"What do you mean we're playing Gryffindor?" asked Roger Davies. "I thought they were playing against Slytherin!"
"I'm not sure" replied Abigail Turner, the Captain of the Ravenclaw team. "All I know is that Slytherin isn't playing, so we'll be playing against Gryffindor this Saturday."
Harry frowned. He knew that the Gryffindor team had a new seeker – Ginny Weasley. He didn't know how good she was, but Wood was making them practice like crazy, while the Ravenclaw team hadn't practiced as much, since their match wasn't scheduled this soon.
"Any chance we could book the pitch?" asked Harry.
"Already done" said Turner. "We only have a few days, so let's make the most of it."
The weather was quite bad, but while others were struggling due to the bad weather, Harry loved every second of it. Flying in a storm was second nature to him and he couldn't wait for the match.
Saturday morning, Harry got ready and frowned when he saw the weather didn't look natural; something was wrong.
He extended his mental link with his familiar and asked, "Aquila, what's wrong buddy?"
"I sense you might be in danger little one" replied the thunderbird. "I don't like those bad demons around the school. There are too many of them. Be careful."
Harry's frown deepened. He knew that Dumbledore too hated the dementors, and resented the fact that the Ministry had placed them around the school. Harry had always been worried that they would attack when they got the chance – it looked like today was their day of celebration.
Harry went down to the Great Hall and sat next to Daphne who was already seated at the Ravenclaw table, talking to Luna Lovegood.
"Be alert" he whispered to Daphne. "There might be an attack on the students today."
Daphne looked confused for a few seconds until realization dawned on her. "Dementors?" she whispered back.
Harry nodded and helped himself to breakfast. Once done, they all headed to the Quidditch pitch.
The rest of the team looked apprehensive playing in the weather conditions, so Harry spoke up. "Okay listen" he said firmly. "I know the weather conditions aren't ideal, so we'll make a deal. Leave the stealing of the Quaffle to me. I can handle it, but when I pass it on to you, score. With any luck, we'll be ahead of Gryffindor soon. And use warming and water repelling charms on yourselves; it may not be of much use in such heavy rain, but it might still be effective; chances are that Gryffindor hasn't thought of using them."
The others nodded and cast the charms on themselves. Once done, they took off. Once Madam Hooch released the Quaffle, the Gryffindors took control at once. Harry immediately used the low cloud cover to his advantage. This weather was where he thrived, and he was going to use it well. He dived when he spotted Angelina Johnson having the Quaffle, stole it and passed it on to Abigail Turner who scored, taking advantage of Oliver Wood's shock of Harry's sudden appearance.
This continued for more than an hour, with Ravenclaw leading 90-20. Finally, Harry saw the snitch. He went higher, with Ginny Weasley hot on his tail. The snitch went higher in the sky with both seekers after it. The snitch was at Harry's fingertips when suddenly, Ginny Weasley screamed.
The air was cold, very cold. Dozens and dozens of dementors surrounded them. "Weasley, try to get to the ground, now!" shouted Harry. They both tried to return, only to be blocked by several of the dementors. Harry could feel the oppressive darkness and negative emotions overwhelm him, so he flicked his wand to his hand, thought of all the happy moments he had with Daphne and how much he loved her and shouted "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
In the stands, Daphne felt the temperate drop suddenly. She had been searching for Harry, but had lost track of her fiancé after he had gone searching for the snitch. She spotted the dementors before anyone else could, as no one was actively looking for the seekers. She had to help Harry. With that in mind, she gathered all her happy thoughts and emotions, stood up with her wand pointed towards the sky and shouted "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
The large Nundu burst from Daphne's wand, just as the enormous Thunderbird Patronus burst from Harry's. By now, people had seen the group of more than a hundred dementors surrounding the Quidditch stadium. Just as people started screaming and panicking, the two powerful patroni formed and took off into the sky. The entire sky lit up in silvery light as the Nundu and the Thunderbird chased away the dementors. Soon, they were joined by a phoenix, a cat and an owl. The demenors didn't stand a chance and were soon chased away.
Everyone present at the stadium was now staring at the two large patroni – the nundu and the thunderbird. No one had ever seen anything like it. The thunderbird shrieked and the nundu roared, and stood in front of their masters. Daphne nodded to the nundu Patronus which bowed to her and disappeared. When the thunderbird Patronus did the same to Harry, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Aquila."
Harry frowned when he saw that he seemed to have something in his left hand. He held it up and his eyes went wide when he saw the snitch, struggling against his fingers. He held up his fist, just as the crowd roared.
"Hadrian Potter has caught the snitch" yelled Lee Jordan. "Dear Merlin, how did that guy do that? As much as I hate to say it, Ravenclaw wins 240-20!"
Dumbledore and the rest of the staff were baffled. Did Hadrian Potter and Daphne Greengrass, two third year students conjure fully corporeal patroni to chase the dementors away? And was he seeing things or was one of then a Nundu? Who taught them that spell? What the hell was going on here?
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A few hours later, Harry and Daphne were in the Room of Requirement, telling Amelia Bones what had happened.
"There were more than a hundred of them!" said Daphne heatedly looking at the mirror. "They are honestly a threat to the students, and unless they are taken back to Azkaban, Fudge can be looking for a new job soon."
"I agree, Aunt Amy" said Harry softly.
"Don't worry you two" replied Amelia. "I'll ensure that the dementors are taken back to Azkaban in a few days. No one is going to let an attack on the students of Hogwarts by the dementors be forgotten. I'll keep you updated." The mirror went blank.
The next morning, Harry smirked when he saw the Magical Daily.
DEMENTORS ATTACK HOGWARTS STUDENTS!
By Rita Skeeter
It has come to this reporter's attention, that more than a hundred dementors that were placed around Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry attacked the students during a Quidditch match yesterday.
These dementors were placed at the entrance and around the school on the orders of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, to capture Peter Pettigrew if he comes to the castle, which according to the Minister, is a high possibility. But it looks like the dementors seem to have posed a greater threat to the students than the escaped convict himself.
Yesterday afternoon, during a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, the dementors seemed to have grown restless and attacked the students. Lord Hadrian Potter, the Ravenclaw Seeker was attacked, along with Gryffindor Seeker Ginny Weasley, while the teachers were oblivious to what was going on. Indeed, the dementors seemed to have used the low cloud cover to their advantage.
But it seemed that not everyone was distracted. Daphne Greengrass, Heiress Presumptive of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass seems to have been searching for her fiancé when she spotted the dementors. She, along with her fiancé Lord Hadrian Potter, conjured two fully corporeal patroni to drive the dementors away. Yes readers! Two thirteen-year-old students conjured two fully corporeal patroni.
To those who don't know, the Patronus charm is the only known defence against the dementors. The DMLE has medallions that work on a similar principle to keep the demons away from the witches and wizards who are employed at Azkaban, but they don't drive the dementors away but merely keep them at bay. The Patronus charm is highly complex, and most adult witches and wizards have trouble casting it. Even if some of them succeed, it is a silvery shield at most. A true Patronus charm takes the form of an animal, which acts as a guardian, protecting you from the dementors. A thirteen-year-old witch or wizard casting a fully corporeal patronus is a phenomenon that has never been seen before. Daphne Greengrass and Lord Hadrian Potter have set a new record.
Will the demenorts still be placed at Hogwarts? This reporter has received word that Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is on the warpath against Minister Fudge for sending not a few, but more than a hundred of those terrible demons to a school full of defenceless children. What will it take for Minister Fudge to see that his dementors are the danger, not Peter Pettigrew? Any number of our children could have been kissed yesterday if not for the timely action taken by two thirteen-year-old students. This reporter appeals to you readers to ensure that this government isn't going to condemn our children to a fate worse than death because of our Minister's stupidity.
"Way to go, Rita" said Harry, looking at the paper.
"She doesn't seem to have held back at all" replied Daphne, taking a sip of her tea. They both were in the Hogwarts kitchen, having breakfast.
"It turned out to be good publicity for us didn't it?" chuckled Harry. Daphne simply smirked.
The dementors were taken back to Azkaban that afternoon. Minister Fudge was banging his head against the wall while Harry and Daphne had smiles on their faces.
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Harry stood in front of the wall which formed the entrance to the Room of Requirement. He had put it off for too long, and it was time to finally retrieve it. He paced in front of the wall thinking I need to access the place where everything is hidden . . . I need to access the place where everything is hidden . . . I need to access the place where everything is hidden. . .
On the third try, he smiled when a door materialised. He opened the door and his eyes went wide.
"Well, this is going to take some time" he whispered to himself, looking at the various things hidden by people over the last thousand years.
Harry spent the next five hours looking for the diadem. Finally, he sat down opposite to a dusty cabinet to rest, when a gleam caught his eye. He frowned and looked closer to examine it when his eyes went wide. He got up and went closer to the bust, which had a tiara on its head. Harry extended his senses, and he could feel the oppressive darkness coming from the diadem. It was the Horcrux.
He gently levitated the diadem and closed his eyes. The room around him blurred and suddenly, Harry found himself standing in the room which he and Daphne usually occupied. He placed the Diadem on the floor and looked at it closely. It was clearly Ravenclaw's diadem, as he had seen Rowena's statue many times at the tower. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He let all the hate and anger flow through him. He remembered how Dumbledore and McGonagall had left him on a doorstep without a care in the world; how the Dursleys had treated him when he was in their care; how Voldemort had killed his parents and grandparents; how Snape had given the prophecy to Voldemort which had caused Voldemort to hunt his parents in the first place; how Dumbledore had targeted him repeatedly over the past two years. Once he felt he had enough hatred, he pointed his ebony wand at the diadem and snarled "Avada Kedavra"
A jet of green light flew from the tip of his wand and hit the diadem. The Horcrux gave a loud scream rattled and suddenly the diadem went still. Harry scanned the device and once he felt the diadem was no longer contaminated, he performed an ancient cleansing ritual which would remove any remaining dark magic effects on the relic. After that, he picked it up and looked at it closely.
Rowena Ravencalw's diadem was the most sought after treasure in the British Isles. He himself had always been curious about it, as it was said to bestow the bearer with wisdom. Carefully, Harry placed the diadem on his head. After a few seconds, Harry smiled when he realised that Rowena truly was a genius. The diadem did not bestow the wearer with wisdom, but it did help the wearer access all his memories with ease. This would greatly help Harry access many of Riddle's memories that he had still not accessed. But it would take a lot of time, which he didn't have at the moment. He was currently working on Sirius and Amelia's wedding, finishing the NEWT syllabus and reading Godric's journal. He just didn't have the time to go through the memories right now, but he sure as hell was going to do it soon.
"Toby" he called for his elf.
The elf appeared in front of him. "What can Toby do for Master Hadrian?" he asked.
"Take this diadem and place it with Godric's journal in the vault in my study" said Harry. Toby nodded, took the diadem and popped away.
Harry breathed deeply; another Horcrux down.
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"Alright" said Harry. "Let's get started."
It was the Yule holidays, and Harry was at Black Manor, organising the preparations for the wedding. Amelia and Sirius wanted to spend a lot of money and ask wizarding architects and designers to come and resign the grounds and manor for the wedding, but Harry convinced them that he would handle it himself. He didn't want to involve others in this; he wanted to do it himself and wanted to make it as grand as possible. After all, this was the marriage of the Lord and to be Lady of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. There were certain standards that had to be maintained. Besides, he wanted Sirius and Amelia to have the best and he could certainly provide that.
Harry had called for all his house elves. "Here's the plan" he addressed the elves. "The guests would be either Apparating right outside the manor grounds, or would use the floo. In case they Apparate, I want a clear path from the front gate to the place of the ceremony. Decorate it the best way possible. In case of the floo, it is in the Entrance Hall, so it is naturally decorated as well, but add an extra touch, just in case."
"The ceremony is being held outside at sunset, with the manor as the backdrop. Sirius said that he didn't have a budget, so this is even better. Contact the best companies and fill the entire place with red roses; it's Aunt Amy's favourite flower. Decorate the outside of the manor as well; use different types of lighting charms to light up the manor and grounds."
Harry continued and said "As for the Grand Ballroom, I want it expanded to a large size. Decorate the various corners of the Ballroom with large Yule trees, and make sure that the floor has charms that prevent people from slipping. These are the various decorations that I want done as well. As for the formal dining room, expand it too, and order for several round tables that can seat a group of six people. This would be for dinner, and here is the menu that has been selected by Sirius and Aunt Amy. Before the ceremony, I want snacks to be served on the grounds to people who are hungry."
"It will be done, Master Hadrian" said an elf happily. House elves loved to work, and the more that was given to them, the happier they were.
"Alright" said Harry, looking at his notes. "The orchestra has been booked, hasn't it?" he asked.
"Yes, Master Hadrian" replied another elf.
"Excellent" said Harry. "Good luck" he said and dismissed the large group of elves.
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It was the evening of the 24th of December, 1993. It was five in the evening, and important members of the British magical society like Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Chief Witch Lady Acton, members of the Wizengamot and others found themselves at Black Manor.
Minister Fudge stepped into the fireplace at his house and flooed to Black Manor. When he stepped out, he saw a smiling Hadrian Potter there to welcome him.
"Minister Fudge" said Harry, extending his hand. Harry was dressed in very expensive black and silver dress robes made of Acromantula silk. It fit his body perfectly, and Fudge couldn't help but be self-conscious in front of the very handsome young boy in front of him. Harry was wearing a deep green shirt; black trousers, a silver tie and vest, and his form-fitting robes were black with silver highlights. "Welcome to Black Manor. I'm very pleased that you have graced your presence at such an auspicious occasion. Please, this way. Lady Daphne will accompany you to your seat."
Daphne was wearing a beautiful deep green dress with silver accents which perfectly matched the colours worn by her fiancé, with diamond jewellery glittering off her neck, hands and ears. She was looking like Aphrodite herself. "This way, Minister" she said with a smile, as the rest of the Minister's office followed them.
To those who Apparated to the front gates of the manor, Susan and Neville were there to greet them. The Bones and Longbottom families were quite close, so Augusta Longbottom had insisted that Neville help with organising the wedding as well. It didn't matter in the end, as Susan had dragged him anyway, something which made Daphne smirk in amusement.
All the guests were in awe of the decorations and splendour the grounds and manor had to offer. The entire place had been decorated with red roses, with tiny drops of water on them. While there was light snow, it didn't fall on them, creating a very beautiful scene of the snow falling from the sky. The grounds and manor were lit with lighting charms of different colours and styles. The food served as appetizers along with tea was simply delicious. Wide area warming charms were applied so that the guests would not feel the chill of the winter evening. Harry, Daphne, Susan and Neville, along with Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks worked overtime, socializing with the guests, acting as ushers and making sure everything ran smoothly. The orchestra was seated in the corner, playing soft music. While the Malfoys were invited because Narcissa was still a daughter of the Black family, she didn't take part in anything as she chose to sit silently; Andromeda had been brought back into the Black family, so Narcissa chose to watch her sister instead. Everyone understood the meaning when they observed that Albus Dumbledore had not been invited.
Rita Skeeter and a photographer from the Magical Daily were there as well, but they had received strict instructions from Harry not to misbehave. So Rita was moving around discreetly, noting the decorations and the guest list, and basically observing everyone.
When it was fifteen minutes to seven, Harry went to Sirius's room to check up on his godfather. He knocked and entered, and spotted Sirius there along with Ted Tonks, adjusting his robes. He looked really nervous.
"Ready to go, Padfoot?" asked Harry, smiling at his godfather.
Sirius took a deep breath, and grabbed the goblet containing a mild Calming Draught and drowned it. Once his expression relaxed, he nodded. He and Harry walked down the stairs and into the gardens where the ceremony was to be conducted. As they walked to the elevated podium, people clapped. Sirius stood with Harry next to him, waiting for Amelia. Sirius too was impeccably dressed, with a white shirt; black pants; silver vest and tie and his black robe with silver accents were all made of very expensive Acromantula silk. Sirius mentally snorted when he realised that such an arrangement would have made his mother proud. He shook his head. He didn't want to go there anymore. He had long ago decided that his Aunt Dorea was a much better mother to him than his own mother. Indeed, once he had run away to Potter Manor, Dorea Potter had sent a howler to her niece, telling her how traumatised Sirius had been, to choose to run away from home instead of staying there for the summer. Sirius only wished that Regulus had been alive; his baby brother had been the only one in his family he had truly cared about.
Just then, the bridal march began. Amelia was being escorted by her brother, as the rest of the Bones family had been killed by Voldemort. She was dressed in a beautiful white dress, with silver accents on it. She didn't look like the fierce Director of British Magical Law Enforcement; she looked like a woman who was happy that she was getting married to the love of her life.
Amelia came to stand in front of Sirius, with Susan next to her. The ceremony went well, and was picture perfect.
" – I declare you bonded for life."
The wizard presiding over the ceremony lifted his wand above them. There was a flash of light, and Amelia and Sirius's hands glowed where they were holding each other. Several twinkling silvery stars burst from the wizards's wand, over the newly married couple. Harry smiled and nodded to an elf who was discreetly standing where Harry could see him. Just when the audience started applauding, magical fireworks exploded in the air in various colours. The crowd gasped as they saw the beautiful fireworks in the air. Sirius and Amelia, who weren't in on this plan developed by Harry, looked at the sky in awe. Suddenly, another firework exploded, which formed the words, "Congratulations to Sirius and Amelia Black"
Harry grinned at the awestruck expressions on Sirius and Amelia's faces. "Like it?" he asked happily.
"This is amazing" whispered Amelia. "It really is spectacular."
"Indeed" said Sirius.
Once the show was over, Harry, Daphne and the others led the guests inside the manor to the enlarged formal dining room. There were multiple round tables, with beautiful lanterns and candles floating in the air for enhanced effects. Harry sat down next to Daphne and sighed in contentment. They socialized with others as they ate dinner, which was a mix of various cuisines. After a truly delicious meal, the guests were ushered to the Grand Ballroom where people gave their gifts to the newly married couple and started dancing and socializing.
Harry and Daphne together spent a lot of time talking to various people, important or otherwise. Many women had congregated around Elizabeth Greengrass as she was seven months pregnant at this time. The orchestra played spectacular music which enhanced the experience of those on the dance floor. The Grand Ballroom too was beautifully decorated. Virtual snow was falling from the ceiling, and there were several ice sculptures at various places. The entire place was covered in beautiful roses, holly and mistletoe. The wedding really was very grand, as Harry had not spared any expense to make it very special for his godfather and honorary aunt.
"I think it went rather well, don't you think?" asked Harry, as he danced with Daphne.
"Oh definitely" she replied, looking into his eyes. "If you're willing to go through all this for your godfather's wedding, I can't wait for ours."
Harry laughed. "Don't worry, Daphne" he said softly. "I'll make sure ours is the wedding of the century."
Daphne chuckled lightly as Harry hugged her to his chest. "Don't let anyone hear you say that" she said. "There are many young girls here who're already looking at you as though you're a particularly delicious piece of meat."
"Who cares?" whispered Harry in her ear. "I can see many boys eyeing you as well. You look gorgeous tonight, Daphne; you're the prettiest girl here. As long as they stay the hell away from you, I don't have a problem. In fact, I think I'm going to stake my claim right now" he said, and his lips slowly found his way to hers, kissing her softly and deeply. Daphne, of course, didn't mind and she reciprocated happily.
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Cyrus Greengrass sighed and steered his wife the other way. "What?" asked Elizabeth, looking at her husband. Cyrus inclined his head the other way, pointing to where Harry and Daphne were dancing and kissing each other deeply.
"Oh come on, Cyrus" said Elizabeth exasperated. "They've been together for two years now. Your daughter is thirteen and betrothed. Isn't it time to let go?"
"Only thirteen" replied Cyrus. "When I see her like that, I can't help but remember the small infant you placed in my arms when she was born. How am I supposed to handle – this?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "They're only kissing and you yourself said several months ago that you didn't have a problem with it. Besides, it could be a lot worse. We know we can trust Harry. It could have been some other boy who might have been horrible and stuck up. Besides, just look at them! Aren't they so adorable?" she gushed.
"I guess" said Cyrus, hugging his wife for comfort.
"Look" said Elizabeth softly, to comfort her husband. "Daphne is growing up. She will always be your daughter; no one can change that. But she is also the future Lady Potter, and you're going to have to get used to Harry being the most important man in her life. If it bothers you so much, talk to her. I'm sure Daphne wouldn't mind. At least be happy that she found someone who she loves so much and who loves her back as well. Harry might have been forced upon her, but they're both clearly very happy with each other. Be happy for your daughter, dear. And someday, when they both get married in a ceremony just like this, you would have buck up and deal with it. Understood?"
Cyrus nodded morosely. His daughters were growing up so fast. Elizabeth smiled and said, "Just remember dear, while both your daughters might be growing up, you will soon have an infant son to spoil."
Cyrus looked up at his wife and his eyes lit up and a grin formed on his face. "That's true" he said happily. "Let's dance!"