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"Don't you remember me, Daddy? It's me, Lilian Daphne Potter...your daughter."
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"WHAT!?"
"How can that be?" asked Daphne anxiously, not taking her eyes off the child.
"They'll explain it all soon," real Harry replied as he looked fondly at the little girl...her child. Their child.
"But... I thought we had no children," she said bemusedly.
"We didn't," he replied, turning back to her.
"It's true that we never produced any children of our own, but thanks to Millie, we had our daughter. We had her," he added, gesturing to the little girl in the memory.
"But...how?"
"Patience, my love," he said, and although she wanted answers now, Daphne turned back to watch her daughter, who at the moment was standing in front of a stunned, and very confused memory Harry.
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"How?" he whispered, closely studying the child's face.
"How can this be? It's impossible."
"You left her with us, remember, Harry?" implored Millie, causing memory Harry to turn and look at her.
"You brought her to us the day you went to take your revenge for Daphne and asked us to raise her, should anything happen to you."
She was pleading with her eyes and making a rolling gesture with her hand, which Harry took to mean that she was asking him to just go along with it for now. The little girl had lowered her head and appeared to be quietly sobbing, so Tracey decided to help back Millie up.
"Yes, Harry, don't you remember the huge fight we had when you decided to surrender yourself, instead of escaping so you could raise your daughter? You told us you wanted to set a good example for her and your godson, to show them how you needed to always take responsibility for your actions, remember?"
"I..." mumbled memory Harry, not really understanding what was happening. He didn't care for the idea of being made a fool or manipulated, but there was no way that the child wasn't Daphne's, and she unquestionably had some of his own features too.
"But...isn't Daphy Uncle Blaise and Aunty Millie's daughter?" asked the female Nott child, Felicia.
"No honey, Daphy is Uncle Harry and Aunty Daphne's daughter," Tracey replied to her confused daughter.
"In order to protect her from Harry's enemies, we hid her identity using an enchanted necklace that made her look like a Zabini. We kept it a secret from all of you children as well, except for Cyril," added Blaise, nodding purposefully to his son, who got the hint.
"Yes, Uncle Harry. I was there when you arrived that day and asked us to protect her if anything happened to you. You told me to be a big brother to her and always watch out for her."
"Don't you remember, Harry?" asked Millie, practically begging him.
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Real Daphne could see that her friends were under considerable distress, as if they were afraid of how Harry was going to react and what would follow. They had done something, that much was certain. Something big, and most likely dangerous. Something that involved this child...their child. Hers and Harry's.
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"My...daughter?" he questioned quietly as he knelt down in front of the little girl, who was looking up at him tearfully. There was no denying it. There was no way he could look at her and not see Daphne, his wife and one true love.
"Don't you remember me, Daddy?" she whispered, as her father tentatively caressed her cheek.
"You're my daughter?" memory Harry asked again, addressing his question more to the adults in the room.
"Yes, she is, and we can prove it, Harry," Hannah chimed in.
"You can trust us, Harry," Millie said hopefully. "We wouldn't lie to you on this."
"My daughter?"
Harry was still mumbling, locked in a staring contest with a little girl and trying to process this completely unexpected turn of events. Despite her tears, little Daphy seemed to want nothing more than to jump into her father's arms, but somehow, she managed to wait for him to make the first move.
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"For Merlin's sake, yes, she's our daughter, even I see it! Do something already!" real Daphne shouted, making real Harry turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You're so dense," she added, slightly embarrassed, then intertwined her arm with his.
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It was at that moment that Harry pulled the child into his arms and hugged her for all she was worth. At first, Daphy squealed at the sudden movement, but as soon she felt her father's arms around her, the dam finally burst. She broke into sobs once again, only this time, she had her arms around her father's neck, and her tears were tears of joy.
"I wanted to meet you for so long, Daddy," Daphy sobbed, and she felt his hug tighten around her.
"I'm here, sweetheart, don't worry," memory Harry said softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you, Daddy," Daphy mumbled, tears streaming down her face as she hugged her daddy as tightly as she could.
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Real Daphne held real Harry's arm tighter, her own eyes starting to water. The sight of their daughter crying with relief and joy at finally meeting her father made Daphne feel like her heart was going to burst. She could also see that memory Harry was struggling. He was doing his best to comfort his daughter, but he was still obviously confused. Over the top of Daphy's head, he was glaring at everyone else in the room, making it clear that he'd soon be demanding answers to a lot of questions, and they'd better be ready to give them. Daphne found herself one hundred percent in agreement with him.
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"Dobby," he called, and at once, the familiar elf appeared before him.
"What the hell is that?" asked Justin, voicing what they were all thinking.
"That's Dobby, my house-elf. You've met."
"But... What happened to him?" asked Theo.
"I changed," replied the elf, surprising them further with his coherent, and un-elf-like speech.
"Dobby, this is..." memory Harry started.
"I know, I can feel it," Dobby whispered.
"Good," replied memory Harry, letting go of his daughter.
"Sweetie, I want you to go to the next room with all the other children. Dobby will go with you and get you something to eat and drink if you want, alright?"
She hesitated, looking back him like she wanted to argue the point. He understood, of course, why she wouldn't want to be sent away so soon after finally meeting him.
"Sweetie, it's just because I need to remember some things. It won't be for long, and I promise you I won't go anywhere."
"Alright Daddy," she whispered, looking down at the floor.
"Hey, look at me," he told her, tilting her chin up with his finger so she was looking at him.
"I'll be here, and I'm not going anywhere. It will just take a few minutes, alright?"
Daphy just nodded, then smiled when her father caressed her face again.
"Take them to the next room, Dobby."
"But..." started Cyril Zabini, only to be cut off by his father.
"It's for the best, son," Blaise said, still looking fairly nervous.
Dobby led the complaining children into the next room. Daphy was the only one not complaining or mumbling how unfair it was. She just held Dobby's hand, and with one last look at her father, she watched the doors close behind her. As soon as the children had left, memory Harry drew his wand and waved it in an intricate pattern, erecting several silencing and privacy wards.
"Now, can any of you explain HOW THE HELL I HAVE A DAUGHTER, WHEN I DON'T RECALL MY WIFE GIVING BIRTH, EVER?"
The others recoiled, as Harry's face morphed into an angry scowl.
"Would you believe Obliviation?" Blaise asked hopefully.
"NO!" he shouted, making them all wince again. "Why would I want to forget my daughter? Why would I leave her?"
"You left Teddy," replied Tracey, though she immediately regretted it, judging from how her hand quickly shot up to cover her own mouth. Memory Harry glowered at her.
"Teddy was well taken care of and doing fine with his grandmother. Plus, he was my godson, not my son. I was an orphan, damn it, and I would never abandon my child, never! Now somebody had better tell me what's going on, and they'd better do it now! SHE IS MY CHILD! MINE AND DAPHNE'S DAUGHTER! I CAN SEE IT!"
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The passion with which he spoke warmed Daphne's heart. She completely believed that Harry would do anything for any child of his. How could she not, when he'd already made her feel like he'd do anything for her?
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"I did it," said Millie, stepping forward.
"Millie..." Blaise started, only to be rebuked by his wife.
"No, Blaise, he deserves to know the truth. He's her father after all," Millie answered.
"I agree," Theo said, looking back at memory Harry. "We never knew what Millie was up to until she'd already gone through with it, but I don't think any of us have any regrets. Your daughter is a sweet girl, and you would be proud of her."
"Granted, I didn't do it solely out of the goodness of my heart," Millie said, looking down. "I had other reasons too, but I mainly did it because I thought what happened to you and Daphne wasn't fair."
"What did you do?" Harry asked, slightly calmer.
"A couple months after you were arrested, I found a potion in an old tome I was researching. It was a Blood Adoption potion, which was branded as illegal in the fifteenth century and had fallen into disuse. There had been a few scandals involving kidnapped heirs being forced to take the potion, severing their genetic ties to their original family and becoming part of the new family. All it took was a Memory Charm to make the child forget their past, and voilà, someone had a new son or daughter."
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"That's horrible," real Daphne whispered.
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"Continue," he demanded. "I can guess where my daughter came from, then."
"Yes, I brewed the potion. I used some of Daphne's blood leftover from the autopsy, and with Theo's help, I got a sample of your blood that was taken during the Auror medical exams, which they keep because it can be used in potions to help with life-threatening injuries," Millie explained, looking cautiously at memory Harry.
"Hair would have sufficed, but you took Daphne's body away and we never knew where to..."
She trailed off for a moment, lost in thought, then shook her head and continued.
"You also disappeared in Azkaban, so I couldn't approach you for a sample or your permission. Taking the blood samples was risky, but I was committed by that point, and that was the only real option I had left."
A small smile crossed her face.
"I found a magical baby – an orphan, with no family and no name. I gave her the potion, and the effects were instantaneous. In one moment, I had an abandoned child with no future, and in the next, I was holding the daughter of Harry and Daphne Potter."
"It was a shock when she brought her home the first time," Blaise said, stepping up to stand next to his wife. "But she explained it to me, and I accepted it. We told Theo and Tracey, who were even more shocked than I was, but we all took to the child immediately. Theo even took the baby's blood to Gringotts for an ancestry test, and the results were clear. You two are her parents."
"Theo let us in on the secret, and Jason as well," Hannah added with a smile. "Even with the glamour, she reminds me so much of you and Daphne. It's impossible not to see it, especially when you know the truth."
Justin nodded in agreement.
"Why?" asked memory Harry. "Why did you even do it?"
"At first, I was just curious about the potion and wanted to research it further. It was only later, after fully grasping its potential, that I decided you and Daphne were prime candidates. You had no heirs, and your family name was set to end, so what did I have to lose? If I succeeded, my friends would have a child that could carry on their names and legacy. If not..."
"So, you decided to commit line theft?" memory Harry snapped, and Millie looked back at him defiantly.
"Yes, I did, and I won't apologise for it. I admit, not all my reasons were noble, but I don't regret it in the least. I fell in love with that little girl, and I've always seen her as one of my own. I raised her, I comforted her when she had nightmares, and I've been there for her since the day I brought her home. When she asked me why she had to use a glamour charm every day, even in the house with her brothers, I told her the truth about her parents and who she really was."
"If you told her the truth, then why does she think I left her with you when I went to kill Weaselette?"
"Really, Potter? Think for a bloody moment, will you?" she shot back, with a surprising amount of venom. "Do you think I would tell a three-year-old that she was given a potion that made her your daughter? I had to come up with a suitable story and that's what came out."
"How is ´Your father left you here when he went to kill your mother's murderer´, a suitable story?" argued memory Harry. "It makes me sound like an asshole who didn't care about her."
"We never told her that you went willingly to jail," Millie retorted.
"We told her you were captured and had no chance of escaping, and that your last request to us was to take good care of her while you were away. You can't imagine how excited she was when she found out that her father had escaped so he'd be able to come back to her. We didn't even need to come up with an explanation for why you weren't coming to see her right away, because last we knew, your mind was broken and you barely recognised your friends. She told us she understood, but today made it obvious that she was still holding out hope that you'd remember her."
"Thank you for not breaking her heart by the way," Tracey said. "She was really excited, you know? To meet her daddy for the first time."
Harry didn't reply, at first. He just stood there silently for a while, apparently deep in thought, as if he was carefully considering everything Millie had said. After a few moments, he nodded to himself and continued questioning Millie.
"You mentioned having several reasons. You admitted your own curiosity was one, and that you also wanted to help continue mine and Daphne's legacies. I assume there was at least one other reason, so what was it?"
"The same reason why I chose a girl. I had a son around the same age, and I thought that someday we might possibly merge our families through marriage. That way, your daughter would legally become part of the Zabini family. On top of that, her inheritance would merge with the Zabini estate."
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Judging by the looks on the other adults' faces, Daphne could tell that this newest revelation was news to everyone but Millie. Shocking as it was, she was impressed by the level of planning and foresight Millie had put into her plan. Despite the somewhat selfish nature of her last reason, Millie had still given them a child, and Daphne couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Millie gave us a daughter?" she whispered tearfully.
"Yes," Harry replied. "She may have had her own agenda, but in the end, she gave us something just..."
Harry started to choke up, but he took a deep breath and composed himself.
"You'd love her."
"I already do," thought Daphne.
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"Is the process reversible?" memory Harry asked evenly. He was still somewhat glaring at Millie, but she didn't falter in the slightest.
"No, not unless you gave her another potion to blood adopt her into a different family, but that would be impossible. I destroyed the recipe and swore myself to secrecy, both about the potion and about Daphy's origins. I thought that knowledge was too dangerous."
"Good," was all Harry had to say before walking up to Millie and hugging her tightly, making her squeal in surprise.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Harry said over and over, picking Millie up and spinning her around.
The others were left speechless. They had obviously been afraid of how Harry would react, and whatever it was they were expecting, it certainly wasn't this. At worst, they were afraid his stint in Azkaban may have made him unstable, potentially even violent, but this was a sign that he was still their Harry, even after all he had been through.
"Harry, put me down!" demanded Millie, starting to look a bit nauseous. "Blaise!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he just kept saying, before finally relenting and putting Millie down.
Once she was back on her feet, Millie could see that Harry smiling. He wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, and it actually looked like he was holding back laughter.
"Sorry, I was just...I have a child with Daphne."
"You're not angry?" Blaise asked cautiously.
"I was at first, but I have a child with my wife. Yeah, your wife should probably be arrested for line theft, but if you think I'm going to complain after she gave me a child with Daphne, you must be crazy. Thanks, Millie."
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"That was a quick turnaround," joked real Daphne, laughing and crying happily at the same time. She couldn't help but feel happy for Harry, even if she wasn't able to be part of her daughter's life. Her daughter...that was an interesting thought. Daphne's mind started racing as she imagined a future where she and Harry had children together, leaving her cheeks flushed. Luckily, Harry was standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, so he didn't notice.
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"Well, you're welcome, I guess. And thank you for understanding," Millie replied.
"She said her name was Lilian Daphne Potter. Why?"
Millie shrugged.
"I thought it was fitting to name her after your mother, but I didn't want her connection to you to be too obvious. That's why I decided on Lilian instead of Lily. Her middle name is self-explanatory. That worked out fine until I once called her Daphne by mistake. She loved it, and she decided on the spot that she wanted to be Daphne instead of Lilian. Daphy is just a nickname."
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Real Daphne approved, if her huge smile was any indicator.
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"How old is she, then?" asked Harry.
"Five. She was barely one when I chose her," Millie informed him.
Harry nodded, while he was already taking down the privacy spells he had cast. He opened the doors and walked into the next room, finding the children sitting and eating cookies.
"Daddy?" asked Daphy questioningly, rising to her feet and looking confused by the huge smile on her father's face. Harry walked right up to her, picked her up, and hugged her tightly to him.
"Daddy!" she squealed in surprise, and Harry hugged her even tighter.
"Don't worry, baby. I'm not going anywhere anymore. We can finally be together, is that alright?" he asked, and Daphy just smiled and nodded against his chest.
The other adults filed into the room behind him, gathering just inside the doorway and watching the scene unfold. Daphy had her arms wrapped around Harry's neck while he held her, swaying slightly on the spot and quietly reassuring her that he was here to stay.
"So, what do you intend to do now?" asked Theo, interrupting the moment. At once, Harry's demeanour shifted back to the serious manner he had when he first greeted them.
"I need to know everything that's been happening over the past four years. What the Longbottoms have been up to, their strengths and weaknesses, their enemies and their allies. But for now…"
His serious expression melted away as quickly as it had come, replaced by a joyful one.
"I'm going to be a father, as long as my daughter wants me."
Daphy squealed happily and squeezed him tightly, making Harry chuckle.
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The memory ended, and Harry and Daphne found themselves back in the Chamber.
Daphne immediately turned to Harry and crashed her lips against his, snogging him senseless until she was left breathless.
"That was..." she started, but words failed her. Tears started pooling in her eyes, her happiness starting to shift to sorrow.
"I wish I could have been a part of it," she whispered, a single tear escaping.
"You were," he said.
"I was dead. How could I?" she scoffed.
"She asked about you. I told her all about you, about us. She absolutely loved you."
"Really?" she asked hopefully, and Harry nodded reassuringly.
"Tell me more about her. Tell me more about my daughter."
Harry chuckled.
"She was smart, pretty, and she carried herself like a princess. She also had a kind heart and an inquisitive mind, always asking questions. Of course, she could also be stubborn as a mule when she wanted. I remember one time when she wanted a pet, and it had to be a puppy, but of course, not just any puppy would do. No, Daphy told me she wanted one of the big puppies, the kind she knew some of the people I saved had, the ones that howled during the moonlight... That's when I realised she wanted a pet werewolf."
"What?!" Daphne exclaimed.
"I know. I explained to her that werewolves were actually people who transformed during the full moon, but that just made it worse, because then she insisted she wanted to be a werewolf, just so she could turn into a puppy."
Daphne paled and her eyes widened, but Harry held up his hands placatingly before she could speak.
"I was able to convince her, with a little help from Millie, Tracey, Hannah, and your sister, who I had freed by then, that being a werewolf wasn't a good idea. Would you like to know what finally convinced her?"
Daphne nodded.
"Werewolves can only transform on the full moon, not whenever they want to. Then, she pouted and threw a tantrum because not being able to change at will wasn't fair. I swear, sometimes that girl drove me crazy...but I loved her."
Harry was smiling fondly at the memory, but Daphne was still reeling from the werewolf story.
"Daph, are you alright?"
"I blame you, you damn Gryffindor," she mumbled, and Harry just sighed.
"Typical," he muttered, chuckling quietly.
"It's not funny, and what do you mean the people you saved? And what about my sister?"
"The people I saved were prisoners from the research camps spread across the isles. Vampires and Werewolves were rounded up and sent to these camps, where they were subjected to all sorts of tests and experiments, supposedly in order to try and cure their conditions. Most of them weren't there voluntarily, and the few that were quickly regretted it," Harry explained, as he poured the tea Dobby had brought them while they were in the Pensieve.
"Dobby and I found out about a small camp that was experimenting on werewolves. We broke into the camp to investigate it, and there we discovered several of the regime's rotting secrets. For one, we learned that this was happening all over the country. For another, the conditions were deplorable; the afflicted witches and wizards were essentially being tortured and killed for research. All the regime cared about was an end to the sickness, no matter how many lives it cost to get there. As far as they were concerned, their test subjects were all expendable in service to the greater good."
"That's barbaric," Daphne said with disgust.
"I killed the Paladins that were guarding the camp, along with the research personnel, and freed the werewolves," Harry continued.
"Some of them must have spread the word, because before long I was in the paper again. This time, I was declared a threat to society because I opposed them and was destroying their work. Add in the fact that I was helping dark creatures, and they had all they needed to brand me the next Dark Lord," he scoffed.
"Well...nothing new, then," she joked half-heartedly, and Harry actually laughed out loud.
"Yes, nothing new indeed..." he replied with a wry smile.
"How did our daughter learn about the werewolves, then?" she asked, and Harry shrugged.
"She probably overheard a conversation, or maybe someone explained to her what a werewolf actually was and why I went to help them, I don't really know. I'm just glad she dropped the idea of becoming one."
"Yes, there's that at least," replied Daphne. "What about my sister?"
"Well, like I told you, Astoria was disowned by your father for killing Malfoy before being sent to Azkaban."
"Yes..." she replied with a scowl, balling her fists.
"Jason Hallys was also in Azkaban. He was arrested for fighting the Paladins in public, and at his trial they gave him Veritaserum and forced him to list his crimes. He spilled all of his secrets, including how he killed the muggles who killed his grandfather, as you heard. He also confessed to allowing me by him to kill Weaselette and smuggling unauthorised potions into Azkaban, while he was stationed there as a guard. It turned out that he was the one who found me in Azkaban and gave me the strengthening potions."
"He was? But... When you said he was in Azkaban, I thought you meant he was working there, not as a prisoner."
"Understandable," replied Harry. "But no, he was serving time, and a lot of it. He had been there for about a year by the time I found out about it. Fortunately, Theo knew which cells both he and Astoria were in, so I sent Dobby to Azkaban to get them both. Dobby popped them one by one into a makeshift infirmary that we'd set up in Potter Manor. I'm sure you could imagine their surprise when they got there."
"Not really. Why don't you show me?" suggested Daphne, who was very interested in seeing this version of her sister.
"How did Astoria react to our daughter?"
"I explained everything to Astoria before she met Daphy. She was shocked at first, unsurprisingly, but I know she loved our girl," he said as he extracted the memory from his temple.
"Good," Daphne replied, and they went into the Pensieve once again.
Daphne found herself in a large room filled with natural light. Harry was there, once again dressed in black robes, along with Millie and Hannah Callen.
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"How long?" asked Hannah.
"Mere moments," replied Harry, his arms folded in front of him. Right on time, Dobby and an extra passenger popped into the room, the latter revealed to be a dangerously thin woman with dirty light hair.
"Astoria," Harry said, and the woman turned to him with wide eyes, only for Millie to be all over her a second later, waving her wand and trying to assess Astoria's condition.
"Harry? Millie? But...How?" Astoria asked in her confusion.
Another pop sounded, signalling Dobby's departure.
"I will explain everything in good time," Harry assured her. "In the meantime, just know that you're out of Azkaban and you'll stay out, that much I promise you. Now, before anything else, there's something you must know."
"But...how did you..." stammered Astoria, completely disoriented.
"Astoria, focus, damn it," demanded Millie, who turned back to address Harry. "I have the potions she needs, but she's worse than expected and I'm no healer."
"Hannah?"
"Don't look at me, I'm just a brewer as well."
"Then one of you get a healer I can trust, or better yet, a healer in whom Daphne trusted," Harry commanded.
"I think I know just the person. She was in our house and graduated Hogwarts in our fourth year. Daphne learned from her," suggested Millie.
"Good, go get her," he ordered, and Millie left the room at once, leaving behind a surprised, and very confused Astoria.
"What is going on?" the youngest former Greengrass sister demanded.
"You're in a worse shape than we thought and need a better healer," replied Harry. "Now where the hell is Dobby?"
On cue, Dobby popped into the room with a ragged, bearded man grabbing onto him for support.
"Holy crap, you weren't lying," the man said in a deadpan tone.
"Jason Hallys, glad to see your ugly mug again," saluted Hannah, as she walked towards him.
"Hey, Hannah, you're a sight for sore eyes. What happened? Where are we?" he asked with a smile.
"Potter Manor. Welcome," memory Harry replied, immediately drawing Jason's full attention.
"Harry, Captain, sir!" he exclaimed, grinning broadly. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"I was told that you gave me potions to help me get better while I was in Azkaban. Thank you, Jason," Harry acknowledged, but Jason just nodded and shrugged it off.
"Don't mention it, Captain. Don't get me wrong or think I'm ungrateful, but why am I here?" he asked, only then noticing the woman who Hannah was levitating to one of the beds.
"Jason Hallys, meet Astoria, my sister-in-law," presented Harry. "She was in Azkaban as well. The reason you're here is because I wanted to get you out. I could use your help too, but that's your choice."
"I'm in," Jason replied without a second thought.
"First of all, there's something you need to know," said Harry, turning to Astoria. "Especially you, Tori. Daphne and I have a daughter."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Astoria, sitting herself up in the bed.
"Calm down, Astoria," ordered Harry, seeing the doubt and the confusion in Astoria's face.
"So, he knows. How did it go?" Jason asked Hannah.
"He loved her, and she loved him. I've never seen the captain so whipped, it's even worse than he was with Daphne," Hannah chuckled.
"But..." started Astoria.
"Tori, listen carefully. I know it may be confusing, and you can ask questions later, but this is something you need to know. You're aware that Daphne and I had no children before she died, but what you may not know is that she was pregnant, and our child died with her."
Astoria gasped.
"In her research, Millie found a Blood Adoption potion recipe and brewed it using some of mine and Daphne's blood. She fed the potion to a baby girl, and she changed. Our blood runs through that girl's veins, therefore, she is our daughter. Even Gringotts acknowledged her as mine and Daphne's daughter by blood, making her your niece. Do you understand?"
Astoria could only nod vaguely, as she was too baffled to say anything.
"She doesn't know about the potion. She thinks she we had her a year before I went to Azkaban, and that I asked the Zabinis to take care of her should anything happen to me. She will continue to think that until she's old enough to understand, are we clear?"
Astoria nodded again.
"Good," Harry said, smiling. "Her name is Lilian Daphne Potter, but she prefers to be called Daphy, after her mother. I'm positive you'll love her. Just remember that the last time you saw her she was a baby, and the reason I didn't ask you to take care of her was because I didn't like your husband."
Astoria's face scrunched up in anger.
"That won't be a problem," she replied at once.
"Good. We can talk more about this once you've recovered, and I'll try to clarify it some more. Millie can help. She wants to meet you, by the way. Do you think I can bring her to meet her aunt, or do you need more time?"
"Y-Yes, I want to see her...really?" asked Astoria. She was obviously still confused, but a smile had appeared on her face and was slowly growing. "You're serious, aren't you? There's a child? Daphne's...my sister's child?"
"Yes," Harry replied reassuringly. "Sit tight and I'll be back with her shortly. Dobby, take me to my daughter."
Dobby grabbed Harry by his sleeve and popped away. The memory shifted, and memory Harry and Dobby were now standing in a well-kept garden.
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"That was a little harsh, wasn't it? Dropping the news on my sister like that, minutes after escaping Azkaban..." complained Daphne.
"Maybe it was a little abrupt, but Daphy was really excited about meeting her aunt," Harry smiled, pointing in the direction memory Harry was moving. Daphne looked in that direction and saw Daphy playing with flowers.
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"Hi princess," memory Harry said, drawing his daughter's attention.
"Daddy! Have you come to play with me?" the child asked happily, and memory Harry chuckled.
"I can if you'd like, but I was wondering if you wanted to meet your aunt, your mummy's sister. We just got her..."
"Really?" Daphy exclaimed, jumping up from the ground and grabbing her father by the hand. "Come on already, Daddy."
"Daphy, calm down. Your aunt isn't feeling all that well and is in the infirmary. There's another person in there too, your uncle Jason."
"You brought him too? Yay!" she cheered, trying to speed up again and tugging her father's hand. Memory Harry rolled his eyes, picked her up, and started walking back towards the house.
"Remember, don't run inside the house, Daphy," he said, and Daphy nodded her agreement.
"If I put you down, will you be calm and come with me?"
"I like it more when you carry me, Daddy," the little girl said cheekily, making memory Harry grumble, while real Harry and Daphne laughed. Daphne noticed that memory Harry didn't actually seem to mind, as he made no effort to put the child back down on the floor.
"Now, keep in mind that your aunt is weak and still needs to recover, so no jumping on her."
"Yes, Daddy."
"Also, she hasn't seen you in a long time."
"I don't remember seeing her, ever," Daphy replied, and memory Harry chuckled nervously. They continued with their banter as they made their way through the house, eventually reaching the infirmary. Harry opened the door and allowed his daughter to enter first.
Astoria's eyes bulged at the sight of her niece, who so closely resembled Daphne that she was left speechless. She gaped at the little girl from her bed, and she was still searching for something to say when another voice spoke up.
"Is that the little duck?" asked Jason, as the little girl came into view. Daphy groaned and looked at her so-called uncle.
"Hi, Uncle Jason," she said, waving at him but still standing near her father, who was looking curiously at the younger man.
"What, no hug? I'm hurt, little duckie."
"I'm not a duck, Uncle Jason," she replied with a pout, which real Daphne thought was incredibly cute.
"Little duck?" asked memory Harry.
"Yes, you know, Daffy? Daffy Duck?" joked Jason, who then started laughing. He was the only one.
"Hallys, compare my daughter to that crazy duck again and I will make your life hell."
"Fine, it's not like anyone else understood it either. Damn purebloods never watched cartoons, that's what I get..." he started grumbling, mostly to himself, while Astoria slowly rose from her bed. Memory Harry nudged Daphy forward.
"Oh, Merlin," Astoria whispered, mesmerised by the small child looking up at her.
"You look so much like Daphne."
"Hello, my name is Lilian Daphne Potter. Are you my Auntie Asstor... my Auntie Tori?" asked Daphy, dropping into a small curtsy after mangling Astoria's name.
"Yes...yes, I am," Astoria replied tearfully, beckoning her niece closer and hugging her.
"You're so pretty, my beautiful niece, I can see your mother when I look at you."
"R-Really?" asked Daphy.
"Yes, sweetie, you look just like her. Do you know why I've been away and haven't seen you for so long?" asked Astoria, and Daphy nodded.
"Daddy told me you were sent to prison because you killed a bad man that hurt you, just like he was sent to prison because he killed the bad woman that killed Mummy," replied Daphy, as Harry rested his hand on her shoulder.
"But now, Daddy brought you back to us. Are you going to stay with us too, Auntie? Are you going to help Daddy kill the bad people who caused Mummy's death?"
"What?" asked Astoria, quickly turning to look at memory Harry, who was looking concernedly at Daphy.
"What other people?" she demanded.
"It's a long story, but in short, everything Weaselette did was instigated by others. Daphne died because of them and their manipulations," Harry explained.
"Count me in," Astoria seethed. "If there are other people responsible for my sister's death, I will be there when they are brought to justice, whoever they are."
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Daphne was touched that her sister would be so ready and willing to fight for her.
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"For now, though, tell me more about you, cutie," she asked Daphy, tapping her on the nose and making her giggle.
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The memory ended, and they were ejected from the Pensieve.
"Were you rallying people to fight?" Daphne asked.
"I was indeed. The Longbottoms had an army and absolute control of the government, and it's not like I could assault their new manor by myself. I needed allies, and I figured my best bet was to recruit those who felt disgruntled or disenfranchised by the Reformist takeover. That proved to be correct, and I ended up getting a lot of support from werewolves, vampires, and some of the so-called dark families, which let's face it, only helped bolster my growing reputation as the latest Dark Lord of Britain."
"So, basically, you built your own army to fight against the Longbottoms, so you could crush their regime and get revenge for what they did to me, is that it?"
"No, not exactly," Harry admitted. "My only goal was bringing down the Longbottoms and making them pay for what they had done. Crushing their regime was only a means to an end, and the inevitable consequence of me getting to them."
"So, what happened?" she asked, looking down at their interconnected hands.
"The second war happened, the one which would later be known as the Magic-Traitors War, or the Mudblood War, in certain circles. I won't bore you with the details or memories of battles. I can tell you that once word got out that a real opposition was forming, more and more people sought us out. Greg came to us at one point and joined us. Ursula Corwin, who was Ursula Pince by then, also joined us as our lead healer, and there were many others. I already told you how I was ambushed by the eldest Weasley son and three of his brothers. I killed them all, and Fleur, who was married to Bill Weasley, departed Britain for France and took their children with her. The pig Weasley had joined the Paladins and was one of 'Oberon's hands', or at least I think that was his title. He was one of Longbottom's seconds in command."
That took Daphne by surprise. She couldn't picture Ronald Weasley being competent at anything, let alone enough to be given responsibility over others.
"Your parents stayed neutral. They never contacted me, nor did I contact them. I wrote them off after what they had done to your sister, even though Astoria actually suggested we force them to join us and make themselves useful."
"For once…" Daphne mumbled, but Harry didn't hear her.
"The war lasted nearly three years, concluding at the beginning of the year 2013. It wasn't easy, but I doubt you're interested in hearing the details..."
"Not really..." Daphne admitted with a small smile. "I rather hear more about Daphy."
"I thought you might," replied Harry, taking a seat in his usual chair. "Do you remember me telling you about the little girl who inspired the fashion trend of shorter sleeves? I guess I can tell you now, that girl was our daughter."
"Really?" asked a surprised Daphne. "How did that come about?"
"Well, Daphy was living with me, Dobby, Astoria, and Jason in Potter Manor. Since they were fugitives, I kept them there for safety reasons. The old wards and protections on the home were nearly impenetrable, and I'd also cast the Fidelius over it, so it's not like anyone could find us anyway."
"One evening, we were having dinner together with the Zabinis and the Notts. Daphy started complaining about the sleeves on her new dress being too big, because they kept sagging into her food and getting all dirty."
Harry chuckled fondly at the memory, and Daphne also cracked a smile.
"At first, I tried to just roll the sleeves up her arm, but they kept falling, so she asked if she could just cut them. It didn't seem like a big deal to me, but Astoria and Tracey argued strongly against it. I couldn't believe how seriously they were taking an argument about a child's sleeve length."
"Honestly, it's not all that surprising. They're both a little crazy when it comes to fashion," Daphne replied, wincing slightly.
"And our daughter was as stubborn as me and you put together, so she ignored them and asked me directly if she could cut her sleeves."
"I'm assuming Tracey and Tori turned on you," chuckled Daphne.
"That they did. They went on and on about modern trends and complained about how expensive the dress had been, even though I was the one who paid for it. I ended up cutting the sleeves for her myself, three quarters of the way down her arm, just like she'd asked. Well, I never liked that stupid big sleeve trend anyway, so I decided to follow my daughter's trend and did the same to my robes, even if it was partially just to spite Astoria."
Daphne frowned slightly at that last part.
"What do you mean, just to spite my sister?"
"Astoria was overly sensitive to me doing anything that made it seem like I was spoiling Daphy. It all goes back to her bad experiences with her former husband and their son, who had become a spoiled little shit who wanted nothing to do with his 'blood traitor mother', who killed his father. The brat's words, not mine."
"Damn Malfoys," scowled Daphne.
"I didn't spoil Daphy," Harry said firmly. "I just tried to be her father. I was strict with some things, of course, but not everything. Nor did I give her a free pass to do anything she wanted or buy her everything she asked for. I just...you know, tried to be a proper father."
"I had to learn a few things from Blaise and Theo, but I did the best I could," he added, looking down regretfully.
"I'm sure you were a great father," Daphne said, sitting herself on Harry's lap and stroking his cheek. "I can tell, even from the little bit I saw."
"I wish I was, Daph," he replied, resting his head against her. "You have no idea how much I always wanted to hear that from you, but I don't..."
"Oh, just shut up," she insisted, and kissed him soundly. When she finally let go of him, the previous topic had all but been forgotten.
"I want to show you couple more memories. One is from a few weeks before Christmas 2011, and the other from Christmas Day that same year."
"What are they about?" asked Daphne, sounding somewhat concerned.
"Our daughter, of course," Harry replied, and Daphne stood up from his lap. Harry got up and placed the memory in the Pensieve, then turned back to Daphne.
"I never told anyone about what you're going to see now. Only Daphy and I knew of this, and I kept it secret for many years. I'm showing you now, because it's your right to know," Harry said, and Daphne felt a warmth spreading through her chest, despite her apprehension.
"Is it serious?" she asked, but Harry shook his head.
"Not at all. It's just personal."
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The couple found themselves at Potter Manor once again, walking a few steps behind memory Harry, who was still sporting a neatly trimmed beard, and wearing a cloak with shortened sleeves overtop his familiar black robes. He looked tired and dirty, as if he had just arrived from the battlefield. He came to a door and knocked three times, and a muffled voice responded from inside.
"Hey, princess!" he called, cracking the door and poking his head into the room.
"Daddy!" Daphy replied excitedly, throwing the door wide open and jumping into her father's arms.
"I missed you last night. You didn't tuck me into bed," she said, trying her best to sound reproachful. She wasn't very successful; she was far too happy that her daddy had returned.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I will do it today, and to make up for it I'll even tell you two stories. Does that sound good?" memory Harry asked, and Daphy nodded happily.
"How was the...umm..." she attempted to ask, but she couldn't remember the right word.
"Raid?" offered Harry.
"Yes, the raid. How was it? Did you help people? Did you do what you wanted to do?"
Harry just chuckled and caressed the top of his daughter's head.
"Don't worry, sweetie. Everything went better than expected. We're one step closer to getting the bad people."
"Finally! Then you can stay at home with me, right?" she asked, and memory Harry frowned slightly.
"Of course, honey. I know I haven't spent much time with you lately, but..."
"Don't worry, Daddy. You're trying to get the bad people who killed Mummy. I want you to win so you can come back home and be safe."
"Oh..."
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"At least she's got some sense," teased real Daphne.
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Harry smiled at his daughter.
"Daphy, your Auntie Tori told me that you asked a few questions yesterday. About your mummy."
"Yes, I did." she said, a little shyly.
"Why, sweetie?" asked Harry, and Daphy looked down, embarrassed.
"I'm not angry, Daphy, quite the opposite."
"Well...I wanted to do something for you, and I wanted to do it right," Daphy replied, a little happier. "For being the best Daddy ever."
"Really?" asked Harry, and Daphy nodded.
"Do you want to see?" she offered, and Harry nodded.
"Of course."
Daphy grinned and dragged her father over to her desk, where she had several sheets of paper and crayons, along with a picture of a younger Harry and Daphne Potter. Daphy searched through her drawings until she found the one she wanted.
"I made this for you, Daddy. What do you think?" she asked, showing him the drawing.
Memory Harry gasped, feeling his eyes prickle when he realised what she had drawn.
The picture was a scene depicting four people, two adults and two children, all holding hands together in line. One of the people was clearly a man, dressed in black, with short black hair and a beard. The green eyes and huge smile made it obvious who he was, even without the huge word 'Daddy' scrawled under him. Holding hands with him was a little girl with black hair and green eyes, who was also smiling and wearing a blue and silver dress. Under the image, the word 'Daphy' was written. Holding hands with Daphy was a smaller boy with dark blond hair and blue eyes, wearing red and blue robes and smiling. Under the boy was written the name 'Wayne'. Finally, next to Wayne was a woman with long blonde hair, smiling widely and wearing a silver and green dress, which, of course, had 'Mummy' written underneath.
"Do you like it, Daddy?" she asked hopefully, and memory Harry brought his daughter into a hug and kissed her cheek.
"It's beautiful, sweetie, I love it. Thank you."
"Do you like the name I picked for my baby brother?" Daphy asked, and Harry didn't have the heart to tell her no.
"It's a good name. Where did you learn it?" he asked, and Daphy beamed at him.
"Uncle Jason showed me a funny book with lots of drawings about a bat man who goes around fighting mean people. His real name was Wayne, and I thought it was a good name for my baby brother. It's alright if you don't like the name, Daddy."
"It's a good name, princess. I like it, and I like your drawing as well. It's very pretty."
"I asked Auntie Tori what mummy's favourite colour was to paint the dress, and she told me it was probably green, but I should also add a bit of silver," Daphy continued, smiling all the while.
Real Daphne was holding Harry's arm and shedding happy tears at the scene happening before her.
"I'm sure your mummy would love it too, Daphy."
"Do you think so, Daddy?" the child asked shyly.
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"Yes!" real Daphne called out.
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"I'm sure, Daphy," smiled Harry, placing the drawing back on the table. "Why don't you show me some more of your drawings?"
"Sure, Daddy," she replied happily, and proceeded to show him one picture after another. There were some landscapes, several portraits of her Daddy, or of her aunties, uncles, and cousins, and even a few depicting her mummy. At one point, memory Harry's attention was drawn to a picture with four large, black shapes.
"Daphy, what is this?" he asked, pulling the picture from the pile. Looking at it more closely, he could see that the drawing was of four snakes. There were two smaller snakes and two big ones, the largest of which seemed to be breathing fire.
"Just an idea I had, Daddy." Daphy explained. "These are our guardian snakes, and they only obey us."
"Really? Why?"
"Because we're the only ones that can talk with snakes, silly Daddy," Daphy reminded her father with a giggle.
"She...She was a Parselmouth as well?" asked Daphne, and Harry nodded.
"So, why are there four?" asked memory Harry, seemingly interested in his daughter's story.
"Well, this one here is the mummy snake, the big one with blue eyes."
Daphy pointed to the next-to-largest snake.
"I called her Bael, and she keeps everything and everyone safe."
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Daphne gasped, looking back and forth between the drawing and Harry.
"She...she named Bael? She named the snakes?" she asked, and Harry nodded.
"I only made the golems. Our daughter had the idea for them and gave them all names. All I did was take her ideas and make them real," Harry confessed. Daphne intertwined her arm even more with Harry's and leaned into him, as they both looked on lovingly at the memory of their daughter.
————————————-
Daphy continued with her explanation, pointing to each of the snakes in turn.
"This small one with blue eyes is Kael. He's the smallest one and the baby of the four, but he can fight too. This other small one with green eyes is Zael. She's older than Kael and can also fight the bad people."
Finally, Daphy pointed at the biggest snake in the drawing, the only one with a hood like a cobra's, and which was also breathing fire.
"This big one is the daddy snake. He's the most powerful of them all and protects the other three, and he can destroy all the mean people. He's not a dragon, he's a snake, but he can breathe fire like a dragon. His name is Vael."
"I see, sweetie," memory Harry said, looking impressed by all the thought his daughter had put into her drawing.
"These are very beautiful and clever, but I can't help but notice some similarities between this drawing of the snakes and this one of our family..."
Memory Harry put the drawing of the snakes next to the one of the family that Daphy had given him moments before.
"Am I right or wrong?"
Daphy blushed.
"I'm Zael," admitted Daphy. "Wayne is Kael, and Mummy is Bael because Mummies always keep the children and the house safe."
"And I'm..."
"You are Vael, the biggest and most powerful one. The strongest ever, that one who can protect us and everyone else, and fight the bad people," Daphy replied with a shy smile.
"You're the Daddy."
————————————-
Real Daphne was just too touched to even say anything. She had been curious about the snakes, but knowing that they had been originally invented by her own daughter made them precious to her.
————————————-
"But if that's me, why am I breathing fire?" asked Harry, and Daphy smiled.
"Silly Daddy, did you forgot the time you burned the forest with fire when you were fighting against the bad man? Uncle Theo told me the story."
"Oh...Yes, I did do that, didn't I?" memory Harry chuckled, somewhat uncomfortably. "So, if I breathe fire, what special skills do you, Wayne, and your mummy have?"
"We're children, so we don't have any yet. Mummy can heal people and make everything safe again," Daphy smiled. "Everyone tells me how Mummy was a great healer, a powerful witch, and very intimidating, even to you."
Memory Harry coughed awkwardly.
"Sometimes...still, she was an amazing person," he said fondly, making Daphy smile.
"I had a nightmare a few days ago," Daphy told him, her expression turning serious.
"I don't remember what it was, but I remember I was very scared. Then, Mummy appeared in my dream and made everything safe again. She hugged me, sang to me, and told me she would always be with me, and that I didn't need to be afraid, because Mummy and Daddy would always be with me..."
She bowed her head, with tears pooling in her eyes.
"When I woke up, I cried because it was only a dream, but it felt so real. Mummy had been there with me."
She then started crying in earnest and threw herself into her father's arms, who also seemed to be tearing up.
————————————-
Real Daphne didn't even bother trying to hold back her tears. More than anything, she wanted to run to her daughter and comfort her, but she couldn't. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to any of them. Real Harry put an arm around her and pulled her closer to him.
"Why?" Daphne cried, leaning into Harry. "It's not fair."
"No, it's not," he agreed.
As the memory came to an end, real Harry saw the decisive look on the face of his memory self, and he wondered if he had done the right thing back then. The couple emerged from the Pensieve, and Daphne immediately buried her face in Harry's chest.
"Did...did it get better?" she asked softly.
"Yes. It did get better at Christmas," Harry whispered back. "After that, I rarely saw her sad."
"Really?" Daphne asked, looking at him quizzically. "How? Why? What did you do?"
"I tried to give her what she wanted," Harry replied, somewhat sadly. He looked back at Daphne and brushed her cheek with his thumb.
"But...how?"
Harry let go of Daphne and removed another memory with his wand. He dropped the strand into the basin and extended his hand to Daphne.
"I came to Hogwarts and recovered the Resurrection Stone from where I'd hidden in the forest," Harry admitted.
Daphne's eyebrows shot up.
"It was the only way."
"But...but..."
"While I was there recovering the Stone, I recruited Flitwick to our cause, but that's another story," he added, but she just kept staring at him open-mouthed.
"Do you want to see?"
Recovering, Daphne nodded and went with Harry into the Pensieve. As they memory settled, they found themselves in a dark, torch-lit room with smooth stone walls. Daphy and memory Harry were already there.
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"Why are we here, Daddy?" asked Daphy, holding her father's hand.
"I thought it was fitting," Harry replied in a whisper, looking down at his daughter.
"Do you know where we are?"
"You always ask me that, Daddy. Of course, I know. We're in the crypt where you keep Mummy's body."
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Daphne thought that the exasperated huff that accompanied Daphy's reply was absolutely adorable. She followed memory Harry as he opened the carved wooden door, revealing the solid crystal casket inside the next room. As Daphne approached the casket, she felt a pang in her chest as she recognised the body of her older self. She was perfectly preserved, clad all in white with her hands crossed over her chest.
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"Hi, Mummy," whispered Daphy.
Memory Harry knelt down in front of Daphy and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Daphy, this year, I want to do something different," he said.
"What do you mean, Daddy?" she asked curiously.
"Have you ever heard the Tale of the Three Brothers?"
Daphy shook her head, and memory Harry called for Dobby, who popped into the room and handed him a small, slightly tattered book. Memory Harry waved his wand and conjured two seats and a small table.
"Then I will read it to you, alright?" he suggested, opening the book as they each took their seats.
"There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.
And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic and said that each had earned a prise for having been clever enough to evade him.
So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.
Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.
And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.
Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts. In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.
The first brother travelled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.
That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat.
And so Death took the first brother for his own.
Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.
Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her.
And so Death took the second brother for his own.
But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life."
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter Twenty-One
Memory Harry finished the tale and closed the book.
"Did you like it?"
Daphy nodded.
"Now, what if I told you that this story is somewhat real?"
"Really? You mean there really is a super wand, a stone that lets you talk to the dead, and a cloak that... oh, you have one of those…"
Memory Harry chuckled at Daphy's realisation.
"The three artefacts are real, that much is a fact. Now, if they were actually made by death or not, I don't know, and I really don't care. They don't give you any special powers, though they are each powerful in their own right. The Elder Wand can be used to cast much more powerful spells, the Resurrection Stone can be used to speak with the dead, and the Cloak can be used to become completely invisible."
Daphy nodded, and Harry drew a moleskin pouch from within his robes and held it up to her.
"I want you to swear to me that you will never tell anyone what I'm going to tell you now, and I want you to swear to me that whatever happens in here, you will not share it with anyone else but me, alright?"
"I swear, Daddy," she said, beaming as her father smiled proudly at her. He reached into the pouch and pulled out a shining, silvery cloth.
"Do you know what this is?"
"It's the Potter Invisibility Cloak." she replied promptly, and her father nodded.
"What if I told you that this is Death's Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows?"
"Really?" Daphy asked, leaning in with her eyes wide. "No, you're teasing me, Daddy."
Memory Harry chuckled.
"Fine, don't believe me," he said, setting the Cloak on the table and drawing a thin wand from one of the holsters on his left arm.
"What about this, do you know what this is?"
"That's a wand," she replied matter-of-factly, then hesitated. She stared at her father intently, but Harry said nothing further and just stared right back at her, as if he were waiting for something. After a few moments, she gathered her nerve and finally spoke up.
"Is it the Elder Wand?" she asked in a low, almost reverent tone, not sure if she should believe it or not. Harry nodded and placed the wand on the table, and Daphy started to look anxious.
"And this is the last one," he said quietly, pulling a small stone from his pocket and resting it in his open palm.
"Then is that...the Stone?" Daphy asked, and memory Harry nodded.
"I want you to remember what I read about the Stone, Daphy. I'll read it again."
"Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.
Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her."
"Do you think you understand everything I read?"
Daphy nodded tearfully.
"Knowing that, I'm asking you to make a choice, my sweet daughter," memory Harry said, placing the Stone on the table and looking calmly at Daphy.
"If you'd like, I'll allow you to use the Stone once. You could finally meet your Mummy, but only for a few moments. Remember, the dead don't belong here, and she may suffer if she's brought back to the world of the living for too long. If you think meeting her may be too much for you, then we can forget about the Stone and never mention it again."
Daphy's face twisted, almost as if she was in pain.
"I won't lie to you. If you choose not to use the Stone, you will always wonder what could have been. I know I did, until I accidentally used it to meet my parents and my uncles. They didn't suffer because they didn't spend much time here with me...and I didn't suffer, because I believed I was about to die and join them," he admitted, and Daphy looked up at him sadly.
"However, if you choose to meet your Mummy, then you need to understand exactly what that will mean. She won't suffer much as long as you don't keep her for too long, but you will. You'll get to see her and speak to her, but you won't be able to touch her or hug her. I know it's hard, but only you can decide. Would it be more painful for you to meet her this way, knowing it will be the only time, or would it be worse to go through life having never met her at all?"
Neither said a word for several moments.
"Have...have you ever used it to see Mummy?" Daphy asked, and memory Harry shook his head.
"No. I had hidden it away for safety many years ago, and I only recovered it this week. And I want to see her. I want to talk to her, I want to...I want to have her in my arms, hug her, kiss her...but I know I can't."
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Real Daphne felt her heart pounding in her chest. Was this really going to happen? Were they actually going to summon her other self with the Stone?
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"I want to see Mummy," she said, looking at her father with a tear rolling down her face. "Even if it's just this once and she can't hug me, I want to see my Mummy."
Memory Harry picked up the Stone and knelt in front of his daughter, the Stone between his hands.
"If you're sure, then grasp the Stone between your hands," her father said softly.
"Now, I want you to turn the Stone over in your hand three times and say your Mummy's name."
"D-Daphne P-Potter," Daphy said hesitantly, following her father's directions.
"Try again, sweetie. She'll come; you just have to be confident."
"Daphne Potter," she repeated, and memory Harry smiled at her.
"Did it work, Daddy?"
"It did, sweetheart," a voice called from behind her.
Daphy's eyes grew wide, and she turned around to see her mother's shade, looking exactly the same as the body lying in the crystal casket.
"Hi, Daph," Harry said, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I've missed you."
"I know," shade Daphne replied with a tearful smile. "I missed you too."
"M-Mummy?" Daphy asked hesitantly.
"Daph, this is..." memory Harry started.
"I know," shade Daphne replied with a smile.
"Hello, honey. I'm your mummy."
"MUMMY!" cried Daphy, jumping from her father's hands and towards her mother's waiting arms, only to pass directly through the shade and fall to the floor behind her. When she realised what had happened, Daphy broke down and cried.
"Don't cry, baby," shade Daphne implored, reaching out to try and comfort her daughter. Her face fell as she watched her hands pass straight through her.
"I'm here with you. I've always been with you and your daddy."
"But...but mummy...I...I...miss…you," Daphy sobbed.
"I know, honey. I miss you too. You have no idea how much I want to hold you, play with you, be with you...and with that crazy man we both love," she whispered, nodding at memory Harry, who was slowly approaching the two of them.
"D-Daddy?" Daphy questioned, as her father knelt beside them and gently rubbed his daughter's back.
"What did I tell you, princess?" memory Harry asked softly, and Daphy buried her face in his chest. He then directed his gaze to his wife's shade, and they shared a sad smile with one another.
"How are you, Daph?"
"Jealous," she replied simply, as she looked longingly at her husband attempting to comfort their daughter.
"Come on, Daphy. Didn't you want to meet your mummy?"
Daphy let go of him, and with a few deep breaths, she turned back to her mother.
"Hi, Mummy, I miss you," she said, trying to clean the tears from her face. "I know I was named Lilian after Grandmummy Lily, but I like to be called Daphne after you."
Daphy smiled. She seemed to be feeling more confident and ready to converse, now that the initial shock of seeing her mother's shade had started to wear off.
"I try to be a good girl, but sometimes it's hard. Auntie Tori always says that I'm too Gryffindor like Daddy, and she makes it sound like a bad thing, but I don't think it is."
Memory Harry grinned at his daughter's admission, as Daphne's shade chuckled and shook her head.
"Daddy also says that I act a lot like you and to ignore Auntie Tori, because she's just jealous."
Both of her parents laughed out loud at that.
"Of course, he did."
"I've already used accidental magic, and I've read the books in the library that Daddy said I was allowed to read. I'm also a Parselmouth like Daddy, and I like snakes. I met a garden snake in the garden last summer and talked with it a lot. His name was Sefren, and he went to sleep in his nest. I offered to bring him to the house, but he didn't want to, so I never asked Daddy if I could."
She started fidgeting and bit her lower lip, thinking about what else to say.
"I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but I know I want to be a powerful witch like you and Daddy, and I want you two to be proud of me."
"Oh, honey, I already am," shade Daphne said, reaching out to touch her daughter's cheek, even knowing that it would pass through. It was a surprise to both girls when they actually felt the contact, and they gasped and looked at each other with wide eyes.
"Mu-mummy?" Daphy asked in awe.
"H-How?"
They both glanced over at Harry, who was smiling back at them. His right hand was clinched around the Stone, and he had a look of intense concentration on his face as he channelled his magic into it.
"Go on," he said. "It won't last for long."
"Mummy!" Daphy cried, jumping into Daphne's arms and hugging her as hard as she could. Daphne responded in kind, and they were both now sobbing and holding each other tightly.
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"H-How?" real Daphne asked tearfully, clearly touched by the scene.
"Thank for hearing my prayer, Death," real Harry mumbled, not quite loud enough for Daphne to hear.
"It's just the power of the Hallow. If the Stone is fed with enough magic and life force, the shade may become corporeal for a time. Abuse it, and you will die."
"You...you did that for her?"
Real Harry just smiled and nodded, and he happily accepted Daphne's kiss of gratitude.
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Shade Daphne was now standing and carrying Daphy. She pulled memory Harry into the hug and kissed him while all three of them had their arms wrapped around each other.
"Thank you, my love," shade Daphne said, resting her forehead against memory Harry's.
"Thank you for this moment."
"One day, Daph..." he whispered.
"I'll be waiting for you, but make sure you take your time," she replied with a sad laugh, and set Daphy back on the ground.
"It's time, sweetie. I need to go back before bad things happen, especially if your Daddy is sacrificing his life and magic."
Daphy nodded glumly, still crying.
"I love you so much, my sweet girl. Be good, and make sure to always obey your father. He may sound crazy sometimes, but he's a good man and you can count on him."
"I will, Mummy," she sobbed. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too, darling. I'll be waiting for you, but please, try to live happy and for a long time, alright?"
Daphy just nodded her head and wiped her tears.
"Take a good care of her, my love," shade Daphne demanded, now addressing Harry.
"You know I will. I love you. Always will," memory Harry replied, and shade Daphne smiled.
"I love you too. Both of you," she replied with a tearful smile.
"Goodbye."
Shade Daphne vanished, leaving memory Harry and Daphy alone in the crypt. Daphy hugged her father and started sobbing again.
"Thank you, Daddy."
"Do you understand now why it hurts?" he asked her, and she nodded into his chest.
"I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, honey. Very much. I have something else for you, too," he said, letting go of his daughter and helping her wipe her tears.
"I've been thinking about it, and I don't think it's fair that I keep it only for myself."
"What?" Daphy asked, and Harry brought out another wand from his arm holster.
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"Is that... my wand?" asked real Daphne, and Harry nodded.
"It is. I kept it as my secondary wand, instead of using the Elder Wand. It had more meaning to me."
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"This is your Mummy's wand," memory Harry said, rolling the wand between his fingers as his daughter looked at it reverently.
"I've kept it safe since she died, and I've been using it as my secondary wand since I came back from prison," he explained, extending the handle towards Daphy.
"And now, I want you to have it."
"Me?" she squeaked, making no motion to take the wand.
"I can't Daddy, it's Mummy's wand. You need it. What if I break it?"
"I can get another secondary wand, sweetie," he replied with a gentle smile. "Besides, it's your mother's wand. I want you to have something of hers."
"Really?" she asked, now starting to sound hopeful. "But…what if the wand doesn't accept me?"
"You won't know unless you try."
Daphy hesitated, but then she did as her father instructed and picked up the wand. She gave it a short wave, and multicoloured sparks shot from the tip.
"See? It's almost a perfect match," he grinned, and Daphy squealed happily and clapped her hands.
"Now, how would you like to learn some magic?"
Daphy threw her arms around Harry's neck, her delighted squeal all the answer he needed.
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The memory ended, and Daphne was left reeling. The joy, the sadness, the raw emotion of the memory was almost too much for her to handle. She looked at Harry in wonder, then wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you. You're a great father."
"I like to pretend I was," he mumbled.
"Did she learn a lot? Did she become a powerful witch?"
Harry remained silent, and his hesitance to reply was not lost on Daphne.
"Harry? Did she become a powerful witch?" she asked again, more firmly. She took a step back and attempted to look him in the eyes, but he avoided her gaze.
"Harry, answer me..." she demanded again, this time with a touch of panic as she realised something was very wrong.
"Harry, w-what happened to our daughter?"
"Please, no… No, no, no, no, no," she pleaded to herself.
"It was Christmas Day, 2012," Harry started.
"We were celebrating with the Notts at their manor, all of us. Somehow, the Paladins found out where we were and raided the house in force. One hundred wands against a handful of us, maybe fifteen adults in total. The wards held long enough for us to call for reinforcements, but they erected a powerful anti-transportation ward that blocked all means of escape, including house-elves."
Daphne felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. The fact that Harry had balled his fists and was starting to leak magic did nothing to ease her feelings of dread.
"We called for help using communicators based on the bracelets I showed you earlier, the ones we used at Hogwarts. Millie took the children to safety, while the rest of us took the fight to the Paladins to buy us some time until reinforcements arrived. It was me, Theo, Tracey, Blaise, Astoria, Jason, Hannah and her husband, Justin, Professor Flitwick, and a few others. We took up defensive positions in the entrance hall and cursed everything that tried to enter the manor. After a while, we heard the sounds of battle outside and knew our people had arrived, but they were too late to prevent them from blowing up an outside wall and entering the manor."
Harry closed his eyes, both to better visualise what had happened and also to avoid having to look at Daphne.
"I took Theo, Jason, Justin, and Hannah to stop them from getting any further and finding the others, but they apparently had other ideas. As soon as they breached the manor, they started torching the building from the inside and blowing up walls. Once we finally reached them, we found ten Paladins and..."
"And what?" Daphne demanded anxiously, her heart racing.
"Oberon himself," Harry spat in anger.
"The other four engaged the Paladins while I faced Oberon alone. He was better and stronger than the last time I had duelled him, but I was still stronger than he was, and he knew it. He ran like the coward he is, and I pursued him. In his desperation, he started wildly casting destructive spells and made the ceiling collapse on top of us. I managed to shield myself from any serious damage, but I was still injured, and... Merlin, I can't do this, Daph, I just can't."
"Then show me," she begged. "I need to know."
Harry nodded and drew another memory from his temple, placing it in the Pensieve without saying another word. Daphne grabbed his arm and went into the Pensieve with him, dreading what she was about to see.
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There were fires raging all around them. The debris from what once was the ceiling of the manor's ballroom littered the floor, and the large double doors had been blown off their hinges. There was a cough, and memory Harry crawled out from under a pile of wood and plaster. He was wobbly on his feet, grabbing his own head and trying to wipe the blood dripping into his eyes from a cut across his forehead. He attempted to shake himself out of his daze and tightened his grip on his wand, and just in time, as he was immediately forced to deflect a blue spell that had flown at him from across the room.
"You son of a bitch," growled memory Harry. Striding across the room towards him was a powerfully built man wearing golden hide armour with a white cloak. His face was hidden by a white mask set with gold filigree, but there was no doubt that this man was Oberon, better known to them as Neville Longbottom.
"This is the end of the line, Dark Lord," Longbottom stated confidently, and cast a Stunner at Harry. He easily dodged the spell, but it caused him to hiss in pain due to the added stress on his injured leg.
"Oh, you can count on it, you bastard. You'll die tonight, and your wife will soon follow."
Memory Harry launched a barrage of spells at the masked man, who shielded himself and responded in kind. They kept fighting for several long minutes, and it was obvious that memory Harry was not at his best. The injuries to his body caused by the ceiling collapse were hampering his movement, and the blood from his head wound kept running into his eyes and obscuring his vision. Even so, he absolutely refused to lose to the man who had cost him so much, and Harry pressed his attack.
Oberon, however, seemed to recognise that he was outmatched and changed his strategy. He now seemed to be stalling, likely in an attempt to tire Harry out while waiting for more reinforcements. Neither combatant seemed to notice the small group that had just run past the open door.
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Real Daphne didn't notice them either, as she was fixated on the duel. It was real Harry's mournful cry that drew her attention away.
"Why, Daphy?"
She turned to Harry immediately and followed the direction of his gaze. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw Daphy standing at the door, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
"What...What is she doing here?" Daphne exclaimed.
"They were trying to escape the manor and passed by this door on their way out. Daphy saw me and stopped, or at least that's what Millie told me," he said with a pained expression while shaking his head.
Harry didn't need to watch the rest of the duel. He had already lived it once, and he'd been experiencing nightmares of what was about to happen for years. Even knowing what was coming, he couldn't take his eyes off his daughter. Daphne divided her attention between the duel and Daphy, her sense of panic increasing as she watched the spells fly back and forth across the room.
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Memory Harry's leg finally collapsed, and he fell to one knee. Sensing his opportunity, Oberon cast a nasty looking blue spell directly at Harry, who threw himself to the ground and countered with a Confringo. Longbottom was forced to shield at the last moment, but Harry's spell was too powerful, and he was blasted backwards into a pile of debris and cried out in pain. Longbottom must have had a portkey specially keyed to escape the wards they had raised, because he vanished only seconds later.
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Real Harry and Daphne's vantage point allowed them to see what memory Harry clearly had not. They watched as Longbottom's spell missed memory Harry and continued speeding across the room. For Daphne, time slowed to a crawl as she realised where the blue jet of light was heading. They both looked on, helpless, as the spell tore through their daughter's chest, leaving the little girl with a look of shock as she collapsed to the ground.
"NOOOO!" Daphne cried out, running to Daphy at once. The fact that this was only a memory didn't even register with her. In that moment, all Daphne knew was that she had to get to her daughter. She made it to Daphy's side and saw that her eyes were already vacant, her shocked expression permanently etched onto her face. Daphne drew her wand, wanting to do...something...anything to stop the blood pouring from the hole in her daughter's chest.
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"Wha..." memory Harry said, turning back towards the door and dropping his wand. Fear gripped him as he saw the body on the floor, his expression turning to one of horror.
"No... please, no... DAPHY!" he shouted and attempted to run to their daughter, but his injured leg impeded him. He half-limped, half-crawled to Daphy's body and tried to wake her, but to no avail. By the time he made it to her, she was already gone.
"Daphy, princess, come on, wake up," he begged her, crying and checking her pulse on the neck.
"Daphy, please, baby, wake up."
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Real Daphne had collapsed on the ground, hiding her face in her hands and crying her heart out. Real Harry was on his knees beside her, his eyes closed and tears pouring down his face.
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"Why were you here?" memory Harry gasped between sobs.
"Why, Daphy?"
Still bawling, he held his daughter's limp body close to him and gently rocked her, his wounds, the war, and his anger forgotten in that moment.
Lilian Daphne Potter was dead.
"NNNNOOOOOO!"
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Daphne and Harry were expelled from the memory and Daphne dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Why? Why?" she asked, but of course, there was no answer.
She got up from the floor and walked up to Harry and grabbed him by the collar.
"WHY?" she demanded, slapping him hard.
"WHY IS THAT BASTARD STILL ALIVE?"
She slapped him again.
"Why haven't you killed him yet?" she sobbed, and she buried her face in Harry's chest and completely broke down. Harry didn't say anything. He just held her tightly to him, asking himself the same question for what felt like the thousandth time.
After a while, Daphne's sobs quieted and her breathing evened out.
"No...no, you're right," she finally whispered.
"We shouldn't kill him yet. First, we'll destroy everything he holds dear. Then, we crush him, both his life and his reputation. We'll ensure he's an embarrassment and a pariah, and then, only then, when he has nothing left for us to take, will we kill him."
"Yes, nothing more than what he deserves," Harry replied spitefully.
"At least tell me you made him suffer," she asked with a dry sob.
"I made him suffer. I made his wife suffer. I made his right hand suffer. All the Paladins suffered. I had lost everything I loved, and I had nothing left to live for. Peace, war; diplomacy, aggression; life, death... none of it mattered to me anymore. From that point on, all I cared about was my revenge, so I went for it. My wife was dead, my child was dead... I just didn't care anymore, so I decided that from that day forward, I would dedicate my life to making them all suffer."
"How?" asked Daphne, her body tingling as she looked at Harry and felt his power wash over her.
"In my youth, they painted me as a burgeoning Dark Lord. Oberon, Titania, and their ilk called me a Dark Lord simply because I opposed them. They relished in the idea that I was a Dark Lord, while they were the Light Lords. They seemed almost desperate for a Dark Lord to oppose, someone to give them the sense of purpose they craved."
Harry's eyes started burning with emerald green flames.
"On that day, I spat on the Light for the third and final time, and I gave them the Dark Lord they so badly desired, the one who would be their death, and the destruction of all they held dear."