Chapter Seven - Escape from Hell
In the Greengrasses' mansion, a twelve-year-old witch paced restlessly in her room. It was a miracle she hadn't made a dent in the floor by now. Daphne couldn't stop worrying about her best friend, her only friend. The fact that she hadn't even received a message from Harry yesterday, after wishing him a happy birthday, worried her deeply. She didn't want to think that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore and that was the reason for his silence. They had had their troubles, but they had overcome them and their friendship was stronger for it. So why hadn't Harry written her letters, as he had promised, or answered her letters?
The only answer Daphne could think of was that someone was stopping him. Surely there were plenty of people who would be interested, hell, her own parents had done nothing but nag her for the last month about what a bad influence the Potter boy was and how much they would prefer her to spend more time with dear Draco instead. Hah! Dear Draco, her arse! Pathetic wretch was more like it! He wasn't even worth her spitting in his direction, just like his arrogant father, the would-be ruler of magical Britain. So her parents would clearly have an interest, but they were far too weak and had also neglected the protections around their estate far too much to stop Hedwig from getting through.
But there were others besides her parents who did not take kindly to her friendship with Harry. Weasley and Granger and the other Slytherins came to mind, but Daphne couldn't imagine how they could have intercepted Harry's letters.
She could think of no one else in the wizarding world who would have an interest in sabotaging their friendship, except perhaps Voldemort or other sinister figures who were undoubtedly out there, as she had experienced first-hand in the Forbidden Forest. But could such a thing be? Would Voldemort take revenge for her hacking him in the head in her crow form by stealing Harry's letters, assuming he even knew she had been the crow? And how would he know that? Nobody knew but Harry.
No one else had taken offence at her friendship with Harry, except perhaps the good, decent, pure-blooded wizarding world, as her parents used to say, but that was far too abstract to draw any concrete suspicions from.
They had also received nothing but praise from their teachers at Hogwarts – except Snape. Sometimes Daphne had even felt Dumbledore's gaze on her in the Great Hall, and once she had gone so far as to return it. On that occasion, her venerable headmaster had even given her a friendly wink! After that, however, she had quickly averted her gaze for fear that he might read her thoughts and discover her secrets; her Occlumency shields were not yet strong enough for her to hope to fend off Dumbledore. If her headmaster knew what she and Harry were secretly doing, he would certainly have an interest in putting an end to their friendship, for he certainly wouldn't want Harry to indulge in blood magic. But so far there was no sign that Dumbledore knew anything. And so Daphne crossed him off her list, too.
No matter how much she thought about it, she always came to the same conclusion. The only people who could possibly have both the reason and the means to intercept Harry's letters were his Muggle relatives. Daphne cursed at the thought, as she did every time she thought of his family. Even if she didn't care about the whole pure-blood issue, she still thought it was a waste that Harry had to spend his summer with these Muggles. At least she could practise her magic and use the Greengrass library, but Harry was denied all that. Hopefully, he could at least continue his mental exercises to further strengthen his bond with his inner magic and hopefully enable his Animagus transformation as soon as possible. Oh, how wonderful it would be if he were a bird like her! Then they could fly over the Hogwarts grounds together, or into the Forbidden Forest if they felt like more adventures...
Daphne shook her head. Her mind had wandered. The Dursleys! They were the only possible explanation for the fact that she hadn't heard from Harry since they'd left Hogwarts. So it had indeed come to pass that she would have to make good on the promise she had made to Harry before the summer holidays. Back then she had meant it as a joke, at least a little bit, but now she would come to Harry!
Filled with this new determination, Daphne threw on her black travelling cloak, grabbed her ebony wand, and left her room. Her footsteps led her through the long, empty corridors of her once magnificent family mansion. Once these corridors had been filled with paintings, statues and other evidence of her family's nearly two thousand year history, but the last few generations of Greengrasses had gradually sold off all these treasures, the pitiful result of a long series of bad decisions, the last and most serious of which had been to pledge themselves to Voldemort and his lieutenant Malfoy. Not that Daphne cared much for pomp and pageantry, but it was humiliating nonetheless. Perhaps if she were to inherit the estate one day, she should simply raze it to the ground, or better still, burn it down and let something new rise from the ashes of the old.
Daphne descended the marble stairs into the entrance hall, where a long purple carpet cushioned her steps. Several golden tables and chairs lined the walls, along with busts of her ancestors, and a crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. Aside from the dining room and her father's study, the entrance hall was still the most glamorous part of the house, at least a faint echo of its former grandeur, for even now, visitors came from time to time who were not supposed to know how bad things were for the Greengrasses. Not that it helped much. As a child, Daphne had been to many celebrations at the homes of other pureblood families – the Malfoys, the Parkinsons, the Selwyns – and the differences in luxury on display were so obvious that her family's efforts were simply embarrassing by comparison. It was like a fruit fly trying to compete with a proud crow. Daphne grimaced at the thought. No, she shouldn't compare the bigoted pureblood families to crows, vultures was more like it.
Daphne was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice her sister until she spoke to her.
"Where are you going?"
Daphne stopped and turned to Astoria, who had emerged from one of the adjoining rooms. While Daphne had inherited her looks from their mother, Astoria took after their father. Auburn, long hair framed a graceful face with sky-blue eyes that were looking at Daphne suspiciously at that moment. Astoria also wore a brightly coloured summer dress that was as different from Daphne's dark clothes as day was from night. The two Greengrass sisters were considered to be quite pretty, Daphne knew, but while Astoria's beauty made one think of an innocent fairy princess, Daphne preferred to compare herself to the dark sorceresses from the stories of old, such as Circe or Morgana Le Fay. Sorceresses who had taken the reins of their fate into their own hands and had not had to be rescued by a knight, prince, or anyone else. After all, who wanted to be a helpless princess? Unfortunately, Daphne was the only one who thought so. Her mother had often admonished her to act more girlish, like her sister.
"It's none of your business," she replied to her sister's question.
A furrow formed in Astoria's brow and her nostrils flared as if she had smelled manure. "Have you been stealing money from Mum and Dad again?" she said in an accusing tone.
She had hit the manticore's eye with that, of course, but Daphne didn't feel like arguing about it again.
"They'll be very disappointed in you!"
"Too bad," Daphne said with a shrug. "Now leave me alone, Astoria. Haven't you got anything else to do? Play with dolls or something?"
"Don't you realise how much you're breaking their hearts? They try so hard to give us a nice life, and you –"
"The fuck they give," Daphne hissed. She didn't even know why she was still bothering with this. It was the same old story over and over again.
"You're getting us into a lot of trouble with your behaviour!" cried Astoria. "Mum says that if you carry on like this, the Malfoys will –"
"I don't care what the Malfoys do! They're lucky they're not rotting in prison."
"But they have power! They have power over us, Daph. Please understand that! If you keep angering them, then we will have to pay!"
It wasn't about stealing money or arguing with their parents anymore, Daphne realised, but about her behaviour at Hogwarts. And her choice of best friend. "I've told you and Father and Mother a thousand times, I will not end my friendship with Harry!" she said firmly. "In fact, I'm on my way to see him right now." With that, Daphne whirled around and, with a wave of her wand, pushed open the front door with a loud crash. Over her shoulder, she called back, "You don't have to wait for me with dinner."
Daphne heard her sister call something after her, but she paid no further attention. The conversation had made her blood boil and fueled the determination within her even more. She wanted to see Harry, to talk and laugh with him, and that as soon as possible. Maybe they could even do some exercises. Her wand trembled in her hand at the thought.
By now, Daphne had reached the boundaries of the estate. She stuck her wand in the air, and only moments later the Knight Bus stopped in front of her. Daphne got on, told the pimply conductor her destination, and sat down on an armchair by a window in the back of the bus. Apart from her, there were only two elderly wizards on the bus, but they were engrossed in a game of wizard chess and paid no further attention to her.
With a resounding bang, the bus began to move; the two wizards cursed angrily as their pieces fell off the board. Daphne, on the other hand, began to look out of the window, where she could see her reflection. Quite involuntarily, she performed her daily ritual.
A normal life, as a small part of the big picture. Isn't that enough for you?
"No, it's not."
You want more?
"Yes."
How much more?
"Until there's nothing left."
And what role does Harry play in these plans?
The last question was new, and Daphne couldn't answer it. What role would Harry play in her life? They had already gone far beyond the pact they had made at Christmas...
"Did you say something?" asked the pimply conductor who had approached her and was now looking at her curiously.
Daphne shook her head. "No, I was just talking to myself..."
"Okay, well then. We'll be right there. Four Privet Way, Little Whinging, Surrey. Aye, what do you want there anyway?"
"Visiting a friend."
The conductor must have noticed that Daphne was not in a talking mood, because he moved away from her again, whistling a jaunty tune to himself. Soon after, the bus stopped. Daphne rose from her armchair, paid the fare of eleven Sickles, and got off. She was now standing in front of a plain house, just like all the others in the street. The same uninspiring facade, the same lawn that was not a millimetre too high. The only detail that set it apart was the number on the door. A small four glittered in the sunlight.
Daphne closed her eyes and breathed in and out several times, preparing herself for what was to come. Her heart pounded with a mixture of anticipation and dark foreboding. With energetic steps, she walked to the front door and rang the bell.
After a few moments, the door was opened by a fat, ugly boy. Daphne knew immediately who this boy was and felt disgust rising in her. Her fingers flicked briefly to her wand, but she controlled herself. She needed more information first.
"Dudders, who's at the door?" a shrill female voice rang out, making Daphne's ears hurt. How had Harry put up with this all these years?
A skinny woman with a horse-like face appeared beside the boy. Harry had told her enough about his aunt that Daphne would have had no trouble at all recognising Petunia Dursley even if she hadn't been standing outside her house. And the boy next to her had to be her son Dudley, Harry's cousin.
"Is this a friend of yours, Dudders?" asked Harry's aunt. But then she noticed Daphne's black travelling cloak, which probably did not meet with her approval. Contemptuously, her eyes swept over Daphne.
"My name is Daphne Greengrass," Daphne said with suppressed anger. "I'm here to see Harry."
"You're one of them," the woman hissed. Her son's eyes widened in fear. Good thing, Daphne thought. He had every reason to be frightened.
Daphne pulled out her wand and pointed it at them. "Yes! I am a witch. And I want to see Harry. Now!"
"You can't use that!" cried Harry's aunt shrilly, while her eyes were fixed on the wand. "I know you're not allowed to use that outside of your school!"
Daphne clicked her tongue. "That may be so. But I don't care. If you don't do as I say, I may be expelled from school, but you, you will rot in your graves, I promise you. And the maggots will feast on your flesh."
Harry's aunt swallowed. Fear was written all over her face. And Dudley Dursley had wet himself, as Daphne could both smell and see. These wretched creatures were to be related to Harry and Lily Evans?
"Now get on with it! Take me to Harry!"
"I-I will take you to him," Harry's aunt said in a frightened voice. "P-please don't hurt us..."
Daphne nodded slightly, but she did not lower her wand. "Go ahead."
Trembling, Harry's aunt turned and walked into the house. Daphne ordered Dudley to follow his mother before entering the house herself. Petunia Dursley led her up a flight of stairs, stopping at the top. She pointed to the room on her right. "Th-there. There it is."
Daphne climbed the last few steps – and froze when she saw the door to the room. A large iron lock hung in front of it, and there was a cat flap built into the door, with a tray and an empty bowl in front of it. No power in heaven or earth could calm her now. Her blood felt like it was going to explode and her heart was filled with hatred.
"You monsters!" she screamed, snatching up her wand. Two bolts of red lightning struck mother and son, who collapsed on the floor, unable to move. Only their ugly eyes stared fearfully at Daphne. Oh, how she wished she could make them pay right then and there for everything they had done to Harry. How she would love to see them writhing on the floor before her, begging for their lives. How she would love to hear their screams of pain!
But there was something more important than vengeance. She pointed her wand at the door and shouted, "Bombarda!"
The door blew off its hinges. Splinters of wood hit Daphne in the face, cutting her skin, but she didn't care. For behind the blown open door she saw Harry, looking at her with a surprised expression, as if she were a ghost.
Their eyes met, amber eyes gazing into green, and a warm feeling gripped Daphne, draining away the fiery anger and hatred she had felt a moment ago. Her legs wobbling, she walked towards Harry before suddenly jumping forward and falling around his neck. She hugged him tightly and, after a moment's hesitation, Harry wrapped his arms around her trembling body.
Harry could hardly believe his eyes. Just a moment ago he had been lying on his bed, staring into space, when he suddenly heard a voice in the hallway that was all too familiar. And the next moment, the door to his room had burst open with a loud crash. Harry had jumped up from his bed and now he could see the unmistakable figure of Daphne through the shattered door.
His friend was dressed in the dark black that she liked so much and that went so well with her hair, but her clothes were covered in dust and splinters. Some of the splinters had even hit Daphne in the face; drops of blood slid down her skin, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes, her warm golden eyes, were fixed on him as if she could not believe what she was seeing. Her legs wobbled as she walked towards him, and he towards her. Then suddenly she jumped forward and fell around his neck.
Harry was almost thrown back, such was the force of Daphne's embrace. His friend pressed tightly against him and after a moment's hesitation, as Harry processed what had just happened, he wrapped his arms around her trembling body. His eyes did not deceive him. His arms did not deceive him. Daphne had indeed come. She was here, just as she had promised.
Harry felt himself start to tremble. Daphne tightened her embrace even more and he buried his face in her dark hair. Her scent entered his nose, pine needles with a hint of lemongrass. When he had first smelled the scent of Daphne's hair, the mixture had seemed strange to him, but now he associated the scent with Daphne so much that it simply promised him a sense of security. She had come. She had really come.
He couldn't tell how much time passed, but eventually they parted, though they continued to hold each other. The two friends shared a deep look. Harry could even see his reflection in Daphne's golden eyes as he wondered what the hell he could say that they hadn't already expressed through their long embrace. So he just said what came to mind at that moment.
"You've grown your hair." Indeed, Daphne's silky black hair was now extending past her shoulders. Harry thought it looked extremely good on her and he told her so. "You look great, well I mean it suits you, the long hair..."
A bright smile crossed Daphne's face. "And you look terrible." They both laughed, but their laughter only lasted a few moments before Daphne's face turned serious again. "Harry, what happened?"
"It's a long story," he said as he began to remove the wood splinters from Daphne's face and hair. Gently he wiped away a drop of blood from her cheek. "A house-elf visited me to warn me of some danger. He wanted to stop me from returning to Hogwarts. He stole all the letters I received and intercepted my letters to make me feel lonely and abandoned by my friends. Oh, Daph, he showed me the pile. You wrote me so, so many letters."
Daphne gave him a wry smile. "That was our deal, wasn't it?"
Harry nodded. He should never have doubted her. "Then yesterday the house-elf cast a spell," he continued. "Then I got a letter from the Ministry and my relatives found out I wasn't allowed to use magic outside Hogwarts. So they locked me up." His eyes slid to the broken door. "Did you..."
Daphne shook her head. "I might have liked to, but they're just stunned. But what danger do –"
She couldn't finish because at that moment a huge barn owl flew into the room through the broken door, startling them both with a screech. The owl landed on the floor beside them and extended a claw towards Harry with a letter tied to it. The letter was addressed to him.
The two friends exchanged a look before Harry untied the letter and opened it. Hearts pounding, they began to read.
Dear Mr Potter,
We have received intelligence that two Stunning Spells and an Exploding Charm were used at your place of residence at thirteen minutes past ten this morning. As we informed you yesterday, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside of school. Today's repeat violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery (Paragraph C) will result in expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.
Hoping you are well,
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopfkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Harry had to read the letter twice. He was only vaguely aware that Daphne had begun to swear in a way that would have made even Ron blush with shame. He felt as if the floor had been pulled out from under him. Everything was spinning around him and one cold shiver after another ran down his spine. He was being expelled from Hogwarts. A moment ago he had been relieved and happy, but now it was over. He was never going back.
He looked at Daphne, who met his gaze. He could see thoughts racing through her head and his brain had started to work too.
Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.
There was only one way out. He had to leave, and he had to leave now. Daphne seemed to have come to the same conclusion as him.
"We have to get out of here," she said.
With an almost mechanical movement, Harry nodded. He grabbed Daphne's wand and pointed it at the barred window. It didn't matter now. "Bombarda."
With a deafening bang, the entire wall of the house was blown away. A cloud of dust enveloped Harry and Daphne. They began to cough and Hedwig, who had been restless in her cage before, began to scream. Harry still felt like he was in a trance as he opened her cage and gently stroked her feathers.
"Fly away, Hedwig. I'm sorry for doing all this to you. Fly away and leave all this behind you."
The snow owl gave him a long look before giving a soft coo and biting his hand with her beak, but it was a sign of affection and Harry didn't complain. Then Hedwig spread her wings, pushed off, and flew out of the hole in the wall to freedom.
Harry turned back to Daphne, who was looking at Hedwig with a wistful expression on her face. "You can transform too, Daph," he said. "Fly away before you are punished as well."
Daphne looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Of course not. This is my fault. I'm staying with you, Harry. Didn't I promise you that?"
Harry swallowed. Yes, she had. Not only had she promised to come and get him if things got too bad with the Dursleys, but they would fly away together. But he couldn't use his broom! It would be too conspicuous!
He told Daphne this, but she just shook her head. "We'll run, then. You won't get rid of me, Harry."
With that, she took his hand and pulled him out of the room after her. He saw the stunned Petunia and Dudley lying on the floor, their eyes filled with fear, but they hurried past them. Hand in hand, the two friends ran down the stairs. Harry quickly retrieved his wand from the locked cupboard, then they ran out into the street with nothing but their clothes on their bodies and their wands in their hands.
The first onlookers had already gathered in the street and sirens were wailing in the distance. Harry heard someone calling out to them, but they ignored the voice. They ran past the onlookers and didn't stop when they reached the end of Privet Drive. They kept running. They ran and ran, past houses, cars, and street signs, running without a destination, without a plan, just knowing that they had to keep running. Away from Number Four Privet Drive. Away from the Dursleys. Away from the Ministry representatives who would come to break his wand. Away, just away.
At some point, Harry got a stitch in his side and sweat ran down his body, but he kept on running. By now the sun had passed its zenith. They were in a part of Little Whining that Harry had never seen before. Ugly grey buildings rose up on the sides of the road and it smelled of rubbish and urine. Harry looked at Daphne. She was as sweaty as he was, panting and holding her side. She was at the end of her tether, he realised.
"That's enough," Harry said and stopped. His legs protested at the sudden pause and Daphne stumbled. He caught her before she fell.
"N-No," she gasped, "W-We...we have to keep going..."
Harry shook his head. "We're far enough away, many miles. We need to rest."
With that, he led Daphne into a narrow alley and lowered himself to the ground with her beside an overflowing dumpster, from where they couldn't be seen from the street. It stank horribly, but they both gasped for breath anyway. Several minutes passed before Daphne spoke again.
"Do you have a plan?" she said, still panting slightly.
"No. Do you?"
"No."
They looked at each other and couldn't help laughing at the same time. The whole situation was just too absurd. But the laughter made the stitches in their sides worse and they had to stop, even if it was hard. Harry looked back at his friend, his best friend, the only one who had come to look after him. A question burned on the tip of his tongue.
"Daphne, why have you come?"
Daphne gave him a questioning look, as if she didn't understand what he meant. "I promised you, didn't I?"
"I thought we were just joking then. I didn't really think you'd come. Nobody else cared, just you..."
"I meant it when I promised. You're my friend, Harry. You are ... sunlight to my darkness." Daphne sounded as if she wasn't sure that was a good thing. Her expression was, for a moment, so vulnerable it looked naked.
Harry put his hand on hers and squeezed it. He didn't know what he could say to even begin to express his thoughts and feelings at that moment, the gratitude and affection he felt for Daphne, this wondrous girl who had come into his life so unexpectedly and thrown it more off course than he ever thought possible. But words didn't seem to be necessary at all, because Daphne now squeezed his hand too.
They smiled at each other, and in that moment Harry knew that everything was going to be all right. Together they would get through whatever happened to them.
"Harry?" a strange voice suddenly sounded, followed by approaching footsteps.
Harry and Daphne flinched. They raised their wands and tensed their muscles to leap up and flee as none other than Albus Dumbledore stepped into the alley. Behind him walked Professor McGonagall. A smile crossed Dumbledore's grandfatherly face as he caught sight of them, and Harry felt they could trust him, though he couldn't put his finger on exactly why. But there was probably no point in running away from the old wizard anyway, so they stayed where they were.
"And Miss Greengrass. I admit I should have expected it, given that you two are always so inseparable. Ah, young love, to be allowed to witness such is truly one of the greatest privileges of our profession, is it not, Minerva?"
Harry felt the blood rush to his face and Daphne's cheeks turned pink as well. However, that didn't stop her from asking suspiciously, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for Harry," Dumbledore said. "Half the Ministry is on its feet to find him, but it seemed to me it would be good if I got involved as well. After all, it was I who handed him over to the care of his aunt and uncle all those years ago."
His words drilled into Harry like pinpricks. "It was you?!" he asked in dismay.
"A mistake, as I now realise. They should have loved you as their own child, but instead robbed you of your childhood. You will never have to go back to them, Harry, I promise you that."
Harry truly went through a rollercoaster of emotions that day. A moment ago he had felt a burning anger towards their headmaster, but now a wave of joy washed over him. Never again would he have to go back to the Dursleys!
But then he realised again the seriousness of their situation. "Are you going to hand us over to the Ministry?" he asked.
Albus Dumbledore shook his head, a ray of sunlight breaking in his half-moon-shaped glasses. Was it his imagination, Harry thought, or had his face become even more wrinkled since the end of the school year? Although Harry had to admit that he had never seen their headmaster from as close as he did at that moment.
"No, Harry. I will take care of the Ministry. I have already spoken briefly with the Minister. You will not be expelled from Hogwarts and your wand will not be broken either."
"Does that also apply to Daphne?"
"Yes, I think that can be done," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. "After all, she was only trying to help a friend in need."
Next to Harry, Daphne relaxed noticeably. "What happens to us now?" she asked.
"We're going to take you both to Hogwarts so that Madam Pomfrey can examine you," Professor McGonagall now spoke up for the first time. She gave Dumbledore a look that Harry was unable to interpret before turning back to them. "After that, we will consider where you can live in the future, Mr Potter, now that your aunt and uncle have proved unfit. Is that acceptable to you?"
Harry and Daphne exchanged a look before nodding simultaneously.
And so, some time later, the two friends found themselves in the hospital wing of Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey had only needed a few short spells to heal the cuts on Daphne's face, but she had also given them some Pepper-Up and Calming Potions. Finally, the healer had given them two cups of hot chocolate, accompanied by a stern look and the instruction to drink it all. And that's exactly what Harry and Daphne did as they sat on one of the empty beds, legs dangling, just happy that everything had gone well. They were still holding each other's hands and neither of them made a move to change that.
At some point, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall returned and sat down opposite them on the next bed. Dumbledore spoke up, "Harry, Daphne – may I say Daphne?" Daphne nodded. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Harry said. "Thank you for your help, Professor."
"Just a little way down the long road of reparation, I'm afraid. However, I do have some good news. I have received confirmation from the Minister that all the damage to the house has been repaired and the neighbours' memories of what happened have been removed. And your aunt and cousin are also well, Harry. They didn't suffer any permanent damage."
No permanent damage, Harry thought. How nice it would be if he, too, had suffered no permanent damage from ten years of living with them...
As if Daphne could read his thoughts, she squeezed his hand gently.
"I need to ask you one more question," Dumbledore said. " I understand the spells you and Daphne cast today. But why did you perform a levitation spell yesterday?"
"It wasn't me, Professor," Harry replied. "A house-elf, Dobby, did that. He was trying to get me into trouble to keep me from returning to Hogwarts."
Dumbledore frowned at his words, but his voice remained calm as he asked, "A house-elf? And why did he try to prevent you from returning?"
"I asked him that too, but he wouldn't tell me. I even felt as if some magic was keeping him from telling me. He just said I was in danger here."
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. Then he looked to Daphne. "I see that it has begun to work in your mind, Daphne. What is your conclusion from all this?"
"You're asking me, Professor?" said Daphne in surprise.
"It is sometimes advisable to listen to the opinions of others, before one becomes too set in one's own views and can no longer distinguish the obvious from the apparent. Besides, it has been brought to my attention that you are a brilliant student." Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled behind his glasses as he said this.
Daphne tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear as she seemed to think about what to say. When she finally spoke, Harry was hanging on her lips. "My family also has a house-elf and from what I know about him and others of his kind, a house-elf can never betray his masters. That's probably why Harry felt there was some magic holding the house-elf back. It must have already caused him pain to come to Harry at all, if it is indeed his masters who want to bring harm to Harry." She looked to him. "You said the elf's name was Dobby?"
Harry nodded. "Yes. That's what he called himself."
"The problem is that house-elves are registered with the Ministry only by their house-elf number, which is given to them at birth. So we won't find a Dobby there to find out which family he serves. Besides, there are also many non-registered house-elves from illegal breeding facilities or those acquired on the black market."
"Very good," Dumbledore said with an approving nod. "Those are the same conclusions I came to. Ten points to Slytherin, a bit of a head start for the new term."
"Professor?" said Daphne.
"Yes?"
"Can you please not give me any more points for my house in the future? I don't really care how many points Slytherin has."
"Let me take care of that," Professor McGonagall said now. "Ten points from Slytherin for an utterly Gryffindor-worthy deed you have done today, Miss Greengrass, by coming to Mr Potter's aid." The Transfiguration teacher gave Daphne a gentle smile, the likes of which Harry had rarely seen before from the stern professor.
"Where do we go from here?" he asked.
"I will try to find out more about this house-elf," Dumbledore said. "However, as Daphne said, this may be difficult. That being said, I can assure you, Harry, that you will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts? Does that mean I can stay?"
Dumbledore winked at him over his glasses. "Yes, Harry. If you like, you can stay here for the rest of the holidays. It may be a bit empty over the summer, but there are still a few people around, including your good friend Hagrid."
"Yay!" exclaimed Harry happily. "I mean, yes, I'm happy to stay." He exchanged a glance with Daphne, who gave him a big grin. He could tell by the look on her face that she was thinking the same thing. Not only would it be much better at Hogwarts than with the Dursleys, no, he could also practise magic here all summer without anyone stopping him.
"We thought you would answer that way," Professor McGonagall said. "Your things have already been moved to your dormitory in Gryffindor Tower." She turned to Daphne. "Your parents have also been contacted, Miss Greengrass. They just said they expect you back in time for dinner."
A shadow flitted across Daphne's face. It was clear from her expression how little she wanted to return to her family, but in typical Daphne fashion, she finally shrugged. "Well, I guess it's all to no avail. I shouldn't keep them waiting any longer then, should I?" She squeezed Harry's hand one last time before placing her empty cup on the bedside table and getting up from the bed. "I expect you to write to me this time, Harry."
"I wrote to you before."
"Then I specify: this time I also expect to receive your letters."
Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall chuckled at her words and Harry had to smile too.
"Not only that," he said. "I also promise to pick you up in Hogsmeade on the first of September."
"That goes without saying." Daphne looked at him firmly. "But I mean it, Harry. You're important to me."
Harry had to think back to Daphne's earlier words when they had been sitting next to the dumpster and she had told him something similar. You're my friend, Harry. You are ... sunlight to my darkness.
"You are important to me too, Daphne. And I look forward to seeing many sunrises after dark nights with you."
Even hours later, as Harry lay in his bed in Gryffindor Tower, he couldn't help but think back to the smile Daphne had given him after those words, and for the first time in weeks, he fell asleep happily.
In Malfoy Manor, the head of the family, Lucius Malfoy, sat in an armchair in front of a roaring fire, a glass of firewhiskey in his hand and a thoughtful expression on his face. His thoughts were circling around the events of today, for it had undoubtedly been a very eventful day.
Arthur Weasley, with the support of that senile idiot Dumbledore, had managed to get his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act through the Wizengamot. Perhaps he should take the precaution of moving some of his more obscure possessions to a safe place, as it would take an unnecessary amount of time and gold to recover them if they were confiscated. Lucius snorted contemptuously. Weasley was allowing himself far too much by now. It was time he was reminded again of the place a blood traitor like him had in magical society. He would destroy him, his reputation, and his entire family if necessary, and he already had the perfect means to do so. All he had to do was find a way to plant the diary on one of the Weasley children. His former master's magic would then do the rest. Yes, that would be wonderful to watch. He would be able to kill several birds with one stone: Weasley, Dumbledore, and all the Mudbloods at Hogwarts.
With a smug grin, Lucius took a sip of his whiskey. He loved the way the alcohol burned in his throat. It was truly the little things in life.
One thing that was not little at all was the question of Draco's future wife, but here too he had made good progress in the negotiations with the Parkinsons today. Only a few final details remained before he and Theseus could sign the contract. However, Lucius knew his son. Draco was like him, he would need ... distraction in his married life. He should contact his vassal houses, Lucius thought, especially the Greengrasses. Draco had been quite upset that their eldest daughter had taken up with the Potter boy, and today too she and Potter had caused some sort of commotion in Surrey. It was time to remind the Greengrasses of their responsibilities. And if he could do Draco a favour in the process, well, he could kill two birds with one stone here too.
A devilish laugh escaped Lucius' throat. Oh yes, it would all come together perfectly.