Harry walked inside Twilfitt and Tatting's, a high-class clothing store in Diagon Alley. The shop owner looked at him with a lot of distrust, as this shop had incredibly high prices and was very selective in his clientele. After flashing two Lordship rings at the owner, and with one of them being the Potter ring, the man running the store was suddenly much nicer.
Harry decided to buy formal and informal robes, all in the highest quality materials, and with adjustment charms to face his puberty growth. He made sure that every single piece of clothing contained both the Potter and Gaunt symbol, as he would now be recognized as the Lord of the two houses. He also bought a special suit for the coming Yule ball at Hogwarts, a courtesy of the Triwizard Tournament. He had informed himself about the event, learning that he would require a date and he would open the dance floor along with other the champions.
The date part had the potential to cause him a problem, he couldn't invite Daphne, as he was sure that their pictures would end up in the newspaper and Daphne's father couldn't even dream of something like that. He thought Fleur would be a good choice, but he didn't know how Daphne would react, and he was sure it would not be nice. Tracey was a safe option, but she had a life of her own and Harry couldn't expect she would just ditch her date to go with him. He had even considered Blaise, as homosexuality didn't have a bad connotation in the wizarding world, but he didn't want to go there.
So, the suit was ordered, and his measures were taken, the material decided, but the color, as he wanted to match is date's dress, stayed in standby. He would have to owl the store later informing them of any developments.
After spending a few hundred Galleons in the clothing store, and with a promise from the owner that his cloths would be deliver via owl-express in the days, he made his way to the fourth store of his visit.
Flourish and blotts was a very old store, but the outer look deceived the costumer. Inside, the book shop was gigantic, with thousands upon thousands of books to purchase on the most variating topics. Harry wondered around for quite some time, his thirst for knowledge going wild. He ordered dozens of books, most of them in transfiguration and combat magic. He ordered two on rituals as well, noticing that the choice was very limited, with rituals being so associated with dark magic. As he was heading to the counter to pay for the books, he noticed a name in the children section that caught his attention.
Harry Potter and the Griffins
Harry Potter and in the Space Adventure
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
And dozens more.
Curious, he picked up a few a flipped through the pages. One detailed his supposed adventure with a pride of griffins. Other, detailed his adventure when he decided to fly his broom up in into space. A third one was a sort of a crossover with another children story, detailing how Harry gathered three objects, the Deathly Hallows and became something called the Master of Death.
Harry laughed at the creativity, for sure. He almost wished that his life had been so filled with adventures. He was sure that 'Harry Potter and the Dursley Abuse' was not as catchy as the others. Then, the thought that publishers were making money using his name made him angry, and he decided to investigate a little more into wizard's copyright law. Adding a single book on the subject to the pile, he payed for books, shrunk them, put them all in one pocket and left the store. As he went to an ice cream lunch at Florean Fortescue's shop, he thought to himself that it was, indeed, being a very productive day.
Returning to Borgin and Burkes, Harry was received by and enthusiastic and amazed Borgin.
"The wand you wanted… It's done. And I dare to say it is the most wonderful wand made by our wand maker. I have to tell you, the man was almost fainting from enthusiasm when he was able to finish it. Thestral tail hair is never used in wand due to his inability to connect with the woods, destroying them." The man opened a box containing a wand inside "But with the Basilisk hide covering the nucleus, the connection was made without a single problem."
"I present to you… The Ebony and Thestral hair wand, with a cover of basilisk skin. One of the finest wand's in the world."
Harry smiled and as he grabbed it, a feeling of warmth filled his entire body. He might connect to this one better than his original wand, he thought.
The idea of using Thestral hair had come from Salazar. He had the inspiration from a wand that Godric Gryffindor had spent decades searching for. It was called the Elder wand, and it was the only known wand made of Thestral hair. Salazar wasn't sure it even existed, as it was just a myth in his time and was now a tale for children, but it was said to be the most powerful wand in the world. Salazar had also come up with using the Basilisk skin to stabilize the core. Thestrals had an unstable magic, due to their connection with Death, and had a tendency to blew up the wood used in wand. So the skin worked as intermediary between the hair and the wood. Ebony was a wood that suited transfiguration and combative magic the best, exactly what Harry needed the wand for.
Deciding he had to try it in the room of requirement as soon as possible, he asked Borgin how much the price was.
"Well, our wand maker would give it to you for free, just the opportunity to brag about making such a wand is sufficient for him, but unfortunately for you, young man, I have a business to run. The wand will be five hundred Galleons."
Harry knew he was being robbed, and that no one would ever pay such a high amount for a wand, even if it was made of pure gold. But he wanted to establish a good commercial relation with Borgin, he didn't know when the old man would be useful, so he payed the amount and added a few dozen galleons to the mix, saying.
"I know silence isn't cheap. But I expect your highest discretion with this purchase. No one will ever know I was here or what I bought. Understood?"
"Of course, my lips are sealed." Answered Borgin, his eyes looking at the gold with and avid look. "Have a good day."
Harry walked out of the store with one wand in each holster. The Phoenix wand in his right arm and the Thestral wand on his left. With all his objectives for the day fulfilled, he apparated into the chamber.
Harry was almost obsessively looking at the Marauders map. Every available moment he had, he was searching for a name. A name that wasn't supposed to be at Hogwarts. A name that he knew, if he found, could change the life of many people in the wizarding world. A name he had seen before but was not equipped to deal with at the time.
His training with Salazar had once again picked up the pace, with the focus now being on dueling and combat magic. Harry could feel the progress being made by the day, his casting quicker and more powerful, and his repertoire of spells increasing at an incredible rate.
More than one month had passed since he had become a student of Salazar's, and he could feel one major change unrelated to magic that had come from Salazar's guidance. His critical thinking had improved a lot, he now felt he considered a lot more variables than before, the understanding of his opponent was now better, and his strategies more elaborate.
Busy between the time spent learning under Salazar and the training he did in Rowena's Room, Harry almost didn't notice that the day of his date with Daphne had arrive. This was a big moment, the nerves he felt were a prove of that. The clothes he bought in his visit to Diagon Alley had arrive a few days before. He had tried them out and even asked Salazar for advice.
That had turned out to be a bad plan, as the founder took the chance to make fun of him in every way he could think of. The only suit approved had been the one in Slytherin colors, a deep green with silver lining. That ended being the one Harry opted to go with, seeing the house colors as a safe zone.
He looked himself in the mirror one more time, fixing a small strand of hair that had gone loose. Taking a few deep breaths, he said his goodbyes to Salazar and made his way to the come and go room.
Harry had wanted to pick up Daphne at the Slytherin dungeons, but she had insisted that they meet in front of the room, as she didn't want them to be seen together all dressed up. He didn't like it, but understood it was necessary for her own safety.
The issue of her father was something he often thought about, but no simple solution had presented herself. He'd thought that killing him was the easiest choice, it wasn't like the man didn't deserved it. He had been one of the elite fighters on Voldemort's side in the war, one of his inner circle members. That group had committed unspeakable atrocities killing, robing and raping people. But it was still her father, and she loved him.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Harry focused on the task ahead. He wanted the room to look perfect for Daphne, so he pictured in his head an image he had seen a few times. A place he was told numerous times was a romantic scenery.
Pacing three times back and forth, he watched as the door materialized in front of him.
Entering the room, the cold air filled his lungs, as the scenario was in open air. A simple thought fixed that, as the room's temperature increased to his demands. Happy with the place, he summoned for Dobby.
He had, after inviting Daphne to the date, asked Dobby if he could provide the food for the date. The elf was incredibly happy and had agreed instantaneously.
"Master Harry calls?" asked the small elf.
"Dobby, thank you for coming. I assume the food is ready?"
"Yes, Master Harry. Everything is ready for yours date with miss Daphy."
The elf had taken a liking to calling her Daphy. Harry didn't oppose, as he found he liked the nickname. But he had asked Dobby to refrain from calling her that in front of the girl, as she might not like it.
"Thank you, Dobby. A few minutes after she arrives and we sit, start with the appetizers."
"Don't worry, Master Harry. Dobby will serve the perfect dinner."
Harry could see the elf was just happy to be able to help him. That did put a smile on his face. Siting down to wait, he remembered one advice from Salazar and conjured a bouquet of flowers.
Daphne was nervous. The date with Harry had finally arrived, and she had spent the entire day closed in her room with Tracey and Astoria as she got ready. She had asked her mother to send her a few dresses she had at home, with the excuse she wanted to try a few in preparation for the Yule Ball. Elizabeth Greengrass had been extremely helpful, sending Daphne almost half of her wardrobe. The clothes came in with the question on who was the lucky man that would take her, and the express wishes for that man to be an upstanding pureblood, a clear indication of her father desires, but she had simply answered she didn't had a date yet.
She had chosen a light blue dress, simple but elegant, who really highlighted the curves in her body that had already formed. She liked how the silk embraced her body. Tracey had approved quickly, but Astoria had protested for a while, wanting Daphne to go for a white dress. But after seeing the final result, even her sister had been forced to admit the choice had been well done.
Asking Tracey to put her under strong notice-me-not charm in order to avoid the crow of people in the common room, she slowly made her way to the seventh floor, following the instructions given by Harry.
Finding the portrait of a man teaching trolls how to do ballet after a few minutes searching, she opened the door on the other side of the hall.
What she found inside made her jaw drop.
They were high up in the air, she guessed a few hundred yards. There was a metallic structure she immediately found familiar. They were siting on a small terrace, a few square yards total. There was a table in the middle with a handsome young man in a Slytherin colored suit waiting by, powerful green eyes staring at her. She gave him a few more seconds to get over the shock of seeing her all dressed up.
While she waited for Harry to regain control of his thoughts, she watched the view.
She could see a beautiful city on the bottom, all lighted up for miles on end. She noticed the gardens on the ground. Perfectly arranged, with beautiful flowers decorating it. She had never been to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but she could recognized the structure easily, being one of the most known monuments in the world. How Harry had thought of such a place for their date amazed her and knowing about his past made her wonder how he even knew about the place.
She had to admit to herself that she loved it. Harry had really come through with his promises.
Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice.
"Hello Daphne, welcome to the Eiffel Tower. Hope you're enjoying the view."
She got closer to the handrail to admire the lights better.
"It's perfect" she murmured, "couldn't have done a better job with the location."
"I'm glad you like it." He said, getting closer and putting one hand on her back.
They stayed in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying the view and each other's company.
Harry then lead her to the table, behaving like a perfect gentleman, helping her sit. She was impressed by his manner, not expecting such a behavior from a fourteen year's old.
The appetizers immediately appeared in front of them. A small piece of paper appeared with the food, with few words written on it.
'Creamy lemon and butter scallops.'
She tasted one and it was amazing. The bitterness from the lemon mixed up perfectly with the butter and the salty taste of the scallops.
They small talked a little bit, most about Daphne's classes in Hogwarts and the progress she had made.
Without Harry's shadow, she had become the best student in Slytherin by far, her only competition in the school being Hermione Granger. Daphne enjoyed learning, her best classes being charms. She was not the most powerful witch in terms of raw power, no were near Harry's power, but her strength was finesse, performing her spells in a perfect and quick way, with an incredible precision.
Harry spoke a little about a few spells he had learned under Salazar, enjoying her reaction when he mentioned one she didn't know about. Those cases were rare, but he managed a few. Daphne made him promise to teach her those spells, her thirst for knowledge quite visible.
The main course soon arrived, with the respective description of the place.
'Medium rare sirloin stake and mushrooms stuffed with cheese and spinach.'
Once again, the quality of the food surprised her, at the same time as Harry was thanking the skies for having Dobby in his life. The excitable elf really knew how to cook.
They were almost finished with their food when Daphne decided to ask the question that had been in everyone's mind since Harry had disappeared in Halloween.
"Harry, can I ask you a question? And please, feel free to not answer it if you don't want to."
"Who is teaching me?" he guessed.
"Yes. I won't tell everybody, I promise, but all the mystery around the situation is enervating."
He chucked a little and proceeded to say.
"Daphne, I would really like to tell you. But it's not my secret to tell. I will ask my mentor if I can share the secret, but I doubt he will agree. If he does, I bet he will demand a lot in return. And I won't betray is trust by telling you without his permission. I really hope you understand it."
"Demand a lot in return? What do you mean by that?"
"My guess is probably an unbreakable vow."
The color left her face, only her makeup preventing her from looking pale.
She knew about unbreakable vows. They were rare due to the fact that breaking one would mean death, and they were sometimes very subjective to interpretation. Magic did her own interpretation of the situation, and being sentient, she could decide in a way that would end up killing a wizard.
"Th- That really is a lot to ask." It was all she could say.
"I know, and I don't want to put you through it. I can tell you one other secret to make it up to you."
Her curiosity sparked up again, and she asked, "What secret?"
Getting his hand in the middle of the two, Harry closed his eyes for a split second and a golden ring sparked in his finger.
"The Lordship ring for the house Potter? But how did you get it? You need to be seventeen to become a Lord!"
"Remember how I also needed to be seventeen to enter this stupid tournament? Well, entering anyway made me emancipated, so I was able to claim the lordship sooner."
She grabbed his hand, inspecting the ring and caressing the stone. "It's beautiful."
She was so focused on the ring that she didn't noticed how close their heads had become, only a few inches keeping them apart. She looked up, locking on the green eyes staring back at her. For a few seconds, blue staring at green and green staring at blue. The tension in the air was palpable, nerves filling both teens. Daphne leaned slightly closer, but to her great surprise, Harry moved away.
Red with embarrassment, she sit back down with her perfect composure, but her head furiously thinking miles an hour. 'What had happened there?'
They slowly returned to their food, both to embarrassed to speak.
As desert came up, a perfect chocolate suflê, they both noticed that it was only one place in the middle of the table, with two spoons. Being forced to share made both students even more awkward around each other. They finished and Daphne quickly made a few excuses of tiredness and after a few weird moments of goodbye, she made her way to the Slytherin dungeons. She didn't even bothered with the notice-me-not charm, as it was late and everyone was probably in bed. As she walked to the dungeons, she asked herself how everything had gone so wrong.
As soon as Daphne left the come and go room, Harry leaned against a wall. Why had he done that? Why had he run away from her at the last possible second?
Just a few seconds later, Dobby apparated right in front of him. For once, the elf didn't look happy.
"Master Harry, why did you do that? Misses like to be kissed during dinner, but you didn't do it. Why?"
"I don't know Dobby, it was a thing of the moment. I was so nervous, my heart was pounding on my chest, and all I could think was what would happen if she didn't like it."
"Master Harry is being dumb" told him the elf, looking stern for the first time Harry could remember. "You should kiss miss Daphy!"
Harry looked at the eyes of the elf for a few seconds. He whispered a quick "Thank you for the dinner Dobby" and made his way out of the room, running.
Daphne was almost arriving to the common room. Her eyes swollen from the tears wanting to come out of her eyes. She was holding them until the safety of her room, not wanting her classmates to watch her cry.
She was just a few yards from the door when an invisible force hit her, pushing her against the wall. Worried about a possible attack, her hand immediately flew to her wand, but her arm was grabbed by an invisible hand. Feeling pressed against the wall by an invisible body, she felt a few moments of fear, until Harry came out from under his invisibility cloak.
"Harry, what are you- "
But before she could finish her question, his lips pressed hard against hers, and she soon melted into his warmth.
AN: Finally! This was probably the hardest chapter to write so far. Give me ten more dragons please. Writing a teenager date was hard, but fun. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.
Thank you to my Beta Arthur for his work on editing this chapter.
Thank you for the follows and reviews. Keep them coming.