Paid In Blood - REVISED (Originally by Zaterra02)

by FrostyTheDopeMan

An aged Dark Lord Harry Potter sends his soul and that of his most loyal friend back in time to prevent multiple tragedies. This time, he won't be forgiving everybody who wronged him. 4th Year AU. Zaterra02's fanfic, rewritten to correct grammar & language issues.

7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Harry, his eyes snapping open as he violently woke from his nightmare. He sat up in the bed, hyperventilating and clutching his chest, his body drenched in a cold sweat. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and he had tears running down his cheeks.

Dobby popped next to the bed, looking concerned.

"Master, what's wrong?" the elf asked, and Harry waved his hand dismissively, signaling that everything was fine.

"I don't believe you, Harry," replied the elf, crossing his arms. "Which one was it?"

"Christmas Day, 2006," Harry replied, his voice ragged and sorrowful. Dobby lowered his head in regret.

"And Christmas Day, 2012."

"Both?!" sighed Dobby.

"I hate Christmas..." Harry whispered, clenching his fist into a ball. His eyes were wild and unfocused, as if he was staring off into the void. "I'll kill them all. I'll destroy everything they hold dear. I'll break them down into nothing, I'll torture them to the very threshold of insanity, and only then will I kill them," he hissed, more to himself than to Dobby, who had no reply. Dobby shared his master's anger, and completely understood and agreed with everything Harry had said.

"They took everything from me. From us."

"You know I'll help you, but it's still too soon," replied Dobby. At the sight of his master's glare, he continued, "It's your own plan, Master. It was your idea to wait for the perfect moment."

"I'm tired, Dobby. I'm tired of pretending. Every time I see the two of them in classes, I have to hold myself back from killing them on sight. Just the sight of them makes me want to throw my entire plan out the window, rip Oberon limb from limb, and gut Titania like the pig she is. They took them away from me, Dobby, both of them..."

Dobby didn't reply. He just stood there, listening to his master's rant.

"Why, Dobby?" Harry sobbed, hiding his face in his hands. Dobby walked to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder, then snapped his fingers and conjured a table with a bottle of firewhisky and a glass sat on top. The bottle hovered in the air a moment, then tipped its contents into the glass until it was full, before settling again on the table.

"Drink up," said Dobby, giving Harry the full glass. Harry threw it back and finished half of the glass in two gulps, then set down the glass and lowered his head again.

"I know," Dobby said, "Just give the order and I will bring them here in chains. No one would ever find their bodies." Harry looked at Dobby, seeing his determined look and the loyalty lying beneath it. "However, you had a plan that you wanted to follow in order to destroy them completely. I believe your words were..."

"Death would be too easy for them," replied Harry, and Dobby nodded. Harry's posture sagged as the tension left him. Harry knew his friend was right - he needed to stick to the plan. "I hate those dreams," he sighed.

"I can imagine," the elf replied.

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said, raising his glass in a salute before finishing his drink. He stood from the bed and walked over to the desk.

"Do you require anything else, sir?"

"No, thank you Dobby," Harry replied, and the loyal house-elf popped away. Harry sat down at the desk and rested his head on his knuckles, deep in thought. With a sigh, he picked up his wand and pulled a familiar memory from his head and placed it in the basin. Shedding a tear, Harry took a deep breath and went into the Pensieve.

~BREAK~

Daphne walked into the Great Hall side-by-side with Tracey. Being a weekend, Millie and Pansy had decided to sleep in a little later today, as did all the boys. Not that the other girls minded, since it was still two hours before they could leave for Hogsmeade.

To their surprise, they found Harry already sitting at the Slytherin table. There were a handful of students from the other years sitting in small groups, but Harry was by himself, quietly buttering a piece of toast.

"Couldn't sleep with all excitement?" started Tracey, making Daphne groan. Harry looked up at the girls, his steely expression almost immediately disappearing when he saw them, replaced by a weary look.

"Nightmares," he replied, before turning back to his toast.

"What about?" asked Tracey, picking up some toast herself. Daphne discreetly looked Harry over, and she took note of the dark circles around eyes and his slightly drooping posture.

"Death," replied Harry, and the two girls briefly looked at each other in silent conversation. This was a side of Harry Potter neither of them had seen before, and there was clearly something wrong with him. Tracey just stared at him, lost for words, while Daphne decided to try a different tactic.

"Aren't you a joy to be around, today?" Daphne said, as she was moving to take a drink from her cup. "Are you a seer?"

"No," he replied, his eyes again meeting hers.

"Then why are you so concerned about your dreams, when they mean nothing?" the blonde asked.

"But they do," he replied enigmatically, and sighed.

"Do you need to talk?" she probed. At first, he said nothing. He just gazed back at her silently, neither one of them breaking eye contact, before finally looking down for a moment and shaking his head.

"Probably..." he admitted, then looked up again at Daphne to see her looking back at him with an inquisitive expression. Tracey was also curious, not just about what Harry had dreamt to put in him such a state, but also about what exactly was going on between those two.

"Not today, though," Harry continued, before changing the subject. "Good morning to you too, by the way," he said, and then returned to his breakfast.

The two girls respected his wishes and let the conversation drop.

"By the way, Daphne, this is for you," Harry said, taking a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and handing it to Daphne. Curious, she took it from him and tried to ignore Tracey's questioning smirk. She unfolded the page and saw an incantation written there, along with a few diagrams of wand movements and several paragraphs of written instruction.

"What is this?" she asked, trying to decipher the spell. "Some sort of translation and copying spell?"

"It's what you asked for yesterday, that's the spell that will let you add the diaries to the book. Once you've learned in, just call for Dobby if you care to try it out. He'll be available during the afternoon today, and he has orders to bring you to the Chamber if you want to."

Daphne couldn't believe it. She was only half serious when she said she wanted to learn how to copy the diaries herself. She didn't think for a minute that he would actually teach her how, let alone allow her to access the Chamber while he wasn't there.

"There is one thing I must warn you about, and I urge you to take it seriously," he added grimly. "There are sealed containers down there, and they are that way for a reason. Please avoid touching them, and do not try to open them under any circumstances. Otherwise, help yourself," he finished. Harry's eyes met hers again, and he felt rolling waves of guilt washing over him. His nightmares from the previous night leapt back to the front of his mind, as he remembered those same eyes looking at him in desperation, begging him to help her.

It was too much for him. He had to leave, immediately.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," he said as he stood, "I need to walk around for a bit. Enjoy your breakfast."

Daphne was concerned about him, but she didn't want to pry too much into his personal business, especially since it seemed like he wanted to be left alone. Tracey, on the other hand, wouldn't let such a thing get in the way of her curiosity.

"What chamber?" Tracey asked, and both Daphne and Harry turned to her at the same time, each of them realizing what Harry had just said. They both turned back to look at each other, before Harry just snorted and shook his head.

"Chamber of Secrets. That's where I've slept and trained since Halloween," Harry replied in a defeated tone, knowing Tracey wouldn't rest until she had an answer.

Tracey gaped, looking back and forth between him at Daphne.

"You knew about this?" Tracey asked her best friend, who nodded yes. "Merlin..."

"See you later then," Harry said with a hint of amusement in the voice, then turned and walked out of the Great Hall.

"If you mean to ask if the monster of the Chamber is real..." started Daphne, looking back at a bewildered Tracey, "It was. The rumour that Harry killed a basilisk is true. He showed me the memory in his Pensieve, and no, I won't talk about it. If you want to know more about it, you can ask him."

"But...fine," replied Tracey with a sigh. "But why did he take you there?"

Daphne shrugged.

"One night we were talking, and I hinted that I wanted to see Slytherin's library. He agreed to take me down there the following night," replied Daphne. She missed the look of comprehension dawning on Tracey's face.

"As in a date?" Tracey inquired mischievously, very interested in Daphne's response. However, the only answer Daphne gave her was an exasperated glare, which made Tracey snicker in amusement. "Fine, I'll stop," she said, predicting what Daphne would say.

Daphne huffed and went back to her breakfast.

"So, that book you've being reading..." started Tracey.

"The book is actually just a frame that Harry filled with several of Salazar Slytherin's journals. He has a way to translate them from Parseltongue and share them with me," Daphne replied, and Tracey was almost sure she could see the tiniest blush appear on her friend's cheeks.

"That... That's amazing. But...why would he do that?" gasped Tracey, and Daphne shrugged.

"I don't know," she admitted, looking back at the Great Hall doors, where the boy in question had just exited. She was actually a little worried about him. "He said he had dreams about death, right? What do you think that means?"

"Since when do you care?" asked Tracey, curious about her friend's feelings, but also hoping to get some information she could use for the betting pool.

"Since he's my good friend," Daphne admitted without a second thought. Tracey grinned.

"Mistletoe. Those two need a push, and magical mistletoe might be just what they need," thought Tracey to herself, already plotting.

"I have no idea what his dreams are all about, but again, out of all of us you're easily the closest to him." To Tracey's surprise, Daphne didn't even try to deny it.

"I know he remembers the night his parents were murdered," whispered Daphne, making sure only Tracey would be able to hear her.

"That's…horrible…" the girl replied, looking slightly pale.

"He remembers his mother begging to spare his life, the flash of a green light, and You-Know-Who laughing. Remember last year, when everyone was mocking him for passing out because of the dementors? Whenever those creatures got close to him, Harry would relive that moment over and over again."

Tracey didn't know what to say to that. She had laughed along with the others last year, and now she felt more than a little bad about joining in. The fact that she had actually gotten to know him a bit this year made it even worse.

"More than anything, I'm concerned about the desperation I saw in his eyes," admitted Daphne, with a sad look. "I haven't seen him like this before, even when he was telling me about the night his parents were killed."

"Why don't you go after him?" asked Tracey, her tone half serious and half teasing. She was surprised, and a little disappointed, when Daphne shook her head no.

"Let him be," she said in an unconvincing tone, nibbling her toast. "I'll talk to him later in Hogsmeade."

Tracey smirked. Daphne could deny it as much as she wanted, but Tracey wasn't convinced at all. The Ice Queen definitely liked and cared for Harry.

She was definitely going to get the mistletoe.

~BREAK~

Harry walked out of the main doors of the castle and onto the grounds. The cold air on his skin felt refreshing, and he stopped for a moment to look around and take a deep breath of the chilly morning air. All around him the Hogwarts grounds were covered in a blanket of white, powdery snow. After taking a moment to appreciate the picturesque view, he cast a quick Warming Charm on himself and started walking towards the lake at a leisurely pace. To his left he saw smoke rising from Hagrid's chimney, the half-giant apparently already up and getting ready for his day. For a moment he considered popping in for a visit, but instead decided he'd prefer to be alone for a while.

He saw no signs of movement at the Beauxbatons carriage, most of its residents likely either just waking up or still asleep. The same couldn't be said for the Durmstrang ship, which was already showing some signs of activity from its spot near the lake shore. Harry wasn't in the mood to deal with other people, so he redirected his route further away from the ship.

When Harry got to the shore, he reached down and picked up a rock from the ground and examined it. With a sigh, he slung the rock so that it skipped across the water a few times before sinking to the bottom. He closed his eyes and tried listening to the sounds of the morning. He heard chirping from the few birds that could endure the Scottish winter, and waves from the lake lazily splashing against the rocks. He could even hear the occasional roar from the Forbidden Forest, but none of it was enough to completely distract him from his mood.

Occlumency helped, of course. He had gone through his exercises to sort the memories of his nightmare, but he was still agitated. Last night was the first time since his return to the past that either of those terrible Christmases had plagued his dreams, and it had been years since he'd had to relive both in the same night.

They were by far the two worst days of his life. The first changed him forever, and was what drove him to take the first steps into darkness. The second broke him beyond repair. After that he abandoned all hope and fully embraced the dark. For freedom. For justice. For vengeance.

Harry twitched his fingers and summoned another stone, and this time hurled it as far as he could into the lake.

"I know what I have to do," Harry thought to himself, staring at the rippling water and running through his mental checklist.

Kill Voldemort. He would prefer to be seen doing it too, as having witnesses would give him more credibility in the future, should he need it. That was why the plan was to kill Voldemort during the duel in the graveyard and use a Monitoring Charm to make sure everyone at Hogwarts could watch it. He still had a lot to do first, including collecting the Horcruxes. He was still missing the ring, the cup, and the snake.

Destroy Oberon and Titania. He would take everything from them, like they had done to him, and only after they were broken, would he kill them. Those bastards had been even worse than Voldemort, and had come a lot closer to destroying their world than Tom Riddle ever did.

That being said, saving the Wizarding World was a secondary goal, at best. His primary goal was much more important, and was the reason he was driven to come back in time.

Make sure Daphne lives. Preferably as the Lady Potter, of course. Make her fall in love with him again, of her own free will, and then live happily ever after. Having her back may not right all the wrongs of the past, or completely fill the hole inside him, but he would at least reclaim something of the family that was stolen from him. Didn't he deserve that much?

He was tired. He had fought long enough, and now all he wanted was to finally rest with the one person he needed the most.

The woman that gave him hope and made him a better man.

The woman that stood by him as he stood by her.

The woman he loved, and the woman he married.

The mother of his child...

The woman he would burn the world for, and the one for whom he had defied the laws of magic and nature.

Nothing would stand between them again, that much he swore. He would do whatever it takes to make her fall in love with him again. And if he failed to win her over this time…well, as long as she was alive and happy, then he would be satisfied.

He snorted, knowing he was just deluding himself. Of course he wouldn't be happy without her; he absolutely had to succeed.

However, Daphne was right about one thing - there was no reason to dwell on his nightmares. He finally had a second chance, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he got his happy ending.

Harry snapped out of his reverie, suddenly sensing someone approaching him. "Can I help you?" he called out to the newcomer without looking back.

"Ah, Harry Potter, da?" asked a male voice in reply. Harry turned towards the voice and saw none other than Viktor Krum.

"I am. To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Krum?" asked Harry politely. He was happy to see his old friend, the Quidditch superstar that would rise to the position of Prime Minister of Bulgaria in his fifties. He was also the proud husband of a supermodel, and the father of a boy and two girls, who would go on to give him several grandchildren.

"I vould like to introduce myself, da?" asked Krum in his horribly accented English and extending his hand, which Harry gladly took.

"You honour me, Mr. Krum," replied Harry with a smirk.

"You poverful vizard. Your task vas good, da? I vould like to ask you to...fight?" Krum hesitated, unsure of the proper wording.

"You wish to spar with me?" asked Harry, showing a bit of surprise.

"Da," Krum replied, nodding. "Vat you say?"

"I think I would enjoy that," Harry replied with a grin. "I know just the place too, when do you want to do it?"

"Vat about today after dinner?" asked Krum, and Harry considered the proposal.

"I'd prefer not to duel on a full stomach, how about before dinner instead?" suggested Harry, and Krum nodded his agreement. "Let's agree around six o'clock, then?" After taking a moment to think about it, Krum nodded again, and Harry called for Dobby.

"This is Dobby, my personal house-elf," explained Harry, seeing the puzzled look on Krum's face. "When you are ready, please call him and he can let me know. You'll need to be escorted to the room by either Dobby or myself, otherwise you won't be able to enter. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Dobb-bie?" asked Krum, saying it a few times to work out the correct pronunciation.

"Da, is good. I vill enjoy our fight," said Krum with a grin. "I vas going for meal. Vould you join?" asked Krum, and Harry decided that making alliances was a better use of his time than brooding.

"Lead the way."

~BREAK~

Daphne and Tracey were still at the Slytherin table, now joined by Theo, Millie, and Blaise. Millie told them that Pansy was still asleep, as were the other fourth year boys. The Great Hall was starting to fill up for breakfast, the early risers mostly comprising of Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Durmstrang students.

They were having a nice conversation when they heard someone squeak in surprise. Theo's attention snapped to the Great Hall doors, and his eyebrows shot up when he saw Harry walking in alongside Viktor Krum, apparently engaged in friendly conversation. Harry nodded to his friends in greeting, then the two champions sat down near the other Durmstrang students on the far end of the Slytherin table to continue their discussion.

"Uh, you don't see that every day," commented Millie, still looking at them.

"Aren't they supposed to be competing against each other?" asked someone from the next table over.

"That means they can't be friends?" another replied.

Daphne looked at Harry and saw that he seemed to be doing better. Her eyes crossed his and he smiled at her. She hid a smile and went back to her breakfast, while Krum was animatedly retelling a story for Harry - probably something about a Quidditch match, if his gestures were any indication.

"You know, I have no idea if Delacour is a flyer or not, but I just realised that at least three of the champions are Seekers," said Blaise with a calculating look.

"So?" asked Tracey.

"Nothing, that was just it," replied Blaise, noticing how Millie chuckled.

"We should put Krum and Harry on brooms against each other," said Theo, looking at the two. "Diggory is good, but he only won against Potter last year because of the dementors."

"Speaking of Quidditch, who wants to see Harry as our Seeker next year?" asked Tracey.

Blaise and Theo agreed immediately. The truth of it was, that had already been a major topic of discussion amongst the snakes ever since Harry had joined their house. It was basically unanimous: as far as the Slytherins were concerned, Potter absolutely HAD to join the team. Hopefully Malfoy would step down voluntarily and make it easy on himself, but that didn't seem likely.

Harry wrapped up his conversation with a few pleasantries and a reminder to call Dobby around six, then got up to join his friends.

"You seem happier," Daphne commented, as Harry moved to sit down beside her.

"Believe it or not, it's all your fault," Harry replied with a half-smile. Then, out of nowhere, he leaned in and kissed Daphne on the cheek. "Thank you," he said earnestly, before settling back into his seat next to her.

Daphne was a little flustered by the unexpected display, but didn't outwardly react. Theo's and Blaise's jaws dropped, while Tracey grinned triumphantly and was deciding what to buy after she won the bet. Millie was amused by the whole scene. She had always been good at reading others' emotional states, and while Daphne tended to project a frosty exterior, she was fairly certain that privately, her friend was not at all put out by Harry's display of affection.

"It was nice knowing you, Potter," mocked Theo. Daphne collected herself and sent a glare towards Harry, who was completely unphased by it, and just smirked back at her.

"I won't take it back," he said, and Daphne huffed and turned away from him. Millie and Tracey were the only ones who could see her hiding a smirk. "I'll be meeting Krum before dinner tonight," Harry continued. "Dobby will be required around six o'clock for a few moments, but otherwise he'll still be available to help you if you want."

"Sure," replied Daphne, ignoring the smirks and whispers. "Meeting Krum for what?"

"He invited me for some dueling practice this evening, and I accepted," replied Harry. Daphne was amused by the looks everyone gave him.

"Really? Try not to hurt him too much, will you?" she said, jabbing him with her finger. "You don't need to be accused of attempting to get rid of your competition."

"If you insist," he replied, feigning disappointment. "But don't worry, the Durmstrang students have actually treated me with respect. I have nothing against them."

"Good," Daphne said. "So, about your meeting today..."

"What meeting?" Blaise chimed in.

"None of your business," Harry replied quietly, making the others huff.

"What time do you need to be there?" asked Daphne.

"We set everything for after lunch," Harry replied.

"So you'll be gone the whole afternoon?" she asked evenly.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're upset I won't be around," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching as she attempted to glare at him. "Lucky for me, I know better," he finished with a smile, making their friends burst out laughing.

"Good. Don't be an ass, Potter," she admonished, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously though, did you need something?" he asked, no longer teasing.

"I just wanted to have you around, in case I fail the spell," she replied shyly, breaking eye contact. It was the truth...well, at least part of it. She noticed Tracey snickering, but she ignored her.

"That's the closest she's come to admitting she wants to go out with him," Millie mumbled to Tracey, who nodded with a grin.

"Do you want to just go do it now?" he asked. Daphne perked up at this, seemingly interested in the idea.

"I can help you now, and then we can go down together and meet them…" Harry vaguely waved at their friends, who were giggling like schoolgirls (which two of them happened to be), "…in Hogsmeade. After that we can do our shopping for the ball, and maybe have lunch. The offer to have Dobby bring you to the Chamber still stands, though, just in case you want to spend the afternoon somewhere other than Hogsmeade."

"You don't mind?" she asked, beaming at him.

"Of course not. Come on, let's go get the book. Do you want to take the scenic route or the express route?"

Daphne looked at him as if he had asked her a very foolish question.

"Right, because the inside of the castle is so beautiful, and I don't get to see enough of it," she said sarcastically. Harry was quite used to her sense of humor and just shook his head with half a grin.

"Express route, it is," he said, then called for Dobby. The house-elf popped in next to him and snapped his fingers. At once, the book used by Harry and Daphne to translate Slytherin's journals appeared in the elf's hands. "Or Dobby can just summon it," Harry said, completely surprised. "I didn't know you could do that. Incidentally, how did you get into Daphne's things without her permission?"

"I'm a house-elf and she accepted to be my mistress," the elf said matter-of-factly. "Or at least she never objected to it. You did want the book, didn't you?" Dobby asked, turning to Daphne. The other Slytherins were completely dumbfounded, and they all sat there gaping until Tracey finally snapped out of it.

"She's your WHAT?" shouted Tracey, attracting the attention of pretty much everyone in the vicinity.

"Please, Tracey, speak a little louder next time, there might be one or two people down in Hogsmeade who didn't hear you," Harry replied, making Daphne snort.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Daphne, ignoring Tracey's outburst and deciding to tease Harry instead. "Glad to see you're more practical than your master."

"Yeah right..." Harry mumbled, trying to hold back a chuckle. "Dobby, take us to the Chamber."

"As you wish," replied Dobby, taking both Harry and Daphne by the arm and popping the trio out of the Great Hall, leaving the nearby onlookers speechless.

"But...but..." attempted a Ravenclaw, who had been watching from their table.

"Mistress?" asked Tracey, looking around at her friends, who were just as lost as she was.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Theo, but no one had any answers.

~BREAK~

As soon as they arrived in the Chamber, Harry and Daphne shared a laugh at the looks on their friends' faces, before Harry began instructing Daphne on the spell. Daphne got it on the seventh try, and she was able to successfully copy several diaries into the tome. Once they were finished, they decided to join their friends in Hogsmeade.

"I wonder if there's a secret path from the Chamber into the Slytherin common room," Daphne said, picking up the book.

"It's a possibility," Harry replied, thoughtfully. "But it's probably very well hidden. It is a secret chamber, after all," he said.

"That's too bad," Daphne said, shrugging. "That would be much more convenient than having to exit though the second-floor bathroom only to have to walk back down to the dungeons."

"True, but Dobby can pop us back and forth most of the time anyway. Would you rather just leave the book here and come get it later?" he asked her.

"You'll really allow me to come here alone?" she asked, lifting up a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"Of course, Daphne, I already told you that," he said sincerely. "Should you ever want to come down here without me, just call Dobby and he'll help you. You're welcome to come here anytime, as long as you don't bring anyone with you and don't attempt to open anything that's locked," Harry reiterated to a smiling Daphne.

"Well, if you insist..." she said with a mock sigh, then set the book down on the desk next to the Pensieve.

"Now, how do you want to get to Hogsmeade?" asked Harry. "We could just walk, or maybe see if we can catch one of the last carriages. If you want to go less traditional, we can have Dobby pop us there or even take one of the secret passages."

"What secret passages?" Daphne asked, the last option having piqued her curiosity.

"For one, there's a passage behind the one-eyed witch statue near the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, which leads to the cellar of Honeydukes," he explained.

"And how did you find it?" she asked, frowning.

"I have my ways," he replied mysteriously. In truth, he actually didn't remember anymore. If he had to guess, the Weasley twins probably showed him after giving him the Marauder's Map...probably.

Daphne shook her head. That was such a Slytherin response, she couldn't even be mad.

"Let's go with Dobby. That way, we have time to take care of everything we need before you have to leave," she said, looking at Harry in a way that made him think she still wasn't thrilled about his secret meeting.

"I'll be safe, if that's your concern," he said, looking back at her with his arms crossed.

"Would it be too much to tell me a little more than that?" she said defiantly. "It's not that I care who you meet, but..."

"I'm meeting with my remaining family. They've promised they would stand by me, but there are things we need to talk about in person," sighed Harry, knowing she wouldn't rest until he gave her an answer.

"Your remaining family?" she asked, puzzled because as far as she knew, Harry was the last Potter. Then she recalled their conversation about his godfather. "You're meeting with Sirius Black?" she asked, a note of apprehension in her voice.

"And Professor Lupin, our DADA teacher from last year. It will be safe, I promise," he replied, walking to her and caressing her shoulder reassuringly.

She didn't shy away from his touch; she just looked into his eyes and asked him, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"Fine, then, I'll trust you."

"Thank you," he replied, offering his hand to her, which she accepted with a smile.

"Do..." Dobby popped in before Harry even finished calling for him. "Show off," he muttered to the elf, who performed an overexaggerated bow and grinned at his master. "Any place in particular?" Harry asked, and Daphne shook her head.

"Hogsmeade entrance it is, then," replied Harry, and the three popped away from the Chamber of Secrets, then instantly reappeared at the entrance of the village. Dobby popped away again, and Harry turned to Daphne, still holding her hand.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I need writing supplies, so I at least need to stop by Scrivenshafts. Do you have your robes for the ball already?" she asked, turning to him.

"I do, they're black and silver," he informed her, as they walked in step with one another. Neither attempted to drop the other's hand.

"Good," she replied, "I don't really need any accessories, but maybe we should just have a look and see if anything strikes our fancy."

"Fine by me," he replied.

They leisurely walked through the village hand in hand, observing the groups of students wandering back and forth between the shops. The sight of the two of them together prompted many to point and stare as they walked by; no doubt they would find themselves the latest topic of the Hogwarts rumour mill. They didn't let it bother them, though. In fact, they were so engrossed in their conversation that they barely even noticed.

After leaving Scrivenshafts, Harry called Dobby and handed him their bags, which he promptly took back to the Chamber for them. Daphne would sort their purchases when she returned there that afternoon.

"Practical indeed," she commented, after Harry explained his reasoning to her. Why bother carrying their things around when they had Dobby? They could shrink their bags of course, but this was much more convenient.

As they were passing by Zonko's, they saw Tracey, Theo, Blaise, and Millie leaving the shop. They were clearly not expecting to run into Harry and Daphne there, and Tracey was attempting to hide her bag behind her back. It was pretty obvious that whatever the four had bought at Zonko's, Harry and Daphne were the expected targets.

"How's your date?" asked Theo, trying to distract them.

"Good," replied Daphne with a sigh. Why bother attempting to correct them? Besides, it basically was a date. What else could you call two friends going out shopping together, wandering the village while holding hands and enjoying each other's company? "Do you want something from Zonko's?" she asked Harry.

"Not really," Harry replied, shrugging, "I'd rather stop by the apothecary, but maybe I should owl order the supplies instead?" he said questioningly, and Daphne concurred.

"Very well, then," Daphne said, before turning to the others. "Where are the four of you off to next?"

"Well, I was thinking about looking for accessories for the ball," Tracey replied with a grin. Theo just nodded with a resigned sigh. Blaise looked at Millie questioningly, but she shrugged and told him that all she needed was some new quills.

"Harry!" a voice suddenly called out from behind them. Harry immediately recognised the voice and groaned internally. He didn't bother turning around, but the others did and saw that they were being approached by Granger, Longbottom, and four redheads. The Weasley twins had apparently joined up with their younger siblings for the day.

"That's Mr. Potter to you," he replied in malevolent tone, still with his back turned to them. Daphne felt him squeeze her hand a little tighter, but not enough to hurt her.

"Harry, mate, why don't you ditch the snakes and come have some fun with us?" said the pig, putting his foot in his mouth, as usual. Harry didn't say a word, but Daphne could actually feel the anger rolling off of him. He slowly turned around to face to them, his dark green aura starting to show as his eyes burned with emerald flames.

"Just leave," said Daphne in a cold tone, squeezing Harry's left hand harder. No good would come from hurting them, and as angry as Harry seemed she wasn't sure if he would be able to hold back. She noticed Harry starting to move his right arm as if he was getting ready to draw his wand, so she attempted to soothe him by rubbing her hand up and down his other arm.

"Your company is unwanted," she added, silently begging Harry to calm down.

"Shut it, snake. We all know you gave him a love potion!" shrieked Weaselette, drawing her wand on Daphne. That was the mistake Harry was waiting for. Before anyone could blink, his wand appeared in his hand, and with nothing but a wave, the six dorks were relieved of their wands, which were now laying on the ground in front of Harry.

"I'll be honest with you. Right now, I want nothing more than to crush you where you stand," said Harry, still with the cold tone. "However, I'm having a really good day, and I won't ruin it by wasting my time with you. Dobby!"

The elf popped in front of him, glaring at the six dorks.

"Please, Harry," the twins said in unison.

"We just," Fred continued.

"want to…" his twin countered, before being interrupted.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Harry, a small crowd now starting to gather around them. "First of all, that twin speech you do? Not as amusing as you think it is. Second of all, there's something I've being wanting to tell you for some time now. You know your idols, the Marauders?" The twins perked up immediately.

"Had you not turned your backs on me, I could have introduced you to the two remaining members, what do you think of that?" Harry taunted.

"Uh, I think he broke them," mumbled Millie, nodding at the twins, who had frozen where they stood, horrorstruck by their missed opportunity.

"Who are the Marauders?" Theo asked Blaise, who shrugged.

"Now, Dobby, please take these six wands and give them to Professor Snape," instructed Harry, eliciting shouts of protest from the four remaining dorks. The Weasel even attempted to charge at Harry, but was immediately stunned. "Tell him that they harassed us, that they drew their wands first, and that it would be safer for him to keep their wands, until they go to him to ask for them back."

"You can't do that!" Granger shouted, but she didn't attempt anything else once she realised there were wands pointed at her. Dobby grinned and popped away with the Gryffindors' wands.

"Oh, but he can," said a new voice. They looked over and saw Pansy, who was arriving with Draco, Vince, and Greg in tow. "All he's doing is defending himself, and now he's reporting you to a teacher, fearing for his and our safety, of course," she added, nudging Draco and his two bodyguards to stand alongside the other Slytherins.

To anyone observing the confrontation from the outside, it was evident that the fourth year Slytherins were making a statement. The ten Slytherins stood together with Harry and Daphne in the center, their hands still linked.

"Once again, I'm telling you to leave before I lose my patience," Harry warned.

"Bu-But H-H-Harry, I-I r-really need to t-talk..." attempted Longbottom, who cowered when Harry's eyes flared again when he looked at him.

"Oh, piss off, Longbottom. There is nothing you can ever say that I want to hear."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU WILL..." Granger never finished her rant, because she was silenced with a wave of Harry's wand.

"Harry, please, this isn't you!" said the Weaselette, tears starting to fall. "We just want you to come back, to be friends again."

"No," was Harry's simple reply, drawing a smirk from Daphne and the other Slytherins. "Why go back and live with the jackals when I'm at home amongst the snakes?"

"You don't mean that," Weaselette cried. "Gryffindor is much better than Slytherin."

The Slytherins scoffed, and then looked at each other and laughed.

"I believe my housemates have effectively expressed my feelings on that matter."

"They are all Death Eaters in training," she shouted again, supported by Granger's silent rant. "They will turn you over to You-Know-Who if he ever comes back. You need us!" The people watching gasped, and Harry glared at the girl, no longer finding any humour in the situation. The Slytherins looked at Harry in shock, as if they were waiting for him to explain.

"If that ever happens, someone will die," Harry said enigmatically, his tone low and dripping with hostility. His magic started flaring around him again, and the anxious Slytherins slowly started backing away from him, except for Daphne. Instead, she again attempted to calm Harry by squeezing his hand and rubbing his arm to distract him. She found herself enveloped by Harry's swirling magic, but to her it felt surprisingly warm and protective, instead of angry and oppressive. Based on the dorks' reactions, she concluded that she was the only one who felt that way.

"Besides, what do you know?" asked Harry with a vicious grin. "You think I need any of you? I was the only one who had to face him in our first year. As for you, all you've ever managed was to almost get yourself killed by writing your innermost desires in an enchanted diary. Your brother? He couldn't even hang on to his wand, and because of him Lockhart almost killed us all. No, I had to save you all by myself. The only one that was remotely useful was Granger, who figured out the monster was a basilisk, but that's it. So tell me, why do I need you?"

The gathered onlookers looked around at each other, none of them having any idea what Harry was talking about. Having seen his memory in the Chamber of Secrets, however, Daphne knew exactly what he was referring to. She looked around and noticed how everyone was staring at them, and decided this had gone on long enough; it was time to go.

"Harry, I'm getting bored," Daphne said, recapturing his attention. "I know it's amusing putting the dorks in their place, but we still have a couple of things to do today. Besides, if this goes on much longer we may end up cursing them, and I'm not interested in getting a detention. There are too many witnesses."

"Listen to your girlfriend, Harry," chimed Pansy, grinning as her taunt brought about the desired reaction.

"SHE'S NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" shouted the youngest Weasley, her face getting redder.

"Please, what would you know?" asked Millie with a grin, which was shared by the other Slytherins.

"Shall we go, then?" Harry asked Daphne, who nodded to him, and they turned and walked away from the demoralised Gryffindors. The crowd of onlookers surrounding them dispersed too, but no one bothered offering to Rennervate the pig. The Slytherin fourth years followed closely behind Harry and Daphne, the latter leaning in to share an observation with Harry.

"Weaselette has a crush on you," she said.

"Tough luck," he replied, which pleased Daphne.

"What was that you were talking about with the Weasley girl, Harry?" Millie asked. Harry looked over to Daphne as if asking her opinion, and she nodded back to him.

"Two years ago, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Weaselette was possessed by an artefact. It was a diary, enchanted with the echo of a memory of the Heir of Slytherin. Through her, he opened the Chamber and released the basilisk upon the school. All the attacks that year were ultimately her fault. We were actually really lucky that people were only petrified, since the Heir wanted to kill muggleborns," he explained. The others looked completely affronted; there had never been a proper explanation for what happened during their second year.

"Of course, her involvement was swept under the rug. Dumbledore's doing, no doubt. Granger was able to deduce it was a basilisk before she was petrified. She had ripped a page from a book, and I found it crumpled in her hand when I visited her in the hospital wing. I was able to find the entrance to the Chamber, and with Weasley's help persuaded Lockhart to go down and save Weaselette. They fucked up, and I didn't." He was scowling by the time he finished recounting the tale. "That's all you'll get out of me for now. I'd understand if you want to call a house assembly and compel me to share the whole story, though I'd rather you didn't," he flatly stated.

Tracey was shocked, and looking around she noticed that Daphne was the only one who wasn't. "Daphne?" she tentatively questioned, and her friend turned to her and solemnly nodded.

"Harry showed me," she whispered, everyone looking at her. "I know it's hard to believe, but..."

"Hey..." he said in a soft tone. "It's fine, really. Now, how about we finish our shopping and grab some lunch?" Harry proposed, the others dumbly nodding in return. Daphne smirked and led the way with Harry, followed by the other Slytherins. None of them noticed the three sets of eyes that had been covertly watching them the entire time.

Neither Daphne nor Harry decided to buy any accessories for the ball. They talked off to the side while their friends shopped, and eventually left the others behind to take a walk.

They talked about homework, magic, and their families. Harry told her the truth about his relatives as they walked, which brought the mood down a bit. Upon hearing the story, Daphne immediately wanted leave for Surrey and murder the Dursleys, but Harry just grinned and told her to get in line, which broke the tension. He had dealt with his trauma decades ago, and it didn't bother him to talk about it anymore. In return, Daphne told him about her parents, and how they were obsessed with improving their social standing, so much so that they didn't have much time for her or her sister, Astoria. As far as her parents were concerned, her only useful purpose was to help elevate their status by marrying a wizard from a prominent pureblood family.

At one point, Daphne saw her younger sister looking at them and sporting a huge grin. She just rolled her eyes and kept walking, but not without flashing a smile in return. She was positive that Astoria was going to bombard her with questions the first chance she got. She would just have to worry about that later, though. It was approaching noon, and they needed to figure out what they were doing for lunch soon, or else Harry wouldn't have time before he had to leave to meet his godfather.

"Question for you, do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks, or would you rather have a picnic outside?" Harry asked.

Daphne tilted her head to the side and looked at him questioningly. "It's cold, and everything is covered in snow," she said, which was true. The entire village was covered in a blanket of snow, and it was cold enough that they could see their breath when they talked.

"Magic," he said, shrugging. Daphne saw the infuriating smirk he wore when he wanted to show her something amazing, and she knew she had to go along with it.

"Picnic, then," she replied, and he beamed at her. Whatever it was he wanted to show her, she knew she wouldn't be disappointed.

"Dobby!" he called, and the elf popped in next to them.

"Everything is prepared," he said, asking for their hands. The trio popped away from Hogsmeade, appearing again in what seemed to be a clearing by the lakeside. The forest was directly behind them, and she could see the Hogwarts castle looming across the lake. Dobby popped away again, and they were left alone to appreciate the view. As she took in her surroundings, Daphne realised that there was no snow on the ground here, and that the air was warmer than it had been in the village. Either Harry or Dobby must have charmed this little spot by the lake to be warm enough for a picnic, which meant Harry had been planning this all along.

"This place is beautiful," she said, turning to Harry, who was looking back at her with a soft smile. "How did you find it?"

"Flying around," he replied with a smile. "And it was one of our secret spots throughout our final years at Hogwarts," he added, but only in his head. "Do you like it?"

"I do," she said. With another pop, Dobby reappeared carrying a basket with one arm and a wide blanket in the other. He snapped his fingers and the blanket stretched itself flat across the ground. With a second snap, the contents of the basket hovered out of it and arranged themselves on the blanket. There were roasted meats, salads, bread for sandwiches, desserts, pumpkin juice, and butterbeer.

"Have a seat," Harry invited, as Dobby popped away again. Daphne sat down demurely with her back to the forest, so she could look out at the lake. Harry sat down next to her, and they both removed their scarves and outer robes, which were no longer needed in their charmed picnic spot.

They talked, they ate, and they laughed. Daphne asked how he and Dobby met, and Harry regaled her with the story of the hyperactive house-elf who appeared in his bedroom one night, the summer before their second year. He told her all about the pudding incident, and she laughed so hard she had to wipe tears out of her eyes. She goggled at him as he told her about the sealed barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and she outright scolded him when he recounted how he and Weasley had flown to Hogwarts in an enchanted car.

Next, he told her how Dobby enchanted a Bludger to target him during his Quidditch match, in hopes of injuring him enough that he'd be forced to go home. Daphne actually called Dobby after that one, intent on sending a few curses his way. Luckily for the house-elf, he was able to duck behind Harry, who couldn't stop laughing. After finally getting a chance to explain himself to Daphne's satisfaction, Dobby stayed long enough to tell her how Harry had freed him from the Malfoys, and once again, Daphne's sparkling laugh rang out around their clearing.

It was music to Harry's ears.

Dobby packed the basket when they were finished, then left them alone again.

"Harry, what is your greatest fear?" she asked, scooting closer to him and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Losing everything I love again," he replied, looking up at the grey sky. She wasn't sure what he meant, but she suspected he must mean his family. "What about yours?" he asked.

"To be nothing more than a trophy, and not be allowed to live the life I choose," she replied. He leaned his head on hers.

"Only a fool would consider keeping you as a trophy. You have so much to offer," he mumbled, and he felt her stiffen next to him.

"What makes you so sure?" she whispered, still not moving a muscle.

"You're intelligent, you're resourceful, and you're a cunning witch. You're compassionate, even if you don't always show it, and I can't picture you settling for anything less than your full potential. You're already powerful, and you get better every time we practice. I'm positive that, in time, you will be an extraordinary witch."

Her posture relaxed, but she remained silent for several moments.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"It's the truth," he replied softly. "I would never lie to you."

"What is it you want from me?" she asked abruptly. Harry was silent for a moment.

"A partner in all things," he replied, simply. Harry felt her squeezing his hand. He turned to look at her as she raised her head, and he saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. Emerald met sapphire, and he slowly leaned in. She tilted her head up to meet him, and closed her eyes just as their lips softly touched.

She felt his arm encircle her while she reached her arms around his neck. After a while their tongues met, and she squeezed him harder as their kiss became more intense. For him, the kiss brought up feelings of hunger and desire, but also bliss. This was something he had been missing for decades, and at long last he had found it once again. For her, it was joy, desire, and for reasons she couldn't quite explain, a sense of completion. Somehow, she found herself sitting on his lap, cupping his face with both hands while she kissed him, but she also found that she didn't mind. After quite a bit of time, they pulled back, mutually agreeing to take a break from kissing. They stayed in that position, face to face with their foreheads touching.

"Harry, I..." she started but hesitated. She had no idea how to even begin expressing what she was feeling. Fortunately, he knew just what to say.

"Daphne, will you be my girlfriend? If you're not ready yet that's OK, but at least think about it?" he asked. She opened her eyes and saw the hopeful look on his face. She smiled at him softly.

"I..."

She was interrupted by soft pop, and they both turned to see a surprised elf looking back at them. Dobby's initial look of surprise gave way to a wide grin and a nod of appreciation.

"I was just coming to tell you that it's nearly time for your meeting, but carry on..." the elf said, then popped away again, his grin never leaving his face.

"Git," Harry grumbled, turning back to the still blushing Daphne. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Daphne managed to keep her emotions somewhat in check, but it wasn't easy. She didn't think her heart had ever beat that fast.

"Yes, I want to," she whispered. Harry brought her closer to him and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you. Please remember that all you have to do is be yourself. That's all I'll ever need," he whispered into her ear, and she hugged him tighter before easing back and initiating another long, slow kiss. Dobby appeared again shortly after, this time being extra careful to ensure he wasn't interrupt anything.

"Master, Mistress, I'm sorry but it's time," he said, and Daphne stood up from her place on Harry's lap.

"Is it just your godfather and uncle you're meeting?" she asked. Harry nodded in the affirmative and pulled her close to him. "When will you be back?"

"I'll be honest with you, Daphne, the meeting with my uncles isn't my only stop this afternoon. After I meet with them, I'm going to Gringotts." Daphne pulled back from him with a raised eyebrow, awaiting the rest of his explanation. "I'm going to claim my lordship for House Potter."

"But... you can't do that until you're seventeen," she said, not understanding his plan.

"You would be correct, unless, oh, let's say, the Ministry of Magic forced me to compete in an internationally sanctioned event, which was authorised by the ICW, and whose official rules prohibit participation by any student who has not yet reached their majority," he explained, unable to keep the smug smile from his face. "As soon as the Ministry representatives decided I had to compete in the tournament, I immediately became an emancipated minor, and by their own rules I'm legally permitted to claim my lordship now." Daphne just stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds, before breaking out into laughter.

"How many secrets do you have?" she asked him, once she had stopped laughing enough to speak.

"Just a few more," he replied, caressing her face with the back of his fingers. She leaned into his touch and smiled up at him.

"Go then, my future Lord Potter. Go and meet your family, claim your lordship, and then come back. After all, you do have a rendezvous with Viktor Krum planned for this evening, remember?" she teased.

"I'd rather be persuaded to come back to my intelligent, cunning, and extremely beautiful girlfriend."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Potter," she said flirtatiously, his compliment leaving a warm feeling in her chest.

"Oh, that's too bad," he smirked, and leaned in to kiss her again.

It took Dobby loudly faux coughing to get them to finally separate.

"Fine, you git, fine," complained Harry, still looking at a happily smirking Daphne. "Do you want to go back to Hogsmeade, or would you rather go straight to Hogwarts?" he asked her.

Daphne thought about it for a moment and replied, "Hogsmeade first. I'll call Dobby to take me back to Hogwarts later." He nodded to her and grasped her hand again, while Dobby took the other.

"To Hogsmeade, Dobby." Dobby nodded and the three of them popped away, shortly reappearing in an alley next to the Three Broomsticks.

"If you need anything, call Dobby," he told her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just be careful," she replied.

Daphne watched them pop away again and smiled, letting the feeling of giddiness wash over her now that she was alone.

Harry Potter was a well of surprises.

And now he was her boyfriend.

Oh Merlin, she could already imagine the taunts and teasing she was going to get from her housemates, especially the girls in her dorm. She didn't even want to think about what Astoria was going to be like.

"Oh well," she thought to herself with a small smile. She had a feeling it would all be worth it.

~BREAK~

"So, how was it?" asked Dobby, the two of them now standing in front of the Shrieking Shack.

"Completion," Harry replied with a contented sigh.

"I'm happy for you, Harry," Dobby said, flashing a genuine smile.

"So am I, mate, so am I," he said, laughing. He had a feeling his shit-eating grin would be with him for at least the rest of the day. "Make sure to be there if she needs you."

"Of course," the elf replied. "You know, I just thought of something..."

"What?" asked Harry.

"Sirius is a dog Animagus and Lupin is a werewolf. They're supposed to have a good sense of smell, right?" asked Dobby, grinning.

"What are you...oh crap," replied Harry, realizing that both Marauders were going to tease him relentlessly once they detected Daphne's scent on him. Dobby laughed and popped away, leaving Harry alone at the entrance of the shack.

He just shrugged, thinking, "Oh well..."

Harry entered the shack and closed the door behind him. He cautiously walked towards the living room, where he felt the presence of two magical beings. All of a sudden, one of the presences had a surge in magic and started rapidly approaching him. Harry knew what was coming, and he smirked as he saw Padfoot come barreling around the corridor at full speed and leaping straight at him. Harry deftly dodged out of the way, and the shaggy black dog tumbled to the ground. Harry only had a second to laugh at his godfather, who quickly gathered himself to jump at Harry again, only to be immediately frozen by Harry's silent Full Body-Bind Curse.

"Hi there, Padfoot," Harry said, scratching him the ears. "Who's a good boy? Not you, that's for sure," he finished, feeling the sudden urge to change Sirius back to his human form, punch him in the nose, then hug the life out of him.

Laughter rang out from behind them, and Harry turned to see Remus Lupin standing in the doorway. Harry was hit by a pang of grief as he was suddenly reminded of his godson, Teddy Lupin.

Not this time.

"Hi Moony," Harry said, reining in his emotions and walking across the room to hug Remus.

"Hey, cub, how are you?"

"Better, but I think Padfoot may need to be neutered." The dog whimpered, and the other two laughed.

As soon as Harry removed the body-bind from Sirius, he instantly changed back to his human form.

"Damn pup, you have some good reflexes," he said, hugging his godson.

"Quidditch, and my new training partner," Harry replied, raising both men's curiosity.

"Really? And who would this new training partner be?" asked Remus, while Sirius grinned.

"I am willing to bet it's the Veela bird he mentioned," Sirius said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Well, you would be wrong. Why would I bother with the Veela, when I have someone much better than her?" Harry replied. Both men looked at each other with raised eyebrows, then simultaneously turned back to Harry with surprised grins plastered on their faces.

"Oh? And would this amazing bird of yours have a name?" asked Sirius.

"You'll find out soon enough," Harry replied, making Sirius pout and Remus laugh. Sirius looked like he was about to change the subject, but then he froze in place, his nose wrinkling. He leaned in closer to Harry and gave him couple of sniffs, then stood back up, smiling broadly.

"Remus..." he called, and Harry wilted. "Here it comes."

Remus sniffed the air a couple times and grinned. "My my, Mr. Potter, have you been in contact with a lovely young girl recently?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Harry, crossing his arms.

"And how long has this been going on?" Sirius asked with a grin. Harry shrugged.

"Twenty minutes, give or take. Maybe less," he replied, and his uncles looked at each other in surprise.

"Uh... you work fast," said Sirius, earning a glare from Harry.

"She's only been my girlfriend for twenty minutes, but we've been spending a lot of time together the last few weeks," he clarified, rolling his eyes. "Let's make one thing clear, Sirius, and this goes for you too, Remus. I like her. And I mean I really like her, got it? I don't want to do anything to mess it up, so whatever happens between us will stay between us. All I will tell you for now is that she's all I've ever wanted."

Both Sirius's and Remus's eyes widened at this.

"Oh Merlin, we've already lost the pup. He's lost I tell you!" cried Sirius, dramatically covering his eyes with the back of his hand and pretending to swoon.

"Well, he's his father's son, what would you expect?" asked Remus.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, almost positive he didn't actually want to know.

"Are you in love, cub?" asked Remus, and even Sirius seemed very interested in his answer.

Yes.

"Ask me again some other time," replied Harry, making both older men laugh.

They went to the living room and sat down. Sirius was determined to give Harry "The Talk" right then and there, but he eventually agreed to put it off until later – but only because he lacked the firewhisky needed for such a bonding moment. Remus mentioned some diagrams of his that could be useful for the discussion, which made Harry shudder.

What really got to Harry was that he was actually reliving a moment from the summer before his fifth year, when he was actually dumb enough to ask the two older men about girls. Sirius had produced a bottle of firewhisky and got Harry good and drunk while explaining the birds and the bees. He even brought out Remus's visual aids, much to Harry's chagrin.

"So, cub, about everything has been happening to you..." Remus started, and the atmosphere in the room shifted. Sirius looked gravely at Harry, and the Dark Lord-turned-teen started telling them about everything that had happened since Halloween.

Sirius and Remus were appalled by the behaviour of Gryffindor house, and even more so by McGonagall's and Dumbledore's. They were completely shocked by Harry's explanation of how he had bonded with Dobby, and how the elf had changed into something else, something more powerful. He told them all about how he had been living in the Chamber of Secrets, and about all the books and old equipment he found there. He detailed how he had been using what he learned in the Chamber to study and practice his magic, and how much more powerful all the training had made him.

All of that, of course, led up to what happened in the first task.

Of course, the story was mostly a fabrication, but unfortunately it was necessary for Harry to lie in this case. There were a few points where Remus asked some difficult questions, but he was ultimately satisfied with the answers Harry gave them.

Sirius was amazed by the story, but also very concerned.

"But…how did you fly? Without a broom?" asked Sirius.

"Falling from the broom was an accident; I actually got blown off by the shockwave from my own spell. As for the flying, it's actually simpler than it looks. I was reading Slytherin's journals, and he had written about how he would sometimes levitate himself in front of his students, just to impress them. I'd already been working on wandless magic for quite some time, so I tried it out a few times in the Chamber." he said. "It's really just a matter of casting a wandless Levitation Charm on yourself, but it's really hard to control. The task was the first time I'd done it for even close to that long. My magic probably gave me a little boost, knowing the alternative was falling a hundred feet to the ground."

Again, Harry really had to stretch the truth here. In reality it had taken him several years and some spell modification to perfect the technique. They seemed to accept his explanation though, and they both just shook their heads in amazement. Parts of the story definitely sounded farfetched, even to Harry, so he ended up using a Compulsion Charm so they'd readily believe what he was telling them.

He told them about the aftermath of the first task, and they laughed spitefully as Harry recounted how he had humiliated the Gryffindors. They harshly declared that the lions had deserved every bit of it, and then some, and that it should be renamed the house of the rats. It struck Harry that all three of them had been betrayed by at least one Gryffindor who had once been close to them, which really made him think. At the end of the day, he was just relieved that the only two adults he trusted were firmly behind him.

"And now, you're a snake?" asked Remus.

"A proud snake, thank you," Harry replied stiffly. "Just so you know, had I not met Malfoy or Weasley on the train, I would've been a Slytherin from day one."

"I'm not trying to be insulting, cub, it's just..."

"It's hard to believe," Sirius started, sitting back in his seat, "and yet the proof is right here in front of us," he finished, with a wave in Harry's direction.

"Look I know you have reasons to distrust Slytherins, especially after growing up during Voldemort's rise," he sighed. "But honestly, it's not so bad. I've already been fully accepted by the house, and most of them seem to like me. I've made friends there. More friends than I had in Gryffindor, believe it or not, and better friends than those backstabbing idiots. I feel like I can actually be myself without worrying about hurting their feelings, and..." Harry trailed off, shrugging. "It's my new home, and I'm actually respected there. To the rest of the school, I am either the hero who killed Voldemort or an aspiring Dark Wizard. In Slytherin, they mostly just consider me another fourth year student. A particularly powerful and cunning fourth year, perhaps, but still only a fourth year."

Sirius and Remus nodded, accepting Harry at his word.

"What about Snivellus?" asked Remus, which made Harry chuckle.

"I don't think he's gotten over the shock of me being in his house yet," he replied, and the three shared a laugh.

"So, considering everything you've told us, do you actually need us for anything?" asked Remus. He was half kidding, but Harry could tell they were both still worried. He understood their doubts, and he knew that they really wanted to help him in some way, they just weren't sure how.

"Moony, I'm good but I'm not perfect. There's still lots of stuff you can help me with. Maybe we can even practice dueling one day, if you can keep up, that is," Harry quipped. "Keep in mind I've been training in the Chamber of Secrets since I killed the basilisk in my second year."

"What basilisk?" Sirius and Remus shouted in unison, which led to a full report of Harry's first three years at Hogwarts.

"Damn, pup, that's...hard," replied Sirius, not knowing what else to say.

"Do you need anything, Harry?" Remus asked again, and Harry handed him a folded parchment, having anticipated the question. Remus unfolded the list and read through it.

"Clay, silver powder, an assortment of ingredients... What the hell is all this for?" Remus questioned, and Harry smirked.

"The clay is for pottery; I'm thinking about starting a new hobby. The ingredients are for potions, of course, and the silver is for making permanent rune engravings."

"A new hobby?" muttered a highly confused Sirius, who thought it sounded like the craziest thing he'd heard today, which was saying something.

"You're going to make Potter Pottery?" asked Remus, barely able to keep a straight face.

Harry sighed. Apparently, he wasn't as funny as he thought he was.

"No, I was trying to make a joke. I read a book on enchanting, and I'm interested in trying it out. The clay can be used to make enchanted tiles, for example."

"Oh... I didn't know you knew runes," replied Remus.

"No offence, Remus, but there's a lot you don't know about me," replied Harry, and a look of regret crossed Moony's face. "Don't feel bad though, I don't blame you."

"That's true," mumbled Sirius. "Do you need any help with your second task?"

"Well, besides the Bubblehead Charm and gillyweed, do you know of any ways to remain underwater for extended periods of time?"

"You already know what the second task is?" asked Remus in surprise, and Harry nodded back.

"They're going to take the thing I would miss the most and hide it at the bottom of the lake. I'll have one hour to retrieve it."

"That's crazy!" said Sirius, appalled at the idea.

"Are you surprised? We're talking about people who thought it was a good idea pit students against nesting mother dragons," Harry pointed out.

"The only other method I can think of right now is human transfiguration..." said Remus, trailing off.

"I see. What about some sort of reverse Summoning Charm that would bring me to my target, instead of the other way around?"

"Well, there's a variation of the Four-Point Spell you could use..." Remus contemplated. "The spell was designed to be used like a compass, but it can be modified to point you in the direction of a particular target, as long as you have enough intent behind it."

"Teach me," Harry asked, and the three men spent a few minutes working through the finer points of the spell.

"Point Me at Sirius Black," Harry said, concentrating on his godfather, and he felt his wand moving of its own accord. Sure enough, the wand pointed itself directly at Sirius and started subtly pulling in his direction.

"Well done, pup," praised Sirius.

"Do you need anything else?"

"Actually, yes," replied Harry, removing a large, folded parchment from his pocket and speaking the familiar phrase, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Sirius gave a low whistle.

"Damn, it has been years since I last saw that," he said, and Harry smirked.

"I want to place an alarm that warns me when anyone appears at Hogwarts who shouldn't be." Both men looked at the teen inquisitively. "What? We still don't know who put my name in the cup, right? It had to be someone from the outside, or at least according to Professor Moody." Harry's reasoning was obviously untrue, but he didn't know what else to say other than he really just wanted to learn how to do it.

"PROFESSOR Moody?" asked Sirius, wanting to laugh but not believing his ears. "Mad-Eye Moody is your professor?"

"Yeah, for Defense Against the Dark Arts… He's a scary guy, but quite knowledgeable. He's almost as good a professor as you were, Moony."

"Aw, thank you Harry, but I'm sorry to tell you we didn't build in a feature like that when we made the map," Remus regretfully informed him.

"Oh, well, it was worth a try," Harry replied with a shake of his head, then cleared the map and returned it to his pocket.

"I'm sorry, but I have to hurry," he said, noting the time. I have a practice duel with Viktor Krum at six. Would you fine gents like to come with me to Gringotts to claim my lordship?"

After a bit of explaining, Harry called for Dobby. After the older two shook off their initial surprise at Dobby's appearance, they let the elf pop them to Gringotts, Sirius in his Animagus form. Dobby brought them to the alley next to the bank and seemed as if he was about to say something, but he abruptly stiffened.

"Master, the Mistress calls," Dobby informed him, and Harry smirked and told him to go.

"Mistress, huh?" asked Remus, while Padfoot tilted his head at him curiously.

"One day, she might be. In the meantime, if Dobby wants to call her Mistress, then I'm not opposed to it if she isn't.

"It sounds like you already learned the first rule of marriage," joked Remus.

"As far as I can tell, keeping your woman happy is necessary for survival," mumbled Harry, and they all laughed (or barked, as it were).

The three entered the bank and walked up to a teller.

"How may I help you, wizard?" asked the goblin.

"Greetings, may your gold flow and your enemies be crushed. My name is Harry Potter, heir to House Potter. I wish to perform an inheritance test, claim the headship of House Potter, and meet with my account manager," Harry requested, his comportment taking all of them by surprise, the goblin most of all.

"Very well, Heir Potter. May your gold flow and your enemies fall before you. You shall be escorted to Grimjaw at once." The teller rang a bell and a young goblin appeared to escort the trio.

"Harry, how did you learn how to deal with goblins?" asked Remus, curiously.

"Salazar's journals described many of his interactions with their kind. I was interested to learn that goblins were a warrior race, before turning to banking," replied Harry. Remus nodded his head thoughtfully.

"We are still a warrior race, Mr. Potter," replied their guide, who had introduced himself as Swiftlock. "We still train our armies as we always have, but instead of open warfare we focus on the protection of our domain, and of the riches entrusted to us by your kind."

"Ah, thank you for the clarification, Swiftlock," replied Harry, remembering well the might the goblins kept hidden in the caves far beneath Gringotts. They were taken into the office of an older goblin dressed in a sharp, pinstriped suit. The goblin invited them to sit with a gesture, and then crossed his hands on the desk in front of him.

"I am account manager Grimjaw, and I welcome you, Heir Potter, to my office," the goblin said in a polite, but formal tone.

"Thank you, Grimjaw. May your enemies be crushed, your gold flow, and our joint ventures grow steadily and profitably. I am Harry Potter, heir of House Potter, and these two are my uncle, Remus Lupin, and my godfather, Sirius Black, who is an Animagus."

Sirius changed back to his human form, and both he and Remus glared at Harry in disbelief.

Ignoring their looks of betrayal, he continued, "It's my understanding that according to Gringotts, my godfather is still considered innocent of any crimes, and therefore I request asylum for him."

"Of course, Heir Potter. The vault of Peter Pettigrew is still active, and that alone casts doubt upon your Ministry's claims regarding Heir Black," the goblin said, drawing the attention of the older wizards.

"What do you mean Heir Black?" asked Sirius.

"You are the sole heir of Orion Arcturus Black, former lord of the Black family," Grimjaw replied matter-of-factly.

"How can that be true, when I was disowned by my mother?" questioned Sirius.

"The former Lady Black never had the authority to disown you, Heir Black," replied the goblin, as Sirius just shook his head and laughed. "I assume you wish to claim your lordship as well?"

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. I'd like to stand trial and be declared innocent by the ministry before doing anything," Sirius replied. Remus gave him a quick nod, agreeing it was a wise decision.

"Lily and James's will should be enough to prove my innocence," Sirius added.

"Unfortunately, Heir Black, the Potters' will was sealed by order of your Wizengamot and Albus Dumbledore," Grimjaw informed him.

"Why?" Harry inquired.

"That I do not know, Heir Potter. However, Mr. Dumbledore, acting on your behalf as your magical guardian, provided Gringotts with instructions to make the Potter estate grow and keep it well managed until you're ready to claim your headship. Only then would you be able to authorise the unsealing of your parents' will."

"Interesting," whispered Harry. "However, we come bearing news. By forcing me to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, the Ministry of Magic has recognised me as an adult. Am I correct in my belief that this is sufficient for me to claim my headship of House Potter now?"

"You are indeed correct, Heir Potter," replied Grimjaw. "In fact, I personally sent you letters in the name of Gringotts informing you of that very thing. It was a surprise when the letters were sent back unopened, unlike the usual statements."

"I've been experiencing some issues with receiving owl post lately. I assume that you've been sending the statements directly to my guardian?"

"Indeed."

"There you have it," replied Harry. "I do believe that I need to have a conversation with Dumbledore about him being my magical guardian and managing my finances. What has he done, actually?"

"As I mentioned, Albus Dumbledore gave instructions to manage the Potter estate and make it grow. Only the head of house is authorised to know anything beyond that."

"Very well. In that case, I'd like to withstand the inheritance ritual," Harry replied. Grimjaw nodded and briefly ducked below the desk.

"Hey Moony, is just it me or is it kind of creepy seeing Harry acting like this?" mumbled Sirius.

"Cold and calculating? Somehow knowing exactly what to say and do?" replied the werewolf. "Yeah, I sure do."

"Good, I thought it was just me," replied Sirius, as Grimjaw produced a rune-covered basin and a steel ritual knife, which itself had several runes running along the blade.

"The procedure is simple, Heir Potter. Use the knife to draw blood and drop it into the basin. Magic will do the rest." Harry nodded and squeezed his hand around the blade, then swiftly pulled the knife across his palm, allowing the blood to flow from his wound into the basin.

Grimjaw was impressed by the young wizard, noting that he hadn't even flinched. Sirius and Remus, however, were appalled.

"Harry! What do you think you're doing?" exclaimed Sirius. "A few drops would've been plenty!"

"Don't worry," Harry replied, healing himself with his wand while he was still concentrating on the basin. As it absorbed the blood, the runes carved into the basin began emanating a soft golden glow, and with a flash, a sheet of parchment appeared on top. Grimjaw grabbed the parchment and read it aloud to the others.

Name: Harry James Potter

Age: 14

Father: James Charlus Potter

Mother: Lily Julia Potter née Evans

Heir of House Potter by primogeniture

Potential Heir of House Slytherin via maternal ancestry

"What does it mean by 'potential' Heir of House Slytherin?" Sirius asked through his shock.

"The tale is no longer well known, but we goblins have long memories. During his twilight years, Salazar Slytherin locked his vaults and hid the key away in a secret location. He informed his descendants that only a worthy heir would be able to discover the secret and claim the mantle of Lord Slytherin. It involved a test of cunning of some sort, at least according to him."

"I definitely didn't uncover that particular secret last time around," Harry thought to himself.

"But, how? Lily was a descendant of Slytherin? I mean, she wasn't even a Parselmouth..."

Grimjaw scoffed.

"You wizards..." the goblin said with a scowl. "Not all magical abilities pass automatically from parent to child. Gringotts was aware that Lady Potter was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, and we also have the documentation. Her lineage can be traced back through a branch of squibs originating from the Gaunt family, which is known to be directly descended from Slytherin. While Lily Potter was the first from that line to have a fully functional magical core, it wasn't enough to reactivate all the inherent abilities of her ancestry. The infusion of magic and blood from the Potter line seems to have been enough to awaken some of those abilities in you, Heir Potter."

"But Lily was a powerful witch," mused Remus, but the goblin had no further answers. Sirius looked over at Harry, who was looking pensive.

"Harry, what do you have to say about this?"

"Did my mother know?" he asked, and Grimjaw nodded in the affirmative.

"She did, but she ordered for the information to be declared a secret of House Potter. I don't believe the former Lord Potter, your father, ever knew."

"I see," replied Harry. "Was Lord Voldemort, previously known as Tom Riddle, ever able to claim the House Slytherin lordship?"

"He was not," Grimjaw replied, and Harry nodded and looked away for a moment, pondering this latest mystery.

"In that case," he said after a moment, "I'd like to claim the Potter lordship, and then I'd like to see my parents' will."

"As you wish, Lord Potter." Grimjaw produced several forms for Harry to sign and ordered a goblin to retrieve the Potter will and ring, which was done within moments.

"I would now read the will, with your permission," Grimjaw announced, and Harry quickly assented.

This letter serves as the last will and testament of James Charlus Potter, Lord of House Potter, and the Lady Lily Julia Potter.

We are writing this now, having just gone into hiding under the Fidelius Charm, in hopes that it will never be read. If this is being read, then our plan failed and Lord Voldemort somehow got to our good friend Peter Pettigrew, who was our secret keeper for the Fidelius.

We're sorry, Petey.

Should our son Harry James Potter survive us, then our bequests are to be as follows. To Sirius Black we leave ten thousand galleons and guardianship of our son Harry James Potter. To Remus Lupin, we also leave a sum of ten thousand galleons. An additional ten thousand galleons are to be given directly to the Auror Corps, and five thousand to the organisation known as the Order of the Phoenix. The remainder of our estate shall be given to our son Harry.

Harry, if you're reading this then we want you to know that we love you more than anything. We want nothing more than for you to have a long, healthy life, filled with love and happiness. Whatever you do, know we are proud of you, and we will be watching over you. If your bouts of accidental magic are any indication, you will be a powerful wizard one day, and we know you will do great things. Inside the Potter vault is a collection of memories that include some of our most treasured moments with you. If we don't survive this war, we'd at least like for you to have something of us.

This is not a goodbye, son. We'll meet again, one day.

We are very proud of you, and we love you very much.

Should our son have died with us, I, James Charlus Potter name Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin as heirs of House Potter, and they can do whatever they wish with the estate.

This is not a goodbye. One day, the Marauders will run together again.

We want you all to lead long and happy lives, and we hope you will take down those bastards for us. The three of you were the brothers I always wanted. We'll be waiting for you on the other side.

Farewell, friends. See you one day.

James Potter

Lily Potter

Authenticated by Account Manager Grimjaw

The goblin folded the parchment and looked up to see Harry sitting in his chair with his eyes closed. Sirius was wiping the tears from eyes, and Remus was solemnly looking at the ground.

"Grimjaw, would you please send a copy of that will to the head of the DMLE, along with a request that they ensure my godfather has a trial?"

"It shall be done, Heir Potter," agreed Grimjaw, magically duplicating the will and setting it aside.

"Why did they only add you as a possible guardian?" Harry asked Sirius, who shrugged.

"I was planning on going under the Fidelius too. They knew that, so maybe they assumed I'd survive if they didn't." Harry accepted the answer and turned to Remus.

"I'm a werewolf, Harry, I wouldn't be allowed to be your guardian," the man replied, and Harry sighed.

Stupid bigoted rules.

"And my lordship?" Harry asked Grimjaw, who extended a polished wooden box to him. Harry opened it to find a golden ring set with a sizable bloodred stone in the centre. Set within the surface of the stone was the enameled coat of arms for House Potter. He took the ring from the box, placed it on his finger, and was immediately enveloped by a golden light. The glow disappeared after a few moments, and Harry felt the ring adjust its size to properly fit his finger.

"The magic has accepted you, and from this moment forward you are the Lord Potter. Allow me to be the first to congratulate you, my lord."

"Thank you, Grimjaw," said Harry, earning a few supportive claps on the shoulders from his uncles. "I trust the director of the DMLE will know how to deal with the will and my godfather?"

"Gringotts will push its resources to see it done, I assure you. Heir Black shall be contacted as soon as possible," Grimjaw explained, closing his files. "If there is nothing else?"

"I'd like a statement of my estate please, and I'd also like to request a few words in private, if I may," Harry replied, which took his uncles by surprise.

"Of course, Lord Potter. Mr. Lupin and Heir Black shall be escorted to the lobby, where they can wait while you conclude your business."

"I hope you don't mind..." said Harry, turning to both men.

"Harry, are you sure you don't need our help?" Sirius asked, which seemed to amuse both Harry and Remus.

"Don't worry Sirius, I think I have everything well in hand," Harry told him with a chuckle. "Besides, if I do need help, I have Grimjaw. That's why we're paying him, isn't it?"

Grimjaw nodded.

"Of course. Time is money, and I earn a fee for each of my clients' successful business ventures."

"See?"

"You're scary, kid," said Sirius, shaking his head and chuckling. "We'll be waiting outside, go on then." Sirius changed back into his dog form while Remus gave Harry some parting advice, then they left the office together, leaving Harry and Grimjaw alone.

Grimjaw started explaining all of Harry's holdings to him. The gold in his vaults was more than Harry expected to spend in a lifetime. The goblins had clearly taken Dumbledore's request to make the Potter estate grow seriously. They reviewed the portfolio of business stocks and various properties, which included Potter Manor, his ancestral home, which had been in lockdown ever since the death of his grandparents.

Most of this wasn't news to Harry, of course, but it was good to take stock of his available resources.

"Is there anything else I can do to be of service, Lord Potter?"

"Indeed, there is," replied Harry, lifting his eyes from the parchment he was reading and handing it back to Grimjaw, who made copies for Harry to review at a later date. Harry gazed at the expectant goblin with a steely expression, reminiscent of his time as the Dark Lord Potter. It was time to put another piece of his plan in motion, one that did not concern Voldemort, but had a connection to Oberon and Titania. He was not about to wait almost ten years and risk countless lives.

"I'd like to hire the Goblin Nation to locate a specific group of wizards and witches. I do not wish to know anything about the individual members, I only need to know the location of their meetings and any potential safehouses."

Grimjaw stared back at Harry for a few moments with a contemplative look.

"This type of service will not be inexpensive..." the goblin started.

"I understand, of course," Harry interjected. "I expected nothing less." The goblin nodded.

"Very well. Tell me who it is you wish to find, and I will pass the information forward."

"All right then," replied Harry, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands. "I wish to know the location of the meetings of the group known as the 'Followers of Rhassel'Thoth' and the location of their leader, Varrard'Thoth."

That was the first time in several centuries that a wizard had seen a goblin looking frightened.

~BREAK~

Harry arrived back at school and wanted to go meet Daphne, but he was already running late. Instead, Dobby popped him directly to the seventh floor, and he entered the Room of Requirement. It had been configured into the dueling room he used to train the DA all those years ago, which he still used with Daphne on occasion.

While he was waiting for Krum to summon Dobby, he knelt down on the floor and meditated on the happenings of the day.

Grimjaw had been appalled that Harry was searching for the Followers of Rhassel'Thoth. He had no idea how the young wizard had even heard of the group, whose only purpose was to worship one of the most powerful and dangerous necromancers of the ancient world as a god. The goblin was sure that no good could come from the recently elevated Lord Potter seeking out such a group. Anything having to do with Rhassel'Thoth would be exceedingly dangerous; even if the wizards had forgotten their history, the Goblin Nation hadn't.

Grimjaw wanted answers from Harry, but received none. All he got out of him was an order of five goblin warrior squads to support him when and if the Goblin Nation located the group. That alone helped to ease the goblin's heart, as it indicated the young lord intended to oppose the cult, rather than join them.

After finishing his business with Grimjaw, Harry had made a quick trip to the Potter vault to pick up an item he wanted for the Yule Ball, then went back up to join Sirius and Remus. The three of them went back to Hogsmeade and said their goodbyes, the older two promising to keep Harry informed of any developments concerning Sirius's legal status. By then it was almost six o'clock, and Harry had to hurry to Hogwarts for his duel with Krum.

At five minutes past six, there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," called Harry, and the door opened to reveal Viktor Krum, who stepped into the room and looked around in wonder. "Ah, Mr. Krum, welcome. I've been expecting you."

"Vhen you said you knew place, I thought ov classroom," the Bulgarian said, still in awe of the room.

Harry chuckled.

"This room isn't known to many people, but it can take on nearly any shape and provide just about anything you need. This version of the room is one I have used before, for dueling and training."

"It is good, da?"

After some more small talk, they set the rules for their practice duel. Krum was surprised when Harry wasn't at all opposed to allowing dark curses, as long as they weren't immediately lethal, although he suspected that Potter wasn't as Light as everyone was led to believe. The rag the British called a newspaper seemed to share Viktor's assessment, at least.

Harry and Viktor took their positions and began their duel, at first trading simple spells to feel each other out and test their reflexes. Then, with a grin, Krum decided to raise the bar, and the pace of the fight increased dramatically. Both were doing their best to dodge each other's attacks, raising shields only as a last resort.

"It looks like Krum and I have similar dueling philosophies," he thought. "Why waste magic when we can use our quickness to avoid spells altogether? Harry reminded himself to suggest some physical training to Daphne later.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts when he had to leap out of the way of Viktor's spell, cursing himself for his lapse in attention. Even though Harry was much more powerful and had to hold himself back to keep it fair, Krum was fast enough that Harry shouldn't have let his guard down so easily.

For his part, Krum was having a great time. He had been a junior dueling champion in Bulgaria and was easily the top duelist at Durmstrang, and he was almost desperate to face a challenger strong enough to push his limits. He was intrigued by stories of the Boy-Who-Lived, who had supposedly defeated a most dangerous Dark Lord at age one. He suspected that his story was exaggerated, if not totally fabricated, but still, he was curious about the type of wizard Harry Potter would be.

The younger man hadn't disappointed. Krum redoubled his concentration, realizing as Harry did before, that he would lose if he didn't focus on the duel at hand.

They kept going at it for almost an hour, with no clear winner emerging. After a while, both had stopped trying to just beat or overpower the other, and instead started proposing exercises to each other to work on dodging and spell chains. They both had enjoyed themselves, but soon realised they needed to call it quits if they wanted to be on time for dinner.

"I need shower," Krum said from the floor, dripping with sweat. Harry laughed and pointed at the wall, where a door had just appeared.

"Another useful feature of the room," explained Harry.

"Vhat about clothes?" asked the Bulgarian.

"Dobby can clean them while you take your shower," Harry replied, and Viktor nodded and got up to do just that. Harry asked the room for another bathroom for himself and took his own shower, the warm water helping to soothe his tired muscles. Having an abundance of magical power is one thing, but continually dodging spells like that required peak physical fitness. Harry found that his fourteen-year-old body, while not in bad shape, was not quite as attuned to physical activity as he expected. He thought back to his youth and remembered that it was his fifth and sixth years when he really started training his body, and he resolved to start working on it right away.

After he dried off, Harry dressed in the new clothes Dobby had brought for him and waited for Krum. The room provided him with a chair and a book on dark curses, so he sat down and read for a bit while he was waiting. When Krum finally emerged from the shower fully dressed, they left the room together and walked back to the Great Hall.

"Are rumours, da? Dat you kill teacher on first year, basilisk second, and vaced dementors last?"

"All true, unfortunately."

"You should be at Durmstrang," scoffed Krum. "Better teaching and no danger."

"Had you made the offer before my resorting, I might have taken you up on it," replied Harry, even though he knew it wasn't true. "But now I have a very good reason to stay," he finished.

"Girl?" asked Viktor, and Harry nodded back. "I understand."

They reached the Great Hall, still in the midst of a discussion on curse variations, and as they entered the room they turned and walked towards the Slytherin table. The hall at once was filled with gasps and whispered conversations at the sight of Krum and Potter walking in together as if they were friends. Some of the students had heard rumours at breakfast, and most had discarded them, but here they were, amicably shaking hands before separating to join their respective groups of friends.

"Good evening," he said, the others greeting him in return. He sat down and kissed Daphne on the cheek, but she didn't appear happy to see him. Her posture remained stiff, and she mumbled something under her breath, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she replied, avoiding looking at him.

"She's been like that since she came to dinner half an hour ago," replied Millie. "What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything to her," Harry responded, but his eyes never strayed from Daphne. He tried to hold her hand, but she angrily snatched her hand away from his.

"Don't," she hissed, her voice dripping with anger. Harry peered into her eyes and saw feelings of hurt and betrayal there, and he felt his own heart breaking at the sight.

"Daphne, please, what's wrong..." he started, but his question was interrupted by Daphne slapping him in the face. Harry froze. The sound was loud enough that practically everyone in the Great Hall stopped what they were doing and turned towards the Slytherin table to try and see what was happening.

"Do you even need to ask?" she spat. "You said you wanted a partner. You said you would never lie to me, yet you've done nothing but lie, haven't you?" Daphne hissed, tears starting to pool in her eyes. "How can I ever trust you when you've been lying to me from the very beginning?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry pleaded, only to receive another slap from Daphne, this time even harder than the first. If anything, she looked even more betrayed.

"I saw the memory you left in the Pensieve, you bastard," she said, pushing him away and getting up from the table. "Don't you even dare speak to me again unless it's to tell me the truth," she said with a tone of finality, tears now running down her cheeks.

She walked towards the doors, ignoring the looks everyone in the hall was giving her. Harry remained in his seat, wide eyed and in a state of complete shock, as if he had been paralyzed. He replayed her words in his mind, "I saw the memory you left in the Pensieve, you bastard," suddenly reminding him of what he had done that very morning:

Harry sat down at the desk and rested his head on his knuckles, deep in thought. With a sigh, he picked up his wand and pulled a familiar memory from his head and placed it in the basin. Shedding a tear, Harry took a deep breath and went into the Pensieve.

This was bad.

He had never taken the memory out of the Pensieve. He had been distracted by his nightmares from the night before and had completely forgotten about it. The memory was one of his most happy moments, even though watching it always left him feeling melancholy. If she had watched that, without him to explain it to her…it was no wonder she was so upset. He made a stupid mistake by leaving the memory unprotected, a mistake that could cost him his plan and his Daphne.

"What the hell did you do, Potter?" asked Tracey, getting up to run after Daphne.

Furious at himself, he slammed his fist against the table and turned to where he saw Daphne quickly heading towards the exit.

"None of your business," he said, and all of sudden his body faded away and disappeared, only to materialize a few feet in front of Daphne, who was still making her way towards the Great Hall doors.

Everyone gasped at the sight of Harry Potter sort-of apparating inside Hogwarts. That was supposed to be impossible for anyone except house-elves; it said so in Hogwarts: A History. No one was more astonished than Daphne, whose eyes widened as Harry appeared before her, his green eyes blazing.

"But...how?" she mumbled.

Instead of replying, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, and they both faded away from the hall.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, the Great Hall erupted into Pandemonium.