Balance Act: The Beauty of Becoming an Equal

by Writers Paralysis

Harry’s exposure to the dementors has an unintended effect to the soul shard in him. As a result, his world is thrown upside down as old and new faces enter his life in ways he never expected. He is then thrusted into the magical world and must quickly realize his place in it. The Global Wizarding War hides many secrets; the Potter family have many. AU

11. Chapter 11: Kidnapped and Flashbacks

AN: I would like to say we are 4 chapters or so from reaching the halfway point of the story with major story beats hitting the ground soon. This fic will not re-thread all the Hogwarts years is my only point/spoiler. Again this is an AU universe and this chapter will hopefully establish that not only with the events but also how people think. Furthermore, in this chapter you will also get hints of 3 new stories that will be published soon! Let me know what yall think.

Wednesday Afternoon before the Attack

Sheda had a calm morning. After saying goodbye to Harry, he went out once again to spend time with Fleur. She knew the boy was smitten, but who wouldn't be? Yet, she had been most surprised by Fleur. The witch had really spent every day with Harry, not one day skipped.

Originally she had begun to fear foul play; the TALK, although humorous, was rightfully justified in her mind. Maybe the girl was being extremely sweet for a reason. Maybe it was a game to get him trapped, and even manipulate him. A part of her even worried he was being coerced to do stuff he wasn't ready for.

What Sheda observed was different. Fleur, although a jealous witch with pride issues, made an effort to include Harry and Sheda with her family signaling that she genuinely wanted to be friends. The fact that Fleur still had issues with her emotions told Sheda it was not all rainbow and sunshine. She remembered Fleur's face of jealousy when Fleur heard Harry talk about his finances at the tail end of a lunch outing.

Harry was rich beyond any standard. He was probably the richest person in Europe with the combined wealth of both Houses. Harry, as a result, reauthorized much of the spending arguing if it was working before why stop now.

Fleur was clearly jealous at that moment knowing that Harry would enjoy a life without any worries. Yet, as quickly as those emotions appeared Fleur tlooked torn and contemplative when Harry reviewed the last items purchased by House Potter. All of which where baby items.

Harry seeing the transactions had given up reviewing the rest of the list and wanted to be alone. Sheda then had a talk with Fleur who stayed seated at the cafe much to her surprise. She was surprised the witch outright admitted her jealousy and pride issues. Sheda was further surprised when Fleur admitted she was humbled by Harry on a consistent basis.

Although the two spent time together later that particular day it was clear Fleur was learning from Harry. Mainly to control her jealousy issues and deal with the emotion. If anything the witch had become rather defensive on Harry's insistence to pay for everything. Sheda had even caught Fleur arguing with him over his spending habits regarding her. It reminded Sheda of Lily and James when they started dating.

Looking at her pocket watch Sheda noticed it was now midday. Sheda sighed as she went back to review her letters as she ate her lunch at a small restaurant in the town.

Her colleague from America had responded that he no longer could help as he was reassigned to a different department. Sheda wondered if it meant something more but knew it was unfortunate, he had given her the best lead.

Sheda's mind went back to Harry and Fleur when she saw them walking out to the fields. The table she was at gave her a view of the main road in the village. "I wonder if it will amount to anything. Harry would be a definite catch for Fleur. Although she could become even more egotistical on his arm. Yet, Harry would never like that. Maybe his confidence boost would be good for him? They could equalize each other out? " Sheda spoke to herself.

Sheda felt someone sit in the table next to hers. The individual then spoke to her with a dreamy voice. "Young love?"

Sheda caught on. "Ohhh yes. My ward. He is quite smitten with a witch slightly older than him."

Sheda turned and saw a woman who looked like she was 60 with blonde hair in a pink robe. Her eyes didn't catch a white bunny hop away as the older woman spoke up. "It's always like that isn't it? Does the girl know?"

Sheda shrugged. "I believe she is a prideful witch. It will be a while for her to admit she fell for a younger boy much less if she ever does. A forceful hand will probably be needed."

The woman nodded. "I have a great deal of pride also but I fell in love quickly. My husband Jacob. He was so funny, sweet, and to my surprise a talented baker. I missed the sweets when he passed. A witch can't get enough sweets can she?"

Sheda smiled sadly. "I am sorry for your loss, but yes I would agree a witch can't get enough sweets."

The women smiled. "The witch seemed unnaturally beautiful. Would she be a Veela? My my. Are you okay with that being with your ward?"

Sheda grimaced, older wizards were not known for their values regarding Veela. Many saw them as bad as vampires. Sheda then realized the women had an American accent. "She is a Veela but I support anything my ward wants."

The woman continued smiling "In these parts of the world is it not custom for Veela to be playthings and not to be in the arms of a lord?" Sheda had gotten flustered and glared at the witch.

The witch continued even with the glare. "Ahhhhh forbidden love. Its even more beautiful don't you think? I was part of one myself."

Sheda looked at her with some surprise at the change in the conversation. The witch continued. "I married a no-maj before I repealed the stupid law we had." The witch summoned out a tiny photo from her purse with her wand. It showed the witch at her wedding in a group photo.

Sheda looked at the photo, but her face turned into some confusion. Newt Scamander was to her side. Who was this witch to have Newt in her wedding photos? Sheda then smelled a bakery. Yet, the restaurant didn't serve baked goods.

Sheda eyes widened connecting the scent to the offhand comment Harry made but the witch already had her wand. "Photo give it away?"

Sheda gulped. "Harry mentioned a bakery scent."

The witch laughed as she stood up from her table and walked over to Sheda's table to sit in front of her. The wand still pointed at Sheda. "Of course Harry would be able to smell magic at such a young age. He is a powerful wizard."

The women waited for a response but got nothing. "Harry ran from me, Sheda. He used innocent lives to do so. He wouldn't come quietly would he? Now I have to do things the difficult way."

Sheda looked at the witch with some confusion. She knew her nickname. "Do I know you?"

Queenie smiled as she filed her head. "Do you not remember my voice? I am Queenie but you knew me as the director of the Central Magical Intelligence of the MACUSA."

Sheda went wide eyed in realization and panic. The mythical director. Some people said she existed, others said no department even existed. It all made sense, her colleague probably got caught. "You used legamancy on every single one of us didn't you?"

Queenie smiled. "Not everyone. Just people with connections to MACUSA's most secretive projects. The obscurus you worked on, the death cell, and of course our magical artifacts collection and disposal sites. Care if I eat my lunch with you?"

Queenie finished as an American breakfast dish floated in front of her. She started eating with her right hand as a bowl of fruit and coffee followed. An uncomfortable silence for Sheda, but a content one for Queenie.

Sheda noticed the entire restaurant kept on eating as if nothing was happening even though Queenie had a wand out in her face. Maybe a notice me not charm?

Sheda as the time went on began to make some other connections. Connections she didn't fully understand. After almost half an hour of agonizing silence she decided to ask. "Why did a former follower of Grindelwald be given such an important role? What does the department even do?"

Queenie looked bitter, but kept on eating. Painfully slow with one hand. Clearly toying with Sheda. After some more time, she was finally done and cleaned her mouth. She then began to prepare her coffee and finally spoke up. "Almost right after Dumbledore left me in New York the MACUSA agents found me. There was no hiding like he or anyone had promised. They needed a leader for a new department they had technically just made. It was either join or be turned over for my crimes, one of those still included my marriage to a no-maj."

Queenie got angry at the mention of Dumbledore but finished making her coffee. " I didn't want to end up like Rosier so I joined of course. My legimiancy skills and wand skills were world renowned by then."

Queenie wandless summoned a baked good for her coffee. "I helped Rosier cull the Italian magical Mafia; which allowed the Zabani family to take power. I had brought Magical China to its knees as I manipulated most of their dynasties into a pitiful civil war allowing for an allied magical Shogun Japan to invade. It also allowed a few loyalists enough time to find the prized beast of China, a Qilin."

Queenie stopped to drink her coffee. She released a deep sigh and shivered. "Nerves. Anyway, the department's goal? Hide the wizarding world from the muggle world by working in the shadows. Spy on our allies in order to control magic, monitor magical advancements, spy on muggle leadership and promote advancements that could see wizarding kind hide."

Sheda smirked even with the wand at her face. Queenie ignored it, but tilted her head. "Not worthwhile In your opinion? Of course we also hid and exterminated anything that would or could lead to the reveal of Magicals to the world. We toppled magical and muggle governments as needed."

Queenie seemed to think for a bit. "Muggle Latin America countries are the most pesky. There muggle religious ideology and there insistence of going into the jungle and contacting indigenous magical tribes made them a problem. They always needed a heavy hand to put them into their place. Either way, it was action that we had planned to do to Magical Britain during your civil war."

Sheda's smirk fell. Their goal was worthwhile as long as MACUSA were willing to act to such an extreme degree. "Why though? Why involve yourself so much? Most magical societies are isolationist."

Queenie looked outside at the individuals having fun. All ignorant to what happened in the shadows of the world. "Overall, the obscurial attack in New York was the final straw in the eyes of the MACUSA. The ICW had failed and had no solution in what could be done especially as Grindelwald began his war. Newt's ingenious use of the thunderbird made the MACUSA see that the ICWs European stigmas had caused them to ignore whole areas of magic."

Queenie took a sip of her coffee and wondered if the bloodshed that was coming would be worth it. It needed to be done much like when they toppled governments. "It was a miracle and we don't like them in America. In turn, over the next decade after New York they slowly created the Department in secret. They moved money around using over bloated ACTs; the protected status of magical creatures being the most common method."

Queenie stopped and looked at her old pink robe. It was from a different time. A time when she didn't have this position. "Yet, they had no one to lead it; the president could only do so much. As a result, I became an easy choice when I returned. I had been exposed to Grindelwalds plans, I was instrumental in critical decisions leading up to his humiliation in front of the ICW. Contrary to history I also led a portion of Grindelwald's loyalists. All important factors as the MACUSA prepared for war."

Queenie stopped,clearly remembering uncomfortable memories. Her wand was still pointed at Sheda who had taken on a Neutral face. Queenie continued "I hated it. I had wanted to return to the life I had dreamed of. I did it for my little family and I eventually did it for my kids. Everything hidden. No one knew what I did. Not even my sister. Only Newt would learn as the war began."

Queenie looked back outside and wondered what would have happened if she did get to live the quiet peaceful life Albus promised her. A fools errand she felt and refocused on the women in front of her. "So here we are. A department of mystery researcher happened to be thinking of a red head witch who no longer worked for us. Doing some more digging I noticed the man had been manipulated into believing a relationship was possible with the red head witch. Using our beauty Sheda? What we won't do for our kids no?"

Sheda wasn't embarrassed; she had been a Slytherin while in Hogwarts. Everything was on the table as long as it got her what she needed. "I would agree."

Queenie smiled tilting her head. "So you care for Harry that much? How adorable."

Queenie fluttered herself as if shivering and smiled. "That quickly in a month? A lot must have happened. A lot of trauma and trust. Trauma bonding is something else is it not?

Sheda gave no response but she unknowingly agreed with Queenie at that moment. She did care for Harry deeply in a short amount of time.

Queenie tilted her head again at the lack of response. "Harry did spend a lot of time with you. It was curious but I found a witch who cared deeply. Who even went to the muggle world to look up ways of adoption? How fascinating? Contingencies I suppose? I knew you researched everything but you are something Sheda."

Sheda kept quiet and glared at the witch. Queenie found the fiery witch to be pleasant. "I never expected this from the fiery witch who was so fueled by her research she broke protocol consistently. A witch who hid her name in her application. Had some of my agents digging only to find a tragic history. I would never think you would care about a boy. Passions change and goals change in life, no?"

Sheda shifted in her seat a tad frustrated. She knew she was being laid bare to highlight the strength Queenie had over her. She wondered if she could draw her wand through the holster but she knew it would be a battle. She would win with her magic but what if they had eyes on Harry. It was too risky. Not enough was known about the witch. "What does it matter? You clearly know about everything. Although I have yet to understand how you figured out what is happening to Harry."

Queenie's smile went away and a scowl appeared. "I would have if it wasn't for the robe you made him I presume? I tried to summon him. He had made too much noise and now the valley is panicking with the pesky ICW agents. They caught my scent when I was seen by one of their agents. Still wanted by the ICW as you know. The problem is that Harry is prideful. Would you not agree, Sheda?"

Sheda said nothing and Queenie continued finding Sheda's effort to be silent quite amusing. "He would never go through with a plan to meet with Grindelwald quietly. Not after I saw him try to use the unconscious ICW agents in his escape plan. What are you teaching him, Sheda?"

Sheda looked at Queenie in slight panic about meeting Grindelwald, but the witch clearly wanted an answer. "I would agree. Harry wouldn't meet with Grindelwald, but not because of his pride. He wouldn't meet with him because of his family's legacy. He looks up to his Grandparents and uncle a lot I believe. Almost every conversation he brings them up or at least thinks about them."

Sheda felt bad revealing information about Harry. It was clear he trusted her greatly and liked his privacy. Yet, she knew she couldn't be silent for any longer. "It's clear he wants to model himself after them just as much as his own parents. He is proud his grandfather is in the history books in such a way. Lady Dorea Potter as well. He does wish he knew more of her. He wears her holster."

Queenie looked outside the window remembering the past. "A show of trust and that I have good intentions. Pass this information to Harry when today is over. I know he loves his family. I figured that much out."

Sheda was surprised by the statement, but still had misgivings. Queenie began monologuing.

"Lord Charlus is a legend at this point. James didn't have time to grow into himself unfortunately, but is in the history books much like Lily. Dorea is something more to me. A myth behind the legend. I spied on her when the war began in Europe. From 1939 all the way up to the attack on the British magical ministry in 1941."

Queenie looked at her cup of coffee. It was almost done. She sighed at the small tremble her hand made. She took a sip and continued. "MACUSA wanted to know if there was a way to tip Magical Britain's neutrality. At least to give us more time to prepare and use Magical Britain as a launching point for our attack on Europe. I knew certain families were on the fence. I was surprised to know that the Potter Family was on that fence. A history of standing up for what's right seemed like it was in their blood. Newt mentioned the difficulty of getting Charlus's father to do anything. 'A different type of Potter ' he said. The kind that made backhanded deals and worked in secret. He said they came every so often in the family. In turn, it seemed logical to spy on his House and a few other ones."

Queenie grabbed some fruit from her plate and ate it. Sheda was engrossed in the story. A pivotal moment in her nation's history. A history many didn't care to learn or teach. The wounds were still to fresh for many. Even in her own family her own father didn't talk of it. The man who broke Grindelwalds defenses.

Queenie finished her fruit "Dorea surprised me when I figured out she was dating Lord Charlus. House Potter and House Black united would be something. She begged Charlus to fight and to stand up for his beliefs. They actually broke up at the leaky cauldron on a secret date. She called him a coward and that she would never be with a coward. The Blacks expected the best and he was nothing close to it. "

Queenie looked at her watch very briefly. She still had time to kill. " Charlus apparently didn't want to publicly admit his feelings towards her nor stand up for the values his House represented. Something akin to not being the man that saved her as a 4th year. Too involved in politicking and to beholden to his father. I was planning to return to MACUSA with bad news. Magical India would need to be supported as much as possible."

Queenie looked at her coffee again. Twirling the cup the little bit of liquid around. A balancing act. "Just as I was about to leave, whispers of an attack at the ministry were taking hold. Grindelwald always liked causing uncertainty and working in broad daylight. Secrecy was no longer his goal. Under strict orders we were told to not get involved. Magical Britain would fall. One of my agents at the time reported Dorea had been seen at the leaky cauldron. I hesitated but I went."

Flashback (1941 May Magical Britain)

"Madam Director, an agent, reports Lady Dorea Black has been seen in the Alley." Queenie nodded and sighed at the news. She was in an all black robe outfit. Tired, her hand trembled as another bomb shook their location. They were in a muggle basement in London. The ruins hid their location and the strong ward stones smuggled into the country protected them from the muggle Nazi blitz. "Grindelwald will be attacking soon; more than likely today. It's of no use. The country is done for. Useless. All this time wasted on fucking fence sitters. Let's leave. Pull the agents back. Percival! Begin our evacuation. Apparate as planned. Ireland, Iceland, Greenland etc. Burn everything. "

Percival Graves nodded, he may not have liked the president choosing Queenie as the leader over him. Yet, in the almost 9 years of being under her command he understood why the president had chosen her. The witch was no longer the naive floaty witch that worked in the ministry. She had changed under Grindelwald and changed further under the CMI. That naive witch was almost gone, in its place a cold hearted, calculated witch, who was willing to do anything to see her real life be protected. It was the witch that did what she did in China and Italy.

History books would not remember her. That was Graves's first duty given to him by the president when Queenie became the director. He was to remove all public traces of her everywhere and minimize her involvement with Grindelwald.

The long term goal being that the wizarding world would forget her actions in time. Queenie was a simple witch with above average skills that was only manipulated by Grindelwald. Countries would still look for her but he would make sure records were falsified. Queenie became a ghost.

Queenie began to pack her own desk, but stopped at the nagging part in her brain. She began to whisper to herself "Fuck. I need to know what Dorea is doing. She is a crafty witch. She wouldn't be going to the Alley unless to meet Charles."

Queenie made up her mind and knew she needed to go spy on them. Something would happen. She felt it, hope. "Everyone! Percival has command now. He will lead you out."

Percival walked up to her grabbing her arm. Other wizards and witches ran around packing and burning everything. All the information had already been safely copied to the department's central grimoire located in America. "You are going against direct orders. We are too leave! No getting involved."

Queenie pulled her arm away. "I won't. I need to know if something changes. This nation believes in miracles, maybe one will happen." Graves glared at her. MACUSA didn't believe in miracles. They believed in science and planning, but he stopped himself.

A miracle had saved his city while he was captured and rotted in his basement. Newt had saved his city and Newt was still holding out for a miracle. Leading the meager defense forces with his own brother in the ministry. All of it went against their founding doctrine, but he relented. "1 hour and I come for you." Another bomb shook their basement.

Queenie nodded and left in a pop.

Break break break

A hooded Queenie made her way through Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron. The alley was empty with no one in sight. "Grindelwald must have given a warning. The attack will happen soon." She went into the building seeing it filled with hooded individuals. Mercenaries or loyalists, she figured. They paid no attention to her as she walked up the steps and into the room next to the one Lady Dorea and Charles used. Tapping into the runes they had made, it allowed her to listen in on them. Each room had been bugged by them. A combination of concealed runes and enchantment. She listened.

"Charlus are you gonna say anything? I only come because of your instance. Arcturus is planning to lend his support to Grindelwald. A marriage contract has been signed. It's over. We lost." Queenie could hear the anger and hurt in Dorea's voice. "I will never take you back if you thought you could get me back. You're inaction. Your inability to stand up to your father. House Potter is supposed to be a banner of hope. All it is now is a farce. A house like the Malfoy's. Wanting to involve itself in politics only and obsessed with gold."

There was silence. Clearly Dorea expected something from Charles. In frustration she continued. "Leave me be and never talk to me. A supposed noble house. The name means nothing. Potter is NOTHING." Queenie pulled back from the screech. She brought her ear back when she heard the deeper voice of Charlus.

"You are right. Too long has my House stayed on the sidelines. We. You. You showed me what we really are. The history. A Potter at every pivotal moment in our nation's glorious history. I am sorry. The mercenaries downstairs are mind. I have hired many from the conquered nation and more will come on my signal. Many do not want money. Many look to fight under a banner. The House will no longer stay on the sidelines. My father has given me the lordship. I will fight and if I die, I will fight knowing I did what you thought was right."

Queenie heard a slap and suddenly a loud bang. She figured the wards of the alley had fallen. The muggle air alarms began to blare as the alley was revealed to the muggle world. German muggle bombs would come soon. She needed to leave."You will fight doing what YOU think is right, Charlus. Do not hide behind what I say. If you fight, it's for what you want and believe. Be the man who saved me from loyalists and lost his head boy position. The man who stands up for his younger brother, when he is ridiculed for loving beasts. The man who was a beacon of humbleness in our school years. A noble Lord when many became haughty and egotistical. A Banner. You be that banner for our people and the people of Europe. The man I fell in love with. I will fight with that man and only with that man."

Queenie heard nothing and then a breathless sigh. They must have kissed. Suddenly another loud explosion came from the alley. The wards of the ministry had fallen much too quickly. She needed to leave. Potter would fight, but would it be enough? Hope filled her. Hope the war would come to MACUSA.

Break break break (end of flashback)

Queenie finished the story. "Lady Dorea Potter nee Black was the catalyst. Charlus wouldn't fight. She truly was why Magical Britain was saved. That day, Charlus became Lord Potter, a banner for his people and the continent to fight against the Dark Lord. Dorea, in the end, was pushed back into the background. Another woman forgotten by history. You as well, no? A legacy of a House forgotten by the actions of men." Sheda was surprised by the story. She then realized Harry was more like the women in his family. Always going into everything head first and with a sense of conviction.

Sheda followed up on the question Queenie had regarding his actions with ICW agents. "Regarding when Harry ran from you. He is learning to survive and learning that sacrificing himself should not be the first option. He was always too selfless and needed to balance that with self preservation. No adult around him supported him enough to realize that. I did tell him to never do what he did with the ICW agents again. A choice like that comes at a high cost to one's inner self especially at such a young age. I think you would agree."

Queenie smiled sadly, drinking the last of her now cold coffee. "I would agree. A path to darkness akin to Grindelwald, but possibly worse. You are right to lead him from that. I still acted accordingly then. Held by honor for his grandparents and a greater sense of self preservation. He would have fought us and probably still will. Grindelwald and I came up with something a tad heavy handed. We need to meet him, but we also need to see if there is an obscurus. I am charged with breaking it out. We decided to do both in one swoop rather than wait. The valley is a great choice to hold him in."

Sheda paled in panic and jerked slightly. Queenie's wand began to glow. "Don't move Sheda. I like this conversation. It's not often I get to spend time talking with a witch of an actual caliber."

Sheda grumbled. "The rumors are true then, he wants to come back."

Queenie looked at her wrist watch. Showtime. "You would be correct to a degree. I have been contacted by Grindelwald for over 10 years asking to rejoin. I paid no attention to it. The man was bold though to even reach out after torturing Jacob. I still despise him, but he is great no doubt about it. Almost two months ago he sent me a letter requesting I look into Harry Potter. I didn't plan to. Yet, his desperation got to him and he showed his hand."

Queenie raised her coffee and frowned with the empty cup forgetting she had finished it. "The boy was an anomaly. I had looked into him back in 81, but nothing could be figured out especially as the boy disappeared. Grindelwald in that letter mentioned the dark lord cheating death. Under my own authority I agreed to a meeting. He talked to me about the possible magic issues Harry had. He apologized for cursing Jacob. A hasty choice and idiocy of the highest degree cursing a no-maj in front of some of the most powerful individuals of Europe. It guaranteed he started his war in Europe on a back step. He also allowed me to use legilimency on him to know he was speaking the truth." Queenie shivered, remembering entering the man's mind.

The sheer depth of dark arts he knew had made her lose sleep. She continued. "He mentioned an item that he believed MACUSA would want reviewed also. Both were true. A possible obscurial was an issue enough to peak the interest of the CMI. Whatever Voldemort had done put the issue in front of the president and stamped it in a heartbeat. I was given even more authority when Dumbledore reached out to your former department requesting information on the Obscurus we had."

Queenie chuckled at the little fact that tipped the scales. "The two greatest wizards of our time both researching the same subject so suddenly makes a lot of people worry. Add in a professor who before had no relationship with suspect number 1 and a researcher getting swooned for the same information? It makes alarms go off Sheda. So I am here on my own and as a representative of MACUSA."

Sheda paled. Dumbledore knew. "Dumbledore knowing is not a good thing."

Queenie chuckled again. "I would agree with you. It's by miracle he talked with Grindelwald about it. My own conversation with Grindelwald showed he was worried that twinkle eyes would do something drastic. Albus is a complicated man. Riddles left and right, but he is aligned to this goal currently."

Sheda paled even more. "He knows of your plan then? What if it doesn't work? What if it does work? How will you hide the Boy Who Lived destroying a valley?"

Queenie looked gloomy. "For the greater good Sheda. We must figure out what is wrong with him. I saw Grindelwalds vision. The fate of our magical world rests on Harry in more ways then one."

A man walked up to Queenie and whispered into her ear. Sheda then realized everyone in the restaurant turned serious and began to apparate away. Soon it was just Sheda, Queenie, and two witches.

The restaurant had been taken over as a front for whatever was coming next. The witches grabbed Sheda's arms while one pointed her wand at her. Sheda knew they were gonna take her. "How do you know it will work? I don't fully think he is an Obscurus anymore. It's not volatile enough and Harry has other secrets that would have removed it."

Queenie got up her wand disappearing into her jacket. "We suspected as much as well, but I need to make sure without his Robe. With that gone we will be certain. There is a lot more at stake, Sheda. Harry will tell you but unfortunately our time has come to an end. I hope to talk to you on more friendly terms."

Sheda then saw the sun go away and a twilight night engulf the town from the window. With the twilight, an unnatural humidity fear came right behind it and then fear. She looked back at Queenie, her last thought hoping that Harry made it out alive, she saw the red stunning spell from the corner of her eye.

Queenie sighed. "Take her to the station with our ICW spies. She is to be evacuated immediately by you Alexandra. The Veela has grown to be important to Harry in the time we have been gone. The family needs to be guaranteed safety. You heard the conversation Alexandra, correct?"

The young fair short brown haired witch nodded and responded. "Yes. I immediately sent a scout and located them when your conversation began. The father was at the station and the family was making their way there. I received confirmation just as the talk finishing that they had arrived. I will personally guarantee their evacuation as VIP guests."

Queenie nodded pleased with her 2nd in command. "Sybil, you lead our scout teams. I need Harry found and identified. The moment you see him you use the dark mark of the British lord, okay?" The dark skinned witch with Afro curly hair nodded.

Queenie smiled. She had been authorized to bring two of her agents from MACUSA. Sybil and Alexandra had been her two choices although young; thirst for knowledge and a sense of duty working under her had made the girls very loyal. Alexandra's knowledge of spells and affinity to learn any of them and Sybil's politicking, wandless magic and potion making skills were on par with some of the best brewers in the world.

Queenie preferred witches doing her work also. Always had. Competency and lack of a male ego of being led by a half blood witch. She smiled. "I shall see you both hopefully soon." The four apparated away just as screams began.

Break break break: Berlin(After the attack)

Sheda was woken up by the African girl that worked with Queenie. She was on a cot and by the looks of it in some triage center. "Names Sybil. Harry has been found. The Veela has requested your presence and won't leave the valley without you showing up to take him." Sybil said, handing Sheda her wand.

Sheda took it with a grumble. "What will stop me from attacking you?"

Sybil smiled. "It would be interesting. I hear you hide a lot and have a lot of secrets, I wouldn't be surprised you could defeat me. Yet, Lord Potter has agreed to Grindelwald's proposal so we are now on the same side in some ways. I do recommend you cast some warning charms before we leave." Sheda was surprised by the info. She needed to get to Harry. She quickly got up and was taken to the portkey location by Sybil.

Break break break

Arriving in Nurmengard Sheda did not expect for the Valley to now look like a winter wonderland. "What happened? What did you use to try to break the obscurial out?"

Sybil looked at her as they walked out into the fields casting some warming charms. "It didn't go as planned. Lord Potter and the Veela took too long to react. They had been napping in the fields we believe and missed the initial Lethifold attack."

Sheda paled. Lethifolds. The twilight night and the humidity she felt. She then remembered Harry's Patronus. "You picked it because of his Patronus?"

Sybil looked around. "I was the one in charge of figuring out the beast. It made sense overall especially since they attacked recently. We are surprised the Lethifolds didn't find them beforehand. In review we now think they feasted for too long and became docile before they even got to the fields."

Sheda paled. How many had died for Lethifolds to become docile? Yet, what was more important was that Harry was alive. "So it didn't break out and he was taken to the castle I presume?"

Sybil nodded. "Correct. He was informed that Grindelwald has been researching at the behest of House Black and somewhat House Potter; mainly on how Voldemort survived. Lord Potter then agreed to work with Grindelwald as long as he was not 'fattened up like a pig to slaughter.' Those were his exact words." Sheda remembered Lord Arcturus' letter. Grindelwald was the contact. She shook her head. The Blacks and Potters are something else she thought.

Sybil continued. "Unfortunately everything had taken too long. A coalition of forces had formed and they had evacuated too many people. It would bring suspicion if they were to be dropped off by the station, especially after so long. Furthermore, the Veela father had called for them to be located. They were dropped at the opposite end and unfortunately they would have to hide and maybe fight."

Sheda shook her head at the absurdity. "No other plan was best? So I am guessing the united forces charmed the valley to make the Lethifolds run away, while Harry had to hold off who knows how many with his patronus."

Sybil actually looked guilty to the surprise of Sheda. "Unfortunately the coalition forces decided and planned to wait for enchanters to end the twilight night. In turn ending the hunting frenzy and then moving in with patronuses to push the Lethifolds out."

Sybil breathed in. "We panicked and were planning something different, an idea of revealing ourselves was thrown around. Unfortunately we were under orders by Lord Potter to not reveal ourselves. The secrecy of Grindelwald was too valuable in his opinion. I would agree, but it would mean he would have to hold out in the valley. "

Sybil pointed at the valley they were walking in. "Lord Potter with the help of the Veela enchanted the entire valley and by our calculations, permanently. The valley will always look like this. He powered an enchantment crystal to such a degree that we believe he has severe magical exhaustion. He was facing 30 or more Lethifolds when it happened."

Sheda was surprised at what she heard.

Harry had decided to hold out, he had ordered Grindelwalds force. He was becoming Lord Potter that his grandfather was. Growing into it.

Sheda looked at the valley. Harry had done this also. She knew he didn't have the knowledge to create the enchantment, so that was Fleur, but to fuel the crystal to such a degree. It was a shock to her. Just as she was thinking about how much magic it would need she saw the crystal. It was large and Fleur was seated under it with Harry's head on her lap. Alexandra was standing by them as German forces began to walk away into the remaining parts of the valley.

Sheda ran and got on her knees by Fleur and Harry. "Fleur what happened?"

Fleur had a struggling smile. "A lot. But he is asleep I believe." Sheda told her to continue. Yet, Fleur looked at the two witches.

Sheda smiled internally. Fleur was keeping his secrets already. Another point for the witch in her book. "They are with Queenie Fleur. I was captured by her early on. Sybil, the witch I came with, updated me." Fleur's eyes widened. The two witches smiled at her as they began to talk to each other. Fleur then recounted everything from her point of view leaving out the fact of the rune.

Sheda already knew something else had happened. His body was too magically charged for even a magical being. She saw the leg injury and wondered. At first believing that Harry had been attacked by a Lethifold, she knew something else was up. She had felt the magic coming off of him. It was the magic dark objects give off. He had done something to his body that put him into a magical coma. "Fleur, he isn't asleep because of magical exhaustion. He is in a coma."

Fleur paled, her eyes closed unsure of what to say and then she moved her eyes to point to the witches. Sheda was worried and Fleur clearly didn't trust them or wanted to keep the following secret.

Sheda signaled for them to go and Queenie's girls began to levitate the body of Harry and were a few feet away in front of them. Fleur had Harry's cloak and bottomless bag, but hanged back to talk with Sheda. "What did Harry do, Fleur? I feel corrupted magic on him. Not the kind you find being exposed to it, rather by committing it, to having it in you."

Fleur paled knowing she had been right. She whispered back. "Harry carved a magic absorption rune into his skin and used it to power his spell which caused the enchantment to spread. I told him to stop. But he didn't listen. I guess it's a dark art? I didn't know it was a dark art and could cause the effect it did."

Sheda began to panic. A carved rune. "You flayed it off, correct? He asked you?"

Fleur nodded. "Not pleasant but yes. He asked me too. I wondered if it was some dark art so I destroyed the evidence." Fleur and Sheda were quiet.

Sheda was quickly becoming a mess. Fleur caught a tear or two falling down. Unbeknownst to everyone, Harry's robe glowed again and Fleur, knowing it was a bad sign, focused her allure on him and held it. She would hold it for as long as she needed. "Come back Harry." She whispered to herself.

Break break break (After the attack, Harry hasn't woken up)

"You" Harry stated as Voldemort looked at Harry.

Voldemort, Harry noted, was young, probably in his late 20s, he wore a basic black robe. Easily about 6'7 or 6'9, but his height felt unnatural to Harry. He didn't look like a dark lord, but a Lord of a House. They stood in front of a large Manor that Harry didn't recognize. "Harry. Risky magic you accomplished. Maybe you and I are not so different." Voldemort smiled walking up to Harry and staring down at him. Harry tried to look away but felt himself stuck. "Rune magic is a beautiful art form. It gives you so many abilities and so many unique experiences don't they? My youthful appearance is one of them."

Harry grimaced at the feelings he had felt when he used the rune. It was addictive, sure, but the fact he agreed with Voldemort is what made him more sick. Voldemort continued. "Rune carving on one's skin is not something even I remotely felt like attempting. You gave me an experience not even ritual magic gave me and for that I must commend you."

Harry smirked. "Maybe the great Voldemort didn't explore everything."

Voldemort glared at him contemplating. "You will follow that path Harry. You are destined it seems. You and I have a lot of similarities I feel. Look at us. Good looking, but each year it grows as does your charisma. My shadow was not wrong last year."

Voldemort studied Harry's face seemingly looking to understand if something else was at play. "Coming into the wizarding world and questioning why something can't be done. A 13 year old cannot learn the patronus charm they say. Yet, as annoying as it is, you learned it. A ward that reacts and amplifies itself is a feat of magic much like my own accomplishments with runes and wards. A blood mixed with the tears of a phoenix and the venom of a Basilisk. A ritual in all but name. You even added more Basilisk venom just now. Charging your blood even more and making your magic more unstable."

Tom stopped as if thinking. Harry didn't know what he meant, but it's clear it had made the dark lord pause. Tom had thought of something. Voldemort then continued "Harry. You and I question this society and what it could be. We then both have wizards and witches who question us. As if progress is not done with risk. Do you not see the stagnation, the control, and the fear everyone has for things they do not even explore?"

Voldemort looked back at the manor, while Harry struggled to find fault in the Dark Lord's logic. Harry also noted that Voldemort had a change in personality when talking about him. As if two individuals cycled depending on interests. He figured a crazy Dark Lord that made a nickname for himself would act in such a way.

Tom continued. "These academics, researchers, and the supposed experiences by others telling us why something can't be done. It's pathetic. We could be the greatest Harry and they hold us back. Hold us back from achieving our true potential."

Harry, seeing a lull in Tom's monologue, finally was able to respond. "They held us back because they figured it wouldn't work and the cost would be too much. I should have realized that. Just look at you. A mess of ritual magic. A warning to everyone."

Voldemort turned to him in an almost snake like manner. "A mess? No Harry. A Beauty." Voldemort began to walk towards the manor and Harry was pulled. "I did what was considered impossible, much like you did. I created a purely magical body. You are also now more magical than human Harry."

Harry clenched his fists hating being dragged but realized what Voldemort meant. Harry had done something similar with the rune he carved on himself. Voldemort had done countless things to his body, but he said it had been a small fraction of what he had just done.

Voldemort smiled cruelly, turning to him. "Yes. Harry, you did something just as perverted as you taught. You bent magic to your will, you commanded it, and made it do an 'unnatural' thing. There is no light or dark form of magic. There is only natural and unnatural. Even then there is only control. You controlled magic and you enjoyed it."

Harry once again got sick. "I didn't mean to. It was also just raw magic. I didn't sacrifice parts of beasts. I didn't curse my body and my family for generations."

Voldemort glared at him and continued to the manor. "How would you know Harry? You wanted a family, no? Did you just throw that all away?" Harry turned white. It felt like his heart was ripped out.

Voldemort chuckled, finding it hilarious. "Ironic no? It's always the people who want families who have the hardest time getting them." Voldemort and Harry had made it into the manor and were in the main hall. Two bodies laid on the floor much to Harry's heartbreak on the beautiful Potter House crest. The two bodies were his grandparents.

Voldemort smiled cruelly at the sight before him. "Disgusting isn't it? What families do for each other. Sacrificing their lives for a mere baby. Forfeiting their own beautiful walk on this earth all in the hope that their children and family can live up to their expectations? Not realizing they doomed their family to end by the actions of a boy. A boy who now threw away the Houses as if trash. As he controlled and bent magic like a common Veela whore. Even then the Houses would become a laughing stock as the boy who lived bedded an actual Veela whore-"

Suddenly a blue bird arrived in the manor and sang. Voldemort was silenced much to his dismay as he looked at it with questioning eyes. Unable to say anything he grew frustrated but he was now frozen. Harry had fallen to his knees and began to cry. The gravity of what he might have done came down on him. "Did I really throw it all away? Did I truly give it all up? And for what? A simple spell. I didn't know. I would have tried anything else. I was desperate. I needed to save Fleur. I needed to make it out."

Suddenly Harry heard whispers. Voldemort was gone and the area began to fall apart. The body of his grandparents fell apart as if dust. A new area appeared around him. A forest with the blue bird still perched on a tree. Harry felt that it was seemingly calling him.

Harry got up and looked around. Thousands of ravens all looked at him. Harry rotated and came face to face with a cloaked figure. The figure had a ripped robe and was hunched over looking at him. Harry was startled but felt magic coming off the being. A different form of magic. An almost suffocating amount as if submitting and telling him to rest.

"Interesting I did not expect you to come so early to me." The being stated and straightened itself. It was unnervingly tall. Almost 12 feet. "It seems you are close to death. Your body is failing—" the being looked curiously at Harry. "No. You are failing your body. You are giving up. The fairy is keeping you in the mortal realm." The being pointed to the blue bird. "Interesting. My sister always mentioned it was possible but that no one had learned to do it."

The being looked at Harry and two more beings then appeared, both female. One transforming the area around her with beautiful rays of translucent rainbow light, her face reminding him of Fleur's. The other was blind it seemed. The magic around her being undecided. Grass and flowers died and came back to life at will. As if in a constant state of change.

The one with rainbow rays spoke first. "Brother. Why do you keep the boy here? Let him return. I do not seek punishment for what he did to me. The use was well intentioned. Father has no issues either, the other is more of a worry. That one unravels his world in his hubris and fights Father and Time."

The being in front of Harry looked at the women. "I do not. He has come and is staying willingly."

The women looked at Harry and smiled sadly. "So you take your opportunity? So much pain in realizing your past much like the other. A past that is much more complicated than his. It was foolish of me to assume you wouldn't accept my brother the first time you had the opportunity."

Harry was confused by her comment as she walked up to him. She crouched and looked to fix his hair. A surprise to him. He felt her magically charm it. He noticed her face seemingly morphing between Sheda's and his mum's. "You are one of my most proudest creations. Do not think of myself as being so vindictive as to punish you. You saved the valley and one of my beautiful creations by using me in such a way. I sense your guilt. You were right, not much could be done. Be careful with what you learn about me."

Harry was surprised by her statement. He then realized what she said. "Your magic. Mother magic."

She smiled at him. Her face settled on Sheda's. "Yes. My sweet child. Do not fret and do not-"

Mother magic stopped sensing the darkness latched onto his soul. She stood up. "Why is it out of his body and in his soul? His magic was supposed to defend him. His blood now reacts to it when it forces itself into the body; it is the only thing defending him. It is barely able to hold it back." She stayed crouched looking at a confused Harry.

Harry noticed the other blind women walk forward and respond in a dreamy voice. "It was meant to stay but it has now changed. Always in a state of flux everything is. You know this."

Mother magic looked frustrated and looked at the cloaked being. "Does this change anything?"

The being shrugged. "It should not, it can still be removed in all the same ways as before. One way has become much more difficult, but he will need to do it that way now I believe?"

The cloudy-eyed women looked at the being and nodded. "He would need help in that way, and it will need to be done that way for he does not have time on his side."

Mother magic's rays seemed to dance. She smiled as she turned back to him. "You will be so much more than I imagined. Truly what I wanted before fate changed that. Your magic can finally grow. It has already begun to grow and now your abilities can fully mature. The magic will be broken, but it will no longer need to focus on defending you."

The other women spoke up. "It will be harder. Even after it's removed it's taint will forever alter the magic. Like you said the blood is defending him but it also changes his magic as a response. Making it more powerful and destructive. He will be constantly fighting and like right now it will influence him to give up. That is certain as long as it stays with him."

Harry figured it was Fate itself speaking. The magic he had felt in Luna and Grindelwald he realized. "Everything can't be easy."

Harry said to Fate.

Fate smiled. "Unfortunately not. Everything has a price, young child." Harry nodded.

Mother magic looked at him with a sad smile. "Do your best, I will always be proud." Fate and Mother magic both disappeared. Leaving Harry with the unknown being who tilted its head curiously. "Interesting you still stay."

Harry looked confused. "Where is 'here' ?"

The being hunched again and Harry saw what was under the hood. The being looked like a dementor's face but older?

The being spoke up. "Dementors were created in my image. I created them as omens during dark times. Their ability to be controlled was a perversion of my and my sister's true intent."

The being looked at Harry as if studying him. "Your family always has a fascinating experience with me. You either joke with me or just treat me as a friend. You are different. You accept me and long for me. It's almost like Ignotus felt when he came looking for me. Although we greeted like old friends, I feel you want to question me."

Harry was still unsure and confused. He felt at peace wherever he was. A first after 3 years of being in the wizarding world. It felt like he finally got to have a chance to rest. Maybe it was due to the emotional turmoil of the past year, but he knew it could have gone worse. The being in front of him seemingly read his mind. "A hard life with major differences in your family's past. You are also different from your first self. More driven."

Harry was confused and looked at the being who stared back as they straightened themselves and responded. "I cannot say more but you are not wrong to feel the way you do. I would say it's healthy. Your soul is at peace with itself. Do not think of yourself as weak. Not many could see the life they have in front of them and accept what is to come. You are much more accepting of the duty unlike your first self. I commend you and hope you decide to leave my domain. I am Death Young Peverell."

Harry was surprised by its statements and confused where the Peverell name came from. He was a Potter and Black as far as he understood. Harry realized that Death was right.

Regardless of anything else that Death said Harry did have a question. A question that he had been forming in the past couple months. A personal question that he felt no one could answer but now maybe someone could."Is this all worth it? All the pain my family endured and probably will endure as Potters. A legacy that I don't think I can live up to, much less any future family I may have."

Death looked at him again. "Worth? What is worth dear Peverell? Worth is what you give it. You have family, you have friends, and you have accomplishments. The real question you have for me is something different: are you worth everything your family has done? So much bloodshed. So much preparation all coming down to you? The possible last Lord of the noble Houses of Black and Potter. Titles that are meaningless to you, my sister and even me. Collect my three pieces and maybe I will give you an audience with them. They can tell you what 'worth' is. Maybe by then you understand what that worth is. Do we have a deal?"

Harry looked at Death. Realizing that he was making a bargain with death. Just as he was about to nod, the blue bird landed on his shoulders and in a bright blue flame, he was gone.

Death, if he could smile, would have at the moment. "Much more different than the 1st Harry Potter. Father is always right. Magic's creations are the most interesting. These 7 timelines in particular are rather curious."

Suddenly a man in all white appeared and was frustrated. "We need to make a new timeline unfortunately. One of the sacred 7 timelines has been fully destroyed due to the hubris of the chosen one. I want to give him a lesson. Humble the man and hopefully make him understand."

Death looked confused. Father was being more involved this time around. One timeline travel, a reset, and now this? "Of course Father." Both disappeared in a flash.

Break break break. (July 30th, Delacour Estate)

Harry slowly began to wake up. Feeling a focused pull from an Allure he saw he was in a large bedroom. It was some time mid day with how bright it was. He was wrapped in Fleurs blanket and realized that Fleur was asleep by his side. Wherever he was he could tell he had been cared for awhile.

The bedroom was messy and on a table he caught sight of the two marauder mirrors, his invisibility cloak, the pulsar ward he gave to Fleur and what he believed to be Fleur's notebooks. She was working on the mirrors already, but it also meant she met Sirius and he was here.

The place was too clean and the sun too bright to be Grimmauld Place. Harry also noticed he didn't have his glasses on and could see clearly. "My body is more magical than human." He remembered what Voldemort said. "But was it true?"

His vocal thoughts came to the conclusion that he would have to explore that question later. It was clear Tom tried lying to him about what he had done. Arcturus had been right. Never trust what the man says. He wasn't cursed but he was close. Only his intention had saved him. He would need to be careful. The limits of magic were clear. He would need to study to make sure where they were.

Harry's thought went to the meeting he had. He had met three of the fundamental beings of his world on another whatever day it was. He tried to sit up, but his body ached to a severe degree and he fell back into bed. He had also gotten taller by what he could tell and seemed to be taller than Fleur by just a little.

To his horror he realized he had no clothes on besides the robe and a pair of boxers. "Of course. Wake up half naked to a sleeping Fleur. Just my luck." He whispered. His thoughts went away as he saw Fleur waking up. Her eyes catching his and what he figured was joy and just general relief playing out in her face. Only one thought went over his head seeing she was safe. It was how much he liked her.

Fleur had felt someone move in the bed and stretched to see who had come in. Although she had gotten caught before sleeping in the bed. Her parents never came in without knocking, Greengrass was the same, Sirius to her surprise did not care she was even in there. He seemed lost. Queenie had made no comment besides a small smile; Sheda on the other hand had been complicated. The conversation she had with Sheda had made her admit she liked the boy. To what degree she was willing to take it currently she wasn't sure.

Flashback (July 23, 2 weeks after Nurmengard)

Fleur sat at her desk and looked down to her lap. She looked like a mess, but she could care less. Her thoughts went to the past couple weeks.

Fleur had been working day in and day out on the mirrors. Sirius Black, to her surprise, was the Godfather of Harry Potter. He had been on the first smuggling trip out of England the moment he heard that Harry was in a magical coma.

Fleur spent every day in the room. Barely leaving and barely eating due to the guilt she felt. She had become mute and didn't communicate with anyone most of the days. The mirrors being the only thing that distracted her.

Fleur took care of Harry who had been placed in her room. She learned his manor or castle had never been rebuilt so her modest home was the next best bet as it did not attract attention. Alexandra had been able to get her out of the ICW investigations with ease using a falsified report with nothing out of the ordinary. She was thankful as it meant she could go home with Harry and be at his side consistently.

Fleur sighed. Her thoughts were running from her again. Checking her pocket watch she saw it was 1am and decided to fall asleep. Getting up from her desk she knew that she couldn't leave Harry. Her allure reaching out to him had become her lifeline. It kept her sane and eased her guilt but she didn't mention it to anyone. She knew it was taboo and her own family would be horrified but she had been focusing her Allure on Harry since the valley. It felt like she was holding on to him. She couldn't understand it but it felt like she was making sure he didn't leave her. She climbed into bed with him and fell asleep. Promising herself she would wake up before anyone else.

Fleur woke up to a cough and what was clearly a midday sun. Excited thinking it was Harry she was surprised to see it was Sheda who was also barely put together and clearly angry. "Care to explain why you're sleeping in the same bed as Harry?"

Fleur had begun to stammer and to her surprise Sheda sighed and mumbled. "Stupid prideful girl doesn't even realize she likes him."

Sheda then began to walk to the desk. "Get out of the bed and come sit in this chair."

Sheda grabbed a chair from her desk rather roughly and virtually threw it. To Fleur it was clear the witch had no patience especially with what she had seen in the past week. Today though it seemed her anger was now manifesting.

Fleur got out of the bed and walked over. Picking up and sitting in the chair, Sheda grabbed another one and sat across from her. "How long have you liked him?" Fleur was surprised by the direct question. She was about to respond, but she was cut off. "No bullshit response. Look into your feelings and admit it right now or you will leave him alone after this all over. He doesn't need to be strung along."

Fleur began to stammer and looked at her fingers. It was a thought she had been having. One she had been trying to suppress even before the valley enchantment. It came to the forefront of her mind now more than ever every single day. She liked Harry. She had a crush on him and wanted to get to know him more and maybe something else down the road. That day in the valley she had wanted more and she fell for him.

Ever since that day she would cry for hours knowing nothing would come from it. Once again her own lineage, jealousy and bitterness came to the forefront but in different ways. Greengrass had arrived, and Fleur was devastated that night. The witch had everything she wanted and more. Going through her own puberty it was clear the witch would grow to be as beautiful as a Veela even having the same almost silver blond hair. A rare trait in witches but a possibility. The witch was his age, had helped him succeed in school, a friend, a proper lady from an actual noble House, and had the same hair as her that she felt entranced Harry. In reality, he was probably always thinking about the witch he did like. Greengrass.

Fleur had been bitter, her prideful self arguing nothing compared to her Allure. She began to hate herself for her inability to accept that Harry maybe had a different path. Was she to be a witch who never got to understand her feelings? The best case scenario she settled for someone else? The worst case scenario would be a bitter life. One where saw another witch get to live the life she wanted. All the while she got to watch close by as the Houses enchantress.

A part of Fleur became so egotistical and filled with prideful jealousy she wondered if she could get Harry to cheat on his future wife. She would do what needed to be done and she would seduce Harry. She could have any man she wanted and she would. A fantasy of her sleeping with the married Lord Potter while in her lab had taken hold in her head.

With that fantasy, a feeling of disgust came shortly after. Fleur sat at her desk that particular night looking at his sleeping form. Disgust eventually turned into an equal amount of guilt. Her Grandma always said that Veela were not playthings nor homewreckers. To be one was to play into the wizarding world's stigma and prejudices that they had of Veela. Yet, Fleur couldn't stop thinking like that and she hated herself for that inability. She cried for hours that night. Wishing she could have a different path.

Fleur hated that night and just stared at her hands. She reached out to him with her Allure but it was clear that Sheda had sensed the Allure shift. Fleur had broken her focus when the conversation began. Sheda looked extremely angry. "Are you focusing your allure on him? He is unconscious with no defense. How dare you?!"

Fleur looked up in surprise and panic. In a desperate voice. "I do not understand it but it keeps him stable. Anytime I pull it away his robe glows. Ask Queenie. It helped him when he was losing control in the valley. Please don't tell my family! They would panic! I swear I never focused on him before. I only did it when he made the rune on his skin."

Fleur began to cry, feeling the panic and emotions of the weeks take over. "Please! Don't make me leave! l like him. I do. I ignored the feeling but I really do like him! I am unsure if it will be more, but he is everything that I want in a man. He has the same dreams, he is noble, humble, and he brings out my best. He saved me!"

Fleur was crying. Her heart was breaking for a wizard she could never have. "I can't ever have Harry. I am Veela and he will be a great Lord of Europe. He will be expected to have a proper lady on his arm. There are no equals here. Even now he saved my life and is like this because I failed. I didn't do enough for him. If only I was more powerful—" SLAP.

Fleur was shocked that she was slapped by Sheda. Sheda moved in closer with a venom in her tongue, as Fleur held her cheek. "Don't you ever take what you both did in that valley away from him and yourself. Okay?! Knowing Harry, he did everything he could for you in that valley. A sense that it was necessary and wanting to save you."

Sheda sneered and stared at the witch who was still in shock. Sheda hated the witch for trying to take away what Harry did for her. His continued selfless spirit for the people he cared about the most. "Do not belittle yourself so much as to think he did it all. You know what he will say when he wakes up. That he couldn't do it without you and that you were pivotal in making it out. So stop it. Your Veela, be confident, not prideful, like you're supposed to be."

Sheda stopped to breathe and control her anger. "Furthermore, do not think of him as so low to recognize, much less care about who he can and can't date. If you want to like him, like him. He has done the same thing for you. I can't control him nor want too. He will figure out how to move mountains for you if you ask him. You saw what he did. He didn't even question it. He uses everything he knows."

Sheda said the last part with a little bit more emotion than Fleur expected and pulled away from her. " I will go and talk to Queenie and if she does not have the same belief as you do about your Allure." Sheda began to walk out. "Then I will see you out of this room in a heartbeat, even if Harry gives me shite for it later."

Fleur had sat for a while that day. Not really knowing what to do with herself. One part sticking with her. "He has done the same thing for you." She spoke out loud the words of Sheda. He liked her or maybe had a crush. Was it wrong? She was older. Many wizards and witches had larger age gaps. There was only 3 years. He was an adult in some wizard's eyes. His own experiences made him different from anyone around that age. He was mature due to the trauma, but clearly had a lot to learn.

Fleur wondered if she could wait and decided she would. She would wait until he was closer to 17. Maybe then she would try? A part of her still hated that. What if she didn't get enough time or Greengrass did? That was the battle she was now having as the thought of Greengrass having even a small opportunity made her sick. A battle that never went away.

Sheda never did come back and Fleur was never asked to leave the room.

Break break break. End of flashback (July 30)

Fleur was beyond Happy seeing him wake up. "Arry you are awake. Thank goodness." She reached out to hug him and to her surprise he pulled her in.

Harry hugged her deeply and sighed. "You're safe."

Fleur smiled hearing his words, hugging him back. Fleur whispered. "Thank you for what you did, but if you do something stupid like that again. I will flay you alive fully."

Fleur felt him stiffen and then chuckle. "I hear you, Fleur. Clearly I did something I did not fully understand."

Fleur pulled away and had tears in her eyes. "What you did Harry is not even something that Sheda would fully tell me or anyone. She has kept quiet and has been a mess in research. She is beyond devastated and has been angr-" Her comment was cut off as Sheda came barging in, happy tears in her eyes as she looked at Harry.

Fleur pulled away and decided to give them privacy as both looked at each other. Not saddened that she had to leave but understanding. "I will be outside, I will tell everyone he is awake." She said as walked out.

The door closed and Sheda threw privacy charms up. Harry asked "How did you know I woke up?"

Sheda pulled out a stone. "Blood rune. It vibrates to your heart's rhythm. It beated faster. Figured you had woken up and talked to Fleur." Harry blushed at the implication, but kept a neutral face. She stood there for a few minutes looking anywhere but him. She finally walked over to him sat right next to him on the bed as Harry looked at her.

Sheda spoke. "It's July 30th. It's your birthday tomorrow. You have been in a magical coma for more than 3 weeks. I was-" Sheda tried to talk but her voice didn't work.

She was a mess Harry noticed. Her hair wasn't kept. Its usual red sheen was gone. Her clothes were a mess, but the worst was the red eyes and the circles from lack of sleep.

Harry looked down at his hands once Sheda collected herself and continued. "Fleur told me what you did. Do you know what could have happened?" Sheda asked with a hurt tone as a few tears went down her face.

"I am sorry-" Sheda cut Harry off and hugged him. Harry was surprised. She had never gone out of her way to hug him. It had always been him. It's why he had so much fear she didn't actually care. It's why Voldemort was able to use that fear against him. He wrapped his arms around her and did not want the smell of lilies to ever go away.

He cried in her arms as he buried his head into her red hair. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I didn't mean for it to go so bad. I didn't think it would have been that bad. I thought-" Sheda pulled away and looked away looking at his face.

She wiped his tears away. "Be quiet. You are safe. I told you I will always be here for you." He cried again as pulled himself into her robe. Harry just kept remembering what happened under the hullicaintaion spell. "I..I…care about you a lot Sheda. I was under a spell and Voldemort used it against me."

Harry struggled to talk, but feeling her get closer on the bed he felt reassured. "It was you dying and you kept saying worse things. I was losing my mind, but you brought me back with those words. I am thankful you came into my life when you di—" She held him tighter. Stopping him from his emotional dump. He may have been a teen, but she knew his pain.

She looked into his eyes. Light brown into green. "Harry, I told you I would help you. I truly mean it. I—-care for you as well." Deep down Sheda knew that care had progressed much further. So much further then she could have imagined.

Harry smiled tearfully and hugged her again. "I am sorry. I really am. I messed up. I didn't think of the consequences." Harry stopped as emotions got worse.

Sheda held onto him. Her own feelings of guilt came forward. She had taught him too much and didn't realize he would risk so much with what she taught him.

To Harry's surprise she kissed his head hoping to relax him. "I didn't teach you properly Harry. I should have realized you would use any tool you had to its utmost effect. It's not your fault."

Harry looked to tell her, yet Sheda spoke up. "Harry, Fleur told me everything." She pulled from him. "She trusted me at least to tell me the full story. Everyone else assumes you had the magical capabilities but what you did is considered something that is not taught."

Sheda knew she would have to be open with him regarding magic. Harry had a thirst to break the boundaries of magic. A trait she held as a child as well, but more a willingness to learn it rather than do it. A trait common in her family but always taken to the extreme; especially 'him.' "Not even in your 4th year when you learn the horrors of magic. Ranging from spells, improper transfiguration, and splinching; we will be going over the limits of Runes and the problems with organic matter. Even there you wouldn't get the full picture of what you did. I learned the possibilities of runes as a dark art with exposure to it at a young age and my mastery."

Sheda hesitated realizing what she said but kept talking. Thinking of 'him' brought the memories forward. "Age, experience, and character are all taken into account. It's why it's not easy to get a mastery in any core subject. You learn the Dark art of the subject during it. It's why interviews are done extensively. What you did is a dark art within runes. Carving and tattooing runes into your skin is in the same vein as ritual magic, but worse."

Sheda was unsure if she should say more but decided too. Harry needed to know the limits. "In ritual magic you draw the runes with blood as the conduit. It makes the effects temporary with some addictive pleasure which is still tempting for many. In tattooing you make the effects lasting and permanent. The effect is more addictive as you are always micro dosing the pleasure into your system. Damage to your body is the least of your worries as you start to become twisted. The tattoo becomes unstable as the tattoo fades with age and it affects you more. Carving is the extreme form. A pleasure like no other with death quickly to follow. There is no stopping the reaction outside of cutting it off."

Sheda then looked seriously into his eyes. "You have to promise me Harry that you will never do it again. No matter how bad. No matter how dire. You can never do it. Magic may have cursed you now-"

Harry shook his head. "She didn't. She told me it was okay. That I did not deserve punishment."

Sheda looked at him in confusion and Harry told the whole story of what he experienced. Sheda could not fathom what he said. "If it was anyone else I would not believe it. I'm also curious. I guess your blood is the last line of defense like I thought. Yet, what changed and what is affecting you now?"

Sheda was about to start thinking but decided to let the ideas go. "So Voldemort tormented you and then it all ended when a blue bird arrived. You then went to a dark forest and —." Sheda shivered. "Death was going to take you?"

Harry shook his head and looked down. "I didn't want to keep going."

Sheda was surprised and deeply saddened. Harry continued. "I was broken. What happened in the valley was not even all of it. Seeing my grandparents dead, the fear of not being able to have a family because of my idiot use of runes, the fear that everyone in my family had died for nothing, the complicated feelings I was having about you, the past year with Sirius, the injustice, everything I learned, the legacy,—- I am tired, Sheda."

Sheda looked at him and understood. Although he had held himself together to get Fleur and himself out of the situation he had also been burying his feelings. It probably all came out at once.

Sheda asked, terrified of the response. "So why didn't you pass on?"

Harry sighed. "Death said it was the fairy that was holding me from going on."

Sheda nodded. Figuring that Fleur was the one. Veela had been called Fairies eons ago. "Fleur's allure, Harry. She has been focused on you since you went into your coma."

Harry was surprised but understood. A tad embarrassed but he was emotionally exhausted to care. "I assume people are gonna want to talk to me. Can you just sit here with me for a while?" Sheda smiled and nodded.

She didn't expect him to lay his head on her lap, but smiled at his action. Her legs hanging off the side of the bed as Harry looked out the window. She fixed his hair. "Queenie told me a story about your grandma. She spied on her during the war."

Harry was surprised. "She told me she talked to you and captured you."

Sheda affirmed as she ran her hands through his hair. She looked at his now faded scar. "She wanted to show me she wasn't trying to kill you. So she told me the story. Do you want to hear it?" Harry nodded and was excited to hear about his grandma.

Sheda then went into explaining the story. Everything that happened as Queenie told her. "I suppose Lady Dorea Potter nee Black is more than meets the eye." She said as she finished the story

Harry was surprised at the history. A flaw in who his grandfather was. He was also pushed to be better. This time by the women he loved. Everyone was complicated and there was no fault in that. The question was could he learn from it all. "Maybe no one starts out as Lord Potter then. They grow to be it? Pushed by the people around them." Sheda affirmed his observation and continued to pass her hands through his hair. In no time he fell asleep.

She whispered to him knowing he was asleep "Pushed by those who love them. You will get there Harry. I promise I will help you. You will be the greatest Lord Potter worthy of the title. Just like your grandfather and James." She kissed his forehead and fixed herself on the bed. She was sitting up against the headboard and he was laid on the bed with his head on her lap; she smiled. He was bigger now.

Sheda didn't understand her feeling regarding Harry. What was she to him? A nagging question that only grew since his coma began. To cope she threw herself at her original research. If it wasn't an obscurial then it had to be something of Voldemort; a curse, maybe an artifact?

As Sheda tried to distract herself during those days, a stray thought kept coming back. Would Harry return with an addiction to rune carving? Would she see him become a twisted version of himself? She worried so many nights while looking for options to treat such an addiction. Harry would wake up and she knew it but deep down that was her other worry. What if he didn't? Could she live with the fact that she introduced runes to him and he died because of it?

This didn't include her confrontation with Sirius or Dumbledore. Both had become insufferable. Dumbledore more than Sirius as he attempted to make excuses. It was clear the old man cared, but his continued meddling had been the lightning rod. Sirius and her told him he was to no longer get involved with anything regarding Harry outside of dealing with Voldemort. That his issues would only start when Harry woke up. He would answer to Harry.

Sirius on the other hand had been an emotional wreck.

Break break break (multiple pov Flashback)

Sebastian was curious. Excusing himself from dinner. He felt the wards detect 4 people. 3 women and 1 male at the front gate. His security detail as Head Auror had been increased, but he requested they leave for a few hours. Mainly to give his family some breathing room and time to themselves. Although not a manor, a manor had historic significance with a large amount of land, the Delacour's owned a modest large home on a good amount of land. He went to the front door and saw the wards had been right. Walking to the gate he was unsure who the people were except that one older woman was holding the man. "Can you get Sheda? This idiot almost got himself caught if it wasn't for my spies." Sebastian was curious about the women but did as she asked.

Break break break

Sheda was sitting with the Delacour's at the dinner table. It had only been 2 days since the valley enchantment and it was clear the House had seen chipper days. Everything had not gone smoothly. Many of the nations had wanted to lay the blame at the hands of the incompetence of the ICW or the incompetence of whichever nation was involved.

Out of the 30,000 or so visitors that the valley had at the moment of the attack over 2000 had died. The fires killed many in the tent areas and the 100 Lethifolds feasted for over 3 hours. It was estimated that in the end more people died in the fires than the Lethifolds. Yet, the numbers were close, too close. About 7 or 10 dying per Lethifold based on the horde being tracked down and rough estimates being made on the thickness of the cloaks.

Sheda could care less about the number. Although there were national mournings planned. She only cared about one. Harry. He was still in a coma.

Fleur was semi the same way Sheda noticed. Although not at the table. The witch had relegated herself to her room with Harry. Guilt she hadn't done enough clearly eating at her.

An almost indifference to what had happened made them both feel numb to the tragedy that had occurred.

Sheda wondered if it made her a worse person then she already was. Her thoughts made her think as she stared at her food picking at it. "No. I have already lost too much family to care about others. Rookwood…" She whispered to herself, as her emotions ran from her. She couldn't stand thinking about everything and suppressed her thoughts.

The only saving grace from that day was Sebastian Delacour. Sebastian's insistence to evacuate the ICW station as individuals came had made the man a hero of the event. He feared that whatever was happening was more than a Lethifold attack. As a result he ordered immediate portkey evacuation before assessing what was happening. An action that saved countless more lives from avoiding a catastrophic trample or fall of the ICW station. Although it hadn't been enough and the station almost fell until Grindelwald's/Queenie's loyalist national forces arrived in support. A fact no one knew of course.

France, in turn, had come out the other side of the event in good light. The further prestige that the 'boy who saved,' a name given to Harry by most of the national headlines, was now recovering in the French lands had garnered even more French prestige. Of course that was much to the anger of the English ministry who had requested the 'boy who saved' be returned home to a proper hero's welcome.

Dumbledore had put an end to that, but the sentiment around that man was tense at best with Sheda and Fleur. Both didn't want to see him.

The rest of the Delacour's had not been updated. Although Sheda wondered how long that would last.

Sheda's melancholy was interrupted by Sebastian walking up to her. Whispering in her ear, her eyes got wide and she stood up in a hurry to make her way out. As they walked out she talked to Sebastian. "I know Harry has not told you about his Godfather, but I ask you to keep an open mind. I will say if you at any time feel that the conversation and or issue is not worth taking in a direction. I will take Harry and we shall go somewhere else. What you are about to get involved in would be considered treason by many nations."

Sebastian looked to be thinking. "There is nothing that can be done, Professor Babbling. I have already signed the contract for Harry and the proposal he made in Vienna. I must abide by it. My daughter will be a part of this now regardless. If not today then eventually. I have confidence in her abilities. I would not be surprised to learn that the man at the gateis Sirius Black no?"

Sheda was shocked and then remembered the fact that he knew Harry was supposed to become Lord Black. "The Lord Black title?"

Sebastian nodded. "Harry offhandedly mentioned some other details that clearly pointed to some injustice on the handling of Sirius's case."

Sheda nodded. "The witch will be bigger. What do you know of the name Queenie?"

Sebastian looked in thought at the gate and made the realization. "That cannot be her. She is wanted in all of Europe and Magical China."

Sheda nodded. "She was hidden by the MACUSA and works for them now. She has been on Harry's case for a while looking to understand what happened the night he survived the killing curse." Sheda was lying somewhat and not revealing that Queenie was also the contact to Grindelwald nor the part she played in the attack. Sebastian would be kept blind for now.

Sebastian was shocked that the major Ally of magical France essentially hid a wanted war criminal.

They made it to the gate and Sheda looked at Sirius. Sebastian let them in and keyed them into the wards. Sirius looked worse than ever and clearly had risked a lot in whatever he did trying to make it out of Magical Britain. "How is he Sheda?"

Sheda looked at him with an eye twitching. "Did you know of his stupid plan?"

Sirius shook his head. "Dumbledore told me to get him tickets back when he had his accidental magic episode. He never mentioned anything afterwards. We did talk about the possibilities of him being an obscurial, but he reassured me it was nothing."

Sheda bristled and Sebastian looked confused; he would need to get updated on a lot of this. He looked at Queenie who caught his confusion.

Sheda spoke to Sirius. "So he was already looking from day one. Makes sense. I tried to hide it but the fool was always curious. Harry is fine, stable at least. There are other issues, but I will work them out."

Sirius looked at her, but shook his head. "Don't tell me. I know he will be very distrustful of me. There is nothing I can really do to fix this." Sirius looked to be a broken man as he collapsed and sat on the ground. "I failed him in so many ways, Sheda. I couldn't even help him."

Sheda pulled the man up. "I won't protect you but stop moping and get healthy. Be ready when he wakes up. He will need all the help he can get. It's clear Voldemort is coming back. So start getting ready."

Sebastian was surprised by the statement. He truly would need to learn more. Queenie looked at him. "A lot is coming, Mister Delacour. Are you certain you want to know? I can tell you some things. Many things will still be hidden but I can fill in some ideas."

Sheda looked at Queenie. "Tell him what you want regarding Voldemort, Harry, and your role with MACUSA. Leave the OTHER details out. Harry's secrets, Sebestian." Sheda looked back at the mess that was Sirius.

Sirius had barely responded and she worried if the man was truly gone. Sirius was becoming a liability and Sheda stress reached new heights. She realized at that moment she would probably need to get Harry's guardianship, if not the full thing at least partial.

Break break break (end of flashback) July 31st early morning.

Harry woke up to the night sky. Sheda had fallen asleep against the headboard while holding him. He got up from bed and dressed with clothes that had been laid out for him. Simple white t-shirt and some gray sweats, he put his robe on. Although they were barely his size, he realized they were Fleur's. Making his way out of the room he figured it was late at night since everyone was asleep in the house.

Harry went downstairs and caught sight of Fleur sleeping on the coach and the kitchen light turned on. Seeing she was not covered he decided to take his robe off and covered her with it. Feeling at ease around her, he felt he did not need it.

Harry walked into the kitchen and to his surprise Sirius was seated awake. He looked healthy, much healthier, he also looked more put together. When Harry's eyes met his, they looked distant. "Harry. I saw you were sleeping. I didn't want to disturb you."

Harry nodded and sat down at the table. "You look healthy. Bold to walk around a Head Auror home."

Sirius had a small smile. "Sebastian requested his security detail to be on alert at the French ministry. Sheda created an alert rune, so they agreed. The French minister also paid to upgrade the home's ward stones since you were here."

An uneasy silence followed. Both not knowing how to communicate. Harry sighed first. "I don't think it will be easy will it?"

Sirius chuckled softly. "No. I don't think so."

Harry nodded and responded neutrally. "Did you know what Grindelwald planned via Dumbledore?"

Sirius figured that question would come first and had prepared what he would say. "No. I didn't and would have objected. Dumbledore came a few days after you went into a coma. I had sobered up by then and Sheda and I tore him a new one. He didn't mean for any of it to happen like it did. He admits he should have known it would lead to this though. Grindelwald always hated subtly. He was an emotional mess truthfully. Understanding that he had risked your life and that the lives of thousands suffered."

Harry nodded and figured as much. "I knew Dumbledore had a hand when Grindelwald used the same language as him regarding Voldemort. I also came to the same conclusion. What happened was a massacre, but I would have never gone willingly to Grindelwald. I still feel guilt though."

Harry didn't want to expand on what kind of guilt. 'Was he worth it?' The same question he had for death.

Sirius smiled sadly. "Guilt is good. Too much guilt on the other hand. Well. You get to a level like me. I am sorry."

Harry looked at him confused. "Sorry?"

Sirius looked down at his empty cup of tea. "Sorry for not being there. I should have been there from the beginning."

Harry looked down unsure what he would say. "I have been wondering. Why does Sheda hate you?"

Sirius was surprised by the question but it was clear Sheda cared for him and vice versa. He had seen Harry sleeping in her lap upstairs and it was clear the care now went further.

Although a part of Sirius was happy to know Harry had someone, the other part of him longed for what could have been. Sirius sighed. "I think you can tell Sheda and I dated. We didn't date until the middle of my 7th year. James had finally been able to mature enough to grab Lily's attention and I felt lost. The beginning of the year was devastating. I won't say it but Sheda did not have a great start to the year. As you know her family had been killed and she was now alone; no one that cared for her rather."

Sirius was unsure how much to say. He wanted to respect Sheda's wishes regarding her past. "She was taken under your mother's wing. The firecrackers. Being one year ahead in runes and arithmancy, Sheda was truly able to give Lily a run for her money in the Newts."

Sirius' eyes filled with life remembering the past. "I was smitten with her and I was a fool for a better half of the year. Then one night during winter break we spent time together. Having nowhere to go; Sheda as an orphan and me an outcast of House Black. She and I got into too much fire whiskey and one time turned to two and so on and so on."

Sirius smiled." I could barely walk after winter break." Harry grimaced, not needing to know that fact.

Sirius chuckled at Harry's displeasure. "Anyway as a Slytherin Sheda had a difficult time spending time with us and me outside of class. Tensions were high with Voldemort's war getting worse."

Harry was surprised that Sheda was a Slytherin. He never did ask her what House she was in.

He figured she was Ravenclaw but Slytherin would fit also. Sirius continued. "I was able to continue dating her for the foreseeable future after Hogwarts. Arcturus reached out over that year and I think it was then when he brought me back into the house fold. I think he approved of Sheda and I dating, probably more than anything. "

Sirius wondered what to say next. "Then came the announcement that Harry Potter was to be born. James made me your Godfather much to my delight. I did not think it would change much, but then the attacks began in 1981. Starting with your uncle and aunt in July of that year."

Harry looked curiously at his comment. He had read a lot of his family but barely saw any mention of his Uncle and Aunt. "Attacked? Why my Uncle and aunt?

Sirius seemed to pale at the memories, but resolved himself to tell him. "The Potter Family was first attacked at your Uncle Fleamont's and Aunt Euphemia's residence. They happened to be babysitting right before your 1st birthday. Voldemort was getting frustrated with your Grandfather's resistance and wanted to scare him into submission is what many of us believed.

Sirius breathed in. Summoning the tea pot he poured himself a new cup.

Harry stayed quiet and wondered what happened or changed for Voldemort to truly choose to attack his family. The war was tipping into Voldemort's favor by 1981 by what he read. Why risk a full frontal attack on a powerful family?

Sirius, after making his tea cup, started again. "It's believed he arrived and went straight into the manor hoping to make Fleamont surrender immediately by killing his wife. It was known by many that Fleamont loved his wife dearly." Sirius stopped and looked at Harry who was staring away. "Do you really want to hear the whole story?"

Harry breathed in. "Yes. I couldn't find anything on them. It's clear that my family all died defending me or at least had too. It helps to know what they did."

Sirius smiled sadly. "They died because they loved you, Harry. Lily said as much. Well. Euphemia, by what we could tell, gave Voldemort hell and gave her life defending you from him. Honestly, it was a surprise. She was always a timid woman. She injured Voldemort causing many scratches on his body supposedly. An extreme amount actually. The second floor of the manor was completely destroyed in her defense of you it seemed. Her magic signature was everywhere, whole walls destroyed. She banished Voldemort through the floor at some point. She definitely made him earn his kill."

Harry was surprised. More extraordinary women lost to history under his shadow.

Harry missed some details regarding the damage but Sirius hadn't stopped. "He was able to kill her at some point, but it seems she used her body to cover you. It seems in the rubble or the attack you got a slight cut on your head where your scar is. Kind of where the first part of the bolt starts. It healed with time. A miracle it was your only injury considering the destruction." Sirius pointed to Harry's forehead, but was surprised to see famous scar had healed as well. The outline was still there, but not as raw as before.

Sirius looked at the scar curiously. "Anyway it appears afterwards Voldemort, in his anger or maybe indifference of a baby, left you to go face Fleamont. We aren't fully sure honestly. The story is made up of what we saw and what Fleamont told Lord Charlus before he passed. Fleamont was holding his own but he was already gravely wounded, we believe. Knowing his wife fell when he saw Voldemort return. It seems he summoned his royal griffins that he kept at his estate to attack Voldemort. Reportedly they cut at Voldemort and ripped his left arm off. He did not suspect such control of magical creatures and was the only one to escape that night. He lost a lot of men in the attack."

Sirius always wondered if there was more to the story. He never did ask James or Charlus, but either way he probably wouldn't have been told. The Potters and their secrecy. "Voldemort apparently did a great deal of research on magical beasts afterwards. His own failures got to him regarding how to defeat the beasts. Lord Charlus and James arrived first followed by Lily and I. Fleamont in his dying breath said that they had saved you, his wife in his arms as he passed. A smile on his face seeing you cry in Lily's arms."

Harry had looked down. More family. More connections. His affinity with magical creatures was one Fleamont had. More family that died explicitly for him. "Who were they?"

Sirius found himself saddened just how much Harry cherished his family. Every detail wanted and kept with the utmost respect. "Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. Fleamont was Lord Charles's younger brother. Euphemia was from a noble house or the equivalent from Norway, Braithewaite. Extremely beautiful, ethereally beautiful honestly. A House of some renown in Norway, but not internationally. She had an interesting way of talking. Her English was really old, but she chalked it up as having an old tutor. Unfortunately your uncle, at a young age, got Dragon pox and was sterile afterwards. They took to you extremely well. They had babied James, but it was clear they loved you so much. James always argued you would have been so lucky to have two sets of grandparents."

Harry stared at his trembling hands figuring they were nerves and he sighed. "He was good at magical beasts?"

Sirius smiled sadly. Knowing Harry was good at beasts based on what he saw. "Very. 'No beast untameable' was his motto. It was surprising when his affinity appeared. The Potters hadn't had a magical affinity to beasts in quite awhile. The last one supposedly being a Potter who helped catch a dragon for Gringotts bank. Funny enough he always argued that Newt didn't do enough in his studies. You can probably find his unpublished books in the safes."

Harry looked up and smiled. "I have an affinity for magical beasts. An affinity to a lot of things actually. 4 major branches and magical creatures."

Sirius was not surprised and nodded. " I heard from Sheda and figured you had an affinity to beasts based on your relationship with Buckbeak. Anyway continuing the story of Sheda and I, it was my duty as Godfather that made me stay. I had been traveling with Sheda for awhile as she journeyed Europe, but then James and Lily told me they would be going into hiding. Sheda then announced she would be doing her mastery at Ilvermorny much to my shock believing she would do it at Hogwarts. I was torn between leaving the war, my friends, and duty as Godfather or joining the women I could see myself start a life with. I made my choice and stayed."

Sirius swore he saw someone move by the door frame but figured it was his madness. "I sent one last letter to Sheda saying that I had a responsibility to stay with you until everything got better. She told me that if anything ever happened that her door would always be open to me. When Lord Charlus and Aunt Dorea died in September, I got one more letter. At that point the war was getting bad. I didn't respond. She requested I meet with her. Next thing you know October 31st happened and I chased Pettigrew down."

Sirius had tears in your eyes. "I always wondered what would have been different." Sirius tried to collect himself as Harry looked at him.

Harry's own emotions affected him. Not fully teary-eyed, but he felt himself choke up. "So it's possible I would have grown up with you and Sheda in America?"

Sirius collected himself but still had tears. "Possibly. I think that is why she has been so cold to me. It's the fact that I used you in my defense in staying here, then went back on that at the first opportunity. I think as time goes on and you grow closer to her the bitterness grows. A possible 'what if' is forming in her head. She would have raised you alongside me. In some way I took something away from her that she probably never thought she would want. I can tell she cares for you and I wouldn't be surprised if she is planning to take my godfather status away." Harry looked on with a lot of emotions going through him, he was surprised his magic didn't react. He then felt a pull and realized that Fleur's allure was still focused on him. She was sleeping though. Maybe she had gotten used to it? He didn't mind.

He looked at Sirius appreciating the mental clarity the allure gave him. "I forgive you. I really do. Not because of what you have done but because I now understand. In reading about the wars and my family I think I understand."

Harry had come to understand who he was and what it meant to be a Potter . A Potter was noble and stood up for their own beliefs, not the beliefs of others. Some would call that hardheadedness, but others would say it was principal. "I felt before that your want for revenge was wrong, because I wouldn't have done that. Now I realize that I failed to consider what I was doing chasing you. I did the same thing. At the time I wanted revenge. I needed to know why you did it. I wanted to know how you could betray your own friends. All the while I led my own friends to danger. I failed to see how I was falling into the same trap that you did."

Harry sighed. "I don't know what I am trying to say but I also understand Sheda's points. She is right. And I do hate you for taking a part of what could have been. I just." Harry breathed in. Trying to come up with words. He knew what he meant. His lack of conveying emotions before any of this just made it hard. "I don't want to lose you as my godfather. And I know you have guilt. Can you at least try to be honest and be there for me?"

Sirius meanwhile was becoming an emotional wreck. His own tears came at him in torrent. He stood up and went around to hug Harry who stood up as well.

Sirius now realized Harry had grown taller. Easily 5'9 or 5'10 now to his own 6'3. "I will always be on your side from now on. Anywhere you want me to go. I will." Harry smiled slight tears in his eyes.

Sheda was hidden by the doorway as she heard everything and sighed. Maybe Sirius wasn't so bad. Maybe it was time to try to heal. Maybe she could learn to accept him back in time. She would as long as Harry was okay. In the end she wouldn't make the same mistake as Sirius. Harry was the most important factor in all of this.

She walked into the kitchen. "So the mutt already told you?"

Sirius and Harry were surprised by her arrival. Sheda looked at Sirius. "I heard you mention something about me. I thought we talked about it already. That you would avoid speaking of what we did and didn't do?"

Sirius paled. Sheda looked at Harry. "If he is still going to be your guardian. Don't grow up like him. He needs to learn to respect a woman's wishes. I told him to not mention anything of what we did."

Sirius looked slightly amused. "I didn't tell him anything like that."

Sheda looked back and glared at him. "Binging fire whiskey and you couldn't walk after winter break? I don't think he needed to know that."

Sirius paled. "It was a joke."

Sheda smiled wickedly, pulling her head back as if offended. "That week was a joke? I remember clearly you couldn't wipe your stupid smile for over a month. I also heard James could not understand what was keeping you so frustrated for the months following. My teasing afterwards made the ohhh so confident Sirius into a puddle anytime I was around you." Sirius now understood she was messing with him.

Harry could tell the same thing and he spoke up. "Sheda, how much did you hear?"

Sheda turned around with a confused look. Did he not like her overhearing? "I came down just before that comment."

Harry nodded with a serious look. "He told me right before that you had a mean streak of petting him and teasing him. That you clearly wanted him so it's why he liked you."

Sheda looked horrified but she could tell Harry was lying and smiled internally. Sirius tried to placate Sheda. "I didn't say that Sheda, he is lying. He is pulling a prank. I only said the part of me walking badly for a few days. Everyone knows I was like a wounded puppy everytime you denied me. I swear." He sat in the chair and waited for his punishment before Harry tried to control his laughing along with Sheda so as to not wake anyone up.

Sheda collected herself before she excused herself to get ready for the day. Sirius grumbled but decided to go outside in the backyard and watch the sunrise.

Harry sat down on the sofa and looked at Fleur still sleeping. He mused on how beautiful she was. Magic was right 'one of her most beautiful creations.' It seemed him sitting down stirred Fleur as she opened her eyes. "Morning Fleur." Harry responded as she looked at him. He still felt her focused Allure on him. It didn't bother him but he was surprised she didn't realize it. Her hair was glowing so she knew it wasn't being held in.

Fleur looked at him and smiled. "Morning Arry. I left you some of my old clothes. They fit but it seems you are now taller than me by a few inches."

Harry smiled. "Seems my growth spurt fully started while I was asleep." She nodded and then realized with wide eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. "Harry birthday Arry!"

Harry smiled at her touch and to his surprise the hug lingered. "Thanks Fleur. What a way to wake up. At least I didn't miss it. Do you want to go walking? Maybe we can see the sunrise? Do you know a good spot?

Fleur nodded and quickly looked to grab his robe that she had wrapped around her. She realized he must have covered her with it. "Here."

Harry shook his head. "Leave it here or wear it, I don't need it right now. I know I still need it but right now I am fine. Either way. I am spending time with you. No new adventure is bound to happen?" Harry grimaced and swore. Maybe he should stop tempting fate. She was clearly someone who had fun with it.

Fleur smiled at his comment as she put it on and led them outside. As they walked she fully could see his height; he was taller than her but just barely. She also noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses. "No more glasses Arry?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess so. When I did the rune I felt alive. As if my body was refreshed. I wouldn't be surprised if it healed myself to a degree. Maybe this isn't even a growth spurt but who knows." Harry wondered if he would keep getting taller? Would he truly be like the young Tom he saw in his vision.

Fleur nodded, figuring that a dark art would have benefits. It was more of the costs that would make people worry. "Did Sheda talk to-"

Fleur stopped as Harry nodded. "She did, I messed up. I didn't know. You didn't know either. Runes as a Dark art it is not taught until much later. Specifically your mastery. The reasoning being that most people aren't too curious and if they are it's up to mentors to help. Sheda blamed herself more than she blamed me. It was clear to what degree I was willing to break rules, not only with my history, but also my pulsar ward."

Fleur understood what he meant and hesitated. "So carving runes is a dark art. So are you cursed?"

Harry shook his head but unsure if he should tell her about his interactions. He decided she should know the part she played in bringing him back. He explained everything, but left the fact he wanted to die out. "I was brought back because a blue bird kept singing to me. As if calling or holding me in this world. Death said it was a fairy, You."

Fleur looked surprised and happy she did help him. "Honestly it sounds crazy, but after what happened and your past. Nothing really does anymore."

Fleur looked in thought, a part of her embarrassed that her Allure did so much. " I am glad I helped you come back, Arry. Fairy? Grandma always said that was our heritage. I guess there really is more to Veela nature than just looks and an Allure." Harry agreed with her and they kept walking.

For Fleur, a new want of exploring their kind started to form in her. Fleur continued the conversation."Well you saved the valley and permanently enchanted it."

Harry was confused by her statement. "Saved the Valley? Permanently?"

Fleur looked at him as they stopped walking for a bit. Although her home didn't have a pond or anything of particular significance. It did have a beautiful magical forest that she liked to walk in, which is where they found themselves now. "Qui. You saved the valley. Many people were in hiding. You essentially saved around 300 people scattered through the valley. All from different parts of the world. All hidden or fighting in their own way. As for the enchantment, you permanently made it to a snowy wonderland. Your magical scent adds to it. Cinnamon and pine. There is now a large crystal where we had our last stand. You channeled a lot of magic with the rune."

Harry was in thought and smiled looking down before he looked back at her. "Although I am happy people did survive. I didn't do it for them. I did it for you Fleur. We had to get out together and I wanted to make sure you did. You didn't ask to be a part of what happened." Fleur was looking at him in surprise .

Fleur knew Sheda told her Harry would argue that he did it for her. Yet she couldn't believe that he would say it out loud . It was probably the most selfish thing he had said since they met but it still was very much like him. He didn't care at that moment about the valley. He just wanted to save her. "Thank you Arry. I was saved."

Harry smiled at her. The smile made her melt. "So why are you focusing your Allure so much on me?"

Fleur's smile fell and she looked slightly in panic. "Arry. I…I…..It's a force of habit. I have been using it to stabilize you and like you said it brought you back."

Harry chuckled and waved at her to continue walking. Fleur became beat red as they started walking. Unsure of what to say or what she was feeling. She was acting like a little girl with a crush.

Harry after some walking commented. "Fleur it's fine. It's clear you like to. So much so that even in your panic and your current embarrassment you haven't pulled it back." Fleur again looked surprised and began to pull it before her hand was grabbed by Harry. "If you want, you can do it. I don't really care. It doesn't affect me. If anything, our little secret. A Fleur and Harry secret? Everyone has secrets it seems."

Fleur looked at him with a neutral face as she tried to control her emotions of joy, confidence, embarrassment, panic, and her crush. "I do like it, Harry. A part of me is actually very happy to have a friend I can just relax around with to such a degree. I do feel bad. It's not ethical and if people found out people would have me killed."

Fleur swore that Harry's eyes shined dangerously at her comment. "Well I guess we'll just have to keep it well hidden. Most people don't even know how an allure works so who cares what they think. It's just you and me; who cares what anyone else thinks really." Harry stopped. He began looking at the sunrise through the tree line. The sun created a multitude of god rays.

Fleur just stared at him, the last sentence stuck in her head and making her crush reach new levels. 'It's just you and me; who cares what anyone else thinks.'

Break Break Break

Fleur had conflicting feelings as they walked back to the house. Maybe she should take her chance while she can. Not allow Greengrass any time. Her thoughts were pulled away as Harry asked her who else was at the House. "Queenie is here with her left and right hand as she called them; Sybil and Alexandra. They are both very loyal and fierce witches. I actually talked to them, they were the only ones that got me to eat. They are only 6 years older than me but it's clear they know so much. They actually have been trained by Queenie since their 7th year. I think you will get along with them"

Harry nodded and Fleur continued. "Greengrass is here. She is in the guest house and spends time with Sybil and Alexandra. She heard that you were being called the 'boy who saved' and wanted to come see you. She wrote to Sheda and Sheda agreed she could come see you. Sheda argued you would have wanted her to know."

Fleur felt the jealous feelings come back. "Sirius and Queenie hide in private rooms while she is in the House."

Harry was surprised Daphne had come. Although he chalked it up as Sheda approving of their friendship. He often wondered during the end of the school year if Sheda didn't like Hermione or Ron. Maybe this was her pushing him to accept Daphne as a friend. Yet, Fleur brought up a great point. Did he trust her enough? "What does everyone know?"

Fleur stopped realizing the complexity of information. She held her going down her finger "The whole truth of what happened? Probably you and Sheda only. I would probably say I am next in line, knowing a better picture but I know you keep stuff between each other. Maybe Sirius and Dumbledore would be next. Queenie and Grindelwald would be behind them. Her two lieutenants know a lot but it's clear Queenie keeps some stuff away still, what the cloak is a good example. My family would follow, papa was surprised about Queenie to say the least, but he doesn't know about Grindelwald or anything deeper. And Greengrass would be the least in the know."

Harry looked in thought and would agree. He still kept stuff from Fleur, mainly his personal stuff, but outside of Sheda she was right there knowing almost everything. Harry decided to ask Daphne directly what she wanted to know. He was surprised to see her come out of the House. Something seemed peculiar about her magic. He could not really understand it as she came up to him and hugged him. "Harry!"

Break break break (1 week after the Valley enchantment)

Daphne had been an emotional wreck. She wanted to see Harry but was not sure how to reach him. A feeling of hopelessness that she felt the night he didn't come to study had come over her. All she knew was that Harry was being called the boy who saved after enchanting an entire valley to defeat 100 Lethifolds. To say she was surprised was an understatement, but a part of figured he could do it considering his issues and even feats with magic. Her biggest worry was what national articles and the press wrote.

He was recovering in France with the Head Aurors family. The Delacours. A magical house of no prestige or title, but one that had risen in the ranks through hard work. She wasn't surprised that the wife and daughters of the Head Auror were Veela. It made her remember Harry's comment about the friend he made. "Already charming the veela's family Harry?" She talked to herself, as she read the daily prophet that early morning.

The daily prophet had been a mess unsure what kind of story to create. Ranging from him being seduced, to the French having nothing of value, to praising the family, and even questioning the Potter loyalty. Overall, it was clear the Prophet was having a hard time setting its story straight. Daphne decided to write to Bathsheda. She wasn't sure if she would, but she figured she could get a response.

Later in the day, before lunch, Daphne was surprised to receive a letter from Bathsheda telling her that she was willing to meet in the Paris ministry of magic to talk to her that afternoon. Her mom had no issues considering she was meeting with the professor who gave her the privileges of doing her Owls early. Staying at their summer home also made it easy.

Break break break

Daphne stepped out of the floo without much issue, chuckling at the story Harry told her about landing in the Burke shop. Looking around she looked for Bathsheda. Expecting to see the witch collected as she usually was, she was surprised to see a disheveled woman who looked to be hanging on a mental thread. She walked up to her. "Hello Professor-"

Sheda cut her off with her impatience showing. "Call me Sheda. You deserve too after agreeing to show up." Daphne looked confused and followed the witch as Sheda continued. "Daphne." Daphne was surprised by the casual name usage, but said nothing. "What do you know about Harry's life?"

Daphne looked in thought. "I know of his adventures at Hogwarts. There are certain things missing which I believe are important like who opened the chamber. I know he has a hard home life although he never told me but you can tell if you are considerate to his actions. Granger's heavy handedness being a good example. Ummmm. I know he has issues with his magic of course. His robe seems to react to his emotions so probably-" Sheda turned around and looked at her.

Daphne realized that Sheda didn't just look disheveled. The women had been crying with no sleep. She was truly hanging on by a thread. "Quiet Daphne. Eyes and ears are everywhere now more than ever." Daphne didn't know what to say but it was clear Sheda didn't want to her to talk out loud about the topic. Daphne caught the scent of a bakery passing her by but she ignored it.

Sheda continued "So you figured it out?"

Daphne looked back at her. "I figured it had something to do with that day in the Great Hall."

Sheda sighed, turning around she smiled brightly. Acting as if they were just finishing their conversation. "We are being watched, Daphne. A African American witch is going to come up to us right now. You act as if you are friends okay?"

Daphne was bumped by Sybil. "Oh my God Daphne! Do you remember me? It's Sybil."

Daphne played along. "Hi Sybil. It's so great to see you again. It's been so long since my family visited America. Goodbye Professor Babbling. Thanks for the meeting regarding my Ancient runes self study. See you in a few months."

Daphne then turned to Sybil. "So how has the family been? It feels so long ago. Dad always liked visiting America for the dueling circuits. Always the most interesting in combat dynamics."

Sybil was surprised at the girl's quick thinking. "You did always enjoy the more creative duelers." The two kept conversing until Sybil led them both outside the ministry. "Good job Daphne. I am Sybil. As you know. The family is being watched by the ICW and some others it seems. It's been hard to go out. Sheda insisted on meeting you though but we didn't expect such an immediate presence."

Daphne was shocked. ICW and who else? "Over Harry I assume."

The witch nodded. "How late can you be free?"

Daphne responded. "About 2 more hours."

Sybil nodded. "Sheda wanted me to ask. Do you want to learn more about Harry? You can't go back. There are some other threats from a woman around Harry but if you decide to back out.—Well we will make sure you don't have to worry about what you learn." Daphne realized she had a choice. It was clear there was more to what had happened. There always was regarding Harry.

Harry was the center of the three major events at Hogwarts. He was now the center of the largest magical beast attack in the past century, beating out Newt's own escapades. 'Be in his corner' this was what she felt Herminoe had meant. She nodded and then Sybil grabbed her and activated a portkey.

Break break break (Daphne's time at the Delacours leading up to Harry waking up)

After learning that Harry had been in a coma Daphne panicked and asked for as much as she could be told. A feeling of desperation like she felt the day she couldn't find him. Unfortunately Sheda told her that it was not up to her. Harry would have to decide. Sheda had only given her the privilege due to the knowledge of how much time they spent together and Daphne's continued confidence regarding Harry issues.

As a result, Daphne asked her mom if she could stay with some students that Sheda had in the past in order to study and her mom agreed. She made her temporary home with Sybil and Alexandra and although the girls were older Daphne quickly began to like having them around. Their easy going personalities made it easy for her to meld with them. The same could not be said for Fleur.

Harry had written about her but it was clear that the Veela did not like her. If anything she felt that the witch hated her. If she didn't hate her, maybe she was jealous?

One of the nights that Daphne was in the room, a conversation with Mrs. Delacour turned sour. Mrs. Delacour had asked questions regarding Daphne having very similar hair to Veela and maybe having an ancestral Veela in her family.

Fleur responded bitterly to the idea saying a true Veela was one with an Allure, affinity to fire, and an avian form. Anything less was not a Veela, but an ancestral lineage that was a pale illusion of what was.

Daphne understood the subtle jab at her. Saying she was nothing compared to her. Daphne let it slide, for now anyway. The weirdest interaction was when Fleur asked her if she had any boyfriends. Daphne told her no as she really didn't care. To say the witch smirked would be an understatement. It seemed the witch had been ready to start ridiculing her with her snippy 'Well.' But then the witch stopped and looked torn.

Fleur then left Daphne alone. Daphne, after that interaction, decided to give the witch a wide berth. Who knew what Harry saw in her besides looks. Fleur seemed to be prideful, conceited, and an egotistical witch with no manners. The only saving grace was the fact it was clear the witch cared for Harry.

A care that shone through in her eyes when the witch excitedly told everyone that he had woken up, but that Sheda was with him. The last comment all but guaranteed no one would get to see him until tomorrow. She had gone to sleep excited and woke up early to get ready.

Break break break (end of flashback)

"Harry!" Daphne hugged him much to Harry's surprise.

Daphne caught Fleur wrinkling her nose. "I will be in the House Arry. If you want to spend time with a woman."

Harry caught the snippy attitude and was about to respond, but Fleur had already begun walking away. Daphne decided to ignore her and looked at Harry. It seemed he kept up with her own growth spurt, but she was surprised to see him without his glasses. "Harry, where are your glasses?"

Harry smiled at her as they began walking towards the back of the house. "Magic I suppose. I used a lot of magic and it ended up with my eyes being healed."

Daphne nodded, clearly not buying it. "So what's the real reason? Magic doesn't heal like that without intent."

Harry sighed. It felt like ages ago now, but he remembered how well she could pick up on his bullshit. Their time spent together, although not much time compared to Ron or Herminoe, was a severe amount in a short amount of time. Close to every available hour being spent in the library together in a secluded spot. It had been fun and a bright light in what was now becoming a hard year.

Harry realized he cherished her input more than any other person outside of Sheda after everything that happened. She helped him deal with being lonely as his friends avoided him consistently and everyone went out to Hogsmeade on the weekends. Ironically by not following her own advice and hanging out with him.

Daphne had also instilled in him a new work ethic that focused more on interests and priorities rather than general knowledge. She gave him a base for a new moral code that he continued to build on regarding how to expect others to treat him. Lastly, she had stayed true and kept his confidence. He knew she saw the robe after it was made. He was sure she saw it glow at some point. He did want her to be a close friend. "How much do you know Daphne?"

She smiled innocently at him. "If I tell you then you know what to leave out."

Harry chuckled. "Do you want to know everything then?"

Daphne brightly smiled. "If you trust me and you are comfortable. I don't want to overstep though. I understand if there are things you do not want to tell me."

They sat down on a small table in the backyard in a garden and Harry began his story. He filled in all the details of the years at Hogwarts, the stone, the chamber, and the dementors. He then went into detail on his magic issue and what happened in the valley including the Grindelwald meeting and the rune skin carving. He mentioned Voldemort coming back and how it was affecting his magic. To his surprise she didn't seem surprised or showed it rather.

As he finished she got up and slapped him right across his face. "You idiot. What did I tell you about doing feats of magic that no one else has done?" Harry was shocked but said nothing. Daphne stayed standing and raised an eyebrow at being ignored. She pulled her wand and hit him with multiple stinging hexes.

Harry being hit by 3 started to feel them and grimaced as he spoke. "That there is probably a reason. Sorry."

She looked at him. Her stinging hexes were pretty strong yet he seemed to not feel the first 2 and barely felt the 3rd. "You don't feel magic like you used to?"

She crouched and used an underpowered cutting curse on his exposed arm and to her surprise it did nothing. "Your skin is more resistant. Your body is more magical than human now. You're cursed? Skin carving is dark art?" Harry realized he would not be able to hide what happened and told her the story of meeting the 3 entities as she sat back down.

Daphne hummed. "So magic is truly about intent? Or you're a special case? Hmmm"

Harry was surprised she had taken everything so well. "You believe me for everything? Not one thing you are going to question?"

Daphne looked at him. Wondering. "What is Fleur to you?"

Harry was surprised and confused. "Really? Out of everything? Grindelwald? Voldemort? Queenie? The two girls you have been hanging out with? Sirius?"

Daphne shrugged with a smirk. "Can't really control all those, and honestly it's either you are telling the truth or you have over what? 11 people all believing you and helping you? Pretty crazy level of mind charms you have done. Especially against some pretty powerful witches and wizards."

Harry smirked. She wasn't wrong a lot of people around him seemingly believed him, but after so many crazy stories what's a new one? Harry could find no fault in the logic. "Why is Fleur important?"

Daphne raised an eyebrow. "She hates me or at least is jealous of me? I want to know what she is to you before I start biting back. She has gotten on my nerves a few times."

Harry was surprised but also wasn't. "How bad? She was like that when I first met her. Took a reality check by her family I believe and the realization that she cost her family alot. Overall, she is a Veela but hates our world."

Daphne looked confused. "Our world? Like magical or?"

Harry shook his head and leaned back. "Our Lord and Lady world. Our privileged stance and place."

Daphne nodded. "Veela and from an unimportant house. French families would never care and neither would anyone else in magical Europe. Hard hand for a witch being exposed to that world because of her father. I could see it eating at her."

Daphne looked in thought. Wondering what it could be. Jealous? She then realized maybe the witch liked Harry. She could see it. Why see her as a threat? "No, she is hating me for something else. It's not about my stance. I will think about it. Don't worry about it."

Harry looked confused by what she meant. "Are you sure? I can talk to her? I rather not have you fighting. You two are my closest friends currently and I rather.-"

Harry was cut off by Daphne. "Harry. You are my friend also. If I think I can't handle it. I will talk to you about it. Either way I leave later today. We will see what happens at Hogwarts. Trust me?"

Harry sighed. "Fine. Thank you by the way for caring."

Daphne nodded and got back up. "Well. I have some gifts for your birthday. I would prefer it if you opened them away from everyone else." Harry was surprised but agreed. She told him she would be back and she headed towards the guest house.

Harry wondered why Daphne took to his story so easily. Did something happen to her during the time he was in a coma? Maybe she had a change of heart? She always felt a tad cagey but she seemed open to anything as if she wanted to guarantee he had someone to trust. In his corner like Sheda. Should he worry? No. Sheda clearly had gauged her out.

Furthermore, Daphne never picked at him. If anything she always respected him and in their time together never dug more then he was willing to tell her. If anything she was cagey on not wanting to know him. His thoughts were pulled away as she came back. "I have a few things but I find them embarrassing."

Dapne put her head down with 3 packages.

Harry had never seen anything like this from her and he was surprised. "Daphne, it's okay. I am surprised you wanted to give me anything." He grabbed the 1st one and to his surprise it was two books. Leather bound and Black and with fountain pens. He noticed the powering runes and blood privacy runes.

Daphne spoke quietly. "I worried a lot that night you didn't come to dinner or to study. I had heard what Ron said and I tried looking for you, but I lost you, I figured you hid under your cloak. I kept looking for you the whole day and at night. I went against curfew and talked with Sheda."

Harry realized she cared much more than he thought. Daphne began to sniffle. "I really felt that maybe I could help, but I had no way to help. The gifts are all tied to that night in some way. The books are meant so we can communicate even when separated. The blood runes make them private so we can only open them. We can write on the first page for quick messages that go away with time or use the other 100 pages for permanent messages." Harry began to open the other items. Two candles and two platinum bracelets that looked like snakes designed with silver and green. The eyes of the snake had emerald eyes. Harry admired it.

Daphne continued. "The candles we can keep in our dorms and if we aren't responding or want to meet we can light them. One will turn on the other."

She sighed. "I know you have the robe and what its properties are now, but I got you an admonitor. Two of them. One for you and one for-" Daphne got up and tried to grab the gift. "You know what it's dumb and I am stupid to think you would want it. I am sorry. I just."

Harry grabbed her wrists. "For you?"

Daphne nodded and looked down. "Yeah. It's meant to tell us when the other is under magical stress. I didn't want to invade your privacy but it will only react when it detects high magic usage or if we are under great stress. According to my family, the bracelet will warm up, vibrate and the emarald will glow."

Harry looked at them in admiration and put one on. He put the other on Daphne's. "Thank you Daphne. I love them." She smiled. Harry looked at the admonitor while admiring it. "So no more hiding for you?"

Daphne nodded with a smile. "No more hiding. I want people to know I am your friend." Harry looked at her. Realizing that he would be able to have the support of another friend at school this year. "Well Daphne. I guess it's time to enjoy whatever I can of my birthday."