Chapter X: Something Precious to Protect
(Harry P.O.V)
Harry hadn't managed to sleep a wink, his eyes unable to be moved from the roof of the Fifth Year boy's dormitory. Images of Tom Riddle's mother flashing in his head, her abuse, her ensnaring of Voldemort's father through love potion, her death at the orphanage. It all felt too uncomfortable to believe, Voldemort was a monster, and to believe somebody like him had parents was a difficult situation to grapple with, to say the least.
Anchors, Harry had wished that Dumbledore had more time to discuss what he meant by anchors, but the words haunted him. The ring that had supposedly cursed the Headmaster's hand, and the diary that reeked of foul magic, foul magic that had felt oddly familiar, it sent shivers down his spine. It was clear that Voldemort had created multiple anchors to this world, and yet, they had no idea how many.
Slughorn knows, Harry whispered in his mind, That's why Dumbledore brought him back, he knows how many there are, and yet, he won't share the secret. But if we don't destroy all of them, then Voldemort can be brought back, even if I do manage to kill him once. Harry sighed, If I go for the direct approach, I'll fail. But he wants me to be a member of his Slug Club. If I play along, if I can butter him up enough, then maybe, I can find out the truth.
The lighting of the room had shifted and morning had come. Dumbledore had given Harry the first class off, as their research had gone long into the night, but he hadn't been able to take advantage of the situation regardless. There were so many questions, and he had so little answers. Harry rose from his bed, his back cracking as he stretched before he headed towards the shower, the warm water relaxing his exhausted frame.
Harry had no sooner toweled off before another disturbing thought entered his brain. Dumbledore had claimed his meetings would be far less frequent, as the Headmaster was dedicated to retrieving more information from the outside world, and while Harry normally wouldn't have cared, with Snape and Malfoy acting so differently, the lack of Dumbledore's presence left the castle feeling far more dreary than ever before.
It's up to me, Harry said with a tremble in his hand. "You're weak, Harry Potter," The voice of Voldemort which haunted his memories hissed out. Harry had hated to admit it, knowing that Dumbledore was there, for all his faults, knowing that the one man Voldemort feared was on his side had done wonders for Harry's confidence. But now, he knew the truth, Voldemort was his to finish, and his alone. A thought that had once excited him, now left him feeling numb.
The world needed a Dumbledore. Maybe they didn't know the truth, maybe they were unaware of the man's manipulative nature, but all the same, Dumbledore symbolized power, he was the symbol of peace for the wizarding world, and despite all his training, Harry knew, he knew better than anyone that he was not ready to fill the man's shoes. The problem was, now he didn't have a choice.
"Please, Harry," Dumbledore had whispered to him, "Don't let anyone know, if even a whisper of my weakened condition somehow spreads, the chaos could quickly become uncontainable." Harry swallowed hard, shaking the thought from his head as he dressed quickly, running the gel through his hair to hold it back.
The grumbling of his stomach had caused him to work double-time as he threw his book bag over his shoulder, his eyes set on the doorway which descended down into the common room where the kaleidoscopic eyes of Astoria waited for him. "Harry, are you okay? You left for Dumbledore's office, and I was waiting for you to come back, but-"
"I'm alright Astoria, it looks like Dumbledore took the stick out of his ass and is actually trying to help me now," Harry let out a disappointed breath, "I just wish he'd have done it sooner." Astoria nodded as Harry forced a smile to his face, "Come on, let's get some breakfast, long day ahead of us. You're a third-year now though, what electives did you choose."
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," Harry squinted at the little Gryffindor's reply as she chuckled, "Look, I know divination is worthless, but it's an easy O, and with everything else we have to be working on this year, I'd rather not be drowning in more coursework than necessary."
Harry nodded in agreement as the two walked down towards the Great Hall, their knowledge of secret passageways cutting their travel immensely as they arrived before the double doors of the hall, a rather irritated Daphne waiting before them. Harry had even had a chance to speak before Daphne approached him with her wand, "Your vitals seem normal, and your pupils aren't dilated, it doesn't look like you were drugged. Michael can tell if your magic seems-"
"Hey, Princess," Harry said, grabbing her hand, pushing her wand down, "I'm fine, I promise. Nothing dangerous happened last night, all Dumbledore did was share some information he'd collected over the summer with me regarding Voldemort. It took a while to view the memories, but the point is, he didn't do anything crazy, okay?"
Daphne hardly looked satisfied, but nodded begrudgingly, "I still don't trust him, I probably never will after last year." Harry nodded in understanding before Daphne's expression shifted back to her neutral state, "Anyway, did you learn anything important?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, but sharing them here in public view isn't the greatest idea. I'll share with you guys everything I learned, but I can't do it here." Once again a reluctant nod was the only reply he'd gotten from his girlfriend before he whispered back, "See anything weird about Draco last night?"
"Maybe," Daphne whispered, "He went out for his patrol, but he came back twenty minutes later than scheduled, he might have just had to discipline some first-year sneaking around the castle, but after what we saw in Defense Against the Dark Arts yesterday, I can't say with confidence that's the case."
Harry nodded, as he squeezed Daphne's hand, "Just keep your guard up around him, he's not the same as before, okay?"
"Normally I'm the one that has to worry about you," Daphne said with a gentle smile, "This is certainly a nice change of pace." Daphne's grin vanished, however, as Harry felt his world sink beneath her gaze, "I wasn't sure when to tell you this, but Cho is looking for you, she tried to catch you after dinner but you had gone to go see Dumbledore. She says she just needs to ask you a question. I think she'd up in the owlery, overheard Edgecomb saying she spends a lot of time up there."
Harry swallowed as he placed a soft kiss upon his girlfriend's forehead, "After our dinner patrol, let's meet up at the Room of Requirement. Tell Michael, Neville, and everyone, okay? Hopefully, I'll be back before breakfast is over. If I'm late to potions, just makeup something believable, I'll explain why later, but I really need the man to like me." Daphne nodded, and Harry took off, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, as once more he ascended the castle towards the feather-filled owlery.
There's only one thing Cho would want to ask me about, Harry thought to himself as he climbed the rotating stairs. She has the right to ask, Harry thought to himself morosely, if Merlin forbid it had been Daphne, I'd want to know everything as well. Harry calmed himself as the merry hooting of the owls broke the silence. There she was, her back turned exposing her shimmering and glossy black hair to him as she fed the owls from the treat basket that hung in the center of the room. "Cho?" Harry whispered out.
The girl jumped, turning to face him. Her eyes were red, and while the girl still looked quite beautiful, Harry knew instantly that her makeup had been running for a while. "H-Harry," She blurted out, wiping her eyes furiously, "Sorry, I just, I didn't know you were coming."
"Daphne told me you were looking for me," Harry said gently as he entered the room, "I kind of assumed that you wanted to talk about-"
"Please don't say his name," Cho said, her eyes looking away in fright, "I can't keep myself together when I hear it. I-" Harry watched slowly at the girl's trembling, "Sorry, I know that you must not want to talk about it either. You were there, after all, I-"
"It's fine, Cho," Harry said softly, "Whatever it is you want to know, I'll tell you whatever I can."
Cho's eyes sunk, her breathing shallow as she whispered, "I just want to know one thing. Did he, did it hurt when he-" Cho's hands had clenched tightly into fists, "Did he go peacefully? When you guys came back, his face looked so full of pain. Every night I can't help but wonder about what happened to him. Everyone just tells me he was a hero, and it gets me so angry. It's like what you said at his funeral, everyone gave him so much shit for supporting you, and now they act like they cared about him the whole time. I can't trust any of them but I need to know, please Harry, I need to know."
"No," Harry whispered back, "He didn't. The killing curse is swift, and he died instantly, but it wasn't peaceful." Tears raced down Cho's cheeks as Harry stood before her, a numbness overtaking his heart. "Before he died, he tried to fend off the Death Eaters by himself. I couldn't help him because at the time I was incapacitated by Voldemort. He was forced to suffer under the torture curse of Bellatrix Lestrange. Even if Cedric had returned alive, there's a chance he may have suffered permanent damage."
"I tried to be a hero, Cho, I really did," Harry said with a sigh, "But I wasn't the one who saved someone. Cedric protected both Fleur and me in the maze, and he gave his life to ensure Fleur was capable of returning safely. So when the people tell you he went out like a hero, they weren't lying, but you deserve to know what happened to him."
Cho grabbed him, hugging him tightly as she cried. Harry had stood there unmoving, despite the gentle rubbing of the sixth-year Ravenclaw's back. "He cared about you though Cho. You should know that he wanted to come back and be with you more than he cared about that stupid trophy. During the second task, when we had to retrieve somebody from the bottom of the lake, it wasn't just somebody random. It was designed to be somebody that we would sorely miss, for Cedric, that person was you, Cho."
Cho's deep brown eyes stared back up at him as Harry tried his best comforting smile, "He wouldn't have wanted to see you like this. Hiding away from everybody, crying every time his name is mentioned. He'd want you to live, he'd want you to be strong, he'd want you to keep your hope alive, and he'd beat the shit out of me if I let you keep falling into despair like this." Harry looked down at the Ravenclaw, the two now separated as she wiped her eyes furiously. "I don't know much about your relationship with Cedric, but I know that I miss him too. He was one of the few people that I looked up to, he was a person that I want to be more like. He always knew what to say, he always knew just what to do. And I know that he'd want us to honor his memory, rather than mourn his death. He's at peace now, there's no need to pity the dead."
Silence filled the room for a moment as Harry's eyes locked with Cho, before the girl nodded, "Thank you, Harry, for telling me what happened. I know that must not have been easy for you and-"
"It's okay, Cho," Harry said.
The girl nodded, "Thank you," she whispered before with a soft smile, the first one that Harry had seen from the girl in a while, she left the owlery.
Harry sat back, sliding down against the stone wall as he placed his fingers to his temple, Being the new symbol of peace, he shook his head as the image of the Headmaster formed in his head, Perhaps I need to give you more credit, Albus, I have no idea how you handled all this for so many years. Harry's string of thought had been disrupted quickly, however, as an owl soared over his head, dropping a letter into his hands before taking his place on a wooden perch. Harry's eyes glanced down at the letter, the sloppy penmanship looking eerily familiar as he read the word, Black.
Without a second to waste, he ripped open the envelope, desperately in need of good news, and what he saw in the envelope had delivered it beyond his imagination. A picture now rested in his hands. Depicting one Emmeline Black, laying in a bed, dressed in a hospital gown with Sirius at her side, and a tiny baby with bright purple eyes and thin wisps of black curly hair atop his head. "Say hello to your nephew Harry, born September First at 11:59 P.M., James Regulus Black."
(Michael P.O.V)
Michael's eyelids had begun to droop as he turned another page of the book before him. Magical Mechanisms The Difficulty of Incorporating Magic into the Muggle World. Michael sighed as he pulled his head back, the writings of the author only leaving him further discouraged by every sentence, as known information regarding the combining of magic and mechanics was already quite scarce, and the author of this book seemed to have a deep sense of superiority. "As it is most well known, muggles, due to their uninspired levels of intelligence, have not created material strong enough to continually withstand coursing magic. Even steel, a product muggles tout for its durability only last mere moments under the tremendous weight of our power."
Michael groaned as he slammed his forehead into the textbook, God this is impossible, he muttered to himself as he looked up at the dome-like roof, even if I could find an alloy strong enough to withstand the magic pulses, there is no way to manufacture enough of it. I'd need to use an already present magical metal, and even then, the cost would be astronomical, if they even exist at all. Michael was snapped out of his haze by the sound of familiar voices ringing out in the distance, "I'm telling you, George, it's absolute horseshit. How are we ever going to stand a chance against Voldemort if Snape hardly gives us a chance to get better without giving every single person who isn't a Slytherin a hard time?"
"Maybe that's what he wants Fred," George hissed, "He's probably writing love letters to Voldemort after every class. Honestly, how hard it is to get a good teacher, Moody was great and then he quit. I know he did it to join the Order, but still."
"Apparently he trained Harry all summer," Fred whispered out as the two entered the library, "Maybe we can ask him to pass on anything he's learned. I mean, I heard he disarmed Snape without even touching his wand."
"If he did, I might actually be a bit upset with him for hiding his skills from us. I mean-," George stopped as Michael felt the twins' eyes fall upon him, "Well look what we have here Freddy, one of our little proteges."
"Indeed we do," Fred said, the twins quickly taking a seat on either side of Michael, "Surprised to see you in the library, Corner."
"The same could be said about you, I don't think I've ever seen either of you within a hundred feet of this place, except when you're called here," Michael said with a chuckle.
"Well, of course, we come here, this is where a lot of the firsties gather," The twins said, "They're new to the school so they don't expect anything. Perfect pranking targets. What are you doing here?" The finished in unison, their eyes falling to the cover of Michael's book, "Ah, learning how to mix magic and metal huh? Dad tried that on a car he has, a bit touchy for sure. If he'd incorporate some Dragon Hide and Bimetal Alchemical Thread, it would probably work better, but Mom doesn't like him messing about with things that could get him in trouble with the ministry."
"Bimetal what?" Michael repeated in confusion.
"That's right, guess you wouldn't know, huh?" Fred started.
"Rather new thing, just went into development a few years ago," George continued, "We just found out about it recently. What was the bloke's name, Dedood-,"
"Dehoff," Fred corrected, "Honestly, rather small-minded fellow, though somehow a genius at the same time. I mean seriously, how do you go about creating a magical fiber and then only use it for home protection. I mean seriously, what a waste."
"Do you two have any idea where I can get this Bimetal Thread?" Michael asked, his spirits quickly rising.
"Perhaps," Fred and George whispered, "But I'm intrigued, what exactly could you want it for."
Michael watched as a smile grew across the twins' faces as he explained his plan, "A magical suit of armor you say?" Fred said with a grin
"Utilizing focus crystals over wands, huh?" George continued equally intrigued.
"Well don't we have some good news for you," They said, "Especially since your best mate is in deep with someone who happens to have a connection to old Dehoff himself."
"You don't mean," Michael started.
"But of course we do," Fred and George said with a smirk, "First day of class, old Sluggy really let us know about quite a few of his favorites. He called Dehoff one of the greatest inventors that he ever taught, intrigued us enough to do some research. Perhaps Slughorn would be willing to do you a favor should Harry ask him kindly enough."
"You two really are something else, you know that," Michael said with a chuckle. The twins nodded.
"Now in return, we'd greatly appreciate your assistance in testing out a new prank," Fred and George said with a smile.
"Don't need to ask me twice, I'm in."
Michael quickly followed after the twins, the halls surprisingly empty as the lunch rush seemed to have overtaken the castle. The twins hadn't exactly told him what they had been working on, but he assumed it couldn't be anything large. As they turned the corner, entering a small enclave within the castle's corridor, Michael had been more than a bit shocked to see a group of first years waiting for the two of them.
Michael watched as Fred and George pulled out a cluster of candies from their pockets, smiling as they began, "Alrighty, I just need you to be lookout so that Fred and I can be sure to see the effect of our new invention, we're calling it the Skiving Snackbox, we'll reverse them all of course, so long as we aren't caught midway." Michael nodded, the plan being relatively simple with him to simply throw a glowing orb if any professors or prefects walked by.
Though on his way towards the end of the corridor he did hear Fred and George call out, "Okay, which one do you want to try kiddo; The Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougat, maybe the Puking Pastilles." Michael couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle at how pissed Daphne would be at the twins creating fake get-out-of-class sickness candies, but considering he himself was looking for a way of ditching Snape's class regularly, he couldn't help but express some interest.
The sound of puking, followed by amazed awes had left Michael smiling at the twins' success, that smile had soon vanished as from around the corner, he watched as a familiar plume of red hair turned the corner, her amber eyes falling on him. "Michael?" She whispered.
"H-hey," He called back, rolling the ball of light back towards the twins as he stood before the familiar eyes of the girl that had once caused him so much confusion, "What are you doing out and about?"
"Patrols," Susan said, "Being a prefect is sometimes kinda annoying, but it's an important responsibility, you know? Plus, it helps with a job resume, so it's not all bad. What about you?"
"Not much, just-,"
"Looks like not much has changed," Susan said with a chuckle, "I can still tell when you're lying, your tell is horrible."
"And pray tell me, what exactly is my tell?" Michael asked with a gentle grin.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be as useful," Susan said with a teasing smirk, "But, at least now I know that the twins must be around here, that or Harry, but I haven't seen you or Harry get into any pranking for a while. So, maybe some things have changed after all." The girl's face had seemed to fall slightly as she looked up at him, "So um, how have things been going between you and Claire?"
"Well," Michael replied quickly, "Things are- things are good."
There was a heavy awkward silence between the two of them before finally, Susan let out a frustrated groan, "Morgana this is so stupid!" Michael's eyes widened at the normally polite girl's expression, "I spent all summer thinking of what I was going to say the next time I saw you! It's kind of embarrassing to admit but I have a whole wastebasket at home filled with failed letters I tried to write, and I still don't know what to do!" Susan sighed, "Look I get that things were bad between us, and I know I made some stupid mistakes, and this isn't some stupid pick me instead of her speech because I know I don't deserve it, I just-"
Michael watched as Susan's head dropped, "Damn it I just want to be friends again. I miss you, Michael, I miss your stupid jokes, I miss you calling everything a pain, I miss that comforting lazy smile, I miss my first friend." There was silence as Michael watched the girl before him, his mind feeling like it was melting as she whispered, "Merlin, what am I doing? You hate me, you should hate me, I don't know why I thought this would work. I'm such an-"
"You've always been my friend, Red," Michael said gently, grabbing the girl's hand as she turned, "Our friendship, it always mattered to me, and losing it back in third year, it hurt me a lot. But- holding on to grudges, it's such a pain, you know?" Susan turned a soft smile forming on her lips. "We're not perfect, neither of us, but you should know that I choose Claire, every time, no matter what, I choose her. If you can handle that, if there's no part of you that hopes that this will go differently, then I'd be glad to start our friendship over, but only if you can handle that."
"Yeah," Susan said with a smile, "Yeah I can handle that. After Terry- after Terry, I don't think I want to try this whole dating thing again, for a while anyway. I just, I just want my friend ba-"
Susan hadn't even gotten a chance to finish as Michael wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly, "I missed you too, Red. I really did."
(Astoria P.O.V)
The classroom that rested atop of the North Tower was a strange place. Unlike other classrooms, the Divination Class of Sybill Trelawney had seemed to opt-out of having a regular doorway entrance, and rather, decided to have students enter the room through a trapdoor that rested at the end of a long spiraling corridor. The entrance to the classroom hadn't been the only thing strange as unlike every other class she'd ever attended outside of Care of Magical Creatures, there were no desks, but rather circular tables, so low to the ground that a student would have to kneel to be at an appropriate level with them.
The classroom itself looked less like a place of education, and more like somebody's attic in which a tea shop had created a start-up in. She turned softly to Romilda, another girl that had chosen to take the elective, and quite frankly the only one she knew as she whispered, "This is kind of strange, huh?"
"I like it," Vane said with a smile racing towards the front of the class with glee, "Oh, could you imagine if I had the sight, I could do all sorts of crazy things, maybe I could even make some galleons telling people if they were going to end up marrying the person of their dreams."
"So let me get this straight," Astoria said, sitting beside the girl at the round table, "If you had the ability to read the future, you would use it for matchmaking."
Romilda said nothing, simply nodding her reply as she turned to face the crystal ball that rested on the table. It's an easy O, Astoria, just stay calm, think of the grade. Her train of thought was broken, however, but a rather startling woman entering the class from the smallest room she'd ever seen beside the attic. The lady looked like a large glittering insect as she stood before the roaring fire, casting a rather thin shadow. Her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy, spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings. She's a hack, Astoria thought immediately, rolling her eyes behind her hand. She'd seen enough fortune tellers in her day to tell a scam artist from a true seer, and as she gazed upon the woman, her only question was how it was exactly that she secured a job at Hogwarts?
"Welcome students, my name is Professor Sybill Trelawney," The lady said standing in hunched attention, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field, but for those of you who truly have the Sight, I will show you how to tap into it, how to wield it, how to see past the mundane."
"Today, we will begin simply by testing your ability for the art of scrying," Astoria's brow furrowed as the woman continued, "Look deep into the crystal ball, watch its movements, see beyond the smoke, into the future."
Astoria bit her lip, desperately trying to contain her laughter as she watched Romilda place her forehead against the ball carefully watching the revolving smoke for any sense of a clue. Astoria rested her head on her hand, watching the smoke rise and fall, before Romilda whispered, "I see it." Instantly, Astoria leaned forward, as Romilda smiled, "I see Harry bringing me chocolate."
"Sure you do," Astoria muttered leaning back, resting her hands on the carpeted ground, "Do you think Harry even knows your name?"
"Shut up," Romilda hissed, "You're just mad because you don't have the sight."
Astoria shook her head before Trelawney's voices called out, "Oh no, my dear," she whispered to a Hufflepuff boy, "Do you have a Grandmother, my boy?"
"Uh yeah," The Hufflepuff boy said with a nod.
"Do make sure to owl her after this class," She hissed in a low and mysterious voice, "I see a dark cloud over her head for the next week, very bad fortune indeed." Oh, so that's the kind of 'Seer' she is, Astoria though watching as the Professor approached their orb, "Tell me ladies, what is it that you see within the orb?"
"I see a man, with flowers," Romilda spoke dreamily, "Dressed in a nice suit, and a box of chocolates. I think I'm seeing the man that I'm going to marry."
There was a soft moment of silence before Trelawney placed her hand softly upon Romilda's shoulder, "My girl, I'm sorry, I do not believe you have the sight. What about you, young one?"
"I see war," Astoria started, "A hooded man with Dark Robes hanging in the sky, wait, the image is shifting, I see a graveyard, no, now a courtyard, I see one man standing in the courtyard before another cloaked figure. I see nothing now, only darkness."
Astoria had tried hard to contain her laughter at Romilda's off-putting expression, but the challenge had become even more difficult as Trelawney smiled, "I knew it, the moment I first saw you, I knew you would have the sight. What is your name, young lady?"
"Astoria, ma'am, Astoria Greengrass."
"Ah, well, Ms. Greengrass, I'll be sure to watch your development quite closely." Trelawney spun on her heel heading over to the next table before Astoria turned to Romilda, the vein in the girl's forehead looking about ready to explode.
"Did you really see all of that?" She hissed out.
"Nope, made it up on the spot," Astoria said with a shrug, "Mine just happened to be much more convincing."
Astoria watched on as the class continued at a painstakingly slow pace, with Trelawney stopping every so often to warn a child that their mother was going to catch a cold, or that their floo would stop working, or that their pet would vanish. Finally, however, by what felt like the first instance of divine intervention since the moment she stepped into the class, the period had come to an end. She quickly began to pack away her things, watching as discouraged children left the classroom with their heads hanging. Frankly, Astoria wanted nothing more to join them, but stopped, cursing beneath her breath as the Professor's shaky voice called out to her, "Ms. Greengrass, a moment if you would be so kind."
Astoria nodded, turning to Romilda with a shrug as her fellow Gryffindor Third-Year left her, the class now only consisting of herself and Trelawney. "Tell me, young one, as it has been a while since I've met anyone else with the Sight, does divination run through your family line as it does in mine? Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I have yet to hear of a Seer with the surname of Greengrass."
"Uh no," Astoria said softly, "At least, not to my-," Suddenly she stopped watching as her professor began to rock back and forth her eyes opening wide, her pupils now rapidly zipping along the room, as frantic gasps started to escape the woman's lips. "Professor!" Astoria shouted grabbing the woman's shoulder, "Professor are you-"
"Two Paths Stand Before You, Death on Either Side. A Choice That You Will Be Forced to Decide. A Choice of Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die. An Action You Will Take Will Act As Key, on if this World Shall Bend a Knee. A Life for Life, Protection Rings, Your Destiny To Save or Destroy A Precious Being." Astoria stepped back, her body trembling as she glanced up at the woman before her, her rocking quickly coming to a halt as she tilted her head in confusion, "I'm sorry dear, did you say something?"
"N-no, Professor," Astoria said trying to remain as calm as possible, "But uh, I'm not feeling that well, may I be excused?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Trelawney said, her voice returning to the familiar tone, "Do be careful on your way out."
"Yes- yes ma'am."
Astoria had wasted no time leaving the classroom, her heart pounding in her chest. As she raced down the stairwell, she clutched her wrist, trying to calm her rapidly beating pulse. What the hell was that? What was she talking about? She'd begun feeling nauseous, the words of the batty professor echoing in her mind repeatedly, Calm down Astoria, just calm down. She's a hack, she's a hack, everything is going to be just fine. Yes, She whispered to herself in confirmation, Everything is going to be fine.
(Daphne P.O.V)
Daphne had honestly felt as if she was drowning in a sea of questions, not only was there Harry to worry about, but her sister had looked rattled beyond belief. On top of her questions, she had also felt about ready to scream as she looked at her to-do list. Writing to her mentor was a top priority as she needed some direction of where next to look for a cure to her sister's condition, but she also had begun to develop an intense curiosity in regards to her advanced potion making textbook.
It had been one thing for students to annotate, that was nothing remarkable. What had intrigued her was that whomever this Half-Blood Prince was had taken the marking of a textbook to the next level, not only by writing within the margins, but by scratching out previously written instructions and replacing them with methods of his own. Worse yet, as somebody who had taken an interest in potions herself, she had found herself constantly in agreement with this Half-Blood Prince, which only made her feel slightly discouraged, as for all the potion making secrets she'd uncovered through her experience, this Prince had discovered all of them and more.
But more intriguing was a section that Daphne had happened upon only when boredly turning the pages of the book during another History of Magic Goblin Revolt lecture, titled, For Enemies. Her mind had wandered, repeating the names of the spells in her head, the motions being described in great detail on the page, and yet no description was provided, worse yet, none of the spells had sounded even remotely familiar. It was becoming increasingly clear that this Prince was a multifaceted genius with Potion skills that surpassed hers, and a creative mind with destructive magic that perhaps even rivaled Harry.
Harry, that was another concern that weighed on her deeply. He'd grown up, and in a way, that was what she wanted, but the faraway look that occasionally grew in his eyes, those long moments in which she wouldn't hear Harry laugh or crack a smile, the looming pressure she felt as Harry entered deep moments of silence, they made her feel a bit uneasy. Though it wasn't an uncomfortability with Harry, but rather with life. Talk of war, training for war, and even the minor skirmishes they'd been in were one thing. But now, they were at war, and though she knew she couldn't have done anything about it, the fact that Harry had to experience the first battle of the war alone was something that made her feel racked with guilt. Though not as much as Harry must have been feeling, as while it had only happened once during their few moments together over the summer, she'd heard the boy whispering Cedric's name in his sleep with a pleading tone.
Daphne looked up the wall to the Room of Requirement opening as Harry paced; Daphne, Michael, Neville, Claire, Hermione, Tracey, Blaise, and Astoria all following him into the open room. "What is this place?" Hermione whispered.
"What do you mean what-," Michael started before he bit down, "Right, this is the first time either of you girls have been in this room. Well, in short, this is the Room of Requirement. I don't know exactly how this place was created or why it's here but basically, it's our base of operations to train and plan within the castle. Harry can give you the full rundown later, but judging by the intensity in which he had us follow him, I doubt this is a social call."
Daphne nodded, eyes falling upon Harry as Daphne sent him a comforting smile. Harry paused for a moment looking around before, with a deep breath, he continued, "So, as you know, Voldemort has declared war on us all, and in particular me. The reason behind this is because of a prophecy that happened just before my birth in which it was predicted that I would be the one to take down Voldemort." Daphne watched as those unaware of the fact shuttered at the news, "I would appreciate it before I continue that we make an unbreakable vow that none of us share this information with anybody else without my expressed consent."
"Rook is that really necessary?" Michael called out.
"I know that it's overkill, but I can't risk it, not with information this serious." Harry replied, as Daphne led the group in forming the vow, only to return to Harry, who gave a sigh of relief, "I'm sorry for doing that, if there was any other way I wouldn't make-"
"It's fine, Harry," Claire said warmly, "I get it."
Daphne watched the comforting smile that rose to her boyfriend's face as he nodded, "Okay, so as you all know, last night I went to go to a meeting with Dumbledore. In that time, Dumbledore began showing me the reason behind why it is that Voldemort doesn't stay dead. I also learned that Voldemort is a Half-Blood, his real name is Tom Riddle. While it's not that important, the fact that he was born under the influence of amortentia is. It means-,"
"That Voldemort is incapable of feeling love," Daphne said in a low voice, "That's tragic and all," She said with a sigh, "But I don't quite understand how that helps us."
"In the prophecy," Harry started, "It says that I will be able to defeat Voldemort through a power, he knows not. If it's true that he is incapable of feeling love, then it's a good indicator that somehow that can be the power the prophecy is talking about."
"So, is the plan to just hug him to death?" Michael asked, his brow furrowed tightly upon his face.
"No, that's what I'm trying to understand. I have no idea exactly how something like love can be weaponized, but even if somehow I did piece that part of the puzzle together, it still doesn't change a simple fact. Voldemort can't be killed."
Daphne stepped back, watching as a crowd of confused eyes fell on Harry, "What do you mean he can't be killed?" Neville asked.
"In his current state, Voldemort can't be killed," Harry repeated, "Somehow, he left anchors of what Dumbledore believes to be remnants of his magic inside objects. Dumbledore has already destroyed two, but the fact that he created two means-"
"Means that we have to assume he created more," Michael said with a sigh, "Okay, so we have to destroy these objects before you can even put the snake man down for good. What exactly are they, and how many of them exist?"
"That's the problem," Harry whispered, "I don't know, for either question actually. I mean, we don't even know if there is a limit to how many anchors someone can create, and what exactly can be made an anchor. Something as simple as a ring and a diary he had when he was a student here worked in the past, which means Merlin only knows how insignificant the items could be."
Anchors, magic shards, I've read something about this, I know I have, Daphne pondered to herself deeply, But where, I'm certain I know something about this, but what? Daphne was snapped out of her trance by Harry continuing, "Dumbledore believes that for some reason, Slughorn holds the answer to exactly how many anchors Voldemort created, but it's anyone's guess what he made them."
"They have to be important, the ring," Michael muttered out, "What kind of ring was it? Was it like some random ring or was it a fancy ring, something with significance?"
"Supposedly, it was a ring that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin," Harry called out.
"That's what I thought," Michael said as Daphne watched the boy scratch his chin, "Voldemort believes himself to be above the average mortal, going so far as to find a way to cheat death. He holds himself above all other things, which means that if he were to place a piece of himself into something, it would have to be an item that he would consider worthy of holding a piece of him. A ring that belonged to his ancestor in Salazar Slytherin and his younger-self's diary are perfect examples of this."
"So we just have to think about what items he would consider worthy of holding a piece of him," Daphne muttered, "I think that your theory is legitimate, but there are so many famous magical items, some we aren't even sure exist. Worse yet, we are on the clock, every second we waste is a second that Voldemort has to get stronger. It's like we are walking through a maze blindfolded."
"Even worse than that is that if the average student ends up getting caught in a Death Eater shootout in the meantime, their odds of survival are low, especially with the way Snape's been teaching DADA. I mean really, we're at war and he's chiding us rather than helping us learn to actually defend ourselves," Michae said with a sneer. "I even overheard Fred and George talking about how they wanted you to teach them," Michael continued, "You did manage to disarm Snape after all, and that's only the icing to your crazy list of feats. I mean with you being trained by Morgana, even you don't know your limits."
"You were trained by who?!" Hermione, Neville, Claire, Tracey, and Blaise called out in surprise.
"Whoops," Michael said with a chuckle, "My bad."
Daphne felt her mind running a mile a minute as a thought flashed into her head, "Maybe it's not the worst idea for you to do some tutoring Harry. It's a good way to practice your skills, and keep people safe. Plus, if you make it a club or something, you can even have Slughorn be the Professor Sponsor. It might even boost your chances at getting closer to him. If the memory that Slughorn has is so crucial, every step forward counts."
"I actually think it's a great idea," Hermione said, "I mean, I myself would love to learn the Patronus Charm and Neville told me you were the one who taught him how to do it."
"That's far from the only thing he taught me," Neville said warmly, "Harry actually taught me a lot of the dueling fundamentals."
"Same," Tracey and Blaise called out with a smile.
"I think it's settled then," Astoria said with a weak grin, though Daphne felt something seemed off at the fake enthusiasm Astoria had seemed to be exuding, "We should all spread the word that Professor Potter's classes are going to be in session. You can even use this upcoming Hogsmeade Weekend as a way of estimating student engagement."
"We'll need a name for sure then," Tracey said rubbing her temples, "How about Potter's Platoon."
"Terrible," Astoria whispered, shutting down the notion immediately.
"Potter's army?" Claire suggests.
"It's more than just Harry fighting, and it should be something that encourages other students to go out and fight, but rather just learn how to defend themselves if something happens," Daphne said.
"How about The Shield?" Michael said with a shrug.
"I got it," Hermione said, slamming her hand into her fist, the lightbulb that glowed in the Ravenclaw's head shining through her eyes. "How about the Student Protection Initiative for Resistance Efforts, or S.P.I.R.E for short."
"The S.P.I.R.E, huh? I like it," Daphne whispered.
"Not as flashy as Potter's Platoon," Tracey said with a chuckle, "But I can get behind that."
"The S.P.I.R.E makes me sound like I'm in some cool secret group, plus I love acronyms," Astoria said with a smile.
"I'm good with it," Michael said with a grin.
"Certainly fits the description," Neville said with a smile, "Well Harry, it's your call? Are you in?"
Daphne turned to Harry with a gentle smile as he sighed, "Fine, but it can't be super frequent, I do have other responsibilities after all."
"We'll work out a schedule," Daphne said, "But it looks like it's official, Professor Potter is back. We need to be discreet about this of course. Slughorn hasn't even agreed to sponsor us, but once he does, we should get to work advertising. We need to be a bit selective though, we have a general idea of who can and can't be trusted in the castle, but screening has to be a priority."
Daphne took her boyfriend's hand watching Harry's discomfort rise, "I'll handle the planning with Hermione, you just need to focus on teaching. And, for what it's worth, I think that you'll be helping out a lot of people in the long run. I'll make sure you have time to do what you need to get done, I promise."
"All of this work is killing me, Princess," Harry said with a chuckle, "I'd much rather be at an observatory with you."
"When this is over Potter," Daphne said leaning forward, "You and I are going to take one hell of a vacation. But for now, we move forward, together. We'll win this war Harry, I know it."
"Of course we will," Harry said, pulling out a picture of the new Black family member, "I have another thing precious to me that I must protect after all."