Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K.R!
This story is a collaboration work between Avoranger and Cal the Wandcrafter!
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A/N:
Hello! I recently watched the anime 'Sousou no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End)'.
I really like the opening song, it is sung by Yoasobi *nods*
I like this anime not only because I like the song, but... while I watch it - and then read it, apparently, I'm impatient enough when knowing the manga is already far •ᴗ•, somehow I could see Harry in Frieren's shoes if Harry became Master of Death. XD
Overall it is fun to watch, so I recommend it. ^0^)/
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Hope you like this chapter!
Enjoy! °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
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They arrived at the apparition point in Hogsmeade safely and walked towards the Shrieking Shack to use its passageway. Harry checked the time with a wave of his wand; it was almost three in the morning.
"So, how many are left and what is next on the list?" She asked him, opening her mask and taking a deep breath of the cold winter air. Harry followed suit and pocketed his mask.
"Well, we already have the locket on lockdown, and we can go get the diadem whenever we feel like. The cup will be our next target over the break. The locket was the trickiest because when you open it… it's like a giant illusion showing you your deepest insecurities and fears. Ron destroyed it last time, and it made this gigantic black fog with images of me and Hermione trash talking him and making out." Harry explained, frowning and remembrance. "It was awkward as hell, and we swore an oath never to tell Hermione exactly what happened."
"She can be rather scary when she's angry about something." She looked thoughtful, something was bothering her, so she turned to Harry, frowning. "So what about the ring?"
"Dumbledore is going to destroy it this year, sometime during the summer. I never saw the hiding place itself, except for in memories, but that was well before he had hid the ring. Unfortunately I have no idea what the protections around it could be, only that something about the ring was similar to the diadem, or maybe it was just Dumbledore's own obsession with the Stone... But I would not put it past Voldemort to place all manner of compulsions and curses" he grumbled. "As much as I don't want Dumbledore dead, I also don't like jumping into it blind," he sighed wearily, in a way that betrayed his true age and pinched his nose. "Besides, all of Riddle Manor is going to be on lockdown until next year. If I'm remembering correctly, he keeps it as his main base of operations up until the day he gets a tip off that the DMLE are going to raid it. Then he moves locations to Malfoy Manor since Lucius will be in jail. Going there right now will be incredibly dangerous, and I don't know if we will survive it. I think it may be best if we let Dumbledore handle this one, even though it makes me sick to say so."
"So do you think we should try to focus on a cure for whatever curse Dumbledore gets? I know you are wanting answers about a lot of things, so we might not have a lot of time left for it."
"Honestly I'm not sure what to do. Dumbledore couldn't find a cure and neither could Snape. Love them or hate them, you have to admit they are probably two of the most brilliant minds on the planet right now, so if they can't figure it out who are we to think that we can? I think my best bet will be to try and get the information I need out of him next year, assuming he's still going to show me Voldemort's memories."
They continued in silence until they arrived at the front of the Shrieking Shack, no doors were visible on the outside, and all the windows were too far up and completely boarded over, so they began examining the wood plank walls along the outside until after about five minutes, Harry found a few loose enough to pry apart "Well, in we go. The passageway is towards the back, look for a hole in the wall near the floor."
"Alright, then I just change into my cat form, and press a knot in the bark in the tree, right?" she asked, needing clear instructions.
"Yeah, I'll follow you after you freeze it. After that, walk immediately towards the castle, and don't change back until I say so," he said, his last statement making Daphne raise her eyebrow. "Be careful!" he patted her shoulder.
Wordlessly, she transformed into her animagus form of a silver and black spotted cat. Without wasting another moment, she swiftly ran outside.
He waited for the tree to stop moving under the invisibility cloak before finally crawling out from the Whomping Willow's trunk and then walked hastily towards the castle before it moved again. Daphne was already sitting patiently, waiting for Harry to show himself near the gate, as she stretched out in her cat form, and he grinned mischievously.
She reflexively tried to break away when her boyfriend picked her up without a warning. Her action almost scratched Harry's face but when she smelled his distinctive scent she calmed down and meowed scoldingly.
Daphne immediately jumped out and changed back. Huffed irritatingly.
"Dang it Harry, you know I'm extra twitchy as a cat! Give me some warning first! Or at least scratch my ears before you grab me!"
He laughed and reached his hand up to cup her face, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry, Daph. How about we sneak up to the Gryffindor dorms and you can cuddle up next to me by the fireplace?"
"Oh sure, and let Hermione's demon of a cat pester me all morning? Maybe after we get back from Christmas break, we can sneak up to the Room of Requirement and have a date night?"
Harry smiled at the thought, and grabbed her hand as they walked along the path. "That sounds lovely. I'm overdue on our cuddle quota."
"Yes you are! And when we have our eventual movie night, we will cuddle the entire time, regardless of if you like it or not!"
"Ha! As if I'd complain about that."
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The Director of the Department of Mysteries, Croaker Saul - not to be confused with an employee of his who worked in the time room named Saul Croaker - lazily opened the door with a wave of his hand before his underling could even knock. "I hope it's important, Silver Sun," he said firmly, realising who had been banging on his door. The agent immediately stood straight and saluted. Swallowing hard, he spoke in an incredulous tone, as if he couldn't believe what he was saying. "The Hall of Prophecy, Boss! Someone broke in and destroyed almost a thousand Prophecy orbs!" he said quickly, gesturing his hands dramatically in the air, to the unimpressed amusement of his boss.
"Ah yes, because I completely didn't see that as I walked through the department to get to my office." Croaker grunted, thoroughly unamused at his subordinate
"But the Hall of Prophecy... what are we going to—"
Without another word, Croaker immediately left his office, followed by Silver Sun, still stunned and confused.
'How come they couldn't have just smashed all of these damn things!' he thought irritably. "All right, it was first on scene, and what do we know about what happened?"
"Agent Black Sword arrived first to finish up some paperwork he had been working on, he's over by the body examining it."
He frowned and walked over to the area noted to him, where a forensic team just finished an investigation of a gigantic dead snake.
The agent named Black Sword approached the Boss and saluted before delivering his report, "This morning during my routine check, I found several shelves broken, nearly thousands of Prophecy orbs shattered beyond repair, and the carcass of a gigantic snake. When I first discovered it, the stench of dark magic lingered. It's likely The Dark Lord attempted to break in," he said in a composed, businesslike tone.
Croaker nodded, then observed the carcass. What Black Sword said held true; a lingering dark aura surrounded it, though it was fading. "And? Do you have any idea why this snake is here? It couldn't have died just from crashing into the Prophecy orbs, and those orbs wouldn't have created such a hole in its head!"
"I'm not certain, sir. An autopsy is needed to confirm the cause of its death, but it appears a sharp object, like a stiletto dagger or a type of stake was used," Black Sword replied.
"It seems last night it wasn't only Voldemort who paid a visit, then," Croaker scoffed.
"Dumbledore's scouts, sir? Should we—"
"Bah! They're too soft! It's unlikely they did this. Look! The stab was too clean, no ripping or tearing around the edges indicating it was one solid strike, not an amateur's work!"
He turned to Black Sword, "Take the carcass away and do whatever's necessary! And call a repair crew now!"
"But Boss, the Prophecy orbs can't be repaired," he said hesitantly.
"Who cares! Prophecy is a waste of time, and we're running out of space to store more of those orbs, anyways. Just repair the shelves!"
"Yes, Boss!" Black Sword responded without further argument.
Croaker returned to his office with mixed feelings. His morning had begun with a series of unfortunate events. Pouring another cup of coffee, he inhaled its aroma before taking a sip, settling into his chair and letting out a heavy sigh.
He had lost count of the number of times people's lives were ruined by a single prophecy, convinced it ordained their rise to becoming a God King of the Galactic Federation, only to end up flying a broom into space and meeting their demise (upon further thoughts, it was three times that he could think of for that specific scenario) or some other similar stupidity. Therefore, when people bothered to damage the Hall of Prophecy, even if it was merely a few shelves, he felt grateful. Fortunately for his building migraine, the prophecy involving Potter had been destroyed in the process.
Taking another sip of his coffee, he thought, 'Voldemort couldn't have accessed it anyway. It specifically said Dark Lord on the tag. Unless your name is Dark Lord, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, or Harry Potter, that glass ball wasn't going anywhere.' He sighed heavily to himself. 'It's been 37 years, and I haven't seen a pay raise once! Why should I even care! The Ministry doesn't know how to take care of its employees, and the only reason I tolerate Dumbledore and his boy scouts is because they tidy up after themselves. The Order of the Phoenix are too polite to leave a mess, and Arthur Weasley can cast a damn good sweeping charm.' He chuckled to himself.
Rising from his seat after finishing his second cup of coffee, he thought, 'Bullshit prophecies, Death Eaters, the Ministry— it's all the same nonsense to me. Those idiots didn't even realise this isn't where we keep the fun stuff anyways.' With this in mind, he opened a secret bookcase passageway in his office, revealing a deep hand carved stone staircase to an underground lair filled with multicoloured torchlight and thick fog. Making his way to a large chamber at the bottom, he inquired to a nearby worker in a white lab coat, "Red Tree, what's the progress on that Cthulhu-looking thing we captured in Ipswich the other week? Is it still causing the recruits sent in to clean out its slime to flicker in and out of existence?"
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After returning from the Ministry in the morning, and with the luxury of a day off from work, Mr. Weasley promptly sent a letter to Dumbledore and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to share and discuss his experiences from the previous night.
Upon his return, his wife, Molly, wore a concerned expression seeing her husband's worn, dirty, and exhausted appearance from his guard duty at the Department of Mysteries assigned by Dumbledore. It was a responsibility he took on about once a week, shared with other Order of the Phoenix members, including Molly. Mr. Weasley, worn out, refused to divulge any details to her, stating, "You'll find out when the rest of the Order and Dumbledore arrive." He drank copious amounts of water and retired to rest, only just realising how fatigued he truly was as his head sank into the pillow.
Precisely at lunchtime, the members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived one after another.
"I heard you summoned all the Order members, Arthur? Any news about the wanker?" Sirius inquired crudely while seated at the dining table, munching on the donuts Mrs. Weasley had made. Though he noticed Mr. Weasley's unusual morning return, Sirius, absorbed in his reading in the library, hadn't given it much thought or care.
Mr. Weasley smiled and replied, "You'll know soon enough. I don't want to repeat it!"
Sirius scowled, "No fun! But hey, everyone's here, so it's a party!" grinning cheerfully. His eyes lit up at the sight of who entered through the front door. "Ah, Moony! I thought you couldn't make it," he exclaimed, embracing his best friend and offering him a bottle of butterbeer from the nearby crate.
"Are you that thrilled to see me, Padfoot?" teased Remus before taking a sip of the butterbeer.
Sirius scowled again, prompting laughter from the werewolf.
"You're such a child sometimes!"
"Shut up, as if you have room to talk, Padfoot!" he retorted, pouting.
They grinned, and then turned to Mr. Weasley. "I heard you have an intriguing story from your duty last night. Care to share." Remus asked Arthur, intrigued.
"The same as I told Sirius, you won't get anything from me until the meeting starts," Arthur stated firmly, grinning mischievously.
Both Sirius and Remus groaned in unison, but took seats as they waited for the rest of the group.
Alastor Moody arrived alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt, shortly after, and Nymphandora Tonks greeted everyone with cheer… after tripping over the troll leg umbrella stand yet again. Daedalus Diggle was already present, sipping tea while listening to Remus and Sirius banter, and Elphias Doge had shown up only to engaged in conversation with Mrs. Weasley about household matters. Hestia Jones and Minerva McGonagall arrived roughly at the same time, and were deep in conversation together about the Hogwarts Quidditch teams, filling out the kitchen. Then they were joined by one last member, slinking down the hall in the shadows.
"I don't remember inviting you here, Snape!" said Sirius in a hostile tone when saw who came next.
"Regardless of your invitation, I am here on orders directly from the Headmaster. I am here to represent Professor Dumbledore who is unable to attend because of a recent tampering in the Hogwarts Wards that we suspect is meant to block him from the castle if he were to leave, but I will convey the meeting to him upon my return."
Almost everyone exchanged sceptical glances. The room was well aware of Severus Snape's past as a Death Eater during the first Wizarding war, only revealed later by Dumbledore that he was acting as a spy within Voldemort's ranks.
"I'll go with Severus to report what we discussed today if you don't trust him enough with this information," assured McGonagall, turning towards Snape with a small but weary smile.
"That's fine with me," said Snape in his typical tone.
"Okay! So let's get started!" said Mr. Weasley with a tired smile. "As you know, last night it was my turn to stand guard at the Department of Mysteries." Everyone nodded, familiar with the guard schedule, "As I was strolling down one of the hallways, suddenly someone shouted a spell behind me, and what I saw when I turned around… It jumped with its mouth wide open, fangs long and sharp, ready to pounce on me. It was a massive snake, the biggest I've ever seen! I would have died if they hadn't jumped in!" Mr. Weasley started his tale, goosebumps rising on his skin once more.
"Do you know who helped you last night?" asked Alastor, who frowned in surprise. Then he remembered the rumour he had heard earlier at the Ministry that the Department of Mysteries had been broken into by an unknown person, especially at the Hall of Prophecy. Amelia was upset because no one informed her fast enough. As a retired Auror, he didn't meddle much in their business anymore, but his occasional status as a guest teacher for the new trainees was often useful to gather information.
"I don't really know who he was, probably an Unspeakable? He was wearing full black, and his voice didn't sound real, distorted and unrecognisable, like he was speaking through a bubble head. I think it may have been charmed so I wouldn't remember details. Honestly, in the rush of the moment, I can't remember much. But I remember the mask because I was standing next to him when I expressed my gratitude. It only covered his nose and mouth, then the eyes were wearing something like glasses? But the lenses were dark. I wonder how he could see me through them…"
"Focus, Weasley! If it's a charm on that mask, it's probably meant to have you fixate on unimportant details," barked an impatient Moody.
"Ah yes, I'm so sorry! Alright, so he was quite tall with a slim frame," he continued his explanation about his hero while trying to recall his appearance. "He told me to go home immediately to report to Dumbledore, but I insisted on helping him hunt the snake. I don't regret it," he shrugged.
"Did you get anything else besides that person's appearance?" Daedalus Diggle asked, intrigued by the story.
"Oh yes! I learned their names!" he said happily.
"Names? You mentioned a 'he' earlier, referring to one person. Is there another?" Tonks inquired curiously.
"The second one arrived about half an hour after he assisted me. She was dressed identical to him, mask and all. She was named Hans, and she made quite a commotion, battling the snake we were searching for, and referred to the person who aided me as Gruber," explained the narrator.
Tonks let out a howling laugh as her face morphed into a hawkish looking man with a well trimmed goatee and slicked back hair for a minute, "Hans Gruber! Hah, oh that's good! I never would have thought anyone in the Unspeakables would have a sense of humour."
"Wait, do you know them?" Sirius asked, puzzled.
"No, it's a muggle thing, I'll explain later," she replied, grinning mischievously.
"And then? How did you catch the snake?" Minerva inquired.
"We... we didn't catch it. We killed it, Minerva. They spoke of killing as casually as one would discuss what sweets to get from Honeydukes. He even asked if I wanted to do it, but I refused," the narrator said with a touch of sadness. "Despite the masks concealing their faces, they appeared so young. Yet, he stabbed the snake's head as if cutting a cake," he sighed.
Continuing in a more serious tone, he added, "It was dead instantly, but there was something unsettling. After he stabbed its head, something oozed out, and black smoke emerged, screaming like a banshee. It sent shivers down my spine, and for a moment, I felt intense anger, but it dissipated when it evaporated," he shuddered at the memory.
Suddenly, Sirius stood up, eyes wide and mouth agape, startling everyone in the room. He exclaimed, "That... that description! It's similar to what came out of Harry's scar last summer!"
"Ah! I remember that!" Remus said with wide eyes.
Not only Remus, but everyone in the room recalled the chaotic events of that day. Even Snape, who had second-hand information from Dumbledore, tensed at the surprising revelation.
Mr. Weasley looked lost, having just heard of that part.
"It was awful! You were panicking, trying to call Dumbledore, Arthur, so I think you didn't see it. So, what did those Unspeakables say about it?" Tonks inquired.
"'That was some of the darkest magic you will ever encounter. Congratulations on your first exorcism, Arthur Weasley. You have just helped undo a possession by Voldemort,'" he mimicked Gruber's words. "That's what he said. But there is something else… He said I should recognize this type of magic after what happened to Ginny in her first year." he glanced at Molly with concern, and reached for his wife's hand and squeezed it. "They said it was the same thing that influenced her through that book throughout the year," he said somberly.
"What? How do they even know what happened to our Ginny?" Molly's voice trembled.
Minerva gasped, "That's impossible! The real information about what happened to your daughter was not leaked to anyone!"
He shook his head, "I don't know, Minerva. They seemed so knowledgeable, but I think they want to keep their information a secret and have no intention of sharing it with us."
"That's why they're called Unspeakables, isn't it? I won't be surprised if they are aware of our activities in their department but choose not to intervene until last night!"
"That was really surprising for me as well – their agents came to help me. I just hope they don't go after me for trespassing and destroying their property," he sighed tiredly.
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As they strolled towards the Hogwarts gate, he inquired with concern, "You look a bit rough, Daph! Get enough sleep?"
"Slept like a log, really. But Tracey and Astoria decided to wake me up in the most inhuman way possible," she grumbled. "Tracey freaked out because she hadn't packed, and Astoria just wanted to bug us, claiming she had to wait for me."
Harry chuckled as she embraced him after they settled in one of the Thestral-drawn carriages. "I think I need some Pepper-Up or Sobering Potion; doubt I can stay awake all the way to London," he mumbled. "Mind if we swing by Hogsmeade first?"
"Can't hurt to ask," Daphne leaned out the window and reached out to find a spot at the back of the Thestral to brush her fingers against. "Excuse me, could we make a pit stop in Hogsmeade before heading to the station?" The Thestral veered off to the left, changing their destination.
"Thank you!" Daphne chirped as they got off. "We won't be long; can you wait for us?" she asked the Thestral, giving it a pat on the hindquarters.
Harry kissed her cheek, making her blush, as they leaned into one another. "So how did your mission go last night?"
Daphne sighed in tired irritation before slumping her head down. "I didn't find a single thing with the name Wibly! Not in the archived sections or the current shelves, which obviously has nothing since he's a Squib! I checked it five times in a row, sorted through it super carefully, checked first name and last name, and I still found nothing! Are you sure his name is even Wibly?" She raised an eyebrow sceptically.
"I'm pretty sure, yeah. I mean it's possible the details were lost on us, with the trauma of being thrown back in time, but what are the chances of us both misremembering?"
"Yes, but how come I didn't find anything on him? Did he fake his identity when he introduced himself to us? If he was on a suicide mission, why lie about his identity? Especially if he was trying to kill his only witnesses, too."
"Want to check out the place Filch told us about? Maybe we can find a lead there."
Daphne pondered Harry's offer. "Maybe after we get back to the castle or when winter ends? They probably can't garden in this freezing weather," she suggested, noticing the snow piling up around them.
"Oh, yeah, good point."
Daphne nodded, "Well considering that all we are working off of is hail mary's and hopes and dreams and a possibly fake name, it's as good a plan as any. It wasn't a complete waste, however. When I got bored, I roamed around for a bit to check out other documents. I got curious about mine, so I took a peek. Do you know how scary the surveillance state we live in is? They knew stuff about me I had forgotten!"
"Yeah, blame Fudge. Before he was minister, he wanted a way to spy on the families of his political rivals and enemies, so he pushed it through in the small print of some spending bill. Hermione found out about it after the war when she was trying to find the muggleborns that never got their letters during the war - She flipped and practically redid the entire system. I'm curious as to what your file looked like, though."
Daphne just shook her head and smiled, "You might get a chance if we ever go back to the Department of Record," she shrugged.
"Did you check mine too?" Harry asked curiously, envisioning Voldemort sending someone to check and retrieve his records.
She grinned, "I know what you're imagining with an expression like that! Don't worry, dear Harry, your records are safe! It seems someone cast a protection spell on them; I can't even retrieve them at all, and we can guess who would do that to your records!"
"Ah yeah, probably Dumbledore. At least Voldemort isn't able to get my papers, at least. Think we should send the headmaster a thank you gift?" he asked, thinking about what sort of muggle candy Dumbledore would probably enjoy, as a half joke. "Think he would enjoy Coke or Pepsi?"
Daphne laughed at the thought, and grabbed her purse as the carriage came to a halt. "Probably Pepsi… But definitely Fanta. Well, let's get going, so we don't miss the train."
Harry grinned, appreciating Daphne's humour. He nodded in agreement, adjusting his scarf as they stepped out of the carriage into the crisp winter air. The snow crunched beneath their boots as they made their way toward the entrance of Hogsmeade.
The village was adorned with festive decorations, and the scent of freshly baked treats wafted through the air. Daphne's laughter echoed as they passed by the various shops, each displaying magical goods and holiday-themed merchandise. As they walked, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and anticipation for the upcoming holiday season that always seemed to permeate the small village around Christmas. However, amidst the magical charm and merriment, Daphne's words brought a sudden shift in the air, drawing Harry's attention back to the topic at hand.
"Going back to what I was saying," Daphne leaned in, whispering under her breath so only he could hear, "Your mum's records were even more surprising than your files."
"What's up with that? And why are you snooping around my mom's stuff?"
"Just curiosity. I was kinda bummed I couldn't snoop through yours," Daphne admitted, feeling a twinge of guilt for not asking Harry first.
"Hey, I'm not mad or anything! I was just caught off guard," he said, noticing the change in Daphne's expression. "So spill, what did you find?"
"It was all pretty amazing! Honestly, I'm pretty jealous of your mum's achievements, and she wasn't even twenty. The records stopped a year after she graduated," she pouted. "But what really threw me off was finding out your mom had a criminal record." Harry abruptly stopped, and Daphne turned to watch him, concern in her eyes.
"Harry?" She said as his grip tightened.
"What do you mean, a criminal record?" Harry looked at Daphne seriously, his gaze demanding an explanation.
"The dark arts kind. If I had to guess, it's probably tied to how you survived. Like, some kind of ritual or something..." Abruptly, a surge of panic swept through Harry, his eyes widening with fear. He turned sharply, practically dragging Daphne towards a nearby alley. "What's happening, Harry? What's wrong?"
"Daphne, quickly, look over my shoulder, by Zonko's. Is that who I think it is?" He slowed down, but the tension in his grip on her hand was palpable.
"Merlin's left nut... It's him! Same outfit and everything, just younger and a bit cleaner..." Daphne's voice quivered with a mix of fear and disbelief as she observed the figure.
They stood in silence, watching a familiar tall man with long hair, now in a less scruffy ponytail, wearing a neater brown coat and an almost pristine green scarf, walking into the Apothecary.
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"Welcome to Boomslang Apothecary!" the clerk greeted them as the door creaked open. It was a reflex, a well-practised routine that had become second nature over the years. She then redirected her attention to a customer at the register, handling the transaction with practised ease.
The scruffy man shifted his gaze toward the newcomers upon hearing the clerk's voice, his expression souring when he recognized them. However, he quickly averted his eyes, feigning disinterest.
"That's 2 galleons and 20 sickles, sir," she said, accompanied by a warm smile. "You're here early today."
The scruffy man chuckled, his demeanour transforming into a smile. "My shift finished early today, and I wanted to get a head start on some radishes I'm planning to transplant into my garden," he explained while placing a bag of dragon dung into his worn-out satchel.
"I hope you've thought it through, sir. It's hard to keep things growing in snow like this. Do you need to buy any above-ground planters?" she asked, eyeing him with a hint of concern.
"Ah, no thank you, I'm ready! I've been preparing for this for a long time!" he declared enthusiastically.
The apothecary clerk smiled in relief, "Very well, if you are sure! The least I can do is support you. Have a nice day!"
"You are too kind, young lady! You shouldn't work at this dingy Apothecary with the magic you have!"
"I'm happy working here, earning well, so you don't need to worry!" she responded cheerfully, reassuring the scruffy man.
"If you say so, then see you next week!" he said with a grin before departing, leaving an awkward silence among the three occupants of the Apothecary. Harry and Daphne shared a look as they huddled together behind a shelf, before they were startled by a female voice beside them.
"Hello, Harry! Can I assist you in finding anything?" The store clerk gazed at the two of them, then glanced at a nearby shelf, her cheeks tinted with a blush. "Ah, if you two are searching for ingredients for… well… that..." She pointed at a jar of leaves with a rather suggestive and borderline pornographic label. "I have some potions in the back that will work better than just a bunch of herbs." A pretty blonde with curly hair to her mid-back, she had tired yet kind eyes that lit up upon seeing the couple. Instantly, Harry recognized her as the former head girl from his earlier years at Hogwarts and returned a blushed smile.
"Oh! I didn't know you were working here! Uh, no thank you… We were just looking for Pepper-Up Potions," he stammered. "Stayed up too late studying for OWLs last night."
She shook her head amusedly before frowning, "Sure you were… Gryffindor still having those wild parties that used to make Percy so mad? If you need a hangover cure, couldn't you have just gone to Madame Pomfrey for that? Speaking of, shouldn't you two be at the castle?"
"Uh, today is the start of Winter break, ma'am. We were on our way to the train, but we needed to make a pit stop," replied Daphne.
"Winter break already?" she said in surprise. "Two days ago the students had a Hogsmeade visit, didn't they? Yeah, that would add up! Man, time flies so fast!" She nodded in understanding before giving them a warm smile, "So… what do you two REALLY need? Something exciting for the train ride? I'm not supposed to sell the fun stuff to minors… but I think I can do a favour for the hero who saved the school from that Basilisk…"
"No, we don't need any… I mean… We…" Harry just stared, sputtering his words in embarrassment as Daphne turned to him in disbelief before elbowing him in the stomach. Harry grimaced and gave her a sigh.
The clerk laughed amusedly, "Merlin! You two are so cute to tease!" She saw both of them scowl, "Hey, I'm just joking!" grinned in an apologetic look. "I was a Ravenclaw, remember? I know how bad OWLs year is. Glad to see you have a better half that is getting you to study, Potter. And shame on you for not introducing me! Hi, I'm Penelope Clearwater!"
"Greengrass, Daphne Greengrass," she introduced herself, her face red with embarrassment to match Harry's. "The trick is to give him good incentives so he puts in the effort. Give the puppy some treats so he shakes your hand."
"Hey! I'm standing right here!" Harry spoke with a huff, getting a laugh from the two girls. "Honestly, I'm not THAT bad."
"Well, Pepper-Up is this way. If you are planning on more late-night study sessions, I'd recommend stocking up. Just don't take too many or the effects start to become addictive." She motioned to a nearby aisle and they followed after her. "So how have you been, Harry? I heard about that mess with the Ministry over the summer. Great job slamming it in their faces, the bunch of corrupt nepotistic gits. I tried to apply for a position with Percy after graduation, but they refused to hire a Muggleborn… Even if she was top of her class and Head Girl. And the prat had the gall to defend the bigots after he got the job and I got the axe. So we split up… Good riddance, I say." she paused with a huff as her face morphed into a visage of momentary anger. "Burn the whole Ministry down, I say. Especially after all the lies they were spreading over the summer… Poor Cedric… Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ramble…" She reached over to the shelf, bending over as she searched for a minute. "Here we go! Two Pepper-Ups, and some ginger root on the house. Chew it with the potion, and it will warm you up like a warm cosy fire!"
Daphne's eyes widened in shock as she protested to the older girl, "Oh, we couldn't just take…"
"Oh, it's no problem, Ms. Greengrass! It's just some ginger! The owner of this Apothecary is quite old, and he was kind enough to let me manage his shop - which has been running by himself for decades - and he let me take over his greenhouse in the back while I'm self-studying for my Master's. Maybe I can apply as your potions teacher when I pass the exam, and you can pay me back by passing my class," she spoke with a grin, winking at the two of them.
"I would be happy to have you as our new potions teacher, Professor Clearwater! You seem very skilled!" Daphne said happily.
She chuckled, a rosy blush tinting her cheeks. "Oh! Well, I doubt Professor Snape will be retiring anytime in the near future. He's quite fit, after all!" Her laughter bubbled again as she noticed the appalled look on Harry's face at the mention of Snape being 'fit."
"You can't be serious!" He retorted with a touch of aggression.
"Have you ever glimpsed his old school photographs? Tall, dark, and rather handsome, I must say!" she mused with a sigh.
Harry grimaced once more, visibly disturbed. The two girls in the Apothecary couldn't help but burst into laughter at Harry's reaction.
"Admit it, Harry, Professor Snape is in the height of his prime!" teased Daphne.
"Daph!" he protested, whining disbelievingly. Daphne simply grinned and exchanged a look with Penelope. "Let's steer away from him, shall we? So, who was that customer before us?" Harry inquired curiously. "He didn't seem too thrilled to see us, and I doubt you'd sell to a Death Eater, but… I want to be careful, you know."
Penny furrowed her brow for a moment before her face lit up. "Oh! Wally! Wally Wimble! He's a Squib working as a janitor at Zonko's. Delightful fellow, and he has a penchant for gardening in his free time so he is a frequent customer." She spoke fondly. "Today, he had the morning shift, so he stopped by for a bit before heading home to purchase some fertiliser. He tends to his garden, cultivating herbs for potions that require no magical intervention. Normally, I'd frown upon encroaching on our business, but the dung he buys fetches more than a few tinctures. Besides, he grows the most enormous tomatoes I've ever seen, and shares them generously with the local workers."
Daphne and Harry exchanged a brief glance.
"I see. Sounds like a good man!" he shrugged.
"Absolutely! Unfortunately, fate hasn't been too kind to him. He's not very trusting of wizards and witches he's unfamiliar with. It's a consequence of the discrimination he faces. I'm not sure who has it worse, Squibs or Muggleborns," she sighed with disappointment. "Oh, dear, I'm afraid I'm dampening the festive mood again! Your order is ready! That'll be 1 galleon and 5 knuts!"
"No worries. You're incredibly kind, Ms. Clearwater!" Daphne expressed gratitude as she accepted the bag of potions, with Harry providing several galleons to cover the cost.
"Just keep the change, Penelope! Thank you, for the ginger as well, I'd love to stay and talk more, but we don't want to miss the train."
"Ha! It would be your second year all over again! Do you have a flying car nearby as well?" She reached over the counter and grabbed the coins, slipping them into the register with a smile. "That's very generous of you, Harry, Daphne! And just call me Penny from now on! May you both have a splendid holiday! Happy Christmas, and come back if you ever need anything for your… Studying!"
"Happy Christmas!" Harry conveyed on behalf of both before they left the Apothecary. Despite the blush covering their faces, they were silent for the entire trip to the train.
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"Wally Wimbles," Daphne remarked about an hour after the train had departed.
"Blimey, I wish I had a Pensieve," muttered Harry, his face contorted in a grimace.
"I wasn't the only one who misheard him introducing himself as Wibly, right?"
"I could have sworn…"
"But what are the chances of…"
They fell into a thoughtful silence before Daphne rested her head on Harry's lap, and he absentmindedly ran his hand through her hair. "Well, at least we know he didn't come back with us, based on his reaction. You saw how nervous he was in the future… But just now there was no recognition of who we are," Harry spoke with a tired and frustrated growl.
"Blast it, this is making my brain ache. We spend months prepping and planning to track down this bloke, and he ends up working in Zonko's… And we just so happen to run into him… buying dragon dung. Merlin, he's bound to harm more people over the break, and we can't just go stop him, can we? We can't even tell Penny that she's been unwittingly selling explosive materials to a dark wizard... And there's no chance the Aurors would believe us if we tried. Perhaps this is the universe trying to force the three of us together to rectify the time travel, or perhaps…"
"Let's not dwell on it, Daph. Time travel does peculiar things, and dwelling on it is a surefire way to go mad." Harry sighed and shook his head. "Besides, I have an idea to divert our minds from the subject."
"Oh really?" Daphne turned onto her back, gazing up into Harry's warm green eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And what might that be, Mr. Potter?"
"Well, we could engage in a bit of snogging if you fancy," he reached into his coat pocket with his free hand, extracting a pale blue orb with swirls of mist swirling inside, "but I was more thinking about figuring out what to do with the Prophecy I stole from the Department of Mysteries last night."
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
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Amelia's day spiralled into chaos upon receiving news of intruders breaching the Department of Mysteries and causing havoc in the Hall of Prophecy. Despite her usual tolerance for a hectic schedule, dealing with Croaker always proved to be an infuriating challenge.
"I explicitly mentioned there was no need for you to be here, Madam Bones! We could have handled it ourselves!" protested Croaker, visibly angered and harbouring internal violent thoughts towards the agent who reported the trespassing incident to the DMLE.
"It's merely protocol, Croaker! I detest descending into your eerie dungeons, and you're well aware of it! Twice a year was sufficient to inspect whatever peculiarities you engage in here! I don't want to know anymore than I need to!" she retorted sarcastically, crossing her arms in irritation, as she glanced at the nearby clock.
"But here you are, nonetheless!" he said sarcastically.
"Come now, Croaker! Would you prefer me to arrive as Internal Affairs to investigate why you don't want me doing my job, or would you rather have me here investigating a break-in for the DMLE? Today is the day the Hogwarts Express is scheduled to return to London for winter break, and I need to pick up my niece, so could you just be cooperative? We can part ways as soon as possible once we're done!" she urged.
"Fine!" he grumbled, reluctantly, as he sent out a patronus in the shape of a spider to notify his workers to stand aside.
"Pleasure as always," she said, tucking the notes into her robe's pocket.
"I hope this is the last time we meet this year!"
She scoffed, "Since Dumbledore's little club is wandering around your Department, I'm sure another mishap will occur sooner or later," she warned.
He smiled as he realised that Amelia also knew about Dumbledore's scouts' activities at his Department but didn't want to pry. They thought they were being stealthy, but the fact that both he and Amelia were aware of their activities spoke to the poor quality of their preparation. "Like I care! They can guard that Hall as they please. It means I don't have to pay the unpaid interns to do it; there's nothing of value in that bunch of glowing snooker balls!" he grumbled irritably.
"Finally we can agree on something at least, Prophecy is bullshit, and even the Department of Mysteries knows it. And start paying you interns, damnit!" she said mockingly before closing the door.
"Bloody bitch! She's fortunate I like her so much!" he grumbled after she was long down the hall.
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One hour had passed since the Hogwarts Express had pulled into King's Cross station, and an air of anticipation surrounded Amelia as she quickened her steps, her eyes scanning the bustling platform in search of her niece, Susan. Anxiously, she meticulously checked platform 9 ¾, retracing the steps from the previous summer when Susan had patiently waited at the café. To her dismay, Susan was nowhere to be found.
A growing concern prompted Amelia to make her way to the home of Susan's longtime friend, Hannah Abbott. The door swung open, revealing Mrs. Abbott, who greeted Amelia with surprise and warmth.
"Amelia!" Mrs. Abbott exclaimed in surprise as she opened the door. "Come on in! I'll call Arnold," she invited, but Amelia hesitated at the entrance.
"No need, Shelia. I won't be long. Is Susan here?" she inquired with a directness born of worry.
Frowning, Mrs. Abbott responded, "Susan? I thought she was waiting for you at the station like last summer."
"I already looked for her there, but she wasn't there. So I think she came with Hannah here to wait for me. There's a big problem going on in the Ministry today, so I couldn't pick her up on time, and wasn't able to send an owl." explained Amelia.
Understandingly, Mrs. Abbott nodded and shared information she had gleaned, "Ah yes, I heard about it from my brother Ferry! Someone broke into the Department of Mystery!" However, a moment of realisation crossed her face. "If I recall, I didn't see her with Hannah earlier. Wait a minute, I'll bring Hannah." The other woman turned around and went off in search of her daughter, as Amelia paced nervously in front of the Abbott's lawn, her worry intensifying. The uncertainty about her niece's well-being weighed heavily on her mind. It was only a few minutes before they returned, yet to Amelia, it felt like hours.
"Madam Bones," greeted Hannah politely with a nod, joining her mother as they approached Amelia.
"Hannah, do you know where Susan is? She wasn't at the station, and she was also not here to wait for me," cut Amelia, skipping the pleasantries in her urgency.
Hannah turned to her mother before replying, "I thought Hogwarts had informed you, Madam. Susan stayed at the castle for the entire winter break because she got detention from Professor Umbridge for fighting with Pansy Parkinson when she was bullying some first years."
Amelia's heart sank as the revelation hit her. Without wasting a moment, she rushed out of the Abbott residence, her steps fueled by a mix of relief and urgency. The truth, though unsettling, provided a semblance of reassurance, albeit not much, knowing her niece was trapped in the castle with Dolores Umbridge. The second she reached the edge of the wards, she crossed over and immediately Apparated back to the Ministry, her anxiety reaching new heights as she ran through the corridors to her office. She barreled past the few Aurors left in the building, and nearly kicked down her own door, only to find a pristine, freshly delivered letter from Hogwarts sitting neatly on her desk detailing Susan's detention, confirming Hannah's account.
"You are playing dirty, Dolores! You didn't want whatever you were doing at the castle reaching me, eh? I will kill you if you dare to touch my niece!" She crumpled the letter angrily before tossing it into the nearby fireplace, the flames reflecting the intensity of her emotions.
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We opened our own Discord server!
It's practically new, so... let's have fun! XD
You can join by copy-pasting this link and then delete the space before you enter it (you know what to do! lol):
'Avo & Cal's Pages' ➡ discord .gg/Y34hGyFZWg
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By the way, for whoever wants to read ahead for chapter 19 and 20, it's already on my Pat-site. Besides that, there's also exclusive oneshots in the same universe as 'The Time Bomb'. Starting with 'Quidditch Tryouts', which is already out! And 'The Ring' will be released soon!
www. pa-t-re-on .c-o-m/Avoranger88
(copy-pasting the link and then delete the space and - before you enter it. You know what to do! lol)
More info about it you can PM me or join the Discord server!
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Let's join in and enjoy the stay!
(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧
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Favourite/Follow and Review!
\ Thanks for reading! /
