Hey, everyone!

I don't usually do notifications at the start of chapters, but I'll make an exception here.

There might be some minor changes to the chapter in the following days if I do another edit, because I couldn't help myself. I had to post it as soon as I finished it! I'm so excited about it and looking forward to what you all think.

Without further ado:


Desperate Times

Chapter Three

Daphne Greengrass

It was so dark. There were some torches in rusted bracers every now and then, but they did next to nothing. Their light was weak and muted, dim shades of dark indigo and sickening green, which only served to cast shadows all around her.

She gulped.

They were moving and dancing, the shadows, taunting her with every step she forced forward. They had no definite shapes but snarling mouths and long teeth staring at her from their shifting forms.

Curse her for coming here.

The darkness beyond the shadows, outside of the hazy oasis of light was deep. It was deep and old, and faint whispers and murmurs of ancient magic crackled in the air. Anything could've been sitting in the impenetrable darkness… Lurking… Stalking her…

"Daphne." Her father's hand engulfed her shoulder. "Breathe."

Her head twitched, but she didn't turn towards him. She nodded and kept walking, though each step into that starving darkness made her grit her teeth.

It was so cold in here. A chilly breeze had been blowing the entire time they were in the tunnel, and faint whispers of long forgotten voices grated on her ears.

Just one more step… Just one more step and it would be over. They would enter the Department proper and there would be lanterns and candles and spells. Just one more…

Everything was so quiet. Harry was walking in front of them, utterly uninterested in starting a conversation. Merlin alone knew what he was thinking of, and her father ambled behind her all somber and frowning.

Was it too much to ask that one of them talk about something? She wasn't expecting comments on the new issue of Witch Weekly, but…

No.

She wouldn't cave. If they didn't need to talk, neither did she. She could endure the darkness… So what if she couldn't see? She was fine. Her legs didn't feel like jelly, and she didn't have trouble breathing…

"Father, are you sure I can be here?"

"Yes." He spoke quietly and with respect, like someone in a library or a tomb. "The Department heavily monitors and controls knowledge of horcruxes. You need to be here."

Harry snorted.

Her father raised an eyebrow. "You disagree?"

"No, no, no, I'm sure that bringing someone in illegal possession of classified information to the place that classified it is a swell idea."

"I work here."

"Not the boss."

"I still know the rules…"

"Still not the fucking boss."

Her father sputtered, and Daphne's chuckle echoed through the empty cavern. The dim green light shone against Harry's shaking head, and the snarling shadows grew quiet.

"No reply? Is it because you realized how stupid you are?"

"You shut your mouth."

"I think it's because you realized how stupid you are."

"Do you want me to kill you again?"

Daphne looked down to suppress her giggle. The two of them kept arguing in the same manner through the rest of the tunnel, and the only witness to her not subtly making fun of her father with Harry were the ancient, black stones.

She still trusted him, of course. He was her father. She'd trust him with her life.

Once they did, finally, reach the tunnel's end, they came upon a set of large, ornate doors cast from wrought iron.

"Harry…" Her father walked in front of her and grabbed Harry's shoulder. "Please don't be yourself when we meet Crow."

"Hm… Are you embarrassed of me, Lord Greengrass?"

"What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?"

"What's with the emphasis?"

"I know you are, but what am I?"

Her father pinched his nose and sighed. "Look, I know you think you're immortal, but please don't underestimate Crow.

Daphne pursed her lips. Father had mentioned the Head of the Department a handful of times since they entered the tunnel. The corridor seemed to shrink in on itself each time. The darkness deepened, and the air went rigid and cold.

Harry, though, stared at her father with half closed eyes. "Greengrass, please stop boring me."

"Harry

…"

"No, seriously, you're killing my vibe right now."

"What in Merlin's name is a vibe?"

Harry opened his mouth to talk, but then stopped, and his eyes lost focus. His gaze moved away from her father to a random spot above her shoulder, though she didn't turn to look.

It was no business of hers to handle his quirks and, even as her father started shaking him, she dropped her eyes to the bottom of the wrought iron door.

There was rust there, little wisps and vines of it creeping up the cold metal, and light of all colors shone from beneath the cracks. It pushed the darkness and shadow back, and her foot moved towards it.

She couldn't blink.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't stop moving towards it.

It was so pretty… It was bright and colorful, and it must've smelled like strawberries. She had no idea how light could smell like anything, but she knew it must have.

Something rough squeezed her shoulder. It… hurt? Did it? No, it didn't. It was an annoyance, one she couldn't get rid of no matter how hard she pulled, but she needed to move forward regardless.

She needed to get into that light.

A stick appeared in front of her, someone said some funny words, and a red light exploded in her face.

Daphne shook her head. The tunnel was just as dark as ever, and the wrought iron door was rust free. The light from beneath was gone.

"See, Greengrass? Worry more about Daphne and less about me, and we'll have no problems."

Daphne rubbed her eyes. "What… what was that?"

"Oh, just a security measure your father forgot to look out for while he was annoying me."

"Sorry about that, darling." Her father knelt before her and hugged her. "I'm so used to just passing through I forgot to warn you."

"It's alright." She pushed him away and stood up.

When had she knelt?

"Well then…" Her father pressed his palm on the door. "Here goes nothing…"

With a long creak, the door opened to a well-lit hallway of black stone bricks. Everything screamed 'age' at them as they walked forward. The bricks with their wrinkled stones pressed together by eons past, the lanterns with their scratched and rusted metal, and even the light with its soft, light blue glow.

Daphne's grin reached her ears.

The magic was heavy and comforting here, like a great grandfather holding you on his lap to tell you a story.

How much knowledge had they stored in these chambers? How much of what everyone thought lost was here safe?

"Father…" Her voice was barely a whisper. "I want to work here."

He chuckled softly and ruffled her hair. "I had that same expression on my face when I first entered here. It is quite the sight, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

Harry stayed strangely quiet, and his gaze was unfocused and lost, as if he were looking at something completely different to the two of them.

What she wouldn't give to know…

"Greengrass…" His voice was almost inaudible and just as lost as his eyes. "You're a moron."

Her father froze in his tracks. "Harry?"

"I expected you to fuck up, but not this much."

Daphne frowned. "Harry, what are you…?"

Bright red light flashed all around them, and she knew no more.


Harry Potter

He was in the Chamber of Secrets when he opened his eyes.

It was dry, the air was fresh, and the broken pipes weren't broken. The shiny and clean tiles on the walls shone with a dim green light, the stone beneath his feet was smooth and uncracked, and the statue of Slytherin stood tall and proud as if it were made yesterday.

Why did it even fall into disrepair in the first place? There must've been a maintenance spell for statues… right?

Now that he thought about it, he'd never heard about a maintenance spell for statues. Well, he'd found his next mission.

"Fancy seeing you here, brat."

He was going to create a maintenance spell for statues!

"I'm curious, how did a stunning spell work on you?"

It was going to have everything a statue needed. A dust cleaning spell, a stone fixing spell, a bird poop removing spell…

"Are you even listening to me?"

A cool light effects spell…

"Hey, brat!"

Harry shook his head. "I didn't stick my toe in a beehive!"

"You're a moron."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Are you calling the kettle black, pot?"

The creature beside him was smaller than a baby and way uglier than one. Its skin was crimson and wrinkled, it had no eyes, and it stunk of rotten bananas.

It chuckled, and every word coming out of its mouth gurgled like boiling water. "Well, I guess we both ended up disappointed."

"Where's the snake?"

"You could've made a pretty penny selling it for scraps."

"Couldn't scrape the scraps."

"Should've scraped the scrapes."

"Are they any like grapes?"

"Grapes, vines, and times."

"Aren't they funny?"

"The times?"

"The grimes."

"The Grimes?"

Harry squeezed his temples and screamed. "What the fuck is happening?!"

The creature pulled back its lips to reveal broken and rotting teeth. "We're losing ourselves."

Harry scrunched his nose. "You in me?"

"And you in me."

"How"

"How indeed?"

"You're not insane."

The creature chuckled, and its empty eye sockets looked up. "Your little ritual had consequences much more far reaching than you had intended."

Harry straightened his back and turned to the creature. "How do I get rid of you?"

"Sheesh, ask a lamb to let you slaughter it, won't you?"

Harry frowned. He'd suspected it for a while, but the truth was staring him in the face. It was obvious, looking into its hollow eyes…

"You became immortal with me."

"Ding, ding, ding! You win the grand prize! An eternity with me!

Fuck.

Time to establish dominance!

Harry took a deep breath and pumped his magic into the Chamber.

Serpent heads became lion banners. Dark green tiles became red and gold walls. The statue of Slytherin became a fireplace roaring with golden flames.

As much as the creature screamed and squirmed, and as much as its foul magic leaked out of it like necrotic puss, it all amounted to nothing before Harry's onslaught.

Soon enough, they were sitting in the Gryffindor common room in the evening, comfortable in cozy armchairs, with steaming cups of herbal tea in front of them.

Take that, dipshit.

Though, if the ritual had affected the little bag of crap as well, that could only mean one thing…

Harry took a long sip of a lovely mint blend. "You aren't a piece of old Smelly anymore."

"Oh, someone's calm."

"You're not him, you're not me… What are you?"

The creature puffed plumes of black smoke through the noseless slits on its face. It stank of old trash and spread through the creature's half of the room like mist. It corroded and ruined everything it touched until all that remained were corrupt remnants dripping with tar-like jelly.

"Who knows…" The creature chuckled. "Not me. Not you."

"You're being difficult." Harry waved his hand, and rays of sunlight burst through the windows.

"I still have all his memories, you know."

"I still have my nose."

"Right…" The creature blew a cloud of toxic mist on Harry. "It's not going to work."

"I think it is." Harry regrew his face and tried to change the creature's side of the room.

He couldn't.

"You can't kill me in here any more than you could from out there."

"So?"

He'd given up on that the moment he realized the little turd was immortal too.

The creature frowned, and its magic struck at Harry's part of the room, trying to change it.

It failed.

Harry chuckled. "Spooky, isn't it?"

"It will not work!"

Harry scratched his nose. This whole thing was heading for a quick end, but there was one thing he'd always been curious about.

"Why did old Smelly come after me? I never understood that part."

The creature snorted and jumped down from its armchair, walking up to Harry's part of the room. "I'd tell you to ask old Dumbledumb, but we both know how that'd go."

Harry chuckled and sent a spectral blade to cut off the creature's legs.

If it wasn't feeling talkative, then…

"It's sad how all things have to end, isn't it?"

It shook its head. "That it is."

BOOM!

The room exploded into a cacophony of colors, sounds, and magic as Harry and the creature unleashed all they had at each other. There was no semblance of order or appearance left.

They stood in a void.

A timeless void of raw magic, shining in the colors of their power and will.

Harry was a tempest. He was blue, indigo, and crimson. His energy raged across the void like a violent tempest on the ocean, which destroyed all it touched.

The creature was quiet. Slippery. It was dark green and grey. It slicked around like a little snake, hiding in whisps of dark smoke and corrosive mist that pervaded everything.

The tempest crushed all darkness and mist it touched, looking for its master. It never found it until the snake slithered up from beneath Harry and wrapped itself around his neck.

The creature chuckled and squeezed. "It doesn't matter how strong you are, boy. I've forgotten more about life and magic than you will ever learn."

Harry looked into the hollows of the snake's eyes and smirked. "Gotcha bitch!"

His hand struck out like lighting, ripping the snake away from him as if it were no more than a piece of paper.

The tempest roared, burning away all the darkness and mist, and the void disappeared. They were back in the Gryffindor common room, with Harry sipping tea and the creature locked in a little dog cage.

Harry smiled. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime."

Unconsciousness well spent! Thank you, Department of Mysteries!

The creature shook the bars, and sickly grey spit flew out of its mouth as it raged. "You cannot keep me in here forever! I will get out and kill you in your sleep you immortal asshole!"

"Still calling the kettle black, pot."

"You're not as strong as you think you are, brat!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really?"

"Really!"

Harry waved his hand, and the Gryffindor common room warped into a child's birthday party. Happy music played from the radio, children played and yelled throughout the house, and colorful balloons hung from the ceiling.

The creature foamed in the cupboard under the stairs, unable to close eyelids it didn't have.

Harry spread his arms. "I hope you enjoy Dudley's seventh birthday. You'll be here for a while."

"Fuck you."

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but wisps and rays of foreign magic started trying to penetrate his system from the outside.

He frowned. "Huh… Crow must be ready for me. Well…" He grinned. "Best not keep him waiting…"


Daphne Greengrass

She woke up in a small, rectangular room dimly lit with a few candles and a single lantern just above her. She was sitting on a metal chair, chained to a metal table, and a man cloaked in darkness sat across from her.

"Mornin', princess." His voice was warped and robotic. "How you doin'?"

"Where…" She gulped and coughed. "Where am I?"

"Sorry, love, I'll be askin' the questions. How long have you known Harry Potter?"

She shook her head and cracked her neck. The room stank of all sorts of bodily fluids and rotting meat. Each word said echoed off the walls and came back to strike at her like a hammer on an anvil.

"Well?"

The shadows were dancing again, watching her, taunting her, baring their long teeth at her.

She needed … She needed…

"Oi, Sunshine!" The person slammed their hand on the table. "You better start talkin' soon, or you'll be in some shit!"

She gulped and looked down at the tabletop. "Please… I need more light…"

The person leaned back into their chair and lit a pipe. "Do you now? Let me repeat myself. How long have you known Harry Potter?"

Please… She just needed light…

"A few days, no more… We've never had contact before."

"He came to you for help. Your father got him into the Department."

"My father! What did you do to him?"

He'd promised it was alright… He'd promised she'd be safe…

"What we do to all traitors, now answer the question!"

"I don't know!" Her chin trembled as she forced the words out. "He came to me; I have no idea why!"

Who knew how Harry's mind worked…? There had to have been other students with Unspeakable parents, how was she supposed to know why she was special?

"Oh?" The person took a long puff of smoke. "What do you know about the ritual?"

"Nothing… I had a feeling he did one, but…"

"Bullshit!"

"No!"

"You're a liar, just like your old man!" The man waved his wand, and a flash of light blasted Daphne's face from her right.

Her heart froze in her chest.

It was a window to a well-lit white room, in which her father hung suspended from the ceiling by his ankles. Leeches covered his exposed skin, and blood dripped from his ears.

The person puffed a cloud of thick, ashy smoke into her face. "You still wanna give me shit?"

"I…" She licked her lips, holding back a scream, and scraped her mind for anything to say.

What was she supposed to do? She was alone, they were torturing Father, and Merlin only knew what'd happened to Harry.

The shadows grinned at her, pointing at her with their awful, long fingers, and the person started tapping their foot.

Her breathing quickened. Something… There had to be something… Think, Daphne! What could she do to prove…?

"Well?"

"Veritaserum!" She looked at the person with bulging, bloodshot eyes. "Give me veritaserum!"

That was it! She could prove she was telling the truth. She'd be safe, they would release Father, and Harry…

Shit.

The person chuckled. "I don't think so."

What?

"All department personnel are trained to attain immunity to veritaserum. Who knows if your old man did the same to you?"

"He didn't!" Her heartbeat raced in tandem with her shaking voice. "I swear he didn't! It will work!"

They had to believe her! She didn't know anything! Her father didn't know anything!

"Let's say I believe you…"

The shadows snickered and mocked her as the person whispered each word, more to themselves than her.

"You know nothing of the ritual. Fine. Why are you here?"

She blinked slowly. "You don't know? Have you even talked to Harry?"

The person emptied and refilled their pipe. "We know why he's here. Why are you here?"

"Well, I…"

Why was she here? This had been such a stupid idea… She should've stayed home and forgotten all about horcruxes and rituals, and Harry's impossible magic…

"Ah, finally!" The person leaned forward and steepled their fingers. "Tell me more about this… impossible magic."

"Did you…" Daphne blinked slowly. "Did you use legilimency on me?"

Impossible… She hadn't even noticed…

"What impossible magic did the little dude use?"

"How?" She yanked her chains and smashed her fists on the table. "How did you bypass my shields?"

Her occlumency shields were fully formed and strong. For this person to circumvent them so easily…

"We have our ways. Now…"

"No." She looked up at him with a set jaw and unblinking eyes. "My father didn't tell you anything. Neither will I!"

She wasn't going to betray his trust! She was going to be strong like him! She was going to endure!

The shadows on the walls stopped grinning and glared at her in silence as the person chuckled. "How do you know we ain't just torturin' him for shits and giggles?"

Her chest squeezed as she smirked. It was improper, and her mother would chastise her when… if she ever got home, but, by Merlin, she'd say it!

"As Harry would say… Fuck you, that's how!"

"Alright little lady, if that's how you wanna play it, I got no problem with that." The person stood up and pointed their wand at her. "Crucio"

A crimson light hit her, and then…

Pain.

Horrible, screeching pain filled every part of her being. Little knives and needles pricked through every inch of her skin, and hot oil flowed down her bones.

She had no idea when she'd started screaming, but her voice gave out on her.

The person said nothing, they just kept doing it. The scratching and thumping of her squirming on the floor and the whoosh of energy that followed the red beam of the curse were the only sounds that echoed through the chamber.

Until…

"Pig, come on." The doors opened to reveal another shadowy person standing in a pillar of burning light. "Potter's waking up."

The crucio curse ended, and the person that had questioned her left her in the darkness.

The moment the door closed, the shadows descended upon her, and she lost consciousness.


She was lying on her own bed when she opened her eyes. It was night outside, and a gentle breeze of chilly air was sneaking through the open window.

She sat up. Where was she? What'd happened to the Department of Mysteries? What…?

"Hello." A pleasant male voice came from her desk.

She turned to it. A young man was sitting on her chair, sipping something from a cup.

His crimson lips stretched into a smile. "Please don't be scared, I won't hurt you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"Hmmm… We'll get to it, and in your bedroom."

"No way."

Everything was too… odd. Her bedroom had a hazy appearance to it, like smudged colors on an oil painting. It was hard to move, and the air was as heavy and dense as water.

The man's lithe body was shimmering as if he was disappearing and reappearing, and smoke rose from the bottom of his black cloak.

He laughed. "We are. We are in your dream."

She moved back from him until her back hit the wall. Right, she was in her own dream… Did they really think she was that stupid?

Still, she had to be careful about this. Whatever illusion spell was doing this had to have been high level…

"What do you want with me?"

He raised his arms. "Now, now, no need to be so defensive. I don't want to hurt you. I couldn't. We're in your dream."

She narrowed her eyes. Those creepy douchebags just tortured her, she didn't cave, and now she was in a dream?

Yeah right…

"We are, I swear!" He leaned forward. "Try doing something funny."

Even if she tried it, changing things in an illusion spell would mean nothing if her occlumency was compromised. Yet, her shields were undamaged, and there was no proof of anyone rummaging in her head.

She focused on his short, black hair, and imagined it as a clown afro dyed in all colors of the rainbow.

The hair warped to match her wish.

He smirked. "Believe me now?"

Huh… She really shouldn't believe him, but no illusionist could read her mind and alter the illusion that well.

She tilted her head. Then again, there was another possibility…

If she was in a dream, something had to have made sure she was awake inside it…

There was only one thing that could've done that…

Daphne rested her chin on her knees, but her eyes stayed on the man. "You're the shadows."

"Ha…" The man grinned. "Smart."

"You've been following me since we entered the long tunnel."

"You're an interesting person to follow."

"Why?"

The man leaned back and took a long, loud sip from his cup. "Well, we're in a unique position to help each other out. I cannot manifest in the physical world without you, and you cannot survive the Department without me."

Daphne's eyes widened. Every magical child knew the stories… 'Beware of your dreams, lest they follow you out' was a common saying, but it was meant to scare children…

Unless it wasn't…

"You're a demon…"

"Quite right." The demon crossed his legs and leaned back. "You just have to agree to take me out there with you, and we both win."

She snorted, and her eyes dropped to her knees. "We're not really in my dream, are we?"

Sometimes she hated being right.

"Has your father not explained to you how the Spirit Realm works?" He sniffed. "Foolish. The Spirit Realm is where humans go to dream and die. We are in your dream."

Right… It was that easy. Still, what could she do against a demon but play along?

"What does it mean then? You coming back with me?"

"Oh, nothing major. You just lend me your body for a little while until I find a more suitable host, and I leave you more powerful than any mortal could ever imagine. Standard stuff, really."

She gulped. "If I don't play along?"

The demon chuckled. "Like I said, I'm not going to hurt you. I couldn't. I only had time to pull you into your own dream, but…"

"But?"

"Well, the Department already tortured you once. They're torturing your father. They will kill you both once they figure out what the brat did."

Daphne leaned forward on her knees. "You know the ritual he used?"

"Of course, we all do. Nasty piece of work. Can't really talk about it though."

"Why not?"

The demon pressed his finger to his lips. "Shush. Forbidden is forbidden for a reason. Now, what will it be?"

"I don't understand…" She shook her head. "This is all so weird… You're being awfully non-threatening, and it's freaking me out."

"Look…" The demon pinched his nose and sighed. "I'm no happier with this than you. It was a rush job! Alright?"

She blinked twice. "What?"

"What, did you think I was ready for this? You just popped out of nowhere! I didn't have weeks, months, and years to prepare for you. I have no idea what you want in life. How am I supposed to hook and reel you in like that, hm?"

"Well, I…"

"Why are you even here anyway? Those Department assholes never let anyone into their stupid tunnel."

She frowned. "My father brought me through."

Promised to protect her too, the liar. Still, she really hoped he was alright.

"Bullshit, only Crow can do that, the dickhead."

Daphne frowned. "That makes no sense. I did make it through the tunnel."

"Look, I don't know what to tell you. Are you going to accept the deal or not? I have actual reconnaissance to do on Unspeakable Trainees."

Well, there was only one answer to that, even if it did end up attacking her.

She shook her head. "Yeah, I don't think I can give you my body, sorry."

The demon grunted. "Didn't think so."

The room started rotating and becoming more like mist. Colors mushed together, winds wheezed in her ears, and bright light shone before her.

Daphne lost consciousness once again.


Harry Potter

Harry was tied to a rack when he woke up. It was a pretty rack too, solid wood, strong, no jutting nails or cracks. Just the kind of rack he'd build if he were building a rack.

"Do you have any idea how many problems you've caused me, Potter?"

Now, what was he going to do about old Smelly? The little sack of shit in his head was finally quiet, which meant the time was ripe for scheming.

"I don't think he's listening to you, sir."

He had to find him first. Draco would do well for that. Follow him to daddy and follow daddy to Smelly.

"Don't fall for it, he's listening. He listens to everything."

Harry chuckled and looked up. Crow was a short man, clad in a black robe and a crow mask of white porcelain, and his voice was muffled and robotic. The man beside him wore a pig mask.

"Best listen to daddy, Pig." Harry grinned and rattled the metal bonds chaining him to the rack. "He knows what he's talking about."

"Shut up Potter." Crow waved his wand, and a lantern turned on above Harry. "Why did you let us stun you?"

"I have no idea what you're on about. You blindsided me."

"Bullshit."

"Tricked me, ambushed me."

"I felt your magic start to respond before we even cast the spells."

"Lies! I was jumped!"

Crow chuckled and shook his head. "Drop the act, Potter. I work with Unspeakables every day. You'll never even approach their collective level of absurdity."

Harry lowered his head and hummed. Was that right? Very well. He could play along either way.

His eyes glowed with the ethereal shine of the killing curse as he channeled magic into them, and Crow took a shaking step back.

The darkness withdrew before him. He was in a small interrogation room; barren save for the rack and the lantern suspended in thin air above him. It smelled of soap, water, and sweat, and the only sounds inside were the quickened heartbeats of Crow and Pig.

"What the hell are you doing?" Crow pulled out his wand and pointed it at him, and Pig did the same to his right. "Stop it!"

"What am I doing?"

"Stop!"

Magic restraining wards shone up on his skin, trying to prevent his magic from circulating.

He crushed them like a flood would crush a wooden bridge.

"You wanted this Crow. You wanted the mask off. You wanted the Beast. Gaze upon it!"

Harry pulverized the rack and the binds, and the shockwave of his magical burst slammed Crow and Pig into the wall.

A siren blared, and red light bathed the room.

With single waves of his hands, Harry turned the door to stone and knocked Pig out. Each footstep echoed with the thunder of a lightning strike as he approached Crow and hauled him up by squeezing his neck.

"You're helping me whether you want to or not, Crow."

"You upstart, little anomaly!" Crow coughed and gurgled as Harry squeezed harder. "You'll never make it out!"

"What do you know of what happened that night? My night?"

"Screw you, that's what!"

Harry squeezed harder and leaned in to whisper in Crow's ear. "I've never killed before. Please, give me what I need so I don't have to start."

"Fuck… You…"

His nostrils flared. Was Crow really that stubborn? So he did a ritual! So what? Was it that much of a crime?!

"I never asked for this!" Spit flew out of Harry's mouth as he shouted. "My only sin was to be born!"

"You… changed… reality…"

"Fuck yes, I changed reality! What did you expect me to do? What could anyone expect me to do?"

"Endure…"

"Endure?" Harry's teeth grounded, and his arm shook with each ragged breath he took. "I was alone! I was a child with no one to protect me! What was I supposed to do when the most powerful man in the country wanted to torture and kill me?"

"Al… right…"

"What was that?"

"I… Yield…"

Harry dropped him. "Say that one more time."

"Merlin's balls, boy, I yield." Crow coughed and hit his chest. "You've proved your point."

Harry took a deep breath. Peaceful thoughts… Puppies, rainbows, Vernon starving…

He took another breath. "Then I'll ask again. What do you know of that night?"

"I know what ritual you did. Everyone important will too."

Harry raised an eyebrow.

Crow chuckled. "Silly, boy. You really think the world is as small as it looks?"

"Don't call me boy."

"There are far worse things out there than manipulative headmasters and dark lords. Why do you think Department operatives never joined the effort against Voldemort?"

Harry shook his head. "Questions for another time." He'd deal with new enemies after he got rid of that little sack of horse dung. "The ritual affected something else beside me. Can it be undone for it?"

Crow stood up and cracked his neck. "You're talking about that horcrux in your forehead, aren't you?"

"Not a horcrux anymore."

"Please. I could sense it from the moment you entered the tunnel. A magical tether binds it to something. No idea what."

Huh… Interesting. That lying little shit. Unless… Maybe it didn't know either? Well, it was fine, he had plenty of time to figure it all out.

"Can you get it out of me?"

Crow shrugged his shoulders. "I can try."

"Good enough for me." Harry extended his hand. "Harry Potter, a pleasure to meet you."

Crow shook it. "Indeed. Come on, let me show you around."


They walked into a corridor fitter for a hotel than for the Department of Mysteries. The walls were modern and a soothing beige, with both muggle and magical images popping up here and there. Everything was well lit with white neon lights, and the crisp air smelled of plants and flowers.

"Um…" Harry popped his lips. "Do I even need to ask?"

Crow chuckled. "Oh, the whole 'scary, ancient department' thing is just a defense mechanism against intruders. It's a simple illusion really. Why didn't you break it?"

Harry smiled. "Because shut up."

"By the way, do you want us to check on the girl first? Greengrass's daughter?"

Oh right, Daphne had come here with them…

Kind of a dick move on his part, if he were being honest, forgetting about her like that.

"Yeah, what happened to her?"

Crow sighed. "Come on, I'll show you."

Well, that was fucking ominous…

They turned left into a random hallway, and Harry narrowed his eyes. "Spill it, Crow."

"This whole thing has been one giant mess." Crow shook his head. "We have procedures for shit like this."

"People knowing stuff they shouldn't?"

"It's typically easy. We wipe your memory, track down whoever told you, and wipe their memory as well. Only you turned out to be unstoppable, and Greengrass had to be a jackass."

"What did he do?"

Crow snorted. "Pulled a debt on me. No wiping his little girl's memories, no sir, she was to smart and curious and precious. Dick."

"Still doesn't sound too bad."

"She had to join the Department. She'll finish her education in Hogwarts and then come here, but we'll swear her in as a member today."

"Still doesn't sound too bad."

Kind of a sweet deal. Secure job, a cool one too, all the secret knowledge you could ever want, and you got to be a great duelist.

He was almost considering signing up.

Crow shook his head and let out a deep breath. "We had to torture her, Potter. I had to order Pig to torture a fourteen-year-old girl."

Harry froze in his tracks and clenched his fist. "Why?"

Crow dropped his head. "Department operatives deal with the spiritual plane full of demons salivating at the thought of coming into our world. Usually, these demons have plenty of time to observe potential Unspeakables to find the best way to tempt them, but that wasn't possible with Daphne."

"So you tortured her?"

"Don't give me that look. What was I supposed to do? She needed to prove a demon couldn't tempt her. The only thing I could think of was giving it a chance to offer her escape from us."

Harry ground his teeth but didn't smite Crow down where he stood. The horcrux was still an issue, and if Daphne got to be an Unspeakable after all this…

Best not let it go to waste.

"I'm really going to kill you if she asks me to."

"Eat me, Potter."

Harry shook his head. "You know, your language is really foul for a wise old man."

"What makes you think I'm old or a man?"

"We both know you're an old man."

"Fair enough."

Still, there was one thing that wasn't making sense…

"Why are you telling me all this anyway?"

"Because you're going to need to swear some oaths of your own, Potter. At least if you want to keep us as allies."

"You don't want me to join?

"Do you want to join?"

"No."

"There you go."

Well… that made sense. Kind of. Would he have agreed to make oaths without Crow being transparent?

Probably not.

However, …

"I want a cool mask too."

"We'll see."

Crow opened a door, and they stepped into a hospital room. It was airy and warm, with sunlight coming through a window and a fireplace burning with crimson flames.

"Cool illusion." Harry looked away from the window and walked to Daphne's bed. "You alright?"

There were bags under her eyes, and she was all slow and loopy, but she smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Dad explained everything."

On a chair next to her, Greengrass nodded solemnly. "Potter. Good to see you in one piece."

"Alright then." Crow cleared his throat. "Time to get to business then. Daphne, do you formally accept your position in the Department?"

"I do."

"Good. How do you feel? Is there still any pain or tremors?"

"No, sir."

"Good." He waved his wand over her a few times, grunted, and turned to Harry. "Potter, I'll come back for you later so we can get your oaths sorted out. Greengrass, come with me, we have to get you dressed."

The two of them left, and Harry sat on Daphne's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. They wiped my memories of the torture, so it's all good."

He tilted his head. "You're still willing to work with them after that?"

She sighed. "You know… I was so angry at first. I almost decided to give it all up and just go home. Memories be damned."

"What changed?"

"My dad…" She blushed and dropped her gaze. "He told me of his own testing ritual."

He chuckled. "That naughty, huh?"

"Oh, shush you. It was private. Either way, I saw his point. I understood why it was necessary to resist the demons. Though, I'll probably go through another one once the time is right."

Harry shook his head. "We made it. They're going to figure out how to get this thing out of me."

"Of course they are." She put her hand over his. "I promise."

He chuckled and stood up. "Well, I best get going before Crow throws a fit."

She smiled. "Come visit me when you're done."


Lord Voldemort

The fire was burning with a dim orange hue in his fireplace, soft and purring like a cat. The night sky was bright outside, and the starlight reflected off his eyes as he scanned the horizon.

Behind him, Lucius's robe rustled as he knelt. "My lord, we've found them."

"They're not under Fidelius?"

"No, my lord." Lucius hesitated, then spoke. "My lord, if I may…"

"Speak."

"Why are we taking these two? They're nobodies."

"Oh, Lucius…" Lord Voldemort chuckled. "I sometimes forget how differently we see the world."

His eyes flashed crimson, and his voice quieted. "Those two are the two single most important people in the world right now."


That's it for chapter three! I hope you enjoyed it!

Let me know what you liked and disliked in the reviews, along with your desires, ideas, and theories. Who knows, some might make it into the story!

Chapter Four preview will be up in a few days!

Also, quick announcement, I'll be reposting some of my old deleted stories, since I now finally know where I'm going to take them. If any of you remember the Puppetmaster, it's first on the menu, along with a few others.

Until then, quack quack!