Dark Prince Rises by Ronin2106

Chapter 3

Black Mansion in Germany.

Having finally been allowed to rise off the bed by Aunt Cassiopeia, Harry didn't waste his time, dressing up in black robes, which covered his now sufficiently healed and restored body, allowing him to move around the mansion. Such quick process of healing was made possible because of Cassiopeia's constant vigilance, dosing him with her most potent potions and even Tears of Phoenix, all the while keeping him in a medically-induced coma, which sped up the healing. While he may've preferred to be awake for his healing in any other situation, he wasn't complaining, as this was the best sleep he had in over two years, literally. Now that he was looking more like a man, with more weight and meat put on his bones, with paleness of skin now less pronounced. While his muscles and traumas were still very much in poor condition, Aunt Cassie had assured him that he will be in top physical shape in no time with her healing him. The only things that were irreparable were his hair and eyes, now stuck as they were now.

Yesterday he had spent the rest of the day in bed, with Regulus deciding instead of talking to him about business and letting him be with his sister. He spent the rest of the day talking to Rose, finally able to see and talk to her at last. He didn't waste another moment, with both Cassiopeia and Regulus understanding them, with the latter leaving them alone. Rose had told Harry about her life with Aunt Cassiopeia, being both her apprentice and living with her here. He was pleased to know that their Auntie had took great care of Rose and made sure that she was provided both in material needs, as well as spiritual ones too. Rose had grown over these two years into an already impressive young witch, and he couldn't be more proud of her.

However, along with joy, came rage and anger, as he had learned what Potters have done to her after he was sent to Azkaban. The very next day after the trial, James Potter announced a betrothal between her and Ronald Weasley, as well as the betrothal between his golden boy and Ginny Weasley. Harry had always suspected that James was an idiot, but this was not just idiotic, but a near catastrophic move for House of Potters to make. Having spent countless hours studying history and traditions of Ancient and Noble Houses, Henry understood that for House of Potters' prosperity and stability, it had to unite itself with Houses of equal or stronger position, and there were enough Houses to choose from: Bones, Abbott, Greengrass, Patil, etc. Even Parkinson and Malfoy would've been good matches for children of House Potter, worthy of their position, if you don't take into account their allegiances to Voldemort.

But to unite with House of Weasley, and not through one, but two marriages… It was an utter madness. House of Weasley had once been a strong and prominent Ancient and Noble House in Britain. That all changed when Edmund Weasley, uncle to Arthur Weasley and Head of the House before his father Septimus Weasley, had utterly ruined their House by attempting to force himself upon Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, using the combination of Amortentia and compulsion charms. Ironically, the one who had solved this entire crisis were the Royal Court's Sorceress and Sorcerer, Dorea Black and Charlus Potter, who together had saved Princess Margaret from the unwanted marriage.

This was not just a great shame, but one of the most devastating breaches of Statute of Secrecy in all three and a half centuries since it was implemented. Entire Houses were literally eradicated for lesser breaches, and it was expected that Weasleys were doomed, had it not been for Dumbledore and his 'forgiveness of those that did wrong' speeches. And so, instead of destruction of the House, Weasleys lost practically all of their lands, properties and fortunes, forcing them into a Burrow. To marry into a House with such stigma would mean to share it, and to have all of your children connected with it would be essentially dooming your House into an isolation from everyone in magical world who didn't know of the Breach of 1949, as it was known.