Chapter 7

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Harry, his eyes snapping open as he violently woke from his nightmare. He sat up in the bed, hyperventilating and clutching his chest, his body drenched in a cold sweat. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and he had tears running down his cheeks.

Dobby popped next to the bed, looking concerned.

"Master, what's wrong?" the elf asked, and Harry waved his hand dismissively, signaling that everything was fine.

"I don't believe you, Harry," replied the elf, crossing his arms. "Which one was it?"

"Christmas Day, 2006," Harry replied, his voice ragged and sorrowful. Dobby lowered his head in regret.

"And Christmas Day, 2012."

"Both?!" sighed Dobby.

"I hate Christmas..." Harry whispered, clenching his fist into a ball. His eyes were wild and unfocused, as if he was staring off into the void. "I'll kill them all. I'll destroy everything they hold dear. I'll break them down into nothing, I'll torture them to the very threshold of insanity, and only then will I kill them," he hissed, more to himself than to Dobby, who had no reply. Dobby shared his master's anger, and completely understood and agreed with everything Harry had said.

"They took everything from me. From us."

"You know I'll help you, but it's still too soon," replied Dobby. At the sight of his master's glare, he continued, "It's your own plan, Master. It was your idea to wait for the perfect moment."

"I'm tired, Dobby. I'm tired of pretending. Every time I see the two of them in classes, I have to hold myself back from killing them on sight. Just the sight of them makes me want to throw my entire plan out the window, rip Oberon limb from limb, and gut Titania like the pig she is. They took them away from me, Dobby, both of them..."

Dobby didn't reply. He just stood there, listening to his master's rant.

"Why, Dobby?" Harry sobbed, hiding his face in his hands. Dobby walked to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder, then snapped his fingers and conjured a table with a bottle of firewhisky and a glass sat on top. The bottle hovered in the air a moment, then tipped its contents into the glass until it was full, before settling again on the table.

"Drink up," said Dobby, giving Harry the full glass. Harry threw it back and finished half of the glass in two gulps, then set down the glass and lowered his head again.

"I know," Dobby said, "Just give the order and I will bring them here in chains. No one would ever find their bodies." Harry looked at Dobby, seeing his determined look and the loyalty lying beneath it. "However, you had a plan that you wanted to follow in order to destroy them completely. I believe your words were..."

"Death would be too easy for them," replied Harry, and Dobby nodded. Harry's posture sagged as the tension left him. Harry knew his friend was right - he needed to stick to the plan. "I hate those dreams," he sighed.

"I can imagine," the elf replied.

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said, raising his glass in a salute before finishing his drink. He stood from the bed and walked over to the desk.

"Do you require anything else, sir?"

"No, thank you Dobby," Harry replied, and the loyal house-elf popped away. Harry sat down at the desk and rested his head on his knuckles, deep in thought. With a sigh, he picked up his wand and pulled a familiar memory from his head and placed it in the basin. Shedding a tear, Harry took a deep breath and went into the Pensieve.

~BREAK~

Daphne walked into the Great Hall side-by-side with Tracey. Being a weekend, Millie and Pansy had decided to sleep in a little later today, as did all the boys. Not that the other girls minded, since it was still two hours before they could leave for Hogsmeade.

To their surprise, they found Harry already sitting at the Slytherin table. There were a handful of students from the other years sitting in small groups, but Harry was by himself, quietly buttering a piece of toast.

"Couldn't sleep with all excitement?" started Tracey, making Daphne groan. Harry looked up at the girls, his steely expression almost immediately disappearing when he saw them, replaced by a weary look.

"Nightmares," he replied, before turning back to his toast.

"What about?" asked Tracey, picking up some toast herself. Daphne discreetly looked Harry over, and she took note of the dark circles around eyes and his slightly drooping posture.

"Death," replied Harry, and the two girls briefly looked at each other in silent conversation. This was a side of Harry Potter neither of them had seen before, and there was clearly something wrong with him. Tracey just stared at him, lost for words, while Daphne decided to try a different tactic.

"Aren't you a joy to be around, today?" Daphne said, as she was moving to take a drink from her cup. "Are you a seer?"

"No," he replied, his eyes again meeting hers.

"Then why are you so concerned about your dreams, when they mean nothing?" the blonde asked.

"But they do," he replied enigmatically, and sighed.

"Do you need to talk?" she probed. At first, he said nothing. He just gazed back at her silently, neither one of them breaking eye contact, before finally looking down for a moment and shaking his head.

"Probably..." he admitted, then looked up again at Daphne to see her looking back at him with an inquisitive expression. Tracey was also curious, not just about what Harry had dreamt to put in him such a state, but also about what exactly was going on between those two.

"Not today, though," Harry continued, before changing the subject. "Good morning to you too, by the way," he said, and then returned to his breakfast.

The two girls respected his wishes and let the conversation drop.

"By the way, Daphne, this is for you," Harry said, taking a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and handing it to Daphne. Curious, she took it from him and tried to ignore Tracey's questioning smirk. She unfolded the page and saw an incantation written there, along with a few diagrams of wand movements and several paragraphs of written instruction.

"What is this?" she asked, trying to decipher the spell. "Some sort of translation and copying spell?"

"It's what you asked for yesterday, that's the spell that will let you add the diaries to the book. Once you've learned in, just call for Dobby if you care to try it out. He'll be available during the afternoon today, and he has orders to bring you to the Chamber if you want to."

Daphne couldn't believe it. She was only half serious when she said she wanted to learn how to copy the diaries herself. She didn't think for a minute that he would actually teach her how, let alone allow her to access the Chamber while he wasn't there.

"There is one thing I must warn you about, and I urge you to take it seriously," he added grimly. "There are sealed containers down there, and they are that way for a reason. Please avoid touching them, and do not try to open them under any circumstances. Otherwise, help yourself," he finished. Harry's eyes met hers again, and he felt rolling waves of guilt washing over him. His nightmares from the previous night leapt back to the front of his mind, as he remembered those same eyes looking at him in desperation, begging him to help her.

It was too much for him. He had to leave, immediately.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," he said as he stood, "I need to walk around for a bit. Enjoy your breakfast."

Daphne was concerned about him, but she didn't want to pry too much into his personal business, especially since it seemed like he wanted to be left alone. Tracey, on the other hand, wouldn't let such a thing get in the way of her curiosity.

"What chamber?" Tracey asked, and both Daphne and Harry turned to her at the same time, each of them realizing what Harry had just said. They both turned back to look at each other, before Harry just snorted and shook his head.

"Chamber of Secrets. That's where I've slept and trained since Halloween," Harry replied in a defeated tone, knowing Tracey wouldn't rest until she had an answer.

Tracey gaped, looking back and forth between him at Daphne.

"You knew about this?" Tracey asked her best friend, who nodded yes. "Merlin..."

"See you later then," Harry said with a hint of amusement in the voice, then turned and walked out of the Great Hall.

"If you mean to ask if the monster of the Chamber is real..." started Daphne, looking back at a bewildered Tracey, "It was. The rumour that Harry killed a basilisk is true. He showed me the memory in his Pensieve, and no, I won't talk about it. If you want to know more about it, you can ask him."

"But...fine," replied Tracey with a sigh. "But why did he take you there?"

Daphne shrugged.

"One night we were talking, and I hinted that I wanted to see Slytherin's library. He agreed to take me down there the following night," replied Daphne. She missed the look of comprehension dawning on Tracey's face.

"As in a date?" Tracey inquired mischievously, very interested in Daphne's response. However, the only answer Daphne gave her was an exasperated glare, which made Tracey snicker in amusement. "Fine, I'll stop," she said, predicting what Daphne would say.

Daphne huffed and went back to her breakfast.

"So, that book you've being reading..." started Tracey.

"The book is actually just a frame that Harry filled with several of Salazar Slytherin's journals. He has a way to translate them from Parseltongue and share them with me," Daphne replied, and Tracey was almost sure she could see the tiniest blush appear on her friend's cheeks.

"That... That's amazing. But...why would he do that?" gasped Tracey, and Daphne shrugged.

"I don't know," she admitted, looking back at the Great Hall doors, where the boy in question had just exited. She was actually a little worried about him. "He said he had dreams about death, right? What do you think that means?"

"Since when do you care?" asked Tracey, curious about her friend's feelings, but also hoping to get some information she could use for the betting pool.

"Since he's my good friend," Daphne admitted without a second thought. Tracey grinned.

"Mistletoe. Those two need a push, and magical mistletoe might be just what they need," thought Tracey to herself, already plotting.

"I have no idea what his dreams are all about, but again, out of all of us you're easily the closest to him." To Tracey's surprise, Daphne didn't even try to deny it.

"I know he remembers the night his parents were murdered," whispered Daphne, making sure only Tracey would be able to hear her.

"That's…horrible…" the girl replied, looking slightly pale.

"He remembers his mother begging to spare his life, the flash of a green light, and You-Know-Who laughing. Remember last year, when everyone was mocking him for passing out because of the dementors? Whenever those creatures got close to him, Harry would relive that moment over and over again."

Tracey didn't know what to say to that. She had laughed along with the others last year, and now she felt more than a little bad about joining in. The fact that she had actually gotten to know him a bit this year made it even worse.

"More than anything, I'm concerned about the desperation I saw in his eyes," admitted Daphne, with a sad look. "I haven't seen him like this before, even when he was telling me about the night his parents were killed."

"Why don't you go after him?" asked Tracey, her tone half serious and half teasing. She was surprised, and a little disappointed, when Daphne shook her head no.

"Let him be," she said in an unconvincing tone, nibbling her toast. "I'll talk to him later in Hogsmeade."

Tracey smirked. Daphne could deny it as much as she wanted, but Tracey wasn't convinced at all. The Ice Queen definitely liked and cared for Harry.

She was definitely going to get the mistletoe.

~BREAK~

Harry walked out of the main doors of the castle and onto the grounds. The cold air on his skin felt refreshing, and he stopped for a moment to look around and take a deep breath of the chilly morning air. All around him the Hogwarts grounds were covered in a blanket of white, powdery snow. After taking a moment to appreciate the picturesque view, he cast a quick Warming Charm on himself and started walking towards the lake at a leisurely pace. To his left he saw smoke rising from Hagrid's chimney, the half-giant apparently already up and getting ready for his day. For a moment he considered popping in for a visit, but instead decided he'd prefer to be alone for a while.

He saw no signs of movement at the Beauxbatons carriage, most of its residents likely either just waking up or still asleep. The same couldn't be said for the Durmstrang ship, which was already showing some signs of activity from its spot near the lake shore. Harry wasn't in the mood to deal with other people, so he redirected his route further away from the ship.

When Harry got to the shore, he reached down and picked up a rock from the ground and examined it. With a sigh, he slung the rock so that it skipped across the water a few times before sinking to the bottom. He closed his eyes and tried listening to the sounds of the morning. He heard chirping from the few birds that could endure the Scottish winter, and waves from the lake lazily splashing against the rocks. He could even hear the occasional roar from the Forbidden Forest, but none of it was enough to completely distract him from his mood.

Occlumency helped, of course. He had gone through his exercises to sort the memories of his nightmare, but he was still agitated. Last night was the first time since his return to the past that either of those terrible Christmases had plagued his dreams, and it had been years since he'd had to relive both in the same night.

They were by far the two worst days of his life. The first changed him forever, and was what drove him to take the first steps into darkness. The second broke him beyond repair. After that he abandoned all hope and fully embraced the dark. For freedom. For justice. For vengeance.

Harry twitched his fingers and summoned another stone, and this time hurled it as far as he could into the lake.

"I know what I have to do," Harry thought to himself, staring at the rippling water and running through his mental checklist.

Kill Voldemort. He would prefer to be seen doing it too, as having witnesses would give him more credibility in the future, should he need it. That was why the plan was to kill Voldemort during the duel in the graveyard and use a Monitoring Charm to make sure everyone at Hogwarts could watch it. He still had a lot to do first, including collecting the Horcruxes. He was still missing the ring, the cup, and the snake.

Destroy Oberon and Titania. He would take everything from them, like they had done to him, and only after they were broken, would he kill them. Those bastards had been even worse than Voldemort, and had come a lot closer to destroying their world than Tom Riddle ever did.

That being said, saving the Wizarding World was a secondary goal, at best. His primary goal was much more important, and was the reason he was driven to come back in time.

Make sure Daphne lives. Preferably as the Lady Potter, of course. Make her fall in love with him again, of her own free will, and then live happily ever after. Having her back may not right all the wrongs of the past, or completely fill the hole inside him, but he would at least reclaim something of the family that was stolen from him. Didn't he deserve that much?

He was tired. He had fought long enough, and now all he wanted was to finally rest with the one person he needed the most.

The woman that gave him hope and made him a better man.

The woman that stood by him as he stood by her.

The woman he loved, and the woman he married.

The mother of his child...

The woman he would burn the world for, and the one for whom he had defied the laws of magic and nature.

Nothing would stand between them again, that much he swore. He would do whatever it takes to make her fall in love with him again. And if he failed to win her over this time…well, as long as she was alive and happy, then he would be satisfied.

He snorted, knowing he was just deluding himself. Of course he wouldn't be happy without her; he absolutely had to succeed.

However, Daphne was right about one thing - there was no reason to dwell on his nightmares. He finally had a second chance, and he would do everything in his power to make sure he got his happy ending.

Harry snapped out of his reverie, suddenly sensing someone approaching him. "Can I help you?" he called out to the newcomer without looking back.

"Ah, Harry Potter, da?" asked a male voice in reply. Harry turned towards the voice and saw none other than Viktor Krum.

"I am. To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Krum?" asked Harry politely. He was happy to see his old friend, the Quidditch superstar that would rise to the position of Prime Minister of Bulgaria in his fifties. He was also the proud husband of a supermodel, and the father of a boy and two girls, who would go on to give him several grandchildren.

"I vould like to introduce myself, da?" asked Krum in his horribly accented English and extending his hand, which Harry gladly took.

"You honour me, Mr. Krum," replied Harry with a smirk.

"You poverful vizard. Your task vas good, da? I vould like to ask you to...fight?" Krum hesitated, unsure of the proper wording.

"You wish to spar with me?" asked Harry, showing a bit of surprise.

"Da," Krum replied, nodding. "Vat you say?"

"I think I would enjoy that," Harry replied with a grin. "I know just the place too, when do you want to do it?"

"Vat about today after dinner?" asked Krum, and Harry considered the proposal.

"I'd prefer not to duel on a full stomach, how about before dinner instead?" suggested Harry, and Krum nodded his agreement. "Let's agree around six o'clock, then?" After taking a moment to think about it, Krum nodded again, and Harry called for Dobby.

"This is Dobby, my personal house-elf," explained Harry, seeing the puzzled look on Krum's face. "When you are ready, please call him and he can let me know. You'll need to be escorted to the room by either Dobby or myself, otherwise you won't be able to enter. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Dobb-bie?" asked Krum, saying it a few times to work out the correct pronunciation.

"Da, is good. I vill enjoy our fight," said Krum with a grin. "I vas going for meal. Vould you join?" asked Krum, and Harry decided that making alliances was a better use of his time than brooding.

"Lead the way."

~BREAK~

Daphne and Tracey were still at the Slytherin table, now joined by Theo, Millie, and Blaise. Millie told them that Pansy was still asleep, as were the other fourth year boys. The Great Hall was starting to fill up for breakfast, the early risers mostly comprising of Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Durmstrang students.

They were having a nice conversation when they heard someone squeak in surprise. Theo's attention snapped to the Great Hall doors, and his eyebrows shot up when he saw Harry walking in alongside Viktor Krum, apparently engaged in friendly conversation. Harry nodded to his friends in greeting, then the two champions sat down near the other Durmstrang students on the far end of the Slytherin table to continue their discussion.

"Uh, you don't see that every day," commented Millie, still looking at them.

"Aren't they supposed to be competing against each other?" asked someone from the next table over.

"That means they can't be friends?" another replied.

Daphne looked at Harry and saw that he seemed to be doing better. Her eyes crossed his and he smiled at her. She hid a smile and went back to her breakfast, while Krum was animatedly retelling a story for Harry - probably something about a Quidditch match, if his gestures were any indication.

"You know, I have no idea if Delacour is a flyer or not, but I just realised that at least three of the champions are Seekers," said Blaise with a calculating look.

"So?" asked Tracey.

"Nothing, that was just it," replied Blaise, noticing how Millie chuckled.

"We should put Krum and Harry on brooms against each other," said Theo, looking at the two. "Diggory is good, but he only won against Potter last year because of the dementors."

"Speaking of Quidditch, who wants to see Harry as our Seeker next year?" asked Tracey.

Blaise and Theo agreed immediately. The truth of it was, that had already been a major topic of discussion amongst the snakes ever since Harry had joined their house. It was basically unanimous: as far as the Slytherins were concerned, Potter absolutely HAD to join the team. Hopefully Malfoy would step down voluntarily and make it easy on himself, but that didn't seem likely.

Harry wrapped up his conversation with a few pleasantries and a reminder to call Dobby around six, then got up to join his friends.

"You seem happier," Daphne commented, as Harry moved to sit down beside her.

"Believe it or not, it's all your fault," Harry replied with a half-smile. Then, out of nowhere, he leaned in and kissed Daphne on the cheek. "Thank you," he said earnestly, before settling back into his seat next to her.

Daphne was a little flustered by the unexpected display, but didn't outwardly react. Theo's and Blaise's jaws dropped, while Tracey grinned triumphantly and was deciding what to buy after she won the bet. Millie was amused by the whole scene. She had always been good at reading others' emotional states, and while Daphne tended to project a frosty exterior, she was fairly certain that privately, her friend was not at all put out by Harry's display of affection.

"It was nice knowing you, Potter," mocked Theo. Daphne collected herself and sent a glare towards Harry, who was completely unphased by it, and just smirked back at her.

"I won't take it back," he said, and Daphne huffed and turned away from him. Millie and Tracey were the only ones who could see her hiding a smirk. "I'll be meeting Krum before dinner tonight," Harry continued. "Dobby will be required around six o'clock for a few moments, but otherwise he'll still be available to help you if you want."

"Sure," replied Daphne, ignoring the smirks and whispers. "Meeting Krum for what?"

"He invited me for some dueling practice this evening, and I accepted," replied Harry. Daphne was amused by the looks everyone gave him.

"Really? Try not to hurt him too much, will you?" she said, jabbing him with her finger. "You don't need to be accused of attempting to get rid of your competition."

"If you insist," he replied, feigning disappointment. "But don't worry, the Durmstrang students have actually treated me with respect. I have nothing against them."

"Good," Daphne said. "So, about your meeting today..."

"What meeting?" Blaise chimed in.

"None of your business," Harry replied quietly, making the others huff.

"What time do you need to be there?" asked Daphne.

"We set everything for after lunch," Harry replied.

"So you'll be gone the whole afternoon?" she asked evenly.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're upset I won't be around," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching as she attempted to glare at him. "Lucky for me, I know better," he finished with a smile, making their friends burst out laughing.

"Good. Don't be an ass, Potter," she admonished, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously though, did you need something?" he asked, no longer teasing.

"I just wanted to have you around, in case I fail the spell," she replied shyly, breaking eye contact. It was the truth...well, at least part of it. She noticed Tracey snickering, but she ignored her.

"That's the closest she's come to admitting she wants to go out with him," Millie mumbled to Tracey, who nodded with a grin.

"Do you want to just go do it now?" he asked. Daphne perked up at this, seemingly interested in the idea.

"I can help you now, and then we can go down together and meet them…" Harry vaguely waved at their friends, who were giggling like schoolgirls (which two of them happened to be), "…in Hogsmeade. After that we can do our shopping for the ball, and maybe have lunch. The offer to have Dobby bring you to the Chamber still stands, though, just in case you want to spend the afternoon somewhere other than Hogsmeade."

"You don't mind?" she asked, beaming at him.

"Of course not. Come on, let's go get the book. Do you want to take the scenic route or the express route?"

Daphne looked at him as if he had asked her a very foolish question.

"Right, because the inside of the castle is so beautiful, and I don't get to see enough of it," she said sarcastically. Harry was quite used to her sense of humor and just shook his head with half a grin.

"Express route, it is," he said, then called for Dobby. The house-elf popped in next to him and snapped his fingers. At once, the book used by Harry and Daphne to translate Slytherin's journals appeared in the elf's hands. "Or Dobby can just summon it," Harry said, completely surprised. "I didn't know you could do that. Incidentally, how did you get into Daphne's things without her permission?"

"I'm a house-elf and she accepted to be my mistress," the elf said matter-of-factly. "Or at least she never objected to it. You did want the book, didn't you?" Dobby asked, turning to Daphne. The other Slytherins were completely dumbfounded, and they all sat there gaping until Tracey finally snapped out of it.

"She's your WHAT?" shouted Tracey, attracting the attention of pretty much everyone in the vicinity.

"Please, Tracey, speak a little louder next time, there might be one or two people down in Hogsmeade who didn't hear you," Harry replied, making Daphne snort.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Daphne, ignoring Tracey's outburst and deciding to tease Harry instead. "Glad to see you're more practical than your master."

"Yeah right..." Harry mumbled, trying to hold back a chuckle. "Dobby, take us to the Chamber."

"As you wish," replied Dobby, taking both Harry and Daphne by the arm and popping the trio out of the Great Hall, leaving the nearby onlookers speechless.

"But...but..." attempted a Ravenclaw, who had been watching from their table.

"Mistress?" asked Tracey, looking around at her friends, who were just as lost as she was.

"What the hell is going on?" asked Theo, but no one had any answers.

~BREAK~

As soon as they arrived in the Chamber, Harry and Daphne shared a laugh at the looks on their friends' faces, before Harry began instructing Daphne on the spell. Daphne got it on the seventh try, and she was able to successfully copy several diaries into the tome. Once they were finished, they decided to join their friends in Hogsmeade.

"I wonder if there's a secret path from the Chamber into the Slytherin common room," Daphne said, picking up the book.

"It's a possibility," Harry replied, thoughtfully. "But it's probably very well hidden. It is a secret chamber, after all," he said.

"That's too bad," Daphne said, shrugging. "That would be much more convenient than having to exit though the second-floor bathroom only to have to walk back down to the dungeons."

"True, but Dobby can pop us back and forth most of the time anyway. Would you rather just leave the book here and come get it later?" he asked her.

"You'll really allow me to come here alone?" she asked, lifting up a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"Of course, Daphne, I already told you that," he said sincerely. "Should you ever want to come down here without me, just call Dobby and he'll help you. You're welcome to come here anytime, as long as you don't bring anyone with you and don't attempt to open anything that's locked," Harry reiterated to a smiling Daphne.

"Well, if you insist..." she said with a mock sigh, then set the book down on the desk next to the Pensieve.

"Now, how do you want to get to Hogsmeade?" asked Harry. "We could just walk, or maybe see if we can catch one of the last carriages. If you want to go less traditional, we can have Dobby pop us there or even take one of the secret passages."

"What secret passages?" Daphne asked, the last option having piqued her curiosity.

"For one, there's a passage behind the one-eyed witch statue near the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, which leads to the cellar of Honeydukes," he explained.

"And how did you find it?" she asked, frowning.

"I have my ways," he replied mysteriously. In truth, he actually didn't remember anymore. If he had to guess, the Weasley twins probably showed him after giving him the Marauder's Map...probably.

Daphne shook her head. That was such a Slytherin response, she couldn't even be mad.

"Let's go with Dobby. That way, we have time to take care of everything we need before you have to leave," she said, looking at Harry in a way that made him think she still wasn't thrilled about his secret meeting.

"I'll be safe, if that's your concern," he said, looking back at her with his arms crossed.

"Would it be too much to tell me a little more than that?" she said defiantly. "It's not that I care who you meet, but..."

"I'm meeting with my remaining family. They've promised they would stand by me, but there are things we need to talk about in person," sighed Harry, knowing she wouldn't rest until he gave her an answer.

"Your remaining family?" she asked, puzzled because as far as she knew, Harry was the last Potter. Then she recalled their conversation about his godfather. "You're meeting with Sirius Black?" she asked, a note of apprehension in her voice.

"And Professor Lupin, our DADA teacher from last year. It will be safe, I promise," he replied, walking to her and caressing her shoulder reassuringly.

She didn't shy away from his touch; she just looked into his eyes and asked him, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"Fine, then, I'll trust you."

"Thank you," he replied, offering his hand to her, which she accepted with a smile.

"Do..." Dobby popped in before Harry even finished calling for him. "Show off," he muttered to the elf, who performed an overexaggerated bow and grinned at his master. "Any place in particular?" Harry asked, and Daphne shook her head.

"Hogsmeade entrance it is, then," replied Harry, and the three popped away from the Chamber of Secrets, then instantly reappeared at the entrance of the village. Dobby popped away again, and Harry turned to Daphne, still holding her hand.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"I need writing supplies, so I at least need to stop by Scrivenshafts. Do you have your robes for the ball already?" she asked, turning to him.

"I do, they're black and silver," he informed her, as they walked in step with one another. Neither attempted to drop the other's hand.

"Good," she replied, "I don't really need any accessories, but maybe we should just have a look and see if anything strikes our fancy."

"Fine by me," he replied.

They leisurely walked through the village hand in hand, observing the groups of students wandering back and forth between the shops. The sight of the two of them together prompted many to point and stare as they walked by; no doubt they would find themselves the latest topic of the Hogwarts rumour mill. They didn't let it bother them, though. In fact, they were so engrossed in their conversation that they barely even noticed.

After leaving Scrivenshafts, Harry called Dobby and handed him their bags, which he promptly took back to the Chamber for them. Daphne would sort their purchases when she returned there that afternoon.

"Practical indeed," she commented, after Harry explained his reasoning to her. Why bother carrying their things around when they had Dobby? They could shrink their bags of course, but this was much more convenient.

As they were passing by Zonko's, they saw Tracey, Theo, Blaise, and Millie leaving the shop. They were clearly not expecting to run into Harry and Daphne there, and Tracey was attempting to hide her bag behind her back. It was pretty obvious that whatever the four had bought at Zonko's, Harry and Daphne were the expected targets.

"How's your date?" asked Theo, trying to distract them.

"Good," replied Daphne with a sigh. Why bother attempting to correct them? Besides, it basically was a date. What else could you call two friends going out shopping together, wandering the village while holding hands and enjoying each other's company? "Do you want something from Zonko's?" she asked Harry.

"Not really," Harry replied, shrugging, "I'd rather stop by the apothecary, but maybe I should owl order the supplies instead?" he said questioningly, and Daphne concurred.

"Very well, then," Daphne said, before turning to the others. "Where are the four of you off to next?"

"Well, I was thinking about looking for accessories for the ball," Tracey replied with a grin. Theo just nodded with a resigned sigh. Blaise looked at Millie questioningly, but she shrugged and told him that all she needed was some new quills.

"Harry!" a voice suddenly called out from behind them. Harry immediately recognised the voice and groaned internally. He didn't bother turning around, but the others did and saw that they were being approached by Granger, Longbottom, and four redheads. The Weasley twins had apparently joined up with their younger siblings for the day.

"That's Mr. Potter to you," he replied in malevolent tone, still with his back turned to them. Daphne felt him squeeze her hand a little tighter, but not enough to hurt her.

"Harry, mate, why don't you ditch the snakes and come have some fun with us?" said the pig, putting his foot in his mouth, as usual. Harry didn't say a word, but Daphne could actually feel the anger rolling off of him. He slowly turned around to face to them, his dark green aura starting to show as his eyes burned with emerald flames.

"Just leave," said Daphne in a cold tone, squeezing Harry's left hand harder. No good would come from hurting them, and as angry as Harry seemed she wasn't sure if he would be able to hold back. She noticed Harry starting to move his right arm as if he was getting ready to draw his wand, so she attempted to soothe him by rubbing her hand up and down his other arm.

"Your company is unwanted," she added, silently begging Harry to calm down.

"Shut it, snake. We all know you gave him a love potion!" shrieked Weaselette, drawing her wand on Daphne. That was the mistake Harry was waiting for. Before anyone could blink, his wand appeared in his hand, and with nothing but a wave, the six dorks were relieved of their wands, which were now laying on the ground in front of Harry.

"I'll be honest with you. Right now, I want nothing more than to crush you where you stand," said Harry, still with the cold tone. "However, I'm having a really good day, and I won't ruin it by wasting my time with you. Dobby!"

The elf popped in front of him, glaring at the six dorks.

"Please, Harry," the twins said in unison.

"We just," Fred continued.

"want to…" his twin countered, before being interrupted.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Harry, a small crowd now starting to gather around them. "First of all, that twin speech you do? Not as amusing as you think it is. Second of all, there's something I've being wanting to tell you for some time now. You know your idols, the Marauders?" The twins perked up immediately.

"Had you not turned your backs on me, I could have introduced you to the two remaining members, what do you think of that?" Harry taunted.

"Uh, I think he broke them," mumbled Millie, nodding at the twins, who had frozen where they stood, horrorstruck by their missed opportunity.

"Who are the Marauders?" Theo asked Blaise, who shrugged.

"Now, Dobby, please take these six wands and give them to Professor Snape," instructed Harry, eliciting shouts of protest from the four remaining dorks. The Weasel even attempted to charge at Harry, but was immediately stunned. "Tell him that they harassed us, that they drew their wands first, and that it would be safer for him to keep their wands, until they go to him to ask for them back."

"You can't do that!" Granger shouted, but she didn't attempt anything else once she realised there were wands pointed at her. Dobby grinned and popped away with the Gryffindors' wands.

"Oh, but he can," said a new voice. They looked over and saw Pansy, who was arriving with Draco, Vince, and Greg in tow. "All he's doing is defending himself, and now he's reporting you to a teacher, fearing for his and our safety, of course," she added, nudging Draco and his two bodyguards to stand alongside the other Slytherins.

To anyone observing the confrontation from the outside, it was evident that the fourth year Slytherins were making a statement. The ten Slytherins stood together with Harry and Daphne in the center, their hands still linked.

"Once again, I'm telling you to leave before I lose my patience," Harry warned.

"Bu-But H-H-Harry, I-I r-really need to t-talk..." attempted Longbottom, who cowered when Harry's eyes flared again when he looked at him.

"Oh, piss off, Longbottom. There is nothing you can ever say that I want to hear."

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU WILL..." Granger never finished her rant, because she was silenced with a wave of Harry's wand.

"Harry, please, this isn't you!" said the Weaselette, tears starting to fall. "We just want you to come back, to be friends again."

"No," was Harry's simple reply, drawing a smirk from Daphne and the other Slytherins. "Why go back and live with the jackals when I'm at home amongst the snakes?"

"You don't mean that," Weaselette cried. "Gryffindor is much better than Slytherin."

The Slytherins scoffed, and then looked at each other and laughed.

"I believe my housemates have effectively expressed my feelings on that matter."

"They are all Death Eaters in training," she shouted again, supported by Granger's silent rant. "They will turn you over to You-Know-Who if he ever comes back. You need us!" The people watching gasped, and Harry glared at the girl, no longer finding any humour in the situation. The Slytherins looked at Harry in shock, as if they were waiting for him to explain.

"If that ever happens, someone will die," Harry said enigmatically, his tone low and dripping with hostility. His magic started flaring around him again, and the anxious Slytherins slowly started backing away from him, except for Daphne. Instead, she again attempted to calm Harry by squeezing his hand and rubbing his arm to distract him. She found herself enveloped by Harry's swirling magic, but to her it felt surprisingly warm and protective, instead of angry and oppressive. Based on the dorks' reactions, she concluded that she was the only one who felt that way.

"Besides, what do you know?" asked Harry with a vicious grin. "You think I need any of you? I was the only one who had to face him in our first year. As for you, all you've ever managed was to almost get yourself killed by writing your innermost desires in an enchanted diary. Your brother? He couldn't even hang on to his wand, and because of him Lockhart almost killed us all. No, I had to save you all by myself. The only one that was remotely useful was Granger, who figured out the monster was a basilisk, but that's it. So tell me, why do I need you?"

The gathered onlookers looked around at each other, none of them having any idea what Harry was talking about. Having seen his memory in the Chamber of Secrets, however, Daphne knew exactly what he was referring to. She looked around and noticed how everyone was staring at them, and decided this had gone on long enough; it was time to go.

"Harry, I'm getting bored," Daphne said, recapturing his attention. "I know it's amusing putting the dorks in their place, but we still have a couple of things to do today. Besides, if this goes on much longer we may end up cursing them, and I'm not interested in getting a detention. There are too many witnesses."

"Listen to your girlfriend, Harry," chimed Pansy, grinning as her taunt brought about the desired reaction.

"SHE'S NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" shouted the youngest Weasley, her face getting redder.

"Please, what would you know?" asked Millie with a grin, which was shared by the other Slytherins.

"Shall we go, then?" Harry asked Daphne, who nodded to him, and they turned and walked away from the demoralised Gryffindors. The crowd of onlookers surrounding them dispersed too, but no one bothered offering to Rennervate the pig. The Slytherin fourth years followed closely behind Harry and Daphne, the latter leaning in to share an observation with Harry.

"Weaselette has a crush on you," she said.

"Tough luck," he replied, which pleased Daphne.

"What was that you were talking about with the Weasley girl, Harry?" Millie asked. Harry looked over to Daphne as if asking her opinion, and she nodded back to him.

"Two years ago, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Weaselette was possessed by an artefact. It was a diary, enchanted with the echo of a memory of the Heir of Slytherin. Through her, he opened the Chamber and released the basilisk upon the school. All the attacks that year were ultimately her fault. We were actually really lucky that people were only petrified, since the Heir wanted to kill muggleborns," he explained. The others looked completely affronted; there had never been a proper explanation for what happened during their second year.

"Of course, her involvement was swept under the rug. Dumbledore's doing, no doubt. Granger was able to deduce it was a basilisk before she was petrified. She had ripped a page from a book, and I found it crumpled in her hand when I visited her in the hospital wing. I was able to find the entrance to the Chamber, and with Weasley's help persuaded Lockhart to go down and save Weaselette. They fucked up, and I didn't." He was scowling by the time he finished recounting the tale. "That's all you'll get out of me for now. I'd understand if you want to call a house assembly and compel me to share the whole story, though I'd rather you didn't," he flatly stated.

Tracey was shocked, and looking around she noticed that Daphne was the only one who wasn't. "Daphne?" she tentatively questioned, and her friend turned to her and solemnly nodded.

"Harry showed me," she whispered, everyone looking at her. "I know it's hard to believe, but..."

"Hey..." he said in a soft tone. "It's fine, really. Now, how about we finish our shopping and grab some lunch?" Harry proposed, the others dumbly nodding in return. Daphne smirked and led the way with Harry, followed by the other Slytherins. None of them noticed the three sets of eyes that had been covertly watching them the entire time.

Neither Daphne nor Harry decided to buy any accessories for the ball. They talked off to the side while their friends shopped, and eventually left the others behind to take a walk.

They talked about homework, magic, and their families. Harry told her the truth about his relatives as they walked, which brought the mood down a bit. Upon hearing the story, Daphne immediately wanted leave for Surrey and murder the Dursleys, but Harry just grinned and told her to get in line, which broke the tension. He had dealt with his trauma decades ago, and it didn't bother him to talk about it anymore. In return, Daphne told him about her parents, and how they were obsessed with improving their social standing, so much so that they didn't have much time for her or her sister, Astoria. As far as her parents were concerned, her only useful purpose was to help elevate their status by marrying a wizard from a prominent pureblood family.

At one point, Daphne saw her younger sister looking at them and sporting a huge grin. She just rolled her eyes and kept walking, but not without flashing a smile in return. She was positive that Astoria was going to bombard her with questions the first chance she got. She would just have to worry about that later, though. It was approaching noon, and they needed to figure out what they were doing for lunch soon, or else Harry wouldn't have time before he had to leave to meet his godfather.

"Question for you, do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks, or would you rather have a picnic outside?" Harry asked.

Daphne tilted her head to the side and looked at him questioningly. "It's cold, and everything is covered in snow," she said, which was true. The entire village was covered in a blanket of snow, and it was cold enough that they could see their breath when they talked.

"Magic," he said, shrugging. Daphne saw the infuriating smirk he wore when he wanted to show her something amazing, and she knew she had to go along with it.

"Picnic, then," she replied, and he beamed at her. Whatever it was he wanted to show her, she knew she wouldn't be disappointed.

"Dobby!" he called, and the elf popped in next to them.

"Everything is prepared," he said, asking for their hands. The trio popped away from Hogsmeade, appearing again in what seemed to be a clearing by the lakeside. The forest was directly behind them, and she could see the Hogwarts castle looming across the lake. Dobby popped away again, and they were left alone to appreciate the view. As she took in her surroundings, Daphne realised that there was no snow on the ground here, and that the air was warmer than it had been in the village. Either Harry or Dobby must have charmed this little spot by the lake to be warm enough for a picnic, which meant Harry had been planning this all along.

"This place is beautiful," she said, turning to Harry, who was looking back at her with a soft smile. "How did you find it?"

"Flying around," he replied with a smile. "And it was one of our secret spots throughout our final years at Hogwarts," he added, but only in his head. "Do you like it?"

"I do," she said. With another pop, Dobby reappeared carrying a basket with one arm and a wide blanket in the other. He snapped his fingers and the blanket stretched itself flat across the ground. With a second snap, the contents of the basket hovered out of it and arranged themselves on the blanket. There were roasted meats, salads, bread for sandwiches, desserts, pumpkin juice, and butterbeer.

"Have a seat," Harry invited, as Dobby popped away again. Daphne sat down demurely with her back to the forest, so she could look out at the lake. Harry sat down next to her, and they both removed their scarves and outer robes, which were no longer needed in their charmed picnic spot.

They talked, they ate, and they laughed. Daphne asked how he and Dobby met, and Harry regaled her with the story of the hyperactive house-elf who appeared in his bedroom one night, the summer before their second year. He told her all about the pudding incident, and she laughed so hard she had to wipe tears out of her eyes. She goggled at him as he told her about the sealed barrier to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and she outright scolded him when he recounted how he and Weasley had flown to Hogwarts in an enchanted car.

Next, he told her how Dobby enchanted a Bludger to target him during his Quidditch match, in hopes of injuring him enough that he'd be forced to go home. Daphne actually called Dobby after that one, intent on sending a few curses his way. Luckily for the house-elf, he was able to duck behind Harry, who couldn't stop laughing. After finally getting a chance to explain himself to Daphne's satisfaction, Dobby stayed long enough to tell her how Harry had freed him from the Malfoys, and once again, Daphne's sparkling laugh rang out around their clearing.

It was music to Harry's ears.

Dobby packed the basket when they were finished, then left them alone again.

"Harry, what is your greatest fear?" she asked, scooting closer to him and leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Losing everything I love again," he replied, looking up at the grey sky. She wasn't sure what he meant, but she suspected he must mean his family. "What about yours?" he asked.

"To be nothing more than a trophy, and not be allowed to live the life I choose," she replied. He leaned his head on hers.

"Only a fool would consider keeping you as a trophy. You have so much to offer," he mumbled, and he felt her stiffen next to him.

"What makes you so sure?" she whispered, still not moving a muscle.

"You're intelligent, you're resourceful, and you're a cunning witch. You're compassionate, even if you don't always show it, and I can't picture you settling for anything less than your full potential. You're already powerful, and you get better every time we practice. I'm positive that, in time, you will be an extraordinary witch."

Her posture relaxed, but she remained silent for several moments.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"It's the truth," he replied softly. "I would never lie to you."

"What is it you want from me?" she asked abruptly. Harry was silent for a moment.

"A partner in all things," he replied, simply. Harry felt her squeezing his hand. He turned to look at her as she raised her head, and he saw a single tear rolling down her cheek. Emerald met sapphire, and he slowly leaned in. She tilted her head up to meet him, and closed her eyes just as their lips softly touched.

She felt his arm encircle her while she reached her arms around his neck. After a while their tongues met, and she squeezed him harder as their kiss became more intense. For him, the kiss brought up feelings of hunger and desire, but also bliss. This was something he had been missing for decades, and at long last he had found it once again. For her, it was joy, desire, and for reasons she couldn't quite explain, a sense of completion. Somehow, she found herself sitting on his lap, cupping his face with both hands while she kissed him, but she also found that she didn't mind. After quite a bit of time, they pulled back, mutually agreeing to take a break from kissing. They stayed in that position, face to face with their foreheads touching.

"Harry, I..." she started but hesitated. She had no idea how to even begin expressing what she was feeling. Fortunately, he knew just what to say.

"Daphne, will you be my girlfriend? If you're not ready yet that's OK, but at least think about it?" he asked. She opened her eyes and saw the hopeful look on his face. She smiled at him softly.

"I..."

She was interrupted by soft pop, and they both turned to see a surprised elf looking back at them. Dobby's initial look of surprise gave way to a wide grin and a nod of appreciation.

"I was just coming to tell you that it's nearly time for your meeting, but carry on..." the elf said, then popped away again, his grin never leaving his face.

"Git," Harry grumbled, turning back to the still blushing Daphne. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Daphne managed to keep her emotions somewhat in check, but it wasn't easy. She didn't think her heart had ever beat that fast.

"Yes, I want to," she whispered. Harry brought her closer to him and kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you. Please remember that all you have to do is be yourself. That's all I'll ever need," he whispered into her ear, and she hugged him tighter before easing back and initiating another long, slow kiss. Dobby appeared again shortly after, this time being extra careful to ensure he wasn't interrupt anything.

"Master, Mistress, I'm sorry but it's time," he said, and Daphne stood up from her place on Harry's lap.

"Is it just your godfather and uncle you're meeting?" she asked. Harry nodded in the affirmative and pulled her close to him. "When will you be back?"

"I'll be honest with you, Daphne, the meeting with my uncles isn't my only stop this afternoon. After I meet with them, I'm going to Gringotts." Daphne pulled back from him with a raised eyebrow, awaiting the rest of his explanation. "I'm going to claim my lordship for House Potter."

"But... you can't do that until you're seventeen," she said, not understanding his plan.

"You would be correct, unless, oh, let's say, the Ministry of Magic forced me to compete in an internationally sanctioned event, which was authorised by the ICW, and whose official rules prohibit participation by any student who has not yet reached their majority," he explained, unable to keep the smug smile from his face. "As soon as the Ministry representatives decided I had to compete in the tournament, I immediately became an emancipated minor, and by their own rules I'm legally permitted to claim my lordship now." Daphne just stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds, before breaking out into laughter.

"How many secrets do you have?" she asked him, once she had stopped laughing enough to speak.

"Just a few more," he replied, caressing her face with the back of his fingers. She leaned into his touch and smiled up at him.

"Go then, my future Lord Potter. Go and meet your family, claim your lordship, and then come back. After all, you do have a rendezvous with Viktor Krum planned for this evening, remember?" she teased.

"I'd rather be persuaded to come back to my intelligent, cunning, and extremely beautiful girlfriend."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Potter," she said flirtatiously, his compliment leaving a warm feeling in her chest.

"Oh, that's too bad," he smirked, and leaned in to kiss her again.

It took Dobby loudly faux coughing to get them to finally separate.

"Fine, you git, fine," complained Harry, still looking at a happily smirking Daphne. "Do you want to go back to Hogsmeade, or would you rather go straight to Hogwarts?" he asked her.

Daphne thought about it for a moment and replied, "Hogsmeade first. I'll call Dobby to take me back to Hogwarts later." He nodded to her and grasped her hand again, while Dobby took the other.

"To Hogsmeade, Dobby." Dobby nodded and the three of them popped away, shortly reappearing in an alley next to the Three Broomsticks.

"If you need anything, call Dobby," he told her.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just be careful," she replied.

Daphne watched them pop away again and smiled, letting the feeling of giddiness wash over her now that she was alone.

Harry Potter was a well of surprises.

And now he was her boyfriend.

Oh Merlin, she could already imagine the taunts and teasing she was going to get from her housemates, especially the girls in her dorm. She didn't even want to think about what Astoria was going to be like.

"Oh well," she thought to herself with a small smile. She had a feeling it would all be worth it.