Harry was sure he had only been asleep for half an hour at most before there was a loud knocking on his door.
He blinked awake just as the door opened and a blurry figure walked quickly into his room. He sat up immediately, rubbing his eyes to clear his vision, and found Professor McGonagall standing in his room.
"Mr. Potter...Harry, I need you to come with me," The woman said, swallowing thickly mid-sentence.
Harry froze for a moment, wondering why the Professor would be there before he suddenly remembered what Warrington and Farley had told them on their first night in the castle. In case of emergencies, the Headmaster, the Deputy Head and the Slytherin Head of House could enter their room, and as Professor McGonagall was here...
Harry bolted out of bed, quickly slipping the first pair of shoes he could find onto his feet. "Professor, who...?" He paused, looking past the woman's sad face as he finally noticed that Daphne was standing in his doorway in her nightie, her own pair of shoes on her feet and a panicked expression on her face.
Not waiting for an answer from their teacher, Harry quickly made his way out of his room into the hallway and came to a stop before the girl. "Daph, what's going on?"
"I don't know, Harry, the Professor just woke me up and told me there was an emergency," Daphne reported in a worried voice but was unable to say anymore as the door to Harry's room closed behind Professor McGonagall.
"Please follow me, both of you," The Professor requested gently as she began to lead them out of the hallway and into the empty common room. As they were exiting through the door, Harry spoke again.
"Professor, what's happening?"
Professor McGonagall did not break stride as she turned to answer them, apprehension and sadness visible in her eyes. "There has been another attack. I must bring you both to the Hospital Wing."
Harry felt like his insides had turned to ice. Turning his head to the girl beside him, he saw that Daphne's face had almost turned white and he knew that she had come to the same realisation as him.
There was only one possible victim that would result in Harry and Daphne both being pulled from their beds in the dead of night to be told of it.
They both quickened their steps, rapidly overtaking their Professor as they raced through the castle toward the Hospital Wing, desperately hoping that what they suspected was incorrect.
But when they reached the open doorway of the infirmary, they both came to a halt when their eyes immediately found Daniel and Marie standing fearfully beside a small figure lying in the first bed.
"No!" Daphne breathed out, breaking out of her shock and racing toward her sister. "Tori!"
Harry quickly ran after her, coming to a stop beside the bed Astoria was lying in only a moment after Daphne who had to be prevented from grasping her sister's pale hand by the strong arms of her father, who held her against his chest as he continued to watch Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore heal his youngest child.
Both Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore were running their wands along Astoria's bare stomach and knitting together four long, deep, bloody gashes. As he watched the procedure, Harry idly noted Marie shaking violently beside him, whether it be in fear, anger, or both, and he reached out to grasp her hand. She took it firmly, almost painfully, her eyes never leaving her daughter.
When the gashes all closed, leaving behind four painful, raised welts, the Mediwitch sighed in relief for a moment before she turned quickly from the girl to the table beside her and retrieved a dark-red Potions vial that Harry realised with a jolt was a Blood-Replenishing Potion from the tray beside her. Quickly unstoppering the vial, she moved to the top of the bed and gently tilted Astoria's head back and poured the contents down her throat.
Once the potion had been consumed, Madam Pomfrey then removed a jar filled with a creamy substance from the tray and moved back to the welts on Astoria's stomach. Tenderly, she began to rub the cream into the wounds in thick globs while the Headmaster found a new body part to heal. Harry felt sick when the old man took Astoria's tiny hand in his and he saw her fingertips. Two of the nails were missing entirely whilst another was hanging loosely from her little finger, and the tip of her fingers were raw and bloody.
The Headmaster muttered a spell under his breath as he pointed his wand at each fingertip. The missing nails began to reform before their eyes, the skin began to mend and the blood disappeared. With a short nod of his head, Dumbledore then looked up at Madam Pomfrey, who had moved from rubbing the cream into Astoria's wounds to grasp her left arm gently.
"This will need to be reset, Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey reported under her breath. The Mediwitch took a breath to steel herself before she pointed her own wand at Astoria's arm. After a moment, they all heard a crack and a loud scream when Astoria woke up suddenly and pulled her arm away from the source of the pain. The young girl's eyes looked around widely for a moment before they suddenly shut and she flopped back against her pillow.
Moving his eyes from Astoria's now-slack face to the wand in Dumbledore's hand, Harry realised the man must have put the girl back to sleep. Quietly, the two worked over the next ten minutes to heal the girl of her injuries while her family watched on frozenly.
Finally, Madam Pomfrey looked up from Astoria's left leg, where she had been healing the last of her bruises, and looked up at Dumbledore. "If you would turn away for a moment, Headmaster."
Dumbledore nodded and stepped away, turning to face the far wall away from the girl. Madam Pomfrey then ran her wand along the length of Astoria's body, vanishing her school robes and replacing them with a white hospital gown. When she had finished, she stowed her wand and crouched down under the bed to retrieve the blankets they had removed whilst Astoria was being treated. After she had laid the blanket over Astoria's body, up to her chin, the Mediwitch finally looked at the girl's family.
"She is stable. The worst of her injuries have been healed, some will take her a little longer though I expect she will make a full recovery within the week."
All four of them breathed out in relief as Daniel nodded to the school Healer. "Thank you, Madam."
The Mediwitch nodded and went to move toward her Office when Marie stepped forward, unclasping Harry's hand in the process. "What potions and salves will she need for her recovery?"
Madam Pomfrey frowned for a moment before she answered. "Salves to prevent scarring and basic pain-prevention potions while her body recovers."
Marie nodded as she turned back to her daughter. "They won't take long to make," She said absently to herself.
"I can assure you my infirmary is well stocked, you are not required to brew any potions for your daughter." Madam Pomfrey said to the woman, her frown deepening.
Marie slowly turned to the woman to stare at her for a moment before moving her gaze along to meet the eyes of Dumbledore, who had turned from the far wall and back to the family. "There is a need, Madam, because when my daughter next awakes we will be taking her, and our other two children, home."
The Hospital Wing was silent for a moment before Dumbledore sighed and turned to his stunned Mediwitch. "If you would give us a moment, Poppy."
Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at him before she nodded curtly and quickly left the room, shutting her Office door quietly behind her.
Turning away from Dumbledore, Marie waved her wand and conjured two chairs on either side of her daughter's bed. She quickly walked around the bed until she was on her daughter's left side where she took the closest chair and grasped Astoria's hand firmly in her own.
Daniel and Daphne both sat down on her other side, leaving Harry to move and sit beside Marie, his watery eyes fixed on Astoria's face.
Dumbledore stepped closer until he was standing at the foot of the bed, his Deputy standing just behind him, and he sighed before turning to Marie. "You mean to remove your children from Hogwarts?"
Marie did not look away from her daughter as she answered. "Yes. This is the last straw, Dumbledore. First, Harry was hurt last year, and now Astoria this year?" She bit out angrily and lifted her head to glare at the Headmaster. Across from her, the usually gentle Daniel was giving the old man a furious look of his own. "You have had three months, Dumbledore, three months to find out what is happening and put a stop to it but you have failed. My daughter is the...sixth?" She paused, turning to Harry beside her who nodded his head quickly. "Sixth student to be attacked, and yet the culprit is still at large. I will not abide my children remaining for even another day in this school when they could easily become the seventh."
Dumbledore closed his eyes guiltily even as he opened his mouth to retort, however, he was beaten to it by Daniel. "No, Dumbledore. There is nothing you can say to convince us otherwise."
The Headmaster had opened his eyes when Daniel began speaking, and when he had finished he looked between the two parents' glaring faces before his gaze moved to the figure on the bed and rested on Astoria.
After a few moments of looking at his student, the old man sighed and nodded minutely. "If there is anything you need of me, please do not hesitate to ask." He said quietly, lifting his gaze from Astoria to look between Daniel and Marie again. Dumbledore stepped back and bowed his head. "I will leave you all to your vigil."
The man looked between them all apologetically before he turned, nodded his head at his silent Deputy, and left the room slowly. When he was gone, Professor McGonagall stepped quietly forward with a guilty look on her face. "Please inform me when she awakens?" She asked the couple.
After a moment, both Daniel and Marie nodded shortly before they both turned away from the woman and to their daughter. The Professor followed their gaze, her own eyes resting on her student's pale face. "I am sorry," The Professor said quietly to the sleeping girl before she stepped away and hurriedly left the Hospital Wing, leaving the family alone.
For the next four hours, sobs and cries echoed around the Hospital Wing as they each let loose their sorrow, none of them saying a word. Briefly, some hours into their vigil, Madam Pomfrey appeared and silently checked her patient for a minute before she left them again.
Sometime around six o'clock in the morning, Daphne finally broke the silence as she sat back in her chair, staring intently at her sister's sleeping face. "Astoria always wins." She said to nobody in particular, even as all eyes turned to her. "I've complained all my life about that - Astoria always wins."
Daphne swallowed heavily as she stroked her sister's hand, which she had retrieved from her father some hours ago. Her eyes screwed closed, fresh tears beginning to fall, as she continued in a broken voice.
"Why couldn't she win this time?"
Astoria's eyes opened slowly an hour later.
The first to notice was Marie, who jumped up from her seat, startling the rest of them, and leaned in close to Astoria's face, stroking her cheek as Astoria regained her awareness.
"Where am I?" She asked in a hoarse voice as the rest of the family got to their feet and crowded around her.
"The Hospital Wing, baby," Daniel told his daughter quietly as he began to run his hand through her hair. Astoria looked from her father's watery eyes to Daphne beside him, her face red and teary as she grasped her left hand. Moving her head to the right she looked at Harry, who looked much the same as he held her right hand before she finally looked up at her mother.
"W-what happened?"
Marie swallowed heavily as she answered her daughter. "You were attacked, baby."
Astoria blinked at her mother before she looked around at the faces surrounding her bed again. The young girl sighed and pulled her hands from Harry and Daphne's grips to try and push herself up, but she cried out when the movement pulled painfully on her stomach. She fell back into her pillow with an agonised groan as her parents both moved their hands to her shoulders to keep her in place.
"Don't try and move, baby, you've been injured," Daniel said gently.
Astoria frowned and moved a hand to her neck. She lifted the collar of her gown and peered under it, where she saw the thick red welts on her stomach. She stared at them for a moment before she began to breathe heavily, panic starting to set in.
"I-I can't remember what happened! How was I attacked, how did they-how did-"
Marie moved to sit beside her daughter, being careful not to jostle her and turned Astoria's face to force her to look at her. "It's okay, baby, just breathe." Astoria stared at her mother for a moment before she nodded, starting to breathe in and out carefully. She grimaced slightly as the movement of her torso irritated her stomach and closed her eyes.
"I was Obliviated, wasn't I?" She asked her mother as she opened her eyes. Marie nodded softly and Astoria closed her eyes again as tears began to well. "I can't remember anything."
"Can you remember why you were out after curfew last night?" Daniel questioned quietly. Astoria shook her head as silent tears began to roll down her cheeks so he turned to his other children, who shook their heads also.
Astoria cried quietly to herself for a few minutes, receiving comfort from each of them. When her tears had subsided to light sniffles, she opened her eyes again and reached up to wipe them with the back of a hand. Sighing, she turned to her father and spoke quietly. "C-can you help me sit up?"
Daniel nodded as the rest of them stepped back and gently lifted his daughter so her bottom was higher up the bed. Astoria grimaced in pain again as she moved so her back was straighter, but when her father placed her back down on the bed and her mother readjusted her pillows she was able to sit up.
"My wand?" She asked suddenly. Marie started and quickly turned to the bedside table, picking up her daughter's ebony wand that had been found in the same hallway as she and passed it to her.
Astoria took her wand from her mother and gripped it firmly, looking down at the stick of wood. Without looking away from it, she spoke again. "What happens now?"
Daniel and Marie shared a look before Daniel answered. "When you're well enough to move, we're taking you all home."
Astoria turned from the wand to her father, frowning slightly. "How long have I been in here? Is it the Christmas holidays already?"
Marie spoke from her other side gently, gaining her daughter's attention. "No, baby, it's the 13th. You came in last night. We're taking you home because we're removing you all from Hogwarts."
Astoria stared up at her mother for a moment before she turned away to look back down at her wand. "When can I move?"
Daniel straightened from the bed and stepped away. "I'll go and get Madam Pomfrey, as long as there is nothing major that she needs to do we'll leave this morning." He walked away toward the Office door, knocking on it firmly.
A moment later, the Mediwitch stepped out, looking at the man who had knocked on her door before quickly looking toward her patient. When she saw that Astoria was awake she bustled over quickly without saying a word to Daniel. Arriving at her bedside, the matron began to wave her wand up and down her body, muttering diagnostic spells. She focused particularly on her stomach and her left arm, but after a few minutes of inspection, she stepped back and turned to her parents.
"Her arm has healed overnight, the break was not particularly intrusive, and her other injuries were healed last night. The wounds on her stomach will require another application of scar prevention salve, however." The witch reported, receiving a nod from both parents.
"She is well enough to travel?" Marie questioned, receiving narrowed eyes and pursed lips from the nurse who nevertheless nodded shortly. Marie nodded firmly in response to herself and spoke again to the Matron. "Please send word to Dumbledore and McGonagall, our children's things will need to be collected."
Madam Pomfrey's eyes narrowed further but she nodded again, turning and stalking away toward her Office. Minutes later, Dumbledore was the first of the two Professors to arrive, walking slowly toward them after he had entered the infirmary.
He smiled at Astoria when he saw her. "It is good to see you awake, Miss Greengrass,"
Astoria smiled weakly at him. "Thanks, Professor, but I don't feel all that good."
Dumbledore nodded sadly at her and sighed, turning to Marie. Her stare was hard as she looked at the man. "We would like our children's belongings collected. I assume the closest floo connection is the one in your Office?"
Dumbledore sighed again and shook his head. "No, there is another connection in Poppy's Office, for the rare occasion that a student must be moved to St. Mungo's."
Marie nodded firmly at the information. "Good, we can leave from there."
Daniel spoke up, looking at his wife. "I'll stay with Astoria whilst you go with the children to get their belongings."
The Headmaster shook his head again. "There is no need, I sent word to Professors McGonagall and Flitwick requesting that they collect your children's belongings. They should arrive momentarily."
Marie nodded distractedly for Astoria had moved her legs to the side of the bed and was preparing to try and stand up. Daniel and Marie both moved to her sides to offer help and support if she needed it, but the young girl slowly slid off the bed and to her own feet without aid. Her face was scrunched up due to the pain the movement caused and she closed her eyes for a moment as she stood in place.
Tentatively she took a few steps forward with her teeth clenched before she turned back to her parents. "I'm okay, apparently my attacker didn't focus on my legs too much."
Daniel and Marie both turned to glare at the Headmaster again at her words as the doors to the infirmary opened once more to admit Professor Flitwick, Astoria's trunk floating behind him, and the short man bounded over to them quickly with a look of worry on his face.
"Miss Greengrass, it is good to see you on your feet," The Charms Professor said kindly to his student, who smiled weakly back at him before he turned to the two parents, his face repentant. "I am truly sorry that your daughter was hurt whilst in my care, if there is anything-"
"Your apologies are unnecessary, Professor," Marie interrupted the man who was her own Head of House during her Hogwarts years. "The blame does not lie with you."
Professor Flitwick's expression did not change even as he nodded shortly. He turned to the trunk behind him and gestured to it weakly. "I have brought Miss Greengrass' belongings as requested," He told the parents before he looked up at Marie questioningly.
The woman obliged him and explained. "We are taking our children home Professor and they will not be returning to Hogwarts."
Professor Flitwick gaped at her for a moment before he frowned and turned to Daniel, who backed up his wife's words with a firm nod. The small Professor sighed but nodded in acceptance. "If there is anything that I can do to help, I can promise you that I will do my utmost to provide it. I am only an owl away."
The parents both shared a happy look as another voice rang out from behind the man. "I will of course offer the same," Professor McGonagall said as she walked toward them. When she reached them, she took Harry and Daphne's shrunken trunks from her pocket and handed them to Marie, who was closest to her.
Marie nodded as she took the two trunks and placed them in her pocket as beside her Daniel shrank Astoria's and did the same. Once the trunks were safely stowed away, they turned to Astoria again. "Do you feel well enough to floo home, baby?" Daniel asked his daughter, who shrugged and nodded slightly.
When she did, the two parents then turned to Harry and Daphne. Whilst Daphne nodded, Harry took the opportunity to make a request of the two Head of Houses. "Could you please let Tracey and Luna know what's happened, and that we won't be coming back? And Hagrid, they'll worry about us when we're not at breakfast."
"Of course, Mr. Potter, it is no trouble at all," Professor Flitwick assured him, while Professor McGonagall glanced quickly at the clock on the wall, seeing that it was almost eight o'clock in the morning.
"I will find Miss Davis immediately, Mr. Potter," The Scottish woman told him before she stepped closer to the boy, lifting her hand to his shoulder and squeezing it gently. "I will miss you, Harry."
Harry smiled up at the woman who had introduced him to his world. "I'll send you letters, Professor, and we'll see each other again."
The woman swallowed and smiled weakly at him before, after exchanging short goodbyes with the rest of the family, she turned and left the Hospital Wing hurriedly, Professor Flitwick following her after providing his own goodbyes.
Once alone, Dumbledore stepped toward the family, his head bowed and his hands in his sleeves. "I will not attempt to convince you to change your minds at this time, but I would ask that we speak again before the start of next term."
Daniel and Marie's faces were hard as they looked upon the man. "We can speak, but do not expect our answer to be any different," Marie told him after a moment before she turned to her children. "Are you all ready?"
The three of them nodded after sharing glances with each other. Daniel and Marie then led them to Madam Pomfrey's Office door, where Daniel knocked shortly. After a moment, the Mediwitch opened the door, looking between them curiously.
"May we make use of your floo, Madam?" Daniel asked the woman, whose eyes narrowed again as they settled on Astoria before she nodded shortly and stepped back to allow them access.
In short order, they were all gathered around the floo and Marie was whispering instructions on how to use it to Harry, who had not done so before. Daniel left first, followed by Astoria and Daphne, but Harry paused before he stepped into the fireplace to turn to the Headmaster.
"If you find him, if something happens-" He started before Dumbledore interrupted him.
"I will let your guardians know, Harry," Dumbledore promised.
Harry nodded and stepped into the fireplace, clutching his handful of floo powder tightly. When he turned to face the inside of the office again, he met the blue eyes of the Headmaster and smiled weakly.
"Goodbye, sir."
"Goodbye for now, Harry."
Their first day back home was spent in the living room, the entire family remaining together. Astoria lay on the settee she shared with her mother, her head in her lap as Marie ran her fingers through her snoozing daughter's hair.
Moving her eyes from her youngest child's face for the first time in almost an hour, Marie turned to her eldest with a sigh. "Do either of you have any idea why she was out after curfew?"
From her place leaning heavily against Harry, Daphne shook her head slowly, unable to think in her physically and emotionally exhausted state. Beside her, Harry frowned for a minute as he thought before he too shook his head.
Daniel sighed from his armchair as he stared into the roaring fire opposite him. "When was the last time you spoke to her?"
"Yesterday, outside Hagrid's," Harry told the man. "It was Tracey's birthday so we had a party, and then we went outside because Astoria wanted to duel. She dueled Luna and Tracey and won, but we left shortly after. Hagrid escorted us all back to our common rooms."
Daniel nodded at the information, but his eyes quickly moved to Daphne when she gasped, lifting her head from Harry's shoulder to look up into the boy's face. "Harry, remember what Luna said?"
Harry frowned as he thought back to the conversation yesterday. "About her things going missing?" Harry answered slowly, his face growing in realisation with each word. "Oh, that's why." He spoke again, turning to the sleeping girl on the settee.
"What? What is it?" Marie asked, looking intently at the pair.
Daphne felt her eyes watering again as she looked at her little sister. "Luna told us that most of her things are missing, but she wasn't going to look for them because they weren't important," Daphne reported before she swallowed heavily. "Astoria must have decided to find them for her."
Marie looked back down at her sleeping daughter, her expression breaking again. "Oh, my sweet girl."
Astoria awoke briefly in the afternoon but, after a small dinner of tomato soup and buttered bread, she went right back to sleep. In the evening, Daniel carried his daughter upstairs to her bed whilst Harry and Daphne followed Marie into the downstairs room they used when the woman was teaching them potions to help her prepare the scar prevention salve and pain relief potions.
When the time for bed came, the two exchanged tired goodbyes with Daniel and Marie before they trudged up the stairs. When they arrived on the upstairs landing, they both quietly opened the door to Astoria's room to check on her. Seeing that she was still sleeping peacefully, they closed the door again and each went to their own rooms to change into their bedclothes. However, by unspoken agreement, Daphne then migrated across the landing to Harry's room and the two lay on top of his bed together, Daphne leaning against his side as they both tried to relax after their tiring day.
When Daniel and Marie came up the stairs themselves two hours later, Daniel had to carry his oldest daughter as he had his youngest to her own bed before joining his wife in their own.
All the while, Astoria continued to sleep soundly.
When Marie came down to the kitchen the next morning, she was surprised to find Harry already standing in front of the stove, expertly cooking a full breakfast for his family.
Slowly she walked over to the boy, who only heard her approach over the sounds of sizzling bacon and sausages when she was right behind him. When he saw the questioning look on her face he explained. "I figured you might not feel up to making anything this morning," He smiled weakly at the woman and shrugged. "And I wanted to help."
Marie just cupped his cheek briefly and smiled at him before beginning to set the table. However, the next to arrive in the kitchen was a surprise to both of them.
Astoria had walked into the kitchen alone and gave both of them a small smile before she took her seat at the table with a small grimace of pain. Marie bustled quickly over to her side and sat down next to her.
"How are you feeling, baby?"
Astoria gave her another small smile as she answered. "Hungry."
Marie snorted and shook her head. "I meant your injuries."
"They're fine, it still hurts a little bit but I'll be fine," Astoria reported, smiling again, and it was only now that Marie saw how fake it looked. She frowned lightly at her daughter but decided not to comment on it. "I've made some potions and salves for you," She said instead. "Do you want to take them now or after your breakfast?"
Astoria sighed and shrugged lightly. "Might as well have them now."
Marie nodded after eyeing her for a moment before she got up to retrieve the potions vials from the potions room, leaving Astoria alone with Harry who had begun ferrying over the food to the table.
"I hope you're a good cook, Harry, I'm starving," The younger girl joked as she reached out for two slices of bread to make a sandwich with.
Harry smiled back at her as he took his own seat. "I know my way around a kitchen."
Astoria pursed her lips at the reminder of his life before Hogwarts but was saved from having to say anything by her mother returning. When she reached her side, Marie gestured lightly for her to lift up her t-shirt. When she did so, uncaring that Harry was in the room, he saw that the wounds on her stomach looked much better than they had yesterday and he marveled at how well the salves and Madam Pomfey's healing had worked.
Marie rubbed the salve into the wounds as Astoria continued preparing her sandwich and when it was fully applied she passed her the pain reliever, which Astoria swallowed with a disgusted look.
As soon as the vial was empty Astoria began to maul the bacon sandwich, stuffing the majority of it right into her mouth.
"You weren't kidding when you said you were starving," Harry laughed from his place across from the girl.
Astoria chewed furiously for a few seconds before she swallowed and was able to answer. "I am, but I wanted the taste of the potion gone as soon as possible."
Harry nodded sympathetically, remembering the taste of them from last year.
Daniel and Daphne emerged five minutes later and exchanged greetings with the rest of the family as they sat down and began preparing their own breakfasts. When they had all eaten their fill, Marie collected the plates and took them to the sink whilst Astoria turned to her father.
"I want to start training again as soon as possible," She told him firmly.
They all heard Marie snort from the sink as Daniel smiled at his daughter. "I know you do, but not until you are fully healed."
"When will that be?" Astoria asked impatiently.
Marie turned from the sink and leaned heavily against the counter, crossing her arms. "When I say so." Astoria turned from her father and stared at the table in front of her unhappily.
"I need to get better." She started in a small voice. "Whoever did it beat me and was able to hurt me enough to put me in the Hospital Wing, I can't let that happen again."
Daniel turned to Harry and Daphne and gestured with his head for them to leave the room, unnoticed by Astoria who was still looking at the table. When they had left, Daniel scooted his chair closer to Astoria's and took her hand gently.
"I understand, Astoria," Daniel told her, eyes distant as he thought of that terrible night from thirteen years ago. "You feel helpless and weak. You hate it, and you never want to feel like that again." Astoria looked up at her father's face as his eyes refocused on her. "But you're not. You're not helpless and you're not weak."
Astoria breathed out heavily as her mother walked over to return to her seat at the table. "I wish I could remember what happened, that's the worst thing about it."
Daniel lifted a corner of his mouth in an attempt to smile. "Sometimes it's better not to remember the bad things that have happened to you." He told his daughter knowingly.
Astoria said nothing in response and simply nodded before she returned to staring at the table in front of her. Eventually, she spoke again. "When do the Delacours arrive?"
Daniel blinked at the change of subject but answered dutifully. "Sunday, they'll be here until the 2nd." Astoria nodded and turned from the table to smile wryly at her father.
"Should be enough time for me to heal fully before Gabrielle glomps me again."
He had to hide a true smile that night at dinner.
His poor host had only managed to be in control of her own body for enough time to get dressed and eat breakfast this morning before he had taken over again in time for classes.
My, it had been dreadfully boring to sit through the inane lectures on things he had learned long ago, but appearances had to be kept for now and he forced himself to play the part of his host, which unfortunately meant looking incredibly unintelligent.
Still, the notable absence of Potter and Greengrass cheered his spirits. The two had not been seen at all that day as rumours of another attack trickled through the school. It did not take long for the student body to quickly ascertain which of their number was missing, and all that remained was to speculate which one of the three had been attacked.
He smiled privately to himself, remembering the delightful screams of the younger Greengrass, and his smile only widened when he saw Davis and Lovegood looking morose as they sat alone at their respective tables. Finishing the large meal he had made for himself, he waited patiently for one of the faculty to collect their table and escort them to the Slytherin common room.
When they did, he immediately headed for his host's room, where he spent hours laying atop the bed, enjoying the feeling of impending victory. Soon, he knew, he would take this foolish host over completely. He was finding himself in control almost constantly now, his poor host quite incapable of either fighting against him or ever really realising anything was wrong.
He had aimed for January at the latest, and as things stood he was certain that he would have his own body back by the New Year. It was a great boon that his host had signed up to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas break. She had written to him during one of her few periods of control that her parents, who were both involved in somewhat illicit professions, would be busy over the festive period so she preferred to stay at the castle this year.
This just meant that he had more time to enforce his will on her without outside distractions or, more worryingly, her parents spotting the change in their daughter and acting against him.
He crossed her arms under her head as his thoughts turned to the future and to his counterpart. He had learned much of him during his time with his host, had learned of his reign of terror during the 1970s and the war he had started.
He learned of the fear the populace still held for his counterpart, how they still feared to say his name.
It sickened him.
His counterpart had failed, defeated by a mere babe in its cradle, and had not been heard of for over a decade. He knew he was not dead, they were immortal after all, so why had he not risen again and reminded the sheep why they feared him so?
Instead, his counterpart hid and cowered in whatever hole he had crawled into.
He sneered at the canopy above him. When he had regained his own body and powers (soon, a voice in his head reminded him happily) he would start again, make new plans to take the power owed to him.
And, if his counterpart did rise again, he would offer him the opportunity to join him. He wondered if he would take the offer or stand against him and found he really did not mind either way.
If his counterpart joined him, it would make things much more efficient but if he fought against him, it would make things much more exciting. He knew he would win a fight against his counterpart, after all, he had never been beaten whilst his counterpart had soundly.
Soon, Tom Riddle would rise again.
Voices drifted through the open back door of their home, and the family turned to each other with a smile when they heard the French language the voices were speaking in.
The Delacours had arrived.
Daniel led his own family out of the kitchen to the back garden the Portkey had deposited the Delacours in. When they reached the other family, they all amusedly noted that Gabrielle, who was standing in between her parents, looked very much like she wanted to race toward Astoria and was forcing herself not to.
"Hello, Greengrasses!" Patrice boomed happily when he saw them.
"Salut, Delacours," They all replied as one, earning hearty laughs from the French couple.
"Hello again Harry, Daphne," Fleur smiled prettily at the two, joy evident on her face from seeing them again. When the two had offered their own greetings Fleur turned to Astoria and gave the younger girl her own smile, though her eyes dropped to Astoria'a stomach. "Hello again Astoria, are you well?"
"Smashing," The younger girl responded shortly before her eyes rested on Gabrielle, who was looking physically pained from the effort it took to stay in place. Astoria sighed and closed her eyes tightly for a moment before she lifted her arms wide and nodded.
Gabrielle tore across the space between them in only a second, causing large clumps of grass to fly into the air behind her. "'ello, Astoria! I 'ave missed you!" She said happily in heavily accented French, beaming up at the look of surprise on Astoria's face.
"Oui, je sais," Astoria responded, earning a squeal of joy and the hug tightening from the other girl. Astoria winced ever so slightly which resulted in Patrice and Apolline giving her concerned looks. "She's going to crack a rib if she holds on any tighter," Astoria hastened to assure them, and the French couple's faces relaxed again. They had been told of Astoria's injuries via a letter from Daniel and had warned their youngest daughter not to hurt her inadvertently, but it seemed that the English girl had recovered well.
Daniel smiled at his friends before he swung his arm toward the open doorway. "Please, come inside, it's too cold out here."
"Oui, it is," Apolline said as she quickly stepped toward the doorway. "It was not this cold back home."
"Welcome to England," Marie laughed before she led the other family into their warm living room. Fleur happily took the spare cushion next to Daphne on what the younger girl introduced as her and Harry's settee while Gabrielle adamantly refused to be parted from Astoria and joined her and Marie on their own, leaving Patrice and Apolline to join Daniel on the conjured settee that had temporarily replaced his beloved armchair.
The second that everyone was sat down Astoria turned to her mother. "Right, they're here, can I start training again?"
"Not this minute, Astoria, our guests have just arrived. Tomorrow morning we can start again." Marie promised
Astoria stared at her for a moment before she stuck her hand out firmly, causing her mother to roll her eyes as she reached out with her own to shake. Once the deal had been struck, she turned to Patrice and Apolline who were watching on interestedly. "We've been training the kids but as Astoria was injured last Saturday we made her wait until you all arrived to ensure she had fully healed." She gestured with her hand to the girl next to her. "As you saw, she is impatient to start rejoining Harry and Daphne in their lessons."
Patrice perked up and leaned forward. "You are teaching them how to duel?" He asked the woman but he turned to the settee holding his own daughter and the other two children before she could answer. "You want to be duellists?"
Harry shared a brief look of surprise with Marie before he shook his head at the man. "Err, not really, they're teaching us how to fight and protect ourselves more than duel."
"Papa has been teaching me how to duel when I'm not in school," Fleur said from Daphne's other side, causing Harry to turn to her. She smirked slightly at the other boy. "We should duel sometime Harry, I might have something to teach you."
Astoria moved forward in her seat quickly. "How about now?" She suggested, quickly turning to Patrice before her mother could say no immediately. "Patrice loves to watch a good duel, don't you, Patrice?"
"Oui, it will be very interesting to see how well Harry does against my Fleur," Patrice said with a jovial smile and a wink to the younger girl to let her know that, as a father, he knew that she was manipulating him but was happy to go along with it.
Astoria then turned to Apolline, who nodded her consent with a smile, before she returned her attention to Fleur. Before she was able to speak, however, she was interrupted by her mother who was shaking her head.
"I don't think this is a good idea," She said to Patrice and Apolline before she turned to Fleur apologetically. "I am sorry, Fleur, but unless you are a magical prodigy you won't be able to beat Harry."
Beside her, Astoria gave her a look of complete and utter betrayal, while across from her Fleur drew herself up, affronted. "I am sure I will be fine," Fleur replied as politely as she could muster before she turned to Harry. "I would like to face you, Harry."
Harry simply shrugged and nodded in acceptance, so soon the nine of them found themselves in the training room. After Marie had raised the protective barrier, the rest of them quickly took conjured seats whilst the two upcoming combatants began to stretch.
Before anyone could call for the duel to begin, Astoria quickly leaned toward the Delacour parents. "I bet 5 Galleons that Harry wins within a minute."
Patrice laughed and shook his head. "I will take your bet. My Fleur is very talented, it is a shame she has no interest in duelling as a career."
Apolline smiled at the younger girl and shrugged. "I will also take the bet, if only to support my daughter."
Astoria reached out with both hands to shake with the two parents before she sat back in her seat happily. Daniel shook his head at her antics before he got back to his feet and walked to the edge of the clear barrier.
"Okay you two, are you ready?" He called out to Harry and Fleur, who both nodded. Daniel nodded back and raised his wand high in the air. "Duel!" He called as a loud bang erupted from the wand.
Ten seconds later, a loud bang erupted from his wand again to call an end to the duel.
Fleur was blinking in shock as she lay on the ground. The poor girl was wrapped in tight, black ropes and her wand was currently in the possession of Harry, who rubbed the back of his neck as he smiled apologetically at her.
Astoria jumped up happily from her seat and made the short journey to stand directly in front of Patrice and Apolline with a wide grin as she held out her hand in front of them both.
"Pay up."
As promised, Astoria was allowed to rejoin the rest of her family in their daily training sessions, which the Delacour family was soon invited to join in with. Fleur did so happily and took full part, whilst Patrice would simply stand nearby and offer his expertise. Apolline, meanwhile, begged off joining in and instead would supervise Gabrielle at the side of the room.
During their sessions, Astoria was noticeably quieter and more serious than she had been during the summer, and when she would duel with her elder sister she would no longer get upset when she lost. Instead she would just approach whoever had supervised the duel and ask where she had gone wrong and how best to improve.
On Christmas Eve, after taking a shower in his room following the conclusion of the day's training session, Harry was just getting dressed in fresh clothes when there was a knock on his door.
When he called for them to enter, Daphne and Astoria both walked into his room as they had agreed upon previously, their long hair wet from their own showers. Astoria closed the door behind her before they all gathered on Harry's bed.
"I've sent Hedwig off with our replies," Daphne said as soon as they had all sat down. They had received letters from Tracey and Luna, both girls expressing how upset they felt about Astoria getting hurt and that they would both miss them now they wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts. Tracey had promised that she would continue to watch out for Luna whilst Luna, in her own way, had promised the same, before they had both ended their letters by tentatively wondering if they would remain in touch.
Harry nodded. "Good, I wouldn't want them to think we don't want to be friends anymore."
Daphne sighed as she made herself more comfortable on the bed. "It's still weird to think that we've got friends."
"Friends we'll hardly ever see, now," Astoria said bitterly.
"You know why Mum and Dad are doing this, they did warn us during the summer and we all agreed to it," Daphne reminded her sister.
"Things are different, now," Astoria countered. "We weren't friends with Tracey and Luna then. They have each other, but they're in different years and houses, they'll be alone most of the time."
"I know," Daphne replied unhappily. "But they just want to protect us."
"I'm surprised none of the other students that were attacked were pulled out," Harry joined in. "Especially the Weasleys, three of them got attacked."
"I know they just want to protect us," Astoria said in response to her sister before she began to scowl dangerously at the bed cover below her. "And I can understand it. But I want to go back."
"Because you want revenge," Daphne pointed out. When Astoria just shrugged silently in response, Daphne turned to Harry. "What about you?"
Harry was silent for a moment as he thought before he slowly began to verbalise them. "I want to go back, but I'm not sure if it's for the right reasons." When the two girls cocked their heads at him, he explained. "Part of me wants to go back for Tracey and Luna, and Hagrid, but a larger part of me wants to go back to find whoever hurt Astoria. I want to find them, and I want to hurt them."
Daphne nodded. "That's what I want to do, but we have no idea who it could have been. When Serana...you know," She looked quickly at Harry, who just smiled weakly at her reference to Serana's death before she continued. "It made us all think that it could be Voldemort, but we know he wasn't in the castle. He couldn't have been, because you'd have felt him," She said, nodding toward Harry, before she turned to her sister. She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly caught herself, her face paling.
Astoria smiled wryly at her sister before she finished her sentence for her. "And if it had been him that attacked me I'd be dead right now."
"Please don't say that," Daphne responded in a small voice, swallowing heavily.
"Sorry," Astoria said with a small shrug and an apologetic smile. "So what do we do? We all want to go back, don't we?" She asked the other two, who both nodded.
Harry shrugged his shoulders while Daphne hummed. "Dumbledore said about speaking to them after New Year, but we could try speaking to them ourselves. At least to let them know what we want and then maybe Dumbledore will come up with something that will convince them."
Daphne shrugged while Astoria scoffed, shaking her head. "He's got no chance of convincing Mum to change her mind once she'd decided something."
When they emerged downstairs, they found that the seating arrangements had been changed and the Monopoly board had made another appearance, sitting innocently on the coffee table.
"Apparently our guests usually spend Christmas Eve playing games," Marie told them with a grin as they each sat down. For the next five hours they played together, the Delacours quickly getting the hang of the game (though of course poor Gabrielle was eliminated first after trusting Astoria wouldn't swindle her on a deal), before, to the surprise of none of them, Astoria was dancing on the table, joyous in her victory.
For once, everyone was delighted for her.
It was on New Year's Eve when the three of them asked to speak to their parents alone.
After they had relocated to the training room, leaving the Delacours alone in the living room, they each sat on the conjured armchairs and settled in. Marie and Daniel both shared a look with each other before Daniel turned to his children. "What is it you want to talk about?"
Daphne, who was the oldest and therefore had been nominated to speak on their behalf, answered. "It's about us leaving Hogwarts."
Daniel chuckled while Marie sighed heavily. "Let me guess, you want to go back?" Marie asked her children, looking between them all. When they all nodded she sighed again. "You agreed to it when we suggested it during the summer."
Daphne turned to the other two expectantly and the three of them proceeded to explain their reasonings to the two parents, who both sat and listened silently.
When they had finished, the couple shared another glance before Daniel spoke again. "We understand your reasons, and we're sympathetic to them. It makes us truly happy that you've all made friends."
Marie nodded her head as she butted in. "Yes, Tracey seemed a lovely girl and from your letters and tales about Luna I'm sure she is too."
Daniel resumed what he had been saying after his wife's interruption. "But we are firm on our decision. We will speak to Dumbledore again and see what he has to say, but as it stands our decision will not change."
The three children shared disappointed but unsurprised looks. "What if the danger passes? If whoever has been attacking people is caught?" Harry asked the couple.
"Then we will discuss it again," Marie responded before she looked earnestly between them. "We want you all safe, and the only way we feel we can ensure that you are is if you are here with us."
"But," Daniel continued. "If the culprit is caught, then we will be more amenable to allowing you to return."
Astoria snorted humourlessly. "Hopefully Dumbledore will catch them soon, then."
A knock sounded on the door and they all turned to Patrice, who poked his head into the room. He had a baffled look on his face as he explained his reasons for interrupting. "My apologies, I was just making my way to the bathroom when I heard a voice in your foyer. Albus Dumbledore is trying to contact you through your floo there."
The five of them gaped at him for a moment before Astoria began to giggle. "I should say my hopes out loud more often."
They all quickly moved to the foyer where they could see Dumbledore's head floating in the fireplace. He smiled at them as they approached, looking between them all. "Good afternoon, I trust that you are all well?" He asked, his eyes settling on Astoria.
"We are, thank you," Marie responded, crossing her arms. "Why are you calling, Dumbledore?"
Dumbledore focused his attention on the woman. "I would like to discuss the possibility of your children returning to Hogwarts for the Spring Term," Dumbledore told her.
"On New Year's Eve?" Daniel asked with raised eyebrows.
Dumbledore had the good grace to look chagrined. "Yes, my apologies, but I have a few guests in my office that had previously been rather busy. May I ask if you have time to come through to my office for a conversation?"
Daniel and Marie turned to each other, sharing a long look before the man turned to the head in the fire and nodded. "Very well, just give us a moment to explain what is happening to our guests."
"Wait, can we come?" Astoria said quickly to her parents, who both turned to her. "We can visit with Hagrid while you talk." She turned to Dumbledore and smiled at him. "Would that be okay, Professor?"
Dumbledore nodded happily. "Of course, Miss Greengrass, I am sure Hagrid would be delighted to see you all again. He was most upset when he learned what happened to you."
"I don't see why not," Marie said after a moment, shrugging to herself. She turned to her husband. "Go on and explain to Patrice, I'll go through now with the kids."
Daniel nodded and left the room quickly. When he returned, Marie made her way to the floo and gestured with her hands for Dumbledore to move back. When he did, she took a handful of floo from the pot on the mantlepiece and quickly disappeared, followed quickly by Astoria, Daphne and Harry.
When he stepped from the flames into the Office, Harry's eyes immediately found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk before they turned to the man and woman that were unknown to him. He forced himself not to gasp when he looked at the man and he saw the large, spinning eye that was attached by a strap to the man's face. His face itself was covered in rough scars and a large chunk of his nose was missing. The larger eye span to look at him from where it had been inspecting the Greengrass females and Harry forced himself to look away toward the woman. The first thing he saw was her bubblegum pink hair, which had been cut short and spiked up. Her face was pale and heart-shaped, and when she noticed him looking she smiled and winked at him.
"Wotcher, squirt! You've shot up since I last saw you," She greeted him cheerily.
Harry frowned at the woman in confusion. "Sorry, I didn't know we'd met?"
The woman's eyes widened and she grimaced, her eyes quickly shooting to Dumbledore. "Oh yeah, that's right, we haven't. Silly me, just ignore that." Harry was saved from answering when the flames roared behind him, admitting Daniel into the office.
Instantly his eyes narrowed when they rested on the man. "Moody."
The other man, Moody, had his spinning eye settled firmly on Daniel. "Greengrass." He responded in a mildly disgusted voice. Harry frowned and looked to Daniel and Marie who were both glaring at the scarred man. Harry's attention had been entirely focused on the unknown pair so he had completely missed the chilly atmosphere that had descended upon the office when Marie first stepped out of the flames into it.
Daniel turned from the man to Dumbledore. "Why is he here?"
Dumbledore took out his wand to conjure two chairs for Daniel and Marie, but they both refused to sit in them. Sighing, Dumbledore then vanished the chairs and began to explain. "Alastor is here to help find the culprit. He has agreed to station himself here at Hogwarts for the foreseeable future, as well as his protege, Nymphadora-"
"Just Tonks, Professor," The woman corrected angrily, her hair turning from a short bubblegum pink to a long, fiery red. The three children all gaped at her for a moment before coming to their senses and shutting their mouths quickly. She winked at them again and smiled as her hair reverted back to its shorter pink.
"-With Miss Tonks. I am sure you will agree that there is likely no one better to catch whoever is attacking my students." Dumbledore finished, sitting back in his chair.
Both Daniel and Marie nodded begrudgingly while Moody turned his attention back to them. "Why are they here, then?" He asked Dumbledore, nodding his head toward the couple.
"Because we were invited," Marie responded lowly, her hand itching to grasp her wand as Daniel stepped closer to her.
Dumbledore eyed the three of them with disappointment before his gaze fell on the children present. He smiled gently at them for a moment before turning his head to 'Just Tonks'.
"If you would be so kind, would you escort these three to Hagrid's? They expressed a desire to visit him." Dumbledore requested.
"Sure, Professor," Tonks said happily before she turned to the three children. "Come on then, I always enjoyed tea with Hagrid when I was at school." She made her way to the door and, after receiving short nods from their parents, the three followed after her and down the spiral staircase.
As they followed Tonks down the hallway, Harry spoke to her back. "So, when did we meet before?"
Tonks paused for a moment and turned to look over her shoulder at him. "What makes you think we've met before?" She asked, chuckling weakly. The three children all stopped walking and gave her a flat look each.
Astoria then started to smile slightly at her. "Come on Nymphadora, you can tell us."
Tonks' hair changed to its fiery red again as she looked sternly down at the eleven-year-old. "Don't call me that!"
Astoria's smile widened. "Tell us the truth and I'll never call you that again, deal?"
Tonks glared at her for a moment before she sighed and nodded. "Deal." She turned then and continued leading them down the hallway as she continued, looking at Harry over her shoulder.
"Remember last summer when you were in Diagon Alley?"
When he awoke that morning and found that he was still firmly in control of his host he smiled widely.
For the past week, he had remained in complete control of her body, one full week of total dominance. He knew that today was the day.
The 31st of December, his birthday, seemed a perfect day for him to be reborn into his own body once more.
With the decision made, he removed the girl's wand from under the pillow and quickly got dressed before making his way through the almost-empty common room. He did not bother to exchange the customary grunts with the two apes that followed Malfoy everywhere as he passed them.
There was no need to keep up appearances any longer.
He made his way quickly through the castle toward the seventh floor but paused on the third when he heard a group approaching and he quickly squeezed into an alcove. When the group passed he saw three people that had not been in the castle for almost three weeks. It was Potter and the two Greengrass girls, sans Hogwarts robes, and accompanied by a woman with ludicrously pink hair.
When the group had passed him he ventured back out from the alcove and carried on his trek toward the seventh floor, all the while thinking of what he might do in his head. When he had finished regaining his body, might he seek out the boy and kill him now? The pink-haired woman was an unknown, but once he had his own magic back he was more than sure that he could easily kill the boy and the two girls with him.
If he timed things correctly, he could kill them all and leave before Dumbledore was even aware that Tom Riddle had returned.
When he retrieved the map from the Room of Hidden Things, he quickly unfurled it and inspected it, finding Dumbledore in his office, accompanied by 'Alastor Moody' and more interestingly 'Daniel Greengrass' and 'Marie Greengrass', whilst the dots indicating 'Harry Potter', 'Daphne Greengrass', 'Astoria Greengrass' and 'Nymphadora Tonks' were now on the first floor.
He made his way to the second floor quickly, making great use of the myriad of secret passageways he had memorised from his own time, as well as a few new ones that the map indicated.
He descended into the Chamber proper a few minutes later, his eyes glancing momentarily at the corpse of the beast. He placed the diary down on the floor and then lay beside it, taking a few breaths to prepare himself.
Then, he began to focus on pulling out of the girl's body and back into his diary. He blinked awake and found himself in the same exact position as he was moments ago, but the corpse of the Basilisk was now absent. Now all that remained was to begin siphoning his host's life from her.
Five minutes later, he found himself once again standing close to the beast's lifeless form and the new fellow that would remain entombed here with it. The girl was completely still and dreadfully pale, and he knew that she would not wake and interrupt the process.
Another five minutes passed and he felt the first cool breeze tickle the hairs on the back of his neck, and as more time passed he suddenly found himself needing to breathe once more. Breathing in deeply, he marvelled at how wonderous the simple act of breathing with your own lungs felt, and his smile widened as he breathed out and saw a slight chill in the air before him.
His hands began to roam around his body ten minutes later, poking and prodding. He felt solid and whole, and for the first time in fifty years, he felt his own power coursing through his veins and bubbling just underneath his skin, begging to be released.
Slowly, he reached his hand into his robe pocket and grasped the handle of his beloved yew wand. He pulled the wand from his pocket and gazed at it lovingly, but he frowned when he felt nothing from it.
He tried to cast the Lumos Charm, but nothing happened. Crouching before the now-dead girl lying on the floor, he reached into her pocket and removed her wand, feeling the rush of magic from it.
He closed his eyes tightly, sighing in disappointment. His own wand was just a useless stick now, the real thing likely still with his counterpart. For now, he would use the girl's wand as he had for the last few months, but he would regain his true companion at the earliest opportunity.
Turning to gaze back down at the still girl on the floor, he promised himself that when he made his rise to power he would honour poor Millicent Bullstrode's family as thanks for her sacrifice.
That is if they were not fool enough to stand against him.
He turned from her after a moment and, after retrieving his diary from the floor, began to walk toward the boathouse exit, his mind already focused on what would come next. His magic danced beneath his skin, and he knew perfectly well who would be his first target.
Harry Potter would meet his demise on this day.
"No wonder I didn't recognise you if you never looked like yourself!" Harry said to the pink-haired Trainee Auror as they quickly made their way through the Entrance Hall to the great oak doors.
"Well, that's the whole point isn't it?" Tonks said with a pleased smile as she pushed the doors open and led them onto the grounds. "Though you noticed me a few times and I had to quickly move away and change appearances."
Harry chuckled. "I seem to remember seeing a man following me quite often, how much can you change about yourself?" He asked with interest.
Tonks stopped in place, screwing her eyes shut for a moment. As the three of them watched her features changed until she was almost the spitting image of Harry himself.
"Wow," Astoria said, peering in closer. "A few details are wrong but that's pretty close."
Tonks-as-Harry shrugged. "I barely know the kid, if I spent longer around him I could get it down perfectly."
"That's cool," Harry breathed as Tonks reverted back to her usual form. "I wish I could do that."
"You fixed your eyesight, that's more body transformation than most everyone else can do," Daphne laughed, shaking her head at the boy.
Tonks frowned as she began to lead them across the ground again. "You fixed your eyesight?"
Harry nodded from behind her. "Yeah, when I was ten. I wouldn't recommend it, it hurt like mad."
"Didn't you grow your hair back once, too?" Daphne asked as she walked beside him. "Maybe you are a Metamorphmagus, or at least partially."
Tonks laughed and turned her body so she was walking backward. "There's no such thing, you're either a full Metamorph, or you're not one at all. If Harry here was one, his hair and eyes and stuff would be changing constantly, especially now he's approaching puberty."
Astoria shook her head at the boy beside her. "You're already insanely powerful, and can speak a really rare language," She glanced quickly at Tonks who seemed to barely notice what she had just said. "And you can do that sensing thing, don't get greedy."
"What-" Tonks began before she tripped over a small rock behind her. As she was still walking backward she hadn't seen it and she tumbled onto her bottom, causing the three children to giggle as she bounded back to her feet. "Sorry about that, I'm really clumsy. Anyway, what 'magic sensing thing'?"
"This," Harry said, extending some of his magic toward the woman. She felt very strange, like a Transfiguration that was currently in process. He described it to Tonks and she smiled widely.
"Really?" She asked excitedly. "Wait, what does it feel like when I change something? Give me a sec," She instructed, screwing her eyes closed and changing her hair from its bubblegum pink into a longer mousy brown.
Harry kept his magic reaching out to her as she underwent the change. "You felt more solid, kind of? Is that your natural hair colour?"
Tonks nodded happily. "Yeah, it's the same as my Mum's. That's a really useful ability to have Harry, how far out can you sense things? And how much detail can you pick up?"
Harry shrugged. "It depends on how well I know what I'm sensing. I know what Transfiguration feels like so I knew that's how you felt, and how far? A few months ago I stretched it out to sense all of Hogwarts and the grounds."
Tonks gaped at him for a moment. "Can I see?" She asked pleadingly when she recovered.
Harry turned to share a glance with Daphne, who just shrugged. "Maybe not the whole castle, it hurt a bit last time, but I can do the grounds easily enough." He closed his eyes and the three beside him all felt his magic pass through them as it stretched all around him. He began to describe what he felt as his magic spread. "Okay, there's all of you...and there's Hagrid...there's a creature quite close to his hut, it's not a Centaur or a Unicorn...wait..." He frowned, his head turning toward the Black Lake and the boathouse. "That's..."
He felt an incredibly dark and powerful source of magic near the boathouse, a source eerily similar to what he had felt last year. His eyes opened suddenly and his wand shot into his hand. "It's Him."
Daphne and Astoria's eyes both widened. "You mean-?" Daphne asked, fear creeping into her voice immediately.
"Yes," Harry said, looking between them. "One of you needs to get Dumbledore."
"What's going on?" Tonks asked, reaching into her robes for her own wand. "What did you sense?"
"Voldemort," Harry told her seriously, staring into her eyes. He turned from the Auror to the boathouse and saw a lone figure emerge from it. The figure was male, wearing green-trimmed Hogwarts robes, and looked around sixteen or seventeen years of age. The boy turned his head immediately from where he exited the boathouse toward them, a thin, cruel smile stretching across his face.
The boy turned and began to walk around the lake toward them, and when he did so Harry was able to see the wand held in his hand. He swallowed and turned to Tonks. "That's him."
Tonks turned to look at the approaching figure and shook her head slightly. "You need your senses testing, squirt, that's a student. And besides, You-Know-Who is dead."
Ignoring her, Harry then turned to Daphne and Astoria. Daphne moved her gaze from the approaching figure to Harry and nodded unhappily, speaking before he could. "I know, go and get Dumbledore."
Harry sighed in relief and smiled apologetically. "Please hurry, he feels stronger than last time,"
"Last time?" Tonks repeated dubiously as Daphne stepped forward and hugged Harry quickly. When she broke the hug after a few seconds, she gazed up at his face for a moment before she leaned in and kissed him softly. Harry kissed her back for only a moment before he stepped back.
When he released her Daphne lifted her eyes to look over his shoulder at the figure before she turned back to Harry and met his eyes. "Make it hurt."
Harry nodded firmly to her before Astoria, who had been watching the approaching boy silently, quickly stepped forward and hugged Harry herself before she too broke away. Harry and Daphne shared a long glance with each other before Astoria nudged her sister and the two of them began to race back toward the castle.
Harry watched them go for a moment before he turned to Tonks. Her eyes were now fixed on the approaching boy and she had removed her own wand after noticing that he had his own gripped tightly in his hand.
"I don't believe for a second that's who you say it is, but I'll trust that whoever that is isn't friendly," Tonks said to the boy beside her, not moving her eyes from the other boy who was now only fifty metres away. "Stay back while I approach."
Harry shook his head firmly. "No, I'm not letting you face him alone."
Tonks began to glare at him, huffing in frustration. "I am a Trainee Auror, Harry, and an adult. Do as I say and wait here."
"He'll kill you, Tonks, he's a lot stronger than you," Harry told her, shaking his head again. "I fought him last year, I can help you."
The Auror opened her mouth to speak but turned when the approaching boy called out. "Harry Potter."
Harry stepped forward past the pink-haired Auror, his eyes narrowing on the other boy who was now only twenty metres away. "Tom Riddle?"
The boy grinned like a shark as he continued to pace forward. "How astute of you, Harry. I've looked forward to meeting you."
Harry glanced from the boy's handsome face down to the wand in his hand. "I'm sure you have."
Tom Riddle came to a stop ten metres away and simply stared at him for a moment, still grinning. Harry's eyes narrowed further and he began to gather magic in his left hand, but before he could do anything Riddle's wand hand shot up faster than Harry could blink and a red jet of light burst from the tip. On instinct Harry rose a shield to protect himself and dived to the side, rolling out of his path.
The intended target, however, did not react in time and Tonks crumpled to the ground when the spell slammed into her chest. Harry stared at her for a moment before turning his gaze back to Tom Riddle.
The grin dropped from the boy's face as magic crackled into the air around him. "I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter." Harry stared back at him, feeling the same ice-cold fury seep into his veins that he had felt last year.
Harry's wand shot up and fired an Exploding Curse at the boy while he swept his left-hand backward, forcing Tonks' limp form to slide across the grass and away from the site of the impending battle.
With ease, Riddle erected a shield and allowed Harry's curse to impact it with a loud boom. Momentarily taken aback by the force of Harry's spell, Riddle scowled before he brought his wand back, intending on firing another curse as Harry raised his own to defend himself, blue flames suddenly appearing in his left hand.
The ground began to shake around them as the battle between the two most powerful students in Hogwarts' History commenced.
He saw Riddle's eyes widen in surprise when the flames appeared, and then widen further still in fear when a large gout of them were sent toward him whilst his own spell slammed harmlessly into Harry's shield.
Riddle ducked and rolled out of the way of the flames frantically, though the hem of his robes was singed and smoking from where they had trailed into the path of the searing flame.
Riddle snarled and attacked again, his wand a blur of motion as he sent spell after spell Harry's way. Harry kept his shield raised and shifted his left foot behind him slightly to brace for the impact.
His arm shuddered as Riddle's spells impacted his shield. Harry couldn't believe how much power he was able to muster for each spell, but for now, he knew his shield had enough strength to hold.
Daniel and Marie had trained him well.
As he defended himself with his shield, his left hand rose again and sent another wall of flames toward Riddle, who had to halt his attack to defend against them. Rather than duck and roll again, Riddle twirled his wand before him and a large cyclone emerged and instantly dampened the flames into nothingness. Riddle smirked and sent the cyclone forward toward Harry, but his eyes widened again when he saw that the boy had not been idle.
Whilst Riddle was dealing with his flames, Harry did what Leonard Oakes had done all those months ago at the Duelling Championships and sent conjured arrows toward Riddle, though where Oakes had sent three, Harry sent twenty. Harry waved his hand and vanished the cyclone, allowing his arrows a clear path toward their target.
Riddle snarled again and waved his wand before him. The arrows were transformed into twenty daffodils that floated down to the ground harmlessly. Rage coursed through him as he roared, releasing a jet-black, smoky spell from his wand that twisted through the air as it raced toward Harry.
Harry's own eyes widened, not recognising the spell, and he channeled his magic into his shield to protect himself. The black spell passed right through his shield, however, and slammed into his chest.
Harry cried out in pain and fell back from the force of the spell. Upon impact with his chest, the smoke transformed into black, barbed ropes that tightened around him, pinning his right arm to his body and cutting deeply into his skin. Riddle laughed and pointed his wand where he lay, a Cutting Curse sailing toward his neck.
The spell gouged a deep crater into the grass where Harry had been laying not a second previously.
Riddle gaped up at the boy who was now hovering in the air. The cursed ropes had vanished, leaving several deep gashes visible through the now-tattered jumper he had been wearing. The bright blue flames were roaring beneath his feet, and as he looked up at the boy's face it was almost like looking into a mirror.
Potter was smirking widely at him, and the sight made his blood boil with red-hot fury. He lifted his wand to fire a Skin-Flaying Curse at the boy as Harry slashed his own wand forward and shot through the air toward Riddle.
A second later, Harry landed in front of the other boy. Confusion was evident on Riddle's face as to why the curse he had fired had not left his wand. Another second passed, however, and Riddle suddenly felt tremendous pain around his right elbow. He turned to look at it and gasped when he saw the that lower half of his arm, everything from below his elbow, was lying on the grass beside him with Millicent Bullstrode's wand still clutched in his hand.
Riddle paled as blood spurted from the stump of his arm and he slowly turned back to Harry, who had begun walking slowly toward him, a murderous glare etched across his face.
Harry pointed his wand at Riddle and a Blasting Curse shot out, sending the younger version of the Dark Lord flying backward until he came to a stop ten metres away, lying flat on his back. Harry stalked forward to the prone Riddle until he was standing over him, his feet on either side of his hips, and had his wand pointing at the other boy's neck.
Riddle was gaping wordlessly up at him, his face pale from shock and blood loss. Harry leaned in close and his smirk widened. "You said you were going to kill me, didn't you?" Harry asked the boy, tracing the top of his wand across his neck. "But I'm going to kill you, Tom Riddle, and do you know why?"
Riddle did not answer, could not answer, as Harry's wordless spell had just cleaved through his unprotected neck. Ignoring the sound of Phoenix fire from behind him, Harry continued to smile as he straightened and watched Riddle's head roll slightly to the side, answering his own question in a satisfied voice.
"You hurt my little sister."
Aaand there we go.
This one was difficult to write in some parts but I'm satisfied with how it went, though obviously I'll be changing stuff once it's posted and I catch mistakes.
Don't worry, I've got a plan for the aftermath and the rest of the year which was set up earlier, the next chapter should be coming soon.
Thank you all for your reviews on the last chapter, as always they were a joy to read, especially after losing a few followers when it was posted (though new ones soon replaced them, hi new people!).
I will say that you can all feel free to message me if you have any questions you would like answering, I won't spoil anything for you but I don't mind clarifying a few things.
ALSO a massive shout out to zugrian, I keep seeing you recommend this story on reddit, so thank you so much zug. If you ever need a kidney I'll send mine in the post.
Let me know what you think of this one, I hope you all liked it.
Enjoy!