Third Place - Angst

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry looked up from his textbook and saw Professor McGonagall looking expectantly at him from the doorway of charms class.

"Follow me, please," she said. Harry gave his two friends a shrug and got up and followed the older witch.

McGonagall led him to the Headmaster's office without a word, but Harry could tell something had riled the normally unflappable lady.

"Ah, Harry! So good to see you, my boy," Dumbledore enthused as he rose from his chair. Harry was ushered forward but then stopped dead. He had to be imagining things. This couldn't possibly be true.

"Quit staring, boy! Is that the kind of manners they teach you here?"

Harry swallowed and tried wiping away the look of utter shock on his face. "Uh, no, Uncle Vernon."

For there indeed was his Uncle Vernon, standing near the fireplace as far away from Fawlks, the moving portraits and the smirking sorting hat as he could get. Next to him, her face pinched more severe than he had ever seen it, was Aunt Petunia and wrapped in her arms, well, as much as she could get her arms around, was Dudley.

"Harry, your family has requested a moment alone with you," the Headmaster said, smiling congenially. "Perhaps you can tempt them with a bit of tea or sweets?"

"I've already told you. We are not taking anything away from here. We've just come to speak to the boy and then we will leave this place behind." Vernon's face was becoming redder by the second.

"Very well. Harry we shall be right outside as per the request of privacy." Dumbledore patted his shoulder and accompanied Professor McGonagall out.

Harry watched the Dursleys as they seemed to be gearing themselves up for something. Uncle Vernon kept clearing his throat in an ostentatious way, Aunt Petunia kept putting her hand to her throat and stretching her neck, and Dudley wouldn't look up from the floor.

"You wanted to talk with me?" Harry prompted. Uncle Vernon glared at him for being rushed but finally ushered his family towards Harry. When they were about two meters away all three of them went down on their knees. Uncle Vernon did a lot of groaning as he did so. Harry took a step back in sheer and utter shock.

"Get your jollies out of this now, boy!" Vernon said nastily. Then he took a deep breath and in a ceremonial voice said, "I and my family do hereby apologize for the mistreatment we gave you while living in our home." Uncle Vernon then sneered and, with the help of his family, rose to his feet. "Now, I hope you will run back and tell the bastard you have working for you that we have done our part and that he can now take our home out of hock and allow me to resume my job."

"And to clear up those dirty lies they're spreading about me at school!" Dudley chimed in.

"And at the Ladies Home Club!" Aunt Petunia added.

Harry stood there dumbstruck. What on earth had caused this? Never in his life had he ever believed the Dursleys would ever get on... their...knees... Harry blinked as a memory came back to him. Draco! Draco must have arranged this! He had promised that the Dursleys would kneel and they had! Harry smiled blindly, which sent Uncle Vernon into a swearing fit.

"I'll tell him!" Harry cried out as he rushed out of the room.

"Mr. Potter, where are you running to?" McGonagall asked as he ran past them. He was half way down the spiral staircase before he turned and grinned.

"I have to go thank someone!" Harry then rushed down the final stairs and made a beeline for Draco's room. He had barely skidded to a stop before he was banging on the door. He stood there out of breath as he waited for the door to open. After a few moments he again knocked on the door. Still no answer. Oh, wait, everyone was still in classes right now. Harry slapped himself in the forehead and laughed. Draco would be in History of Magic right now. Realizing he would have to wait to speak to the blonde Harry happily made his way back to Charms.

Harry nodded at Professor Flitwick and didn't even try to keep the massive grin off his face. His friends smiled back in response to his obvious good humor but had to contain their curiosity for another fifteen minutes until class ended.

"Alright, Harry," Ron said as soon as they got through the doorway. "Spill."

Harry laughed. "You'll never believe it if I told you!"

"Well, you have to tell us anyway," Hermione said with a chuckle. "You're beaming like a fool and I have to know who did it so that I may thank them."

"Draco," Harry stated simply with a twinkle in his eyes that would rival Dumbledore's any day.

"What?" Ron looked confused and Hermione was definitely not happy anymore.

"What do you mean, Harry?" she asked sternly. Harry pulled his friends into the mouth of a little used hallway that only led to storage closets. Harry's smile had faltered at his friends' reactions but he knew they would be just as excited once he told them.

"Draco! He gave me a great gift!"

"Um, Harry. We know," Ron said glancing pointedly at Harry's abdomen. Hermione hit him in the shoulder.

"Ha ha, Ron." Harry said sarcastically. "No, idiot. I mean, that just now, I was called up to Dumbledore's office and there were the Dursleys!" Both of his friends gaped and Harry laughed again. "Yeah, that was about what my reaction was too. It turns out that they were there to apologize on their knees for mistreating me. Can you believe it?" "Wait. You're saying that your muggle family actually kneeled and apologized?" Hermione gasped. Harry nodded. "But what has that got to do with Malfoy?"

"Because," Harry patiently explained, "Draco had promised me that he would get them to do it. That he would make them kneel to me. And he always keeps his promises!"

"Harry," Hermione said firmly with a stern look on her face. "If Malfoy actually promised you this-,"

"Well, I'm not lying about it!"

"Then I would say that he is merely acting within his own code of conduct. You say that he always keeps his promises, well then, for Malfoy to do so he would have to follow through on this regardless of any perceived emotions you are attributing to him," Hermione finished.

"They're not perceived," Harry said nastily. "Draco does have a code, but if he doesn't give a care about someone do you really think he would bother with fulfilling a promise to them?"

"He's got ya there, 'mione," Ron said. Hermione pursed her lips and shot Ron a glare before turning her attention back to Harry.

"Harry, I think you are building a mountain out of a mole hill. Besides, how would Draco actually convince a family of muggles to kneel before you?"

"They mentioned having their house in hock and jobs and social standing being in jeopardy," Harry answered.

"Mm hmm, so in reality, to do all that, he would have had to start those machinations some time in advance. And then he would need to wait as they held onto their stubbornness and tried all avenues. Then, and only then, when they were desperate, would they eventually try contacting you which would, of course, take them some time as they have never done it in the entire time you have been in Hogwarts." Hermione gave Harry a knowing look. "Don't you think that perhaps what occurred today was merely the fruition of a plot created long before you left him?"

Harry stared at Hermione. He realized that she was probably right. Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron rasped. "Why do you have to do that?"

"Because how would Harry feel if he had run to Draco only to realize that Draco had not intended for him to come back. Or worse," Hermione's face was flushed, "Draco takes him back and in a few weeks we are back in the hospital wing hoping that Harry makes it through another bout of Draco's anger because Harry had had the audacity to not put the soap back!"

"No, you're right, Hermione," Harry said, forcing a smile to his lips. "You're right. I just got a little carried away. It's not everyday that a bloke's wish comes true," he said with a laugh. Ron seemed to bite back what ever he had been about to say and gave Harry a sympathetic smile.

"Yeah, that must have been a pretty strange sight."

"It was." Harry made gesture towards the main hall. "Come on you guys, one more class before lunch!"

Hermione nodded briskly and stepped off in the direction of their next class. Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed gently. Harry gave him a smile and the two set off after their friend.

That night, Harry was busy reading his books. A lot of it was conjecture. Apparently having a "breeding pair" as the book put it was rare and hadn't been seen in over three hundred years.

"From all historical documents, the abilities of a breeding pair to produce viable offspring is almost guaranteed which is truly sad in the light of the rarity of the species. With the last and only recorded incident of a breeding pair, much information was lost or destroyed during the rise of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald who used the information to enslave and use the four known Indago alive at the time. What is known is that a breeding subicio can be quite volatile in its emotions. It is believed that a Supero has the ability to calm the subicio but it is not known how."

Harry flipped further along until another chapter caught his attention.

"The Indago are pack animals as were their predecessor the Dagodine. It is often believed that this is the reason that nature produces at least two of them at a time. It is known that a Supero can survive without other Indago, and instead group together with humans. The case of the subicio who had been used as the impetus for the Dark Wizard Grindelwald's enslavement of three Superos showed how the fate of a subicio can be very different. Subicios are apparently very reliant upon a Supero for many more things that this researcher still cannot identify. Without any other Indago, the unfortunate subicio pawn of Grindelwald died not long after its release from captivity. It was discovered that the subicio had been caged and was allowed to be seen and touched through the bars by the Superos occasionally. This appeared to be enough to sustain the subicio. Once the three blood-frenzy induced Superos had been destroyed, the subicio quickly withered away and finally perished. It is noted that this particular subicio had been introduced back into society and welcomed back to its family but apparently became reclusive and was found dead one night by its birth sister. Apparently of suicide."

Harry stared at the page. What a horrible existence. Harry imagined himself caged for years, only allowed to see and barely touch Snape and Draco through bars. And then one day the door is opened but his Superos are dead. And they expected that subicio to just walk back into normalcy? Harry could well imagine taking his own life if it had been him. To never see Draco or Snape? Never touch or smell another of his own kind?

"What is the matter?"

Harry nearly jumped a mile at the harsh question. He looked up at the door to his room to see a scowling potions master.

"Well, Potter? What has you in a tizzy this time?" Snape asked nastily, crossing his arms. Harry's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before he realized what had happened.

"I'm sorry, sir. I must have been leaking again. I wasn't really in a tizzy, just reading some history that was really disturbing."

"Most history is," Snape said. He walked forward and plucked the book out of Harry's hands. Harry watched as Snape read the paragraph he just had.

"I couldn't help thinking about what it must have been like for that sub, to be locked up like that and then to just be alone." Harry looked down at his hands. Snape tossed the book down on the bed.

"Yes, now you understand why Lucius and I went to the lengths we did to make sure no one knew our secrets. The Dark Lord would have salivated over the possibilities," Snape said darkly. Harry nodded.

"And I'd have been just icing on the cake."

"Indeed."

Harry looked up at the older man. "Sir, do I really smell badly to you? Is that why you have to make yourself touch me? The books don't know a lot about that."

Snape's eyebrow rose and his lips pursed. "It was not an insult of your hygiene, Potter. You smell fine, just not as... accommodating."

Harry's brows came down in confusion. "Accommodating?"

Snape drew a deep breath in annoyance. "Now that you are breeding your smell has changed to indicate that doing anything of a carnal nature would be redundant."

"But, couldn't I only get knocked up during Lustrum? So wouldn't that-,"

"Yes, yes, Potter. But you forget that we are human hybrids and humans are notoriously sexual creatures. So, yes, you could only breed during Lustrum, but that does not mean that that would be the only time you would be enticing." Snape was obviously not happy with this conversation but Harry had more questions he wanted answered.

"So, now that my body is, um, occupied, my sub pheromones are warning you off?"

"So to speak," Snape sighed in annoyance. "But it is more that you lack the scent that would make you more appealing."

"Lack? You mean before I was giving off something-,"

"That was obviously hard to resist," Snape muttered darkly.

"And now I'm not," Harry stated. Harry's face was thoughtful as he chewed over those words. Snape's movement drew his attention back.

"Now that we are done with that subject I am to search your room," Snape said as he stepped fully into Harry's room and began looking about. Harry looked at him in confusion and couldn't help but feel invaded.

"What do you mean? Why do you have to search my room?"

"There has been more theft and I have assured the other professors that I would bring the stolen items back," Snape said casually. He began pulling up Harry's blanket and started towards the trunk at the foot of the bed. Harry got to his feet quickly and put his hand on the top of the trunk. Snape raised a brow at him for his temerity.

"I haven't stolen anything!" Harry said angrily. Snape gave him a look of disbelief. "I haven't. I did before but I've not done it since."

Snape crossed his arms again and pierced Harry with his eyes. "You are telling me that you have not desired any more articles of clothing?" Harry blushed under that knowing gaze.

"Well, I have," Harry admitted. "But I haven't acted on it! Look, I even tried making things instead of taking them! And I also bought a hat in Hogsmeade that doesn't even look good on me just because it's silk! But I haven't taken anything!" Harry's chest was heaving in indignation. Snape glanced about the room and Harry saw the dark eyes light on the discarded knitting and the yellow silk hat sitting on his nightstand. Then those eyes came back to rest on him.

"Very well, Potter. I am surprised at your abilities of control. I will inform the others that they will need to look in more common places for the thief." Snape turned and stalked out of the room. At the door he looked back at the still upset Gryffindor. "By the way, Potter. If it is still your intent to not leave on the train tomorrow, then I suggest you find a hobby, for I shall not have you hanging about for the entire two weeks in my chambers." The door quietly shut and Harry sat down. After a moment of calming himself down, Harry dragged the book towards him again and opened it.

That night as Harry fell asleep, he wondered why Draco had kept initiating sex and spending time together if there were no pheromones to goad him into it.

Indago - Chapter 50

Back to Chapter 48

Back to Results