A/N - Here it is, folks, the first of the chapters I know a lot of you have been waiting for. Enjoy. Please comment/review.

Chapter 35 - Staring Down Malice

Fresh, showered, full of breakfast and in his best robes, Harry checked his watch and spoke to the great Gryphon statue that guarded the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office at precisely 8:25 a.m., as per the headmaster's letter that morning. Dumbledore chuckled as he waved his hand to open his inner door to let Harry in when he'd felt the young man had ascended the spiral staircase. The headmaster, looking resplendent in violently blue and gold robes, got to his feet and greeted Harry with a smile. Before they were to make their journey to the atrium of the Ministry, he wanted to discuss a few things. First, he chided Harry with a twinkling look in his eye, warning him that he should not be using his portkey to the Chamber during class. He'd received a letter from a worried parent about the security of the wards, and while it was all sorted, he'd like him to be more careful in future.

Then, the headmaster held up the day's edition of the Daily Prophet, inquiring as to why Harry had released propaganda without it being edited by himself first. He was comforted when Harry said that he'd simply received a letter asking for his support yesterday morning from Amelia, and so wanted the article to be released in time for today's Wizengamot session.

The headmaster pulled on an emerald green cloak, got to his feet and both he and Harry made their way to the fireplace.

"You do know what will very likely happen today, don't you, my boy?" Dumbledore asked, his face grave and his eyes now un-twinkling.

"I do." Harry said, meeting his gaze seriously, "I'm prepared."

"Very well," replied Albus solemnly, "Off we go then."

As expected, the Ministry of Magic's atrium was packed with reporters and photographers by the time the two of them exited one of the fireplaces. Without a word, Harry saw Dumbledore make an odd shape with his wand. The reporters went stumbling to the sides and a path was cleared as if the headmaster had parted the sea and Harry followed Albus briskly through the middle of them.

The Wizengamot chamber filled up quickly. As Dumbledore would preside over the session, he and Harry were among the first to arrive and Harry found that near his previous seat a very old-looking dark wood, finely carved seat had been added, separated from those where the heads of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses would sit. Its backrest was quite a bit taller than the other seats and arched up to a point, at the top, into which was a carved circle surrounding an inlaid, golden, monogrammed '7'.

With a little bit of a smirk he took his new seat and it wasn't long before he felt Sirius' hand grasp his shoulder and then came Cyrus.

"You know what's going to happen, Amy told me," Sirius said in a low tone, "I'm sorry for not writing, I've been out of the country. She told me to say 'yes' to your plan and to thank you for your support this morning."

Harry smiled and nodded.

"I wanted to ask, Sirius," he said, "But when I'm asked, would it be okay with -"

"I've always been your Second, Harry," his godfather interrupted, "Just like I would've been your father's in this sort of situation.'

Harry sighed, relieved, though he'd never really had a doubt. Asking such a thing was just such a big request.

Cyrus nodded to him as the conversation had, tight-lipped and with a fierce look in his brown eyes. He also offered any help that he could, though he had a knowing look in his eye that Harry couldn't quite place. They spoke of the plans for the wedding and Harry's distinct lack of knowledge of anything Daphne might have planned until there was a bang of the gavel and the room turned to give Dumbledore their attention.

As the Chief Warlock began the session, he started by setting out the plan for it and gave the usual housekeeping information. Having heard it all before, Harry took the opportunity to look to his right, to the seat of the man he knew he would soon have to kill.

Julius Rookwood looked straight ahead in his seat, his grey, receding hair combed tightly to his head. His closely shaved beard still held flecks of auburn, and the tight wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes made him look older than the mid-forties man he was. Harry took in his jet-black robes and the way the man was clenching and unleashing his fingers, his knuckles obviously wider than the rest of his fingers, even from a distance.

Harry swallowed, his shoulders tense as he took in his foe's appearance, and his jaw clenched when Rookwood turned his head and looked directly at him. His face remained expressionless, save for his nose rising ever so slightly into a faint snarl and his cold dark eyes gazed at Harry with nothing more than a look of pure, unbridled hatred.

'Soon,' Harry thought as he returned the look in kind, not breaking his gaze first. 'Not long now, and I'll remove your family from the face of the earth. Your house will fall for what it dared to do to Daphne.'

"Now, to present the changes, Interim Minister Bones," Dumbledore said, making them both break their gaze.

"Good morning everyone," Amelia said from behind her desk, her red hair tied back in a severely tight bun and wearing shoulder-padded robes she'd chosen to try to imply her authority. "I'm pleased to report that the rebuilding of Azkaban is going well. Unfortunately, we have indeed lost control over the dementors, our main source of security for the old prison.

However, with the help of a family called the Baggotts, a very well-respected family of cursebreakers that some of you may know of, have agreed to work with us at a significant discount as a personal favour to our project leader, Lord Sirius Black. While the physical construction of the new prison has only just gotten underway, they've overseen the design of a series of humane and nigh unbreakable wards that prevent any chance of escape. From working with the Department of Mysteries, they will also be impenetrable from the outside, except for those whose souls are keyed to the entrances to unlock them. For security reasons, the prison is to be a state secret, its location is not at the old Azkaban site. The area is already unplottable and under the Fidelius. There are dual secret keepers, both of whom will remain anonymous. One lives on our shores and is not part of this assembly, and is a member of the International Confederation of Wizards and lives overseas. Processes have been put in place regarding the abdication of this responsibility and the selection of a new one if needed. Any further details that will be made public to yourselves are available in the Hall of Records, but let me please remind you, that while the guards that patrolled the old Azkaban site were under the purview of this assembly, the prison and the details surrounding it are not. This responsibility falls on the state institution of the Ministry itself and this has been the case since the day of the original prison's opening as agreed upon by your forebears. On the day when the roles of each of those working on the redevelopment of the prison are over, those people, including myself, will have the relevant memories extracted, placed into a secure location and then they will be obliviated of all such memories. Questions or statements are not to be staged at this time. Thank you."

There were a few grumbles but more than a few smiles as Amelia sat back down. Harry turned and gave Sirius a thumbs up, realising where he had been…sort of, and turned back around.

"Now, we have three bills to discuss today," said Dumbledore, garnering a great many expressions of surprise from the throng, "The first, because of its nature, has been kept a secret until the session and you will now receive the accompanying reading as you have for the other two bills. As you have not had time to read them, you have an hour to go through the information. Do not speak. Do not confer. I will call for its lead author when the time is up."

A flurry of paperwork soared from Dumbledore's desk and dispersed across the room, each carefully bound booklet of parchment landing precisely in the laps of each member of the Wizengamot. Upon receiving his copy, Harry took a look at the title and the author of the bill and turned to glance at his Godfather who grinned at him. There were more than a few disgruntled grumbles from some of the other members of the court, but no one spoke up, clearly for fear of drawing attention to themselves. Only the sounds of people flicking the next page were heard. Harry finished sooner than several others and he took another glance at his foe, whose grip was so hard on his booklet of parchment as he glared at it that he was bending the pages. Soon enough, the hour was up and Dumbledore got to his feet.

"That's the hour over, Lords and Ladies. I will now ask Lord Sirius Black, lead author of the bill to make his presentation."

Sirius got to his feet and made his way to the centre of the room, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Lords and Ladies," he announced, "You have before you a bill that I have been working on ever since the battle in this very chamber in the summer. With the aid of our interim minister and the Department of Mysteries, we have been able to work with some of the Death Eaters that our Auror Department has apprehended in return for reduced sentences and witness protection. The Dark Mark Detection ward that has been developed is infallible. As you can see, the Dark Mark is, in essence, a bastardised appropriation of the Protean Charm, but it is connected to Tom Riddle's own magical signature, hence he can summon his followers and cause them great pain at will, while they are able to send out a sort of distress signal to their Lord. The Unspeakables have granted us a huge boon, as they have discovered that in each Dark Mark is a minute quantity of Riddle's magic, and through this, they have created a ward which detects whenever this magic comes within a given area. With the consent of this Wizengamot, we can add the ward to the atrium as well as each department of the Ministry, both Riddle and his followers will never be able to get in undetected. The added security to our Ministry, to our seat of government, will ensure that he never manages to take a foothold in our world. I open the floor now to questions, statements, and proposed addendums."

Sirius' change in demeanour as he finished his statement did not go unnoticed by Harry. He saw Sirius' malicious smirk directed at several members of the Wizengamot, knowing they would not be happy about the bill. However, it wasn't any of them who stood up; it was Cyrus.

"Yes, Lord Greengrass?" said Dumbledore.

"As a house who is completely against Not-A-Lord Voldemort and his pathetic followers, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass will be voting in favour of this bill, however, I wish for them to be an addendum added. Why not release this ward scheme to the public? I don't believe this magic should be kept private. The people should be able to add this ward to their homes and businesses to keep them free of the Death Eater menace."

There were a large number of ayes chorused at Greengrasses remark, but a tall ginger man with a large scar on his face stood.

"Yes, Lord Parkinson?" Dumbledore called.

"This bill is completely unfair and discriminatory," Lord Parkinson said, "There are many of those, not just in this assembly, but in the Wizarding public who were forced to take the Dark Mark under the Imperius Curse and were acquitted following the last war."

"Agreed," said Lord Rookwood, standing and getting to his feet, "What's more, the Dark Lord would get wind of this quickly and would force any number of you to take the Dark Mark, making the ward completely useless."

"Heard, Lord Rookwood," said Dumbledore. "Lord Diggory?"

Harry's stomach tightened as Cedric's father began to speak, he was the spitting image of his son, though the stress of the last few years marred his skin.

"Lord Rookwood makes a good point. However, the answer to this is simple," he said. "Those detected to have the Dark Mark within the Ministry, if they are here for legitimate purposes and have been documented as previously acquitted, should just give up their wands at the registration desk and they can have them back when they leave."

"That's not fair, what if we need to defend ourselves?" asked a short-haired, middle-aged wizard in dark green robes.

"Due to the War Fund, the security and Auror presence has been bolstered, Lord Selwyn," said Amelia Bones. "Those within the Ministry would not attack you, and if there were other Death Eaters detected the Aurors would act accordingly."

Lord Parkinson stood up again, "And what about if we release the spell to the public? They could very well bar us from their premises. We still have needs. If I need to create a potion for any reason, an unwell family member, perhaps, I should be able to procure the ingredients I need."

"Yes, Lady Longbottom?" said Dumbledore, to an aged woman wearing her customary vulture-topped hat."

"You should be," she announced, her jaw set, "However, there are a number of Death Eaters who claimed they were victims of the Imperius curse, and it turned out that they were lying, didn't it?! Take, for example, Lord Lucius Malfoy, Now we know that since he escaped from Azkaban, he's holed up in his pretty little manor under very heavy wards. How do we know that you aren't lying as well?"

"How dare you!" spat Lord Parkinson.

"I think what Lady Longbottom is trying to say," interjected Cyrus, "is that on the off chance that people like yourself are lying, the lives of our friends, family members, staff and members of the public are worth more than the inconvenience of you not being able to go into certain premises. There's nothing to stop you from requesting an owl order to my premises or sending a House Elf to procure purchases for potion ingredients if you need them."

"So I'm to never set foot in a shop again?" retorted Parkinson.

"When Tom Riddle is destroyed, the Dark Mark will be as well." said Sirius, "The Unspeakables have assured me."

"See, Lord Parkinson," Cyrus said, eyes glittering with thinly veiled hatred, "As an Imperiused Lord with a Dark Mark, after the war is ended you may visit premises such as my own with no issue. If you survive that is."

Parkinson's nostrils flared in response but he said nothing else, but the conversation went on. After an hour more of discussion, both the motion to add the addendum and the bill itself were passed. The following two hours were spent discussing a bill proposing changes to taxation for the richest in society to help towards the war effort, which didn't go through, and a boring discussion regarding a re-read of a bill about the regulation on potion ingredients from class XXXXX magical creatures. Eventually, that one did pass.

Finally, by half past one, all bills had been voted on and Harry felt himself on tenterhooks, knowing what was to come next. He'd had a good chat with Daphne on how he would handle this while laying in bed with Daphne the night before.

"That is all the bills for the day voted on and accounted for. Before I discuss the upcoming election and close the session, is there any other business?" said Dumbledore, who was visibly deflated as the man who he'd hoped wouldn't, indeed did get to his feet, "Yes, Lord Rookwood?"

The balding wizard on his feet turned to Harry and looked straight at him, but Harry didn't turn, pretending not to have a clue what was about to happen.

"Lord Slytherin-Potter of the Seven," he growled, "Under the Blood Feud that you yourself declared, I challenge you to a duel to the death. You will pay for what you did to my brother and my nephew."

Harry got to his feet, amidst the gasps and muttering that sounded in the chamber, looking shocked and afraid, "W-what?" he said, making his lower lip tremble "You want to duel? But I'm still in school!"

Rookwood's face turned to one of pleased malice, "You look scared, Lord Slytherin-Potter," he said, "But you have no choice. Under the law, as you have declared a Blood Feud, you have no choice but to accept."

"Bu- but…" Harry said, pretending like he really was terrified, but then he started checking his fingernails, his expression changing to one of pure bored annoyance, "Nah. I'm just fucking with you, Rookwood. I'm just wondering whether or not it will be proper to mount your head on my wall like a family house-elf when I'm done with you."

"Fuck you!" Rookwood snapped, visibly itching for his wand.

Though his heart was pounding, Harry made a big show of stretching up his arms and yawning before saying, "You're boring me now Rookwood. Of course, I accept your challenge, when do you want to die?"

"We will fight tomorrow. At Noon." Rookwood snapped.

"I accept," Harry replied with a sly smile, "Do you have a Second in mind?"

"I do," answered Rookwood, his smile venomous, "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry felt his stomach knot as everyone in the room gasped. This was someone he hadn't planned for, and challenge he wasn't sure he'd be able to beat. He swallowed, knowing that he mustn't show fear.

"He's in league with the Death Eaters!" said Augusta Longbottom, standing up, "Arrest him."

"I'm afraid association with a known Death Eater warrants investigation, but not immediate arrest," said Amelia Bones, her face white, "But rest assured, Lord Rookwood will be investigated, should he survive, that is."

"Of course, I'll bloody survive," snapped Rookwood, "He's just a bloody kid."

He turned back to Harry, "Who's your Second?"

"I am," said Sirius standing up, an angry sneer on his face, "Not that he'll need me."

"Very good," said Rookwood sneering back, "I'll be able to take down two enemies in one day. We'll do it at the Falcon's stadium."

"Er, no we won't," said Harry, "You chose the date and I accepted. That means I have the choice of location. I know you only became a Lord because I killed your brother and you're new, but that's the law."

"No," said Rookwood, his head jerking back, affronted, "We'll have it at the Falcon's stadium, it'll be safe with no one else there and plenty of seats for viewers to keep the duel fair. I've already got the consent of the club owner.

"That doesn't matter," says Sirius with a smile, "You must now let Harry choose the location or forfeit entirely. Now the duel is accepted that means he would be entitled to kill you where you stand. There hasn't been a challenge through a declared blood feud in the Wizengamot since before your time; I know the law."

"He's right," said Shacklebolt, "It's one of our oldest laws, since the Wizengamot's inception. Part of the old ways."

"Fine," Rookwood seethed, "Where?"

"As I would've challenged you if you hadn't challenged me, Julius," Harry said, patronisingly elongating his foe's first name, "I had an idea in mind as well and made arrangements. Minister Bones has agreed to let us use the Aurors' Arena."

"What?" said Rookwood "Unacceptable. The Aurors will just arrest Bellatrix on sight."

"No, we won't," said Shacklebolt, "It's against the law to interrupt a blood feud. She can come and if you win, go as she pleases."

"Fine." Rookwood growled, so angry that his hands were shaking, "I accept."

"Lovely," Harry said, as if he'd just taken a refreshing first sip of a sweet cup of Madam Puddifoot's finest tea, and sat down, letting everyone know the conversation was over. Rookwood, stood for a moment, clearly still trying to process what had just happened. The other members watched in anticipation of his further remarks, but he seemed to run out of steam and sat down again.

"Any other business?" said Dumbledore wearily. No one else spoke, so he continued, "Very well, I'd like to remind you that the date of the election is set to the day before Samhain, in nine days, next Friday. The candidates are Amelia Bones, Amos Diggory and Pius Thicknesse. You must cast your vote by anonymous owl mail directed to Gringotts Bank. The results will be announced in the morning paper on the morning of Samhain itself."

At the end of the session, Amelia came over to speak to him and Sirius, letting them know that if they come early into the Ministry, they may make use of the Arena to practice. They couldn't use it today, the law being that they couldn't use the location on the day before the duel to avoid sabotage of the battlefield, so they promised her that they would be there bright and early.

"Oh and by the way," she said, pulling her satchel back onto her shoulder and tucking her hair behind her ear, "Thank you for your article this morning, but as part of the War Council I'd like to ask more one favour. Tomorrow, if you can, don't kill Bellatrix Lestrange. I'm sure she will have untold information regarding the Dark Lord's plans. If you can, capture, but don't kill."

Harry nodded and sighed, getting to his feet to leave, knowing Neville wouldn't be happy about this. "I'll try, but I'm not promising anything."

"That's all I ask."

By the time Dumbledore had finished his goodbyes and Sirius had taken him to one side to go over plans for tomorrow, classes were nearly over by the time Harry and Dumbledore had got back to Hogwarts. With it being Wednesday, Harry only ever had single Defence Against the Dark Arts in the afternoon, due to Astronomy classes happening in the evening. Harry made his way up to the classroom, planning to wait for Daphne to update her on what happened. She was one of the first to come out of the class, which the Slytherins shared with the Gryffindors.

He gave her a big smile and hug as she approached, with Tracey, Neville, Blaise and Hermione in tow, but she didn't smile in return. Instead, she looked at him apprehensively.

"So?" she said, "What happened? Did he go for it?"

"He did," Harry replied, "The duel is tomorrow at noon at the Aurors' Arena."

"Good," Daphne nodded, "Did Sirius accept to be your Second?"

"Of course he did," Harry said with a smile, but then his face became uneasy.

"What is it?" she pressed.

"His Second will be Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Wait, what? What's happening?" said Hermione, her eyes wide with worry.

"I've been challenged to a duel to the death tomorrow, Hermione, by the new Lord Rookwood, Septimus' uncle. It's going to be at the Ministry."

"What?!" said Tracey in shock, "And his second is Bellatrix Lestrange? You've got to kill her?"

"How are they allowing this?" said Hermione, "She can't go to the Ministry. She'll just be arrested."

"She can as part of a blood feud," said Blaise, "It's against the law for anyone to interfere."

"You've got to kill her for me Harry," pleaded Neville, "For what she did to my family."

"I don't know Nev," Harry said sadly, "Minister Bones has asked me to capture her, I know you want me to avenge them, but the information they could get from her could help save so many people."

Neville sneered but then his face became downcast, and he nodded.

"Never mind avenging anyone!" said Hermione, snapping, her eyes welling up quickly. "This is a duel to the death against two people - including Bellatrix Lestrange! Harry, I've heard how powerful you've become but surely even if you kill this Uncle Rookwood, you can't beat her. She'll…she'll kill you."

"She won't," Harry replied with grim determination, feeling Daphne's hand slim into his and grasp it tightly.

"But she's…" Hermione said, openly crying now and Blaise put his arm around her, "She's Voldemort's right-hand man! Harry, I've…I can't…"

"Hermione," Harry said, "I will win tomorrow. I obviously can't promise, nothing is ever certain, but I've got all of you lot, my friends, and soon I'll have a family with Daphne to fight for. You know I'll never give in."

"I just…I don't see how…" Hermione said, eyes streaming. Harry looked around him and saw grave expressions on everyone's faces. He needed them not to worry.

"Come on," Harry said, coming to a decision, "The five of you. Including you Blaise, follow me."

"What are we doing in a girl's bathroom?" said Blaise ten minutes later, looking distinctly uncomfortable. The others smirked at each other as Harry hissed 'Open' in Parseltongue.

"This is the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets," Harry replied after the cylinder of sinks had transformed and sunk into the floor, revealing the huge dirty pipe, "Blaise, obviously Hermione, Daphne and Tracey all vouch for you, but if you ever tell anyone where it is, I'll make what I did to Septimus Rookwood look tame. We're only going into the chamber, not beyond."

Blaise looked like he was somewhere between wonder and fear, but nodded.

Soon after they were standing in the huge chamber in front of the carving of Slytherin. The group was all bunched together, so Harry took a few steps back. He took out his wand and drew a small circle border, about 6ft in diameter in glimmering silver on the ground.

"Right, we're going to duel," Harry said shortly, "And I won't use any family magic. Or move from within this circle"

"You can't be serious." said Blaise, echoing the sentiments of most of the others, but before Harry could say, "I'm not Sirius, I'm Harry," Daphne had drawn her wand. She cast an immediate Stupefy, but Harry simply smiled, and leaning to one side, he waved his wand like a tennis racket, easily deflecting it back at her. She tried to get a shield charm up in time but failed and fell to the floor, unconscious, with a thud. Tracey immediately walked over and ennervated her, and Daphne smiled faintly as she got back to her feet. They looked at him much more warily now.

"Shall we try that again?" Harry asked with a smile, "Nothing too injuring though, I'd like to fight tomorrow if you do manage to hit me. Whenever you're ready."

Daphne counted down from five, and the moment she reached one, five spells shot towards Harry. He sidestepped two of them effortlessly, leaning to the right but not going over the line. With a swift slick, he deflected Daphne's stunner, batting it away like a tennis ball. He willfully took Hermione's Langlock jinx to the chest; speech was necessary for most of his casting now anyway. Neville's Petrificus Totalus came last, aiming for Harry's hip. Harry caught the spell on the tip of his wand and, channelling Sirius, flicked his wand in small movements, transforming the spell into a shimmering white sheet that flew back towards the group.

The sheet both Tracey and Neville, sending them crashing to the floor immobilised. Daphne and Hermione managed hasty shields, while Blaise dropped to his stomach to avoid it, the spell soaring over his head.

With a lengthy incantation, Daphne transformed three small rocks into grapefruit-sized spiders, which went scuttling towards Harry. Hermione unleashed a torrent of hexes, but Harry, showcasing his precision, deflected the hexes into the spiders, obliterating them. From the floor, Blaise managed to ennervate Tracey, who blinked awake just in time to see Hermione's final, hastily cast spells miss Harry by inches.

Harry then conjured an electric blue whip, crackling with energy. With a powerful flick, the whip lashed out, connecting with Neville, Tracey, and Blaise's prone forms, freezing them in place. Harry sent the trio skidding across the stone floor towards Daphne and Hermione with another flick of his wand.

Daphne tried to leap over Blaise's frozen arm but was caught and fell, only to be hit with a stunning spell. Now, it was just Hermione versus Harry. She shattered the ice around her comrades, sending shards flying towards Harry. He summoned a large shield, deflecting the shards which exploded into a flurry of snow.

Cancelling the Langlock, Harry called out, "Depulso, Gemino Nix Regia," as he thrust his wand forward and waved his arm in a wide circle. Snowflakes multiplied exponentially, falling in a great mound that buried Neville, Tracey, Daphne, and Blaise, leaving only Hermione's head visible.

"Expelliarmus, Expelliarmus, Expelliarmus, Expelliarmus, Expelliarmus," Harry said with a grin, pointing his wand at the pile of snow and at Hermione's peeved but astonished form. Their wands shot towards him, skittering on the Chamber floor. He quickly vanished the mound of snow and went to work reviving and then warming up all of his very cold friends.

"I…I can't believe it," said Hermione, "I was going to banish it back at you but you were too quick."

"You barely even moved," said Blaise, brushing Chamber-dirt from his knees, "And you were so fast."

"I wasn't even going half-speed," said Harry with a smirk, "And I didn't even use this."

He pulled out his second wand to show the group, making all but Daphne gasp.

"You have two wands?" Hermione said, "How? That's not allowed!"

"Special permit from the Minister," Harry replied with a smile.

"You know what?" said Tracey as she too got to her feet, "I think he might have a chance you know."

With their nerves calmed, Harry escorted them all back up into the halls of Hogwarts. Deciding that he should cast no more today, to save his strength for tomorrow, he went up to the feast with the others and Daphne, who was still worried just in case something did happen tomorrow, asked him to join her. After the feast, they retired to their quarters and now not wanting to leave his side at all, told him that neither of them would be going to Astronomy and she didn't care if she got detention for it. She drew them a luxurious bath and they lay under the hot water together, holding each other.

"I wanted to ask you for something," Harry asked, her naked body lying between his legs and her back was flush to his chest.

"Mhm?" she murmured.

"I wanted to ask…for tomorrow, can I borrow your necklace? The one I gave you. Just in case I need it."

"Of course you can," she said and turned, the water splashing as she got to her knees before removing the Lily pendant that was still around her neck and attaching it to her fiancé. "What time are we leaving tomorrow for the duel?"

"We?" Harry said, frowning.

"Yeah. I'm sure there's a viewing gallery, or else how would the trainers assess the Aurors?"

"I…I don't want you to come, Daph," Harry said hesitantly, "Bellatrix will be there and if things go bad…I don't know what the wards will be like. She might do something to get to you. It might be, distracting."

"Okay," Daphne said, frowning, "Well then I should give my present to you now, then."

She got up out of the bath and grabbed a towel while Harry watched on, his eyes hungrily roving over her plump backside.

Once he too had got up and made his way into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around him, she presented him with a large box bearing the seal of Twilfit and Tattings.

"Mum told me on Saturday that there would likely be a duel and so in the night when you slept I went to see Salazar. He let me into the main chamber for a bit to get the materials to send to Hogsmeade and my Dad helped pay for it. It only arrived this morning."

"Wow," said Harry, his eyes glinting with amazement, now knowing the meaning of that look Cyrus had shown on his face that morning, "This is…wow, Daph, thank you. It looks perfect."

"Well show me what it looks like on, then!" Daphne replied.

Harry grinned. "Yes, my lady."