The room in Riddle Manor was filled with people who were kneeling
in front of the lone armchair by the fireplace. Bellatrix, Rodolphus,
Rabastan, Rookwood, Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Junior were all
kneeling in front of the babyish form of Lord Voldemort.
"Rise, my faithful Death Eaters," said the high, cold voice. "We have
gained valuable information thanks to Wormtail's spying on the
wizarding population and from the mind of that Ministry witch, Bertha
Jorkins. Barty here has had the time to listen to his father speak of
the Ministry's dealings and operations during all those years he was
held captive, so we have classified information at our disposal. It is
time we show them the true power of Lord Voldemort."
"I cannot believe my blood traitor of a cousin is now Lord Black!"
shrieked Bellatrix, "and Minister of Magic to boot!"
"That is most definitely something we hadn't anticipated, my Lord,"
said Barty. "Amelia Bones is now married to Sirius Black and they
are a formidable team. Ever since Black became Minister, there have
been several changes. International relations between Magical
Britain and the rest of the world are at an all-time high. He is also
more efficient, which was how Rowle, Dolohov, Jugson, Travers and
Mulciber were killed. He is a dangerous adversary."
"We can deal with Sirius Black later," said Voldemort coldly. "But first,
I must get my body back. I will be using a ritual of my own design,
but the potion needs to stew for nine months using very rare and
hard to find ingredients, culminating on the night of the summer
solstice. I also need the blood of an enemy and right now, there is no
one better than Harry Potter, the boy who caused my downfall."
Twice – once when he was a baby, and the next when he was
eleven years old. I need the blood of the boy who was willing to
commit cold-blooded murder at the age of eleven. "I will need his
blood to make me stronger than ever before."
"Barty, here is what you must do," ordered Voldemort. After
explaining the plan to him, he turned to the others, "You all will have
to begin working on the potion. I will also send you on missions so
that we can begin recruiting the dark creatures. We shall not call the
rest of the Death Eaters yet. Their welcome shall be special ."
"However," said Voldemort, his red eyes gleaming, "we do need the
specialised services of one of them. Contact Macnair and bring him
here. We need to send envoys to the Giants. I'm not sure how
successful we would be with Vampires, but we need to find
Greyback if we are to have the werewolves on our side again. Begin
searching for him. The Dementors can be taken care of once I regain
my full powers."
All of them grinned savagely. "Wormtail here will continue his role in
spying on the wizarding population," said Voldemort. "Any new piece
of information or magical technology which we can use – he'll let us
know so that we can take advantage of it. Barty, are you up to the
task?"
"I live to serve you, my Lord," said Barty, looking at Voldemort with
respect shining in his eyes.
"Good," said Voldemort. Smirking, he turned to one other.
"Rabastan, you have been awfully quiet. Any thoughts about this
newly discovered son of yours? Barty here tells me the boy wears
the Heir ring of your family on his finger, so there is no doubt that he
is your son."
"No son of a Mudblood is a son of mine," spat Rabastan. "The heir of
the noble Lestrange line being a half-blood is inconceivable!"
"Not to worry, my friend," said Voldemort smirking coldly. "Your
family's taint shall be taken care of soon enough."
Rabastan didn't mention the conflicting emotions he was feeling
within him. He had a son ... Dylan ... Oh, he remembered the boy's
mother, alright; the beautiful Muggle-born witch he had violated.
Rabastan still felt sick just by thinking about it. He and the rest of the
Death Eaters had done a lot of vicious things in their lives, but never
in his life would Rabastan ever have imagined that he would have
been capable of doing that to a woman, even if it was a filthy
Mudblood. He had been intoxicated that night, not in his senses, and
he had let his body overrule his mind and instead of killing the young
Mudblood, he had raped her.
Even the vegetative state of the Longbottoms had never bothered
Rabastan, nor did the countless deaths he was responsible for, but
this one memory was something he couldn't ever forget. He had
violated one of the most sacred laws of Magic. Was this a way to
make up for it? He had been given a chance to redeem himself for
what he believed to be the one and only mistake of his life and he
would use it to the best of his ability.
He would ensure that his son joined their side of the war, no matter
what it takes. He would ensure Pettigrew checked for any
information available on Dylan Lestrange. His stomach clenched
every time he thought of the boy since he had found out about
Dylan's existence – how was he? Did Dylan look like him? How was
the boy raised? Was he already corrupted by Muggle-loving fools like
Dumbledore?
Rabastan knew that his brother was actually pleased about it since
Rodolphus and Bellatrix could not have a child through natural
means and Azkaban had robbed them of the ability to have a child
using other methods. It was disgusting that the boy was a half-blood
and a bastard to boot, but Rabastan didn't find himself caring much
about that. This was his son .
One more year and Dylan would be back with his family where he
should have been all along. The next generation of Lestranges
would continue to serve the Dark Lord, just like his generation and
the one before him.
Neither Rodolphus nor Rabastan noticed the anger in Bellatrix's
eyes whenever Dylan was mentioned.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
The first of September dawned bright and early and the house-elves
at Potter Castle were busy preparing a heavy breakfast for the two
occupants. Harry shrunk his trunk, with Hedwig flying to Hogwarts,
as he came down the stairs. After breakfast, Harry and Dylan packed
the lunch the elves had prepared for them and Flooed to the
platform.
Once they entered the train, the two brothers headed in different
directions towards their friends. Spotting Daphne in a compartment,
Harry opened the door and pulled her into a deep kiss. They only
parted when someone cleared their throat.
"That is not something you do when you have company," said Susan
wryly.
Harry chuckled as he gracefully sat down next to Daphne and the
compartment soon filled with several people from all four Houses.
The train journey was smooth without any interruptions and after
several hours, they reached Hogsmeade station. Once they entered
the Great Hall, Harry sat down at the Ravenclaw table and observed
those around him. After a few minutes, Dylan sat down next to him,
looking a bit dazed, confused and perhaps slightly smug.
Putting up a privacy charm with just a wave of his hand, Harry
asked, "What's up?"
"Draco Malfoy came to our compartment during the train ride," said
Dylan, smiling slightly. "When he did, he greeted Astoria and ignored
me as always. By the way, what did you do to him? He had been the
most vocal of those who used to call me a bastard, but now he
ignores that I even exist!"
"You don't want to know," smirked Harry. "Besides, Draco himself
doesn't know that I was the one who spoke to him a year ago. You
were saying?"
Chuckling, Dylan said, "Well, he asked Astoria to join him in his
compartment. She politely declined and went back to speaking to
me, right in front of him. When he tried to gain her attention, it didn't
work so well. I was shocked when she took my hand in hers as we
were talking. I swear I could see steam coming out of his ears by the
time he left with his goons. The best part is that she never let go of
my hand during the entire train ride!"
Harry smiled. Looks like Daphne's talk with Astoria had worked.
Shaking his head in amusement, he concentrated on the sorting,
memorising the new names and faces like he did every year.
Everyone in the room was shocked when they noticed that Remus
Lupin was still there as the Defence teacher. He was the first witch or
wizard in a long time that had stayed as the Defence Professor for
more than a year because there were rumours that it was cursed. Of
course, Harry had verified that theory using Voldemort's memories.
There was no curse; just a very powerful compulsion charm cast
using Parseltongue and linked to the Defence classroom, making the
teacher not stay for more than a year.
It went without saying that Harry had removed the charm at the end
of the previous term.
Once the feast was over and the plates cleared away, Dumbledore
stood up to make his usual start of term announcements. Once the
usual speech was done with, he continued and said, "I have a great
pleasure in announcing that we are to have the honour of hosting a
very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not
been held for over a century - the Triwizard Tournament will be
taking place at Hogwarts this year!"
"You're JOKING!" shouted Fred Weasley in awe.
Harry's face remained impassive, but the twinkle in his eyes showed
that he was quite amused. Even Dumbledore's beard twitched as he
smiled. "No, Mr Weasley, I'm not joking," he said, sounding deeply
amused. "A lot of work has gone into this over the past three years,
so trust me, I would hardly joke about it. Anyway, where was I? Ah
yes, the Triwizard Tournament."
He went on to explain the history of the tournament and why it was
discontinued and about the twenty-five thousand Galleons personal
prize money.
"– only those who are of seventeen or older will be able to
participate," said Dumbledore amidst protests. Once he explained
the finer details and announced that the delegations of the foreign
schools would arrive in October, he dismissed all the students.
Harry shook his head, amused as he observed several students who
were grumbling under their breath. The tournament sounded like fun,
sure, but if it were him, he would stay the hell away from it. He knew
what the first task was and as he had said three years ago, if he ever
saw a dragon in front of him, he would head in the other direction;
the basilisk was bad enough. His sense of self-preservation would
not allow him to even think of participating, even if he could talk
Dumbledore into it. Technically, he could participate because he was
a seventh-year student, but from what Sirius had told him, it was
essential that the champion is an adult, meaning he or she is
seventeen years old. The contract created by the I.C.W. and
enforced by the Goblet of Fire demanded it, which was why he
couldn't take part in the tournament.
Even without participating, he was sure that it would be fun to watch!
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Once everyone had gone to bed, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak,
held the Marauder's Map in his hand as he made his way to the firstfloor
girl's bathroom. Once inside, he cast a detection charm. He
snickered when he found an alert charm – Dumbledore's work.
Disabling it, he looked at the tap and hissed, " Open!"
When the pipe was visible to him, he stuffed the cloak inside the
expanded pocket of his trousers and jumped. The pipe was just as
slimy as last time and once he landed, he flicked his wand at himself,
making the dirt and slime disappear from his body.
"Tippy!" he called. Harry frowned when no elf arrived. There were
probably anti-elf wards in place. He went forward and examined the
shed skin. There was so much shed skin here! He would have to
harvest it all. Moving forward, he opened the door to the chamber
and stepped inside.
The basilisk's corpse was perfectly preserved. The inherent magic of
the snake must have preserved decay or there must be an ancient
variety of a preservation charm on the entire chamber. He slowly
went forward and looked at the corpse of the magnificent creature. It
was probably the last of its kind and it had been killed. After a silent
prayer of apology for taking its life, Harry got to work. He began
casting detection charms in every direction. From what he knew,
Tom Riddle had tried to search for any hidden room in the Chamber
of Secrets, but he had been unsuccessful in getting past a barrier
which was powered by ancient blood wards. But Harry was going to
try it. He had been curious about it since the time he had read
Godric's journal. According to Godric, Salazar's family had vivid
emerald green eyes, a natural colour which had never been seen in
any other human. This had gotten Harry curious. Was it possible?
Finding something strange at the base of the statue, he began
hissing in Parseltongue, using detection and revealing spells. After
twenty minutes of trial and error, a pedestal appeared. Harry
understood what had to be done. Now he would know if his theory
was correct. Taking a deep breath, he sliced his palm and let the
drops of blood fall on the pedestal. The blood was absorbed and it
glowed, making a stone door appear as it opened with a groan.
Harry's heart was beating a mile a minute. His theory was right! He
and his mother were the descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself!
There was no way he could have bypassed the blood ward if he did
not have Slytherin blood in him.
It was a known fact – even though the traditionalist purebloods did
not want to openly admit it – that all Muggle-borns were the
descendants of a witch or wizard. Witches and wizards were
different from Muggles at the microscopic level which was their DNA.
That was where the differences started. Many witches and wizards
had studied the differences over the centuries, but no real
explanation was given as to why Muggles existed in the first place. It
was also a proven fact that once upon a time, the planet had been a
habitat to magical human beings only but at some point in time, a
mutation had occurred in the DNA of select human beings, creating
humans without the power of magic in their blood – Muggles.
Initially, they had been very limited in number, with magical humans
being the dominant race, but several millennia later, especially in the
period of the two thousand years before Harry's time, with the
current century being the worst, Muggle population had increased
drastically, outnumbering witches and wizards as they reproduced at
an exponential and illogical rate. With the Magical Royal Houses
having come to an end all over the world and Muggles taking their
place, the balance had been irrevocably broken, completely
shattering the last vestiges of peace between magical humans and
Muggles.
Since their DNA itself was different, it was impossible for two
Muggles to create a magical child. Through outward appearance, no
one could tell if a human were magical or Muggle, but the differences
went deeper than that. The average lifespan of a magical human, for
example, was at least two or three times the average lifespan of a
Muggle. Magical children too developed faster than Muggles, from
babies to teenagers. This was also the reason Harry had been able
to speak fluently when he was a child while Dudley could not.
Witches and wizards entered puberty early and their body's
accelerated growth would slow down at the age of seventeen, which
was why it was universally considered the age of reaching adulthood
in the case of magical humans. After that, witches and wizards would
age slowly to the point where a ninety-year-old witch could easily
pass off as a forty-year-old Muggle. The reason for all this was pure
and simple – Magic.
Magic was the fundamental building block of the universe itself. It
existed in every living thing, and no organism or inanimate object
could exist without magic. Plants, animals, humans, rocks, soil,
water, air, the vacuum of space – they all had a magical component
in them. Muggles had magic too, but the level of magic in their blood
was so ridiculously low because of the mutated DNA that even nonmagical
animals had more magic in their blood than them. The soul
itself was nothing but pure magic, which was why splitting it was
considered the biggest act of evil and not even the worst of the worst
dark wizards would attempt it – except Herpo the Foul and
Voldemort. Even dark wizards believed in the sanctity of Mother
Magic, which was why even if they pushed the boundaries, they
never crossed it.
That was the reason Voldemort and Herpo the Foul had been
physically disfigured so badly. They had crossed the line and their
bodies reflected it.
Magic existed everywhere and its source was infinite, however,
magical creatures like humans, elves and goblins couldn't
completely harness the infinite power available to them. While magic
existed in the air or soil, only a certain small quantity of it could be
used or tapped.
The wards powering Potter Castle was the best example of this.
While the castle wards could absorb magic from the lay lines present
underground, the ward stone could only harness a limited amount of
magic. The ward stones itself came in various forms, with different
input and output configurations on how much magic it can absorb
and use. This was the limitation to magic in that nobody could tap
into its unlimited natural reserves. It was always finite as far as
witches and wizards were concerned. Using a lot of magic to power
the wards meant dumping a huge about of gold in maintaining it. The
ward stones at Potter Castle were very expensive, which was why
the war wards were not always powered. The standard wards would
be powered when the Potters did not occupy the castle, but if the
situation demanded it, the full might of the wards could be raised, but
it did not come cheap.
Hogwarts and Gringotts worked on a similar approach. The school
had extensive ward stones powering wards, but maintaining them
was not easy, nor was it inexpensive. The castle had built a
reputation for the reason that despite it being a school, the wards
were well maintained. This, along with the cost of boarding and
teaching, led to an increase in the fees of incoming students, which
not everyone could afford. Hogwarts had always been an elite school
for the rich or talented, while the rest of the British magical
population attended the other magical schools of the realm.
At Gringotts, since the bank's primary function was to protect the
treasures of its clients, the ward stones for the high-security vaults,
in particular, were constantly replaced because of the high amount of
magic used to power them. It went without saying that maintaining
such high-security vaults was very expensive.
As for Muggle-borns, the only way for a Muggle-born witch or wizard
to be born is if they had a magical relative somewhere in their
bloodline. The DNA, dormant in the parent, might activate in the
child. The pureblood philosophy was somewhat accurate, actually.
Marrying Muggles would give rise to weaker wizards or squibs (there
were a few exceptions, of course) but they were wrong in that
marrying Muggle-borns would do the same.
Muggle-borns were just the same as any pureblood wizard – there
was no difference in blood or power, with the original human DNA of
witches and wizards having fully activated in their blood. Just like
physical strength differed from person to person, magical strength
also differed. Some purebloods were naturally weaker as compared
to others while some Muggle-borns like Lily Evans were naturally
more powerful than the rest.
The pureblood fanatics did not hate Muggle-borns only because of
their Muggle heritage; they hated them because they were a threat
to all witches and wizards. Harry, for one, truly believed that unless
something was done, the knowledge of magic could not be
contained in fifty years. There was also the problem that Muggleborns
bring their Muggle culture into the magical world, and some of
them expect witches and wizards to change or adapt to suit their
Muggle heritage. Naturally, the purebloods had been furious, which
was why Voldemort had risen to power as quickly as he had. That is
also why the Death Eaters would not care if their master was halfblood
himself. Voldemort supported their goals and was ridiculously
powerful, and that was enough.
Entering the chamber, Harry flicked his wand to his hand, just as
ancient lighting charms activated. He frowned when he saw that the
room was empty. Just as he took another step, another pedestal
appeared with a sheet of parchment on it. He sliced his palm again
and let several drops of blood fall on the parchment. The parchment
absorbed the blood and words began forming in what was clearly
Parselscript, being displayed in Harry's blood.
Dear descendant,
I am Salazar Slytherin, the last member alive of this once noble
family. I am about to go confront my son, but before I do, I want to
ensure that my true descendants would be able to access this place
and know of their ancestor. If you're reading this, then Amarantha
must have told you about the Chamber of Secrets. She assured me
that once she and her family returned to Britain, she would tell her
grandchildren about me securing the Slytherin fortune and titles here
in my chamber at Hogwarts. I hope the time is right for you to reclaim
what is your right by birth. But before you claim it, I would like you to
know more about me.
I was orphaned when I was ten years old, my child. My family was
murdered by a bunch of Muggles. I was devastated, as any child
would be, but I also knew that I had to take care of myself. I didn't
trust anyone on the Wizengamot to take care of me because there
were many, even amongst the nobility, who were jealous of my
family's wealth and knowledge and would have done everything
possible to steal it from me, just as my father had always said. So I
raised myself and grew up in the shadows, learning the most
obscure forms of magic that interested me. I went abroad when I
was old enough and learnt from various tribes who taught me more
obscure rituals and magic. I have always been ambitious, and I
wanted to achieve something great so that I would be remembered
by many for centuries to come for my great achievements. That's
when my life took an unexpected turn.
When I met Godric Gryffindor, he was in a bad shape. The man too
had lost his family to those filthy Muggle barbarians and was doing
his best to take care of his young daughter. We bonded over that
and learnt different forms of magic from each other. Through Godric,
I met Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, two very gifted
witches. Together, we created this school – Hogwarts.
I didn't marry anyone at that time, but I wanted a child of my own, so
I blood adopted a young boy and gave him my own name – Salazar
Slytherin. How I wish I knew that I was raising a boy who would be
the cause of so much pain and misery! I showered him with love and
affection but he grew up to be very arrogant and power-hungry, not
to mention had an intense dislike for Godric and saw the rest of the
students as beneath him. When Salazar was eighteen, he attacked a
group of students, intending to molest them, and that's when I threw
him out of the castle. We consider women to be sacred; the ones
who are blessed by Mother Magic to be able to create life. The fact
that he could even think of something so atrocious still makes my
blood boil!
Several years later, there was a young student. Her name was
Evangeline Noma, and after she finished her studies, she
apprenticed under me. Though she was more than thirty years
younger than me, I couldn't help but fall in love with her as we had
several things in common, including the fact that we both were
orphans. She too loved me, but she said that society wouldn't accept
our relationship, given our great age difference, not to mention the
fact that I was her mentor. If such a relationship were known to the
magical public, they would stop sending their children to Hogwarts,
fearing for their safety. So we got married in secret and pretty soon,
she found herself pregnant.
We were very happy about that, but we were also scared of being
discovered. She hid her pregnancy, but nine months later, she died
in childbirth. I was devastated and heartbroken, but when I saw the
beautiful baby girl who was in my arms, I knew I couldn't let my wife
down. I named our daughter Amarantha and she also seems to have
inherited my green eyes and so have her children. It is a trait in my
family that all Slytherin children have vivid, emerald green eyes.
If you're reading this, my child, it means that you've passed the blood
ward that my daughter and I placed around this room. Please do not
disturb the basilisk unless the castle is under attack. Give her
specific orders, but try to leave her alone. Call her to battle against
the Muggles only if all is lost, as innocent witches and wizards could
die in the attack as well. But I do have to say that it is better to die by
the stare of a basilisk rather than being mutilated by those filthy
Muggles.
My daughter grew up at Hogwarts under the watchful eyes of those
faithful house-elves. Rowena discovered that Amarantha was my
daughter, but she agreed to remain quiet, although I'm sure Godric
suspects it as well. Amarantha grew up to be a fine young woman
and I couldn't be more proud of her. She met a young man in Greece
and fell in love with him. I'm happy that my dear daughter has found
love and happiness.
But now, I have to go confront my son. Thinking of killing him makes
my heart ache, but I shall do it. He has killed many witches and
wizards in his bid for power, and I cannot let that happen. Salazar
seems to have a family of his own, having married the daughter of
the House of Gaunt, but what can I do? He is terrorising people
using my name, and I have to put a stop to it. Godric has
volunteered to come with me, but I can manage on my own. I am
confident I shall return to Hogwarts triumphant.
My dear child, please accept the signet ring and magic of the
Slytherin family. It shall help you in your future endeavours as I'm
sure you'll go on to do great things. My blessings are with you
always.
May Mother Magic always stay by your side and watch over you.
Salazar Slytherin.
Harry closed his eyes and dropped down to one knee in respect for
his ancestor. Lily Evans was born to the Slytherin line. While the
magic manifested in her, giving her the emerald green eyes of the
family, Petunia still remained a Muggle. Harry placed his hand on the
parchment and poured some of his magic into it. Immediately, a
green glow surrounded him, as though judging to see if he was
worthy. After several seconds, the aura seeped into Harry's skin, just
as a ring appeared on the middle finger of Harry's left hand. It had a
silver band with a large emerald with the basilisk crest.
When he opened his eyes, the area around him seemed to be
shimmering. There was a flash of light and Harry took a step back in
shock. Just like how it had been in Godric's chamber, there were
mountains of gold and other precious metals and gems. Harry was
now probably the richest wizard in the world! He noticed something
else too. While all of Godric's books had been given to his daughter
a thousand years ago, there were many books here in the Chamber
of Secrets that belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Most were in Latin, but
there was nothing a translation spell couldn't fix. Some other old
tomes were in Parselscript which contained information on
Parselmagic.
Harry smiled. This place contained information Voldemort could
never get his hands on! Calling for his house-elves, now having the
power to do so, he asked them to transport all the gold and books to
Potter Castle. He also asked them to render the basilisk for all useful
parts and store them at the castle. Merlin knows those parts were
extremely hard to come by, if at all.
After exploring the chamber for another three hours, he found an
alternate exit that led him to a passageway on the fourth floor.
Donning the Invisibility Cloak over himself, Harry returned to
Ravenclaw Tower. It had been a very productive night.
He wondered how people would react when they realised that he
was now the official Heir Apparent of the Most Ancient and Noble
House of Slytherin. Dumbledore's reaction would be absolutely
hilarious!
The month of September passed by without a problem. Harry had
once again started his rapid routine of studying. He had finished the
N.E.W.T. syllabus from Voldemort's memories and was now learning
new forms of magic which the Dark Lord had learnt from around the
world. It was certainly exciting on a monumental scale – there was a
reason Harry was in Ravenclaw.
Harry had also told Sirius, Amelia, Daphne, Dylan and the
Greengrasses about him being Lord Slytherin. Sirius had choked
and looked at him with wide eyes. Harry would never forget Cyrus
Greengrass actually dancing around the drawing room at his manor
in joy when he found out that his daughter was the future Lady
Slytherin. They had decided not to announce it so soon, but do it
during the Yule holidays when Harry and Sirius planned on releasing
Godric's journal to the public. Obscurus Books had already begun
printing the books and they would go on sale in December. Sirius
had decided that the winter session of the Wizengamot was the
perfect time to announce it. Daphne slashed her wand in the air as she twisted her body to avoid
the incoming spell. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she glared at the
smirking form of Harry Potter who was currently duelling with her.
They had been at this for nearly three hours and she was utterly
exhausted, but Harry wouldn't let her stop! Every time she opened
her mouth to utter a spell – as he demanded non-verbal spells only –
or if she was about to say that she was tired, Harry would fire lethal
spells at her, forcing Daphne to fight back.
Damn her for asking Harry to train her in duelling! This was way
beyond fourth-year syllabus!
But Daphne had to admit, Harry was an outstanding teacher. He may
be very strict and frustrating, but his methods were infinitely more
rewarding. Harry had started teaching her how to duel since her
second year and after the escape of the Death Eaters from Azkaban,
he had been teaching Dylan too. Daphne was grateful for that,
however, it didn't discount the fact that he was too demanding of his
students. She had struggled to master silent casting as Harry had
refused to teach her without it. Harry repeatedly scoffed at uttering
spells out loud, saying that it was a terrible weakness and thus, she
and Dylan had been forced to learn the technique in advance.
Once they were adept at non-verbal casting, Harry began training
them in how to fight. Daphne was amazed at Harry's technique when
it came to duelling; he would curse the life out of his opponent one
moment, switch to a combination of Transfiguration and Charms the
next and also used a wide range of acrobatic moves to dodge spells
which were thrown at him. Of course, the reason for this was twofold
– one, Harry had been trained in martial arts since a very young age,
so dodging spells came naturally to him, and two, Harry had a wealth
of knowledge in his mind from Voldemort's memories which he was
slowly learning from, combined with rigorous practice sessions with
Amelia every week. Combined with his inherent magical power
which was already high on the scale, he was quite a formidable
duellist for his age.
"Not so fast, Greengrass," said Harry coldly as he saw her move
further back so as to stop the fight. Slashing his wand as he moved
closer, cornering her against the wall, firing spells at her which
Daphne managed to shield and deflect. When Daphne's back
touched the wall, with her wand on the floor as she was disarmed,
he conjured a wooden sword and raised it above his head but before
he could strike, a wandless shield prevented him from coming close
to her neck.
"Nice," commented Harry, smirking slightly. "I thought I had you
there."
"This is ridiculous!" cried Daphne, panting hard. "I know that you
enjoy sword-fighting, but I certainly don't!"
"I did it because you were not expecting it," explained Harry. "I could
have easily taken you out with a wand, but you would not have learnt
anything. Aunt Amelia always says that in a fight, you must expect
the unexpected. You have no idea what surprises she can bring up in
a fight; I should know - I've been at the receiving end of it many
times. Through pure will and desperation, you were able to conjure a
wandless shield, something which you were not able to do before."
"Oh, I was desperate alright," muttered Daphne. Just as she picked
up her wand, she saw a jet of scarlet light coming towards her. With
a yelp, she dodged to the other side, only to see more spells being
fired at her. Cursing Harry to the pits of hell, Daphne got up from the
floor and danced around him, doing her best to dodge his spells. Her
anger increased multifold as she saw the smirk on Harry's face.
Couldn't the bloody emotionless nitwit give her even a minute to
relax? Screaming in rage as the pain in her limbs became
unbearable any longer due to the constant stress, she fired several
curses at him.
" Bombarda Maxima!"
"Confringo!"
"Expulso!"
There was a loud explosion as Daphne collapsed on the ground,
panting hard. Her eyes widened when she saw the destruction
around the Room of Requirement. There was debris all around, with
no sign of Harry.
"HARRY!"
With tears streaming down her cheeks, Daphne ran forwards,
moving the debris with her bare hands, her wand forgotten on the
floor. Just as she removed another conjured rock, she was caught off
guard when she was thrown away from the pile of debris by a
banishing charm.
"When I said to expect the unexpected, I meant it," said Harry
impassively as he emerged from the debris without a scratch on
himself. "You opponent, who you think is defeated, might only be
playing you and would choose the best moment to attack when your
guard is down. According to Sirius and Aunt Amelia, the Death
Eaters during the last war used this to their advantage and even
Alastor Moody was caught off guard. You – UFF!"
"You complete ARSE, Harry Potter!" screamed Daphne, as she
pinned him to the ground. "Do you have any idea what a dirty trick
that was? I thought I had killed you!"
"That was the point," said Harry, frowning slightly. He didn't get it.
Why was Daphne worked up over this?
"That was the point?" hissed Daphne, her blue eyes flashing an
eerie white for an instant as she glared at her fiancé. Cupping his
face angrily, she said, "I have put up a lot with you over the past
three years, but this time, you have crossed the line. You may be
incapable of understanding the ramifications of what you just did,
playing on my emotions like that, but don't you fucking dare do that
to me again! I thought I had killed you!"
Harry blinked in shock. He was genuinely confused. "What did I do
wrong?" asked Harry curiously.
Daphne's heart melted at the innocent question. She sighed as she
collapsed tiredly against him, her head on his chest as she breathed
deeply.
"How would you feel if you thought you had killed me?" asked
Daphne quietly. "I know that you can perform the Killing Curse. What
if I had been present when you were practising it and you fired the
curse at me accidentally?"
Harry paled slightly and his eyes widened in shock and
understanding.
"That's how I felt when I saw the destruction around me after I fired
so many blasting curses at you," she said. Looking up and seeing
the shocked expression on Harry's face, she gently caressed his
face, locking eyes with him. A tear rolled down her cheek and fell his
face.
"You mean the world to me, Harry," whispered Daphne tenderly. "A
few years ago, you were just the boy hero from the children's' stories
my mother used to read to me when I was a child. You were the Boy-
Who-Lived, but you are more than just an icon to me now. We have
gone from being casual acquaintances to friends to best friends and
finally to romantic partners. I deeply love you, Harry and I can't stand
the thought of losing you. Please don't do something like this again. I
won't be able to handle it."
"I'm sorry," whispered Harry, cupping her cheek, stroking it with his
thumb. "I didn't know, I swear."
Daphne smiled slightly as she leaned down to kiss him softly. Harry
reciprocated, his kisses full of warmth and love he felt for her as
wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
Harry and Daphne complemented each other, completed each other.
Both of them were not perfect and would never be perfect, but they
were perfect for each other, which in the end, was all that mattered.
Twenty minutes later, Harry and Daphne were having dinner in the
kitchens. Just as they were finishing dessert, they saw five elves
sitting in a corner, drunk. The other elves were giving them worried
looks, and the Head Elf was looking at Harry strangely, wondering if
he could solve their problems as Dumbledore was not at the castle
for the moment.
"Trixie, is there a problem here?" asked Harry, bending down to one
knee so as to be level with the elf.
The Head Elf nodded hesitantly. "There is a problem at Gryffindor
Tower, Master Harry," she said softly. "The bushy haired Gryffindor is
giving clothes to elves. Trixie be wanting to explain to her, but Trixie
is scared of the bushy haired girl. She has set four elves free by
tricking them to take clothes while we clean Gryffindor Tower."
Harry's eyes flashed with anger. Hermione Granger had been going
on about house-elves and slavery over the past month, but no one
had paid any attention to her. But to think she would do this!
"What about the fifth elf?" asked Daphne.
"That is Winky, Mistress Daphne," said Trixie. "She used to be the
Crouch elf, but her master be giving her clothes. She is very sad and
wants a real family."
"How is it that those elves were freed when Granger gave them
clothes?" asked Daphne curiously. "Your bond is with the castle, and
you report to Harry and the Headmaster."
"We serve the students , Mistress Daphne," explained Trixie. "We be
bonded to the castle which houses the students. When any student
intentionally gives clothes to free us, it be the same as a master
giving us clothes."
Harry nodded in understanding as he stood up. He went over to the
depressed elves and said, "Do you four want to bond with the castle
again?"
"Yes, Master Harry!" said one of the elves desperately. Tears leaked
from the elf's big eyes as he said, "The bushy hair be trying to kill
us!"
"Calm down, Floppy!" said Harry. "I'll take you back. Winky, would
you like to work here or do you want to work with a family?"
"Winky would want to work with family, Harry Potter sir," said the elf
miserably.
"Well then, I have a master who would be delighted to have you,"
said Harry with a hint of a smile. "At Ravenclaw Tower, you'll find a
second-year student named Dylan Lestrange. Go to him and explain
what happened and tell him that I would like him to bond with you.
Explain why it must be done and then go to Potter Castle. My elves
will give you a job to do, okay?"
Winky's face brightened immediately. "Thank you, Harry Potter sir!"
With a pop, she was gone. Harry turned to the others. "I, Harry
James Potter, Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin, do hereby take back these
elves to serve the residents of Hogwarts School. I also give an order
to all the Hogwarts house-elves that any clothes intentionally given
to you by the staff or students will not affect you unless you wish to
be set free."
There was a small magical discharge and the elves were suddenly
feeling better as the bond from the castle helped them recover. They
immediately hugged Harry's legs, making him smile.
"I'll take care of the Granger problem," said Harry as he and Daphne
walked out of the kitchen.
"I can't believe her," said Harry, sounding annoyed.
"It is because of Muggle-borns like her that the rest of them suffer,"
muttered Daphne, as Harry made a noise of agreement.