AN:

The last chapter was very controversial, as I expected. Please keep in mind that by now the Harry in this story is different from Canon Harry, for various reasons. He's definitely colder and more ruthless, add to this his impulsive temperament and some experiences and influences during the story so far. However, he isn't someone who simply kills people or does cruel things for fun (I'm also not interested in writing such a character; please also keep in mind that just because I am writing things in my story, it doesn't mean that I would approve them in real life). I hope Harry's actions are always based on his characterization, experiences and influences within this story.

Harry thought Sirius was his parent's traitor, the reason they are dead. He also previously vowed to kill Sirius when he met him, to avenge his parents. So he had no interest in listening to what Sirius had to say, because he thought he already knew the truth, which of course he didn't. Harry was overwhelmed by his emotions and wasn't thinking rationally anymore. Daphne has a very special character anyway, so she didn't hold Harry back either. When Harry learns the truth, it will of course shake him deeply.

By the way, I understand that the end of the previous chapter was particularly shocking, but it should not be forgotten that Harry and Daphne also linked their minds and used demonic magic together for the first time. That was also a very important development. Speaking of demonic magic and as a reminder for the future of the story: You must meet two requirements to use demonic magic to its full extent: You have to have the "power/strength" of a demon's soul (a substitute is the permanent bound of two weaker human souls; a more or less practical substitute for that is the temporary connection of two minds) and the ability to speak the demon language (a substitute is Parseltongue, as this is similar to the language of the demons). By the way, poor squirrel!

These were some comments on my part. Now have fun with the new chapter, this time with more than 10,000 words.

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

Read and review!


Chapter 20 – Awards and Other Repercussions

"We know you're there. Come out with your hands up!"

Harry and Daphne looked at each other in surprise. They were on their way back from the Shrieking Shack, letting Black's severed head float in front of them. The voice shouting was quite familiar, but Harry could not remember to whom it belonged.

"Hey, don't you hear us?" came another voice that Harry recognized instantly. "Come out. You can't escape. The Aurors are coming."

Next to Harry, Daphne groaned in exasperation. "Merlin's beard," she hissed. "Weasley! That's just what we needed."

"But why is he here?" Harry asked quietly. "And who else?"

Daphne shrugged. "No friggin way I go out there while that cowardly bastard is waiting for us with his wand ready," she said darkly. Harry nodded in agreement.

"We know you're down there," they heard the first voice again which Harry could now assign to one of the Weasley twins. "If you surrender, nothing will happen to you."

Harry had to suppress a laugh as he shouted back, "Why should we surrender, Weasley? Who is there with you anyway?"

"We saw how you met Black," called the Weasley twin.

Harry heard Daphne groan again. She was probably also getting hungry (after all, they hadn't eaten anything yet), and that certainly didn't do her patience good, Harry thought amused.

"Black is dead," Harry called back. "We killed him."

"Liar!" yelled the younger Weasley brother. "You're lying! You met him because like him you're damn Death –"

"Get a teacher," Harry interrupted him, "and we'll come out."

An agitated whisper ensued from the surface, but Harry and Daphne could not understand the exact words. Finally, the voice of the Weasley twin sounded again, "The teachers and Aurors will be here soon. Don't move. We'll know if you do."

Harry and Daphne exchanged a questioning look. What did he mean? And how did they find out about Black?

"Let's wait," Harry said to Daphne, who had crossed her arms and tread in annoyance. With a smile, he added, "There will still be something to eat in the kitchen after breakfast."

"Not everyone can be satisfied with revenge like you," Daphne replied moodily, but Harry recognized the amused glimmer in her eyes. He stepped up to her and kissed her forehead as they waited for more sensible people to arrive than those clods up there.

They did not have to wait long. After a few minutes they heard footsteps on the surface, a short murmur, and finally Dumbledore's worried voice. "Harry, Daphne, are you there?" he asked.

"Yes, professor," Harry called. "Who's with you?"

"Besides me, there are Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Lupin, and Messrs Weasley, Weasley and Weasley, and Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger," the headmaster replied quickly. "Harry, are you okay?"

"We're fine, we're just a little hungry." Harry saw Daphne roll her eyes at his words. "We had an unexpected encounter with Black. But he's dead now and no longer a danger."

"D-Dead?" Dumbledore asked incredulously.

"Yes, dead. We have his head here. I'll let it rise now as proof that we're telling the truth. After that we'll come out if you please keep our dear classmates in line. We don't want to be attacked again, if you understand."

There was another loud murmur and this time Harry could clearly hear Weasley's upset and Granger's shrill voice. Harry did not feel like waiting for an answer, however. He pointed his wand at the head, which still showed Black's horrified expression, and let it fly outside through the opening.

All the talk ceased instantly. Daphne shook her head, and Harry also found the situation strangely amusing. The nausea he had felt when he had first seen Black's decapitated body had long since vanished.

"Please come out," came Dumbledore's voice again, which now sounded somehow tired and exhausted.

Harry looked at Daphne, who just shrugged and walked towards the opening. Harry stopped her by grabbing her hand. He certainly wouldn't let her go first.

"We're coming out," Harry shouted at the surface, before starting to climb out of the hole.

When he stuck his head out between the roots of the willow, he looked directly into the shocked faces of his teachers. Lupin's face was as pale as if he were a ghost. In the background, he saw Granger crouching on the ground and apparently vomiting as Longbottom stroked her back. Next to it sat the ugly cat from before, licking its fur completely unimpressed. The Weasley brothers also looked at him stunned. And right in front of the crowd, Sirius Black's head floated, from which some droplets of blood were still falling.

Harry climbed out of the hole and then helped Daphne get up as well. They brushed the dirt and snow off their coats before turning to the still speechless crowd.

"Good morning, professors, dear classmates," Daphne greeted them with audible amusement. "To what do we owe the honor of this welcoming committee?"

Harry had to suppress a laugh when the addressed looked even more surprised than before.

Eventually, it was Dumbledore who cleared his throat and spoke again, "The young Mr. Weasley here informed us that you and Sirius Black had disappeared in a secret passage under the Whomping Willow. Harry, what happened?"

Dumbledore's light blue eyes bored into Harry as he pondered what to answer, but essentially, he had nothing to hide this time.

"That's quite simple, professor," Harry replied. "Daphne and I went for a walk, as we often do in the morning. It's really no secret. We met a dog that we had seen some times before." He gave Lupin a scowl, who turned his head away in shame. "Today the dog wanted us to follow him. We did it because we were curious."

"You just followed an unknown animal?" McGonagall asked in horror. "When you know exactly that Black is after you?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, we probably really wouldn't make good Ravenclaws." Flitwick actually chuckled at his words. Harry nodded to the small professor, before continuing, "Anyway, we followed him to the Whomping Willow here, where this cat touched a root and the tree then froze." He pointed to the ugly cat, which was still busy with its grooming.

All eyes turned to the cat as Granger's shrill voice rang out. "Crookshanks?" she cried aghast. "What could Crookshanks –"

She stopped when suddenly a cage appeared around the cat. The cat meowed angrily but fell silent shortly afterwards. Harry saw McGonagall point her wand at the cage, letting it float towards her.

"Miss Granger," she said to the startled girl. "Am I correct in assuming that this cat is the reason why we can stand here without being hit by a rabid tree?"

Granger sobbed. "T-That surprised us too ..." Her voice broke off, apparently the whole situation was too much for her. Longbottom continued to stroke her back soothingly.

Dumbledore sighed before turning back to Harry. "Please continue, Harry."

"Where did I stop?" said Harry. "Oh yeah. So the tree was frozen and the cat ran away. Daphne and I followed the dog through the tunnel, which can be reached through this opening in the ground. At some point we came out in the Shrieking Shack –"

"The Shrieking Shack?" asked Snape in a piercing voice.

"Yes, professor," Harry replied smugly. "That's what I just said. There the dog turned into Black. Probably wanted to kill me. But Daphne and I defended ourselves, and I cut off his head which you can see here. You can find the rest of his body in the shack."

"We didn't want to transport the whole body," added Daphne. "A head like that is much more handy, don't you think?"

Harry laughed briefly and squeezed his girlfriend's hand. She seemed to be in the vein today.

"Did he attack you?" asked Dumbledore calmly, ignoring Daphne's words.

"We beat him to it," Harry replied. "Probably thought he could have an easy job with us, but he was wrong."

"Was he armed?" asked Dumbledore.

"No idea," Harry replied slightly irritated. "What does it matter? Should we have waited for him to point a wand at our throats?" Beside him, Daphne snorted contemptuously.

"I just mean, Harry, that –"

"You can't hesitate in a duel, Albus," Flitwick said. "And much less in a real fight. I have repeatedly hammered that into Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass. Sometimes they were a little too arrogant in their sparring."

Harry gave Flitwick a grateful look. "As you can see, professor, we learned from your lessons."

"There is still something I don't understand," Snape said. "If the two actually tell the truth – which they will later have to prove to the Aurors – then I wonder why our Gryffindors here could recognize Black. After all, he is said to have been a dog. Then Black's attempted break-in into the Gryffindor tower last year..."

"What are you suggesting, Severus?" McGonagall asked in a cold tone.

"It just seems a bit suspicious to me," Snape replied, shrugging. "Granger's cat helps Black; the Gryffindors know that Black is a dog; Black tries to enter the Gryffindor tower ... I'm just saying. Maybe Black had help..."

"We didn't help Black," Grangers cried shrilly.

"Yes," came the outraged voice of the youngest Weasley brother. "We aren't … aren't..."

"What, Weasley?" Harry asked derisively. "What are you not? Death Eaters? Just for your information: Daphne and I aren't either. But I also wonder if you are hand in glove with Black. After all, you attacked Daphne before…"

Daphne squeezed his hand reassuringly, and Harry forced himself to breathe slowly. At the proper time, Weasley would get his just punishment.

All eyes turned back to the five Gryffindor students. Harry noticed that the twins had stayed conspicuously in the background so far. And he noticed one of them holding a yellowed piece of parchment in his hands. Apparently, he was not the only one noticing this, because suddenly Lupin stepped forward, whipping it out of the boy's hand.

"Hey!" the Weasley twins protested, but nobody paid any attention to them.

"What is that, Remus?" asked Dumbledore.

Lupin looked at the parchment in his shaky hands. What was wrong with him, Harry wondered.

Finally, he raised his head, looking incredibly exhausted. "This ... this is a magical map that we created in our school days. It shows everyone at Hogwarts..."

"So it's from Black," Snape spat. "Another strange coincidence, isn't it? Ah, there are the Aurors. I'm sure they will be deeply interested in all of that."

In fact, another group of about a dozen people approached them from the castle. With quick steps they ran in their direction and Harry recognized Fudges' famous bowler hat and Madam Bones' glittering monocle in the sunlight. So the top brass, he thought.

The Ministry wizards flinched when they saw Black's head still floating in the air.

"A-Albus," Fudge stuttered. "Is ... Is that Black?"

Dumbledore sighed before bringing the new arrivals up to date. When he told how Black had died, all eyes were on Harry and Daphne. In the meantime, however, Dobby had brought them sandwiches, and so they were indulging in their unscheduled breakfast. Who knew when they could actually go to the kitchen?

"That's with tuna. Can we trade, Harry?" Daphne said just as Dumbledore finished his story.

Eye-rolling, Harry gave her his cheese sandwich as he heard Madam Bones send two Aurors into the secret passage to recover Black's body. Their classmates were sent away with other Aurors to be interrogated. The teachers also removed themselves, leaving only Harry, Daphne, Dumbledore, Bones, and Fudge with some Aurors under the willow tree, which had to be frozen several times in between.

"Mr. Potter," Madam Bones greeted him. "Miss Greengrass, I didn't think I would meet you again in such unpleasant conditions."

"Why should today's conditions be unpleasant?" Harry asked indignantly. "Black is dead. For me, it means this day can hardly get any better."

"That's right, Amelia," Fudge interjected. "This is excellent news. Finally, our country can heave a sigh of relief. Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass are heroes."

"Still, it can make you sad when children have to kill," Dumbledore said in a broken voice.

"Regardless," Madam Bones spoke again. "I have a few more questions for Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass. In addition, their statements must be properly recorded."

"Yes, yes, Amelia," Fudge shrugged off. "You can do that. I have to inform the press and remove the Dementors, that – thank Merlin – are no longer needed."

"Rather thank Harry," Daphne said with a grin as Harry stifled a laugh.

Afterwards, Harry and Daphne were questioned in an empty classroom by Madam Bones and two other Aurors, but after one hour they were eventually dismissed.

The news of Black's death rapidly spread throughout the castle and was also the headline of the Daily Prophet's evening edition. Since it was also reported that Harry had killed Black, even more eyes than usual turned to him at dinner. Thus, Harry and Daphne ate quickly and then withdrew to their hiding place in the Room of Requirement. After all, they had their peace there, which they could really use after such a day.


"I've never experienced something like that before," said Professor Sprout hastily. "My office was besieged by students who demanded that we expel those two from Hogwarts. They're terrified of them, Albus. All of this is even worse than last year."

Dumbledore sighed. He had feared that. What happened last year with the Chamber of Secrets, the death of Ginny Weasley, Harry's attack on his classmates in Remus' lesson, the Daily Prophet's inflammatory articles, and now that. Harry had killed a dangerous mass murderer today, and this time it was not just a rumor. By now, the entire wizarding world and of course all students knew about it. It was to be expected that this would provoke reactions.

"Filius, Minerva, Severus?" he addressed the other heads of house gathered in his office.

"It's similar in my house," said Flitwick. "Many threaten to write to their parents."

"It's the same in Gryffindor," McGonagall replied wearily. "The third years in particular are saying everywhere that their lives are in danger if Mr. Potter and Miss Greengrass remain at Hogwarts."

"They should be happy that it's not them who are being expelled from school," Snape snorted. "That the Aurors really believed them –"

"Of course they believed them," McGonagall outraged. "My students had nothing to do with Black!"

Dumbledore raised a hand to stop the teachers' quarrel. Attentively, he looked at Snape, whose report he was particularly looking forward to. "Severus, what is the mood in Slytherin?"

Snape snorted contemptuously. "Only a few older and younger students have contacted me. The third years remain silent. Ever since Potter tried to kill them all, there has been an atmosphere of fear among them."

"Don't exaggerate, Severus," McGonagall said angrily. "Remus has –"

"Lupin is a werewolf and friend of Black. He shouldn't be here either," Snape interrupted her.

"That's enough," Dumbledore exercised his authority. "Remus is a very good teacher and popular with the students. So Hogwarts is the right place for him. And he had nothing to do with Sirius Black either. The question now is how we will be dealing with the current situation."

"It definitely can't go on like this," Sprout spoke again. "Potter and Greengrass' behavior is unacceptable. I really believe that Hogwarts is no longer the right place for them."

"There's absolutely no basis for that," McGonagall said indignantly. "They didn't break any laws or school rules."

"Minerva is right," Flitwick agreed. "I even think they should be rewarded. After all, they brought down an elusive criminal."

"You mean murdered in cold blood," Sprout interrupted. "Even if it was self-defense, I am terrified by the composure he shows. No child should find it so easy to kill. What happens next time if he doesn't like what his classmates are doing? This is blood I don't want to have on my hands."

There was an uneasy silence in the office until Snape snorted again and spat toward McGonagall and Flitwick, "What do you actually teach them in your private lessons? Potter is even more arrogant than his father, and now he's also a proven killer. I agree with Pomona. The best thing to do is lock them up. At least their wands should've been taken from them. For the safety of everybody."

As a result, another furious debate broke out between the teachers. Dumbledore just shook his head in sorrow. It was obvious that they would not find a consensus here. How did it come to this, he wondered. He, too, was startled by the ease with which Harry had been able to kill and how untouched he was afterwards. Was it really all due to Daphne's influence, or was there more to it? Was there more of Tom in Harry than he had thought? What about all the other events in the past few years? Had he already lost Harry?

So many questions, so few answers. Dumbledore felt as if he was surrounded by impenetrable darkness on all sides, only a tiny candle in his hand.


Darkness. That was the only thing Harry could see. Around him was nothing but an impenetrable, endless blackness.

Suddenly, there was a bright light far away. Harry started to run, but the light just didn't come any closer. He ran and ran. He kept running until he felt like his heart was going to explode.

He heard a laugh. It was high and pure, like silver bells. The laugh gave him new strength and he kept running. Slowly, the light came closer,the beautiful laugh growing even louder.

The darkness disappeared and Harry was on a green meadow with a bright, warm sun overhead, seeing the backs of two figures in front of him.

Harry's heart stopped when he recognized them. These were his parents! The high laugh came from his mother, who had linked arms with his father. They talked, but Harry could not understand their words. He realized that he had already seen this scene; in the book Lupin had shown him.

"Mum, dad," Harry called, but his voice was barely audible.

His parents turned, but at his sight their faces, which had been beaming with joy until then, froze.

"What do you want?" hissed his father. "We don't have anything to do with creatures like you. Go away."

Harry felt petrified. What was that? Weren't his parents happy to see him?

"Mum, dad, I –"

"You aren't our son," his father interrupted him in a voice dripping with disgust.

"Giving you life was a mistake," his mother hissed, her face a hateful visage. "You should be dead, and us alive."

No! That couldn't be true! His parents loved him...

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

"Executioner!"

No, he had only killed Black because of them…

"We hate you, Harry. You should be dead."

"You're a disgrace to the name Potter."

"The daughter of Voldemort, really? You're pathetic!"

"Staining our legacy."

Harry had crouched on the floor, trying to cover his ears, but there was no escape from his parents' hateful voices.

"Freak!"

"Monster!"

"Murderer!"

No no no! That just couldn't be true. That wasn't the reality. That wasn't the reality!

"You aren't real!" he shouted.

Suddenly, Harry felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Harry..."

Black's monstrous head hovered above him. Cold blood poured down on him from his stump.

"Harry..."

He tasted the blood on his tongue. It was all around him, filling his lungs as he struggled helplessly.

"Harry!"

He felt how he was shaken; more and more violently.

"Harry, wake up. Wake up! It's just a nightmare! Please wake up!"

That was Daphne's voice, Harry realized. With a jerk, Harry opened his eyes, looking into blue irides, which he could only call beautiful. How many times had he lost himself in their splendor?

"Daphne..." he stammered, his voice no more than a croak.

"I'm here," Daphne murmured, holding him in her arms. Her body was so soft and warm. "I'm here, Harry. I will always be here. Always. It was just a nightmare. All is well…"

Slowly, his heartbeat calmed down again. It was just a nightmare. That hadn't been his real parents. He knew that his real parents loved him.

Daphne kept talking to Harry, comforting him, simply giving him safety and warmth. Just like Harry had done after her own nightmares.

"Daphne, did I do the right thing?" Harry asked quietly. "Are my parents proud of me?"

"Oh Harry," Daphne replied. "You're the best son they could have ever wished for. Of course, they're proud of you!"

Time passed as the two teenagers held each other, Harry's hand running through Daphne's soft strands.

"Thank you, Daphne," Harry finally whispered, hoping that she understood what he meant.

"Always, Harry," Daphne replied softly.

"But … how?"

Daphne straightened up, a slight smile on her lips that did not reach her eyes though. Those were still filled with concern.

"How did I get here?" she asked, and Harry nodded. "I ... I felt you suffering, so I came here immediately. Your protective spells must have sensed that I wanted to help you, and let me through."

Gratefully, Harry leaned forward until their foreheads touched, suppressed tears shimmering in the blue eyes in front of him, that contrasted so much with the terrible sea of blood from his dream. His lips found hers for a shy but then increasingly tender kiss.


Hermione had been afraid of that moment. For the past few days, she had tried to avoid them, but that was no longer possible.

She felt miserable and exhausted as she slowly walked through the school corridors. The sight of Black's severed, bloody head had haunted her in her dreams. Since then, she had woken up screaming several times each night and she knew that she also pulled Parvati and Lavender out of sleep every time.

At least, her roommates felt sympathetic to her. They too were terrified of Potter and Greengrass since Potter attacked them in Lupin's class. And now he'd even killed Black, one of the most dangerous wizards ever. Potter had simply beheaded him as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Worst of all, nobody took their fears seriously. At McGonagall they had fallen on deaf ears. Who knew who Potter would kill next time? Until then, Hermione hadn't believed the rumors about him and Greengrass. Killing at twelve years of age? Ridiculous! By now, however, Hermione was not so sure anymore. Maybe Ron had been right all along...

Trembling like a leaf, Hermione entered the Ancient Runes classroom, in which Potter and Greengrass had already sat in the back row as usual. Hermione did not know if she could endure having their eyes on her back for the entire lesson, but she had no choice. She would certainly not sit in the same row as the two.

Hermione forced herself to breathe calmly as she took her usual seat in front of the teacher's desk. Her hands, however, were shaking so badly that for the whole lesson she wasn't able to put readable sentences on paper.


Harry waited until the next DADA lesson to confront Lupin. Patiently, he stayed seated while his classmates rushed out of the classroom. The other students could not stand being near him or Daphne any longer than necessary. Harry even felt as if the mood towards them had become even more hostile and suspicious than before, if that was conceivable.

He nodded to Daphne, who would be waiting for him at the door, wand drawn, of course, before stepping up to Lupin. The teacher was already looking at him with a nervous expression on his face.

"Professor," said Harry dryly.

"Harry."

Harry wanted to get straight to the point. "Since you continue to teach here, I assume that you haven't worked with Black. Or could it just not be proven?"

Lupin's face became even paler than before. "What? Of course I didn't help him. Whatever gave you that idea?"

Harry eyed the teacher suspiciously. Did he speak the truth? "Apparently no one knew that Black could turn into a dog," he said slowly. "Didn't you tell anyone? The only reason I didn't take Black's animagus skills seriously enough was because I assumed that it was known and therefore he wouldn't be able to get on the school grounds in his animal form. Damn, I know I didn't want to hear from Black, but you should still have told me he's a fucking dog! Or you wanted to see me dead?!"

"N-No, of course not. I swore to protect you! Your parents –"

"Then why didn't you tell anyone?"

Lupin looked away as he answered quietly. "Then ... Then questions would have come. James, Peter and Sirius never registered. They only learned it for my sake ... If I had told, I'd have had to tell that I ... that I –"

"So you were just too cowardly? Again?" Harry felt his anger flare.

"I'm ... I'm sorry, Harry," Lupin stammered.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm down before speaking again. "Do you notice something, professor? You only apologize all the time, but when it matters, you're not there for me. Because of your cowardice, Daphne and I could have lost our lives if we hadn't remained level-headed."

Lupin looked like he was going to say something. He opened his mouth but immediately closed it again. Harry waited. Finally, Lupin asked in a low voice and eyes facing the floor, "Did he say anything else?"

"Who?"

"Sirius, I mean Black..."

Why was Lupin asking him that, Harry wondered. Did he still feel connected to Black? An awkward silence fell between them as Harry pondered what to answer.

"We didn't really give him time to say much," Harry finally replied. "We couldn't hesitate. Or do you have another opinion?"

Lupin looked up and Harry had never seen his teacher so exhausted before. "No, of course not..." he said quietly. "It's just that ... that..."

"What?"

"It's just that he was my friend for many years. It hurts what has become of him ... what he has done. But still ... part of me wishes you hadn't killed him..."

"Then I'd be dead now," Harry replied. "Kill or be killed. That's the way the world is."

Lupin sighed. "And it hurts that you see the world like this, Harry. Damn, you're still a kid –"

"My childhood was taken from me a long time ago, professor. The world is what it is. And I am how the world shaped me. I understand that Black once meant a lot to you, but the man who was your friend back then hasn't existed for many years. He chose a different path. So you should be happy that he's dead."

"I ... I can't."

"Then I can't help you either, professor. I couldn't forgive you for your behavior after the death of my parents, but I trusted you. That trust was deeply shaken. You have to start leaving the past behind, professor. Otherwise, I fear, you'll never be able to live."

He and Daphne had had to learn that lesson too, Harry added in his mind. Suddenly, he remembered one more thing.

"What happened to the map that the Weasley twins used?" he asked, although his teacher seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

It took Lupin a few seconds to realize that Harry had asked him a question. Absent-mindedly, he replied, "Um, the Ministry took it as evidence."

Harry nodded and turned away from Lupin. He would have to deal with his inner demons alone, just like every other person.

Though, maybe not every other person, he thought as he looked in Daphne's smiling face at the door. He took her hand and together they left the classroom and the brooding Lupin behind.


It had been two weeks since the events in the Shrieking Shack when Harry and Daphne were on their way back from the Room of Requirement to the dungeons one evening. However, as soon as they entered the Slytherin common room, they were greeted by an angry Snape.

"Where have you been?" he asked them irately.

Harry defiantly returned Snape's gaze, but at the same time strengthened his mental barriers, just in case their head of house wanted to try something stupid. "We were out," he said calmly. "Why? Is that forbidden?"

"Detention, Potter," snapped Snape. "For backchat. Now come. The headmaster wants to see you both."

Harry and Daphne exchanged a look. Why did Dumbledore want to talk to them now? Actually, they had expected that much earlier.

They shrugged and followed their teacher through the deserted hallways of Hogwarts. No one said a word, and Snape did not deign to look at them. Eventually, they reached Dumbledore's office, which Snape entered after a short knock.

There, however, not only Dumbledore was waiting for them, but also Minister Fudge, whose face brightened instantly when he saw Harry and Daphne.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass, what a pleasure to see you," he greeted them.

Harry and Daphne shook his hand but also wondered what the Minister for Magic wanted from them. They turned to Dumbledore, who was looking at them through his half-moon glasses.

"Good evening, Harry, Daphne," he said calmly. "I hope we haven't disturbed your evening activities too much. It won't take long, I promise."

With a quick swipe of his wand, two more golden chairs appeared in front of his desk, on which Harry and Daphne sat. Fudge also sat down.

As soon as they were seated, Fawkes came flying out of a dark corner of the room, settling into Daphne's lap. With a – in Harry's eyes – beautiful smile, Daphne began to stroke his feathers, but they both knew he wasn't just a simple phoenix. Valeydor and Valeydis' bodies were still in the Greengrass Mausoleum and he had told Dobby to check on them regularly.

Dumbledore smiled slightly at the sight, even if it seemed to Harry that their headmaster was silently scrutinizing them. If only he knew the secret behind the phoenix, Harry thought amused. Perhaps someday he would find out if they saved Valeydis' soul, whenever that would be.

Finally, it was Fudge who apparently became uncomfortable with the silence in the room, as he clapped his hands and began to speak enthusiastically, "Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass, you're probably wondering why we called you here, no?"

Harry and Daphne nodded in agreement.

"Well," Fudge continued. "Then I don't want to beat around the bush for long. So, at my personal suggestion, the Ministry of Magic decided to give you two the Order of Merlin Second Class for the elimination of the mass murderer Sirius Black. Isn't that fantastic news?"

Harry was surprised. The Ministry of Magic wanted to award him for killing? When the whole school despised him, and the Daily Prophet wrote inflammatory articles about him?

In fact, Harry did not care whether he was praised or detested for the deed. He had only done it for himself and his parents, and he still thought he had done the right thing, even if he felt that it wasn't something to be celebrated. It had been necessary, but not a heroic feat. Otherwise he wouldn't be regularly plagued by nightmares that only Daphne was able to alleviate.

Speaking of Daphne. Harry exchanged a look with his girlfriend and saw that she had also put on her thinking cap. They had a silent conversation while Dumbledore and Fudge waited for their answer; Dumbledore with obvious curiosity, Fudge rather with incomprehension why the two did not immediately fall into euphoria.

Eventually, they both came to a decision. Harry nodded slightly at Daphne, before looking at Fudge again. There was really no reason to alienate the minister, who seemed to care a lot about it, even though Harry assumed he was more concerned with his own reputation and fame.

"Thank you, minister," Harry said politely. "We're really pleased." Daphne nodded.

"Excellent!" Fudge said happily. "You two will be the youngest award winners in history, isn't that great? I will then contact you for the details of the ceremony. A lot has to be planned until then. There will be many guests and of course the press. Everyone shall know how seriously the ministry takes the security of its citizens, for the Ministry... "

Harry only listened with half an ear to the minister's self-adulation. He saw Daphne roll her eyes in amusement as she stroked Fawkes' feathers. Harry, too, had to suppress a laugh.

Only Dumbledore was still looking serious when he cleared his throat, interrupting Fudge's speech. "Thank you, Cornelius," he said. "But I think there's one more thing we need to discuss with Mr. Potter."

Fudge's face contorted; apparently, he did not find this second thing as excellent as the first. Harry leaned forward excitedly.

Dumbledore, however, turned to Daphne first. "What we're talking about now only affects Harry. So it's up to him to decide –"

"Daphne can stay," Harry interrupted him.

Dumbledore nodded. "I thought as much," he replied, looking back at Fudge. "Cornelius, your stage, as they say."

Fudge still looked like he had grasped the nettle. "Um, yes, exactly," he said hesitantly. "Well, as I was told, Sirius Black's will was found..."

Harry's entire body tensed. "Why are you telling me this?" he hissed. "Who cares about the will of this ... this..."

While Harry was still looking for the right words, Dumbledore took the floor. "He left you everything he owned," he said calmly.

That couldn't be true! He looked at Dumbledore and Fudge in dismay, but both looked at him seriously, as if it weren't just a bad joke. But they couldn't be serious, could they? Why should that bastard bequeath everything to him?

"How old is the will?" Daphne's cool voice cut through the silence.

"Ah yes, the will is older," said Fudge, flipping through a small notebook. "Exactly, the will dates from August 1981."

Daphne nodded as if she had suspected this, but Harry still didn't understand why it should be relevant. With a sympathetic look, Daphne turned to Harry, taking his hand. "Harry, that means he made this will two months before he betrayed your parents. Only to keep appearances. It was a deception."

Suddenly, Harry understood what Daphne meant. Of course! That was the reason. Now all of that made sense to him!

He gratefully squeezed Daphne's hand, who smiled fondly.

"As quick as ever," said Dumbledore.

With a clearing of his throat, Fudge caught the attention again. "It would still be good if it didn't become known to the public," he said. "It would probably be difficult to explain. Well, where was I? Oh yes. I'm sure you want to know exactly what you inherit." Actually, Harry didn't care, but he let the minister go on. "You inherit a large amount of gold that will go to your Gringotts account. Please ask the goblins for the exact amount, but it should be generous. You also inherit the Blacks' ancestral home, a house in London, and the family's old house-elf who takes care of the house."

"What am I supposed to do with a house in London?" Harry murmured quietly. Presumably, he should just burn it down. Then another memory of a Death Eater family would be destroyed.

As if Daphne had guessed his thoughts, she elbowed him in the side, before whispering with an amused sparkle in her eyes, "Send Dobby to the house later. He can check if everything is in order. Who knows when you could use the house? And until then, the old elf can continue to take care of it."

There she was again, the calculating and scheming Daphne. He nodded to her with a smile, which she replied, then turned back to Fudge and Dumbledore. "Was that all, or do you have any other surprises? Maybe a new potions teacher?"

Dumbledore actually laughed briefly at his joke. "No, I fear not, Harry," he replied. "Professor Snape will continue to be your teacher. And we don't have any more surprises for you, do we, Cornelius?"

The minister shook his head. "No, no, I also don't have anything anymore. Perhaps just the advice that you, Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass, should prepare to speak to the press. Your general reputation can be improved somewhat."

Harry laughed. As if he cared what these rags wrote about him. They would write whatever they liked anyway, even if it was a tissue of lies.

They said goodbye to Dumbledore and Fudge, before leaving the office. The evening had really turned out much differently than he expected.


What Dobby told him about the Blacks' ancestral home a few days later did not really awaken Harry's desire to go there. The opposite of an inviting street name, a furious screaming portrait, and a grouchy house-elf who preferred to spend his time sneaking through the dark corridors rather than cleaning the house. In addition, the house was still crammed with dark magic. No thanks, he could really do without all that.

Otherwise, not much changed at Hogwarts, least of all the behavior of their classmates, except that Harry had the feeling that even most of their teachers were treating him and Daphne more and more dismissively. Even teachers who had previously been inclined to them, such as Professor Sprout or Professor Babbling. At least, Hagrid, McGonagall, and Flitwick continued to treat them normally, for which Harry was extremely grateful.

Harry was also grateful for their offer to accompany them both to the ministry's public ceremony, where they would receive the Order of Merlin, as announced by Fudge. Harry did not understand how they could choose Valentine's Day for that, but it couldn't get any worse than last year's Valentine's Day, could it?

Thus, on the morning of February 14th, Harry and Daphne came to Professor McGonagall's office and traveled with her through the floo network to the ministry. There they were greeted by an enthusiastic Fudge, who led them through a huge atrium with a magnificent fountain. It was all a bit too much show-off for Harry, but who was he to judge such a thing.

They reached a large podium, in front of which several rows of chairs were placed. Harry and Daphne were seated in the front row, directly between Fudge and Madam Bones, while McGonagall was assigned a seat in another row. Later, Flitwick and Hagrid also joined them. After a quick chat, Flitwick was taken to the seat next to McGonagall, but Hagrid had to stand behind the last row of chairs, since apparently there were no chairs large enough for him. By now, Harry regretted having even agreed to take part in this press campaign if the Ministry treated his friends like that.

Bit by bit, more guests arrived to attend the ceremony. Harry did not know any of them, even though they must have been prominent figures in the magical world. However, he hardly read newspapers anymore, so his lack of knowledge was not surprising.

He noticed how elegantly the majority of the guests were dressed. Harry and Daphne had dressed up as well – they both wore navy blue robes and Daphne even applied light makeup – but they could not keep up with the rigged hairstyles and splendid jewelry of the women in particular. Nevertheless, Daphne was still the prettiest person in the room for Harry, even though she had put on the emotionless expression that she often used in public. Behind this mask, however, Harry could see that she was also annoyed by this fuss, especially since they were treated as if they were just nice accessories.

This impression intensified when the ceremony finally began. It started with an exuberant speech by Fudge, praising the Ministry's efforts to fight crime, followed by Madam Bones, who took the same line. Other ministry officials followed, and it was always about how great the ministry was or how great this and that department was. In general, everything was great, great, great. They were all such great, competent and humble people who, exceptionally, should pat themselves on the back. Harry wondered why these competent people hadn't managed to arrest Black then.

When Fudge stepped onto the stage for a second time to give another speech, Harry needed all his self-control to avoid groaning. Daphne looked at him and he thought he saw an amused glimmer in her eyes as she briefly squeezed his hand.

Eventually, they were both called onto the stage. The actual award ceremony then went very quickly. Fudge put a gold medal with a purple ribbon around their necks, there was loud clapping, a few pictures for the press and then it was all over.

Harry and Daphne had just left the podium when they were approached by a member of the press.

"Harry, Daphne, my dear, just a few little questions," a voice rang, which immediately set Harry's antennae quivering. He looked into the face of a middle-aged woman with a blond, curly hairstyle, jeweled, but nevertheless minging spectacles and long, crimson fingernails. A leather handbag dangled from her wrist and Harry did not want to know what pitiful animal it was made of. An acid green quill hovered next to her and was already writing something on a piece of parchment that was also floating in the air. The woman smiled at them, Harry counting three gold teeth.

He suppressed a sigh and asked instead, "And you are?"

The woman's gold teeth flashed. "Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet," she replied. "And how about a little interview with both of you?"

Harry remembered that name. So that was the journalist who, alongside Pansy Parkinson's aunt, had written all the pamphlets about him and Daphne. He wanted to curse the living daylight out of her, but he also knew that that was probably not a wise idea, here in the middle of the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

"We must return to Hogwarts," he murmured as politely as possible, trying to push past the woman.

Skeeter apparently did not want to abandon the field so quickly, though, because she blocked Harry's and Daphne's way. "It won't take long," she said. As if she didn't want to give them another chance to try to escape, she asked immediately, "What did you think when you killed Black, Harry?"

"I didn't think anything," Harry replied, trying to get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

"That means it wasn't special for you?" asked Skeeter with mock dismay.

"Why do you ask –"

Harry never got around to asking his question, because Skeeter immediately spoke again. "Do you think your parents are proud of you?"

There it was, the question that also bothered Harry and often startled him at night. However, with Daphne's help, he had come to an understanding. "Yes, of course –", he started, but was interrupted again by Skeeter.

"Really? Do you think they're proud that their son killed for the first time when he was just thirteen? Or that you are with the daughter of followers of You-Know-Who?"

Harry felt the anger rise inside him and Daphne beside him tensed, even though she was by now completely ignored by Skeeter.

"Leave Daphne out of this, or –"

"Are you threatening me, Mr. Potter?"

Harry noticed that Skeeter had changed the salutation and felt that he had walked right into a trap. The quill above their heads was writing so quickly that ink was splashing everywhere.

"I only –"

"Would you kill again?", Skeeter interrupted his attempt to explain.

"Of course, when our lives –"

Just at that moment, Harry felt a huge hand on his shoulder. He looked up, seeing sHagrid's grinning face above him, ehind him McGonagall and Flitwick.

"Is there a problem?" McGonagall asked in a cold voice and Harry felt as if she was giving Skeeter an extremely derogatory look.

"Just a little interview for tomorrow's edition of the Daily Prophet," Skeeter replied with a false smile. "But we're already done. Thank you very much, Harry, Daphne."

With that, the reporter left. Harry exchanged a look with Daphne, who also looked worried. This interview really hadn't gone well.

Hand in hand, they followed their three teachers and returned to Hogwarts. There, Flitwick praised them again for their achievement, joking that if they kept up like this, they might be able to rival him in a few years' time. Hagrid invited them to dinner for the weekend. He had found a new recipe for a potato soufflé that he would like to try. Harry and Daphne agreed, although Harry feared he might regret it. Hagrid's cooking skills had always been a kind of gamble.

Finally, they were alone with McGonagall. She still seemed a little upset when she said in a derogatory tone, "Rita Skeeter has always been a gossipmonger who didn't take the truth so seriously. Even at Hogwarts. I hope you keep your heads up, despite what she might write about you." She gave Harry and Daphne an attentive look.

"Professor," Daphne replied smugly. "Do you feel that Harry and I take a great interest in the opinion of the press?"

A slight smile crept around the corner of McGonagall's mouth. "No, I don't think so. Just take care of yourself. You are much more in the center of attention than I wish for any of my students. But you did a good job today. Take 10 points for Slytherin. For the fact that you represented our school very well today. Even if I know, of course, that you won't rejoice at the points…"

"We're more pleased with your praise, professor," Harry replied honestly. "Thank you very much."

They said goodbye to McGonagall and decided to go to their hiding place in the Room of Requirement. For today, they really had seen more than enough other people, so they wanted to have some quiet. In addition, Harry had felt a twitch in his wand hand all morning.

Thus, he suggested to Daphne to hone their fighting skills; a proposal she was only too eager to agree to.

And so it happened that two hours later Harry collapsed exhausted and sweaty on the floor, round him countless dummies that he and Daphne had destroyed by every trick in the book, using their entire magical skill set. Harry had imagined that the dummies were Fudge and his sycophant, which certainly hadn't hurt his destructive rage.

In between, he and Daphne had sought for the mind of the other. However, when they did establish a connection between them, it only lasted a few seconds, if at all. They still had to practice a lot until they could link their minds even under distraction, such as in combat.

So much work ahead of them. Even if they already trained like crazy...

"What's wrong?" Daphne asked as she also settled on the floor.

Harry looked at his girlfriend who, like him, was drenched in sweat. A few splinters of wood had become entangled in her long hair, so Harry started to carefully remove them.

"Sometimes it just seems to me that we're getting nowhere," he replied, stroking her hair. "I just want to master all the spells from the books. If we were as powerful as Valeydor and Valeydis were in the memories, we would have nothing to fear in this world. But there is still a long way to go ... all the translations, all the practice, the linking of our minds ... it just takes so long..."

Daphne turned to Harry, a slight smile on her face. "I just feel like I'm back at the end of our first school year. Do you remember?" she asked him.

Harry nodded. Of course he remembered it. At that time, they had still been at the very beginning of their relationship. Every day had been a new adventure. Less than two years had passed since then, but Harry still felt he had known Daphne for much longer. They had already got through so much together...

"Back then it was me who almost went mad with impatience," Daphne continued tenderly. "Because I was afraid of the summer. That I could be too weak. That I couldn't survive the summer. That I could never see you again..."

Harry hugged Daphne, who was trembling slightly. That was all behind them. May her parents rot in hell!

"You showed me how much we had already learned in that one year," Daphne continued. "And you asked me where we would be in a few years. And you were right! We've learned so much! In the past few months alone, we have learned how to cast a Patronus. Never again will Dementors defeat us as at the beginning of the school year! And McGonagall and Flitwick even said that we could easily keep up with the older students, we've probably already surpassed them. We're good, Harry! Now we're even learning ancient demon magic that the world hasn't heard of in a thousand years. Of course, we won't learn all of it in just a few months, but we've already achieved so much, Harry! We've managed to link our minds! Something I would like to repeat very, very often..."

"Daphne ..." Harry didn't know what to say.

"We can be proud of ourselves, Harry. You can be proud of yourself. You are no longer the small, naive, weak boy I met in Diagon Alley..."

Daphne fell silent and a shadow flickered over her face as if she didn't know if she should go on.

"What do you want to say, Daph?" Harry asked. "You can tell me everything."

Daphne looked at him with her sparkling eyes. "We're changing, Harry," she said hesitantly. "I ... I've always had a cold in me. I accepted it, it's part of me. But I feel ... I feel the hatred for this world growing in me. You and me. I don't care about anything else. If I had to, I would destroy the whole world just to be with you."

Harry swallowed. "I think I know what you're getting at..." he said quietly.

Daphne put her hand on his cheek. "I will always love you, Harry. I loved the Harry in our first year, even though I didn't know it back then. I loved the Harry in our second year, even though my stupidity would have almost destroyed everything. I love the Harry this year because I know he will always be there for me. And I will also love the Harry in fifty, a hundred or a thousand years."

Daphne took a deep breath before continuing, her ice blue eyes looking straight into his. "Not only I am changing, but you too, Harry. A year ago, you wouldn't have killed Black. You ... you might have wanted it, but you wouldn't have done it."

"Am I a monster, Daphne?" Were the other students right to despise him?

"No, Harry. The bastard betrayed your parents, he deserved to die. You aren't a monster. And even if you were, then I would simply be a monster, too. And together we would be a small monster family."

Harry laughed, even if he wasn't sure why. Daphne sometimes just had a strange kind of humor. "Thank you, Daphne. What would I do without you?" he asked sincerely.

He felt Daphne's mind push against his and dropped his mental barriers. Their minds melted together, while their bodies held each other in their arms. Harry could clearly feel Daphne's love for him, and he focused on letting her feel his love too, so that she knew exactly how much she meant to him.

Was it Daphne that changed him? Linking their minds? The demonic magic that felt so hideous and intoxicating at the same time? The contempt of almost everyone around him? Everything together or something completely different?

He decided it didn't matter. As long as he had Daphne, he was Harry. That certainty was enough for him.

At some point, Daphne began to giggle. Harry broke away from her to look at his partner with a questioning look. What was only going on in her head, he wondered.

Daphne grinned broadly at him. "I love it if you hold me like that, Harry. But right now, you're a real stink monster."

Only now did Harry remember that his body was covered with cold sweat, and his clothes were also drenched from their previous training. However, he also noticed an intrusive smell of sweat from Daphne's direction.

"You don't smell like roses either, Daph," he therefore replied with a laugh.


The next morning, Harry stared at the article of the Daily Prophet that lay on the table in front of him. His eyes skimmed the lines.

His startling green eyes, which immediately make you think of the killing curse, light up as soon as our conversation turns to the death of Sirius Black ... he felt a brutish satisfaction at the sight of his beheaded corpse ... he doesn't care what his late parents would think of his relationship with Daphne Greengrass ... persistent rumors of a possible involvement in her parents' death ... magnificent clothes she could probably only afford through her inheritance ... Chamber of Secrets ... threat to anyone who stands in his way ... he would kill again ... tasted blood ... strayed from the right path…

From beside him came Daphne's bright laugh. The other students, however, seemed to have no stomach for laughing when Harry correctly interpreted the looks that were darted at them from all over the hall.

"To me, your eyes are still the most beautiful in the world," said Daphne as she kissed his cheek.


After this eventful start to the new year, the rest of the school year progressed without any special incidents. With their regular classes, lessons with McGonagall and Flitwick, private training and translations, Harry and Daphne also did not have much time to worry about the fearful mood in the castle. They enjoyed spending their limited free time doing long walks and occasionally flying on their brooms, even though Harry knew that Daphne was doing that only for his sake. They also planned their trip to Alexandria. Last summer, they had to cancel it, but now that Black no longer posed a danger, they wanted to make up for it.

Thus, it was soon time for the exams. Harry and Daphne again passed their practical exams with flying colors and they also achieved good results in the written parts. Only the Potions exam did not go as smoothly, but only because they didn't have a fair teacher in that class.

Harry was just at the end of his practical DADA exam, an obstacle course with numerous magical creatures, when Harry faced a Boggart for the first time in his life. In class, he had always refused to participate in these exercises.

Now, however, he no longer had this option. His heart was pounding, looking at the transforming Boggart, even if he already knew what form the Boggart would take, thinking back to his nightmares.

And indeed, Harry was looking straight into his mother's face, full of disgust and hatred.

"Ah, there's my disappointment of a son," she hissed. "Although you aren't my son! A murderer like you could never be my son. You're disgracing the name Potter. I regret having died for you. You should be dead, and I should be alive. And then you spend your time with the daughter –"

If this were the first time seeing this caricature of his mother, Harry would probably have slumped on the ground instantly. However, it wasn't the first time. He had already experienced this in many nightmares. And thanks to his talks with Daphne, he had come to an understanding.

That was not his real mother. Just an embodiment of his fears. He knew that his real parents were proud of him. He had killed their traitor and he would also kill Voldemort if he was still out there somewhere. Eventually. And then his parents would finally be avenged. They were proud of him and loved him!

With this inner certainty, Harry spoke the spell before the Boggart could reveal Daphne's parentage. "Riddikulus!"

Suddenly, his mother no longer looked at him with hatred. Instead, she was now looking at her completely soaked clothes. It looked exactly like a picture Lupin had shown him. His parents had splashed each other with water from their wands. Just like Muggle children did with water pistols, even though Harry had never been allowed to participate in these games.

Like his father in the picture, Harry laughed at the sight. It just looked too funny.

Still laughing, he turned away from the Boggart, reaching the end of the course where Lupin was waiting for him. Their relationship had cooled somewhat in the past few months, but Harry was still kind to him. After all, he was a very good teacher. And above all, he was his parents' last real friend, and Harry also believed that he wasn't a bad person; only too caught up in the past.

"Very well done," Lupin praised him. "I found your solution to the Boggart very familiar. All in all, full marks. "

"Thank you, professor," Harry replied. "May I wait for Daphne here?" He knew Daphne was the next.

"Of course, Harry," Lupin said, bending over a large crystal ball in which he could observe the stations on the course. After a few minutes, he suddenly laughed out loud.

"What's going on?" Harry asked him.

"Oh nothing," Lupin replied with a laugh. "You just look too funny when you're covered all over with strawberry jam."

Shortly afterwards, Daphne came out of the course, giving Harry a broad grin. Harry just shook his head, amused.


Overall, Harry and Daphne finished the exams as best of the year, along with Hermione Granger and Padma Patil. Harry was the best in Charms and DADA, while Daphne had the edge in Transfiguration and Ancient Runes. They also performed very well in all other classes, except Potions, in which they at least passed.

So Harry and Daphne's third year at Hogwarts came to an end. They were just sitting alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express and Daphne had put her head on Harry's lap. Slowly, he stroked her hair, recalling the past school year. Although the other students had never avoided him as much as at that time, he had not felt lonely once…

Harry was torn from his thoughts when Daphne suddenly held out a book. With a smile, he took it from her and began reading aloud as they left the Scottish mountains further and further behind.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..."


Next chapter: Alexandria

Preview:

The light from the candles flickered across Daphne's face as she began to read aloud.

"In the beginning was Death, and Death was with Life, and Life was Death..."


Bonus Scene 1:

The red-haired boy looked at him fearfully, but he was so bound and gagged that he could neither move nor speak.

"So, Ronald Weasley," said Harry coldly. "Now we'll both talk about what you did to my girlfriend."


Bonus Scene 2:

It was early morning when Daphne climbed out of Harry's bed. It had been his third nightmare this week, but she felt it was getting better.

Suddenly, she looked into the ugly face of Goyle, who was apparently on the way to the toilet.

"What are you staring at?" hissed Daphne and with a flick of her wand, Goyle fell to the ground petrified.


Bonus Scene 3:

Harry and Daphne restrained their laughter when they stood in the beautifully decorated Room of Requirement, all around them garlands and colorful balloons.

At the same time, they shouted: "Dobby!"

With a loud bang, the house elf appeared, apparently surprised by the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Happy Freedom Day!" Harry and Daphne called. It had been exactly a year since Harry had freed Dobby from Malfoy's claws.

Slowly, understanding began to emerge on Dobby's face. His ears straightened as he beamed at them with eyes full of emotion.


Bonus Scene 4:

"Thank you again for your help, Minerva," said Flitwick as they were on their way to McGonagall's classroom. "I really have no idea how Miss Clearwater managed to turn her table into a rhinoceros."

"Of course, Filius," replied McGonagall, her amusement still audible. "I'm just curious to see if they've been waiting for us."

Her question was answered when they entered the classroom and just saw Potter and Greengrass jumping back from each other, their faces red. It was obvious that they had been kissing. Flitwick started laughing loudly and he also noticed McGonagall chuckling next to him.


Bonus Scene 5:

Wormtail stretched himself luxuriously, while snuggling into his master's bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. All was well again, now that Sirius and the stupid cat were gone. He would continue to wait for his big moment. His time would come, he was sure.


AN:

Bonus Scene 3 was inspired by a comment from the reader Shadow on AO3. Dobby deserves all the love in the world!

The other bonus scenes were just little scenes that came to my mind but didn't fit so well into the flow of the main chapter.

What do you think Harry and Daphne will learn and experience in Alexandria? Have the reactions of the people in this chapter been appropriate? Are Harry and Daphne bad people? How will things go in the fourth year? What else do you think about the chapter and the story?

I look forward to reading your opinions and guesses. So please leave comments!

See you for the next installment of "Birds and Monsters"!