Chapter Ten – Second Pact
"...which is why the Chamber and the monster within it are relegated to the realms of fantasy by most scholars," Hermione finished reading and slammed the heavy book shut with a loud bang.
After the events of Halloween, the Chamber of Secrets was the only topic of conversation at Hogwarts. No one mourned Filch – except Mrs Norris, who, when she wasn't standing guard beside her petrified master's bed, was patrolling the castle, while the corridors were filled with dead rats, which was why Ron wouldn't let Scabbers out of the dormitory anymore. But the mystery of the secret chamber and the horror it held would not let go of the students. So it had taken them several days to get their hands on a copy of Hogwarts: A History, after all the editions had been borrowed from the library.
Hermione looked at them expectantly. They sat a little aside in a quiet corner of the castle court-yard, protected from the cold November weather by a sphere of warm air that Harry had created around them. He exchanged glances with Daphne. That much they had already learned from the books in the Room of Requirement. If the chamber existed, it was not on the Marauder's Map, but neither was the Room of Requirement. So it was not impossible.
"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was an evil bastard," Ron said. "And of course he hid a monster in the castle."
"But Salazar Slytherin is dead," Hermione said. "The question now is, who would be his heir? Who would want to drive all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"
"Let's think," Ron said, feigning perplexity. "Who we know thinks Muggle-borns are scum?" He looked at Hermione. "Who has insulted you again and again just because your parents were Muggles?"
A hint of scepticism crept into Hermione's eyes. "You mean Malfoy?"
"Of course! We heard it ourselves, didn't we? You'll be next, Mudbloods! All you have to do is look at his sneaky face and –"
A mocking laugh sounded next to Harry. It came from Daphne, who put her hand over her mouth.
"Is something wrong, Greengrass?" asked Hermione in a subdued voice.
Daphne waved her off. "No, no. I don't want to interrupt your thoughts. They're very interesting indeed."
"You don't think Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin?" asked Harry.
Daphne turned to him and the mockery drained from her eyes. She shook her head. "Absolutely. Malfoy is just a talker."
"Of course one Slytherin defends the other," Ron said.
Immediately the atmosphere became tense. Harry started to speak but Daphne beat him to it. "What are you trying to say?" she asked, her voice as frosty as the weather around them.
"You're in the same house as him, aren't you? Who says we can trust you? You've hexed a Muggle-born before."
"And if I remember correctly, you laughed about it then," Harry said. He had to force himself to remain calm, but his hands had clenched into fists. He was beginning to find it unbearable that Ron and Hermione treated Daphne with such suspicion. She had already proved more than enough that she was the best friend anyone could ask for!
"That's not the point," Ron said.
Hermione nodded. "I think Ron's asking a good question. Whoever the Heir of Slytherin is, it's clear which house he comes from. We shouldn't give away our trust lightly."
"Lightly?" Harry asked incredulously. He jumped to his feet, and Ron and Hermione flinched. "You don't want me to trust Daphne lightly? The one who came to me during the summer when I was locked up? The one who was always there for me?"
"It's all right, Harry," Daphne said. "I know when I'm not welcome. Granger and Weasley are probably right. I'm a terrible person, Malfoy is my best friend and at night I dream of slaughtering all Muggle-borns and decorating the Great Hall with their entrails. After all, I am a Slytherin, and Slytherins can never be good people."
"Green–" Hermione started, but Daphne raised her hand and stopped her.
"No, Granger, I understand. I don't want to bother you any more with my snake-like untrustworthiness."
With that, Daphne stood up and walked away with quick steps. Hermione looked as if she was genuinely sorry for her earlier words, while Ron looked stubbornly down at the ground.
Harry gave them both a disappointed look. "Can't you just stop it?"
"Harry, I –"
"No, Hermione. Not now. You'd better think about how you're going to apologise to Daphne."
With that he turned and followed Daphne. The sphere of warm air crashed down behind him. He ran as fast as he could, but it was not until he reached the gates of the castle that he caught up with Daphne.
"Sorry about their behaviour," he said. "They're just worried."
Daphne looked at him sideways as they walked together, now at a slower pace, towards the lake. "Fortunately, I don't care what they think of me."
"Daph–"
"It's all right, Harry. Let's not get into it. What do you think of the whole thing?"
"I don't know," he said, shrugging. "Even if Malfoy isn't behind it –"
"I'm sure he's not. If he was, the whole castle would have known by now. The guy's got the discretion of a troll."
"Even if he's not behind it, someone else must be. Filch wouldn't have written on the wall himself and then petrified himself."
"Hmm, hmm, hmm," Daphne nodded. "Looks like we have a dangerous secret at Hogwarts. How exciting!"
Harry laughed. "Why am I not surprised you find it exciting?"
Daphne returned his words with a smile of her own that Harry had come to appreciate and cherish.
By now they had reached the lake, its waters shimmering grey in the November air. Harry enjoyed the peace and quiet that this lonely path afforded them. A cool breeze caressed his face and hair. He took a deep breath – and suddenly froze as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He had the feeling someone was watching him. He looked back over his shoulder, but there was no one there.
"What's wrong?" asked Daphne.
"I don't know," Harry said, fumbling for his wand. "I feel like we're being followed." Suspiciously, he scanned their surroundings. He felt Daphne's back against his, so they could cover each other.
And then he saw it. In a bush, just a few metres from them. Yellow eyes the size of tennis balls were staring at him. In a fraction of a second, he had erected a magical shield in front of them.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "Come out now!"
Daphne whirled around, now pointing her wand at the bushes as well. There was a rustling sound and a puny figure stepped out of the bushes, dressed in what looked like a dirty pillowcase. It was a house-elf, Harry realised, and not just any house-elf.
"Dobby?" he asked. What was that mad elf from the summer doing here? But then Harry remembered. The house-elf from summer had warned him of a terrible danger. And now this story about the Chamber of Secrets. It couldn't be a coincidence.
"Harry Potter has returned to Hogwarts," Dobby whined as he came closer. A tear ran down his long, pointed nose. "Dobby warned Harry Potter, didn't he? Oh, sir, why didn't you believe Dobby?"
Harry noticed Daphne slowly take a step forward. He did the same, his eyes fixed on the house-elf. "What are you doing here, Dobby? Is it because of the danger you spoke of?"
"Harry Potter, sir, you must leave here. At Hogwarts you are in mortal danger."
"Why are you so interested in my safety?" asked Harry, taking another step forward.
"Oh, if Harry Potter only knew," Dobby said as more tears dripped onto his grubby pillowcase. "If only he knew what he means to us, the lowly, the enslaved, the dregs of the magical world. Dobby still remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, Harry Potter sir. We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir. Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, sir. But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope to those of us who thought the dark days would never end, sir ... and now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here, now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more –"
Dobby froze. Horrified, he ran to the nearest tree and began to bang his head against it. "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby..."
Harry and Daphne exchanged glances. Mad, the house-elf was completely mad.
"Please calm down, Dobby," Harry said, now taking quick steps towards him. He had a hard time pulling the house-elf away from the tree. "You need to tell us everything you know. The Chamber has been opened before? When? And by whom?"
"Oh, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," sobbed the house-elf. "Dark deeds are done in this place. Harry Potter must not be here. Go home, Harry Potter, sir. Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir, it's too dangerous."
Now Daphne joined them. She pointed her black wand directly at Dobby's throat. "That wasn't a request. Now tell us everything you know, or –"
"Or you'll kill me, miss? Dobby is used to death threats. He gets them five times a day at home," Dobby said, blowing his nose on a corner of his dirty pillowcase. He looked so pathetic that Harry almost felt a little sorry for him.
"Then you can see how serious I am about mine," Daphne replied. She was tightening her grip on her wand when suddenly there was a thunderous bang. Harry and Daphne were knocked to the ground. When they got up, Dobby was gone.
"Well, that could have gone better," Harry said.
Daphne clicked her tongue. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. And maybe things will settle down soon..."
The opposite happened. Some time later, Collin Creevey, the annoying first year whom Daphne had hexed at the beginning of the year, was also found petrified. The atmosphere of fear at Hogwarts grew even worse. Suddenly the air was full of rumours and suspicions. And the first years began to walk around the castle in groups, as if they were afraid of being attacked if they went off on their own.
Hermione and Ron eventually apologised to Daphne, but Harry didn't get the feeling that they meant it. The Chamber of Secrets and the petrifactions were not mentioned after that when they were all together. However, under the cover of their common room, Ron and Hermione told him that they still suspected Malfoy and were even planning to infiltrate the Slytherin dungeon using the Polyjuice Potion. But when they asked him if he wanted to join them, Harry simply waved them off. When Daphne said Malfoy had nothing to do with it, he believed her.
He preferred to concentrate on other research. Together with Daphne, he found out that Dobby's words had indeed been true. From old editions of the Daily Prophet, they learned that there had been attacks before. And that in nineteen forty-three, a Muggle-born student, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren, had died mysteriously, apparently in connection with the Chamber of Secrets, and that a student had been expelled as a result. However, the student's name was nowhere mentioned, and it remained unclear whether his expulsion had anything to do with Myrtle Warren's death. He did not appear to have gone to Azkaban, which would seem to argue against him being the culprit.
In this atmosphere of uncertainty, the school year went on. In the second week of December, as in the previous year, lists were posted for students to sign up to stay in the castle over Christmas. Harry signed up immediately, although he wasn't sure it was necessary, since Dumbledore had assured him he would never have to return to the Dursleys. To his surprise, however, Daphne was still reluctant to put her name on the list.
"My parents wrote to tell me to come home," she explained when he asked her about it. "They say they have something important to discuss with me." Daphne shrugged. "Actually, I don't feel like it, but on the other hand, I'm curious what they say they have important things to discuss with me. I will think about it."
Harry hoped she would stay at Hogwarts, after all they had met for the first time last Christmas. Met properly, that is.
"What?" asked Daphne, who must have noticed his look. A smile played around her lips. "Are you addicted to me already?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "You're way too full of yourself, Daph."
"What can I say? Give credit where credit is due. I'm just perfect."
"And you wonder why I'm your only friend..."
"Who says I wonder? And as always, quality triumphs over quantity. You are such a good friend, Sir Harry, I don't need any other." With that, Daphne put her arm around his, and Harry felt the back of his neck suddenly warm all over. "I could philosophise with you for hours, but I should get to Transfiguration. I don't want to get on McGonagall's bad side. Bad-tempered cats and all that. One of those is enough for me."
Harry grinned. "Who knows, maybe my Animagus form will become a cat?"
"Then I'd have no choice but to flay you alive," Daphne replied, and it was impossible to tell from her voice whether she was joking or not. But she tightened her grip on his arm, and Harry decided that cats were boring anyway. He would rather be able to fly.
They were walking up the main staircase together when Ginny Weasley came towards them. The Gryffindor first year's eyes widened and her head turned as red as a tomato. Ginny opened her mouth, but all that came out was a whimper. Her head turned even redder as she walked past them with quick steps, her eyes lowered to the ground.
"So your not-so-secret admirer still can't open her mouth in front of you?" asked Daphne.
Harry sighed. "It was weird at first, but now I just feel sorry for her."
"That's true. What has to be wrong with someone to fancy you..."
"What?"
"What?"
Just before Christmas, an announcement on the bulletin board caused a stir at Hogwarts: A Duelling Club was to be formed. The start date for first to fourth years was the same evening, so Harry, Daphne, Ron, and Hermione, along with the other students, found themselves in the Great Hall at eight o'clock in the evening. Harry was sceptical that he would learn much, given the level of his classmates, but he was curious to see what spells his classmates had mastered, especially some Slytherins of the unpleasant variety. What did Daphne always say? Knowledge was power, and more power was always good.
In the Great Hall, the long dining tables had disappeared, replaced by a golden stage with thousands of candles floating above it. The air was filled with the eager anticipation of the young witches and wizards who crowded around the stage with their wands, waiting for their duelling teacher. Who might that be, Harry wondered. Flitwick, perhaps? He had heard that their Charms teacher had once been a famous duellist.
"Will you come to the back with me?" asked Daphne next to him. She nodded towards one of the corners. She must have been thinking the same thing he was. From the back, they could keep a better eye on the others. Harry also saw the shadow that slid across Hermione's face, but he didn't care.
"Sure," he said, and together they pushed their way through the crowd to the back.
But there was a nasty surprise waiting for them. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing just a few metres away.
"Greengrass, what a pleasant surprise," Malfoy said. "I didn't think you'd come crawling right away. Perhaps there is hope for you after all."
Crabbe and Goyle laughed, but Harry was confused by Malfoy's words. Daphne seemed to feel the same as she said, "What the hell are you talking about, Malfoy?"
"Oh, you don't know yet?" Malfoy gave them a broad grin, clearly enjoying the fact that he knew something they didn't.
"Spit it out Malfoy," Harry said. "We've got other things to do."
Malfoy walked towards them. Ignoring Harry, he only looked at Daphne. His eyes slid over her body and his grin widened. Harry clenched his hands.
"My father wrote to me."
"Of course he did..." Harry muttered.
"He's been negotiating with your parents, you know, Greengrass. And the negotiations are nearing completion. All that's missing are the signatures." Malfoy leaned forward and now spoke directly into Daphne's transfixed face. "You will be my concubine."
Harry's heart felt as if it had been hit by several bludgers at once, doused in oil, and set on fire. Malfoy's next words fanned the flames even more.
"But I'm a generous man, that's what I've just told Crabbe and Goyle. If they ask nicely, I might lend you to them. What do you think, Greengrass, would you like that? Then you can see what real, pure-blood wizards are made of."
Crabbe and Goyle laughed. Harry couldn't hold back any longer. Without thinking, his fist shot upwards, straight at Malfoy's ugly grin – but a hand stopped his fist in mid-air. It was Daphne's hand. It was ice cold.
He looked at her, but she did not meet his gaze. Her eyes were on Malfoy. The corners of her mouth twisted. A fierce smile spread across her face, one full of grief and hatred and bloodlust and rage. It was an expression hardly befitting a schoolgirl – it was something you'd expect to see on a monster or a demon.
"You, Malfoy, will suffer a cruel fate," she said.
Malfoy shook his head, amused. "You can threaten me all you want, you will soon learn your place."
Crabbe and Goyle laughed again, and only Daphne's cold hand stopped Harry from lunging at them and ripping out their throats. Still laughing, the three Slytherins walked away. Harry and Daphne were left behind. No-one else had noticed.
"Daph–" he began, but Daphne suddenly pulled her hand away from his. She turned away. Her face was hidden behind her pitch black hair.
"Not now, Harry. I have an unpleasant decision to prepare for."
"You're not thinking of –"
"Of course not!" Daphne spun around, her golden eyes sparkling like burning stars. Harry didn't think he had ever seen her so angry, not in their first and so far only argument, when he hadn't told her about Norbert, nor on Halloween when Malfoy had insulted his parents. But then a sudden gentleness entered her eyes. "You needn't worry about me. I will not leave my path..."
Harry's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't know what to say, but he opened his mouth. Before he could say anything, however, there was a sudden movement in the crowd. Even more than before, the students were pushing towards the stage, where none other than Lockhart had appeared in magnificent plum-coloured robes, followed by Snape in his usual black robes, as black as his soul. Harry cursed inwardly. He glanced at Daphne, but she had averted her eyes again.
"Let's have a look," she said quietly.
Lockhart gave the crowd his brightest smile before speaking in his smug way. "Gather round, gather round. Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me? Excellent! Well, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club and train you all in case you need to defend yourself, as I myself have done on countless occasions. But you all know that, for full details, see my published works." He flashed his broad smile, before pointing at Snape. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has confided in me that he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has kindly agreed to act as my assistant today and help me with a small demonstration before we begin. Now, you don't have to worry, of course. You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear."
The little demonstration that followed passed Harry by like a veil of mist, he was still too angry at Malfoy's previous words. His eyes kept slipping back to him standing there with the other Slytherins. How dare he speak to Daphne like that? She was worth so much more than that bastard. He would rip his heart out of his chest before he would let Malfoy lay a finger on her!
Harry's eyes slipped back to Daphne, but she continued to watch the action on the stage with a stone-faced expression. Even when Lockhart flew backwards off the stage, crashed into the wall, and slid down to the floor, she did not smile. Only her eyes quivered with life, a small gateway to her emotional world. Harry knew his best friend well enough to know she was raging inside.
She looked at him. "I have an idea..."
The other students watched in amusement as Lockhart struggled to his feet. He had lost his hat and his wavy hair was standing on end, but he tried not to show his humiliation.
"Well, there you have it," he said as he stomped back onto the stage. "That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss Granger – yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do, and if I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy – however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see."
"What idea?" asked Harry.
"But enough demonstrating! Now it's your turn. Please pair up and try the Disarming Charm for yourselves. But be careful not to hurt each other!"
"The first blow must be powerful, then we will save ourselves many more," said Daphne.
A wild confusion erupted around them. Not only were the young witches and wizards trying to disarm each other, but many other curses and spells were flying through the air. Harry saw a Ravenclaw fourth year being thrown out of a window. A few steps away, Tracey Davis made Pansy Parkinson's tongue grow until it wrapped around her neck like a snake and tried to strangle her. And Ron and Hermione cast tickling spells on each other. Their laughter reached all the way up to them.
"So you want to fight?" said Harry.
Daphne didn't answer, but took his hand and pulled him behind her. "Will you help me?" she asked finally, as they stood in front of the stage.
On the stage was Lockhart, flailing his arms wildly. "Stop it! Stop it!" he shouted, but no one paid him any attention.
"Do you really think you need to ask me that?"
Daphne squeezed his hand.
"Finite Incatatem," Snape shouted, wand raised.
A greenish smoke settled over the battlefield, and instantly all the effects of the many spells were gone. But some students were still rolling on the ground, some even with bleeding wounds. Eventually, however, calm returned.
"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart said. He glanced at Snape and then quickly looked away. "I need volunteers, please."
Immediately, Daphne's hand shot up. Harry's followed right after.
For a moment, Lockhart's smile turned into a grimace. Their Defence teacher still held it against them that they had set fire to his quizzes during his first lesson and then walked out of class in front of everyone. They had largely ignored each other since then, but that wasn't an option now.
"Er, yes, Potter and Greengrass. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Come up here then."
"Not a good idea," Snape said with a glint in his eye. "Surely our two prodigies can't harm a hair on each other's heads. It would undoubtedly make for a very dull performance. How about Malfoy and Potter instead?"
"Brilliant idea," Lockhart said, signalling Harry and Malfoy to come on stage. Harry wouldn't have minded this pairing at all, but Daphne went ahead with her plan.
"But that's boring. Everyone knows Harry is way ahead of him," she said in a sweet voice. Her eyes were hard. "How about a real fight instead? There are usually several enemies waiting to overpower you at the same time, aren't there? As you describe in Voyages with Vampires, Professor, when you had to fight forty-four at once to protect the princess of the Blood Tooth Clan. That always made a big impression on me. So what about Harry and I against a superior force? Of course, we only have a little of your unparalleled bravery, so let's just try three opponents for now. Malfoy can stay, as Professor Snape suggested, but perhaps Crabbe and Goyle can join him? Then it would be two against three and a greater challenge."
"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, who seemed to have forgotten his grudge against them from one moment to the next. "An excellent idea indeed! What do I always say? It is the challenges we face that lead us to true greatness. So up, up, all of you."
Snape gave Harry and Daphne a suspicious look before turning away and walking towards Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle as they came on stage. Malfoy also looked at them suspiciously, but Harry ignored him. Instead he leaned over to Daphne.
"What is your aim? Do you just want to teach them a lesson or do you want revenge?"
"Revenge," Daphne replied curtly.
Harry nodded. She could have that.
They went up the steps and stood on one side of the stage, their opponents facing them. They drew their wands.
All eyes in the hall were on them. Harry also saw Ron and Hermione looking at him worriedly, but he paid them no further attention. His heart was pounding in his chest, thunderclap after thunderclap, as if it was counting the seconds, just like he was.
Lockhart spoke again. "Fantastic, fantastic. You are doing very well. Now honour your opponents." He made a sweeping bow and ordered them to follow. But neither side moved an inch. "Or not. Then I will count to three and you will begin. But remember, this is only a practice fight. So don't get carried away."
That ship has sailed, Harry thought grimly.
"One – two – three!"
Harry and Daphne leapt forward. Their wands whizzed through the air, a sound like whiplash, followed by black flashes that hit Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle straight in the chest. The three were thrown backwards, off the stage, over the heads of the crowd, and into the wall behind them. They remained pinned there, as if held by a giant, invisible hand. Their wands rolled across the floor. Slowly, Harry and Daphne stepped forward, wands still pointed at their opponents, who began to groan.
Amazement spread across the faces of the crowd. Some were disappointed, especially the green-clad students, but most were beaming with joy as they realised what had happened. Obviously, Malfoy hadn't just earned their wrath.
"Yay, Harry!" exclaimed Ron. "You showed them!"
But Harry and Daphne weren't done yet. They walked to the edge of the stage. They waved their wands like conductor's batons, or like the strings of a marionette. And like marionettes, their victims began to dance. Their limbs contorted. Left and right, up and down. Their bones cracked. The sound made the air quiver and Harry's heart beat faster. A warm sensation gripped his wand hand. Then came the cries of pain. The three boys screamed and screamed and screamed like the wretched creatures they were. The screams were music to Harry's ears. He watched with satisfaction as he and Daphne broke every bone in the bodies of their enemies. In the bodies of their victims. In the bodies of their dolls.
With a cathartic scream, Harry and Daphne lowered their wands. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle slid along the wall to the floor, where they lay whimpering.
A shocked silence had fallen over the hall. There was sheer horror on the faces of their classmates. Lockhart was leaning over the edge of the stage, vomiting.
Harry looked at his friends, but Ron and Hermione were also staring at him as if he were a creature from another world. A creature they were afraid of. His stomach felt like it was falling into an infinite abyss.
Snape's voice broke the silence. "Potter, Greengrass, put down your wands. Now!"
What happened next was something Harry experienced as if he were in a trance. How Snape took their wands, how he led them past the other students out of the Great Hall, through long corridors to a spiral staircase guarded by a gargoyle, which led them further up. It was only when he was sitting next to Daphne in a large round room that it really dawned on him what had just happened. What they had done.
Daphne reached for his hand. Her fingernails dug into his hand, but he let her. Gently he squeezed her hand.
A contemptuous snort sounded behind them. Snape kept his eyes on them, waiting with them for Dumbledore, for it had to be the Headmaster's office they were in. How could it be otherwise?
On the walls of the tower room were numerous portraits of older witches and wizards, all of them staring at them curiously. All around the room were shelves and tables crammed with books and strange-looking silver instruments. On one shelf, Harry could make out the Sorting Hat, but it looked rather lifeless now. In the middle of the room was a claw-footed desk, in front of which they sat on simple wooden chairs, and next to the desk was a huge mirror. At least Harry thought it was a mirror, for it was covered with a black cloth, but in one place he could see a piece of glass flashing.
A sudden pain shot through Harry's scar. Instinctively, he pressed his hand against it. This hadn't happened in a long time, in fact it hadn't happened at all this term.
Daphne looked at him worriedly. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," Harry said, rubbing his scar. The pain was already fading. "I'm fine."
Snape snorted again. "I doubt it, Potter. After what you did to Draco and the others, your days here are numbered. The headmaster will have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts."
Harry and Daphne looked at each other. In Daphne's golden eyes, he saw the same fear that made him despondent. Would they really be expelled for what they had done? But... what would they do then? Where would they go?
But then Harry remembered. He remembered that they had been in a similar situation before, or so they thought. In the summer after Daphne had come to him in Privet Drive, when they had used magic and run away. Back then, they'd crouched next to overflowing dustbins, sweaty and without a destination or a plan, but it hadn't mattered. In that moment, when the world seemed to be turning away from him and Daphne had still smiled at him, he had been confident that everything would be all right. That they would get through whatever happened to them together.
But this time Daphne didn't smile, so Harry did it for her. He gave her his most confident smile and squeezed her hand again. To hell with Snape, Malfoy, and Dumbledore! Let them throw him out of school and damn him, he didn't regret anything.
Understanding flashed through Daphne's eyes. She sighed. Then she nodded. She straightened her back and now looked proudly forward, like a queen on her way to the scaffold, or a witch on her way to the stake. The thought made Harry smile even more.
"How dare you, Potter?" hissed Snape. "After all this, you still dare to grin cheekily. You're even more arrogant than y–"
At that moment, the door behind them opened and loud voices called out to them.
"...allow this to happen, Professor? The children were in your care!"
"There's nothing we can do about that now, Cygnus. We must hope for his forgiveness."
"Never will –"
"Perhaps you would like to finish your discussion, Mr and Mrs Greengrass," a voice Harry recognised now said. "We are here, and here waits your daughter, whom you wished to see so urgently."
Harry turned his head. Professor Dumbledore entered the office with Professor McGonagall, accompanied by a man and a woman who must be Daphne's parents. There was no mistaking Daphne's resemblance to her mother. With her shimmering black hair, graceful face and petite figure, Mrs Greengrass was undoubtedly an extremely attractive woman, but the disgusted look she gave her daughter at that moment made her, in Harry's eyes, one of the ugliest creatures on earth.
"Daphne! What have you done?" she cried.
"Hello, Mother. I'm glad to see you too."
"Don't take that tone with us, daughter. We have a serious matter to discuss with you," said Daphne's father, a slim man with pale brown hair and sloping shoulders. His dark eyes were on Harry. "Leave us, boy. It's a family matter."
"Harry's staying. He's more family to me than you ever were," Daphne said.
"This is all his fault," Daphne's mother shouted. "I'm sure he put you up to this! You wouldn't have done such a thing before!"
Daphne shook her head. "Oh, Mother, you have no idea what I am."
"Enough!" said Daphne's father. He stood in front of Daphne's chair and looked down at her.
Meanwhile, the three teachers were standing in front of the door, watching the scene, Snape with a sneer and bared teeth, McGonagall with a worried look, and finally Dumbledore had put on a watchful expression, his right foot slightly forward so that he could intervene quickly if the conversation escalated. Harry was grateful for that, as he didn't miss the murderous looks Daphne's mother gave him. The woman looked at him as if she wanted to slit his throat with her long, manicured fingernails. Well, she could try.
"What's done is done, and we'll talk about the consequences later," Daphne's father continued. "The important thing now is to limit the damage you have done. You must formally apologise to the Malfoys and hope that –"
"Apologise?" Daphne jumped to her feet, her chair clattering to the floor. "Like you did then? When you knelt before him? I will never do that, do you hear me? Never, never, never!"
"Be quiet! You will do as I tell you, and –"
"What, become Malfoy's concubine? I'd rather kill myself!"
"At least then you won't be able to harm your family anymore!"
"You disgust me! You are the most pathetic and despicable –"
"How dare you!" shouted Daphne's father. He raised his hand to slap Daphne, but Harry jumped up and stood in front of her. The hand hit him right in the face. It hurt, but he had seen worse.
Hatefully, he glared at Mr Greengrass. "Try to hurt her again and I'll break your hand."
Several things happened at once. Daphne's father reached for his wand, but his wife rushed to his side and stopped him. At the same time, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall placed themselves between Mr and Mrs Greengrass on one side and Harry and Daphne on the other.
Harry looked at Daphne. "Are you all right?" he asked.
Daphne nodded, but gasped heavily.
"That is enough," Professor Dumbledore said. "Mr and Mrs Greengrass, would you please leave my office?"
"Is this true? Do you want your daughter to be a concubine?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"Of course not!" exclaimed Daphne's mother, upset. Her voice was almost pleading. "Of course we don't want that! But her behaviour has put us in a difficult position where we have to tread very carefully and can't always do what we want, and –"
"Your daughter is right. You are pathetic," said Professor McGonagall.
"Is this what you've made of Hogwarts, Dumbledore?" said Daphne's father, turning to the Headmaster. "A place where even the teachers behave boorishly? Where decency and respect fall by the wayside?"
Dumbledore replied calmly, "Hogwarts is what it has been for over a thousand years, a safe haven for the magical children of this land. At times, it has been a refuge from their own parents as well. And believe me, I say the word parents with the greatest regret."
"And believe me, the feeling is mutual." Mr Greengrass looked past Dumbledore to Daphne. "We have always tried to protect you, daughter. But if you show such contempt for your family, if you reject everything we try to teach you, then there is nothing more we can do for you. I strip you of your position as my heiress. I cast you out of the house of Greengrass and sever all ties that bind you to this family. No longer are you my daughter and no longer will you disgrace us, girl."
Beside Harry, Daphne froze, but her face showed no emotion. Mrs Greengrass, on the other hand, staggered. She clutched at her chest and only her husband's arm around her waist kept her from collapsing.
"Now, if you will excuse us, we must apologise to the families of the victims for our failure," Mr Greengrass said.
"Do that. You know the way," Dumbledore said, pointing to the door, which opened with a swing.
With one last venomous glare, which Harry returned wholeheartedly, Mr Greengrass turned and left the office, his sobbing wife at his side. They were barely out of the door when it slammed shut again with a loud bang.
Dumbledore sighed, "Daphne, Harry, please sit down."
The overturned chairs rearranged themselves. Harry and Daphne exchanged glances. Daphne's face was still frozen, but her breathing had calmed. She gave a brief nod and sat down. Harry did the same.
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, with Professor McGonagall and Snape standing at his sides like two angels at Judgement Day. If that was the case, then Dumbledore was their judge.
Harry noticed that the Headmaster looked even older and more tired than the last time he had been so close to him, during the summer, after their escape from Privet Drive. Many new wrinkles had creased his face and deep circles under his eyes shone from behind his half-moon-shaped glasses. But there was still a grandfatherly warmth in the eyes behind them.
"Are you all right, Daphne?" asked Dumbledore.
"Is she all right?" asked Snape in disbelief. "Let us not forget who is the perpetrator and who is the victim here."
Dumbledore raised his hand. "We will get to that. But what has just happened has left its mark on all of us."
Daphne straightened her shoulders. "I'm fine, Professor. Thank you."
"And you, Mr Potter?" asked Professor McGonagall.
Snape snorted as Harry said, "I'm fine."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Then let us proceed. Harry, Daphne, you may be relieved to hear that Messrs Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who are being treated in the hospital wing, are already on the mend. They will have to stay overnight, but there will be no permanent damage. But their parents are demanding a punishment."
"I demand punishment for what they did to my students," Snape said.
"They're our students too," Professor McGonagall hissed. "Miss Greengrass is even in your house!"
"It's hard to remember, as she can only be found at the Gryffindor table and makes no secret of her contempt for her housemates. And you weren't there, Minerva. What these two have done to these three boys is the most cold-blooded and cruel thing I have ever seen here. I demand that they be expelled from Hogwarts."
"That is not your decision," said Professor McGonagall.
"That is right, it is mine," Dumbledore said. He looked at Harry and Daphne. "Am I correct in assuming that you deliberately hurt your three classmates?"
There was no point in denying it, so Harry said, "Yes, that's right."
"They deserved it," Daphne added.
"What makes you think they deserved it, Daphne?" asked Dumbledore.
Daphne clenched her jaw. She did not answer.
Snape snorted. "Hah! She can't say. That proves she's just a freakish, immoral –"
"That's not true!" Harry retorted angrily. "'They deserve it! Everything and much, much more."
"Does this have anything to do with what we were just discussing?" asked Dumbledore. "Were Daphne's parents planning to offer her to young Malfoy as a future concubine?"
Harry clenched his hands. Daphne had lowered her head, hiding her face behind a curtain of silky black hair. To her teachers, that seemed confirmation enough.
"A barbaric custom that belongs in the ash heap of history," Professor McGonagall said, shaking her head.
"Am I right in assuming you only found out about this today, Daphne? Perhaps even from Mr Malfoy?" continued Dumbledore.
"The bastard bragged about it to us," Daphne said quietly. "He said he was going to lend me to his two cronies." Professor McGonagall inhaled sharply. Daphne let out a mirthless laugh. "Well, I hope that thought is out of their heads now."
"I would never have let it happen either," Harry said firmly.
Daphne looked at him, a strange expression in her amber eyes that Harry didn't know how to interpret. Surprise? Fear? Gratitude? A mixture of all three?
"How touching," Snape said. "But it doesn't justify what they did. What kind of person do you have to be to react like that?"
"A self-respecting person," Professor McGonagall said grimly.
"As I said, you weren't there, Minerva. I'm telling you, there's something wrong with those two."
"Enough, Severus," Dumbledore said. "They are still children you are talking about. However, Messrs. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle are children too. And they are all children in our care." He looked at Daphne. "Daphne, I have never been in a situation like yours, so I do not presume to know how you must have felt after Mr Malfoy's hurtful words. Nor do I wish to defend your parents. But I cannot condone what you and Harry have done. It is probably too soon and the emotions are still running high, but I'd like to ask you both if you could at least think of apologising to the three of them and their families?"
"...Hmph."
"...Hmm."
Harry and Daphne crossed their arms. They closed their eyes as if to scrutinise the question. Daphne's face hardened again, her expression serious, and Harry's did the same. A few seconds passed. Then the two of them opened their eyes in unison. Neither of them had consulted the other. Without exchanging so much as a glace, they gave their replies. Not even a breath separated their overlapping refusals.
"Absolutely not."
Dumbledore sighed. In that moment alone, he seemed to have aged decades.
"Are we going to be expelled?" asked Harry then.
"What good would that do, Harry? You no longer have a home, a place to return to. Throwing you out into the world would be the same as abandoning you."
"We'd be fine," Daphne said.
"Do you want to be thrown out of school, Daphne?" asked Dumbledore.
Daphne shook her head. "Of course I don't. But I'm not going to let it get me down, no matter what."
"Neither will I," said Harry, nodding resolutely.
"We can't let them get away with this!" shouted Snape angrily. He propped himself up on the table and leaned towards Dumbledore. "These two must be punished!"
"And they will be," Dumbledore said calmly. "Harry, Daphne, you will have detention, with me. For the rest of the school year. We will work together to tame the unbridled magic within you, for today's events have clearly shown that this is necessary."
"That's not good enough!" exclaimed Snape.
"What do you have in mind, Severus? I will not allow any physical or mental harm to come to either of them." Dumbledore glanced at them briefly and Harry almost thought he could read his thoughts in his gaze. No more than had already been done to them.
Then Dumbledore turned back to Snape. "What do you think would be an appropriate punishment?"
"Let's take away their wands!"
"Don't be ridiculous," said Professor McGonagall.
"Then Potter shall be thrown off the Quidditch team! Never again shall he face Draco in a competition!"
Harry's shoulders slumped. He would miss Quidditch, but that was a small price to pay for Daphne's safety.
Dumbledore looked at Professor McGonagall, who scowled but finally nodded reluctantly.
"Then it is decided," Dumbledore said. "Harry and Daphne will have detention with me, and Harry will be banned from playing Quidditch. Which brings us to another subject."
"What will happen with me," Daphne said quietly.
Dumbledore nodded. "Your parents have disowned you. Like Harry before you, this has left you in a difficult position. By law you now have no parents or guardian, but at the same time you are still a child without the rights and responsibilities of an adult. You have no income, no assets, no inheritance. And you no longer have a home."
"But she can stay at Hogwarts, can't she?" said Harry. "Like me?"
"I was just getting to that. Since there is already a precedent with you, Harry, I do not think there is anything to stop Daphne from staying at Hogwarts for the holidays, too."
"This isn't an orphanage," Snape hissed. He crossed his arms and looked down at them, and Harry was sure that if looks could kill, he would have burst into flames long ago.
"It is not, though perhaps much suffering could have been prevented if it were," Dumbledore said. Maybe Harry was imagining it, maybe he wasn't, but it was as if a brief pain flashed through his blue eyes. "Today's events have been painful and I fear the scars will remain for a long time, but we must now look forward. Daphne, is that acceptable to you?"
Daphne nodded. "It is. Thank you, Professor."
"Good. I am sure we can find a solution for the tuition and other costs as well. Hogwarts has some funds for students in difficult situations, which, though limited, will certainly –"
"I'll take care of it," Harry said hastily. The eyes of those present turned to him, especially a pair of golden eyes. "I will pay for it. I mean, what else would I have a vault full of gold for?"
"You'd do that for me?" asked Daphne. "It's your parents' gold, after all."
"Of course I would! You're my friend and I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."
A small smile played around McGonagall's lips. "I'm sure they wouldn't."
Snape remained strangely silent, turning his back on them.
"Then I will be doing this a lot more in the future, my friend," Daphne said. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. Harry felt himself blushing. His face felt hot, especially where Daphne's soft lips had touched his skin. Daphne, on the other hand, smiled mischievously at him.
Then they were dismissed by their teachers. Together, Harry and Daphne walked down the spiral staircase and past the gargoyle into the castle corridor. It was getting late. There was no one to be seen but them, only the flames of the torches casting flickering shadows.
"That went better than I thought," Daphne said.
"How are you?" asked Harry. "And really, not the bullshit from up there."
Daphne shrugged. "Nothing that happened today really surprised me. But yeah, of course I'm a bit sad that my parents don't seem to care about me. I guess they never really loved me." She gave a fake laugh. "But just wait until they find out that the Greengrass library is a lot emptier by now."
"Daphne?"
"Hmm?"
"Meet me in the Room of Requirement later. There's something I want to do. But first I need to get something from my dormitory."
Harry had an idea. His heart was already pounding and his legs were telling him to run as fast as he could. He would show Daphne how much their friendship meant to him. How much she meant to him.
Daphne raised her eyebrows but smiled at him. "A surprise? Will it be a nice surprise then?"
"I hope so," Harry said.
"Then I can't wait."
When Harry stepped through the Fat Lady's portal into the common room some time later, he was greeted by many expectant faces. It seemed as if all of Gryffindor had been waiting for him, and they all started talking to him at once.
"Are you getting expelled, Harry?" asked Seamus.
"Are they punishing you and Greengrass?" asked Parvati.
"Are you a dark wizard?" came a voice from the crowd that Harry didn't recognise.
These and many other questions pelted Harry until he could take no more.
"Leave me alone. And no, we won't be thrown out of school," he said briskly, pushing his way through the crowd towards the stairs. Suddenly, Ron and Hermione were standing in front of him.
"We need to talk," Ron said.
Harry stopped. On the one hand, everything in him wanted to run as fast as he could to the dormitory, get what he had come for, and rush to the Room of Requirement, but he also knew he owed his friends an explanation. So he nodded.
Together they stood in a corner of the common room. Harry placed a protective charm around them so the others couldn't hear them. There were still many eyes on him and he could see their mouths moving in an endless murmur. He turned his back on them and met Ron and Hermione's gaze.
"What was that back there, Harry?" asked Ron.
Harry shrugged. "Wasn't that obvious?"
"No, actually it wasn't. What's got into you? Sure, Malfoy's a disgusting bastard, but this? Was this Greengrass's idea?"
"You don't think I'm capable of making my own decisions?"
"Honestly, no," said Hermione, who had been silent until then. She looked at Harry with a pained expression. "Harry, can't you see how she's changing you? She's bringing out your worst qualities."
"Which are?" said Harry.
"Your temper. Your anger. Your arrogance to be above the rules of the world, to always be right no matter what you do!"
Harry crossed his arms. "How kind of you to put up with such a horrible person as me then."
"Oh, Harry, we all have our weaknesses and our faults," Hermione said. "The only question is whether we work on them or not. But everyone has good points too! You, Harry, are the bravest and most selfless person I know. You would do anything for what you believe is right. But what is right and what we think is right are not always the same."
"Did your parents tell you that or did you make it up in that clever head of yours?"
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. "Harry, please. You're not like that..."
"Yes I am, you just said so yourself. I'm just an angry, arrogant boy who can't control his temper and doesn't know right from wrong anymore."
"Jeez, Harry!" said Ron. "Do you listen to what you're saying? What the hell has got into you?"
Harry started to reply, but didn't get the chance, as a visibly upset Oliver Wood walked towards them, destroying his protective charm. All of a sudden, the chatter of the others burst in upon them like a sudden thunderstorm.
"Is it true, Harry? Is it true that you can't play Quidditch anymore?"
Harry had no nerves now, so he just said, "Yes, it's true."
"How could you do this!" shouted Oliver. "How could you do this to us! Did you even think for one second how selfish –"
Harry had had enough. "I don't give a shit what this means to you!" he shouted back. "I don't give a shit what you think! You don't know a damn thing!"
"I know more than enough! If you'd rather maim Malfoy than stand in solidarity with your teammates, then –"
"Solidarity?" Harry laughed shrilly. "Solidarity? You can kiss my arse with solidarity! You're not in solidarity with me either!"
"Only one of us has disgraced Gryffindor!"
By now the entire common room had fallen silent, watching the argument. Harry had never felt so out of place among his housemates as he did at that moment.
"Fuck you, Oliver," he said. "You and all the rest. You have no idea what Malfoy said to Daphne!"
"Then tell us!" shouted Hermione.
"You don't like her anyway! You never gave her a chance!"
With that, Harry whirled around. He drew his wand. The eyes of those present widened and some fumbled for their wands, but Harry simply waved it and called, "Accio knife".
A golden bread knife flew out of his dormitory. Oliver just managed to duck his head before the knife flew over him and into Harry's outstretched hand.
Harry stormed through the crowd as they hurried to make way for him. He stormed out of the common room and into the corridor. Only when he had left the Gryffindor tower well behind him did he slow down again. His insides still felt like a raging storm, but he had to calm down. What was about to happen was important. He needed a clear head for that. He took several deep breaths and wiped the sweat from his face.
Only now did he notice that the ring on his finger – once shiny silver – had taken on a grey tinge.
"Harry's really changed," Ron said. They were sitting on one of the sofas and he had his arm around Hermione, who was still crying. There were similar conversations going on all around them at the moment. Ron saw Neville arguing with Seamus and Dean. This was not a common sight and showed just how much the events of the day were on their minds. "I mean, where is that boy who fought the troll with us?"
"I think he's still the same as he was then," Hermione said, sniffling. "Only the troll was Malfoy today. And my part was replaced by Greengrass."
"Do you really think Malfoy said anything to her?" asked Ron.
Hermione nodded. "It must have been something like that. You saw Harry too, the look on his face..."
"And it's because of Greengrass?"
"She's a big influence on him." Hermione swallowed. "A bigger influence than you or I. I think... I think we have to be nicer to her in the future. We have to accept that she's Harry's..." She swallowed again. "That she's Harry's best friend. I don't want to lose him, Ron..."
Hermione looked at him with tears in her eyes. Ron's soul ached at the sight of her. He squeezed her hand. "We won't. We'll be there for him. And if that means putting up with Greengrass, then we'll do that too..."
At the same time, in another part of the castle, a boy and a girl looked deeply into each other's eyes. It was dark around them. They were sitting in a quiet, unremarkable room. It could have been anywhere, and perhaps that was exactly what it was. Only through a window did the silver light of the moon shine dimly in.
"I'm sorry," Daphne said softly. Her breath swept across his face.
Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm sorry for what you went through today. And for getting kicked off the team."
"I don't care," Harry said. "I don't regret anything we did today. I would do it all over again. Because the truth is..." He took a deep breath. "The truth is, I can't bear to see you suffer, Daph. Ever since I've known you, you've always been there for me. You stand up for me when no one else will. And twice you've come to my rescue. Don't you think being kicked off the team is a small price to pay for that?"
"You're really serious, aren't you?"
"I'm even more serious," Harry said. "I... have an offer for you."
Daphne's golden eyes flashed. "The surprise you announced."
"That's right. Daphne, I would like to offer you a pact. It's to complement our first pact, back at Christmas."
"When you said we could be friends..."
"So much has happened since then. I am not the same as I was then, and that's because of you."
"Harry..."
"No, please let me finish," Harry said. "Daphne, I want us to be more than just friends."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "You want us to be more than friends?"
Harry felt the blood rush to his cheeks again. Heart pounding, he continued. "I didn't think much of it when we made our first pact, but it's different now. I know now that I can always count on you, no matter what. And I want you to know that as well."
With that, he pulled out the golden bread knife he had returned to Gryffindor Tower for. And it wasn't just any knife, Daphne realised.
"This is the knife I gave you back then," she said, "when you didn't know any cutting spells."
"Today it will serve a different purpose..." said Harry. He wanted to go on, but he didn't know how to explain. How to make Daphne understand what he was thinking. What it meant to him. His heart was now beating so wildly in his chest that it hurt.
Then suddenly he felt Daphne's hand on his. She leaned forward and gave him a warm look. So, so warm. How on earth had he ever described her look as cool?
"I'm sure whatever you come up with will be wonderful," she said.
Harry swallowed and continued. "I read about it in a book. It's a ritual where people, even if they're not related, swear to be there for each other like brothers. They swear to be there for each other and never let each other down."
"That sounds nice," Daphne said. She brushed a strand of black hair from her face. "Then let's do it, shall we?"
"Are you sure?"
"Are you going through the world blind? Do you really think you have to ask me that?"
Harry laughed. Suddenly he felt relaxed. The tense feeling inside him disappeared, his heartbeat calmed. "No, probably not."
Daphne nodded. "Then let's get started. What do we have to do?"
Instead of answering, Harry brought the knife to his palm and pressed. The blade cut a bloody gash in his hand. Daphne's eyes widened in comprehension. Without hesitation, she took the knife from him and cut her palm as well. Dark blood ran down her pale skin.
Harry took the now blood-soaked knife from her and laid it on the floor beside them. Searching Daphne's gaze, he found nothing but boundless trust in it.
He raised his bleeding hand and Daphne did the same. Slowly, ever so slowly, they moved their hands towards each other, as if to give the other the chance to end it all. Not that such a thing would ever cross Harry's mind. Never before had he been so sure of anything as he was at this moment.
A tingle ran through his body as their hands finally touched. He felt Daphne's blood running over his skin, mixing with his own, sealing their pact.
Daphne smiled at him. Her smile was warm and blissful, and the voice she whispered to him oozed like sweet honey.
"Oh Harry, I think I'm becoming addicted to you..."