It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 19: Found One

Found One

Stepping out of the Floo, Harry stumbled and clutched at the nearby couch he knew from experience was there. Actually, after the first two Floo trips into Marvolo's office, Harry had moved the couch two feet over just to be appropriately placed next to the fireplace. Merlin, he hated Flooing. Grumbling to himself, he brushed the ash off of his new leather jacket and glared at the man smirking behind the ornate desk.

"Not a word," he growled.

The smirk sharpened and only made Harry glare harder. "To comment on a peers misfortune only lowers yourself in the eyes of all."

"You comment on the misfortune of your minions all the time," Harry retorted.

"Ah, but they are not my peers." Harry swallowed hard and focused on righting his appearance until the heat in his cheeks dissipated. Marvolo let out a long drawn out sigh. "Though I really don't understand why you have such difficulties with Flooing."

Harry shrugged. "Who knows, maybe it all stems back to that fateful first attempt before my second year where I ended up in Knockturn Alley and now I have some horrible subconscious fear of it. Or it's just a terrible form of travel and the sooner I learn to Apparate the better," Harry quipped. "I'm leaning on the latter."

"We can begin that course of study if you wish it." Harry flashed a grin at the Dark Lord before flopping into the sofa that he had originally been leaning against for balance. It was Harry's favorite seat in the office. "How was your meeting?" Marvolo asked, setting his quill aside, folding his fingers delicately on top of his desk and turning his full focus on Harry.

"It went well. Getting my friends and the Slytherins to work together will be a long process, but we made progress today."

"Any news from within the school?"

Harry nodded, his fingers tapping nonsensically against the couch arm. "Dumbledore is trying to get Neville in his grasps like Snape said. I told Neville to go for it and see what news the old man will give. It also seems like I have more support with the students than I originally thought."

"Oh?" The perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose and Harry silently marveled at the perfection of the movement and how one gesture could make someone feel so inadequate and so compelled to justify themselves.

"Yeah, apparently, I made an impression on people back when I was teaching the DA. Plus, I guess all of the negative press last year that proved me to be right is actually working in my favor."

"We will need to work the trial of Moody and Shacklebolt to further that positive image," Marvolo mused. "You have the Wizengamot this week, do you not?" Harry nodded though the question was more of a statement. A Wizengamot meeting wasn't something Marvolo would forget. "Your relationship with Madame Bones is progressing?"

"Yeah, when I met with her earlier this week she sent me a list of ....muggles for tonight," Harry said, bringing out a crumpled piece of parchment from his jacket pocket. He still wasn't sure how to really label the list of people. Victims made bile rise in his throat, but people sounded too tame considering the crimes they had committed.

The meeting with Madam Bones had been surreal but Harry was confident he had the woman in his confidence now. They had met for lunch in a small muggle cafe not far from the Ministry and Harry had spilled his edited version of events. He had admitted that he now lived in an old family manor, though he implied that it was one that he had inherited. When he mentioned his studies, he said it was mainly self-study, which his Necromancy was, and accepted her suggestions of literature for his N.E.W.T studies. She had offered tutor recommendations but he had side stepped those offers by claiming the need for safety and privacy.