DAPHNE'S TALE

July 30th 2017

"Mom?"

"Yes sweetie?" I smile at my beautiful daughter. Today was her graduation and boy, did the girl know how to party. Together with her friends, the party had gone on way longer than I would have liked but I always had a hard time saying no to those beautiful emeralds. No matter who they belonged to.

"I wanted to thank you." She smiles at me, that lopsided grin which would have looked so weird on a girl had she not been so beautiful. "You sure know how to throw a party."

Laughing, I run a hand through her red hair. If it wasn't for her general facial structure, nobody would even think that she was my daughter given her emerald eyes and red hair, traits no one in my family has ever possessed before.

"You should have seen the parties I used to throw when I was still at Hogwarts." I tell her with a grin of my own. "You should ask Tracey one of these days, I'm sure she would be more than happy to tell you."

"Oh yeah, she will." She grins. "I don't even have to use my eyes against her for that."

"Anyone ever tell you how dangerous those things are?" I laugh, remembering the things I had done in my teens because of them. "They're probably even more powerful than you are magically."

Honestly, my daughter was a monster. At seventeen, she was probably more powerful than nearly all the adults I knew. Myself included. The things she could do with magic were honestly unbelievable, she wielded it like it was an extension of her, and then the way she absorbed things was honestly insane. She was a perfect amalgamation of both her parents. Her father's monstrous magic reserves and talent, with her mother's prodigious intellect.

Not that her father hadn't been smart in his own right, atleast when he actually wasn't actively hiding it.

"All the bloody time." She laughed, definitely drunk otherwise she knew to watch her language when around me. Something she took after her father. "She once told me she used to crush on a boy with the same eyes while at Hogwarts."

"And was she drunk when she said that?"

"Definitely." Leila grinned mischievously while I took a sip from a glass of wine. "Apparently you both were crushing on him."

And the little devil thoroughly enjoys the spit take that follows. She has fought for the last seventeen years to curb her mischievous tendencies to little success.

"One of my best ones yet." Leila laughs leaning back down on my lap and groans. "Merlin, I think I might have a hangover this time."

"You never have a hangover." I grumble good-naturedly. The perks of being insanely powerful, you could simply will away a headache.

We stay in comfortable silence as the minutes tick towards midnight. My fingers running through my daughter's red silky locks. Her eyes are closed, and her breathing normal enough, anyone else would have thought she was asleep.

"You know, your father was never any good at feigning sleep either." Laila's eyes flew open at the mention of her father.

"Mom?" She asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"

I smile down at her. For years, I haven't spoken about Leila's father, not with her atleast. Of course there were rumors, anyone who knew Lily Potter would only need to take one glance at my daughter and guess at the father. I never once confirmed or denied any rumors, I didn't have to, nobody in their right mind would believe that Harry Potter, the golden boy of Gryffindor who hated all things Slytherin would ever love a snake, let alone the Ice Queen of Slytherin herself.

"I'm just fine, sweetie." I smile at her. "It's about time I really told you about your father."

"Mom, I know Harry Potter is my father." Leila rolled her eyes. "Even as weird as it is to imagine that The Harry Potter is my father, I do know that he is."

"That is hardly a secret sweetie." I shake my head. "You're the spitting image of Lily Potter, a perselmouth, anyone with two brains could put it together."

"So what is this all about?"

"In a few minutes, you will be old enough to claim what your father left behind for you." I tell her, surprising her. All these years, she had never known that Harry ever left her anything. "And I feel it is only fair that you know what Harry Potter really was like. I want you to know the man I fell in love with."

-DTDTDT-

November 23rd 1994

Daphne sighed as she slowly picked her way back to the dungeons. It was almost an hour past curfew and she didn't want to be caught outside, Snape would have her hide for it. Which was why she was moving swiftly even under a Disillusionment Charm towards the Slytherin dorms. She had stayed behind after supper, going to the Astronomy tower to relax a bit and get away from her housemates for a few moments.

Malfoy was being his loud self, describing to anyone who would listen the ways Potter was going to die tomorrow. The boy had apparently found out that the champions were to face dragons in the first task, and he was convinced that Potter will die. No way a fourth year with barely average skill can last against a dragon for more than a few seconds. As a matter of fact, Draco had a bet going on for how long Potter will last before he is inevitably killed by the dragon.

Daphne didn't care either way, whatever happened to Potter did not concern her. She was rather amused by Draco's obsession with the Gryffindor boy wonder, it was even way more than Tracey's who had a genuine crush on the other boy. In any case, the general consensus in the Slytherin common room was that Potter would embarrass himself tomorrow, and nearly everyone was looking forward to his death by dragon. Daphne knew Dumbledore would never allow his golden boy to die though, so she couldn't wait to see Draco's face when Potter not only did not die but somehow managed to finish to task.

She was thankful that her mother had decided to take Astoria to Bauxbatons. While she would have preferred to have her little sister close, her innocent sister wouldn't have survived in Hogwarts, especially in the snake pit that was Slytherin.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A voice ahead made her still, bringing her eyes to see Cassius Warrington and Adrian Pucey standing infront her with their backs to her. "The fourth champion of theTri-Wizard tournament."

Potter himself was standing opposite them giving both Slytherin sixth-years a bored look. He was wearing his school robes, and didn't look like he had been having much sleep. His hair was even more disorganized than usual but like always, he didn't seem to care much for it.

"Oh great, it can count." Potter drawled in a flat voice.

"Getting a last minute wank before your death, Potter?" Pucey asked, grinning with his larger housemate. "From a girl's bathroom no less?"

"Yeah, do you wish to give me a hand?" Potter asked, his voice somehow managing to sound expectant despite the clear snark from his words. "I hear you're into that kind of thing, Pucey."

Daphne was genuinely surprised that Potter seemed to know the other boy, from what she knew of him, he didn't give Slytherins the time of day and wouldn't have bothered to know a name if someone like Pucey.

"How dare you_"

"Then again, I doubt Cassie over there will appreciate that, doesn't seem like a bloke that shares." Potter continued, speaking over Pucey. "So why don't you run along, you love birds, I'm sure you have a lot of things to do."

"You know, there is a bet going on about how you will die tomorrow." Warrington said and Daphne could hear the smirk in his voice. "I'm going to enjoy the galleons I'll win when you're mauled by the dragon."

Daphne almost face palmed at what Warrington had just revealed. The champions were not supposed to know what they're facing untill the last minute.

"Dragon you say?" Potter mused, his lips twitching in a smile. "Thanks for the heads up, I'll see you around, Cassie and your buddy."

Potter turned around and started to walk away. Daphne saw the two Slytherins share a look before they both drew their wands, clearly planning on cursing Potter in the back. Before they could cast anything however, Potter suddenly spun around, his wand already in his hand. He muttered something and the two surprised Slytherins were blown clear off their feet. Before they could recover, stunners hit each of them in quick succession and they slumped down, unconscious.

He strolled over to their unconscious bodies and cast two more stunners at them each.

"How boringly predictable." He muttered to himself. "That should keep them that way for the rest of the night."

Before turning around, he looked down the hallway where Daphne was standing under her invisibility spell. He seemed to be looking at her directly and Daphne was caught by his emerald eyes, getting her first real good look at them. She could see why Tracey was so obsessed with them.

"How curious." Potter mused before he turned around and walked away. He opened a door to a girls' bathroom and entered before closing it behind him.

Daphne waited for a couple of minutes but Potter didn't come out. She tentatively and as silently as possible walked past her unconscious housemates and past the bathroom Potter had entered into and headed to the dungeons. It was not untill she was in her bed that she remembered that the bathroom in which Potter had entered was Mourning Myrtle's bathroom.

-DTDTDT-

"Daph! Wake up, we are going to be late for breakfast!"

Daphne groaned at Tracey's disgustingly cherry voice. She was not a morning person.

"Daph!" And now she was shaking her. "If you don't wake up this instant, I'm going to douse you with water!"

Daphne had no doubt that the other girl would do exactly that, and she was regretting ever teaching her the spell. It was a NEWT level spell, one they would be learning in sixth year. But Daphne preferred to learn any useful spells she could come across, and teach them to her bestfriend.

"Aguame_"

"I'm up!" She leaped out of the bed just as Tracey started the incantation.

"Good girl." She grinned before she grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the bathrooms. "Now come on, we have wasted enough time as it is."

Fifteen minutes later, she sat down at the Slytherin table next to her hyperactive friend who was already chatting with the other students.

"Rough night?" Blaise Zabini asked from her left and she glared at him. Her glare which usually cowed nearly everyone just had him chuckling. "Yeah, my bad. Though it can't have been worse than Warrington and Pucey's"

She paused in piling food on her plate. "What do you mean?"

"They were found unconscious this morning on the second floor just outside Myrtle's bathroom." Blaise replied. "Some one must have attacked them and knocked them out."

"People are saying that it was the Weasley twins." Tracey said. "Apparently the twins found Warrington and his friend bullying a Gryffindor and attacked them."

"No way it was those idiots." Pansy shook her head. "They would have done more than just stunning them."

"What do you think happened then?" Tracey challenged.

"Well, if you must know.." Pansy sniffed. "Draco says that they were ambushed by over six seventh year Gryffindors. Pucey and Warrington tried to fight them off but were overwhelmed."

"Pfft, like anyone would believe that." Tracey snorted.

"Are you calling Draco a liar?!"

"So what if I am?" Tracey asked, not even looking at the other girl.

Pansy opened her mouth, no doubt to insult her but one look at Daphne who was watching her expectantly had her close her mouth. There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone went back to their eating. She glanced at the Gryffindor table but like always, Potter wasn't there as it had been since the selecting of the champions.

She knew exactly what happened to Warrington and Pucey but she had no plans or telling anyone. Not only was it none of her business, she also had no intention of unnecessarily bringing Draco's attention to her as anything regarding Potter always does.

History of magic went by in a blur as did lunch, and soon enough, Tracey was dragging her towards the grounds where the first task was going to be. Due to Tracey's eagerness, they arrived early and managed to get good seats. Not to far to miss anything and not so near to be in any kind of trouble. Other students soon filled the seats, the excitement was almost tangible and Daphne found herself cheering with everyone when Diggory entered the enclosure to face his dragon.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions as the boy tried to trick the dragon, which partly worked before he made a beeline for the golden egg. She didn't even hear Bagman's commentary as she screamed like everyone else when it suddenly turned around and came for him. He showed off an impressive level of agility as he dodged the dragon and gasped aloud when it clipped him with its tail. She cheered when he finally got out of the enclosure and the dragon handlers came in.

"Wow! That was so exciting!" Tracey gushed. "I wish I was down there!"

"You really don't." Blaise commented, looking out of breath. "I wish I hadn't even come. This pressure is too much for my poor heart."

"No way Potter is going to match that." Draco laughed. "I bet he won't even come out to face his dragon."

"Harry is a Gryffindor, and the house is for the brave." Tracey argued, the only one in their year brave enough to talk back to Draco. Besides Daphne, that is. "I'm pretty sure he is going to even be more impressive."

"Shows what you know." Draco snarked.

Before Tracey could retort, the Bauxbatons champion came out. Like always, she drew everyone's eyes and as she started waving her wand around in intricate patterns, Daphne wondered what she was doing. She blinked slowly as she felt Tracey's head lean on her shoulder as the girl fought to stay awake.

"She is trying to enchant it to sleep." She whispered, but with the silence around most of her housemates heard her.

"Really?" Blaise leaned forward and looked at the dragon. "Whoa, and it is working."

The dragon was nodding off and after another minute, it crashed on the ground, asleep. She waited with baited breath as the girl sneaked around the dragon and grabbed the golden egg. And winced when it snorted and set her on fire and then cheered with everyone when she left the enclosure.

"Not bad for a half-breed." Draco commented and Tracey opened her mouth but Daphne glared at her and she shut it. It wouldn't do her any good to antagonize the blond. "And here comes Krum!"

The stadium erupted in cheers as the Bulgarian star walked into the enclosure. Krum took the dragon head on, firing a Conjunctivitis Curse to blind the dragon and as it thrashed around in pain, he dodged around its rampage, showing even more impressive reflexes as he dodged tail, wings and feet to grab the golden egg and leave the enclosure. Everyone was screaming at the impressive show, Tracey was on her feet and hollering at the top of her voice as was everyone around her. Daphne included.

All the cheering came to an end when Potter's dragon was brought in.

"That's a Hungarian horntail!" Tracey gasped and Daphne was impressed with her knowledge. Tracey wasn't the most studious student.

"How do you even know a Hungarian horntail?" Blaise asked. "I've never seen you open a book in your life."

"I read too!" She protested.

"You do?" Blaise asked. "When we are all sleeping perhaps?"

Daphne could see what the other boy was doing, trying to distract the other girl who everyone knew had a crush on Potter.

"Oh, look at him." Draco jeered. "He looks like death warmed over."

"You'd know all about death wouldn't you, given your daddy's old job." Tracey snarled and everyone around them gasped knowing exactly what she meant.

"Say that again you little_" Draco was cut off by the dragon's roar which shook the entire stadium. Glaring at Daphne's friend, Draco continued. "We shall finish this later."

Daphne gave Tracey a look which she returned with an unrepentant one of her own.

"Looks like Potter is starting." Blaise broke the tense silence and everyone turned back to watch the enclosure. "Did he just summon something?"

"The summoning charm is way beyond Potter's capabilities." Pansy scoffed and many of the Slytherins laughed but as if he had just heard them, Potter tapped his head with his wand and vanished from sight.

"What about a Disillusionment charm, Parkinson?" Blaise asked while he peered through his omuniculars which made Tracey snort loudly. "It's quite impressive too, there isn't even a shimmer and its broad daylight. I don't think Potter really understands how the charm is supposed to work."

Daphne was watching the enclosure with an omuniculars as well trying to look for the telltale shimmer of someone moving while under a Disillusionment charm. She was studying the enclosure so much that she almost leaped out of her seat when a Hungarian horntail, an exact replica of the one guarding the eggs suddenly appeared in the middle of the enclosure and started rapidly growing untill it almost the same size as the original.

"Did he just conjure a bloody dragon?" Blaise asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Draco scoffed though he too like everyone else was looking at the new dragon clearly impressed. "Probably just enlarged a toy or something."

The slightly smaller dragon let out a challenging shriek before it started charging towards the original which let out a shriek of its own and charged forward as well. Leaving its clutch of eggs unprotected.

Daphne ignored the dragon fight that was going on and kept her omuniculars on the clutch of eggs that everyone else seemed to have forgotten about. Not more than thirty seconds later, the golden egg raised up seemingly by itself and floated its way towards the exit of the enclosure. She couldn't help but be impressed by Potter's Disillusionment charm as despite keeping her entire attention on him or rather whoever was holding the egg, not once did she see anything to indicate the use of the charm.

Potter shimmered back into view at the exit to the enclosure, flicked his wand towards the fight and his replica shrunk down as suddenly as it had grown. Through her omuniculars, she saw a small figurine in the shape of a dragon fly into Potter's beconing hand before the Gryffindor strolled out of the enclosure.

It took a few seconds for the people to actually realize that Potter had taken the egg and when Bagman announced it, the stadium erupted in cheers, even Draco seemed to have enjoyed Potter's display as he was clapping along with everyone else. He caught her looking at him and he smiled unrepentantly.

"What, even me I know to concede, you know?"

-DTDTDT-

"What did he do though?" My daughter asks me with intrigued eyes.

"As I later found out, the champions had been given life models of the dragons they were to face." I explain. "Thy were made of plastic though, even though they were perfect replicas of the real ones. Your father summoned his model and pumped enough magic in an enlarging charm to make it the same size as the real dragon and had it fight for him."

"But if it was just plastic, why didn't the dragon just burn it?"

"Because he didn't allow it." I answer with a smile. "Your father was a prodigy in alot of areas, but in the mind arts, he was unparalleled. Somehow, just before he sent his plastic double into the fight, he slipped into the dragon's mind and suppressed any thought of burning the other."

Leila is now openly gaping at me. "He entered a dragon's mind?! Was he insane or something?!"

I laugh at her reaction, almost identical to my own when I had found out.

"Unfortunately, normal rules tended not to apply when it came to Harry." I reply with a laugh. "I'm not sure he fell in our usual perceptions of sane or insane any more than you do."