"Do not let my fickle flesh go to waste
As it keeps my heart and soul in its place
And I will love with urgency but not with haste"


"We can't say much about you-know-what, obviously..." "We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray..." "We're quite busy but I can't give you details here..." "There's a fair amount going on, we'll tell you everything when we see you..."

Harry gave a long sigh as he read the latest update, if it could even be called that, from Hermione. It was frustrating him to no end that Voldemort was back, yet no one felt the need to let him know what was going on. To be honest, he hadn't expected much from Ron, and he knew that Sirius was probably just as clueless as he was, so he was really counting on Hermione to keep him in the loop, but every letter she sent was the same. She'd write that she couldn't say much, giving some excuses as to why and ended the letters saying she hoped to see him soon.

His frustration over the letters only grew as time progressed and he recently discovered that the prophet had spent the entirety of the summer trying their damndest to convince the public he was some delusional lunatic causing Harry's mood to only spiral further.

The one bright spot this summer was that his relatives had mercifully left him alone and made it abundantly clear that as long as he didn't bother them and wasn't getting into trouble, that they would continue to let him be. It was more than Harry had expected, and he had graciously accepted the nonverbal truce.

He glanced down at the letter once more and decided to go for a walk, hoping to work out some of the frustration he was feeling. He pulled on his trainers and made his way down the stairs and out of the front door as quietly as he could, being careful not to disturb his aunt and uncle who were watching the television.

Once he stepped outside and felt the blistering heat radiating from the afternoon sun, he immediately reconsidered the walk, but not wanting to do anything to risk angering his aunt and uncle he decided against going back inside and started at a slow pace around the neighborhood. He had been walking for a few minutes and was nearing the small neighborhood park when he heard a voice yell out his name. "Harry! Hey, Harry, slow down!"

He turned towards the voice and saw his cousin Dudley walking quickly towards him. Years of instinct told him to run as fast as he could and Harry did debate speeding up and pretending he hadn't heard him, but as far as he could tell Dudley was alone, and he had been nicer to him this summer than at any other point in their lives. In fact He would even go as far as to say that Dudley had been acting decent towards him.

"Come on Harry, slow down." Dudley called out, and Harry finally slowed to a stop allowing his larger and slower cousin to reach him. Once he had caught up Harry continued his walk at a slower pace to make it easier for Dudley to keep up and they continued on together in uncomfortable silence with Harry leading the way.

Harry could see Dudley shooting him nervous glances from time to time and he twice cleared his throat as if he were about to speak before ultimately choosing not to. Finally, after another few minutes of silence Dudley spoke up and asked, "Who's Cedric?" in a curious tone.

Harry frowned at Dudley wondering how he could even know about Cedric and then sent a glare his way realizing this entire walk had been a ploy to mess with him. "How do you know that name?" He spat out, even though he knew this was likely the reaction he was seeking.

Dudley's response, however, was not what Harry expected. "Woah, sorry." He said in a tone that sounded sincere. "I've just heard you saying his name late at night and was curious who he was. I didn't mean to upset you." Harry's face paled slightly, and he understood what must have been happening. He had been having nightmares about the last task since his return from Hogwarts, and he often woke up drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, but he didn't realize he had been yelling out in his sleep loudly enough to seemingly wake Dudley up.

Harry debated what to say in response or whether he should even say anything at all, but eventually he spoke, his voice soft. "Cedric was a friend of mine who was murdered at the end of the school year. I've been having some nightmares about it recently."

Dudley looked taken aback. Whatever answer he had been expecting, this clearly wasn't it "What do you mean murdered?" He got out a moment later, "Are you saying someone killed him while he was at that school?"

"No," Harry replied. "Someone managed to… kidnap the two of us off the school grounds. When we got to where they wanted us, they killed him instantly."

"You can't be serious." Dudley said shocked.

Harry felt his temper begin to rise "I am serious," he began heatedly "I know what I saw."

Dudley raised his hands in surrender. "I didn't mean to say that I didn't believe you, I was just surprised is all" He responded, trying to placate him. He waited another moment and the looked back to Harry "So, who kidnapped you guys, and how did you escape?"

Harry really didn't feel like reliving what he had been seeing in his nightmares and answered with a curt, "I'd rather not talk about it."

"That's fine Harry." Was all the reply he received before they fell once again into an uncomfortable silence.

Another few minutes passed when Harry spoke up. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked with a glance over to his cousin. Dudley had never been very nice to him, in fact most times he'd been outright vindictive.

Dudley looked relieved at the change of topic and Harry watched as his face shifted while he contemplated his response. "I guess it was just a mutual decision by all three of us that we've given you too much shit that you didn't deserve." He started. "And I think a few summers ago when you blew up Aunt Marge, mum and dad finally realized that pretty soon you would be able to do things like that to us as well."

Harry nodded in response. He hadn't ever considered doing any serious harm to his family, but it made sense that they were afraid of what he might do to them in retaliation for all the abuse they'd heaped on him over the years. He wouldn't lie and say that he had never thought about taking revenge on them, but things were different now. He decided then that if they continued to leave him alone for the remainder of the time he spent at number four Privet Drive, then he would offer them the same courtesy.

They fell into yet another silence after that which was still awkward, but not quite as bad as the previous ones had been. Dudley began to fill the silence talking about anything he could think of, sports, school, girls, and Harry listened. Their walk continued like this until Harry looked up and noticed that the sun was beginning to drop lower in the sky. "We should probably be getting home soon or your parents might get worried."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Dudley said, "Here cut through this alley it'll save us some time." He said gesturing to a shortcut Harry was about suggest himself.

Harry led the way into the narrow alley with Dudley a step behind him. Everything was normal when suddenly about halfway through the temperature dropped significantly. The light from the mid-afternoon sun had all but disappeared and Harry could already begin to hear the desperate screams of his mother pleading with Voldemort to spare him.

"Dudley, get on the ground and go fetal" Harry commanded instantly. "Say nothing, don't move, and whatever you do keep your mouth closed." Dudley whimpered but complied as Harry drew out his holly wand. His mind began to race, what were dementors doing here in Little Whinging? As far as Harry knew after his third year, they had all been reassigned back to Azkaban. Had Voldemort somehow taken control of them? Or maybe Fudge was trying to silence him once and for all? He would have to think about that later, because his breath was beginning to fog, and his mother's screams grew louder.

He hesitated for the briefest of moments remembering his first improper use of magic warning , but at this point there was nothing else he could do. He raised his wand and focused on a happy memory, then with a clear voice he yelled out "Expecto Patronum!"

Immediately a gigantic silver-white stag erupted from Harry's wand. It surveyed the area and with the light it was casting Harry realized for the first time that it was two dementors that had pinned them from both entrances of the narrow alley. Prongs went after the dementor that was behind them first and as he got closer, he dropped his head and reared his antlers right through the dementor throwing it back a solid 15 meters. He then turned around and started galloping towards the other dementor who was already attempting to flee, just managing to reach it and knock it forward on its way. With the threat cleared Prongs returned to Harry surveying the area around them once more for danger; not finding any he evaporated from before them, disappearing along with a warm breeze.

Harry turned quickly then to check on Dudley who was still lying on the ground staring up at him open mouthed and wide eyed. "What the bloody hell was that?!" He yelled. "And why did it get so cold all of the sudden, and why did I feel so helpless?"

"Dudley, I need you to calm down." Harry said in what he hoped was a soothing voice those were called dementors, but they're gone now. Right now, we need to get home and get you some chocolate." When Dudley made no attempt to get up Harry extended a hand. "Can you stand?"

"I… I think so." replied Dudley, taking the proffered hand.

Once on his feet they set on their way to cover the remaining distance between them and number 4 Privet, but before they could exit the alleyway Ms. Figg ran into it screaming. "Dementors, what are dementors doing here?! Come quick Harry, we need to get you home. You'll be safe there and I need to floo Dumbledore."

Harry looked up at her with confusion and began to wonder if this had all been some sort of weird hallucination. What was meant to be a regular summer day had somehow included a civil conversation with his cousin, a dementor attack hundreds of miles from Azkaban, and now his crazy cat obsessed neighbor admitting she knew about magic. He sighed, keeping his wand out and at the ready, and followed her without question.


Daphne Greengrass heard the floo go off and ran down to the foyer to meet her father as he arrived home from work. Daphne knew that her father Cyrus Greengrass was considered by many to be an imposing man. He was a prominent pureblood with power, affluence, and influence. His strong jaw and dark hair meant he was handsome, and he was taller than most men. His most striking feature however was his pale blue eyes that were nearly electric in color and allowed him to stand out even further in a crowd. It was those eyes, the eyes that Daphne shared, that had caught the attention of her mother back during their days at Hogwarts.

Daphne's mum Ashley was already waiting when Daphne reached the floo entrance. She was considered by all to be an extremely beautiful woman. Even at her age, she and her daughters could pass for sisters. Her long hair was a honey blonde that Daphne had inherited, and her face soft and elegant highlighted by her kind stormy grey eyes.

As her father stepped out of the floo he quickly vanished the soot that had stuck to his robes and then told his wife that she looked beautiful. Ashley looked at him endearingly and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, but when she pulled back, he pulled her closer, lifted her off her feet, and gave her another kiss as he spun her around. He put her down and Daphne couldn't hold in her giggling as he looked her way and sent her a wink while her mum halfheartedly swatted at his chest.

Not long after her fathers arrival the entire Greengrass family was seated in their large dining room, the table was filled to the brim with different foods that their lovely elf Missy had prepared. Making sure to thank Missy like her parents had taught them, they then began to eat. Daphne's younger sister Astoria took hold of the conversation, chatting animatedly about what she had been up to today with her friends who had come over and the rest of the family seemed content to just listen.

Everything was going normally when just after the main course had been cleared and dessert was served an official ministry owl swept through the open window and landed in front of Daphne's father. The room quieted as he read the letter. Daphne tried to read his face, but it remained completely stoic as he continued to scan the words on the parchment. This was something that Daphne had become accustomed to. Whenever her father was doing something that had to do with his work, he would slip on a serious mask. It was always such a difference from the carefree loving man she saw at home, but she learned quickly it was beneficial and she had been practicing a mask of her own at Hogwarts.

Her father finished the letter and set it down. Immediately Astoria's voice rang out curiously "Who was it daddy, why are they owling you so late?"

"Astoria, it is not polite to be nosy." Her mum quickly reprimanded her. "Especially when it concerns your father's work, you know he isn't allowed to say much."

"No darling this wasn't from work. It was an official summons to a trial in front of the Wizengamot in a few weeks."

Her mum looked surprised "For who?" she asked, and after a moment's pause she added "And why on such short notice? Surely, they haven't caught Black?"

"No, Black is to be kissed on sight. This is for the trial of one Harry James Potter." Her father replied. He sounded as surprised as all the girls looked when they heard the news.

Daphne's mind began to race. What could the Gryffindor golden boy have done to warrant a trial in front of the Wizengamot? "Potter is going on trial in front of the Wizengamot? What the hell did he do?" She half asked, half thought aloud.

Cyrus looked shocked, and Daphne knew why. She never cursed in front of her parents and rarely cursed at all. "You would do well to watch your language young lady." he reprimanded her, but he answered her question anyway, "It seems he has performed underage magic, and in front of a muggle no less."

"Does it state why?" inquired Ashley. She looked doubtful and Daphne was sure her facial expression matched her mother's.

"No that's all that it writes about the matter. It also includes the exact time and the room number for where the trial will be held."

"But surely that isn't cause to be tried by the entire Wizengamot, is it dad?" Daphne asked. She knew like everyone else that Potter lived with muggles and assumed that the muggles that had seen the magic had probably already known about the wizarding world anyway.

"No, as far as I know it isn't, but you've all seen as well as I have that Fudge is running a smear campaign against the young man." Her father responded carefully "This is likely a ploy to try to at the least discredit him, and at the most have his wand snapped and get him expelled from Hogwarts." All three of the Greengrass women gasped at that. "Enough of this talk, it's getting late let's finish our desserts and you two should be going up to bed soon."

Daphne recognized the dismissal and stood quickly with Astoria following her lead. They both kissed their parents good night and headed up the stairs to their rooms.

"Do you really think he's going to get his wand snapped and be expelled?" Astoria asked.

Daphne considered the question. "I doubt it, I'm almost one hundred percent certain that Dumbledore will get him out of this," She said, "but what was the idiot thinking using magic away from school?"

Astoria shrugged "I'm sure we'll find out later after dad goes to the hearing." Daphne nodded in agreement and after another moment of silent contemplation Astoria's voice rang out once more. "I'm going to bed. Good night, Daphne."

"Good night, Astoria." she answered back and quickly headed into her own room. Once inside she quickly changed into her pyjamas and crawled into bed, but try as she might, she couldn't sleep. Her thoughts kept returning to Potter and how he would have to face trial in front of the entire Wizengamot for something as trivial as underage magic.

Daphne knew that Potter's story of the dark lord's resurrection was true as Malfoy had spent the last few days at Hogwarts gloating to everyone in Slytherin that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was going to be spending the summer at his family manor. Most of her acquaintances from Salazars esteemed house were happy with the news, or they were at the least pretending to be. Daphne however was not.

Her father had managed to get through the last war staying neutral, but Daphne doubted that he could make it through this one without picking a side. She knew that he was already being pressured both ways. He was after all, an influential and wealthy man, and whoever he backed would gain a lot. Her only hope was that the war would be taken care of before it began, if not she had no idea what would happen. Her thoughts continued to bounce inside her mind until she finally managed to drift off into a restless slumber.