So, the delay was unexpected, and I apologize for it. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I started the last semester at my University, and I have a shitload of work to do. I can't find the time to write anything, and I'm afraid this state won't improve until July. Sorry. Also, I have to plan out the fifth year, so that's another reason why I haven't been writing.

Also, thank you so much for your incredible support – 500000 views, 1900 favorites, and 2800 followers. You guys are simply the best! And I promise I'll try to stop myself from copying canon as much as I can. Sorry for that, but I'm not changing the last chapter. If someone is so incredibly familiar with the books, then you can simply skip those parts. However, I know that there are people (me included), who don't remember them as thoroughly. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 26

Daphne would be lying to herself if she said she was surprised not to see Potter in the Great Hall that morning. The morning that every year saw each and every student practically jumping up and down because it meant the end of the school year. However, that wasn't the case that year. Everyone was so still and silent when Dumbledore delivered the news of Diggory's death and Voldemort's return that Daphne was certain many students, and even staff members, weren't even breathing. It seemed that even their hearts stopped beating as if they were afraid to break the silence that ruled over the Great Hall when Dumbledore stopped talking.

She expected Potter to join the rest of the Castle once breakfast was served, slipping into the Great Hall through the door, hoping to remain unnoticed. Even though he was never able to go unnoticed, especially at the end of every school year since she started attending Hogwarts. It was only logical that he would end up in the spotlight again, considering everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

However, Potter didn't appear during breakfast as well. Daphne lingered in the Great Hall for a while longer than necessary, deliberately eating her food much slower than usual, hoping to finally catch a glimpse of him. She had been denied access to the Hospital Wing the previous evening, and Madam Pomfrey's presence in the Great Hall indicated that Potter had already been discharged. She never allowed herself to leave her small kingdom if even one student was there.

But even when she was one of the last students remaining in the Great Hall, Potter still didn't appear. She wasn't sure if she should be worried or not; none of the staff members seemed to notice his absence or didn't think it was a big deal. She was about to leave the Hall and return to her Dormitory to finish packing whatever she missed the previous evening, though her plans were crushed when Granger approached her, asking if she had seen Potter. The silence was all the answer Daphne managed to give her as the brunette girl continued explaining how she hadn't seen him since the end of the Tournament. Apparently, she went that morning to the Hospital Wing before coming down to the Great Hall, only to find the room empty. And if she was to be believed, none of Potter's dormmates had seen him as well.

Granger's rambling, combined with her own uneasiness and worries, forced Daphne to make the decision at a moment's notice. She wrapped a toast in a napkin and left the Great Hall, heading straight to her Dormitory. Daphne wasn't sure why she didn't go immediately to the Second Floor; after all, each time Potter didn't want to be found, he would go down to the Chamber. However, something was telling her that he didn't want her to find him either.

Too bad for him, Daphne sighed internally, throwing her stuff into her trunk as quickly as she could. The Hogwarts Express was bound to depart in two hours, not giving her any time to waste. With her belongings packed, she locked the trunk and left it at the foot of her bed, knowing the Elves would transport it to the train.

Daphne looked around, making sure that the Dormitory was empty. It was a rare occurrence during the school year, though not so much on the last day. Everyone was busy saying farewells to their friends or whatever, and she was more than sure that the boys were gathered in the Courtyard, hoping to see the stunning Veela one last time. Idiots, she scoffed, sitting on the bed and covering herself with the curtains. In her experience, one could never be too cautious.

Daphne sat there for a few more seconds, not moving even an inch as she forced her ears to listen for any sign of someone being there with her. She calmed her breathing to the point that the only sound she heard was her own heartbeat. She inspected the curtains one last time before pulling out the worn-out piece of parchment from her bag.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she whispered the ridiculous password, pressing the tip of her wand to the Map. Once again, she remained still for a few seconds to make sure no one was there to spy on her, even though the curtains were charmed to prevent any sound from slipping outside.

Daphne didn't even bother herself with checking the Second Floor since the Chamber of Secrets wasn't mapped out. The Great Hall was out of the question as well since it was already closed. Instead, she started with the Gryffindor Tower.

It took her some time to study thoroughly every floor before she finally spotted a single dot with Potter's name hovering above it on top of the Astronomy Tower. She sighed gratefully that he wasn't hiding anywhere in the crowd. She shivered at the mere thought of having to study the Courtyard; she only caught a glimpse of it on the Map, and it made her head spin violently. There were so many people there that the nametags hovered over each other, making it impossible to find anyone there.

Daphne stood up abruptly from her bed and put the Map back in her bag without deactivating it. She didn't even close the parchment or her bag, glimpsing at it from time to time to make sure Potter was still in the Astronomy Tower. It wouldn't do her any good if she reached it only to find that he was already gone.

Luckily for her, Potter was still there as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs that would take her to the top of the Tower. At least, that's what the Map indicated. Daphne had to admit that she didn't believe Potter's words about the Map always being correct when he first showed it to her. However, everything she witnessed the previous evening erased those doubts. She bit her lower lip briefly before walking up the stairs.

Daphne honestly had no idea what she expected to see once she reached the top. However, she knew that Potter's stiff back as he leaned slightly over the railing wasn't anywhere near the top of the list. Her eyes darted quickly towards the Triwizard Cup, standing on the wooden beam a few centimeters away from his arm; a crumpled material lay on the railing as well. It took Daphne a few seconds to recognize it as his Invisibility Cloak. She took in a deep breath, banishing the thought of leaving the young boy alone.

"The water is probably still as cold as it was in February if you think about jumping. That is if you manage to reach the Lake somehow."

She watched as Potter's stiff back twitched for a split second before he turned around sharply to face her; his wand was drawn and pointed at her face. His wide-eyed stare easily gave away the fact that he hadn't noticed her until she spoke. It was a rare occurrence for Daphne to find herself at the receiving point of someone's wand, and if her memory didn't fail her, this was the first time someone pointed their wand at her without hers even being in her hand. Instincts fueled by surprise at his sudden reaction overcame Daphne's rational mind, and before she knew what was happening, her hands were already in the air, clearly signaling her surrender.

"That's the second time in the past twelve hours you have your wand pointed at me, Potter," Daphne said, doing her best to keep the wariness out of her voice. It wasn't that she doubted her skills with the wand. However, she couldn't deny that Potter was quite skilled in that aspect as well if the many hours she spent with him in the Chamber of Secrets, or simply observing him in classes, were any indication. And if he perceived her as a threat, there would be no way for her to draw her wand in time to parry his attack. "Honestly, I thought that we weren't tangled in this Slytherin versus Gryffindor nonsense. And you had your wand lowered much faster when I first found you in the Chamber," she added, shifting her gaze from his face to his wand.

It still took a few seconds of staring at each other in silence before Potter's brain finally registered who stood in front of him. Daphne allowed a relieved sigh to escape her partially parted lips as Potter's eyes widened suddenly, and he lowered his hand, even though the movement was too slow for her liking.

"How did you find me?" he finally asked, causing Daphne's eyebrow to rise on her forehead.

"With this," she replied, pulling out the Marauder's Map. His eyes widened even more as Daphne held the parchment in front of her, waiting for him to take it. "You gave it to me for safekeeping before the Task yesterday, and you've said you wanted it back once the Tournament was over," she reminded him, not missing a strange mix of emotions that crossed his face. However, they were gone before she managed to decipher even a single one.

She watched patiently as Potter approached her with hesitant steps. His eyes never left her face as he snatched the Map from her grasp as if he was afraid that she would pull back at the last second. Daphne watched as the Gryffindor boy studied the Map, which was still active and displayed the Astronomy Tower, for a few seconds, flipping some pages. A quick look down told her that he checked if there was someone else with them.

"Thanks," Potter whispered after a few seconds, pressing his wand against the Map and deactivating it. He folded it a few times before hiding the parchment in the pocket of his trousers. Daphne cleared her throat and reached inside her bag once again. It didn't escape her attention that Potter's whole body tensed up as if he expected her to attack him.

"Since you skipped breakfast," she started, deciding not to look at him. Perhaps if she acted as if she didn't expect him to attack her, he would relax. At least partially. "I brought you this as well," Daphne said, showing him the toast hidden in a napkin. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned," she rolled her eyes upon noticing his mistrustful look. "I just thought you might appreciate it," she shrugged her shoulders. "It's what friends do for each other. At least I think so," Daphne added, shaking her head to cool down her suddenly warm cheeks.

"Thanks," Potter replied simply again. He held the napkin for a few seconds before unfolding it hesitantly. Daphne bit her lower lip to suppress a chuckle when his stomach growled loudly at the sight and smell of food.

"I can take the first bite if you still think it's poisoned or something," she sighed, rolling her eyes as the boy in front of her continued staring at the food. Her comment seemed to do its magic; Potter blinked a few times before putting the toast in his mouth. He chewed half-heartedly before swallowing the small piece he bit off.

"Thanks," he murmured for the third time before turning away from her. Daphne rolled her eyes and sighed heavily as she watched him lean over the railing again. It didn't escape her attention that he was still gripping his wand with his right hand.

For a few seconds, she wondered if she should leave him alone. After all, her small mission was complete – she made sure he was alright, at least physically, and she delivered to him what she wanted. However, even if she hadn't spent so much time with him in the past few months and somewhat learned how to read his behavior, it would still be obvious that he was as far from being alright as one could be. And so, with another heavy sigh and a roll of her eyes, Daphne joined him at the edge of the Astronomy Tower, leaning over the railing herself.

It surprised her how peaceful it was, even with the ruckus from the Courtyard. The Beauxbatons Carriage was standing in the middle, with the French students slowly entering it after saying their final goodbyes to the friends they made at Hogwarts. The winged horses seemed to be restless and eager for flight, though it was impossible to say from Daphne's viewpoint. She scoffed again, shaking her head as she observed the boys who tried desperately to get Fleur's attention, even though the Veela ignored each and every one of them.

Standing on Harry's left side made the left half of Daphne's face invisible to the young boy. And so, she allowed herself to do something she had never done outside of her bed's curtains' safety – she smiled. Or rather, raised the left corner of her lips. Even after half a year and everything that has happened between them in this time, the memories of the Ball still managed to send a pleasant shiver down Daphne's spine. She saw how many boys looked at the Beauxbatons Champion that night, and she was more than pleased that her partner wasn't one of them. Even till that day, the Slytherin girl still cherished that look of admiration she received from Potter multiple times that evening. That simple look, which fulfilled her own desire of being desired for something else than her family name, and wasn't filled with any ulterior motives. She caught him looking at her like that a few more times after the Ball. With that shy smile and reddened cheeks that had caused Daphne to laugh internally multiple times.

Her smile dropped when she recalled their latest confrontations, though. All those warm feelings in Potter's eyes and smile simply disappeared when he looked at her in Moody's office the previous night, and they were still nowhere to be found even that morning. She shook her head, silently scolding herself. She didn't come all the way over to him to wonder about her own issues, which dulled in comparison to what the boy next to her had to go through the previous evening.

And so, Daphne stood in silence, broken only by Potter's chewing, waiting for him to finally say something. The fact that he hadn't left after reclaiming the Map was a good sign, in her opinion. After all, he could simply throw his Cloak over himself and disappear right in front of her eyes. However, she would be lying if she said she didn't mind waiting for him to say something. Too much had happened the previous evening to allow her to simply wait, and it took all of her self-restraint to prevent herself from breaking the silence. She might have pushed him for answers in the past, but she had little doubts that if she did it right then and there, he would simply lock himself even tighter. And so, despite her frustration, which she didn't allow to appear on her face, of course, she waited.

After a few seconds, Daphne had enough of observing the crowd in the Courtyard, and she shifted her gaze to look at the Durmstrang Ship, which floated gently on the deceptively calm waters of the Black Lake. She shivered unwillingly, remembering how she had suddenly woken up in the middle of the Lake, disorientated, with nothing around her except for Potter. His tale of what he had to go through to reach her also didn't make that experience any better. At least, if the Tournament became regular once again, they wouldn't be there to be able to participate in it again. I wouldn't mind the Ball, though, she thought, smiling slightly once again.

The sudden movement below caught Daphne's attention, making her look at the Courtyard once again. The Beauxbatons Carriage rose into the air, accompanied by whistles and shouts from the Hogwarts students. A second later, a loud canon blast was heard, and the Durmstrang Ship disappeared beneath the Lake's surface. The Tournament was over.

"Can I see your arms?" Potter asked suddenly after clearing his throat. It took Daphne a second or two to realize he had even said something before she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. It was the same request from the previous night, though he didn't yell it like an order. She blinked a few times.

"If you insist," Daphne replied, sticking out her hands towards him. His odd request didn't make any sense to her, though she hoped to get some explanation for him in the near future.

Another pleasant shiver ran down her spine when he gently grabbed her hands, even though his skin was rough and covered with callouses. Still, his fingers were warm, and the gentle touch was just as nice as it was at the Ball. Even more so since he wasn't sweating so much.

Their eyes locked as Potter slowly rolled up both sleeves of her robes. Daphne sent silent thanks to no one in particular for the countless hours she spent perfecting her self-control. It came in handy many times, especially at that moment, preventing her from visibly trembling in front of the boy. She doubted Potter would interpret her reaction correctly. And since he was still holding his wand, Daphne didn't want to find out what his response would be.

"Revelio," he whispered, pointing his wand at her uncovered arms. Daphne raised her eyebrows in a silent question as she scrutinized his expression for any explanation, though she found none. He waited a few seconds for the spell to have its effect before looking down. His eyes moved at an agonizingly slow pace, but all the tension disappeared from her body when Potter let out a shaky breath. Whatever it was he expected to see on her arms wasn't there.

"Would you be so kind as to explain what that meant?" Daphne asked gently when he dropped her hands, allowing her sleeves to roll down. "It's the second time you asked to see my arms."

"I saw you yesterday," he said after a few seconds of silence; his eyes were fixated on his feet. "In the Maze, I mean. I… before I reached the Cup, I… there was Voldemort in the Maze," Potter mumbled incoherently, stumbling over every other word. Daphne had to lean forward a bit to be able to understand what he was saying. "And then… and then you showed up. With Ron."

Not a single muscle twitched on Daphne's face as she listened to Potter's description of what happened in the Maze and later in the graveyard. How the Boggart that took her form revealed the Dark Mark, how it took Potter some time to realize that it wasn't her, and what he had done to get rid of the horrifying image. Her teeth clenched as she memorized the names of people who answered the Dark Lord's call after his resurrection – names she knew from her own House. Her heartbeat quickened slightly when he said how he prayed not to hear her family name from Voldemort's lips.

Daphne has never been good at dealing with emotional stuff. It was just something she didn't deem important. Astoria and Tracey have always been much better than her in that aspect, but that didn't stop her from doing what she thought was right at that moment.

Without any hesitation, she closed the distance between them and pressed herself against the Gryffindor boy.

Daphne felt his entire body stiffening as she wrapped her arms around him. His breath got caught up in his throat, and she could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest as she pressed her head against his torso. Her own heart was beating just as quickly against her own ribs, if not even quicker.

It wasn't their first hug, but it was so unlike any they previously shared. It wasn't rushed like the one Potter initiated when they met in the Chamber after the First Task, and contrary to their encounter after the Lake, Daphne wasn't the one who needed to be comforted. The simple and short hugs they shared during the Ball didn't count, in her opinion, as they were only parts of the dance. And despite her significantly low knowledge in that aspect, Daphne put as much reassurance and comfort in her touch as she physically could.

A gentle clattering sound reached her ears. A second or two passed before she noticed with the corner of her eye Potter's wand, rolling slowly on the marble floor. Knowing that he couldn't see her face as it was buried in his chest, Daphne once again allowed herself to smile softly as she felt Potter's body relaxing slowly. She closed her eyes when she felt his arms slowly encircling her, resting on her back. The young girl could clearly sense the boy's hesitation as he seemed to struggle internally before his grip on her tightened ever so slightly. Another second passed before Daphne felt him leaning even closer to her, resting his chin on top of her head. She frowned slightly. When did he grow so much? She thought.

"For what it's worth, I promise you'll never see anything like that on my arm," she mumbled into his chest. Potter's grip around her tightened again, though Daphne couldn't say she was uncomfortable.

"Thank you," he replied. "And I'm sorry, it's just… after what I've seen in the Maze and the graveyard… then you showing up in Moody's office suddenly-"

"I understand," she cut him off. "I just crossed some 't's and dotted some 'i's. That's how I figured out something wasn't right," Daphne explained before Harry even had the chance to ask her about the previous evening. "I remembered everything you've told me about the Map. It also helped that Moody's dot moved slightly when you were still returning to the Castle."

"He was a prisoner," Harry revealed to her. "Crouch Junior held him in his office to have access to his hair whenever he wished. That's how he always managed to look like him."

"What happened to them?"

Harry took in a deep breath. "The real Moody was taken care of by Madam Pomfrey, though he was gone when I woke up today. As for Crouch… I heard that Fudge gave him immediately to the Dementors," he said, pulling away from her embrace. Daphne quickly schooled her features to her usual mask. "Our beloved Minister said that I was delusional," he scoffed, once again leaning over the railing. "That Voldemort didn't return, even though Crouch said it himself right in front of him. That Cedric died due to a tragic accident. He gave me this," he said, gesturing at the Cup. "And returned to London. A Cup and a thousand Galleons to keep my mouth shut," Harry scoffed again, reaching inside the trophy.

Only then did Daphne notice that the Triwizard Cup was filled to the brim with gold coins. Potter picked up a few of them for a second or two before dropping them back to the Cup. He picked up his wand from the floor.

"A thousand Galleons to make me forget what I've seen yesterday," he repeated, tapping his wand against the Cup. His teeth clenched so hard that Daphne feared for a moment they were going to break. "Depulso," he said suddenly, pointing his wand at the Cup.

Daphne's eyebrows rose high on her forehead as she watched the Cup soaring quickly through the air. It flew above the Hogwarts grounds in a blink of an eye before disappearing somewhere in the Black Lake.

"A thousand Galleons to make me forget I killed Cedric," Harry muttered through clenched teeth, staring at the tiny point at the Lake's surface where the Cup disappeared.

"You didn't kill him," Daphne countered immediately, turning her head to look at him. "You didn't kill him," she repeated sternly when she saw he was going to say something. "Look at me, Potter. You couldn't have known what was going to happen when you reached the Cup," she continued. "And if you think you are responsible for his death, then you should return to the Hospital Wing and ask Madam Pomfrey to examine your head because you must have suffered some brain damage. You didn't fire the curse that killed him."

"I might as well have done that," he muttered. "He ended up in that graveyard because of me."

"Really?" Daphne asked, crossing her hands on her chest. "Interesting. I'm curious if you would blame yourself as well if he reached the Cup before you and grabbed it. He would have died then as well. Just like everyone else, Diggory knew what he was signing up for when he put his name in the Goblet, Potter. You might as well blame him for participating in that Tournament. Or his parents for sending him to Hogwarts, or for giving birth to him, or-"

"Okay, I get it," Harry snapped suddenly, rubbing his face. "But it doesn't change the fact that I insisted that he took the Cup with me," he added. "Nothing changes the fact that he ended up in that graveyard because of me."

"And nothing changes the fact that Wormtail was the one who fired the Killing Curse," Daphne countered softly, placing her hand on his cheek, so she could force him to look at her. "As I've said, he knew what he was signing up for. I admit I didn't know him well, but I'm sure he wouldn't blame you for what happened. Would you blame him if your positions were reversed?"

"Of course not, but-"

"But nothing," she interrupted him. "You can't keep everyone safe, Potter, no matter how hard you try. People die – some sooner, some later, but in the end, we all die, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it." Daphne's hand dropped from his face. "You were put in a situation no one our age would be able to walk away from," she continued, grabbing his hands. "What doesn't kill you strengthens you. At least, that's what Muggles say, right? The only thing you can do now is to learn from what happened yesterday, so you might be better prepared for the future." Daphne rubbed his hands, only then noticing something odd. She looked down. "What happened to your hand?" she asked, looking at his bandaged fingers.

"I got disarmed in the graveyard," Harry replied, looking at his hand. "I remembered what you said when we were in Hogsmeade – how Wizards in the past were able to use magic without wands, so I… I tried summoning my wand."

Daphne's eyebrows once again soared high on her forehead. "Did it work?"

"My fingers broke," he chuckled humorlessly. "But yes. It worked." He took in a deep breath before looking her in the eyes. "I need to learn wandless magic, Daphne. He'll come for me again, I'm sure of it, and I need to be ready. I know you've already helped me a lot this year, and I have no right to ask that of you, but will you help me with this?"

"The fact that I know about wandless magic doesn't mean I can perform it," she replied. "But I'll help you as much as I can. I promise," she added before Harry could say something in response. She punched him softly in the arm. "And don't say you don't have the right to ask for my help. Friends help each other if I'm correct."

"Thank you," he replied, smiling softly. "I should have studied and practiced more this year. Maybe some things could have been avoided if I pushed myself harder. I don't want anyone else to die because I'm too weak or something like that."

"Well, why didn't you?" she asked, though there was no accusation in her voice. "The Headmaster himself said that the Tournament was going to be difficult."

"Maybe," Harry agreed, nodding his head. "But, to be honest, it just felt like any other year at Hogwarts for me. The only difference this year was that I had an audience."

Daphne nodded her head, deciding not to argue against that. She could see the reason behind his words if half of what he had told her about the three previous years was correct. "I promise I'll be there for you when you need me," she repeated. "You're not as boring as Malfoy makes you out to be."

Daphne had to admit she was relieved when she heard him laughing. She wasn't sure if joking in such a situation was appropriate, but she was glad that at least some of the tension seemed to leave Potter.

"I'll be there for you as well," he replied, pulling her close to him. "Whenever you need me. I promise," he muttered against the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her.

"We should get going," Daphne mumbled into his chest after a while of standing in comfortable silence. "The train leaves soon," she explained, sighing contently as she felt him rubbing her back.

"Thank you for coming for me," Harry replied, tightening his grip for the last second. "And for everything else you have done for me this year. I don't know where I would be if you didn't follow me to the Chamber that day."

"And don't you forget it, Potter," Daphne commented, turning around on her heel. For the forth time that day, a genuine smile appeared on her face as they walked down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower.

I hope you enjoyed this slower chapter. As I've said, my University (or College, I don't understand the difference) assignments are my top priority right now, so all I ask of you is your patience. I'll do my best to update this story when I can, but I can't tell you right now when it will happen. Also, make sure that you have your email alerts enabled since FF turns them off after 6 months, and you have to turn them on again. See you next time.