Grey Part 3

Hogwarts. One of the finest and oldest magical institutions in the wizarding world. To him, Hogwarts has always been more than that. The only place that Harry could call home until recently. Who knows how many great wizards these ancient walls nurtured. Be it Dumbledore or Voldemort. These walls, these portraits, and ghosts witnessed their growth. The Wizarding world in general might not be that kind to him till now but Harry is still fascinated by the magic just like he was when he first entered Diagon alley. Magic gave him a reason when all was lost. Magic gave him a new life. Away from Dursleys, away from the weird gazes of his neighbours, away from the suspicious looks of his teachers and classmates. He can't forget it. It's still fresh in his mind. Even during his second year Harry still felt that he belonged to neither of the worlds. Not the magical nor the muggle. Not a single soul understood him. Yes, his friends stood by his side but they didn't suffer what he suffered right from his birth. They have their parents, and family. Harry has none of it. Only with the arrival of Sirius did Harry finally feel different. The care and affection he got from Sirius were unlike any other he ever experienced. The portraits waved at him as he crossed them. Life at Hogwarts can never become dull. Harry smiled a little. This year is no different, yet.

Three weeks passed before he knew it. Harry settled down into his life at Hogwarts. Classes, some evening chit-chat with friends but most importantly his training. Strolling down the corridor Harry easily escaped from several prefects making their rounds. Credit goes to his map and cloak. Entering the second floor girl's toilet Harry hissed in a small voice and jumped down a second later. No need to alert Moaning Myrtle about his presence. At first, Harry was in a great dilemma as to where he should train. There are plenty of empty classrooms but they are not foolproof from prying eyes. In the end, he had to visit this Chamber of Secrets. It took almost two days for him to clean all the area by himself. Slytherin chamber is actually quite grand than he thought it was. Another headache he faced was the skeleton of Basilisk. At last, Dobby helped him secure it for future purposes. Harry talked about it with Sirius and his Godfather helped him readily. Salazar Slytherin was a great wizard no doubt. But he had his cons. Basilisk was one of them.

The Slytherin chamber's vast size helped him mostly for his training with his wand. Harry still prefers to read books at the library or in the Gryffindor common room than here. He has to make public appearances. A small storm is already brewing inside the castle. And the pink woman is in the centre of it all. Professor Umbridge is not the type of woman that Harry wants to face. He has seen enough of her. Almost in every class, Gryffindor would get minus house points only because they wanted to do some practical magic. Apparently, even his words earlier fell into deaf's ear. Harry stayed neutral. Both Hermione and Ron were quite upset with him because of it. Even then Harry knows what he is doing. He doesn't want any extra attention right now. After all, they all are just spectators. No matter how loud they shout, it won't affect the gameplay of the players. It'll only distract them for a short period. Dumbledore and the Minister are playing this game for now. And by no means does Harry want any part of it. Hermione has been quite vocal with her protests. She is already planning some alternative ways for students by herself. Harry heard the rumors.

Shaking his head Harry gripped his old wand tightly. Just like before his old holly phoenix wand kept rejecting his touch. His spells are now becoming more volatile. Just the other day he almost destroyed a pillar with a simple cutting hex. Just what is wrong with it. He doesn't know nor did many. Maybe he should search about it in the library. His spellwork greatly improved just within this last month. His other wand is equally comfortable for him to cast any spell he wants. It still feels kinda alien to him. Like it's not a part of his body like his Holly phoenix wand felt every time he used it. Harry kept his focus on developing his spells arsenal. He still didn't try using those dark spells he learned from Black's library. Harry just doesn't think he needs to. At least yet. He also didn't neglect his basic running and fitness training. He can already see its results. The clock is ticking and Harry knows it. Soon it'll be him that is going to enter that arena of the game. He is just preparing himself for the inevitable. Harry aimed at the dummy that he created for his training. Determination and hard work are all he has for now. Don't think otherwise. He's still going for the win. No, he'll win.

"Expulso"

Bang!

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Hermione closed her book shut as she heard a little clicking noise from the door of their common room. So Harry left the common room yet again. She sighed.

What is going on with her friend? Her friend has changed. Changed right after that third task incident. Merlin knows what happened to her friend there. One thing is sure. It must be something terrible. Even Dumbledore didn't fully disclose what happened that night. She tried asking Harry herself only to get a shake of his head and a nonchalant answer that he doesn't want to discuss the topic. Harry was distant lately. He still hangs out with them but it's very less compared to their previous years. She and Ron both had their Prefect jobs to do too, which also creating a small rift between their bonding time. Her eyes fell into the newspaper sprawled across her.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR

Dolores Umbridge. Who became another headache for everyone inside the castle. Hermione tried her best to insert some logic into her mind but failed miserably. The woman is stubborn as a toad. What shocked her most was Harry's stance on the matter. He outright ignoring the issue. Neither voicing his opinion nor making any stance all together. According to him all of this is none of his concern. Hermione almost shouted at him after that but he simply shrugged his shoulders and left. Even his best friend Ron is confused by his behavior. In the end, she had to quit speaking against Umbridge too, though not after deduction of many points and a week of detention. Her detentions were another nightmare in the making. She spent hours writing apologies only. Her hand almost went numb several times. Neville had it worse. She used some type of blood ink that makes the words written appear over one's hand too.

She made some plans along with Neville and Ron last night. The matter is getting worse day by day. Some might even fail their OWL because of it. They decided that they would start their own study group. Not only them but from every house of their year. The Gryffindors themselves wholeheartedly support the Idea. But the main obstacle is Harry. She knew no one is as qualified as Harry to teach them defence. The subject that is his forte ever since he entered Hogwarts. Even then nobody dared to ask him about it yet. She knows she needs to act faster. The Clock is ticking.

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Harry circled the ground. The roar of the crowd became distant as he went higher. Quidditch is in his blood, according to Sirius. His father was an outstanding chaser. Even his grandfather loved the sport. Harry smiled when he was told about it. He gripped his beloved firebolt tight. This is undoubtedly one of the finest gifts he has ever received.

He needs to relax, he knows it. There are not many things that can make him relax nowadays. Every time he trains, his wand work only gets stronger and the uncomfortable feeling of the foreign wand makes him unconsciously irritated as of late. Harry's eyes fell on the teacher's stand. Everyone watching the match intensely. His eyes caught the eyes of Dumbledore. Who smiled at him, Harry forced himself to smile a little. Dumbledore is on the backfoot lately. The pink woman strangling the power web of Hogwarts with help of the Minister whereas Dumbledore remained passive as always. Harry shook his head, time to focus his head on the task. His team is holding fairly well against the likes of the Slytherins. The Quidditch season this year began with the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Harry at first thought about not playing this year but an angry letter from Sirius is all it took to banish the thought from his mind completely. Quidditch gives him freedom. The freedom that he desperately wants in his life. He eyed the crowd. The students came in masses cheering for their favourite team. Harry smiled.

His eyes then saw a glimpse of the golden snitch out of the corner of his eyes. And he soared right after it.

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She should have known. She doesn't even know why she came here. She shook her head as Tracey and Astoria shouted at top of their lungs as Slytherin scored another goal. Quidditch never did gain any interest from her. She heard Tracey saying something about Potter and the next thing she knew she was in the stands wearing a green scarf. Her eyes wandered around the ground. So far it seems they are leading in terms of goals. Her eyes involuntarily stopped at where Potter slowly encircled around the ground searching for the snitch.

Potter occupied her mind lately. His behavior changed, unlike their previous years. He seems confident, and less confused. Something is going on between Gryffindors too. Daphne could easily see it. Her eyes twitched as she watched Potter accelerating his broom. Even a non-fan like her knows how much of a good player Potter is. Poor Draco. Tracey took a sharp intake of breath as Draco once again slammed right into the ground. Another ten minutes later they watched in silence as Potter caught the snitch. Their opposite stand roared in cheers. Daphne couldn't help but smirk as she watched the face of Draco. Poor boy indeed.

"Hey, why are you smiling Daphne?"

Her head snapped. She controlled her expression in just a fraction of a second. She only raised an eyebrow in response.

"I didn't."

"Sure, you did."

Their banter stopped abruptly as a loud bang echoed from the ground beneath them. They all turned their heads.

There it is. In the middle of the ground, the Gryffindors can be seen stopping the Weasley twins from attacking Draco. One of them has his wands out. Daphne's eyes immediately searched for Potter. He was standing a little away from the scene, but watching it intensely. Draco must have said something unpleasant no doubt. He's always been a sour loser. Daphne shook her head. She watched as professor Umbridge entered the ground and said something to the group. This woman is a nuisance. Dragging her nose almost everywhere. The power struggle between the minister and Dumbledore is happening right before their very eyes. Right at Hogwarts. Umbridge is the weapon that the minister is using. Dumbledore is silent till now. But she doesn't know how long. Everything has a limit. A limit that must not be crossed.

"Let's go" Daphne called Tracey and Astoria as she headed towards the exit.

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Winter arrived earlier than it used to. Daphne rubbed her hands together as she walked down the snowy roads of Hogsmeade. Tracey, Astoria, and Blaise are behind her talking about something in a hushed tone. Hogsmeade is busy as usual. But the mood has changed. She can feel it. Students have been apprehensive. Not that it helps with professor Umbridge being around. Daphne's guess hit the jackpot. Umbridge has spread her wings at Hogwarts almost to an extent that no one can ignore it any longer including Dumbledore. her class remained boring as before. There are literally no practical lessons. Even the Slytherins are now starting to feel anxious about their OWL. Daphne tried learning the defence by herself. She has always been good at it. Just like her father. Nowhere near the top though. She also helped her sister, Tracey, and Blaise in the defence too. That's when she heard it. She heard the rumors but Blaise confirmed it. So the rebellion finally began huh! Daphne considered her options, no doubt Slytherins are somewhat favourites of Umbridge. She can't risk getting involved with this. But no harm in accepting a first meeting invitation. After all, she'd actually know how much of a rebellion this is going to be.

Daphne walked between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars and turned left onto the road into the village, the wind whipping her hair into their eyes. Her friends matched her step.

"Where are we going exactly?" Tracey asked.

"Hogs head," Blaise answered.

They walked down the main street past Zonko's Wizarding Joke Shop and turned up to the side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture on it of a wild boar's severed head, leaking blood into the white cloth around it. The sign creaked in the wind as they approached. All four of them hesitated outside the door.

"Let's go inside then." Said Tracey nervously.

It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. Several other students are already sitting around the pub. Daphne can see Granger, Weasley, and Longbottom discussing something heatedly. And once again Potter is nowhere to be seen.

Daphne glanced around the group once again. Almost all of the Gryffindors along with Hufflepuffs are present. Even most of the Ravenclaw students are here. Seems like they are the only Slytherins. Likewise, they attracted many eyes. Blaise led them to the back of the room as Daphne found herself sitting on a stool alongside her sister.

"Er,'' said Granger, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well… hi." The group focused its attention on her. She started her speech. Granger's eyes kept looking at the door from time to time. Granger placed her points in front of them. The defence class is a disaster this year, no one can deny that. Her plan is simple, they will create this group and will try to learn defence together. But the real question still remains.

"Who's going to teach us, then?" Asked someone from the group of Ravenclaws. Every face turned towards Granger once again. She took a step back. Her eyes kept darting back to the door once again. Daphne herself wondered the same. Who's going to take the responsibility for teaching the group?

"We'll share the responsibility. Not just us but everyone present here. We will work together and learn together." Longbottom stepped forward. Daphne raised her eyebrows.

"What about Potter? I can't see him here." Blaise as always knows how to strike the point. Daphne looked around the room, and clearly, everyone had the same question for quite some time.

The Gryffindors shared a look between them.

"Harry… um, he said..."

Just then the door opened and Harry Potter himself stepped inside followed by the Weasley twins. Daphne's eyes jerked up. She watched as Potter frowned at them. He immediately turned towards the twins then at Granger and shook his head.

"He said… he'll be here. And here he is." Said Granger, smiling awkwardly as an uncomfortable silence spread in the room.

"Harry will teach" The Weasley boy finally broke the silence. Potter has an unreadable expression on his face. "There's no one more qualified than Harry here to teach us defence." Some Gryffindors nodded their heads. Even some of the other house members now look extra enthusiastic than they were before.

Just as the Weasley boy was about to open his mouth once again, Potter raised his hand in a signal.

" No, I won't."

The silence gained its presence once again.

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Daphne didn't see it coming. Yeah, the probability was somewhat noticeable but Potter's outright denial left her in shock. When some asked him the reason, all he said was that he doesn't want to get involved in this. They aren't his responsibility.

"What would I gain from all of this? Nothing. Not a single thing. Don't forget just this last year you guys wore that badge. You think I forgot all that. You can't pass your OWL, well that's your problem, not mine. Thank you." Potter turned toward his friends, and glared at them one last time before leaving the bar.

Hearing that Daphne easily made up her mind. She too won't participate in the group. Her friends followed her as they exited the door soon after. Yet many still decided to stay. Tracey and Blaise went to Three broomsticks just like they planned before. Astoria stayed with them. Daphne decided that she'd return to Hogwarts.

The cold air blew past her. Out of the corner of her eyes, Daphne saw someone. Her legs involuntarily followed the figure. Hogsmeade is a small village. Even then Daphne didn't get to explore all of it. The figure went to an alley that was unknown to her. She hesitated for a second but continued to follow the figure. The figure turned right swiftly as Daphne struggled to keep up. And the figure vanished out of her sight. The alley is narrow and snow covered, leaving footprints of everyone. She swiftly followed it. Her eyes widened as the footprints in front of her stopped abruptly in the corner of the alley. There are no shops nearby, just tall walls of two buildings are all Daphne can see. Where did he go ? Her eyes scanned the area.

"Searching for me?"

She shuddered. The voice came from behind her. She didn't dare to turn. A wand soon touched her head. She slowly turned.

Green eyes. Bright green eyes. Almost like a killing cu…

The wand buzzed. She snapped back to reality.

The eyes stared at her. She felt nervous and weak. Vulnerable almost.

She cleared her throat. "I.. um.."

Hoot Hoot !

A shiny snowy white owl landed right on her left shoulder.

"Hedwig" Daphne turned her head towards the owl. Great timing bird. The owl stretched its leg. It has a letter it seems.

The owl's owner quickly retrieved the letter. Too quickly. He glanced at it for a second then at her. The next thing she saw is a bright red light.

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Harry sighed as he closed the door. The day is so stressful already. And now this. He glared at the lying figure of the girl, bound in the rope. He waved his wand. The ropes vanished. He doesn't want any more trouble. But what should he do now?

Hogwarts has been hectic lately. Teachers are already piling up tasks upon them for their OWLs. And then there's that new teacher. Harry is actually pretty impressed by that woman. She outright dominating the game till now. Harry expected much more from Dumbledore, whatever. Then comes Hermione, her stupid Idea and her constant persuasion made him avoid them as much as possible. Harry looked at the book in his hand. Sirius just delivered the book by himself. Stupid but so much like him. Much like his beloved owl Hedwig. Who's for some weird reason giving him what he can only guess as an angry look. Hedwig is still guarding the girl. Harry shook his head. Maybe it's some kind of female thing.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Harry held his hands up in a surrendering manner.

"Hoot !" Hedwig motioned toward the girl again. Daphne Greengrass. He already had some doubt that the girl saw his face that day, and now this, this only makes his doubt stronger. Harry took a deep breath. No need to freak out before knowing the story. Harry remembers seeing the girl in the meeting too along with some other Slytherins. That kinda surprised him. Harry put on his invisibility cloak and opened the door. Hedwig flew past him.

"Rennervate"

Harry left the building.

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Dark clouds gathered around the sky as he looked up from the window. It might rain soon. He turned towards the room. The dark color of the room gave him a somewhat soothing feeling. Something hissed nearby in affirmation. His hand unconsciously slid back to his wand. Placing it near his forehead he retrieved the memory once again and dropped it into the shiny water. He already lost count of how many times he watched this same scene already.

"Avada Kedavra"

The green light soared and hit the boy just before the portkey transferred his body to Hogwarts. He can see it clearly as a day. But the boy survived the killing curse once again. Miracle ? He knew not. One thing he knows is that he doesn't like this. He, Lord Voldemort, doesn't like failure. He failed to kill Potter. A mere boy. The temperature of the room shifted. Another hiss echoed.

Romania has pretty odd weather compared to Britain. The trees here are longer and sturdier. His eyes scanned outside the window once again. There's a reason he came to this far away place. He needs to rebuild his army. But first, he'll release his most loyal servants. The time has come. He'll attack Azkaban. For this, he needed help from these werewolves. Nasty creatures but effective in combat.

Their search for the prophecy is already going forward. Malfoy and Nott are looking after the job. Voldemort gripped his wand tight. He will show his wrath once again. And this time he'll succeed.

Knock knock

He flicked his wand and the door opened.

"My lord." the man fell on his knees as he greeted him. He nodded at him.

"Everything is prepared my lord. We can proceed whenever you wish to." The man lowered his head once again.

"Stand up." The man stood up rather slowly.

He circled the man. Yaxley still didn't meet his eyes. "Who do you think killed Travers, Yaxley?"

The man didn't respond for some seconds. "I don't know, my lord."

"I know. But the question is who do you think killed Travers, Yaxley ?"

"I can only guess, my lord. And my guess is that someone from the Aurors did this. That's why they dropped the case so soon." Voldemort nodded. Yaxley released a breath.

"Maybe,"

A short silence resumed in the room.

"Crucio"

Multiple hisses echoed. Lightning flashed through the window and thunder clashed with nearby trees followed by the sound of heavy rain.

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Countless men rushed at him. He looked up and took a slow breath. A moment later, several heads went flying.

Bang !

A cold breeze hit his body. The attack stopped. He glanced at his hand, covered in blood. His whole body is covered in blood.

"Monster" someone screamed at him.

He shook his head and raised his wand once again.

Antioch enjoyed this. He enjoyed this blood bath. He enjoyed the look of sheer horror and hopelessness in the eyes of his enemy. This is what he is living for. Power, he wants more of it. He can never get enough of this. He licked his lips. The salty taste of blood. He grinned.

"I surrender, I surrender." His victim screamed. He grinned wider.

He flicked his wand once again. The head rolled to the ground. The remaining men ran away screaming.

Oh, the joy ! The joy of winning an impossible battle.

Far away from him, another man frowned.

"He won again, Sir." The man crooked his nose.

"I can clearly see that myself." The man snapped at his advisor.

"He's a monster. A monster that needs to be eliminated for the better."

His advisor shivered. The wind became faster. The scent of rotten bodies hit their noses. The man turned away from the scene.

Antioch laughed. He laughed like a madman. Fools think they can betray him. He eyed the retreating figure of the king. Antioch knew it right from the beginning. These pathetic weaklings are all the same. Backstabbing is their second nature. Worry not, Antioch will deal with them in time. His eyes glowed.

Above his head, another figure laughed the same way as him. Its white eyes glowed similarly.

A/N:

Oh, it's June 17 already. Sorry, I kinda forgot about this. Life has been cruel lately. I suffered a huge loss just a few days ago. Almost all my savings from the last two year is gone. It's already hard for students here. I'm still coping with it. I still need to tell my parents though. And they might disown me. As for my result, it's as expected. Nailed through all the core subjects, sucked a little at math, and friends saved my ass in the project work as usual.

About the fic, the support is immense from you guys. Many DM me asking about the fic and its future plan. Some even started shoving their ideas in my face. So for you all, I want to say this, I've been reading fanfics since 2018. Read hundreds of fics. There isn't a single popular Haphne fic that I've not read. I know what I want with this story very clearly. Yeah, the execution might suffer but believe me I know my stuff. I might sound rude but yeah give the writer some time to explore on his own. There was a time I similarly bothered some authors with my ideas too. I started this fic only because no author can make a fic perfect to my taste.

The chapter is shorter than I would like but it sets the mood. Somewhat. You'll also notice some non-American words from time to time because I follow British English. I tried correcting it with Grammarly but I think there are still some words that'll appear regardless. The next chapter is going to be long but will arrive much later, next month to say in particular. I've mid-sem on the 27th.

The version of Harry, I want in this story is similar to many fics yet different. He'll be cold but will gradually calm his nerves around certain someone. Romance will start only in the sixth year. I have high hopes for Daphne's character development along with Harry's. Let's see how far I can go with this. Thank you.