All rights belong to J. K. Rowling
In typical Asmodeus fashion, I pumped a chapter before 2 days have passed. Hope you enjoy it as much as the last one!
Chapter 2: Lifeline
Early November
The weeks that passed since the first D.A. meeting were probably Harry's best weeks. Everything - literally, everything - was going splendidly. Harry's performance in every class was the best he had during all of his years in Hogwarts; even in Potions he was excelling, a fact that made Snape seethe with rage. Not even lessons with Umbridge could shake his blissful attitude off - quite the contrary; knowing that they were practicing against her right under her nose added to the pleasure.
Sometime during last week, Hermione and Daphne developed an ingenious way of communication that saved them from the anxiety-inducing meeting in the halls of Hogwarts. Hermione originally made several fake Galleons with a Protean Charm on them. Harry had the original Galleon and he could alter the serial code on the coin to show the members of the D.A. the day and hour of their meeting. When Harry altered the serial number on the coin, the rest of the fake-Galleons owned by the members of their group would also change and grow hot in their pockets to grab their attention. When Daphne saw the trick, she further developed it by adding a modified Compulsion Charm that would trigger the moment of alteration, forcing the owner to look at his coin. For further protection, the coins had modified Notice-Me-Not Charms that affected everyone except the members of the D.A.
On that front, every meeting with Dumbledore's Army doubled - sometimes tripled - the performance of his 'students'. The ones that were near the bottom like Colin Creevey were catching up to the performance of his best students like Hermione and Daphne. Daphne and Hermione were so far ahead, in fact, that they would often help Harry tutor the rest of their class. There were also no scenes and fights between his members, much to his pleasure; the Slytherin members blended in with the rest of the Houses extremely well. Blaise was often hanging around Ron, Neville and Dean, while Tracey was often hanging with Luna, Ginny and Lavender - especially with Lavender, since they were both massive Gossip Queens. Harry also noticed that somewhere along the way, the Twins had taken Astoria under their wing and taught her pranks and tricks which they often executed during class; he also noticed that Astoria was always wearing a massive grin and her eyes were brighter than the sun with excitement when she was with them. More than that, Astoria was apparently a prank aficionado and had her own arsenal of them.
"She was always a huge fan of the Twins, you know," quipped Daphne when she saw him observing the newly formed dynamic Trio during their third meeting, helping him figure out how that unholy union formed.
Speaking of Daphne; the blonde was able to chat with everybody without an issue. More often than not she was chatting with Hermione about different academic subjects and Harry found out that the girls shared a passion for learning, despite Daphne's being way more subtle. If Daphne wasn't chatting with Hermione or having small talk with the rest of the D.A. members, she would always hang around Harry. This was the case today.
Twas the night before the first Quidditch match of the year, a match highly anticipated since last year Quidditch was canceled in favor of the Triwizard Cup. Hermione managed to stage a D.A. meeting after practically begging Angelina to give their team a day of relaxation before the match. Today's subject - much to Harry's horror - was the Reductor Curse. A highly destructive curse, even though it was not lethal when used against living beings; while a very strong Reducto could reduce a wooden Target Dummy to thick splinters, a Reducto of the same strength would feel like an iron fist to the gut - certainly enough to make a human fold in pain, but not enough for serious damage. A wise wizard would use the Reductor Curse to give him an opening for a stronger and more efficient spell before his opponent could regain his composure.
Harry gave a demonstration first on a Target Dummy, his curse strong enough to reduce it to dust without a single lump of wood left. He then lined everyone up and gave the signal to start before walking around to observe his students. As always when they took up a new spell, no one could pull it perfectly - except Daphne and Hermione, who by now were recognized as naturals when it came to spell-work. The failed attempts ranged from a shook Dummy to a ruptured Dummy. To his surprise, Neville broke his Dummy in ten lumps of wood on his second try and the Dummy repaired itself to keep training. As per usual, Harry was making rounds around his students, giving tips and fixing their posture and hand movement; a practice that proved efficient, if the growth rate of the students was anything to go by.
Twenty minutes later two female voices broke his eardrums. "REDUCTO!" Hermione and Daphne shouted in unison and two Dummies were reduced to tiny splinters - still not as efficient as Harry, but a great success nonetheless. Happy with their success, the two witches smiled at each other and after a brief chat Hermione started making rounds, leaving Daphne to join Harry.
"I have to say that I never expected you to be such a great teacher, Professor Potter," said Daphne as she neared the raven-haired boy, causing him to wince.
"Come on Ice Queen, I already told you to treat me just like any of us," he responded with a sly smile. During the last meetings, Daphne made it her goal to tease him by calling him Professor Potter. While he didn't like feeling like he was on a pedestal, he couldn't deny that he was flattered by the remark.
"You call me Ice Queen, yet you haven't seen true Ice from me, Professor," Daphne bit back and shot him one of the iciest looks in her repertoire. Harry locked eyes with her and slowly raised an eyebrow.
"You should do it more often, then; you might turn me into a great ice sculpture," he responded sarcastically and both of them fell silent in a stare-down. It didn't hold long, however, as both broke down into chuckles at the same time.
"But in all honesty, one month ago I was trying to fight you with Flipendo; and worse, Rictusempra," said Daphne with a fake shudder and turned to look at him with a ghost of a smile. "You really have helped everyone here learn things that they would never learn this year, maybe not even the next. Actual spells that are useful, spells like Impedimenta and Protego Maxima and Depulso," her eyes never left Harry's face and she noticed a faint blush that creeped in his cheeks; a fact she observed with curiosity.
Harry cleared his throat. "Th- thank you, Daphne. I appreciate it. I really do." Harry responded with some hesitation. "I am happy to help people avoid a fate like..." Harry's words trailed off and he shut his eyes. A flash of worry passed through Daphne's expression but vanished the moment Harry took a deep breath and opened his eyes. Suddenly, a tray with a teapot and two cups appeared on his open palm and he turned to her with a smile. "Tea? Courtesy of Dobby, of course," he chimed.
"Dobby?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow and Harry chuckled.
"Dobby is a free house elf that works in Hogwarts. He is a friend," he added honestly, his hand still extending the tray to Daphne. "Tea?"
Daphne's eyes lit up in a strange way - something similar to a mix of amusement, curiosity and respect. "Yes, please," she finally responded with a giggle and took a cup of tea, from which she took a long sip. "It is delightful. Thank you, Heir Potter." She was giving side-glances to Harry while she was sipping her tea; the neutral mask on her face was more than enough to mask her curiosity and genuine worry she felt for Harry's condition. It wasn't the only time that Harry had shown grief and pain after certain remarks. She knew that he witnessed Cedric Diggory die in front of his eyes, but she felt like that wasn't the only thing that was plaguing Harry Potter's mind. The inexplicable impulse to actually try and help him wasn't helping her, either.
The tray vanished from Harry's hand and he turned to face her. "You know, I have been meaning to ask you," said the boy and paused to consider his words. "You have been telling me about the House of Potter and that it is Pureblood, but I have no idea what the Pureblood traditions are; especially the traditions and mannerisms of my family."
Daphne, for her part, regarded Harry's tone and expression and she noticed that he was feeling very awkward; the tiny amount of Legilimency she possessed helped her figure that much out. She took another sip of her tea and spoke. "Well, mannerisms are something that is common across wizards and witches of a Pureblood lineage and are even more apparent in Noble and Ancient Noble families. Things like introductions, greetings and social conduct are shared among Magical Britain. The Houses differ on their internal works," said Daphne as she glanced at Harry to make sure he was following. Much to her pleasure, Harry looked like he was digesting everything with vigor.
"Most families have a family Decree, an unwritten rule that is followed across generations inside the family. On a similar note, different family possess different Magical Contracts. The difference between Contracts and Decrees is simple; Magical Contracts are made and tailored by the Heads of Houses to be invoked by a witch or wizard and bind their magic like oaths, while Decrees involve no magic at all. Decrees can be broken, yes, but if broken the Head of House can exact punishment - that differs on the nature of the Decree, of course." With a mere glance, Daphne noticed that Harry was glowing with fascination and he obviously wanted more. Daphne mentally chuckled, but kept going.
"Another thing - a fact that will surely fascinate you - is that all Noble and Ancient Noble families possess a book that contains unique spells, potions and techniques made by the family and shared only within the family; Most families call those books Family Grimoires, but other families use different names. The House of Greengrass owns the Greengrass Archive, while the Potters own the Potter Tome," said Daphne and turned her head to look at him properly.
"How do you know about the Potter Tome? Even I don't know it," said Harry with a small frown, causing Daphne's heart to inexplicably skip with worry.
"The only reason I - and everyone in Magical Britain, for that matter - know of the Potter Tome is because it caused a Wizengamot Trial that spanned two full months in 1982," explained Daphne, but Harry's look of increasing confusion made her explain further. "When your parents died and you disappeared from Magical Britain, a member of the Wizengamot brought forth the matter of the Potter Family Grimoire to the chamber; the subject of the trial was the choice between destruction of the tome or access to it by the Ministry. Traditionally, when a family line dies off, the contents of their vaults and their houses are destroyed, while their money goes to Gringotts. So, it was a massive scandal that the Ministry tried to obtain a family grimoire, something that is considered sacred and theft of a grimoire can lead to death sentence," Harry shuddered to that and Daphne giggled. "Well, Dumbledore was then forced to come forth two months after the trial begun and reveal to the world that you were alive and under strict protection and safety, thus giving the Wizengamot trial an instant termination because an Heir existed." Daphne finished her story and looked at Harry, expecting a reaction. She expected reactions from shock to awe to happiness to curiosity; the look of absolute pain written on his face was not something she expected.
"Strict protection and safety huh... Just keep the 'strict'," the boy muttered under his breath and turned his frozen emerald gaze to his class.
"Harry...? I wanted to ask you," started Daphne, now worried more than anything. Harry turned his gaze on her. "You have no knowledge of the wizarding world, do you? I mean, except Hogwarts, the classes, Quidditch and the Dark Lord," she said quietly. Harry looked at her motionless and silent for some moments and then shook his head. Daphne straightened her posture unnecessarily - it was already straight like an arrow, as always - and declared. "Well then. I will teach you everything you want to know about the wizarding world."
Harry's eyes widened a tiny bit as he heard her declaration and he felt a warmth enveloping him. For the first time in his life, someone offered to teach him his roots. He was offered knowledge on the world he adored so much. That same happiness caused him to hug Daphne. It wasn't a proper hug - he only used one arm, in fact - and he was stiff as a brick wall. Yet, the message was conveyed. "Thank you, Daphne," the boy whispered and let the flustered and slightly red Daphne free.
"Th-... Th-... That was not proper Pureblood conduct," whispered Daphne, breathless. Inwardly, she was frantically trying to decipher the reason why she lost her bearings with a simple act of appreciation, lifting her Occlumency shields in the process.
"REDUCTO!"
Before Harry could even laugh at her remark, his reflexes kicked in. With a swift motion he moved in front of Daphne, right hand cradling his wand and reflecting the stray spell, while the left hand was on Daphne's waist to keep her behind him. The stray Recucto Harry reflected rushed by the head of the offender - terribly close to cause gasps of horror - and landed squarely on a Target Dummy, reducing it to fine dust before knocking said dust back in a whirlwind.
Silence descended in the Room of Requirement, broken by the echoes of the Reductor Curse lingering in the vast space. The blonde behind Harry shuddered; a feeling of unchecked magic energy swept over her.
It was common knowledge that magic was often affected by emotion. States of depression could render a wizard and witch powerless or unable to properly channel their magic. In states of happiness, magic was often refined, yet powerful. In states of rage, both the wizard and the spells he created were often leaking power uncontrollably. And Harry's rage was leaking uncontrollably - disgustingly so. That wasn't even the worst of it; a skilled wizard or witch could feel that Harry was leaking two different types of magic energy; his natural energy made the majority, while a significantly smaller part was an energy of evil and horrendous nature.
The raven haired boy started pacing slowly. Aiming his wand at the offender he casted a spell unknown to most of them. "Partis Temporus," the boy whispered in a hoarse and cold voice. The plethora of students were moved out of the way left and right, creating a path between him and his target. Someone tried to interrupt him.
"How dare you attack one of us-..." Marietta Edgecombe had no chance of finishing her sentence with her mouth gone. With three flicks of his wand, Harry casted a series of silent spells in the time Marietta could register a single spell. Oscausi removed her mouth, an incredibly controlled Depulso sent her sliding in the hands of Anthony Goldstein while a Petrificus Totalus froze her in the hands of the aforementioned boy. He never stopped pacing to cast these spells, neither did he speak.
Older students and some of the well-versed wizards and witches could understand the impact of these actions. They understood that Harry showcased a level of control with his spells unmatched under a state of rage - a feat impossible for low-leveled wizards. That is why no one dared speak - besides, Harry's rage at this moment was completely reasonable and called for.
Harry Potter stopped one meter in front of Cho Chang. His chilling emerald eyes were shining brightly in a cold flame as he was staring deep into Cho's eyes. The girl, on the other hand, had wide eyes and was shivering in her spot.
"Do you have anything to share with the class, Cho?" Harry asked with an emotionless whisper that echoed in the silent room. "Anything that would explain why your Reducto was shot at Daphne Greengrass' head?"
"It- It- It was a m- mistake..." Cho whispered while tears started flowing.
"A mistake, you say," Harry hummed thoughtfully. His almost nonchalant way of speaking was contrasting wildly with the blatant show of rage his expressions showed. "I wonder what kind of mistake it was. Was the mistake a wide miss from your Target Dummy? Or was the mistake that you targeted Daphne's head willingly?"
"I j- just missed!" Cho cried in vain, provoking Harry's rage further.
"Don't lie to me, Cho!" Harry yelled in the silent chamber, causing some people to flinch. "You don't 'miss' when you look at the 'wrong' target during spellcast! I know you targeted Daphne from the start! I told you I would not-" Harry's tirade came to an abrupt stop, courtesy of a delicate hand grabbing him by the shoulder.
"Please, calm down. There is no need for you to be that enraged. I am completely fine," Daphne said in a calm, yet frosty voice as she grabbed his shoulder. Harry turned his head and looked straight into Daphne's calm blue eyes. Hermione's breath was cut short and a fascinated glint decorated her eyes and thankfully no one noticed. Hermione was the first to figure out that Daphne managed to calm Harry down - and the only one in this room that understood the importance of that action.
Harry slowly relaxed and took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping in the process. He turned to look at Cho again. "The fact you are okay, Daphne, does not mean that this wasn't an attempt to assault you. I said I would not condone any kind of hostility inside this fake classroom, Cho. I am disappointed," Harry turned around and grabbed Daphne's forearm in appreciation before gently pulling it from his shoulder and walking away.
"I seriously hope this never happens again," announced Harry as he released the charms from Marietta - thankfully, the girl was smart enough to not act in any way. "Tomorrow is Quidditch day, so get lots of sleep. Class dismissed."
With that last announcement Harry left the Room of Requirement, Hermione and Ron running after him.
"Well, I should have expected an attack at some point. But not by Chang, of all people," Tracey commented nonchalantly after they sat in their corner of the Slytherin Common Room.
"Actually Tracey, I stopped expecting any hostility from that group a couple of meetings ago," Blaise responded with a shrug. "Even the Weasel got on friendly terms. I have to say; his horrendous manners - especially tableside - Ron is a pretty nice guy," said Blaise and a ghost of a smile flickered on Daphne's face.
The gazes of the three landed on Astoria who was completely detached from the conversation, studying a weird hand-written page that contained a Potions recipe.
"Anything you want to share, Tori?" Daphne asked. No response. "Tori? Earth to Tori," said Daphne, her patience dwindling. With a soft smack on her sister's forehead, she made the young girl jump and pay attention.
"Yes I agree wholeheartedly!" Astoria squealed and tried to hide the page.
"What are you reading, Tori?" Tracey asked. "This doesn't seem like a Potion's essay that third years would get. Hell, it doesn't even look like a known recipe," added Tracey while she was trying to read the recipe.
"It's not a recipe that exists - yet!" Astoria responded with excitement. "The Weasley Twins are geniuses!"
"The two worst students in Hogwarts?" Blaise inquired with a raised eyebrow. "How exactly, are they geniuses?"
Astoria cleared her throat and showed them the recipe. "This is a recipe they made from scratch; it is a work in progress for a potion that changes the body to have rubber properties, from elongation to shrinking to twisting to everything that a rubber can do; with the person that drank the potion having unlimited control over their rubber body. The intended result is a potion that lasts around two hours and reverts the body to the original shape before wearing off," explained Astoria under the shocked and surprised gazes of her friends. "This is not the only recipe; they have more than 15 unique, never-before-seen recipes that have wildly different effects. Not only that, they have made custom enchanted items with full Rune formations and they have even patented a couple of spells!"
"Then why..." Daphne whispered as her shaking eyes were reading the recipe.
"Because they don't care about the exams! They hate being restricted by curriculum and Ministry laws. When they graduate from Hogwarts, they will open their own shop full of prank items, tricks and charms!" The excitement oozing off Astoria was palpable - a fact that caused Daphne to smile. "And I haven't even talked about the altered potions and spells and rune arrays they have created on already existing stuff; the sheer amount of material they have for their shop is insane!"
By the time her sister finished her tirade, Daphne was smiling brightly along with their friends. "I am very happy for that, Astoria; it seems that you found your perfect circle. I suppose you have also shared your works?" Astoria feverly nodded and excused herself to the dorms to continue working on the recipe of the Twins. Daphne watched her little sister run off to the rooms with a smile.
"I am very happy for Tori, but we still haven't discussed the attack properly," spoke Blaise and summoned tea for the group.
"There is nothing to discuss, really. There is no hostility in that group, it is the exact opposite, in fact. The D.A. members accepted us wholly and warmly," said Daphne before sipping some of her tea. The curious gazes of Blaise and Tracey forced her to keep speaking, however. "Cho Chang simply exploded in a fit of jealousy, it seems."
"Jealousy? Why?" Tracey asked.
"Because she likes Harry, of course," Daphne responded nonchalantly, sipping more of her tea.
"And why would she explode?" Blaise asked next.
"My guess is that Harry hugging me was off limits for her," she answered with a shrug.
"Harry hugged you? When?" Tracey asked with curiosity that made Daphne shift uncomfortable in her seat. The amused gaze Zabini sent Daphne's way didn't help, either.
"I offered to teach him wizarding traditions. Apparently, that was touching for him." Daphne of course knew that Harry was hiding a lot of pain regarding his up-bringing, but it was not her place to discuss that much.
"So you don't intend to steal him from Cho, right Daphne?" Blaise asked with obvious amusement. Daphne had a very hard time swallowing her tea when he asked that question, but her Occlumency thankfully kept her expression calm.
"I mean, Harry is one of the better looking men in Hogwarts; certainly above the abysmal average," Tracey added, much to Daphne's dismay.
"I would rather not hear remarks like those, thank you," spoke Daphne after she managed to finally swallow the tea that would not go down.
"Sure, Daph, whatever you say Daph," Tracey shot back with excessive cheeriness. "We will have that discussion again when we see little Potters running around Hogwarts."
Daphne choked on her tea and sent a weak Stinging Hex to her best friend between her coughs; it only caused Tracey to laugh harder and Blaise to join in the laughter.
"For what it's worth, I believe you, Daph," Blaise said when he stopped laughing. "But honestly, you should expect words like that from Miss Davis over here," he added with a nod of his head towards the Muggleborn who giggled in response.
Daphne sighed deeply and slumped in her chair. The relaxation could not last, however; courtesy of two unexpected guests.
"Honestly, have you always kept Muffliato active since Year Three, Daph?" Pansy asked as they sat down around their table. Daphne shot her a frozen glare; she really hated Parkinson.
"I don't see a reason to broadcast my discussions to prying ears," Daphne coolly responded.
Blaise's face tensed as Malfoy sat down on the armchair next to him. "I am counting on your support tomorrow during Quidditch, dear Greengrass," said Malfoy as if it was natural. "And after I whoop that useless Potter, you will finally accept our date."
Several years ago, during the Second Year of Hogwarts, Daphne told Malfoy that she would go on a date with him if he managed to beat Potter in Quidditch. Malfoy was bothering Daphne without stopping and she needed some way to get rid of him. Thankfully, she was a massive Quidditch geek - something no one knew - and she knew Malfoy didn't even have a fraction of Harry's skill as a Seeker from what she had seen. And with the years, Potter only got better. In her eyes, a declaration like that was akin to declaring that she would never date Draco Malfoy.
Daphne had a humorless laugh in front of Malfoy. "You honestly believe you can beat Potter? Get real, Malfoy, you have no chances," declared Daphne with a haughty look, causing the blonde boy to turn red in anger.
"Since when are you Potter's fan, Greengrass?" Malfoy spat.
"I'm not a fan, I am merely stating the facts," she responded with a frosty glare and ice lacing her voice. "You cannot beat Potter in Quidditch. None of the current Seekers can beat him, in fact."
Malfoy abruptly sat up from his chair, Parkinson following suit. "We'll see what you say after I rip Potter's filthy blood-traitor dick out of your mouth, Greengrass," the boy spat and stormed away from their corner - Parkinson following like a loyal lapdog.
Daphne's frozen mask slowly crumbled, revealing a seething expression on Daphne's red face. "How dare he?! This little piece of shit-" Daphne spat and Blaise shot her a serious look that stopped her tirade prematurely.
"It won't do good if you respond to his disrespect, Daph. I know how you feel about the little shit, but you must be calm. If you are not to listen to me, then remind yourself that these are orders from your father. Ever since he denied Lucius Malfoy the betrothal contract between heirs during the first year, your father warned you that Malfoy would be a pain in the ass. Please, don't answer to him."
Daphne slowly calmed down. Blaise was right. One breath, two breaths... Malfoy's disrespect wasn't what bothered her, she realized.
But why would she become that agitated about the way Malfoy was speaking about Potter?
The morning of the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was not a nice affair. That much was obvious from the moment they stepped in the Great Hall. Harry hurriedly seated Ron with his back towards the entire Great Hall - in a failed attempt to help him ignore everything - while he took a seat in front of him. The duo of Quidditch players witnessed Luna's showcase of an actual Lion on her head that could roar and Harry started speaking as she left.
"Pull yourself together Ron," Harry hissed while Ron was trying - and failing - to eat more than two bites of his breakfast. Ron didn't respond. Harry tried to continue speaking to Ron but Hermione and Ginny got a hold of him, giving him the opportunity to eat his own meal.
Harry wasn't in the best of moods himself. Last night's D.A. meeting was replaying in his head over and over again. He was honestly very disappointed with Cho. Disappointed enough to reduce the tiny flame he had for her to mere sparks. He honestly thought Cho was mature and a very nice girl on top of being very pretty; yet her actions showed immaturity that was appalling. To think that she would actually attempt to assault Daphne...
Without even noticing it consciously, his gaze was shifted to the Slytherin table. His emerald eyes landed on a blonde head that was eating from a plate of English Breakfast. She was sitting elegantly and her actions had an air of confidence around them. Even the simple action of lifting her fork to eat a slice of bacon; even that was dignified when she was doing it. Harry never expected to find such a mundane action fascinating.
While he was observing Daphne he was also eating from a plate of English breakfast. Without even realizing it, he was copying Daphne's elegant posture and soft movements. Another thing he didn't realize; Daphne had felt him looking at her and was now looking straight in his eyes. He slowly turned his gaze to meet hers. How could he not have noticed how beautiful her eyes were before? Those sapphire oceans were really a sight to behold... A few moments of eye contact later, Daphne shot him a warm smile.
Thankfully, Harry wasn't as dumb as last year; the smile he returned to Daphne didn't release the contents in his mouth. Quite the contrary, in fact; He managed a very charming smile.
He couldn't dwell on that thought, however, as the rest of their Quidditch team approached and they left for the Stadium.
The road to the stadium was thankfully uneventful - thinking that a calm walk to the stadium was a blessing was a sign of how shitty things could get, Harry realized with a shudder - and they finally entered the pitch. With their brooms shouldered, the Gryffindor team marched to the center of the field, stopping right in front of the Slytherin team. Much to Harry's amusement, Slytherin's new Beaters under Montague's leadership were Crabbe and Goyle.
On the right side of the Slytherin team, a very obviously annoyed Draco Malfoy was scowling at the sight of Harry.
"Prepared to lose, Potter?" he spat, completely ignoring his team's glares.
"That won't happen as long as I am flying, Malfoy," Harry coolly replied.
"Then pray you won't have any accidents, Potter," he spat in a retort, a feat that cost his team a penalty by Madam Hooch - much to the dismay of the Slytherin audience.
"The Slytherins are already behind by 20 points - and the match didn't even start yet!"
Madam Hooch calmed everyone down and started her commands.
"On your brooms! In three- two- one!" A high pitched whistle signaled the start of the match; 4 balls were released and 14 players shot upward in the sky. Harry sent a single glance at Ron and realized his friend was holding up much better. With that happy thought he started searching for the golden blur that was the Snitch.
"And it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me -"
"JORDAN!" yelled Professor McGonagall.
"Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest - and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's - ouch - been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe... Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and - nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away -"
While Harry was a big fan of Lee Jordan's commentary, he couldn't spare a single thought on it while he was frantically searching for the Snitch.
"- dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger - close call, Alicia - and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"
Lee paused to listen to the song the same time Harry was swerving above the Slytherin stands.
Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.
Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.
Harry, seething with rage, shot a glance toward his best friend once more. What he saw surprised him; his friend was completely calm - as if he didn't hear a thing.
"- and Alicia passes back to Angelina!"
Both Bludgers shot towards Harry at the same time, forcing him to dodge between Slytherin's rings, providing enough of a distraction for Angelina.
"ANGELINA SCORES FOR GRYFFINDOR! THE SCORE IS - wait, what happened to the song?"
Wee is our pimp,
Willy is our kink,
She fully be the Honey bee,
Walkey is our treat
The stadium erupted into laughter. Harry, being near the Slytherin stands, saw Pansy's shocked expression as she kept guiding her chorus with gibberish. And she couldn't stop. Harry quickly realized that this was a combination of Cantis and Confundo. But who-
His eyes landed on a beautiful blonde that wore a Slytherin Quidditch vest. The blonde in question then smiled at him and winked. After that, without a moment's notice, Daphne Greengrass kept following Pansy's song, acting confused.
Bolting off to search for the Snitch, Harry also noticed that the members of the Slytherin team were about as confused as Pansy; that lapse of judgment cost them three more goals in favor of the Gryffindors.
"The Gryffindor team that keeps on giving! The score is 40 to -20!" Lee Jordan roared, the rest of the stadium roaring along with him.
Harry realized that he needed to finish this parody. A tall order, in all reality. With a nosedive he dodged another Bludger. That same Bludger was shot towards him again, forcing him to pull a dangerous turn near the grass.
"Crabbe and Goyle are harassing Potter with a tag team!"
While annoyed, Harry was a tad bit thankful - his sharp turn put the Snitch in his line of sight. He accelerated, narrowly dodging the Bludger once again. The Bludger shot past him, narrowly missing him from the right side in its erratic path, yet it was hit once again by Goyle, forcing Harry to dodge again.
The crowd was roaring with insults and screams aimed at Crabbe and Goyle. Lee Jordan had his microphone confiscated because he started cursing the Beaters and the Slytherin team was doing their best to hold on. The score was -20 - 70.
Harry also saw the bright side of this assault; he was gaining distance on the Snitch and Malfoy had no idea - everyone simply thought that Harry was trying to escape the Bludgers. Thankfully, Crabbe and Goyle were too dumb to realize that they were being played.
A sharp left saved Harry once more and he started ascending.
"Malfoy, he is after the Snitch!" Montague screamed; indeed, Harry was about one meter away from the snitch that was ascending fast.
One more time, the Bludger made him duck, yet he was only closer to the snitch. Just a little more... Just a little more...
A Bludger connected to the small of his back, knocking him off of his broom and launching him high in the air. Harry managed to close his fist, feeling the cold metal and the madly fluttering wings. He rotated his body in the air to look at the stadium and show that he caught the snitch; but the last thing he managed to make out was that he was free falling before the second Bludger hit him squarely in the torso - knocking the air out of him and bringing him to the edge of consciousness.
He thought that he was hearing screams; yes, those were screams. It wasn't easy to differentiate between screams of horror, roars of rage and the howling wind that was impacting his ears as he was falling to his death. What happened? Did we lose? Did I miss the Snitch and Malfoy caught it? These foolish thoughts swarmed his mind even as he was tightly holding the Golden Snitch. He felt someone grabbing him. He could make out two identical voices near him - were those the Twins that caught him? Oh, he felt grass. He touched the grass softly, it seemed. Just how did-
"Rennervate."
Harry opened his eyes in horror as he was pulled back to consciousness and he sat up to look around him. The worried faces of Hermione, Luna, Neville, their Quidditch team, Daphne- Wait, Daphne?!
"What happened?" Harry asked madly as he saw the Slytherins scoring - again, and again, and again. He also saw Malfoy searching for the snitch.
"Harry, are you okay?" Daphne asked with unconcealed worry - earning curious glances and Hermione's amused look.
"Y- Yes... Wait," he spoke and stood up, taking Daphne's hand that was extended to help him.
"You're not going anywhere!" Hermione hissed but a glare from Harry shut her down. He was honestly fine, he was simply dazed from the impact that knocked the wind out of him.
"MADAM HOOCH!" His yell caused everyone to abruptly stop as he ran to meet the referee. He then realized that the Gryffindors were all sulking. Also, he realized that he was outside of the bounds of the pitch. Did everyone think that their team abandoned the match and that the Snitch was free?
Madam Hooch landed near him. "It is grim Potter, you are behind 70 - 190, you need to hurry-"
"No no, what was the score when I was knocked off?" Harry interrupted and his team gasped. They realized.
"70 to -20, what does that..." Madam Hooch's voice trailed off as Harry opened his hand to reveal the Snitch.
One whistle. Two whistles. Three whistles and the stadium exploded in cheers.
"POTTER GRABBED THE SNITCH BEFORE BEING HIT! I REPEAT, POTTER CAUGHT THE SNITCH BEFORE BEING HIT! AS PER REGULATIONS, THE MATCH ENDED THERE, WITH THE SCORE OF 220 TO -20!" Lee Jordan screamed in his microphone, yet barely audible under the screams of the stadium.
Of course, the Slytherin protested wildly, yet Harry couldn't care; they made history. For the first time in Hogwarts history, a match ended with a negative score on one team. His team had already grabbed him and carried him in the air with their brooms, ignoring Malfoy's caustic remarks.
Harry spared a glance toward the circle that was made by his friends that rushed from the stands - much to his unexplainable sadness, Daphne was already gone. He would speak with her later; they needed to schedule their tutoring anyway. For now, he focused on the celebrations.
Said celebrations lasted 15 minutes. They would have lasted longer, but Harry got a notice that he was invited to Professor McGonagall's office. With some parting farewells to his team, he made his way to her office.
"Come in!" said McGonagall beyond the closed door of her office - her excitement for the clean win obvious. Harry entered the office.
"You asked for me, Professor?" Harry inquired as he neared her desk.
"Why yes, Potter! Please, sit!" spoke McGonagall as she pointed to one of the chairs and Harry obliged. "I simply wanted to congratulate you on making history! This is the first time a Quidditch match ended in such a fashion - and against Slytherin, no less!" McGonagall made an attempt to open her drawer, but stopped before speaking again. "As such, as the Head of The House of Gryffindor, I wanted to reward-"
"Hem, hem."
A dreadful, nightmare-inducing high-pitched voice made Harry spin his head around to look at the entrance. Dolores Umbridge was standing in the doorway wrapped in a disgusting pink cloak, smiling her sickly, ominous smile.
"What do you need in my office, Dolores?" McGonagall spoke with a very fake smile.
"I am here to deliver Mr. Potter's punishment, of course!" said Umbridge, her sickly smile never leaving her face.
"You will do no such thing! You have no reason and no authority over my students!" McGonagall bit back as she shot up from her chair.
"As a matter of fact, Minerva, I do have such authority,'' Simpered Umbridge. "It's a happy little occasion today as Cornelius - I'm sorry, the Minister - sent me this useful piece of paper..." Umbridge continued with a disgustingly cheery tone as she searched through her purse. "Ah, yes! Here it is!" she announced as she pulled out a parchment which she unfurled.
"Hem, hem... 'Educational Decree Number Twenty-five...' "
"Again?!" McGonagall yelled violently, her eyes seething with rage.
"Well, yes," said Umbridge, still smiling. "As a matter of fact, Minerva, it was you who made me see that we needed a further amendment... You remember how you overrode me, when I was unwilling to allow the Gryffindor Quidditch team to re-form?" McGonagall didn't even twitch, yet Umbridge kept speaking anyway.
"Remember how you took the case to Dumbledore, who insisted that the team be allowed to play? Well, now, I couldn't have that. I contacted the Minister at once, and he quite agreed with me that the High Inquisitor has to have the power to strip pupils of privileges, or she - that is to say, I - would have less authority than common teachers! And you see now, don't you, Minerva, how right I was in attempting to stop the Gryffindor team re-forming?"
"You have no reason Dolores!" McGonagall almost screamed.
"But I do! Anyway, I was reading out our amendment... hem, hem... "
" 'The High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions, and removals of privileges as may have been ordered by other staff members. Signed, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Order of Merlin First Class, etc., etc. . . .' "
She rolled up the parchment and put it back into her handbag, still smiling.
"So!" she continued with a tone that made both Harry and McGonagall gag. "Let me elaborate. Today's showcase was a terrible example of violence... Did you see those poor Beaters trying to kill dear Mr. Potter?"
"Exactly!" McGonagall responded with a yell. "It was they who tried to assault Potter and he did noth-"
"Hem, hem..." Dolores interrupted, causing McGonagall's nostrils to flare up. "I didn't finish talking, Minerva." the toad hissed. "As I was saying... hem, hem... Mr. Potter is the reason for this agitation. If Mr. Potter didn't play at all, there would be no violence! As you already know, Mr. Potter is the root of all the problems in our great school."
Harry started shaking in his chair. He knew where she was going with it. She would-
"As such, I hereby ban Mr. Potter from playing Quidditch for the rest of the year," the toad announced with unbelievable amounts of glee. Harry wanted to speak, to move, yet he found himself bound in his chair.
"But I am not unreasonable, Minerva. The rest of your little team can play, of course. They will be calm with Mr. Potter out of the picture," she spoke as she turned back to Professor McGonagall who was now standing as still as though carved from ice, staring at her. "Now, I will need Mr. Potter's broom to make sure there won't be any infringements of my ban." with a silent Accio the broom landed in Dolores' open hand. She carefully observed the broom before speaking once more.
"Actually, I think that won't be enough. Hem, hem..." she pointed her wand to the broom and...
"Reducto!"
Harry screamed. Harry screamed until he tore his lungs out at the sight of his broom - the gift Sirius sent him at the end of his third year - being reduced to dust. Yet, he made no sound. He didn't even twitch. He moved his eyes towards the Transfiguration Professor.
If Dolores was a minion of hell, Minerva McGonagall was the warden. Harry witnessed a scowl so unsettling and terrifying - he thought he would get burned alive if he stared at it too much.
"Are you done?" McGonagall's hissed whisper was heard across the office.
"I am!" Dolores announced and turned around. "Well... Good afternoon to you." And with a look of the utmost satisfaction Umbridge left the room, leaving a horrified silence in her wake.
McGonagall was standing still for almost two full minutes before setting up Privacy Charms and releasing whatever spell she used on Harry. As soon as he realized he could move, he jumped up and tried to run to the door; murder in his emerald eyes. And yet, his plans were foiled once more as he found himself flying backwards towards McGonagall.
"That is quite enough, Harry," she spoke gently.
"But Professor-"
"No. Buts. Harry." McGonagall bit back and Harry shut his mouth. With a sigh, she sat back on her desk. "Please, don't grieve. If I am thankful for one thing, it's this," with a quick motion of her hand, the drawer opened and a tiny package that looked like an odd pen landed on her desk. Harry eyed the package curiously before Minerva restored it to the real size. Harry gasped; it was a broom under the wraps.
"This - is the gift I wanted to give you for your match," explained McGonagall with a bit of sadness. "I know that Padfoot gifted you your Firebolt... But please. Don't grieve," she said and with one more flick of her wand the wrap was torn and revealed a shiny, brand new broom. A Firebolt Ultima.
"Pr- Professor, this..." Harry tried to speak but was at a loss for words. Conflicting feelings welled inside him; pride clashed with rage, happiness clashed with grief.
"I will keep it for now," she announced as she shrunk it again and hid it in her drawer. "We both know that this... this tool of the Ministry will destroy it as well. And you can't play Quidditch anymore. But I implore you Harry, don't try to fight her. Do it for me, please."
Harry looked at his Professor's eyes, trying to reign in his wild emotions. He felt a tug in his mind - his soul - soothing him. He shut his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he was calm. "Alright, Professor. But I don't know how to break the news to the others..." he trailed off and Minerva stood up.
"Well, we'll find out, won't we?" Minerva walked up to Harry and grabbed his forearm. "Willy!"
With a pop, a Hogwarts House Elf appeared next to Minerva.
"What can Willy do's for Mistress Lion Professor?" the elf inquired with a squeaky voice.
"Teleport us in the Gryffindor Common Room please - I will return on foot after that so you may not be seen."
Suddenly, Harry's ears burst with the loud cheers of the common room. Yet, McGonagall stepped on all noises with the use of Sonorous.
"Attention, students," the noises abruptly cut off and silence plagued the Common Room. Professor McGonagall canceled her spell and spoke normally.
"With great sadness I announce that Mr. Potter has been banned from playing Quidditch for the rest of the year."
"WHAT!?"
"WHAT DID YOU DO POTTER?"
"HOW DARE-"
"CHILDREN!" McGonagall screamed on top of her lungs - her patience was obviously gone before they even apparated in the common room. She cleared her throat.
"Dolores Umbridge banned Mr. Potter from Quidditch because, I quote, 'Mr. Potter is the reason everyone is violent in the school and he disgraces Quidditch by having everyone attack him.' "
Silence.
"After issuing the ban, she destroyed Mr. Potter's broom."
The silence was broken by some stray gasps of horror.
"I know how you all feel," spoke the professor. "But I will make one thing clear. No one will act against Umbridge! She is already trying to destroy us as is. Do not make this worse on us. I will try my best to change some things. But the Ministry's clutches dig deep..."
"Professor?" Harry asked quietly.
"Yes, Harry?" she responded in a friendly tone.
"Can I roam the castle to get some air?" he asked seriously. Minerva regarded him for a moment before deciding.
"I trust you. Go on," spoke McGonagall in a soft tone. He didn't need to be told twice.
He left the common room and almost ran to the Room of Requirement.
"REDUCTO!"
"REDUCTO!"
"REDUCTO!"
"REDUCTO MAXIMA!" A Target Dummy was blown to dust before the dust itself vanished completely.
"DIFFINDO!" A Target Dummy was cut almost halfway through, provoking an irritated growl.
"DIFFINDO MAXIMA!" That same Target Dummy was cleanly cut in half.
"DEFODIO!" Another Target Dummy was subject to a violent spell, becoming a subject of experimentation and rage; the spell carved a hole its torso.
"DEFODIO MAXIMA!" That same Target Dummy earned a gaping hole in its chest for its efforts.
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" The ultimate version of the Exploding Charm crashed on the wall, almost destroying it completely - thankfully, the Room of Requirement could not be destroyed from the inside; even from the outside all destruction would be restored in a timely manner.
"CONFRINGO MAXIMA!" A very impressive - and highly destructive - explosion of fire slammed on the wall, producing results of a slightly lower caliber compared to Bombarda Maxima. Much to the caster's amusement, he figured out the basics of the Maxima variable on spells and could apply it properly.
In reality, the reason the variable wasn't used in most cases was because the enhanced spells could become lethal - or in worse cases, lethal for the user, as the modified spells tended to be fickle during casting, often backfiring if used by a wizard of a lower caliber. Other spells ranging from Wingardium Leviosa to Avada Kedavra didn't have variables. The spells affected by the variables of Duo, Tria and Maxima were limited to spells that revolved around the elements or applied physical, mundane effects on the world like the Severing Charm, the Blasting Curse and the Fire-Making Spell.
A valid comparison is blades. Blades are either tiny knives used for precise work, while swords could cut down humans like butter. Spells like that work in the same vein. A Diffindo could be used by a tailor to cut clothes accurately; A Diffindo Maxima could be used by a warrior to cut down his foes.
Those were facts that didn't bother Harry Potter in the slightest since Target Dummies and walls weren't living beings - he wouldn't use spells dangerous to himself anyway.
"EXPULSO MAXIMA!" An explosion of pressurized air destroyed yet another wall.
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"
"Harry...?"
"DEFODIO MAXIMA!"
"CONFRINGO MAXIMA!"
"Harry?" The female voice insisted.
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!"
"BOMBARDA-"
"HARRY!" The girl screamed, breaking Harry's concentration and causing the spell to backfire on him, sending him flying to the wall with a grunt of pain. "Harry no!" The girl yelled before running to the sprawled form of the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Are you alright? Please tell me you're ok; You have already been wrecked today, you don't need more of it," the girl's soothing voice whispered almost in his ear as her hands were checking his upper body for damage.
"I- I'm..." *cough* "Fine," Harry stammered as he tried to stand up. The backfired spell made his vision blurry and the fact his glasses were knocked off made things worse. The only thing he could tell was that a very yellow head was above him.
"No you are not fine, Harry James Potter!" The girl bit back and shoved him back on the floor before she started chanting an unknown spell.
"Wh- what..." Harry mumbled as a green glow enveloped him. He felt his head getting heavy and closed his eyes. He felt an incredible warmth covering his body, soothing his pain and restoring health to his body. Slowly, but surely, he felt his body - including his mild concussion - being fully healed and he stood up. He casted an Accio on his glasses with the wand he was still miraculously holding and put them on. His vision was graced with Daphne's big blue eyes staring at him with worry.
"Are you alright?" She asked, her tone laced with the same worry he could see in her eyes. As an answer, he gave her a wide grin.
"Yes. Better than before, actually. Whatever you did to me, it was incredible," he exclaimed. "What did you do to me? What was that spell?"
Daphne observed him silently for a few moments, then giggled. "Thank Morgana it worked. That was Redintegro Corpus, a spell from the Greengrass Archive," she explained as she stood up to face him. She was quite tall; the top of her head reached Harry's eyes.
"Can you teach it to me?" He asked with barely concealed excitement, but much to his disappointment Daphne shook her head.
"Family Magic can only be used by members who have the blood of the family running in them and their spouses," she calmly explained.
"Then I'll just have to marry you to get them," he jokingly said as he turned to the Room to attempt to fix the utter destruction he caused in his fit of rage.
Unbeknownst to him, Daphne turned strawberry red behind him as she tried to gather her bearings. While she appreciated a good joke, that specific joke impacted her in a way she could neither expect nor explain.
Thankfully for Harry, the Room didn't need him to use spellwork to fix itself; a mere thought was more than enough. Even the ripped and burned books were repairing themselves. 'Thank Merlin for that, Hermione would surely kill me if she found them destroyed,' he thought to himself. The Room slowly returned to its prior state.
"So. Care to explain why you were using enough Spells to destroy half of Hogwarts?" Daphne asked as she approached him; her calm mask once more applied.
"Before I explain that; How did you find me?" Harry shot a question back at her with an imposing tone, throwing her off balance.
She narrowed her eyes at him; she wasn't used to someone taking hold of a conversation in such a commanding manner. Worst part was that she didn't know if she actually liked that or not. "I met Hermione in the hallways and asked her where you are and if you are alright after those Bludgers hit you. She told me that you stormed off somewhere, probably here, and that I shouldn't disturb you," she explained.
"And why did you disturb me?" he asked in the same tone as the last question. Oddly enough, despite his commanding tone, Daphne didn't feel like he was aggressive against her. He merely sounded curious to her, his tone slightly altered by the incredible amounts of rage he was withholding.
"I thought a companionable discussion would be most appropriate," she explained in a frosty tone accompanied by a shrug of her shoulders.
He turned his head and locked his eyes with hers. "That's all?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"I was worried," said Daphne before she could reign in her thoughts, causing herself to blush a tiny bit.
"About what? I'm completely fine. Seems those little pawns of Malfoy weren't enough to give me an accident before I won, as he promised," Harry spat and turned to face the room once more.
"But that isn't why you're mad, is it?"
Harry didn't respond to her question immediately.
"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" He yelled and an explosion destroyed the surface of the empty wall yet again before it repaired itself. He took a breath to calm himself down and spoke.
"I was banned from Quidditch and my broom was destroyed," he explained in a low voice.
"Well, that was exp- Wait, what?" Daphne spat as her mask broke. "How?! Why?"
"Because, Umbridge decided - BOMBARDA MAXIMA! - that I - BOMBARDA MAXIMA! - am the reason - BOMBARDA MAXIMA! - this school is filled with uncontained fucking hostility! BOMBARDA MAXIMA! BOMBARDA MAXIMA! BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" The Room of Requirement was once again a wreck and started repairing itself.
"Please stop; I swear that the more I hear that spell, the more unnatural it sounds. It sounds like a cow's pained howl after a point," Daphne drolly remarked, causing Harry to turn around and look at her incredulously. Then, after a few moments of shocked silence, Harry began laughing. Daphne slowly joined the laughter that broke off between them and it lasted for five whole minutes before they finally calmed down.
"A cow's pained howl! Honestly Daphne-" said Harry, out of breath. "But yes, that's basically the reason for my rage. Satisfied with your findings, Detective Greengrass?"
"Very much so. Thank you, Professor Potter," the blonde coolly responded and they started laughing again. "But seriously, calm down. That much rage is bad for anyone," she calmly said.
"That would actually have some effect some minutes earlier. Right now I just can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all," said Harry as he sat on a chair that appeared inside the room. "When can I fucking catch a break? From the first year I stepped in Hogwarts I've encountered all manner of things, Voldemort being the first."
Daphne shuddered at the mention of the Dark Lord's name but she let him speak.
"But even before that, living with those people I called family..." His voice slowly trailed off and he shut his eyes once more as if he was in pain. A flash of worry passed Daphne's eyes.
"Do you want to speak about it?" She asked seriously and grabbed his shoulder - in a very awkward manner.
He opened his eyes and looked at the extended hand curiously before turning his gaze to meet hers. He pondered his words for a moment before he opened his mouth. "I grew up with Muggles. You know my mother was a Muggleborn." Daphne nodded. "Well, I lived with her sister and her fat husband and grew up with this whale of a child. They... hated magic. Or feared it. I'm not sure..." his words trailed off once more and he gulped. "I'm sorry Daphne. I don't feel ready to speak about them," he declared with a steady voice and Daphne smiled.
"That's alright. You can speak to me whenever you feel like it; I will be there," she declared as she inwardly screamed. What was wrong with her? Why did she act like a beacon to the Boy-Who-Lived?
Harry, for his part, simply shot her a wide grin. "Thank you Daph," he said in a soft voice and casted Tempus. "We have more or less half an hour before curfew. Wanna give me a first lesson on Pureblood tradition?" He asked with a wide grin.
"Well, which topic do you want first?" she inquired.
"How about Magical Contracts?"
"Ah, that is easy, even if it is lengthy," Daphne started and Harry's wide grin gave her enough confirmation to continue. "Magical Contracts are exactly what you would imagine; binding oaths between people. The most used of them are the Magical Marriage Contracts. Each family has a different Marriage Contract that binds the spouse to the family and gives them the name of the family. If, for example, you married a witch into your House, the Marriage Contract of the House of Potter would be invoked. If I married a wizard into my family, the Greengrass Marriage Contract would be invoked. Each family has a marriage contract that has different rules and different punishments; The most common of the punishments across Pureblood families is the loss of magic."
"The loss of Magic?" Harry asked in shock.
"Oh yes!" Daphne responded. "Marriage contracts are made by magic and most are bound by magic. Some families are very strict with their rules, often limiting the freedom of the couple as a whole. Other families are very loose with their contracts, giving the couple excessive freedom. Other families favor one party more than the other; commonly the bride is the oppressed party in the contract, hence enabling the notion of concubines." The fact that Harry gagged when she spoke of concubines made her oddly happy. "Breaking marriage contracts bound by magic severs the connection of the offending party to their own magic. Sometimes, the magic is even siphoned to the innocent party of the broken contract."
"There are also other kinds of contracts. For example, The Greengrass Oath of Secrecy. Our Oath is invoked exclusively by members of the Greengrass Family as a way of security when we need to keep our secrets. Other families have Oaths of similar fashion; most of them require both parties to partake in the Oath, however. Another difference between us and most families is that other Oaths sever the connection of the offender's magic; while our Oath inflicts a Blood Curse upon the one who broke it." Seeing Harry's confused look, she explained further. "A Blood Curse is an unbreakable curse that afflicts the user's body, slowly destroying it from the inside like a disease that never fades but spreads."
Daphne continued explaining different examples of oaths over the centuries, making sure Harry was following. Indeed, Harry was sucking up knowledge like a sponge. The fact that Daphne was just as passionate about teaching that knowledge helped matters a great deal.
Before they even knew it, curfew went into effect and they rushed to their feet.
"Look, Daphne," Harry started awkwardly. "I- Um. Thank you."
"For what?" Daphne asked with obvious curiosity.
"For everything today. I know you also casted that Ennervate on me in the stadium."
Daphne giggled. "It was nothing, Harry, really. I was just helping a friend-" She couldn't finish her sentence however as Harry suddenly enveloped her in a hug.
"I couldn't ask for more," he whispered near her ear and released her as fast as he hugged her. "Use the opposite door, we don't want to be seen here, after all," he continued with a grin as he rushed towards a tiny door in the Room of Requirement. "Goodnight Daph!"
And just like that, Harry was gone. Daphne kept standing still for a few minutes after he left, trying to process the absurdly quick parting interaction they shared. After a night full of destruction and a lecture on Magical Contracts, the last thing they shared was a hasty yet warm hug and a sudden disappearance. Yet, why did she feel so satisfied with so little?
"Goodnight, Harry.." the blonde whispered to no one in particular.