"So… my fiance is the master of death? Does that mean you can keep me from going grey and getting wrinkles?" Daphne Greengrass joked after a very emotional day, getting the call that Harry had died and then getting a call to inform her that it hadn't lasted long.
"We would look rather mismatched, I intend to grow out a mighty beard like Dumbledore, you'll just have to go grey gracefully."
"You would allow my beauty to become tarnished by age? I'm starting to think you want me to go grey, especially with your death earlier in the day. Honestly if you're going to die and come back then you should at least make a trip of it."
"Next time Daph'. Don't worry, I'll take pictures."
"In all seriousness, what was it like dying?"
"Well, there was the extreme agony as I was dying, but the instant in which I died was more confusing than anything. I met my Father, it was like a weird mirror."
"And your mother?"
"It turns out that the entity known as Fate is my Mother, so look forward to having one of the fundamental forces of the universe as an in-law."
"It's better than Tracey and her arranged marriage to Crabbe."
"I'm flattered to be thought of as better than Crabbe, perhaps you can include that in our vows." Harry joked back, reassuring Daphne that he was still the same Harry Potter."
/_^_^_/
A week had passed since Harry's death and resurrection and the Daily Prophet had published the story of Harry walking through the veil, creating a mythology behind his name of a boy who conquered Death without the need for Horcruxes or unicorn blood or any of that. The title of "The-Boy-Who-Lived-And-Died-And-Returned" had been published once, though thankfully it hadn't caught on, with many people writing in to say that "The-Boy-Who-Lived was still accurate and the new title was redundant.
Even when he was in Bulgaria to speak to Victor he couldn't escape the title, with his friend making jokes about his trip to the underworld.
Blaise had come with him to assist Harry in teaching Victor and his friends how to control the element that called to them.
When they found out that Harry could fly the group of friends challenged him to a race against the latest model of broomstick, a race that Harry could have easily won without cheating, though he decided to leave a gust of wind in his wake to disrupt their technique.
Victor was the only one who had come close to beating Harry, making a joke that it was unfortunate that he couldn't play quidditch without a broom.
The two spent the last two weeks of November just making sure that the quidditch players were able to at least identify their element.
/_^_^_/-
"I know Harry demanded that I stay here, I hate to go against what he says, but I can't stay here."
"I've been thinking about it myself, I don't wish to remain here either." Draco responded to Ella's on one of the sofas in the Vipers' arena. "The Vipers are in agreement with the idea that we belong by Harry's side. We leave for Christmas in two weeks and we don't have to return, I can talk to Derek for you if you want." He offered.
"That won't be necessary, he has already expressed a desire to fight. The whole situation with Amycus Carrow has left him bitter at the prospect of remaining at Hogwarts."
"There will be no grand farewell like there was with Harry, we leave normally and we head to the base from the train."
The two discussed their plans between rounds of sparring, quickly getting back to it after finalising them.
In Nott Manor Luna Lovegood could hear their conversation, with a copy of every poster she had made residing on the wall of the arena, a few of them were slightly burned in the fight between Blaise and Elias.
The damage was not enough to render them incapable of conveying the conversation, though Luna had learned to tune them out as they tended to do nothing but complain.
There were still posters in other areas of the school, notably one near the Ravenclaw common room that Peeves was flying past currently, giggling at the illusion of Filch who chased him whenever the Poltergeist became bored.
The sounds of life brought a smile to her face as she lay down to sleep, dreaming about Nargles and Wrackspurts.
/_^_^_=/
"From what we have managed to gather, though the information is mainly overheard from one side of a conversation involving Potter's younger brother and himself, your spell to trap Potter in his mind, as well as your Imperius Curse, managed to make him kill himself. That part of your plan went perfectly, however he has become the Lord of Death, or something similar to that, and as a result was able to return from beyond the grave, with a new body to boot." A masked Death Eater informed Voldemort during a meeting.
"Imprisonment then, that seems to be the best option. If he can come back from death then we petrify him and lock him away."
"How do we go about petrifying him?" The same Death Eater responded, knowing he was high up enough in the line of command now that he could ask questions.
"I need a chicken's egg and a toad, I have a plan." Voldemort responded, a smile splitting his face.
"It will be done, my lord."
"You are excused, Potter's status as a thorn in my side will soon be revoked."
The room cleared and Voldemort rose from his throne and walked over to the window, observing the garden around his base.
"You don't stand a chance now Potter. You just don't know it."
That night he went to sleep with only one image in his mind, that being the petrified body of Harry Potter lying at his feet. "Next year would be Potter's worst year." Was the last thought to cross his mind before he fell into the embrace of sleep.