Chapter Twenty-Eight: Astoria's Revelation

Harry awoke the next morning in a contemplative mood. If Professor Dumbledore's assumptions were correct (and they often were), then there were only two more Horcruxes left to destroy. The first was undoubtedly Helga Hufflepuff's golden cup, the whereabouts of which were still unknown, and the other they assumed to be Voldemort's snake, Nagini.

While it felt like progress was being made, the task before them was still monumental. Add to that, even if they did succeed in eliminating Voldemort's Horcruxes, that still left the man himself to contend with — if he could even be called a man anymore. Harry's own magical prowess had improved by leaps and bounds, but he was still nowhere close to matching the Dark Lord. How he could possibly hope to put an end to Voldemort when even Dumbledore had proven unable to manage it was beyond him.

If that weren't enough, his recent acquisition of the second of three Deathly Hallows was more than sufficient to keep Harry's mind occupied. After returning from his errand with Dumbledore, he had spent much of the night locked in his room with the Resurrection Stone, labouring over the decision of whether or not to summon his parents. On more than one occasion, he had found himself holding the ring in the palm of his hand on the verge of calling to them — yet each time, he wound up changing his mind and slipping the ring back onto his finger.

Harry knew that summoning his parents to the world of the living would be selfish. Professor Dumbledore didn't even need to remind him of the warning he had given Harry in his first year, in response to his repeated visits to the Mirror of Erised; he already knew that if he did call to them, he would have a hard time letting go. Not wanting to go the way of the second brother was as good a reason as any to hide the Stone away and keep it out of sight, yet Harry couldn't bring himself to do so. Something told him that he would need it someday, so he vowed to keep both the Stone and the Cloak close to him, and rely on his own strength of character to prevent himself from abusing it.

It was the heaviness of the past two days that had Harry really looking forward to spending the day with Astoria — not that he really needed the extra motivation. He was supposed to meet her at the muggle pub around noon, which gave him plenty of time go about his usual morning routine and still get there on time.

He ended up receiving three letters during breakfast. The first was from Neville, making sure there hadn't been any problems following their skirmish in Diagon Alley, and also filling him in on his grandmother's reaction.

Augusta Longbottom was a stern, proud woman who had raised Neville from the time he was a small child, after his parents' permanent incapacitation at the hands of the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr. Neville regularly hinted that his grandmother had often found him lacking, especially when compared to her son — Neville's father. That's why Harry was extraordinarily happy to hear that Neville's participation in the battle had been met with glowing approval from his grandmother, going as far as to say that she was proud of him, and that he might be growing into his father's legacy after all.

The second was from Hermione, who had apparently just arrived home from her skiing holiday. She had read about the Diagon Alley incident in the Daily Prophet, and after seeing both his and Ron's names mentioned, she wrote to both of them straight away.

"Be prepared for Hermione to come blasting through the door at any time," said Harry, after Sirius had questioned why he was chuckling.

"You should write back and at least tell her to knock first," replied Sirius, who then set the paper down looking as if he'd just come up with a brilliant idea. "Actually, you should just go ahead and invite her over," he said. "New Year's Eve is only a few days away, so why don't we make a proper party out of it?"

"I don't know, maybe because the house is under a Fidelius Charm?" Harry responded dryly.

"All right, a small party," countered Sirius. "Moony will be here, of course, and we can invite all the Weasleys. I'm sure we can get my cousin to show up too, as long as she's not working, and maybe a few of the less-stuffy Order members."

"That's…not a bad idea."

"You're giving your girlfriend the secret to the house today, right?"

Harry nodded. "Dumbledore wrote it down for me yesterday," he confirmed.

"Brilliant! Then you can invite her while you're at it," Sirius said excitedly. "That way, at least one of us will get a proper snog when midnight arrives."

"I'll ask her, but I doubt she'll be allowed," Harry replied glumly. "What with her mum's Death Eater party and all…"

"Oh, right," replied Sirius, grimacing apologetically. "Speaking of which," he continued, pulling a small package out of his pocket. "This is the portkey you asked for. I used one of my mother's old bracelets, so you can give it to her as a gift and she won't look strange for keeping it with her all the time."

"That's brilliant," said Harry as he accepted the package. "Are you sure that's all right?"

"Please, it's much better off on a pretty girl's wrist than in a dusty old jewellery box," Sirius assured him. "To use the portkey, all she has to do is touch the blue gem in the centre and speak the password, which is 'Harry's Hideout'," he went on to explain.

"Harry's hideout?" repeated Harry, giving his godfather a sceptical look.

"I figured it should be something she wouldn't trigger accidentally," he replied with a shrug. "That was just the first thing I thought of. We can change it later if you want."

"No, it's fine," he replied honestly. "Thanks, Sirius."

"Anytime, kiddo."

The third and final letter Harry received that day was from Mr. Cartwright, asking Harry to stop by his office at the first opportunity. Wanting to avoid any legal trouble stemming from his role in the defence of Diagon Alley, he decided to pay his solicitor a visit before making his way to Appleby — after responding to his letters, of course.

Knowing he would be spending some time in the muggle world later, he dressed himself in a pair of smart grey trousers and a navy-blue jumper, with a charcoal topcoat and scarf to ward against the chilly winter weather. Since both Remus and Sirius had insisted that until he was licensed, Apparition was for emergencies only, Harry decided on the Knight Bus as his mode of transportation for the day. So, after some last-minute advice from Sirius and a warning to be careful, Harry went out to hail the purple triple-decker bus and was soon on his way.

His visit to the solicitor's office didn't take nearly as long as Harry had expected. Mr. Cartwright didn't expect him to see any trouble as a result of what happened on Boxing Day; he simply wanted to make sure he had Harry's full account of the incident, so that he could be proactive in protecting his client's interests and reputation.

Having a little extra time on his hands, Harry swung by the spot where the battle had unfolded and was pleased to see that most of the damage had already been repaired. The second-hand robe shop was still closed, but the window had been restored and there were no visible traces of fire damage.

Another unnecessarily thrilling bus ride later, and Harry was once again walking the streets of Appleby. Considering how much had happened since then, it felt like years since his first trip there after fleeing the Dursleys. At least this time, he didn't have to go out under his Invisibility Cloak; plus, he was reasonably certain that no one was hunting for him. After taking a moment to find his bearings, Harry followed the same route he had taken the time before and was soon entering the Whistling Pig — the same pub where he had first met Astoria.

The pub was a lot more crowded than it was during his previous visit, and at first, Harry was worried they wouldn't be able to find a table. It turned out not to be a problem, however, because Astoria was already there, sitting in the same corner table as before.

Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw him, her reaction making his own heart skip a beat. She sat up tall in her chair and waved him over, her enormous smile encouraging Harry to cross the room faster than you could say Quidditch. Astoria was out of her seat before Harry could even reach the table and practically threw herself into his arms, pressing her face up against his chest and squeezing him tightly around the waist.

"I know it's barely been more than a week, but I've missed you," she said, sighing as Harry held her securely against him.

For Harry, it was as if all the stress of the past few days had simply melted away. Even before they became a couple, there had always been something soothing about Astoria's presence, and a week apart was somehow enough to remind him how much he relied on her being there.

"I missed you too," he murmured into her hair. Astoria shifted slightly, turning her face up to meet his as they shared their first kiss in what felt like forever.

"You look great, by the way," he added, as they stepped back from one another. She was also dressed for the cold, opting for trousers, boots, and a heavy woollen jumper, with her hair cascading down over her right shoulder.

"Thanks," replied Astoria, still beaming at him. "I like your coat. Is that one Sirius got for you?"

"Yep," nodded Harry, as he shrugged off said coat and set it on a chair. "Between the two of you, I'll never run out of clothes again."

"You're welcome," she replied with a wink as they both sat down.

"So, how've things been at home?" asked Harry.

"Tense," Astoria replied grimly. "Mother has been acting smug ever since she realised Father isn't going to try and stop her party. I think she might actually believe she'll be able to force him into allying with You-Know-Who."

"Will she?"

"Not a chance," scoffed Astoria. "I'm not sure what, exactly, but I'm sure Father has something planned to reclaim control of the situation."

"Sounds ominous."

"He won't do anything to hurt her, but I don't see him continuing to allow Mother to run roughshod over him," she shrugged. "Father's far too proud for that, and he's already furious with her — especially since he believes she's putting Daphne and me in danger by inviting those people to our home."

"She definitely is," agreed Harry. "Speaking of which, I've come up with a plan to get you out of there, if necessary," he continued, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small scrap of parchment. "First, you need to read this."

Astoria took the parchment and quickly scanned it with her eyes. "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place?" she said quietly, sounding confused. "I don't understand."

"That is the address of Sirius's house," explained Harry.

"Oh! So, this is —"

"Yep, that note is actually from Dumbledore — he's the Secret-Keeper," he informed her. "Sirius says you're welcome at any time. He specifically wanted me to invite you to come over on New Year's Eve, but I warned him you probably wouldn't be able to get away."

"No, but I wish I could," she sighed, handing the note back to Harry.

Still holding the scrap of parchment between his fingers, Harry looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching, and then willed the note to catch fire. He dropped the burning parchment onto the table where it quickly turned to ash, which he then swept onto the floor. Astoria sat agog at the casual display of magic, though Harry seemed to misinterpret her expression.

"Don't worry; Dumbledore told me the Ministry can't detect magic done without a wand," he said.

"I'll keep that in mind," she responded dryly. "But let's say I do want to come over. How am I supposed to get there?"

"With this," he replied, holding up the small, wrapped package Sirius had given him that morning. "I asked Sirius to make a reusable portkey for you. Unfortunately, he wasn't keen on the idea of me portkeying girls directly into my bedroom, so it'll bring you to the main entrance hall instead," he added with a grin.

"Harry…" whinged Astoria, blushing slightly as she accepted the package. Even so, she quickly unwrapped it, her eyes practically bulging out of her head when she saw what was inside.

"Harry, this — this is too much," she said in a hushed voice, extending her hand across the table with the bracelet laying across her palm.

He wasn't sure what she meant at first, having not seen the bracelet before giving it to her, but it didn't take long for him to catch on. The piece of jewellery his godfather had chosen for the portkey was beyond extravagant — likely more valuable than many people's homes. The blue gem Sirius had referred to turned out to be an enormous, rectangular sapphire, which must have weighed several carats by itself. And if that weren't enough, the rest of the bracelet's intricate metalwork was almost completely inlaid with smaller, yet no less brilliant, round-cut diamonds.

"It is a bit showy," admitted Harry, "but I'm sure it's fine. According to Sirius, it was basically just collecting dust, and he wouldn't have picked it if he thought it was a problem giving it to you."

"Are you sure?" she asked, starting to examine the bracelet more closely. "It's absolutely beautiful, of course, but I couldn't possibly accept something so expensive. Is this platinum?"

"You'd know better than I would," he shrugged. "If you're not comfortable wearing it, I understand. At least keep it for now, though, until I can ask Sirius to make another portkey."

"I — I suppose that would be all right," she replied, allowing Harry to fasten it around her wrist.

"Honestly, I wish you'd consider just keeping it," he said again. "Sirius definitely wouldn't want it back, and you have to admit that it looks amazing on you."

"Okay," she said quietly, the smile making its way back onto her face. "You know," Astoria began again, now with a hint of mischief, "In the old days, giving a girl a bracelet like this was usually done to mark the onset of a betrothal…"

"Betrothal?" Harry said weakly.

"Oh, you didn't know?" she teased. "Well, it's probably a bit soon for that anyway, but I'm glad to know that I've made such an impression."

After a moment of stunned silence, Harry simply shook his head. "Sirius…" he grumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I guarantee Sirius knew exactly what it meant when he picked it. He's probably having a laugh about it right now."

"Well, I hope you're not having second thoughts," she replied, continuing to tease him, "because I've just decided that I love it and I'm not giving it back."

"No, no second thoughts," laughed Harry. "I'm glad you're keeping it, though. It suits you."

Harry took a moment to explain how to activate the portkey, and then they paused long enough to order food before resuming their conversation.

"How has Daphne been? Since…you know."

Astoria took a sip of her water while she decided how to answer. "I'm worried about her," she said finally. "I told you how she seemed a bit off, but I really thought we got past it on Christmas. Ever since then, though, it feels like she's withdrawing more and more."

"What do you mean?"

"I've barely seen her in the last three days," she explained. "She spends all of her time either locked in her room, or down by the cabin practicing magic by herself. I've tried to talk to her, but the few times I've been able to, I can tell she's not really paying attention."

"That is a bit concerning."

"I don't think she's ignoring me on purpose," Astoria clarified. "I think it all stems from Mother's party. She's really worried about it and what it'll mean for the family, and I think that's what's driving her to act the way she has."

"That does make sense," Harry replied contemplatively, and after a quick debate, he decided to share some of his own concerns. "Did Daphne ever tell you anything about our practices together?" he asked Astoria.

"Not much," she admitted. "Though she did let something slip about Dark Magic, that night with Umbridge."

"We duelled each other a lot, but the rest of our time was almost entirely spent practicing Dark Magic," Harry confessed. "We got good at it, too — really good," he continued. "The feeling you get from it is…invigorating…addictive, in a way."

"I knew you were both practicing dangerous spells, but that really doesn't sound good," replied Astoria, taking on a worried expression. "You know I would never tell you what to do, but I wish you would stop."

"I already have," Harry assured her. "A while ago, actually. I could feel it starting to affect me. I was angrier, more aggressive, short-tempered…and I was constantly having to stop myself from acting out."

"Really?" said Astoria, looking surprised. "I never noticed anything."

"It was never much of a problem when I was with you," he responded simply. "There was that thing with Malfoy on the train, but otherwise…" Harry shrugged. "Anyway, it all came to a head on Halloween, when Dumbledore spoke to me about Dark Magic and how it can affect you. That night, I decided to stop using it completely."

"That's a relief," replied Astoria. She looked down at the table and began subtly biting her lower lip. "And Daphne?" she asked tentatively, as if she were afraid to hear the answer.

"I told her everything," he sighed. "We had a bit of a row over it — nothing major, but she obviously didn't agree with me. I suspected she was going to the Room by herself to work on Dark Magic, which she basically confirmed when she cast the Killing Curse. I don't think that's a spell you can just do without practicing it first."

Astoria nodded and discretely wiped her eyes.

"What can we do?" she asked Harry.

"I wish I knew," he sighed. "If anyone can get through to her, it's you, though. She's obviously not going to listen to me."

"I can try," replied Astoria, although she didn't appear too confident.

"I'm sorry…it's all my fault," Harry said dejectedly. "If I hadn't —"

"Please, let's not pretend it wasn't Daphne's idea in the first place," countered Astoria. "If you hadn't helped her, I'm sure she would've done it on her own anyway."

Harry nodded resignedly.

"Maybe, but still…"

He knew Astoria was probably right, but that still wasn't quite enough to assuage his guilt. If nothing else, his help and encouragement almost certainly contributed to Daphne being as far along as she was. But at the same time, Dumbledore had taught him that it was exceedingly arrogant to believe that he could be wholly responsible for someone else's decisions.

"I noticed the Prophet mentioned Umbridge being away on holiday, in that article about you and Cedric," she said quietly. "That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"I think so," nodded Harry. "I've been over everything that happened that night a thousand times, and I can't think of anything that could possibly point to us. We'll see what happens when she doesn't show up at Hogwarts for the start of the next term, but…"

Harry shrugged again, reluctant to verbalise the fears and worst-case scenarios that had been bouncing around in his head for the past week.

"I've been thinking about what I would do…you know, if they do wind up coming after you about Umbridge," Astoria admitted quietly, glancing off to the side to avoid Harry's gaze. "I — I don't think I can let you take the blame for something Daphne did…even if it means revealing the secret."

Harry's chest constricted at the anguished look on Astoria's face. The very notion that she would consider choosing him over her sister was almost too much for him, and he absolutely hated the idea that his and Daphne's actions might ever put her in that position in the first place.

"Astoria, look at me," he said urgently, and her eyes rose to meet his. "It is not going to come to that," he assured her. "We're going to be fine; but even if we're not, we'll figure something out — we always do."

"Okay," she replied eventually, though she didn't appear entirely convinced. "Can we talk about something else for a while?"

"Sure," he agreed, and they moved on to lighter topics — mostly catching one another up on things they'd done during the holiday that didn't make it into their diary conversations.

Their lunch arrived while they were talking. Harry remembered liking the burger the last time he was there, so he had ordered it again. Astoria went with a much more sensible salad, but just like before, she wasn't shy about stealing a few chips off of Harry's plate. While they were eating, Harry took the opportunity to fill Astoria in on his most recent adventure with Dumbledore. While he did tell her about finding and destroying another Horcrux — in hushed tones and using coded language, just in case — he thought it best to wait for another time to bring up the Deathly Hallows.

Once they had finished eating and paid for their lunch, Astoria quickly checked the time and then looked up at Harry. "I believe I mentioned having a surprise for you, but it won't be ready for another hour and a half," she told him. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to do while we're waiting?"

"Not really," he replied. "I mainly just wanted to spend some time with you. What else is there to do around here?"

"Not much," she admitted. "It's mostly just inns, shops, and pubs. You'll have to come visit again when it's warmer, though. We're not too far from the Lake District, which is always nice for a day trip."

"That sounds good — doesn't really help us at the moment, though."

"No, I suppose it doesn't," she agreed, tapping her lips with one finger while trying to come up with a suggestion. "I know," she said finally. "We need to go a bit west of the village for your surprise. I was going to suggest we take the Knight Bus later, but why don't we just have a walk there instead?"

"Isn't it a bit nippy for that?" asked Harry.

"We're both dressed for it," she replied, waving off his concerns. "Besides, I have you to warm me up if I get too cold."

"I think I can handle that," he grinned in reply. "I admit I'm quite curious about this 'surprise' you have planned."

"I'm sure you are, but you'll just have to wait," Astoria replied teasingly. "Shall we?"

As they exited the pub, Harry and Astoria were pleasantly surprised to find that the wind had died down and the sun was no longer hiding behind the clouds, making for much more agreeable walking conditions. The couple walked hand in hand through the streets at a leisurely pace, with Astoria pointing out various landmarks and places of interest, including the Black Cat Inn, one of the few spots in Appleby that was completely hidden from muggles.

For the most part, they were simply enjoying being in one another's company without the stresses of school or resurrected Dark Lords. After nearly half an hour of walking, however, the conversation took an unexpectedly serious turn. It had started innocently enough, when Harry had asked Astoria if she'd heard from her friends recently.

"I got a note from Felicity on Christmas, which was a surprise, because she has a huge family and they're usually really busy during the holidays," she explained. "I'm not expecting to hear from Noreen until we go back to Hogwarts, though. Her grandmother lives in Paris, so her family always spends the holidays in France."

"Hermione just got back from France," replied Harry. "She went skiing somewhere down there — do you know what skiing is?"

"That's the one where they slide down the mountains on snow, right?"

"Right," he nodded. "I'm surprised you knew that — Ron thought we were having him on when we tried explaining it to him."

"I can just see Hermione getting frustrated by that," she laughed.

"Got it in one," he replied with a grin. "I swear he winds her up on purpose. She wrote us both as soon as she got home, though," Harry continued, looking around to check for cars before crossing the street. "It sounded like she was in a right state after reading about the attacks on Boxing Day. That's partially why we invited her over for New Year's Eve — so she could see for herself that we're still alive and well."

"That's nice of you," replied Astoria. She was smiling at him, but Harry noticed something in her expression that gave him pause for a moment. "You must've been surprised to see the Prophet making you out to be a hero again," she continued, adding, "Even Father was impressed by the story."

"It wasn't just me, though. I'm glad they gave Ron and Bill some credit, but I wish the story would've at least mentioned the others," Harry complained. "Fred and George shielded everyone, and Neville was right there with us at the front until I ordered the retreat. Remus, Susan, Ginny, and Hannah all contributed, too, and they even helped a few others escape."

"Still, they couldn't have done it without you. They wouldn't have done it without you."

"Maybe not, but they still played their part."

Astoria sighed. "At least they could do that much," she said, her face taking on a downcast appearance. "If I'd have been there, I would have just been in the way."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, with a puzzled expression. "You wouldn't have been in the way at all. I'm sure we could've used your help."

Astoria actually laughed at that. "Please, you don't have to spare my feelings," she said. "I know I'd be rubbish in a fight. The fact that you even taught me how to disarm and stun properly is nothing short of a miracle."

"Where is all this coming from?" he frowned. "You've improved a lot; and besides, who cares if you aren't great in a fight?"

"I care!" she responded, much more fiercely than Harry would have expected. They both stopped walking and stood facing each other on the pavement in front of a set of row houses. "You have dozens of witches and wizards willing to fight for you," she continued. "Some may be better than others, but every one of them can at least defend themselves — because you taught them how!"

Harry was incredibly confused by Astoria's sudden outburst. She had never shown any indication that she was even the slightest bit bothered by her lack of duelling prowess.

"I don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "You never even wanted to fight. I had to convince you to join the Underground in the first place. Why is this bothering you all of a sudden?"

"Because I can't do anything," she cried. "I can't help you fight Death Eaters or find Horcruxes. I may be smart, but I'm not like Hermione — I can't help you figure out complicated magic or do difficult translations in a single day. Ron and Neville would stand with you even if You-Know-Who himself showed up, but I practically fall to pieces when confronted by people like Draco Malfoy. I'm sure Daphne wouldn't be looking to run away at the first sign of trouble."

"Astoria…"

Harry reached out to take her hands, but she pulled back from him, using one hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"All I've ever wanted to do is help you," she sniffled. "You might think I'm being silly, but part of me keeps waiting for the day you realise you're better off with someone who can stand beside you, instead of behind you."

"Astoria…" Harry said again, as his girlfriend wrapped her arms protectively around herself. "That…is absolutely…absurd."

"W-what?" she replied, Harry's tone nearly shocking her out of her melancholy.

"You've done nothing but help me," he said insistently. "You didn't even know me, and you wrote me a letter just so I'd know that someone out there supported me. On top of that, you helped me hide when I thought people were after me — something which could've got you into real trouble," he continued. "You found a solicitor to help me with the Ministry, and you were the first person who ever thought to buy me new clothes, for a change."

"Yes, but —"

"Even more importantly, you…well…helped me sort out my feelings, I suppose," he attempted to explain, and this time, Astoria allowed Harry to take both her hands in his. "I've never really been good at that, but you have a funny way of making me see things I normally wouldn't. You have no idea what a big deal that is for me," he continued. "I was…a bit of a wreck when I met you, considering everything I'd been through. I was angry — at everything and everyone — and being able to talk to you probably saved me from doing something really stupid, like ruining my most important friendships."

"Harry —"

"Don't you see," he interrupted her again, now placing his hands on both of her shoulders. "You've been beside me this entire time, and you haven't once considered abandoning me, even after all the crazy things that keep happening. Even though simply being around me could be putting your whole family in danger."

Astoria had apparently heard enough and stepped forward to bury her face in his chest, allowing a relieved Harry to tightly wrap his arms around her.

"At this point, you're more important to me than anyone," he said quietly. "I'm sorry if I haven't told you that enough."

"You really don't think I'm useless?" she asked in a muffled voice.

"Of course not," replied Harry. "Not that it really matters either way. I don't want to be with someone just because they're useful. All I ever really wanted was to be with someone who, well…someone who truly cares for me," he added, his words coming out sounding more vulnerable than he intended.

"I do, Harry — so much," said Astoria, pulling back a bit so she could look into his eyes. "That's why I — I —" Astoria deflated slightly, her mournful look suddenly returning. "There's something I haven't told you, and I think it's finally time," she said.

"Er — all right," he replied, suddenly nervous. "What is it?"

"Not here," she said. "Can we go someplace and sit down?"

Harry looked around and spotted a bench near a park across the street, just past the football pitch where some of the local children were having a short-sided match. He took her by the hand and started heading in that direction, neither of them speaking a word. They sat down close to one another on the bench, although Astoria kept her hands folded in her lap. She hesitated a few times, as if trying to find the proper words before explaining.

"So, do you remember how I told you I have a condition?"

"Yes," he replied slowly. "You said you get really tired if you use too much magic."

"Well, what I told you was true — but it wasn't the entire truth," she explained, taking a deep breath. "My condition is actually a curse."

Harry's insides suddenly felt as if he'd just swallowed a handful of ice cubes.

"A curse?" he repeated.

"A blood malediction, to be specific," she clarified, looking down at her lap. "Hundreds of years ago, a wizard cursed my ancestor over some sort of grievance. Whatever they did, it must've been bad, because the curse targeted the entire Greengrass bloodline."

"What does that mean?" asked Harry, the icy weight in his stomach slowly growing heavier.

"The curse usually manifests itself at least once every generation, and always in the women," Astoria went on to explain. "It skipped Daphne, thankfully, but it showed up in me. That's why I sometimes get tired, and why I have to be careful about doing too much magic."

"Wow," said Harry, running a hand through his hair. "I've never heard of anything like that."

"Curses like that are pretty rare — especially these days."

"It's a bit mad that a curse like that can even exist in the first place. You seem to be dealing with it all right, though," he stated, but then he noticed Astoria's gaze shifting back down to her lap.

"Or is there more to it?"

Astoria shut her eyes and nodded slowly. Harry reached out with his hand, which she immediately grasped between both of hers.

"I…I'm —" she hesitated.

"It's okay," Harry said sympathetically. "You can tell me."

"I'm…not going to live for very long," she admitted quietly.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down to a stop, and it was only after she started wincing that Harry realised he was squeezing her hand.

"Sorry," he said, relaxing his grip. "When you say 'not for very long'…"

"If I'm lucky, I might make it to fifty," she said matter-of-factly. "That's only if I'm extremely cautious, use magic only sparingly, never have children…Realistically, it's more likely I won't live to see forty."

"How —" croaked Harry, before clearing his throat. "How can you say that so calmly? Doesn't it bother you?"

"Of course, it does," she replied. "I was seven when my parents told me. I cried for days. I've mostly come to terms with it since then, only…" Astoria sighed heavily, locking eyes with Harry. "Now that I'm a bit older," she continued, "I've begun to realise what I'll be missing. Even if I'm lucky enough to get married one day, there's a good chance I won't be able to give my husband children; and even if by some miracle I do, I probably won't be around long enough to take care of them."

Harry sat in stunned silence as he struggled to come to grips with what he was hearing. How could Astoria have ever become the kind, optimistic person she was while living with the knowledge of her own abbreviated lifespan? Harry had a weak idea of what she had gone through, but at least the prophecy left him a chance of survival.

"I — I don't really know what to say…"

"You don't have to say anything, Harry," she said, using a finger to wipe the corner of her eye. "I just wanted to tell you, because I think you deserve to know. I would understand if you don't want to be with me, knowing that any future we might have together will be extremely limited."

"Astoria —"

"Please, Harry, just let me say this," she said pleadingly. "I know you care for me and wouldn't want to hurt my feelings, but please — if you can't see yourself staying with someone in my situation, it would be much kinder to just tell me now." Astoria took a few deep breaths to steady herself before reclaiming Harry's hand. "I've found myself becoming quite attached to you — perhaps more than I should," she admitted. "But I'm sure you might want a family one day. I know we're still really young, but before you became too invested, you needed to know that's something I will never be able to give you."

Astoria finished speaking and looked back at him expectantly. Harry attempted to reply, only to find that words had failed him. He was simultaneously experiencing a whole slew of emotions, and so many thoughts were running through his head that he was somehow unable to latch onto even one of them. It was obvious that his hesitation was causing her pain, so he abandoned his efforts to verbalise his feelings and instead kissed her with everything he had.

Harry's sudden act had clearly caught Astoria off guard, but she quickly recovered and enthusiastically returned his kiss, straining to get as close to him as possible while he reached up to cup her cheek with his hand. After a while, they briefly separated and sat with their foreheads touching, both of them still breathing heavily.

"Harry —"

"I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her. "We'll find a way to cure you; but even if we can't, I'm still not leaving you."

"Are you sure?" she asked delicately. "Even though I'll never…"

"Please, let's not act like I'm doing you a favour or anything," replied Harry, a bit playfully. "Chances are, you'll get tired of putting up with me long before we'd ever have to worry about that."

Astoria laughed in relief. "Don't count on it," she said, reaching up to caress his face.

The next several minutes were spent with Harry and Astoria wordlessly showing their appreciation for one another. After such an emotional conversation, being able to simply enjoy being together for a time was exactly what they needed.

"Just so you know," Astoria said eventually. "There is no cure for me. Generations of Greengrasses have researched the curse and consulted every expert imaginable. Breaking it is impossible."

If nearly five years in the magical world had taught Harry anything, it was that nothing was truly impossible, but he got the sense that it wasn't the ideal moment to press the issue.

"All right," he replied carefully. "New discoveries are made all the time, though, so you never know."

"I know about this," she responded evenly. "My parents have had me examined dozens of times over the years. My father even spent years researching the family of the wizard who cursed us to see if any of his descendants could be persuaded to help, but that's definitely not going to happen."

"Why is that?" asked Harry curiously. "Who was the wizard who cursed your ancestor?"

"One of the Gaunts," she replied in a significant tone.

"The Gaunts?" repeated Harry. "So that's why…"

"Yes, that's why I reacted that way when you said You-Know-Who was actually a Gaunt — the last Gaunt, in fact."

"Wow, that's…"

"Believe me, I know," said Astoria. "We can never let my father know. I don't think he would, but I'd rather not give him any incentive to start supporting You-Know-Who."

"Voldemort definitely wouldn't help you," replied Harry, "but I could see him letting your father think he would, just to get what he wanted out of him."

"My thoughts exactly," she nodded. "I'm sure it would just be another dead end anyway. Hundreds of years have passed since then. I doubt anyone but the wizard who cast it would know how to reverse it, and we can't exactly go back and ask him, can we?"

The words had barely left her mouth when an idea struck Harry like a thunderbolt.

"That's…not necessarily true," he said carefully.

Frowning in confusion, Astoria asked him what he meant by that. In response, Harry waved his left hand over his right, dispelling the charm he had been using to mask the presence of the golden ring on his index finger. Once she saw it, Astoria took hold of his hand and curiously examined the ring.

"Where did this come from?"

"This ring once belonged to the Gaunt family," he revealed, causing Astoria to gasp and drop his hand.

"Then why are you wearing it?"

"Up until yesterday, it was also one of Voldemort's Horcruxes," he explained. "But that's not why I'm showing it to you. I'm wearing it because the stone set into it was once owned by my many times great uncle — Cadmus Peverell."

Astoria grabbed his hand again and brought it up within inches of her face. "You mean this is it? This really is the Resurrection Stone?" she replied breathlessly.

"It is," he confirmed. "I haven't used it yet, but even Dumbledore is sure. Think about it — if you can get me the name of the Gaunt who cursed your family, I could summon him here and ask how to reverse it."

"I…I don't know."

"What do you mean?" he asked insistently, caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment. "Don't you see? This could be the way to save —"

"Stop," she demanded, her voice fraught with emotion. "Please, Harry…just stop. I don't want you to do anything."

Harry, who in his mind had already been ten steps ahead in his plans to save Astoria, quickly snapped out of his preoccupied state and refocused on his girlfriend.

"I don't understand," he said, clearly confused, but trying to be sensitive to Astoria's obvious distress. "I'm not trying to be thick, but is there a reason why you don't want to at least give it a try?"

"Because I've been down this road before," she said despondently. "Do you have any idea how many times I've got my hopes up — my family have got their hopes up — thinking that the next thing might be the breakthrough we've been hoping for? Or the next one? Or the one after that?" she explained, her voice cracking slightly at the end.

Astoria cupped her hands over her mouth and took a few deep breaths.

"I know it's not your fault, and I know you just want to help," she continued, more calmly. "It's just that every time we go through this, the answer is always the same, and it always ends with someone telling me that they're very sorry, but I'm going to die after all. I just can't keep doing it, Harry."

"I'm sorry, I didn't —"

"I know," Astoria replied understandingly, reaching up to touch his cheek. "Thank you for caring so much about me. It took me a long time, but I've accepted my fate — please don't force me to reopen old wounds again."

"Okay," agreed Harry, and then pulled her into a hug.

As he sat there on that bench with his girlfriend in his arms, Harry already knew he wouldn't be able to let it go. While he both understood and completely empathised with everything she had said, it was not in his nature to ignore what he believed was a credible opportunity to save not only Astoria, but also future generations of the Greengrass family. In his mind, the solution was obvious — he would simply pursue the matter without Astoria's knowledge. If he failed, then she would never have to know about it, but if he succeeded, then it would all be worth it.

"You know," she said eventually, "I honestly hadn't planned to get into all this when I invited you to come spend the day with me."

"That's all right; I'm glad you did. It sounded like you've been holding onto that for a while."

"I have," she admitted. "Part of me knew I was being silly with the whole 'being useless' thing. I think that's why it took so long for me to say anything. As for the rest…" Astoria shrugged. "It is a bit of a relief having it out in the open. I didn't like hiding it from you; it's just that almost nobody outside of our family even knows about it."

"I'm glad you told me."

"Me too, but can we just forget about this for the rest of the day and try to have fun? This might be the only day we get to spend together before we go back to Hogwarts."

"Sure," said Harry, a slight grin forming on his face. "I believe you mentioned something about a surprise…"

"Yes!" Astoria said excitedly, standing up from the bench and pulling Harry to his feet. "We can probably head over now, so let's get going."

"Head over where?" asked Harry.

"You'll see," she replied mellifluously, pulling him along by the hand.

They had to backtrack for a bit, and then Astoria led them down a side street that eventually turned into a dirt road leading away from the village. Harry had no idea where she could possibly be leading him, as there seemed to be nothing but large open fields and modest wooded groves as far as the eye could see. A small river appeared on their left as the road wound northward. As the road curled back around to their right, Astoria diverted their route to instead follow a small path that seemingly led towards the river.

A strange feeling washed over Harry as they approached the copse of trees growing along the riverbank.

"There's magic here," he remarked.

"Of course there is, silly," replied Astoria, as they entered the wooded area. "Did you forget that witches and wizards live here, too? This entire area is hidden from the muggles. You'll see why in just a minute."

Their path led them to a stone bridge, and for the first time, Harry could hear what sounded like a large gathering of people somewhere up ahead. By the time they crossed the river, he had formulated a theory as to where they were going, and sure enough, they soon exited the wooded area and a large stadium came into view.

It was nowhere near as grand as the one from the World Cup final, of course, but the Appleby Arrows' stadium was impressive in its own right. It was nearly as tall as it was wide, bedecked with dozens of pale blue flags and banners emblazoned with a silver arrow. A large number of supporters were loitering outside the stadium — socialising with others, or visiting one of the many stalls selling food, scarves, and other assorted merchandise.

"This is brilliant," said Harry as he looked around, taking it all in.

"I thought you might like it," replied Astoria, beaming up at him.

"They're playing Puddlemere!" Harry said excitedly, noting the passing couple wearing navy blue scarves trimmed with gold. "I wonder if Oliver is here somewhere," he added, looking around as if expecting the one-time Gryffindor Keeper to suddenly emerge from behind a stall.

"I should suspect so," she said with a knowing smirk. "I believe I heard somewhere that Puddlemere's usual Keeper has been so dreadful this season that they've called Wood up from the reserve team. He's supposed to make his first start today."

"You're joking," he replied, but she just smiled and shook her head. "Oh, this is perfect! Come on, let's go," he said enthusiastically, dragging his giggling girlfriend by her hand towards the stadium.