Over toast and orange juice the next morning Daphne had to hide a squeal of excitement from her housemates and passed the letter over to Tracey who did nothing to hide the grin spreading over her features as she glanced over at the Gryffindor table where the two boys were sitting and laughing over something. She handed it back quickly.
"We should go tell them, give them some happiness for later." They had Transfiguration and although McGonagall had got better since they'd practically told her off, Gryffindors were either calling Harry and Neville a traitor for daring to talk to a snake or trying to get on his good side by fawning constantly, Harry still refused to attend her lessons until she had given him a proper apology though. Standing together the two girls passed easily through the privacy bubble that Harry had erected, Daphne kissed his cheek quickly and handed him the letter. He took it with a confused smile though his eyes were happy as they looked at her and started to read it. She enjoyed the various expressions passing over his face, the slack-jaw as he realised what it was about, the cautious hope as he glanced over at her before returning to the letter at her nod and the beaming joy when he realised that he was so close to having a family.
Dear Daphne,
I hope you are well and Mr Potter is treating you with the proper care and consideration that you deserve, although he seems like a straightforward and kind young man and you can take care of yourself, I do worry and don't you dare say I'm not allowed to. However, this letter isn't about your young relationship nor is it about Skeeters ghastly article, I do not believe it and neither do most of our acquaintance but do be careful some people can be unnecessarily cruel although I have put pressure on the Prophets editor to ensure he keeps in line.
I am writing to you about the situation concerning Sirius Black, I have hunted and hounded the records department and after triple checking have come to the conclusion that there was simply never a trial, there is no mention of any testimony, defence or prosecution. From the looks of it because everyone 'knew' he'd done it they simply placed him in Azkaban and wrote him off as a lost cause. This is of course highly illegal and I have already brought it to the attention of Madam Bones, head of the DMLE, were he still in Azkaban we could simply visit, gain all our evidence and be done with it. Due to the exceptional circumstance of Mr Black managing to avoid detection for so long it is not as easy as that, Madam Bones and I feel that we shall need to gain Mr Blacks understanding of things before taking it to Minister Fudge. From my understanding he has gained sanctuary in France where he has been declared innocent, this will be evidence enough for a trial with the added bonus of Gringotts still allowing him to retrieve money from his vault it shows they still recognise him as a free man and therefore Head of House Black.
I would be most obliged if you would ask Mr Potter for any information on how to get in touch with him so that we can begin the proceedings.
All my love, my darling girl
Harry couldn't speak, he could barely breathe, and he stared into his girlfriend's eyes completely overwhelmed. Stunned that Lord Greengrass had actually looked into it, shocked that they actually had something, and thrilled beyond belief that they was taking it so seriously. Not bothering to put his thank you into words he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her towards him. Her surprised squeak was muffled by his lips and she was only slightly aware of the rapidly silencing hall around them. For them it was actually quite a short and innocent kiss but as Harry leaned away and caught the heavy lidded, desire filled eyes he found himself leaning in again before a shrill voice burst through the haze surrounding them.
"Harry Potter! What on earth are you doing with that snake!?" The banshee shriek was of course Ginny Weasley who had watched as Daphne had settled herself next to Harry and then the shocking display of affection that had occurred after she'd handed him something. She decided that this had gone on far too long, she wanted her Harry back. The Great Hall was almost perfectly silence but the nervous hum of energy filled everyone as the redhead made her way to where the snake sat almost on top of the lion, people stood up from their chairs not wanting to miss the spectacle they knew where to come and up at the head table, Dumbledore looked on with interest and shot a warning glare at Snape who made to stand. When she came to stand next to him hand on hips and a fierce scowl on her face, he realised he had seen it far too many times on her. Whether it was because she the youngest and felt special because of it he didn't know but he knew that several times of the summers and at Hogwarts once Ginny threw a strop because she didn't get her way her family seemed to bow before her. Because of this epiphany he found himself both angrier and calmer, he had a lot to say to her but he knew shouting would get him nowhere. Daphne should be proud; the lessons of pureblood etiquette clearly were paying off he mused as he realised, he was once again staring at his girlfriend.
Ginny, meanwhile having realised she didn't have his attention switched her ire to the blonde next to him and those closest to her swore they heard her growl. She had always considered Harry to be hers, her celebrity crush on him had only gotten worse after the rescue from the chamber. And although this past year had been difficult for them she still believed that he would be her one and only, she had been delighted that for the past two years when he'd visited she'd been able to talk to him but to her amazement he never seemed interested. She knew she had developed this year and believed that she was now ready to take him back for all the rotten ignoring he had done to them for the past few months. She conveniently forgot the derogatory remarks that she had deliberately made in his presence.
"Harry Potter, don't you dare ignore me! This has gone on too far; you've made your point. We should have stuck by you but we didn't because and because of that one mistake you ran away to the snake pit. But we're back now and you're a lion and we can all be like what we were before, just admit that you did it! And you can stop being friends with that thing because your real friends miss you and want you back. Now come on what do you say?" Through her speech her anger had started to dissipate until the end where her hip had cocked out and she had a flirtatious smile on her lips it was most unattractive on the thirteen years old.
Daphne had started to tremble with the anger she felt towards the Weaslette but the squeeze Harry delivered as well as a quirk of his lips cooled her ire but didn't make the ice in her eyes fade. In fact Neville was considering using a full body bind on her to save a life until Harry started to move. The hall watched as the resident golden boy stood and turned to face the girl who he once thought of as family.
"First of all, Miss Weasley that is my girlfriend you have referred to in less than pleasant remarks please refrain from doing so again." Several girls in the Great Hall groaned as they realised that the couple were more serious that Skeeters article had assumed and Daphne sat back smiling smugly as she gave the red-head a wave. "Second of all I didn't run away to the snake pit I merely turned my back on those from the house of lions as they did to me, I don't like all Slytherins because not all of them have treated me well but at least I know where I stand with them and don't have to worry about getting curse in the back there!" This statement caused a few eyebrows to raise who had heard rumours of spell fire in the House of the Brave. "Thirdly I don't know how many times have to say it, I didn't put my name in THAT BLODDY GOBLET!" The shout was delivered with so much hate that Ginny took a step back, surprise on her face. Daphne remained sitting, she had wondered how much Harry was keeping inside and it seemed like he'd finally had enough. It wasn't that this was being delivered to Ginny specifically but she was the one to cause it to all spill out. "Every year at this school something happens and incredibly enough it has something to do with me! I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be a hero or to have people believe in me! This year I thought finally! Finally I will have a normal year! No giant snake going round attacking people! No corridor that needed protection that involved a terrible painful death!" Dumbledore started to rise starting to wonder when he needed this to stop he couldn't allow Harry to spill too many secrets. "When that fourth flame came out I knew! I fucking knew that someone had managed to screw me over! AGAIN! And none of you, not one stood by me! The house that has been my family for three years deserted me! The team that I had been a part of for three years declared me a cheater and didn't want anything to do with me!" The quidditch team looked down at this, they had refused to listen to his pleas and Angelina had made it clear he was off the team, they'd even considered stealing his broom thinking it unworthy of a cheater but according to Fred and George, his trunk was locked and bolted. Little did they know that Sirius had sent his godson a list of wards and spells to protect his belongings, the white sheep of the Black Family had created them to protect his own Gryffindor things against his family when he had returned home after the first year. " I have never asked for anything from anyone in this bloody school! I have never laughed at the Puffs though they felt inclined to scream abuse at me!" Some of the Hufflepuffs glared at him but most were thinking of all the things they'd called him over the past few months, it had only been when Cedric had ordered a house meeting and forcefully told them to back off and consider their actions that any of them started to feel guilty. "I've never claimed to be the cleverest but I have tried in my classes and certainly never cheated on any test and actually helped some Claws out in defence!" The blue and bronze table had a few groups of their students remembering when he had sat with them in the library and talked over defence theory even though it made him late to potions. "Every day I'm faced with a teacher! A teacher in charge of my education talking about how awful my parents are and how pathetic I am! That's from a teacher! No wonder no one fucking defended me when the abuse started from everywhere! My own head of house didn't believe me and when I begged for help from the headmaster, he merely sent me on my own like it was my own fucking fault!" The hall was silent as Harry breathed deeply while staring at the paling face of Ginny Weasley. "I can say this over and over again but you will never believe me, luckily my extraordinarily clever girlfriend decided on the only way you'd believe me. Daphne, Neville if you would."
Neville held his wand as Daphne and Harry clasped hands. There were audible gasps as people realised what he was about to do and Dumbledore drew his wand.
"Mr Potter I do not believe that this is necessary, I'm sure the school beli- "
"With all due respect this isn't your call to make. You lost all authority on me when you didn't help me, when you didn't defend me and when you made no move to stop the abuse I was receiving." The coldness in the green eyes had Dumbledore reeling back as he remembered a similar ice in a face long ago and how badly things had turned out then.
"Harry James Potter" Intoned Daphne, her voice solemn though her eyes held a measure of respect, awe and mischievousness. "Do you swear that you did not put your name in the Goblet of Fire?"
"I swear." A pure light flowed from Neville's wand and wound its way around their hands.
"Do you swear that you did not ask another to put it in for you?"
"I swear." A second light slipped out and joined the first.
"Do you swear that you have no understanding of anyone who could have done this?"
"I swear." The third light that joined had people looking away it was so bright before it seeped into the hands leaving an even more shocked silence.
"I…I don't understand, you must have cheated it somehow." Stammered Ginny.
Harry looked pityingly at her.
"I did nothing of the sort. For some reason the people of the wizarding world believe I am this all-powerful person where basic rules of magic don't apply to me, I did not cheat. I have never cheated. You just don't want to believe otherwise."
"And why wouldn't we want that?" She said angrily, regaining some of her confidence and attitude. " Of course, we want to believe the best of you."
"But not for me, you see if you believe I didn't enter then you believe someone entered me, for some sick, twisted reason. And considering the tasks are dangerous and made for people two years older than me, who have learnt skills and spells that I will have no idea about, it can only be for one reason. Would you care to guess it?"
There was silence before a dreamy, soft voice washed over the hall.
"Because someone wishes you dead." It belonged to a girl with pale yellow hair who sat by herself at the Ravenclaw table.
"Bravo Miss, if I were a teacher I would give you points."
He looked back at Ginny who was opening and closing her mouth like a fish.
"You just don't want to believe that someone would want me dead, yet again. Especially as there's only one person who tries this hard."
There was absolute silence around them as everyone held in a breath as thoughts sped through their heads. The trio looked around with a small sense of pride but mostly indifference and Neville actually felt a small stab of pity for the red-head who still stood frozen in between the two tables as the power that Harry held gradually dissipated around the hall and the three decided to leave while the silence continued and headed down to the oak by the lake.
Harry flopped down and stared out feeling the adrenaline leave him in a rush. He didn't even feel happy that he'd finally said everything that he'd been longing to spill. For the moment he felt like he was existing outside his own body, like nothing was keeping him to the earth and he didn't know what to feel. He wasn't sad or angry anymore he just…didn't know what to feel or do. He stared down at the grass trying to figure out what was going on in his head before he gave it up as lost cause and glanced about him. Neville was sitting about a metre away to the left waving his wand over the same stone causing it to change from muted grey, to brown, to grey again, his face screwed in concentration as he attempted the spell non-verbally. Harry felt a rush of pride for him, he had stood by him, sometimes hidden in the shadows but had then bursting out and proved himself a better friend than Ron or Hermione and now here he was the boy who had once barely been able to complete a levitating spell doing non-verbal magic. Harry looked past him out to the lake, breathing in deeply as the chill settled over him though it wasn't as cold as it usually was at Christmas and felt almost muted. Daphne must have cast a warming charm he thought turning to face the lady in question who sat about a foot away with her eyes closed and head tilted towards the sky catching the micro rays of Scottish sunshine that managed to find their way down. She had flippantly made the remark about an unbreakable vow over Christmas and they'd researched it when Harry had decided it couldn't hurt to tell the truth. She done so much for him he suddenly realised – well he knew that, always knew it but it suddenly clocked how much she was always at his side this year, that she'd stood up against the professors, her own housemates and thankfully she hadn't needed to but she had alluded she'd stand next to him even if her father hadn't been happy.
He wasn't used to people defending him and he wasn't used to someone showing him as much affection as she did, while Hermione gave him a couple of hugs over the years Daphne always put a hand on his arm or gave him a side hug or bumped shoulders as they shared a joke. His years at the Dursleys had him reluctant to human touch but he found himself craving the intimacy that he had started to share with Daphne, the cuddles that they had and the simple act of holding hands that made him feel all warm. He shifted over and took her hand from where it was resting on her lap, she started and faced him with a small smile, he appreciated her even more that she didn't badger him with questions about how he was feeling and simply let him come to her. He leant over and kissed her cheek leaning his forehead against hers feeling more human than he had before.
"Thank you for getting me through this."
The smile that burst over her face at his words had him smiling back happily. With an arm around her shoulder to keep her close to his chest they leant against the tree and watched as Neville finally managed to turn the rock bright purple and they cheered with him as he lifted his arms up in celebration.
Deciding that it was too cold to stay, they headed back to the castle and into the kitchen accepting a hot chocolate from Dobby and huddling around the fire keeping a distance from Winky and although sympathetic Neville and Daphne both had a small amount of disdain on their faces causing Harry to act.
"Come on guys, it wasn't her fault."
"Harry, its not that. What Crouch did was awful and he never should have put her in that position, but this behaviour is awful."
"He was her life, and he threw her out, surely her reaction is normal." Harry argued back and this time it was Neville who took over the explanation.
"No Harry, you're not understanding it from our perspective. You see a house elf lives for their master that's no secret and it explains why she feels so low about it. But instead of doing something she acts like this, she has come to Hogwarts and found work and instead of accepting a new bond and working her butt off to show she is capable and looking after the students- her new charges- she turns into a drunk. When a bond between elf and master breaks, yes it hurts, but she has a new master now and instead of respecting that she acts like this."
Harry could see the elves around them nodding enthusiastically and a few brave ones stepped forward.
"Young master is right, Winky bes a bad elf not because she upset over old master but she doesn't accept new one."
"Winky bes a good elf, master needs her. Winky keeps all her masters secrets." Winky sobbed, clutching a bottle of butterbeer to her chest.
"Winky, Mr Crouch is doing fine. You need to think of the people you are in charge of now." Said Daphne softly but strongly.
Winky looked up at the Slytherin with big green eyes.
"What does young miss mean?"
"Mr Crouch gave you clothes, I am sure you are a very good elf and want to be with your master but there are people out there that need a really good elf like you to look after them. Mr Crouch isn't the best master out there, he locked an innocent man away for one thing and his son in place full of horror."
"No no Master hated himself for it, Mistress wanted him safe and Master Crouch made it better. Winkys fault that he got away. But Winky not be telling you she is a good elf." The elf said, with her eyes slipping close as the frail body started to slide off the stool and onto the floor.
The three shared surprised glances but decided to let the creature sleep.
"From now on, make sure she has no more butterbeer, she can get over it with small chores that keep her occupied and drinking won't help anyone." Daphne told the other elves who were happy they now had an order to follow and help the little elf.
They left the elves to their jobs and Dobby to helping Winky get comfortable as they walked Daphne back to the common room.
"I wonder who she was talking about." Wondered Daphne.
"Who cares, Crouch was an arsehole to her, I get that it was her job but she was terrified of heights and should never have been up there in the first place."
"Harry it was wrong and awful but the stuff she said sounded a little more serious to me." Daphne said strongly and watched as her boyfriend nodded with an apologetic look.
"I guess it could all be about his sons incarceration." Neville said softly.
"What do you mean mate?"
They stopped for a moment and Neville looked away, Daphne smiled sadly turning to Harry and saying quietly.
"Barty Crouch was head of the DMLE during most of the war, his son was captured performing the Cruciatious Curse along with Bellatrix and Rudulphus Lestrange. He put them all in Azkaban for life and his son begged him for mercy, Crouch disowned him then and there. Not that the boy deserved less." She said intensely giving a nod to Neville who looked up with the coldest expression Harry had ever seen on his face.
"It was my parents they tortured."
"Oh Nev, I'm so sorry." Harry said feeling slightly ashamed that he didn't know.
"Heh, wasn't your fault. They were amazing people and tortured into practically nothing, they're in St Mungos now and I just hope that one day I live up to their legacy."
Harry nodded at his friend, understanding the burden of wanting to make your parents proud but not really being able to. He knew Lady Longbottom placed a lot of pressure on her grandson but had a similar feeling that this wasn't just her doing but Neville wanting to prove himself. He also placed a hand on his friend's shoulders and said "And I wanna be there when you do, but for now let's see if we can complete the Marauder's legacy and get back to the common room after curfew without any of the teachers finding us, especially when we don't have the map or cloak."
Neville nodded with slightly teary eyes but a smile as he turned to his friends and walked between them.