CwD
"You may have potential Potter, but against the likes of us, you have no chance." Rodolphus grinned, wand rising. With a slash through the air, he conjured a crescent of violet flame that screamed toward Harry like a blade.
Harry smirked as he met the fire with a flick of his wand. The flame froze in mid-air before shattering into tiny pieces of ice.
"Let's find out together, shall we?"
Rabastan snarled. "Cocky little bastard!"
The man threw out both hands, his wand spitting twin streams of emerald and carmine curses that twined together mid-flight like fangs of a serpent.
Lestrange family magic? Harry wondered watching Rabastan release the spell in his direction.
The teen's eyes glowed; the dragon tattoo along his neck searing to life as if waking from an unruly slumber. "Ignis Draconis!"
A jet of incandescent flame erupted from his wand, not conjured fire, but fire transfigured into a serpentine coil of molten scale and teeth. It devoured Rabastan's spell midair with a hiss and slammed into the wide-eyed brothers hastily casted shields, detonating with a violent pulse that hurled both screaming men backward through rubble.
For a heartbeat, the battle stilled. Death Eaters and werewolves alike turned to stare as Rodolphus and Rabastan rolled onto their feet, coughing, ash streaking their robes.
Rodolphus' grin was gone. Rabastan's eyes bulged with disbelief as be pressed a hand on the back of his head and found it to be matte with blood. "What the fuck was that?!"
"Must be his own magic… I've never seen anything like it before."
"That shit that Augustus was going on about? Battle Magic or something?"
The older brother nodded. "Without those shields earlier, I fear we would've died very painful deaths. Be on your toes, brother. Dodge any spells you don't recognise."
Stalking towards the pair, Harry's wand cut savage arcs, torrents of magic hammering forward at blistering speeds.
"WE MUST ATTACK HIM TOGETHER!" Rabastan shrieked, jumping out the way of a yellow spell. "Ainsley, Marcus! Surround him!"
"Right!"
Black chains wreathed in spikes burst from Rodolphus' wand lashing for Harry's arms and throat who responded by sharply cutting the air horizontally.
"Umbra Ruptura!"
Dark shadows cleaved the chains as if they were parchment and continued their paths towards the brothers who had to once again, leap out the way to dodge though the same couldn't be said for the two Death Eaters off to the side who were bisected from the middle.
"Fuck!" Rodolphus spat.
Once again, the brothers found themselves trading spell after spell with Harry who over time, began sending off stronger and faster magic that was quickly overpowering them.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Harry sneered. Pivoting, he transfigured a fallen column into a slab of marble before repeating his earlier move of sending back the shattered debris at Rabastan who blocked it.
Not letting the Death Eater breathe, the teen then sent a charge of concussive force that looked as if it warped the air and smashed it into a gobsmacked Rabastan, lifting him clean off his feet and flinging him through a hedge and into a tree.
"Rabastan!"
Eyes protruding with rage, Rodolphus ripped up the ground with a swipe of his wand. "MAGMORDA!"
Jagged, flaming boulders rose from the crack in the ground and with another sharp flick of his wand, sent them toward Harry who immediately snuffed out the fire before transfiguring the boulders into pointed spears and deflected them towards an advancing pack of werewolves impaling them all in the chest.
Rodolphus faltered, momentarily stunned at how swiftly Harry had turned his assault into slaughter.
"You cannot win, Lestrange."
The older man shook his head, a hesitant smirk dancing on his lips. "I admit, I may have underestimated you, Potter."
"Then do the smart thing. Lay down your wand and surrender. At least you'll die with your dignity still intact, that I will guarantee."
"Perhaps…"
Harry narrowed his eyes at his tone.
The man was too calm.
Raising his wand, Harry when to finish him off and that's when suddenly, a hulking blur crashed into him from the flank.
Greyback.
I didn't even notice him –
The teen twisted at the last second, an altered shield charm materialising in between them before exploding outwards. Greyback however, had rolled with the impact and came on him again, slashing at Harry's legs.
"Ventus!"
A powerful wind fanned out from Harry's wand knocking the howling beast off his feet and into the air where he landed on his back a short distance away.
Immediately, sparks flew from Harry's wand as he began muttering under his breath, twirling the stick into a circle at his feet. A silver barrier surrounded him and when Greyback's onslaught returned within seconds, the stink of burned fur filled the air as the beast recoiled with a cry.
Harry grinned wildly. "Burns, doesn't it?!"
"I'll feast on your heart, Potter – the brat's mine!" Greyback snarled when Rodolphus raised his wand to assist. "Stay out of my duel, wizard!"
"Very well but do not kill him, Greyback. He belongs to the Dark Lord."
Rabastan who had in the meantime, limped back into sight, offered Harry a smirk before turning into black smoke and flew over to his brother. Once he materialised, the two unleashed a deluge of curses that crashed into the Aurors' ranks like a tidal wave.
Harry barely heard Amelia's order for shields as his world had narrowed to Greyback, who was circling with predatory patience.
Abruptly, the werewolf lunged again and this time, Harry was a second too slow to react as Greyback, instead of using his claws, had produced a wand.
"BOMBARDA!"
Despite the silver shield blocking the explosion of the spell, the feedback still hit Harry square in the chest, sending him skidding through the ground.
Greyback cackled loudly. "Not so untouchable, eh boy?"
Harry spat blood onto the dirt and cast a look at Tonks who despite her injuries, was matching the Lestranges spell for spell though the same couldn't be said for the rest of the aurors who were beginning to tire.
Even poor Dobby was slowing down, the toll of apparating back and forth was eventually becoming too much for his elf.
It wouldn't be long before the line broke. And once it did, Tonks' luck would run out too.
Harry rose to his feet in silence. Urgency coiled around him like a vice.
He wouldn't have been nearly as worried if Amelia Bones was at her full strength after hearing about her prowess from Moody but as she was rather injured and the Hit-Wizards who were tasked to protect her were otherwise occupied by a large contingency of werewolves and Death Eaters themselves, the tide was slowly turning.
Greyback bounded forward with feral speed and Harry responded immediately.
He waved his wand and a steel bar from a broken fence surged upward with blinding speed and impaled one of Greyback's legs mid-leap who was unable to dodge it.
Howling in agony, Greyback ripped the steel bar from his flesh before continuing onwards, dodging spell after spell as he closed the distance.
"Sectumsempra!"
Harry didn't know entirely what the spell did but was positively surprised when the curse slashed through Greyback's shoulder, removing it clear from his body causing the werewolf to stagger to the ground, his eyes wide as a guttural roar left his maw.
Again, the teen's began to glow as he aimed his wand at the downed werewolf.
"Draconis Flamma."
Scorching hot flame blasted Greyback point-blank, swallowing the beast's screams as the inferno tore at his flesh and fur.
When Harry finally ended the spell, all that remained was a charred, twitching body but somehow, impossibly, the man still breathed but the fight had been ripped out from his eyes.
"You had resilience… I'll give you that at least. Burn in the afterlife, Fenrir Greyback."
Harry channelled his burning rage for the whimpering beast and raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!"
CwD
"You're flagging, whore," Rabastan jeered, hurling a jagged bolt of lightning that tore up the ground Tonks was standing on seconds ago. "Not long now before you break. Perhaps if you're a good little bitch, I might let you scratch my itch."
"With that shrivelled up shrimp, even a pixie wouldn't feel anything!" Tonks sneered.
The younger Lestrange snarled as he dodged Tonks' bone-breaker and flicked his wand towards the ground. Suddenly, a large fissure split open the earth beneath Tonks. At its bottom, sharp, jagged spires were waiting for someone to fall in and that someone would've been Tonks if it wasn't for Amelia banishing her away just in time.
The redhead then followed with a curse that was aimed at his arm but had instead carved a deep gash across Rabastan's cheek.
"Seems Ms Minister still has some fire in her!" He said before a Killing Curse blazed from his wand.
Tonks levitated some bricks in desperation, but the curse blasted through; the fragments cutting across their arms and faces.
Rodolphus, who had just skinned a pesky Auror down to their bones, quickly joined the fray and fired off a spell chain with devastating precision at the two women who tried desperately to defend.
One curse gouged the earth, a bone breaker snapped Tonks' femur bone causing her to scream out in agony and the last, tore straight into the redhead.
Amelia gasped as the man's shield breaker unfortunately found no shield and instead found her torso.
"MA'AM!"
Tonks watched helplessly as her boss fell to her knees, her hands clutching her chest as if preventing her ribs from falling apart.
The Lestranges pressed on their newfound advantage with abject glee now entirely forcing Tonks on defence.
A piercing hex from Rabastan punctured Tonks' other thigh and the woman's strength from her legs left her but not before a well-timed disarming spell from Rodolphus bereft her of her wand.
Staring up murderously at the two brothers who advanced on her with grins on their face, she could only watch in dread as Rodolphus walked past her and towards the downed Amelia whereas his brother, remained behind, standing before her.
"For Moody's apprentice, you fought well, mudblood. I can't wait to taste you later…" the man purred. "My ripe, little trophy."
"Fuck you, you fucking prick!" Tonks spat.
"Don't worry darling, won't be long now before you get your chance." Rabastan grinned widely. Levelling his wand, Rabastan went to stun her but found the spell vanishing uselessly into the air.
Frowning, the man went to stun her again, and once again, nothing had happened.
Confusion crept in, and he glanced down at Tonks expecting fear, or maybe that idiotic defiance. Instead, her wide eyes gleamed with something far worse: dawning delight.
"What – ?"
Rabastan blinked hard. His brother's voice was suddenly screaming his name somewhere in the distance, but the sound felt muffled.
When he tried to turn toward him, his legs buckled. He dropped heavily to his knees and that's when he saw it.
It twitched once or twice and then stilled forever.
"Look… its… someone's… heart… on the… floor…"
" – And what an ugly thing it is."
CwD
"RABASTAN!" Rodolphus' bellow shattered the frozen battlefield.
Wild, furious eyes rounded on Harry emerging through smoke, a cold grin colouring the teen's lips as he tilted his head.
"Well, that was pathetic." Harry snorted mockingly. "Don't worry Rodolphus… I'm sure Rabastan and Greyback are in a better place."
With a flick, Harry tossed a grisly object forward. It landed with a wet thud at Rodolphus' boots, rolling once before coming to a stop.
Greyback's severed head leered up at the Death Eater.
The effect was immediate.
The werewolves faltered first as howls breaking into pitiful whines echoed around the grounds. One then suddenly bolted, then another and another until half the pack was fleeing into the treeline, their terror stronger than the moon's pull.
The remaining Death Eaters instinctively backed up, eyes flicking between their retreating allies and the boy who had slain both Greyback and a Lestrange in mere minutes.
"Anyone else?" Harry questioned almost innocently.
What remained of the original attacking force of the Death Eaters was only a trivial comparison but the few who remained shifted uneasily as they looked toward Rodolphus for some semblance of guidance.
"I'll kill you…"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
" – The Dark Lord will understand… If it's the last thing I do… I'll kill you, Potter."
"Many have tried, Lestrange. Just like your wretched brother and look where that's got him."
Rodolphus' eyes bulged with rage. "Avada Kedavra!"
Harry stepped neatly aside of the Unforgivable and just like that, spells once again split the air as the Death Eaters rallied their remaining force, roaring for blood.
The surviving Aurors surged back into formation. Greyback's death bolstering their depleted morale as they held the flanks.
Off to the side, Isabel and Jacques finished off the last of the small wolf-pack that had been thrown into confusion by Greyback's fate before rejoining the main group.
"I must admit," Jacques muttered under his breath, sliding an arm under Tonks' shoulder while Isabel grabbed the other, "I 'ave clearly underestimated monsieur Potter."
They halted long enough to watch a knot of Death Eaters attempt an ambush on Harry, sending four identical white streaks of magic. Without so much as a flicker of concern, the teen summoned a black, translucent shield which deflected the spells right back at the castors, flinging them like puppets across the grounds before refocusing on Rodolphus.
Isabel shook her head as they hurried over to the Aurors who were holding the line.
"Casually summoning a Deflector Shield strong enough to withstand the magic of four wizards is utterly ridiculous."
Tonks, half-delirious with blood loss, managed a loopy grin. "Told you my bro's special…"
"She's lost a lot of blood." Jacques mentioned alarmingly. "We need to ztabilize her immediately."
Isabel agreed worringly. Laying Tonks down, the Hit-Wizard immediately went to work, cauterizing the wound on Tonks thigh before attending to her other numerous injuries.
"H-How is she?" Amelia asked from where she was being tended. The front of the redhead's clothes were completely soaked in blood.
How Amelia was conscious, let alone alive was nothing short of a miracle.
"S-Stable but only just. A cause for concern is that her femur bone is broken. Poor girl must be in a lot of pain." Isabel shook her head. "I can't do anything about the bone. This level of injury is beyond me. She needs to be evacuated or else the wound can get infected."
"N-Not too tight, L-Lucy," Amelia winced.
"S-Sorry, M-Ma'am."
Amelia let out a breath before looking around. "T-Thanks to Potter's elf, more than half of our injured have already been taken."
"One elf, no matter 'ow talented, can't keep this up for much longer."
As if summoned, Dobby appeared before them, ears dragging and eyes heavy but still burning with resolve. "Master Harry has ordered Dobby to take Miss Nymphiedoora."
Jacques frowned as he stood in Dobby's way. "Anozzer trip Elf, and you could zeriously damage your magic."
Dobby puffed up his chest. "Dobby will not disobey the great Master Harry! Dobby asks you unhand the Miss or Dobby bes forced to act, sir."
Amelia raised a trembling hand. "Let her go, Jacques… She's one of my best, Dobby – " her voice broke for half a second, " – you take care of her."
Despite his fatigue, the elf bowed low. "Dobby would gladly give his life for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter and his family."
With that, he grabbed Tonks and two vanished with a pop.
Proudfoot in the meantime had run over. "Ma'am, we've got the last of the Death Eaters restrained. Permission to reinforce Potter? With him, we can end this!"
As if hearing his name, Harry glanced back briefly, locking eyes with Amelia. The meaning clear.
Amelia sighed. "Negative, Proudfoot. Tend to the wounded. I don't want to admit it but, you'd only get in his way."
"Ma'am – "
"It's an order. Go."
Frustration twisted his face, but Proudfoot obeyed, sprinting back.
"If we manage to zurvive zhis night, your ministry will owe a mazzive debt to Potter." Jacques murmured, watching spellbound as Harry parried spell after spell, blocking and weaving in between colours before felling one Death Eater then two almost seamlessly before reengaging an ever-angering Rodolphus.
Amelia nodded before her eyes caught something.
A streak of blinding light, far faster and heavier than any curse cast that night, tore toward their cluster.
"SHIELDS!"
Unquestioningly, Isabel and Jacques flung their strongest shields into the air and though their shields, thankfully, remained strong, the impact hurled both of them back across the dirt with bone-rattling force.
The battlefield fell eerily still, smoke curling as new footsteps echoed through the haze.
A shadow emerged.
Tall, hulking, wand loose at his side as though it were an afterthought.
Amelia's face paled.
"Antonin Dolohov."
CwD
Harry narrowed his eyes at the new figure, recognising the Death Eater immediately and his rage began to boil.
The fucker who'd cursed Hermione…
Dolohov tutted softly as he strolled forwards. "You look rather verse for vear, Rodolphus."
"And who's bloody fault was that?!" Lestrange snapped back.
"Forgive me, friend. The Dark Lord's mission vas paramount and thus, I vas delayed on the Continent. I assumed you could handle the affairs here." The man cast an unimpressed gaze at all the bodies of Death Eaters and Werewolves strewn about. "It seems I vas mistaken."
"Antonin Dolohov."
The Russian turned his head to the voice and smirked.
"Harry Potter. Ve meet again." He then turned towards Amelia and the rest of the Aurors. "Bones… vhat a sorry sight you are. Tell me woman, is Mad-Eye here?"
Amelia didn't reply as she glared at the man.
"Pity," Dolohov continued. "I vas looking forward to my rematch vith the zhopa who had taken me down last time. I suppose his apprentice vill do instead."
The flick of his wrist was almost imperceptible. Even Harry barely managed to catch it.
A chain of spells tore through the air, streaking in a kaleidoscope of violent colour. At first, it looked like a simple volley but then Harry's eyes widened. Hidden between the bursts of red and gold was a glint of pure black, twisting unnaturally through the air and judging by Dolohov's smirk as Jacques and Isabel raised their shields, it could only mean bad news.
Before Harry could react, Rodolphus pulled him back into a duel, forcing him to defend a flurry of curses. From his peripheral, he saw the first volley of Dolohov's spells smash against the Aurors' shields and for a heartbeat, it seemed their shields had held.
If only it were true.
"NO!"
Harry watched in horror as the hidden spell slipped through Jacques' shield like a knife through smoke, landing square in the man's face.
"Jacques!" Isabel screamed.
Dolohov sighed almost wearily.
"Your shields held… impressive. That spell vas meant for Madam Bones but I suppose," his face twisting into a grin, "a Hit-Vizard vill do nicely."
As soon as he had finished speaking, Jacques' head exploded in a violent shower of blood and gore.
Harry watched Isabel fall backwards, her eyes wide with disbelief as Jacques' headless body remained upright for a horrifying instant before collapsing with a wet thud.
Dolohov raised his wand again at Amelia's direction but this time, Harry was ready.
Banishing Rodolphus away with a sharp flick of his wand, the teen trained his aim onto Dolohov – rage colouring his vision.
"Avada Kedavra!"
With agility that defied his hulking build, Dolohov dodged the Killing Curse and instantly replied with his own to which Harry blocked by summoning a piece of stone, not before sending off a Cruciatus Curse through it.
The broken stone was instantly reduced into dust as the Unforgivable persisted on, eventually missing Dolohov who had blocked it effortlessly.
"So…you use the Unforgivables now, da?" The man cackled, watching Harry slowly circle his way to the Aurors. "This is your Chosen One? The Golden Child who uses the Unforgivables himself! You have certainly painted a pretty picture of yourself to the vorld, boy!"
Those behind Harry watched, some with incredulous awe, others with a dawning, hollow fear.
"I don't care what they think of me." Harry spat.
"There are those in the very Ministry in vhich you protect who vould string you up by the lungs for casting such magic. Vhy protect such people?"
"I don't do it for them," the teen replied, the red glow from the tip of his wand burning brightly. "They're important to my sister."
Dolohov scoffed.
"You are a fool, Potter." The Death Eater nodded his head towards the Aurors. "Vhen you have power, there vill always be people like them who vill vish to tame you. I have experienced it from my very own government long ago. You vill learn." The man dropped his arm. "But not tonight. That courtesy belongs to the Dark Lord and even I am not foolish enough to go against him. Ve will withdraw."
Harry's face contorted with anger. "Do you really think you can just walk away? After that shit you pulled back at the Ministry – "
"Vas that mudblood special to you? The vay she screamed your name as she fell to my curse vas music to my ears, you know. It is a shame she didn't die." Dolohov smirked over his shoulder. "Temper your anger, boy. It vill be your undoing."
The teen's magic burned, his arm trembling.
"I will kill you."
"Perhaps but not today. I have no reservations that our future duel vill be spectacular, Potter."
Rodolphus lurched forward, one arm clamped against a wound. "W-We can't just leave – "
Dolohov shot the man a sneer. "You failed today, Rodolphus. Vith vhatever dignity you still have, you must know vhen to vithdraw. The Dark Lord vill soon be arriving and I certainly vill not explain to him vhy your brother and Greyback are dead under your vatch."
Rodolphus shot the hulking man a glare that would even put a basilisk's to shame.
"My brother, I need to bury him – "
Just as soon as he had finished speaking, Rabastan and Greyback's body burst into flames.
"NO!"
Dolohov turned back to Harry with disapproval. "Now that vasn't very honourable, Potter."
Harry met his gaze coldly. "They were honourless. Garbage likes them deserves to be forgotten."
"Power vithout discipline… I had thought you merely reckless, Potter. Perhaps you really are still a child." Dolohov addressed the Death Eaters who remained. "Retrieve what is ours."
"But Potter – "
" – We leave," the Death Eater continued, a dark grin appearing on his face as he turned back to Harry, "but not vithout parting words…"
The man raised his wand and instantly the air changed.
Harry's eyes widened when the magic in the air became so dense, so ridiculously heavy that the very ground began to tremble.
He had seen this spell before, had experienced such a spell before. Back when Dumbledore fought Voldemort at the Atrium.
Dolohov muttered something under his breath and suddenly, a monstrous inferno tore out from his wand, swelling into a maelstrom of flame that twisted and writhed like living flesh.
From within the blaze, shapes began to form: wolves with molten fangs, serpents of liquid fire, dragons whose wings tore the very air apart. The flame rapidly grew in size and swept across the ancient grounds, devouring everything and anything in its path without prejudice.
"MOVE!" Harry roared.
He slashed his wand in a desperate arc and a translucent shield burst to life before the Aurors and yet, the Fiendfyre struck it with such ferocity that the barrier buckled instantly, spiderweb cracks of magic splintering across it.
Dolohov cackled in the distance. "Till ve meet again, Harry Potter – if you live!"
Harry's teeth bared, sweat and soot streaked his face as the unforgiving flames battered again and again against his shield.
"POTTER! YOU CAN'T STOP IT!"
Amelia's voice sounded so distant in his ears that it barely registered.
He gripped both hands around his wand, pouring more and more magic into the barrier hoping, praying, that his shield would strengthen, that it would hold.
Then the fire changed.
It gathered, contorting upon itself until it coalesced into a single vast serpent, its eyes burning like twin suns. It reared high into the air, then struck.
Harry's shield shattered.
The shockwave hurled Harry across the field so fast that when he landed, the world went white for a moment. Pain ripped through every inch of his body as he used every inch of his willpower to bring up his Occlumency to gather his thoughts.
For a fleeting second, he had thought the flames would change its target to the aurors but for some reason, they just kept coming at him. It ate through everything: grass, stone, the remains of the fallen.
Nothing was safe as the giant serpent slithered closer and closer.
Gasping for air, Harry forced himself to his knees.
His lungs burned; blood dripped from his lips. The exhaustion gnawed at him, dragging him toward unconsciousness but still, he persevered.
"I WILL NOT DIE HERE!"
Thrusting his stick, Harry attempted to force his will into the oncoming flames, trying to command them, to bend them to him just as he had remembered seeing Dumbledore do against Voldemort's Fiendfyre but the sentient fire fought back ferociously.
The teen knew he was out of his depth but harder he pushed and for a second, the flames flickered.
Then Harry screamed.
The heat was unbearable. The flames licked his arm, melting fabric and flesh alike. His sleeve vanished; his skin slowly blackening until the fire reached the phoenix tattoo etched into his forearm and then suddenly stopped.
For a moment, Harry watched with wide eyes as the inked bird unexpectedly flared to life. The air filled with a radiant heat not from the hellish flames, but from him. A burst of gold and crimson light erupted from his skin, devouring the corrupted flame that had clung to him.
Then came the song.
It sounded so bright, so clear but there was a startling undertone of fury laced within.
Harry looked up, half-blinded, as a column of fire descended before him. The Fiendfyre shrieked in protest, its monstrous form writhing as the connection it had forged with Harry snapped and from the golden blaze, the immortal bird that had once saved him emerged.
"Fawkes…" the teen gasped as he fell to his knees.
Fawkes shrieked loudly before flashing out of sight and then, a heartbeat later, returned but this time, with a companion.
"D-Dumble…dore – "
Albus Dumbledore took one look at his apprentice before he snapped his gaze to the monstrous wall of fire bearing down on them and his eyes hardened.
The Fiendfyre screamed, reshaping itself into a colossal flaming bird – a grotesque looking imitation of Fawkes and lunged.
Raising his wand, Dumbledore made a single, precise motion with his knobbly wand and the cursed fire froze mid-flight. The ground shuddered as the flames convulsed, trapped in invisible bindings, their molten eyes wide in silent defiance.
He then closed his eyes, murmured something too quiet for Harry to understand and with a flick of his wand, water from the shattered fountain began to rise. It twisted and spun, forming a great bird of its own. With a thunderous cry, the water-phoenix dove straight into the Fiendfyre.
The impact was cataclysmic.
A blinding implosion ripped the air apart. Fire and water consumed one another in a single, deafening pulse before collapsing inward, devouring themselves into nothingness.
Only silence remained.
"Merlin's beard…"
The surviving Aurors stumbled and peered around as if they were in a daze.
" – Is it over…?"
" – Think so…"
Harry lifted his head as he heard footsteps approach him. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't glad to see you, o-old man."
Dumbledore sighed as he knelt down on the dirt and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. His expression wasn't angry. It was something far more complicated.
Disappointment, sadness, pity, pride all rolled into one.
"Magical exhaustion," the old wizard murmured after a moment, his sharp gaze sweeping over him. "And a mirage of broken bones and bruises."
"You should probably c-count the burns on my arm too."
Dumbledore frowned as he carefully took Harry's trembling arm that still held his wand stubbornly. "What burns?"
Harry blinked in confusion as he saw his clear skin. The phoenix tattoo was slightly raw but other than that, his arm looked untouched.
"W-Was this your doing, Fawkes?"
The phoenix who was circling overhead, flashed from the sky before reappearing on Harry's shoulder trilling softly, eying him deeply.
"Harry?"
"It's nothing," he muttered, shaking his head.
Dumbledore sighed, leaning back. "We must speak about your recklessness tonight, Harry – "
"Save your lecture for later, Dumbledore." Harry groaned, managing to sit down. "What of Diagon Alley?"
Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Pandemonium. Even for me, suppressing that many Dementors was… challenging. It doesn't help when only a small percentage of the Aurors know the Patronus Charm and even that, not properly. We lost people."
He didn't elaborate. He didn't need to.
Harry's jaw tightened. The unspoken truth hung between them.
Though, the Death Eaters had failed to kill Amelia Bones, the day's blood price had still been steep. Even so, some grim satisfaction burned in his chest.
Rabastan Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback would never hurt another soul again.
Harry's gaze drifted toward the scorched ruins of the battlefield, to Isabel wrapping Jacques' corpse in a white cloth, just like the other Aurors were doing to their felled colleagues also.
His gaze then shifted down to the faintly glowing pendant around his neck. He felt the steady pulse of life through it.
Tonks.
He exhaled softly, the fight finally bleeding out of him.
She was safe.
Many had died today but Tonks was safe.
That's all that mattered.
CwD
October 1st, 1996
"Greyback Slain in British Assault; ICW Confirms Death of French Hit-Wizard Amid Rising Tensions!"
By Inga Müller, Clarion Correspondent
In what the ICW has described as "a night of catastrophic violence," two coordinated attacks in Britain have left dozens dead, scores injured, and an international incident already brewing.
Shortly after midnight, Death Eater forces launched near-simultaneous assaults on Bones Manor, ancestral seat of Minister for Magic Amelia Bones, and Diagon Alley, the heart of Britain's wizarding commerce. The British Ministry has confirmed that Minister Bones survived, though she remains in critical condition. Unfortunately, several senior British Aurors who were assigned to her protection detail were killed in the fighting.
Among the attackers who were killed are Fenrir Greyback, the infamous werewolf warlord wanted in over ten countries, and Rabastan Lestrange, a high-ranking Death Eater long sought by the British DMLE after breaking out of Azkaban prison in January.
Greyback's death has sent ripples across Europe, where many communities had lived under threat of his raids. A decades-high bounty placed jointly by the ICW and the Romanian Ministry for his capture or death remains unclaimed, though Clarion sources suggest it will be awarded to the British Ministry as no individual claimant has come forward.
However, the death that may provoke the greatest diplomatic fallout is that of ICW Hit-Wizard Jacques Rousseau, one of two international agents dispatched to assist in the Minister's personal security after months of British instability. Rousseau was a veteran duellist and close associate of Lucas White, the current Premier Mage of France.
White has not issued an official statement, but senior French officials have expressed "deep outrage" and confirmed that France will be seeking an emergency ICW hearing to review Britain's handling of the conflict.
Rousseau's cause of death is currently unknown as is much of the details of what surrounded the violence last night but the British Ministry has expressed transparency once their investigation concludes.
In Diagon Alley, meanwhile, chaos unfolded of a different kind. Witnesses report that groups of masked figures and scores of Dementors descended upon the district without warning, spreading panic and terror through the crowds. The British Aurors, few of whom were reportedly trained in the Patronus Charm, were quickly overwhelmed. Eyewitness accounts describe civilians collapsing in the streets and shopfronts turning to ice before reinforcements could arrive.
The intervention of Albus Dumbledore, Premier Mage of Magical Britain and Defeater of the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald, and several unidentified civilians prevented what experts fear could have been a "total massacre and complete collapse of Magical Britain's community." Even so, the death toll remains staggeringly high, with early reports suggesting that dozens perished before the Dementors were driven back.
The Goblin Nation has yet to issue an official statement regarding the destruction in Diagon Alley, though a liaison officer speaking on condition of anonymity remarked that "the events have not been well received in Gringotts' upper offices."
Additionally, unconfirmed reports also indicate that Harry Potter, future Premier Mage of Magical Britain, was sighted at the scene of the Bones attack. Several sources describe his intervention as "instrumental" in preventing total loss of life, though others allege the use of forbidden magic, particularly the Unforgivables which are banned in all ICW countries.
The British Ministry, however, have refused to comment citing that "it's an ongoing investigation and we'll not speculate on details until the facts are verified."
Currently enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, we at the Clarion can only speculate what Harry Potter was doing at Bones Manor presumably outside of school hours. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore has yet to release a statement.
CwD
October 2nd, 1996
The parchment rustled softly as Hermione lowered the paper. She glanced over toward the bed where Harry sat propped against his pillows. His eyes were distant, following the shifting patterns of the dark clouds as they crossed the moon.
"What happened, Harry?"
Ron made a noise halfway between a scoff and a sigh. "If you're on about the 'illegal spells' rubbish they're printing, it's obvious it's a load of bollocks, Hermione."
Hermione pursed her lips watching how Harry's impassive expression didn't flicker in the slightest. "I just… you were asleep all day and when I saw this in the morning, I-I thought you ought to know."
"Thanks, Hermione."
"Skeeter's having a field day with this one, mate," Ron chuckled weakly, trying to alleviate the tension. "Bloody woman can't decide to call you a hero for saving Susan's aunt or brand you the next Dark Lord. As if Second Year wasn't enough…"
Harry exhaled, finally tuning to his friends. Ron was trying hiding his discomfort as well as he could but it was blatantly obvious on Hermione's face.
"Let her talk. What matters is that Greyback's dead. Rabastan Lestrange is dead and Nym… Nym's alive."
A long silence followed. The only sound was the rhythmic ticking of Madam Pomfrey's charm clock.
"You killed them." Hermione whispered in realisation, her knuckles white.
When Harry didn't answer, Ron's eyes widened. "M-Merlin."
Harry looked at Hermione. A small, twisted smile danced on his lips that felt foreign on his face.
"Does that scare you, Hermione?"
Hermione swallowed, unable to maintain eye contact with him as she turned her gaze to her lap.
"He did what he had to do…" Ron pushed to his feet before he could think better of it. "They were monsters, Hermione! Absolute shits! I mean just look at Lestrange! Are we forgetting what he did to Neville's parents?!"
"That's not the point Ron." Hermione's voice was small.
"Think about all the shit they've done, Hermione! Bloody Greyback was wanted in ten different countries! The guy was a walking nightmare!"
"They were animals." Harry said quietly. His eyes were burning with the familiar rage that Hermione had been seeing as of late. "I did what the Ministry failed to do. Put down animals who are out of control and if I had the chance to do it again, I'd do it without hesitation."
Hermione's eyes filled with a wounded disappointment. "That's exactly why you can't be the executioner, Harry. Once you start deciding whose life is worth taking, where does it stop?"
Ron opened his mouth to reply but his words divested him when he truly grasped what Hermione was saying.
"H-Harry… Harry's not going to become one of them, Hermione." The ginger said but even he didn't believe the words he was saying.
"I-I didn't say that!"
Harry's laugh was mocking. It sounded so unlike him that Hermione and Ron looked at their friend with wide eyes.
"You want me to sit back and let people die, let Nym die because the rules are tidy on paper?"
"T-The rules are there because people are tidy on paper, Harry!" Hermione pleaded. "Because when people stop being tidy, when they justify killing because the other person is 'monstrous' or – or 'dangerous', we… we become monsters, too. You're not God, Harry. You're not allowed to pick and choose who lives and who dies."
For a moment, the three of them simply breathed the same stale Hospital Wing air.
"So, you're telling me that I should've spared their lives?" Harry murmured.
"There are laws," Hermione began carefully. "There are trials. There are… ways that don't make us the same as them."
Harry clenched his jaw tight. "You expect me to trust the same fuckers who didn't offer that same courtesy to Sirius? To the same government who pardoned the very same people who continue to go around murdering, raping and pillaging innocents? The Ministry failed. Repeatedly. I have done what they had failed to do."
"But failing doesn't give you the licence to take justice into your own hands, Harry!"
"Then what am I meant to do?! Wait around while they butcher Nym, while they tear through everything we love? Stand in a courtroom and let them smile and lie and walk out to kill again? I did what had to be done." Harry's voice had turned raw before cool detachment took over. "I refuse to do any less. Not again."
"Don't do this, Harry!" Hermione begged, tears threatening to fall. "You're walking on a path that will only lead to destruction!"
Harry's eyes glowed malevolently. "Then I will take Voldemort and his sympathisers down with me. With or without your support, Hermione."
"The world… the people will not let this slide, Harry. They will demand answers. Just look at this." She held up the newspaper again. "They're already demanding answers! The ICW – the ICW have already opened up an investigation and soon, they'll be questioning Dumbledore about you!"
" – Alright, that's enough of that tonight."
Madam Pomfrey came bustling in from her office carrying a tray of steaming potions.
"I had let you and Mr Weasley into the Hospital Wing with the notion that you would not be agitating my patient, Miss Granger," the matron said sternly, placing the tray on Harry's bedside table before pressing her hand against the teen's forehead as he began to fidget. " – Stop squirming, child!"
"But – "
" – No buts, Weasley! It's now past curfew and visiting hours. You'll be able to see Potter after class tomorrow. Now off you two go. Now." She added firmly when the pair looked reluctantly at her.
Ron sighed as he stood up. "See ya, mate."
Hermione only murmured an incoherent goodbye before she too walked away with Ron and left the Hospital Wing.
"Drink."
Harry scrunched his nose. "What is it?"
"Never you mind. Now drink."
He took a breath before gulping down the potion and instantly shivered, making a face as he smacked his lips. "It's like drinking raw lemon juice but without the lemon."
The matron supressed a smile at the boy's antics before shaking her head. "You've got to drink these two before you go to bed. I'll come round to give them to you in a while."
"I'm a big boy, Poppy," Harry sighed.
"Knowing you, you'd likely forget to drink them or not drink them at all," Madam Pomfrey huffed. Making sure he was tucked in properly, she let out a small sigh and sat on the side of his bed. "You want to talk about what's bothering you?"
"Not particularly."
She shook her head. "Always so stubborn."
Harry looked away. "You're a healer. You wouldn't understand."
"Perhaps it's why I'm a healer that I understand," her eyes softened. "I've witnessed two wars, Harry, and likely will be living through a third before I retire. I've seen the young and brave come back half-dead, and I've seen the ones who did the right thing crumble under the weight of their choices or lack there-of."
Madam Pomfrey took his hand gently. "Pain doesn't make you less human but losing yourself in it, letting it control you and influence you, that's where the real danger lies."
Harry looked down at his hands as he digested her words.
"I don't know if I can stop. Hermione, she… they want me to be a person that I'm not." He shook his head. "I can't afford to be their version of Harry Potter. It's not who I am anymore and I refuse, with all of my being, to be anything except what I am now."
Pomfrey's lips pressed into a thin line as she stood. "Then make sure you surround yourself with those who understand you, Harry. Do not allow the weight of your decisions to crush you. Allow someone to share your burden with you or even you will begin to lose sight of who you truly are."
CwD
He'd been in and out of sleep for a while now.
Madam Pomfrey had warned that after drinking the latest batch of potions that he may experience some bouts of temporary sleep apnea and from the heaviness pressing on his chest, it seemed she'd been right.
Still, as drowsiness tugged him under once more, something pricked at the edge of his senses. A small disturbance, one he was remarkably familiar with.
The curtains surrounding his bed rippled and Harry's instincts took over. Half-asleep, his hand slid beneath his pillow and pulled out his wand before his brain even caught up and aimed it toward where he felt the familiar magic the strongest.
The smallest of squeaks filtered through his ears as he flickered his eyes open.
The disturbance shimmered and a pair of blood red painted fingernails peaked out of seemingly nowhere followed by pale hands pulling back a familiar cloak.
His cloak.
Harry let out a sigh. "Merlin, Greengrass. Accosting poor, injured me in the night now, are we?"
With an unimpressed eyebrow raised, the beautiful blonde appeared fully, staring down at the teen.
"I'm not the one who's pointing their wand."
"Really…?" Harry's lips quirked. "Pretty sure I got my wand safely tucked away, thank you."
He didn't need to see her expression to know she was blushing up a storm; the sudden sharp pinch on his arm was proof enough.
"Ow – "
" – I meant the wand that you have so conveniently pressed against my breast, you stupid perv!"
Harry blinked rapidly, realizing with dawning horror that his wand was, in fact, wedged against something decidedly soft. He yanked it back like it had burned him.
He gave a nervous chuckle as the sense of déjà vu hit him. "S-Sorry… s'the potions…"
Daphne sniffed. "Must've been the potions that time on the train too. Honestly, it's like you have an obsession, you idiot."
Harry's lips twitched though he didn't reply.
"So… found yourself in the Hospital Wing again?"
"Force of habit."
"I bet," Daphne murmured. "It's like you can't help yourself."
Harry sighed. "I don't do it on purpose, y'know. Sometimes, it's just unavoidable."
"Was this another one of those times?"
"Yeah…"
Daphe's face was blank but he could just about see the storm within those electric blue eyes of hers.
Harry frowned. "Daphne – "
Before he could finish, a light flicked on from Madam Pomfrey's office.
The teens' eyes widened.
"Shit…"
Click-clack, click-clack.
"Quick!" Harry hissed. "Hide!"
But Daphne was seemingly frozen in fear.
"Daphne…?"
The door handle rattled.
"Bloody woman – come here!" Harry grabbed Daphne's arm and yanked her under the covers with him just as the office door creaked open.
"Are you insane?!" Daphne whisper-squeaked in horror, fear, embarrassment and mortification all into one.
"Next time try not to stand like a frozen peacock!"
"Peacock?! "
"Shhh!" he hissed, only for his eyes to widen when Daphne instinctively pressed against him.
It was a single bed after all. Meant for one. Only one.
Harry could feel everything; the press of her large sinful curves, her quickened, warm breath against his throat, her intoxicating scent of jasmine and vanilla.
The shivers that were sent down his spine were maddening.
Curse these hospital gowns… Harry bemoaned internally. Does Poppy always have to remove every bloody stitch of clothing before putting this thing on me?!
He tried to focus on anything else to stave the increasingly difficult task of something in particular from rising but that was turning out to become impossible.
Daphne certainly didn't make things easier for him with all her fidgeting around.
"Stop moving," he pleaded.
"I can't breathe," she whispered back furiously.
" – Then just stop altogether."
Her answer was an elbow jab to the ribs which earned him a quiet grunt.
In sheer desperation, knowing they'd be instantly caught if Daphne continued to squirm around, Harry snaked an arm across her stomach and held her waist, pulling her firmly against him.
Her startled gasp was muffled when he felt her press her lips against his throat and Harry Potter's mind short-circuited.
Holy Merlin's bloody, fucking balls –
" – Hmm… still asleep," Madam Pomfrey murmured from somewhere nearby.
The faint clink of glass beside them made Daphne stiffen and Harry instinctively tightened his grip he had around her narrow hips, pressing her even closer against him.
He regretted that almost instantly.
Eyes widening when a certain body part of his pushed against her stomach, Harry could only shut his eyes as tight as he could, wishing, hoping, that he could somehow spontaneously combust into flames.
He had never been so embarrassed in his life.
Think about Snape… Think about Snape… Think about Snape…
Pomfrey's wand light swept briefly over the bed, illuminating the rumpled sheets and Harry's heart hammered in his chest. For one dreadful second, he was certain the light would catch the edge of the Invisibility Cloak hanging off the mattress or worse, the very obvious outline of another person beside him.
But the light dimmed again.
"Finally resting," the older witch sighed, and a moment later, the sound of retreating footsteps and a closing door left the room in silence.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
"Is she gone?" Daphne whispered, her lips brushing against his throat.
Harry swallowed, feeling lightheaded, he only managed a small nod of his head before peeling off the covers slightly allowing the girl to breathe.
"Air…" she gasped, inhaling deeply before her gaze travelled down to Harry.
Leaning on her elbow, Daphne cocked her head slightly at him, her blonde hair forming a curtain around his face.
"You nearly smothered me to death, Potter."
Despite her annoyed look, her pink cheeks contrasted heavily against her pale face. There was even a teasing glint in her eyes that made it seem like she knew something that he didn't.
"You wouldn't stop fidgeting about." Harry scowled at her, unable to maintain eye contact because much of her chest was in his eyesight.
Daphne blinked, catching his gaze. Seeing as her breasts looked as if they were practically about to spill out, she tried adjusting her gown though it made little difference. Instead, she tilted her nose up in the air, her expression turning haughty.
"It's my night attire."
"That's your night attire?" Harry asked incredulously.
"I could say the same to you. Blue's not really your colour, Hadrian."
"I was forced to wear this, princess."
Despite the insanity of the situation she found herself in, Daphne couldn't help but press upon her advantage.
It was not every day she was one up against a rather flustered looking Harry.
She scoffed. "Vicunã is far too delicate to just sleep in."
Harry's eyes widened at the implication and Daphne smiled widely, her pearly white teeth glinting in the moonlight.
"You're crazy." He mumbled, tilting his head away from her.
Daphne giggled before she fell back onto the bed. "Scoot over a little."
He budged up but that only made Daphne shift closer.
"I meant gimme the pillow."
"It's mine." Harry replied rather petulantly.
"Then what am I supposed to rest my head on?"
"Use your wand to transfigure your hair into a pillow."
Daphne huffed, pinching his thigh.
Harry turned his head to retort but his voice left him when his nose brushed hers.
Their eyes connected.
He could count every single one of her eyelashes, see every small speck of white in her blue eyes.
"Hi," she whispered.
The corners of Harry's lips twitched up. "Hi."
Daphne snaked a hand across his chest and cupped his cheek. "You look tired."
She brushed his fringe out of his eyes and then began to run her hands through his hair and Harry couldn't help his eyes from rolling back.
The way she dragged her nails, scratching at itches and bumps in his scalp that he hadn't even known were there was a different feeling altogether.
"Poppy's drugged me up." Harry murmured, closing his eyes.
"Why?"
Her simple question brought his mind back to the present and as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her, he could only see innocent curiosity and more than a hint of worry in her beautiful features.
"Y-You don't know?"
"Only what the school has been gossiping about."
Harry absentmindedly, let her take his arm and pull it under her head allowing her to rest on it. "What have they been saying."
Daphne half-shrugged. "Most are calling you a dark wizard. Oddly, it's my house that's refuting most of those rumours. 'As if Dumbledore's Golden Boy would ever use dark magic,' stuff like that.
Harry snorted humourlessly as he turned his body to face the ceiling.
"I saw you." Daphne spoke up after a moment.
"Hmm?"
"That night I mean. Leaving the grounds after you destroyed the doors to the castle."
Harry winced. "You saw that?"
"Just you running into the Forest with Dobby on your shoulder."
"Oh. From the – "
" – Seventh Floor. Mmhmm."
Harry turned his head to her. Daphne was making that face that was half a cross between her usual impassive expression and the expression she would usually make when she's annoyed at him.
"Sorry."
She sniffed. "For what."
"Standing you up."
"You'll have to make it up to me."
Harry rolled his eyes but wilted slightly when she glared at him. "Fine. Name your price."
Daphne patted him on the cheek, smirking. "In due time, Potter."
He sighed before looking back at the ceiling. "Splendid."
Another silence settled though this time; it was more relaxed.
"Where did you go?" She asked quietly.
"Bones Manor."
"To save the Minister?"
"To save my sister."
When she didn't reply, Harry chanced a look at her and an expression of understanding appeared on Daphne's face. As if a piece of a puzzle she had been pondering on, had finally connected.
Slowly, Daphne fished out the silver necklace from Harry's neck and held it gently in her hand.
"I've always been curious about this… this is how you knew she was in danger?"
Harry smiled faintly as he held up the image of a small wolf and then a butterfly. "Nymphadora. My mother."
"Blood magic," Daphne murmured appreciatively.
He nodded as she wordlessly tucked the necklace away.
"Is she… is she okay?"
"Mmmm."
Daphne cupped Harry's cheek again and turned his face to her. "What happened?"
And he told her.
He recounted everything that had happened that night and Daphne didn't interrupt. Not even once.
The blonde just listened, her head still resting on his arm and by the time Harry had finished, her legs was tangled with his under the covers.
"Lestrange and Greyback… you killed them, didn't you?"
Harry sighed. "Not just them but yeah."
Daphne's unreadable gaze lingered on his face until she deflated.
"Good."
He blinked.
"You seem lost, Harry."
Harry shook his head. "I thought that – "
" – What? That I'd condemn you for killing the people trying to kill you or your family?" Daphne asked incredulously. "If it had been me and they'd come after Fiona or Astoria… I would've done the same or died trying."
He chuckled unsmilingly.
"Seems as though we're very much alike, Greengrass."
Daphne tilted her, her blonde hair spilling over the sheets as she stared at him curiously. "Granger had her own opinions?"
Harry didn't answer. He didn't have to.
She exhaled softly.
"Unlike your friend, I don't think the world is as black and white as she wants it to be. Though… her opinion is not the minority."
He sighed. "Trust me, she made that plenty clear. And those at the ICW who already hate me will twist it to fit their story. That I'm some unstable kid, reckless with the power I'm set to inherit."
Daphne arched an eyebrow. "So, business as usual?"
That earned her a smirk. "Pretty much."
"You're not a bad person, idiot," she poked him on the ribs. "Hurting those who wish you harm doesn't make you evil. I believe it what's the Muggles call human nature."
"Where'd you learn that?"
Daphne's cheeks pinkened.
"Tracey."
"Ahh," Harry grinned widely, "your romance novel supplier."
Scandalised, she whacked him on the shoulder. "She's not my supplier!"
Harry laughed, properly laughed for the first time in what felt like days. It was strange, how easy it was with her.
If there was one constant in his life, it was always having to defend himself. From enemies, from strangers, and lately, even from those closest to him. Yet here, in this unknown, quiet corner of the world, he didn't feel the need to defend anything.
They stayed like that for a while – jabbing, teasing, laughing softly until a yawn slipped from him despite his best effort to stifle it.
"Sleepy?"
Harry nodded. "Like you wouldn't believe."
"I should go, then." Her smile was small. Too small. He couldn't tell if it was just the dim light, or if it really was tinged with sadness.
"Mmm."
Daphne shuffled, peeling off the covers and Harry was treated to her pale legs, her flimsy dressing gown having ridden up to just about the tops of her thighs.
Seeing his gaze, Daphne reddened before slapping her hands on his eyes. "Don't peak!"
"I wouldn't have to if you'd wore proper clothes," Harry chuckled, holding her wrists loosely.
"Shut up! Now I'm going to move my hands. I'd advise you to keep your eyes closed, Potter."
Harry sighed dramatically, though his lips were twitching. "Alright, alright."
The bed creaked softly as she moved, and then the warmth of her presence faded from beside him.
It felt colder without her there.
He heard the faint rustle of fabric; the whisper of his cloak being lifted from a nearby chair before she spoke again.
"You can open your eyes now."
Harry did so.
There she stood, mostly swallowed by his Cloak, her head the only part of her body that was visible. Her golden hair fell loose over her invisible shoulders and her eyes shone like ethereal stars in the moonlight.
He propped himself up on his elbows. "Planning to steal my cloak again, Greengrass?"
Daphne sniffed haughtily.
"And what if I am?" she challenged primly, clutching the fabric closer to her neck. "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine."
Harry gaped. "I don't think that's how the saying goes."
"Semantics."
This girl…
"So… you'll make up the time you missed from our daily meetings, yes?"
"I just want to remind you that I was occupied – "
" – Double time, then!" Daphne grinned triumphantly.
Harry sighed. "Fine."
"If you're late, we will have more than words, Potter."
"Whatever you say, Greengrass," he said amusedly.
Daphne nodded to herself before her shoulders sagged slightly.
"Goodnight, Harry."
"… Goodnight, Daphne."
The blonde lingered by the side of his bed for a moment before she walked towards the curtains. Looking back at him one last time, she scrunched her nose at him and grinned when he reciprocated and then, she left.
Harry let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding and fell back onto his pillow, staring up at the ceiling.
He could still feel the ghost of her hand in his hair, her voice whispering through the quiet of the Hospital Wing. Twisting in the bed, he buried his nose in his pillow, inhaling her lingering scent.
Like a drug, Harry felt as though he was drowning ever so deeper each time he inhaled it.
A few minutes passed. The wing was silent again, just the faint rustle of curtains swaying with the draft, and the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock. Harry was on the edge of drifting off when he heard it – the soft shuffles of footsteps.
He frowned, opening one eye.
The curtain around his bed shifted slightly, the metal rings sliding across the rod with a faint metallic click.
"Missed me that much already, Daphne? This must be a record."
The blonde appeared again, pulling off his cloak. Her face was a little pale, her breathing indicated she was panicked.
"T-The doors are locked. I-I tried to leave but… they're sealed."
"Just unlock them then."
"I-I can't you prat! Madam Pomfrey will know!"
Harry finally sat up on his elbows and looked at her dumbfoundedly. "So… you're stuck here then…?"
Daphne straightened her spine as if trying to salvage her dignity, but it lasted all of two seconds before she deflated. "Seems that way."
There was a long pause before Harry spoke, his lips curving up slowly.
"Well, too bad. Guess, you'll have to sleep on the floor."
Daphne's jaw dropped.
"You're asking me to sleep on the floor?!" She whisper-exclaimed incredulously. "Have you gone mad?!"
"Well, you can't sleep on the other beds. They're monitored. S'how Poppy keeps track of patients who are in her care. And well, seeing as this is my bed, it only makes sense that I'm the one who sleeps on it."
The Invisibility Cloak fell from Daphne's shoulders as she crossed her arms, involuntarily pushing up her chest, and glared at him hard.
"It's a hospital bed, you dolt. Last time I checked, a hospital bed belongs to everyone."
Harry smirked. "I beg to differ, sweetheart."
He tilted his head towards the end of the bed and Daphne reluctantly followed his gaze and saw on the frame a small golden placard that read: Property of Harry Potter.
She couldn't help but gape at him as he looked back at her smugly. "What…?"
"It's a long story." Harry chuckled.
Daphne narrowed her eyes at him until her expression suddenly smoothed. Her lips quirked up as her eyes became hooded. Her voice then turned soft, but it was embedded with a sultry intent – a promise of trouble.
She placed her hands, and then her knees, alluringly on the bed. The front of her dressing gown slipped even more, showing off enough flesh that would make even someone as strung up as McGonagall blush. Daphne then leaned close, her breath hot against his cheek.
"Don't tell me you're nervous about sharing a bed with a girl, darling?" she purred.
Harry went still. Every nerve in his body seemed to light up at once. Her once lingering scent reappeared full force, wrapping around him like a curse as he struggled to make eye contact. Eventually, he averted them but his eyes then betrayed him.
It traced the line of her throat, down to where her expensive gown had parted scandalously low. Daphne wasn't even trying to hide it. More like she was urging him to look and boy, did he. The way she arched, the slight wobble of her breasts as she inched closer, the impossible curve of her hips…
The girl was a walking distraction.
He felt his pulse in his throat. Every rational thought retreated somewhere far, far away.
This has to be cheating…
With a groan that was half annoyance, half surrender, Harry lifted the covers again.
Like a switch, Daphne's grin bloomed triumphantly. She pinched his cheek with infuriating playfulness before practically diving beneath the sheets beside him. The mattress dipped under her weight as she leaned against him. Pulling the blanket up to her chin, she turned her face toward him, eyes sparkling mischievously.
"Come on then!" Daphne batted her eyelashes deviously.
Harry rolled his eyes amusedly before slipping under the covers and soon, the pair lay on their sides, facing one another.
"You don't snore, do you?" Harry whispered.
He didn't know why his voice was even softer than before. Maybe it was the quiet, or maybe it was because somehow, their closeness felt different from the time before.
"Of course not!" Daphne whispered back indignantly. "Now gimme me the pillow."
He nudged it toward her, watching as she fussed and shifted, searching for a comfortable spot. After several failed attempts and a few muffled grumbles, she gave up. Daphne then proceeded to give him a look that screamed 'fix it' so Harry had to once again, offer up his arm for its services.
"Comfortable?" Harry asked dryly, watching as Daphne pretended that she wasn't totally snuggling up to his chest.
"Could be better… but it'll do." She peaked up at him through her lashes and a small, sleepy smile tugged at her lips.
Harry just shook his head, matching her expression.
"Go to sleep." Daphne murmured.
"You first."
"I can't if you keep talking to me, idiot."
"Unlucky for you, I'm not that tired," Harry lied.
Daphne scrunched her nose adorably before pressing the palm of her hand on his eyes tenderly. Her touch was cool. The kind of touch that slipped past all his defences without asking.
"Sleep, darling."
Harry did.
His body relaxed, the tension bleeding away, and for the first time in what felt like forever, his thoughts quieted. The faint humming of Daphne's voice reached him as if she was casting a spell on him. A spell he wished, in that moment, he could hear every night.
"Thank you…"
"For what," she whispered.
"For… F-Fo…"
Daphne watched him, her heart tugging painfully as his breathing evened out before he could finish his sentence. The hard edges of his face softened in sleep; the burden he always seemed to carry melting away in the dark.
A small, wistful smile curved her lips..
She leaned forward, unable to stop herself as her mind had grown hazy and pressed a featherlight kiss to his cheek.
Once.
Then twice.
Thrice.
How many, she wasn't sure until she pressed another, trailing dangerously close to the corner of his mouth.
Her breath hitched.
It was like that time all over again. That time where she was on his lap after their fight.
It would've happened that day, Daphne knew it, if only they wasn't interrupted but this time, there was no Slughorn.
There was no Cassius or Madam Pomfrey or Dumbledore.
And there was certainly no Hermione Granger.
It was just her and Harry.
Her Harry.
He was hers.
Daphne's lips hovered a hair's breadth from his. If she just leaned in a little more –
She froze. A quiet tremor ran through her chest as she shut her eyes and forced herself back.
Not like this, Daphne, you idiot.
With a soft sigh, Daphne wrapped her arms carefully around Harry's head and brought his face to her chest. Her fingers slid into his hair, combing through it rhythmically, tenderly. He automatically relaxed, unconsciously winding his arm around her waist and she couldn't but sigh contently.
Lips brushing his ear; her voice was barely audible under his soft snores.
"Thank you for coming back to me, you silly boy."
CwD