You should not have killed Neville. You should not have helped them capture Susan." Harry sneered, the bitterness of his voice distinct as he cast spell after spell at the fallen form in front of him. The girl looked up at him with a familiar cruel sneer and laughed. "It was fun to kill them, Potter. It was fun to-"
Silence. Something had happened. Harry had cast a spell so fast that the girl had not seen it coming. Slowly she felt a strange pain flick across her neck. A thin red line materialized on her neck, the drops of fresh blood glistening in the dirt and sweat on her skin.
Her head rolled off.
"NO!" Daphne yelled loudly, losing control over her spell as she was thrown out of Harry's mind. She opened her eyes to find a very deadly and dangerous Harry Potter staring back at her; his eyes cold and vengeful.
"Enjoyable, was it?" Harry snarled. Daphne swallowed as she felt herself be inundated in a feeling she believed she would never feel anymore.
Fear. Raw primal fear.
"Who- who are you?" she stammered. Harry rose up and snarled at her. "Does it matter?"
Daphne gulped. Her mind went into overdrive as she began to garner the different odd incidents and mysteries surrounding Harry Potter... his sudden change in behavior, his sudden charisma... his power and his knowledge... His ruthlessness and his skills...everything was suddenly crystal clear.
"You are from the...the future?" she stammered, her fear gripping her heart.
"Yes." Harry snarled, moving away from her and sitting on the bed. Daphne gathered some courage and stood up. "You killed me. Cut off my-"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Harry looked at her, an amused smile forming on his face, "For someone who just realized that I came from the future—a future in which I personally killed you- you are taking it exceptionally well."
Daphne swallowed. "Is that why...you were so ruthless and intimidating to me in the beginning?"
Harry did not answer. He looked away, his wand twirling in his hand. Daphne paced closer to him. "Have you come to kill me?"
Harry looked at her with the look—the one which clearly said-'why would you ask me such a stupid question?' Daphne realized what she was saying; as her head cleared out of the sudden trauma, she had been through... "No, the contract. You cannot kill me, just as I cannot. You neutralized me, made me join your side..."
"Very good, Greengrass."
"Was it all just one big masterful plan? All this...being friends, teaching me...making me feel for you?" Her eyes brimmed with tears, as she fought to keep them away dismally.
Harry just looked up at her, blankly. Daphne could not take it any longer. Tears drenching her face, she ran out of the Room, sobbing as she sprinted off to her dorm.
Bad things happen to wizards who mess with Time...
Bad things happen to wizards who mess with Time...
Bad things happen to wizards who mess with Time...
Bad things happen to wizards who-
"Master?"
Harry jumped up at the sudden noise. It was Dobby, with a letter in his hand. "Your dog father has sent you a letter." Harry looked crazed for a moment before he slowly extended his hand, summoning the letter towards him.
Dear Prongslet,
My mind therapy sessions are almost at an end. The healer says that I will be free to return by the next two weeks. Got in touch with Remus. If everything goes to plan, Remus will take Padfoot to watch you at the First Task.
Do not listen to what everyone is saying. You told me that you did not enter. I believe you. End of story. The people are fickle, always have been. I served them as an Auror for years, and yet they threw me into prison without a trial, just because I was a Black. These sheep, they are not worth anything, pup. Time changes people, but the sheep need to be shown the way.
I just have one thing to tell you. Win the damn thing.
Your loving dog father,
Padfoot.
Harry held the letter in his hand and read it again. Sirius believed him, just like the previous time. On the other hand, his wordings were vastly changed. The previous time round, Sirius' words danced around 'Dumbledore thinks' and 'Dumbledore said'. He might have sent those letters to Dumbledore anyway. This time however, the letters demonstrated the thoughts of a man who thought for himself, had his own personal opinion.
It is good to have you back, Sirius.
His eyes went through the letter once again. Time changes people... It was true. Greengrass was not Raven... Greengrass was Daphne...nice, funny, loyal, sarcastic, powerful, supportive...
Just like Fleur.
Fleur...
Fleur had not talked with him since Halloween. Her haughty indifference was at open display, whenever Harry was in the Room. He pondered over the fact. Ever since that event—the moment he had shown complete disdain for the tournament, Fleur had changed her track. For all her talents, her haughtiness was the least bearable, even when she was his girlfriend. Fleur was always bent over proving to the world that she was the best.
That there was no one like her.
Like Daphne.
The girl had evolved under his tutelage, both magically, emotionally and tactically. She had grown with him and had begun to have feelings for him. Yet when he had rejected the idea of having a date with her in presence of her friends, she had not even uttered a word...
However, she had confessed that she had feelings for me... She knows my secret now... she saw what I did to her in the future...perhaps she will hate me now.
Fuck it. I am always in a mess, and then I go and create some more mess.
"Oh Merlin, I am a mess."
"Merlin has nothing to do with your mess."
Harry spun behind and stood up, his wand raised and a curse at his lips. The sight of the same old messy black hair, brown eyes, and the thin chiseled face of his brother greeted him. The form was ethereal, as if made of smoke...
"Hey Potter."
"Theo...How...Wha-"
"Very articulate, Potter."
Harry controlled himself and replied, "How are you... you know..."
"Here?" Theo countered, "You are the Master of the Hallows. You should know... I just came here, because your powers told me that I needed to be here. Now pray tell me Potter, what exactly are you doing? I died so that you could-"
"I know, so that I could change the past and-" Harry began. Theo scoffed and continued, "To hell with your thoughts. I died so that you could live, damn it."
"What?"
"Great. Tell me Potter, did you hit yourself in the head during the Time-travel? I died so that you could live. Because if you live, you will be able to set things right. Our team, our circle, remember. Gabby, Susan, Neville even Draco has been scoffing in the afterlife looking at your idiotic behavior."
"I know- I lied to you all—I wanted to save Fleur and-"
"And what Potter? Shit happens, we move on. Stop being a right prat and get up. You are a dark lord damn it. We saw what you did to Raven, and I am very proud of the way you took her under your wing. You gave her a chance to the future she did not get previously. What I cannot understand is the reason behind you behaving like a moron and being distant from her!"
"Because Fleur-"
"-is her own independent person. You cannot make her love you. You are just chasing behind an old dream, and ignoring your own present. This Fleur is not the one who was your girlfriend. Never will be. Your actions changed the time stream too much for that. Daphne loves you, damn it. And yet you are completely blank about it, running behind an old dream of you and your Fleur."
It does not do well to dwell on dreams and forget to live... Twenty years, and still I am a student learning from Dumbledore.
Harry looked up at his brother's form and smiled. "I will do it correct this time, my brother. Thank you for setting me right."
Theo smirked as the ethereal form began to fade away... slowly.
"Give them hell, Potter."
"I will."
Daphne had shut off from the rest of the world, sitting inside her own dorm. Even Tracy had to set up a makeshift bed for the day, since Daphne had sternly told her that she wanted to stay alone. The soft facial features had turned ice cold, and after days of watching the real Daphne rising back into the forefront, the Ice Queen was suddenly back in full force. Tracy wondered what might have happened, but did not expound the argument.
"He is lied to me about everything... I blindly began to trust him. He killed me in the future..." Daphne muttered to herself. "He never had any feelings for me... It was all a plan..."
"Now that would be quite unfair on your part!"
Daphne spun around to see the blasted figure of Harry Potter standing next to her bed, which blasted smirk in his lips. Her fury rising to extreme heights, she drew her wand towards him and snarled, "Come to finish what you started, Potter?"
Harry did not reply and just strode up front, walking towards her. Daphne held her wand tightly, readying herself for any sudden attack. Potter stood in front of her for a moment before sitting down on her bed. "Very comfy..."
"Stop playing with me, Potter. How did you get in here and what do you want?"
"So many questions...very well, let me try answering them in order. Yes, I have come to finish what I started. I got in there in the same way I get everywhere else. I want to explain myself to you."
Daphne eyed him carefully. "Kind of weird, listening to my own killer about his reasons..."
"Damn it Greengrass, I do not want to kill you. If I wanted it, I would not have taken you under my wing. I would not have chosen to fight for your honor. I would not have tried to be friends with you."
"Then why?"
"Because, because the future-you was a mercenary; one who was working for the destroyer of the magical world. Inferno Corporation. Because you had interfered and spoiled my plans many a time to end the monster that was plaguing the world. My friends and me had taken over the ICW, and were about to take over the bigoted world to create a new world—one where there would only be magical and non-magical. Where magic mattered, not blood."
"And this Inferno Corporation, they were against it?"
"It is a long story. To say in brief, Inferno wanted to make the magical world a damn copy of the mundane world. They had started as a company of muggleborn witches and wizards under the leadership of Granger-" Daphne raised her eyebrows-"and were an organization which employed Muggleborns and squibs, intending to make new developments inspired from the mundane. Slowly they grew more and more ambitious and their roots spread out into the Ministry of magic and the ICW. They did whatever was necessary to achieve their goals. Slowly, they took over the two organizations and established themselves as the top power in our world."
"And me?"
"You were a mercenary for hire, working for them."
"I cannot see myself working for a group which wants to destroy the magical world." Daphne scoffed.
"I do not have the answer to that question. I did not know you personally then. The first time we fought, it was when I had become notorious as a dark lord-" Harry laughed bitterly-"and you were among the forces of the Inferno. You destroyed a lot of my attempts—always fearsome with a wand, and I wasn't so skilled back then-moving on, you killed a lot of people, some of them being very dear to me-"
"Longbottom and Bones."
"Right, you saw that, so I was mad with rage, and you taunted me about their deaths and-"
"I saw—you beheaded me." Daphne felt a cold shudder down her spine. Harry just nodded.
"So why are you here?"
"Everyone was dead. Only me and Theo-" Daphne looked at him sharply and Harry gave her a sheepish look-"the two of us were alive. We planned to come back into the past and kill Voldy and-"
"Voldy?" Daphne chortled.
"Voldy—Tom—Dork Lord—Moldy shorts, choose your favorite. I tried not to say the name—too many people flinching all the time." Harry continued sheepishly, as Daphne laughed. Harry's face turned serious. "We had prepared the ritual, but then we were ambushed."
"What happened?"
"Theo sacrificed his life so that I could live... I activated the ritual and here I am."
Daphne sat down on the bed beside him. "So you are here; you made your old opponent into your ally; and what else? Don't tell me you are behind the Pureblood killings-"
"I won't."
Daphne gaped at him. "You-you killed off ten of those death-eaters, including my uncle. Not that I am complaining, but then- I assume you killed Flint too?"
Harry shrugged.
"Sweet Morgana! I am friends with a time-travelling serial killer!"
"How does that feel?"
"Thrilling." Daphne exclaimed, almost hysteric with shock. "Any other surprises you would like to spring upon me?"
"I might have a few more."
Daphne raised her eyebrows. "No leave it. I don't think I can bear any more at the moment." She drew an elated breath, and then sharply turned to him. "You sure you are not here to kill me, right?"
Harry looked at her amused. "Should I give you a magical oath?"
Daphne fell back. "No, just checking. Merlin! This is blowing my mind!" she held her head, running her hands into her luxuriant hair.
"I appreciate that." Harry returned.
"Stop being a smart ass, Potter." Daphne scoffed. Harry just laughed. Daphne stopped her antics and then turned back at him, "I am surprised you took all the trouble in explaining all of it to me. You could have... oh I don't know... bound and obliviated me and be done with it!"
"I could not. We are in détente with each other, remember?"
"Right!"
"What were you actually doing there, in the Room of Requirement? I thought you were done with it all?"
"I was actually going to apologize to you." Daphne replied sheepishly. "I shouted and I yelled, and... I understand it now. You have lived for years with me as your enemy. You perhaps only tolerate me because of our contract and our tentative friendship and I remind you of the deaths and mmmmmmmh!"
It was blissful oblivion. Harry had gone ahead and kissed her full in the lips, kissing her passionately. Daphne's eyes widened instantly as she realized what had happened before the reality of the situation sunk into her, and she returned the kiss. After one full minute, they separated. Daphne's eyes were dazed and Harry had a goofy smile on his face.
"My friends wanted me to get out of my blind running behind a dream and actually live. I am not going to disappoint them."
Daphne nodded blankly before she went ahead and kissed him softly again. "This is real, right?"
"Yes, this is, Daphne."
The news that Greengrass and Potter were officially a couple was received with much surprise in Hogwarts. Tracy had gaped like a fish when she saw the couple walking towards the Great hall, hand in hand, while Blaise and Theo had a knowing grin on their faces. Theo silently passed Blaise ten galleons with a slight frown; something that changed into a grin when he extended his hand and received fifteen galleons from Tracy. As it was, many people had placed bets about when Greengrass and Potter would begin officially dating as a couple.
Being the Triwizard champion, Harry stayed out of all the classes, except Transfiguration, Charms, DADA and Potions. Transfiguration and Charms simply because the professors held him in high regard, and he did not want to set a bad picture of him in their minds as a person taking undue advantage of being Champion. He had taken DADA because he wanted to experience Moody's teaching firsthand, not having had the chance to have it previously. Potions, because of the man teaching it. Horace Slughorn had taken up the ropes of Slytherin House excellently and was quite popular among the students, both Slytherin and non-Slytherin. Whatever faults the man may have, he did know how to make a student interested in Potions. He would randomly quiz people, demonstrate brewing of complicated potions himself and importantly, was an unbiased teacher with a sense of decorum and fair play.
Soon it was time for the First Task, and as usual, the couple was in the Room of Requirement, having a duel with each other. Now that the task was days away, Daphne couldn't help but worry, never mind the fact that Harry had promised that he had already won it last time. She had liked rubbing it on his face that because of his altering the timeline; the events could have changed as well, something that had vanished the arrogant grin from Harry's face.
Convinced that Daphne had a point, Harry had taken his Firebolt first thing next morning and flew outside towards the Forbidden forest. Just as expected, he saw flames arising in the middle of the forest. Turning himself invisible, he flew close towards the source of the flames. Just as last time, there were dragons—four vicious dragons. Checking once again to confirm, he was satisfied that there were only four dragons—the same ones as previous time.
As he retired back to the Room of Requirement, he silently prodded into the room, not wanting to disturb Daphne who was busy perusing through the books. His stealth runic matrix active, he went behind her, trying to see what she was reading.
"Talon clipping by charms... treating scale-rot... This is no good; this is for nutters like Hagrid who want to keep them healthy..." she was muttering, as she turned over to the next page, "" 'Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate...hmm, not useful, I already knew that; hmm..."
Harry stood amused at her antics and continued to eavesdrop on his girlfriend, as she continued, "Switching Spells... but what's the point of switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous... then again dragon hide is almost impervious to magic... hmm, transfiguration perhaps? That too will not work. Instant scalping... but dragons had no hair... pepper breath... that would probably increase a dragon's firepower... horn tongue...just what I needed- to give it an extra weapon."
Harry could not keep it and bawled out in laughter making Daphne squawk out in surprise. "Harry! When did you enter? I did not hear you. Where you eavesdropping on me?" She exclaimed, her hands at her hips.
"Nor eavesdropping, just overhearing. If you wanted it to be private, you could have put a privacy ward around you." Harry teased.
"Using my own words against me, Potter?" Daphne taunted, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Harry raised his hands up in surrendered, "I kid, I kid." Daphne lowered his eyes and inquired, "Did you find out about the dragons?"
"Yes, mistress!" Harry replied, imitating Dobby perfectly.
"Prat!"
### A short chapter, I know. But I wanted to be done with it before beginning with the task. My second chapter and possibly the answer to your waiting. Please review...
