CHAPTER 19:

JOIE DE VIVRE

Sunday afternoon, Harry was going to head back to Hogwarts. Everything checked out. There was the slightest residue from the horcrux, but the soul fragment itself had disappeared. Harry wondered what Death was doing to it, before deciding, if she claimed that it would be dredged up by the Dementors, it would have to be pretty bad.

His friends had visited him. So too had Dumbledore, Sirius, and Hercule. Lupin even managed to get some time off to see him, and Neville had taken the Floo from Hogwarts. Harry told Dumbledore (when they were alone) what Death had told him, and Dumbledore gravely agreed to investigate, though he chortled ruefully when Harry reported that Death had called him an old goat. He asked, though, that any discussion of anything called 'horcruxes' be strictly kept between Harry, Dumbledore, and Hercule: they didn't want the information getting back to Voldemort before they started destroying them. He intended to have Sirius Black learn Occlumency (it was his house that housed one of them, after all), and, in his turn, have the Animagus teach Harry. With the horcrux, and a potential mental link to Voldemort, gone, there'd normally be less need for it, but as Harry now knew about the horcruxes, and if Voldemort ever used Legilimency to look into his mind, well, they'd be in trouble.

That being said, Dumbledore did tell Harry about the Deathly Hallows and the Tale of the Three Brothers. He even admitted something even more extraordinary: he held the Elder Wand, the wand of the tale. He even let Harry examine it, which he did, before giving it back. It didn't feel like something Death would have made. Yes, it felt a little ominous, and even powerful. But he expected something far more sinister. Dumbledore then said that it had a long, bloody history, and one full of sorrow. He also said that, contrary to the popular perception, he had won its allegiance not by killing the prior owner, but by merely defeating him.

"An enemy?" Harry had asked.

"Worse," Dumbledore had admitted. "A man who was once my best friend." He would say no further on the subject. It was clearly painful for him.

Anyway, today was the day when he would head back to Hogwarts. When he entered the room with the Floo (he was going via a private Floo, reserved for patients who wanted some discretion in their comings and goings), he found Fleur waiting there. Even in a simple dress, she had the radiant and ethereal beauty of a deity. He could feel her allure plucking at his mind and heart. "Bonjour, mon ami," she said, drawing him into a brief but heartfelt embrace of greeting.

"Hi, Fleur." His face crinkled into a frown. "Why are you calling me 'mon ami'?"

"Because we are friends, Harry. And good friends, at that. I have few of those. Calling them 'mon ami' is my way of showing that. At least, I hope we are good friends." She became pensive. "It was one of the most horrible feelings, knowing that you had to die, even if only briefly, in that ritual. Ronald and Hermione, Dumbledore and Black, I know they felt the same way. Like our own hearts were getting gradually torn apart. Knowing that your lifeless body may be carried out of that room if the ritual failed."

"I'm sorry I worried you."

"It is no problem," Fleur said. Then, an impish smile came over her face. "For a little boy, you are very strong, n'est-ce pas?"

Her thick French accent had 'little' come out as 'leetle', and Harry scowled, albeit with some good humour. "Who're you calling 'leetle'?"

Fleur covered her mouth with a delicate hand, and giggled, the sound almost like the simple tinkling beauty of windchimes. "You are easy to tease, no?"

"That's rich, coming from the blonde," Harry said cheekily.

In mock outrage, Fleur said, "How dare you? This is an unforgivable insult!" Feathers sprouted around her face, which became more pointed and avian. Her hair became like feathers as well. Her nails became talon-like, while wings sprouted from her shoulders. Surprisingly, she still remained attractive, in an exotic, harpy-like way(1). "Behold the Veela within me!"

"How many people are actually scared of that?" Harry asked.

"More than a few," she said, her mock outrage dying down to be replaced with a wry smile, though her transformation remained. "You are not?"

"As long as you're not flinging fireballs at me. You're actually quite nice-looking, in a strange way, even transformed."

"…Really?"

Harry nodded, and gently, tentatively, touched the feathers that had grown on her arm. "Soft," he remarked. "Can you fly when transformed?"

"If I wished."

"That'd be great. I love flying. That's one of the reasons I love Quidditch. A shame I can't fly like you, though."

Fleur chuckled, changing back to normal. Harry would later learn that all Veela and the part-Veela who could transform bought clothing that was charmed to allow for their transformations, without getting damaged. "You know, Papa said the same thing to Maman, not long after they first met. He wished he could fly like she could."

"So…is this goodbye? Until this Tournament comes to Hogwarts?"

"No. Monsieur Black and Papa have been in correspondence. He invited us to come to the finals of the Quidditch World Cup, paying for our tickets as a token of gratitude to Papa clearing his name. And Papa accepted."

Harry laughed. "That's wonderful news!" He hugged Fleur. The older girl stiffened briefly in his embrace, before returning it.

"So eager to see me again, mon ami? Is that Harry Potter talking, or the allure?" she murmured.

"I hope it isn't the allure. You are keeping it controlled. Right?"

"Oui. Do you want to know what it is like when I do not?"

Harry, for a moment, hesitated, before he nodded, stepping back. "Just…turn it down if it looks like…I lose control."

"Of course." She inhaled…and let go.

Nothing about Fleur actually changed. Nothing as crude as her partial transformation. But the force of her allure hit Harry with all the subtlety and power of a tsunami. For a moment, he was swept away by it. For a moment, a moment too long, he wanted nothing more than the divine-looking girl in front of him. More than food, drink, sleep, even life itself. It was like to merely look upon her was to be intoxicated by the most pleasurable drug in the world. He would have gladly done anything for her. Even die.

But then, part of him, the part that had fought the hardest as he came back to life, anchored itself in the tsunami's torrent. And with that part, the rest of him managed to begin resisting the allure. It still affected him, still battered and tossed him like a ship in a storm, but he could still see her as Fleur Delacour, a friend, and not some object of desire to worship.

Fleur swiftly relented. She didn't want to do this to her friend for long. And to the relief of Harry (save for a small but loud part of his mind, clamouring in disappointment), the allure returned to a manageable level. "Are you all right, mon ami?"

Harry nodded, more than a little shaken. "That was…that was…well, I'm glad you keep that under control. How hard is it?"

"Not as hard as it was when I first had to learn how to control it. But it is something I still have to be aware of. Part-Veela are naturally beautiful, but the allure does not arrive until adolescence if it does at all, and unlike full Veela, we have a more difficult time controlling it. We dread the day when Gabrielle reaches that stage. But you fought. You fought hard." She cocked her head quizzically, her brows knitting in thought. "With that much willpower, you might even be able to fight off the Imperius Curse if you make an effort."

"I hope I never have to," Harry said, remembering what Hercule and Lupin had taught him about the Unforgivables. Actually, Lupin had also been helping teach him the Patronus spell, along with (at Harry's insistence) Ron, Hermione, and Neville. The Dementors may have been recalled, but Harry never wanted to have to deal with them ever again. Harry and his friends, with the exception of poor Neville, had managed to cast a weak Patronus at the very least, though both Harry and Hermione had managed to actually cast a faint but discernible corporeal Patronus. Harry's was a stag, and Hermione's was an otter.

Remus had also finally come clean about his condition, telling them that he was a werewolf. Harry had a suspicion, but Hermione, bless her, had actually figured it out during one of the DADA lessons where Snape substituted for Lupin. Neither of them cared, as long as he kept up his Wolfsbane Potion. Ron was a little more wary, but he knew Lupin was a good guy in the end. Neville never heard this revelation, and Lupin asked that they keep it that way. Werewolves were treated far too often as lepers at best, and as monsters at worst, by most of magical society.

Harry was surprised (in a good way, of course) to learn that the reason why the other Marauders were Animagi was to keep Lupin company on the nights he transformed: werewolves tended not to attack most animals.

"Nobody would want to have to have it cast on them in the first place, mon ami," Fleur said, in an assuring manner. "It was…horrible, to see you succumb, even if only briefly. It is horrible to see men succumb to the full allure. Some become drooling imbeciles. Others become animals rabid with lust and desire. Only those used to a Veela's allure are resistant, and only women, blood relations or fellow Veela are immune. You see why we are feared and hated as much as we are desired?"

Harry nodded, solemnly. "But I don't hate you. And I only fear your full allure. I don't fear Fleur Delacour."

"Merci, Harry," Fleur said with a smile. The two embraced each other in a hug once more, before Fleur said, "I had better not keep you from Hogwarts any longer. I will have to use a Portkey to go back to Beauxbatons. Au revoir, Harry."

"Goodbye, Fleur," Harry said, before he took the Floo powder, used it in the fireplace, and made his way back to Hogwarts…

After that, the year was fairly uneventful. In fact, there were only two more events of note. Hermione had been getting steadily more frazzled as the year went on, eventually ended up dropping a number of her subjects. Harry, who had been more preoccupied with Sirius, had not actually paid attention to Hermione's ridiculous number of subjects, or at least not thought about them until now. She later confided to Harry alone that she had been given a Time-Turner, a device that allowed her to attend all of her classes via time travel.

As nifty as it was, Harry was relieved that Hermione dropped a few of her subjects. It had been on McGonagall's advice that Hermione drop those subjects, as McGonagall had noticed Hermione's deteriorating state. Harry had noticed it too, but while he had done his best to try and support her emotionally, he kicked himself for not trying to find out why she was burning the candle at both ends, and trying to counsel her into stopping it.

The second event of note was a rather less happy one. Towards the end of the school year, rumours suddenly spread like wildfire that Lupin was a werewolf, forcing the man who had been his best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to resign. Upon meeting with Lupin later, Harry learned that it was a strong possibility that Snape had spread the rumour, out of spite. Harry felt his anger towards the snide Potions professor grow. But what could he do? Nothing. Public opinion would be against Lupin, for the simple fact that he was a werewolf, despite his morality and intelligence.

It was that event, plus knowing Hercule Delacour, that made Harry question his future. Especially now that, Voldemort intending to kill him notwithstanding, he actually had one. It was like the removal of the horcrux let him know that he had one.

Did he want to follow in his father's footsteps, along with Hercule Delacour's, and go into the Aurors? Did he want to go into politics, to make sure that people weren't persecuted for either being a werewolf (unless they had actually done something wrong), or for being Muggleborn (like Hermione), or for being part-creature (like Fleur)? Or was there some road that he couldn't see yet that he could take?

There was something he did know, even as he took the Hogwarts Express to King's Cross, even knowing he would have to spend time at the Dursleys' (but not too long). He was sure that no matter what road he took, Fleur Delacour was going to be walking alongside him down that path. It was just this feeling he had. And he was reminded of that dream he had, of the sandy beach, and of the long, lingering kiss they had.

He felt that, one day, they would be together, no matter what Voldemort or Snape or anyone else had to say on the matter. That they would be together, in spite of obstinate men.

HARRY, HIS FRIENDS AND FOES WILL RETURN IN…IN SPITE OF APPEARANCES.

CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:

And there you have it: the final chapter. Sorry I rushed through the remaining events of The Prisoner of Azkaban and glossed over that thing with Hermione and the Time-Turner. And if you're wondering about what happened to Buckbeak, Sirius purchased him for one of the Black estates. It comes from putting the emphasis on Fleur and Harry, as well as Hercule Delacour.

Anyway, this is the final chapter of In Spite of Obstinate Men. I'm, frankly, astonished at how popular it has become. Over 160K views, nearly 400 reviews, 43 communities, over 1500 alerts and 900 favourites, as of writing this. In fact, I'm amazed that this fic has been finished, as I wasn't sure if I was going to.

Of course, I will be posting the first chapter of the sequel, In Spite of Appearances, at the same time as I post this. That story will take place during the events of The Goblet of Fire, and will have Harry and Fleur's friendship challenged when Harry is forced to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament, while Hercule, Dumbledore, and Sirius track down the remaining horcruxes. Look for it on my profile.

Review-answering time! Thanks, everyone who commented positively on my portrayal of Death. I was tempted to make her like the one in The Sandman, but eventually decided to do a slightly more original twist.

Northgirl: You're welcome. I updated a number of stories in the wake of what happened in Paris, but I thought this one, given the French elements, was the best to have my own personal dedication to the victims.

Stormbow: While there are many fics I enjoy with a lot of bashing, I have to confess that I don't like doing so. In the one story where I set out to do major bashing, Sins of the Father, I actually found it ridiculous hard and draining to do an evil Dumbledore. Even the only other story so far where I do bashing, Heather Potter and the Legacy of Alessa, Dumbledore's character is believably divergent from canon (being paranoid about the demonic god within Heather), and was easy to write. I find it far easier to write a flawed Dumbledore, who nonetheless tries to do the right thing and, if proven wrong, will accept that and try to work around that.

diagonalpumpkin: While I enjoy Terry Pratchett and his version of Death, the popular image of Death or the Reaper is of a robed skeleton. Death of the Discworld is but a humorous version of an image that has pervaded Western culture for centuries. Hence Death's reference to it.

sunsethill: You have points, but keep in mind that Hermione probably thinks that Scabbers should be kept in a cage more often, and not just in Ron's jacket pocket. That's how a Muggle would keep a rat. Plus, she seems to fixate on people and animals and think they can do no wrong: Dumbledore, Lockhart, Crookshanks…

.3950: I suspect that part of the reason why Harry's Occlumency was so poor was the fact that the horcrux was, to use computer terminology, a backdoor into his head. The fact that Snape is a poor teacher with a grudge against Harry, and that Harry himself is both impulsive and wears his heart on his sleeve, doesn't help matters.

Shadow Dragon3221: I actually have to confess, Parseltongue allowing one to speak with dragons is one of the fanon ideas I call bullshit over. So it won't be included as something that will help Harry in the sequel.

Original And Easy To Pronounce (aka the User Formerly Known As Aedesius): Yes, I have. I also have a very small annoyance threshold. I put in the disclaimers warning people about the annotations. In addition, I do reply in my fanfics to people who do complain, telling them to stop. It is not unreasonable for me to tell people to quit their complaining, especially as all they have to do is scroll down and go to the next chapter, regardless of the harm intended. I write these things on my own terms. Feel free to read and enjoy my fics, but please do not tell me what to do and dress it up as a suggestion. I detest people telling me what to do.

Son of Zeus0001: It's not hard to follow. I chose that term rather than juggle with 'half-Veela' and 'quarter-Veela', and I thought 'Part-Veela' would be standard nomenclature amongst Veela themselves because it is more polite.

Guest: Look, Philip José Farmer can get away with his Wold Newton family concept, so I don't think there's anything wrong with what I've tried.

Iri711: Hey, I don't expect people to review every single chapter, just the latest one that they've read up to, especially if they've just joined the story, or else up to the end of the currently finished arc in longer stories (which is how I review some stories). And I see what you mean by Ron and Audrey being shipped. I am seriously considering it for In Spite of Appearances, and Ron and Hermione do seem a bit like an odd couple at times. As little as I actually use the ship itself (I've only marked one story as having it: Is Your Great Aunt an A.I?!), Harmony (Harry/Hermione, for those unacquainted with shipping terms) is my preferred ship. Either that, or with Luna. I do tend to have Harry shipped with other characters in my crossovers, though.

1. Unlike full Veela, Fleur doesn't transform completely. She doesn't get the beak and stuff. I actually thought of what happened to Peri in the Doctor Who story Vengeance on Varos: she is gradually changed into a bird-like creature by a transmogrification device. I thought of Peri in the earlier stages of the mutation when thinking of this. Only better looking, in a weird way.