AN:

I noticed from the comments that many people don't like the direction the story has taken. There are also fewer comments, from which I conclude that other readers may also be at odds with the story. On one hand, I am concerned about this, since I am of course happy about many readers and positive feedback, which also motivates me to write this story. On the other hand, I can also understand the people who don't like the story and my characters.

Harry and Daphne are probably not the most likeable characters; they have weaknesses, mistakes, and they have already committed horrible sins. They are also quite selfish and presumably they sometimes lack empathy. They're certainly not good people, but they're human nonetheless. For me, they're most likely traumatized children who have strayed from the right path. The oneshot on which this story is based was also marked as a tragedy for a reason.

Nevertheless, Harry and Daphne are dear to my heart. I can still share the thrill with them, suffer vicariously with them and I wish that they can be happy in the end. Until then, however, it will be a path of trial and tribulation and they will have to break down a lot of barriers. There will also be other dark developments. That is why I can understand anyone who stops reading the story because they don't like it. I've already dropped stories as well when I didn't like something. In any case, I'm always happy to read your opinions, be it positive or negative. Maybe you can give me some feedback on how you see all that, because at the moment I have the feeling that the sentiment among my readers has changed somewhat.

Regardless, I will continue to pursue my plans for this story, but of course I am happy about anyone who would like to accompany me on this journey.

Many thanks to my great beta reader Verlor (id: 11113787) for his help with the chapter, which improved the quality significantly.

This chapter is kind of a break from the events at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoy it. Read and review!


Chapter 21 – Alexandria

"Look, Harry! The sea!"

Smiling, Harry leaned over to Daphne, who stared out the window with wide eyes. "This is the Channel," he whispered in her ear. "We'll see the Mediterranean later."

He noticed the other passengers glancing at them in an amused and friendly way. It was a welcome change from all the fearful, suspicious, or even vitriolic looks that their classmates at Hogwarts usually gave them. At least, they could leave all of that behind for the next two months, as they were in a Muggle plane on their way to Egypt. They had chosen this means of travel since they did not want to attract any attention in the wizarding world, as would undoubtedly have been the case with an international Portkey. Of that they also had more than enough lately.

Daphne in particular had been fascinated by the concept of a gigantic tin bird flying without magic. Harry, however, had been rather nervous as to whether the confusion charms they had used on their tickets and fake passports would actually work. Fortunately, no one had asked them about their age, so they had probably done everything right.

Meanwhile, Daphne pressed her nose against the airplane window as she marveled at the clouds and the shimmering water far below. Harry thought that was kind of cute. Apparently, she had a lot more fun flying on the plane than on the broom. As Daphne turned around and beamed at him happily, Harry felt his heart sing. Merlin, he loved her smile!


When they landed in Alexandria, they were again able to use their passports without any problems. After getting their luggage, they stood in a quieter corner in the airport to discuss their next steps.

Daphne rummaged in her backpack until she found the letter that had been sent to them a few weeks ago by the library administration – a group known as the Guardians. Harry stood next to her, making sure that nobody looked over their shoulders. Daphne opened the letter and also a city map of Alexandria which they had previously bought.

"Exactly," Daphne murmured. "We have to get to this point in the city." She pointed at an area on the map that apparently belonged to the old town. "But it's a fair way off. We can't use magic, so we probably need some time to walk – why are you laughing?"

Harry tried to restrain his laughter, but sometimes Daphne's naivety was just too amusing. "Of course we use a taxi," he replied with a grin. "We're not going to walk, especially not with the baking heat out there."

Daphne frowned. "I thought taxis only exist in England."

"Think again," Harry replied, still amused. "They're almost everywhere in the world. But we have to change money beforehand."

With that, he took their two suitcases and made his way towards the exit, looking for an exchange office. Daphne walked joyfully next to him, apparently more than eager to call a taxi again. It always amazed Harry how different Pure-bloods and Muggleborns grew up.

They found not only one exchange office, but at least a dozen of them. Harry chose one and changed several hundred British pounds into the local currency. Afterwards, they left the airport and immediately found a taxi. This time they didn't even have to show their enchanted passports because the taxi driver did not care about their age after proving that they could pay for the ride.

They told the taxi driver their destination and drove off. Harry felt a thirst for adventure seize him. All that was just so new and exciting for him; for Daphne, too, if he correctly interpreted her astonished expression as she looked out of the car. They were thousands of miles away from their entire world so far, it was a surreal feeling.

This feeling intensified when they reached the old town, the Roman-Greek buildings once again making it clear to Harry that they were in fact in a foreign country. And there was a huge crowd of people everywhere, it was a single hustle and bustle as the roar of thousands of voices and a multitude of different languages overwhelmed them. Harry would most likely compare it to Diagon Alley, only more intensely and with a completely different kind of magic.

"We must find a souvenir shop between two ice cream parlors and opposite a bank branch," Daphne tore him from his thoughts. "There we have to show this letter to a clerk with an unusual nose."

"No problem at all, right?" Harry chuckled as he looked at the street in front of them that seemed to consist solely of souvenir shops. "Even if I'm curious to see what is meant by an unusual nose."

Thus, Harry and Daphne searched for the souvenir shop, pulling their luggage behind them and trying to not get lost in the crowd. There were myriads of souvenir shops; many of them were also located between ice cream parlors or opposite a bank branch, but so far no shop has met the two requirements at the same time.

The sun was so hot that Harry bought broad-brimmed straw hats and sunglasses for both of them. Now they really looked like tourists, their pale English skin also matched their appearance.

"There it is," Harry finally called after more than an hour of searching. "That's the shop. Between two ice cream parlors and opposite a bank branch."

"Then let's see if we can find the ominous clerk," replied Daphne.

They entered the shop and this time they didn't have to look long for their target. Behind the counter stood a young man with a huge hooknose that would make even Snape go green with jealousy.

The clerk gave them a close look as they came up to him and Daphne held out the letter. His face lightened up instantly, and he gestured to them to follow him through a small door but did not say a single word.

Harry and Daphne also stepped through the door, finding themselves in a small backyard. There, the man pointed to a gully in the ground before he went back to the shop laughing.

"Does he mean we should go down there?" Harry asked in surprise.

"It looks that way," replied Daphne. "The letter only says: The clerk will show you the way. Follow in the traces of the Sphinx. And that's the end."

Harry shrugged and knelt down to lift the manhole cover. It was quite heavy, but eventually Harry had rolled it aside. An iron ladder led about three meters into the depth, which was probably the Alexandria sewage system. The air that came out of the shaft was a bit musty, but not as bad as Harry had feared.

"Why always drain pipes or sewer tunnels?" sighed Daphne. "Well, it can't get any worse than the Chamber of Secrets, can it? Who goes first?"

"I," Harry replied. "Then you can give me our suitcases."

"Oh, you gentleman," Daphne said in a tone of mimicked adoration.

Harry climbed down the ladder and took the suitcases from Daphne, before she also came down.

"Now we have to follow the traces of the Sphinx," said Daphne.

He pointed to the engraved image of a sphinx in the walls, looking left into the dark tunnel. That clue was easy to understand.

Harry took out his wand and before Daphne could protest, he said, "I know the letter said we shouldn't use magic. But by no means am I going into this darkness without light. Unless you happen to have a flashlight with you?"

"Flashlight?"

At Daphne's question, Harry shook his head in amusement and let a sphere of light float in front of them, illuminating the tunnel. They must have been walking for about five minutes when they reached a fork, but there was another engraved sphinx on the wall looking into one of the two tunnels.

This was repeated many more times in which Harry and Daphne continued to enter the labyrinth of underground passages. Without the signposts on the walls, they would probably have gotten lost long ago, even though Harry felt that it was going further and further into the depths.

"Why does the greatest library in the magical world have to be in the sewers?" Daphne murmured at some point.

"There'll certainly be books in the library about that, too," Harry replied with a smile. However, he could also very well imagine that it had to do with wanting to hide the library. If he learned anything from his hitherto negligible history lessons, it was that places of knowledge and science were not immune to horrific destruction.

After some time – it was difficult to keep track of time in such darkness – Harry and Daphne reached a dead end. There was no way to continue, no fork, and no stone sphinx. Following a hunch, Harry struck the tip of his wand three times against the stone wall. At least, that had worked when accessing Diagon Alley.

And indeed, the stones in front of them began to recede, revealing a bright hall beyond, causing Harry to narrow his eyes. Nervously, they stepped through the opening in the wall.

Harry noticed that the light had only seemed so glaring to them due to their previous walk in the dark. After getting used to the new lighting conditions, he realized that the orange light shining down on them from lamps on the ceiling was rather dim than bright. Harry also noted that they were Muggle lamps, or at least looked like them. He had not expected that in such an important, magical place.

Otherwise, the hall was not particularly large, even if there were marble statues everywhere, depicting people in various poses. In the middle of the room was a desk, behind which a small figure was sitting, apparently busy scribbling something on a piece of parchment.

What really fascinated Harry though was the head of the figure, because it was a fox's head. That had to be a Lutin, he thought. He had only read about these fox-headed goblins but hadn't yet seen a representative of this species. The rest of her body had to look like that of a little human girl, except for a puffy foxtail.

Harry and Daphne glanced at each other, before slowly walking to the desk. At that, the Lutin looked up, surprise on her animal features, at least that was what Harry thought. From close up, Harry noticed that she was wearing a linen shirt with a skimpy, colorfully embroidered vest over it. All in all, she was exactly the opposite of the Gringotts goblins.

"Hello," greeted Harry the Lutin. "Is this the Great Library of Alexandria?"

"Who are you?" asked the Lutin in English in a somewhat squeaky and high voice that Harry would never have expected from a fox-headed being. However, he also couldn't understand how it was possible to speak with an animal head at all, so he probably shouldn't overthink it.

"We're Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter," Daphne replied, holding the letter out to the Lutin. "We announced ourselves several weeks ago and received this letter."

The fox eyes studied the letter until the lutin suddenly pulled her flews up and began to laugh. Harry and Daphne exchanged a surprised look.

"Oh, you humans," the Lutin cackled. "This entrance has been used very, very rarely since the library can be reached from Grimalkin Lane. The Guardians must have thought your letter was a joke."

"A joke?" Harry asked incredulously. Why would it be a joke?

"Well of course," said the Lutin, still giggling. "Usually we only have ever so wise, old men of your species here. And they certainly don't announce themselves beforehand."

Harry understood. If you were only dealing with figures like Dumbledore, you might be a little surprised by him and Daphne.

"Does that mean you let us walk through the sewers just for fun?" Daphne asked with a scowl.

Harry hurried to squeeze her hand reassuringly before she could spoil things with their hostess. "Anyway, we're here now," he said calmly. "What's next?"

"Yes, you're here now, even if nobody was expecting you," replied the Lutin. "But this is no problem. We're not exactly a tourist sensation, eh? I'm sure we'll find two bedchambers for –"

"One," Daphne interrupted the Lutin who looked puzzled.

"Huh?"

"We only need one bedchamber. For two people," Harry explained.

The Lutin sized them up. "I'm not perfectly versed with you humans," she said, frowning. "but aren't you a little too young?"

"For what exactly?"

"For all of this!" The Lutin threw her arms at the surroundings. "We usually don't have any children here. And they certainly won't sleep in one room."

"Well, we're not like normal children," Harry replied with a smile.

"I see that," muttered the Lutin. "Anyway, then just one chamber. I don't care. But it will be more expensive because of more space. What were your names again?"

"Harry and Daphne."

"Pleased to meet you, Harry and Daphne. My name is Ganda. Junior junior library assistant in training."

"You're not a Guardian?" Daphne asked in surprise.

Ganda shook her head. "No, if I'm lucky maybe in fifty years or so. But even then, I would still be one of the youngest Guardians in history."

"How ... how old are you?" Harry asked cautiously. After all, you shouldn't really ask women about their age.

Ganda did not seem to care though, because without hesitation she replied, "I'm only 36 years old. Last year I finally came of age and could start my apprenticeship here."

"But ... but why does it take you so long to become a Guardian?" Harry asked. He preferred to leave her age at that. Apparently, the Lutin were one of the species that grew older than humans, even though wizards already had a longer life expectancy than Muggles.

"High standards and all," replied Ganda. "You have to copy 3,000 books to become a junior library assistant, 5,000 for a library assistant and if you have copied 10,000 and also passed several exams, you will be appointed Guardian."

Harry hadn't known that, but he had more questions. "But why do you have to copy books? What's the point?"

Ganda gave him a look as if she were talking to an infant. "Well, so that the books are preserved, of course. Otherwise, they would just crumble into dust at some point."

"Why don't you just use magic to preserve the books?" Daphne asked.

"Oh, you stupid, stupid humans," Ganda exclaimed appalled. "No magic in the Library of Alexandria, do you hear me?! No. Magic." She emphasized every single word.

"How come?" Daphne asked further. "Isn't that terribly impractical –"

"Why, she asks! Why? Humans are even more stupid than I thought." Ganda shook her head in disbelief. "The last time an "ever so wise" wizard thought he could do magic here, the entire Muggle counterpart of this library burned down, almost taking the magical side with it. Since then, only the Guardians are allowed to use magic, and only as little as possible. So, no magic for you. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Got that?"

Harry and Daphne nodded. They knew that it would be better not to protest, even if the complete renunciation of magic would make their plans much more difficult.

"Well, all right," Ganda spoke again. "Then I will take you to your chamber and give you a crash course about the library. You seem as if you could need it. You can also contact me with any other questions. As a junior junior library assistant in training, this is unfortunately one of my duties. While we're on it, what are two children like you doing here? Usually our human visitors have more wrinkles…"

"Um, for a school project," Harry lied. They had already prepared this excuse beforehand.

"A school project?!" asked Ganda, surprised "What kind of school project? Do you have such bad grades or what?"

At the words of the Lutin, Daphne had to laugh briefly before answering, "For our history class. Professor Binns thought –"

"Binns?" Ganda interrupted her. "The famous historian? I have read many books from him. He's still alive?!"

"No, no," Harry replied. "He's a ghost now."

"Ah, ghosts," Ganda rejoiced as she emerged from behind the desk. Now Harry saw that she was wearing tight-fitting breeches from which her tail peeked out, but otherwise, she was barefoot. "I like ghosts, at least they don't break anything here..."

Ganda kept talking as she led them through a door into an adjacent, much larger room. Harry, however, wasn't listening anymore, he was too busy marveling at their new surroundings.

The hall was so huge that the largest cathedrals in the world would probably have fit in. It consisted of several floors which looked like shelves themselves. There were huge shelves everywhere, which seemed to overflow with books. There had to be millions of books, Harry thought. This library was many times larger than the Hogwarts library, which was said to be one of the largest in the world.

"This is the small reading room 56," Ganda's voice tore him out of his thoughts. "Plants of the sea and..."

Small reading room 56? Did that mean there were at least 55 more such halls? And even bigger ones?

Harry glanced at Daphne, who was looking at their surroundings with wide eyes. So, he wasn't alone in being overwhelmed by this sight, at least. He felt so insignificant and small in the presence of all this knowledge.

The feeling only intensified when they entered the next room. This was even more gigantic than the previous one, and there were reams of books everywhere, the floors and shelves reaching so far that they were lost in the dark. In any case, Harry could not see a ceiling in the dim light of the lamps.

"I never thought there were so many books," whispered Daphne, who apparently had the same feeling.

Ganda must have picked up Daphne's words with her fox ears, as she turned around, her flews pulled up to a broad grin. "Oh yes, all the books in the world are here," she said proudly.

"All books?" Harry asked, stunned.

"Yes, all books," replied Ganda. "Everything that was ever written by humans, centaurs, goblins or any other species can be found in this library at some point. Be it as a copy or in the original. Muggle books too. There has been a great deal, especially in recent decades, both science and fiction. Interesting stuff, I tell you."

Harry shook his head. This exceeded all of his previous estimates.

As they walked through other halls full of books, they caught glimpses of other library visitors. They saw wizards and witches, merpeople with water bubbles around their heads, vampires, goblins, centaurs, some other Lutins like Ganda, and in one room Harry even saw a djinn floating on a cloud, high above their heads. Despite representatives of so many different species, the library looked somehow deserted, as if it could accommodate many, many more visitors.

Eventually, they left the large reading rooms behind and entered a maze of narrow tunnels until they finally came to a stop in front of a heavy oak door.

"This is your bedchamber," said Ganda. "Down the hall there is a dining room where breakfast is served every day from 7 to 8 a.m. and dinner from 7 to 8 p.m. Otherwise, you can visit Grimalkin Lane and the shops there through the entrance portal. There are bathrooms over there." Ganda pointed in a different direction. "If you have any other questions, you know where to find me." The Lutin raised her index finger, looking at them vigorously. "And I repeat myself again: No magic! Otherwise you'll be banned from entering the library for the rest of your lives. Roger that?"

Harry and Daphne nodded. The Lutin only reached their navel but was nevertheless quite intimidating.

Ganda smiled. "Good. Then I'll leave you alone now. To be honest, it's nice not being surrounded by old crocks for once."

With that, she said goodbye and left Harry and Daphne alone in front of the oak door. The two exchanged a look before Harry opened the door.

They looked into a rather small room that had just enough space for a medium-sized bed, a wardrobe, and a table that was already covered with doodles from previous visitors.

"Well, it will do the trick," Daphne said laconically as she began to put their things out of the suitcases into the wardrobe.

Harry had to agree with her. The bed did not look as comfortable as their beds at Hogwarts or Daphne's house, but he had slept in a cupboard for ten long years, so he was anything but picky.

Harry and Daphne then continued to explore the huge library on their own. There were books on all sorts of subjects, be it the 1732 Vampire Centaur War, the use of orange juice to fight blood curses, or what the Muggle called quantum physics. Harry felt that even if they had been running continuously for a year, they wouldn't have seen all the corridors and halls.

They met only a few other visitors, who occasionally looked at them with prying eyes – presumably their sight was indeed quite unusual – but otherwise they remained undisturbed. Especially the Guardians in their long purple robes ignored them. Apparently, they were completely uninteresting for such old and wise men and women, buried in their studies. That changed, however, when they wanted to enter a hall, the entrance of which was guarded by tall Minotaurs with pointed horns and massive battle axes in their hands. Apart from a short loincloth, the creatures were completely undressed, so that their muscular chest and upper arms could be clearly seen.

When Harry and Daphne tried to enter the room, the guards immediately crossed their weapons, grunting something at them. Even if they did not understand the Minotaur language, it was clear that they were denied entry. Thus, they had no choice but to turn back.

At just before seven o'clock, both noticed how their stomachs growled. That wasn't a surprise, after all, they had walked many miles through the spacious library for the past few hours. So, they headed back to the living quarters and dining room that Ganda had spoken of earlier.

Once there, Harry felt reminded of a prison scene that he had once seen in a film with the Dursleys. Of course, they hadn't noticed his presence.

The room was about half the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts and there were also long wooden tables and benches. However, the room was otherwise completely barren and without any decoration. There was a narrow window on one wall, which looked like the food counter. Very few people were sitting at the wooden tables, mostly alone. At the end of a table, the two saw Ganda sitting, her fox snout deepened in a thick book.

They walked to the food counter, where a fat goblin woman looked at them, and Harry wouldn't have been surprised if she had some troll blood in her veins.

"How much?" she grunted at them.

"Um, what?" asked Harry, confused.

The goblin groaned in exasperation, before answering very slowly as if they were slow off the mark, "How many portions do you want?"

"What do you have anyway?" Harry asked. "So, we are two, my girlfriend and I –"

Before he could finish his words, the goblin had already placed two bowls in front of them, in which she filled a brown, viscous grout with a ladle, also two metal spoons. "Bon appetit," she grumbled, turning her back on them.

Harry and Daphne exchanged a baffled look. Apparently, there was no menu here. Of necessity, they took two bowls and then sat down in one of the numerous empty seats.

"Yummy, brown gloop," Harry joked as he stirred with his spoon in the grout. He really had no idea what ingredients this dish could be made of; it looked like brown glue but had no smell.

"I'm sure it won't taste as bad as it looks," said Daphne, leading the spoon to her mouth. However, once the spoon was gone in her mouth, her entire face turned to stone. With visible effort, she swallowed the grout. "Um, I was wrong," she added.

Harry had to laugh until tears ran down his cheeks. After a moment, Daphne joined in the laughter.

Since both of them were extremely hungry, they forced themselves to eat all the grout, which really tasted as horrible as Harry had feared. At some point, they really had to look for the exit to Grimalkin Lane, Harry decided. They hadn't found it yet on their previous tour through the library.

"Ah, I see you savouring our delicacy," they suddenly heard Ganda's voice, who was standing next to them with the heavy book under her arm, grinning at them.

"Yes, it's really ... interesting," Harry answered cautiously. "But I'm curious to see what will be tomorrow."

At his words, Ganda burst out laughing once again. "Oh, you human. You're so funny. Tomorrow there will of course be the same again."

"What?!" Harry and Daphne asked with one voice.

"Yes, of course," replied Ganda, laughing, before continuing in a serious tone, "We don't like variation here. Our ancestors ate this food hundreds of years ago. And our descendants will still eat it hundreds of years later. It is just the right mix of nutrients and vitamins to excite the brain."

"I'd rather be stupid," Harry heard Daphne murmur quietly.

Ganda did not respond though, but rather threw her book on the table with a loud thump before sitting next to them on the bench. "Were you able to find your way?" she asked with interest. "How long do you want to stay, anyway?"

"Yes, we mostly looked around," Harry replied. "We'll probably stay until the end of August, then we'll have to go back to school." Suddenly, he remembered something he hadn't thought of all day, with all the amazement. "Say, Ganda, how can we actually search for books?"

Ganda nodded. "Oh yes, right, you've never been here before. So, of course, you can just walk off the shelves until you find what you're looking for." At this absurd suggestion, she had to giggle herself before continuing. "Otherwise, you can of course look through our index on paper, but I would also advise against it, unless you want to spend the next fifty years here."

"Then what?" Harry asked.

"I would advise you to use one of our Search Balls. It only costs 50 galleons a month."

"50 galleons?" Daphne exclaimed, stunned.

"The month, yes," Ganda confirmed. "We have to pay for all of this here somehow, don't you think?"

Harry looked at Daphne, who still seemed shocked by the price. Fortunately, with both of their fortunes, they really had no money worries and could easily afford it. But higher education seemed to be an expensive affair in the wizarding world.

"Where do we get such a Search Ball?" Harry asked.

Ganda jumped up from the bench, motioning for them to follow her. "I'll take you there. The counter should still be open for half an hour. Come on."

"Uh, your book!" Daphne called after the Lutin, who was already halfway to the exit.

"That's still there tomorrow," Ganda waved off. "Come on, we have to hurry if we want to make it in time."

With her short legs, Ganda could not run that fast, which is why Harry and Daphne caught up with her shortly thereafter. Together they rushed through several halls where the lights were gradually going out. Apparently, there was a kind of night's rest here too.

Finally, they reached a hall with numerous marble pillars and a large portal above which hieroglyphs were written. Through his translation work over the past few months, Harry understood that behind the portal was Grimalkin Lane, the magical district of Alexandria. Like the library, it was also underground.

In the middle of the hall was a kind of counter, behind which a Minotaur was sitting. Unlike the guards from earlier, this Minotaur was dressed in a long, white toga. He was also rather small and thin, certainly not musclebound. Silver glasses shimmered on his bull's face as he flipped through a booklet bored.

"Hey, Klak," Ganda called to him. "How are things?"

The Minotaur looked up. "Ganda," he said in surprise, "what are you doing here?"

"I bring you my new friends Harry and Daphne. They need a Search Ball."

Klak eyed them carefully, but then held out his hand, which they liked to shake. After this brief greeting, the Minotaur stooped under the counter, from where he brought out a shiny crystal ball.

"Here you are," he said, handing the ball to Harry. "That would be 50 galleons for a month. Do you pay now or upon departure?"

Harry looked at the crystal ball in his hands, which seemed to vibrate slightly. "Um, upon departure," he replied, handing the ball to Daphne. "Before that, we have to go to the bank to withdraw money."

"It's only a few doors down," Ganda said.

"And how do we use the ball now?" Daphne asked curiously.

"Wait, I'll show you," said Klak, taking the ball from Daphne. "So, you have to put your hands on it like that, yes? Then you say a search keyword and the ball then shows you, where you can find books on the subject – hall, shelf and number. You can then refine the search even further, it's actually quite self-explanatory. You really can't go wrong."

"Just one thing," Ganda interrupted. "You can of course take books off the shelf to read at one of the tables. You can even take notes on your own paper. But everything else is forbidden, do you get me? No taking the books with you, no writing in, no hiding in other places. If you no longer know from where you got a book, give it to a Guardian or assistant. You can't take the books into your chamber either. Did I make myself clear?"

It was a strange feeling to be lectured by a little fox-headed girl, but Harry and Daphne nodded dutifully.

"I'm serious," Ganda repeated. "If you act wrong, it will reflect on me. So, always stick to the rules. Book theft is the most serious crime you can commit in this place. For this you will be punished with death." Ganda did not look like it was a joke. "And I repeat again: No magic! Not even in your chamber. Some of your wisest wizards thought they could dupe us. But we notice that, be sure of it. Unauthorized magic is registered immediately and then you will never be allowed to return. You're from Britain, right? Then you can ask your ever so wise Dumbledore how he fared when he –"

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Yes, Dumbledore," Ganda replied with a grim expression on her face. "It was my mother who caught him and his companion. Since then, they have been personae non gratae. But you're different, aren't you?" Her eyes narrowed when she looked at them carefully.

"Yes of course. We stick to the rules," Harry quietened her suspicions.

The scowl disappeared from Ganda's fox face and was replaced by a smile. "Excellent. Now it's time for me to wish you a good night. I have to get up very early tomorrow."

"Me too," grumbled Klak. "Master Lukian made me scrub the toilets."

"That's because you keep falling asleep at work", replied Ganda, laughing.

The two said goodbye and headed towards the living quarters. Left behind stood Harry and Daphne, looking over to the exit portal.

"Do you still want to go outside?" Harry asked his girlfriend.

"I'd like to," said Daphne, stifling a yawn. "But I'm afraid I'm too exhausted to do that."

Harry nodded. After all, they got up very early to catch their flight; then the search for the library and exploring it. It had been a long and tiring day for both of them. "Then we'll do it another time," he replied with a smile, taking Daphne's hand. "I'm tired, too."

With his other hand, he grabbed the Search Ball, and together they went back to their bedchamber. When they finally lay in bed, Harry felt Daphne press against his back.

"Thank you, Harry," she whispered in his ear.

"For what?" Harry asked quietly.

"For doing this. I know we have a mission, but it's kind of the first holiday of my life."

Harry laughed inside. The Dursleys probably had a completely different idea of a proper holiday, but fortunately, they weren't like the Dursleys. "Mine too, Daph," he murmured with a smile and shortly afterwards they both fell asleep.


"This one doesn't help us either," Daphne groaned, slamming the heavy book in front of her with a loud bang.

They were sitting in one of the library's reading rooms, no other human or non-human being anywhere, just countless dusty books. Unfortunately, so far they had not found any that could have helped them on their quest to save Valeydis' soul.

They were in the Library of Alexandria for two days now. Two long days in which, from the early morning to the late evening, they had done nothing but look at books that the Search Ball had spat out for them. They had searched for all kinds of topics and terms. Soul magic, demons, death, souls of demons, soul bonds, immortal souls and so on and so on. By now, Harry's head was spinning. But whatever they were looking for, the most meaningful books always seemed to be in the area of the library guarded by the heavily armed Minotaurs who always rejected them.

When they asked Ganda, with whom they usually ate together, she had only said that this was done by the order of the International Confederation of Wizards, which was amusing considering that their Supreme Mugwump was banned from this very facility. In any case, the ICW seemed to find the knowledge stored in the area to be so dangerous that it strictly regulated access. No one except the Guardians was allowed to enter without the express permission of the ICW, and it was extremely unlikely that two thirteen-year-old students would get such a permit. Day and night, the legendary Minotaur Guard of Alexandria kept watch at the entries. Klak, with whom they had breakfast the previous day, thought they were pretty arrogant assholes, but unfortunately loyal and incorruptible.

Thus, Harry and Daphne had no choice but to turn to the other, freely accessible books. However, these didn't really help them, which was the reason for Daphne's exasperated groans.

Harry looked up from his own book and closed it as well, but more gently than Daphne had done before.

"We already know this, too," he said. "Again, it's all about the effects of the Death Curse and ghosts." They had read all of this a thousand times before, also in the books they had acquired in England.

Daphne pulled over a piece of parchment on which they had noted findspots, cancelling the current reading room. "We can try 26b before dinner," she muttered. "Maybe we'll be more successful there." Her resigned tone revealed that she herself did not really believe in her words.

Nevertheless, they put the books stacked in front of them back on the shelf and made their way to reading room 26b, keeping records of African shamans. Two hours later, however, they again had to leave without results.

So, after another disgusting dinner and the second disappointing day in a row, Harry and Daphne returned to their bedchamber in a depressed mood.

Harry sat in the chair in front of the desk while Daphne paced the small room. "That's enough to drive you mad," she complained. "With the millions of books here, there must be at least one that's helpful. Fawkes counts on us! This damn ICW..."

Harry only listened to his girlfriend's tirade with half an ear as his gaze had turned to the wooden wardrobe where they kept their belongings. Could it be possible...

Daphne must have noticed his look. She stopped in her rant, looking back and forth between him and the closet.

"Please don't tell me you think what I think what you think," she said quietly.

"It could work," Harry replied calmly. "That's how I got into the Restricted Section at Hogwarts."

"But there weren't any dangerous Minotaurs. Please Harry, I –"

Harry got up and took Daphne in his arms, who had started to tremble. It warmed his heart to see how much she worried about him. "I have to do it," he whispered in her ear. "Otherwise, we'll never achieve anything here."

Daphne nodded, but Harry saw a tear running down her cheek. "Just promise me you'll be careful," she said in such a vulnerable voice that it hurt Harry.

"I promise, Daph," he replied, kissing her softly on the lips.


Slowly, Harry crept through the deserted hallways, his heart pounding like crazy, even though he knew he couldn't be seen under his Invisibility Cloak. He feared, however, that someone might be able to hear him, which is why he took every step very carefully. He had to do that anyway, since he couldn't see much in the poor lighting at night. At least, his nose was no longer itching because of the dust that Daphne had sprinkled on him to mask his smell. They had no idea how good the sense of smell of Minotaurs was or to what extent his Invisibility Cloak could keep out smells but didn't want to risk anything.

When Harry turned the last corner and was now in the same hall as the Minotaur guards, he stopped immediately. Did they hear him? Or could they smell him?

The Minotaurs, however, did not move. Their eyes seemed to be fixed on a point on the opposite wall, even though Harry could not see them in the semi-darkness. Loosely, they held their battle axes in their huge claws. They hadn't noticed him.

Harry suppressed the impulse to breathe a sigh of relief. He already felt as if his breathing was echoing throughout the whole hall, so he put his hand over his mouth as he took a step forward.

Slowly, he reminded himself. Very slowly, he sneaked towards the Minotaurs, ready to pause at any sound. He carried his wand in his holster, but he would rather not use it unless he was attacked.

He had walked half the way. By now, his heart was pounding so fast that he was sure the guards had to hear it, but the Minotaurs still made no move.

Suddenly, Harry heard a quiet rattle. Thunderstruck, Harry stopped, listening for more noises. A second passed. And another one. And another one. Harry, however, did not hear anything; everything was completely silent.

He raised his foot and put it forward a little. Suddenly, there was again a rattling sound. Harry paused again. What was that?

This time, he waited longer, and after a few seconds, which felt like an eternity, he heard the same sound again, realizing that it came from the direction of the Minotaurs. But ... But did that mean that...?

There was another rattle. There was no doubt now. The Minotaurs snored!

Harry looked at the Minotaurs, watching them carefully. He noticed their slanted heads, and their chests rose and fell slightly. Above all, their eyes were closed, as Harry could see now.

Inwardly, he cheered. The Minotaurs were sleeping!

However, Harry also warned himself not to be rorty now. Still cautiously and slowly, he crept between the Minotaurs, who were immersed in their Land of Nod. Maybe they had overestimated the guards, Harry thought amused. Or they were as overworked as all the other staff in the library...

Only after Harry had walked deep into the restricted reading room did he allow himself to take a deep breath. Noticing how tensed his body was, he tried to relax. In his mind, he recited the locations of the most promising books the Search Ball had displayed when they had asked for books about demons and death. Hall 67, rank 11, shelf 89, the third and fourth books from the left. Again and again, he thought of the numbers, so that he wouldn't forget any.

Fortunately, in the last two days, he had learned to find his way around the library. After all, everything was numbered logically, so that you could find every book in the library with the right numbers. Still, it took him almost an hour to find the books he was looking for, the almost complete darkness and moving under the Invisibility Cloak having slowed his progress.

Harry reached out and stroked over the leather back of the first book. Like when he had visited the Restricted Section at Hogwarts, he felt a strange attraction coming from the books, but at least they did not seem to be made of human skin.

It had to be in the middle of the night by now. Therefore, he hurriedly opened his shoulder bag, putting the books inside. If they wanted to achieve anything that night, he had to quickly return to their bedchamber.

The way back actually took a lot shorter this time. On one hand, this was because Harry now knew the exact path, and on the other, it was because the Minotaurs were still sleeping, which is why Harry allowed himself to sneak a little faster.

When he got to the living quarters, he knocked briefly on the oak door of their chamber before entering. Daphne instantly tore the cloak from his body, kissing him hard on the mouth as she flung her arms around his neck.

"Daphne," Harry laughed. "I see you missed me."

"Of course!" Daphne replied as she slowly pulled away from him. "I was terribly worried. You were away for so long..."

"I had to be careful. But everything worked. Even better than expected. The Minotaurs slept standing."

With trembling hands, Daphne took the first book out of his pocket, stroking the cover in awe.

"Have you looked inside?" she whispered.

Harry shook his head. "No, it was far too dark for that. And I wanted to hurry up."

As Daphne sat on the bed, flipping through the pages, Harry took the second book and did the same. He groaned when he recognized the characters. "Great, cuneiform again."

"No," Daphne replied, shaking her head. "This is a copy of older, more primitive characters. I wonder…"

"We have to invent a translation spell at some point," Harry muttered. " "How are we going to –"

He stopped when he saw Daphne suddenly holding a yellowed piece of parchment in her hand, her eyes sliding over the text written on it.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

Daphne raised her head, looking at him thoughtfully. "Someone wrote something down here, in English," she said. "It's a translation of a page from the book, which is a copy of an inscription in a ruined temple in the ancient city of Uruk."

"So, we're not the first to read the book," Harry replied. "And what does it say?"

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. Death was the beginning and Death will be the end. All things were made through Death, and without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was Life, and that Life was the light of the Children...

"It's now noted here that part of the inscription was destroyed," Daphne stopped. "It happens several more times."

In their glory the Children were masters of the world, only subject to the eternal darkness. For they were the first creatures of Death, chosen to maintain the balance of the world and creation. However, the sin of mankind profaned the world and the souls of the Children. In his cruelty and eternity, Death ordered to test their souls...

In their failure they slid into sin, the lust for power and contempt of Life. Blinded by the lie of the Insignia, they betrayed him and disregarded the commandment. They wanted to rule, not serve, to be creators, not children. Their theft unleashed the righteous wrath and drowned the world in a sea of blood...

...Death was the beginning and Death will be the end. He crushed the Children and damned them. He cursed the lowest to an existence in misery, forever in search of satiety for a hunger that cannot be satiated. The most powerful he cursed to an eternal life as slaves, broken and powerless. Their names have been wiped out of the world. If at the end of all being, they return to the void from which they came, they will be completely forgotten...

... but the Insignia of Trial remained missing.

"This is where the text ends," finished Daphne. "It seems to be about the origin of the demons. The last sentence was underlined several times, by the way."

"Then that seems to have been important to the one who translated it," Harry mused aloud. "Otherwise, it sounded similar to the other legends and fairy tales that we've read so far. It's probably just an old story…"

"But isn't there a grain of truth in every story?" Daphne interjected. "And how did Valeydis say? The whole world is made of stories."

"That would at least explain why Death wouldn't accept Valeydis' soul." Harry started to pace up and down the room, thinking carefully. "I wonder what the Insignia mentioned were, and the trial the text was talking about."

"Maybe there's more in the books," said Daphne. "After all, that was just the translation of a single page. How good is your Sumerian, Harry?"

Harry returned her mischievous smile. "Not so good that I would be able to translate two books in the rest of the night." Quite the contrary, he added in his mind.

Daphne sat down at the table, dipping a feather in an inkwell. "Then we first copy as much as we can and translate tomorrow."

"Why copy?" asked Harry.

"We mustn't risk the staff noticing that the books are missing," Daphne replied, looking at him with pity. "So, I'm afraid you have to bring the books back before morning."

Groaning, Harry also took parchment, quill and ink. It was going to be a long night.


From then on, this procedure defined Harry's and Daphne's stay in the library. Every night, Harry snuck into the restricted area and took out a book or two. Sometimes, however, he had to be a lot more careful when the Minotaur guards did not sleep for once, but so far everything had gone well. They then copied as many pages as possible for several hours before Harry returned the books before dawn. They went to breakfast, joked with Ganda and Klak and went to bed for a few hours before looking for a quiet place to translate the written texts.

They made very slow progress. Above all, they learned a lot about the history of individual demons –the names mentioned by Valeydis also came up again and again and their atrocities throughout the ages made their blood run cold – but since the fall of the Roman Empire, the reports about the demons became less and less. Apparently, it was indeed true that the demons, at least the most powerful of them, have perished and fallen into oblivion.

Again and again, Death was described as a mystical figure. Numerous ancient religions had worshiped him as a kind of deity, which was difficult for Harry to imagine. In any case, no one in England believed in anything like that. The only thing faintly reminiscent of such a personified portrayal of Death was the fairy tale he and Daphne had come across last year.

They also learned a lot about soul bonds, even though the knowledge about them had apparently also been largely lost over time. Harry suspected that Valeydor must have been reading similar books like they did one thousand years ago when he was looking for a way to end Valeydis' slavery. In the end, he had succeeded, against all odds. His determination was also Harry's and Daphne's inspiration. They wouldn't give up until they found a solution!

Nevertheless, they noticed how they became increasingly frustrated. Despite all the knowledge they encountered, they found no information on how to save a soul doomed by Death and let it die. It was enough to drive them to despair.

The days passed for Harry as if in a trance. Every day was like the other, and he hadn't seen the sky and the sun in a long time. Their entire daily routine was determined by the artificial light in the library. Despite their previous intentions, they had not yet visited Grimalkin Lane; they were too busy with their studies. And when they weren't working or eating in the dining room, they slept, albeit far too short. Not even on her birthday did Daphne want to pause, which is why it was a much more joyless day than the year before. Nevertheless, she was delighted about the snow globe that he gave her, which contained small figures of themselves.

However, he also noticed how Daphne's dark circles grew deeper and deeper and his reflection also looked pretty exhausted. He knew they couldn't go on like this for long.

Thus, it came as no surprise to Harry when one night he suddenly heard a loud snore from the desk. Looking up from his place on the bed, he saw Daphne's head slumped on a thick book. She had overexerted herself, Harry thought concerned.

He cleared the writing utensils and scrolls he had copied over the past few hours, before stepping to Daphne. Tenderly, he grabbed her under her legs and behind her back to carry her to the now free bed. He gently put her down, covering her petite body with the blanket.

She looked so peaceful when she slept, Harry thought, smiling. But also so incredibly exhausted. Tomorrow they'd take a day off, he decided. Every now and then they had to pay attention to their own well-being.


"Harry," Daphne's panicked voice ripped him out of sleep. "We overslept!"

Harry had to blink several times until he could see Daphne's blurry figure next to him. Half-straightened and with disheveled hair, she looked down at him. "What's wrong?" he asked with a yawn.

"It's already ten o'clock! And why are we in bed in the first place?"

It took Harry a few moments to think clearly again. Although he was a little tired, he felt as well rested as he hadn't been for a long time. What a wonderful feeling.

"You fell asleep," he replied, putting on his glasses. "Then I put you in bed."

"But –" Daphne started, but was interrupted by her own stomach, which growled loudly.

Harry grinned at his girlfriend. "I see you're hungry. How unusual. We should go eat something!"

"But breakfast was only served until 8," replied Daphne, apparently confused by Harry's composure, which Harry found incredibly cute.

He leaned over to Daphne, kissing her softly on the lips. "Today we'll treat ourselves to something better than the disgusting food here," he whispered. Good thing Ganda didn't hear his words, he added in his mind before continuing with a smile, "We're going to have a day off today. No back talk!" He had already seen Daphne wanting to protest. "We deserve a break and you especially. We'll go out today."

Surprise fell on Daphne's face. "Out?"

"Yes, let's get ready and then get out of here," Harry replied, swinging out of bed. "I'm already hungry."

Just at that moment, Daphne's stomach growled again, making Harry laugh loudly.


It felt like his first visit to Diagon Alley, Harry thought as they stepped out of the library. Granted, Grimalkin Lane looked very different with its many sandstone buildings and really much more manifold, magical beings, but it was exactly the same atmosphere and liveliness.

It was a hustle and bustle, so Harry quickly took Daphne's hand. They saw humans, centaurs, goblins, Lutins and many more hybrid creatures. Harry felt like he was looking at more animal faces than human countenances, something he had never experienced in England. He even saw a figure that seemed to consist only of flames. Voices in dozens of different languages came from everywhere. He felt like he was in a bazaar from the Arabian Nights.

As two gorgeous, lightly dressed nymphs passed them, Harry forced himself to look away. There was no need to make Daphne angry.

However, his girlfriend marveled at their surroundings. "Harry, that's incredible," she exclaimed, squeezing his arm. "Just look at the sky."

Harry looked up, seeing a cloudless, bright blue sky, and the sun's rays warmed his face. However, he also knew that this was just an illusion, because they were deep underground. "It's definitely very powerful magic," he said. "Even more impressive than the Great Hall at Hogwarts."

"One wonders what else there is in the world," murmured Daphne.

Harry squeezed her hand. "At some point we will see all of this, all countries of the world." For his words, he was rewarded with a beautiful smile that made his heart sing.

From a Faun at a food stall, they bought a large bag of candied dates that just tasted delicious. After their greatest hunger had been satisfied and they also stocked up with new cash at the local Gringotts branch, the couple set out to explore the magical district of Alexandria.

There was really everything you could imagine. Shops for books, magical artifacts, Egyptian robes, beautiful antique jewelry – Harry quietly asked the seller for his contact details – and even for flying carpets. Harry wondered if Daphne might like flying on such a carpet more than on a broom, but she did not seem to like the idea. Most of all, she said that she didn't want to spend her money on another flying object.

They even came across a magical cinema where Muggle films were shown every night. Harry knew immediately that he wanted to see such a film at least once during their stay, after all, he had never been to the cinema. He just wondered how best to explain to a pure-blood like Daphne what a movie was. A plan was made in his head...

At lunchtime they both ate a large bowl of delicious fruit ice cream. And since they really had more than enough of the brown grout in the library, they stopped in at a restaurant in the late afternoon that looked insanely expensive. The pigeons and quails served there, however, were indeed extremely delicate, which justified the horrendous price.

Overall, it was a wonderful day for Harry and Daphne and a pleasant break from their everyday life. Harry was especially pleased that they could just be two thirteen or fourteen-year-old teenagers who didn't stand out in the crowd. There was no suspicious murmur, no fearful looks or hateful visages. They could just be Harry and Daphne.

They were still beaming as they stepped back into the library just after seven. Harry took Daphne's hand, before rushing towards the dining room because he had a plan for their evening.

Once there, they saw their new friends Ganda and Klak eating the "stew" (never would Harry voluntarily call it a stew) as if it actually tasted good to them.

"Ah, there are our two lovebirds," Ganda called when she looked up and saw them hurrying over. "I was already wondering where you went. Haven't even seen you today."

"We spent the day in Grimalkin Lane," said Harry, grinning, and sat down next to the Lutin. Daphne did the same.

"And how did you like the second most beautiful place in Alexandria?" asked Ganda.

"It was incredible," Harry replied, recounting what they had experienced and done. Daphne added her own impressions and observations, while Ganda and Klak just listened with a smile.

"Seems like you like it better here than at your home," Klak laughed when they were finished with their story.

"Who can blame them?" commented Ganda, waving her fox tail. "Alexandria is and remains the greatest city in the world."

"I think that's because Alexandria has always been a melting pot of cultures," said Daphne thoughtfully. "A wide variety of magical cultures and species have been mingling here since ancient times. That's very different than in England. You don't even shy away from adapting Muggle technology. We've even seen a ... Harry, what was the name of the thing we saw before we went to eat ice cream?"

"Cinema," Harry answered her question with a laugh. That was also the cue Harry had been waiting for. "Hey, Ganda, Klak, would you like to go to the cinema with us today?" he asked their friends. "We still have three-quarters of an hour before the films begin."

Klak looked thoughtful. "I haven't been to the cinema in ages." He smiled timidly. "All the work, you know..."

"Then it's time for a little break," Harry urged. "It will definitely be fun. Daphne and I have never been to the cinema and definitely want to experience it."

"Me too," interjected Ganda. "I recently read about the Lumière brothers in a Muggle book. That sounded exciting." Her fox tail wagged even faster than before.

"Okay, you convinced me," said Klak, laughing. "Count me in."

"Perfect," Harry replied with a grin. "Then let's go so we can still get good seats."

The four got up and headed for the exit.

"I just hope that there won't be a fox hunt," murmured Ganda. "That already ruined 'Pride and Prejudice' for me."

Ganda's wish came true, even if that did not stop her from knocking certain aspects of the film.

"These hyenas were really hideous," she said with a shudder when they left the cinema two hours later. "Disgusting beasts, but this head cat was also nasty, what was his name again?"

"Scar," Daphne replied, "because of the eye. But in the end, he got what he deserved. Best part of the whole film in my opinion."

Harry was not surprised. He hadn't known what to expect when they decided on the film, but it had touched Harry more than he would have thought. He even had to shed a few tears on a certain scene, which Daphne hadn't missed. She hadn't let go of his hand since. How good that he had not had to go to the bathroom.

It had been a bit weird seeing a film about talking lions when there had been several creatures with lion heads and long manes just next to them. Sometimes he had not known whether the lion's roar had come from the film or from the audience.

He only hoped that his parents also watched over him in death. There was something comforting about the idea. As if Daphne could hear his thoughts, she tightened her grip on his hand, and Harry smiled gratefully at her.

"I liked the songs," Klak said, before starting to sing. "Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze…"

The others started laughing loudly as they slowly made their way back to the library.


Lovingly, Daphne looked at Harry's sleeping face. He had only wanted to lie down for a short time yesterday before sneaking into the restricted area, but then hadn't woken up again. Daphne had just let him sleep, sitting on a few translations before finally going to bed as well.

Harry often told her that she overstrained herself, but so did he. Together they had been able to examine the most promising sources in the past few weeks and had learned a lot about soul magic and death, but they had not yet achieved a real breakthrough, had not yet been able to find out how to outwit Death and save Valeydis' soul. Still, Harry deserved some rest and she would make sure he had a wonderful day today.

She stroked his hair one last time and kissed his forehead before getting up from the bed. "Happy birthday, Harry," she whispered. "I love you so much."

With that, Daphne left their small bedchamber, full of anticipation for a new day in her life that was so much more worth living than she could ever have dreamed of.


When Harry woke up, he felt that something was missing. Groping beside him, he noticed that Daphne was not lying next to him. Immediately, he was awake and jumped up.

He was in their bedchamber, but there was no sign of Daphne. However, on the desk he saw a small package and a card. A delicious smell came from the package and his stomach reacted with a loud growl.

Curious, Harry grabbed the card, reading Daphne's familiar handwriting.

You looked far too peaceful to wake you up. I hope you wake up well-rested, you deserve it so much. On the table I also put something to eat for you that I bought in Grimalkin Lane. I hope you like it. I'll be waiting for you in our usual place.

Forever Yours,

Daphne xxx

PS: Happy birthday, darling

Smiling, Harry put the card on the table. What had he done to deserve such a caring girlfriend?

With another growl, his stomach reminded him of how hungry he was, so he opened the package. Flatbread, tameia, dates and baklava came to light, exactly what he needed now. He started to eat with relish, and it really tasted like heaven on earth.

After eating and freshening up, he set out to find Daphne, but he knew exactly where to go. She had spoken of their usual place and by that she could only mean the reading room they had come across a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful place with a kind of artificial garden and a fountain in the middle. A place that pulsed with magic.

And indeed, he saw Daphne sitting with her back in his direction as he entered the room. She did not seem to have noticed him, at least she was not looking up from her book as he stepped behind her.

"Oh, Daph," he said sadly when he realized what Daphne was reading.

Daphne startled, before turning to Harry. When she noticed his eyes on the open book, she slouched her shoulders. "I have to try it at least," she said so quietly that Harry almost didn't understand her.

Sitting down next to his girlfriend, he hugged her while he gently closed the book on infertility.

"I know, Daph," he whispered.

They spent several minutes in this position until Daphne finally broke away from him, smiling. However, some unshed tears still shimmered in her eyes.

"Now again in person," she said. "Happy birthday, Harry." With that, she leaned forward to kiss him. Harry buried his hand in her long, soft hair as he gently returned the kiss. They didn't stop until they both had to gasp for air.

Daphne then took her bag, handing Harry a large, rolled-up paper. "My gift. I know it's nothing special and I could understand if –"

"It's beautiful," Harry interrupted her after unrolling the paper. It was a watercolor painting of the two of them looking at the stars on the astronomy tower. Harry noticed that the picture was covered with several spells, so it would never break or fade.

"You like it?" Daphne asked with an insecure smile. "It's my first real picture and I know that it's not perfect, but I wanted to give you something personal..."

"It's perfect for me," Harry replied, hugging his girlfriend again. "And most of all, I see how much love you put into it. Thank you, Daph. I love you!"

"And I love you!"

Another long kiss ensued. Eventually, Daphne jumped up, dragging Harry along. "Let's go to the Muggle town today," she called. "On our first day, we couldn't really look at it."

Harry laughed and followed his girlfriend, who seemed to shake with joy. So, they would behave like typical English tourists today, he thought cheerfully.


And that's exactly what they did all day. They mingled with the crowds of tourists, took part in a sightseeing tour, bought souvenirs and ate overpriced food in a mediocre restaurant. But they had fun, and that's all they wanted.

Harry particularly liked the harbor tour they attended in the afternoon. Finally, they could both see the sea up close and feel the breeze of the ocean on their faces, even if the water in the basin was anything but clean. It was a start though, at least.

Eventually evening came and Harry and Daphne found a cozy spot at the harbor, from where they could watch the setting sun while the water of the sea gently splashed against the quay wall.

Harry had put his arm around Daphne, and her head lay on his shoulder. It was a beautiful moment, and Harry hoped that it would never end.

"Do we really have to go back?" Daphne asked quietly at one point. "Can't we just leave everything behind? We don't have to go back to Hogwarts to help Fawkes. And we have enough money that we could just travel the world..."

Harry turned to Daphne, looking into her blue eyes, which shimmered with longing. "I would really like that," he replied gently. "But Dumbledore and all the others would never allow that. They would never leave us in peace. And I ... I don't want to give them the satisfaction of thinking that we fled from them..."

"You and your damn pride," sighed Daphne. "But I understand you. Sometimes I just like to dream a bit."

Harry brushed a strand of hair from her face. "And it is a wonderful dream. One day we'll live this dream. I ... I think you can leave Hogwarts after the OWLs. So two more years, Daph, then we can be free."

"Two years?" Daphne asked hopefully.

Harry smiled at his partner and lover. "Yes, two years, I promise."


"No! This is impossible! You're dead!" the man gasped as he shrank away in panic.

"Igor, Igor, Igor," the mysterious figure chided him. "How could I be dead when I stand here in front of you? No, I'm more alive than ever. And I'm here to tell you that our Lord has a task for you..."


Next chapter: Phantom Menace

Preview:

"Be careful. Evil looms over you, I can feel it in my tail."


AN:

We know that Harry's wish for two quiet years is unlikely to come true … The next chapter they will return to Hogwarts for their fourth year of school.

For the character Ganda, I was inspired by the books of Bernhard Hennen, even if she has a slightly different personality there. Hennen is my favorite author and I can only recommend his books to everyone! I think the first of his books from "The Saga of the Elven" have also been translated into English.

The movie they saw in the cinema was, of course, "The Lion King", but I am sure that most people have recognized that. In my childhood it was one of my favorite films, which is why I wanted to include it, especially since I think it contains some interesting themes. I know that the film actually came out in autumn, but here it either came to the cinema a few months earlier or the magical cinemas got it earlier xD

I look forward to your comments!