The Protector and the Four Guardians Chapter 17, a harry potter fanfic

Chapter 17: Attack at the DoM

A week after Harry went to see his new villa, the tense atmosphere around Hogwarts steadily returned as Delores made it known how unhappy she was at this latest development. Things at the Ministry were tense, but it paled to the amount of tension aimed at Umbridge. The professors, the majority of the students, parents/guardians, and Governors were not pleased with what's been going on at school. Between having to pay back the parents who felt like they were being cheated, the school's budget to remain open, and going through the professor's credentials, things could have been better. When they arrived at Umbridge's records, the woman stated she was placed by Cornelius himself to teach the Ministry-approved curriculum. Despite being suspended from his duties, he was still the Minister of Magic. Unless she was told otherwise by him, then she would remain both a professor and High Inquisitor.

Augusta, however, was of a different mindset as she took great pride in telling Delores that she was treading on thin ice as several Lords and Ladies wanted the Board to remove her. The only reason she was allowed to remain was that Fudge still had a little power. If the situation at Hogwarts does not improve, they will replace her with someone else. Old Lady Longbottom went on to add that she couldn't hide behind her boss forever. There were whispers that the Wizengamot wanted to remove Fudge permanently; a few notable members wanted him to be arrested. In short, their days were numbered.

Try as though she might. Delores was unsuccessful in trying to pin the blame on Harry Potter. Claiming it was his fault things were in such disarray and for filling the students and general public with lies. The Governors only shook their heads, dismissing her claims and then leaving. From then on, Delores Umbridge was in a bad mood.

Needing to vent her anger, she took it out on Fred, George, and Ron after a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Draco created an awful son about Ron being unable to prevent the other team from scoring. The youngest Weasley male had a serious problem when it came to controlling his temper, as it hindered his performance. At the end of the match, Ginny caught the snitch, but a minute after, Madam Hooch announced that Gryffindor won. Goyle used his beater bat to knock a bludger at unsuspecting Katie, causing her to fall off her broom and breaking some of her ribs. The damage would have been worse had it not been for Aaron, who caught her before she hit the ground. As much as he wanted to beat the shit out of the gorilla-like boy, he flew her to the hospital wing. Draco was sore about losing the snitch to a Weasley and started throwing insults about her parents and saying things like she would never be more than a blood traitor whore. One that Potter will never give his attention to. After too many insults, Fred punches the blond Slytherin repeatedly. Soon, a fight breaks out, with Ron and George engaging in a fistfight with Montague and Goyle.

It took both Professor Potter and Professor McGonagall to get the situation under control. Following Harry and their livid head of house to her office, she let them know what she thought about the situation and gave the Weasley boys two weeks of detention. But when Umbridge came in, she used her authority to ban the three of them from playing Quidditch for life. When asked what Malfoy's, Goyle's, and Montague's punishments were, she claimed they performed admirably in defending themselves and received ten points each. Their only punishments were from Madam Hooch, who told them to write lines.

That did not sit well with Harry as both Malfoy and Goyle displayed unsportsmanlike conduct during and after the match. Therefore, they deserved a more fitting punishment than writing lines, and gave them a week of detention and took twenty points from them. She attempted to argue, saying his punishment was too harsh. Still, the decision was final, resulting in her stomping out of the office.

Other than that, the week went on. When the day came for Miwa's dueling examinations, he went to go cheer her on. After two full days, she defeated her opponents with flying colors and was granted the rank of High-Master Class Duelist. During the celebration, Harry informed her about his new villa; at first, it made her jealous since she was not the first to know it'd been finished. But after hearing what had been going on at Hogwarts and in Britain, she understood why he did not say anything, having been busy dealing with the political sphere and the situation at school.

During a staff meeting after classes, the professors started discussing how to best mitigate the tension around the school. Delores wasted no time in taking the stand, "it's obvious what this school needs..." beginning in a false sweet voice as her eyes looked at the Professor's Apprentice. "Mr. Potter has caused too many problems and must leave."

"I agree. He is dangerous and should not be around the students," Filch added.

"Oh, you two would certainly like that wouldn't you," Harry drawled, looking at the both of them. "Unlike the two of you, I'm doing my job while someone is pushing papers and making students' lives miserable." He coolly stated, turning his head to the other professors. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again we don't need Argus to remain as the caretaker, and Umbitch has no rights teaching here."

"No one has ever liked this sack of shit," nodding toward Filch. "Too often, he's made it clear that he doesn't like children and often wishes to torture them. Practically, I'm surprised he lasted this long."

"Professor Potter does have a point," Filius said with a frown. "I have heard one too many students complaining about how they want Argus to be removed. As his treatment of them is less than desirable. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he is still allowed within the walls, as this school has over a hundred house elves."

Much to Argus's annoyance and bitterness, three others agreed with the diminutive man. Septima, though quickly took control, "that discussion will be for later. For now, we have to focus on how to rebuild the school's reputation," then turning to Delores and Percy, "don't even say it. With Professor Dumbledore gone, I am acting Headmistress of this institution, and you two are on thin ice. No one in this castle is happy about your placement here, Delores. I would remove you myself if the choice were up to me."

She would have said more to the peeved woman if not for someone knocking on the door. Minerva unlocked the door to see the school's Head Boy and Head Girl. "Mr. Diggory, Miss. McGruder? We are in the middle of a meeting. Can this not wait?"

"Apologies, Professor McGonagall," Scarlett replied, "but Cedric and I have come from a meeting with the other Prefects and Quidditch Captains to deliver a missive."

"What kind of "missive?" Harry asked.

"We've taken a vote, have spoken with the other members from the different house teams, and have reached a decision concerning this year's Quidditch season."

Cedric continued, "given the biased and unfair treatment at the hands of Professor Umbridge during last week's game. Therefore, by an overwhelming vote and on behalf of the Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff teams, we formally resign from the Quidditch teams."

That shocked the adults to stillness to hear the school's Quidditch teams had disbanded. Pomona was beside herself as she felt her heartbreaking, not only because her badgers no longer wanted to play but because it was one of her own to deliver the news.

"Mr. Diggory...I understand things are questionable at the minute, but..." She tried to say as her voice started to break.

"This decision has been decided; if Umbridge is going to remain and continue to be biased in her decision-making, then we want nothing to do with it," pulling out a large scroll. "You'll find the majority have already signed this petition."

Minerva accepted the parchment and looked through it to verify what he said was true before handing it to Professor Vector. "These are valid." Then standing up to face them, "are you content with this decision?"

"We are!" They said at once, then left.

"Well done, Delores," she snapped in a cold voice. "Thanks to you, this year's Quidditch season is virtually canceled."

Harry wasted no words delivering a hard punch to the woman's face breaking her nose in the process. "Fucking bitch," returning to his seat as she received a napkin from Percy to stop the blood from coming out.

"You should be arrested," she seethed.

"Try it," he challenged. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Do not push it, Delores, as you deserve worse," came Pomona. "You try to have Professor Potter arrested, and you'll have me to contend with." She warned, wanting nothing more than to beat the woman herself. Minerva felt the same, "this is all on you!"

"This is one hell of a mess," Burbage commented. "Things around this school have changed for the worse. It's time to reevaluate what is most important for the students and ourselves."

They spent the rest of the evening until dinner on how to rectify the situation as things were spiraling out of control. Once again, Delores tried to have Harry removed but was met with opposition. Eventually, the others agreed to warn her to keep her distance from him. Grudgingly and very reluctantly, she agreed for the time. At the beginning of dinner, Professor Vector made a speech on how there would be more Hogsmeade visits and how every punishment handed out by Prefects, Head Boy, Head Girl, and Professors would be evaluated. In addition, the members of the Inquisitorial Squad were warned that if they abused their positions any further, there would be severe consequences.

Ten minutes later, Aaron and Adrian walked up to the head table to speak with Professor Snape. Severus had to massage his temples. He felt some additional headaches about to come on. "What is it?"

Aaron responded, "professor, we have given this a lot of thought and have decided to hand in our resignations as members of the Quidditch team."

Dropping the letters in front of his plate while the rest of Slytherin's house looked at them with shocked expressions.

"Have you thought this through?" Severus raised a brow. "Is this your final decision?"

"They are, sir," Adrian replied. "If Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle are going to remain, then we won't," he said in a firm voice. "We may be Slytherins, but we're not babies or cheaters who whine, complain, or do anything underhanded during our matches."

They walked back to their seats at Hufflepuff while ignoring the looks being sent their way by the other snakes. However, their ires were more directed at Malfoy and Goyle. Professor Snape was not a happy man; rising from his seat, he briskly walked to the boys. "You two follow me. Now," he ordered.

"But, I haven't eaten anything," Goyle protested.

"You can have the Draught of Living Death for all I care," his black eyes bore into his student, letting him know he was not in the mood.

Draco shot his two ex-teammates looks before dragging the gorilla like-boy from his seat and following his head of house out the Great hall.

"You guys didn't have to do that," Alicia said.

"Yeah, we did. Quidditch is just a game to me. It doesn't rule my life, nor is it what I want to do professionally," Adrian retorted with a voice of finality.

"There is no honor in winning a match unless we're on a level field," Aaron added. "What those two did was wrong... I may not like the Weasley boys for their constant pranks...but Malfoy went too far."

He then placed his hand on Katie's, "and after what Goyle did...he better hope I don't find him in a dark alley." The fire in his eyes showed he was still angry about what had happened.

Katie gave him a quick peck on the lips, "believe me, I have something special in mind for that useless idiot." Her eyes then became dark as she slapped him on the shoulder, "I don't need you to fight my battles for me. But I appreciate the gesture all the same," her eyes softened.

Throughout the rest of dinner, neither Malfoy nor Goyle returned; Professor Snape confined them to the Slytherin common room to avoid any further incidents.

By the end of dinner, the D.A students met up in one of the unused classrooms for the week. But unfortunately, many of them had their attentions elsewhere rather than the spells they were supposed to be working on. Hermione eventually called for them to stop. When the attention was on her, she spoke, "given how Quidditch season is canceled, I feel like we should add another two or three days to our meetings."

"Why bother?" Terry asked as some of the others began talking. "Ever since our first meeting, all we've done so far is look up hexes, jinxes, and curses. Several of them are weak and have little to do with what we need to know for our DADA exam."

"Terry's right. When are we going to learn something that is actually on our curriculum?" Padma demanded, shooting her a look.

"We're learning what Professor Dumbledore would have wanted us to know...light magic," Hermione explained for what seemed like the fiftieth time, trying to keep her temper in check. A handful of the D.A members present questioned why they weren't learning anything different.

"Too bad the old geezer is not here," Parvati entered the conversation. "Furthermore, what exactly has he done for us this year other than letting Umbridge have her way? It is most fortuitous that he's been suspended, as he was never much help, to begin with."

"How could you say that," Hermione nearly yelled. "With Professor Dumbledore gone, we are left vulnerable."

"We've been vulnerable since the start of our first year," Anthony snarked. "Each year, there has been a form of danger that could have been prevented had he bothered to lift a finger. You said you'd teach us how to defend ourselves, yet we learned next to nothing about fighting or combat spells."

"The spells we've learned have already been decided," Hermione said in a final tone of voice.

"Decided by who? You?" The boy demanded.

"That's right," Ron stood up to glare at him. "If you have any problems with it, then you can leave."

In the end, Anthony decided to stay but very grudgingly, as this was still better than Umbridge's class. A select few students also agreed with him, as they wanted to learn some real magic.

(0^0)

The rest of November faded into December, with Harry helping the professors in class as they prepared their students for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. According to Amelia, she was without a doubt pleased as the Auror's new budget enabled her to rehire the people Fudge had released and gain some new recruits. It also helped that Kingsley agreed to be the new instructor at the Auror Academy, with Alastor Moody as his assistant. Rufus approved the appointments as the current dark-skinned Auror and ex-Auror would be able to help improve the corps. What surprised people the most was that he convinced Alastor to come out of retirement. The old Auror had seen more than his fair share of battles and, despite wanting to have some peace, couldn't help but feel obligated to help. After seeing how weak, the Auror Corp had gotten and with Voldemort's return, he could hardly say no. However, Alastor gave Rufus only two conditions: One, he and Kingsley would train the Aurors as they saw fit. Two: instead of three years within the Academy, the trainees would spend a year and a half. Rufus was all too happy to agree.

Dumbledore had returned to his position as Headmaster this; however, the lack of warmth and acceptance from the student body did not go unnoticed. Only a small number of people were happy about his return which said a lot about the people who thought about him. This was led by Ron and Hermione, who were the most enthusiastic. However, that barely amounted to anything. The two believed that with Dumbledore back, the D.A would renew its focus, yet sadly this was met with resentment.

During the next staff meeting, Septima informed Dumbledore about the recent changes and how things would be happening differently. The old man was not entirely happy about some of the changes but let them be, as the other members had already voted. At the end of the meeting, he asked Harry to stay behind again, expressing his disappointment with the boy's actions as of late. Once again, Harry brushed it off, stating that he didn't care or need his approval to do anything. Albus gave his trademark grandfatherly disappointed look, not that it did any good. Before Harry could leave, Dumbledore asked him if he would reconsider joining the Order, stipulating that with his help, they would stand a better chance at defeating Voldemort. Harry said no, then left the room.

Harry was not stupid, as he knew what the old man wanted and vowed never to be his puppet or weapon. He had more pressing matters to deal with as the Magus Council had taken to sending him and Miwa on different assignments. Some were more difficult than others, as the Death Eaters had been working overtime to get new recruits and spread fear throughout the masses. Their attacks were becoming more lethal now that the lycanthropy was being cured. Since the death of Greyback and his lieutenants and the announcement of a cure for being a werewolf, hundreds of the infected no longer had a reason to fight. This had obviously angered Voldemort enough as he slaughtered a group of Death Eaters and a collection of werewolves from Fenrir's gang.

Speaking of Death Eaters, Harry and Miwa had to face three dozen in a town in Ukraine and several more in China. Daphne certainly disapproved because whenever he would return, she'd see how tired and exhausted he was. Thankfully, the Council agreed to give them some time off to relax.

In the room of requirement, Harry asked for some of the professors to be present as he wanted them to bear witness to what the students had been learning. He had the students put their books and essays away and had them stand against the walls. "Given the number of attacks mounted by Death Eaters and revelation of Voldemort being back," more than twenty shuddered as he sued his name. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, that's not even his real name. An anagram. Show some spine, people! The more you fear him, the more power you give him." Whispers ran throughout the room as the students wondered what he might teach them.

"Now, before you learn any offensive spells and tactics. You will first need to master your defense." He pointed to McLaggen, who raised his hand.

"Professor, why would you have us work on something as weak and pointless as defense when we should learn more offense?" Cormac sneered, as this would be a waste of time. "Offensive moves will always outweigh defensive ones. Seems like a waste of time if you ask me."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the arrogant sixth-year. "What do you say we test that theory?" He challenged, turning around, "Miss. Greengrass, would you come over here, please?"

Astoria walked to stand next to Harry at the center of the room. "All right, McLaggen, since you believe that learning defensive techniques is a waste of time, why not prove it? If you can defeat Miss. Greengrass in a duel with using nothing except for offensive spells, then we'll skip learning defense and skip straight to offense, and I'll award Gryffindor forty points."

Cormac's eyes lit up as he was being given a chance to show off his dueling prowess. Lilith, Tracey, and Emily could only shake their heads as the sixth-year lion had no idea what he had just agreed to. The combatants stood 15 paces away from each other, with Harry in the center.

"Miss. Greengrass, you will use only defensive techniques," Harry turned to her opponents. "Mr. McLaggen, you will only use offense. The duel will end when either side is deprived of their wands or incapable of dueling any longer. Wands at the ready," they lifted their wands to their faces. Astoria bowed while Cormac barely gave a curt nod in return. They each took a stance. "On the count of three."

"One... Two... Three!"

Cormac began with a stunning spell, which missed its target as Tori sidestepped. This was followed by a rainbow of hexes and curses, all of which the little girl expertly dodged. A smirk tugged against her lips; having been trained by Harry personally, she became quite proficient. While less skilled than her older sister, she knew how to adequately fend off attackers.

Feeling like she was mocking him, Cormac began to lose his composure and started shouting spell after spell. Having learned his attack pattern, Astoria finally decided enough was enough; ducking under what appeared to be a bone-breaking curse, she used the shielding charm to deflect the spell behind it back to its caster. Narrowly avoiding the spell, Cormac tried again with a stunner, but this time she was ready for his attack. Using protego coglex, she sent the spell straight back with more speed and power, hitting her opponent square in the chest and knocking him unconscious.

"That is enough. The winner is Astoria Greengrass," Harry announced. As the audience cheered, McLaggen was revived and stood to his feet, looking incredibly embarrassed. "Still believe learning defense is a waste of time?" Harry joked while Cormac stomped away.

"Let this serve as a valuable lesson," he looked at everyone, "defense is just as important as offense. Can anyone tell me how Miss. Greengrass won?"

Colin's hand went up, "she waited him out and used his own attacks against him."

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor, Mr. Creevy," giving the boy a nod. "Do not get comfortable, as defense will only get you so far depending on how you use it. Who can name how many defensive styles there are and their categories?"

He saw rows of hands shoot into the air. Then nodded toward Lisa Turpin, "there are currently three. A pacifistic, moderate, and aggressive."

"Five points to Ravenclaw. Does anyone want to add any extra information?"

Bise raised his hand, "each defensive style is unique in its own way and carries strengths and weaknesses." Harry gave him a nod to continue. "Everyone has a unique preference for defense, depending on how they are. However, contrary to what most would like to believe, defense takes on many forms."

"Excellent, ten points to Slytherin." Harry awarded the points before continuing. "Like what Mr. Zabini said, defense takes on many forms, and everyone has their own preference. Remember that no matter how good your defensive skills are, you will eventually crumble without a swift and decisive offense. Every now and then, you will come across someone with a unique defensive style. Take Dumbledore, for example," his voice was laced with a little venom, "despite his old age, he is still an accomplished Master Duelist. His preferred defensive style is between pacifist and moderate. Just because that works for him doesn't mean it will work for anyone else."

"But he defeated Grindelwald and Vol-Voldemort," Ron shouted. "Both of whom are juggernauts that could level entire towns."

"Thank you for that added unnecessary comment, Mr. Weasley. Is there anything else you would like to add, or do you want to raise your voice like a troll?" He asked in a cool voice that caused a couple to snicker and make the ginger red.

"Dumbledore may have defeated Grindelwald, but he was only able to by depriving him of his wand and throwing his own curse back. As for Voldemort, who is considered worse than his predecessor, there has never been an instance where he bested him. The times they dueled always ended in a stalemate."

He let that sink into everyone, wanting to impart some words of wisdom to tell that defense will only get them so far and that things are not always what they appear to be. His father, adoptive father, uncles, grandfather, and Alex's memories regarding Dumbledore's fighting style was illuminating, to say the least. In addition to Dumbledore's style, he studied Tom's unique style. To defeat his enemies, he needed to know how they thought, fought and acted in battle. It's called vetting. Knowledge is power.

"Final questions. Who can tell me how many defensive techniques there are and what they are?" Most upper years raised their hands, followed by a group of third and fourth-year students. Scanning the room, his eyes fell on someone, "Miss. Granger."

"There are four ways. The shielding charms, transfiguration, conjuration, and dodging," she had a self-satisfied smile expecting him to award her points for the knowledge.

"That is incorrect," the smile on her face vanished, and just when she was about to speak, McGonagall sent her a look that said to remain quiet. "Miss. Bones. Do you perhaps know?"

"Yes sir," taking a step forward. "Like what you and Blaise said, defense takes on many forms. In total, there are seven ways for you to defend yourself. Dodging, shield charms to block and deflect a person's attack, transfiguration, conjuration, summoning objects, catching the spell in midair and sending it back, retreating, and an interception with an offensive spell either at your opponent spell or their bodies."

Hermione gave an unladylike snort as she was obviously wrong, but her eyes widened when a smile appeared on Harry's face. "Fifteen points to Hufflepuff."

"What? There's no way you could have known that. It's obvious Potter told you beforehand, what with your aunt marrying his godfather, and there is no way you can use an offensive spell to defend yourself," Ron shouted. Hermione nodded her head, agreeing with him.

"That will be twenty-five points from Gryffindor for insinuating that I helped Miss. Bones cheat," narrowing his green eyes. "Just because my godfather married her aunt has no bearing on what she knows. Our families may be together; however, that does not mean I help her cheat."

He then turned to face her and spoke so everyone could hear, "listen up, people, because I'm only going to say that is once. It does not matter if you are my relative, friend, colleague, or love interest; I will treat everyone one of you the same. If you do not like it, you are free to leave!"

The professors swelled with pride as they watched him address the students. Minerva made a mental note to speak with Mr. Weasley before the night ended. A small smile came on Susan's face, "thank you, Professor. But I can handle myself."

Her light brown eyes became sharp when she turned to the Weasley prat. "Look, Weasley, I don't know what your problem is, and frankly, I don't care. Ever since first year, you have been a right bastard," that cost her ten points for her words. That, however, had no effect on her as she continued, "unlike you, I read, watch, and make my own analysis about martial combat."

"As unconventional as using offensive magic to defend one's self, it is, in fact, a form of defense," Professor Flitwick announced. "During my years as an International Dueling Circuit and as a member of the Duelist Guild, I have seen many new faces, each with their own unique styles of combat. This generation, in particular, has astounded and taught my colleagues and me something important... Combat is forever evolving and adapting! Therefore, those who aspire to be duelists in the future or have careers that involve combat magic must either learn the traditional styles of combat, develop their own styles, or use unconventional methods in battle."

"Wisely said, Master Flitwick," Harry said approvingly while emphasizing the man's status as a master. "Let's move on. Death Eaters are not to be trifled with or taken lightly; for they possess vicious dueling styles that revolve around Grey and Dark magic. If by some chance you come across them or, god forbid, cross wands with them, then you'll need to be prepared as they will not hesitate to torture and or likely kill you. So pray for your skins that you do not come face to face with them, especially the members of Voldemort's inner circle. For they are a highly dangerous bunch."

"To quote a respected master and friend of mine, 'you need to learn constant vigilance.' Alastor Moody may be paranoid, but he knows how Death Eaters operate. Antonin Dolohov, for example, is an extremely powerful and highly skilled Ukrainian who has made quite a reputation for himself as a feared and notoriously dangerous duelist. It took 27 Aurors and 6 I.C.W agents to apprehend him. In the end, 20 Aurors were killed along with 5 agents. That alone should speak volumes of his skills with a wand."

"On the other hand, Bellatrix is worse-much worse as she was taught by Voldemort himself. Prior to her becoming a Death Eater, she was already a highly accomplished and extremely powerful duelist with a fearsome reputation in the Dueling Circuit. Her training under him has increased her skills to the point where even Aurors at the Ministry are scared to confront her. Make no mistake...despite being mildly insane and drunk with power, destructive and sadistic tendencies should never. I repeat, never be underestimated." Thinning his lips, "to help me ensure you are all prepared to defend yourselves, I've asked the Professors to lend their knowledge. Professors Flitwick, Snape, and McGonagall are highly accomplished individuals who possess large repertoires of Dueling skills. Professors, the floor is yours," waving his hand and asking them to come forward.

Filius was bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking exceptionally giddy. Minerva tried to keep her lips from forming a smile, though she was failing miserably. Severus had only a mild smirk. The three made it to the center of the room, where they explained what they would be teaching the students. Once they were done with the explanations, they had them divide up into groups based on their years.

Two and a half hours later, the students who were not used to doing such physical exercise and using so much magic were sweating and heavily panting as the professors dismissed them for dinner. The ones who Harry trained were not so tired and weren't breathing hard. Thanks to the room providing them with some showers, they were allowed to freshen up while Harry spoke with the others.

"That was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Filius squeaked. The tiny professor was extremely happy with this evening's session.

"I would have to concur," meeting his smile with hers. Minerva liked what she saw in some of the students. Severus only grunted.

"Any chance I can persuade you three to come by more often during these sessions and contribute information in your specialized fields," Harry enquired.

"You can count on me," Filius was the first to respond. "I will be happy to show these kids a thing or two about the Art of Battle Charms. Already, I can tell some have great potential."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves..." Minerva paused him "...while I do not doubt their skills, they still need to learn how to defend themselves. Especially in these troubled times."

"Putting it lightly," the cool silk voice of the school's resident Potions Professor. "A great many of them are not ready. As it is, only Mr. Potter's friends and a couple of others stand a chance of going against Death Eaters; the others are not up to standards."

"Right," Harry groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "Even with that glorified toad being around, it won't be easy. This is precisely why I am asking for your help. Any way you look at it, she will do anything to inhibit their abilities to learn. My reservations about her being in this school whenever change as she will do more harm than good."

Minerva gave him a sad smile, "believe me, Harry, given a chance, I curse her out of this castle myself. But, for now, I will help ensure the safety of the students."

Filius determinedly agreed along with Severus, who gave a curt nod. Together the three left. A few minutes later, Harry saw his friends exiting the showers in fresh clothes. "That was a good session. This was a walk in the park compared to our usual training matches. Did you see the way they limped out, heavily exhausted? Classic."

"Then maybe I should up the ante on your sessions," Harry adopted a serious look that made Adrian pale.

"No, please, not that. Anything but that," pleaded the seventh year.

"Relax, I'm only kidding." His lips formed a big grin. "In terms of dueling skills, you guys are above your peers in your years. You should be proud of how far you all have come." Then, his gaze fell to Astoria, "that was an impressive display of nonverbal casting and defensive skills. McLaggen will remember this lesson, I'm sure."

Tori beamed at the praise, "well, I had a good teacher."

"I only taught you how to duel...that was your win," pointing a finger at her. Your determination to get better has shown itself in your classes. Professor McGonagall has mentioned how your transfiguration skills have grown. You might make it to the top five in your year. Keep it up!"

The young Greengrass was stunned; in her two years as a student, she managed to secure 7th place in her year. So to hear she might make it to the top 5 was overwhelming. Her sister, however, ruined the moment, "don't stroke her ego too much. She'll get a big head and become lazy."

Tori glared daggers at Daphne, "shouldn't you be preparing for your sixth-year exams in DADA, Charms, Transfigurations, Potions, Arithmancy, and Herbology?"

"My exams are not until the beginning of next week, Stori," flashing the little girl a mischievous smile.

The younger of the two left the group while her sister giggled. Harry asked her to hang back for a couple of minutes while the others went to dinner. "For someone who is revered as the Ice Queen, you were on fire with the way you dealt with your opponents today." He joked.

Daphne continued giggling as she threw her arms around his neck and stood up to kiss his lips. "Chang and her friends should know better than to ogle you. The same with Brown. You're mine, and I have no intentions of sharing or giving you up to those sluts."

Harry leaned down to give her a searing kiss which she returned. "My someone's a little possessive," he said after breaking the lip contact.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way. We Greengrasses can be quite protective of what we want," she commented.

He briefly laughed, "well, on a positive note, it's your birthday tomorrow, and I have something special in stored for you."

"Always full of surprises, huh? Do I at least get a hint?" Her question was greeted with a quick peck on the lips.

"Sorry, Sapphire. It wouldn't be special if I told you now, would it." Green eyes twinkled as they met blue.

"You're such a tease," disengaging her hands from around his neck. She took his right hand and walked to the Great Hall.

(0^0)

Adult Content in this section

The next morning Daphne woke up to find that she was alone in bed; yesterday, Harry said he had something special planned but refused to say what it was. Then again, knowing him as well as she does-he likely has something planned. Before getting out of bed, she noticed a nicely wrapped gift with a blue ribbon on her nightstand. Reaching over, she placed the present in her lap, removed the ribbon and wrapping paper, and lifted the box lid to find a beautiful pair of platinum & Marquise diamond Victoria earrings with some inscribed runes and a note.

Morning Sapphire and Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I wasn't there to give the gift to you in person, but the Council decided to send me on a last-minute mission to Switzerland. However, there's no need to be concerned as this should just be a routine assignment. I hope you like the earrings as they're one of the two gifts I got you; the other will come tonight during dinner. Your mum has given me permission to take you away from the castle.

p.s: A change of scenery away from Britain might be needed.

Love, Hadrian.

A loving smile tugged at Daphne's lips as she held the note to her chest. More than anything, and with all of her heart, she loved Harry and knew he felt the same about her. Placing the note and box on her nightstand, she got out of bed, went to her drawer and closet to pull out some fresh clothes, and went to shower. After a morning shower, she dressed, donned her school robes, tied her locket around her neck, and put on her new earrings. And then left to go to breakfast, but not before scratching behind one of Iroh's ears. The hellhound often stayed in the apartment; if not, he would be in her shadow or running around the castle grounds with Byakko.

Since it's Thursday, her schedule was Herbology, double Ancient Runes, lunch, Charms, and then CoMC. Heading to breakfast, she was met by her friends at the entrance of the Great Hall, where they wished her a happy birthday and gave her a present. Tracey jokingly enquired about the earrings she wore, wondering where they came from. But, of course, she already knew, as it was a no-brainer. Throughout breakfast, along with the gifts from her friends, Roxanne came over to give her a gift courtesy of her and Cyrus. She even gave her a hint as to where Harry was going to take her for dinner. Saying it was somewhere in Italy. Tracey did not waste the opportunity to start teasing her best friend about her relationship with Harry. After one too many comments about contraceptive charms and potions, a blushing Daphne put a silencing charm on her.

For the first half of the day, Daphne hadn't seen Harry, silently assuming he was still on an assignment in Switzerland. It was only during the last fifteen minutes of class with Professor Flitwick did he return sweating and out of breath. Whatever happened must have been something as he looked exhausted. This would have gone unnoticed by most, but Aaron and her could tell he was tired.

Before the end of class, he took out a piece of parchment, wrote a quick note on it, and subtly used the switching spell to switch it for one of the remaining parchments on her desk. Quickly reading the note, she vanished it and gave a curt nod.

When the bell finally rang, and the students filed out of the room, Daphne quickly found herself in an abandoned classroom. Taking her wand, she added some wards to lock the door and ensure no one could hear from the outside. A moment later, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. "Happy birthday, Daphne!"

"Thanks, Harry," whirling around to stand on her toes to give him a quick kiss and get a good look at his face. "What happened? You look tired."

"Death Eaters and a handful of criminals were attacking a town in Switzerland. After they were rounded up, Miwa and I had to deal with the representatives from the Swiss Ministry. Damn, I hate politics," he sighed, earning a small giggle from her.

Knowing of his dislike of politics, especially with countries as annoyingly hard-headed as the Swiss, she could understand why he was tired. The times her dad had to do business with them would leave him with a headache and utterly exhausted.

"Thanks, Harry," whirling around to stand on her toes to give him a quick kiss and get a good look at his face. "What happened? You look tired."

"So, are you ready for tonight?"

She returned the question with one of her own. "Do I get a hint as to where you're taking me?"

A mischievous grin tugged against his lips. Then leaning down to her ear, he whispered, "Milan. That's all you get. Though, I have a feeling your breath will be taken away once you see the restaurant."

She momentarily shivered with delight when he blew in her ear, "you are such a tease." Her reply was met with a kiss on her forehead.

"And I'm all yours." Holding her sides more firmly. She rolled her eyes and then pulled him into a quick yet heated kiss before removing the wards and heading to Care of Magical Creatures. Just barely arriving on time, she listened to Professor Grubbly-Plank give a lecture about Imps. The mischievous critters are well known for causing trouble as they love playing pranks on the unsuspecting. Their most notable trait is their grey skin, as, unlike their pixie relatives, they had no distinctive colors to show whether they were male or female. Unfortunately, today was only theoretical, so the students did not get to work with the little gremlins. However, a few of them were quite grateful as they'd come across an Imp once or twice in the past.

When class finally let out, the students were free to enjoy the rest of the day, or in the case of some, they went to get their assignments done or get a start. Meeting the others in the library. They found a table and began working. But, unfortunately for the birthday girl, she only managed to get her Runes and Herbology essays done as Tracey, Astoria, Susan, and even Neville were relentless with their questions about where Harry was taking her tonight. Eventually caving in, Daphne replied to a restaurant in Milan. That drew attention from the others-Emily mostly, as she had an idea of what her brother was planning but decided to keep the information to herself.

The fifth-year Slytherin girls and Astoria dragged the poor blonde away from the library to Harry's apartment to get her ready for tonight. While she loved her sister and friends, they could sometimes be a little much. Particularly Tracey, because after a quick shower, the young brunette had her try on a few dresses until finally settling on a Lola high slit satin dress and a pair of silver heels. Above all, the dress made her look perfect in their eyes, though Daphne was adamant about one specific detail. The necklace she wore at the Yule ball last year. It was one of her most treasured possessions.

"Merlin, you look beautiful, Daphne. Harry is not going to know what hit him," Lilith gave her friend a once over.

"Though, he might be interested in hitting something later," quipped Tracey, who had a mischievous glint in her eyes. Daphne went scarlet at the comment, though she smiled when Lilith poked her in the ribs. "What!? I'm just saying. They're both teenagers with crazy hormones."

"You're the devil, Trace," Daphne said. Tracey pulled her into a hug that she returned.

"You do look beautiful," replying with a genuine smile.

Not a minute later, Iroh shadowed into the room and affectionately rubbed his head against hers. She loved the hellhound dearly as he was not only a companion who shared her magic but was also a protector. "Love you too, boy. Keep an eye on Stori tonight."

Her response was responded with a nod as he turned to the younger. Licking her face making, Astoria giggled. Daphne scratched his head and then left the room; reaching the bottom step, she was greeted by her boyfriend, whose jaw hit the ground. He was dressed in elegant robes befitting that of a Lord of a Most Ancient House. His hair was its usual unruly mess, and his emerald eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Wow," his breath got caught in his throat. "You look-words haven't even been invented yet. These are for you," handing her a bouquet of flowers. Lilies and pink roses were her favorite flowers.

Happily accepting the flowers, she went to put them in a vase upstairs. Returning a couple of seconds later, she linked her arm around his when he offered his elbow. Then after flashing her a quick smile, he teleported them away from the castle to a magical town in northern Italy. Checking their surroundings, the beauty of the town made Daphne's mouth dry. The two shared a light conversation as they went to the restaurant; seeing as how she'd never been to Italy, she let him direct her. "This place is amazing!"

"Believe it or not. The town is much more beautiful at night than during the day. Welcome to the magical district of Milan, Italy..." explaining the history and culture of the country and how they were progressing. The more he explained, the more she found herself loving the country.

The couple soon arrived at a restaurant called Da Vinci's Heaven, named after a famous artist from the Italian Renaissance. Contrary to popular belief, Leonardo da Vinci was a famous and well-respected wizard from the House of Da Vinci. The family had a passion for art, creating muggles and magical paintings. Entering the building, they arrived at the front desk, where they were greeted by a receptionist.

"Hello. Do you have an appointment?" the man asked.

"Lord Potter for two," waving his hand and flashing his family ring. At hearing his name, the receptionist's eyes went wide; immediately looking at his clipboard, he found a reservation.

"Yes. Welcome, Lord Potter. Reservation for a private room for two; on the second floor. Give me a minute, and I'll have someone escort the two of you upstairs." As he turned to leave, he whispered, "my kids love you," was all he said before leaving.

Daphne giggled and poked him in the waist when he grunted. It took only a few moments for the man to return with a waiter who appeared to be in his early twenties. The young man led them to the elevator, tapped the button for the second floor, and was taken up. Once they reached the floor, they were led to the entrance of a double-doored room. When he opened the door, looks of surprise came across their faces as they entered the dining room. Escorting them to a table near the window, they took their seats and were given a menu.

After a few minutes of deciding what they wanted, they returned the menus and placed their orders. "How did you even find this place?" Daphne asked as soon as the waiter apparated away.

"Honestly, by complete coincidence. Last week I met with one of my business partners to discuss opening a shop to sell flight suits. After that, I decided to take a walk around Milan to get a feel for the area; before leaving, I accidentally happened upon this place."

"Seems like that adventurous streak of yours will always take you to new places," smiled Daphne.

A light chuckle escaped his lips, "guess so... After all, it led me to you."

"Flattery will get you places, love," she returned.

The waiter returned ten minutes later with their meals, then, with a wave of his wand, he levitated them onto the table. Then, adding two more waves, he lit two candles. "Enjoy your meals."

He made to leave but was stopped when Harry whispered something in Italian in his ear. A big smile grew on his face; casting a glance at Daphne, he whispered back in approval.

"Mm. I know." Harry answered back, giving his girlfriend a wry smile.

She giggled while shaking her head. Then took a bite of her roasted red pepper steak linguine. Immediately, her eyes lit up. "Good, huh?" he asked.

"Traditional Italian food is better than the variations created back home."

"You will get no argument from me," he cut up a meatball.

For the remainder of dinner, they discussed a possible future in which there would be no Albus Dumbledore or Voldemort to deal with. They could live their lives as they pleased without any interference; become free. When dessert came around, Harry surprised her with a French-made chocolate cake brought by the chef and waiter. Together they sang happy birthday, wishing her a happy sixteenth birthday. Once done, she blew out the candles and cut the cake. After dinner, Harry paid the bill, and they left the establishment. But, instead of teleporting back to Hogwarts, he took her to a nearby fountain.

Daphne immediately threw her arms around his neck and began snogging him senselessly. Slightly taken back, he wrapped his arms around her waist to reciprocate. As their tongues battled for dominance, she moaned in his mouth while running her fingers through his hair. She knew that he was the man for her, and tonight would be the night that will forever be etched in her memory. Neither of them wanted to break apart, but the need for air came after several minutes of nonstop snogging. Reluctantly pulling apart, blue eyes met green.

"I love you, Harry. More than anything in the world." She told him with her cheeks pink.

"And I love you, Daphne. I have a final present for you," removing his hands and taking a step back. He reached into the pocket of his robes to pull out a small velvet box. "I'm not proposing. But I want you to know how much you mean to me as both a woman and a person.

Opening the lid to reveal a ring, "this is a promise that I will always return to you no matter what happens. Even after we grow old together, my love will always be for you. For this moment and forever."

Tearfully, she nodded, accepting his words as he took the ring out of the box, and gently slid it on her ring finger. "Always and forever in this world!" Pulling him into a passionate kiss that held all her love. Briefly pulling away, she rested her head in the crook of his neck. "And I promise to always be with you. Now and until the end, I will be with you even after we die and be born anew. My love is yours for this moment and forever!"

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Harry teleported them back to his quarters at Hogwarts. Still clinging to him, she looked directly into his eyes with a slight tinge of blush. "Harry... I want you to take me."

Those words took him by complete surprise. Opening his eyes wide, "...Daphne. Are you sure? I thought we agreed to wait before going that far!"

"I'm ready," tightening her grip on his robes. "I want to be with you both body and mind." She declared.

He could see her mind was made up. After pausing for a minute, he flicked his wand out from its holster to apply the contraceptive charm to himself. Once the spell hit his abdomen, he tossed his wand onto his nightstand, turned around, and leaned down to capture her lips. The slowly passionate kiss started to heat up as they removed their shoes and began working their clothes off. While maneuvering themselves onto the bed, Daphne removed his robes and worked the buttons off his shirt. Meanwhile, he helped her out of the dress and continued to kiss her neck the way he knew would drive her crazy. Eventually, they fell on the bed with a now topless Harry above her. After removing her dress and necklace, she was left in a blue lace pushup bra and matching panties. This was one of the lingeries she got with her friends while at Hogsmeade, along with the French lace. Returning to her lips, he kissed her passionately while undoing her bra latch. Daphne moaned in his mouth as his rough hands kneaded her breast after her bra was tossed aside. Lowering himself, kissing along her jawline, he made his way down to her chest and took her left boob into his mouth.

"God..." Daphne moaned as he sucked, circled his tongue around her nipple, and his hand worked on her right. The more he sucked and tweaked her nipples, the hotter she became as her breath became rigid. He wanted her to enjoy the experience to the fullest, quickly doing the same to her right. "Harry...please..." she moaned in pleasure. Any further words were caught in her throat.

The beast in him jumped with excitement; the more she moaned, the happier it became. Pressing forward, he kissed down her chest to her stomach and reached her inner thighs. The warmth of his hot breath against her lower regions tickled sender arousal to new heights. Kissing along her inner thighs. He gripped her panties and, in a swift motion, removed them. Lifting the top part of her body up to sit on her arms, she chanted his name as he got to work. "Harry…oh...god! Please don't...stop!" Moaning in pleasure. This wasn't the first time she thanked his ability for being a parseltongue, and it will certainly not be the last. "...Fuck."

Hearing her moan in ecstasy, he plunged his tongue deeper. She was about to reach her high. "Oh…Shit. Oh, fuck...yes. Yes," she cried out, arching her back. She ran her fingers through his hair and wrapped her legs around his head as his tongue continued doing its job. "Harry, I'm...about to..." She screamed, cumming in his mouth.

Lifting himself back, he tenderly kissed her. Daphne's own inner demon was screaming for more. Adhering to its desires, she flipped him around to straddle on top of his waist. Feeling his wand poke against her womanhood, she hopped off and undid his belt, removing his pants and underwear to let his monster be free. "My turn," she said before gripping his hardened erection, kissing the tip, and putting her mouth over it. Lowering herself down his length, she heard him hiss and moan.

"Daphne..." he moaned her name as she bobbed up and down. It took only a couple of minutes before he told her he was close. "I'm not...going to last...much longer."

She took his thing out of her mouth for a second to flash a smile, and before he could react, she gave a long lick up his shaft. Proceeding to suck on him until he eventually couldn't hold it any longer. Then after swallowing his cum she lifted herself onto the bed next to him. "Let's go all the way!"

Nodding his head, he crawled up to her as she rested her head on a pillow, bringing his face up to hers and kissing her deeply. "It's going to hurt," he stated. "But if you need me to stop, then I will." Daphne wrapped around his neck, giving a short nod in understanding. Then slowly, entering her, a sharp was felt as he destroyed her hymen. Moreover, the length and girth of his cock stretched her in a way she never knew was possible, and he still wasn't fully in her.

He quickly stopped at seeing how much pain he was causing her.

"It's okay. This is my first time, so it's bound to hurt. Just give me a minute to get used to it and go slow." She assured him.

Taking a breath, he slowly inserted further. Sliding into her was easier than he thought, probably because she came earlier into her until the tip of his cock touched a sensitive spot. Daphne moaned in absolute pleasure as he slowly thrust in and out, hitting her deepest spot. The pain soon subsided and was replaced with pleasure, wrapping her legs around his waist to make him go deeper. "Fuck! Harry f-faster..."

At her insistence, he pulled back until only the tip of his cock was still inside, much to her annoyance as she figured he was done. Instead, he immediately slammed back in, making her scream in pleasure. Harry's thrust became harder and faster. "Damn...Daphne, y-you feel amazing! Ohh...ahh-ahh!"

Daphne screamed out in bliss, holding onto him for dear life. "Oh sweet...Merlin!" She yelled out in pleasure as he continued to pistoned into her. Her moans got louder and louder as she approached her peak. "Ha-Harry, I-I'm so...close!" And after one more a few more thrusts, she couldn't take it anymore. Her inner walls tightened around him as she came. Harry abruptly stopped thrusting to let her catch her breath.

"A-Are you okay, love!"

Taking a second to recapture her breath. Y-you st-ill...have to...finish!" Rolling him over so he was on his back now. Then went to hover above his waist while gripping his cock, slowly lowering herself until he was fully inside of her. Harry groaned as she rocked her hips back and forth. Even if he tried, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"Fuck...Sapphire!" Harry moaned. He moves his hands to grip her waist as she rests her hands on his chest. Throwing her head back, she raised herself up and came back down, "that's it." Wanting her to continue. The heat and pressure were almost enough to make him finish. He firmly gripped her sides and began to meet her thrust with his.

Their movements complimented one another as they moved in sync. The intense pleasure made them both groan. "Harry! I-I'm n-not going to last..." she gasps while scratching his chest.

"M-Me...neither. L-Let's...come together!" Continuing to pound inside her as he sensed his end coming. Daphne leaned down to kiss him while bouncing on his cock.

Soon after a couple of minutes, the two found their limits and climaxed together. "Harry!" Daphne cried in pleasure as she came on him.

"D-Daphne," Harry came after a final thrust; he exploded, releasing his seed deep within her. She collapsed on top of him. The two were sweaty and utterly breathless but very happy.

Placing a final kiss on her head, the two quickly found themselves under the covers, fast asleep.

End of Adult Content

(0^0)

The next morning, when the light from the sun shined, Daphne opened her eyes. Fortunately, she wasn't alone as Harry, too, opened his eyes. Last night was amazing! Harry and Daphne had sex for the first time, with neither regretting their actions. "Morning."

"Morning, love," she replied, still lying on top of him. "Last night was…indescribable. I seriously didn't expect you to be so skilled."

Normally that would be a huge ego boost to most boys, yet he was different as he respected her too much. "I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?"

Sitting up, she put a hand on his right cheek, "it was our first time. Of course, it would hurt a little, but after a minute or two, the pain vanished like it was never there. In short, it was out of this world. Though to be fair, you were packing more than expected, so I might be walking with a limp."

"Then I guess I should take that as a compliment." She playfully slapped his chest at the horrible joke. "As much as I would love to stay like this with you..."

"...we have classes," finishing his sentence.

"Indeed." Rolling out of bed completely naked. A mischievous smile soon crossed his face. "However, we could take a shower together."

Daphne flashed a smile at the suggestion. Then, getting out of bed herself, she found it a little hard to stand as her legs felt a little wobbly from last night. Harry teleported beside her to help her stand properly and escorted her to the bathroom. Like she said, there was a slight limp in her steps.

After a steamy shower, the two dressed in their proper school attire and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Before entering, she paused upon seeing Tracey, Lilith, and Susan already sitting down. When the brunette and strawberry redhead saw them, mischievous grins tugged against their lips. Lilith tried to hide her smile but was failing miserably. Knowing them as well as she did, they would no doubt start asking why she was limping. Then with a mental sigh, she walked in next to her boyfriend, taking a seat at the Hufflepuff table while he went to sit with the two professors already present. Acting like everything was normal, she filled her plate with scrambled eggs, toast, and some bacon. Despite the five minutes of silence, she found eating difficult as they looked at her with expecting glances.

"All right, you vultures, what do you want?" Breaking the silence.

Tracey's grin soon became a big smile. "Did anything happen last night?" Then stealing a glance at the ring on her finger. "Oh. Is that what I think it is?"

Daphne rolled her eyes as she knew her best friend would not let up until she got some answers. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Trace. Harry did not propose. This is a promise ring."

"Did he give you that before or after the two of you shagged?" Daphne's face went red at the redhead's bluntness.

Looking at the three of them, she silently wished that classes would start soon. "Okay, okay. We had sex last night."

They squealed in delight and bombarded her with questions about how it was? How was he? And many more embarrassing questions.

"Would you guys calm down?" Silently praying the ground would rise and swallow her up. "One: It was amazing as I felt him deep inside me. Two: Yes, we used protections. Remember, I've been on the potion for the last couple of months, so I don't have to worry about getting pregnant." Explaining a little further about where they went, where they ate, and what happened after he gave her the ring.

"Well, who knew he had it in him?" Lilith began. "You got yourself a keeper, as other boys his age would just look for a way to get into a girl's pants. Then after getting what they wanted would forget it like it never happened. I hate to say this, but you hit the jackpot with him."

"Also, that ring, along with the promise he made you is proof of how much you mean to him," Susan added. "Hopefully, I can find a boyfriend like that."

Tracey put a comforting arm around her shoulder, "don't worry, Sue. I'm sure you won't die a virgin." In response to her comment, she received a flick to the nose. "Hey, I'm being serious here. You'll find a guy who is worthy of you."

"All jokes aside," her voice became even. "When will we get our progress reports? My parents have been grilling me about my marks since the beginning of October."

"I know what you mean... Aunt Amy has been on my tail," Susan commented. "Most of her mood swings come from her being almost six months pregnant and dealing with things at the ministry, but still, she could lighten up on me a bit."

"...Our marks should arrive a day or two before the end of term. God, I can't wait for this school year to end," Lilith groaned.

The rest of the students started coming into the Hall, with a number of them wishing for the term to end. Due to the latest events, a handful of the teachers and members of the staff were spending long hours debating on how they could rebuild the school's image. Professors Umbridge and Weasley were trying to control the damage both in the castle and the ministry. The former had been on the receiving end of hundreds of angry letters from parents demanding her resignation as the Defense teacher. Her authority within the school was at an all-time low, as only the people on her side were from the Inquisitorial Squad and Filch. It also didn't help that the professors were less than fully compliant with providing her with aid.

Moreover, more than half of the student population wanted her gone, as there was talk in the ministry that Fudge was on his way to being removed from office. That definitely did not sit well with her or any of the people she was close to. Cornelius had been sending her and Lucius Malfoy letters left and right as he was desperate for any information that might get Potter and Dumbledore sacked or sent to Azkaban and return to office. By now, the people could only shake their heads in disgust, feeling like his one-sided feud with Lord Potter had gone on long enough. The so-called Minister of Magic just couldn't get it in his head that his opponent was several steps ahead of him, and the more he attacked. The more Potter would retaliate with information equally as damaging or worse. A lot of the people who'd been around him long enough knew that Harry did not play games with those viewed as enemies.

Things weren't any different for Dumbledore, as he had tried numerous times to get Harry to join the Order of Phoenix. He'd turn the offer down each time as he had no obligations to him and would always tell Dumbledore to get his shit together. That and whatever happened to his group was on him! A leader is honest with his people. They communicate, try to bring out the best in them, show loyalty, do not risk their lives without risking yours in the process, and don't omit key details that might keep them alive. Otherwise, they are like any tyrant who uses people to get what they want. No matter how many pay the price.

(0^0)

Some people believed that the end of term couldn't come fast enough. During the last couple of days before yule break, several students could be found outside playing in the snow. At Hogsmeade, buying some last-minute gifts or in the wreck room. This was most likely due to their anxieties about wanting to get a break away from their studies. When it came time to hand out the progress notice, a great many students were nervous as they wanted to see if they had improved from last year and to get an idea of where they stood in the school's ranking system. Being the most anxious, Hermione practically bolted out of bed, showered, and got dressed before heading to Professor McGonagall's office.

To her ever dismay, she had four EE's, with the rest being O's that were no higher than 95. She thought this was a mistake. Wondering why she asked how her grades could be so low, earning a glare of annoyance from her head of house. Minerva resisted the urge to roll her eyes yet instead opted to massage her temples as Ms. Granger had been slowly testing her patience. She bluntly told her cub that the overall marks were based on the coursework she's handed in this term. Hermione looked on the verge of having a heart attack and was about to ask some additional questions but was sent out as Minerva had to deliver everyone else's grades.

The night before, it was time to send the students away for the holiday. Harry and Miwa were sent on an intelligence mission to Germany by the Council. As a covert mission, stealth, cunning, and improvisation were essential as they needed to know what Voldemort was up to. While still wanting to get ahold of the prophecy, he wanted to become more powerful. The question was... How?

Infiltrating the facility was not that difficult, as they managed to cut a hole through the wards and sneak in undetected. Traveling through the ventilation system, the duo silently moved throughout the building until later, arriving at what appeared to be the lab. From their vantage point, they could see six or so Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy, speaking with what appeared to be a team of Alchemists.

Based on their accents, they appeared to be from Germany, Ukraine, and Switzerland. Retrieving a crystal from her watch, she had it record the meeting.

"...the Dark Lord is growing restless. He demands to know what is taking so long." Lucius's slippery voice was laced with venom.

"We are working around the clock...but the procedure is a lot more dangerous than previously estimated," one of the Alchemist warily said. "However, we were able to make substantial progress on what Shiba's group was working on..." explaining more depth.

They're trying to harvest magical cores. Shadow mouthed as a drop of sweat ran down the side of his face. Hakugarai felt like she was going to be sick as stealing another person's magic brought back some awful memories. After spending the next hour or two gathering information on their plan, they teleported away with the crystals to the outskirts of town.

"Voldemort is becoming desperate," Shadow began. "I knew he was insane but never thought he'd go to such lengths to gain power."

"Better get back-" Hakugarai was cut off when Naga spoke from his tattoo form.

"The Horcrux is on the move!" He exclaimed. As the ruler of all serpent kinds, he could feel the presence of any snake worldwide.

"Where?" Harry demanded with his eyes fully open. If Voldemort's final soul piece was removed, he'd have no other anchor to the mortal plane. He would be mortal once again.

"The British Hall of Prophecies, but her mind is not her own," Naga replied. "The Dark one is controlling her and has sent three of his agents."

"Got my back, partner?"

"You know it!" She grabbed his arm, and he teleported them to the deepest levels of the Ministry of Magic. Silently moving through the corridors, Harry made a mental note to have a talk with Amelia and Director Croaker about improving the security measures of the ministry.

Jumping on top of the shelves, they stealthily leaped from shelf to shelf, stopping once they located the Death Eaters. Two were standing guard as the other tortured Arthur Weasley with the cruciatus curse, and Nagini attacked him in different spots sinking her teeth in his skin.

"P-Please...someone... he-help m-me," he cried, begging for someone to come to his rescue.

The Death Eater torturing him laughed sadistically at the man's pain, "no one is coming to help you, blood traitor."

Shadow and Hakugarai nodded at each other, with her throwing down a smoke bomb that covered the orb-lit room with even further darkness. Together they jumped down, knocking the Death Eaters and snake away with a banishing charm. Shadow sensed the snake was still near and drew his sword from its invisible scabbard attached to his waist while his partner engaged the Death Eaters.

This was his chance, as just when the snake was about to attack him from behind, he backflipped, avoiding the attack, and with a single swipe of his sword, he beheaded the snake. Much like the Horcruxes, an eerie shrieking scream erupted from the snake's dead body. Voldemort was now mortal.

As for Avery, he panicked, having been in great pain because his opponent's attacks activated his emergency portkey, which tore through the wards around the Hall, leaving his two comrades dead on the floor. With her opponent gone, she stalked over to the almost-dead Arthur Weasley, taking out a vial of potion that would keep the venom at bay for a time. Then with a flick of her wand, she sounded the alarms, grabbed the redheaded man, and teleported to St. Mungo's. At the same time, Shadow gathered Nagini's remains and teleported to the Citadel. Upon arriving at the Citadel, he walked inside, headed for the elevator, pressed the button for the council chamber floor, and rode the elevator up.

Once the elevator stopped, he swiftly made his way to the council chamber, waiting for his partner to return. About four minutes later, Miwa came running down the hall after dropping Mr. Weasley at the wizarding hospital. Together they walked inside to deliver the reports regarding their mission and inform them that all of Voldemort's Horcruxes have been destroyed. At the end of the meeting, the council members were left with the recording and the dead body of Voldemort's prized snake.

A/N: I've been busy, but I was able to get this chapter done. Delores Umbridge and Cornelius's Fudge influence within both the school and ministry are decreasing as it won't be long before they're removed for good. The reason why this chapter is late is that I was trying to recover from the GRE, as I hated it with a passion. And I was working on four other fanfiction stories. Two of them are Harry Potter related. One High School DxD, and the last a Star wars.

The members of the D.A are restless and have a right to be as they are not learning how to properly defend themselves. Voldemort is trying to elevate his power by absorbing the magical cores from people his Death Eaters capture. His plan is insane and dangerously destructive. With Nagini dead, he will no longer be close to being immortal. As promised, I spared Arthur Weasley's life, but he's not out of danger yet,as the healers will soon figure that out. Nagini's venom is far more potent than described in canon.

Harry Potter stories:

The Dragon's Silver Flower (Harry X Fleur)

The Mystic Rises (Harry X Tonks) This one is because I made a promise to Radgyson

Star wars:

Altered Fate's (Anakin X Padme) Though he will have a different master instead of Obi-Wan.

High School DXD:

Rise of the Devil Dragon (Issei X Rias) main pairing. But with a Harem of his own. He won't be like the Issei described in the series, manga, and light novels. Powerful and Smart. No OP.

I intend to put them on once they're all at seven or eight chapters. If there are any changes to my plans, then you all will know.

Next Chapter: Relaxing, Requests, and Refusal