I apologize for my mistakes regarding the usage of 'Ms.' And 'Mrs.' Now, that it was brought to my attention, I've checked all of the previous chapters and corrected my mistake wherever it was necessary. I'm sorry for my oversight; as I've said, English is not my native language, and I'm still learning. So, if you pick up any more of my mistakes, feel free to point them out, and I'll do my best to correct them and avoid doing them in the future.

I've also corrected one of the earliest mistakes about the attack on the Longbottoms. I'm sorry, that's just my HP knowledge based on the films I haven't watched in a while. If you find any more mistakes that are the result of my lack of knowledge about the HP universe, feel free to point them out, and I'll correct them and try avoiding them in the future.

And thank you so much for all the reviews under the recent chapter. I actually dreaded publishing it, so such feedback always eases my worries. Also, thank you so much for over 200 reviews, 1100 favorites, and 200000 views!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 17

That night, Harry once again dreamt of Voldemort, and his two followers, killing a Muggle caretaker. And with that accursed flash of green light, the scenery changed immediately. Instead of an old, dusty house with wooden planks creaking more often than not, Harry found himself walking down the narrow corridors of Azkaban. He actually tried to pay attention to his surroundings, as much as one could do that while dreaming, but what he saw made no sense. In the beginning, the floor numbers were following their natural order: starting from zero, the numbers on the walls increased just as he made his way down the stairs. However, after some time, it seemed as if a few floors went missing somewhere, as the difference between the numbers, instead of being equal to one, sometimes reached even ten.

Other times, the numbers on the walls were blurred, impossible to make out, but that changed when he approached the end of the dream. The number of the last floor, on which those few men entered one of the cells, was unmistakable. The three identical digits were clearly visible even in the dim light of Azkaban, and they burned in Harry's memory as he woke up the morning after the Ball.

His watch showed that he still had half an hour until breakfast. With the meal starting at eight o'clock, the carriages were bound to depart exactly an hour later. If someone forgot to pack themselves the previous night before or after the Ball, they would have a dangerously small amount of time to do that in the morning.

Those nightmares weren't the main reason why Harry woke up so early, though. Despite the confrontation in the Common Room the night earlier, and the dreams that followed, nothing managed to diminish his joyfulness that morning. Harry couldn't exactly say why he felt like that at the prospect of seeing Sirius and Remus; after all, he spent only a few hours at best with his godfather, barely getting to know him, and the second man was only his teacher. Perhaps their closeness to his parents was responsible for that? Or maybe that strange belief that they were his last family in everything except for blood? Or perhaps the similarities between all of them – the three lonely souls that have been wronged by the world.

So, he found it, Harry thought; despite everything, it still caused a dull pain to spread across his chest. Having no siblings, the young boy quickly began seeing Ron and other Weasleys as his brothers in everything except for blood. That feeling was only further escalated due to their placement in Gryffindor; after all, the House at Hogwarts was supposed to serve as a temporary family for the duration of the school year.

So, seeing that damn badge proudly pinned to Ron's drawn curtains wasn't how Harry expected to start his day. At least the redhead boy was asleep if the snoring coming from his bed was any indication. However, his former best friend had to go an extra step before going to sleep because the curtains were covered almost entirely with the badges that simultaneously read 'Potter stinks.' Harry wondered for a second if Ron asked Hermione for help with the duplication charm because he seriously doubted he could find so many badges in the Gryffindor Tower.

It was a small consolation, yet a consolation nonetheless, that Fred and George were much more open-minded than their younger brother and sister. At least I didn't lose my whole family, Harry thought bitterly.

"Hi, Har- oh," Neville's voice greeted him as the shy boy exited the bathroom. Harry turned his head to look at the other boy; his eyes were glued to Ron's bed. "Harry, I'm so-"

"Don't mention it," he cut him off, waving his hand. "It's not your fault," Harry added, grabbing a towel and some clothes before heading to the bathroom.

"There were more of them, actually," Neville called out after him before he managed to disappear into the other room. "On every bed, that is… including yours. I don't even know where he got so many. I've tried taking them all down when I got up, but I think Ron got some permanent Sticking Charm on the ones on his bed."

"I… thanks, Neville," Harry stammered out. "You're heading down for breakfast?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Will you wait for me? I promise it'll take only a few minutes in there," Harry asked, gesturing at the bathroom behind his back.

"Sure," he replied with a shrug.

Just as Harry expected, his hair grew back over the night, though it still was much shorter than before he went to Hogsmeade to cut it. After a few minutes, he left the bathroom, having showered off the sweat from the night before. Neville was waiting patiently for him, as he promised, sitting on the edge of his own bed. Neither Ron, Seamus, or Dean woke up; apparently, he and Neville were the only boys from their year returning for Christmas.

"Give Ron some time, and I'm sure he'll calm down," Neville said as they walked out of the Common Room. "You can't really blame him, you know? I mean, the word is he actually asked Fleur Delacour to the Ball," he continued, chuckling nervously. Harry raised his eyebrow, unsure if he wanted to imagine how that confrontation actually went down. "Then there were his robes and the fact that since he had no one to take, he had to go with Ginny. Don't get me wrong, she's nice in my opinion, but I doubt anyone would want to take their sibling to a Ball. And then, he saw you and that 'bloody snake' together, as he put it. And these are his words, not mine," Neville hurried with clarification. "I don't really know Daphne, but she seems alright. And it looked like you two enjoyed the Ball despite all the House rivalries, and so on. It was actually quite refreshing to see a Gryffindor and a Slytherin not getting at each other's throats," he chuckled again. "Who knows, maybe Snape knew what he was doing when he announced those assignments."

"That doesn't give Ron an excuse to be a dick," Harry replied, feeling somewhat relieved that Neville didn't intend to question him about attending the Ball with Daphne. He didn't really know where the shy boy stood the previous night as he didn't as much as utter a word in the Common Room. "And make sure that Snape doesn't hear what you've said. It might give him some awful ideas for the future," he clarified, laughing alongside Neville. "And I doubt I'll be lucky to once again be paired with Daphne. And it looked like you've enjoyed the Ball as well," Harry added, causing the shy boy's cheeks to redden visibly. He grinned at the sight. "What was your date's name?"

"Luna, and she wasn't my date," Neville explained a little too quickly. He attempted to cover his embarrassment with a shrug. "She's nice, as I've told you, but she seems to be living in her own world. We talked a lot, and we danced a lot. I must admit I was positively surprised with how the Ball turned out. I mean, a few weeks ago, I didn't even know how to hold a girl, let alone dance with one."

"Same here."

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Compared to a regular day, it seemed as if Hogwarts was abandoned. No surprise there – most of the students, and quite a handful of teachers, were still sleeping after the Ball. The older years undoubtedly also had to digest all the alcohol they consumed. Unofficially, of course.

Despite being surrounded by magic for over three years at that point, Harry was still surprised by how efficient one could be while using it. There was no trace of the winter wonderland which was there a night earlier, and the Great Hall was returned to its normal state – blank and dull but somehow cozy at the same time.

Harry's eyes, as if drawn by a magnet, traveled to Daphne during breakfast. She was sitting at the Slytherin Table, no surprise there, accompanied by a clearly younger girl with brown hair. Their eyes met for a split second, and Harry could swear that he noticed the right corner of her lips joining the left one, turning her regular smirk into the smallest of smiles; his heartbeat doubled its pace. However, it lasted so shortly that he couldn't be one hundred percent certain. For all he knew, it could be the light playing tricks on him. Still, it somewhat eased Harry's nerves to see that Daphne seemed to be alright. He didn't doubt it for a split second that she was also greeted by a welcoming committee when she returned to the Slytherin Common Room after the Ball. He sent her a small smile, though he wasn't sure if she noticed it or not; her expression didn't change in the slightest.

"I'm actually surprised they let you leave for Christmas Break," Neville said as they sat down in an empty carriage; their luggage was waiting for them at the station already. "With you being one of the Champions, I mean."

"Yeah, Professor Dumbledore said something that it might not be that easy to convince the other judges to let me go, but it seems he had no problems with that," Harry replied, zipping up his jacket; the winter breeze was unbearable outside of the Castle.

"Can I ask you something… about what you said yesterday?" Neville asked hesitantly. Harry shrugged, urging him to go on. "What did you mean when you talked about the Death Eater you met? And him being a Gryffindor and all?"

Harry closed his eyes, silently cursing himself for saying that. "Last year, I met the man who betrayed my parents," he replied, avoiding Neville's gaze. He didn't see the shy boy's eyebrows rising high up his forehead.

"You encountered Sirius Black and lived?"

Harry barely managed to stop himself from correcting his friend. He didn't want to explain the details of what happened in June, and he seriously doubted he could make Neville see the truth. "Yeah," he replied simply.

"Oh," was all he said. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two before Neville broke it again. "Isn't Daphne returning for Christmas as well?"

Harry frowned at the sudden change of topic. "Yeah, why?"

"Thought you guys might want to sit together," Neville replied with a shrug. It was quickly followed by an attempt at smirk, though Harry had to admit that it looked quite ridiculous on the shy boy's face. If he was to judge, only Daphne and Snape were capable of pulling it off. Not that he would say that to the Potions Master's face. "You seemed to be quite taken with each other yesterday."

"Oh, really? From what I could see, you were quite taken with your date as well."

"But we didn't disappear in the garden like you two."

"Did you seriously have nothing better to do than watch me and Daphne?"

Neville shrugged again. "What can I say? The boy-who-lived and the Slytherin Ice Queen draw many eyes." Ron's furious glare flashed in Harry's mind. Figures.

"Can I ride with you?" a soft, almost dreamy voice asked suddenly, startling the two boys. They both turned towards the voice's source, only to find a blonde girl with a Ravenclaw scarf peeping into the carriage just as it was about to take off. "Hi, Neville," she said, waving her hand. The said boy waved back, blushing slightly.

"Sure," Harry replied, moving aside to allow the Ravenclaw girl to step inside; she swiftly hopped into the carriage, taking a seat opposite of them. "You're not wearing any shoes?" he asked after catching a glimpse of her legs. Only a pair of socks, covered with half-melted snow, protected her feet from the winter's cold.

"I couldn't find them," the girl replied with a shrug as if it was no big deal. Harry could only imagine how his feet would feel if he had to walk through the snow without his shoes. "And I didn't want to take the ones I wore yesterday. They were too uncomfortable. I'm Luna," she introduced herself, reaching out her hand toward Harry. He glanced at Neville; he was still blushing and was staring at his legs. So, he was quite taken with his date, Harry thought, barely stopping himself from smirking.

"Harry," he replied, shaking her hand.

"I know. You're actually quite famous."

"Hi, Luna," Neville stammered out.

"Hi, Neville," she repeated, swinging her legs back and forth as the carriage finally took off. "Were you at breakfast today?"

"Yes," he replied after clearing his throat. "I didn't see you there."

Luna shrugged her shoulders. "I was looking for my coat and shoes. I left it yesterday before the Ball in my trunk, but it was gone today. I suspect Nargles. I barely found the coat before it was the time to leave," she explained. How can one lose their clothes after putting them in their trunk? And what are Nargles? Harry couldn't help but wonder. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, you?"

"Acceptably," she replied, still swinging her legs. "But I think Wrackspurts kept bothering me for some time. Hogwarts is swarming with them. I think I'll try to get some rest on the train."

"Excuse me, but what are Nargles and Wrackspurts?" Harry finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. As far as he remembered, neither Hermione nor Hagrid had ever mentioned animals with such names.

"Nargles like to steal peoples' things, and Wrackspurts can float in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy," Luna explained, seemingly unphased by Harry's question. His eyebrows rose high up on his forehead upon hearing the girl's explanation.

What followed was a silence that could only be described as awkward, though the strange girl in front of them didn't seem to mind as she was constantly looking from left to right and at the carriage's roof. From time to time, Neville said something to Luna, asking her about the Ball or school in general. Harry wasn't fully listening to their conversation; the shy boy's blushing and stuttering caused him to laugh inwardly, but he wasn't cruel enough to tease him about that in Luna's presence. Whatever happened at the Ball between them, something must have stirred in Neville's heart, just as it happened to Harry.

Soon, they arrived at the train station. A handful of students was already there, searching for their trunks that were piled up next to the rails. A flash of familiar blonde hair caught Harry's attention just as he was about to board the train, but it disappeared too quickly for him to make out the details. Perhaps he should try to find her in one of the compartments? That thought, however, quickly evaded his mind as he followed Neville and Luna deeper into the train. She'll probably be riding with her sister, he thought, recalling the younger girl he had seen at Daphne's side during breakfast.

So, after placing the three trunks on the racks above the seats, Harry plopped down on the seat next to Neville, who was talking with Luna from time to time. After every small conversation, a few minutes of silence followed, sometimes broken by Neville or Luna, who said something about another animal Harry had never heard about. It didn't take him long to agree with Neville's statement that the Ravenclaw girl was weird, though, from what little he got to know her, she was nice. It didn't take him long to drift off to sleep, accompanied by Luna's words about Dabberblimps or something like that.

Instead of dreaming about the old house or Azkaban, Harry's unconsciousness took him back to the Great Hall and the winter wonderland it was the night before. And he wasn't alone in his dream – the beautiful blonde Slytherin was there as well, in his arms.

"Are you going to look for your boyfriend now?" Astoria asked her when the train took off from the station; it moved slowly, at first, but was gaining speed with each passing second, traveling south towards London. Daphne restrained her initial reaction only to an almost audible eye roll. She looked to her left, doing her best attempt at glaring daggers at her younger sister, even though it never worked. Not on Tori.

"For the I don't know what time already, Potter is not my boyfriend," she replied. The only response she received from Astoria was a wide grin. Sometimes, Daphne wondered if Tori was related to her or Tracey; her sister's desire to torment her could only rival that of her best friend. "We went as friends," she reminded her.

Astoria hummed in response, making herself more comfortable on the seat; they were alone in the compartment, somewhere near the end of the train. "That's not what I've heard from Tracey. You two seemed to be quite taken with each other, and I could barely believe my ears when I heard that you danced together for almost the entire Ball. And what was that about you disappearing in the middle of the Ball? Tracey said you were gone for a while," she said, completely ignoring Daphne's accusatory glare. She wiggled her eyebrows.

"We went to get some fresh air, and because the music wasn't to our liking," she replied, attempting to block Tori's further interrogations by opening a book on her lap. "And, gasp, how could we dance at the Ball that was first and foremost about dancing? Truly incomprehensible. Besides, Tracey shouldn't talk so much. I'm pretty sure she disappeared somewhere with Blaise as well, and at least no one can say that my gown was crumpled or that my hair became undone. But the same can't be said about Tracey."

"Is that frustration I hear in your voice, dear sister of mine?" Tori countered, leaning forward in her seat. "Maybe a little jealousy that you returned to your Dorm without a single imperfection on your gown or in your hair?"

"Please, enlighten me, how did you learn I was going to attend the Ball with Potter?" Daphne asked, trying to change the topic ever so slightly. "As far as I know, I haven't said a word to anyone about that."

"You never had to," Tori replied with a shrug. "I've told you already – you can't keep a secret from me, dear sister. Besides, your dress was kind of a clear giveaway, you know?"

"How so?"

"You seriously never noticed that Potter's eyes matched the color of your gown perfectly? Is that why you agreed to go with him?"

"I seriously consider talking to parents about giving you up for an adoption," Daphne replied, not bothering herself to raise her eyes from the book on her lap. Tori snorted at that.

"Even if you tried, I'm pretty sure they would agree to get rid of you first before they would even consider doing that to me," Tori swiftly countered, once again completely ignoring her sister's cold tone that would send quite a few students running for their lives. "You didn't answer my first question: are you going to look for your not-boyfriend now?"

"No," Daphne replied, flipping a page.

"Why? Tracey said that Potter was quite… pleased with your company yesterday."

Because he's returning to his friend, Daphne thought, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from saying that aloud. "Today is a different day," she answered instead.

"But yesterday wasn't the only time you two have met," Tori countered immediately. "Did you at least tell him I've said hi?"

"No."

"You're impossible, Daph," Tori said, sighing heavily.

Daphne thanked whatever goddess was watching them that Astoria had stopped her interrogation at that point. Somehow, she found Potter to be an unpleasant topic. Daphne would be lying to herself if she said that she was disappointed with the Ball, but Harry's words, that one seemingly innocent declaration, caused a dull, unfamiliar pain to spread across her chest. Daphne had trouble coming up with what that could mean. After all, didn't she insist that, despite everything, she and Potter weren't friends? Then why the thought of him returning to London to some girl caused her throat to tighten? She shook her head, unable to find an answer that would make sense.

Because you enjoyed his company yesterday, that voice in her head let her know about its presence. Daphne closed her eyes, almost able to see her exact copy smirking down at her. But even as she furiously flipped the page of her book, its title completely forgotten, she didn't manage to silence that annoying voice that kept arguing with her in the least appropriate moments.

As her eyes scanned the lines of text without comprehension, her mind started agreeing with the statement that only she could hear. Daphne truly enjoyed Potter's company during the Ball: his appearance was more than pleasant to look at, and seeing him dressed in that muggle suit, with a fresh haircut, and sprayed with some interestingly-smelling cologne caused her stomach to act weirdly a couple of times during the Ball. The way he held her hand when they entered, gently and nervously, as if he was afraid of touching more of her skin than absolutely necessary. Even despite the fact that his palm was damp with sweat, Daphne couldn't deny that she found that endearing.

Daphne wouldn't admit that to anyone, least of all her sister or Tracey, but when she and Potter first started dancing in front of the entire school, a small shiver ran down her spine when his hand came in contact with the bare skin of her back. Closing her eyes, the Slytherin girl could still remember that sensation, even make it happen again, though not as intensely as the night before. She enjoyed being held by him during the waltz as well as the quicker and slower dances. She enjoyed resting herself against him when they walked through that garden and the pleasant warmth his body provided; it served as a nice contrast to the gentle winter breeze that blew amongst the hedges.

After the Ball, Daphne could very well understand why so many girls whispered about Potter's eyes. She could swear that, if he tried, he could cast spells with them as the color of his irises held more magic than a few of her own Housemates. She absolutely loved the attention, completely focused on her, that she could see in his eyes, combined with him keeping his promise; he hadn't as much as looked at any other girl when they were dancing or talking. The fact that she managed to conjure a Patronus afterward, even if for only a few precious seconds, only reinforced her happiness.

Not that Daphne would admit that to anyone, least of all to herself. That voice in her head wouldn't let her live peacefully if she did that.

And so, she tried to block those thoughts and memories by reading some textbook she fished out from her trunk. Even though her mind couldn't understand even a single word, it served as a good enough distraction.

Daphne didn't exactly know when, but at some point, she fell asleep; all thoughts about the book, her sister, or her best friend evaded her mind entirely. Only to be replaced by a dream about Potter and her on the dance floor or in that garden. Even the memories of Daphne's Housemates pestering her about her sudden affiliation with the Gryffindor Golden Boy faded away into nothingness when she felt Harry's arms around her again and could once more stare into his eyes without the omnipresent glares that accompanied them the night before.

After waking up, Daphne much better understood what Harry meant about having dreams that were too real to be just an imagination.

That dream filled her with a resolve that Daphne never expected to find in her mind. Whoever Potter was going to spend Christmas with, he had to be picked up from the train station. And she would find out who that mysterious girl friend was.

Harry woke up when the train was already arriving at the King's Cross station. He frowned in surprise; never before was he able to sleep so long. For a few seconds, he wondered if the journey was shortened magically, but a quick glance at his watch proved his suspicions to be incorrect. With a loud yawn and stretching his aching back, he stood up from the seat. Neville and Luna were still in the compartment, talking animatedly about something; the blush that was there before on the boy's cheeks was gone, much to Harry's amusement. He held back a comment that was practically forcing its way out of his throat; the memory of his talk with Neville over the lakeshore made him allow his friend to have a few moments of happiness before he would go and visit his parents. Harry shuddered at the thought; he couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be able to see his parents, only for them not to recognize him.

After removing the trunks from the racks, the three students left their compartment. On their way out of the train, all students were reminded that the Hogwarts Express would take them back to school on January 6 at eleven o'clock.

Harry walked down the car's stairs and stepped onto the platform. It wasn't nearly as crowded as at the beginning of September or at the end of June, but there were quite a few people waiting for the students to arrive or Aurors patrolling the area. That started only after the attack at the Quidditch World Cup. Harry scanned the crowd quickly, attempting to locate the familiar figure. Professor Lupin's last letter said he would personally pick him up from the platform, but there was no sign of him.

Being urged by the other students who were waiting behind him to move on, Harry stepped deeper into the platform, still searching for Professor Lupin's disheveled hair. His classmates around him exchanged greetings and hugs with their families as he continued looking for his former teacher.

But there was no sign of him.

The crowd began thinning slowly as more and more families left the platform, returning to the muggle part of King's Cross; the Aurors were still patrolling the area, looking at Harry occasionally. The young boy wasn't surprised by that; it happened before as well, when he was returning to Hogwarts at the beginning of September. After all, if the Death Eaters would go after someone, it would most certainly be after the person responsible for their Master's downfall.

Suddenly, someone grabbed Harry's arm and began dragging him towards the barrier separating the magical and the Muggle parts of the King's Cross Station. Harry almost fell a few times, unable to keep up with the person's pace.

"What-?"

"Not here, Harry," Professor Lupin interrupted him, and only then the young boy was able to fully see the person who was dragging him. A wide grin appeared on his face as he quickened his pace, hoping to keep up with his former teacher.

Remus, however, wasn't paying any attention to him as they continued marching towards the barrier. Instead, he kept looking from side to side; his pace was increasing with each step he took, forcing Harry to almost run to be able to keep up with him.

Following Lupin's gaze with his eyes, Harry noticed that he was looking at the Aurors. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the patrols were staring in their general direction; some of those men even started walking toward them. He's a wanted criminal, Harry remembered as he started walking even faster behind his former teacher.

Just as they walked through the barrier, Harry could hear the distant orders to stop, but they were already out of the Aurors' sight. Professor Lupin didn't slow down, however. Instead, his pace increased even more, and Harry actually had to run behind him not to lose him in the crowd.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"We're not safe here," Remus replied without even turning around. They quickly maneuvered their way through the crowd, leaving the train station behind until they reached a parking lot. There, Professor Lupin dragged him towards one of the old-looking cars. With a quick 'get in,' Remus unlocked the car and opened the trunk, hiding there Harry's baggage. Following the command, Harry quickly sat down in the passenger's seat, right next to the driver.

Remus entered the car a split second after Harry, not wasting any time starting it. It didn't take long before the two left the parking lot.

"What was that all about?"

"Finite Incantatem," Remus muttered, waving his wand over himself. It was only then that Harry noticed that his former teacher didn't look as he remembered him. The scars on his face reappeared, and his expression returned to normal – pained and exhausted, though it was much more than when he had last seen him. "Sorry about that, Harry," Remus replied, smiling briefly at the young boy. "But we had to act quickly in order not to lure the Aurors to us. I should have told you to use some Glamour Charm, but the Ministry would be able to locate you then for using magic outside of school."

"The Aurors didn't identify you?"

"A couple of strong Glamour and Notice-Me-Not Charms," Remus replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That's why you couldn't see me at the station. When I reached you, I extended the Notice-Me-Not to you as well, but the Aurors were keeping an eye on you. When they saw you somewhat disappearing from their sight without any reason, they started suspecting something, so we had to move quickly. It wouldn't do me any good if they found me. I guess you would have problems as well."

"Where are we going?" Harry asked as Remus kept driving through London, breaking the speed limit more times than he could count.

"To Sirius. Now, I can't tell you the exact address, but you must know it if you are to enter that house. The street is Grimmauld Place," Remus said, occasionally looking at the mirrors. "Now, tell me a number between eleven and thirteen."

"What?"

"Just say it!"

"Twelve?" Harry replied hesitantly, looking at his former teacher without understanding.

"Exactly," Remus commented, nodding his head. "Now, say both the street's name and that number."

"Grimmauld Place twelve, but what…? Oh," Harry stopped as he felt something strange in his head. Suddenly, he could see in his mind an old house, squeezed between two other identical buildings with a board that contained the address. "What happened?"

"That house is under a Fidelius Charm, which assures its secrecy," Remus replied, seemingly knowing exactly what Harry was experiencing. "You can find it only if you know its exact address. Since I'm not the Secret Keeper, I couldn't exactly tell you it. That's why I ordered you to say that number," he explained, taking a sharp turn right; Harry collided painfully with the door to his left, being taken by surprise by the sudden movement. "We'll soon be there," Remus announced.

Daphne watched Harry all the time as he was slowly making his way through the platform, seemingly looking for his friend. She frowned slightly when she realized that whoever was supposed to pick Potter up from the station wasn't there. A small sliver of hope appeared in her heart that perhaps he only lied to her and wasn't going to see anyone during the Christmas Break.

That thought was quickly squashed, though, when she remembered that Potter couldn't lie.

And so, she kept watching him, maintaining a proper distance and discretion. However, just as she was about to give up, something strange happened.

Potter disappeared out of her sight, even though Daphne was more than certain that she had seen him not a second earlier. She kept looking around frantically, attempting to find the messy-haired boy, but her efforts turned out to be in vain. Soon, Aurors' shouts of 'stop' managed to break through the ruckus, but that didn't help her locate the Gryffindor Boy.

In broad daylight, Potter just disappeared out of her sight. Daphne cursed herself silently before composing herself and walking toward her parents. She was nothing but persistent, though. She would find out the truth in a time when they would return to Hogwarts. For the time being, Daphne swore to herself not to think about that and let herself enjoy the time with her family.

Here you go, another slightly slower chapter, but those are going to appear sometimes. 100000 words, YAY! I hope you've enjoyed it. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments below, and add this story to your favorites and follow it in order to know when the next chapter comes out. Also, slight warning – my exams are starting shortly, so I think that the update frequency is going to drop for the next 2-3 weeks.