Harry Potter and the Gift of Memories [Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter XXXVIII: New Year Gala

Harry Potter stood stalk still as Andromeda Tonks walked a circle around him, keen eyes looking him over. The woman reminded him very much of a predator with her stalking gait. He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed, as well as frustrated, by the fact that she was not letting him go just yet.

"You dress up well," she complimented after several long moments, in which time she had done nothing but hum thoughtfully. "Those robes suit you quite nicely."

She was, of course, referring to the dress robes Harry wore. They were dark green in color, made of expensive acromantula silk that shimmered when the light hit it, and complimented his eyes nicely. The robes came in two layers: the long, inner-robe reached his calves, and the smaller half-cape draped over his shoulders. Several accoutrements adorned his robes, and on his left breast was the Coat of Arms for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter with the family motto underneath.

Beneath his robes Harry wore black silk pants, expensive dragon-hide boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt. A small belt wrapped around his pants and attached to them was a wand holster used by most nobles, an extravagant holster made from dragon hide, with ornate gold patterns winding their way across the leathery material, the Potter Crest clearly visible on its side, and a single diamond encrusted at the bottom of the sheath, which contained the custom wand made for him by Ollivander. His mother's was still hidden in the holster strapped to his calf.

"Now if only we could do something about your hair..." Andromeda continued to mutter. She seemed to be talking more to herself than Harry.

In response to her words, he ran a hand through his hair, causing her to smile.

"Relax," she said soothingly. "You've taken all the training I've given you like a fish to water. You'll be fine... regardless of how messy your rat's nest is."

"I'm not nervous," Harry informed her quickly, a little too quickly.

Andromeda gave him a knowing smile while he grimaced.

"Alright," he confessed, "I'll admit to being a bit... anxious. This will be the first time I'm truly in the public eye, and it will be at a political gathering where many prominent members of the wizengamot and various lords will be attempting, many of whom I don't doubt will be trying to gain my allegiance, or use me for their own means. It doesn't help that all of them have decades of experience over me."

"That is true," Andromeda replied. "They have many years, decades even, of experience that you lack. Not to mention you are very young, too young to be entering the world of politics on your own.”

“Not helping here.”

“However,” Andromeda continued, “you have proven to be a remarkably adept student. You've taken everything I've taught you and used it to your advantage. That deal you bade me to make with Nimbus Racing Brooms was very well-played."

Harry narrowed his eyes at her as he finally realized something.

"You didn't inform me the deal had gone through on purpose," he accused. Her smile grew bigger and only his talent in Occlumency kept him from scowling. "That's how Dumbledore found out, isn't it? Because you didn't want me knowing about it, you had them deliver the brooms to Dumbledore and they informed him of our deal."

"They would have had to go through Dumbledore anyway," Andromeda said dismissively. "There was no way around that. He is the headmaster, after all. Besides," her smile became devious, "I wanted to surprise you."

Harry once again thanked his Occlumency skills, as it helped him refrain from groaning. This woman was just as bad a prankster as the Marauders had been!