A/N: A line in bold without quotation marks is something written. Thanks again for all of the favorites, follows and reviews. Also thanks again to my beta Shygui for helping to make this story better. If you want to try a different view on Haphne, go check out the stories of Dorothea Greengrass.
The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself. - Mark Caine
Harry decided that getting prepared for bed early was a good way to be ready for when Daphne contacted him. He pulled the curtains and pondered his day. He'd decided to redo his potions essay as he'd realized that he'd done the minimum necessary due to who the professor was. However, after Daphne's points on trying harder and partly due to her own focus on potions, he decided to do more than the minimum. The catch was doing that required books other than his textbooks.
Talking Percy into taking him to the library was the easy part, he was more than willing to do that. The catch had been that Ron insisted on going even though he'd resisted the idea in the first place. He'd ended up being a distraction with his fidgeting and intermittent searches for something to read. Harry hadn't glared at him as his brother had but it hadn't been easy for Harry to resist joining him. He supposed that Ron was trying to be a good mate but the execution on that was definitely lacking.
Harry brightened when the parchment glowed and Daphne's writing began to appear. He had a book under it and a quill ready so he'd be ready to answer more quickly that day.
Are you there?
Yes. Ready and waiting. Do you have news?
A little anxious are we? Do you have news?
She drew a little smiley face next, which made Harry snicker.
Not much. I decided to redo my potions essay and spent some time in library. I think I did a much better job this time.
That's great Harry! What did you do differently?
I did the minimum required last time because, you know, Snape.
I know. He's not fair to you or any Gryffindor for that matter. He's not great for us either.
Really? He's your head of house, he's supposed to help you!
He's also supposed to teach potions. All he does for us is maintain a library of reference books on potions for us. He hates answering questions. This year one of the first years got homesick and he didn't care. We had to take care of him ourselves.
He's such a git. I don't know how he keeps his job.
Rumour has it that he has embarrassing photos of Dumbledore.
Seriously?
No. Just kidding. What did you add to your essay?
I added more references and put it in context of potion making in general. It might have been done sooner if Ron hadn't come along.
What did he do?
Nothing on purpose. He was just restless and didn't know what to do.
Why did he come then?
To be with me I guess. I wished he hadn't bothered.
Is he holding you back on doing better?
That question gave Harry pause. He wanted to say no but Ron usually fought doing more work so in a way he did.
Maybe.
Then he isn't a good friend. Don't let him stop you. He doesn't seem to stop Granger.
Ha! She wouldn't let him!
Then be like her.
A bossy swot?
What? I thought you liked her?
Harry had a hard time stifling his laughter.
I do. I was kidding too. Got you!
Prat.
Git.
I better get to my news before this goes downhill too far. Did you have anything else before I start?
No. It's your turn.
Good. Grandmother Greengrass came today but I haven't had much time to talk to her. She was busy with mother and then Astoria latched on to her. I'll make sure I get a chance to talk to her tomorrow. I hope to learn more about my grandfather and some Greengrass history.
Who is Astoria?
I didn't tell you that I had a little sister?
No, you didn't.
Sorry. I have a little sister.
I got that part.
She's two years younger than me, she'll join us at Hogwarts next fall.
Do you have any other brothers or sisters?
No, just the one. Since we're both girls that makes things awkward for House Greengrass.
How so?
A woman is treated as a temporary "Lord". I'd be expected to pass the Greengrass name on to a son who would then become Lord Greengrass when he reached adulthood. That is one of the things that would have to be in my marriage contract. It would be even worse if I married an heir.
Your family still uses contracts?
We have to. There's a lot of family business involved, especially for me as heiress.
Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. However, this was still a learning opportunity for him.
How is it more complicated if you marry an heir?
An heir also wants to pass on his name and title. I would have to arrange for the second son to become a Greengrass.
So a contract specifies the number of children?
No, we can't do that. It is only provisions about a second son (or first one) if there is one.
Why is an heiress only a temporary "Lord"?
Because our customs are sexist.
I wondered if you approved of that. I'll take that as a "no".
Brilliant deduction, Harry.
I was going to do a Lockhart impression but I don't want to make myself feel ill right before bedtime.
That is wise.
She drew a smiley face that forced Harry to suppress a laugh.
What if you don't have a son?
Then it would fall to Astoria. If that failed too we have a cousin who'd be next in line. I really don't want that to happen as he's a stupid git and would ruin the family. Father has made sure we know our responsibilities to the family.
Harry wasn't sure what to say. These were all issues that he had never considered.
I have some other news but neither father nor I know what to make of it.
What?
Sirius Black never had a trial.
I suspected that. How is it possible?
His imprisonment was an executive order by Minister of Magic Bagnold. She had emergency powers during the first war. However, as far as father knows that is supposed to be temporary. He still has to investigate that.
I wonder if it's possible he is innocent.
There was a pause before she replied.
I doubt it but I guess without a trial, we don't know for certain.
How could he get a trial?
I'm not sure, I'll have to ask father. Probably the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot could order one.
Isn't that Dumbledore?
Yes.
I wonder why he hasn't.
That's a good question.
Dumbledore again. Harry was beginning to wonder how many things would lead back to that man. Given how much everyone admired him, he wasn't inclined to think ill of the man but he was beginning to wonder.
They were gathering to go down for breakfast and Harry saw Ginny standing alone so decided this might be his chance to see how she was. He observed her carefully as he came nearer and said, "Good morning, Ginny."
Her reaction was not encouraging. Her eyes got big and she took a half step away from him as she mumbled, "Good morning, Harry." She also studiously avoided looking at him so this wasn't going well at all.
"Are you enjoying winter break?"
Again, she took a half step away as she mumbled, "Well enough, thanks." He also noticed a faint blush so maybe she was just shy or maybe she had a crush like Ron thought.
"Maybe we could play gobstones or exploding snap."
Her reaction changed at that. She stiffened, took a larger step away and coolly said, "I don't think that's a good idea."
He was slightly hurt, this isn't what he'd expected at all. "Why not?"
Her voice sounded harder as she just said, "It just isn't."
They were interrupted by Percy. "All right, you lot. Let's get going down for breakfast!"
Harry swallowed his irritation at the interruption and watched Ginny go ahead to be near Percy while Ron came over beside him. Ron asked, "What was that about?"
"I was trying to see if she was alright."
"She's a girl, they get moody. Get used to it, Mate."
Harry didn't feel that it was that simple. However, if Ginny didn't want to be around him, he certainly wasn't going to force his presence on her. Maybe he'd ask Hermione about what to do when she got back. If he needed more immediate advice, he'd ask Daphne.
Ginny Weasley's life had become a nightmare in just one day. The day that McGonagall had announced the restrictions and the fact that there was probably a basilisk in the castle changed everything. Tom really had scared her with his furious reaction. There'd been troubling signs before but nothing like this. It was obvious now and she couldn't make any more excuses. Tom was dangerous and she had to get rid of him somehow.
To her frustration, the newly implemented restrictions seemed designed to make that impossible. The only places she could go were places other students went also. If she tried to hide Tom anywhere she could now get to, someone else might find him. She couldn't do that to someone else, it would be cruel beyond words.
She'd even considered throwing him out the window but that wasn't a good solution. Even if he got lost in the snow for now, somebody could find him on the grounds in spring. She already knew she couldn't burn him in the fire. It hadn't accomplished a thing and her nightmare that night had been horrible. He'd survive the winter and then who else might pay for her stupidity?
She did the only other thing she could think of. She had wrapped him in a jumper and buried him in the bottom of her trunk and tried not to think about him anymore. As if she could do that. Then fate decided to twist the knife that was already in her heart when Harry came to her that morning.
Under other circumstances, she would have welcomed his approach. Well, she would if she could avoid becoming a puddle of hero-worshiping fangirl goo. She tried to be brave but Tom's curiosity about Harry was concerning to her too. She couldn't let Harry get too close until she found a way to get rid of Tom for good. Harry's suggestion of spending time together forced her to push him away. She couldn't take the chance, she couldn't let Harry get hurt because she was an idiot. She already had enough on her conscience as it was. She must have had something to do with Colin and Justin, her nightmares told her so. It was far better for him to hate her or ignore her than for him to come into the reach of Tom.
Daphne woke suddenly in her bed. It was morning so it was probably time to get up but she still had a feeling that something was amiss. As she started to get out of bed she felt something odd down below and pulled the covers away to look at her pyjama bottoms. Gods! There was blood on her pyjamas! She quickly checked the sheets but they seemed untouched. She certainly couldn't say that for her clothing though.
She and her mother had had the discussion about this. She'd had occasional discharges at school so she knew this day would come. She must be having her first period. Wonderful. She shouldn't get dramatic about this though. She'd seen the signs in the upper year girls, she certainly wouldn't be suffering alone. It seemed a little early to her though. She was still about two weeks shy of being thirteen.
She grabbed some clothing and headed for the bathroom. Her pyjama bottoms were a mess but Mipsy wouldn't mind; their house elf liked challenges. She couldn't bear to let anyone else know about this though. Talking to her mother about this development would be bad enough. Then she remembered that Grandma Greengrass was visiting. She was yet another person she'd have to try to fool.
Ow! She had cramps too. Fantastic, literally bloody fantastic. Why her? She padded some paper inside her panties just in case. She had to hide this until she had the proper supplies to handle this. She just had to make it through breakfast before she talked to her mother.
Of course, it became obvious that her mother knew something was wrong. She gave Daphne a curious look but remained, thankfully, silent. On the plus side, her father was absent and Astoria was distracted by their grandmother. Breakfast wasn't too bad.
Her mother was quick to lend her what she needed and promised to get a supply of everything for her. It certainly made her more comfortable, especially the potion to ease her symptoms. The bad moment came when her mother made the remark that some people believed that a girl's first period happened soon after she met the love of her life. Daphne managed to control her reaction and her mother kept on talking about something else. She wasn't sure if her mother had tried to imply something by that or not.
Daphne couldn't believe her good luck. She saw her mother leaving the parlour and when she looked in, there was her grandmother, all alone. What she wanted to know was not some big secret so even if her mother re-joined them, all she needed to do is manage to continue the conversation she was about to start.
"Nana! I've been looking forward to a chance to talk to you."
"I have been anxious to talk to you too, Daphne. Come sit down." Her grandmother patted a place next to her on the couch and Daphne kept up her same smile as she approached. She was wondering what her grandmother wanted to talk about, Daphne might not be able to steer the subject of their conversation as easily as she had hoped.
"Your mother tells me you are a young woman now."
Merlin! Doesn't her mother have a filter at all? This was so embarrassing! "Ummm, yes, I guess..."
"It's a milestone in every woman's life. The monthlies may not be pleasant but mark you as a woman."
As if the only purpose of a woman was to produce an heir. Daphne kept her disgruntlement from her manner. "I suppose. I was really anxious to talk about family history."
"Oh? I'm pleased that you are interested. I'll be glad to talk to you about that. As soon as we finish discussing your young man."
Gods, no. What did her mother say to her grandmother? "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about your new friend, Harry Potter."
Daphne was pretty sure she had blushed and from the amusement in her grandmother's eyes, she had noticed. She felt a moment of panic before she realized her mother could not have revealed too many details due to the promise. Daphne had made that clear in their family meeting. For this conversation, she could work with 'friend' as after all, it was the simple truth. "Yes, it has been a surprising experience. He doesn't know anything about his heritage and I've been helping him with that."
"Yes, your mother was quite pleased that you are friends with the son of one of her friends. She's quite proud of you, you know. I'm proud of you as well. He's from a powerful family and the affiliation won't hurt in the future, will it?"
Daphne wasn't sure how to react as that could be taken two ways, based on what sort of 'affiliation' she meant. "I suppose there might be an advantage to the family but that is only a part of it. We have a real friendship."
"Of course, a real friendship is important in itself, as are other relationships."
That was the moment that Daphne realized that she would have to endure a very uncomfortable conversation before she could get to the subject of her interest. Sometimes being in a Slytherin family wasn't as easy as she would like.
Daphne was gathering her thoughts before writing to Harry. She had no intention of mentioning the highly embarrassing conversation her grandmother had started. She understood her grandmother's interest in her life but it had all become so awkward. It was also nice that she approved of their friendship but she could have done without the queries about more than that even though her grandmother signalled approval of such a thing occurring.
OK, maybe the relationships between her grandparents and parents had both started with friendships. However, that didn't mean that her first male friend had to become more than a friend, did it? The odd conversation with her father hadn't helped either.
Her grandmother had spoken to her father when he returned and then he had summoned Daphne to his study later. It had started with news of two new investigations he was starting. After that though it reminded her a little of her initial conversation with her grandmother, in a word, awkward.
Father had spoken of things in generalities but she began to wonder if he was contemplating a familial alliance with the Potters. Then she wondered if he was speaking of a marriage. It had all been vague enough so she could resist looking like a tomato but the implied approval of such a development made her feel a little warm.
She was so not talking to Harry about that. She wouldn't be able to face him again. She decided that thinking in circles like this was accomplishing nothing other than wasting time. She needed to write to her friend and she was more than ready to start.
Are you ready?
Of course. Who goes first?
I'll go first this time.
This was it, best to start with what she'd learned from her grandmother.
I was finally able to talk to my grandmother about family history. I learned a lot but for now I'll restrict it to what you may interested in. It seems my grandfather had been indirectly approached several times about supporting Voldemort. He managed to turn them all aside without saying the word 'no' even though that is what he meant. They probably thought he might be a supporter as the faction my father heads didn't exist then and my grandfather had some common interests with the conservative faction even though he wasn't a formal part of it. My grandfather wanted no part of becoming a Death Eater. He was also approached by Dumbledore but elected not to get involved with him either.
Anyway, grandfather died of Dragon Pox just after I turned three and I don't remember him. That is when my father took over the lordship, over a year after Voldemort fell. It was a relatively peaceful time for him to take over. Father eventually chose his own course and formed the faction that he leads to this day. He divides his time between the family business and his political responsibilities.
I also had a short talk with father. Father doesn't fully trust Dumbledore but he wants his side to win. The return of Voldemort would eventually mean ruin for the family. What I'm trying to say, Harry, is that although father won't want to come out formally on one side or the other, he wants your side to win. He indicated that he's willing to do things other than this investigation about Sirius Black if they are needed. You have support from the Greengrass family, not just me. Well, you might want to watch out for Astoria for a while, she blames you for the recent stress in the family. By the way, that's better now. Mother and Father are acting normally around each other again. It seems to have blown over.
Do you think disclosing some information would help about Astoria?
Daphne smiled, thinking about how open and generous Harry was. Then she pondered his suggestion, it had possibilities.
Perhaps later we can consider that but until next fall it won't really matter. There's no reason to rush into anything. It might help to disclose that we're friends but I'm not inclined to tell her any more than that. I'd have to swear her to secrecy first though.
Anyway, I have two more things to tell you that are more interesting. Father is going to investigate if your placement with those Muggles was authorized or not. It seems your parents' will was sealed and he has no idea if their wishes were followed or not. There was no Wizengamot ruling on the matter so he finds it rather suspicious. The second thing is he finally has made progress in his investigation of the Chamber of Secrets being opened before. He thinks he has found someone who was at Hogwarts back then and wants to see what he knows. He hasn't had a chance to arrange a meeting with that man yet though.
She paused a moment but no writing from Harry appeared. She decided to prompt him.
That's all I had. Do you have news?
Now she was concerned, Harry was not responding.
Harry?
Yes, sorry I was thinking again.
She stifled a giggle but then she sobered as she realized that was a good thing, He was considering things more and that put a different sort of smile on her face.
You're right, those are both interesting subjects. Does he know who sealed the will?
Not yet. I'll give you news when I know.
There was another pause before he began again.
It was a very quiet day on my end. I do have one funny story though. The twins did their 'Heir of Slytherin' thing again and it had Ron and me laughing. They had to stop though because Ginny got real upset about it.
That gave Daphne an uneasy feeling she wasn't comfortable with.
Does she have a crush on you?
I'm not sure. This summer she acted like it but since we've gotten to Hogwarts I'm not sure anymore.
When did you see her this summer?
After Ron and the twins rescued me from the Dursleys.
She narrowed her eyes at the parchment. If he thought that she'd settle for that little bit of information, he had another thing coming.
Why did you have to be 'rescued'?
There was another long pause, which caused Daphne's scowl to deepen.
They blamed me for what happened to their big business dinner.
Don't beat around the bush, Potter. What did they do to you?
After a pause, his writing began again.
They locked me in my room and locked Hedwig in her cage. I got almost nothing to eat for days.
Daphne felt her anger rise. She felt hot and wanted to hex them so badly. She took deep breaths as she tried to control her rage. She was going to share this with her mother. Those foul Muggles would never see Harry again much less touch a single hair on his head!
Could we talk about some spells you could teach me?
She sighed and realized that drawing this out wasn't going to help a thing. She did want to help him with spells also so she replied.
Do you know about Expelliarmus?
If Harry hadn't been concerned about drawing Ron's attention to him, he'd have pounded his head against a bedpost. He was such an idiot! He was the one who brought up the Dursleys that time! His feeling of stupidity was countered by the rest of their conversation though. He had a whole family helping him now and Daphne had given him some good tips on some spells to practice.
He sighed as he put away his things. Despite the odd awkward moment, he was truly grateful for meeting Daphne. Who would have thought that a Slytherin could have had such a positive impact on his life? He would never have dreamed of such a thing.
Harry was blasted out of his dreams by one of the worst and the absolute loudest sound he had ever heard in his life. His awakening was so sudden that he blinked in confusion and tried to figure out where he was and what the hell was going on. Ron exclaiming and falling out of bed in an attempt to get up solidified his knowledge of where he was. Now for the 'what is going on' part.
He opened the door into the hallway and squinted momentarily in the brighter light. He heard multiple stomping footsteps approaching from above and since the awful sound was coming from below, he entered the hall and began running down in front of whoever was behind him. The sound was getting worse so he covered his ears. He emerged into the common room and the twins and Ron arrived just behind him while Percy arrived a moment later. Harry looked towards the stairs to the girls' dorms but didn't see anyone.
The sound was coming from the doorway but he saw no cause for the sound. Although everyone was covering their ears, the twins were cheerfully shouting things to each other that Harry couldn't make out. Harry decided to try a finite to save whatever hearing they had left when he realized that in his haste to see what was going on, he had forgotten his wand.
He relaxed when he saw that Percy had his wand but was disappointed when the boy's attempts to silence whatever it was failed and Percy had to resume covering his ears. Harry then saw a dishevelled Ginny emerge from her side to join them in the common room.
The sound suddenly stopped and as Harry slowly lowered his hands from his ears, it was so quiet he wondered if he was deaf. The next moment, a very angry McGonagall entered the room and glared at the Gryffindors. Harry was so intimidated that he took a step back even though he was already on the other end of the common room from his irate head of house.
Her furious voice cracked across the room. "Who tried to leave the tower?!"
For a moment, Harry gaped at her then he turned back to look at his house mates. Ron looked completely baffled, Percy seemed annoyed while the twins were using their innocent looks. Ginny was as white as a sheet.
Harry turned back in time to see McGonagall glare at the twins and shout "Fred and George Weasley, you are in serious trouble!"
The twins went into incredulous denials that overlapped each other and became a rather incoherent mess. Their current distress seemed to have affected their normal twin-speak. When they wound down under her glare, Harry meekly offered his observation.
"Erm, Professor, they errr... came out behind us in the stairway. They were in their dorm just like us."
McGonagall's glare transferred to Harry and if Ron wasn't already right behind him, he would have taken another step back. He really did not like being on the receiving end of one of her glares. Her face slowly softened before she asked him, "Nobody was in the common room when you arrived?"
Harry shook his head. "No, professor."
She aimed a suspicious look at the twins who quickly threw up their hands and shook their heads no. McGonagall huffed then turned around to examine the doorway. She cast a couple of spells but didn't seem to get any helpful results. She turned back to them with a look of confusion.
"I have been sealing the door at curfew and unlocking it just before the great hall is opened for breakfast. What you heard is a caterwauling charm that goes off if the door is disturbed. If none of you tried to open the door, something else must have disturbed it."
After a moment of thought, she continued. "Perhaps it was Peeves."
She then restored some of her former glare and looked at the twins. "Let this be a warning to you. Do NOT attempt to leave this tower during the night. It will not end well for you. Understood?"
Harry said yes as he heard everyone else agree. Harry definitely didn't want to experience anything more like this ever again. Once was more than enough.
It took Harry a while to get back to sleep so he slept in a bit and saw that Ron had done the same. They prepared for the day and found Percy waiting for them in the common room. The twins arrived next and before anyone could get restless, Ginny arrived too. To Harry, she looked slightly more composed than last night but he still thought he could see some distress. Given that the events of last night had been rather alarming, he shrugged that off as normal.
When Percy started to lead them out, Harry pondered what would have happened if the basilisk was the one trying to get in. Although two of them had stones he hadn't brought his down and although Percy had his wand at least, he'd seen no trace of his stone. The whole lot of them could have been dead. Harry concluded that all of them should have stones. There weren't that many students left and Dumbledore should have no problem producing more of them.
The headmaster was not present in the great hall when they arrived so Harry began breakfast as usual. Harry saw the headmaster enter but decided to wait until Dumbledore had had a chance to settle down in his seat before approaching him. After Dumbledore's rather curious greeting, Harry began what he had planned.
"Professor, I was thinking that all of us left here should have a stone and keep it with us at all times."
"Does this have anything to do with your rude awakening last night?"
Harry felt a slight blush as he responded. "Yes. I forgot my stone and Percy was nearly the last one to the common room. If the basilisk had broken in, we'd all be dead."
"I see, a most enlightened but disturbing observation, Harry. I agree, I will have stones ready for everyone at lunch. In the meantime, be on your guard."
Harry showed him his stone and Dumbledore smiled and nodded at him. "Very good, Harry. Was there anything else?"
"No, Sir. That's all. I'll leave you to your breakfast."
Harry noticed a hostile stare from Snape but ignored him.
At lunch, McGonagall delivered stones to each of them except Harry and Percy. He noticed that the stones were rather colourful and that the one she gave Ginny was a rather bright pink. He also noticed that her reaction was different from everyone else's. Ron had seemed curious about his while the twins immediately began examining theirs with smiles and whispered comments to each other. Ginny, on the other hand, looked a bit ill and didn't even attempt to touch hers. He found that odd as he'd expected her to be reassured by having her own protection.
He didn't think more about it until they were getting up when he noticed her quickly grabbing it and then hearing what sounded like a stone bouncing on the floor. It wasn't loud compared to the commotion of all of them getting up but he was the closest to the sound and noticed. Harry paused and waited until Ginny was out of earshot as she hurried to catch up with Percy.
Ron had halted a few steps away and was looking at Harry perplexedly. "Hang on a moment, Ron. I dropped something."
He put his head between the bench and the table and was able to spot the lurid pink stone. She had deliberately dropped it and he couldn't imagine why. He had to shift over but was able to reach it and slipped it into his pocket before hurrying to catch up. Ron followed without comment.
Harry and Ron had just started discussing Quidditch on a couch in the common room when they were startled to hear a rooster crow. They looked over towards the twins who seemed delighted. Percy burst from the table where he'd been setting up for studying to come over and admonished his brothers.
"What is wrong with you two? Those are for protection, they aren't toys for your amusement!"
"Why not both…"
"One for amusement…"
"And one for protection."
One of them gestured towards the rooster now looking around curiously and the other held up his stone.
Percy groaned and then shook his head in mock despair. "You two get to clean up after him."
The twins suddenly looked at each other with curiosity. "Do conjured animals do that?"
"One way to find out."
"What can we feed him though?"
"We'll find something. A sickle says they do."
"You're on."
Harry looked at Ron as he returned the astonished look. Suddenly Ron burst out laughing. He gasped out, "Only the twins," while he was recovering.
.
Harry was ready and waiting when the parchment glowed.
Are you ready to start, Harry?
Yes. Who goes first?
You.
OK, we had a weird experience last night. Something set off a caterwauling charm on the door to our tower and McGonagall couldn't figure out what it was. She was sealing our door and put the charm on it to let her know if anyone tried to leave. I reckoned we could have all been dead if it had been the basilisk breaking in. Dumbledore agreed and now we all have stones. Well, except for the twins, they figured they only needed one between them.
Let me guess, you went racing down the stairs without your stone to see what it was?
Busted.
I swear I won't do that again!
Harry, you have to start thinking ahead a little more. Control your reactions and emotions and focus on the essentials. Don't get distracted by irrelevancies and absolutely don't focus on what your enemies want you to think about.
I'll try.
Let me give you an example. My favourite definition of cunning is 'the art of concealing our own defects, and discovering other people's weaknesses'. Everybody has weaknesses, even Voldemort. All you can do is make your weaknesses stronger or less obvious. Learn about your enemies, know them better than your friends if you can.
Wow. That's a lot to take in.
It's important, though.
I know and I swear I'll try.
Good. I'm not expecting miracles though, you are a Gryffindor.
Harry paused, expecting a smiley face but none came.
Are you teasing me?
What do you think?
Harry wasn't sure but he really hoped it was teasing. He stifled a snicker when she drew the smiley face.
I have a stone for you when you get back.
There was a pause before her answer.
Thank you, Harry. That's really thoughtful.
He was very glad nobody could see his blush.
By the way, in case you are curious it seems conjured animals eat, drink and well, they do the other end too.
I don't think I want to know how you found that out.
Actually it was the twins, they were curious.
That's all I care to know.
It was Harry's turn to draw the smiley face.
Do you have any other news?
I practiced the spells you told me about. I got Expelliarmus working so well that Ron won't practice with me anymore. He said he was tired of losing his wand.
Well done, Harry! Anything else?
Not really. I was hoping you had news.
Not much. Father has an appointment to meet with the man in a couple of days. He verified that the man was a seventh year when it happened and he does know about what happened.
Good. Anything else?
He found out who sealed the will. It was Dumbledore.
Dumbledore again. This was past being a coincidence and becoming a pattern.
"Harry! Presents!"
Harry jerked awake at the sound of Ron's excited voice. Ok, he was curious about his gifts too but did they really have to start so early? He briefly considered trying to go back to sleep but he then decided that it was useless. It wouldn't be easy even if it was quiet and quiet is not something you got from an enthusiastic Ron Weasley.
He yawned and stretched as he sat up and looked at Ron with a smile as he ripped through his presents excitedly. He briefly wondered about going down and looking for Percy or Ginny to share gift opening but quickly discarded that idea. Ron certainly wasn't waiting and he didn't really want to see Percy. Ginny would have been nice except he wasn't sure she would want to see him. Her recent behaviour had him rethinking the idea that she had a crush on him as it didn't seem like that to him. The twins would be busy doing something and it was probably better for him not to know what.
What was tempting was to write to Daphne but he decided to defer that. Besides, there was probably something from her in that pile of gifts he could barely see over the end of his bed. As he scooted closer, he realized this was the best haul he'd ever gotten. It still fell short of Dudley's expectations but he didn't want to be like Dudley at all. Ever.
First he found a large tin of treacle toffee from Hagrid. He peered in at them and wondered how hard they were. Then a very small envelope caught his eye. It was a toothpick and a note from his Uncle suggesting that he find somewhere else to stay for the summer too. Why did they bother sending anything? Then it occurred to him that maybe they were given a way to send a gift to him and felt obligated to send something. He'd have preferred that they didn't bother.
Next he discovered what might be a small book and saw that it was from Neville. Harry suspected what the book was about but there was only one way to find out so he opened it. He saw a smallish but elegantly bound leather book with gold lettering for the title "A Pureblood Gentleman's Guide to Etiquette". He nearly snorted at the pompous title but his amusement faded as he realized he had to learn about this. He decided to look up the greetings that Neville and Daphne had used, he really wanted to surprise her by doing the same thing as Neville. As he pored through the book he quickly discovered that it was much more complicated than he had imagined.
He saw that the greetings just between a male and female varied by age, status, relative status between them and even whether or not they were courting! This was starting to look more like an ordeal than a learning experience! He went through it trying to find exactly which variant they had used and decided that it was a greeting between sub-adult high status people who were equal in rank and not courting. Bloody hell.
He pondered if this was appropriate for Daphne and himself and decided that it was. He certainly wasn't courting Daphne and he felt a blush just from the thought of it. She had made it clear that Neville and he were the same rank so it seemed right to use this. How was he supposed to get the angle of the bow right though? He sighed and just decided to try his best to imitate what Neville had done.
He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard Ron ask with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, "What's that book about?"
Harry saw the remains of Ron's gifts and was amused to see that Ron was already chewing on one of the chocolate frogs he'd given him. Well, probably from him, somebody else may have given him the same treat.
Harry held up the book and Ron squinted at it momentarily before his face contorted into a look of mild disgust. "Bloody Hell, Harry. Who gave you that? That's the nonsense that Great Aunt Muriel likes. You don't want that!"
"Actually, I do. I asked Neville about how he greeted Daphne and he said he'd have a surprise for me. I'm guessing this is the surprise."
Ron grumbled unintelligibly when he bit into another of his treats. He got up and declared, "Suit yourself, Mate. We should look into getting outside after breakfast. Have some fun."
"Maybe later. I still have a lot of gifts to look through."
Ron paused on his way to the loo and looked incredulously at Harry's unopened pile of presents. He gave Harry a baffled look but just shook his head silently and went on his way.
When Harry looked down for the next gift he saw a note that he had missed in the wrappings from Neville's gift. He quickly retrieved it and almost immediately grinned when he read it.
Hello Harry (or should I say Heir Potter ha ha)
Don't worry too much about all of the details in the book. Just remember the general forms and try to be nice to everyone and you'll be fine. Well, you don't have to be nice to Malfoy (ha ha). Gran has been going on about her New Year's party but I'm not looking forward to it. Have some fun with Ron for me, Mate. I'll be stuck with a lot of kids I barely know and usually don't even like. I wish I could have stayed with you and Ron. See you soon.
His smile faded and he began to wonder if Neville's home life might resemble his own more than he thought. He knew first hand that relatives don't necessarily want or like you and his grandmother had looked rather formidable wearing that ghastly vulture hat. He suppressed a shudder just at the memory. He'd have to be extra nice to Neville when he got back. He wouldn't give a hint of pity though, he felt that Neville wouldn't like it any more than he did.
He really wanted something to lift his spirits next and spotted a bulging gift that must be from Mrs. Weasley. He ripped it open and sure enough, he had a new jumper. He also noticed a medium-sized separate package that turned out to be a plum cake. His mouth began to water just thinking about it but he forced himself to put it aside. He wanted something to look forward to.
He then went through a series of smaller gifts that were all candy, including one from Ginny. However, when he got some from the twins he blanched and put them in a separate pile. He wasn't sure he wanted to even touch those any more than he had to. Then he found a gift from Hermione that turned out to be a calligraphy set. Apparently she felt the same way as Daphne about his penmanship.
Next he spotted two gifts bound together in a really brilliant ribbon. It was a sparkly green that reminded him of the Slytherin colours and sure enough, they were from Daphne. Now his excitement built up quickly and he ripped open the smaller gift on top and found two more books. One was thin but larger in height and width and he blushed when he saw it was a workbook for improving penmanship. He glared at it momentarily but then decided that even if it was a gag gift, he ought to try it out. He was still embarrassed about how his writing compared to hers. The other was thicker but smaller and it had a strange title: "The Mind Arts Book 1: Occlumency". What the hell was Occlumency?
He then noticed a note sticking out of the top of the book and he pulled it out and opened it. He blushed when he read the greeting on the note in Daphne's elegant script.
Dear Harry,
I bet you are wondering what Occlumency is. My parents taught me and also gave me a copy of this book. You will find it useful for three reasons. First, it can help you control your emotions. It might even make you less impulsive (just kidding, ha ha). Second, it can protect your mind from those that know another of the mind arts, Legilimency. Be warned that both Dumbledore and Snape are very accomplished in that art and can read your thoughts and memories if you don't protect them. If you value your privacy as much as I think you do, you will learn Occlumency as quickly as you can. I can help you if you need it too. Last, it can help you organize your mind and memories. Father claims it can give you total recall of all your memories if you do it right. I haven't gotten that far but I am trying.
Again, I encourage you to become the man I believe you can be. Don't let anyone discourage you from doing your best at everything. Your enemies will take advantage of any weaknesses you don't work on. Don't let it be easy for Voldemort to win.
Your friend,
Daphne
Harry felt like he was stunned. He didn't even consciously register Ron getting dressed and departing from the dorm. It wasn't so much the revelations about Legilimency, although that did concern him greatly, it was the feelings that seemed to be behind her note. She really cared and it felt like a whole new world had opened to him. He also believed every word of her last paragraph. He can't sit around waiting for Voldemort to do something, he had to prepare. He had to become this man that Daphne thought he could be. Harry carefully refolded the note and dug his photo album out of his trunk and saved it behind one of the photos. It was now part of his most precious possessions.
When he got back on the bed he realized that he hadn't even opened the larger of the gifts from Daphne and wondered what else she had in store for him. He opened it carefully as he wanted to savour this time that he was now so grateful for. He was surprised to see beautiful green cloth. It seemed to sparkle faintly in the light. He carefully extracted it and realized it was a very high quality shirt that felt unbelievably soft in his hands. He looked down into the package and saw something totally black. He then pulled out some impossibly smooth and soft pants. Together, they would not only be the finest clothes he'd ever worn, they'd be the finest that he'd ever seen in his life. Is this how she saw him? As a man who could wear such clothing and not seem like a pretender?
Suddenly, he had to see himself in these clothes and hurriedly got dressed in them. He hesitantly approached the mirror, not sure if he'd look like he belonged in such clothes. His first impression was disappointment. He was still just a skinny kid but then he took a closer look. He really did look good in these clothes. Something about this shirt seemed to make the colour of his eyes more obvious. In fact, his eyes and this shirt seemed to be the exact same colour! How had she done that? The shirt and pants fit him like they'd been tailored specifically for him. Was it some resizing charm or something? How could this be?
He stared at his reflection and tried to imagine himself in the future. Could he be that strong, that competent? Then he felt some determination fill him. Yes. No other answer was acceptable. The answer had to be YES!