Chapter 117 - Dragon egg and the realization

"Is this guy named Crow trustworthy?" Harry asked and Andromeda rolled her eyes.

Despite being a genius, Harry could be surprisingly naive sometimes.

"Harry. He is a thief, a smuggler, a crook and someone who works with the worst people in Knockturn Alley." She explained "Of course he's not trustworthy."

"But you've bought many ingredients potions from him. Correct?" he asked.

"Yes. But also tried to fool me the first two times and it was only when I threatened to castrate him and feed him his own balls did he stopped trying to cheat me."

Harry grimaced at her words and she laughed at how his and her reactions were so similar to that part of her story.

Men were all alike when it came to the stuff under their pants.

Threaten to cut it and they'll all grimace.

"I still don't know what you want from him though." She said after a while "And considering how you're about to tell him soon enough, why don't you just tell me as well."

Harry gave her a exasperated look and said "Plausible deniability. This way, if the aurors from ministry ever asks you if you saw me do something illegal, then you could easily say that no, you didn't and your words will remain absolutely true."

She nodded at that and didn't asked any questions anymore and they waited in the dark muggle alley for a few more minutes before the sound of apparition entered their ears and a haggard looking man who was wearing a old and tattered robe and looked like a begger for all intents and purposes stumbled in front of them.

But despite his looks, there was a sharp glint in his eyes as he gazed at Andromeda and asked "When I first tried to hoodwink you into selling you the rotten mermaid eggs, what did you tell me?"

She shook her head and replied "You never sold me any rotten mermaid eggs. Instead, you tried to sell me water sand instead of Cornish Pixie dust and I threatened to castrate you and feed you your own balls."

At Andromeda's words, the man shuddered a bit before a smile formed in his face.

"Sorry for that. You can never be too cautious in my profession." He said and the fierce glint returned in his eyes as he rubbed his hands greedily "Now… what does my favourite client wants from me."

"Not me. Him." She said and pointed at Harry who was looking at the whole scene with an amused expression.

"Aahhh… the great Harry Potter. Extraordinaire Genius in charms and runes. And the second dark lord slayer of the century. Tell me, how may I be of ȧssistance?" he asked and Harry said something but the words never reached her ears and she realized that he must have put a sound negating shield around himself.

She felt a bit envious at his talent. How he was able to use such complex magic at such a young age and without a wand either.

But he was her Nephew and so she didn't let the envy ever affect her mind and decisions regarding him.

He was family and that's all that mattered to her.

The two started talking amongst each forgetting her presence and she felt the urge to knock their heads together for ignoring a lady like that.

But if that's how they wanted it, then she should find some way to benefit from this situation.

So from there on, she started focusing on their lip movements.

Most of the words were too complex for her to understand but she could hear the easier ones.

Expensive. Dangerous. Smuggle. Romania.

What the hell were those two talking about?

From Crow's expression, she could clearly see that he was a bit hesitant about this whole business but the greed was there as well.

So Harry must have wanted to buy something highly illegal and expensive from him.

What could it be.

She focused a bit more on their lip movement and finally, the words 'Dragon Egg' passed through Harry's lips and she frowned.

Why the hell would Harry want a dragon egg.

Did he want it as some kind of potion ingredient?

Or did he wanted to gift it to someone?

Or maybe he wanted to keep it for decoration. Dragon eggs did held some beauty, she would admit.

But… he couldn't be thinking of hatching the dragon egg, could he?

Where the hell would he even raise the dragon.

And if he did, then what would he even do with it?

He wasn't planning on raising a dragon in his new Island and make it it's guard. Was it?

She knew that the Goblins did held a few dragons outside their deepest vaults but… that was different than taming a dragon.

You think you've tamed them, until one day they roast you and then eat you.

As she was thinking such thoughts, the business of the two people was concluded and they shook their hands when Crow suddenly recoiled from the touch and then looked down to see a black circle now formed at the middle of his palm.

He looked at his palm in anger before he said something to Harry who just looked bored.

Then Harry passed a bag full of gold to Crow who looked a bit pacified because of the gold.

Then the sound barrier was removed and she could hear them once again.

"Good luck on your venture Mr Crow. And for the both of our sakes, don't fail."

Crow looked at Harry with a bit of anger but then he nodded his head and apparated away.

"What was that dark circle?" she asked Harry soon as Crow left.

"A tracking spell. Very dark and very ancient. I don't think there's anyone in the whole Britain who's capable of removing it." Harry replied with a bored expression.

"Like the dark mark." The question left her mouth before she could control it and she grimaced but he either didn't notice or didn't care as he gave her a nod "Yes. Like the dark mark."

She gulped at his words and wondered if he truly didn't understood the level of magic that he just performed.

Then she shook her head.

Of course he wouldn't realize such a thing.

If he did, then he wouldn't be Harry but some impostor.

"Our work here is done. Let's leave." He said and gave her his elbow and she smiled helplessly at that.

Usually it's the elder one who apparates and the younger one who side apparates but apparently such was not the case with Harry.

So she just took his arm and then the next moment, with a pop, they left the dark alley.

—————

After four excruciatingly boring weeks in which Daphne had to regularly sit in her exams and write absolutely nothing, except a few paragraphs of incorrect answers, she was finally ready to go home.

Oh, it was true that she was excited about meeting her younger sister Astoria but at the same time, she would also have to spend more time in the presence of that man whom she calls her father.

She wished she could just not go home.

But if she didn't, then Astoria will miss her and she didn't wanted to hurt her sister as Astoria was all the family she had after her mother died.

She of course never saw her father as a family member.

She and Astoria were just tools for him to gain more power for the family.

That power hungry sickfuck.

But her hands were tied, so she went to her room and started packing her things while thinking about going home.

And then all of a sudden, her ċhėst started hurting and she realized that it was the Unbreakable Vow she had given to Harry.

The Vow according to which she would not reveal any of his secrets to anyone.

Had she revealed his secret to anyone unknowingly?

She clutched her ċhėst in pain and looked around the room, finding no one beside herself.

But she was not ȧssured in the least so she took out her wand and performed a charm that her father had taught her once.

"Homenum Revelio" she chanted while twirling her wand and nothing.

She wondered if she had performed the charm incorrectly and performed it a few more times. But nothing.

It seems like there was no one in the room beside her.

Which meant that she had not revealed the secret to anyone.

And suddenly, she realized that she was not feeling any pain in her ċhėst, which meant that she never relieved the secret to anyone.

But she had definitely come close to doing that.

But how?

Wasn't she just packing her trunk in order to go…

The thought of going home once again brought pain to her ċhėst and she quickly thought about not going home a few times and the pain faded away.

So the pain was a warning.

A warning that she would be breaking her Vow if she went home.

But how?

And then the realization suddenly hit her.

Her father.

He read her mind the last time she went home. And he did it without her permission as well.

And at some subconscious level, she knew that he would read her mind once again and had even been preparing for it.

But her preparations were not completed.

Her occlumency shields were not strong enough and she knew that if he read her mind once again, then all the secrets she knew regarding Harry would be known to her father as well.

Which meant that she would have unwillingly revealed Harry's secrets, which would break the vow and kill her.

So her magic was warning her not to go home.

Not to go to the person who could read her mind whenever he felt like doing so.

And now that she knew that, she would not be able to go home even if she wanted to do that.

She would not be able to meet her dear little sister.

Tears unknowingly came in her eyes as she thought about staying away from her sister and she sat on her bed, looking distraught.

Plus, there was also the problem of her accommodation. If she can't go home then where will she go during the holidays.

She had no idea what she should do now.

Then she thought about her mentor.

Yes, Andromeda would know what to do in her situation.

Plus, the middle aged woman already had some practice in running away from her home, so she would understand her situation.

With that thought, she called Bitty and asked her to take her to her mentor.

Author's Note:- Have you guys ever wanted a have a pet dragon of your own.

I haven't.

Feeding a dragon seems like a rather strenuous task and I'm a rather lazy guy :)

And if you guys like my work and have a bit of change to spare then please support me at pat.reon.com/ankit1