AN:

Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter! I always like to read all your speculations and theories. Some are not that far from the truth, but others are, and you still have no idea of some developments that I plan. But not all the details are cast in stone yet, so let me know your thoughts ;)

I also publish the story on AO3. I like the fact that I can reply directly to comments there. In my opinion, this is not so convenient here. And unfortunately, I cannot respond to guest reviews. However, a few words from me on an aspect that has been addressed in some comments: I sometimes use other POVs (for example Ron, Draco) when I think that can somehow offer an interesting perspective. But the focus of this story will always be on Harry and Daphne. However, all other characters will of course continue their regular lives along the way. But we will only notice this in passing (this also applies to Astoria, for example). The POV character will mostly be Harry.

And some have written to me that it seems to them that Harry is inferior to Daphne, making Harry lose his uniqueness. So in my opinion (and I try to describe it in the story as well) the two are equal partners. But Harry is the MC. However, I also just love to write about Daphne. Therefore, she will play an extremely important role in this story and also become very powerful. But Harry will too, after all, he's the MC. But Daphne is the second main character. And without Harry, her entire life would have been completely different, even if the big changes are yet to come. Overall, the story is about the two and how they influence each other and thus change their lives and the fate of the world. Therefore, the story can sometimes get very cheesy. But there will also be dark moments. I hope this makes the character of my story a little clearer for some :)

And like always: English is my second language. Even though I have read the chapter several times and have let other people check it as well, I apologize for any mistakes. All possible mistakes in this chapter belong to me alone.


Chapter 9 – Victims

Entering the common room, Harry was greeted with a raised eyebrow by Daphne, but he also grinned widely, even though he could still clearly feel his throbbing right eye. He then sized his friend up, but she still looked the same as earlier in the evening when they had said goodbye after the welcoming feast, only to promise each other at the same time that they would meet again later in the common room.

"You seem to have got off more lightly than I did," he therefore summarized his observations in a humorous way.

"I'm sure they wanted to try something. But my raised wand must have made them think twice about it. All cowards. Good for them."

"If only my roommates had done that, too. Would have saved them a lot of pain. And they wouldn't have to spend the night tied to their beds. I even think Nott wetted himself." At this point Harry had to laugh.

Daphne went to Harry, putting her hand on the right side of his face. Carefully, she ran her thumb over his throbbing black eye. Harry shivered. "But it seems that you haven't gotten away completely unscathed as well, you dangerous warlock. But wear it with pride! As a sign of your victory today. Five against one. At least in Slytherin, everyone will know about it tomorrow." A slight smile played on Daphne's lips, and in her eyes, Harry saw something that reminded him of the look of a predator. "They're just mangy dogs, Harry, but we're proud snakes!"

Nodding, Harry returned the smile, before throwing his Invisibility Cloak over them both, and together they made their way to their haven in the Room of Requirement.


Once there, Harry saw that the room had met his wishes, a cozy couch and several armchairs standing in front of a blazing fireplace. The perfect place for an extensive conversation, and they actually had a lot to talk about.

They both sat on the couch, looking at each other. Harry read from Daphne's serious expression that she was concerned with exactly the same thing as him.

"We have to talk," Harry said the obvious.

"Yes, we have."

"Daphne ... The last few months ... I somehow dreamed of you in my sleep. But I think, no, I know that these weren't just dreams. Somehow, we were ... connected? Does it make any sense what I say?"

"I ... I don't know if this all makes sense. But yes, we were connected somehow. Something connected us." Harry noticed a shadow flit across Daphne's face as she spoke. His heart tightened.

"Is that bad for you?" His voice seemed throaty.

Daphne looked at him in surprise, her eyes finding his and understanding emerging on her features. Suddenly, she took his hands.

"No! No, Harry!" she said hastily and loudly. "That was ... the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced! Those shared nights were the only ... the only thing that made sure I didn't go insane the past few months." Daphne's cheeks turned slightly pink.

Harry now gripped Daphne's hands, feeling their slight tremor. Tenderly, he looked at her.

"I thought it was beautiful too," he said. "I felt you. As if my mind and my body were somehow with you ... But sometimes I felt pain for a short moment ..." Daphne, however, left his unspoken question unanswered. "But Daphne, why? Why were we connected? Is that normal?"

"No, that's not normal. But I ... I have a guess what could have caused it all. On my first night ... at home ... I had a nightmare ... I promised you I would never lie to you, so ... it was really bad. The whole day. Worse than ever. And then the dream. It was so real. I wished I was dead." Daphne looked away, but Harry felt so restless, so helpless again. He desperately tightened his grip on Daphne's hands, hoping that she could feel that he was there for her. Daphne continued her talk calmly. "At some point I heard music. It was really beautiful. And then suddenly Fawkes appeared. He ... somehow freed me from the pain and my nightmare. And I didn't just dream it! It was real, I felt it! And then I felt YOU. Somehow, Fawkes must have come to me in my dream and led you to me too!"

Now Daphne looked at him again, and the blazing fire was reflected in her eyes. Harry felt deep gratitude for the phoenix. "I didn't feel Fawkes," he said. "But if he could reduce your ... suffering and was responsible for my ... our dreams, then I am deeply grateful to him!"

"I think he wanted to help me somehow," Daphne said. "And wanted to show me something. He showed me his life. I have seen him go up in flames at the end of his life. And I have seen how he was reborn from the ashes. I'm not sure what he wanted to show me. But it is somehow important, I'm sure of it!"

Harry considered. "Destruction always has the potential to begin anew. New life can even arise from ashes. It's kind of a comforting idea, isn't it? Any suffering will eventually go by."

Daphne turned and put her head on his shoulder like earlier in the day. "That would be nice," she sighed.

For a while neither of them said a word, instead, they just looked at the open fire, enjoying each other's company. Harry felt happy.

Daphne still seemed to be thinking about something, though, because at some point she raised her head again, giving Harry a serious look. "But Harry, I don't know if it was just Fawkes that he could appear in my dream," she said. "Or whether others could do that as well. I don't like the idea that people might just enter my head like this. We should research how this is possible and what you can do to defend yourself against it." After a moment's hesitation, her cheeks flushed slightly. "But I don't want our dreams to stop..."

Harry did not want that either. He was about to answer when he suddenly remembered that he still had a present for her!

Suddenly he jumped up and elicited a surprised scream from Daphne. He hastily opened his bag, taking out a large book, not so unlike what Hagrid had given him. Only this was not bound in red, but in soft blue leather. Harry's favorite color, the color of Daphne's eyes.

"I have a gift for you! Belated Happy Birthday, Daphne," said Harry and handed her the book.

Daphne took it curiously, slowly stroking the leather cover. Harry kept his eyes on Daphne's face all the time, perceiving every detail as she carefully opened the book. So, he saw her eyes widen in surprise as if she could not believe what she was seeing.

Harry knew what was in the book, of course, as often as he had looked at it over and over again. It had taken a lot of galleons to create the pictures stuck in the book from his memories, but he did not care. He had had to think very firmly of these moments, which then had magically been taken from his memories and visualized as physical pictures. They showed moments that he fondly remembered, that were important for him. How he had seen Daphne at Madam Malkins. How he had taken her hand there for the first time. How he had seen her again on the platform in King's Cross. And that was just the very first pictures. Many more followed. They both eating sweets at the Hogwarts Express. Daphne with the sorting hat on her head. How he had flown around a cautious Daphne on his broomstick in their flying lessons. Their pact in front of the mirror. One of his favorite pictures showed how they both had grinned after managing to create multiple balls of light at once in a pitch-black Room of Requirement, so that it had looked like they were surrounded by a myriad of shining stars. The last pictures showed their farewell in Hogsmeade, the kiss, and the last eye contact before Daphne had gotten on the train.

He saw Daphne look at each of these pictures, clearly touched. She turned the pages as carefully as if the book was the most valuable item in the world. Harry had sat down next to his friend again, just smiling to himself.

When Daphne reached the end of the book, she closed it carefully and hugged it to her chest. Harry noticed a lonely tear slide down her cheek. He leaned forward, startled, only to look into Daphne's bright, beautiful eyes.

He did not know who initiated the kiss this time - maybe they both just had the same thought - only feeling Daphne's soft lips on his and the warmth of her body and heart as she put her arms around him. And had Daphne used perfume?

This kiss lasted much longer than their previous two on the Hogsmeade platform. At some point, however, they finally broke apart.

"Do you like the gift?" Harry asked mischievously.

Daphne replied in a low voice, "Harry, the girl in the pictures, that's not me..."

"Yes, you are, Daphne. This is you as I see you. The man in the store said that pictures created from memories are always subjective. The pictures show how I remember these moments –"

"That's how you see me?" Daphne looked directly into Harry's face, her voice revealing her bewilderment. She expected an honest answer, and given what she meant to him now, she did not deserve anything else.

"Yes, Daphne. You are beautiful to me. Not just your looks, but also your heart, your soul. The time I spent with you, the time I hope I will spend with you in the future, means more to me than anything else in the world. I want to see you smile so much more, Daphne. I already know that I never want to miss you in my life again. So yes, that's how I see you!"

"Harry ... thank you!" Daphne threw herself around Harry's neck and started sobbing. This time Harry knew exactly what Daphne meant with her thanks. Gently, he stroked her back.

At some point, however, Daphne suddenly tensed, looking at Harry in shock. "Harry! I don't have a present for you! I had no chance, no money –"

Harry stopped her by putting his finger on her lips. "It's all good, Daphne. That you came back to me is all that I need."

"Always, Harry!" Daphne's beaming smile that accompanied her words was so beautiful for Harry that he decided to definitely include that moment in the next picture book.

When they finally got up to go back to their dorms, Daphne was still holding the book close to her chest, but otherwise she was as snappish as ever. "Tomorrow it will be time for a duel again," she said. "I'm excited to see what you've learned over the summer. I hope you haven't spent all your time just thinking up cheesy words to embarrass me."

Her sparkling eyes took away any possible scorn from her words. Not that Harry needed it.

"You'll be surprised," he replied. "I just hope you weren't too lazy. Otherwise it will be an extremely dull affair."

This made both children laugh, and Harry felt his heart warm again with Daphne's smile. He would do anything to see it again and again.

"By the way, you will never believe what a crazy house elf I met on my birthday…"


When Harry later lay in bed - the other boys had given up trying to free themselves and fell asleep - Harry was trembling all over, just hoping that his dreamy connection to Daphne would continue at Hogwarts. With nothing more than that wish in his head, he closed his eyes and soon fell asleep as well.


Harry's wish did come true. As if nothing had changed, he felt connected to Daphne again in his dreams that night. With a smile on his face, he woke up the next morning even though he had only slept a few hours.

His good mood quickly faded away, however, when at breakfast Snape immediately rushed to them to give them detention for their "misconduct" towards Malfoy and Parkinson. Just as he had feared. But they just accepted it with a shrug. Because what should they say? After all, there had been dozens of witnesses to their deeds. However, if Harry hadn't known better, he almost thought he saw something like respect flashing in Snape's eyes for a brief moment.

Then things did get much worse. Harry was standing with Daphne in the entrance hall after they finished breakfast. They were about to have their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with the new Professor Lockhart, but they still had some time before they had to go to the classroom, but Harry somehow could not get rid of the feeling that someone was watching him. Looking around, he saw a small, mousy haired boy staring at him with fascination. Probably a first-year, Harry thought. In his hands the boy held what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera. The moment Harry looked at him, he went bright red and began to speak nervously.

"Hello, Harry. I'm… I'm Colin Creevey." The boy stepped forward shyly. Next to Harry, Daphne stood alertly. "Do you think ... well I mean, would it be okay for you if ... so can I take a picture of you?" The boy hopefully raised his camera.

"A picture?" Harry repeated in disbelief.

"So that I can prove that I really met you. I know everything about you! Everyone's told me. About how you survived when You-Know-Who killed your parents and tried to kill you too. And how he disappeared and everything and how you've still got a lightning scar on your forehead." Harry cursed his scar once again. "And a boy in my dorm said last night if I develop the film in the right potion, the pictures will move! Incredible, isn't it?" Creevey had said all of this without taking a breath. Now he took a short breath, before continuing his flow of speech. "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad is a milkman, you know, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it would be really good if I had one of you. You are really famous! Maybe your friend could take it and I could stand next to you? And then, could you sign it?" He looked imploringly at Harry.

Sighing, Harry looked at Daphne, who rolled her eyes. She then pointed her wand at Creevey and, with a movement of her wand and a short "Tarantallegra", the boy suddenly started to dance wildly, the camera dangling up and down in front of his chest.

"Heeeeyyyyy ..." Creevey called out, startled.

Just then the new Professor Lockhart came to them, his turquoise robes swirling behind them. "What's all this, Ladies and Gentlemen?"

Harry and Daphne were silent, but Creevey, still dancing wildly, gasped out, "I wanted a photo and autograph from Harry, sir. But his friend hexed me."

"But miss," said Lockhart to Daphne, "you'll be in detention for that." He then flung an arm around Harrys shoulders, thundering jovially, "Harry, please come with me to the classroom. You have your first lesson with me, right? You're sure to be very nervous, right? I would also be if I were your age and taught by prominence like me. But don't worry..."

Harry looked desperately at Daphne. This whole moment was just a fool's joke, wasn't it? Daphne just frowned and followed them at a distance. Nobody seemed to care about the dancing Creevey anymore.

Lockhart kept talking all the way, and it got worse and worse. "Concerning the lovely miss: it is undoubtedly pleasant to have a female fan who adores you. But still, you must never allow your fans to clash and hex each other. Really, that's unacceptable. You can't allow that to happen. If at some point you had as many admirers as I do, which is admittedly quite unlikely, you would really have to make sure that nothing like this happens. I would also like to give you serious advice that it is not wise to hand out signed pictures at this stage of your career. Looks a tad bigheaded, Harry, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but I don't think you're quite there yet. Even if you have already achieved a certain level of publicity ..."

They reached the classroom and Lockhart let Harry go at last. He headed for a seat at the very back of the class, and Daphne sat next to him.

"Don't say anything," he murmured to her, which she only acknowledged with a small snort.

Finally, the other students also entered, but the other Slytherins gave them both a wide berth. Good, Harry thought smugly.

When everyone had sat down, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He stepped forward, holding up a copy of "Travels with Trolls" to show his own, winking portrait on the cover.

"Me," Lockhart began, pointing at it and winking as well, "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile-Award – but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!" Daphne groaned loudly and Harry felt like he was getting a headache. "I see you've all bought a complete set of my books – well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about – just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in –"

Lockhart handed out test papers, before returning to the front of the class. "You have thirty minutes. Start now."

Harry looked at his paper and had to pull himself together so that he did not laugh out loud right away. For he read:

1. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?

2. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

54. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

He looked over at Daphne, who only shook her head in complete bewilderment. Surely he could not possibly be serious about that whole thing? He suddenly felt Daphne take his arm. He looked at his partner, who was still looking at him completely stunned.

"Do you think the same thing I think?" he asked her, just as stunned.

"If you think what I think you think, you think what I think." Now Harry actually had to laugh.

Lockhart looked up from his desk, where he had cleaned his nails, looking over at them. "What's so funny?"

Harry exchanged a last look with Daphne and found approval in her eyes. So she actually thought the same as he did.

Harry then began to speak with a mocking tone, "I'm sorry, Professor. But this quiz is a waste of time. So we decided to leave this lesson." Harry rose from his seat, putting his writing tools back in his bag. Daphne followed.

Lockhart was visibly shocked. "But ... But, Harry ... you can't do that ... And you too, Miss ...?"

"Greengrass," replied Daphne. "And as said by Harry, this quiz is a waste of time. And our time is limited. Therefore, we will leave this class and learn something useful instead. Goodbye, Professor."

The other students stared after them in amazement. In a high voice, Lockhart called after them, "But that's not acceptable! Detention ... Yes, you have detention! Are you even listening to me?"

Harry and Daphne were now at the door. Harry called back over his shoulder, "Detention is okay, Professor. At least, detention is in the evening. And I'm not so productive in the evening anyway. But now in broad daylight I can still achieve something in my productive time. So goodbye, Professor."

With that, they were gone. Only when they turned the next corner of the corridor, they collapsed with laughter.


They decided to use their free morning for the duel they had agreed on the previous evening. That is how it came that Harry and Daphne were now in a dueling ring in the Room of Requirement, eyeing each other attentively. It would be their first duel in three months, and both were secretly excited to see what and how much the other had learned in the meantime.

Both were waiting for the other to start, but Harry had decided to wait and let Daphne attack first. He had trained his shield charms and evasive movements intensively over the summer and was confident that he could defend himself against Daphne without having to take too much risk on the offensive. Better to wait and see what Daphne was capable of and wait for a weakness in her defense.

Finally, Daphne started their duel by suddenly raising her wand and shouting "Stupefy!"

"Protego," Harry called hastily and the stunning spell shattered ineffectively on his magically created shield. Without it, the curse would have hit him directly in the chest. Harry replied with a deliberately ill-targeted stinging hex that rushed past Daphne.

A fairly one-sided clash broke out, in which Daphne continuously fired spells at Harry. He was able to ward off many of them with his shield charms, but he also had to dodge some, and some of Daphne's red and blue flashes missed him only by a hair. In between, Harry occasionally fired some of his own stunners and freezing charms at Daphne to keep her busy.

All the while, Harry was analyzing her movement patterns to find a weakness in her defense. So far without result. Daphne seemed completely unpredictable in her movements and spells, but she was panting more and more the longer the duel lasted, but Harry also noticed how he was getting tired as well. If this continued, the duel would end because one of them made a mistake out of exhaustion. He had to find a solution. Soon. Should he risk everything and go on the offensive too?

Then a flash of inspiration came to him. That he had not thought of it before! With a mischievous smile, he fired three stunners in a row at Daphne, which she could block. Harry was concentrating on the magical procedure, and with a loud bang he was gone. It felt like he was forced through a very tight rubber tube, before he appeared with another bang right behind Daphne, who turned her head in confusion. At the sound of Harry's appearance, she flipped around and Harry was now looking at her surprised face.

Daphne frantically raised her wand and pointed it at Harry, but before she could say a word, Harry called "Incarcerous".

Immediately, ropes shot out of the tip of his wand, wrapped around Daphne, leaving her fettered. She could no longer move her wand. Almost at the same time, however, Harry felt the wand suddenly fling out of his hand. Daphne had managed to disarm him before his spell hit her! Nonverbally!

Harry laughed, before walking up to Daphne and loosening her bonds.

"SINCE WHEN CAN YOU APPARATE?" Daphne asked him in disbelief.

Harry grinned. "I learned it in summer. And looks like I won. Even if your disarming charm still surprised me. How long have you been able to do magic in silence, Daph?"

Daphne had freed herself now and was standing next to him, a glint in her eyes. "I started in the summer," she said. "Only single spells so far. It is very difficult, but also very useful. But how did you learn to apparate?!"

"Dumbledore wanted to curry favour with me again. Therefore, he offered private lessons. And that's what I asked for. Unfortunately, he didn't want to teach me Fiendfyre."

"Please don't tell me that you tried to conjure Fiendfyre!"

"Do you think I'm a complete idiot, Daph? Of course I did." Daphne only facepalmed, which is why Harry continued. "But don't worry, I didn't manage it."

"Of course you didn't. Because otherwise you would be dead now… never do that again!"

There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Finally, it was Harry who broke it. "Then you definitely have to show me how to cast spells nonverbally, Daphne," he said.

Daphne was still looking at him seriously. "Then you have to show me how you do your shield charms and how you became so agile that you could block or dodge almost all of my spells."

"Deal!"


Colin Creevey tried again the following day and waylaid Harry in front of the greenhouses, but Harry really did not feel like dealing with the annoying Gryffindor first-year or even volunteering as his photo model. So this time it was Harry who hexed Creevey, hoping that the boy would finally learn his lesson and leave him alone. Unfortunately, Professor Sprout had also seen this and given him detention for that.

None of this made Harry look forward to everyday school life. After all, the new school year was less than two days old, and yet he had detention with Snape, Lockhart, and Sprout. What a joy.

Harry would also have liked to leave their first lesson in Transfiguration just like Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he had far too much respect for Professor McGonagall for that. Still, when they were instructed to turn a beetle into a button, Harry and Daphne only gave a quiet smile and they got it right the first time. After all, they had tried much more difficult transformations. This gave them impressive praise from McGonagall, 20 points for Slytherin (as if they would care), and grudging looks from their classmates.

At the end of the lesson, McGonagall asked them to stay behind. So Harry and Daphne were now standing with the teacher in the otherwise empty classroom.

"Miss Greengrass, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "I had the impression that you both were a little underwhelmed in my class today." Harry and Daphne only nodded, and McGonagall continued, "Am I right in assuming that you are practicing magic outside of class?"

"Yes, Professor," Harry replied.

"How far ahead of the curriculum are you in your exercises?"

Harry considered. "The last time I looked, I think I reached the spells from the beginning of the third year. But that was a bit ago. To be honest, I don't particularly use the schoolbooks when practicing."

He looked over at Daphne, who just shrugged boredly. "It's the same with me."

McGonagall then seemed to be thinking hard. Finally, she stared at the two children. "Then I think we should increase the requirements for both of you. You will still have to attend regular classes in the future, I'm sorry, but what would you think about regular additional lessons with me? At an advanced level of requirement, of course."

"That would be really great, Professor! Thank you very much!" Harry replied with genuine joy. Finally a teacher took them seriously.

Daphne also answered in her normal cool tone, "Yes, thanks, Professor."

McGonagall smiled slightly. "You're welcome. To be honest, I haven't seen students as ambitious and talented as you two in a long time, at least in the practical areas. It would be a waste not to support you. I will also talk to Professor Flitwick about this, since he has always been full of praise for your performances as well. I would also speak to Professor Lockhart if I thought that would be of any use." The last part she said with a clearly recognizable smug undertone, which Harry answered with a short laugh.

"Yes, Professor, that's probably true. But thank you very much for asking Professor Flitwick."

"But as deputy headmistress, I have to tell you that you have to go back to Professor Lockhart's class. The incident from yesterday must not be repeated. Do you understand me?" Now McGonagall regarded them with a serious expression.

Harry and Daphne reluctantly answered the question, which only allowed one answer, and then they were dismissed.


McGonagall actually kept her promises and informed them shortly afterwards that from now on they would have private lessons with herself and Professor Flitwick three times a week, in which they would deal with advanced magic.

However, it was soon time for Harry's and Daphne's detention with Professor Lockhart. Reluctantly, the two dragged their feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. Shortly after he knocked, the door flew open at once and Lockhart beamed down at them. "Ah, here are the little scallywags! Just come in, come in."

They entered the office and were greeted by dozens of smiling Lockharts. There were countless framed photographs of him on all the walls and even on the desk. He had even signed a few of them.

"Well now, dear ones," said Lockhart with a wagging finger. "Of course, I can't excuse your little prank in my lesson. But of course, there was a time when I was young and in love as well, and I would have done anything to spend some time with my sweetheart. So I just can't be angry with you. But in the future, please use other occasions for your tryst than during my class, won't you, Harry?" Lockhart winked at him mischievously and Harry felt the blood shoot into his cheeks. He did not dare to look at Daphne.

Lockhart just continued, pointing to a stack of envelopes on the table, "You can address the envelopes. This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her—huge fan of mine—"

So they started their dry work. Maybe they should just have stayed in the classroom, Harry thought in the meantime, exasperated.

Harry just let Lockhart talk. And Daphne had decided not to utter a single word all evening ("He's only interested in you anyway, Harry. I'm not famous," she had told him beforehand), but Harry at least occasionally replied with "Mmm" and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then he caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Harry," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."

It was getting late and Harry was getting tired and moodier, moving his aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. Why were they all women, Harry wondered. Most of their female classmates also adored their teacher, even Granger, whom Harry would have thought was far too intelligent for that. All of this was just beyond him. At least Daphne seemed immune to Lockhart's charm, finding him even more annoying than he did.

Harry just hoped that the evening would be over soon when he suddenly heard something – something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.

It was a voice that made his blood freeze in his veins. A voice filled with abysmal hatred.

"Come… come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you…"

Harry looked at Daphne in horror, who returned his look in horror as well.

"What was that?" He asked aloud.

"I know!" said Lockhart carefree. "Six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all records!"

"No, that voice!" Harry replied agitatedly. Daphne was still looking at him in horror.

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"This ... this voice that said - didn't you hear anything?"

Lockhart gave Harry a confused look. "What are you talking about, Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott—look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it—the time has flown, hasn't it?"

Harry said nothing. He looked into Daphne's eyes, finding confirmation. They certainly hadn't imagined that voice! But why had only the two of them heard the voice? And why not Lockhart? And what was that hideous, evil voice anyway? However, these questions had to wait until they were alone.

Harry listened intently so that he maybe could hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling them they mustn't expect a treat like this every time they got detention. Still feeling dazed and stunned, Harry and Daphne finally walked out the door, holding each other's hand firmly.


They then made sure that they had both actually heard the same thing, but neither could figure out why only they had heard that terrible voice while Lockhart hadn't. And they did not have the faintest idea what that voice was. However, since their experience did not repeat itself, this mystery had to remain unsolved for now.

They enjoyed their private lessons with McGonagall and Flitwick, though. Finally the were encouraged by their teachers, being able to use more advanced magic under professional instruction. McGonagall in particular was really stretching Harry to the limit. It started with the fact that they were instructed to transform larger objects than just beetles, like rough pieces of rock into fine silk. McGonagall also showed them how to vanish objects and even living things, which was normally only taught in the fourth year of Hogwarts. If both of them continued to be so ambitious and hard-working, they would soon start training conjurations and minor human transformations, she promised Harry and Daphne.

For Harry, the analytical thinking and disciplined approach that was required for the more demanding transformations was a whole new challenge after practicing physical and emotion-driven combat spells for most of the summer. Daphne, on the other hand, seemed to be taken up in this, but she was the rational part of them anyway. In return, Harry excelled in the spells that Flitwick showed them, which required more creativity and imagination. So it was much easier for him than Daphne to use confundus and disillusionment charms. When he finally managed to change the color of his cloak, and this even silently, he received exuberant praise from Flitwick and a radiant smile from Daphne.

It had almost become a kind of competition between Harry and Daphne to master a new spell first, but in the end, they both benefited because they were pushing each other, and the one who mastered the new spell first could help the other one afterwards. They just enjoyed learning and competing together. Harry thought he had never laughed so much in his life as in those first weeks of the new school year. McGonagall and Flitwick had by far become his favorite teachers at Hogwarts, and he secretly regretted that none of them could be their head of house.

So the school year progressed and soon it was October. One evening Harry and Daphne were sitting in front of a blazing chimney fire in the Room of Requirement, magical spheres of light swarming around them. Harry could see that Daphne seemed to be thinking about something intensely while flipping through a book, but he decided not to ask her about it. In due course she would tell him as she always did. Instead, he worked on his potions essay, even if he did not lend himself to illusions about its grade. Harry could write the best essay in Hogwarts history, but Snape would still give him a miserable grade.

At some point, however, Daphne seemed to have made up her mind. For she suddenly looked him straight in the face, asking in a serious voice, "Harry, you trust me, right?"

"Sure, Daph," Harry replied. But that Daphne was not responding to her nickname, which Harry sometimes liked to use to tease her a little, showed Harry that she actually seemed to be unusually serious. Returning her gaze, he said firmly, "I trust you, Daphne. What is it about?"

"I have two proposals. Or rather a proposal and a request." Here, Daphne stopped briefly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "We talked about the fact that there is somehow a connection between us ... a spiritual connection or something. And ... I said that our thoughts could be vulnerable ... this connection is also endangering the other ... Harry, please don't get me wrong, but ... but I think it would be good if we both learn to defend ourselves against something like that. I trust you like no other person, but I don't want anyone to be able to penetrate my mind, my thoughts. And I don't want anyone to attack you through me! Harry, it would really be –"

Harry noticed how Daphne was struggling for her words and how important it was to her that he did not misunderstand her words and intent, but there was nothing to worry about. With a calming tone, Harry interrupted his friend, "Daphne! I understand what you mean, and I agree." Daphne looked at him, relief appearing on her face. Harry continued, "You already have an idea, don't you?"

"Yes, I have. I think we should both learn Occlumency."

"What's that?" Harry had never heard of it before.

"Occlumency is a magical art, but it is not taught at Hogwarts. It is basically about shielding your own thoughts and feelings from attacks by others. Apparently, you need a lot of willpower and mental and emotional discipline. To really master Occlumency, however, you need many years of experience and constant practice."

Harry grinned. "So, for once, nothing we can learn within a few days, right? It will be really unusual for us, but maybe this kind of deceleration is good for you once in a while."

"Decelerating maybe, but not less intense," Daphne replied, eye-rolling. "I've already collected some information and we can start soon. Let's start with a few basic exercises and see how well we can handle them. We may have to turn to someone who knows the art of Occlumency properly at some point, but I would really like to avoid that…"

Daphne paused again, apparently having to think about what to say next. Harry had not forgotten that she mentioned two proposals, so he waited in suspense.

"Harry, I can't ... I can't go back to my parents; I just can't take it anymore ..." Daphne's voice trembled. Harry immediately got up and knelt before Daphne while he took her hands, looking straight into her blue eyes. In a shaky voice, Daphne continued, "I have some kind of plan to ... rid myself of them. But for that I need your help ..."

"Of course, Daphne! I will help you with anything you want!"

Daphne only looked at him with a somewhat pained expression. "Wait until you know what I want to ask you now. Because it's ... Harry, please know that I absolutely trust you, and I hope you can trust me too. I would never do anything that harms you. Please believe me!"

"What is it about, Daphne?" Harry was really tense now. What could it be that Daphne wanted to ask him and that she was so worried about? Of course he trusted her!

"Harry ... I want ... I want to try the Imperius Curse on you." Harry was actually surprised now and for a few moments he could not utter a word, but Daphne hurried on, "You can also try it on me. Even first if you want to. If you don't want, I understand that of course –"

Harry came to a decision. Squeezing her hand, he interrupted her stream of words, "As I said, I trust you, Daphne. If you think that is necessary, I will offer my services." He tried to smile. "And I really can't allow you to try it on someone else. What would that look like?"

Daphne rose from her seat on the armchair and settled herself on the floor next to Harry, before putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Thanks, Harry! I will never betray your trust! Never!"

Harry stroked Daphne's back. She was too worried. Finally he got up and helped Daphne to get up as well.

"Then let us try it out right away," he said full of enthusiasm.

"Okay. I sit down in the armchair and then you can cast the curse on me."

"No. You will use the curse against me first."

"Are you sure about that?" Daphne looked at him in surprise.

Harry just smiled and replied, "As I said, I trust you."

He sat in his armchair, looking up at Daphne, who was standing in front of him. Unclear emotions were reflected on her face. Finally, she nodded. Harry returned the nod to indicate that he was ready. Daphne then raised her wand, pointing it at Harry with slightly trembling hands. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Imperio".

All of a sudden Harry felt completely carefree and relaxed. Any negative thoughts and worries that he might have carried around were suddenly gone, replaced by a feeling of indescribable, unreal bliss. Only in the rearmost, most hidden part of his mind did he feel like someone was watching him, as if someone was talking softly to him. However, that feeling seemed to escape; it was as if one wanted to catch smoke with one's hands. He tried to collect all his willpower and fight against it, but then he felt this wonderful bliss again. What was he worried about? Everything was so wonderful.

It felt like someone had emptied a bucket of ice-cold water over him. Harry started up with a loud cry, feeling Daphne hold his shoulders to prevent him from falling out of the armchair. Her ice-blue eyes were right in front of him, looking at him with concern. "Harry, are you all right? I've lifted the spell!"

"Daphne ..." Harry shook his head. Slowly he was able to think clearly again. Then he remembered! "Daphne! The Imperius ... Did it work?"

"Yes, Harry. I felt how you resisted, but I was able to overcome your resistance. It ... it felt so intoxicating. I had absolute power over you! I could have made you do whatever I want!"

"And what embarrassing things did you let me do?" Harry asked teasingly.

Daphne slapped him on the shoulder indignantly. "Idiot, I would never do that. I only forced you to clean your glasses. They are always too dirty anyway."

Harry laughed, and Daphne joined in. Suddenly, however, Daphne was completely serious again and said, "Now it's your turn to use the curse against me."

"Daphne ... that's really not necessary ..."

"Yes, it is, Harry. I told you that you can use it against me too. And I stand by my word." When she noticed the impending objections of Harry, she continued to speak calmly. "And I also want to practice how to defend myself against the Imperius curse! I felt how you tried to oppose my instructions. And maybe you could have done it with a little more practice. So we have to practice more. Also in the future. But now I want you to point your wand at me and hex me!" With that, she took a seat in her armchair.

Sighing, Harry then pointed his wand at his partner, who gave him an encouraging nod. In a rough voice, Harry spoke the incantation, "Imperio".

He felt a strange power like he had never felt before flow through his arm and wand straight towards Daphne. Suddenly Daphne's entire posture relaxed, and her gaze became distant, but Harry only felt an indescribable power. It was really intoxicating, as Daphne had said. He felt that he was in complete control of Daphne. He could force her to do whatever he wanted. She had no choice but to obey him!

But what should he tell her to do? She was completely and utterly at his mercy! He was the lord and master –

Harry shook his head. What was wrong with him? This wasn't him! But this intoxicating feeling of power ... No! Harry had to keep control of himself! He clutched his wand tightly, thinking that Daphne should stroke her hair. For a brief moment he felt some kind of resistance. Was it Daphne who resisted his instruction? Then, however, Daphne raised her right hand and stroked her honey-blonde hair.

Harry took a deep breath. He felt his heart beating. This was a lot more exhausting than most other spells, reminding him of his failed attempt to conjure Fiendfyre. He should better lift the spell now, he decided. With a great effort, Harry lowered his wand and thought of ending the spell.

Suddenly, Daphne started to twitch violently. Now it was up to Harry to hold his friend while she slowly came to herself. He looked at her with concern. Then her eyes cleared, and she looked into his eyes with a smile.

"So it worked?" she asked him.

"Yes, it did. And it was exactly as you described it. It was really intoxicant ... but I'm also afraid that the magic will tempt you ... if you give in to the power ..."

"I know what you mean. It was the same with me. We have to keep practicing the curse and learning to control the magic instead of letting the magic control us." Daphne took a deep breath. She also trembled all over. "But I think that was a very promising start today. We'll also continue practicing how to resist the curse." She smiled at him, her eyes flashing. "We're on the right track, Harry. Some day, we will achieve all our goals. Some day, we will be free and happy, I am sure of that!"

"Yes, we will, Daphne!"

They were packing up their stuff and preparing for their way back to the Slytherin common room when Daphne spoke with a humorous tone, "You realize that today we committed a crime that would take us straight to Azkaban if that would be known?"

"Then you can be glad that I'm a good accomplice and won't tell anyone about it," Harry replied with a grin.

"Yeah, you're the best accomplice in the world." With that, Daphne leaned forward and kissed Harry on the cheek as she spoke, "And that was just the beginning. I will fight for our future. By any means, even if blood has to be spilled. And it will."

Harry felt a cold shiver run down his back.


The weeks passed but Harry and Daphne were too busy to think about it. In addition to their normal lessons, they also had their private lessons with McGonagall and Flitwick, which required a lot of time and effort. Furthermore, each evening they trained various spells in the Room of Requirement that they had found in the books there. Then there were their exercises of the Imperius Curse, in which they made great strides, and Harry also did not feel so exhausted afterwards anymore. Nevertheless, it was a tight and exhausting program, which is why he let himself fall into his bed tired and exhausted every day late at night. Nonetheless, before falling asleep, he took the time to mentally review his Occlumency exercises and, in particular, clarify his thoughts. He did not know if what he was doing had any effect, but it was really important to Daphne that they learn it. Harry could also see the benefits of being able to protect his thoughts and feelings. However, he was glad that their Occlumency exercises did not seem to affect their dreamy connection. He enjoyed their togetherness in their dreams all the more, since they could not do it during the day because of their busy schedule. Thus, Harry woke up every morning with a smile on his face ...

However, Harry also noticed how he became more restless the closer Halloween came. Only a year ago he had learned that his parents had been killed that day, murdered in cold blood. They had not died in a car accident, as his so-called relatives had wanted him to believe for years. Last year, all the new experiences at Hogwarts and all his astonishment had distracted him from how that day, this Halloween that had changed his entire life eleven years ago. But now, after he hadn't returned to the Dursleys as well, he felt almost overwhelmed at the thought of that day. Hogwarts would celebrate an exuberant feast again on Halloween, but what should he do? He could never celebrate calmly and unconcerned!

However, unnoticed by Harry, Daphne noticed his grief and drew the right conclusions.

That is how it came that Daphne greeted Harry with a short hug on Halloween morning. As usual. But unlike usual, this time she put her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ears, "Meet me on the seventh floor at six o'clock this evening. In front of our usual place."

With a short kiss on his cheek, she broke away from him and started walking towards the Great Hall and breakfast. A little confused, but also full of curiosity, Harry followed her.

Sometime during the day, Daphne said goodbye to Harry, and he did not see her again, so shortly before the agreed time, Harry made his way to the seventh floor alone. Once there, he saw Daphne standing in front of a wooden door that usually led to their retreat in the Room of Requirement. But today the door looked somehow ... more homely with its blue color and small decorations. He saw that Daphne was carrying a large picnic basket like he used to see at the Dursleys. Not that he had been allowed to accompany them on one of their picnics...

Daphne greeted Harry with a bright smile that he was all too happy to return, because he thought he had figured out what Daphne's plan was.

"So what are we going to do tonight," he asked, grinning.

"Let's go inside and see what awaits us."

Harry thought that Daphne's voice was much gentler than usual. He was always amazed at how much her voice and appearance changed depending on whether she was talking to him or others and whether they were alone or not. Was it the same with him?

Excitedly, Harry opened the door to the Room of Requirement. The first thing that struck him was a wide cloudless night sky that spread out in front of them, a shining full moon and countless stars giving them light. The second thing he noticed was a strange, unfamiliar smell that Harry had never experienced before. Somehow fresh, invigorating, but also somehow salty. And he heard the sound of waves like he had only heard on the Dursleys' television up to this point.

After his eyes got used to the new lighting conditions, he saw that he was looking at an endlessly wide sea. He was standing on a high grassy dune, he realized, before stepping forward and taking a deep breath of the salty sea air, the grass of the dune and some sand crunching under his shoes.

He turned to Daphne, who smiled and looked at him lovingly. Harry just couldn't put it any other way. At that moment, she really looked like the most beautiful person in the world to him with her sparkling ice-blue eyes, her honey-blond hair blowing in the wind, and cheeks flushed with joy.

"Daphne ..." Harry said but did not have the words to express his feelings.

"I thought that would be nice since we both have never seen the sea." With that, Daphne took his hand and they both walked along the dune.

At some point they took off their shoes and socks, now walking barefoot across the grass and sand. It was a completely new experience for Harry, and he guessed, also for Daphne. Suddenly Daphne's stomach growled.

"Sounds like someone's hungry," laughed Harry.

"How good that someone brought a picnic basket from the kitchen. Greetings from our friends, Harry. They said we should come back soon."

"Then we shouldn't keep all the good food waiting."

They put a big green picnic blanket on the ground and Daphne got the food out of the basket. The house-elves had apparently not been short! There was really everything. Pasties, cakes, puddings, and many other delicacies. Harry made generous use of the chocolate pudding in particular.

After they finished eating, they put the empty containers and plates back in the basket. Now they just sat next to each other, enjoying the view of the rushing waves below and the starry sky above them. Harry put his arm around Daphne, who in turn put her head on his shoulder, both sighing in satisfaction. Harry enjoyed the mixture of the smell of Daphne's hair and the sea in his nose. It was a bit like in his dreams, only that this time he could see Daphne and not only feel her.

At some point Daphne broke the silence, straightening herself to look directly at Harry. "Harry, I would have loved to meet your parents ... after all I've heard, they were really great and loving people."

Harry looked back, feeling a kind of lump in his throat. "I ... Thanks, Daphne" He paused. "I ... I'm just wondering if they'd be proud of me." Harry could not go on, feeling a deep sadness overwhelm him, his heart and whole body cramping.

Daphne suddenly sat up on her knees, hugging him. She did not say anything, but he still understood that she was there for him.

Perhaps that was the breaking moment because Harry could now feel his eyes well up with tears. Only a few at first, but then he could not stop them anymore. He cried and felt his tears wet his face and Daphne's cloak. He missed his parents, his family just so much!

He did not know how long he was crying, but all the time he felt Daphne hold him and stroke his back. Then he noticed that Daphne was crying too. Pulling away from her a little so that he could see her face, he looked into tear-stained eyes and wet cheeks, which was probably a reflection of himself.

"Daphne ... what's wrong?"

"It's ... it's so unfair," Daphne replied among sobs. "Your parents were so good, so nice. And you could never really get to know them ..."

"Daphne ..." Now it was up to Harry to hold his friend. The two sat closely entwined on this magical dune in front of a sparkling night sky.

Eventually their tears dried up, but no one made a move to break away from the other. Harry had an idea, closing his eyes in concentration. When he opened them again shortly thereafter, his heart leapt a little. It had worked!

"Look, Daphne, a falling star!" He pointed to the distant fireball.

Daphne also looked up now. In a low voice, she replied, "It's kind of sad, isn't it? To see a beautiful star falling from the sky." Now she looked into his eyes with her blue eyes and he saw a deep sadness in them. "I wonder if it's not lonely. Dying in flames, completely alone. Nobody will ever remember it. Or miss it."

"But, Daphne," Harry replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Legend has it that falling stars bring luck. That if you make a wish now, that wish will come true."

"A wish?"

"Yes. You can wish for everything. You just must not tell anyone your wish, otherwise it will not come true."

Daphne closed her eyes and actually seemed to wish for something. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes again, smiling faintly at him.

"And did you make a wish?" Harry asked her.

"Yes. Something nice."

"Then I hope that your wish will come true."

"Me too." Daphne had put her head back on his shoulders.

Harry looked up again and as if on cue, two more shining falling stars passed. "Look, Daphne. Do you see that?" he said.

Now Daphne looked up again. "Yes, more falling stars."

"But there's a difference this time, isn't there, Daphne? They are not alone this time. Even if they are dying in flames and falling into endless infinity, they are not alone. You are not alone, Daphne. And me neither. We are partners. For now, and forever. And maybe someday we'll also have a house on such a beach ... I'll stay with you forever, Daphne."

Daphne beamed at Harry's words. "I know you will."

With that, Daphne leaned forward and kissed Harry, which Harry was only too happy to return.


It was late in the evening and the Halloween feast would also end soon, when Harry and Daphne were walking hand in hand on the way back from the seventh floor to the Hogwarts dungeons. Harry still had a dreamy smile on his face after this wonderful evening, despite all the sadness.

And then Harry heard it.

"… rip … tear … kill …"

It was the same cold, murderous voice they had heard when they had been in detention with Lockhart. He stopped and saw the same horror on Daphne's face that he felt and that was probably also on his face. They had to find out what that voice was! He listened intently.

"… so hungry … for so long … kill … time to kill …"

The voice was growing fainter. It was moving away, he was sure of that. It was mowing upward! How was that possible?

"This way," he called, wanting to run up the stairs to the next floor, but he felt Daphne let go of his hand and stop. He looked at her in confusion. "Daphne?"

"Why should we run after that voice? What do we care and why should we put ourselves in danger?"

She couldn't be serious! They couldn't let whoever that voice belonged to kill someone!

"Daphne, you can't –" He heard the fading voice again, from the floor above them.

"… I smell blood … I SMELL BLOOD!"

Harry's stomach lurched. "It's going to kill someone," he shouted and ran. He heard Daphne run after him now, but not without swearing.

He ran through all the corridors on the second floor and only when he turned into the last, abandoned corridor did he stop. Beside him, Daphne gasped and stopped. Harry noticed something shining on the wall in front of them. He stepped closer carefully. Words were written on the wall in large red letters that shimmered in the flickering light of the torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE

Harry froze. What was that?

"What's hanging underneath?" he then heard Daphne's slightly trembling voice.

Hesitantly, they get closer. Harry almost slipped because of a large puddle of water on the floor, but he could keep his balance. When they realized what hang under the words, they both leapt backwards with a splash.

It was Mrs. Norris, the caretaker Filch's cat! She was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

He felt Daphne take his hand. "Harry, we should get out of here."

"Shouldn't we do something?" Harry asked, still horrified.

"Nobody should see us here! Let's go!"

It was too late though. Hundreds of students approached from both ends of the corridor with roaring footsteps and loud murmurs. The feast must have ended. From both sides they were crashing into the passage where Harry and Daphne were standing, right in front of the lifeless cat and the writing on the wall.

The murmur and the other noise suddenly stopped when the first people spotted the hanging cat. Silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to see the grisly sight. Someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!" It was the damned voice of Malfoy. He had pushed to the front of the crowd and grinned creepily and with an evil sparkle in his eyes.

"What's going on here? What's going on!" Suddenly Filch's voice rang out as he shouldered his way through the crowd. When he saw his cat, he fell back, clutching his face in horror. "My cat! My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked. He noticed Harry and Daphne and started yelling loudly, "You! You! You murdered my cat! You killed her! I'll kill you! I'll –"

"Argus!" interrupted Dumbledore, who had entered the scene with other teachers in tow. Carefully he detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket, before looking back at the caretaker. "Come with me, Argus. You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass."

Lockhart immediately offered his office as a retreat. Thus, they moved through the silent crowd that parted to let them pass. There was still horror on many faces and more than one student fearfully backed away from Harry and Daphne. Daphne passed the staring students with her head held high, but Harry could see that she was agitated inside. Carefully, he took her hand squeezing it gently, causing Daphne to give him a slight smile.

Finally, they entered Lockhart's office. Professor McGonagall and Snape had also accompanied them. Harry saw several of the Lockharts in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. Snape curled his lips in disgust, and at that moment he was almost a little likeable to Harry.

Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the table and started examining her. He leaned over the cat with his wand in his hand, muttering strange words to himself. Professor McGonagall stood next to him, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow. In addition, Filch's harrowing sobs could still be heard and Harry almost felt a bit sorry for him. Lockhart, meanwhile, annoyed everyone with his know-it-all manner and bravado.

Harry and Daphne exchanged worried looks. He was still holding Daphne's hand and felt her trembling with nervousness. They could not really believe that they were responsible, could they? Hogwarts was their home! They couldn't just throw them out of school like that, right?

Dumbledore finally stood up again. "She's not dead, Argus," he said softly, suddenly ending Lockhart's self-praising.

"Not dead? But why is she all – all stiff and frozen?" Filch choked, gulping back a sob.

"She has been petrified. But how, I cannot say …"

"Ask them!" Filch shouted, pointing to Harry and Daphne.

Dumbledore was now looking at both of them, scrutinizing them through his half-moon glasses. Harry stubbornly looked back. They hadn't done anything! Finally Dumbledore sighed. "No second-year could have done this," he said. "It would take dark magic of the most advanced –"

"They did it! They did it! I want them to be punished!", Filch spat. His face had turned unhealthy purple in the meantime. Just like Uncle Vernon when he got angry.

Harry had gotten angry too now. "We didn't even touch the damn cat," he exclaimed, knowing full well that all eyes were focused on him.

"That's right, Professors," Daphne now spoke in a stoic voice.

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows. "Potter and Greengrass may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time." His lips curled up in a hint of malice as if he did not really believe it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast? I didn't see them there."

"We preferred to spend the evening alone, Professor," Harry hissed furiously. "I would rather not celebrate my parents' death-day with hundreds of others." This time he felt Daphne squeeze his hand gently. A shadow of deep sadness flitted across Snape's face for a moment before being replaced by sheer anger. "But what did you do in this corridor of all places?" Snape's voice was now truly hateful.

"Because ... because ..." Harry stammered, his heart pounding violently. What was he supposed to answer? Something told him that it would probably not be a good idea if he told them they had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but them could hear.

Daphne spoke, her voice cold and filled with dislike, "We wanted to stretch our legs a bit."

"You don't really think we believe you, do you?" Snape gave them an intense look, but neither Harry nor Daphne shrank from him. Their hands were still clasped, and they felt how they gave each other strength and self-confidence. Together they would hold their own! Snape started grinning spitefully. "I think Potter and Greengrass are not entirely truthful. It might be a good idea if they were deprived of certain rights until they are ready to tell us the whole story. I personally think they should be banned from using magic and their wands should be removed until they are ready to be honest."

"Come now, Severus," McGonagall replied incredulously. "I see no reason to take such measures. There is no evidence at all that the two have done anything wrong. In addition, that would not correspond to my assessment which I have of the two. And you're even their head of house, you should actually be defending them!" McGonagall only consolidated her place as Harry's favorite teacher. He gave her a grateful nod.

Dumbledore, however, examined Harry and Daphne again. His blinking eyes made Harry feel as though he were being X-rayed. He looked back defiantly.

"When in doubt, for the accused, Severus," Dumbledore said finally. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and Daphne also relaxed noticeably. Only now did Harry notice how tightly she had clutched his hand.

Snape looked furious. Just like Filch, who started screaming again, "My cat has been petrified! I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep –"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school." There was an awkward pause.

Dumbledore turned back to both of them. "You may go."

So Harry and Daphne left for the dungeons and their beds. On the way there was not a soul to be seen. Just before the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Harry remembered the writing on the wall.

"What's the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked confused.


Next chapter: Contempt

Preview:

With pounding heart, Daphne clenched the chunky wand in her hands and pointed it at her father. It was now or never!


AN:

Some cheesy moments in this chapter :D

For the falling stars scene, I was inspired by another story: Falling Star by sweetatoo (id: 6891859). It's a Code Geass fanfiction, my favorite show. I can only advise everyone to read the story and watch the series!

I am planning three more chapters during the second year of Hogwarts of approximately the same length as this chapter (but we will see). The titles of these next chapters are: Contempt (Chapter 10), Alienation (Chapter 11) and The Heir of Slytherin (Chapter 12).

Until then, I look forward to your comments!

Freudentraene [ German for tear of joy ;) ]