The Anger .

"Yes, Headmaster," the Potions Master replied with reluctance.

"Then, you may go, Severus," said the Headmaster, leaning back in his chair.

Without another word, the Potions Master spun on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind himself.

After he had left, the portrait of Headmaster Dippet said, "It's about time you reigned in the greasy bat!"

Dumbledore's countenance took on a look of weary pain. "For far too long you've allowed that man to completely ruin the reputation of this fine institution," the portrait continued.

"Armando," said Dumbledore wearily. "Now is not the time."

"It's never 'the time' with you, is it, Dumbledore?" said the portrait of Dexter Fortescue. "The reason we hang here is to provide you with our wise counsel and advice. But, you neverlisten! We all told you ten years ago that man was going to be nothing but an ongoing problem, and that is what he is."

"Enough!" said Dumbledore, irritably.

At lunch Harry and Daphne were sitting together at the Ravenclaw table with Hermione opposite.

The young boy Harry now recognised as Anthony Goldstein finally seemed to develop the courage Harry was watching him build during dinner. He asked, "Ummm - H.. Heir Potter?"

"Call me Harry, Anthony," replied Harry calmly.

"Alright. Ummm - Harry?" he tried again. "That - thing - you were - saying to Professor Snape..."

"Yes?" Harry knew what he was going to ask, but allowed the boy to find his own way there to ask it.

"When you were yelling at Professor Snape, you mentioned something about betrothals - and Noble and Ancient Houses - and well - I don't understand what it was all about."

"Ah!" said Harry. "You were muggle-raised, yes?"

"Yes, just like you," Anthony shot back. "But, I didn't understand what any of that meant. Though, it was clear it was veryimportant."

"It was," replied Harry.

Thinking a bit, he turned more towards the boy and said, "I'm not trying to be rude, but it's clear you know very little about the Noble and Ancient Houses and their role in wizarding society, yes?"

"Yes."

Harry also noticed he had quite a few others also now listening in on his explanation.

"I'm not having a go at you about it, alright," he said gently. "However, now that you're a part of wizarding Britain - even though you're just a student for now - you really need to understand the laws, customs and etiquettes of this society you now find yourself within. "There is a great deal that is similar to the muggle world, but there are some very important - facets - that are unique to this world. What happened this morning was one of those.

"In the muggle world you have titled people and they're called viscounts, counts, earls, barons, dukes, et cetera. And those noble ranks all lead up to Her Majesty, correct?"

Anthony nodded.

"Alright, in the wizarding world you have a similar system, but they're based around Houses," explained Harry. "In order, you have the unhoused, then the recognised magical houses, the minor houses, the elder houses, the ancient houses and the most ancient houses. With me so far?"

"Yeah, I've got that." "Right, and some of those houses go further and are recognised as noble houses. There are the Noble and Ancient Houses and the Noble and Most Ancient Houses. The Potters and the Greengrasses are both Noble and Most Ancient Houses. Both houses sit at the top of the titling 'food chain', so to speak. Still with me?"

"Yep."

"Now, within each house there is a Head of House. That's the person who is the ranking member of that house. The Head of House, for a noble house, is recognised as either Lord or Lady; or both if there's husband and wife. However, unlike in the muggle world, a minor cannot be a Lord or Lady of the House. At those times there's always a Regent who acts as both the guardian of the underaged Head and representative on wizarding Britain's parliament, the Wizengamot. Alright?"

"Alright, I understand so far..."

"Below the Lord or Lady of the House there are the Heirs and Heiresses. I am the last remaining Potter so I became Head of House Potter on my eleventh birthday. As I am also underage, and will become the next Lord Potter once I reach my majority, or am emancipated earlier, I'm recognised as the Heir Apparent. No one can take the title away from me.

"In Daphne's case, she is an Heiress of House Greengrass. Her father is the current Lord Greengrass and he has designated her as his Heir. As such she is Heiress Presumptive. She is not Heiress Apparent because her father has the right to change his mind and designate another as his Heir. Still with me?" "Yeah, you're explaining it pretty well," replied Anthony.

"Thank you," replied Harry graciously. "Now also amongst the Houses there is a very old tradition relating to marriages that is not often used anymore. They're known as betrothal contracts. And they were used, just as they were in the muggle world centuries ago, to marry off daughters to sons of different Houses, to create formal alliances between said houses; or to, unbeknownst to them, spread the gene pool around. This was usually done with sons and daughters who were not Heirs. It was rare for actual Heirs and Heiresses to be involved. It was usually one or the other.

"However, what we have here between Daphne and I is a binding betrothal contract between the next Lord of one Noble and Most Ancient House and the current Heiress Presumptive of another such House. If betrothal contracts were still common, what we have here would still be considered quite rare and astounding. I would not be too wrong if I was to say that such a betrothal has not been seen for many, many centuries."

"Wow!" the boy exclaimed.

"Indeed!" smiled Harry. "Now betrothal contracts are something of which no other House will dare interfere. Actually, no other person should dare interfere. The Houses involved will look very poorly on anyone who even attempts such a heinous act. It is considered both the height of insult and considered an attempt, at our level, of interfering in the rules of succession of a House. Wizard duels to the death have been commonly fought over such; and blood feuds that led to the utter eradication of a House, or Houses, were not unheard of."

"Oh - my..." Harry heard a young girl's voice softly say.

"There are many laws in wizarding Britain that have been around for centuries," continued Harry. "One of those laws still in place gave me the right to bring challenge against Professor Snape for his transgression. I was fully within my right to kill him where he stood. Plus, as I am currently a minor, I could have called on both my current regent, and Lord Greengrass as the Head of my betrothed's House, to supply me with a champion to duel Professor Snape to the death in my place.

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