Daphne Greengrass stood with her mother and sister a fair distance away from the fireplace, staring at her father who was standing to the side, ready to welcome their guests for the evening. It was uncanny to see her father so nervous. Generally, the man was perfectly calm, keeping his emotions carefully hidden, as he had done this afternoon when the Malfoy lord had visited. So, it was somewhat jarring to see him so anxious.
She caught his eyes and smiled reassuringly, and her father calmed down.
Barely a moment later, the floo flared and a middle-aged man stepped out. Daphne recognized Lord Black from his facial hair and shoulder-length curly brown hair. However, right after, the floo flared once again, and out stepped the man who she was more interested in.
The moment she laid her eyes on him, her breath hitched slightly. Seeing him in the memory and in flesh proved how different the two were. He was tall and fair, his emerald eyes glowing and complementing his attire, and Daphne had to accept that he cut an impressive figure. Beside her, Astoria squealed softly, prompting her mother to grab her hand quickly.
Daphne saw him look around before his eyes came to rest on her, and it felt like time had stopped for her. Never before had she been subjected to such a piercing stare. It felt like he was able to peer right into her soul, and Daphne had to employ the full might of her Occlumency to not wither under his gaze. She saw his eyes widen slightly in understanding and his lips quirk into a small smile, a smile she shyly returned.
Internally, she chided herself. She was acting like a girl looking at her first crush, for Merlin's sake. They had serious matters to discuss. These things would come later.
"Lord Black, Heir Potter-Black, I welcome you to Greengrass Manor," Cyrus smiled with a small bow of his head. Harry and Sirius smiled and nodded.
"Thank you for the invitation, Lord Greengrass. I will admit that I was surprised when you came into my office the other day, and you have earned my curiosity. I am looking forward to our discussion tonight."
Cyrus merely smiled.
Harry and Sirius came forward to greet the three women, and everyone sensed a change in atmosphere when Harry came to a stop in front of Daphne.
"Heiress Greengrass, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Harry smiled.
"The pleasure is mine, Heir Potter-Black," Daphne smiled with a small curtsey. Harry held his hand up slightly.
"Please call me Harry, and no formalities. I request."
Daphne looked at him with a smile and nodded, reciprocating his offer with one of her own.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Greengrass," Harry smiled, looking at Astoria.
"Call me Astoria, or Tori if you'd like," Astoria interjected with a smile, and Harry looked at the girl with amusement.
"Well, it'd be rude of me if I denied the wishes of a lovely girl like yourself," he smiled, and Astoria grinned with a blush.
Once the greetings were done, Cyrus asked them to join him at the dinner table.
The dinner passed in relative silence, with Cyrus sitting at the head of the table, Sirius at his right and his wife at his left. Harry and Daphne joined Sirius, while Astoria sat with her mother, pouting slightly at the fact that she didn't get to sit next to Harry.
Everyone subtly glanced at Harry and Daphne throughout the dinner, observing how they were behaving with each other. They took note of the small smiles exchanged between the two, quiet conversations happening, some of which prompted chuckles from the two, and their overall interaction.
Safe to say, they were relieved to see that the two were getting on. Both lords were prepared for the possibility of a betrothal, so an interest like this was to be expected. The fact that they noticed the other was watching the interaction between the two teenagers further solidified the belief that a betrothal would be offered. Both Sirius and Cyrus smiled in relief since they had the approval of Harry and Daphne respectively to go through with it if required.
"I must say, the dinner was really good, Evelyn, especially the Treacle Tarts." Harry smiled. Evelyn beamed at him.
"I'm glad that you think so, Harry," she smiled, glancing at a blushing Daphne with mirth in her eyes, "after all, Daphne prepared the tarts."
Harry glanced at Daphne and smiled. "Is that so? Then I'll be sure to try it sometime again."
Daphne looked at him with a smile.
"I'm sure we can arrange something, Harry."
Cyrus looked at them with a small smile and nodded at his wife.
"Come on, Astoria. You have your homework to finish."
Astoria looked at her mother with a petulant expression, who didn't budge in the slightest. With a sigh, she got up and walked away, but not without giving Harry a large smile and a wave.
"Looks like you've got an admirer," Daphne whispered for only the two of them to hear. Harry smirked.
"Looks like someone's jealous," he teased. Daphne glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes to see him smirking.
"Daphne, why don't you show Harry around while we have a talk with Lord Black?"
Daphne nodded at her father as she and Harry stood up. Harry extended an arm, which Daphne grabbed with a small smile. The three elders looked at their retreating backs before they turned around.
"Should we take this to the study, Lord Black?"
"We should, and Sirius is fine."
"Call me Cyrus then."
The three walked up the stairs towards the lord's study. Cyrus held the door open for his wife and Sirius to enter, before shutting the door behind him. They took their seats and Sirius took his time to look around.
"Is that your grandfather?" Sirius asked, looking up at the sleeping visage of an aged wizard.
Cyrus followed his gaze and smiled. "Indeed. Albert Greengrass, member of the 57th British Regiment in the war against Grindelwald."
"Alongside Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black."
Cyrus nodded with a smile.
"I assume you are aware of the reason why I have asked for this meeting, Sirius?"
Sirius looked at the man with an even gaze.
"Obviously not to rekindle the old bonds between our families. I assume it has something to do with Voldemort?"
Cyrus sighed. "Indeed, it is. I have received invitations from that faction for some time now. My father did too in the previous war, but somehow, he managed to keep us neutral. Coward's move, I know, and one I do not agree with. But this time, neutrality is not an option."
Sirius nodded.
"I gathered as much. As far as I know, your family barely managed to stay on the fence in the previous war, and had it not been for Harry, you all could have possibly died."
"I will die before bowing in front of a tyrant. And I'll be blunt, Sirius. It's not a secret that there is a society operating against him. You know it, I know it, and you better believe the ministry suspects as much, despite having no confirmation. And I, or rather, we want in."
Sirius was internally rejoicing but kept calm outwards. The support of the Greengrass family would go a long way towards gaining a foothold in the Wizengamot. He would have to discuss the matter in detail, but it looked good.
"I understand, and I would wholeheartedly welcome your family. However, we need to discuss what you can bring to the cause. I am aware that you are a capable wizard, and would be able to hold your own, but other than that, what can we expect?"
Cyrus smiled and summoned a bottle of Ogden's Premium and poured a glass for each of them.
"There are a total of 445 possible votes in the Wizengamot. How many can you command right now?"
Sirius thought for a moment.
"If we count all the votes we have at our disposal, I'd say 211."
Cyrus smiled.
"If we combine the votes I have under my control right now, we can possibly boost that number to 378."
Sirius' eyes gained a certain gleam as he smiled.
"That would put us in the direct majority."
"Enough to have control over regular decisions in the government. However…" Cyrus trailed off.
"You cannot completely guarantee that number since all neutral houses might not agree, and even if you do, we won't be able to pass any special resolution. We'd be 5 votes short."
Cyrus nodded.
"Any significant decisions will require a special resolution, but we can at least control the regular decisions with this guaranteed majority. The 167 possible votes would be crucial to the cause."
Cyrus smiled in relief before he exchanged a look with his wife.
"I sense there is something you want."
Cyrus sighed as Sirius looked at him and Evelyn.
"I have been getting repeated visits from Lucius Malfoy for the past few months. He had been strongly asking for a betrothal between my daughter Daphne and his son, a match we all are firmly against."
"I see."
"He paid us another visit this afternoon, proposing the same. However, this time, he went a step further."
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked with a frown. Cyrus grimaced.
"He basically threatened us to join the so-called right side."
"That good for nothing swine. My grandfather should've never married Narcissa to that peacock," Sirius hissed, swallowing another gulp of his alcohol as Cyrus nursed his.
"What do you want, Cyrus? Be blunt with me."
Cyrus looked at Sirius with a calm expression on his face.
"I want to safeguard my daughter, Sirius, like any father. Your godson for my daughter, if you agree."
Sirius sighed. Harry had given him his permission, but he still wanted to avoid that. And he knew Harry would be wroth with him if he left a potential ally to fend off Malfoy despite knowing he could help them out.
"You do know that my godson is eligible to marry two witches, right? Would your daughter be okay with sharing her husband?"
Cyrus grimaced.
"I cannot speak for my daughter, Sirius," Evelyn began, prompting the men to look at her, "but she knows about the dual lordship. Yet she has given her assent."
Sirius nodded.
"I do not want to bind my godson though," Sirius remarked, looking them in the eye. "I will agree to the betrothal, but I have a few conditions apart from the normal ones."
Cyrus exchanged a look with his wife and nodded. "What are those?"
"An option to terminate the betrothal if there is any sort of betrayal from either family, directly or indirectly. The regular recourse of Obliviation to be applicable in such a scenario. The marriage to take place once both of them are 23, and Daphne to become Lady Potter."
Cyrus mused over the conditions before exchanging a look with his wife, who mouthed something to him.
"I find those terms agreeable, but I want to modify them slightly."
Sirius frowned before he gestured for the man to continue.
Cyrus smiled. "Daphne to have a say in who the second wife will be. That's all."
Sirius nodded easily. Harry had mentioned that much already. "That's acceptable."
The Greengrass couple sighed in relief at having reached an accord, and Sirius couldn't fault them for it.
"Should we iron out the details then?" Cyrus asked, pulling out an official document from his drawer.
Sirius looked at the contract papers and nodded.
XXXXX
"I honestly thought your sister was going to ask me for an autograph," Harry remarked with a chuckle. They were walking in the garden of the Greengrass family, diligently kept by Daphne and her mother in such pristine condition.
Daphne looked up at him sideways and laughed.
"Believe me, she would if she had one of her books handy."
"Books?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. Daphne smirked.
"You know, The Boy Who Lived and the Atrocious Chimera," she replied, using a mocking tone while speaking the name.
"Ah, I see," Harry grimaced, much to her amusement.
A soft breeze blew over the grounds, and Daphne saw his hair ruffle under the lights. The way his eyes shined in the dim lighting of their garden made her breath hitch slightly.
"Not much of a fan of those, are you?"
Harry looked at her for a moment.
"To be honest, no. I'd rather be a normal wizard going about studying and having fun. Alas," he shrugged.
Daphne nodded.
"I get what you mean. Getting stared at wherever you go, unwanted people making unwanted advances, and the bad press."
"Sounds like you have quite the experience," Harry observed, looking at her. Daphne led them to the bench and they sat down.
"Don't have any experience with the latter, thankfully, but I've had my fair share of the first two."
Harry took time to look her over, and he had to admit, she was breath-taking. Her ivory skin shone in the lighting, the head of light blonde hair also glowing like the brightest fire, and he caught himself before he slipped.
"Yeah, I can see why you'd get that," he murmured, averting his eyes when Daphne looked at him with a cute blush on her face.
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Harry remarked, "Safe to say, you and your sister are different from all the Slytherins I've met so far."
Daphne looked up at him. "How so?"
Harry smiled.
"Well, for one, they are all rather confrontational, mostly without reason. Additionally, most of them are dreary and rather dull. Sometimes I feel that damp common room of yours affects the students' personality," he said with a smirk.
"Our common room is not that da- wait a minute. How do you know that!?" She asked with wide eyes.
Harry looked at her for a moment before he chuckled.
"Your common room? The one behind the wall next to the portrait of a treasure chest?"
Daphne was staring at him now.
"Alright, I'll tell you," Harry said with a chuckle. "Remember back in 2nd year when everyone was accusing me of being Slytherin's heir?"
Daphne nodded.
"Yeah, so I might've sneaked into the Slytherin Common Room because I thought Malfoy was the one who was attacking everyone."
Daphne shook her head with a sigh.
"Bloody Gryffindorks," she muttered, prompting an indignant "HEY!" from Harry that caused her to chuckle.
"How did you even sneak in?"
Harry grinned. "I might have used the Polyjuice Potion."
Daphne leaned back and tilted her head up towards the sky. Harry copied her motion and soon the pair was staring at the clear sky.
"I can't decide whether to laugh at your stupidity or commend you for your ingenuity. That was both a Gryffindorish and a Slytherin move."
"Good thing I displayed both my traits then," Harry smirked again, enjoying their exchange.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Well, I was sorted into Gryffindor, but the hat wanted to put me in Slytherin. I asked it not to after I met Malfoy and decided against staying in the same house as him."
A few moments of silence prompted him to look at Daphne, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
"You mean to tell me that all this while, you could've been in my house and we could've got to know each other years ago if not for that blonde peacock!?"
Harry chuckled, scratching his cheek. "Er… yeah, what you said."
"I can't believe we could've been friends all this while," she muttered, causing Harry to frown.
"Did you… uh… really want to be my friend?" He asked searchingly. Daphne turned to look at him with a small smile.
"Not so much in the beginning, no. Back then, you were just a normal student. But slowly, rumours started about you. How you had an encounter with a dragon in the school, how you had offed Quirrell, then that whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco. I considered them all embellished tales, but it intrigued me. Not to mention the fact that you always stayed close to your friend circle of Weasley and Granger. There were quite a few witches and wizards from other houses who wanted to befriend you, but you always seemed so unapproachable that we couldn't do anything. And then there is this whole Gryffindor-Slytherin saga – a complete nonsense if you ask me – which was also a huge barrier."
Harry looked at her with a frown. "I had no idea," he muttered.
"It's not your fault. It's… circumstances, I guess," she consoled, and he gave her a small smile.
"Well, it's not too late now, is it? We can be friends if you still want to," he offered, still smiling.
Daphne looked at him for a moment. "I'd like that," she replied.
"Although, I think we might be skipping a few steps if I'm right."
Daphne frowned. "What do you mean?"
Harry sighed.
"You know what they might talk about, right?"
Daphne's eyes widened slightly in realization.
"Yeah, I do," she muttered, looking ahead. "What's your point?"
Harry followed her gaze and stared at the purple flowers swaying slightly in the wind.
"I gave Sirius my permission to go ahead if the scenario arises," he confessed, not looking at her. Daphne had abruptly turned her head to look at him.
"Why?"
Harry sighed.
"Because we need all the support we can get, and this is how alliances are made in our society, among other reasons," he admitted honestly, something Daphne appreciated.
"I gave my father my approval too," she whispered, and it was Harry's turn to look at her in surprise.
"Why did you do that?"
Daphne looked at him with a smile.
"Many reasons. I want this dark lord six feet under the ground or burnt to ashes. I want the Greengrasses to once again stand shoulder to shoulder with the saviours of our world. I want a safe future for my family. And I want to be as far away as possible from the scum of our society that might want me for themselves."
Harry looked at her with wide eyes.
"Did something happen?" He asked with steel in his voice. Daphne sighed.
"Lucius Malfoy has been pestering father. Came again this afternoon to propose a possible betrothal with his spawn. I'd rather die than get tied down to that little ferret," she hissed. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"It seems that Lucius hasn't learned his lesson even after the humiliation of the trial."
Despite the serious atmosphere permeating the garden, Daphne snorted. Harry looked at her in surprise.
"Sorry," she chuckled, "Father showed me a memory of that farce of a trial. I just remembered how you dressed him down."
Harry laughed.
"Yeah, I had fun doing that."
"My family's path is decided in this war, Harry," Daphne continued, and Harry schooled his features once again.
"And which path is that?"
Daphne smiled. "The obvious one. I told you already, didn't I? I want that bastard six feet under the ground."
Harry looked at her for a long moment, and Daphne held herself under his penetrative stare.
"Then let us work together. To put that noseless bastard down. For good this time."
"I can raise a toast to that," she smirked.
"Glad to hear that," Harry remarked.
Right when he was about to get up, he hissed in pain. Beside him, Daphne was the same and he looked down at the inside of his left arm. A tattoo had formed on the previously unblemished skin.
It looked like the overlapped version of the Potter crest and another one he didn't recognize.
"Looks like they just signed the contract," Daphne whispered beside him, and Harry turned to look at the same tattoo emblazoned on the inside of her left arm.
"This is how it materializes?" He asked, putting his arm forward and comparing the two tattoos. They were purely identical.
"Yeah, when a betrothal contract is signed with the genuine consent of both parties, their family crests overlap and a tattoo is formed on the couple's arms. It is a symbol of trust, faith, and loyalty towards one another. As long as the betrothal is in place, we shall remain loyal to one another above any and all," Daphne blushed as she finished. Harry nodded.
"It acts as a sign, a declaration that the witch and the wizard belong to each other, so that unsavoury people know not to try anything, otherwise severe penalties are exacted."
"Malfoy is a goner if he tries anything then," Harry remarked, looking at her. Daphne nodded.
"However, you have some leeway because of your dual lordship. Since you are eligible to have a second wife, magic won't exact penalties if a witch tries something."
Harry frowned, before taking Daphne's hand in his. She looked at him in surprise.
"I know we don't know each other. At all. But I promise you I'll try my best to make this work. We might have had to do this because of this war, but I'll never treat this as an obligation. Although the contract is a symbol, yet I shall not betray your trust. In return, I expect the same of you. And the second wife thing doesn't matter to me. It will happen only if you, the other witch, and I are in complete agreement. This, I promise you, Daphne," he proclaimed.
Daphne looked at him with wide eyes as a tendril of gold joined their hands before flashing away.
"You're being honest…" she whispered in shock. Harry nodded.
"I don't do things half-arsed. If we are in this, we are in this together. If there is even the slightest chance that we might find happiness in this, I want to take that chance Daphne. Do you?"
Daphne looked into his vibrant emerald eyes, glowing with power and conviction, and she gulped. A few teardrops gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall, and she tried desperately to keep them at bay.
"Yeah, don't cry. Your perfect make-up will be spoiled," he joked, and that broke the dam.
Daphne laughed as her tears leaked down her face. She tried to stop herself but another laugh forced its way out of her as more tears descended her face. Harry held her face and wiped her eyes, as Daphne slowly brought her emotions under control.
"I've never behaved this way since I started my Occlumency," she muttered softly, looking at him with a smile. Harry had an unbidden glimpse of her true emotions, and his eyes widened slightly.
"I promise too, Harry. I'll do my best to make the best out of it. I don't care how this has happened, but I will never treat this as something I had to do because I had no choice. You have my word on this. Any secrets you entrust me with, I will safeguard them. Also, regarding the need to have a second wife. I will keep an open mind about it. This, I promise you."
They saw another gold tendril join their hands before vanishing.
"Well, looks like both of us made a promise to each other. We better follow through then," he chuckled and smiled when Daphne joined in. "Still, I stand firm on my stance. I won't go for the two wives' option unless all of us are on the same page."
Daphne smiled.
"Should we go in? Since they've signed it, I think they'll be coming out anytime now."
Daphne nodded, and together, they stood up to walk back inside. However, Harry decided to do something and held her hand. Daphne stiffened for a moment before relaxing instantly and looking up at him with a small smile. Harry smiled back and together, they started to walk back inside.
As they walked inside, Harry realized that he had not put up his mask even once while he was with Daphne and that everything that he was feeling was genuine happiness. That realization was enough to make him smile as they came into view.
The Greengrass couple and Sirius were already waiting for them in the living room by the time they arrived, and they stood up with smiles on their faces when they looked at their joined hands.
"Daphne?" Evelyn Greengrass probed her daughter softly, surprised when she flashed them a small smile.
"Harry and I have come to an agreement and we have decided to make this work," she intoned softly, glancing up at Harry who looked at her with a smile before nodding at the elders.
Everyone smiled in relief and happiness.
"I'm so glad to hear that," Cyrus whispered, nodding at both Harry and Daphne.
"You make me and your parents proud, Harry. They would be really proud to see you behaving so maturely and making the best out of the situation you've found yourself in. You too, Heiress Greengrass."
"Call me Daphne, Lord Black. We are to be family soon," she remarked, smiling when Harry gave her hand a soft squeeze.
"Then you have to call me Sirius."
Daphne nodded with a small smile.
"Come sit with us, you two," Evelyn smiled with tears in her eyes, as she led her daughter to sit beside her on the sofa. Harry took a seat beside her as Sirius sat at the end of the sofa with Cyrus taking the single one on the side.
"We couldn't be happier that you two are taking this so maturely," Cyrus began with a smile, "but then I expected nothing less. I know my daughter, and you, Harry, conducted yourself with such maturity during that farce of a trial that it doesn't surprise me at all."
Harry and Daphne exchanged small smiles.
"To be honest, this is the most logical step we could take. We knew we are in this situation, and complaining about it is useless. Why not make the best of it? It's not as if we hated each other or anything. We can start with a clean slate, and who knows what will happen in the future."
"Well said, Harry. However, if you want another perspective, think of this as a blind date. You two know next to nothing about each other, but you can work on it. I know many couples who are happily married after meeting on blind dates."
"Andromeda, right?"
Sirius nodded. "She is one of them, but yes."
Harry exchanged another smile with Daphne before they turned to look at Cyrus when he cleared his throat.
"I feel it prudent to tell you some of the details."
They nodded, prompting him to continue as Evelyn wrapped an arm around her daughter.
"I won't go into technicalities, but the gist of it is that both of you have the option to terminate this arrangement if one party betrays the other in any manner. The wedding will take place within a year from the date on which both of you are 23, which, if I'm correct, will be 31st of July, five years from now."
They nodded, understanding the necessity of such a clause. However, within the confines of their minds, both admitted that they didn't see such a termination happening.
"And finally, in the event that Harry exercises the dual lordship, Daphne will be the Lady Potter."
Daphne nodded in understanding.
"That will happen only if both Daphne and the other girl agree on everything, otherwise Daphne will be Lady Potter-Black and we can decide further when the time comes. I have promised this to her, and I have no intention of breaking that promise," Harry proclaimed, smiling when Daphne gently squeezed his hand.
Cyrus and Evelyn looked at him with wide eyes before looking at each other.
"Do you really mean that?" Evelyn asked. Harry looked at her over Daphne's beautiful face and nodded.
"Yes Evelyn. The decision rests solely on Daphne and this other girl, whoever she might be. Obviously, I would have to agree as well, but she has as much of a say in it as I do."
Evelyn shared a meaningful look with her husband, who smiled at her. She leaned over and whispered so only her daughter could hear, "He's a keeper, Daph. Keep him close."
Daphne blushed and looked at Harry out of the corner of her eyes, only to find him looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She flushed and looked away.
'Don't worry, mother. I intend to,' she thought with a small smile.
"Now," Sirius grinned, "the only thing left is for the two of you to get to know each other. And for that, I have a proposal."
Everyone turned to look at Sirius, who was staring at Cyrus with a smile.
"The next Order meeting is on August 11, which shall be your first since you have taken your vows. How about you come with Daphne and she spends the rest of the summer holidays with us?"
Eyes widened as Harry stared at his godfather while Cyrus exchanged a look with Evelyn.
XXXXX
High up north in an ancient castle, a wizard, garbed in all black, his face gaunt and pale as chalk sat at the table, his gaze fixed on the old man sitting opposite him.
"Are you certain, Severus?"
The dark-robed man gave a small nod, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"I am telling you headmaster. It is time for you to give me this position."
Dumbledore looked at his spy for a small moment before he sighed.
"Tell me Severus, why do you think I have not allowed you the post so far?"
Snape sighed.
"You know the reason, Severus. No matter what anyone else thinks, the curse is real. It has been real ever since Tom came here all those years ago and I denied him his wish to be the professor of defence."
"How does such a curse even work? What kind of magic is it?"
Dumbledore frowned before pushing a dark book forward. Snape noticed the book had a large hole in the middle.
"This is the diary Potter destroyed in his second year."
"Indeed, it is. However, it was much more than a diary. That, Severus, was a Horcrux."
Severus' eyes widened.
"I would not ask where you came across such knowledge, Severus, but I would suggest you to never impart it to anyone."
"You do not need to tell me, headmaster," he drawled, glaring down at the diary with utter loathing.
"So that is how he survived that night."
"And someone else too."
Snape abruptly looked up at the wizened old man. "What do you mean?"
"There was a reason Harry could see Tom's visions, or speak to snakes, or even feel his emotions on occasion. There was a reason why his scar hurt when in proximity with Tom, or why he even had that scar."
"The boy is a Horcrux," Snape whispered, horrified.
"Not is, Severus. Was."
"What?"
Dumbledore nodded with a twinkle in his eyes.
"The night Tom made his long-awaited return to the land of the living, he managed to kill Harry."
Snape looked at Dumbledore with slightly widened eyes.
"I should rephrase it. He managed to hit Harry with another killing curse, but Harry did not die."
"Because the curse killed the Horcrux, not affecting the boy at all."
"Not intentionally."
Snape kept his gaze fixed on the headmaster's smiling visage, unwavering.
"The Dark Lord used Potter's blood to resurrect himself. That is why Potter did not die. The blood tethered him to the land of the living, and since the vessel was destroyed once, the Horcrux was destroyed."
Snape's eyes widened as he considered the implications.
"No… That would mean…" he whispered, staring at the older wizard with astonishment written on his face.
Dumbledore smiled benignly, his eyes still twinkling.
"There is more, isn't there?"
Dumbledore chuckled.
"You are awfully impatient tonight, Severus."
"Don't play games, headmaster. What else happened to the boy that night?"
Dumbledore chuckled.
"Something unforeseen, my boy, something very unforeseen. For better or worse, things have already begun to change, and you will soon start to observe. Have patience. Meanwhile, all you need to know is that Tom has made the biggest mistake of his life by using Harry's blood."
Snape frowned. "I gathered as much. So, you believe that there is one of those items here at Hogwarts which sustains the curse?"
Dumbledore nodded sombrely.
"I do not believe Tom would keep two of those artifacts in one place. Ever since I uncovered the truth, I have tried to find it, but to no avail. It could be anything, after all. We need to find it, Severus. It is imperative that we do."
Snape nodded. "If that is all, I shall be taking my leave."
Dumbledore nodded, and Severus got up to walk away.
"And Severus," Dumbledore interjected, prompting the resident potions master of Hogwarts to stop right in front of the door, "always remember this. Lily Potter was an outstanding witch, and the world is a worse place in her absence."
Severus Snape grunted and pulled the door before shutting it behind him roughly. Cloak billowing in the non-existent wind, he strode towards the dungeons, intent on having some strong liquid to sleep that night.
Inside the Headmaster's Office, Albus Dumbledore waved his wand and erected the set of intricate runes over his desk, fragmented in places but creating a lightning bolt, perusing through them once again.
"Indeed," the old wizard murmured, his wand waving through the illusionary engravings on his desk, "you were one of a kind, Lily. But you can rest in peace, knowing that your work is still alive in your dear son. You might have provided him with the ultimate protection against his worst enemy, a protection infused in blood. I only hope the influence is not excessive."
"And who knows, you might have circumvented fate herself," Dumbledore whispered to himself and waved his wand, looking at the words of the prophecy floating in front of him.
XXXXX
To be continued…
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