Chaos Born: Destiny Undone

by I LIKE FEAR 1-2

Cast into the shadows, and captured by Evil, the Boy-Who-Lived suffered in agony. Twisted, mutated, and mutilated, what happens when he escapes back into the world and learns a terrible truth. Blessed by darkness, guided by death, the world's savior has been lost. A nightmare has been born with only two goals in mind; survive and prosper. (Warnings/Cliches inside)

10. Chapter 10

Alright here's Chapter ten for you. Got more going on, more to handle, few interesting things will come to light this chapter, hope you all enjoy. Also minor poll at the end.

Chaos Born: Destiny Undone

Chapter 10: Setting a foundation with Slaves

Harry made his way down to the Beauxbatons carriage under the cover of his Invisibility Cloak and waited for the students to begin returning so he could slip inside with them. Once inside he waited for Fleur to arrive. She soon appeared with the headmistress and vanished into the headmistress's office for an hour or so to speak with her about her performance in the challenge no doubt. Harry waited outside, hidden out of sight and waited for her to emerge.

He followed Fleur as she passed through the carriage, keeping close to her, but not too close to avoid running into her.

Fleur made it to the doorway, leading into her room, when Harry chose to reveal himself.

"Delacour." He spoke, causing her to freeze and then turn around, blinking in confusion as she searched for the voice.

"It's me, Harry Potter. Wanna have that talk now?" Harry said to her, as he shifted the invisibility cloak so that it sat on him how a cloak should, allowing his face to show if you looked at him from the front, while the rest of his body was covered.

Her eyes went wide when she saw him, she blinked several more times before opening her door, and motioning for him to enter.

He did so, and removed his cloak as she shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned him, eyeing him intently as she stood with her back to the door, no doubt ready to throw it open and call for help if his intentions weren't on the level.

"I came to talk. Figured it was best not to wait, given what happened the last time I left someone to their own devices in regards to this situation."

"So you snuck into our carriage and intended to follow me into my room, just to talk to me?" She asked, as a challenging smirk touched at her lips.

"Well if I wasn't being straightforward I could have simply snuck into your room without you knowing instead of letting you know I was here at the door." Harry countered, narrowing his visible eye in acceptance of her challenge.

Fleur made a face at him, almost seeming disappointed that he didn't take the bait or appear flustered by her insinuation.

Silence held for a moment before Harry pulled up his sleeve revealing the mark of Slaanesh on his forearm.

Fleur gave it a look before leaning off of the door and rolling up her own sleeve to show her copy of the mark.

Fleur's mark dimly glowed with a faint pink light, she held up her hand in the same way that he was, and after a moment, a smirk touched at her lips, and she unleashed her allure. Before his eye, he saw light flow around her. Every contour of her face immediately stood out to him. Every line, every curve. The vibrancy of her eyes, the fullness of her lips, the gentle movement of her hair, all of it designed to entice a reaction and draw someone into a mindless thralldom of sexual domination.

He envisioned himself kissing her, tasting her lips, and exploring her mouth with his tongue. It was an enticing desire, but he held firm, unmoved by the draw. In his minds eye he could see her demonic self being mindlessly, and wantonly fucked by his demonic avatar in the dreamworld. A sight that was often mind-numbing in it's ecstasy, and one of the few things other than the sexual touches of his slaves that could cause him to awaken from the aftereffects of an orgasm.

A part of him wondered how her allure would affect her naked body in it's entirety. Only visible skin was enhanced by the presence of her allure, and since she was mostly covered his attention was pulled primarily to her face, though his eyes did trail upon her forearm, and hands, as well as her lower legs.

Yes, he was quickly developing an understanding of why this power was so dangerous to regular people, and to the Veela themselves. Staring at her hands or mouth for too long began conjuring images of her delicate fingers wrapping around his engorged member, or her lips pulling him into her mouth. Again, an enticing thought, yet far from the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. His own sexual experiences, plus the intensity of his dreams alone would have granted him some minor resilience to her allure, that wasn't counting his own willpower, and mental defenses. All of that, coupled with his brain continuously bonding with the Mindflayer parasite, and he was left fully aware of her power, and able to feel it, but his mind remained fortified, his willpower more than enough to resist her.

She held him under the effects of her allure for a full two minutes, eyeing him with a lovely smile. That smile though began to lose it's desire, and allure, and seemed to become almost genuine as her allure began to fade.

"You are immune…" Fleur spoke up, as she retracted her allure completely.

"Not really. I could see and feel the effects of your allure, I simply chose not to react to whatever desires they drudged up." Harry responded, speaking truthfully, as he was very aware that he was now sporting a full blown erection, and if it wasn't for the darkness of his robes and the fact that he was facing her directly, she'd certainly notice the tent in his pants.

Fleur seemed surprised by this, but pleasantly so. Her smile seemed to become a bit predatory as she lowered her arm and took a few steps towards him.

"So zere were desires?" She asked something in her eyes, registering as curiosity and intrigue.

"Don't act surprised. You know how beautiful you are." Harry countered.

She let out a laugh at that, her voice being almost musical to his ears.

He remembered how in his dreams, this woman was able to make all of his fears and uncertainties slip away. She deafened him to his own worries, filling his mind with only her. She made him forget everything that was bothering him, even if only for a few seconds, and he was beginning to understand just why that was.

It'd be so easy to just forget why he'd come here and start flirting with her. He was far from the boy that he appeared, and after so many years with Luna and his twin fire witches, he wasn't nervous around girls anymore. He'd received enough teasing and taunting from Qualaag for a lifetime of resilience.

"I do… zough I appreciate ze compliment. So… you are my master zen?" She asked, this time earning surprise from Harry.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you've learned about the nature of these marks, though it does make me wonder, if you already knew what these marks were, why treat me with anything other than hostility or disdain?" Harry questioned her.

"A few reasons. Firstly, I wanted to understand how bad ze situation was before I started zhrowing blame around. As far as I was able to learn, zere should be no way for me to have zis mark without some sort of ritual, and I have no memory of such a zing, so I suspect somezing more is at play here. Secondly, me being a Veela, being enslaved to a powerful wizard is not ze worst zing in ze world. zhirdly, when I started to suspect you were ze one I was bonded to, I began watching you. I have seen zat you are not a bad person, and you care for your girlfriend very much. If you showed me such kindness, zen I am certain my lot in life has improved due to zis mark." Fleur explained to him, earning a curious look from Harry.

"It also makes it really easy to cum when I touch the mark while masturbating." Fleur thought to herself, fighting off a shudder.

Harry caught the thought with his mind-reading abilities and had to fight to keep his face from reacting to it. He had to focus to keep his mind on what she actually said and not what she thought.

"I'm sorry. I know some things about Veela, but far from everything. Why would being enslaved be an improvement for you?" Harry asked her, his eye once more meeting with her cerulean blues.

"Veela are often doomed to end up alone in life and confined. Our allure grows stronger as we age, and ze longer we go without a mate, ze more troublesome it becomes. An unmated veela at ze age of sirty will have an allure on average strong enough to drive ze weak minded to rape. Ten years on, at forty, zat same allure is now strong enough to affect most average men. It is why Veela are not really allowed to go places outside of our covens once we reach a certain age. Zis only changes if we are married, or claimed by someone. Once married or at least after spending a year or two mating with one person, our allure begins to attune itself to our chosen partner, and actually weakens around ozers, to ze point where only our mate is affected by it. It is why mated, older Veela are often indistinguishable from human women as you can no longer even see zeir allure." Fleur explained to him, earning a thoughtful look from Harry but he nodded in understanding. He knew half of that, precisely the part where a Veela's allure grew stronger as she aged, though he didn't know the part about it focusing in on a chosen partner.

"I'm guessing this partner has to be of a particular sort." Harry noted.

"Yes. As I said, ze Allure still grows stronger, but that person is ze only one affected by it. Unless zey are immune or possess an incredible willpower, zey will be affected by it just ze same. It is why Veela must choose zeir mates carefully. A relationship may start fine in ze beginning but quickly devolve as she grows older until finally her partner is completely consumed by her allure. Zis sadly usually results in what is known as 'ze final dance', where ze two mate until ze Veela's partner dies of exhaustion, being unable to stop due to her allure. Zis usually results in the Veela dying of heartbreak not long afterwards, or even at ze same time. Romances with Veela are often short lived due to zis. It is why it is important to find someone who is immune or able to resist ze Allure at full strength. If you find someone like zat, zen it is unlike zat zey will lack such fortitude later in life, meaning a happy union is possible. My fazer is one such person, having a natural immunity. Even so my mama's allure is powerful and fully attune to him, his mind is untouched by it." Fleur expressed to him, growing a bit solemn as she spoke on the usual fate of Veela romances.

"It is why I had to test you just now. You say you felt ze effects of my allure but simply chose not to act upon zem? Zat shows incredible willpower, as I have a naturally strong allure. My grandmozer is a full blooded Veela and she says my allure is stronger zen hers was at my age. If you can reject it's influence at such a hormonal time in your life, zen you will no doubt be fine as I grow older. Which is a good zing for me. It means I might end up with a partner for life, and I can live like a normal woman without being relegated to one of ze Veela sanctuaries for ze rest of my life like my grandmozer." Fleur continued on, sounding hopeful, though she did seem a bit forlorn as well, almost as if feeling a bit of sadness or perhaps melancholy was a better word, when she thought of her grandmother.

"I see. So you're not at all worried about being enslaved?" Harry spoke, eyeing her curiously.

"Well zat would depend. Do you intend to treat me like a slave, monsieur Potter?" Fleur asked him, a glint in her eye.

She wasn't afraid of him, he could tell that through his sensory gifts. If he had to guess, she was most likely someone who believed they had a good sense of a person's character. Being a Veela and having to avoid situations or individuals that could lead to her being assaulted by her schoolmates, the faculty of Beauxbatons, and just people in general, it made sense that she would have developed a keen eye towards the nature of people. She said she had been observing him with Luna, and had no doubt seen him stand up for her, so it was likely she used that as a basis for her understanding of him as a person.

Had this meeting happened before yesterday, she would have been right. He had been a good kid, who tried to do the right thing. But that was before, when he hadn't endured twenty-four years of life in a whole new world, fighting monsters, and waging wars. He wasn't that person anymore. He was colder, and crueler.

He wasn't about to correct her though, and he realized that her inquiry just now wasn't serious, sensing the flirtatious nature of the question he chose to respond in kind.

"That depends, do you want me too?" He gave her a chuckle, causing her smirk to reappear. She seemed to like that he wasn't nervous around her. His confidence made her feel at ease. If one had to guess it was most likely because nervous or uncertain people gave off an impression that they weren't as strong willed, and a weak willed person was dangerous around a Veela.

"Tell me, Harry Potter, do you know how zese marks came to be? Since we have never met before, and you have not come forward to claim me, I am guessing you were not ze one to place zem?" She asked him, turning the conversation back towards it's main point.

"No… I wasn't, and I'm sorry to say, that while I don't intend to treat you poorly, or like a slave, you wont be living a normal life either. In fact you may eventually wish to have ended up in one of those sanctuaries." Harry said to her, causing her smirk to vanish and concern to flit onto her face.

"You may want to take a seat. This explanation will be a long one." Harry added.

Fleur continued to stare at him for several moments before beginning to move. She crossed the room, passing by him. Fleur had intentionally walked close to him, passing close enough to feel her body heat. She passed him on his left side, so their shared marks came close to one another. In that brief moment hers glowed brighter, and she let out a noise, as if a tingle of pleasure had passed through her whole body. Harry felt something similar, like a wave of pleasant heat that raced up his arm and across his whole body. Neither said a word as Fleur continued on her way and sat at the edge of her bed. She stared up at him, her cheeks tinged by a gentle blush and waited patiently for him to begin. She was probably hoping he wouldn't comment on what just happened. Sensing her embarrassment, he chose no to.

"I'll try to condense all of this as much as possible, but please save your questions to the end, otherwise we'll be here for hours." Harry began, earning a nod, he continued. "Over the summer I was kidnapped by two Death Eaters who gave me to another Death Eater named Abigail McTash. This woman was an experimenter, the kind of person who practiced unsightly magics to create new abilities and powers. She was working on a ritual to create a Chimera spell that could be used to fuse a human being with other magicals parts and powers. I was brought there and given to her because they knew that I would eventually end up dead at her hands, and she knew how to make people suffer before the end."

Fleur listened intently to this, following along as he continued.

"She performed her experiments on me. Tearing my body apart and fusing me with various magical parts. Unbeknownst to her, her ritual also fused my body with Basilisk Venom and Phoenix Tears, both of which I acquired during an earlier adventure in my life, that isn't important right now. The important part is the Phoenix tears, which granted me the power of resurrection. If I die, my body turns to ashes and I'm reborn from my ashes a few moments later, like an actual Phoenix. Towards the end of McTash's experiments she performed one final experiment on me, to try and fuse my spirit with spiritual entities summoned from another dimension. These entities, these demons were all summoned together and placed into my body using these marks that I have. Four entities, for four of the marks. The process worked, my soul absorbed the four demons, binding their energies to my own spirit turning me into something akin to a demon myself, at least spiritually speaking. At the end of that process, I was murdered. When I died my spirit was pulled in by the masters or creators of these four demons, all of whom wanted my soul. I was protected though, protected by the personification of Death itself. You see, I was chosen, or destined to be the Master of Death. I am Death's companion, Death's guiding force, it's master. Being the Master of Death makes me a one-of-a-kind individual and all of these dark entities these Chaos Gods, now wanted me a helluva lot more. They couldn't take me though, doing so would risk angering Death itself, and causing it to ally with the other Chaos Gods in order to get me back from the one that stole me, so instead a deal was struck. I was to be set free, and these Chaos Gods could try to bribe or coerce me into joining them, but I had to do so willingly. If I willingly chose to stand with one or more of the Chaos Gods, than Death would happily follow me, but it had to be my choice. So the Chaos Gods were granted the chance to try and bribe me into making contact with them and opening the doorway for further convincing. Those bribes took the form of three gifts apiece. The first gift each of the gods chose was a woman, who would be enslaved to me, and act as my servant for all time." Harry continued on. Fleur listened intently, keeping quiet though her surprise showed many times on her face as Harry explained things. At the end, Fleur's eyes lowered to her own mark, which was still glowing. Now realizing that a dark god had placed it, she began to understand that this was something far beyond anything she could have expected.

"Your mark was placed by the Dark God known as Slaanesh. The Prince of Pleasure. The God of excess, indulgence, pain, pleasure, and perfection. You were chosen for two reasons. One being that this god knew you'd be coming here during the Triwizard Tournament and thus knew we'd be meeting, and the second reason was that your people, the Veela were created by this god. When daemons of Slaanesh mated with harpies, and their offspring mated with humans, it made the Veela. So you are a descendant of this god. And just to clarify, demons of these gods, are made from them. So… you were given as a gift, to try and bribe me into joining and serving Slaanesh. That mark, isn't just a means of binding you to me as a slave, it's also a time bomb. Contained within it, is demonic power, and evil energies, and in five years time, it will erupt, consuming your soul, and transforming you into a deamonette of Slaanesh." Harry expressed to her, causing her eyes to go wide, and fear beginning to fill them.

"I've found a way to give you a chance at life. There's a reason why the Chaos Gods set the brands to activate after five years, and I believe it was to offer a backup solution. You see, if I awaken the brand myself, than the process will begin much more slowly, and if, over the next five years, you earn the favor of your patron god, you yourself can be transformed into a demon, rather than being replaced by one. As far as I'm aware, this is the only way that 'you' as a person, survive." Harry quickly added in.

Fleur's breathing picked up, and she visibly appeared disturbed by all of this.

"So… if I want to survive, I must impress zis god, and get turned into a demon?" Fleur asked as her fingers gently traced over the mark.

"Yes." Harry responded.

"Ze others, ze ones gifted to you. Zey are in ze same boat?" Fleur questioned.

"They are. My own sister is one of them. I'm invested in finding a way to save your souls." Harry said to her, drawing her attention back to him with a look of surprise.

"Your sister? So she is to be your slave as well? I am… sorry to hear zat." Fleur offered to him. "I have my own sister, and I cannot imagine what it would feel like knowing her life was in such peril."

"I appreciate you saying that." He responded, scratching the back of his head as he did.

"So… zis method, it's ze only chance I have?" She asked.

"Yes. It's either you, or whomever, or rather whatever they choose to replace you with. I have to warn you first though, accepting my offer, means you'll start to change. My sister isn't here with me, and doesn't know any of this. In truth I've never met her, she and I were separated when we were just toddlers, but two of the other girls are here, and I've already begun the process with them." Harry explained.

"So zey agreed to zis?" Fleur asked him.

"In their own way. It was one of the options I gave to them, the only one that might give them the chance to live." Harry answered honestly.

"What do you mean?" Fleur questioned him, curiously.

"They didn't know all of this. In truth I only knew about the slavery part recently. It's complicated, but let's just say it boils down to a marriage contract, and their belief that their enslavement to me, would violate the marriage contract and get them killed, so their parents worked to have me murdered, in the hopes that would free them from the slave brands." Harry said to her, earning a shocked look.

"Did zey succeed?" Fleur asked, earning a nod from him, she blinked and then recognized the next part before he had to say it. "But you revived after zey killed you…"

"Yeah. I revived. I killed my killers, and just before I came here, I went and dealt with the two of them. You see, that marriage contract they were worried about, it was actually to me. They thought it was to someone else, but I learned between our meetings that they were actually bound to me by marriage contract even without the brands. Because of their actions, they were now in danger of violating the marriage contract which contains many draconian safeguards for me. I had to retaliate or they'd be killed. That retaliation came in the form of this. I told them that I might forgive them, only if they agreed to undergo this process so I could see what would happen. This would help me decide how to move forward with both you, and my sister. I'm invested in my sister's life, even if I don't know her, and you're innocent in all of this, so I want to help keep you alive. They agreed, as an act of repentance and a means of survival, but we'll see how far it goes." Harry continued on.

"Okay. So… what happened?" Fleur asked him.

"They underwent some changes. One of them grew a snake out of a magical tattoo that appeared on her back, the other's eyes changed color, making her appear blind, and now she sees things in an odd manner. The second one is also growing poisonous flowers out of her hair. These are just the first of the mutations that have struck them. I suspect more will come as time goes on. Similar things will happen to you, unfortunately." Harry expressed to her.

Fleur was silent as Harry let out a sigh and knelt in front of her. She met his gaze, staring into his emerald eye for several long moments.

"I'm sorry that this happened to you. I wish there was a way to undo it. I truly do. I wish I could say that I would never do anything untoward or attempt to take advantage of this situation, but I fear in your particular case, I'll be pressed to." He said to her, his honest sorrow evident in his voice.

Despite the age difference between them, Fleur could see a great deal of maturity in him, more than even she possessed. This boy who was only a year or two older than her sister, reminded her of her father. He was firm, and cool. He was stoic in a way that inspired certainty, even in the face of this massive uncertainty.

She understood what he meant with what he had said. She was chosen by a god of pleasure, of pain, of excess. It was no great stretch of the imagination to guess that sex would be a big part of impressing this dark being. She eyed him for several long moments as she thought on this. He was handsome, despite his youth. She wouldn't have thought so a week ago, but seeing him today, maybe it was just because of everything that had happened, but he seemed older, taller, less of a boy, and more of a man. She couldn't quite place it. It was something in his looks, in his face, the glint in his eye that lacked any sort of childish glee. There was great maturity there, that definitely made her feel like she was talking to someone older than her.

Could she spend the rest of her life with him? Maybe. If she wanted to live she'd have to, but before that even truly became an option, she'd have to impress this dark god, and earn her place by his side. What would it take to reach that point? How far would she have to go? Five years, was all the time she had. She guessed it was five years from the moment the marks were placed, meaning a few months had already passed since then. She was already cutting into her available time. If she wanted to live, she needed to act quickly. There was still the issue of being turned into some kind of monster, of changing like the other girls did. If that was to be her fate as well, than she wanted something first, though she felt guilty for wanting it. Still, she knew she didn't have time to dance around the issue. Five years wasn't a long time, especially if she had to impress a god.

"How do I impress zis god? I'm guessing by your words, us having sex, would be part of it?" Fleur asked him.

"Yeah. But in truth it's anything to do with it's governed concepts. Pleasure, in all it's forms. Pain in all it's forms. Excess in all it's forms. The pursuit of perfection, and unending improvement of the self. These are things that fall into Slaanesh's domain. Unfortunately I can't tell you what the limit will be. I can't tell you that you just have to have sex with me two thousand times over the next five years, and that'll do it. I can't tell you what'll be enough. I wish I could, but I doubt there is a concrete answer. My guess is it'll just happen. One day it'll be enough, and that'll be it." Harry said to her. She took note that he wasn't at all flustered by her proclamation that they'd need to have sex. Again, he showed a maturity that surprised her.

Silence once again fell over the room, as Fleur thought to herself. Becoming some kind of monster was a horrifying thought, but she was more terrified of dying. Especially if her soul was damned to this Dark God's possession. There was also her body to consider after she died. Something else would take her place, wearing her body like some kind of suit, interacting with the world, with her friends and family. It was a terrifying thought. She couldn't let it happen. She didn't want to die. She didn't want to leave her family, her precious little sister most of all, behind. She was supposed to look out for her, to keep her safe. She had promised her time and time again, that she'd always look out for her, and keep her safe, that she'd never let anyone touch her, or hurt her. There was something she wanted to ask him, a deal she wanted to make.

Finally she lifted her gaze back to meet his and spoke. "I know you had no hand is zis. I believe you when you say it, but zere is no one else I can barter wiz. There is somezing I would like to ask of you. I know zat it might be selfish, but it is somezing zat I want."

"Go ahead." Harry replied.

"Will you… … …" Fleur felt herself stall, hesitating. She was taking a risk here, taking a big leap. She didn't know him very well, he could be a bad person, he could actually be a monster. He said he had killed those that had killed him, meaning he'd killed people, human beings. Even as a child, a teenager, he'd killed people. 'People' plural, as in more than one. She shuddered, but seeing his eye on her, she panicked and decided to wait and say something else. "Before I change, before I am different, no longer me… will you… shit! Forget I said anyzing. It would not work." Fleur quickly backpedaled, embarrassment, disappointment and frustration evident on her face.

"What is it? I'll help if I can." Harry offered, sensing her anxiety, as well as her sudden change of emotion. She had wanted to ask him one thing, but had immediately jumped to something else, which he found curious.

"No it is… it wont work. You are too young, and even if you were not, I would not want to mess up your relationship wiz your girlfriend." Fleur shook her head, mentally berating herself for jumping in that direction, without taking a moment to consider it more thoroughly.

"You want me to sleep with you?" Harry questioned, guessing that was what she was getting at.

Fleur blushed, and did not meet his gaze. He could understand where she was coming from. Knowing that she would transform and start to mutate like the other girls, it was easy to see that she'd want to try something like this, just once in her own body before she lost it forever. It was all easy to understand, even if it did surprise him to hear that she was a virgin, or at least that her desire made it appear like she was. He knew that wasn't what she actually wanted to ask him though. While it may have been something that she wanted, it wasn't what she had intended originally.

"It is stupid. Forget I said anyzing. I zought maybe I could convince you to try it once, but zen I zought about your girlfriend, and I realized ze two of you probably wont do anyzing like zat for a while, and I do not want to ask you to cheat on her. And I…" Fleur just shook her head in frustration, not realizing that Harry could see through her.

"Fleur… why don't we go out on a couple of dates first, and then we can let it happen naturally if we like each other?" Harry asked her, drawing her focus back to him.

"But… what about your girlfriend?" Fleur asked him. "Wait, is she one of ze girls you were referring too? No that doesn't make sense, why would she try to kill you…"

"Luna is her name, and she wasn't one of the girls that was gifted to me. She chose to bind herself to me. She knows about all of this, and she doesn't care if I engage in intimacy or fall in love with other people. She just wants to be by my side. She was my first love, and she always will be. That personification of Death I talked about, she's it." Harry revealed to her, causing Fleur's eyes to go wide at that revelation.

"She is- She is Death itself?" Fleur questioned with disbelief as she envisioned the dainty blonde haired girl that she'd observed with Harry these last few weeks.

"The physical personification of Death, yes." Harry affirmed, causing Fleur to stare off in disbelief as her mind reeled at that information.

"Death… Death itself. That girl… I can't believe it…" Fleur thought to herself, her mind going numb at the implication behind this revelation.

"Also… I should tell you, I'm not fourteen. I'm actually thirty-eight." Harry added in, drawing Fleur's eyes back to him in further confusion.

"I told you that these gods gave me several gifts. Three for each of them. Each one gifted me with a slave, but that still leaves two other gifts for each one. One of these gods, granted me a power that activates whenever I die in this, in our reality. When I die here, my spirit is transferred to another reality, another place, another time, it could be anywhere. I'm basically forced to live another life in this place. When I was killed yesterday, I was transported to another place, where I lived for twenty-four years. I grew up, I lived life as an adult, I met two beautiful twin sisters and came to love them. Luna, being the incarnation of Death was able to visit me in my dreams, and speak into my mind while I was there. Twenty-four years passed for me, but only a few moments occurred here in our reality. Basically in the time it took for me to reincarnate. When I did reincarnate I was brought back into my younger body, back to the age I was when I left. But yeah, I'm older than I appear. I'm an adult." Harry explained to her, causing Fleur to rise to her feet and approach him. She gave him a closer inspection with her eyes, almost as if seeing him in a new light. Learning about this power of his, and his actual age helped draw her mind away from the incredible truth about Luna.

For Fleur, everything now clicked into place. His apparent maturity now made complete sense. Thirty-eight. She was eighteen. All this time she'd been worried about having four years on him, when in reality he had twenty years on her. Being a nearly forty year old wizard also helped her to understand what she had heard about his performance during the first task, how he had killed a dragon. He had spent over twenty years learning new magics in another world, studying and honing his powers. The great Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, slayer of Voldemort and savior of the Wizarding World, of course he could best a dragon with over twenty years to prepare and develop his skills.

Having had two other lovers while he was there, also explained his immunity to her allure, and his cool acceptance of her advances. Despite being thrust back into his younger body, he was a man. Wait, he had said the two lovers he'd had were sisters… twins… so he really was fine having more than one partner, and if he was telling the truth about his girlfriend who visited him in his dreams but couldn't actually be with him while he was there, than that meant he probably could or would fulfill her original desire if she asked him.

"Harry Potter… I would like to ask you if it is alright if my sister joins us." Her moment of newfound certainty allowed her to voice her desire.

"Your sister… what do you mean join us?" Harry asked, surprise flitting onto his face, followed by confusion.

"I am asking if you will take her as your partner. Your lover one day." Fleur clarified.

"Why?" Harry asked, dumbfounded before shaking his head, as he realized that may have come out as rude. "I mean, that's not to say that… I… Ya know what, no. I go back to my original question. Why? I mean… why ask me that?"

Fleur looked like she was trying to formulate a response, struggling to piece together the proper answer.

Harry heard it in her mind, it was a bold declaration. A statement that came straight from the heart and was expressed with absolute purity. "Because I love her."

Harry blinked a that… and remembered everything that he'd learned from Fleur, as well as what he'd felt from her. Despite what he would have thought, she didn't see the Slave Brand as a curse originally, instead she saw it as an opportunity and a hope to be free from the lonely cursed life of her people. She had been watching him since she began to suspect and saw what she believed to be a good person. He was strong willed, meaning he could be the kind of partner to last a lifetime, so it was likely that Fleur saw this as a means of living a life of love and romance, without fearing that one day it would end in tragedy. 'The Last Dance' as she called it. Sex with her chosen partner, until they died of exhaustion or their mind completely shattered due to the power of the Veela's allure. And then best case scenario the Veela died of heartbreak there and then, and worst case scenario was living with the reality that they had killed their lover. Truly a terrible life, and one he could understand wanting to escape.

So in truth, what she was asking made complete sense. She knew he was resistant to her allure, so that meant he could resist her sister. All he had to do was sleep with her, and over time her allure would attune to him, making her appear like a normal girl to everyone else. Fleur was hoping to share this escape from the curse of her people, with her beloved sister.

Harry seemed thoughtful for a long moment as he pondered that. Had she asked him before yesterday, he'd have a laundry list of issues with her suggestion, one of the big ones being polygamy, and right beside it was incest. But of course, this wasn't two days ago. He'd spent years shacked up with two sisters, 'twin' sisters in fact. And he'd long come to terms with his sexual attraction to his own older sister who liked to tease and torment him in their shared dreams. He knew that was going to be a situation when they actually met in person. He wasn't even sure what he wanted to do about that. Again, before yesterday he was sickened by the idea of incest, yet now, well he'd spent years with two sisters who shared a face, and he often bedded them while they were together, and while there may have been some rules in place at the start, such as to keep things from descending too far into degeneracy, eventually the two simply stopped caring and sought out pleasure from one another.

Rationalizing all of this in his mind, he was able to answer the why without her needing to explain it to him.

"If I say yes, what are you offering?" Harry asked her, causing her to blink in surprise.

"I… Wait you are considering it? I thought you wanted to know why…" Fleur responded.

"I pieced it together. I just needed a moment. I wasn't expecting you to ask that." Harry responded.

"Okay, well… what do you want?" Fleur asked him.

Harry was quiet for a long moment… he thought on it, thought on his own plans, his own wants, what, if anything could he ask of her. He could just be kind and agree to her request but that would simply leave his motivations open to interpretation. Doing something out of the kindness of your heart worked for a lot of things, but not agreeing to spend your life with someone you're going to have sex with one day. That just came off as creepy. Having an actual reason, or something tangible that he could receive from this, would make it less suspicious for others.

"What can you offer me? Other than your good looks, your heritage, and where you go to school, I can't say I know anything about you. Before I agree to bring someone into my life, permanently, I need to know I'm getting something out of this by taking such a risk. I have no choice with you, or any of the other girls bound to me, but anyone else is being dragged along into my problems, and that could either help or hinder me. I have enemies Fleur, there are people in this world who want me dead, you do remember how I just told you I was kidnapped and tortured by Death Eaters, how I was murdered yesterday? I might just fall in love with your sister, and this'll be the best choice I've ever made, but that's far from a certainty, what is a certainty is that my life is full of trouble going forward, so if you're asking me to complicate it further, than I'm asking you what's in it for me. I don't want to be rude, because I don't know you, or your sister, and like I said, maybe she and I will have a fairy-tale romance, and I'll fall head over heals for her, but realistically, I doubt that'll happen. What I know for certain is that the future is full of turmoil and she'll at the very least be part of it, so I'm asking for an incentive, something that makes it worth it to take the risk when I have nothing else to go off of. If you can't offer that, than I can't give you an answer. If you're fine with waiting then I can meet your sister, and if there's sparks there's sparks, but you're not looking for that. You want a guarantee right? You want your sister to be safe." Harry questioned her, laying out where he stood, and trying his hardest to not come off as an ass.

"I want her with me." Fleur added on as he finished his question. Her mental addition added another piece to the puzzle. Maybe this wasn't just about helping her sister escape the same fate that most Veela are doomed to, maybe Fleur's earlier declaration of love wasn't purely familial.

Perhaps her love ran deeper, and if that was the case, than at the very least, he doubted there would be complications between them. With that in mind, he still needed something, something to make the risk worth it. He'd have to protect her, and shield her from harm, he'd have to take responsibility for her, just like he was forced to with the others.

"What if I was able to convince my papa to help you wiz your problems?" Fleur offered after a few moments of thought.

"Your father? I know nothing about him, how can he help me?" Harry asked her.

"He is the head of the DMLE in France. He can help you wiz zese Death Eaters trying to kill you." Fleur explained, causing Harry to blink several times in surprise.

"Well now, that's actually something worth considering. How sure are you that he'd be willing to help. I mean, you are talking about him helping the guy who willingly or not, is now the owner to one of his daughters. I never had a father, but I've gathered that they are typically protective over their daughters." Harry noted.

Fleur gave him a coy smile. "After what you did to ze dragon today, are you really afraid of what a person can do to you? I mean, even if he tried to hurt you, or kill you, you would just come back." Fleur teased him.

"Yeah, but if he does kill me I'll be sent to another world, and spend anywhere up to ninety years there. Just because I benefited from my last journey doesn't mean I'm interested in rolling the dice again and keep in mind something important. If I die I might not get sent on these trips alone. You and all of those bound to me, might get sent along for the ride. So if your dad is the overprotective kind, I'd make sure you do what you can to keep him from outright murdering me." Harry countered, causing Fleur's smirk to fall as she turned thoughtful.

"My papa is a good man. He will make you promise not to hurt me or my sister, and I have no doubt he will watch you like a hawk, but I zink he will like you Harry Potter. Having you protecting and caring for his daughters, especially if you owe him for helping you, will definitely make him feel better as well." Fleur said to him, her words earning a soft nod from Harry.

"Alright… well if that's the case, hows about you and I try a few dates first. We can go out a few times, see how things go, and once things are moving for us we can talk about starting things with me and your sister. How does that sound?" Harry offered diplomatically.

She studied him carefully for a moment before recalling how he had offered a few dates to her before as well.

"You want to take me out on a date? What about ze marks…?" Fleur asked him.

"Well you did say you wanted to try having sex in your original body, before things start to change so I figure we try a few dates out and see what happens and if things click, than you can get that desire fulfilled and then we can see about activating your mark. I do want to wait a bit anyway to see what happens with the other two. As for the dates themselves, well I know it probably hasn't clicked yet, but let me make a point of it. I am the Master of Death, I'll live forever. If you succeed in becoming a daemon, than you'll spend forever by my side. If our relationship is destined to be an intimate one, than I want us to start out on the right foot. I know you're worried about how little time you have to save your own life, so I'm not asking to wait long. I just think a few dates, maybe a month or two at most, for us to form a relationship, than it'll be more comfortable when we do sleep together. More natural. And maybe, just maybe, we hit it off, and this is the start of something much more enduring." Harry explained himself.

Fleur thought on his words, and nodded in agreement with what he was saying. Being with him forever… that was a trying prospect, though if his current actions were any indication, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. If he turned out to be everything she was hoping he was, than not only would she get a partner for life, but so would her sister, and she also got to keep her sister with her, and fulfill her lifelong promise of protecting her. The last thing Fleur wanted was for her little sister who she loved so deeply to grow old and alone and be shipped off to a Veela coven where Fleur would likely never see her in person again. Even now, despite how often Fleur wrote to her grandmother, she only saw her about twice a year. She didn't think she could survive living without her little sister for that long.

"Well, alright zen. I would be happy to go out wiz you, Harry Potter." Fleur said to him, gifting him with a pleasant smile.

"How about tomorrow?" Harry offered.

"Okay. Tomorrow zen. Tell me, have you heard about ze Yule Ball?" Fleur inquired.

"I haven't." Harry answered her.

"Madam Maxime just told me about it before I came here. Just before ze Yule holiday, zere is to be a Ball held here at Hogwarts. Ze champions are required to open ze Ball. I know you will probably want to take your girlfriend, but I was wondering if perhaps you would agree to be my partner at ze beginning?" Fleur asked him.

"Alright. I'd be happy to." Harry accepted her offer, knowing that there was no real reason to refuse. If he was required to open the Ball with a dance, why not go with Fleur and save her the trouble of having to find someone herself.

Fleur gifted him with a bright smile, one that he was starting to enjoy.

"I'll come see you tomorrow. Let me know if you ever want to talk in private, I'm quite certain this carriage has no protections again Phase shifting, so I can return to your room whenever you wish." Harry offered to her.

"Phase shifting? What is zat?" Fleur asked him.

"A power I possess. I got it due to McTash's experiments. It's taken from the phase spider. An extra-dimensional predator that can teleport from it's own dimension into ours. They're very rare, so most places don't have magical defenses against them." Harry explained.

"Oh. So you can return to my room whenever you want?" She inquired, with a hint of something in her question. Almost like another playful challenge.

"Any time I want." Harry replied, meeting her gaze with a cool look. He held her gaze for a few moments before he let out a laugh, and then gave her a smirk. Before she could say anything more, he said goodbye and vanished from the room.

Fleur let out a gasp of surprise as he disappeared. His body seemingly fading away in an instant. She stared at the empty place where he had been for several long moments before she turned thoughtful, digesting everything that she'd learned today.

She ran through everything in her mind before sitting on the edge of her bed.

"A thirty-eight year old man, thrown back into his fourteen year old body. Undying, and immortal. And I am to be by his side forever. Only if I win the favor of this Prince of Pleasure. I do not want to die. I can't die. I wont. If this is the only way… than so be it. I will play this game, win your favor, and my life, and spend the rest of my days with that man. If all goes well, then I will have Gabby by my side. My lovely little sister. I will make sure he is good for you, I feel good things from him, but I will make sure of it first. It's funny… many uncertainties have disappeared, yet I feel more pressure than ever before. One step at a time I guess. One step… I have a date tomorrow… a date… with Harry Potter…" Fleur fell back into her bed and stared up at the ceiling of her room, a small smirk appearing on her face. If there truly was no escaping this fate, than Fleur Delacour would make the best of it that she could. She had no intention of simply ending up as a trophy for Harry to show off whenever he wanted, while otherwise remaining in the background. No… she'd earn a place by his side, make him fall in love with her. If his girlfriend, this strange being, Death itself, if it didn't care who he loved, than Fleur would make him fall in love with her. She wouldn't be just some trophy. She'd be something more, a partner, a friend, a lover, and hopefully, one day, a wife. All things that she would help her sister achieve too. The Delacour sisters, together forever, with a husband shared between them, '...and the living embodiment of death itself by their side.'

Her brain tossed in that last part while she was thinking, causing that same petite blonde to appear in her mind's eye.

"She's kind of cute. Almost reminds me of Gabby. Maybe this wont be so bad." Fleur let out a quiet hum.

The great mystery of her future had slipped away, and a far more definitive and confined path lay before her, but Fleur wouldn't hesitate to walk it. She'd go far, as far as this path could take her. That was who she was, and now armed with knowledge, she could begin climbing to the furthest heights her future allowed.

-Elsewhere-

While Harry had his conversation with Fleur, another conversation was occurring up in the headmaster's office.

"The lightning control and summoning method are two spell types that I have never seen before in all my years, Severus. These powers are beyond what I could have ever imagined." Dumbledore spoke, worry touching at his voice.

"Killing a dragon with such remarkable ease, the boy's powers have grown. After what we both saw today I must ask you headmaster, do you still believe the girl is the Chosen One?" Snape questioned, eyeing the old man with a cautious gaze.

"What happened to him over the summer, it changed things. This was all so well planned out. Everything was on the right track until then. This prophecy has truly driven things to the extreme. I fear I may no longer be able to control things." Dumbledore responded, his gaze heavy and distant.

"What does that mean for us?" Snape asked him.

"It wasn't meant to be this way. Voldemort had a role to play. A few more years and he would have seen it done. Just a few more years and everything would have been perfect. When that prophecy was made, I was both elated and concerned. Elated because a ready-made means was forming to defeat him, but concerned because such an event was beyond my control. I had thought we'd have a few years. I was so sure that Voldemort's arrogance and pride would keep him from reacting to the prophecy. I underestimated his fear of death. How could anyone have predicted that a child of all things would be what stopped him in his tracks. I was so sure, and then, all of a sudden, he was defeated, and all of my plans were thrown into limbo." Dumbledore again let out a sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"The culling of the magical populace was not yet complete." Snape noted.

"Magical power just keeps growing. In spite of the fact that magic as a whole is weakening in the world, the magic of the individual practitioner is continuing to expand. We are more numerous now than we've ever been, and our powers are greater than they've ever been. Grindelwald was supposed to set us back on course. He was supposed to put things back on track. He failed though, and someone new was required to take his place. Voldemort did so well in keeping us in check. Just a few more years and he would have done enough. Again though, the culling ended too soon. Our numbers are returning too quickly. More and more the Observers grow restless, and Harry's actions today will send ripples through the Wizarding world. A child, slaying a dragon in single combat… such a thing can hardly be believed." Dumbledore muttered, running a hand over his face, his age showing.

"The girl… do you still believe she'll be the one to defeat The Dark Lord?" Snape asked again, his original question going unanswered.

"I don't even know if he'll manage to return any longer." Dumbledore sighed and leaned forward, fixing Snape with a critical gaze.

"We both know that Barty intends to use this Tournament to aid in the Dark Lord's revival. It's why he came here. It why he's impersonating Moody. The Dark Lord has a plan for Harry, a plan that will see him returned. But with Harry's growth in power, with all that's he done so far… I fear not even this trap will be enough to contain him. The prophecy was never important Severus. Voldemort is just a man. A powerful one, but a man none the less. No greater power shields him, no higher magics protect him. He is an instrument, one of our creation. His end will come when we choose it. The girl was always just a helpful means to an end. A way to close the book on that particular story without much work. A 'Chosen One'… the Observers would surely balk at the idea of such a being." Dumbledore responded.

"These 'Observers' have ever remained illusive. How certain are you that they even still care about us? That they're even still watching?" Snape questioned him.

"I have long served as their agent in this world Severus. I know the markings of their presence. They have been watching us for thousands of years. Studying our world, and keeping mankind in check. It was they who brought down the old magical kingdoms. It was they who brought Armageddon down on our heads. For thousands of years, groups and individuals such as myself have worked as their instruments. Keeping the magical populace in line. Keeping our powers in check. The Observers have always been intrigued by our powers, our unique abilities, but make no mistake, the sanctity and purity of the human race is of far greater importance to them than studying us. If our powers grow out of control again, there will be another catastrophe, and this time, we may not survive it. Voldemort must return, he must finish his work and complete the culling. His revolution was about to spill over into the rest of Europe and the world beyond. Just a few more years and he would have triggered an avalanche that would have seen our numbers reduced to acceptable levels once again. The Observers would then be content to leave us be for a few centuries. Instead things simply continue, and their threats weigh heavily on my mind. The Squib plague continues to make appearances, as a sign of their presence. I fear they intend to unleash it upon all magical peoples if we continue to grow out of control." Dumbledore vented to him in response, his words earning a forlorn look from the Potions Master.

"A plague turning us all into squibs. Neutering us completely…" Snape murmured, his tone touching with concern.

"I suspect that'll be their answer, if we should fail." Dumbledore said to him.

"Why not just attack us, like they did in past times? Such as when they destroyed the old magical kingdoms long ago?" Snape asked him.

"Humanity has grown since then Severus, they've grown a great deal, and this world is important to them for some reason. For some reason, they refuse to take such action again, to bring fire down on us from the heavens. No… the next strike will be disease, something so small we cannot see it or fight against it. We must see these plans to fruition Severus, for all our sake. Voldemort must return, he must finish his work, and only then can we allow the prophecy to play out. I pray though that I was right all those years ago. I pray that Olivia is the one who will defeat him. If I was wrong, then the one destined to destroy Voldemort is already in his path, and Harry has proven remarkably resilient these last few years. This defiance of his cannot be allowed to continue. I thought by keeping him in the dark about the first task that he would be humbled and terrified, and come to me for help. Instead he conquered it with remarkable ease. I fear that the other tasks will not be enough to draw him back to us." Dumbledore answered him, his face coloring with a thoughtful and concerned look.

"Then perhaps we must see to it, that these tasks break his newfound confidence, meanwhile we must find the answer to his newfound powers. They cannot all be from the creatures that he was spliced with. I have never known any magical creature able to wield lightning as he did, not even a blue dragon." Snape suggested, his gaze cold and heavy.

Silence passed between them as Dumbledore lowered his gaze and contemplated that. Finally he let out a sigh and nodded. "I agree, Severus."

Snape turned to leave when it looked like Dumbledore wasn't going to say anything more, but he stopped when he felt the need to address something that had been on his mind for a while now.

"Nott, Bracker, O'neil, McGavin, McTash… you know the boy is likely the reason they're all dead don't you?" Snape questioned as he glanced over his shoulder.

Dumbledore met Snape's gaze, his eyes heavy with regret.

"I do." Dumbledore affirmed after a moment.

"I think he killed them all." Snape added in after a moment, Dumbledore letting out a sigh at that. Snape's words echoing a thought that had been digging at the Headmaster since he'd heard Harry's story and tied it to the disappearances and deaths of so many wizards and witches over the summer.

The old headmaster managed a nod of agreement before Snape hit him with his final suspicion.

"If I'm right, than he also murdered his family." Snape said.

Dumbledore pulled his lips in, his mouth thinning to a single line. He knew that Snape was probably right. If he was, then Harry was beyond any sort of help. If he was right, then Dumbledore was left with no other option but to harden his heart and use the boy to complete his goals. Once that was done, hopefully in the accomplishment of those goals in fact, but once he'd fulfilled his usefulness, he too would have to die.

Dumbledore sat in silence as Snape departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He needed to do something drastic, something to get Harry back under control and keep him docile enough to bring about the Dark Lord's return. He needed Harry docile, or perhaps distracted would work better. He had nothing on the Lovegood girl, no means of controlling her, and it would take time for Ron and Hermione to rebuild the bridges they'd burned, and that was time he didn't have. No he needed something major. Something big.

Slowly, he let out a sigh and turned towards Fawkes, the Phoenix stared down at him from it's perch watching him intently.

"Yes, my old friend… I do believe this is going to require a bit of risk." Dumbledore said to it as he drew a fresh piece of parchment and quill and began writing.

He never had any intention for them to meet, but things were falling out of his control. He needed a way to make Harry as pliable as he had been in the past. He knew it wouldn't be easy, and he was probably opening a new can of worms by taking this route, but still, he had no other choice, and this seemed like the easiest way to shake things up and gain some means of control of the situation.

-Several hours later-

Daphne let out a groan as her eyes opened. She blinked several times as her vision cleared. Almost immediately she realized something was wrong. It was like looking out of two sets of eyes, though one field of view was highly irregular. She looked around confused as she felt the movement beside her in her bed. Her eyes came to a halt, as both of her fields of view met.

Daphne stared in disbelief. A blue serpent was beside her. Like some kind of constrictor snake. It was far larger than any snake she'd ever seen.

The snake stared back at her, meeting her gaze with the same intensity and uncertainty. She could see herself through it's gaze, and in a moment of clarity she realized that she was seeing through it's eyes.

"What the hell…?" Daphne muttered as she stared at the snake.

Slowly she raised a hand reaching out to try and touch the reptile. The snake didn't move, though she saw through it's and her own fields of view as it's eyes turned towards her hand. Through it's eyes she saw things in a strange way. Her visions was distorted yet when she looked at herself, she saw an intense blue glow rolling off of her body. She didn't quite know what to make of it.

"Don't play with that, you'll go blind." She heard a voice causing both sets of eyes to turn towards it's source.

Sat on the end of another bed nearby was Harry Potter. The moment the serpent's eyes came upon him, Daphne was left stunned by what she saw.

Color radiated out from him. In his chest churned this deep blackness that almost instantly began filling her with turbulent emotions as she stared into it. From his arms she saw different colored lights. The back of his left hand glowed red, his left forearm glowed pink, his left shoulder glowed green, and his right palm blazed a deep blue.

She could see each of the brands marked upon his body, even through his clothing. Upon his chest, she could make out the largest of these sigils, one she hadn't known about before. This one was round, like a spoked star, and from it blazed the same four colors that dotted his arms. It was the only light that came off of his main body, the rest was that utter blackness that would threaten to drown her if she stared at it too long.

There was also something else, some kind of vile magic that danced at his side, like something in his pocket was radiating a malicious kind of power. It was utterly black like Harry was, but gave off an entirely different feel to it. It felt ravenous, violent, and murderous, rather than just overwhelming.

"What am I seeing? Uh… How am I seeing this? What's going on?" Daphne spoke.

"When I activated your brands, you and Davis changed. That serpent is growing out of your body, seems like you have control over it." Harry responded to her.

"What!?" Daphne let out a yelp of surprise as she shot to her feet, turning to look at the snake, only for it to come with her and spin about as she turned.

She stopped after a moment, blinking from having two separate fields of visions spun like that. She then reached out, touching her lower back. There she felt the snake's body, emerging from her flesh. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open as her hands began to trail along the snake's body.

Her hands came to rest on it's head which she held in front of her, staring into the snake's eyes. The entire time she could feel it, feel it like it was her own skin. Slowly, she released the snake's head, causing it to move, to flex and shift. She could control it, like a natural appendage. It moved with ease, turning and shifting in accordance with her will.

When the snake's tongue flickered out, she could taste the air. Taste a great many scents. She smelled Potter's scent, a heavy copper scent, that must have come from the remnants of the Dragon blood. She smelled something that smelled pleasant, almost like some kind of flower, and she smelled something feminine, a girl. She'd been around girls in her dorm enough to know how girls smelled, but this was so much clearer.

Her eyes drifted about, as did the serpents both coming to rest on the figure of a girl standing in the middle of the room staring at her. Immediately Daphne recognized her as Lovegood, Harry's girlfriend, and immediately she recognized something unspeakably wrong with her. Through the serpents eyes she could see wings of radiant light emerging from the girl's back. This light shimmered and was every color imaginable. They looked almost bird-like, yet instead of feathers, it almost looked like they were made of glass. Glass that shimmered and shifted with unspeakable colors.

The girl tilted her head at her, almost curiously, and Daphne could see a dim light emanating from beneath her skin, where it was thinnest, almost like her bones, her skull were glowing like the wings.

"What are you…?" Daphne uttered in disbelief. She had no idea what she was looking at, all her mind could register was that it was colossally powerful.

"I am me. And you can see me. How strange." Luna hummed in response.

"What is she seeing?" Harry inquired, unable to read Daphne's mind due to the turbulent wash of emotions obfuscating everything from such passive telepathy.

"She sees me as I am. How you can see me in the dream. The serpent has eyes of magic, and can see that which the normal eye cannot. Its similar to how your Beholder eye can see magic, but far more acute, as it's able to see through my flesh to my true shape." Luna expressed in response.

"Well then, I can understand why she's so mesmerized." Harry offered with a chuckle.

"Was that a compliment?" Luna inquired innocently.

"Yes it was." Harry replied, a smile touching at his lips.

"Thank you." Luna returned with a smile of her own.

"What the hell is happening?" Daphne uttered.

Harry let out a sigh and rose to his feet. He crossed the room and stepped in front of Daphne breaking her line of sight with Luna and focusing her attention onto him.

"Greengrass… focus." Harry instructed her.

"Okay… I'm focused. What the hell is she?" Daphne asked, meeting his gaze.

"She's death. I guess calling her the Grim Reaper would make it easier to understand." Harry answered.

"The Grim Reaper?" Daphne blinked at him, her eyes flickering between him and the petite little blonde that stood behind him.

"You remember how I told you I had the mark of House Peverell on my body back when we first discussed this? The symbol of the Death Hallows? I'm bonded with Death itself, remember? She's Death, or rather, she is the physical personification of Death." Harry explained to her, leading to Daphne offering a slow nod of understanding.

"Why do I have a snake growing out of my back?" Daphne asked him, turning her mind towards something more rational then the physical embodiment of Death itself.

"I told you when I opened your marks, there'd be changes. That you'd start to turn into monsters. This is the start of it. Part of the tattoo that appeared on your back when this all started came to life. I imagine as your power grows, the tentacles on your back will emerge as well." Harry explained to her, causing Daphne to blink. She reached out and touched her back, feeling at the shredded cloth where the snake had torn through her jacket. She could feel where it emerged from her skin, growing out of her like an additional appendage.

"I need to sit down." Daphne muttered, stepping back towards the bed, and lowering herself to it.

"All things considered, it could have been a lot worse." Harry hummed, causing her to send a rueful glare towards him.

"The snake could be growing out of your head. All things being equal, throw on your school robes and a doubt anyone will notice." Harry shrugged at her. She continued to glare at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and lowering her head to her hands.

Suddenly she snapped up. "Tracey! Where is she?! What happened to her?!" She asked quickly, glancing around as she did. Harry pointed behind her, turning her gaze to another bed. Daphne quickly rushed over, her eyes settling on the sleeping form of her friend, but she was immediately seized by Harry before she could get any closer.

"Hey! Let me go!" Daphne snapped at him.

"Watch yourself. Take a look at her." Harry instructed, holding her by the forearm.

Daphne glared at him for a moment before glancing over at Tracey. Through the serpent's eyes she could see that her whole body was glowing with that same green magic that bubbled out of the mark on Harry's shoulder. She could also see Tracey's mark glowing beneath her clothes.

"What am I looking for?" Daphne asked.

"See those flowers growing out of her hair?" Harry asked as he slowly released her arm and stepped past her, gesturing down towards them.

Daphne approached slowly, taking note of the small white and red flowers that now emerged from her best friend's hair.

"Are those growing out of her?" Daphne asked, leaning a bit closer to look at them.

"Yes, and they're poisonous. Very poisonous. I have an advanced resilience to poisons and toxins, and yet when my fingers brushed against them, I felt a painful tingling. I don't know how touchy-feelie you two are, but I didn't want you to end up poisoned when I have no idea how to cure you." Harry said to her.

Daphne was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"Thanks… for that." She said to him.

"Tracey'd never forgive herself if she did anything to hurt me." Daphne added as she knelt beside the bed, and took her friend's hand.

"She lost consciousness when she saw you passed out. She panicked at the sight of you. I'm guessing that wasn't the first time she'd seen someone in such a state." Harry explained to her.

Daphne was silent for a moment before biting her lip. She then turned her gaze to him, staring at him for a long moment.

"Look, I'm only telling you this so you don't do something to hurt her accidentally. If we're going to be hanging around you now, than you should at least know not to make a misstep." Daphne began.

"Alright, go on." Harry said to her.

"Tracey wasn't born an only child. She had an older brother once. Tommy, he was a year older than she is. They were close. Like best friends. She really loved him, and he really loved her. One day some men broke into their house, they were looking for their dad. They held Tracey and her brother hostage while they tossed the house. Somehow her brother got loose and attacked one of the men. In retaliation they beat him and then killed him. They were planning to do the same to Tracey when the housekeeper arrived. She was a former Auror and got the drop on the four men. She took out two of them right away, and chased the other two off. Tracey was unharmed but her brother… well… he was gone. Tracey was only seven years old when that happened. It took a long time for me and her parents to get her to come out of her shell. I'd known both Tracey and her brother Tommy since we were in diapers. They were my friends. I made myself a promise that I'd look after Tracey and try to keep her safe. It took a long time for her to find her courage but you've seen how fragile it is. One wrong move and she buckles. If she passed out when she saw me she must've thought… I guess… never mind." Daphne explained to him, putting context to the image he had seen flashing in Tracey's mind when he was standing over Daphne in such a threatening way. Their encounter earlier must have drawn Tracey back to that time, when she was powerless to help someone she loved.

Harry let out a sigh and nodded slowly.

"Don't tell her I told you this. I'm not one for spreading her secrets around, but I'd rather you not say or do something that's gonna drag up bad memories." Daphne warned him.

"Don't worry. I wont. I promise. Her secret is safe with me." Harry swore as he rose back to his feet. Daphne stared after him, blinking in confusion, almost like she was surprised that that was the end of it.

"That's it? You're not going to probe or ask anything else?" She asked him.

"Nope. It's not my business. I appreciate the warning, and I understand why you gave it. If those memories are strong enough that she can lose consciousness from reliving them, I'd rather not put her in such a position again. I'm not going to pry. Your warning is enough for me to know. If she feels like telling me herself, then I'll ask questions. For now, I'm happy to leave it at that." Harry responded. Daphne stared after him for a moment, before offering a slow nod. She then turned her attention back to Tracey.

Harry went over to Luna and the two quietly chatted for a few moments. Daphne couldn't hear what they were talking about, instead she just continued to stare down at her slumbering friend. After a few long moments Tracey took in a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Daphne immediately noticed the change there. Tracey appeared blind. Her brown eyes were colored by glossy pale blue pupils, almost like she had developed severe cataracts.

Those same eyes flickered about before landing on Daphne.

"Daph!" Tracey started to shoot up, but remembering Harry's warning about the flowers, Daphne shot up as well before Tracey could grab her in a hug.

Tracey blinked up at her, confusion dancing on her face.

"I'm happy you're awake Trace, but before you throw me in a bear hug, you should know about the potentially deadly flowers growing out of your hair." Daphne said to her, causing Tracey to make a face at her. She then grabbed at some of her curly black locks and pulled them over her shoulder. Her eyes instantly fell on the small flowers growing amongst the strands of hair.

"What the heck…" Tracey muttered.

"You're awake…" Harry spoke as he approached the foot of the bed, drawing Tracey's eyes to him.

She blinked at him, and slowly nodded, though her eyes quickly flitted past him to Luna standing just behind and to the side of him.

Her eyes went as wide as saucers, obviously seeing something, just like Daphne could.

"Is she seeing the same things I can?" Daphne asked, glancing between Tracey and Luna.

"No idea, let's ask her." Harry responded. "Davis, what are you seeing?"

"I-I'm not sure. It's like she's glowing. It's like there's light coming off of her, yet I don't see any light. It's amazing, beautiful even, but… I don't understand. Neither one of you looks any different, why does she?" Tracey asked, blinking in surprise, her eyes fixed on Luna.

"This doesn't seem like a kind of magical sight…" Harry noted.

"No, I doubt it. It's more likely a gift of Nurgle. Her perceptions have been altered. You said she was enthralled by the corpse of a mouse earlier? It's likely that her vision has been altered to perceive dead things in a different light." Luna surmised.

"Hmm… wait but you're not dead." Harry noted.

"True, this body isn't dead, but all of my power is that of death, so it may be affecting the way she sees me." Luna agreed, offering one potential explanation.

"I mean… she's the biggest one, but this whole room is… well I mean… I think it's just the wood, but it seems brighter." Tracey spoke up.

"Probably because the wood is dead. Something has happened to your eyes to make dead things appear more beautiful. You can still see normally otherwise right?" Harry asked her.

"I mean… yeah. So… when I changed, my eyes changed too?" Tracey questioned, glancing towards Daphne.

"Yeah. You look like you're blind." Daphne spoke as she stepped towards her.

"Blind?" Tracey blinked in confusion, so Harry gestured to a mirror nearby, allowing her to rise and approach it, getting a look at herself.

"Whoa, I really do look like I'm blind." Tracey spoke, as she gazed into her own eyes. She then pulled back a bit and once more looked at the flowers growing out of her hair.

"No joking comment for her?" Daphne inquired to Harry, both watching as Tracey inspected the flowers, finding them connect to what felt almost like a fleshy vine hidden within her hair that trailed up to her scalp.

"It came to me in the moment. I've got nothing right now." Harry offered.

"Don't play with those or you'll go blind." Luna spoke up, earning a laugh from Harry who hadn't expected that from her.

Tracey glanced over at them, her face twisting in confusion before realization dawned on her and she immediately looked scandalized.

Daphne stared at both Harry and Luna, Harry obviously found her copying his earlier comment to be hilarious as he struggled not to keep laughing, meanwhile Luna just seemed pleased that she could earn such delight from him.

"God… I don't even know what to think." Daphne muttered.

"Well at least they're cute together." Tracey offered.

"That's literally death incarnate, and she made the same stupid joke he did…" Daphne countered, shaking her head in frustration.

"What?" Tracey asked, confused.

"Yeah, that girl, is literally Death. Like the actual Death. Harry called her the Grim Reaper. Death itself, right there. I was not ready for today…" Daphne explained, earning shock and disbelief from Tracey.

While Tracey was busy coming to terms with that bit of knowledge, Harry was pulling himself back together. Her timing, and the fact that she had been the one to say, just made it infinitely more funny to him.

Luna seemed to beam at him, taking joy in the joy she provided.

"Excuse me, before we have to endure any more jokes, do you mind?" Daphne spoke up.

Harry and Luna glanced over at them taking note of how Tracey was gawking in disbelief.

"Right…" Harry let out a sigh.

The four of them sat down at the table that sat at the center of the room, Tracey spending the whole time eyeing Luna was amazement and fear.

"Yes?" Luna inquired, gazing back at Tracey with that dreamy look of hers.

"Are you really death? Like Death death?" Tracey asked her.

"Yes. As Harry said, It's easiest to describe me as the physical personification of the universal concept of Death. Calling me the Grim Reaper, is also accurate in some ways, though inaccurate in others." Luna explained.

"How so?" Daphne asked, curiously.

"I don't take people when they die. I'm not some sort of ferryman. I don't take souls anywhere after death, nor am I actually involved with the soul after death. My existence surrounds the act of death. The moment an existence ends, death in it's most definitive form. I am there for the death of every cell in the body, I am there for the death of the body, I am there for the death of the soul. The death of things, concepts, ideas, knowledge, places, I embody it all. The interaction of the soul is just a tiny part of what I represent, as most things I'm actually connected with, aren't alive at all. So it's difficult to truly express what I am, so calling me things like the Grim Reaper has some truth to it, but it's far from the whole truth." Luna responded honestly, genuinely surprising the two girls with how open she was.

"So… why were you born as Luna Lovegood?" Daphne inquired.

"I wasn't born in this body. I took it for my own when Luna Lovegood was placed in a death-like state after the accident that claimed her mother. Her soul chose to pass on joining or at least attempting to follow her mother. This left her body as an empty vessel which would have died on it's own in short order. I knew that Luna would go to Hogwarts at the same time that Harry would be there, so I saw it as the perfect opportunity to join him, and in time, when he was ready, meet him in person." Luna answered her.

"So you're not really Luna Lovegood… you're… more like a spirit possessing her body." Daphne surmised.

"You are more or less correct, though I'm not a spirit. I took this body so that I could have a human shape, and through it, I had access to the plethora of human emotions. I can no feel things, and recognize things in ways I never could before." Luna offered.

"Okay… does that mean you're happy being Luna? I mean… do you even want to be Luna?" Tracey asked.

"I'm not sure I follow." Luna responded.

"Well I mean… you said the real Luna died, and you took her body afterwards, does that mean that you want to be Luna, or would you rather be someone else. I mean you took Luna's name because it was the name the body had when you possessed it, but have you ever thought of taking a new name of… I don't know, being your own person?" Tracey explained.

"...Being my own person…" Luna hummed thoughtfully, turning her eyes over to Harry, who met her gaze with a curious look of her own.

"I think what Davis is trying to ask is if you want to keep living as Luna Lovegood, or if you'd rather start being someone all your own. Like she said, you took Luna's name since it was the name of the body that you'd taken, and I think she's asking if you want to be 'Luna' or I guess become 'Luna', or if you'd rather become someone wholly of your own creation." Harry expressed to her, earning an even more thoughtful look from Luna as she considered his explanation.

"I'm not sure… I've never thought about it before. Who would you rather I be? To you, I've been Luna for twenty-four years. I wouldn't want to change that now if it would confuse you." Luna queried.

"I think… I'll be happy with whomever you choose to be. Yes there might be a short while where I have to deal with the transition, but I think you should be who you want to be. Luna Lovegood is the name you took, but that person is dead. You can choose to become Luna Lovegood, shaping her in your own way, or you can choose to become someone new. The choice is entirely yours, and I'll support it either way." Harry offered to her.

"Alright… I'll think on it. I'll let you know when I've come to an answer. Thank you Tracey Davis, you've given me a lot to think about." Luna said to him before offering Tracey her thanks.

Tracey offered a slow nod, not quite sure how to react.

"Not that that wasn't immensely interesting, but perhaps we should circle back towards the conversation I think we were intending to have. If no one else has any opening statements, I guess I'll start with a question. Where are we? This doesn't look garish enough to be one of the Gryffindor dorms, and it's obviously not ours." Daphne began drawing the conversation back towards questioning Harry and figuring out what was going on. All of this talk about Death could be left for later.

"This is a the Room of Requirement. Its a special room designed by Rowena Ravenclaw. It can take the form and provide almost anything. All you need to do is pace outside of it three times while thinking about the kind of room you need, or at least thinking about your need in general. Once you do, a door will appear where previously there was none, and it'll lead into a room that holds, or is what you required. After all of the nonsense I had to put up with from my house mates, I came here, and it's been where I've been staying. I changed it to appear like this when I brought you two here." Harry answered her.

"Wow… how come we've never heard about this place before?" Tracey inquired.

"Not a lot of people know about it. I doubt even most of the teachers know it's here." Harry replied.

"Okay, well with that settled, what are we going to do now? I can try and hide this snake while wearing my robes, but any other clothes and people will notice. It's not like I can just keep it tucked into my shirt, the things six feet long and six inches wide at the base." Daphne spoke, drawing Tracey's eyes to the snake growing out of her back, almost as if seeing it for the first time.

"Merlin's beard…" Tracey muttered, and a few seconds later Daphne grimaced when she felt Tracey poking at the snake's body.

"I can feel that, stop it." Daphne growled at her, causing Tracey to pull back and mutter a quiet apology.

"Well I have an answer for you Greengrass. It'll work at least for now. While you slept I made these for you. Put this one on the snake, and the other around your neck." Harry dug into his pocket and fished out two small silver necklaces, both of which he'd dug out of the room after returning from visiting Fleur. He removed Tracey and Daphne from the room, then allowed it to shape in the Room of Lost Things. He went in, retrieved Ravenclaws Diadem, as well as some objects that he could place some enchantments and charms on. He then returned the room to this state and brought the two back in.

The Diadem itself was currently tucked into his jacket, and he intended to take it to Grimmauld place and put it in Kreacher's care, to go along with the locket. He still intended to gather up all of the Horcrux's together and then destroy them all at once, his hope being that Voldemort wouldn't be able to stop him at that point, even if he could sense them being destroyed.

The last thing he needed was to destroy all but the Cup which had been hidden by Bellatrix, only for Voldemort to feel their destruction and somehow move the Cup to a new location or at least move to secure it. Best to do it all at once.

Daphne took the two silver chains and stared at them, the serpent also turned it's eyes to them and she could clearly see magic radiating off them with the snake's eyes.

"You placed some kind of spell on these." Daphne noted, quickly realizing just how beneficial it was to be able to actually see magic. With the serpent's eyes she'd never have to worry about accidentally touching a cursed magical item. She could see magic, so she'd know immediately, and with a bit of trial and error, maybe she could learn to identify different types of magic just on sight alone.

Already she was starting to see the benefits of this mutation, even if having a snake growing out of her back was far from preferable or even wanted, being able to see magic was a huge boon.

"Yeah, it's a special concealment charm. You can try it out on your arm if you'd like but basically what it does is you put the bigger one around your neck, and the smaller one around the snake's neck, just behind the head. With both of them on, the concealment charm will activate, making whatever the smaller necklace is on, invisible. Only the person wearing the larger necklace will be able to see it." Harry explained to her.

Daphne gave him a look of intrigue, before trying it out. She placed the smaller necklace around the snake, trying it off just behind it's head. The silver chain was just larger enough to fit behind the back of it's head and it fit rather snugly. The moment she placed the smaller chain on, the snake disappeared from sight.

"It worked!" Tracey spoke.

Daphne blinked a few times in surprise, still able to see out of the snake's eyes. She could still feel it, and was attached to all of it's senses, she just couldn't see the snake itself.

She put on the larger necklace and just as Harry said, the snake suddenly reappeared.

"How did you learn how to do this?" Daphne asked him, turning her eyes back towards Harry.

"I'll tell you in a moment, first, this is for you, Davis. These glasses will hide your eyes." Harry offered then to her, Tracey took the glasses and stared down at them for a moment, she then placed them on and glanced over at Daphne.

Daphne watched as her friend's eyes returned to normal behind the lenses of the glasses.

"It worked." Daphne parroted Tracey's earlier line.

"Wow… you're really good at charms Harry." Tracey noted.

"I had a lot of time to practice and study." Harry responded.

"When was that?" Daphne asked, half-focused on him, half on the now invisible snake that she could still see but no one else could.

"While I was dead yesterday." Harry replied, drawing both of their eyes to him in confusion.

"What?" Tracey asked, not quite able to comprehend what that meant.

"I made mention that we were bonded together as a means of trying to get me to align with the Chaos Gods correct? You remember all of that?" Harry asked, causing both to nod slowly at him.

"Well I should mention that you weren't the only gifts that I was given. One of them gave me the ability to store any martial tool into a pocket dimension on my person that I can summon at will. You saw me do it earlier today with the spear I used to kill the dragon." Harry began to explain.

"Well one of the gifts that I got from Daphne's patron, is that when I die, my spirit is sent to another realm, or another place or time. In essence, in the time it takes for me to be reborn here, I'm forced to live another life in a new world. So when I died, I awoke in an entirely new world and I spent years there, before coming back here, as I was reborn. So when I say I had a lot of time to practice, I mean it. I was there in that world for twenty-four years." Harry expressed, causing both of their eyes to widen in shock.

"What?! Twenty-four years!" Tracey gasped.

"How… I mean… why?" Daphne uttered, blinking rapidly as she tried to wrap her mind around that.

"It's meant as a means of empowering me. You see, while I'm in this other place, I stay there. If I die there, I don't get sent somewhere else, I just die and come back. After what you did, I was angry, and had I not been sent to that place, I would have stormed back into the castle and killed the both of you just like I did those wretched Death Eaters who murdered me the first time. But twenty-four years is a long time to get over something, and plan on how to handle it." Harry explained.

"But that doesn't make sense, I mean if it's a means of trying to bride you, why go with something like that? It's basically banishing you to another life, putting this life on hold for decades." Daphne questioned him.

"Your patron is the God of doing whatever he wants. Tzeentch would sabotage his own plans if he thought it might be interesting to watch. Often times he will do things just because he's interested to see what'll happen. So it could be as simple as the fact that he's interested to see what'll happen if he tosses the Master of Death into these other places. Just to see what happens." Luna informed her.

"Your patron god is Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways. The god of fate, destiny, sorcery, plots, deceptions, and knowledge. He is the one god that, by his very nature, will never win the fight between he and his fellow gods, simply because winning would make things one way, and he hates when things stay the same. Tzeentch loves having things turned on their head, and loves surprises, even if those surprises are detrimental to him. Meanwhile your patron Tracey, is Nurgle, the Plaguefather. God of Rot, Decay, Stagnation, Disease, Sloth, and Death. Nurgle is the exact opposite to Tzeentch, he enjoys when things stay the same, when things stop moving. He embraces death and the end of life, and finds joy in the cyclic nature of life and death. That which dies, feeds into new life. It's that viewpoint that's been gifted to you, giving you the power to see the beauty in death and rot, as he does." Harry explained to them, giving the two some insight into the gods they were now meant to please.

"What other gift did my god give you?" Tracey inquired while Daphne thought on all of that.

"He gave me a bell that feeds on the death of things around it, gathering power. Every time I chime the bell with intent, it releases it's power and tears a hole in reality, straight into the warp, where these gods reside. By doing so, all warp-based entities, or magically empowered individuals like us, gain a massive power boost for a short time. The more power the bell is allowed to gather the stronger the portal it creates. You and I are the only ones who can use this bell." Harry answered her, placing the bell in question on the table.

"Wow… a magical bell that can be used to empower magical beings for a short time. Seems more definitive at least than just getting sent to a random world when you die." Daphne noted.

"Each of the gods gave me three gifts, with you all being one. This was Nurgle's second, the third gift he gave me was a power that activates whenever I die. That power being that when I die, my remaining lifeforce is sacrificed to empower my rebirth. I essentially get stronger, every time I die, based on how strong my lifeforce was when I died. This effect is shared by you Tracey. It's why you gained a power boost after I died and came back. You were receiving the collective power boost from all of my deaths, while I was away, though you only receive half of the boost that I do." Harry continued on, earning genuine surprise from Tracey and Daphne.

"So I get stronger when you die?" Tracey reiterated what he had just said.

"Basically, yeah. You most likely felt it all at once. Around the time I died, did anything happen?" Harry asked her.

"Well yeah. Both of our marks glowed brightly, and it felt like magic surged into them. I haven't felt stronger, or at least I haven't noticed any differences. Than again I haven't tried performing a lot of magic since yesterday." Tracey answered.

"Well you'll definitely notice it now. I died a number of times in the other world, and the collective power boost from all of those deaths hit you at once. You'll also notice that you're body is more physically capable than it was before." Harry stated.

"What other gifts were you given?" Daphne asked him.

"Well from your patron I got this." Harry removed and held up the Black Book.

"What is it?" Tracey inquired.

"A book that will answer any question asked of it. See this ring around the mark that Greengrass and I share? This ring glows in accordance with stored power gained from sacrifice to Tzeentch. I can sacrifice anything I want to Tzeentch and the more noteworthy the sacrifice the more power I gain from it. With enough power I can ask the book anything and it'll answer truthfully. Any question, no matter how mundane." Harry explained to them, causing Daphne's eyes to widen in amazement while Tracey nodded in appreciation of such a power.

"Greengrass and I share the ability to use the book and have our own separate pools of power. So if you ever want to use the Black Book, you'll need to perform some sacrifices to generate power." Harry added on.

"What kind of sacrifices?" Daphne questioned him.

"I started with the bodies of animals that I hunted for food. Than I reached the point where I would occasionally sacrifice the corpses of enemies that I'd killed. The sacrifice has to be made with intent, it has to have an impact. For example, say to like chicken, cutting off the chicken's head and sacrificing that would work. Do it enough and a ring will appear around your brand, signifying the power to use the Black Book and ask it whatever you could possibly imagine." Harry explained to her.

"So you'd let me use the book if I wanted too?" Daphne asked, giving him a curious look.

"I can summon the Book and the Bell to my body whenever I want. I figure the two of you can do the same with the item tied to your respective deity. Even if I didn't want you to use it Greengrass you'd probably eventually learn to summon it, so I figure there's no point in playing keep-away." Harry explained his reasoning.

"Okay… now… what about the other two? I was starting to think that Lovegood was the one you wanted to help, which was why you had us do this, but she's obviously not, so you know who at least one of the other two are." Daphne began.

"I know who both of them are. One is Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbatons' champion. The other isn't here, and I don't intend to reveal her identity just yet." Harry responded.

"The Beauxbatons' champion? Does she know about all of this?" Tracey asked.

"Yes. I spoke with her while you two were asleep. I told her what was going on, and explained about the marks. Once I have some idea of what's going on with the two of you, I'll open her mark as well." Harry replied to them.

"So she's alright with all of this?" Tracey inquired, surprise flitting onto her face.

"Seems to be. I guess we'll see. I just didn't want to run the risk of her coming to her own conclusions and doing something stupid." Harry shook his head and then fixed the two with a knowing look, causing both to grimace.

"Just in case the point wasn't made clear before, if I die again I'll get sent somewhere random where I'll have to stay for as much as ninety years. With that being said, there is a chance that those bonded to me will be forced into going with me, so I think it's wise to make sure your parents don't hire more people to kill me." Harry said to them.

Both grimaced again, Tracey's eyes falling in shame as well.

"What do you intend to do about them? About our parents and Malfoy?" Daphne asked fixing him with a focused look.

"I told you. If your parents did this for you, to save you, than I can accept it. If they did it for their alliance though, I'm going to end their lives. As for Lucius… he's a dead man." Harry responded, his tone cold, and allowing no room for debate. His words came down like iron chains.

Both of them, felt the weight of his threat, as well as the certainty behind it. Neither questioned even for a moment that he would make good on it.

"Our parents wouldn't do that. They've never liked Malfoy, but they didn't have a choice due to these contracts." Tracey said to him.

"We'll see." Harry hummed.

"What do you want us to do?" Daphne asked him.

"Reach out to your parents. Tell them that I'm still alive, that I am the heir to House Black, and if they want to save your lives, they'll tell no one, and come here to meet with me. I'll see for myself if they were just manipulated, or if they're cold-hearted bastards." Harry instructed the two.

"When?" Daphne asked.

"As soon as possible. I have enough hanging over my head without this being a continuous problem. Now… let's get a few things straight so that there's no room for misunderstanding. You've accepted to walk this path as a means of staying alive, you may even feel like it's a path to redemption. Whether that's true or not will be determined by you. From this point onward, you work with me. We'll be married one day, and I don't intend to spend the rest of my life miserable with two equally miserable people forced by magical contract to follow me. My goals are thus, I'm fighting a war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Someone, a servant of the Dark Lord no doubt, entered my name into the Goblet of Fire, and is most likely using this tournament to try and kill me. Voldemort is still alive out there, I've fought him once already. He's searching for a way to restore himself to a living state, and once he does, he'll bring war to all of magical Britain. I intend to oppose him and his servants at every stage of this campaign. Whatever you may believe, whatever leanings you may have in regards to the politics of Britain, you set them aside right now. I don't care what you believe, you will stand with me against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. That is non-negotiable. If your parents chose to kill me out of love for you, then I'll spare their lives, and work with them to form an alliance against Voldemort and those like Lucius Malfoy who tried to get us all killed. This doesn't end until Voldemort is dead, completely dead." Harry declared to them, revealing his immediate goal to the duo, so that they understood what would happen moving forward.

"You fought You-Know-Who before? When?" Daphne asked incredulously.

"First Year. He was possessing professor Quirrel's body, living in the back of his head." Harry responded, causing both girl's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Are you serious?" Tracey asked in disbelief.

"I'm dead serious. He was searching for the Philosopher's Stone which Dumbledore had hidden here in the castle as bait." Harry replied.

"And you killed him?" Tracey questioned, remembering how Quirrel had vanished towards the end of the year.

"Basically." Harry answered.

The two sat in silence after that, both of them pondering his declaration as well as everything else they had learned.

Silence reigned for several long minutes before Harry let out a sigh and rose to his feet.

"I don't know where this journey will lead us, and I'm still deciding what my future will hold. All I know for certain is that Voldemort and his Death Eaters must die, in order for any of us to have a future. You've made the choice to walk with me, and that isn't a choice you walk away from. Once I've dealt with your parents, that will be the end of it. What happened in the past, stays there, and you two start from zero. Make no mistake, I will never forget your manipulations, but I wont allow it to color the future, so long as you stay the course, and never betray me again. I have no intention of treating you like slaves, you have a problem with me or my actions, you come to me. If I find out either of you has betrayed me, or my trust by going behind my back, I will treat you as an enemy and burn your whole world down. In that other world, I learned many things. I learned to be a warrior, I learned to fight. I have seen war, and I will happily bring war down on anyone who stands against me. I allowed you to live because I understood why you did what you did, and because I know what it's like doing whatever you have to to survive. I could empathize with your choice. You will not receive such mercy ever again. I spared you because I understood, and because you could provide me with something of value. After I speak with your parents and learn their part in all of this, then we start at zero. Whether you rise or fall in my eyes from that point onward will be based off of your own actions. Have I made myself clear?" Harry laid everything out to them, resting his knuckles on the table as he stared down at the two.

"Yes, you have." Daphne spoke.

"Yeah. Of course." Tracey spoke, her tone a bit meeker.

"Alright. Why don't you two head back to the dungeons. It's almost past bedtime, and I'm sure you've already drawn some attention being gone all day. Contact your parents and lets get this settled. We'll talk more on this, after I've spoken with your parents." Harry said to them, earning nods from the two as they rose to their feet.

"For what it's worth Harry, thanks for giving us this chance. You had every right not to." Tracey said to him, pausing before departing.

He met her gaze, and let out a sigh. Finally after a moment he responded, "Be worthy of it."

She nodded and quickly joined Daphne as the two departed from the room, leaving Harry alone with Luna.

"How do you feel?" Luna asked him.

"Curious… concerned… tired. It's been a long day." Harry sighed.

"We should get some sleep. You do have a date tomorrow." Luna said to him, earning another sigh.

"Can we go on a date sometime too?" Luna asked him as they headed over to one of the beds.

"Of course. I'd be happy to take you on a date." Harry said to her, causing her to smile.

The two settled in and passed into a quiet slumber, today truly had been a long day, but thankfully Harry had gotten a lot done. Before his date tomorrow he'd go to Gaunt Shack, he'd then go to Grimmauld Place to deliver Ravenclaw's Diadem and the Gaunt Family Ring to Kreacher and have him hide them with the locket. He'd then sit down with Sirius and discuss what had happened. Aside from Luna, Sirius was the only other person he trusted with any degree of certainty, and he wanted to hear if his Godfather had any advice and also learn what he intended to do about his lordship.

All in all, an exciting day. Tomorrow things could begin in earnest. For now, he'd relax and venture into the land of dreams, but tomorrow he'd start getting even more in motion. Voldemort, Dumbledore, both of them were old men, trapped in their ways, and eager to see their ideologies clash once more, even at the cost innocent lives.

Harry had no intention of playing their games. He'd figure out the true nature of the lords Greengrass and Davis, and once he did, he would find a way to wield them as tools or allies in the war to come. In order to be free, he had to cast the shackles off of himself, and in order to do so, he had to tear down this disease-ridden temple that had been build around the magical society of Britain. Only when the old ways were gone, would he have the chance to finally be free.

One step at a time, one day at a time.

-To Be Continued-

Alright, there we are. Now we've got some interesting things going on, a bit of mystery lurking in the background. Dumbledore is working for someone mysterious who has plans for the world and the magical peoples that live there. Harry is starting to make moves, and Fleur sees an opportunity in all of this. Definitely a lot going on.

Anyway, heres the poll. I've had two people point out that Death being Luna is a bit confusing. I honestly don't mind it, but I feel like it might make an interesting story beat if I go another way so I'll leave it in your hands.

Should Luna become a new person? She'll essentially stay the same character, but her character will take on a new identity.

Yes or no. if yes, please put forth a possible new name for her. Obviously some people will still call her Luna as that's the body she took, but to herself, and Harry and the others in the harem she'll have a new identity if we go that route, so yes or no in the reviews, and if yes, maybe put forth a new name for her, even if that name is Death, because I'd be fine with that too.