The morning after, Harry's reply was waiting for her, beside her father's unread paper.
"Father, Harry says he won't be allowed to leave his safehouse for a meeting, but his defence will be two items. His foremost defence is that he didn't have a wand to use, so he'd be unable to cast any magic. Following that, his secondary defence is that the only Muggle who'd been exposed was his cousin, who'd been aware of magic for years."
"Hmm, I can work with that. I'll need to visit the Obliviator's department, see if I can get a copy of their report. That will help prove Harry's defence. So, do you girls have anything planned for today?"
"Well, Gilderoy Lockhart is giving his interview today, hopefully to reveal his latest book. Rumour has it he'll be describing what happened while he was a professor there. So, I'll be listening to that on the radio." Astoria announced excitedly.
Having joined Hogwarts the year after Lockhart had left, Astoria was far more enthusiastic than Daphne felt was deserved. Although the man had eventually proven his worth, she wouldn't soon forget when he'd simply had them read from his overpriced books.
And yet, she still found herself sitting around the wireless beside her sister, as the iconic voice of Miranda Stirling announced her guest. Usually, the guest would say thank you for being invited, the usual small talk.
It seemed Gilderoy did not conform to such trivialities, as unusual music started blaring from the speakers, followed by an unknown singer.
"Who's wiser than a warlock, and tougher than a troll, and quick as a quill?
Who's faster than a phoenix, and sly as a sphinx, and always there to entertain?
Here to bring some magic to our ordinary day, it's Gilderoy!
Oh, where did he go? Does he even care at all? Gilderoy is here, his tales won't let you down, to fill your short attention span.
Who had Harry by his side, facing challenges with pride? Who was it?
Gilderoy!"
Daphne almost broke out laughing, until she saw her sister's enthralled look. Somehow, despite being ridiculously over the top, and even outright insulting his readers, her sister was still enamoured.
But, with some reflection, she could remember her twelve year old self, sitting wide-eyed in his Defence Against the Dark Arts class, hanging onto his every word. The memory brought a wry smile to her lips, as she realised she'd likely looked exactly like Astoria did now.
"So, tell me Gilderoy, are we finally going to learn about this new book you've been teasing us with for so long? I can't remember a time you've left us in such suspense!" Stirling asked excitedly, swiftly bringing their interview to the main event.
"Indeed I am, Miranda! Although, it is not one but two books I bring before you! The first, 'Teaching Triumphs: From Trainee to Top Teacher':
"In this thrilling memoir, I take you on a captivating journey through my early days as a novice instructor to becoming the pinnacle of educational excellence. Discover the secrets of my extraordinary teaching methods and how I moulded the minds of our country's exceptional students, including the remarkable Harry Potter himself. Join me as I unveil the triumphs and challenges of my remarkable teaching career."
At that, Daphne definitely couldn't stop her scoff. While his teaching had certainly been remarkable, it definitely was more challenges than triumphs.
Even after he'd stopped reading his books aloud, likely after the Headmaster had spoken to him, Lockhart had still seemed incapable of teaching them to pass exams.
It was clear he'd known the spells he'd tried to teach to them, but passing that knowledge on had proved harder. With hindsight, it seemed Lockhart's methods had largely inspired Harry's teaching methods when he'd become tutor for her.
"This book serves to highlight the bright and cheerful events of the year, that have otherwise been overshadowed by the dark times. That brings me onto the companion book; "Salazar's Secrets: Harry Potter, and the heir.":
"Follow, as I lead you through the mystery of the heir of Slytherin, how terror struck the famed halls of Hogwarts. Be amazed, as Harry Potter must face down Salazar's secret monster alone, relying only on his wits and the strength of his friend.
"And, for the first time ever, as the illustrious Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, renowned for his countless achievements and esteemed titles such as Order of Merlin, First Class, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, graces us with his own insightful conclusion on the extraordinary tale recounted in 'Teaching Triumphs' and 'Salazar's Secrets'."
Despite herself, Daphne found herself intrigued. Even now, she didn't quite understand what happened in her 2nd year, only that Lockhart had been badly hurt, and the Weasley daughter hadn't returned the year after.
There was a wild theory that Weasley had been the heir of Slytherin, but having interacted closely with three Weasleys now, Daphne was quite confident the theory was baseless.
Even if their sister had grown up to be the black sheep of the family, that didn't explain how an 11 year old managed to overpower Lockhart.
"Sounds like you've got some best sellers there, Gilderoy. But I have to ask, given Mr. Potter's upcoming court date, do you not fear the potential backlash you may receive from featuring him so prominently?" Miranda Stirling asked.
"Not at all. First and foremost, I consider myself a good friend of Harry. I believe in him wholeheartedly, which is why I am honoured to include his incredible journey in my books. Harry Potter's story deserves to be told, celebrated, and remembered for generations to come."
"I've got it! The ministry doesn't have a case against Harry!" Their father announced, almost running into the dining room.
"Oh, did you find something at the Ministry?" Astoria called, excitedly. As might be expected, she'd developed something of a hero worship for Harry.
"I did indeed! Or, more accurately, I didn't find anything," her father replied, sounding almost giddy. "I was able to call in a favour with old Ambrose Thistlebrook, and there's no record of Obliviators being dispatched.
"On top of that, I've discovered that Harry was never sent a notice that his pardon on underage magic, granted when he was 12, has been revoked after three years. Namely, because this revocation was made while he was here, performing his ritual."
"The Ministry doesn't have a case against him then, surely? If he didn't know he would get in trouble, they can't bring him up for it." Despite her level tone, Daphne was finding herself angry on Harry's behalf.
"Ah, on that front they would have a point. Technically, it can be argued he had previously been given a warning, so even though he was pardoned, he doesn't wouldn't have an excuse of ignorance there.
"But, that's not what I'd focus on. The Obliviators were never sent. That means, either the Ministry by default recognises there wasn't any fault done. Or the department never received the warning, even once the court case against Harry had been arranged. Both should see Harry cleared."
Bouncing happily, Astoria asked "That's great, so Harry will be let free?"
"Most definitely. But I'm thinking beyond that, someone in the Ministry overstepped, and that's left them open. We can use that to strike back, and try to reign in the damage they've been causing."
Listening to her father, Daphne struggled to match him with the man she'd known even a week ago. He had gained new energy, a spark in his eyes that she hadn't seen in years. His voice carried a newfound passion and hopefulness.
It was strange, because she'd never noticed that energy was missing previously. But now that he'd regained it, it clearly highlighted how much he'd lacked it. The weight of worry and fear that had burdened him for so long had lifted, and in its place a renewed sense of purpose and determination had arisen.
"But dear, is it your place to do so? It would be safer to stay low, which should surely be our priority?" Her mother protested softly.
"No, it is by far safer to go on the attack now. If Mr. Potter is right, we'll be plunging into a new war soon enough, a war the Ministry has ensured we won't be ready for. This is exactly the right opening for us to guide the Ministry, to push it in the right direction.
"But, this will also benefit us further. With this, I can defend Harry publicly, and then say I was using the opportunity to go against the Ministry. So, if Harry is indeed a target, we get to help a family friend, without gaining dangerous enemies."
"So, what do we do now?" Daphne finally asked.
"Now, I need to get in contact with Harry, and from there plan how we deal with the Wizengamot."
Early on the morning of Harry's hearing, Daphne had invited Susan over for more training. They'd ended up duelling within sight of the remains of Harry's ritual, although Susan had no way of knowing that detail. Especially as the morning mist still lingering around them.
But, as the time of the hearing was drawing closer, Daphne found her stress levels rising dramatically, and even exhausting herself by duelling Susan was doing little to help.
"So, what's the plan if the Wizengamot doesn't vote in Harry's favour today?" Susan asked, wiping sweat from her brow, taking advantage of the break Daphne awarded her.
Looked away momentarily, Daphne frowned before answering, "What do you mean?"
"Well, I mean if Harry does get his wand snapped, and can't come back to Hogwarts. He can't teach me anything if he can't do magic." If it weren't for the clear worry in the redhead's voice, Daphne would've snapped at her.
"He won't," Daphne asserted, her confidence unwavering. "First of all, they can't snap his wand, because he doesn't even have one at the moment. Despite that, he's resourceful and powerful, so that wouldn't stop Harry from doing magic. I have no doubt he'd have no trouble teaching you."
Her eyes softened with a touch of reassurance as she continued, "And if, somehow, they still manage to find him guilty, he'll be safe here, behind our wards. My family won't let any harm come to him. We owe him so much, and we won't turn our backs on him now, not when he needs us the most."
Susan's eyes widened in shock as she processed Daphne's words. "But... that would be illegal." She stammered, her voice tinged with disbelief. "He's being charged for breaking the Statute of Secrecy, he'd be banished from our world at minimum."
At that, Daphne let her expression soften and gently touched Susan's shoulder, understanding Susan's concern and trying to offer reassurance. "We don't care. Harry did us an unpayable service, and now the Ministry is unlawfully attacking him. House Greengrass won't let that stand. Our lands have been protected by powerful wards, wards that were old when Hogwarts was only House Hufflepuff farmlands."
Just then, the sun peeked through the surrounding trees, casting a warm glow over the two witches as Daphne sighed deeply, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. "Put it this way, Harry is the boy-who-lived, and the Ministry is punishing him after he simply defended himself, without giving him time to explain himself.
"His hearing was announced after he'd been told his wand would be snapped. If the Ministry is able to do that to a public hero, what would they do to someone like me or you? The threats they could make behind closed doors."
That got a reaction from Susan. In truth, Daphne was making up the danger, although it wasn't that much of a reach.
"Besides that, me and my family believe Harry, we believe he really did see you-know-who come back. I personally would have Harry here to help us, even if it makes the Ministry our enemy." Daphne finished, finally putting a voice to her fears.
Sighing deeply, Susan nodded, "I would too. I'd better keep training then, so I can impress him when we meet at Hogwarts, as he'll be found innocent." With that, she offered a small smile to Daphne. It was a smile she was glad to return.
With a small bow, the two launched back into a fight, pushing themselves to the limit.
Under the hot summer sun, Daphne knew she was at her weakest, relying predominantly on conventional transfiguration and curses. Unfortunately, even after what little training she'd received, Susan was growing fast.
It was clear her aunt had taught her a few spells, such as the shield charm Susan regularly used to block Daphne's attacks. The shield was always very thin, and even wobbled under its own weight, but Susan could summon it within moments.
Unlike any of Harry's shields, which could effortlessly absorb multiple attacks, Susan's was much weaker. It would always fail after just a single hit, but even as it fell, Susan would be returning fire.
Still, whilst the girl was fast, Harry was faster. So, it wasn't too hard for her to dodge the retaliatory spells, but it was irritating that Susan was already a decent threat.
Moving quickly, Daphne began to transfigure a thin layer of mud beneath Susan, only for the girl to cast Terraclipeus, summoning an earthy green disc-like shield beneath her feet. The shield sank somewhat into the mud, but it never-the-less kept Susan's feet out of the mud, defeating Daphne's intent.
Borrowing one of Harry's tricks, Daphne sent a purple wave at Susan, attempting to trap the girl. To her surprise, Susan instead leapt forward, towards Daphne and the wave, summoning a shield charm as soon as her feet left the platform.
Without the power and experience of Harry, Daphne's wave broke easily on Susan's shield. But, Daphne's stinging jinx was able to break through.
Taking her own time to shield, Daphne grimaced as Susan's stunning and binding spells battered her defence. But, it gained her time to create a blunt ice dagger behind her back, which she wandlessly transfigured into wood.
Then, dropping the shield, she'd fired her own binding curse while simultaneously throwing the dagger at Susan. As expected, the binding curse died against the girl's shield, while she used Finite on the dagger.
Daphne found it immensely satisfying to see Susan's smug smile turn into shock, as the dagger simply returned to ice, which then bounced off her stomach.
"I win." She called, easily repairing their duelling area, and casting a minor healing charm on Susan.
"What was that? I'd assumed you'd conjured it, how were you able to make that dagger wandlessly?"
"I make it with ice first. Harry found an unusual ice to wood transfiguration spell, and then made sure I was able to do it wandlessly. That's why you should never assume something in a battle."
"Right, right. It's difficult to remember all of these things. Ready for another duel?"
As the sun neared its zenith, the two girls had retreated indoors, giving up on further training. Instead, Daphne was providing Susan with a rundown of useful spells to learn.
However, somewhere along the line, their discussion had shifted from duelling spells to a much broader conversation. When they had first met, Daphne had primarily considered the political benefits, which she had then convinced Harry of.
Now, as she spent most of her summer with Susan, Daphne found her incredibly likeable. It was refreshing to converse with someone who wasn't already part of Harry's inner circle of friends. Tracey had once filled that role, but Daphne hadn't heard from her all summer.
It was just the two of them in the house, with her mother having taken Astoria to get Lockhart's new books. Astoria had hoped they'd be first in line, but they'd left far too late for that. The Lady Greengrass couldn't be seen waiting in line hours before the store opened.
As much as she loved her sister, Astoria had never truly learned the responsibilities of their House. She'd always maintained the morbid position she'd never need it in her future. Thanks to Harry, Astoria would likely find herself studying Daphne's old notes.
Without realising it, she'd forgotten her stress about Harry's upcoming hearing, having grown completely engrossed in their conversation. That was, until her father unexpectedly returned home, far too early to have finished at the hearing.
"What happened? Why aren't you at the hearing?" Daphne asked immediately, springing to her feet in concern.
"It's fine, Harry was found innocent, but there was no hearing. Those rat bastards moved it up an hour and turned it into a full Wizengamot trial in Courtroom 10. The entire affair, from start to finish, was a sham. Totally devoid of any decorum or honour.
"But Harry was exceptional. He didn't let Fudge talk over him, then cowed the entire court into listening to him. Your boyfriend can be quite intimidating when he wants to be. Of course, he wasn't alone. I did my best to support him where I could, but it was hard to find the right time."
"What do you mean? Why did you need to find the right time?" Daphne demanded.
"Because it seems Harry has many hidden allies. Dowager Longbottom was very aggressive. She normally keeps her opinions to herself. And, of course, Dumbledore was there in the background to watch over events. It was quite a spectacle, to be honest."
"What happened then?"
"I raised hell, of course. Demanded to know why we'd all been summoned just for underage magic, then asked to see the Obliviator's report. After that, I accused Fudge of abusing his power. I don't foresee anything substantial coming from it, but it'll lay the groundwork." Her father's satisfaction was evident as he sank into his seat.
"Sir, how did my aunty react?" Susan asked timidly.
"Professionally, but she was fair. She took Harry's account seriously, which is more than Fudge offered."
"Thank you. I think I'll go home to see her. Thank you for welcoming me into your home."
After seeing Susan out, Daphne returned to her father for a more in-depth breakdown. Clearly anticipating her return, her father had a package waiting for her, even as he tucked into his lunch.
"Harry told me to give this to you, some way of communicating. I'm sure he can tell you more than I." He chuckled, handing over the present.
Just then, the sound of a door creaking open caught their attention. Astoria cheerfully entered the room, her arms laden with a pile of Lockhart's latest books.
"Those don't look like just two books, young lady." Their father called, suddenly stern.
Leaving her sister to her fate, Daphne hurried to her room, where she eagerly tore open the package. What it revealed was a plain silver slate, and a similarly designed mithril quill. Confused, she picked it up and looked it over, finding a black expanse on the other side.
Below that black expanse, was a single green crystal, which she cautiously rubbed her finger over. At her touch, the black expanse seemed to stir, as a shadowy green hue swirled over the surface.
As the swirl vanished, it revealed bright green words, which seemed to materialise from within the mithril. It was clearly Harry's messy handwriting, though each letter seemed to form on its own.
'Daphne,
This will let us talk easier. It uses a protean charm to link your slate with mine. Touch the mithraite crystal to erase this message, and then you'll be able to write your own message, which I'll see on my end.
Give it a try.
Yours, Harry.'
Almost giddy with excitement, she picked up the quill and wrote her own message back, fascinated by how her words appeared in a turquoise light, despite lack of ink.
'Harry,
How was the trial? And what haven't you been telling me?
Yours, Daphne.'
Fun fact, this chapter is exactly 28 years after Harry's trial was meant to take place, on the 12th of August.
So, I think there's only one Daphne perspective chapter left, although that'll wait until Harry's side has caught up.
What do you guys think of more of the story going into Daphne's perspective? Harry will still remain the primary protagonist of course, but I find Daphne's view helps bring focus to different areas? Let me know what you think, for or against.
I'm hoping to now start doing more regular chapters again, although I'm possibly still going to be busy with theatre work for a time. I've definitely regained my desire to write.
Things I think need explaining:
Lockhart's interview: Roughly based on the Starkid song wizard of the year. Well worth a listen!