The Apprentice
Chapter 5
Summary: Finally, after the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Harry asks (demands) Dumbledore to train him for his inevitable battle against the Dark Lord.
Beatshield: Thanks!
CaskettFan5: Yes, they both are ambitious. And things will fall apart in this chapter and the next. Both of them will make a mistake and they Harry will try to resolve it.
OverLordRevan: Thank you!
Fewer votes then I was expecting, but its alright. Now on with the chapter…
X
The next morning, Harry woke up bright and early. Thankfully, Moody had allowed Harry to wake up on his own instead of dowsing him with water while still asleep.
He headed down to the lake, where he once again completed two laps around the lake, followed by pushups and sit-ups to failure. If it was possible, he hurt even more than the previous day. When he began his run, his muscles screamed at him to stop. He was so sore; he didn't know if he could continue. After a few minutes, his muscles warmed up and he was able to complete the exercises, performing slightly better than the previous day.
When he arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, he found it empty. Shrugging his shoulders, he sat down and called one of the Hogwarts elves, who promptly brought him breakfast and his nutrient potion. While he ate, he read from the numerous books assigned to him by his professors.
"I am turning into Hermione", he thought to himself with a chuckle.
He quickly finished his breakfast and headed to the Ancient Runes classroom, eager to begin the day's lessons…
X
Hours later, he trudged down to the Great Hall for dinner, exhausted after another day of classes. He continued to excel in every class. In Ancient Runes, he continued to impress Professor Babbling. They had already moved onto complex rune clusters and larger rune configurations. She was proud of his progress and confided in him that he might be able to finish the OWL material before the school year began.
In Arithmancy, he continued to learn more about the theory of magic. He easily grasped the concepts that Professor Vector taught and looked forward to applying them in his spell work.
He continued to surprise Snape in his Potions lesson. Harry managed to perfectly brew a Draught of Peace while conversing with Snape about the effects of the different ingredients. When he was finished, Snape could not even find a flaw to point out. He merely said, "This quality of work will be expecting from you at all times. Do not slip back into bad habits." Harry nodded and tried to hide his grin at being able to impress Snape.
In Transfiguration, he began his study of conjuration, which was only part of the seventh-year curriculum. He took to it like a fish in water, which astounded Professor McGonagall even more. Conjuration, he learned, was very exhausting magically. The heavier or more complex the conjured object, the more magical energy it required. Harry was finally able to test the limits of his newly expanded magical core. He was able to perform Conjuration after Conjuration without exhausting himself, something that left McGonagall in shock.
In Charms, he began dueling with Professor Flitwick. The tiny professor would only allow him to use Charms from first and second year with no spells or Transfigurations. This forced him to think creatively about his environment and how to use even simple Charms in different ways during combat.
Moody continued to test his dodging abilities by increasing the speed of the dueling dummies. Harry struggled at first with the new speed but was soon able to adapt. It seemed that Moody would not be teaching Harry any new spells until he was satisfied with his footwork, stance, and ability to dodge.
When Harry finally arrived in the Great Hall after his lessons, he found Dumbledore waiting for him. Harry sat down in his usual seat across from the headmaster and began to dish up.
"Hello, Harry," said Dumbledore. "How were lessons today?"
"They went well," Harry said between bites. "I can tell that I am improving a lot."
"Indeed," remarked Dumbledore. "I have spoken with each of your professors, and they are all astounded by your progress, even Severus," he said chuckling. "Professor Babbling thinks you are a Runes prodigy due to the speed at which you are interpreting Rune configurations. Professor Snape is highly surprised by your improvement in Potions, although he attributes that to you finally learning basic theories about ingredients and Potion making techniques. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick are both convinced that you have inherited your mother's and father's talent for Transfiguration and Charms, although I am sure you will end up outperforming both of them. And finally, Professor Moody is impressed by your improvement in dodging."
Harry nodded, proud of himself and his achievements over the past two days.
"It seems that you are finally living up to your full potential," commented Dumbledore. "Now that I know what you are truly capable of, I expect nothing less," he reaffirmed.
"Tonight, I wish you to join me in my office. We have a few matters of importance to discuss."
Harry agreed and hurried to finish his supper and nutrient potion. When he was finished, he stood up and followed Dumbledore back to his office. As they entered, the headmaster sat behind his desk while Harry sat in his usual seat in front of the desk.
"First, I wish to inquire about the status of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy," said Dumbledore. "Have you disowned them from House Black yet?"
Harry shook his head. "Not yet. I have not had time."
Dumbledore gave Harry a disapproving look. "Take care of that tonight. Notify Gringotts and transfer the contents of Bellatrix's vault, then use the family magic to disown them. Every day we wait is another day Voldemort has access to those resources.
Harry nodded, sufficiently chastised. "I will get that done immediately," he said.
"Good," said Dumbledore. "Now, I also wish to address the Greengrass situation." He pulled a book from the bookshelf behind his desk and handed it to Harry.
Harry glanced at its title: Wizarding Nobility: A History of the Sacred 28
Harry nodded, overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of the task. Sensing Harry's hesitance, Dumbledore continued.
"These people will soon become your family," he said. "It is important to know who you will be getting involved with."
"Okay, I will make it a priority," promised Harry.
"Very good," said Dumbledore. "Now that we have those housekeeping items out of the way, I wish to have a serious discussion with you."
Harry sat up in his chair, uncertain what the headmaster wanted to talk about.
"What are your goals, Harry?" Dumbledore asked vaguely.
"To kill Voldemort," Harry said without hesitation.
"Something that I am confident you will achieve," Dumbledore replied. "But after that, what do you hope to accomplish? What will you do when Voldemort is gone forever?"
Harry sat back in thought. He hadn't really considered that. All of his thoughts had been centered on his eventual fight with Voldemort, and he had never thought beyond that.
"I am not sure, sir. I never really thought about life after Voldemort. Ever since the Battle of the Department of Ministries I have had an interest in the Unspeakable. After that I might want to teach," Harry said a bit unsurely.
"Interesting," remarked Dumbledore. "After seeing your remarkable progress in the last few days, I have grown hopeful and even confident that you will be able to defeat the Dark Lord eventually. However, you are capable of much more than that. But after hearing your response, I believe you have no concrete answer. Sure, you may want to become an Unspeakable and even a teacher here at Hogwarts, but how will you achieve that? The Unspeakable haven't hired anyone in 15 years and you need to be at the top of your game to join the Department of Mysteries. Which subject do you want to teach? How does Miss Greengrass come into these plans? I know she has her own plans. Right now, she might be thinking that you have destroyed all of her future plans. How will you help her?"
Harry was stumped. He had never thought about specifics like that. "I honestly don't know, sir," he said.
"Then that is your new project," replied Dumbledore. "Think about your future, how you can become what you want to? Some other things you will want to do? And how to include Miss Greengrass into these plans of yours?"
Harry nodded, already thinking about it.
Dumbledore chuckled and spoke again. "You remind me a little bit of myself when I was your age," he admitted. "You are a much better man than I ever was – unselfish, caring, loyal. But you are ambitious as I was. I wanted to change the world as well – for the greater good. But if I have learned nothing else during my long years, it is this: do not lose sight of who you are in pursuit of your goals."
Harry nodded, but inwardly, he was confused. "What if I don't even know who I am?", he thought to himself.
"Now, I wish to evaluate your burgeoning Occlumency and Legilimency skills," Dumbledore said. "Bring up your Occlumency shields and I will test them."
Nodding, Harry took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and brought up his shields. Soon, he felt a strange pressure on his shields. It felt almost as if someone was physically pushing on his head. He pushed back, alleviating the pressure. Soon after, he felt another pressure point at another place. He quickly pushed back there, at which point the pressure suddenly shifted to a new spot and managed to break through his shields.
Harry suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath after his exertion.
"That was a good start," said Dumbledore while Harry recovered. "You were able to repel my first two attacks, but on my third attack, I was able to find a weak spot in your shields. You were also distracted, which allowed me to break through."
Harry nodded in understanding.
"Now, you must continue to strengthen your shields and continue adding new layers of shields. In addition, you must continue to practice repelling Legilimency attacks. Each time you do so, it will become easier and easier."
"Now, I wish to test your Legilimency skills. With your wand, perform the Legilimens spell and attempt to break through my mind shields," instructed Dumbledore.
Harry gripped his wand and murmured, "Legilimens!" Instantly, he found himself facing a steel wall. With his mind, he pushed against the wall, only to encounter stiff resistance. He moved to another part of the wall, where he pushed again to no effect. Finally, he moved to a third part, where he rammed against the wall as hard as he could. To his surprise, the wall collapsed, allowing him to move even deeper. However, he was shocked as he soon found another steel wall awaiting him.
Suddenly, he felt a force pushing against him, and he found himself thrown out of Dumbledore's mind. He opened his eyes to see the headmaster smiling at him.
"Well done," Dumbledore said. "You were able to break through my first wall. As I am sure you noticed, however, I have many layers of defenses."
Harry nodded. "How did you push me out of your mind?" he asked.
"Ah, that is a technique you will learn in the future," Dumbledore said mysteriously. "It seems you have a talent for Legilimency. As you know, however, you can perform basic Legilimency without a wand. You can scan the surface thoughts and emotions of those who do not have Occlumency shields. This is what we will begin working on, starting tomorrow. It is a very useful tool. It has saved my life on several occasions by alerting me when someone was about to attack me."
Harry nodded, excited to learn this new technique.
"That is it for tonight," said Dumbledore. "Do not forget to take care of that family business and study about the Greengrass family."
"I understand," said Harry. He rose to his feet and headed back to his dorm, where he spent the rest of the night studying.
X
The next two weeks passed in a similar fashion. Harry awoke early each morning and spent the day learning and training. He continued to make leaps and bounds in each subject, particularly Ancient Runes, Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. In fact, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Moody were confident that Harry would be able to take the NEWT in their subjects before the start of school.
His dueling ability had improved immensely. Every day, he participated in mini duels with Moody, McGonagall, and Flitwick. With McGonagall and Flitwick, he was only permitted to use Transfiguration or Charms, which forced him to think creatively about his strategy.
His Legilimency and Occlumency abilities improved as well. Every meal and every night, he would practice reading Dumbledore's surface thoughts. After two weeks, he had reached the point where Dumbledore could not even sense his touch if he lowered his Occlumency shields.
Harry had also done a fair amount of research into the Greengrass family. He was very familiar with their Potions ingredients business. He knew that they had a total monopoly on certain ingredients, which allowed them to charge a fortune and make a pretty profit. Harry had also researched all of Lord Greengrass's votes on the Wizengamot. He seemed to be a moderate. He often voted for laws maintaining pureblood rights, but he often voted for bills that would support minorities. It seemed to Harry that he believed in the old traditions but recognized the need for change and progress as well.
Finally, the time came for Harry to visit Greengrass Manor. He sat in Dumbledore's office, dressed in an expensive Armani suit that he had ordered from Italy particularly for this occasion. Dumbledore was giving him some final pieces of advice before he departed.
"Remember, we are going for the shock and awe," said Dumbledore. "You need to impress them, but also leave them realizing how much you don't know."
Harry nodded in understanding.
"Feel free to tell them about your mother's heritage, as they will undoubtedly be curious about that. However, do not let them know that you hold the Peverell lordship. You can hint that you hold an additional lordship, but do not give them specifics."
"Also, do not give them too much information about yourself. They will ask about your apprenticeship and your plans for the future, but do not give specific answers. Stay away from politics and other complicated issues. We will deal with those in the future."
"What about Daphne?" Harry asked.
"Miss Greengrass is a very intelligent, beautiful, and ambitious girl. I am confident that she has her own plans for you and for the future. She will certainly try to discover new information about you. I know you would like to impress her but be careful with how much you tell her initially."
Harry nodded, still a little uncomfortable with participating in this complicated game of politics.
"I am sure that you will perform spectacularly," Dumbledore said. "Just relax and clear your mind."
Harry took a deep breath and reinforced his Occlumency shields. He gave Dumbledore a smirk, which Dumbledore returned with an approving smile.
He strode forward to Dumbledore's fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and yelled, "Greengrass Manor!"
X
Daphne sat in the great room at Greengrass Manor, anxiously awaiting Potter's arrival. She wore a light blue summer dress with spaghetti straps. She knew her outfit was a little risqué, especially for a semi-formal dinner, but it was a risk she was willing to take. Her dress showed just enough skin to attract attention, but not enough to be inappropriate. She had specifically chosen this dress because it highlighted her curves and showed off her lightly tanned skin. She hoped that by the end of the night, Potter would be eating out of her hand.
Next to her on the couch in the great room sat her mother, Anastasia, and her younger sister, Astoria. They both wore summer dresses as well, though neither as revealing as Daphne's. Her mother glanced at Daphne's dress then gave her a knowing smirk, as if she knew exactly what Daphne was trying to achieve.
Meanwhile, her father, Jonathan, stood in the entrance hall near the floo, waiting for Potter to arrive. Just as the clock hit six o'clock, Daphne heard the roar of flames come from the entrance hall. She heard her father's voice as he greeted Potter.
"Lord Potter Black, thank you for coming. Welcome to Greengrass Manor," her father said.
"Thank you, Lord Greengrass. I appreciate your hospitality. You have a beautiful home," Potter replied.
Daphne tensed up as she heard Potter's voice. She had been preparing for this moment for two weeks, but now that it was here, she felt totally unprepared. Suddenly, she felt her mother's hand on her knee. She looked over to see her mother smiling gently, trying to calm her nerves.
"If you would follow me, I will introduce you to the rest of the family," said her father from the entrance hall. She heard footsteps coming her way. Simultaneously, the three girls stood up from the couch and waited for Potter to enter the room.
When Potter finally appeared in the doorway, Daphne was shocked. He looked completely different from the Harry Potter she had seen at Hogwarts only a month earlier. There were so many changes, she did not know where to begin.
The first thing she noticed were his eyes. No longer was he wearing those ridiculous glasses. Now, it was much easier to see his glowing green eyes that were staring right at her.
His hair was also different. Potter was known for his wild, messy, untamed hair, a classic trait of the Potter family. Tonight, though, his hair was different. He had used a gel or hair product to make his hair lay flat, which he had combed to the side.
In addition, it seemed as if Potter had grown several inches and had put on a lot of muscle in the few weeks since Daphne had last seen him. He now stood several inches over her and no longer looked like the skinny, frail teenager she was accustomed to. He looked strong, muscular, and even powerful.
The final change that caught her eye was Potter's outfit. Usually, Potter dressed in baggy, old clothes. In fact, Potter's choice of clothing was often joked about in the Slytherin common room. However, tonight he was wearing a Muggle suit that looked very expensive. If she was not mistaken, the suit was from a famous Italian fashion designer. The suit fit him perfectly and was complemented by his fashionable tie that was perfectly tied. As he stepped into the room, he adjusted the sleeves of his shirt and jacket, subtly drawing even more attention to his outfit. Daphne couldn't lie, he looked quite attractive in the suit.
"May I introduce you to my lovely wife, Anastasia?" said her father, gesturing to Daphne's mother.
Harry, in proper pureblood fashion, gently kissed the back of her mother's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," he said as he gave her a dashing smile.
"This is my youngest daughter, Astoria, who just completed her third year at Hogwarts," continued her father.
Harry approached Astoria and kissed the back of her hand as well. "It is an honor, my lady," he said smoothly. Astoria smiled and blushed, a little embarrassed by the compliment.
Finally, her father arrived at her. "And this, as you well know, is my eldest daughter, Daphne."
Harry came and stood before her, staring intently into her eyes. He gently grasped her hand and lightly kissed the back of her hand as well. As he did so, Daphne could feel her own pulse racing. However, instead of saying something as he had to her mother and sister, he merely smirked at her, almost as if he could sense her nervousness.
"You have a lovely family," Harry said smoothly as he turned back to Daphne's father.
"Thank you for your kindness," her father replied. "And now, I believe that dinner is ready. If you would follow me to the dining room, we will get started."
Harry merely nodded and gestured for her father to lead the way. However, instead of following immediately, he also gestured for Daphne, Astoria, and Anastasia to go before him.
"Ladies first," he explained. Smiling, Astoria and her mother followed Jonathan out of the room, with Daphne picking up the rear. Harry followed closely behind Daphne. She could feel his eyes on the back of her neck, and that set her pulse racing once more.
"Control yourself", she thought to herself. "Stick to the plan. You're the one in control, not him."
They soon arrived at the dining room, where the table was set with expensive dishes. Her father and mother sat at the heads of the table, while Astoria sat next to her mother. Daphne moved to sit next to her sister. As she did so, Harry politely pulled out her chair for her, waiting for her to sit down. She was initially surprised, but quickly hid her shock and sat down. Harry pushed in her chair as she sat down, then calmly walked to his seat on the other side of the table, directly across from Daphne. He gave her a gentle smile as he sat down.
The house elves arrived with plates of food, placing them in front of each person. They began to eat in silence initially. Finally, Daphne's father spoke up.
"Lord Potter Black, I was hoping you could clarify a few questions that I have," he began.
"Of course," Harry said, nodding politely.
"How was it that you became the Lord Black? We were all pleasantly surprised when we learned that you had taken up the title because we had assumed that other individuals were next in line to inherit the title."
Harry finished chewing his food before responding. "That is understandable. My godfather, the previous Lord Black, left me the title of Lord Black after he passed away recently. However, even if he had not done that, I was still next in line to become Lord Black based off of blood alone."
The room went silent as the Greengrass family processed the bombshells that he had just casually dropped. The previous Lord Black was the infamous Sirius Black. If Sirius had left Harry the title of Lord Black, it meant that Harry most likely had been in contact with him before his death. If that was the case, it likely meant that he had not actually betrayed the Potters.
More interestingly, however, was Harry's revelation that he was next in line to become Lord Black based off his blood.
"If you don't mind me asking, how were you next in line?" inquired Daphne's father politely. "If I am not mistaken, your father's mother was a Black, but there are other individuals that are much more closely related to the Black family. In addition, I was under the belief that the family magic only accepted purebloods as Lord Black, and you are a half blood."
Harry chuckled for a second, and Daphne worried that he had been offended by her father's questioning. "That is a common misconception," he said with a smile.
"What is a misconception?" asked Daphne suddenly.
Harry's eyes turned to meet her baby blue eyes.
"That I am a half blood," he said simply.
Daphne's eyes widened in shock at his revelation. "But your mother was a Muggleborn, wasn't she?" Daphne asked.
Harry shook his head softly. "Muggle raised, but not Muggleborn," he clarified.
"Then who were your mother's parents, if I might ask?" her father inquired.
A smirk grew on Harry's face as he explained. "My grandfather was Alphard Black, and my grandmother was Violetta Rosier."
Daphne's mouth hung open in shock. Her parents and sister were experiencing similar reactions.
"How is that possible?" Daphne's mother finally managed to ask.
Harry calmly took another bite of soup before responding. "My grandparents fell in love while at Hogwarts. However, due to the feud between the Black and Rosier families, they were forced to keep it a secret. After they graduated, they secretly traveled the world together. During this time, my grandmother became pregnant and my mother was born. Unfortunately, my grandmother died while giving birth, leaving my grandfather alone with the baby. Knowing that my mother would never be accepted by the family, he gave her to a Muggle family to be raised."
Daphne's father nodded in understanding. "So that is how you became Lord Black," he said. "Your mother was a Black, your grandmother on your father's side was a Black, and your godfather was Lord Black."
"Precisely," said Harry simply as he continued eating.
Daphne was in shock. Her future husband, Harry Potter, was actually a pureblood. His mother was a Black, and his grandmother was a Rosier. She could not believe it. However, she knew that Harry was still keeping secrets.
They continued eating in silence for a few minutes until Daphne's mother spoke up. "Lord Potter Black, congratulations on your apprenticeship with Chief Warlock Dumbledore," she said, attempting to change the topic of conversation.
"Thank you, my lady," said Harry politely.
"How has your apprenticeship been so far?" Anastasia inquired.
"It has been very challenging, but very rewarding," said Harry cryptically. "Professor Dumbledore is a very demanding teacher. I have learned a lot."
Daphne continued to stare at him, wondering how much he wasn't telling them. She wondered what exactly Dumbledore was teaching Harry, and why he was doing so.
Suddenly, Harry changed his strategy. Instead of waiting to be asked questions, he went on the offensive. He turned his attention to Daphne and asked, "So, Daphne, have you enjoyed your summer so far?"
Daphne smiled demurely at him, trying to impress him. "Yes, I have enjoyed my summer. It has been very eventful."
Daphne was very pleased with herself. It seemed that she had already captured Harry's attention. Her plan was going perfectly. However, she frowned slightly when Harry began speaking with Astoria and her father instead, asking about Hogwarts and the family business. He made it seem like he was only trying to be polite by asking about her summer.
The rest of the dinner was filled with polite conversation. Daphne was unable to discover anything else about Harry's heritage or his apprenticeship with Dumbledore. When they had finally finished, the house elves came to clear their dishes. One of the house elves informed Jonathan that the dessert would not be finished for another 20 minutes.
Instead of becoming annoyed, Daphne's father merely smiled. "It seems we have some time before dessert will be ready," he said. "Daphne, why don't you give Lord Potter Black a tour of the manor while we are waiting."
"Of course, father," she said obediently. Inside, she was grinning. Her father was purposely giving her time alone with Harry. This would be the perfect opportunity to leave a lasting impression.
Harry and Daphne exited the dining room in direction of the entrance hall. Daphne guided him from room to room, attempting to demonstrate the wealth and prosperity of the Greengrass family.
As they walked throughout the house, Daphne tried to subtly get Harry's attention. She would allow her hand or arm to lightly touch his as they walked. When they stopped in a room, she would stand close to him, causing him to lightly brush up against her. Whenever he spoke, she would smile shyly at him, all in an attempt to get his attention.
However, to her growing frustration, he did not seem to notice her flirtatious behavior. He seemed completely focused on the house and the features she was pointing out to him. Daphne's frustration only grew and grew. If her plan was to succeed, she needed him to fall for her, but he seemed completely indifferent to her right now.
Finally, they arrived at Daphne's bedroom, the final stop on the tour. She walked inside, followed by Harry, who did not seem the least bit bothered by the fact that he was alone with a beautiful girl in her bedroom.
Daphne decided she needed to take a more direct approach in order to achieve the results she desired. As Harry gazed around the room, she stepped right in front of him with only a small space separating them.
"Harry," she said, purposely using his first name to get his attention. His eyes found hers immediately, and she found her heart racing once again. "Can we talk?" she asked simply, attempting to appear vulnerable.
He nodded. "Of course," he said softly.
Daphne tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at the ground shyly before looking back at him. "How do you feel about all of this? About the contract?" she asked, trying to act uncertain.
Harry peered intensely into her eyes, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. That was not supposed to happen.
"Get a grip," she thought to herself "You are in control. Not him."
Harry took a moment before responding. "Honestly, I don't really know," he admitted. "I've been so busy, I haven't had time to even think about it."
Daphne nodded in understanding. Inside, however, she was frustrated. He was trying to avoid giving her a direct answer.
She bit her lip, feigning nervousness, before she spoke again. "I've been really worried," she said. "We don't know each other at all. I want this to work, but I am worried that it won't."
Harry nodded, still staring into her eyes. She had been faking her nervousness before, but now, as she looked into his green eyes, she actually felt nervous.
"It will be what we make of it," said Harry simply. "It all depends on us."
Daphne nodded, once again frustrated by his simple answer.
"It's just that I had plans for my life, and now everything has changed, and I don't know how you fit into those plans," she said. "Have you thought about what the future will be like for us?"
Harry smirked at her, causing her stomach to flip. "I have thought about it," he admitted, "but you will have to wait and see what I have planned."
Daphne frowned. That was not what she expected. She had been hoping that Harry would be humble and easy to influence, but it appeared that he had plans of his own for Daphne. That was not what she had expected.
Daphne took a step back, unable to contain her nervousness. "Dessert is probably ready," she said. "We should get back."
Harry nodded and followed her back to the dining room. Dessert was already served, and her family was waiting for them. As they ate, Daphne snuck glances at Harry, trying to figure out what he was thinking and what he had planned. He had thrown another wrench in her plans. Once, he caught her glancing at him. He gave her a sly smirk, causing her to blush slightly.
"This is not good," she thought to herself "I am blushing like a schoolgirl just because he smiled at me. He has all the power right now, and he knows it."
As they were finishing dessert, her father spoke up. "Lord Potter Black, we would enjoy it if you would visit us again soon. We would enjoy getting to know you better," he said.
Harry nodded. "Of course. My schedule is incredibly busy this summer, but I will speak with Albus to see if I can't find some time to spare," he said, purposely referring to Dumbledore by his first name in order to show how close they were. "Also, feel free to call me Harry when it is just us," he said.
Daphne's father smiled. "That sounds great, Harry."
They soon finished their dessert and the family headed towards the entrance hall to see Harry off.
"Thank you for inviting me into your beautiful home," Harry said as he stood in front of the floo. Just as he was about to leave, he stepped up to Daphne, gently took her hand, and kissed the back of it. As he held her hand, however, she felt cold metal touching her skin. She looked at Harry's hand and was shocked to see three gold rings on his hand, something she had not noticed before.
"He must have been using a disillusionment charm," she reasoned.
Harry let go of her hand before she could see any details on the rings. He murmured "Goodnight, Daphne," before turning around and walking into the fireplace.
Daphne was too shocked by his actions and seeing his rings to respond. Before she knew it, he had thrown the floo powder down and shouted, "Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office!" In a swirl of flames, he was gone.
Daphne's parents noticed her shocked look. "Are you okay, Daphne?" he said, chuckling. "Have you fallen for him that quickly?" he joked.
Daphne shook her head. "He was wearing three rings! Didn't you see them?"
Jonathan's grin faded immediately. "Are you certain? Three rings?"
Daphne nodded. "I am sure. He must have been using a disillusionment charm and it wore off."
Daphne's mother stepped in front of her. "Did you see what was on the rings?" she asked.
"No, but they were all lordship rings. I am sure," Daphne answered.
Daphne's father began to pace nervously. "Merlin's beard, how is this possible?" he exclaimed.
"What other lordship could he have?" asked Daphne.
"The first 2 lordships must be Potter and Black," her father said. "The third lordship, however, is a mystery to me."
"If he truly has three lordships, he is much more powerful than we originally thought," Daphne's mother said. "He will take three votes away from the dark faction and will add six votes to the light faction. He just tipped the balance of power towards the light. Not only that, he has access to the Black, Potter and the other houses fortune as well. He must be one of, if not the richest wizard in all of magical Britain."
Daphne nodded, trying to process it all. "Why did the disillusionment charm suddenly wear off?" she asked to no one in particular.
Daphne's father replied. "I doubt it was an accident. I am confident that he purposely cancelled the charm in order for you to get a glimpse at all three rings. He planned it all before hand," he concluded.
"Merlin, he just played us!" exclaimed Anastasia.
Daphne nodded, deep in thought. She quietly withdrew from the entrance hall and went to her bedroom. She closed the door and sat down on her bed. She drew her knees up to her chest, rested her chin on her knees, and thought about everything that had just transpired.
She had seriously underestimated Potter. Not only was he much more powerful than she had originally thought, he was much more cunning. From the way he responded to her questions, it appeared that he knew that she wanted answers from him. The way he smirked at her made it seem like he knew exactly what she was thinking…
Maybe he did know what she was thinking! Was it possible that he knew Legilimency? Dumbledore was a master Legilimencer, so it was plausible that he was teaching Potter. Daphne had let her occlumency shields down that night, not expecting anything from Potter. He might have been seeing her thoughts the entire night! If so, he knew exactly what she was planning. What a disaster.
She laid back on her bed in frustration. If Potter knew her plans, then she would have to change everything. More worrisome to her, however, was her own reaction to Potter that evening. Her heart had sped up whenever he was near, and she had blushed several times throughout the night. She needed to control herself much better. Too much was at stake, and she could not afford to let Potter win.