Hermione and Antonin finished their wonderful dinner.

Antonin took a little bit of time to go through some of the books he grabbed. He stuck bookmarks right to the sections on horcruxes and put back the books that lacked relevant information.

"This has certainly been fun," Antonin said. "I will catch you-" Hermione shot him a sideways glance, her eyes filled with suspicion. He realized how creepy that probably sounded to her, then he quickly corrected himself. "I will see you later." Of course, this depended largely on how things went with Cyrus, so he added, "Maybe." He left without waiting for a response.

"Maybe?" Hermione questioned. She told herself that she hoped never to see him again while at the same time imagining a slow and passionate goodbye kiss. She started reading some of the books Antonin organized for her and couldn't help but appreciate how helpful that really was.

Harry, Daphne, Ron, Astoria and Cyrus returned to the dining room. "I am still not comfortable leaving Hermione alone with a Death Eater." Ron took a seat at the table. As much as he was looking forward to this dinner, he lost his appetite after having an argument with Hermione. He looked Cyrus in the eye. "He almost killed her."

Daphne and Astoria's jaw dropped as this was news to them.

"We saw them just minutes ago. They are fine," Cyrus began to say.

"Sir, if I may, it was a few years ago," Harry interjected politely.

"Wasn't he also the one mainly responsible for the Prewett murders," Ron said with a raised voice. He wasn't ready to admit they were his uncles. "From what I heard; they were particularly brutal."

"Indeed, that was a very brutal murder," Cyrus admitted with a nod and a shutter.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Ron started to believe he made a mistake in accepting Cyrus's invitation. Something in the way he said it implied he was actually there. He certainly wasn't killed; perhaps he wasn't as neutral as his reputation suggested.

"Wait, were you there? Did you witness this?" Harry asked.

Daphne brushed her leg up against Harry under the table. He smiled at her, and it would be easy to let a beautiful girl distract him, but he knew he needed to focus.

"One guy had half his face bit," Cyrus began to say.

"Dad, please, we are about to eat. Let's not revisit the coroner's report," Daphne requested.

"Daphne is right," Sophia said, looking at her husband, "My dear, I realize the point you're trying to make, but you don't need to go into these descriptions, you can just skip to the conclusion."

"Certainly, dear. My apologies. The point is that there were four Death Eaters also there with Antonin…" Cyrus said.

"So, we heard. The coward needed four accomplices to fight two opponents," Ron declared.

Cyrus rolled his eyes at Ron. What did Ron think this was, a scheduled planned fight? It just as easily could have gone the other way where Antonin was the one hopelessly outnumbered. "As I was saying... the other four were the ones who made that murder so brutal, not Antonin," Cyrus stated.

"Is that what he TOLD you," Ron scoffed.

"Yes, and that is what I witnessed through a memory extraction spell," Cyrus declared.

"I didn't watch the memory." Sophia shuddered at the thought of what that memory contained. "Even reading the coroner's report was a bit much. I took Antonin at his word. The types of spells he uses, don't leave a mark, and therefore would never be labeled brutal."

"Any chance you still have that memory extraction? So, I can see for myself?" Ron asked. He didn't believe the memory extraction existed and was asking mainly to call his bluff.

"Why would you want to see something so horrific?" Astoria asked Ron.

A wide grin spread across Cyrus's face. He clasped his hands together and then addressed his youngest daughter. "If that is what he is into, he is so clearly the wrong guy for you." Then he turned his attention back to Ron. "If you really do enjoy seeing such sadistic acts…" His eyes remained fixated on his youngest daughter as he spoke, then he turned his attention back to Ron. "I would be happy to share the extraction with you, provided Antonin consents to it."

"There is not a chance in hell that will happen, and you know it," Ron said. "And no, that isn't the reason I want to see it. I want to know who the guilty parties are, Cyrus Greengrass, since obviously Antonin didn't reveal at the trial who his four close friends were, and some of them might have gotten away with it scot-free."

He briefly glared at Ron, not at all liking what he was implying. "Back then, I thought he should turn them in, but he refused," Cyrus said.

"Three guesses why and the first two don't count," Sophia said.

"Bellatrix," Harry whispered barely audibly. He remembered how crazy Antonin was over Hermione when he believed she was Bellatrix. Sophia briefly made eye contact and nodded.

"Draco's dear 'sweet' Auntie," Daphne said with every word dripping of sarcasm. "One whom I hope never to become related to through marriage." Her icy blue eyes locked in with her fathers and a smirk spread across her face. She was aware of the fact that Cyrus hated Bellatrix. Silently to herself, she began to question her father's neutral stance. Then she looked at Harry with a flirtatious look. "I am hoping for someone much better."

"So, Bellatrix is one of them. I want to make sure ALL of them are brought to justice," Ron declared.

"Yeah, sure, let's just pretend there is still a justice system to bring them to," Sophia said.

"When was there ever?" Cyrus laughed. "Certainly not in my lifetime."

After dinner, with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, Daphne led Harry into her bedroom. The room embraced them with its soothing lavender walls, adorned with whimsical floral patterns that intertwined like vines. Delicate fairy lights twinkled above, casting a warm, ethereal glow.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Daphne and Harry found themselves caught in a captivating gaze, their hearts beating in sync. The air crackled with an electrifying energy, and they leaned closer, their lips softly brushing against each other's. In that simple touch, a spark ignited, kindling a fire within their souls.

In the midst of their shared moment, Daphne broke the silence, her voice a mere whisper against Harry's lips. "When you and your friends leave, take me with you," she murmured, her eyes filled with a blend of longing and vulnerability. Her plea carried the weight of her desire to be with him. "My father can't know, until it is too late to do anything about it."

Harry hesitated for a brief moment, his mind dancing with uncertainty. He cared for her safety first and foremost. He knew the road ahead might be too dangerous for her.

"Spend the night with me," Daphne pleaded. She kissed him again and pulled him close to her. He could feel the heat of her body and an overwhelming desire.

"Maybe when I am not the wizarding world's most wanted," Harry said.

"You have always been my most wanted," Daphne said with a smile, followed by another kiss. Harry couldn't help but to smile and kiss her back.

Cyrus's office was generously proportioned, with high ceilings adorned by intricate crown molding and expansive windows allowed natural light to flood the room, casting a warm glow on the exquisite furnishings. The walls, dressed in rich, earthy tones, were lined with meticulously crafted bookshelves, housing a curated collection of leather-bound volumes and rare literary treasures.

A grand mahogany desk took center stage, its polished surface reflecting the glow of an elegant crystal desk lamp. The desk was adorned with gold accents and embellished with a personalized monogram, a testament to the owner's discerning taste. A plush, high-backed leather chair sat behind the desk, offering both comfort and a regal presence.

An Italian marble basin with runes and strange symbols carved on it dominated one corner of the office. It was filled with a silvery substance that appears to be a cloudy liquid.

Cyrus sat at his desk and flipped open his book on unforgivable curses right to the bookmarked page. He looked down and reread some handwritten notes. Antonin was certainly right about this.

A few moments later, Antonin walked in and took a seat across from Cyrus. "I know you have something you want to talk to me about too, but before we get started, there are a few things I would like to ask you about first," Antonin said.

"Ok, what is it," Cyrus inquired.

"You're my friend, but... You always said my fatal flaw was being too honest, and heck, it still is. I just can't help thinking the Weasley kid might be right. I have to say it. One second Hermione was hoping you would give Weasley hell for dating your daughter, and then suddenly she said she just wanted him to be happy. That kind of sounds like someone struggling in her head with the thoughts of wanting the best for her friend, and the thoughts of someone who wouldn't want that relationship to happen... Also, before that, Weasley had a good point, and Hermione still took my side over one of her best friends. I don't want to offend you, but I'm wondering if... err..."

Cyrus chuckled, "Don't worry, I get it. I can ease your feelings on that. My daughter's study at Hogwarts. They were never sure whether Granger liked Potter or Weasley... I guess it was Weasley. Have you never had a crush on a good friend as a teenager and got torn between being upset she didn't reciprocate your feelings and wishing her happiness? I think she's going through the same thing. You are, of course, right that I don't want Astoria dating Ron Weasley, but Hermione's feelings on that are her own. That also explains why she was visibly upset when she outed what my daughter was doing with Ron. That might have made her more inclined to side against him."

"Oh! She wasn't siding with me; she was siding against Ron. Now that makes sense." Antonin let out a sigh of relief. "I am glad to know it is not because you were controlling her with an imperious curse. I admit, I was starting to think Ron was right about her being under that curse, just wrong about who was doing it. She was way too nice to me. If it's not an act, I think you might be right. She would be the right girl for me... Too bad I already blew it with her a long time ago."

"I think I have a pretty good idea what you are talking about. Harry and Ron mentioned it at dinner," Cyrus said, "I am not forcing her to be nice to you. She actually is under an imperious curse, but no more so than anybody else in the house. She is only being forced not to use certain very dangerous spells, as are you and everybody else in the house."

"Like any of the unforgivable curses," Antonin made a logical guess.

"Or saying the dark lord's name," Cyrus said. "That brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about. It is very rare, but it does happen that I encounter someone I can't control and unfortunately, young Mr. Potter might be one of them."

"I noticed. He got further on saying the dark lord's name than anyone else," Antonin said. "Good of Daphne to run interference. I can't help wondering if she did that on her own or was that because of you?"

Cyrus chuckled. "Fun question, but you are missing the point. Where I may not be able to control Harry, you might be right that it is best if you leave. I am not kicking you out, but if it comes to..."

"I don't think I have that much to worry about with Potter," Antonin said. "He will defend himself if he needs to but doesn't seem that prone to violence. I would be more concerned about it if it was Weasley."

"I agree. He does seem to have it in for you. He probably would have loved to get ahold of your truth seeker spell and use that against you," Cyrus mused.

"Yeah, I bet he would," Antonin snickered. He remembered coming up with that spell during the first wizarding war. It was a variant on the torture curse designed specifically for interrogations. Liars experienced the full effects of a Crucio, while those that told the truth experienced nothing. Of course, there was an easy out of saying 'none of your business' as a reply to most questions, but Bellatrix or Karkaroff always helped him with these interrogations with a wordless and wandless use of Crucio on those too stubborn to answer his questions which naturally resulted in very few people truly understanding how his spell actually worked. "And he would have been very disappointed with the results."

"I agree, but just in case Harry tries anything, keep that shield charm I taught you up at all times," Cyrus said.

"Already doing that," Antonin admitted.

"Oh, and speaking of, that reminds me. Do you remember us doing a memory extraction of the Prewett murders?" Cyrus asked.

"No!" Antonin said.

"Well, we did, and young Mr. Weasley requested to see it," Cyrus said with a snicker. "Are you ok with that?"

Antonin sighed. "I am not going to lie. I would rather you didn't, but I owe you so many favors. So, if you want to share it with him, go ahead. Otherwise, just tell him I said no."

"I was hoping you would say yes or no. I am on the fence about it. Something in the way he spoke, felt like an accusation. Like he thinks he is going to find out I am a Death Eater too," Cyrus said.

"What? Seriously? He thinks if he sees that memory, he is going to catch you torturing someone?" Antonin laughed. "That is ridiculous. You are the most nonviolent person I have ever known. If you were actually there that day, things would have gone very differently and nobody on either side would have been hurt."

"True. Unfortunately, Ron seems to subscribe to the guilty until proven otherwise club," Cyrus said.

Antonin nodded. "Yeah, I know the type. I wasted entirely too much time with people like that at the ministry when I was trying to get them to free Elina. No amount of proof is ever good enough. I should have just broken into Azkaban and freed her myself. If you show Ron that memory, I will bet he is going to say, 'this memory was tampered with.' But do what you want. You are the smartest guy I know. I am sure you will make the right decision."

"I think I got it. I will show him the memory and if he reacts the way you predicted, I will simply obliviate the memory and kick him out of my house," Cyrus said.

"Perfect. And what happens if my prediction is wrong?" Antonin asked.

"That depends. If Ron can admit he made a mistake and be respectful about it, I too will admit I am wrong and respectful. He won't hear another cross word about him dating my daughter," Cyrus said. "You said you had a few things you wanted to talk to me about. Was there anything else?"

"Yes," Antonin said. "Hermione asked if I could get the dark lord to tell me where he hid any other horcruxes. I really want to come through for her, but if he already knows what happened at the bank, especially in the vault, well…. He will toss the killing curse at me and ask questions later. I was wondering if you could help me find out if they already know, or am I in the clear?"

"Sure," Cyrus nodded.

"Our usual agreement," Antonin said. "I owe you a favor at some later point."

"No, this one is a freebie. You made a good call on this." Cyrus closed his book on unforgivable curses. "Try to get some rest, we will start our work first thing in the morning. Our first step is going to the bank to find out if the goblins said anything about you to you know who. If they didn't, have no fear, I will fix it so they can't."

Cyrus found Ron and Astoria sitting on a love seat built for two kissing and talking. For now, he had to grin and bear it. He dismissed Astoria, insisting she go to bed and much to Ron's disappointment, she left without putting up much fuss. "Sorry to spoil your fun for the evening," Cyrus said.

"No, you're not," Ron retorted with his arms folded across his chest.

Cyrus cracked a smile. "I spoke with Antonin, and he said yes to allowing you to see that memory."

"You went out of your way just to tell me he said no… Wait! What? He actually said yes?" Ron thought he needed to get his hearing checked. He meant it when he said there was no way in hell that was going to happen. Either this is a trick or just maybe everything Cyrus said was true.

"Yes, come with me now," Cyrus requested. Ron briefly wanted to protest, but that thought quickly went away, being replaced by a wonderful floating stress-free feeling. He followed Cyrus over to his office.

"So, tell me, there were so many unsolved murders during the first wizarding war. Why is this particular one so important to you?" Cyrus asked.

"I still catch my mother crying about the loss of her brothers from time to time." Ron bit his tongue wishing he didn't say that. He didn't want Cyrus or Antonin to know that it was his uncles who were the victims.

"Darn it," Cyrus mumbled under his breath barely audibly. He expected Ron to express some jealousy over Antonin and Hermione kissing, which naturally he could use against him with a 'so you are just using my daughter for fun while you still harbor feelings for another girl.' But an answer like that, he felt nothing but sympathy. Still, he was going to stick to the plan.

Once they arrived at Cyrus's office, he poured the contents of a vial containing the memory into the basin. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I can guarantee you won't like what you see." Ron nodded. Cyrus instructed Ron to peak his head in.

Tall trees dominated the sky blocking out much of the natural light looking almost like a perpetual twilight. A bright blue light raced toward Ron. Instinctively he pulled back. It looked too real, but the light broke as it hit a shield. He saw two redheaded men ahead of him that he recognized as Gideon and Fabian Prewett, if only from pictures. Much to Ron's surprise his mother was here too. "Look out," Ron shouted as he saw a wand charge up and fire another shot in the direction of his two uncles. He had to remind himself, this was a memory, and he was merely a spectator, nothing more.

"We will hold off Dolohov," Gideon said.

"Run," Gideon and Fabian both shouted at Molly. Ron noticed her holding a crown in her hand and from the looks of it, it was the very same crown he saw earlier that day in Bellatrix's vault.

The Prewett brothers and Antonin exchanged many shots at each other. Spells sparked up against magical force fields which seemed to hold up well on both sides. This exchange went on for several minutes with neither side getting the advantage. Ron realized he was wrong about Antonin being a coward. He fought two opponents at once and was definitely holding his own, but it wasn't long before four more death eaters entered the scene.

Ron continued to watch exchanges of spells fired back and forth between Antonin, four other death eaters and his two Uncles. There was no doubt about it, his uncles fought bravely, but were now hopelessly outnumbered and eventually overtaken.

Now he could clearly see four Death Eaters. All of them were wearing masks, so he couldn't identify them. Darn it, that sure was convenient. The woman with unruly black hair and black nail polish was obviously Bellatrix, mask or not, she was easy to recognize. He couldn't actually see Antonin because it was more like he was seeing through his eyes.

One of the Death Eater's took his mask off, and Ron recognized him immediately as Fenrir Greyback. He flinched as he remembered how strong he was. Greyback pounced on Fabian and proceeded to bite his face.

Bellatrix tour away Gideon's shirt and etched the word blood traitor across his chest. He screamed as the knife pierced his skin.

"Stop!" Ron shouted at the same time Antonin did.

"We don't have time for this," Antonin added. "We have to get that crown."

Greyback glared at Antonin. "Who put you in charge?"

"Voldemort," Antonin said. "Let's go."

Ron was horrified as he watched another Death Eater set Fabian's pants on fire. If one of them was Cyrus, this would be the one. He was about the right height, with a fairly average body build and short dark hair just like Cyrus.

The Death Eater looked up. "Oh, lighten up," he said as sparks flew from Fabian's burning pants. Ron noted his voice sounded nothing like Cyrus at all. "Learn to have a little fun."

The Death Eater's idea of fun turned Ron's stomach.

"Crucio," the remaining death eater said as he pointed his wand at Gideon. Ron couldn't place this guy's voice nor match his description to any Death Eater he knew, but this one definitely wasn't Cyrus either.

Ron couldn't stand watching this and not long after, he didn't have to because the focus suddenly shifted to the trees above. Did Antonin actually feel the same, Ron wondered? Still, the screaming of the two uncles echoed in his ears and overwhelmed his senses.

"We really have to go," Antonin demanded, starting to sound a bit angry.

Greyback turned to Antonin and approached him in a threatening manner. "I am not finished yet," he screeched. Ron's eyes widened with just a tinge of fright, but Greyback returned to his helpless victim.

"Oh, yes, you are," Antonin declared. He waved his wand and a purple flame struck both of Ron's uncles and the screaming stopped instantly. Ron knew they were both dead.

"I said let's go, now," Antonin repeated himself. "Voldemort wants that crown and if we don't get it, this is all for nothing."

Bellatrix quickly wiped the blood off her dagger and then approached Antonin. "You are right. I am with you."

"I think we can do this without them," Antonin said confidently. "Let's go." Bellatrix turned around and walked in front of Antonin past the now dead bodies. Antonin followed and Ron could tell exactly what Antonin was focused on now, Bellatrix's ass. He was so clearly checking her out.

Antonin waved his wand and wordlessly cast a tracking spell that allowed him to find Molly. Molly's footprints appeared outlined as faint purple light along the ground showing exactly which way she went. Bellatrix and Antonin both ran as fast as they could.

"We should probably split up," Antonin suggested. "We can cover more ground that way. I will go this way." He pointed in the direction of the lit-up footprints. Then he pointed in another direction. "And you go that way."

Ron knew that spell. It only revealed the tracks to the eyes of its caster, so Bellatrix wasn't seeing the glowing footprints like Antonin was. He had intentionally led her the wrong way.

Antonin spotted Molly. She didn't get nearly as far away as he had expected. He found her bent over vomiting. Still, just to be safe, he targeted her with another spell that slowed her down dramatically. Antonin's eyes briefly locked with Molly's.

Ron hated seeing the fear in his mother's eyes. He remembered his family history. His mother was pregnant with Ginny at the time her brothers were murdered and sure enough, she was just starting to show. Several thoughts raced through his head about how bad this could have gone. He, yet again, had to remind himself that this was a memory, and his mother was still alive and well. Antonin not so nicely yanked the crown away from her. "If you don't want to end up dead like your two friends back there, you better apparate out of here," Antonin warned her before making a hasty departure.

When Antonin met up with Bellatrix again, the other three Death Eaters had already rejoined her. Apparently, they got bored of trying to torture a couple of corpses. "We should apparate out of here, before they call for reinforcements," Antonin said.

"Not so fast," the Death Eater that Ron thought might have been Cyrus said. "Accio crown." The crown disappeared from Antonin's hands and appeared in his. "If anyone is getting immortality, it is going to be me." He put the crown on and then screamed as acid shot out from the bottom of the crown and blood dripped down the sides of his face. He desperately tried to take the crown off.

Bellatrix laughed. "Looks like it was a trap."

"Either that or they too had no idea what it did," Antonin suggested. "I thought it was supposed to stop the wearer from aging, so of course Voldemort wanted it, but good thing we didn't deliver it to him."

The Death Eater downing the crown keeled over dead. Bellatrix laughed while she picked up the crown. "I wonder if Voldemort would let me keep it. It would look pretty in my vault."

"I will ask him for you," Antonin said.

Ron pulled himself out of the memory. Cyrus stared at him waiting for a reaction.

"I will probably have nightmares about that for weeks," Ron admitted with a shutter and tears in his eyes. "That was horrifying."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Cyrus said. "So, do you believe me now when I say Antonin wasn't the reason this was a brutal murder?"

"Yes," Ron answered quickly without even thinking about it.

This time it was Cyrus who felt the need to get his hearing checked.