Chap. 11: Harry's Birthday.

Harry woke at 6:00 AM on the morning of Wednesday, July 31st, from a short nap, and though still tired from the night before, he was happy.

He thought back to their first meeting at the office, where he, Muriel, Bathilda, and Skeeter had sat down around the round dining table, had tea, and discussed the leading gossip, as well as concocted several fictional scandals to be placed in the paper, but they were of unknown witches and wizards, of course, in several of the large cities in England, Wales, and Scotland. Many were of supposed extra-marital affairs and teen pregnancies, where the families would be leaving on an extended holiday for nine or ten months. The real fathers were always in question. They mixed this with several known scandals that were just being mentioned in the Daily Prophet.

Muriel was a gas, Harry thought, as she insulted everyone and anyone. When he had told them of Albus showing up at Little Whinging in a woman's purple satin dressing gown sporting white feathers, and wearing white furry slippers, Muriel made several comments about the old headmaster that made Bathilda chortle and Rita smirk. Harry had roared with laughter. That then led to Harry hearing the rumors of the headmaster with Elphias Doge.

Bathilda mentioned Mervyn Tuchet, 2nd Earl of Castlehaven at this, and when Harry wondered who that was, he blushed red after he heard about his perverted history.

Tuchet had committed the "unnatural crime of sodomy" with his page, Laurence FitzPatrick, and he had assisted Giles Browning in the rape of his wife, Anne, Countess of Castlehaven, in which Lord Castlehaven was found to have participated by holding her down for it. His wife had testified about the "debauchery" in their household, and the news had even made its way across the Atlantic!

Here, Skeeter named the man, "Lord Touch-It."

Since he had met with Muriel for afternoon tea, he had been very busy. After having the floo connected with a floo address to put anyone off their trail, which was called "Scour's Sewer Scrubbers," he brought the three women together where they had gotten to work at his office at the Hollow. The first paper was six pages, front and back, consisting of a folded full sheet and half sheet put together. Those were then folded in half and stacked.

Harry had stayed late on the 30th, past midnight, and at 3:00 AM on the morning of the 31st, and just after he had received a magpie patronus from George stating that the public boxes were "all in place," he loaded the seven paper boxes with 100 papers each at the office, where they disappeared with a tap of his wand, and reappeared in the public boxes, with one magically sliding up into the door's window of each box showing the headline.

This occurred at the four public boxes along Diagon Alley and Carkitt Market, and at the three in Hogsmeade. He then stacked each office box with another hundred before calling it quits. They would magically transfer themselves as the others were taken out. That was a total of fourteen-hundred papers, and enough to cause quite the commotion in the British wizarding world.

After a yawn, Harry apparated to No. 12 Grimmauld Place, made his way to Sirius' old room, and crashed, only to be woken by his wand vibrating at seven o'clock.

Harry quickly washed his face to wake himself up and was going to find breakfast at Fady's Cafe, a cheap restaurant not far from there that opened at seven, before apparating back to Little Whinging to bathe and change clothes. After that, he was to apparate to Greenhill Manor, where they would take a portkey to a hidden location close to Harrods at nine.

Here, Harry thought back to the letters that he had exchanged with Daphne, and that made him blush since she had informed him about her continuing sexual frustration.

She had said that Tracey had told her that she could relieve her problems, herself, with the use of a couple of well-placed fingers, but Daphne said that she told her best friend that she would not stoop to that level. That was Harry's domain, she explained, and she went on to say that she would return the favor for him at any time.

Daphne had also informed Harry that Helen had started her on an anti-pregnancy potion, and had taught her a few useful spells. She informed Harry to not say anything about that to anyone, especially Astoria. She insisted, though, that she wanted to wait for her wedding night to "go all the way." Before then, they could experiment with everything else.

Now, Daphne was demanding that they arrange some clandestine alone-time to take care of their "mutual frustrations." She was hoping that this afternoon might be a good time if they could find an excuse.

Harry was all for that, of course, and one of the letters he just received might just help with that problem. It was from Molly inviting him to the Burrow to celebrate his birthday, and she had invited his fiancée along. Harry licked his lips at the thought, but it wasn't about the food or celebration.

The second letter was from Dumbledore, advising him that he would come to take Harry to the Weasleys for the remainder of his "vacation." Here, Harry had quickly penned a reply and sent it off with Hedwig.

.

.

Dear Headmaster,

I will be staying with my aunt and cousin until school starts in order to keep an eye on them over our current situation with You-Know-Who. I would not feel right about leaving them alone at such a time. However, I will be going to the Burrow this afternoon for my birthday and will apparate.

Wishing You Well,

Harry

.

.

Harry was not about to inform the man about his plans for a London trip, specifically to Knightsbridge at Hans Park, and across from Flat 7 at Denbigh House. There was a warded apparation and portkey area located there, and to the right of a gate in the trees in the private park. From there, it was a short walk along Hans Road to the intersection at Basil St. for the first entrance to Harrods, or "Door 2," which led to the "Men's Tailoring," and the "Gentleman's Lounge" and the "Refinery" which were downstairs. In other words, Menswear.

Also, from there, he could walk through the "Men's Fragrance" and the "Men's Designerwear," before going downstairs to the lower ground floor, and visiting the other men's departments. While there, he would indulge the witches with the "Egyptian Hall," which was handbags and clothing. Harry remembered it from when he was ten. The Dursleys were forced to take him there, and he thought the hall was quite gaudy.

Merlin forbid, Harry thought with a shudder, if he was to lead them toward Brompton Road and Door 7 on the ground floor! Why, he would be there all day, and end up shy a boatload of galleons. This large area, after all, was where all the chocolates, cosmetics, jewelers, and perfumeries were located, though it did also have the food, coffee, and tea stores as well. To go there, willingly, with four witches, why, perish the thought!

No, Harry thought, it was better to take the lift down from Menswear to the lower ground floor, and then back up to the first floor for their "Womenswear," and then up to the fourth floor to the "Georgian Restaurant," (which is now the "Harrods Tea Rooms") for elevenses or High Tea at noon. There, they would quench their hunger upon the green carpet while sitting in padded rose dining chairs at a table for four, eating finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries, though Harry was thinking of ordering a club sandwich as well. Afterward, they would proceed on with shopping until three o'clock, where the Greengrasses could have their afternoon tea at home.

Harry was supposed to be at the Weasleys at five that afternoon, and if he could have everyone back at Greenhill by three-thirty, at the latest, and he and Daphne quickly leave, then they would have an hour to "catch up on things."

Harry was already tired from the shopping, and especially from trying to explain to Daphne that the men's tight jeans wouldn't work well with him, since he needed a bit of extra room. He was doing his best not to be explicit in his reason. That seemed to float over everyone's heads except Tracey's, who let out a snort, but then tried to hide it with a polite cough. She then smirked at Harry, letting him know that she knew exactly what he needed "room for."

Harry had made a reservation beforehand, so, once all were seated, they ordered, and were brought their tea of choice, with Harry sticking to Earl Grey. After that came the finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries.

Four rectangular sandwiches (cucumber with mascarpone cream cheese on white bread, coronation chicken on turmeric bread, smoked salmon with lemon and dill cream cheese on tomato bread, and egg mayonnaise with truffle butter and chives on white bread) on the trays, Harry thought, and a lobster roll with radish. A medium-sized plain scone and a medium-sized fruit scone, along with a pot of strawberry jam, a pot of raspberry jelly, and a pot of clotted cream were with it. A vanilla and coconut blob, a lime and white chocolate ball, a chocolate textures blob, and a strawberry mille-feuille were their pastry desserts. One could have a choice of tea from six pages of the tea menu, Harry had noticed. One tea even had gold in it, which cost extra.

During the dessert portion, Helen ordered four flutes of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne, and Harry knew that the bill would probably be close to sixty pounds, each.

Just as Harry had started to take a sip of his Champagne, Daphne slipped her hand onto his thigh under the tablecloth, and lightly rubbed the inside with the tips of her fingers. Oh, for fek's sake, Harry thought, as something immediately began to swell up, which was causing Daphne to smirk from behind her glass.

Envision Marge and Filch doing it doggy-style, Harry, right there on the green carpet, he thought. Finally, he felt his manhood start to recede. That wicked little witch, Harry thought!

After they dined, they took the lift down to the third floor to look at "traditional furniture," which Harry thought was interesting, though it cost much more here than elsewhere.

Finally, nothing would do Daphne but to make her way back to the first floor, and to the "Wedding Dress Boutique," where the four witches started looking over everything, while Harry fumbled around completely bored. They were only looking at designs, he was later informed, and Daphne's dress would be fitted at Twilfitt and Tattings.

Harry told them that he would have his bespoke tux fitted at Savile Row later on. He was not going to wear robes.

Finally, thank Merlin, the five made their way out of the store at three-fifteen and apparated back to Greenhill Manor at three-forty, where their shopping was dropped off, except Harry's, which gave him an excuse to stop by Grimmauld Place with Daphne.

That caused a bit of an argument with Helen, but Harry had lied and stated that they were quickly going on to the Weasleys after that.

When the front door at No. 12 closed, Harry found himself with an armful of Daphne before he could drop all his bags. Their lips were locked in a kiss, so he grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up, where she wrapped her legs around his waist. From there, he carried her to the drawing room and sat with her on the sofa.

It didn't take long for things to become very heated, with Daphne "rubbing" her womanhood against his lap.

"I can't stand it anymore," Daphne said before she launched herself up, and began undoing the buttons on her blouse. Harry, who was lost for something to say, only dumbly nodded and did the same thing.

Once both were nude and standing before each other, they blushed and looked away. Finally, Daphne bit her bottom lip, took Harry's hand and sat back down on the sofa, where she then lie back and allowed Harry to take her in, in all her glory.

"Dear Merlin," Harry muttered and then thought that Daphne was a perfect work of art and that she was his Venus come to life. Of course, Daphne picked up that thought and blushed before beckoning Harry to her with her index finger.

Harry sat and scooted forward, where he lifted her dainty right foot and kissed her big toe, then her heel, and started making his way up her calf and thigh. Once he made his way between her legs, he kissed all around "it," including the small v-shaped patch of blond hair just above her womanhood, making Daphne groan out in anticipation.

Harry, of course, had never done this before and had only heard other boys talk of it. Finally, he placed his fingers on her hips and used his thumbs to part her opening, where he obtained his first, and very close, bird's eye view of a woman's vagina. This one, he noticed, one could hardly see, and he thought back to what Seamus had said about their "Maidenhead." When Harry was asked if he knew what that was, he answered, "a town in England." Even Neville had laughed at him for Merlin's sake!

Finally, Seamus had explained that the maidenhead was an elastic membrane of skin that covered the vagina, and that was what a virgin lost during their first act of sexual intercourse. He told Harry that some called it "popping their cherry," and "pop," it would, Harry thought, when he compared the size of his todger to that opening, for there was only a small hole, no larger than half the size of a muggle pencil, at the bottom of it. He was afraid that he would hurt Daphne, as his todger would, quite frankly, almost fill her entire opening from top to bottom.

He was quickly brought out of his thoughts, though, when Daphne moaned, again, and placed her left hand in his hair, where she began to massage his scalp, so he took a breath, and licked her opening from bottom to top. He must have done something right, Harry thought, as she let out a shuddering and high-pitched sigh.

"Oh, Harry," Daphne moaned. "More!"

Harry found that her most sensitive spot was a little nubbin of flesh that started to protrude at the top, which was like someone's head appearing from under a hood, Harry thought. Here, he started to work his tongue, where she moaned out loudly the more he did it.

Finally, she was gripping his hair with both hands, and with one final lick, her bum rose off the sofa and she practically gave out a shriek of joy, and it was as if she were having convulsions, which finally settled down.

After a minute to collect herself, Daphne looked up at Harry with a very sated expression before she smirked, and told him, "Lie back, lover boy, as I now get to have my wicked way with you, and by the way, Harry, that was my first time of ever, knowingly, having a climax, and I'm intending on making yours just as wonderful."

Harry's eyes crossed, and he thought he would pass out, but he lie back against the pillow at the armrest, exposing his erect member lying on his belly, which ended at his navel. He noticed Daphne give it a once-over and lick her lips before she positioned herself between his thighs.

Eventually, she picked his member up with her dainty right hand, and massaged it downward, pulling the foreskin back to expose his bell end. Harry's eyebrows shot up to his hairline, though, when he saw her open her mouth, and then take him inside.

"Oh, Merlin, help me," Harry moaned, as he had started to massage Daphne's head like she had done his, as her head bobbed up and down while using her tongue to wickedly torture her future husband.

It didn't take long, maybe five minutes of her sucking and licking, for Harry to grunt out, "Daphne, I - I - I'm about to..."

She released him from her mouth with a slight "pop," and massaged his member twice before he exploded, where a stream of his seed shot through the air to land on his belly along with several others.

Harry noticed that Daphne watched it happen in awe, and after he was finished, where he had to stop her from massaging him with his hand since he was just too sensitive, he watched as she took up a small drop that had run down his member with her finger, and tasted it. Here, she obtained a wicked look about her, before she put her mouth back on him, and sucked it clean.

"Oh, geez, oh, dear Merlin, help me," Harry shakily said, before his head dropped to the sofa with a light thud, and he shut his eyes tightly; his head spinning.

"Did you like that, my soon-to-be husband?" Daphne inquired with a slight giggle.

"Yes, you wicked little witch; you have no idea," Harry moaned.

Hermione and Ron were sitting on the sofa in the Burrow's living room when they heard a pop outside by the gate. Both quickly turned and gawked at what they saw.

There was Harry with Daphne Greengrass, brass and bolden, who was giving the shorter blond the snog of her life before Harry took her hand, and led her to the gate.

"Did you see that?" Hermione almost screeched.

"Yea," Ron said, who was now a little pale. "When did they become that close?"

"I don't know," Hermione huffed, "but I want to get to the bottom of it. He's hiding too many secrets, and I want facts!"

"Was that Harry?" Molly asked while walking into the room from the kitchen.

"Er, uh, yes, Mum, and he has company," Ron said.

"Good," Molly exclaimed as she made her way to the front door, "since I invited young Daphne, and I want to meet her!

"Arthur," Molly shouted to the kitchen as she opened the door, "Harry and young Miss Greengrass are here!"

"I'm coming," Arthur replied, as Molly looked outside.

Midway down the footpath, Molly watched Harry and Daphne stop in their tracks, where they then turned toward one another. Here, Harry gave the shorter blond a quick kiss where he said something that made the girl laugh. Molly was glad that they seemed to be happy together, though she wished that he could have ended up with her Ginny, which made her give out a low sigh, but she put on a smile and opened the door wider.

"Harry and Miss Greengrass," Molly exclaimed, "it's so good that you could come!" Here, Molly took Harry into a bone-breaking embrace before he could make it across the threshold.

Once she released him, Harry turned to Daphne and took her right hand with his left.

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, "allow me to introduce you to my fiancée, Daphne Victoria Greengrass. Daphne, this is Molly Weasley, who has treated me like a son from the moment she met me."

"It's good to meet you, Mrs. Weasley," Daphne said, and then curtsied.

"Oh, I'll have none of that," Molly said surprising Daphne, who then hugged the young witch, but not as tightly as she did Harry.

"Please, come in," Molly finally said as she stepped away from the door, "as the cake is almost done, and so is supper."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said, "as we both have had a lot of exercise today, and we're now hungry."

"Exercise?" Hermione lowly muttered, which caused Ron to glance at her, and she almost scoffed when she noticed Daphne blush. Yes, I'll bet it was exercise all right, Hermione thought, especially after their little show outside. What had those two been up to over the entire month?

"Hello, Harry," Arthur said as he shook Harry's hand, "and to you too, Miss Greengrass." Here, Arthur also shook the young witch's hand before directing them on into the living room. "I know your father, Cyrus, well, and he's a good man, I'll tell you."

"Ron, Hermione," Harry said, as he proudly wrapped his arm around Daphne's back. "I think you both know Daphne?"

"We have some classes together," Hermione said with a fake smile, "especially Ancient Runes and Arithmancy."

"Hermione and I are always competing for the top spot in those classes, honey," Daphne said as she stood up on her toes, and kissed Harry on the cheek.

Here, Hermione blushed red to her roots. She knew it, Hermione thought! They had already slept together, and she was sure of it. She wanted to stomp her foot! Why, the most she and Ron had ever done was a bit of slight petting, which, if she was honest, was less than what Ginny was doing with Dean Thomas. She had, after all, heard the rumor of Ginny giving Dean head in a broom cupboard.

Here, Hermione had to pause. Was she jealous, she thought? Surely not, as only Ron becomes that way. Here, she looked over at Ron, who was gaping at the kiss.

"Er, hey mate," Ron said after coming back to himself and shaking Harry's hand.

"Daphne," Ron said, who held out his hand, which Daphne took with her dainty one, and shook.

"It's good to meet you, Ron," Daphne said.

"Greengrass," Hermione said, who held out her hand next, which Daphne shook, and replied "Granger," with a nod.

If Hermione wasn't going to call her by her given name, then Daphne would return the favor, she thought. Could Hermione be so competitive at school, Daphne wondered, that she would even bring her grudges home with her? Ah, well, she thought, she would ignore it.

"Where's everyone else?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you two have a seat," Molly said while making her way back toward the kitchen, "as they're on their way. Ginny is over at the Lovegoods, but will be back; Fred and George will be here shortly, and Bill and Fleur will also be coming.

"Fleur took a part-time job at Gringotts Wizarding Bank this summer to improve her English," Molly said with a slight scowl, "and she is staying here with us for a few days to get to know the family now that they're engaged."

"That's great, Molly," Harry said, as he pulled Daphne into him with a hug almost making Hermione pout. He also noticed Hermione scowl at the mention of Fleur.

"Fleur?" Daphne questioned, and then it hit her. "The Triwizard champion, Fleur Delacour?"

"That's her," replied Arthur with a proud smile. "Her and Bill hit it right off, and he proposed to the lovely witch in no time!"

Here, Harry caught Hermione scowling, again.

"Too soon," came Molly's muttered words from the kitchen, which caused Arthur to roll his eyes.

They were all now sitting at two large picnic tables on the rear lawn, which were bending in the middle with food. Every bench barely had sitting room for everyone that had arrived.

There was Remus, who took to Daphne at once, telling Harry that she was a "keeper," and there was Tonks, who also took to Daphne, and told her that she would "take the young witch under her wing" due to all the wizards surrounding them.

Bill and Fleur were there, and Fleur had kissed Harry's cheeks before quickly explaining everything that happened in her French accent. However, when she mentioned that Gabrielle was wanting to meet Harry next year, Harry noticed Daphne tense up for the first time and lay her hand possessively on his thigh.

Fred and George were also there, and Harry noticed Fred slip Hermione a copy of The Magic Eye, which the young witch tried to read by holding it under the table. Here, Harry noticed Hermione's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, and then she covered her mouth with her hand before she first stared at Ron, and then at Harry with a look that said we need to talk later. Harry played dumb and shrugged his shoulders, before placing his arm around Daphne, as he listened to a joke being told by George.

Ginny was quietly whispering something to Tonks while sending glances over at Harry and Daphne as well. Both Harry and Daphne had caught that, which had caused Daphne to dig her fingernails into Harry's thigh.

Ginny, Harry learned, did not like Fleur and had been calling the part-Veela "Phlegm" and a "cow" behind her back, and worse, Hermione seemed to be going along with it. Both would take up for Molly, who seemed to not like Fleur that much, either, though Fleur and Bill ignored it. Why Molly was that way, Harry didn't know. Was it because Fleur was French? Bill said that they had known each other for a year now.

Daphne, though, could spot female jealousy a mile off, and she could see it in the two youngest witches at the table, excluding herself. It was jealousy over her, and Fleur, she knew, and that actually made the young Slytherin proud.

Daphne had even overheard Ginny whispering to Hermione about Daphne wearing tight jeans, and that the "blond's swinging bum was blinding her." Daphne hid her snort with a small but polite clearing of her throat at this. Really, she was receiving the Fleur treatment, but they dared not do it in front of Harry, who was ignorant of what was going on as he spoke to the men around the table.

What they were discussing, though, made Daphne nervous, and Professor Lupin, who wanted her to now call him Remus, was telling of other Death Eater and Dementor attacks.

"There have been another couple of Dementor attacks," he announced, as Mrs. Weasley passed him a large slice of birthday cake, "and they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it – well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother Regulus only managed a few days as far as I can remember."

"Yes, well," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning, "perhaps we should talk about something diff—"

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?" asked Bill, who was being plied with wine by Fleur.

"The man who ran the ice cream place in Diagon Alley?" Harry interrupted with an unpleasant and hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. "He used to give me free ice creams and was well versed in history. What's happened to him?"

"Dragged off, by the look of his place."

"Why?" asked Ron, while Mrs. Weasley pointedly glared at Bill.

"Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean."

"Talking of Diagon Alley," said Mr. Weasley, "looks like Ollivander's gone, too."

"The wand-maker?" said Ginny, looking startled.

"That's the one. Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped."

"But wands – what'll people do for wands?"

"They'll make do with other makers," said Lupin. "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it's not so good for us." (Chap. 6, HBP)

That was when Harry had spoken up again about what Remus had first mentioned.

"Yea, about the Dementors," Harry sighed, "well, all this unnatural fog we're seeing in the mornings, and the feeling of things not being right, well, the Dementors are breeding. Many have left Azkaban."

Molly gasped, Arthur grimaced, and Remus asked, "How do you know about this, Harry?"

"I know more than many of you think; classified stuff," Harry explained with a sigh, "but I'm only allowed to tell certain bits of information, and only to those close to me. The Dementors' actions are one bit. The minister has many things now classified as state secrets."

Here, Hermione scowled. Not that crap again, she thought.

"The minister's right, Harry," Remus said as he looked down at the table. "Not many know about that, and we thought that only those in the Order knew."

Daphne noticed that Mrs. Weasley was about to say something at this, but Arthur shook his head at her, and she stopped, though she still looked perturbed that Harry would know about such things. How was he to keep himself safe if he didn't know, Daphne wondered? Harry had even been training in muggle fighting with his cousin and someone from Japan that had a Dojo close to Little Whinging, for Merlin's sake. It was in case he had to fight without a wand, and she wanted him to teach her. Let someone from Slytherin try to grab her bum again, she thought! That was Harry's and no one else's to handle and handle it he did well, she thought!

Finally, they cut the main cake, and everyone sang Happy Birthday making Harry blush, though he and Daphne really did enjoy the cake after he had blown out the sixteen candles. If they only knew what Daphne had given him for a present, Harry thought, and then he lowly sniggered. He would take one of those over a handful of gold or presents any day!

Just as Remus had handed Harry an old book on jinxes, hexes, and curses, along with their counters as a present, Headmaster Dumbledore appeared around the corner of the Burrow, which made many go for their wands, at first.

"It's only I, Arthur, who just spoke to you earlier about Percy at the ministry."

Here, Arthur sat back down while slipping his wand back up his sleeve but looked away from Molly about Percy.

"Headmaster, it is good for you to join us," Harry said before Molly could. "Please, sit down and have some cake before Ron eats it all."

This brought many laughs from the two tables as Dumbledore took his seat, and studied Harry momentarily, before turning his gaze to Daphne.

"Ah, Miss Greengrass! It's so good to see you here in the company of your fiancé. That makes this old man very happy."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Daphne replied with a smile, as Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Have you two set a date as of yet?" Dumbledore inquired, which made every eye turn to Harry and Daphne.

Before Harry could comment, Daphne spoke up. "Just after November is what we're planning."

"That soon!" Hermione loudly exclaimed, drawing the attention off of Harry and Daphne. Here, Hermione looked down at her lap and blushed.

"Yes," Harry said, "since Daphne and I have met, we have grown very fond of each other, and we can't wait to be married. We have to, anyhow, by my next birthday."

Daphne noticed Ginny squirm at this, and Molly cover her mouth with her hand, while Tonks only smirked.

"Bien pour vous!" Fleur exclaimed and clapped her hands making Bill smile.

"That means 'good for you,'" Daphne whispered to Harry.

"Thanks, Fleur," Harry said, "that means a lot. Of course, you're all invited when we have it."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Now, Harry, could I have a private word with you? It will only take a moment."

Harry quickly glanced at Daphne but nodded and stood. The two walked off toward the apple tree at the end of the yard, where Albus studied Harry for a moment.

"Well, Harry, my boy, you're turning into a young man before my eyes. Again, I do wish you and Miss Greengrass well, as she is one of the brightest witches in your year."

"Er, uh, thank you, sir," Harry said.

"Now, what I'm wondering is, if you and Miss Greengrass would take a little trip with me before it becomes too late. I'm trying to recruit a new professor for the year, and I believe you two would help me retain him."

"Sir?"

"I want to speak with an old friend of mine, Harry," Dumbledore explained, "Horace Slughorn, who used to teach potions before Severus. I wish to coax him out of retirement, but he is being quite stubborn about it, and I believe that you would like him as a potions professor as well. He dearly loved your mother, who was at the top of his class."

"But sir," Harry replied, "I have to be getting Daphne home, or Helen and Cyrus will have my hide!"

"I've already taken care of that, my boy," Albus said. "I stopped by Greenhill Manor and asked her parents if this would be okay, and they agreed. For some reason, they thought that you two might require a, well, a chaperone." Here, Dumbledore gave out a jolly chuckle, which made Harry blush.

"Well, if she's okay with it, then yes, we can help," said Harry.

"Good, good," Albus replied, and patted Harry on his shoulder with his left hand. He had been keeping his right in his robe pocket all night.

"Let us head back, then, shall we?"

As the two were slowly making their way back to the others, Dumbledore glanced to his side at Harry. "I believe that Miss Granger and young Mr. Weasley wish to have a quick word with you before we head out on our adventure, so I shall give you, say, about fifteen minutes. Do have fun, Harry."

Harry looked at Dumbledore oddly over this, but shrugged, and made his way over to Daphne where he whispered what was said into her ear. Here, she stood, took Harry's hand, and they motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow them inside the Burrow. Harry noticed Hermione quickly roll up The Magic Eye, and bring it with her.

After the four were seated in the Burrow's living room, and before Ron could ask what Dumbledore had wanted, Hermione quickly unrolled The Magic Eye and held it up for everyone to see.

"What do you know about this, Harry?"

Daphne's mouth dropped as she took in the paper, and so did Ron's. Harry put on a fake shocked look and shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never seen that paper before," Harry lied.

"He Became That!" Daphne quoted the headline and the rest underneath it. "The Real History Of You-Know-Who." She was shocked, as there, on the front page, were two photos. One was of a handsome boy in Hogwarts robes, who looked like a seventh year, and beside that was an artist's rendering of the vile beast that he had become.

"Is that what he really looks like, Harry?" Daphne asked with wide eyes, as she cuddled into a ball beside Harry and stared at the paper.

"Yes, dear," Harry said as he wrapped his arm around her for comfort. "White skin with blue veins everywhere, slits for nostrils like a snake, and slit irises. The eyes are red, though, in real life, which the black and white photo fails to capture. That is Tom Marvolo Riddle in the flesh, in both instances."

TBC next chapter.

A/N: Thanks, again, for all the reviews, as they're much appreciated. Sorry for the cliff hanger ;-)