AN:
I am very grateful to Verlor (id: 11113787) for beta reading this chapter. His help has improved it significantly. Thank you very much!
Chapter 14 – Family Ties
Breathing in the pleasantly cool morning air, Harry threw stones into the calm waters of the lake. Although he had only started these morning walks because of Daphne, he continued this habit even without her. It just did his soul good and gave him some much needed rest before a long and exhausting day, for he trained to the utmost every day. Such a humiliation as their fight against Voldemort's memory in the Chamber of Secrets should never happen again!
However, there was also another reason why Harry was already up and about so early in the morning, while the rest of the castle was probably still asleep; he was waiting for a very special letter from Daphne. It had been a week since they had said goodbye to each other on the Hogsmeade platform. Daphne had kept her promise and written to him every day, even if her letters contained nothing but banalities. They were too worried that their letters might fall into the wrong hands. Though that would change soon, not only because Harry had put a lot of effort into a birthday present for Daphne that was supposed to fix this problem. No, he was expecting Daphne's message today that her plan had worked and that they could see each other again.
Harry already felt himself start to tremble with anticipation, but he had to be patient! He had survived the last few days, a few minutes or hours more wouldn't matter, he tried to calm himself. He also tried to ignore the worries that had been plaguing him all week. It just had to work! He had complete confidence in Daphne and her skills! And he had been able to feel her in his dreams for a short time tonight!
Nervously, he paced up and down. Time just didn't seem to pass. The first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon. Green and blue were displaced and soon the entire landscape was bathed in a warm, orange light.
Suddenly Harry heard a familiar owl scream. Without hesitation, he looked up, only to close his eyes in pain, as he had looked directly into the rising sun. Letting out another loud scream, Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder. Apparently, she was far from pleased to have had to deliver so many letters lately, especially since Harry did not have a treat for her now, not even a small piece of bacon.
"Hedwig, you're the best," he said, taking the little letter from her leg with shaky fingers. Hedwig uttered a smug sound, before rising again, probably to treat herself to some well-deserved sleep.
Harry, however, was miles away, since he opened Daphne's letter and began to read nervously.
Harry,
something terrible has happened. I don't want to be alone now. I will come to Hogwarts at 11 a.m. Please let Professor McGonagall know that I will use her fireplace for this. Then I'll tell you everything.
Forever yours,
Daphne
Harry's trembling hands crumpled up the letter, and he had to pull himself together to not jump for joy. It worked! Everything had gone as Daphne planned! For that was exactly the message they had agreed to.
He cast a time spell, realizing that he still had several hours until 11 a.m. But before that, he should also inform Professor McGonagall. He took a piece of paper out of his pocket and scribbled a few sentences on it, before tapping it three times with his wand making it fold into a paper plane and fly towards the castle. Now all he had to do was pack up, but that should not take too long with his few belongings. With a pounding heart and a big grin on his face, he hurried back to the castle.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Harry knocked on the door of Professor McGonagall's office and was called in immediately. There he saw Professor McGonagall sitting behind her desk, her hands trembling as she read the current edition of the Daily Prophet.
"Good morning, professor," Harry greeted her. McGonagall looked up, and Harry thought he saw tears in her eyes. "Is everything okay, professor?"
"You ... you don't know?"
"No, what should I know?"
McGonagall handed him the newspaper, and Harry took it from her still trembling hands. Curiously, he started reading.
Greengrasses found dead – Background unclear – Terrible rumors
By Ophelia Parkinson
Morpheus and Roxanne Greengrass were found dead yesterday evening. An elderly Muggle couple found the two hanged on the church tower of a small village in southern England, not far from the family's country estate.
As far as we know, the background of this horrific event is still unclear. Suicide cannot be ruled out. However, this newspaper has learned from well-informed circles within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that possible clues are also being investigated that could indicate a homicide. You may remember, dear readers: Morpheus and Roxanne were supporters of You-Know-Who during the war but were able to avoid a prison sentence through extensive testimony. Since then, the Greengrasses have completely withdrawn from public life, probably to protect themselves from hostility and retaliation. It may be a possibility that someone wanted to settle an old score.
However, no traces of external violence or of an Imperius curse could be found on the bodies of Morpheus and Roxanne Greengrass, although such a curse could also have been casted a long time ago. In addition, such test procedures are often fraught with uncertainty.
It also came to our knowledge that their two daughters, Daphne (12) and Astoria (10) were interrogated by authorities tonight. As we have been told, the will of the Greengrasses in particular - the content of which has already become known - caused a great surprise. According to their will, Morpheus and Roxanne Greengrass appointed their eldest daughter Daphne as sole heiress of their remaining property and country estate and also emancipated her prematurely. All of this is highly unusual, dear readers. Especially since, as we learned, the younger daughter Astoria was appointed as the main heiress until the beginning of the year. She, however, is no longer mentioned in the current will, nor are any other members of the family on the continent.
So what's going on in the Greengrass family? Research by this newspaper presages a terrible truth. Although the two daughters could not be reached for a statement, a current Hogwarts student, Pansy Parkinson has agreed to speak to us. At school, Miss Parkinson is a classmate and roommate of Daphne Greengrass in Slytherin. Therefore, she knows her quite well. According to Miss Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass is one of the quiet and reserved students at Hogwarts. She only has few friends and does not seem to have a good relationship with her parents. In addition, according to unconfirmed reports, she was involved in the tragic events during the last school year, which resulted in the death of 11-year-old Ginny Weasley; Events in which Harry Potter is said to have been involved as well, with whom Daphne Greengrass has been seen often. This newspaper also found out that Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, unsuccessfully tried to strip Morpheus and Roxanne Greengrass of custody of their two daughters.
All of this, of course, makes the Greengrasses' will appear in an even stranger light, since the relationship between Daphne Greengrass and her late parents was obviously not the best. It also causes this newspaper to worry about Miss Greengrass's condition and mental health. We can only hope she now gets all the support she needs and that the terrible rumor that she might be involved in her parents' death will not come true. However, this newspaper and the entire editorial team have complete confidence in the investigative authorities that - if the suspicion of murder is confirmed - they will find the culprit and hold them accountable.
Continue reading:
Morpheus and Roxanne Greengrass as informants of the investigative authorities, p. 4
Tragic events at Hogwarts - What role do Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass play?, p. 7
Brief introduction to magical inheritance law, p. 11
Harry snorted. They hoped that the rumors would not come true? With this article they started the rumors in the first place!
Next to him, Professor McGonagall wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief. Harry looked at the clock on the wall. It was now exactly 11 o'clock, and just at that moment, poison-green cold flames blazed up in the fireplace. Harry immediately whirled around, seeing Daphne emerge from the flames and brush some ash off her cloak.
Stunned, Harry looked at Daphne. She wore an expensive, dark blue travel cloak and brown leather gloves. Harry had never seen her dressed so elegantly before. And he could have bet that she had put on some make-up; her red lips shone alluringly. Above all, it was as if a bright aureole surrounded and bathed her in a shining light, the air around her seeming to flicker. This is what people looked like who had freed themselves from a great burden, Harry thought, warmth and pride filling his entire body.
Daphne looked up and their eyes found each other, Daphne's bright ice-blue eyes looking into Harry's emerald ones. That brief glance told Harry everything he needed to know. A slight smile played around Daphne's lips, which could only be seen if you knew her as well as Harry did.
Dropping the newspaper, Harry reached his girlfriend with two quick steps, hugging Daphne tightly and burying his face in her long hair, which allowed him to hide his broad smile. Their two bodies trembled with joy. Finally, they were free!
At some point, however, they had to break up again, especially since Professor McGonagall had risen from her seat behind her desk and was looking at them both with a sad look.
Harry released his arms from Daphne but took her gloved right hand in his. The leather felt soft and warm. Tenderly, he played with her fingers.
"Miss Greengrass ... Daphne," McGonagall said in a caring voice. "I'm so terribly sorry. How are you?"
Daphne was now also playing with Harry's fingers as she answered calmly, "How am I supposed to be?" Her eyes darted across the issue of the Daily Prophet lying on the floor. "The lack of sleep is stressful, even if the interrogations weren't that bad. Still, I could only go to bed for a few hours."
McGonagall looked surprised. Apparently, that was not the answer she was expecting. Harry needed all his self-control and Occlumency skills to keep a calm face.
Daphne, however, had probably decided to give at least some kind of an appropriate impression. With a sad voice, with which she could have competed with many actresses, she added, "Of course it's not easy, professor. But thank you for your sympathy. That really means a lot to me. Everything is just so ... terrible. Therefore, I really wanted to see Harry. I just don't want to be alone now…"
Professor McGonagall wiped another tear from her eye. "Of course! You have my full support. If I can help you in –"
"Thank you, professor. But we won't stay long. Actually, I only came to pick up Harry. In fact, we will leave now." They exchanged a look and Harry nodded in agreement.
"But Mr. Potter can't just go with you!" said McGonagall, who, as usual, observed the rules. "His legal guardians would have to agree. Or at least, you must ask Professor –"
"That's not necessary," said Daphne, reaching into a pocket in her cloak. "I have visited Harry's ... relatives this morning. They gave me their written consent that Harry can spend the holidays with me." With that, Daphne handed McGonagall a piece of paper, which she immediately examined carefully. "It cost a fortune," Daphne murmured, so only Harry could hear it. He put his arm around her body, kissing her on the head.
"Is everything correct?" Harry asked impatiently. He couldn't wait to get out of here.
McGonagall looked up again. "Um ... yes, all this seems to be correct. I'll inform the headmaster later. What about your luggage?"
"I'll send Dobby later. He'll get all my things."
"Since when do you have a house-elf?" McGonagall asked in surprise.
"He's not my house-elf, professor. He is a free elf who works for me. And he's my friend."
"I ... see." McGonagall's face, however, revealed that she would have loved to learn more about how that arrangement came about.
"Then everything is cleared up now," Daphne spoke again. "Thank you again, professor. For everything." Turning around, she grabbed a handful of black powder that stood on the mantelpiece. "You follow me, yeah, Harry?" Harry nodded and Daphne entered the fireplace, throwing the powder to the ground and calling out "Greengrass Manor". With that, she disappeared and green flames remained.
Harry turned to Professor McGonagall, saying with a slight smile, "Goodbye, Professor. See you on September 1st."
"Goodbye, Mr. Potter. I wish you both a lot of strength to get through the coming weeks."
Harry nodded gratefully and then followed Daphne. The last thing he saw before the cold green flames enveloped him was a last sad look from his favorite teacher.
For a moment there was nothing but blackness that seemed to circle around him, but then he saw a shining light and a familiar petite figure before losing his balance and falling headlong to the ground.
"Be careful, Harry," he heard Daphne's laughing voice. Immediately afterwards, he felt her hands grab him, helping him stand up. As soon as Harry got up again, he was already hugging Daphne, who immediately threw her arms around his neck. His lips found hers and their bodies seemed to merge. He felt Daphne's body vibrate with joy. She opened her mouth slightly and their tongues found each other. Harry had never experienced anything like that before. A warm shiver ran down his spine. One of his hands stroked Daphne's back and pressed her closer to him if that was even possible, his other hand clawing into her long and soft hair. He wanted this moment to never end.
However, not all wishes could come true. A loud cough jolted them out of their dream world into reality. Reluctantly, they broke apart and Harry had the opportunity to look at their surroundings for the first time.
They seemed to be in some kind of living room. There were several high armchairs in front of the fireplace. On the sides were cabinets full of empty liquor bottles, and in the corner he saw a dust-covered piano which no one had played for a long time. And standing in a passage to the rest of the house was a tall, middle-aged woman with pinned-up brown hair, who eyed them with raised eyebrows.
"Aunt Christine, didn't you want to have already left at this time?" Daphne said, still a little breathless.
"Your sister wanted to say goodbye to you," the woman said in a cool voice. "Frankly, we have been very surprised when you just disappeared this morning. But I see you had to bring your ... friend. And who may you be, young man?" With her last words, she addressed Harry, who felt like he was being X-rayed by the woman's gaze.
Before Harry could answer, he felt Daphne squeeze his hand, before she spoke again again, "Aunt Christine, this is my boyfriend Harry Potter. Harry, this is my aunt Christine Delacroix, a cousin of my mother."
"A pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Delacroix," Harry said politely.
The woman's eyes moved back and forth between him and Daphne. "Pleasure as well, Mr. Potter," she finally said without any meaning behind it. "Interesting to see you in flesh and blood considering the numerous newspaper articles about your person lately, and I guess that will only increase in the future through your … connection with my niece … Well then. Daphne, have you really made up your mind?"
"Yes, aunt," Daphne said firmly. "Nothing has changed in that regard."
"Then I hereby bid you farewell. I don't know when we'll see each other again. It's your life and only you are responsible for it … I think your sister wants to say goodbye" With that Mrs. Delacroix disappeared from the room.
Harry gave Daphne a questioning look. She sighed before answering. "She wants me to come to France too. But of course, I refused. I –"
She stopped in the middle of the sentence when a little girl entered the room. She had lighter hair than Daphne, almost silvery, and a pale face. If you paid attention, you could actually see that she and Daphne were (half-)sisters. However, while Harry would have noticed Daphne immediately, even if he had not seen her alone back then, this girl was completely inconspicuous. In a large crowd, he probably would not have noticed her at all. Now, however, she was standing completely alone in the door frame.
Daphne shot a casual glance at her sister. "Ah yes, farewell, Astoria." Then she turned back to Harry. "Now I'll show you –"
Harry could see out of the corner of his eye how Astoria's body trembled, tears coming to her eyes.
"Are you just sending me away now, Daphne?" she said in a shaking voice.
Daphne turned to her sister in surprise. "What's wrong with you?"
"You just send me away now! You wouldn't even have said goodbye..."
"I had important things to do."
Harry felt Daphne misunderstood what Astoria meant. He also felt very uncomfortable and would have liked to disappear, but the only exit was blocked by Astoria.
"You always had important things to do," Astoria cried as more and more tears came from her eyes. "Always. I was always alone. You always ignored me. And now you just send me away. What have I done to you? Why do you hate me, Daphne?" At this point, her voice failed and there was nothing more to be heard but her excruciating crying. Astoria collapsed on the ground.
Daphne finally seemed to understand. Deep sadness appeared on her face as she approached her sister.
"I don't hate you, Tori," Daphne said softly, kneeling down in front of her sister and brushing her hair from her face so that she could look directly into her eyes. "I think I understand now. We are both victims of our parents. They were monsters who couldn't live with the misery of their own existence. They were unable to love. I got hatred and you utter indifference." Harry wondered which was worse.
"You ignored me too," said Astoria among sobs.
Harry only saw the back of Daphne's head when she responded in a calm voice, "I'm sorry I couldn't show you the feelings you needed ... and even now I can't ... maybe in another life ... No, it's too late for that. I would like to love you more, but ... Go with Aunt Christine, Tori. You got a unique chance to forget your life here. You can start a new life now. Go and be happy. Leave all this behind you ... For me it's too late ... Farewell, Astoria. I really wish you will find your happiness."
With that, Daphne got up again, beckoning Harry over, and together they left the living room and the still crying Astoria.
"Did you mean all of this?" Harry asked quietly as they went up the stairs.
"She got the chance to take another path. But I have gone too far. In another life, if I were a different person, I probably could have loved her. But they ruined that too ... I did the right thing, didn't I, Harry?"
"Yes, you did, Daphne," said Harry, squeezing his beloved's hand.
Daphne led him through the house. Most of the rooms were completely empty and covered with a thick layer of dust, spider webs glittering in the midday sun. Harry was shocked at how impersonal Daphne's bedroom looked. No pictures, books, or other decoration; even his sleeping place in the cupboard under the stairs had been more personal.
When they got back to the ground floor, there was no sign of Astoria. She and Daphne's aunt must have left. He, too, wished the little girl all the best for the rest of her life. May she find her happiness.
Daphne led him outside and they saw expansive greenery, even if they had apparently not seen a gardener in a long time. Like the house, the garden looked unattended and neglected.
"Looks like Dobby isn't going to run out of work," Harry said with a chuckle.
Daphne gave him an amused look. "You can call him soon. I have also drawn up an employment contract." With that, she raised her wand and shortly afterwards a large piece of parchment came flying out of one of the windows of the house.
Daphne pointed to a stone building a little further away, which was decorated with numerous small engravings and magnificent angel statues. "This is the Greengrass family mausoleum. The safest place on this property, as it has numerous protective spells. I guess that the dead and the splendor of the past were more important to the family than the future of their descendants. And look where the Greengrass family is now."
"You sound like you don't see yourself as part of the family anymore."
"I'll make sure that this family ends with me and Astoria. But I still have to bear this name. Unless you already have a ring for me?" Daphne smiled impishly at Harry.
A broad grin formed on Harry's face. "We shouldn't add fuel to all the rumors, should we?" He laughed. Daphne joined in the laughter too but tightened her grip on his hand.
They reached the mausoleum, and in fact, unlike the rest of the property, it looked clean. Were the spells Daphne mentioned responsible for this?
Daphne put her right hand on the entrance portal, whereupon the stone blocks moved apart, revealing a wide staircase leading into the depths. The walls were torch-lit. They followed the stairs, reaching a large round room from which further small passages departed. Stone sarcophagi were embedded in the walls, and a depressing mood lay over the crypt.
"Will you bury your parents here as well?" Harry asked quietly.
"No!" said Daphne vehemently. "I won't bury them at all. They can rot in the Ministry or wherever they are now."
"But don't you think that will only fuel the rumors?"
"I don't care! I certainly won't pay my last respects to these bastards. They are gone and no longer part of my life. They no longer have power over me. They will never again –"
Harry hugged her, stroking her back comfortingly. Daphne's breath calmed again, and Harry lifted her head to kiss her tenderly on the lips, causing Daphne to smile gratefully at him. They didn't need words to communicate their feelings.
"Then it's best to call Dobby now, isn't it?" Harry veered off. When Daphne nodded briefly, he called out, "Dobby!"
There was a loud bang and in front of them appeared an elf bouncing with joy, wearing the same colorful clothes as last time, but now he also wore a bright yellow bobble cap. It was cooler here in the crypt than outside, but given the oppressive heat almost everywhere, Harry wondered if the elf had any temperature sensation at all.
"Harry Potter called and Dobby came!"
"Hello, Dobby," said Harry, grinning. "It's nice to see you again. How have you been?"
"It wasn't good, Harry Potter sir. Despite everything, Dobby is still a house-elf and needs work."
"We can change that," said Daphne, holding up the piece of parchment. "Here's an employment contract between you and Harry. Read it carefully and then you can sign it. You can of course cancel it in the future, if you want to, Dobby. As payment I've entered 10 galleons per month, but of course we can still renegotiate."
"That's too much! That's way too much!" Dobby shouted in a shrill voice.
"It's not too much, Dobby," Harry replied vigorously. "I'm afraid you'll have a lot of work. And you've helped us a lot in the past. We can't pay too much for that." With that he took the pen that Daphne handed him, sribbling his name on the bottom of the contract.
"And of course, the salary also includes the obligation of secrecy," added Daphne. "This is also put on record in the contract. Whatever you learn about us or see about us, you can't tell anyone."
"Dobby would never betray Harry Potter!"
Hesitantly, Dobby wrote his name on the parchment in capital letters, and Harry felt a brief tweak in his chest. Dobby's bat-like ears shook with joy.
"Fabulous," said Daphne. "Now that that's settled, I think Harry already has the first task for you."
"Exactly," Harry confirmed. "Can you please bring all the books and scrolls from the cave we were last time? And the two figures too?" Harry felt himself shiver with excitement.
Dobby's ears were drooping now. "Dobby will do it, even if it makes him uncomfortable." And with another loud bang, he was gone.
Harry stepped up to Daphne, putting an arm around her waist. She huddled against his side. However, they only had to wait a short time before Dobby reappeared with another bang. The house-elf had stretched his arms out, directing a large, violet shimmering sphere in which a multitude of books and scrolls could be seen.
"Just put them down there in the corner, Dobby," Daphne called.
The house-elf did as he was told and immediately after that he disappeared again. Eagerly, Harry and Daphne approached the books, but Dobby reappeared, once again directing a large sphere. Inside the sphere were the two mysterious figures Harry and Daphne had looked at so often during their last days at school. They still looked completely motionless. Carefully, Dobby lowered them to the ground in the middle of the room.
"Dobby has kept the freshness spell," said the house-elf. "Dobby leaves now. It hurts Dobby to be so close to ... all of this. What else can Dobby do for Harry Potter?"
Harry smiled mildly at Dobby. "You can rest first, Dobby. That must have been exhausting." He glanced at Daphne, who was staring at the man and woman. Apparently, she did not notice her surroundings anymore, at least she did not react to Harry's look, so Harry continued, "I think Daphne won't mind if you choose one of the vacant rooms in the house."
Dobby looked at him with wide eyes. "A room?"
"Of course. Where have you slept so far?"
"Dobby slept in a closet. Or behind the stove."
Harry felt a surge of sympathy for the house-elf. In some ways, they weren't all that dissimilar. He wondered if the Dursleys and the Malfoys would have got along well and had immediately to laugh at this absurd idea.
"Pick a room, Dobby," he replied with a smile. "Whichever you want. And then rest. There is more than enough to do in the house and garden. I'm afraid you won't run out of work that quickly."
Dobby's ears straightened up. "I enjoy work, Harry Potter Sir. Dobby will start right away." With that he was gone.
Harry shook his head. House-elves were really strange creatures, and Dobby was probably the strangest house-elf of them all.
He turned back to Daphne, who still looked at the two motionless figures as if in trance. Standing next to her, he took her hand, and Daphne winced. Slowly, she turned her head to Harry, and he saw the dreamy look in her eyes.
"It feels so unreal," she said. "What ... what are we doing now?"
Harry pondered. They had only talked about wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery in summer, but not how they would manage that exactly. "Let's examine them first," he replied. "Maybe we notice something."
They approached the two figures and Harry carefully reached out his hand to touch the lifeless man. He was freezing cold.
He saw Daphne touch the woman. "She's warm," she said softly. "I wonder -"
Suddenly a fiery flash of lightning lit the crypt and Harry and Daphne were thrown backwards. Harry's eyes were open but he could not see anything. "Daphne, where are you?" he shouted in panic.
"I'm fine," he heard Daphne. "Harry, look at this."
Harry felt relief at his lover's words. She was fine! He had to blink several times until he could see something again. What he then saw took his breath away.
Fawkes circled above their heads, the air still smoking and smoldering where he had appeared with the flash of lightning. Fawkes emitted a blood-curdling shattering scream and a magical melody began, resembling the music Harry had heard in the Chamber of Secrets before he passed out. If it could be called music at all because his ears heard nothing. Instead, the music directly touched his heart, as only the singing of a phoenix could. Only this time the singing was not encouraging, but an expression of deep, terrible sadness. Harry felt tears come to his eyes while he simply could not look away from the majestic flaming bird.
Daphne stepped by his side, pressing her tear-streaked face to his chest. Harry put his arms protectively around her and together they listened to the song of mourning.
Harry did not know how much time passed; it could be minutes or hours. Eventually, however, Fawkes landed on the woman's shoulder, hugging the couple's heads with his wings, tears falling from the eyes of the phoenix on the two figures and the floor. It hurt Harry in his heart to see Fawkes' grief, whatever that was all about.
He felt like he tainted an intimate and sacred act with his presence. Daphne apparently felt the same, because she broke away from him and nodded to the stairs as if she did not dare to make any noise. Harry returned her nod, but then looked at the pile of books in the corner, feeling a kind of suction in his chest...
With two quick steps he reached the books, grabbing the one at the top when a short, stinging feeling permeated his body. He turned around again, and together with Daphne, he left the crypt.
It was only when they were outside again and the stone gate behind them had closed that the sad music, which had enveloped Harry's heart like a black mist, died down. He had to breathe in and out several times to clear his head. Suddenly, Daphne threw herself into his arms, trembling all over.
"That was beautiful." Her voice was very quiet, but it was a strange feeling to hear with his ears again.
"It was," he said softly.
"How can there be beauty in sadness?" Daphne looked at him with wide eyes.
"Let's never find out."
Harry took her hand, and together they walked through the large garden, seeing Dobby cleaning the property's windows and waving to him.
"What happens if Dobby does reveal our secrets?" Harry asked curiously.
"The consequences would be ... unpleasant," Daphne replied. "But I hope, and I don't think that will happen. He adores you."
For a while neither of them said a word until Daphne suddenly stopped and looked at Harry with an unfathomable look. "What did we get into, Harry?"
Harry thought for a moment as he watched the bright blue sky. "I don't know. To find out, we would have to somehow communicate with Fawkes. But just now, it seemed…" Harry hesitated, trying to find the right words.
"Wrong?" said Daphne. " That's how it felt to me. We had no place there."
"Yes, then we felt the same."
They kept walking. At some point, they reached the edge of a thick forest.
"Is that still a part of the property?" asked Harry.
"Everything in this wide area is part of the Greengrass family estate," Daphne replied. "Once they were an influential and wealthy family..."
As Daphne seemed lost in her thoughts, Harry noticed that he was still holding the book out of the crypt with his other hand. He let go of Daphne's hand so he could open the book. The characters he saw in the book, however, were completely foreign to him. Carefully, he stroked the pages with his fingertips, when a strange tingling sensation spread over his entire body. It felt like he was casting a powerful spell.
"These are runes," he suddenly heard Daphne's voice next to his head, causing him to startle for a moment. She was now stroking the pages of the book as well, a longing glint in her eyes. "Do you feel the magic too?"
"Yes," said Harry. "These aren't ordinary books. Can you read what's written there?"
"Unfortunately, no." The regret in Daphne's voice was obvious. "Did you choose Ancient Runes?"
"No. A dead language seemed too boring to me," laughed Harry. "Did you?"
A slight smile crept onto Daphne's face. "I was thinking just like you. Maybe we should write McGonagall and choose Ancient Runes."
"Daphne, I am disappointed with your academic negligence!"
"Idiot." Daphne slapped him with mock indignation.
Harry flipped through the book while Daphne watched him attentively. Each page was filled with runes that he could not decipher. After several pages, however, Harry paused. Instead of runes, there were other characters, but they were no less unreadable for him, looking like a chicken with ink on its claws ran across the paper. However, as he looked at the characters, it was as if they were beginning to shimmer before his eyes. It felt like the whole world was spinning around him.
Suddenly he could understand what was written there! He could never have written it down, but he could read the characters in front of him. They did not make sense though, because they did not display words, but sounds. That was the only way Harry could describe what he saw.
"Daphne, do you see that too?" he murmured, looking up and seeing that Daphne was also staring at the book in his hands.
"I can read that," she said. "Or rather, I know what it means." She looked at Harry with a thoughtful look. "You too?" Harry nodded, whereupon Daphne took the book out of his hands, her fingers gently stroking the characters. "I think I know what that is."
"And what?"
Daphne looked back at him. "Have you ever wondered if you can also write in Parseltongue?"
"You mean ... that's Parseltongue?"
"When I imagine saying these characters, it sounds ... like a hiss. Like when we spoke Parseltongue."
"Let me see it again!" The book changed hands once more. Harry looked spellbound at the strange characters that still seemed somehow blurry, focusing on how they would sound if he pronounced them. And in fact, he heard a hiss in his head. Plus, an intoxicating feeling of power.
"And?" asked Daphne.
"You're right," muttered Harry as if in a trance. "I wonder ..." With that, Harry raised his wand, pointing it at the next row of trees.
"Harry, wait!" Daphne called, but he had already started to read the characters aloud. He heard his own hissing voice and a warm feeling that spread from his heart throughout his whole body, heat shootinh through his arm straight into his wand. Harry felt his wand jerk forward, but he clutched it. He wouldn't give in! He clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw crunched. Suddenly he heard a thunderous roar and wanted to cover his ears. Beside him, Daphne fell to the ground in pain. Panic overwhelmed Harry, but then a tremendous shock wave emanated from him his wand. Harry saw several oak trees uprooted and flown through the air, leaving a field of destruction.
The roar died down, the heat cooled, and Harry sank to his knees. All his limbs ached, and he felt terribly exhausted. A deadly silence lay over the garden and Harry could hear the blood rushing in his ears. Feeling something warm comeíng out of his nose, he touched his face with his fingers; they were covered in blood. He took one last look at Daphne, who was staring at him with pure fear in her wide eyes before blacking out.
The first thing Harry noticed when he woke up was loud breathing. He then noticed something soft but heavy lying on his torso. His entire body was in pain, and he could barely move. Straining to open his eyes, he recognized a familiar blonde head of hair in front of him. Daphne lay with her head and arms on his torso, seeming to be sleeping, her hair standing on end and traces of tears glittering on her face in the glow of the candlelight. Apparently, he was lying in her bed on the first floor of the Greengrass manor.
"Harry Potter is awake again," he heard Dobby's voice to his left. Turning his head slightly, he saw Dobby sitting on a cutty stool next to the bed.
"Dobby, what's wrong with me?" Harry asked, his voice rough. He straightened himself, careful not to wake Daphne.
"Harry Potter collapsed. Miss Daphne and Dobby brought you here. Miss Daphne was out of her head and never left Harry Potter's side. Dobby had to cast a sleeping spell on her."
Dobby's words caused him guilt. He had been far too careless. Again!
"Thank you, Dobby," he whispered.
Their brief conversation, however, seemed to have woken Daphne. Groaning, she sat up slightly, causing Harry to look straight into her reddened eyes now, noticing the deep marks her fingernails had left on her face and palms. It took Daphne a few seconds to understand where she was, but finally her eyes cleared. When she recognized Harry, a desperate glimmer appeared in her eyes.
"Harry!" she cried, hugging him. She had pressed her face to his chest and was now trembling all over. Harry heard her muffled sobs. Suddenly, she straightened up again so that she could look him in the face, flames blazing in her eyes. "You stupid stupid IDIOT!" she yelled at him, hammering at his chest with her fists. Harry, however, barely felt them. Something else was causing him much more pain. "You're such a bastard! I was so worried! You idiot! You stupid stupid idiot! You –"
"I'm sorry," said Harry, but Daphne didn't hear him.
"Do you want me to kill myself? Do you want it? If you had died, what –"
"I'm sorry, Daphne!" Harry repeated louder this time, clutching Daphne's arms, which took a lot of strength. His eyes found hers, and he saw terrible fear in them.
Daphne stopped, still trembling all over, Harry clutching her hands now. "What are you sorry for?" she asked.
"That I did this to you. That you had to worry about me. I was such a fool…"
"Yes, you were!" Daphne hugged him again, putt her head in his neck. Harry inhaled the smell of her hair as he stroked her back soothingly.
"I'm fine again, Daphne. I will never do that again, I promise."
Daphne turned her head; a lonely tear ran down her cheek. "Please Harry. I ... I don't know what I would do without you ... I was so scared…"
Harry wiped her tears away with his thumb. "I will never leave you, Daphne. I promise you that."
The couple lay in bed like this for a long time. At some point, Dobby came to bring them something to eat and drink. Harry didn't really have an appetite, but Daphne and Dobby forced him to ingest a whole bowl of soup and a large glass of water, and he indeed felt better and stronger afterwards. The potions Dobby gave him did the rest. The next day, he would be back to normal. However, at the thought of what could have happened with a little less luck, a cold shiver ran down his back. He had been far too foolish and overestimated himself. Once again. It had felt a bit like his conjuring of Fiendfyre, but much more abominable and demonic...
At some point, Daphne reluctantly allowed him to go to the bathroom. Putting on his pajamas, he returned to the bedroom, where Daphne was already waiting for him ready for bed, wearing a long nightgown that still showed a lot of her body though. Harry could not help but notice that her chest had started to develop in the past few months. He felt his head turn red, which Daphne acknowledged with a mischievous smile.
Then they went to bed. Harry was exhausted but also knew that he could not sleep yet, too many thoughts still buzzing in his head. Apparently, Daphne had the same problem. As a result, unlike the first time they had slept in a bed and had fallen asleep immediately, they lay awake side by side this time. For the first time ever, Harry realized. Daphne snuggled up to him, putting her head on his chest. He played with her strands, lost in thought.
"Crazy day, wasn't it?" he asked, smiling.
"You can say that again," Daphne replied, and Harry saw that she too was grinning. "I rarely felt as alive as yesterday and today."
"Can you tell me how it happened?" asked Harry.
Daphne raised her head, looking at him with her warm ice-blue eyes that reflected the candlelight. "Do you really want to know?"
When Harry nodded, Daphne began to speak softly, without breaking eye contact.
The previous day, 8 p.m., Greengrass Manor
Daphne was sitting on the stairs when she saw her parents leave the house through the front door. Just as she had commanded them, at exactly the given time. Actually, she was too gracious to them, she thought bitterly. Nevertheless, Daphne rushed up the stairs and hurried to her room, from where she could see her parents walking along the path to the nearest muggle village.
She let herself slide down and now sat with her back leaning against the wall, her entire body trembling. She had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud, but she did not manage to suppress all her feelings. She clenched her knees, feeling her upper body quiver with laughter. If someone had seen her at that moment, he probably would have thought she had lost her mind, but Daphne felt more comfortable and happier than ever before in her life. And those other moments had always been about Harry. This day, however, was only about herself and her so-called parents, who would walk the earth for the last time tonight. Soon they would burn in hell and hopefully it would be many decades before Daphne would see them there again.
The memories came back to her mind. How many times had she seen their raised wands, pointing at her? The red flashes shooting out of the tips of their wands? How many times had she seen the hatred on her parents' faces, the joy when they had seen her agony, heard her screams? How many times had she felt the pain that had cut into her flesh, heart, and soul, until there had been nothing left of the person she could have been? How many times had she tasted her own blood and longed for death?
Numerous times. Far too many times for a little girl to count; a little girl who just couldn't understand why her parents did this to her.
Daphne wondered how her life would have been with loving parents. Would she be a completely different person? Without the coldness and hatred inside her? Would she have been happy? But such thoughts were a waste of time, she reminded herself. She was the person life had made her, a creature of the cruelty of this world. She would not look back. That part of her past died today. She would move forward and create her own life!
She just wished Harry could be with her now and hug her. She felt so lonely and cold...
The previous day, 11 p.m., Greengrass Manor
Daphne paced up and down in her room. Actually, she should have gone to sleep to keep up the appearance, but she just couldn't calm down, her heart pounding like crazy in her chest. Surely, they must have been found, right? After all, the church tower was in the middle of the village. Oh, what a magnificent sight they must have been! Daphne's blood boiled.
Her parents still had too much power over her, she thought angrily. That was her past. She had to move forward!
Suddenly she heard the doorbell. They had finally come!
The previous day, just before midnight, Ministry of Magic
Daphne was sitting in an interrogation room in the Ministry of Magic. Across from her sat a stern-looking woman with a gray short hairstyle and a monocle in her right eye that sparkled in the artificial light of the room. What an honor, Daphne laughed inwardly, to be interrogated by the head of the DMLE herself. She had to make an effort to keep a straight face. It was a good thing that through her first eleven years of life she had more than enough practice in hiding her true feelings.
"I would also like to offer my condolences, Miss Greengrass," said Madam Bones in a calm tone.
"Thank you."
"Of course, I understand that all this must be terrible for you. But the evidence gathered at the beginning of an investigation is the most important."
"Thank you for your sympathy," answered Daphne coolly. "But I understand your point. You're just doing your job." Madam Bones acknowledged Daphne's words with a short nod. Daphne continued. "You said investigation? Then you think that...?"
"Yes, that your parents could have been killed. It is, of course, only one possibility. So far, we have found no evidence of this. But we cannot rule out any possibility at this point, you can understand that, right? You seem to be a pretty mature and bright girl."
Daphne put her hands on the table and said nothing.
"Did your parents have any enemies?" asked Madam Bones.
"They didn't talk to me about anything like that."
"Have they had a dispute with anyone lately?"
"I don't know."
"Who have your parents been dealing with lately?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think that your parents could have committed suicide? We didn't find a suicide letter or anything similar in their documents or in their will."
"My father had an alcohol problem. My mother cried a lot. But I haven't seen them much. I can't say what was going on in their heads."
"We saw in your parents' will that since January you have been the sole heiress and that your parents also emancipated you in the case of their death. Before that, your sister Astoria and other relatives were intended as heirs. You, however, weren't mentioned. How do you explain that?"
"My parents were always strict and demanded high standards of me. They said I should try harder at school after they weren't happy with my performance during my first year at Hogwarts. In the second year, however, I was one of the best students in my year. They were pleased with that. They wanted to make sure I could continue the Greengrass family legacy."
"What are you going to do now? Are you going to move in with relatives? As far as I know, none of them lives in Great Britain."
"No. I will take care of my inheritance and my parents' legacy."
"All by yourself?"
"I won't be alone. My best friend will support me. I will write to him right away that I need his help. He also has a house-elf who can help me. I will take care of the legacy of the Greengrass family."
"You mean Harry Potter, don't you? I heard that you aren't just friends."
"You are well informed."
There was a strange silence, both watching the other, trying to catch the slightest crack in the mask.
"Well," said Madam Bones finally. "Thank you for your help. Please be ready for any further questions we may have. We will contact you in the next few days if we find out anything. Now we just have to check your wand. Standard procedures. You'll get it back later."
Daphne handed her wand to Madam Bones. "When can I go?"
"We contacted your aunt, Christine Delacroix. She should be here soon and then can take care of you and your sister Astoria. This all hits your sister hard, you know. You react quite calmly though."
"I was raised as heiress to an old pureblood family. I learned from childhood to subordinate my own feelings to the wellbeing of the family."
Madam Bones gave her an almost sympathetic look as Daphne got up, leaving the interrogation room.
Today, 9:50 a.m., Little Whinging
Daphne got off the Knight Bus that stopped right in front of her destination, suppressing a yawn because she still felt extremely tired, for they hadn't been home until two in the morning. Her aunt Christine had immediately sent them to bed as if she and not Daphne were now the mistress of the house, but Daphne had been unable to sleep for a long time through her dither. And then Daphne got up even earlier than everyone else. A long day awaited her. At 8 a.m., Gringotts opened its gates and Daphne had been the first customer to withdraw money. She had then lashed out on a new wardrobe at Madam Malkins. It had actually been the first time in her life that she had been able to choose her clothes herself! Daphne smiled at the memory. It had been a liberating feeling, manifestation of a real turning point in her life. The second turning point which had taken place in that clothing store, Daphne realized. After all, she had also met Harry there for the first time. What would her life have been like if they hadn't accidentally run into each other there?
In any case, she would not be standing in front of this unremarkable house in Privet Drive, Surrey. The house in front of her looked just like all the other houses in the street; the same meaningless facade, the same lawn, not a millimeter too high. The only detail that differentiated the house from the others was the house number. A little four glittered in the sunlight. Harry had grown up in such a cheerless area?
Closing her eyes, Daphne breathed in and out several times to calm her pounding heart. When she opened her eyes again, she felt a fiery determination, and with energetic steps, she went to the front door, ringing the bell.
After a few seconds, the door was opened by a fat, ugly boy. Daphne knew immediately who this boy was and felt a wave of searing anger rising inside her. Dudley Dursley, however, ogled her unashamedly and all that was missing was that he started to drool. His pig's eyes slid over her lips, which only made Daphne even angrier. She had made up for Harry and not this creep!
"Dudders, who's at the door?" a shrill female voice resounded, aching in Daphne's ears. How had Harry endured this all these years?
A skinny woman with a horse-like face appeared next to her son. Harry had told her about his aunt, so Daphne would have had no problem recognizing Petunia Dursley even if she hadn't been in front of her house.
"Is that a friend of yours, Dudders?" asked the woman, before noticing Daphne's travel cloak, which apparently did not obtain her approval. Disparagingly, her eyes wandered over Daphne.
"My name is Daphne Greengrass," said Daphne with suppressed ire. "I'm here to talk to you about Harry."
"You are one of them!" the woman hissed, and her son's eyes widened fearfully. That's it, Daphne thought. He had every reason to be afraid.
Daphne narrowed her eyes to slits when she answered, "If you mean by 'one of them' that I'm a witch, you're correct. But wouldn't you prefer to discuss that inside? Or do you want the entire neighborhood to listen to us?"
The woman scowled as she quickly peered down the street. She was so predictable. Eventually, she reluctantly made room, and Daphne entered the house, seeing the cupboard under the stairs. Her blood boiled while her heart felt like an ice block. She forced herself to breathe calmly. She had to calm down! Too many people had seen her in the Knight Bus!
The woman called for her husband and shortly afterwards a true walrus of a man stepped into the hallway. Daphne felt sick at the sight of him alone.
"Who are you?" he shouted angrily.
Daphne was unimpressed, even though she probably weighed only a fifth of him. "As I said, my name is Daphne Greengrass. I'm here to talk about Harry."
"We don't want to have anything to do with you freaks!" the man shouted. "Get out of my house!"
Daphne had expected that. Sighing, she reached into her cloak, taking out a little sack and throwing it at the man's feet. Gold coins spread all over the floor. "Do I have your attention now?"
The man gaped at the gold coins for a moment before throwing himself on the ground to grab them with his thick fingers. What a greedy, disgusting bastard, Daphne thought.
"I'll sit down then," Daphne said in a voice dripping with aversion and entered the living room. The woman and boy followed with a mixture of fear and distrust, while the fat man was still picking up the gold coins. Daphne sat down in an armchair, careful to touch as little as possible in this house that she actually wanted to burn down to the ground. She kept reminding herself to control her emotions, lest everything would fail.
Finally, the man entered the living room, the gold bag pressed against his chest. "What do you want?" he asked with forced courtesy. What a bit of gold could do. This world and the people in it sickened Daphne.
She now wanted to get this affair over and done with as quickly as possible. "I want you to sign that so Harry can stay with me during the holidays." With that, Daphne reached into her cloak again, taking out a piece of parchment.
"And why should I do that?"
The woman and the boy had apparently decided to let Vernon Dursley do the talking because they stayed in the background. Daphne, however, still noticed the boy's gaping and could almost hear the woman's teeth grinding.
"If you do that, you can keep the gold. And if we ever have something to sign again, you will get more gold."
The man's piggy eyes shone with greed. Indeed, so predictable, Daphne thought.
"And otherwise we'll never see you again?"
Daphne found it increasingly difficult to suppress her anger. Those mooks were Harry's family? These were the sister and brother-in-law of Lily Potter, who had died for her son? With relish, she saw Vernon Dursley flinch when he noticed her expression.
"You should pray that you'll never see us again," hissed Daphne with blatant hatred.
Her threat seemed to work along with her bribery because shortly afterwards the document was signed. Daphne took a deep breath when she was out in the fresh air again, leaving the niff of the house behind.
Part of her hoped she would never have to come back here again, but another part of her hoped the opposite. Harry's relatives escaped far too easy! How she would have loved to see the Dursleys squirming in front of her! How she would have loved to hear their screams!
Daphne shook her head. She did not want to think about that anymore. She wanted to look forward and enjoy the new future that dawned today. For that, however, she still had to pick Harry up from Hogwarts.
She had just enough time to call the Knight Bus, go to the Leaky Cauldron, and step into the fireplace in time. Shaking with anticipation, she stuck her wand in the air.
Daphne fell silent. Harry recognized remnants of doubt and fear that stained her beautiful blue eyes, but she had no reason to worry!
Harry leaned forward, kissing Daphne tenderly on the lips, feeling her smile as she returned the kiss. Afterwards, Daphne pressed her forehead against his.
"Were you serious about that, earlier I mean?" Her warm breath stroked his face.
"What do you mean exactly?"
"That you will never leave me?"
Harry brushed a strand from her face as he lost himself in her sparkling eyes. "Yes, I was serious. We're a family now, aren't we? A family that we chose ourselves."
Daphne's face beamed with joy, her lips finding his for another loving kiss.
The couple spent a long time this way, talking about everything they wanted, only interrupted by sporadic kisses. Above all, they simply enjoyed being together, forgetting all the worries and constraints of the world for a few, far too short moments.
At some point, however, their eyelids drooped as they grew tired, so they huddled up together and plunged into their dreams, in which a familiar flaming bird was awaiting them…
Next chapter: Snippets of the Past
Preview:
"What do you want from me, human?"
AN:
The Daily Prophet is a real pulpy magazine, isn't it? ^^
The central theme of this chapter was family. In this context, of course, a fairly dark development in this chapter, but I think it didn't come out of nowhere, did it? This development has been hinted at several points in this story. What is your opinion about Daphne killing her parents?
I'm sorry for Astoria. Like Daphne, she is a tragic character. She will show up again at some point, but not so soon.
The next chapter will be a journey into the past, so no Harry and Daphne. Much will be revealed, and we will learn about the origin of Fawkes. The chapter will be a bit of an experiment for me. The title of the next chapter already shows in which direction it will go.
