A/N: So I joined the Harry/Daphne discord server (and the flowerpot server). Yes, my user is ComboSoilder, I'm wearing a white jacket in my pfp.
Anyways, I read some reviews of the last chapter saying Harry was weak. It was honestly kind of my mistake, because I didn't look at it from a reader perspective. In my head I had the reason why but I don't think I really did a good job showing it, so I'll try to do better with that in the future.
Also, I will soon be returning to work for light duty so I won't have as much time to write. Might be 2 weeks every update but I will try to write as much as I can.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any works by J.K Rowling.
Chapter 10
Jamie Potter was on his way to see Harry when he heard familiar voices of a man and a woman coming down the corridor. He ducked into a corner and began listening.
"What took you so long, Lily? The man asked.
"James. He was making it difficult for me. I had to apparate home to deal with it."
Jamie groaned. He knew those voices. It was Sirius and his mother.
"Does he…does he know?" Sirius asked.
"No. I stuck with the story we agreed on. I'm here to spy on you to get any information about your 'dark activities.'
A snort could be heard from Sirius.
"That idiot was always paranoid. It's a shame that things turned out this way."
"Hmmmm, but we wouldn't be able to have this, would we?" Lily purred.
Jamie squeezed his eyes shut when he began to hear moaning. He wanted to desperately jump out and scream at them, just like all the other times he's heard it.
Oh he knew. He knew for quite some time now.
But he never once had the courage to confront them. He just forced a smile whenever he saw the two of them near each other, trying to desperately pretend that nothing was going on.
It was quite funny too, now that he realized it. He even chuckled inwardly to himself. Here he was, a Gryffindor, unable to gather the courage to confront his own mother and godfather.
"Lily flower…mhm….we should wait…you said we were visiting Harry…"
"Mhmmm…he's a big boy. We can visit him some other time…becauseee…I want you. Now."
Their footsteps started to echo away from him. Jamie let out a sigh of relief and left his hiding spot.
He started feeling a bit off, so he dug into his robes to pull out a small bottle.
"I…should really…stop with this…" he muttered.
But he didn't stop. His hand just automatically started dumping a few of the blue pills into his palm. Jamie hesitated but decided to pop all of them into his mouth nonetheless.
A feeling of euphoria washed over him, as he let out another sigh.
He didn't even notice that he was walking, let alone the redhead that he bumped into.
"Mate, is that you Jamie? Been looking all over for you! "
"Ron?" Jamie asked. "Is that you?"
"Yeah! Now come on! The Jamie Potter fan club is waiting for you!" Ron said excitedly. "Professor McGonagall almost freaked out though, when she found out you were missing. But don't worry! You're the boy who lived! What's she going to do?"
"Nothing." Jamie smirked. "She's going to do nothing. Come on Ron, let's go get these autographs signed."
When they arrived back to their dorms, Professor McGonagall reprimanded Ron but only gave a small warning to Jamie. He just smirked and went back to giving out autographs to his fans.
Being the Boy Who Lived had its perks after all.
It did help him hide that uneasy feeling he held in his stomach for quite some time now.
＊＊＊
Daphne knew that she should've taken him to the nurse straight away. She felt incredibly guilty to the fact that she forgot when all the food started appearing on the table.
When Harry passed out, she managed to catch him before he hit his head on something. The Ravenclaws looked at him in amusement, some of them snickering at his unconscious state.
It was Penelope who was quick thinking enough to run up to their head of house Professor Flitwick, to ask for his help. He only frowned when he saw Harry, but helped levitate him to the hospital wing nonetheless.
Penelope told them she had to help lead the other first years into the dorms, but she'll be back later once she's finished.
Currently, the school nurse, Madame Pomfrey was performing a series of diagnostic spells to figure out what was wrong with Harry. Daphne sat nervously near the edge of the bed, chewing on her fingernails.
"I'm detecting he was recently hit with a knockback jinx and opened up some old wounds," the healer said. "How long ago was this?"
"Before the feast. His idiot brother hit him with it." Daphne answered angrily.
"Who did these stitches?" Madame Pomfrey asked, gesturing to the stitched up wounds on Harry's body.
"I did. A while ago."
That took Madame Pomfrey by surprise. She turned towards Daphne, with a raised eyebrow.
"And when did these wounds appear?
"A couple months ago."
"And how did they appear?"
Daphne hesitated at the question. When Madame Pomfrey saw this, she placed a comforting hand onto Daphne's shoulder.
"Don't worry, dear. Patient healer confidentiality," Madame Pomfrey assured. "I am bound by magic not to reveal anything between my patients and their guardians without their permission."
Daphne pursed her lips before deciding it was alright to tell her.
"It was…duels." Daphne admitted. "He fought a few of them every week. It's how we had enough money to survive."
Madame Pomfrey went back to examining Harry. She began working on a series of spells to begin the mending process. A green glow came from her wand. "That explains it," she muttered. "It's a miracle he's able to even walk. Your handiwork is decent, girl. Primitive, but it's kept him alive long enough. You have the potential to make a fine healer someday."
Daphne's mouth curved into a small smile when she heard that.
"He always said that I should become a healer," Daphne whispered. "He's always been there for me…hasn't he? And now…because I didn't pay attention…"
Tears started to flow from her eyes as she tried to wipe them away.
"Will he be okay, Madame Pomfrey?" Daphne asked hoarsely.
Madame Pomfrey just let out a sigh and finished up with the mending. She then pulled up a seat next to Daphne. "I will be honest with you, girl." She started. "There is more than just the wounds on the outside that is a problem. Although the blood cleansing and replenishing potions that you gave him is helping…"
Daphne tried to deny anything about that but Madame Pomfrey just shot her a glare which shut her up.
"-yes, I know. It's in his system. I can not condone the method of how it was acquired, but it has helped in keeping him alive so I will say no further than that."
"I had to take those…" Daphne mumbled. "The only other choice was leaving him to die. He was struggling to breathe and his body was just…so frail."
"Which brings me to my next point. Have you noticed how often he struggles to breathe at times?"
"Yes, but I always thought that because of our lack of food, which made him weaker. Harry always ate the least out of all of us because he kept insisting we needed it more..."
"Well, that was only a part of it," Madame Pomfrey said. "The main issue here is that the boy is missing a lung."
"…"
"He's missing a WHAT?"
"A lung."
"How could he even be missing a lung?" Daphne practically shouted. "I would've noticed the bl-blood, or e-even an opening!"
"True, you would've," Madame Pomfrey agreed. "But it wasn't removed or injured in a typical manner. The wound inside shows that it was splinched."
"Splin-splinched?"
"Apparation, dear. Has he apparated recently?"
Daphne paused to think. She didn't exactly remember him apparating any time in the last few months. They've been practically side by side most of the time. And the only time they weren't he was with Astoria.
She gasped.
There was one time, when he wasn't with them. Before he met them.
He told her. That was how he got there.
"He did." She whispered. "That's how he got to Diagon Alley. He apparated a year ago."
Madame Pomfrey gave Daphne a pitied look. "I'm afraid there's not much I can do," she said sadly. "A year is too long to fix the splinch and reattach the organ. However…all is not lost."
She stood up and walked towards her desk and pulled out a few papers to begin writing on. "I can; at the very least get him into St. Mungos. They'll be able to regrow a lung, but it will take some time. He can continue to attend his classes here as long as he visits them weekly."
When Daphne heard this, she lowered her head and said quietly. "We can't afford it."
Madame Pomfrey scoffed as she continued writing. "Nonsense, girl. There is a program there that covers it for minors, free of charge. I'm not sure the extent of what your situation is, but you are both still minors."
"We're not."
The healer stopped writing abruptly, and raised her head. She had a puzzled look on her face. "Pardon me?"
"We're emancipated, okay?" Daphne snarked. "The first place I would've taken him would've been the hospital, but we can't pay for it!"
Silence emanated throughout the room. Madame Pomfrey just sat there, thinking.
Daphne watched the woman ponder but eventually she became impatient.
"Madame Pomfrey…" Daphne started. "If there is nothing else that can be done, then will you give me any medicine for him?"
It took a couple seconds for the healer to register what was said.
"Madame Pomfrey?"
"Huh? Oh! O-of course." Madame Pomfrey got up from her seat and began rummaging through a cabinet. She re-emerged with a few bottles in hand and handed them towards Daphne.
"The red ones will be the blood replenishing potions, and as for the yellow ones, they're for both you and the boy." The healer explained.
Daphne tilted her head. "Why would I need it?"
"Supplements dear," Madame Pomfrey answered. "Both of you suffer heavily from malnutrition. However, these aren't replacements for actual food. I want the two of you to start eating better and check in with me every few days. Here, this food regiment will help you."
Madame Pomfrey handed her a book named, 'Healthy Eating for the Witch and Wizard.'
"Any questions?"
Daphne shook her head.
"Good. Now the boy should be waking up soon. Call for me then."
"Okay. Got it."
As she was walking away, Madame Pomfrey turned around to leave a little message. "And I'll see what I can do about the lung," she muttered.
Then, she was gone.
And with that, Daphne was left alone in the ward with just Harry.
She sat there, waiting, looking at his sleeping face. She didn't know how long she sat there. At some point, she felt her eyes start to become a bit wet.
The clock on the wall signaled every second that passed.
Tick
Tick
Tick
Tick
"D-D-Daphne…?"
She blinked. She didn't even realize it, but her hand was cupping his cheek.
Subconsciously, she was brushing his hair.
"Um Daphne…where are we…?"
"Hospital wing," Daphne said softly. "You had me worried, you know?"
And with that, she climbed on the bed and wrapped her arms around him.
"Daphne…what are you….?"
"Don't do that again, Harry. Promise me. Promise me you won't get hurt like that again." Daphne whimpered. "I lov-I…I like…yo-you…alive."
Harry frowned a bit at the last sentence. It sounded a bit jumbled but he thinks he got the gist of it; Daphne wanted him alive.
"I'm sorry for making you worried." Harry muttered, hugging her back. "I-I…Daphne…you know I can't promise that…"
"Just try…please."
She slowly moved away from his body, and placed a hand on his cheek, making him look her in the eyes.
"For me."
The two of them just stared at each. It wasn't until a few minutes later when Harry moved in.
A soft kiss on her cheek.
It was hesitant, but soft nonetheless.
And the first time Harry initiated one.
Sure, they had shared pecks on the cheeks or corners of the mouth, but it was always Daphne who started. This time however, Harry felt it was just right for him to do it.
"I'll do it for you," he said. "I'll get stronger, so you'll never have to see me like this, Daphne. That's a promise."
That earned him a wide smile from Daphne.
At that moment, Madame Pomfrey decided to make herself known.
"How are you doing?"
They turned to see her standing there with her hands on her hips. She had an almost faint nostalgic smile on her face as looked at them.
Daphne looked a bit flushed and she quickly moved to Harry's side, holding his hand.
Harry slowly got up but grimaced. "A bit sore," he said. "What happened, um Madame…"
"Pomfrey," the healer said. "Madame Pomfrey. We have much to discuss, boy."
＊＊＊
Harry was shocked.
Madame Pomfrey explained everything that happened. From his wounds opening to his missing lung.
As she explained, Harry got paler. It was only with Daphne's presence next to him, squeezing his hand, that kept him from having a breakdown.
"So you're saying I'm missing a LUNG?" Harry exclaimed.
"Be thankful it was only a lung."
"Because of that stupid apparation?"
"Yes."
Harry frustratingly rubbed his forehead. It explained why he had such trouble breathing at times, especially during duels.
He knew that he shouldn't have been hit by Jamie's spell earlier. It just wasn't possible. He's been dueling for a year now, his reactions shouldn't have been that slow.
"Your previous wounds were fixable," Madame Pomfrey continued. "The handiwork by your friend there kept you alive. I was able to heal them and relieve some pressure in your bones.
Harry turned over to Daphne who was next to him. He squeezed her hand and gave her a smile, wordlessly thanking her.
"It's nothing, Harry." Daphne whispered. "I'm just glad that you're alive."
Harry turned back to Madame Pomfrey, who was watching the interaction with interest. "What about the lung?" Harry asked. "Is there anything you can do about it?"
Madame Pomfrey grimaced. "Well like I explained to your friend, it's been too long for it to be fixed. And with your financial situation…"
A sigh came from Harry. "So nothing can be done about it."
"I…I wouldn't say 'nothing'. I believe I can find a way for you. But the first order of business is to get your wounds treated and your body back into proper condition. I have informed…Miss Daphne here on how to monitor your health."
Daphne nodded. "Don't worry Harry, I'll help make sure you're back into good condition in no time." She declared.
"And you'll have me, too!"
A new voice came from the hospital wing entrance. Everyone turned to see the voice belonging to Penelope Clearwater.
She strode over to the trio, with a cheerful look on her face. "I'll be there to help as well, Harry. Anything you need, just ask!"
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Penny."
"Shouldn't you be with the rest of the first years?" Daphne asked.
"I had one of the other prefects take over," she shrugged. "They should be taking the tour by now. Come on, finish up here and I'll show you where our dorms are. I even brought the food you saved to bring to your room."
Penelope raised her hand to show a bag she was holding, with all the food they had saved for later.
Harry turned towards the healer inquisitively. "Madame Pomfrey?"
"You're good to go." Madame Pomfrey said. "Just make sure you're consistent with the potions and eating right. I want to see you back here in 3 days to continue treatment."
Harry nodded and slowly got up. He grimaced but was helped up by Daphne.
"Easy, Harry." Daphne muttered. "Take it slow."
Once they were able to make sure Harry was in good walking conditions, they waved goodbye to Madame Pomfrey and left with a couple potions and instructions on using them.
They were on their way headed towards the Ravenclaw dormitory. The castle took Harry and Daphne by surprise. It was filled with moving staircases, disappearing steps, and talking portraits. Penelope just chuckled at their amazed faces.
"Hogwarts is wonderful, isn't it?" Penelope asked. "I know you two haven't had the best introduction to the school, but I hope you'll feel like it's a second home for you as long as you're here. Speaking of home - here we are! Ravenclaw Dormitory!"
They stopped in front of a wooden door, with an eagle shaped door knocker.
It suddenly spoke, with a soft and musical voice.
" Whenever I look up, the sun rises at night, and the moon shines brightly in the day. What am I?"
"Ah!" Penelope exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Would one of you like to answer this?"
"…"
The two of them just stared at Penelope strangely. Penelope looked at them for a minute, before turning a bit red when she realized why.
"Oh! Sorry about that!" She said, rubbing her head sheepishly. "Guess I should explain, huh?"
"Ravenclaw dormitory is unlike the other 3 houses," Penelope explained. "Whilst the others use a password system to enter, ours is a little different. To enter, we are asked a riddle. Usually the difficulty is based on what year you are in, but it seems this one is asking a 5th year level riddle - for me."
"We have to answer riddles?" Harry squeaked.
Daphne lightly punched him on the arm. "Oh shut it. It's only a riddle, Harry. I'll answer it, no problem."
She stepped up towards the door and began pondering.
"Hmmmm…if the sun rises at night but shines during the day…" Daphne mused.
"Space?"
No answer.
"Uhhh a different planet?"
No answer.
Daphne tried a few more answers but never got a response. Penelope could be heard from behind giving out muffled laughs.
Daphne pouted. "Penny! Come on!"
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you," Penelope relented, still chuckling.
She let out a deep breath, and confidently strode up to the eagle.
"The answer…" Penelope started, "is never a straight black and white answer. It's usually one that's more…outside the box. Now, the answer to your riddle…"
"An empire that stretches across the world. It is large enough where its citizens will always experience night and day at the same time."
"Correct. You may enter."
The door swung open to reveal a set of stairs.
Penelope turned around to give them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it," she assured. "It was a 5th year riddle. I wouldn't expect you to be able to answer it. Now come on, let's see your dorms."
They climbed the stairs until they reached the Ravenclaw common room. They found the first years milling around a short old man - presumably Professor Flitwick.
"- and please select a room!" The professor announced. "Rooms will be shared with one other person for the rest of the year, so choose carefully!"
The first years started talking to each other. The girls stood on one side of the room while the boys stood on the other. Groups began to form and deals were being made.
"Come on," Penelope whispered. "Let's go talk to Professor Flitwick."
When they approached Professor Flitwick, he raised an eyebrow in surprise upon seeing them.
"Ah! Miss Clearwater. These are Mr…Harry was it? And Miss Daphne?"
"Yes, sir." Harry and Daphne said nervously.
Professor Flitwick nodded. "Then I bid you welcome to Ravenclaw House. Please head out to find a suitable roommate to share your rooms with."
Harry and Daphne both looked at each other. It was obvious who they wanted to share their rooms with.
"Well…Professor…" Daphne started. "The thing is…we've already decided that we'd be sharing the room."
Daphne motioned to Harry and her, clarifying that they would be sharing a room.
Professor Flitwick's eyebrows furrowed. When it clicked with him, he frowned.
"I'm afraid I would have to highly discourage that," he said. "We advise male and female students not to share rooms, not until the 5th or 6th year at the very least."
"But there are no rules against it, right?" Daphne inquired.
"Yes but…it is highly discouraged for male and female students to share rooms."
Daphne had a dangerous glint in her eyes at this point. "Professor, are you going to stop us?"
Penelope saw the situation beginning to escalate so decided to step in.
"Professor," Penelope started. "We are Ravenclaws, are we not? We're allowed our own rooms because it is to help develop our independence and maturity, is it not?"
Professor Flitwick let out a sigh. "Are you endorsing this, Miss Clearwater? It is highly unusual for first year students to be so adamant about this subject."
"You can trust them, Professor." Penelope confirmed. "They're good kids, sir. If it makes you feel better, I'll even have them next to my room."
Professor Flitwick just glanced back and forth between Harry and Daphne. "Is there something between the two of you that I should know about?" He asked suspiciously.
Harry just clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "No. Sir. Whatever there is, it's between us."
"Well, it's clear that Miss Clearwater here knows more than I do. I am a professor here, if there is anything I need to know, you have my utmost confidence."
This time it was Daphne who interjected. "Well pardon me, professor," she hissed. "But it is our business who to tell. Penelope here knows because she was the first sensible person we've met, and she helped us get onto the train. We do not know you, professor."
They stood in an intense standoff, staring each other down. A few seconds passed until Professor Flitwick spoke up again.
"I can see that I can not deter you…" he said slowly. "Very well. Head off to your room. Miss Clearwater will show you the way."
The two of them felt Penelope grab their arms and begin dragging them away. As they set off towards another flight of stairs, they heard Professor Flitwick' voice calling to them.
"I will find out the truth. Especially what happened…Mr. Potter."
Harry immediately turned around with a snarl on his face, but before he could say anything, he felt Penelope pull him away.
"Don't." Penelope muttered. "He's trying to rile you up. It's how he gets you to spill."
Harry glared at her, before glancing back to look at Professor Flitwick.
He just stood there, with a stoic expression on his face, staring at them.
＊＊＊
When they reached their room, Harry slammed the door shut.
"What the hell was that?" He asked angrily, addressing Penelope.
Penelope had collapsed on a chair in the room. "That… was Flitwick. Our head of house. Ravenclaw house to be more precise."
Harry and Daphne frowned at her statement. "What do you mean by that?" Daphne asked.
"What are some of the Ravenclaw traits?"
Harry and Daphne began pondering. "Well, there's intelligence…wisdom…learning…" Harry mused.
Penelope nodded. "Learning. Ravenclaws always wanted to know. If a mystery is presented in front of them, they will always want to know what it is. And Flitwick is the embodiment of a Ravenclaw. He's going to want to know what happened with the two of you, especially you, Harry."
At this point, Daphne got angry. "Well it's none of his business!" She snarled. "I saw how he looked at Harry when you asked him to float him to the hospital! He's another one of those idiots, except he's trying to get his nose into our business!"
"It's not just him. Other Ravenclaws might as well," Penelope warned. "Some of them are just as curious. There's a rumor going around already that Harry here kidnapped and brainwashed you with his dark magic to be his loyal concubine."
Harry and Daphne snorted. "What's next, I'm actually possessed by Voldemort this entire time?" Harry joked.
Daphne rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't be surprised," she muttered.
Then, Daphne tilted her head, noticing Penelope's reaction. "You didn't flinch when you heard his name."
"Flinch?"
"Voldemort."
Penelope just shrugged. "It's just a stupid name. I never really cared much for the 'he who shall not be named' thing. My dad didn't either, so he raised me not to fear the name of a dead guy."
Daphne grinned when she heard this. "I'm glad we told you then, because I was right that you were a sensible person."
"And as a sensible person, I'm going to tell you guys to start unpacking." Penelope said, crossing her arms. "It's already late enough as it is, and I'd rather head to bed soon."
"Unpack?" Harry asked, frowning. "But we don't have our trunk."
Penelope pointed to a corner of the room, where their trunk seemed to have appeared.
The first year's jaw dropped.
"Magic," Penelope said, smirking at their reaction.
The two of them started unpacking from each compartment of their trunk, as Penelope watched. She had set aside their food and began eating some of their treacle tart.
"Shouldn't you be back in your room?" Harry asked, irritated.
"Nope! I did say on the train I'd be watching over the two of you. By the way, that's a pretty interesting trunk. Quite a lot of compartments there."
Penelope hopped out of the chair and inspected the trunk. Harry and Daphne glanced at each other nervously.
"Yeah, we thought we'd save money by sharing a trunk," Daphne said carefully.
Penelope raised an eyebrow. "A single one? There wasn't any guarantee you'd be sharing a room."
"Leap of faith," Harry shrugged.
Harry and Daphne closed the trunk and began moving their things into the wardrobe in their room. Penelope continued inspecting the trunk, fascinated with the design.
It was until she accidentally pressed one of the locks when Harry and Daphne panicked.
"Wait Penny-" Harry frantically started, trying to stop her.
Before he could finish his sentence, the trunk popped open and a voice could be heard inside it.
"Mama? Papa?"
Astoria popped her head out of the trunk to see the shocked face of Penelope Clearwater.
"You're not my mama." Astoria stated, frowning. "Where's my mama and papa?"
"…"
"…"
Penelope froze. "You two kidnapped a child?" She squeaked.
Astoria looked around the room until she spotted Harry and Daphne. Her face broke into a grin.
"Mama! Papa!" Astoria exclaimed happily, hopping out of the trunk and into Daphne's arms."
Penelope looked at the scene in horror. She slowly got up and began backing away from them.
"Sh-sh-she's your ch-ch-child…?" Penelope stammered.
As Penelope began to back away towards the door, Harry nervously stepped forward, hoping to calm her down.
"Penny…we can explain…" Harry said, nervously. "Just…calm down, okay?"
"I let them share a room…" Penelope muttered, her whole body shaking. "Oh Merlin, they'll be even more…I can't let them…no no no…"
"Penny…just calm down." Daphne said, slowly.
The two sides locked eyes with each other, staring one another down.
It was Penelope who broke first. She quickly turned around and made a beeline for the door.
"HARRY!" Daphne shouted.
"On it!"
With a wave of his hand, the door to their room locked. Penelope immediately reached for her wand but another wave of Harry's hand pulled the carpet out from under her, causing her to stumble over.
"Incarcerous!"
A set of ropes immediately binded Penelope. It was Daphne who shot the spell, her wand already out.
Penelope struggled against the ropes, trying to reach her wand which was tucked all the way into her robes.
"Let me go!" She shouted. "You two can't be sharing a room! I'm not going to be responsible for more mini yous running around!"
Harry just sighed and motioned Daphne to help him. The two of them dragged her onto the chair and forced her to sit down. They looked at her with annoyed looks on their faces, and their arms crossed.
Astoria stood to the side, looking at the scene with curiosity.
"Penny," Daphne started. "You're going to be quiet, and listen to what we have to say. And then you can decide what to do afterwards.
20 minutes later
"Oh."
"Yeah…"
"That…makes a whole lot more sense."
After explaining to her everything that they left out on the train, they untied Penelope.
Currently Harry and Daphne sat on one of the beds, facing Penelope who was on the other. Astoria sat at the table, happily munching on the food they brought back with them.
"So you two are okay with this?" Penelope curiously asked.
The two first years only shrugged. "I don't really mind," Harry said. "Tori's been through a lot. A lot of the time I've had to act more like a father to her so I guess it really doesn't matter if she sees me as that."
Daphne nodded, agreeing with Harry. "It's not like Tori doesn't know," Daphne explained. "We're all well aware of the situation. It's just…even with me, I've always had to act more like a mother to her than her sister. Especially when our parents stopped…spending time with us."
The three of them sat there in comfortable silence, the only sounds were of Astoria happily munching on the food they brought as everyone pondered over what had happened.
It would be Penelope who broke the silence. "You two really are something, you know?" She said softly, giving them a sad smile.
Then, Penelope decided to get up and walk over towards Astoria. Harry and Daphne looked at her curiously, wondering what she's going to do.
"Hi there. You must be Astoria, right?" Penelope asked kindly, extending her hand. "My name is Penelope, but you can just call me Penny!"
Astoria stopped eating for a second and looked at Penelope suspiciously. "You're not going to get my mama and papa into trouble, are you?" She asked, suspiciously.
"Nope! They explained everything to me. They're really nice people so I trust them."
Astoria looked over to Harry and Daphne, silently asking them to confirm this.
Daphne gave her a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay Tori. Penny's a friend."
Upon hearing her pseudo mom's explanation, Astoria broke into a wide grin and grabbed Penelope's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Penny!" Astoria happily said. "My name is Astoria, but you can just call me Tori!"
"Nice to meet you, Tori!"
Harry and Daphne smiled at the interaction. They stood up and walked over, getting ready to see her out. "So I take it you won't tell anyone?" Harry asked.
Penelope put a finger to her chin and pondered for a second before an evil smile crossed her face.
"On one condition."
Harry and Daphne shared a nervous look.
"Condition?" Harry nervously asked.
"…"
Penelope only smirked as she watched the two of them squirm . She kept quiet until Daphne spoke up.
"Penny?"
"Don't think I forgot about the wandless magic," Penelope said, crossing her arms, looking stern. "And the spell you cast, Daphne. You haven't even started your classes and you already know a second year spell. So…"
Penelope slowly stepped forward which caused Harry and Daphne to subconsciously move back.
Then, Penelope broke into a grin.
"As for my condition…I want to tutor both of you!"
＊＊＊
In a dark chamber
A prisoner stood, chained up against the wall. His chamber was dark, and the only sounds he could hear was the sound of water dripping.
Drip
Drip
Drip
He didn't know how long he'd been there.
Was it days? Months? Years?
The chamber was dirty. It stank like something died in there.
Perhaps something has died in the very room he was in.
He didn't know. It was dark. Always dark.
But there were moments when he could see a light.
Yet, those were the moments he dreaded.
The creaking sound of a door opening could be heard, as a light shined into the room.
An old man, who looked as regal as a noble walked in.
"So, has your answer changed?" The old man asked.
"No."
The old man let out a sigh.
"Crucio."
Screams echoed throughout the chamber.
A few minutes later, the chamber became silent again. Then, the old man's voice echoed once more.
"It is quite a shame that you must act like this. You are merely subjecting yourself to unnecessary pain. All you have to do is agree to my request and all of the pain shall go away."
"…"
No answer. The prisoner just hung his head, keeping his eyes closed.
The old man let out another sigh. He reached inside his robes and pulled out a small vial.
"Do you know what this is?"
"…"
"This is the Draught Of Will." The old man continued. "An extremely rare potion that takes away the will of even the strongest of men. It cost me quite a fortune to acquire, as only 5 were ever produced."
The prisoner raised his head when he heard this, with shock filling his eyes.
"As you still refuse to tell me how to remove whatever protection you placed against my imperius curse, we must resort to…extreme measures."
And with that, the old man stepped up and forced the vial down the prisoner's throat. The prisoner frantically struggled, but a hand clapped over his mouth, tilting his head, forcing him to drink the potion.
After a few seconds of struggle, he finally stopped as his eyes began to look dazed. The old man stepped away and asked him once more.
"Will you tell me what I want to know?"
"…"
"…"
"Yes…"
"Everything?"
"Yes."
The old man grinned, as he began to remove the chains that bound the prisoner. He robotically slumped down and stood there staring at his captor emotionlessly.
"Welcome back, Cyrus, my son. Welcome back…to House Greengrass.
A/N: Dun dun dun! A lot is revealed during this chapter. Penelope will be a prominent character in this story, and we'll also begin to be introduced to more characters as we move along. Currently, we are moving into the "mid game."
Also, I did say many, many chapters ago Harry would be paying the price for that apparation. I tried leaving some clues throughout the story about how much trouble he had breathing. But I'm not sure if it was good, so that's up to you guys to decide.
Harry and Daphne will be finally getting a level up! This is where they begin to get stronger, so I'm really excited for that. I know I get a lot of reviews for so much angst and weak Harry, but I think it was a bit necessary. I want their strength to mean something, and I want them to really earn it.
And also, I know everything feels a bit...dramatic. I'm pretty well aware of that lol. I was in theatre class in high school so uh I'll just let that speak for itself. I read a lot of scripts and plays, and they usually were of course very dramatic. Guess I was pretty influenced by those and it's stuck with me.