This Time We Do It My Way

Chapter Seventeen: Badgers in the Shadows

I don't own Harry Potter; I'm just borrowing him for a little while.

It was only an hour and a half before dinner when someone knocked at his door. Harry hissed at it to unlock and open slightly before calling.

"Come in." Nasta, Caleb and Draco entered closing the heavy door behind them. They were quiet waiting for a moment before Caleb broke the silence.

"My King, it is to my understanding you wish for me to be on your court, as such may I ask the position in which you have placed me?" Harry sat up on the bed.

"You may sit where you wish, all of you, and Caleb as I have already told your compatriots you may call me Harry when we are alone or in the presence of the court. To answer your question and I have already told Draco this, I am king in both Ravenclaw and Slytherin. As such I need someone to run Slytherin when I am in the Ravens nest and likewise when I am in the Snake pit. Penelope Clearwater has already taken up the post in Ravenclaw and as Nasta is my advisor and will always be with me, therefore I am officially appointing you to that position till your graduation. Unofficially you will be educating Draco as he is to be your shadow so that upon his third year he can take the position and excel in it without much difficulty. Do you believe this is something you can do?" Harry asked as they all sat down on various items of furniture only Nasta feeling brave enough to sit on the corner of Harry's bed.

"Yes," answered Caleb as Nasta began perusing through the scraps of parchment Harry had drawn runic arrangements on and arthritic equations.

"Excellent," Harry said clapping his hands. "We will be holding court in Ravenclaw tonight and you will both attend this one, however Nasta did you manage to get the Hufflepuffs to agree to a meeting?" Nasta didn't respond his mind entrenched in the runic equations he was looking at. Harry raised his eyebrow and snapped his fingers in front of Nasta's face breaking his intense concentration. Nasta looked surprised for a moment before composing himself.

"Sorry King Harry, it's just these... They are genius. A mixture of these runes and the spell from the equation would make..." Nasta began but Harry cut him off.

"A long distance communicative device, yes, I know, I made them," Harry said picking up both books which had been modified already. "These are what we will use to communicate with the Badgers if they agree to gather intelligence for us. What you write in one can be read in the other. There is also safety features, only those added in can read it, and everything can be deleted with a simple passphrase and restored with another. If I can get a little blood from each of you I will add you in to the rune scheme now so that only the Hufflepuffs need to be added later." The three nodded and Harry set one book down and took Nasta's hand. Whispering in Nordic Harry wandlessly cut Nasta's finger and pressed it to a rune on the spine of the notebook. It flashed once before going back to normal and Harry gestured to Caleb and Draco to come as well. Quickly all three of them were included in the runic sequence. Harry held out the book to Draco.

"Since you will be shadowing Caleb and will have little else to do in the court for right now other than listen you will be my contact on the Slytherin side. I do not intend to leave you as the spymaster for long but for now you will do. I would prefer someone who is not seen on the court but still respected enough to get information as well as being well connected. Someone who can talk to people in any house..." Harry trailed off in thought before coming back to himself.

"I am diverting, back to my original question. Were you able to arrange a meeting with Hufflepuff?" Harry asked. Nasta nodded positive.

"Yes, twenty minutes before dinner in a classroom close to the great hall and I was correct, they have elected a fourth year to the speaking position; a Cedric Diggory. He's been their quidditch team seeker since last year, polite, and trustworthy and as most Hufflepuffs are loyal," said Nasta.

"You are going to have a difficult time convincing him to spy for you," Caleb said. Harry smirked.

"Perhaps, but tell me what is he loyal to?" Harry asked and Nasta smirked as well knowing Harry's answer.

"His family, friends, and his house, of course?" answered Caleb sounding confused. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Was that a question or an answer?" Harry asked Caleb.

"An answer King Harry," Caleb answered. Harry nodded.

"Good, and yes that is the correct answer," Harry said. "Now Hufflepuff would not react well to threats, they would stand together and be angry, and trust me you do not want to make a badger angry. No instead we have to give them something. If we helped his family and friends we would only gain a single ally, him. However if we help his house in some way such as offering protection for the first years, we gain the badger den and our own badgers in the shadows." Caleb nodded in agreement but Draco snorted.

"Something to say?" Harry asked Draco.

"What good will the Hufflepuffs do? They are all just duffers anyway," Draco said dismissing the Hufflepuffs. Harry smiled but it wasn't a nice smile.

"Do you believe a person can be only one thing Draco?" Harry asked. Draco looked nervous cluing in on the change in mood.

"No," Draco answered.

"Then does it make sense that a Hufflepuff might be more than what they seem under the misconception that they are little more than fluffy 'duffers' as you called them?" Harry asked. Draco nodded still slightly unbelieving. Harry withheld a sigh.

"Take Amelia Bones for example, does your father like going head to head with her?" Harry asked.

"No," Draco said understanding finally dawning.

"They can be powerhouses when they want to be and they do it so effortlessly since everyone underestimates them from the beginning. Do you understand now?" Harry asked and Draco nodded a positive.

"Good, now we should probably head up if we don't want to keep our badger brother's waiting," Harry said grabbing the other notebook and rising off his bed. He quickly straightened his clothes and moved towards the door the other three following behind.

thought.