The second term at Hogwarts took off on a sombre and panicking
note after the winter holidays. There had been no more attacks but
everyone had heard and read about the attack on Potter Castle and
the attempted kidnapping of Harry Potter and Dylan Lestrange.
"We won't be working in pairs today," said Harry, addressing the
group which had dubbed themselves the Defence Association. "The
spells I will be teaching you today will be dangerous and deadly, but
they are something which you must know so that you can counter
them. I don't expect you to learn the spells, but watching me cast
them would ensure that you know how effective they are – and how
effective you need to be in case someone uses them against you."
"What are we learning?" asked a seventh year Ravenclaw curiously.
"Spells which are not taught at Hogwarts. The Fire whip, the Bone-
Breaking curse, the Blood-Boiling curse, the Organ-Liquefying curse
to name a few, and how you can defend against them."
Hermione sucked in a breath. "But those spells are dark!" she cried
shrilly. "You can't teach us the Dark Arts!"
Harry stood silently as he carefully tied his hair in a short ponytail.
Taking a deep breath he said, "I'm not teaching you the Dark Arts,
Granger. Those words mean nothing to me. There is something I
want all of you to understand. Magic does not come in forms of light
or dark. These brands are what witches and wizards give to magic
which they don't feel is right for them."
"Magic is always in shades of grey. The balance must always be
maintained because too much of either light or dark will have
unhealthy consequences. Voldemort and Bellatrix are perfect
examples of what could happen if someone uses too much 'dark'
magic as you call it. This generation, filled with weak and closeminded
witches and wizards, is what happens if there is too much
'light' magic. You can't learn one without learning the other. It would
only be a cause for destruction."
"How will you fight an opponent who fires spells you can't even
recognise? How will you treat a wounded patient if you can't even
identify the cause? You'll be surprised just how much 'dark' magic is
taught in Healing and Auror Academies. This is because without
knowing the Dark Arts, you can't effectively defend yourselves
against it. Magic is varied, with different forms, and is quite
unpredictable. Without understanding both light and dark magic, you
cannot strive for balance. And without balance, there would be no
order, only chaos – like the war that is currently plaguing our
country."
'Because that's what it truly is – a war between the Light Lord and
the Dark Lord – with innocent people caught in the middle. When two
elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers most. My mother's
research was right. Without balance in magic, there would only be
chaos. It is time for you all to open your eyes and stop seeing
everything in black and white. If I was able to overcome my apparent
blindness, so can you.'
"Just because all these curses and rituals have been misused by
different people over time does not make them evil," said Harry
clearly, enjoying the group's rapt attention. "Parseltongue is a perfect
example. The language is feared in Europe and branded dark
because of people like Herpo the Foul and Voldemort. Salazar
Slytherin was a Parselmouth and we considered him evil for a
thousand years and how did that turn out? The language itself is
very ancient and it has been used for a variety of purposes, the good
and the bad. Healing magic using Parseltongue has saved so many
lives over several thousand years. Protective enchantments created
using Parselmagic are stronger than the conventional wards we
have. Hogwarts itself has wards made using Parselmagic and yet we
hate the fundamental thing which keeps us safe. What you might
consider evil might actually be used for an act of good, and even if
that happens, because of the stigma that is light and dark, it is not
accepted. Again, magic in its purest form is just that, magic !"
Many people were stunned when Harry levitated a small stone and
banished it towards a dummy with such force that it blasted right
through the dummy human, creating a small hole in the chest like a
Muggle bullet.
"That was a banishing charm, considered to be a very simple charm
taught to fourth-year students," said Harry quietly. "And yet, the
same charm, which according to you all can be classified as light,
just killed that dummy human. What about this?"
Harry levitated the dummy to the ceiling. "If I were to drop this
dummy to the ground, do you think it would stay intact? If it were a
real person, do you think he or she would survive? I'm using a
simple levitation charm which is taught to first-year students. This is
the epitome of light magic and yet it can so easily be used to kill
someone."
Carefully placing the dummy back on the ground, Harry turned to
face them. "It is all about intent which distinguishes magic from light
or dark, nothing more. It is all in shades of grey and it is your choices
which define the magic you perform, not the spells you cast. I won't
be asking any of you to perform the spells, but I will be teaching you
the theory and demonstrating it for you but most importantly, I will
teach you how to defend yourselves against them. Know that my
brother and I would not be alive today had we not known these
spells when our home was attacked. Let go of the blind superstition
and see the true beauty of magic and not what people have
classified it based on ignorance and fear. Such classification might
have been necessary at that time, but as years rolled on, it was
never reversed. Watch closely."
The next several hours were spent in one-quarter of the school
observing Harry intently as he explained the concept behind several
different spells which were considered the Dark Arts and how to cast
and defend against them. The curses were deadly, but Harry
explained their origin and how many of them had been used for good
until they were misused by wizards wanting to seek power.
"That's all for today everyone," said Harry loudly. "We'll be meeting in
two days and we'll start on the Patronus Charm. I'm happy with the
amount of improvement displayed by everyone in this chamber and I
have no doubt you all would be able to cast the charm in due time."
"Wait, isn't the Patronus Charm supposed to be very advanced?"
asked a third-year boy timidly. "Can we all do it?"
A ghost of a smile formed its way to Harry's lips.
"Dylan."
Dylan nodded and flicked his wand and said, " Expecto Patronum!"
People gasped as the large silvery golden eagle burst from the tip of
Dylan's wand and glided across the chamber as people watched in
awe.
"He learnt it last summer," said Harry to everyone. "Daphne and I
learnt the Patronus Charm when we were thirteen as well. I'm not
saying that it wouldn't be hard because it took me some time to
master it too but I'm willing to help you if you are willing to put in the
right amount of effort into it. Alright, I'll see you all in two days! Class
dismissed!"
Half an hour later, the Chamber of Secrets was empty and Harry
ensured that every last one of the students had returned to their
dormitories. Once done, Harry, Daphne and Dylan returned to their
suite, chatting idly about the class.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Hermione Granger was walking towards the staff room, a day after
the class on the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets. She couldn't
believe that Harry Potter was actually teaching them the Dark Arts !
While she had to admit the spells he had taught them until now were
educational, yesterday's class was over the top! Hermione was not
an unintelligent girl. She knew that even with several books on
Defence, she wouldn't have come close to learning as much about
the subject without an effective teacher, which, she would
wholeheartedly admit, Harry Potter was. While she still did not like
keeping Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the Hogwarts staff in
the dark, she could not pass up an opportunity of learning more
magic. Of course, that was until yesterday's lesson. It was horrifying
! She couldn't in good conscience let this slide. No matter what
Potter may claim, showing such spells and teaching them was a
terrible idea. Didn't Potter understand that someone might use such
spells to cause more damage? Either way, she would have to fix this
mess before it got out of hand. She was a prefect, damn it, and it
was time to uphold the honour the badge demanded.
"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" asked Professor McGonagall
as Hermione entered the staff room. She noticed that there were
several other teachers as well. Good!
"Professor, I'm here to tell you something that none of the staff is
aware of," she said guiltily. "I apologise for not coming to you sooner,
but it hadn't been a problem until now."
McGonagall frowned slightly. "Whatever problem you have, I'm sure
we can solve it. What is it, Miss Granger?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry Potter has been teaching me
and the rest of the school the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets."
The teachers' jaws dropped in shock as they looked at each other,
eyes wide. "W-What?" squeaked out Professor Flitwick, not able to
form a coherent thought.
"Can you please repeat that Miss Granger?" asked Professor
McGonagall, looking at the girl, her face suddenly pale.
"Harry Potter has been teaching me and the rest of the school the
Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets, Professor. Nearly one-quarter
of the school is involved in this, I'm afraid, and they don't realise the
consequences of their actions. I thought it would be educational
when I decided to join, but now ..."
"Miss Granger – I – I," spluttered Professor McGonagall lost for
words. " Why , in the name of Lord Godric, would you and the rest of
the students want to attend a practical sexual education class with
Professor Snape in the dungeons?" she asked aghast. She couldn't
believe that this was happening right under her nose! She knew it
wasn't a prank; Hermione Granger wasn't such a girl who would lie
to her. So if the young Gryffindor prefect was troubled enough to
confess something like this, it must be the truth.
"What?" squeaked Hermione in shock. "No! I said that Harry Potter
has been teaching me and the rest of the school the Dark Arts in the
Chamber of Secrets."
"Minerva, I think we should have Poppy check the students for mindaltering
potions," said Professor Vector sharply. "If Severus is
sexually assaulting the students, then this is bad !"
Hermione was in shock as the teachers scrambled out of the
staffroom, with McGonagall taking her to Madam Pomfrey. What had
just happened?
"This is ridiculous!" shouted Snape in fury, his face red in anger with
spittle flying from his mouth. "I would never do such a thing!"
"We have a student who confessed to it, Severus," said Professor
McGonagall angrily. "After the incident with Harry Potter, Cedric
Diggory and the Weasley twins, the Board of Governors had agreed
to take strict actions to ensure that such an incident never happens
again! One-quarter of the school, Severus, one-quarter of the school
! I can't believe you would do this! And I can't believe we were all
such blind fools for this long!"
"I assure you, Minerva, that Severus has my complete trust," said
Dumbledore tiredly. He had just come back after another fruitless
search for Voldemort's Horcruxes and the journey had drained him
badly. The curse was turning him weak. "If I could talk to the student
who came forward –"
"No," said McGonagall firmly, fire dancing in her blue eyes. "I will not
let their identity be known so that they could be coerced into
remaining silent. I have still not forgiven myself for what happened to
Potter, the Weasley twins and Diggory and I will not let this go ! I
have already contacted the Board of Governors and the Department
of Magical Law Enforcement. They should be on their way."
Snape's eyes widened as the door opened, revealing several angry
witches and wizards. What the hell was going on here?
The Minister of Magic entered the room, his grey eyes hard as steel.
"Daphne, you are certainly the most amazing girl I have ever met,"
muttered Harry, as they saw Severus Snape walking out of the castle
with his belongings in tow. "You turned something which was a
deterrent to keep the secret of the Defence Association from getting
out and used it to successfully get Snape sacked instead.
Voldemort's best spy isn't at Hogwarts anymore. Brava, my love."
"I swear, I didn't intend for this to happen," said Daphne, trying to
hide her smile. "It was actually supposed to be funny while also
being effective. After the incident with the Goblet of Fire, I
researched a lot about Confundus and compulsion charms and how
to activate them. I raided my family library and the Restricted Section
here at Hogwarts and used those advanced charms on the book
containing the names of the members of the D.A. so that anyone
wanting to rat us out would never be able to do it. It was a varied
form of a very simple secrecy contract I tricked them into signing.
Instead of telling the truth, they would repeat the words I had
conditioned into them."
"That's really impressive magic, sis," said Astoria, looking impressed.
"That's high praise coming from you," Daphne replied with an
amused twinkle in her eye. "I aim to please."
"Too bad he wasn't arrested," Dylan muttered, sounding annoyed.
Harry glared at the front doors from where Snape had disappeared.
That was true because once the Board of Governors led by the
Minister of Magic had begun to investigate the claims made by one
Hermione Granger, they realised that there was a charm in place to
make her talk. They couldn't find the counter to the charm placed on
her to make her reveal what exactly she wanted to say. Even writing
it wouldn't help.
The combination of spells she had used could be undone of course,
but it would require the source from where the enchantment
originated – namely, the diary which held all the names. Harry was
sure that the D.M.L.E. could have undone the charm had they put
their mind to it but had come to the conclusion that his adoptive
parents wanted to get rid of Snape with the opportunity provided, so
the effort to undo the charm was quickly forgotten.
Once the investigators had realised Hermione's claim may not be the
truth, Snape could not be arrested, however, the Board was not
willing to take any chances. Voldemort was bad enough and after the
Lockhart incident, they didn't need any more incentive to take action.
Sirius may or may not have persuaded the other members of the
Board to see reason. They finally had a solid reason to kick Snape
out of Hogwarts; something which they did not have all these years,
despite numerous complaints.
Sirius gave them all a passionate speech about how Snape's
teaching was abysmal and how it had led to the crippling of the Auror
force and the number of Healers and Potions Masters in Britain. He
also showed them the statistics of the number of students who had
not taken up Potions because of him and his harassment of several
others. The fact that he was a Death Eater was not something they
could ignore. Many students complained about the Defence program
and how they weren't learning anything from Snape and how they
were not prepared for the real world, especially during a time of war.
Not everything had gone according to plan, however. Sirius had
wanted to lock Snape in Azkaban but Dumbledore had meddled. The
aged headmaster may not have been able to save Snape's job, but
he had managed to counter every other allegation levelled against
Snape, making him walk a free man. Sirius had been furious about
that, but he knew that it wouldn't have worked. Dumbledore still held
a lot of power in the political sphere, but he took solace in the fact
that the old man would die soon anyway.
Harry and Dylan had already made plans for pissing on the man's
grave.
Hermione Granger had been horrified that her actions had caused
the dismissal of Professor Snape. She was still unable to tell the
teachers or Governors what had happened as nobody was willing to
listen. Oh, they knew the classes with Professor Snape were not
real, but it had been enough to raise a red alert and things had
quickly spiralled out of control. While Professor Dumbledore had
assured her that it was not her fault, she still felt guilty, not to
mention was furious with Potter and Greengrass for tricking her the
way they did. She didn't even register the dirty looks being sent her
way from the rest of the school.
The other members of the D.A. knew well and good how much help
they were receiving from Harry Potter in teaching them Defence.
Sure, they may not all agree with his theory about light and dark
magic, but it wasn't as if he was forcing them to perform those spells!
He had only explained the theory, given the incantation, had
demonstrated it to them, and spent more time instructing them on
how to counter those deadly curses. He was teaching one-quarter of
the school for free – Hogwarts education was expensive, after all –
and yet Granger had tried to rat him out and had she succeeded, the
classes would have been stopped.
Harry had not once asked for anything in return, only that they do
their best so that they could protect themselves and their families in
case of an attack. Hannah Abbott's mother had also been killed
recently and the threat had just gotten real, and yet Granger didn't
seem to understand that! So what if Harry's views on the Dark Arts
differed from hers? People surprisingly agreed with Luna Lovegood
when she said that Granger was too narrow-minded and unless she
had the facts shoved in her face, she would never acknowledge it.
Draco Malfoy let out a shaky breath as he examined the rune cluster
on the chart he had prepared. His hair was thin, his skin very pale
and his high grades had dipped significantly over the past several
months. He couldn't believe that his O.W.L. year was this bad! The
teachers kept piling more homework on them all and Draco could
barely finish it. Tears stung his eyes as he recalled the talk he had
with Harry Potter in June.
The boy had been right. The Dark Lord only handed out
punishments. His latest punishment had been worse than before.
Oh, it was not physically painful this time, but it was agonising having
to watch his parents be tortured before his very eyes because of his
failure. He did not know what the Dark Lord was planning, but it had
become significantly more important than just killing Albus
Dumbledore. Whatever the plan was, it involved sneaking several
Death Eaters into Hogwarts – which required Draco to succeed in
repairing the cabinet.
Oh, how he wished he had listened to Potter back then. But then
again, even if he had listened to Potter, did he have a choice at all?
Draco had learnt by now that what the Dark Lord wants, the Dark
Lord gets. It would never have made a difference. The Dark Lord
wanted to punish his father for his failures and Draco was the perfect
way to do it! To think the man – no, monster – would be willing to do
this to a fifteen-year-old boy was disgusting!
Then again, the Dark Lord had tried to kill a fifteen-month-old infant
and hadn't seen anything wrong with it.
The runes checked out. Now all he had to do was wait for the next
shipment of materials, carve them correctly and also apply the
enchantments. Once all this was over, he hoped that he, his mother
and father would remain alive. At this point, he just wanted it all to
end. He would not be the cause of the deaths of his parents.
Wiping the tears away, Draco got to work; another sleepless night in
the dark, filthy room in the dungeons.
"The Dark Lord is demanding more direct results," said Snape stiffly.
Clearly, his anger at being sacked had not evaporated.
"And what results would those be?" asked Dumbledore, looking worn
out and utterly exhausted. He drowned the blue coloured potion
Severus had brought with him and he felt the pain in his joints
reduce. He knew the potion was highly addictive and dangerous in
large quantities, but he was dying anyway. He honestly didn't care
about any side effects.
"His attempts at gaining access to the prophecy orb have been –
less than successful," said Snape as his lip curled. "The Department
of Mysteries is locked tighter than a Gringotts vault, I'm told; no
doubt Black and Croaker are involved. He's also angry at Potter's
escape, both at the graveyard and at Potter Castle a few months
back. He is thinking of another way in which he would be able to
control Potter and he is demanding that I help him. I believe this is a
test to prove my loyalty to him."
Dumbledore got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. This could
not be good. "What is his latest plan?
"He wants to kidnap Daphne Greengrass."
There was silence for several seconds. "I see," said Dumbledore
slowly. "This is … troubling."
"Greengrass in only one person, Albus," said Snape quietly. "Need I
remind you of the millions of lives that are at stake here? If I do not
fulfil this mission, you will have no source from within the Dark Lord's
ranks. He does not wish to kill her, so we can rescue her later. I shall
provide you with information on how to get her out once she is
captured. Miss Greengrass is a Slytherin and a pureblood. Trust me,
the Dark Lord will not harm her."
Dumbledore sat quietly, pondering on what to do. On one hand,
Severus' role in the campaign was extremely important because no
one else would be willing to spy for him. His initial plan had been to
turn young Dylan Lestrange into a spy as well but he could never get
past the overprotective mother dragon that was Harry Potter, so that
plan had been quickly scrapped. Severus' information had been
useful over the past several months, so there was no alternative.
On the other hand, there was also Harry he had to consider. The boy
would take the loss very badly and he knew it. But on the whole,
considering the millions of lives that were at risk – was it worth it?
Harry had a destiny – he had to die because of the Horcrux that was
lodged in his scar, but the boy's rebellious attitude and he defending
Voldemort's actions were quite unnerving to Albus. Maybe this would
solve their problems.
If Daphne were to be kidnapped, Harry would turn to Dumbledore for
guidance and support, thus increasing the chances of him sacrificing
himself later on. Harry would blame himself for what had happened
to his fiancée and that would work for Albus' plans. Severus would
also be firmly cemented as Voldemort's trusted advisor, so it was a
win-win situation. Using Severus' information, he would instruct
Harry and Sirius to launch an attack on Voldemort's forces. Miss
Greengrass could be saved, the Horcrux would be destroyed, and
hopefully, Voldemort would meet his end. The world would greatly
benefit from this plan.
But there was the ethical dilemma. Normally, Albus would be aghast
that Severus would even suggest something like that and would
have protested vehemently, but this was not a normal situation. What
had happened during the last war, especially with the Potters and
Sirius still haunted him, but the war was becoming deadlier and
people were dying everywhere.
Voldemort had to be stopped by any means necessary and if that
meant Daphne Greengrass being held hostage by Voldemort, then
so be it. It would only be a temporary arrangement. They could
rescue her later.
It was for the greater good of both the Magical and Muggle worlds.
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Sadly, it was
yet another burden he would have to carry to his grave.
'I hope you can forgive me, Harry, but I cannot let Voldemort win the
war. We need to destroy him before he destroys the world. I shall do
what I must.'
"Here," said Snape, removing a phial containing a silvery substance.
"I was able to procure the memory of the Dark Lord's resurrection
from Crabbe Sr. I obliviated him after he gave it to me, so he should
have no recollection of me having this memory."
"Very good, Severus," said Dumbledore enthusiastically. "Now we
shall finally see why Harry did not want this memory viewed by
anyone. Pour it in the Pensieve will you?"
Dumbledore and Snape dipped their hands into the Pensieve as they
disappeared. When they finally emerged, Snape's lips were parted
slightly in shock. Dumbledore, on the other hand, was white as a
sheet. He covered his face with his left hand as he recalled
everything he had seen in the memory – Harry admitting that he did
not hate Voldemort, how he had been conflicted when Voldemort
made the offer of accepting Harry as his son, how he had finally
used a Killing Curse, silently , thus indicating that he had indeed
been practicing the Dark Arts.
"What have I done?" whispered Dumbledore, looking defeated,
staring blankly at the wall. Have I created yet another Dark Lord in
Harry Potter? First Gellert, then Tom, and now Harry – am I truly
responsible for it all?
"What have I done?"
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"That's it," said Harry encouragingly. "Keep trying, everyone! Think of
the happiest memory you can recollect and feel the emotions of
happiness, joy and love. These emotions are what power the charm,
not the memory itself. Let them infuse you and once you are ready,
cast!"
There were many who began shouting ' Expecto Patronum '
immediately after his instruction. The silvery mist for many of them
changed to form some sort of distinctive animal; after several weeks
of practice, they were finally able to do it.
"Very good, Luna," said Harry with a smile as he saw her hare
Patronus bounce around the chamber. "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, Harry," said Luna, beaming at him.
Harry smiled as he saw several people looked in awe at the Patroni.
Astoria's Patronus was a swan, Ginny Weasley's was a horse,
Cedric's Diggory's was a German Shepard, Fred's Patronus was a
hyena while George's was a coyote, and he could see Daphne's
tigress regally looking at the other silvery animals. Dylan's eagle was
gliding across the chamber and Harry's smile widened.
" Expecto Patronum !"
The massive thunderbird Patronus joined the rest as the Chamber of
Secrets was filled with silvery animals and happy emotions.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Draco took a deep, shaky breath as he opened the doors of the
Vanishing Cabinet. The bird was alive and chirping. His jaw dropped
in shock. He couldn't believe it. He had done it! The bird was alive!
Just to make sure, he contacted Borgin again and tested the cabinet
three more times with other animals. Sure enough, all of them
survived the trip without any injuries. Draco collapsed on the floor as
he laughed like a maniac, his hands and legs still shaking. Taking the
mirror from an inside pocket of his robe, he tapped it and said,
"Lucius Malfoy."
"Father, it is ready."
"The Vanishing Cabinet is ready, my Lord," said Lucius, kneeling in
front of the Dark Lord.
Voldemort smirked. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he said in a
high, cold voice, laced with sadistic amusement. "He just needed the
right incentive to get to work. Are you sure he has succeeded,
Lucius? I would be very displeased if something were to go wrong
during transport."
"No, my Lord," said Lucius quickly. "Draco is a smart boy and Borgin
has confirmed that the experiments have worked."
"So it would seem," said Voldemort casually. "Very well. You better
hope it works, Lucius. Now, I have a new task for you."
"Of course, my Lord, I live only to serve you!"
Voldemort sneered at those words but did not comment. "We need
more Death Eaters. Our new recruits are not up to the mark,
evidenced by what we have witnessed over the past several months.
I want you to travel around, find new and talented witches and
wizards and convince them to join our cause. We need assassins ,
Lucius, if we are to take over the Ministry of Magic. Give them
practical tests so that they knew we aren't looking for anyone
mediocre. I expect results."
"Yes, my Lord," said Lucius as he backed away from the room
quickly.
"Rodolphus, Rabastan, you are to attack Hogsmeade with your
teams," ordered Voldemort. "Terrorise the students but don't kill
them. However, if you are confronted by Aurors or members of the
Order of the Phoenix, kill them all and be done with it. Your main
assignments are to kidnap Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and
Dylan Lestrange, understood?"
"Yes, my Lord,"
"Severus, you will be leading the team which will be using the
Vanishing Cabinet to enter Hogwarts," said Voldemort. "Again, if you
encounter Order members, kill them. If the three of them are not at
Hogsmeade, you'll have to kidnap them and bring them here. Your
main assignment is to kill Albus Dumbledore."
"My Lord, if I may?" asked Severus. When Voldemort nodded, he
continued. "May I know who is to kill Dumbledore? Your previous
orders were for Draco to kill him but I was prepared to do the deed
myself should the need arise; I was wondering if the plan had
changed."
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed dangerously as his fingers twitched.
"Draco is not capable of killing anybody," he spat. "But he is to be
given a chance to finish the deed. If not, you are to kill Dumbledore,
is that clear?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"I want Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and Dylan Lestrange here
at my manor and I won't appreciate any sort of failure," said
Voldemort coldly as he looked at them all. "It is in your best interests
to see that the mission is accomplished. I will be providing some help
for you during your attack. The Dementors have been instructed to
not kiss the students, but just drain them all. It will prove to be a
suitable distraction for the students and teachers – enough for you to
capture the three."
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
It was the first week of April and the sky outside was a rare sunny
day in Scotland. Dylan Lestrange came out of his room and smiled
when he saw his girlfriend by the window in the common room of
Harry's suite. He silently walked up to her and hugged her from
behind. Astoria gave a surprised squeak.
"Hello, beautiful," whispered Dylan, his breath warm against her ear.
"Ready for our date?"
"You were the one who took so long to get dressed," said Astoria
teasingly.
Dylan lightly nibbled on her earlobe. "I took a shower and got
dressed in less than ten minutes. I woke up late, that's all!"
"So you forgot about our date?"
"Never," breathed Dylan as he turned her around, pulling her close.
"So, how is it like, being fourteen years old?"
"It's only been a week, so I can't tell the difference," Astoria giggled,
wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe I am dating a
younger man ."
"Only by a few months," protested Dylan, but he was interrupted
when Astoria leaned up and captured his lips in a soft kiss. He
smiled as he pulled her closer, running his fingers through her hair. "I
love you, Astoria," he whispered sincerely.
"What?" asked Astoria, blinking in surprise.
"I love you," repeated Dylan, not at all fazed by her look of shock. "I
know that we haven't dated for too long and that we're barely
fourteen years old, but I want you to know how I feel about you.
You've been my best friend since I was eleven and I've enjoyed
every second of the past seven months we have been dating. I don't
expect you to feel the same way, but I just wanted to tell you –"
"I love you too," said Astoria softly as she wrapped her arms around
him, hugging him tightly. "I never expected you to say something like
that, that's why it surprised me. I didn't want to say anything because
I didn't know how you would react, considering your childhood and
how you were raised. But I do love you, Dylan, very much."
Dylan's eyes lit up in surprised happiness as he looked at his
girlfriend. A dopey grin formed on his face as he asked, "Is this the
part where I get to kiss you?"
"You can kiss me whenever you want, lover boy," teased Astoria right
back.
"Really? Well then Miss Greengrass, let me demonstrate to you the
greatness of one Dylan Lestrange!"
"Oh, quite full of yourself today, aren't you?" Astoria murmured as
they lips met. They were quite oblivious to the couple watching them
with fond smiles on their faces.
"Oh, they're so adorable!" gushed Daphne.
"Yeah, they are," Harry agreed, smiling faintly. "He's grown up so
much, hasn't he? Just thinking of the small boy who was so shy in
talking to anyone, to looking at him now, a confident fourteen-yearold
is – startling – to say the least. Words cannot describe how proud
of him I am."
"Words cannot describe how proud of you I am," said Daphne softly
as she looked at him. "You have come a long way too, Harry. Don't
think you haven't changed for the better because you have. From the
eleven-year-old Ravenclaw who seemed to be carved out of ice, to
the proud young man you have become, I can't even begin to
describe how happy I am that you have managed to overcome all
your obstacles. Yes, we still have Voldemort to deal with but I have
faith in you. Nothing is impossible for you Harry, and this is
something I believe with all my heart. We'll get through this together,
you'll see."
Harry smiled as he kissed the side of her face lovingly, savouring the
moment, delicately cupping her cheek. "You're the light of my life,
you're the love of my life," he said in a small voice. "I can't ever live
without you."
"You'll never have to, Harry. I'll always be here by your side, I
promise ! You'll never be alone again. I love you."
"I love you too, Daphne."
A team of two dozen Death Eaters had Apparated to a hill
overlooking the village of Hogsmeade, silently observing the
hundreds of students slowly making their way towards the village.
Another dozen Death Eaters had Apparated to Knockturn Alley and
at the specified time, walked towards Borgin and Burkes, drawing
their wands in preparation for the task