn’t been summoned, so he had no official reason to break the traffic laws and port directly to his submissive. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t very tempted, or that he wasn’t going to take the fastest legal method of getting back, even without a summons.

Blaise nodded, looking worried. “He feels worried. It almost feels like he’s in danger, though I thought that was supposed to be a safe place for him and Brishen to wait.”

Hadrian growled, frowning deeply. “It was supposed to be, especially with Brishen guarding him. Still, we won’t take any chances with him.”

Blaise nodded but didn’t reply, clearly thinking that was all that needed to be said. In a way, it was. Harry was their submissive, and they would do whatever it took to protect him, to make sure that he always both was safe and felt safe. Right now, he didn’t feel safe, so they would return to his side and protect him.

A few seconds later, his frown turned into an outright scowl when he felt an urgent yank on his bond. A clear summons, one with no limitations or hesitation involved. One that demanded his abilities as a gheyo and as an Ace. One that even demanded his talents as a Blood Title.

The strange thing, though, was that it wasn’t Harry summoning him. It wasn’t even Brishen.

It was Alec.

Their Merrow who was supposed to be down in the courts today, not anywhere even close to the little courtyard where Harry was waiting.

It couldn’t mean anything good that Alec was now there, demanding his circle’s Ace’s presence. Especially when Harry was also there, and so unsettled.

He quickly reached out, grabbing Blaise and pulling him close so he could easily use his shadows to bring the two of them back to the little courtyard where they’d left their submissive and older joker. “We’ve been summoned back. Something’s definitely wrong.”

He gave the younger Joker no further notice, quickly porting into the courtyard. He ensured that his shadows completely covered both him and Blaise as they arrived, protecting both of them against any attacks from whoever was endangering their submissive.

His glare deepened when he took in the scene he was met with. Harry and Alec were both gone, leaving only a wet spot on the ground. Hopefully, that meant that Alec had taken Harry away to a safer location, but he’d need confirmation before he could possibly relax. Even more than that, he’d need to see Harry safe before his instincts would be fully satisfied.

His attention turned to his Joker and the gheyos he was fighting. He scowled as the Joker killed the last one, shredding the body with pure electricity conjured from Riptide.

It was good that these so-called dragels that had attacked Harry were dead, but Brishen had left none for him to kill, and the bodies he’d left behind were almost completely destroyed, so they’d be very difficult to identify and track. Three of the ten had been electrocuted, counting the one Hadrian had seen Brishen finish off. Four had been almost melted, causing him to have to smother a wince. He’d seen that particular effect of Riptide once before, and it was frankly horrific, even to him.

The other three were somewhat less destroyed, though not by much. Two seemed to have been almost twisted to death, with every part of their body crushed and warped. One seemed to have boiled alive.

He blinked, somewhat surprised to see such a spell actually used. Blood boiling curses were quite powerful, and somewhat well-known in theory, but most dragels would have no idea how to even begin to cast a spell like that. It just didn’t work for them, normally. Blood was liquid, so some degree of connection to water was required, but boiling implied fire, which almost never combined with water.

Overall, it meant that the spells simply weren’t used in Nevarah, despite their effectiveness.

He glanced over at Brishen, quickly scanning him from head to toe for injuries. “Anything to report? Injuries to yourself or another of ours?”

Brishen shook his head. “No, I’m not injured and neither is Harry. Alec may have been grazed, I couldn’t quite tell. He disappeared with Harry before I could get a look at him.”

Hadrian nodded. “So Alec took him away somewhere safe?”

Brishen nodded. “He took him away. I don’t know for sure where to, but probably somewhere in the Merrow territory.”

Right after Brishen finished speaking, Hadrian blinked and stepped back as a large water portal opened up, depositing six Merrow warriors in the courtyard.

His eyebrows raised behind his mask as his shadows provided him information about those present.

It was quite the group, really. Six members of Crimson Tide, all extremely powerful and determined. One of them was even the current Crimson Tide, and another was the most recent former title holder that Hadrian had only met once or twice.

The former Crimson Tide, Aloysius, if Hadrian remembered his name correctly, rolled his eyes. “Really, Phoelix? You didn’t leave anything for us?”

Brishen snorted. “Why would I leave any for you? Unless you want the cleanup, of course. You’re welcome to that.”

“Who is welcome to what? I’m sorry, I am going to need formal statements, especially after something like this.” The speaker was a gheyo that had just approached, their armor indicating that they were a member of Nevarah’s standard law enforcement.

Aloysius replied before Hadrian could, clearly determined to steer the direction of the conversation himself. “Some idiotic landwalkers thought themselves better than they were, and attempted to attack the soulbonded submissive of my King’s cousin and court member. His soulbonded Joker remedied their foolishness in the only manner appropriate.”

The guard blinked and swallowed, but nodded. That clearly wasn’t the explanation that he was expecting, it wasn’t even the explanation that Hadrian was expecting, but it was technically not false. “I see. Is this being handled as a purely Merrow matter, and is there someone here who is qualified by your standards to handle the investigation? We will require a copy of any findings, due to the fact that it happened on land.”

Aloysius nodded. “We are all court gheyos, and more than qualified to handle this investigation. It will be handled primarily by us to begin with, though we will include the Earth and Air crowns, as they both also have an interest in the submissive in question.”

The guard looked surprised at that. “I see. I was not aware that there was a submissive that three of the four crowns had an interest in. I will need the submissive’s name and circle name, so that I can submit a report. Because the crowns have an interest in this submissive, they will need to know that this incident occurred right away, even if you handle future cooperation personally.”

Aloysius glanced over at Hadrian, waiting for his nod of agreement before continuing.

Hadrian hid a snort in Blaise’s hair. There was no point in trying not to include Harry’s name in all of this, not when it was guaranteed to come out soon anyways. They would need to recall the rest of their bonded who could come back right now though, and inform them of what had happened. Then, someone would need to go to Raspen and Peryton, to ensure that they were blindsided by a report stating that Harry had been attacked.

This messenger would have no idea that the situation was so personal, so he wouldn’t know that he needed to be more delicate about how he relayed that news. He was an absolute bastard at times, he knew this, but he still wouldn’t leave two circle mates to find out about an attack on their submissive in such a way.

Theo frowned as he, Ariki, Wikhn, and Devrim hurried into the courtyard, glancing around to see that they had clearly missed whatever had happened to upset Harry so much.

They had come immediately, only pausing to pay for the rings before running across the markets, but it was so crowded with the hunt beginning this week that it had taken far more time than Theo was comfortable with to arrive.

“What happened?” he demanded, glancing between Hadrian and Brishen. He noticed the other gheyos standing around, as well as Harry’s notable absence, but for now he wanted information from his own gheyos.

Brishen sighed. “A group of ten gheyos attacked Harry and I while we were sitting here. He sensed them before they attacked, so it wasn’t a successful surprise attack. I fought most of them off, he handled one then called Alec to come help him. Alec handled two then took Harry away to somewhere safe, I assume the Merrow courts.”

Aloysius nodded. “He arrived in the courts with his submissive. He did have a minor injury on his arm that was being treated when we left. It should be fine. The submissive was uninjured, he just seemed overwhelmed.”

Theo nodded, extremely relieved to hear that Harry was safe. That relief was fighting with fury, though. This should have never happened, especially in the marketplace. This was supposed to be somewhere safe, somewhere that any dragel could go to and either handle chores or simply spend some time.

“Who was responsible?” he asked, glancing around at everyone. At this point, he wanted answers, so whoever could give him them was who he wanted to hear from.

A gheyo he’d never seen before, clearly a Nevaraean guard, cleared his throat. “I just arrived a few moments before you did. These Merrow Royal Guard members here indicated that the submissive that was attacked was the submissive of a court member and close relative of the Merrow King, so the Merrow will take the initial investigation and coordinate with the Air and Earth royal guards as appropriate.”

Theo nodded, considering that. Even though hunting for criminals wasn’t the Royal Guard’s primary responsibility, they could still be counted on to be quite skilled. Having them handle it would ensure that their circle could maintain at least a little privacy, without compromising on the results they would receive.

“What now? he asked, wanting to move things along so he could get back to Harry right away.

Aloysius shifted. “This guard wanted your submissive’s name to be used for the record of the attack, so that a report can be sent to the Earth and Air courts. We did inform him that both crowns have a vested interest in your submissive.”

Theo glanced over at the guard, raising an eyebrow.

The guard shifted, but nodded. “I do have to submit a report, especially after hearing that the crowns have a vested interest in this incident. I will need your submissive’s name and your circle name for the report.”

Theo nodded. “His name is Harry, leave the last name off, they won’t need it to know who he is, of the Gorgens-Nott circle.”

The guard frowned at the lack of the last name, but didn’t comment. “Is there anywhere specific in the courts I should address this? You mentioned the crown, but is there anyone in particular?”

Theo considered for a moment. “The most appropriate would be the acting Crown Royal for each element. Well, Earth and Air. I don’t believe the Fire courts have any expressed interest in him.”

The man nodded, finishing his papers. “That would be Prince Raspen and Princess Dawne?”

Theo nodded. “Indeed.”

The man looked surprised at his easy agreement that he should send the report to someone so high ranking, but did not comment. “That will take about an hour to arrive, if that matters to you. It does have to go through my superiors, given the ranks it is being sent to.”

Theo nodded, somewhat relieved. That would hopefully give them time to inform Raspen and Peryton before the report arrived.

The guard nodded again, this time to everyone present, then excused himself to continue on with his job.

Theo sighed. Reluctant as he was to split the circle again, they really did need to inform Raspen and Perry immediately, before the report came anywhere close to them. “Ariki, Devrim, and Wikhn, I’m sorry to ask this of you, especially in this situation, but could you three go find Ethan, Quinn, Idan, and Minh? Let them know what happened, and then Wikhn and Devrim, please take Ethan and go and inform Prince Raspen about what has happened. Ariki, please bring the other three back here, so Quinn can check on Brishen while you, Idan, and Minh go and inform Prince Peryton. I really don’t want to risk them receiving the report faster than intended, they shouldn’t hear about something like this through an official report.”

None of the three mentioned looked thrilled to be sent away, but they didn’t complain. All likely understood the necessity of informing their bonded right away, and the choice of who to send. Ariki was obvious, as an Air element from a family closely aligned with the courts, in addition to his status as a Beta. Wikhn was the highest ranked gheyo present that was not the Ace, and he had worked for the Earth courts in the past. Devrim was a better option to send to the courts than Blaise, if only because of his age, so he was the last addition.

Once the three had left, Theo’s attention once again returned to the Merrow warriors who had last seen Harry.

“Who exactly are all of you?” he asked, frowning as he examined them. Particularly the gheyo that had been speaking. There was something familiar about him, though he couldn’t imagine why.

Idan sighed as he, Ariki, and Minh finally managed to reach the office where Prince Peryton and Princess Dawne were working. It had taken over half an hour, much longer than he would have liked, but at least they still had arrived before the report was supposed to.

It would be horrible for Perry to learn what had happened just from a report, especially considering that it was almost certainly lacking in any meaningful details.

They had done that on purpose, of course, to protect Harry’s privacy as much as they could, but that still meant that it would not be reassuring at all for the royals to read.

“Ariki, Idan, Minh. It is lovely to see you here. I didn’t expect you,” Perry commented, smiling as they entered and approached him.

Idan tried to force a smile, but it couldn’t quite come. It ended up more as a grimace, causing Perry to frown.

“I get the feeling this isn’t entirely a social call. Is something wrong?” Princess Dawne asked, frowning nervously at the interaction.

Idan shifted, considering. “There was an incident in the market, you’ll likely get the report soon. Harry’s fine and so is everyone else in the circle, just a little shaken up and Alec’s arm had a minor injury but it is being handled.”

Perry frowned. “Alec’s hurt? In the marketplace? What happened? Wasn’t he supposed to be staying in the Merrow courts today?”

Ariki took over the explanations, sensing Idan’s uncertainty. “Because Harry twisted his ankle while we were with the Prewitts, he and Brishen just stayed in one of the little courtyards off the market while everyone else went to run errands. While they were sitting there, someone attacked them. Ten gheyos, though I don’t think any have been officially identified yet. Brishen did quite a bit of damage, so the seven he killed won’t be easy to identify or trace based on their bodies.”

Perry and Dawne both gasped in horror. “Ten gheyos? For just Harry and Brishen? Are they okay?” Dawne asked, her hand over her mouth in fear despite their previous reassurances.

Idan nodded. “They are both unharmed. Brishen is much more powerful than I had realized, and Harry managed to kill one too.”

Perry blinked in surprise. “Harry got one? Good for him.”

Dawne swatted his arm. “I’m sure he doesn’t think it’s good. He seems quite sensitive. You should make sure someone talks to him about it if he needs it, perhaps that healer of yours and a gheyo or your Alpha. One on one, though.”

Idan nodded, easily seeing the wisdom in that. Harry was extremely sensitive, even without his empathy. Depending on what exactly he’d been able to feel during the attack, it may be quite a lot for him to process, and his youth wouldn’t help. “Thank you for the suggestion. I will certainly bring it up to our circle, in case it is necessary.”

The other three simply nodded, clearly also seeing the potential necessity.

Perry shook his head after a moment, clearly deciding to keep moving. “You said Alec was involved? How did that happen?”

Ariki frowned, considering how to phrase his answer. “We haven’t seen Harry ourselves to ask him directly, the Merrow are keeping him and Alec at the court so they can protect them and heal Alec’s arm before they let them come back on land. Still, we are pretty sure we know what happened there. Harry reached for a bond that could help and got Alec. He killed two when he got there, then ported Harry away to the Merrow courts.”

Perry nodded. “Alright. Well, not alright at all, our submissive was attacked, but that’s something to handle after the investigation brings us something actionable. Dawne, could you send a message asking King Alcandor if he’s willing to bring Harry and Alec back if he comes straight to the courts? He may be more willing to bring them straight to the royal quarters than just back to Nevarah in general.”

Dawne nodded easily, quickly rooting around for her official stationary. “Of course. I’ll also request an update on both Harry and Alec’s condition, just in case.”

Chapter Text

Prince Raspen forcibly kept a neutral expression on his face as he sat in the Earth High Council meeting, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Lady Rampal’s complaints and arguments regarding the hosting order. The woman had gotten herself and her clan a feast to host, which in Raspen’s mind was more than enough for her. If he had his way, she wouldn’t host at all, simply so that he didn’t have to sit with her at dinner and listen to her rambling about the grandeur of the Rampal clan and their children's suitability as bonded. Unfortunately, however, Lady Rampal’s family was too powerful to not be assigned a feast to host, so he would just have to deal with it for one night per decade.

“Lady Rampal, the feasts for this hunt have been assigned, and it would be unfair on the vendors and employees required to change the dates and times at this point. Perhaps next hunt we can discuss this again, but for now the dates are set,” he finally interrupted, more than done with her arguing for a better date or a second feast.

It was all about power, he knew. The number of guests and specific days of the feasts that you hosted were strongly indicative of how powerful your clan was and how well-connected you were to the royal family. Lady Rampal had a feast to host, but it was an Earth-only feast in the fifth week. It was not an overly important date or category, so it would show that she was simply a member of the inner courts who was capable of hosting.

It showed no favoritism for her, no strong connection to Prince Raspen.

Which was exactly what he wanted, of course.

He had to hide his surprise a moment later when there was a gentle tug and sensation of urgency coming from one of his bonds. It was faint, as the bond in question wasn’t finalized yet, but he could still easily tell that it was Ethan, and he needed Raspen for something as soon as possible.

That couldn’t be good. Not after the fear, determination, and confusion he had briefly felt from Harry about a half an hour or so ago.

He hid a frown, considering where they were on the agenda. They finalized most of the hunt-related subjects, but he still hadn’t gotten into the changes required due to his bonding, or even just the announcement of said bonding. Honestly, with how expected that to go, they were barely halfway through with this meeting so he couldn’t justify dismissing the council. Not with the Introductions the day after tomorrow. On the other hand though, tempers were running high, so a break could easily be justified.

“Perhaps a break would be a good idea at this point? We have the feasts finalized now, along with the speeches and presentations outside of the Introductions. We only have one more agenda item, however it will likely take quite a while as there are several details that will need to be discussed.”

Most present looked surprised, as Raspen was well known for preferring to finish things all at once instead of taking breaks and making everything take so much longer. It probably also didn’t help that he had not actually informed any of them of what this agenda item was, though he was sure that Hiram Kalzik could easily guess. Still, none objected. Many present looked like they dearly wished to be far from the rest of the court, especially Lady Rampal.

He smiled, nodding in dismissal. “Excellent. We shall meet back here in half an hour.”

Hopefully that would be enough time for whatever Ethan needed. He was reasonably sure that it must be an emergency, so he'd make arrangements if it wasn't enough, but there would be problems with the courts. Still, his Pareya wouldn’t be calling him during a meeting with the inner courts if it weren't urgent.

Hopefully whatever it was wasn’t too bad. His bonds had all calmed, from what he could feel, but he didn’t have completed bonds with the full circle, only a few specific members.

He smiled slightly at the sight of Ethan, Devrim, and Wikhn all waiting for him outside of the meeting room with his guards. “It is good to see you all here, though I doubt it is a social call?”

Ethan shook his head as Devrim and Wikhn snorted. “No, unfortunately. We wouldn’t have interrupted your meeting for a social call. This should probably be discussed in private, though.”

Prince Raspen nodded, gently holding Ethan’s hand as he led the three and his guard to a nearby private office. It wasn’t his usual one, but somehow it seemed more important to hear this news quickly than to go to his preferred space, even if it meant that one of his guards was required to stay with him.

Once they were all in, and Ethan and Raspen were sitting on the couch, Ethan hesitantly began. “Did you feel something from Harry a little bit ago?”

Raspen nodded, frowning. He was glad to get an explanation, but at the same time the very fact that an explanation was necessary indicated that it had been a serious problem. “I did. He seemed quite disturbed, though he calmed down after a few minutes so I had hoped it wasn’t serious.”

Ethan nodded. “We went to the market, you know, and we left Harry and Brishen in one of the little courtyards there with the benches and trees around. We thought it would be somewhere safe, and Harry could stay off his ankle like Quinn wanted with Brishen there in case anything happened.”

Prince Raspen nodded. “It certainly should be somewhere safe. The laws about violence of any kind in that area are quite strict, and the guards enforce them aggressively. Somehow, though, I get the feeling that it didn’t go as planned?”

Wikhn snorted. “That’s one way of putting it.”

Prince Raspen raised an eyebrow, but Wikhn didn’t answer, instead looking back at Ethan.

Ethan shook his head, but continued. “No, it didn’t. Harry and Brishen were attacked while they were there. They’re both fine, none of ours are seriously hurt.”

Raspen frowned. It was good that neither of them were harmed seriously, but saying none of ours are seriously hurt implied that someone was hurt. While in a place that was supposed to be safe for everyone, under the protection of the Nevaraean law enforcement gheyos. “Who got hurt and how bad?”

Ethan winced. “Alec. It was just a grazed arm, though. Harry seems to have called him in to help either protect him or fight. He apparently came, killed two of the attackers, and took Harry away to the Merrow courts with him so he’d be safe. He got grazed sometime during that, Brishen wasn’t completely sure when, and Alec and Harry are still at the Merrow courts.”

Raspen breathed a sigh of relief. A grazed arm shouldn’t be too bad, and while being in the Merrow courts meant that Raspen couldn’t just port over and see his submissive, Alcandor would ensure his safety. Both of their safety, really.

That meant that he could turn his attention to other subjects. Subjects like who had dared to attack his submissive. “Who attacked them?” he asked, absolutely furious now that his concerns about his bondeds' health and safety had been alleviated for the moment.

The room was trembling slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He knew he should, but someone had attacked his submissive. A miniature earthquake was nothing compared to what he wanted to do once he got his claws into whoever was responsible.

Besides, it wasn’t like it would go anywhere unless he deliberately made it do so. The royal quarters were tightly warded, against magics both inside and out. Those present might feel some of the disturbance or even some minor shaking, but it would not leave the royal quarters.

It looked like their bonding may have to be announced publicly a bit earlier than intended, if only to ensure the harshest possible punishments for whoever had attacked Harry. He had wanted to keep his bonding a secret until the Introductions, but he had known he had to tell the inner courts today. He’d planned to do so under a privacy seal, so that they could rearrange the standing arrangements for the Introductions accordingly and so that his courts wouldn’t be completely blindsided while on stage for all of Nevarah to see.

Much as he valued his and his circle’s privacy, even from the inner courts, blindsiding them with something as important as this in public was far too much of an insult to be considered in any way acceptable.

Still, perhaps they could begin the initial investigation under that seal, or simply leave the names other than Raspen’s out of it if that didn’t work. It was only until Friday, after all. Even with the full might of the Earth, Air, and Merrow crowns behind the investigation, it would almost certainly take more than two days to finalize the hunts, interrogations, and trial arrangements this would require.

Ethan shook his head. “We’re not entirely sure yet. Brishen completely destroyed the seven he killed, there’s nothing recognizable left at all so blood traces will likely be required for them. Alec’s two aren’t all that much better. They’re intact but completely unidentifiable, at least visually. The one that Harry got is a little bit less destroyed, but we won’t be able to do a blood trace on him even if we need to, so hopefully his scales or wings are in the records.”

Prince Raspen blinked, somewhat appeased by the confirmation that all of the attackers were dead. “Harry got one? That’s good to hear. He needs to stand up for himself more, from what I’ve seen.”

Ethan nodded. “I agree, though I still think he should never be in a position where he needs to defend himself like that.”

Prince Raspen shook his head. “He shouldn’t have to, but it is still good to see that he can and will if something does happen. Why can’t we do a blood trace on that one, though? Did he do something particularly unusual?”

Wikhn snorted. “Only if you consider a blood boiling curse to be particularly unusual.”

Raspen blinked twice before he managed to process that, the surprise breaking through the last of the instinctual haze of rage that had come over him, allowing him to fix the damage the slight quake he had summoned had caused in the room.

His little submissive seemed so light-aligned, and frankly so obviously wizard-raised, that it was hard to imagine him even knowing that such a spell existed. Much less actually using it on an opponent. “That’s certainly unexpected, in many ways. Still, I am glad that he knew it, if it worked.”

Ethan and the two gheyos nodded, though Devrim still looked very riled up. Much more so than would be typical so far after the fact, even without being present for the fight.

Not seeing Harry or Alec after probably didn’t help matters, Raspen decided. The entire circle was split up this afternoon, if he remembered the plans that they had made right. Weres were very pack or family oriented, so it had to be very difficult for Devrim not to have his circle together right after something like this. He smiled at the gheyo prince, gently pulling him down on the couch next to him and leaning against his shoulder.

The two of them weren’t bonded and didn’t have a settled dynamic, at least not yet, but hopefully physical contact with another circle member would help placate the gheyo prince’s instincts some even without that.

“Have the others been informed?” he asked, considering who else was in the circle and where they had intended to go. All would want to know as soon as possible.

Ethan shrugged. “Everyone that went to the markets, including Hadrian and Blaise, came back to the courtyard when we felt something wrong through the bonds, so we all know. Ariki, Idan, and Minh went to inform Perry, so he’ll know. We left before anything was said about the others, but I imagine someone was sent to them. The guard said that he was sending a report to you and Princess Dawne, so we wanted to make sure to inform you first ourselves.”

Raspen blinked. “Why were they sending the reports directly to us? I mean, that’s definitely much better, but I’m surprised the guards were willing to do that. They’re usually trained to be sticklers for protocol.”

Wikhn shrugged. “I presume because it was members of the Merrow royal guard that responded first. They seem to have gathered and ported over right after Alec and Harry arrived at the palace, and arrived right after Hadrian and Blaise, and the Nevaraean guard assigned to the markets.”

Raspen blinked. “Well, that’s good, I guess, if it kept the report out of the general system for now. Did they say anything interesting, other than confirming that Alec and Harry are safely in the Merrow courts?”

Wikhn nodded. “They claimed the investigation, or at least primary on it. Apparently they told the investigator that the submissive that was attacked was the submissive of a close relative and court member of King Alcandor’s so he would give them primary rights.”

Raspen smiled slightly, shaking his head. “I can’t say that I’m surprised that one of the Crimson Tide would do that, really. I wouldn’t be surprised if Al directly ordered them to do so, just so he could make sure he’d get some of the punishments under his jurisdiction. How did they end up with reports coming to me and Dawne, though?”

Wikhn snorted. “The Crimson Tide member that did the talking mentioned that they would coordinate with the Earth and Air Crowns, because the submissive was ‘of interest to them’, I think was how he phrased it.”

Raspen snorted. Of interest indeed. “Well, that’s not quite a lie, though it is a major understatement. Still, in the interest of keeping privacy for a little longer, it was probably the best explanation available.”

Ethan nodded. “Most likely. It ensures that you and Perry will be kept up to date, without revealing why it is so important to you, at least not right away.”

Prince Raspen nodded, a slight smile on his face. “That will likely be quite helpful. I do still have to inform the inner courts about the bonding, because of the changes to the Introductions, so I’ll include this in that, and keep it all under the seal until Friday.”

Ethan nodded, unsurprised. “What are you going to do about the meetings? We do need to get Harry back on land, and I doubt your instincts will settle until you see him, but your meeting is also quite important with the Introductions in two days.”

Raspen frowned. “I’ll send a message to Al, asking him to bring Harry back to the Royal Quarters, and return to the meeting until he does. You’re right about my instincts demanding that I see him, but at the same time they’re demanding that I ensure everyone involved in this attack gets the harshest possible punishments, which means the courts need to be informed. I’ll start with the bonding and the attack, so when I leave to see Harry it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.”

Ethan nodded. While the councils would usually fuss about a royal leaving such an important meeting, it was hard to argue with seeing to a soulbonded submissive that had just been attacked. Depending on how things went, the council may even do some of the paperwork or start working on the changes required for the Royal Introductions while Raspen was gone.

Harry spluttered as the deluge of water he’d felt wash over him after Alec had grabbed him disappeared, replaced with an odd sensation of floating while surrounded by material of the same density on all sides.

It felt similar to the time he’d been in the Black Lake, swimming down to the merpeople’s village for the second task to find Ron, only this time he was somehow breathing normally without gillyweed.

He blinked, looking up at Alec in confusion, relieved to see that he could easily see his bonded Merrow even while underwater.

“You’re fine,” the Merrow commented, glancing around the room they were in until his eyes locked with those of another figure.

King Alcandor, Harry immediately realized, easily recognizing the Merrow King from their meeting two days previously.

Alcandor’s eyebrows raised, and he quickly moved towards them. “Alec? What happened? Why are you injured? And you brought Harry?”

Alec grimaced. “Harry and Brishen were attacked in the market, and he called me through the bond. I killed two and brought him back here where it’s safe, but Brishen was still fighting when we left.”

Alcandor glanced over at six gheyos who were standing nearby, all of whom Harry had ignored before, more concerned by his new ability to breathe underwater. “Annihilate them and claim the investigation. All responsible in any way, shape, or form will face Merrow justice. The landwalkers can have what’s left over, if there is anything.”

The gheyos nodded, then vanished into thin air. Well, thin water, Harry supposed, given their present location.

Harry glanced over at Alec again, frowning. Alcandor had mentioned him being injured, but Harry had somehow missed it in the chaos, even with his empathy pinging every time someone had been hit. “Your arm!” he exclaimed, paling as he found the injury.

Alec rolled his eyes, pinching Harry’s side. “It’s fine. Just a graze, and it was just a throwing knife, not even poisoned.”

Alcandor nodded, seeming satisfied at that, as he quickly healed the cut on his cousin’s arm. “Alec is correct, young one. He is fine, there will be no long term damage, at least not to him.”

Harry blinked in confusion. “Not to him?”

Alcandor’s smile was outright predatory. “The same cannot be said for whoever dared to harm the submissive of my cousin and court member. And that is even before you take into account the rest of your circle and family connections.”

Harry blinked. “Family connections? I guess the Peverells have technically confirmed their connection, but will that count for anything?”

Alec and Alcandor both snorted at that. “Absolutely,” the King replied. “The Peverells are clan chiefs. They couldn’t let an attack against one of their own go if they wanted to, which they certainly will not. And I was more referring to your third and their family, once we identify them.”

Harry blinked again. He had almost forgotten that Alcandor was planning to determine who his third was whenever he was underwater. There had been so much going on that it had been almost completely ignored, along with several other important subjects.

“Oh. Will they care?” he asked, unable to really fathom why a complete stranger would care so much, especially if they weren’t even aware of his existence.

Alec snorted. “Of course they will. Whoever your third is, you are their son. They will most definitely care, and demand blood rights.”

Alcandor nodded. “As they should. Especially after landwalkers had the audacity to attack the son and soulbonded submissive of Merrow.”

Harry blushed slightly. It was kind of nice to have his Merrow and the Merrow King both agreeing that he mattered. That an attack against him was something important, and that he should be protected. It was absolutely foreign to him, after living in the wizarding world where Voldemort and his Death Eaters attacking him constantly was expected, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the change.

He found it very difficult to believe that his third would care, when they had never met and whoever it was might not even know that he existed, but even just the fact that his circle and King Alcandor would care was already far more than he’d ever had before.

Theo frowned, considering what still needed done. The Crimson Tide members seemed inclined to gather evidence right now, and insisted that Harry and Alec were safe. He was inclined to believe them, especially since Harry’s bond felt calm, if slightly overwhelmed.

He certainly couldn’t blame him for feeling a bit overwhelmed. A battle couldn’t be pleasant with empathy, and the Merrow courts were supposed to be quite impressive.

Still, that left several other issues for him to deal with. Primarily notifications. They had ensured that the majority of the circle would be informed, including their two royals, but that still left Riven, Bran, and the Weasleys uninformed.

He frowned, considering who was left here. It was just him, Hadrian, Blaise, Brishen, and Quinn, at this point.

A few moments later, he blinked in surprise when a blinding flash of light appeared, depositing Riven and Bran into the courtyard.

“Ah, Riven and Bran. Good timing,” he commented.

Riven blinked. “What happened? Maia said that something happened and we needed to return now, but she didn’t say what it was.”

Theo sighed. “The dead gheyos you see over there attacked Harry and Brishen while they were relaxing here. Harry summoned Alec, who took him to the Merrow courts to get him to safety, and these Merrow guards here came to help and take over the investigation.”

The one that had done all of the speaking snorted. “Not that we got to help, thanks to Brishen. He didn’t even leave us leftovers.”

Theo snorted slightly, turning his attention back to the gheyo. “I’m sorry, you still didn’t say who you are. Are you able to tell us?”

The Merrow snorted. “Your instincts are nagging you about me and these two seeming familiar, aren’t they?”

Theo frowned, but nodded slightly. He didn’t know why the Merrow knew that, nor like being called out on it, but he couldn’t deny it.

The Merrow smirked. “My name is Aloysius. I am one of Alec’s brothers, and these are two more of our brothers. You’ll learn more during the formal courtship that Alec will have to start soon. That’s when we’ll be formally introduced.”

Theo nodded, relaxing. He wasn’t thrilled to not learn all three’s names, or to suddenly learn that Alec’s brothers were members of the Merrow royal guard and would be investigating the attack on their submissive, but it wasn’t a bad thing. Direct family connections would likely ensure that the investigation was taken seriously, and that they would be more than willing to be as aggressive as necessary in punishing those responsible.

“And the others?” he asked carefully. He really wasn’t sure what was appropriate with Merrow, but he instinctively could not trust dragels whose names he didn’t even know with his circle’s safety right after an attack against their submissive.

“This is Krymsen, the current Crimson Tide title holder. These are Mesmyr and Nymen, two more members of Crimson Tide,” Aloysius explained, seeming amused.

Theo hid a frown, realizing what was going on. Aloysius was testing him, testing their circle, really. He was deliberately being contradictory at some times and cooperative at others to see how they would react, so that he could judge them as a circle for his brother.

It was clever, Theo had to admit. Especially before they learned of the relationship between the two Merrow and realized that there was a reason that the impression that they made would matter.

“A pleasure, despite the circumstances,” he finally settled on with a deep nod, before turning his attention back to his circle.

With Bran and Riven here, all that was left to do immediately was inform their fire types and perhaps the Peverells. He really wasn’t sure whether it was him or one of the two princes that should handle informing Harry’s family, but he did know that they needed to send someone over to the Prewitt compound right away.

He considered his options, frowning. Hadrian was the most appropriate, elementally, but he was unwilling to send his Ace away right now, especially while in the presence of another blood title holder. A gheyo should go, but Brishen had just been in a fight, and while he seemed unharmed Theo was sure that Quinn would not appreciate him going away. Blaise was technically capable, but between his age and the elemental differences, Theo was hesitant to send him alone.

“Blaise, Riven? Could the two of you go over to the Prewitt compound, inform Charlie and the twins of what happened and bring them back here?” he finally settled on. A joker and a mage was a tad excessive for a simple message and fetching a beta and two pareya, but he still felt better sending both.

Aloysius blinked, frowning deeply. “Prewitt?”

Theo nodded, slightly surprised at the strong reaction. “Yes. Our beta and two of our pareya have Prewitt heritage, and are spending some time with them.”

Brishen snorted. “Just let it go, Aloysius. They weren’t the initial thieves, they just intercepted it and kept hold of it until I could retrieve it.”

Aloysius blinked. “You would trust fire types with something so important?”

Brishen shrugged. “I would trust one of them with it. I don’t know the others, nor did I know that she had bonded into the circle, but she can be trusted.”

The Merrow blinked in surprise, but did not reply. Riven apparently took that to mean he was clear to leave, and promptly grabbed Blaise and vanished in a bolt of bright light.

Theo sighed, shaking his head. Somehow, he doubted that Riven was going to be in a mood to explain this gently, and there was no way that Blaise would volunteer to speak.

Hopefully, the Mage was good at fire protection spells, even with his storm alignment. At least for Blaise’s sake, if nothing else.

Alec resisted the urge to groan when two more Merrow swam into the throne room where Alcandor, Harry, and himself were waiting for the members of Crimson Tide who had surfaced to handle the attack to return. While he had known that Harry and Killigan had to meet eventually, he had been hoping to put it off as long as possible.

The two would get along swimmingly, he knew, but both were the two worst trouble magnets that Alec had ever met. Even worse than him, somehow. He didn’t even want to imagine what kind of trouble they could get into together.

“My King,” Killigan commented, smiling as he approached Alcandor.

“My Queen. You waited longer than I had expected,” Alcandor replied, gently fussing over Killigan.

“Alec. It is good to see you unharmed, and you as well, Harry. I’ve been eager to meet you, since Alec informed us of his bonding,” the Merrow Queen commented, smiling at Harry.

Harry blinked, glancing up at Alec before replying, wondering why he hadn't heard of Killigan when the other dragel had clearly heard of him. “It’s good to meet you too.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “Harry, this is Killigan, the current Merrow Queen and Alcandor’s bonded. They use they/them pronouns, just so you know. And this is Esperanza, the Queen Regent.”

Esperanza smiled, seeing Harry’s clear confusion at her title. It seemed that her son had not exaggerated nearly as much as she had assumed he must have about just how clueless her nephew's new submissive really was.

Still, he was absolutely adorable and quite attached to her nephew, if the way he was plastered to Alec’s side like a sea urchin was any indication, or the way he kept glancing up at him for confirmation, explanations, and reassurance.

"It's lovely to meet you, dear. What Alec neglected to mention is that I am his favorite aunt, so you may call me Auntie Ess," she said, smiling softly at him.

Alec let a small smile slip onto his face, pleased at the easy acceptance from his aunt. Harry was adorable, soulbonded to him, and visibly very attached already, so that was enough for her to decide he was a good match.

If only his entire family would be that easily satisfied, but sadly he knew of several who would not. There were too many traditionalists who would take affront at the landwalking nature of the majority of the circle and the inclusion of fire types, or judge Harry based only on the power of his third, whoever they may be. Alec very much hoped that it was someone fairly powerful and connected, and preferably someone who would choose to be involved, if only to shut up that subset of relatives.

Harry also deserved a third that would be involved, just to have a parent in his life, but that didn't require them to be powerful. Honestly, with how crazy the rest of his family was, an average third may be better for him, just for some normalcy.

Killigan smiled as he got closer to them. "So Harry. I heard that you were wizard-raised on Earth of all places. How did you know any spells that would work against dragels already? Don’t they only teach little things like tripping jinxes there?"

Alec shook his head, wishing he could feel surprised. Killigan was a bloodthirsty little thing, almost more so than Alcandor himself. It was no wonder that he would want details on Harry’s fighting abilities.

Harry blushed, clearly unsure whether or not to take that as a compliment. "My school, Hogwarts, tends to be really dangerous and someone there has tried to kill me every year, so my friend Hermione decided that we all needed to learn some more effective combat spells just to be safe. There's a room there that can give you whatever you ask for, so we asked the room for powerful spells that would protect us and take down anyone who attacked us, and then just practiced them on pillows and dummies until we thought they would probably work at least well enough to get away. One of the spells it gave us this year was a blood boiling curse, so we actually learned that just a few months ago. It's illegal in the wizarding world, but we figured it was better to know it and just have to cover it up if we ever needed it."

Alec smirked, pride clear on his face. Any Merrow, any dragel really, would be proud to be bonded to a submissive who had taken the time to learn more advanced combat spells than would normally be taught to them. Especially something as effective as a blood boiling curse.

Killigan blinked, clearly impressed. "A blood boiling curse? That's quite impressive. I think we're going to be good friends."

Harry blushed but smiled, clearly pleased to have someone so obviously approve of his more vicious tendencies. “I think so too.”

Killigan smiled. “Good. You’ll have to come down sometime when we can have the whole day, and I can show you around my private spell crafting area. It’s quite effective for designing and practicing new curses, and other spells of course.”

Harry nodded eagerly, his smile brightening. “That sounds fun.”

Alec and Alcandor shared a panicked glance over their submissives' heads, both clearly thinking the same thing.

What have we gotten ourselves into by introducing these two?

Blaise grimaced when he saw who had come to let them into the Prewitt compound. Sadara hadn’t been too bad about the fussing earlier, but she had clearly had opinions about his age and status as a Joker, and seemed quite intent on fussing over him.

He’d really rather not be fussed over, no matter how much she insisted that his age entitled him to such things.

She frowned slightly when she saw them, obviously confused. “Is everything alright?”

Blaise grimaced, but didn’t answer. It seemed better to let Riven do the talking, under the circumstances.

“Not entirely, but none of ours are seriously injured. Unfortunately, we will have to steal Charlie and the twins back early,” Riven explained carefully.

Sadara looked extremely concerned, but nodded and ushered them in. “Why don’t you come inside, and you can explain what’s going on to your three and the rest of us, just so we know if support is needed, then we can help you with anything required.”

Riven nodded. “I don’t believe we should require anything, but the offer is highly appreciated, and it would be preferable to ensure that at the very least Bill is aware, because it may become public knowledge.”

Riven’s comment clearly did nothing to reassure Sadara, unsurprisingly, but she didn’t comment further, just checked them both over for injuries as she led them to the library where the majority of the Prewitts present were gathered.

Blaise looked around when they arrived, surprised to note that almost everyone except the gheyos were present. He had to hide a frown at that realization. While Riven had indicated that it may be better for the Prewitts to be aware of what happened, Blaise instinctually didn’t like the idea of having this many people that they had just met today know that their submissive had been attacked.

Especially when they had yet to see said submissive since the attack.

Still, that decision was Riven’s to make, and Blaise wouldn’t comment. He wasn’t familiar enough with dragels or Nevarah to know what the expected action would be here.

Charlie blinked at them in confusion when they came in, but smiled. “I didn’t expect to see you guys back here. How’s it going?”

Blaise winced. Charlie and the twins were extremely new to being dragels, and had likely been focused on getting to know their newly found relatives, so there was a strong probability that they had either not noticed or not recognized the importance of the sensations coming through their bonds for the last hour or so.

This would not go over well, he knew.

Riven apparently agreed, because the man also grimaced before replying. “Not ideal. Did you feel anything off through your bonds?”

Charlie and the twins frowned, all nodding. “It did feel strange for a little while, but I couldn’t tell what that was or what it meant. Did something happen?”

Riven nodded. “You could say that. We all went to different sections after we left, most shopping, Bran and I visited his family, Perry and Raspen returned to work. We left Harry and Brishen in one of the little market courtyards so he’d stay off his ankle and just relax.”

Charlie nodded. “That makes sense.”

Riven nodded again. “It did. The market is heavily patrolled, so it is expected to be a safe place. Today, however, someone attacked Harry and Brishen while they were there.”

Charlie and the twins all snapped to total attention, their hair erupting into balls of flame.

They weren’t the only ones, either. Several of the other Prewitts present had also caught fire at that announcement, even some that had been pretending not to be listening.

“Are they ok?” Fred asked, looking like he wanted to port out now and go straight for Harry.

Riven nodded, answering quickly before anyone could do something stupid. “Yes, both are fine. Neither were injured. Brishen killed seven, Harry killed one, and then Alec killed two after Harry summoned him.”

George blinked. “Why did Harry summon Alec? Why not us or Hadrian or another gheyo?”

Riven tilted his head, considering. “I only have guesses about Alec’s actual rank, given that he has not technically said what it was in my hearing. I suspect that his rank is what made him more appropriate as an option in this situation, whatever it is.”

Gideon frowned. “How do you know it was more appropriate if you don’t know what it is?”

Riven smiled at the submissive. “I can tell that it is somewhere between Pareya and Gheyic Pareya. He’s too calm to be a gheyo, but if he is just a Pareya he’s quite aggressive, even for a Merrow. It is certainly not impossible that he could be ranked as a standard pareya, though, given his family's reputation and position.”

Malachi nodded. “That would make him appropriate for the situation. Your submissive most likely reached for someone who could fight and protect, and a gheyic pareya or unusually aggressive pareya is ideal for both.”

The twins nodded, appearing satisfied with the explanation.

Charlie, however, had another priority. “Where is Harry now? Why didn’t Theo just drag us in with portals?”

Riven grimaced. “Alec apparently decided that Harry should be removed from the fight before the attackers could actually do harm, which wasn’t really wrong given that it was still going on when he ported him away.”

Charlie blinked, then sighed. “He took him to the Merrow courts, didn’t he?”

Blaise snorted. “Of course he did. Where else would he take him?”

Fabian raised an eyebrow. “Your Merrow is able to port straight into the Merrow Royal Courts with his submissive, who I presume has never been there, and consider it perfectly safe?”

Riven nodded. “Of course.”

Charlie shrugged. “Why not? I mean, he’s King Alcandor’s cousin and a court member.”

Blaise had to stifle his laugh at the dumbfounded expressions around the room. Apparently having a Merrow that was technically a Royal in the circle was completely shocking, even if he didn’t use that title much. He’d assumed that their quotas for shock and disbelief would have been used up by now just with the other two royals, blood title, and general elements and powers, but apparently not.

It boded well for his future entertainment if this reaction was going to be the norm, at the very least.

It didn't take long for Charlie to drag everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. "So what now? Send Brishen down to convince Alec to bring Harry back?"

Riven snorted at the idea. Realistically, that would make it take longer to get Harry back above the water. "No, that wouldn't work. Alec would keep him there longer just to be contrary, and you’ve seen how those two snip at each other. In all likelihood, King Alcandor is almost certainly waiting for the all-clear from the gheyos he sent to help clean up and lead the investigation. He probably also won't let Harry and Alec leave the courts until Princess Dawne or Prince Raspen personally requests that he bring them back to the royal quarters."

Malachi blinked. "King Alcandor won't let them leave?"

Riven shrugged. "Alec is his cousin. His little cousin, more accurately, and a court member. He's a little protective."

Blaise snorted. He'd only seen Alcandor once, on Monday, and he could already tell that the Merrow King was more than just a little protective. Charlie, Bill, and the twins also seemed to agree, though none of the four commented further.

"So the royal quarters? I suppose that is probably the strongest security in Nevarah," commented Sadara. She still looked surprised, but seemed eager to move onto the next steps required.

Riven nodded. "It is certainly one of the most guarded places. We would have to go there anyways, though, with Raspen and Perry’s inclusion in the circle. An attack against their submissive can't be kept out of the courts."

Sadara winced. "Oh, I had forgotten that. And Prince Raspen was working so hard to keep you all out of the chaos until after the Introductions."

Charlie, Blaise, and the twins all grimaced. They hadn't considered that, more concerned with the immediate dangers and where Harry was.

It was unavoidable at this point, sadly. They couldn't not demand the harshest possible punishments for the attack on their submissive, and that meant going through the courts.

Charlie sighed. "We'll just have to deal with it. Two days of anonymity is much less important than Harry’s safety or getting those responsible into the courts and to our gheyos quickly."

Riven nodded, seeming glad that their wizard-raised bonded felt that way, especially as they were insisting on such strict privacy partially for their benefit. "Indeed. We should probably get going, though. I don't know how much longer the others will be willing to wait."

Charlie and the twins nodded quickly, standing up and starting to say their goodbyes. It was apparently a whole process with the Prewitts, including hugs for everyone.

Blaise would never admit it out loud, but the hugs were surprisingly not awful.

Chapter Text

Minh sighed as they waited in Princess Dawne's office, reluctant to remain idly here while the rest of their circle was scattered around Nevarah and the Merrow courts. Princess Dawne had requested that the Peverells come as soon as possible less than twenty minutes ago, after sending a message to inform Raspen and Theo that she was doing so, but the time still felt much longer when he was sitting here waiting.

He understood the reasoning, at least a couple of members of their circle should be present when the Peverells arrived and were informed of what had happened, and those members should have gheyos with them, but he still felt instinctively reluctant to have the circle remain so spread out. Even knowing that Alec and Harry would almost certainly only be able to return directly to the royal quarters, making this the best building in Nevarah to wait in, didn’t help much.

His instincts were demanding that they regroup and close ranks, but they couldn’t do that until everything that was required to ensure the harshest possible punishments were granted and Harry and Alec returned to the surface. For now, that meant waiting for the Peverells to arrive and be informed, so that they could add their political power and demands onto the blood price requests.

Fortunately, he didn’t have much longer to wait before there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” Princess Dawne called, turning away from her conversation with her brother. Minh hadn’t been paying much attention to the pair’s conversation once they’d moved onto the topic of performances, not overly concerned by what music or arrangements different clan presentations required. As long as he and his new circle were not involved, he had no desire to hear about it.

Minh had to hide a wince as he took in exactly which Peverells had responded to the princess’s request. He wasn’t sure exactly how the missive had been addressed, but she had managed to reach the Peverell Clan Chief, Tauria, along with Henry and Lewis Peverell. The reactions would almost certainly be explosive, with Harry’s uncle, his uncle’s Alpha, and the Peverell Clan Chief all present.

“Your Highness. I hope you are well?” Tauria greeted politely, a look of slight confusion visible even beyond the polite smile.

Princess Dawne smiled politely back at the clan chief and her two companions. “I am well, thank you. I trust that you are as well?”

She paused for them all to nod before continuing. “Thank you for coming so quickly, please have a seat.”

Henry frowned as the three seated themselves. “A pleasure to see you, Your Highnesses, and you Ariki, Minh, and Idan. Is something wrong? Is Harry alright, why aren’t you three with him, as his bonded?”

Dawne smiled softly. “These four, actually. Peryton is also one of Harry’s bonded, his advisor specifically.”

All three Peverells looked shocked at that. “We were unaware of that, our apologies. It was not mentioned at the library,” Henry commented.

Perry smiled slightly. “It wouldn’t have been. Myself and Prince Raspen are both in the circle, but because of the political and social pressure that the official announcement will expose Harry to, we are waiting until the Introductions to reveal it publicly so that he can adjust somewhat before dealing with all of the social implications of our bonding.”

The Peverells looked even more stunned. It was somewhat amusing, despite the circumstances. The Peverell clan, and all major clans and clan chiefs, really, always ensured that their appearances and emotions were perfectly controlled in public. It was unusual to see such genuine emotion from such high-ranking dragels.

Lewis nodded. “That is likely for the best. Harry did not seem overly familiar with dragel society, and he is quite young to be dealing with the courts. I’m sorry to be blunt, but you indicated that something had happened that required our attention, and now four of his circle members are present but he is not. Is Harry ok?”

Princess Dawne sighed. “He is uninjured, as are all of his bonded, by now. Unfortunately, Harry and one of his Jokers were attacked in the market earlier today by ten gheyos, none of whom have been identified so far that I am aware of due to the damage done to the bodies in the fight. His bonded Merrow, who is a cousin and court member of King Alcandor’s, received a minor injury when he came to get Harry to safety. Because of this, Crimson Tide is launching an official investigation, and it will become a full court matter.”

Tauria winced. “You mentioned that his Merrow had a minor injury but should be uninjured by now. What specifically and how bad?”

Princess Dawne grimaced. “Harry had no injuries whatsoever, but his Merrow received a graze on his arm. We haven’t technically heard anything about him since he removed Harry from the fight, but given that he went straight to the Merrow courts we are confident that it has been healed by now.”

Lewis nodded, seeming satisfied. “Were there any other injuries?”

Ariki shook his head carefully. “Not that we know of, no. Brishen was confident that Harry was not hit by anything, he was just startled by what happened. Brishen also seemed fine, from what I saw. Quinn checked him over quite thoroughly and couldn’t find anything wrong. No one else was involved in the actual fighting, from what I heard the fight was over before anyone else arrived, even the guards.”

Tauria sighed. “That is good to hear, then. Will we need to do anything to assist with this matter tonight? I’m sorry, I am eager to meet my cousin and I will do what it takes to ensure his safety, but traveling destabilized my submissive’s pregnancy slightly, and I am hesitant to be away for too long at this point. Can Henry and Lewis handle the majority of this and report to me? Perhaps summon me if required?”

Princess Dawne nodded easily. “Of course. I doubt the investigation will be completed today, so all that will likely be required is giving some indication that you intend to pursue blood rights as his sire’s clan, if you wish to.”

Tauria blinked. “Of course we wish to press for blood rights, that is one of our clan’s children that was attacked. Why is that required today, though? Isn’t it usually just before the court case concludes?”

Dawne grimaced. “His circle and family connections will make it a bit trickier than usual, and I am not certain that there will be much, if anything, left to claim after tonight. He has two royals, a full suite, two jokers, yourselves, the Evansons, and a Merrow third.”

Henry blinked in shock. “That is quite a wide variety of powerful individuals and families aiming for blood rights. Do you mean to have all parties here tonight to state their intentions?”

Dawne frowned slightly. “I am not entirely sure. I have not been able to meet with Prince Raspen, King Alcandor, and Theodore to figure out what the crowns and the circle want to do about notifications for the other involved parties. I took over informing you due to our element and your status as a Clan Chief, but I do not know if or when Prince Raspen intends to contact the Evansons, or what claims the Air and Earth Crowns will demand be enforced.”

Tauria nodded. “That is more than reasonable, under the circumstances. Please take this as my statement of intent to press for a blood price, as his Sire’s living family. Lewis and Henry will officially restate it on my behalf for the courts if needed. If any healings or other assistance are required by Harry or his circle, the Peverell Clan will provide it.”

Perry was the one to respond this time. “Thank you, Clan Chief Peverell. That will mean a lot to Harry, I’m sure. He is eager to meet you, and the rest of his family.”

She smiled at him, pleased. “I am also eager to meet him, as is my circle. Were circumstances with my submissive different, I would stay and meet him tonight.”

Tauria politely excused herself. After she had left, Dawne nodded slightly as she considered what was left to do to mitigate the chaos and disaster this attack and subsequent investigation were guaranteed to bring. “I don’t believe that anyone else will be coming here, however I had best inform the Kings and Queens of these events. Perry, perhaps you would like to escort your circle members along with Henry and Lewis to Prince Raspen’s quarters, so that you can wait for Harry there?”

Perry nodded, seeming pleased by the idea of having the circle more together. “Of course, I would be glad to. I will see you there soon, I expect?”

Princess Dawne nodded idly, still focused on what she would need to do. Minh did not envy her in any way. The other royals would be furious that this had happened, and things were never good when the royals were upset. Especially when all of them were upset at the same time, and shared a single target for their anger. “I will come as soon as I can. Mother and Father will likely also insist upon attending, and King Edgar and Queen Calla.”

Perry nodded, rising to his feet and beginning to move towards the door. Minh eagerly fell in, ushering Ariki ahead of him.

Finally, they’d be able to get at least a little more of their circle together, even if Harry was unlikely to return for a little bit longer.

Theo sighed slightly in relief when the guard ushered them into an office that he hadn’t seen before, revealing Raspen, Ethan, Devrim, and Wikhn all sitting around the room. He had to hide a slight smile when he noticed that Devrim was sitting on the couch between Raspen and Ethan, each of his shoulders acting as a pillow for an Earth type. Despite the surprising nature of the sight, it was rather cute and seemed to be an effective way to keep the werehyena grounded.

Theo would have to remember that for the future, if they ever needed a subtle way to calm their Gheyo Prince. It certainly would be no hardship to use the attractive gheyo as a pillow. He may have to test it out sometime even when it wasn’t required for grounding. Purely for preparation’s sake, of course.

Raspen smiled as he saw them all enter the room, standing to greet them. “I’m glad you’re all here. Brishen, are you alright? Ethan, Devrim, and Wikhn indicated that you were not injured?”

Brishen shook his head. “No injuries on me or Harry, and just a small graze on Alec. Those gheyos weren’t particularly impressive. The only thing they had going for them was numbers, and those didn’t last.”

Theo hid a snort. Of course their Joker would make a comment like that, right after being attacked.

Raspen apparently didn’t want to even start down that rabbit hole, instead just shaking his head as everyone claimed seats around the room. “I am glad to hear that. Theo, I summoned representatives of the Evanson clan, Juniper’s circle specifically. If Dawne is informing the Peverells then the Evansons need to be informed as well.”

Theo nodded. “That makes sense. Do you know when they will be arriving? And is it expected for all of us to be present?”

Prince Raspen shook his head. “Most likely not, I’ll take them next door with a few circle members to explain things privately. I’m not sure when they’ll be arriving.”

Theo’s eyebrows rose when there was a knock on the door almost immediately after the prince finished speaking. He had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when the door opened, and one of Raspen’s guards stepped in. “Briar and Rian Evanson, along with Lord Aiden and Thorne to see you, Your Highness.”

Prince Raspen blinked, apparently not expecting all of them. “Thank you. Theo, perhaps you’d like to accompany me for this discussion, as Alpha?”

Theo nodded, standing easily. He was somewhat reluctant to leave the rest of his circle, but his instincts were soothed by the knowledge that they were all together and extremely well-protected. He blinked when he noticed Hadrian following them out into the hallway, clearly intending to accompany them.

It didn’t seem like their Ace’s presence should be necessary, but he also wouldn’t object.

It only took a few seconds to get all of them into the room next door, seated carefully on the couches within. Theo and Raspen were seated on one couch, with Hadrian standing behind them, while Rian and Briar sat across from them, with Lord Aiden and Thorne on seats on the ends between them.

Lord Aiden was the first to speak. “Briar was attending my court when your summons arrived. His father and I came to see why you wished to see one of my hounds and his circle members. Lady Juniper Evanson is affiliated with your courts, but she has not been in Nevarah in decades. Your interest is quite unusual.”

Raspen nodded, unsurprised.

Theo wished he was equally unsurprised, but he did not have the same knowledge or experience that their Royal had. It was extremely surprising to him to learn that Harry was related to a hellhound.

Theo quickly forced his thoughts back to the present to hear what Raspen was saying, unwilling to miss anything in a conversation as important as this. “I required the Evansons because of a matter involving their circle. It is primarily a circle matter, however there are multiple circles, clans, and families involved. I recalled Juniper over a related issue Monday, but I have not heard back from her yet. I am unsure how much you are aware of regarding your daughters, Lily and Petunia, and the pair’s sons, Harry and Dudley?”

Briar blinked. “I don’t believe we have daughters named Lily and Petunia, though those names were chosen as the next for daughters that Jun may bear. I know nothing of anyone named Harry or Dudley related to us.”

Raspen frowned slightly. “When did you last speak to Jun or examine your family tapestry?”

Rian frowned. “It’s been decades for either. Why is this relevant?”

Raspen sighed, summoning the Evanson family tree, then opened it carefully and drew their attention to the relevant section.

Briar’s jaw dropped. “I have two daughters and two grandsons that I have never even heard of? And one of my daughters is dead?”

Raspen winced. “I’m afraid so. I apologize for the bluntness, but a situation has arisen that has made it impossible to wait for your Alpha’s return and clear answers.”

Thorne was the one to cut in this time, seeing that Briar and Rian both seemed too upset to speak clearly. “What situation? Is there a threat to my granddaughter or great-grandsons?”

Raspen shifted. “We know of no immediate threats at the moment, but there was an incident earlier today. Harry, Lily’s son, recently bonded via soulscream, despite his youth. That circle includes Theodore Gorgens-Nott, Hadrian Maruke, and I, along with sixteen others.”

Briar choked. “You three all bonded to my grandson? Where is he? I need to see him, if he is my circle’s grandchild.”

Raspen nodded. “We did. He is currently at the Merrow courts, due to the incident I mentioned. Harry and one of our Jokers spent some of the afternoon in one of the little courtyards in the shopping plazas while most of the circle did the shopping. While they were there, they were attacked. Harry summoned his Merrow, who removed him from danger by taking him to the Merrow Royal Courts. We are still trying to convince King Alcandor to return the pair to the surface.”

Aiden blinked. “Why is King Alcandor keeping them there? And which Merrow is it?”

Raspen smiled slightly. “Alec. King Alcandor is keeping them there to allow Crimson Tide to ensure it is safe before they return, and possibly to determine who Harry’s third is, because it is a currently unknown Merrow, and Harry really does need as many family connections as possible, given his age.”

Rian blinked in surprise. “Merrow third? What element is he? And what do you mean, given his age?”

Raspen smiled softly. “Nameless. Empathy, specifically. Harry is currently fourteen. There was an incident on Sunday that forced out his inheritance and triggered the soulscream that I mentioned.”

Rian nodded, a faint smile on his face as he looked down at his submissive. “Just like Jun, but with some of your chaos added in as well.”

Briar snorted. “Just like Jun indeed. I want a blood price. Whoever attacked my grandson, I want them found and I want blood. As both an Evanson and as a hellhound.”

Lord Aiden nodded. “Your rights to their reaped souls are granted. Prince Raspen, I presume that the Evansons’ blood rights in the courts of the living will be upheld?”

Raspen nodded. “Of course. I cannot guarantee particulars, due to the circle and families, but I believe that the intent was to have those who wish to make claims present themselves tonight and do so before the courts.”

Briar nodded. “Then we will do so. And I want to meet my grandson as soon as he surfaces.”

Theo smiled, pleased by the older submissive’s determination to see Harry and make sure that those who attacked him got what they deserved. It was promising, he felt. Harry needed strong family ties.

Ariki sighed slightly in relief when they reached Prince Raspen’s office. It was good to have arrived there, though he had to admit that he was somewhat concerned that the Prince was not actually present. Dawne had indicated that he had been scheduled to be in a court meeting, but hopefully Ethan, Devrim, and Wikhn had still been able to deliver their message.

A few minutes after they all settled in to wait, the door opened to admit the rest of the circle that was not underwater, except for Prince Raspen himself.

Theo smiled slightly when he saw the surprised looks. “Prince Raspen has been filled in, and Rian and Briar Evanson, along with Briar’s father Thorne and Lord Aiden. Raspen has returned to the council meeting so he can announce his bonding and the attack, so we can ensure the investigation and charges are as thorough as possible.”

Perry nodded grimly. “Good. Dawne has gone to inform our parents. They were supposed to be meeting with the Earth and Fire Kings and Queens, so everyone should know who needs to, except maybe Princess Ebony.”

Ariki nodded, relieved. With the Evansons and the Earth courts taken care of, he really couldn’t think of anyone else that they needed to inform or anything else that they could do to ensure that things went well. He had sent a quick message to his parents, but he didn’t actually want them directly involved. Not right now, though perhaps later his mother might be helpful, given her status as the Blood Wraith. For now though, one more political circle would only get in the way, when they already had more than enough parties demanding blood.

It was good to know that everything was falling into place to ensure a quick response. Now, all they needed was for Harry to return to the surface so that they could reassure themselves that he was alright.

Luna winced as she heard footsteps on the stairs outside, running over to the voidstone with one last load of trinkets in her arms. She quickly dumped them in, then closed the stone and pocketed it. Before she could pull out her portal medallion, though, the door burst open and Dumbledore stalked in, four rogues flanking him.

The headmaster seemed surprised to see them there, freezing for a moment before reacting. She knew perfectly well that that hesitation was the only reason that she was able to dodge his curse, throwing herself behind the desk before it could hit her.

She peeked out around the side, sending a quick blasting curse at one of the rogues that was visible and smiling grimly when he was torn to pieces by the spell. It was messy and taking out one rogue was not nearly enough to make a difference, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.

She was pleased to note that Hermione and Ginny had also picked off a rogue each while she had been diving for cover. The three of them had all improved significantly this year, with their aggressive training to prepare Harry for the Triwizard Tournament.

Before she could attempt another curse though, a beam of fire surrounded the desk, forcing her to shield as best she could and sprint across the room to hide behind a pillar. It wasn’t quite as good as the desk, but something was better than nothing, and not being on fire was a fairly significant point in the pillar’s favor.

Suddenly, the door burst open, revealing a surprising combination of individuals. Dobby, it seemed, had been paying attention and felt that help was necessary. The problem was, for some reason the house elf seemed to believe that Professor Snape was suitable assistance.

Perhaps the elf wasn’t entirely wrong, though, as the professor quickly destroyed the other rogue and shot several curses towards Dumbledore.

Unfortunately for Luna, however, the spells weren’t even an effective distraction against the headmaster, as he merely stepped aside and continued his barrage of spells against the pillar she was hiding behind.

She didn’t dare try to peek out and throw a curse, and knew she had no chance if she tried to move to another position. She’d just have to sit here and wait, and hope someone did something to stop him from getting to her.

Suddenly, there was a yell of rage, as Ginny clearly decided that now was the time to attempt some of the more forbidden spells that they’d learned. A piercing curse intended for taking down full-grown dragons may not be a simple or minor curse, but apparently it was not lethal to a Torvak, at least when it hits just under the chin but not quite on the throat.

It did manage to rip off a large portion of Dumbledore’s beard, though, which was not overly helpful but somewhat amusing.

She used the opportunity while Dumbledore was distracted by trying to figure out where Ginny had cast from to run over to Hermione, joining her in crouching behind a low wall. They peeked out nervously, each preparing to cast whatever was necessary.

Dawne sighed as she hurried into the throne room, relieved to see that all of the royals expected to be present for this meeting were still here. Ebony was also present, which was a nice surprise. She had wondered how to inform her friend, so that she wouldn’t be blindsided, but without a relative in the circle she really had no justification to officially inform her. Informing her along with the other royals, in the interests of informing her and Raspen’s parents as quickly as possible, was another story, however.

“I took on a mentored student,” she heard Ebony comment. “His flames are lovely, and quite mild, despite their power, and he’s rather old for a new inheritance, so he seems much more mature than most other potential students I’ve seen. I didn’t even have the urge to kill him once, between the two times that I’ve seen him so far. I think it will work out quite well.”

Her parents smiled. “Do introduce us soon, darling. We can have dinner with him and his family circle early next week.”

Ebony nodded, glancing over at Dawne before frowning. “Dawne? What’s wrong?”

Dawne grimaced. She must not have done as good of a job controlling her expression and aura as she had intended, though she was reasonably sure it would be excused under the circumstances.

“Does everyone here know about Perry and Raspen’s bonding on Sunday? And the circle that it formed?” she asked, wanting to only go through this once.

The assembled royals frowned. “Vaguely, yes, though only that it happened and some of the names. No real details,” the Fire Queen commented, frowning.

Dawne nodded, frowning slightly. “The Alpha is Theodore Gorgens-Nott, Lady Ilsa Gorgens’s mentored student. When he was younger, Yanek Doursen, now Calamaris, essentially stalked and harassed him because he wanted him as a bonded. The Deverines took out a restraining order, but it only lasted until both bonded. The same submissive also took an interest in Ethan Hartwood, the new circle’s Pareya, though he did not go quite far enough to justify a restraining order because he felt the Hartwoods were not important enough to bother harassing. Yesterday, Yanek ran into Theodore and Ethan again, met some of the circle, though not Perry or Raspen, and then threw a fit in the courts, including barely-veiled threats against the entire circle, particularly Harry. Raspen filed a new restraining order against Yanek, this time to keep him away from the entire circle. Alcandor, Ebony, and I also signed it.”

King Edgar winced. “I saw that there were restraining orders earlier, with four signatures each, but I was too busy to really look into it. Is it a threat to Raspen’s circle? They really need to be assigned guards of their own, in that case. I know they were hoping to delay anything official until after the Introductions, but they can’t risk something happening to Harry.”

Dawne winced as the others all agreed. “I’m sure that Raspen will agree. Alcandor already made it a condition that if the Merrow in the circle is present on land, outside of their home, a member of Crimson Tide, preferably the primary title holder, is required to present. If Alec and Harry are both present, there must be two members of Crimson Tide.”

The kings and queens all looked surprised at the demand, but none seemed to object. On the contrary, actually. They all seemed pleased, even the Fire Royals.

Dawne sighed, continuing on with the important parts of the background. “One of their two Betas is Ariki Deveraine, who Walford Guantrell recently took an interest in and began harassing. He also threw a fit when he found out about the bonding, so a similar restraining order was filed and signed for him.”

The assembled royals all winced at that explanation. “What a mess,” the fire queen murmured. “Those clans really do have too much leeway, Arista. This is absolutely ridiculous, and you know it.”

Queen Arista winced, but shook her head. “Who can I replace them with? If you can give me a suitable circle or clan, I’ll replace them and remove them from the courts, along with any protection and standing they may have. But I can’t do that until I have a replacement ready to go.”

The Fire King snorted. “I’m about at the point where I’d say to just give the Cunninghams free reign over the issue and let them take care of it. You know they are much better hunters than the Vaughns could even dream of being, and I would trust them far more, even with that bloodthirsty viper they call a submissive. At least their aggression and bloodthirst is directed at appropriate targets, and they behave with the expected decorum and common decency when not actively hunting.”

Queen Arista sighed. “They already have so much to do, can we add this?”

Dawne winced. “You may not have a choice, mother, depending on how this new investigation goes. And this investigation is not optional in any way. Someone attacked Harry and one of his Jokers, Brishen, while they were in the market today.”

She had to stop speaking for several minutes to allow the uproar to settle before she would have even a chance of being heard. She couldn’t blame them, really. She was also absolutely furious, and wondered if she could claim blood rights as the Advisor’s sister, and a crown royal at that.

Probably not, given how many others had much stronger claims, but it might still be worth a shot. Perhaps she could get some of the leftovers, especially if it was done in the Merrow courts.

They let things go much further under the water, and no one there would object to her indulging her more aggressive instincts far past the point where those on land would consider her actions appropriate for a royal. Nor would they mention her lack of proper decorum to any who did live on land, if she were to do so.

Alec grimaced as the room was suddenly six gheyos more crowded. While it was good that the Crimson Tide members had all returned safely, he still wasn’t thrilled to be in a room with three of his brothers again.

While he may be on semi-decent terms with Aloysius, the same could not really be said for his other two brothers in Crimson Tide.

“Well, they’re back. What’s next on the list,” he snarked, only half sarcastic. Much as he enjoyed having Harry to himself, and not being around the fire types in the circle, he knew that they did need to get Harry back on land sooner rather than later. The others had been surprisingly patient, but he knew they were worried. He could easily feel it through the bonds, and he didn’t even have direct bonds to anyone except Harry.

Alcandor rolled his eyes, completely unbothered by Alec’s snark. “We need to see who Harry’s third is.”

Alec nodded. “What did you mean when you said you had to do a ritual? Why not just use the partentage spell?”

Alcandor snorted. “Because saying that I would use a parentage spell wouldn’t have been a good enough excuse to bring him down to our courts without the rest of your landwalkers tagging along.”

Alec snickered, glancing down at Harry to see his reaction. The little submissive seemed bemused by the falsehood, though he clearly didn’t object.

That was good to know, Alec decided. Harry seemed to enjoy the idea of jokes and pranks, from what he’d seen. As long as no one got seriously hurt, of course. It would be both good and bad for Alec, most likely, but at the very least it should help prevent things from getting too boring.

Alcandor snorted again. “I can’t cast it with you literally on top of him. Get out of my way.”

Alec huffed, but swam a couple of feet away so the spell could be cast. Alcandor wasn’t wrong, after all. It wouldn’t do to get the results mixed up and make it look like they were siblings or something like that.

Alcandor’s eyebrows raised as he considered the feedback, before he turned to look over at the members of Crimson Tide. No, not all of the members, Alec corrected himself. Krymsen, the title holder himself.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy,” the Merrow King commented, falsely idle. “I do wonder how you missed that.”

Krymsen seemed too shocked to speak, just staring at Harry with a look of shock and awe on his face.

Alec snorted. It would be better for the Ace to get his head and mouth to work together and quickly reassure Harry that he was wanted and that he would support him, but at the same time an honest reaction of shock, awe, and wonderment at being told he had a son was not too bad, either.

Especially when Harry was an Empath, and could feel exactly how the man felt about having him as a son. Those emotions, when felt by an Empath, probably said far more than words ever could.

Mesmyr, apparently, was not nearly as tongue-tied as his oldest brother. “Really Krym? Mera and Mother have been harassing you for decades to bond and give them grandchildren, and you somehow managed to miss the fact that you already have one son that they can spoil rotten, instead of harassing you for not providing them with the opportunity to do so?”

Krymsen glared at his younger brother, the familiar snark enough to snap him out of his shock. “Enough out of you, or I’ll have you fighting gauntlets with the rest of Crimson Tide, including me. Harry, I wish I had known of you earlier, but I am glad to have found you now. I know that you have a circle now, and likely want to stay with them, but please know that you will always have a place in our home and clan.”

Harry blushed, but smiled and nodded. “I’m glad to know who you are now too.”

Alec had to hide his smile. Harry really was absolutely adorable, and if things kept going how they had been so far he was going to have the entirety of Crimson Tide, not just his father and uncle, wrapped around his finger.

Perhaps even Alec’s brothers. That would be quite the sight.

Aloysius already seemed halfway there, actually.

His near-smile quickly vanished, replaced by a small frown when three more Merrow swam quickly into the throne room. It seemed that the rest of his brothers had heard what had happened, and Alvon and Aldion had decided that their presence was necessary. Advisor Kieran must have followed them in, as he was also present.

He huffed. While he did generally get along with Aldion fairly well, even after everything that had happened, and his most recent meeting with Alvon had been surprisingly not terrible, that didn’t mean that he wanted to see five of his six brothers here, right after being attacked.

It also didn’t mean that leaving their family estates with only one member of their family present to power the wards was a good idea. He really didn’t know what Alvon was thinking, coming here now and bringing Aldion with him.

“Alec. We heard you were attacked by landwalkers,” Alvon commented, giving Alcandor a respectful nod as he approached his youngest brother.

Alec rolled his eyes. “More so my submissive was attacked, but I went up there to get him and was technically there for a minute or two.”

Alvon nodded. “Where is your submissive?”

Alec blinked, glancing around. Harry had disappeared from where he had been standing after the spell while Alec had been distracted by his brothers’ arrival. He snorted when he found him being fussed over by Krymsen and Mesmyr, both seeming quite pleased to have him around. Krym seemed to have even gotten over his initial shock, as he was speaking normally from what Alec could tell.

“Over there, being fussed over by his Third and uncle,” he commented.

Alvon and Aldion blinked. “Your submissive is Mesmyr’s son?” Alvon asked.

Alec snorted. “Of course not. He's Krymsen's son.”

Mesmyr glanced over with a smirk. “Indeed. Krym somehow managed to completely miss the fact that he was the third to a child. It’s kind of impressive, actually, that he missed it for so long. How old are you again, Harry?”

Harry blinked. “Fourteen.”

Mesmyr smirked. “Fourteen years in the wizarding world, so roughly fifty-six to sixty years here, and my lovely brother never noticed.”

Krym gave him a dirty look, dragging him into a headlock. “How would I know? He was in the wizarding world. I haven’t been there since I had to investigate that one merpeople village, you know the one Alec. We were discussing it this morning.”

Alec blinked, but nodded. “The one with the potential rebellion,” he commented, falsely idle.

Alcandor’s eyes flashed, but he didn’t comment. Alec smirked, shifting over to Harry so he could tuck his submissive under his arm.

While he may not begrudge Krym and Mesmyr time with their son and nephew, he still wasn’t willing to give up any more time or contact with Harry than absolutely necessary.

Alec frowned, considering something. “Wait, Krym, how did you become his third?”

Krym frowned. “Who were your other parents?”

Harry blinked. “They were James and Lily Potter. James looked like me, but with different eyes, Lily had the same eyes as me but red hair.”

Krym blushed. “I think I did meet them, actually. I wandered into a little village to see if there was anything there, and they were part of a group staggering around drunk. They seemed to have been celebrating something. The man ran into me, and said something about how I looked good and if wizards had three parents I should be their kid’s parent. I just went with it because he was clearly drunk, and there was no hint whatsoever of dragel heritage in any of them. I didn’t think it would count as agreeing to be the third, or that they would be capable of carrying a child that would have a third.”

Alec blinked, staring at Krym in shock. He played along with a drunk man while on an investigation, and somehow became Alec’s submissive’s third in the process?

Ginny grimaced as she hid behind a bookcase. Dumbledore was approaching, she could no longer poke out of her hiding place to cast spells, and nothing that Hermione, Luna, or Professor Snape were doing was helping her in any real way.

She was somewhat surprised that Snape’s spells weren’t doing more against the headmaster, given his fearsome reputation. When he had arrived, she had expected that he would join the headmaster and help him kill her and her friends. When he had not, she had expected him to at least do more damage than they were, but so far the only damage that had been done was the ripped out section of beard her piercing curse had managed.

“Sectumsempra!” Snape suddenly cried, causing Ginny to gasp as she was splattered by a spray of red mist.

Blood, she realized a moment later. Dumbledore’s blood, spraying out from the left arm that was now lying not two feet away from her, severed at the shoulder.

Well, she supposed, at least that was some damage done to the headmaster, after all this time and all of these curses. The curse was also a good distraction, apparently, as the headmaster’s attention turned to the professor instead of Ginny.

He somehow seemed even more enraged than he had before, if that was even possible. She hadn’t thought that it was, but perhaps Dumbledore’s levels of rage were like her levels of terror. There was always another level, and it kept being found today.

She quickly slipped out from behind the bookcase and joined Hermione and Luna, frowning as she crouched down behind the wall with them. “We can’t just leave him after he saved us like this, can we?”

Hermione shook her head. “No, and who knows how much he knows about Dumbledore and his plans.”

Luna nodded. “We need to try to bring him, and Dobby. Dumbledore will kill them both for going against him like this.”

Ginny winced, imagining Harry’s reaction if Dobby was killed. He was so attached to the little elf, and Dobby was so loyal and brave that the idea was horrible to contemplate.

She quickly raised herself up slightly, eyeing Dumbledore. She wasn’t entirely sure this would work, given that all she knew was the incantation, but it was worth a try.

“Sectumsempra!” she cried, aiming for Dumbledore’s neck.

The headmaster dodged the curse, growling as he turned and threw another barrage of curses at Ginny, forcing her, Hermione, and Luna to move. Fortunately for them, though, that movement placed them within a few feet of Dobby and Snape, prompting Luna to pull a medallion out of her pocket and fiddle with it.

“Five seconds,” the girl commented.

Just after she finished speaking, however, the table the three were crouching behind was blasted back, sending all three flying through the air and landing in a heap together. Ginny blinked through the blinding light spots in her vision, paling when she saw a vortex of light surrounding Snape and Dobby before disappearing.

Disappearing without them.

Before she could react to their disappearance, however, a giant ball of fire surrounded her and her two best friends, and she lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

Prince Raspen hid a grimace as he reentered the council room. He understood why it was necessary to inform the courts right away, but he was still reluctant to part from the rest of his circle. Even more reluctant to make this announcement, when he knew perfectly well that he was going to leave the second that he received an indication that Harry was returning, and have to trust that the courts wouldn’t cause too much chaos while he was gone.

Still, this could not be pushed off or avoided if he wanted to make sure that the investigation and punishments went off without complications or delays.

He was pleased to note that everyone had returned already, despite there technically being another five minutes left in the thirty minute break he had given them. The sooner they started, the farther they could get before he had to leave.

“I am glad to see you are all back. We will begin now, some events have just occurred that will require me to leave at some point during this meeting, and I will not be able to return for some time,” he announced.

He hid another grimace at the whispers and glances traded around the room. He knew that it was very out of character for him, and just highly unusual for any royal, but he still wasn’t thrilled that they were already tending towards gossip.

“All of what I am going to tell you falls under a royal seal, until Friday at the earliest. After the Royal Introductions, specifically.” He watched in satisfaction as the seal activated. None of those here would be able to repeat any of what he told them in the presence of anyone not present.

Hiram Kalzik blinked. “My Prince, is this about what happened on Sunday?”

Raspen frowned slightly. “Somewhat. The first announcement is that, the second and more pressing one at the moment is a development within the last hour or so.”

Hiram frowned, looking highly concerned, but did not comment.

“Events of Sunday?” one of his nobles asked.

Raspen nodded. “Indeed. On Sunday, I was summoned by a soulscream.”

He had to pause for several minutes for the surprised exclamations to pass, forcing himself to resist the urge to roll his eyes at the over the top reactions. Lady Rampal, especially, seemed quite put out by this revelation.

He supposed that he couldn’t really blame them all for their shock. A royal hadn’t been summoned by a soulscream in centuries, if not millenia. A crown royal in even longer. Still, their fussing was not helpful right now, not when they were working with a time limit and he didn’t know how long they had before he would leave.

Hopefully, it would be soon.

“Did it summon a full circle? Have you fully bonded?” Lady Rampal asked once things had settled enough to hear individuals speak clearly, apparently still not ready to give up on getting one of her offspring into a circle with him yet.

Raspen nodded. “It did. Twenty, total. My submissive is underage, so we were able to complete all bonds that night, before returning to Nevarah.”

“Underage? How did an underage dragel give a soulscream? Who would let their child be in enough danger to cause one?” Thomas Gorgens demanded.

Raspen hid another grimace. “He is fourteen and wizard-raised, but he was muggle-raised until he started school at eleven. The same incident that caused the soulscream also triggered an early inheritance. He did not know that dragels existed or anything at all about them before that. There are several questions regarding his muggle relatives and how he ended up in their care, and the Cunninghams began a hunt for some of those issues already. They and our circle’s gheyos will handle the rest of the issues after the Introductions.”

Lady Rampal blinked. “How did the Cunninghams get approval to hunt without any of us knowing? Don’t their hunts usually require the courts approval, if only to mitigate the risks to the royals who authorize them and the excessive fines they like to rack up?”

Prince Raspen shook his head. “They responded right after the soulscream, on Earth, because our Ace was contracted to them. Under the circumstances, they were able to begin the hunt without approval. Even if they had asked, I honestly don’t think I could have raised a legitimate objection.”

Hiram nodded. “There is more than enough for them to hunt. They shouldn’t have gotten into too much trouble in such a short time, not if they started with the most obvious issues and returned quickly to avoid missing the Introductions.”

“Lord Kalzik? You have information that we do not?” Lady Rampal asked, seeming displeased. Raspen wasn’t surprised. Lady Rampal was an unrepentant gossip hound that was obsessed with knowing as much as possible and being involved in as much as possible, especially regarding the courts and royals. The idea of Hiram Kalzik knowing more than her would infuriate the woman.

Hiram nodded. “I do know at least a little about the circle. My youngest son, Quinten, is the circle’s Healer. Some of my bonded and I also treated those of the circle who required it when they returned from Earth, including Prince Raspen’s submissive.”

Lord Gorgens nodded. “That is quite excellent, congratulations to you both. He had a strong Earth element, didn’t he? Not to mention his talent with soul casts. That will be helpful, I am sure.”

Raspen nodded. “He does have both, and both are quite impressive. The circle is mixed, but there are enough powerful Earth elements to keep it grounded enough for me.”

Another of his nobles mixed. “Mixed? Isn’t that a risk, for a royal?”

Raspen shook his head. “Not necessarily. It’s generally not preferred, because it is easier to have all the same element, but it is not a requirement. There do need to be strong enough Earth elementals to ground me and buffer some of the raw Earth power, but as long as that is present there won’t be problems.”

Lord Gorgens, nodded slowly. “And there are enough powerful Earth elementals to suffice for you?”

Raspen nodded, a slight smile on his face as he thought of his Earth bonded. Theo, Quinn, and Ethan probably wouldn’t have been on any of the lists he was constantly being presented to choose from, despite their nearly impeccable powers and connections, but he couldn’t even imagine bonding to anyone else. Not after seeing exactly what he could have with a soulbonded circle. “There are. Three of my bonded are Earth elementals, all with powerful and extremely deep magic. One’s even powerful enough that he is caspered already, despite being sixteen. My submissive also appears to have a strong Earth affinity, from what we can tell. He definitely has strong Earth heritage, but it will be his and his family’s choice to reveal it or not when he is comfortable doing so.”

The same noble as before spoke again, seeming much less concerned after the reassurances. “Mixed, though? With what?”

Raspen had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when Hiram shifted slightly in his seat, ensuring he’d have a good view of the chaos this little tidbit was sure to cause. Sometimes, it was entirely too obvious how the Kalzik Alpha was suited for a circle including a part-Merrow like Patrick. “All elements. Earth, Air, Fire, Merrow and non-Merrow Water type, Shadow, Storm, and Nameless.”

Lord Gorgens blinked, interrupting before another uproar could begin. “That’s odd. I’m sorry, but who are your Alpha and less dominant Beta?”

Raspen smiled slightly. He’d wondered how much Thomas knew, given that he was Ilsa’s father, and how long it would take him to put together whatever information it was that he was missing. “Exactly who you think they are, I expect. Theodore Gorgens-Nott is the Alpha, and Ariki Deveraine is one of our two Betas.”

Thomas nodded. “I suspected as much. Ilsa mentioned that her son and mentored student had bonded into a circle, but not your presence in the circle.”

Raspen nodded. “We have asked that those who know keep it quiet, for now. Harry is so young, I don’t want him exposed to politics before he is a little more adjusted to Nevarah.”

Lady Rampal frowned. “How long is that? Once he’s announced, he won’t be able to leave wherever you are staying without risking politics coming up in conversation. It just isn’t feasible for him to learn Nevarah while staying out of politics, and if he is going to be the bonded submissive of a crown royal he will have to learn to handle court matters.”

Raspen nodded, keeping his annoyance with the woman off his face. While that statement may seem neutral, or even somewhat kind, he knew perfectly well that she just wanted Harry to be in public so that she could attempt to get some kind of relationship or connection with him, one that she could use to increase her family’s power.

She wasn’t the only one who would have those intentions, of course, but she was one of the most blatant and unrepentant social climbers in the Earth courts.

“He will learn, but until Introductions there is no need for him to be announced and be recognizable. Four days isn’t much time to adjust, but it is better than nothing,” he finally announced, opting for a fairly neutral response.

Thomas nodded. “Indeed. At least this way he will be able to see how Nevarah works and how people behave when they are not on their best behavior for the royals.”

Prince Raspen nodded, failing to completely hide his grimace. He somehow doubted that Harry would have been so blatantly attacked if it had been publicly known that he was the bonded submissive of a crown prince.

Hiram frowned, raising an eyebrow. “What exactly is the second announcement and incident? Did someone say or do something inappropriate towards him?”

Harry smiled as he was tucked firmly back under Alec’s arm, peeking out and examining those around him. It was kind of funny to see his third dragging his uncle into a headlock. While the action was somewhat aggressive, in a way, it didn’t feel threatening at all.

He could easily feel the love and connection between the two still, and Krym wasn’t actually feeling any real negative emotions towards his younger brother. It was similar to some of the interactions he’d seen between Charlie and the twins, actually, just expressed in a slightly more physical way.

Physical, but not harmful or angry. An important distinction, Harry knew.

Alcandor suddenly snorted when a scroll appeared in front of him. “I wondered how long it would be until they wrote.”

“They?” Alvon asked, examining the King closely.

“Princess Dawne, on behalf of herself, Prince Peryton, and Prince Raspen. They are requesting that I bring Harry and Alec back on land so that the rest of the circle can assure themselves of his safety and the investigations can be formalized in the landwalker courts.”

“On land? That’s where the attack happened in the first place,” Krym remarked, scowling.

Harry blinked. The gheyo’s emotions had taken a complete U-turn, from generally relaxed and playfully annoyed, to tense and protective.

Protective over him, at that. Despite only meeting him perhaps fifteen minutes ago, his new-found Third was already protective of him.

He couldn’t help the tinge of pleasure he felt at that idea. No other adults had felt that way about him, not really. His bonded had, but that was different. They didn’t count as most people, not when their relationship made them so much more. Even Sirius seemed to accept him being in danger, at times, though less than the rest of the wizarding world.

“Are you able to tell how they’re reacting? Without being fully bonded outside of Harry?” Killigan asked Alec, seeming curious.

“Vaguely. Worried, but not panicked. They know we’re safe here, even if they don’t seem thrilled that we haven’t returned,” Alec commented, feeling out the distant bonds.

Harry smiled. It was promising that Alec could sense all of the others, to an extent, despite not being bonded to them himself. It was indicative of the strength and depth of Harry’s own bonds to both Alec and the rest of the circle, based on what he had learned so far. Alec’s ability to sense the others so easily indicated that Harry’s bonds to his circle were quite strong and deep.

It made him unreasonably happy.

“Hmm. You should still bring him back sooner rather than later, you know. But only once they provide somewhere secure,” Killigan demanded.

Alcandor smiled at his bonded. “They have suggested the royal quarters. It is the most secure location there is, on land.”

Killigan nodded, seeming pleased. “Good. That security will be needed, even if you are taking five members of Crimson Tide with you.”

Harry blinked, confused. He still didn’t understand what Crimson Tide was, exactly. He’d thought it was an individual, the Merrow equivalent of Hadrian, but apparently there was more to it than just that. “Five? And what is Crimson Tide, exactly? I thought it was the Merrow blood title?”

Alec smiled at his little submissive. “It is, to an extent. Crimson Tide, the individual, is your Third, Krym, as the blood title holder. However, Crimson Tide is also a legion of the strongest Merrow gheyos alive. It includes dozens of extremely powerful gheyos, including your uncle Mesmyr and three of my brothers.”

Killigan nodded, smiling at that explanation. “Indeed. And those are who will be accompanying you on land. Your Third, your uncle, and your brothers-in-law.”

Harry blinked. That seemed like overkill to him, but at the same time it didn't seem unreasonable for his third or uncle to come. Nor did it seem unreasonable for Alec’s brothers to come, not when Alec had been the one that was actually injured in the attack.

Lord Alvon nodded, seeming placated. "That is an excellent idea, Your Majesty."

Alcandor snorted. "All of my lovely Queen’s ideas are excellent, except for some of their pranks."

Mesmyr snorted. "The pranks are genius, though, even if they can be highly inconvenient."

Alcandor glared at the gheyo. "There is no need or valid reason to die the guards sworn to protect them pink and orange. Especially when one of those guards is supposed to look like Krym."

Harry blinked in confusion. "Supposed to look like Krym?"

Alec snickered. "Sometimes, a body double fills in for the actual title holder. Just for formal things, or when multiple royals need to go somewhere where they technically should have Krym as an escort at the same time. Mesmyr does it, sometimes, and there's a handful of others whose features are close enough that no one will notice."

Harry snorted softly. That subterfuge sounded about right for what he'd heard of Merrow so far. It was actually kind of brilliant, he had to admit. It kept everyone protected and kept up appearances without needing a time-turner or something to allow his Third to be in multiple places at once.

Killigan nodded. "It's not really possible for him to be in multiple places at once, so we need to just make it look like he is. There are ways, technically, but none are safe and they tend to risk destroying the space-time continuum."

Harry blinked. "So using a time-turner wouldn't be good?"

Alcandor blinked in surprise. "No, those tend to cause trouble. Realm destroying trouble, actually. Where did you hear of them?"

Harry blushed slightly. Why had Hogwarts given Hermione a time-turner if they were so dangerous? "My best friend, Hermione, was given one at Hogwarts last year so she could take extra classes. We also used it to rescue my godfather and a hippogriff, which is how I found out she had it."

All the Merrow present looked some version of shocked, angry, and scandalized, but Alvon was the first to manage words. "They gave a child a dangerous artifact so she could take more classes?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

Alcandor shook his head. "Alec, make sure your circle is aware and informs whoever officially hunts that school."

Alec nodded. "Gladly."

Harry frowned. "Hermione won't get in trouble, will she? She didn't know it was dangerous, just that she couldn't see her future self or something bad would happen to her."

Alcandor shook his head. "No, a child won't be blamed. Whoever was involved in giving it to her is responsible. Now, we have waited long enough, I don't want to deal with dramatics from Dawne or Raspen if I delay any longer."

Harry smiled slightly, pleased to be returning. Much as he enjoyed the Merrow courts, he really did want his Alpha and Beta, and the rest of his circle, right now.

Even if they were going to completely smother him.

Alcandor continued when no one objected. "Those coming gather around - no, not you Killigan, it would be completely inappropriate. Alvon - oh fine, why not. Hold your breath, Harry."

Raspen grimaced as everyone settled down fully and stopped pepperring him with question after question, most just different versions of the exact same thing. Fortunately, they seemed to finally accept his bonding and their lack of a say in it. Most had not been pleased, per se, but they all eventually fell in line.

He'd known they would, of course. It wasn’t like they had much of a choice. The realm had chosen him as the next Crown Royal, and magic had determined that he and Harry were perfectly suited. Still, the process was a time consuming hassle.

Now, it was time for the main issue. They would be furious.

No sense delaying it, he decided. "Now, the more urgent issue is an incident that happened around an hour and a half ago. Someone who has not yet been identified beyond just ten now-dead gheyos attacked my submissive and one of our Jokers while they were relaxing in the market earlier."

Gasps and exclamations of shock went around.

Hiram Kalzik frowned, palling slightly. Raspen couldn’t say he was surprised by the reaction. Of everyone present, Hiram was the only one who really understood exactly who was in his circle, and just how young and inexperienced Harry and Blaise were. "Which Joker?"

Thomas Gorgens looked at him like he was insane. "Which Joker? Does that matter?"

Raspen nodded. "It does, actually. One of our two Jokers is a wizard-raised fifteen-year-old. He's quite talented for his age, but still very young."

Even Lady Rampal was stunned into silence at that, allowing Raspen to continue without interruption. "It was Brishen, fortunately, who is not fifteen or inexperienced by any means."

It probably wasn’t the kindest thing he could do, using their shock to continue plowing through his news, but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel remorse, not when it was helping keep them all quiet and cooperative.

Hiram nodded, still not pleased but seeming to tick off one issue mentally. "Is Harry injured at all?"

Raspen smiled, shaking his head. It was no surprise that the kind healer was the first to ask about his submissive’s health. The Healer’s son-in-law’s health, really, seeing as Hiram was Quinn’s father. "No, he was completely uninjured, just startled. Our Merrow was grazed by a knife, but has been treated and is fine."

Thomas blinked. "Merrow? On land, before the Introductions?"

Raspen nodded, easily understanding the confusion. The Merrow were quite strict about not surfacing before the King also surfaced and gave permission. "Harry summoned him during the attack, and he came to help kill a few then took Harry back to the Merrow courts with him to be protected."

“The Merrow courts?” asked Lady Rampal, looking almost scandalized. “He ported them there, of all places?”

Raspen nodded. “He did. It is a secure location, where the gheyos that attacked could not reach them. I have not been informed about identities or elements, but none were Merrow.”

Thomas snorted softly. “I see. Why have none been identified?”

Raspen hid a smirk. While he was a tad more smug than he should be at the strength of his bonded, it really wouldn’t be appropriate to show such an aggressive sentiment in front of the courts. At least, not the Earth courts. If the Merrow followed through on keeping the investigations and punishments in their courts, at least primarily, he’d be able to show as much aggression as he wanted, with no consequences. It would even be approved of, a sign that he was a worthy and appropriate leader and bonded.

Still, for now he had to play nicely with the Earth courts, not the Merrow, so no hint of smugness or satisfaction could be shown. “The bodies were all destroyed in ways that make identification difficult. Brishen, Alec, and Harry all used very different techniques, but each was quite effective.”

Hiram looked surprised at that explanation. “Harry fought? With lethal force?”

Raspen nodded, easily guessing the Healer’s source of confusion. Harry seemed so kind, so gentle and innocent. The idea of him killing someone, or even just fighting in general, seemed completely out of character. Still, his little submissive was much stronger than most would assume, if what he’d seen and heard was right. He’d be a force of nature once he had another decade or two of experience. “He did. He killed one with a blood-boiling curse.”

Hiram blinked in surprise. “I shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. Nameless with Fire and Merrow heritage and bonded. Still, that’s not a curse you hear about much, at least in terms of it actually being used.”

Thomas snorted. “That’s an understatement, Lord Kalzik. I can’t say that I have ever seen it in person.”

Most of the court murmured in agreement, their respect for Harry visibly rising. They still wouldn’t fully accept him or trust him as their next Queen and the Mera of their next generation’s Crown Royal until they could meet him and get his measure themselves, but they seemed far more comfortable with the idea of him being Raspen’s submissive than before.

It was funny how a little bit of well-justified and effectively executed violence could raise a dragel’s opinion of someone.

Briar breezed into his circle’s home, Rian right on his heels. He still hadn’t truly processed everything that he’d learned in the last hour, and didn’t think he would until he saw this new grandson of his for himself.

Grandson.

His grandson.

With Jun, who had never answered, returned, or informed him or anyone in their circle that this grandson existed. Or his mother, aunt, and cousin, for that matter.

That was an issue for later, though. His grandson had been attacked, and someone would pay for that. It didn’t matter who was behind this, they would regret it, briefly, before they died, then even more afterwards, when Lord Aiden would allow him to feast on their souls.

Still, before that could happen he needed to inform the rest of his circle. It would be quite a lot to process, he knew, but it couldn’t be delayed or sugarcoated. They needed to regroup, prepare, and return to the royal courts as soon as Raspen summoned them. Rian had already sent the official notification to Lord Evanson, but Briar doubted the man would show. He hadn’t been seen in decades.

He smiled slightly as Ivy approached cautiously. “Briar? What’s wrong? Your bonds have been all over the place.”

Briar smiled softly at her. “I received some surprising news. Mixed news, really. Some good, some bad, some both. Get everyone together in the large sitting room, we need to cover it all quickly and get moving.”

Ivy blinked in surprise, but didn’t question him, instead moving quickly to wrangle all of their bonded and children into the room so they could be informed.

Gardenia, his ACE, frowned once they were all gathered, waiting for Briar to explain. “What happened, lovelings? We all felt it, but none of us could tell what was going on.”

Briar sighed. “Prince Raspen requested my presence at the Earth courts because he had news that involved us. Apparently, Jun gave birth to two daughters while on her mission. She named them Lily and Petunia, as planned, but no one knew. Not us, not the royals, not anyone that we can find. Both somehow ended up living in the muggle world on Earth, Lily went to school as a wizard but Petunia didn’t even do that. Neither showed any sign of being dragels.”

“Two daughters? Adult daughters that we didn’t even know existed?” Heather, one of his Pareya asked, sounding horrified.

Briar nodded. “Yes. It gets worse, though.”

Heather frowned. “Worse than two children that we didn’t even know existed? That don’t seem to have learned to manage their inheritances properly, if there’s no indication of them being dragel?”

Briar nodded. “Each of them married - just one husband each, not a circle - and had a son. Lily’s is named Harry, Petunia’s is named Dudley.”

“Grandsons?” Flora breathed, sounding almost reverent. Briar couldn’t blame her. While they were not at all prepared to let any of their children go, and see them bond and move out to be with their own circles, they all were eager for the opportunity to be grandparents.

“Yes, grandsons. That’s not the bad part, of course. We will obviously accept and treasure our grandsons, starting with the one that has come to Nevarah already. The bad news is that Lily is dead. She died over thirteen years ago, by wizarding time.”

“Dead? For so long? And we never knew?” Chris asked, sounding horrified.

Heater and Flora keened quietly, both clearly very upset by the news. Briar couldn’t blame them, but it was not something they could focus on right now. There was too much to do.

They would have to grieve later, for Lily’s death and for the lost opportunity to raise their daughters and grandsons.

Briar nodded. “Yes, unfortunately. Her son, Harry, recently had an early inheritance and gave a soulscream, which is how this became known. I don’t know the names of all of the circle members, but Prince Raspen and the Blood Raven are among them.”

"Prince Raspen? The Earth Crown Prince?" Gardenia asked, shocked.

Briar nodded. "Yes, the Earth Crown Prince and Acting Crown Royal. He was the one who informed us about all of this.”

Gardenia nodded slowly. “Alright. Did you meet Harry then? I presume so, given that you just met at least one of his bonded.”

Rian shook his head. “We did not. Harry is apparently at the Merrow courts right now.”

Chris choked in surprise. “The Merrow courts? They’re not exactly accepting of non-Merrow being there, are they? How did he end up there, of all places?”

Rian snorted. “Apparently his third is a Merrow, and he is bonded to one as well. That bonded brought him down there. He’s a court member, according to Prince Raspen.”

Briar shook his head. “Stop delaying, Rian. We don’t know how long we have. The reason that Prince Raspen summoned us today was because Harry and one of his Jokers were attacked in the market. His Merrow came and brought him down to the courts during the fight, they haven’t surfaced since.”

Gardenia hissed dangerously. “Who attacked him?”

Briar sighed. “They don’t know yet. All ten attackers are dead, and identification is not going to be easy because of the way they died. And there are several courts involved, so everyone who wants to push for blood has to come tonight and say so.”

“We will be pushing for blood,” Gardenia stated, not truly a question or a demand, simply a statement of fact

“Naturally,” Briar responded casually. “Lord Aiden has already approved of my rights in Death’s courts, but we still have to officially make our claim in the royal courts.”

Heather nodded. “What are we waiting for?”

Rian smiled softly, pleased by how well his circle appeared to be handling all of this. For now, at least. They’d all grieve and wonder how things had gone so wrong later, but for now they would hold things together and focus on what they needed to do for their grandson. That was the most important thing, right now. “Prince Raspen will contact us once Harry returns to land, and we will go to the courts then. They expect the Merrow to return him directly to the royal courts, so that is likely the fastest way to get to him.”

“Did they say what element he has?” Heather asked.

“Nameless, with an Empathy talent,” Briar explained.

“Just like Jun,” Chris sighed, his sadness at her absence written clearly on his face.

Briar shook his head sadly. “Just like Jun indeed. Prince Raspen apparently summoned her back earlier this week, and was planning to tell us all once she returned, but she hasn’t answered.”

Gardenia sighed, shaking her head sadly. “She never answers.”

Alec eyed Alcandor suspiciously, but still moved into range for the portal, tucking Harry more firmly into his side. The Merrow King’s eyes had a glint to them, one that Alec knew not to trust.

Alcandor always had that look when he was scheming up some kind of scandal, usually when he was calculating what exactly would shock the largest or most powerful individual or group possible.

Given the circumstances, Alec wasn't sure if that was good or bad for him. Either way, he wanted Harry as close to him as possible.

"Hold your breath, Harry," Alcandor finished giving his orders, quickly casting a portal.

Alec rolled his eyes when his vision cleared. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that Alcandor would port them straight to Prince Raspen, but he still hadn't expected to appear right in the middle of a meeting between Prince Raspen and the Earth high court.

Raspen blinked, staring at them all for a moment in surprise, then smiled, waving off the guards who had flooded the room when they'd arrived. "Alcandor, Harry, Alec. You are all well, I hope?"

The prince quickly moved over to them, pulling Harry into a tight but polite hug. He quickly examined Alec, then turned his attention to Alcandor once he was satisfied that there was no obvious damage to the younger Merrow.

Alec blinked. He hadn't expected to be included in the fussing, however minimal the glance over had been. Raspen was nothing if not controlled, especially in front of the courts. Even just that hug and examining Alec before he handled official matters, like properly greeting the literal King that had just appeared, was a scandalous departure from protocol.

Alcandor smiled, shark-like. "Indeed. Alec has been healed, and his brothers and I will be demanding justice for his injury. Harry’s Third and I will also be demanding blood rights on his behalf."

One of Raspen’s nobles frowned, seeming confused. "You're related to Harry and Alec? Your Majesty? Prince Raspen, are Harry and Alec part of your circle?"

Prince Raspen smiled politely, not yet releasing Harry. "This is Harry, my submissive, and Alec, our Merrow. Any other information is their own to share or not, however they feel most comfortable."

Alcandor snorted. "I'm related enough to Alec, and both fall under Merrow jurisdiction. Both Alec and Harry’s Third are members of my court."

Alec quickly turned his attention back to the surprise, confusion, and resignation on the faces of the majority of the Earth nobles present. Only two seemed fairly calm, one of which he recognized as a relative of Quinn’s. Somehow, having their father-in-law remain calm and accept things without question didn't really seem to count. Another one, Gorgens, he thought the name was, seemed surprised but not displeased or scandalized. It was a pleasant surprise, though maybe it shouldn't be. Theo went by Gorgens-Nott, for his mentor. Alec didn't know what relationship, if any, Theo and this nobleman had, but there was probably something.

He turned his attention back to the rest. They were more important, right now. A lack of a positive reaction didn't necessarily mean they would be a problem, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. He didn't know how much Raspen had told them, and he honestly would prefer if it weren't much at all, but the idea that Raspen was bonded to a member of the Merrow courts and the son of another member of the Merrow courts seemed almost inconceivable to them.

He'd keep an eye on them, even if he didn't really expect problems. Not from the Earth courts. For now, he'd just watch them be shocked by who was in the circle and how normally Raspen acted around them.

It made for some entertaining expressions. Ones that got even better when Alec pulled Raspen in for a hug himself once the prince had released Harry.

One woman looked ready to spontaneously combust from frustration, though Alec wasn't entirely sure what that was about. He'd have to figure it out later, once he had time to quiz Raspen for more information on his court members and their normal behaviors.

His royal bonded clearly knew exactly what Alec was doing, but Alec couldn't even make himself pretend to feel bad about scandalizing the courts by rubbing in the mixed nature of their circle. The noble fusspots would just have to learn to deal with it.

It wasn't good for them to get what they wanted too often anyways. They got ideas above their stations, and started thinking they didn't have to follow the same rules as everyone else.

Queen Arista's insistence on giving the Vaughns and their allies free reign proved that.

Fortunately, none of the other royals had let any one family or faction gain so much power. And there was growing pressure both within the Air courts and throughout the rest of the courts for the Vaughns to be reigned in. While Queen Arista did retain control over any decisions relating to the Air courts, with a few limited exceptions, perhaps Dawne, Alcandor, and Peryton could talk her around. Even if they didn't, the Vaughns and Guantrells had been growing even bolder over the past years. If they had been involved in this attack in any way, they'd be facing the full courts. Arista's influence and concern over their task would do little to protect them there.

Alec hid a smirk. If they were involved, Alcandor wouldn't let them get away with it this time. He was nothing if not vindictive.

Raspen quickly controlled his facial expression, then shifted away from Alec so he could focus on his council again. Nice as that hug was, and the implied acceptance of their status as circle members, he did have official matters to handle. And the sooner they were taken care of, the sooner they could get their circle back together and move on to the next item on their to-do list.

He smiled politely at his court members. "This meeting is concluded, for now. We'll meet again tomorrow to discuss the changes to the Introductions. I'll send a notice once the time is set."

The nobles all looked somewhat disgruntled at being sent away, but none dared to break protocol by objecting in front of King Alcandor and other unknown Merrow. Perhaps Raspen would have to see about having Perry or Alec around sometimes, if he expected his court to be too rowdy. They would certainly not be pleased, but they would live with it.

They all fortunately filtered out fairly quickly, but Raspen didn't even wait for them to go before turning back to his bonded and the Merrow. "We'll move to my office, I think. The rest of the circle is waiting there."

Harry smiled, clearly liking that idea, and pulled Alec closer to Raspen so he could tuck himself in between them. Raspen couldn't help his fond smile as he gently squeezed his submissive’s hand.

Alcandor nodded. “That would be good. Krymsen here needs to meet your circle, as Harry’s Third.”

Raspen blinked. It seemed that the wizard-raised members of their circle had not been joking when they’d said that Harry’s luck was absolutely insane. Still, there were far worse options for a Third than the actual Crimson Tide title holder. “I see. That is good to hear, though I’ll leave discussion for when we arrive. I’m sure the others will have questions for you, and you’ll have questions for everyone.”

Krym nodded. “Yes, I will.”

Raspen hid a smile as he led them all to his personal office. It wouldn’t be good to smile at what was clearly meant to be a threat, but at the same time it was hard not to. Harry deserved to have an involved and protective parent.

It didn’t take long to arrive, fortunately, and Raspen smiled as they entered. The entire circle was gathered around the room, even Riven managing to relax on a couch with Charlie and Ariki.

“Harry, Raspen, Alec” Theo commented, crossing the room quickly and pulling Harry in for a strong hug.

Quinn followed silently, hitting Alec with a barrage of diagnostic spells before nodding in satisfaction. ‘Healed perfectly. Almost no evidence it even happened.’

Theo nodded, seeming pleased. “That is good to hear. I assume you want Harry next?”

Quinn nodded, prompting Theo to reluctantly pull back and turn his attention to the others who had arrived. “Your Majesty, my apologies. I was distracted by the chaos of the day.”

Alcandor waved him off. “It is fine, this time. You were appropriately concerned for your bonded. Speaking of which, this is your father-in-law, Krymsen. He is the current Crimson Tide blood title holder.”

Raspen rolled his eyes. There Alcandor went again, deliberately stirring the pot as much as possible to see what reactions he could get. Still, he supposed it did need to be said.

Theo blinked in surprise, but nodded easily. “It is good to meet you, Krymsen. Am I safe to assume that your presence means that you intend to be involved in Harry’s life going forward?”

Krym nodded. “I do. I was unaware of his existence, but now that I know I will be an involved parent.”

Theo smiled. “That is good to hear. We have identified relatives of his sire and bearer who do desire a relationship, but it will be good for him to have one of his parents instead of just relatives.”

Raspen smiled, and saw Alcandor hiding his own pleased expression. He knew perfectly well that Theo’s reaction was almost exactly what Krym and Alcandor would have wanted.

Harry frowned. “Both sides? I thought we’d only found the Peverells, and Jun Evanson hadn’t returned yet?”

Raspen nodded. “That was right, but we couldn’t not give your bearer’s family the chance to request blood rights under the circumstances. We reached out to them, which was not entirely appropriate normally as Jun was both the Alpha and the primary Earth link, and informed Briar and Rian - the submissive and Beta. Briar was your mother’s sire, I believe.”

Harry frowned, leaning into Charlie as the Beta took his turn checking him over. “Do they want to be involved with me?”

Raspen nodded. “They do. Briar demanded to be informed as soon as you surfaced, and requested and was granted rights to the souls of those involved in Death’s court. He has also demanded a blood right in our courts, but nothing has been finalized yet. The Peverells have demanded that blood price, too. Perry, we should probably send those now.”

Perry nodded, and both princes moved to the desk to send their notifications. Raspen was pleased to see Harry happily introducing his third and uncle to the rest of the circle as they each took turns fussing and cuddling him. Neither Merrow seemed thrilled about the Weasleys, but they didn’t comment, instead just ignoring the elemental issues. Alec did not opt to introduce the brother Alcandor mentioned being present, whichever one it was, but that wasn’t altogether surprising. Merrow were always secretive.

It would come out eventually, he was sure. Incidents like this had a tendency to reveal truths that those involved would have much preferred remain buried forever.

Chapter Text

Hadrian smiled when Harry approached him, ducking in close for a tight hug. No matter how good his control was, being separated from his submissive for so long after an attack had been extremely difficult for him. He’d known intellectually that Harry was unharmed and well-protected, but without seeing him for himself and verifying that fact personally and thoroughly, his instincts had refused to be settled.

The knowledge that he couldn’t realistically just use his shadows to travel directly to his submissive’s side if needed had not helped, either. It was contradictory to every instinct that he had as an Ace, and a soulbonded one at that.

“How are you feeling?” he asked quietly.

Harry smiled, purring happily when Hadrian ran a hand through his hair. “Pretty good, all things considered. I wasn’t hurt and King Alcandor healed Alec right after we got there, so I guess everything’s fine now.”

Hadrian shook his head. No one currently being injured did not magically make it as if everything was fine by any means. The attack had still happened, when it should never have even been considered. That was utterly unacceptable.

“Not fine,” he said after a moment. “It still happened, when it should not have, and we do not yet have confirmation that all of those who were involved in any way are dead. But you and the rest of our circle are unharmed, which is one of the most important things right now.”

Harry blushed, hiding his face in Hadrian’s chest. “One of them?”

Hadrian nodded. “One of. Arguably the most important, but not the only priority. Now that the incident itself is over and everyone is safe, we need to make sure that it can never happen again. That’s part of why we’re all at the courts now, and why your family has been summoned to take part in this.”

Harry blinked. “Oh. I guess that makes sense.”

Hadrian frowned. “Why is that surprising? You mentioned some attacks at your school, surely something was done after those? Meetings, policy changes, assurances that it wouldn’t happen again?”

Harry shrugged. “Not really. Quirrell died and Lockhart wiped his own memories, but nothing was done about the dementors, and I don’t think anyone even checked to make sure the Chamber was actually empty after the whole mess with the basilisk.”

Hadrian took a deep breath, forcing himself not to react. He’d only heard vague mentions of the incidents at that school, and he’d known that he was missing information, but this made it even worse. Two people, he didn’t know enough to know who they were or exactly what they had done, had attacked his submissive at the school, and nothing was done.

Death and a full memory wipe were somewhat valid excuses to not do anything to punish the individuals themselves, but there was no excuse for failing to adjust policies and improve security so that it wouldn’t happen again. Not when the victim was a child.

Either hiring practices needed to be completely overhauled, as Hadrian strongly suspected was the case from what the others had said, or the school’s security measures were in desperate need of major improvement.

Or both.

Realistically, both were almost guaranteed to be required, if only because the lack of security and action showed incompetence on the part of the staff, and the fact that so much harm was allowed at the school showed that its security and safety policies were woefully inadequate.

“Even without the individuals responsible, there are still actions that could and should be taken in almost every case. They could review their security policies, and make sure that no one that is not supposed to be in the school can enter. They can also make sure that no one brings any harmful materials into the school. Especially things like that cerberus your twins mentioned. That is not acceptable.”

Harry frowned. “I don’t know if Hogwarts has security policies. If they do, they don’t tell the students. There’s a list of forbidden items, mostly joke stuff, but the prefects just take them if they see them. Nothing stops you from bringing them and hiding them in your dorm, and luggage isn’t searched. My godfather broke in several times without any problems, there was an animagus hiding as a pet, Fred and George never had problems getting their pranks in, and that one teacher was possessed.”

Hadrian frowned. “That is not appropriate for a school. They should have a clear policy, and enforce it.”

Harry shrugged. “Most of the problems came from teachers, so keeping people out wouldn’t have stopped all that much.”

Hadrian’s frown deepened. “Then they needed to review their hiring practices. Background checks, minimum standards, qualifications, and child care certifications would be the absolute minimum.”

Harry frowned. “I don’t know if the wizarding world has any of those. They might, but I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

Hadrian rolled his eyes. Honestly, the more he learned about the wizarding world, the less he liked it.

At this point, if his non-gheyo bonded never returned to Earth, that would still be far too soon. He’d extend that sentiment to Blaise, as well. Gheyo or not, the wizard-raised Joker was only fifteen. Far too young to be dealing with a situation as dangerous as this, no matter how capable he might be.

“I guess it’s a good thing that you’re here now, instead of there,” Hadrian said after a moment. “If you return to school, there will be much better security and hiring practices, and it will not be a boarding school. You will return home to us each day, and only have to be there for classes.”

Harry smiled slightly. “That sounds nice. I don’t think I could handle being away from everyone like I would be at Hogwarts.”

Hadrian nodded. “Most dragel children couldn’t, or would be quite unhappy while there if forced to go. Particularly right after bonding, or while so young. We are social creatures, and we depend heavily on our family and circle connections.”

Harry nodded. “You said if.”

Hadrian frowned. “What do you mean?”

Harry shifted, hiding his face so Hadrian couldn’t read his emotions clearly. “You said if I return to school. Why wouldn’t I? Am I that far behind where I should be, by dragel standards?”

Hadrian blinked. “Not necessarily. You’ll likely be ahead on some things and behind on others. No, the reason you might not want to return to a normal school is because of our bonding and who all is in our circle. You may receive more attention than you are comfortable with, and teachers or other students or their families might try to befriend or manipulate you for social or political gain.”

Harry sighed. “Why am I always different?”

Hadrian froze for a moment, wishing that he could be surprised that Harry was so insecure about anything about himself that was not perfectly average. That was a line of thinking that he was intimately familiar with, though he had come to accept it in himself over the last decades. It was a reaction to far too much happening, to being constantly singled out and separated from the rest of the group, and it was hard to get over. It took time and effort, along with dedicated and consistent outside help. “You are different because you are extremely special. And even then, you are only different in positive ways.”

Harry shrugged, refusing to answer.

Hadrian sighed, tightening his grip. “Even aside from that, being homeschooled is not unusual in Nevarah. Honestly, around half of dragels are taught by family or their mentor, just because elemental talents or specific gifts require specific instruction, and scheduling can be an issue with school. Plus, large circles mean that many families have Pareya that enjoy caring for and teaching their children.”

Harry relaxed slightly. “So homeschooling wouldn’t really single me out?”

Hadrian gently gripped his chin, forcing the little submissive to look at him. “It would not. It is honestly the norm for many of those with specific talents like Empathy or Bran’s Hindsight, and fairly typical even for those with no reason besides preference.”

Harry nodded, leaning into Hadrian again for another cuddle. Hadrian smiled slightly, resting his head carefully on top of Harry’s.

It was good to have a moment to relax. Arielle knew it would be chaos once they reached the courts.

Theo barely kept a scowl from taking over his face as he and Charlie listened to Ethan talk through the many different ways in which this court meeting and investigation could go. It wasn’t Ethan’s fault that the exact sequence of events would be unpredictable. An incident like this hadn’t happened before, and there were over a dozen competing interests and protocols to consider.

The only way to see how this would go would be to go through the process, which did not play well with Theo’s instinctual need for control. Still, the information was valuable. Knowing their options would let them at least have an idea of what may happen, and should let them choose which routes they should push for. It wasn’t as good as a definitive answer, but it was the best they could have right now, and extremely necessary for Theo and Charlie.

The three of them had claimed a corner of the room to discuss how court meetings would typically go in a situation like this. Theo had a theoretical knowledge of protocols in general, as did Charlie after their etiquette practice, but neither of them really knew enough of the courts to know what to expect in this situation.

Honestly, Ethan wasn’t even entirely sure, as an attack on an acting Crown Royal’s submissive was unprecedented. There had been attacks on royals and their bonded before, of course, but none in the last several centuries, and none that Ethan knew of on a Royal’s submissive.

“Typically, the circle has the primary, but at the same time, the circle is usually the current Royals. I’m not entirely sure how Raspen being Crown Prince instead of King will change that, and how Perry being a prince as well will play in. Alec and Krymsen’s involvement may also change things,” Ethan explained.

Theo sighed. “Don’t worry too much, Ethan. Raspen will make sure it goes well, I’m sure, and no one else will know the protocol either. It will probably be whatever we make it.”

“Whatever all of us make it, you mean. King Alcandor certainly has a good idea of how it should go,” a new voice cut in.

Theo frowned, turning around and finding two of the Merrow gheyos standing in front of them. The one who had spoken hadn’t been introduced, but his companion had.

Harry’s Third, Krymsen. The Crimson Tide title holder, and Theo’s new father-in-law.

This ought to be interesting, he mused.

“I’m sure he does,” Theo commented. “As long as they lead to the harshest punishments possible for the attackers and anyone who ordered, aided, or abetted them, I’m sure our circle will agree with him.”

Both Merrow looked pleased with that answer. “They will. The Merrow have already claimed the investigation. If punishments were to be completed in our court, it would be only appropriate,” the Merrow who had spoken first commented.

Theo nodded. “I am sure. Though, the Earth and Air courts may resist that due to Prince Raspen and Prince Peryton’s presence.”

Krymsen snorted. “Alec is King Alcandor’s cousin, and was injured in the attack. Harry is my son, and I am a member of the Merrow courts and Intended of King Alcandor. He was the primary target, most likely, giving my claim additional weight as his only living parent. The third member of the circle involved was Brishen, who is a water type as well.”

Theo smiled slightly. “I don’t necessarily disagree with your conclusion or that line of reasoning, but I also cannot and will not argue against Prince Raspen or Prince Peryton’s claims, nor their rights to have the trial in their own courts. Not when Harry is their submissive too, and they are royals themselves.”

The Merrow who had spoken first seemed pleased with his willingness to play nicely as they balanced the competing royal, familial, and circle claims. “Nor should you, though you also should not object to our claims or methods.”

Theo nodded. “I have no intention of doing so, currently, so long as all of those with claims are still able to press them.”

Krymsen smiled viciously. “They will be. The Merrow courts ensure that all with a debt owed are capable of collecting on it, one way or another. The executions will take longer this way, but that makes them much more satisfying.”

Ethan frowned. “Take longer? I’d always heard that Merrow justice was exceptionally swift.”

Krymsen smiled. “It is. The investigation will be completed as quickly as possible, so that no evidence can be missed or lost. Once the necessary evidence has been obtained, all will be arrested and tried immediately. Punishments will be decided quickly, and begin almost immediately after they are decided. There may be a slight delay if there are enough involved to require a large number of trials, but our system is fast.”

Ethan shifted. “Why would it take longer, then? The other three courts aren’t slow either, of course, but you make the Merrow courts sound faster.”

Krymsen grinned. “The punishments will take longer, as all with a claim will receive their due. Even if that means fixing the guilty so that the next has enough to take.”

Ethan blinked. “That sounds … thorough.”

The Merow standing with Krymsen smirked. “It is very thorough. It is also very deserved.”

Ethan nodded slightly. “Indeed it is. Excuse me, I need to find something for Harry and Bran to eat, at the very least. Everyone really should, but Harry and Bran aren’t optional.”

Theo nodded. “Ask Prince Raspen. I’m sure he’ll know what the options are.”

Ethan nodded, moving away quickly.

Krymsen shook his head as the Pareya wandered over to the desk where the Royals were relaxing, seeming to enjoy a brief moment without messages or meetings. “Even if the punishments aren’t carried out in the Merrow courts, King Alcandor will likely demand that our policies be implemented, to ensure that all Merrow with a claim can enact it.”

Charlie let out a pleased rumble at that. “Good. You are Harry’s Third, King Alcandor said?”

Krymsen blinked, visibly surprised at both the subject change and being addressed by the Fire type. And in an openly friendly manner, at that. “I am. My name is Krymsen, though I prefer Krym. This is Mesmyr, my youngest brother and Harry’s uncle.”

Charlie nodded, seeming pleased. “That is good to hear. Harry needs more family connections, so long as you intend to stay involved.”

Krymsen nodded. “I do. To not do so would be the height of dishonor.”

Theo hid a frown, forcing a smile he hoped looked at least somewhat genuine, but said nothing. He wasn’t sure why, but the number of offhanded comments about how shameful not being involved in your child’s life was was starting to nag at him. Especially since they were applying it even to a third who hadn’t known he was a third before then.

His own third hadn’t seemed to care. Theo couldn’t even see the dragel’s name on his documents, though he was able to tell based on his magic that it was a dragel, and a fairly powerful Earth element at that. Whoever it was had seemingly worked hard to ensure that Theo would never identify them. To ensure that they would never be required to take responsibility for their son.

Still, that was a problem for another time. Right now, Harry’s Merrow Third and uncle standing right in front of him and his Fire Beta were a much more immediate and dangerous concern.

Raspen hid a sigh when the door opened, revealing Lewis and Henry Peverell. He’d known that the rest of Harry’s family were all but guaranteed to come, but he’d hoped for more time to relax with his circle. The day had been extremely stressful already, and they hadn’t even managed to get to the official court proceedings for the attack yet.

It would only get worse once the other Air and Earth royals came, and Raspen knew perfectly well that they would. His and Perry’s mothers had been quite taken by Harry, and would insist on making sure that everyone was alright. Their fathers would be concerned, but also furious at the threat to their families and the crowns.

It would be a nightmare by the time this was over, and they would be lucky to get another thirty minutes free from the stress of managing competing expectations and requirements for the rest of the night. They all desperately needed to relax some and regroup before they began the circus.

Not that he could relax completely in the presence of Alcandor, several members of Crimson Tide, and a Merrow noble that no one had bothered to introduce, but still. It was more than he could relax around the Peverells and Evansons.

At least for now. Hopefully, the families would eventually build enough of a connection with their circle that such formality wouldn’t be required. That would require familiarity that could only be built over time, though. Time that they had yet to have, given that Harry had only met a few of the Peverells once and had never met the rest of the Peverells or any Evansons.

He stood gracefully, feeling Perry do the same at his side, and walked over to the door to greet the Peverells. “Lord Peverell, Lewis, it is good to see you,” he greeted Henry and his Pareya politely.

Henry gave a tense smile. “It is good to see you as well, Your Highness. Prince Peryton, it is good to see you too, of course.”

Perry smiled. “Indeed. I am pleased to be able to inform you that Harry has returned to land safely, though prying him away from our gheyos may be a tad difficult. He hasn’t yet finished making his rounds and assuring everyone of his safety.”

Lewis stifled a snort. “I imagine that they are probably a bit overprotective at the moment. As long as we can see him, we can wait a little while. I will want to speak to him before we go into the courts, though. He is my nephew.”

Raspen nodded. “Of course. While you are here, though, I should introduce you to Krymsen. While Harry was underwater, it was discovered that he is Harry’s Third. As the family of Harry’s sire, it would likely be good for you to get to know him.”

Lewis nodded, seeming pleased. “Of course. It is good to hear that you were able to find another family connection, even if the circumstances around the discovery were not ideal. Has any progress been made on informing his bearer’s family?”

Raspen nodded. “There has. The Evanson circle that his bearer was descended from has been informed, though the only member we are reasonably certain must have known of his bearer’s existence is their Alpha, who we have not been able to reach. She will have to be informed separately once she returns. I do not wish to send information like this in a message, and I already sent her a formal summons earlier in the week.”

Lewis winced, clearly imagining receiving a royal summons or notification, with all of its impersonality and formality, informing you that you had a grandchild and one of your children had been dead for over a decade.

It was one of the worst possible ways to deliver such news, Raspen felt. He had been required to send those sorts of death notifications before, and probably would be again, but it was never easy or pleasant, for the sender or the recipient.

Not that there was any way for the delivery of such bad news to be good, of course, but finding out through a cold, unfeeling, formal notification would be even worse than in a private, face-to-face meeting.

Henry sighed, clearly wishing to change the subject. “We will be extremely happy to greet them once they arrive, then. For now though, we would be grateful for an introduction to Harry’s Third.”

Raspen nodded, gesturing for the pair to follow him as he led them over to the corner where Theo and Charlie were speaking to Krymsen and another Crimson Tide member. Their willingness to accept Harry’s other family was expected, under the circumstances, but still a relief to see. Things would be much easier for Harry, and the rest of the circle, if his family could play nicely with each other without much outside prompting or negotiating required.

It also meant he should be able to safely pawn these two off on Theo and Charlie for now, and if things went well between them and Krymsen, his Alpha and Beta would hopefully be able to just leave them all to entertain each other until Harry was ready to see them.

Theo smiled as he approached, shifting so that he could easily greet them without turning away from the Merrow he was speaking with. “Lord Peverell, Lewis, it is good to see you here. Harry will be happy that you were able to make it for this.”

Henry smiled. “Theodore, it is good to see you as well. Please call me Henry, I insist.”

Theo nodded. “Henry then. Henry, Lewis, this is Harry’s Third, Krymsen, and uncle, Mesmyr.”

Raspen blinked. He hadn’t realized that the other gheyo was Krym’s brother, though maybe he should have. They did look somewhat alike, though not quite identical. Even with the similarities, he hadn’t registered the likelihood.

Crimson Tide had several gheyos that looked very similar, as Raspen knew well after living below the waters on exchange for a season. The resemblance could easily have been a coincidence.

“It is good to meet you. I am Harry’s great uncle, well technically a few times great, but I’m the closest relative on his Sire’s side that we know of. Lewis Peverell,” the Pareya rambled slightly, bowing politely at the end.

Raspen had to hide his smile at the rambling. The Peverells were usually extremely put together, with few to no slip-ups in public. Seeing Lewis ramble and trip over his words was a rare sight. Still, if anything could make a crack in a dragel’s eloquence, meeting your long-lost nephew’s Merrow Third parent and uncle right after said nephew was attacked and taken to safety in the Merrow courts would probably be the thing to manage it.

“It is good to meet you as well,” Krym replied politely. “Harry needs more family involved.”

Lewis nodded. “Yes, he does. I believe Perry mentioned that you were contacting his bearer’s family as well?”

Raspen nodded. “I did. We informed his mother’s sire and one of his bonded of the situation before Harry returned to land, and I sent them another message informing them that Harry had returned.”

Lewis looked surprised. “They returned home after such news?”

Raspen smiled slightly. “They did. They do wish for full rights, but felt it best to go home and inform the rest of their circle in private. The news was somewhat upsetting, as I’m sure you are aware, so privacy was preferred, especially with Harry inaccessible to them.”

Henry nodded. “Indeed. I can easily see why they would prefer to share the news while within their own home. Do you know when they will arrive?”

Raspen frowned slightly. “Soon, I presume. I had hoped for Harry to meet them before we have to go into the courts officially.”

Theo winced, clearly not liking that idea. “It would definitely be better not to have them meet while in the formal court. When is that, do you know?”

Raspen shook his head. “I am unsure, right now. It depends on what the King and Queen wish, for both the Earth and Air courts. Honestly, this is big enough that we should probably pull in the Fire royals, and perhaps the Storm and Shadow leaders.”

Perry nodded. “The Fire courts will likely already know. You know there was that quarterly meeting, the one Alcandor never bothers with, right at the time that Dawne went to inform the King and Queen. Storm and Shadow will be the only ones left out.”

Krymsen frowned. “Do they have any official involvement or connection to the circle?”

Raspen tilted his head slightly, searching his memory for any mention of potential connections strong enough to justify sending a notification to circles who weren’t officially recognized as royals. “Not that I can think of right now. Our Ace, Hadrian, was contracted to the Cunninghams before the soul scream, but I am unsure if there are any lingering official connections there.”

Riven snorted. “Devrim is connected to the Dreswells. It’s his own business to share, but it is enough to justify notification, if that’s what you want to do.”

Raspen blinked. He hadn’t realized that the mage was standing right behind him, though that was significantly less surprising than the news that one of his bonded was associated with the de facto Storm rulers, and he hadn’t even realized it. “Oh? I hadn’t realized that. Is it a close connection?”

Riven shrugged. “She promised her support and he’ll wear their mark at the Introductions.”

Raspen blinked again. That was a fairly significant connection, then. Family or near, at the very least. “I see. We should inform her, in that case, before she hears through gossip.”

Perry nodded. “I’ll send the notification, if that’s alright. It’ll be easier, elementally, if it comes from me instead of you.”

Raspen nodded. “Especially if it is addressing her in her position as the Storm elemental leader. Thank you, Perry.”

The other prince wandered off, searching for what he needed to send yet another formal notification. “And then that leaves just Shadow uninformed. I must admit, it seems extremely impolite to not at least inform them, when everyone else is aware.”

Krym nodded. “It does. And the Shadows are good about not letting pesky details such as messiness interfere with appropriate repercussions. The Cunninghams especially have their priorities well in order for such matters.”

Raspen gave him an amused glance, but nodded. Of course Crimson Tide would want the harshest possible punishment for an attack on his son.

Raspen didn’t disagree, of course, but he had to maintain appropriate decorum.

That didn’t mean that he couldn’t set things up so that there would be stronger pressure in favor of the more extreme outcomes, of course, he mused as he returned to the desk. The only question now was how best to phrase the message, as it was technically just a notice, not a summons, despite his desire for them to come and be their natural, chaotic, extreme selves.

It was quite the change from the usual status quo, in which he and all of the other royals tried to reign them in and mitigate their chaos.

Hopefully the consequences of encouraging them like this wouldn’t be too severe.

Harry blinked when a wave of conflicting emotions washed over him. After going around and seeing each of his bonded, he’d settled comfortably on Ethan’s lap, enjoying a comfort feed while waiting for one of Raspen’s aides to fetch some food for everyone. He’d enjoyed spending the last ten minutes or so basking in having his circle and those of his family who he’d met so far around him.

These emotions coming from outside were decidedly at odds with the generally relaxed feeling inside the room. Everyone here was either calm or doing their best to approximate it, partially because Quinn had made his displeasure known when his gheyos accidentally overwhelmed him earlier. Whoever was approaching, and it was a fairly large group, were taking no such precautions. Their emotions were swirling wildly against Harry’s Empathy, far too strong for him to block out without a dampening spell.

He shifted so he was sitting up more, facing the door a moment before a knock caught the attention of everyone in the room.

He smiled slightly when Hadrian cut Raspen off before he could open it, clearly not approving of the Royal putting himself in the direct line of an attack, if one were to come. It was highly unlikely to happen here in the royal court, surrounded by guards, Harry felt, but he still was instinctively pleased to see his Ace protecting his other circle members.

He hid a frown when a large group of individuals were revealed behind the door, the emotions only growing stronger with the closer proximity.

“Lord Evanson. It is good to see you again,” Raspen greeted politely, moving next to Hadrian.

Harry blinked. Evanson. This was his mother’s family.

“Your highness. It is good to see you as well. Your message said that my grandson had returned to land?” one of the two men closest to the door asked. The submissive, Harry realized, though he wasn’t sure how he knew that.

“He has. Why don’t you all come in?” Raspen asked, moving to allow them to enter the room and mingle with everyone else.

It was a good thing this room was so big, Harry decided. It seemed entirely excessive for just an office, but at the same time it was now getting almost full. Not quite cramped yet, but they would not want more people in here than were already present.

His thoughts were cut off a moment later when Raspen came to stand beside him, gently taking his hand and sitting on the edge of the couch.

“Harry, this is Briar Evanson, your mother’s Sire, and his circle. I don’t know all of your names, unfortunately, so you’ll have to introduce yourselves. Lord Evanson, this is Harry Potter, my submissive and your grandson.” Raspen spoke carefully, as though he wasn’t entirely sure how to phrase things most delicately.

Harry had to hide a snort. As though there was a way to delicately inform someone that they had a surprise grandson that they had never even known existed, and that said grandson was now tangled up in a mess of court drama.

His thoughts were cut off a moment later when he was dragged in for a hug by the older submissive.

He froze for a moment before returning the hug, taken aback by both the sudden physical contact and the emotions that came with it.

Amazement.

Joy.

Sorrow.

Regret.

Worry.

Love.

Love, really? Harry wondered. This man had just met him, and already seemed determined to love and protect him, just as much as his bonded did. Just as much as Krym did, too, actually.

It was a strange concept to him. The Dursleys had never felt such an emotion, and an Aunt was as close a relation as a grandfather. He could somewhat understand Krym’s easy acceptance, at least in theory. Most parents he knew were very attached to their children, and it sounded as though dragels took that to an extreme. It was surprising to have it applied to Harry, himself, but the concept wasn’t entirely foreign.

Mesmyr made less sense than Krym, but Harry could still understand his care, to an extent. He cared for Harry as both a child and as someone important to Krym. He seemed to feel more than just that, which Harry struggled to understand, but at least caring for a child who was important to someone Mesmyr cared for made sense. It also seemed to be possible to just explain it as a dragel thing, judging by Lewis's reaction to meeting Harry.

This was much more foreign, though. This wasn’t his bonded, or his dragel parent. This was a grandparent, and a relative from the exact same side of the family that had always considered him a waste of space.

It was strange and confusing, but also comforting and calming. He had never really had a family before, but in this room he had a father, uncles, and grandparents, all present because they were worried about him. Because they cared about him.

It was hard to believe, but the emotions he was sensing were undeniable.

“Hello,” he said hesitantly, aware that he should say something but utterly incapable of even imagining what that should be.

“Hello, little one. I am glad to finally meet you, though I wish that I had known of you since your birth.” Briar greeted, smiling gently at him.

Harry smiled, nodding slightly and blushing deeply.

“Why don’t I introduce the rest of your grandparents? Jun isn’t back yet, but everyone else is. And you’ll have to meet all of your aunts and uncles soon, too. We didn’t want to overwhelm you too much, so they stayed back, but they are all eager to see you.”

Alec hid a soft smile as he watched his submissive fumble his way through meeting his grandparents for the first time. It was good to see him gaining more family connections, though the circumstances and timing were less than ideal.

Normally, this all would have happened on a carefully planned, delicately managed timeline to ensure that no one got overwhelmed. Instead, Harry had met Krym in the courts, then returned to meet the Evansons so that they could go into the courts and demand blood rights.

It was still worth having, of course, and it was still just as meaningful, but it wasn’t the ideal situation.

And he certainly wouldn’t be caught looking like a lovestruck fool in front of four of his brothers. He would never live it down if he did.

He glanced over at Prince Raspen, standing less than four feet away, and Theo, standing next to him. “So, who was that Lady that looked like she was going to spontaneously combust in your court?” he asked, hiding his smirk.

Prince Raspen blinked, seeming surprised by the question. “Which Lady do you mean? I saw several that seemed quite surprised by my bonding.”

Alec smirked. “I’m sure there were, but one looked ready to combust when I hugged you.”

Theo blinked in surprise, and Alec didn’t have to wonder why. He had given no indication of interests in the circle beyond Harry, actively avoiding contact at times, so hugging Prince Raspen must seem very out of character for him.

The prince smiled slightly. “I believe you may be referring to Lady Rampal. She has been attempting to get one of her children or grandchildren into my circle for years, with various hints and less-than-subtle suggestions. She did seem disappointed that such efforts had failed.”

Theo raised an eyebrow. “How disappointed? Is this going to turn into a situation like we have with the Calamaris and Guantrells?”

Lewis hissed slightly, drawing most of the room’s attention to himself.

“Situation with the Calamaris and Guantrells?” Henry asked, clearly concerned.

Theo nodded. “Indeed. We are unsure of whether or not it is connected to this attack, at this point, but we have taken out full-circle restraining orders against Yanek Calamaris and Walford Guantrell.”

Briar’s Beta, apparently named Rian, blinked. “Restraining orders? What did they do?”

Hadrian hissed slightly. “Yanek stalked and harassed Theo when they were children, and has also harassed Ethan, though to a lesser extent. Since our circle’s bonding and Theo’s return to Nevarah, Yanek expressed his strong displeasure at Theo and Ethan bonding to another submissive, and threw a very public fit in the courts about it.”

“I trust they are suspects in this investigation, or will be once the investigators have been informed?” Lewis asked carefully.

“They are. I have already submitted the forms for a search and interrogations of his entire circle,” Aloysius confirmed.

Alec rolled his eyes. Of course Aloysius would have already added Yanek and his entire circle to the list. He’d probably done Walford as well, while he was at it.

His brothers were nothing if not thorough. It was one of the main reasons why they had had a chance at earning the crown.

“And the other one? Walford Guantrell?” Briar asked, keeping Harry tucked under his arm as he turned his attention to the conversation taking the rest of the room’s attention.

“Also on the list, with the same parameters.” Aloysius confirmed.

“What did he do?” Briar asked.

“Harassed Ariki,” Theo replied, clearly seeing no reason to avoid the issue, especially when someone else was the target instead of him. “He also threw a fit in the courts, too.”

Briar blinked. “Do investigate them both then, and perhaps make the warrants as general as possible? Those families do have such a reputation, it wouldn’t do for anything to be missed and leave any open questions.”

Alec snorted, unable to hide his amusement. He was far from the only one. Briar had managed to phrase his request in such a way that implied that of course there was no cause for concern, they were just following protocol. The thoroughness was just to avoid the hint of impropriety or future questions being raised, not because they all knew that those families were as crooked as could be, and that this may give them the evidence to nail them on one of their many crimes.

It was as good a chance as they were likely to get, honestly. If Aloysius could get the warrants through, and with the support of Alcandor, Killigan, and Alvon in the Merrow courts and Princes Raspen and Peryton on land, along with perhaps Princess Dawne and Princess Ebony, he would almost certainly get them.

He would just have to make the most of it, and find everything that there was to find.

“Do you believe that they are involved?” Henry asked, sounding concerned.

“It is entirely possible. They have expressed severe dislike for my submissive, and the restraining order did not extend beyond the individuals themselves. Not magically, that is. It included the standard phrase about anyone acting on their behalf, but could not magically enforce it.” Prince Raspen commented.

“So they can’t really use the fact that the restraining order was in place as a defense, either,” observed Henry, clearly thinking things through as he spoke.

“No, they cannot,” Perry confirmed.

“What is the Queen’s opinion on this, Your Highness? I know she has been very … cautious with the Vaughns and their associates, including the Calamarmis and Guantrells, in the past,” Henry asked, seeming to need some sort of confirmation.

If Alec had to guess, as clanchiefs the Peverells likely had to make sure they played nicely with their elemental leaders. Henry wasn’t the actual Chief, but he still needed to avoid antagonizing the Air Queen if he wanted to avoid major complications for his entire clan.

“My mother has not officially stated a position. As acting Crown Royal, Dawne signed off on the restraining orders, and if the Vaughns or their allies were involved in this or attempt to defend those who were, they will receive no support from her.” Perry elaborated.

It was all true, Alec knew, but also likely less than a complete picture. It implied that the Air Queen, Arista, agreed with the restraining order, but Alec remembered the discussion that morning. None of the current Acting Crown Royals had been confident that she would agree unless backed into a corner.

Then again, an attack on the submissive of her own son, the Earth crown prince, and a relative of the Merrow King could easily be enough to back her into a corner.

If the investigation did lead to the Vaughns or their allies, or anyone else Arista may wish to give more protection than they deserved, she would quickly find herself backed into a corner if she even considered defending them, Alec knew. Alcandor and Raspen would allow nothing less.

Chapter Text

Charlie hid a grimace as they approached the large doors at the end of the hallway. Once everyone arrived, they would officially be in session to handle the attack on Harry. Not the trials or punishments, not yet, but the initial rights and determining which laws would be applied. The Merrow would push for it to be handled in their courts, while Raspen and Perry’s parents would each likely push to have it the whole mess investigated by and prosecuted in their own respective courts.

Each had valid arguments, too. Sadly, that fact would only make the debates more heated, as each participant would feel that their claim was justified, and none would technically be wrong.

Even once they managed to hash that out, which he had been informed would likely be a very lengthy discussion, they would still have to discuss blood rights. Apparently, anyone who could claim that they or someone directly connected to them were harmed had a right to actively participate in the punishments.

That could get interesting, with so many different families and circles involved. Not to mention the royals themselves, from three separate elements.

He sighed softly. He understood why this needed to be done now, he really did, and he did want to make sure there were no delays to the investigation, but at the same time he would much prefer to take Harry and the rest of the circle and go home for the night. It had been a stressful day already, and this would only make it worse.

They walked in a moment later, Prince Raspen leading the way and going straight to his parents, Harry and Theo following him. “Mother, Father. It is good to see you, though I wish the circumstances were different.”

Queen Calla smiled at her son. “Indeed. Harry, how are you? Princess Dawne said that she was informed that you weren’t injured in the attack?”

Harry smiled shyly. “I’m fine, thank you. Brishen and Alec made sure I didn’t get hurt.”

King Edgar nodded. “That is good to hear. And Alec, I believe Princess Dawne mentioned that you did receive an injury? She believed it to be mild, but are you alright?”

Alec looked surprised to be addressed so easily by landwalker royalty, but nodded. “It was just a graze. Nothing to really worry about.”

“That is good to hear,” Queen Arista commented, approaching with a small smile. “King Alcandor, it is good to see you again, even under the circumstances.”

Alcandor nodded to her. “Indeed. Though we Merrow have never shied away from appropriate hunts and punishments.”

Queen Arista raised an eyebrow. “Indeed you have not. Would you perhaps introduce me to your companions? I believe I have met some of them, but not all.”

Alcandor smirked. “I would be delighted to. I believe the most immediate is Krymsen, who you have met a few times before. He is the Crimson Tide title holder, my intended ACE, and our dear Harry’s Third.”

King Edgar choked. “Harry’s Third is Crimson Tide?”

Alcandor nodded. “Indeed. I tested the connection myself.”

The older royals all looked surprised, but none seemed upset in any way. In fact, most seemed pleased that Harry’s Third had been identified and located so quickly.

“It is good to see you again so soon, Krymsen, though the circumstances certainly leave much to be desired,” Dawne commented, smiling at the Ace.

Krym nodded to her. “Indeed, Your Highness. It is always lovely to see you.”

Alcandor snorted, clearly annoyed that Krym’s introduction didn’t gain a bigger reaction from those who hadn’t known. “Moving on, this is Mesmyr, Krym’s brother.”

“Hello, Mesmyr. I don’t believe that we have met,” Queen Arista greeted, stepping away from Harry and smiling at the gheyo.

“Your Majesty. We have not,” Mesmyr acknowledged.

Alcandor rolled his eyes, gesturing to the other gheyos present. “You may as well also meet these three other Crimson Tide members, who Alec can introduce to his circle sometime in the next few weeks per the traditional Merrow courting protocols, which he will be following.”

Alec rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything. He’d already agreed to it, after all. He really had no right to complain now, and even if he did it wouldn’t be the time or place to do so. Not while they had the Earth and Air royals as an audience, plus the Peverells and Evansons.

“Pardon me, but why is introducing Crimson Tide members to his circle a part of the Merrow courting rituals Alec will follow?” Queen Calla asked, seeming slightly confused.

Alcandor smirked. “Because they are his brothers, of course.”

Charlie blinked. That would explain why Alec seemed so comfortable with fights, and so indifferent to Hadrian’s blood title. He’d probably grown up surrounded by similar gheyos, with three brothers in Crimson Tide. None of the brothers were the main title holder, but it sounded like they were still very high ranked.

He was probably more than used to dealing with high-ranked and high-powered gheyos on a regular basis, so their suite wouldn’t be as much of an … adjustment … as it was for some of the others.

Alcandor continued on once he was satisfied with the surprise he’d seen on the faces of those in the room, though he did seem disappointed that Theo and Hadrian didn’t react. “And finally, this is Lord Alvon, my cousin and main challenger in the elections for the Crown. Lord Alvon is Alec’s oldest brother.”

Charlie blinked. Alvon had apparently opposed Alcandor, but Alec and Alcandor seemed to be very close. To the point that Alec had talked about King Alcandor in casual and friendly terms a couple of times so far, albeit with a significant amount of snark included, but had never even mentioned his brothers in Charlie’s hearing. Charlie hadn’t even known the Merrow had siblings until just now.

He wondered how that had come about, or if they had just become close after the Crown was settled.

Not that he really knew what that involved. He’d always thought that positions like King or Queen were hereditary, like they were in England and most other countries on Earth. He’d assumed that the same applied in Nevarah, as Prince Raspen and Princess Dawne seemed to have gotten their positions by birth. Though maybe that wasn’t all there was to it, as Perry seemed older than Dawne, and yet he was not the Crown Prince.

It was something to find out more about later, since it was an important factor in the realm he planned to live in from now on, but it wasn’t an immediate problem. Not right now, when they had to handle arguing about the investigation.

Prince Raspen smiled once Alcandor had finished, clearly amused by his antics but also eager to move things along. “Dawne, were you able to inform the Fire royals? We summoned the Dreswells as they have a close enough tie to the circle to justify it, and informed the Cunninghams so they would not be left out, but I rather thought that the Fire royals would want to be here as well.”

Dawne smiled. “I was, yes. King, Queen, and Crown Princess, so all of our bases are covered there. The King and Queen won’t be able to make it, but - “

Before Dawne could finish, she was cut off by the door slamming open, pushed by a very angry, dark-haired Fire type. “I don’t care if you find it inappropriate, the other elements are present so I will be as well. If you wish to continue to test my patience, perhaps you should do so while running laps around the lake - that one near the Dive, with the water geysers.”

A frowning man, probably a court member judging by his expensive-looking robes bowed politely, looking like he had bitten into a particularly pungent lemon. “As Your Highness wishes,” he murmured, then turned and swept away.

With a frustrated huff, the Fire type waved a hand, causing the doors to close with a deafening thud. “I do apologize for the disturbance. That particular advisor is so very traditional about elements staying apart.”

Charlie blinked, freezing in place. That looked and sounded just like Ebony. His new mentor, once they found the time to have the ceremony.

They already had connections to five courts, though he still didn’t know what the Storm one was, so if he had managed to accidentally gain one to the sixth, he might just lose his mind.

If he had managed to get a crown princess as his mentor, without even realizing it, the twins would never let him live it down.

Ebony looked over the room, blinking in surprise when she saw Charlie. “Charles? That is you, isn’t it?”

Charlie stumbled over his words, barely managing a nod, before Raspen cut in. “Eby? You know Charlie? Charlie, you know Princess Ebony?”

Charlie shrugged. “Kind of? I didn’t know she was a Princess, though.”

His ears reddened as he felt everyone’s eyes on him, especially those of his circle members. Minh and Bran in particular seemed highly amused, and he got the feeling that he was going to be on the receiving end of a good amount of ribbing after this was over.

Ebony - Princess Ebony - made a dismissive noise, waving her hand negligently. “There was no good reason for you to know. It would have just complicated things, and added another dimension to your consideration that really shouldn’t matter in something like this.” She then turned her attention to Raspen, smiling brightly. “I offered to be Charlie’s mentor the other day, and he accepted.”

Raspen blinked in surprise, but smiled. “That is wonderful to hear, if quite surprising. I don’t think anyone in our circle realized, but we’ll do whatever we can to facilitate it and make it as easy as possible to organize things.”

Ebony smiled at him. “I appreciate that. I know his Prince knows, because he was there when Charles accepted my offer, but I don’t know if he shared beyond that. I asked that he not allow others to weigh in on his decision, so that it would be his own.”

Theo nodded. “He informed me that he received an offer and believed that he should accept, but did not share your name.”

Ethan nodded. “The same is true for me.”

Ebony’s smile widened. “That is good to hear. Charlie, we’ll set up the ceremony as soon as possible. I had hoped to have it the next time we saw one another, but somehow this doesn’t seem like the right time.”

Charlie nodded. “No, I agree. Another time would be better, this’ll be complicated enough.”

Ebony snorted. “I get the impression that will be an understatement. Still, due to the other claims involved and the fact that our mentor-student relationship is still not formally finalized, I will not attempt to get involved beyond facilitating a rational discussion as much as possible.”

Raspen smiled. “Thank you, Eby. That will be very helpful, and likely needed.”

Devrim hid a grimace as he felt his ACE and Queen’s eyes on him. It wasn’t hard to guess what they were thinking. Riven had revealed that Devrim was associated with the Dreswells earlier that day, when previously he’d done his best to keep that quiet, and had never mentioned it to anyone in the circle. Even Riven himself had only found out by coincidence, because they both had visited Lady Bianca at the same time. Neither his ACE nor his Queen, nor his Alpha nor Royals, realistically, would be pleased that he neglected to mention something so politically significant.

Well, potentially significant. Time would tell how serious Bianca had been about wanting to be involved in his life.

And even beyond that, how willing she would be to risk causing a rift between her and her Pareya to do so, as Devrim still felt it highly unlikely they would magically accept him after so many years of loathing him on principle.

Then, Princess Ebony had been kind enough to inform the whole circle that he’d been aware that Charlie had agreed to be the Fire Crown Princess’s mentee, which was admittedly a fairly major development, but had not told anyone. Never mind that it really hadn’t been his place to tell anyone. Hadrian and Idan were likely going to demand answers and explanations when this was all over.

Fortunately, their attention was quickly drawn away from him by the door opening and admitting another pair of dragels to the room.

Well, perhaps unfortunately, actually. He really didn’t want to get into the complexities of his parentage, heritage, and upbringing in front of his entire circle and royals from every element, and with his grandmother and Audra arriving before the discussions started, they just might do so.

“Prince Peryton. I thank you for the notification,” Lady Bianca commented, nodding deeply to him, then each of the other royals.

“Of course, Lady Bianca. Riven indicated that there was a close connection between you and our Devrim, though he did not indicate what that connection is,” Perry commented, politely fishing for information, but not demanding it.

Devrim had to force himself not to grimace as he took in the look on Audra’s face. This wasn’t going to be good.

Audra smiled widely. “Of course we have a close connection to our precious Cubby. Isn’t he just so precious?” she asked, skipping over to Devrim and dragging him in for a hug.

Devrim rolled his eyes, but didn’t respond beyond a token struggle. He’d long since accepted that Audra would use him as a cuddle toy whenever he was around long enough for her to do so, and nothing he could do would change that.

He didn’t even mind, really, it was just the principle of it. The last thing he needed was for Minh to decide that he should be his cuddle toy too. Well, any more than he already had. The gheyo princess was quite demanding when he felt he was owed attention.

‘Precious Cubby?’ Blaise mouthed at him, looking highly amused. Devrim just rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond to that.

That did remind him, though, that there was a ready-made distraction available in the form of a too-young Storm joker that Lady Bianca had already mentioned an interest in.

“Oh, this is Blaise Zabini, the young Joker I was telling you about the other day,” he commented, gesturing to Blaise.

He smirked slightly at the younger gheyo, raising an eyebrow at the death glare he received for throwing him under the bus.

“Oh, Blaise. It is good to see you. I was concerned when Devrim and Riven indicated that they had bonded to a fifteen-year-old joker, just due to your age. If there’s anything you need, whether it be more training in your element or as a gheyo in general, please let me know and I’ll be more than happy to provide it,” Lady Bianca spoke awkwardly, but smiled genuinely at the young Storm.

Ebony made a slight choking noise as she processed the implications of that statement, much to Devrim’s amusement. “Fifteen? And a Joker? How is that even possible?”

Blaise shrugged. “Some stuff happened. I got my inheritance at nine and became a Joker at twelve, which was a good thing when the soulscream happened, since it meant I had a settled rank and it didn’t interfere or make me a consort or whatever. Bran’s already taken that rank, so it would have been weird.”

Bran rolled his eyes. “It would have been fine for you to be a Consort too, and there’s nothing wrong with the rank beyond the ridiculous name. And it’s not like it’s permanent either.”

Blaise shrugged. “Gheyo suits me better.”

Bran rolled his eyes, but didn’t bother to reply.

Ebony shook her head. “Right. You got your inheritance at nine, and you became a Joker at twelve. That’s all perfectly reasonable. Nothing ridiculous or outrageous about that at all. Anyways, moving on. Harry, am I remembering correctly when I recall being informed that you are fourteen?”

Harry blinked in clear surprise at the princess shifting her attention to him so suddenly, and did not look particularly comfortable with the line of questioning, but he still nodded slowly. “Yes, um, Your Highness?”

Ebony smiled softly at him. “Alright. I just needed to confirm that, because despite your inheritance and bonding, fourteen is definitely underage, and that does matter for investigations and trials.”

Alcandor gave a shark-like grin. “Indeed it does. It increases the punishments significantly, at least in my courts.”

King Edgar frowned at the Merrow King. “It does in all courts, King Alcandor. We will discuss that once the others arrive, though. I believe we are still waiting on the Cunninghams, and that is all, correct?”

Raspen nodded. “It is, yes. As far as I know, at least. The Evansons are here to represent Harry’s bearer’s family, as she is deceased, as Peverells are to represent his sire’s family, as he is also deceased. Other than the Cunninghams, who are coming because it would be impolite to leave only one element out, everyone is here now.”

King Edgar nodded. “Good. I hope you aren’t counting on the Cunninghams to play mediators though. They are suited for many things, and excel in their specialties, but diplomacy is not one of those areas.”

Prince Raspen snorted. “Of course not. They will simply be here to help balance out the elemental discrepancies that having all of the elements except them present would cause.”

Queen Arista smiled at the Earth prince, an indulgent smile on her face. “Of course, Prince Raspen. That is the only reason, and not because they will advocate for harsh sentences and have a circle member capable of pulling up replays of events that happened in an area even months or years later.”

Queen Calla laughed lightly. “Indeed, my son. I am certain you did not even consider those potential benefits.”

One of the Crimson Tide members, Aloysius, if Devrim remembered correctly, perked up slightly in interest at the mentioned past-reading ability. Devrim couldn’t blame him. If that was true, it would be a very useful tool for the investigation. Even if the Merrow led the investigation, accepting some landwalker help would likely be one of the concessions that the Earth and Air crowns would demand, and there was no reason why whoever it was that had that ability couldn’t be one of the landwalkers involved.

Whatever would ensure that whoever was in any way involved was found and punished as soon as possible was more than acceptable to Devrim, especially something as simple as accepting whatever competent help was available.

Harry pressed his face into Idan’s chest, using it to hide his frown. While his Empathy wasn’t technically overwhelming him right now, not after the dampening spell Quinn had placed on him while they walked over, he could still easily sense the moods in the room, and they were getting quite violent.

It was not a great indicator for how this whole court meeting would go.

Honestly, Harry was somewhat surprised by just how much bloodlust was in the air right now, especially for what was basically just supposed to be a jurisdiction debate. All that should happen tonight would be establishing that a crime took place, determining who would investigate and what in courts the trials would happen, and determining who had what blood rights and in what order of precedence they would come in. Someone had mentioned punishments for those who’d directly participated in the attack, but Harry wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work.

They hadn’t been identified yet, and they were dead. Harry was reasonably certain that the dead couldn’t be killed.

No one would be killed tonight. Not yet.

Well, at least they shouldn’t be, if things went even vaguely according to plan. High tempers could sometimes lead to fights or accidents.

Still, the actually intended killing or maiming would wait until after the investigation was completed. After whoever ended up hunting sucked every last drop of potentially useful or incriminating evidence out of everyone who was involved, even just tangentially.

He didn’t really know how to feel about that. On the one hand, killing and what he was reasonably sure was torturing for information were things that he had always been taught were bad before, on Earth. On the other hand, everyone here seemed perfectly fine with it, and it was kind of justified. Those gheyos had attacked him and Brishen, and had hurt Alec. If they hadn’t been so much weaker than Brishen and Alec, one of them or another circle member they would have been forced to call for assistance could have been seriously hurt.

That certainly warranted some form of fairly major consequences, but it was strange to instinctively assume that death or severe maiming were the appropriate response.

He had to stifle a groan when he heard the door open again. He knew that it must be the Cunninghams, which meant that they could get started, but he really didn’t want to.

He wanted it to be over with, of course, but he really didn’t want to deal with it.

“Lord Cunningham, Lady Cunningham, I am glad you were both able to make it,” Prince Raspen greeted the pair easily.

Lord Cunningham nodded to the prince. “Prince Raspen, it is good to see you. Thank you for informing us, we certainly wish to be involved in the discussion for such a serious offense.”

Raspen smiled at the man. “Of course. I am glad that you were able to make it.”

Ebony also moved to greet the Shadow clans’ defacto royals. “As am I, especially as I do not have an official tie to the circle just yet. Lord Cunningham, Lady Mariana, it is wonderful to see you both.”

Lady Mariana nodded. “You as well, Your Highness. What do you mean ‘not an official connection just yet’?”

Ebony smiled. “I offered to be Charles’s mentor, and he accepted. We haven’t had the chance to have the ceremony yet, but we will once there is a good time.”

Lord Cunningham blinked. “My congratulations.”

Lady Mariana snorted and looked over at Harry. “I see your particular brand of luck is not limited to just you. Does it only extend to your Earth-raised, or the entire circle? I already know that it does extend to your ACE.”

Hadrian resisted the urge to groan when Lady Mariana immediately turned her focus on Harry upon arriving. It was somewhat expected, given the circumstances, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Especially not when she embarrassed Harry enough that he was again hiding his face in Idan’s chest.

Even if the sight was absolutely adorable.

“Lady Mariana,” he greeted, hoping to head her off before she could say anything more to his submissive.

“Hadrian. I heard that you were not present for the fight?” Mariana greeted.

Hadrian didn’t even bother to try to hide his grimace at the reminder. No dragel would begrudge a gheyo for being upset not to have been present when their soulbonded was in danger. “I was not. Alec summoned me as he ported himself and Harry away, but Brishen finished them off as I arrived.”

Mariana nodded, seeming unsurprised. “I see. And Harry was involved in the fighting, to some extent?”

Hadrian nodded slowly, wondering where she was going with this. “He was. He killed one.”

Mariana smiled slightly. “Good. How?”

Hadrian hesitated, but not answering wouldn’t really do anything beneficial. It was all but guaranteed to come up at some point in the discussions. “A blood-boiling curse.”

Mariana blinked in surprise. Hadrian couldn’t blame her, though he felt no guilt whatsoever at taking a perverse pleasure in managing to genuinely shock the de facto King and Queen for his element.

Lord Cunningham was the one to speak next, before Mariana managed to recover enough to continue. “I see. Where did he learn that? It isn’t commonly taught, so I wouldn’t think it would be your first choice, if you were teaching him self defense.”

Hadrian shook his head. “I have not worked on any self-defense or combat with any of my circle except the gheyos so far. There has not been time. He learned it on Earth, while he was at school, though I do not believe it was part of his coursework.”

Theo snorted slightly, but didn’t comment. Mariana turned to him, raising an eyebrow. “Do elaborate, little Alpha. Everyone is here now, so there’s no sense waiting to cover the details, and every detail will need to be documented.”

Theo blinked in surprise, but didn’t seem offended. “That curse is illegal in Britain, and the Headmaster and teachers would have had apoplexies if they had known that Harry and his friends were practicing it. The defense classes there really only teach stunning spells and minor shields, not anything that would actually be effective against a dragel.”

Lady Mariana looked almost scandalized. “Well that won’t do at all. Have you had any additional training? With the Blood Wraith as your mentor, you should have had something.”

Theo nodded easily. “I have. Ilsa taught me what she felt was necessary for me to know, both as an Alpha and to be safe in the wizarding world.”

Mariana nodded. “Good. And you? Charlie, was it?”

Charlie shrugged. “Kind of? I worked as a dragon tamer at a reserve in Romania, and we had a poacher problem a few years ago. I picked up a handful of odd spells and a couple dozen old Eastern European and Balkan curses there. I haven’t learned how to use dragel magic or claws or anything yet, though.”

Mariana nodded. “That’s something, at least. You do need to learn to use your dragel side, though.”

Ebony nodded. “I will teach him, once he has the foundation to learn it safely and rely on his abilities. I hope to start training next week.”

Mariana gave her a deeper nod. “That is good to hear. A trouble magnet like that one needs bonded who can defend themselves and him.”

Ebony smiled slightly, clearly amused. “I find myself unable to disagree, given the circumstances.”

Mariana snorted. “Indeed. Hadrian, you will need to teach Harry to fight. Using his dragel attributes, your element, and anything else you can teach him. One effective curse is not nearly enough.”

Hadrian nodded. “I will, as soon as we have the chance.”

Mariana glared at him. “Not as soon as you have the chance. You will make time to do so, immediately. Attacks are not predictable, as you well know.”

Hadrian frowned, but nodded. He couldn’t dispute that, not when they were currently having this discussion after an unexpected attack where his submissive had been forced to fight.

Mariana nodded, seeming satisfied. “Good. Now, Harry, I do need you to actually pay attention now.”

Harry turned his head to look at her, still blushing quite hard, but at the same time seeming surprisingly pleased. Hadrian couldn’t help but wonder why he’d be so happy at the idea of mandatory self defense lessons.

Once she knew she had Harry’s full attention, Mariana continued. “We completed an initial sweep of your childhood neighborhood, including your school and your relatives’ house. We removed documentation that we have submitted under seal, and three prisoners have been taken so far. More will be taken once we have time to review the documentation and possibly go through the courts, and we will also deal with that school at some point after the hunt.”

Harry nodded, no longer seeming pleased, but he did not object. “Okay, I guess. Thank you for letting me know.”

Mariana nodded. “You do need to know. You also need to know that we found two more individuals while we were there, both of whom insist they know you and are close to you.”

Harry blinked, looking uncertain. “Who are they?”

Mariana smiled. “They introduced themselves as your godfathers, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.”

Hadrian was surprised to see Harry immediately light up at the names. The little submissive was obviously very attached to these men, more so than Fred and George had implied when they’d discussed Hogwarts and Harry’s home life.

“Where are they? Can I see them? Are they okay?” Harry asked eagerly.

Mariana rolled out her shoulders. “They are at our compound. My Lord sensed an odd connection with Sirius, so they will be staying with us until we can figure out what that is, and until Sirius is healthy and trained enough to handle himself in Nevarah.”

Harry looked surprised. “Alright. What do you mean by connection?”

Lord Cunningham was the one to answer, to Hadrian’s surprise. “I am uncertain, as of now. It is definitely present, but I do not know of a reason for its existence and we have not had the time to investigate. With the full moon coming, it was more important to begin the ritual to convert Mr. Lupin’s cursed wolf into a true wolf.”

Harry blinked. “So he’ll be like a were here, where he’ll have control of the shift and not infect people with the uncontrollable transformations?”

Lord Cunningham nodded. “Indeed he will. He was quite surprised to hear that it was even a possibility. Apparently it is lost knowledge on Earth.”

King Edgar looked shocked at that. “What do you mean lost? It is a simple ritual, why would they ever lose it or not perform it?”

Theo shrugged. “Politics and control, on the part of the Ministry. They banned all rituals, including that one, saying they were dark. Most rituals are considered lost within most of Europe and a large portion of the rest of the wizarding world.”

King Edgar looked furious. “How did this happen without us knowing? Do the were councils know? The inter-realm courts? Neither would stand for this.”

Theo shook his head, clearly not knowing.

His uncertainty wasn’t surprising, in Hadrian’s opinion. Theodore may be an Alpha, and he may have experience living among both dragels and wizards that gave him an advantage when handling issues like these, but he was sixteen and had no blood family connections.

He really couldn’t be expected to know anything about the non-dragel and inter-realm councils beyond their existence.

Queen Arista sighed. “This is just more evidence of problems on Earth. With the entire realm, I’d say. But that isn’t the issue for now, no matter how urgent it may be.”

King Edgar nodded, visibly controlling himself. “Correct. Right now, the issue is the attempted murder of my sons-in-law.”

Queen Arista nodded, smiling coldly. “Indeed. And mine. Such an attack cannot be brushed aside for other matters, no matter how significant those matters are.”

Alcandor’s grin was probably one of the most threatening Hadrian had ever seen. “Indeed.”

Raspen sighed as he considered the requirements for an official investigation. “Firstly, is there any doubt about what took place?”

Lady Bianca shifted. “I was not given details, just told that Devrim’s submissive was attacked.”

Raspen nodded. “Of course. Brishen, as you were present for the entire fight, would you care to fill everyone in on what happened?”

Brishen nodded. “Harry and I were relaxing in one of the little courtyards by the market when he sensed a hostile presence through his Empathy and became uncomfortable. Within seconds, a gheyo threw a knife at him, which I blocked. A total of ten gheyos that I attacked us, from what I could see. I killed seven, Harry killed one, and Alec killed two when Harry summoned him to help. Alec received a knife wound to the arm while present, before he took Harry away from the fight.”

Lady Bianca raised an eyebrow. “Quite succinct. Though clear enough to begin the investigation, I believe.”

King Edgar nodded. “Indeed. Is there any doubt that the attack was a crime?”

No one spoke, most shaking their heads.

King Edgar seemed satisfied. “Is there any doubt that the attack was on the circle members of a Crown Prince, a Prince, and another Royal, if we count Alec as his actual rank?”

Queen Arista seemed a little hesitant. “Any defendants will claim ignorance, though few of the laws care for that.”

King Edgar snorted. “The laws that care for knowledge only care that the dragel in question knew they were committing a crime. They do not care if the attacker knew the victim’s status.”

Queen Arista nodded. “Then there can be no doubts. Harry is fully bonded to his entire circle, including Peryton, Raspen, and Alec.”

King Edgar nodded, seeming satisfied. “Then there is no point discussing whether a crime happened, I believe. The laws regarding attacks on the circle of a royal are quite clear, and even clearer for an attack on the circle of a crown royal.”

“None that I can see,” Queen Arista agreed.

“None other than wasting time,” Alcandor snarked.

“None at all,” Ebony agreed.

Raspen relaxed slightly. That was the easiest part of this debate, just agreeing that a crime took place and warranted an investigation, but it was necessary. Now, they could get to the interesting part. “Now, the investigation. King Alcandor, I understand that Crimson Tide has taken the lead so far?”

Alcandor nodded. “Yes. The attack summoned my cousin right out of my throne room and into danger, where he was injured. As two of the three directly involved in the attack are water types and therefore under Merrow jurisdiction, one of whom is my own cousin and court member, and the third is the son of Crimson Tide, it is clearly an incident requiring Merrow handling.”

And so it begins, Raspen thought, suppressing a sigh. Hopefully this wouldn’t take too long.

King Edgar glared at the Merrow King. “This attack occurred on land, and targeted the soulbonded submissive of the Earth Crown Prince. The Earth courts have just as much of an interest, if not more, as Harry is Raspen’s submissive, and Raspen is the Crown Prince.”

Queen Arista gave both pointed looks. “The Air court’s claim is no less significant than that of the Earth court. Just because Peryton chose not to accept the crown does not make him any less important to our family or element than Raspen is to his.”

Raspen couldn’t disagree with that, at least in principle, even if he knew that most of the courts would. In all practicality though, there was a difference, if only because of the way the magic that kept Nevarah stable worked. A threat to a crown royal was a threat to the realm itself, in a very literal sense.

Raspen’s father clearly had no qualms using that argument to his advantage. “He is not less important to your family, for certain, and he is important to the realm, but he is not literally bound to it in the way that Prince Raspen or Princess Dawne are. Harm to him won’t destabilize the realm the way it could have been if Harry had been hurt and Prince Raspen were to be affected by the backlash.”

Raspen had to hide a wince at the surprised reactions from the rest of his circle. It was obvious that some had known of that particular detail, but only those with a reason to. Hadrian, because of his blood title. Ethan, given his scholarly pursuits. But the others had never had a reason to know, and now they were just realizing how involved being a royal was.

And how dangerous him being summoned by a soulscream had been.

Alcandor snorted. “That’s a threat, but it isn’t the main issue, nor was it a consideration of the culprits. They just saw Harry and Brishen, and Brishen is quite obviously a water type to anyone who bothers to learn the barest of details about his species.”

Raspen blinked. He hadn’t known Brishen was a water type on sight, and realistically almost no one in Nevarah knew anything at all about Phoelixes. Still, though, pointing out the water type part was almost certainly the most effective way for Alcandor to get jurisdiction, and implying that everyone else was an idiot was something of a hobby for Alcandor.

King Edgar glared harder. “It is unlikely that they knew, and if it was who we all suspect - even you suspect them Arista, just admit it - they attacked Harry because of his bonding to Theodore, Ariki, and Ethan. Two Earth types and an Air type. Brishen and Alec likely weren’t even considered, and they almost certainly didn’t even know Alec was in the circle.”

Alcandor snorted. “They may or may not have known, but the end result is the same. They attacked a water type and the son of another Merrow, and a court member at that. In the process of doing so, they injured a third Merrow, this one my own cousin and a court member in his own right. The only one actually injured by these attackers was my cousin.”

King Edgar frowned. “Harry is Prince Raspen’s submissive, and a descendant of a former Earth clan chief.”

Queen Arista raised an eyebrow. “He is also Prince Peryton’s submissive, and a close relative of a current Air clan chief.”

King Alcandor sneered. “He is also the son of the Crimson Tide, my intended ACE, and the submissive of my cousin, who is grandson to my grandfather, the King before my own Sire, in addition to being the submissive of a water-aligned immortal.”

Queen Arista grimaced. “Split rights then.”

King Edgar frowned. “Split rights,” he agreed, though he still sounded reluctant.

Raspen knew his father well though, and he was perfectly aware that the man was not nearly as reluctant as he would like to appear.

The Earth King had to keep up appearances, but he’d want the harshest possible punishments. Those were available only in the Merrow courts, so he was always going to agree in the end. Still, Raspen knew his father would be sure to draw out every concession and advantage possible on the way.

“Crimson Tide will continue in their role as primary, and the trials and punishments will occur in my courts, but Earth and Air may each send three gheyos,” King Alcandor suggested.

King Edgar snorted. “A full suite, for each Earth and Air. That is how they are trained, and they need to cover as much ground as possible as quickly as possible. Queen Arista and I will each provide our best hunting suites.”

Queen Arista nodded. “Agreed.”

Lord Cunningham interrupted before Alcandor could continue. “My clan will also provide assistance as needed.”

Lady Bianca nodded. “As will mine.”

King Alcandor nodded. “That will do, I suppose. The investigation has already begun, so your hunters will be caught up as soon as you assign them.”

King Edgar raised an eyebrow at the Merrow King, but didn’t comment. “I see. Next is blood rights, I presume? I see you brought Harry’s family along to make their claims.”

Chapter Text

Theo hid a grimace as attention turned to the actual blood rights. The royals had come to an agreement about the investigation rights fairly quickly, mostly because Alcandor had both the strongest claim and the court with the harshest possible punishments, but blood rights was likely to be a far more tense discussion.

It wouldn’t be just the royals involved, for one. Their circle would have to assert their rights, as would Harry and Alec’s families.

Theo would have to assert his circle’s rights, primarily. Hadrian could and would back him up, but as Alpha, he had to officially make a claim first to ensure it was the full circle included and not just their ACE.

Not that he was reluctant to do so, of course not. Not after his Harry had been attacked. It was just somewhat unnerving to have to argue why he should have rights ahead of clan heads and royals.

It was making him feel very much his age.

He fixed his attention back onto the conversation around him as Raspen replied to his father’s confirmation. “Indeed we have. The Evanson circle are the family of Harry’s bearer, and the Peverells are the family of Harry’s sire. As both Harry’s sire and his bearer are dead, they are claiming the rights in their place, as nearest known kin.”

Alcandor snorted. “Krymsen can and will assert his rights as Harry's Third.”

Theo resisted the urge to snort. That had never been in question. Especially given Krym’s position and reputation.

“Our circle members also all have claims, as we are all soulbonded to him,” Theo cut in, pleased when his voice sounded far more mature and confident than he really felt.

No matter how questionable his upbringing had been while he’d still lived with his father, it had given him a near-perfect mask. It was very rare for him to let it down, and even rarer for something to crack it without him allowing it to. He’d been grateful for it many times once he’d started Hogwarts and been sorted into Slytherin, and he knew he’d be grateful for it many more times now that he’d been dragged into a circle as politically complex as this one.

“Indeed we do. The entire circle, not just the gheyo suite,” Hadrian confirmed.

Theo hid his relief at his ACE’s support. While he’d been reasonably confident that his ACE would back him up, he’d had no way to be certain. They hadn’t even known each other for a full week yet, were not bonded to each other, and had no settled dynamic between them. At this point, Hadrian realistically owed him nothing.

Raspen smiled at him, seeming pleased to see Theo and Hadrian backing each other up. “I quite agree. As a Royal bonded, I certainly have a claim, and I am sure everyone else in the circle feels the same.”

Bran shifted uncomfortably. “I do wish to have a claim enacted, however I would prefer that Riven enforce my claim on my behalf.”

Mariana frowned. “Is that due to preference or feeling that it is inappropriate? Neither your age nor your status as a Consort should prevent you from taking your due. Not when your soulbonded was attacked.”

Bran shifted uncomfortably. “I have a somewhat unusual family gift that makes any physical contact uncomfortable, and it can be extremely painful in some cases. The worst is people with violent pasts, or who had ill intentions or did bad things. I would prefer not to risk getting near Harry’s attackers.”

Mariana nodded. “I see. In that case, your concern is justified. Hadrian, please ensure that you are careful if you and Bran bonded.”

Hadrian nodded. “My Lady.”

Theo hid a smile. It was very strange to see Mariana Cunningham being protective of Harry and Bran, even if it was extremely minor and rather curt. The Shadow submissive was clearly much less emotionless than the rumors would imply.

That wasn’t entirely surprising, though. Theo himself had been known as the Ice Prince at Hogwarts, and only Blaise had known him well enough to realize that that particular moniker was completely inaccurate.

Sometimes, Theo had felt almost like he should be a Fire type, just from how furious he often felt while in the wizarding world. That society was just completely backwards, and so ridiculously prejudiced. There was almost nothing redeeming about the realm in any way, and he had always felt uncomfortable there. The only thing he’d had there was Blaise, his best friend. His fellow dragel, the one he’d been fortunate enough to have in his class and dorm by some strange stroke of luck.

Well, his Harry had been there too, along with the twins, but they hadn’t been Theo’s at the time. Theo had often noticed the young Gryffindor, and had been intrigued, but he’d never seriously considered approaching him.

Theodore did fairly well in Slytherin by remaining icily neutral. His father’s reputation was more than enough to incentivise other students to keep their distance, and his own talent for curses that were either highly questionable or impressively rare in the wizarding world made sure his abilities or beliefs were never seriously questioned. Draco had tried to challenge him once, their first year, but Theo had easily handled him.

Quinn cut in next, taking the opportunity while there was a slight pause. ‘I will delegate my rights to my parental circle’s Gheyo Joker, Bharin. My healing vows prevent me from enacting them to a suitable degree myself.’

Theo blinked. He hadn’t considered that, but it made sense that Quinn would need a gheyo to enforce his rights. Healers’ vows were strict, and for good reason. Still, they did cause problems sometimes for the healers that were required to swear them.

“That is quite understandable. Is there anyone else in the circle that wishes to forgo or delegate their rights? To either another circle member or to a relative or elemental representative?” King Edgar asked.

“Harry? That is an option for you, though it is certainly not required,” Queen Arista added, smiling gently at Harry.

Mariana snorted. “He can fight well enough, and he was one of the victims. Don’t try to stop him from taking his due from his attackers.”

Queen Arista frowned. “I’m not trying to make him not take his due, I’m just making sure he knows that he doesn’t have to do it himself. He’s fourteen.”

Mariana rolled her eyes. “He’s already fought before, and he did just fine earlier today. He isn’t a delicate little flower you need to avoid breaking.”

Queen Arista sighed. “No, he is far more capable than his age would imply. But there is a difference between what he can do and what he needs to do. Just because he can do it himself does not mean that he has to be the one to do it. Especially with his empathy.”

Queen Calla winced. “She has a point, dear. How was that, during the battle?”

Harry shrugged. “It was fine, actually. Not great, exactly, but not overwhelming either. I was able to mostly tune it out, since I had to focus.”

The Earth Queen smiled. “That is good to hear. I was concerned, given the apparent strength of your gift. Do you think it will be alright for the trials and punishments? Especially the executions?”

Theo hid a wince. He’d been avoiding thinking about that, hoping that Quinn would have some kind of dampening spell that would prevent the negative emotions from affecting Harry. If not, they may have to make some kind of alternate arrangements.

It wouldn’t be fair to make Harry sit through what would effectively be torture and executions, not when he could feel the emotions of everyone around.

Harry was still unsettled by bloodlust at times. The bloodlust guaranteed to come from the crowd at the punishments would be overwhelming, and that was even before you considered the emotions of those involved in the attack.

Theo had no consideration for the attackers’ emotions for their own sakes. They deserved what they would get for what they had tried to do to his submissive and Joker, and for injuring their Merrow bonded. Still, he couldn’t ignore the impact that they could have on his little submissive.

Harry frowned. “I’m not sure about that. Can I see what my options are for managing my empathy and decide at the time?”

King Edgar nodded. “I see no reason why not. It isn’t technically standard, but under the circumstances I don’t see any real reason why you should have to decide now.”

King Alcandor nodded sharply. “Indeed. We will simply note that Harry will have rights, but he may have someone else fulfill them, at his own discretion and that of his Healer.”

Harry blinked. “That of my Healer? Quinn? Is something like trials and executions bad enough to be a medical issue?”

Quinn made a face. ‘It wouldn't be good,’ he wrote. ‘You would be feeling people being tortured and dying, if we can’t block it enough.’

Harry grimaced slightly. “Okay. Depending on if Quinn can find something he’s sure will work well enough.”

Krym frowned. “Does Harry need to avoid being there at all?”

Quinn shrugged. ‘It’s too soon to tell. Completely blocking a gift like empathy, however temporarily, isn’t generally advised, so I haven’t even really looked into methods. It’ll probably depend on what I can find, and what’s worth the potential complications. If he does come, someone will probably have to be designated to keep an eye on him and take him away if necessary.’

Alcandor nodded. “Given that this will be happening in the Merrow courts, either my Queen, Killigan, or one of Alec’s brothers should be an appropriate escort for Harry and perhaps one or two bonded willing to miss some of the show. Or perhaps Mesmyr, as his uncle.”

Mesmyr nodded. “I would be happy to accompany my nephew whenever he may wish for or need my presence.”

Harry smiled shyly at the Merrow, forcing Theo to hide his own smile. His submissive was just too adorable.

Ethan shifted as he watched the proceedings. Things were going quite well, he felt. No one was really pushing too hard, and everyone seemed to have accepted that all of those with a claim were going to make one. There would probably be some tension regarding the order, but that would hopefully stay relatively calm.

“I suppose soulbonded do, traditionally, go first,” King Alcandor commented, sounding somewhat reluctant.

Theo nodded. “Traditionally, yes. Especially as Alec, Harry, and Brishen themselves are in our circle, and were the ones attacked.”

Alcandor raised an eyebrow. “I will give you that, little Alpha. Following the circle, as Harry’s Third, Krymsen is the closest relative present to the three victims.”

King Edgar frowned. “Prince Raspen is our crown prince, as we discussed previously. This was a threat to the Earth crown.”

Alcandor raised an eyebrow. “He is the son of Krymsen, who is the Crimson Tide and my intended Ace. As my Queen and I have no children, that leaves Harry as the soon-to-be only child of the Merrow crown royals.”

Harry’s jaw dropped in shock. “What?”

Ethan couldn’t blame him. While he had realized that Krymsen’s position as Crimson Tide was extremely significant, especially in Merrow culture, he’d completely missed one major detail about the role. The Crimson Tide was the King’s ACE, in all ways. That meant bonding, unless either the Crimson Tide or the King already had a circle or the two had a blood relation that would prevent the bond.

It was just strange to consider, in the context of their non-Merrow submissive.

Alcandor raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh yes. Your Third is my intended, and a circle considers any child of their members their own. Given your age, I suspect our relationship may be more similar to that of an uncle and nephew or cousins, but once Krymsen and I have bonded, I will technically be in a parental capacity towards you.”

Ethan was somewhat relieved to see that he wasn’t the only one shocked by this. Everyone except the Water types were visibly stunned, while Brishen just looked vaguely annoyed.

“You have not bonded to Krymsen yet, though, is that correct?” Queen Arista asked.

“I have not. We have not yet found the right submissive.” King Alcandor confirmed.

“I see. So it is, potentially, a boost to your claim when compared to other extended family, but not a direct parental relationship at this point,” the Air Queen confirmed.

King Alcandor seemed slightly annoyed. “Technically, that is correct.”

Ethan had to hide a smile. It wouldn’t do to laugh at the Merrow King, but Alcandor’s grudging admission had been hilarious, especially with how reluctant he clearly was to give it.

“So I believe the next closest blood relatives to those injured have precedence. I presume that would be Alec’s brothers? I apologize if I am intruding with this question, but Alec, Brishen, will either of your parents make a claim, or your siblings, Brishen?” Prince Peryton asked carefully.

Alec and Brishen both shook their heads. “My only remaining blood relatives are King Alcandor’s side of the family and my brothers,” Alec confirmed.

Brishen nodded. “I have no blood relations or nestmates that I wish to involve.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow at his phrasing. None that Brishen wished to involve was not the same as none at all.

Something to ask about later, perhaps. Much later, once they had a settled dynamic of some kind.

Peryton frowned. “Do you have any that would wish to be involved?”

The Phoelix shrugged. “One likely would, but she is a fire type and I don’t want to deal with her and her clan’s drama.”

Lord Alvon spoke up quickly. “I speak for all of Alec’s brothers when I say that we wish to take blood rights. All six of us will do so, though one will likely have to delegate their rights to another so that our duties are not neglected.”

King Alcandor nodded. “Indeed. Or your rights could cross days, allowing your family to split into groups and come to the courts without leaving the estate unguarded.”

Lord Alvon nodded deeply. “That would be most helpful, my king.”

King Edgar snorted. “A similar model may be required elsewhere. It will be difficult for myself, Prince Raspen, and Queen Calla to all be below the surface at the trial, especially as the Blood Wraith will insist on attending.”

Lady Bianca blinked. “Why would the Blood Wraith insist on attending?”

Theo spoke up before anyone else could. “She is my mentor, and our second Beta Ariki’s bearer.”

The de facto Storm ruler blinked again. “Is it going to be an issue that she is not here now?”

Ethan hid a wince. He hadn’t really considered that before, but he very much hoped that Ilsa and the rest of the Deveraines wouldn’t be too upset. Harry seemed to be getting pretty close to Bahn and Bhindi the other day, and Theo and Ariki both seemed quite attached to the circle as well. Not to mention Ilsa’s title.

If the Blood Crowne decided to be offended, it wouldn’t go well for their gheyos. Especially if Greta backed her up, as her soulbonded King and the Blood Rayne.

They were a very impressive pair. Probably the most powerful soulbonded ranked-pair possible, if he was being honest.

Two blood titles, one the most powerful on the circuit in Nevarah.

Impressive as Ethan’s new circle’s gheyo suite was, the Deveraines probably had them beat with two blood titles to their one, and Ilsa having defeated Hadrian in the battle for the Blood Crowne title.

King Edgar made a face, but shook his head after a moment. “She likely will not be pleased, and nor will her circle, but we kept this meeting to the families of those directly involved in the attack and the elemental leaders. Involving the families of everyone in the circle would have spiraled quickly.”

Lady Bianca nodded, clearly understanding as she considered those present. “I take your point. I can easily identify Shiae, Hartwood, and Kalzik, and even just one circle from each of those three clans would be a significant number of people.”

Ethan had to hide a snort. Lady Bianca certainly wasn’t wrong. His parents’ circle was relatively large, and very close-knit. If news got out that his submissive had been attacked, they would be swarmed by well-intentioned scholarly gheyos and pareya before they could blink.

It would be good for Harry, Ethan suspected. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if this did come out sometime in the next few weeks, preferably after Harry and the rest of their circle had settled in a little bit more.

And after Ethan had the chance to tell his mother himself. She’d never let him live it down if he didn’t, and she heard through the rumor mill.

Alec hid his surprise as they moved onto the more distant relatives. He hadn’t expected his brother to demand rights for his entire family, though maybe he should have. His older brothers had all been extremely protective when he was younger, before he’d sided with Alcandor in the battles for the throne. Perhaps some of that care and protectiveness wasn’t quite as lost as he’d assumed.

Queen Arista sighed. “So, to recap, the circle, then Krymsen, as Harry’s Third, and then Lord Alvon and the rest of Alec’s brothers. I suppose other family members of those directly involved come next, following that pattern?”

“It would seem so,” Princess Ebony agreed, her tone deliberately mild.

“As Harry’s grandfather, I am the next closest relative within his family,” Briar spoke, cutting in before Henry could speak up.

Henry grimaced, but nodded slowly. “Lewis is his great-grand uncle, and our circle is much smaller. As his closest relatives on his Sire’s side, it may make more sense to have us go first so that your circle is not as delayed as ours would be if your circle were to go first.”

Briar raised an eyebrow. “My circle are his grandparents, in addition to his bearer’s closest relatives. I, personally, am his bearer’s sire. We have a closer blood relation, and the last of our circle would be just as delayed as your circle would be.”

Henry frowned. “You also have rights in Death’s courts that we do not, giving you an additional benefit not available to our clan.”

Briar raised an eyebrow. “You could have a claim in Death’s court. You know exactly what you would need to do to reclaim your clan’s status in Her favor.”

Lewis frowned. “We cannot do that without the approval of the Clan Chief and a majority vote by all blood Peverells.”

Henry looked extremely confused. “Lewis? What do you mean?”

Lewis shook his head. “I can’t really explain it. Only those of Peverell blood are allowed to be informed.”

Theo frowned. “Will Harry need to know this?”

Lewis nodded. “Most likely, though given his connection to the Evansons it is unlikely to be an issue for him.”

Theo nodded, clearly sensing that the issue wasn’t going to be discussed further.

Queen Arista sighed. “The issues of Death’s courts are separate from those of Nevarah’s courts by law and custom. We really can’t include that in our deliberations, no matter how valid the point may be.”

Princess Dawne nodded. “Indeed. I’m sorry Lord Peverell, but as the grandparents the Evansons do have the closer relationship.”

King Alcandor smirked. “Don’t get your fins twisted up, Peverell. There will be plenty to play with. Perhaps the Evansons will even give you some inspiration. Hellhounds and Fae do tend to have some useful ideas every once in a while.”

Briar frowned, clearly wondering whether to take that as a compliment or as an insult.

Alec had to hide his smirk. His lovely royal cousin had a particular talent for backhanded compliments, and took great pleasure in doling them out. The more blurred the line between compliment and insult, the more satisfaction the Merrow King took from giving it.

Queen Arista nodded. “So Evanson then Peverell. Primarily just the blood relatives, but the Clan Chiefs do have a right to be included as the family representing their members.”

King Alcandor frowned, looking around pointedly. “If they wish to be considered Harry’s family, why are neither of the Clan’s Chiefs present now to show their concern?”

Princess Dawne cut in quickly before a fight could break out. “Clan Chief Tauria Peverell was here earlier, and did express her wish to both connect with Harry and to press for blood rights as his family.”

Alec frowned slightly. So she’d come to the courts when called, but not bothered to stick around and meet Harry? She hadn’t even had a message sent and come after being informed, like the Evansons.

King Alcandor clearly agreed with Alec. “If she was here earlier, why is she not here now?”

Henry Peverell quickly answered the King, seeming to want to cut off more speculation about his Clan Chief’s intentions. “Her submissive is currently in the midst of a delicate pregnancy, and coming to Nevarah to meet Harry destabilized it somewhat. She could not be away tonight, but did express her intent to press for rights and meet Harry as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Alec relaxed slightly, seeing several others in the room do so as well. A submissive’s delicate pregnancy and unstable health was certainly a valid excuse to not be able to attend the courts, even under the circumstances. It wasn’t ideal, not by any means, but it wasn’t an indication that she did not care for or value having a good relationship with Harry, either.

King Alcandor nodded. “Acceptable, for now. Arrange the meeting as soon as possible, though. If she has not met him before the trial, she will not be considered as a close relative and will be forced to take the last slot.”

Queen Arista nodded. “An acceptable compromise.”

Henry nodded. “Yes, Your Majesties.”

Alec noticed that both Peverells were frowning slightly, clearly displeased to have lost the primary position for Harry’s relatives to the Evansons, and to have their Clan Chief’s status as family to Harry be conditional. Still, both knew better than to object. Not when they still had a closer position than the Royals themselves, and all Tauria had to do to maintain a relative’s position was to meet Harry before the trial.

King Edgar nodded. “The same condition will apply to Lord Evanson. Former Clan Chief, now Clan Head Evanson, that is.”

Briar nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. I would request that you send a message to him, as he has not responded to any messages from our circle for over a decade.”

King Edgar frowned. “He has not responded to any Royal messages in a similar time period.”

Alec frowned. A missing clan head was not a good sign, especially one that was previously a Clan Chief.

It only got worse once he considered that Jun, his daughter and Harry’s bearer, was also missing and had been for several decades. Adding to that the fact that Jun had disappeared while on an intelligence mission on Earth, and it was a probable disaster.

“That will need to be investigated. Immediately.” Lord Cunningham stated.

Queen Arista nodded. “It will. Would your circle be willing to take it, as soon as Introductions end? The Blood Wraith could assist you, perhaps?”

King Edgar nodded. “I believe she will be willing, under the circumstances.”

Prince Raspen nodded slowly. “A hunt to locate Lady Jun Evanson was already on our circle’s list of hunts, though it was not as high of a priority as we were unaware that Lord Evanson was also missing.”

Lady Mariana raised an eyebrow. “We will have to coordinate our hunts, it seems. There are far too many of them, and they seem to be concerningly intertwined.”

Hadrian nodded. “They do. Most of them link to Earth, specifically to the British wizarding community and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”

Princess Ebony coughed lightly. “I’m sorry, but is this relevant to this proceeding? It does need to be handled, and we can order the hunt now, but perhaps coordination should be a later meeting?”

Alec hid a snort. It was rare for a Fire type to be the one to keep things on track, but Princess Ebony really wasn’t all that bad. Her flames weren’t even truly uncomfortable, just annoying. Most of the bickering and insults between her and Alcandor were just for tradition’s sake at this point.

Prince Raspen hid a wince as he considered who was left to press rights. They were down to just the royals and pseudo-royals, at this point. This was the point where things could get a little dicey, though realistically it shouldn’t be too bad. A clear pattern of who had the closest claim had already been established along the way.

The only question now would be how stubborn everyone who did not have the closest claims would feel like being.

King Alcandor smirked. “I believe the next would be more distant relatives. As Harry’s Third’s intended and Alec’s cousin, I am both Harry and Alec’s next closest relative.”

King Edgar frowned. “You are his Third’s intended, not bonded. Harry is my son’s bonded, and the attack on him was a threat to the Earth crown itself, through his bonding to Raspen.”

King Alcandor glared. “Harry is my future stepson, and Alec is my first cousin. Harry has a Merrow Third, Alec is a Merrow himself, and Brishen is a Water elemental within Merrow jurisdiction. This was an attack on the Merrow. The attackers didn’t even know of Harry’s bonding to your son.”

King Edgar stood his ground. “The greatest threat to any of the courts was still to the Earth element. Prince Raspen is the confirmed Crown Prince, and Acting Crown Royal. Theodore himself is a potential heir of Lady Ilsa Gorgens, who is an Earth Clan Heiress herself.”

King Alcandor raised an eyebrow. “The only actual harm done in this attack was an injury received by Alec, who is a Merrow and under my personal protection as a court member who has not yet reached his first century.”

Queen Arista rolled her eyes. “Enough. King Alcandor has a slightly higher claim, for himself and for Queen Regent Esperanza.”

King Edgar frowned, but didn’t argue further. Raspen couldn’t help but feel slightly relieved. Sure, his father had pushed some, but he’d still listened to reason and backed off once the battle was obviously lost.

Not that it hadn’t been a doomed effort from the beginning, but at least the Earth King hadn’t let his infamous temper get away from him when he inevitably lost.

“I believe that the Earth crown comes next, then?” Princess Ebony commented delicately.

Queen Arista frowned. “Not being a crown prince does not make Prince Peryton any less significant or important than Prince Raspen.”

Princess Dawne smiled. “No it does not, however it is a reasonable organization, if only for expediency.”

Prince Peryton nodded. “Indeed. I do not take any offense at Prince Raspen’s connection being counted before mine.”

Queen Arista looked closely at her son’s face, then nodded. “I don’t agree, necessarily, but I will acquiesce in this matter. My blood rights will be carried out by the Blood Whisper. Dawne, darling? Do you wish to press for additional rights, as the Air Crown Princess and Acting Crown Royal?”

Dawne nodded slowly. “I do. Will the punishments be held in open court or closed?”

King Alcandor gave a dangerous smirk as he nodded at Dawne. “I believe closed would be most appropriate, considering Harry’s age and the identities of those involved.”

Princess Dawne smiled slightly. “Then I will press my blood rights for myself.”

Queen Arista frowned. “That is not traditional, darling. Perhaps your guard captain may be more appropriate?”

Lady Mariana rolled her eyes. “Traditional or not, it is her right to take what is her due for an attack on her brother-in-law. Why do you insist on trying to discourage people from taking their own rights?”

Queen Arista glared at the Shadow submissive. “Not every court is as forgiving of shows of temper as the Shadow courts. Acting on her own blood rights risks courting a massive scandal, which could mar her reign for centuries. Princess Dawne can’t afford that right now, not when she should be taking up the crown in the next three or four decades.”

Dawne sighed. “Mother, it will be fine. The courts will be closed, and all actions within them under seal.”

King Alcandor nodded. “Indeed they will. No landwalkers will learn any details about what occurs there.”

Raspen had to hide a smirk as he took in the Peverells’ expressions. Clearly, Henry and Lewis had never really considered that the royals might be so bloodthirsty.

Or, more likely, they had never considered that Princess Dawne would be so bloodthirsty, or so willing to exact harsh blood rights herself. Most landwalkers would have no trouble at all imagining the Merrow King doing so, or perhaps Prince Raspen himself.

Still, the seal would benefit all of the royals involved, not just Princess Dawne. Actually, this meeting would be better to be sealed as well. “As this meeting is relevant to those court proceedings, does it also fall under the seal?”

King Alcandor blinked in surprise, then smirked. “I do believe that it does. Only matters of fact required to assist in the investigations may be shared with those not present.”

Queen Arista frowned for a moment, then relaxed slightly. Clearly, the Air Queen was pleased that Princess Dawne’s announcement of her intent to take blood rights herself could not be publicly exposed.

Raspen thought she was overreacting, honestly. The Air courts were fairly uptight about propriety, but they weren’t totally unreasonable. No one would blame the princess for wanting blood rights from those who hurt her family.

Or at least, no one worth bothering with. There were a few imbeciles in the Air courts who weren’t worth the air they breathed, but Raspen really didn’t think that their opinions should count.

King Edgar sighed. “The Blood Wraith will take the blood rights for myself, and our bonded Ace for Queen Calla, as is traditional.”

Raspen nodded, pleased. Not that he didn’t want his father to be directly involved in the punishments, but he still felt that this was the better option. It was good to have an excuse to have Ilsa Gorgens involved, as her talents were quite noteworthy, and she would do much more damage than the Earth King and Queen could manage.

Princess Ebony nodded. “That is good to hear. Hopefully, that will help assuage any concerns Lady Gorgens may have about not being present for this meeting.”

Lady Mariana snorted. “Concerns? That isn’t the word I would choose.”

Lady Bianca seemed to agree. “Nor the one I would choose. How far are the connections going? Because if we are counting in-laws, I also would like to place a claim, though I do acknowledge that it is after the official royals.”

Prince Raspen blinked in surprise. While they had mentioned earlier that Devrim would be wearing the Dreswell family crest at the Introductions, he hadn’t realized that the connection was close enough to count for something like this. “What is your exact connection, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Lady Bianca hesitated. “Devrim? Are you ok with me sharing, since you have not?”

Devrim shrugged. “I have no objection.”

Prince Raspen hid a frown. There was an odd expression on his Gheyo Prince’s face, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. It seemed like shock and hope, but hidden under a layer of jadedness and uncertainty.

Overall, not entirely positive emotions, and not something that really indicated a close tie between his circle member and the Dreswell clan.

“Devrim is my grandson. He is the only child of my late daughter, Mara,” Lady Bianca announced calmly.

Raspen blinked in surprise. That was a very close connection, which made it fairly shocking that it was such a surprise to him. “I see. I do believe that is definitely a close enough connection to count as a tie to you, as an elemental leader.”

Queen Arista nodded. “Indeed it is. You will have the rights immediately after the Air Crown’s. Does anyone else wish to claim an official connection and add rights, before we have this finalized?”

Lady Mariana shifted. “Hadrian is contracted to me. Parts of his oaths and service were invalidated by his bonding, but he is still sworn to the Shadow leadership as the Shadow courts’ champion.”

Raspen had to hide a snort. It seemed that the Cunningham circle just couldn’t pass up a chance to take out some aggression on worthy targets, especially when it was offered up so temptingly. Still, he wouldn’t object. More claims meant just more pain for those who had tried to hurt Raspen’s submissive.

King Edgar rolled his eyes. “That is somewhat of a stretch, but not entirely unreasonable. I am inclined to agree.”

King Alcandor had regained his shark-like grin. “Indeed. It is a connection, and Hadrian was summoned to the fight. He did not arrive in time to participate, but Alec did call for him.”

Princess Ebony nodded. “Indeed. And since every other element has a claim, and the Evanson and Peverell clan chiefs have provisional claims dependent on finalizing their connections to Harry, I think I will make a claim as a relative of Harry’s Fire Beta and Pareya, through the Prewitt clan, and as Charles’s mentor.”

Alcandor twitched slightly at the idea of allowing a Fire royal to make claims in the Merrow courts, but nodded. “I approve, subject to you speaking with Harry, Alec, or Brishen outside of this meeting and finalizing your mentor-student bond with Charles.”

Ebony nodded. “I accept those conditions. On that subject, my parents, the Fire King and Queen, and the rest of their circle wish to meet you, Charlie, and the rest of your circle as soon as possible.”

Raspen blinked. “They want to meet our circle so fast? Just from the announcement of the attack, or from your student being involved”

Ebony hid a smile. “They don’t know about the connection to this meeting or the attack, or to any of the other circle members at all. All they know is Charles’s first name.”

Raspen nodded. “That makes much more sense.”

Prince Peryton nodded. “It does. So, as a summary, blood rights go to the circle, Krymsen, Alec’s brothers, the Evansons, the Peverells, King Alcandor and the Merrow royals, the Earth Royals partially enacted by the Blood Wraith, the Air royals partially enacted by the Blood Whisper, the Dreswell Clan, the Cunningham Clan, and Princess Ebony, in that order.”

Queen Arista nodded. “That is what I have written down, as well.”

Harry relaxed slightly against Idan’s chest as they moved on from finalizing the order of things. He’d known it would take a while, but he had not enjoyed feeling all of the conflicting emotions while they’d argued it out. It hadn’t been completely awful, but it also hadn’t been ideal. The Gheyo Queen had clearly been doing his best to project calm and pleasant emotions for him, but his iron-clad control had slipped a few times.

Harry couldn’t blame him, not at all. This was a high-emotion time, and it was all Harry could do to keep track of which emotions were his, try not to react to emotions that were not his, and keep his own emotions from escaping and influencing anyone else.

It would only get worse once the guards returned, and they began to interrogate and take blood rights from the dead attackers. Apparently, his assumption that the dead couldn’t be punished was not actually accurate, and they fully intended to summon the souls and enact punishments. Limited punishments, compared to those that would come later, but still some form of consequences.

Harry jumped slightly as a flash of bright red light temporarily blinded him, blinking quickly to try to clear his vision. He frowned a moment later once he realized that he was no longer tucked comfortably against Idan’s chest.

It seemed, from what Harry could tell with his slowly returning limited vision, that his Gheyo Queen had pushed him behind him, taking up a protective stance between Harry and the rapidly clarifying new arrivals.

Very familiar new arrivals, at that. Now that he could see, he easily recognized his friends.

“Hermione? Ginny? Luna?” he gasped, staring at the trio in shock. All three were lying on the ground, unconscious and clearly injured.

“Harry? You know these three?” Prince Raspen asked carefully, sending some sort of message off.

He nodded quickly. “They’re my best friends, essentially my sisters. Ginny, the one with the red hair, is Charlie and the twins’ little sister.”

Quinn nodded sharply, moving closer to examine them. ‘Their injuries are not trivial, but none are beyond my abilities at this point, individually. One or two of my parents’ assistance would be helpful,’ he added, directing his request at Prince Raspen.

The Earth Prince nodded. “I already summoned them, just to be safe.”

Quinn nodded. ‘Good. Harry, do you know this Phoenix, as well?’

Harry nodded. “Fawkes. He stays at Hogwarts, he’s helped me before a few times.”

Fawkes gave a cheerful song in greeting, swooping over to perch on Harry’s shoulder. The submissive smiled softly, reaching up to gently stroke the phoenix’s head. “What happened to them, Fawkes? How did they end up so badly hurt,” he murmured, not really expecting an answer.

Fawkes gave a series of chirps and squawked, causing Harry to blink in surprise. That sounded like Fawkes had intended for it to be a legitimate response, but Harry had no idea what that response may be.

“He says that the Headmaster caught these three searching his office for evidence of his crimes, and attacked them. The harm they have suffered was caused by this Headmaster. The potions professor apparently attempted to assist the three in fighting the Headmaster off, and did some damage, but he and a house elf were taken away by the Fae girl’s portal. Fawkes brought these three here so that they would be safe and receive care,” Brishen translated.

Harry blinked. He hadn’t realized that Brishen would be able to understand Fawkes, though it did make sense. Phoelix and Phoenix were somewhat related, even if they weren’t quite the same.

“Dumbledore did this?” Fred asked, his hair alight with angry white flames.

“That is what it sounds like,” Theo agreed quietly, eyeing Fred carefully as he moved to gently tug George into a one-armed hug.

Princess Ebony blinked. “Headmaster? As in at a school?”

Charlie nodded. “Yes. Albus Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the main school in Britain, in the wizarding world.”

The Princess looked furious. “This is the school you mentioned being linked to several other issues, earlier?”

Prince Raspen nodded, eyes hard. “Yes. The school has had many dangerous incidents happen, allowed by the Headmaster’s incompetence or negligence. This is the first instance of the Headmaster actively harming students that I have heard of, but it isn’t the first instance of inappropriate conduct.”

Lady Mariana hissed softly. “Hadrian, get a full summary from your bonded by Friday night, and we will begin the hunt on Saturday.”

Hadrian nodded sharply, clearly more than ready to hunt those involved in harming his submissive.

Theo turned his head into George’s neck so that no one would see his dark grin. It was about time for Albus Dumbledore and the rest of the wizarding world’s leadership to get what was coming for them.

Chapter Text

Wikhn frowned as he took in the chaos surrounding him.  Quinn and Riven had hurried over to the three girls who had appeared and were casting rapidly over all of them.  Quinn seemed extremely displeased, bordering on furious, and Riven was muttering furiously in a language Wikhn didn’t recognize.  

Neither were good signs as to what the diagnostics may contain.  

Harry wasn’t taking it any better than Quinn or Riven.  He and the twins had seemed to completely shut down, and Charlie had had to drag all three of them into a tight hug, with Ethan and Theo hurrying over to help soothe all four of them.  

Theo and Blaise seemed upset as well, though Wikhn wasn’t entirely sure why.  He wasn’t surprised that they were upset, of course, but there were just too many potential reasons for him to be sure which one was the cause.  

Most of their circle, he was reasonably certain, were upset because these were underage children who had been harmed by a man who was supposed to protect them.  The fact that it upset their circle members also was a factor in their reactions, as well.  

Harry and their Fire Types’ reactions were a bit stronger, of course, as they were close to them.  The other wizarding-born, however, could have any number of additional factors.  It didn’t sound like they’d have known these girls, or at least not well, but they knew the man who had attacked them, and had been in the school where it had happened for years.  

Bran seemed upset as well, likely because he knew these three from Harry and the Weasleys’ memories.  He wasn’t as directly impacted as Harry and the Weasleys, but they’d still need to keep an eye on him, just to be safe.  Fortunately, Ariki had him tucked carefully under his arm, and seemed to be keeping the young Consort calm without too much trouble.  The Beta wasn’t Ethan, who Bran had gravitated towards pretty strongly so far, but he was still a strong grounding and comforting presence, and far better as a calm support than one of the gheyos would be.  He was even a decent elemental match, as Bran came from an Air clan despite his nameless status.  

There were plenty of complications to add onto an already chaotic situation, and the operating triad all being involved did not help.  Theo’s involvement was far less blatant than Harry’s and Charlie’s, but he clearly knew all three girls and the man they were fighting.  Ariki wasn’t involved, at least, and was a Beta, but he was the second Beta.  Ideally, issues like this should be handled by the Alpha, or the primary Beta if the Alpha had some kind of conflict of interest.  

Fortunately for Wikhn, though, whatever fallout came from this was not his responsibility to deal with.  He’d happily help hunt for the one or ones responsible, of course, but he’d keep well away from the politics and court niceties.  

The door suddenly burst open, revealing Hiram and Surajini Kalzik.  

“Your Majesties,” the Kalzik Alpha greeted as he quickly bowed.  “Prince Raspen, you summoned us?” Hiram asked, moving towards the three unconscious teens as he asked.  

Surajini didn’t even bother to pretend to care about the royalty present, instead just beginning to cast her spells on the young redhead.  

Charlie and the twins’ little sister, apparently.  Their unconscious and completely ashen sister, at that.  

King Edgar nodded to Hiram.  “Indeed he did, for reasons that are quite apparent.  We don’t know what happened to these three, they just appeared in a ball of flame with that Phoenix.”  

Brishen snorted.  “The headmaster of their school attempted to murder them, along with another professor and a house elf who tried to protect them.”  

Harry blinked.  “House elf?  Was it Dobby?”  

Brishen raised an eyebrow at their submissive.  “Dobby?”  

Harry nodded.  “He’s my friend.  Is he ok?”  

Fawkes chirped several times, causing Brishen’s eyebrow to raise further. 

“Apparently, he and the ‘snakey potions master’ were taken somewhere by the Fae girl’s portal.  Fawkes does not know where they went or their exact condition, but both were conscious when the portal was activated,” Brishen translated.  

“Snakey potions master?” Prince Raspen asked, looking like he couldn’t quite decide if he wanted to scowl at the situation or laugh at the unfortunate nickname.  

“Professor Snape, I would assume.  The head of Slytherin house, whose mascot is a snake, and the potions professor,” Theo explained.  “One of the more involved and protective professors, though his attitude towards his students isn’t exactly what it should be.”  

Fred snorted.  “Not what it should be?  That’s what you call it?” 

Theo shrugged.  “Completely inappropriate would be more accurate, but he has never injured a student or allowed a student to be maimed or killed on his watch, and is less horrible to his students than Professor Dumbledore is to Slytherins when he thinks no one outside the house can hear.”

Charlie grimaced.  “I have to agree with that.  I heard Dumbldore’s rants a few times, when I was in school and used to hang out in the Slytherin common room with a few friends.”  

Prince Raspen raised an eyebrow.  “Just how horrible did the headmaster get?  And why didn’t you mention it before?”  

Charlie shrugged.  “There are no laws preventing it in Britain, so legally he did nothing he could be punished for.  Even if there were laws against it, he would never be charged.  And technically I never saw him harm a student, at least physically.  He mainly told them that they were all destined to be evil or failures, and that the wizarding world would be far better off without them.  He also liked to rant about how creatures were scum.”

Theo nodded.  “That rant is still one of his favorites.  I think every single Slytherin in the school has it memorized by now.”  

Wikhn had to turn his head away to avoid looking too feral in front of the royals.  This behavior was completely unacceptable from a headmaster, and yet none of the wizard-raised present seemed to find it at all unusual.  It raised far too many questions about their upbringing and schooling, none of which Wikhn wanted to dwell on.  

Theo sighed.  “Exactly.  Snape mainly kept his insults to things like being too nervous or unprepared or clumsy, or not being good at potions in general.  He really goes after Harry and Neville, and he’s gone way too far criticizing Hermione a couple times, but most of the time he is just an extremely strict teacher who gives excessively harsh criticism.”

“What does him going after Harry look like?”  Ariki asked, frowning.  

Blaise made a displeased noise.  “He usually insults Harry’s father, and implies that Harry’s fame, which comes from surviving the attack that killed his parents, is the only reason people like him.  He also likes to imply that Harry is an idiot, even though he obviously is not, and he gives him poor grades even though his potions are actually pretty good.  If he was graded fairly, he would probably be in the top ten or so in the class.”

Harry blinked.  “I’m not that smart.”  

Bran snorted inelegantly.  “Don’t be ridiculous, Harry.  I’ve seen all of your memories, including these potions classes, and you did extremely well under the circumstances.  And you’ve done even better in most of your other classes.”  

Queen Arista raised an eyebrow.  “You seem to have conflicting feelings about this professor, Theodore.  You as well, Blaise was it?  Can you elaborate on why that may be, when he is so harsh on your submissive?  And so unfairly?”  

Blaise shrugged.  “He gives a damn about what happens to the students.  All of us, not just his favorites or his house.  That’s more than I can say about the rest of them.”  

Fred snorted.  “He’s not wrong.  And we certainly aren’t in his house or his favorites.  We’re actually his two biggest targets in our year, and he still has done more to help us when we actually needed it than our own head of house has.”  

Harry shrugged.  “I really don’t like him, at all, but he hasn’t ever tried to kill a student, or turned a student into an animal, or told us that we’re destined to die horribly, and I’ve never seen him drunk.”  

Wikhn froze, staring at his submissive.  “What?”  

Harry shrugged.  “Hogwarts teachers do weird things.”  

Wikhn raised an eyebrow.  This sounded like deciding what to do about this man would be a disaster, once they managed to figure out where he had ended up and retrieve him.  And they would have to find him, if only to see what he knew about Dumbledore. 

The rest of the teachers at that school wouldn’t be any easier, either, if they had gotten drunk in front of students, or harmed students in any way.  It was beyond inappropriate.  

Theo sighed.  “Professor Snape is a horrible teacher, and honestly should not be allowed anywhere near children, but unfortunately that’s kind of the norm at Hogwarts.  There are really only three or four truly good teachers there, and even they don’t really do anything to protect the students.  Snape does pay attention and defend the students against whatever dangers Dumbledore brings into the castle, and he has managed to prevent any students from being killed or permanently injured in his classes since he took the position.  That’s a low standard, I know, but it’s better than I can say about the other professors.”  

Wikhn had to dig his claws into his hands to avoid showing too strong of a reaction to that statement.  Only one professor hadn't had a student die or be permanently injured in his class, and somehow that was basic, non-noteworthy information to the wizard-raised?  

“And this is considered normal in the wizarding world?” Ebony asked, sounding absolutely furious.  

Wikhn was actually impressed that she hadn’t caught fire yet.  In fact, the Fire Princess was barely smoking at all.  It was an impressive show of control for a fire type.

Charlie shrugged.  “In Britain it is.  Some countries are better about safety, but Britain, and honestly most of Europe, just aren’t really interested in protecting children.  They tend not to care about accidents unless someone dies, and even then only if they are a pureblood or rich enough to make a fuss at the Ministry.”  

King Edgar frowned.  “They would ignore a student’s death?”  

Harry nodded.  “They didn’t really care too much about Moaning Myrtle's death.  They were going to close the school, but didn’t, and they didn’t do anything to try to help her ghost move on.”  

Theo nodded slowly.  “There was that, and also maybe Sally-Anne Perks.”  

Harry frowned.  “Do you know what happened to her?  I saw her at the sorting, and for the first few weeks of class, but then she was gone and no one was talking about her at all.  It seemed like the Hufflepuffs knew something, but any time she was mentioned they all just seemed scared.”  

Theo shook his head.  “No, she was just there one day and gone the next.  I know she wanted to talk to one of the professors about something private, but that’s all.”  

Marianna frowned.  “Another hunt, then.  When was this?”  

Theo blinked, seeming to hide surprise.  Wikhn couldn’t help but wonder why.  Of course a missing child would require a hunt, even if they were probably just a typical wizard, with no creature inheritance, and even if it could easily be something as simple as she was homesick and wished to return to her family.  

Either way, it was suspicious, and suspicious activity around a child at that school warranted a hunt, after all they’d heard.  

“About three and a half years ago,” Blaise cut in.  “A month or so into our first year, I think.”  

Theo and Harry nodded, Harry still clinging onto Charlie and watching the bushy-haired brunette.  

Wikhn resisted the urge to sigh.  Today had already been far too stressful for their circle, and especially for Harry.  They really didn’t need Charlie and the twins’ blood sister and Harry’s three surrogate sisters to now be severely injured, or to be digging into what was likely complicated and painful memories for all of their wizard-raised bonded.  

It was better for these three to be safely in Nevarah than still in danger at that school, of course, but this arrival was more tension piled on top of an already exhausting day.  

Surajini sighed a few minutes later, leaning back and turning her attention to the rest of the room.  “None of them have life-threatening injuries, but all are severely magically exhausted, and the redhead and the brunette have concerning seals.  All three have been exposed to extremely questionable magic, as well.  We will have to monitor them consistently until they wake, and they will require purification rituals once they do.”  

Harry frowned, but nodded slowly.  “So they’ll be ok?”  

Surajini smiled gently at him.  “They should be.  We can’t technically guarantee anything until they wake, but nothing on their scans should be life-threatening.”  

George, apparently, was not completely reassured by this.  “How long will that take?  For them to wake up, that is?”  

Surajini sighed.  “That is harder to predict, without knowing their full medical histories and the exact details of the suppressions and magics affecting them.  It could be anywhere from a few hours to a week or more.”  

Fred blinked, looking extremely upset.  “A week?”  

Hiram nodded, as Ethan pulled his fellow Pareya in for a firm hug.  “It is not particularly likely that it will be that long, but it really depends on what they need.  They are in healing comas now, so they will wake once their healing has been completed to a satisfactory level.  It depends largely on their own magic, which is why we can’t be as precise as we’d prefer.”  

Charlie frowned, but nodded.  “That makes sense.  I’ve seen it a few times in Romania, with a few of the senior dragon handlers.”  

Queen Arista raised an eyebrow.  “Senior dragon handlers?  Which reserve?  And how did you manage to get enough access to meet them?”  

Charlie blinked, clearly surprised by the question. “I work as a dragon handler at the Romanian dragon reserve.  The main one, if you’re familiar with the system there.  I’ve only been to the other ones a couple of times, and have never worked at them.”  

The Air Queen seemed even more surprised.  “You were working there even before your inheritance?”  

Charlie nodded.  “I was, yes.  They allow those without inheritances, as long as you have no issue with or prejudices against those who do have inheritances.”  The Beta paused with a frown, seeming to consider his next words more carefully.  “I wasn’t aware of any dragels being associated with the reserve, though.  Or even that dragels were still alive.”  

King Edgar snorted.  “The laws regarding our society’s secrecy take precedence over a reserve’s policy of accepting standard wizards.”  

Charlie nodded easily, clearly understanding the reasons behind that decision.  

Wikhn was somewhat surprised by his Beta’s easy acceptance of the fact that he’d been lied to, or at the very least deliberately not told the truth by his employers for years.  When he thought about it though, maybe he shouldn’t be.  Charlie was definitely a Fire type, that was never going to be in doubt with his red hair, Prewitt heritage, and comfort with flames and fire spells, but he had never shown the hairpin-trigger temper that was often associated with the element.  

It would be a good thing in the long run, Wikhn decided.  Alec, Hadrian, Riven, and Wikhn himself all had bad enough tempers to more than make up for Charlie’s calm disposition.  

—-----------------—-----------------

Perry hid a grimace as he moved so he could see the three girls more clearly.  They all looked much better than when they’d arrived, but they still didn’t look even remotely healthy.  It wasn’t a great sign, he knew.  

It wasn’t a sign that they wouldn’t heal, of course.  He was confident in the Kalzik clan’s abilities, and if Lady Surajini said they would recover fully, then they would recover fully.  No, it was a sign that whatever had happened to them to get them into this state was much more dangerous than they had realized.  

“Brishen?  Can Fawkes tell us if this Dumbledore fellow has any kind of creature inheritance?” he asked carefully, hoping he was wrong about where these injuries and the previous hints about the man’s prejudices seemed to be pointing.  

Brishen’s face shifted into a furious scowl as Fawkes chirped, making Perry wince.  He knew perfectly well that it couldn’t be anything good with that expression.  

“He’s a Torvak, apparently, but not a normal one,” Brishen finally commented after Fawkes finished his explanation.  

His fairly long explanation, actually.  Perry had expected maybe a few tweets, but instead Fawkes had seemed to have quite a lot to say on the subject.  

“Not a normal one?  Is that better or worse?”  King Alcandor asked.  

Brishen grimaced, running his hand over the trident pendant he was wearing.  “Worse.  Much worse.  He is a half-Torvak, through his father, who should not have even had an inheritance.  He did something to himself, some kind of potion, Fawkes believes, to make himself into a Torvak, and he has also used some other kind of ritual or potion to make himself more powerful.”  

Theo blinked.  “I’m sorry, Brishen, but just to confirm, the headmaster of the school that Charlie spent seven years at, the twins spent six years at, and Harry, Blaise and I have spent four years at is a Torvak ?”  

Brishen nodded with a grimace.  Perry had to force himself not to also make a face while in court, but it was a close thing.  The idea of six of their bonded being exposed to a torvak during the formative years, when they were most vulnerable, was absolutely horrifying.  

Theo grimaced.  “Ilsa’s going to lose her mind when she finds out.”  

Ariki visibly shuddered.  “I’ll stay well away when you tell her.  From Greta and Mera, too.”  

Theo raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at him.  “When I tell her?  This was discovered in closed court, so of course I can’t be the one to tell her.  Whichever royal handles sending her on the hunt to Earth to help investigate this will have to be the one to do so.”  

Perry had to look down to hide his smirk.  It was clever of Theo to play it off that way.  Not fully honest, of course, as none of the royals would realistically object to the Alpha informing his mentor himself, but not a bad way to dodge the responsibility either.  The Earth blood title was extremely protective, from what Perry had seen, and would take this very badly.  Unfortunately for Prince Raspen, however, Theo dodging the responsibility put him as the next one in the hot seat.  

Their circle’s official Royal rank clearly realized this, though, and had no problems passing the unwanted responsibility off to the next available target.  “I must agree with you Theodore.  It is a key detail of the investigation.  And it is a significant enough issue that I do believe that it requires the official King to handle it, especially as my neutrality is somewhat compromised by my bonding to six of the man’s suspected victims,” the Earth prince smoothly interjected.  

King Edgar rolled his eyes, but nodded.  “Indeed it does.  We would not want to have any indication of conflicts of interest or impropriety.  Our people are so very invested in neutrality in the face of Torvaks, after all.  In fact, perhaps it should be investigated by an unconnected court.  Princess Ebony?  Perhaps you or your parents would be more appropriate?”  

Ebony shook her head.  “That would be completely inappropriate.  Even aside from Lady Gorgens being the Earth champion, and not the Fire champion, my parents and I are related to all four of the fire types through the Prewitts, and I am going to be Charles’s mentor.”  

King Edgar nodded after a moment.  “I supposed that is true.  And we all know how Lady Gorgens feels about you, Queen Arista.”  

Perry had to hide his face for a moment so no one would see his snicker.  That was a hard hit, and he knew that it had landed once he saw his mother’s expression.  The change was subtle, but he knew that the distance between herself and the Deveraines did affect her.   

It was her own fault, of course, but it was still a sensitive spot.  

The Earth King continued on, clearly amused by Queen Arista’s inability to refute that statement.  “King Alcandor, I suppose you will insist that your connections to Harry and Alec also disqualify you?”  

The Merrow King smirked.  “He is my future stepson.  That is quite a close connection.  And Lady Gorgens is your champion.  I already have one blood title whose son was around a torvak to handle.”  

Perry blinked.  He hadn’t considered that, as Krymsen hadn’t said anything in response to the news, but the Merrow certainly did not look at all pleased.  It would not surprise him at all if King Alcandor had to spend a good amount of time tonight calming his intended Ace.  

Actually, they may need to just invite the Merrow King and Blood Title over after the meeting ended, just so the pair could fuss over Harry some more in private.  It would be the most effective way to ease whatever instinctual worry Krym was feeling for his son, and a stronger relationship between the two would always be preferred.  

Perry quickly shifted so he could murmur in Theo’s ear, quiet enough that no one except perhaps Harry would hear him.  “Perhaps we should invite Krym and King Alcandor over after this meeting.  I’m sure Krym, as Harry’s Third, is quite unsettled after all of these revelations.”  

Theo nodded slightly.  “As long as Harry is alright with it.”  

Harry blinked in surprise, but nodded.  “If that’s ok.  I don’t think I’ll be able to stay awake for very long, but it would be nice to get to know my Third a little more, and to talk to him when we aren’t in public.”  

Perry hid a wince.  He really hadn’t considered that Harry had just met the man in the middle of the Merrow courts, and then been dragged into the landwalker courts.  He still hadn’t had a chance to see his Third in private.  

Theo nodded again.  “We’ll invite them, then.  I don’t know if they’ll accept, they may have unavoidable responsibilities, especially with the hunts that will need to be started immediately, but it is possible that they will be able to make it.  Or that you can go down to the Merrow courts tomorrow and visit some more.”  

 Harry smiled slightly, nodding.  “That’d be nice.  Either option, really.  Or maybe both, if Krym wouldn’t get too annoyed with me being around.”  

Perry had to hide a snort.  “That’s pretty much impossible.  I doubt he’d ever get annoyed with you being around.  If anything, he may feel that you aren’t around enough since you’ll be living on land instead of at the Merrow courts with him.”  

Harry smiled, tucking himself further under Theo’s chin.  Perry allowed a slight smile to slip onto his face as he turned his attention back to the rest of the room.  

Nothing more had been said so far, as Hiram and Quinn were still working on the blonde and brunette girls.  

“What are their names?”  Surajni asked.  “All three of them.  And any other relevant information you have.”  

Fred was the one who spoke up first.  “That’s our little sister Ginny.  She’s thirteen, her birthday is in August, and she probably has the same suppressions that we had.”  

Surajini nodded easily.  “She does have those, and we will remove them once she has healed.  Given her age, there’s no huge rush, they just need to be removed before she turns sixteen to avoid a forced inheritance later on.”  

Fred nodded, seeming to relax a little at that.  “Ok.  The blonde there is Luna Lovegood.  She’s fourteen, since her birthday is in February.  Her and Ginny are both in their Third year at Hogwarts.  I’m not sure what else would be relevant for her, I’ve never had a reason to know her medical history or anything.”  

Surajini nodded with a smile.  “That is understandable.  She appears to be relatively healthy, aside from present circumstances.  She is also a Fae, and an underage one at that, King Edgar.”  

The Earth King grimaced.  “I will send her Queen an official notification of her arrival here, along with a healer’s report once you have one.”  

Hiram nodded, easily accepting that.  “I will have one sent to you by morning.”  

The Earth King nodded to the Alpha, seeming relieved.  His attention turned to the twins after a moment.  “What do you know of her family?”  

George blinked.  “Her mother died before she started Hogwarts, some kind of spellcrafting accident I think.  Or at least, that’s the official story.  She mentioned something once about her being murdered, but I’m not really sure what happened.”  

Queen Arista frowned.  “We will consult with the Fae Queen on that, and offer to put together a hunt if necessary.  I am certain the Blood Whisper will be willing to help if needed.”  

King Edgar nodded.  “Indeed.  I will add that to my official notification.”  

The Air Queen frowned.  “No, that isn’t really something to put in an official notification.  We will all speak with her when she arrives for the hunt, that will be a much more appropriate time to handle this.”  

Princess Ebony nodded.  “I must agree.  With the hunt so quickly approaching, it does seem far more courteous to discuss it in person.  Perhaps we should just include a line in the letter indicating that there are concerns that will need to be discussed once she arrives, just so she is aware that there are additional complications?”  

Queen Calla smiled at the young princess.  “I quite agree.  An excellent suggestion, Your Highness.”  

Princess Ebony smiled at the Earth Queen quickly, then turned her attention back to George.  “And the last girl here?”  

George grimaced, glancing quickly over at Harry.  “Hermione Granger.  She’s fifteen, her birthday is in September, and she’s Harry’s best friend.  His sister, really.  All three are, of course, but Hermione and Harry are especially close.”  

Harry nodded, not moving away from Theo.  “Her parents are muggles.  Dentists, I think, from Crowley.  They have supported her completely with being a witch and seem to be great parents, from what she’s said.  I don’t know if she’ll want to stay in Nevarah, or if she’d be allowed to since I think she’s just a witch and not a dragel or anything, but if she does, her parents might want to at least visit.”  

Queen Arista smiled at the young submissive.  “She will certainly be allowed to stay in Nevarah, if she chooses to do so.  Nevarah is a sanctuary realm, so all are welcome.  Her parents would also be welcome, but they may struggle here.  Being surrounded by magic and seeing it used in almost everything can be very difficult for those who cannot use it themselves.  Visits should not be an issue, though, so long as none of them have any issues with magical beings and someone with enough power to make the trip safely is willing to transport them.”  

Harry smiled, seeming relieved.  Perry couldn’t blame him.  If he and Hermione were as close as George had implied, of course he would want the girl he considered his sister to stay safely in Nevarah with him.  

Surajini nodded again, considering all three girls.  “They’ll have to come to the Kalzik estate tonight, I think.  That would be the best place for us to monitor them, and we’ll have plenty of grounding and additional healers on hand if they are needed.”  

Perry blinked, but had to admit that it wasn’t surprising.  It was common knowledge that many of the Kalziks worked out of their estate, and they had several guest houses available for their patients who needed either more time or closer examination.  

It was the best solution, most likely, though Harry and their Fire types likely would have preferred to keep the girls close.  

Charlie blinked, seeming slightly uncertain.  “You’ll keep them in your estate?  Are there actual patient areas?  Will we be able to visit?”  

Surajini smiled at him, seeming pleased that the Beta had finally spoken up.  “We have several areas for patients, including an entire medical building.  I think it would be best for the girls to be placed in one of our healing cottages, however.  They are small houses on the property that patients and their circles can stay in during treatment, and would let us keep the girls together, while also giving them some measure of privacy.  Visitors are always welcome, so long as they are in some way associated with the girls.”  

Charlie nodded, seeming satisfied with Surajini’s explanation.  “We will definitely visit tomorrow then, and I would expect our Prewitt relatives to want to visit as well as soon as they find out about Ginny.”  

Princess Ebony frowned.  “How should we handle that notification?  Would a notification from your circle be better, or would you like me to send it as their crown royal?”  

Charlie smiled at his future mentor.  “I’ll do it myself, I think.  Bill, our older brother, is staying with them right now, and I’d rather tell him myself.”  

Princess Ebony smiled at him.  “That is understandable.  Just let me know if you need anything else for that.”  

Charlie nodded, and Prince Raspen stepped forward again.  “I believe we have gotten through enough for tonight.  We will need to wait for them to wake for our hunters to be sent out, as they were investigating the headmaster and may have found information we will need.”  

King Alcandor nodded.  “I agree.  I dislike waiting to begin the hunts, but I must admit that this modified torvak is a concern.  Hopefully they found something useful, especially since they risked so much in the attempt.”  

King Edgar nodded.  “I do as well.  Lady Kalzik, Lord Kalzik, please send me a message once the girls are healed enough to speak with us, and we will call another meeting to arrange the hunts on Earth.  King Alcandor, I believe that the investigation into the attack on Harry can proceed without delay, though.”  

King Alcandor raised an eyebrow.  “That was never in question.  The investigation has already begun, and will not be delayed.  Speak with your champion tomorrow about the torvak’s actions on Earth and the attack that happened, then send her to Krymsen to assist in the investigation.”  

King Edgar suppressed a smile.  “Give her the bad news, and then immediately set her off on the other deserving targets?  I will certainly not object.”  

Queen Arista raised an eyebrow.  “Just make sure she knows we need them alive for the trials.”  

King Edgar waved a hand dismissively.  “She will know to do so, especially with the trials occurring in Merrow territory.”   

King Alcandor smirked.  “Good.  Krymsen, be on the lookout for her message.  You have my permission to bring her, and perhaps the Blood Rayne down to the Merrow courts to assist in the investigation as needed.”  

Lady Bianca nodded.  “I am sure Lady Deveraine will be more than willing to assist you, and may be helpful in keeping Lady Gorgens calm enough to not kill her targets.”  

King Edgar rolled his eyes.  “I will inform Lady Gorgens that she has permission to inform and bring her King, but I am not informing her myself.”  

Perry hid a laugh, though he didn’t blame the Earth King for his reluctance to inform two blood titles that a boy they considered a son had been exposed to a torvak for years, or that their sons-in-law had been attacked in the market.  

When no one else spoke up for a minute, King Edgar nodded.  “This court meeting is dismissed, then.  We can deal with the attackers’ souls once the investigation makes some progress, since we’ve gotten so distracted.  Everyone, please keep in mind that most of this group will be called for an emergency meeting as soon as Hermione, Ginny, and Luna are awake and capable of providing whatever information they may have.”  

Everyone filed out quickly, Lewis and Briar stopping by to hug Harry and promise to see him as soon as possible on their way.  Theo snagged Alec quickly, pulling him aside and presumably asking him to invite Alcandor and Krymsen over, as their bonded Merrow slid over to talk to his cousin as soon as Theo released him.  

—-----------------—-----------------

Harry had to hide a frown when they ported home, and he realized that Alcandor and Krym hadn’t been able to make it.  It wasn’t totally surprising, but he had still hoped that they would be able to come and see him some.  

Alec clearly saw his expression, though, as his Merrow moved to hug him from behind and whisper in his ear, “Al and Krym wanted to come, but they can’t spend so much time on the surface right before the hunt, especially right now.  There are whispers of rebellion, and other issues that we can’t ignore but I can’t discuss out of the water.  They did ask me to bring you down there tomorrow as early as possible, and for as long as possible.”  

Harry smiled slightly, pleased to hear that they did want to see him.  “Maybe we could go see Hermione, Luna, and Ginny right after breakfast, and then go down right after?” he asked hesitantly.  

Alec nodded.  “We could do that.  Or I could check with Quinn about timing, and maybe we can see them before breakfast, and have breakfast at the Merrow courts.”  

Harry nodded again, much more eagerly this time.  “That’d be good, if the Kalziks would be ok with us being there so early.”  

Alec smiled.  “I’m sure they will be.  Quinn, how early would your parents let us see the girls?  Harry needs to go see his Third tomorrow morning, but he wants to see his friends before he goes down to the Merrow Courts for breakfast.”  

Quinn blinked in surprise, but smiled slightly as he considered.  ‘I’m sure any time will be fine.  Someone will have to stay with them at all times anyways, so it shouldn’t be an issue either way.  I’ll head over to the estate with you as well, so we can get to them without waking anyone.’   

Harry smiled at his healer, relieved to hear that his early-morning visit wouldn’t be too much of an issue.  

Charlie smiled.  “That sounds good.  Princess Ebony also wants to meet us all for lunch or dinner, as well.  Would dinner be better, to give you more time?”  

Harry smiled at his Beta, relieved that he was taking this so well.  He wouldn’t have been at all surprised if some of his bonded had objected to him being away under the water after the attack today.  “Yes, please, if that’s ok.”  

Prince Raspen smiled at him.  “I’m sure it will be, just send the message tonight, before something else gets scheduled.  Princess Ebony wouldn’t have offered it if she couldn’t make it work.”  

Theo also seemed pleased, reaching to squeeze Harry’s hand.  “That will be good for you, I think.  Perhaps everyone that is free could meet at one of the reef restaurants for lunch, so that Krym can get a better idea of what our circle is like, and we can all see Harry and his Third some more.”  

Harry smiled, chirping happily at his Alpha for the suggestion.  As much as he did want to see his Third, he was reluctant to spend an entire day away from his circle right now.  

Alec nodded.  “I’ll have to confirm that with Krym, but I doubt he’ll mind.  Unless something happens, of course.  As Crimson Tide he is effectively always on call.  And we’ll have to go to one that’s officially in Merrow territory, since the hunt has started.”  

Harry blinked.  “What do you mean?  Why does the hunt mean you have to stay in Merrow territory?”  

Alec smiled, giving Harry a light squeeze.  “Officially, water types aren’t supposed to be seen on land until after King Alcandor gives permission.  That’s done during the royal introductions, so I won’t be able to be seen with you in Nevarah until Friday afternoon at the earliest, and I can’t walk during the High Noble introductions.”  

Harry frowned.  “But what about Brishen?”  

Brishen shrugged.  “I don’t listen to Merrow royalty much, and even if I did care, I’m not immediately recognizable as a water type to most landwalkers, so it really doesn't matter.”  

Hadrian nodded.  “That is completely understandable.  But for now, it is late.  Harry, do you think you will be more comfortable in the resting room or the gheyo areas?”  

Harry blinked, extremely confused.  “What do you mean?  I thought I would always sleep in the resting room.”  

His Ace smiled at him, clearly unsurprised by his confusion.  “It is common for submissives to prefer to sleep with their gheyos when they are unsettled or feel unsafe.  Especially when something like this happens.  It certainly isn’t required, as we’ll just stay in the resting room with you if you prefer to have the rest of the circle around you, but I did want to make sure you are aware that it is an option.”  

Harry smiled slightly, nodding.  “I think I want everyone around me tonight.  Or well, everyone that is comfortable staying together in the resting room.”  

Hadrian nodded.  “That makes sense.  Brishen, Blaise, Riven, I need the three of you to stay with me for a little bit, I want to put some more wards up if possible.”  

Blaise nodded.  “It is possible.  I can increase the level of the pre-built ones, and then we can see what else you think it needs.”  

Theo blinked in surprise, glancing over at the Joker.  “They aren’t at the highest level?”  

Blaise shook his head.  “No, they’re pretty strong, above average, but they aren’t quite war wards right now.  There are two levels of war wards in place, but my family typically only activates them when given a reason to do so.”  

Hadrian nodded.  “That’s understandable, but under the circumstances I think that war wards would be appropriate.  How long will it take you to adjust them?”  

Blaise shrugged.  “Ten minutes maybe?  If I test them thoroughly, that is.  They are intended to be easy to activate.  The level two ones have a few that will take more time and some blood, but those shouldn’t stop you from adding anything else.”  

Harry blinked in confusion, then shook his head.  He really did not need to know what they were discussing, he decided.  It made no sense to him right now, and he really wanted to sleep, preferably with as many bonded as possible around him.  

He released a quiet but long yawn, causing his Alpha to smile down at him and scoop him up in his arms.  “Bedtime, I think,” Theo commented, carrying Harry towards the hallway to the resting room.  

Chapter Text

Alec smirked as he padded quietly through the halls, heading to the resting room.  It was, perhaps, earlier than Quinn and Harry had intended to get up, but that was part of the reason why he had chosen to get up now.  It wouldn’t do for his new circle to get too used to him falling in line and following their routines right now, when he had no intention of doing so in the long run.  And it wasn’t an unreasonable time for Quinn.  It was probably about the time the healer would usually start getting ready for his morning routine, if he was at all like the Merrow court healers.  

While he would happily cause some minor (and not-so-minor) chaos within his circle once they were a little more settled in, he would never deliberately interfere with his bondeds' certifications or careers.  Especially not their healer’s requirements or certification.  And a strictly managed morning routine was an important part of those requirements, at least for healers.  

He smiled when he saw that Quinn was already on his feet, gathering his clothes and shoes to go work out.  He nodded quickly to the part-Merrow, stepping over to create the mental bond that would allow communication.  

‘Can you work out at your parents’ estate?  After we visit the girls?  I do need to get Harry down to the courts for breakfast, or Killigan won’t let me hear the end of it.’ he asked.  

Quinn shrugged.  ‘It shouldn’t be an issue, as long as you can get Harry out of the pile.  Who is Killigan, though?’   

Alec smirked.  ‘The Merrow Queen. Alcandor’s only official bonded so far.  They took a liking to Harry when he was down in the courts yesterday.’   

Quinn smiled, shaking his head as he reached for a small bag nearby.  ‘Of course they did.  How could anyone not take a liking to our Harry?’   

Alec smiled slightly, moving to carefully extract Harry from the bed.  Brishen was apparently awake though, and decided to be helpful and dig the submissive out of the pile of cuddling dragels for him.  Alec raised an eyebrow at the unexpected assistance, but quickly moved to find appropriate clothes for all three of them once it was clear that Brishen intended to continue holding Harry while they left the room.  

“And why are you so helpful?” Alec asked the Joker once the door had closed behind them.  

Brishen raised an eyebrow.  “I may as well make sure we get out of here without too much trouble, since I am going with you for the day.”  

Alec raised an eyebrow.  He and Brishen hadn’t really spent any time around each other, and Brishen had seemed to be fairly indifferent to the Merrow courts.  Considering the total lack of interest shown, it was somewhat surprising that the Phoelix wanted to accompany them down to the courts.  

On the other hand, though, Brishen had been the one who was there for the fight yesterday, when he and Harry had been attacked and Alec had been injured.  His protective instincts were probably still in overdrive, under the circumstances.  

It didn’t matter either way, Alec decided.  Brishen would come or not, and it wasn’t Alec’s problem.  As long as Alec and Harry made it down to the Merrow courts in time for breakfast, Alec would have done what he needed to do.  Brishen may be an annoyance, but he wasn’t the biggest annoyance in the circle, and he’d be a bigger annoyance to Krym than to Alec today.  

After all, Brishen was a fellow Gheyo, and a Water-aligned Gheyo Joker at that, who had bonded to Krym’s son.  He’d even done so without following any of the proper Merrow courting protocols.  Brishen wasn’t a Merrow, of course, and nor was Harry, technically, but still.  Krym was, and he was Harry’s only living parent.  Krym hadn’t gotten to put Brishen through any of the usual trials or tests that a gheyo would normally face to bond to a submissive, and the worst part was that Brishen may actually be a match for Krym.  Krym was Crimson Tide, and an exceptionally deadly warrior, but Brishen was an immortal.  There was a higher expectation when immortals were involved.  Enough to actually compete with a blood title, despite those holding such titles generally being a one-dragel army.  

It was a large part of why Alec hadn’t insisted on a fight with Brishen to force the Joker to prove that he would be an adequately powerful gheyic bonded.  As an immortal, Brishen could reasonably be expected to be strong and dedicated.  Alec didn’t need to test him the same way he would most other Merrow gheyos.  

Not that the landwalkers didn’t need to be tested, of course, but they were less of an issue than the other Water type.  And Hadrian, as Blood Raven, could also be counted on to be strong enough, at least for now.  His instincts would demand that he test each of their gheyos eventually, but he’d delay it until the suite was settled.  It would be easier on everyone that way.  

Not that he was doing it out of courtesy to their landwalking gheyos, of course.  He simply didn’t wish to deal with them until they had sorted themselves out and could give him their full, individual attention.  

Alec understood the importance of prioritization, reading between the lines, and timing things to his own benefit.  He knew how to ensure that he was present for what he needed to be present for, and learned what he needed to learn, but did not waste his time on asinine details or pointless discussions.  He also knew how to tell when he was actually needed somewhere, not just when someone wanted him there.  

Those were skills that would be quite useful today.  Alcandor and Krym hadn’t explicitly said that Harry needed to be there for breakfast, but it had been strongly implied that they wanted to see him as much as possible, and Alec knew their routines well enough to know that breakfast was the only time they were sure to have free.  Even lunch would be impossible to guarantee, more so for Alcandor than for Krym.  

Then again, leaving the Merrow King behind when they went out to meet the rest of the circle may not be a bad thing.  He did bring a lot of additional protocol wherever he went.  It was unavoidable with his position.  Krym, as a gheyo with a dozen lookalikes, could move around much more easily than his future bonded.  

“Wassit?” Harry asked sleepily when Brishen gently nudged him awake.  

Alec had to resist the urge to coo at his submissive.  That reaction was absolutely adorable, to the point where he may have to consider staying in the resting room once in a while so that he could see it first thing in the morning.  

Or perhaps he should consider just taking Harry away to his own room for the night every so often.  If everyone else could comfortably stay in the room together, and get to sleep with Harry every night, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for Alec to take Harry once in a while when he needed some time with their submissive.  

Even if the others did think it was unreasonable, Alec didn’t particularly care.  Harry was his submissive too, and he deserved a chance to cuddle with him overnight as well.  If the others couldn’t handle being separated for a night, then they could suck it up and sleep in the water.  

It would be funny to see them try.  Especially the fire types.  

Alec smiled at his submissive as his eyes blinked open, the brunette’s displeasure at the early wake-up call showing plainly on his face.  “It’s time to get ready, if you want to see your friends before breakfast.”  

Harry grumbled for a moment, then perked up as he seemed to register what Alec had said to them.  Alec had to hide his smirk.  Morning person or not, Harry seemed to be very interested in seeing his friends.  

Not that Alec could blame him.  Even without knowing those girls at all, their condition and connection to his circle members had been enough to trigger his Pareyic instincts.  Only slightly, of course, but enough to be annoying.  It had to be much worse for his Empathetic little submissive, who considered all three girls to be his sisters.  

Harry squirmed awkwardly in Brishen’s arms for a few moments, clearly stretching and trying to orient himself as the gheyo continued to hold him.  

Alec had to resist the urge to snort.  Brishen continuing to hold Harry was entirely unproductive, but at the same time he couldn’t honestly say that he wouldn’t do the same thing if given the opportunity.  

Then again, there was no reason why he had to be honest.  

“Brishen, let me down.  I need to see Hermione, Luna, and Ginny,” Harry grumbled, hitting Brishen’s shoulder lightly.  

Alec hid another snicker.  Harry was absolutely adorable, though he clearly was not trying to be.  It just seemed to come naturally to the young submissive.  

“Fine,” Brishen said, setting Harry down gently.  “Alec, you grabbed some clothes for him?”  

Alec snorted.  “Of course I did, you shrimp brain.  He can’t go to the Merrow court in his sleep things.”  

Brishen shrugged, smirking.  “He’s Crimson Tide’s son and the King’s future stepson.  Who really has the right to say anything?”  

Alec sneered at the phoelix.  Statements like that were clear evidence that the other water elemental had not been paying attention to court activities for the last few centuries.  If he had, he’d know that there were far too many fools, in all of the courts, not just the Merrow ones, who thought they had a right to an opinion on matters that they really had no business even knowing, much less commenting on.  

Sure, the Phoelix had been asleep, but still.  Alec was not in the mood to give any leeway to his fellow water type.  

“Since when has not having a right to complain stopped those shrimp-brained morons?” he asked, rolling his eyes.  

Harry giggled softly, forcing Alec to hide a soft smile.  Brishen didn’t bother to hide his, reaching over in an attempt to smooth Harry’s hair some, as Alec quickly cast the switching spells to get Harry dressed in formal robes.  They weren’t quite the level of finery that someone of Harry’s station should be wearing within the Merrow courts, but they would suffice for now.  

‘Is everyone ready?’ Quinn wrote in the air after clicking to get their attention.  

Alec nodded sharply, pulling Harry in to tuck him under his arm.  “Let’s get going.  We are on a deadline.”  

Brishen blinked.  “Deadline?”  

Alec nodded.  “We have to get to the Merrow courts before breakfast, and I’m sure Harry wants more than just a few minutes with his surrogate sisters.”  

Harry nodded quickly.  “I do.  I need to see them, and make sure they’re ok.  I haven’t seen them since before the soulscream.  They must have been so worried after all of us just disappeared like that.  Especially after Bill went missing.”  

Brishen frowned.  “Why Bill specifically?”  

Harry shrugged.  “He’s an international top five curse breaker.  That kind of implies that he’s pretty powerful, and anything that can take him down must be really dangerous.”  

Alec snorted.  “I suppose that’s fair, by wizarding standards.  Dragels are a bit different though.  He’ll have some work to do to get to that level in our society.”  

Harry smiled slightly.  “He’ll probably love the challenge, and how much more there is that he can learn here that he could have never learned on Earth.  Can we please get going now, though?  Everyone that needs to come is here and ready, aren’t we?”  

Alec smiled slightly.  “Yes, we are.  Quinn, do you want to do the portal since it’s your family estate?”  

Sirius glared across the breakfast table at Mariana Cunningham.  While he did understand the woman’s point about needing to verify his parentage so that they could make sure he didn’t have any gifts that either would require specific measures to coax out or would overwhelm him when they were released, he did not see any reason why the test must be done at sunrise.  

He especially did not see any reason why he should have been forced to wake up, eat, bathe, and have a dozen diagnostic charms cast on him over an hour before sunrise, just so he could sit around until they were ready for the ritual.  

Remus was no help either.  His beloved werewolf was more interested in the fact that finding his family and unsealing his gifts could supposedly make a huge difference in Sirius’s physical and mental health, and did not demonstrate an appropriate level of horror at the early wake up call that the procedures required.  

Sirius was quite displeased by this attitude, and had made that known.  Unfortunately, however, Remus and the Cunninghams had just been amused by his displeasure, even after he’d resorted to a few of the more creative, though not actually harmful, curses he knew.  

He would never understand why someone had felt it necessary to use blood magic to develop a curse that forced its victims to hear the song “God Save the Queen” in their head on repeat for precisely sixty-six minutes, but he still found it appropriate to use occasionally.  It was a decent curse to use when you wanted to get a point across, but didn’t actually want to harm the person you were cursing.  It was also much safer for use on his soulmate than the skin-peeling or blood-boiling curses that made up a large portion of his arsenal of revenge-oriented curses, even if it was also much easier to not take it seriously.  

Unfortunately, however, Remus had just been amused by the spell’s existence and the overkill that had gone into designing its arithmantic components, and had only been annoyed for ten minutes at most.  He wasn’t wrong about the overkill, of course.  The way the spell was constructed was absolutely ridiculous, and was probably just an exercise in using as many types of dark magic as possible in one harmless spell.  

Still, Sirius had meant for it to be a genuine expression of his displeasure.  Not a cute or interesting little spell for Remus to be amused by.  

“Stop glaring, Sirius.  We have explained how important this is, and I know you understand why performing it at dawn is necessary,” Mariana finally broke the silence, looking like she was barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.  “Glaring at me or your wolf won’t help you, and neither will not figuring out who your Third is before we unseal you and have to deal with whatever gifts you inherited.”  

Sirius darkened his glare.  “It isn’t even sunrise yet.  There is no good reason to be up this early.”  

Mariana gave in and rolled her eyes.  “It isn’t that early.  Plenty of people wake up before this time every day to go to work, and think nothing of it.  There is no reason to make such a fuss.  You certainly retired more than early enough last night, so if you didn’t get enough sleep, perhaps you should have used that time to do so instead of enjoying your werewolf.”  

Sirius and Remus both blushed bright red at the complete lack of subtlety in Mariana’s somewhat-teasing jab.  In the wizarding world, they had been forced to keep their relationship a secret, because with Remus being a werewolf and Sirius being from a dark family a relationship between the two of them would never be accepted.  Here in Nevarah though, or at least right now, staying here with the Cunningham circle, no one cared that they were both dark aligned, or that Remus was cursed.  Well, cursed for now.  The Cunninghams were preparing to fix that, and it would only be a few more days until it was time for Remus to be free of the curse he’d been trapped by since he was six years old.  

Sirius couldn’t wait until that was completed, and had clear plans for what he wanted to do once the curse was removed.  Plans that were fairly similar to what they had done the night before.  He would never regret what he did with Remus, or be embarrassed to be with him.  

Still, being called out so bluntly, and by a noble woman they barely knew, at that, would always be embarrassing.  

“My Lady,” Remus gasped, sounding scandalized.  

“There is nothing wrong with it, beyond the fact that it means that being tired today is entirely Sirius’s own fault,” Mariana cut him off, rolling her eyes again.  “Now come.  Sunrise is in five minutes, and if we miss it then you will have to wake up even earlier tomorrow to make sure you are ready in time to actually do it then.”  

Sirius immediately jumped out of his seat, not wanting to risk having to wake up so early again.  As he followed Lady Mariana out, he reached over to swat Remus when his lover, quite rudely, snickered at his reaction.  

Just because the studious wolf was willing to wake up at this ungodly hour did not mean that Sirius was as well.  As the wolf well knew after all these years.  

“Hurry up now.  Lie on the slab there, and try to relax.”  Mariana pointed to the large stone slab that the Vega twins had fetched and placed at the center of a casting grounds.  Sirius hid a sigh, obeying reluctantly.  

No matter how much the Cunninghams and Remus seemed to believe that finding out who his blood family were would help him, Sirius could not honestly bring himself to believe it.  He already knew two of his three parents, and they had been absolutely horrible.  The best thing either of them had done for him was disown him publicly, and then forget that in order to actually remove him from the family magic and the line of succession, they would have had to go to Gringotts and complete the rituals to remove him officially in blood and magic.  The rest of his wizarding family had been little better, if they had any decency at all, with the exception of one of his uncles.  He had little hope that his Third would break the pattern.  

“Good.  Now just stay still until I tell you to get up,” the runes master cut in smoothly, easily taking over from his submissive.  Barely a moment later, Sirius felt the runic magic rise until it was surrounding him completely, surrounding him fully just before he could feel the rising sun reach him.  

The wizard - well, sealed dragel, technically - sighed, forcing himself to relax and stare at the sky as it brightened.  

Hopefully this would be over with shortly, and Sirius could then work on convincing Remus and the Cunninghams that he did not wish to attempt to make a connection with any relatives that this spell may reveal.  

The only family that Sirius wished to claim at this point were Remus and Harry.  Everyone else he cared for were either dead, traitors, or had believed he was guilty and just left him alone in Azkaban for over a decade without even trying to visit him and ask him whether he’d actually done it, or why he supposedly did it.  Even those who he’d had a good relationship with before that night thirteen years ago, like Andy, had simply accepted that he must be just like the rest of his family and moved on.  None of them even cared enough to try to look into it.  

None of them believed in him enough to even question his guilt.  

If they didn’t even believe in him enough to doubt that he would essentially murder his brother and sister, and endanger his own godson, were they really his family?  

And this nebulous Third that must exist but never reached out, was he really family?  Even if they hadn’t known, that didn’t change the fact that they hadn’t been there all of those years when Sirius had needed them.  And now, Sirius was in his thirties, an adult in almost any world, and well past the point where he could realistically welcome any new adult into his life.  After everything that had happened in his life, authority figures were not to be trusted, in any circumstances.  Parental figures even less so.  

Between that and the fact that Sirius was frankly more concerned with getting to Harry than getting himself sorted out fully, he was less than eager to go through with this ritual.  Especially when he knew perfectly well that more rituals were guaranteed to follow, ones that would unseal his abilities as a dragel and give him back the magic he should have had since he was sixteen.  

Sirius was fine with more magic, of course.  The more powerful he was, the better he could protect Remus and Harry.  But more magic, and different magic, meant more work and learning required.  That meant time, time that Sirius didn’t want to spend right now.  

Not that he was getting a choice in this.  Remus and the Cunninghams were all quite insistent that this must be done immediately, and refused to accept his insistence that reuniting with Harry was a much higher priority than his own health.  

Harry smiled nervously as Quinn led them quickly towards a small cottage on his parents’ property.  His bonded healer had explained quickly that his family had several of these cottages on the property, and they were all for patients to stay in when they needed either somewhere safe to stay or just to have monitoring available while they healed, just in case of complications.  

‘They hadn’t woken up last I checked, but there had been progress.  Mama will be out soon to talk to us about it, she just has to finish her meditations first,’ Quinn wrote quickly, making sure that Harry was paying attention.  

Harry smiled softly.  “Thanks, Quinn.  I just can’t help worrying.  They didn’t look good when they arrived, and Dumbledore’s powerful.  Or, he is by wizarding standards.  I don’t really know how powerful he actually is, with the whole Torvak thing, or how that translates to dragel standards.”  

Alec snorted.  “Torvaks are much more powerful than wizards, and can occasionally match a dragel.  Not usually, but sometimes you get one that’s up there.  Either way, this headmaster of yours is dangerous.  Still, though, the flaming rat got them out, so they should be fine.”  

Harry frowned at his Merrow.  “Fawkes isn’t a flaming rat.  He’s actually helped me a lot.”  

Alec raised an eyebrow.  “He did something useful?  Other than bringing them here?  I suppose that was at least vaguely intelligent of him.”  

Harry nodded, a soft smile on his face.  “He saved my life during my second year at Hogwarts.  A basilisk bit me, and he cried on it and fixed it.”  

Alec’s arm tightened as rage filled the gheyic pareya.  Harry blinked as it swamped him, scrambling to find a buffer but failing, as Quinn and Brishen were no less upset.  A soft whimper escaped him, breaking the tension.  

“I’m sorry, Harry.  I’ll do better about controlling my temper,” Alec murmured, gently hugging him and rubbing his arms.  

Harry released a soft chirp, nuzzling closer.  “It’s alright.  I know you didn’t do it on purpose.”  

Quinn rolled his eyes, gently tapping Harry’s shoulder to get his attention.  ‘Not doing it on purpose doesn’t change the fact that it happened.  If anyone does something to make you uncomfortable, whether that be a circle member, relative, or a complete stranger, say something.  If you aren’t comfortable saying something to the person who did it, say it to one of us, and we’ll take care of it.’   

Harry blushed slightly, but nodded once he saw that Brishen and Alec clearly agreed.  It seemed odd to him, especially after ten years with the Dursleys and four years of Hogwarts, but it was a good kind of odd.  A type of odd that made him feel warm inside, as though he was safe and valued.  

“I will.  Can we go in now?” he asked, eager to change the topic away from himself, and still desperate to see Hermione, Luna, and Ginny.  

‘Of course,’ Quinn replied with a soft smile.  ‘Come on, right in here.’   

Harry quickly hurried into the little cottage, relaxing slightly when he saw Hermione lying peacefully on a small but comfortable-looking bed.  She was still clearly unconscious, but she wasn’t pale anymore, her hair wasn’t singed, and she was no longer covered in blood.  If Harry didn’t know better, he may have thought she was just asleep.  

It was a huge improvement from the day before, when she’d been a complete mess.  

He looked further into the room, relaxing a little more when he saw Ginny on another small bed.  She also was still unconscious, but seemed much better than the night before.  She had a large pink mark on her cheek that normally wouldn’t be there, but it was nothing like the burn she’d had the previous day.  “Quinn?  That burn on Ginny’s cheek?”  

Quinn squeezed his hand gently.  ‘She got treatment quickly.  There are never guarantees with Torvak magic - they have too many curses and strange traps available - but I don’t expect issues.  It is already almost healed - down to just the equivalent of a sunburn instead of a severe burn, so she shouldn’t have any sign that it happened left by the time she wakes.  If she does, it will be minor and be removed once she has her inheritance.’   

Harry nodded slowly, breathing out a soft sigh of relief.  “Thanks, Quinn.”  

He then continued his search of the room until he saw Luna.  She was still extremely pale, even more than her normal, but she no longer had the grayish tinge that she’d had when Fawkes had brought her to Nevarah last night.  

“Luna?  She looks much better, but she’s still so pale,” he asked Quinn.  

‘She got grazed by a few curses, that combined with the inter-realm travel, caused a fairly significant strain on her body and magic.  She also appears to have tried to buffer the other two during the journey, which made it more severe.’   

“Buffer them?” Harry asked.  

Quinn nodded.  ‘Traveling between realms is difficult and taxing at the best of times.  A strong portal, like the one we used, can buffer that and keep it from harming the passengers, but a phoenix snatching up three magical beings and transporting them in a moment of panic is likely not going to buffer them well.  I’m not even sure that he could have if he had tried.’   

Brishen shook his head.  “He couldn’t have.  Phoenixes have powerful magic, obviously, but  buffering passengers during transportation is not something they excel at.  Honestly, I’m surprised that he was able to carry three passengers between realms at all.  It isn’t easy to cross inter-realm borders at all, but he was clearly quite determined.”  

Quinn nodded.  ‘That makes sense.  She will be fine, though.  It is just exhaustion, which my parents have treated many times.  It isn’t good for her to be so exhausted, of course, but there will be no lasting harm by the time my family is done treating her.’   

Harry let out a large breath of relief, relaxing fully.  All three of his surrogate sisters were now in Nevarah, safe, and would be healthy again soon.  They weren’t quite healthy yet, but he’d seen how thorough the Kalziks were when they’d descended on his own circle.  

His sisters would be healthy soon, and that was what really mattered.  

He and his circle were all safely in Nevarah.  Alec had been healed after the attack yesterday, and no one else had been harmed.  His godfathers were also safe here, even if he hadn’t seen them yet.  And now, his sisters in every way that mattered were also here, and were safe, and would be better soon.  

All of the most important people were here now, and safe.  There were a few more people he’d miss on Earth, like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Neville, but no one as important as those already there.  

Honestly, there was no one left on Earth that he would really go back there for, even for just a visit.  Perhaps to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, if Charlie and the twins wanted to, but that would be it.  

Neville had been a good friend, but they just hadn’t gotten that close.  Neville had always been too shy to really initiate conversations with Harry, and Harry knew that he hadn’t been much better.  There had always been potential for them to be close friends, and they got along well, but they had just never really talked enough for it to happen.  

Ron also hadn’t helped.  He had been very possessive with Harry’s time and attention, ever since they met on the train in their first year.  He hadn’t realized it at first, but after essentially ending his friendship with the boy this year, it was pretty clear that he had deliberately monopolized Harry’s time and controlled who Harry was able to really get to know.  The only one Ron had consistently tolerated had been Hermione, and he really only allowed her in because she helped him with his homework.  

Harry sighed as he stepped closer to Hermione.  His first real friend, he now realized.  Ron had been his first friend, and that was the main reason why Harry had been so determined to be forgiving with him, so determined to cling to that friendship and not let it go.  

Hermione hadn’t been jealous or possessive, though.  She had encouraged him to do things he liked, as long as he still got his school work done and kept himself reasonably healthy.  She had also tried to convince him to make new friends, like Luna and Ginny.  She had even pushed for him to talk to Neville more, though with both of them being shy that hadn’t really gone anywhere.  

Still, though, she had tried, simply because she thought it would be good for him, and would make him happy.  She didn’t nag him about it, because it wasn’t something that not doing could harm his health or his future, but she suggested he should do it, and encouraged him when he was uncertain.  

Ron was the exact opposite.  Whenever Harry had tried to talk to Neville, even during the time between the selection of the Champions and the First Task, Ron had come over and butted in, making it impossible for him and Neville to actually have a conversation.  He’d been outright rude when Ginny and Luna were around, calling Ginny an annoyance and Luna Looney.  

He shook his head, brushing his fingers lightly against Hermione’s.  It didn’t matter anymore, he decided.  Ron was no longer his friend, but Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were.  They were his sisters, as well.  After everything they had gone through this year with the tournament, how could they not be? 

Charlie sighed as he approached the Prewitt compound and tapped gently at the gate.  It was early, he knew, but not so early that his new-found relatives wouldn’t be up.  Nor so early that Bill wouldn’t be up, which was his main priority.  

Not that he didn’t think the rest of the Prewitts would be upset that Ginny had been hurt, or that they wouldn’t immediately want to go see her, but they weren’t her big brothers.  Of those in the compound, only Bill had ever even met Ginny.  

It didn’t change the fact that Sadara was their grandmother, and Gideon and Fabian were their uncles, but at the same time, the relationships didn’t change the fact that these were essentially strangers to their sister.  Even just a few days ago, they had been strangers to Charlie as well.  

He hid a grimace when he saw Sadara approaching the gate.  While he would normally be thrilled to see his grandmother, today it just meant that there was probably no chance of getting to Bill, telling him in private, and then the two of them going to see Ginny, without anyone else tagging along.  “Hello, grandmother,” he greeted her politely.  

“Charlie!  It is good to see you.  Is everything alright?  It is quite early,” Sadara gushed, ushering Charlie through the gates and down the path to the house.  

Charlie grimaced.  “Not really.  There was another incident yesterday, while we were at the courts.  The twins and I are fine, but there was a surprise, so I need to get Bill.”  

Sadara blinked.  “A surprise?  No, I’ll ask later.  I believe that Bill was already in the library this morning, right through here.”  

Charlie smiled slightly as they entered the room and saw Bill lounging comfortably on a chair near the fire, his eyes glued to a heavy book resting on the arm of the chair.  It was a sight he’d seen often when they were younger, when Bill had torn through the Hogwarts library, eagerly studying anything he could get his hands on.  

“Bill,” he greeted, dragging his older brother’s attention back to reality.  

“Charlie?  Why so early?”  Bill  asked, standing and coming over to pull Charlie in for a quick hug.  

Charlie grimaced.  “We had another incident at the courts yesterday.”  

Bill winced.  “Harry’s luck again?  Is everyone ok?”  

Charlie shook his head.  “Not Harry at all, actually, though his luck might be a factor, if only by proximity.  No, it was Ginny.”  

Bill blinked in surprise.  “Ginny?  But she’s still on Earth.”  

Sadara frowned.  “Ginny?  Your little sister?”  

Charlie nodded.  “Yeah, our youngest sibling and only sister.  Apparently she, Hermione, and Luna went poking around for information after we all disappeared, and discovered that Dumbledore was doing something he shouldn’t have.  I don’t know what, but something.  He caught them searching his office, and a fight broke out.”  

Bill growled quietly.  “They’re no match for him.  He’s too powerful for three teenagers to handle.”  

Charlie sighed.  “Yeah.  Ginny’s good, but she’s still thirteen.  Professor Snape and a house elf named Dobby - Harry’s friend, you know, the one that got him in trouble for using magic outside of school - came in and helped the girls, but somehow they got taken away by a portal Luna had on her - “ 

Bill looked confused.  “Wait, portal?  Why would Luna just be carrying around a portal?  And why didn’t she use it to get her, Ginny, and Hermione out?”  

Charlie shrugged helplessly.  “I don’t know.  She’s apparently a Fae, not just a witch, so that’s probably a factor.  And she may have been trying to use it to escape, but we aren’t sure yet.  Either way, Snape and Dobby ended up somewhere, no idea where, and Fawkes brought Hermione, Luna, and Ginny to Nevarah.”  

“Ginny’s in Nevarah?  Is she alright?” Bill demanded.  

“She was unconscious last night when they got here - appeared in a ball of flame right in the middle of the court meeting about the attack on Harry.  The Kalziks are treating them, and it sounded like they expected her to be alright,” Charlie reassured his brother.  

“Alright.  So Ginny was hurt, but will be ok.  What about Hermione and Luna?”  Bill asked, able to focus on the others now that he was reassured about his sister’s safety.  

Charlie smiled slightly.  “They’ll also be fine, probably.  The Kalziks seemed to think so, at least.  Once it’s a little later we can go visit them and see for ourselves.”  

Sadara nodded.  “Of course.  Why don’t I have our Pareya make breakfast a little earlier than usual today, so that we can head out sooner?  I know that healer clans tend to be up and moving far earlier than the norm, so if we go a little earlier than usual it will be fine.”  

Charlie smiled at his grandmother.  “Thank you.  It would probably be ok to visit sooner, but I’m not really sure about the etiquette.  Harry’s already over there, but that’s because this is probably the only time he’ll be able to make it today, and Quinn went with him so they wouldn’t need anyone else to escort them.”  

Bill frowned.  “The only time he’ll be able to?  What do you mean?”  

Charlie smiled.  “Oh yeah, we were pretty distracted by the attack yesterday.  You remember how we mentioned that Harry had been taken down to the Merrow courts?”  

Bill nodded.  “Of course.  It’s kind of hard to forget something like that, especially when you seemed ready to jump out of your skin because you couldn’t go to him there.”  

Charlie gave his older brother the evil eye, but continued anyway.  “Well, while he was there they did some kind of parentage test, and found out who his Third is.”  

Sadara smiled.  “Oh, that’s wonderful.  He needs at least one parent in his life.”   

Bill nodded slowly.  “A parent would be good for him.  Depending on who it is, of course.  He needs someone who will be involved.  Who is it?”  

Charlie nodded with a small smile.  “His name is Krymsen, but he goes by Krym.  He’s the current Crimson Tide title holder, and King Alcandor’s intended Ace.”  

Bill gave a snort of laughter.  “Harry’s luck really is something else.”  

Sadara blinked in confusion.  “What do you mean Harry’s luck?  Though that is quite shocking.”  

Charlie snorted.  “Harry’s luck is absolutely insane.  If it wouldn’t normally happen at all, or is too ridiculous to consider, it will happen to Harry.”  

Bill nodded.  “You should get that checked out.  The books I’ve read imply that being blessed or cursed by fate or chaos is a thing that can actually happen.”  

Charlie groaned, running a hand across his face.  “Of course it is.  And of course it would happen to Harry.”  

Bill grinned.  “That it would.  But at least he seems to have some good luck to go with the chaos.  I mean, finding out he has a living Third is a pretty good perk.”  

Charlie nodded slowly.  “That is a fair point.  And Krym did say he planned to be involved with Harry’s life from now on.”  

Sadara nodded.  “Good.  Any decent parent would, of course, but it is always reassuring to hear.  Now, come along.  We’d best hurry if we want to make sure the Pareya choose something quick for breakfast.”  

Chapter Text

Harry blinked rapidly, pleased when his vision cleared to reveal a much less formal setting than the throne room he'd arrived in the day before. Instead, he was in an expensive looking but comfortable living room.

Even better, this room was completely empty. He didn’t know if he could handle being ported straight into a crowd right after seeing his sisters lying there unresponsive, and right before seeing his newfound parent for the second time ever.

The lack of people also helped him feel more comfortable in this strange court. The building was still impressive, but the individuals within its walls were what had made it seem truly intimidating. No one he'd met in the Merrow courts yesterday had been rude or overly inquisitive by any means, but being surrounded by powerful guards and politicians would never be a comfortable feeling for him.

Not when his empathy let him know just a bit too much about what everyone else thought of him and his situation.

He smiled slightly when the door opened, revealing the Merrow Queen he'd met the day before. Killigan, he thought their name had been. Merrow Queen, his Third's intended, and a dragel who was more than willing to encourage Harry’s more chaotic tendencies.

“Alcandor, Krym, you'd best hurry up. Harry and Alec are here, and Brishen accompanied them,” Killigan announced, calling back through the door.

Killigan then turned back towards Harry, walking over with a smile. “Harry, I'm so glad you could make it down, and so early. Alec, you as well.”

The Merrow Queen pulled Harry and Alec each in for quick but firm hugs, then turned to Brishen. “I don't believe we've ever been formally introduced. I am Queen Killigan, King Alcandor’s only current official bonded.”

Brishen nodded politely. “Your Majesty. Brishen, Phoelix with a water element, though you already knew that.”

Killigan smiled. “Indeed I did, just as you likely already knew who I am. Still, introductions must be made, and a good example should be set for Harry, don't you agree?”

Brishen snorted softly, shaking his head. “I don't disagree, necessarily, but I also don't think he should be basing his interactions off of my behavior, or that of any Joker.”

Killigan smiled. “Ah, but what about when he does want to insult someone? It will happen, I'm sure, so he needs to know when and how to do it for the most impact and least backlash.”

Harry snickered quietly, trying and failing to keep a straight face. “Why do you assume I will want to insult someone?”

Killigan smiled at him. “I take it you haven't spent much time in the courts yet, if you are asking that question.”

Harry shook his head. “My bonded have been trying to keep me away from them as much as possible, at least until the Introductions.”

Killigan's smile widened. “Good. Normally, you would never be involved with the courts at your age, but these obviously aren't normal circumstances. Once you do have to interact with the courts, you will quickly realize that the vast majority of those in them are lying backstabbers who care only for power, empty-brained incompetents who got in on their family's name and money, or both. There are very few there who are truly worth being around or conversing with, and sometimes the easiest way out of a conversation you don't want to be in is a well-executed insult.”

Harry snorted softly, glancing at Alec and Brishen quickly. He snorted again when Alec just shrugged. “It’s the truth. A functioning brain is not a requirement to be a court member. If they were, the vast majority of those imbeciles they call council members wouldn’t have their positions.”

Brishen nodded simply. “It’s true of most realms.”

Harry frowned slightly. “If they’re bad at their jobs, why don’t the royals get rid of them and get someone who can actually do a good job?”

Alec groaned. “Don’t get me started. The simple answer is politics. The imbeciles have money and families with power, which is what gets them into the courts, and ultimately what keeps them from being removed. In order to not have the realm divided up and incapable of functioning properly, the royals have to play nicely with the more powerful families, even when it means employing their moronic offspring.”

Harry made a face. “That doesn’t seem right.”

Killigan sighed. “It isn’t, really, but it is the way things are. Every so often, one of them will screw up badly enough to give the royals a good enough excuse to clean house some, but it sadly doesn’t happen enough. Most positions are passed down through bloodlines or connections, and they have learned to do just enough to not lose their positions or heads.”

Alec snorted. “In most cases. Some haven’t even managed that much, but still stick around because the Air queen refuses to act.”

Killigan sighed, clearly remembering the discussions about the restraining orders Alec had demanded Alcandor sign. “You mean the Vaughns.”

Alec nodded. “Who else? They and their allies have harassed three of my new circle members, and I have no doubt that they were involved in the attack yesterday.”

Killigan nodded grimly. “I have the same suspicions, as do Alcandor and Krym. It’s just a matter of finding the evidence, which Aloysius has been put in charge of.”

Alec raised an eyebrow. “Aloysius? Not Krym or Mesmyr?”

Killigan shook his head. “Krym is Harry’s Third, and Mesmyr is his uncle. Those are both very close connections, and it would definitely be considered a conflict of interest if either of them led the investigation and it went to the inter-realm courts.”

Brishen raised an eyebrow. “And Alec’s older brother investigating isn’t a conflict of interest?”

Killigan shrugged. “Normally, it would be, but Alec was removed from Aloysius’s custody and given Advisor Kieran as a guardian many years ago. The circumstances don’t need to be discussed unless Alec wishes to, but the removal will be seen as more than enough distance to avoid implications that Aloysius may act unfairly in furtherance of Alec’s aims. If anything, the courts will question whether Aloysius was motivated enough to look into it as deeply as he should have.”

Harry frowned at Alec concerned. “Removed from his custody?”

Alec shook his head. “It sounds worse than it was. I chose to join the court when I was fairly young. Too young to be fully independent by Merrow standards, but not too young to make my own decisions. Since my oldest brother was my head of house, and he and my other brothers objected to my being here, I was assigned a court member as a guardian. It really isn’t that complicated.”

Harry shook his head, but didn’t comment. Alec may say it wasn’t a big deal, but Harry could feel both his and Killigan’s emotions. There was far more hurt and resentment there than would be present if it was as simple as he was trying to imply.

Charlie sighed with relief when Quinn met them at the gates of the Kalzik compound. He’d been on edge since the girls had appeared last night, and waiting to leave until after breakfast hadn’t helped.

And breakfast had not been quick, no matter what Sadara claimed. It seemed that Prewitt meals were much like Weasley family meals under Molly’s watchful eye, with everyone encouraged to eat as much as they could possibly need or want, topped off with as much fussing as possible.

It had been bittersweet, really. As much as he missed his parents and other siblings, he couldn’t decide how to feel about them right now. His mother had sealed him and his siblings, his father may or may not have known, Percy was Percy, and Ron had apparently been a complete prick this past year.

“How are they?” he asked as soon as they were inside the wards.

‘Recovering. It’ll likely be at least a couple of days before they wake up, but their vitals are good and they are far less magically exhausted.’ Quinn wrote out so everyone could see.

Charlie relaxed slightly. “That’s good. They’ll heal fully?”

Quinn nodded. ‘Barring any surprises, yes. We didn’t find anything too severe, and we did check for the usual traps you see with those kinds of injuries, but didn’t find any. He likely didn’t have time to leave them if the fight was as sudden as that Phoenix implied. Your sister might have a small scar from the burn, but I doubt it. If she does, her inheritance will fix it when it comes in.’

Sadara frowned. “What do you mean traps?”

Quinn tilted his head slightly. ‘What did Charlie tell you about who did this to them?’

Bill glanced over at Charlie with a confused frown. “That it was Dumbledore. The school headmaster.”

Sadara gasped. “The school headmaster? You left that part out before. How could someone responsible for the safety of children cause harm to them?”

Charlie sighed, running his hand through his hair. “He’s caused a lot of harm to students over the years. This is just the most blatant example.”

Sadara frowned. “Is it being investigated?”

Charlie nodded. “It is. I’m not sure who is actually taking that hunt, probably either our gheyos or the Cunninghams, or maybe Ilsa Gorgens, but it is on the list.”

Sadara nodded. “Good. But you said traps?”

Quinn nodded, ducking into a small cottage and gesturing for them to enter after him. ‘Yes, traps. This Dumbledore is apparently a Torvak.’

Sadara’s jaw dropped, and her face was sheet white with rage. Her hair had burst into angry looking flames, ready to fry someone to a crisp at the slightest provocation. “A Torvak? At a school with children?”

Quinn nodded. ‘It seems so, yes. There will be an investigation. King Edgar is supposed to inform the Blood Wraith today.’

Sadara nodded sharply, then turned to Charlie and Bill. “Good. Did he ever do anything inappropriate to either of you?”

Charlie exchanged a glance with Bill frowning slightly. “Nothing like this. There were a few questionable incidents while we were in school, but it was more along the lines of allowing us to be exposed to dangerous people and artifacts on school grounds, not actively harming us.”

Sadara hissed angrily, shaking her head as her flames sparked dangerously. “I will be seeking a blood price for this. All of this, every time he endangered or harmed any of my grandchildren, I want a blood price for it.”

Quinn nodded. ‘I’ll let Theo and Prince Raspen know. I can’t imagine they’d object.’

Sadara nodded, visibly forcing herself to relax, though her hair remained on fire. “Good. That's good. It isn’t fixed now, but it will be soon. It had better be soon. Now, let me see my granddaughter.”

Charlie glanced over at Bill, exchanging another loaded glance.

It seemed that their mother had inherited her temper from her own mother.

Harry smiled slightly when Krym slid out of the room Killigan had come out of and immediately made a beeline straight for him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Harry,” the Merrow breathed. “You’re safe.”

Harry nodded, hugging the man back. “Yes? Of course I am? I was with my circle all night, it was perfectly safe.”

Krym sighed, pulling back to check Harry over. “I know you were with your circle, but I haven’t seen where you're staying yet. And you haven’t been bonded long enough to have an established estate, either.”

Harry shrugged, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Blaise inherited an estate, with a bunch of wards. It’s protected.”

Krym raised an eyebrow. “Blaise? Which one is that?”

Harry smiled slightly at the reminder of the third-youngest member of his circle. He really did need to make time to spend with the other wizard-raised dragel, and soon. They had barely spoken since coming to Nevarah, and never spoken before the soulscream. “The storm joker. The one that’s fifteen.”

Krym winced slightly. “I remember him. How is he settling in with the suite?”

Brishen shrugged. “Pretty well, all things considered. He bonded to Riven and Devrim, and indicated that he’s considering bonding to Hadrian.”

Krym nodded, considering. “That would be Cairothe and Lady Dreswell’s grandson, correct?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. Is that good?”

Krym smiled down at his son. “It is. Many Jokers won’t bond to more than one or two in a circle, but with his age he really needs more stability than that. If he’s already bonded to you and two others, and is considering a third, that’s good progress. Better progress than many of his rank will ever make, honestly.”

Harry smiled. “That’s good.”

Krym laughed softly. “Indeed it is.”

“Alec. I see that you are capable of showing up at a reasonable hour, at least when it suits you,” Alcandor snarked as he walked into the room.

Alec rolled his eyes. “Did you want to see your future stepson or not?”

Killigan cut in before the two could really start squabbling. “I’m hungry, and breakfast should be ready by now. Come, Harry, you’ll sit between me and Krym, so we can introduce you to our cuisine.”

Harry blushed slightly, but took the older dragel’s extended hand, allowing himself to be led through another door and into a dining room. Alec and Brishen grumbled under their breath as they followed. Apparently the pair were less than pleased to not get to sit next to him, but neither was willing to contradict the Merrow Queen.

Harry blinked in surprise when food floated down from the ceiling, looking up but not seeing any gaps. Somehow, food floating through what looked like solid stone and setting down gently on the table was even more impressive than when it just appeared out of nowhere.

“Here, Harry, try some of this. It’s one of your Third’s favorites,” Killigan said with a smile, spooning a white pudding-like substance onto Harry’s plate.

“And this, here. It’s one the more landwalker-friendly foods we have,” Krym commented as he added a pastry to Harry’s plate.

“Don’t forget that there, too. He’ll probably like that, and if he doesn’t he needs to know before he eats out,” King Alcandor added.

Harry resisted the urge to wince as his plate was piled high with at least a little bit of everything. It seemed that he was going to be fussed over within an inch of his life, if his Third and his future step parents had their way.

He glanced over at Alec and Brishen, and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes when he saw the approval on their faces. It seemed that he’d find no help from either of them.

Bill sighed, squeezing Ginny’s hand gently. “You said it would probably take a few days for them to wake up?”

Quinn nodded. ‘Most likely. It’s hard to say without knowing their base magic levels and typical recovery times, but based on their recovery overnight I’d guess two to three days unless something changes. Maybe a little less for Ginny and Hermione, but quite possibly more for Luna.’

Bill frowned. “More for Luna?”

Quinn nodded, grimacing. ‘They were brought here by a phoenix, not a portal or a realm-walker. Inter-realm travel is difficult at the best of times, and a large amount of magic goes into buffering portals to protect those inside of them. Fawkes did a good job getting them out, but he wasn’t capable of buffering them during the trip.’

Sadara winced. “So it’s not just the attack that caused this, it’s also what was effectively a completely unshielded inter-realm portal?”

Quinn tilted his head back and forth. ‘Not completely unshielded. Luna apparently has very good control over her power, especially for her age, because she shielded the worst of it. It worked, and all three of them are in far better shape than they would have been if she hadn’t, but she completely exhausted her reserves.’

Charlie winced. “But she’ll recover, right? Will there be damage to her core?”

Quinn shook his head. ‘No, my parents have treated exhaustion enough times that they were able to prevent any lasting damage fairly easily. She’ll have to avoid anything too strenuous for a little while after she wakes, but it will be fine.’

Charlie relaxed into the small couch he’d claimed, relieved. Luna may not be his sister by blood, but Harry and the twins considered her their little sister. By his standards, that meant she may as well be his family too. The same was true for Hermione. Seeing both of them and Ginny in this state was horrible, no matter how relieved he was that they were no longer at Hogwarts.

Even if this made him even more worried about the rest of his family. After all, he still had two younger brothers and both of his parents left on Earth.

Well, both of the parents he knew about. Apparently, he had a Third somewhere, but he was hesitant to count a strange dragel he’d never met as his parent.

Even if Harry’s Third had turned out to be someone who had genuinely not known of his existence and who had immediately stepped up and wanted to be a good father once he’d learned that he had a son, there was no guarantee that Charlie’s would be the same way.

Just look at what had happened with Theo’s Third. He couldn’t even see his Third's name on his documents or blood trace, much less build any sort of relationship.

Sirius hid a grimace when he was finally allowed to sit up. The ritual had taken nearly twice as long as he’d been told it would, and he was not pleased.

Neither was Lady Mariana, if her expression could be believed.

“And why did you do the ritual twice?” the Lady snapped, giving her mage a narrow gaze.

The mage shrugged unapologetically. “To verify the results. They seemed … unlikely … but I got the same answer twice. It is definitely accurate.”

Sirius frowned. “How bad is it?”

The mage looked amused, much to Sirius’s chagrin. “Not bad at all, I would say, though I am perhaps biased.”

Sirius blinked in confusion, frowning up at the man who was still standing over him. Why would this mage be biased?

Remus cut in suddenly, looking suspicious. “You aren’t his Third, are you?”

The mage smirked, shaking his head. “No, I am not. That honor belongs to my Alpha.”

Lady Mariana blinked, turning her attention in the direction of the mansion. “My Lord? Care to explain?”

Sirius looked over, surprised to see Lord Cunningham approaching the group, the Vega twins at his back.

“Explain, my dearest? Explain what?” the Shadow Alpha asked.

Lady Mariana smiled sweetly. “Explain the son that you never told me you had.”

Lord Cunningham looked confused. “Son? Our circle hasn’t had any children.”

Lady Mariana’s smile somehow got even sweeter, sending a shiver down Sirius’s spine. A look that innocent on that particular submissive couldn’t mean anything good. “I know our circle hasn’t, as we have never even had the necessary conversations. Still, you have a son,” she commented, gesturing at Sirius.

Lord Cunningham blinked. “I have a son? Sirius? But how?”

Sirius shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Actually, probably better, since I barely know anything about dragels and wasn’t exactly around to see the details of my conception.”

Remus snorted, making Sirius glance over. It always made him feel lighter when his soulbonded laughed or smiled. He’d had too little cause to do so over the last few years, and it showed in his serious and heavy demeanor.

Lord Cunningham shook his head. “I didn’t mean the mechanics, per se. But I never agreed to be anyone’s Third, and I certainly would have never left you on Earth.”

Sirius frowned slightly, not sure how to take that. On the one hand, it was confirmation that Lord Cunningham had not intended to have him. Had not wanted to have him. On the other hand, though, the man had said he wouldn’t have left him there.

Lord Cunningham sighed, appearing to read Sirius’s expression. “I don’t mean to imply that I’m not pleased to have you as a son. It is a surprise, but a welcome one. I simply do not understand how this happened, and it makes me wonder if there are other dragels out there with children they don’t know of.”

Lady Mariana was also frowning. “And, perhaps more importantly, if there are children out there in need of help, who don’t know that they have another parent who would help them.”

One of the Vega twins snorted. “Or, continuing that thought, children who don’t even know they are dragels, or that they may have an inheritance, but are trapped on Earth where their lives are in danger if they are discovered.”

Sirius winced, knowing exactly what would happen if someone were to be outed as a dragel. Or even suspected of being one, really. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I have no idea who Harry’s Third could be, or any of the Weasleys, and none of them had any idea that they would have an inheritance. I knew that my family had dragel heritage, but only because it was suppressed after I was old enough to remember it being done.”

Lady Cunningham nodded. “Harry’s Third has been discovered. It is a Merrow - a water dragel, basically - named Krymsen. He is the current Crimson Tide.”

“Crimson Tide?” Remus asked, frowning.

“The Merrow blood title holder. Essentially the most powerful Water-aligned ranked gheyo,” Lady Mariana explained.

Sirius blinked. “Well then. That’s Harry’s luck all right.”

Remus snorted. “I can’t disagree. What about the Weasleys? Charlie and the twins? Do you know who their Thirds are?”

Lady Mariana shook her head. “If they know, they did not say so at the courts last night.”

Remus nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. It wouldn’t have been really relevant at the time.”

Lord Cunningham shook his head. “Indeed not. And there was already more than enough to deal with. But I still rather doubt they have had the time to test yet. Harry’s was only done because he was in the Merrow courts, and King Alcandor had the time and inclination to do so.”

Sirius nodded. “Still though, what does being a Third actually mean? Especially considering that I’m an adult?”

Lord Cunningham sighed, looking almost sad. “A Third is a parent just as much as a bearer or sire, in most cases. I would like to attempt to build a parent-child relationship between us, with some adjustment for your age and history, of course. Given the circumstances, though, if you are not interested in such a relationship, I will not be offended.”

Sirius frowned slightly. “I can’t honestly say that I have a good picture of what parents should be like. Or a good view on having parents.”

Lady Mariana frowned. “And what do you mean by that? You were raised by your sire and bearer, were you not?”

Sirius sighed, but nodded. “I was, but they weren’t exactly great parents. They were more interested in the legacy of the House of Black than having children.”

Lord Cunningham frowned as well. “Were they neglectful or abusive in any way?”

Sirius shrugged. “I guess that depends who you ask. By British wizarding law, no, because they were a Lord and Lady disciplining their Heir. There aren’t any restrictions on what’s allowed in such cases.”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Yes, they were. Both neglectful and abusive, severely so.”

Lord Cunningham hissed dangerously as Lady Mariana’s eyes flashed. “Where are they now?” the lord demanded.

“Dead, years ago. My mother poisoned my father, then went mad alone in that dark old house until eventually she died,” Sirius answered reluctantly. An angry parent had always been extremely dangerous for him, so he didn’t dare to not give the Cunninghams the information they wanted.

Not when he was still getting their measure. Right now, the only thing he could be absolutely certain of was that they were extremely powerful and capable.

Lord Cunningham sighed. “I see. I will check with Lord Aiden, but I doubt we will be able to enact an appropriate punishment on them after this long.”

Lady Mariana snorted. “Try anyways. Child abuse is absolutely unforgivable.”

Sirius blinked, confused by the apparent protectiveness. The only people who had ever shown such feelings towards him were Charlus and Dorea Potter, and even they hadn’t done anything against his parents.

They had wanted to, very badly. Dorea had gone into explicit detail about what exactly she would like to do to both Walburga and Orion, but Charlus had always held her back. Disinherited or not, she was still a Black by blood, and not technically disowned. She could not attempt to harm her family’s Lord or Lady without serious magical consequences, and there was no legal basis for her or Charlus to interfere through the Ministry of Magic.

The Cunninghams seemed to have no such restriction, though. Sirius just didn’t know whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing for him.

Ilsa rolled her shoulders as she approached King Edgar’s office, Greta walking quietly beside her. Bahn had not been pleased that the two of them were going to a meeting so early, but there really wasn’t a choice. Not with her element’s King calling for her, and especially not with two of her children bonded to the man’s son and heir.

The summons set her on edge, though. She had never been given permission to bring Greta along for a meeting before. Greta had always either been requested or not, and if she was not requested, then she was expected to not come. Meetings like this tended to be confidential, after all.

It didn’t help that this was coming right after her sons’ submissive was apparently attacked, and she had not seen any of their circle since. She still didn’t even have full details on what had happened, as Ariki hadn’t wanted any more dragels than absolutely necessary to get involved in the aftermath, but she knew enough to know that she would be furious when she learned everything.

“Your Majesty,” she greeted as she entered the office, gesturing for Greta to enter after her before closing the door. Technically, she should have knocked, but she really didn’t feel like playing nicely right now.

“Lady Gorgens. Lady Deveraine. Thank you both for coming so quickly,” King Edgar greeted, setting aside the stack of paperwork he’d been working on and reaching for a new one.

Ilsa resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. The new stack of paperwork was even larger than the one he’d been working on before.

That couldn’t be a good sign.

“Your message implied that there was an urgent matter that needed to be attended to?” Ilsa prodded, eager to get done with this and get back to her circle. It had been well over a decade since they’d all been together, and now Bahn was pregnant. She really did not want to be away too long right now.

King Edgar nodded, separating the pile of paperwork into smaller piles. “There is. How much do you know about the attack that happened yesterday?”

Ilsa frowned. “Ariki told us that Harry had been attacked, but that no one had any injuries that had not been healed before he called us, and they didn’t want to bring the circle’s families in because it would spiral too quickly.”

King Egar nodded slowly. “That is accurate, though perhaps not a full picture. Harry was attacked in the markets yesterday while he was sitting in a courtyard with Brishen. There were ten gheyos, none of whom have been identified yet. The blood trace orders are with the lower courts for approval now for nine of them, and the tenth cannot have a blood trace done. Unfortunately, that tenth appears to not have a criminal record, as his wings and scales are not in the database.”

Greta frowned. “I’m sorry, but why can’t that one have a blood trace done?”

King Edar paused. “Ah. I suppose I should have mentioned that. Harry got that one with a blood-boiling curse. Alec and Brishen stuck to more typical attacks, at least by Merrow standards, so their kills can be identified, but Harry’s cannot.”

Ilsa blinked. “Harry killed one?”

King Edgar nodded. “Indeed. I was surprised as well, but I would consider it a net positive, overall. The blood-boiling curse is an unusual choice, but quite effective.”

Greta snorted. “I don’t think that there is any debating its effectiveness. Especially if it killed a dragel that was attacking him. But I’m more worried about what’s being done to punish those involved. Ten gheyos don’t just attack a submissive and his Joker without orders.”

King Edgar sighed. “Indeed they do not. And we have suspicions about who may have ordered this, but not evidence yet.”

Ilsa narrowed her eyes. “And what might those suspicions be?”

King Edgar sighed again. “You cannot act on this until it is proven, and blood rights have already been determined. As Blood Wraith and Blood Rayne, you both will enact blood rights on behalf of the Earth and Air crowns, as the submissive of our princes was the one attacked, but you cannot do it until the evidence is found and those involved have been convicted. Am I clear?”

Ilsa and Greta exchanged glances. That sounded as though they suspected the Guantrells, and were going to actually do something about them this time. “Understood. We will wait until it is time to take our blood prices.”

King Edgar nodded. “Good. We suspect, but cannot prove at this time, that it was the Guantrells.”

Ilsa blinked. A royal really was admitting that the Guantrells had probably committed a crime, and seemed intent on seeing them face justice? It was like a parallel universe.

Except that both Prince Raspen and Prince Perryton had indicated that they and Princess Dawne wanted the Vaughns and their allies out of the courts during the clambake. And both had outright stated that they felt that Queen Arista’s protection had been extended to allow for far too much.

“What evidence do we have against them so far?” she asked, choosing to avoid questioning the royals’ motives for now. It would likely be far more effective to ask Theo and Ariki what they knew later.

King Edgar frowned. “Not enough to officially arrest anyone, yet. But the investigation is just starting. So far, it is only the fact that Yanek Guantrell, originally Doursen, and Walford Guantrell have been stalking and harassing three members of the circle, and both made threats against them and their circle in the courts just a couple of days ago. The threats were too vaguely worded to be definitive proof, but they are strong circumstantial evidence.”

Ilsa nodded. “I am aware of those incidents. And if this is proven, will they face justice?”

King Edgar nodded. “They will. Queen Arista agreed, albeit reluctantly, that this attack shows that they cannot be trusted, and King Alcandor’s indication that he considers their performance of their task to be subpar at best helped. Even if she had not agreed though, she would have been outvoted by myself, King Alcandor, and Princess Ebony.”

Greta snorted. “That would be a sight. Fire and Water voting together against Air.”

King Edgar shook his head. “It would have been, but I am glad that Queen Arista chose to be reasonable so it wasn’t necessary.”

Ilsa nodded, easily able to understand why. Disagreements between royals were never pleasant, especially when the disagreement was over court members. The other three elements voting to act against a member of the fourth element’s courts against the wishes of that royal would never be pretty.

“Is that what we were summoned for? To join the investigation?” Greta asked, sounding eager. Ilsa couldn’t blame her. She was also eager to make sure those responsible for this attack faced punishment.

Especially when those responsible were almost certainly also those responsible for stalking and harassing three of her children, and assaulting another. Kandra, whose attack had been bad enough that the girl had rank shifted from submissive to gheyo and completely rejected her dragel heritage.

King Edgar tilted his head slightly. “Not entirely. You will be somewhat involved in that investigation, coordinating with Crimson Tide, but they have the primary due to Harry’s Third’s identity and the fact that the other two present for the attack were both water types.”

Ilsa blinked. “I hadn’t realized that they had identified Harry’s Third yet.”

King Edgar nodded. “Ah, yes. That was found out during the chaos. When he and Brishen were attacked, Harry summoned Alec to help. Alec killed two and took Harry down to the Merrow courts to get him away from danger. While they were there, King Alcandor tested Harry’s parentage.”

Greta nodded. “That’s relatively good. I can’t imagine the rest of the circle was pleased to have Harry inaccessible to them, but the Merrow courts are undeniably secure.”

King Edgar nodded. “Indeed. They were very well protected there, and finding Harry’s Third is turning out to be quite beneficial.”

Ilsa blinked. “Who is it, exactly? Anyone we’d know?”

King Edgar snorted. “Oh, you’ll know his title, if nothing else. His name is Krymsen, and he is the current Crimson Tide.”

Ilsa blinked again. Then two more times. “I see. I may have underestimated just how chaotic Harry’s luck is.”

Greta snorted. “That’s an understatement. So his Third is leading the investigation?”

King Edgar shook his head. “No, that would be a conflict of interest. As would either of you taking a primary role, considering that the Alpha and one Beta are effectively yours. No, Alec’s older brother, the former title holder, is taking the investigation. Technically, Alec was officially independent from his family even before the soulscream, so the relationship is effectively negated, at least from a legal standpoint.”

Ilsa nodded. “But this brother of Alec’s will still investigate it fully?”

King Edgar snorted. “Oh, he will. He already submitted orders to question every member of every Guantrell circle, and Princesses Dawne and Ebony are at the courts now to make sure they get approval.”

Ilsa smiled darkly. “Good. I need to tell my circle about this, though. The Guantrells and their allies have already targeted four of my children, I can’t leave them unaware.”

King Edgar winced, clearly remembering what had happened to Kandra. “This is technically under royal seal, at least until after the Introductions, so nothing can get out to the public. I will not object to you telling them, but it cannot go any farther than your circle and the children old enough to be in danger.”

Ilsa nodded, easily accepting that condition. Honestly, she wouldn’t want this to get out too soon either, because she didn’t want the Guantrells or Vaughns to have warning to cover their tracks. And keeping it to the children old enough to be in danger wasn’t much of a restriction. As far as she was concerned, everyone was in danger, though she would keep it to those old enough to understand and keep it secret.

King Edgar nodded. “Now, moving on, there was another incident last night during our meeting about the attack that led to the hunt I am going to have to ask you to take now. Three girls, one Charlie and the twins’ sister, the other two like sisters to Harry, were brought to Nevarah by a Phoenix. All three were severely injured and unconscious after being attacked by the Headmaster of Hogwarts school.”

Ilsa hissed. “That would be Dumbledore, I presume?”

King Edgar nodded. “It would. None of the girls have woken yet, but the Phoenix, whose name is Fawkes, was able to give us some information. None of it is good. Apparently this Dumbledore is a Torvak.”

Ilsa’s eyes went black, and the room shook slightly before she managed to get her power back under control. “A Torvak? My student was attending a school run by a Torvak for four years?”

King Edgar nodded. “It seems so. A particularly dangerous one, who has used some kind of potions and rituals to enhance his powers. I need you to investigate this, and keep a close eye out for other children in danger while you’re there.”

Ilsa nodded sharply. She could easily accept a mission like that, especially if her involvement with the investigation into the attack on her son’s submissive would be limited.

After all, this mission was still an investigation into something that had harmed her Theo. It was just less direct than openly attacking his submissive in a market.

“When do you want us to start? The Introductions are tomorrow,” Greta asked.

Ilsa winced. She had completely forgotten about the Introductions. Bahn would be absolutely furious if she and Greta missed them, especially when they had just returned home. The fact that it was a hunt for something that had harmed their Theo and several of his bonded would help, but it wouldn’t be enough if Bahn felt like being difficult.

Even more so if Bhindi decided that she didn’t like not having their Ace and King present for their presentation, since technically they were the two most impressive of their gheyos.

King Edgar smiled slightly. “I would not expect you to leave before the Introductions. The girls that the Phoenix brought were investigating Dumbledore themselves when he attacked them. I would imagine that they have some valuable information for you. At the very least they probably know enough to give you a starting point.”

Ilsa nodded. “We’ll speak with them as soon as possible. Are they staying with the circle?”

King Edgar shook his head. “No, at least, not right now. All three were injured and magically exhausted, so they are staying in a Kalzik guest house. None have regained consciousness yet, nor are they expected to for a few days.”

Ilsa nodded, frowning slightly. “Will they recover fully?”

King Edgar nodded, smiling slightly. “The Kalziks believed so. None of their injuries were particularly concerning on their own, it was just a combination of many minor injuries and magical exhaustion that made it into a dangerous situation.”

Ilsa nodded. “We will visit them once they have recovered, then. Perhaps a day or two after they wake, so that they can be prepared to speak to an official investigation.”

King Edgar nodded. “That sounds appropriate. And with the time difference, time isn’t nearly as important a factor as accuracy is.”