Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 28: The Calm Before

22 April 1992

The next morning found Harry, Theo and Blaise sitting comfortably on a large bench in the foyer in front of the Great Hall. The commotion and buzz of their fellow Snakes, all of whom for some reason were early risers today, had the Slytherin Trio up early as well, but while breakfast had already begun, Harry didn't want to go in just yet. He'd spent the better part of a week avoiding Hermione and Neville while focused on his "Draco problem," but he'd missed his two Gryffindor friends, and so he waited patiently for them to come down. Theo and Blaise sat with him under a privacy charm as they discussed the events from the night before.

"So let's just go over this one more time, if just for my own piece of mind," said Theo. "Draco is now actively bound and obligated not only to refrain from trying to get me in trouble with Father but to also to do anything and everything he reasonably can to protect me from any harm – whether from Father or from any other source – by any means short of endangering his own life."

"Right," Harry said. "You can't make someone take an Unbreakable Vow that will require them to deliberately sacrifice their own life for another or even face a substantial risk of death in doing so, or I wouldn't have even given him that much wiggle room. But he can't actively do anything to endanger you nor can he passively stand by while you're in danger unless he genuinely believes that trying to save you will get him killed."

"Uh-huh. There's probably a loophole in there, but I trust that you're smarter than Draco so he'll never be the one to find it. Anyway, Draco is also bound not to attempt to manipulate you or control you or seek revenge against you by threatening the health or safety any other person."

"Right again. He can still theoretically hurt people, but he can't do it for the express purpose of getting at me somehow. Again, you can't make an open-ended vow not to hurt anyone or to never commit a crime. Otherwise, they'd just make every wizard and witch take such a vow once they turn eleven and we'd be living in a utopia."

Theo nodded thoughtfully at that. His life would be much happier if he lived in such a utopia. "And he can't deliberately insult anyone on the basis of blood purity or blood politics. He can't say 'Mudblood' or 'blood traitor' as an insult to anyone, either to their face or when talking about them in the presence of anyone who he knows finds those terms offensive."

"Yep," said Harry with a smirk. "I did leave him the power to use those terms when he's by himself or surrounded by fellow bigots. I'm not a complete monster." The three boys laughed. "There are a few more minor clauses, but that's most of it. There's only so much that you can put in an Unbreakable Vow before it collapses under the weight of its own magic."

"Right," said Blaise drily. "Is that why you didn't put in any requirements that he refrain from directly threatening the health and safety of you personally?"

"No, that got left out intentionally. It would have made things too easy."

"That," said Theo archly, "is the single most idiotically Gryffindorish thing you've ever said."

Harry snorted. "Take it up with Niddhogg. He insisted, and I'll need his vote to claim the Hydra Throne later so I went along with it. He said if I'm not going to kill my enemy after all the time I spent plotting it, then I shouldn't be allowed to just ... 'neuter' him. Also, he says I need a strong rival within my age cohort, or I'll 'get soft.'"

"I thought Jim was your rival," said Theo.

"He said a strong rival," Harry said drily, causing the other two boys to snicker.

"Hmm," said Blaise speculatively. "You could always 'neuter' Malfoy and then pick a fight with Zachariah Smith, the Dark Prince of Hufflepuff." All three found that idea hilarious. Still laughing, Harry noticed Hermione and Neville walking down the hall in their direction. The three Slytherins stood as Harry dispelled the privacy charm. The two Gryffindors walked up somewhat nervously, but Harry gave them both a smile.