Fleur was worried.

She had known about the date between Harry and Daphne. In fact, she had even incentivized it. She knew Daphne had a special place in Harry's heart. And she knew better than to fight it, knowing that it could drive him away from her. And that was something that Fleur wanted to avoid at all costs.

In the short time she had known Harry Potter, she had decided that he would be the man for her. The fact he could resist her allure without even trying was a huge plus. Then, he clearly had the magical power that her Veela side craved so much. If she had any doubts about that after his exhibition against the dragon on the first task, they completely dissipated when she saw his eyes in his fight against the Durmstrang champion. The power that the glow in his eyes reflected was unquestionable.

But it wasn't just that. He was also kind and loving, patient and generous, as she had observed in his dealings with his friends, and with Luna, most of all. The girl had quickly become very important to Fleur, and the way Harry had just taken her into his life, showed much about who he was.

Adding to all of this, the fact that he was interesting to talk to, was entertaining and original, allowed her to reach the conclusion that she didn't need to look any further. Harry was the man for her, and as such she would fight for him with all her strength. If that meant having to accept and learn how to share him with another women, then she would do it and happily. The fact that Daphne was gorgeous and that she wouldn't be against… experimenting a little, made it much easier to accept the Slytherin into her relationship with Harry.

So, she had agreed to the date and even encouraged it, only to be surprised by the news of the attack and that Harry was lying unconscious in the infirmary room after fighting and killing two dementors. She had hurried to the infirmary as fast as humanely possible, but Professor Dumbledore had been very assertive, even aggressive when he 'explained' that Harry was unconscious and would remain under controlled surveillance for as long as the headmaster saw fit. When she had tried to argue his authority over the boy-who-lived, he had quickly dismissed her with the fact that he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and as such, responsible for every student in the castle, Harry Potter included. When she turned to beg for even just a visit, he had retreated into the infirmary, telling her that she would get news with everyone else and closing the doors behind him.

The quick look she managed to give the interior of the room just showed her boyfriend lying on a bed looking peaceful and relaxed. If she didn't know any better, she could almost believe he was dead, with the stillness and total oblivion he showed.

Nervous and confused with what had happened, she moved to the Great Hall, looking for his friends and hopefully, for answers.

Daphne was distraught and desperate. She had waited for Harry to return for as long as she could, and when he didn't, she had decided to go look for him. Unfortunately, Madam Rosmerta had fought her on it, delaying her long enough that when she finally managed to leave the Pub, the threat of the dementors had been dealt with and the streets were safe again. She wondered around the village looking for her date for over an hour, until the information that Dumbledore had saved and rescued Harry, bringing him back to the school, reached her ears.

She had rushed to Hogwarts, only to stop face-front from the doors of the medical wing, her knocks ignored and her attempts at opening the door, even with a couple of 'Alohomora' included failed.

She walked back to the Great Hall, distraught, trying to figure out why did it look like her relationship with Harry was cursed, as every single attempt ended in unpredictable ways.

On her way she found Tracey and Blaise, who looked like they were going on their way to the Infirmary room.

"Not worth it," she informed, "the door is locked, and no one replies when I knock. Looks like Dumbledore has him stuck in there for some reason."

"But – but what happened? Was he kissed? Or worse, expelled?" asked Tracey, the expression on her face filled with worry.

"Worse? What are you talking about? How is expelled worse than kissed? Trace?" Blaise looked around for support, finding Daphne with the same horrified curiosity he felt.

"Well – No… Let me explain. Of course, it would be better for him to be alive, but can you imagine Harry not being able to do magic? No wand? But being able to remember everything about the magical world? What kind of sad existence would that be? I'm not saying I would prefer Harry to die, but honestly, if it was me… I think I would."

That definitely caught them by surprise. None of the students had ever thought about it in those terms. It made a bit more sense.

"I think I understand, but I would still prefer to be alive and magicless." reasoned Blaise.

"I think we've gotten rather off topic, no?" remarked Daphne, with Harry still too present in her mind to let it go.

"Of course," agreed Tracey, "that's more important. You were with him, right? What happened? Do you know anything?

"I – We – Well, we were in our date, things were going great…" she trailed off, a dreamy expression on her face, lunch time still too fresh, "and suddenly, we started to feel them, to feel the cold… It was like I was never going to be happy ever again. Harry tried to cast his Patronus, but for some reason it didn't work."

"What do you mean it didn't work? I've seen him doing it plenty of times, why would it suddenly not work anymore?"

"How would I know? Anyway, Harry grabbed me and dragged me to the Three Broomsticks, asked Flitwick for help, made me promise to stay there and then left to save Granger, who apparently had gotten lost and had lost her wand as well."

"Granger, really?" Tracey retorted, a hint of anger in her voice, "That idiot risked his life for Granger? I'm going to kill him."

Blaise, seeing the situation getting out of control, decided to take a diffuser role.

"Trace, let it go. You know how Harry is. Malfoy could be in danger, and you know Harry would still give his life trying to save him. It's who he is, that damned Gryffindor blood."

"I know, but Miss-I'm-better-than-everyone Granger? Urgghh"

The trio had made it to the Great Hall and sat down at their usual spot at Slytherin table. Looking around to see the aftermath of the attack while also looking for Granger to try and get some more information, they noticed the Great Hall was at half capacity, with students barely talking and just eating in silence, some even being comforted by others.

The tension around the hall was starting to get to them as well, when they noticed Fleur entering the hall with a nervous look and biting her nails.

Immediately Tracey waved at her, signaling the Veela to join them. Almost as quickly, Ron Weasley's eyes went glazed and a pouch of drool started to form on his robe.

"Hey," greeted Fleur, ignoring the stares of half the people in the hall, "I just heard something happened, do you know if Harry's okay?"

The concerned hint in both her eyes and voice softened the trio.

"Yes, it all started…" They quickly got Fleur up to speed with what they were discussing before her arrival, leaving the expulsion discussion out of it.

" I went there, you know? Dumbledore refused to let me in, or even give me any sort of update on what's going on with him. Maybe I should ask pappa for help." She muttered at the end, barely audible to anyone but the three Slytherins she was talking with.

"Your father?" asked Tracey, the most oblivious to politics of the trio.

"Yes, he's the minister of Magic in France, didn't you know? And I know he would definitely help on this situation, especially if I tell him who Harry is to me."

Daphne looked at the Veela with a hint of jealousy in her heart. She wasn't just a perfect woman, but also her father was completely available to support her relationship with his daughter and help her boyfriend, whereas Daphne's own father would, at best, cast her out if the ever heard the news, or, at worst, kill her. Or even make her spy and betray her boyfriend, if he could somehow benefit from it.

"Yes, that would be great Fleur, thank you" she agreed, concern surpassing the jealousy by such a large margin she was determined to ask for help.

"I will write to him right now!" Fleur started to get up.

"Wait!" Exclaimed Daphne, before she could get far, "Eat something before. Dinner is almost over, and I have a feeling it will be a long night. You will need it." She smiled.

Fleur, easily understanding that the other girl was trying to reach out in her own way, smiled and politely sat back down.

"Thank you, I think I will."

Albus Dumbledore paced around the room. Something was very wrong. Shortly after he rescued Harry, he brought him to the Hospital wing, trusting his employee, Poppy, to be the best suited to help the boy. While Albus had deliberately slowed down his rescue to try and give himself a popularity boost, he hadn't planned on the boy being out of commission for an indefinite period of time. He didn't really understand what happened. The second dementor had disintegrated, the boy looked victorious but cautious and suddenly he collapsed. Nothing had happened to cause such a reaction but, indeed, as the boy lying in front of him proved, something needed to have provoked it. Was it the dementor? Poppy didn't believe it was neither physical nor magical exhaustion. He was very much confident the boy hadn't been kissed, so what was causing this collapse?

He looked at his other student also resident in the Infirmary.. He was very much confident that she had, in fact, been kissed. Her body was clearly still alive, but her eyes were blank and her expression motionless. Her faith would be that she would now stay in this dormant state for the rest of her natural life. She wasn't dead, not even damaged in the traditional sense of the word, all her organs and bones were in perfect condition, the broken vertebra had been healed by Poppy in an instant. No, her mind was simply not there, even if her brain was still in pristine condition, all its memorizing power still intact, it was just… Empty. Vacant. Her soul had left her body, and she would never recover, even a bit, until the day she died. Whether it would go on to the next great adventure or was just lost in the void for all eternity, he didn't know, as there was very little knowledge available on the subject. A proof of that was the fact that the sword of Gryffindor, being wielded by Harry, had been the first instance of someone or something being able to kill a dementor, ever. The boy had been able to, yet again, surpass all his expectations and done something truly prodigious. This only reinforced Albus' beliefs that what he was doing, the path he had chosen for the boy, was proving to be the correct one. He might not be able to defeat Voldemort by himself and claim all the glory just as he had done with Gellert, but at least he would be hailed as the mentor of Britain's next hero. Martyr, if his suspicions were correct. And Albus Dumbledore would be the one left to reap the benefits. The hero and the mentor. All at the same time.

His eyes wandered again back to the soulless body of the Gryffindor girl. How would he explain this to her parents? And muggle parents at that. They wouldn't understand what had happened, they wouldn't be able to let go. Maybe the merciful thing to do would be to just obliviate them of her existence. Yes, maybe that's what he, the always compassionate grandfather, would do.

Again, he focused on the soulless face of his most recent loss as headmaster. Soulless… An idea came to him. A quick soul detection spell should be enough.

Turning back to the boy, he cast the spell.

"Interesting…"

Sebastian Delacour was a simple man. His priorities were simple. His highest priority was his family, his wife and beloved daughters would always be on top of everything else. Then, his country, his home, the one he was the highest ranked responsible for. And only in third place came his own personal needs, his projects and desires.

So, when a letter from his daughter reached his hand, pleading for his help and influence to get information on a boy, Harry Potter of them all, he immediately activated his emergency ministerial portkey and materialized quickly on the other side of the Channel, at the floor of the French Embassy in London.

Quickly making his way to the school, he soon found himself at the imposing gates of Hogwarts, where he was met by his daughter and a couple of her friends.

As soon as the doors opened Fleur jumped into his arms, murmuring "I missed you so much"

Sebastian hugged his daughter with passion. She was one of the two most precious people in the world for him, and he would be a happy man if he was able to just hold them in his arms eternally.

"Fleur, my dear daughter, I'm here to help. I'm sure you already know exactly what you need me to do, so just point me in the right direction. But after this is done and settled, we will have a conversation. I would really like to understand why you are asking for my help with a boy!" He smiled and winked at her.

Fleur, pretty much for the first time since she arrived in England, blushed with her father's comment.

Leading him to the medical wing of Hogwarts, Fleur took the time to introduce her companions.

"Papa, please meet Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini. Everyone, my father, Sebastian Delacour."

The eldest Delacour eyes opened wider at that.

"Zabini as in the Zabini's from Italy?" He asked, surprised to see the heir of the Italian royal family at Hogwarts, and friends with her daughter.

"Yes sir, I am. Even if I would ask you not to advertise that the fact that I'm here or who I am to the students of Hogwarts."

Familiar with how these people and families functioned and knowing that if the news of the boy's residence in Hogwarts was widely known he could be in danger, he immediately agreed.

"Of course, please don't worry about my discretion. But I do have to say young man, your grandfather has cause me several headaches throughout the years, he's a tough pill to swallow." He smiled.

A short laugh and a deep nod later, Blaise agreed with the older man.

"HAHA believe me, it's even worse for my mother and even for myself. Coming to Hogwarts has been the best vacation of my life, even with everything that happens in the castle."

At that, Sebastian raised an eyebrow, wondering what kind of events he was referring to.

Noticing that explaining everything to her father would take way longer than necessary at the moment, Fleur quickly interrupted.

"Later please, Papa. We will have time to discuss all these situations. Right now, our priorities are different."

"Of course," agreed Sebastian. "Another time then. Please lead the way."

And together the five rushed to the Hospital wing.