Harry made his way to the 1st floor abandoned class rooms in search for Lucius Malfoy. He remembered seeing the Malfoy family huddled in a corner after the battle. Quickly asking around, he found where the families were staying after the battle. While on his way, Harry thought of different ways for asking the Malfoy head what he needed. While he didn't mind giving gold or some favor as an exchange for the information, this was the Malfoy head they were talking about. If he made unreasonable requests such as keeping himself or his friends out of jail, it will be a repeat of the aftermath of the first war all over again. He didn't want to grow up an see the next generation fight war over pointless things. So, he decided that he would blackmail the Malfoy head from the get go.
Making up his mind, Harry passed through the class rooms searching for Malfoys and found the Malfoys in a secluded room out of the way. The Malfoy family was in a heated discussion which stopped as soon as they saw someone approaching them. When they saw who it was, their eyes widened simultaneously and they quickly stood up.
Lucius Malfoy approached him with a smarmy smile, "Mr. Potter! Congratulations of your victory over the dark lord. With such great accomplishments at such a young age, you are set to have a boundless future." He gave a small pause at this point and then continued with an apologetic face. "I know we haven't seen eye to eye on the matters regarding blood purity. But in the end what you turned out right, the dark lord was a half blood who is just using us as a means to his ends. We realize that now and how we should have followed you from the beginning. As a punishment for our sins, we have received our due punishment and that too under the very hands of the dark lord we followed. We just hope that you will take these facts into considerations and the fact that we switched sides towards the end of the war and provided you help."
Harry's hand started twitching when the Malfoy senior started talking, wanting to curse his face off. But he managed stopped himself. Barely. Listening to the spiel he was spewing, Harry wanted to laugh at the nonsense he was spewing. The only reason Malfoys were punished were because they failed their tasks for Voldemort. Harry didn't forget the second year's events started by the Malfoy senior nor the sixth year's events started by Malfoy junior. While Draco may not have killed Dumbledore and he did lead death eaters to a school full of students and it was a miracle no students died that day. Not wanting to quibble with Malfoy, Harry glossed over it and got to his point quickly. "I'm sure that Wizengamot will take it into consideration in the trial. I'm here for a separate matter. I need information about healers who are also adept in dark arts. As many as possible."
Malfoy senior's gaze became calculating when Harry asked for the information and started speaking slowly, "I assume you are in need of some...questionable or experimental means of countering unknown curses." Seeing Harry nod, he continued, "I indeed do have a few acquaintances who are adept in such means. I will be of course providing their names. I do hope that this will go further in proving that Malfoy family is trying its best to make amends. We will continue doing so and a word from you to that affect will go a long way in convincing the ministry and the public..." Malfoy trailed off seeing Harry chuckle darkly.
Harry stopped chucking and spoke coldly, "You have some nerve, talking about amends and trying to weasel your way out of imprisonment. The only person here who actually something remotely near to turning sides is your wife when she didn't identify to Voldemort and your son when he didn't immediately identify us when we were captured." Harry shook his head and continued, "And I'm not here to waste my time negotiating with you. This is what is going to happen, either you are going to give me what I need, or I will be 'delayed' to give my testimony in Wizengamot regarding your wife's and son's contributions. After all there is a precedent for me being late for my own trial." Harry smile blandly.
The Malfoy family's faces turned pale immediately. "You wouldn't." Narcissa gasped. Harry just looked at them calmly without replying. "You wouldn't get what you need if you just allow us to go to Azkaban." Malfoy senior argued.
"That's not really your concern. Besides, did you think you were my only means of getting the information. You are just my first stop. Failing that, there are plenty of other dark families. Heck, I could pay goblins and they would probably tell me. Your son knows that I know at least one friendly goblin." Draco nodded remembering the goblin imprisoned in their manor previously which escaped along with Harry. Seeing that, Harry continued, "Coming here is just a matter of convenience for me."
Lucius Malfoy gaped at Harry. People used to beg on their knees to get favors from him. Thinking that someone was using him just for their convenience made him dejected. Still, he wasn't about to give up that easily, "And you would let innocent people people go to prison just because its inconvenient for you?" he questioned Harry.
Harry remained calm. If he gave an inch to Malfoy, he would take a mile. So, he was not going to budge to Malfoy at all. Harry looked into Malfoy senior's eyes coldly and answered him, "I just fought a war for people who I don't even know Malfoy. Now, someone who I consider my family is hurt. Do you think there is anything I wouldn't do for her?"
Lucius Malfoy looked at Harry's eyes for a few seconds and finally caved in. Potter didn't seem to be in the best of the moods and irritating him now would only backfire. So, he answered honestly, "There are a lot of people I know who dabble in both healing and dark arts, but the problem is that none of them is proficient in both and every time they treat someone, there are some...undesirable effects. The ones who are proficient ended up dead or relocating to unknown locations." Seeing Harry look at him coldly, Malfoy continued, "There is one person I know who is fairly proficient in treating curses using rituals. But as far as I know, the ritual is still incomplete and she needs someone to take on the ritual's rebound to make up for the flaws."
"Who is it? And how do I get in contact with them?" Harry asked curtly.
Malfoy answered reluctantly, "Ophelia Greengrass. As for getting in contact, I'm not really sure, she is quite paranoid and security conscious..." Lucius Malfoy trailed off.
"Daphne's in Hogwarts right now." Draco Malfoy interjected. "You can probably ask her to take you to her home. Last I saw, she was healing people near the entrance hall."
Harry raised an eyebrow and asked, "Didn't she leave the Hogwarts with other Slytherins yesterday?"
Draco shook his head and replied, "No, a few of them stayed back saying they wanted to fight too and McGonagall allowed it. That's when me, Crabbe and Goyle slipped away." he finished awkwardly.
Harry nodded and turned to leave immediately. Before leaving, he paused and said without turning back, "I will testify on behalf of Draco and Narcissa as to what they did in front of Wizengamot. But don't think for a minute that it will excuse all the other crimes you've committed." Having said what he wanted Harry left without waiting for a reply.
Harry made his way to the entrance hall while reviewing what he knew about Daphne Greengrass. Which was unsurprisingly, very little. They didn't have much interaction and the only few things he knew about her were through rumors, which was that she was very cold and aloof and that she was supposed to have frozen someone's gonads when they tried to get fresh with her giving her some nickname. Still considering the rumors about him, he very much doubted the authenticity of the rumors and decided to reserve his judgement.
He found her talking with Hannah and Susan near the entrance hall. Making his way over, he greeted Susan and Hannah. He had become decent friends with them and was glad to see they made it out of the war. "Hey Susan, Hannah. You guys doing okay?"
"Hey Harry! We're better than okay. Daphne here has patched us both up pretty well. And what about you? McGonagall let you go already? We though she would assign you detention the way she was marching you out of the Great Hall towards the hospital wing." said an amused Hannah. Susan just chuckled. "You should have gotten yourself checked out yesterday."
Seeing that they misunderstood why he was taken to the hospital wing, Harry let it slide. "Har Har. Well if she does start assigning detentions I can tell her how a couple of students were using the Room of Requirements to—" Susan and Hannah turned beet red and Susan closed his mouth immediately.
"Harry! You. Promised. Not. To. Bring. That. Up. Ever. Again." Susan growled poking him in the chest with every word.
Already regretting provoking them he took Susan's hand off of his mouth and immediately diverted the topic. "Okay. Okay. I won't bring it up. But I do need to discuss something with Daphne, um Greengrass, you guys mind giving us a minute."
Hannah looked at them both, then her face spread into a wide smile. "Suuure. We'll leave you guys alone. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." said Hannah waggling her eyebrows and started walking away with Susan.
Not one to let others leave without the last word, he teased her, "Well, considering there's not much you wouldn't do, that really doesn't tell us to behave ourselves."
"Well, maybe I'm not really asking you to behave yourselves", she teased right back before being pulled away by an embarrassed Susan.
Thinking that he walked right into that one, Harry turned to Daphne. He thought for a minute and decided to be direct. "Greengrass—" Daphne interrupted him, "You can call me Daphne." Harry nodded and continued, "Daphne. I actually needed a favor from you." Seeing her nod curiously he continued, "Can we go to your house?"
Daphne blinked once. Then she blinked again. Then she gave an amused smile and said, "My, my, that's awfully bold of you Potter."
Realizing how he might have been misunderstood, especially after what Hannah said, Harry turned red and backtracked immediately, "Actually, that sounded wrong. I meant to ask you to introduce me to your mother." Seeing Daphne just stare at him with wide eyes, Harry facepalmed. "Can we start over?" he asked embarrassedly.
She just laughed and replied, "No Potter, I'm not forgetting this. Ever. This has so much potential for teasing, I wouldn't know where to begin."
Harry gave her a resigned reply, "Fine. Also, you can call me Harry." Seeing her nod, he continued, "I hear your mother does some experimental research. I am in need of it, so I was hoping you would introduce me to her."
Daphne frowned and asked, "Is it about the ritual for countering curses?" Harry nodded immediately. "I don't know where you heard about it, but that ritual is still in progress and the only time she performed it...well, the curse was actually countered well and the patient came out fine. But the one who was performing the ritual had some issues. I'm not really sure of the entire situation, but you would be better off looking for other solutions."
"Right now, there are no proper treatment, and your mother seems to be the only one who seems to have anything approaching a solution. I really do need to talk with her Daphne. As soon as possible." Harry frowned and tried to impress upon her the urgency of the situation.
Seeing how serious Harry was being, Daphne hesitated and replied, "Alright, I'll introduce you to her. But after the last failure, it may take her some convincing to agree to it." Harry nodded immediately. "Let's go then. I can't wait to see my mother's expression when I say that Harry Potter was interested in meeting her." Resigned to the teasing that was bound to come his way, Harry followed Daphne towards the fireplace in Deputy Headmistress's office.
A/N:
1. Please note that the reason I didn't add Daphne's name in the characters list before this is because I didn't want to preempt her arrival into the story.
2. The name of the story is temporary. There are wayyy too many stories with the same title. I just don't want to hold up the actual story till I think of something.