10 Chapter 9

Harry and Daphne reappeared in the main room of the Chamber of Secrets, right in front of the statue of Salazar. She was still wrapped in his arms and wearing the same wide-eyed expression, while Harry was breathing heavily as if he had just run a race.

"What... How?" she asked, her confusion momentarily overriding her anger. "I see, another secret?" she sneered, and pushed away from him.

"No," he replied, releasing her from his embrace. He took a step back and took a few deep breaths, still feeling his heart pounding in his ears.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, still sneering at him.

"We need to talk," he replied, looking back at her. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes were practically pleading with her to give him a chance to explain.

"Now?" she asked, not even trying to stop her tears from falling. "Now you want to talk? What if I hadn't seen the memory? Would you have ever told me?"

"Eventually," he replied, nodding. She took a step forward and slapped him again.

"WHEN?" she shouted. She pulled her hand back as if to slap him again, but instead collapsed against him and started repeatedly thumping him in the chest. "You made me like you," she sobbed. "You helped me, you encouraged me, I almost thought I was falling for you. I thought you were the one person I could trust with everything, but you clearly don't feel the same way about me."

He remained silent and allowed her to finish her rant, her tears hurting him more than the punches to the chest.

"When?" she asked desperately. "When would you have told me? Or was it all just a game to you?"

He winced at her accusation, then grabbed hold of her hands and looked her directly in the eyes. Daphne stared back into his, searching for any sign of dishonestly as she awaited his answer. He didn't even hesitate.

"Before I asked you to marry me, either before or during our seventh year, depending on how much trouble your parents would give us."

For a moment, Daphne was uncapable of speaking. Harry just stood there looking at her, gently letting go of her hands. There was no need hide the truth anymore. He would tell her everything, as long as she was willing to listen.

"Why? Why would you tell me then?" she asked again, in a softer voice.

"Because I do want you to know everything, and because you're my partner. I'd always share everything with you, good or bad. Maybe I should've told you earlier, but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, or that I'd scare you off. I thought that if we became close enough, then maybe you'd have an easier time accepting everything I have to tell you."

"Please believe me when I say I never wanted to deceive you, I just didn't see how I had any other choice. I always planned to tell you everything, as soon as I thought you were ready. I swear that everything else I've shared with you, all the time we've spent together has been real. You saw the memory in the Pensieve, so you know how much you mean to me and the vows I want to say," he pleaded, watching her demeanour slightly soften as he spoke."

"And what makes you think that I would accept your proposal? Or that my parents would accept your proposal for my hand?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest. After everything he'd just said, part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms then and there, but she needed answers first, so she focused on her anger to help steel her resolve.

"All I could do was hope that you'd fall in love with me again. Your parents wouldn't be a problem. I'd only need a couple of spells to convince them, if necessary," he admitted.

Daphne's eyebrows shot up at the confession.

"You would use magic on my parents, but not on me?" she asked curiously.

"Never against your will," he replied emphatically, willing her to see the truth in his eyes.

"Why?" she asked again, more softly this time.

"Because you're my everything, and I love you too much to force you to love me. I will either have you of your own free will, or I won't have you at all," he said with a sigh. A single tear escaped his eye and trailed down his cheek. "Please, Daphne, I know you're hurt and angry with me, and you have every right to be. But please, just give me a chance to explain everything to you."

"Just...who are you? Really?" she asked, and he smiled sadly at her.

"I am Harry James Potter, age fourteen, that much hasn't changed. However, I am also Harry James Potter, age ninety-three, a man who sent both his and his most loyal friend's souls back in time to their past bodies, all for a chance to change the future," Harry admitted.

Daphne suddenly became unsteady on her feet, and almost fainted. In a blur, Harry moved to her side to catch her before she could collapse. Daphne looked into Harry's eyes and didn't see any deception there, only concern.

"But how? Why?" she asked again, and he shook his head.

"The how is unimportant for now. Let's just say it involved a ritual, and leave it at that. As far as why...well, that's a much longer story," he said, caressing her face. She couldn't stop staring into his eyes, which also never left hers.

"Tell me everything, please," she begged. He sighed, nodding slowly while brushing a strand of her blonde hair away from her face.

"I will tell you everything, if that's what you really want, but some of it will be painful. If we're going to do this, you have to promise me that you'll be strong enough to endure it, no matter what." She nodded to him weakly, but he shook his head. "No Daph, say the words. Promise me that you will be strong, and that you will not falter, no matter how much it may hurt."

"I promise," she replied softly, in almost a whisper. He nodded with a sad smile.

"I realise this must be awkward for you, but I do love you, Daph," he whispered. "I've wanted this for so long, and now...now I'm afraid to let go of you, because the moment might just end."

Daphne didn't know where to begin even thinking about what Harry had just told her. However, one thing she did know was that she was in Harry's arms, and she really didn't want him to let her go. She realised that this would be a turning point for them, one way or another. She could walk away from him now and return to the life she had before Harry came into hers, but she would always be left wondering. Or, she could take a leap of faith and get a chance at having everything. Deep down, she knew her heart had already made her decision for her, but she needed to be sure.

"You…you really didn't lie to me today, did you?" she asked softly, reaching up to touch the hand that was caressing her face. He shook his head.

"It was all true, every bit of it, and that will never change. You're my partner in all things, and that's all that matters to me – past, present, or future," he reassured her. That was the final piece of what Daphne needed to hear, and the last of her anger slipped away.

"Then don't let me go," she said, and she pulled his face down to hers. They shared a hopeful kiss, and he held her tightly in his arms once again, relieved beyond belief.

When they finally separated, Harry gently released her from his embrace and took her by the hand.

"Come on, then, it will be better for you if you're sitting," he said, intending move their conversation to the Chamber's living quarters.

"Wait, before we do that, how did you apparate us down here?" she asked. "Hogwarts is supposed to be warded against apparition, so that should've been impossible."

Harry chuckled and rubbed his cheek, "Yeah, I forgot about that... I don't suppose I could obliviate everyone, could I?"

"Harry..." she admonished, and he chuckled again.

"It technically wasn't apparition," he explained, which really piqued her curiosity. "There is more than one way to magically travel under our own power, meaning without the use of portkeys or floo. Apparition is the most popular method for wizards and goblins, and by far the most widely known. It's been entrenched as the primary means of magical travel for so long, that defences against it were created over a thousand years ago."

Daphne she nodded along to Harry's explanation, already familiar with most of what he was saying. "There is also 'popping', which is what house-elves call their method. You may have noticed that their ability to pop in and out of places isn't affected by most wards. That is because most anti-apparition wards are only keyed to the specific magic associated with the version we use. House-elf popping is its own unique kind of magic; hence it also requires unique magic to ward against it. Most of our kind either underestimate house-elves or see them as inconsequential, so most wouldn't even consider it."

That, Daphne did not know.

"Does that mean that I could send Dobby to my house to get something for me?" she asked, curiously.

"Yes, he could," Harry replied with a nod. "However, house-elves add their own wards to their family's homes, preventing 'invasion' from other house-elves. Few elves would be able to break through other elves' wards, but it's possible. In fact, the only place I know of that is virtually impervious to house-elf popping is Azkaban. Dobby would be able to get in though, no question."

Daphne was fascinated by all this, and she signaled Harry to continue.

"Like I mentioned before, there are other, lesser-known methods of magical travel. The one I used today is called 'fading', and it's so old and obscure that I can pass through most wards without being noticed. If I'm not mistaken, the technique was originally created by an ancient Sumerian archwizard. Another useful aspect is that I can travel much greater distances than I could by apparating, plus there's no risk of splinching. Fading does have a major drawback, though. It's more complex than apparition, and it drains me much quicker. You probably noticed I was short of breath when we arrived." Daphne nodded quietly, fascinated by Harry's explanation.

"When I came back in time, which was about a month ago now, my older soul merged with that of my younger self," he continued.

"I theorised that our magical cores would merge as well, and they have to an extent, but for reasons I don't yet understand, they have not fully integrated. Until they do, fading will be more difficult. I used to be able to fade around five times in a row without resting, and now twice is my limit. I recover quickly, but that's one of the reasons I always pop around with Dobby, so I can bypass the wards without exhausting myself."

"Also, I haven't apparated in a long time," he added, sheepishly.

Daphne was amazed. She loved learning about obscure magics, and her head was practically spinning as she attempted to grasp the concepts of archaic apparition methods and soul time travel, of all things.

"You said that was only one reason you use Dobby to travel, what are the others?"

"For one, Dobby insists on sticking close to me so he can watch my back," he replied, and Daphne smirked. "Another is that he just seems to like doing it. Popping me around amuses him."

Daphne snorted and shook her head. "Alright, so now what? Everyone's going to want to know how you disappeared from the Great Hall, and I'm pretty sure there will be more questions if you go up and tell them you used a technique that no one else has heard of for millennia."

Harry thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "As far as options go, I could either obliviate the entire school, which is not really feasible, or we make up some story about accidental magic. Some people might go for story about a previously unknown bloodline ability, but I don't know. Either way, it's likely going to require some Compulsion Charms to get everyone to accept the story."

"Compulsion Charms?" she asked, with a hint of amusement. Many would consider that dark magic, borderline at best.

"Yes. Just so you know, after my resorting I did cast Compulsion Charms on the Slytherin table in the Great Hall and at the entrance to the common room, but you weren't affected by them. It was only to help me be more accepted at the beginning..." he confessed, as her eyes widened in shock.

He quickly added, "I stopped using them a couple of weeks ago, once I felt like I'd been accepted, and nothing changed at all. The Compulsions only worked to give me a fair chance, not to make people love me unconditionally."

Daphne's first instinct was to feel affronted, but she remained calm and considered his words carefully.

"And you're absolutely sure I wasn't affected by them?" she asked, with an intense look.

"I swear it. I keyed your magical signature into the charm, to act as an exception. You've been immune to any Compulsions I've cast since I've been here," he replied, which seemed to satisfy her. She wanted to believe him.

"Is that even possible?"

"Very," he replied. "You can ask Dobby if you'd like, you're his mistress and he'll tell you the truth if you order him to."

"What do you mean?" asked Daphne,

"We bonded in the future, and he still recognises your magic. That's one of the reasons why he calls you mistress." She nodded in understanding.

"What other reasons does he have?" she asked, pleased to finally be getting a real answer to that question.

"Mainly to encourage me to make a move on you," Harry admitted, and Daphne's cheeks turned slightly pink.

"Where is Dobby, by the way?" she asked, and Harry pointed to a shadow near Salazar's statue.

"I'm here, Mistress," he said, coming out of the shadows. He slowly shuffled towards her, his ears drooping slightly. As he came into the light, Daphne took in his sorrowful expression and couldn't help but feel some pity for the loyal elf.

"You two came from the future," she said flatly, and they both nodded. "Almost eighty years from now?" Harry nodded again and beckoned her to follow him into the living quarters. Neither said a word, and Daphne was wracking her brain trying to decide which questions to ask next.

"Dobby, could you please get us some tea?" Harry requested, ushering Daphne towards a comfortable looking chair.

"Chamomile or lemon?" the elf asked Daphne.

"Chamomile, please," she replied, smiling at how he had offered her two favourites. Dobby popped away, and Harry sat down in his chair across from Daphne. For a moment he just sat there looking at her, trying to decide where to start. With a sigh, he removed his glasses and placed them on the table between them.

"I corrected my eyesight a few days after coming back in time," he explained, noticing Daphne's curious expression. "I wear those glasses to avoid being questioned about it; the lenses themselves are fake." She silently raised one eyebrow and gave him an appraising look. She thought he looked fine with glasses, but concluded she preferred him without. Thinking back to how handsome he looked in the memory of their bonding just reinforced that opinion.

"Before we get started, you should know that the ritual I used to bring us back to the past didn't work perfectly. While we successfully travelled almost eighty years into the past – seventy-nine, to be exact – the original plan was to arrive just before I received my Hogwarts letter."

Daphne wasn't expecting that. "But why?" she asked.

"Several reasons. For one, I would've been able to cut ties with certain individuals before the connections even happened, like with the Weasleys and Granger. I would've allowed the Sorting Hat to place me into Slytherin right from the beginning, and most importantly, I would have been with you sooner," he admitted. She blushed and looked away, still not used to Harry saying things like that.

"Daphne, please look at me," he asked her, and she managed to pull her attention away from the velvet upholstery of her chair.

He looked at her with a soft expression and said, "There were many reasons for me to want to come back and change the past, but there was one that topped them all…and that was you." He sighed and shifted in his seat, bracing himself for her next question.

"But why? What happened to me?" she asked, as he knew she would.

"Do you remember what I told you when you asked me my greatest fear?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.

"To lose everything you love again," she quoted. Her eyes grew wide as she made the connection, which was confirmed by Harry's pained expression.

"I lost you, and I wasn't able to deal with it..." he admitted. "That's why I worked for years on designing a ritual that would bring me back, all so I could be with you again and prevent it all from happening."

Daphne shivered and wrapped her arms herself. Harry rose from his chair and moved to comfort her, but she held her hand up to stop him.

"Tell me more, please," she said, and he sat back down.

"If we're going to start from the very beginning, then first there's another deception that needs to be rectified," he said, and her eyebrows narrowed slightly.

"Which is?" she asked.

"By this time in my original past, I hadn't actually made as much use of the Chamber of Secrets as I've hinted this time around. What I told you about occasionally taking books for independent study and reading Slytherin's journals disguised as Quidditch magazines was true, but I didn't start to take full advantage of the Chamber until our fifth year, with your help," he explained, which seemed to surprise Daphne.

"At first, I just read through the materials from the Chamber in my free time, more out of curiosity than anything. However, at the end of our fourth year, something happened that finally gave me the motivation to be the best I could possibly be. I'll get to that in a moment, but before that, you should know that there's already been a significant change from my original timeline," he explained.

"Everything from our first three years at Hogwarts and the first few months of our fourth happened just as I told you. The difference begins with how I handled the first task of the tournament, and the aftermath."

"What did you do the first time?" she asked, very curious to hear how differently things might have gone. Harry looked slightly embarrassed as he started to recount the story for her.

"I summoned my Firebolt, then tried to lure the dragon away from her eggs by flying around it. The dragon was angry and broke free from its chains, just like this time. The difference was that I tried to fly away, and it chased me all through the grounds and actually collided with the Astronomy tower at one point. Fortunately, I managed to trick it into crashing into the rocks at full speed, and then I flew back to get the egg and finished the task. I think the dragon survived the crash, but I'm not positive."

Harry looked at Daphne, who seemed to be having difficulty believing what she heard.

"I can show you the memory, if you'd like."

"What could possibly possess you to do something that stupid?" Daphne hissed, almost rising to her feet.

"Believe it or not, it was a suggestion from Moody."

"That does somewhat explain it... Moody is a madman," she huffed, and sat back in her chair with her arms crossed. "What changed this time?"

"You mean besides another eighty years of experience, and already knowing what was going to happen in advance?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, and she was forced to concede the point. "I also have a much better sense of self-preservation."

"You could've fooled me," she mumbled, but loud enough for him to hear.

"Daphne, I was a Gryffindor, remember? Charge ahead?" he asked, with a smirk. "Besides, that's nothing compared to some of the really stupid things I did in the past. My past..."

"Oh, I so look forward to hearing about them," she said sarcastically.

"Yeah, I know you will," he said with a small chuckle, fondly remembering what it was like to be chewed out by an angry Daphne.

"So, after the task?" she asked.

"I forgave the Gryffindors and went back to their tower," replied Harry, and Daphne's just stared open-mouthed at him.

"No, I'm not joking. I wish I was, but I really was that stupid."

Daphne didn't bother commenting, as her expression spoke for itself.

"Time passed, and I ended somewhat reconciling with Weasley and Granger, even if our relationship would never be like it was before. I was once again hailed as hero by Gryffindor, and I made peace with Diggory and the rest of the duffers, mainly because I warned him about the dragons a couple of days before the task. I didn't do that this time." Daphne nodded.

"I didn't get a date to the Yule Ball until the very last minute, mostly because I was too scared to approach anyone until it was almost too late. I finally ended up going with Patil, the Gryffindor one, and it was a complete disaster," he told her, cringing at the memory. He saw Daphne glaring at him and added, "I assure you that won't be the case this time." She once again refrained from commenting and signaled for him to continue with the story.

"At the end of the night, Diggory came up to me and gave me a hint about the egg, as a thanks for warning him about the dragon. I used his hint, but I figured out the poem myself."

"So, you already knew how to solve the egg before we figured it out together... Why didn't you, then?" she asked, confused.

"I... I don't know. I just wanted your help, even if I didn't really need it. I wanted you to be a part of it, and I wanted you to test yourself, to see that look in your eye when you have a brilliant idea, like you always did...do." He tried to explain his reasoning, but the truth was that he really just wanted to share something with her.

Daphne have him a shy smile, before refocusing. "Fine, moving on..." she said, and Harry nodded. At that moment, Dobby popped in with a tray carrying a tea set for two, with biscuits.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Harry, as the elf served them before popping away. Daphne took a sip, and she was pleased to find that her tea was prepared exactly the way she liked it. She took another sip, and with a sigh, motioned for Harry to continue.

"I couldn't figure out how to breathe underwater, but Dobby saved the day and found some gillyweed for me. I had to save a person from the bottom of the lake…" he started, embarrassed by the rest of the story. "It was the pig, Weasley."

Daphne gaped at him for a few moments, and then burst out laughing. He didn't even try to stop her; he just sighed and rubbed his forehead. Once she finally calmed down, he was allowed to continue.

"According to Dumbledore, it was because he was my very first friend, and my supposed best friend," he explained, which struck at Daphne. He had told her about life with his horrible relatives, but he really never had a friend until Hogwarts?

"I ended up saving both him and Fleur Delacour's younger sister. Fleur didn't show up at the bottom, and I was afraid they would be taken away after an hour. In hindsight it was a little stupid of me to take the egg's riddle so seriously, but it definitely provided adequate motivation."

"There were a lot of weird occurrences between the second task and the end of the year. The strangest had to be Barty Crouch's disappearance from the Ministry, and his subsequent reappearance here at Hogwarts. One night he just stumbled out of the forest, sounding completely deranged and asking to see Dumbledore, only to disappear again before he even got a chance to see the old man."

Daphne frowned at that.

"What did it mean?" she asked, and he smirked at her knowingly.

"I'll tell you later on in the story."

She gave him an annoyed huff, but still nodded for him to continue.

"We made it to the end of June, and it was finally time for the third task. We still didn't know who put my name in the cup or what their plans were, but whatever it was, we knew this would be their last chance. They had turned the Quidditch pitch into a maze filled with obstacles and creatures. After the first two tasks I was tied with Diggory for first place, so we went in first..."

"Hold up... You were TIED with Diggory?" she asked.

He nodded, "I got good marks for my flying in the first task, and in the second task I was given extra points for displaying 'moral fibre', by being concerned about the safety of the other hostages."

Daphne snorted and asked, "And you didn't even consider trying to win it this time?"

"I could, but it really wasn't my intention. It's like Millie said, only the last task matters, and I do have a plan for that."

Harry continued, "Both Diggory and I made it to the centre of the maze at the same time. I didn't want to win, and he thought I should because I had just saved him from an acromantula. We ended up agreeing to make it a combined Hogwarts victory and grabbed the cup at the same time. And that's when everything went to hell." Daphne leaned forward in her chair.

"The cup was a portkey, and we were transported to an old graveyard. We walked around for a bit trying to figure out where we were, but I saw the name on one of the headstones and knew we had a huge problem."

"What name?" she asked.

"Riddle."

Daphne looked puzzled for a moment, but then it clicked, and her eyes grew wide as she gasped, "As in..."

"As in Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as our old friend Lord Voldemort. It was his muggle father's family graveyard," he explained, and Daphne shivered as if she had felt a sudden chill.

"Diggory was hit with a Killing Curse from the rat Peter Pettigrew. Remember everything I told you about last year?" he asked, and Daphne nodded. Harry waved his wand, and the Pensieve floated to the table and sat itself down next to the tea. Harry pulled a silvery strand of memory from his head and placed it into the basin and gestured to Daphne.

"What happened next is hard to explain. It would be better if you just saw the memory," he said. He extended his hand to her, and they both of them went into the Pensieve. Daphne gripped Harry's hand tightly as she watched. She saw the moment Diggory was hit with the curse, and Harry getting stunned. She was horrified by Voldemort's resurrection ritual. It took all her strength not to look away, but she told herself that if Harry had to live through it, the least she could do was bear witness. She watched as the Dark Lord taunted Harry, and she shook her head as the so-called champion of purebloods admitted to having a muggle father. She fought back tears as she watched Harry being tortured under the Cruciatus Curse, and was enraged by the sight of the Death Eaters jeering while Voldemort toyed with him as they dueled.

Even through all that, Harry didn't back down for a minute. She so proud and in awe of him, a fourteen-year-old boy standing against the most feared Dark Lord of the century. Next came the Priori Incantatem, which Harry explained to her, and the appearance of the echoes of Voldemort's victims, most notably Harry's parents. She was astounded by the sight of the echoes attacking Voldemort, giving Harry time to escape with Diggory's body using the same portkey that brought them there. Finally, Daphne saw Harry collapse onto the Hogwarts grounds and declare that Voldemort was back. The memory ended on that bleak note, and they both exited the Pensieve.

Daphne was shivering, and seemed to be in a state of shock. She grabbed Harry and hugged him for all he was worth, her tears finally escaping. He held her tightly and rubbed her back until she finally calmed down and relaxed her hold on him.

"You were amazing," she mumbled into his chest, and he chuckled.

"I was terrified," he admitted, "but I've learned that to truly be brave, one has to be scared, but still move forward. It's overcoming your fear that makes you brave." Daphne pulled back and looked up at him; she'd never felt more respect for him than she did at that moment.

"What happened then?" she asked, and his eyes grew darker.

"Moody took me away and admitted that he wasn't Moody at all. It turned out he was a polyjuiced Death Eater called Barty Crouch Jr. the whole time. He was the one who put my name in the cup, under Voldemort's orders, and had been the one responsible for his father going mad and disappearing. And yes, all year we have been learning DADA from Crouch Jr., convicted Death Eater and Azkaban escapee, all thanks to his father, Crouch Sr." Daphne gasped, and mumbled something incoherent.

"Don't worry, he's been neutralised, in a manner of speaking," Harry reassured her, yet she was confused by the statement. "I cast a spell on him that works similar to the Imperius Curse. He's unable to resist me, and better yet, he doesn't even know he's under my spell, since I obliviated that knowledge from his mind."

Daphne was taken aback by Harry's admission that he had cast an Unforgivable-type spell without a care.

"I've given him specific orders to continue Voldemort's plan as if nothing happened, not to hurt you under any circumstances, and to suggest a dueling club for next term," Harry explained. "He's also to feed the real Mad-Eye Moody, who he keeps imprisoned in his own trunk for Polyjuice ingredients, and make sure he's kept alive and stable." Daphne collapsed back into her seat and just looked up at Harry, completely awestruck. She also found it sweet that he thought of protecting her like that.

"Anyway, Dumbledore captured him and questioned him, but before he could be turned over to the Aurors, Fudge came in with a dementor, which immediately kissed him." Daphne gasped.

"My godfather could have become a free man that night, and the Ministry would have had evidence of Voldemort's return, but neither of those happened because of that incompetent asshole."

"I see you're not too fond of Fudge," replied Daphne, and Harry snorted.

"Remind me later to tell you about all my interactions with him after that night." She nodded, and he continued, "So, to sum up: I won the tournament, Voldemort returned, Diggory was killed by Pettigrew, I managed to survive and come back to Hogwarts, everyone ignored my warnings, and fourth year ended."

Daphne grimaced. "That's what we can expect this year?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"I've already taken steps to make sure I finish 'his lordship' as soon as possible," Harry replied coldly. "I'll explain it all to you later on, but rest assured, I won't allow this story to repeat itself." Daphne couldn't help but trust Harry. Why wouldn't she?

"Dumbledore sent me back to my oh-so-loving muggle relatives' for the summer and put me into lockdown, with no communication from anyone."

"What? Why?" asked Daphne, not understanding.

"Well, Dumbledore revived a group that he'd formed to fight Voldemort the first time around, called The Order of the Phoenix, and those idiots decided I'd be better protected if I was kept in isolation. That all changed after I was attacked by two dementors in the middle of the street, while their lookout was either asleep or out conducting shady business."

Daphne paled at his words.

"Dementors? In a muggle neighbourhood?" she asked, and he nodded.

"They almost kissed my cousin and me. I chased them away with my Patronus Charm, but alas, I was expelled from Hogwarts for performing underage magic and violating the Statute of Secrecy." Daphne's eyes became as big as saucers. "It didn't help that the Minister was out for my blood. He actually used the Daily Prophet to launch a smear campaign against me and Dumbledore, just for saying Voldemort was back."

Daphne thought the whole thing sounded crazy. "You were really expelled?" she asked, and he nodded gravely.

"They tried, at least. The letter informing me of my expulsion arrived almost immediately. Shortly thereafter, I received two more letters, one from Dumbledore telling me not to give anyone my wand, and a second notice from the Ministry rescinding the previous one and summoning me to a trial for underage magic. That night, I was collected from the Dursleys by the Order of Phoenix and taken to their headquarters, which happened to be my godfather's ancestral home. Wouldn't you know it, both my godfather and my uncle were there, along with Granger and all the Weasleys. They were all there together, under orders not to contact me for any reason because it was, and I quote, 'very dangerous.'"

Daphne put on a scandalised look. "Dangerous? It's owl post, what was the danger?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that I was angry with them, and there was a lot of shouting. I was a really broody teenager, I can tell you that much. I can't wait..." he said sarcastically, and she smirked at him.

"Anyways, I stood trial for underage magic before the entire Wizengamot, and Dumbledore stepped in and intervened in my favour. If he hadn't, I'm sure I'd at least have been expelled."

"The whole Wizengamot?" she asked, surprised, and Harry nodded. "Well, that's a new one, for a simple case of underage magic..."

"What can I say? It was all Fudge. He even managed to change the time at the last minute so I'd be late, in hopes of discrediting and condemning me."

Daphne huffed, crossing her arms. She always knew the man was an idiot.

"Moving on, we came back to Hogwarts for our fifth year, OWL year. Want to take a guess at the type of DADA teacher they gave us?" he dared her with a grin, making Daphne sigh.

"Useless?" she asked, and he grinned.

"Ten points to Slytherin," he replied. "Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, appointed to her position by Ministerial decree." Daphne tried to associate the name with a face but was unsuccessful, so she gave an inquisitive look at Harry. "She looks like a toad and is always wearing pink, she spends all day with her head stuck up dear Cornelius's arse, and she's an extreme bigot against pretty much everything non-pureblood," he clarified.

Harry's sneer told Daphne more about his opinion of the woman than his words did.

"The woman was a joke. She had us reading a book by a guy named Slinkhard, which didn't include anything about using magic. According to her, there was no need to actually teach spells to students, since they would never be in danger because the Ministry protected them.

"What a load of dragon dung," Daphne scoffed, and Harry agreed.

"I was rather outspoken about my disagreement, and I was assigned several detentions with her...writing lines with a blood quill."

"But that's illegal!" shouted an outraged Daphne. "Tell me you told someone!"

"Oh, everyone knew. Her detentions were the same for everyone except the Slytherins, and especially the muggleborns. We were told not to say anything to anyone, or else it would be far worse. I did tell McGonagall, but the bint just told me to keep my head down and promised she would speak to Dumbledore. I never even had the chance to speak to the old man about it, because the bastard had been avoiding me since the summer."

Daphne furrowed her eyebrows.

"Why?" she asked with a sigh. She seemed to be saying that a lot.

"He believed that there was a mental connection between Voldemort and me, and he thought the link would be strengthened now that he had a body back, especially since he used my blood for the resurrection ritual," Harry explained, and Daphne raised a curious eyebrow. "In order to protect myself from the link, he decided I should learn Occlumency."

"Occlumency is always a good skill to have, Harry," Daphne replied, crossing her arms.

Harry smirked. "True, but you try learning it from Snape and then we'll talk," he replied, mimicking her posture. She again raised her eyebrow.

"Not a pleasant experience, I take it?" she asked, and he snorted.

"My lessons basically involved him yelling at me to clear my mind and a barrage of Legilimency attacks. His excuse was that in a real attack I wouldn't be given time to prepare myself." Daphne was appalled. "I do concede that he was right about that last part, at least. He gave me a book to read, but he refused to answer my questions and just told me to do my research."

"How long did you take those lessons?" she asked.

"Two or three times a week for nearly two months. He ended the classes after deeming me a lost cause, but that was mainly because I saw a memory of his from his school years."

"I'm guessing he didn't like that."

"Not one bit. Lucky for me, by then I had a much better teacher," he replied with a knowing look.

"Who?"

"Who else? You, of course," he replied with a grin, shocking her.

"Me?" she asked, and he let out a small chuckle.

"To tell that story, we have to go back to the first month of classes, which was way before I even started my Occlumency lessons," he explained with a fond smile. "You have to understand that despite going to school with me for four years, many people bought into the Ministry's character-bashing portrayal of me, and some actually believed that I was the one who murdered Diggory. Ever since he'd returned, Voldemort had been laying low, and his revival was kept a secret from everyone except those he sent his agents to recruit. Once again, I was a pariah, called a loony and a murderer within the halls of this school." All Daphne could do was shake her head in disbelief.

"I spent a lot of time by myself that year to avoid all the stares and whispers. You approached me one evening when I was alone in the library, which you couldn't have done if I was still surrounded by other people. You didn't say anything to me that night, you just passed me a note asking me to meet you in an abandoned classroom, and also reassuring me that it wasn't a trap. Naturally, I was suspicious and took a Slytherin approach to your invitation."

"Meaning?" asked Daphne, surprised that she would've been so bold to approach him like that.

"I have an Invisibility Cloak, an heirloom from the Potter family. I followed you to our meeting and entered the room behind you, without you knowing. I stood there silently and observed you for nearly half an hour, trying to decipher your motives." Daphne was surprised, and little impressed by his subtlety.

"After about thirty minutes I could tell you didn't believe I would turn up, and by then I was sure you weren't trying to lure me into a trap. That was when I chose to reveal myself to you."

"Impressive...very well done," she whispered.

"Yes, you said the same thing at the time," Harry recalled with a smile.

"What did I want with you?" she asked.

"You told me that you believed me, and that you knew I was right about Voldemort's return. You must've overheard something in the Slytherin common room. You asked me for help with DADA and dueling," he explained, and Daphne acknowledged that was something she could see herself doing. "I wasn't sure about it at first, but then you started trying to negotiate. You offered to be my spy in Slytherin, pay me in gold, or even repay me with rare books and knowledge."

"Which did you take?" she asked, wincing slightly.

"Nothing."

She wasn't expecting that. Her lips parted as if she wanted to ask 'why', but Harry stopped her by holding up his hand.

"You were desperate, that much I could tell just from our conversation. We agreed to work together on DADA, and even though you didn't have to, you still gave me insight into what was happening in Slytherin and taught me about the Wizarding World and its customs. It was you who originally told me about me being the Lord Potter, which would have saved me a lot of trouble, had somebody thought to tell me earlier."

Daphne was fascinated by the story. Hearing about things you'd done in the future and trying to envision the circumstances behind them was quite an unusual experience.

"Initially we agreed to meet twice a week in abandoned classrooms, but then I got involved in some things that cut into our time, namely the DA in October and my Occlumency lessons later on."

"DA?" she asked, not recognizing the term.

Harry chuckled.

"The DA was the Defence Association, also known as Dumbledore's Army." Daphne raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the name. "I know it's a dumb name, but at the time, the Minister was convinced that Dumbledore was building an army of school kids to overthrow the Ministry, so we decided to stick it to the them with the name."

Daphne snorted at Harry's explanation, which made him grin in return. "It was basically a study group for dorks, duffers, and 'claws. Slytherins weren't invited because most were on the Ministry's side."

Daphne huffed, "Naturally."

Harry decided to ignore the comment.

"The idea came from Granger, who wanted to make a study group to fill the gap left by Umbridge's abominable teaching. She recruited the members and basically put me in charge of doing the actual teaching."

"And you agreed to it?" she asked, and he simply shrugged.

"It was fun," he replied. "Besides, I managed to arrange things so that I had time for you, Quidditch, Occlumency, and the DA. You were always my best student, though," he said with a proud smile, making her blush. "I would usually try something with you first, and then take it to the DA."

"How good was I?" she asked, and he just smiled.

"By the end of the year, you were almost as good as me," he explained with a smile. "You managed an Outstanding in your OWL, only because you decided to keep your Patronus a secret in case it made people suspicious."

"What do you mean I got an Outstanding because I kept it secret?" she asked, curious.

"You could have gotten an Outstanding, plus extra credit. You didn't, but I did, and I scored the highest DADA grade in years." Daphne nodded her understanding, then sat back with a contemplative look.

"What was my Patronus?" she asked after a moment.

"A fox," he replied, and saw her look of surprise.

"Why a fox?" she asked, mostly to herself. Harry closed his eyes as if trying to remember something, then added, "Foxes are a symbol for patience, wisdom, intelligence, adaptability, femininity, illusion, magic... In other words, you," he concluded, opening his eyes and seeing her blush. "It's only the truth."

She mumbled something under her breath, but Dobby popped into the room before he could ask her to repeat it.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he said, "but I have been monitoring the reactions to your disappearance from the Great Hall, and I thought you should know that the students have all left for their common rooms. Snape has initiated a house assembly in Slytherin, with the intention of trying to find out where you two are. The rest of the staff is actually searching the castle as we speak."

Harry sighed and replied, "I was so worried about Daphne that I didn't even think about how the others would react," then turned to face the girl in question. "I suppose we should make an appearance to calm everyone down. What do you say?"

"I guess," she replied, looking at him. "The story isn't finished, though."

"Not by a long shot," he replied, his solemn tone making her shiver slightly. "There's still so much you need to hear. It's up to you; we either can continue tonight after everyone goes to sleep, or we can come back tomorrow morning."

"Tonight," she replied eagerly, making him smile.

"Tonight, then, as soon as we are able. You can call for Dobby to bring you here whenever you're ready. I'll be here waiting for you." She nodded, and he extended his hand to help her up from her seat.

"I have to say, you are taking all this much better than I ever could've expected," he said, flashing her a smile.

"It's true that most of it is hard to believe, but I want to trust you. As unbelievable as it all sounds, actually seeing the memories makes it hard to doubt you," she said, before looking down at the ground, thinking. "I suppose you could have planted them, but then you would've needed to know how to forge memories..." she mumbled, but then he gently raised her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes.

"I am telling you the truth, Daphne," he replied, with as much sincerity as he could muster, "but your doubts are understandable. I can swear an oath if it helps, or even order Veritaserum, if you'd like."

She searched his emerald eyes and felt reassured by what saw there. Perhaps he was skilled enough to deceive her, but she didn't think he was. She decided to let go of her doubt and trust her feelings.

"I believe you," she whispered, and he smiled again, then surprised her by leaning down and kissing her softly.

"Thank you," he said earnestly. "Now, what should we tell everybody?" he asked, picking up his glasses and putting them back on. "After what happened, we'll need a pretty convincing story or else it could get messy."

"Me?" she asked, surprised. "You're the one who's been..." She paused to consider her words, "…misleading everyone." He chuckled.

"How about we go with accidental magic? Maybe we could say I willed us to be somewhere safe to speak, and it just sort of happened? he proposed, and she sniffed doubtfully.

"Do you really think anyone will believe that?" she asked. "Besides, you did it twice, which suggests it wasn't really accidental."

"Would you rather tell them the truth?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She sighed. Maybe he should just obliviate everyone.

"Fine, you were emotional, and somehow you did it the first time without even noticing. Then you grabbed me while wishing for us to be somewhere safe to speak. Where?" she asked.

Harry waved around, "This is the safest place in the castle, I'd wager."

"Fine, let's go, then," she replied, but Harry held her up for a moment.

"Wait, there's one more thing. How good is your Occlumency?" he asked.

"Decent enough," she explained, crossing her arms. "I can hold off my father's attacks."

"What about Snape's or the Headmaster's?" he asked, and she suddenly understood why he was asking her.

"Good point," she mumbled. "I have never felt anything around Snape or Dumbledore, so I'm not sure."

"How confident are you in your abilities?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, but her hesitance to answer told him everything he needed to know. "Would you allow me to cast a spell to protect your memories of this conversation?"

"What kind of spell?" she asked tentatively.

"The spell will act as an Occlumency barrier. I would add a guardian to your mind, so to speak."

"What kind of guardian?" she asked again.

"It would be the same as the guardian I use in my own mind. The difference is that it would be powered by my magic, so it will eventually fade unless you integrate it into your own Occlumency defences."

"And that guardian would be?" she asked, sounding a little anxious.

"Bael," he replied simply, and she gave him an impatient look and motioned for him to explain.

"Remember Zael?" She nodded - as if she could ever forget the giant snake materialising in their common room and attacking Malfoy.

"Bael is the basilisk I keep in my mind to act as my primary Occlumency defence."

Daphne was stunned, and for a few moments she couldn't come up with a reply, but eventually snapped out of it and asked him to confirm, "You have a basilisk as your mind defence?"

"Yes, and if you consent, I can add one to your mind too. It will automatically fight back against any Legilimency attacks, you don't have to do anything special." Harry noticed she was still finding it hard to believe.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you one thing – they're not actually snakes," he explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Really?" she replied sarcastically. "Well, they sure look like it."

"That's not… yes, they are snakes, but they're not really snakes. They are golems crafted to resemble snakes. I issue them commands in Parseltongue, and they do my bidding as if they were real," Harry explained.

"Golems?" she asked, and he nodded. Daphne shook her head at the way Harry nonchalantly described having done something that would be inconceivable for most people, and she wondered if this was what her life would always be like, with him in it.

"Do I have your permission to add Bael to your mind?" he asked again, and she agreed even though she had more questions.

"Close your eyes and focus on your mindscape," he instructed.

She did as he asked, and she soon saw herself in a familiar grassy field. She felt the touch of foreign magic, but didn't try to fight it, and shortly thereafter a huge shape began to take form in the field. The shadowy form solidified and became a huge basilisk, similar in size to the skeleton currently lying in the Chamber. The basilisk let out a long, slow hiss and coiled itself, then remained still. Daphne was brought back from her mindscape, slightly dazed by the experience.

"That's Bael, or at least one of them," Harry explained, somewhat unnecessarily, while examining her closely to make sure she was alright.

"Will it work?" she asked.

"Do you remember that Potions class after the first task, when Snape flipped out?" She nodded. "That was when he was first introduced to Bael. I'd say it's pretty damn efficient."

"That explains a lot," she chuckled, and he smiled back at her.

"What now?" she asked. Harry held her hand and gestured for her to grab Dobby's.

"Take us to just outside the common room. We don't want to startle people by popping into the middle of the common room and end up getting cursed," Harry replied, then Dobby nodded and immediately popped them away.

They appeared in the corridor next to the common room entrance, and Dobby popped away again. Harry turned to Daphne and asked, "Are you ready?"

She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "No," she admitted, sounding a little apprehensive. Then she looked at over at him, and somehow, she felt more confident. "But for some reason, I feel safe with you." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad," he said. They walked up to the entrance, and Harry opened the door with a hiss. The entrance slid open, and they were greeted by the sight of the entire house staring at them, including Professor Snape.

"POTTER! Where the hell have you two been?" hissed Snape, silencing the room.

"I really don't know how to explain it, sir. Daphne was upset with me, and I freaked out, then next thing I know I was holding on to her. I remember wishing for a safe place where we could talk, and suddenly we were in the Chamber of Secrets."

Daphne was impressed by the ease at which he told the lie. She glanced around at her housemates and saw that most of them seemed amazed, while others looked sceptical.

Snape glared at him suspiciously, but Harry continued, "Daphne and I were talking, and we think it must've been accidental magic, or maybe even some dormant bloodline ability I didn't know I had." Snape sneered at the explanation and fixed his gaze on Harry, who didn't shy away and stared right back. A moment later, Snape stumbled and almost tripped over his feet, his face now even paler than usual.

"If you are done with your Legilimency attack now, let me warn you that next time you try that I won't prevent Bael from catching hold of you... I wonder what would happen then?" Harry said in menacing, yet curious tone.

Some of the older Slytherins looked appalled at Harry's accusation, while others looked confused.

"Daphne, are you alright?" asked Tracey, stepping forward and diverting everyone's attention to her.

"I'm fine," she replied, putting on a reassuring smile and imperceptibly squeezing Harry's hand.

"Be that as it may, you will accompany me to the hospital wing and we will make sure of it," replied Professor Snape. "We don't know what Potter may have done to you, considering you were so angry before, and now you seem to be...fine with him."

"Are you accusing me of something, Professor?" hissed Harry, throwing caution through the wind.

"Be careful with what you say, you arrogant boy," replied Snape with a sneer.

Before Harry could reply, Daphne spoke up. "Professor, what happened during dinner was my fault," she said, and once again the entire house was looking at her. "I saw one of Harry's memories without his permission, and out of context. I misinterpreted what I saw and reacted badly, which is what led to this whole mess. Harry has already explained everything to me, and I admitted I was wrong, which is why I'm no longer upset. I apologised to him for my mistake, and he forgave me," she said, before adding "I think," to herself.

"You saw one of his memories?" asked Snape, raising an eyebrow.

"I have a Pensieve in the Chamber," Harry replied dryly. He didn't like Snape's tone. "And I forgot to remove a memory when I was done using it. Is that so hard to believe?"

Professor Snape glared at Harry but refrained from making further comments.

"I don't believe your accidental magic story, Potter. Detention, tomorrow at nine." Harry scowled but only nodded. "You are to meet with the headmaster, right now. Greengrass, you're going to the hospital wing with me for a check-up," ordered Snape, as he walked towards her.

"Harry comes with me," she said, moving closer to him. She could see most of other Slytherins gaping at her, but noticed a few others were smirking. True to form, Snape just sneered.

"He will not. You will come with me, and he will go to the headmaster," answered Snape.

"The headmaster can meet us at the hospital wing," replied Harry, in a somewhat defiant tone.

"Fine, start moving," Snape replied, his sneer still firmly in place, and the two teens turned and started walking, leaving their surprised housemates behind.

"I do believe my bet was that they would start dating on this Hogsmeade weekend?" said Brian Carrick, who turned to Amelia Yaxley with a grin.

Yaxley scowled and said, "You don't know for sure."

"Fine, we'll wait until they're back to be sure," Carrick said with a chuckle, and sat back in his chair next to Alistair Pince and Eliza Culberth. The three nodded at one another, seemingly agreeing to something.

~BREAK~

Harry and Daphne were following their head of house, who had passed in front of them after leaving the common room.

"How did it go with Krum?" Daphne asked, remembering they hadn't talked about it yet.

"It was fun," Harry replied with a smirk. "He's a good duelist, and he actually gave me a couple of ideas for our training." Harry noticed a subtle shift in Snape's posture, indicating that he was listening to their conversation.

"Such as?" asked Daphne, looking at Harry.

"Physical training. Mostly working on dodging spells," he explained, and Daphne just looked at him.

"What are you suggesting, we just start casting spells at each other..." she started, and he chuckled.

"More or less," he said. "We could use Colour Charms, they're harmless and easy to undo. We could set it so that whoever's covered in the most paint by the end of the session loses." He heard Snape snort. "You don't approve, Professor?"

"The concept is good, but the execution leaves something to be desired," he replied without turning back. In truth, he found the idea amusing, but wasn't about to tell Potter that.

"What would you suggest, then?" Harry asked.

"Instead of Colour Charms, I would recommend something that would better motivate you to avoid the spells," he replied flatly.

"Stinging Hexes?" proposed Daphne.

"Five points to Slytherin for the astute suggestion," Snape replied, still not looking at them. "What is this about you meeting with Krum, Potter?" asked Snape, turning back slightly so that he could see him out of the corner of his eye.

"Krum invited me to train together this morning. We had a practice duel right before dinner."

"Your thoughts?" asked Snape.

"He's a capable duelist," replied Harry.

"I see," Snape replied evenly, before following up with another question. "And what about your preparations for the second task?"

"I've solved the clue from the egg, and I know how to complete the task," he replied. Professor Snape turned back at him with an eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Already?" he asked, looking at the boy.

"I had help," Harry said, smiling at Daphne, who blushed slightly.

"I'm glad to see that someone is making sure you don't make a fool of Slytherin house, Potter," derided Snape. "Five points for helping to solve the egg, Ms. Greengrass."

They walked in silence until they reached the hospital wing. As they entered, they were met by an agitated Madam Pomfrey.

"YOU! What have you done this time?" she asked, noticing Harry. The teen winced, and Daphne actually smirked at the interaction.

"Poppy, I request that you perform a check up on Ms. Greengrass. I want to make sure that nothing…untoward has happened," asked Professor Snape, before briefly leaving the room to summon the headmaster with a Patronus. Madam Pomfrey nodded and waved at Daphne to follow her. She did, and she pulled Harry along with her by the hand.

"You can let go of him, dear," the healer said, believing she was frightened. "I won't hurt you."

Daphne looked at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" she responded, thinking fast. "I'm just making sure this idiot doesn't do anything stupid."

"Hey!" he said indignantly, then pouted while Poppy laughed. He would swear he even saw a smirk momentarily appear on Snape's face, who had just re-entered the room.

Madam Pomfrey waved her wand over Daphne a few times and confirmed that the young girl was perfectly fine, and not under the influence of any spells or potions. Next, she confirmed the same was true for Harry, although she was curious about some of the readings she got from her spell.

"You seem to be in better shape than you were the day of the first task, Mr. Potter," said the healer, obvious curiosity in her voice. "What have you been doing?"

"Eating well and sleeping better," Harry replied, crossing his arms.

"Hmph... They are both fine, Severus," the matron replied.

"I see," he said, impassively.

"Try not to sound so disappointed, Professor," said Harry, receiving an elbow from Daphne for his cheek.

"Believe me, Potter, as much as it pains me to say it, as a member of my house, your well-being is a matter of my concern," Snape replied in a bored tone.

"Very well," replied Harry, looking at the entrance. "Should we go and meet the headmaster, or should we wait here?"

"We can wait. Sit down and do what Ms. Greengrass tells you," the older man replied, enjoying the opportunity to needle the boy, who simply nodded and sat down as directed.

After taking one last critical look at the pair, Snape stepped outside the infirmary to await the headmaster and Madam Pomfrey left them to go about conducting her other tasks. Daphne was curiously observing Madam Pomfrey examine a girl with a broken arm, possibly the result of a classroom accident. She felt Harry nudge her in the shoulder, and she turned to see him giving her a meaningful look. He jerked his head towards Madam Pomfrey and her patient, encouraging her to go to them.

This took Daphne by surprise. She was curious about healer's work and had been considering it as a future career. Apparently, Harry already knew this about her and decided to make sure she took advantage of the opportunity.

Emboldened by Harry's encouragement, Daphne walked over to Madam Pomfrey and watched her work. The matron was intrigued by Daphne's surprisingly specific questions, which prompted her to reveal that her mother had worked as a healer before getting married. Even though she had given up practicing, she still subscribed to an ICW endorsed healer's magazine, which Daphne often read during the holidays.

"Yes, I think I remember her…Persephone Wilkins, correct?" Daphne nodded, and Madam Pomfrey started to explain that the girl, a fifth year Ravenclaw, had accidentally shattered her bone while practicing the Bone Breaker Curse.

"Since it's shattered, that means you had to vanish the bone and give her Skele-Gro, correct?" Daphne asked, and Poppy nodded, seemingly pleased with the girl's analysis. The two continued their discussion on healing until Dumbledore arrived, followed by McGonagall, Snape, and Moody.

"Mr. Potter," called Dumbledore from the doorway, drawing attention to himself and irritating Poppy in the process.

"Headmaster, this is a hospital wing and I demand quiet!" Poppy rebuked. Harry, who had laid down in his usual bed, snickered at the interaction and noticed the annoyed look on Daphne's face. She looked like she had been enjoying herself and wasn't keen to be interrupted.

"You are correct, of course, my dear Poppy," said Dumbledore apologetically, turning to focus his gaze on Daphne. "Ms. Greengrass, Mr. Potter, I would like the two of you to explain what happened a while ago in the Great Hall."

Harry sat up in the bed and turned so that his legs were hanging off the side. "We talked about it, sir, and concluded that it must have been some kind of accidental magic," he said. "Either that, or some latent ability that I wasn't aware of." Harry was unsurprised to see the sceptical looks on their faces.

"Mr. Potter, you managed to apparate inside of Hogwarts, not once, but twice! That should be impossible for anyone, even the headmaster, and you are saying that it was purely accidental?" asked McGonagall, clearly baffled by the explanation. Harry shrugged.

"I actually didn't even notice it the first time. I just knew I needed talk to Daphne, and all of a sudden, I was in front of her. I reached out to her so I could beg her to listen to me, and I remember wishing to be someplace quiet and safe, and then...we were in the Chamber of Secrets." Daphne never took her eyes off Harry while he was telling the story. She observed how his fingers twitched slightly, and at once his voice sounded more commanding. As Harry finished speaking, Dumbledore looked slightly confused at first, before his expression changed to something Daphne could best describe as suspicious, with a hint of amusement.

"Considering what happened, I feel the need to ask why Ms. Greengrass was so angry with you, and why she seems so much calmer now?"

"As I told Professor Snape," Daphne said, "I saw one of Harry's memories, without his permission and out of context, and I misinterpreted it. I reacted badly, but Harry explained everything while we were in the Chamber. Once we realised how everyone must've reacted to our disappearance, Dobby took us back to our common room, and then Professor Snape made us come here."

"I see," mumbled Dumbledore. "And what was the memory about?"

"None of your business," snapped Harry, surprising the professors with his bitter tone.

"Mr. Potter, you shall respect the headmaster," McGonagall replied, with a huff.

"The memory is personal, and I don't want to share it with either of you," Harry replied, ignoring McGonagall's outburst.

"But Harry, you shared it with Ms. Greengrass, and if it is important, I believe that..."

"What I decide to share with my girlfriend is between me and her, and no one else," Harry replied coldly. Everyone in the room's eyebrows shot up at the revelation, including both the adults and the hospitalised students.

"Girlfriend?" McGonagall spluttered, turning to Daphne, who blushed. "How? When?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Again, none of your business," he replied, before turning and looking curiously at Daphne. "I mean, unless you decided to..." She understood what he meant and shook her head with an embarrassed smile, making him grin.

"Ah, young love," replied Dumbledore in a grandfatherly tone, with a slight grin of his own. "Very well, you may go. I understand it was an emotional moment for you, and that may have been used to fuel some magic... I would, however, like to know more about that amazing apparition method, Mr. Potter, as well as attempt to recreate it. If you would be so kind, would you be available tomorrow after dinner to discuss it in more detail?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I have detention with Professor Snape at nine because of what happened today."

Dumbledore turned to Snape. "I believe Professor Snape won't mind reassigning your detention to be with me," the older man replied, peering at the man over his half-moon spectacles. Snape gave the headmaster a stiff nod. "Very well then, tomorrow at nine o'clock, in my office. The password is Kit-Kat."

Harry snickered at the password, causing the others to look strangely at both him and the headmaster, Daphne included. McGonagall just rolled her eyes.

"Ah, I see you are familiar with this particular delicacy?" Dumbledore asked amusedly.

"Of course, sir, though I prefer Crunch bars, myself," replied Harry, and another student yelled out their agreement from the back of the room. Dumbledore chuckled.

"Very well, I do believe that will be all for tonight. Now, off you two go, back to your common room, and do try not to stop off in any cupboards along the way."

McGonagall frowned disapprovingly at the headmaster's bad joke, but both Snape and Daphne saw Harry flinch sightly, before his expression changed to a cold smirk.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Headmaster, I've spent too much time in a cupboard as it is. Ten years, in fact," he said, making the headmaster and McGonagall wince. Without saying another word, Harry extended his hand to Daphne, which she gladly took, though she was still reflecting on what he had said about the cupboard.

"We need to talk more about your relatives," she mumbled, and he sighed with a nod.

"Oh, Ms. Greengrass, should you be interested you can come back any time," Madam Pomfrey informed her. "Or if you'd rather, you can approach Ms. Ursula Corwin, a seventh year in our house. She would also be able to discuss healing with you, if you'd like. Besides, if you're going to spend time with that trouble-magnet, then I'll want to conscript you to help keep him in one piece."

Daphne blushed, and pointedly ignored the smirk on Madam Pomfrey's face. Once Harry and Daphne left, an amused Madam Pomfrey returned to her work, and Dumbledore erected a privacy ward around the four teachers.

"The brat is lying," said Snape, and Dumbledore nodded.

"I believe it too, Severus," he said. "In fact, had it not been for his magical oath, I wouldn't believe that young man is Harry Potter at all. Besides, the way he held Ms. Greengrass before disappearing from the Great Hall indicated it wasn't accidental at all."

"But what will we do, Albus?" asked a shocked McGonagall.

"We keep watching, for now. I worried that Mr. Potter may have started down the Dark path, but now I'm not so sure," the headmaster confessed.

~BREAK~

Daphne had already wanted to curse the Dursleys, after everything Harry had told her about them during their picnic. She had also picked up on a couple of things he hadn't specifically told her, like how he apparently wasn't permitted to have friends. Learning that he was forced to live in a cupboard for ten years was the final straw. Between that, the malnourishment, and all the physical and psychological torture he endured at their hands, Daphne wanted nothing less than to kill Harry's so-called relatives. As far as she knew, most Death Eaters weren't even that monstrous.

"How did it all affect you... You know, before?" she asked, hoping he would get the reference to his former life without having to say more. The walls did have ears, after all.

"It made me malleable. I always tried to please everyone, and it gave me sort of a white knight complex," Harry admitted, and Daphne squeezed his hand and tried to control her anger.

They walked in silence for a while, until Harry chuckled for no apparent reason.

"I missed Dumbledore's passwords," he admitted with a grin. "Muggle sweets, classic."

"What is a Kit-Kat?" asked Daphne and Harry chuckled.

"A chocolate bar with a sort of wafer inside. It's quite good," he explained, seeing her frown.

"And a Crunch bar?"

"A chocolate tablet with crisped rice mixed with in the chocolate." He decided to get her one of each the next morning.

They arrived at their common room, and Harry again opened the door using Parseltongue. Daphne figured it must be nice not to have to remember the passwords. As they walked through the door, they realised that the entire house was present. Each was minding their own business, but still they were all gathered in the common room, apparently waiting for the two fourth years.

"Ah, you return, at last," announced Brian Carrick, who was sitting with Alistair Pince and Eliza Culberth. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look towards the pair. "Now, first things first, are you two dating or not?"

"How's that important?" asked Daphne, crossing her arms.

"It matters because the answer may grant me a significant tally," the seventh year replied with a smirk, leaning back in his chair. Brian Carrick was a tall, lean, seventh year boy with brown hair and sharp features. He was the enforcer for Slytherin house, being responsible for executing punishments and decisions enacted by the house. He was also one of two designated advisors for the prefects and younger students. Brian's responsibilities differed from Alistair Pince's, who was the intrahouse arbiter, and was responsible for resolving conflicts inside Slytherin and bringing issues forward when needed.

Between the two older boys sat a nice-looking girl with dark hair, who was watching the exchange between her boyfriend and the two fourth years. Eliza Culberth was tall and carried herself with an almost regal air. She was the diplomat - the link between Slytherin and the outside. She was responsible for gathering information within and without Hogwarts, both to protect and advocate for their house, and to help guide their decisions. She was also the other designated advisor, and she loved to remind her boyfriend that the firsties always favoured her. Individually, they each were examples of a quintessential Slytherin. Together, they were the Slytherin Triumvirate, the official leaders of the house, and all Slytherins were subject to their authority.

Malfoy aspired to a position in the Triumvirate, but there were some things money couldn't buy - unlike a position on the Quidditch team. According to the Millie, there were rumours that they were now interested in Harry.

Daphne sighed, but Harry seemed to find it amusing.

"What's in it for us, if we were to share such valuable information?" Harry asked, and Daphne smirked.

Alistair chuckled and Brian rolled his eyes, but it was Eliza who spoke. "I do appreciate the Slytherin-like reply, but if you're going to be that evasive with a simple question like that, I can only imagine how you'll respond to our other questions," she said.

Harry's posture became somewhat defiant, and he and Eliza continued to stare at each other as Alistair took over the explanation.

"We've called a house assembly, and we want to know exactly what happened two years ago when you allegedly went into the Chamber of Secrets." Harry's head snapped to the fourth years with an angry look, assuming they had said something. However, they had all paled and were holding up their hands, trying to show Harry that they had no idea this was coming.

"You overheard me in Hogsmeade," Harry concluded, and the Triumvirate nodded in confirmation.

"Do you know how the house assembly works?" asked Alistair, who was the one responsible for handling such matters.

"I can either acquiesce to answering all of your questions, or I can refuse, and be considered an outcast for the rest of my time here. I also cannot be forced to answer, though I may be asked to take Veritaserum to corroborate my story," replied Harry. Daphne was feeling a little worried for him and edged a little closer, but not enough to draw attention to herself.

"What say you, then?" asked Alistair.

"What if I showed you my memory of the event?" Harry offered, in a bored tone.

"That would definitely be suitable, should it be free of tampering," replied Eliza, and several excited whispers sprang up around the room.

"And how would you suggest we confirm that?" sighed Harry, while in his mind he was considering how this could potentially affect his plans. He concluded that it shouldn't be too bad, and the worst-case scenario was that he'd have to take them all to the Chamber. That was far from ideal, of course, but at least it wouldn't interfere with his goals.

"You can provide us with an oath," she replied, and Harry appeared to consider it for a few moments.

"Fine," he said, and then called for Dobby. The house-elf appeared next to Harry, already carrying with him an ornate Pensieve, which had several elaborate snake motifs carved into the stone. A couple of fifth years pushed a table to the centre of the room, and Dobby placed the Pensieve on top of it.

"That's an... interesting design," mumbled a sixth year, commenting on the extravagant serpentine carvings adorning the basin.

"Blame Salazar, I found it in the Chamber," Harry replied, as he approached the Pensieve.

"The Chamber of Secrets must indeed be a trove of artefacts and knowledge," mumbled Eliza, quietly enough that only her two peers could hear her.

Daphne gave a resigned sigh and moved to stand next to Harry. She was hoping to resolve everything quickly, so they could return to the Chamber and continue Harry's story from his original timeline. Instead, she had to once again witness the events of the Chamber, where Harry had almost died, and she wasn't particularly fond of the idea. She'd skip it if she could, but attendance was mandatory for all house assemblies, from the lowliest firstie to the most senior member of the house.

Harry carefully removed the long, silver thread of memory with his wand and dropped it into the Pensieve. "If anyone needs to go to the toilet, go now," he announced coolly, looking around the room. "I will not pause the memory, nor will I allow a second viewing, unless is deemed critically important to do so."

The Triumvirate members nodded and accepted his conditions. No one else moved.

"Very well, then," Harry said. He waved his wand and the lights of the common room dimmed. He tapped the runes running along the edge of the Pensieve with his wand, and the liquid within started to glow. A moment later, a three-dimensional projection of the memory hovered in air above the basin, large enough so that everyone could see it without entering the Pensieve.

The memory started with Harry standing next to Granger in the hospital wing. It showed Harry finding the torn page in her petrified hand, and someone shouted out a snarky comment about Granger ripping a book. Harry backed away from the table and leaned against the back wall of the common room. Daphne joined him, and the couple hung back in the shadows while their housemates were captivated by the memory.

"I'm sorry, it's looking like I won't be able to continue my story tonight," he whispered, as memory Harry was explaining his theory to Weasley.

"Yes..." Daphne mumbled with a sigh. "We'll still have time later, though. I hope." She didn't actually mean to say the last bit as loudly as she did, but Harry just chuckled and kissed her forehead, then wrapped his arms around her and drew her to himself.

"We have all the time in the world, Daph," he whispered, ignoring the older Slytherins' boisterous reaction to memory Harry suggesting they go to Lockhart for help.

She smiled, then turned back around so she was facing the memory.

"You didn't show me this part," she whispered, holding back laughter at the sight of Lockhart quickly packing to run away.

"I didn't think it was important," he replied, hugging her from behind. She surprised herself a little by relaxing back into him, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even a month ago, she wouldn't have believed she'd ever allow herself to get this close to anyone, and yet she was already exceedingly comfortable with Harry, even though they'd only been dating for a matter of hours.

The memory continued with Harry and Weasley forcing Lockhart to go with them, followed by Harry discovering the entrance to the Chamber by speaking with Moaning Myrtle. The assembled Slytherins were completely captivated by the memory and were careful not to miss a single second.

They laughed at Lockhart being shoved into the pit by the two boys, but then fell silent when the basilisk's shed skin came into view. Daphne started to feel uneasy as she remembered how terrifyingly huge the basilisk really was, and she shivered as she flashed back to her first time viewing the harrowing battle in the Chamber. Even being wrapped in Harry's warm embrace wasn't enough to relax her, but she knew she couldn't leave.

They saw Lockhart admit he was a fraud, and then attempt to obliviate them with Weasley's broken wand. None of that was a surprise to those who had to sit through his lessons that year, but the first and second years were shocked. Some of them had been raised on stories about Gilderoy Lockhart, and they had no idea how useless he actually was. Lockhart's spell backfiring on himself drew a few cheers, then a few gasps when the collapsing tunnel cut Harry off from Weasley, and finally a few laughs as Weasley announced that Lockhart had managed to wipe his own memory.

The house settled down as memory Harry continued down the tunnel alone, until he reached the large, circular door marking the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. He opened the door with a hiss of Parseltongue and slowly made his way forward, before eventually seeing Weaselette's body on the ground and running to her.

Daphne held her breath as Tom Riddle appeared from the shadows. They all recognised his Slytherin robes, but no one knew who the boy was. Some of the older students frowned at Tom's explanation that he was a memory preserved in a diary, having never heard of such magic, and there were several gasps of surprise when he revealed he'd forced Ginny Weasley to open the Chamber and set the basilisk loose.

This Tom Riddle was apparently Slytherin's heir, but who was he really?

The atmosphere in the common room started to tense as Tom began ranting at Harry. He described how he had ensnared the Weasley girl, and how he'd been anxious to meet Harry after learning of his story. Harry, of course, had to be defiant and rail at Tom for the way he'd framed Hagrid, and even taunted him for his failure to actually kill any of his victims. That's when Tom scornfully stated that killing mudbloods wasn't important anymore, and a chill fell across the common room.

"For many months now, my new target has been you," Tom said, and some of their eyes flickered over to where Harry was lurking in the shadows with Daphne. "How is it that a baby with no extraordinary magical talent was able to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why do you care? Voldemort was after your time," replied Harry in a defiant tone. Everyone saw Tom smirk.

"Voldemort is my past, present, and future."

Tom started drawing letters of fire in the air. Some of the elder Slytherins paled as the implications of that statement struck them. They looked sharply at Harry, and saw Daphne Greengrass wrapped in his arms and appearing agitated, as if she knew what was going to happen and was quite unnerved by it. They gulped and turned back to the memory.

Tom stopped writing and waved his wand. The fiery letters spelling out the name TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE started rearranging themselves, finally settling at I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

Some of the pureblood extremists grinned for a moment, in awe of the might of their lord, who was apparently powerful enough to leave a memory behind to finish his work...only to see it all come crashing down a moment later.

"Surely you didn't think I was going to keep my filthy muggle father's name?"

"WHAT?" shouted Draco Malfoy, while the whole room's eyes widened in shock at the revelation.

The Dark Lord was a half-blood? A half-blood with a muggle father?

"You lie, Potter!" Malfoy shouted, almost drawing his wand. Fortunately for him, a seventh year hit him with a Full Body-Bind before he could do anything too stupid, just in time to hear memory Harry declare that Dumbledore was the greatest wizard alive.

"I outgrew that, don't worry," Harry said, noticing a few mocking glares directed at him.

The memory continued with the teenaged Dark Lord speaking in Parseltongue, which of course no one understood, but they all got the idea as soon as the massive snake came pouring from the mouth of Salazar Slytherin's statue. Shrieks and gasps filled the air, and a few even fainted at the sight of Slytherin's monster.

"That's the basilisk?" shouted Pansy, turning to see Daphne tightly grasping Harry's arm and looking away.

The Slytherins looked on as Fawkes appeared, leading to Harry pulling the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and the Phoenix blinding the beast. Many flinched, or even found themselves instinctively ducking as memory Harry ran around trying to avoid the attacking basilisk, but nothing could prepare them for what they saw next. The room was filled with gasps, screams, and plenty of expletives, as the entirety of Slytherin house witnessed a twelve-year-old kill a seventy-foot basilisk with nothing but a sword.

Daphne was watching again, and she squeezed Harry a little tighter while the rest of the house caught sight of the basilisk fang sticking out of his arm.

"How are you alive, Potter?" asked an awestruck seventh year, while memory Harry was stabbing the diary with the fang and destroying the shadow of the Dark Lord forever. His question was soon answered, as the memory showed Fawkes crying into Harry's wound, healing him and neutralising the venom.

The memory finally ended, and Harry waved his wand again to bring the lights back up. Everyone just stared at Harry in shock and confusion, trying to process everything they had just witnessed.

"You killed the Dark Lord's memory? For good?" asked a fifth year, and Harry nodded as he restored the memory to his mind and ordered Dobby to take the Pensieve away.

"You killed that freaking snake all by yourself?" asked a tearful third year, who remembered the fear pervading throughout castle during those days.

"You all saw it. And just to be sure, I, Harry James Potter do swear on my life and magic that the memory you all saw was real and not altered in any way, so mote it be," Harry declared, and his magic flared as his oath was accepted. He then cast strong Lumos to reiterate his point.

"Damn," mumbled Eliza. She had no idea what she had expected to see, but that was well beyond what she could have ever imagined.

"So, what now?" asked Harry, crossing his arms and looking around at his housemates. "I know some of you actually agree with Voldemort, so I'll ask, what happens now that you know what really happened?"

No one said anything.

"Someone might want to release Malfoy," Harry added, noticing that Draco was still on the floor, blinking furiously.

Blaise released him and the blonde got up quietly.

"So?" asked Harry again.

"The Dark Lord was a half-blood," a fifth year stated, with a hint of amusement.

"That's what he told me, yes," Harry replied, and the same fifth year started to chuckle. Harry later found out that that the boy was called David Macnair, and that he had Death Eater ties in his family.

"Purebloods grovelled at his feet, called him the very best of us, and he was nothing more than a half-blood?" he chuckled, and many scowled as they thought about his words.

Harry shrugged. He didn't know want to say anything else that could be seen as a defending Voldemort, although part of him did want to speak up on behalf of the half-bloods.

He didn't need to bother though, as a few of them took umbrage at Macnair's words and spoke up in their own defence.

"Oi, I'm a half-blood," a seventh year retorted out of nowhere. "Potter is too."

The shouting picked up around the room, until Alistair silenced them all by asking Harry a simple question.

"Where do you stand in the blood feud, Potter?"

Harry took a moment to calmly consider what he wanted to say, and then spoke.

"I can honestly say that as of right now, I don't know a single muggle that I don't hate," Harry stated, his cold tone surprising most, and eliciting a few smirks from others. Daphne just stood there looking back at him with a raised eyebrow. "But I admit that I am biased, since I was raised by abusive muggle relatives, and had no friends at all until I boarded the Hogwarts Express in '91..."

"However, there are a couple of things from the muggle world that I enjoy, mostly movies, TV, games, and music," he added.

"What's a movie?" a firstie asked inquisitively.

"What's a TV?" asked a sixth year at the same time.

Harry wanted to groan.

"Ask a half-blood. Or even a muggleborn," he retorted, then gathered himself and looked around the room. "If you want to know my opinion, I think that muggleborns should be better integrated into our society, if they want to be a part of it."

"I also think it would be wise to learn more about the muggles. I'm sure we're all aware of the witch hunts? And the muggle wars that engulfed all of Europe?" he asked, receiving some scattered nods in reply.

"Muggles are dangerous," Harry continued, all eyes locked on him. "If there's anything they're good at, it's killing. They commit atrocity after atrocity in either the name of greed or of hate, and they get away with it rationalising their actions as being necessary. What they don't understand, they either experiment on or seek to eradicate. I wonder how many muggleborn witches and wizards were discovered by muggles before they could be brought into the magical world? How many suffered for it?"

Daphne was impressed the way he commanded the attention of the room. She could tell he was speaking from his heart, even if she didn't entirely understand his examples. That made her wonder if he was thinking back to specific events from his past life as he spoke.

"I think enough magical blood has been spilled," admitted Harry in a solemn tone. "I don't care what type of magic you practice, or whether you're pureblood, half-blood, or muggleborn. What I do care about is if your blood has magic; whether you're a witch, wizard, squib, or even creature," he said as he closed his eyes and his smile faded. "But I cannot abide mudbloods, blood traitors, oath breakers, or kinslayers," he spat, opening his eyes once more revealing the green flames dancing behind them.

"I don't want anyone else to have to see what I've seen and live what I've lived," he hissed, looking around the room as if he were challenging anyone to refute him.

Harry had only expressed his feelings on such matters once before, during the house-elves' strike, and what he said that night managed to impress a couple of the older Slytherins. That night in the common room, Harry Potter spoke honestly and passionately in favour of those with magical blood. He certainly gave everyone enough of himself to form an opinion, good or bad.

"Well said, Potter," said the smooth female voice of seventh year Ursula Corwin, who was one of the most respected figures in the house. She wasn't a part of the Triumvirate, but she was still one of the more influential members, who would often offer her wisdom to the Triumvirate, when asked.

Ursula was a pureblood, but what most of her housemates didn't know was that she lived close to muggles and her parents had regular dealings with them. In fact, aside from Potter she probably knew more about muggles than any of the other Slytherins. She had a reputation for keeping to herself, ignoring house conflicts and discussions of matters she didn't care about, but Harry's words echoed her own feelings and she felt compelled to speak.

"Ursula, you agree with Potter?" Alistair asked in surprise. She nodded in confirmation, and her gesture alone caused many to stop and consider Potter's words more closely.

The Triumvirate officially closed the house assembly and the students started to disperse. Most of them were still looking at Harry in either respect or awe, but he didn't care. He did see Corwin give him a respectful nod, which he immediately returned.

"That was a nice speech," said Daphne, taking Harry's hand and leading him to a corner. Harry waved his wand and erected a privacy ward around them.

"Part of it was me thinking back to some of the things I lived through," he replied, and she nodded understandingly, a look of admiration in her eyes. Somehow, she had already known that, and she was sure he'd tell her all about it later. "It's getting late," he said. "Would you like to meet tomorrow for breakfast and then go down to the Chamber to continue our conversation?"

"As anxious as I am to hear the rest of your story, we should probably get some sleep," Daphne said.

"Yeah, we both had a pretty rough day," Harry agreed.

She hesitated for a moment, and he noticed she seemed uneasy, so he asked her what was wrong.

"I'm sorry for what I did, watching the memory. I broke your trust..." she started, and he stopped her with a soft caress on her chin.

"There's nothing to forgive," Harry replied, softly kissing her lips and ignoring the silence that once again fell across the house. It seemed they were being watched, not that they cared.

"Thank you," she said with a small smile.

"I think it's turning out to be a good thing, because now I get to tell you everything even earlier than I planned. All I ask is for you to trust me, and to give me a chance," he said with a small smile.

"I AM giving you a chance, Potter," she said with a smirk, which he returned. "Will you tell me how we happened in your...?" Harry nodded.

"You were already close to me, but I'd say that the moment I was sure I really cared for you was when you comforted me after my godfather's death." For a moment, Daphne didn't know what to say.

"Tomorrow?" she requested. Harry chuckled and nodded. Of course she needed to know more details, and he was happy to give them to her.

Daphne leaned in and kissed him sweetly goodnight. She turned and started walking towards her room with her usual poise, a small group of girls following after her. Harry dropped the ward and went to his own room and prepared to call Dobby to take him back to the Chamber, ignoring the boys following behind him.

Back in the common room, Brian Carrick was grinning and rubbing his hands together. "Was that enough proof for you, Yaxley?" he asked, receiving only irritated grumbling in reply.