AN:
Many thanks to my great beta reader Verlor (id: 113797)!
Like the last chapter, this chapter is not intended to form a continuous narrative, but rather to give an insight into the further course of Harry and Daphne's life after the finale and their victory in chapter 38 and to show what they are doing with their power and freedom.
Chapter 40 - Principes of Alexandria
Previously in chapter 38
...
At some point the couple finally rose from the floor, smiling happily at each other, their eyes bursting with love. Daphne still couldn't believe it, but she was more than willing to think about this miracle for the rest of her life – her life with Harry! The very thought made her smile again.
Yet for all their wishes and dreams for the future, a much more pressing question arose in their immediate present.
"And now?" asked Daphne.
Harry did not have to think twice. "Now we will live," he said, as for the first time in his life, he felt completely carefree, the shadows that had been looming over them for years finally gone. They had won, Voldemort was dead, Valeydis reunited with her family ... and they had all the freedom they ever wanted.
"You have no idea how right you are," Daphne said with a laugh so bright and clear that just listening to it made Harry's heart sing. That laugh alone would have been reason enough for him to fall in love with her once again.
"I ... I can feel that something has changed in me," Daphne then said hesitantly as if struggling to find the right words. "There's a warm feeling, comforting and soothing, which wasn't there before. Harry, I think Death really meant it when he said he was going to give us the chance we always hoped for." Smiling, Daphne stroked over her stomach before resting her head against his chest. "I think I'll be able to have children..."
That was all Harry could take. Laughing with all his heart, he lifted Daphne up, whirling her around as if they were a carousel of laughter and fluttering hair. At some point Harry's feet got caught in the cords of the carpet and they both flew to the floor, where they continued to laugh until Harry finally pressed his lips to Daphne's. It was a passionate kiss, a kiss of love and overwhelming joy.
Harry instinctively ran his hands over Daphne's body, over her thighs, her stomach, her breasts, hearing her lustful moans against his lips, feeling the heat between her legs – but suddenly she pushed him away.
"Not HERE," she said with a mischievous smile. "I'm not in such a hurry to become a parent."
"What a shame," laughed Harry. "You'd be a great mum..."
"Yeah, yeah. And you'd be a great daddy, no?"
Suddenly Harry froze as if someone had pushed him into an icy pond.
"I thought so," said Daphne. "The knowledge that one day we will have our own little family makes me deeply happy, but … we have to grow up ourselves first. And you still haven't answered my question. What do we do now? As in right now?"
Harry gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, while his mind was already working. "I think," he said. "We haven't been on holiday in a long time. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like living in this country anymore – the weather, the people, the press. No, I think our time here is over. What do you say if we leave this country once and for all? We can travel wherever we want. What part of the world do you wish to see first?"
"I want to see EVERYTHGING," Daphne said with a glow in her eyes, her beautiful blue sparkling eyes. These, too, would probably have been reason enough for him to fall in love with her once more.
Visiting all the places in the world was probably a little ambitious, but something told Harry that they would have a lot of time from now on. And thus Mr. and Mrs. Potter stepped out into the street to leave Britain forever, a bright and happy future ahead of them.
August 10, 1996 – 11:37 am – A sailing boat in the middle of nowhere
"It's so BIG", Daphne marveled, looking at the vast mass of water around them, sparkling blue as far as the eye could see.
"That's the Pacific Ocean," laughed Harry. "Of course it's big."
January 6, 1997 – 9:22 pm – Venice, Carnival
Long blonde strands formed a thin veil around Harry's face as Daphne threw down both of their masks to press her lips against his. And so they both danced, entwined in a sea of color and light, fallen angels in search of solace only found in one another.
September 21, 1998 – Sometime in the morning – A hotel room in the Caribbean
Harry didn't know how long they stayed like that. Maybe only a few seconds, maybe minutes or hours, but at some point Daphne pulled away from him, taking her warmth with her.
He groaned. When did getting up in the morning become so difficult?
January 1, 2001 – Sydney
"Happy New Year, my love," Harry whispered shortly before passionately kissing Daphne, around them cheering crowds and magnificent fireworks in the sky.
May 2, 2003 – 7 pm – A small hut in the Alps
"You're way too modest," said Harry, chewing with relish. "The lasagna is delicious!"
"Well, somebody knows what a good husband has to say," laughed Daphne. "Though you had no other option."
"But it's really delicious!"
"Of course, the mandatory follow up."
October 3, 2007 – 4:01 pm – Kyoto, Japan
Amid the thunderous applause of the crowd, the presenter announced the results, "And thus the winners of the 138th Magical Championships are James Evans and Lily Laurel with an unprecedented score of one hundred points!"
"Next time we have to come up with better aliases," Harry said as the gold medals were hung around their necks.
July 8, 2009 – 5:07 am – Mount Everest
The sky was bathed in a fiery red light as Harry and Daphne watched the sunrise, here on the highest of the peaks – it was truly a majestic sight. The world was just beautiful and even after thirteen years of traveling Harry still could not get enough of its numerous wonders.
"Do you know what day it is today?" Daphne asked suddenly while snuggling even closer to him. They were surrounded by an invisible bubble that protected them from the elements and provided them with oxygen, but sometimes his wife just needed to be cuddled.
For a moment Harry feared he had forgotten some important date, but that couldn't be. Daphne's birthday had been only a week ago and their wedding anniversary was still eight days away, everything else fell in completely different seasons.
"Um, Wednesday?" he tried randomly.
"That's not what I mean," said Daphne. "I counted, you know. As of today, I've lived longer with our soul bond than without."
"Wow, it's been so long?" Harry marveled. "Time has passed so quickly..."
A gentle smile fell on Daphne's lips while she closed her eyes with a low sigh. "Today it's been fourteen years, six months and six days since we were bound," she said. "And yes, we've experienced so much in all these years. We've seen so many places, learned so many things, and it was all so, so beautiful, but ... Harry, I long to finally settle somewhere. I long for a home."
"So you think the time of our wandering is over?"
"Yes, Harry, let's find a home."
July 20, 2009 – 1 pm – House of the Mercier Family, Normandy
Harry could feel how tense and nervous his wife was as they waited hidden in the stylish entrance hall. Rarely had he seen her so afraid, but then again, they had never been in such a situation before. He would've liked to comfort her but knew that it would be hopeless. He could only pray that the woman walking down the gravel path to the house would forgive them, only then could Daphne come to terms with her past.
Soon after, the time had come. They heard the brief knock of a wand on wood and the magnificent front door opened, revealing Astoria Mercier with her two children, a six-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy, both with the same blonde hair as Astoria. Daphne's sister had grown up; not much reminded Harry of the neglected, fragile child he had seen long ago. Not only had her face gained color, but she also looked much happier and smiled from ear to ear as she rapidly spoke to her children in French.
Harry could feel how relieved Daphne was that her sister had found happiness, but at the same time he felt her terrible guilt. Lovingly, he squeezed her hand. Whatever was about to happen, he would be her tower of strength as she had been his, like every time before.
Gratefully, Daphne gave him a smile, before taking one last deep breath and removing their camouflage charms. Abruptly, their bodies became visible in the hall – and a sharp scream cut the air.
At the surprised scream of their mother, the two children instantly hid behind her back. Astoria, however, just looked at them in shock before recognition began to show on her features.
"D-Daphne?" she stammered.
"I'm glad to see you, Tori," Daphne said with an attempted smile that backfired completely, for Astoria suddenly began to tremble as if she were terrified of them.
"We want to talk with you," Daphne continued calmly, even though Harry could feel her wild heartbeat. "But ... maybe it'd better if you send Émile and Louis away..."
Astoria froze, and it was obvious that the most terrible scenarios were going on in her head. Eventually, however, she turned to her children, who were staring at her in fear.
"Émile, Louis, please go play outside," Astoria said in French in a surprisingly firm voice.
"But who are they, mum?" replied the girl, Émile, also in French, pointing in their direction.
"They ... they are old friends of mummy," Astoria said hesitantly, while she gave them a pleading look as if she was afraid for her children's lives. Harry felt miserable. "Everything is fine, don't worry," Astoria continued. "Mummy just has to talk with them for a moment, very boring adult stuff. Now go play outside, okay? And don't fall into the stream again!"
She then pushed her two children out of the front door before turning back to Harry and Daphne, shaking violently. She swallowed. "W-What do you want from me?"
"Tori, there's no need to be afraid," Daphne said, but her words seemed to have flipped a switch in Astoria, because now she looked at them with a stunned expression, her hands clenched into fists.
"Afraid?" she yelled in a shrill voice. "I shouldn't be afraid?! Of course I'm afraid! The last time I saw you, you just murdered our parents, and ... and you have murdered many more people since! You're a wanted criminal! And now you show up here without warning, in one of the safest houses in France – and I shouldn't be afraid?!"
Her voice had got louder and louder, almost shouting the last words in Daphne's face.
Daphne winced. "That ... that's all true," she said in a desperate tone. "I've committed many sins, some were necessary, but … but I also regret a lot. Most of all, I regret that I wasn't a better sister ... I'm here because I want to change that..."
In contrast to Astoria, Daphne had become quieter and quieter until her words were barely audible, but Astoria still seemed to understand her.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her hands still clenched into fists.
"I ... I want to have a normal relationship with you," Daphne said hesitantly. "Because you're my sister ... and because I love you."
"Love?!" Astoria shrieked in disbelief. "What do you know about love? You've always been as cold as a block of ice. You have no heart. You're just an insensitive monster, unable to love or –"
"That's not true!" Daphne now shrieked as well. "I'm not a monster! And I can love!"
"Then show it! Get out of here and never come back. With that you would make me truly happy."
At the words of her sister, Daphne began to tremble violently, her mind pure chaos, and Harry felt she was about to burst into tears. Now he couldn't hold back any longer. He put his hand lovingly on Daphne's back, letting her feel all his love while turning to her sister.
"Astoria," he addressed her for the first time in his life. "Daphne is serious about wanting a better relationship with you. It took us a long time to find our way, but we found it. We've realized that family is the most important thing in the world for us. And you're part of our family, Astoria. And family helps each other."
Astoria narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that, Potter?" she asked suspiciously.
"We know of Émile's illness," Harry replied calmly. "The Blood Curse that has manifested in her. We can help her."
At his words, Astoria's legs suddenly seemed to fail. Just before she lost her balance and fell to the floor, Harry quickly conjured a chair behind her in which she collapsed, dazed. "W-What are you saying?" she mumbled. "That ... that ..."
"It's true," Harry said. "Daphne and I are very powerful wizards. We can break the curse, we think. We can't say for sure until we've tried it, but we're confident."
Indeed they were, as their soul bond gave them much more magical power than any other wizard in the world.
Suddenly a jerk went through Astoria's body and she looked up to stare at Daphne, who was still standing stiff next to Harry.
"Is it true?" she called. "Daphne, tell me the truth!"
"Yes," Daphne said quietly, returning her sister's gaze. "We'll help Émile if you let us..."
"In return," said Harry, "we want to ask you –"
"I knew it!" Astoria interrupted, shrieking. "You want something from me! That's the only reason you came here!"
"That's not true!" Daphne cried desperately. "We will help Émile no matter what. Even if you never want to see us again, we'll heal her."
"Why?"
"Because we're family! And because I love you, Tori!"
With that, Daphne broke away from Harry, walking slowly towards Astoria, before finally putting her arms around her little sister, who sat there petrified, as if she didn't know how to react to Daphne's actions. And then Harry heard loud sobs, while a cold feeling spread inside him, as it always did when Daphne was gripped by deep sorrow and remorse. She was crying, and Harry wanted to rush over and comfort her, but he knew – this moment belonged to the two sisters alone.
At some point Astoria seemed to free herself from her stupor, hesitantly putting her arms around Daphne as well before a shining tear ran down her cheek. The first tear was followed by many more until the two women cried freely in each other's arms.
"Why?" Astoria sobbed through tears. "Why are you telling me that only now?! Do you know how much I wished for that? To hear it? Just once?"
"I'm sorry," sobbed Daphne. "I'm so terribly sorry ... I only wished to protect you, even from myself ... I love you, Tori, I love you. Please let's be family again…"
Quietly, Harry stepped out of the house into the garden, where he could see the two children playing in the distance. He believed that Astoria might feel more comfortable if he was not there while the two sisters were talking; he just hoped they could make peace again.
It took an hour for Daphne to finally come out of the house, alone, but a slight smile on her face, her tears long since dried.
"So it went well?" Harry asked after taking her hand.
"I think so," Daphne said as they walked to the property line. "We've talked a lot. About our childhood and our lives since ... It's a start, I think."
"Are you going to tell her the truth at some point? That you two are only half-sisters?"
Daphne shook her head. "I don't think so. She doesn't have any affection for Roxanne Greengrass, and I think she can even understand why ... why I killed her, but ... I don't know. I just want to focus on our future, not our past. That's behind us… Am I speaking nonsense, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
"I understand you, Daph," Harry said, squeezing her hand. "Let's create our future!"
He waited until they had passed the property line before turning back to his wife. "Now to the Flamels?" he asked. "Or do you want to wait?"
"We can go now," replied Daphne. "I've arranged with Astoria that we'll come back tomorrow after she had the opportunity to talk with Thomas. Then we can try to heal Émile."
With that, the couple Disapparated, leaving behind a young mother who, for the first time in years, dared to hope again. Hope for a future with her daughter and sister by her side…
July 20, 2009 – 3 pm – House of the Flamels in Paris
"Mr. and Mrs. Potter," Nicolas Flamel said calmly," Please excuse my possibly confused facial expression, but even my wife and I have, in our extremely long lives, rarely welcomed wanted felons in our home."
Harry and Daphne were sitting on a leather sofa in the living room of a small house on Rue de Montmorency in Paris. Across from them sat the world-famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel in an armchair, eyeing them both carefully, while at the same time his wife Perenelle stepped into the room, which was otherwise dominated by high shelves full of books. In her hands, Perenelle carried a small tray with several steaming teacups, which she placed on the table in front of the sofa before sitting down in the armchair next to her husband.
"Thank you, Mrs. Flamel," Harry said, sipping his tea. It was delicious. "And thank you both for agreeing to speak with us, even though we appeared unannounced in your home."
"That alone caught my attention," said Nicolas. "The protections were considered to be insurmountable."
"You will see," Daphne said, "that my husband and I are anything but ordinary wizards."
"Oh, I do not doubt that, even if only half of what Albus told me about you is true. After all, you defeated Tom Riddle."
Harry and Daphne exchanged looks, both wondering what exactly had Dumbledore told the Flamels. However, even Dumbledore had no idea how much their magical skills had improved over the past thirteen years.
"Riddle is history now," Harry waved off. "After all, our victory over him hasn't earned us a pardon from the British Ministry … and with that we're back to what you just mentioned. Daphne and I are considered criminals. To be honest, we thought that we would have to persuade you so that you would be willing to talk to us, let alone have tea with us."
"Well, we're not law enforcement," said Nicolas, also sipping his tea. "And if you wanted to kill us, we probably wouldn't have a chance, since you've already broken into our house. But since Perenelle and I are still among the living, I conclude that you do not want to kill us. Am I correct in this assumption?"
"You are," nodded Daphne. "We don't wish you harm. Rather, we want to ask you something."
Nicolas Flamel looked at them attentively, as if he were looking straight into their souls. "There is only one thing that people have wanted from us all these centuries. A manifestation of their greed for power and immortality. I must admit being disappointed that the two of you, as well, let yourselves stoop so low. Despite your crimes, I had a higher opinion of you."
"You're wrong," said Harry. "While you guessed correctly that we came for the Philosopher's Stone, we are not directly seeking power. We're already powerful enough, and with our combined forces we could achieve anything."
"Are you threatening me, Mr. Potter?"
"On the contrary. I actually wanted to dispel your worries, but maybe that was clumsy of me. Actually –"
Suddenly he felt Daphne's hand on his. She gave him a slight smile before speaking again. "What my husband is trying to say is that we aren't like the people who came to you before to take the stone. We don't strive for even more power and we don't need immortality either, at least not for a long time. We age very slowly, you know." At her words, the Flamels narrowed their eyes in curiosity, but they did not interrupt Daphne. "Rather, we approach you for the stone's ability to turn mercury into gold, because we will soon need a lot of gold ... and at the moment we are unfortunately not particularly creditworthy."
"So you want gold from me," said Nicolas coolly. "Others wanted that before. Why do you think I have always refused such requests? Gold makes you greedy, just like power corrupts."
"Maybe we can convince you otherwise," Harry said with a smile. "Trust me, Mr. Flamel, no one has ever approached you with a proposal like this..."
July 21, 2009 – 9 pm – House of the Mercier Family, Normandy
With a jerk, Émile opened her eyes, panting heavily. Harry and Daphne beside her also gasped for air, their bodies dripping with sweat, but they had succeeded. Émile was freed from the Blood Curse.
"Mum?" asked the girl, confused, when she recognized Astoria, who was also sitting next to her on the floor, tears in her eyes.
"All's well, sweetheart," said Astoria, crying and hugging her daughter. "All's well…"
"But mum, what happened? And who are these people?"
Astoria then glanced at Harry and Daphne, her eyes shining with gratitude, before she turned back to Émile. "These are your aunt Daphne and your uncle Harry," she said. "They're family."
August 1, 2009 – 8:00 am – The steps to the Great Library of Alexandria
Hand in hand, Harry and Daphne stepped through the magnificent entrance portal of the Library of Alexandria, into a great hall with numerous marble pillars and a counter in the middle, behind which sat an all too familiar figure. At the sight of the slender Minotaur, who had buried his bull nose and silver glasses in a booklet in front of him, Harry had to suppress a laugh. Even when they strode through the hall and finally came to a stop right in front of the counter, the Minotaur did not look up.
"How can I help you, dear visitors?" he asked absently, turning a page in his booklet.
Harry and Daphne exchanged amused looks before Harry finally said with a broad grin, "Hello, Klak. Long time no see, right?"
At his words, Klak's head jerked up in surprise, his eyes widening with recognition. Yes, it had been a long time since they had last seen each other in the summer before their fourth year. So much had happened since then, so much had changed. Harry was curious whether they were still friends – or could become friends again. He hoped so.
"But ... but..." Klak stammered, stunned. "Harry? Daphne? What are you doing here?!"
"Aren't you happy to see us?" Harry asked with mock dismay. "I must admit, that shocks me deeply. I hope at least Ganda will greet us more warmly. Do you happen to know where she is? We'd like to make her a job offer."
The whole time Klak had just stared at him in shock as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "But… but," he stammered, before taking a deep breath and calling out hastily, "you're wanted by penal order! What are you doing here? If the guards see you, they'll arrest you!"
"Oh yes, there was this unpleasant thing," said Daphne. "Don't worry, this will soon be a thing of the past."
"W-What do you mean?"
"Well," Harry said with a mischievous smile. "My beloved wife and I have decided that it's time for a management change here. In other words, we'll take hold of the power in Alexandria."
With that, the couple pointed their wands at their throats before speaking with one voice, their words magically echoing through the library and city.
"Citizens and visitors of Alexandria, we are Harry and Daphne Potter, conquerors of Lord Voldemort, confidants of the Phoenix, returned from the clutches of Death. From this time forth, Alexandria is under our control. Nobody will be harmed, we promise, but we request the Guardians to come immediately into the entrance hall of the library to pledge their eternal loyalty to us, or to leave the city forever."
As soon as they finished their little speech and had removed their spells, Harry and Daphne could no longer pull themselves together. They burst into laughter, too funny was the shocked expression on Klak's face, who stared at them as if they had gone mad.
For a few moments nobody said a word before suddenly one of the adjoining doors was thrown open and the legendary Minotaur Guard of Alexandria rushed into the hall, all muscled and armed with huge halberds and battle-axes. And they didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as the Minotaurs spotted Harry and Daphne, they let out a loud battle cry and ran toward them, their weapons sparkling in the artificial sunlight.
"How stupid," said Harry. "We are Harry and Daphne Potter. Before us, you are nothing!"
With that, he casually pointed his wand at the attackers, letting out a hissing sound, so soft that it was almost inaudible. Instantly the Minotaurs froze in mid-motion, just a few meters from Harry as if they had been transformed into ice sculptures. Only their eyes blinked wildly, expressing their bewilderment, after all, Minotaurs were as good as immune to the magic of wizards. Well, he and Daphne were no ordinary wizards, Harry thought gleefully, and soon the whole world would know that too.
In the meantime, Daphne had leaned casually against the counter, grinning at Klak, who was as pale as death. "And, Klak," she said. "How have you been doing? Is there a Mrs. Klak now?"
August 1, 2009 – 1:45 pm – Library of Alexandria, Garden of Inner Peace
Smiling, Harry and Daphne stood in the artificial garden in the middle of a small reading room. It had abeen their favorite place in the library on their last visit, back then, so many years ago, and even now Harry felt a deep, inner calm as he looked at the splashing water of the fountain, on the surface of which a few flowers were floating.
In the past few hours, they had repeatedly fended off attackers who had disagreed with the change in leadership. As a result, Grimalkin Lane and the corridors of the library were now full of frozen figures that they might have to defrost at some point. At some point, not now. Now they just wanted to enjoy the moment of calm before having to leave Alexandria again.
However, their rest was abruptly interrupted when they heard the forceful slam of a door, accompanied by the quick steps of two living beings, one echoing loudly, the other almost imperceptible. And then Klak and Ganda stepped into the garden.
Klak still looked a little pale around his bull's nose but had apparently calmed down a bit and got over his shock. Quite different from Ganda. The Lutin looked exactly as Harry remembered her – a little girl with a fox head, clad in a linen shirt with a colorfully embroidered vest and breeches with a hole for her puffy foxtail – but her eyes were full with anger as she ran towards them.
"Who do you think you are?" Ganda yelled. "First you don't contact us for years, and then you just show up here and cause such a hubbub! WITHOUT TELLING ME BEFORE!"
By now she had reached them, her arms akimbo, her fox snout trembling with dismay.
Harry and Daphne both laughed. Maybe they should have expected such a reaction from the Lutin.
"Sorry, Ganda," Harry said with an apologetic smile. "To you, too, Klak. Above all, that we haven't contacted you for years. We had to ... find ourselves, as cheesy as that sounds – Hey, no need to snort so contemptuously, Ganda! We're serious. And why we didn't inform you about our arrival beforehand, well, that's because we didn't want to risk anything, maybe we're a little too secretive."
"Yes, you are," Ganda replied sharply. "Klak and I were worried, you know? And then all the horror stories about you! So if you now want to –"
"Don't worry," Harry interrupted her. "We won't do anything to the books. We even want to make them available to a lot more people. We have big plans for the library."
"But what about the ICW?" asked Klak. "They'll never accept what you did today! Do you want war?!"
Harry and Daphne exchanged amused looks. "Oh, don't worry about that," said Daphne. "We've already taken care of that." She looked at her watch. "Oh my goodness, we have to go, otherwise we'll be late."
With that, she took Harry's hand and started pulling him behind her.
"But where are you going?" Ganda shouted after them. "What are you up to?"
Looking back over his shoulders, Harry called, "We go to Paris. But we'll come back later, don't worry. And until then you're in charge as the new Administrator of the library!"
"But there is no such title!"
"We just invented it. Good luck!"
And with that, Harry and Daphne disappeared, leaving alone Ganda and Klak, who looked at each other in disbelief. What kind of mess had the two children got them into?
August 1, 2009 – 3 pm – Headquarters of the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) in Paris, Plenar Hall
Amused, Harry and Daphne looked at the agitated delegates of the magical governments. It was a roaring babble of voices in the plenar hall of the ICW headquarters, an expression of the delegates' bewilderment. How bewildered would they be if they knew that they were being watched by the very criminals for whom they had hastily gathered? But they didn't know, because Harry and Daphne were hidden under such powerful camouflage spells that not even Dumbledore would recognize them. Getting into the building had also been easy.
Harry looked curiously at the British delegation in the front row. Though he hadn't closely followed his home country's politics in recent years, he welcomed Granger's election as Minister for Magic. She had built quite a reputation for herself in the last few years advocating for the rights of all magical beings.
Next to the British delegation was the French. Perhaps Thomas suspected that they were also there, but he did not let anything show, although me might've seemed a bit too impassive. After they had healed his daughter, their niece, he had agreed to support them in any way possible. Their entire plan depended on him raising his wand at the right moment, thus preventing an international, magical war. Although he and Daphne could probably defeat the international troops quite easily, there was a risk that it would lead to unconditional slaughter. They both had seen enough bloodshed for several lifetimes.
And then it was finally time. Albus Dumbledore, the acting Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, took the stage to open the emergency session. This was followed by a heartbreaking, emotional speech during which Harry was on the verge of shedding the world's smallest tear, and finally the vote, where everything went normally until Thomas interposed the French veto. As a result, chaos broke out in the hall. People jumped up and shouted, wands were drawn.
Harry and Daphne, however, did not wait until Dumbledore could get the mob under control again. Instead, they just smiled and disappeared from the room, after all, they had a city to rule.
August 2, 2009 – 10:00 am – Library of Alexandria, Meeting Room
"You really upset the magical world yesterday," Ganda said with a raised eyebrow as Harry and Daphne sat with her and Klak in the library's large meeting room. It was the same meeting room in which the Guardians had previously met to determine the fate of Alexandria. "But I hope you also have plans on how to get us out of this mess. There will be no war, but you are still ostracized worldwide, and so are we if we are your accomplices. I don't want my pretty head to end on the spear of an ugly Minotaur –no offense, Klak."
"Don't worry," Harry replied with a smile. "We have some plans, and we won't release the Minotaur Guard from our spell until the new situation has consolidated."
"And what are your plans?"
"Well, first of all we want to abolish all fees for the use of the library and the Search Balls. Everyone should have the opportunity to –"
"And then where should the money come from?" asked Klak, horrified. "For maintenance? For the staff? For the food? This facility devours a fortune. What –"
"We already took care of that," Daphne interrupted him. "For now, we'll pay for everything. We have enough resources, don't worry."
"Trust us," Harry said. "We have big plans for Alexandria, after all, this will be our new home, and that of our family. And since you are our friends – and the only ones we can trust in this city – we want to pass the power on to you. Ganda, as we said yesterday, you'll take charge of the affairs of the library as the Administrator ... I think that's even better than being the youngest Guardian in history, which was your dream back then. I'm sure that you will turn the library into a true palace of knowledge and science."
Then Harry glanced at Klak, who nervously pushed his glasses up his nose as if he already suspected what would happen to him.
"And Klak," Harry said, suppressing a grin. "We want the citizens of Alexandria to elect a mayor soon. And we think you should run for this position. Something tells us that you have a good chance of winning."
"Huh?" Ganda asked eloquently. "But what will your task then be? Yesterday you seized power. Don't you want to wield that power?"
"We're not made for the trivial problems of day-to-day business," said Harry. "We like to leave that to more competent people. We'll be content with giving hints now and then about what we think could be done better…"
"And what will be your position then?" asked Klak. "Your titles?"
"Oh, I'm sure that we'll find something suitable…"
September 20, 2009 – 10:12 am – Library of Alexandria, Meeting Room
"Ah, finally, our esteemed Principes", Ganda scoffed. "First citizens you may be, but you're too late. Had too much fun in bed, eh?"
Klak blushed deeply at her words, but Harry also saw a light pink glimmer on Daphne's cheeks as they sat down in their seats. He didn't know if Ganda was just joking around, but they actually had a lot of fun that morning, not just in bed. At least Daphne had managed to comb her hair in a hurry and pull her gold robe over her nightgown before running to their daily meeting with Ganda and Klak. Together with her diadem, Daphne now looked truly regal. They had decided on the title of Principes – officially, of course, the citizens of Alexandria had given them this title – but de facto they were king and queen of Alexandria – and above all Daphne was his queen.
Daphne gave him a warm smile – damn, she got more beautiful every day – before turning to their friends.
"Please forgive our delay," she said. "In turn, we want to present a special idea before we start with the other administrative matters. Namely, we want to modify the Search Balls so that you can not only search for specific terms and the location of the books but also access the knowledge of the books themselves."
"But that's madness!" Ganda called. "It would take millennia to –"
"You forget how powerful magic can be," Harry interrupted her.
"But such powerful magic doesn't exist!"
"Let us worry about that," said Harry with a smile. "We're confident that we can do this ... all over the world there are and will be desperate children like us. The knowledge of this library shall be the fire with which these children can kindle their light."
"Library and fire… you're entering very dangerous terrain, Potter," Ganda said, before pulling up her flews and cackling, "But I like your cheesy dream. Okay, let's start…"
December 20, 2010 – 10:46 am – Library of Alexandria, Meeting Room
"…all in all, we're right on schedule," concluded the Faun with evident pride. "Mass production can start next week, and the first balls can then be sold next month as soon as they pass our quality checks, which I don't doubt at the moment."
"Thank you, Master Tumnus," said Harry. "We're very pleased with your report. Great work."
"My pleasure, Princeps Harry," said Master Tumnus with a reverent nod before turning to the others. "Princeps Daphne, Administrator, Mayor, it's been an honor, as always." With that, the Faun left the meeting room.
"Excellent," said Ganda with a long yawn. "Is there anything else? Otherwise I would like to go back to bed…"
"With great power comes little sleep," Harry laughed. "Why do you think we've delegated so much power to you?"
Before Ganda could go for Harry's jugular – her eyes were already glowing menacingly – Daphne came to his aid. "We actually have to discuss something," she said calmly. "I'm afraid we have to expand Grimalkin Lane to create living space for all the new residents. Klak, you said you already had plans made?"
Klak groaned. "Yes. The tunnel work alone will be a nightmare..."
While Klak was complaining loudly about the inherent problems and imponderables of construction work, Harry stepped at his wife's side, grabbing her waist so he could hold her close.
"Is that boring you to death as well?" he asked her. "Maybe all this was a mistake..."
A slight smile crept around the corner of Daphne's mouth. "It's too late for that now, don't you think? We probably should have expected it ... But what really shocked me is that we've somehow become so popular that people want to move to our city. When did that happen?"
"But it's a nice change, I think," Harry said. "But it doesn't matter if we're hated or admired, because I would be happy anyway … because I have you by my side, Daphne. You're the sun in my life that makes me wish night never set again."
"Oh, Harry, you're so cheesy," Daphne chuckled. "But you deserve a reward..."
And with that she took his head in her hands, bringing her soft lips to his, while Harry's hands stroked her back, both united in a loving kiss that made them forget everything else around them.
"I hate when they do that," Ganda growled.
February 4, 2011 – 1:15 pm – On the steps of the Great Library of Alexandria
A huge crowd of witches, wizards, and magical creatures of all kinds had gathered in front of the stairs to the library, at the top of which were Harry and Daphne, dressed in their most festive robes. The eyes of the crowd, however, were not on them, but on three figures who slowly climbed the steps –Albus Dumbledore as well as Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel.
Under the flashing light of the reporters, the three guests reached the last step and were now standing in front of Harry and Daphne, who gave them a slight smile. Harry was curious to see how this visit would go, after all, they hadn't seen Dumbledore since the fight in Gringotts – he had visibly grown older, but was still full of life.
"Principes of Alexandria," said Dumbledore in a solemn voice, "I humbly ask permission to enter the Great Library."
For a moment Harry was puzzled until he remembered that Dumbledore had gotten barred many, many decades ago. But the past was in the past.
"Permission granted, Professor," he said. "Welcome to Alexandria. I'm glad to see you. You too, of course, Mr. and Mrs. Flamel."
With that, Harry and Daphne stepped aside to let the guests into the library when suddenly a loud voice cut the air.
"Mr. and Mrs. Potter," shouted a reporter who ran quickly up the stairs, "I'm Dennis Creevey from the British Daily Prophet. An interview, please! Our readers –"
Before Harry could react, Daphne whipped around and pointed her wand at the reporter, her eyes seething with anger. "We already had more than enough of your so-called newspaper, Mr. Creevey," she hissed – and with a quick flick of her wand a huge eagle suddenly appeared in the air, grabbing the petrified Creevey by the shoulders and flying away with him until they disappeared on the artificial horizon.
"Goodbye," Daphne said before turning back to Harry and the other guests, flicking her long blonde hair behind her, a smug smile on her face.
Meanwhile, both amused laughs and startled screams rang out from the crowd in front of the stairs, but there was no major unrest. The Alexandrians knew their rulers well enough to know how stupid the reporter had been.
Grinning, Harry took his wife's hand. Maybe they were too resentful, but that could not be changed now. They felt how they felt – and right now they felt a deep dislike for the Daily Prophet and the other British newspapers.
"I hope he's fine," Perenelle said quietly.
"Don't worry," Daphne waved off. "He's a wizard, he'll be okay."
"Where did you send him?" Harry asked.
Daphne shrugged. "Who can say for sure? The Sahara is big…"
"Children", Nicolas muttered, shaking his head. "I entrusted my stone to such children..."
"Are you not satisfied with what we've used the gold for?" Harry asked. "We kept our side of the bargain."
"Yes, you kept your promises, but you still have a lot to learn..."
There was silence for a moment before Dumbledore spoke for the first time since he was greeted. "My apologies if I interfere in this very interesting conversation," he said, "but since we're on the subject, you could have achieved your noble goals without taking control of Alexandria. Why didn't you just give the gold to your confidante, the esteemed Administrator Ganda, to make the progress you intended?"
Harry and Daphne exchanged a brief look before they both started laughing.
"We could of course have done that," Harry replied with a laugh, "but we're not selfless enough for that ... and we wanted to create a home for ourselves."
"And did you?" Dumbledore asked. "Have you found a home here?"
"Yes, Professor, we did," Harry said, returning Dumbledore's gaze firmly, while Daphne squeezed his hand.
At his reply, a slight smile appeared on Dumbledore's face. "I'm ... I'm glad to hear that," he said softly.
"And we're not the only ones who have ended their wandering," said Daphne suddenly. "Our mutual friend is also reunited with her family. I thought you might be interested in that..."
"Thank you, Daphne. I'm glad to hear that too…" Dumbledore said, before suddenly straightening his shoulders and lifting his head. "Well, all right then," he said, "please show us around. I don't know about you, Nicolas, Perenelle, but I haven't been here in ages. Crystal balls are all well and good, but there's nothing like the feel of leather and parchment in your own hands…"
December 25, 2013 – 11:24 am – House of the Mercier Family, Normandy
Daphne and Astoria exchanged smiles as they watched Émile and Louis unwrap the presents that Dobby and Kreacher, dressed as Santa Clauses, had brought them. In recent years, the Potter and Mercier families had celebrated Christmas together. And so it came about that Harry and Daphne sat together on a couch, heads leaned together, opposite them on another couch Astoria and her husband Thomas.
Daphne noticed how her sister kept stroking her belly, which had already bulged significantly. Astoria was expecting her third child, while she and Harry had not yet had any success. However, for a few days now Daphne had had a strange feeling as if a cozy fire was burning inside her. Instinctively, she also stroked her belly. There was nothing to be seen yet, but she was sure that a child was growing inside her. Soon they would become parents too. Mother and father.
Suddenly Harry turned his head to her, a bright glow in his eyes. Damn soul bond! She'd wanted to surprise him! But Harry simply smiled at her with his goofy smile before kissing her crown and tightening his grip on her even more. Stupid boy. Nonetheless, Daphne let out a happy sigh, snuggling closer to his warm body.
"Aunt Daph, Uncle Harry!" Louis suddenly called, in his hands the wooden train they had given him. "Will you play with me? Please, please, please!"
Laughing, Daphne and Harry rose from the couch, exchanging an amused look with Astoria and Thomas.
"Of course, sweetheart," said Daphne. "We'd love to play with you."
September 28, 2014 – 10:02 pm – Alexandria Magical Hospital, Maternity Ward
"Oh, Daph, she's beautiful," Astoria said as she handed her baby to Daphne.
Her baby! Daphne still couldn't believe it. She and Harry had a daughter!
Gently, her fingers slid over the baby's round face in her arms. Next to her, Harry looked down at mother and daughter. Both him and Daphne had tears of joy in their eyes.
"Hello, Lilian," Daphne whispered. "We're your mummy and daddy. You'll have a life full of love and warmth, we promise you..."
October 31, 2014 – 11:16 am – Godric's Hollow Cemetery
"Hello, Mum and Dad," said Harry, kneeling down in front of the white tombstone, Daphne's hand on his shoulder. "I know I haven't been here in a long time, but until recently the political situation in Great Britain was a bit tricky for Daphne and me. But that has now changed, so we can visit you more often now. We've already visited Remus and Sirius. They were buried here in the cemetery too, but you probably already know that…"
He reached into his jacket pocket, taking out a photo.
"You're now grandparents, Mum and Dad," he continued, showing the tombstone the photo. "Daphne gave birth to our daughter less than a month ago, but you probably already know that, too. We gave her the name Lilian, which we found beautiful and in remembrance of you, Mum. And she has the same black hair as you and me, Dad, but hopefully she'll have her mummy's eyes. She didn't accompany us here as she is still in Alexandria, where we now live. We didn't want to travel with her, but don't worry, Dobby is watching her. Lilian ... she's our little angel, I ... I wish so much that you could've met her... "
Harry felt tears welling up but didn't fight them. Immediately Daphne also knelt down to take him in her arms and just be there for him, as she had for many, many years.
...
When they left the cemetery after more than an hour, Harry felt as if he had been freed of a great burden. He knew that his parents loved him and watched over him in heaven, but he now had a family of his own to look after. And he wouldn't let his daughter ever feel alone or unloved. The future would be better than the past, he would make sure of that.
"We'll both do," said Daphne, lovingly squeezing his hand. "Lilian will be so very loved ... Is there anything else you want to do in England?"
"No, not for now," Harry replied. "Let's go back home."
Yes, they had a home.
It was a good feeling.
Next Chapter: Epilogue
