Beta: Digitize27

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Daphne watched Susan duel, admiring how far she had risen. She felt a little tug of envy watching Susan's spells shake the shield of the Beauxbatons student. Her own spellfire was weak in comparison to Susan's. It had always been weaker than Harry's, but Harry's power was tremendous, even if he himself was so casual with his abilities.

Harry had slain the Tarasque with that brilliant display. Only a foolish student would dare challenge him. Plus, it was now an open secret that he had killed a Death Eater. No one questioned the Goblet's choice anymore.

Most assumed he somehow fooled Dumbledore's age line, there was so little doubt over his power.

So, Daphne swallowed her mixed feelings over Susan's success. Harry didn't hold Daphne close for her raw power, anyway. No, he kept her around because of her mind. Besides, her talents were subtle, not non-existent.

Su Li joined Daphne to watch Susan deflect the poor boy's spells around the arena, her aim needed work, but no one in their year besides Harry could pull off such casual deflection.

"I heard that Harry asked you to the dance," Su began bluntly.

"He did, yes." Daphne gave the girl a questioning look, but her smirk only grew. Harry was everything young witches looked for, at least in her humble opinion. "How'd you know?"

"The Veela asked him to go with her this morning." Daphne frowned. The Veela, Gabrielle, should really keep her eyes to herself. "He said no and that he was already going with you."

"Well it's true. He asked me a few nights ago," Daphne chatted back. "I've not seen him today though."

Harry wasn't at the dueling pits now, he was in the fourth-year boys' cabin, magically expanding the otherwise cramped space and getting ready for the ritual they planned to perform there later.

"I heard she wants to duel you, too," Su continued.

"Well I'm not interested in her games," Daphne responded.

Su nodded along, accepting the obvious dismissal. "Look at Susan go. She's really improved recently."

"Of course," Daphne responded. "She asked Harry for help. That's all it takes, of course."

"It's hard to argue with the results," Su agreed. "Neville used to be one of the worst in our year, now his spells are second strongest, if not the most refined."

"Looking at Neville, Su?" Daphne teased. The girl's cheeks reddened before she stammered a quick denial.

"N-no it's not that. It's Harry. I mean Susan was better than me before, but she just beat her third opponent."

"Susan was always good," Daphne murmured. "Though Harry has that effect on people."

They watched as Susan shattered her opponents shield. She was sweating as she moved and her wand twirled as she incanted. "Stupefy!" The boy dropped like a sack of potatoes, leaving the redhead standing triumphantly in the ring, panting.

Susan looked out across the gardens until she spotted the two of them. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and joined Su and Daphne at their bench.

"Harry was right," Susan breathed as she plopped down.

"He usually is," Daphne agreed. Su giggled quietly. "But what was he right about this time?"

"Other people can't just stand there and shield against me. Not like he can, and they can't break my shield either."

"Trust me, I'm familiar," Daphne agreed readily.

"I wished I'd asked for help sooner," Susan continued. "Do you think he'd be able to help me with my French too?"

That made Daphne pause. In fact, it gave her an idea. Students needed to band together to learn French and keep up with the classes. Just as rigorous as they were the years before but now in another language and teaching style entirely. Project-based classwork rather than exams, but the principle was the same. However, students still needed help from time to time. Except for Harry's friends, it seemed, and now that Susan had moved up a class in dueling it was becoming clear.

"Of course he can. Or I can, if Harry's too busy."

"Too busy doing what, exactly?" Su wondered aloud.

"Harry is extremely busy. The academic standards he hold himself to are crazy. Writing papers and learning languages take time."

"Fighting Death Eaters, too."

"If he has to."

"Say Daphne, you would know." Su and Susan shared a brief glance. "Has the headmaster really been training Harry to fight You- Know-Who?"

"No he hasn't. The headmaster sometimes discusses Harry's academic interest with him but as far as I know there hasn't been any training."

"As far as you know."

"I would know," Daphne affirmed, a hint of warning in her tone.

They sat in silence for a moment and watched the duels.

"I could use help with school, too," Su murmured. "Do you think-"

"-Of course." Daphne waved the girl off. She may be able to leverage her powers to help them learn the language. Daphne stood up. "Come on. I want to show you something."

Su and Susan shared a look but stood and followed Daphne down to the train. Daphne boarded and went to the room opposite Harry. He reached out to her when he noticed her presence and she felt him brush against her thoughts.

Susan and Su watched as she drew her wand and began to murmur in low Latin. The room began to stretch and bend, twisting under Daphne's will. She might not be able to duel like Susan could, couldn't throw around the same raw power, but in terms of enchanting only Harry outdid her.

Susan gasped. "How are you doing this?"

The walls began to transfigure and soon the room mimicked the common room in Harry's study. The windows began to lengthen and soon the place was worthy of the towers of Hogwarts. Daphne felt sweat run down her brow, but a subtle gesture wiped it away before she turned back towards the other two.

"What do you think?" She smirked as their gapping faces. "It needs furnishing, I'm sure Harry will provide if I ask. You can meet me here for classwork if you like."

She couldn't wait to tell Harry her idea. She would gather the allies that he needed. She could spend time teaching people how to handle the grueling school work where he couldn't, and she'd do it here in this common room.

Su grinned back at Daphne. "Harry taught you to do this?" She could feel their admiring looks.

"Harry showed me how to do magic. All magic. We'll show you too. Your faith in Harry will be rewarded, you'll see."

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Daphne met Harry's eyes in the fourth-year boys' dorm, their faces lit by wax candles which surrounded the pair. He set down a golden platter, pure gold. It was necessary for the ritual they were about to perform. It had been Daphne's idea but Harry's design. His focus to guide their combined intent.

She gasped as he drew a silver knife across her palm but she didn't look away from him. Her eyes never left his. He let his pleasure known to her through their connection and she gasped again. She wanted to reach out and claw her hands across his robes but she let him guide her hands down to the plate. Her blood began to fill the shallow platter.

If Ernie or Michael were to try and enter their dorm in the train compartment, they would find it locked. They wouldn't challenge him, though. They would wait. They either feared him or respected him far too much to bring it up.

They would find Harry had magically expanded it in the meantime. A casual cover and gift for their silence. Separate rooms, separate showers, easy gifts to give for Harry at least. In truth he had already done so and would use the time to instead do this.

The mirrors were Daphne's idea and now she made new ones with his and her talents. It felt like a dance they had done before and a plan came to mind immediately. She cried as he murmured, imbuing her blood with his will. Her tears from the conflicting and overwhelming emotions turned the red to crystal. The gold melted and flowed into small golden chains covering a thick sheet of glass.

One for Neville. Harry's loyal best friend, Harry had doubted once that Neville would follow him if he asked, with Quirrel. Harry would never doubt him again. Harry had slowly been using mind magic on the boy for years. Neville was his.

Another for Michael. Michael had never doubted him and had never once asked for anything. Michael believed in him but would challenge Harry. In his academic ideas Michael had long been Harry's sound board. The eldritch effused from Harry and Michael soaked it up like a sponge. Drinking deep from its waters and gazing into its mysteries.

A third went to Susan. Who Daphne had collected and who his Daphne assured him could be trusted. Harry supposed it was true. Susan was in position to be useful and to absolutely bloom with power. He felt her raw strength when he dueled with his new apprentice. He could feel her passion in her mind as she strove to improve as though it were his own.

Harry leafed through Daphne's memories and he coaxed her mind against his as he watched memories play out. There was a plan with Susan and Daphne trusted her. It was enough. Daphne sighed softly at the feeling of him carousing her mind. Her face flushed as she gasped in pleasure.

"Say it," Harry whispered to Daphne in the dark room lit only by the soft light of candles. "Say it." He coaxed the words into her trembling mind.

"Master," She whispered in a soft tone.

He nodded and she could feel her master's pleasure with both her plan, with her cunning. The way she was ensnaring allies for him pleased him. Waves of euphoria rolled against her mind through their connection, her pale face flushed. He would need help in the fight to come and the most important thing was communication.

Her plan to unite the students of Hogwarts and teach them to defend themselves against the coming darkness was a good one and his power would only grow with them.

Su Li would come later too, another Daphne brought. Harry had known her for years. She could be trusted and if she should prove loyal Harry would do nothing but reward that loyalty.

Tracy, dear Tracy was on his list. Harry trusted her implicitly. She wouldn't betray him and as a friend of his she would be in danger when Voldemort returned. She needed to be protected, and her family too.

Lisa meek and mild needed his protection too. She was far too gentle to fight. Harry wasn't sure her poor hard could take it. It might come down to it though. She would learn how, in time. Harry would show her how to grasp magic in both hands and do what was necessary.

Ernie would come around. He had been outspoken against Harry his first year but after some encouragement he learned who his superiors were. Harry saw something in the talented wizard. Harry could teach him a great deal if only he asked, and Ernie would ask. One was set aside for him, for when the time was right.

Near the end came Luna. His council on matters transcendent; about things Daphne did not yet know but would in time. He would see her safe in the war to come.

And finally, his Daphne. Whose plan it was to unite them all into a single coalition against the coming darkness. To create common areas for them and for him to slowly and almost insidiously bring them over to him.

One last for him made ten. Harry took the mirrors and kissed Daphne's bleeding hands. He sealed her wounds with a whisper and wave of holly. He had provided the focus, but it was her talents that had made the small gold lockets and reflective pools of crystal.

"Master," she murmured. "Harry, you promised we would talk about your family."

He had and they would. "So we did. Daphne, my family believed they could beat magic out of me. Magic scared them, see? I suppose I cannot fault them for that. But my magic was stronger. I healed quickly and I was already practicing Legilimency by the time I was a student at Hogwarts."

"I saw what they did to you."

"I knew you would," Harry continued. "But knowing about Voldemort is more important. Besides it was time you knew, time someone besides Dumbledore knew."

"Why does You-Know-Who want to kill you?"

"He doesn't want to kill me. He's interested in me." His tone made it clear that it was worse than she imagined. "Barty Crouch would have killed you. Not me." Her question still remained, however. Why indeed. "Dumbledore knows why this began but he hasn't seen fit to share it with me. Though I have asked."

"He's keeping this from you?" She realized. Her blue eyes widened. "What else is he keeping from you?"

"I'm not sure. Though I intend to find out."

"How?"

"I've been in contact with Grindelwald. He's been teaching me since last summer."

"Grindelwald? Then-"

"Yes. I am apprenticed to the most powerful wizards of twentieth century." He let that revelation sink in before continuing. "I plan to break into Nurmengard. Then and only then will Grindelwald give me the knowledge of his private collection."

"You make it sound easy." He could feel her concern for him.

Harry looked down at the mirrors. Bounded together by her will, she would know everything said between them with her talents. They were powerful magical artefacts.

But so too was his cloak of invisibility.

"My clock of invisibility is no mere trinket. It's a powerful artefact. It's been in my family for centuries. With it I can cross any boundary, undetected. No ward can keep me out." She blinked.

But her disbelief bled into faith.

"These are just the first step in our war against Voldemort. I must know more. When I meet Grindelwald I will consume every memory in his head. He will be weakened by his imprisonment. His mental barriers will be no match for me."

"You have this power?"

She was conflicted. He made it sound so easy. He brushed her concerns aside.

"Yes, I have been planning this for months."

"And me? What is my role in the war to come?"

He brushed her cheek. "I will see you safe. I will convince Dumbledore to send your family into hiding and you will come wherever I go."

"You'll convince him? Harry, he hasn't prepared you to fight. He won't listen to you."

"You may be right."

"We have to change his mind. Harry, he has to teach you to duel!"

Harry groaned. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm open to ideas." He would love if Dumbledore taught him more, his willingness wasn't the factor in this equation.

"I'll come up with a plan for you. You have enough to worry about as it is. The tournament alone is threat enough as it is."

Harry chuckled. Dumbledore assured him the same thing.

Daphne wasn't amused. "You think I'm joking? I've already begun. I wanted to ask. I need money for the new common room across from this room. It needs furniture and-"

"I know." He silenced her by putting his finger to her lips.

It was the message Daphne told him she wanted to send. Being his girlfriend had literally made her more powerful. Her legend rising with his own.

It was entirely likely that being the Headmaster of Hogwarts had made Dumbledore even more powerful in this same way.

He needed to consult his psychic, and make no mistake, that was what Luna was. Had she foreseen this? Was he being manipulated again? Being his psychic had literally made her more powerful and, to be clear, Trelawny was Dumbledore's. There was precedence in this from his predecessors.

Did Dumbledore fear Trelawny in her batty ways the same way Harry feared Luna's?

It was guaranteed that Dumbledore knew about this. That this was part of being a centennial wizard. Harry was certain it was, why then had Dumbledore kept it from him?

The answer was clear.

Dumbledore was afraid.

Harry watched through Daphne's mind as Susan defeated a Durmstrang student in the dueling pits. She shattered his shield when he sat still behind it, confident in his defense. She had been surprised. Shocked by her growth. She shouldn't be. Her power would only continue to grow if she took a place by his side.

Dumbledore had grown more powerful by taking on such a powerful student. Him. Harry was certain it worked both ways, but… well...He needed to consult his psychic. He needed to know more.

Beyond their mental connection Harry could feel a connection between himself and his friends. He could reach out and it felt like his mental fingers could almost brush across them. Was it really there? Was he imagining it?

When Daphne told him her plan, he wrote the equivalent of a Gringotts cheque for her - a letter sealed with his crest using his own blood for security. Magicals could hardly carry around the hundreds of galleons they spent every day, after all. The stacks of galleons in his trust already being spent by his pure-blood girlfriend. It literally reeked of cliche. It was enough to make him smile if not for the urgent reasons they did it.

But with magic clichés were powerful.

It was true to a degree. The most powerful witch in Slytherin had ensnared him. They were close to be sure but it was true nonetheless.

"I'll pay for the furniture you need and anything else." He said eventually. "I trust you Daphne. You've done so well so far. How will this common room convince Dumbledore to change his mind? He may change his mind on his own with time but by then-"

"It'll be too late. He needs to start training you now," Daphne finished. "He needs to believe your life depends on it."

The most talented or powerful or hardworking in their year were here a Beauxbatons. Was it a coincidence that they became Harry's followers, or was it fate that they would become friends? Were they powerful before he began to mold them or by molding them had he made them powerful. He might never get another chance like this to gain power.

The clay doesn't fear its sculptor.

Voldemort had said it, and if anything was Voldemort it was the half form which haunted Harry's dreams since first-year. Voldemort having said it might have swerved him from agreeing if Harry hadn't learned as much from Grindelwald as he had from Dumbledore.

"You think forming this coalition makes me seem ready? You want me to show him the new mirrors. He's already terrified that I am like Voldemort. This won't change his mind in that regard."

"You need instead to show him that you're like him. Go to academic conferences like he did. Use your power to help the students here and you'll see Dumbledore come around."

"Dumbledore mentioned that it's likely I will be sent to my official Godfather, Sirius Black at the trial in December."

"Wait! Sirius Black was well- one of the two best duelists the Aurors had. He can teach you!"

"Is-no, was he really that good." Black may have been good once but perhaps he wasn't any longer. Even still the prospect was good.

"Well him and James Potter."

He gave her a curious look.

"You didn't know?"

He shook his head.

"Harry both your parents were incredibly talented. Your father was a talented transfigurer and duelist and your mother was inventing charms and potions out of Hogwarts. You were born for this."

"I'll get Black to teach me." The man was plagued by fear and nothing but free time.

He looked down and noticed they were still kneeling, and her hands were still shaking in his.

"To bed with you." He murmured. "Call in sick or something but get your rest. This was not easy."

After the ritual Daphne rested, exhausted in his bed. She had cast by far more magic than him, sacrificing her own blood like that, so, Harry sealed the room behind him with protections as he left.

Harry found Hedwig in the Beauxbatons Owlery and tied the parcel filled with mirrors to the bird's leg. He addressed it to Neville, with clear instructions to destroy his old mirror and have others do the same.

These are no mere trinkets.

He wrote.

Protect them.

He murmured in Latin over the bird, casting protections over his familiar before she turned and flew off in the evening.

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-WG