Chapter 24
The high intensity of flames licked the sky as beads of sweat continued to roll down Harry's forehead. He stood, holding his wrist steady as flames poured out of his wand; the flames roared alive as his hands began to vibrate from the sheer intensity of the spell. The familiar phoenix shape his fiendfyre had taken was moving across the snowy area he had conceded a duel too almost a week ago.
The flame grew and roared as his arms shook and the sky was swallowed by the bright and fiery wall of the spell. Harry let out a sigh as he recalled the fiendfyre, falling against the dirt in exhaustion. There was a huge storm of dirt and debris around the radius of the fiendfyre that littered the sky and surrounding air.
"Mastery involves complete mental acuity, Harry, " Dumbledore said from behind. "No room for distractions."
"I know," Harry said as he wiped his brow, "but I can't."
Dumbledore walked in front of Harry,"Or you would rather not?"
"For once, I just want to feel like I'm making the right decisions. Is that impossible?" Harry said as he stood up, dusting soot and dirt from his clothes.
"Aberforth is a fickle man. He'll come around." Dumbledore replied, "You made a decision that was important to you. It's not what was expected, but our victories are filled with the unexpected."
"I'm tired of the unexpected."
He had given up being a leader to the Order of the Phoenix. Aberforth was furious, but Harry didn't care.
He had heard Astoria talking just a few days ago and it made him...happy. It didn't make anything less difficult, but he felt better about his decision.
"You and me both,"Dumbledore chuckled, "Harry, What else is your mind?"
"I…" He began.
He saw Daphne's smile flash in his mind, something he had thought about over the past few days. He hadn't seen her much since the duel. He had spent his time training early morning to late evening either with Dumbledore or alone, and opting for a late dinner. It wouldn't be hard to see them, Shacklebolt gave them enough freedom to not have to be locked away in the room, giving them access to other areas such as the library, reading rooms, and study rooms with accompaniment of a guard, but he didn't want to. Every time he thought about talking to Daphne, a weird sensation came over him, something he wanted to bury but...he just couldn't. It was just easier to avoid her altogether.
"Well...Do I really have to go to Weasley's Christmas dinner tomorrow?" Harry finished.
"Yes. The Weasley's were adamant that that everyone be there including you and the Greengrass sisters."
Harry gave a sharp eye toward Dumbledore, "You're not going."
"I am most certainly not everyone."
Harry rolled his eyes at the statement.
"Isn't this a bad idea, what if we get attacked or the Order gets infiltrated?"
"Harry, it's just dinner for a fugacious moment."
"Dumbledore, Expect the unexpected," Harry said in a mocking tone.
As he finished, he found himself hanging in the air upside down as Dumbledore began to walk away. "Hey! No fair!"
There was a pop on the field as Harry fell rather roughly to the ground. From where he lay, it looked like Sarah, his auror guard, until her looks began to transform before his eyes.
"Tonks, is something the matter?" Dumbledore asked as he came closer.
Harry picked himself as Tonks nervously looked between the two.
"I tried my hardest to move it to a later date, but Sarah doesn't hold any authority-" Tonks began rather apologetically.
"You can say it, Tonks." Dumbledore interrupted.
"Well...The Investigation Department has summoned Harry to the Headquarters Tomorrow."
"The unexpected has arrived," Harry replied dryly.
"Daphne, what did you say Mom always did on Christmas eve?" Astoria asked.
Daphne smiled as she absentmindedly flipped through another book in the Order's very small library. Every time her sister would talk she couldn't help but smile. Astoria looked up from her chair at Daphne, an earnest expression sat on her face. Even then, her sister's excitable and more annoying personality had shown no signs of life yet.
"Well, Mom would have the house elves make a special pudding handed down from the Greengrass ancients, and we would go to the gardens which would be lit up with various colorful charms and spells." Daphne replied.
Truthfully, she could barely remember the event since it had been so long ago. She was sure the pudding wasn't anything special, but she wasn't going to tell Astoria that.
"Sounds nice."
"Do you remember Dad would always tell the worst Christmas stories?"
Astoria nodded, "He would always get sidetracked and it would take a long time for him to finish."
Daphne closed her book, "Then he would get upset because everyone got distracted, and you would start booing him."
Astoria's lips curled upward for just a moment before settling back into her usual vacant stare. Daphne felt her heart leap at the sight, her sister was getting better.
"Are you ready to go to the room?" Daphne asked. The one good thing to accompany their somewhat freedom around the headquarters was the fact their room had been redesigned, expanded, decorated, and filled with different furniture, although the colors used were a green overload. However, It was a kind gesture nonetheless, and it made the room a much better place to stay. According to Harry, Ms. Weasley had been tasked with doing it while they had attended Harry's duel.
Astoria nodded as they both stood up. Daphne began moving out the room followed by her sister and their guard, who she still had not learned the name of. As she stepped into the hallway, however, she came face to face with Harry.
"Hey," He said as he threw his hands behind his head.
Daphne smiled, "Hey."
She hadn't seen him much at all. Just a few passing glances and few cursory messages as he went off to do whatever he was doing, and she couldn't really blame him. Last time they had been together, they had drunkenly snogged, but she had expected to see him more than she had. Instead, their interactions had dwindled significantly.
"Anything good?" Harry asked.
Harry motioned toward the book tucked in her arm in response to Daphne's raised eyebrows
"Oh…" She replied as she displayed the book. "Mass Medieval Magical Practices used by Medieval Wizards Volume 3."
"That sounds-"
"Yeah," Daphne finished. "It does have some interesting facts on healing practices used in the times."
"The most painful practices still used by Madam Pomfrey, I'm sure."
"Shut it," Daphne grinned as she playfully hit Harry with the book.
Harry smiled before looking behind her at her sister, "Did you find anything interesting?"
Astoria shrugged, "Not really. No."
"Understandable," Harry replied as he scratched his head. He looked back over to Daphne for a moment before turning back to Astoria, "You know I have some books in my room that you might like, I'll drop them by later."
Astoria didn't say anything as silence filled the void between the three.
" So...Christmas dinner at the Weasley's tomorrow." Daphne said, "That should be interesting."
"Yeah, it should be." Harry replied, "I have to go, but I'll see you...tomorrow."
"Yeah."
Harry turned to leave before her sister's voice rang behind her.
"Harry!"
Daphne turned to look at her sister, her expression fiery. Something she hadn't seen in quite some time. Harry seemed surprised as he turned his full attention to her.
"That is my name. Did you forget it?"
"I want to continue training." Astoria said.
"Okay. We'll talk about it tomorrow."
"Don't forget," Astoria replied eagerly before she resigned to her usual dead stare.
Daphne glanced back at Harry who glanced at her. They both smiled at each other before Harry abruptly turned and left.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Draco whispered to himself as the chamber doors opened.
The chamber itself was quite huge, surrounded by ancient stone, and adorned with such majestical green that it put the Slytherin Common Room to shame. In the middle of the chamber was a long table that looked rather beaten down and old, and a little ways ahead of the table was the Dark Lord.
He sat on a higher platform that allowed him to look down on everything. Draco could see that he sat on a throne of bones, and although he had called the meeting, Draco could still feel his legs wobble. He had had never seen the Dark Lord, and seeing even a glimpse of him now made him want to run or cry...both actually.
The strangest thing Draco noticed was that the room was unnaturally dark even with the torches that sat on the walls of the chamber. He could barely see anything except for the Dark Lord. However, as he squinted, he could see hooded figures who stood against the wall, watching him closely. He had to assume they were Elite members.
"Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, you may present yourself to the Dark Lord," He recognized the voice as his Aunt Bellatrix; although he couldn't spot her.
As he made his way closer, the Dark Lord became more visible along with the huge snake that laid along the base of the throne. The Dark Lord's red slit-pupiled eyes sat on Draco as he approached;his body screamed at him to run.
"He's probing your mind;Stop thinking like we've practiced "
He could feel the forceful and powerful probe of the Dark Lord; he wanted to do nothing more than attempt to block his probing, but Draco did as he was told. He did nothing. He had worn the diadem enough that it could show Draco visions and Draco assumed to alter his memory. Finally, when he felt the probe end, Draco knelt and bowed before the gaze of the Dark Lord.
"You may stand, boy," The Dark Lord said softly, "What is this urgent message that you had to relay before me?"
"I'll take it from here."
"Thank you, Master," Draco said as he stood up. As he opened his mouth, words that were not his flew out of them, "I would like you to know that I remain steadfast to the cause even without an official mark, leading and meeting with a growing group of supporters within Hogwarts who stand ready to follow you. Along with fulfilling my duties of spying on our common enemy Harry Potter."
The Dark Lord narrowed his slitted eyes, "And yet the war is not won nor is the boy in front of me. What new information do you have that would stop me from killing you here?"
"I bring no new information, my lord, but rather a proposal."
"DO YOU DARE-" His aunt began.
"-Silence." The Dark Lord replied, "Finish."
"My Lord, I know what you have asked me through my father. To capture Harry, but I offer you a greater prize," Draco said as he looked around the room, "I offer you the death of Albus Dumbledore."
The Dark Lord laughed. Bellatrix was the first to join in his laughter, followed by the rest of the shadows in the room. Draco stood resolute.
"Brace your head."
Draco was confused until he saw Voldemort lift his wand, "Crucio."
At first he felt nothing, and then at once, the pain of what felt like 1,000 searing knives twisting into his flesh came at once. Draco fell to ground, grabbing his head as he fell to the concrete and began to scream. He could feel the spell penetrating into his deepest organs, lighting them on fire, and pulling them out. One. by one. For a moment, all he wanted to do was die. He wanted to beg for death, but his mouth would not open.
"Get up," Bellatrix yelled.
Draco hadn't even noticed the spell had ended as the spell radiated throughout his body;He wasn't sure he could stand.
"Get up."
As Draco's breath labored, he found his hands and weakly pulled himself up, almost stumbling before catching himself again.
"Your father will pay severely for the time wasted."
Draco clenched his teeth, "Dark Lord, I stand before you as the new head of the Malfoy Household, and I promise you...on the life of my family, and my house that I will kill Albus Dumbledore for your honor."
"You dare continue to mock our Lord?" His aunt yelled. "Cr-
"A schoolboy who has never killed, declared himself head of household, and promised the head of the second strongest wizard, " The Dark Lord said. "You need not understand why I'm close to killing you here and now."
"If I do what I've promised, I want to become a part of the Elite because I know I can do what I've promised. Don't underestimate me, my Lord."
As he finished, a sound of a fast moving object approached him from behind. Draco turned slightly to see a sharp and shadowy shaped dagger that sat on his cheek. Draco was sure whatever it was had drawn blood. It was something he had never seen before, and he couldn't see where it was coming from, but he remained unmoved..
"This insolent piece of shit is disrespecting you, Master. Let me kill him now! "
"Enough," Lord Voldemort said. His eyes narrowed at Draco for a few moments before he spoke again, "I will accept your proposal."
"Thank you, my Lord."
"You have less than three months. "
"Thank you, my Lord."
Lord Voldemort leaned against his throne, "This certainly intrigues me. I hope you don't disappoint me. You are dismissed."
"One more thing," Draco said.
"Go on."
"I know you've been gathering an army of inferi," Draco said to the curious eyes of Lord Voldemort. "And I believe I have a plan you might be interested in."
Daphne opened her eyes. There had been many nights recently when she couldn't sleep. Mostly because she was concerned with Astoria, but there were night terrors too. Nothing close to when she was under the curse a few months back, but still frightening.
She looked over at her sister, who had just recently started being able to go to bed at a decent hour most nights, although Astoria would cry on the others when she thought Daphne was asleep, but Daphne wasn't sleeping much in this new environment. It haunted Daphne when she would hear her. For the most part, it made her sad. Even staring now, she was still sad, so much she felt she needed to say.
"Fuck it," Daphne whispered as she looked away from her sister.
There was no time like the present. Even if Astoria couldn't hear her; she preferred it that way.
"Before this year, I had never understood you Astoria. Every time there was a rule made, you were adamant about breaking them. You never followed directions. You never did things properly. You lacked etiquette. Theodore would call you a pureblood embarrassment and I would agree. In fact, I resented you sometimes because of it." Daphne said as she stared into the ceiling, "but what I wish you would know is that you were right, and- and, well...I was wrong. I see that now."
The room fell to silence. Daphne felt a little stupid, but she had to get this out. She had to say it.
"You were brave and I was a coward. You were protecting me and not the other way around, and I hate myself because you're carrying guilt that you should have never had to burden. It should have been mine. It should have been my fight. We lost dad a while ago, and I was too broken and too cowardly to see that. I thought if I followed the rules, nothing could harm us. Somehow, you knew that was bullshit and I didn't. "
Daphne turned on her side, facing her sister for just a moment. Whose eyes were closed across the room.
"I'm not like you, Astoria. I won't be able to do the great things you will. I won't have the courage you have, but I'm going to do my part. I have to do my part in this, okay? What else is a big sister for?" Daphne said, "I'm going to make sure that monster doesn't lay a hand on you. I'm not going to let him win. I'm going to figure out the book, and then I'll destroy him myself-"
Daphne paused for a moment as Astoria rustled in her sleep.
"Because the thought of losing you...even for a night. Made me realize how bleak life would be. I could never forgive myself If I lost you. Mom had you knowing she would die. I begged her not to leave. I begged her to give you back, but you know what she told me?" Daphne said. " 'Our blood lives in pieces. I didn't know what she meant for the longest time...or more like I didn't want to know what she meant. But it doesn't take a first year to figure out that we're the pieces. You and me. So if I lose you. The Greengrass family is no more. Our parents are no more. Everything I hold dear... it doesn't mean anything if I'm never whole. "
Daphne turned back to stare at the ceiling.
"So I won't. I refuse to let it happen. Whatever it-"
"Daapeene...shu… up," Her sister yawned as she tossed over again, sprawling out wildly.
"This is fucking stupid, isn't it?" Daphne smiled as she closed her eyes, "Goodnight, Astoria."
Post-Chapter Thoughts:
As always, thank you for reading! Let me know what you think? It's an honor for people to keep reading after 1 chapter - let alone 24, so I'm thankful for everyone who continues to read. A lot of things to look forward to in the chapters ahead. I'm working hard to lower the time between each chapter publishing, so you'll read them sooner than you think (I like to have at least a two chapter buffer).
Also S/O to Lord V showing up after 24 chapters. It's always a good sign when he shows up!