AN:

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on the previous chapter! It makes me very happy that so many people like my story. I have noticed that there are some who want Harry and Daphne to embark on an even darker path, while others hope the opposite. Of course, I have my own ideas about the further course of the story, but I hope that you can still approve my decisions. There will also be developments in the future that may polarize as well.

With around 4,500 words, this chapter is significantly shorter than the previous one, but I am sure that it is still impactful.

Many thanks to my great beta reader Verlor (id: 11113787) and his huge help with this chapter!

Read and review!


Chapter 19 – Merry Christmas and Merciless Vengeance

"No, Daphne, you have to open your mind to me."

"That's what I do. You have to reach out to me."

"I'm doing it!"

"Where's your mind then?"

"Where's yours?"

Harry groaned in exasperation. That wasn't what he imagined when they had planned to try out the first spells from Valeydis and Valeydor's books over the Christmas holidays. He had been looking forward to it for the rest of the year after nothing out of the ordinary had happened since Halloween and Black's break-in.

They were in Daphne's parents' former bedroom, which was now empty. Or rather, almost empty, because there was a piece of parchment on the floor in front of them that Harry and Daphne tried to set on fire. On his own, Harry could have done that with a short swivel of his wand – after all, he already torched much larger things – but it was more about the basic approach to these demonic spells.

By now, they had tried several times to link their minds. Although neither of them was a former demon – and they hadn't bound their souls either – they knew that at least their minds had to become one, so that they might use the powerful spells without instantly dying. Harry had already experienced firsthand that these spells were not made for simple human souls. That's why they wanted to start small, with that simple piece of parchment on the floor, and then work their way up. Harry would've never thought that they would already have so many problems just finding each other's minds. In their dreams they succeeded without any problems, after all.

Harry rubbed his forehead. He had dropped all of his protective barriers around his mind and put out his mental feelers, and he could feel Daphne's presence, but where was her mind?

"Did you really drop all your barriers?" Daphne asked in a harried tone.

"Yeah, damn it," Harry said irritably. "As I told you."

"Don't be bitchy now."

"I'm not bitchy!"

"Yes, you are!"

Harry and Daphne looked at each other vigorously before suddenly bursting out laughing. This whole situation was just too funny, and Harry felt tears coming from laughter.

Just at that moment, Dobby entered with two steaming cups of hot chocolate. "Dobby thinks Mr. Harry and Miss Daphne can take a break," the house-elf said cheerfully.

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry replied with a grin. "You're probably right." Taking one of the cups, he sat with his back against the wall on the floor, his legs stretched out.

Daphne took the second cup, settling next to Harry. "Well, that didn't work," she said with an amused shake of her head.

"Would have been too good if it had worked the first time, right?" Harry replied, sipping on his chocolate. He tasted cinnamon; apparently Dobby was already in Christmas spirits. "We'll just keep trying."

And they did. For many hours they tried to merge their minds. Apart from headaches and more bitchery – even if both vehemently denied being bitchy – nothing much came of it though. At least, Harry ended up feeling like he had picked up an exasperated and exhausted thought from Daphne, but maybe he was just imagining it. At some point, Harry and Daphne were so tired that they dragged themselves to bed and fell asleep within seconds, full of anticipation for their first Christmas together.


Sirius Black held his gaunt hands over the spare flames of the campfire. Every now and then he had to change back to his human form, as he feared that otherwise he would lose himself in his animal body forever.

At least, he would then have a thick fur, he thought bitterly, while freezing his tails off in the biting cold.

What day was today? He knew the students had left Hogwarts because he hadn't seen Harry and the girl for a long time. Normally, they walked around the lake almost every morning, and Sirius joined them whenever it seemed safe enough.

At the thought of his godson, a sharp pain went through Sirius' heart. He had failed him all these years ago. He had failed James and Harry looked just like him...

He would make up for it, Sirius promised. He would kill the rat and then they could be a family. He even liked Harry's girlfriend. She had made a gentle impression on him. And she had healed his wounds, and apparently loved to stroke his fur.

Suddenly, Sirius had an idea. Next time he saw them, he would reveal himself to them! If Harry was anything like James, he would want to avenge his parents' death. He would help him kill Peter ... no, the rat. He would squeal with pain!

Sirius noticed how a pleasant warm filled him, the dreams of his long-awaited revenge warming him more than the pathetic fire in front of him ever could. It was probably time to get back into his dog form. The next time he transformed, he would be in the presence of his godson, and then everything would fall into place!


Still grinning, Harry stepped out into the cold, Daphne by his side. Both were warmly wrapped in coats, scarves, toques, and gloves. It was the morning of their first Christmas together and already one of the most beautiful days of Harry's life.

It all had started with Dobby – dressed up as Santa Claus (with a stuck-on beard!) – waking them and calling for the distribution of presents. Harry, however, had to recover from a huge bout of laughter before he had been able to leave the bed. In the living room, a stack of presents under a beautifully decorated Christmas tree had been waiting for them.

Shivering with joy, Dobby had unpacked brand new dragonhide boots. Only the best for their little friend, Harry thought, amused. Daphne had received a wand holster (Auror edition) from Harry, causing her to collapse with laughter. The reason for her reaction, however, only became clear to Harry after he had unwrapped Daphne's gift to him. She had given him the exact same holster!

"Do you really think that's a good idea?" Daphne's doubtful voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Harry looked at the landscape in front of them. It had snowed a bit during the night, but there was not much snow left. "It'll be enough," he replied gleefully, trailing the bright red sled that he had ordered from a Muggle catalog behind him.

"But there is almost no snow. And the ground is rock-hard."

"Such small adversities don't stop us, right, Daph?" said Harry, squeezing Daphne's gloved fingers with his free hand. With a still doubtful expression on her face, Daphne followed him to a nearby hill, from which they had a good view on the house and the garden.

Harry sat down on the sled, pointing to the seat behind him. "Come on, Daph. It will be a lot of fun."

Daphne sighed but took the place behind Harry. "I can't believe what you always talk me into. You owe me something for that, Harry Potter." Daphne hesitated before continuing uncertainly, "Have you ever done this before?"

Harry laughed out loud. In fact, he had never gone sledding before. The Dursleys hadn't allowed him. Of course, Daphne would've worried unnecessarily if he had told her beforehand. Instead of answering, Harry pushed his feet off the ground. The sled leaned over the top of the hill and started to slide down. Daphne cried out in surprise, clutching Harry's torso.

The cold wind whipped Harry in the face as they shot down the hill at an ever-faster pace, his whole body shaking because of the uneven ground they were sliding over. His heart was pounding in his chest.

Suddenly, there was a heavy jerk and Harry was thrown forward. Above was below and below was above. Harry only noticed how he lost touch of the sled while flying uncontrollably through the air; Daphne's sharp cry echoed through the air as well.

Harry hit the ground and rolled down the rest of the hill until he finally came to a halt, is entire body aching. The sled must have got caught in a pan in the ground or so, he realized.

He looked around, seeing that the sled was thrown the wrong way up a few meters away. Daphne lay on the ground a few feet further and groaned as well but did not ook like she'd gotten worse than a few bruises. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew how lucky they had been. Maybe they really lacked responsible adults in their lives...

Pushing the thought aside, Harry got up and walked towards Daphne. She was still lying on the ground with her back, swearing quietly.

Suddenly, Harry heard a crack under his feet and looked down, seeing an icy surface. With a quick leap, Harry jumped back. He had stepped on the pond in the garden of the Greengrasses and, due to the light snow, mistook the thin layer of ice for normal ground.

But Daphne was lying in the middle of the pond, Harry realized! Just a thin layer of ice between her and the freezing water! A layer of ice that had just cracked dangerously...

"Daphne, don't move!" Harry shouted to his girlfriend in panic.

"I hate you, Harry Potter," Daphne said as she tried to sit up. The ice beneath her cracked loudly.

"Don't move!" Harry repeated fearfully. Now Daphne also seemed to realize her situation, because her whole body immediately tensed.

If Harry didn't do something as soon as possible, Daphne would fall into the water. He had to do something! He felt for his wand until he remembered that he had left it in the house. Foolish as he was, he'd thought he wouldn't need it.

There was another crack.

"Ha-Harry," Daphne said hesitantly. "I think –"

"Don't move," Harry interrupted her. "I'll save you!"

He didn't have a wand, so he had to save her in another way. All his thoughts, all his senses were focused solely on that. For Harry, there was nothing else in this world but the sight of Daphne on the ice and the burning desire to save her. All the noises around him fell silent, while his eyes only saw Daphne.

He had to save her, he thought! He had to save her! Meaning she had to get off the ice. Off the ice and back to him. Daphne had to come to him, then she'd be safe.

Harry was no longer able to think clearly, his desire to bring Daphne back had seizing his entire being.

All of a sudden, a glowing, silvery shimmer lay around Daphne's body. Very slowly, she rose into the air, and the sound of the crackling ice stopped.

Harry saw nothing but Daphne's surprised face and bright blue eyes as she floated in his direction, carried by the silvery glow. His previously panicked heart calmed down again, but at the same time Harry felt another heartbeat, wild with excitement.

Daphne was now right in front of Harry, who held out his hand. She looked at him with widened eyes but said nothing as her breath formed veils of mist in front of her mouth.

As soon as Harry touched Daphne's body, the spell was broken. "Harry," Daphne called.

"Daphne!"

Harry put his arms around his girlfriend, whose feet touched the ground again. The silvery light wrapped around them both while Harry hugged Daphne tightly, feeling her heart pounding like crazy. It was the same heartbeat that Harry felt inside.

Harry found her ice-blue eyes that seemed to look straight into his soul. How he loved this sight! How he loved Daphne! They belonged together. In this world, which opposed their very existence, they were one.

On the spur of the moment, Harry dropped all of his mental barriers. "Daphne, open your mind to me," he said as if in a trance.

Daphne's eyes widened as she understood, and he felt her mental barriers drop. This time, he had no problem finding her mind. Rather, it seemed like the easiest thing in the world.

Their minds merged like two lovers who finally embraced each other after a long time of separation. Their minds became one like a never-ending kiss. Harry was Daphne and Daphne was Harry.

Harry opened his hand and his fingers clenched around his wand, which had been on the table in the living room just moments ago. Daphne's breath brushing his face, he pointed his wand at a nearby bush.

Harry knew exactly what to do. Opening his mouth, he uttered hissing noises that would have made any snake nearby to do a runner if there had been any. The incantation that Harry had only read but never spoken before made him shiver, and Daphne tightened her grip around his body.

Suddenly, the bush went up in flames. Harry felt the heat of the fire, but he also felt the power of the magic leave his and Daphne's bodies ... no, their souls. It was an unprecedented feeling. Intoxicating and warm, seductive and scary.

Daphne put her hand on his. "Is that real?" she asked so quietly that Harry almost didn't understand it next to the blaze of the flames.

"Does it feel real?" Harry asked just as quietly.

"Yes, but also no ... I don't know."

Harry knew exactly what Daphne meant. This power felt as if it was not part of this world, as if it were a daydream becoming reality.

"Let me try it, Harry. Please." At Daphne's words, Harry turned his gaze away from the burning bush, looking into his girlfriend's face. A dreamy glimmer had taken hold of her eyes.

Harry handed her his wand, which Daphne eagerly accepted. Taking a deep breath, she pointed it at a squirrel that passed them a few feet away. A simultaneously melodic and hideous hiss came from Daphne's mouth and instantly Harry felt as if they were surrounded by decaying corpses. With great effort he fought against his urge to vomit.

A dark, impenetrable fog settled around the squirrel. Harry and Daphne could not see anything except the fog, but they heard the animal's horrific cries of pain. Harry felt as if his blood ran cold, but still he could not take his eyes off the corrosive fog.

At some point, the screams of agony fell silent and the fog evaporated again. Harry approached the scene with Daphne's hand in his. The squirrel's body was gone, only a few bones were still lying on the ground. Above all, however, a disgusting stench filled their noses, as if a shroud had been laid over the land.

"I thought it would be different," Daphne murmured, looking down at the bones with a mixture of amazement and disgust.

Harry put his arm around her waist, pressing her closer to him. "This is death, Daphne. It must be abhorrent."

"But is it really?"

"What?"

"Abhorrent?"

Harry hesitated. "I ... I don't know."

Hand in hand, Harry and Daphne walked back to the house. It had been an eventful morning and now they were both incredibly famished.

Suddenly, Daphne started to giggle, causing Harry to give her a questioning look. "What's up, Daph?"

Daphne grinned at him. "Oh nothing, my shining knight. I was just thinking about how you saved me. You know the pond isn't a meter deep, do you? I was never in any danger. You really didn't have to resort to accidental magic, as impressive as it was."

"Oh, you know, my princess," Harry replied with a smile. "I'll save you from all possible dangers, even if it's just a wet butt."


Spurred on by their Christmas success, Harry and Daphne kept trying to merge their minds and use the demonic magic. It did not work every time, but they could repeat their first success every now and then, even if their connection was extremely unstable. Nevertheless, Harry was glad to know that they were – in principle – capable of doing so, and all their past and future work was not in vain.

So, their first Christmas holidays came to an end. In the new year, Harry and Daphne boarded the Hogwarts Express, which took them back to the far north of Scotland. Apart from the year, however, not much had changed in Hogwarts. After a lavish banquet that they would have preferred to skip, they slept in separate beds with a heavy heart.

The next morning, Harry and Daphne walked along the lake as usual. Veils of mist formed in front of Harry's mouth as he breathed out, the morning cold burning on his face. Except for the crunch of snow under their boots, everything was quiet, as if they were the only living beings far and wide.

Harry looked back at the castle, which glittered in the light of the rising sun. "It's sad, isn't it?" he said. "That we have to hate something we should love."

Daphne smiled at him. "You read too many Muggle books, you philosopher, you."

"Actually, I'm reading them to you first and foremost," Harry replied with a smirk.

Suddenly, the two heard a loud bark and turned their heads to the nearby edge of the forest. Like in their previous morning walks, the large black dog stood there happily wagging his tail. This time, however, the dog had a companion. Next to him was an extremely ugly, ginger-colored cat with a squashed head. Harry felt like he had seen the cat somewhere before but could not remember.

Before Harry could think about it more intensely, the dog began running towards him and Daphne. The unknown cat followed at a slower pace. Eventually, the dog reached them, and Harry immediately started scratching the dog behind the ears.

"Good to see you, buddy," he said. "I hope you had a nice Christmas. Who's your friend?"

The cat had sat on the snow-covered ground a few meters away and was looking at them with a slanted head, meowing loudly, almost as if it was complaining about something.

The dog barked again and broke away from Harry, before starting to jump up and down in front of them; his head kept pointing in a certain direction.

"I think he wants us to follow him," Daphne said. At her words, the dog began to wag his tail even more and he again pointed in the previous direction. "We should be careful, Harry," she continued.

"I know, Daph," said Harry. "But somehow I don't feel like he wants to harm us."

Daphne nodded and together they gave in to their curiosity. They ran after the dog, who kept turning to look at them and seemed to tremble with joy.


"Do you see the same thing I see, brother of mine?"

"The two ... with him?"

They looked at each other in disbelief. What did that mean?

"Shouldn't ... shouldn't we tell someone? And what about the others?"


They followed the dog and cat to the Whomping Willow, a dangerous tree on the Hogwarts grounds that Harry and Daphne had previously deliberately stayed away from. The branches of the tree groaned and whipped in the wind, making it impossible for Harry and Daphne to get any closer to the tree.

The cat, however, darted forward as swift as an arrow and deftly ducked the battering branches. Finally, the cat reached the tree trunk, touching a small knot with its front paws. The tree froze immediately; no branch moved anymore, no leaf twitched.

The black dog barked loudly, before running to the willow tree, where he disappeared into a gap in the roots. Shortly thereafter, however, he stuck his head out again, barking in Harry's and Daphne's direction. They glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed the dog. The dog wanted to show them something and Harry was eager to find out what. The ugly cat, however, ran back to the castle with a smug attitude so typical for its kind.

Harry crawled headfirst into the hole in the ground and finally reached the bottom of a very low tunnel. Daphne followed behind him, her coat like Harry's, full of snow and earth. A few meters in front of them, they saw the dog, happily wagging his tail and indicating with his head that they should follow him.

With a stoop, Harry and Daphne walked along the secret passage. Both, however, had drawn their wands, after all, one could never be too careful. The tunnel just didn't seem to end as they moved further and further away from Hogwarts.

Eventually, the tunnel began to rise again and after a last bend they reached a disordered and dusty room. The wallpaper peeled off the wooden walls, the floor covered with dirt, and the few pieces of furniture broken as if someone had smashed them. The windows were all boarded up, which caused the room to be engulfed in dim darkness.

Harry knew where they were: The Shrieking Shack, supposedly the most severely haunted building in Britain. Well, they would find out what those rumors were all about, Harry thought.

He eyed the entire room, looking for possible dangers around them. Daphne positioned herself with the raised wand in her hand on his right side, also watching the room carefully.

However, Harry noticed nothing unusual except for the battered furnishings, so he eventually turned his gaze to the dog in the middle of the room. The dog was still wagging his tail and seemed to vibrate all over his body.

The dog's trembling grew more and more violent and at some point, it seemed to Harry as if the contours of the animal were blurring. Tensely, Harry watched the dog's body changing. The back straightened up, the fur disappeared, and paws became hands. Finally, a tall, dirty man stood in front of them, his matted hair reaching up to his elbows. His eyes were deep, dark sockets and his skin was so white and stretched over the bones that the man almost looked like a corpse.

The man looked at Harry and Daphne with a broad grin that revealed ugly yellow teeth. Harry felt as if he had been struck by lightning when he recognized him. Stunned, he looked in the face of Sirius Black, traitor of his parents. Harry felt petrified, unable to move.

"Harry," Black said in a croaking voice. "I've been waiting for this moment for so –"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. With a loud scream, Black was thrown against the opposite wall. Harry looked down his arm at his wand, which was smoldering slightly. Did he do that? Harry felt completely numb, the blood roaring in his head. He then heard groans of pain and, with hatred in his heart, looked back to Black, who had got up again.

Black opened his mouth, but suddenly a blue beam hit him in the middle of his chest. His limbs cramped and he stopped moving. Only in his dark eyes did life still shimmer.

Harry looked at Daphne, who was standing next to him with her wand raised, her ice-blue eyes flashing dangerously, while her face was contorted with rage. She had paralyzed Black, Harry realized.

Daphne turned her head to Harry and the anger disappeared from her eyes. Harry could clearly see the love in her eyes. He looked back at Black and thought he saw a pleading look on his face. Harry, however, only felt scorching wrath. Without this ... man, his parents would still be alive. He had been their friend! Their best friend! He should have died for them; Harry would surely do for Daphne. But Black had betrayed his parents and now they were dead. Without him, Harry would've never had to grow up with the Dursleys. He would have had a loving family and a happy childhood...

Harry clutched his wand. A horrible heat seized his body, but at the same time his heart felt as if it were encased in an icy fist.

Feeling a tender touch on his arm, he looked back at Daphne's loving face. "It's your decision alone," she said softly. "But no matter how you decide, I will support you."

Harry turned to Black, still feeling like he was looking at him with a pleading look. How dare this creature beg for mercy when he hadn't shown any to his parents?

The heat inside him was getting unbearable. Harry wanted nothing more than to see Black dead, but should he really go down that path? Was it what his parents wanted him to do? Would they approve? He had never consciously killed before; the Weasley girl had been something different. Back then, he and Daphne had fought for their lives...

Harry felt Daphne squeeze his hand. She smiled that beautiful, precious smile, reserved only for him, emphasizing once again her previous words. She would always support him, no matter what he did, no matter what he chose. She would always be by his side. Daphne was his companion and partner in this cruel world.

The only thing that mattered were him and her. They thought of themselves because nobody else did.

Harry refused to look back at Black; he was nothing, not even worth spitting in his direction. Instead, he saw only Daphne's smiling face and her ice-blue eyes, which, like a maelstrom, pulled him deeper and deeper. He felt Daphne's love enveloping him. He too was seized by a feeling of love for her; and for his parents, who he had lost through Black.

Harry felt a lonely tear run down his cheek, but Daphne raised her hand and placed it on his face. With her thumb, she brushed the tear away. A pleasant cold emanated from her touch. Harry wanted more of it.

Leaning forward, he put his lips on hers. Tenderly, she returned the kiss, and Harry was gripped by an inner certainty. Without looking, he raised his wand and pointed it at the paralyzed Black. There was a piercing sound and blood splattered on their faces.

Harry didn't care. Daphne embraced him even more, and Harry also tightened his grip around her body as they deepened their kiss.


Next chapter: Awards and Other Repercussions

Preview:

"You are a murderer. I could never love you."