AN:

Many thanks to my great beta reader Verlor (id: 1113787) for his help with this chapter!

And many thanks to all of you who read, follow and favorite this story!


Chapter 30 - United and Unleashed

No one could have asked for a more beautiful day. A bright sun smiled down from a blue, almost cloudless sky. Waves hit the white sand, while the air was filled with the smell of salt from the nearby sea, a light breeze brushing Harry's hair. But for all of that, for all these wonders of nature, Harry had no eyes, no ears, no senses at that moment. His gaze was focused solely on the wonder before him.

His heart, previously pounding wildly, simply stopped at the sight of his bride. Slowly, far, far too slowly for Harry's liking, she strode towards him, so gracefully that casual observers might have mistaken her for an angel fallen from heaven. Daphne had always been beautiful to Harry, but at that moment, on that fateful day of their lives, she was the most beautiful being that had ever walked the earth.

Daphne's bare feet left no marks in the soft sand as if she were floating instead of walking. She had pinned her honey-blonde hair up into a gorgeous braided hairstyle in which several flower blossoms were woven. Sapphire earrings sparkled in the sunlight. But most striking was her dress! White fabric, shining like freshly fallen snow, swirled around her petite body, which he could now see as she was getting closer trembled with excitement. Her face and mind, however, glowed with a joy that made Harry forget any worry. He would have loved to rush off, take Daphne in his arms and passionately kiss her red lips, but his body was petrified, unable to move. Daphne's lips twisted in a mocking smile, but her eyes showed a deep warmth, and Harry felt she too had to force her feet to move.

After what felt like an eternity, but was probably only a few seconds, Daphne finally reached the small wedding party, which besides Harry only consisted of Remus, Fawkes, and the priest of the ministry. Only now did Harry notice Dobby, who – dressed in a golden tuxedo – had walked behind Daphne, holding her long veil and grinning at him widely; he was probably looking like a lovestoned fool, but Harry didn't care, he didn't care about anything at this moment except his beautiful bride.

Also trembling all over, he grabbed Daphne's hand, beautifully adorned by a corsage. As soon as his fingers touched hers, Harry was overwhelmed by a feeling of love, spilling from Daphne's soul to his. He had to muster all his inner strength so as not to lose himself forever in her blue, swirling eyes, threatening to pull him deeper and deeper like a maelstrom.

Squeezing his hand tenderly, Daphne gave him her distinctive smile that was only meant for him, that Harry associated with his partner like nothing else in the world. That smile was Daphne. His Daphne. And he was her Harry.

Together, the young and yet so old couple turned to the waiting priest, who seemed to have gotten over his surprise.

"We have come here today to witness the union of two people, two lives," the priest began in a professional tone indicating that he had spoken these words many times before. Secretly, that annoyed Harry a bit. Their wedding was unique.

"Daphne Greengrass," the priest addressed Daphne, "do you want to take Harry Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband, love and honor him, in sickness and in health, comfort him in times of pain and laugh with him in times of joy? Do you want to be his partner in life, his constant friend, his companion, from this day for the rest of your life until death do you part?"

Harry felt Daphne's wild heartbeat, her love, and bliss when she looked at him with her shining blue eyes. "Yes, I do. With all my heart," she replied in a trembling voice, tears of joy slipping down her cheeks.

"Harry James Potter," the priest turned to Harry, "do you want –"

"Yes, I do," Harry interrupted the priest, not allowing him to finish his lines. "with all my heart."

The priest blinked in confusion, but Remus chuckled loudly, and Dobby wiggled his long ears in delight.

"Then it is time to exchange the rings," the priest continued following a brief hesitation, after which Remus picked up a velvet pillow with two silver rings. "As you place the rings on each other's fingers, you may say your own, individual vows."

Daphne was the first to reach for the larger of the two rings, her hand trembling so badly that Harry feared she might drop the ring in the sand. Gently, he cupped Daphne's hand in an attempt to steady it, causing Daphne to give him a grateful smile. She then started to slide the metal over his right ring finger, her eyes never leaving his face.

"Harry, you changed my life, you changed me," Daphne began to speak. "Before I met you, there was so much I didn't know. I didn't know what love is. I never felt it, never saw it. Neither had I any idea what it meant to get married. But now I know, now I know what love is. Love is when another person is the most important thing in your life, when you only want to fall asleep and wake up next to that person, when the mere thought of being separated causes you pain. Love is warmth, love is hope, love is dreaming. You are that person to me, Harry. You are my savior, my first and only friend, my partner! Before you was only darkness. It was only through you that I started to hope, to dream of a better life. Harry, the time I spend with you is full of warmth and so, so beautiful ... I want to marry you, because getting married means that two people who love each other promise to be together forever. And we will! I promise you, Harry, I swear you that you will never be alone again. Wherever you go, I'll be with you. You are mine, and I am yours, and there is nothing that we cannot overcome together. I love you, Harry, now and forever, in this life and beyond."

Harry wanted to raise his arms and wrap them around Daphne and tell her over and over again how much he loved her, but all that, all his feelings, Daphne could, as he knew, feel anyway.

Tenderly, her fingers squeezed his hand, stroking the silver ring on his finger. "I love you, Harry, my husband."

Taking a deep breath, Harry took the second, more delicate ring from Remus and slowly slipped it onto Daphne's finger. Feeling his heart was about to burst with bliss, he began to speak in a husky voice.

"Daphne… Daph, my Daph, I can't express in words how much you mean to me, how much I love you. Therefore, I will show it to you, make you feel my love, every single day until the end of the world. Every single minute, every single second, always. Never again shall you feel alone or unloved. You deserve all the love in the world, my darling ... I once told you that our story is not yet written, that we can rewrite it together. And we did that, didn't we? We've achieved so much! And now I'm telling you, our story has only just begun. The best is still ahead of us! Together with you, I want to travel the whole world, see strange places, count the stars in the night sky, discover new wonders. I want to grow old with you, Daphne. And so I promise you ... I promise you that I will fight for you, for us, for our future, every single day! All our dreams will come true, I promise you that!"

"I love you, my wife," he added in his mind, "I love you so much."

Daphne smiled at him with watery eyes, her hands in his, silver metal shining in the sunlight, before the priest's voice tore them both back to reality.

"With the authority given to me and in the face of magic, I hereby announce you husband and wife," said the priest solemnly. "Groom, you may kiss the bride."

Harry didn't need to be told twice. Pulling Daphne close to him so unexpectedly that she let out a surprised gasp, his lips hungrily found hers. Tenderly, their tongues explored each other as Daphne put her arms around his shoulders, her fingers playing with his black strands. Their bodies pressed so closely together as if wanting to merge into one.

At that very moment, shielded from the eyes of the world, their love was all that mattered. Not the fierce whip of the suddenly howling wind; not the whisper of the waves and the screeching of the seagulls.

All of them, the grains of sand under their feet, the birds above their heads, the whipping wind and the whispering waves around them, bore witness as two had become one, bound in flesh, mind, and soul.

Yes, their story had only just begun!


With a shudder, Anselm watched the spectacle in front of him. Like a mockery of the world, the secret couple kissed, intertwined around one another like serpents in a mating dance, deaf to the roaring wind around them. A dark cloud shoved itself in front of the bright sun, bathing bride and groom in shadow, turning them into creatures of darkness. At that moment Anselm believed everything he'd ever heard about Harry and Daphne Potter. The two would change the world, he was sure of that, for better or worse…

It took several minutes for the two to break apart, dreamy smiles on their faces. In other times, or at least with other lovers, Anselm's romantic heart would have rejoiced at the sight, but here and now, on this unknown beach, he just felt miserable while inwardly praying that it hadn't been a mistake not Disapparating immediately when he had seen Harry Potter...

"Priest Greybridge," the voice of the man responsible for all this suddenly tore him from his thoughts. Anselm looked up, and Lupin went on in a friendly manner, "The couple's house-elves have prepared a small feast, but far too much food for only three people. Do you want to join?"

"Um, I don't know if that's a good idea," Anselm replied hesitantly, even if he wanted to disappear straight away. "I don't want to put you to any trouble..."

"Oh, Priest Greybridge, you wouldn't," spoke the new Mrs. Potter, her arm entwined with that of her husband, her voice sounding cold and sweet at the same time, like the vanilla ice cream Anselm loved to eat in Diagon Alley. "It's the least we can do to thank you," Daphne Potter continued. "Without you, none of this would have been possible." The couple showed off their sparkling rings. "We'd be disappointed in ourselves if we let you go now..."

Both Potters laughed, but Anselm felt as if he was about to throw up. It almost sounded like a threat. His stomach rumbled.

"O-Of course," he stuttered. "I-I love to come along."

He had always been a coward.


Tired and a little tipsy, Remus dragged himself up the stairs of Grimmauld Place. The wedding celebrations had lasted all afternoon as the two house-elves had outdone themselves, the feast even rivaling those at Hogwarts. And Harry and Daphne had been so happy, their laughter filled with such lightheartedness that Remus' eyes had welled up with tears of joy. It was like back then with James and Lily...

However, the two had refused to return with him. They didn't want to spend their wedding night in such a depressing place, especially since Albus had informed them that several Order members would be moving into the house for the rest of the summer. Remus could understand their decision – really, he too found the Blacks' house gruesome – but he wasn't sure if the Greengrass estate was that much different. At least there was a nice garden there...

Still, he didn't like to lose sight of them for so long. He had therefore expressly warned Emmeline, who was assigned to guard duty that night, to contact him immediately if she noticed anything suspicious.

Sighing, Remus opened the creaking door to the headquarters, behind which unexpected noises awaited him.

"No, not on the dining table. Sometimes I think you grew up in the stables, Ron," came a loud, indignant voice from the kitchen. It was a voice that Remus knew all too well, after all, its bearer tried to answer every question he asked in class, undoubtedly one of the most intelligent and inquisitive witches he had ever met. But what was Hermione Granger doing in the kitchen at the Order's headquarters?

"No, also not on the stove!" Granger shouted on. "Why do you have to take him with you all the time?"

"He's sick," replied Ron Weasley's resolute voice. "I can't leave him alone..."

A heated argument broke out between the two teenagers who, if Remus remembered correctly, were dating since spring; in any case, a different kind of young love than Remus had seen this afternoon.

More voices rang out, both female and male, young and old; so many voices that Remus couldn't understand another word. Curious, he strode through the dim entrance hall to greet the new arrivals.

Shortly before Remus reached the kitchen, the head-shaking figure of Arthur Weasley stepped out of the room, otherwise on an even keel. Remus had no idea how the man could stay so calm with so many children. He himself had enough to do with Harry and his girlfriend.

"Remus," said Arthur. "There you are at last. We were already wondering where you got to. And Potter too. The house-elf just said you were out and we shouldn't worry…"

"Hello, Arthur," Remus greeted the family man. "Yes, um, we had things to do, but everything's okay. But why are you here? And the children?" Remus pointed towards the kitchen, from which the shrill voice of Molly Weasley and the cackling laughter of the twins could now be heard.

A shadow crossed Arthur's face and Remus felt as if the man was gripped by a deep sadness before he quietly replied, "It was Molly's idea. She ... she thinks it would be good if –"

Remus wasn't listening anymore, his gaze fixed on Ron Weasley, who stepped out of the kitchen at that very moment; or rather on his hands, which carried a small wooden cage. And in that cage was a rat Remus would have recognized among thousands.

Remus froze, his face losing all color. That couldn't be possible...


Exhausted, Anselm reached for the doorknob of his office door, still tense, like he had been all afternoon. It was safe to say that it had been one of the worst days of his life. The whole time he had been eyeing the Potters anxiously, watching out for any suspicious movement or emotion, well aware that he would not have stood a chance against them if only half of what was written about them in the newspapers was true. He didn't know if they were insane, but they were undoubtedly dangerous. Thus, he would just add their wedding to the official records and then hopefully never have anything to do with the Potter couple again…

When Anselm opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of two men leaning against his desk, casually playing with their wands, both of them broad and ugly like trolls. Anselm knew these two men, after all, he had always tried to avoid them as best he could.

Crabbe and Goyle grinned at him, but their eyes were without any joy. Anselm's whole body began to shake violently, his heart pounding painfully in his chest.

"Anselm, Anselm, Anselm," said Crabbe in a rough voice. "We're all practical people, aren't we? So I'll come straight to the point: what did Remus Lupin want from you? And where have you been the last few hours?"

Cold sweat dripped down Anselm's forehead. So he had been watched, just as he suspected.

"We're waiting, Anselm. And we're not the most patient people."

Anselm swallowed before replying in a trembling voice," I-I was supposed to marry two of his students..."

"And who were these students?" Crabbe asked threateningly. Both he and Goyle had their wands pointed at Anselm now.

Anselm felt as if he was about to pass out. His limbs shook with fear, sweat soaking his robes, and his mind searching in vain for a way out. Brave men, men of self-respect, would have answered the question with a lie; or said that this was none of their damn business. Very brave men might even have drawn their wands to fight for the right cause if necessary. But Anselm Peter Greybridge, the fifth son of a poor Irish family, was not a brave man, never had been. Anselm was an old man shortly before retirement, always ignored, always smiled at, whose greatest dream was a small house on a mountain lake. This dream would fade away if he messed with Death Eaters, because that's what they were, Anselm had no doubt.

"H-Harry Potter and Daphne Greengrass," he replied with suppressed disgust. Disgust at himself.

At his words, Crabbe and Goyle sat up instantly, a greedy glint in their eyes. "And do you know where they are?"

"G-Greengrass Manor," stuttered Anselm, before crouching on the floor, full of self-pity, as his oppressors hurried out of the office. He knew his words would leave blood on his hands, but Anselm had always been a coward...


"Isn't it wonderful," Harry cheered as he did another somersault on his broom, beneath them the boundless sea, water as far as the eye could see.

"I'm afraid I'll never understand your enthusiasm for flying," laughed Daphne, who was flying next to him. "But true, I like it a lot more than when I'm awake. I don't even mind the height. And my hair doesn't blow in my face all the time."

Harry returned her grin. She was right. In contrast to reality, they could shape their dream world at will. Daphne didn't like wind, so it left her alone. Harry, on the other hand, liked it when light gusts of wind tousled his hair and slid across his face, so that's what happened. And Daphne's fear of heights? Gone with just a thought.

"You wanna do something crazy, Daph?" Harry asked his wife. At the thought that they were now indeed married, a warm shiver ran down his spine.

"That's not one of your pranks again, is it?" Daphne asked him. "If you again put a spider –"

"No, no," Harry interrupted with a laugh. "Don't worry. But have you ever imagined what it would be like to truly fly, without a broom, plane, or other aids? To be free like the birds in the sky? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Harry didn't give Daphne the time to answer. As soon as he finished speaking, he let go of his broom and pushed it away with his legs. Daphne shrieked, but Harry simply stayed beside her. He imagined he could fly in the air, so he could.

"See, Daph? Anything is possible."

Daphne shot him a reproachful look. "For a moment you really scared me."

"I'm sorry about that, love. But it's a dream, so nothing can happen to us. Dream, Daphne, dream."

With that, Harry reached out his hand to Daphne, his body lying horizontally in the air as if he were letting the water far below them carry him. Lovingly, he squeezed her hand.

"Let go. I'll hold you."

"I don't know, Harry…"

"Don't worry. I will hold you. You trust me, don't you?"

Daphne's eyes slid to the wedding ring on her finger before she finally sighed, removing her hands from the broomstick.

"Now push your broom away," Harry whispered to her, his hand on her shoulder.

"You're holding me?"

"Always, Princess, always."

Taking a deep breath, Daphne pushed her broom away. Harry instantly put his arms around her petite body as the broom spun towards the water's surface.

Daphne's body tensed. She had her eyes closed and her fingers were clawed into Harry's skin, but nothing moved around them. Calmly, they floated in the air.

"We're flying, Daph, we're flying," Harry said euphorically. "Just look! Look!"

Slowly, Daphne opened her eyes, first looking into Harry's face, then at the blue shimmering water below and the wide sky around them. "That was easy. I have no idea why you made such a fuss about it," she teased him.

"Not everyone can be a born flyer like you," Harry smirked.

"I know. I'm perfect."

At her words they both had to laugh as they flew next to each other, their fingers entwined. This was how limitless freedom had to feel, Harry thought blissfully. He wished he could fly like this in reality too, being so unburdened and carefree. Or not having to wake up in the first place, to be able to live forever with Daphne in their dream world, without pain, without fear.

"Do you remember the mirror in our first year?" asked Daphne, who must have picked up his thoughts. "Our dreams are like that mirror, Harry. Beautiful, but not real. We had to learn to dream to be able to live, but living just to dream is not living."

For a moment they just looked at each other before suddenly widening their eyes. A thought later they woke up in their bed at Greengrass Manor, their bare bodies covered in sweat. Both felt the tugging of their minds as if someone had tied strings to their nerve endings and were now pulling hard on them. The protections around the property had been broken. They were attacked!

A smile fell on both of their faces.

"Those fools," Daphne commented. "Are you ready to soak the earth with their blood, darling?"

"Not so hastily," Harry replied with a smile. "We should get dressed beforehand, don't you think?"

"Phew, are you a prude..."

Getting up from the bed, and after some swivels of their wands, the two were wrapped in dark dragonhide clothes, their armor for the upcoming fight. Harry's wand hand shook with anticipation. The intruders had no idea what forces they had challenged!


Cautiously, Narcissa crept through the darkness, which was only illuminated by the faint light of the stars and the moon hidden behind clouds. She could barely make out the outlines of her companions to her left and right, less than a dozen, but devoted to her late husband. And now they would follow her, for everyone was following someone. Everyone was someone's servant. Only the one whom Narcissa had to follow seemed to follow no one, to serve no one but himself. The Dark Lord was the master of them all, he had their lives in his hand. And he would kill her and Draco, as he had killed Lucius, if they did not prove their worth.

That was why Narcissa crept through the garden of Greengrass Manor with her followers. If they brought Potter to the Dark Lord, all their failings would be forgiven, including their failure at Stonehenge. All they had to do was overpower Potter and his whore and everything would be fine. And so far it went smoothly. Just one guarding witch and the protections around the property hadn't been a hurdle, but they had to hurry because they didn't know when a changing of the guard would come.

Narcissa, feeling her heart pounding wildly in her chest, clutched her wand. She tried to listen to every sound, watch for every sudden movement, but nothing moved. The garden was mostly flat, only a small hill and a pond to the left and a forest on the edge of the property, otherwise only wide fields of flowers, the colors of which Narcissa could not make out in the night. Their scent, however, filled the air, wrapping around Narcissa's nose, igniting in her the longing for warm nights in her own garden, in her house, in which she had long since stopped to feel at home after a megalomaniac had taken up quarters there.

The house's dark outline towered up in front of them. They just had to get in there, grab Potter and –

"I don't remember inviting you people," a cold, feminine voice suddenly broke the silence. Startled, Narcissa looked at the spot where the voice had come from, the entrance portal of the house.

"So who is so stupid to come here anyway? And why?" the voice continued, while the silhouette of a slim figure, a girl, stepped out of the house into the starlight. The girl was wrapped in dark leather, contrasting her pale face and long blond hair. She was surrounded by streaks of red and black fog swirling around her like blood and ink in water. It had to be the Greengrass brat, Narcissa realized, even if at that moment she looked anything but a little girl.

Narcissa didn't hesitate a second, the memories of the Fiendfyre all too fresh. "Kill her!" she yelled. "Now!"

Numerous, colorful curses shot towards Greengrass, but in a split second the red streaks of fog covered her, enveloping her like a cocoon, from which the curses ricocheted off, hitting the walls and ceiling of the house. Stone crumbled down.

"That was a mistake," said Greengrass's voice from the red cocoon. "With that, you decided to die!"

Then the black streaks shot forward like tentacles, racing towards two Death Eaters. They shouted spells and tried to parry off the streaks with their wands, but in vain. The spells just shot through the fog.

The streaks touched the Death Eaters on their necks and instantly there were bloodcurdling cries of pain. The men collapsed on the floor, screaming and writhing in agony. One's flesh began to melt from his bones, the other's body crumbled into gray ash. In a few seconds they were both dead.

Greengrass began to cackle as the stench of burnt meat spread across the garden, displacing the scent of flowers. Narcissa felt like she was trapped in a nightmare from which there was no awakening. The one before her wasn't a girl, but a demon.


Harry smiled at the spectacle in front of him. While Daphne had "greeted" their guests, he had snuck behind the Death Eaters under his invisibility cloak. From there he had watched with satisfaction how Daphne used the demonic magic against their enemies, for the very first time.

For a brief moment the Death Eaters were petrified, horrified at the gruesome death of their two companions. The perfect opportunity to panic them even more.

Tossing his invisibility cloak to the ground, Harry rose his wand and hurled curses at the backs of two more unsuspecting enemies. Although he would have liked to use demon magic as well, it took time to work and required verbal incantations; too dangerous in the situation he was in.

Harry's curses hit their targets. Both men were blown up with large holes in the middle of their bodies. Bowels bulged as the men slumped, dying, soaking the earth with their blood. Then chaos broke out. Death Eaters spun around, firing curses into the darkness, but they hadn't spotted Harry yet. The curses flew far past him.

Harry and Daphne were now targeting the Death Eaters from two sides. Colorful lightning lit up the night, spells, and screams of pain everywhere. Only a tall, blond woman tried to retain control.

"Split up," she yelled. "Take cover. Use the killing curse!"

Shortly afterwards, a flash of green shot toward Harry. Reflexively he flung himself sideways onto the ground, at the same time firing a bone-breaking curse at the attacker, who fended it off with a wave of his wand. Harry rolled across the grass before quickly jumping up again to conjure a massive rhinoceros, which immediately pounced on the Death Eater. Taking advantage of the brief lull in the fighting, Harry glanced at Daphne. She fought two Death Eaters at the same time, her black arms of fog reaching out again and again.

With a scream, the Death Eater cut the rhinoceros in half with a spell. Harry used his distraction and hit him right in the chest with an explosion spell. There was a loud bang before the Death Eater's body parts flew away in all directions.

Harry spun around to find a new target when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a green flash shooting directly at Daphne. At her back. She didn't see it coming. And her red cocoon would be powerless against the killing curse.

Harry didn't hesitate for a second. Instinctively he pointed his wand at his partner and yelled, "Accio Daphne!"

Daphne shrieked when her body was suddenly grabbed by the magic. Several curses missed her or bounced off her cocoon as she flew through the air, right into Harry's waiting arms.

"Well, beloved," she laughed. "Did you miss me that much?"

"Always," Harry replied. "Ready, my love?"

"Yes, let's show them the power of Harry and Daphne Potter."

Hand in hand they turned to the enemies who had now surrounded them like a pack of hungry wolves. Everything was arranged for a banquet of blood.

As if they were one being, Harry and Daphne attacked. Daphne's black streaks of fog pounced on the Death Eaters, while the red streaks fended off most of the curses they fired at the couple. Harry in turn hurled curse after curse at their enemies, conjured dangerous predators, turned the ground itself into lava, while at the same time repelling the killing curses aimed at them. Garden benches, flagstones, conjured metal shields – Harry used everything possible to ward off the green lightning.

Together, Harry and Daphne were invincible. Like dancers of death, they moved through the garden, cutting down one Death Eater after another.

"Fire!" yelled the blonde woman. "Wrap them in fire!"

Suddenly flames shot at them from everywhere, no Fiendfyre, but destructive nonetheless. Once more the red cocoon enveloped them both, fending off the flames, but its red color was slowly fading, causing the Death Eaters to hurl even more flames at them. Fires raged all around them now, engulfing wood, stone, and grass. Harry thought wistfully of his invisibility cloak, which was probably burning in the destructive flames just then, but Daphne was more important. To guarantee her survival, he was willing to sacrifice anything.

Harry and Daphne started making horrible hissing noises; sounds that the world hadn't heard in over a thousand years, sounds that shook the air itself.

There was a buzz right where Harry and Daphne were standing; at first softly, but getting louder and louder until it grew into a thundering roar, so loud that Harry was afraid of losing his hearing. At the same time, he was gripped by a hot, almost painful euphoria.

With one voice, Harry and Daphne screamed and thrust their wands into the ground. A tremendous shock wave emanated from them, catching the flames and hurling them away, together with Death Eaters and everything else that had been spared so far.

Immediately Harry and Daphne followed suit, seized by the frenzy of the magic, their blood boiling in their veins. They were no longer able to think clearly, everything around them blurring in a swirl of colors, blood, and screams.

"Harry, Daphne!"

For a brief moment, Harry saw in front of them the screaming figure of the blonde woman, her hair burning brightly.

"Harry, Daphne!"

A cutting sound and her severed head rolled over the ground.

"Harry, Daphne!"

As if from far away, a sound came up to them. Shouts, footsteps. More enemies!

Harry and Daphne spun around, pointing their wands at another attacker, a man with graying hair and scars on his face. He hurried towards them, gesturing wildly with his arms. Suddenly there was a loud bang. The man was thrown back and flew far through the air before finally hitting the ash-covered ground, moaning in pain. Harry was pointing his wand at him to deal the death blow when all of a sudden another voice rang out.

"No! We're on your side! It's me! Tonks! It's us!"

Another person came into view; a woman with bright red hair, also waving her arms. A flaming bird flew overhead, screaming, its golden eyes glowing in the darkness.

Harry felt a cozy warmth spread inside him, like hot chocolate in front of a blazing fireplace. A beautiful melody rang out in his head. He felt like he was awakening from a feverish dream, a drug frenzy that had addled his wit…

Blinking, Harry took in his surroundings. Indeed, it was Tonks who ran up to them, yelling loudly, Fawkes flying overhead. And the man he and Daphne had tossed through the air was Remus.

Remus!

Instantly, Harry broke from his frenzy. He started running, Daphne at his side, who too looked like she had awakened from some kind of deep trance. In just a few seconds they were by Remus' side.

"Remus!" yelled Harry. "Are you okay? Is –"

"I'm fine. I'm fine," Remus said, getting to his feet, shaking. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

They both shook their heads while Harry felt a deep relief. They hadn't hurt Remus, Thank Merlin. He'd thought he was an enemy, hadn't recognized his voice. Without Fawkes' intervention...

"There's no one left," came the voice of Tonks, who sat down next to them, panting. "The Death Eaters are all dead."

Harry looked up. The once magnificent garden was unrecognizable. Instead of soft grass and colorful flowers, the ground was now covered with soot and ash. Even the house, ancestral home of the Greengrass Family, was just a field of rubble. And between all the ashes and rubble, Harry knew, lay the remains of the fallen Death Eaters, if anything was left of them.

"What are you doing here?", Daphne's voice cut through the still hot air, smelling of smoke and burnt flesh. "How did you know we were being attacked?"

"We wanted to save you," they suddenly heard the voice of Albus Dumbledore. Harry turned around and saw their headmaster step out of the darkness, his face grave. "But apparently you handled the Death Eaters pretty well yourself." Dumbledore surveyed the battlefield before sighing out loud. "And we found out about the attack when Emmeline Vance, who was assigned to guard you tonight, didn't report anymore. She's was killed…"

"Who?" Harry asked, instantly regretting it.

A shadow flickered over the faces of Remus and Dumbledore while Tonks just looked at him in surprise. "Well, Emmeline," she replied. "You know her. Emmeline. Emmeline Vance. She was already at the headquarters for Order meetings. You really don't know her?"

An uncomfortable silence fell between them while Daphne lovingly stroked his hand. Harry decided not to say anything more. False compassion would only increase the hurt.

"We should go back," Remus finally said. "It's no longer safe here." With that, he held out his arm to Harry and Daphne. Harry noticed that their teacher was even paler than usual. He was still hiding something from them...

"I'm a bit disappointed," he suddenly heard Daphne's voice in his mind.

Harry turned to his wife, who was staring at the smoking ruins of the manor. "What do you mean?" he asked her.

"It's just ... I wanted to be the one destroying this house."

Harry smirked. "That's in the past now. We'll never return here."

With that, they both grabbed Remus' outstretched arm, and shortly they were gone, leaving behind a field of faded dreams.


As soon as Harry stepped through the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place, a small figure threw itself around his legs.

"Master Harry is alive!" Dobby shouted. "Master Harry is fine! Dobby was so worried. Shall Dobby –"

"I'm happy to see you too," Harry laughed. "Yes, we're fine, just a little exhausted. Can you run us a bath so we can wash ourselves?"

Dobby's ears wiggled at his words. "Of course, Master Harry. Dobby will take care of it immediately!" With a whipping sound, the house elf disappeared.

"What a caring husband I have," Daphne commented with a smile. "And a caring, cute house-elf."

"Do I have to worry?" Harry asked, also smiling.

Daphne's hand squeezed his. "You know the answer."

Behind them, Dumbledore, Remus, and Tonks also stepped into the entrance hall. Fawkes hadn't traveled with them; perhaps he was already taking a nap in Dumbledore's office, or he was visiting the bodies of Valeydor and Valeydis in the library upstairs.

"Harry," suddenly came another voice that Harry hadn't heard in years. He could just see the smiling figure of Molly Weasley hurrying towards him – behind her Arthur Weasley and … Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom (?) – before she hugged him.

He felt like the air was being squeezed out of his lungs, so fierce was her embrace. Harry froze; he didn't like physical contact with anyone other than Daphne.

Daphne was far from pleased with Mrs. Weasley's behavior as well. "What are you doing?" she called, pulling out her wand. "Let go of Harry!"

"Hey, don't threaten my mother," Ron Weasley stormed forward, also holding his wand.

Harry, meanwhile, had had enough and pushed Mrs. Weasley back, causing her to give him a confused look before a smile settled on her features again, even if it seemed somehow unnatural to Harry.

"Everyone calm down," she said in a warm voice. "Ron, put your wand away. You are not allowed to do magic anyway. I was just greeting Harry, who almost became your brother-in-law. He belongs to the family."

Brother-in-law?

Harry and Daphne exchanged a surprised look.

"Come, Molly," said Mr. Weasley suddenly, reaching for his wife. "You still have to take your potion..."

"I don't want to take the potion," Mrs. Weasley shrieked. "I always feel so tired afterwards … No, I have to say hello to Harry. Just look at how skinny the boy is. He must be hungry. We have to take care of him, Ginny would have wanted it that way…"

"He killed Ginny, Mum!" Ron Weasley yelled. "Don't you see it?"

"Crazy. Just crazy," Daphne commented, and Harry felt her clutching her wand, ready to fight. Harry, on the other hand, gave a small sigh. He thought he knew what was going on.

"Stop lying like that," shrieked Mrs. Weasley. "Harry loved Ginny! He fought for her life and almost died himself. He's family! He and Ginny would have married at some point and given me many grandchildren. Lots of cute little children with red hair…"

Her eyes had taken on a dull shine. It was just as Harry had feared. Apparently Mrs. Weasley had lost her mind.

All of a sudden, a jerk went through Mrs. Weasley's body before she looked at Daphne. "Daphne, dear," she said. "How nice to finally get to know you. I'm so glad Harry found a friend like you who could comfort him after he lost Ginny. Of course, it must be painful for you to know that Harry will never love you as much as Ginny, but please know that we have nothing against you. You're always welcome at –"

Harry felt Daphne's body and mind being seized by hot anger. "What bullshit are you talking about?" she spat.

Mrs. Weasley looked at Daphne with wide eyes, but a moment later she started smiling again. "I understand that it must be hard for you when your partner loves someone else and you are just the substitute," she said sympathetically. "That's why I'm not blaming you, really. You have to convince yourself that Harry loves you because you can't live with the truth. Because the truth is that Harry only loves Ginny. And in heaven they will be reunited."

Harry had had enough. "Mrs. Weasley," he turned to the Weasley mother, suppressing his fury, "that's enough! I'm sorry about what happened to your daughter. Really. But everything else are just delusions. None of this is true. I never talked to your daughter. And I've only ever loved Daphne! And I will always only love her! She is the most important person in my life! And I will not let you insult her, in whatever form!"

At his words, Daphne squeezed his hand lovingly, while most of the others looked embarrassed at the ground. Behind his back, Harry could hear several sighs.

Mrs. Weasley, however, looked at him distraught, her eyes clear, just for a brief moment before a dull glimmer fell over them again. "It's honorable of you that you don't want to hurt Daphne's feelings, Harry," she replied, "but we all know the truth ... the truth..." Suddenly, she hunched her shoulders. "Well, we already prepared a couple of bedrooms while you were out. Harry, dear, you will sleep in the same room with Ron and Neville while Daphne can sleep with Hermione. I'm sure that –"

"Rubbish," Daphne hissed at the same moment Harry groaned in exasperation.

Once again Mrs. Weasley looked at them both with a confused expression. The woman really seemed to live in a world of her own.

"I'm definitely not going to sleep away from my husband," Daphne shouted, holding up her right hand, her silver wedding ring sparkling in the dim light.

"Husband?!" Granger shrieked, but no one paid her any attention.

Mrs. Weasley's body had started to tremble. "But ... but," she stammered. "You're only ... and Harry loves Ginny ... no, you can't..."

"Molly," Mr. Weasley reached for his wife again. "Come. Come, honey. You still have to take your potion. And it's getting late. Let's go to bed. All's well, all's well…" Mr. Weasley kept talking to his confused and, as Harry suspected, mentally ill wife as he led her away through the assembled crowd.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the entrance hall before Remus walked past Harry and Daphne, turning to the youngest Weasley son. "How long has she been like this?" he asked quietly.

Weasley clenched his fists, his whole body shaking, but he kept his gaze fixed on a point on the floor. "For a month," he hissed. "The healers just give her some potions, but they don't do anything..."

For a few seconds, nobody said a word, everyone occupied with their own thoughts. Finally, it was Dumbledore who spoke again. "Remus," he said quietly. "It's late, but we have to –"

"Yes," Remus replied, his face suddenly even paler than before, but his body straightening as if he were gathering all his strength for an upcoming fight. Then he turned around. "Harry, we must show you something..."


Next chapter: Terrible Truth

Preview:

Daphne's body shook with fury as she looked at the whimpering figure in front of her, her hand clutching her wand so hard that her knuckles became white. Oh, how she'd love to make him suffer, punish him for what he had done to her Harry. How much she would love to use that hellish spell, enjoy the creature's cries of pain...


AN:

Harry and Daphne were almost dangerously arrogant before and during the fight, don't you think?

And sometimes I have the feeling that all the characters in this story are mental wrecks...

But I hope you enjoyed the wedding :)