Author's Note: Thanks for reviewing and reading everyone. Enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter 11: The Chosen Storm

"Doubt before or afterwards, never during."

Arthur Rommelsby, Auror and Winner of the order of Merlin 1st Class, who died saving hundreds from a Dragon attack on the German border.

The dark of the night sky was deepened by the clouds that hung forebodingly over Hogwarts, absorbing what little light that escaped and leaving an eery atmosphere inside the castle. Harry, however, barely noticed as he dashed along corridors towards Dumbledore's Office. His invisibility cloak was over his head and the echoing of his footsteps left several grumbling portrait's in his wake; at the same time, Harry's mind ran even harder trying to think of a way he could leave the school, get to Hogsmeade and help - if needed - then get back without being detected.

Ever since he'd made his summer's resolution and kick-started his training, the idea of sneaking out of Hogwarts to apply everything he'd learnt against the Death Eaters had been growing ever more prominent in his mind. He knew he wouldn't be able to just jump in and save the day, but if he ended up saving just one person from being part of another mournful article in the Daily Prophet, then it would be worth it. The problem was he hadn't counted on the extra protections at Hogwarts this year. The new wards around the school meant you couldn't simply walk in or out of the grounds, and the seven secret passageways were all blocked off. Unfortunately for Harry, Hogwarts was as much the safest place in Britain as it was its most inescapable fortress.

There was a backup plan he'd been working on, Harry thought…but it was risky, and he didn't even know if it would work.

Arriving a few minutes later at the headmaster's gargoyle statue, Harry hoped the password hadn't been changed since their last meeting.

"Fizzing Whizzbees." He said, the sweet irony lost on the stone sentry which twisted as always to reveal stairs that led up to Dumbledore's office. When he reached the top, Harry knocked as hard as he could, recapturing his breath while he waited…but silence was the only answer he received. Harry tried several times before realising Dumbledore wasn't there. Grabbing his map, he whispered I solemnly swear that I am up to no good and scanned Dumbledore's office and quarters. There was no sign of him, here or anywhere else in the castle.

Hermione had mentioned that the Headmaster had been absent a lot recently from meals. Or maybe he already knows and is in Hogsmeade waiting for the attack, Harry thought. Yet, somehow Daphne had seemed confident that the attack was unexpected. Not for the first time, Harry wondered who her source was, but was distracted when he saw Filch heading down a corridor nearby.

He descended the stairs two at a time and ran in the opposite direction. What now? McGonagall? Surely, both her and Dumbledore wouldn't be gone at the same time. He thought about contacting Remus to check on what the order was doing, but he'd left his mirror back in Gryffindor and by the time he made his way across to Gryffindor tower he might be too late. Moving fast, as Filch was closing in, Harry headed in the direction of the first floor where Mcgonagall's office and quarters were.

This time as he sped through the castle, Harry was momentarily distracted by a loud crack of thunder from outside that sounded like a cannon had been fired from not so far away. It was even so loud that the figures in paintings ducked behind shelters afraid it might affect them as well. When he reached Mcgonagall's quarters, he knocked hard hoping she was in. When he heard footsteps approaching the door on the other side, relief gave way to panic as he didn't have an excuse as to why he knew about the attack and why she should believe it.

"Potter?" The stern professor said as she pulled the door open, wrapping a dressing gown around her. "What on earth are you doing out of bed so late?"

"I, um…" he squeezed out between pants, "I…had another vision professor, like last year with Mr Weasley. Only this time, Voldemort was telling his people about an attack on Hogsmeade….tonight." He added the last word as if putting the cherry on the cake.

"Gosh, are you sure it's-."

"-Real," he supplied. "Yes, professor. As real as last year. I tried going to professor Dumbeldore's office, but he wasn't there."

"Well, no. The headmaster is travelling." She said, considering Harry as if wondering whether his information was accurate or not. But a moment later she nodded, "Alright, Mr Potter. Thank you for telling me, I will relay this to the Order and the Ministry. Now off back to bed." As soon as she'd dismissed him she closed the door, and Harry heard the distinct sound of her fire kindling in preparation to use the Floo network.

Now that he'd warned the order, Harry headed for the upper parts of the castle. It was a long shot the attack would happen tonight and an even longer shot that he could make it off the grounds at all, but he knew he would do whatever he could to be there all the same.

Estimating Filch would have locked the entrance door, he headed upwards to the only place he could think that allowed him privacy from inquisitive portraits, as well as a way to escape. The door creaked open to reveal a dark silence and a largely empty Owlery; most of its residents appeared to be out hunting at this time, and those who were left, slumbered similarly to the Headmaster's portraits, with one eye cracked half-open and ears curled inquisitively. At least these couldn't tattle on him, Harry thought, wiping the sweat from his brow and pulling off his cloak.

By now the sky was an imperious black, and the bangs of overhead thunder as it rumbled and shook the night could be heard echoing around the valley. The wind was also pouring through the Owlery and as Harry went out to the ledge to face the bleak conditions, he began to think this was not a good idea. Too late to change now, he resolved, worrying that if something was going to happen in Hogsmeade, it would happen soon.

Climbing up onto a ledge, he struggled to gain his balance, then crouched down.

Okay, Harry… you can do this, you can do this, you can do this… He whispered to himself as much as to the night air, which howled back obliviously.

What had Mcgonagall said? Deliberation, Determination and Destination…Remember your full form, Harry thought; picture it, conjure what you want to be…And just like recalling a spell, Harry began to change his form as he knew he could. Shrinking down to a hawk, he felt the full force of the wind, fearing if he'd open his wings he'd be carried away. Snapping his talons onto the edge, his heart started dashing adrenaline round his body…Oh, this was such a good idea, Harry. Really brilliant! Hermione will kill you if you survive this!

…Ready or not, his body awaited the penultimate steps: transforming the mind and the head. Having no shortage of fresh air, Harry took a deep breath, closed his eyes and pictured the hawk from his vision; how it had flown effortlessly through the sky, cawed majestically and commanded its every movement with the most elegant of precision as it graced the deep sky… He remembered the connection and the pure exhilaration that crashed through his heart upon learning he could transform into a hawk for the first time. And channelling that deep desire he'd dreamed of for so many months now, he conjured his magic and willed with all his might, his heart all but shooting the blood around his body as he pleaded with it to become what he needed to, what he knew he could…

The next thing he knew, Harry needed to let out a call, a cry like he'd never known before and opened his mouth to be greeted with a great and powerful screech. He opened his eyes and saw as if for the first time, his eyesight ridiculously sharp.

YES! I've done it! Harry all but yelled in his mind, leaping into the air. However, he hadn't counted on his need to use his talons to grip the ledge and tried to scratch his way back to balance...but too late. Another large gust of wind pelted him from the side and he slipped over the edge.

Before he knew it, Harry was several feet down and falling fast, scrambling to regain some semblance of control. He could hear himself screeching instead of screaming, as he tried righting himself. Acting on instinct, Harry spread his wings and the most amazing sensation occurred in which he was caught by the wind and thrown faster than he could handle along its current. He was rocketing so fast he didn't even realise he was still in a downward dive. Panicking he tried flapping his wings to no avail. The ground was so close now, the tips of trees within reach. He thought this would be it, his heart hammering so fast it felt like one long beat. Then an idea struck as if from lightning above, and he angled his tail and just barely pulled up in time, his talons stroking the blades of grass near the Whomping Willow where he slowed and landed safely.

Harry took a second to catch his breath and absorb nature's will with all his new senses…before erupting.

YEAH HA! He yelled laughing at the same time, even though it actually came out as a loud screech that got carried away by the wind. That was too close! He thought with no small amount of relief. At the same time, it was overridden by the fact that he was now a hawk and could transform when he wanted. A loud thunder cracked the sky from above, grounding Harry anew and reminding him of his goal for tonight.

He flapped his wings and took off, managing to keep himself balanced at a low altitude as he observed a few speckled lights dotted all over Hogwarts, the only stars offered by tonight's sky. Then and with no small amount of difficulty, no thanks to the blustery weather, angled himself in the direction of the only other light source on the horizon, Hogsmeade.

Even though his Hawkeyes weren't anywhere near as good at night as they would be during the day, he could still see a lot better than normal and was able to discern that the town looked relatively normal. As he closed in, he felt a strange washing sensation in mid-air as if passing an invisible barrier. Realising that must have been the wards from Hogwarts, Harry mentally smiled, unsure if he was able to do so whilst in hawk form.

Just as the first few specks of rain touched his feathers, he drew closer and landed not so gracefully on the roof of one of the buildings in the middle of Hogsmeade. The village looked as deserted as he'd expected at this time of night, a few lights scattered among the houses and, of course, the lights and merriment from the Three Broomsticks served as the town's bright star. Scanning the streets with his hawk's eye, Harry still wasn't able to see anyone hiding in the shadows. If McGonagall had warned the Order of the Phoenix or even the Ministry and they were here, then they were doing a good job concealing themselves.

Over the next hour, the rain slowly increased in ferocity, Harry managing to gain cover under a small alcove next to the chimney. He'd lost all sense of time, by this point but guessed it was somewhere close to midnight when Madam Rosemerta kicked the last few stragglers out.

"Ger'off with ya." She said playfully as she saw them out, locking the door behind her.

Barely a handful of souls had wandered the streets since he'd arrived, all of whom - including these last few - made haste to their houses. It was just when he was starting to consider that Daphne had either been wrong or lied to him, that he caught a brief flicker of movement at the far end of the town. He couldn't be sure through the haze of the downpour but he could have sworn he'd seen the darkness moving.

It was then, that all hell broke loose. Too many dark-robed figures to count apparated at different spots along the street and immediately started firing curses at the nearest building, intent on causing as much damage as possible. A second later, a small handful of blue-robed Aurors rushed out of a building next to the Three Broomsticks; Harry spied Mad-eye Moody among them barking orders and waving his wand aggressively. One of the Death Eaters, called out to the rest, rallying them to focus on the Aurors. The two sides engaged in the rain, spells rocketing like fireworks back and forth across the street as lightning flashed above. Not wasting any time, Harry dropped to the ground and reverted out of his Animagus. He then tossed his cloak over him, making sure his hood was up to cover his face and drawing his new wand, cast a glamour charm he'd practised to blur his features.

Scanning the street from the safety of the alleyway, he first thought he'd approach the Death Eaters from behind and start stunning some when he noticed the one who'd been directing them had broken off with a few others; however unlike the rest, he wasn't wearing a mask, with thick dark hair coating his face like ash and eyes that pierced the air around him, Harry recognised Antonin Dolohov. The last time Harry had seen him in the Department of Mysteries, Dolohov had bested Moody and would have killed him if not for Sirius.

Dolohov and a few Death Eaters sent destructive spells at houses, setting fire to some, before approaching the door of one house, blowing it off its hinges and entering. Mad-eye and the Aurors had their hands full and would certainly not be able to intercept them. He could hear faint screams through the sound of the rain beating the ground and before he knew it, he was sprinting across the muddy street.

By the time he reached the door, the window lit up from the inside as a few spells were exchanged. Another scream shook the air, much louder this time, and mixed with an unmistakable sound of cackled laughter. Gripping his wand, Harry sent a stunner at the lone Death Eater who had remained just outside. Without knowing what had hit him, he buckled striking the drenched ground like a sack of potatoes. Harry quickly bound him and banished him out into the street.

Poking his head into the house, he could see a man curled protectively over a woman on their knees in front of several Death Eaters, both crying out in pain. Harry could feel his blood boil and he was about to move in when he saw another one coming down the stairs gripping a young boy, no older than six, wand at his throat. The boy had a far away look in his eyes and seemed completely unaffected by everything around him.

"Let's see what we can make the little half-blood do to his muggle-loving parents." The returning Death Eater jeered, digging his wand into the boy's neck so hard he drew blood.

"Bring him to me," Dolohov said in a twisted snarl as he spat at the parents.

Harry had seen enough. The boy and his captor were closest to him so he aimed his most powerful stunner point-blank at the Death Eater. It flew from his wand with haste and struck the Death Eater unaware. Harry realised he must have put a lot of emotion into it, as his target flew backwards into the wall, dropping the boy. Harry sprung forward and caught him before he hit the floor, but in doing so his cloak fell off, revealing him framed like a silhouette in the doorway.

The next few split seconds passed painfully slow, Dolohov's face contorting from glee to rage as he span and aimed his wand at him. Harry raised a shield with his free hand and clutched the boy tighter in his other, but out of the corner of his eye saw the familiar green killing curse fly from Dolohov's wand. Harry swung the boy out of the way and hoped the spell would miss when he saw the father leaping into its path.

"NO-" The man yelled but was cut off as his body took the spell and he hit the floor with a dull thud, lifeless eyes staring at his son. A flash of Harry's father entered his mind and as the mother let out a deafening scream, Harry shot a spell he couldn't even name.

Whatever it was, struck the floor near Dolohov before he could raise a shield, spraying chunks of wood and dust around the room and flinging the Death Eaters back. The mother shot forward and Harry swiftly handed the boy off to her. She didn't look back as she took off through the door, still wailing. Harry managed to raise a shield charm to cover them, but Dolohov, enraged, emerged through the dust and fired a curse at the front door.

A powerful blast shook the whole house throwing Harry several feet across the adjacent room and into a cabinet, covering him in a blizzard of debris. When he came to, he could barely discern that the entire front of the house was missing. Dolohov and the remaining Death Eater appeared out of the dust, stalking towards him.

Without thinking, he scrambled through another door just as a spell impacted the outline his body had left on the floor. Harry threw up a shielding charm, but it was quickly exhausted by an onslaught of spellfire.

"Avada Kadavra!"

"Confringo!"

His wand was a blur of movement as he blocked what he could, dodged what he couldn't and fired back in between.

Reducto! Stupefy!

Still, the Death Eaters bore down on his position.

Then from out of nowhere someone shouted, "Dolohov!" A hooded figure dressed in all black dragonhide leapt through the exposed front of the house and started barraging the Death Eaters with curses. Taking the momentary distraction, Harry threw a stunner at the other Death Eater who deflected it and laughed before throwing some of his own in return.

"Avada Kadavra! …Crucio!"

Reducto! Relashio! Harry replied, counter firing a battery of rapid curses at the Death Eater who raised a shield in time. He saw Dolohov cackling maniacally as he pushed his new opponent back and slid outside. The Death Eater in front dodged Harry's stunner, then as he whipped his wand to shout-,

"Avada-"

"Fulgari!" Harry shouted first, thick ropes being conjured out of thin air, binding the Death Eater's hands and legs to the floor, the rest of the killing curse dying on his lips. He went to scream for help, but Harry's stunner to the face cut him off before he could, his body flopping backwards awkwardly.

Leaping over him, Harry arrived in time to see his ally hurriedly dodging a torrent of curses from Dolohov, who appeared to be enjoying himself.

"Dance little puppet…CRUCIO!" Dolohov spat like a rabid animal.

His ally froze. Harry raise his wandless hand instinctively, quickly thought 'Accio' and summoned his ally out of the way, just as the purple curse flew past the spot where they were standing. He then channelled his magic and launched a variety of quick-fire spells at the Death Eater whose shield absorbed them, - all except a cutting spell which ripped through, slicing his leg.

"Argh." Dolohov grimaced in pain. He had a murderous look in his eyes, Harry noted and quickly cast his strongest shield, while his partner threw an orange curse Harry had never seen. Dolohov narrowly sidestepped, the tip of his wand becoming a dark crimson and a flood of flames shot from its tip, whipping around him as he brandished it in the direction of the house. Not even the downpour could touch the power of the fire as its brute strength devoured everything in its path. Harry's shielding charm barely covered the two of them, flames seeming to leap across the house around them. A momentary gap in the fire showed several Death Eaters had joined Dolohov.

"Upstairs," his ally said, taking the steps two at a time. Scooping up his cloak from the floor, Harry sprinted after them, the fire singing his hair. The last thing he heard of Dolohov, the fire somehow elevating his twisted voice, was the words "Finish them!"

"REDUCTO!" He heard several voices shout.

Harry sprinted into the back most room where his ally, was ready to shield behind him.

"Forget about it-," he went to yell but was stopped by a mammoth explosion that launched them out the window. Something stabbed him hard in the stomach, but before he could think he was propelled further and fell another few metres onto the sodden ground. His ally landed near him with a groan as still flaming bits of rubble showered them and the surrounding houses. An earsplitting ringing was all Harry could hear for a few seconds. He shook his head just as the ringing lessened only to hear-

"Check the Alley!" Someone had yelled. Harry quickly rolled on top of his companion just as they were coming too and threw his cloak over them.

"-Harry?"

"-Daphne?" He said staring into the unmistakable blue eyes of Daphne Greengrass, their faces only a few inches apart. There was dirt and scratches on her cheek. Harry knew he didn't look much better.

"What the hell are you doing?" She said irately, but Harry covered her mouth. Footsteps were approaching from the alleyway they'd fallen into.

"Invisibility cloak," he whispered.

"Did they make it out?" One of the Death Eaters asked peering through the darkness of the back alley, the flames from what was left of the house being quelled by the rain.

"What have I got, X-ray eyes. Go an' check back there!" The other replied, pointing to the place where Daphne and he had fallen. She shifted beneath him, getting her wand ready when she accidentally poked his side, causing Harry to hiss in pain.

"Did you hear that?" One of them said, scanning the area with his wand aloft, the light from it acting as a spotlight in the darkness.

Looking down, both of them saw a large piece of glass sticking out of Harry's side. Blood was dripping from it and onto Daphne. Her eyes widened, and Harry had to cover her mouth again to stop her from gasping aloud.

"Anything?" The other asked. The Death Eater was now inches from where the two of them lay. So much so errant rain splashing off the Death Eater was landing on his cloak. Harry mimed for Daphne to take the other one. She nodded and aimed her wand just out of the bottom of the cloak, this time careful not to touch the glass sticking out of him.

Harry spoke soundlessly, One, two, three…

Simultaneously, they sent stunners at their targets. The one by Harry's feet fell instantly, not expecting a stunner from the floor in front of him. The other span around in time to see Daphne's stunner as it sped through the rain and hit him full in the chest, knocking him down and out.

They turned and looked into each other's eyes, her wet brown hair clung to her face as she let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close," she said breathlessly.

"Yeah." He replied still only inches apart. "Are you alright?"

"Me?" She replied disbelievingly. As if in response, Harry's side gave another jolt of pain.

"Argh!" He couldn't help but wince, the pain bringing reality back with a bite. Rolling off of her and onto the floor, Harry saw blood surrounding his wound.

"Merlin, Harry," Daphne said, as she erratically began running her wand over his wound. "What were you thinking, coming out here?" You were supposed to tell Dumbledore!"

"Well, I guess I was thinking,…" he said between pants of pain, "…something along the same lines as you…Daphne." This was the first time he'd called her by her name and their eyes caught for a second before she shook her head in disbelief.

"I didn't tell you so you could go and play hero, Potter. I told you so you could raise the alarm." He met her accusation with a grunt, the piece of glass felt like fire slicing at him from the inside. "Sorry, I'm going to have to take it out." She said, "I'll numb the area first, but as soon as I've vanished the glass, put your hands over it to stem the bleeding while I try healing it."

"Okay," was all Harry could think to say… "Wait, have you done this before?"

"Well, not like this, no." She said truthfully, "but if you'd like I could go and get an Auror-."

"-No. No Aurors… You try first…if you wouldn't mind." Harry said having to concede, especially with his head beginning to feel foggy.

"Okay, one, two, three." She vanished it, and somehow the pain amplified. He could feel blood running out of him, drenching his clothes more than the rain was and he had a hard time not crying out. A dirty puddle greeted his head as his vision began to swim. He watched Daphne muttering to herself while waving her wand over the wound. Harry suddenly felt oddly numb, like sleep was a blanket waiting to comfort him.

The next thing he knew, Daphne was shaking him.

"Potter? Harry?" She said worriedly, cradling his upper body.

Casting his eyes around, he saw there was no more blood left on his clothes or on him, and the skin had sealed itself where the wound was. However, a nasty scar was in its place and Harry didn't have to touch it to know it was still deeply raw.

"Can you move?" Daphne seemed to be asking him.

"Um, yeah," he replied groggily, bringing movement back to his legs. "What happened?" Looking around he recognised the alley they were in, the rain had eased so that the after drops from buildings and nearby trees were all they could hear.

"You passed in and out for a few minutes while I worked the healing spell. It'll do until we get back to the castle."

"Right," he said, relieved he wasn't still bleeding, "thanks."

"Thank me later, Potter. For now, we have to get out of here." She said, hoisting him up. The pain was still substantial, but at least he could stand, his head having lost some of its fogginess.

"Can you walk?" She asked tentatively.

"I think so," he said, but she gripped him around the waist to steady him, which after a few tentative steps, he was grateful for. Peering down the alley they saw a mass of blue-robed Aurors streaming along Hogsmeade putting out fires that had resisted the rain, repairing damage and rounding up the captured Death Eaters.

As they were scanning the scenes, Daphne said, "Dolohov's not with them….He must have got away…" Harry watched her as she stared off into space and sighed. Then in the next second was back with him. "Let's go," she said, taking the lead and indicating the opposite direction to the town. Before they left, Harry bound the two Death Eaters for the Aurors to find.

They were just on the outskirts of the village when Daphne stopped them. Harry was still leaning on her, but his side hurt a lot less than before.

"Do you think you can make it until we get back to school?" She asked, "-once we're there, I can patch you up."

"Yeah, I think so," Harry replied, attempting not to sound too weak, although of no doubt that it came out far more feebly than he wanted.

"Good. Now, can you apparate, Potter?"

That took Harry by surprise. Surely she wasn't going to try to apparate into Hogwarts. "No, not yet. But we can't get back in like that anyway-."

"-Yes, I figured that one out for myself," she replied sarcastically. "Well, to save time and you walking, I can try and apparate us both."

It took a few seconds before Harry was able to figure out where she was going. "Wait, you must have found a secret way to get in and out of Hogwarts, -one that will get us through the wards?"

"I do, providing you don't tell anyone that is." She said looking at him pointedly.

"I don't think our little adventure here is something I'll be telling the school about if that's what you mean."

Daphne pursed her lips, clearly indicating it wasn't, but said nothing more. "Take my hand," offering hers. "Have you at least side-along apparated before?"

"Yes, this summer with Dumbledore…Have you taken someone by side-along apparition before?" He said, already taking her hand.

"Not technically…But first time for everything." She said and winked.

"-wait." Then before he knew it, Harry was spinning on the spot and being condensed through a small dark tube. He felt like the air in his lungs was being compressed, his body merely yanked along for the ride. And then in the next second, his feet met a forested floor and he took in a deep breath of relief.

"See, no big deal." She said, in a slightly relieved tone herself, letting go of his hand. Despite his body still tingling, feeling like he'd just been squeezed through and then shot out of a tiny canon, Harry would be lying if he said he didn't relish the thought of her hand in his. "Can you walk by yourself?" Her question pulling him back to reality. He nodded and she walked forward towards a large tree and began waving her wand.

Harry opened his mouth to ask how close they were to the wards when he was distracted by a strangely familiar sensation. Not unlike the tingling sensation leftover from apparating, the hairs on Harry's neck stood up and he realised he could feel a buzzing in the air. He recognised it as the same buzz created only by a dense concentration of magic. Over the last few months, he'd gotten used to feeling it radiate like heat from a flame around Hogwarts, but until now he hadn't been close enough to the wards to feel them where, like an invisible barrier, they hung in mid-air pulsing with magic. He held his hand out to touch it when-,

"Potter," Daphne said, interrupting his thoughts, "-It's here." Indicating to the tree she'd been casting spells over. Approaching her side, he stared at the very average, innocuous, same as every other looking tree, wondering what she was on about. Then, with a smirk, she waved her wand in front of it and the tree began to twist and split in two right before his eyes until a small gap had opened large enough for someone to step through onto the other side. The tree, Harry realised, sat right along the line of the invisible wards.

"Coming?" Daphne said, stepping through.

Following her, he was unsurprised when the same faint feeling, as if being pulled through a thin layer of steadfast water, that had occurred when he left Hogwarts, didn't happen. Evidently, the wards couldn't go through the tree as long as it was standing in their way.

"Amazing," Harry said, with a burning question on his lips that almost made him forget about his fatigue. "But how did you find out about it?"

"What makes you think I didn't create it, Potter?" She said, waving her wand again and closing the gap. The tree reformed and stood there just like every other, completely inconspicuous once more.

"Well...I, er., I guess you could have," he stuttered.

Daphne laughed, rolling her eyes. "So easy, Potter…My mother told me." She offered no other information and headed on towards a clearing Harry recognised as a patch of forest on the other side of the lake.

They walked around in silence, keeping close to each other, hugging the shore path and listening to the water splash calmly. The rain clouds had moved along leaving a lonely silence that contrasted the night's events as light to dark. So much had happened, Harry reflected, and he'd accomplished so much. Yet, his happiness at being able to take down a few Death Eaters and help a boy and her mother came crashing down when he remembered the father's life being snatched away to protect his son. The mother's screams echoed in his ears as if sweeping across the black lake. Harry wasn't sure if it was the screams of his own mother or the boy's he just saved.

"Potter?" Daphne said concernedly, stopping the two of them. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," the pain in his side was resurging without the adrenaline to numb it and his head was getting lighter with every step; though, he thought that had little to do with the sickness in his stomach. "Just a little faint."

Wordlessly, she wrapped her arm around his waist, allowing him to lean on her and they continued on. As soon as they were within reach of the castle, Harry pulled out his Invisibility cloak and covered them under it. It didn't quite touch the floor, but it afforded enough cover for them to make their way undetected. As they walked, Harry couldn't help but feel a little hot underneath his cloak with Daphne's body pressed comfortingly against his side, their faces so close together he could almost smell her hair. Despite everything they'd survived tonight, a thought struck Harry making him smirk involuntarily.

"Something amusing, Potter?" Daphne asked, eyeing him sceptically.

"No. Well...kinda. I was just thinking of Ron's face if he could see us so close together…-He'd think you'd slipped me a love potion." He replied unable to avoid smiling. Daphne's face remained impassive.

"The entirety of Slytherin house would have no doubt it was the other way around." She said pulling slightly away from his body and leaving a distinct absence. Leading them past the locked front entrance and around the castle wall for several minutes, she stopped in front of a small alcove. Pulling them close to it, she whispered, 'Pureblood' whilst poking a brick with the tip of her wand. Somehow without moving, the brinks materialised seamlessly into a small okay door.

"Slytherin Secrets, Potter." She offered in the way of explanation to his look surprise. Harry thought of the Chamber of Secrets and said 'You've no idea', under his breath. The door opened into a tiny broom closet. As soon as they were both inside, the door disappeared again to leave a dusty old cupboard in its stead.

This castle has more mysteries than a box of every flavour beans.

Daphne was about to edge the door to the castle open when Harry held her back and pulled out the Marauders map. He hesitated looking at her. By now, he knew she could keep a secret, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to reveal something so personal as the map was to him. Unfortunately, he didn't have much choice as they couldn't afford to run into Filch or a Teacher, and over the course of the night, she had earned at least a portion of his trust. He whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" and tapped the paper. Daphne's scepticism turned to surprise as the empty piece of parchment in Harry's hand suddenly morphed into a working map of the school she knew so well.

To her equally questioning look, Harry simply said, "Marauder Secrets." She seemed too stunned to even ask what that meant and scanned the map with interest. Harry noticed Filch was nowhere to be seen and wouldn't impede them on their way to the seventh floor. Opening the door and making sure they were still concealed, he led her silently up to the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy.

"Where are we going?" She whispered, cautious of the slumbering portraits in earshot. "There's no unused classroom's this way."

"You'll see." He said and walked three times in front of the blank bit of wall when they arrived. After a few moments, the door appeared like it always did, and Harry led her in.

Removing his cloak, he saw the room had provided them with an intimate seating area in front of a fireplace, which he hastily lit, and a cabinet full of what looked like old medical supplies and books. At the sight of the couches, Harry sank into one as if he were plunging into the black lake. Daphne meanwhile, dirt still clinging to her face, was taking in the room, mouth agape.

"So this must be the room you were using for your meetings when Umbridge and Malfoy interrupted last year." She said, the tone of wonder unmistakable in her voice. "You're full of secrets, aren't you, Potter."

Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud: after everything that had happened tonight, from finally transforming into his hawk Animagus to flying and escaping Hogwarts, to fighting Death Eaters, saving a little boy and his mother, being thrown out of an exploding building, stabbed, then saved and sneaking back into Hogwarts, all culminating in his current situation with Daphne Greengrass in the room of requirement, it was by far that last one that was the craziest. Everything else, he'd been building towards, working so hard to achieve. It was his goal, his drive, his passion never to let anyone be treated like he had; to always do whatever he could to help the people in need, that had placed him down this precarious, yet predictable path a few months ago. Never in a million years would he have thought that would mean he'd be with Daphne Greengrass of all people right now…and that he'd enjoy being with her in a way that both scared and exhilarated him at the same time…"Yeah, well…both of us have enough to go round, I guess." He said finally.

She turned to face him and came slowly over to where he was lying. "Pull your hoody up so I can take a look at it." Harry obeyed, displaying the scar the wound had left on his torso. Her hands touched his skin and sent fireworks round his body that had nothing to do with the pain. He simply observed her as she muttered a spell under her breath and waved her wand delicately over the area. It started to tingle again, this time with relief, the scar slowly becoming visibly fainter. In the quiet, a burning question came to Harry's mind, but Daphne beat him to it.

"-You were brilliant out there tonight….The speed at which you could fight and move and shield…I couldn't even hold my own against…" Her fist clenched tightly around her wand like she was imagining ringing someone's neck.

"-Daphne, what were you doing there tonight?" She flashed a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. "You wanted me to tell Dumbledore and get help, which I did. - So what reason did you have for going there?" When she didn't answer, he tried guessing. "Does it have something to do with Dolohov?"

She stood abruptly, her spell work finished."…Well, it's not perfect,…but it's the best I can do.- It'll probably be raw for the next week, so if you can get some essence of dittany, you should recover quicker," she said assuredly. Their eyes met for a fleeting second, green seeking blue, the unanswered question floating like an ocean separating them.

"You can get back to Gryffindor, I take it." When he nodded, she turned to leave.

"And thanks," was all he could think to say while sitting up and stretching his stomach, realising it was a lot better, "…for er-, you know, saving my life."

She smirked, then let it go into a smile, "thanks right back at you. I would have been on the floor under a Crucio when that fire hit if not for you….I totally froze….-You know that family…they would have died as well had you not been there."

"-The dad still did," Harry said morosely, the man's unmoving eyes seared into Harry's memory forever.

"You can't save everyone, Potter." She said, and a shadow crept over her eyes for a split second. Shaking it off, she walked towards the door.

After everything they'd just been through, Harry couldn't think of anything more to say... "Goodnight, -Daphne."

She paused with her hand on the doorknob. "Goodnight, Harry," she said over her shoulder, then sped off, the door closing with a heavy thud of finality after her.

Harry flopped back on the couch again, the night's events tumbling like an avalanche down the mountain of his mind. What a night. What a crazy, unpredictable night. Was this how his father, Sirius and Remus felt after an evening spent on a Marauder adventure? I bet they didn't involve Death Eaters, flights of freedom, secret entrances and allies not even he could explain. What was he thinking, this was his father and Sirius, of course, they did.

After a few minutes, Harry made it to his feet grabbed his cloak and grudgingly began the walk up to Gryffindor tower. On the climb, a panoply of questions fought for dominance in his mind: what was Daphne hiding and why did she want to fight Dolohov so bad? How many people had been hurt in Hogsmeade? Had anybody noticed his absence?

Thankfully the latter of his questions was answered when he got through the portrait hole to discover a dark, empty common room. Up in his bedroom, Harry found the boys all asleep, apparently oblivious to his evening outing. Ron was muttering something about the quaffle being a monster and Neville shuffled around in his sleep. Harry sunk into bed and embraced the warm dry blankets, hoping sleep would find him soon. After everything that had happened tonight, he could really use the rest…if only he didn't have his first quidditch match of the season tomorrow.