Daphne awoke in the morning and prepared for the day. Once she and Tracey were showered and dressed, the gathered their things for classes and headed up to the Great Hall where they planned to meet Harry and the others. They were a bit surprised to find Harry already waiting for them.

"We're closer to the Great Hall, I thought for sure I'd be waiting for you." Daphne smiled as she got her first taste of her boyfriend. His lips felt so nice first thing in the morning. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she pulled away.

Harry smiled. "I'm so used to getting up early and exercising, that I got up at five, and did a couple of laps around the lake. I don't want to get lazy."

"You could have told me last night, I would have joined you." Daphne made a face. Tracey also looked a bit put out.

"I wasn't alone. Millicent was out there. She kept me company. She really changed a lot over the hols."

"Should I be jealous?" Daphne quipped, and Harry captured her lips again.

"No." he said simply. "My heart belongs to you."

"Hungry." Tracey said, rather harshly, and started pushing them into the Great Hall. Harry threw a questioning glance at Daphne, but the brunette shook her head.

"I'll be with you in a minute." Harry said as they found a place along the Gryffindor table to sit. "I need to speak with Professor McGonagall for a minute. Both girls nodded and sat down as Harry ran towards the head table.

"Good Morning, Mister Potter." Professor McGonagall said as Harry approached.

"Good Morning, Professor. I just wanted to let you know that I'd be happy to take up the captaincy of the team, if you'd still like me to."

"Oh, wonderful. I've already been asked by several people about tryouts. I do hope you can manage to capture the cup for us this year."

"I will do my best, ma'am." Harry smiled.

"Very well. Since you are here, why don't we sort out your schedule. You did quite well on your OWLs, and I was very pleased with your Transfiguration marks. Very pleased indeed. You did well enough in every subject to continue on your path to becoming an Auror, if you still wish to pursue that it."

"I do, very much, but I thought I needed an outstanding in Potions, I only got and E." Harry said, looking a bit confused.

"Yes, but we do have a new Potions professor, as I'm sure you recall, and Professor Slughorn gladly accepts E students into Advance potions."

"Oh. I didn't know. I didn't get the materials…"

"I'm sure Professor Slughorn will be glad to lend you whatever you need until you can get yourself sorted. Here you are." Professor McGonagall handed him his timetable, and he thanked her before returning to his friends.

Hermione and Neville had joined them at the Gryffindor table, and were already eating when Harry sat down.

"Where did you go this morning?" Neville asked. "You weren't in your bed when I woke up."

"I took a run around the lake."

"I thought that was just for the summer." Neville looked frightened, and began looking for any sign of Mad-Eye Moody.

"It was, but if you don't keep up, you get slow, and possibly fat." Harry grinned. All three girls looked at him scandalized.

"I am NOT getting fat." Daphne huffed. Tracey shook her head vehemently, and pushed away her rather full plate of food.

"We don't need to do it everyday." Hermione said, still glaring at Harry. "But it's probably a good idea to keep up with it. We don't want to lose our edge. What did Dumbledore want last night?"

"You talked to Dumbledore?" Daphne asked.

"Yeah. He wanted to remind me that we're starting lessons at the end of the week, and then asked if I would be captain of the Quidditch team, and head up the DA this year."

"He wants the DA to continue?" Neville asked, toast half way to his mouth. Harry shrugged.

"He said that everyone who was in it did really well on their OWLs and he'd like it to continue. He said Snape would be advising.

Neville got a strange gleam in his eye at that, and Harry remembered their impromptu duel during the summer. Neville's power was growing with his confidence, and Harry was sure that one day soon, the two might have a rematch, and this time, Snape would actually have to truly defend himself.

"What did you say?" Daphne asked.

"I said yes. How could I not. I think it's really important that people are able to fight back, or at the very least, defend themselves."

"If it's open to the entire school, there could be a lot of problems. Not everyone is at our level." Hermione said, and Daphne nodded.

"Maybe I can get anyone who was in it last year to help out with the new people." Harry shrugged, and Hermione smiled.

"That's a good idea."

They began chatting idly about what they could pass on from what they had learned over the summer, while they finished their breakfast. After a bit, McGonagall came by and helped them set up their timetables for the coming term. Hermione was able to take every class she wanted, while Neville didn't quite manage the grade he needed to continue in Transfiguration, though McGonagall did comment how impressed she was with his OWL score in the subject. She then noticed that both Tracey and Daphne were looking at her expectantly.

"I am sorry ladies, but you will have to see Professor Snape for your schedules. I only have the results for Gryffindor students."

"That's alright, Professor." Tracey said, her tone still rather down. Neville and Hermione both looked to Daphne, who once again shook her head quickly. She and Tracey got up to retrieve their schedules from their Head of House, who looked quite surly at their approach.

"Miss Greengrass, and Miss Davis." Snape said, with the barest hint of contempt for his students. Daphne remembered how he used to treat them before she and Harry had begun dating, and his treatment of them now. Though he still treated them better than people from other houses, the snide remarks and sarcastic tone were quite noticeable.

"I am very pleased with your OWL scores. You both did exemplary despite the constant bad influence of your chosen compatriots." He said with a sneer. Daphne and Tracey remained quiet as he adjusted their timetables. Neither of them felt the need to rise to his insults. They simply glanced at one another, and waited for their Head of House to hand them their schedules. Snape eyed them both for a long moment before he finally handed over their schedules.

"A bit of caution to you both. You may have noticed a slight divide within your House. I would advise against saying or doing anything to aggravate any tempers." He said before waving them off.

The girls headed back to their friends, both wearing puzzled expressions.

"What was that about?" Tracey asked, looking over her shoulder at the Slytherin table.

"No idea. But, it might be wise to listen to him in this instance. I did notice something very strange last night at the feast."

"What do you mean?"

"Just certain people glaring at each other. People who I thought were friends, or at least friendly, you know?"

Tracey shook her head, and Daphne sighed. "Forget it. What do you have first?"

"Arithmancy."

"Me too, and I'm willing to bet Hermione has it as well."

"Good. I liked having a couple of classes with just us girls."

"Hey." Harry smiled as Daphne sat next to him.

"Hi, what's your schedule like?"

"Busy today. Free period, then Potions, then Transfiguration."

"Aritmancy, Potions, then free period."

"I've got Aritmancy too." Hermione sat up. "Are you taking Runes as well?"

"No. Ultimately, I'd like to write, like my mother, and I never really liked Runes. I only took it so I wouldn't have to do Divination." Daphne shrugged. "With how tough things are going to get, I figured I'd drop it."

"Tracey?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Yeah. I've got nearly the exact same as last year, except I dropped Care of Magical Creatures."

Harry suddenly dropped his fork with a loud clatter.

"Did any one sign up for Creatures?"

Four heads shook and Harry suddenly went white. "Hagrid's going be really hurt. He thinks we love that class."

"What? No one likes that class." Tracey said, looking scandalized. She, like Daphne had come to really like the half-giant Professor, but his class left a lot to be desired. It was to terrifying to even consider continuing in.

"Maybe I'll see if he'd like help during my free periods or something." Harry suggested. "I didn't even think…"

"I don't know if you'll have much time, Harry." Hermione said. "We're going to be getting loads of homework, and the classes are going to be really tough. On top of that, you've now got Quidditch, DA, and lessons with Dumbledore."

"I know, but I feel really bad. He's my friend."

"He's all of our friend, Harry." Daphne said sadly. "But, you have to admit…"

"His class is downright frightening. I had nightmares about those Skrewts for months afterwards."

"I'm going to try and help him." Harry said firmly. "I owe it to him. I'll see you in Potions."

With that, he got up, gave Daphne a soft kiss and headed out onto the grounds.

"Noble to the end." Daphne sighed. "Now I feel even worse."


Harry march out to the grounds and down to Hagrid's hut. The half giant hadn't been to breakfast, so Harry hoped to catch him at his hut. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Harry knocked again, hoping that maybe Hagrid hadn't heard.

"Hagrid?" Harry called.

After a bit, Harry started to head back up to the castle when he heard a familiar bark. Out of the forest, Fang, Hagrid's enormous boarhound came bouncing out of the wood and right towards Harry, nearly knocking him flat as he attempted to lick Harry's ears.

"It's good to see you too, Fang. Where's Hagrid?"

"Good morning, Harry. Wha brings yeh down 'ere?"

"I wanted to see you. You see, I uh, I didn't take your class this year. I'm sorry Hagrid, but I …"

"Aye, Don' worry about tha." Hagrid said, giving Harry a pat on the back, nearly knocking him over. "I gathered tha your schedule might be pretty full. I know yeh bin trainin all summer. I kinna figured you might not have tha much time, and I know yeh don't need to take my class to be an Auror."

"You're not upset?" Harry asked, looking concerned.

"Well, I'd be lying if I didn't tell yeh I weren't sad tha I'd not be seein yeh in me class, but I understan."

"Well, I'm going to have a few free periods, and I'd like to help in your classes if I can. I likely won't be able to help all the time, what with homework and all, but…"

"I think I'd like tha. When yeh can, o' course. Yeh'll still come and visit with me, wontcha?"

"Definitely." Harry smiled. Hagrid beamed at him, and together they began walking back up to the castle. Hagrid told Harry that Aragog, the giant spider that he and Ron had met in their second year was sick, and it was likely he was going to die. Harry felt bad for Hagrid, as he knew that he had raised the spider from an egg. It was one of Hagrid's oldest friends. Harry vowed to do his best to help out Hagrid, who was his oldest friend. After all, Hagrid meant a great deal to him, and if losing Ron had s\taught him anything, it was not to take anyone in his life for granted.


Daphne, Tracey and Hermione waited in the hall outside the potions class for Harry to join them. Neville, who was not taking potions was presumably up in the Gryffindor Common Room. During their Arithmancy class, Hermione, who had noticed Tracey's dark mood, had gotten the blonde Slytherin to open up about what had happened between her and her intended boyfriend. Needless to say, Hermione was scandalized and very, very angry.

"I still say you should do something to him." Hermione said softly. Tracey simply shook her head.

"I just want to forget it ever happened. I'm just going to focus on school, and our training."

Daphne sighed. She felt horrible that her best friend was suffering. At that moment, Blaise Zabini himself rounded the corner, and headed inside the class.

"Just great." Tracey sighed, banging the back of her head on the stone wall she was leaning against. "How am I supposed to get past it if I have to look at his smug face all the time?"

"You could give him really big boils on his…"

"DAPHNE!" Hermione hissed, looking a bit embarrassed and at the same time, rather approving.

"I'm just saying." Daphne shrugged.

"I just wanted to feel how you guys feel when you're with the boys. Now, all I feel is…dirty." Trace shivered.

"Hey.' Harry smiled as he appeared around the corner.

"Hey." Daphne smiled. She understood what Tracey had been saying now. Just seeing Harry filed her with warmth, and made her light up. The way he smiled at her was like the greatest cheering charm ever. If their roles were reversed, Daphne would have been terribly jealous of Tracey for what she had. It was no wonder she had lost her inhibitions with Blaise in those moments on the train.

"You ok, Tracey? You look like you just swallowed a spoonful of stink sap." Harry asked with concern.

"I'll be alright, Harry, but thanks for asking." Tracey said sadly, as she led the group into the class.

"Is she…" Harry began.

"It's a girl thing." Daphne said, and that seemed to be enough for Harry.

Daphne and Harry took a table together, while Hermione and Tracey took one right next to them. Harry dropped his bag and went to Professor Slughorn.

"Professor, I'm sorry, but I didn't know until this morning that I could take this class. I didn't get anything I needed."

"Yes, yes. Professor McGonagall mentioned it to me this morning. I have a spare text book here, until you can order one of your own, and there is plenty of ingredients in the store cupboard until you can update your kit. Here you are," Slughorn smiled handing over the text book. "Off you go."

Slughorn stepped to the front of the class, getting the students attentions.

"Well, as you can clearly see, I have a few potions for us to examine before we start class today. These are things you will be making over the course of the year, with a few exceptions. Let's start with this one." Slughorn said, filling a ladle and showing it to the class. Harry was unsurprised to see Hermione raise her hand.

"Yes, my dear, you are?"

"Hermione Granger sir. That's Veritaserum, or truth potion."

"Very good. Five points to Gryffindor. Now this one, let's have someone else try…You there."

Harry turned, and felt his shoulders tense. Draco Malfoy was sitting with Blaise Zabini at a nearby table, his lip curled in his patented sneer as he stood to better examine the potion Slughorn was now pointing to.

"Draco Malfoy. I believe it's Polyjuice Potion." Draco drawled.

"Well done. Five points to Slytherin. Yes, a tricky potion to make, and rather time consuming."

Both Harry and Hermione gave each other a small grin. Daphne saw this and made a mental note to ask about it later.

"This one should be quite easy." Slughorn began

"Amortentia." Pansy Parkinson said from behind Harry. She was sitting next to Theodore Nott, who was glaring daggers at Harry.

"Very good." Slughorn grinned broadly. "Another five points to Slytherin. Yes, a very strong love potion that smells distinctly different to everyone based on what that person finds attractive. Now, Amortentia does not create real love, of course, but it creates a strong attraction to whomever the maker wishes. I wonder, if any of you would be willing to take a smell, and tell the class what it is you smell? Miss Granger?"

Hermione blushed a bit, but stood from her seat, and approached the cauldron and took a long inhale. Harry suddenly wished Neville were here for this, as it was almost a given that he would be blushing to his toes.

"Fresh turned soil, sea air, and …" Hermione was blushing crimson now. "chocolate." Shaking, Hermione quickly moved back to her seat, glaring hard at Daphne, who was trying to stifle her giggling.

"What about you?" Daphne's giggles suddenly ceased, and she felt herself getting warm.

"Come on, don't be shy." Slughorn chuckled, waving her up to the front.

Daphne stood, and she glance quickly at Harry, who looked mortified as he watched her step closer to the love potion. Daphne, keeping her eyes on Harry took a small sniff, and then another, and then, closing her eyes, took a long sniff of the very pleasant fragrance.

"I smell…soap, and broom polish." Daphne inhaled again. "And, fresh baked treacle tart."

Harry's head hit the table with a thud, and Daphne came back to reality. There were quite a few sniggers, and a wolf whistle or two.

"Settle down, settle down." Slughorn called, a broad smile on his face. Let's have a gent, shall we. Mister Malfoy, would you care to …"

"not really, no." Draco said, his eyes darting to Daphne, and then back to Slughorn.

"Oh, come now, mister Malfoy, it's only a bit of fun."

Draco shook his head quickly, and Slughorn sighed. "Mister Potter, how about you?"

Harry was about to decline as well, but a longing look from Daphne made him change his mind. He knew she must be curious about how she smelled to him, and since she had done it, it only seemed fair.

"I smell vanilla, and peaches." Harry smiled, smelling a bit more of the love potion, and feeling a bit loopy and stupid. "Sun tan lotion."

Daphne's face could have lit up all of London at that moment. More catcalls came from the other students, and Harry sat back down feeling a little out of sorts. Both Hermione and Tracey were having great difficulty in keeping from laughing.

"Sir?" Ernie Macmillan asked, getting the class to calm a bit. "What's that one?"

Ernie was pointing to a small vial of very bright gold liquid. Slughorn's eyes lit up at once as he went over to the vial and took it out of it's holder.

"This," He said holding it up so all the students could see. "is called Felix Felicious." Slughorn's smile broadened. "Better known as liquid luck. A very tricky and temperamental concoction, it has the power to grant the drinker success in whatever they undertake. This vial has enough for a full twelve hours of good luck, and it is the prize for today's lesson. I must warn you that it is a banned substance in all sporting activities, and should be taken sparingly. Too much and you will find yourself becoming dangerously overconfident, and if that occurs, even old Felix won't save you should you decide to fight a dragon, eh?" Slughorn laughed, and Daphne gave a quick grin to Harry had fought a dragon without the help of Liquid Luck, and come out alright in the end.

"We have just enough time I think, for you all to brew up the Draught of Living Death. Whomever brews the best example, will win this vial to use however they like. Begin!"" Slughorn said, and Harry had never seen such a rush to get started on assignment.

Harry noticed Malfoy's intense look of concentration as he looked over his instructions. He idly wondered what Malfoy would use Liquid Luck for.

Turning to his own book, Harry got down to business.

The class remained very quiet of voices, as everyone was very focused on following the instructions carefully. The most difficult part seemed to be the cutting of sopophorus beans, which proved to be tricky little devils. Once they been cut the first time, it got easier, but many people got hit by runaway beans.

Glancing about as the class was nearly over, He saw that the best two were Hermione and Daphne. Daphne's potion looked nearly finished, and had a near perfect lilac color as described in the book, while Hermione's was a bit darker. Harry had manage a light purple, and was quite proud of it, as if Snape had been teaching, Harry felt his potion would be black and quite thick.

"Time's up!" Slughorn cried. He began walking past each table, and taking a look and a stir. Malfoy's potion was a dark lavender, and looked rather sludgy. Slughorn gave an approving nod of Harry's and stopped short with Daphne's. He continued on, and had to keep going back and forth between Daphne's and Hermione's. Finally, after several minutes, he declared Daphne the winner, and handed her the vial of liquid luck.

"Congratulations, and twenty points to Slytherin." Slughorn said proudly.

"Good job." Harry smiled at Daphne, who beamed.

"I thought Hermione was going to win." Daphne said, looking to Hermione who was smiling back.

" You got your bean cut much sooner than I did. If I'd had a few more minutes, I might have had a better finished potion."

"Thank you." Daphne smiled. "I don't know why, but I thought you'd be upset."

"Nah." Hermione grinned. "Who needs luck when you've got brains."

Tracey sniggered, and after a moment, Daphne got the back handed insult.

"HEY!"


Draco was really angry. He had needed that potion. He wasn't so arrogant that he couldn't admit to himself that he needed a little help with his task. Thankfully, the potion would be close and with a bit of help, he would be able to get his hands on it. He would need to wait a few days, and hope that Daphne didn't use it, or all of it, at any rate, and then he could get into the girls dorm and steal it. Pansy would be most willing, and he could get a little something extra for his effort. Sure he'd be breaking his vow, but he didn't have to shag her. She could use her mouth for something other than talking, after all. Once she finished him off, a quick stupefy, and then he could go through Greengrass' trunk and get that lovely little vial, and maybe a memento.

For now, he had to get up to the seventh floor to get a look at the broken cabinet at last. His master's instructions led him to a painting. A picture he knew quite well. It was across from the vanishing room that Potter had used to hold his illegal meetings the year before.

Draco was still seething that Dumbledore's golden boy had somehow managed to escape punishment. It was obvious to him now that Umbridge had not been as capable as he'd believed. What other reason could there be for her getting the Dementor's kiss.

Draco shook the thoughts away and began pacing back and forth in front of the portrait of the dancing trolls, concentrating on the room of lost things.

Slowly, a door began to materialize, and Draco smiled. If the rest of this task proved to be this easy, Potter would be dead in a fortnight, and Daphne Greengrass would be under him, right where she belonged.

Opening the door, Draco saw that the room was immense, far greater than the Great Hall. There were mountains of brick-a-brak. Books, fanged frisbees, empty fire whiskey bottles, things he'd never even dreamed he'd see in person. Draco thought he saw a pair of girls underwear as he made his way into the labyrinth, searching for the cabinet. He made a note to look through the room at length and see if there were anything truly worth procuring for his own later.

He found the cabinet after a quarter of an hour searching, just as his master had described it. It was very large, and intricately decorated. Draco opened the door and was surprised to see that it looked very dull on the inside, but then again, there was truly no reason for decoration inside, was there. He felt a strange sort of pull on his middle, as if the cabinet were trying to suck him inside. He arched an eyebrow at that, and wondered if that was one of the problems he would have to fix before it was useful once again.

Draco closed the door, and pulled his wand. He'd read just about every book he could on repairing magical items, but as he'd been away from Hogwarts, he'd been unable to practice. It would have been his death if he'd received a notice from the Ministry about underage magic, especially with the Dark Lord ruling the Manor.

Now it was time to try his hand. Flicking his wand, he tried to run a diagnostic spell to find the source of the problem. The spell washed over the cabinet, but nothing happened. Draco knew he was supposed to see something that would tell him what he needed to concentrate on. Something would glow, or words would appear, but nothing happened.

He tried the spell again with the same results.

"Damn." He said, staring at the cabinet.

He went to a nearby pile of refuse and picked up a stray sherry bottle, and opened the cabinet, setting the bottle inside. He shut the door, and heard a faint whoosh sound. Opening the door again, the bottle had vanished. He hoped that maybe the cabinet was not broken at all, that his master had been mistaken.

If that were the case, Draco knew the bottle would return with a sign that his fellow Death Eaters had received it. After half an hour of waiting and half interested browsing through the piles of discarded and lost items, he returned to check. Nothing.

Draco tried several different spells on the cabinet, each more complicated and draining than the last, trying to discern the reason for the malfunction, but nothing came up.

That is, until he performed a very difficult spell meant to detect magical blocks. Draco fell onto his rear end after casting the spell. He'd never even attempted anything so hard in all his life, and was surprised that he'd managed it correctly his first time.

The cabinet glowed red for a moment before returning to its natural state. Draco fell back, sighing that he'd managed to discover what the actual problem was. Then the weight of the problem settled on him. A magical block would be quite difficult to remove, and worse, if his memory served him well, red meant multiple blocks. More than ten, to be precise.

One block was difficult enough, as you had to discover exactly what was being blocked, and what spells were doing it. The problem was expounded by more blocks. If he'd taken Ancient Runes, he might have had an easier time. Some runes were good for detecting and even breaking such blocks, or so he'd heard.

It was never more clear that he either had to get his hands on that luck potion, or learn to make his own. He now realized the true scope of his mission, and the Dark Lord was not a patient man. Draco would have to spare every moment he could to solving this riddle, as well as the second half of his task. Fortunately, things were already in motion to accomplish that.

Sitting up, Draco felt thoroughly drained. That last spell had truly done a number on him. He got to his feet shakily, and decided to go down to the kitchens to get some food. Afterwards, he'd go to the library to look up luck potion, and detecting magical blocks.

He took a few steps, before nearly falling over.

Perhaps the research could wait for another day. Food, and then bed. After all, He needed to be at his best for when he finished off that old goat, Dumbledore and claimed Greengrass for his own. Oh how he would savor the image of Potter's face when he took her right in front of him, and made him watch.

Draco felt a surge of energy as he left the Room of Lost things, and headed to the kitchens. He was getting closer to his victory, and it tasted so delicious.