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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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It made him feel warm and fuzzy to know that she trusted him enough to sleep through the night in his arms, though he wasn't entirely sure why.
Sebastian was highly amused by the scene, but shooed the little girl off quickly enough. They then sat down and had breakfast in lieu of the originally promised dinner. Though it was obvious that the man had more to say, they only indulged in idle conversation through the meal.
And Harry learned quite a lot.
Sebastian, it seemed, was the French Director of Foreign Affairs. France's dependence on other countries for various magical commodities made it a very powerful position, and he was quite well respected, having held it for many years. He was considering a run at the Minister slot in a few more, but had yet to decide.
It was enlightening to have a conversation with a politician that he felt he could very much like, and he soon discovered the root of it: the man had once been an Auror. And when Sebastian discovered his budding interest in the career, he immediately started in on stories of his adventures. It was quite an enjoyable morning, even if it did make him have second thoughts about what he wanted to do with himself after he graduated!
Finally, though, breakfast was over, and Harry had little option but to settle in for a more serious conversation. He was no closer to accepting his new situation, and positively dreaded discussing it with Fleur, but he held his emotions at bay as best he could. Giving his full attention to Sebastian, he waited for the inevitable return to the subject...
...only to find that the man had other things on his mind.
"I would like to talk to you about something, 'Arry," he began. "And I would like to cast a Calming Charm upon you beforehand this time. This will be a very difficult conversation for you, but it needs to 'appen."
Harry's stomach clenched. What else could possibly go wrong? Outwardly, however, he simply nodded his agreement, not knowing what else to do. He felt that he could trust the man, so it was best just to get it out of the way.
The Charm settled him only slightly, as he was not yet upset, but he still felt it take hold. And unlike last night, this was a much more powerful one. In many ways it held similarities to the Imperius Curse, but without the commanding nature. That only made him wonder just how bad the coming conversation was going to be!
"Now then," said Sebastian a moment later, "I must first tell you that when Fleur brought her situation to my attention, I did what any good father would do. I learned as much about you as I could."
Harry nodded; he could understand that easily enough.
"Your records with the Ministry are quite strange, 'Arry," he sighed. "We will come back to that later, but to make a long story short, I was forced to look to the Muggle world for information. I knew that you lived there, so I went to their records for your 'istory."
Harry lost a bit of color at that revelation. His life in the Muggle world was no picnic, and for that reason alone, he did not like where this was going. The grave expression Sebastian was wearing was enough to worry him significantly.
"And?" he prompted warily.
Sebastian closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, somehow seeming more disturbed about whatever he was getting at than he was the previous night, which in turn disturbed Harry even further. What had he found? It was taking an awfully long time for him to order his thoughts...
"Your records raised some questions," he sighed at length. "I was 'oping that I was wrong about my suspicions, but I 'ad a plan to deal with the situation just in case, and it was a good thing that I did. And I want you to know, 'Arry, that I would 'ave done this even if not for the situation with Fleur."
There is no doubt in Harry's mind now that this was something major, and he suspected that he was going to enjoy this about as much as he enjoyed their last conversation. He couldn't yet see where Sebastian was going with this, but it was nowhere good! He felt himself tense as he prepared for the next great shock.
"Go on," he prompted slowly.
Sebastian took a deep breath. "I needed permission to inquire about the betrothal," he explained, causing Harry to pale in an instant. "I went to see your guardians, and as I think you will expect, their response was... less than pleasant."
What little color remained in Harry's cheeks finished its exodus, and he was very thankful for the Calming Charm. He could feel his body fighting against it, wanting to react to the implications of what he was hearing! Sebastian had spoken with the Dursleys, and nothing good ever came from speaking with the Dursleys!
"What did they do?" he asked faintly.
Sebastian studied him for a moment, and then, rather than responding, he reached into his robes and plucked out a scroll, which he handed to Harry. Even more worried now, Harry unrolled it and read – and shock rolled over his features as he digested the contents:
By order of Magic:
We the undersigned do hereby release any and all claims on our ward, Harry James Potter. All rights and responsibilities are hereby transferred to Seigneur Sebastian Alexandre Delacour until such time as he reaches the age of majority or a further transfer of guardianship is issued by Seigneur Delacour.
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Enjoying the fanfic and hungry for more?
Dive deeper into the story with over 45+ chapters ahead! Your support on Patreon keeps the adventure alive. Visit my Patreon page to unlock exclusive content and support the continuation of this fanfic journey!
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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
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