Chapter Five – First Conflict

...

"Hello, Harry. How are you?" said Daphne as she sat down beside him. "Did you sleep well?"

Harry was so surprised he didn't know what to say. Next to him, Ron looked just as puzzled as he was, his fork of bacon completely forgotten on its way to his mouth.

"Um, Greengrass..." it was finally Hermione who broke the silence.

"Yes, Granger?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I said hello to Harry and now I want some breakfast. Weasley, would you hand me that bread over there?"

Ron winced and his fork fell from his hand onto his plate. It clattered loudly, all the louder because it had gone quiet around them. People were staring at them from all over the Gryffindor table, so strange it was to see a Slytherin with them.

Harry reached for the bread basket Daphne had pointed to and placed it in front of her. Then he leaned over to her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a whisper.

"Besides answering stupid questions, you mean?" said Daphne as she began to make herself a jam sandwich. "Other than that, I'm thinking about how I haven't started the essay for Sprout yet. Do you think I can still get it done during lunch break or will I lose precious points for my house because I forgot?"

She bit into her jam sandwich. "Uiii, your jam is sweet! Why don't we have something like that? How unfair."

"Greengrass –" Ron began cautiously.

Daphne sighed and looked at Ron. "Yessss?"

"—what are you doing here?"

Daphne clicked her tongue. "You guys are really unoriginal. Tell them, Harry."

Now Ron and Hermione looked at him.

"Um..."

"You know her?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, um, we bumped into each other once, and then we sort of got to talking..."

"And you were a great conversationalist," Daphne said. "The best I've ever had."

Hermione opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, George – Harry thought it was George – shouted from further in the middle of the table, "Hey, Harry, why weren't we allowed to say anything about you two, when your friend just sits down here with us now?"

"Yeah, right," Fred exclaimed. "I thought you said no one was allowed to know about your friendship. Is that out of date?"

For the first time in his life, Harry was truly speechless. He still felt people staring at him from everywhere.

"Is this true, Harry? Are you really friends with Greengrass?" said Hermione.

Daphne was still eating her jam sandwich, but she too looked at him expectantly at Hermione's question.

"Yes, of course," Harry replied truthfully. "Well, I mean, yeah, sure, we're friends. Not that long, but yeah, Daphne's my friend."

A teeny smile curled around Daphne's lips as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. She looked pleased with herself, and also a very tiny bit relieved, Harry thought. Their friendship seemed to really matter to her.

A sudden shrill voice snapped Harry out of his thoughts.

"Greengrass! What are you doing?!"

Malfoy was standing next to them, and by now the Great Hall was completely silent. Every single pair of eyes was on them.

Daphne sighed. She opened her mouth to speak, but Harry was quicker.

"Get lost, Malfoy," he said harshly. He didn't feel like dealing with the arrogant snot now on top of everything else right now.

"Yeah. Nobody likes you here," Ron jumped to his side.

Malfoy's face turned an unhealthy shade of red. "How dare you! But you'll learn your lesson eventually, just you wait." He glanced at Daphne. "'Come with me, Greengrass. Before you sully yourself even more."

"No."

Daphne put her napkin on the table and gave Malfoy a disdainful look. Yes, Harry actually thought he had never seen such disgust in anyone's eyes.

"What –"

"Who I'm friends with is none of your business. Honestly, to hell with you."

Harry had never heard such vulgar words come out of Daphne's mouth before, and he couldn't help but grin. Malfoy, meanwhile, was seething with rage. He fumbled for his wand, but Harry beat him to it. Within seconds he had drawn his own wand and was pointing it directly at Malfoy's chest.

"I'd think about that."

Malfoy froze. He seemed unsure of what to do. The decision was taken from him when Snape and McGonagall joined them from the teacher's table.

"What's going on here? What's all the commotion? And both of you put down your wands before you hurt yourselves."

"Wand down, Potter. Now."

Harry didn't put his wand down until Malfoy had done likewise.

"Malfoy is showing his poor upbringing and disturbing us with his uncouth manners, Professor McGonagall," Daphne said in a bored tone, as if she were answering a question in class.

Harry nodded resolutely, and Fred and George called, "That's right. We've seen it all."

"I was just –"

"That's enough," Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Miss Granger, what happened?"

Hermione looked back and forth between Harry, Daphne, and Professor McGonagall. Finally, she said, "We were having a normal breakfast when Greengrass sat down with us. She and Harry know each other and are friends. And then Malfoy came..."

Snape's black, piercing eyes fixed on Daphne. "Is that right, Miss Greengrass?"

"Of course it is. Harry is my friend."

At her words, Snape's lips curled in contempt. "Well, I think you'd better reconsider your choice of friend. I'm sure young Malfoy was just worried about you associating with" – he glanced at Harry – "people who might have a bad influence on you."

"Thank you, Professor," Daphne replied, her voice not sounding grateful at all. "I am very pleased with the choice of my friend, who is most certainly – how did you put it – not a bad influence on me."

She smiled in Harry's direction and Harry knew exactly what she was thinking at that moment. Many would probably rather say that it was she who was a bad influence on him, if they knew all the things they had done together. He grinned at the thought. Daphne's smile became even wider.

"Of course he is!" said Malfoy. "Greengrass would never –"

"Enough!" interjected Professor McGonagall. "Who Miss Greengrass chooses to spend her free time with is none of our business. Mr Malfoy, ten points from Slytherin for disrupting all of our breakfasts. Now get back to your seat." Then she looked at Snape. "And I will not have my students called a bad influence for no reason."

Snape snorted contemptuously. "Still, twenty points from Gryffindor because Potter pointed his wand at a fellow student."

Professor McGonagall's face showed what she thought, but she remained silent. She looked expectantly at Malfoy, who was still standing next to them.

Malfoy's face was still bright red, but he had to know that he was getting nowhere here. He gave Daphne a disdainful look, the way one would look at a pet returning home covered in mud.

"Just wait till I tell my father about this. And then he'll tell your parents."

Daphne shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever..."

"Can we please continue eating now?" asked Harry. "My bacon's getting cold."

Malfoy gave Daphne one last disdainful look – an expression Harry didn't like at all – before turning and strutting back to the Slytherin table as if the whole castle hadn't just seen what a little crybaby he was. Then Snape and McGonagall returned to the teacher's table as well.

Harry took a deep breath. Well, this had been an eventful start to the day.

"Well, that was fun," Daphne said. She brushed a strand of black hair out of her face and Harry could clearly see the wand she had kept hidden in her lap the whole time. "If I'd known, I'd have done this a lot sooner."

The noise around them slowly grew louder as the other students continued their breakfast. Although Harry could still feel the many curious glances directed at him.

"Is this all true? Are you two really friends?" asked Hermione.

Harry nodded. "Yes, we are. Have been since Christmas. We ran into each other by chance and that's how it happened. We've met a few times since then."

He remained deliberately vague. Even if Daphne had decided to make their friendship public, it probably wasn't such a good idea to give away the details of their relationship. Or that they had met not just a few times, but almost every night for the past few weeks.

"Is she the reason why your performance in class has improved so much?"

"Well, we've been practising some spells together. But as I said, I have also decided to try harder."

"But why didn't you say anything?" said Ron. "We're your friends, Harry. You can tell us anything!"

"To you I can, but you see what just happened." With that, Harry turned to Daphne. "Why did –"

Daphne stood up and picked up her bag. "As interesting as this morning has been, duty calls. I need to get to the library before class. Do you have any plans for this afternoon, Harry? If not, we can go for a walk later. And talk."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Harry said. He did indeed have a lot to talk to her about.

"Then meet me at the lake at three. Bye, Harry." She nodded to Ron and Hermione. "Weasley, Granger."

Then Daphne turned and walked out of the hall, her heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. Numerous stares followed her, but she ignored them. Harry hoped that one day he would be as composed as she was.

He turned back to his two best friends, who were watching him intently. He let out a sigh.

"Now go on. Ask your questions."

"Did you have to answer a lot of questions?" asked Daphne as they walked around the lake a few hours later.

It was a surprisingly warm day for mid-March. The sun was shining down on them and the air was filled with the smells of spring setting in. In the trees, birds were chirping. Harry could understand why Daphne had wanted to meet outside instead of in the dusty classroom where they usually met.

"Could have been worse. But you caused quite a stir with your performance. Why did you do that?"

They continued to walk side by side along the lake, Daphne remaining silent. Some distance away, Harry saw Hagrid coming out of the woods with Fang. The gamekeeper waved at him, and Harry waved back. Still Daphne made no move to answer his question.

"Daph–"

"Who do we live for, Harry?"

Harry paused and gave Daphne a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Who do we live for, Harry?" she repeated. "What is the purpose of our existence? You know, I've asked myself that question many times and so far I've never come up with an answer. I only know what I don't want. I don't want other people, their actions, words, thoughts, to determine what I can or cannot do in my life. Who I can talk to and spend my time with. What does it matter if I caused a stir this morning? The others are not important. I choose to be friends with you. That's all there is to it." She brushed a strand of her silky black hair out of her face. "And that will also make it easier for us to meet and practice."

They continued walking. Harry wasn't surprised by Daphne's words. He should have expected it. Her attitude was liberating. How often had he had to hide and pretend in his childhood? And then Hogwarts, where everyone seemed to have expectations of him that he had to live up to in their eyes. Daphne was right. He shouldn't care what others thought of him, and he certainly shouldn't let others stop him from doing what he wanted to do.

"Now it is you who is silent," Daphne said. "And you never answered my question this morning either."

"Sorry, was lost in thought. What question do you mean?"

"How did you sleep?"

Harry stopped. Daphne walked a few more steps before stopping as well. She looked back at him. It was impossible to tell from her face if she was joking.

"Um well, I guess. Anyway, I've slept worse before."

"That's good to hear," Daphne said with a slow nod.

"I did have a strange dream though..."

Daphne stepped up to him. "What kind of dream, Harry?"

"I don't remember much of it," Harry said, stroking his hair. "Just the feeling of flying, like I was flying in my dream. But unlike flying on my broom. More immediate and somehow more complete. I can't describe it exactly. But I didn't feel like a human being anymore ... Do you think it could have something to do with my Spirit Within? And my Animagus form?"

Daphne looked at him, her eyes wide. At that moment, they seemed like the gates to a strange world, an amber world of promise and wonder. She really did have unique eyes.

"I'm not sure, but..."

"Yes?"

"But that, and your feeling when you connect with your inner magic, like you're a wand carried by the wind... I think your Animagus form might be a bird."

She didn't say it, but she didn't have to. His Animagus form could be a bird, just like hers.

"Have you ever had dreams like that?" he asked.

"Sometimes, but I preferred to focus on real life."

With that, Daphne began to move again. With quick steps, she walked towards a group of thickly grown trees that stood at the edge of the lake.

"Let's go in there. This place is perfect for our next experiment."

Harry followed her and when he had caught up with her, he asked, "What experiment?"

Together they entered the small grove. The trees shielded them from prying eyes, but at the same time they had a picturesque view of the lake behind them, its blue shimmering in the light of the sun. Light waves lapped against the roots of the trees jutting into the water.

Daphne turned to him. "I've already told you that, besides your own pain, you can also use other people's pain for drawing life power and fuelling your magic."

"And most importantly, you told me that other people's pain is not helpful in the search for your Spirit Within."

"That is true. But there are other ways you can use it. Or do you want to cut your hand forever before you cast a spell?"

"I don't know if I like where this is going..."

"I want you to cause me pain, Harry."

Harry paused. This was not what he had been expecting.

"What?"

"Inflict pain on me, Harry," Daphne said. "Just as you usually inflict pain on yourself. This time, try to use my pain to enhance your spells. At the same time, I will try to use my own pain to ward off your spells. It will be like one of our practice fights that you enjoyed so much."

"Have ... have you ever done anything like this before?" Harry asked cautiously.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Used other people's pain?"

"Oh, I see. I have experimented a little. At first with very small animals like butterflies or earthworms, then rats and mice. Or squirrels and animals like that. But I've never tried it on a human, if that's what you mean."

Harry's stomach suddenly felt very queasy. Part of him wanted to turn and run away from Daphne, but another part, the part that had assured her yesterday that they were friends and she had no reason to feel lonely, held him back. And it wasn't like she had been lying to him. She had told him about this possibility of blood magic from the beginning. He had just refused to see what it could mean.

"I don't think I can," he said uncertainly. He looked at Daphne's face, where a hint of worry had crept in. "I don't think I can hurt you."

"Oh..." Daphne looked down and bit her lips. "I... understand. In a way, I'm actually glad that you can't hurt me. Maybe I should have been worried if you'd just said yes." She let out a laugh, but it sounded forced. "Did I catch you off guard?"

"Maybe a little," Harry said as he stroked his hair.

Daphne raised her head again, and this time Harry was sure he saw concern, almost fear, in her gaze. "Don't you want anything to do with me now?"

Harry shook his head. It was as if Daphne knew exactly what thoughts had just passed through his mind. But he had made his decision.

"Of course not. I just didn't expect it." He made a vague hand gesture at their surroundings. "This."

Daphne nodded slowly. "Good, I'll remember that." The fear vanished from her face. "And Harry?"

"Yes?"

"I don't think I could have hurt you either..."

With that, Daphne whirled around and crouched down. She began to dig in the earth with her hands, and when she had found what she was looking for, she stood up again. She held an earthworm in her hands.

"Will you try with this one then?" she asked him.

Harry swallowed but finally nodded. What was the big deal? It was just an earthworm. He had pulled an earthworm apart when he was a child. The only trouble had been when he had hidden the two halves of the worm in Dudley's food.

"When you cast your spell, try to keep it connected to your wand for as long as you can," Daphne said. "Think of your spell as a kind of rope or lifeline between your wand and your target. Earthworms feel almost no pain, so the amount of life power released will be very, very small, but try to feel something anyway. If you do it right, something should pass through the spell and your wand into your body. Not enough to strengthen a spell, but we only want to practise the beginnings."

"When did you do this for the first time?"

"Shortly after the event I told you about."

Harry nodded. She didn't have to explain which event she meant.

"Are you ready?" Daphne said.

Harry nodded again. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the wriggling earthworm in Daphne's hand.

"Just try not to hit me."

"Don't worry, I won't." He made a quick wave of his wand and said, "Diffindo Infirma."

The cutting spell hit the earthworm right in the middle and it was sliced cleanly in two. However, Harry didn't feel the slightest bit of life power getting through to him.

"You were too hasty," Daphne said. "You need to concentrate more on the magic. It's your lifeline, without it you'll drown. Do you want to try again?"

Harry just nodded. He was afraid his voice would shake if he tried to speak now.

Daphne dug into the earth again and held out a fresh earthworm. "Try again."

Harry made another wave of his wand. "Diffindo Infirma."

Again his spell hit the earthworm, cutting it in two, but again he felt no life power.

"Again?"

Harry nodded.

All the rest of the afternoon he kept trying, but to no avail. By now there must have been dozens of sliced earthworms lying around them and Daphne's hands were black with soil. It had grown dark in their hidden grove as the sun sank below the horizon.

"I just can't do it, Daphne," Harry said, frustrated, disappointed, and a little angry. "I just can't do it!"

Daphne shook her head violently. "It took me a long time to get it right too. Just one more try, yeah?"

Harry sighed. His head was hurting and so was his scar.

"Okay, but this is the last one."

Daphne held out a new earthworm. It was even smaller and more pathetic than the others before it, and it squirmed on Daphne's hand as if it knew what awaited it and would try desperately to escape. It was hopeless, of course. It was just a stupid earthworm and he was a wizard.

Harry swung his wand wide, putting all his pent-up frustration into the movement, and shouted, "Diffindo Infirma!"

The next moment he was filled with a hot sensation, very briefly, as if for a split second hot chocolate had flowed through his veins instead of blood.

"Ouch."

Startled, Harry looked down at Daphne's hand. He had missed the earthworm and hit her instead. Dark red blood was dripping from a small wound in her hand.

"Daphne!" he cried, rushing to her side, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"It's all right, I was just surprised," Daphne said. She pointed her wand at the wound and cast a weak healing spell. The next moment the wound was closed again. "See? Everything's fine again."

Harry's heart was still pounding wildly in his chest.

"Harry, are you all right?"

Harry shook his head. He felt dizzy. "I felt something..."

Daphne's gaze bade him continue.

"I think I felt your pain, and drew strength from it. It was a strange feeling. Hot and pleasant and powerful and ... and I never want to feel it again. Not like that. Not through your pain."

Now Daphne did something Harry would never have expected. She hugged him. Not tightly, and not for long, but it still surprised him so much that he froze in her embrace. The scent of Daphne's hair hit his nose. It smelled of pine needles and a hint of lemongrass. What a strange mixture.

When Daphne pulled away, she gave him a weak smile. "I think we should get back to the castle now. It's almost dark and I'm hungry."

At that moment, Harry's stomach began to growl loudly. They glanced at each other before they both burst out laughing, a little forced but still liberating after the events of the day.

In such a conciliatory mood, the two friends returned to the castle after an afternoon in which they had learned a great deal about themselves and each other, or so Harry thought. And in which he had taken the first step towards a new, fascinating and terrifying kind of magic. He just had to be careful not to go too far, but all was well, wasn't it? After all, Daphne had been practising this magic for years and she was fine.

When they entered the Great Hall, Daphne naturally followed him to the Gryffindor table. There they were greeted by Ron and Hermione, who gave them both questioning looks. In Daphne's case, they were downright suspicious looks.

Harry sighed softly. His words to Daphne had been an understatement. His two best friends had asked him many, many questions about his friendship with Daphne. He had answered them as best he could, lying as little as possible, but he believed it would take some time for them to fully accept Daphne.

The other students still gave them a few curious looks, but Daphne's presence was already attracting far less attention than it had in the morning. It seemed that not so many people were interested in what some first years were doing, even if it was three Gryffindors with a Slytherin.

"What have you been doing for so long?" asked Hermione as they sat down opposite them.

Harry and Daphne exchanged glances.

"Walking," Harry said then.

"For three hours?"

Daphne clicked her tongue. "It was a long walk, Granger."

"But –"

"Let it go, Hermione," Harry waved it off. He was tired and had a terrible headache. He turned to Ron. "What are we having today?"

"The usual," Ron said. "But you'll love this."

With that, he pushed a plate with several pieces of treacle tart towards him. Ron just knew him too well. Treacle tart was his favourite dessert. Or starter, in cases like this. Eagerly, Harry dug in.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Your table manners are almost as bad as Ron's."

Harry stuck his tongue out at her before turning his attention to Daphne. The Slytherin had only served herself some mashed potatoes so far. "Do you want some?"

Daphne shook her head. "Thanks, but no. I don't like treacle tart."

Harry and Ron exchanged a look. How could anyone not like treacle tart? Well, that left more for them!

Hermione, meanwhile, seemed to want to try again. In an emphatically friendly voice, she said to Daphne, "You're always very good in class."

Daphne nodded curtly. "Yes, probably."

"If you like, we can study together sometime."

"Thanks, but I already have a study partner."

"Oh ... um, okay. But you'll be eating with us more often now?"

"Yes."

It went on like that for the whole dinner. Hermione kept trying to engage Daphne in conversation, but Daphne's answers were rather taciturn. By the time they had finally said goodbye and the three Gryffindors were on their way back to the common room, Hermione could no longer hold back her frustration.

"...I mean, I've been so nice to her and how does she react? I mean, who does she think she is?"

"Just give her a chance, please," Harry said.

"Sure, mate," Ron said. "You wouldn't have decided to make friends with her for no reason, eh?"

Harry nodded slowly. It had been a long and eventful day and all he wanted to do was go to bed.

That night Harry dreamt again of flying like a bird and of a hot sensation in his veins. He couldn't tell if it was a good dream, but it certainly felt nice.

The next few weeks were full of work and little rest for Harry. Aside from his regular classes, he continued to meet with Daphne, no longer just secretly at night, but also in broad daylight, although they always practised in hidden places, away from the eyes and ears of others; mutilated insects and rodents were not something others were supposed to see. Moreover, Daphne sat with them at every meal in the Great Hall and was no longer to be found at the Slytherin table.

The other Slytherins were even more hostile to her than before. They glared at her when she passed in the corridors and whispered behind her back in class, especially Parkinson and her friends Bulstrode, Davis, Ropier, and Moon.

Harry didn't know if Malfoy had made good on his threat to send his father after Daphne's parents, and when he asked Daphne about it once, she just shrugged it off.

"Let him do it, Harry. These people are like strangers to me."

Harry could somehow understand her opinion, after everything she had told him about her parents, but on the other hand, he found it very sad. He would give anything to be able to talk to his parents just once.

After the Easter holidays, their teachers, and unfortunately Hermione too, started to go completely mad. The reason for this was the end-of-year exams, which were fast approaching. Their teachers gave them a huge amount of homework, so Harry found himself in the library with his friends more and more often, trying to cope with all the extra work. But he always met either Ron and Hermione or Daphne. Because the mood between the three of them was still more than tense, some would even say frosty. They just couldn't warm up to each other, no matter how hard Harry tried.

It also meant that he was keeping secrets from both of them that he couldn't share with them. From Ron and Hermione, he hid the true extent of his practice with Daphne. And from Daphne, he hid their thoughts that Snape might try to steal the Philosopher's Stone, which they were sure was hidden in the castle. Although Harry wanted to tell her, Ron and Hermione were against it.

However, it was another secret that eventually led to the first heated argument between him and Daphne...

With an angry face Harry had never seen on her before, Daphne sat down next to him at the Gryffindor table that morning.

"What the hell did you do?!"

Harry sighed. He had known it would come to this from the moment they stood in front of Filch and McGonagall last night.

"We got caught in the castle at night and lost a ton of points. On top of that, we got detention..."

"That's not what I mean! What the hell were you doing with a dragon? And why the hell do I have to hear about it from Malfoy?!"

"Hey," Ron interjected now. "He got detention too."

"Shut up, Weasley. I'm not talking to you."

"Hey, don't talk to Ron like that!" said Harry, upset.

"That's right, don't talk to me like that!"

"And besides, it's none of your business," Hermione said from across the table. "Harry doesn't have to tell you everything."

"Granger, just keep your mouth shut," Daphne hissed. Then she jumped up and hurried away with quick steps, her heels clicking loudly.

Harry looked after her. He would have to sort this out with her, he knew. Perhaps there would be a chance to speak to her privately later in the day.

However, all day and the day after, Daphne avoided him, and then it was already time for their detention.

Together with Hermione and the weeping Neville, he went down to the Entrance Hall, where Filch was already waiting for them with a shuddering smile...

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."

Daphne took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. A determined but exhausted face gazed back at her. She hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep last night and dark circles under her eyes were the result, all the more prominent on her pale face.

She had noticed that Harry had tried to talk to her, but she had avoided him. She was angry with him, there was no other way to put it.

But why? Why hadn't he told her? Didn't he trust her? She had told him so much about herself. He knew far, far more about her than anyone else.

Daphne bit her lip until she tasted blood.

No! No! No!

She would not accept this! She would not accept being lied to just like that. She would confront Harry, on her terms, and she would not let him go until he had explained everything to her.

But first she had to find him. She had heard from Parkinson that he, Malfoy, Granger, and Longbottom had their detention tonight.

She took the map they had stolen from the Weasley twins out of her bag, touched it with her wand, and muttered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The next moment, the corridors and halls of Hogwarts appeared on the parchment, along with the names of the many people within its walls. But when Daphne looked for Harry on the map, she couldn't find him in McGonagall's office, the Trophy Room, or anywhere else in the castle. Where were they supposed to do their detention?

And then Daphne's eyes widened in horror as she saw several dots of ink coming closer and closer to the edge of the map and the Forbidden Forest that was there. And one of those dots was labelled Harry Potter.

In seconds, without even thinking about it, Daphne had jumped to her feet. She grabbed her wand and ran as fast as she could out of the dormitory, down the stairs, through the common room, where many surprised looks followed her, out into the dungeons. Once out of sight, she transformed into her crow form. Faster than she had ever flown in her life, Daphne flew through the castle and, once she had crossed the entrance portal, over the castle grounds. Her little crow heart pounded wildly in her chest, as if it were about to jump out and fly away.

Those idiots! Those damned idiots! How could they send first years into the Forbidden Forest? Had they lost their minds?!

She reached the dark edge of the forest, which loomed menacingly before her. Daphne had flown over the castle grounds many times, but never into the forest, and rarely had it seemed so black and eerie as it did now, so utterly threatening. The darkness of the night seemed to have sought refuge from the distant starlight beneath its high crowns.

Still, Daphne did not pause, flying straight into the pitch-black darkness of the forest. Only when she almost hit a tree trunk did she force herself to slow down.

She tried to look for any sign of Harry, even though she wasn't sure what to look for. A footprint? The glimmer of his aura? His voice, a sound, anything? But in vain. There was nothing to be seen, and the silence around her was so deep that the flapping of her wings echoed through the air like the lash of a whip.

It was like this for a long time for Daphne. She was surrounded by a sea of darkness, broken only by the occasional ray of light that managed to penetrate the dense foliage.

Then suddenly Daphne saw another light. Red sparks appeared in the sky, no doubt the work of a wizard in distress. And it was at least three miles away!

Daphne made a sharp turn and flew as fast as her wings would carry her in the direction the red sparks had come from. The sparks had now disappeared and Daphne was once again in total darkness. Suddenly a huge tree trunk, as wide as a house, appeared in front of her; Daphne was just able to dodge it before she would have crashed into the tree with full force. Only her wing grazed the wood. It hurt, but it was nothing she couldn't bear.

Out of habit, she tried to draw strength from the pain, but she couldn't concentrate. Her heart was now pounding as fast as a demon-possessed metronome.

Shouldn't she have reached the sparks by now? Where the hell were they? Or ... had she flown over them?

Was the corpse of a young wizard lying somewhere beneath her?

Could she have been so blind?

Daphne slowed down, looked back, but all she saw was darkness.

Where was she to go? What was she going to do?

Never before in her life had Daphne felt so helpless as she did at that moment. Had she failed? The first time it came down to her? The first time she could prove herself?!

No!

Daphne let out an angry caw. She would find him even if she had to fly through the whole damn forest!

And so Daphne set off again on her search. Deeper and deeper she flew into the forest, which vibrated with magic, but revealed none of its secrets. The magic even grew stronger the further Daphne went, and the trees grew thicker.

Then Daphne felt something else. It was cold, and deep, and lost. A magic like Daphne had never felt before. If the auras of magical creatures were glowing lights, then this was darkness. Not darkness like the night Daphne loved so much, but darkness as the absence of all life and hope.

Daphne flew faster, but at the same time her wings seemed immensely heavy. A clearing opened up before her. And then, at last, she saw Harry's aura. Daphne wanted to scream, to let him know she was there, but her scream never left her beak. For she saw something else. In the middle of the clearing, surrounded by its silvery blood, lay a unicorn, its mane spread out on the ground like a fallen crown.

A hooded figure bent over the dead unicorn and drank its blood, making disgusting slurping noises.

"AAAAAAAAAAARG!"

A fear-filled scream rang out and Daphne saw two faint auras run away and disappear into the darkness. But Harry's aura stayed. Now she saw him. He was standing on the other side of the clearing.

The hooded figure raised its head and looked at Harry – unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. The figure got to its feet and came swiftly towards Harry. But he still did not run away. Instead he screamed and pressed his hand on his scar. He staggered backwards, but the hooded figure was getting closer.

Daphne reacted instinctively. She shot off and lunged at the malevolent figure, using her claws and beak as weapons. Her claws only caught a piece of the hood, but her beak slashed into soft, stinking flesh. The figure cried out in pain, but Daphne did not stop. She kept on slashing, determined to leave nothing but bloody pulp at the back of the figure's head.

The figure spun around. Daphne was unable to dodge and a cold hand grabbed her. She felt as if she had been thrown into a vat of ice water, so cold was the hand. Her breathing stopped. Her limbs grew heavy.

The hand squeezed relentlessly. Daphne's body was crushed together, she could no longer defend herself. Everything was so cold and she felt so weak.

What a miserable way to end...

But then Daphne heard the sound of galloping hooves, and the next moment a centaur charged out of the darkness of the forest. The centaur reared up and slashed at the hooded figure with his hooves. The figure dropped her and began to run.

Daphne hit the ground. Her body shook. She was still alive, but barely. The terrible cold was slowly fading, but she lacked the strength to even keep her eyes open.

What the hell had that just been? And what the hell had she been thinking, attacking it?

"Daphne!" she heard a familiar voice.

The next moment she was grabbed by hands, but this time gently, as if the hands feared she might break if they moved carelessly. She had to look as pathetic as she felt.

The hands lifted her off the ground. And then Daphne felt herself being pressed against a warm body. She let out a sigh. Harry's body was so pleasantly warm...

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, thanks to your help."

"You know what that is you're holding in your hand?"

She felt Harry nod. "Please don't tell."

"You are a wondrous figure, Mr Potter. So is your friend. Can you ride? It will be quicker this way. My name is Firenze."

"Thank you for your offer, but I'll walk. I need to hold her."

Daphne was grateful for Harry's words. She had no desire to be shaken on the back of a centaur. She'd rather let Harry carry her, this was all his fault after all. And he was so wonderfully warm...

Daphne felt her eyelids flutter. She was tired, so incredibly tired. The next moment, darkness enveloped her.

She seemed to have fallen asleep, for when she woke up she was pressed tightly against Harry's chest, held by the coat he had tucked her into. She could hear his heart beating. It beat in harmony with hers.

And she could hear him speaking.

"...I'm fine, really, Hagrid. You've got nothing to worry about. I just want to get back to the castle and my bed now."

Daphne could agree with that. Although, of course, she wanted to go to her own bed and not Harry's.

She realised that Harry was hiding her from the others. That probably wasn't such a bad idea. How could anyone credibly explain that some crow had come to their rescue?

"I think Mr Potter is right, Hagrid. Take the children back. They've seen enough for one night. This is where I leave you, Harry Potter. I wish you good luck. The planets have been read wrongly before now, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times."

Daphne heard galloping and then the centaur that had saved her life was gone. She hated the thought. She didn't want to owe anyone anything. Well... she had to think about what that might mean for her. When she was not so tired anymore...

A pleasant darkness enveloped her again.

The next time Daphne awoke, she felt the warmth of a nearby fire caressing her feathers. She could even hear the crackling of the logs. They were peaceful sounds and she let out a comfortable sigh.

It was not only the warmth of the fire that was caressing her plumage, but also a hand. She tried to open her eyes, but immediately squeezed them shut as the flames in the fireplace blinded her. She was lying directly in front of it, on a soft surface that rose and fell slightly.

"Careful. Don't strain yourself."

That had been Harry's voice. Was she on his lap? Oh God, what a night it had been. She should have just gone to bed early and saved herself this embarrassing experience.

Well, it was all to no avail. Daphne opened her eyes again. She blinked until she got used to the light. Then she looked around. She was indeed lying on Harry's lap in front of a roaring fire. He had taken off his cloak and put it over her to keep her warm. Around them were red and gold sofas and armchairs and a soft red and gold carpet. So much red and gold could only mean one thing, they were in the Gryffindor common room.

She let out a soft caw and Harry understood. He lifted her from his lap and gently set her down on the carpet. Then he took a few steps away.

Daphne searched for the magic inside her and when she found it, she let herself fall into it. For a moment she felt a crushing heaviness, but then it was over. No longer did she feel feathers, but skin, no longer a beak, but a nose and mouth. She was in human form again.

Harry's cloak was still around her shoulders and she wrapped herself tightly in it, for she was still cold. She moved closer to the fire.

Harry sat down beside her.

"Wow..."

"Wow? That's all you can say?" Daphne turned her head, now looking directly into his eyes, hidden behind his glasses. "What was that?"

"Ron, Hermione, and I were thinking about that too," Harry said. "And Firenze, the centaur, said that only one who has nothing to lose and everything to gain could commit such a crime. Because the blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, but it is a cursed life from the moment the blood touches your lips. Firenze, he thinks ... he thinks it might have been Voldemort. And so do I..."

Daphne's heart stopped for a moment. Did this mean she had fought Voldemort before? Her, a little crow, against the most powerful dark wizard in history?

"Wow..."

Harry nodded. "You said it. And you hacked him in the head."

Daphne's eyes widened. Harry was right. She had hacked into the head of the most powerful dark wizard in history.

A grin spread across her face.

"You really give me the creeps sometimes, Daphne."

Daphne held her hands in front of the blazing fire. The heat tickled her skin. She felt as if she had suffered a few bruises, but she could be glad that nothing worse had happened.

"Me and creepy? Where did you get that idea? I'm the nicest person in the world. I even came to save you, even though you lied to me."

"I'm sorry."

Daphne hadn't expected this. She turned her head back to Harry. His face was pale and scarred by the horrors of the night, but he looked at her as intensely as if she were the only person in the world.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Norbert, Hagrid's dragon, I mean."

"Why didn't you tell me? Doesn't our friendship mean anything to you?" The questions shot out of Daphne. She couldn't help it.

Harry looked as if she had punched him in the face. "I wanted to tell you, but Ron was against it. And it was his brother who made sure Norbert was taken away."

"So ... so it wasn't your decision at all, it was Weasley's?"

A comforting warmth came over Daphne. She could live with that. She didn't give a damn about Weasley. Other than –

"It was still my decision, but I'm sorry. I want to tell you everything in the future."

Daphne nodded slowly. "Does that include the very first lie you told me? Before we became friends?"

"You mean Flamel, don't you?"

Daphne gave him a sly smile. "You're not so stupid for a Gryffindor."

Harry returned her smile. Everything seemed to be back to normal between them.

Then Harry said, "It's true, I didn't want to know more about Flamel for no reason at the time. It's a long story, but the short version is that Hagrid mentioned the name when we were talking about what was hidden in the forbidden corridor on the third floor."

This piqued Daphne's curiosity. She had flown past that corridor after Dumbledore's words at the welcome feast, but had only noticed the aura of a great big beast. So she had preferred to stay away from it. After all, she was not looking forward to being crushed into crow mush.

Then the full implications of Harry's words became clear to her. Her eyes widened.

"You mean –"

Harry nodded. "Exactly. We believe the Philosopher's Stone is hidden there. And we think that Voldemort wants to steal it."

"Eternal life," Daphne said slowly.

"Yes. And we believe that Snape is working for Voldemort and may try to steal the Stone. He's already pressuring Quirrell to help him for that."

Daphne frowned. "Snape? Dumbledore trusts him, doesn't he?"

"Even Dumbledore can be wrong," Harry said.

Daphne tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, we don't have to sort that out today. But what did you say the centaur told you about unicorn blood? Drinking it can sustain life, but it will be a cursed life?"

"Do you know anything about that?"

Daphne shook her head. "About the blood, no. But in one of the books from the Restricted Section I once read that those who eat the heart of a unicorn obtain great power but must in exchange offer the pain of others to their body as compensation. Maybe it's something like that."

"That sounds horrible."

"Perhaps. But possibly, like everything else, it's just a matter of finding the right motivation..."

Daphne rose from her seat in front of the fireplace. The conversation had exhausted her and she felt her tiredness returning. It was time she got into her bed. And best of all, she should sleep through the whole of tomorrow, if her roommates would let her...

She went to the window and was about to open it when Harry stopped her.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"As much as I enjoy talking to you, Harry, I'm tired. I'm going back to the dungeons. We can tomorrow –"

"That's not what I mean. Do you seriously think I would let you fly off into the darkness again after everything that happened today? After you risked your life for me? Do you think I'm that ungrateful?"

"Um..."

"I'm taking you to the dungeons. Come."

With that he took his Invisibility Cloak out of his bag and threw it over them both. He then took her hand in his before beginning to lead her behind him, out of Gryffindor Tower, through dark corridors to her own common room at the far end of the castle.

And throughout this long journey, he did not let go of her hand for a single moment.

Didn't he know what that was doing to her?