This Time We Do It My Way

Chapter Nineteen: Sweet Pandamonium

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

He wasn't noticed right away when he entered the great hall, but the moment he was whispering of who was sitting in his throne began. He saw Claus stare at him from the Ravenclaw table with confusion and then anger. Harry threw him a cocky smirk as he turned towards his own table. Every table but Gryffindor stopped to watch his progress with baited breath. The three Slytherins who knew what was going on had blank faces while the others watched with a morbid curiosity. As he approached Draco rose still hooded from his seat and moved his plate down two spots still within the court. Harry nodded his thanks before saying out loud.

"Thank-you for warming my seat Draco," letting Draco know he could remove the hood. Draco did just that and Harry could practically feel the anger pouring off a section of Ravenclaws behind him and fought the urge to laugh aloud as he sat in his seat and prepared his plate.

"Well?" asked Draco losing the battle with his patience first. Harry merely nodded an affirmative saying nothing aloud. Nasta and Caleb grinned at one another before their masks went up once more.

"I think the events of dinner have thrown the few rebels in the nest. Don't drop your guards but I believe that for tonight we do not have to worry about a challenge," Harry said, filling himself a bowl of green pea soup and a small multigrain roll. He seemingly searched the nearby pitchers for what he was looking for before sighing and calling softly, "milk." His small court gaped but Nasta spoke first.

"Do you get an elf because you're king? Why didn't I know that?" He asked.

"No, I get one because Hogwarts likes me, and if you can remember my full name you may understand why," Harry answered giving Nasta a look that told him to say nothing more on the subject. Nasta nodded in perceptively in understanding and remained silent while Caleb and Draco looked at them curiously. Thankfully neither boy was stupid enough to ask and remained silent themselves. Dinner passed quickly and Harry had both Nasta and Caleb go down both lines of the table letting the rest of the Slytherin students know the first year Hufflepuffs were off limits. There were some who seemed to question the decision but whatever Nasta or Caleb said to them made them agree very quickly.

Harry rose and instantly Draco was at his side as they waited for the two older students to make their way back to the head of the table.

"Shall we switch our robes back now My King?" Draco asked. Harry nodded and began undoing the buttons on his borrowed robe. Draco had it easy Harry's robe was a simple silk open over robe that merely needed to be slid off the shoulders. By the time they had switched Nasta and Caleb had spoken to every snake and were standing once more by Harry.

"Shall we?" Harry asked rhetorically as he began moving towards the doors of the great hall. They were quiet on the walk to the Ravenclaw tower almost hypersensitive to the fact that multiple sets of eyes watched them. Harry remained neutral as he caught sight of Tonks in her natural form flirting with a Ravenclaw prefect who was also making his way up to the tower. 'The Badgers move quickly' he thought as he continued on his way. Finally they reached the door to the entrance of the tower. Several older Ravenclaws settled around them as Harry reached for the knocker in order to activate the riddle passcode. He could feel the judgmental stares of the Ravens. In Slytherin all had felt his power during his rather swift rise to the throne but the same could not be said of the Ravens. To most of them he was still unworthy and had to prove his intelligence. The knocker spoke as he brushed it.

"What is greater than a god, more powerful than a devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it, you'll die?" The knocker asked. Harry almost snorted as the answer came to him.

"Nothing," he said promptly and the door swung open. He swiftly entered and made his way towards the fireplace to stand in front of it as he waited for all the Ravens to arrive from dinner. Penelope approached him and stood beside him before whispering out of the corner of her mouth,

"Marcus Belby and Roger Davies both have Claus's support and are working together for the throne. Not tonight but I don't know when." Harry nodded.

"We have those that will burrow down and find the answers not to fear," he whispered back.

"You got the badg..." she began incredulous but Harry cut her off.

"Yes, it is not something I would like well known," he said quietly. She inclined her head before stepping back as the last few Ravens; mostly first years stepped through the door of the tower. He allowed them a moment to settle before he began to speak.

"Hello Ravens," he began. Unlike in the snake pit he received very few "My King's" in return. He fought off his frown as he continued. "As many of you most likely already know in my meeting with your previous King after breakfast this morning he challenged me. As the challenged I used my right to call a king's challenge and won ascending to the Ravenclaw thrown as well as the previously held Slytherin throne. As I am not a Raven and will not always be here to deal with in house issues I have appointed Miss Clearwater as your house Princess. I intend to hold court here every Sunday but if you have other issues you can approach Miss Clearwater."

The silence was still almost deafening and Harry knew he had a lot of work to do as he began laying out the same rules he had given his Snakes. When he finally made it to his bed that night he was exhausted. He'd had to duel one seventh year Raven who'd taken exception to his blood purity rules, asked Draco to pass on the names Penelope had given him via the notebook, and had to speak to the Snake Pit about leaving the first year Badgers alone without giving away that they were spying for him, when a Snake confronted him in the common room about it. He was tired and fell into bed without bothering to undo his hair or even undress. He fell so deep into sleep he didn't even wake as Death took the sharp pins from his hair wiped his face clean of makeup and changed him into soft pajamas before making the torch sconces go dark.