ã€ŠHarry Potter: Another Chanceã€‹


 Chapter 01: The End

    Chapter 01: The End

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Author Note: Hello there. First, I wanted to rify something. I will be uploading arge number of chapters in a short amount of time. This is because I had been uploading this fic on a different site and I decided to add it here too, but this fic is 100% mine. Just wanted to make that clear and avoid confusion. That is all, enjoy.

    Chapter 1: The end

    A young man is lying on the ground of a destroyed castle. He is covered in blood, missing an arm, and barely moving, but still alive.

    All around him are dead bodies, some of them look human, but others can only be described as monstrosities. Creatures with dark, leathery skin, ugly faces, and horns.

    On the other side of the room, lies an older man. He has his back against a very beautifully decorated throne. The man has very inhuman features, almost snake-like.

    The young man raised his head with difficulty to look at the dead figure of his worst enemy, resting peacefully against his throne, at the heart of what was once Hogwarts.

    "I hope you rot in hell¡­" The man said before He started coughing blood¡­He knew that his time was near too, but He didn''t mind that. After losing everyone that He cared about, death will be wee as an old friend.

    The man thenid his head back on the floor and closed his eyes¡­He was very tired.

    <><><><><><>

    shes of past events started to appear in his mind.

    His name was once Harry Potter. His parents were murdered by a Dark Lord who called himself Voldemort.

    He had a terrible childhood at the hands of his muggle rtives who He rather not remember.

    At the age of eleven, He discovered that He was a wizard and attended Hogwarts.

    He made many friends that will be like his family in time. Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, and Ginny Weasley.

    During his fourth year, Voldemort came back from the dead¡­and the second Wizard War started.

    Afterward, Dumbledore decided to trust Harry with all of his secrets about the prophecy and the Horrocruxes. And together, they went hunting for them.

    Unfortunately, during his sixth year, some death eaters managed to infiltrate the school, and the Headmaster was killed.

    Harry had to continue the hunt with the help of his friends and by the time Harry was in his seventh year, they had destroyed all but one of them.

    At the end of his seventh year, Voldemort decided tounch an all-out attack against Hogwarts to gain control of the castle and kill ''The Boy Who Lived''.

    But Harry was not an easy target to kill. During his fifth and sixth years, Dumbledore had personally trained him, and Harry had proven to the Headmaster why He was the child of the prophecy.

    Harry had a natural gift with magic, especially transfiguration much to the old man''s joy.

    During his duel with Voldemort, Neville, Ron, and Hermione had managed to find Nagini, thest Horcrux, and Neville finished the snake off with the Sword of Gryffindor.

    Thanks to everyone''s efforts, Harry was able to kill Voldemort by severing his head with a cutting charm. It was the first time that Harry had to actually kill someone and He hoped it would be thest.

    With Voldemort gone for good, his remaining death eaters fleed the country, and peace returned once more.

    Harry and his friends were able to finish their studies in peace.

    After graduation, Harry went on to finish his mastery of Transfiguration under Headmistress McGonagall since He wanted to be a teacher like the former Headmaster once was.

    After Ginny graduated from Hogwarts, she moved in together with Harry. The two of them had been dating since Harry''s sixth year and had been inseparable since then.

    They got married two years after that. This was the happiest period of their lives, but it did notst long.

    Just two weeks after their wedding, Voldemort returned, and He was not alone.

    No one understood how Voldemort survived at the time. It would take many more years before Harry discovered that He himself was an idental Horcrux, created on the day of his parent''s death.

    Aftering back to life, thanks to his most loyal followers'' help, Voldemort understood that one of his Horrcruxes must still be left somewhere, one that he did not create willingly.

    But He could not rely on that anymore, so in order to secure his survival, He turned to a branch of magic that even the darkest of wizards would refuse to touch¡­Demonology.

    The world where the dementors once came from was known as the demon world. It is possible to contact those creatures and ask for boons in exchange for something of equal value.

    What Voldemort wanted was to be immortal and the price asked was to open a gate and allow demons into our world once more.

    Voldemort did not hesitate to sell out the human race.

    And so, He came to Hogwarts with an army of death eaters and demons at his side.

    Many died that day, including McGonagall, Hagrid, and Ginny who was just visiting her husband.

    Severus Snape gave up his life to make sure that Harry could escape, something that greatly surprised Harry since the man had never liked him, no matter how good He was at potions.

    The war started once more and it was clear from the beginning that it was very one-sided. The demons were too powerful and too numerous.

    Voldemort had also grown in power and even Harry was not his match anymore.

    After twenty years of war and losing everyone He cared about, Harry made onest-ditch attempt to at least kill Voldemort.

    The statute of secrecy was broken years back and the muggles were doing a good job at killing the demons.

    Harry thought that if He could get rid of Voldemort, the world would have a chance of survival.

    He knew from the beginning that this was a suicide mission, but He had to try. Not that He had much to lose.

    With the help of some muggle soldiers and some of thest wizards and witches in existence, they made their attack.

    After the start of the third war, Harry had not rested one moment in training himself, He had to give up many of the values taught to him by Dumbledore and started to learn all sorts of magic, dark or light, didn''t matter as long as it got the job done.

    And now He had his chance to fight Voldemort onest time.

    It was very close. Voldemort had learned many tricks over the years and He was also wearing a protective amulet given by some powerful demon. As long as He had it on his persona, He could not die.

    It cost Harry an arm but managed to take the amulet away from him, and the moment He did so, the amulet turned into dust, much to Voldemort dismay.

    One painfully long duelter, Harry finally imed his victory¡­ and then died, along with thest Horcrux, eliminating any chance of Voldemort rising once more.

 Chapter 2: The beginning

    Chapter 2: The beginning

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 2: The beginning

    Darkness¡­for an unknown amount of time¡­He could not see or feel anything, but he was still existing for some reason.

    Then¡­images started to appear¡­memories again, but those were not his memories, he was sure of that.

    A young girl was looking at him with tears in her eyes and fury on her face.

    She had dark red hair and green eyes. She reminded Harry of his mother for some reason.

    Whoever it was, that girl was very angry with him and was yelling nonstop.

    The image went away and was reced by another one. An adult man was looking down at him, his face filled with disappointment as He shook his head.

    Harry would have gasped if he could. He knew who this man was! He has seen many pictures of him.

    The man was James Potter¡­his father. But who is his father talking to? who is the owner of these memories? and why is he watching them now?

    As the images went away, darkness weed Harry once more and things went back to how they were before.

    <><><><><><><>

    It was impossible to tell time, but after a while, another image appeared. And he knew it was another memory.

    An adult redhead woman was kneeling down and hugging a child.

    Harry was surprised once more. The woman was the vivid image of his mother, and the child she was hugging seemed to be the little girl from before and she seemed to be injured as there was a stain of blood on her dress.

    Her mother turns to look at him¡­or the owner of these memories at least. Lily Potter is angry¡­very angry, but there is also a lot of sadness in her eyes, and disappointment once more.

    As the images went away, darkness weed him once more¡­

    <><><><><><><><>

    After some more time, something changed. Harry could feel something¡­this was a surprising fact because he hadn''t felt anything for a very long time, but now¡­he could feel his body somehow.

    He tried to focus on that feeling and then, started to hear very distant voices.

    "Healer"

    "Healer"

    A female voice seems to be calling in distress.

    "Look!, he''s moving," The same female voice said.

    "Merlin!, You are right. he is waking up" A male voice said.

    The light then started to tear away the darkness that Harry had grown ustomed to.

    "Harry!, Oh my God!, Pleasee back to us!" The female cried.

    She was calling his name and her voice sounded so familiar. Harry put all of his effort into opening his eyes and more light covered his vision until the darkness was no more.

    Everything was white and his eyes started to adjust again. He then realized that he was looking at a in white ceiling.

    "Harry!" The woman called his name.

    "Mister Potter?, Can you hear me?" The man asked.

    Harry turned his head towards the voices and there it was¡­the woman from those memories was staring at him with tears in her eyes.

    He tried to speak but was unable to. The woman jumped on his bed and hugged him while crying.

    "Oh thank Merlin, We thought we lost you!" She said.

    ''Have I reached the afterlife? It doesn''t seem like that. I can feel my mother hugging me, I can even smell her perfume. But how can this be real? We are both dead. Of that, I am more than sure.''

    "Miss Potter please, I need to evaluate the state of your son." The healer said.

    His mother stood back with reluctance and took a handkerchief to clean her tears.

    The healer waved his wand around and looked at Harry intently.

    "Can you tell me your name, young one?" The healer asked.

    Harry moved his mouth but no words came out, only some mumbling sounds.

    "mmm, I guess you can''t speak yet. Is not out of the ordinary, considering what you went through. Can you at least move your head to nod?" He asked.

    Harry tried and was able to move his head enough to nod.

    "Excellent. At least your motor and cognitive skills are working" He turned to Lily.

    "We will need to keep him here for now. I need to perform more tests when he has a chance to rest a bit."

    "But, Is he going to be fine? Are there any problems?" Lily asked with worry.

    "Physically He seems perfectly fine. Is his mind that worries me. But I need him to speak so I can conduct more tests. We will wait for now. He should recover his ability to talk by tomorrow." The healer said before leaving.

    Lily turned to him.

    "Harry, I need to go call your father. I will be back in a few minutes, don''t worry, ok?"

    Harry nodded and she left in a hurry.

    He then started to move his head so he could take a better look at his body, something felt off.

    When he looked at his feet, Harry realized what it was¡­his body was really small, like a child.

    His mother still called him Harry and the healer referred to her as Miss Potter. So He was still Harry Potter¡­but his parents were alive. This did not make any sense at all.

    ''So, it cannot be time travel. Did I wake up in a different world?. '' He thought about the possibility, no matter how absurd it sounded.

    There were many magical mysteries still left undiscovered and parallel worlds were one of them. But they were just theories, no one has ever been able to travel to a parallel dimension ande back to tell the tale.

    His mother then came back into the room and sat at his side while stroking his hair gently.

    "Everything is going to be okay." She said softly.

    ''Yes, I''m not so sure about that¡­'' Harry thought.

    He then felt very tired and his eyes started to close against his will. It didn''t take long before falling asleep once again.

 Chapter 3: Dreams

    Chapter 3: Dreams

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 3: Dreams

    Harry found himself inside a big garden, to his left was a luxurious mansion, and to his right was a very dense forest.

    In front of him was a familiar girl with dark red hair and green eyes like his own ones.

    This time she did not look angry, but instead, she looked afraid.

    "Harry, please stop. You are scaring me." She said.

    The reason for her fear became obvious very quickly. The owner of these memories was holding a wand and pointing it to the girl, who he was now sure must be his sister.

    "SHUT UP!. It''s always You¡­You are the favorite one, always¡­ALWAYS!." He moved the wand around threateningly.

    The girl started to tear up.

    "I''m not -"

    "SHUT UP!. If only You and Holly were not here¡­it would be just me. They would have to love me then. Dad would have to be proud of me then!" His voice seems to be getting more deranged.

    He kept pointing the wand that he stole at his sister.

    The girl was backing down without looking and tripped over a stone poking from the ground, making her fall on her back and crying in pain.

    "Let''s see¡­the book said it was something like this." He then made a circr wand motion that ended with the wand pointed at his sister.

    "Reduct-"

    Something went wrong, the spell was not cast correctly and an explosion urred.

    The dream stopped there and Harry woke up.

    "Harry, good morning." Lily was still sitting at the side of his bed, She looked very tired.

    "G-good m-mo-ornig" Harry said slowly and with difficulty.

    His mother''s eyes opened wide and she gasped.

    "You are talking!, That''s great. You had me a bit worried there. Your father was herest night, he promised to visit during his break from work." She smiled.

    The door opened up and the same healer from the day before walked in.

    "Good morning Miss Potter and Mister Potter." He took a seat next to Harry.

    "How are you feeling today?."

    "B-bet-tter" Harry said.

    "I see." He then pulled a potion. "Drink this, it will help you recover a bit faster."

    Harry drank the potion and felt all of the muscles of his body recover a little bit.

    "H-how l-long." Harry said.

    "We''ll get to that. But first I need to ask you some questions." The healer pulled up a small book of notes and a quill.

    "What is thest thing you remember?"

    Harry tried but He didn''t seem to have ess to any memories of the previous owner of this body, other than the dreams.

    ''Wasst night''s dream thest thing that happened? Did the previous Harry actually die while trying to kill his own sister and I somehow ended up taking his ce?... I have so many questions.'' Harry''s thoughts were a mess.

    "I d-dont know." Harry thought that it was the safest answer. He could not possibly exin what happened to him.

    The healer nodded.

    "In which part of Ennd is your house located?" He then asked.

    Harry looked confused. He had no idea, it didn''t seem like this version of his parents was living in Godric Hollow if that garden from his dream was their home.

    "I don''t know. " He said, this time with less difficulty to speak.

    "Harry? What do you mean, you don''t know?" Lily asked in confusion.

    "Miss Potter, please, let me continue." The healer said and his mother backed down.

    "What about an easy one? What is your mother''s name?" He asked.

    "Lily Potter," Harry answered quickly.

    "What about your father?"

    "James Potter"

    The healer nodded.

    "What is your sister''s name?" He asked.

    Harry looked troubled once more.

    ''Crap¡­I think one of her names was mentioned in the dream, but I cannot remember it¡­it was something with H.''

    "I..forgot," Harry said, looking a bit ashamed.

    His mother gasped and looked at Harry with worry, but did not interrupt the healer.

    "I see¡­Onest question. What is your date of birth?" He asked.

    This one, Harry knew well.

    "July, 31. 1980" Harry answered.

    His mother looked at him with concern once more and Harry didn''t understand why.

    The healer frowned.

    "That''s not what I have written here. Miss Potter?" The healer turned to Lily for rification.

    "It''s actually, July, 5. 1980." She said.

    "Very well. I''ll be back in a bit." The healer stood from his chair and started to walk towards the door.

    Lily approached him and whispered.

    "Is there something wrong with him?, Why can''t he remember those things?"

    "Is still too early to say, I need to consult with a colleague of mine. Now, if You excuse me." The healer made his way out of the room.

    Lily turned to Harry and tried to give him a reassuring smile but it was obvious that she was very worried.

    <><><><><><><><>

    Sometimeter, James Potter arrived at the hospital and came into the room.

    When He looked at his son, Harry could tell that his father was happy to see him but also very angry.

    "James!" Lily went to greet her husband and the two of them hugged.

    "Hey, Lil. How is he?" He whispered.

    "The Healer is still doing some tests¡­but for now, just talk to him," Lily said, not wanting to discuss her son''s condition in front of him.

    James approached Harry''s bed and sat down.

    "Hi son, how do you feel?." James greeted with mixed feelings.

    ''I guess he knows what the other Harry did to end up in the hospital. If I remember correctly, James Potter was an auror before being killed.'' Harry concluded.

    "I''m feeling fine, Dad. " He said slowly. The potion the healer gave him was doing effect and his difficulty speaking was vanishing.

    Before James had a chance to say anything else, the door opened again and two men entered, One was the healer that previously attended Harry.

    "Ah, Mister Potter, is good to see you again. This is my colleague." He pointed to the older man next to him. "He is one of the best mind healers in Saints Mungo. I called him here to take a look at your child."

    "A mind healer?" James asked in confusion before looking at Lily.

    Lily was going to start exining when the Healer intervened.

    "I believe it would be better if we discuss this in my office." Giving a passing nce at Harry.

    "My colleague will perform an evaluation of your son''s state in the meantime."

    James nodded and followed the healer. Lily gave onest smile to Harry before leaving too.

    Once they are gone, the mind healer will perform a long series of questions, ranging from personal information to some general knowledge.

    Then he asked Harry to perform some simple tests like recognizing shapes or specific objects in pictures.

    Harry tried to answer truthfully whenever he could and would im ignorance when it came to questions about his personal life.

    That wasn''t a lie either because he didn''t really remember anything that the previous Harry had done, aside from those dreams.

 Chapter 4: Meeting the sisters

    Chapter 4: Meeting the sisters

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 4: Meeting the sisters

    Later in the afternoon, the healer and mind healer who attended Harry were discussing their evaluation with the parents.

    "Selective amnesia?" Lily asked with concern.

    "Yes, Miss Potter. Your son still has all of his general knowledge intact, but he is unable to remember most details about his personal life. He doesn''t even seem to remember the names of his sisters. Although he does remember the names of his parents at least." The mind healer exined.

    "He doesn''t remember Lyra and Holly? Are you sure he is being sincere? My son has a history at being¡­. hmm¡­ disingenuous, to say the least." James said.

    "James!. How can you say that?" Lily wanted to scream at her husband.

    James gave her a look." Am I wrong?."

    Lily looked down. "Well¡­no. Harry has always been a bit disobedient."

    The healer looked at the couple but didn''t say anything.

    The mind healer then spoke. "Mister Potter, I have been a mind healer for almost forty years. If anyone is lying to me, I would know, especially a child. No, your son was telling the truth, and my diagnosis is correct, I can assure you of that."

    "Then, what do we do?. Is He going to recover those memories?" Lily asked.

    "You can take him home, there is no more reason to keep him here. Just be mindful that he may need a reminder of even some basic things like where is his room or who are his friends. As for recovering his memories¡­I would say is unlikely, but the mind of a child is very resilient, he will adapt in no time, you''ll see." The mind healer said.

    "Oh, one more thing Miss and Mister Potter." The healer said and everyone turned to face him.

    "Don''t be too surprised if your son''s personality changes a bit. Is a normal side effect in cases of amnesia. After all, our memories and experiences are what often defines our personality."

    "That would be good news..." Mumbled James.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    Harry had finally a chance to take a good look at himself when he was changing his clothes before leaving for home.

    He looked almost exactly the same as he remembered looking at the age of ten. Just without the malnourishment and with better clothes.

    What called his attention the most was theck of a scar on his forehead. He could not help but wonder how different this world was from his original one but could not do anything at the moment.

    His mother noticed Harry moving his hair and touching his forehead.

    "Is everything okay Harry? Does your head hurt?" She asked.

    Harry stopped and looked at her.

    "Yes, everything is fine."

    He will have to find an opportunity to find out what important changes this world has.

    Are you ready, Harry?" His mother asked while extending her hand.

    Harry nodded and grabbed it.

    "You remember apparition right?" She asked softly and Harry nodded once more.

    Lily lifted her wand and they were gone from the entrance of Saints Mungo.

    <><><><><><><><>

    The three of them appeared in front of a huge mansion that Harry did not recognize.

    ''We live here? I don''t remember the Potter family being this rich. My trust vault barely had enough to buy a small house. Did the goblins hide another vault from me?.'' Harry wondered if this house even existed in the other world.

    Lily and James looked at Harry and noticed the surprised expression he was making.

    "Don''t remember the house?" James asked, still somewhat doubtful if his son was pulling some sick prank as it would not be the first time.

    Harry shook his head. "Sorry."

    "It''s okay dear, Let''s go inside," Lily said reassuringly.

    They made their way through the mansion until they reached a big living room with very expensive-looking decorations.

    Two girls were lying on afortable leather couch. The older one seemed to have reading a book to the younger one.

    The moment they heard the steps, they both turned around.

    "Momy, Daddy!" The young one jumped from the couch and started running towards James and Lily.

    James knelt down and hugged his daughter.

    "Hello, love. I''m sorry were arrived a bitte." James said with a smile.

    The older girl approached too to greet her parents, but she obviously had more restraint.

    "Mom, Dad" She smiled at them. Then looked at her brother. "Harry¡­" She said with badly contained disdain.

    Harry gave a sad smile. He knew that earning the trust of this family was going to be difficult, especially for his older sister.

    "Hi. Emm¡­"

    "This is Lyra, She is one year younger than you, Harry." Lily ced a hand on her shoulder. "And the little one is Holly, She will be five in one month."

    Harry looked at his new sisters. Lyra was the same as in his dreams, she had dark red hair, green eyes, and his mother''s nose. She looked like a miniature version of Lily Potter with darker hair.

    The young one had ck hair and hazel eyes, she had obviously inherited most of her looks from James Potter.

    The two girls looked at their mother in confusion about why was she introducing them to their brother.

    "There is something you need to know. Your brother is suffering from something called ''selective amnesia''. That means that he remembers some things but doesn''t remember others." Lily exined.

    "And he doesn''t remember us? He is obviously lying to not get in trouble!" Lyra spat the words.

    "No, the mind healer assured us that he was telling the truth," James added, even though he also had his doubts.

    Lyra looked at Harry with obvious anger.

    "Well, I don''t believe You! You have always been a liar." She separated from her mother and stormed out of the living room.

    "You will have to forgive her, Harry¡­you may not remember it, but you were always a bit mean to her in the past," Lily said to her son.

    "A bit?." James raised an eyebrow and Lily gave him a stare that said ''You are not helping.''

    Holly approached Harry and looked up at him.

    "You don''t remember Holly?" She asked innocently.

    Harry knelt down to stay at his sister''s height.

    "I''m sorry little one. But, I would love to get to know you all over again." Harry smiled and ruffled her hair.

    Holly giggled while James and Lily were looking with shock on their faces, Their son had never behaved so cheerfully with anyone. He always seems angry or stressed.

 Chapter 5: Settling down

    Chapter 5: Settling down

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 5: Settling down

    After his mother gave him a quick tour of the house, Harry was led to his room.

    The moment he entered, He was immediately shocked.

    The bedroom was huge, there was a king-sized bed on one side, a wooden desk with a leather chair, several chests with gold decorations and runic protections, a big wardrobe many other seemingly expensive things, like a firece.

    He knew it was only logical that his room would be luxurious, after all, he was now living in a mansion. But he could not help to be surprised after spending half of his childhood in a cupboard and the other half in the spare room with broken furniture that his uncle probably got for free in some junkyard.

    He walked around his room and noticed something sticking from the top of the wardrobe.

    Using the chair, he managed to get it down.

    It was a broom.

    "Whoa, this a Numbus 1900. Best broom of its day. It looks like it was never even used, not even once."

    It waspletely covered in dust and seemed to have been sitting on top of that wardrobe for a while. He then noticed an inscription.

    "Happy birthday Harry, we love you. Dad and Mom. 1989."

    Harry''s grip on the broom got stronger as he gritted his teeth in anger.

    "Ungrateful bastard¡­ It seems like the more I find out about that Harry, the less I like him."

    Something then urred to him and started to look into the drawers of the desk.

    "Aha!, there is one."

    Harry picked up the small diary and ced it on the desk before sitting down.

    He had the feeling that an angsty lonely child who seemed to hate everyone would write hisints somewhere.

    The diary only dates back one year, starting August 15, 1990. By the contents, it seems to be Lira''s birthday.

    Heins about how his father bought her a Nimbus 2000 while they only bought him an older model.

    ''I guess He never considered the fact that the Numbus 2000 had juste out that year...''

    He then talks about how Lyra had always been favored by their parents, especially their father.

    Harry kept flipping the pages and reading the contents. The diary is filled with bitterness against his own family, especially his sister Lyra, whom he seems to be very jealous of.

    ''He almost reminds me of Malfoy.''

    The little brat alsoins about hisck of friends while Lyra had many and mes it on his parents.

    Thest pages of the diary had some disturbing contents. Apparently, the other Harry had spent a while nning on stealing his dead grandmother''s wand that his father kept stored in their bedroom and making use of it in order to teach his sister a lesson.

    ''So¡­ not only did you try to hurt or even kill your sister but also destroyed your grandmother''s memento in the process. Wow¡­even Malfoy was a lot better than this. How can a different version of me be so different?.'' Harry could not understand it.

    He now hoped that the reason he appeared in this world was caused by the death of his alter ego.

    Until he remakes his lumency shields and creates his mental realm, it would be impossible to scan his mind in search of some remnants of his former being.

    ''I swear that if there is anything left of him in there, I will get rid of it.''

    Harry threw the diary in the firece andy on thefy bed.

    "I don''t know how I ended up here but I have always dreamt of having a family like this one. Maybe some God up there decided to reward me, or maybe this is just some cosmic ident. Whatever the case, I will protect this family with everything I have."

    <><><><><><><><><>

    The next morning, he went to the kitchen and found his mother preparing breakfast.

    "Good morning, Mum." Harry was starting to get used to having a mother now but it still felt strange.

    Lily turned around and smiled.

    "Good morning, Harry. This will take a few more minutes."

    Harry approached his mother and noticed that she was preparing pancakes, juice, and several other things.

    "Let me help you," Harry said.

    Lily''s eyes opened wide. "Y-you want to help me cook?...are you sure?"

    Harry sighed, his parents seemed to go into shock every time he tried to be nice.

    "Sure." He said while taking the pancake butter and started preparing the pancakes.

    Lily was observing her son with absolute bafflement.

    "You are doing it very well, Harry. When did you learn to cook?" Lily asked.

    Harry shrugged.

    "I don''t know, maybe I learned by watching you, and my body somehow remembers it," Harry said.

    Once they were putting the food on tes, the rest of the family entered the kitchen.

    The first one was Lyra, who gave her mother a hug and a surprised stare at Harry before sitting down.

    Then came James carrying their youngest daughter, Holly on his shoulder.

    "That smells great, Lil." James said while giving his wife a kiss.

    "Thank you, Harry helped me with the breakfast," Lily said proudly.

    James raised an eyebrow."He did?"

    Lyra gave Harry an incredulous look before staring at her breakfast with suspicion.

    Holly didn''t care and started eating.

    Harry noticed that his father was reading the Dialy Prophet.

    "Dad, can I borrow that when you are done?" He said while pointing at the paper.

    James seemed a bit surprised but didn''tment on that.

    "Sure, I only read the front page usually."

    <><><><><><><><>

    After having breakfast, Harry went to the sink and was going to start cleaning the dishes when a house elf appeared.

    "Oh, no, Master Harry. Mipsy already left Miss Cook, I will do the cleaning, please."

    Harry was startled for a moment.

    "A house elf?."

    "Master Harry?." The elf looked confused.

    "Sorry¡­em¡­Mipsy was it? You see, I was injured recently and lost some of my memories." Harry exined.

    "Oh¡­Mypsy is sorry to hear that." Said the elf.

    "Are you the only house elf here?" Harry asked and the elf nodded.

    "Very well then, I''ll leave you to your work."

    The elf smiled and went to clean

    .

    Harry left the kitchen and went to the house library while carrying the newspaper his father gave him.

    The library was almost as big as the one in Hogwarts and must contain thousands of tomes.

    "Wow¡­" Harry was truly impressed.

    ''If only I had grown up in a ce like this¡­maybe things would have ended up differently.'' He could not help to think.

    He took a seat on afortable leather couch and opened the Dialy Prophet.

    He looked at the top left corner of the first page.

    "June, 10. 1991."

    ''That means, I''m almost eleven years old and there are a few months left before it''s Hogwarts time.''

    He managed to acquire a few more bits of information from the articles depicted.

    The minister was Cornelious Fudge after being mentioned in the passing of a new tradingw.

    Lucius Malfoy seems to still be very close to the Minister as he was shown at his side in the picture taken.

    Dumbledore is mentioned in the passing of an article about dragon blood.

    ''What I need is information on Voldemort. I need to know what else is different.''

    At that moment, Harry heard noises of people approaching before the door to the library opened.

    "Yaayy!" A very excited Holly entered running, while Lily walked some distance behind.

    Holly noticed Harry and stopped.

    "Hello, Holly. Did youe here to y?." Harry asked.

    "She wants me to read her some books," Lily answered while approaching the duo.

    "Yes, books!." Holly eximed happily.

    "What kind of books do you like?" Harry asked.

    Holly smiled. "The ones with The boy who lived!, Neville Longbottom."

 Chapter 6: The Adventures of Neville Longbottom

    Chapter 6: The Adventures of Neville Longbottom

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 6: The Adventures of Neville Longbottom

    "Did you say, Neville?" Harry asked.

    "Yes, those are her favorite ones. I used to read them to you and your sister Lyra, but, you two never liked them that much." Lily said.

    ''So, Neville became the ''Boy Who Lived'' in this world¡­.of course, the Prophecy must have excluded me, because I was born almost a month earlier, leaving only one choice for Voldemort to attack.'' When Harry was pondering about the changes in this world and how to gain more information, He suddenly had an idea.

    "Holly, You must have a lot of books about the Boy Who Lived, right?" Harry asked his little sister.

    Holly''s eyes illuminated with enthusiasm.

    "I have lots!."

    Holly took Harry''s hand and started to lead him towards one of the bookshelves.

    Lily was watching the interaction with a smile. In the past, Harry had never shown any interest in his little sister. Kids are able to quickly understand when they are not wanted, so, Holly never tried to interact with Harry that much either.

    ''She must have felt the change in Harry.'' Lily thought.

    Once Harry got closer to the shelve, He spotted a lot of books with very colorful covers and the name of Neville Longbottom followed by all sorts of crazy titles.

    "Neville Longbottom and the Hydra of nine heads."

    "Neville Longbottom and his trusty red dragon."

    "Neville Longbottom and his magical castle."

    ''Wow¡­Did I also have all of that stuff back in my old world? I remember Ginny mentioned some of the books about me she read as a child. But she was too embarrassed about that part of her childhood to go into more details.''

    Harry looked as Holly rushed to a shelve and started to look for something to read.

    He also started to look around looking for something more historical and less fantastical.

    On the upper part of the shelf, He found something interesting.

    "The Boy Who Lived and the Downfall of the Dark Lord."

    Harry picked up the book and started reading the contents. Holly finally decided on a book and brought it to her mother to read it.

    ''Let''s see. Neville Longbottom was born¡­  ¡­oh, there it is¡­.on the night of October 31, 1981, the Dark Lord attacked personally the Longbottom household. Lord and Lady Longbottom battled ferociously but unfortunately perished in the end.''

    Harry made a pained expression at the mention of the Longbottoms. It seems like Neville''s parents had suffered a terrible fate in both worlds.

    ''However, when the Dark Lord went to kill the little baby, some miracle of magic urred. The baby was not only able to survive the Killing Curse but it ended up inflicting a crippling wound on the Dark Lord, to the point that he has not appeared again since then. Some believe that the Dark Lord will note back as long as the Boy Who Lived is in Britain.''

    "What?!" Harry shouted.

    "Harry? Is everything okay?." Lily asked with worry on her face, wondering what had startled her son so much.

    Harry looked apologetic at his mother.

    "Sorry, I just read something disturbing. That''s all."

    Lily got closer and took a look at the book that Harry was reading.

    "Ah¡­Is it about You Know Who? You don''t have to be afraid of him. He left the country a long time ago and never came back." Lily tried to calm her son down, believing that He must have be scared after reading about what Voldemort did to the Longbottoms.

    Harry thought that this may be a good chance to gain some extra intel.

    "But, what about his followers, he had many, right?. Did they also leave?."

    Lily frowned, obviously not liking to talk about this matter.

    "Some of them did leave¡­many others remained here. Your father knows more about them since he is one of the Head Aurors, but he doesn''t like to talk about work." Lily exined.

    "I understand." Harry put the book back.

    "I''ll go find something else to read." He said, not wanting to upset his mother further.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    After picking something else, He sat down and looked at his mother and sister.

    Holly was sitting on her mother''sp while Lily read a story about how Neville Longbottom fought an evil ogre and saved the kidnapped princess from his tower.

    A soft smile appeared on his face as he observed the two of them.

    After finishing her book, Holly went to fetch another one and brought it to Harry.

    "Read this, please?" She asked.

    Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "You want me, to read you the book?" Harry asked and Holly nodded.

    Harry looked at his mother who was approaching.

    "Do you mind? I need to go do some chores before dinner." Lily said.

    "Not at all," Harry said. He was just surprised his mother would trust him that much.

    "I believe your father is outside in the garden, doing something. He took a few free days. If you need anything, You can go to him or call for Mipsy." Lily said before leaving.

    Holly sat down at his side and handed him the book.

    After reading for a few minutes, He noticed the presence of someone else in the library.

    ''I bet that''s the house elf. Mother must have asked her to keep an eye on us'' He thought.

    Harry wasn''t really offended. It would have actually been very reckless to leave a ten-year-old who had juste back from the hospital with a brain injury to take care of a four-year-old with no supervision.

    Harry ignored the presence of the elf and continued reading for a while.

    He then noticed Holly started to yawn.

    ''Must be nap time.'' He thought.

    "Mipsy, you cane out," Harry said out loud.

    The elf appeared in front of them.

    "Master Harry knew I was there?" The elf asked.

    "Never mind that. Help me carry my sister to her room so she can sleep." Harry said while picking up Holly, who was starting to close her eyes.

    He noticed the elf using magic to make her lighter and easier to carry.

    He thanked the elf and followed her.

    <><><><><><><><>

    After leaving his sister in her room with Mipsy, Harry decided to take a walk through the gardens.

    The moment He went outside, He caught a glimpse of people standing on the grassy field.

    ''Right, she said that father would be here.'' Harry thought.

    His father and Lyra were holding flying brooms and his father seemed to be giving her some instructions.

    They saw him approach and turn to him. Lyra immediately frowned while his father just seemed a bit surprised.

    "Hi there, do you mind if I join your flying practice?." Harry asked.

 Chapter 7: Flying Practice

    Chapter 7: Flying Practice

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 7: Flying Practice

    "You want to fly? I thought you didn''t like it that much." James said.

    Harry shrugged. "I guess I changed my mind. So¡­can I?"

    James smiled. "Sure you can. Do you remember where your broom is? You know, the one we got you two years ago."

    "Yes, I''ll go get it." Harry turned around and left for his room.

    James looked at his daughter, who was making an angry expression.

    "You still believe that he is pretending?." He asked.

    "Dad¡­no one changes that quick. He has to be¡­" Lyra said while looking serious.

    James observed his daughter with attention, She has always been too mature for her age.

    "I''ll tell you one thing. In my work, I have to deal with a lot of liars, and over the years I have developed a keen eye to discern who is telling the truth and who is lying without the need to use any magic."

    Lyra looked at him.

    "And?."

    "As far as I have observed, Harry seemspletely sincere." He saw his daughter was about to protest and raised his hand to indicate that He was not finished.

    "I know is hard to believe¡­but, you should give him a chance. If he is sincere about wanting to change and you keep pushing him away, he may revert back to being the way he was. You don''t want that, right?" James finished saying.

    Lyra did not raise anyints but she still didn''t seempletely convinced. She has been attacked and deceived by her brother too many times in the past.

    She had wished on many asions for her brother to change, to be at least tolerable to be around.

    But this change was just too much¡­ too sudden and hard to believe.

    <><><><><><><><>

    Harry came back with his broom in hand.

    "Alright, let''s get to flying."

    "Hold down champ, let me see that broom. I need to make sure is in good condition to fly since it hasn''t been used for so long." James said while taking the broom.

    He observed the broom carefully.

    "Did you clean it up?." James asked. The broom looked impable and well cared for.

    "This morning. So¡­can I use it?."

    James handed the broom to Harry.

    "Yes, it seems in good condition. But let''s go slow, I don''t know if you remember what happened two years ago." James told Harry and this one shook his head.

    James sighed. "Well¡­You were very excited about flying a broom at first, but You didn''t listen to my advice and decided to fly away recklessly. In the end, You crashed against a tree, broke one arm, and didn''t want to touch the broom again."

    "Yes, you were always saying that flying was stupid." Lyra grinned.

    ''So that''s why he left the broom there, covered in dust¡­''

    Harry just smiled at her, ignoring her childish taunt. "Well, let''s try again then."

    Lyra was surprised by theck of a bitter response as usual but didn''t say anything else.

    James got into position. "Okay, Harry, get onto the broom and start to ascend slowly. Remember?, You need to focus on the broom and deliver the order in a calm and focused manner."

    Harry did as he was told. As much as he wanted to shoot into the sky, he decided that it would be better to show a slower progression, and not give his father a heart attack in the process.

    Harry started to gain altitude slowly with his father at his side.

    "Very well, Harry. This is high enough, let''s stop here and start to move forward." James said.

    ''Oh, Merlin¡­this is going to be so dull.'' Harry thought.

    Lyra seemed to agree as she started to fly away from the duo at great speed.

    "Don''t go too far, Lyra. Stay inside the property limits." James said in amanding tone and Lyra responded with an annoyed ''I know, dad!''.

    Harry and James started to fly around the garden very slowly and only a few feet off the ground.

    ''My first flying lesson in Hogwarts was more exciting than this¡­'' Harry could not help to think, but kept his patience and continued with the exercise. At least he could get a good view of the house and its surroundings.

    The house itself was not as massive as he first thought, he was more impressed with how isted the house was. All around it was a grassy in and in the distance, he could see a thick forest that extended in all directions.

    A closer inspection was needed but a first nce, it looked like the grassy fields were indicating the limits of the wards. If that was the case, this property was around half the size of Hogwarts.

    In the end, the boring lesson did not matter to him that much, instead, he cared about the fact that he was flying on a broom next to his father. This was something he had dreamed of since he found out James Potter was a great Quidditch yer in school.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    After almost an hour of practice, James told Harry to stop for the day.

    "You did great, Harry. You know?, I have the entire week off work. If you want, we can practice every day for a bit." James offered with a sincere smile.

    "Yes, I would love that, dad." Said Harry. Even though the practice was a bit boring, He could not help but be genuinely happy at spending time with his father like that.

    Lyra then descended from the sky with her Numbus 2000.

    "Oh?, You two slowpokes are done?"

    James gave her a warning look.

    Harry chuckled.

    "Yes, we are done for today. I''ll see you at dinner, Lyra."

    After Harry left, James approached his daughter.

    "He doesn''t react to anything¡­ The Harry I knew would have gotten angry with much less." Lyra said.

    James raised an eyebrow.

    "Stop trying to provoke him, that''s a bad idea."

    "I just wanted to get a reaction. Are you sure you brought the right Harry from the hospital?" Lyra asked.

 Chapter 8: Findings

    Chapter 8: Findings

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 8: Findings

    Harry was slowly getting used to his new life. It seems like his parents were beginning to believe that he had changed for the better and was not going back to his old self.

    He had gotten very close to his youngest sister, Holly. She was very fun to be around and always cheerful.

    His other sister, Lyra is still distant but at least, she has stopped trying to provoke him. Harry didn''t mind and just found her attempts entertaining, to be honest.

    After all, it was just a nine-year-old using childish insults against someone who had gone through two wars. It would be needed a lot more than that to provoke him into action.

    Harry had spent a great deal of his time exploring the library, looking for any useful information or anything that he could have missed.

    He will not let his guard down after finding out that Voldemort is still alive even if he is hiding in a different country.

    Using old newspapers that thankfully Mipsy kept stored and some new History books about the recent war, He had managed to gather a lot of information.

    As the ''Boy Who Lived'' book had said, Voldemort seemed to have suffered some crippling injury instead of dying and fled the country.

    Neville was acimed as the ''Boy Who Lived'' and everyone considered him a national hero.

    It is rumored that he was raised by his grandmother in a distant castle since the main Longbottom household was severely damaged. But the exact location of this castle was never revealed to protect him.

    Harry felt sorry for Neville. The boy now will have to deal with some of the things he did in his past life. Fame had brought him nothing but misery, with people turning against him at every turn.

    Even with Voldemort''s absence, many death eaters remained in Ennd and wouldunch attacks every so often to remind the country that they were notpletely gone. That meant that the war had never ended, officially at least, but the public had mostly moved on since there hadn''t been any big attacks.

    Another big difference was that Sirius never went to Azkaban since his parents were not attacked by Voldemort directly, but they were still important enemies of the Dark Lord and were attacked by death eaters many times.

    Many did not survive the war, and unfortunately, Sirius was one of the victims.

    Wormtail was revealed to be a traitor when he and some other death eaters got into a fight with Sirius and some other wizards that Harry remembers being old members of the Order of the Phoenix.

    In the resulting fight, Sirius and Marlene McKinnon died, along with several muggles who were caught in the crossfire.

    Wormtail became a wanted man that day and has been seen since then.

    Harry''s best guess is that Wormtail disclosed the secret location of the Order Headquarters and they took the chance tounch a big attack.

    Remus was still alive and well. His father had mentioned that He would be visiting for Harry''s birthday.

    ''Sirius¡­'' He felt nothing but bitterness at the thought of not being able to see his Godfather and felt like he had lost him all over again.

    ''I''ll make sure that Wormtail suffers for this¡­I swear this to you, Sirius.'' He made another promise to himself.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    It was the day before his birthday and Harry had decided to go make breakfast by himself.

    He was surprised to find his sister, Lyra, already in the kitchen.

    "Good morning, you got up very early today." Harry greeted.

    Lyra looked up from her ss of milk.

    "I was thirsty¡­what about you?."

    "I''m going to make breakfast for everyone." Harry walked to the counter and started picking up the ingredients he needed.

    "By yourself? Are you sure you know what you are doing? I don''t want to be poisoned." Lyra smirked.

    "Well, you can stay and try the food first if you want." Harry offered while He kept working.

    "You have been spending a lot of time with Hollytely," Lyra said with a serious expression.

    Harry raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister, wondering where this was going.

    "I have not told Dad everything about what happened that day. Only that you were ying with grandma''s wand and got hurt on ident." Lyra said.

    Harry was surprised.

    ''She lied to protect me? That would exin why his parents weren''t more angry with him, especially his father.

    "But¡­If you hurt my sister -"

    "Our sister." Harry corrected her. "And, I would rather die than hurt any member of this family."

    Lyra was taken aback by how intense was Harry when he said that, and she didn''t doubt that He meant every word.

    "You¡­you really have changed¡­" Lyra was forced to admit.

    After a moment of silence between the two of them, she spoke once more.

    "Fine, I''ll stay and be the first one to try your food. It better be good." She pointed her finger at him and went back to her drink.

    ''I''ll give you onest chance Harryst one, I swear.'' Lyra thought to herself.

    "You''ll see." Harry smiled and went back to work.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    "Yummy," Holly said happily while eating.

    There were Cornish potato cakes, sausages, eggs, bacon, and seared tomatoes.

    "This is really good, Harry," James said while eating and drinking his coffee.

    "You know you don''t have to, right Harry? I only prepare breakfast once a week because Mipsy gets upset if I take too much work away from her." Lily said.

    "I know Mom, I just felt like doing it today," Harry answered before looking at Lyra who gave him a reluctant thumbs up.

 Chapter 9: Birthday

    Chapter 9: Birthday

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 9: Birthday

    Harry remembers well thest birthday he celebrated. It was his twentieth birthday and the only reason he even agreed to it was because of the insistence from Hermione and Ron.

    They had already lost many loved ones and the war was going at full force but his friends thought that a small celebration would bring some happiness to their miserable lives.

    The party was interrupted when a horde of demons destroyed the safe house they were in.

    Many of their allies died that day. Harry received his second permanent scar and Ron lost his left leg.

    They learned a lesson that day, no more celebrating until the war was over.

    Harry was interrupted by his dark thoughts when his father knocked on the door.

    "Harry, your uncle Remus is here. Come to say hi." James said.

    ''Remus...'' He did not know what he was going to say to that man.

    Harry went downstairs and found Remus talking with his mother. He looked a lot better than the one he remembered, which would not be too hard since the Remus he knew dropped dead during the first attack on Hogwarts.

    This Remus Lupin was wearing clean, new clothes, trimmed hair, and was clean-shaved. If it wasn''t for his senses detecting the dark aura of the werewolf inside him, Harry would have believed that this version of Remus was never cursed to begin with.

    ''He looks like one of those businessmen that Vernon liked to bring home for dinner.'' Harry thought.

    Remus turned to look at Harry when He heard him approach.

    "Here you are! Happy birthday, Harry." Remus smiled for a moment before he seemed to remember something.

    "Oh...Your mother told me what happened to you. And¡­well¡­Do you remember me?" Remus asked hesitantly.

    As much as Harry hated to disappoint this man, He could not im to remember him after not remembering his sisters.

    And to be fair, he did not know anything about this version of Remus Lupin.

    "Sorry, Uncle Remus. I don''t remember much." Harry said apologetically.

    Remus put a hand on his shoulder and smiled softly.

    "It''s okay, Harry. Is not your fault."

    "Hey, You can get to know your uncle Remus today. We are all going to have dinner together for your birthday." Lily tried to cheer them up.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    Dinner was a quiet affair. Harry didn''t seem to have any friends of his age, so it was only the family and Remus.

    Holly was starting to get bored after finishing her meal, so Lily took her to her room to read her a book before sleep.

    Lyra excused herself and went to her room, leaving Remus, James, and Harry alone.

    "So, Harry. Your father was telling me before that you have been learning who to fly in a broom." Remus said.

    "Yes, He taught me for a week, and I have been practicing every day since then." Answered Harry.

    "That''s great. You know? your father used to be a great flyer back in our school days. He even yed in the quidditch team."

    "I''ll let you know that I am still a great flyer. And I didn''t just y in the team, I was the best chaser in the school." James bragged whileughing.

    "Well, I don''t know that much about quidditch, but I do enjoy flying." Harry tried to seem sincere at least.

    "I''m sure, your father will get you started with the game soon enough," Remus said.

    "He can''t join the team until second year so we still have plenty of time," James said.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Some days after, an owl made its way into the Potter manor andnded on the kitchen table, in front of Harry, while the family was having breakfast.

    "Is that what I think it is?" Lily asked.

    "Go on, Harry, pick up the letter," James said with a smile.

    Harry recognized the seal on the letter immediately and picket it up, then gave some bacon to the owl.

    He opened the envelope and read its contents.

    "It''s a letter from Hogwarts, I have been epted to join the school." Said Harry before handing the letter to his mother.

    Lily made a jump of joy to celebrate.

    "Yes!, I''m so proud, Harry."

    "Were you doubting that he was going to be epted in Hogwarts?" asked Lyra.

    Lily raised her hands defensively.

    "Of course not!, I knew my boy would get in!."

    "What a hogard?" asked Holly.

    "It''s Hogwarts, dear, and is a school for magical people. You will go there too when you are older." Said James.

    "Hey, I just remember. Daphne told me that the Boy Who Lived will be attending Hogwarts thising year. Maybe you get to meet him." Lyra said while looking at Harry.

    "Really?, Can I meet him too?!" Said Holly excitedly.

    ''Daphne?...not, it can''t be that one...''

    Harry looked at his little sister.

    "I''m sure you''ll meet him one day, but when you do¡­just treat him normally, okay? I''m sure he doesn''t like this whole ''Boy who Lived'' stuff."

    "Why wouldn''t he like being famous?" Wondered Lyra.

    ''I hope that this Neville is as good as the one I knew.'' Harry thought.

    He may have been a bit clumsy at first, but over the years, Neville proved himself to be apetent and brave wizard. He fought valiantly at his side to the end¡­never giving up.

    "You talk like you know him already." Said Lyra with suspicion.

    Harry reacted quickly. "I don''t. But he had a very hard life. And I''m sure he doesn''t like to be reminded of what he lost¡­"

    Lyra looked surprised, she hadn''t thought about that, but it was true that Britain''s hero had lost his family during the Dark Lord attack, and calling him ''The Boy who Lived'' was just a reminder of that day.

    "You talk like an old man!" She ended up shouting like the child she was.

    "Those are very wise words, Harry." His mother said with admiration.

    "Yes, well said, son." Said James.

 Chapter 10: Shopping trip

    Chapter 10: Shopping trip

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    Chapter 10: Shopping trip

    Harry and Lily were walking through the streets of Diagon Alley. After receiving his letter, Lily told him that it was time for him to get a wand and buy all of the other supplies they needed.

    His father was busy with work and Lyra had to stay at home to take care of Holly who could note because ording to his mother, it would take them all day to finish the shopping if they had to bring her.

    Besides, Holly''s birthday would be shortly before his trip to Hogwarts so his mother wanted to take the chance to buy her a good present.

    Harry, on the other hand, was just enjoying spending some time with his mother alone.

    "Here we are," Lily said as they arrived at the door of Ollivanders.

    They went inside and were greeted by a familiar old man.

    "Wee." Ollivander looked at Lily for a moment.

    "Ten inches, willow wood, and a phoenix feather core if I remember correctly."

    Lily smiled and took out her wand.

    "That''s correct, Mister Ollivander."

    "I hope it has served you well." The old man said.

    "It has, thank you. But today we are here for my son." Lily put her hand on Harry''s shoulder and nudged him forward.

    "Don''t be afraid of him, Mister Ollivander has always been a bit peculiar."

    Ollivander chuckled at thement but did not seem one bit offended instead looked proud of it. He then turned his eyes to Harry.

    "Of course, getting your first wand is a very exciting experience, young one."

    Harry smiled softly. If only Ollivander knew the number of wands and other types of foci that Harry had to use over the years¡­

    The old man did some measurements and went to pick up some wands beforeing back. He opened one of the boxes, pulled out a wand, and handed it to Harry.

    "Go on, give it a try."

    The moment Harry picked it up, He felt the unicorn hair that was used as a core. He directed his magic through the wand with ease and this one started to shine.

    Olivander gasped in surprise. "A match on the first try? In all of my years, I have never seen this before."

    Harry ced the wand back on the counter.

    "I prefer one with a phoenix feather if you don''t mind, Mister Ollivander."

    The man made aplicated expression. "Young man, that is not how it works I''m afraid. The wand chooses the wizard, and this one has already chosen you."

    "Humor me, please," Harry asked.

    "Harry?" Lily did not understand why her son was asking for a different one when that one seemed to be a good match, but she believed that her son must have a reason so she turned towards Ollivander.

    "Mister Ollivander, if you don''t mind?."

    "Sigh¡­very well. Let''s see¡­phoenix feather, I only have a few of those."

    He went to the back of the shop and started to pull out boxes.

    He then went back to the counter with two boxes and opened up in front of Harry.

    The one on the left had a dark wooden color and was about ten inches long.

    The one on the right was eleven inches long and was made of holly.

    Harry smiled at seeing his old wand and was very tempted to pick it up.

    ''No¡­if Neville is the boy of the prophecy this time, He may need that wand.''

    He took the other wand and noticed a sight of relief on Ollivander''s face.

    The moment he picked it up, the wand illuminated the entire room and a rush of wind came from Harry, pushing everything away.

    Lily took grasped the counter to keep her bnce and Ollivander had to hide behind it.

    When the phenomenon ended, the old man rose up and looked at Harry in disbelief.

    "Two connections and this one was much stronger than the previous wand¡­amazing. I have never seen a phenomenon like this before in my long life¡­"

    "Yes, that was¡­quite something," Lily said, looking a bit shaken.

    "I like this one." Harry smiled.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    After leaving the wand shop, Lily took the box containing Harry''s new wand and put it inside her purse.

    "You can have it when is time to go to school. I''ll keep it safe until then. "

    Harry just shrugged. He understood where she wasing from. Thest time her son tried to use a wand, he ended up in the hospital. And is not even allowed for him to use a wand before attending Hogwarts anyway.

    "Let us go to Madam Malkings to get your measurement done, then we can go to the library next. That way can get your school books and some fun storybooks for Holly''s birthday."

    "Don''t we need a suitcase to start putting things inside?" He asked.

    Lily tapped her purse.

    "I have one in here, it has been reduced using a charm. It used to belong to your dad, I''m sure you will like it." She said with a lovely smile.

    Harry just followed her lead everywhere during their long shopping trip. He could not help but be mesmerized by the sights. This location was one of the first ces destroyed during thest war. Seeing it back in perfect shape and filled with happy people felt so surreal to him.

    His life back at the Potter Mansion during thest weeks has been like a dream to Harry. He could not help to think that maybe he was actually dead and this was his heaven, but seeing Diagon Alley has brought him back to reality. This was definitely not a dream and not the afterlife.

    Their next stop was the pet shop,"Magical Meagerie".

    ''Could she still be here?...'' He wondered.

    "Owls are very useful but you could also get a cat if you want. Just please don''t get a toad..." Lily made a disgusted expression.

    Harry was too distracted to listen to what she was saying. He went directly to the section with the owls.

    There were five left but... none of them were Hedwig. He would have immediately recognized her as she was the only snowy owl in the shop.

    "Oh, an owl?. Which one do you like?" His mother seemed to have mistook his intention. He was not looking for just any owl.

    "Excuse me, sir." He went directly to the shopkeeper and asked about a pure white snow owl.

    "Ah, that one...yes, we had her for a while. She wouldn''t get along with anyone, but...just two days ago, the ''Boy who lived'' himself came to my shop and took a liking to that particr owl, can you believe it?"

    "I see..." Harry muttered.

    ''So she is with Neville then.'' He thought that maybe it was some sort of fate.

    "Harry?, is everything alright?." Lily came to his side.

    "If you don''t find one that you like, there is another shop on the other side of the alley."

    "Hmph!, Brendoms?. Madam, you won''t find better magical pets than the ones I have right here." The shopkeeper proimed with pride.

    "No, it''s okay. I think I changed my mind. I won''t be getting any familiar pet after all." Harry told her.

    <><><><><><>

    Their shopping trip took quite a while, they were currently in theirst location, an ingredient shop for potions. It wasn''t the one most people go to, but one that was located in one of the inner alleys.

    During her student days, Lily was a very talented potioner and her professor had introduced her to this particr potion shop, since then she always made her purchases here instead of the most popr one.

    She became close friends with the owner and was always given a discount.

    "Okay, I think we have everything¡­" Lily went over the school list one more time after paying for the ingredients.

    "Are you sure you don''t want a familiar pet? If you get an owl you can use it to send letters to us." Suggested his mother for the second time.

    "No¡­I can use the school owls to send messages, don''t worry about it." He had no intention of recing Hedwig.

 Chapter 11: Trouble in the alley

    Chapter 11: Trouble in the alley

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 11: Trouble in the Alley

    "Well¡­if you don''t want you, that''s fine." Lily decided to not push the issue anymore. If Harry did not want a pet, that was fine.

    ''Maybe he will change his mind after Lyra gets one next year'' She thought.

    By the time the mother and son duo left the ingredients shop, the sky was already starting to turn dark.

    "Oh my, we took a bit too long for this shopping trip," Said Lily while looking upwards.

    ''That''s because you wasted two hours in the potion shop chatting with the owner and browsing ingredients. Not to mention how long it took to find a present for Holly.'' Harry wanted toin.

    There was little light left in the alley, soon the magical candles all around Diagon Alley would turn on and many shops would start to close, leaving only some bars and restaurants.

    Their current location was a short distance away from the main street and not considered a dangerous ce by any means, but for some reason, Harry could not help to have a bad feeling as soon as they left behind the door of the shop.

    Over the years, he had learned to trust his instincts as they were honed over many battles and this has saved him many times.

    "We should hurry back to the main street" Harry looked around while they were walking.

    Lily looked at her son.

    "It''s okay, sweetie. I know is a bit dark now but this alley is very safe and there are always plenty of people around¡­". But as she looked, she realized there was no one.

    Her expression changed, her kind smile reced by the focused face of someone who had faced danger many times before.

    When she heard steps behind her, her wand was already out.

    "Stupefy!"

    A red speck of light came out of her wand and impacted the body of a masked man wearing dark robes that Lily immediately recognized.

    "Oh no¡­Harry stay behind me!"

    "Don''t just turn around, we are surrounded." Said Harry in a calm voice.

    "Adava kedavra!"

    Harry pushed his mother out of the way just as a green light passed by.

    Lily saw this happen and held herself against a wall in the narrow street, having a hard time processing how close she hade to dying.

    She could now clearly notice that there were five assants in total. Two behind, one of which was now unconscious thanks to her spell from before, and three more on the other side of the alley.

    "You idiot! we need her alive!" The tallest one in the group spoke with authority.

    ''So, he immediately revealed who is the one in charge and what their mission was. I have to admit, I have grown ustomed to being the target, this is kind of new. But also troublesome¡­'' Harry considered for a moment how to act.

    He acknowledged that his mother was a powerful witch but she won''t be able to fight against four opponents while being surrounded in this narrow alley.

    Spells started to rain on her whilepletely ignoring Harry as none of the death eaters considered him a threat at all.

    Lily did an admirable job of defending herself from the assault while keeping an eye on her son. She may even be able to escape, had she been by herself.

    Harry saw a nasty fire-type curse approach Lily while she was busy deflecting another curse and decided to intervene.

    He created a wandless protego shield to stop the spell but it was not enough topletely block the magic.

    "Ahh!" Lily yelped in pain as her hand was burned and her wand turned into cinders, leaving only the Phoenix feather that Ollivander used as the core levitating slowly to the ground.

    Lily lost her bnce and fell with her back against the wall while clutching her injured hand.

    ''Tsk¡­this bodycks the power to perform wandless magic correctly.'' Harry admonished himself for not putting more force onto the shield.

    "Got her!"

    "Finally!"

    The death eaters celebrated in joy.

    Harry moved to Lily''s side and examined her wound, she had some second-degree burns, nothing that a bit of magic could not fix in a few minutes.

    "Harry run¡­run to the main street¡­" She looked at him with pain and despair.

    He had seen that look before and he did not like seeing it on his mother.

    Someone was going to suffer a lot from this.

    Harry focused on circting his magic and constructing the spell with utmost care.

    The palm of his hand gained a white shine to it. Indicating his sess.

    ''I can do this much without a wand at least '' Hemented hisck of preparation for the current situation.

    He ced his hand on his mother''s shoulder and before this one was able to speak again, Lily felt an overpowering wish to fall asleep.

    Harry observed his mother as she closed her eyes. He did not want her to see what he was about to do to these men.

    ''If I did the spell correctly, her memories should be fuzzy when she wakes up.''

    "What happened?"

    "Did she pass out from the shock or something?"

    The attackers did not understand why his mother went unconscious all of a sudden.

    Harry took their moment of confusion to grab the Phoenix feather from the remains of her mother''s wand and held it in his right hand.

    He knew that it would be pointless to put his hand inside his mother''s bag to retrieve his own wand, those bags have strong security measures to prevent anyone but the owner from retrieving the objects inside and it will take too long to crack open.

    ''Maybe I should have asked her to give me the wand or to take the wand for herself¡­well toote for that now. This will do.''

    He held the feather between extended two fingers and wrapped it around them, forming an improvised wand of sorts. Wands are easy to break so one has to learn some tricks like this to survive.

    ''I won''t be able to cast anything tooplex like transfiguration, but I should manage some elemental magic at least.''

    "What do we do with the kid?" one of them asked.

    "Take him out!" Commanded the leader.

    The one next to him looked to his side.

    "You go get him, Casey. I don''t like brats"

    "Fuck!, don''t say my name!, Kyle. "

    ''Ah¡­novices¡­'' Harry would have smiled, had the situation been different.

 Chapter 12: Glimpse

    Chapter 12: Glimpse

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 12: Glimpse

    There were four hostile targets in total. Three in front of him and one behind.

    The alley was narrow so there wasn''t much space to dodge and get past them.

    ''Not that escaping was an option to begin with¡­''

    He nced at his unconscious mother.

    ''Priority is to protect her and second to eliminate the targets¡­if I take care of the one at the back, I can then act as a shield against the rest.''

    One of the men in the front was calmly approaching Harry with his wand in hand while the rest waited.

    ''This gives me a better chance. Let''s start with him.''

    "Please don''t hurt me, mister!." Harry used his best acting skills to make a desperate expression and begged the approaching man.

    The masked man called Kyle let out a chuckle.

    "Sorry brat, you just got unlucky.Being born to that mudblood traitor."

    His voice was juvenile, Harry determined that he must not be much older than eighteen.

    ''They are using new graduates for grunt work¡­not that surprising, I guess.'' He thought to himself while waiting for the man to get a bit closer.

    He was right between Harry and the two others behind him when the masked man¡­no, the masked boy stopped.

    "I''ll make this quick at least." The young death eater looked at the sad child without an ounce ofpassion pointed his wand at him and began to cast a blood-boiling hex.

    A dark spell that is considered to administrate very painfully and slow death to its victims.

    The downside is its average casting time, but considering that his target is an unarmed child, the death eater saw no danger in his decision to make his victim suffer a bit longer.

    What happened next was something that none of them could have anticipated, not even in their wildest dreams.

    "Ignis." A cold voice that could not belong to a young child was heard, and a wave of mes came into existence in front of him before moving forward in a straight line until it made contact with its intended target.

    The young death eater did not even have time to process what happened when he found himself engulfed in mes.

    Harry spun around to face the lone target at the back and after a swift motion, he spoke again.

    "Incendium."

    Iridescent liquid mes appeared and sshed all over the man''s white mask. His entire head started to melt before the intense heat, not even allowing him to opportunity scream for more than a second before copsing onto the ground, lifeless.

    "Ahhh!" The young death eater kept screaming. Kyle''s body waspletely covered in fire and the pain was overwhelming.

    "Move!" The leader of the group ordered.

    His subordinates had ced themselves in the way and they were unable to see what was going on. They just heard Harry mutter two words and saw Kyle exploding in mes.

    As soon as the screaming boy went down, the two remaining death eaters were able to assess the situation better.

    They saw that their other partner was lying down and was not moving at all. The woman was still unconscious and the boy who should be dead, was pointing his finger at them with something bright tied around it.

    The leader did not have time to draw conclusions on how was this possible. How could a little unarmed child, kill two of his men, no matter how young and inexperienced they were.

    Thest recruit at his side looked to be in shock and unable to move, at seeing two of his friends killed in a matter of seconds.

    ''This is no time to hesitate!.''

    The leader was already pointing his wand at the child.

    ''If that''s even a child.''

    The words alreadying out of his lips. The words that he has said so many times over the years.

    "Adava ke-"

    "Fulmen. "

    The veteran death eater was fast, no doubt about that. But few things were as fast as what Harry had just called into existence.

    A bolt of lightning impacted the man''s chest and came out of his back while turning his insides into charcoal.

    The young death eater at his side was not hit by the lighting directly but was unfortunately close enough for an arc of lighting to jump into his body.

    The electrical discharge was not very strong but it was more than enough to stop his hearth.

    Harry frowned at the disy. Those spells that he had just used, should have caused a lot more damage than they did.

    ''How weak¡­I''ll have to do something about that.''

    His displeasure however did notst long. He looked at the hand that was holding the Phoenix feather and saw how badly burned it was.

    This was a natural side effect of using your own flesh and bones as the casing for the wand core.

    Had his spell been a bit more powerful, Harry would have likely lost his entire hand.

    As he went to take another step, a sharp pain traveled through his body like a shock. He immediately recognized this particr pain. He had suffered from it a few times in the past, but never this quick.

    ''Damn it¡­just three lousy spells and my magic reserves are nearly exhausted.

    The sound of steps could be heard and Harry knew that he had little time before people arrived here.

    It was closing time at Diagon Alley so few were still around but themotion from the fight was loud enough for everyone remaining in the alley to have heard it.

    With great difficulty, Harry removed the Phoenix feather from his burned fingers and stored it safely in one of his inner pockets before moving to his mother''s side and sitting down.

    He waspletely exhausted and his body was about to shut down.

    Thest thing he heard was a woman screaming in horror and a man saying.

    "Oh, by Merlin, what happened here?!"

 Chapter 13: Back in a familiar place.

    Chapter 13: Back in a familiar ce.

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 13: Back in a familiar ce.

    When Harry opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar room. He had, very recently, spent some time in this ce.

    ''Back to Saints Mungo, huh?''

    He was not alone, however. As he moved his head around, he was able to spot the sleeping figure of his mother on the next bed.

    He looks at his right hand, it is covered in bandages.

    ''that''s what happens when you cast magic with only the wand core¡­the burns shouldn''t be too bad.''

    Memories of thest events were reyed before his eyes and he started to analyze them, looking for ws or things he could have done better. This was something he had grown ustomed to doing after every battle.

    ''Is okay to make mistakes as long as you live to learn from them.''

    Those were the words he used to repeat to all recruits that he trained and to himself.

    ''I could have done better.''

    He admonished himself for his poor performance.

    Fighting without a proper wand was one thing, but he should have made an effort to get a better handle on his current body and magic. That was the main reason for his failure.

    ''It would be difficult to train properly at home but as soon as I''m back at Hogwarts I can make use of that room again¡­'' He concluded.

    The door of the room opened and a group of people entered.

    "Harry!" James Potter rushed to his side and gave him a tight hug.

    "Oh, thank Merlin!"

    He wanted to tell the man that he had only suffered from some magical exhaustion and a burned hand and that it was no big deal but decided to hold himself and kept silent.

    "How are you feeling, are you okay?" His father asked, face filled with worry. Despite the many disappointments he had suffered at the hands of his son, he could not help but care for him.

    "I''m fine Dad." His eyes moved to the next bed.

    "How is mom?"

    "She got her hand a bit burned but is nothing serious. She is just sleeping now¡­she was very tired." James did his best to not make a big deal out of it for the sake of Harry.

    One of the two men who came into the room with his father spoke.

    "James¡­I need to¡­you know."

    He seemed hesitant to speak like he was afraid of offending his father. He was wearing auror robes and a bag...Harry could already imagine what he wanted.

    The other one was an older man wearing a white robe.

    "Before any of that. I need to examine my patient!"

    He said with a disapproving frown.

    The old healer walked to Harry and smiled at him.

    "Good morning, Mister Potter. How are you feeling?"

    He asked while performing some mild scans with his wand.

    Harry wanted to roll his eyes at all the unnecessary medical attention.

    "I feel fine, Mister Healer. Just a mild difort on my right hand."

    "Yes, I will give you an ointment for that, your hand should be good as new by tomorrow."

    He waved his wand around a few more times before nodding.

    "Everything seems in order, Mister Potter. "

    "So, can I take him home?" Asked James.

    "Call me when your wife wakes up so I can give her another check and then you can all go home." Said the healer before walking to the door.

    "So¡­" the auror approached a few more steps and looked at James.

    His father gave the auror a serious look before going back to Harry.

    "Son, this person right here is one of my coworkers. He needs to ask you a few questions about what happened yesterday in the alley. Is okay if you don''t remember much, just tell him whatever you can recall. Is that okay?"

    Harry gave him a nod and James smiled at him before he moved to one side, allowing the other auror to get closer to his bed.

    "Hello, Harry. I''m Will, a friend of your dad. I just need to ask you a few questions, it will be quick...you went yesterday shopping with your mom. We know that thest shop you visited was an ingredient shop in one of the inner alleyways. What happened next?"

    "Mmm¡­" He made his best impression of the confused child.

    "It was dark¡­we were walking and then, mom got very nervous¡­some masked men started casting spells at mom. She got burned and then she fell¡­and¡­then they threw something at me and my hand started to hurt¡­and¡­"

    "Yes, and what happened next? did someone elsee to help you?" the auror asked.

    ''I see¡­'' They just want to know who killed the death eaters, since there is no chance that an unarmed eleven-year-old could have anything to do with that.

    "Yes¡­someone wearing a dark robe appeared and started fighting against the bad guys!"

    Both James and Will became very attentive at the mention of the dark-robed individual.

    "What can you tell us about this person?" Asked the auror.

    "mmm, I can tell you that it was a man, by the voice, but I could not see his face, it was very dark and he was wearing a hood. "

    "I see¡­" Both Will and James looked disappointed.

    "Anything else? did you see this man beat the bad guys?"

    Harry shook his head.

    "No¡­I remember that he pointed his wand at me for a moment and saw some red light¡­then I woke up here."

    "A stunner most likely. Probably for the best¡­" said James, thinking about the gruesome state that the death eaters were left.

    Will sighed.

    "A dark hooded man¡­that doesn''t give us much to go on¡­"

    "No, but whoever that man was¡­he saved my family." Said James.

    "Yes, but he also killed several members of magical noble families in a very¡­ohh." The auror coughed to clear his throat when he realized what he was about to say in front of a child.

    "Sorry, I should get going. I''ll present what I have to Madame Bones¡­she is going to throw a fit." the auror sighed again and stood up to leave.

    "Harry?" Lily Potter had opened her eyes.

 Chapter 14: Back to School

    Chapter 14: Back to School

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 14: Back to School

    "I''m fine!" Harry had to raise his voice after his mother refused to let go of him for the past five minutes.

    "Lil,e on, let the boy breathe a bit," said James with amusement.

    "I was so scared!" She cried.

    "I''m sorry I couldn''t protect you."

    "Calm down, Mom, we are all fine. " Harry looked at his dad.

    "Oh, I just recalled something!. Dad, where is my jacket?"

    "Is inside the small wardrobe on the corner. Do you remember something else about the attack?" He asked while opening the dresser and taking his small jacket.

    "Something like that." Harry extended his hand and grabbed the piece of clothing from his father.

    Lily and James watched with attention, wondering what Harry could be looking for now.

    They then saw him pulling out a fiery red feather from the inner picked.

    "Ahh, good!, is still there!" Harry said with tion.

    "A Phoenix feather?" Lily was the first one to recognize the item in question.

    "Not just a Phoenix feather¡­" He handed it to his mother.

    "This is your wand core. I managed to retrieve it from the ground after your wand was burned and put it in my jacket."

    "Well done, Harry! Eximed James.

    "If you bring it to Olivander, I''m sure he can recreate your old wand with no problems." He told his wife.

    Lily said nothing and just hugged her son again.

    <><><><><><><>

    After leaving the hospital, there was only a week left before it was time for school.

    They celebrated Holly''s birthday and Harry made sure to enjoy his time with his family as one would never know what the future held for them.

    As the date approached, Harry wondered how different his first year at Hogwarts was going to be in this alternate reality.

    Voldemort was alive, Neville was the boy who lived and his family was alive and he had two new sisters.

    What else would be different?

    <><><><><><><>

    September 1st, King Cross station.

    "Are you sure we are not forgetting anything?" Asked a worried Lily.

    "I am sure, and you helped me pack, remember?" Said Harry, looking at the familiar train with increasing anticipation.

    "Do you really have to leave?..." Holly looked at him with teary eyes.

    During thest few weeks, the two of them have grown very close. Harry would often read her stories and they spent a lot of time together.

    Harry knelt next to her.

    "I do, but it won''t be for long. I''ming back for Christmas, and I will write you letters every week, okay?" He used his finger to clean up the tears.

    Holly sniffed and noted with reluctance and Lily picked her daughter up.

    "Well, son." James patted him on the back.

    "Remember, it doesn''t matter what house you get sorted into we will be proud of you, no matter what."

    "Of course we will, you don''t h-" Lily was interrupted by James.

    "Even if it is Slytherin!, although hopefully not." His father said thest part in a low voice.

    Lily gave him a stern look.

    "I''ll remind you that one of my best friends was in that house."

    James raised his hands up.

    "Let us not start that argument again,I don''t want to talk about that guy¡­"

    "Well, you are going to see him again at some point, he is going to be one of Harry''s teachers." Said Lily while James grumbled something they couldn''t hear.

    Harry looked at his sister, Lyra. She returned the look and nodded politely.

    Their rtionship has improved a lot from what it once was, but Harry knew that it was going to take more time to heal those woundspletely.

    He offers her a sincere smile and a goodbye.

    "Look, it''s him! is the boy who lived!"

    Amotion started to break out as soon as Neville Longbottom arrived at the station.

    Harry was not able to see Neville as he seemed to have been surrounded by a crowd of people.

    ''I wonder what kind of person has Neville be this time.''

    The one he knew was still very clumsy and insecure at this point in time.

    His upbringing under Augusta Longbottom was not a pleasant one. The woman was hard and strict.

    She would push her grandson to his limits and constantly remind him that he was not as good as his father.

    Both he and Neville had very harsh childhoods. But it was also this that gave them their humility and empathy.

    He looked at the crowd for a bit longer before deciding to move one. He would be seeing Nevilleter on in any case,and there would be plenty of opportunities to meet this new version of ''the boy who lived''.

    He finished his goodbyes to his family and embarked on the train.He wanted to get on one of thest train cars before it got too crowded.

    As he walked through the hallway, he spotted some familiar faces. It a somewhat hard to recognize them while being this young, but he encounters Susan Bones, Seamus, and Lavander Brown.

    "Where is he? Can you see it?"

    Harry stopped.in front of one of the cabins? With an open door, he heard a familiar voice.

    Inside it was a little boy with blonde hair. He was looking out of the window at the crow.

    Two burly boys were at his sides.

    "I can''t find it, there are too many people here!" said one of the big boys.

    "You two are useless! Let me know when he enters the train." The blonde boy, who was a very young Draco Malfoy, sat down while frowning.

    Harry decided to move on before Malfoy saw him, he didn''t want to deal with that little troublemaker at this moment.

    He finally reached the veryst cabin and looked inside. Only one person was sitting there, one that he remembered very well. A girl with crazy bushy hair was peacefully reading a thick book that was obviously not part of this year''s curriculum.

    Harry opened the door and she looked up from her book.

    "May I sit here?."

    Little Hermione Granger smiled at him.

    "Of course!"

 Chapter 15: A long train ride

    Chapter 15: A long train ride

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 15: A long train ride

    "I''m Hermione Granger, are you a first-year too?" The young girl asked with excitement.

    Harry did his best to hide any sort of reaction at seeing a young version of one of his many dead friends.

    His lumency shields weres still rudimentary but enough for the asion.

    "I''m Harry Potter, first year. Nice to meet you, Hermione."

    He stored his case and took a seat in front of her.

    "What are you reading?" he said, pointing at the thick book.

    She smiled and started to speak very fast.

    "Oh, this? This is the history of Hogwarts. I wanted to know everything about the school beforeing here but I didn''t have time to finish it. I want to know more about everything, you see¡­I''m from a non-magical family so¡­"

    "Everything is so new and fascinating. I understand the feeling." he nodded.

    "Yes!" She eximed, almost jumping from her seat. "There is so much I want to know. Did you also grow up with a non-magical family?"

    "No, my parents are both magical but my mother is a muggle-born like you and has told me a lot of stories of her childhood and how excited she was the day that she received her Hogwarts letter and found out about the magical part of the world."

    "Oh!, so you must know a lot about magic then. Can you cast any spell already?, I have tried a few." Hermione admitted, despite being against the rules. Something that Harry found somewhat amusing.

    "I do know a spell or two," he told her.

    Hermione''s eyes sparkled with joy.

    "Show me!"

    A knock on the door was heard before this one opened slowly.

    "Sorry but¡­can I sit here?, there are a lot of people in the other cabins"

    Harry was able to immediately recognize the timid boy.

    "Of course, Mister Longbottom, take a seat."

    Neville looked disappointed at being recognized for some reason but said nothing about it and sat down next to Harry.

    "Longbottom?" Hermione gasped and hurried to fetch something from her bag.

    The two boys looked at her with attention, wondering what she was looking for.

    Neville grimaced when he saw the book she had pulled out of her bag. It was one of the many books written about ''the boy who lived'' without his consent.

    "Are you really Neville Longbottom? The one from the books?" She held out a book titled ''Neville Longbottom in the Rainbow Forest''.

    Harry noticed that Holly didn''t have that particr title in her collection.

    ''Maybe I Should ask Hermione if I can borrow it for Christmas''

    "Do you really have the magical scar?" Hermione asked while staring at his forehead. This one was well covered with hair so it was hard to tell if anything was hidden underneath.

    Neville did not seem to enjoy the interrogation, as he suddenly stood up, picked up his case, and rushed out of thepartment with an ''excuse me''.

    Hermione stared at the door with a confused expression before she looked at Harry.

    "Did I say something wrong?"

    He wanted to roll his eyes at thement.

    ''Was she really this clueless at this age?''

    Harry decided to just shrug.

    "Who knows? maybe he is just timid."

    Telling her at this point would just serve to make her mad and he rather not deal with that. She will have to learn some tactter on, for her own good.

    The train started moving and not even a minuteter, the door was mmed open, this time without a knock.

    A redhead boy stared at them, carefully observing their features. He then frowned, obviously displeased with the result.

    "Have you guys seen Neville Longbottom? my brothers told me they saw himing here."

    "Yes, he was here. But left a few minutes ago," answered Hermione.

    "Oh¡­st it!" Ron looked back at the corridor, probably considering if it was worth the effort, going back for another round of barging into everypartment.

    "Can I sit here?" He eventually said.

    "Of course you can. Is not like we have the seats reserved or anything." Commented Harry.

    The redhead boy smiled and sat down next to Harry.

    "So, how is he?" He asked with excitement.

    "How is who?" Harry asked back even though he already knew who Ron was asking about.

    "Neville Longbottom of course!. Is he as amazing as the books say?" Ron eximed loudly.

    "Shouldn''t you introduce yourself at least? Is basic manners." Hermione started at Ron with a disproving frown.

    "Oh, right. I''m Ron Weasley."

    "Hermione Granger."

    "Harry Potter."

    "Nice to-, wait, Potter? Are you rted to Lyra Potter?" Ron asked.

    "I am. She is my little sister, why?" Harry asked, wondering why Ron knew about his sister and what their rtionship was.

    ''Crap, I''m already thinking like an overprotective older brother.''

    "She is friends with my sister Ginny. She and your mother have visited our house several times in thest year." Exined Ron.

    Harry found himself feeling relief at the exnation.

    ''Mother did mention that Lyra had a few friends that she visited often, and Ginny had the same age, so I guess it makes sense¡­''

    "Right, I didn''t know about that."

    "Now, tell me about him!" Ron demanded.

    "Did you see his scar? did he look rich and famous to you? How did he defeat You know who?"

    "Oh my God!, did I sound like that?!, no wonder he ran away!" Hermione looked genuinely upset now.

    "You did, and probably," Harry answered nonchntly.

    The door was mmed open once more, this time even more with more force than Ron.

    A blonde boy with two big kids, one on each side, entered thepartment.

    "Have any of you seen Neville Longbottom?" Draco Malfoy demanded with authority.

    Harry finally sighed.

    ''This is going to be a long ride to Hogwarts¡­''

 Chapter 16: Welcome to Hogwarts

    Chapter 16: Wee to Hogwarts

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 16: Wee to Hogwarts

    After leaving the train, McGonagall rounded all the first years and escorted them to theke, where the half-giant, Hagrid was waiting for them.

    Harry was having a hard time keeping his straight face after seeing so many old friends who were now back among the living and looking happy.

    Hagrid looked at the first years and grinned.

    "Alright, little ones! Get on the boats, they will take you directly under the castle. Oh¡­and make sure not to fall, I forgot to feed the giant squid this week."

    "He is joking about thatst part, right?" Said Ron with worry.

    "I read about the giant squid living in theke, but I don''t think it eats people¡­" Commented Hermione, looking a bit worried too.

    "Haha!, don''t you worry, Weasley. I''m sure the squid would spit you back out. He doesn''t like to eat trash." Draco Malfoy gave a passing nce to both Ron and Hermione when he said that.

    "Malfoy!" Ron growled.

    This was the third time that Harry had to stop the redhead boy from jumping at Malfoy and it was getting tiresome.

    "Enough!, wait at least for the school to start and then you can request a formal duel if you want."

    "A duel?...oh, that''s right!. You just wait, Malfoy!" Ron''s anger quickly subsided and was reced by joy.

    Malfoy now looked slightly worried but did his best to hide it.

    "Tsk, like I would be scared of someone like you!. I''ll duel you any time you want. I bet you can''t even use a single spell yet!."

    Ron just sent Malfoy onest threatening nce before looking away, but the truth was that he didn''t really know any spell yet. The only one his older siblings had taught him turned out to be just a prank.

    The boats were for four people, so the trio chose one boat that already had one upant in it. When the boy turned around to see who else had gotten in, he made a disgruntled expression when his eyesnded on Hermione.

    "Oh, it''s you guys." Said Neville, not sounding very excited.

    Ron looked at Neville with interest as if trying to find something about him.

    His eyes then widened in recognition.

    "By Merlin!, you are¡­.you really are-"

    Ron was interrupted when the boat started to move by itself, surprising the upants.

    "Whoaa!" Ron was about to fall into the water when Harry grabbed him.

    "Thank mate!" the redhead eximed before turning his eyes back to Neville, who was now looking away from him.

    Ron may have perceived the tension in the air because he decided to stay quiet for now.

    The boats arrived safely under the castle, where another professor was waiting for them to guide them further into the castle.

    The group of first-year students soon found themselves admiring the great hall of Hogwarts while the rest of the school stared at them with interest.

    "Whoa!, what''s with the roof? I can see the sky!" one of the kids pointed up, to the enchanted ceiling.

    "It was enchanted by the founders themselves, I read about it in ''Hogwarts, a History''. "

    Hermione hurried to share her knowledge, even if no one had asked.

    "Why is everyone staring at us?"

    "It must be because we need to do the sorting now!"

    Two studentsmented.

    "What are they going to make us do?" Said Ron with horror.

    "My brothers told me that we have to fight a troll¡­"

    "Don''t be ridiculous Weasley!." Draco made his way to the front of the line where Harry and the others were.

    "If you have nothing intelligent to say it''s best if you keep quiet!"

    Ron threw Malfoy a nasty gaze.

    "No one asked for your opinion, Malfoy! I bet you don''t know anything about the sorting either."

    "Hmph!, the contents of the sorting ceremony are something that has been kept secret from the first years since the founding of the school," Draco said with a knowing smile.

    "There is, however, someone among us who may know something about it."

    He walked until he was in front of Neville.

    "Maybe the famous Neville Longbottom knows about it."

    There were many gasps of surprise and murmurs among the group who had just realized¡­the famous ''boy who lived'' was among them.

    All eyes becamepletely focused on Neville and murmurs started to be more audible.

    "It''s really him?"

    "By Merlin, he is actually here"

    "He looks a lot more fat than in the books."

    Neville lowered his shoulders and looked down, wanting to be somewhere else.

    "I don''t know either¡­" He said softly.

    Draco looked a Neville with a mixture of disappointment and anger.

    "I see, you don''t know either¡­."

    "Did you really defeat You-Know-Who?" asked someone.

    "How did you do it?" A short redhead girl asked.

    "I don''t know, please, stop asking about that!" Neville raised his voice slightly and looked away.

    "Leave him alone! , he doesn''t like to talk about that." Hermione defensively got in front of Neville.

    The kids who grew up in the magical world looked at Neville with mixed feelings. For one, they were happy to finally see the hero they heard so much about during their entire life, but on the other hand, they were disappointed to find out that he was nothing like what they had imagined.

    The ones who came from muggle families were just looking with curiosity, wondering what all the fuss was about.

    Draco got close to Hermione, his two goons at his sides.

    "Get lost. He doesn''t need from a mu-....from someone like you!"

    "Silence, everyone!" Professor McGonagall looked at them with her usual stern expression from the teacher''s area.

    The first-year students noticed that she was standing next to a peculiar hat that had been ced on top of a wooden stool.

    "We are about to begin the sorting ceremony," Said McGonagall

 Chapter 17: Sorting

    Chapter 17: Sorting

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 17: Sorting

    "A hat?...have I been worried for nothing?" Ron looked around, confused.

    "Did you seriously believe that you had to fight a troll?" Dean stared at Ron in disbelief.

    The voice of Professor McGonagall resounded in the hall.

    "As soon as I call your name, I want you toe over here and sit on this stool, I would then ce the sorting hat on your head. This is a magical artifact created by founders, and it will decide which one of the four houses is best suited for you."

    The first years stared at the hat with concern. That strange thing was going to decide their house?.

    "Hannah Abbott!"

    A very nervous blonde girl with pigtails walked to the tform where the professor was.

    McGonagall ced the hat on her head and waited. This one started to move its mouth and mumbled some inaudible things like it was seriously considering the matter at hand. After a few more seconds of this, the hat seemed to have made its mind and spoke loudly:

    "Hufflepuff!"

    Most of the students in the hall cheered for her and gave her a round of apuse as she walked toward her table to join her new housemates.

    Draco chuckled and said something about ''the worst house''.

    "Susan Bones" Was the next one to be called.

    The redhead girl walked quickly to the stool and sat down. The hat was ced on her head and this one quickly announced.

    "Hufflepuff!" Once more.

    Susan smiled with joy and hurried to join her friend Hannah at their table.

    Then, a boy named Terry Boot was ced in Ravenw, followed by some others.

    "Hermione Granger" Called the professor.

    After a long period, the hat decided to choose Griffindor for her.

    "Neville Longbottom"

    The murmurs in the great hall increased in volume after the name was called. It got loud enough that Albus Dumbledore himself had to stand up and order silence.

    Neville sat down and fidgeted nervously on the stool while the professor put the hat on his head.

    Everyone was watching him with rapt attention, wondering which house would be the one chosen for Britain''s youngest hero.

    Harry''s attention was instead centered at the teacher''s table. He recognized everyone sitting there except for one person.

    Next to Professor Flitwick, was a middle-aged man with long ck hair.

    ''I don''t think I have ever seen that man before, but it seems like he is going to be the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Unless they have given that position to Snape in this world.''

    His eyes moved to Severus Snape. He looked just the same as he remembers. Same greasy long hair, the same dark robes, and the same uninterested scowl on his face.

    ''Is he still working as a spy for Voldemort or did he defectpletely?, considering that the Dark Lord never actually died.''

    He wondered for a moment what Voldemort could have been doing during thest ten years he''d been missing. What kind of preparations has hepleted during this time?

    The Voldemort of his world was already an extremely dangerous individual and this one had more time to prepare¡­the mere thought worries him.

    He clenched his fist and pushed those negative thoughts out of the way. There was no point in worrying about the unknown, he will need to carefully collect more information when he gets the chance.

    His focus returned to the professor''s table. Most of them were watching Neville with a simr expression, something between happiness and curiosity.

    Snape was not paying attention and just looked annoyed by the fact that he was forced to be there.

    Dumbledore was staring at Neville with great intensity like trying to discern something explicit in the boy.

    Lastly, the new professor was also staring at Neville with interest but his face failed to show any particr emotion. He had a perfect poker face.

    By Harry''s experience, this was normally a sign of someone with great proficiency in lumency.

    ''Maybe we will have apetent teacher for once¡­well, other than Remus I guess.''

    Not that he was expecting to learn much during his second attendance at Hogwarts.

    Especially when it came to Defense against the Dark Arts. If anything, he was the one who had much to teach in that respect, after all, he had spent many years fighting dark wizards and all sorts of monstrous creatures.

    People started to murmur and whistle to each other again. It has been almost ten minutes since Neville put the hat on but this one has yet to make a decision and people were getting anxious.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Why is it taking so long?"

    "Is he too good for any of the houses?"

    People started to say.

    Harry saw that Neville looked very distressed and ready to cry. He was also muttering something to the hat. Harry could make the word "Gryffindor" spoken over and over.

    ''He probably wants to be there because it was his father''s house.''

    He recalls some stories that Neville told him about how his grandmother would always be pushing him to be more like his father while growing up.

    ''Augusta may have put even more pressure on him this time around. Given that his father died and he became the boy who lived¡­''

    Harry looked at Neville with pity and decided that he would help his old friend whenever he had the chance.

    The hat would always take into ount the wishes of the student in the end, so it wasn''t a surprise when it finally reached a decision.

    "Gryffindor!"

    Neville sighed in relief as most of the hall erupted in cheers. The loudest onesing from the Gryffindor table, of course.

    The energy of the room went down quite a bit after Neville''s sorting was over. This was the event that most were looking for and now all that was left was finishing the rest so they could start the feast.

    "Draco Malfoy" Of course went to Slythering to no one''s surprise.

    A few others were sorted before it was finally his turn.

    "Harry Potter"

    He received a polite amount of cheers as his name was called and he walked to the podium. People were barely paying attention to the sorting at this point.

    This was a new sensation for him, being just one of the bunch, instead of the center of attention.

    ''This is actually nice.'' He thought.

    Harry sat down while McGonagall held the hat over his head. Before this one even made contact with his hair, the hat was already speaking.

    "Griffindor" It shouted loudly.

    "Well, that was fast." He could hear the professor exim.

    He was already expecting a quick decision. During his past war, he spent quite a few years using this castle as headquarters for the resistance army. Harry explored every nook and cranny of the castle and studied many of the magical artifacts left behind, including the sorting hat.

    And so, he has a great understanding of how the hat works. The artifact created by the founders was unable to read the minds of the students, what it read instead was the aura of the person.

    The personal imprint left behind by your own experiences reflects your individual values as a person.

    Based on this, the hat made the decision on which house is closer to the student''s values.

    When it came to Harry, other than Godric Griffindor himself, there may be no one else who came closer to represent the values that house, so the hat did not need any time to make a decision.

    Harry had be the very embodiment of the house of Gryffindor. Bravery and chivalry, no matter the cost.

    A.N - I know many people are going toin about the decision to put him in Griffindor again. But at the end of the day, there were only two realistic choices.

    Hufflepuff and Ravenw were out because none of the important characters for the story are in those houses, at least for now.

    Slytherin could have been interesting, as it would allow Harry to get close to his enemy''s children and gather information that way, but there are other ways to do that.

    I like Griffindor because I like the idea of Harry being this ''embodiment'' or ideal of that house, whether he likes it or not, so the sorting hat would immediately feel this and put him in that house without giving him any choice on the matter. In the same way, Draco could be considered a model student for Slytherin. -

 Chapter 18: The first classes

    Chapter 18: The first sses

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 18: The first sses

    The rest of the sorting went or less the same way as he remembers, and then, they were able to enjoy the feast.

    One big difference this time was theck of any strange warnings about forbidden corridors by the Headmaster.

    Over the years, Harry had be convinced that some of the many ''adventures'' he had at Hogwarts were events that, if not fully, were at least partially nned by Dumbledore as a way to test him or prepare him for his inevitable confrontation with Voldemort.

    Thankfully, after his fourth year and the resurrection of the Dark Lord, the old Headmaster decided to stop ying his games and decided to give him some proper training. But he cannot help but wonder how different could things have been if the old man had taken his preparation more seriously from the beginning.

    And now he could not help but wonder what this alternate version of the Headmaster had nned for Neville.

    "Pass me those potatoes!"

    His train of thought was interrupted when Ron shoved him to gain his attention.

    The little redhead boy was plowing food in his mouth like this was hisst day on earth.

    To his other side was Hermione, who was watching in horror at Ron.

    "How can you eat like that?!. At least close your mouth to chew!"

    Ron gave her a furious re.

    "Leave me alone!, I''m hungry" The boy said with his mouth full of food.

    "We would like to apologize for our little brother''s behavior." A couple of redhead twins said at the same time. They were sitting in front of them.

    "You are brothers?" Asked Hermione.

    "Oh yes, there are a lot of us!"

    "Seven in total."

    The twins said.

    "Seven!. And are they all here?." She asked.

    "Our two eldest have already graduated and our youngest sister will be attending next year."

    "But you have Percy over there." One of the twins pointed.

    "He is a prefect, by the way." He ended with a mocking tone.

    Percy, who was sitting next to the corner of the table, did not seem amused at all.

    "Fred, George!, you will show me some proper respect. I am a prefect!"

    "And you were saying that this is your fault how?" As soon as Harry spoke, a half-eaten potatonded on his te. He ced down his fork and stared at it with disgust.

    "Are you going to eat that?" Ron pointed at the half-eaten food in his ce.

    "No¡­go ahead." Harry had to hold back the desire to puke.

    His eyes moved to the twins.

    The brothers returned an apologetic look.

    "Yeah, well¡­we may have performed a few pranks with his food in the past."

    "Nothing harmful, just some color-changing potions, some transfigured insects, or the itching powder we putst week in his breakfast."

    "That''s awful! he is your little brother!" Eximed Hermione.

    "Come on, it wasn''t that bad. Just a few pranks."

    "Yeah, Ronnie is just overreacting a bit."

    The twins chuckled.

    "So now he eats everything quick as to prevent you from messing with his food¡­" Harry concluded.

    Most of the table was more focused on Neville. He was sitting between Hermione and Seamus.

    The boy was drilling poor Neville with questions and this one was too shy to tell him to shut up, so he just answered in the briefest manner he could.

    Harry''s attention moved to a conversation between two older boys. They were talking about the new professor of defense.

    "Do you know anything about him? Has he been a teacher in Hogwarts before?"

    "Not much to be honest. All I heard is that his name is Keshav Nayar and he is from India."

    "That''s not much¡­what kind of teacher do you think he is going to be?"

    "He seems tough¡­he reminds me of Professor Snape."

    "Ugg, please no! We don''t need two of those!"

    The two boys continue to talk for a while.

    Harry could not help but have a bad feeling about this new professor. If Voldemort was nning on making any move against Neville or Dumbledore this year. The most logical way, would be, to make use of the spot for a defense teacher that changes every year.

    <><><><><><><>

    After a good night of rest, it was finally time to start their sses.

    Herbology and history of magic before lunch followed by transfiguration and potions.

    He was not looking forward to thatst one.

    Harry has never been fond of potions and the one to me was mostly, his professor¡­Snape.

    When arriving at Hogwarts, he thought that maybe, since his mother was still alive this time around, the man would be less bitter towards him. But the look he received from the man the day before, told him everything he needed to know.

    If anything, Snape seems to despise him even more.

    ''That''s going to be fun'''' He thought.

    <><><><><><><>

    The first ss was as boring as always. Whoever thought it was a good idea to start the week with one hour of History of Magic deserves some heavy punishment.

    The only one who enjoyed herbology was Neville. This was the one time when the ''boy who lived'' seemed confident and happy.

    Then it was time for transfiguration. This was without a doubt, his favorite branch of magic. Is extremely versatile inbat and he has always had a natural talent for it.

    He sat down next to Hermione and waited. The professor was sitting on her desk, using her cat form and she didn''t look happy.

    "Where are they? is already time to start the ss." Hermione stared at the entrance door.

    "And where is the professor?"

    The three missing students stumbled carefully into the ssroom.

    "Oh, looks like we made it in time! the professor isn''t here yet." Said Ron in between heavy breaths.

    "We would have made it in time if we didn''t follow you!" Shouted Seamus.

    "uh¡­guys?" Neville stared at the cat with a nervous expression.

    "That cat is staring at us and he doesn''t look happy."

 Chapter 19: The First Classes Part 2

    Chapter 19: The First sses Part 2

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 19: The First sses Part 2

    "What is a cat doing here?" Seamus asked.

    "That looks like an old cat, it must be lost or something." Ron chuckled.

    "Did the room get colder all of a sudden?" Hermione looked around.

    The cat jumped in the air while transforming back to her human shape.

    The students gasped in shock.

    "What kind of magic is that!?" Hermione stared at the professor with eyes full of wonder.

    Professor McGonagall towered over Ron with an expression so severe and stern that made the boy shake uncontrobly.

    "I''m sorry for being an old cat, Mister Weasley," she said with an icy tone.

    "P-proffesor, w-we- we were just¡­" Ron stammered the words.

    "Late" The professor interrupted.

    "You werete. Perhaps I should turn the three of you into clocks, with the hope that at least one of you would be on time."

    "But, Professor, we got lost!" cried Seamus.

    "A map, perhaps would be more appropriate then. "

    She pointed to the chairs.

    "Go sit down. Next time be sure to arrive on time or I will start to take points and give detentions."

    Once the ss started properly, McGonagall distributed wooden matches to all the students before exining the wand movements and incantation of the spell they were about to practice. Turning a wooden matchstick into a metal needle.

    "This is one of the most basic of transfigurations, but don''t let that fool you. It is still aplex piece of magic for a first year."

    "I would consider it a sess if you manage to perform a perfect transfiguration by the end of the school year."

    "For today, we will focus on practicing the incantation and wand movements. You must repeat these until it bes as natural to you as breathing."

    The professor then gave them some time to practice while she walked around the ss, observing them and correcting mistakes when necessary.

    Harry took his wand out of his robe pocket and reminded himself to add a wand holster to his shopping list.

    He held the wand out and observed it. He had to admit that it was quite a beautiful wand. It was made of Ebony, so it waspletely ck with a nice shine to it and many intricate carvings on its surface.

    His connexion with the wand was very strong already but from what he remembers of wand lore, wands made with Ebony will only be truly bonded to its master after surpassing some dangerous ordeal together. Once that happens, the wand will never answer to anyone else but its master.

    Harry moved the wand around while absentmindedly following the professor''s instruction.

    "Those are some fine moves, Mister Potter."

    McGonagall approached his seat.

    "Perhaps you are ready to give it a try. Remember, besides the wand movements and incantations, you need to create a very clear mental image of your objective. In this case, a metal needle. "

    She gave him a gesture of ''Go on''.

    Harry thought for a moment about how much ability he should show. It wasn''t just a matter of not wanting to abuse his unique position to obtain good grades and bebeled a genius.

    He knew next to nothing about this world and didn''t know who he could trust.

    Perhaps McGonagall was a spy for the Dark Lord here instead of Snape, as silly as that idea could sound.

    ''Until I gain more information about what is going on in this school, is better if I try toy low.'' he decided.

    His eyes focused on the matchstick, his hand performed the correct movements and he spoke the correct incantation.

    The matchstick starts to change shape before the attentive gaze of the professor.

    "Oh," McGonagall spoke with a tinge of disappointment.

    The matchstick had turned into a perfect needle but it was still made of wood.

    "That was a really good first attempt, Mister Potter. Your father was one of my best students, perhaps you have inherited some of his talent." The professor said with a smile, but he could tell that was expecting more of him.

    "I did it!" Shouted Hermione from her seat next to him.

    The professor looked at her table and saw a metal needle sitting on top. The shape was far from perfect but it was a sess.

    "Congrattions, Miss Granger. Twenty points for Gryffindor!"

    Hermione smiled proudly.

    <><><><><><><>

    Thest ss of the day was a lot less desirable.

    The moment Harry set foot in the dungeons, he started to remember all the terrible moments he had in this ce under the tutge of Snape.

    "Put your wands away!, you won''t need them in my ss." Were the weing words of their professor.

    After everyone was done taking their seats, Professor Snape regaled them with his introduction to potions, and how they could be used to snare the senses all of that.

    Harry wondered if he said the same to all the first-year students.

    The mental image of Snape rehearsing the speech in front of a mirror in his dark dungeon moving his cape around, ended up drawing a smile on his face.

    "What is so amusing, Mister Potter?" The professor asked coldly.

    He looked at Snape but avoided the eyes. His lumency shields are strong enough to withstand a passive attack from someone like the potion professor but are notplete enough to hide their existence.

    And if Snape finds out that he has a strong lumency shield, that could raise some questions.

    This was just one more thing to work on during this year.

    "Nothing important, Professor." He answered.

    "You are right about that, Mister Potter. Because from the beginning to the end of my ss, there is nothing more important than paying attention to what I say! is that clear?" He mmed his hand against Harry''s table.

    "Yes, sir. Of course." Harry answered with an innocent smile that seemed to anger him further.

    Snape walked around the ssroom.

    "Why don''t we start with a quick quiz? Can someone tell me what the potion, Felix Felicis ismonly known as?...."

    Hermione''s hand was already up.

    Snape looked around.

    "Let''s see who can answer this¡­Mister Potter, what about you?!"

 Chapter 20: The Underground Chamber

    Chapter 20: The Underground Chamber

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 20: The Underground Chamber

    Harry groaned as he walked through the empty halls. Snape did not stop asking questions until he got one wrong and then proceeded to mock him for his ignorance in front of the ss, something that the Slytherin students had found very amusing.

    The question was about the brewing process of some potion he had never heard of, but he was sure, was not part of Hogwarts curriculum, since even Hermione had her hand down with that one.

    "Tsk, what a petty man!." He was at least thankful for theplete absence of people in this part of the castle as he did not want others to see him like this.

    ''Control yourself.'' He admonished himself for his outburst.

    Harry closed his eyes and focused his mind. All the negative feelings were washed away, like the current of a river, and his calm demeanor returned once more. This was one of the many uses of lumency.

    He had to give Snape some credit. It was not that easy to rile him up like this, but the potion professor seemed to have a special talent for it.

    His piercing green eyes moved around and stopped at an object hanging from the dull stone wall. It was a painting of a woman drinking tea in a peaceful meadow.

    People would pass by that painting and not think anything about it, but this was not going to fool him. This painting was one of the many that were ced around Hogwards with the purpose of spying for the Headmaster.

    This part of the castle was always empty, except for the first day of sses. The corridor ahead of him was the one that led to the underground water cave where the first-year students arrived with their boats.

    But there was one more, very important, thing in this area, it was something that only two people in the castle knew about it. Well, it was three people now.

    "Obscuria" a dark cloud of smoke came out of Harry''s wand and covered the painting as he walked past it and as soon as he was out of its sight, the cloud dissipated, leaving no trace.

    The entity inside the painting would be unable to detect any trace of the dark cloud of anyone who passed by it for the duration of the magic, as this was the purpose of this particr spell.

    Harry saw an opening to his left. At the end of a short corridor, was a closed door that led to the water cave. This door was only opened by a professor when the first years entered the castle and remained closed for the rest of the year.

    Ahead of him was a dead end. A short path that ended with a wall and a big painting hanging from said wall.

    It was a painting of a wooden wall with a stone frame, simr to many of the real doors of the castle.

    A boring painting for a boring area of the castle. At least that''s what most people would think.

    But Harry knew better. He knew things that only the Master of the castle could know, for he has been, albeit for a short period of time, the Master of this castle, or at least, an alternate version of it.

    ''Let''s hope this works then¡­'' He could not assume that all thighs were the same as he knew. But this was something he had to at least try, for it could bring him great benefits and make theing war more manageable.

    Harry walked until he was right in front of the painting and observed it very carefully.

    He scanned every inch of it for a few minutes until he was satisfied with his findings.

    "Yes, this should work." He smiled.

    He took his wand out and started to tap on the painted stones around the wooden door. He taped ten of the stones in a very specific manner and order before stopping, and then he waited.

    An empty momentter, on the stones that were tapped, appeared some runes that started to shine brightly with a blue light, and then, a click could be heard.

    Harry ced a hand on the left side of the painting and pulled hard. This one opened in the same way a door would, revealing a descending set of stairs that disappeared into the darkness.

    "Lumos" A strong light appeared on the tip of his wand and he started to descend the stairs with no hesitation, like he was already very familiar with this procedure.

    The stairs continued for quite a while, descending further and further down. Followed by them, was a narrow corridor that ended into a stone arch.

    Harry walked past the arch, entering a massive chamberpletely covered in darkness.

    "Ah¡­the foundation of Hogwarts. It never ceased to impress me."

    As his voice echoed through the chamber, a blue magical fire came to life, illuminating the colossal room with an eerie light.

    The ce is already impressive by its size alone. He knew for a fact that this room was almost the size of the entire castle.

    The floor was made of some fine, polished stone and there were massive columns all over the ce. Those columns were dozens of meters in diameter and were made of some pure white stone he was never able to identify. Across its surfaces were countless archaic runes from an era long lost and their height was hard to calcte as they got lost in the darkness, way past the area that was illuminated by the fires.

    In between some of the columns were stone golems made of the same polished white, marble-like, material. And like the column, these golems were covered in the same type of runes.

    The golems remained stationary in a kneeling position as Harry walked through the chamber. He gave the constructs a passing nce.

    ''if someone were to enter this ce uninvited¡­''

    He felt goosebumps just thinking about it. These constructs were not there for decoration, and if an intruder entered the chamber without following the proper procedure, that person would be in for a very painful death.

    But that was not important right now. The golems were not the reason for this visit. His objective lies further ahead.

    Harry continued traversing the colossal chamber under the blue light offered by the magical fires until he reached the center.

    At the very core of the chamber, deep inside the bowels of the castle, was a circr tform, and in the middle of it was a crystal.

    The crystal was easily ten times his own size and was shaped like an elongated diamond. It floated a few feet in the air and kept a constant rotation while emitting a pleasant sound.

    This was the arkstone of Hogwarts. It''s very source of power and the biggest magical stone in the whole world.

    And of course, the reason he came to this ce.

 Chapter 21: The Profesor of Defense

    Chapter 21: The Profesor of Defense

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 21: The Profesor of Defense

    He stepped onto the circr tform and as soon as he did, the crystal ceased its rotation and remained still while floating in the air.

    Harry observed the surface of the arkstone. There were ancient runes carved over its surface, the same type of runes used in the rest of the chamber. He could only guess what the purpose of those runes was, in all his years of studying runes, he had never seen this ancientnguage.

    He moved to the other side of the crystal, where a more familiar set of modern runes were carved as well as some words written in Latin. He was very familiar with this part, as here is where Hogwarts wards were created, andter on, modified.

    Near the bottom part of the crystal, he found a set of names. Thest one is " Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore".

    Every Headmaster muste to this chamber at least once in their lifetime to carve their name on the arkstone, tying themselves to the wards in order to control them and use their functions.

    Harry ced his wand below Dumbledore''s spot and started to write with it on the crystal.

    "Harry James Potter"

    His name shone brightly and he felt an immediate connection to the castle.

    Harry knew that doing this while Hogwarts already had someone inmand of the wards came with some risks.

    But he was sure that as long as he didn''t abuse his authority over the wards, Dumbledore would not notice anything was amiss.

    That was not a problem. As long as the castle didn''t fall under heavy attack, the only privilege he had nned on using was his freedom of apparating inside and outside the castle.

    ''It cannot hurt to be ready¡­just in case.''

    <><><><><><><>

    The next day was double Defense ss before lunch so he was able to meet their new teacher.

    He entered the ss, along with some of the Slytherins, and sat down in one of the middle seats next to a blonde girl from the House of snakes.

    They exchanged a polite nod before she turned her attention back to her book.

    This was Daphne Greengrass. He vaguely remembers her from his previous life despite going to the same year and having many sses together. That could only be a good thing, considering what house she was from.

    But the only reason he was paying the girl any attention was because he recalls hearing their family name being mentioned a few times back at home.

    ''Could Daphne be friends with my sister? or maybe her little sister. I believe her name was Astoria.''

    "Attention, ss!" the voice of their professor was grave and authoritative enough to make even the Slytherins shut up and pay attention.

    Harry could give the professor a closer look now.

    His hair was long and ck, the same color as his eyes. His skin was dark with a redish tint to it and he was built like a soldier. Tall and muscr.

    Most of his body was covered with a dark tunic but Harry was able to spot several scars on the few uncovered ces.

    His gaze was cold and hard as he looked at his students. Most of the kids sitting in the first row were trembling in fear now.

    ''This guy looks like someone who just came out of a battlefield. Why is someone like that teaching at a school?.'' Harry thought.

    "Now, brats!, let''s see¡­ where do we start? " He walked to the board, his wand appeared out of nowhere into his hand and he pointed it forward.

    A name was carved on the wooden surface with a series of deep cuts.

    ''Does he not know how to use a chalkboard?'' Harry wondered.

    The words "Professor Nayar" could be made out.

    "My name is Keshav Nayar but you may call me Professor Nayar."

    Hermione raised a hand with some hesitation.

    "Yes?" The professor asked.

    Hermione pointed at the board.

    "Professor, y-you need to use the c-chalk to write on those."

    Despite her fear, she could not stand to see a chalkboard being abused in that manner, not even by a professor.

    "Oh¡­right, it''s been a while since I used those things, hahaha. What''s your name,ss?... I mean Miss?"

    "Hermione Granger, Professor."

    "Well then, have five points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," he said with a scary smile.

    "Does anyone else have a question before we begin?"

    One of the Slytherin boys raised his hand.

    "Yes?, mister¡­"

    "Theodore Nott, Professor. We were wondering¡­are you perhaps a former auror or something?" He asked while trying his best to look unfazed by the intimidating looks of the professor.

    "An auror?, hell no!. I am a hit wizard." He said with pride.

    "Does anyone know what a hit wizard is?"

    '' A hit wizard?...yes, that would exin a lot.'' thought Harry.

    The professor saw a few hands being raised and chose the blonde girl next to Harry.

    "Go ahead, Miss¡­"

    "Daphne Greengrass, Professor. A hit wizard is a mercenary who hunts down dark wizards for money."

    "Good, but iplete. We hunt down anything with a bounty approved by that country''s government. Sometimes is a dark wizard, sometimes is a magical creature causing trouble, and sometimes is a poor fool who made enemies with the wrong person." Professor Nayar chuckled, giving the students goosebumps.

    "But you got some part right, so have two points for Slytherin."

    After that, the ss continued in a more normal manner.

    Professor Nayar exined the ''flipendo'' jinx, made demonstrations, and then, allowed them to do some practice.

    Harry had to admit that Nayar was one of the mostpetent defense professors he had seen in this school. Maybe on par with that Death Eater disguised as a crazy auror who taught defense during his fourth year.

    ''But this makes me wonder¡­what is the catch?, there is always a catch¡­'' Harry pondered.

 Chapter 22: Miss Greengrass

    Chapter 22: Miss Greengrass

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 22: Miss Greengrass

    The second day of sses was over and Harry was, once more, walking alone through the castle. This time on the seventh floor.

    The room of requirement would make for the ideal ce for practice.

    He paced back and forth until the door appeared and once inside, he made sure to will the door to disappear. Thest thing he needed was a surprise visitor.

    The ce looked mostly empty, except for a few training dummies.

    "This much will do for now."

    He needed to get used to this new body and magic until it became natural again to cast his spells.

    With his wand in hand, Harry started to unleash a barrage of spells on the poor dummies.

    An hourter, Harry was panting on the ground, bordering on magical exhaustion.

    "My reserves are so tiny at the moment¡­I wonder if I should get some artifacts to help.

    He looked around. This room was also called the room of lost and found things. He may be able to find something useful here.

    ''I had to check that ce anyway. There is a chance that Ravenw''s diadem is still here.''

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    "What did you say?!" Someone shouted.

    Harry was on his way to the great hall after taking a refreshing shower. But after turning a corner, he stumbled upon a confrontation between a group of Gryffindors and Slytherins.

    The first ones were Neville, Ron, and Seamus while on the other side was Draco with his two goons.

    "You heard me, Weasley!, I called him a squib!." Draco pointed at Neville.

    "He couldn''t even cast a flipendo."

    Harry recalled their morning lesson of D.A.D.A and it was true that Neville had been unable to cast anything during the two hours of ss, despite the professor''s attempts to help him.

    At first, Harry had the suspicion that Augusta had forced Neville to use his father''s wand, but after getting a closer look, he was able to confirm that Neville did go to Ollivanders and was matched with his former wand. He could recognize that particr holly wood wand anywhere.

    He is happy to have left it there for him. That wand was meant for the boy of the prophecy, the one meant to oppose Voldemort. Taking it would have brought a lot of attention from both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore upon himself. And is not like he needs it at this point. His current wand would serve him well and there would be no chance of producing a ''priori incantatum'' if he were to fight Voldemort.

    In the end, he could only reach the conclusion that if Neville''s problem did note from the wand, then it must be a psychological one.

    He knew for a fact that Neville had the potential to be a powerful wizard, but he had to surpass his sense of inferiority first.

    While he was pondering on some way to help the boy, Hermione came around the corner and walked angrily to the group of first years.

    "Hey, leave Neville alone!" She looked at Draco with a frown.

    "Oh, great¡­the teacher''s pet is here too." Draco rolled his eyes.

    "Neville was hardly the only one who failed to cast the spell." Hermione added.

    "Yes!, that''s what I was about to-" Seamus got interrupted by Hermione, who had yet to finish her argument.

    "Like for example, Seamus, who set the training dummy on fire."

    "Hey!" Comined Seamus. "At least that did some damage¡­is a ss about defense after all."

    Harry then noticed that a small girl with short ck hair and green robes had stopped next to him and was watching the argument with an angry expression.

    "Are you going to get involved in this too?." He decided to ask.

    "Draco doesn''t need my help with those idiots." She huffed before her eyes moved to him, scanning his face and then his robes.

    "What does it matter to you?, Gryffindor? Shouldn''t you be the one rushing to their help?."

    "Come on, Pansy. That''s no way to speak to the heir of the Potter House, be polite."

    Harry turned his head at the familiar voice and saw Daphne Greengrass right behind them.

    "I am aware of who he is!. I''m not an idiot." huffed Pansy.

    Daphne seemed to enjoy making the other girl angry. She then looked at Harry.

    "Aren''t you going to intervene thought?" she said before moving her eyes to Neville and the others.

    Their discussion has been heating up and they are now yelling something about a duel.

    "We barely know each other. I''m just someone who is hungry and would like to reach the Great Hall and eat some dinner before I pass out." Harry told her.

    "Oh, I may have just the spell for that¡­" A mischievous smile appeared on the blond girl''s face.

    "Professor McGonagall, how nice to see you in this part of the castle!." She spoke in a loud manner for everyone to hear.

    The arguing group quickly scrambled away, not wanting to get in trouble.

    "Oh, Draco!, wait!." Pansy hurried to catch up with the retreating blonde boy.

    Some of the other spectators who had been congregating in the corridor gave Daphne a look.

    "My apologies, I could have sworn to have seen the Professor right around the corner." She looked very convincing, or maybe no one felt like arguing anymore because they all started to walk toward the great hall.

    "I have cleared the way, you are most wee ." She said to Harry without looking his way and then started walking by herself.

    Harry was left a bit shocked.

    ''Did Daphne Greengrass make a prank?''

    He had never got to know the girl during his previous life but he remembered that people called her names like the ''Ice Princess'' or the ''Slytherin Queen'' and had a reputation for being serious and cold to everyone.

    Now he was left to wonder if this alternate version of her was very different from the other one or if this was just a yful side of her that most people did not get to know.

 Chapter 23: Teachers meeting

    Chapter 23: Teachers meeting

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 23: Teachers meeting

    At the end of the first week of the school year, all the teachers have a meeting to discuss the new students among other things.

    "Well, why don''t we start with the most obvious one first." Dumbledore proposed with a kind smile.

    "How is Neville Longbottom adapting to Hogwarts?"

    The professors all looked at each other withplicated expressions.

    "He''s¡­He is trying very hard, I think." Commented McGonagall.

    "He seems to have trouble with his wand movements, and¡­his magic in general." Flitwick looked away.

    "He is useless!." Spat Snape with frustration.

    "He got boils all over his face while trying to brew a simple anti-boils potion. That reaction shouldn''t even be possible!" The professor raised his hands in the air.

    Dumbledore sighed. This was not what he was hoping to hear. His eyes moved to the new professor of defense with a tinge of hope.

    "Professor Nayar, what about you? surely he is at least decent for defense magic."

    "Longbottom? the fat clumsy one?" The big man looked pensive for a moment.

    "I thought he was a squib!, I had to question Miss McGonagall about it."

    "He did ask¡­" Confirmed the professor.

    "I see¡­" Dumbledore looked a bit distraught.

    "Well, he seems great in herbology!. The boy knows his nts and, I think he has a natural talent for it." Commented Professor Sprout with great enthusiasm.

    "Thank you, Pomona...that is something, I guess. And for the rest of the sses, I am sure there is nothing to worry about. Young Neville must be a bit overwhelmed during his first week of school¡­is there any other student worth mentioning?." The Headmaster asked.

    "Yes, actually!" McGonagall perked up.

    "I have a most excellent student in my house. A muggle-born girl called Hermione Granger, shows great promise in transfiguration and is very dedicated to her studies."

    "Yes, Granger. She is quite excellent and very hard-working. I was very surprised that she didn''t end up in my house, to be honest." Remarked Flitwick.

    "A muggle-born?, that''s very impressive indeed." Dumbledore seems to recall something then.

    "The Potters'' firstborn was also starting this year, which house did he end up in?"

    He had to admit that his attention during the sorting ceremony had been focusedpletely on Neville Longbottom. But he should have paid some attention to the other boys, especially the Potter one.

    The Potters had been some of his most loyal supporters during the beginning of the war. His rtionship with them became somewhat strained after the unfortunate death of Sirius ck.

    He remembers that Lily had med the Order for theirck of direct action against Voldemort and his forces, saying that if they had done more, Sirius could have been rescued.

    But not all is lost. He has managed to maintain casual correspondence with James Potter after the defeat of Voldemort and he was sure that the Potters woulde back to his side once the Dark Lord makes his return so he should keep at least a casual eye on their son and make sure he does not fall with the wrong crew.

    "Yes, He is one of my Lions." Answered Minerva with pride.

    The Headmaster felt relieved to hear that but didn''t show it. This was the best-case scenario for him.

    "I''m sure that James will be delighted."

    He managed to hear Snape mumbling some unpleasant words but decided to ignore them. After all these years, he is still bitter with the other man. Dumbledore can only hope that Severus will not take his frustrations with James'' son.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    The first weekend had arrived and most of the students had made ns.

    Groups have formed among the new students.

    Ron and Seamus had been sticking to Neville like glue, apanying him everywhere he went and acting very protective when someone else tried to approach and talk to their famous friend.

    Hermione had talked with Neville a few times and the tension from the first day had disappeared.

    But Ron and Seamus were not very fond of her after she corrected many of their mistakes during sses. So she was mostly kept out of their business.

    She also didn''t seem to get along with the other girls, so Harry would find her often reading alone at the Griffindor dorm.

    As for Harry himself. He had no interest in getting close to any of the other children. He loved the fact that he could see many of his former friends alive and happy again, but he had no reason to interact with them at this point.

    To him, they are just little children and he finds the idea of dealings with them and talking about toys and Quidditch, just¡­ extremely boring.

    He rather spends his free time by himself, doing something useful like training.

    "dius!" two swords were conjured in front of him before he banished them towards two different targets, one to his left and the other to his right.

    One of the des impacted the dummy dead center and sent it tumbling backward, the other de missed the target by a few inches and embedded itself in the wall.

    Harry looked at this with disappointment. This was one of his bestbat tricks. A basicbination of conjunction and the banishing charm. It was a simple but effective way to deal with multiple enemies.

    "I used to be able to conjure dozens of those and send them out with pinpoint uracy¡­"

    He knew that he had a long way to go before he could reach his previous level of strength.

    Is not that hecked patience, as he understood that his body was very young and his magic was still developing.

    The problem was hisck of intel on Voldemort''s location and his future ns. The uncertainty was making him very anxious. He could attack at any moment and he was not ready yet.

    "Uh.."

    He tried to walk and almost fell down. He felt tired¡­.very tired. He has been pushing himself every day to his limit.

    "That''s enough for today¡­ let''s go back and take a shower."

    He looked at the clock on the wall, it waste, almost curfew.

    "shit, I missed dinner¡­"

    His stomachined in response.

    "Shut up, you can have double breakfast tomorrow."

    Harry picked up his things and hurried back to the dorms, not expecting to find anyone out at this hour.

    So, it came as a surprise when Hermione came running to him as soon as he opened the painting to enter.

    "Harry, thank God you are here!. I need your help!" She said with urgency.

 Chapter 24: Malfoyâ€™s plan

    Chapter 24: Malfoy¡¯s n

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 24: Malfoy''s n

    "What''s the emergency?"

    "It''s Neville. He got into another argument with Draco Malfoy and challenged him to a duel."

    "Neville challenge Draco to a duel? a duel of magic?..." Harry looked at her with a dubious expression.

    "Well¡­ technically, it was Ron the one who suggested they have a duel, but that''s not important, we have to stop them!" She looked desperate.

    "Why? And what do you mean by ''we''?" He felt too tired to deal with this.

    "Because, they are going to be breaking so many rules with this duel, and they could also be hurt "

    "Or expelled. " Harry added.

    Hermione gasped at hearing the word.

    "They could?!" She asked with dread in her voice.

    "I was just joking Hemione. They will be fine, they''ll get a detention at most. Let them duel if that''s how they want to spend their time."

    "But¡­but¡­" Hermione looked like she was about to cry.

    "If you don''t help me¡­who will?." She said with misty eyes.

    ''Oh,e on¡­''

    He sighed.

    "Fine¡­ I''ll help you stop this duel. Don''t cry."

    Harry can''t understand why she cares so much about Neville but he can''t stand to see her sad. The girl had been like a sister to him, even if this wasn''t the same Hermione he knew.

    "You''ll help me?!" She smiled.

    "So, when is this¡­duel?" He said thest word with reluctance.

    "Tonight at midnight, in the room of trophies." answered the girl.

    He wanted to roll his eyes.

    "Yes, that''s the best ce for a duel, lots of ss and irreceable awards everywhere. "

    "I also thought it was a strange choice. It was Malfoy the one who suggested it and Ron quickly agreed."

    "I doubt he is nning on showing¡­but fine."

    He looked at the clock. It was nine o''clock, and the curfew had just started.

    "I''ll see you here in two and a half hours. I need a shower and some rest.

    It was then that she noticed his current state.

    "What have you been doing until thiste? you are covered in sweat¡­ and you missed dinner."

    Harry walked away from her.

    "Too tired to answer, I need a nap."

    She huffed in annoyance but said nothing.

    <><><><><><><>

    "What are you two doing here?" Ron pointed at Hermione and Harry, who were standing in front of the trophy room floor when they arrived.

    "Did youe here to stop the duel?" Asked Neville.

    "Yes, you need to stop this ande back to themon room before we all get caught and punished for being out after curfew, that''s against the rules you know?!."

    Answered Hermione.

    "We know is against the rules, shut up!" Shouted Ron.

    "You may wanna lower your voice." Said Harry.

    "We are not supposed to be here, you know?" He added. This seemed to upset both Ron and Hermione.

    Hermione wanted to stop them before they left the dorms at first, but Harry had convinced her to wait here instead. iming that nothing she would say could convince them not toe. But seemed that nothing she could say would convince them to go back either.

    So Harry was basically stuck as a babysitter at this point.

    "We will go back after we teach Malfoy a lesson!" Seamus eximed.

    "You really think he is going to show up?" Harry decided to speak up.

    "If Malfoy truly wanted to duel Neville, why did he choose to do it a midnight, in a ce where no one would see it? If he wanted to humiliate him, he would have chosen a time and ce where plenty of people would be there to witness it. Doesn''t he seem like the type who would do that?"

    "That''s true, Malfoy is very arrogant and always insults us when there are other students around to hear him." Admitted Neville.

    "But why would he make use here then? now we can tell everyone that he is a coward who never showed up to the duel." Said Ron with a smirk.

    "To get you in detention." a girl''s voice came from behind.

    They all turned to get a look at the one who spoke and saw two girls approaching.

    One of them was a girl with long brown hair who was looking around, clearly not veryfortable being there.

    The other one was a blonde girl with striking blue eyes who walked with confidence and looked at them directly and with no hesitation.

    Ron saw their green robes and frowned.

    "What are you doing here, snakes? Where is Malfoy?"

    "How dare you!, we even came here to help." The brown-haired girl exploded with anger.

    "Stop, Tracey. Let me do the talking." Daphne red calmly at the group. Her eyes stopped at Harry for a good second before moving to Neville.

    "We overheard a conversation between Malfoy and some Slytherin boys. He was bragging about how he tricked you into breaking the curfew and how he gave Argus Filch a note, saying that some Gryffindor students were nning on sneaking in the trophy room at midnight for some prank," she exined.

    "So, this was a trap then?" Realized Neville.

    "Why should we believe you?, you could be working with Malfoy." Seamus looked at Daphne.

    "I told you! we shouldn''t have bothered with them!. Let''s go back." Tracey pulled from her friend''s robes.

    "Look, we took a risk toe here to warn you¡­but if you refuse to believe my words, so be it." She turned around and started to walk away with Tracey quickly following.

    "You can''t go back that way. Filch is there already." Harry''s warning was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

    "What are you saying now?" Tracey red at Harry with a frown.

    "Oh no, let''s go the other way!" Daphne said with urgency.

    Tracey was going to question the reason for her decision but that was not necessary when they heard a loud hiss.

    "That''s Filch''s cat!" Ron shouted.

    They had several unpleasant encounters with the janitor and his mangy cat during the week. So it was easy for Ron to recognize the creature. Whenever that cat went, the man was only a few feet behind.

    "Run!" Cried Seamus and the trio of boys started to run in the opposite direction to where the cat was.

    Neville gave Harry and Hermione a quick nce and spoke a e on" to the two of them.

 Chapter 25: Letâ€™s hide

    Chapter 25: Let¡¯s hide

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 25: Let''s hide

    Hermione did not move. She had gonepletely pale and was staring at the cat.

    Harry knew her well enough to know that she was probably thinking about all the trouble they were going to get in for this. The detentions, the permanent record, the loss of points.

    There was no time to argue with the girl so he took her hand and started to drag her away while Daphne and Traceyn followed behind.

    When they turned the next corner to the right, there was no more trace of Neville, Ron, and Seamus.

    "Those chubby boys can run surprisingly fast," Daphnemented.

    "Where are they?, Miss Norris?" The unpleasant voice of the janitor could be heard getting closer and his steps started to get faster.

    Hermione grip on his hand got a lot stronger.

    "We are going to be expelled!" she whispered.

    Harry scanned the corridor ahead, there were a few doors. But none of those were ssrooms, not that they could hide there either unless they forced their way in.

    He pulled Hermione a bit faster. The girl was too worried to pay attention to their surroundings and just let herself be dragged along by Harry.

    Daphne gave him a few looks. Probably wondering what he was looking for.

    Harry then found the room he had been looking for and stopped at the entrance.

    "What are you doing?!, keep running." Said Tracey.

    "All the ssrooms are closed at night. And I don''t think this is even a ssroom." Daphne looked at the door. It was much smaller than the ssroom doors she had seen so far, but she was still very unfamiliar with the castle.

    Harry ced his hand on the handle and it immediately unlocked with a soft ''click''.

    After inscribing his name on the arkstone with the other Headmasters of the school, as far as Hogwarts was concerned, Harry had the full authority of the Castle Master and could enter any room he wanted at any time of the day. There was no door in the castle he could not open.

    He unlocked the door and hushed the others inside before closing it back again.

    "Keep quiet," he whispered and the girls nodded.

    They all waited in silence as Filch walked past the door and they got tensed when they heard him stop.

    "What is it?, Miss Norris? Where are they?"

    They waited a bit more but could not hear any more steps, which could only mean he was standing still, looking for them.

    "No, Miss Norris, they cannot be here. These rooms are sealed, no students could open them. Let''s go! They must have run very fast. We have to catch them!"

    The hurried steps of Filch started to sound far away and they could breathe in relief.

    "We are safe¡­wow, that was close. " Said Tracey.

    "Yes¡­my dad would kill me if I got detention on the first week," Daphne added.

    Hermione seemed to be recovering from her panic attack from earlier but still said nothing.

    They nced around the room.

    "This is clearly not a ssroom." Commented Tracey.

    The room was a lot smaller than a ssroom, was tastefully decorated, and filled with amodations like several leather couches, coffee tables, and elegant chairs.

    "I didn''t know Hogwarts had rooms like these. This looks like a waiting room for guests. We have something like this in my family manor." Said Daphne.

    "Hogwarts used to host parties and reunions between noble houses in the past, they must have used rooms like this one back then."

    They all turned.to look at Hermione.

    She shied away from the attention but continued.

    "It''s in ... .Hogwarts, a History, volume 1."

    "Say, Potter, how did you open the door? it was clearly locked." Daphne asked.

    "My father and his friends spent many years uncovering the secrets of this castle and he then shared some of that knowledge with me." It was the only exnation he coulde up with that didn''t mention time travel or dimensional jumping.

    He walked to the nearby firece and pushed on one of the bricks.

    The back part of the firece opened, revealing a dark corridor behind

    "That will lead you to the dungeons, I trust you know how to use the lumos charm."

    The three girls looked at him with shocked expressions.

    "If you have questions, leave them for another asion. We need to be back at ourmon rooms before Filch can warn our House Heads."

    Daphne and Tracey looked at each other and noted.

    "Very well, Potter. We can talk on a different day. "

    She pulled her wand and softly said ''lumos''. The tip of the wand became bright like a lightbulb.

    She did not hesitate to enter the hole in the firece and disappeared with her friend following behind.

    Once they were gone, the entrance closed by itself.

    "Let''s go back. It should be safe now." Harry gave Hermione a look.

    "Do I need to hold your hand again?" He asked.

    Hermione became a bit embarrassed.

    "I''m fine now!" she huffed.

    They left the room and walked at a brisk pace without talking and just a few minutester they reached the painting of the fatdy that covered the entrance to the Gryffindormon room.

    "Oh no¡­she is sleeping." Hermione pointed at the fatdy. She was lyingfortably on a big couch and snoring.

    Harry could have just opened the painting without the ''guardian'' permission, but that would have been too harder to exinpared to opening a normal door.

    He instead tapped on the painting with his wand.

    "She is going to be mad!" Hermione whispered with worry.

    "Wake up already and let us in," Harry demanded.

    Thedy opened her eyes and looked at them with a very displeased expression.

    "Is well past curfew, where were the two of you?"

    "We lost track of time while snogging in a broom closet. The password is ''lions pride''. Now open up."

    The fatdy looked outraged and Hermione became red as a tomato.

    "I never!...hufff. Children these days. I can''t believe this!"

    The big woman started toin but opened up the entrance anyway.

    Harry went inside followed by an embarrassed Hermione.

    "Harry!, why did you say that!" Hermione pped his shoulder.

    "Did you want me to tell the truth? Besides, who cares if she judges us? , is just a painting. " Harry shrugged.

    "I¡­fine!. I''ll never ask you for help again!" She shouted before storming up the stairs.

    "If only that was true¡­.I''m so tired¡­" Harry let out a yawn and went to his bed.

 Chapter 26: The Messy Room

    Chapter 26: The Messy Room

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 26: The Messy Room

    "The Room of Lost Things", also known as the "Room of Requirement" or the "Room of Come and Go" was a ce that has been used by Hogwarts house elves for almost a millennia.

    Harry passed by a shelf filled with all sorts of items and ced with no obvious order whatsoever.

    He could glimpse books, magazines, individual shoes, underwear, broken toys, an empty bottle of shampoo, and a very ominous potion vial with some pitch-ck liquid inside.

    "Apparently, the elves have been using this room to store all the garbage left behind by former students and teachers for thest nine centuries."

    Harry spat hisints as he walked.

    He hade here, not just to find Ravenw''s diadem but to also find a few items he could sell.

    After his first week of training, Harry hade to realize something. His best chance to regain his old form in a reasonable time frame was to make use of magical rituals and artifacts.

    His goal was to do more than just reach his previous peak. He wanted to surpass his old level of power and reach new heights, so he could be prepared for any eventuality that his enemies coulde up with.

    During his previous life, by the time he had acquired much of his knowledge about rituals and magical artifacts, the world was very much in ruins.

    Demons'' first targets had been the magicalmunities like Diagon Alley, so resources became very scarce, and finding the rare ingredients necessary for these rituals was impossible.

    "I won''t let that happen again¡­" He clenched his fists.

    Lucky for him, this world was still intact and filled with all the resources he could possibly need.

    Resources he nned to use, but for that, he will needrge sums of money.

    "I can''t sell any of this trash!" He looked around the shelves.

    By the look of things, the elves refused to throw anything away, storing everything left behind with no exceptions. Of course, most of the things that people left or forgot ended up being trash, meant to be disposed of, but the elves do not have the same standard as humans for what constitutes trash so they stored everything.

    "They are like tiny magical hoarders¡­but I am sure there has to be¡­wait, what is that?" His eyes were drawn to a broom resting against one of the busy shelves.

    At first nce, it looked like an ordinary broom, but someone who was knowledgeable about flying brooms could recognize the very particr construction of the broom was consistent with a specific brand.

    "That''s definitely a Nimbus and a very old model at that."

    He picked it up to get a closer look and read the letters engraved on the wood.

    "A Nimbus 100? that''s one of the first models ever produced. This is a collector''s item!"

    This finding gave him an idea. This ce was full of old things that could be valuable as collector items nowadays, like old brooms, books, or even vintage clothes.

    "Is going to take a while to sort through all this stuff, but I should be able to make enough money by selling antique items from here. And if that is not enough, I have other ideas."

    For a moment, he wished to have the help of a house elf, as it would make things so much simpler. But he could not possibly use his family elf as this one would report everything to his parents.

    "Alright¡­ let''s leave that for now and get on with the other reason for my visit."

    He lifted his wand and focused his mind on the object he wanted.

    "io Ravenw''s diadem!"

    He waited, hoping to hear some noises as they came towards him but nothing happened.

    Harry frowned but was not ready to give up just yet.

    "io Horrocrux!"

    "ion Voldemort Horrocrux!"

    "io Rowena Ravenw belongings!"

    "io Tom Marvolo Riddle belongings!"

    Nothing¡­this was the worst-case scenario and another evidence that despite its many simrities, this was a very different world.

    "This is very bad¡­maybe he stored them in different locations, maybe he didn''t even create the horrocruxes in the first ce, and there is no way for me to know"

    There are other ways to protect one''s life after all. He could only hope that Voldemort did not resort to demonology this time.

    "I should still check the other ces I know, just to be sure. If he has created horrocruxes, there is a good chance that one of them is in his old mansion, but with him still alive, that house will be much better protected¡­it would be a suicide to go right now."

    Harry thought hard for a while, but the possibilities were just too many and his information wascking. One wrong move could be the end of his journey.

    For what little he knew, Death Eaters had not made any moves for years, until that attack on Diagon Alley.

    ''Hopefully, they will take it slow for a while¡­"

    He could only hope for that at least. Even if he gathered all the necessary ingredients, it would not be possible to perform any rituals on himself.

    At this point, his body and magic were growing and were very unstable. A ritual would do more harm than good. He is going to need to wait for at least two more years before starting. By then, he will have enough control toplete everything safely.

    "But I can''t just wait and do nothing. I can think of a way to start acquiring some important information." He looked around the Room of Requirements with a thoughtful expression.

    "And this room may have what I need."

 Chapter 27: Flying incident

    Chapter 27: Flying incident

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 27: Flying incident

    On Monday afternoon, the first-year students were having their first flying lesson.

    All of them were standing next to their broom, as structured by Rnda Hooch, the flying instructor of Hogwarts.

    "Keep yourselves focused on the broom next to you and say ''UP'', loud and with conviction. The broom will listen to your magic and follow yourmands."

    Everyone started to yell at the same time over and over.

    ''This is going to give me a headache¡­'' Harry covered his ears. He then took a nce at the broom he had been given for the ss.

    It was a ''Cleansweaper 260'', one of the cheapest brooms in the market...from twenty years ago, and it was in poor condition.

    ''Is the school budget in such dire straits already?''

    "Mister Potter, is there something wrong?"

    It looked like Professor Hooch had noticed that Harry was the only one in the ss who wasn''t even trying to lift the broom so she decided to approach him.

    "No, Professor. My apologies¡­I was merely a bit distracted."

    "Then let''s better focus on the matter at hand. Go on give it a try, Mister Potter." She urged him.

    Being left with no choice but to participate in the ss, Harry opened his hand to will the broom up and this one instantly flew into his grasp.

    "What an impressive disy! You may have your father''s talents for flying after all, Mister Potter." The professor smiled at him.

    ''Ops, I forgot to say the magical words¡­'' He realized.

    Miss Hooch looked at him like there was something she wanted to ask but was hesitant to do so, but her attention went quickly somewhere else when Neville Longbottom started to scream.

    "Ahh!!, help!" Nevile was holding onto his broom while this one ascended into the sky.

    "Mister Longbottom!, what are you doing? get down this instant. I still haven''t exined how to control the brooms in the air!." Professor Hooch shouted at him.

    "Excuse me, Professor, but I don''t think Neville is doing it on purpose." Hermione looked at Neville with worried eyes.

    The Griffindor students looked at him with uneasiness while many of the Slytherin, and especially Draco, seemed to be having a great time,ughing and pointing at Neville.

    Harry knew that he had to do something so he carefully pulled his wand out and covered it with his sleeves.

    Thest time this happened, Neville got away with a fractured wrist but there was no guarantee that it would be exactly the same this time around.

    What if Neville falls a bit differently and ends up breaking his neck? he could not take that risk.

    Neville''s broom kept going higher and higher and people getting more worried now.

    Then, all of a sudden, his broom started to shake and collided with the walls of the castle, making him lose his grip and precipitate straight down.

    "Oh no!" Professor Hooch struggled to get her wand out of her tunic while the students gasped and yelled in horror as Neville fell.

    Harry took the chance to cast a bouncing charm on the area below the falling boy.

    Many of the students covered their eyes or looked away when Neville was about to hit the ground, not wanting to be a witness to a macabre spectacle.

    The ones still looking became shocked when they saw the ground deform like it was made of gtine when Nevillended on it.

    Unfortunately for him, after the second bounce, hended outside the charmed area.

    "Ouch!" Neville cried in pain.

    Miss Hooch was the first one to reach his side.

    "Let me see, Mister Longbottom¡­" She examined him up and down.

    "It doesn''t look like you have anything broken but let''s take you to Madam Pomfrey for a check-up. You had a nasty fall."

    Her eyes went up, to the ce he had fallen from, it was close to one of the roofs, where the gargoyles were located, at least twenty meters high.

    "A very nasty fall." She repeated.

    As she helped the boy walk, Miss Hooch turned to look at the rest of the ss.

    "While I''m taking Miss Longbottom to the infirmary, I want no one touching the brooms, is that understood?."

    "Yes, Miss Hooch!" The students answered.

    "Did you see that?"

    "Who cast that spell?"

    "Wasn''t it the teacher?"

    "I didn''t see her do any magic, she was struggling to get her wand out when he was falling."

    The students started to talk among themselves.

    "What a bloody idiot!, he can''t do anything right!." Dracomented before he and his friends started tough.

    "Is not funny! he could have died!" Shouted Hermione at Malfoy.

    "Yeah, shut up, Malfoy."

    "That''s right!."

    Added Ron and Seamus.

    Harry ignored their banter and went to the ce where Neville''s broom had fallen. It was still in one piece, much to his surprise.

    "Let''s see¡­"

    He picked it up and examined it. It was the same model as the one given to him, a Clearsweaper 260. But this one was in even worse shape.

    Harry took a closer look at the runes of the broom. He was by no means an expert in flying brooms but he had advanced knowledge of runes at least.

    He was quickly able to tell that this broom had no chance of flying correctly as many of the runes that form part of the ''control'' section, were damaged.

    ''The reaction of the broom and his fall were a lot more violent than the one I remember¡­could someone have tampered with the flying broom or maybe he just had worse luck?.''

    The possibility seemed ridiculous at first, but this was the ''boy who lived'' we were talking about. Was someone trying to kill him perhaps?.

 Chapter 28: A proposal

    Chapter 28: A proposal

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 28: A proposal

    During the next week, many rumors started to circte about what happened to Neville. Students wondered who cast the magic that saved his life.

    The professor was quick to admit that it wasn''t her and that she should have been more prepared for that kind of scenario.

    From the students, no one hade forward to im the glory of saving Neville Longbottom''s life.

    Then someone came out with a different theory. What if Neville himself was the one who cast the spell, but he did it unconsciously?

    Students have been very open about their disappointment with Neville Longbottom and his magical prowess¡­ or hisck of it.

    But this rumor gave birth to a new possibility. What if Nevile really held some incredible power inside him but he was unable to control said power?

    That would exin how he defeated Voldemort when he was a mere babe. He did it unconsciously. During a moment of life and death, he invoked this mystical power and defeated the Dark Lord, and now he did it again in order to save his life.

    As the days passed, this rumor became more solid and people added more details, like maybe Neville had inherited his magic from Merlin himself, but as a child, he is unable to control said magic so it will onlye to be during extreme situations.

    The students started to look at Neville with more respect and even Malfoy stopped mocking him at all times by suggesting he was a squib who only got the Hogwarts letter because the owl got confused.

    One more week passed after that and things finally started to calm down.

    Harry''sst ss of Friday had been potions, with the Slytherings. A very tiresome way to end the week.

    Snape had rxed a bit with him and did not bombard him with questions...too much, but he was still quite antagonistic and would not pass any small mistake that Harry made.

    As he was almost done packing his stuff, a small piece of papernded next to his hand.

    He carefully picked it up, looked at what was written on the paper, and left the ssroom without showing any external changes in his expression.

    <><><><><><>

    That night, after finishing his daily training routine, instead of going back to the dorms, he took a different route.

    One that was taking him past the trophy room and around the corner, to the room he used to hide from the janitor on his first week.

    Daphne Greengrass was waiting for him in front of the door.

    "Shall we?" She pointed at the door.

    He ced his hand on the handle and the door unlocked.

    The both of them entered and he closed the door again.

    The candles inside the room lit by themselves, creating afortable atmosphere.

    "Why did you ask me toe here?" He asked. The note he received that afternoon, told him about some important matter she had to discuss with him.

    "This is a very safe room. I did some research after the day we hid here. Those old rooms are always locked, no matter the day or hours since no one uses them. Only a teacher or the Headmaster has the authority to unlock the door and enter."

    She left hanging the obvious fact that Harry had unlocked the door, twice already, despite being neither a teacher nor the Headmaster but she did not question him how he aplished that.

    Daphne walked around for a bit before choosing afortable leather couch to sit down.

    "For an abandoned room, it is spotted clean."

    Harry sat down in front of her.

    "The elves clean every room in the castle, even the ones that no one uses....we have less than an hour before curfew and I rather not get detention, can we get to the point?"

    "Yes, I''m sorry. I have been meaning to talk to you earlier, but you are really hard to find once the sses are over."

    "I am usually busy." That was all the exnation he was going to offer her for now.

    She nodded and did not press further on that.

    "I will get to the point then¡­I want to propose an alliance between House Potter and House Greengrass¡­"

    Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "Did you seriously call me here at this hour to talk about politics?." He found the situation ridiculous, the girl was just eleven, what could she possibly know about family alliances or their political positions?

    If Daphne was angry or disappointed, she did not show it on her face. Instead, she continued the talk.

    "What do you know about the current situation of the pureblood families in Britain?"

    "Situation of the pureblood families? You mean the whole war with Voldemort?"

    She flinched slightly at the mention of the name.

    "Yes, the conflict the with¡­.the Dark Lord. At the beginning of it, some families dered themselves on his side, like the Malfoys or the Lestrange while others fought directly against him like the Longbottoms or the Potters. And a third faction was formed by default, a factionposed of families who decided to stay clear of the conflict and remain neutral, like my family, the Greengrass."

    Harry nodded, he now understood where she was going with all of this.

    "During the war, the dark faction was too busy to pressure my father into joining them, but then the Dark Lord was defeated."

    "But not killed," Harry added.

    "Yes¡­everyone knows that he ising back. The dark faction has been preparing for his return which they expect to happen in the next few years. And when he doese back¡­neutrality will no longer be an option. The Malfoys, Avery, and Yaxley have been pressuring my father to side with them."

    "By pressuring him, you mean threatening him. So, what exactly that your family want?" Harry decided to ask.

 Chapter 29: An alliance?

    Chapter 29: An alliance?

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 29: An alliance?

    "We need allies who are willing to stand up against the Dark Lord and those who support him. Neutrality is not an option anymore and the dark factions'' offers for alliance will be worse as time passes and his return gets closer." Daphne exined.

    "But their offers must already be quite bad since you are looking for alliances on the opposite side." Added Harry

    Daphne''s expression darkened as she seemed to be remembering something.

    "Lord Malfoy and Lord Avery made the same proposal, a position as a mistress for myself. While Lord Yaxley wanted me as his son''s wife but only if my sister joined in as the mistress."

    Harry was surprised to hear her say those things in such a nonchnt way. He never learned much about the workings of the pureblood families. And no one among his friends or mentors could teach him either, except for Neville, but the boy was not exactly fond of the pureblood customs and etiquette.

    But this girl in front of him was different. Daphne has been raised by a pureblood Lord and educated to be his sessor. A normal eleven-year-old girl would not be talking about alliances and marriages in such a manner.

    "We were also warned that if we waited for too long to answer, the only offer we would get would be from lower dark families like Crabble, Goyle, or Selwyn. And they may not even be for a marriage. " She added.

    "How can you be so calm while talking about bing someone''s mistress, you are bloody eleven, do you even understand what that entails?"

    Daphne looked offended at this.

    "I am the heir of a pure-blood family, of course, I would know about these things and what they entail. My parents have been preparing me to be the next Lady since I was six years old. And I''m sure you have also been taught these things the same way."

    He considered for a second but it seemed unlikely that his father had done that. He had no memories of the previous owner of this body but he seemed to hate his parents with fervor and would not have listened to any lessons from them.

    ''Maybe they have taught some of this to Lyra, but I doubt they will arrange any marriage for her. Our mother would never allow it anyway.''

    He just knew a few things about pure blood etiquette and costumes. It was no more than a side effect of spending so many years chasing down death eaters.

    "I know some things but I don''t think my family will arrange marriage contracts for me or my sisters."

    Daphne looked genuinely surprised for the first time since they entered the room.

    "How else can you create a proper alliance? one that is strong enough to be trustworthy without a bond of blood?"

    Harry then realized something.

    "Wait, then¡­when you first mentioned making an alliance between our families, you were talking about writing a marriage contract for us?"

    Daphne nodded.

    "When I came to Hogwarts, the idea was to approach Longbottom and start negotiations. After all, they are a very ancient pureblood family and Neville Longbottom is the¡­you know."

    "And why didn''t you?" He could already imagine why though.

    "Well¡­the Longbottom heir is¡­not what I was expecting. Then I meet you. You are a lot more¡­ capable. And the Potters are one of the most influential families of the light side at the moment."

    ''This girl only sees marriage as a tool to improve her family situation, tossing away any emotional part.'' Harry thought.

    "So you would marry me or Neville because it would be good for your family as a whole, is that it?" He was getting annoyed with this conversation.

    Daphne looked to be fighting hard the need to roll her eyes at his ''stupid'' question.

    "Well, obviously. Consult your father about the offer and try to give me an answer during the next week if possible. Our father could also arrange a meeting to finish the details."

    She was talking about it like it was a business transaction and it was making Harry very ufortable.

    "And you would be okay with that? you would marry a guy that you know nothing about because it could be beneficial for your family?. "

    "That is how pure-blood families work. It has always been like that, is the tradition. And my father cares for me and my sister, he would never agree to marry me off to someone who would treat us badly¡­that is one of the reasons he never epted any contracts so far."

    Harry sighed. The standards and priorities for old pure-blood families were something he could never agree with, but he knew it was going to be pointless to argue with her about it, she had been learning these things since she was six years old. For her, this was just how the world worked and there was nothing wrong with it.

    However,pletely rejecting the offer for an alliance would be unwise.

    At this moment, the one thing he wascking the most was information about what Voldemort and the dark families were doing. Maybe the Greengrass could use their unique position as a neutral family to collect some.

    The problem was that he could not make an alliance like this by himself. He was not the Lord of his house, not even close. Lord Greengrass will not even consider signing a magical contract with a child, he will want to speak with his father.

    ''Well, there may be another issue¡­but I will have to deal with thatter.''

    He looked at Daphne who had been observing him carefully.

    "Why don''t we arrange a meeting between our families for the Christmas break?, we can discuss things further then. There is not much I can do when ites to making decisions about alliances and that kind of stuff without my father present, I believe."

    Daphne seemed satisfied with his answer as a small smile appeared on her face.

    "Of course, and is the same for me. I will send a letter to my father tomorrow, informing him of what we talked about, and then we can talk further about arranging a meeting."

    "Agreed." Harry nodded.

    It seemed like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders now and Harry noticed how Daphne had loosened up a bit now.

    "Okay so, do you mind opening that passage from thest time? it was very handy." She sounded more cheerful.

    "Sure" He walked to the firece and opened the secret entrance. "You sound more natural now."

    "Yes, that was my business persona. Now that our business has concluded, at least for now, I can rx a bit." She pulled out her wand and cast a Lumos.

    "See you, Potter. And remember, we must not be seen talking in public."

    "Goodnight, Greengrass. "

 Chapter 30: Quidditch time

    Chapter 30: Quidditch time

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 30: Quidditch time

    There was one week left before Halloween and Gryffindor was about to y their second game of the year after their defeat against Ravenw.

    Harry felt a bit strange sitting in the audience box, but there was nothing he could do about it.

    Looking around the stadium, He was hit by a wave of nostalgia, remembering the many years that he yed on that field, chasing the snitch for Gryffindor.

    "I hope they do better this time¡­"

    "Of course, they will! I heard that they got a new seek this time."

    Harry overheard the conversation that Ron and Seamus were having on the seats right in front of him.

    ''A new seeker? what a coincidence.'' Or maybe it was something else. His eyes moved towards the teacher''s box, where the Headmaster was smiling like usual while Deputy Headmistress McGonagall looked around the field with worried eyes.

    "Say, Hermione." He called to the girl sitting to his right.

    She lifted her face from the book she was reading, an old tome called "Quidditch Ruling 1890".

    "Yes?"

    "Where is Neville? I know he is not very interested in quidditch but he is usually with those two." He said while pointing forward at Ron and Seamus.

    "Now that you mention it, is strange¡­" She looked around the box but could not spot and it was very unusual to not see that trio together, they had been inseparable since the year started.

    "Seamus, Ron, do you know where Neville is?" She decided to ask.

    "He left the dorm very early this morning and I haven''t seen him since. I have no clue where he could have gone." Seamus looked genuinely confused.

    "I-I don''t know anything." Ron answered abruptly and turned around to not look at them.

    "He is a terrible liar," Hermione whispered into Harry''s ear.

    He had to agree, that even as an adult, Ron had always been bad at lying. He definitely knew where Neville was.

    Harry already had a hunch of what was going on, and he would only need to wait a bit longer to confirm it.

    "Wee to the fourth game of the Hogwarts 1991 league!"

    The cheerful voice of thementator could be heard resounding all over the stadium thanks to the masterful work of magical runes on the ce.

    "I am Lee Jordan and I will be yourmentator."

    The students started to p and cheer.

    "This will be Gryffindor''s second game after their defeat against Ravenw. But they havee back with a secret weapon!, a mysterious new seeker, whose name they have refused to reveal." Jordan gave McGonagall a side nce.

    "Their opponents this time, is the Slytherin team, the Champions fromst year¡­and a few years before that one, but who is counting?"

    "Jordan¡­" McGonagall gave him a warning re.

    "Right, let''s get started then. First to jump into the field will be¡­Slytherin!"

    The green-robed team came flying into the stadium.

    Their own selection of the spectator boxes started to cheer while the rest, remained silent.

    The Slytherin team was, by far, the least liked one of the four. Mostly due to their rough y and borderline illegal tactics.

    "And now¡­the team we are all hoping will take the win today."

    "Jordan!" This time, a stronger warning came from the lips of the Deputy Headmistress.

    "But not me!, I ampletely impartial¡­Go Gryffindor!" Shouted Jordan.

    The yers made their entrance one by one.

    "There they are!, first is no other than the Captain himself, Oliver Wood who ys as the keeper. Next, we have the two beaters, the Weasley twins, George and Fred, and following them are our lovely trio of chasers, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spi."

    Jordan moved forward in his seat to get a better look now.

    "And finally, flying¡­a bit too far behind from the others is the new seeker¡­who is no other than¡­Neville Longbottom?!"

    The stadium got very loud as everyone started talking loudly at the same time.

    "What?!" Hermione shouted and almost dropped her book.

    "Yeah!, Go Neville!" Ron fisted the air.

    "You knew about this?" Seamus stared at Neville in shock.

    "I caught him doing practice the other day. Sorry, I didn''t tell you, they made me promise to keep the secret." Exined Ron.

    "How did he join the team? first years are not even allowed to have a broom." Asked Seamus.

    Ron shrugged. "He told me that Professor McGonagall had asked him to join the team."

    "What were they thinking?, after what happened to him during fling practice¡­he must be so scared right now. Look, his broom is shaking a lot!" Hermione pointed up.

    Harry stared at the broom that Neville was riding, it was a very familiar one.

    "He is using a Nimbus 2000."

    "Really?!, that''s the fastest broom in the market!" Ron turned around to look at Harry.

    "You can see it from here?" Seamus questioned.

    "W-well¡­that was quite the surprise." thementator spoke again.

    "Gryffindor has no other but the ''Boy who Lived!'' , the hero of magical Britain as their seeker."

    The Gryffindor box erupted into cheers.

    "Now, yers!. Get to your positions!" Jordan instructed.

    Professor Hooch walked to the center of the field and pulled her wand out.

    "Neville,e over here!" Called Oliver from his ce next to metal rings.

    "Stay flying high until you see the snitch. Remember the training!"

    "I-I know¡­" Neville flew slowly upwards, gripping the broom with all his force.

    "Say, Ron¡­ Neville got better at flying since ''that day''...right?" Asked Seamus with some doubts after seeing his disy.

    "Mmm¡­I haven''t really seen him fly yet, but I''m sure he has!. Besides, he has a brand new, top-of-the-line flying broom!. Even my little sister could catch the snitch with that broom." Ron eximed loudly.

    ''Your sister is a much better flyer than you¡­'' Harry thought.

    "Ready¡­" Professor Hooch lifted her wand in the air and a ball of light shot out. "Game start!"

 Chapter 31: The dangers of quidditch

    Chapter 31: The dangers of quidditch

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 31: The dangers of quidditch

    The yers immediately got busy.Angelina, Katie, and Alicia went to intercept the quaffle while the Weasley twins protected them from Slytherin beaters.

    Oliver Wood watched with rapt attention, not losing sight of any detail.

    Both seekers were flying higher than the other yer, overseeing the entire stadium.

    "Oi, Longbottom!" The Slytherin seeker approached Neville and looked at him with a nasty smirk.

    Neville looked forward at the other boy and started to shake a little. The Slytherin seeker was a much older boy than himself, he figured that he was a least a fifth year.

    "W-what do you want¡­"

    "Not much, just wanted to ask if you were okay there. You were looking a bit¡­ shaky."

    Neville stared dubiously at the older boy. He was fairly sure that the Slytherin seeker was just trying to mock him in some way.

    The Slytherin boy realized this and raised his hands defensively.

    "Hey,e on. I''m just trying to be a good sport here."

    "I''m okay¡­" He said hesitantly.

    "I just don''t like heights very much¡­not since my uncle threw me off the third floor of the house in an effort to awaken my magic."

    "I see¡­then, let me give you a few tips." He rose one finger up.

    "Number one, test your broom before every game."

    Neville nodded while listening.

    "Number two, charming your uniform pants with a cushioning charm is a game changer."

    "And number three¡­" A smirk appeared on his face.

    "Always keep an eye on the enemy beaters."

    "Neville, move!" The desperate shoute from Oliver reached Neville''s ears but he didn''t understand what was happening or where he was supposed to move.

    It was then that Neville saw the Slytherin seeker quickly flying to one side just as a bludger flew past him and hit Neville on the chest, making him fall backward.

    "Oh no!" Harry heard Hermione as she rose from her seat.

    "He is going to fall!" Lavender was sitting on his left, covering her face.

    Neville managed to barely hold on and was now hanging with only his fingers touching the flying broom while this one remained floating in the air.

    "Oh boy!, Gryffindor''s seeker has been hit by a bludger and is barely hanging from his broom, this does not look good!." Lee Jordan did his best to keep hismentary while everyone stared at Neville.

    "Do something, Albus!" Shouted McGonagall.

    Dumbledore nodded before standing up with his wand already in hand.

    The other Gryffindor yer had already abandoned their position and rushed to help their teammate, but before anyone could get close enough, Neville lost his grip and fell while giving a bloodcurdling scream.

    The Headmaster pointed his wand at Neville and started to cast a feather fall charm when he noticed arge amount of magic concentrating right beneath the boy.

    "What is that?" He looked at the events with great curiosity.

    A strong gust of wind came out of nowhere and slowed Neville''s fall until he was almost floating in the air.

    The wind then got progressively weaker and disappearedpletely when he was only a few feet off the grassy field.

    Harry watched the scene from the box and breathed in relief while storing his wand back.

    ''This is the second time¡­that boy needs to stay away from brooms.''

    "He is safe!" Hermione cried.

    "Bloody hell!, that was close." Shouted Ron.

    "Did you see that? is like what happened that day during flying practice." Told Lavander to her friend but loud enough for everyone in the box to hear.

    "Are you talking about the rumors of him awakening some ancient magic?" Asked Parvati, even though she was one of the main culprits for spreading that rumor. They were just doing it for fun and never considered there could be some truth to it.

    The game was stopped after that while they gave Neville a medical check-up.

    Thirty minutes passed after that and the students were starting to get anxious.

    "What is taking so long? Could Neville be seriously hurt?" Asked Hermione.

    "I''m sure he is fine, he barely fell two feet after the wind stopped. But I would be seriously surprised if Neville is still willing to ride a flying broom any time soon after this." Answered Harry.

    In the end, he was right. Professor Hooch came back into the stadium ten minutester to announce the end of the match.

    Gryffindor Seeker had refused to y again after the incident and the team had not prepared a recement for him. So with theck of one yer, they were forced to forfeit the game, giving Slytherin the win.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    The next day, Headmaster''s office

    Albus Dumbledore was sitting on his chair and looking very ufortable towards his visitor.

    Augusta Longbottom looked like she was ready to jump over the table and smash the old wizard''s head with one of the many objects decorating his desk.

    "One month, Albus. He''s only been here one month and is already injured!." Augusta spat with rage.

    "Augusta¡­you know that magical schools have some risks¡­"

    "Don''t give me that!, don''t think for a moment that I don''t know about the previous incident that urred in his first week." The old witch could not have her eyes narrowed any further.

    "It was just an ident, Augusta. Quidditch can be a bit dangerous sometimes." Minerva, who was the third andst upant of the office at the moment, decided to help the Headmaster a little bit.

    "Oh, I''m not ming that other boy for his trickery, Minerva. I''m ming whoever thought that putting my grandson on that broom and having him y a quidditch match was a good idea." Her eyes moved from Minerva to Dumbledore.

    "Which one of you made that decision?"

    "I made the suggestion¡­" Spoke the Headmaster. "I thought it would help young Neville with his¡­confidence issues."

    "After he almost broke his neck on his first flying ss, you thought that would give him more confidence? And since when is that your job? I am her grandmother. You are supposed to educate him, nothing more!." Augusta shouted.

    "I can assure you that we just want the best for your grandson." Minerva tried to cate the angry woman.

    "He has already left the team, he won''t be ying again."

    "Of course, he won''t!. I would not have allowed such a thing to happen again."

    The old witch looked at Dumbledore.

    "I hope this is thest time I have to visit my grandson in the infirmary, Albus. I have you know that there are other options for education besides Hogwarts."

    The Headmaster''s expression changed a bit at this.

    "That won''t be necessary. There is no other ce where he is safer than in Hogwarts, trust me."

    "Humph!, trust you¡­after what happened to¡­ never mind." Agusta seemed like she wanted to say something more but kept it to herself.

 Chapter 32: Halloween

    Chapter 32: Halloween

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 32: Halloween

    Oct 31, Halloween night

    The great hall was filled with people celebrating the feast. All eating, drinking andughing, for this was a joyous night, for most.

    Harry was slowly picking at his food with conflicted feelings. He has always hated Halloween, it was the night his parents had been murdered and if that was not reason enough, something bad tended to happen always on this night, as if a curse had been ced over this particr festivity.

    But now, things were different. Both his parents were alive and he even had two younger sisters. He did not feel sad or lonely and that made him feel guilty.

    Was he being disrespectful to his original parents, the ones who gave up their lives for him if he enjoyed his time with his new family? They were the same persons, or at least, different versions of the same persons after all.

    He was not sure and could only hope that time will help in that matter. But now he had another concern.

    His eyes moved to the right and focused on the entrance doors of the great halls. They had been shut tight before the feast started, but Harry noticed that there was one person missing.

    He now looked at the teacher''s table as if to confirm it. But there were no doubts about it. The new defense professor, Keshav Nayar, was missing from the party.

    This was a familiar situation and for a moment, Harry wondered if the professor was about to stumble into the Great Hall while yelling about trolls wandering the dungeon.

    ''No, that''s a stupid thought, this is not even the same professor¡­''

    "He looks so sad¡­" The voice of Hermione reached his ears.

    Harry did not need to ask who she was talking about as this was the third time she made the samement tonight.

    He looked at Neville. The boy was looking down and did not even touch his ce, he was indeed looking sad.

    That was not really surprising. After the infamous game, most of the Gryffindor house had turned against him in ways that Harry was very familiar with as it had happened to him several times.

    On the bright side, there were even more people now who believed that Neville had some incredible magical powers hidden inside him after the wind spell that saved his life.

    That may be the reason why his ''punishment'' has been limited to verbal slurs and no one has tried to raise their wand against him, lest his magic acts on its own to defend him and they find themselves stered against one of the many walls of the castle.

    Even Malfoy had not dared to do much, other than some very unimaginative taunts here and there.

    But Harry knew that there was one thing more important on Neville''s mind at the moment. Like in his own past, today was the anniversary of his parent''s deads.

    ''Is like the same story but with a different main character.'' Harry thought.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    In the end, Professor Nayar never appeared, the doors were not opened by anyone calling for some emergency and the party ended with no issues.

    Something that Harry was not ustomed to. He even allowed himself the thought that he may experience an entire school year at Hogwarts with no serious incidents, other than Neville almost dying twice, but that could still count as a normal year.

    A strong wave of cold wind hit Harry in the face as he was ascending the stairs and he decided to cast a warming charm on himself.

    "Much better." He said with relief.

    It was still early in the morning so he was not expecting to find anyone in the owl tower.

    "There you go, I got you some bacon."

    Harry heard a boy speaking before he passed by the door frame.

    His eyes opened wide when he saw it.

    Neville was sitting on a wooden bench, feeding a pure white owl.

    ''Hedwig...''

    "That''s a beautiful owl."

    Neville was startled by the sudden appearance of someone else. Like Harry, he was not expecting to find anyone else this early in the morning afterst night''s party.

    "Harry?"

    "Sorry for startling you." He apologized.

    "It''s okay¡­I was just a bit distracted." Neville gave her another treat and the owl happily ate it.

    "What''s her name?" Harry said while pointing at the owl.

    "You can tell is female?." Neville looked at them with a hint of admiration.

    "I couldn''t tell at all when I first bought her. But then I tried to name her Trevor and she¡­auch!"

    The owl had pinched his hand.

    "She reacted like that!"

    "Trevor?" Wasn''t that the name of his frog or something? He seems to recall.

    "Yes¡­that was the name of my frog¡­" Neville made a sad expression.

    "What happened to him?"

    Neville sighed.

    "It wasst year when I had finally convinced my gran to take me to Diagon Alley to buy some nts¡­the truth is I just wanted to go out for a bit, you see¡­my family doesn''t let me go out very often.They say is not safe."

    ''It really isn''t safe¡­'' Harry agreed.

    "Anyways, we were at this shop and someone recognized me for my scar. That person started to scream my name and just a few minutester, I was surrounded by people, all talking to me at the same time while my gran was yelling at them to leave."

    He looked down at his hands.

    "I had Trevor on my hands but he must have gotten nervous with all the noise because he jumped out andnded on the floor. The people at the shop did not seem to realize and they kept trying to get closer to me. I tried to tell them to be careful, that my frog was on the floor but they didn''t seem to hear me and just keep asking questions¡­ before I could do anything, someone stepped on Trevor. I yelled at them to stop but they were all yelling and pushing at each other¡­and kept stepping on him¡­poor Trevor, I could not save him."

    "Wow¡­sorry Nev." Harry ced a hand on his shoulder.

    "Thanks... I wasn''t allowed back on Diagon Alley after that. Not until it was time to get my wand."

    "So, in the end. What did you call her?" Harry looked at the owl.

    Neville smiled.

    "I was first going to call her Petunia."

    Harry gasped.

    "The flowerse in different colors but the white ones are my favorite ones...she didn''t like that name either for some reason," Neville said while looking at the old.

    "In the end, I went with Snow. Is boring, I know but she seems to like it at least." Neville petted the owl and this one gave a happy noise.

    ''Thank Merlin...'' Harry felt a great relief wash over him.

 Chapter 33: A Home

    Chapter 33: A Home

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 33: A Home

    December 20, King''s Cross Station

    Harry was one of the first students to leave the train and was promptly assaulted by something small thattched onto his leg.

    "Harry!" The little girl called him with joy.

    He looked down at the image of his little sister and could not help but smile. Harry got down on one knee and hugged her.

    "Hello, Holly. How have you been?"

    "It was boring!" She pouted.

    "Dad is always working and mom never takes me anywhere!. Only Lyra gets to go to her friend''s house, is not fair!"

    "I see¡­" He did not expect this little girl to have so manyints.

    He then saw his mother running towards them.

    "Holly!, what did I tell you about running off like that?!"

    "But mom!, I haven''t seen brother in so long¡­" Holly answered.

    "Well talk about thister¡­" Lily''s eyes moved to Harry and her expression brightened.

    She quickly went to give him a warm hug.

    "Wee back, dear. How was your time at Hogwarts? I want to hear every detail¡­oh, but you must be tired after the long trip on the train, let''s get you home first."

    ''Home, huh?'' He was still getting used to this new life and the sensation of actually having a home, something he never had the chance to experience for long.

    "Okay, you two. Hold on tight to me and don''t let go." Both Harry and Holly did as told and Lily lifted her wand in the air.

    A momentter, the trio disappeared from the busy station.

    When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself at the entrance of the Potter Manor.

    "Wee!." The family house elf, Mipsy greeted them.

    "Let me help you with that bag, Master Harry." The elf used her magic to levitate his small briefcase and carried it inside.

    "I''m home." Said Harry, mostly to himself.

    <><><><><><><><><><><>

    After taking a rxing bath and changing clothes, the sky outside was starting to darken.

    He opened the door to the kitchen and found his mother inside preparing some food while Holly read a book on the kitchen table.

    He looked around before sitting down at the table.

    Lily noticed this and answered his unasked question.

    "Your dad is at work, he should be here in an hour. And your sister is staying at one of her friend''s home, she will be here tomorrow."

    "A friend''s home?, is the Weasleys?." He recalled that his sister was friends with Ginny, even though the Weasleys were not that close to the Potters, especially after they left the Order of the Phoenix. At least, he had never heard of them hanging out with Molly and Arthur.

    "No, she has been staying with the Greengrass for a few days."

    "The Greengrass?" He raised an eyebrow.

    ''That right¡­ that''s why I recalled them mentioning that family name before I went to Hogwarts. Lyra must be friends with Daphne''s sister.''

    "How did that happen?" He decided to ask.

    Lily looked a bit surprised at him showing interest in his sister''s friends.

    "Well,st year, Lady Greengrass and I met at a Ministry party, she had brought her two daughters and I brought only Lyra because you didn''t want toe and Holly was too little for such an event. She got along with the youngest and they talked for hours. They have been quite close since and often send letters to each other but this is the first time she has stayed at their house."

    "How so? with floo powder, it only takes a moment to visit," Harry asked, but he had already a few ideas.

    "Well¡­Astoria has some special circumstances that don''t permit her to leave the house and your father was not thrilled to allow Lyra to visit the Greengrass house until he knew them better." Exined Lily.

    "Because they are a neutral family?"

    Lily looked genuinely surprised this time.

    "Have you remembered some of the politics sses your father gave you? You never showed any interest in those¡­"

    Harry shrugged.

    "Not really interested in politics, but it doesn''t hurt to know those things." After all, their family had been personally involved in thest war so there was no way for them to remain unattached from the magical Britain political scene.

    "I''m bored!, Harry y with me!" Hollyined loudly.

    "You are bored huh?." He looked at the book she was reading, it was one of Neville''s fantastical adventures, which reminded him of something.

    "Mmm, you know?, I have brought with me a nice gift for my sister."

    Her eyes opened like tes.

    "A gift?, what is it?!, can I have it?"

    He smiled.

    "You''ll have to wait until Christmas for that."

    "Noo!, I want it now!" Holly eximed.

    "Okay, maybe it was a mistake to mention that¡­lesson learned." Harry considered.

    "Where did you get a gift from?" Lily asked with suspicion since first-year students are not allowed to leave the grounds.

    "You''ll have to wait too." He said.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    A bitter, James Potter got home from work and weed Harry back.

    "I heard of what happened during the quidditch game before Halloween¡­what a shame," James spoke.

    "They haven''t been able to y again without a seeker and had to forfeit the next game after that." Exined Harry

    " I don''t think they have a chance to win the Quidditch cup at this point. " Jamesmented.

    "I don''t know why you care so much about school quidditch to be honest¡­" Lilymented.

    "But is our house! I will always care for Gryffindor and its quidditch team, as a former yer¡­ can''t help it." James gave Harry a look.

    "They should have chosen Harry to be the seeker."

    "James!, he is still a first year. Quidditch can be dangerous, look what happened to poor Neville¡­" Lily pointed out.

    "Oh well¡­there is always next year. Oh, Harry." James called his name.

    "Yes?"

    "There is something we need to talk about. Come to my studio after dinner."

    "Sure." Harry wondered what it was about, he was sure it wasn''t about his grades, he had made sure to keep them above average.

    ''It must be about that¡­''

 Chapter 34: Factions

    Chapter 34: Factions

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 34: Factions

    James and Harry went to his studio after dinner was over, leaving behind a very curious Holly.

    His father took a seat on afortable-looking leather chair behind arge desk and indicated for Harry to sit down on the opposite side. His expression looked serious but Harry noticed a hint of amusement hidden in there.

    "Do you know why I called you here?" James asked.

    "There is only one reason that I can think of¡­"

    "Oh, you do? and do to tell me, what is this reason?" A sneaky smile appeared on his father''s face.

    "You must have received a letter from Lord Greengrass about a potential alliance between our families." Answered Harry.

    James grinned.

    "Yes, he told me that you and his eldest daughter talked about this matter in Hogwarts¡­you don''t waste time, do you, son?"

    Harry raised an eyebrow, not liking what his father was implying.

    "I merely suggested for Lord Greengrass to contact you for a meeting if they wanted to discuss something like a formal alliance. After all, neither Daphne nor I have that kind of authority. Was it the wrong thing to do?"

    "No, it wasn''t necessarily wrong. But I think that you should understand a bit more about the political factions of magical Britain. For thest centuries, there has been a strong division among the pureblood families." James said.

    "Even before Grindelwald?." He never had the chance to learn much about the political environment of the country before everything went array so there were many things he didn''t know.

    "Yes, Dark Lords like Grindelwald or Voldemort just took advantage of a problem that already existed and used it for their own purposes. The two current factions are mostmonly known as the ''Progressives'', led by Albus Dumbledore, and the ''Traditionalists'', led by Lucius Malfoy¡­at least officially."

    Harry took note of thatst part. The second faction was definitely led by Voldemort, but since he is still considered a criminal, Lucius is the official face of the group.

    "These two factions have been bickering with each other about many different topics they disagree on, but the mostmon thing isws that affect muggles and muggle-borns. One side wants to make our world more essible while the other one wants to keep anyone who is not a pureblood wizard or witch, out of our culture."

    "But there are some families who prefer not to choose a side and remain neutral." Harry added.

    James nodded in approval.

    "Very well, yes. Families like the Greengrass among others. They decided to avoid permanently joining any sides so they could pick and choose whatever was more convenient to them or what policy benefited them the most. As you can imagine, this kind of attitude did not make them very popr by either side. But if the family is powerful and influential enough, they can get away with it."

    "Daphne told me her family is now suffering a lot of pressure from the more¡­traditional families." Said Harry.

    "Yes, and it seems like Lord Greengrass has made his choice on who he wants to ally with." Admitted James.

    ''This must be the reason he finally let Lyra go to their house. He must have gotten some reassurance from Lord Greengrass.'' Harry considered.

    "So, do you know what is going to suggest in order to secure this alliance?" His father asked.

    Harry nodded. Daphne had made it very clear.

    "And what do you think about that?" James asked.

    "I don''t think Mom would be pleased if I got married before finishing my first year of school." Harry delivered with a deadpan expression.

    James started tough.

    "I bet she would not be amused at all, no. But this would only be an engagement, no one gets married this early in life. You can think of it as a long-term promise. The marriage itself would only take ce after you are both adults. "

    "She told me that these types of deals aremon among pureblood families." Said Harry.

    "Among some of them, the Potters have not done something like a forced marriage contract since the times of my grandfather. My parents married because they fell in love during their Hogwarts years and I did the same with your mother. So even if Lord Greengrass suggests something like this, I would never agree to it and neither will your mother."

    "Lord Greengrass would not be pleased. He may refuse an alliance with us and go join with another family." Harry considered.

    "There are other ways to secure an alliance and I am sure the Lord is aware of that. Of course, a marriage gives the strongest bond between two families. I already have an idea of what to suggest to him, so don''t worry. If you like this girl, you can court her in a few years." James gave Harry a yful wink.

    Harry made a surprised expression.''Like her?'' is that what he thought was going on?''.

    Leaving aside the fact that she was just a child. Harry didn''t have a chance yet to consider matters like love. He has only been in love one time during his previous life. After he lost his wife, Ginny¡­he never had time for things like that again. Always fighting¡­always trying to find ways to kill his enemies in more efficient ways or trying to just survive one more day.

    He hasn''t even taken the time to think about the moral dilemma that would be to date anyone in this alternate reality. Even if he ignores the age difference when ites to mental maturity, this entire world still feels somewhat surreal to him, and being together with someone here would feel like he is recing someone he knew for a copy of that person.

    The mental image of an adult Ginny appeared at the front of his mind and Harry shook the thought away.

    It is easier to form genuine connections with people he never knew in his past, like his parents or sisters, since everything is new to him. But for those like Hermione, Ron, or Ginny¡­it will take more time until they stop feeling like copies of people they once knew.

    James was looking at his son who seemed to be in deep introspection and he concluded that his son was nervous about the Greengrass girl.

    "Son, don''t you worry!" He gave Harry a thumbs up. "Potters always get the girl they want in the end."

    Harry tilted his head to the side in confusion.

    "Huh?"

 Chapter 35: The contract

    Chapter 35: The contract

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 35: The contract

    On the next day, Lyra came back home apanied by Lord Greengrass and Daphne.

    After exchanging the formal pleasantries expected from the situation and nothing more than that, the parents moved the conversation to the privacy of James'' studio where he had been talking with Harry the day before.

    The room was big enough tofortably fit ten people so it was not a problem for the current meeting.

    Lord Greengrass and his daughter sat on one of the couches while the Potters sat on another one that was ced on the opposite side.

    Lord Greengrass pulled a piece of parchment from inside his robe and ced it on the short table that was between the two families. He then proceeded to take out a small box that when opened, revealed a very expensive-looking quill.

    Harry knew there was something special about that parchment since it had a great number of runes he recognized, but he could only guess the function of theplete array as that would require a closer and more lengthy examination.

    For the quill, however¡­he did not even need a second to identify it. He became very familiar with that particr type of quill during his fifth year at Hogwarts.

    And judging from his mother''s expression. She also knew what it was.

    "A blood quill? what did you bring that for?!" Lily raised her voice more than she had intended, making Lord Greengrass''s expression change momentarily to a light frown.

    "Calm down, Lily. Blood quills aremonly used to sign important magical contracts. " James tried to exin to his wife.

    "Indeed, as Lord Potter said, blood quills are a necessity for this type of contract. Blood is the most efficient way to ensure a deal as that is the source of our magic." Lord Greengrass spoke with a grave voice.

    Lily observed the parchment with interest.

    "What kind of contract is this? I never seen protections like these ones in a contract and some of the runes are of globling origin."

    "That''s because this contract was made by Gringots goblins. Once the contents are written and signed with blood, the contract bes unbreakable and is also enforced by the Gobling Nation. Is the most secure type of document that money can buy." Exined Lord Greengrass.

    Daphne listened to her father talk with a prideful expression.

    "Impressive¡­Now all that is left is to discuss the contents of such a contract. Why don''t we start with¡­what do you expect to get, Lord Greengrass." James looked at the other lord.

    Lord Greengrass moved his long blonde hair out of his face and observed James for a moment before speaking.

    "What I want is very simple¡­protection for my family, you know from who. Once he realizes our refusal to join his side¡­ he and his followers will show us no mercy."

    "You don''t need a contract for that. Of course, we will help your family!" Eximed Lily.

    Lord Greengrass gave her a stern look.

    "And I am meant to trust the future of my family and house on your word, Lady Potter? no offense but old magical families like ours, do things differently."

    "Father" Daphne warned.

    "I hope you are not suggesting that my wife is not to be trusted because she is a muggle-born." James had a hard expression on his face as he said those words.

    Lord Greengrass did not seem to mind.

    "Do not twist my words, Lord Potter. I don''t share those silly beliefs that some of my fellow Lords and Ladies like to speak so much about."

    He looked at Lily.

    "Lady Potter, when ites to the safety of my family, words are not enough. Not from you, your husband, or anyone else¡­regardless of their blood status or political position."

    Lily made an expression of disapproval.

    "While I can agree with some of that¡­ being distrustful of everyone is not a healthy attitude."

    "It has maintained our legacy for many centuries while other old families have disappeared over time." Rebuked Lord Greengrass.

    "Now¡­ let''s get back to the matter in question. To cement this alliance between our families, I propose making a marriage contract between our heirs."

    "Yes, I thought you were going to propose that." James looked at his wife with a troubled face.

    "Is there a problem, Lord Potter?." Lord Greengrass frowned.

    "Let me make it very clear that we are not looking down on your proposal. Uniting our two families with a marriage would certainly be a wee thing¡­" Said James.

    "However?..." Asked Lord Greengrass.

    "However, our children are still too young for suchpromises." Said Lily.

    "Of course they are!." mored Lord Greengrass. "That''s why we, the adults must make those decisions for them."

    James saw that his wife looked ready to explode into a rant about how outdated that custom was so he decided to speak first while firmly holding her hand as a sign of ''let me do the talking''.

    "Yes, that has been a tradition between pureblood families since before Hogwarts was funded, I am aware of that. But the Potters had stopped doing contracted marriages since the times of my father."

    "Your father married the sister of the former Lord ck, a very prestigious family. Back then at least." Lord Greengrass pointed out.

    "He did. But only because they both fell in love with each other. In fact, the cks were not happy with marriage at all. ording to what my mother told me, they almost banished her from the family for it¡­" Exined James.

    "I see¡­I did not know that. But where are you getting with this?" Asked the Lord.

    "What I''m trying to say is that I want my children to have a choice, like my father did and like I did¡­" James looked at his wife with a warm smile.

    "I want them to be happy and marry someone they truly want to spend the rest of their lives with. I will not take that choice from them."

    "Choosing who to marry without taking into ount what benefits it could bring to your family?" Daphne looked at the Potters with aplicated expression.

    "That seems very selfish to me¡­"

    "So, I am to understand that a marriage contract is out of the table then. What do you propose then, Lord Potter?" Lord Greengrass looked at James.

    James returned the look.

    "I wouldn''t say is out of the table yet. But, I discussed this with my wife and we have an idea that could work for everyone."

    A.N: - The character of Lord Greengrass has been inspired by a more toned-down version of Lucius Malfoy, I hope you guys like it. He still doesn''t have an official name yet. So I will listen to your suggestions if you have any. Thank you for reading. -

 Chapter 36: Presents

    Chapter 36: Presents

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 36: Presents

    24 December

    The Potters were sitting at the table and enjoying their Christmas dinner while chatting.

    Harry looked over at his ''new'' family and smiled. This was a scene he had dreamed about many times during his lonely childhood years. Just having a family and spending time with them¡­he had wanted that for so long and now that he has it, he was willing to do anything to protect it.

    Lily looked at her son with her bright green eyes.

    "Harry, dear. Is everything okay? you have been very quiet."

    He nodded at his mother.

    "Everything is great, mom. I was just thinking about some stuff."

    "Were you perhaps thinking about how many sses are you going to fail in your first year?" Said Lyra with a mischievous smile.

    "Lyra, don''t say those things. Harry is not going to fail any sses¡­you are studying properly, right son?" Asked James.

    "Of course Dad. I''m doing fine at school." He made sure to not stand up too much during his sses, but he wasn''t going to fail either. All of his grades were at least decent, even in potions, much to the professor''s displeasure.

    "What about potions?" It was like his father had just read his mind.

    "Snivelus is not giving you trouble, I hope. Or else, I will have t-"

    "James!, you have to stop calling him that, even more so in front of the children. That being said¡­" Lily''s eyes turned to look at Harry.

    "Is he giving you a hard time? you can tell me if he does."

    "He is a tough teacher, but I don''t think he is harsher with me than with the rest of the students." Harry decided to lie a bit. He didn''t want his parents to goin to Snape, that would just make things worse. He already knew the man quite well.

    Lily looked slightly upset.

    "He shouldn''t be tough with his students at all, and especially with the first years. The process of potion making is very delicate and being able to keep calm is extremely important for good results¡­Severus was always strict with himself when we were students. He was the type of person who would not tolerate even a small mistake. If he is putting his students to the same standard¡­"

    "Or, maybe he is just a twat." Added James.

    "James,nguage!." Lily spoke with rising fury.

    "Was this professor a friend of yours, Mom?" Asked Lyra, who had been wanting to get into the conversation for a while.

    Lily calmed herself down and addressed her daughter.

    "He was¡­we grew up in the same neighborhood and attended Hogwarts together. But we were sorted into different houses and talked less and less over the years. Eventually, we had a big disagreement, and¡­we haven''t really talked after our graduation."

    "Can we talk about something happier than that gloomy man? I mean, is almost Christmas already!" James pointed at the clock hanging from the wall. The needles were only ten minutes away from midnight.

    "We have presents to open!"

    The mere mention of the word''presents'' seemed to have awakened Holly from her slumbering state.

    "Presents, yes!" She started to yell.

    The family moved to the main living room of the house where the presents had been stored under a big tree.

    The room had been decorated by Lily and Mipsy and it even had fake magical snow falling from a cloud that was moving around the ce.

    Holly did not care much about all of this and just sprinted towards the tree.

    "Presents!"

    "Holly, wait! Don''t open them yet!." Lily ran after her daughter.

    Lyra pretended to be moreposed but she walked rtively fast towards the tree and started to look for the boxes with her name on them.

    Harry felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to his father.

    "Go on, son. I think there are a few with your name." James gave Harry a wink and tapped him on the back.

    He felt a bit akward by celebrating the holidays in such a manner. It reminded him of the ones he spent with the Weasleys.

    But he never grew acostumed to them, always feeling like a bit of a outcast in them.

    This was suposed to be his real family but he could not help but still feel like that.

    Pushing the negative thought aside, Harry found two boxes with his name written on it.

    His two sisters were already busy opening their presents so he decided todo the same.

    Inside the small box, were two books. One looked new while the other one was a fairly worn out note book.

    "This is?..."

    "Oh, thats mine." Said his mother as she moved to his side.

    The cover of the new book said "One hundred tips and tricks for young potioners".

    "That book contains a lot of incredible usefull information to make your potion ss much easier. I alwaysmented that I only found out about that one when I was in my fourth year, so I told myself that I would get one for my children when they were old enough."

    She pointed at the other one.

    "I figured that Severus could give you a hard time...that notebook is from my own first three years. It has a lot of useful guidance on how to perform the potions from Howarts curriculum. It was written by both me and Severus. But dont let him see it!, he may get mad..."

    Harry opened the notebook. It was filled with notes handwritten by his mother.

    ''I would have given anything to have a memento like this in the past...''

    Lily gave him an apologetic smile.

    "I know that books are not a great present for children. So I put a lot of candy at the bottom of the box."

    "No...this is great, thank you...mom." Harry smiled softly, doing his best to contain his emotions.

    "Open mine now,e on!" James approached them.

    "You are going to love it!"

    Harry nodded and opened the box. There was some sort of clothes inside.

    ''No...these are not clothes...this is!-''

    "James!, is that what I think it is?" Questioned Lily.

    "Hehe!, this is my good old cloak of invisibility!" James proimed proudly.

 Chapter 37: Back to class

    Chapter 37: Back to ss

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 37: Back to ss

    January 8

    Harry was somewhat d to be back at the castle. It wasn''t that he didn''t enjoy spending time with his family. But he felt more restricted at this house.

    Here in Hogwarts,he had ess to several hidden ces like the Room of Requirements, where he didn''t have to worry about being seen by the students or teachers.

    But at home, it was a different story. The house was quite big but it didn''t have any ces where he could do magic without taking the risk of being found out by his family or their house elf.

    He hated the fact that he could not be himself in front of his own family. But revealing the truth was not an option he could take right now.

    Even if he could somehow convince them he was telling the truth, he would be cing a heavy burden on them.

    But more than that, it scared him¡­he has no idea how would they react after learning that their real son is actually dead and instead they have been living with some alternate version copy of him.

    "Harry!"

    The voice of Hermione shook him from his negative thoughts.

    He lifted his head to look at her.

    "Finally!" She huffed with annoyance.

    "You know¡­ sometimes you seem to get very lost in your own world. What were you thinking so hard about?."

    "Yes, I''m afraid that is a quirk shared among geniuses." He joked.

    Hermione rolled her eyes.

    "Sure, so¡­wanna go to the library?"

    "The library already? We just got back and we don''t have any pending homework and there will be no tests for at least two more weeks."

    Harry looked around themon room. sses were over for the day but the students still had several hours before dinner, so most of them would be hanging around in different parts of the castle, leaving themon room almost empty at this time of the day.

    Other than him and Hermione, the only upants at the moment were Lavander and Parvati, who seemed to be having an intense conversation on a couch close to the firece.

    Hermione made a troubled expression.

    "I know, but¡­there isn''t much to do now."

    ''Ah, I see.'' He now realized the problem. She was bored.

    For him, being alone was not much of an issue. Despite having manypanions andrades during the war, he would often travel alone for long periods of time. And now, leaving aside the fact that he did not enjoy interacting with children that much, he had much to do, making it impossible for him to get bored.

    But for Hermione was different.Her personality made it difficult to make friends of her age. The only one who gave her any attention was Harry, but he wasn''t great forpany as he spent most of his free time training at the Room of Requirements.

    ''What she needs right now more than books, are some friends.''

    But she doesn''t get along with either Ron or Dean, making it very difficult for her to interact with Neville.

    Harry looked back at the two girls on the couch.

    ''I guess it wouldn''t hurt to try.''

    "You are roommates with those two, right?" He asked.

    Hermione turned around to observe the girls for a moment before nodding.

    "Why?" she asked.

    "Do you talk with them often?"

    "Well, we sleep in the same bedroom but don''t talk much¡­on the first day I tried to tell them all I had learned about the castle in ''Hogwarts, a History'', but they didn''t seem very interested. They also don''t seem very interested in any of our sses so I gave up on interacting with them."

    Harry wanted to smack her forehead.

    "Most first years aren''t that invested in academics or the history of an old castle, even a magical one¡­ did you ask them about their own interests?"

    Hermione tilted her head in confusion.

    "No, why would I do that?"

    "Because that''s how you make friends. You get to know the other person and try to find something inmon that you both enjoy."

    "I don''t think we have anything inmon¡­and they don''t seem very interesting, all they talk about is makeup and boys." She huffed.

    "I''m sure they know something that can interest you, like..." Harry tried to remember any useful about those two. He didn''t talk much to them and Lavander died during theirst year of school. But there were a few things he recalled.

    "Well, they are both from pureblood families. And Parvati family, the Patil is an extremely old pureblood family from India. Imagine the long story of magic they have...and their library."

    Hermione eyes illuminated a bit at hearing this.

    "You grew up in the muggle world. I''m sure there are many things you could learn from them about being a witch that you cannot learn from books." Exined Harry.

    "Don''t look down on books!" Hermioned rebuked.

    "But...you may be right. Maybe learning more about witches from magical families would not be bad. But, how do I approach them...maybe there is a book about this in the library, I''ll check tomorrow."

    "There is no need for that,e." He held her by the hand and brought her alone as he approached the two girls.

    "Hello, Patil, Brown. Have you two heard the rumor about Professor Snape?" He asked.

    "Rumor? what rumor?" The two of them perked up and looked at him.

    "If it is the one about him being able to turn into a bat, I already heard it and I don''t think is true..." AddedLavander.

    "No no, this is something else...I heard that Snape uses a charm that he personally created to make his robes flow in that weird way." Harry was about eighty percent sure this was a true fact.

    "Really? a charm?"

    "That would make sense!, there is no way a normal robe should move like that, I always thought it was strange."

    The two of themmented.

    "Do you two mind if we sit here? is a bit cold in that corner." Said Harry.

    "Sure,e sit here!" Both girls made room for Harry and Hermione to sit down next to the firece.

    After that, the group talked for a long while until it was time for dinner.

    Harry could only hope that Hermione would take this chance to create some new friends, it was the least he could do for her.

 Chapter 38: Visiting Knockturn Alley

    Chapter 38: Visiting Knockturn Alley

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 38: Visiting Knockturn Alley

    "Okay, this should do it for now."

    Harry inspected the briefcase onest time before closing it.

    The magical container has been filled with all the valuables he was able to find during his two-month search. He knew he had only scratched the surface of what was stored inside the Room of Requirements but that was fine by him.

    Is not like he was nning on bing rich by selling antiques. He only intended to get enough money to buy the materials he required at the moment. He was not a greedy person by any means.

    Harry left the briefcase and looked at his mechanical wristwatch.

    ''Eight o''clock, perfect. The shops at the alley must be opening right now. And since today is Saturday, I can spend most of the day away without raising suspicions.''

    He then walked to an old full-size mirror that was left in a corner of the Room of Requirements. With a wave of his wand, the mirror became sparkling clean.

    Harry looked at his reflection with care. He had to make sure there were no ring errors in his disguise.

    He tried to make the minimum amount of changes since the more you change yourself, the easier bes for others to discern that something was wrong.

    His hair remained the same, his eyes had only changed color to a light brown tone. He was also wearing different sses and some muggle clothes he had brought to the school.

    The biggest change was his face. He had used a mixture of charms and transfiguration to make himself look around ten years older.

    Unfortunately, his height remained the same since there was no way to change his size without resorting to illusions orplex potions he did not have ess to.

    So ended up looking like a very short young man in his early twenties.

    ''I don''t think the shop owner will care that much even if he notices something.''

    Satisfied with the changes, Harry went to pick up his briefcase and took his wand out. With a smooth flick, he disappeared from the Room of Requirements without a trace and not even Dumbledore would notice his absence.

    <><><><><><>

    With a ''pop'' noise, Harry appeared in a dested corner of Diagon Alley.

    After making sure that no one was around, he pulled out his invisibility cloak and covered himself with it.

    He had originally nned to go to a different shop. One that was located close to the main street.

    But now that he had his cloak back,he could sneak into Knockturn Alley without gathering unwanted attention.

    As expected, Borgin and Burkes were empty at this time of the day as the usual clients prefer to go out at night.

    After checking his surroundings, Harry removed himself from underneath the cloak and entered the shop.

    The ring of the door startled the shopkeeper from his drowsy state.

    "Ah... client this early in the morning? that''s quite a surprise. Oh?..." Mister Burkes looked at the small frame of Harry with interest as he entered.

    " Shouldn''t you be in Hogwarts, child? Are you perhaps lost?" he said with a teasing tone.

    Harry''s eyes moved to meet his and Burkes felt a great deal of anger and hatred in them, that was not a rare thing for his average client, but not something he expected from an individual he believed to be a child.

    "I graduated five years ago and I''m not a child," Harry said with a frown that twisted his face, enhancing his more mature features.

    "Or are you making fun of me for my condition?"

    Burke realized his mistake after seeing the face more closely. That was not the face of a child.

    "My apologies good sir!. I meant no insult.!" he hurried up to say.

    "Is just very early in the morning and I had a long night...please forgive this old fool."

    "No matter. I came here to do business." Harry walked to the counter.

    "Of course. How can I help you?" Burke asked with a polite smile.

    With some difficulty, Harry ced the briefcase on top of the counter and opened it.

    Burke''s looked over with interest.

    "May I?" he asked for permission and Harry nodded.

    Only then, did the old man start to pick up the objects inside the case and carefully ce them on the counter one by one while taking long nces at each piece before putting them down.

    "That is quite the collection of antique objects you have here. Many old books, some of them very valuable, jewelry and some very fascinating quills."

    "I also have this."

    Harry took a thin stick out of one of his jacket pockets and removed the shrinking charm he had ced.on it.

    The stick turned into a full-size broom and was also ced on the counter.

    "A Nimbus 100!. That''s quite the find. The collectors of flying brooms go crazy for these old models." Said Burkes.

    He then gave Harry a measuring look.

    "I don''t mean to be impolite but I am required to ask. If I may, where did you find all of these things?"

    Harry was already expecting this question.

    "My uncle had recently passed away and left me his house as an inheritance. I found this thing while browsing around the house. Is a very old house you see."

    "Oh, I understand. I''m very sorry for your loss. But when we lose something we often gain something else in exchange don''t we?"

    It was obvious that Burkes did not believe a word that Harry said. But the man did not really care if the merchandise was stolen.

    "So, are you interested in buying?" asked Harry.

    "Of course, let me see¡­" The old man pretended to think for a minute despite already knowing the value of most of the objects he had seen.

    "What about ten thousand gallons?"

    Harry frowned. He was no. expert in books or jewels but he knew the broom alone should be worth around that much.

    ''This old goat is trying to scam me¡­''

 Chapter 39: The looming threat

    Chapter 39: The looming threat

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 39: The looming threat

    After ten long minutes of back and forth, Harry managed to get a deal for fifty thousand gallons.

    "Here." He passed Burke a small piece of paper.

    "This is?" the old man picked up the paper and read it.

    "a list of¡­things."

    There are several types of items listed in the paper. A variety of precious metals and stones, a new set of runic inscription tools, dragon hide, and small arkstones.

    "Small arkstones?, how small are we talking? For the warding of a property, the smallest one rmended is four inches." Asked the old man.

    "Around half an inch in diameter." Exined Harry.

    "One that small would be considered scraps, no one uses them. What would you want something that small for?" Asked Burkes.

    " It doesn''t matter what I want then for. Can you get them for me?"

    "I may know a provider, but it won''t be cheap."

    "You just said they were just scraps!" Harry reminded him.

    The old man chuckled.

    "Yes, but you need to know an arkstone craftsman to acquire them. Now, let''s talk about the price for this list of yours¡­"

    They then discussed for almost an hour until an agreement was reached.

    Harry will get all the items on his list plus ten thousand galleons in exchange for the antiques.

    This meant that he would not have enough for the alchemic ingredients he was nning on buyingter on, but there was still a lot of time to get those so he didn''tin.

    "Come back in two weeks and I will have everything ready." Told Burkes to Harry before he left the shop.

    It was almost midday when he stepped outside but he felt more tired than after training for hours.

    ''Let''s get back to Hogwarts and take a nap¡­''

    <><><><><><><>

    "There you are!"

    Harry was on his way to the kitchens when someone called for him.

    "Where have you been all day?, I have been looking for you." Daphne told him while she kept turning her head back like she was making sure no one was behind them.

    "I was busy with some things¡­and I thought we weren''t supposed to interact much in public. " Said Harry.

    "We are not, but there is something important¡­" Daphne kept looking around.

    "Fine¡­" Harry took out his invisibility cloak, got close to Daphne, and wrapped them both underneath.

    "What are you¡­is this an invisibility cloak?" Her anger at his sudden physical closeness faded quickly.

    "Stay quiet, the cloak doesn''t block sound," Harry whispered.

    She looked displeased but chose toply and remained quiet all the way to the room that seemed to have be their private meeting location.

    "Maybe we should give this room a name after all. We keeping back here." Harry removed the cloak after the door was closed.

    "Meeting room? that should do it." Suggested Daphne.

    "So imaginative¡­sure, meeting room. What was that important thing that could not wait until tomorrow?" Harry sat down on one of the couches.

    "I had a long day."

    "Stop talking like an old man...this could not wait any longer, is too big!"

    Daphne said with a rare show of emotion.

    "Okay¡­ I''m listening."

    "Professor Nayar is an assassin." She said with no hesitation.

    "What?!, but he is one of the best teachers that¡­hold on¡­"

    Harry took a pause to think about it for a bit.

    ''When did Hogwarts have a good teacher who didn''t try to kill a student by the end of the year?''

    He looked at Daphne.

    "Fine, he is an assassin. Anything else?"

    "You have epted this surprisingly quickly." Daphne looked a bit taken aback.

    "Yes well, some things just¡­make sense I guess. Who is the target?"

    "Take a guess." She said with her arms crossed.

    "Mmm¡­it must be the Weasley twins then. They must have pranked the wrong person this time, and then-"

    "Is Longbottom!" Cried Daphne.

    "Of course he is¡­" Harry rolled his eyes.

    "You asked! But the Weasley twins was not a bad guess, I have heard about some of the pranks they have pulled on my housemates, and let me tell you, they are not happy¡­"

    "How did your father find out about this?" Asked Harry.

    "He didn''t tell me all the details, just that Malfoy is not as secretive as he thinks."

    "Anything else? like when is the attack going to happen, where or how?"

    "Before the end of the year, that''s all I know. You are going to inform your father about this, correct?."

    Harry remained silent for a minute, considering the information he had received.

    "No, there is no need to involve my father in this, yet."

    "Howe? isn''t he an auror? Surely there is something he could do!" Daphne could not understand his motives.

    "As you said, he is an auror. They need solid evidence to take action in cases like this. The only thing we have is some rumors, isn''t it?" Harry remained impassive.

    "But¡­then, are you going to ignore it?." Daphne asked with disbelief.

    "Of course not. Give me some time to think about this. Maybe there is a way to gain some evidence, then we can call my father." Offered Harry.

    "What if he attacks before that?" She asked.

    "Unlikely¡­killing the ''Boy who lived'' while in Hogwarts would definitely attract the attention of every auror in Ennd. The Ministry will not rest until an arrest has been made because the public will pressure him to do that. If Professor Nayarmits the crime now, he will be forced to leave the country immediately, revealing his involvement in the matter. It would be better to wait until the end of the year, maybe even thest day. If he does it correctly and hides the evidence, by the time the Aurors find the body all the teachers and students would have already left the school, making it incredibly difficult for the Aurors to even perform an investigation."

    "Ah¡­" Daphne did not know what to say to that.

    "You really thought about this¡­a lot¡­were you nning on k-"

    "Don''t be silly. Daphne." Harry interrupted her. "Now let us go back to our respective rooms, I''m very tired."

    "Tired from doing what?, is Saturday." She inquired.

    Harry merely gave her a cryptic smile in answer, much to the girl''s frustration.

 Chapter 40: The Missing Boy

    Chapter 40: The Missing Boy

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 40: The Missing Boy

    During the next defense ss, Harry was staring at the professor while thinking about how to solve this issue.

    Even though he had assured Daphne that the crime would certainly not take ce until the end of the year, he wasn''t one hundred percent confident about that. And he rather not gamble with Neville''s life like that.

    ''Should I just kill him at the first chance I get?, or maybe try to gain more information about his ns or on what the death eaters are doing¡­no, this man is just a hired wand, there is zero chance he knows something important.''

    He held his head in frustration.

    ''I hate this kind of stuff¡­ let''s see, what did Moody use to say?, always know your enemy or something like that?, maybe I can buy some information on¡­''

    "Mister Potter!"

    He must have been more distracted than he thought because he failed to notice Professor Nayar arriving at his side.

    "Mister Potter, are you perhaps feeling unwell? you seem paler than usual." Asked the Professor.

    Harry quickly brushed aside his concern, iming a mild headache from too much reading and the professor continued with his ss.

    <><><><><><><><>

    The head of the training dummy was crushed by a stone that impacted the speed of a bullet.

    Three more dummies moved around the room in irregr patterns.

    Harry conjured some small knives before casting a banishing charm.

    "Depulso!"

    The des one of the dummies on the head and another one on the chest, missing the third target.

    Harry made a sound of annoyance.

    "Fulmen!" A lighting bolt came out of his wand and turned the poor dummy into a burning mess.

    He was huffing and puffing by the end of the training, but he was feeling better.

    "Ah, this is it! Blowing up stuff never fails to cheer me up"

    <><><><><><><>

    He exited the Room of Requirements at his usual time, one hour before dinner. This gives him enough room to take a shower and rest for a bit before leaving.

    "Hog snout."

    The fatdy nodded and the entrance to the dorms opened just in time for Harry to see Hermione, Parvati, and Lavander leaving themon room.

    "Oh, Harry, hello!" Greeted Hermione.

    He was d to see her getting along with the other girls, that way he would not feel bad for letting her alone in order to do other things that he considered more important at the moment.

    "Hello, Hermione.!" He looked at the other two girls and nodded at them.

    "Parvati, Lavender, hello to you two too."

    Lavender rolled her eyes.

    "You don''t have to be so formal all the time, Harry¡­we are ssmates for Pete sake!." Lavender huffed.

    "She is right, you know?" Added Parvati.

    "We are going for a walk through the inner garden before dinner, would you like toe with us?"

    "And I am the one being overly polite," Harry grumbled.

    Hermione and Lavander chuckled.

    "He is right, you are always so posh." Said Lavander.

    "I can''t help it!,I was raised like that¡­.besides, my sister Padma is much worse than me." Parvati excused herself the best she could.

    "Well, I appreciate the offer, but I''m in dire need of a shower at the moment." Harry removed some beads of sweat that were traveling across his forehead.

    "Have you been running or something?" Asked Lavander.

    "Something like that," Harry answered dismissively.

    "That''s not a very wizard-like behavior," Parvatimented.

    "But, I am a very unusual wizard." Harry pointed out.

    "Is that what you are always doing after ss? you are always disappearing to go somewhere but never tell me where¡­.you even skipped several library sessions!" Hermione looked particrly miffed about thatst part.

    <><><><><><><>

    Something has been bugging him since he left the dorms.

    A bad feeling, a uniqueness that turned his stomach and made him ufortable.

    He had always listened to his gut feelings when these warned him of some danger, but he had no idea what danger must he prepare against.

    Harry entered the Great Hall at a brisk pace and moved his eyes around the room, trying to gain as much information as possible.

    He took notice of the teacher''s table¡­all there, including the defense professor, who was already eating in a rxed manner.

    On the Slytherin table, he spotted Draco, smiling smugly while talking about something with his ssmates.

    On the Gryffindor table, he first saw Hermione, Lavander, and Parvati. The three girls were starting to ce food on their tes while chatting.

    He moved his gaze around the long table and saw the Weasley Twins.

    And finally, sitting nearby was the ''not so golden'' trio¡­Ron, Seamus and¡­

    "Where is Neville?...shit!" Harry cursed.

    "Mister Potter,nguage!" Professor McGonagall gave him a stern look.

    He apologized and moved away from the teacher''s table.

    Harry sat next to Ron and looked at the redhead boy.

    Usually, Ron would be stuffing his face from his overfilled te, so¡­ seeing him slowly cutting a piece of chicken and barely eating any of it, was beyond weird.

    ''Something must have happened.''

    "Hey, Ron, Seamus¡­is Neville noting down for dinner?" He tried to ask casually.

    Ron stopped eating and frowned. He seemed upset at the mention of Neville.

    "Well, we haven''t seen it since ourst ss ended," Seamus answered and gave Ron a nce.

    "Did you guys get into an argument or something?" Asked Harry.

    "Something like that¡­" Seamus was carefully ncing at Ron like he was trying to avoid upsetting him by talking too much.

    "Anyways¡­the professor told him to stay behind and talk about something and we left.

    ''Wait, thest ss of today was¡­defense.'' Harry thought with increasing worry.

    His gaze went back to the teacher''s table. Nayar was there, eating calmly. Could he have done something to Neville?.

    ''It can''t be¡­he wouldn''t be here if he had done something, right?''

    "Why do you care now? you never hang out with us." Ron gave Harry an angry look.

    "Because¡­"

    While he was trying toe up with something, the house ghosts came flying into the hall.

    "Acromants!" Screamed Gryffindor''s ghost.

    "Acromants have invaded the castle!" added the Hufflepuff one.

    The hall went into a panic.

 Chapter 41: Pest Invasion

    Chapter 41: Pest Invasion

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 41: Pest Invasion

    As soon as the news hit the hall, the children screamed in horror. Even the most ignorant ones knew how deadly those spiders were.

    The Headmaster took Swift control of the situation and proceeded to do the most sensible thing he could.

    He sent one thousand scared children running onto the halls while the teachers searched the halls for the acromants.

    "I-Its okay, everyone. Just follow me¡­"

    The shaking voice of Percy Weasley came from the front of the group.

    They had separated the Griffindor Students into several groups and he was put in charge of guiding the first-year students.

    No matter how nervous or scared he was, Percy swore to himself to get the job done.

    "Is this way, Percy!" Shouted the fifth-year female prefect when she saw her partner make a turn into a hall with no exit.

    "I knew that!" Percy turned around and walked the other way.

    "Yeah, he totally knew that."

    "Of course, there is no way the prefect would panic and get lost during an emergency."

    The Weasley twinsughed.

    "You two are not helping!" Cried the female prefect.

    "We weren''t trying to." the twins said in unison.

    "Why are you two even here?!, you are third-year''s." Comined percy.

    "Mom always said that family must remain united." Said Fred.

    "And we wanted to see you in action," added George.

    Percy ignored the mocking tone of his brothers. This was not the time.

    "Do not worry, will be at the dorms soon enough. Well, be safe then¡­"

    Looking at the terrified faces of the first year, he decided to add something else.

    "Even if we encounter one of those beasts, I know just the spell to take them down."

    Percy imed with confidence.

    "It was something like¡­aranha exuma¡­or maybe exuma arania?. I think it was something like that, yes¡­"

    "That doesn''t sound right¡­" the other prefect made aplicated face.

    "Oh yes, because when ites to performing magic, is important to be as vague as possible with your incantation, right?"

    "Of course, that''s what all the teachers say. Just shout something that sounds more or less like the spell you are trying to cast."

    The twins said with a mocking smile.

    "You two, that''s enough!" the prefect demanded.

    "Children, don''t panic and stay close to each other. Make sure no one falls behind. " She instructed.

    At the back of the group were Hermione, Lavander, and Parvati.

    "I''m so scared¡­and those seniors at the front are not being very reassuring," said Parvati.

    "Why couldn''t Professor McGonagalle with us?" Lavender said with frustration.

    "The professors know what''s best. I''m sure the Headmaster had a good reason for this. Don''t you agree,Harry?.... Harry?"

    Hermione turned around only to find an empty dark corridor behind her.

    "Harry!. Where did he go? he was right behind me a moment ago." Hermione said with panic in her voice.

    <><><><><><><>

    "Point me, Neville."Harry felt a pulsing sensation and his wand moved to point to the left.

    ''I must be getting close, is not pointing upwards anymore.''

    Harry had separated from his group as soon as he saw the opportunity and rushed to find Neville.

    He was now running through a familiar hall on the sixth floor when he spotted the first acromant.

    Harry pointed his wand forward, a rock the size of a basketball appeared, and with a smooth flick of his wrist, he disappeared the rock in the direction the spider was following.

    The young acromant was just the size of a medium dog. It gotpletely destroyed by the rock that Harry threw and didn''t even have time to make a noise orin.

    "Ahhh!, help!"

    He heard a voice calling for help, just a bit further down the hall.

    This was a corridor he was very familiar with. The trophy room was just a bit further away.

    Last week he came here to have a talk with Daphne, but the room was on the fourth floor back then. This corridor tended to move a lot between the fourth and sixth floors.

    After hearing another scream for help, Harry finally saw what was going on.

    Neville had gotten himself inside the cab that contained all the trophies. Arge group of spiders were right outside, taping on the ss with their legs.

    ''Good thing that ss has been reinforced with an unbreakable enchantment, otherwise¡­''

    He rather not think about how close that boy hade to a nasty death.

    He conjured more rocks and vanished them, taking out several more spiders.

    The acromants turned to look at him and made some angry noises but none of them attacked him, just stood there.

    ''What''s is going on?, why don''t they move from there?''

    Some of the acromants stared at Harry while others returned to tap on the ss while the terrified Neville kept screaming.

    ''Is like they are only interested in killing him¡­''

    He was no expert on animal behavior, but this was certainly strange.

    He was about to unleash death upon the creatures when he heard a loud noise approaching from behind.

    He turned his head and saw another acromant, but this one was much bigger than the rest. This one was almost half the size of theAragog he remembers. Its massive body was wide enough to cover most of the hallway.

    Harry now had around ten acromants in front of him and one giant one behind.

    And he had to deal with them before they could y Neville.

 Chapter 42: The professors arrive at the scene

    Chapter 42: The professors arrive at the scene

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 42: The professors arrive at the scene

    The giant acromant hissed at him while moving its frontal legs in an attempt to intimidate him. The ones behind him did the same.

    But they did not attack or get closer to Harry.

    He did not understand the reason for their unusual behavior but did not care either, he had one job to do and he was going to do it.

    Harry pointed his wand to the floor right beneath the giant acromant and then followed it with a swift upward flick.

    The spider gave a tremendously loud shriek as it was impaled by a stone spike that rose from beneath the creature and lifted it in the air.

    With the biggest threat already incapacitated and dying, Harry turned around to face the rest.

    He threw a low-powered bombarda aimed downwards, just strong enough to blow up several stone tiles, and then followed it up with a depulso, sending all the sharp pieces of stone to the acromants, who had no way to dodge them.

    Five more spiders went down, fire was left to go.

    Harry conjured a dozen knives and sent them at light speed to the creatures.

    The acromants shrieked in pain after being cut and stabbed, but none of them tried to run away. Not a single one of the creatures wanted to separate themselves from the trophy case where Neville was hiding.

    Four more spiders fell victim to the knives, there was one left.

    Harry decided to get a bit creative with thest one.

    He tapped his wand against the rocky wall to his right. For a moment, nothing happened, but then, the part of the wall that was closest to the acromant came to life.

    A stone hand, three times the size of the spider, formed from the wall itself, and with its palmpletely opened, it smashed the creature in one quick motion like it was amon fly.

    With the deed done, the hall became silent once more and Harry contemted what to do next.

    Neville had stopped his screaming and seemed to be staring at the dead acromants from inside the ss piece of furniture.

    Harry considered for a moment going to Neville and checking if he was okay, but he did not want to reveal his involvement in this matter.

    He was confident that Neville had not been able to discern his identity based on the construction of the cab he was in. Only the front part was made of ss and Harry never approached that area, instead he killed all the acromants from a good distance.

    The decision was taken away from him the moment he heard arge number of people getting closer to him.

    ''The teachers are already here¡­fine, I can leave the clean up to them.''

    Harry lifted his wand and disappeared from the hallway before the adults turned the corner.

    "This way!, I heard some noises." Professor McGonagall hurried her steps.

    She let out a loud gasp when she saw the macabre scene.

    "By Merlin!"

    "This is¡­" Dumbledore''s eyes scanned the hallway meticulously, pointing his wand around until it stopped on the ss cab.

    "There is someone there!." he pointed forward.

    "Be careful, that acromant is still alive." Warned Snape as he walked from behind the Headmaster.

    They moved as close as possible to the wall and passed the twitching giant spider.

    McGonagall stared at the stone spike that was impaling the creature.

    "This was done with transfiguration. The construction of the spike must have been perfect to be able to lift such a monster¡­"

    Dumbledore was walking ahead of the group when he suddenly stopped.

    "Headmaster?" Snape called, wondering what took the attention of the old wizard.

    Dumbledore said nothing and pointed his wand at one particr spot. He moved it around and whispered some words.

    His eyes opened widely.

    "This can''t be!"

    "What is it, Albus?" McGonagall asked this time.

    "This area here¡­it has traces of¡­"

    "Of what?" Questioned Snape.

    Before the Headmaster had time to answer, someone started to shout.

    "Hey, is there someone there? help!"

    McGonagall hurried up and moved to the cab, where she finally spotted the terrified Neville hiding inside.

    "Longbottom!" She eximed.

    "Unlock the doors, Mister Longbottom."

    Ordered Snape.

    "Is it safe?" Neville looked around, expecting to see more spiders appearing.

    "It is quite safe, my boy. You don''t have to worry about the acromants any longer. " Dumbledore tried to sound reassuring.

    Neville nodded and released his iron grip on the doors, allowing it to open.

    "I''ll take him, Madam Pomfrey," Mcgonagall said after making sure he did not have anything serious that required immediate action.

    "Yes, do that¡­ I will visit the infirmary a bitter, we still have some work to do here." Said Dumbledore.

    The professor took Neville away by the hand. The boy follows withoutints, looking to be in an almost state of shock.

    With the two of them gone, Dumbledore and Snape were left to examine the scene. There was acromant blood sshed everywhere. It was quite a shocking view.

    "I''m d Hagrid is not here to see this¡­he is fond of these creatures."

    Snape observed carefully the remains of the beasts. The conjured knives were still embedded into some of them. Then, there was the giant stone hand that crushed thest one.

    "You think a student could use transfiguration to this level of skill?" Asked the potion professor, pointing at the hand.

    Dumbledore contemted the question for a moment.

    "It would not be impossible for a talented seventh-year to create something like that, I believe Minerva could give you a couple of names. At least that''s what I would say if these were normal walls."

    Dumbledore tapped the wall with his wand.

    "There are protections weaved into them that should prevent students from affecting them with magic."

    "So, not the work of a student then. Is that what you think?" asked Snape.

    "I have one more reason to believe this wasn''t done by someone so young and inexperienced¡­whoever did this¡­he or she, escaped with apparition."

    Snape was filled with shock.

    "From inside Hogwarts? that''s impossible."

    "Yes, well¡­there is always a way to make the impossible¡­. possible."

 Chapter 43: Useful tools

    Chapter 43: Useful tools

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 43: Useful tools

    The next week was not a fun one for Harry. He was first scolded by Hermione for disappearing all of then sudden and then got a week of detention with Mister Filch.

    If that was not enough, Daphne has been contacting him and demanding to take some action against the professor.

    It took a lot of effort to convince her to wait. He had to get some solid evidence to warn the Aurors.

    Showing their cards too soon would only serve to put Neville in more danger.

    The poor boy was traumatized enough after what he went through with the acromants.

    He was taken away by his grandmother the day after and he still has note back to school.

    But it wasn''t all bad. At least on Friday, he had received some good news.The items he had requested from Borgin and Burkes are finally ready to be collected.

    <><><><><><><><>

    He was sittingfortably on a sofa inside the room of requirements. In front of him, sprayed over a wooden table was a series of objects.

    Ingots of different metals, shiny stones, rune carving tools of high quality along with some other crafting tools, and finally, two wand holsters and a wand.

    "I spent most of my money but I think it was worth it. "

    Especially when all of that money came from selling things he found inside this room.

    He started by picking up the wand. He wasn''t sure of the wood, it looked like oak. His only requirement for this wand was that it had to be impossible to trace and it needed to have a Phoenix feather core. It always had been his mostpatible one.

    He felt the wand bond to himself immediately. As long as the wand had no owner, he would have no issues bonding with it.

    "It feels a bit weaker than my other wand¡­but."

    He gave it a flick and conjured a de in front of him. With a swift push, he sent it flying at a tremendous speed until it ended up stabbing one of many shelves of the room. The de became embedded up to the hilt before disappearing.

    Harry nodded, looking satisfied.

    "This will be useful in case I have to fight using less¡­legal spells."

    In his honest opinion, the Ministry was too strict with its long list of illegal magic. And if he was going to be fighting dark wizards, he was not willing to hold back.

    He put on one of the holdsters on his left hand and stored the other one.

    He activated a runic cluster on the holster that would prevent it from being seen and ced his spare wand inside.

    It was better to keep them hidden. A wand holster was not something a student would normally carry. He would only put on the other one when going outside.

    "Now¡­ let''s see."

    He picked up one of the precious stones. It waspletely clear, like a piece of ss, and had some marine on the surface.

    This was one of the many arkstones he bought.

    These stones had a single purpose. They were able to storerge amounts of magic to be used at ater moment.

    Their primary application was to power up wards.

    Normally, wards will consume just a little bit of magic to operate so they can function with just the ambient magic in the air. But if the property bes under attack, that''s when the heavy defenses are activated, and the consumption of magic with increase drastically.

    Without one of these stones to keep powering the wards, these would copse in a matter of seconds after the attack started, making them pointless.

    They had been used in every ward since the creation of the magical Ministry, five centuries back.

    The one under Hogwarts was well over a millennia-old and is at least one hundred timesrger than any other one on record, making its existence very much a mystery for Harry.

    But not many people knew about that one, it was a piece of knowledge that one Headmaster left for the next.

    "If more people knew, they would be going crazy to get it¡­" Harry said.

    The ones on the table were much smaller than the minimum required for ward use, even for a small house, so people didn''t have much use for them.

    They could be used to power a magical artifact on rare asions, but Harry had another use for them.

    Something that wizards of this era had note up with yet.

    "People can get a lot more creative when their race is being massacred into extinction I suppose¡­" there was a lot of bitterness in his voice.

    He examined the little stone. It was around the size of his fingernail. But even a stone this small was able to hold more magic inside than your average adult wizard.

    The idea is to embed these small arkstones onto jewelry pieces that you can carry around with you. When you feel you are getting close to being magically exhausted or when you are about to unleash some ''grand'' magic, then, you activate the stone and transfer the magic to yourself, like having an extra battery.

    The runic work for these artifacts was also very simple.

    Harry had the idea after a particr exhausting battle and then all it took was to spend a few hours with Hermione toe up with the necessary runic cluster to activate the transference.

    The only setback was going to be the metal alloy necessary for the jewelry.

    Goblin steel was the best magically conductive metal that people knew at this point in time. But Harry knew how to make one even better.

    He already had all the necessary ingredients but the process took a long time.

    Harry nced over the pile of ingots he acquired.

    "To process all of that, it will take at least three months¡­but"

    The time wasn''t the only problem but he also had to think of the location where to set up his workshop.

    The room of requirements is only safe for as long as he is inside. But once he leaves, anyone could stumble upon it by ident so is not the most reliable to leave something that you don''t want anyone to find for several months.

    "Mmm¡­I may have a better ce in mind."

 Chapter 44: The calm before the storm

    Chapter 44: The calm before the storm

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 44: The calm before the storm

    Another month passed and we were getting close to March.

    Neville came back to school after two weeks away and Harry could finally find out what happened that day.

    After his argument with Ron, he was asked to stay behind by Profeslr Nayar.

    ording to Neville, the professor imed to be worried about him and his poor performance in ss.

    He offered Neville to stay for some extra practice and the boy epted.

    Late that afternoon, Neville left the ssroom and was on his way to the Great Hall when he was ambushed by the spiders.

    Aurors were called but no arrests were made. It is unclear to Harry if they suspected anyone. That is not information they would share with him, even if he was the son of one of the Head Aurors.

    Harry had been a bit worried about Hagrid when the Ministry got involved. But apparently, his connection with the acromant nest inside the Dark Forest was not something many were aware of.

    As for Professor Nayar himself. He has been very careful since thest attempt and has not made any suspicious moves.

    Daphne had be increasingly frustrated by hisck of action and he had the feeling that she was close to doing something stupid. Even for an eleven-year-old kid standard.

    What she didn''t know was that Harry had several trackers on Neville and the Professor.

    He had ced ten trackers on the professor to be more specific. Of those ten, Nayar found and disabled nine. But one was better than none.

    As for Neville, he didn''t need to ce any tracking charm. Every student of Hogwarts was being monitored since the first time they entered the castle.

    The secondary function of the sorting hat was to ce a tracking mark on top of the student''s head. Invisible to the naked eye.

    This mark will be able to track the position of the student inside the castle. Or even former students if they never found out about it and removed it.

    His father and his friends had taken advantage of this to create their Marauders map.

    Since Harry had full ess to the wards, it was very easy for him to put together a simpler version of that map to track only Neville and Professor Nayar.

    This way, he could always keep an eye on those two and intervene if it looked like Neville was in danger. He could then be able to catch the professor in the act. Having him arrested after that should be easy.

    It was a dangerous n¡­for Neville that is.

    But he could not think of a better way to gain the evidence he needed to get the aurors involved in this matter. Any muggle surveince device he could think of, would not work at Hogwarts.

    ''If the old Luna was here, she could probablye up with some runic array device to record video data into a crystal or something.''

    When it came to ancient runes, even Hermione could notpare to the odd blonde.

    "This would be so much easier if were at war¡­" Harry said while reminiscing about his past.

    Life was hard, yes. But things were simpler back then.

    If you came across a dark wizard¡­you killed him.

    If you came across a demon¡­you killed it.

    Now he had to take into ount,ws, human rights, politics¡­

    It would be so much easier to just go and kill the man.

    ''Then again¡­I''m not even sure the professor is truly a hired assassin sent to kill the boy who lived. I mean, whatever Lord Greengrass heard, must have been just rumors. Yes, the whole thing with Neville being attacked by acromants after leaving his office is suspicious but¡­''

    He sighed.

    "Who am I trying to convince?...there is no one else who fits the bill."

    He knew the other professors extremely well. Nayar was the only unknown factor, it had to be him.

    The head of a training dummy exploded.

    "Tsk!. It''s always the good defense teachers. It is like the position is cursed or something¡­wait, it probably is now that I think about it."

    Another dummy exploded.

    "Uff¡­I think I have enough for today. Let''s go check on that thing."

    He still had plenty of time before dinner so Harry made his way to the castle foundation.

    He opened the painting, went downstairs, and walked for several minutes at a brisk pace until he reached the furthest corner of the room where he had set up his little workshop.

    Even if Dumbledore were toe down here for some cosmic causality, there was little chance of him walking up to this distant corner of there where there is absolutely nothing of interest.

    So this was the ce where he decided to set up his station.

    Everything worked automatically and he only needs to check on it once a week or so.

    It was a very simple setup. Just a table with a cauldron and several other small tools.

    The cauldron was used to create the metal alloy called ''magicite'' . It was abination of gold, silver, dragon blood, and several other alchemical ingredients.

    The mixture had to be melted andbined very slowly to prevent it from being separated.

    The cauldron was enchanted for automatic heating and stirringof the ingredients. All that was left was waiting now.

    "Its looking good!". This is going faster than I had originally predicted. It should be ready in a bit over a month.

    Thest time he created this alloy it took him six months. It could be because he is using brand new high-quality tools or maybe the conditions of this chamber made the mixturebine faster.

    But no matter the case, it was good news. He may be able to assemble some of his old tools before the end of this year.

 Chapter 45: Foul Play

    Chapter 45: Foul y

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 45: Foul y

    ''Ah¡­this is so annoying¡­''Harry thought while being violently shaken.

    "Are you listening to me? Harry!"

    The ice queen of Slytherin was nowhere to be seen. Instead of, he had to deal with an obnoxious eleven-year-old old Daphne Greengrass who had kept calling for him and leaving messages during sses until he finally agreed to talk with her alone.

    "You know¡­if you keep calling me so much during ss, people are going to start talking¡­ personally I don''t care much about my reputation but that won''t be good for you, right?"

    Daphne got her hands off him and took a step back. Lately, Tracey had started to point out how distracted she had beentely, thinking about the issue with the boy who lived and the killer professor.

    "This is important, Harry!. We can''t let that man kill Neville."

    She didn''t really care that much about the Gryffindor boy, but her family had already signed a contract with the Potters, there was no going back now, their side was chosen. If the boy who lived died and Voldemort won, her family would be doomed.

    She had spent thest two months stressing herself nonstop about this, but Harry didn''t seem to care at all. Always disappears to go do who knows what and then says he is too tired to talk or that he doesn''t have time.

    She looked at his calm expression and frowned.

    "You are not taking this seriously at all!"

    ''This is not how I wanted to spend Friday night¡­ I wonder if the elves still have chocte pudding¡­''

    "Are you even listening?!" Daphne shouted.

    "You know¡­that door is not soundproof." He decided to let her know.

    "You are so frustrating!" she shouted even louder than before.

    "Fine, hold on¡­" He reached inside his robes and pulled out a piece of parchment.

    ''Maybe she will shut up if I show her.''

    "What''s that?" She watched with attention as he unfolded the paper and ced it on the coffee table.

    "Is nk¡­" There was nothing written on it.

    "You are very impatient,you know that?". Harry pulled out his ebony wand and pointed at the parchment

    "Reveal your secrets."

    "Whoa!" Daphne eximed.

    A map of the castle appeared on the previously empty parchment.

    "I have read about this. You protected the contents with a password." Said Daphne.

    "Yes, and as you can see-"

    "And the best you could think is ''Reveal your secrets''?. That''s probably the first thing people would try." She interrupted him.

    "No one will get their hands on it. And that''s not important, now¡­as you can see-"

    "This is a map of Hogwarts, right?." She interrupted him again.

    "Did you draw this yourself?"

    "Of course, who else is going to?"

    "Well¡­you are not very good at drawing then¡­and most of the lines are crooked. "

    "I made it in like one hour!, now if you don''t have any more critiques, take a look at the two names here and there." he pointed with his wand.

    The names Nayar and Neville are written inside circles.

    The professor one was inside his office while the one with Neville''s name was inside the Gryffindor dorms.

    Daphne looked at the map with great attention.

    "Ohh, it moved!" Neville''s circle moved from his room to themon room.

    "I put a tracking charm on those two. This map shows you their actual location inside the castle. If the professor tries anything, I will know thanks to this device and I will intervene or call a teacher. "

    "This is impressive¡­" Admitted Daphne.

    "I''m d you like it. Now as you can see, I have everything under control. There is no need for you to worry about this matter any longer, just leave it to me."

    Harry hoped that this would be enough to appease the girl so she stopped bothering him.

    "Wait, you put a tracking charm on the professor of defense against the dark arts? and he didn''t notice?" she sounded dubious.

    "I put ten tracking charms actually. He removed nine of them but was unable to find the tenth one." He exined.

    "Ten tracking charms?. But isn''t there a spell to detect them? My dad said he was going to teach me next summer. He said it was important, for my own protection to learn to detect and remove such charms." Daphne said.

    "Well of course there are ways to detect them and once you find one, removing it is very easy. But I know a few methods to hide them well and avoid most methods of detection."

    Daphne looked impressed enough.

    "How do you know so much about these charms? They are not even part of the school curriculum. Did Lord Potter teach you about them?"

    "Is not thatplicated actually." He avoided the question.

    "All that is needed is¡­"

    Harry stopped talking all a sudden as he realized something.

    "Wait¡­"

    "What is it, Harry?" She looked at him, wondering what could be the issue.

    ''Now that I''m thinking about it, is strange¡­the method I used was not a bad one but there was no guarantee to work against a wizard who was very knowledgeable in charms. He was able to find nine of my trackers but not thest one. Why didn''t that strike me as odd before¡­''

    He knew why. He has been preupied with other matters and hasn''t been giving this much thought even if he didn''t want to admit it.

    For someone else, having an assassin waiting to strike at any time would be something nervewracking, but for Harry, it didn''t rank very high on his priority list.

    However, it wasn''t his life the one that was on the line so he should have been paying more attention.

    He looked at Daphne for a moment. It seems like he is going to have to involve the adults after all. He can''t let this continue now that he suspects foul y.

    "We may have a problem, I need you to contact-"

    Without any warning, the door opened with a banging noise, and a big figure stood at the entrance of the room.

 Chapter 46: Ambush

    Chapter 46: Ambush

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 46: Ambush

    Daphne gave out a frightened scream as she hurried to stand up from the couch.

    Harry cast a silent protego charm around them to block the pieces of wood that flew their way.

    "So is Greengrass and Potter¡­" Professor Nayar looked somewhat troubled as he entered the room.

    Harry gave a quick nce at the parchment on the table, the circle with the professor''s name was still inside his office and hadn''t moved.

    The Indian professor caught this and grinned.

    "I think I forgot to take the cloak where the tracking charm was ced. How careless of me."

    ''As I thought¡­he left thest one on purpose in order to find who was trying to keep an eye on him.'' Harry concluded.

    "You two are some of my favorite students¡­its a shame I have to kill you now."

    "K-Kill us?..." Daphne was trembling like a leaf.

    Harry put a hand on her shoulder.

    "Open the entrance in the firece and leave."

    "But-"

    Harry pushed her towards the back of the room.

    "Go now!"

    Daphneposed herself and nodded before turning around and running to the firece.

    The professor aimed his wand at her back and fired a red spell that Harry recognized as a stunner.

    He blocked it by manifesting a protego shield in front of her.

    The girl did not waste the opportunity. She opened the secret door and went inside.

    "I''ll call for help, Harry!" She shouted as she was leaving.

    "You can create a silent protego charm, and you can even cast it on others. You have really been holding back on my sses, haven''t you, Mister Potter?"

    He gave another nce at the passageway Daphne used to escape.

    "I''ll deal with thess a bitter. Let''s start with you. "

    He aimed his wand at Harry.

    " You won''t be able to catch her before she reaches Snape''s office," Harry said. That passage leads to the dungeons and the exit is very close to the potion professor''s office.

    "That''s too bad for you then¡­Severus and the rest of the professors are currently in a reunion. And the Headmaster left this morning for a Wizengamot meeting."

    The professor shrugged.

    "So, no help will being.I''m sorry about this, I don''t like killing children, but you shouldn''t have stuck your nose in my business, Mister Potter."

    "So, no one ising?" Harry looked distracted.

    Professor Nayar took this as him getting scared. A normal reaction for a child facing a ruthless assassin.

    "I''ll make it quick at least...Avada Kedavra!"

    A piece of the door floated in front of Harry and exploded.

    "What?!" The professor''s eyes widened in shock. He had expected this fight to end with that one spell.

    "That was a weak killing curse¡­you didn''t put much effort into it," Harrymented before standing up from the couch.

    Nayar took a step back by instinct before realizing what he was doing.

    ''There is something wrong with this kid. Why is he so calm now?.'' the professor thought.

    "You said before that no one wasing, right? No one can interrupt us and we can kill each other in peace." when Harry looked at Nayar, a small smile appeared on his face.

    "You know how frustrating it was? to y subterfuge,to track you around trying to collect some evidence without hurting anyone or breaking thew¡­I used to have other people to do those things for me." Harry seemed to be talking more to himself rather than the other man.

    Nayar didn''t understand what was wrong with him. He just wanted to end this quickly.

    "Avada Kedavra!"

    Another sh of green light flew to Harry.

    This time, a rock appeared out of nowhere in front of Harry and blocked the spell.

    "Conjuration?!" Nayar could not believe it, that was N.E.W.T level magic.

    The rock exploded and its pieces bounced off an invisible shield that he never even noticed Harry cast.

    He had also missed when Harry had taken out a second wand.

    "I have to admit it¡­after practicing many fields of magic and studying hundreds of ancient tomes¡­I only have a talent for one thing when ites to magic¡­"

    Harry held both wands out in a peculiar way. He was only holding each wand between his index and heart fingers while keeping his palms open, almost like an orchestra director.

    He opened both arms out.

    "I guess I should keep it down to legal spells by the ministry standard. I hope I do remember that list correctly.

    There was a lot of furniture in that room. Couches, chairs, tables,mps.

    As soon as Harry moved his wands in a smooth pattern, every single piece of furniture inside the room was shot toward the front of the room where the professor was standing.

    Nayar lifted the strongest shield he could muster and felt everything shaking as couches, tables and other objects impacted his shield at tremendous speeds and shattered in millions of pieces.

    After the assault ended, the professor looked in awe at the sheer destruction left behind.

    Had he not poured as much magic as he did to protect himself, he would have ended up being converted into a bloody mess of flesh and bones.

    "What is this?...who are you really?." Nayar had met in the past some old wizards who used magical rituals to make themselves look very young and wondered if this was one of those. The person in front of him was certainly not a child.

    Harry looked at him and tilted his head sideways.

    "You know who I am, I''m just Harry Potter¡­but never mind that. Now that the room is clean, we have more space for our duel. We can begin now."

    "Begin?..." the professor blurted out.

    He had already thrown two killing curses at him and then was almost crushed to death by furniture. But for Harry that didn''t even count as a warm-up.

 Chapter 47: Triple casting style

    Chapter 47: Triple casting style

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 47: Triple casting style

    "Omnia mutatio¡­" Harry said softly.

    The Defense professor looked at him in perplexity. He had learned a veryrge amount of spells but had never heard of that one. By the wording, he could guess it was a transfiguration meant to create a change in the physical appearance but he didn''t observe any change in the boy.

    He did not have time to think longer. Harry aimed both wands at him, each one was going through different motions. And then he heard it.

    "Expeliarmus"

    "Petrificus totalus"

    "Incarcerous"

    Two shes of light and a set of ghostly-looking chains were conjured in an instant.

    Professor Nayar reacted swiftly and put up a shield that blocked the spells and moved away before it shattered, but he was weed with another barrage.

    "Lotor mortis"

    "Densaugeo"

    "Tarantallegra"

    "Expulso!" Nayar created a wave of condensed air to deflect the three curses that Harry threw at him.

    He recovered his bnce and started at the young boy like he was some sort of monster.

    "How are you doing it? how are you casting three spells at the same time?"

    He was sure of it¡­he heard the distinctive voices every time Harry had performed his magic.

    "Serpensortia"

    "Aranea"

    "Scorpius"

    An entourage of venomous creatures appeared next to where he was standing.

    Two big green snakes hissed at him and lunged at his legs while spiders and scorpions walked more slowly towards his position.

    The room was big enough to have some freedom of movement, unfortunately for him, all of the previous spells cast by Harry had been pushing him against a corner when he found himself unable to escape.

    ''Did he n this far ahead?.'' But he had no time to think about useless stuff.

    "Confringo!" The head of one of the snakes blew up into pieces but the other one was able to get on his side.

    "Shit!..ahhh!"

    The professor groaned in pain as the snake bit the lower part of his leg.

    "Diffindo!" He used the cutting charm to remove the head of the venomous creature.

    He had to pry open and manually detach the head of the snake from his leg. His limbs trembled, something likely caused by the venom he had been injected.

    His eyes moved to the rest of the dangerous creatures, they were only a few feet away from him.

    "Incendi-"

    Right as he was about to finish his fire jinx, the wooden floor came to life. He did not have to presume much about the cause of this.

    Harry used free transfiguration magic on the floor. He detached the wooden nks and used them as an improvised catapult tounch the assortment of venomous creatures at the professors.

    Several scorpions and spiders attached to his tunic as the muscr man did his best to rid of them.

    Meanwhile, Harry continues to cast spells on him.

    "Lotor mortis"

    "Incarcerous"

    "Langlock"

    As always, they came in groups of three. Making it incredibly difficult for the professor to defend himself.

    Luminous chains attached to Nayar''s legs and caused him to fall. His tongue was twisted in an impossible manner, preventing him from uttering a single word while the small creatures continued their assault.

    Scorpions poked him on his hands and face while spiders got inside his robes and started to bite him with their venomous fangs.

    Keshav Nayar was abat veteran who survived countless dangerous situations. He has battled against all sorts of wizards and witches and always came on top.

    But he knew that this was going to be hisst battle. Even if the massive amount of venom didn''t kill him, then the boy, no¡­the ''thing'' who was now walking towards him¡­was not going to let him live.

    As Harry got closer to him, he noticed something peculiar under the dim lighting of the room. There was something unusual on the palm of his hands. He could not make out what it was until Harry stopped, just a few feet away from where he was lying down.

    Nayar''s eyes opened widely when he saw it. He finally understood how Harry managed to overwhelm his defenses by continuously casting three spells at a time.

    There were two disgusting human-looking mouths where the palms of his hands should be. This also exins why Harry was holding his wands in such a bizarre manner. He could not hold them normally as the wands would cover the mouths otherwise.

    ''That spell he cast at the beginning¡­something mutatio¡­he transformed his own body to be able to cast magic faster. No, is not that simple.'' Nayar considered

    Just adding some extra mouths or arms on your body was not enough to start casting multiple spells at the same time. One''s mind would need to keep up and form the spells. These require wand movements, chantings, and mental images.

    He wanted to ask him who he really was under that disguise. He wanted to know the real name of the wizard who had bested him, but he was unable to form words as he was suffering from the effects of thenglock jinx.

    His body was starting to go stiff. Nayar had already lostplete control of his legs and his arms were going next. He knew he did not have much time left.

    ''I may not be able to win¡­but I can go with a bang.''

    Nayar moved his shaky right arm forward, the grip on his wand was still firm as he pointed it at Harry who was now right in front of him. This was the best chance he was going to get.

    He could not make use of the killing curse as this was one of the few spells that were impossible to cast silently. But there was another very deadly magic he could use in this situation.

    Nayar focused everything in this spell. This was going to be thest time he performed magic and he wanted to at least take his opponent down with him.

    Dark mes formed before his wand, creating a sphere of fire that started to grow quickly.

    A hand made of rock emerged from between the wooden nks and closed on his wand hand, extinguishing the mes and crushing his hand along with his wand.

    Nayar let out a bloodcurdling scream as his flesh and bones were torn apart.

    "You really thought I was going to stand here and let you cast ''Fienfire''?" Harry gave his professor an incredulous look.

    "It seems like I overestimated you, Profesor Nayar¡­anyways, let''s end this. I still have to think where to hide your body."

    One more rock hand appeared beneath his head...

 Chapter 48: Explanations

    Chapter 48: Exnations

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 48: Exnations

    Harry looked at the body of his dead professor.

    ''That was somewhat underwhelming¡­to think that it had me worried for a second¡­''

    The fight with his defense professor hade at an unexpected time. He had hoped to at least be able toplete his magic storage artifacts so he would not have to worry about being magically exhausted.

    But in the end, he didn''t even need to deplete half his magic reserves.All the spells he used were low cost but still¡­it ended very fast.

    "Famous hit-wizard from India and the best you could do is a couple of avadas and a half-assed excuse of fiend fire."

    He sighed.

    "Fine, let''s not waste time, Daphne coulde back at any moment with the other professors."

    He first stored his official wand inside his robes.

    Harry then dispelled all the creatures he had summoned before using a shrinking charm on the corpse of the defense professor.

    After that, he levitated the body, which was now the size of a peanut and hid it inside the firece''s secret entrance. He had several days to find a more permanent location for the corpse but for the moment it was safe there.

    "Reparo!" He pushed a lot of his remaining magic out, forming a clear image of the original state of room in his mind.

    Thousands of pieces of furniture start to fly around and join other pieces, forming back the couches, table, chandelier, and other decorations until everything was the same way it was before the fight.

    Harry nodded, satisfied with the result, then walked into the hall and locked the room.

    At the end of the hall was a big window with iron bars and a set of stairs that led down.

    "That will have to do."

    He aimed his secondary wand at the window.

    "Bombarda."

    With a loud explosion, the window bars, along with a big piece of the wall werepletely destroyed, leaving a gaping hole in its ce.

    All that was left now was to wait.

    <><><><><><><><>

    Daphne must have had a lot of trouble finding the professors because it took almost fifteen minutes before he finally heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

    ''Good thing my life wasn''t actually in danger¡­''

    "Harry!" Daphne and Professor McGonagall hurried to his side with Snape and Filtwick following behind.

    "Mister Potter!, are you hurt?. Miss Greengrass informed us about an attack." McGonagall examined him up and down.

    Harry looked down at himself. His robes werepletely clean and he didn''t even have a scratch on his body.

    He did consider causing a few injuries on himself while telling the tale that he was able to repel the stack of the professor long enough for him to give up and escape.

    But sounded too ridiculous. No one was going to believe that a first-year student could duel against a veteran hit-wizard for more than two seconds without dying in the process.

    The onlybat spell he is supposed to know is the flipendo, and that can take you so far¡­

    It was better to make a different im.

    "He didn''t hurt me, Professor. He said that his only target was Neville and he didn''t want to hurt anyone else. Then he ran away."Harry pointed at the hole in the wall at the end of the corridor.

    McGonagall and Filtwick gasped.

    "By Merlin!, was it really Professor Nayar?. Asked the small teacher.

    "Yes, Profesor Flitwick. It was definitely him. Daphne can corroborate this." assured Harry.

    "And the alleged assassin ran away without attacking you at all? no even once?. That seems very incredible, Mister Potter." Asked Snape.

    "Would I be alive if he wanted me dead, Professor Snape?" Harry retorted.

    "Hmph!" That was all Snape said before approaching the broken window and examining the scene.

    "Why don''t I take you two to the Headmaster''s office?. I can call him from there and we can wait for him while drinking some tea, yes?" Suggested McGonagall.

    "I will call the Aurors too. And I think we should notify their parents, correct?" Said Flitwick.

    McGonagall hesitated for a moment. She knew how little Dumbledore liked to involve the Aurors in Hogwarts matters, especially since they had recently been called by the awful affair with the acromants. But she also knew that it was inevitable to have the auror and parents involved. Both children were from pure-blood families and Harry''s father was a head auror.

    "Yes, please do so." McGonagall had no choice in this, surely the Headmaster will understand.

    <><><><><><><>

    They arrived at the Headmaster''s office and we were told to sit down in front of Dumbledore''s desk.

    A house elf brought them some hot cocoa while McGonagall went to call the Headmaster using the floowork.

    Daphne kept stealing nces at him.

    He knew what she wanted to say. She didn''t buy the story that Harry had told. After all, she was there when the Professor had promised to kill both of them for knowing too much about his intentions.

    However,she was smart enough to keep her mouth shut in front of the other professors after hearing Harry.

    He looked at her and their eyes met.

    "Not now, tell youter," he promised her in a whisper and she moved her head.

    She now looked satisfied enough so she started to drink her cocoa in peace.

    A few minutester, McGonagall came back to inform them that the Headmaster was going to be here shortly and that he requested that we wait for him.

    Then Professor Flintwick came back and also said that both our parents and a squad of aurors were on their way to Hogwarts at this moment.

    Harry grimaced.

    ''This is going to be a very long day¡­you better be grateful, Neville!''

 Chapter 49: Mistrust

    Chapter 49: Mistrust

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 49: Mistrust

    A team of aurors, along with James Potter arrived at Hogwarts, followed by Dumbledor, just a few minutester.

    It was almost midnight when things finally calmed down a bit.

    Daphne did a good job of avoiding any details that would contradict his story of how the teacher ran away after being found out.

    The auror team got all the information they could from the two eyewitnesses before leaving.

    Snape then escorted Daphne to her dorm, leaving Harry alone with his father and Dumbledore.

    The Headmaster did not seem satisfied with Harry''s exnation and had tried to use the legilimency twice on him.

    Harry avoided eye contact with the Headmaster but still felt a familiar sensation of an intrusion attempt.

    Luckily, Dumbledore was only trying to feel his surface thoughts and was not trying to dig deeper, otherwise, the existence of his lumency shield would be revealed to the old man.

    What Harry found surprising was the fact that the Headmaster dared to do this much in front of his father.

    "I''m taking him home for a few days." Said James.

    "I this really necessary? Harry ispletely fine. And we don''t need this to gain more attention among the students." Dumbledore was very insistent with Daphne and Harry that today''s events must be kept a secret for now.

    Harry could agree on that.There was no need to cause mass panic. And they will never be able to connect Nayar with Lucius Maloy anyway.

    ''I''ll have to do something about that¡­myself.''

    "I''m sorry Albus but this is not negotiable. Do you have any idea how difficult was to convince Lily to stay at home and wait?" Answered James.

    "He''lle back in a few days after things calm down a bit."

    Dumbledore sighed and looked at Harry again.

    "Very well James. Have him back in a few days. I''lle up with some excuse for his absence."

    James nced at Harry and this one noticed something odd on his father''s eyes. It was only there for a moment before disappearing.

    "Let''s go home, son. Your mother can''t wait to see you."

    Harry took his father''s hand and let himself be guided to the firece.

    "You remember how to use floo powder, right?. The code is ''Potter Manor''

    Harry nodded and took some of the floo powder in his hands.

    "Potter Manor."

    Harry disappeared in a burst of green fire.

    When he came out of the firece, he found himself in an unfamiliar ce. He was expecting to arrive at the main hall of the manor, but instead, he was in a spacious but empty room, surrounded by brick walls and only a handful of candles to serve as illumination.

    He heard the firece ignite behind him.

    "What is this room?" Harry asked.

    "Potter Manor is a fake entry that leads to an underground security room beneath the manor. The real entry is ''Marauders nest''. My real son has never traveled by floo powder, so he had no way of knowing it. Who are you?"

    Harry turned around and saw his father pointing a wand at him.

    "Was my story that bad?" He said, keeping his calm despite the situation.

    "No¡­it was believable. But I found evidence of a fight in a nearby room. There was residual magic corresponding with a cast of the killing curse and also signs of a recent reparo charm being used on the furniture. "

    Harry knitted his eyebrows. He didn''t know about these detection methods. Moody never exined them to him, they mostly focused on fighting and survival magic.

    He had wanted to join the aurors in the past, but the war started again before he had the chance.

    Now he had to think about what to do next. If it came to it, he was fairly confident in defeating his father. But he would lose his family if he did that¡­what would be the point of this second chance then?

    ''Can I trust him with the truth?...or at least some of it?.''

    But if he couldn''t trust his family, who could he trust then?

    It has be quite evident that hiding his abilities and intentions is going to backfire.

    He was sure that his father was not the only one suspicious about him. But Albus Dumbledore is going to be more subtle about it than James Potter.

    "What happened to my son," James asked. As much as he wanted to hide his emotions, his eyes betrayed him.

    "Answer me!"

    "I am your son¡­" Said Harry.

    "My son¡­would never have survived a fight with a veteran hit-wizard. I never gave him any training either. I did try, but he hated to study any form of magic¡­he couldn''t even¡­" There was something else James wanted to add but decided not to.

    "You are right¡­I am not the son you remember or the son you raised in this house. But I am who I im to be. I can prove it." Offered Harry.

    James frowned and kept his wand in ce.

    "So you im to be my son¡­but not the one I raised. Since I am sure I only had one son, what are you iming to be, a time traveler or something ridiculous like that?" James said.

    ''No, is even more ridiculous than that¡­'' Harry thought.

    "Why don''t I start by proving my identity? May I take my wand out?."

    "A magical oath?" James guessed his intentions.

    "Fine, but no sudden moves¡­"

    Harry did as told. He removed his ebony wand from his robes, leaving the other one inside his holster.

    He held the wand out for James to see.

    His father nodded.

    "Go on."

    Harry made a smooth wave with his wand.

    "I swear on my life and magic that I am Harry James Potter, son of James Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans, so motte be."

    James''s eyes opened like tes as he saw a sh of light, confirming the oath wasplete.

    "Impossible!"

 Chapter 50: The truth

    Chapter 50: The truth

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 50: The truth

    "Right¡­I''m supposed to cast a spell now." Harry gave his wand a flick and in turn, James'' wand was ripped from his hand and flew onto Harry''s.

    James'' shock was reced by a wave of uneasiness as he felt his wand missing.

    Harry noticed the look his father was giving him but paid it no mind.

    He walked towards James and returned the wand to its owner.

    James took it with some hesitation.

    "I have proven that I am who I im to be and that I have no hostile intentions towards you or the rest of my family¡­what else would it take to convince you?" Asked Harry.

    "Must I take a blood pact?" he added.

    "No!" James was quick to say.

    "Those things are extremely dangerous. People have died for the minor of mistakes."

    "Fine then¡­.what else?"

    James remained silent for a moment.

    "What happened to you?"

    "I came from a future¡­a distant one, many years from now." He tried to choose his words carefully in order to reveal as little as possible.

    "Youe from the future¡­distant travel to the past is¡­.wait!" James recalled something important.

    "This is not how time travel works, even if you did somehow manage to travel to a distant past, you would still be in your own body. "

    "True. But I doubt this was normal time travel, after all¡­I died."

    "You died?!" James cried.

    "Yes, I died¡­and then I woke up in my ten years old body. No memories of any childhood before that." He avoided mentioning that the future he came from was from apletely different timeline.

    "And before you ask¡­no, I don''t know how did happened or why I''m here. I was as confused back then as you are now."

    "The day that you woke up in the hospital, after the¡­incident. You were acting very strange and you had amnesia but the doctor said it was normal¡­that was you then." James looked at him.

    Harry nodded.

    "I didn''t want to deceive you and Mom, but I didn''t know how you were going to react if I suddenly started talking about time travel and stuff like that. When the doctor talked about the amnesia¡­I just took advantage of that opportunity. And considering your reaction¡­" Harry''s eyes moved to the wand that was still being highly held by James.

    His father noticed this and stored the wand back in its holster. But by the posture, Harry could tell he wasn''tpletely rxed.

    "Wait, you said you died before. How did that happen?" James asked.

    "Voldemort¡­hees back, there is a very long war¡­most died¡­even me. Is best if I avoid telling you too many details about the future."

    "So me and Lily also¡­" James said solemnly.

    "Yes¡­very early."

    "And even Lyra and Holly too?" James asked with dread.

    Harry chose to remain silent. He hated having to lie to his father.

    James took Harry''s silence as a ''yes''.

    "My little girls¡­"

    "I can make another oath if you don''t believe me." Harry offered. After all, the things he said were technically true. He just omitted some information. Although he would prefer to avoid another oath, no matter what, there were always some risks.

    "No¡­you don''t need to do that¡­Harry." James looked somewhat regretful.

    "Sorry for doubting you, son."

    "Thanks, dad. So¡­what are we doing now?"

    "We should tell your mother. We cannot hide this from her. " Said James.

    Harry nodded.

    "She deserves to know, I supposed. How do you think she is going to take it?"

    "Probably better than me¡­ don''t worry too much about it. Oh¡­before we go, there is something else I need to know. "

    "Is this about the missing professor?" Asked Harry.

    James nodded.

    "I would like to know what truly happened."

    Harry exined to his father about the information discovered by Lord Greengrass and how Professor Nayar was hired by Lucius Malfoy.

    He then talked about his meetings with Daphne during the year and how the professor found them.

    Some of those things, James already knew but there were many details that he and Daphne had avoided telling to the aurors and Headmaster.

    "So you thought it was a good idea to put tracking charms on a veteran hit-wizard?. Did I not teach you any better?. Tracking charms, even the best ones are not that hard to detect. And any decent assassin is going to be an expert at avoiding being tracked down."

    "Yes, well¡­I have no excuse. Let''s move on¡­" Harry could only me this mistake on hisck of experience in this type of war.

    "So, what happened next? I know he didn''t just run away without a fight."

    "Oh¡­I killed him and hid the body. You don''t have to worry about finding him."

    Harry did consider hiding that bit of information but there was no advantage to it. It was just a matter of time before his father discovered that professor Nayar was no longer alive. And then, what little trust Harry had managed to acquire so far, will bepletely shattered.

    His father will never trust him again after that. And if he had learned something from today''s events was that¡­he could not do this alone.

    In his past life, he had many friends andpanions who helped along the way. Without them, he would never have survived long enough to destroy Voldemort.

    He had been too naive to think he could do everything by himself.

    "You killed him¡­" James gave him an incredulous look.

    Harry nodded.

    "I told you that I lived through a war, remember?. Don''t be that surprised by those things."

    "How can I not be surprised when my eleven-year-old son tells me he just killed someone?!"

    "It was self-defense thought¡­" Harry exined.

    "Okay¡­" James calmed a bit.

    "When we tell your mother¡­we are skipping this part."

 Chapter 51: Truth part 2

    Chapter 51: Truth part 2

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 51: Truth part 2

    "Harry?!" Lily came running to them as soon as they went into the living room.

    She gave her son a long hug before checking him for injuries.

    "He is fine, Lily. A healer has already performed a checkup on him." James measured her.

    Her eyes moved tond on her husband and she did not look happy at all.

    "What took you so much time?!. It''s been hours since we received the message! I had to sit here and wait here for so long!."

    "I''m sorry¡­things got a bitplicated¡­" James looked at Harry for a second.

    "We have some things to tell you."

    "You have a lot to tell me. I only know that someone attacked our son and Daphne at school." Lily had finally let Harry go of her embrace and they all went to sit down.

    "Before we start¡­" Jamea closed the door and ced an anti-eavesdropping charm. Then, he approached the firece and temporarily disabled the floorwork.

    This startled Lily.

    "What is this about, James? Why are you taking so many precautions for?"

    "What we are going to tell you¡­must note out of here. Not even to our daughters,at least for now." James turned to look at Harry and this one nodded.

    "Harry?" Lily stared at his son in confusion.

    "This is more than just about the attack, right?"

    "Yes¡­this is going to sound crazy." Harry started.

    <><><><><><><>

    It was already two past midnight when Harry and James were done with the exnations.

    Lily sat there in silence, moving her eyes from James to Harry.

    "There are some details that make little sense¡­to begin with, time travel doesn''t work like that. And second, if you are the future version of our son¡­why are your personalities so different? I don''t want to badmouth my own son¡­but my Harry was not a good person¡­I knew this deep inside me. But never dared say it out loud. And I don''t think time would have changed him soon much."

    Harry looked down and let out a sigh.

    "Lily? What are you saying? He made a magical oath in front of me. I tell you, that can not be faked. I understand your doubts, but he is our son." James insisted. He did not want his wife to make the same mistake he did.

    "I''m not saying he is not our son¡­but there is more to this story, isn''t it, Harry? "

    Lily''s intense re was starting to make him ufortable.

    "When you woke up at the hospital, you looked at me like you had just seen a ghost. You failed to remember many details of your life so the healer concluded you had amnesia. But there was one answer that struck me as odd¡­"

    "Odd?" asked James.

    "You weren''t there yet." Lily nced at James.

    "The healer asked Harry about his date of birth. And Harry answered¡­ July 31, 1980. Withplete conviction. "

    "He got the date wrong. Why is that so important?" James didn''t understand it.

    But Harry did. He could already imagine what conclusion his mother had arrived at.

    "People would often tell me that you were the smartest witch of your generation when I asked about you. They were right." Harry smiled.

    "Harry? what are you-" James was interrupted by Lily.

    "An alternate timeline?" Asked Lily.

    Harry nodded.

    "How is it possible?, isn''t time supposed to be linear?" James eximed.

    "Research about time travel has been forbidden by the Ministry for thest two centuries. Time Turner''s have been limited to a few hours to avoid any big change. We don''t really have a way to know but there have been theories about alternate timelines. And if he came from a different one, where¡­." Lily opened her eyes widely as she realized something.

    "What is it, Lily?" James looked at her with concern.

    Lily looked at Harry.

    "Were you really born on July 31?"

    "I was, yes¡­" Admitted Harry.

    "So really are you from a different timeline?." Asked James.

    "One where you were born on a different day?. But I don''t see that changing much, to be honest."

    "This changes a lot!. Think about it, James!" Lily raised her voice.

    "Have you forgotten about what Dumbledore said back then¡­born as the seventh month dies¡­"

    James'' eyes opened like tes.

    "That''s impossible!. But then¡­"

    "The old man told you about the prophecy then." Said Harry.

    James and Lily turned to look at him with surprise.

    "You know about it too? Albus only told us part of it. The same part that Voldemort learned about. He wanted us to know why he was so obsessed with the Longbottoms." Said James.

    "Harry¡­were you?..." Lily seemed hesitant to ask what she wanted to ask.

    "That''s right." Harry nced at his mother.

    "I was born as the seventh month died and my parents had defied him three times. The bastard chose me to mark as his equal. That Halloween night in 1981, he came to my house and made me an orphan before falling victim of his own curse. He died, albeit temporarily and Dumbledore dered me as the ''Boy who lived'' before dumping me on the doorsteps of the Dursleys." Harry said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Despite the many years that have passed, he still has a hard time forgiving the old man for that one.

    "You said that we died early in the war¡­I didn''t think it was this early. No wonder you didn''t remember Lyra and Holy. They were never born in your time." Said James.

    "He left you with Petunia and Vernon?!" Cried Lily.

    "But they hate magic¡­what was he thinking?!"

    "Lily dear, calm down. You are going to wake up the girls¡­" James tried to cate his wife.

    Lily went to hug her son.

    "Oh, Harry!, I''m sorry¡­you just had a tough life."

    "Well¡­it wasn''t ideal. But it wasn''t all bad. Iter on got to meet Uncle Lupin, and I also had Sirius¡­for a few years at least."

    "Sirius was alive?" James perked up at hearing that name.

    "Harry, we want to hear everything about your life¡­but now is getting veryte. Let us all go to sleep and we will talk more tomorrow. We have a few days before you need toe back to school, right?" asked Lily to her husband.

    "That''s right." Said James.

    "We have time, we are not going anywhere."

    Harry wasn''t sure if they realized the implication of what he had revealed to them.

    If the one upying the body of their son was a different version from a different timeline, then what happened to their son? At least to the version they knew¡­the one they raised since he was a baby.

    Whatever the case, they didn''t ask him.

    Maybe they knew he didn''t have the answer or maybe they preferred to ignore it.

 Chapter 52: Dungarian fever?

    Chapter 52: Dungarian fever?

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 52: Dungarian fever?

    He spent a total of three days at home.

    There was a lot they had to talk about but with so little time, they decided to postpone any serious talk to the summer vacations.

    James seemed to be extremely busy with work and only came homete at night.

    Lily did her best to pretend that nothing had changed after his revtion and continued to treat him the same way. Harry could tell what she was doing but did not point it out.

    Holly was thrilled to have him home for a few days and Lyra didn''t seem to care much.

    She received some basic exnation about the events at Hogwarts and didn''t ask any further.

    Theck of reaction his sister had after finding out about the attempt against his life was somewhat concerning. But something he didn''t have time to worry about right now.

    <><><><><><><>

    His return to school didn''t call for much attention.

    He was just a first year and most of the school didn''t even know he existed.

    Even in his own year, he only talked with a few students.

    "You are back!" Hermione greeted him with a smile after he entered themon room.

    She seemed to be the only one who had noticed him.

    "Are you feeling better from the¡­dungarian fever, was it?" She asked, looking a bit unsure.

    ''By Merlin''s pants!, what is a dungarian fever?...is that the excuse Dumbledore promised to make?.'' Harry wondered.

    "I''m fine now, thanks." He hoped that she would not ask any questions about this ''disease'' that he hoped at least existed. In case she goes for some research at the library,if she hasn''t done so already.

    "I''m d to hear that." She felt relieved.

    "Did I miss anything interesting?" He asked.

    "Yes actually. Just the day after you left, the Headmaster informed us that Professor Nayar had to go back to India for some urgent matters that could not wait until the end of the school year." Hermione exined.

    "Oh¡­ that''s too bad. He was a good professor." It wasn''t aplete lie. Nayar had been a good professor for the most part. If you don''t count the whole ''trying to murder students'' business.

    Hermione nodded in agreement.

    "Yes, I liked the way he exined things,but do you know who is recing him for the rest of the year?" she asked with excitement in her voice.

    "The Headmaster?" He said.

    Hermione looked at him with surprise.

    "Yes! How did you know?"

    ''Because the same thing happened after Quirrell was reduced to ashes¡­''

    "Educated guess."

    "Hi, Harry!"

    Harry and Hermione turned their heads to see Neville, Ron, and Seamus descending the stairs of the bedrooms.

    "Hello, guys." Harry greeted the trio.

    "Where were you?, I thought you quit school or something." Commented Ron.

    "He was sick, remember? Professor McGonagall said something about some fever or something." Added Seamus.

    "Dungarian fever. " Neville corrected.

    "I have an aunt who had that a few years ago. Nasty thing¡­she spent several days in the bathroom."

    ''Okay¡­I don''t wanna know¡­'' thought Harry.

    <><><><><><><><>

    Everything went back to normal business after that.

    He had expected Dumbledore to call for him for one of his private meetings at his office that he had grown acostume during the years.

    He knew the old man had some doubts about his story but Harry was unsure of what kind of conclusions he could be making.

    The fact that he didn''t call for him could mean that his worries were not severe or the Headmaster was worried about his father''s reaction if he called Harry to his office in order to read his mind.

    After all, this version of Harry was not an orphan that no one cared about. He was the son of a head auror and one that Dumbledore was hoping to bring to his side again.

    After the inquisitive look he received from Daphne on the first day of his return, he was waiting for a note tond on his table at any moment.

    But to her credit, the girl managed to hold on until Friday.

    As usual, he snuck around using his invisibility cloak and found her sitting on a bench, close to their usual meeting room.

    She gave a cry of surprise when he threw the cloak over her, revealing himself.

    Her expression moved swiftly from shock to anger and she hit him on his chest with her tiny fists.

    "Don''t do that again, Potter!"

    "Did you notice that you only call me Potter when you are angry?"

    This question earned another punch to the chest.

    Deciding to keep his mouth shut, he guided her to the room.

    "We shouldn''t take too long. I''m sure the Headmaster is trying to keep an eye on me."

    During the entire week, the people inside the paintings have shown a lot of interest in him.

    Following him around wherever he went.

    That''s why he had been avoiding going to either, the room of requirements or the castle foundation.

    "Are you going to tell me what really happened to the professor?" Daphne went right to the point.

    "I know he didn''t just run away."

    "Can''t tell you that." He answered.

    "Do I not have your trust? My family made a magical binding contract with yours. Betraying you would have very serious consequences, as you already know!" She raised her voice with an unusual disy of emotion.

    "Calm down, I''m not trying to insult you or your family''s integrity¡­how good are your lumency shields?"Harry asked

    Daphne raised an eyebrow.

    "Why?"

    "Because if you want me to reveal that kind of information, I must be sure that no one can steal it from you."

    "Are you suggesting that someone may use legilimency on me?, here in Hogwarts?" asked the blonde.

    Harry nodded.

    "Father said that they are good, for my age."

    Harry took his spare wand from the holster.

    "May I test them?"

    Daphne looked hesitant but eventually nodded. This seems to be the only way to get her answers.

    "Legilimency."

    She felt like a hammer had smashed her head open and fell backward with a painful cry.

    "What the bloody hell was that, Potter!" She shouted.

    It was a good thing he warded the room with a silencing charm.

    "That was a half-assed attempt to invade your mind. I''m not very skilled with the mind arts so I don''t have the subtly that¡­others have. But I can still say with confidence that your lumency shields are...trash, forck of a better word."

    "What?!" She looked ready to bite him.

    ''I guess with her shields broken, the Ice Queen is not that good at keeping her emotions in check'' Harry concluded.

    "Calm down. I may have an idea." He added.

 Chapter 53: The Mind Arts

    Chapter 53: The Mind Arts

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 53: The Mind Arts

    "Oclumency lessons?" Asked Daphne with disbelief.

    "And what makes you qualified to teach me?"

    "I destroyed your shields with no effort. Someone more skilled than me could get into your mind, get whatever information they want, and leave before you even noticed it."

    Daphne looked worried now.

    ''Is that possible?''

    She then looked at Harry.

    "But you said you are not very good at the mind arts. Can you really teach me?"

    Harry shrugged.

    "I''m better at lumency than legilimency, that''s for sure. I would not im to be one of the best at it. But I can definitely help you improve."

    "And¡­if I better my mental defenses, are you going to answer all of my questions?"

    "No." Harry answered simply.

    "What?!, why not?" She asked with a demeanor that showed her young age.

    "Don''t pout¡­if you be able enough to defend your mind. I will tell you some things."

    She looked offended.

    "I don''t pout!...can Traceye with?"

    "Sure, why not?" He would like to bring Neville too, but separating him from Ron and Seamus might be impossible at this point.

    "Well, since you won''t tell me anything else, I will take my leave " She stood from the couch and made her way to the firece, where the secret passage was located.

    "Don''t worry, I can open it myself." She tapped her wand on the stone and the passage opened.

    "Oh, wait, Daphne." Harry had just recalled something important.

    The warning came a bit toote, as she had already climbed into the opening.

    "What is it¡­uh?, there is something blocking the tunnel, what is this?" Asked Daphne.

    "Oh¡­crap." Harry prepared himself.

    "Ohh Merlin!, what is this smell? I can''t see anything¡­Lumos!...ahhhhh!"

    Harry heard the girl let out a tremendous shriek before she passed out from the shock.

    "Right¡­I should get rid of that corpse." He hasn''t had the time to remove the dposing body of Professor Nayar.

    The shrinking charm he used to hide it was only meant tost a couple of days.

    He removed the unconscious Daphne from the hole and ced her gently onto one of the sofas. He then pulled out his spare wand.

    "Sorry about that¡­obliviate."

    It was the least he could do for the girl.

    "Let''s take care of you now¡­I think the Dark Forest would be a good choice for this. There are plenty of carnivorous species that will make the body disappear."

    He grabbed the professor and apparent away.

    <><><><><><><><>

    "Are you serious, Daphne? You didn''t tell me this study group was going to have two Griffindors." Tracey looked at her friend with a deep frown.

    "To be honest, I didn''t know about the second one either¡­" Daphne looked at the second Griffinfor in question.

    "Granger, isn''t it?"

    "Hello¡­" Hermione looked very nervous under the invasive gaze of the two Slytherin girls.

    Harry decided to help her out.

    "I figured that a study group would look more natural with more people. Hermione is already well known for her interest in academics¡­.so"

    "So you thought that we would be in less trouble if our housemates found out about this¡­group?" Asked Daphne.

    "But she is a muggle-born." Said Tracey, earning a look from the other three.

    "I didn''t mean it in a bad way¡­" She was quick to exin.

    "But how would Malfoy and the others react if they knew?"

    "We don''t owe him any exnations." Daphne frowned.

    "You don''t, but there is no need to make things more difficult for you two. We can keep our activities a secret." Suggested Harry.

    "We are not breaking any rules, right?" Hermione looked worried.

    "Of course not! This is just another type of defensive magic." Said Daphne.

    "Then why couldn''t I find anything about it in the list of magic taught at the school?" asked Hermione.

    " Most children from pure-blood families are taught by their parents so is not covered in Hogwarts curriculum." Exined Harry.

    "That''s not fair. So muggleborns never learn to protect their minds?" Asked the girl.

    "If they want to learn, they can buy a book about it. As Daphne said, is not illegal to learn it, is just not taught in school."

    Harry said as they continued to walk through the sixth floor.

    "Here we are." He opened the door of an empty ssroom.

    "Professor McGonagall said that we can use any of the empty ssrooms on this floor, as long as we leave before dinner time."

    "That''s very generous of her." Said Daphne.

    "Well, it was her favorite student the one who made the request."

    Harry looked at Hermione and this one became embarrassed by thement.

    "Oh!, this ssroom is smaller than the ones we use, but is very cozy." Remarked Tracey.

    The ss was indeed small, with only ten seats in it, plus the teacher''s table.

    The three girls went to look for a ce to sit down while Harry closed the door.

    "You are not the only one who finds these ssrooms cozy, you know?" Harry added.

    "What do you mean?...wow, those seats are veryfortable!" Hermioneid back on her chair.

    "I mean that these isted ssrooms that no one uses are very tempting for older students to visit at night¡­.for their activities." Harry chuckled.

    He knew this from first-hand experience. He and Ginny had visited several of them during his sixth year.

    Daphne realized what he meant while she was resting her head against the table.

    "Ew!" she jumped off the chair.

    "Gross!, what the-" Tracey looked down at the table with disgust.

    "Oh¡­" Hermione left the chair in a hurry.

    "Can we use a different ssroom perhaps?" The girl said with a disgusted expression.

    "No." Was Harry''s answer.

    " You really think there is any ssroom here that hasn''t been used? Get over it, I''ll just teach you the cleaning charm, you''ll be fine."

 Chapter 54: Intruder

    Chapter 54: Intruder

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 54: Intruder

    Another month passed in peace, and the end of his first year at Hogwarts wasing to an end.

    The scrutiny that Dumbledore had ced him under, was seemingly done. He had not noticed any more paintings spying on him and ghosts were not following him anymore.

    Whatever suspicion the Headmaster had about Harry''s actions was satisfied, or maybe the old man realized he was not going to find what he was looking for.

    Harry had spent the entire month without his usual trips to the Room of Requirement.

    The only thing he was able to train was his lumency shield, while also helping Hermione, Tracey, and Daphne with theirs.

    He had considered going straight to the Headmaster''s office and telling him everything. About himself, his timeline, everything he knew about Voldemort and how that maniac had ruined the entire world.

    Things would be so much easier if he could count with the support of his old mentor and he did not need to hide his actions from him.

    But he had many worries and doubts that kept stopping him every time the idea popped into his mind.

    To begin with, he didn''t know if, deep down, this was the same man he knew. Different events could lead to people with different personalities or beliefs.

    And even if he was the same person he was familiar with¡­how would his Dumbledore react to the information he had? There was no way to know for sure.

    One thing he was certain of, Dumbledore would never agree with his methods and the things he has nned on doing.

    Harry had long moved away from being his innocent pupil who only resorted to stunners and disarming charms.

    Those methods had proven ineffective against the Voldemort and Death eaters he met in the past.

    The Headmaster wanted to make his enemies see the error in their ways and give them a chance to change their minds and be better people.

    It was a nice thought, but it could only be applied to sane people.

    Trying to teach reason and morals to a group of immoral madmen should be considered madness in itself.

    It might be a bit early to cast judgment upon all Death Eaters of this world.

    But he could judge at least one of them. Lucius Malfoy had already gone too far.

    Hiring an assassin to kill an innocent child was beyond vile, and Harry was not willing to let that one slide.

    During this month, he had not heard a single thing about the progress of the investigation involving Professor Nayar.

    But one thing was assured, Lucius Malfoy has not and will not suffer any consequences for his actions if is left to thew.

    ''I''m sure father would also disagree with this too¡­but there is no other way.''

    <><><><><><><><><>

    Harry continued to sneak around the dungeon corridors until he reached the entrance to the Slytherin dorms.

    The three boys he had been following since they left the Great Hall were about to open the entrance.

    "Always pure" As soon as the words left Draco''s lips, the two snake statues moved aside, revealing an entrance.

    The trio of boys went inside without noticing the invisible intruder following right behind them.

    Harry observed his surroundings from under his invisibility cloak.

    The Slytherinmon room was a lot darker and gloomier than the Gryffindor tower. Theck of light could be exined by being below ground andcking windows that could let moonlight inside. But with the great variety of magical lighting sources, this was unquestionably a design choice.

    He could spot a few groups inside the room. A young couple were getting busy in one of the corner sofas. Someone was reading a book in front of a firece.

    And a group of three older boys were upying the couches at the center.

    Draco entered the room and stared at the couple in the corner, a bit taken aback by theirck of shame.

    "Oh?, is Mister Malfoy already interested in snogging?"

    The one who spoke and the other two boys started tough.

    "Shut up, Flint!" Draco spat with anger.

    Despite the age difference, Draco did not have to show any special respect to his seniors in the house. After all, his father was one of the most politically powerful people in the country and he was his only heir. Even the oldest students treat Draco with care.

    Marcus Flint, the fifth-year Quidditch Captain was a tall but skinny boy. He smiled at Draco.

    "Don''t be like that, Draco. I was just joking a bit."

    "Yeah!, we know you have a fiance. If you want to try, all you have to do is ask her." One of the other seniors said.

    "Just make sure you don''t leave her alone with Derrick, that guy likes them very young." Flint gave Draco an honest warning.

    Draco frowned at the reminder of his engagement. This was something his father decided without his input, not that he had any reason toin about the agreement, at least not a valid one.

    "I don''t care for her!, she is just an annoying girl."

    "Heh¡­give it a couple of years and Parkinson will look less annoying, I can guarantee you that." Thest boy, a fourth year called Adrian Pucey spoke.

    Draco got fed up with the topic of the conversation so the left themon room at a brisk pace with Crabble and Goyle following right behind.

    The trio passed through a few corridors before stopping at a series of doors.

    Unlike the rest of the houses, Slytherin students had the privilege of individual bedrooms, so after speaking a brief goodnight to his two goons, he opened the door of his bedroom and went inside.

    He, of course, failed to notice that tonight¡­he had an unwanted guest with him.

 Chapter 55: Kidnaper

    Chapter 55: Kidnaper

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 55: Kidnaper

    Draco threw his bag to one side and paced around the room.

    "Tsk!, so stupid. Why should I care for that annoying girl?!. If Father hasn''t ordered me to-"

    "That''s not nice. To talk about your fiance in such a manner."

    The voice of Harry hadpletely startled the boy.

    "Whos there?!, show yourself!" Draco shouted with as much authority as an eleven-year-old could muster.

    It wasn''t strange to Harry that Draco was unable to recognize his voice. The two of them had barely exchanged a few words during the entire year.

    "If this is a prank¡­I swear, I''mgoing to tell my father about this!"

    "Imperio."

    "Wha-"

    Draco was covered by a mist that entered his nostrils and made his eyes ze, losing their vitality.

    Harry removed the cloak, as there was no more need of hiding. He just had to make sure to erase his memories after his business was concluded.

    "I''m going to ask you a few questions, you will answer only with the truth, is that clear?"

    Draco looked at him but didn''t question Harry''s presence in his room and he seemed to be perfectly fine with it.

    "Yes." He answered.

    "Okay, here we go.Would your father normally be at home right now?"

    The boy nodded.

    "Yes, the father usually ends his work at the Ministry around four in the afternoon and then goes home. " Draco exined.

    "What about your mother?" Harry asked next.

    "She is always at home unless my father takes her somewhere."

    Dracon said without showing much change in his expression like he was just talking about something very trivial with an old friend.

    "Poor woman¡­is there anyone else at your house?"

    Draco shrugged.

    "Just the two house elves."

    Harry looked satisfied with the answer. He could easily deal with that amount of upants in the house, especially if it was a surprise attack.

    "Good, Now¡­is your house located on the top of a hill that oversees a small fishing vige called Wiltshire?"

    "Yes, those filthy muggles are where they belong, beneath us."

    Draco said with a satisfied smile.

    ''So, the house is at the same ce I remember. That saves me the trouble of having to delve into the mind of Malfoy.''

    Harry thought, ignoring Draco''s racist remarks.

    "Malfoy, look down now." Harry gave a peculiarmand to the other boy.

    Draco obeyed his order without questioning it and moved his head to stare at the floor.

    Harry examined the top of his head. There was nothing unusual that could be spotted at first nce. But he knew better. This was the ce where the tracking mark was applied.

    From what he knew about this mark, it was not as intrusive as a normal tracking charm. It only kept the general location of the student while inside the castle but its main purpose was to warn the school if a student left the ward''s perimeter without permission, which also included the train station and Hogsmeade.

    Harry had already removed his own. But for Draco, it was better to do something else.

    "Stay like this," Harrymanded.

    He walked to the boy''s desk and picked up a piece of nk parchment he had on it.

    He used his wand to move the mark to the parchment, the spell was not aplex one. Just something that he was taught by a very talented witch one day.

    The previously invisible ink was now shown with a dark red color on the parchment. All that was left, was to reapply the mark on his head when they came back to this room and no one would even notice he was gone in the first ce.

    "Alright, Malfoy. Hold onto my arm, we are going for a little trip."

    Harry held out his spare wand and two of them disappeared from the room with a faint pop.

    <><><><><><><><>

    It was dark and the air was very chilly on the north coast of Ennd.

    He could glimpse the lighting from the windows of the Malfoy manor ahead of him, but if a muggle was in his ce, they would only see darkness, before feeling the urgent need to leave the ce.

    The second part was also meant to affect Harry but his mental protections were already enough to swat away apulsion of this level.

    The manor could almost pass as a castle. The construction looked very ancient and even had a high tower that poked from behind the main building.

    As much as he always disliked every member of this family, he had to admit that it was an impressive ce.

    "Don''t let go of my arm," Harry ordered Draco.

    The Slytherin boy did not question any of hismands and just nodded.

    They passed the firstyer of defense and walked to the front door with no issue, but Harry knew that the danger was far from over. Their strongest defenses were here.

    Draco was going to be his key to enter the manor. Without the boy, Harry would have to deal with some very nasty protections.

    He knew this from personal experience as it was not the first time he entered this ce.

    Voldemort chose the house as his personal hideout for a good reason.

    "Malfoy, invite me into your house," Harry said.

    "Of course, pleasee into my house." Draco''s emotionless delivery made Harry a bit doubtful if this stunt was going to work.

    He had only heard about this method of bypassing wards from others but never had a chance to test it.

    As soon as Draco opened the front door and they stepped inside, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

    But he was also filled with dread...this same method could be used to enter his own manor. This was something he would have to work on.

    But for now, the hardest part was over. All that was left was to find Lucius Malfoy.

    "Who goes there?, is that you Draco?"

    The voice of Lady Malfoy came from a nearby room.

 Chapter 56: Interview with a Death Eater

    Chapter 56: Interview with a Death Eater

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 56: Interview with a Death Eater

    "Wait here. Close your eyes and cover your ears." Harry ordered Draco before hiding under his invisibility cloak and walking to the door that was now opening.

    Narcissa Malfoy was not even able to get past the door frame before she was sted with a stunner potent enough to send her flying backward until shended on a nearby couch.

    The two house elves appeared with a loud ''pop'' noise.

    "Ohh no!, Misses Malfoy!" the first house elf cried.

    The other elf did not seem to care that much and just stared at the unmoving woman with a nk stare.

    A red spark of light aimed at the first elf, impacted on the back of the head and she went down.

    The other elf stared at Harry with adoration.

    "Mister came here to kill Dobby''s family?"

    He asked with an expression that was hard to read.

    Harry was not expecting to answer any questions before knocking out the elves.

    But this was not just a random elf, but one to whom he owes a great deal. So he decided to try a different approach.

    "No¡­okay, maybe I''ll kill one of them. "

    Dobby started to jump with joy.

    "Yes!, the evil Master is going to leave!, Dobby must celebrate!...noo! , Dobby bad!, Dobby must go pushing himself!."

    "Wait, I have to-"

    "Pop" the elf disappeared before Harry could do anything.

    "I guess is fine to ignore that one¡­"

    "What is all this ruckus!" The angry voice of Lucius Malfoy could be hearding from upstairs.

    Harry ced a silencing charm on his shoes and hurried up the stairs without making any noise.

    "Why aren''t you answering?!, Narcissa!"

    He reached the door and heard Lucius standing up from his chair and mming his hands on the desk.

    "Tabby!, Dobby!, damn it, you are going to be punishing yourselves all night if you don''t answer me this instant!"

    Lucius walked at a quick pace to the door.

    All Harry had to do was wait.

    Lucius mmed the door open and was met with Harry''s wand pointing at his chest.

    "Wha-"

    "Depulso."

    Lucius was pushed back with tremendous force and crashed against his desk, shattering a piece of it beforending on the floor with a few broken ribs.

    "Let''s see¡­your wife and one of your elves cannot answer you because they have been stunned. But you will be d to know that your other elf is following your wish to punish himself¡­.or maybe he is celebrating, I''m not sure."

    Lucius groaned in pain and reached for something on top of his desk.

    He grasped a ck cane and brought it down. Lucius then proceeded to use the ''harmless'' cane to support himself.

    With a smooth motion he had rehearsed a million times,Lucius took his wand off the top of the can and turned around to aim it at Harry.

    "Divulsa."

    Harry''s dark curse, cut Lucius'' wand in half before it could be used. Along with two of Lucius'' fingers.

    Lord Malfoy screamed in agony and clutched his injured hand.

    He then moved his face to look at Harry with an enraged expression.

    "Drop the charade! reveal your true aspect!, who are you!" he demanded.

    Harry just stared at the other man without saying a word.

    "Your face looks familiar¡­James Potter? is that you?"

    His face contorted with fury.

    "You damn second-ss auror!, you dare barge into my house and attack me?!, I''ll have you in Azkaban by tomorrow! , and your wif-"

    "Crucio."

    Lucius'' sentence was interrupted by his own screams.

    Harry only held the curse for a few seconds. He needed the man sane enough to talk.

    Lucius'' body trembled like a leaf.

    "N-no¡­" Lucius spoke between groans.

    "The James P-Potter I know¡­would never resort to use¡­t-that."

    " Does it matter who I am? And you would be surprised with how much can people change¡­after you take away what''s important to them."

    "What do you want!" Screamed Lucius.

    "Just for you to answer a few simple questions, like¡­where is Voldemort and what is he up to now."

    Lucius flinched at the mention of the name.

    "You are looking for the Dark Lord?... I don''t know anything about that..."

    "Yeah, I didn''t expect you to talk that easily. That''s why I came prepared." Harry took out a small vial with a dark liquid inside.

    "Open up."

    "Veritaserum?" Lucius recognized the vial.

    "Correct. This is the most reliable method to get the truth. Now open your mouth, two drops will be enough. "

    Lucius continued to stare at him and refused to obey.

    "Want to get the cruciatus again? don''t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be¡­"

    The Death Eater finallyplied and opened his mouth.

    Harry then proceeded to empty the entire vial down his throat.

    Lucius started to cough violently.

    "Two drops was enough! you bastard!"

    "That was for wasting my time," Harry said nonchntly.

    He waited for Malfoy to recover a bit.

    "Ok, let''s do a control question. When is thest time you fucked your wife?"

    Lucius frowned and clenched his teeth, struggling against the potion''s effects. But eventually, thepulsion to answer won.

    "Three years!"

    "Wow¡­poor woman indeed." Harrymented.

    "Is it because you are attached to men?"

    "No!" Screamed Lucius.

    Harry looked at the empty vial with suspicion.

    "Is this really working?"

    He stole it from Snape''s personal cab so it should be genuine.

    "I''m going to kill you for this!" Spat Lucius.

    "Fine¡­ let''s say is working. Let''s try again. where is Voldemort?"

    "I don''t know!" he shouted.

    Harry was not expecting that. If Malfoy was under some contract that prevented him from revealing that information he should have remained silent. Even the veritaserum is not powerful enough to overwrite something like a blood oath.

    "You really don''t know¡­how is that possible? When was thest time you saw him?"

    Lucius had to think for a moment.

    "31, October¡­1981."

 Chapter 57: Interview with a Death Eater Part 2

    Chapter 57: Interview with a Death Eater Part 2

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 57: Interview with a Death Eater Part 2

    "That is the day he¡­he attacked the Longbottom family." He almost said the wrong name.

    "What happened that day?"

    "That day¡­we had a very long meeting to iron down the details for the attacks that were to take ce that same night on several members of the vignte group created by Dumbledore. The Dark Lord had a¡­special interest in the Longbotoms so he decided to go alone, very much against our rmendation."

    "What did you do then?"

    "My mission was to go with Dolohov and kill the Prewetts, damn blood traitors!"

    ''Molly Weasley family¡­'' Harry recalled.

    "Did you seed?" Harry asked.

    "For the most part. Only a few of the women survived, for what I know." Lucius answered without noticing Harry''s cold expression.

    "What happened next?"

    "After our mission waspleted, we went back to our hideout and waited for the remaining members toe back. By the end of the night, all of them were back, except for the Dark Lord himself..."

    "Continue," Harrymanded.

    "Betrix and the Lestrange brothers went to look for him at the Longbottom manor, but like our Lord, they nevere back. We found outter, by the ount of two surviving witnesses, Augusta Longbottom and a house elf, that the Dark Lord had been gravely injured during the attack and had fled the ce."

    "What about the Lestrange? did they find anything?"

    "They disappeared after that night, we never saw them or received any message from them again. We don''t know what happened to them."

    "But he is still alive," Harry said. It was more a statement than a question.

    Lucius struggled against thepulsion.

    "Crucio!"

    Lord Malfoy let out a blood-curdling scream.

    "Don''t waste more of my time Malfoy, your wife and son are downstairs. Don''t think for a moment that I will not use them to get what I want."

    "Draco is here?..." Lucius was startled.

    "Answer me¡­is he alive?. I know about the mark."

    "You?!¡­" Lucius wanted to be the one to ask questions now but he knew better at this point.

    "Yes, he is alive¡­" He said in defeat.

    "The mark weakened after the incident but it never went away¡­and now is getting stronger."

    "Did he leave with you a ck diary? or any other object he considered important, to watch over it?"

    Malfoy looked very surprised at my question.

    "How do you k-"

    "Just answer!"

    "...I¡­He left me a book like that, yes¡­but it''s gone now, it vanished one day."

    "Vanish?!" Harry considered this for a moment. Voldemort may have a way of recalling his horrocruxes back to where he is. That would exin why he couldn''t find Ravenw''s diadem at Hogwarts.

    "And he never tried to contact any of you or use the mark to call upon you?"

    "Never."

    ''This makes little sense. Why would he disappear with only the Lestrange and never call upon his followers, we''re his injuries that bad?...but there is something else that is bothering me.''

    He looked at Lucius.

    "You are hiding something else¡­if Voldemort disappeared without a trace, ten years ago and never contacted you again¡­why are the Death Eaters stillunching random attacks?"

    There may be few and far between but Harry had found records of dozens of attacks performed by Death Eaters in thest decade.

    At first,he thought Voldemort was just trying to make sure no one forgets about him while he prepares for his return. But if he has not been the one in charge¡­who is?

    "We have a different leader now¡­" said Lucius.

    "Everyone just agreed to follow someone different? You better tell me everything Malfoy."

    "The idea was suggested around a month after the Dark Lord''s disappearance¡­the members of the outer circle were starting to get anxious by theck of news from our leader. Some started to suggest that he may have abandoned us or even died¡­we were having a meeting at my house when someone came up with the idea of having one of us impersonating the Dark Lord in order to calm everyone. After all¡­.only the members of the inner circle knew what the Dark Lord looked like."

    "I don''t think Voldemort would have appreciated that." Harrymented.

    "So, who took the mantle of the new Dark Lord?"

    "Lord Parkinson."

    "Parkinson?, mmm¡­" He didn''t recall much about that man from his past life. Which can only mean he was very unremarkable.

    "Okay, continue."

    "It was only meant to be temporary¡­a few months, maybe a year, until our DarkLord returned.But he never returned and Lord Parkinson''s influence became stronger as time passed. He gained the favor of most inner circle members and then he started to show himself in front of the outer circle members during our big reunions."

    "He wanted everyone in the organization to recognize him as the one and only Dark Lord." Harry could easily guess that man''s intentions.

    Lucius nodded.

    "His position has be unshakable now. He is truly a Dark Lord."

    "And what is his goal? certainly, you are not going to tell me that he expects to take over the county with his magical might."

    "No¡­Lord Parkinson is only decent when ites to practical magic. But he is a cunning man. We have spent years following his instructions to infiltrate the most influential positions in the ministry as well as gaining seats of the Wizergamot to our side. In just one or two more years, we could haveplete control of the country."

    "A war of politics¡­" Harry said with dread. He had no clue how to fight something like that.

    "And why did your group start to increase the attacks recently?" He asked.

    "What do you know about the attempted kidnapping of Lily Potter?" He added.

    "Oh¡­that. That was just a n to lure out James Potter. The auror has been sticking his nose in our business too muchtely. He has been trying to gather evidence of any illegal dealings¡­"

    "You nned to use his wife toy a trap for him and kill him. What about her?, were you going to kill her too?" he tried to sound detached at least.

    A smile appeared on Malfoy''s face.

    "Eventually¡­after we had our fun."

    Harry clenched his wand.

    "If that''s why you don''t touch your wife?, you only liken it when they resist, is that it?"

    Malfoy would have probably answered that one even without the veritaserum.

    "Is the one thing those mudbloods are good for!. I like to see them squirm beneath me like-"

    "Avada kedavra."

    While he was reminiscing about his good times, a sh of green light hit Lucius Malfoy on his chest and his lifeless body fell on the polished wooden floor.

    "Enjoy your time in Hell,Lord Malfoy."

 Chapter 58: Seven Arkstones Array

    Chapter 58: Seven Arkstones Array

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 58: Seven Arkstones Array

    "It''s perfect!" Harry smiled at the formless metallic and multicolor substance floating in front of him.

    He had been a bit worried about losing his batch of magicite alloy since he hadn''t been able to check on it for an entire month, but after a thorough inspection, he concluded that everything was in a perfect state.

    "This may be the best one I have ever created. The ambient conditions of this chamber seem to be ideal."

    He clutched his wand and started to transfigure and reshape the metal. There was no time to waste, once it was out of the cauldron, the magicite alloy would start to cool down and solidify very rapidly, and once it was done cooling, the metal would be nearly indestructible by any means.

    Harry got to work, he started by dividing the mass of molten metal into seven parts. Four were transformed into rings, two into earrings and thest one took the shape of a pendant.

    "Now, on to the next step."

    The seven small arkstones he had prepared in advance, flew off the table and embedded themselves into the jewelry pieces he had just created while the metal was still soft.

    The previously multicolor metal was now turning into a dark shade of blue.

    "I need to hurry!."

    There was little time left and he still had toplete the most important step. Engraving the seven runic arrays onto the metal before itpletely cools down.

    Without the runes, these would be nothing more than some pretty pieces of jewelry. And very expensive ones at that.

    He picked up the runic engraving tools he had previously set on the nearby table and started to carve the runes on the surface of the metal.

    He had practiced writing this particr set of runes, hundreds of times during this year in preparation for his moment. So now he was able to perform the task with swiftness and precision.

    Less than two minutester, he hadpleted the runic engraving in all seven pieces.

    As the metal finished its cooling process, its color changed to a beautiful silver with a light blue tint on its surface.

    Harry ced the seven pieces on the table and carefully examined them one by one, looking for any ws or mistakes in his work. After all, asingle poorly engraved rune could cause a catastrophic failure when trying to use the artifact.

    Harry smiled in satisfaction after finding no ws in his work.

    He then began to ce them on. Two rings on each hand, one on the pinky finger and one on the thumb, to keep them as separate as possible and avoid contact between two charged arkstones.

    For the pendant, he had prepared a resistant piece of magical string that he used to tie it out around his neck. Thest two pieces were earrings so he was forced to pierce his ears to secure them in ce. He chose to put them at the top part so it was easier to conceal with his messy hair.

    The cement for each piece of jewelry was not carelessly chosen by him. Yearster after its initial invention, the magic storing jewels received several upgrades.

    Over a decade after the start of thest war, a talented squib boy came up with the idea ofbining a set of jewels to create a runic array where each piece willplement and enhance each other.

    The number seven is a magically important one, and certain numbers have power in them when ites to magic at least. And thus¡­the ''Seven arkstones array'' artifact came to be.

    "Let''s give it a test run¡­"

    Despite its small size, each of the arkstones is able to hold the equivalent amount of magic of an adult wizard.

    By activating one after the next, he could perform seven times the amount of magic that a normal adult wizard would be capable of.

    However, the true potential of the artifact could only be seen when all seven were activated at the same time.

    These stones had been absorbing the ambient magic of the chamber for an entire month and were filled to the brim.

    Following Harry''s will, all seven became active and started to shine with a strong blue light.

    "Let me see how unbreakable these columns actually are!"

    <><><><><><><><><><><>

    "Professor McGonagall told me that Professor Dumbledore will not be able to teach defense today," Hermione remarked during breakfast.

    "So, we have free time today?" Lavender perked up after hearing the news.

    "Sems rare for the Headmaster to leave without much of warning like this. Something serious must have happened." Said Parvati.

    "That''s what you always say. And is never something serious!" Huffed Lavander.

    "Excuse me?, when did I do that?" Parvati looked offended.

    "Well, what aboutst month when Fay''s cat went missing and you came up with the idea that the poor kitten was eaten by an acromant that remained hidden in the castle," Lavender exined.

    "That could have been true!" Parvati eximed.

    "I told you already!, there is no way the Professors would have missed something like that!" Hermione hated when people talked bad about her professors or suggested they were ipetent at their jobs.

    The bushy-haired girl turned her head to look at Harry who was currently reading a newspaper at the table.

    "Say Harry, do you know if something important happened?"

    "Maybe"

    He handed her the paper.

    "Read the front page."

    The girl did just that.

    "Lord Lucius Malfoy, murdered!...wait, Malfoy?"

    "What?!" Shouted Parvati. "Let me see that!"

    "Malfoy¡­like Draco Malfoy from Slytherin?" Hermione had only seen him a few times when he came to pick up fights with Neville.

    "That''s his father¡­I just noticed that he is missing from the Slytherin table." Lavender said.

    "This is a huge deal!. ording to my father, Lord Malfoy was one of the most influential wizards in the country." Parvati said while looking at the paper cover.

    Harry went on to finish his breakfast, not really caring much for their conversation.

    ''One down¡­'' He told to himself.

 Chapter 59: Just the beginning

    Chapter 59: Just the beginning

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 59: Just the beginning

    The school year came to an end without any more ''extracurricr'' activities.

    Draco had been a lot quieter after he came back, he also stopped trying to pick fights with Neville, Ron, and Seamus and at least Neville was grateful for that.

    It was hard to tell how this change was going to affect Draco in the long run, but this was not something Harry was going to worry about at the moment, he had better things to think about than Draco Malfoy.

    The ''Boy Who Lived'' had a bit too much excitement for his first year, and became somewhat paranoid when he was outside themon room. So it was a good thing he never learned about the assassin who had been hired to kill him.

    As far as the students knew, Professor Nayar had just gone back to his country due to some personal emergency.

    Daphne didn''t try to contact him for more meetings after they were done with their lumency practices. She did promise to practice hard during the summer and that could only mean that next year, she was going to pressure him some more to satiate her inquisitive mind.

    In some ways, Daphne reminded him of Hermione. When there is something she wants to know, she never seems to give up.

    He had no idea of what to expect for next year. With Lord Malfoy dead and the diary gone, things have be truly unpredictable.

    ''Was Neville even a parselmouth? like the previous him was.'' Harry wondered.

    This leads him to another, more important question¡­was Neville even a horrocrux?

    He does have the cursed scar, but since Voldemort didn''t die, would the horrocrux still be created? Could the deaths of his parents have worked as the catalyst this time around?

    The prophecy still existed in this timeline, he was at least sure of that.

    If the prophecy was still the same, the events of that Halloween night should have been very simr to the ones he knew, just with a different baby.

    But the many differences seem to point towards something else going on.

    Voldemort survived but something very bad must have happened to him that forced him to flee and remain hidden for over a decade. He is not the type of man who would just hide in fear. He was aplishing something...

    ''If I could get my hands on the prophecy¡­that would likely solve a few questions I have.''

    He only knew with certainty that the beginning of the prophecy was still the same, from what he heard from his parents. But that was the only part they knew.

    The wording in a prophecy is of extreme importance. A single discrepancy in the contents could change everything.

    Tragically, the only person with the knowledge he needs is Albus Dumbledore¡­the most secretive person he knows.

    "Are we there yet?" The voice of Ron broke through the noise of the train moving over the tracks.

    He ignored it.

    Even the Dumbledore he knew from his past as a grandfather and a mentor, was only willing to share the most important information during hisst moments of life. Even though he was the subject of the property itself.

    "Are we there yet?!" Ron asked, louder this time.

    He may be willing to share some things with Neville one day when he is older. But why would he share anything with him? Harry Potter was not an important figure in this timeline. He was just the son of an auror and a talented muggle-born witch.

    Unfortunately, there was no easy alternative way to learn the contents of the prophecy.

    There may still be a copy at the ministry, but only Neville could get that one.

    To take that route, he would need to reveal everything to the boy¡­.and he was not ready to know those things.

    ''Oh shit!... I''m starting to think like the old man'' Harry realized.

    "Are we there yet or not?!" Ron shouted again.

    Harry regretted sitting in the samepartment as the ''not so golden'' trio.

    He was initially going to sit with Hermione, but thatpartment was quickly filled with several other first-year girls.

    Apparently, Lavender and Parvati were very popr among the young girls.

    That left him with few choices. So when Neville offered to sit with them at the end of the train, he epted the offer without much consideration.

    "Ron, you are being a bit rude," Neville said.

    "Come on! he took the window seat." Ron pointed at Harry.

    "Lest he can do is tell us!...so¡­are we there ye-"

    "Shut up already!" Harry snapped.

    Something he immediately regretted after seeing the startled faces of the three children.

    "I''m sorry Ron, I didn''t mean to¡­.ohh look! we are there!" Harry pointed out of the window.

    The train station was finally in sight.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    Harry hurried to get off the train. He had no more patience to deal with kids.

    "Harry!" Someone called his name.

    Except for this one.

    He went down to one knee and let his little sister jump to him.

    "I missed you too, Holly."

    Despite the short time they had known each other, Harry had be very attached to the little ball of sunshine that was his little sister. Too bad he could not say the same about the other one.

    Most of the letters he had sent from Hogwarts during the year, had been for her.

    He never had a sibling before so he didn''t know if this was a normal feeling.

    "Weeback Harry!" He was now weed by the sight of his mother.

    "Ready to go home? there is a treacle pie waiting for you." She added with a warm smile.

    ''If I recall well enough, thest time, at the end of my first year, the only thing waiting for me at the house, was my aunt, yelling at me to hurry up to drop my junk in the cupboard so I could go clean the garage¡­this is quite the improvement.'' Were Harry''s thoughts.

    "I''m ready to go home."

 Chapter 60: Welcome back

    Chapter 60: Wee back

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 60: Wee back

    The Potter family was having dinner together.

    "Let me see it too!"

    Lily was showing their son''s report card from school to her husband James while Lyra asked to see it.

    Lily handed it to her.

    "Here"

    A smirk appeared on Lyra''s face.

    "You only got ''eptable''...pfff, wait until I get to Hogwarts, I''m going to bring a lot of ''Outstandings'' "

    "Lyra, that''s enough." Warned her mother.

    "But Mom!, is true! I have been studying all year and I even have your notes for charms. There is no way I will not get a few O at least."

    "Lyra¡­ that''s not what your mother is upset about, and you know it." Said James with a stern expression.

    The girl nced at Harry. He wasn''t even looking at her and instead, he just focused on enjoying his desert in peace.

    This appeared to make her angrier.

    "Is it because of what I said of his grades? but who cares? look!" She pointed at Harry.

    "He doesn''t care at all what I say!."

    "Lyra, that''s quite enough." Said James.

    She looked at her brother again. He had just finished his piece of tart and was now licking the fork.

    "He has been like apletely different person since he came back from the Hospital. He doesn''t seem to care about anything, is like he lost half his brain or something!."

    "Enough!" Shouted Lily. "Go to your room, now!"

    Lyra huffed in annoyance, threw the report card on the table, and rushed out of the kitchen.

    The kitchen remained in silence for a few seconds after Lyra mmed the door on her way out.

    "It seems like myck of reaction has backfired." Remarked Harry.

    Since arriving here and learning about what his previous self had done to Lyra, he had been extremely careful around his second sister. He had tried his best to avoid doing anything that could upset her. As if trying topensate for the other Harry''s actions.

    He ignored all of her attempts at upsetting him, thinking that she was just venting her frustrations about the treatment she had been receiving over the years.

    Harry thought that she deserved at least this much so he let her say whatever she wanted, thinking that eventually, she would be satisfied and stop.

    "Harry¡­this is not your fault." Said James.

    "No¡­I have been a terrible brother to her." Said Harry. And that was very much an understatement.

    "That wasn''t¡­" Lily stopped herself before saying ''That wasn''t you''.

    "That is not your responsibility." She said instead.

    "Is notpletely true¡­that was still part me¡­" He didn''t know why the previous Harry became that way, but he still felt somewhat responsible for his behavior.

    "Is something wrong?"

    They have just noticed Holly, who was sitting at her chair with an upset expression.

    "Oh Honey, everything is okay. We just had a little misunderstanding, that''s all." Lily tried her best to calm her daughter.

    "Do you want me to go talk with her?" Asked James his wife.

    "No¡­let me do it. I have been meaning to talk to her about a few things..." Said Lily.

    "I can take Holy to y for a bit." Offered Harry.

    The mood of the little girl improved immediately.

    "Really?!"

    "Sure...you know? I brought with me a set of exploding snaps. Why don''t we try it out?"

    He had found an old set from the 1800s in the Room of Requirement. The idea was to sell it, but after finding out that it wasn''t particrly valuable, he decided to keep it.

    "That game isa bit dangerous for a child, Harry." Said Lily.

    "You are exaggerating, Lily. the modern setse with several safety features. Ispletely secure." James brushed off her worries.

    "Fine, but only for an hour. Then is bedtime for you, littledy." She hugged her daughter before cing her down so she could go with Harry.

    "Why don''t you wait for me at the library, Holly? I''ll go get the cards from my bag" Harry looked around the kitchen until he spotted the elf, waiting on a corner.

    "Oh, before I forget, Mipsy."

    "Yes, Master Harry?. Is there anything you need?" The elf approached.

    "No, I just wanted to say that the treacle tart was delicious. I would love to eat it again sometime."

    The elf had a bright smile.

    "Thank you, Master Harry. I can make it again any time you want."

    "Don''t take her on that offer, Harry... you''ll get fat!" His father warned.

    "Okay, I''m going to take Holly to the library and then I''ll go check on Lyra, don''t let her wait too long by herself, Harry. And remember to bring her to her room by eight o''clock." Said her mother.

    "Of course Mom." Harry was about to leave the kitchen when he noticed his father. It seemed like he wanted to say something.

    "Harry, tonight after you take Holly back, I want you toe talk with me at my studio. There are some important things we must discuss. I know you must be tired, but I may have to leave for a work trip tomorrow, so we need to talk tonight."

    "Sure Dad, I''ll be there in an hour," Harry promised.

    <><><><><><><>

    After putting out the fire at the library and escorting his little sister safely to her room, Harry made his way to his father''s office.

    "Man, those exploding snaps were truly dangerous. I don''t remember them being so¡­potent¡­"

    He could not help but wonder if that set was defective.

    ''I''ll have to buy some new ones. No more secondhand stuff.'' He promised himself.

 Chapter 61: A new family member

    Chapter 61: A new family member

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 61: A new family member

    Harry knocked twice on the door before opening it and walked inside his father''s studio.

    James was sitting already behind his deck, waiting for him.

    As soon as Harry sat down, his father pushed a newspaper towards him.

    Harry took a nce at the front page. He was already very familiar with this one, it had a picture of Lucius Malfoy followed by an article about his murder and how the Aurora were ipetent for failing to find the culprit.

    The Auror department as a whole has been getting a lot of criticismtely, the source of most of it being The Prophet newspaper.

    "Did you do this?" his father did not beat around the bush and asked directly.

    "Yes." Harry answered with the same directness.

    James looked surprised for a moment. It could be because he didn''t truly expect his son to be the one responsible, or maybe because he didn''t think that Harry would admit it so quickly.

    "How¡­no, why did you do that, Harry?"

    "Among other things¡­ I needed information about Voldemort''s ns. Malfoy has always been one of his most trusted followers.

    He also hired an assassin to kill Neville, so is not like the man was innocent by any means."

    "That''s not the point, Harry. You can''t decide that by yourself!... look, I understand youe from a different era and fought in a bloody war. But here and now, we havews and rules we must respect, otherwise, everything copses."

    "I do understand what you are trying to say, but this was a necessary measure. Remaining in the dark about that maniac ns, just puts everyone in massive danger."

    James let out a sigh. He knew there was no point in continuing that argument. Their points of view were very different.

    "And¡­did you get the information you wanted so badly? I doubt it was easy to make that man talk."

    "It wasn''t that hard. And I did find some interesting things. But instead of telling you, is best if I show you. Do you have pensive here?"

    James made a shocked face.

    "A pensive?!. Harry¡­.do you know how rare those things are? Even in the entire ministry, we only have two, and one of them is for the exclusive use of the unspeakables."

    "Mmm, is that so?. That''s fine then, I had a chance to acquire one very recently. Hold on, let me call him first."

    "Call who?" James looked very confused now.

    "Dobby,e here." Harry called.

    After a loud ''pop'', an elf appeared on top of the desk.

    "Master Harry called?"

    "Master Harry?!, son¡­ where did you get a house elf from?. Wait¡­did he say Dobby?, that name sounds familiar. " James muttered.

    Harry was about to address the elf when saw his father m his hands on the desk.

    "Dobby!, that''s Malfoy''s house elf!. We have been looking for him since the murder!" Shouted his father.

    "Yes, he was." Admitted Harry.

    "Lady Malfoy and her son called for him repeatedly but never appeared in front of them, we all assumed he was killed the same day that Malfoy did¡­" James'' eyes moved from the elf to his son.

    "Dobby doesn''t answer to evil Masters anymore!" Shouted the elf, taking James by surprise.

    "Dobby only answers to Master Harry and no one else, Master Harry saved Dobby."

    "Okay, Dobby. I think he understands now." Said Harry.

    The elf nodded.

    "Is there something Master Harry needs of Dobby?"

    "There is. Remember that room in Hogwarts where I store things?"

    "Dobby knows!"

    "Good, I need something called a pensive. It looks like a small fountain made of white marble. There is a silver liquid inside it. I need you to bring it here with utmost care."

    "Right away, Master Harry!" The elf disappeared.

    "So you are his Master now?...that would exin how he got through the house protections."

    Harry shrugged.

    "It wasn''t something I nned. Dobby came to find me at Hogwarts. He had been wandering around for weeks without knowing what to do with his newfound freedom. Malfoy was needlessly cruel to him, but it gave him a purpose. So I told him that if he wanted, he coulde to work for me and Dobby agreed."

    It was true he didn''t n for this, but having Dobby back with him, has been a coincidence he was very happy about. Now he could give his old friend a family that would treat him properly.

    "I see¡­is he going to live here from now on?"

    "That would be great. I don''t know for how long he can stay at Hogwarts before Dumbledore notices he has an extra elf in the kitchens."

    "We will need to inform the family and Mipsy, of course."

    They heard another ''pop'' near the entrance of the room.

    Harry turned around and saw Dobby levitating the pensive with his magic.

    "Just leave it over here." Harry pointed.

    "Thank you, Dobby."

    "No problem, Master Harry. Should I go back to the castle?"

    "No need, this will be your house from now on. But we must inform my mother and the other house elf before you can move around freely. For the moment stay right here. My father and I have a few more things to discuss. "

    Dobby nodded happily.

    "Dobby has a new home!"

    James had left his seat and was now observing the Pensive with fascination.

    "You really got a pensive!, by Merlin, where did you¡­"

    It was at that moment that James noticed an inscription at the base of the pensive. The word "Malfoy" was beautifully carved in the marble.

    "Harry!, you stole this from Malfoy?!" James huffed angrily.

    "Technically, Dobby stole it." Harry pointed at the elf.

    "Dobby did!" The elf admitted proudly.

    "Harry!" James frowned.

    "The man didn''t need it anymore."

    James was about to shout again when Harry stopped him.

    "Wait until you see this. I can guarantee that you won''t care about a few stolen items afterward."

    "A few?...." James raised an eyebrow.

    Harry got next to the pensive and used his wand to pull a strand of memories that he carefully deposited inside the silvery liquid.

    "Go ahead."

 Chapter 62: Moral dilemma

    Chapter 62: Moral dilemma

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 62: Moral dilemma

    James looked much paler when his face came out of the pensive.

    "That bastard! I can''t believe¡­Malfoy!. They think they can just go after my family?!"

    "Do you understand now?" Harry asked calmly.

    James went back to his desk and copsed on the chair. He took a minute to collect himself before speaking again.

    "I do understand what is at stake, Harry. But don''t think you can gloss over everything I saw you do in there¡­using crucios to torture, and the killing curse?...those are ''their'' way of doing things!"

    Harry did not react in the least.

    "Would it have been more morally eptable if I had tortured and killed that man using legal spells? I could have conjured a hundred needles to stab him all over and finished him by blowing his head with a reducto. Besides, I had a good reason to use specifically those spells."

    "Care to exin?" Asked James.

    "Now that I understand a bit better the detection methods the Aurors use, I decided to leave a clue that could lead to the investigation of some rival Dark Wizard¡­after all, as you said, the unforgivable are some of their favorite spells. The ones used by his followers."

    "You wanted to guide the investigation to other members of his inner circle, in hopes the Aurors would find some incriminatory evidence that we could use against them." James could guess.

    Harry nodded.

    "Is not a bad n¡­although a cold-blooded one. Using the unforgivable curses for such misdirection." James didn''t feel that Harry''s actions were justified.

    "Did it work thought?"

    James shook his head.

    "I''m not in charge of that investigation so I don''t have all the details. But for the things I have heard, no important moves are being made against any pureblood Lord. You have to understand that all of those Lords hold a great deal of power in the Ministry. We can''t even open an investigation without some seriously damming evidence on them."

    James looked at the pensive.

    "Obviously, we cannot use your memories¡­the only one who would end up in Azkaban would be you."

    "Not that putting them in that prison will do much¡­Voldemort can control the Dementors. Is best to eliminate them." Said Harry.

    "Harry¡­" James said with a warning tone.

    "For what Malfoy has revealed, we are not fighting the real Dark Lord anymore, but a pretender with a lot of political power."

    "True." Admitted Harry.

    "The one in charge now is that Lord Parkinson. I don''t really know much about that man. I have only met his daughter a few times."

    "I do know him a bit. I still attend some meetings of the Wizardgamot, when there is some ridiculousw they are trying to implement, and Lord Parkinson is always there, that man doesn''t miss a single meeting. He is a very serious and quiet person. His political views are even more extreme than the majority of the conservatives. He had voted for some very controversialws, but regardless, he seems to be well respected among his peers. Now I know why¡­"

    "You need to be careful around him. He is the one who wants you dead the most, and the one who ordered those Death Eaters to attack me and Mom in that alley."

    "Yes, that was¡­wait a moment!" James seemed to have realized something.

    "That was you, wasn''t it?!" He pointed at Harry.

    "Yes, I was there too, what are you getting at?" Harry tilted his head.

    "Not that!. You were the one who killed those men. There was no mysterious man with a ck robe who showed up just in time to save you and your mother!"

    "You know¡­when you say it like that out loud, it does sound hard to believe. And of course, it was me, I thought you had already reached that conclusion ages ago."

    "I spent two months looking all over the country for that mysterious hooded man." Jamesmented.

    "Sorry about that¡­"

    Jame sighed in defeat.

    "What a waste of time¡­"

    "Can we go back to the topic at hand?" Asked Harry.

    James ced his hands on the table.

    "Fine¡­for the moment, you need to stop ying vignte. No more going around kidnapping, torturing, and killing¡­.I can''t believe I have to ask for his."

    "Me neither, am I supposed to do nothing at all?" Harry huffed.

    "We are dealing with a different enemy than the one you know. This is a battle of politics and corruption."

    "I hate politics¡­" Said Harry.

    "I don''t love them either... I''m going to need some time to process this information. I also need to investigate a few things at the Ministry." Said James.

    "ording to Malofy, at least half of the Auror Department is corrupt and already in their pockets." Harry decided to remind him.

    "I know who can I trust in there. You don''t need to worry about me. That''s my job."

    "Fine, just be careful"

    James looked happy to see his son''s concern for him.

    "Is best if you take that memory out of the pensive."

    "What are you going to tell mom?" Harry asked while retrieving the memory with his wand and reabsorbing it into himself.

    "Almost everything. I may skip the kidnapping and torture thought¡­But she will want to know the rest. Before you were born, she was fighting at my side against Voldemort and his followers. "

    "I know she is amazing¡­" He just didn''t want her to be in danger, that was all.

    "She is. You should go to bed now. We can talk more on the weekend when Ie back."Said James.

    "You can leave Dobby here, I''ll have Mipsy help him settle."

    Harry turned to look at the elf, who had been waiting patiently at one side.

    "You heard him Dobby. Be nice with my family. It will also be your family from now on."

    "Of course Master Harry. Dobby will be the bestest elf!"

    When Harry was about to open the door to leave, his father called him again.

    "Oh, and Harry¡­''

    "Yes?" He turned around.

    "You are grounded."

    A.N - I just want to say that the political faction of the Conservative wizards has nothing to do with the U.S political party. I just gave them that name because they are the ones trying to preserve the old traditional values of the magical word. And calling them the ''preservatives'' just sounded wrong.

 Chapter 63: Life at home

    Chapter 63: Life at home

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 63: Life at home

    Harry spent the rest of the week getting used to his life at home.

    He would spend most of his free time either with Holly and his mother or reading something from the library.

    The Potter library was massive and some of the books found on the upper shelves were fairly old, dating back over five centuries.

    However, he had yet to find any book containing a piece of useful magic, like some ritual, chant, or conjuration he didn''t know about.

    The ones disyed were, for the most part, fantasy tales, diaries, and historical books, as well as a big section dedicated to cheesy romance novels that Harry had the feeling were put there by his mother.

    The spell books he found, only containedmon magic, like cleaning charms, cosmetic ones, or magic that you would usually learn at Hogwarts.

    Harry was convinced that an old family like his, must have a lot more interesting tomes than the ones found at the library, but maybe those were ced in a more secure location. It was something he would have to ask his father when he returned.

    ''This is starting to get boring though¡­''

    He wanted to do some magic training, but couldn''t do it inside the house. Not with his two little sisters there.

    ''Wait, what about that room?...'' He just recalled it. The safe room underneath the manor. From what his father said back then, that ce has some powerful protections that would make it an ideal ce to practice his spells.

    This was going to be something else to ask him tonight when he came back from his working trip.

    Harry nced at the grandfather clock located in a corner of the library.

    ''He should be here in a few hours. Mom said he promised tobe here for dinner time.''

    "Pop"

    Two elves appeared in the library. Both of them were carrying a tray with tea and some food.

    "Master Potter, I have brought you some red tea and a slice of treacle tart," Mipsy said with a polite smile.

    "And Dobby got Master Harry some of that too. And chocte!, Dobby''s favorite!." The little elf buried up and ran to his side before presenting the tray to him.

    Seeing this, Mipsy increased her pace and did the same.

    "Master Harry likes red tea the best!, and treacle tart is his favorite."

    "But Dobby got here first!. Does Master Harry not like what Dobby brought for him?" The elf had fetched him some green tea and chocte treats.

    The two elves haven''t been getting along as well as one would expect.

    Dobby wanted to make himself useful to the family, while Mipsy, who had served the Potter for her whole life, was very territorial and refused to give Dobby an easy time.

    "Okay, that''s enough of this, you two," Harry said with a stern tone.

    "Master Harry?" The two elves looked at him with a hint of fear.

    There weren''t many things more terrifying to a house elf than feeling they have failed their Master and upset them.

    "This rivalry has to stop¡­this is not apetition. Mipsy, you have been a house for a long time and you have done a wonderful job. No one will ever take your position away from you. You will be part of this family for as long as you want. Dobby just wants the same, to be part of the family and feel useful and wanted. Can you help him with that, instead of trying topete with each other?"

    "YesMaster Harry!, of course. I''m very sorry for my behavior." Mipsy said with her head hanging low.

    "And Dobby is sorry for not knowing what Master Harry liked the most!."

    "That''s fine, I don''t hate green tea, and I like chocte as well. So, thank you, Dobby."

    "Do we take back one of the trays, Master Harry?" Asked Mipsy.

    "No, just set them up on the table. I''ll do what I can with them¡­"

    The elves left the food on the table located in the brightest corner of the library and left.

    "Oh¡­you are here." The neer spoke with disappointment.

    ''Speaking of not getting along¡­'' Harry thought of his second sister. She has been mostly ignoring his existence since their mother scolded her on the night of his return.

    "I don''t have many ces to be. I am grounded after all." Not that he had much of a reason to leave the house at the moment.

    "You are grounded too?...never mind that. I''ll just grab a book and leave." Lyra was about to walk away when Harry called for her.

    "I have some extra tea and sweets if you want to apany me." He offered.

    "You want me to have tea with you?...do you have any idea of how weird that sounds to me?" Her voice was getting progressively louder.

    "I am aware it may seem odd, considering how strainer our rtionship was¡­."

    "Strained?. You hated me to death!, and to be fair, I felt the same way. You never gave me any reason to feel otherwise."

    "Fair enough. I don''t remember most of the things that happened back then¡­but I can say that I''m extremely sorry for it. You didn''t deserve any of that."

    "Who are you?!." Lyra screamed. "My brother would never say something like that. He would never apologize for the shitty things he did and would never EVER invite me to have tea with him, less he was nning on poisoning the cups!."

    Harry waited patiently and allowed her to vent her frustrations, she seemed to have been holding them inside for a while.

    "At first, I thought you were making up the whole ''I don''t remember anything'' to not get in trouble with Mom and Dad for what you did. But the Harry I know would not havested a day without going back this usual hateful self¡­.much less an entire year."

    She continued.

    "But now¡­I don''t know how to talk with you anymore, My brother was a jerk, but he was a jerk I was familiar with. You are like apletely different person and I feel like you have be¡­ a stranger to me."

    "Well, that has an easy solution." Harry pointed to one of the chairs.

    "Come sit with me. Have some tea and we can have a proper conversation."

    "Can I really?..." Said Lyra with hesitation.

    "Please." Harry offered her a seat again and she took it.

    Lyra looked down at the piece of treacle tart.

    "Mipsy had spent the entire week making those¡­you really like them, huh?."

    "Yes, but I''m going to have to ask her to slow down, less I will grow tired of it...or be very fat," Harry eximed.

    Lyra chuckled.

    "Yeah¡­Mipsy can be very enthusiastic sometimes. By the way, that elf that you brought is super weird!"

    "Really?, how so?" Harry smiled and let his sister talk. The next hour flew by as he talked with his sister, who he finally had a chance to know.

 Chapter 64: Plans for the summer

    Chapter 64: ns for the summer

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 64: ns for the summer

    "Do we have a secret library by any chance?" Harry asked directly during their next private conversation.

    "Where does thise from? Of course, we don''t have a secret library."

    Lily Potter interjected.

    "If we had something like that, your father would never have kept something like that from me, right James?"

    His mother had insisted on participating in their meetings from now on since she wanted to be more involved in any decision they made.

    Harry had told them more or less his whole story and everything he went through during the war.

    Only skipped a few details he wanted to keep for himself, like the fact that he had been married to Ginny. His family was very familiar with the Weasleys already and he didn''t want things to be weird between them.

    Lily looked at her son. She knew that he was not going to give up on fighting against Voldemort, so she wanted to be of help the best she could.

    Harry looked unconvinced by this.

    "Really? Such an old wizard family doesn''t have any obscure tome stored somewhere?"

    Lily noticed James'' eyes flinch for just a moment.

    "James?, is there something you want to say? You are not hiding books from me, right?" She looked deeply offended now.

    "Is not like that, Lily!. I swear."

    "How could you?!, James Potter!"

    "Let me exin, please¡­" James begged his wife.

    She leaned back on the chair and crossed her arms.

    "Fine, you better have a good exnation for this."

    "I didn''t do this. Is just something I heard from my father. During my grandfather''s era, the Ministry had started the process of banning several branches of magic that had been previously legal. Not only did the practice be forbidden but also the possession and distribution of books or scrolls containing those types of magic."

    "And our family had books of such forbidden branches of magic," Harry stated.

    "Everyone did at the time." Said James.

    "What kind of books are we talking about? What branches of magic?" Asked Lily with interest.

    "I haven''t seen them myself and didn''t ask either, so I can''t say. Never had the interest of risk getting arrested, to be honest. I got into enough trouble during my school days." Said James.

    "So, are they hidden inside the house?" Harry wanted to know.

    "Didn''t you hear what I just said?. They are illegal! you could end up in Azkaban just by reading one of them."

    "I am of the belief that no knowledge should be forbidden, just certain practices." Said Harry.

    "That''s right, no one should stop us from learning." Lily agreed with her son.

    When the two pairs of bright green eyesnded on him. James Potter knew the fight was already lost.

    "Very well¡­the books are stored in a secretpartment inside the family vault, at Gringotts."

    "Fantastic!, when can go take a look?" Harry requested.

    James looked troubled.

    "This weekend is going to be impossible. I have too much paperwork to finish."

    "Oh¡­but next week we have the girlsing home." Said Lily.

    "Right¡­we, you will have to wait until the weekends after that. Two weeks from now, we can go visit the vaults¡­" James didn''t seem very excited about the prospect.

    "Sorry, but who''sing next week?" Asked Harry.

    The only visit he was aware of was the one from Remus, who was going to take a vacation next month and visit during Harry''s birthday.

    "I was nning on telling you tomorrow, I just finished talking the details with their mothers this same afternoon. Your sister''s friends are going to spend the next weekend at home with us."

    "Lyra''s friends?"

    ''Wait, but that means that¡­''

    "Yes, one is Astoria Greengrass, you already know her oldest sister, Daphne. The other one is Ginny Weasley, you may have met her brother, Ron. He is in your year."

    "Well, you did already¡­" James was about to say something.

    "James." But Lily cut whatever her husband was going to say.

    "Is that so¡­" Harry wasn''t paying attention.

    ''It seems like I will have a chance to meet this world''s version of Ginny a bit earlier than expected.''

    "Harry?, is everything okay?" Asked Lily.

    "Yes, everything is fine, mom. I was just thinking about some things...right, before I forget, I have another request for you, Dad."

    "Another request?..." He asked with a hint of dread. What was it going to be now?.

    "As long as is nothing too illegal, I''ll be happy to help."

    "I need a safe room to practice magic during the summers."

    "A safe room?" Asked James.

    "You want to practice magic during the summer?" Said Lily.

    "Yes, but I already have a ce in mind. Remember that underground safe room where we arrived by floo?"

    "You want to use that basement?..." James considered the request. He knew that he wasn''t going to be able to stop Harry from doing magic during the summer, so giving him a safe ce where no one else could get hurt was not a bad idea.

    "I suppose is safe, the walls have been heavily reinforced against destruction."

    "What about Hogwarts rules?. You know he is not allowed to perform magic during the summers. Even if we let him, the trace of his wand will alert the Ministry." Said Lily.

    James looked at his son for an answer.

    "I have a spare wand without a trace." Said Harry.

    "What?!" Lily looked shocked.

    "Why am I not surprised?" James shrugged.

    "Can I see that wand?"

    Harry lifted his left arm and a wand appeared from the holster.

    "You got a holster too?" James examined the wand.

    "I assume you didn''t get this from Ollivander. He would never sell an untraced wand. Or even a spare wand at that."

    "No, I bought that from Borgin and Burkes."

    "You went to Knockturn Alley?!" Lily eximed.

    ''If they are frightened about something like this, it may be better not to tell them about the stuff I crafted¡­'' Harry considered.

    By the looks that his mother was giving him, he may be about to be grounded again.

 Chapter 65: Old Politics

    Chapter 65: Old Politics

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 65: Old Politics

    "What are you reading?" Lyra sat down on the couch next to him.

    Harry lifted his gaze from the old tome to look at his sister before answering.

    "It is a diary written by Tobias Potter, back in 1710. He worked at the Ministry of Magic during its early years."

    "That sounds¡­interesting," She said but her expression indicated otherwise.

    "I do think is interesting to know how people lived back during the beginning of the modern wizard society. And besides, it is by learning from the past that we can avoid repeating the same mistakes."

    "You sometimes talk like an old man¡­" Lyra pointed out.

    "I do get that a lot¡­"

    "Wait, you said that this¡­something Potter-"

    "Tobias Potter." Harry corrected.

    "Yes, that one. That guy was working at the Ministry during its early days in the 1700s?. But shouldn''t the Ministry be a lot older than that?"

    "The Ministry was founded in 1707, just three years before this was written, and three hundred years can be considered very old already," Harry exined.

    "Yes but, isn''t Hogwarts like a thousand years old?. So there were wizards and witches around back then¡­who was in charge of the country?" Lyra asked.

    "A Council of Wizards used to rule over Magical Britain back then. They were the Lords and Ladies from the most powerful and ancient families of the time."

    "That sounds like the same we have now, with the Wizardgamot. Right?"

    "Wizengamot¡­has Dad been teaching you about this sort of thing already?" This didn''t seem like a topic she would choose to learn on her own.

    Harry knew his sister was smart and liked to read, but she was not Hermione. She would not take on a thousand pages ancient tome about the rules and regtions of a chamber ofmerce from the 1800s, just for some light reading during the weekend.

    Lyra shrugged.

    "He gave me a few lessons about the workings of the Ministry a while ago. He said it was especially important to us since our family is also a member of this wizengamot thing."

    "It is, and to answer your question, the current government shares some simrities with the old wizard council. But there are at least two very important differences."

    He raised one finger.

    "The first one is the amount of members and the requisites to join the current government. The old council wasposed of only eleven seats, who held absolute power over the rules andws. The Wizengamot has fifty members. Basically, every wizard family who was around during the forming of the Ministry got a seat in it. This meant a greater variety of opinions and beliefs were now present. Also, the most ancient families were now wielding the same amount of power and authority that much newer ones."

    "I bet those old fogies didn''t like that one bit." Lyra grinned.

    "The Potters were part of these ''old fogies'' ."

    Harry nced at the time on hisp.

    "This was written by the youngest brother of Arthur Potter. Former member of the Wizard Council. And for what it says about him, the old Lord Potter was very supportive of the change and saw it as the beginning of a new golden age for all magical folk."

    He pondered for a moment.

    "Of course, not everyone was that supportive of these changes."

    "Mmm¡­and the second difference?" Lyra questioned.

    "That would be, the creation of the I.C.W "

    "Oh, I know that one!" Lyra said with excitement.

    "That is the International Confederation of Wizards!."

    "Right... among other things, the I.C.W dictated some baseline rights andws for all the magical countries to follow. Further limiting the influence of these ancient families."

    Of course, this did not stop the most conservative faction of the Wizengamot from trying to passws that would go against some of those baselines set by the I.C.W.

    Harry wasn''t sure what they were trying to aplish with this as they would never allow these to hold. But that was something only the old families knew.

    "Wow, you know a lot about old politics." Lyra looked impressed.

    "Actually, is the contrary¡­it is because I don''t know a lot about it, that I need to read all of these tiresome books."

    "It looks like my new brother is a bookworm." Lyra chuckled.

    She had taken to referring to him as her ''new brother'' in an attempt to drive a clear distinction between the old Harry and the current one.

    He could only wait until she gets used to him for long enough that she can start calling him just Harry or brother.

    "I don''t understand how you got those grades if are so smart. You need to try harder next year. I know you can do better!" She tried to encourage him.

    He could tell that she was sincere this time so he offered her a smile and a ''Thank you''.

    His father had already scolded him for his grades. Not because they were bad, but because they were too unusual. After all, no one is average at everything.

    Harry could only say that he was trying his best. After all, he was ying outside hisfort zone now. He never had the need to hold back before. Everyone who knew him, already knew what he was capable of.

    But now he has to pretend that he is just one more student.

    "Mmmm¡­"

    They heard the sound of someone mumbling from the nearby couch, where Holly was sleeping.

    She was the original reason for Harry''s visit to the library this afternoon. She had urged that he read her a story, only to fall asleep around ten minutes into his reading.

    "She won''t wake up that easily." Commented Lyra.

    "She looks peaceful." Harry looked at his little sister with a grin.

    "Yeah, she does now¡­.the moment she opens her eyes is going to start demanding stuff¡­ahh, I almost forgot."

    Lyra moved her green eyes away from Holly and looked at her brother.

    "Yes, what is it?"

    "My friends, Ginny and Astoria areing to stay at the manor for the weekend."

    "I know, Mom told me about it." Said Harry.

    "I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Astoria is a bit weird and almost never talks. Ginny is usually very energetic and happygoing, but she may act a bit strange around you."

    Harry looked surprised at hearing this.

    "How so?. Have we met before?"

    "So don''t remember any of that either, huh?... Then I guess is best if I just tell you. She came here almost two years ago, and you did meet her¡­well, sort of. It didn''t end well for her. Let me tell you what happened¡­"

 Chapter 66: Visitors

    Chapter 66: Visitors

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 66: Visitors

    "Wee!" Lily greeted the duo of neers.

    Out of the firece, came a young woman wearing a beautiful green dress, followed by a little girl.

    "Greetings, Lady Potter." The woman made an elegant short reverence.

    "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Lily?" The redhead frowned slightly before moving her eyes to the little girl.

    "Hello, Astoria. We are going to have so much fun this weekend!"

    The little girl looked up at Lily with an expressionpletely devoided of emotion and nodded.

    Harry and his two sisters were left waiting on one side, with the two house elves waiting behind them.

    It was a show of respect among old families to have the entire house present to greet important guests.

    Since his father was still working at the Ministry, this was the entire Potter family.

    Harry was sure that Molly Weasley was not going to care for etiquette, but Lady Greengrass certainly would.

    His eyes were drawn to the young woman, who didn''t look a day older than twenty-five. He could see where Daphne got her looks from. Lady Greengrass was a stunningly beautiful woman. Long blonde hair, clear blue eyes that shone like sapphires, and the elegant dress she was wearing showed just enough to tell that she had a perfect figure.

    ''Lord Greengrass is one lucky bastard...'' He could not help but to think.

    He hurried up to remove his eyes from Daphne''s mother before anyone noticed it and looked at the daughter, Astoria.

    The girl was small, even for her age. But her most striking feature was her long ck hair. It wasn''t just ck, but the deepest shade of charcoal ck he had ever seen, it looked almost unnatural.

    He could also feel something strange in the girl''s magic. His senses were not sharp enough to pinpoint exactly what it was. But he recalled hearing some strange rumors about the Greengrass family having a generational curse that was passed from parents to children.

    "Hello!"

    His train of thought came to a halt when he saw his little sister move from her spot at his side and run towards the guests in a very udylike manner.

    ''I guess her patience ran out¡­'' Harry knew she was not going to hold in ce for too long.

    Both Astoria and her mother turned their heads at the same time and saw the little girl dashing at them.

    Lily made a quick maneuver and intercepted her daughter before she could do something very impolite and held her in her arms.

    "Holly!, I told you to wait with your siblings until I called for you!."

    "But mom!" She pouted.

    "I''m sorry about this. I told them abou-"

    Lady Greengrass raised her hand to interrupt.

    "It''s fine, Lad- no, Lily. I am not as strict as my husband when ites to following old traditions."

    She looked at Holly and smiled.

    "Greetings, Little Miss."

    "I Holly, I''m five years old already. What''s your name?" Holly held her palm out to indicate she was..., ''that many''.

    "I am Selene Greengrass and this is my youngest daughter, Astoria."

    Astoria looked at Holly and nodded.

    "How many years do you have?" Holly asked innocently at Lady Greengrass.

    Lily''s eyes opened widely and was about to scold her daughter when Selene spoke while maintaining a polite smile.

    "I forgot," Selene said without skipping a beat.

    Holly looked aghast at hearing this.

    "You forgot? how!" She could notprehend how could someone forget about something so important. She would be counting the days until her next birthday if she knew how.

    "My dear, you will one day learn that when a witch reaches a certain age, they will stop counting the years, and eventually¡­they will forget about it," Selene said with a mischievous smile.

    Holly still looked confused.

    "But mom did not forget!, she told me she is thirty- mmmm!"

    Lily hurried to cover her mouth.

    "That''s enough of you, little rascal. Let''s introduce your siblings¡­well, you already know my other daughter quite well."

    "Yes, I do. Greetings Lyra, it''s nice to see you again." Said Selene.

    Lyra greeted Lady Greengrass with an elegant curtsey she had been practicing sincest year.

    "Hello, Lyra" Astoria finally spoke her two first words.

    Lyra smiled and got closer to Astoria.

    "Hi Tory!, this is going to be such afun weekend." This was the first time she had friends staying over at her house so Lyra was extremely excited about the experience.

    "Looking forward," Astoria spoke once more. Every sound she produced had the same t intonation, and her facial expression never changed.

    "She is very talkative today, normally she would not say more than two words a day. That goes to show how happy she is" Exined Selene.

    Her blue eyes then moved until theynded on Harry.

    "''And this must be Harry Potter. My eldest daughter has mentioned you several times during thest year. She rarely talks about other people, you must have made a powerful impression on her."

    "Yes, we¡­got along, I think. Is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Greengrass¡­and you too, Astoria." Harry had no idea what Daphne told her parents about but it made him somewhat uneasy.

    The ck-haired girl stared directly at him for several seconds, and just when it was starting to be ufortable, she nodded and looked away.

    Selene got closer to Lily and spoke softly.

    "If anything happens, you know how to contact us, right?"

    "Yes don''t worry, Selene. Everything is going to be great and I''ll take care of her like she was one of my own."

    Selene nodded.

    "I know you will, that''s why I agree to let her stay. Well then, I must be going now."

    "Dont you want to stay a bit longer?, Molly should be about to arrive." Suggested Lily.

    Selene flinched.

    "I¡­I have some important matters to take care of. I''m sure she will understand."

    After saying goodbye to her daughter, she moved smoothly towards the firece and disappeared in a burst of green fire.

    Lily grinned.

    "She doesn''t get along very well with Molly. I think their personalities are a bit too different."

    "A bit?" Lyra raised an eyebrow.

    Not even a minute after the departure of Lady Greengrass, the firece came alive again.

    "They are here already!"Said Lily.

 Chapter 67: Meet the Weasleys

    Chapter 67: Meet the Weasleys

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 67: Meet the Weasleys

    A big woman with short red hair came out of the firece.

    "When is James going to change that name?. Marauder''s nest makes it sound like I''m visiting his bachelor dwelling¡­"

    Harry was filled with nostalgia when he saw the woman he once considered a mother figure. She was just like he remembered her.

    Lily chuckled at Molly''sment.

    "I have already told him that way too many times. He refuses to change it because Remus finds it amusing."

    Another burst of mes and a very young girl with long vibrant red hair appeared into the room.

    Molly went to give Lily a hug.

    "Is good to see you again, Lily."

    "Hey!, what about me?!" Holly, who was still in her mother''s arms,ined for being ignored.

    "Of course you too! Holly. And you know what?...there is a delicious chocte cake waiting for you if youe to visit me this summer."

    "Yes!, we are going," Holly told her mother in the mostmanding voice she could muster.

    "Oh, Molly. You don''t have to bake cakes every time we visit you." Lily knew that the Weasleys didn''t have a house elf and most of the chores fell on Molly''s shoulders.

    "Please...is not bother at all. I have already baked five of them since my boys came back from school. And it''s only been two weeks!"

    "Hello Miss Weasley, hello Ginny!" Lyra went to greet them.

    Molly gave her an affectionate hug.

    "Hello dear."

    "Hi Lyra!" Ginny grinned happily at seeing her friend again.

    Molly released his sister and looked at Astoria, who had yet to make a noise since her mother left.

    "You must be Astoria." Molly had only met the eldest daughter so far because Astoria rarely leaves the house.

    The raven-haired girl nodded.

    "Well, I am Molly Weasley. Nice to meet you, Astoria."

    Harry noticed something unusual. Molly never tried to hug Astoria. Anyone who knew the Weasley matriarch could tell how strange that was.

    He could only conclude that, whatever was wrong with Astoria, Molly knew about it and was being respectful.

    "You have yet to properly meet my son, Harry." Lily pointed at him.

    "Ah yes, Harry. I have been waiting to meet you. You never came to visit with your mother and sister." Molly smiled at him.

    He noticed Ginny looking at him for a moment before moving her face away.

    Harry wanted to sigh in defeat. The person he wanted to meet again the most, was very unlikely to talk to him now.

    His sister told him what happened back then. It was almost two years ago. Lyra and Ginny had only been friends for a few months when she was invited to the Potter Manor.

    Lily had recently bought the newest ''Boy Who Lived'' books to read to Holly, who was three years old at the time.

    So when Lyra discovered that Ginny was a huge fan of those books, she urged the girl to visit the library and read the newest ones. Ginny became very enthusiastic at hearing this and agreed.

    They went inside and failed to notice the boy reading quietly in one of the sofas.

    Lyra started to show her all the books they had and Ginny was delighted looking at everything. She started to speak about ''The Boy Who Lived'' books she had read at home and then asked Lyra if she thought that Neville Longbottom would be that incredible in real life.

    ording to Lora''s recount of the events, it was at this moment that she heard someone approach. When she turned around and saw it was her brother, she became immediately worried. Harry looked even more angry than usual at this point.

    He immediately started to look at Ginny, who didn''t understand what was going on, as she hadn''t even been introduced to him yet and had only briefly heard that she had a brother.

    Harry went on a rant about how stupid Ginny was to believe everything she read in those books.

    When Lyra stood up to him and was about to yell at him to leave them alone, Harry pushed her very hard and she fell backward.

    As Lyra fell, she ended up pushing Ginny, who was trying to stand up. Ginny tripped and hit her head against the corner of one of the shelves and got a cut on the side of her face, right next to her right eye.

    Harry went away while screaming something at them and Lyra hurried to call their mother, who took them both to Saints Mungo in a hustle.

    In the end, neither of them told anyone what truly happened. They only told Lily that Ginny fell down while running through the library. But Lyra was rtively sure that at least their mother knew the truth.

    Harry was also convinced that Ginny never told her family what happened at all. Had the Weasley twins known that he had hurt their beloved sister¡­he would have been mercilessly pranked for the entire year at the very least. And Ron would never talk to him. Even if he pretends that he doesn''t care about Ginny. Harry knew very well how protective he could get.

    He doesn''t understand why neither of them told the truth. Maybe there was a small party of Lyra that wanted to protect her brother from trouble, no matter how much he deserved it.

    But for Ginny, he had no idea. Maybe she didn''t want to risk her friendship with Lyra.

    Getting his thoughts back in order, Harry looked at Molly and Ginny.

    "Greetings, Miss Weasley, and Ginny. Nice to meet you."

    "How polite!. He looks just like his father." Commented Molly.

    "Yes, but he has my eyes." Added Lily.

    "My son Ron told me you also got sorted into Gryffindor. Did you enjoy your first year?" Molly asked.

    ''Well. I fought some acromants and killed two men, one of them being my teacher¡­so it was a very average Hogwarts year for me, I suppose.''

    "It was alright." Harry offered.

    Molly chuckled.

    "The first year can be stressful. It will get more fun from here on."

    ''Let''s hope not too fun...''

    "Yes, I''m sure it will." He wouldn''t mind a quiet year for once though.

    "Ginny, go ahead and say hello to Harry at least." Urged Molly.

    "H-Hi¡­" She said very awkwardly before looking away.

    "Don''t mind her, she can be very shy with boys." Molly apologizes to him before addressing his mother again.

    "I''m very sorry Lily, but I can''t stay for long. If I leave those beasts that I have for sons alone at home for too long¡­who knows what will happen when Ie back." Molly said with a hint of dread.

 Chapter 68: Golems and baths

    Chapter 68: Golems and baths

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 68: Golems and baths

    A golem made of stone rushed at him, in its hands was a dangerously looking iron sword.

    Harry dodged the sharp de by moving to one side as this one came down in a vertical motion.

    The golem promptly recovered his posture and attacked again, this time with a horizontal sh aimed at his upper torso.

    With a fluid motion, Harry moved behind the golem, and as soon as he did, this one used its free hand tounch a backhanded punch at his face, forcing him to jump backward and put some distance between them.

    Harry made sure his wand was properly gripped, it would be very troublesome to stop the golem if it fell from his grasp.

    The room he was currently in was fairly small for training purposes, being only 5 square meters (16,4 feet). This tight space just made facing an opponent armed with a de a much more troublesome task.

    Beads of sweat fell across his face.

    "How long it''s been already?..." He was losing track of time as his exhaustion increased.

    The golem was not going to give him time to rest as the creature itself would never get tired of moving around, it could continue to fight until the magic powering its body waspletely exhausted.

    The construct turned around and ran at him with a level of swiftness that one would think impossible for a being made of stone.

    It lunged forward as its body turned sideways, piercing the air with its longword, which was approaching at a tremendous speed towards his head.

    The de passed right next to his face as he moved.

    "Shit, that was dangerous." He cursed.

    Harry then jumped back, trying to create some breathing room between him and the golem but as soon as he did so, his back ended up hitting the wall. He had no more room to move.

    The golem did not hesitate to go for the killing move. The magical construct did not have the capability to think or make decisions. It merely follows the simplemand that its creator gave it during the moment of its conception, and themand was¡­'' Kill the person in front of you''.

    The golem will not stop for anything until its purpose has been carried out. Unless its creator intervenes.

    "Finite incantatem."

    As the words left Harry''s lips, the conjured sword in the golem''s hand disappeared into nothingness, and the golem itself crumbled down until it was no more than a pile of rubble.

    "Reparo." The rubble flew against a wall that had a hole in it and transformed until the damage waspletely fixed, leaving a wless wall afterward.

    Harry copsed on the floor and cleared the sweat from his forehead before it reached his eyes.

    He wasn''t magically exhausted this time around, just physically. He had challenged himself tost for as long as he could against the construct without fighting back.

    But the main purpose of this training exercise was to evaluate thebat capabilities of the golems he could create at this moment.

    Construct creation was considered a side branch of transfiguration. Not a very popr one due to its limitations but a very useful piece of magic if you knew what you were doing.

    If he was in a disadvantageous situation where he had to face multiplepetent enemies, the creation of several golems could even up the situation.

    These golems have some clear limitations. They could only be made from avable material in your surroundings, and this meant that most of the time, they would be made of dirt or rock.

    They onlysted for a short period of time. One has to give them a fraction of their magic during their creation, after that, the golem would function using this magic as fuel and will continue to do so until the magic runs out. Afterward, it will crumble and transform back into whatever material was used to form it.

    Thest and most important limitation was the knowledge. The golem was unable to do something that its creator was not knowledgeable about. For example, if the caster doesn''t know the first thing about sword fighting, the golem will be as clueless as his creator when given a sword to fight with.

    This was also the reason why they were usually created in a very humanoid shape, instead of forming them like animals or giving them extra limbs.

    Overall, Harry was very satisfied with the test. His own sword skills could only be called average, especiallypared to the one who taught him. Butbined with the golem''s might and speed, it had proven to be rather difficult to deal with.

    "This should be good enough for today¡­" He looked down at himself. His clothes werepletely soaked in sweat.

    "I need a nice bath¡­tempus. Okay, there is plenty of time before lunch. "

    He was not looking forward to that. After the girls arrived, Harry had basically, scoped out of there, and went to get some training. But he could not ignore them forever.

    He just couldn''t stand the look of fear that Ginny was giving him.

    "How do I even begin to fix that?"

    Lyra had probably told her already about this ''amnesia'' and change of personality, otherwise, he could not imagine Ginny ever agreeing toe back here.

    But it seems that she is notpletely convinced about his change.

    "Should I apologize?" He wondered.

    Does he need to once again request forgiveness for something he didn''t do?.

    He pondered while making his way to the second-floor bathroom.

    There were two big bathrooms on this floor, one was meant for him and Lyra, while the other was for their parents.

    However, after one big fight when they were younger, Lyra had her room moved away from him and closer to their parents, leaving the entire area of the second floor to him, including the bathroom.

    He didn''t hate that part, as this meant that he never had to worry about having someone else use his bathroom and could enter whenever he wanted.

    "Master Harry!"

    He heard a pop and the panicked voice of an elf as he opened the door.

    He then heard some gasps and when he looked up, Harry found himself staring a three naked girls about to enter the big bathtub.

    Ginny hurried to cover herself with a towel.

    Lyra yelled at him while doing her best to cover her most important parts using her hands.

    Astoria didn''t seem to care at all about his presence or make any attempt to cover herself.

    Harry closed the door and looked to his right, where Mipsy was looking at him with a troubled expression.

    "Mistress Lyra and her friends wanted to take a bath but the other bathroom was being cleaned so I suggested they use this one¡­I tried to warn Master Harry but could not find you anywhere."

    ''Well yes...I was in the training room that is heavily warded against intrusions.'' He realized.

    Another pop could be heard.

    "I found Master Harry!." Shouted Dobby.

    "Master Harry must not enter that bathroom! The misses are using it!"

    Harry sighed.

    "Thanks Dobby¡­"

 Chapter 69: The Cursed Girl

    Chapter 69: The Cursed Girl

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 69: The Cursed Girl

    "Pervert¡­" Lyra muttered again while giving him a nasty look.

    Harry put his fork down. He has yet to take a single bite of the roasted chicken that Mipsy has prepared for lunch.

    "I already told you it was an ident."

    "Pervert," Astoria said, although she didn''t seem to care a bit and was most likely repeating what Lyra was doing.

    Ginny had yet to say a single word. Her face was almost as red as her hair and she refused to look up from her te.

    "Mommy, what a pervert?" Holly asked innocently.

    "Well, that''s¡­that''s a thing that you call the¡­Lyra, stop calling your brother that!"

    Lily nced at her daughter with a stern expression.

    "But mom!, he saw us!" Lyra huffed.

    "Calm down already, Lyra. I''m sure your brother didn''t get to see much. And besides, you girls can rx, you have little to show yet. Give it a few more years."

    Lily then noticed the curious look that Holly was giving her and she knew the girl was about to start asking questions she did not want to answer¡­for a few more years at least.

    "Don''t ask me anything and you can have extra dessert."

    "Yesss!" Holly celebrated with a happy face and went back to her food.

    "Mom!, how can you say that?." Lyra looked down at her small chest.

    "It is already growing¡­" She mumbled.

    Astoria looked down and ced her hands on herpletely t chest.

    "Mmm¡­"

    "Can we talk about something else? please¡­" Begged Ginny.

    "Fine!." Lyra was also tired of this conversation. "I''ll let this one go, just this one time. Don''t do it again!." Lyra told Harry while trying to imitate her mother''s stern look.

    "You are most kind, mydy." Harry noticed her lips forming a smile for a short second before she hid it away and returned to her frown.

    He knew she wasn''t truly angry with him and she understood the whole thing was an ident. But in a way, maybe she missed being angry at him, who knows?

    He can''t im to truly understand this sister of his, yet.

    Astoria just stared at him as usual before she began eating her food. And Ginny looked more embarrassed about the conversation than angry about what happened. Living in a small house with six brothers and two bathrooms, this was probably not the first time someone had walked on her while taking a bath.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    With lunch finally over, Harry went for some much-needed peace and quiet to the library.

    He read another old tome that gave him a bit of an insight into some of the oldest wizard families.

    After rxing for a few hours and drinking some tea, he felt much better, but also needed to stretch his legs for a bit.

    Harry walked into the inner garden and spotted Astoria sitting by herself on one of the stone benches beneath a big apple tree.

    As he walked, Harry was able to spot several figures in the air. At first, he only saw Lyra and Ginny flying on their respective brooms and wondered why his mother left them to fly alone but then, he saw a third person hovering close by, it was his father. He must have returned while he was in the library.

    Harry looked back at Astoria. The little girl seemed distracted while reading some small book and failed to notice his approach.

    He decided to get closer and say something to the girl.

    "Good evening, Astoria. Can I sit here?" The bench was big enough for five people to sitfortably.

    She lifted her face from her book to look at him with her violet eyes and gave him her usual nod.

    If she was displeased by his presence, she didn''t show it in any way. It was impossible to read that girl.

    He sat down, leaving ample space between them to not make her ufortable.

    "Why aren''t you flying with them?." Harry asked. He knew it wasn''t forck of brooms as his father had an ample collection of them.

    "Cant" Astoria answered.

    Those were the first and only words she had said to him so far. Other than calling him a pervert, earlier that day, he preferred to ignore that.

    "Cant?. Do you not know how to fly?, Because I''m sure my father will be delighted to teach you. Or perhaps there is another reason?"

    She stared directly into his eyes.

    "No magic." She said that and went back to her book.

    ''No magic?... that''s impossible.'' He was no sensor but he could clearly feel magicing from her. She was no squib, of that he was one hundred percent sure.

    ''Could it be that?...'' some type of curses would eat away at the user''s magic. Maybe her reserves are so small that her own body prevents her from using any of them, as a form of defense mechanism to avoid magical exhaustion. This could mean that she doesn''t have enough magic to lift the magical broom. But if she can''t even do that, then attending Hogwarts is probably out of the question.

    "Is because of your curse then."

    For the first time, he got a reaction from her. Astoria quickly looked away from her book and stared at him.

    He interpreted that as a surprise.

    "You know about it... Daphne¡­"

    "Your sister didn''t tell me anything, Don''t be mad at her." He said.

    An intense stare.

    She is waiting for an exnation, he noticed. Harry felt a hint of satisfaction at finally being able to understand her a little bit at least.

    "There are rumors about your family having a generational curse. After meeting you¡­ let''s just say I made an educated guess. And you just confirmed that I was right."

    She kept staring at him.

    "Does Lyra know?"

    She shook her head.

    ''Lyra was probably told that Astoria has some sort of illness that makes her like this¡­''

    "Don''t worry. I won''t tell anyone about this without your consent."

    She appears to think for a moment before nodding at him and going back to her reading.

 Chapter 70: Encounter late at night

    Chapter 70: Encounterte at night

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 70: Encounterte at night

    He kept Astoriapany until his father and the two girls came down.

    "Oh, there you are Harry. Wanna fly a bit with your old man?" James asked him with a grin.

    "Maybe tomorrow is getting dark already and I''m sure Mom would get mad if we werete for dinner," Harry stated.

    "That''s right!, you two,e down already!" James hollered.

    "Tory!, did you see us?" Lyra said as shended.

    Astroria noded at her.

    "That was so fun!" Ginny seemed to be in a much better mood now.

    "Mom never lets me use the brooms at home."

    "Then you better not tell Molly that I let you fly¡­that woman can be very scary when she is angry," James reminded the girl.

    "Don''t worry Mister Potter, I can keep a secret," Ginny assured him.

    "Good girl, and call me James."

    "Let''s go inside, we can y a game of exploding snap before dinner!" Lyra said with excitement.

    "Yes!, lets do that," answered Ginny.

    "Be very careful if you y in the library. That game can be very dangerous. " Harry warned the girls.

    Lyra and Ginny gave him a confused look while James seemed to have realized something

    "Wait a minute!"

    <><><><><><><>

    It was almost midnight when Harry opened his eyes.

    He gazed at his surroundings, feeling disoriented for a moment until he recognized being in one of thefy sofas of the library.

    ''Right¡­I came here after dinner for some light reading¡­''

    He looked down at the book that remained on hisp.

    "Laws and Regtions, English Ministry of Magic, 1707."

    ''Maybe I should finda hobby¡­'' He considered.

    His body became immediately alert when he heard the sound of steps approaching and had to contain himself from jumping out of the sofa with his wand at the ready.

    ''Rx, you are at home.'' he reminded himself.

    He then saw Ginny entering the library while carrying a small magicalmp.

    She didn''t notice his presence and went directly to the section where the children''s stories were ced.

    He could imagine what she was looking for.

    "On the shelf to your left."

    Ginny let out a squeal at the sudden surprise and turned around.

    "H-Harry!"

    "Please, lower your voice, everyone is sleeping¡­" He whispered.

    "Sorry!, I just¡­.I"she got nervous all of a sudden. Probably was not prepared to encounter anyone here at this hour, much less him.

    "It''s okay, you haven''t done anything wrong¡­trouble sleeping?" He changed the subject.

    Ginny nodded.

    "I thought reading something would help me¡­"

    "You could have asked one of the house elves to bring you a book. "

    "Ah¡­" She hasn''t thought about that because her house has no elves so Ginny was used to doing everything by herself.

    "The ''Boy Who Lived'' books are over here." Harry walked to one of the shelves.

    "Holly has amassed quite the collection."

    Ginny went to her shelve and her expression became brighter when she saw all the books.

    "So many!. I haven''t read many of these yet!..oh¡­"

    Her smile fell and she nced at Harry for a moment.

    "You probably think I''m stupid for still reading these¡­"

    "No¡­I don''t think you are stupid. Look, I''m sorry about what happened that day."

    "Lyra told me that you don''t remember anything from before your ident¡­she said that you changed," Ginny whispered.

    "No, I don''t remember any of it. But I''m still sorry to have caused such a terrible first impression of me, and for hurting you..."

    "Is okay¡­even my brother Ron says that I''m stupid for still liking those books¡­or believing that any of it is true¡­"

    "You are not stupid, Ginny. You are a bright witch but still need to discover what you are good at. Once you do, you can truly shine, and show everyone how amazing you can be."

    Then, for the first, Ginny gave him a sincere smile.

    "Thanks¡­but, how can you know that? we just met...you don''t know me."

    "I can tell¡­I have a good eye for people, trust me. "

    She grinned before looking back at the shelf of books.

    "If I may, I can rmend you one. Neville Longbottom and the mystical cave. I found that one entertaining at least." Said Harry.

    "You read them too?" Ginny became shocked.

    "Of course, I read one of them every night to Holly."

    "Ah¡­right." For a moment she thought to had found another fan.

    "My brother Bill used to read me books too¡­" She said with a hint of nostalgia.

    "Say¡­Harry," she whispered hesitantly.

    "Can I ask you something?"

    "Yes?"

    "How is he in real life?...you know¡­Neville Longbottom." Ginny asked.

    Harry could see a light blush decorating her cheeks.

    ''I should have expected that question¡­'' He thought.

    "Shouldn''t you ask your brother Ron? he is one of his closest friends. Im sure he has many stories to tell about him."

    "He won''t tell me anything!...he always yells at me to leave him alone and don''t bother him with questions about his friends." Ginny huffed with furred eyebrows.

    "I see." That does sound like Ron.

    "Well, Neville is¡­a nice guy. "

    "That''s it?" Ginny tilted her head.

    "You will meet him soon enough, then you can form your own opinion of him."

    "Mmm¡­.I guess." she didn''t seem satisfied with that.

    He was well aware of how obsessed she was with ''The boy who lived'' at this point. But, what was he supposed to do? Manipte an eleven-year-old to like him more instead?

    Is that even something he wants? As close as they are, this is not his Ginny¡­this is a different version of her with her own ideas and dreams.

    No, is too early to worry about these things. The real Voldemort is still somewhere out there.

    Until that monster is dead for good¡­

    ''I cannot risk losing someone like that again.''

    "Harry? you look troubled with something." Ginny looked at him.

    "Are you feeling sleepy perhaps?"

    "Heh¡­no, but going to bed is not a bad idea." He said.

    "Why don''t you take a book and I''ll apany you back to Lyra''s room. The house is dark and easy to get lost in."

    "Thank you, Harry¡­Lyra was right, you are very nice now!."

 Chapter 71: A Little Adventure

    Chapter 71: A Little Adventure

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    $Parseltongue$

    Chapter 71: A Little Adventure

    "Lyra, I don''t think we should be doing this¡­" Ginny didn''t feel that this was right.

    It was Sunday morning and the three girls were sneaking around the manor basement.

    "My brother has been doing something in secret all week. He disappears all of a sudden and not even Mipsy knows where he is." Lyramented.

    She then felt a tug on her sleeve. It was Astoria looking at her.

    "How."

    "How did I find out then?" Lyra guessed what the other girl wanted to ask.

    "I was able to get it from Dobby."

    "Isn''t Dobby your family house elf too? Howe he knows something and Mipsy doesn''t." wondered Ginny.

    "Dobby is not the family house elf. He is Harry''s personal elf."

    Lyra felt another tug from Astoria.

    "I don''t know where he got it from. My parents are very quiet about it. They also told me to not mention the elf''s name to anyone. Is supposed to be a secret¡­." Lyra nced at the two girls.

    "So don''t say anything, okay?"

    Both Ginny and Astoria nodded.

    "So, if Dobby already told you what he''s doing¡­why are going to spy on him again?" Asked Ginny.

    "He didn''t tell me what he is doing¡­just that he goes to some hidden room in the second basement. I don''t think he was supposed to tell me that because afterward, he started hitting his head against the wall. "

    "He what?!" Ginny sounded horrified.

    "Dobby does that sometimes¡­if he thinks he''s done something wrong. He said he has to punish himself." Lyra exined.

    "That''s awful!" Ginny eximed.

    "Awful." Astoria agreed.

    "Hey, is not my fault! Harry said that his previous Master was very cruel to him and always told him to punish himself." Lyra exined.

    "He must have been a terrible person. Do you know what happened to the previous Master?" Asked Ginny.

    "No¡­I think my parents are hiding something important and is about Harry," said Lyra.

    "Mysterious¡­ " Astoria muttered. She also felt there was something odd about him.

    "Wow, you are very talkative today," Lyra observed.

    "I still don''t think is right to spy on him," Ginny added.

    "You can consider it a payback for what happened yesterday. "

    "That was an ident¡­and you forgave for that already, remember?." Ginny pointed out.

    "I did¡­" Lyra admited.

    "But it doesn''t mean that we can''t get a bit of payback. " she grinned at Ginny.

    "Don''t you want a bit of revenge? he probably got a good look at your butt."

    "H-He did not!. I had a towel." Ginny became flushed red.

    "What about you?, you didn''t even try to cover. " Lyra told Astoria.

    The other girl shrugged.

    "You should care more about boys seeing you! That''s for like¡­your boyfriend or something." Lyra didn''t know a lot about those matters. But that''s what the books her mother liked so much, always talk about.

    "This basement is massive, do you know where we are going?" Ginny changed the subject to something more important at the moment. They have been wandering the ce for over thirty minutes already.

    "I have only been here twice. I think Mom had her old school books stored here, and some of her stuff from when she lived with her muggle family. But¡­I have never ventured this far." Lyra exined.

    The basement of the Potter Manor was not just one big room but it was instead separated in many corridors with several bifurcations along the way, making it very confusing to navigate.

    "I''m sure this basement is bigger than my house¡­" Ginnymented.

    "I don''t care about the size, but why did they have to make it so¡­ maze-like," Lyrained.

    "At this rate, we are just going to get lost¡­and then we will get in trouble with your parents!" Ginny was starting to panic.

    "Calm down, we just nee-mmmm!" Lyra felt a hand covering her mouth al a sudden.

    It was Astoria the one who did it.

    "Noise¡­"

    The other two realized now that they were inplete silence. There was a bit of noiseing from somewhere nearby.

    "Shhh!" Lyra put a finger on her lips to tell her friends to remain in silence. Mostly to Ginny¡­.she didn''t need to ask that to Astoria.

    They followed the noise until they reached a big painting of some old man at the end of a short corridor.

    "It has to be here. I can hear noiseing from behind the painting." Lyra whispered.

    "Then¡­maybe there some mechanism to open it. Try look-"

    "Password?"

    Ginny was interrupted when the painting moved and the old man inside spoke to them.

    The three girls were startled and looked at the old man inside the painting.

    "An enchanted portrait¡­I read about these. Hogwarts has many of them. I didn''t know we had any here." Lyra observed the painting with great interest.

    "Who is the old man thought? You think is an old ancestor or something?" Asked Ginny.

    "Password." the man asked again.

    "Hello." Lyra greeted him with a smile.

    "I''m Lyra Potter, I live here¡­I just want to go see my brother. I think he is on the other side so¡­can you let us pass?"

    "Password." The old man requested.

    "I don''t think he can say anything else¡­" Ginny concluded.

    "Then this is not like the paintings I read about¡­if we don''t give him the password it will be impossible to get through. " Said Lyra.

    "Hello, Sir. Can we get a clue about this password at least?" Requested Ginny.

    "Password." The old man replies.

    "Never mind¡­he can''t say anything else." Ginny gave up.

    "Well, I have no idea what the password could be. Should I try something random?...emm¡­ohhh, I know! The password is treacle tart!. That''s my brother''s favorite.

    The old man looked at Lyra with a frown.

    "Wrong."

    "Is not that?....let me think. What about¡­I love reading boring books."

    "Wrong." The tone of the old man grew more stern.

    "This is difficult, I don''t know much about my new brother¡­what about-"

    "Stop." Austria covered her mouth.

    "Lyra look!" Ginny pointed at the old man in the painting.

    "He looks more¡­angry now." Ginny noticed.

    "I don''t think we should be guessing the answer anymore. I have the feeling that something bad could happen. "

    Astoria nodded.

    "Bad."

    "You are right¡­" Lyra realized it now.

    "And I don''t think the password was set by Harry anyway¡­this ce looks super old. He was probably just given the password by Dad. But what could it be then?"

    "Family words." Austria pointed at the painting.

    The zon of the Potters was engraved at the top. A blue hippogriff over a silver field. And the old man was wearing the same colors on his tunic. Indicating that this man was indeed an old member of the Potter family.

    "The family words¡­" Lyra did her best to recall. She knew her father had mentioned them at least once or twice during their lessons.

    Then¡­they came to her.

    "Honour thy blood."

    "Correct." the old man smiled at her and the painting opened up, revealing a set of descending stairs.

    -A.N: the family words are a reference to one of my favorite HP fics by Theck''sResurgence

 Chapter 72: Unexpected Bystanders

    Chapter 72: Unexpected Bystanders

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 72: Unexpected Bystanders

    "Wow¡­it worked." Lyra stared at the stairs in disbelief.

    The noises they were hearing before got a lot louder after the painting opened. It sounded like rocks and metal being hit.

    ''What is my brother doing down there?'' Lyra wanted to know more than ever.

    Astoria nced at her while pointing at the stairs like saying ''Do we go?''.

    "Yes, but let''s move slowly, try not to make any noise," Lyra whispered.

    "Mmm¡­I don''t have a good feeling about this." Ginny didn''t like this situation but still followed behind Astoria.

    The trio descended the set of stairs with care until they saw a small arch of stone at the end of it.

    This one led into another room. The one where all the noise wasing from.

    They all hid behind the entrance and peeked inside.

    A stone golem passed by them, and the construct was moving quickly while wielding a metal sword.

    Lyra and Ginny had to cover their mouth in order to avoid screaming.

    It did not help the situation when they saw a second menacing-looking golem just a short distance away.

    Or when they realized that the target of their des was no other than Harry himself.

    Lyra stared inplete shock as her brother ducked one attack and moved away from another one.

    The room was not big enough to allow him much space away from the two golems and their sharp swords.

    Harry was just wearing some shorts and a simple T-shirt for easy movement. With only his spare wand as a means of defense.

    "He is doing magic out of school." She whispered, not very sure why her first thought was about her brother breaking Hogwarts rules and being expelled. Instead of something like ''Why are two magical creatures trying to kill my brother inside a hidden basement that I didn''t even know existed until today.''

    "dius." Spoke Harry.

    With no more room to dodge, he had no other choice but to start fighting back.

    The transfiguration he just used had transformed his wand into a short double-edged sword.

    He deflected the iing attack before answering by stabbing his de through the head of the golem, leaving a big hole in it.

    The damage started to be repaired almost immediately but in the meantime, the magical construct was unable to move.

    He took this chance to push it back and create just enough space to escape from the corner where he had been stuck.

    As soon as he got past the first golem, the second one jumped into action.

    A swift vertical sh was about to hit his head and likely split it in two.

    "Protego." a translucent shield appeared above his head, stopping the de and preventing it from traveling further.

    Harry took a few steps back and lifted his own de in the air.

    This one gained a white glow to it as magic was being channeled through it.

    "Diffindo." Harry chanted the spell at the same time hepleted a perfect vertical sh aimed at the second golem.

    Even though he was some distance away from it, a white surge of light came out of the sword and impacted the golem, splitting it vertically in half with a clean cut.

    "Where did your brother learn to fight like that?" Ginny whispered to Lyra.

    "I have no idea he could fight with a sword¡­or with anything." for Lyra, the situation felt too surreal at the moment.

    Harry observed the golem he just cut. It seemed to be having trouble regenerating that one.

    ''It must be running low on magic by now.'' he concluded.

    The other one had already recovered and rushed at him without hesitation.

    Harry lifted his de and pointed at the golem.

    "Incarcerous."

    Ethereal ropes came out of the sword and tired themselves around the golem.

    Despite being in its current shape, the transfiguration that Harry had used on his wand, allows it to retain its core and one is able to still use it to cast magic.

    Thisbination of magic and swordmanship was something originally created by none other than Godric Gryffindor andter on perfected by one of his best friends and the one who taught him this style¡­Neville Longbottom.

    The golem only needed a couple of seconds to break free but it gave Harry some time to recover his breath.

    The sword shone again but it now gained a purple color and a baleful aura.

    The golem arrived at his side and lunged at him.

    Harry moved behind it and readied his de.

    "Divulsa!" a purple wave of magic cut this golem in half, this time horizontally, leaving behind a purple substance that started to corrode the golem.

    After it passed through the stone body of the construct, Harry''s magic continued until it hit the wall next to the entrance.

    He then heard the scream of two girls.

    "What was that?!" Lyra shouted.

    "Lyra?!, what are you guys doing here?" Harry eximed. He was too focused on his training and didn''t notice the three girls entering the room.

    He hurried to remove the magic from the wall before it consumed it. Or any of the girls if they got too close to the corrosive magic.

    "Harry!, behind you!" Lyra was the first one to react. She screamed while pointing.

    Harry noticed the movement and reacted by moving quickly as a de came lunging his way.

    This one still managed to stab his left shoulder.

    It seemed like the second golen, the one he had cut first, still had a bit of magic left. But it stopped moving right after getting a hit on him and promptly copsed.

    "Noo!" Screamed Ginny.

    Despite having been cut in half and corroded. The other golem still had part of its upper torso and arms, so it continued to move and attack the closest target it detected.

    During its creation, Harry''s orders have been very simple. ''Just Kill whatever is in front of you''.

    He wasn''t expecting visits.

    "Finite incantatem ." He hurried to dispel the remaining magic on the golem and this one went back to being pieces of rock.

    "Ugg¡­" He groaned and up a hand to cover the wound on his shoulder to stop the bleeding.

    "Harry!, you are hurt." Lyra forgot about her million questions when she saw him bleeding and ran to him.

 Chapter 73: Questions

    Chapter 73: Questions

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 73: Questions

    "Harry!" Lyra passed by the piles of rubble and knelt down next to her brother.

    "Should we go call Miss Potter?." Ginny had a concerned look on her face.

    And Astoria¡­just stared at him. He was going to take that as ''concern''.

    "No, there is no need to call her for this," Harry told them.

    "But Harry!, you are bleeding a lot!" Lyra stared at his white shirt. The area around his shoulder waspletely red.

    ''She is not wrong about the blood loss¡­that golem must have hit an artery.''

    "Is just a superficial wound, nothing serious¡­so calm down." He told her before calling for his elf.

    "Dobby."

    The elf appeared next to him, looked over, and became horrified.

    "Master Harry Sir is hurt!, oh no, this is Dobby''s fault?"

    "No¡­is not your fault so don''t go now to hit your head on the wall or something.I need you to do me a favor.Go to our potions cab and bring me a wiggenweld potion and a blood-replenishing one¡­can you do that?"

    The elf noted repeatedly.

    "Then go."

    The girls stood in silence, looking at him for a good thirty seconds until Dobby came back with the potions.

    Harry took the vials and ced them in front of him while sitting cross-legged and removed his bloody shirt.

    The girl stared in shock as he took the first potion and poured its yellow liquid over the wound.

    They flinched when they heard a fizzing sound and smoke came out of Harry''s shoulder.

    The process looked very painful but Harry didn''tin.

    He then took the other potion. The contents looked very much like human blood. It was thick and had a dark red color.

    Harry drank the whole bottle in one go.

    Afterward, the wound waspletely closed and his face had recovered its normal color.

    "Is it healed?" asked Lyra.

    "Yes¡­ I''m fine now."

    "Good, then¡­can you tell me, what in Merlin''s beard was all of this about?" Lyra''s stern face reminded him of his mother for a moment.

    He ignored her for now and pointed his wand at his stained shirt.

    "Evanesco." The blood and dirt disappeared from the fabric, leaving itpletely pristine.

    He then did the same with his shoulder, cleaning the blood stains from his skin, and put his shirt back on.

    "Where did you learn that from?" Asked Lyra.

    "Reparo." With another wave of his spare wand, the golem''s remains returned to their original ces, repairing the walls in the process.

    "Stop ignoring me!" His sister hissed.

    "Fine¡­." Harry cleared the dust from his clothes and nced at his sister. His expression became grave.

    "But first, I need you to answer something for me. Why did youe here?"

    He did not have to ask how she knew he was here already. His parents would not have told her and the only other who knew was Dobby. The elf reminded him of good old Hagrid¡­very loyal but damn awful at keeping secrets.

    "I just wanted to know what you were up to¡­.you have been sneaking around all week," Lyra told him.

    ''I didn''t know she was paying so much attention to what I was doing. That was a mistake on my part.''

    "I see" He now had a problem with no easy solution.

    Even if he were to ''obliviate'' her most recent memories, it would not remove the underlying issue. She didn''t identallye across this room. She had been wanting to find it. This means that even if he erased her most recent memories, she would just keep trying to figure out what he has been doing.

    Then there are the other two girls. There should be no problem with Ginny, but Astoria is already a victim of a potent curse. He had no idea how she could react to being subject to the charm.

    As much as he preferred if they had nevere here. Protecting his secrets is not worth the risk of hurting these girls.

    He sighed. In reality, there wasn''t much of a choice to begin with.

    "Can you three promise me that you can keep this a secret?"

    "You haven''t told us anything yet!" Lyra reminded him.

    "And I won''t tell you much more. Just promise me you will not talk about what you saw here to anyone."

    "Does Mom and Dad know about this?" Lyra asked.

    "Yes." Harry nodded.

    "Then, I have no one else to tell in any case¡­" Lyra shrugged. Other than their uncle Remus and Holly, everyone she ever talked with regrly, already knew.

    "I can promise you that I won''t tell anyone. I''m very good at keeping secrets." Ginny said.

    "Contract," Astoria reminded him,.

    The binding contract her father had signed would affect the entire family and prevent them from divulging damaging secrets they learned about the Potters. Of course, it also worked the other way around.

    Harry wasn''t sure how much Astoria was told about the contract. But that part was only referring to life or dead types of secrets, like revealing the location of their manor to Voldemort and his death eaters and that kind of stuff. His doing magic during the summer is not something that would have that much importance, as far as the contract was concerned.

    But the girl seemed convinced otherwise and he would not be correcting her since it was convenient for him.

    "Okay, we promise not to tell anyone, now¡­can you at least answer a few questions?" Lyra got closer to him.

    "You can ask, but I can''t promise I will answer."

    Lyra frowned.

    "What were you doing here?"

    "Training." He told her the truth.

    "Where did those monsterse from?" Lyra wanted to point at their remains but they werepletely gone.

    "I made them. Tranfigurational construction is a branch of magic that you will learn during your N.E.W.T.s years. If go that far in transfiguration."

    "N.E.W.T? You can use magic for the sixth year already?!" Lyra was shocked.

    In reality, the golems he can make are far beyond the level of Hogwarts students, but at the very least., the basics can be learned in school.

    "I would love to learn that!." Ginny said with admiration.

    "Where did you learn that magic? Did Dad give private lessons? " Lyra asked. She remembers hearing that their father was quite exceptional at transfiguration at school.

    There was no answer from Harry. He rather keeps silent than lie to her.

    "Are you really my brother?" She seemed a bit hesitant to ask. He brother now was so different than the one she knew that it was bing really hard to believe they were once the same person.

    Harry nced at her.

    "To enter here, you had to say our house words." He stated and she confirmed it.

    "Do you know what they mean?"

    "To honor your blood? I guess it refers to one''s family, isn''t it?" Lyra wasn''tpletely sure but that sounded about right.

    He ced both hands on her shoulders.

    "It means that your family is the most important thing. Not just the present one but also the past. To honor, respect, and care for one''s family. Lyra¡­I am your family, never doubt that."

    "Ah¡­ok." Lyra stood baffled.

    "Why can''t my brothers speak like that?" Ginny wondered out loud.

 Chapter 74: End of the fun weekend

    Chapter 74: End of the fun weekend

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 74: End of the fun weekend

    "Let us get out of here. I''ll escort you three back to the manor proper." Harry started to walk towards the stairs and the three girls followed him. None of them wanted to stay here any longer.

    As they were passing through the painting, Lyra decided to ask.

    "Harry, who is the old geezer in the painting?"

    Harry turned around and waited until they had all passed to close the entrance

    "What if I told you that you just insulted the founder of our house?"

    Lyra gasped.

    "Oh no¡­really?. Is he the founder?"

    Harry shrugged.

    "I don''t know. But he is definitely an old ancestor, so be more respectful."

    "Oh¡­right, sorry." Lyra felt like she had been scolded by her parents.

    "That painting is different than the ones at Hogwarts, right? My brothers told me the ones at the castle are very smart and you can even have conversations with them if you want to." Ginnymented.

    "The ones at Hogwarts are living paintings. Those ones have been infused with the memories of the persons they once were, so they can talk and behave in a simr manner."

    He points at the painting. The old man inside had remainedpletely immobile the whole time.

    "That is just a normal painting that someone enchanted to perform a specific task. Is also part of the security system they put in here."

    "Security system?, so¡­something bad would have happened if I didn''t guess the correct password?" Lyra asked with concern.

    "Oh¡­yes. You lot were very lucky there. Too many mistakes and you would have activated the ward defenses." Harry delivered the words with a very grave tone.

    The girls opened their eyes widely. Even Astoria looked a bit scared.

    "W-what would have happened to us?" Lyra asked with hesitation.

    "Something very bad¡­I won''t go into gruesome details thought." Said Harry.

    "Merlin!" Eximed Ginny.

    "Make sure you don''t do something like that again. Old magical protections can be very dangerous." The three girls quickly nodded.

    In truth, he had no idea what would have happened if were unable to guess the correct answer. Probably nothing serious, since Lyra is part of the family.

    But he decided that it was better to scare them a bit now, lest they try to do something like this again in a more dangerous setting.

    Magical wards from ancient magical dwellings are not something one wants to threaten carelessly. The use of dark curses to punish intruders was amon urrence before the Ministry started to regte their use until they were ultimately banned.

    Harry navigated the maze-like basement with no issues, as he hade here every day since he was given permission by his father.

    As they approached the exit of the basement, the girls became more rxed and broke their silence.

    "Say Harry¡­you think I can practice magic here too? Maybe in a different room though." Lyra decided to ask.

    Harry gave her a nce.

    "And what magic would you practice? You don''t even have a wand yet."

    She made a pouting face that denoted her age.

    "I''ll get a wand very soon!"

    "A wand you don''t know how to use yet."

    She was about to rebuke hisment when he interrupted her.

    "What about this¡­wait until next summer, when you had at least your first year of school, and then we can go talk with Dad about you doing magic here."

    Lyra considered his suggestion for a moment.

    "Okay¡­I think I can wait for a bit."

    "Lyra, can Ie too next summer?. I don''t think my parents would let me do much at home¡­other than chores." Said Ginny.

    "Sure!" Lyra grinned.

    "Comming." Astoria also invited herself.

    "Here we are." Harry opened the wooden door that led to the ground floor.

    "Enjoy the rest of your morning, Ladies."

    Lyra hit his shoulder in a yful manner.

    "It doesn''t suit you to talk like that"

    She then turned to look at her friends.

    "Let''s go to my room, we can y some games before lunch."

    Lyra and Astoria started to walk away but Ginny stayed behind and stared at him.

    "Is something wrong?" Harry wondered what she wanted to tell him.

    "When Dad is working and Mom is too busy in the house¡­I sometimes sneak into the shred and borrow one of my brother''s brooms to fly around¡­my Mom would kill me if she ever found out, she doesn''t want me to fly, says is too dangerous. I have only told Charley and Bill." She said in a whisper so the other girls didn''t hear.

    Harry was about to ask her why did she told him that, but then he realized. In her own way, she wanted to give him some reassurance.

    "I understand¡­.I''ll make sure to keep your secret safe then."

    She smiled. "And I''ll keep yours," Ginny said before turning around and running to catch up with Lyra and Astoria.

    <><><><><><>

    The rest of the day passed peacefully and byte afternoon, Molly came to bring Ginny back home.

    Harry was d that he was able to patch things up with her and that she enjoyed her visit this time at least.

    An hourter, Lady Greengrass appeared out of the firece and took Astoria away.

    It was hard to tell if Astoria had a fun weekend since her face barely moved but Selene seemed to think so.

    Harry wondered how his sister and her became friends.

    Maybe Astoria could express herself much better in the letters they exchange. Or maybe it was just a matter ofck of options since Lyra cannot leave the house too often, just for some shopping with their mother or for some party at the Ministry.

    But in any case, now that it was over, he could take it easy until the next weekend, when they were visiting the family vault.

 Chapter 75: The deeps

    Chapter 75: The deeps

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 75: The deeps

    "Key, please."the goblin requested.

    "Here it is." James handed him a golden key with intricate decorations carved into it, and the letter "P" ced at the top.

    The goblin examined the key until he seemed satisfied it was authentic.

    "Follow me, Lord Potter, and¡­family." the goblin started to walk away and they had to hurry their steps to keep up with him.

    He eventually led them into a massive chamber with any mine carts stationed in it. It was a room that Harry remembered well from his first visit with Hagrid.

    ''It feels like it was an eternity ago¡­I was such a naive child back then. So much has happened since.'' Harry thought.

    The goblin climbed inside one of the carts and waited for the Potters to sit.

    "Get yourselffortable, Harry. Is going to be a long trip" His mother advised him.

    "Really?" He had already figured that his family vault would be located deeper than the trust vault he was familiar with. From what he recalled from the structure of the Gringotts underground vault system, the oldest the vault, the deeper it is located.

    "How far are we talking about?"

    James had a mischievous grin on his face.

    "You''ll have to wait and see¡­"

    Harry wanted to roll his eyes. His father can sometimes behave in childish ways.

    After several minutes of minecart riding, they arrived at an area of Gringott vaults that he remembered well but not in a good way.

    This area contained the vaults of very old wizard families and was under the protection of dragons.

    He even spotted the pale dragon they had used to make their escape from here, after stealing from the Lestrange vault.

    ''Let''s hope I never have to do something like that again.'' he thought

    Harry was expecting the cart to slow down and stop somewhere around here. But instead, this one continued to go deeper.

    "There''s more?" he asked with genuine surprise. He was sure that this was as deep as it went.

    "We are getting close now." Said Lily.

    "I used to hate this next part as a kid¡­always got sick," James recalled.

    "Now¡­hold on to something."The goblin started to say after the cart stopped.

    Harry noticed that they had reached the end of the end of the rail, but he could not see any vaults around here. Just empty rocky walls and darkness.

    Ahead of them was a massive gap that seemed to go on forever as it was impossible to see whaty further in.

    "Where is the vault?" Harry decided to ask.

    "We are going down." the goblin in front of him huffed before pulling down a lever.

    "Down?, hold itthere are no more rails!"He shouted.

    Harry considered for a moment if this creature was trying to get them killed but then he noticed his father grinning.

    The cart tipped forward and then, they started to descend in apletely vertical angle.

    Turns out, he was wrong. The rails were not over, they still continued on the walls of this massive hole.

    This onlysted for a short but very intense seconds. And then he could finally see the bottom of the hole.

    After taking a turn at an impossible angle, they now found themselves in a very simple circr rocky chamber, barely illuminated by a few torches here and there. All around them were metallic doors with symbols on top of them.

    The cart continued to move until it reached the center of the chamber and then it stopped. This was now the true end of the rail, there was nowhere else to go from here.

    "We have arrived." Said the goblin, despite the redundancy of the statement.

    "That part is always so scary!" Lily had her eyes closed the entire time.

    James chuckled and patted his back.

    "What did you think of that, son? Was it fun?." he chuckled.

    Harry ced his hand over his father''s arm.

    "Ouch!" James made a jump.

    "What happened?!" Lily was startled by the sudden shout.

    "I just gave him a mild electrical shock," Harry answered.

    "That was not mild at all!" James cried.

    "Wait!, you did that without a wand? that''s impressive."

    "You can do wandless magic, Harry?" Lily asked. She did not know much about what Harry could do when it came to magical skills. He had only talked about the most important events he went through during his past life.

    "Just a few minor things." Harry shrugged. He couldn''t do much with apleteck of magical foci, but at least he wasn''tpletely defenseless.

    Still, he always likes to make sure he has some spare weapons at hand.

    "Wizard!, no magic here!" the goblin looked to be extremely upset despite how little the disy of magic was.

    "Oh, I forgot to warn you. The security here is very strict. If you do any magic near any of the doors, it could trigger the goblin''s defense." Said James.

    "Isn''t this big hole enough defense? Who is going toe down here?" Harry wondered.

    "If you can recognize the owners of these vaults¡­I bet a lot of people would want to get inside them" James answered while pointing to a specific door.

    To this, Harry got closer to the doors so he could inspect the symbol on top.

    It was a golden griffin over a crimson field.

    "What?!... This is Griffindor vault? wait a minute." Harry moved to the vault next to that one.

    A golden eagle over a blue field.

    "Ravenw."

    The next one was a grey badger over a ck and yellow field.

    "Hufflepuff."

    And the next one, as he expected was the ck snake over a field of green.

    "Slytherin¡­why are the vaults of the four Hogwarts founders here?"

    "Is not just them. This chamber contains the vaults of the eleven families that formed the Council of Wizards" Said James.

    "And our family is also here, of course." Said Lily.

    "Quite amazing, huh?" James chuckled.

 Chapter 76: The Potter Vault

    Chapter 76: The Potter Vault

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 76: The Potter Vault

    "But why are their vaults here? I have read about the eleven families who formed the old Wizard Council. And the founders of Hogwarts are not mentioned there. " Said Harry.

    "That''s because they were part of the original council that was created much before Hogwarts existed. But left shortly after the school was founded¡­or maybe they were forcibly removed, is hard to tell. There is little information about that era. What we do know is that the four founder families had some disagreements with the other members of the council. Afterward, they were reced by four families that were considered worthy enough¡­Lestrange, Rosier, Malfoy and Parkinson." James exined.

    "Those four¡­I see now." Harry could specte about the cause of their conflict. He doubted these old families were pleased to have their magical knowledge taught to everyone who attended the school.

    "Later on, there was one more recement in the Council."

    Lily said.

    "The motive was a lot clearer this time¡­that family died out and disappeared so it had to be reced."

    She pointed at one distant door.

    "That one."

    Harry approached the door with curiosity. It was rare for an old wizard family to gopletely extinct. Something major, like a war must have happened.

    "Is that¡­!" the symbol disyed at the top of the door was something very familiar to him. Luna and her father had spent many years studying their history. But he never expected to find their vault here.

    "The Peverells¡­"

    "That''s right! Do you know about them? Not many people do. We don''t understand for sure what happened to them. But there is an old tale rted to that family." Lily said.

    Harry felt a strange sensation when he approached the door. Some sort of connection.

    ''What is this?''

    "Wizards!" The angry voice of the goblin resounded all over the chamber.

    "My time is gold and I don''t appreciate it when is being wasted."

    "Right, let''s open our vault then, let''s not anger this good goblin any further." James went to the door with the symbol of their family.

    The goblin grumbled something in hisnguage and walked to their vault.

    "Harry,e on," Lily called for him when she saw he wasn''t moving.

    Harry gave the Peverel door onest look before following his mother. He wondered what was that about. What could be inside that vault?

    He arrived in time to see the goblin inserting the key in the middle of the mechanism and giving it a twist. The gears started to turn but the door didn''t open yet.

    The goblin pulled out a small knife and gave it to James.

    Harry saw his father make a small cut on his finger and smear a drop of blood on a ck te situated next to the key.

    "This is a necessary step. The door will not open without the blood of a Potter." James said this while looking at Harry.

    "I understand." Harry understood that his father wanted to remember this well enough in case he had toe alone next time.

    The blood disappeared from the te almost immediately and the mechanism came to life again.

    The door creaked and opened, leaving a big circr entrance into the vault.

    "Let''s go." James went first and as he set one foot inside the room, this one became illuminated by dozens of magical torches.

    "Whoa¡­" Harry had never seen a mountain of gold this big. Even the one he once saw inside the Lestrange chamber, paled inparison.

    "I know¡­I was also shocked the first time I saw it." Said Lily.

    "Our ancestors made some wise investments, money is not something we have to worry about thanks to them. Now follow me¡­I think is around here." James walked around the mountain of gold and went further inside.

    Harry walked while looking around the vault. There were lots of things in here. Paintings, furniture, clothes, and many boxes filled with who knows what is stored inside. It almost reminded him of the Room of Requirements, but whoever organized this ce did a much better job than Hogwarts elves.

    "Oh, before I forget. I promised Lyra to bring her something from here. It was the only way to convince her to stay at home with Holly. She really wanted toe here and see the family vault." Lily recalled.

    "What are you thinking of getting her?" James really hoped it was something legal at least.

    "Just some nice piece of jewelry. Mabe a ring or some pendant."

    James breathed a sigh of relief.

    "There are boxes filled with that kind of stuff over there." he pointed.

    While his mother went on her quest for jewels, His father walked up to a big wardrobe that had been ced in one corner of the vault.

    "Harry, help me move this thing. And remember, no magic here."

    "Not even a bit?...that looks really heavy." Harry stared at the ancient piece of furniture.

    "If you don''t want to see those books, that''s fine by me." James crossed his arms.

    ''Why do I have the feeling that this is some sort of punishment?''

    "Fine, let''s do this¡­"

    The wardrobe was even heavier than Harry had initially thought, and despite their best efforts, they were only able to separate it from the wall by dragging one corner away.

    "T-That¡­should be good enough." James was feeling a bit out of breath.

    Harry examined the wall behind the wardrobe but nothing strange could be seen at first nce.

    "Are you sure is here?"

    "I was told the secretpartment was in a corner, behind an old wardrobe, so it has to be here," James replied.

    It was then that Harry noticed a small imperfection on the smooth rocky wall.

    "There is something there" He pointed with his finger.

    "Mmm¡­let me see." James ran his hand around that area until he felt something move.

    "Here it is!" He said with excitement.

    He applied more pressure and a small part of the wall moved aside, revealing an opening, no wider than fifty centimeters.

    The space looked small but was enough to hide a few important objects.

    "Come on Dad, let''s see what''s inside." Harry urged his father.

    A.N: - In case you were curious. The original eleven members of the Wizard Council are :

    Potter

    Gryffindor

    Slytherin

    Ravenw

    Hufflepuff

    Greengrass

    ck

    Carrow

    Longbottom

    Bones

    Peverell

    And the substitute for the Peverells ended up being the Gaunt family. -

 Chapter 77: The Hidden Books

    Chapter 77: The Hidden Books

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 77: The Hidden Books

    James put his hands inside the opening and pulled the contents outside.

    "That''s all?" Harry wasn''t expecting much given the size of the hole, but he felt a bit disappointed when he saw his father pull out four books and a small ck box.

    "That''s it. The isn''t much room in there. Our ancestors must have considered these, the most important ones to preserve." James looked down at the books.

    He then walked to a nearby marble table and ced the four books and the box on top.

    "Lily!, we found the books,e here."

    "That''s great, dear! Give me a second, I''m almost done here."

    Momentster, they saw hering over with a wooden jewelry box in her hands.

    "What did you pick for Lyra?" Asked James.

    "Well¡­I couldn''t decide on one so I selected a few pieces for her to choose fromter at home." Lily smiled and ced the box on the table. This one made a loud noise at the impact.

    "That looks heavy¡­" Harry noticed.

    James didn''t seem to care that much about his wife filling a box with expensive jewels.

    "Let''s see those books." Lily picked the book at the top.

    "Malgamum Compendium¡­it is written in Latin."

    She pointed out, not that she was having any trouble reading it.

    Harry took the second one.

    "Urgg¡­this one is in old Gaelic."

    "Can you read it?" Asked James.

    "Just a bit¡­but I can already tell I''m not interested in this, This is a book about druid magic." Harry exined.

    "Oh, I didn''t know we had any druids in our family," James said with interest.

    "Is an old family. Maybe an ancestor married someone from a druid n and their descendants inherited a few spells. They are not very useful thoughts. Druid magic can be strong but it has many downsides, like only being able to do certain magic under specific circumstances or needing arge number of druids to perform the strongest conjurations."

    "You seem to know a lot of them. How is that?" His father asked.

    "I knew someone who was obsessed with this type of ancient magic¡­"

    ''She also read a lot about shamans and their elemental rituals. Now, those were a bit more useful. '' He recalled.

    Harry ced the book down and took the next one.

    James had noticed that his son didn''t want to go into details about that topic and didn''t ask any more questions. Although Harry had told them many things about his previous life. His tales always be very vague when ites to talking about his oldpanions. Harry uses the terms ''a friend did this'' or ''I knew someone who liked that'', but never mentions the names of those people.

    "Human transfigurations" Harry read the name of the book in his hands.

    The title caught the attention of James and Lily.

    "Human transfigurations?" Lily observed the cover of the book.

    "But those are not illegal. Even I could turn someone into a pig."

    "Yes, there is also the animagus transformation. They form part of the human transfiguration branch. They are regted by the Ministry but not illegal." Said James.

    Harry grew more curious and started to flip through the contents of the book. At least this one was written in fairly modern English. At first, he only found some basic transfigurations that even modern Hogwarts students could perform.

    "Ah¡­I think I see why this is here."

    "Well, tell us. What is it?" James looked at him.

    "Yes, what did you find?" Lily approached and looked at the page he was in.

    "Permanens mutatio¡­around midway through the book, it starts to talk into detail about permanent transfigurations that can be performed on the human body," Harrymented.

    "Permanent?" Lily frowned. All the transfigurations she knew had temporary effects. Once the magic runs out, the transfiguration ends and the object of the spells returns to whatever form it has. When ites to humans, the effectsst even less, because the person''s own magic will interfere with the spell itself.

    "What kind of transfigurations are we talking about?" Asked James.

    "Growing extra limbs, be taller, bigger, shorter, change the gender¡­there are lots of them here." Harry talked as he flipped through the pages.

    "Can it be used on others?" Lily wanted to know.

    "Yes, and can even be used against the will of the target¡­that seems to be the main form of use,that is described here," Harry said.

    "That horrifying!, to permanently change someone against their will like that¡­" Lily eximed.

    "Why did my family have something like this?¡­" James wondered.

    "What about that one, Mom?" Harry pointed at the one she had been reading.

    "This one is filled with some very nasty dark curses¡­ " Lily pushed the old tome away from her.

    "I stopped reading when I got to one curse that would liquefy a person''s intestines and make theme out from their¡­you know."

    "That sounds useful." Harry nced at the book.

    "Harry!, how can you say that?" His father reprimanded him.

    "I didn''t mean that particr one. But knowing a few of these old curses could save your life one day. " He tried to exin his reasoning.

    "How so?" Lily seems genuinely curious.

    "Modern protections like the protego charm would not work against many of these old curses. Also, using spells your opponent is not familiar with can be very helpful since they would not know how to counter you."

    Having said that, Harry had zero interest in that book. In his past, he had already gone through the entire ck family library, as well as the ones of many death eaters they had killed. There will be nothing new for him to learn from there.

    His eyes moved to thest book, hoping that this one would have something useful.

    It had a ck leather exterior and no title or wording of any kind on the surface.

    "Anything interesting there?" Lily gave him a few minutes to read before approaching him. She noticed it was written in Latin and filled with symbols on every page.

    "These are rituals." Harry finally said.

    "Rituall¡­well, I was expecting at least one of those here," James said.

    "What kind of rituals?" Lily asked.

    "Let''s see¡­.this one is to enhance some of your senses, there are some for your physical abilities¡­magical capacity, being able to see at night, resistance to poisons and venoms, resistance to elements. Seems quiteplete"

    "Oh, those sounds too good to be true. I bet there is some downside to them." She never had the chance to study ritual spells as the Ministry dered any information about them as illegal, but she knew that nothing waspletely free in this world.

    "There are plenty of downsides." James joined the conversations.

    "I heard so many horror stories about people who performed rituals on themselves. Let me tell you about it."

 Chapter 78: The downsides of rituals and the mysterious box

    Chapter 78: The downsides of rituals and the mysterious box

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 78: The downsides of rituals and the mysterious box

    "Stories?" Asked Lily.

    "My mother told me about them. She had originallye from the ck family and these weremonly used among their members during her era."

    "Sirius'' family¡­I remember hearing about them." Lily said.

    "Yeah, most of them were nasty folk. Buting back to the rituals¡­I recall hearing about a popr one that made you resistant to poisons and venom, but it also made you grow reptile scales on your skin. Or one that could improve your eyesight but made your eyes red."

    Lily nodded. "Did they not know about the aftereffects? or they did do it despite them?"

    "People would often get addicted to these rituals. They will try to counter the downside of one ritual with another one and in the end, they would just look inhuman. Remember what Voldemort was like during thest time we encountered him?"

    "How can I forget him?....he looked terrifying with his pale skin and red eyes¡­" Lily shivered at the mere thought of that man.

    "That''s the reason for the Ministry to ban all use of rituals. Even if not all of them were as harmful." Exined James.

    Harry remained quiet during the exchange. What his father said was not wrong, but there was more to that. Not all rituals had grievous downsides, or there were ones worth paying.

    He only nned on performing a single ritual on himself. He didn''t want to bother with minor ones like gaining the ability to see better at night or gain resistance to an element. He could gain those benefits without having to modify his own body. He could enchant his sses to gain a form of night vision or enchant his robes to be more resistant to fire.

    No, the one he had nned on performing next year was one ritual that would greatly enhance his physical capabilities. Most wizards underestimate just how important, being able to move faster or have a higher stamina, could be during a fight.

    This ritual does have a price though. Whoever performs it on himself will suffer from a reduced life expectancy. But that was a price he was more than willing to pay.

    The only reason he never performed that ritual on himself during his past life was simply because hecked the materials.

    During the war, finding any rare magical ingredient had be almost impossible. If it wasn''t for that, he would not have hesitated.

    ''In the end, it seems like this trip was a waste of time. I should have expected this, after all, the cks were as old if not older than the Potters and with fewer morals, so their library remained untouched, no matter how many newws the Ministry dered. And I went through their books many times¡­huh? what is this?''

    The name of thest ritual got his attention.

    "Soul bonding ritual?"

    Magic that affected the soul was extremely rare, even among ancient families. He could only recall a handful of spells that could do that.

    "Let me see that too." Lily became interested.

    "A ritual that can connect the souls of two people together so they are never separated¡­how romantic!"

    "Connecting two souls?, that sounds too fantastical, even for the magical world," Jamesmented.

    "Not so much. In the past, Voldemort used a ritual to sever pieces of his soul and tied them to objects in the mortal realm. This prevented his soul from ever leaving even if his body was destroyed. Allowing him the possibility of returning to a new body." Harry gave them a simple exnation of the horrocruxes.

    "So he could never die? But you said that he made a deal with demons to achieve his immortality." James recalled.

    "There are many ways to gain something resemnt to immortality and none of them are infallible. We found and destroyed the soul containers he created. This made him feel vulnerable once more and drove him to make the deal." Said Harry.

    "Why didn''t he create more of these containers and hide them again?" Lily asked.

    "He couldn''t make more¡­to create a single container he had to sever a piece of his own soul. You don''t think there is a big downside to doing something like that? Not to mention doing it several times¡­what a crazy bastard he was."

    "You think our Voldemort also used that same ritual?" Lily asked with dread in her voice.

    Harry hesitated with what to answer.

    "I don''t know, sorry." He truly didn''t know. He had pondered many times about this matter but in the end, he had no idea what could have happened to the horrocruxes. Were they recalled, destroyed¡­or did he never make them in this world? He would love to know for sure.

    "Is okay, son. We are all in this together. We will figure it out." James patted his back.

    "Well, now it doesn''t sound as romantic anymore." Lily stared at thest page of the ritual book.

    Harry examined the content of the page with care.

    "No, this is very different than what he did¡­.It just connects two souls to each other, but will not keep them anchored to the mortal realm. This is not meant to be used as a method to archive any kind of immortality¡­just to keep two people from separating."

    "Is a relief to know that my family didn''t store such a foul piece of magic at least. But I''m not particrly happy either with what I have seen." James said.

    "So, what do you n to do with these books?"

    "I have no need for them at the moment. You can put them back in their hiding spot." He answered.

    "I want to keep the one about druid magic if you don''t mind. It seems like an interesting read, and I''m in need of improving my old Gaelic." Lily chuckled.

    "I suppose that one is the lesser evil here¡­" Jamesforted himself.

    "I''m surprised you didn''t want to take the one with all the dark curses. You said it was useful." He nced at his son.

    "Don''t need it. I already have an abundance of those¡­I was thinking that I should teach the two of you a few of them."

    "What?!, you want us to learn that kind of dark magic?." James looked very displeased. This went against everything he had been taught.

    "I want you to stay alive. And if learning some illegal curses can increase the odds, even if is just a little bit¡­then yes, I want you to learn them." Was Harry''s answer.

    James looked at his wife for support.

    "I think Harry is right¡­.what happened that day in Diagon Alley was¡­.the scariest day of my life."

    Lily brought her son closer and hugged him.

    "If I didn''t have my hero with me, I rather not think what could have happened."

    "Mom¡­" Harryined.

    "What if next time, it happens when I am alone or with Holly or Lyra?. I want to be stronger, James. I want to be strong enough to protect my family from those who wish them harm." Lily''s eyes were filled with determination and James knew this was another lost battle.

    "Fine¡­we''ll discuss this at home." He relented.

    James stood up and was about to put the books back when he saw the small ck box.

    "We forgot about this thing."

    "Right, let''s open it." Said Harry. I hope to at least get something from this trip.

    "Wait, what if is cursed or something?" Lily examined the box.

    "Why would it be cursed? this was left by our ancestors for us." James grabbed the box.

    "But just in case, I will be the one who opens it."

    The box didn''t seem to be locked so James lifted the lid without any apparent issue.

    "Huh? Why is this here?"

    "Ohe on!, what is it?!" Harry eximed with exasperation.

 Chapter 79: Uncle Remus

    Chapter 79: Uncle Remus

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 79: Uncle Remus

    Back at home, Harry was sitting under the shade of a tree while pondering about the Peverell vault, and its connexion with his family.

    For whatever reason, before the family had died out, they left for the Potters, their invisibility cloak, and their vault key. Two tremendously valuable things that they would not have given away casually.

    If they were on friendly terms, the cloak would make sense, but why leave the key?

    When he suggested attempting to open the Peverell vault, his father had denied him firmly. ording to him, all of the vaults in that chamber require both, the key and someone of the family bloodline to open the door. Trying to open it otherwise could trigger security measures, which could put their lives in danger.

    Were they supposed to guard the key in case some descendant appeared? or maybe protect it from someone else? There was no way to know. If they left any documentation about that, it has been lost to time, unfortunately.

    And what about that sensation he felt when approaching the door?...it was like something inside was calling him. What was that about, could the Hallows be rted to that vault?

    Harry was no stranger to those artifacts. The cloak was more than the rest, but at one point, he even held all three of them at the same time.

    ording to Luna, that would have made him the Master of Death, as silly as that sounds.

    He never felt anything different about himself or that he had any special power. He instead had worked hard to learn every piece of magic he knew. None of that was given to him by some mysterious artifact created by the embodiments of Death. Of that, he was sure.

    "Harry, what do you think, aren''t they cute?"

    The voice of his sister brought him back to reality.

    He looked up and saw his sister, Lyra. She was smiling while showing a very shy pair of earrings. They appeared to be made of gold and had some green emeralds encrusted in them that matched the color of her eyes.

    "From all the things Mom brought back¡­you chose earrings?" Harry was fairly sure she did not have her ears pierced thest time he saw her.

    "Yes!, they were too beautiful to pass." She eximed.

    "I see. What did Dad have to say about them?" Harry wasn''t sure how he was going to react.

    "Well¡­.he wasn''t happy at first, but Mom reminded him that I was already eleven years old and more than old enough to start wearing earrings."

    ''I guess he was not allowed much room for arguments¡­'' Harry noticed how his mother tend to win her conversations with his father.

    "But you haven''t answered my question, Harry. How do I look?"

    She moved her dark red hair out of the way.

    Harry had never seen any pictures of his mother at this age, but she probably looked very close to what he was seeing now.

    "You look great, Lyra. They make you seem very mature."

    "Thank you!" She had a toothy smile on her face.

    "Are you going to wear them at Hogwarts?" He asked.

    "Of course!, I can''t wait to show Ginny."

    "So, Astoria is not going after all." He had already imagined that would be the case.

    "No, her Mom says that her illness affects her ability to use magic, so she can''t go to school." Lyra looked sad.

    "I understand, that''s too bad." He felt a bit conflicted about that girl''s situation. He was confident to possess a method that could remove her curse. But that would involve revealing his knowledge about a branch of magic he preferred to leave forgotten, if possible. And it didn''t seem like her life was at urgent risk or anything so there is still the chance that Lord Greengrass can find another way to cure her.

    "This next week, I heard that Uncle Remus ising to visit." He decided to change the subject to avoid depressing his sister with Astoria''s situation.

    "Yes!, Uncle Remus always has some fun stories to tell. He travels a lot and always brings some souvenirs for us. This time he traveled to Romania, so I''m looking forward to seeing what he''ll give us!." Lyra said with excitement.

    He had only met this version of Remus once before. But he does look a lot less miserable than the one from his time.

    It was easy to tell why. With his parents alive, who had wealth and connections, Remus did not have any problemsnding a good job, despite his werewolf status. A job that also allows him to spend most of his time away from Ennd, where the anti-werewolfws were some of the most restrictive in the world.

    Having money, traveling, and not being surrounded by bigots every day, had made Remus a fairly happy guy, even if he was still miserable one day of the month.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    "What is this?..." Lyra held her ''present'' with a mix of disappointment and confusion.

    "That is a genuine vampire killing stake!" Exined Remus while they had dinner.

    "Moony, don''t give my daughter weird stuff, please" James raised an eyebrow.

    Remus chuckled.

    "Well, the Romanian settlement where I was staying was very close to an important vampire n, so most of the things they had for sale were vampire-rted."

    "I hope you didn''t bring Holly some garlic ne or something like that." Lily joked.

    "Very funny, Lil. But actually¡­garlic doesn''t do anything against a real vampire." Remusmented.

    "Have you fought against a real vampire, Uncle Remus?" Lyra asked with interest after putting the stake a good distance away from her.

    "No, never fought one¡­ luckily. But did talk to one a few years back. What a creepy fellow that was¡­but not too bad for a vampire I suppose." He shrugged.

    "Did you at least have a fun trip?" Harry asked.

    "Actually..." Remus''s face grew more serious.

    "Moony?, did something happen?" James nced at his old friend.

    "It may be nothing. But things were strange there¡­ apparently, a lot of vampire ns had been disappearing all of a sudden. And no one knows why."Exined Remus.

    "Disappearing? Could someone be hunting them?" Asked James.

    "That''s one posibitly. But a hunt this massive would not go unnoticed. Is more likely that they are leaving to go somewhere else." Said Remus.

    "Is it a good thing that they are leaving?" Asked Lyra.

    "I mean¡­they are scary creatures that feed on human blood."

    "Is not good, Lyra. Not if we don''t know where they are going¡­or what they are nning." Lily frowned.

    Harry leaned back on his chair. ''Vampires are moving?...those guys used to be his allies¡­could it b-''

    "Neville fought a vampire once!" Holly shouted with excitement at remembering that fact.

    "That just happened in a book, don''t be silly." Said Lyra.

    "You are silly!" Holly got angry.

    "Okay, you two¡­" Lily sighed.

    "So, anyways¡­" Remus changed the theme of the conversation. Leaving Harry with more questions that no one can answer at the moment.

 Chapter 80: The banned move

    Chapter 80: The banned move

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 80: The banned move

    "And another one! That makes this ten to zero!" James chuckled.

    "That''s not fair, you two are grown-ups!" Lyra huffed.

    The next morning, their father called him and his sister to have a fun Quidditch game in the backyard.

    It was a two versus two, so both teams yed as chasers, and they had no keeper and no beaters.

    Remus was not incredible by any means, but he was not a bad flyer either. After all, the man worked for the Numbuspany, traveling around the world and making deals to sell brooms.

    He was also using a prototype of the Nimbus 2100, a broom that would not appear on the market for a few more months.

    His father James however, was still an amazing yer. Even though he doesn''t y much anymore, he still remains very close to the level of the professionals. If he never became interested in bing an Auror, he could have definitely had a future in the big leagues.

    On the other team were only Lyra and Harry.

    Lyra had a talent for flying but was still a beginner.

    And Harry wasn''t trying too hard at the moment, he just enjoyed the feeling of flying around in peace.

    "Come on, Harry!. We have to at least score one point against those two!" Lyra eximed.

    Harry grinned.

    "Okay, let''s do one point to shut them up."

    He could not deny that request.

    "Fly up to there and pass me the quaffle." Harry pointed.

    Lyra nodded and got ready.

    "Okay, let''s go!" Harry warned the other yer to get ready.

    Lyra flew very quickly to the left side of the field.

    Remus was getting close to her when she threw the ball toward Harry.

    Remus turned around and flew at him.

    Harry grabbed the quaffle and held it under his arm. When Remus tried to approach him, Harry spun around and passed beneath his uncle before shooting forward.

    His father was waiting for him near the goal ring. Passing by him would not be easy so Harry decided not to try.

    He made an emergency stop before throwing the ball up in the air.

    This took James by surprise. He looked up, trying to locate the ball but by then, Harry was already flying again.

    Harry made a vertical spin and hit the quaffle with the back of his broom, propelling the ball forward and scoring a point.

    "what the¡­" James stood there, baffled at what he saw.

    "Harry, how did you do that?" Remus approached.

    "Yes!, take that!." Lyra came screaming.

    "That was amazing, Harry!".

    "That was quite impressive¡­I don''t know how did you made that broom move so fast." James said.

    "I gave it a small kick." Harry said.

    Remus and James faces changed.

    "Harry, please tell me you didn''t channel more magic to the broom. " Said Remus.

    "Harry, that''s very dangerous" James scolded him.

    "Why? what did he do?" Lyra was confused.

    "How do I exin this?...when you learn how to use your wand, you are going to learn how to channel your own magic through the wand while you say the words and make the wand movements." Said James.

    "I know about that!, that''s the most basic stuff!" Lyra huffed.

    "Wait, so you are saying that Harry used the magic broom as if it was a wand?"

    "Something like that¡­brooms absorb a very small amount of magic as you fly. This is done automatically by the rune cluster inscribed on the wood. But if you manually add more magic¡­is possible to make the brook travel faster for a short period of time." Remus exined.

    "Then what''s the problem?" Lyra did not understand why they were upset. It seemed like Harry had done something admirable.

    "The problem is that the broom has no core to store the magic, it all goes to the rune cluster and this one is very easy to burn down. If you burn down the runes, then your flying broom bes a regr broom." It was Harry the one who exined it.

    "And you fall¡­" Added Lyra.

    "So you knew how dangerous it was." James nced at him.

    "Is not to bad if you only do it for a second." Harry shrugged.

    "Harry, there is a good reason that tactic is banned from professionals. quidditch. People have died in the past for doing that." Exin Remus.

    "Okay, I get it. Why don''t we end the game here? Lyra asked me to score one point and that is done. We can take a break now." Harry did not feel like arguing about flying safety with his father and uncle.

    "Yes, let''s do that. We should get cleaned up before lunch," said James.

    "Ah, Harry," Remus called him.

    "Are you excited about your twelve birthday?. Is there something in particr you want as a present?"

    "Are you going to give him a vampire tunic or something?" Lyra asked. She was still bitter about her souvenir.

    Remus chuckled.

    "No¡­that would make him look like Snape."

    "Haha! Yeah. I bet that''s where he gets those ugly robes he always wears." Jamesughed.

    "There is nothing in particr that I need, Uncle Remus."

    "Well, it is difficult to give a good to those who need nothing," Remus said.

    "I would like some more earnings." Lyra chipped in.

    "You just got those!" James pointed.

    "Hehe, I''ll remember it for your birthday, Lyra. I promise."

 Chapter 81: A difficult decision

    Chapter 81: A difficult decision

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 81: A difficult decision

    Remus ended up staying for an entire week after that.

    Harry had one the best birthdays of his two lifetimes.

    Remus gave him the Nimbus 2100 prototype he was given by thepany but made him promise to not show the broom around until it came out for sale in September.

    They were sad that he could only stay one week, but he had more business to attend as well as make preparations for his next business trip, this time he was going to France.

    The night after his uncle Remus left. His father called for him.

    It seems that he and his mother had something important to discuss.

    "Take a seat, son." James looked somewhat serious.

    "Did something happen?." He wondered if those Deatheaters had decided to make any moves.

    "No, is nothing like that." His father rified.

    Harry sat down next to his mother and she started to talk.

    "We spent a bit of time talking with Remus during his visit. As you probably already know. After graduating from Hogwarts, your father, his closest friends, and I were invited to join a secret order tasked with aiding against the threat of Voldemort." Lily finished saying and waited for his reaction.

    "Yes, the Order of the Phoenix¡­I know about it. " Said Harry.

    "We spoke with Moony about the information you got from Lucius Malfoy..."

    "Wha-"Harry was stopped before he could say anything about that decision.

    "Let me finish¡­we had to change the story a bit. To avoid mentioning you and you know¡­the way you got that information. As much as I trust my friend, that is not something I''m willing to share with anyone." James said.

    "Then, what story did you tell him?" asked Harry.

    "We told him that, during an investigation on Malfoy''s death, I found out about Parkinson''s and that he is the one behind all the Death Eater''s attacks during thest decade, and that they don''t have any idea where the real Voldemort is." Exined his father.

    Lily spoke next.

    "We talked about what to do with this information. Normally, if an auror finds something like this, the next course of action is to present a report to his superior. But since this matter involves important figures from the Ministry,we have to be very careful with whom we talk with. "

    "Yes, I already told Dad¡­ ording to Malfoy, at least half of the auror forces arepromised. And I don''t think he was exaggerating." Harry said.

    James frowned, but could not argue with thatment. He hated to admit that many of the men and women he worked with had sold their integrity for a few gold coins.

    "Remus suggested that we talk with Dumbledore." Lily did not beat around the bush.

    "You told him?!" Harry could not believe what he was hearing.

    "No, hold on. We haven''t talked with anyone yet, other than Moony. We wanted to discuss this with you first. We want to hear your opinion first." Said James.

    Harry calmed down.

    "But you want to get him involved¡­why thought?. He will always keep secrets from you and work behind your back."

    "We know you had some problems with him in your past. And if that Dumbledore was here right now, I would p him silly just for putting you in the same house as my sister, but¡­you can''t move the me to this one¡­he hasn''t done anything to you. It may not be apletely different man, but¡­" Lily stopped there.

    "We also had our own differences. At the time, I med him and his passive methods for¡­Sirius death.We didn''t talk with him for years. And I am still bitter about it. But, the truth is that we cannot do this by ourselves. Especially not when I cannot even trust half of my own coworkers. Dumbledore is still one of the most powerful and intelligent wizards I know, and we could really use his help." James said.

    "That''s right. With Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix reinstated, it will be much easier to keep track of the Death Eater''s movements and intervene if necessary. " added Lily.

    Harry thought about it for a minute and realized that he didn''t have a good argument against theirs.

    His reason for not wanting to work with the old man came mostly from his bitter feelings of having been manipted into following his ns¡­even if his goal was a good one.

    But he cannot deny them a powerful ally for a reason like that one. He can not allow his personal feelings to get in the way.

    "Would you be tellinghim the same that you told Remus?" Harry asked.

    "We will have to polish the details, but yes. Does this mean that you agree with this n?" Asked Lily.

    Harry nodded.

    "As Dad said, it is the most logical step¡­just, don''t let him manipte you to do something you don''t want to do. Dumbledore may not be a bad person but he only sees the big picture, like a chess board, with pieces on each side. Andyou can''t win a game without sacrificing a few pieces."

    "I''m d to hear that. You can enjoy your school year in peace. If something importantes up, we''ll tell you about it." James promised.

    "What do you mean by enjoying my school year? I want to help too." Said Harry.

    "But what about Hogwarts?" Asked Lily.

    "I can skip a few sses if necessary." Harry shrugged.

    "And how do you n on helping? Most of the work we can do right now is limited to observing and spying as well as some policy maneuvering at the Wizengamot." James asked with a knowing suspicion.

    "You know what I can do¡­just find me where Parkinson and the others live and I''ll take care of them," Harry said nonchntly.

    "Harry!" Lily shouted.

    "That''s what I was afraid of¡­Harry you can''t go around ying vignte anymore.We already discussed this!" James was furious.

    "Harry you can''t lower yourself to their level. I do not wish to see my son like that, please." Lily

    Harry hated for his mother to look at him like that.

    They went back and forth for over an hour and in the end, Harry had to make a concession and agree to do things their way for now.

    What he did not tell me was that he was only willing to do this for as long as the real Voldemort didn''t show up. If that were to happen and the threat level rose up, Harry would act in full force, no matter what they said or what they thought of him afterward.

 Chapter 82: Shopping trip

    Chapter 82: Shopping trip

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 82: Shopping trip

    August 15

    "Wow!, Mom look at that!, I want it!" Holly pointed at the window of a shop.

    The entire Potter family hade to Diagon Aley for a shopping trip.

    They had initially nned oning sooner to buy the school materials for Harry and Lyra, but Molly Weasley had convinced their mother to wait until mid-August ande all together.

    This also meant they could take the chance to buy something for Holly''s birthday, as it was only four days away.

    "Can we go inside?" Holly insisted. The shop she wanted to enter was filled with all sorts of magical toys.

    "Wait, I want to get my wand first!" Lyra cried.

    Harry gave his sister a passing nce. She was usually mature for her age, but sometimes she could get a bit¡­spoiled when there was something she really wanted.

    And she had been obsessing with getting her own wand since the start of summer.

    "No, Mum!" Holly pouted.

    "Okay, enough of you two!" Lily huffed.

    "Before anything, we need to go to Gringots. We are not buying much without money. Also, we are meeting the Weasleys there."

    "Hold on, do we need to go all the way down there again?" Harry asked with a hint of worry. He did not enjoy that trip to the guts of Gringots.

    James found his reaction amusing.

    "Of course not. We have a trust vault on the upper levels. It gets a refill twice a year."

    "Yes, you three can wait in the lobby. Just promise to behave, okay?" Lily warned.

    "Yes Mom!" both Lyra and Holly answer together.

    "I''m serious, girls¡­if wee back and you made some kind of mess, there will be no birthday presents for you." She pointed at Holly.

    "And no extra books for you!" She pointed at Lyra. Her birthday had been in May so she could not use that as leverage but she knew her daughter wanted to get a few extra books for charms and potions.

    The faces of the two girls became paler.

    "Well be good!" they hurried to say.

    Lyra then pointed at Harry.

    "Why doesn''t he get a warning too?"

    "Okay¡­" Lily nced at her son with an attempt at a stern face.

    "Young man, behave yourself or¡­Mipsy will not be making any more treacle tart for the rest of the year."

    "Whoa, hold on a minute." Harry was not ready to receive a threat like that today.

    <><><><><><><><>

    "There they are!" Molly Weasley found the three well-behaved Potter children sitting on a stone bench near the bank entrance.

    She was being apanied by her husband Arthur and their children, Percy, the twins, Ron and Ginny.

    "Hello Miss Weasley, and hello to you all." Harry was the first one to greet them.

    Arthur smiled.

    "I can finally meet the elusive Potter heir. Nice to meet you, Harry."

    He then looked at his sisters.

    "Lyra, so lovely to see you again, and Holly¡­only one visit this summer?, our chocte reserves are going to spoil at this rate.

    "Noo!" Holly was horrified at the mere thought.

    "Lyra!" Ginny hurried to greet her friend. She then made a gasp of surprise.

    "You got earnings!, wow!"

    "Hehe, you like them?." Lyra moved her hair away to show then better.

    "Is that gold?" Surprisingly enough, it was Ron the one who asked.

    Harry noticed a mix of greed and envy in his eyes.

    "Does Ron want a pair of earrings too?"

    "Oh, now we know what to get you for Christmas."

    Fred and George joked.

    Ron''s face became bright red with embarrassment.

    "Shut up!" he shouted loud enough to earn the attention of the surrounding people.

    "Ron!, behave yourself, we are not at home right now," Arthur told him with a stern expression.

    "Mom!, can I get some earnings too?" Ginny asked without much hope.

    "Maybe next year, dear." Her mother gave her the answer she expected.

    "Okay¡­" Ginny muttered.

    "Then, I''m going to the vault, then we can go shopping, okay?" Arthur said.

    "Molly!" as Arthur was leaving, Lily and James walked into the lobby.

    <><><><><><><>

    "Where do we go first?" Asked Lily once they were back on the main street.

    "Wand!" Said Lyra.

    "Toys!" Holly shouted and raised her hands up for more emphasis.

    "Robes should go first, they take a while to be ready, so is more efficient like this." Harry offered his two cents.

    "James, why don''t you take Lyra and Ginny to Ollivanders so they can get their wands? I''ll go with Molly and Arthur to buy the books and then, we can find the rest together." Suggested Lily.

    "Wait, Lily. We already had a wand for Ginny to use. It was from my aunt¡­ I''m sure it will serve her well." Molly made aplicated expression.

    "Don''t worry about it, Molly. James has been wanting to buy a wand for Ginny. As a thank you gesture for all the times you took care of our daughters."

    "But that was¡­you don''t have to, Lily. New wands are very expensive,is too much." Molly looked a bit troubled.

    "We know we don''t have to, we just want to do it, is that okay with you?" Lily knew Molly was very stubborn and didn''t like to ept anything for free. But she also knew how important was to have a proper wand chosen by you. So she had to try.

    Arthur put a hand on his wife''s shoulder.

    "Is okay to ept this Molly, let them get Ginny a new wand."

    Molly nced at her daughter''s hopeful eyes and sighed.

    "Fine, but we will repay you for this, somehow."

    Lily nodded, she knew this was the best she was going to get.

    "Wait, what about me? I want a new wand too, why does only Ginny get one?" Ron questioned, much to the horror of his mother.

    "Because she actually reads the books." Said Fred.

    "And has a much better chance than you to pass her N.E.W.T.s" Said George.

    "They are not wrong, Ron. Maybe if you study harder this year, Mom and Dad will buy you one. " Percy tried to help his brother at least.

    "Study is for idiots!, this year I''m joining the Quidditch team. Right!...can I have a new broom instead of a wand then?" Asked Ron,pletely oblivious to the death stare his mother was giving him.

    "Well¡­we tried." Fredd shrugged.

    "But he dug his own grave¡­" George shrugged.

 Chapter 83: The new professor

    Chapter 83: The new professor

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 83: The new professor

    "Looks like there is some sort of event going on today," Lilymented when they arrived at Flourish and Blotts. A long line of women reached the entrance door.

    "Of course!. Today''s is the day Gilderoy Lockhart ising here to sign his books!" Molly looked very excited.

    Lily made a realization face.

    "Is this why you insisted oning today?"

    "Well ehmm¡­yes. I''m a huge fan, you see. I''m sure you''ll like him you. Wait until you see him." Molly admitted.

    "I never heard of him, is he a famous writer?" Lily''s novels were mostly from muggle authors so she wasn''t too familiar with famous wizard writers.

    "Oh, he is magnificent!. And from a rumor I heard, he going to be teaching at Hogwarts this year." Molly said.

    "Really?. A famous wizard is going to be a teacher." She turned to look at her son.

    "Isn''t that great, Harry?"

    He had to make full use of his lumency to avoid making a strange face.

    ''Does this universe have to punish me by having this man as a teacher again?'' he wondered if that could be the case.

    As they were about to enter, Ron who was going ahead, almost stumbled with someone else.

    "Ohh, sorry." He quickly said before realizing who he was apologizing to.

    "Ugg¡­more redheads." Draco Malfoy made a face of disgust before looking at the rest of the family.

    "Of course, it had to be the Weasleys. Came here to buy your second-hand books?" He sneered.

    "Draco, be polite." A blonde woman wearing an elegant ck dress walked from behind him and started at the Weaslwys.

    "Sorry about this¡­he is a bit stressed."

    "Don''t talk to me like that! And don''t apologize to those blood traitors!" Draco yelled.

    "Get lost, Draco. No one cares about you." Ron shouted.

    "Come on, there is no need to argue here." Lily tried to calm things down between the children.

    Draco looked at her with a deep frown.

    "Who''s this, another Weasley?, no¡­"

    He then saw Harry next to her.

    "You are Potter Mud-"

    His mother hurried to cover his mouth.

    "That''s enough, we are leaving!. " Narcissa Malfoy grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away while Draco struggled and yelled at her.

    Harry looked at Draco back as he was getting away. His spare wand appeared in his left hand and was about to use it to teach the little brat a little lesson when someone pushed him from behind.

    "Ahh!, I''m so sorry!" he heard a very familiar voice say.

    Harry turned around and found himself face to face with a young boy with messy ck hair, sses, green eyes, and a scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt.

    "What?!...who?..." Harry was at a loss for words. As much as the boy who looked like a freshly made clone of his past self.

    Before either of them could start asking questions,the other boy was grabbed by one of hispanions and hurried along.

    "Wait!" Harry shouted and tried to follow them. He had to shove some bystanders out of the way, but before he took more than five steps, the other boy seemed to have vanished into thin air among the crowd.

    He hurried to arrive at the ce where they disappeared and looked around. The street was filled with people, it was going to be impossible to find anyone if he was even there to begin with.

    ''Did I imagine that?...but it felt so real. That was definitely me.''

    He had no clue what this meant. How could there be another version of himself here? It made no sense.

    "Harry!" He felt someone tugging at his robes¡­it was his mother.

    "What happened? why did you run out like that?" She asked.

    "I¡­I thought I saw someone I knew. " He told her.

    "Who? Someone from school?" His mother asked. She never heard him talking about any school friends.

    "I was wrong¡­never mind." He didn''t want her to think he was crazy. Even in the magical world, having visions of past selves cannot be a good sign.

    "Well, let''s go then. Everyone is waiting for us." his mother took hold of his hand and hurried him along.

    When they entered the bookshop, they realized just how filled it was with people wanting to see this famous wizard.

    They had prepared a podium surrounded by books and one table in the middle.

    The Weasleys are easy to spot among the audience.

    "He hasn''t arrived yet, we got lucky!" Molly seemed to be in a jolly mod.

    "Why don''t we go find your books in the meantime?" Arthur told his children, knowing that his wife was not going to move from there.

    "Let''s go get your books too. I also have Lyras''s list here" suggested Lily.

    They went through the full list until they finally arrived at the new D.A.D.A books. The list was very unusual as it contained several books for each year instead of the usual one. And there was something else that his mother noticed.

    "This is odd¡­" Lily said as she examined the new defense books for him and his sister.

    "What''s odd?"

    Harry decided to ask. But he had an idea what she was talking about.

    "These books were written by this Gilderoy Lockhart himself¡­the new professor is making the parents but his own books for teaching materials. That''s so hical."

    ''If only that was the most hical thing that man has ever done¡­'' He wished.

    "These don''t even look like school books, is more like a ¨C"

    "He is here!" People started to yell. Women were screeching and calling his name.

    "Lockhart!, we love you!"

    "Gilderoy, look this way!"

    "It looks like your new teacher is here¡­ let''s go meet him." Lily did not look pleased at all while she said that.

 Chapter 84: Fame and Glory

    Chapter 84: Fame and Glory

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 84: Fame and Glory

    A blonde man in his mid-thirties with some mboyant-looking robes walked to the table that had been set up for him and sat down.

    "Wee,dies and gentlemen but more especially thedies."

    He winked.

    "Oh, he''s such a charmer, isn''t he?" Molly told Lily.

    "He is¡­something, yes." Lily frowned.

    "I know you are all pleased to see me, the great Gilderoy Lockhart, here in the flesh. As you all already know, besides being a sessful author, I am the recipient of an Order of Merlin, third ss for my many achievements. But I will admit that my favorite one is being the winner of the most charming smile, by the Wicked Witch magazine for the third year in a row."

    He gave a toothy smile, showing his pearly white teeth to the crew, who seemed delighted and started pping.

    "Can we go?" Harry requested.

    "I want a word with him before," Lily told him.

    "Are you going to ask him to sign those books? I could do that for you. I brought some of my personal favorites with me." Molly pulled a small stack of books from her purse.

    Lockhart made a gesture to calm the crowd.

    "I know, I know. I''m incredible. But before we get this event started, I have two announcements. The first one is that mytest book ''Tangling with Vampires in Romania'', will being out next month. In this adventure, I protect an old town from the attacks of some nasty vampires who wanted to kidnap some of the local virgins."

    ''Romanian vampires again?, what is going on there?'' he wondered if this was rted to what Remus was saying. He was aware that Lockhard''s modus operandi was to im the achievements of poor unfortunate fools. But the events themselves were very much real. They were just performed by others.

    "Of course, I also took care of the virgins." Lockhart chortled.

    "Oh, he is so humorous!, isn''t he?" Molly grinned.

    "Can I wait outside?" Harry requested.

    "I''m bored!" Hollyined.

    "Me too!" Ronined.

    "Can we all wait outside?" The twins requested.

    "No, and be quiet!. He is going to say something ." Molly looked at them with righteous fury in her eyes.

    "And as for my second announcement. Thising school year, you will be able to find me at Hogwarts. The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore has personally requested me to be a teacher at the school for a year. And who can say no when ites to inspiring the next generation of wizards and witches? " Lockhart proimed.

    "He is so admirable!"

    "What a hero!"

    "A teacher?!, I wish I could go back to ss!"

    Many women in the audience started to murmur.

    "And now, we can start with the main event. I see you are all lined up, just how I liked it." He worked at the first woman in line and this one blushed.

    "Excuse me, I just wanted to ask something." Lily raised her hand as she walked forward.

    Gildedoy looked at her and smiled. He also noticed the books on her hands.

    "What a lovely thing we have here. But I''m afraid that if you want my signature, you will have to wait in line like the rest."

    "No¡­my question is about the books you marked for your D.A.D.A curriculum. All of the books you requested the parents to buy are your own books." Lily said with a deep frown.

    "Well, I did try to find other books to select. But in the end, my own ones were just¡­ the best. And I want the best for the children''s education, don''t you also want the same?. " Lockhart asked.

    "These." she held one of the books up.

    "Are not even educational books, they are just stories."

    Lockhart chuckled.

    "Oh my dear, they are more than just stories. All the events depicted in my books are very much real ." He was not lying on that one.

    "But I have to say¡­ I adore passionate mothers like yourself. I would love to discuss this further, maybe over dinner. Ask my assistant over there for the details." He pointed to his left.

    Lily was beyond furious now.

    She was about to growl at him when a loudmotion started at the entrance of the shop.

    "Is him!"

    "He is here!"

    "The boy Who Lived is here!"

    People started to yell.

    "The boy who lived is here? Well, bring him here. He had no doubt heard about my presence here and came to see me." Lockhart pointed towards the entrance.

    The poor Neville was surrounded by people asking him questions while his grandmother tried to chase them away.

    A man from the press hurried up to grab him by the arm and dragged him to the center of the shop where Lockhart was waiting.

    "Ah, there it is! my number one fan." Gilderoy Lockhart moved smoothly to his side and ced his arm around Neville''s shoulder.

    "Go ahead, take some good pictures. The boy who lived with his new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart." He smiled.

    "What?...who is this?" Neville had no idea what was going on.

    "Right, give me one of those stacks." Lockhart pointed to one stack of books on top of his table. This was the whole set needed for their school year.

    He was given the books and then ced them on Neville''s arms.

    "Here you go." Said Lockhart before looking back at the camera.

    "A full set of school books for free. For my good friend, Neville Longbuton."

    "Is¡­Longbottom¡­" Nevilleined softly.

    "Tsk, does he think this is over?!." Lily was about ran at him again when she felt a tug on her tunic.

    "Mom!, lets go, please!" Holly was beyond bored already.

    "Fine, let''s just pay for these books and leave." She had to give up on arguing with that man...for now.

    "Thank Merlin!" said the twins.

    "Finally!, let''s leave this ce!" Ron huffed.

    "Yeah¡­" Harry nced at Neville and felt bad for the boy.

    But he also felt extremely relieved for not being in his ce anymore.

    Being just ''Harry'' was truly a blessing.

 Chapter 85: A special request

    Chapter 85: A special request

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 85: An special request

    "Whoa!, why are you guys leaving in such a hurry." James spotted the group as they rushed to exit the bookshop.

    "Mom, look!" Lyra ran to her mother with a small box in her hand.

    "You got your wand? let me see¡­"

    Lily opened the box and observed the wand inside.

    "This wood¡­" She was surprised by it. It looked extremely familiar to her.

    "Is willow wood!." Lyra said with a smile.

    "I see, is the same as mine." Lily beamed while looking at her daughter.

    "Ollivander once told me that Willow chooses those with great potential. What is the core?, it feels different than my Phoenix one."

    "The core is dragon heartstring," Lyra exined happily.

    "Like mine!" James grinned.

    "She has a mix of both her parents."

    "Is a great wand, Lyra. Take good care of it, sweetie." Lily returned the box to her daughter.

    "Check out mine, Dad!" Ginny ran to her father.

    "Oh!, is beautiful, Ginny." Arthur stared at the wand. The wood had a very light brown tone, it almost looked white.

    "Is made of yew and has unicorn horn as core. Mister Ollivander said that it was very rare to be chosen by such a wand and that the owner could gain control over life and death."

    "That''s¡­a very strange thing to say. " Arthur was a bit weirded out by Ollivander''s words, but that man was known for saying strange things.

    "Life and death?....puff, you don''t even know how to cast a single spell yet. " Ron said with a mocking tone.

    "I will learn soon!" Ginny shouted at him.

    "Okay, don''t start now,please¡­Ginny, did you say thanks to Mister Potter for the wand?" Arthur said as he returned the box to his daughter.

    "I did!"She answers quickly.

    Arthur nodded and then looked at James.

    "Thank you,James."

    "Don''t mention it." James shrugged it off.

    "By the way, where is Molly?"

    "Still inside." Answer George.

    "Said she would not leave without his signature." added Fred.

    "Signature?" James looked confused.

    "They mean Gilderoy Lockhart, a famous writer Molly likes¡­he is autographing books inside." Lily decided toplete the twin''s exnation.

    "Should we wait for her?" Asked James.

    Arthur shook his head.

    "We will never finish in time then¡­"

    "We forgot to mention it, but Neville Longbottom is also in the shop," Percy said.

    "He is here?!" Ginny became immediately nervous.

    "Calm down Gin," Lyra told her.

    "Do you want to go see him?"

    "You won''t be able to see anything." Fredd decided to say.

    "Yeah, is filled with people wanting to take pictures and demand autographs," George added.

    "Forget it, Ginny. Even I couldn''t talk to him. And I''m his best friend." Ron decided to say.

    Ginny looked down.

    "Oh¡­"

    "Come on, cheer up. You''ll see him at Hogwarts in no time!" Lyra tried to cheer her up.

    "Yes¡­ that''s right. I''m going to see him soon. " Ginny said.

    Lily noticed a strange look on her son.

    "Harry? feeling okay?"

    "Of course. I''m fine. We should continue the shopping, there are still some things left." Harry recovered his usual expression.

    "Then, how do we do this? We still have robes and potion materials¡­" James was reading the list.

    "And toys!" Holly reminded him

    "Right¡­and toys," James added.

    "Why don''t you and Lily take Holly to buy her toys? I think she has waited enough. I''ll take the kids to get their robes measured." Arthur suggested.

    James looked at his wife and this one nodded.

    "Yes, we can do that. " James knew down and picked Holly up.

    "Okay youngdy, let''s go choose some nice toys!"

    "Yay!, finally!" Holly proimed.

    "Why do we have to go to this robes shop? I know I''m not getting new robes." Ron huffed.

    "Not you, but Ginny will need some," Arthur exined.

    "Wait what?!. She already got a new wand, and now she is getting new robes too?" Ron was running

    "Since when do you care about buying new clothes?" Percy pointed out.

    "Ron¡­Ginny is a girl. She needs female robes. She can''t use Charlie or Bill''s old ones like you do. And your mother''s old robes were lost many years ago¡­" Arthur avoided mentioning that Molly''s old things were all lost during the death eater attack on the Prewett house.

    Ron was still not satisfied at all. His face was bing redder and he seemed about to explode.

    Seeing this, Harry decided to help out.

    "Why don''t we go to the Quidditch shop? After they take my measurements." He suggested to Ron.

    "The Quidditch shop?" Ron seemed intrigued now. And his anger started to diminish.

    "Yes, I need to pick some protections. And we can see the new brooms." Harry said.

    "Protections?" Lily nced at her husband.

    James grinned and scratched his head.

    "I''ll tell youter," he said in a low voice.

    "That sounds fun¡­Yes, I want to see the new brooms. The Nimbus 2001 is supposed toe out soon, do you think they''ll have any of them for disy?" Ron had switched to quidditch mode and forgotten about everything else.

    "Thank you¡­" Arthur whispered to Harry.

    <><><><><><>

    As he promised Ron, after taking his measurements, he left Madam Malkins and went to the Quidditch shop with Ron and Percy, who was acting as the adult figure.

    "Whoa!, there it is!" Ron hurried to the showcase.

    There was a broom on disy. A number 2100 with a sign that said: "Coming out on October 25, fastest broom in the world."

    There was no mention of the price.

    "That''s just a disy replica. The real one is not out yet." Percy felt the need to point that out.

    The trio went inside and Ron immediately separated to go look at the new brooms section.

    He could not buy them, but he could at least look at them.

    Harry walked straight to the counter, where a middle-aged man was distracted, reading a newspaper.

    "Excuse me. How much is that new Nimbus?" Harry asked.

    The man lifted his gaze from the paper and gave Harry a tired look.

    "Look kid¡­is a very expens-"

    He stopped speaking all of a sudden and stared at Harry''s acromant silk robes.

    "My apologies, young Lord. The broom costs three hundred and fifty galleons.You can reserve one and we can deliver it to you as soon as it arrives." His attitude hadpletely changed.

    Harry wanted to point out the man''s unprofessional attitude, but that would get him nowhere.

    "Bring me some parchment and a quill. I have a bit of a special request."

    " Right away sir!." The shopkeeper showed a greedy smile.

    Special requests from rich kids would always trante to mountains of gold.

 Chapter 86: An stressful train ride

    Chapter 86: An stressful train ride

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 86: An stressful train ride

    King Cross Station

    "I wanna go too!" the little girl huffed.

    "Not this again, Holly¡­are we going to have the same conversation for the next five years?" Lily held her daughter from running into the train.

    "Is not fair!" Holly screamed.

    "Okay¡­you two." Lily nced at Lyra and Harry.

    "Have a good year. And don''t get into too much trouble. Well, see you in December."

    She gave them a tight hug before leaving with Holly.

    "I''m going to look for Ginny!" Lyra said with excitement as they entered the train.

    Harry told her where the first years were usually staying and warned her to stay clear of the first two cars as those were always taken by Slytherin students.

    He continued to walk through the train until he arrived at thest car.

    "Wait for me, Ron!"

    He heard the familiar voice of Hermione.

    He did find it odd she would be calling for Ron of all people, those two had barely spokenst year.

    "Come on! if we don''t hurry, someone else is going to take it."

    Harry then saw them. Hermione ran to thest cabin of the train while Ron waited at the door.

    The two of them went inside and disappeared from his view.

    "That was¡­weird." He wondered why those two were together all of a sudden.

    "I guess I just have to go there and see it for myself."

    He walked to thest cabin and opened the door.

    "Hey, at least knock!" Lavender shouted.

    "Yes, is the least that¡­oh Harry, is you." Parvati stared at him.

    "Harry, hi!" Hermione greeted him with a smile.

    "Ah, it''s Harry¡­but still, you should knock. What if Hermione was changing her panties?" Lavender asked.

    "What?!" Hermione almost jumped from her chair.

    "Why would I be doing that here?"

    Harry was too distracted to care about what they were saying.

    "Where is Ron?" The three girls were the only ones inside the cabin.

    "Weasley? why would he be here? We can''t stand him." Lavender gave him a weird look.

    "He should be with Neville and Seamus¡­were you looking for them?" Asked Hermione.

    "Wait¡­if you are looking for the Weasleys." Parvati was looking out of the window.

    "It seems like they just entered the station." She pointed.

    "Now? The train is about to leave!" Eximed Hermione.

    "Yeah well¡­they don''t seem like the most responsible family, to be honest with you." Parvati thought out loud.

    Harry got closer to the window and peeked out. The entire Weasley family, except for Arthur and the two oldest, was there.

    This included Ron, of course.

    ''How can this be? I''m sure of what I saw this time. '' he recalled what happened during their visit to Diagon Alley.

    ''Am I hallucinating again?'' his eyes moved to Hermione. He observed her clothes and noticed that they were different from what the Hermione he had just seen moments ago was wearing.

    It was evident¡­the Ron and Hermione he saw were not the real ones.

    Hallucinating one time is a thing¡­but twice.

    ''This is disturbing¡­''

    "Harry?...is there something on my face?" Hermione asked.

    Harry then realized that he had been staring at her and got very close.

    "Oho!, has Harry noticed that our Hermi is maturing perhaps?" Lavender smirked.

    "Don''t call me Hermi!" Hermione hissed.

    "Our Mione is bing a woman¡­time passes so fast. She is already mesmerizing the boys!" Parvati added with a dramatic pose.

    "Don''t call me Mione either!" She pointed at Parvati.

    "Excuse me¡­" Harry stood up and left the cabin in a rush.

    "Come on, Harry. We were just joking!" Lavender hurried to say.

    "He looked a bit odd today¡­." Parvati noticed.

    "Yes. Is also weird that he came asking for Weasley. I have never seen them talk before. He looked anxious about something." Hermionemented.

    "Oh, by the way. I have heard a juicy rumor!" Lavender whispered while leaning forward.

    "Already? we haven''t even got to towards yet." Hermione was surprised.

    "Is this about the new defense professor? Because everyone knows about that." Parvatimented.

    "No is not, shut up." Lavender gave her a ''shush'' sign.

    "My juicy rumor is about the Malfoys¡­you see¡­"

    <><><><><><>

    Harry went into the train corridor. After making sure no one was around, he pulled out his spare wand and started to cast all the detection spells that his father had taught him during the summer.

    There was a real possibility that someone was attacking his mind, filling it with these visions.

    His lumency shields could be considered strong, but when it came to the mind arts, he knew there were those much better than him.

    "Nothing?..." he tried them all. There was no sign anyone had cast any type of spell here and there were no traces of spells having been cast on him.

    There was nothing at all¡­ Could this be in his mind alone?

    "Am I going crazy?..."

    "My daddy told me to never call myself that. Is a very bad word."

    He was so distracted that he didn''t notice the girl approach until she was right next to him.

    "Luna."

    "Hello, Harry Potter. Have we met before?" She tilted her head as she asked.

    "No, we have not," Harry answered.

    "Mmm okay." She didn''t seem to care that much that he already knew her name.

    "I meet your sister, Lyra. She seems nice."

    "She can be nice sometimes¡­ Why are you here alone, instead of with them?"

    Luna looked out of the window for a while before answering.

    "They talk a lot¡­it was making my head feel fuzzy."

    He chuckled.

    "I can rte to that. Just don''t go into thatst cabin. It will make your head explode." Harry advised her. If she cannot take a few minutes with his sister and Ginny. Lavender and Parvati could be lethal.

    Luna looked at thest cabin with a serious gaze.

    "That sounds dangerous¡­.I will keep it in mind."

    "I was following the trace of some Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. Have you seen any?. They like tight spaces like these corridors."Luna looked around.

    "No, I''m afraid not." He was already used to her talk about weird creatures.

    She then stared at Harry and walked around him.

    "Mmm...how strange."

    Harry waited patiently for her to continue.

    "Most students have Humdingers or Nargles around them...but you have some that I have never seen before." Lunamented.

    "Really?, what do they look like." From what he knows about how Luna''s ability works, there was only one thing she could be seeing...his magic.

    "I don''t know, its...yellow?. I think the nargles are afraid of it." Luna looked worried now. She wasn''t looking at Harry directly but at something around him.

    "Luna!." Harry called her a bit loudly to make her snap from her trance state.

    The ze on her eyes disappeared and stared directly at him.

    "Those things that you saw...they will not hurt you. Neither will I...never. I can promise you that. Okay?" Harry looked serious.

    Luna nodded.

    "Good...you should go back now. I am not good for a first-year to wander around too much. " Harry advised her.

    When she left, Harry examined his hands and arms, looking for something specific.

    "Not there... that''s good." He looked relieved.

    "I have enough problems now. Don''t need this to follow me here...."

 Chapter 87: The many rumors about Neville Longbottom

    Chapter 87: The many rumors about Neville Longbottom

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 87: The many rumors about Neville Longbottom

    "This is amazing!" Lyra had her eyes opened like tes. She had seen images of the castle, but looking at it in person was apletely different experience.

    "Look at that ceiling, is like a real sky¡­there is even the moon there!" Ginny pointed up.

    "That''s an enchantment made by Rowena Ravenw almost a millennia ago. There are thousands of runes carved onto the ceiling to create that effect. And they need to be maintained every decade." Hermione got closer to the first years and told them.

    "Hermione, stop killing the first year''s sense of magical wonder." Lavender scolded her.

    "I''m not doing that. I would love to have someone exin those things to me in my first year, and learn more about the castle." She responded.

    "I personally like to leave some things unexined. It makes the world seem more mysterious and romantic." Parvati said.

    "But not everyone wants to remain as an idiot, like you." Her twin sister, Padma joined their conversation.

    Parvati was getting ready to respond to his sister when Professor McGonagall called for everyone who was not a first-year to go take a seat at their table. The sorting ceremony was about to begin.

    "What house do you think your sister is going to end up in?"

    Hermione asked Harry when it became Lyra''s turn to put on the hat.

    He had considered what house would be better for her. But as long as she doesn''t go to Slytherin, she would be fine. Not that he believed that they were all evil. But he was afraid that the other kids would be less than weing to a half-blood with a brother in Gryffindor.

    "Any house will be good, but I would like to have her here in Gryffindor." He responded.

    "Oh!, are you the overprotective brother type, Harry?" Asked Lavender.

    "She is very pretty, with those striking green eyes and her red hair. You are going to have a lot of work in theing years, chasing boys away from her." Commented Parvati.

    "She can do the chasing away herself. Lyra has a strong personality, like our mother."

    He said that, but if any boy were to cross the line, he would be teaching them a lesson.

    "Gryffindor!" The hat proimed.

    Harry let out a sigh of relief that he didn''t know he had been holding.

    People at the table pped for Lyra as she approached the table, making her fell somewhat embarrassed by the sudden attention.

    "Here!,e sit here, we''ll make room for you." Lavender waved at her and pointed at the seat.

    Hermione moved a bit and let Lyra sit between her and Harry.

    "Thank you, em¡­" Lyra was unsure how to address her.

    "Hermione and these are Lavender and Parvati, we are friends of your brother."

    "Really?" Lyra was surprised. Harry never mentioned any school friends to her, and she had never seen him send a letter to anyone. She thought her brother was a bit of a loner.

    Harry felt his sister gaze upon him and he turned his head to meet her eyes.

    "Yes, well¡­wele to Gryffindor, Lyra."

    "You are going to love it here!, this is the best house," Lavendermented with her usual high energy.

    "I hope my friend Ginny gets sorted here too," Lyra said.

    "Which one is Ginny?." Hermione asked as she looked at the few remaining unsorted students.

    "That one, the red-haired girl. Ginny Weasley." Lyra indicated.

    "A Weasley? Then she is definitelying here. All of her family is in Gryffindor." Parvati informed her.

    After a few more sortings, it was finally Ginny''s time.

    The hat had barely touched her head when it mored the name of Gryffindor.

    "See?" Parvati remarked.

    Ginny went to sit with them, only stopping for a moment to greet her brothers and another one to stare at Neville, who was sitting close by with Ron and Seamus.

    "He is here! I just saw him!" Ginny said with excitement as she arrived at Lyra''s side and sat down between her and Hermione.

    "Saw who?" Asked Hermione.

    "She is talking about¡­Neville Longbottom." Lyra spoke in a low voice. She didn''t want the entire table to know what they were talking about.

    "Ah¡­him. There was a lot ofmotion with himst year. But now, things have calmed down a lot." Said Hermione, remembering the beginning of their first year.

    "Are you a fan of these books with his name on them? We had so many of thosest year, including Mione over there." Lavender added.

    "I was not a fan of the books¡­.I just read a few of them and became curious about him." Hermione was not particrly proud of how she acted the first time they met.

    "So how is here in real life?, he seems a bit different than I expected¡­" Ginnymented while looking to her left, trying to catch a better nce at him.

    "Is he chubbier than you expected?" Lavender chuckled.

    She had heard thatment many times before.

    "Well¡­but that''s not important. He must be very impressive with his magic, right? I mean¡­he defeated You-Know-Who when he was just a baby after all." Ginny said with a tone of admiration in her voice.

    "Actually, a lot of students thought he was a fraudst year." Recalled Parvati.

    "A fraud? how so?" Asked Lyra.

    "That''s because¡­ let''s just say he was not¡­" Hermione had a hard time finding the words.

    "He sucked in ss. He couldn''t even perform the simplest spells, and that was in first year..." Lavender helped her.

    "He also blew at least a dozen cauldrons in potions ss. Professor Snape tried to ban him from his ss. Or at least that''s what some people im." Parvati said.

    "Yes, but then, most students changed their minds when those rumors started to circte," Hermione said.

    "Rumors? what rumors?" Ginny leaned forward and listened with interest.

    "Yes, what rumors?" Lyra did the same.

    "During our first flying ss, he fell down from his broom. He was at least a hundred feet in the air!" Lavender eximed.

    Ginny and Lyra gasped.

    "Did he get hurt?"

    "No, that''s the thing¡­something happened before he hit the ground¡­it became softer like rubber and he just bounced a bit before stopping. Didn''t even get a scratch." Said Parvati.

    "The professor saved him?" Lyra asked.

    "No!, that''s what was weird. We all were there and saw it. The professor was still fumbling to get her wand out, she could not have cast the charm. And everyone else was first years. No one knew how to cast magic that advanced." Lavender added.

    "No one?..."

    Lyra looked at her brother for a moment. Harry didn''t seem to be paying attention.

    "So after that, rumors started to circte that Neville himself must have created the spell without knowing it. Like his magic acted on its own to protect him." Hermione exined.

    "Yes¡­I wonder who started those rumors." Parvati gave Lavender a side nce.

    "It doesn''t matter¡­" Lavender snapped.

    "But then another thing happened during his first Quidditch match"

    "Ah yes, I heard Ron mention he yed one game of Quidditch. But it didn''t go well." Ginny recalled one of the few things her brother said in front of her about Neville.

    "You could put it that way¡­he was thrown off the broom by a bludger when they were ying against Slytherin." Said Parvati.

    "He fell off the broom again?" Lyra asked.

    "Yes¡­but then, a powerful gust of wind appeared out of nowhere and he was saved again," Hermione exined.

    "The rumors got more borated after that. Saying things like he was the reincarnation of Merlin or that he had so much magic that he could notcontrol it so it only went off during times of need."

    "Yeah, and I was not the one who made those up!." Lavender made a brief remark.

    "I found it funny how Malfoy stopped bothering him after that. He would never admit it, but he was scared." Said Parvati.

    "Then, the acromants happened!" Lavender eximed.

    "My brothers told me about that!. Some acromants got into the school, right?" Ginny said.

    "Yes, no one knows for sure how that happened and a few hourster, the professors informed us that they were gone. But that night, Neville was not at the Great Hall. Then¡­he was seen leaving the infirmary. So the students started to specte that it was him and not the professors who took care of the nasty spiders."Parvatimented.

    "All of this happened during your first year?." Lyra nced at her brother.

    "You never told me any of this!." sheined.

    A.N - I did consider having Lyra in a different house. But given her personality, her most fitting houses were either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. I don''t have anything interesting for her to do at Hufflepuff, so in the end, this was the decision. By having her in the same house as Harry, I can have them interact more often, include her in some of his adventures, and also have someone for Ginny to talk to. It just made more sense, even if it could be seen as the most boring option at first nce. -

 Chapter 88: A shaky start

    Chapter 88: A shaky start

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 88: A shaky start

    "Wee to Hogwarts!."

    The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore stood on the podium while addressing the entire great hall.

    "From those who are just starting to those who are finishing your education,I wish you all to have a great year¡­I only have one important announcement before letting you all enjoy your dinner. This year, we have a very special new Defense professor. He is well known for his books, more than anything. But I''m sure he will be a wonderful teacher for you all."

    Lockhart stood up from his chair with a grin and started to approach the podium.

    "Please, give a warm wee to-" Dumbledore stopped talking mid-sentence when the podium shook violently, making him lose his bnce for a second.

    But it wasn''t just the podium. The entire castle had shaken. It had been only for a brief moment, but it was strong enough to startle the students and knock down a few pumpkin juice cups.

    ''What was that?'' Harry thought.

    Not even five seconds after the initial tremor,while they were all still processing what had just happened, the ground started to shake again, this time it was several times stronger andsted for several seconds.

    The aftermath was chaotic.

    The drinks on the tables were spattered all over the hall and the students. It was a good thing the elves were yet to serve the meals.

    Some of the children had fallen from their chairs while others had jumped out of them and hid under the tables.

    Lyra was clutching his arm and had her eyes closed, but she seemed to be unhurt. The same could be said about Ginny, Hermione, and the others.

    Harry was quick to cast a silent sticking charm on the girls to his right and their chairs.

    "Ouch, my head!" Ron, who was at his left,ined.

    Seamus had also fallen next to him and Neville was watching them with concern.

    "Ron, you moron! why did you grab on to me?!" Shouted Seamus.

    "Are you guys okay?" Harry asked the girls while removing the charm with a flick of his wand under the table.

    "I''m fine, I think," Ginny answered.

    "Lyra?" Harry called his sister, who was not letting him go.

    "Is it over?...." she asked with her eyes still closed.

    "Yes, it was just a short tremor. You can open your eyes now." Harry tried to calm her down.

    Lyra looked around and saw all the chaos around the hall. Most of the students ended up on the floor, one way or another. But she noticed that she was still secured on her chair.

    "How did-"

    "Wow, I thought I was going to fall but I was able to hold onto my chair¡­somehow..." Lavender took the words out of her mouth.

    "Students, please remain calm!" Called the Headmaster amid all the yelling

    "Prefects, please escort anyone who is injured to the infirmary. Everyone else, remain in your seats."

    "Ouch¡­help!"

    Dumbledore looked behind him, at where the noises wereing from.

    Apparently, the new professor had somehow managed to get stuck beneath the podium.

    It looked like he had been trying to hide there but could not fit.

    "Professor Lockhart, how did you¡­nermind. Severus, pleasee help the new professor."

    Snape looked at the ridiculous position Lockhart had gotten himself in and frowned.

    His head and arms disappeared beneath the wooden tform while his butt was sticking out.

    There was no good way to get him out of there, not without magic at least.

    "Depulso." With a quick wave of his wand, Snape sent Lockhart flying against the back wall.

    "That was a bit unnecessary, Severus¡­." Dumbledore frowned.

    "Albus, I''m going to apany the Prefects," McGonagall told him as she was passing by.

    "I''ll go too. Have to make sure everyone gets safely to the infirmary." Professor Flitwick said.

    Things took a few more minutes to calm down.

    Then few children who were hurt were taken to Madam Pomfrey while the rest waited for the Headmaster to speak again.

    "Very well¡­this was an unfortunate start to our school year, but nature can be unpredictable sometimes. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. And now, as I was saying before, allow me to introduce our new professor of Defense, Gilderoy Lockhart."

    There were a few ps here and there while Lockhart approached the podium again, but people were still a bit shaken.

    Harry observed Dumbledore as he went back to his seat. There was a clear look of concern on the old man''s face. And Harry understood why.

    Anyone who has spent enough years in this castle would know¡­there are no earthquakes in Hogwarts. This was not a natural urrence.

    "Harry¡­is something wrong?" Lyra still looked anxious.

    "No, why do you ask?" He asked.

    "You were making that serious thinking face again¡­" Lyra pointed out.

    "I have a serious thinking face?..."

    "You do, isn''t that right, Ginny?" Lyra turned to her friend.

    "Mmm?... I don''t know you as much as Lyra but¡­you do make some scary faces sometimes." Ginny recalled.

    "Yes, he totally does! I saw those too!" Hermione joined the conversation.

    "Okay¡­. let''s move away from my face." Harry adjusted his sses.

    "And to answer your question, there is nothing that you need to worry about. This castle is one of the most secure ces in the world. You are safe here. Just worry about getting to ss in time and doing your homework."Harry told his sister.

    "He also talks like an old man sometimes." Lavender joined the conversation.

    "Does he talk like that at home?" Parvati questioned Lyra.

    "Sometimes." Lyra giggled. The fright from before disappeared from her mind.

    They then continued to talk about him.

    "You should see the face he makes when he eats treacle tart!" Lyra eximed.

    "Oh!, I remember that!" Ginny chuckled.

    Harry sighed. He could defeat demons, dark wizards, or dragons.

    But winning an argument against a group of teen girls was an impossible challenge, and he was not going to fight a losing battle. It was better to ignore it.

 Chapter 89: A change of attitude and the loss of an old friend

    Chapter 89: A change of attitude and the loss of an old friend

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 89: A change of attitude and the loss of an old friend

    "Mister Potter, please stay behind for a moment. " Professor McGonagall requested.

    "Of course, Professor. " Harry answered politely.

    "You didn''t get in trouble, right?" Hermione stared at him.

    "No, I don''t think so." But he did have an idea of what she wanted to talk about.

    Harry waited patiently until everyone exited the ssroom and approached the Professor''s desk.

    McGonagall lifted her eyes from her papers and nced at him.

    "Olliver Wood came to me yesterday to hand me the list of applicants for the Quidditch team and I noticed your name among them. You were also one of the only two candidates for the position of seeker."

    "That is correct, Professor." He could guess where she was going with this.

    "I''m sure you are aware already, but your father was a superb yer during his school years. One of the best chasers the Gryffindor team ever had." McGonagall exined.

    "He did mention it once or twice."

    The professor smiled.

    "I bet he did¡­did James teach you how to fly properly?"

    "He did." Harry nodded.

    "And did you bring a good broom with you? The ones you can borrow from the school are¡­suboptimal to say the least."

    "I brought two. My Nimbus 1900 and a prototype of the new Nimbus 2001 that my uncle Remus gave me. I wasn''t sure if the school would allow me to use the prototype to fly."

    "Mmm¡­I will need to consult this with the other professors, but I don''t think there will be any problems once that broom bes avable for sale. In the meantime, use the 1900."

    "Very well, that''s no problem." The old one was still a good broom, and his opponents were going to be students.

    "I have high hopes for you, Mister Potter. The team really needs a good seeker. What happenedst year was¡­very unfortunate." It sounded like she wanted to use a different word to describe that.

    "I''ll do my best, Professor McGonagall," Harry promised her.

    "There was one more thing I wanted toment on."

    The professor let out a long pause.

    "Is about your performance during the first sses of this year."

    "Was there a problem with my work?" He asked.

    "Of course not! Your work has been perfect. Even more so than Miss Granger. I could not have done it any better. But this made me wonder, where was this Harryst year?" McGonagall questioned.

    Harry considered for a moment what to say. After assessing the current situation with Voldemort, he realized that there was no more need to keep a low profile at school.

    He was not nning on trying hard either, this was just the second year of Hogwarts. But he did stop holding back so much. It made attending school much more rxing if he didn''t have to carefully calcte his every move to avoid standing out more than the average student.

    "I wasn''t feeling very motivatedst year, Professor." He decided to go with that.

    "I see¡­I did notice that you seemed somewhat bored during our sses." The Professor recalled.

    ''Still am¡­'' he thought.

    "But I''m d to see this change in attitude. And if you are feeling unmotivated again or if you think the material is too easy, I want you to talk to me, and we will figure something out." McGonagall said.

    "I understand, thank you, Professor McGonagall." He could at least appreciate the passion of this woman for teaching even if her efforts were wasted on him.

    There was nothing she could teach him anymore¡­she already did in the past. And since then, he has pushed that knowledge to another level.

    "Mister Potter¡­I have been teaching for many years, and during this period of time, I have developed a keen eye for students. I can tell when someone has something special to them, something that others don''t have. And I can tell that you will aplish great things in the future, Mister Potter. As long as you study hard and don''t give up."

    <><><><><><><>><><><><><>

    On Saturday morning, Harry was going through the contents of his suitcase.

    Daphne sent him a message yesterday to meet at their usual spot.

    But he was having trouble finding his invisibility cloak.

    "I''m sure I put it here¡­" He continued to move things around.

    He immediately discarded the idea that the cloak had been stolen. This suitcase was well protected against thieves. There was zero chance that a Hogwarts student and especially one of his roommates could get inside.

    It was at that moment that he noticed a ck piece of fabric he had previously moved out of the way.

    Harry picked it up and examined it up close until he found the sigil of the Peverel family at the neck area.

    "What is this?..." He could not understand it.

    He analyzed it further, looking for symbols and marks on the fabric. Harry was extremely familiar with this magical artifact.

    After further inspection, he had no doubt¡­this was the invisibility cloak he always used. But it lookedpletely different now.

    He remembers it looking normal when he packed his things, a few days before traveling to Hogwarts.

    When it was not in use, the cloak had a brilliant bluish tone with bits of silver on it. It was hard to miss it.

    But now, it was all pitch ck. If it wasn''t for the symbols on the fabric, he would never believe it was the same cloak.

    He attempted to use it and threw the cloak over his head like always. His vision becamepletely luded, he could not see a thing through the ck fabric.

    It was clear that the cloak was not working any longer.

    He ced it on top of the bed and used his wand to perform a magical scan. This was used by the Aurors to detect and find potentially illegal magical artifacts, as these ones always let out a faint magical signature.

    "Nothing¡­" That was the result. There was not a single trace of magic on this thing. It was just a simple ck cloak.

    "How did this happen?"

    This magical artifact that has been around for many centuries and passed down several generations of his family¡­has just lost its magic with no warning or exnation.

 Chapter 90: Argument with the Secret Friend

    Chapter 90: Argument with the Secret Friend

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 90: Argument with the Secret Friend

    "Hi," Harry said as he ced his hand on her shoulder.

    Daphne let out a loud shriek while making a short jump backward.

    "You need to stop making so much noise every time we meet, we are supposed to be sneaky." He decided to remind her.

    "Potter!, stop using that damn cloak of yours to startle me," she growled.

    Harry raised his hands defensively.

    "As you can see, I have no clue this time¡­"

    "Then howe I didn''t see you approaching?" She asked with suspicion.

    ''Because I recalled how to use the disillusionment charm.'' he thought.

    "You must have been distracted. "

    He turned around and ignored herints. They could not remain in the middle of the corridor for much longer. It was Saturday morning and a lot of students were walking around the castle.

    He opened the door of the meeting room and waited for Daphne to enter before closing it and applying a silencing charm.

    "What happened to your cloak anyway? You never came here without it."

    "It broke," he answered

    "Broke?" she asked with a doubtful look.

    "Is more likely that the enchantment ran out of magic. Even the high-quality ones onlyst for a year or two.

    A smug grin appeared on her face.

    "You know¡­if you ask me nicely, I can ask my father to obtain one for you. "

    "No need." Harry sat down on a sofa. He had no interest in normal cloaks, he just wanted to know what happened to his.

    "Fine!" She was hoping to have him owe her a favor.

    "My sister, Astoria talked a lot about you after she came back from her visit." Daphne sat down in front of him.

    "A lot you say?" He found that hard to believe.

    "And what did she have to say about me?"

    "Her exact words were¡­'' he is interesting''...."

    "That''s a lot?" Harry asked after a brief pause. If that''s all she told her, that means Astoria probably kept to herself what she saw ad the basement.

    "That''s a lot for her. Then only other person she had ever talked about was your sister." Daphne pointed out.

    "I understand." He waited for a moment to see if she would say something else, but seeing her silent, he decided to ask.

    "What did you really talk about?, I assume it wasn''t just tell me that. "

    Daphne frowned.

    "Is mypany that unpleasant?"

    ''What''s with this girl now? She wasn''t like thatst year.''

    "No, I do not find yourpany unpleasant... I was just curious about your reason for requesting this meeting. You usually have something important to discuss."

    Her expression of displeasure appeared to diminish slightly.

    "Of course, I have something important. I hope you have not forgotten about your promise. "

    "Righ¡­I have not forgotten about it. Have you been working on your mental defenses?"

    "Why don''t you give them a try? I have been working all su-"

    "Legilimency." His spare wand appeared on his left hand and was pointed at her head before she could finish her sentence.

    Daphne screamed as he pushed against her defenses. He was not trying to read her thoughts or any of her memories. Just trying to tear down her mental barriers.

    But after the assault, they still held in ce.

    He could probably break them down with a second attack but that was not necessary. It was already impressive that she got this far in just one summer.

    "Not bad." He told her, only to realize that she was unconscious.

    "Mmm¡­maybe I went a bit too far."

    At least there were no sses today.

    He pulled a book from a small shelve and sat down to read.

    <><><><><><>

    It took an hour for her to wake up.

    "Urgg¡­my head¡­ " Daphne groaned.

    "Why am I on the floor?" she looked a bit disoriented.

    "You passed out during our test." Harry took a sip of his tea.

    "And you left me on the floor?" She could not believe it.

    "I didn''t want to appear rude and touch your body without permission," he told her.

    "That''s ridiculous!. Of course, you can touch my body."

    Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "I mean in an emergency!" she got a bit red.

    "I''ll remember it."

    "And where did you get food from?" She saw him eat something with a spoon and take another sip of tea.

    "I called an elf."

    "What?!, we are not supposed to be seen here."

    "By students or professors¡­the elves don''t care." He took another bite.

    "This is delicious¡­"

    "Would you stop eating cake already?!"

    "Is not cake, it''s chocte tart. Vani base, chocte ganache, and a drizzle of mint sauce. I only have enough for me but¡­I''ll let you take one bite." he conceded.

    "I don''t want any! But more importantly¡­what happened with the test?...did I fail?" She looked somewhat worried, after all, she had put in a lot of effort.

    "Not at all. You passed. Your defenses are decent." Harry finished his dessert and took onest sip of tea.

    "Then¡­you have to tell me what happenedst year."

    "I don''t have to tell you anything.I can tell you things¡­there is a difference."

    "Right¡­" she appeared to at least realize this.

    "You don''t have to answer but¡­there are a few things I have been wanting to know."

    "Like?"

    "Like what happenedst year with that teacher who attacked us¡­and don''t tell me he just ran away." Daphne looked serious.

    "We had a short duel. I won," Harry answered.

    "You won¡­against a veteran hit wizard."

    "You don''t have to believe me. But you asked."

    "Is Professor Nayar alive?"

    "No."

    Daphne paused for a moment.She was going to ask if he was the one who killed him, but he wasn''t going to answer something that direct.

    "Have you lied about your identity? Because there is no way a first year could¡­you know."

    "We have not lied to you or your family. I am Harry Potter, heir of the house of Potter, that is the truth. "

    She seems a bit relieved after hearing this.

    "But you won''t tell me more about you¡­"

    "Is not relevant."

    "Of course is relevant!. Our families have a contract, we could be engaged one day." Said Daphne with exasperation.

    "That''s why you are so obsessed with this? That''s extremely unlikely to happen."

    There was one use in their contract saying that if neither of them had found a suitable partner by the end of Hogwarts, they would revise the matter of the marriage between their families.

    He knew that his parents only agreed to this in order to satisfy Lord Greengrass, and they would never agree on anything against his will. But it seems like Daphne has different ideas.

    "Why won''t you trust me?, what do I have to d-"

    The ground started to shake with tremendous violence all of a sudden like it did a week ago during the opening feast.

 Chapter 91: Too Many Strange Occurrences

    Chapter 91: Too Many Strange urrences

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 91: Too Many Strange urrences

    Everything in the room trembled with violence.

    Harry took hold of Daphne''s waist and moved her out of the way as a ss case was about to fall on top of her.

    Her face became paler as she realized what almost happened.

    "t-thanks¡­"

    A shelf was about to fall but Harry threw a sticking charm to keep it in ce.

    And then¡­it stopped.

    The whole thing onlysted around five seconds.

    But Harry noticed something he had missed thest time.

    This was very different from an earthquake.It felt more like an initial impact followed by a weaker aftershock.

    Like something had just hit the castle with immense force. Enough to shake its very foundations.

    "It''s over¡­you okay Daphne?" he released his grip on her waist and she almost fell down.

    "Is not going to happen again?...are you sure it''s over?" she looked around, trying to make sure that nothing else was about to fall on them.

    "I cannot bepletely sure since I don''t know what''s causing this."

    "This means that this is not a natural event like the Headmaster said." Daphne was already suspicious of that.

    "No¡­there are no earthquakes in this area. And even if there were, the castle''s many protections would prevent most of the shaking." Harry admitted.

    "What it is then?."

    "Who knows¡­I want to go check on my sister, make sure she didn''t get hurt." He repaired the case and prepared to leave.

    "Ah¡­right. We can talk more on another asion. " Daphne looked like she had something else to say.

    But he wanted to make sure Lyra had not been hurt, so he left the room and hurried to the library, where she had told him was going to be spending the morning.

    <><><><><><><><>

    The ce was in chaos when he arrived. There were thousands of books scattered all over the floor and some of the shelves had toppled over.

    "Point me Lyra." There were many students here and didn''t want to waste time.

    His wand moved on its own and pointed in one direction. Harry just had to follow it for a few seconds until he spotted his sisters, Ginny and some blonde girl he was not familiar with.

    The three girls looked frightened but not hurt, at least a first nce.

    "Harry!" Lyra called for him when she saw him approach.

    "Are you girls okay? anyone got hurt?." He asked while examining them.

    "We are fine, we were only hit by a few books when everything started to fall," Ginny said.

    "Some senior got badly hurt when the shelves started to fall. They took him to the infirmary already." The blonde girl added.

    "Do you know what is happening, Harry?" Asked Lyra.

    "Some of the older boys said that there have never been earthquakes in Hogwarts. And now we had two in a week¡­"

    "No, I don''t know what is happening¡­" But he intends to find out, that''s for sure.

    "For the moment, I think is better if I apany you three to themon room. "

    <><><><><><><><><>

    During lunch, the Headmaster made an announcement addressing the current situation.

    There were a few injured students during the events but nothing serious enough that Madam Pomfrey could not heal.

    Dumbledore said there was nothing to worry about as it was unlikely that it would happen again, but Harry could feel the concern in his eyes. It seemed to him that the Headmaster had no idea what was happening either.

    Lastly, he informed them that was an extra security measure, the professors were going to apply permanent sticking charms to anything that could pose a danger of falling, like shelves, the old medieval armors, or the trophy case.

    During the afternoon, instead of his initial n of going to the Room of Requirement for some practice, he decided to venture into Hogwarts bowels in search of some answers.

    He had not entered the foundation sincest year when hepleted his artifact.

    Harry walked around the familiar chamber and looked around.

    He was convinced that whatever was causing the tremors was doing it from within the castle and this would be the ideal ce to aplish that.

    The only issue with that theory was simple. This was the most secure location in the entire castle, and the reason for that was the one hundred marble golems that were ced there to protect it.

    Even the Voldemort he knew during his peak of power would not survive long if he tried to invade this chamber.

    He continued to explore for over two hours, examining everything he could. The only column with some damage to it was the one close to his workshop. And he was the one who caused that.

    Not his smart moment, but he got a bit eager to try his new tool.

    Everything else lookedpletely untouched. Whatever was causing the tremors, was not doing it from here.

    ''So many strange things had happened recently. Those visions¡­my invisibility cloak and these strange quakes. Could they be rted somehow? or is it just a coincidence that they are happening now?''

    He tried to analyze them one by one to find anything inmon between them but could note up with anything.

    Harry already had experience with visions from his past life. But those were due to his connection with Voldemort. A conexion he no longer had.

    Also, these felt a lot different. In fact, they didn''t feel like visions at all but were more¡­real. It was hard to exin it but the people he saw feltpletely real.

    And if Voldemort was not the one causing them, he would have a hard time finding the origin of the problem.

    The matter of the cloak seemedpletely unrted. He could talk with his father about it, but it was unlikely that he knew much about it.

    There was only one person at this time whom Harry could call an expert on the Hallows. If anyone could know the cause for the cloak change, that would be him¡­Xenophilius Lovegood. Luna''s father.

    It will not be easy to arrange a meeting with him. That man was very paranoid.

    As for the matter of the tremors, Harry only had one more idea¡­as improbable as that idea was.

    "I will need to find a way to enter the Chamber of Secrets."

 Chapter 92: Mischievous creatures

    Chapter 92: Mischievous creatures

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 92: Mischievous creatures

    "Wee to my wondrous ss, it is I, Gilderoy Lockhart!" Lockhart announced from the top of a balcony that overlooked the entire ssroom.

    Harry was convinced that Lockhart had personally requested for that to be installed in his ss, so he could always greet his students as some sort of royal ruler.

    And that goes the same for that ridiculously mboyant chandelier.

    Today was the third ss they had with the man and was unfortunately a double ss¡­first thing on Monday morning.

    Whoever designed that schedule was a sadist.

    "Oh!, what a handsome man we have here!." Lockhart told his own painting while descending the balcony staircase.

    "My, thank you!. You are not too bad yourself." the painting answered.

    "Are we going to do more of those quizzes about you?, professor. " one of the students asked.

    "Oh Merlin, please no¡­"

    Harry heard Parvati muttering from the seat behind him.

    "What''s wrong with the quizzes?, I liked them." Hermione looked confused.

    "Ah, the quizzes. No, today I have something special prepared."

    Lockhart lookedpletely oblivious to relieve faces of his students.

    "But don''t you worry, there will be many more quizzes about my books and my personal life before the end of the year!"

    He ignored the sounds ofints and walked to the middle of the ss, where they could see something covered with a tarp.

    "Now, I want you all to divert your eyes away from my beautiful smile and focus on this¡­"

    He removed the piece of cloth, revealing a cage filled with small blue creatures with wings.

    "Ew¡­what are those things!"

    "They are so ugly!"

    "Wait, I know these!, they are cornish pixies. They are not dangerous at all." Seamus exined.

    Lockhart grinned.

    "Very well, Mister¡­something. These are freshly caught cornish pixies indeed. Here are five points for Gryffindor. As for not being dangerous¡­why don''t we test it?"

    "Please, tell me he is not going to-" Hermione did not have time to finish her sentence before their professor opened the cage and unleashed the chaotic creatures upon his unprepared students.

    Even Lockhart realized that things went a bit too far when a group of them took hold of ''The Boy Who Lived'' and started to lift him in the air.

    "No!, don''t put him on my chandelier!, is going to break it. Wait, I can fix this¡­"

    The professor aimed his wand at the mass of blue creatures.

    "Peski piksi Pestern-"

    He was not allowed to finish his chant because one of the pixies stole his wand and threw it out of the window.

    "Well¡­ that''s not good." The professor looked very worried now.

    Neville continued to scream at the mischievous creatures leaving him hanging there.

    "I think I have a spell for this¡­" Hermione stood up and lifted her wand in the air.

    Harry would have been fine with letting her take care of the situation, but then he noticed Lockhart worming away towards his balcony. No doubt he was nning on escaping by himself and leaving his students to their own fate.

    He would not allow that.

    After making sure that no one was looking in his direction, he held his wand at his side, pointing upwards.

    "Inmobilus!" Hermione cast her immobilization charm.

    "Hypnos," Harry spoke his own in an almost inaudible whisper.

    As Hermione magic reached the pixies and locked them in ce, so did Harry''s one, which put them all to sleep.

    However, his spell had one extra target.

    "Hermione, that was incredible!" Eximed Lavender.

    "Yes, and you got them all!" Added Parvati.

    "Professor Lockhart?" Some of the students approached the inmovil professor.

    "Oh, Merlin!, I think he is dead!" Someone shouted.

    "It was Granger!, she killed him!" some of the girls from Slytherin pointed their fingers at her.

    "I saw her use some strange spell!" Another one pointed at her.

    "What?, no!. My spell was only meant to immobilize." Hermione defended herself.

    "Well, look at those ugly things, they are dead, aren''t they?" a Slytherin girl poked one of the pixies with her wand.

    "He is not dead, you lot better not be thinking about going into healing magic if you can''t even tell that¡­" Harry walked to Lockhart and kicked him.

    The girls were about to start yelling at him when the professor moved and groaned.

    "Five more minutes, Mommy¡­"

    "See? he is sleeping. " Harry walked away.

    "This ss is over, just put those things inside the cage before they wake up." He pointed at the pixes.

    "Who put you in charge, Potter?" Malfoy growled.

    "No one... feel free to stay here and wait for him to wake up," Harry answered.

    "Tsk, let''s go." Draco started to walk away but his two goons seemed to hesitate for a moment.

    "I said let''s go!" Draco yelled at them and they finally followed.

    Harry noticed Daphne stare on him but decided to ignore it. They were not supposed to interact outside of their meetings.

    He walked to Hermione, who looked very shaken.

    "I didn''t mean to do this. It was just supposed to immobilize then¡­."

    "It''s okay Hermione, it was still awesome!" Lavender tried to cheer her up.

    "Hermione." He called her and she looked up.

    "You didn''t hurt anyone.Lockhart is fine and so are the pixies. Stop worrying so much. "

    Hermione nodded.

    "I supposed¡­but I wonder why it had that effect¡­"

    "Guys!" Someone called from above.

    They all look up.

    "I would like to get down now, please!" Neville begged.

    "Yeah, can someone help the ''Boy Who Lived'' get down from the chandelier?" Pansy said in a mocking tone and several Slytherin started tough at her jest.

    "You shut you up!" Ron shouted.

    "Don''t worry, Nev!. We are going to get you down from there in a moment."

    "Mm, maybe we should go call a professor. "Suggested Parvati.

    "Is okay Neville, I got this. " Seamus pointed his wand up.

    Neville''s face went pale.

    "No!, anyone but him! , please!"

    Seamus waved his wand around.

    "Winguardium leviosa!"

    <><><><><><><><>

    After taking Neville, and some poor boy who happened to be at the wrong ce when the chandelier exploded, to the infirmary, Harry made his way to the next level of hell¡­potion ss.

 Chapter 93: Quidditch trial

    Chapter 93: Quidditch trial

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 93: Quidditch trial

    After sses were over for the day, Harry still had one more appointment.

    "All recruits, line up over there. " Oliver told the ten new recruits for the team. He was quite happy as they normally don''t have more than five. But more importantly, they had two candidates for seeker.

    Fred and George Weasley stepped forward and started to help with the trials.

    "Those who came to apply for the position of beater,e with us"

    Five boys followed them.

    Alicia Spi approached the remaining ones.

    "Chasers with me!"

    Two boys and one girl went to follow her.

    Harry was left waiting next to the other candidate for seeker.

    He looked like an older boy maybe fifth or sixth year. He had short blonde hair and¡­was severely overweight. To the point that Harry was unsure if the broom would be able to lift him. Those runes clusters have a weight limit after all.

    "Huff¡­hufff¡­"

    "Are you okay?" Harry asked when he saw the boy breathing heavily.

    "Fine¡­.huff¡­just¡­.huff¡­a bit¡­.tired," he answered with difficulty.

    ''We have done nothing yet¡­'' Harry looked shocked.

    "Why do you want to join the team?" He could not imagine why someone so out of shape would want to join a sports team. After all, there were many better ways to lose weight,if that was his objective.

    "Chicks!" he gave Harry a toothy smile.

    "Im¡­uff¡­.Darryl¡­by the¡­way."

    "Harry."

    "Nice¡­to¡­-"

    "Are you guys ready to start?" Oliver looked at them with excitement. He was carrying a brown leather box under his arm.

    "meet¡­you¡­uff¡­" Darry ended his previous sentence.

    "I''m ready¡­" Harry had aplicated expression.

    "Im¡­.ufff¡­.uff¡­Im¡­.ready." Darryl eventually said.

    "Great¡­" Oliver nced at Darryl with a worried expression before looking at Harry.

    "Are you familiar with the rules, Harry?"

    "I am Mister Wood, my father taught me," Harry answered.

    "Just call me Oliver. Ahh yes, your father was a great yer from what I heard. Let''s get started then."

    Oliver nodded and opened the box that contained aplete set of Quidditch balls.

    He then released the sps on the golden snitch and held it firmly in his hands.

    "The test is very simple. I am going to release this golden snitch and youwill both start chasing it, after I give the signal."

    Oliver then threw it in the air and the little golden ball sprouted a pair of wings before flying away at great speed.

    He made a short pause before speaking again.

    "Okay, you can get on your brooms and go now. I want you to remember one thing, do not worry if you can''t catch it, this is just to see-"

    Before he could finish his sentence,Harry had already mounted his broom and ascended at the maximum speed the Nimbus 1900 allowed.

    Harry went one hundred feet in the air in just one instant and spotted the snitch ahead of him.

    The ball did not have the time to go too far away because Oliver was not counting on him starting his flight so quickly.

    Harry willed the broom to move and he soon was able to catch up with the snitch.

    The max speed of the golden snitch is lower than the average Quidditch broom, it was designed like that to allow yers to close the distance. Most of the difficulty when catching the ball came from its ability to make quick ny-degree turns and its reduced size.

    But for someone with a trained eye and quick reflexes, it was not too difficult to predict its path.

    Once he got very close to the golden ball, this one tried to get away by making a swift turn upwards.

    Harry''s hand was already there waiting for it. As soon as it touched his palm, he closed it and secured the snitch.

    The entire maneuver since he took off the ground,sted almost six seconds.

    George, Fred, and Alicia were yet to start their own trials.

    The three of them were very curious about their potential new seeker so they decided to wait a bit and observe the test.

    After all, their chances of being able topete this year were very much reliant on finding a decent seeker.

    "What is Merlins¡­" Fred stared up at the sky.

    "Balls¡­" George was doing the same.

    "Looks like we have our seeker¡­this one is promising." Alicia had a wide smile on her face.

    "Incredible¡­" Oliver was able to get a better look than the others. He saw Harry predicting the path of the golden snitch and cing his hand on its path before it moved.

    "He is a natural."

    "Okay, I''m¡­ufff¡­ready¡­uff¡­to start." Darryl had just managed to mount his broom.

    "What?" Oliver had genuinely forgotten there was someone else trying out for the position.

    "Oh¡­right. The test is over."

    "Really?....hufff¡­.that''s good¡­Im¡­ exhausted." Darryl looked around but could not find Harry.

    "The boy¡­left?...huf¡­.so¡­ I''m on¡­the team?"

    Oliver sighed. This was depressing but they still needed a reserve seeker and he was the only candidate.

    "You are¡­wee to the team. As a reserved thought. "

    "Good¡­enough¡­" Darryl gave him a thumbs up and copsed on the grassy ground. He had reached his limit.

    "You are definitely going on a diet¡­" Oliver whispered to himself.

    Harrynded slowly next to the Captain and gave him the snitch.

    "How did I do?"

    "You serious?...wee to the team, Harry." Oliver took the ball back.

    "Did your father teach you those moves? or¡­-"

    "Mate!, that was bloody awesome!" Fred came running.

    "Oi Fred!. You said the whole thing." Georgeined.

    "Ah¡­sorry. I got too excited!" Fred scratched his head.

    "Harry, right?" Alicia got close to him.

    "Say¡­wanna hang out after practice?. I''m sure that Angelina and Kate would love to meet our new teammate." The Middle Eastern beauty gave Harry a yful wink.

    "Whoa, slow down your horses, Alicia. He is in his second year." Oliver reprimanded her.

    "I was just trying to socialize with our new team member." Alicia pouted.

    "Hey!...ufff¡­" Darryl raised his hand from the ground.

    "Im¡­hff¡­Im¡­.free!"

    "You know what? I just remembered I have a ton of homework to do¡­and I need to get started with my trial now¡­bye!" She ran out as fast as she could.

    "Anyways¡­this year is going to be interesting." Oliver looked hopeful for the first time in a year.

 Chapter 94: Dueling Club

    Chapter 94: Dueling Club

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 94: Dueling Club

    Harry removed the invisibility charm after making sure no one was around.

    "What are you doing here?!"

    None alive at least.

    "Hello, Myrtle." He greeted the annoyed ghost.

    "You know me?" She was taken aback. No one bothers to even ask her name anymore.

    "Wait, but you can''t be here. This is a girl''s bathroom!."

    "But no girls are using it right now," Harry remarked.

    "Besides, I didn''te here to spy on anyone."

    "Then¡­why did youe here?"

    Harry walked towards the facets at the end of the bathroom.

    "Have you seen this thing open? or anything suspicious happening in this bathroom?"

    "Yes!" She eximed loudly.

    "I saw somethinging out from there. Something with creepy yellow eyes."

    "When did this happen?" He already had a suspicion.

    "I don''t know¡­ a long time ago, I think. This was before I became¡­like this."

    "I see¡­I was looking for something more recent. What about since then?. Anything else happened?" He asked.

    She seemed to consider it for a moment but then shook her head.

    "It''s all been very boring since that day¡­and no one ever visits me."

    ''This does not disprove that the chamber could be rted to the recent issues.'' He was convinced that other entrances leading to the chamber must exist. He could not imagine Voldemort entering through here...or one of Hogwart''s founders for that matter. Then again, a thousand years ago, maybe this was not a girl''s bathroom but something else instead.

    He located the one faucet with the snake symbols on it.

    "Open.."

    Nothing happened.

    "Open, now!"

    "Why are you yelling at that thing?...what a weird boy." Myrtle looked confused.

    ''It is as I feared. I don''t possess the parseltongue ability anymore.''

    He had already tested it with some snakes he summoned but still wanted to test it in this ce, just in case it did something, as unlikely as that was.

    He was aware that the ability to speak with snakes was not something he inherited from his family bloodline but a ''gift'' he acquired by chance due to his connection with Voldemort. At least, that''s what Dumbledore always told him.

    ''Now that I don''t have my scar, that connection is no more¡­does this mean that Neville possesses the ability now?''

    That was something he would need to verify.

    Using parseltongue was the easiest way to gain ess to the chamber.

    Trying to use brute force will definitely be extremely dangerous. The protections were created many centuries before the Ministry started to regte the lethality of magical wards, and they were put in ce by a man with dubious morals and a great deal of magical knowledge.

    ''No¡­that will be thest resource. '' He decided.

    And there may be a chance to verify if Neville is a parselmouth very soon.

    This same morning, Lockhart had been announcing the creation of a dueling club, led by him.

    The first meeting will take ce at the end of this week. He was sure that Neville would be dragged to attend and participate one way or another.

    ''Like they did to me, long ago¡­''

    <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

    "Why did I have toe?, I have no interest in dueling." Lavender huffed.

    "Or the professor¡­like someone I know." Parvati nced at Hermione.

    "It will be fun!. And we will have the chance to finally see Professor Lockhart in action." Hermione looked very excited.

    "I just want to kick some Slytherin ass!" Ron clenched his fists.

    "Maybe I get to fight Malfoy."

    "Why? he hasn''t bothered us this year, so far at least¡­" Seamusmented.

    "It doesn''t matter. How long do you think that''s going tost? Isn''t that right, Nev?" Ron asked.

    "Well¡­I''ll be fine if he just leaves me be¡­" Neville looked around the ce with a nervous look. There were over a hundred people in the room. All from different years.

    Professor Lockhart did not put any age restriction in the club, so anyone who wanted to apply was wee to do so.

    "There are several students from the sixth and seventh years. " Parvati recognized the ones from the Gryffindor house at least.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter to me because I won''t be dueling anyone. At most, I''ll watch." Lavender crossed her arms.

    "I think the actual dueling will be for the older students. Don''t you think so too, Harry??" Hermione turned to him.

    "I believe you are giving Lockhart too much credit for his nning." He replied.

    ''And there is no way that glory-seeking man will miss the chance to use Neville to increase his fame.''

    He felt a bit bad for this, but he was counting on that to happen.

    "Hey!" Lyra and Ginny approached their group.

    "Hello, girls. So¡­you came here too, huh?. I hope Hermione didn''t drag you into this too." Lavender said.

    "No, we just wanted to see some actual magical duels! I mean, we haven''t learned anything interesting yet¡­" Lyra muttered.

    "Is just the beginning of your first year, what did you expect?" Harry told her.

    Lyra nced at him with interest.

    "Are you going to be dueling, Neville?" Ginny collected the courage to address him.

    "Duel?...me?." Neville looked startled by the question.

    "I wouldn''t know what to do¡­"

    "What?, but¡­" Ginny became confused.

    "What about you, Harry?. Well, we see you duel someone?" Lyra had an expectating look on her face.

    "I have no interest in duels." His answer came out a bit more defensive than he intended. But the idea of using his skills as mere entertainment¡­sounded almost offensive to him.

    "Really?...." Lyra titles her head.

    He could understand her reaction. She probably assumed that the reason he was practicing so much was because he wanted to be a duelist or something like that.

    He will have to tell her the truth one day¡­

 Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

    Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 95: A disturbing finding

    "Look at this! so many students want to learn the art of dueling from me." Lockhart got on top of one of the tforms they prepared for the duels.

    "Don''t you agree, Professor Snape?" he asked his colleague.

    Snape nced at him with furrowed brows. If it wasn''t for the Headmaster''s personal request, he would never have agreed to this.

    "Anyways!. I was thinking that we should have a quick demonstration of what a real duel entails. I know that among the audience, there is a little wizard with almost as much potential as myself."

    He looked towards Harry''s group.

    "Oh no¡­please no¡­ " Neville begged.

    "Neville Longbottom!, pleasee here to my side," Lockhart exined out loud while pointing at him.

    Everyone in the room turned to look in Neville''s direction and started murmuring.

    "You go, Nev!. Get up there and kick some assmate." Ron tried to sound encouraging at least.

    Seeing no other choice, Neville lowered his head and climbed the tform.

    "Excellent!" Said Lockhart.

    "Now we just need an oponent for you¡­what about one of your friends¡­.maybe the head-on one?" He did not remember his name at all.

    "That won''t do!" Snape interviewed.

    "That would just be a practice between two friends and not a duel. Allow me to choose a proper opponent¡­"

    "I suppose that would be alright." Admitted Lockhart.

    "Malfoy, get up there!" Snape shouted.

    Draco gave Neville an angry look but didn''t throw any of the regr taunts.

    Harry thought that Draco looked very different than usual. But a change should be expected considering he lost his father.

    And he was not willing to waste time thinking about Draco''s struggles anyway.

    "Very well. The two contenders should go to their positions. "Lockhart pointed at the two circles drawn on each extreme of the tform.

    Once Nevile and Draco were in position, he continued.

    "Now you two will give a polite bow to each other¡­and will start when I give the sign. Remember, only school curriculum spells are allowed¡­Start!"

    "Tarantallegra!" Draco called immediately.

    Neville''s legs started to jerk erratically and he almost fell from the tform.

    Many started tough, including Draco. He could have taken the chance to finish him there but this was not enough for him. He wanted to humiliate him.

    The Gryffindors are the only ones encouraging Neville.

    "Come Longbottom!" Oliver shouted.

    "Neville, you can do it!" Ginny lifted her arms.

    "Come on Nev!" Ron roared.

    Neville recovered from the spell and aimed his wand at Draco.

    "Rictusempra!" It was the only spell he had learned so far this year. And it had been Hermione the one who taught it to him.

    ''Maybe those trips to the library are not as useless as Ron always says.'' Neville thought as he saw him spell impact on Draco''s chest.

    The blonde boy almost fell backward and then started tough while grabbing to his sides.

    He had been hit with the tickling charm.

    The studentsughed and pointed at him. Even the Slytherin ones.

    The charm passed and Draco was left feeling very embarrassed and angry.

    He was going to return the same charm back Neville when he saw his head of the house approach.

    "This is ridiculous¡­"Snape huffed and got on the tform.

    e here¡­"

    Draco got closer and Snape whispered something in his ear.

    They all saw his expression change to one of cruel joy.

    "Is there a problem, Professor Snape?" Lockhart asked.

    "Nothing for you to worry about¡­.continue!" Snape growled at him.

    "Is my turn now¡­take this blood traitor!...Serpensortia!"

    A dangerous-looking ck snake appeared in the middle of the tform and started to slither towards Neville.

    "I said school only spells!." Lockhart eximed

    Harry''s eyes narrowed. This was the moment he''s been waiting for.

    ''Come on, Nev¡­talk to it!''

    "S-stay away from me!" Neville cried.

    But the snake kept approaching.

    ''No¡­that was not parseltongue.'' Harry got closer to the tform. He needed to be sure.

    Unfortunately, Draco''s instructions during its summoning were sloppy and the snake quickly lost interest in Neville and turned to some other boy from Ravenw.

    "What!, stay away from me!" The boy took a steep back.

    Harry had no choice but to intervene. He got in time to cast a silent mildpulsion charm from amidst the crowd. This was enough to turn the snake back to Neville.

    ''Sorry Nev, but I need to be sure¡­'' Harry felt bad for doing this but this was too important and he only incited the snake to move, not to bite.

    Neville was petrified in fear. He stared at the approaching snake.

    "Noo!, please. I don''t like snakes!" he screamed and recoiled backward until he tripped and fell on his butt.

    "Don''t you worry, I''ll take care of this" Lockhart pulled out his wand and waved it at the snake.

    "Serpento evanesci!"

    Lockhart threw his misspelled charm at the snake and this one flew in the air for a few seconds beforending painfully on the tform again. Still alive, but a lot angrier now.

    The mildpulsion was now gone, so the snake turned to its closest target¡­who just so happened to be Harry.

    Snape was about to banish the snake. After realizing that Draco had summoned a highly venomous species. But when he saw the snake turn to Harry, he hesitated for a moment.

    Harry was not paying attention to any of this now. His mind was in turmoil.

    ''How can this be? He is not a parselmouth. But he has the scar¡­he must have the connection too¡­then why?...''

    He had the feeling he was missing something very important. A key difference between the past him and the current Neville.

    "Harry!" He heard someone call his name.

    Then he noticed a snake head on his right hand. He had crushed its skull without thinking.

    "Oh¡­"

    "Vipera evanesca!" Snape hurried to remove the now-dead snake.

    Harry felt the stares of everyone around him. Stares of shock and fear.

    He was familiar with those.

    "Excuse me¡­" Harry turned around and forced his way through the crowd.

    "Potter, wait!" He heard Snape call for him but ignored him.

    He also ignored his sister, Hermione, and the others.

    He needed some time alone¡­some time to think.

 Chapter 96: The Disturbing Truth

    Chapter 96: The Disturbing Truth

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 96: The Disturbing Truth

    He rushed into the Room of Requirements and sealed the door.

    Harry''s mind raced through the possibilities, but there was one thing that bothered him the most.

    ''Why is his scar different than mine? What did I have that he didn''t?.''

    The events on that crucial Halloween night, the one that turned them into the ''Chosen One'' were simr but also very different.

    Voldemort invaded their homes and killed their parents, but only in Harry''s case, Voldemort died¡­

    Except he didn''t truly die and his soul remained tethered to this realm by his horcruxes.

    ''Why did he only die with me and not with Neville?.''

    What prevented Voldemort from killing him was his mother''s magic¡­the protection she unknowingly cast upon him at the moment of her death was what ultimately defeated the Dark Lord that day, and left him with his cursed scar and his connection with that man. That was Dumbledore''s theory, but he could note up with anything better either.

    Neville had definitely simr protection, otherwise, he would have never survived that day. But for some reason, his was slightly weaker¡­it was not enough topletely destroy Voldemort but to leave him severely injured instead. Neville still received a simr scar on his forehead¡­simr but not the same.

    This single difference created a big change in future events.

    ''But why¡­why was my scar different?, why did it create that link between us¡­why did I feel pain every time he was close to me?...''

    Harry realized then, that the answer had been in front of him all those years.

    ''Because he died¡­in order to create a Horcrux, one mustmit the vilest of acts. Even if it is the murder of oneself¡­he made me a Horcrux.''

    This realization came soon followed by a much terrible one.

    For all these years, they always wondered how Voldemort came back after being killed at the battle of Hogwarts during his seventh year. After all, they had destroyed all of his horcruxes, they were so sure of it.

    ''Is all my fault¡­if I had died that day.''

    His wife, his friends¡­the entire world could have been spared from that fate if only he had died sooner.

    ''Did Dumbledore know about this?, did he know what I was?.''

    The old man must have at least been suspicious.

    ''He should have said something¡­always with his secrets. Had I known, I¡­''

    "Damn it!" He mmed his fist against a wooden shelve. Its contents fell to the ground, making a mess.

    "What is the point of finding out thiste?, when there is nothing I can do about it¡­"

    Harry remained inside the Room of Requirements for hours...breaking stuff or sulking. By the time he came out, it was almost midnight.

    In the end, nothing changed. He could not go back to that world and make things right¡­it was toote for that.

    He will need to live with the knowledge that he was partially responsible for the near extinction of humanity and the deaths of everyone he cared about.

    The only reason he was able to continue at this point, was knowing that doing nothing could mean the extinction of another world. One where his parents were alive and happy, as well as having two sisters. A world where Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Neville were alive¡­He could not let them down.

    Not again...

    He had to do what he could to save this one at least. Saving a world in exchange for ruining a world¡­seems fair.

    "Oh?..." He did not expect to find anyone in the halls at this time as he mindlessly walked through the sixth floor.

    A girl with long blonde hair was staring out of one of the many windows this corridor had which offered a great view of the Forbidden forest.

    Not that there was much to see at this time.

    He was about to address the girl when she spoke first, without looking at him.

    "Hello, Harry Potter."

    "Hello, Luna. May I ask what you are doing awake at this hour?" He noticed that at least she was wearing shoes this time around.

    "I got distracted while following a group of Blibbering Humdingers and¡­I can''t seem to recall the way back. So I came here for the view."

    Harry nced outside, there was nothing but darkness outside. Clearly, she could see something he could not.

    "I can take you to the Ravenw towers entrance if you want." Harry offered. He didn''t want to leave her alone in a dark corridor.

    "That would be nice, is getting chilly here." She nced up at his head.

    "You have more nargles than usual around you¡­"

    "I had¡­a difficult day. Found out something troubling.''

    "I see¡­" She took off her ne and held it in her hands.

    "Here, this has an enchantment to drive away the negative things¡­ that''s what my mom said at least."

    Harry looked down. It was a ne made with a butterbeer cork and a metal chain. But no matter how silly it looked, he knew that this was something made by herte mother and it was incredibly valuable to Luna.

    "Luna, I can''t ept this."

    She smiled.

    "I have more at home, mom used to make me one for every birthday. And you seem to need it more than me right now."

    Harry nodded and took the ne before cing it around his neck.

    "Thank you."

    "You are wee!." Luna smiled brightly.

    "Say, Luna¡­how are the other kids treating you?" Harry asked while they were walking.

    She shrugged.

    "They mostly ignore me. I don''t think they like me talking about things they can''t see."

    "Mmm¡­if they want to ignore you, forget about them. They are not worth your time. What about Ginny and Lyra? do you talk with them?"

    "Sometimes, but is difficult¡­being in different houses and all," Luna said.

    "You know¡­other than on special asions, there are no rules that prevent students from sitting on other houses'' seats at the great hall. You cane to the Gryffindor table any time you want."

    "Really?...and if anyoneins?" She asked.

    "Then¡­ I''ll deal with them," Harry assured her in a way that may havee a bit more threatening than he intended.

    "I would love to!" Luna said with a toothy grin.

    Harry turned around and started to walk with Luna right behind him, when all of a sudden, he heard her speak.

    "It was not your fault, Harry. Stop ming yourself for that."

    He immediately turned around and stared at Luna, who looked as confused as him.

    "What did you say?"

    "Mmm?. I don''t think I said anything, Harry Potter...I was admiring this intricate seeling while we walked."

    Luna tilted her head to one.

    "Did I do something strange?...that happens sometimes."

    "No...it''s fine. Let''s go." Harry turned around and continued walking. He then realized something even more odd than hearing random voices. The voice he heard was definitely Luna''s, but not this child version of her...that was adult Luna.

 Chapter 97: The next morning

    Chapter 97: The next morning

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 97: The next morning

    Harry sneaked into themon room and walked up the stairs.

    As expected, all of his roommates were fast asleep.

    He felt very tired already but there was one thing he had to check.

    ''I need to make sure¡­''

    He walked to Neville''s bed and held his wand.

    Harry had no doubt that Voldemort had also created the Horcruxes in this world.

    Lucius Malfoy confirmed to had the diary for years before it mysteriously disappeared. Like the Ravew tiara that was supposed to be in Hogwarts.

    He could assume the rest of them had disappeared too, but maybe he could visit the cave during the summer.

    In any case, now that he knows that he created them, there is a chance that Neville¡­

    ''What am I going to do if he turns out to be a Horcrux¡­can I bring myself to kill an innocent boy?..., stop! don''t get ahead of yourself. You don''t know yet,and still,there could be other ways to remove it.'' He calmed down and pointed his wand at Neville''s forehead.

    The scan he was performing was designed to detect dark magic. Is not meant to detect horrocruxes specifically, but he figured the results would be at least strange if such magic was in there.

    "Mmm?..."

    He repeated the scan two more times to be sure.

    Neville''s wound was a cursed scar, he had no doubt of that.

    This is amon urrence with wounds inflicted by dark magic, it often leaves a residue that prevents it from healingpletely, unless is removed. This would make sense if he was hit with a killing curse like him.

    But other than that¡­there was nothing. It was just a normal scar.

    "Uff¡­" He was able to breathe in relief.

    "Harry?..."

    He must have been a bit too loud because he awoke Neville.

    At least the boy was still asleep enough to not notice his wand or wonder what he was doing next to his bed.

    "Hi, Neville. I just got back¡­sorry for waking you up."

    "Where were you?, Professor McGonagall was looking for you. And also Hermione, your sister, and the other girls. They were all worried after what happened."

    "Ah¡­" He had forgotten about that.

    ''It seems like tomorrow I''ll have a lot to deal with....''

    "I just needed some time alone," Harry said.

    "Well¡­ I''m d you are fine. And thank you."

    Harry nced back at him.

    "Thank you for what?"

    "For saving me, of course. I thought I was going to get bitten by that scary snake¡­ until you stop it. It was very cool." Neville said with admiration.

    ''Let''s hope Mcgonagall also thinks it was cool.''

    "Right¡­you are wee. Let''s go back to sleep, shall we?..." He was not looking forward to the next day.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    In the early morning, Harry felt the gazes of the school on him as he made his way to his table in the Great Hall.

    ''How nostalgic¡­'' he thought.

    "Harry!"

    As soon as he sat down, he was surrounded by girls.

    This would usually be a good thing, but not when they are angry.

    "What was that about?"

    "Where were you?"

    "Why did you leave like that?"

    "How did you kill the snake so easily?"

    "Yeah, can you teach me that?"

    "Can you guys slow down and ask one at a time?" He requested.

    "Then, Mister Potter, allow me to go first." The voice of Professor McGonagall came from behind him.

    "After you are done with your breakfast, I will need you toe to my office. I trust you know where it is?" Harry nodded.

    "Excellent. " She turned around and walked away.

    "Oh¡­this is not good, Harry. What if this goes on your permanent record?" Hermione said with concern.

    "Crushing a snake with one hand? I want that in my permanent record!" Ron eximed.

    "So, Harry." Lyra sat next to him.

    "Is everything okay?"

    "I''m fine. Just needed some time alone." He did not want to drag this conversation.

    "But¡­you never came back to the dorm, we waited for you. " Ginny said.

    "He dide back. I think it was around midnight." Neville added.

    "You were wandering around the castle until midnight?" Lavender asked.

    "Harry!, that''s against the rules!. "Hermione looked outraged.

    "That must be why Professor McGonagall asked you to her office"

    "That, and the snake thing." Parvati pointed out.

    "Yeah, that was very cool." Seamus joined the conversation.

    "Can you teach me that?, I want to crush snakes like that too!." Ron requested.

    "You should have seen the face Profesor Lockhart was making, he was so terrified of you!" Ron chuckled.

    "That''s not funny!. We were all startled by that snake. I can''t believe Malfoy got away with no punishment after using a spell like that." Hermione said.

    "I''m sure I saw Professor Snape whispering to him. He was probably the one who told him to use it." Lavender said.

    "That wouldn''t surprise me, he doesn''t like Neville," Seamus said.

    "That''s because he broke most of his cauldrons. I think this was something else..." Parvatimented.

    "He doesn''t like anyone from Gryffindor to be honest. " Lavender pointed.

    "So, Harry. Can you teach me to kill a snake like that?" Ron looked at him with interest.

    "No¡­" Said Harry.

    "Ohe on, don''t be stingy," Ron whined.

    "I did that without thinking. It was just a reaction to being startled by the snake." Harry exined. It wasn''tpletely a lie, that was just an involuntary reaction. His mind was somewhere else.

    "Ahmm¡­" Ron said with disappointment.

    "I wish it was me then¡­everyone is talking about you now."

    "You got lucky then, that was a ck mamba. A very venomous snake." Parvati had studied a lot about reptiles, it was a secret hobby of hers.

    Harry was smacked on the shoulder.

    "The next time don''t just run out like that¡­you had me worried," Lyra looked serious.

    "I''ll keep it in mind, Lyra... By the way, did something interesting happen after I left?" He wanted to change the topic away from himself.

    Ron got excited.

    "You won''t believe it!. Snape kicked Lockhart''s butt in a duel!"

    "Yeah, that was the best part of the day!" Seamus added.

    "It wasn''t like that!" Hermione imed.

    "Professor Lockhart was just demonstrating how to react when you are hit by the disarming charm."

    "By flying away and falling on his butt?. I don''t know Hermione¡­" Lavender frowned.

    "I agree. He is not as magnificent as my mother always says." Ginnymented.

 Chapter 98: Detentions and Engagements

    Chapter 98: Detentions and Engagements

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 98: Detentions and Engagements

    "Take a seat, Mister Potter."

    Harry heard McGoganall say after entering her small office. He also noted the figure of Snape standing next to her desk with his usual unpleasant expression.

    He ignored his looks and sat down in front of Professor McGonagall.

    "First, I would like you to rify what happened yesterday during the Dueling Club." She asked.

    Harry gave her the same excuse he offered to his house mates. He got distracted and the snake startled him. So he reacted like that, got nervous and ran away.

    "You expect us to believe that, Potter? You crushed that snake''s head with your hands. You must have done some dark magic, maybe a ritual¡­" Snape narrowed his eyes while looking at him.

    "Severus!, that''s enough. Also, that is a very serious usation to throw around with no evidence, don''t forget what James Potter''s job is...he would not delve into that kind of magic. And I did not call Harry here for that." McGonagall reprimanded the potions professor.

    "He must be punished at least!. He is as arrogant as his father." He leaned forward to get his face closer to Harry in an attempt of intimidation.

    "Severus!, this has nothing to do with James Potter and your rivalry with him. And let''s not talk about the fact that it was YOU, the one who instructed young Malfoy to use that spell¡­what were you thinking?, summoning a venomous snake in front of a hundred children."

    "That wasn''t¡­" Snape stood straight and coughed.

    "It was not meant to be a venomous one. Draco must have done something wrong during the summoning."

    "Regardless¡­" She turned to look at Harry.

    "My reason for bein'' upset if not about that, Mister Potter, is for what you did after. You ran out of the ssroom without saying a word, you disappearedpletely, making everyone worried and you broke the curfew when you did not return to your room before nine P.M. What do you have to say about it?"

    "Ah¡­that¡­I have no excuse for that, I just wanted to be alone for a bit."

    Harry could not reveal his real reason for being upset. He couldn''t exactly say ''Well, you see Professor, I just discovered that I may be partially responsible for the end of an entire world and the deaths of all my loved ones.''

    That fact will always weigh on him from now on¡­but he decided to continue on despite all of that because there are people here whose lives may depend on his future actions. He could not fail again¡­

    "Then I have no other choice but to give you detention." Said McGonagall.

    "Leave him with me. A month of cleaning cauldrons with his bare hands will teach him some humility." Snape grinned.

    "The usual punishment for skipping curfew is three detentions and twenty points loss for the House of the student." She reminded him.

    "And so¡­twenty points from Gryffindor and you will have three detentions with Professor Lockhart since this happened during his Dueling Club."

    Harry made a disgruntled expression.

    ''I have to spend three detentions with that man?...a month cleaning cauldrons almost seemed better.''

    "You will start your detentions this afternoon. Then another one on Sunday and thest one on Monday. Be at his office at five P.M, don''t bete." She told him.

    "Yes, Professor McGonagall¡­may I leave now?"

    "You may"

    He stood up and was about to leave when she spoke again

    "Oh, Mister Potter¡­remember that you have the first Quidditch game of the year at the end of next week. There will be practice on Tuesday, Mister Wood will contact you for more details. Be sure to be well-rested and ready for it. "

    "Yes Professor, I''ll be ready."

    "Be sure you do¡­I''m looking forward to seeing your first game, Harry." McGonagall gave him a warm smile.

    Snape maintained his usual frown.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    After blowing off some steam and a few dummies at the Room of Requirements, Harry entered the great hall of Hogwarts to have something for lunch.

    The hall was unusually full that day and he was able to find everyone already sitting on their spots.

    He sat between his sister and Hermione and started eating in peace.

    Lyra nced at him.

    "What were you doing, exercise again?"

    That was the excuse he gave Hermionest year, so he told his sister the same. Except Lyra knew more so she may suspect his exercises involve more than just physical training.

    "Yes," Harry answered before taking more potatoes from the tray.

    "Harry is always disappearing to go do something. Usually is exercise, isn''t that right?" Commented Hermione.

    "Yes, he did thatst year also¡­he is going to be quite the hunk if he keeps going like this." Lavender grinned.

    Parvati gave Harry an evaluating stare.

    "There is a lot of potential there. If I wasn''t already engaged I may give Mione somepetition."

    "Stop that!." Hermione eximed.

    "Wait¡­you are already engaged?. You never mentioned that."

    Parvati shrugged.

    "Didn''t seem important. Father made the marriage contracts for me and my sister Padma when were were still toddlers. So we have known our future husbands all our lives. We will both get married after we finish our education."

    "But that''s so wrong!. You should not be forced to marry someone just like that." Hermione said.

    "Hermione, wizard families have different customs to muggle ones," Harry told her.

    "For muggles, this may seem barbaric and outdated, but old wizard families put a lot of value on old traditions."

    "That''s correct," Parvati said.

    "My family is very traditionalist. And¡­I don''t dislike the fact of being engaged. Having my future already nned means that I don''t have to stress myself and worry about it. I''m actually looking forward to my life after Hogwarts."

    "But what about your career? is there nothing in particr you want to do?" Asked Hermione.

    "If you ask my sister, she would probably tell you something else. But for me¡­not really. I just study enough to keep my grades decent, but there is nothing in particr I wanted to do." Parvati answered.

    Hermione looked at Lavender.

    "What about you?, are you engaged too?"

    "Nop¡­my parents aren''t that traditional. So I can date whoever I want¡­well, in the future." Lavender gave her a grin.

    Hermione turned to the other side and nced at Lyra and Ginny.

    "I''m not engaged, of course!..." Ginny nced at Neville for a second before looking down at her te with a blush.

    "Me neither. I don''t know about Dad, but Mom would never allow us to be engaged this soon. She is a muggle-born like you, Hermione." Lyra said.

    "But for a while, I thought they had made a contract for Harry¡­" she added.

    "What?!, Harry is engaged?" Hermione and the other girls became shocked.

 Chapter 99: Changes in the house of snakes

    Chapter 99: Changes in the house of snakes

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 99: Changes in the house of snakes

    "You are engaged?"

    "With whom?"

    Both Hermione and Parvati leaned forward while staring intensely at Harry.

    "How did I not hear anything about this until now?" Lavender looked almost offended.

    "You did not hear my sister correctly¡­" Harry decided to interrupt them and clear up the misunderstanding before a rumor started to circte over the castle.

    "Our family made a contract with another family. I cannot speak about the contents or which family was the contract made with. But it is not a marriage contract."

    "Yes, that''s what I was about to say, you didn''t let me finish!" Lyra tried to fix it.

    "When I learned about it¡­I thought it was marriage for Harry. My bad¡­"

    "Oh¡­so it was just a misunderstanding¡­how boring." Lavender pouted.

    "So Mione still has a chance. " Parvati said out loud.

    "Stop with that already!" Hermione frowned.

    "Is okay Hermione, she was just teasing you. We know you like Professor Lockhart anyway." Lavendermented.

    "I just respect the man!, that''s different." She quickly defended.

    "You can''t do this to me!."

    The shout was loud enough to be clearly heard from the other side of the Great Hall, where the Slytherin table was located.

    "What was that?!" Ginny was startled by the sudden shout.

    "Looks like there is some drama over the snake nest!." Lavender said with interest.

    "That was Draco Malfoy!, but who is he yelling at?" Asked Parvati.

    "I know her¡­that''s Pansy Parkinson." Hermione looked troubled.

    "She is not¡­very nice to say the least."

    "Don''t make a scene, Draco." Pansy had her arms crossed while looking down at the angry boy. Behind her were two boys and one big girl.

    "Draco, stop embarrassing yourself¡­" One of the boys said with a mocking grin.

    "Don''t even talk to me, Nott. You traitor!" Draco shouted.

    "Or what?, are you going to tell your father?" Nott made an ''ops'' gesture.

    "My bad!"

    "That''s it!" Draco pulled out his wand.

    Theodore Nott and the other boy to his side, the one called ize Zabini did the same.

    "If you want a duel, we can humor you, Draco," Zabini told him.

    "Enough!" Professor Snape was angrily walking towards the students.

    "Put those wands away, NOW!" He shouted.

    Nott and Zabini quickly obeyed but Draco was filled with too much anger.

    Snape had to physically take the wand away from him.

    "Come with me!"

    He then grabbed Draco by his arm and dragged him away from the hall.

    Harry noted that during this whole confrontation, neither Crabble nor Goyle, got up from their seats to defend Draco.

    "Well, that was interesting!" Lavender looked static.

    "I need to find out what was that about! It seems like Draco and his fiance are having some trouble."

    "You shouldn''t look so happy about other people''s misfortune." Hermione pointed out.

    "Oh please¡­the guy is an arse to everyone," Lavender said.

    "She is right, you know?" Ron poked his head into the conversation.

    "The guy is a twat."

    "You think this is rted to that rumor you told us on the first day?" Parvati asked Lavender.

    "I suppose it could¡­yes, that would make sense if you think about it." Lavender said.

    "What rumor? what happened?" Lyra asked them.

    "You see¡­" Lavender leaned forward and lowered the volume of her voice but it was still loud enough for most people on the table to hear.

    "I heard from a reputable source that the Malfoy family lost most of their fortune after the death of Lord Lucius Malfoy."

    "How can that be? They are one of the richest families in Britain!" Lyra didn''t know much about those matters. But she was at least taught about the most influential wizard families in the country.

    "There are no specifics but¡­ apparently, the former Lord had most of his money invested in some illegal deals and dark artifacts. After his death, the deals were ruined and the artifacts were lost. Leaving them only with a few coins in their vault." Lavender exined.

    "So, Draco is poor now?. I have to taunt him about this!" Ron eximed.

    "Why though?...we are poor too." Ginny reminded him.

    "I wouldn''t say they are poor¡­they still have many assets they could sell. Butpared to where they were a year ago¡­there is a huge gap. And is not just about money but also influence. Lucius Malfoy was the right hand of the Minister of Magic and a member of the Board of Governors of Hogwarts. Now they lost all of that." Lavender added.

    "That would exin why everyone seemed to have turned against him all of a sudden." Said Lyra.

    "That could also exin why he was yelling at his fiance¡­" Parvati said.

    "What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

    "Lord Parkinson is one of the most politically powerful wizards of the country. A marriage between his family and the rich, influential Malfoys made sense, but now¡­" Lavender let the words hang.

    "He broke the marriage contract!" Ginny realized.

    "I bet that''s what happened." Admitted Lavender.

    "But I''m going to want all of the details."

    "Of course you do¡­" Hermione gave her a judgmental look.

    "Did you notice that his two usual bodyguards were not with him this time?" Parvati asked.

    "That right. Crabble and Goyle did not move from their spot at the table." Ron said.

    "That was weird, those two goons always follow him everywhere." Said Seamus.

    "Yes, those two families have always been close to the Malfoys. But it looks like they started to follow someone else¡­" Harrymented while observing the Slytherin table.

    The two big guys stood from the table and followed behind Pansy Parkinson and her friends after she started to walk away. They were treating her like some sort of Queen, much different fromst year.

    ''The changes in the Slytherin house could be reflecting some of the changes happening on the outside¡­it looks like Lord Parkinson is getting ready to step into the light.''

 Chapter 100: Harry goes on the field

    Chapter 100: Harry goes on the field

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 100: Harry goes on the field

    "Wee to the second game of the Hogwarts 1992 league!"

    The cheerful voice of thementator could be heard resounding all over the stadium thanks to the masterful work of magical runes on the ce.

    "I am Lee Jordan and I will be yourmentator."

    The students started to p and cheer.

    "This will be Gryffindor''s first game of the year and it will be against no other than the former Champion, Slytherin! But do not lose hope, my friends, for this year the Gryffindor team came well-prepared with a brand new and talented seeker. Now with no further dys¡­ let''s watch their entrances!"

    The audience cheered.

    "The first team to hit the field will be Slytherin!"

    The green-robed team came flying into the stadium. Their own selection of the spectator boxes started to cheer while the rest, remained silent.

    They had not be more liked sincest year. And many have used them of cheating, but the acusations never go anywhere.

    "And now¡­the team that will hopefully get a win, finally¡­" Jordan said with hope.

    "Jordan!, keep it unbiased. I''m warning you." McGonagall was sitting right behind him.

    "Yes, Professor. Totally impartial¡­anyone can win this game, but you know¡­Go Gryffindor!"

    The yer with the red and golden robes entered the field in a smooth flight.

    Captain Olliver Wood was first, followed up close by the rest of the team. And thest yer in the queue was Harry Potter.

    "That''s him!. There he is!" Lily Potter pointed from the stands.

    "That''s my boy!" James shouted.

    "Mom, Dad!...lower your voices please." Lyra was feeling somewhat embarrassed.

    "They are flying!" Holly shouted from her mother''sp.

    "You think he is going to be okay up there?" Lily asked with concern.

    On the other side of the field were the Slytherin stands.

    "It is rare to see you here. I thought you had no interest in Quidditch." Pansy Parkinson was sitting in the center of the first row. Those were the best seats avable. At her sides were Nott and Zabini and behind her were Daphne and Tracy.

    "I don''t have much interest¡­but I had nothing better to do today." Daphne said with disinterest, earning a re from Tracey.

    Daphne had dragged her to the game, not taking a no for an answer. Saying there was something she needed to see.

    "What about you?." Daphne returned the question.

    "Mmm¡­ don''t have much interest either. But I thought it would be a waste, buying these seats and not using them." Pansy shrugged.

    "Buying them? what do you mean?. The seats are free for everyone." Tracey asked.

    "You wouldn''t know because you nevere to see the games." Theodore Nott turned around to look a them.

    "But the front row seats are all private. At least on the Slytherin side. Is just another way to show your status."

    "And you know who was the owner of these three seats?" Zabini had a cruel grin on his face.

    "I can already guess¡­" Daphne gave Pansy a passing nce and the girl had a satisfied smile on her face.

    "Malfoy, right?" Tracey asked.

    "Yes, Lady Malfoy took my father''s first offer without question." Pansy chuckled.

    "Can you believe that he tried to enter the team this year?. He wanted to be a seeker." Theodore Nottmented.

    "Like they would let a second year with no experience in the team¡­he must have been dreaming that his daddy was still on the Board of Governors." Zabini joked.

    "And now he doesn''t even have a ce to sit and watch the games. What a loser." Nott smiled.

    "You guys are being a bit too harsh with Malfoy, don''t you think?." Daphne looked at Pansy.

    "Pff¡­please. He has been a pompous ass since the day I meet him. If anyone deserves to be taken down a notch, is him." Pansy said.

    "I know that¡­but still. " Daphne knew Draco quite well, and how nasty of a personality he has. But she didn''t like kicking someone who was already down.

    "After how he treated mest year. He deserves at least this¡­trust me." Pansy told her.

    Daphne had no retort to that. He was awful to herst year, there was no denying that.

    "She is right, Daphne. Don''t waste your time defending that guy. And instead, watch this game that you had so much interest in." Tracey''sment did not go over Pansy''s head.

    "Oh? so you did have a reason foring here." Pansy gave Daphne an intense nce.

    "You obviously have no interest in the game¡­could it be one of the yers then?"

    "Shut up. I have nothing else to say." Daphne crossed her arms and sat back down, ending the conversation right there.

    Pansy smiled.

    "How interesting¡­"

    Daphne gave her friend Tracey an upset look.

    "Sorry¡­" Tracey whispered to her friend after realizing her slip of the tongue.

    Meanwhile, the yers had all flown into their positions and Professor Hootch was about to give the signal for the start of the game.

    The bludgers were released first, followed by the snitch, and finally, the quaffle was thrown in the air.

    Right then, Professor Hootch used a loud whistle to signal the start of the game.

    "Here we go!." Jordan shouted on his mic.

    "The first game between Gryffindor and Slytherin has started¡­Go Gryffindor!"

    "Jordan!"

 Chapter 101: Games and tremors

    Chapter 101: Games and tremors

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 101: Games and tremors

    Harry was hovering over the field, next to their Captain Oliver. He watched as the two bludgers went up in the air. The Weasley twins hurried up to hit them in the enemy team''s direction before the Slytherin beaters had the chance to do the same.

    The Quaffle was thrown by Professor Hootch in a straight angle and Angelina did not waste time to try and grab it.

    But the one Harry was paying the most attention to was the golden snitch. This one flew around the bludgers and continued to go up until it got lost in the clouds.

    "Okay, Harry. This is just your first game so try not to get too nervous. All you have to do is hover over the field and if you see a golden glint, you go f-" Oliver was taken aback when he saw Harry propel himself at a tremendous speed towards the clouds.

    "Harry wait!. You''ll never find the snitch in there!" He tried to warn him.

    "Whoa, what is the new seeker doing?" Jordan stared into the distance.

    "He is flying into the clouds!, does he really expect to find the snitch in there?"

    Many of the students watching started tough.

    "What is that idiot doing?"

    "He is just a second year, what did you expect?"

    "Does he actually think he can find that tiny thing in there? They should have taught him better."

    "What a stupid thing to do¡­"

    Lyra looked around with a frown.

    "Hey, you guys shut up!" She yelled at the ones making fun of her brother.

    "Mmm¡­" James was watching towards the clouds with rasp attention, trying to figure out what Harry''s n was. He did not enjoy hearing the jabs of the other students, but he could understand where they wereing from at least. If this was a normal second-year student, that would have been a very mindless thing to do and it would be treated as a novice mistake.

    But they did not know what his son was capable of ¡­and to be honest, neither did he.

    "You think he has a n?" Lily asked her husband.

    "What kind of n?" Lyra asked.

    "I think we will have to wait and see.." James didn''t want to admit that he also had no clue. This was definitely not in the ybook of any team.

    "Shiny!" Holly pointed at the sky.

    There was a sh of something golden descending from the clouds.

    "Good job, Holly!, that''s the snitch," James told her.

    A secondter, something came out of the clouds so fast that they seemed to trace behind it.

    Slytherin''s seeker reacted immediately and flew to the point where he saw the golden sh.

    "The snitch has reappeared, and booth seekers are chasing it now!" Jordan stood from his seat.

    "This is a lot faster than usual!"

    "Ah¡­" James had realized something. The snitch from school quidditch is different from the professional one. Is a lot slower to allow students to catch it much more easily, preventing games from dragging unnecessarily. But to deter the games from ending too quickly, the ball had also been enchanted to hide during the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the game.

    Harry had basically forcefully dragged it back into the game before it was time.

    "What an impatient boy¡­" James said with a smile.

    "He is flying straight down!" Lyra eximed.

    "Wait, what is he doing?" Lily started to be worried when she did not see him slow down at all.

    The snitch passed through the middle of the field, avoiding several yers, and was quickly followed by Harry.

    The Slytherin team did not even have the chance to interfere and gain time so their own seeker could approach.

    The snitch continued to fly towards the ground as fast as it could go and Harry was closing the gap at a fast rate, but the grassy floor of the field was also quickly approaching him.

    "Oh no!, he is too focused on the snitch...he is going to crash!" Lily stood up from her seat.

    "Gryffindor''s new seeker is really going for it!. He is making a dive!" Jordan screamed.

    Professor McGonagall stared at Harry with concern.

    "Is he crazy?!" Daphne could not help herself from saying out loud.

    When it was only ten feet away from touching the ground, the golden snitch made a ny-degree turn to one side and flew parallel to the grass.

    But Harry had already predicted its path and got in the snitch way.

    The winged sphere collided against his side and Harry quickly grabbed it while making sure to keep the broom steady. At this point, he was less than five feet away from the ground.

    As soon as he had it secure, he flew up and held the golden snitch on his right hand, to show the crowd.

    "He got it!. He fucking got it!" Jordan proimed loudly on his microphone.

    Professor McGonagall was so baffled that she forgot to scold him.

    "Yeah!, well done, Harry!" James cheered.

    "Uff¡­" Lily breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

    "We won already?" Lyra found it hard to believe. The game had just started.

    The rest of the audience was equally baffled.

    "We won a game against Slytherin?"

    "How did he get the snitch so fast?"

    "I can''t believe what I just saw¡­"

    "Gryffindors seeker got the snitch!...hold on, what is his name?..." Jordan hurried to go through the roster of the team that he didnt bother looking before.

    "Right¡­Potter, Harry Potter!. The new seeker from Gryffindor had gotten the golden snitch and ended the game 150 to NOTHING for Slythering after¡­two minutes and thirty-two seconds of the game¡­Gryffindor WINS!." Jordan screamed.

    "We lost already?" Theodore Nott stared at the score.

    "How can that be?. We never had a chance to score a single point, how is that fair?" Zabini said.

    "Tsk¡­for one game I came to watch in person. What a disgrace..." Pansy huffed.

    "Uff¡­" Daphne breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

    "You okay Daph?" Tracey asked.

    Pansy turned her head to look at her.

    "What wrong Daphne?"

    "Nothing¡­" Daphne was quick to recover her usual calm demeanor.

    Pansy smiled.

    "Come on Daph¡­we have known each other for many years¡­you looked very worried a moment ago."

    She looked back at the field where Harry was now flying.

    "Could it be?..."

    Pansy smile quickly faded from her face and was reced by panic when the ground started to shake violently and the stands trembled.

    She had been standing up when the earthquake started so she lost her bnce and fell backwards while screaming for help.

    Both Nott and Zabini were busy holding to their own seats to prevent themselves from falling and did not even notice the girl falling over the rails right next to them.

    "Pansy!" Daphne jumped from her seat and moved forward to grab her hand before she went over the rails.

    But by the time she managed to grab onto Pansy''s arm, it was toote and the force of gravity sent them both down to their doom.

 Chapter 102: Flying Rescue

    Chapter 102: Flying Rescue

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 102: Flying Rescue

    Harry heard people all over the stadium screaming in panic as the towers holding the stands shook and trembled, but luckily they seemed to hold firm.

    He first nced over the Gryffindor side where his family was sitting and he confirmed that they were all holding well.

    But then, he spotted something falling from the Slytherin stands, followed by the desperate screams of two girls.

    He pushed his Nimbus 1900 to its limits.

    ''I won''t make it in time!''

    They were getting too close to the ground.

    He circted more of his magic through the broom runic array and this one drastically increased its speed.

    Harry arrived at their side in an instant. Grabbed one of the girls under his left arm and the other one over his right shoulder.

    The girls stopped screaming when they realized they were no longer falling.

    "W-wha-...Harry?" Daphne stammered the words when she looked down and saw his familiar dark messy hair and gold-red robes.

    Harry gazed at the blonde girl on his shoulder.

    "Hang on Daphne, I''ll get us down¡­"

    "We got saved by a Gryffindor?!" Pansy eximed.

    Harry moved his eyes to check on the other girl he was holding.

    ''I have just saved the life of Lord Parkinson''s daughter¡­'' He felt a bit conflicted about that one.

    The man had been aiming for his parent''s lives and in return, he just saved his family. That is not how he usually did things¡­but he couldn''t just leave the girl to her fate. It was not in his nature.

    "You too¡­hang on. I''ll descend carefu-"

    His broom started to tremble and shake.

    "That''s not careful at all, Potter!" Pansy shouted.

    "Harry!" Daphne called.

    "Oh¡­well shit¡­I broke the runes. We ar-"

    The broom stopped its flight and plummeted abruptly.

    He burned down the rune array by overcharging with magic when he increased the speed of the broom past its limits.

    Now the magical flying broom had nothing magical about itself...it was just a piece of wood.

    "Ahhh!" Pansy started to scream again.

    "Do something!" Daphne shouted.

    Wands were not allowed for Quidditch yers. It was a good thing that no one checked for hidden holsters.

    The spare wand appeared on Harry''s left hand and he did his best to point it down while not letting the girl fall.

    They must have been only around twenty feet off the ground when Harry spoke the words.

    "Aeolos!" Harry had to cast it out loud to increase its power and speed since it had to lift three people this time.

    A powerful gust of wind appeared beneath them, slowing their fall until they almost stooped, then¡­allowed them to descend slowly.

    The trio reached the ground and the wind disappeared.

    "We are safe!" Pansy said with disbelief.

    Harry noticed Daphne looking around before ncing back at him with a shocked expression.

    "Are you hurt?" He asked her.

    "Ah..em..no. I''m fine¡­thanks." She stammered the words, looking very shaken.

    Harry looked up at the stands. The tremors had stopped and it didn''t seem like anyone else had falled down from them. He still wanted to go check on his family, just to make sure.

    He went to pick up his broom. It was useless to fly now, but it was still a birthday present from his parents. He was not leaving it here.

    "Are you two going to be okay? I want to go check on someone." Harry told the girls.

    "I''m fine, Potter." Pansy seemed to have recovered her nerves after the experience.

    "Thank you¡­I won''t forget about this."

    Daphne didn''t say anything but kept staring at the spot where he cast the spell.

    Harry shrugged it off as the girl being in a momentary state of shock, but at least she wasn''t physically harmed. He turned around and ran to the Gryffindor''s stands.

    Daphne stared at his back as he left.

    Pansy was not there that day when Neville yed his only Quidditch match, but she was.

    She saw very well the wind magic that Neville had supposedly invoked by ident when his life was in danger. Or that was what the rumors told.

    ''That was the same magic¡­I have no doubt now. It was Harry the one that cast that spell¡­this means that all of those rumors about Longbottomo doing idental magic¡­'' It wasn''t really that surprising to her that Harry was capable of doing this. After all, she already knew that it was him the one who defeated Profesor Nayar the previous year. But it still gave her something to think about.

    The only thing she did not understand was why¡­why was Harry doing this?. Why go so far as to protect Longbottom while remaining in the dark?

    Harry was an enigma to Daphne, a wizard with that amount of power at his age would easily be considered the seconding of Merlin if people knew about it.

    She found herself wanting to know more and more about him.

    "Daphne stop staring so much¡­he is gone already." Pansy woke her up from her trance.

    "I-I wasn''t staring at him¡­let''s just go." Daphne put back her usual calm expression.

    "Of course¡­wait until I get my hands on those two idiots who let me fall¡­they are going to hear me!." Pansy huffed.

    "But I should also thank you, Daphne¡­for trying to save me at least."

    She shrugged.

    "Someone had to."

    <><><><><><><><><>

    Harry had to open way amidst the sea of people wanting to get down the stands and finally made it to the top where he found his family.

    He could finally breathe when he confirmed they all seemed okay.

    "Harry!" Lyra came running to his side and hugged him.

    This was not a usual reaction for her but she appeared to be really shaken by the experience.

    "I''m fine¡­what about you?."

    She did not let him go.

    "I''m scared¡­why is this happening?. This was supposed to be a fun year¡­"

    "It will be¡­this will be over soon enough, you''ll see, Lyra. Don''t worry." Harry promised her.

    ''I''ll take care of it¡­somehow.''

 Chapter 103: A debt

    Chapter 103: A debt

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 103: A debt

    "So, no one got hurt?" Harry asked.

    "Harry!" Lily and James came to his side.

    "We are fine, luckily these stands had managed to hold, despite that tremor," James said.

    "It wasn''t luck¡­I''m sure these structures are heavily reinforced with magic so they will never fail." Lily exined.

    "Yes, but you can still fall from them¡­" Added Harry.

    "Why didn''t you tell us anything about the earthquakes that had been urring since the start of the year?" James was looking straight at Harry with a serious expression.

    "It didn''t seem that important. And I''m sure Lyra has already filled you in." Harry brushed aside his concerns. Strange urrences at Hogwarts were amon thing for him.

    "She did tell us¡­but I didn''t think they were this bad." Lilymented.

    ''Now that she mentioned it¡­I did notice that the tremors seem to be getting more violent.''

    This just added to his sense of urgency to find the cause and put an end to it, before someone gets seriously hurt¡­or dies.

    He was still notpletely convinced that the giant snake living under Hogwarts was the culprit. After all, even a monster of that size should not have the strength to shake a giant castle like Hogwarts.

    However, the Chamber of Secrets was the only ce he had yet to search, so the answer should be there¡­hopefully. That was his only n for the moment.

    ''But without a parselmouth to open the entrance, I''m going to have to resort to more drastic methods¡­I will need to find a way to force Dumbledore out of the castle or he will definitely notice what I''m nning on doing.''

    His father is a member of the Wizengamot so he could ask him to call an emergency meeting, but he is going to want to know more about what his son is nning on doing at school if he makes that request.

    ''Maybe is better if I just ask her¡­''

    "Harry!" James got closer and put a hand on his shoulder.

    "Leaving the earthquake aside, that was a fantastic game!. I think you may have broken some record there!."

    "Yes, it was very short thought¡­" Lyra added.

    "Of course, we are d that you won, dear. But¡­I would prefer if you keep those reckless maneuvers to a minimum in the future¡­no need to risk your life for a school game." His mother reminded him.

    "Harry!, you flew very high!" Holly raised her hands in the air.

    He smiled.

    "I did. When you are a bit older, maybe I can take you to fly with me." He nced at his parents.

    "Maybe¡­" Lily did not seem convinced.

    "Yes, let''s go!" Holly eximed.

    "When you are older, not now littledy," Lily told her.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    During the next day, people talked mostly about two things, thest earthquake and the Quidditch game.

    The new Gryffindor seeker had surprised everyone with his speed and now everyone was throwing nces at Harry as he passed through the corridors.

    However, Harry''s mind was currently preupied with something else.

    ''That will do¡­''

    He finished writing the note he was nning on passing to Daphne.

    Her father was a member of the School Board of Governors, and as such, was qualified to call for a very much-deserved meeting to discuss the current incidents in the school.

    To be fair, they should have already closed it for safety. The Headmaster must have pulled several favors to prevent the Board or the Ministry from taking action so far. But that was not going tost long.

    Professor McGonagall announced the end of today''s sses. Harry walked outside the ssroom and waited, hoping to have a chance to give Daphne the note he had written.

    What he was not expecting was a group of several Slytherin students walking directly towards him in the hall. With Pansy Parkinson at the front, followed closely by Daphne, Trace, Nott, and Zabini.

    "Potter, I wanted to have a word with you," Pansy called for him.

    Harry turned to look at her and waited for her to approach.

    Pansy and the rest stopped in front of him.

    "I wanted to formally thank you for saving my life yesterday. If there is anything I can do to repay you for that¡­all you have to do is ask."

    "I see¡­" Harry could understand where she wasing from. For pureblood families who follow old traditions, this could be even considered a life debt and it would be a huge deal.

    He was about to brush her off as this was a small thing for him but an idea came to him, this could be an opportunity to strike at the death eaters and it would be foolish to just let it go.

    "I understand, Miss Parkinson. I formally ept your thanks. I will inform you when I can think of a form of repayment."

    "I will be waiting then." Pansy nodded to him.

    The group started to walk away, but Daphne remained behind.

    "I also wanted to¡­"

    "Daphne." Harry interrupted her and got closer to her, his face was only a few inches away from hers. He wanted to make sure that no one saw this.

    "W-what¡­" Daphne was startled by his sudden closeness and blushed slightly.

    But then she noticed that he ced something on her hand.

    "Read it when you are alone, is very important¡­please," Harry whispered to her heard.

    "Oh, and you don''t have to thank me. I will always protect my friends."

    Unaware of the girl''s embarrassment, Harry walked away.

    ''If everything goes smoothly, Lord Greengrass may be able to drive Dumbledore away from Hogwarts by Monday.'' It was already the end of the week and he will have to give at least one day of notice.

    ''I will need to make some preparations¡­I have a giant snake to kill...again.''

 Chapter 104: Daphneâ€™s dilema

    Chapter 104: Daphne¡¯s dilema

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 104: Daphne''s dilema

    On the next day, Harry received an answer from Daphne.The meeting will take ce on Monday at midday and will likelyst until until night time.

    Lord Greengrass was very easy to convince after learning what happened to his daughter after the Quidditch game and was absolutely furious with the Headmaster for allowing this to continue for this long without taking any measures.

    Dumbledore was not going to a pleasant Monday. But to be fair, Harry did not think that he was going to be any better. He was not looking forward to fighting that beast one more time.

    Daphne had of course wanted to know what he was nning on doing. Since it was big enough that it required the absence of the Headmaster.

    But since she took Harry''s request as her chance to return the favor of saving her, she did not push for information too much and did what he asked her.

    That girl was truly curious. He only told her that it was rted to the tremors but did not borate further.

    Morning sses ended at 12 P.M. Harry had already prepared everything he was going to need in his bag. If all goes ording to n, he will be done before lunch is over and none will be the wiser.

    All he had to do was blow up that girl''s bathroom, go in, kill the snake, get out, and repair the damage. Very simple stuff.

    ''What could go wrong?''

    <><><><><><><><>

    Daphne has been carefully observing Harry all day. He had once again refused to share his ns with her, and this frustrated her to no end. But she could not push further, especially now that she owed him a huge debt.

    ''What do I have to do to earn his trust?'' Daphne wondered as she looked at Harry. Today he seemed a lot more tense than usual. Making her even more curious about what he was nning to do.

    He had been a mystery since the first time she saw him.

    Daphne had initially only started to pay attention to him because he was the brother of Lyra, who had be close friends with her sister.

    She never heard Lyra talk about her brother so Daphne assumed there was nothing remarkable about him, like the rest of the boys she had met until that point.

    But since the first moment sheid eyes on him, she noticed how different he was,pared to the other students. The way he moved, the way he spoke¡­.the way Harry carried himself almost reminded her of someone else.

    Her grandfather, Augustus Greengrass had been a veteran war wizard from the Grindewall era, and worked as an auror for many years after that, delegating the family business to his younger brother.

    She had only the chance to meet him a few times before he passed away. But she will never forget about him.

    Even in his old age, Augustus had this powerful aura around him. It was hard to describe but being next to him, made her feel safe. Like she knew that no matter what happened, her grandfather would be capable of dealing with it.

    Much to her surprise, she felt the same aura in Harry Potter, who was the same age as her. It made no sense, but it drove her to pay more attention to him.

    The more she observed him, the less sense it made. His performance in ss could only be described as average. Hepleted the tasks given to him with little interest and always had this bored countenance on his face.

    She wanted to know more, to find out if he was truly someone capable who was hiding his true skills or if it was all a pretense to appear more mature.

    The day she discovered Malfoy''s silly ploy to get Longbottom into trouble, she decided to intervene.

    Longbottom was another boy she had been paying attention to.

    Her father had informed her about the dangerous situation that their family was in. They were in dire need of an alliance with a powerful family who held no ties with the Dark Lord.

    The first choice her father suggested was the Longbottoms. It was an ancient family, members of the original Wizard Council, and there was no family more opposed to the Dark Lord than them.

    He still had some reservations, because it would put them in direct conflict with the other side, and also because he knew next to nothing about the boy himself. Sebastian Greengrass may follow the old traditions but he would not pledge his daughter to someone he didn''t know.

    That''s why he gave her the task of measuring Neville Longbottom as a potential future ally and partner¡­

    Daphne had been more than dissatisfied with the ''Boy Who Lived''. The chubby boy looked to be always nervous or scared¡­or both. He was nothing like the rumors she had heard about him, or what those popr books disyed.

    That night she dragged Tracey and went to find Longbottom to warn him about the trap. She did not expect to find Potter also there¡­.but then, something happened.

    With Argus Filch on their tail, she saw Potter take charge of the situation with a calm demeanor and guided them to safety.

    He also did it by effortlessly opening a door that, she wouldter find out, should have been impossible for a student to open.

    That day, it became clear to her that Harry Potter was a lot more capable than he let on.

    Then it came the day of their first flying lesson and the event that started all those crazy rumors about Longbottom and his idental magic.

    She was probably the only one who noticed it because she was the only one keeping an eye on Potter instead of Longbottom.

    But at the crucial time, when Longbottom had started to fall, she saw Harry make some strange movements and muttered something.

    Momentster, Longbottom was saved and the rumors about his mystical idental magic started to circte around the school.

    Daphne did not believe those rumors, because she was convinced it had been none other than Harry Potter, the one who had cast that spell.

    She did not share her suspicions with Tracey, or anyone else, because they sounded almost as ridiculous as the stories about Longbottom.

    However, she did decide to take an important step that day. She requested a meeting with him and made the suggestion of an alliance.

    Her idea was to have her father meet Harry. Sebastian Greengrass was known for having a great sense of measuring people, a skill very much necessary for his job. So she wanted to see if her father could sense the same in Harry that she did.

    When she heard her father made the proposal of an alliance with the Potters, Daphne had no more doubts about Harry Potter''s suitability.

    And after that day, Harry continued to surprise her with the amount of magical knowledge he seemed to possess.

    More than anything, she wanted to know how far he could go. How much was he capable of doing and where did all this knowledgee from?

    She needed to know¡­so today, she decided to follow him after ss and find out...

 Chapter 105: What is he up to?

    Chapter 105: What is he up to?

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 105: What is he up to?

    "Hey, isn''t that your brother, Harry?" Ginny pointed at the boy who had passed by them.

    "I think so¡­ but where is he going?. The Great Hall is that way." Lyra pointed to the corridor at their right.

    "I don''t know but he appeared to be in a hurry." Ginny then noticed someone run after him and then stop to hide behind one of the many sets of medieval armor spread around the castle. That person kept peeking toward Harry and then heeded after him.

    "Lyra, I think that blonde girl looks very suspicious¡­she seems to be following Harry."

    "Is that a Slytherin uniform?" Lyra could only get a glimpse of her green tie before she strode away.

    "Why would a Slytherin girl be following my brother?"

    "Maybe she is a stalker," Ginny suggested.

    "He is not famous enough to have stalkers¡­" Lyra said. However, after thest Quidditch game, a lot of people started to talk about her brother''s flying skills. Including many students from her ss.

    "Let''s follow her!" Lyra decided.

    "What?, now?. But I''m hungry!" Ginny groaned.

    "We can skip one meal! I want to know what my brother is up to and why is that girl following him."

    "Lyra!, remember what happened thest time we followed Harry," Ginny cried.

    "Yes, that was kinda fun." Lyra smiled.

    "It wasn''t fun at all!" Ginny shouted at her with frustration.

    Lyra stopped to think for a second. Maybe fun had not been the best way to describe it. But she did not regret doing what she did that day. It allowed her to learn more about the mystery that had be her brother. And this looked like another chance to do the same. That is what her instincts were telling her.

    "Come on, where is your sense of adventure? besides¡­aren''t you even a bit curious?" Lyra asked.

    Ginny looked pensive for a moment.

    "Fine¡­let''s g-"

    "Legs go, she is getting away!" Lyra held onto Ginny''s arm and dragged her away before she had the chance to agree to go.

    They continued to carefully follow the blonde Slytherin girl until they found themselves in an unfamiliar part of the castle.

    "Where are we?" Asked Ginny.

    "Not sure¡­but I think this is the sixth floor¡­I lost count of how many stairs we went through."

    The blonde girl took a turn around around a corner and disappeared from their sight.

    "Hurry Ginny, we can''t lose her now!" Lyra said with urgency. They didn''t even know how to go back at this point.

    Leaving caution to the wind, the duo started to run.

    They turned the corner at full speed and had no time to avoid the collision when they found the blond girl standing behind a column.

    The Slytherin girl yelped in a mixture of pain and surprise before turning her head around and getting a good look at her ''attackers''.

    "Lyra?"

    Lyra and Ginny were now able to check up and close, the face of the Slytherin girl they had been chasing for thest five minutes.

    "Daphne!" Lyra immediately recognized her.

    "Shh!, lower your voices," Daphne whispered to them.

    "What are you doing here?"

    "We thought you were a stalker," Ginny answered.

    "What?, what are you talking about?" Daphne scowled.

    "We saw you following my brother¡­I didn''t recognize you, so we decided to follow¡­"

    "I''m not stalking Harry¡­.I mean, I was just wondering what he was up to¡­ that''s all." Daphne looked away.

    "How do you know he is up to something?" Ginny asked.

    "Mmm¡­I don''t think I should tell you that." She was hesitant to reveal any further information.

    "Come on, Daphne. It is something about my brother, I have the right to know¡­please" Lyra implored.

    She sighed. "Very well. But you better keep this a secret. Or I will never trust you again with anything...I''m serious!." Daphne warned her.

    "I''m great at keeping secrets," Ginny reassured her.

    "I''m¡­I''ll try my best!" Lyra promised.

    "Harry made a formal request from my family. He wanted for my father to call an emergency meeting of the school board."

    "Why would he want to do that?" Ginny didn''t understand.

    "He needed to drive the Headmaster away from Hogwarts for a few hours," Daphne told them.

    "What could he be nning on doing that requires him to force the Headmaster away?" Lyra was getting a bad feeling from this. Her brother was not the prankster type, so this must be something more serious.

    "He told me it was rted with the tremors¡­but did not borate any further than that." She told the girls.

    "He knows what''s causing the mysterious earthquakes?" Ginny asked.

    "If he knows that, why not inform the Professors instead?" Lyra wondered out loud.

    "I have only known your brother for a year or so, but¡­he seems the type who prefers to do everything by themselves," Daphne remarked.

    Maybe now¡­he has changed so much thest year.'' Lyra kept those thoughts to herself.

    "And what is he nning on doing exactly? wait¡­where is he?"

    She had not seen any trace of her brother since she stumbled upon Daphne.

    "I don''t know what he''s nning. That''s why I followed him." Daphne pointed to a nearby door.

    "But he went in there¡­"

    Ginny and Lyra stared at the door, and then at the familiar sign at the top.

    "That''s a girl''s bathroom!" Lyra shouted.

    "Yes, I didn''t even know there was a bathroom here¡­" Daphne said.

    "Why would hego in there?" Ginny wondered.

    "I swear if he did all of this just to spy on some girl¡­" Lyra said with narrow eyes.

    "I don''t think tha-"

    Before Ginny could finish her sentence, there was a loud explosion inside the bathroom, and smoke started to pour from beneath the door.

    "Harry!" Lyra started to run, followed by the other two girls.

 Chapter 106: The Chamber of Secrets

    Chapter 106: The Chamber of Secrets

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 106: The Chamber of Secrets

    Harrynded on a mountain of skulls that were piled up at the bottom of the hole.

    "The smell is as bad as I remembered it¡­" He made it inside the chamber while still in one piece.

    Opening the entrance by brute force had been even more dangerous than he originally predicted.

    Szar Slytherin had weaved some very nasty curses inside the protectiveyers.

    Explosions of acid, followed by organ-dissolving curses, spikes dipped in venom¡­that man really wanted to kill anyone who dared to intrude into his chamber of secrets.

    "Well, jokes on him¡­ didn''t even lose a limb."

    He did have to resort to his strongest defense though.

    "Okay, let''s find that snake¡­" Harry got out of the pool of bones and stepped into the chamber proper. Ahead of him lies another closed door that he will have to break open before encountering the basilisk.

    "Ahhhh!"

    "Noooo!"

    Harry was startled by the shrieks of several girls.

    He turned his head just in time to see three figuresnding on the bones.

    "That was so scary!" Ginny yelled.

    "I mean¡­it wasn''t that bad." Lyra tried to appear brave but she was obviously shaken.

    "That was¡­.very unpleasant. I don''t want to¡­huh?....what is this?" Daphne looked down at the "objects" they were lying on.

    "Ahhhh!"

    That was the first time Harry had heard Daphne shriek like that. Even when falling from the stands the other day, she kept a betterposite than now.

    "Are those skulls?...." Ginny was next to start screaming.

    "Something is biting me, help!" Lyra shouted.

    ''I think they are making more noise than me when I blew up the bathroom¡­I better help them.''

    Harry went back to the pool of bones and assisted the girls out.

    He then waited patiently until they had calmed down a bit.

    "Very well¡­now I would like to know why did you follow me here."

    "Wait!, before that..." Lyra was quick to point at his face.

    "Are you wearing earrings?"

    "Are you really asking me this now?" He raised an eyebrow.

    "Those rings are so pretty too." Ginny pointed out.

    Daphne frowned.

    "Those look like magical artifacts...what do they do?" she asked.

    "This is not the time for this....now tell me...what are you doing here?" He had a serious expression on his face and Lyra knew that there was no evading the question.

    "We were just following Daphne!" Lyra was quick to shift the me to someone else.

    "We thought she was a stalker!" Added Ginny.

    "I¡­have no excuse¡­ " Daphne looked away.

    "You three have no idea of the danger this ce holds¡­" Harry said.

    ''At least it is good that I spotted them before opening thest door of the chamber and releasing the basilisk. At least now, I can lead them out before going further withplete safety.

    "Wait, what is this ce? And how did find out about it?." Lyra asked.

    Harry nced at his sister. Her curious eyes reminded him of a distant past.

    Ginny and Daphne hid it a bit better, but they were also dying to know more.

    "I will tell you with the condition that you keep your mouth shut about it. Thest thing we need is more people trying to enter this ce." Harry said.

    "I promise!" Ginny raised her hand.

    "You have my word¡­" Daphne recovered her usual serious expression.

    "You know you can trust me. I didn''t tell anyone about what happened in the basement." Lyra said.

    "Lyra!" Ginny pointed at Daphne.

    "What happened in the basement?" Daphne asked.

    "Nothing happened!" Lyra eximed before turning to Harry.

    "See?"

    "Yes, I see you have a big mouth¡­fine. This is the Chamber of Secrets¡­"

    "The what?..." Lyra looked confused.

    "Never heard of that¡­" Ginny said.

    "The Chamber of Secrets?...the one built by Szar Slytherin?" Daphne walked past Harry and stared at the walls of the entrance.

    It was filled with carvings of snakes of all kinds.

    "Amazing¡­I thought it was just a legend told to first year''s." Daphne said.

    "So in the end...it was found by a Gryffindor¡­if the other Slytherin students found out about this, they would be ripping their hairs out."

    She then seemed to remember something.

    "Wait!, the monster!"

    "What monster?!" Ginny looked at Daphne with worry in her eyes.

    "There is a monster here?!" Lyra shouted.

    Daphne nced at pictures on the wall.

    "The chamber of secrets is supposed to contain a deadly monster. The legend says that one day, the true heir of Slytherin will appear and release the beast upon the country to clean the impure blood¡­"

    "Impure blood¡­you mean muggle-borns, like my mother." Lyra frowned.

    "Is that what the Slytherin students want?"

    "Hey, don''t group me with the blood purist, I don''t think like that. And I have several friends in that house who agree with me¡­" Daphne defended.

    "Sorry¡­I didn''t mean it to sound like that" Lyra looked somewhat ashamed.

    "Is fine, Lyra. I know you didn''t" Daphne nced now at Harry.

    "So you think the monster is the one responsible for all the tremors?"

    "What is the monster? does it actually exist?" Ginny asked.

    "It must be some sort of snake, right? That''s the only animal I imagine Szar Slytherin keeping¡­but no snake should be able to survive this long." Daphne concluded.

    "Is a basilisk¡­.and is very much real and alive. " Harry did not beat around the bush. He wanted to take these girls out, as soon as possible.

    "A basilisk?!" Lyra eximed.

    "Harry, you can''t be serious. Even if you are right¡­did youe here to fight a basilisk alone?." Daphne asked with disbelief.

    "Are you crazy?!." Ginny shouted.

    "My brother Charlie told me about them. He said that they can be more dangerous than dragons and that they can kill with just a look!"

    "They are very dangerous. That''s why¡­I will be asking for you to leave this ce. Right now." Harry pointed back at the hole they juste out of.

    "You will need to climb back up the same way you entered."

    "Are you really going to stay here?" Daphne had a hard time believing what she was hearing.

    Lyra shook his shoulder.

    "Harry, I know you are strong,bute on! Let''s get out of here together and call for Professor McGonagall. I''m sure there is someone in the Ministry they can call."

    "Wait, if there is a basilisk in this chamber¡­why didn''t ite out here yet?" Ginny looked around with dread.

    "The snake is locked behind a closed door at the end of the corridor," Harry exined.

    "Harry¡­" Daphne called for him.

    "As long as that door is not open¡­"

    "Harry!" Daphne shouted now.

    He turned around and saw her pointing at the corridor.

    Then he saw it¡­the circr door that sealed the basilisk area waspletely unlocked and the the door was being pushed open very slowly by "something" while making a chilling noise.

    "Close your eyes!"

 Chapter 107: Is it over? orâ€¦

    Chapter 107: Is it over? or¡­

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 107: Is it over? or...

    "The basilisk?" Daphne trembled in fear.

    "Everything will be fine, just keep your eyes closed. Direct eye contact will kill you and indirect one will petrify you." Harry warned them.

    They heard the door making a loud sound as it was mmed open against the wall, followed by a threatening hiss.

    "S-should we run?...maybe we can make it back to the pipes," Lyra suggested.

    "No!, stay where you are, and don''t move." Harry ordered. He had also closed his eyes, so if the three scared girls started to run around, they might get caught in the crossfire.

    "Harry¡­"

    He heard Daphne''s trembling voice as he walked in the direction of the snake. She was the closest one to the beast and was clearly hearing it approach her.

    He put a hand on her shoulder.

    "Don''t worry, Daphne. I won''t let it hurt you, trust me."

    She seemed to calm down a bit after hearing his voice.

    "Omnia audio¡­" Harry pronounced the charm loud and clear.

    All sounds became much easier to pick up after that. Even without seeing it, he could now tell the exact position of the snake.

    The skin of the basilisk is extremely resistant to magic. So throwing spells at it was not going to do much.

    Unfortunately for this particr basilisk, Harry''s specialty was very much effective against it.

    ''It''s getting ready to strike¡­.'' By the sounds, he could tell that at least half outfit''s body was currently off the ground.

    Snakes would raise their heads up when they were about to strike and this one was doing the same.

    The hiss that came from above him just confirmed the current position of the beast.

    And that''s all he needed.

    "Petra¡­" Harry knelt down and touched the stone floor of the corridor with the tip of his wand. This one immediately started to morph and deform like it had been turned into a liquid.

    "Tredecim Hastae!"

    Thirteen stone spears were shaped out of the stone floor and pierced the basilisk from its head up to the end of its body.

    The beast shrieked in pain as the spears impaled it and lifted it in the air.

    The girls were terrified by the noises they were hearing but did not dare to open their eyes or move.

    This continued for almost a minute, although it felt much longer for them.

    Eventually, the noises stopped¡­the basilisk was finally dead.

    "You can open your eyes now," Harry told them.

    Lyra, Ginny, and Daphne did so and nced with caution towards the corridor.

    They first saw Harry, who was standing up and observing the dead snake with interest.

    They then saw the basilisk itself. It died while being suspended in the air by the stone spears. It had its mouth open and blood poured from every part of its body.

    Its terrifying yellow eyes were also open, but they now looked lifeless and no longer power to kill anything.

    Lyra and Ginny let out another scream. They had never seen something so scary in their short lives. And the mere thought that this monster had been alive moments ago and moving towards them was truly a terrifying thought.

    Daphne looked more fascinated than scared. She had been hearing legends about this monster and the Chamber of Secrets even before attending Hogwarts. And now she was finally seeing it in person.

    The legendary monster was dead, right in front of her. Killed by a boy no older than herself and some unknown spell. If she ever told anyone about this, she would be taken for crazy.

    "You actually killed Szar Slytherin beast¡­" Daphne had a hard time believing what she was seeing. It all felt so surreal.

    "Is it really dead?...." Lyra approached slowly while keeping her eyes on the snake, hoping it would not sprout to life all of a sudden.

    "It''s massive!. I didn''t know basilisks were so big." Ginny eximed.

    "They are not¡­" Harry told her.

    "This was a special case. One-of-a-kind specimen who managed to continue living and growing for a thousand years. I doubt there is another one even close to this size in the entire world."

    Harry moved his eyes back to the basilisk. He had left its eyes intact on purpose, he was going to need them for a ritual he nned on performing the next year.

    ''It may be a bad idea to call for Dobby right now¡­.Daphne may recognize him.''

    Is not that he suspected she was going to snitch to the Ministry, but the fewer people who knew about the elf''s current location, the better. He will have to call him after he takes the girls out.

    "So¡­this monster¡­." Lyra stared at the giant snake.

    "Was the one creating those earthquakes we have been suffering all year?"

    Harry didn''t know what to answer. The snake was definitely big, but¡­to shake the entire castle¡­.it just seemed impossible.

    ''It also seems smaller than I remember.''

    That may be his imagination. It''s been a long time since he fought it and he was much younger (mentally) and naive back then. The snake could have looked bigger to him because of that.

    However, there was still something else he wanted to check.

    "Harry?!" Lyra saw her brother walk beneath the massive snake and disappear from sight.

    "Where are you going?"

    "Should we follow him?" Ginny wondered. She would feel safer if he was around.

    Daphne did not say a word and followed Harry''s steps, passing beneath the basilisk.

    "Ugg¡­" Lyra hesitated for a moment. Because of the stone spears, the only way to cross the narrow corridor was by passing below the dead creature.

    It was lifted a good ten feet in the air so there was plenty of room, but was still unpleasant.

    "Let''s go to, Lyra!" Ginny held her hand.

    The two of them walked in between the spears. There was still blood running through their stone surfaces, and there was a very pungent smell in the air.

    They hurried up toe out from there and found Harry and Daphne staring at the metal door that the snake had opened to escape.

    "This is very strange¡­"

    Lyra heard her brother muttering and wondered what he was referring to. Everything about this looked strange to her¡­strange and scary.

 Chapter 108: More threats?

    Chapter 108: More threats?

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 108: More threats?

    "What is it?" Asked Daphne.

    "This door is still locked¡­" Harry nced at the other part of the door where the locks should have connected. It was all bent and deformed.

    "It looks like it was hit many times from the inside until it broke," Daphnemented.

    "So that''s it then!" Lyra seemed to realize something.

    "The basilisk must have woken up and has been hitting that door since then. Then, it finally managed to break it open during the day of the Quidditch game!"

    "Then why did it stay here?" Ginny asked.

    "Huh?" Lyra tilted her head to one side. She had not thought that far ahead.

    "The Quidditch game was almost three days ago. If that creature has been trying to escape for two months, why would it remain here after opening the door?" Daphne replied.

    "Ah¡­that''s right." Lyra realized.

    "Maybe he just liked it here. It has been living here for like a thousand years, right?...oh, but then¡­why did it want to escape all of a sudden?."

    "We are missing something."

    Harry observed the walls of the corridor. It was filled with cracks, and they seemed very recent.

    Something was definitely trying to escape the chamber, but he didn''t think it was this basilisk.

    "The answers should be ahead. "

    He went past the circr door and ventured further until he reached the core of the chamber.

    "What is this¡­" He needed a moment to process what he was seeing.

    The three girls approached too and then¡­they saw it.

    Lyra and Ginny screamed at the sight while Daphne looked to be ready to throw up at any moment.

    "What in Merlin''s name happened in this ce?" Harry still recalled very vividly the pristine look the inner chamber had. With its pools of water and intricate statues.

    This chamber was in a state of absolute chaos. Giant cracks decorated the walls, and there was not a single statue that remained intact, including the massive bust of Szar Slytherin that served as the entrance to the basilisk nest.

    But the most disturbing part where the blood stains and the pieces of flesh and bones that were scattered everywhere.

    "Ugg¡­.the smell¡­" Lyra covered her nose.

    "It looks like there was a war in this chamber¡­and many had died in here." Daphne took out a handkerchief to cover her mouth and nose.

    "How many basilisks were locked in here?" asked Ginny with horror.

    "There was only supposed to be one. ording to the myths at least." Daphne answered.

    ''There was only one¡­of that, I have no doubt. If Szar had kept more than one in here, they would have killed each other many centuries ago. Then where did the otherse from?'' He had no answer for that a the moment.

    "Harry, what do you think?" Asked Daphne.

    "I think we should¡­" He suddenly heard some movementing from the cracks in the walls.

    The charm he used before to enhance his hearing was still active.

    "Something is approaching. Get back into that corridor!"

    "Something?...you mean more basilisks?" Lyra asked with dread.

    Daphne took hold of Lyra and Ginny''s arms before dragging them out.

    "Come on!, we would only get in the way!"

    Harry managed to spot two basilisksing out of the cracks in the walls before closing his eyes again.

    "This makes little sense but fine¡­I''ll kill all of you,e here!." He walked forward and allowed them to close the distance.

    His question will have to wait until the chamber is clear of dangers.

    The two snakes hissed while slithering closer to him.

    His spare wand appeared on his left hand.

    ''The transfiguration from before is not going to work in this open space¡­I''m going to have to get creative.''

    He still has the seven arkstones as ast resource, in case he needs to cast something big or his reserves be depleted.

    But he still had other ideas.

    He was about to start when he heard a familiar crying from above.

    From between a giant crack in the ceiling,a ball of fire descended and went to attack the of the basilisks.

    "Fawkes¡­you came to help me again." Harry smiled after recognizing the new arrival.

    The basilisk on his right was now busy with the phoenix. So he could focus on the left.

    "This makes things easier."

    Harry used both wands to conjure six giant des in front of him.

    "Depulso!"

    He flickered both wands in the basilisk direction.

    The beast had just finished descending the wall when it found itself pierced by the swords. Each de was over six feet long and becamepletely embedded into its flesh.

    While the one on the left was dying, the one fighting the Phoenix let out a painful shriek.

    Harry opened his eyes slightly and watched through the shadows as Fawkes destroyed its eyes.

    Harry waited for a few more seconds until the left-side basilisk died, he then conjured a ghostly-looking hand that grabbed one of the des from the dead creature and pointed it at the other snake.

    "Move!" Harry shouted.

    The Phoenix followed hismand and flew up, just in time to avoid the iing sword.

    The basilisk opened its mouth and showed its fangs in an intimidating manner.

    But was instead received with a de through its skull.

    The sword pierced the snake''s head and embedded it in the wall, pinning the creature in the process.

    Harry was now starting to feel tired.

    Conjuration takes a heavy toll on one''s magic, much more so than transformation.

    The Phoenix cried again and flew to his side until itnded on his shoulder.

    It then stared at Harry intensely, like it was trying to figure out if he was injured.

    "I''m fine¡­thank you, my friend," Harry told the Phoenix.

    "What is going on?!"

    "What was that cry?!"

    "Can we open our eyes now?"

    The there girls were still in panic.

 Chapter 109: An Unintended Ritual

    Chapter 109: An Unintended Ritual

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 109: An Unintended Ritual

    "Is that a Phoenix?!" Ginny pointed at the red bird on Harry''s shoulder.

    "That must be Headmaster''s Phoenix," Daphne concluded. Is not like there were many birds like that one around the world.

    "Is so pretty!" Lyra approached to take a closer look.

    Her eyes moved momentarily to the two dead snakes before she decided to focus on something else.

    "Can I pet him?"

    "That''s up to Fawkes¡­this is not a pet, Lyra," Harry told her before returning his attention to more urgent matters while his sister tried to talk with the bird.

    It was obvious that this chamber had somehow been filled with basilisks and they started to fight each other.

    Thest two seemed to have survived by hiding in the cracks of the walls and ceiling. The smell of food must have brought them out.

    "I thought you said that the giant basilisk was one of a kind, Harry. Howe there were three of them?" Ginny asked.

    "There were a lot more than three¡­those pieces of skin and flesh scattered everywhere are definitely from basilisks¡­maybe there is an entire nest of giant basilisks in here." Daphne drew her own conclusions.

    Of course, shecked the information Harry had. He knew just how unique the Chamber''s basilisk was. An entire nest filled with them?...that was impossible.

    He continued to observe thepletely destroyed chamber when a terrifying idea came to his mind. One that could answer several of his questions.

    "A kodoku¡­"

    "A what?" Lyra was next to him, petting Fawkes.

    "Is an ancient magical ritual, used mostly in Japan and China, since is illegal here. It consists of sealing a great number of venomous insects inside a giant jar and sealing it with a runic array." Harry exined.

    "That seems like a very cruel thing to do¡­" Ginny made a disgusted face.

    "What''s the point? wouldn''t the insects just kill each other?" Daphne asked.

    "Because of the magic ingrained in the ritual, the insects will not only kill and devour each other but the ones doing the eating would gain some properties from their victims. As the insects consume each other, they would grow bigger and stronger¡­their venom will also be more deadly than it was before. This will continue until only one insect is remaining¡­only then, the jar will be open."

    "So the result was some sort of super insect?...sounds scary." Lyra shivered.

    "Indeed¡­the wizard will then capture the resulting ''super'' insect and extract its enhanced venom. That was the purpose of the ritual. To create the deadliest venom possible." Harry told them.

    "You think that''s what happened here?" Daphne did not like where this was going.

    "I never heard a kodoku ritual that used venomous snakes and this chamber is obviously not a jar, but there is powerful magic in its walls to keep it sealed¡­it could work, I suppose." He thought about it for a while.

    "That would also exin the tremors we have been feeling for thest two months."

    "Howe?" Ginny didn''t follow.

    "As the basilisks devoured one another¡­the winners grew in strength and size. They continued to hit the walls as they fought and I guess that two months ago they started to be big and strong enough to start shaking the castle and breaking the reinforced walls of this ce¡­" He considered if that was what truly happened but this theory covered the basis at least.

    "Aren''t you missing something important?" Daphne asked.

    "Where is the super basilisk?" Ginny asked.

    That was the thing that got Harry worried. "That''s a good ques-"

    The ground started to shake¡­and this earthquake seemed much stronger than the rest.

    Ginny screamed when she saw a piece of the ceiling break off and fall onto her.

    "Protego!"

    A translucent shield appeared on top of her and deflected the piece of debris.

    "Stay close to me!" Harrymanded as he created a bigger shield to cover everyone.

    "Is the entire chamber going to copse?!" Lyra wanted nothing but to leave this ce now.

    But at the moment they could only remain in ce, under the protection of the shield that Harry had created, and wait for it to pass.

    This tremor was not only stronger but alsosted for over a minute before it finally stopped.

    By the time it was over, the chamber looked ready to crumple at any moment.

    "Oh no¡­" Harry looked seriously worried now.

    The three girls felt shivers run through their bodies. They have never seen him make that expression.

    "W-what is it?...." Daphne asked with hesitation.

    "It seems like my theory was correct¡­isting this way, I can hear it," Harry told them.

    "What''sing this way?....you don''t mean..." Ginny asked to confirm, but already had an idea of what he was talking about.

    "The super basilisk?...there is actually one?" Lyra asked.

    "What do we do now?" Daphne did not take her eyes off him.

    "Fawkes!. get them off the castle." Harry told the Phoenix.

    This one made a noise that sounded like aint.

    "Don''t argue with me now¡­just do it, please."

    Fawkes gave out a cry and started to fly but remained hovering a few feet off the ground.

    "Thanks¡­" Harry turned to look a the trio of girls.

    "Grab onto his legs, he will take you out of here."

    "Wait, you are noting?!" Lyra eximed.

    "I have one more basilisk to hunt."

    " What?!, but¡­" Ginny looked at him with concern.

    "Do you have to be a Gryffindor until the end?." Daphne told him.

    Harry grinned at hearing this. It was not the first time he heard those words.

    "Are you certain you can do this?..." She said.

    "Of course!. Leave it to me¡­now go!" Harry said with a serious expression.

    The three girls grabbed onto Fawkes''s legs.

    "Can he really carry us three?" Lyra was doubtful.

    "Lyra¡­don''t underestimate the Phoenix.He may get offended and drop you off midway through." Harry advised.

    "Wait!" Lyra shouted but Fawkes did not wait any longer. He flew up and disappeared through one of the massive cracks in the ceiling while carrying the three girls.

    The floor beneath Harry started to shake violently.

    "How impatient¡­" Harry spoke while securing his wand.

    The ground beneath him broke downpletely and copsed into a ck void.

    Then, from the darkness¡­a pair of bright yellow eyes appeared.

 Chapter 110: A True Monster

    Chapter 110: A True Monster

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 110: A True Monster

    "Merlin!, this is too fast!" Lyra screamed as the phoenix took another fast turn and entered the pipes system.

    "Where do you think is taking us?" Asked Ginny.

    "Harry told him to take us outside the castle," Daphne answered.

    Fawkes seemed to increase its speed, and momentster they were exiting through one of the giant pipes that connect to the outside.

    "Whoa!, fresh air!" Lyra smiled with joy.

    "I missed this!" Ginny agreed with her sentiment. The air inside the chamber was beyond unpleasant.

    They looked back as they were flying away and saw the massive rocky mount where Hogwarts sat. Then, they continued traveling north, towards a nearby forest mountain.

    "You think he is going to be okay in there?" Lyra nced back at the castle with worry.

    "He already defeated three basilisks by himself!. Your brother is amazing, Lyra. I''m sure he will be fine." Ginnyforted her.

    "He seemed very confident¡­trust in him." Daphne hoped her words sounded convincing. If Harry''s theory about the ritual turned out to be urate, then¡­they had no idea what kind of creature would be resulting from that.

    Fawkes gave out a loud cry that startled the girls.

    "W-what is it?" Lyra stared at the bird.

    "He must be seeing or hearing something that we can''t catch. Daphne''s eyes moved in the direction that Fawkes was looking but didn''t notice anything out of ce.

    "Wait!, I can see something moving over there!" Ginny shouted and used her free hand to point at the rocky side of the castle where they had juste out from.

    The sun was starting to set already, making it more difficult to discern, but if one paid close attention, it was evident that something was moving in that area.

    "What is that?!" Lyra narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher what she was seeing.

    "That looks like¡­a head?" Daphne did not sound very sure.

    Fawkes let out another loud cry, and just a secondter they all saw somethinge out of the previous spot.

    Now it became evident that it was a snake as its extremely long body appeared out in the open. The head of the beast continued to rise until it had almost reached the height of the castle''s towers, denoting its tremendous size.

    And then...it let out the loudest hiss they had ever heard.

    "Ahh!, that''s a monster!" Shouted Ginny.

    "That thing is at least a dozen times bigger than the ones we encounter inside the Chamber of Secrets!" Daphne made a rough estimation based on what she was seeing.

    "Harry!...where is my brother?" Lyra eximed. Her voice filled with worry. She moved her green eyes all over the monster, trying to find a glimpse of him.

    "We won''t find him from here¡­we are too far away." Ginny said.

    "Then, we need to-"

    They then were almost blinded by a sh of light that appeared near the head of the snake before they heard the monster let out a shriek of agony.

    "What happened?!" Lyra tried to make sense of the situation.

    "That must have been him!. That was definitely a s-"

    Daphne was not allowed to finish the sentence, because Fawkes quickly descended to a nearby valley, around two hundred yards (180 meters) away from Hogwart''s main entrance. Bringing the girls far away from the fight.

    "Why did wend here?" Lyra asked.

    "We need to back to the castle!. I have to find my brother."

    Fawkes turned to look at her and gave out a cry.

    "Lyra, I think he wants you to let go of his w," Daphne told her.

    "But what about Harry?!"

    "There is nothing we can do¡­let Fawkes go help him." Daphne put a hand on her shoulder.

    "She is right, Lyra¡­we would just get in the way if go with him," Ginny told her friend.

    "I know¡­"

    As soon as Lyra released its w, the Phoenix flew in the air towards the colossal beast.

    "But there has to be something we can do." Lyra felt extremely frustrated right now.

    "The castle is very nearby. Maybe we can go call the professors." Ginny suggested.

    "What do you think the professors are going to do against THAT!?" Daphne pointed at the giant monster.

    The basilisk was now back on the ground. It has descended into a nearby mountain but it was so massive that they could still see its body poking over the trees as it moved around, crushing everything on its path.

    They then spotted Fawkes fly towards its head.

    "What about the Headmaster?, he is supposed to be the greatest wizard alive." Ginny had heard those words being said many times by her parents.

    "Did you forget?, he went away to attend an emergency meeting." Lyra at least recalled that.

    "Right¡­" Ginny said in a low voice.

    "I don''t have any other ideas¡­sorry."

    "To be honest¡­.I don''t think even Albus Dumbledore would be able to kill a monster like that." Daphne muttered. The situation did not look good at all. She could not understand how Harry was so confident before.

    "Look!" Lyra pointed.

    "On the head of the snake, I think there is something on top of it!"

    Now that the beast was closer, they were able to spot something standing on top of its head.

    "That can only be Harry¡­I hope he knows what he is doing." Daphne said.

    "Oh¡­girls?" Ginny spoke with worry.

    "What is it, Ginny?" Lyra sounded exasperated. She was trying toe up with some way to help her brother, but nothing came to mind. Up to this day, she couldn''t even imagine that monsters that big existed in the world. There was no chance for her to know what to do in a situation such as this.

    "Is it just me or¡­is iting this way?" Ginny stared into the distant mountain where the snake was moving around.

    "No¡­is definitely moving towards here!" Daphne said in rm.

    "Come on!, the castle is very close. We can make it inside!" Lyra decided that the only thing they could do for now was survive and hope for the best.

    A part of her still believed that her brother would somehow find a way to defeat that colossal beast.

 Chapter 111: Escaping the Chamber

    Chapter 111: Escaping the Chamber

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 111: Escaping the Chamber

    The stone floor of the chamber cracked and crumbled beneath his feet with little warning. And Harry found himself falling into a ck void.

    He caught a glimpse of a deadly pair of yellow eyes and immediately directed his gaze away. Even with only this momentary glimpse, he felt his heart stop for a moment, despite all the protections weaved into his body.

    He heard a hiss and the next thing he saw was the inside of a massive mouth surrounding him.

    This monster had no intention or need to bite him, it was instead trying to swallow him whole.

    "You think I''m a snack?" Harry pointed his wand down.

    "Bombarda!"

    He put a lot of power in that spell. More than enough to create an explosion capable of sending him flying away from there and to make the beast regret its decision.

    He could hear its shrieks ofint as hended back in what remained of the Chamber of Secrets.

    "Lumos Solem" From the tip of his wand came a powerful light that he used to get a good look at the hole under the chamber.

    The creature was evenrger than he imagined. Its colossal body was trashing around and hitting the rocky walls of that cave, making everything tremble.

    It became obvious to Harry that this hole beneath the chamber was something the snake had created for itself, after finding the length of the chamber too small for its enormous size.

    "The entire chamber is going to copse at this rate¡­.I need to hurry before is toote."

    Without the support of the ground beneath it, it was just a matter of time before it all came crumbling down into the basilisk''s newly made nest.

    Harry moved back to the corridor where he killed the first basilisk and pulled out a small box and a knife from one of his robe''s inner pockets.

    He had no time to waste before that giant snake recovered and came chasing after him.

    If all gets lost, he could buy the rest of the materials, but a pair of intact eyes of a thousand-year-old basilisk was not something he was going to find anywhere else, and this may be his only chance to get them.

    He used the knife to carve out the eyes of the dead beast with precision and carefully ced them inside the box before sealing it. This type of box was able to perfectly preserve ingredients for many years.

    He considered if he had time to perhaps get some of the venom.

    But this was quickly answered when the basilisk brought its head into the chamber and moved towards him.

    "Okay, that''s a no¡­"

    The next thing to consider was¡­how to leave the chamber. If he travels back in the same way he came in,he will be arriving at that bathroom on the sixth floor of the castle. Or what was left of it...

    However, he had no doubt that this monster was going to try and follow him if he did that.

    That could be a massive disaster. A creature this powerful and big, making its way through Hogwarts would destroy everything in its path. It could end up copsing the entire castle and killing everyone inside.

    Fighting here was not a good option either. There was hardly any space to move and the ground was uneven and unstable.

    Harry then recalled seeing Fawkes fly through one of the sealing cracks after telling him to take the girls outside.

    "There has to be a path that connects to the exterior there."

    It was a risky decision, but he had no better options at the moment.

    He then heard a loud crack as the basilisk approached and bashed its head against the circr entrance that connected to the corridor.

    The door was still open, but the hole was not big enough for its head to fit through so it was trying to destroy the entire wall.

    And with just one more hit, it seeded.

    Harry pulled a small-looking stick from another pocket and held it in his palm.

    "Engorgio"

    The small stick grew in length until it became a full-size magical broom. It was his prototype of the Nimbus 2001.

    With the wall out of its way, the giant basilisk opened its mouth and took a bite.

    The first thing it caught was the dead body of its much smaller sibling snake that was suspended by Harry''s stone spears.

    The spears broke down with little resistance under its immense might and the dead creature was pulled away and into the monster''s mouth.

    This also had the effect of creating just enough space for Harry to slip by with his flying broom.

    The snake twisted its head around and its yellow eyes followed Harry''s path.

    It then attempted to lunge at him before he had a chance to escape but Harry was ready for it.

    The arkstones on his earrings lit up with a bright blue light as he activated them to power up his next spell since his reserves were already starting to run low.

    Harry conjured six giant iron des like the ones he had previously created to kill one of the basilisks.

    "Depulso!" The six des disappeared in a blur and then he heard the snake shriek in suffering as the des pierced its skin and flesh.

    But even without seeing it he knew this was not going to be enough to kill a creature like this one, so he continued its way and flew into one of the many giant cracks that were decorating the ceiling.

    ''To kill this monster, I''m going to need something with a lot more power. Not the kind of thing I can use inside an enclosed space like this.''

    He hopes to have made the basilisk angry enough to follow him outside. Then¡­the true battle can begin.

 Chapter 112: Climb the snake

    Chapter 112: Climb the snake

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 112: Climb the snake

    He could hear the monster''s angry hissing noises as it did its best to follow him through aplex series of rock corridors.

    Harry could only hope he made the right call when he spotted a broken stone pipe ahead of him and ventured inside it.

    He took a close turn that made the back of his broom collide with the walls of the narrow space he was in.

    This made him slow down enough for the snake''s fangs to almost touch him.

    He gave the broom a short "kick" to increase its speed over its limit just for a second and create some space between to work with.

    The small arkstones on his rings started to shine as he twisted his body and pointed his wand around the area where its eyes should be.

    Three des were conjured in front of his wand and the steel edges shone with a baleful purple aura.

    During their creation, Harry had enchanted them with a highly corrosive dark magic. Regenerating a wound inflicted by these swords was impossible.

    If he could take out the cursed yees, it would make this fight a lot easier.

    "Despulso!"

    The basilisk had no space to move its head in this enclosure. Its massive body was already too big to fit in the pipes and instead, it was constantly destroying everything around it to open enough space to crawl through.

    The three des impacted different parts of its body. One on its snout, one on the side of its mouth, and thest one was able to pierce its right eye, destroying itpletely.

    The snake let out a bloodcurdling shriek. It was so loud that Harry was forced to cover his ears.

    The monster looked at Harry with its only remaining eye. And then, it started to increase its pace.

    Even without looking at the creature directly, He could feel its absolute rage and bloodlust.

    He had to put his full focus on flying the broom as fast as it could possibly go just to avoid being eaten.

    Another close turn and he was finally weed with a gust of cold wind on his face.

    "This is it!, I must be close to the outside."

    A few more turns and twists, and he was able to the a few rays of natural light at the end of the sewer.

    Giving the broom onest kick, Harry flew into the open sky.

    Not even a secondter, he heard the snake making noises beneath him and by the shadows, he realized that its head was stuck at the end of the tube.

    Not wanting to let this opportunity go to waste, Harry aimed his wand at the head of the beast once more.

    But when he was about to conjure more weapons to throw, his broom started to shake violently.

    "Come on, not now!"

    The runes were starting to fail at the worst possible time.

    The basilisk managed to free itself from the rocks by breaking a big part of the mountain. It then looked toward Harry and hissed at him with pure rage.

    Harry''s broom was bing increasingly more difficult to control but it could at least fly somewhat.

    The snake started to lift its head towards him while bringing its body out more and more.

    Harry flew up into the sky, he was now around the same height as the castle.

    The monster rose up but was unable to reach him. Despite its massive length,it fell a bit short of his position.

    Harry however was not given a moment of respite as his Nimbus 2001 chose this moment topletely give up.

    The piece of wood he had been riding, had started to fall down, along with him.

    The Basilisk saw this and opened its gigantic mouth to catch him on his way down.

    "You don''t seem to have learned your lesson yet!"

    Harry aimed his wand down. All seven pieces of jewelry started to shine.

    "Bombarda Maxima!"

    The explosion sent him flying in a descending path while the creature learned a valuable lesson.

    Harry had to use wind spells to slow down his fall and was able totch onto part of the snake''s body by using a sticking charm.

    Without his broom to fly around the beast, he will now have no choice but to stick close to it.

    "I need to reach it''s head¡­I will be able to kill it then."

    Attacking its body was a pointless effort. Even with the power of the seven arkstones, he would be running out of magic before inflicting anything close to lethal damage.

    The best bet now was to climb its body, reach the head, and use something to destroy its brain.

    With his mind made up, he got to work. He had to use a wandless version of the sticking charm on his hands and shoes to avoid falling.

    The snake had started to move and he had no idea where it was going, but it didn''t seem to have little interest in the castle, which was quite a relief.

    He continued to ascend the body of the monster as this one started to travel through a thick forest, busting everything in its path.

    ''Where is it going ?'' Harry wondered while continuing to move, one step at a time.

    The basilisk started to trash around when he got close to its head, it definitely didn''t want him there.

    It was then that he spotted the sight of Fawkes in the distance and finally realized where the snake was going.

    Since it was unable to kill him, it seems like the creature decided to go after the other people who were previously in the chamber by following their scent.

    ''It seems like I have underestimated your intelligence¡­ you want to bait me out in the open by attacking them?''

 Chapter 113: The True Power of the Seven Arkstone Array

    Chapter 113: The True Power of the Seven Arkstone Array

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 113: The True Power of the Seven Arkstone Array.

    Fawkes made a dive attack and tried to gauge the remaining basilisk eye while the snake hissed angrily and tried to bite him.

    Harry used this opportunity to finish his climbings to the top of the head.

    He then heard his sister, Ginny, and Daphne scream and got startled.

    Turned out, the giant snake had not lost track of its target and continued to chase the the three girls.

    They had managed to run out of the forest and into the clearing that led to the castle, but the basilisk was now standing in their way, preventing them from escaping.

    "Don''t even think about it!" Harry stood up on the top of the monster''s head.

    "dius¡­" His wand transformed into a double-de sword.

    The beast was well aware of what Harry was intending to do and tried its best to shake him off by moving its head with violence.

    But Harry had applied some powerful sticking charms on his shoes and left hand, so he was able to hold on.

    "Divulsa¡­" A baleful purple aura manifested around the sword before he drove it into the beast''s remaining eye.

    This one shrieked like crazy as the de pierced its eye and the dark magic started to corrode everything, not leaving a single piece intact.

    "Fawkes!" Harry called immediately.

    The phoenix seemed to already know what he wanted to do next without saying it out loud and approached him. He flew close, allowing him to grab onto his ws, and flew away from the head of the beast while carrying Harry.

    He grasped at the phoenix''s w with his left hand while still holding his wand on the right.

    The loss of both its eyes was not going to distract it for long enough. He needs more time to prepare the spell that will kill this monster.

    While still in the air, Harry weaved his wand in aplex series of movements, and a disgusting-looking green liquid started to appear all around the basilisk.

    Harry saw this and nodded in satisfaction. That should do it for now.

    "Take me to them."

    The phoenix flew a short distance away andnded right next to the three girls.

    "Harry!" Lyra ran and jumped at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him with a lot of force while trembling.

    "I''m fine, Lyra." He tried to reassure her but could not waste much time now.

    "What did you do to the basilisk? is screaming a lot." Ginny covered her ears.

    "I destroyed its eyes. You don''t have to worry about looking at it. But is still very dangerous. " Harry answered.

    "Do you have a n? what do we do now?" Daphne asked with a clear corner despite trying to appear calm.

    "Yes, we should run away now that is distracted!"Lyra realized.

    "Run away, where?. Haven''t you seen who is following us?. If we go to the castle now¡­.we will be guiding that monster in there." Daphne told her.

    "We would put everyone in danger, oh no! What can we do?" Ginny cried with fear.

    Harry pulled his spare wand and held them both in his hands.

    The basilisk had ceased its shrieking. It flickered its tongue while it turned its head around. Without its eyes, it had to rely on the remaining senses to locate them.

    "Is looking for us!" Ginny noticed.

    Harry did not look worried.

    "It won''t be able to go anywhere for now."

    When the massive beast attempted to move again, this one seemed to slip away before it started to thrash around on the spot.

    "What is it doing?..." Lyra wondered.

    "I ced a slippery jinx around it," Harry answered.

    "You used a prank spell on that massive monster?" Daphne said with disbelief.

    "Well, it seems to be working. It doesn''t seem like it can move from there." Lyra pointed out.

    "Maybe, but that won''tst for long," Daphne told her.

    "That''s okay, I just need to gain a bit of time." Harry examined his ring and ne.

    "Seven arkstones array¡­" He said in a soft whisper.

    "Time for wh-"

    "Libera."

    Ginny waspletely cut, because as soon as Harry finished his chant, all seven arkstones became alight at the same time and with much more force than before.

    The runework is designed to only supply him with a bit of magic at the time in a constant flow.

    What he had done now was to release the restraints and allow all the magic contained in the seven pieces of jewelry to enter his body.

    A wave of force came out of him and pushed the three girls away from him.

    Bluish mist surrounded him while his eyes changed color from their usual vibrant green to an eerie light blue tone that resembled the shining magical stones on the artifacts.

    "H-Harry?." Lyra had her eyes opened widely as she watched the changes in her brother from the spot where she fell.

    "What is that mist?...is that magic?" Daphne observed him with rasped attention. She had read about stories where magic became so concentrated that one was able to see it with the naked eye, but she never thought she would be witnessing this phenomenon in person during her lifetime.

    Harry stared at them with his dangerous-looking bright blue eyes and cold expression.

    "I need you to stay behind me, a good distance away."

    "What¡­w-what are¡­w" Ginny stammered the words. She was too nervous to speak.

    "Now¡­I''m going to kill this beast." His voice sounded a lot more cold and emotionless while in this state, which made him seem more intimidating even if that was not his intention.

    He gave the three startled girls onest nce before he turned to face the basilisk.

 Chapter 114: The Strongest Flameâ€¦the spell with no name

    Chapter 114: The Strongest me¡­the spell with no name

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 114: The Strongest me...the spell with no name

    "Fawkes¡­could you lend me your me for a bit?" Harry requested.

    The Phoenix flew in front of him and, with a loud cry, its body burst into powerful orange mes.

    "Thank you, my friend¡­" Harry gave him a sad smile. He knew this was going to hurt it.

    Both wands were pointed at Fawkes.

    "Magna¡­.Incendium!"

    The iridescent fire that came from his wandsbined with the phoenix.

    The orange mes grew in size and potency while they rotated around, creating a brilliant sphere of orange mes.

    The girls had gone a good distance away from Harry but even from where they were, the heat was bing very intense, and had to cover their faces because it was starting to hurt them.

    Harry then created a protective shield around the sphere of mes as this one grew and ascended into the air.

    "Magna custodia."

    Many runes appeared on the surface of the translucent shield and the heat stopped leaking out.

    This was Harry''s most powerfull defense. Itbined runic arrays with charms, creating a shield that would stop everything.

    He could not feel the heat any longer but could see the fire keep growing in size and intesity while it pushed back against the shield.

    But after a few more seconds, the fire seemed to have stabilizied and was not growing anymore.

    The mes were now of an extremly bright golden color, almost white.

    This alone would be able to decimate most creatures on the and turn them into cinders. But against this monster.... he knew this was not going to be enough.

    "Needs a bit more¡­"

    Both wands were pointed at the mes.

    "Fiendfyre!" A giant stag made of dark mes crushed throught his barrier and jumped into the sphere of Phoenix fire andbined with it.

    Harry had to quickly remake his barrier and then was forced to add anotheryer of protection to contain the violent explosion.

    "What is he doing?!" Lyra and Ginny stared in horror at the menacing spectacle.

    "Was that¡­Fiendfyre?!" Daphne shouted. This was one of the darkest pieces of magic she knew about. And one her father warned her to never use, under any circumstance because of how dangerous it is¡­even for the caster.

    She could only conclude that the only reason they were still alive was those strange barriers that Harry had created around the fire.

    An immediate change urred in the mes. These ones changed color once more, but instead of adopting the dark red tone of the Fienfyre or the light yellow of the enhanced Phoenix Fire ....they took a light blue tone as they continued to grow in size and be more violent.

    A thirdyer of protection had to be added.

    The spectators stared in horror as the mes pushed against the shield containing. If only a whisp of those mes got out, they would be turned into charcoal before understanding what was going on.

    "The fire turned blue!" Lyra eximed.

    "Is¡­actually kinda pretty," Ginny remarked. The tripleyer of barriers spun around moving the runes written on them, while inside, one could see a bright sphere of blue mes.

    "Yes, that is stunning and terrifying," Daphne added. She could only imagine how hot those mes were after Harrybined the two more frightening mes in existence.

    Harry did know exactly how hot they were.

    He spent many years working also with muggles to find more efficient ways to use their magic.

    This was something thatbined their scientific knowledge with his own magic.

    A spell that only Harry knew and had only been used once. Didn''t even have a name.

    What he had just done was extremely dangerous. The reason for the mes to change color is that the fire had raised the temperature to over fifteen million Kelvin,the same temperature as the Sun''s core, and these mes had then ignited the hydrogen in the atmosphere that was now being used as fuel.

    This creates a chain reaction that will continue to grow out of control until it destroys everything¡­unless is contained and stopped.

    His barriers were the only thing preventing this from happening now.

    The effects of his slippery jinx were diminishing and the basilisk was starting to approach with difficulty.

    Harry was not worried about that. His spell was ready to be used.

    The ball of mes continued to get brighter until it became impossible to look directly into it. It was like trying to stare into the Sun itself.

    Harry used his will to move the barrier containing the deadly mes towards the massive snake.

    The beast was smart enough to feel the danger of the situation. As it felt the sphere of death approaching, it decided to forget its hunt and attempted to escape.

    "Toote now¡­" Harry had positioned the sphere right above the monster.

    He made a downward shing motion and the miniature Sun descended upon the beast.

    As it made contact, the mes grew in size even more until theypletely covered the massive creature, who only had time to give a short shriek of pain before being silenced.

    The basilisk may have been resistant to magic, to the point of almost immunity.

    But no amount of resistance would protect it against something akin to being submerged inside the Sun''s core.

    But the danger was not over. Harry had to use everything he had to contain the violent magical fire that seemed to be trying its best to breach its containment now. Pushing against it''s threeyers of shields.

    He heard the girls behind him scream as small waves of heat and wind were able to escape.

    Harry had to drain everyst bit of magic from himself and the seven arkstones, but it was finally able to dispel the mes.

    The miniature sun started to diminish in size until it disappearedpletely. Leaving nothing more than an empty spherical void with a pool ofva at the bottom.

    There was no trace of the colossal monster.It hadpletely disintegrated under the intense heat.

    Once all was over, the seven arkstones broke into small shards that fell onto the ground.

    His two wands were reduced to dust, including the Phoenix feathers from their cores.

    This was not caused by the heat from the mes but by the tremendous amount of magic that he had just circted through them.

    This was much more than their wandmakers could ever imagine when they created them.

    Harry copsed onto the ground, feelingpletely exhausted, both magically and physically.

    "I''m¡­I''m not doing that one again¡­" He decided.

    It had been too close forfort.

 Chapter 115: The missing students

    Chapter 115: The missing students

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 115: The missing students.

    1 Hour earlier, Hogwarts Castle.

    Professor McGonagall was giving a lesson about the basics of transfiguration to a group of first-years.

    Her eyes kept wandering to the two empty seats on the first row. Those seats belonged to the Potter and Weasley girls.

    She could not help but be worried. She had only known the girls for a short period of time but they had never missed a ss or even arrivedte. And Lyra was especially invested in her ss. She has shown as much talent as her father had, if not more.

    "Professor?..." A student called for her.

    McGonagall just realized that she had stopped lecturing while lost in her own thoughts.

    "My apologies¡­now, where was I?" She glimpsed back at her book and found the next chapter.

    When she was about to resume her lesson¡­the ground started to shake with tremendous violence.

    She heard her students panic and tried to calm them down while reassuring them that nothing bad was going to happen, despite herself being also quite scared.

    ''I wish Albus would do something already about these sted earthquakes!'' She thought.

    Thisst tremor hadsted for a good minute and felt a lot stronger than the others.

    "Expeto Patronum!" McGonagall called and a small silvery white cat appeared in front of her before it ran off to deliver her message to the other professors.

    "Bring all the students to the Great Hall, sses are canceled for the day."

    As the one in charge, she considered it the best course of action. In the event of another tremor to ur, it would be easier to protect the students if they were all in the same ce instead of wandering around the castle.

    And her instincts were telling her that this was not over.

    ''I also need to call Albus¡­he ought toe back.''

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    Only twenty minutester, the Great Hall was filled with people. Every Hogwarts employee and student was present in the room.

    Almost every student...

    "Did you find anything?" McGonagall asked with concern.

    Professor Flitwick shook his head in defeat.

    " I looked everywhere, and even sent the ghost and elves tob the castle, but nothing so far."

    "Well find them, Minerva. I''m sure they are hiding somewhere, startled by the tremors." Professor Sprout tried to reassure her friend.

    The back door of the Great Hall opened all of a sudden and the Headmaster walked inside with steady steps as he went directly towards the Professor''s table.

    "Albus!" McGonagall felt a wave of relief after seeing him. When no one else knew what to do, the Headmaster had never let her down.

    "Minerva, I received your message and came back as soon as I could¡­the board is being quite insistent on closing the school until this matter of the tremors is resolved."

    "Maybe it should be closed, Headmaster." Told Flintwick with a serious tone.

    "Thisst tremor was strong enough to create several cracks in the walls. Saw them myself."

    "Albus, we have four students missing, we can''t find them anywhere!" McGonagall said with urgency.

    "Mmm¡­I haven''t felt any student leaving the wards unauthorized. They must be somewhere within Hogwarts. Who are the students in question?" The Headmaster asked.

    "Three of my lions, Lyra Potter, Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter. There also a student from¡­-"

    "A second-year girl from my house, Daphne Greengrass."

    Professor Snape interjected.

    "Harry Potter¡­" Dumbledore muttered.

    "Headmaster!, we found something!" A ghost came flying into the hall.

    "Nick, what is it?, did you find the students?" McGonagall hurried to ask.

    The almost decapitated ghost shook his head the best he could.

    "No, we haven''t seen the students¡­but something terrible happened on the sixth floor!." Nick told everyone.

    "What happened?, tell me." Albus frowned.

    "Someone has destroyed a girl''s bathroom on the sixth floor. And I really mean destroyed!."The ghost eximed.

    "Myrtle bathroom?" Asked Professor Sprout. That was the only bathroom on that floor but no one uses it.

    "Yes, she is very distressed about it¡­and very vocal too." The ghost made aplicated expression.

    "Did she see who did it?" Asked the Headmaster.

    "I¡­sorry, Headmaster. I did not ask."

    "That''s quite alright, Nick. We should go there and take a look. This may be rted to the missing students after all."

    Dumbledore looked at the professors.

    "Severus, Minerva, you can¡­ohh¡­"

    They all were surprised when the Headmaster stopped talking abruptly and closed his eyes while sping onto his forehead.

    "Albus? Are you feeling unwell?" McGonagall was the first one to ask.

    "I''m well enough¡­I just felt three students leaving the Castle''s boundaries."

    "What? The students left?" Sprout eximed.

    "Wait a moment, you said three. But we have four students missing." Flintwick pointed out.

    "That is all I know I''m afraid¡­.I don''t have a way to know the identity of the students themselves, just that that three of them have passed through the wards and left the protection of Hogwarts." The Headmaster said.

    There are of course ways to track down the identities. But the tracking charm ced on the students is basic enough to avoid inflicting on the student''s privacy too much, while at the same time offering some reassurance for the professors.

    "We can start by looking at what happened on the sixth floor." Suggested Snape.

    "I could search the outside." Hagrid offered.

    " If they went into the Dark Forest¡­that could be really bad, nighttime is approaching and that ce can get very dangerous."

    Dumbledore nodded.

    "Yes, thank you Hagrid, go take a look. Severus and Minerva,e with me to the sixth floor." He nced at the ghost.

    "Nick, I need you to go look outside of the castle too. I know you cannot go too far. Just let me know if you see anything out of the ordinary."

    "What about us?" Asked Professor Flintwick.

    "Stay with the students. Don''t let anyone leave the Hall."

    Dumbledore made a worried expression.

    "I think¡­something bad is about to happen."

 Chapter 116: Discovering the Chamber of Secrets

    Chapter 116: Discovering the Chamber of Secrets

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 116: Discovering the Chamber of Secrets

    The two professors and the Headmaster approached the destroyed bathroom with quick steps.

    As soon as they entered through the hole where the door once was, they were weed by a very angry ghost.

    " Did youe to finish the job?!" She came flying and screaming but stopped when she saw the person who had just entered.

    "You are not him¡­who is this?" Myrthel stared at the Headmaster.

    "Myrtle,you may not remember me¡­.I was just a professor back then but we talked for a bit... I am Albus Dumbledore, the current Headmaster of Hogwarts.

    "Mmm¡­I don''t think I remember you¡­"

    "That''s unfortunate, and I''m very sorry about what happened to your bathroom. You have my word that it will be restored, as soon as possible."

    "Really?." Her expression changed.

    "That would be.."

    "But now, I really need to find the person responsible for this."

    Dumbledore said with urgency in his voice.

    "Can you tell me who did it?"

    "You are going to punish the culprit?...he never told me his name. He was a cute boy with sses and the most stunning green eyes I have ever seen¡­" the ghost recalled.

    "sses?" McGonagall said.

    "Green eyes¡­." Snape frowned.

    "It does sound like Mister Potter¡­" Dumbledore dered.

    "He better be expelled for this! I knew that boy was going to cause trouble¡­it is his son after all. But he went too far with this!" Snape growled.

    "Severus!, control yourself.Harry Potter is nothing like his father in this regard. You would know this if you gave him a chance. He would never do something like for a prank if that is what you are suggesting." McGonagall pointed to him.

    "We will reserve judgment until we have all the facts," Dumbledore stated to them before turning his attention back to the ghost.

    "Tell me, Myrtle, what did Mister Potter do exactly."

    "Mmm, let''s see¡­he came the other day and just stared at the faucets for a few minutes before leaving."

    "Faucets?"Dumblefore searched but could not find anything of the sort on the rubble.

    "If I recall correctly, there were many faucets at the end of the bathroom, right over there." she pointed

    "Haven''t been here in a long time."She didn''t want to admit that it was because of the ghost''s presence right in front of her.

    "There is nothing left¡­what spell did he use to cause that much destruction." Snape was genuinely curious. He pulled out his wand and performed a series of scans.

    "Right!" Myrtle appears to remember something.

    "He also talked to them. I thought that was very weird."

    "He talked to the faucets?" McGonagall looked confused.

    "I think he was telling them to open something." the ghost recalled.

    "What about today? what did he do?" Dumbledore questioned.

    "I don''t know¡­I only saw him for a moment¡­he didn''t even say hi to me!. Just went to the faucets and then¡­ everything got loud and confusing.Things started to explode and dissolve. I thought I was going to die!, so I hid inside one of the toilets¡­when I came out, everything was like this." myrthel exined her version of the events.

    "Headmaster!, dark magic has been used here¡­.very dark magic," Snape stated. For once he did not try to me Harry for this.

    Dumbledore walked towards the end of the bathroom and moved some of the rubble around until he discovered something.

    "There is an entrance here."

    The two professors approached.

    "A secret entrance! It seems to go straight down" McGonagall observed.

    Snape waved his wand over the entrance.

    "This seems to be the source of the dark magic. Maybe there were some protections in ce."

    Dumbledore frowned.

    "This castle has many secret entrances. Some of them are better protected than others, but I have never encountered one protected with dark magic. The founders knew better than that."

    "I can think of one founder¡­and one chamber that could be better protected than all the others together," Snape said.

    "You don''t mean¡­" McGonagall seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

    "There is only one way to find out¡­" Dumbledore nced back at them.

    "Wands out¡­be ready for anything."

    The trio descended into the bowels of Hogwarts until they arrived at the pool of bones situated at the entrance of the chamber.

    "What is this¡­skulls?!" McGonagall eximed with disgust and hurried out of there.

    "Not human..." Snape pointed out..

    But neither he nor Dumbledore looked to be pleased either.

    "Headmaster, you need to see this." Snape Found something lying on one side of the bones.

    "Snakeskin.." Dumbledore noticed.

    "That''s massive!, there are no snakes of that size," McGonagall said.

    "If this is the ce that I think it is¡­that is not just a snake." Dumbledore looked into the corridor.

    "Stay behind me."

    They walked through the destroyed passageway and saw what was left of the circr metallic door that was now embedded into the wall, as well as a pool of blood.

    "This is all very recent..." Snape spoke.

    They could still discern the intricate design with carvings of snakes on what was left of the metal door.

    "This truly must be..." McGonagall muttered.

    They ventured further and entered the main chamber.

    The three of them gasped and stared in awe at the sight.

    Even in its current dpidated state. The Chamber of Secrets was a sigh to behold.

    "This really is the legendary Chamber of Secrets," Dumbledore proimed in awe.

    "Or what is left of it¡­it seems like a massive battle has been fought in here." Snape looked around at the cracka on the walls, the blood, and pieces of gore.

    McGonagall screamed.

    She was the first one to spot the body of one of the basilisk in the distance.

    "Is that the Chamber''s monster?"

    "It looks dead¡­" Snape pointed out.

    "Let''s get closer to inspect it," Dumbledore suggested.

    "What if is not dead?!" McGonagall eximed.

    Dumbledore conjured a few big rocks and sent them towards its head.

    The rocks collided and they then waited¡­.no response.

    Dumbledore moved his eyes to her.

    "Fine¡­its dead¡­" McGonagall huffed.

    "Be careful where you step¡­ it seems like most of the floor has copsed into that hole over there." he pointed at the massive hole in the middle. Not knowing that the giant basilisk was the one who created that.

    Snape got closer and examined the creature.

    "Merlin!, this is a basilisk.!"

 Chapter 117: Following the trail

    Chapter 117: Following the trail

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    A.N: - Hello everyone!. I wanted to inform you about something. If you visit my P@treon, you will find a preview of two future fanfics that I am working on, as we as a poll to decide what the next project will be about. If you have time,e check it out, you can read them for free.

    Thank you for your time, now on to the next chapter! -

    Chapter 117: Following the trail

    "A basilisk?!" McGonagall got startled.

    "A specimen of this size¡­it must be centuries old¡­maybe it was the original one, ced by Szar himself," Dumbledore concluded.

    "So is like a thousand years old?, can these creatures live that long?" She asked.

    "We will have to consult with Hagrid, but this seems to be the case." Dumbledore looked around the room.

    He did not spot the other basilisk because it had fallen into the dark cave beneath the chamber and the third one waspletely eaten by the giant monster before escaping.

    There was not much else to observe in the main chamber. Everything had beenpletely destroyed and the ce looked ready to copse at any moment.

    "You don''t think the children killed it, right Albus?" McGonagall did not want to think about a group of young students facing a beast like this one.

    The swords that Harry had used to kill the beast were gone already. All that was left were the many wounds he inflicted on its body.

    "It seems to be covered in deep gashes¡­and is very recent. The blood looks fresh too." Snapemented.

    "For what I remember¡­basilisks are extremely resistant to magic, almost to the point of immunity. The one who killed this one seems to have conjured a series of big-ded weapons to do the job. Whoever did this¡­knew what they were doing." Dumbledore concluded.

    "Albus, could this creature be the one responsible for all the tremors we have been suffering?" McGonagall asked.

    "The beast is certainly big, but no. I don''t think this basilisk would be capable of that. " was the Headmaster''s answer.

    "That being said¡­the answer for those events could be somewhere in here," he added.

    "Headmaster¡­do you think I can process this creature? The materials could be invaluable for my potions¡­" Snape looked at the basilisk like it was a pile of gold.

    "I don''t see why not¡­but we have a job to finish first."

    "That''s right. We haven''t found any of the children yet." McGonagall spoke.

    "Mmm¡­I don''t think is safe to stay here much longer in any case. Let''s use a quick way out then¡­Fawkes!" Dumbledore called for hispanion.

    They waited but¡­nothing.

    "How strange¡­Fawkes!, I need your help, my friend." Dumbledore called again.

    "He is not arriving¡­." McGonagall had never seen this happen before.

    "Something must have happened to him, he always answers my calls. We will have to use a different way¡­"

    "Do we have to climb back that dirty pipe?" McGonagall didn''t seem very pleased with the idea.

    "Perhaps there is another way out¡­" Dumbledore stared up at the ceiling.

    The two professors followed his sigh and spotted a massive circr hole in the middle of the cracked ceiling

    "Albus, what is that?!" McGonagall got rmed. That hole was not made by ident. It looked like something had broken through the ceiling and crawled its way into the rocky foundation.

    "It appears that some sort of creature has wormed its way into the ceiling," Snapemented.

    "The size is disturbing..."

    "Just disturbing? if that was made by another basilisk, then¡­it must have been at least ten times bigger than this one!" McGonagall pointed at the dead beast.

    "Remaining here will solve nothing and if a beast like that is making its way into the castle¡­we have to stop it." Dumbledore took out a small piece of fabric from his robes.

    "Engorgio"

    The fabric grew in size until it transformed into a big rectangr carpet that remained floating in the air.

    "You have a flying carpet? Albus, they are illegal." McGonagall sighed.

    "But never mind that now¡­"

    "I''m afraid at my age, a broom is not veryfortable. I''m sure the good Minister would understand." Dumbledore jumped on top of the carpet with little effort.

    "Yes, you seem very old and frail¡­" McGonagall and Snape climbed on top.

    "Let us go then!" Dumbledore directed the carpet and this one flew into the massive circr hole left by the giant basilisk.

    The carpet moved at great speed through the newly created tunnel. It had pierced through dirt and stone with little effort, going to show the power of the creature responsible for it.

    "The diameter of this hole is at least seventy or eighty feet ¡­(around 25mt)" Snape analyzed the tunnel as they traveled.

    "Meaning the snake should be around eight hundred feet in length."

    "That can''t be right, Severus. A creature that massive could not have been hidden inside Hogwarts without anyone knowing about it." McGonagall said.

    "I''m only talking about what I''m seeing. I don''t have an exnation either." Snape admited.

    They reached the point where the pipes started, but there was little left of them.

    "Let us hope this tunnel leads to the outside¡­" Dumbledore was dreading the worst-case scenario. Where this monster enters the castle.

    If that is the case, they may not be able to evacuate everyone in time.

    "Oh no¡­please." McGonagall was thinking the same thing.

    The flying carpet increased its pace, moving as fast as it could possibly go, taking sharp turns left and right.

    Finally¡­they were weed by a gust of cold wind.

    "Yes!, is going outside!" McGonagall celebrated.

    "Be ready!, we may have to lure this beast away from the castle, somehow¡­"

    Dumbledore was not the type to act without proper nning, but when the lives of his students were at risk¡­he was left with no other choice.

    The flying carpet came out of the hole and into the open sky.

    Looking back, they were once impressed by the sheer size of it¡­and the creature that made it.

    "Where is it?!" Snape twisted his neck to the sides but could not spot the monster.

    "Remember to not look at it directly," Dumbledore said, even though he was sure his colleagues knew this already.

    He made the carpet fly around the castle but could not spot any giant snake moving around the castle''s surroundings.

    "Headmaster, wait for me!!"

    Dumbledore stopped the carpet in the air and turned his head in the direction of the familiar voice.

    "Is Nick!" McGonagall called after seeing the ghost approach.

    "Headmaster, I saw it!" The ghost screamed.

    "What did you see, Nick?." Dumbledore asked.

    "A monster!, and a massive snake! it came out of the castle. It was so scary!. I saw it all!"

 Chapter 118: A trail of destruction

    Chapter 118: A trail of destruction

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 118: A trail of destruction

    "Where is it? Where is this monster?" Snape moved his eyes around the area as they hovered on the flying carpet but could not see anything out of the ordinary.

    "It came from the castle and then¡­it moved that way!" Nick pointed to the mountains.

    "It was almost like it was chasing after someone¡­at one point, I heard it shriek in agony, but could not see who was attacking that beast¡­then, I saw a blinding sh of lightmon from that area. Itpletely surrounded the monster¡­and then¡­" the ghost made a troubled expression.

    "And then what?" McGonagall asked.

    "Nothing¡­.the monster was not there anymore. I don''t know where it went."

    "Could it be some sort of vanishing charm?...maybe someone sent this creature away." Suggested McGonagall.

    "Let''s take a look." As Dumbledore spoke, the flying carpet took off and flew into the nearby forest, where Nick had told them the monster went

    Not that they would need many indications to find its trail¡­

    "Merlin!, look at that devastation!" McGonagall pointed down.

    "Looks like my estimation of its size was urate¡­ " Snape had a grave expression on his face.

    They followed the path of destruction until they realized something.

    "The beast was changing directions here¡­" Snapemented.

    McGonagall gasped.

    "It was going back to Hogwarts!"

    "Luckily, it was stopped before it made it too far¡­"

    Dumbledore was staring at the area where the ghost was said to witness the sh of light.

    As he moved the carpet closer, they were able to get a better look.

    At the end of the beast''s track, was a massive circr hole, they could still see lighting from the bottom.

    "It''s very hot in here!" McGonagall got rmed.

    Dumbledore made the flying carpet descend until it reached the bottom.

    "Headmaster, don''t get so close!, it will burn the carpet," Snape warned.

    "Albus, what is that?" McGonagall pointed at the glowing substance.

    "That''sva." He nced around the hole. It waspletely covered in a pitch-ck rock.

    "And this is all obsidian¡­"

    "The heat necessary to create something like this would be ridiculous!" Snape had studied a bit of muggle science. Not much, but at least enough to understand how obsidian is formed.

    "Is this obsidian?, I have read about it but¡­I have never seen it in person. Is supposed to only exist near volcanos." McGonagall said.

    Dumbledore performed some readings, trying to figure out the cause of this phenomenon.

    "I can''t detect any specific spells¡­the amount of magic concentrated in this single point is just too much."

    "So this was made with magic, it wasn''t made by a dragon or something," McGonagall said.

    "Definitely magic. I can''t tell if it was one wizard or many, but it was no dragon or any other magical creature, of that¡­ I''m sure." Dumbledore.

    "Then, if this monster was hit by¡­whatever this magic was¡­I think we can conclude that it''s dead. Even if this creature was ten times bigger than the one we saw at the Chamber." Snape dered.

    "I need to go back into the castle right now," Dumbledore said with urgency.

    "Albus? What is it?" Asked McGonagall.

    "Someone has entered my office withouth permision." The Headmaster said.

    "How?, that ce is impossible to open without the password," Snape said.He knew well how secure that office was.

    Dumbledore made the carpet lift again into the sky and started to fly back into Hogwarts.

    "You both have a lot of work to do." Dumbledore''s eyes moved to meet theirs.

    "This is very important¡­what we have seen today¡­no one must know about, not even the other professors. "

    "You want to hide all of this?!. Don''t they deserve to know the cause for all these tremors we''ve been having all year?" she eximed.

    "We will tell them that the problem has been resolved. Give me some time toe up with some exnation that will not cause mass panic." said the Headmaster.

    "He is right. " Snape added.

    "If people found out that several giant basilisks have been hiding under the school¡­you can be sure they will close the school until it has been inspected, brick by brick¡­we will also lose all of our jobs."

    "Minerva, there is no need to cause more dread in the hearts of the students and their families. We can assure them that Hogwarts ispletely safe once more. That''s all that matters." Dumbledore exined to her.

    McGonagall did not seempletely convinced but knew she had to relent on this one.

    "Now, Minerva, I will need you to repair as much of the damage caused on the sixth floor as possible.And make sure to properly seal the entrance to the Chamber. " He then looked at Snape.

    "And you, my friend¡­I need to take care of all the damage that has been caused to the exterior. Just try to cover it as much as you can¡­.I know I''m asking a lot of you."

    Snape frowned. He was indeed asking a lot. Just covering that hole filled withva was going to take him days of work.

    "I''ll do what I can."

    "I''ll help the two of you as soon as I finish checking my office," Dumbledore said.

    "You don''t want us to be there with you?. What if it''s rted to¡­you know." Snape dreaded the worst-case scenario.

    "Coult it be? Albus, you can''t go by yourself. We should call the Order at least!" McGonagall eximed.

    "Now now¡­.calm down. If I thought there was a chance that ''He'' was involved in this in any way¡­.I would of course call the Order. But I am sure that my ''guest'' does not have bad intentions¡­"

    "You seem to know who it is." Snape realized.

    Dumbledore smiled.

    "I do have an idea."

    It was someone he had hoped to talk to for a while now.

    He had so many questions.

 Chapter 119: A Tough Day

    Chapter 119: A Tough Day

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 119: A Tough Day

    Harry escorted the three girls to the infirmary and left them there.

    Their clothes were dirty but did not have any serious injuries, just a few cuts and bruises from running through the forest.

    They had not spoken a single word to him after the fight was over.

    He couldn''t me them for being shocked after seeing all they had seen today.

    It would already be too much for an adult, but these girls are in their early teens.

    Harry held the seven pieces of jewelry he had been previously wearing.

    The metal remained intact, but the stones werepete gone. They crumbled into dust after finishing his spell.

    ''That shouldn''t have happened¡­ I''m sure I didn''t make any serious mistakes during the creation of the magical alloy¡­''

    The only conclusion he could reach was that there was some problem with the arkstones themselves.

    He wasn''t knowledgeable enough to note if the stones he received were of high quality or not.

    But since they broke in such a way, he could only reach one conclusion.

    ''And I also lost both my wands¡­what a day.''

    He already expected them to break.No wood would be able to sustain that¡­but not even the cores had remained behind.

    ''I guess I went a bit overboard this time.'' He concluded.

    With his sister, Ginny, and Daphne behind him. He didn''t want to take any risk of the beast surviving. So he went all out for a bit.

    Now he was going to need a pair ofpletely new wands.

    ''Let''s see how that conversation goes.'' Harry stopped walking in front of the familiar statue of a gargoyle.

    "Password." the statute requested.

    "Move away and grant me ess to the Headmaster''s office," Harry told it in a monotone voice.

    "That is incorr-" the statue stopped talking and froze.

    A momentter, it spun around,revealing the stairs that lead to the office.

    He did not know the password, but it was unnecessary.

    The moment he ced his name on Hogwart''s arkstone and tied his persona to the school guards, he gained the same level of authority as the Headmaster himself.

    There was no door in the castle that would not open for him if he requested it.

    Of course, he knew this would alert the Headmaster, but it was already toote to hide now.

    The events of the day had not gone ording to n at all. He was expecting a quick fight against one basilisk.

    He did not expect those three girls to get involved.

    He did not expect to find more than one beast.

    And he definitely did not expect to have to deal with a snake bigger than his mansion.

    The damage he had caused today was impossible to cover.

    Dumbledore was bound to find out and will link him to it. Myrthel will tell them that it was me the one who went into the Chamber¡­and the Headmaster was clever enough to put the rest of the puzzle together.

    He was already suspicious of him sincest year when Professor Nayar disappeared.He will want answers this time.

    Also,he knew the old man well enough to guess that he would make sure to cover everything so no one else would find out.

    ''I''ll leave the clean up to you, Albus.''

    Other than that, he had two good reasons toe into this office.

    "Hey, you can''t be here by yourself!"

    One of the paintings of a former Headmaster woke up in a bad mood.

    Harry nced at it.

    "Phineas ck¡­ I''m not in the mood to deal with you today."

    "How preposterous!, a student addressing me li-"

    "Sleep," Harrymanded.

    The figure inside the painting froze for a moment before closing its eyes and going to sleep.

    Another benefit of having Headmaster''s privileges.

    "Here we are¡­." Harry approached the big bird perch ced near a set of stairs.

    He opened a small box he had previously conjured and emptied its contents on a metal te situated under the perch.

    "I hope I got all the ashes¡­"

    He did the best he could to collect all of Fawke''s ashes after the creature burned away in order to power the mes.

    He recalled that this te had some enhancements that would make it easier for the Phoenix to revive. And hopefully, that would be enough for him to recover.

    "Get better, Fawkes¡­you did great today."

    He then went to the headmaster''s chair and gotfortable.

    "Uff¡­.what a day¡­" He sighed.

    His clothes were burned, he was physically and magically exhausted, lost his wands and the magical artifact that took so much effort to make.

    This was definitely more than what he was used to dealing with in this school.

    "And is not even Christmas yet¡­"

    He closed his eyes for a few seconds and felt incredibly rxed.

    If it continued for too long, he felt like he was going to fall asleep.

    But then he heard the noises of the stone column moving away and someone walking the steps to the office.

    The steps continued to get closer and closer until they stopped a short distance away from him.

    "Feelingfortable?,Mister Potter?"

    Harry opened his eyes and saw the figure of Albus Dumbledore, pointing his wand directly at him.

    "We have much to talk about, I believe." the old man''s expression did not show anger but was not the usual calm and kind grandfatherly demeanor that Harry had grown ustomed to over the years.

    This was Dumbledore in ''serious business'' mode.

    Harry smiled.

    "Good evening, Headmaster. yes, I believe we have a few things to talk about."

 Chapter 120: Discussion with the Headmaster part 1

    Chapter 120: Discussion with the Headmaster part 1

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 120: Discussion with the Headmaster part 1

    "Why don''t you take a seat? Headmaster. And you can put the wand down. As you can see, I ampletely disarmed." Harry was able to get a closer look at the Headmaster''s wand now.

    It was made of some light-colored wood he didn''t recognize.

    ''That''s not the Elder wand¡­'' of that, he was sure of.

    Dumbledore stared at him with his calcting gaze for a few more seconds.

    "Very well, I will put the wand down¡­but I will keep it in my hand, I hope you don''t mind."

    The headmaster took a seat in front of him.

    He never asked Harry to leave his chair, so this one remained there.

    Dumbledore''s eyes moved around the room, maybe trying to figure out if Harry had taken something obvious from here until they stopped at Fawkes''s perch.

    "Fawkes¡­what happened to him?" Dumbledore asked with a hint of sharpness in his voice.

    "He came to help me with our¡­ordeal. I really hope he can recover." Harry nced at the te under the perch.

    "If Fawkes came to help you¡­he must have felt you were trying to protect the school."

    "Of course I was."Harry had a tone of annoyance at the implication.

    "You thought I was trying to destroy Hogwarts or something?"

    "My apologies,that came out wrong. I already knew you didn''t have hostile intentions¡­but I cannot help but be wary¡­after what I have seen." Dumbledore admired.

    "Did you go into the Chamber?." Harry asked.

    "Yes¡­.we followed your steps. Went into the sixth-floor bathroom, the Chamber, found the basilisk, and then followed the tunnel outside the castle."

    "You only found one basilisk?"

    Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

    "Pardon?"

    "I found four of them inside the chamber. One ended up being eaten by the big one. The other two remained in the Chamber¡­did you look into that big hole underneath? maybe it fell there."

    "I- I will inform Severus to take a look..four basilisk you say? Dear Merlin¡­how is that possible?. And what happened to the biggest one?" Dumbledore could not help but shake at the mere thought of having four of those monsters underneath the school.

    "I killed all four, including the big one¡­that one took a bit more effort and the help of Fawkes."

    "A bit of effort¡­I saw the¡­ the hole that remained. What kind of magic did you use to create something like that?" There was a mixture of wariness and genuine curiosity in his face.

    "To put it simply, a very powered-up version of an ''incendio''," Harry told him.

    Dumbledore knew that Harry was not going to give him all the answers he wished for.

    Harry noticed this.

    "Even if I told you exactly how I cast that spell, you would not be able to create it, much less control it. I am the only one who can do it. "

    "A bold im¡­some would call it¡­an arrogant one." Dumbledore seemed dispersed with his answer.

    People had considered him the most talented wizard in the entire world. He was not used to somebody underestimating him.

    "Let''s move on, I''m sure there are more important things you want to know. But once we are done with this conversation, there is something I need to borrow from this office." Harry told him.

    "You want something from my office?"

    Dumbleforr frowned after hearing this. Inside this room were a lot of dangerous artifacts that he didn''t trust anyone else to protect.

    He wondered what could this boy want from here.

    "Let''s leave that forter¡­go on, ask your questions...." Harry urged him to continue. As soon as he was done here, he wanted to take a shower and sleep for a few days.

    "Very well¡­the one thing I want to know more than anything else is¡­.who are you?" Dumbledore stared firmly into his eyes.

    "That''s a very philosophical question, Headmaster. But my name is Harry James Potter."

    "Mmm¡­if I hadn''t already seen your name written on Hogwarts arkstone, I would never have believed those words," Dumbledore admitted to him.

    "You saw that?... I didn''t expect you to go down there that early." Harry made a pensive expression.

    "I went therest year. Also saw your little workshop." Dumbledore said.

    "What made you go there so quickly?" Harry wondered where he had gone wrong.

    "When we went to investigate the acromants attack. I detected the use of an apparition."

    ''Those sted detection spells again¡­I wish I had known more about them before.'' Harry wanted to smack Moody on the head for not teaching him about that.

    "You probably already know this, but apparating inside Hogwarts is impossible, except for the Headmaster. The only way to do it without destroying the wards is by inscribing one''s name in that stone¡­" Dumbledore exined.

    "So you went down there because of that." Said harry.

    "It sounded impossible for someone besides me to gain ess to that ce. But I could not think of any other possibility, so I went¡­you can imagine my shock when I saw your name written below mine."

    "Wait, is that why you had the paintings spying on me?." Harry asked.

    "I needed to know what kind of person you were¡­you did not reveal much, but it didn''t seem like you had bad intentions. So I limited myself to keep an eye on you from afar." Dumbledore''s eyes moved back to his.

    " I know your name is Harry James Potter. There is no chance to deceive the asktone, but it doesn''t make it more believable for a boy of your age to do the things you do. So there is more to it¡­"

    There was a moment of silence. Seeing that Harry was still silent, Dumbledore spoke again.

    "I can take a wild guess and say that it involves¡­time travel, or perhaps something more¡­dimensional travel?"

    Harry flinched.

 Chapter 121: Discussion with the Headmaster Part 2

    Chapter 121: Discussion with the Headmaster Part 2

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 121: Discussion with the Headmaster Part 2

    "Seems like I am correct." Dumbledore had a satisfied smile.

    "I don''t really understand it myself, to be honest. But I think¡­what happened to me, was closer to traveling to an alternate timeline."

    Harry was knowledgeable about the existence of other dimensions, but he still wasn''t sure about what urred the day he died¡­or why it happened.

    "Alternate timelines¡­Mister Potter, I hope you are aware of the dangers that lie in altering time. This is not something that should be yed with." Dumbledore said with a stern expression.

    "Don''t give me that ''disappointed grandfather'' look, professor. I did note here out of my own will with a time turner or something of the sort." Harry huffed.

    "Then¡­what happened to you? how did you end up here?. What is thest thing you remember doing in your time?" Dumbledore leaned forward with interest.

    "Thest thing I remember?...that would be¡­dying, I suppose."

    "Dying you say?...and then, what did you see?" The Headmaster stared at him with an intense re.

    "Then¡­ I woke up inside the body of a younger version of myself."

    "Didn''t you see anything in between?"

    Harry shook his head.

    "I see¡­then, you im to be an older version of Harry Potter who is inhabiting the body of the boy who belongs in this timeline." There was a mix of disappointment and something else in the old man''s voice.

    "You are making it sound like I came here and stole his body¡­" Harry frowned.

    "And then, what happened to the owner of that body? is his mind still somewhere in there?" Dumbledore pointed at his head with the wand.

    Harry negated it.

    "When I awoke for the first time, I was in a hospital¡­ apparently, the previous ''me'', tried to attack our sister with a stolen wand, and the spell he was trying to cast ended backfiring¡­really badly. For the faces the healer was making, I don''t think he expected me to recover."

    "So you think he died before you appeared here." Dumbledore rified.

    "I think that two souls cannot inhabit the same body," Harry stated.

    ''At leastplete souls.'' He thought to himself. Thinking about the Horcrux that used to share his body.

    "My theory is that when I died, for some reason, my soul did not go where it was supposed to go. Instead, I remained waiting¡­until an opening appeared."

    "Mmm¡­that is an interesting theory, Mister Potter." Dumbledore considered.

    "I have read many theories about souls. But no one has been able to bring any solid evidence about any of them."

    "Yes, many wizards believe that the key to eternal life lies in the study of the soul¡­I''m afraid that I don''t have any solid evidence to back my ims either."

    "That''s a shame¡­if you find anything else, I would appreciate it if you let me know." Dumbledore seemed more interested than anything else when it came to the study of the souls.

    Harry found this interesting as this was a very controversial topic in the country or even in the rest of the world.

    "Does James and Lily know about your¡­situation?" The Headmaster decided to ask.

    "They do of course¡­they are also my parents after all. I think they deserved to know."

    Dumbledore nodded.

    "I agree of course, but ¡­ how much did you reveal to them about the future? That kind of knowledge can be very perilous if spread carelessly."

    "I shared with them almost everything, but¡­" Harry raised his hand.

    "Before you try to berate me, let me just say that my timeline was so different from this one that any knowledge I have about the future ispletely useless."

    "I see¡­" Dumbledore remained silent for a moment.

    "I won''t pry on your past. Unless there is something specific that you feel I should know."

    "If somethinges to mind, I''ll tell you. You have my word¡­or maybe my parents will tell you during one of your Order meetings."

    The Headmaster nodded while his expression remained still.

    "There is one thing that has me curious thought¡­"

    "What kind of thing?"

    "How did you gain ess to the foundation of the castle? As far as I am aware, the knowledge to ess that part of Howarts is only passed from one Headmaster to the next." Dumbledore nced at him.

    "The answer for that is quite simple¡­I was the Headmaster of Hogwarts at one point, albeit for a short period. But I think is worth mentioning that the castle was no longer a school during the time I was in charge, it was instead a fortress."

    "A fortress? that must mean that you were at war¡­."

    Dumbledore looked worried now.

    "Was it with him?...was it with¡­-"

    "Voldemort." Harry interrupted him.

    "So he came back after all¡­." The old man sighed.

    "Yes, he came back. And you can be sure that Voldemort will alsoe back. I don''t need to be a seer to guess that. I know that madman all too well."

    "You must have had a tough life then¡­" Dumbledoremented.

    "Is there something else you wanted to know? I do have a request once we are done with the questions."

    "Of course, you must be very tired. There is onest thing that I wanted to ask of you¡­is about the events that transcurred today at Hogwarts. This whole matter with the basilisk."

    "Yes?" Harry asked but already knew what he was about to ask for his silence.

    "I believe it would be for the best if we keep this matter under wraps. Now that this awful situation has been resolved, informing everything about the creatures that were living under the castle would only cause unnecessary distress among the students and parents." Dumbledore said.

    Harry smiled. The Headmaster was not wrong. If this thing of the basilisk was leaked to the media, this school would probably be closed for good. Or at least until the Ministry could guarantee that no more deadly beasts were hiding inside the castle walls. That would take a lot of time and personnel.

    An oue like that one would be problematic for him as he still had a need for this castle and its resources. Besides, this was the best ce to lure Voldemort to as the ''boy who lived'' was here and Harry had a big advantage in Hogwarts.

    "Very well, I agree to keep this matter a secret, but I have one condition."

    "And that would be?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

    "I''m sure that our beloved potions professor has requested to harvest the materials from the basilisk," Harry said.

    "He did ask¡­" Dumbledore admitted.

    Harry raised three fingers.

    "Three vials of basilisk blood and three of venom. Is all I want, he can keep the rest."

    "Since you were the one who killed, you do have the right to make that request but¡­may I know what are you nning to do with those ingredients?. Basilisk venom is one of the deadliest substances in the world¡­" Dumbledore did not seem pleased with his request but did not deny it either.

    "Some personal experiments. But I can swear that I will not use them to bring any harm to any innocent person. Do you need a magical oath?"

    The Headmaster hesitated.

    "That won''t be necessary. I will trust you, Mister Potter."

    "I am d to hear that¡­now, as for my request-"

    "I thought the ingredients were your request." Dumbledore pointed out.

    "Then consider this my reward. You know¡­for saving the school and its students." Harry reminded him.

    "Very well, what is it that you require?" The old man asked.

    "A book¡­a rare book that can only be found in this library." Harry smiled.

 Chapter 122: The visit

    Chapter 122: The visit

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 122: The visit

    When he went to sleep that night, he jokingly thought to himself that he was going to sleep for a couple of days at least, but he ended up waking up in the infirmary four dayster, ording to Madam Pomfrey.

    ''I must have been more exhausted than I thought.''

    He wanted to leave but the healer insisted on remaining for a few more hours at least.

    Not even thirty minutes had passed when he heard his sister and Ginnye inside the infirmary.

    "No running in here!, youngdies." Madam Pomfrey scolded them.

    "Sorry!" The two girls said in unison.

    Lyra saw him and hurried to his bed with long steps.

    "Hey there.." Harry was somewhat worried about how they were processing the events of the other day. He wished he had been awake to talk with them before.

    To him, things like life or dead situations or fighting giant monsters were nothing out of the ordinary, but for them, it was very different.

    He didn''t know if their attitude towards him was going to change. They could start to be more distant or even afraid of him.

    "So Lyra, how ar-"

    He could not finish getting his words out when his juster jumped onto hisp and almost crushed him with a hug.

    "She has been super worried for you," Ginny said with a warm smile.

    "Oh no, I mean, we all were worried!. You have been sleeping for a long time. Four days! Not even Ron sleeps that long, hehe."

    "Lyra¡­" Harry called.

    "Mmmm?"

    "You are crushing my neck¡­."

    "Ah!, sorry!." She hurried to let go and then he saw her cleaning some tears using the sleeves of her robe.

    "Daphne was worried too, but she would never admit it." Lyra smiled.

    "The Headmaster came to speak with us on the next morning, after... that day," Ginny said.

    "And what did he tell you?" Harry asked. He could already guess what he wanted. He had those conversations with the Headmaster at the end of every year.

    "He wanted to talk about what happened that afternoon¡­.you know." Lyra started.

    "We didn''t want to say much, but the Headmaster already appeared to know everything!" Ginny eximed.

    "We were worried he was going to get you in trouble. But he promised that nothing bad was going to happen." Lyra added.

    "That''s okay, I talked with him beforeing to the infirmary that day. The Headmaster was told everything that had happened." Harry reassured them.

    "That''s a relief¡­I didn''t know what we could say to him¡­" Lyra said.

    "But the Headmaster asked us to keep our ''little adventure'' as a secret to everyone else." Ginny frowned.

    "Right!, he doesn''t want anyone to know what happened!" Lyra looked offended.

    "Yes, and that would be for the best." Harry nodded. Dumbledore''s motives may be different than his own but they could agree on that part.

    "But Harry!, you are a hero!" Lyra moved her hands for more emphasis.

    "That''s right, you saved everyone. You could be famous for his, like ''The Boy Who Lived''...., I mean Neville." Ginny said.

    "I have no use or desire for that kind of fame, I can assure you of that." Harry had enough of that in his past life. Nothing goodes from that.

    "Ignorance is bliss. Trust me¡­"

    "But¡­" Neither his sister nor Ginny looked convinced by this. They did not understand why he didn''t want to be famous like their Professor Lockhart or Neville.

    "Excuse me, Mister Potter." Madam Pomfrey approached his bed.

    "The headmaster is here and wishes to speak with you."

    "Right¡­of course he is..." He looked at Lyra and Ginny.

    "I''ll be out of here in a few hours we can talk more by then."

    The girls had no choice but to assent. They could not let the Headmaster wait.

    After they left, the old man approached his bed with a warm smile. The wariness from the other day was almost gone. He also had a thick book under his arm.

    "I brought you some light lecture." Dumbledore ced a book on hisp.

    "You found it¡­." Harry read the cover.

    "Time and Space."

    The title was vague and this book had no author.

    The reason was that the book was more of aption of different theories written by many different authors andpiled by several important figures of the ministry.

    "Is this the one you were looking for?" Dumbledore asked.

    Harry nodded.

    "If the answers I seek are anywhere in Hogwarts, they must be in this book."

    "d to hear. You can have it for as long as you need, but don''t let any other student see it."

    "Understood."

    "Oh, I also wanted to say that Fawkes had managed to revive yesterday. It seems like he will be making a full recovery." The Headmaster smiled.

    "That''s fantastic news," Harry said back.

    "It is indeed... and on another topic¡­I have spoken with your sister, Miss Weasley, and Miss Greengrass about what happened the other day."

    "Yes, they mentioned it. You told them to keep the whole thing about the Chamber as a secret." Harry said.

    "Well, I belie-"

    "I agree. Is best if no one knows about this. No need to cause panic for no reason."

    Dumbledore appears to be surprised by his words. He was expecting Harry toin about this.

    "Wise words, Mister Potter¡­but nheless, I would like to tell you¡­thank you for saving Hogwarts, Mister Potter." Dumbledore had his best grandfatherly smile now.

    "The world may not know about your deeds, but I will not forget them¡­and neither will those three girls. I''m looking forward to seeing what you aplish in the future¡­" The Headmaster stood up and walked away.

    ''The future, huh?...'' Harry nced at the book again and read the title once more.

 Chapter 123: Daphneâ€™s Visit

    Chapter 123: Daphne¡¯s Visit

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 123: Daphne''s Visit

    "Mister Potter, you are free to go." Madam Pomfrey informed him.

    "That''s great news¡­do you happen to know where my robes are?" Harry asked. He currently wearing some white hospital robes.

    "Yes, I''ll bring them to you. Give me a minute." Madam Pomgrey turned around and left.

    A momentter, he saw someone opening the infirmary door with a lot of care to not make much noise.

    She then slowly sneaked around while moving her eyes around.

    Harry smiled and kept the curtains of his bed close.

    The girl moved on her tip toes with utmost care and Harry kept quiet.

    Once she was very close and looking inside the curtains of the next bed, Harry decided to speak.

    "You know¡­"

    Daphne gave out a yelp of surprise.

    "I''m currently the only patient, Daphne. There is no need to sneak like that."

    "Potter!" She turned around with a scowl on her face.

    She quickly recovered and cleared her throat.

    "Ah¡­is that so? I mean¡­I don''t know what ¡­I wasn''t sneaking around." She stood back up and pretended that nothing had happened, regaining her noble demeanor.

    She walked to his bed and nced over at him with her usual calm expression.

    "I heard that you had woken up¡­ so I thought I would only be polite if I came to visit."

    "Did you bring me anything?"

    "E-Excuse me?" Daphne seemed confused.

    "It is customary for the visitor to bring a small token to the sick person in the hospital." Harry wasn''t sure if that was true but he always enjoyed messing with this girl for some reason.

    "Surely, an educated heir of a most noble house already knows this. That''s why I asked what did you bring me."

    " Of course, I knew that!, hold on¡­" She desperately looked for something inside her robes.

    "Here you go!" She ced a small box in his hands.

    "Oh, a chocte frog!. My favorite." He grinned.

    Daphne was about to say something when she heard Madam Pomfrey approach.

    The healer nced at her and raised an eyebrow.

    "Mister Potter, here are your things. These robes are very damaged though. I trust that you brought a spare set, yes?"

    "I did, thank you, Madam Pomfrey," Harry told her.

    "Well then, you can go now. And make sure to eat properly during the next few days at least."

    "Madam, do you mind if I talk with my friend here for a few minutes before leaving?" Harry requested.

    "Mmm¡­very well, but don''t take long. This is not a social gathering room." The healer gave him and Daphne a stern nce before she left.

    "You wanted to ask me something before." Harry patted the bed next to him.

    "You can sit if you want."

    Daphne glimpsed at the bed for a good second or two

    "No thank!... that''s not¡­.I just wanted to say¡­"

    "Is okay Daphne, calm down." Harry ced a hand on her shoulder.

    "Take control of your emotions with your lumency¡­.rx."

    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

    "Okay¡­im better now¡­"

    "Good, then we can talk. How are you doing?" Harry asked.

    "I should be the one asking that!," Daphne eximed.

    "I''m¡­I don''t know to be honest. I still have nightmares about that monster chasing us¡­"

    "I see¡­"

    Harry wondered if his sister and Ginny were also having nightmares. He did not consider it before but perhaps it would be better to erase their memories of that day. It was still recent enough to do it.

    "I can remove those bad memories if you want."

    "You mean to obviate me?...the Headmaster gave us the same offer. He said that we were too young to deal with those things¡­."

    "Why did you reject him?" Harry asked.

    "Because I would also forget about what you did! I don''t want that!" Daphne raised her voice.

    "Well, if you stick with me, you will eventually get used I suppose," Harry told her, not thinking too much about the meaning of her words.

    "You mean you are used to fighting monsters like that one?!" Daphne stared at him with her intense blue eyes.

    "More than you are, at least." Harry gave her a mysterious smile but did not add anything else.

    "Ugg¡­.fine. Oh¡­by the way, the Headmaster told us to stay quiet about what happened." Daphne said.

    "Yes, Lyra already informed me about that. She seemed upset about it¡­.what about you?"

    "It seems unfair to you¡­but you don''t seem the type who likes to show off his capabilities in public¡­" She stated.

    "Should I be a bit more like Professor Lockhart then?. Maybe I should write a book about how I killed a few big snakes and be featured in the next Witch Weekly." Harry gave her a teasing smile.

    Daphne made a disgusted face.

    "Please no!"

    He chuckled.

    "If it makes you feel any better, I got a couple of decent rewards for my service to the school.

    "Really?, you had the Headmaster pay you?...how did you not end up in Slytherin?"

    "It was my second choice."

    "Don''t let anyone in my house hear you say that¡­" Daphne muttered.

    "Now if you don''t mind, I should get changed so I can leave this ce." Said Harry while he started to remove his hospital robes.

    Daphne hurried to turn around.

    "W-what are you doing?!...I''ll be outside."

    Harry waited for a moment until she was close to the door and took his burned robes.

    He opened the secret pocket and checked its contents. The box containing the basilisk eyes and the remains of his artifacts were still there.

    "Good..."

    He didn''t think Dumbledore would go as far as to check his robes while he was sleeping, but didn''t hurt to check.

    He finished dressing, took his book, and left the infirmary.

    Daphne was waiting right outside.

    "I thought you may have left¡­what if someone sees us walking together?" Harry asked.

    "I''ll say that you were stalking me." Daphne gave him a fake grin before her expression went back to her usual one.

    "You know¡­I was thinking about something."

    Harry stopped next to her and waited.

    "This whole thing about obliviating us¡­" Daphne nced at him.

    "What about it?, did you change your mind?"

    "Harry, have you obviated me before? Because I have some holes in my memories fromst year..." Daphne looked at him with suspicion.

    "No." He walked away.

    "W-Wait!." She ran after him.

    "Harry, I''m serious, have you ever obliviated me? "

    "No" He walked faster.

    "Hold, look at me! Harry!"

 Chapter 124: Back to normalcy

    Chapter 124: Back to normalcy

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 124: Back to normalcy

    December 5

    Harry entered the Great Hall on the next morning and went to sit at his usual spot, between his sister and Hermione.

    "Good morning." There was a strain in his voice as he sat down. His muscles still felt sore and his chest hurt.

    ''This young body is still far from beingpletely developed. I must have pushed way past its limits that day.''

    The good news was that Christmas break was around the corner and he will have plenty of time to recover properly.

    "Good morning, Harry." His sister Lyra greeted him.

    "Morning!" Ginny said before taking another sip of her juice.

    "Harry!, there you are. Are you feeling better now?" Hermione turned to look at him.

    "Yes¡­I''m all better." Harry wondered if the Headmaster hade up with some excuse for his absence again.

    "Hey, Harry!" Lavender joined in.

    "Your sister told us that you had a strong case of¡­. stomach cramps, was it?" Hermione looked unsure.

    "She said that you spent most of the day in the infirmary bathroom," Parvati added.

    "Is this the Dungarian fever again?." Asked Hermione with concern.

    "Harry, I''m worried for you. Maybe you should change your diet."

    Harry nced at his sister with cold eyes.

    Lyra made an apologetic gesture.

    "Sorry¡­it was the first thing I coulde up with." She whispered in his ear.

    "Fine¡­" He turned around to look at Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati.

    "In any case, I''m all better now. No need for details."

    "Harry, you are finally back!" The Captain of the Quidditch team came walking towards him from the other side of the table.

    "Say¡­how are you feeling?. I was told you were very sick."

    "Yes¡­I''m all fine now, Captain." Harry then realized why Oliver Wood was there.

    "I missed a game, right?"

    Oliver nodded with a sad smile.

    "Against Hufflepuff, yes. We had to use the reserve seeker for that game."

    "And¡­how did it go?" Seeing the face Oliver was making, Harry already had an idea.

    The Captain scratched his head and shrugged.

    "We lost¡­.Darry actually yed better than expected and even managed to stay on the broom the entire game, but¡­I have to admit that Cedric Diggory is an amazing seeker. He ended the game in only twenty minutes. There wasn''t much we could do, unfortunately."

    "Thats¡­I''m sorry for not being there."

    "Is okay Harry, you were not feeling well. But I was wondering¡­we have a game against Ravenw next week, do you think¡­"

    "Of course, Captain. I''ll be there." Harry ensured him.

    "Wonderful!, I''ll send you the training schedule." Oliver looked a lot happier as he left.

    "That boy only cares about Quidditch¡­" Lavendermented.

    "That''s too bad, he is kinda cute," Parvati added.

    Ignoring the girls''ments, Harry thought of something kinda important.

    ''I did assure him that I was going to y but¡­I have run out of brooms... I suppose that I could buy another one during the next break and use one from the school in the meantime, the brooms are old but that should be good enough for one game.''

    "Harry, are you listening to me?!"

    He heard a voice to his right and turned only to find a frowning Hermione.

    "Sorry, care to repeat?"

    "I was asking you if Lyra had given you the news about the tremors. The Headmaster made an announcement a few days ago while you were in the infirmary." She asked.

    "No¡­it must have slipped her mind. What did the Headmaster say?" He was curious to know what kind of excuse that man came up with to exin ''that''.

    "Then, you will be d to know that the tremors are officially over!." Lavender leaned forward.

    "Lav!, I was going to give him the news!" Hermione huffed.

    "The Headmaster said the tremors were caused by some unusual alignment that was interfering with the castle wards and causing all the trouble. But that situation has already been solved and there should be no more tremors¡­thank Merlin." Parvati added.

    "Pav!" Hermione shouted.

    "Mmm¡­a alignment¡­that''s..." Harry did not know what to say. That seemed like a poor excuse, but people seem to believe it.

    ''I guess it goes to show how much influence that man has. But I can at least hope he consulted with Professor Sinistra¡­''

    "I went to the library and tried to find more information about alignments and their influence on wards but did not have any luck¡­" Hermione looked depressed.

    ''And you won''t find any¡­.'' Harry thought.

    "He also said that we are not allowed to leave the castle for the rest of the week," Lyra recalled.

    "We can''t go outside?"

    "No, we can only visit the inner gardens¡­how boring." Lavender frowned.

    "The Headmaster said that it was for our own protection until the wards recovered. Apparently, there was some damage on the outside of the castle too. He assured us that it would only take a bit longer." Hermione hurried to say.

    ''He probably said that to give Snape the time to fix the damage done to thendscape by the basilisk.'' Harry concluded.

    "Well, is not like we can go anywhere interesting. At least until next year when we can finally visit Hogsmeade."Parvati said with excitement.

    "That''s right, I had forgotten about that!" Lavender cheered up immediately.

    "We can start going on dates!"

    "Dates?!" Hermione looked rmed.

    Lyra gave a mischievous smile and got closer to him.

    "Oh? what about you, Harry? Are you nning on going on many dates next year.?"

    Harry sighed.

    "Please, leave me out of this conversation¡­"

 Chapter 125: A New Wand

    Chapter 125: A New Wand

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 125: A New Wand

    "Is there someone inside the office?" Harry asked.

    "The headmaster is currently. By himself." The gargoyle answered.

    "That''s good then¡­open up." He told it.

    "That is not the correct pass-" The gargoyle stopped talking as the structure started to spin around, revealing a set of stairs.

    Harry went up and found Dumbledore writing something on his desk.

    "Mister Potter, it is very impolite to enter someone''s office without permission. " he said without lifting his eyes off the paper.

    "But I brought you lunch aspensation for my rudeness." Harry sat down in front of Dumbledore.

    "There is something I need and... I forgot to ask the other day," Harry added.

    Dumbledore lifted his face from the papers, looked at Harry, and then at the table.

    "And where is this lunch that you mentioned?" He observed the empty table with an unimpressed face.

    "Right!, hold on¡­Pipsy¡­." Harry turned around and called.

    Nothing happened.

    "I don''t think we have an elf with that name. " Dumbledoremented.

    "Papsy¡­Pasty?...how was it again?... Pispy!" Harry keeps saying names.

    "You are starting to sound like Professor Lockhart when he tries to improvise a spell." Dumbledore smiled.

    "Aha!" Harry pointed his finger at the headmaster.

    "So you knew he was useless."

    "He was also my only candidate. " Dumbledore said.

    "Now about this lunch¡­.

    "Pisky!" Harry just recalled the correct name and an elf appeared in the room.

    "Master called?"

    "Yes, remember that lunch I ordered before when I went to the kitchen? Can you bring it here?"

    "Master never order anyunch from Pisky¡­" The elf made a troubled face.

    "I don''t think you called the right elf. " Dumbledore pointed out.

    "Ohe on now¡­" Harry sighed.

    "Pisky, can you bring us some sandwiches, juice, and¡­some of that delicious chocte pudding,please?" The Headmaster requested.

    "Of Course, Headmaster!" The elf disappeared with a pop.

    "Somewhere in the castle, there is an elf waiting with my lunch¡­" Harry muttered.

    "Oh well¡­" he stood up and walked to the Phoenix stand.

    Fawkes nced at him and gave out a cry. The creature looked a lot smaller now and only had a few feathers.

    "Hey Fawkes, doing well?"

    Fawkes gave out a happy cry.

    "d to hear." Harry grinned.

    "He should bepletely recovered in six or seven more days I believe. It was a good thing you managed to collect all of his ashes." Dumbledoremented.

    "He helped me out quite a bit, is the least I could do."

    A pop was heard and two trays with food appeared on the table.

    Harry went to sit down.

    "So, about my request¡­"

    Dumbledore raised his hand.

    "Before that, I would like you to promise me to note into my office unannounced again. And no, the lunch that you didn''t bring doesn''t make up for that."

    "Very well, I will not abuse my authority¡­to enter your office," Harry swore.

    "I rather you didn''t abuse it at all." the old man frowned.

    Harry looked at him with an impassive expression.

    "So, about my request...I need a new wand."

    "Your wand is broken? did it get damaged during your fight with the beast? I''m sure Mister Ollivander can repair it in no time."

    "It didn''t get damaged¡­the wand is gone, and so is the core," Harry said.

    "Gone?!, how is that possible? Are you suggesting aplete disintegration?" The Headmaster became more interested.

    "Yes, I''m going to need everything new¡­Ollivander is not going to like that¡­ he going to want to know how it happened." Harry said.

    "And how did it happen?" Dumbledore asked.

    "I channeled too much magic in a very short amount of time." Harry gave him a vague answer.

    "I see¡­" The old man did not miss this. He wanted to ask more but it was obvious that Harry did not feel like saying much.

    "In that case¡­you will need a new core."

    Dumbledore''s eyes moved towards the Phoenix perch.

    "I''m sure Fawkes would dly donate one of his feathers for such a cause. He seemed to have grown fond of you. However, it will take at least a week before he is ready to do something like that."

    "A week?.... I supposed I can wait a week." Said Harry.

    At least, if he goes back with a core, Ollivander willin less.

    That will still leave the matter of his secondary wand. He cannot reveal that to the Old man. Having two wands is not exactly legal, especially for a student who has yet to pass his O.W.L.S.

    ''If I recall correctly, there is a duo of talented wand makers in Spain that I could visit during the summer vacations.'' Harry recalled.

    And they could make me something capable of channeling more magic than a normal wand. It would be worth the wait.

    "What about your sses?, would you be okay without a wand?" asked the Headmaster.

    "I just tell them my wand broke and can''t do any practical work. It should be fine for a few days."

    "Very well then. There are still two weeks left before the break. You should have your new wand before that¡­.I assume you have no more requests?" The old man gave him an intense nce.

    "Come on, Professor. Is not like I ask for much after saving the bloody school."

    "Language, Mister Potter. You are still a student here."

    "Right¡­how are things going with the basilisk materials? I would also have those stored at home during the break."

    "Severus is about to be done with the reparations to the outside. Then he can go down into the chamber and process the two beasts¡­it may take a few more days."

    "He is working hard, huh?...does he know it was me?" Harry asked.

    "No¡­I decided to keep your involvement a secret from both Professor Snape and McGonagall. The fewer people who know about your true nature, the better. I already have a hard time understanding the current situation myself, cannot imagine having to exin it to others¡­" Dumbledore sighed.

    "Wee to my world. " Said Harry.

 Chapter 126: Invitation

    Chapter 126: Invitation

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 126: Invitation

    Harry stumbled upon a familiar blonde on his way for dinner.

    "Hello, Harry Potter." Luna looked at him with her usual distracted demeanor.

    "Hey, Luna. Are you going to the Hall?"

    She nodded.

    "Then, do you want to apany me?, you can sit at the Gryffindor table." Harry offered.

    "Is that really okay? I don''t want to cause you trouble, Harry Potter."

    "Is no trouble, and call me Harry. All my friends call me that. "

    "Is this a date?, because Daddy told me to at least wait until next year for those." Luna gave him an intense re.

    "No¡­and he should have told you to wait much longer than that¡­." Harry sighed.

    ''What are you thinking, Xenos?''

    "That''s okay then." Luna got closer to him and waited.

    He realized she was waiting for him to walk.

    " Let''s go then."

    <><><><><><><><><>

    When the duo entered the Great Hall, the ce was almost full.

    A lot of the students at the Gryffindor table stared at them when he brought Luna and had her sit between him and Lyra.

    "Harry, that girl is from Ravenw¡­" Hermione whispered to him.

    "And you think I didn''t notice that?...." Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "Luna!" Ginny called.

    "Harry, she can''t be here. You are going to get her in trouble." Lyra told him.

    "Did none of you read the rules book?" Harry asked with incredulity.

    "I did!" Hermione looked offended at the mere insinuation.

    "Then, what are the rules about sitting in the great hall?"

    "Let''s see¡­" Hermine put all her focus on recalling the exact words.

    "All students must sit at their respective house tables during the opening and closing events, as well as special celebrations like Halloween¡­"

    "See?...on normal meals, you can sit at any table you want," Harry told them.

    "Is true, she can totally sit here." Fred Weasley spoke from the other side.

    "Yes, but don''t go to the Slytherin table¡­for¡­reasons," George added.

    "Wait, so it''s allowed then?" Asked Lyra.

    "Of course!, I usually go to the Hufflepuff table. I have some good friends there." Angelina Jonsonmented.

    "You also go for the cute boys, don''t tell me otherwise¡­" Alicia Spi bumped her elbow.

    "Whoa there!, you have plenty of cute boys here in the Gryffindor table!" Fredined.

    "Yes, like my brother over here." George pointed to Fred.

    "Look at that handsome face, you won''t find another one like that in the school. "

    "Please, ignore my brothers¡­." Ginny looked embarrassed.

    "What is she doing here?!" Ron had just realized what was going on when he finished his first te of food.

    "Ignore them all¡­" Ginny pleaded.

    "Well, this is fun! we can visit the other tables!. Maybe next time we can go to the Ravenw table with you, Luna." Lyra eximed.

    "I don''t mind. I always wee thepany." Luna answered.

    "Okay, so no moreints?, can I eat in peace?" just as Harry asked this¡­something fell from the sky andnded on his pumpkin juice sshing most of it on his face.

    "Apparently not¡­" Harry grumbled.

    "What was that?!" Hermione shouted.

    "Somethingnded on your te." Luna pointed.

    "Thanks, Luna¡­" Harry said.

    "Itnded on several tes." Lyra took off a handkerchief and gave it to her brother.

    "Whoa, that thing is huge, what did you get?!" Ron watched with interest.

    After unceremoniously dropping its parcel, the owlnded on top of it and started at Harry.

    "What?... don''t tell me you want a reward for your fantastic job?...." Harry stared at the owl with angry eyes.

    "Don''t be cruel, maybe is an old owl¡­" Hermione grabbed a few pieces of meat from a nearby te and handed them to the owl, who quickly took them in its mouth and flew away.

    "I hope you choke¡­" Harry gave it somest words before it parted and moved his attention to the parcel in question.

    As Ron pointed out, it was very big. Almost eighty inches (2M) wide and covered with an expensive-looking velvet nket.

    "Are you going to open it here?" Hermione asked.

    "No," Harry said dryly. He had just wanted to eat in peace, and now he had to deal with this.

    "Come on, you have to open it! I want to know what''s inside!" Ron shouted.

    "That fabric looks like a good quality silk," Parvati said as she ran her fingers over its surface.

    "This has to be something expensive," Lavendermented.

    "Could it be from mom and dad?" Lyra asked.

    "That would make no sense. We are going home for Christmas in two weeks. If they wanted to give me a present, it could wait." said Harry.

    "There is only one way to know. " Ginny said. She was obviously very curious too.

    "Fine¡­" Harry went to rip the fabric to shreds when he was stopped by Parvati.

    "Don''t break it, you brute. Let me open it." She took his hands away and carefully removed the cloth, revealing a box made of some highly polished dark wood.

    "What a beautiful box." Lyra pointed out.

    "There is a mark on the top," Hermione said.

    "Wait, that symbol!. I know that one!." Ron shouted.

    A beautifully decorated N was on top of the box, next to it was a white note.

    "That''s a Nimbus," Fred observed.

    "Not just any Nimbus, look at the number," George added.

    The number 2001 can be seen next to the letter N.

    " A 2001?!, it just came out today!," Angelina eximed.

    "Someone must really like you, Harry." Alicia whistle.

    "The sender ced a note." Lavender pointed at the piece of paper.

    Harry took the note aside and opened the box.

    A brand new Nimbus 2001 was resting inside. Its wood was glistening and its runes were so shiny that it almost looked alive.

    Lots of "Ohh" and "Ahhh" could be heard on the table.

    "Harry, that''s an incredibly expensive gift¡­who sent you that?" There was a hint of concern in Lyras''s voice.

    Even at her age, she was taught that people who send you expensive things, is usually because they expect something big in return.

    "What does the note say?." Asked Ginny.

    "This is an invitation to a birthday party at the end of the year." Harry nced at the name and it all made sense now.

    "From who?" Asked Hermione.

    "Pansy Parkinson," Harry said.

 Chapter 127: Iâ€™ll go

    Chapter 127: I¡¯ll go

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 127: I''ll go

    "Parkinson?" Hermione asked.

    "That pompous girl from Slytherin?" Lavender said.

    Harry stared at the invitation card. There was no address written on it, instead, it had instructions about the day and hour that the invitation had to be used.

    ''This is a portkey.'' Harry concluded.

    A portkey to an unknown location, owned by the man who tried to have his mother kidnapped and his father killed.

    "Harry, you are not nning on going, right?" His sister asked.

    "I don''t like that girl¡­"

    "Of course, he is not going to go. That''s a bloody snake!" Ron proimed loud enough for most of the hall to hear.

    "Ron, you are being extremely rude!" Neville called him out.

    "And this is for Harry to decide. It''s not our business."

    "Yes, Ron. And besides, not all Slytherins are bad people." Ginny told her brother with a face of disapproval. She had at least got to know Daphne a bit she didn''t look that bad.

    "If you are not going to attend, I don''t think you should keep that gift." Parvati pointed at the box.

    "I don''t think you should ept a gift this expensive, regardless if you are going or not," Hermione suggested.

    "No way he is giving that back, are you crazy?" Ron could not believe what he was hearing.

    "I wasn''t aware that you knew Parkinson," Lavender told Harry.

    "I don''t think I ever saw the two of you exchange more than two words."

    "Now that you mention it¡­me neither. But then, why would she send him all of this?" Hermione wondered.

    "Oh?, Mister Potter, have you been doing something in secret with a certain Slytherin girl?" Parvati said with a teasing tone.

    "Lyra, lend me your wand, please." Harrypletely ignored everyone''sments.

    "Huh?...ohh okay." Lyra was confused for a moment but then she remembered that Harry had lost his wand the other day. He also asked to use hers before apparating them into the castle.

    She took her wand from inside her robes and handed it over to her brother.

    Just a year and a half ago, she could never have imagined doing something like this. But things have changed a lot since then, and she now hadplete trust in Harry.

    Harry took Lyras''s wand and molded his magic in order to create a mild connection with it.

    "Reducio." He said as the wand tapped on the wooden box.

    The box shrank in size until it was no bigger than the case for his sses.

    Harry stored the box, along with the invitation inside his robes.

    He then pointed the wand at himself.

    "Tergeo"

    The juice remnants disappeared from his face and clothes, restoring them to a pristine condition.

    Finally, he returned the wand to Lyra while everyone at the table watched him with a dumbfounded expression.

    "Whatever I do in respect to this invitation and the gift is for me to decide, and is no one else business. Did I make myself clear?"

    The seriousness in his voice and his expression got everyone nervous and they all nodded at his question without thinking about it, feeling like they had just been scolded by one of their parents.

    Harry''s countenance rxed and returned to normal.

    "Now, let''s see¡­Pipsy?...Pepsy?....what was the name of that elf?"

    Harry''s spilled cup was instantly reced by a new one and a fresh te with food appeared in front of him.

    "Ah¡­ wonderful. How efficient." Harry smiled.

    "Now I can finally eat."

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    On the next day, Harry was approached by three Slytherin girls after sses were over.

    "Good evening, Mister Potter."

    "Do you always act so formal, Parkinson?, it must be tedious." Harry glimpsed at the ck-haired girl. Next to her were Daphne and Tracey.

    "It is a small price to pay for being the heir of a powerful family. I''m sure you understand that." Pansy said with her usual haughty look.

    "Not really, my family doesn''t follow the old traditions."

    "That''s a shame, my father always says that without those traditions, we would be no different than the savage muggles," Pansymented casually.

    "Well, there is also our magic¡­but never mind that. What can I do for you threedies today?"

    "To the point¡­very well. " Pansy nodded.

    "I wanted to make clear that there are no strings attached to the gift you received. Whether you decide to attend my party or not, the broom is yours to keep. Of course, I would be delighted if you attended, and my father has expressed interest in meeting the person who saved my life too."

    "Lord Parkinson wants to meet me," Harry stated.

    "He does. So it would be great if could attend, but is up to you." Pansy added.

    "I''ll be there." Harry''s answer seemed to take the three girls by surprise, who didn''t expect him to agree so quickly.

    Of course, none of them knew that he had an ulterior motive for this.

    "But I must say this¡­did you have to deliver it in such a public way?"

    Pansy grinned.

    "I don''t have to hide from anyone. Those who have a problem with my actions can take theints to my father." She red around at the onlookers, and these were quick to look away.

    "In any case. I''m d to hear that you wille to my party. I will be seeing you there then. Goodbye, Mister Potter."

    "Goodbye, Parkinson. And you too, Greengrass and Davis." Said Harry.

    The two other girls returned the courtesy.

    "Potter¡­" Tracey nodded.

    "Ha- Potter!" Daphne almost slipped.

    While the three of them left, Harry remained in the same ce.

    There was a blonde boy who had been closely listening to their entire conversation without taking his eyes off him.

    The boy waited for the three Slytherin girls to be far enough and came out from around the corner with an angry expression.

    "Potter!"

 Chapter 128: The Duel

    Chapter 128: The Duel

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 128: The Duel

    "Potter!, wait right there!" the blonde boy was filled with righteous fury.

    "Yes?" Harry responded calmly.

    "Stay away from her!" He shouted.

    "Who are you? Shouldn''t you at least introduce yourself before demanding things from others?" Harry of course knew who this was, but they had never been introduced properly.

    "You know me! I am Draco Malfoy!" The blonde looked very offended at not being recognized immediately.

    "Right¡­we are in the same year¡­.and what did you want again?" He asked with a tone of disinterest that seemed to elevate his anger.

    "Stay away from my fiance!"

    ''How did I end up in the middle of some teenage drama?....'' Harry wondered.

    "Your fiance¡­I assume it was one of the three girls that just approached me, yes?." He was doing it on purpose now.

    "Yes, Pansy Parkison!. Stay away from her if you know what''s better for you. She is mine!" Draco screamed.

    Harry felt the eyes of many students who had remained behind to watch the spectacle.

    " Okay, calm down. From what I understand, your engagement to Parkinson was concluded, am I wrong?" Harry asked.

    "So what?, Lord Parkinson made a mistake. She was already contracted to marry me. He cannot change that now. She is mine!" Draco shouted.

    "The fact that you keep repeating that, says otherwise, but¡­I have no interest in interfering in¡­whatever this is. So leave me out of it." Harry requested politely.

    "She gave you an expensive gift and invited you to her party, you expect me to believe that there is nothing there?!. You are obviously trying to woo her and climb the politicaldder with a marriage between your houses!" Draco approached.

    "That is very specific¡­it seems like you are projecting, Mister Malfoy."

    "That''s it!, I challenge you to duel!, for her.!" Draco pulled out his wand.

    "Excuse me?...." Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "I must have misheard you."

    "A duel, Potter. You and I. When I win, you will swear to stay away from my Pansy. What do you say??!"

    "No¡­." Harry said with an impasive gaze.

    "You can''t say no. What are you? a coward?." Draco was not expecting his denial.

    "I have no interest in you or th-"

    "He is no coward!" Ron came running to his side after getting tired of watching.

    "Harry is going to kick your ass!, and I will be his second." the redhead boy said with conviction.

    "Ron, stay out of-"

    "Ron is right, well support you, Harry!" Seamus interrupted him.

    "We''ll help you prepare if you need¡­." Neville was trying to help.

    "Hmph!, that''s better. The duel will take ce tomorrow after sses, in the dueling club. You better not run away from this, Potter, or I''ll make sure everyone knows your family is filled with cowards!" Draco walked away with a satisfied smug.

    "Sigh¡­why did you have to do that¡­." Harry wanted to strangle Ron at this moment.

    "Is going to be okay, Harry. Malfoy is all talk." Ron said.

    "Yeah, I bet he doesn''t know more than three spells," Seamus added.

    "But be careful in case he summons that snake¡­" Neville looked somewhat fearful after recalling that.

    <><><><><><><><>

    "Harry, is it true?" Hermione approached him before dinner.

    "Are you going to duel Malfoy?".

    "Are you really going to duel that prick so you can date Parkinson?" Lavender asked.

    "Is that what you heard?" Harry asked.

    "There are a lot of rumors circting the halls right now. " Said Lavender.

    "Yes, and most of them were started by you." Parvati gave an usatory nce.

    "I can''t help it!, I''m a romantic. Two men fighting for a woman¡­is too much!" Lavender made a dramatic pose.

    "Is not two men and they are not fighting for Parkinson!" Hermione eximed.

    "Right?...." She looked at Harry.

    Harry wanted to roll his eyes.

    He felt the attention of the entire school on him during dinner.

    And the next day, was more of the same. Everyone in ss keeps stealing nces at him and whispering.

    Draco was giving his typical smug smile.

    For a moment, Harry felt that he was back in his original second year. Once more under the judgmental eyes of a castle filled with teenagers.

    And he did not like it one bit.

    ''I''d rather fight that basilisk again¡­''

    When sses were over, everyone was looking at him.

    "You think he is going to fight Malfoy?"

    "He may run away."

    "I wouldn''t want to fight Malfoy either!, he has a dangerous look!"

    He heard the mutterings of his ssmates as he made his way out.

    Once outside, he found the ''not-so-golden'' trio.

    "Ready, Harry?" Seamus asked.

    "Of course he is ready!, ready to punch that smug smile out of Malfoy''s face!" Ron said with excitement.

    "Is going to be okay, Harry." Neville tried to sound reassuring.

    "Let''s get this over with¡­." Harry said.

    He wished for things to go back to normal as soon as possible.

    The group entered the dueling club.

    The massive ssroom was filled to the brim. Not even the first ss had this many students in there.

    Harry noticed that this time, they had made a more borate circr tform in the middle of the ss.

    On top of it were Professor Lockhart and Professor Flitwick standing in the middle and Draco Malfoy waiting patiently on one side.

    "There he is!, the awaited oponent has arrived!" Lockhart shouted while making a dramatic posse.

    "We can begin this duel for love!"

    "Let''s go!" Ron said with enthusiasm while he followed Harry to the arena.

    He climbed onto the tform and looked around.

    Harry spotted his sister along with Ginny and Luna standing close to the tform.

    Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati, we''re also close by.

    And on the other side, he saw three Slytherin girls looking with interest.

    "Are you ready to start, Mister Potter?" Asked Professor Flintwick.

    "Yes yes, let''s get this¡­.wait a minute, I don''t have a wand." Harry just realized.

 Chapter 129: The Duel Part 2

    Chapter 129: The Duel Part 2

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 129: The Duel Part 2

    "You don''t have a¡­ohh, I remember that you mentioned it before. Your wand is being repaired at the moment." professor Flintwick said.

    "By Merlin!, this is a serious problem."

    "What is it? is this contestant not ready perhaps?" Lockhard approached to ask.

    "Mister Potter..-"

    "Is fine Professor¡­.hold on" Harry walked to his sister''s group.

    Luna was the closest one to the tform. She was holding her wand over her ear like he remembered her doing during her school years.

    Harry knelt down and took the wand out.

    "I need to borrow this for a minute, Luna."

    "That''s fine." She didn''t seem to mind at all.

    "Mister Potter, you can''t just borrow someone else wand and expect it to work for you." Professor Flitwick said calmly. He thought that a second-year student may still not understand this.

    "You don''t have a wand?, what is this? what a Poor excuse, Potter." Malfoy frowned. Thinking that Harry was trying to run away from the duel.

    "I bet he broke it himself to get out of the duel!" Some of the Slytherin students started tough.

    Harry held Luna''s wand in his hand and formed a connection with it.

    Most people believe that wands are sentient and choose their masters, but in reality is nothing like that.

    Wands are more simr to gloves with very specific measurements.

    Once a person finds one that fits well enough,the wand will ''bond'' with the user. This is like making the glove adapt perfectly to the shape of your hand, up to thest fraction of an inch.

    This will make it so no one else in the world would be able to use that wand like the person who bonded with it.

    However, by taking control of your magic, is possible to adapt it just enough to ''fit the glove'', and thus make use of someone else wand.

    This was no unique ability. Most adult wizards are capable of doing this to a certain degree.

    Many advanced sorceries require the wizard or witch to have a great deal of control over their magic and be able to shape it at will.

    However, the branch of magic that requires the most control is Transfiguration, and that was something that Harry excelled at.

    Having been born with a natural talent for it and being trained by two of its greatest Masters, Harry had taken this branch of magic to another level over the years.

    And his control over his own magic was such that even if the wand had a will of its own, it would not be able to distinguish between Harry and its original owner.

    A wave of electricity and wind came out of Luna''s wand as Harry was holding it.

    Professor Flitwick took a step back in shock, for he knew what that meant.

    "A perfect match?!, but that wand already has an owner, that''s impossible!"

    "What was that?!" Lockhart almost fell to the ground.

    Draco panicked for a moment and considered if this had been a good idea.

    But he reminded himself that at this point there was no going back. He had tomit until the end.

    "I am ready, Professor. Are you going to make the announcement?" Harry asked with urgency. He wanted to finish this in an quick but also effective manner so Draco would leave him alone from now on.

    "Ah¡­yes!. One moment. "

    Flintwick walked toward the center.

    "The rules of this duel are simple. No use of any dangerous magic or any magic deemed illegal by the ministry. The duel will continue until one of the due list is unable to continue or until I, the judge, determine that the winner has be clear."

    He looked at both Draco and Harry until they nodded in agreement.

    "I believe this duel has some additional stakes¡­Mister Malfoy?" Professor Lockhart addressed Draco.

    " Yes, when Potter loses, he can''t talk or be close to my fiance anymore!" Draco announced loudly.

    "I''m not your fiance anymore, you sted¡­idiot!" Pansy shouted at him.

    "And you, Mister Potter?. In case of your victory, what would you demand of Mister Malfoy?" Lockhart addressed Harry now.

    "Just don''t talk to me ever again¡­that would be enough. " Harry dered.

    "Agreed then, we canmence!. Master Flitwick?" Lockhart nced at the small professor.

    Flitwick held his wand upwards.

    "When the light touches the tform, you may begin!"

    He cast a ball of light that flew in the air and started to slowly descend upon the tform, right in between Draco and Harry.

    When this one was just a few inches away, Draco made his move.

    "Densaugeo!"

    "Mister Malfoy!" Flitwick shouted. Draco had started too early.

    "Cheater!" Several students screamed.

    A sh of light approached Harry''s face.

    He just tilted his head slightly and let the spell fly by him.

    Then, he started to walk towards Draco.

    Flintwick never made a rule that forced them to remain away from each other.

    Draco saw Harry avoid his spell and frowned, but was not deterred.

    "Sepensortia!" Draco conjured a big green snake in between them.

    Harry did not stop walking.

    "Depulso."

    With a flick of his wand, the snake went flying back at Draco before it had time to hiss.

    Draco screamed in fear as the snake started to wrap around him.

    It was a good thing he had learned to cancel the spell this time. Professor Snape made sure of it.

    The snake disappeared and Draco let out a breath of relief, but then realized that Harry was getting dangerously close to him.

    He didn''t know what his oponent was nning and that made him worried.

    "Stay away, stupefy!" A red light came out of the tip of his wand and he saw it impact on Harry''s chest.

    He was about to grin and celebrate his victory when he heard a loudmotion of gasps and shouts.

    "W-what is it?!"

 Chapter 130: The Duel Part 3

    Chapter 130: The Duel Part 3

    Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    Dialogue

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    Chapter 130: The Duel Part 3

    The red spark of light was held in ce at the tip of Harry''s wand.

    From where Draco stood, it appeared Harry had suffered a clean hit, but he quickly realized that if Harry had been hit, the red light from the spell should have dissipated.

    "What is this?" Draco didn''t understand how Harry was holding his spell in such a way. It was something he had never seen before.

    In fact, of all the people in the room, only the two Professors and the few seventh-year students who came to watch were familiar with this technique.

    During seventh-year Defense Against the Dark Arts, students are taught about two defensive moves that one could perform during a fight.

    One was ''deflect,'' and the other was ''hold.''

    To deflect, one must create a protectiveyer around the wand, like a miniature Protego charm, and use it to bash spells away. This allows for a gain in tempo, as the caster can use the momentum to throw their own spell while the opponent is recovering.

    The ''hold'' version is considered a lot more advanced. One needs to create the charm in a very specific shape to contain the opponent''s magic. A slight mistake could lead to the spell detonating in one''s face, and because of this, the ''hold'' is considered a much more dangerous option.

    That downside leads people to prefer deflecting spells or simply dodging them, while ''hold'' is rarely used, not even in professional dueling.

    The fact that Harry had opted for this was a show of how confident he was in his own abilities.

    "Impressive, Mister Potter!" Professor Flitwick appeared delighted.

    The main advantage of using ''hold'' over ''deflect'' was that it allowed the user to return the spell back to its owner. If followed quickly with another spell of your own, it would be an almost guaranteed victory.

    Which is exactly what they were expecting Harry to do next.

    Instead, Harry gave the wand a swift flick, sending Draco''s stunning spell flying toward the upper part of a wall, where it fizzled and disappeared.

    The spectators were surprised to see this. They all thought that Harry was about to end the duel right there. Even Draco had a shocked expression on his face.

    However, Harry knew enough about Draco''s personality to understand that ending the duel at that point would not have been enough to convince the boy to leave him alone. Had he left it like this, Draco woulde up to him the next day iming that he got lucky and demanding a rematch.

    After all, the blonde boy did not understand theplexity of what Harry had done. He would need something more impactful to get the message across.

    "What kind of trick was that?" Draco demanded to know.

    Harry ignored his questions and continued walking towards Draco. He was now just five feet away.

    The Slytherin boy was going into panic mode. His pupils were dted, and his body was shaking. ''His eyes! Why is he looking at me like that? I¡­I have to¡­''

    Draco gazed upon Harry''s intensely bright green eyes. He recognized the look Harry was giving him. It was the same look that Draco gave to all those from inferior backgrounds than his own, a look ofplete indifference. Something he reserved for those beneath his notice.

    Draco clenched his teeth as rage tried to rece his fear. ''I won''t allow him to look at me like that, I am¡­''

    "I am Draco Malfoy. Don''t look down on me!"

    He made a shing motion across Harry''s face. "Difindo!"

    Draco put as much magic and rage into that spell as he could muster. He wanted to cut Potter''s face, maybe even cut his head if possible. Consequences be damned now.

    Harry didn''t even flinch. As soon as Draco started moving his wand, he was ready to counter his spell.

    He followed Draco''s motion with his wand, and as the cutting charm left Draco''s wand, it was immediately ''grabbed'' by Harry''s.

    This time, Harry did not send the spell away.

    With a follow-up upward sh, he flung the cutting charm at its new target¡­ Draco''s wand.

    The charm had enough potency to cleanly cut the wooden wand, along with the tip of one of Draco''s fingers.

    The blonde boy screamed as he fell down on his butt.

    Draco looked up and saw Harry towering over him, his wand aimed directly at him.

    The Slytherin boy could not take his eyes away from Harry''s. The bright green color of Harry''s eyes reminded Draco of the Killing Curse right now.

    He would never forget the day his father demonstrated this curse to him.

    He was told it was forbidden by the Ministry, but he would need to learn it regardless.

    His father told him that this was a very important spell to know, along with the other two Unforgivables, and that all proper wizards should have mastery over them.

    Draco listened to everything his father said. He wanted to be a proper wizard like him one day. At that time, the green light brought Draco a feeling of joy.

    But now, it made him feel nothing but dread.

    ''He is going to kill me!'' Draco thought as he stared into Harry''s eyes.

    Pure white light appeared at the tip of Harry''s wand. "Reducto!"

    "Noo!" Draco yelled. ''This is it! I''m really going to die!'' He thought.

    "Mister Potter, stop!" Professor Flitwick yelled as he pulled out his own wand.

    "Daddy!" Draco called with a loud scream.

    "Just joking," Harry said with a grin.

    All the pressure and dread that Draco was feeling disappeared all of a sudden.

    "Incarcerous." As Harry cast the spell, a white rope came out of his wand and wrapped tightly around Draco, preventing him from making a single move.

 Chapter 131: Malfoy did what?

    Chapter 131: Malfoy did what?

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    Dialogue''Thoughts'' -Author''s notes-

    Chapter 131: Malfoy did what?

    "That was too much!" Hermioneined.

    "That was just right!" Seamus argued with her.

    The group was sitting on the inner garden benches, having a discussion after the duel had concluded.

    "I still can''t believe that Malfoy pissed himself like that¡­" Lavendermented with amusement. "Usually, I have to invent rumors like those."

    "That was not funny, Lav¡­" Hermione looked upset at her friend.

    "That was hrious!" Ron, on the other hand, found the situation really amusing.

    "I don''t mind that, but cutting his finger was a bit¡­" Neville made aplicated expression.

    "That was an honest ident," said Harry. "Had he been holding the wand correctly, his finger would have been fine."

    "I''m sure Madam Pomfrey fixed that in a minute. Wouldn''t worry too much about it," Parvati added.

    "Still... that''s probably why Professor Flitwick banned you from the club," Lyra looked at her brother.

    "And gave you two months of detention," Ginny reminded him.

    "I have never seen Professor Flitwick that angry," Hermionemented.

    "Well, as long as he keeps his word and doesn''t talk to me again, I''ll consider it a small price to pay," said Harry.

    "You don''t have to start your detention tomorrow, right?" Seamus asked.

    "No, the Professor told me I have to start after the break. Why?"

    "Please tell me you didn''t forget. There''s a big Quidditch game tomorrow!" Ron eximed.

    "You know... one you have to y," Seamus added.

    "Right..." Harry muttered.

    "He totally forgot¡­" Lyra said.

    "I didn''t."Said Harry.

    He did forget about that.

    "I''ll be there."

    "Try not to end it too fast. Ginny and I are going to watch you," Lyra said with excitement.

    "I''ll do what I can," Harry said.

    "That''s what we''re afraid of¡­" Ginny mustered.

    <><><><><><>

    "And that''s the end of the game! Harry Potter captured the Snitch," Jordan announced. "Gryffindor wins against Ravenw, 150 to¡­ 0¡­ how long was it?" the announcer asked the girl next to him. "Ny seconds?! Bloody hell, that was fast!"

    "Jordan,nguage!" McGonagall scolded him before returning her eyes to the field. "¡­this may be a problem."

    On the Gryffindor stands:

    "So, was that a record?" Seamus asked.

    "No, ording to ''Quidditch through the Ages: Hogwarts Edition,'' the fastest game ever yed was six seconds, back in 1956. A yer caught the Snitch as it was making its initial flight up," Hermione answered.

    "Still¡­ this was the fastest game I have ever seen!" Ron said with excitement.

    "I feel a bit sorry for the other yers¡­ they didn''t get to do anything," Nevillemented.

    "Yes, especially the ones on Ravenw. Look at the face of their Seeker!" Lavender pointed.

    "That''s Cho Chang¡­ yes, she looks about ready to murder Harry," Parvati added.

    "I''m d Mom and Dad didn''te for this¡­" Lyra said. "I''ll just send them a letter and tell them that Harry won."

    "Doesn''t Harry send them letters?" Ginny asked.

    "Harry only sends letters to Holly now¡­" Lyra huffed.

    Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous?"

    <><><><><><><><>

    Harry opened the entrance to the foundations and went down the long set of stairs.

    He then walked through the chamber until he reached his little workshop.

    There was a lit cauldron with some silvery liquid inside.

    He peered over and observed its contents.

    "That seems about ready."

    This was a small batch of magicite that he had started a while ago with the remaining scraps he had.

    He opened a drawer and pulled out a handkerchief containing four small arkstones.

    This was all he had left from his initial purchase.

    It was not enough to rece his lost artifacts, but he had a different purpose for these.

    "These will make for a nice present."

    It was almost the start of the Christmas break, and he had to make something for his sisters.

    Besides, there were not enough materials to rece his artifacts.

    "And I want to find some better quality materials for my next ones. Since I have to make them again, may as well make a better version of them."

    He held Lyra''s wand firmly in his hand. He had to borrow it again since he is still waiting for his recement.

    ording to Dumbledore, Fawkes was almost ready to produce a feather for him.

    "Let''s get to work!"

    He gave the wand a flick, and the silvery liquid started to levitate out of the cauldron.

    There was a very small amount of the alloy, but it was enough to produce two rings and one pendant.

    Harry proceeded to embed the arkstones and engrave the runes.

    This time, he used a different runic array. These ones were not meant to be used as a magic storage but to power a single spell engraved on the metal.

    It was a simpler workpared to the previous one, and he only had to make three pieces, but he still put his full focus on the task.

    Once he was done, he ced the jewelry pieces on the table and examined them with care, making sure he didn''t make any mistakes.

    Other than the two rings and the pendant, he was left with one spare arkstone.

    He had another use for that one.

    "Okay, this is not bad. I think they are going to like it," Harry smiled.

    He ced the jewels in the individual boxes he had prepared and closed them.

    His eyes moved to the other side of the table.

    An old book was resting next to the corner of the table.

    The words "Time and Space" were written on its cover.

    This was the book he requested from Dumbledore.

    He had been nning on reading it before but did not have the time yet.

    "Maybe I should take a look now¡­ this may have some answers I have been waiting for after all."

    He opened the cover and started reading.

 Chapter 132: Surprise delivery

    Chapter 132: Surprise delivery

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 132: Surprise delivery

    "Mister Potter, the Headmaster would like to see you in his office," Professor McGonagall informed him on Saturday morning.

    It was a good thing he was alone in themon room. Hermione would have jumped to wild conclusions.

    Harry was about to order the gargoyle to move out of the way when he remembered his promise to the Headmaster.

    "Password¡­," the statue demanded.

    "Let''s see¡­. it was¡­ wine gums, whatever those are." It was the one that McGonagall had given him.

    "Correct¡­ you maye in." The gargoyle rotated around and revealed a set of stairs.

    "Professor, you wanted to see me?" Harry went inside the office and gotfortable.

    "Yes, I wanted to inform you that¡­" Dumbledore pulled something from a drawer. "Your new wand core is ready." He ced the pristine Phoenix feather on the table.

    Harry took the feather...red and orange lights shone over its surface.

    "Thank you, Fawkes. I''ll put it to good use," Harry nced at the Phoenix on his perch. He lookedpletely recovered now.

    Fawkes gave a cry that Harry interpreted as "You are wee".

    Dumbledore smiled for a moment. "Yes, we are expecting great things from you, Mister Potter, however¡­" his smile faded. "I do have a less pleasant topic to speak with you about."

    "Let me guess¡­ is this about my duel with Mister Malfoy? You think I went too far with my methods," Harry could easily guess.

    "I do admit¡­ that was on my mind. I felt very concerned when I heard what happened during that duel. If it was a normal student, I would not intervene and just let the Professors decide on the punishment, but it''s you we are talking about¡­ I may not know what you are fully capable of doing but I''m sure you could have defeated a second-year boy without harming him."

    "So you want to know why¡­ it''s simple, I wanted him away from me, and I know how stubborn he can be. A p on the wrist would not be enough, I had to do something that would really scare him," Harry exined.

    "I still don''t understand what reason you have to¡­ is it perhaps something he did in your future? After all, his family alliances are well on his side."

    "Let''s just say¡­ I know what he is capable of. And no, I''m not judging him for what he did in my time. Otherwise, he would already be dead. Along with a dozen more students in the school."

    Dumbledore frowned deeply. He knew Harry was not giving an idle threat and he really meant his words. "You shouldn''t judge them for things they haven''t done yet and they may never do¡­"

    "And I''m not. In fact, by keeping him away from me, I may be protecting him. But I would not hold my hopes up with that one. From what I have seen¡­ this Draco Malfoy seems to be on a much darker path than the one I knew."

    "Then let us hope that doesn''t happen¡­ as Headmaster, I must believe that all my students are capable of aplishing good things and making the world a better ce."

    "I think those lemon candies are affecting your head."

    Dumbledore didn''t look pleased with hisment, but Harry ignored him.

    "Now, can you take me to Diagon Alley? I have a wand maker to visit."

    "I will open the Floo Network for you¡­ I trust you can manage by yourself," Dumbledore stood up, walked to the firece, and tapped on it. He then took some Floo powder and threw it inside. "Leaky Cauldron."

    Green mes erupted inside the firece.

    "To return, just say ''Hogwarts Headmaster'', I''ll keep the way open until youe back."

    "Very well," Harry stood up from the chair and walked into the mes.

    "And Mister Potter¡­ I''ll trust that you will behave yourself," Dumbledore said in a way that sounded more like a warning.

    "Of course, I always behave," Harry disappeared into the mes.

    <><><><><><><>

    "Are you looking forward to going back home?" Ginny asked Lyra.

    The two of them, plus Luna, had stayed in the Great Hall after finishing their breakfast.

    Most students had left, so the hall was a nice ce to hang out.

    "To be honest, I do miss my home¡­ I can''t believe it''s only been three months since we started school," Lyra admitted.

    "I know what you mean¡­ it has felt like a lot longer. A lot has happened." Ginny gave her a weary smile.

    Luna didn''t know what they meant. The time had passed very fast for her, so she went back to enjoying her pudding.

    "I''m looking forward to Mum''s cooking. Not that there is anything bad with Hogwarts, but¡­" Ginny said.

    "Yeah, your mum is an amazing cook!" Lyra then recalled something. "Did you know that Harry can cook too?"

    "He does?" Ginny looked incredulous.

    "Totally!, he makes some amazing breakfast.You and Luna have toe visit during the break. I''m sure that he''ll¡­ wait, what is that?" Lyra pointed up as something flew into the hall.

    "A delivery owl¡­ someone is getting a present. How nice!" Luna eximed.

    Lyra looked around, trying to guess where the owl was going¡­ there were only around four or five groups of people left in the entire hall.

    The owl appeared to fly around in circles for a bit before deciding where it had to go.

    "Wait! It''sing this way!" Lyra said.

    The owl was flying straight at them.

    "No way! Is something for us?" Ginny said.

    The owlnded right in front of Ginny and dropped a small package in front of her.

    "Huh? Is it for me?" Ginny found it hard to believe. Her parents wouldn''t send her a present now. She was going home in a week. "Who could have sent me something?"

    "There is one way to find out, you know?" Luna pointed out the obvious.

    "She is right, open it up!" Lyra said with excitement.

 Chapter 133: A mysterious lady and a new wand

    Chapter 133: A mysteriousdy and a new wand

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 133: A mysteriousdy and a new wand

    Harry appeared inside the Leaky Cauldron. It was still early in the morning, so few people were around.

    "Wee to¡­" Tom stared at Harry with interest. "Did youe alone, boy?"

    Tom recognized the Hogwarts uniform. It wasn''t that rare to have studentsing by during the school year, but the young ones always came apanied by a teacher.

    "Yes, sir. I''m just going to Ollivanders," Harry answered.

    "Mmm, you look very young to go alone. Usually, they only let those who have passed their O.W.L.s to travel by themselves," Tom pointed out.

    "I am very mature for my age, so they let me go alone. But you can call Hogwarts Headmaster through the floo if you like." Harry cleaned the soot from his clothes. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have an old man to visit."

    Tom stared at him as he left but didn''t say anything, then he nced at the firece.

    The streets of Diagon Alley were very lively already.

    It was almost mid-December, so it was normal to see more people doing shopping than usual.

    Harry disregarded the stares and made a beeline to Ollivanders. Today, he had no other business in the alley and wanted to get this done quickly.

    When he entered the shop, Ollivander was already attending to someone.

    A tall woman with long dark hair and elegant clothes.

    He could recognize the acromant silk and gold threads on her tunic, indicating that this was probably ady from a wealthy magical family.

    "Mmm¡­I don''t know which one would be better¡­"

    She seemed troubled about deciding something.

    Ollivander averted his gaze from her and looked at Harry. "Wee, young one. I will be with you in a moment."

    The woman turned around and looked at Harry.

    When he saw her face, Harry was surprised at how beautiful this woman was.

    She appeared to be around his mother''s age, with a perfectly proportioned face, dark eyes, and a kind smile.

    "Hello, young man. I''m sorry for taking this long¡­oh!, perhaps you can help me."

    "Help with?..." Harry asked.

    "You see, my daughter wanted to pick up a gift for a boy around your age. We decided on one of these wand holders, but I cannot settle on which one to choose..." The troubled woman said.

    "So you want me to help you choose a holster¡­" Harry nced at the three pieces on top of the table. He was familiar with those.

    "Dragon hide, fire crab shell, and troll skin," Harry enunciated.

    "Very good, young man¡­you have a good eye." Ollivander nodded in approval.

    "Crab shell is immune to fire and very resistant to physical damage, while troll and dragon hide are extremely resistant to magic in general. Unless this boy is going to be working with dragons on a regr basis, I would discard that one. And between troll and dragon¡­ I would one hundred percent choose dragon hide. It''s a bit more difficult to carve enchantments on it but worth the trouble. I would suggest an invisibility enchant if he is still in school. Most schools would not allow holsters to be used."

    "Wow, you are a very knowledgeable young man." The ck-haireddy looked impressed. She moved her eyes to Ollivander. "I''ll take the dragon hide one."

    The old man ced the holster in an elegant box, and thedy paid for it.

    "Thank you for your help, young man. I hope we meet again." She then walked to the door before stopping when she realized she had forgotten to ask for his name.

    "Mister Potter, ebony eleven inches, and Phoenix core, isn''t it?" Ollivander asked with a knowing smile.

    "It used to be at least¡­" Harry muttered.

    "Is there something else, mydy?" Ollivander asked, noticing that she had remained at the entrance while looking towards them.

    Harry turned around and noticed the woman staring at him with intense eyes.

    She then looked at the old man. "No, that would be all. Thank you, Mister Ollivander¡­and you too¡­Mister Potter." She gave him a mysterious smile and walked out of the door.

    ''Who was that woman?... her face was somewhat familiar,'' Harry thought.

    "So, Mister Potter, what can I do for you? I hope the wand I sold you is serving you well¡­"

    "Actually, no¡­ that''s why I''m here. I am in need of a new wand." Harry may have been able to word that better.

    "Pardon?" Ollivander looked shocked. "What happened to the one I sold you? Did it break?"

    "Well¡­ yes, it did break," Harry admitted.

    "Show it to me then, I''m sure I can repair it in no time," Ollivander promised.

    ''Not this one¡­'' Harry thought. "No, you see¡­ there is nothing left of the wand. It''s all gone, including the core."

    "The core is gone too?... That''s impossible. Phoenix feathers are one of the most resistant materials in the world, no magic performed by a young student couldpletely destroy it¡­ now tell me the truth, Mister Potter. What happened to the wand? Did you misce it?"

    "You want the truth?, fine¡­ I activated a runic artifact that allowed me to channel through it thebined magical power equivalent of dozens of wizards and used this power to create a me so hot that it burned the hydrogen from the atmosphere, manifesting something akin to a miniature sun or a small nuclear explosion. Then, I employed this me to exterminate a basilisk half the size of Hogwarts. This amount of magic was too much for the wand and it turned into dust¡­ core included..."

    Ollivander stared at him for an entire minute before speaking again. "I guess I am out of touch after all¡­ I don''t understand the jests of the current youth¡­"

    "No, that wasn''t a j-"

    "Very well, Mister Potter, I understand. I will make another wand, but only if you promise me to take better care of this one. Wands are not tools to abuse and throw away; they must be respected!" Ollivander said with a stern expression.

    Harry gave up on arguing with this man. It was better this way.

    "Sure¡­ I promise."

 Chapter 134: Ginnyâ€™s gift

    Chapter 134: Ginny¡¯s gift

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 134: Ginny''s gift

    "Maybe I should open it in our room," said Ginny.

    "No, open it here," Luna demanded. After all, she could not go into the Gryffindormon room.

    "I can''t wait that long, Ginny! Come on!" eximed Lyra.

    "Okay, fine! Stop shaking me!" Ginnyined to her friend.

    She undid the package, revealing an elegant ck box with intricate gold designs.

    "So pretty!" Lyra stared at the box in awe.

    "It is¡­" Ginny was surprised. Even if this box turned out to be empty, it would still be the fanciest present she had ever received in her life.

    "There is a letter on top¡­N? That seems familiar," Luna pointed at the top part of the box.

    Lyra and Ginny observed it up close and immediately recognized that symbol.

    "It can''t be the same one, right?" Lyra asked. She had seen a symbol just like that one very recently.

    "Nimbus?..." Ginny concluded. It was the same "N" that she saw on that box that Harry received.

    "It seems like a small box for a broom though," Lunamented.

    "Don''t be silly, it can''t be a broom. Maybe they also make other things," Lyra said.

    "Let''s see¡­" Ginny opened the fancy box with care. Her hands were shaking with excitement, wondering what could be inside.

    "Whoa!" The three girls said in unison.

    The sight did not disappoint them.

    Inside the box, resting on a velvet cushion, was a golden chain. The metal was so well polished that it almost seemed to sparkle under the light.

    At the end of the chain was a miniature broom.

    "I stand corrected¡­there was a broom inside after all," Luna admitted defeat.

    "You think this is real gold?" Ginny touched the chain.

    "Mmm¡­" Lyra did the same. "It does seem like it." She did not seem very impressed with the gold; after all, she already had several pieces of jewelry made of gold. She was more interested in the broom itself.

    Unlike the chain, the broom did not seem to be made of gold or any other metal.

    "It looks like it''s made of wood," Lyra pointed out.

    "It seems a miniature of the same model as Harry got¡­I can even see the number, and I think there is something else written there," Ginny said.

    "A perfect replica," Luna nodded. "But don''t try to ride it," she advised.

    "I wasn''t going to! It''s a beautiful ne," Ginny seemed delighted with the present. "But I wonder who sent it¡­is there a note or something?"

    "No¡­but, wait! There is a paper here," Lyra pulled a piece of paper that was stuck to the inside of the lid.

    "Don''t leave us hanging, Ginny is about to explode," Luna eximed.

    "I''m not!" She huffed. "But please, read the note..."

    "Let''s see¡­.ce the broom on the palm of your hand and say the magical word¡­" Lyra said.

    "What was that?" Ginny asked in confusion.

    "That''s what the note says." Lyra showed it to Ginny and nced at the miniature broom.

    "That sounds like instructions," Ginny pointed out.

    "And what happens next?" Luna asked.

    "It doesn''t say what it does¡­but this magic word¡­I think I know it," Lyra said.

    "Just try it then!" Luna urged her.

    "Mmm..okay." Ginny took the broom ne out of the box and ced it in the palm of her hand. "What was the word?"

    "Is written down here¡­I think it''s better if you read it yourself, just in case." Lyra handed the note to Ginny.

    Ginny stared at the single word marked with a rectangle. "Engorgio¡­"

    As soon as Ginny said the word, the small broom in her hand made a cracking noise and instantly grew in size, knocking several of the cups they had on the table.

    "What!" The girls became startled.

    "This is a real broom! It must have some sort of enchantment to make it small," Lyra realized.

    Ginny stared at the broom in her hands. There was something written on the side of it. "Nimbus 2001¡­for Ginny¡­"

    "Your name is engraved and everything; that''s very impressive," Luna said. "But if I remember correctly, first-years are not allowed to have a broom in school."

    Lyra gasped. "She is right, you need to hide it! If a professor sees it, they will take it away."

    Ginny hurried to hide the broom under the table and nced around the hall to see if anyone had noticed.

    Luckily for them, the few groups in the hall were too busy in their own conversations to pay attention to what was going on elsewhere.

    Ginny sighed in relief. "No one saw us¡­but how are we going to take it to our room? This is too big to hide!"

    "Let me see that paper again." Lyra took the paper and read it again. "Here it is! There is a way to make it small again."

    "How?" Ginny said with urgency.

    Lyra showed her the paper and pointed at the lowest part. Another magical word had been marked with a rectangle.

    "Reducio." As the words came out of Ginny''s lips, the broom seemed to disappear for a moment.

    "It worked!" Ginny said with excitement as she raised her palm up and showed them the miniature broom, still attached to the gold chain.

    "That''s amazing!" Lyra said.

    "This is the best thing ever!" Ginny eximed with joy.

    "A very useful gift¡­I wish we knew who sent it," Luna said. "The note doesn''t say anything else?"

    Ginny ced the broom back in its box and went back to examine the note. Other than the instruction to erge and reduce the broom, there was nothing there. But then, Ginny turned the paper around.

    "There is something written on the back."

    The girls leaned in to see the text.

    "An easy-to-hide broom for a sneaky witch."

 Chapter 135: Christmas break

    Chapter 135: Christmas break

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    A.N: -I had missed this chapter when uploading the whole thing...now it''s been added.-

    <strong>Chapter 135: Christmas break</strong>

    The train came to a halt at its destination, and the students descended onto the station.

    "Harry!"

    He was promptly tackled by his little sister as soon as he stepped on solid ground.

    Harry ced down his luggage and hugged the young girl. "Hello, Holly¡­I missed you too."

    "And what about me?" Lyra stood at their side with her fists clenched at her sides and an expression of displeasure.

    "That would be difficult, I just saw you a minute ago," Harry told her.

    "Yes, he just saw you!" Holly pouted. "Get your own brother!" The little girl said while pointing at Lyra.

    Lyra was bbergasted. "I was talking to you!" Lyra stared at her sister. "And what do you mean by ''get your own brother''?...he is my brother!" Lyra pulled on Harry''s arm.

    "No, mine!" Holly pulled on his other arm.

    "Okay, what is going on?" Harry did not understand how the situation had degraded to this.

    "What happened to those two?...they used to get along so well." James approached the group.

    "Daddy!" Lyra let go of Harry and jumped onto her father''s arms.

    James grinned. "Hello, dear." He then gave Harry a nce. "Hey son. How was school?"

    "You know, mostly normal¡­for Hogwarts," Harry told him.

    James'' face became serious. He could tell there was more to it than his son was letting on. "We can talk more at home. Your mother was busy preparing things so she sent me here alone."

    Their father took the three of them home after saying their goodbyes to their ssmates.

    "Mom!" Lyra ran through the kitchen and almost tackled her mother in the same way that Holly did to Harry.

    "Lyra, careful! I was holding a knife," Lilyined.

    "Oh¡­" Lyra now noticed it. "Sorry, Dad said that you were busy preparing something. What are you doing?" She looked behind her mother.

    There was a cutting board with several vegetables being cut.

    "As you can see¡­I was preparing dinner," Lily said with a warm smile before looking at Harry. "Hello, Harry dear."

    "Hi Mom, are you cooking alone?" Harry asked.

    "Mom, why are you doing this yourself? We have two house elves," Lyra looked confused.

    "I wouldnt count Dobby for cooking..." Harry muttered.

    "We do, but I like to do some things by myself sometimes. Maybe it''s because I grew up in a Muggle house," Lily told her daughter.

    "Ah¡­" Didn''t seem like she understood it yet.

    "I''ll go leave my things in my room," Harry said before making his way to his room and closing the door behind him.

    "Dobby," he called.

    The elf appeared immediately with a loud pop sound.

    "Master Harry, sir! Wee home."

    "Thank you, Dobby." Harry sat down at his desk and started to pull some small containers out of the secret pockets of his robes and ced them on top of the table.

    Dobby approached and nced at them with curiosity. One of the containers was an inconspicuous white box, while the other two were made of ss and had some vials with liquid inside them.

    The box contained the two intact basilisk eyes that Harry had secured.

    And the ss ones had the vials of basilisk blood and venom that Snape had collected from the Chamber.

    "I expected the old man toin more before giving me these¡­"

    "Master Harry, what are these things?" Dobby pointed at the container and asked. But he then realized something. "Oh no, Dobby bad! Should not ask Master questions!"

    The panicked elf was about to smack his head against the table when Harry had to stop him using his hands.

    "Enough, Dobby! I already told you before to stop punishing yourself," Harry said with authority.

    Dobby seemed toe to his senses. "Yes, Master sir Harry Potter!"

    Harry nced back at the containers. "These are some rare ingredients that I have recently acquired. And by rare¡­I mean illegal. So, no one can know I have these. Do you understand, Dobby?"

    The elf nodded vigorously. "Dobby understands!"

    Harry was sure that Dobby must have done a lot of shady stuff for Malfoy, so he must be used to this kind of thing.

    "Do you remember the ce where you hid all the things we took from the bad Master?"

    "Dobby knows!"

    Harry nodded. "Good, I need you to take these three containers and, very carefully, bring them to that ce. I will have need of them soon enough."

    "Dobby can do, Harry Potter Master sir!"

    "Okay¡­" Harry sighed. For some reason, Dobby still had difficulty in keeping his name consistent.

    Dobby took the containers with care and disappeared from his room.

    Harryy on his bed and closed his eyes. He felt tired after the long journey home, especially after being forced into the same cabin as his sister, Ginny, Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati. "That felt like a lot more than six hours¡­maybe I can rest a bit before dinner¡­"

    All of a sudden, he heard someone trying to open his door, followed by a series of loud bangs on it.

    "Harry, let''s y!" Holly screamed.

    "Nevermind then..." Harry sighed.

 Chapter 136: Explanation

    Chapter 136: Exnation

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 136: Exnation

    "How was your first impression of Hogwarts? Did you like it?" Lily asked Lyra during dinner.

    "It was fun, I mean... for the most part." She kept stealing nces at Harry.

    ''How subtle¡­'' Harry thought.

    "Yes, that business with the tremors was quite awful. It was lucky that no one got seriously hurt," said Lily.

    "Dumbledore told us the matter has been resolved," said James.

    "Aary alignment was interfering with the wards... apparently," Lily said with a doubtful expression.

    "Is that what truly happened?" James looked at Harry and Lyra.

    "Well... I mean... the Headmaster said, and... I didn''t see much..." Lyra stammered the words. She was told to say nothing about the matter.

    "No, that''s not what truly happened, just a simple exnation the Headmaster gave to the masses to calm them down," Harry decided to assist his sister since he knew his parents would want a better exnation.

    "Harry?" Lyra looked at him with confusion, thinking her brother wanted to keep everything secret like the Headmaster.

    "Oh? And what was the cause for all that trouble?" asked James.

    "Just some big scary creature that was bumping around near the castle foundations and making it shake," Harry exined.

    Lyra raised an eyebrow at the simplified exnation. Describing the monster they saw as a ''big scary creature'' was not exactly inurate, but it felt like downying it a bit too much.

    "There''s a big scary creature in Hogwarts?! Holly doesn''t wanna go there again!" The little girl cried.

    Harry gently patted her head. "It''s okay, the scary creature is gone now. Your brother chased it away."

    "Really?" Holly asked.

    "Really," Harry reassured her.

    She then seemed to recall something important. "Oh! Like Neville Longbottom in the cursed castle?!"

    That made Harry chuckle. He was beingpared to the fictional version of the alternative ''Boy who Lived.''

    "Something like that," he ended up saying.

    "Lyra, can you take Holly out for a bit? We need to speak with Harry alone for a moment," Lily said with a serious expression.

    "But I haven''t finished eating yet!" Lyrained.

    "It will only take ten minutes, please," James said.

    "I want dessert!" Holly proimed.

    "Go with your sister, Holly, and when youe back, you can have as much dessert as you want. Mipsy has prepared some delicious tarts," Lily told her.

    "Yes, let''s go!" Holly dragged Lyra out of the kitchen.

    Lyra seemed like she wanted toin but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she gave Harry and her parents a suspicious look, wondering how much they knew about Harry''s abilities and how much they weren''t telling her.

    "So..." Lily started once they were alone. "About this ''scary monster'' you mentioned¡­can you tell us the truth?"

    "Yes, I confess... it''s actually dead. I just told Holly that I chased it away because she''s six," said Harry.

    "This is serious, Harry," James said sternly. "We haven''t forgotten about the things you told us about your past."

    "Yes, and there was one particr creature you mentioned fighting during your original second year. A basilisk," Lily said.

    "Is that the beast you mentioned now? Did you go to the Chamber of Secrets again?" James asked.

    "Yes, I did," Harry admitted.

    "You fought that basilisk alone, again?" Lily eximed.

    "I did, but this time it was easier," he answered nonchntly.

    "Why didn''t you call for help? You already knew what was down there," James asked angrily.

    "Help from who? I was the most qualified to fight a giant basilisk. No one else had experience with something like that, but I did," Harry reasoned.

    They had no argument against that.

    "Fine... but what about ''him''? Was he also involved in this?" James asked, referring to Voldemort.

    Of course, Harry knew he was talking about Voldemort. He told them about the cursed diary and how it was used to possess ''a student'' he didn''t identify to open the Chamber.

    "No... this time, things were very different in that regard. That man had nothing to do with this."

    "But then, who opened the Chamber to awaken the basilisk?" asked Lily.

    "That''s the thing, it awoke by itself and started to cause trouble. So I opened the Chamber and went inside to deal with it. This time there was no diary or possessed student writing on the walls."

    "It awoke by itself? How?" James knew there was something else to this story.

    "I... I still don''t know for sure."

    It was true... he didn''t understand itpletely. What happened in that chamber still remains mostly a mystery to him. He had hoped to find some answers in the book that Dumbledore gave him, but he has only managed to read a small part of it so far.

    The book is actually aption of different people''s work, all put together in one tome.

    There were chapters written duringpletely different eras, by people living in different ces. It''s an absolute mess as every part is written using a differentnguage.

    He understood the parts in Latin and somewhat understood the parts in Old Gaelic, but the Sumerian and ancient hieroglyphics would give him a lot of trouble to trante.

    And that was the easy part. There werenguages that he couldn''t even identify.

    It was going to take him a while to trante everything and then study its contents.

    "I''m looking into it." He finaly said.

    His parents remained silent for a minute.

    "There is something you are not telling us," said Lily.

    "There are many things I''m not telling you. But you will have to trust that I have the best intentions to do so. Giving you random information that even I am not sure is correct will benefit no one," Harry told them.

    "Hmm... very well. I can ept that," Lily nodded.

    On the other side of the kitchen door, unbeknownst to them, someone was listening to their entire conversation.

    ''Original second year?... Harry had already fought that basilisk before?... who is that ''man''? What diary are they talking about?'' Lyra heard most of what they said, but nothing made much sense to her right now.

    However, this confirmed her suspicions that something major had happened to her brother to make him change so much, and it wasn''t just hitting his head very hard.

    ''And Mom and Dad know about it!''

 Chapter 137: Presents!

    Chapter 137: Presents!

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 137: Presents!

    December 25, early morning.

    "Presents!" Holly screamed while running down the stairs.

    "Stop running! You''re going to fall!" Lily chased after her.

    Lyra sighed. "When is she going to stop going crazy like that for presents¡­"

    "You were doing the same thing until just a few years ago," James teased her, and Harry chuckled.

    Lyra became visibly embarrassed at this. "I did not!" she replied.

    Jamesughed loudly. "But you did. I remember you used to say, ''Daddy Daddy! Let''s go. I want to open the presents!'' and then you would take off running, and your mother chased after you."

    She made a dissatisfied expression. "That was all in the past, Daddy¡­ I mean Dad! I am soon to be twelve years old and a Hogwarts student, so I''m almost a grown-up," she said smugly.

    "Sure you are, dear," James said with a smile.

    Harry wondered what being a Hogwarts student had to do with anything.

    When he crossed the doorway into the living room, he spotted Holly already circling the Christmas tree, collecting every box with her name on it.

    By the time Lyra, James, and he arrived at the tree, Holly was struggling to carry away a pile of boxes.

    "Let me help you with that." Harry knelt down, picked up the biggest boxes, and carried them to a nearby couch.

    Holly sat down and started tearing open the presents.

    He gave a sidelong nce to the tree, where his other sister was searching for her own presents with a face of pure joy.

    "Harry, help!" Holly seemed to be having trouble with one of the big boxes.

    Harry stayed with her and assisted her while she unveiled a good variety of presents, including clothes, toys, and books.

    Finally, she opened the smallest present of them all. After removing the wrapping paper, she revealed a simple-looking wooden box about the size of his fist.

    "That one is from me," said Harry.

    He could have made a more beautiful box, but it was a conjured object, and like all conjured objects, it would onlyst for a short period of time before disappearing.

    "From brother?" Holly stared at him.

    This got the attention of the other family members, who were curious to see what he had gifted her.

    "Go ahead, open the box. The present is inside," Harry told her.

    "So pretty!" Inside, there was a pendant made of silvery-blue metal with a brilliant stone embedded in it. It had a circr shape, and around it were runic symbols. Attached to it was a simple chain made of the same metal.

    "Oh? That must have cost you quite a few coins," said James.

    Lily and Lyra moved closer to take a better look at the object.

    Lyra''s eyes widened as she recognized the design.

    Lily, on the other hand, stared at the pendant with curiosity. She did not recognize the stone or the metal it was made of. Its surface shone like silver, but it had a bluish tint to it that made it look like it was radiating with magic.

    "Where did you get this? What is it made of? Are those runes? What do they do?" She started bombarding him with questions.

    For a second, it reminded him of an old friend with bushy hair.

    "I made it myself. It is made of a special alloy called magicite. Yes, those are runes. As for what they do¡­ it may be better if I demonstrate it."

    "It looks a lot like your earrings. Did you also make them?" Lyra asked. "Can you make some for me?"

    "Earrings?" asked James.

    "Never mind that," Harry brushed their questions away.

    "Magicite? I have never h-... oh, I see," Lily stopped talking when she realized. If Harry had made it himself, it had to be something that he learned in his future, so she decided not to ask in front of her daughters.

    "The rune cluster looks very intricate and well made," James said, impressed. He was not a master at runes, but in order to be an auror, one needed to have at least an advanced knowledge of them.

    "So you are skilled at writing runes too? Perhaps you could give your mother some tips," Lily whispered in his ear.

    "I''m barely decent with that stuff, but sure," he replied. He could not call himself skilled at runes when he had met people like Hermione or Luna who could runps around him in that field of magic. But he did have a lot of knowledge that didn''t exist in this era, so it''s not like he couldn''t teach anything to his mother.

    "And what does it do?" Lyra asked.

    "Does it shine?!" eximed Holly.

    "That¡­ it wouldn''t be very impressive if it only did that¡­" Harry nced at Lyra. "Why don''t you bring yours, and I''ll give you a demonstration."

    "I got one too?" Lyra asked excitedly.

    "Yes, but they are a bit different," said Harry. "I believe it''s that small box over there." He pointed.

    "Wait, you want to do a demonstration here in the living room?" James asked with concern; he knew how destructive Harry could be.

    "Harry, you can''t do magic outside of school. Did you forget about that?" Lily reminded him.

    "I already removed the trace," Harry said nonchntly.

    "What?!" Lily looked outraged.

    "Of course he did¡­" James sighed.

 Chapter 138: A Little Demonstration

    Chapter 138: A Little Demonstration

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 138: A Little Demonstration

    "Let''s see¡­" Harry looked at the coffee table next to the couch where he was sitting.

    There was a small box made of oak that was used to store sweets. He carefully emptied the box and ced it back on the table.

    "What are you going to do with that?" Lyra asked.

    While his family looked on with interest, Harry tapped the box with his wand.

    The box started to change shape until it became a small humanoid golem, around 30 centimeters tall (11.8 inches).

    It had no facial features to be seen, just a pair of legs and two hands with four stubby fingers on each hand.

    Its body wasposed of the same light-colored wood as the box it was created from.

    "Wow! What is that?!" Holly stared at the tiny golem with wide eyes.

    "That''s kinda cute¡­" Lily smiled.

    "Very impressive. But what is it going to do?" asked James.

    The golem looked up at Harry and extended its arms with its palms up.

    "It looks like he wants something from Harry," said Lyra.

    "Holly, he needs to borrow the pendant for a moment," Harry told his sister.

    "Eh? He wants this?" Holly held up the pendant and nced at the golem. "You want this?" she asked it.

    Of course, the golem did not have the capability to answer, so it just waited.

    Harry used his connection with the construct and made it move its little head to nod several times.

    "Whoa, he said yes!" She ced the pendant on its palms and wrapped the chain around it. "Okay, you can borrow it... but don''t lose it! My brother gave it to me."

    Lily and James chuckled at seeing their daughter talk with the golem.

    The construct turned around and walked to the end of the table before jumping down.

    "Where is he going?" asked Lyra.

    The little golem took off running with the pendant in its hands, startling the two young girls, but then stopped once it had reached an empty part of the living room.

    "Okay, we can do the demonstration now. Stay where you are, don''t go close to the golem," said Harry while pointing his wand at the little construct.

    "Harry, you''re not going to shoot that little guy, right?" Lyra asked with concern.

    "Stupefy!" Harry shot a red spark of light before his parents could say anything.

    They all saw the red spark fly at the golem, but before it could impact it, a white light emerged from the pendant and deflected Harry''s spell.

    "It shines!" eximed Holly.

    A semisphere made of white light covered the golempletely, enveloping it in a protective cocoon of sorts.

    "What is that?" Lily asked.

    "Some sort of protective charm, but I''ve never seen one like this¡­" James added.

    "Is a ''Sanctuarium''... it is indeed a protective charm, a very powerful one at that. It can stop any attack, magical or physical, including the Unforgivable Curses, for a limited amount of time." Harry imed.

    "That thing can stop the ''Unforgivable curses''? Harry, that''s impossible," James said.

    "Unlike the Protego charm, this forms a physical barrier." Harry conjured a knife and threw it at the white dome.

    The knife bounced off andnded on the floor.

    "Unforgivable curses can go through magical barriers, but not physical objects..." Lily realized.

    "Is Goly okay in there?" Holly asked with worry.

    "You gave it a name already?" Lyra nced at her sister.

    "The golem is perfectly okay. As I said, nothing except the most destructive spells can go through that barrier."

    "For a protection this powerful, there have to be some downsides," said Lily.

    "Of course there are. It has several, in fact... the most important is that the person being protected by the sanctuary bes trapped inside until the spell wears off. There is also little to no visibility in there. It onlysts for a short duration, maybe five minutes. It depends on what is being hit by." Harry exined.

    "So you cannot be harmed, but you cannot escape either, and once the effect is over, you be an easy target... I see now," James was nning on asking Harry to teach him this charm, but these downsides made it impossible to use during a fight.

    "This is meant to protect those who cannot protect themselves..." Lily realized. This was the perfect thing to use on a vulnerable target, like a child or an injured ally who can''t fight back.

    "Yes, if anything were to happen, this will keep her safe while you deal with the threat. That''s the idea at least. I hope you never have to use it¡­" Harry said in a lower voice.

    "You put a lot of thought into this¡­ thank you, Harry," Lily said with a warm smile.

    They waited a bit longer, and after five minutes, the white barrier disappeared, revealing the little golem,pletely intact inside, still holding onto the pendant.

    "Goly!" Holly went running and grabbed the golem like a doll. It was very light since it was made from a wooden box.

    "How can she get attached so quickly?!" Lyra eximed.

    "The pendant arkstone will need 24 hours to recharge before it can be activated again," Harry exined.

    "Does mine work the same?" asked Lyra.

    "No, yours has a different charm." Harry took Lyra''s ring and put it on one of his fingers.

    He moved the hand in front of his face with the ring pointing outwards. "All you have to do is channel a bit of your magic into it to activate it." A translucent shield appeared in front of Harry.

    "That''s a Protego charm," James recognized immediately.

    "It is. The charm is shaped like a shield and can be moved around." He demonstrated it by moving his hand. "It is a lot less powerful than the one from before. But you can move around and use it to block and deflect while attacking."

    He then deactivated the shield and returned the ring to her. "It may take some practice to use, but you''ll get the hang of it."

    "Why is mine different?" asked Lyra.

    Harry looked at his sister and lifted his wand up. "Because¡­ unlike Holly, you have the tools to defend yourself. You just need to learn how to use them."

    "But Professor Lockhart hasn''t taught us anything yet!" Lyra eximed.

    "Not even the Flipendo?" asked James.

    "What''s that?" Lyra asked.

    "Yes¡­ that man is useless. But don''t worry, I''ll teach you a few things next summer," Harry promised her.

    "I want to have a talk with Dumbledore about his selection process for teachers¡­" Lily grumbled.

 Chapter 139: Harryâ€™s presents

    Chapter 139: Harry¡¯s presents

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author notes -

    Chapter 139: Harry''s presents

    "It''s time for you to open your presents, Harry," his mother told him.

    "That''s right, you haven''t opened any yet, and I can see that you have many," James gave him a mischievous smile.

    "Harry!" Holly came running to him with the little golem in her hands. The golem was still holding her pendant. "Can I keep him?!"

    "Holly¡­" Harry sighed. He gave her a piece of priceless jewelry that contained magical technology yet to be invented, and she was more interested in a wooden golem that any senior Hogwarts student could make.

    ''I mean¡­ she is six. And now I have to exin to her that this golem is not going tost long¡­''

    "Holly, dear." Lily must have noticed his issue and approached her daughter. "Harry made the golem using transfiguration. He transformed the candy box to make it look like this little fellow, but it will soon go back to looking like what it was before."

    Holly gasped. "He''s going to be a box?!"

    "It was a box to begin with. Transfiguration can temporarily turn things into other things, but eventually, everything has to go back to being what it was," said James.

    Holly didn''t seem convinced yet.

    "Is there no way to make it permanent?" asked Lyra, trying to help her sister.

    "Mmm¡­ I wouldn''t say permanent," Harry spoke. "But as long as you supply a source of magic, you can extend the transfiguration indefinitely¡­ I remember reading a story about a dark wizard who caught his wife cheating and turned her into a pig, then, using an unknown method, proceeded to maintain the transfiguration for over a decade until she died."

    "Yikes¡­." Lyra looked disgusted.

    "Harry¡­ that was hardly an appropriate story¡­" Lilyined.

    "But it does give me an idea¡­" He approached Holly. "You know, Holly? Why don''t you give me some time, and I will make a more permanent golem for you?" He wascking the materials at the moment.

    "Really? And Goly won''t have to go away?" Holly asked.

    "I suppose not¡­ I''ll have it ready for your birthday, I promise."

    Holly looked down at the golem. "Okay¡­" She ced the golem back on the table and waved it goodbye.

    "Are you sure you can make that?" Lily whispered to him.

    "Of course, who do you take me for?" He felt offended at the doubt.

    Lily chuckled. She found it amusing seeing how prideful her son was when it came to magic.

    "Well then, it''s time for Harry to open his presents," James said.

    "Presents!" Holly eximed.

    "He said, Harry!. You already opened all of yours!" Lyra told her sister.

    "Why don''t you help me open some then?" Harry offered while looking at the pile of boxes. He did not expect to get this many.

    Other than his parents, there were presents from Hermione, Neville, Daphne, and¡­

    "Parkinson?" Lyra read thebel on the box. "She sent you another present?"

    "Did you say Parkinson?" James said with a frown.

    "Pansy Parkinson, she is a girl from Slytherin," Lyra rified. She did not know why her father reacted like that.

    "And what did this girl send you?" Lily asked with curiosity.

    Harry opened the box, revealing a beautifully crafted wand holster made of dragon hide. He also noticed the runic engravings.

    ''This is the same model that¡­ so that''s who she was. It also has an invisibility enchantment like mine.''

    "That''s not a bad gift; those holsters are very expensive," said Lily.

    "That''s nothingpared to the Nimbus 2001 she gave him earlier this month," Lyramented.

    "What?!" James probably said it louder than he originally intended. "Harry, why didn''t you mention this?"

    "That girl gave you a new Nimbus? Harry, that''s a very pricey gift, even for a wealthy family like theirs. Why would she do that?" asked Lily.

    "We don''t know either!" Lyra eximed. "He won''t talk about it." She gave Harry a quick nce.

    "Harry?... you''re not, like, with this girl¡­" Lily muttered.

    "Please stop¡­" Harry groaned. "It''s nothing like that. I just saved her when she fell from the stands on the day of my first Quidditch game, and she said she owed me a great debt. That''s all."

    "That happened? Why didn''t I hear of that?" Lyra asked.

    "Because I told no one, and I guess Slytherin girls don''t like to gossip as much as Lavender." Harry opened the present that Daphne sent him.

    It was a very elegant ck robe with silver decorations and made of acromant silk.

    "Oh, that''s so nice!" Lily got closer. "Daphne has good taste."

    "Wait, we''re not done with the whole Parkinson stuff," James huffed.

    "What does Dad have against the Parkinsons?" Lyra asked her mother.

    Lily made aplicated expression. "Well¡­ let''s just say that he and Lord Parkinson don''t get along." That was quite an understatement.

    "Mmm¡­" Lyra was not dumb. She knew there was more to it. Her father would not react so strongly otherwise.

    "Yes, uh¡­ we don''t get along," James coughed.

    "That''s a shame¡­" Lyra nced at the robes. "So Harry is not going to attend Parkinson''s party then? Because those robes would have been great for it."

    "What?!" shouted James.

    "What party?" Lily looked at her son.

    "Right, about that¡­ there is a party in three days. Pansy''s birthday¡­ and I have been invited," Harry admitted.

    "When were you nning on telling us?" Lily asked with disapproval in her eyes.

    "Mmm¡­ tomorrow?" Harry said. He wasn''t really nning on telling them until thest moment because he knew how his father was going to react.

    "Harry,e to my studio. We need to talk!" James looked furious.

    ''Something like that¡­'' Harry thought.

 Chapter 140: Preparing for a Party

    Chapter 140: Preparing for a Party

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 140: Preparing for a Party

    "Very well." James sat at his desk.

    "We can talk properly now... What are you plotting now?"

    "Plotting? Please, Dad, I thought you knew me better at this point... I don''t engage in plots. I simply stumbled upon an opportunity by chance and made use of it." Harry settled into afortable chair in front of James.

    "And this opportunity is the party Lyra mentioned?" James didn''t look pleased.

    "It is. How can I say no when I have the chance to locate the lion''s den? Not that I expect the party to be held at Parkinson''s main manor, but at least one of his vacation houses."

    "I thought we agreed that you would discuss things with me and your mother before taking action against those people¡­ the order is active again, we are making progress..."

    Harry sighed. "As I said, I didn''t n for this. It''s something that happened."

    "Fine, let''s move on from that... What do you intend to do at that party exactly?" James inquired.

    "You know... Meet people, observe who''s associated with Parkinson''s, and gather some names. Perhaps I could discreetly explore the house during the party and see if I find anything of interest." Harry wished he still had the invisibility cloak; it would have been very useful for that.

    "Wait, you were nning on going there alone." James realized Harry hadn''t mentioned what he or Lily would be doing.

    "Of course, I would go alone. You are openly an enemy of Lord Parkinson, and Mom was nearly kidnapped by men sent by him. I won''t put her in danger like that," Harry said firmly.

    "And what about you? You would also be in danger," James frowned, displeased with the idea.

    "Not as much as you two... I''m just an ordinary child as far as Lord Parkinson is concerned. And I''m attending as a guest of his heir, Pansy Parkinson, after saving her life. It wouldn''t reflect well on him if he attacked me under those circumstances."

    "You don''t know him like I do... That man is ruthless. I wouldn''t put it past him to try to kidnap you anyway just to get to me."

    "I did consider that possibility of course. But I will have my wand and know how to use it. Is not like I''m defenseless." Harry said. It would have been nice to still have his artifact, it was unfortunate to have lost that one. It was going to take a while before he could make another one.

    "Just your wand?... I know you are good but that may not be enough." James stood from his desk and walked to a nearby cab.

    Harry glimpsed at him, wondering what he was looking for.

    "Let''s see...I think I still had some...oh!, there they are." James walked back to the desk with a in-looking container.

    He then opened it up in front of Harry, revealing two ck marbles inside.

    "These are?" Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the marbles were actually ss containers and some thick ck liquid was inside.

    "If you throw one of these to the ground, it will create a dark fog that could cover a big area, giving you a chance to escape. We always bring some of these items when we are expecting an enemy ambush. It can save your life if you find yourself outnumbered." James exined.

    "That seems useful." Said Harry.

    ''Didn''t the twins invent something like this in my time?...is kinda weird seeing it here now. But theirs was a bit different.''

    "Who came up with these?" He decided to ask.

    James smiled proudly.

    "It was your mother."

    "She did?" Harry knew his mother was talented at many branches of magic, including potions. But it was still surprising to hear.

    "You should bring a broom with you. Combined with the smoke potion, it will give you an easy escape." James suggested.

    "I will. But I''m sure it will not be necessary."

    "Always prepare, Harry." For a moment, his father sounded like stor Moody.

    "Always." He nodded.

    "You mentioned before that the Order of the Phoenix is back on working. What progress did you make?"

    James made aplicated expression.

    "Well... we are still gathering some of the former members, but we have more information on Lord Parkinson now. Arthurd was able to find out some things like which Lords are the closest ones to him. That will help us find more if we investigate the people around him."

    "And those Lords are?..." Harry questioned.

    "Walder McNair and Edward Nott are always next to him and apany him everywhere. They are like his left and right arms. Evan Rosier and Corvan Yaxley are seen around him very frequently but not as much as the others."

    "Sorry Dad, but that''s not much..."

    "I know, but we are making progress. Besides, it is doubtful that he will make any bold moves now. With Malfoy dead, all eyes are now on him as the leader of the Conservative faction " James told him.

    "I''m not worried about him trying to take over the country by force. I''m sure he doesn''t have the magical prowess from the real Voldemort. Otherwise, it would be over already. But you need to keep an eye on other creatures like werewolves, giants, and trolls. He may try to recruit them to do the heavy work."

    James smiled.

    "You are suggesting the exact same thing that Dumbldefore did. "

    "Well, you know...we both know a lot about that man. That is what he would do and Lord Parkinson has served him for many years so he must also be familiar with his methods."

    James nodded.

    "You can leave that to us...I guess you have a party to go now."

 Chapter 141: Welcome to the Party

    Chapter 141: Wee to the Party

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 141: Wee to the Party

    "Be very careful, do you hear me?" James told him.

    On the 28th, Harry was currently waiting for the portkey to activate in a small clearing, twenty miles north of their house.

    The reason was for extra precautions, in case the portkey could somehow store information about its jumping point.

    Harry was currently wearing the ck and silver robes that Daphne had gifted him. The robes already came with several hidden pockets, but he had added a few more to store all his things. He was ready for battle.

    "Harry, if at any point you get a bad feeling, I want you to get away from there immediately, okay?" Lily said.

    "Yes, I promise. I''ll be back in a few hours." Harry nced at his mechanical watch again... it was time. The invitation in his hand activated, and he felt a strong pulling sensation.

    The next moment, he found himself in a dimly lit room.

    The walls were made of stone blocks, and the few pieces of furniture appeared to be ancient.

    It looked like a dining room, but it waspletely empty, and all the furniture had been moved to the sides, leaving a big void in the middle. ''A trap already?'' He considered.

    Under his robes, Harry activated his holster, and his wand immediately appeared in his hand. He was about to perform a scan of the area when he heard a voice.

    "Mr. Potter, I presume?"

    Harry''s eyes quickly moved to the source of the unknown voice and found an old man wearing a ck suit.

    "Yes?" Harry asked, not sure who this man was.

    "Wee to the Parkinson Vi, Mr. Potter," the old man greeted him with a polite bow. "I am Julian, one of the family servants. Please follow me to the main party area. The other guests will be arriving over the course of the next hour."

    It was then that Harry realized why this room was empty. ''This must be thending area for the portkeys. They must have set them at different times to avoid idents.''

    He felt a bit silly for not reaching that conclusion earlier. But he was very inexperienced with these kinds of elegant parties.

    Harry walked to the entrance of the room while the old servant waited for him.

    "Follow me, sir," the butler said before turning around and walking at a steady pace.

    Harry looked over the many objects disyed across the halls as they walked.

    The walls were filled with luxurious items hanging from them. Intricate paintings, and artifacts made of silver or gold with a variety of precious stones embedded in them.

    ''Were the Parkinsons always this rich?'' He wondered.

    Or perhaps Lord Parkinson was the type who would ce his most expensive possessions right on the path he knew his guests would take, as a show of status and power.

    It was hard to tell since he had never, in his two lives, met this man.

    The one thing he knew for sure was that one day, he was going to kill him.

    After all, he would never forgive those who tried to harm his family or friends.

    But he couldn''t just walk up to him and do it... the world was not at war like it used to be. So he was unable to employ the same methods as he would have during that time.

    If he acted in such a way, he would bring endless trouble to his parents and sisters, and he wanted to avoid that.

    Neither did he wish to bring harm upon the rest of Lord Parkinson''s family. Unless he learned otherwise, they could bepletely unaware of Parkinson''s machinations and his acting as the Fake Voldemort.

    "Here we are, Mr. Potter." The old butler opened the door and showed him inside a much bigger room than the one he was in before.

    Not only was it bigger, but it was also much better illuminated, with countless candles attached to four massive chandeliers.

    The circr room was filled with round tables, but there was also a big empty space in the middle. ''This is a ballroom...'' Harry frowned as a terrible feeling invaded him.

    He was a person of many talents and skills acquired over the years... however, dancing was not one of them.

    "Potter, over here!"

    He turned to his left and saw Pansy sitting at a table with Daphne and Tracey next to her.

    He skimmed over the rest of the room and only found a few other groups of adults sitting down at the tables while a couple of girls wearing ck dresses walked around with trays of drinks.

    ''It seems like many of the guests have yet to arrive as that servant said.''

    He could not identify Lord Parkinson among the dozen or so Lords currently in the room since he had never seen him before, but he did spot Lord Greengrass and made a mental note to speak with him when he got the chance.

    While walking towards Pansy''s table, he made sure to get a good look at theyout of the room.

    The double doors he used to enter were also the only exit, and that led into a maze of corridors. ''That''s no good... I don''t even know where the exit is since I came through a portkey that took me inside the house.''

    The good news was the several ss doors at the end of the ballroom, which appeared to lead to a massive balcony.

    Among other things, his Nimbus 2001 was currently shrunken and hidden inside his pockets, making this balcony his best escape route if things go south. ''Just need to make sure it''s not locked...''

    "Good evening,dies." Harry offered them a formal greeting as was expected of him. He had recently been learning how to behave properly in formal situations, but he still had much to learn.

    Pansy had a bright smile on her face. "Wee, Potter. Please, take a seat." She pointed at the seat to her right.

    He gave the other two girls a passing nce. Tracey was not paying much attention, while Daphne stared at him with a weary smile.

 Chapter 142: The Ladies

    Chapter 142: The Ladies

    Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 142: The Ladies

    As the butler said, more people continued to enter over the course of the next hour.

    Harry recognized some of them, like Alecto Carrow, Lord Bulstrode, and Edward Nott.

    "Why is he sitting there?" Theodore Nott red at Harry with furious eyes, as he was currently seated to the right of Pansy.

    "Because I asked him to," Pansy said with a tone that left no room for arguments.

    Harry received many nasty res during thest hour, almost exclusively from the young male guests. He might still be learning about etiquette, but he at least knew what sitting on the right side of the host meant. He was being treated as the guest of honor, and many didn''t seem to like that fact.

    Theo was just the first one who had dared to speak up about it.

    "Tsk¡­fine," he decided to shut his mouth and sit down, not wanting to anger Pansy any further.

    Like most of the boys here, Theodore Nott had the desire to earn the engagement with the Parkinson family that the Malfoys had lost.

    And by giving Harry that seat, she was practically announcing who the first candidate was, making him the target of much contempt.

    Of course, Harry was not aware of all of this at the moment. After all, Slytherin gossip never leaves the Slytherin house. It is one of their unwritten rules.

    The ballroom continued to fill until only a few seats remained.

    At his table, most of the students were from the second year: Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, Nott, Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey.

    The only exception was Flora Carrow, who was currently in the third year, as well as her missing twin.

    The table next to theirs had older students, most of whom were boys Harry was able to recognize from the Quidditch team, like Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey, and Cassius Warrington, as well as a few others.

    "Who are we missing?" Tracey pointed at the empty chair on their table.

    "Zabini," Daphne was the first to answer.

    "It seems like his portkey was left forst," Nott nced at Pansy. "Did he offend you in any way?"

    Since the portkeys were arranged in order, it was inevitable that someone had to best.

    But it was considered a mild disrespect to be left forst. So it was an ''honor'' left for the least weed guest.

    "Let''s just say¡­" Pansy started. "I did not like the way his mother attempted to approach his engagement proposal¡­"

    "Did Lady Zabini try to seduce your father?" asked Millicent with a grin.

    "I believe she is looking for her next husband," Tracey added.

    "Oh, there they are," Nott pointed at the door.

    ise Zabini entered with a young woman at his side.

    If Harry didn''t already know better, he would have assumed that this was his older sister. The woman did not look a day older than twenty-five.

    She was beautiful in an almost unnatural way, with her olive skin, long ck hair, and a pair of clear amber eyes that were almost reaching a yellow color.

    ise and his mother came directly towards their table without stopping once to greet any of the other guests.

    "Miss Parkinson, greetings! It appears we are thest ones to arrive, how rude of me. I beg your pardon," Lady Zabini nced at Pansy with a provoking smile.

    Everyone at the table became tense after hearing herment.

    She apologized for arrivingte and called herself rude. But since the order of the portkeys was decided by the Parkinsons, she was essentially calling them out for being the rude ones.

    They all nced at Pansy, wondering what her reaction was going to be like.

    Harry, on the other hand, waspletely focused on Lady Zabini. But it wasn''t just for her alluring beauty.

    ''Why do I feel something off with her?...that aura, it reminds me of them¡­''

    "Do not worry much about it, Lady Zabini. We can all get careless sometimes. We just need to be more careful next time," the voice came from behind Lady Zabini.

    A gorgeous woman with pale skin and ck hair stood there, looking at the other woman with barely hidden contempt.

    "Mother¡­" Pansy muttered.

    "Lady Parkinson," Lady Zabini smiled at her. "You didn''t need toe all the way here. I was about to visit your husband''s table next."

    Harry moved his eyes away from the dark-skinned beauty and stared at the other woman.

    He was not surprised to find out that Lady Parkinson was the samedy he met back at Ollivanders. It had be evident after receiving the dragon skin holster that he himself had chosen a few days back.

    Lady Parkinson appeared to be extremely angry at the other woman, and Harry didn''t know what could have happened between the two of them, but he had heard some of the rumors surrounding Lady Zabini.

    She is also known as the ck Widow, and it is said that she has already married more than five times but all her husbands die in mysterious circumstances soon after the wedding.

    "There is no need to go speak with my husband," Lady Parkinson said with an icy tone. "Your seat is on the other side of the room," she said while pointing at a faraway table.

    Lady Zabini smiled with amusement, not looking bothered at all by the treatment she was receiving.

    "Then I better get going to my ce."

    She leaned over and gave her son a kiss on the cheek.

    "I''ll see youter, dear. Have fun."

    She turned around and walked with elegance across the room, turning many heads to nce at her curves.

    ise Zabini sat down, looking very embarrassed by the whole situation.

    "I had everything under control, Mother," Pansy huffed.

    "Of course you did. But dealing with adults is our job."

    Lady Parkinson''s eyes scanned the table until they stopped at Harry.

    "Mister Potter, it''s so good to see you again."

 Chapter 143: A Challenge

    Chapter 143: A Challenge

    Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 143: A Challenge

    "Good evening, Lady Parkinson," Harry returned the greeting.

    "Please, call me Aurora. No need to be so formal."

    "Lady Aurora, then," Harry replied. He couldn''t be that informal. "Call me Harry, please."

    "Can I call you Harry too?!" Pansy jumped at the opportunity. She didn''t like calling him Potter. But in high magical society, you couldn''t call someone by their name unless they permitted you. "And you can use my name also!" The girl said enthusiastically.

    "Very well¡­ Pansy," Harry said, starting to feel ufortable with this interaction.

    "By the way, Harry," Lady Parkinson called for his attention. "I truly want to formally thank you for saving my beloved daughter, but I believe my husband wanted to do that first." She nced at a distant table, and Harry tried to follow her eyes. "He seems to be upied at the moment, talking with some Lords. Perhaps after dinner?"

    "Of course, Lady Aurora," Harry said. He could wait a bit longer to finally meet this man.

    "Then, I will leave you children to have some fun and enjoy the party," she made a polite gesture and walked away towards her table.

    "Say, Potter," Bulstrode was the first one to speak, once Lady Parkinson was a good distance away.

    "Yes?" Harry nced at the huge girl. He did not know much about her, other than that she had a reputation for being violent.

    "Did it feel good to beat up Malfoy in such a way?" she asked, leaning forward.

    "I bet it did! Did you see how he wet his robes?" Nott chuckled.

    "Yes, we all saw that disgusting disy," Tracey covered her nose by reflex at the mere memory.

    "He lookedpletely terrified and embarrassed after that. I was told that he barely left his room for thest week," Zabini added.

    "You were so brave and gant, Harry," Pansy grinned. "No one has ever fought for me in such a way. I was very ttered."

    Harry flinched. ''Is that what she thinks happened? That my duel with Draco was just for her?''

    It wasn''tpletely wrong. After all, Malfoy was indeed fighting for her, or more urately, for her money. But Harry just wanted to be left alone.

    "Yes, yes¡­" Bulstrode rolled her eyes in annoyance. "But I wanted to hear what Potter thought."

    "I don''t have much to add. I did what I had to do¡­ nothing more," Harry gave her a vague answer.

    "Well, I''m d that you did it," Pansy leaned closer to him, making the other boys frown. "Malfoy has been such an annoyance all year¡­ someone had to put him in his ce."

    "Can we talk about something else?" Daphne sounded very annoyed.

    "Oi, Potter!" Someone called him from the next table.

    Harry nced over and noticed most of the older boys were staring at him with hostile eyes.

    The one who spoke right now was the Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint.

    "Is there something you need?" asked Harry.

    "I do, actually. First, you should address your seniors with more respect."

    "Only when said seniors treat me with the same respect," Harry answered.

    Marcus clenched his teeth. "And second, don''t get too cocky because you won a duel against a second-year boy."

    "That''s right, any of us could have done the same," Adrian Pucey said with a mocking tone.

    "You are all seniors, while Harry is just a second-year, like Malfoy," Daphne pointed out.

    "Watch your mouth, Greengrass, this has nothing to do with you. We are talking to the Gryffindor over here¡­." Cassius Warrington, the fifth-year chaser, told Daphne, his voice filled with spite. Lord Greengrass had recently rejected his second attempt at an engagement.

    "You are Warrington, right?" Harry''s voice became colder.

    "That''s right!" Warrington red at Harry.

    "I''ll remember that." He made a mental reminder to keep an eye on this one.

    "You know, Potter," Marcus Flint spoke, and didn''t dare to interrupt him now, so he had to remain quiet. "We would love to have a few friendly duels with you. We could exchange pointers and maybe give you some advice. Now I know you have been banned from that joke they called the ''Dueling Club,'' but we at Slytherin have our own private dueling arena in the dungeons. I could allow you to enter and participate¡­ what do you say?"

    "That could be fun, Potter; we could show you what a real duel looks like," Adrian Pucey had a creepy smile on his face.

    "Not interested," Harry answered.

    At this point, he wasn''t sure if all this animosity came because of their loss at Quidditch or because they were also after Pansy Parkinson and they considered him to be in the way.

    But it looked like a good opportunity to deal with a few Death Eaters'' new recruits.

    He knew that at least Warrington and Flint''s fathers were some seriously nasty wizards. If this could drag them into a conflict¡­ ''They may have something useful to say if I can get them alone,'' he considered.

    His reason for refusing Flint''s challenge was that it would look strange if a second-year suddenly epted an offer like that so quickly. And it wasn''t like they were going to give up. ''Those guys have made the decision toe after me¡­ let theme.''

    "Not interested, you say?" Flint chuckled. He already expected him to say no. But they would find a way to make him ept.

    "That''s enough, Flint," Pansy got annoyed. "Harry is my guest, and this is my party. If you can''t behave¡­"

    Flint raised his hands up. "My apologies, we''ll be good. I promise." He said those words, but the anger behind his smile said otherwise.

 Chapter 144: Letâ€™s Dance

    Chapter 144: Let¡¯s Dance

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 144: Let''s Dance

    "Mister Potter," Lord Parkinson came to their table after dinner, as Lady Aurora had told him.

    "Lord Parkinson," Harry greeted him back.

    This time he had to put in extra effort to avoid showing any contempt for the man in front of him.

    Lord Parkinson was a short man with a broad frame and a pudgy nose. He had short grey hair, showing his age, and dark eyes. He could not be called handsome by any stretch of the word.

    His daughter Pansy was very lucky to have inherited most of her looks from her mother, except for the nose.

    "I finally have a chance to meet you, the one who saved my precious daughter. I cannot thank you enough, Mister Potter," he said with a wide smile.

    By the way he was ncing at Harry, it was obvious that Lord Parkinson was talented at the mind arts because Harry could not feel an ounce of anger from the man. His words feltpletely genuine, and he would have believed them if he didn''t know better.

    ''No wonder he is so sessful at politics¡­ the man is a natural liar,'' Harry had to admit that much.

    "As the Lord of House Parkinson, I want to formally thank you, Mister Potter. And if there is anything that I can do for you, all you have to do is ask."

    Harry could feel the eyes of everyone in the ballroom staring at him, some with curiosity, while others with envy and rage.

    "I will need to think about it and consult with my parents," Harry knew what everyone was expecting him to ask, and he couldn''t straight up say that he had no intention to request any marriage proposal.

    That would be a great insult to the Parkinsons and a wasted opportunity.

    If everyone thought that he was going to take the great privilege of forming ties with the current most powerful conservative wizard family, they would be more desperate to make a move against him, like those boys from before.

    "Yes, that would be a good idea. Talk with them. I''m saddened they couldn''t attend today. Looking forward to speaking with James," Lord Parkinson did not lose the smile for a second as he spoke.

    Of course, he didn''t mean a single word he said. If his parents had attended the party, he may have not been able to resist doing something. And he would never even consider marrying his daughter to him. It was all for show.

    Lord Parkinson turned to look at Pansy.

    "My dear,e here and dance with your father," he said as he extended his hand.

    Pansy smiled and took his hand before being led to the center of the ballroom.

    "It is customary for the daughter to have her first dance with her father," Daphne whispered to his ear.

    She must have guessed that Harry was a bit clueless about the many customs pureblood families had as his own family didn''t follow many traditions.

    "Right, this reminds me of something," said Harry. He then got closer to Daphne.

    "Do you mind dancing with me for a bit?"

    "Seriously?" She was expecting to be asked that a lot tonight, but not by him.

    "Let''s just say that I don''t really have that much practice in that field. I could use some help."

    "Something the great Harry Potter doesn''t know how to do? I thought that was impossible¡­" Daphne pretended to be shocked.

    "There are a lot of things I don''t know¡­ so, do you mind?" He asked.

    "I''ll do what I can!" She got nervous and said thest part loud enough to be heard by the entire table.

    "What are you going to do?" Tracey nced at her with suspicion.

    "Nothing!" She was about to grab Harry''s hand when she seemed to recall something.

    "Harry, you have to offer me your hand," she whispered.

    He did as told and guided her to the center. There were already many couples dancing.

    "You know the basics at least? One hand on my shoulder and another one on my waist," Daphne instructed him.

    "Yes, I know this much." He still remembered the sses Professor McGonagall gave him during his fourth year.

    Thest time he had a chance to use that knowledge was¡­ the day of his wedding.

    ''It''s been so long¡­ a lifetime ago.''

    "Harry?... Harry." Daphne had to shake him off.

    Harry''s mind came back to the present.

    "Sorry, let''s continue." He ced his hands in the correct spots, and they started to move.

    "Your face was¡­ never mind." Daphne wasn''t sure what he was thinking about, but her instincts told her that it was better to let it go.

    The two of them danced for a while.

    Harry gave a nce at the podium where the instruments were.

    All of them were moving by themselves; there was no musician ying.

    "Hey, you''re not that bad. I thought you didn''t know how to dance," Daphnemented.

    "I guess I remember things better than I thought," Harry said.

    "Remember? It can''t be that long since you were taught. My mother started my sses around four years ago," Daphne didn''t understand how he could think he was going to forget that quickly.

    "Say¡­ do you think I can speak with your father alone tonight? I have a small request for him," Harry changed the topic. He''d rather not have her asking questions about his past.

    Daphne noticed this and frowned.

    "I suppose¡­ we can go to his table after this song is over¡­ you know¡­ Harry¡­" She seemed to be having trouble speaking about something.

    "Yes? You know you can tell me anything, Daphne."

    She sighed.

    "You know¡­ you have made a lot of enemies today¡­ there are a lot of boys aiming to marry Pansy¡­ when she asked you to sit at her right. You know what that meant, right?"

    Harry nodded.

    "I do know, yes. She was letting them know that I was going first."

    Daphne looked a bit surprised.

    "You knew¡­ and you are okay with it? I mean¡­ she likes you¡­ Pansy. If you also¡­ you can request it from Lord Parkinson, they owe you a great debt, so¡­ you know¡­ you can¡­"

    Harry had never seen this girl stammer her words so badly.

    "Would you calm down?" He got his face closer to speak in her ear as he didn''t want anyone to hear this.

    "I have no intention to get engaged to Parkinson. I just want others to think that way."

    "What? Why would you want that?" Daphne eximed.

    "I have my reasons¡­ I can''t tell you right now." Daphne still didn''t know anything about Lord Parkinson having be a pretender Dark Lord.

    ''I should inform the Greengrass family as soon as I can¡­ that way they can be more careful around that man.''

    "But I can assure you that no one is getting engaged¡­ not that Lord Parkinson would approve. He hates my family. I will tell you more, but not now and not here."

    "Is that so?... I hope you know what you are doing." Daphne had to look down to hide her smile.

 Chapter 145: Gathering information

    Chapter 145: Gathering information

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 145: Gathering information

    After their dance was over, Harry and Daphne went to Lord Greengrass'' table.

    Unfortunately, he was apanied by two other lords he was not familiar with, and he could not just ask to talk in private.

    No one was aware of the Potters'' connection to the Greengrasses, and it was better for it to remain this way.

    So Harry limited himself to exchanging the expected pleasantries and introducing himself to the other lords.

    Even after being told their names, he did not recognize them, so there was little chance that they were part of Voldemort''s forces in his time.

    This didn''t mean much. Maybe they weren''t important enough to be seen on the battlefield, or they could be simple coborators who didn''t fully join the organization.

    It is safe to assume that everyone at this party is either an ally of Lord Parkinson or, at the very least, a potential one.

    Even Lord Greengrass himself had to pretend to be on his side but was not yet willing topletelymit.

    Harry had already prepared for this likely scenario. He waited for an opportunity and handed a small package to Lord Greengrass.

    This package contained a sample of the type of arkstone he required for his artifacts and a note detailing his request plus a long list of ingredients.

    Greengrass took it without looking at him or making any gesture and stored it inside his robes.

    He would have to wait until returning to Hogwarts to hear his reply, likely delivered by his daughter.

    "There you are!" All of the current upants of the table turned their attention to the source of the noise.

    Pansy nced at Harry with her intense dark eyes.

    "I have been looking for you everywhere, Harry."

    "I believe thedy wants to dance, Mister Potter," Lord Greengrass said calmly.

    "It would be rude to make her ask," he then added.

    "Of course." Harry stood up and offered his hand to the girl, who happily took it with a wide grin on her face.

    "Daphne, why don''t you stay here for a bit? I have some things to discuss," Lord Greengrass said.

    Harry realized that he was probably trying to save her the trouble of being asked to dance by a lot of the boys here.

    She may not be as popr as Pansy, but there was no shortage of families who would like to get their hands on the Greengrass fortune and business.

    Harry guided Pansy to the center of the ballroom, and they started to dance, feeling a bit more confident after the practice with Daphne.

    "Are you enjoying the party, Harry?" The girl asked, feeling a bit nervous.

    "I am¡­ you have a very nice house. But I assume you don''t live here; do youe here often?" He asked.

    She nodded.

    "We have two other vis that we visit more often. This is just the third time I have been in this one, I think."

    ''So they have three vis and one main house. Lord Parkinson chose the one they visit less often for this party. It could be a coincidence or¡­ he didn''t want to reveal the location of some of his more important homes to one or more of the guests.''

    "I noticed that you have a lot of servants but haven''t seen any house elves working here," Harrymented.

    "My father doesn''t like house elves. He says they can''t be trusted. Instead, we have those servants. Most of them are squibs, except for the chief butler who is a half-blood."

    ''No house elves for security and only one actual wizard¡­ noted.''

    Harry noticed that she was starting to look bored and realized he could not just perform an interrogation.

    "You have a lovely dress," he decided toment.

    Her face immediately changed.

    "Really? You like it?" She had recovered her smile now.

    He felt a bit guilty for manipting this young girl. But he had a good reason for doing so at least.

    They continued to dance for the full songs while Harry gave her a mixture ofpliments and questions, trying to gain as much information as he could.

    In the end, all he could find out was that their main home was somewhere in the north of Scond and the names of the closest lords to her family, the Notts and the Rosiers.

    Nothing crucial so far, but it did open the door for more opportunities in the nearby future.

    Eventually, they were interrupted by Pansy''s mother, who came to scold her daughter for ignoring her other guests in favor of Harry.

    "I have to go, Harry." She looked very apologetic when she said that.

    "Ipletely understand; do not worry about me." Harry then noticed that one of the ss doors leading to the balcony was open.

    "I think I will go take some fresh air¡­ excuse me."

    As he approached the doors, he spotted the alluring figure of Lady Zabini outside.

 Chapter 146: The Alluring Lady

    Chapter 146: The Alluring Lady

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 146: The Alluring Lady

    Harry observed the beautiful olive-skinned woman from a distance as she conversed with some older gentlemen.

    She smiled andughed at whatever the old fellow was telling her while running her fingers along his arm in a very seductive manner.

    Then, she leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, and the man responded with something like ''I''ll be right back'' before walking away with an expression of pure joy.

    "Aren''t you a bit young to be staring at me so much?" Lady Zabini turned her yellow eyes toward him.

    Most boys his age would be embarrassed after being caught staring at a woman and would walk away. But Harry did something different. He didn''t move his eyes away from her and walked closer.

    Lady Zabini furrowed her eyebrows at his behavior.

    "Did the Potters fail to teach you basic manners? You should answer when an adult asks you a question."

    Harry stopped a few feet away from her.

    Lady Zabini observed his unusual behavior with a hint of curiosity.

    She had seen many adult men react like this in her presence. They would be enthralled by her beauty, unable to think clearly. At least, not with their heads on top of their shoulders.

    But her abilities had never worked on children this young before, and she was curious about why it seemed to be affecting this one.

    In truth, what Harry found interesting about this particr woman was not her physical appearance but her magic.

    From the first time he saw her, Harry could feel something trying to invade his mind. She was emanating something akin to a passivepulsion simr to the Ve allure but also different.

    This, by itself, was intriguing, but more importantly, he sensed that something else was mixed with her magic. Something that he was both familiar with and wary of.

    Harry was not the sensory type, so it took him a while to figure out what it was.

    But now, being very close to this woman, he finally solved the mystery.

    "Are you just going to stare at me all night without saying anything? You''re not going to charm manydies like that," Lady Zabini said yfully.

    "I see¡­ you must be a half-blood then," Harry deduced.

    "Excuse me?" The amusement vanished from her voice.

    "I am very much a pure-blood."

    "I wasn''t talking about that nonsense. I was referring to your human blood¡­ You aren''tpletely human, are you?"

    "What did you say?" She now looked angry.

    Throughout her life, she had heard many rumors about herself. Like she was a master of mind arts and used that to brainwash men. Or that she used potions, or that she was a demoness and used her unnatural allure to seduce people and steal their souls.

    "I don''t know what rumors you''ve heard about me, but none of it is true."

    She was tired of all the talking behind her back. She had always been good at attracting people, especially men.

    After bing an adult, she started to use her natural skills to elevate her family''s poor status.

    Thanks to all the money she had acquired from her marriages to old men, the Zabinis were one of the richest families in Britain.

    Harry raised an eyebrow at her response.

    ''That sounded honest¡­''

    "Wait, so you don''t know what you are? It must have happened many generations ago, then¡­"

    "Is this some new prank? Because it''s not funny. And I don''t have time for this, so-"

    "I''m back!" the old Lord from before emerged onto the balcony carrying a couple of drinks.

    He then noticed Harry.

    "What is this boy doing here?"

    "He is one of my son''s ssmates, and he was about to leave, isn''t that right?" She said to Harry in a harsh tone.

    "Yes, I better go back inside." His curiosity had been satisfied, and he had no business with her.

    He had briefly considered killing her because of her demon blood. But it seemed that whatever pact her ancestors made with a demon happened so long ago that her demon blood was extremely diluted, and she was not even aware of this fact or that she was passively using a demonic lure to seduce men.

    If he had to guess, a distant ancestor of hers had managed to procreate with either a subus or an incubus, and this was the result.

    Now that he knew this, she held no more interest for him. As long as she didn''t provoke him, he had no reason to end her life.

    When Harry returned inside, he saw a few people at his table. The duo of Crabbe and Goyle were still there, eating sweets.

    They had not moved from there the entire time and barely said anything.

    Daphne was also there, sitting next to Bulstrode, and there was also an older boy standing next to them.

    Daphne didn''t seem happy at all while speaking with this boy. They seemed to be arguing about something.

    Harry approached the table to see what all the fuss was about.

    He now recognized the boy. He was one of the Slytherin beaters, but he forgot his name.

    "Come on, Greengrass¡­ it''s just one dance. It''ll be fun, I promise," the boy leaned closer.

    "I told you my feet are hurting. I don''t feel like dancing with anyone now." Daphne had long lost her calm persona. It was the third time she rejected him, but he would not go away.

    The boy then smiled and leaned closer, putting a hand on Daphne''s shoulder.

    "Come on, just one d-arggg!"

    The boy yelped in pain when he felt someone grabbing his arm and moving him away from Daphne.

    "I believe the Lady said no, very clearly. You should take the hint and move on."

    "L-let me go." The older boy red at the person who grabbed his arm with such force that he could almost hear his bones crack.

    "Potter?!" He thought it was Warrington at first since he was the one aiming the most for Greengrass. But he was shocked when he saw the second-year Gryffindor instead.

    "Release me!"

    Harry let him go.

    "It''s best if you leave now," he said calmly.

    The senior became enraged at being humiliated like this by a junior.

    He reached for his wand, aiming it at Harry''s face.

    "What do you think you''re doing?!" Daphne yelled.

    This drew the attention of most of the room.

    The boy snapped out of it and realized what he was doing.

    If he cast a spell here, he would be forever banned from most events¡­ at the very least.

    "What is this?" Lord Greengrass approached, apanied by other Lords.

    "Boy, have you lost your mind?" Lady Parkinson eximed.

    "Put that wand away!"

    "Harry!" Pansy came running.

    The senior quickly stored his wand back into his robes.

    "It''s not what it looks like!... We were just kidding around, and I wanted to show him my wand."

    He said the first thing that came to his mind.

    "Tsk!" Marcus Flint frowned.

    "That idiot," he huffed.

    He and Adrian were nning a way to provoke Potter into a duel but in the end, it was one of them who was provoked into doing something dumb.

    "Now we won''t be able to¡­" Adrian Pucey started.

    "I know!" Marcus spat.

    "Julian, I want you to apany Mister Derrick to the firece and open the floowork for him. He is leaving." Lord Parkinson said it with a tone of authority that left no room to argue.

    "Certainly." The butter nodded.

    Peregrine Derrick knew he had made a huge mistake tonight. But his anger was all directed towards one person.

    ''Potter, you are going to pay for this!'' he promised himself.

 Chapter 147: Time Passes

    Chapter 147: Time Passes

    Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author''s notes -

    Chapter 147: Time Passes

    Once the boy was escorted out, the party returned to normal, and Harry sat down next to Daphne.

    "That was very reckless, Potter, to confront a senior like that," Bulstrode said. "¡­I like it, you have balls." She then gave him a nod of approval.

    Harry ignored herstment. "Who was that guy?" He knew he was a Quidditch yer but did not know much more.

    "Peregrine Derrick, a sixth-year beater from the Quidditch team," Daphne told him.

    "Is he always like that?"

    Daphne sighed. "He can be bothersome, but he never irritated me this much before."

    "That''s because he is afraid of getting in trouble¡­ I guess he took too many fire whiskeys today," Bulstrode said.

    "I heard that he always goes for the youngest girls, like first and second years. But he knows better than offending an important family like yours."

    ''I''m going to have to keep an eye on that one¡­'' Harry thought. ''Lyra, Ginny, and Luna are still first years¡­ if that guy dares to even look at them in a weird way¡­ I may have to bury him in the Chamber of Secrets.''

    "Harry, you are making a scary face again," Daphne whispered to him.

    "Nonsense, I don''t have a scary face," Harry retorted.

    "You totally do! You were making one right now," Daphne said back while leaning closer to him without realizing it.

    "Look, if anyone is going to be making scary faces, it should be the Ice Queen of Slytherin."

    Her face gained a tinge of red. "No one actually calls me that."

    "And they shouldn''t, you are far too emotional for that title," Harry told her.

    "That''s your fault!" She started to raise her voice.

    "You two are very close, huh? It seems like Pansy haspetition." Bulstrode had been watching them interact with a face of amusement.

    Daphne was about toin when more people returned to the table, forcing her to remain quiet.

    "I did not touch anything!" Nott huffed before sitting down.

    "You put your hands on my butt as we danced, don''t try to deny it!" an enraged Tracey pointed her finger at him.

    "Maybe he just wanted to check if there was something there. After all, it''s hard to tell with those loose robes," Zabini chuckled.

    "Don''t listen to him, it was an ident!" Nott eximed.

    "Oh, ise, I saw your mother talking very passionately with Lord Williams. I think you are getting a new dad soon," Bulstrode said jokingly.

    "What?! Not that old fool!" ise stood up and ran out.

    Pansy came back to the table looking exhausted after spending thest two hours dancing.

    The party came to a close without any other notable events.

    The older boys kept throwing nasty nces at Harry, but none of them tried anything after Derrick was kicked out of the party.

    Lord Parkinson came apanied by his wife to say goodbye before he left. He sounded polite and respectful the entire time, and Harry could not detect an ounce of hostility toward him. Just goes to show how good he was at lying.

    <><><><><><><>

    The family remained together for the rest of the holiday, receiving only a brief visit from Ginny.

    Harry enjoyed every second he spent like this. And he was willing to face anything or anyone to keep them safe from harm.

    Upon returning to school, Daphne contacted him to inform that her father had epted his request but it would take time to find everything on his list and that it would be very expensive.

    Harry told her that money was not an issue, after all, he had several millions of Galleons stored in a secret location. Courtesy of Lucius Malfoy, who was paranoid enough to keep most of his fortune at home.

    He was not in a hurry either. Most of those materials, he won''t need them before starting his third year. And only a few were required for the next summer

    He has requested arge number of things for several different projects, like creating a golem for Holly, restoring his broken artifacts, orpleting the materials needed for his nned rituals.

    <><><><><><><>

    Time in Hogwarts passed quickly once he went back to his usual routines.

    The older Slytherin boys did not make any trouble for him. It''s not what he expected, but it seems they were being patient about this.

    Later on, he found out that Lord Parkinson made a formal announcement informing the other Lords that his daughter''s engagement would not be decided until next year, putting all proposals on hold.

    Daphne kept him informed about other things too. Like how Malfoy had bepletely isted inside the Slytherin house.

    No one would talk to him unless it was to offer some mockery.

    His family''s financial situation had gotten worse. There were rumors saying that Lady Malfoy had sold the ancestral home along with all their vis except for one, where they were living now.

    Draco looked miserable now, but Harry could not feel bad for him. That boy always had a dark heart and enjoyed the suffering of those he considered to be beneath him.

    For his part, Harry made good use of this peaceful time to train in the Room of Requirements and to work on tranting the Time book he acquired from Dumbledore.

    He continued to win every Quidditch game in the same manner as before, and the Gryffindor team was on its way to winning the Quidditch Cup.

    His method of ying did not make him very popr among the majority of the spectators who came to enjoy a nice game of Quidditch only for it to end after a few seconds.

    The other yers were even more unhappy and had requested for the Professors to take action.

    Harry had the feeling that next year, there were going to be a few new rules.

    Then, in May¡­ something happened that made Harry''s blood boil and will start a great change in the Slytherin house.

 Chapter 148: Luna in trouble

    Chapter 148: Luna in trouble

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    Chapter 148: Luna in trouble

    Early May, just a few minutes before curfew.

    Harry was inside the Room of Requirements, finishing his routine training when a nearby painting spoke to him.

    "Sir, a young student is being attacked!" An old knight wearing silver armor suddenly appeared in the painting.

    Harry had been using the paintings and several elves to keep an eye on the castle after hearing some disturbing rumors about the older Slytherin boys.

    Dumbledore didn''t know about this, but the paintings could not tell him either since Harry had made use of his full authority. But he was sure the old man would probe if he did.

    Since January, he had stopped four attacks on younger students; this being the fifth one.

    An elf popped into the room.

    "Master Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby called.

    Harry now had a bad feeling. Dobby was only watching three very specific girls.

    "Who is it?" He asked his elf urgently.

    "Miss Luna, sir!" Dobby said.

    "Take me there." Harry extended his hand, and the elf took it.

    They both disappeared from the room and reappeared in a corridor that Harry recognized as belonging to the seventh floor of the castle.

    "Get back here!"

    Harry heard a boy''s voice nearby. He pulled out his wand and ran towards the sound.

    He caught a glimpse of the boy entering an abandoned ssroom and followed behind.

    Harry then found Luna on the other side of the ssroom, looking at the boy with fear in her eyes.

    She didn''t appear injured but was missing her shoes and having a hard time breathing.

    "Finally¡­" The boy was also huffing but not as much as Luna.

    "Now you are min-"

    A red light hit the back of his head, and he fell down.

    "Luna, are you okay?" Harry asked the frightened girl.

    "Harry?" She looked confused at his sudden appearance.

    "It''s me, you are okay now, Luna." He approached the girl while giving the stunned boy a passing nce.

    ''Peregrine Derrick¡­''

    He had been expecting to catch this one much earlier given his reputation. But this was the first.

    "Is he dead?" Luna pointed at the older boy.

    ''Had this happened outside the school he may have been¡­'' He thought.

    "No, just stunned, don''t worry about him. He is not going to move any time soon¡­ can you tell me what happened?"

    He knew she had not been hurt by him. Dobby would have stopped him if that was the case.

    But that was ast resort. After all, a house elf attacking a student could lead to some unwanted investigation. And Dobby is technically a wanted elf after the Malfoys'' incident.

    "I went out to look for my shoes; they told me they saw them somewhere around here." Luna tried to exin.

    "They?".

    "The older girls...they told me where to find my shoes when they saw me looking for them. Then, that boy approached me¡­ he had a lot of Plimpies buzzing around him, and I didn''t like it so I ran away, and he then started to chase me for some reason¡­ do you think I did something wrong?"

    "No¡­ you did well at running away from this guy¡­ okay, I think I understand the situation, let me deal with this now. I''m going to apany you back to yourmon room. It''s already past curfew," said Harry.

    "What about my shoes?" She pointed at her naked feet.

    "Dobby, can you find them? They should be hanging somewhere nearby."

    "Yes, Harry Potter, Master sir!" They could not see the elf as he was currently hiding, so they just heard his voice.

    "Who''s that?" Luna tilted her head to one side.

    "My elf. You can call him too if you are in some trouble. But he is not allowed to appear in front of other people," Harry exined.

    "Why not?"

    "It''s a long story¡­"

    A pair of red shoes appeared out of nowhere and floated in front of Luna.

    "My shoes!" She took them with a smile on her face and put them on.

    Harry then escorted her to Ravenw Tower while the stunned body of Derrick levitated behind them.

    "How long are you going to keep him like that?" Luna pointed at the older boy.

    "Just a bit longer, I need to take him somewhere. Why?" Harry asked.

    Luna shrugged. It didn''t seem like she was concerned for him and just asked out of curiosity.

    This girl was always hard to read for Harry. He could never tell what she was thinking.

    "I want to enter." Luna walked to the statue guarding the tower and spoke to it.

    The statue came to life immediately.

    "Then you have to answer this riddle, what i-"

    "Open." Harry interrupted the talking golem, he was not in the mood for riddles.

    This one immediately shut up, and the entrance opened.

    "Whoa! I''ve never seen anyone answering a riddle so fast. He only said two words!" Luna looked very impressed.

    "Let''s go." Harry walked inside.

    Luna didn''t make ament about him walking into hermon room despite being a Gryffindor and followed him inside.

    "There you are!, I was about to go out and look for you." Professor Flitwick had been standing close to the entrance and rushed to her as soon as she entered.

    "Mister Potter, what are you doing here?"

    "Well, I am the one who found your missing student. And I also wanted to speak with you about something."

    "I assume it''s rted to Miss Lovegood''s disappearance, yes?" The professor asked. When Harry nodded, he continued.

    "Very well, then I will allow you to stay in Ravenw Tower for a bit. Come to my office, you too Miss Lovegood."

    "Is the floating boy going to wait outside?" Luna asked.

    "Floating boy?" Flitwick became confused.

 Chapter 149: Visiting the Potions Professor

    Chapter 149: Visiting the Potions Professor

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    Chapter 149: Visiting the Potions Professor

    Harry left the tower entrance, and it closed behind him.

    The conversation had left Professor Flitwick very riled up.

    He was truly not happy to find out about some of his "Ravens" bullying a first-year student.

    Harry just limited himself to giving him the facts but didn''t try to push things further.

    The main reason for this was that he knew the girls who did this and why they did it. Cho Chang and Marietta Edgbe could be mean sometimes, but they were not evil either.

    Luna''s encounter with Derrick was just a coincidence and not something they had nned to happen; otherwise, Harry would have taken matters into his own hands instead of letting the professor decide their punishment.

    ''I will still be having a conversation with those two¡­''

    After all, he was probably the reason for this sudden ''prank'' on Luna. Cho had been bitter with him all year for her losses at Quidditch. And she knew that Luna was a friend of his since they sat together often during meals.

    So it wasn''t hard to reach the conclusion on why this happened.

    "Dobby." He called once back in the corridor.

    "Master?"

    "You think you can remember Luna''s shoes? Their size and style? You know, the ones you just recovered a moment ago."

    "Dobby remembers! Dobby has a very good memory." The elf said with excitement.

    "Very good, Dobby. Tomorrow, I want you to make a trip to Diagon Alley and buy two identical pairs and one of those high-security suitcases. You can take the money from that ce where we keep things."

    "Of course, Dobby can do it!"

    Harry then recalled something.

    "Wait¡­ send Mipsy to Diagon Alley, don''t go yourself. Better not risk someone recognizing you there. Once you have the items, bring them here. If my parents see you and ask anything¡­ tell them that I will exinter."

    The elf disappeared, leaving Harry alone with the stunned Derrick.

    It was not hard to convince Flitwick to let him carry the boy directly to Snape since he was the one who knocked him down.

    Harry started to walk while making the floating body of Derrick follow behind him.

    But after a few steps, he stopped and looked back.

    "Finite incantatem."

    Derrick''s body fell back onto the hard stone floor with a thud, and he woke up.

    "Wha¡­ what hap-"

    Harry threw another stunner at him before he could get a grip on the situation.

    He then grabbed Derrick by one foot and started to drag him across the floor with zero concern for his well-being.

    "Much better¡­" Harry nodded.

    "Thud!"

    Derrick''s head was hit against a wall as they turned a corner.

    "It''s going to be a long way to the dungeons¡­."

    <><><><><><><>

    It was well over an hour after curfew when Harry arrived at Snape''s door.

    Harry ced a hand on the pommel, and it unlocked immediately.

    "What?! Headmaster?" Snape was startled. Dumbledore had never entered his office at this hour without notice, making him think it must be a very urgent matter.

    "Not quite¡­" Harry came inside while still carrying the older boy.

    He was a bit surprised to have made it this far, considering Derrick was at least twice his size.

    ''I must be in even better shape than I thought.''

    "Potter?! How did you open my door? What are you doing here at this time? Is that one of my students?" Snape wasn''t sure what to get angry at first.

    "I''m not telling you. I came to deliver this guy, and yes, he is one of yours." Harry answered.

    Snape pulled out his wand, his eyes seethed with fury. He does not remember thest time he was this angry with someone.

    "Calm down, Professor, you are going to hurt yourself with that thing," Harry said while pointing at his wand and then walked to one of the shelves, looking for something.

    "You better have an excellent exnation for this¡­" Snape got closer to the stunned boy.

    Derrick was in a terrible state after being dragged across seven floors. His robes were torn, his skin was covered in bruises and cuts, his face was hard to recognize, and his limbs were bent in impossible ways.

    "What in Merlin''s name happened to him?!" Snape was shocked. He had never seen a student get this badly hurt.

    "Ah, there it is." Harry finally found the type of ss bottle he had been looking for. He then used his wand to extract a set of memories and ced them in the small bottle.

    This, of course, surprised Snape. Pulling memories like that was not easy and required the person to have a decent mastery of lumency...otherwise, the memories would be an iprehensible mess.

    "You can go review thister in the Headmaster''s office if you need evidence." Harry ced the bottle filled with the memories he prepared about Derrick on top of the table.

    "But if you want to know what happened¡­ I caught this waste of oxygen chasing after a first-year girl to assault her."

    "What?!" Snape eximed with shock.

    "That first year also happens to be a friend of mine." Harry added.

    Snape looked back at the destroyed boy.

    "You did this to a sixth-year?"

    "Not directly¡­ but it doesn''t matter now."

    "Potter, you could end up worse than expelled for this! You coul-"

    "Oh, please. Save me the poor attempt to scare me." Harry interrupted him.

    "But let me tell you something, the only reason this ''thing'' is still alive is that I still have some respect for the old man, and I don''t want to kill a student inside his school. Had this happened outside these walls¡­ he would not be breathing right now."

    Snape took a step back without thinking after seeing the expression on Harry''s face. He was used to seeing eyes like those. The eyes of a cold killer.

    ''How can a boy this young have eyes like those?'' he didn''t understand it.

    ''Is this really Lily''s son?''

    He had to admit that he had been wrong about the boy. Since the first time he saw that face, he thought he was going to be another James Potter. A troublemaker, a prankster, and a bully¡­ but the Harry he was seeing now was not that¡­ it was something much more dangerous.

    "Who are you?" The professor asked.

 Chapter 150: Time

    Chapter 150: Time

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 150: Time

    "I don''t think this is the time or ce to get philosophical, Professor. But if you are contemting the idea that I am an imposter¡­ then once again, I will ask you to take those concerns to the Headmaster. He can vouch for my identity."

    Snape didn''t say anything and didn''t move from his ce either. He appeared to be having some trouble processing the situation.

    "Stop thinking so much, just take these memories, take that pervert to the infirmary, and then go see the Headmaster."

    Harry started to walk away.

    "Potter! I didn''t say you could leave!" He snapped back to reality and reacted by lifting his wand and pointing at Harry again.

    Harry ignored the angry professor. Snape could be very temperamental sometimes, but he was not going to shoot at his back like a coward.

    "I said stop!" Snape shouted.

    Harry stopped right at the door frame and without turning around, he spoke again.

    "I can already imagine how this is going to go down. Despite everything, Dumbledore will not expel that boy because he likes to think that people can change if they are given enough chances. He likes to see the good side in everything¡­but you and I know better, right, Professor?"

    Harry nced back.

    "Some people have no good side¡­ I want this to serve as a warning¡­keep your house in line, or the next time something like this happens, I will do it myself."

    He exited the office after saying what he wanted to say, leaving behind a shocked Professor Snape.

    "It seems like I have beenpletely wrong¡­"

    Snape muttered, still looking at the open door left by Harry.

    "You are nothing like your father."

    He wondered for a moment if that was a good or a bad thing, before remembering that he had more urgent matters to attend to.

    <><><><><><><><><>

    On the next day, Harry expected to be called to the Headmaster''s office, but the call never came.

    He could not guess what Dumbledore was thinking but could only hope that at least Snape took his advice seriously.

    Luna was left alone after that. Harry had no idea what Professor Flitwick could have told the girls, but it appeared to have worked, at least for now¡­

    By the end of May, Harry had to make another trip to the Chamber of Secrets.

    essing the Chamber was much easier this time around.

    All the nasty protections set in ce by Szar Slytherin werepletely removed and reced by some much weaker and harmless ones instead.

    Myrtle was not very happy to see him again, especially when he destroyed part of her bathroom once more.

    This time, he made sure that no one was following him at least.

    Not that he expected to fight any more dangerous beasts, but you never know.

    "Oh? They have done some cleaning down here." The debris had been removed so he had no trouble walking around.

    When he reached the innermost chamber, he noticed the ceiling had been restored and the holes had been covered. The Chamber was still in a deplorable state despite this but at least it won''t copse anytime soon.

    "Still stinks, though¡­" The rancid smell of dead basilisks made it difficult to breathe here.

    "No matter¡­ I didn''te here for fun."

    Harry tapped the stone tiles with his wand and transfigured a simple stone table. He then ced an old book on top and opened it.

    "Let''s see¡­" He flipped through the pages.

    This was, of course, none other than the Time Book, the one lent by Dumbledore. After months of tranting it and studying its contents, he was finally confident enough in his knowledge to perform some tests.

    His main objective was to find the cause of what happened in this ce a few months ago, which could in turn, answer a few other questions he had.

    The Time Book contained the insights of many experts in the field of time and space magic.

    It talked about the dangers of time travel and how, when someone travels back in time, that person is at a constant risk of creating an entire parallel universe.

    If the traveler does something to change the timeline, no matter how small the change is, even if it''s only something like breaking a window that was not supposed to be broken in the time he came from, then¡­ another parallel timeline wille into existence.

    The timeline where the window was never broken will remain the same, but now the traveler will be in a timeline where that window was always meant to be broken by him.

    Those two realities will now exist parallel with each other, covered but unable to interact with one another.

    Even small things could lead to big changes. Like his mother getting pregnant a few weeks earlier, meaning that he would be born earlier and not form part of the prophecy.

    Time travel has existed for several centuries already and even with all the restrictions put in ce by the Ministry, there have been thousands of persons traveling in time since its conception.

    The amount of new realities spawning from all those travels is impossible to calcte.

    But what worried Harry was that once created, these alternate universes should have remained separated.

    "But that doesn''t seem to be the case anymore¡­"

    A.N: -I want you to keep in mind that this type of time travel is something I made for the fic and is not how it works in canon. Canon time travel is supposed to work on a close loop where changing anything is going to be impossible. This one is the type where if you change anything, then a new timeline is created, like in "Back From the Future". This was a necessary change because I needed those alternate timelines to exist for the story to work since Harry had initiallye from a different timeline. -

 Chapter 151: A Small Convergence

    Chapter 151: A Small Convergence

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 151: A Small Convergence

    There are a few recorded cases of people iming to have temporarily slipped into a parallel timeline only to return momentster. But there was no hard evidence that these things did happen.

    Some believe there are specific ces where the walls between two realities be thinner, allowing people to identally pass through.

    Harry held his wand and performed a series of detection spells he had learned from the book.

    "Mmm¡­I see. It is as I thought after all." He confirmed at least one of his theories.

    The intense magic of the Chamber had made the space extremely chaotic and unstable.

    That would make it possible for the basilisks living here to appear in from different timelines.

    "That exins why so many supposedly unique magical creatures ended up in the same ce. Meaning that my theory about the ''Kodoku'' ritual was not that far off.

    Countless basilisks became trapped inside this Chamber and started to devour each other. The powerful ancient magic in this ce must have acted as a Kodoku jar.

    "An unintended ritual¡­ that''s how that massive monster came to be. This was not someone''s plot but just some cosmic ident."

    "But why here though? Why did hundreds or even thousands of those basilisks all end up being locked in this particr reality and not somewhere else?"

    "Could it be because of me?" He didn''t want to sound arrogant, but he had experienced a lot of bizarre thingstely.

    He saw an alternate version of himself back at Diagon Alley and an alternate Hermione on the train. Not to mention the fact that he was here in the first ce was already very strange¡­

    "What if I am the cause of all of these anomalies?"

    Thest chapter of the book was written by one of the inventors of the ''time dust'' contained inside the Time Turners, and he was one of the first time travelers in recorded history.

    During hister years of life, he wrote a veryplex theory called "The Convergence Event". In it, the author reflected on the dangers of time travel itself and how one day, his invention was going to bring about the end of all existence.

    "Maybe I should consult with someone else about this. Perhaps the Headmaster could offer some useful insight on the¡­ what?!"

    All of a sudden, his vision became blurry. He took off his sses and rubbed his eyes.

    When he opened them again, he was shocked to find the Chamber of Secretspletely changed. The damage was all gone, and all the snake statues were back in ce, along with the water at the sides of the corridor. Even the statue of Szar Slytherin at the end lookedpletely pristine.

    "Ginny, please, wake up!"

    Two figures came into view at the end of the stone path¡­ a young boy was kneeling next to an unconscious girl.

    "Oh, not this¡­" Harry became mesmerized by the familiar scene.

    "Right¡­ this also happened at the end of May, didn''t it?"

    He wasn''t sure if this was the same day, but it looked like he was the one who had broken into a different timeline.

    ''If that is the case, then¡­ he should be about to appear.'' Harry nced to the left of where his alternate version was.

    "She won''t wake." A handsome young man made his entrance, walking with confidence toward the two kids.

    "Tom¡­ Tom Riddle?" Little Harry asked. "What do you mean she won''t wake?... she is not¨C"

    "She is still alive." Tom interrupted him and got closer. "But only just¡­"

    It seemed like no one had noticed the second Harry standing in the middle of the corridor.

    "Are you a ghost?" Little Harry asked.

    "I am a memory," Tom answered. "A memory preserved in a diary for fifty years."

    Little Harry checked on Ginny again. "She is cold as ice¡­ please don''t be dead!"

    While he was distracted, Tom took the opportunity to steal the boy''s wand.

    "You have to help me, Tom...there is a basilisk down here!" Little Harry said with urgency.

    Tom had a satisfied grin, confident that his victory was assured. "It won''te...unless it''s called."

    Little Harry then noticed his wand had been stolen.

    ''Took him a while¡­'' Harry rolled his eyes. ''Was I ever that naive?... maybe I was.''

    "Give me my wand, Tom," Little Harry requested softly, still not realizing what was happening.

    "You won''t be needing it," Tom prevented Harry from grabbing his wand.

    "Listen, Tom, we have to go! We have to save her!" Little Harry eximed.

    "I can''t do that, Harry¡­ you see, as Ginny grows weaker, I grow stronger," Tom told him.

    Little Harry was so confused

    "Yes, Harry¡­ it was Ginny Weasley who op¨C"

    "Oh, shut up, Tom!" Harry''s patience had reached its limits, and he decided to do something other than stand there and watch as his lookalike made a fool of himself.

    "And you!" He pointed at Little Harry. "How long is it going to take for you to realize that he is the bad guy? Because it''s getting bloody embarrassing¡­"

    Both Tom and Little Harry turned to look at him.

    "What is this?!" Tom''s eyes went back and forth between the two Harrys.

    "Who are you?!" Little Harry became startled.

    "Someone who shouldn''t be here¡­ but here I am for some reason so let''s make something useful at least."

    Harry gave his wand a flick, and Ginny''s body started to levitate. "Exaresco." He then used the drying charm to remove all the water from her clothes.

    "Much better."

    Little Harry stared at him in awe. "How did you do that? Why do you look like me?!"

    "Well, you see¡­ I am you," He then turned to Tom.

    "Hello Voldemort, or do you actually prefer to be called Tom now? Because that would be awkward¡­"

 Chapter 152: Facing the past

    Chapter 152: Facing the past

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 152: Facing the past

    "You''re me? Wait¡­ you''re Voldemort?!" Little Harry wasn''t sure what to be more surprised about.

    "I was getting to that part¡­" Tom was losing his cool persona. "But it''s true...Voldemort and I are one and the same." He then used the stolen wand to write his name in the air and rearranged the letters to spell ''I am Lord Voldemort''.

    Little Harry gasped. "It''s really you then! You are the one behind all of this! You must also be the Heir of Slytherin."

    Tom smiled. "Who else but me would be worthy of such a title?"

    "He thought it was Draco Malfoy." Harry pointed at Little Harry.

    "I-I did not!" He got embarrassed.

    "It was Ron''s idea!" and threw his friend under the metaphorical bus.

    "I do wonder¡­ why is there another Harry Potter now?" Tom observed him carefully.

    "I could have guessed a time turner¡­ but you two look too different to only be a few hours apart¡­ a badly made Polyjuice perhaps?"

    Harry nced at Little Harry. Tom was not wrong¡­ despite being the same person, they were quite different.

    Harry''s body was in perfect shape, unlike his malnourished counterpart. He wore new sses made of enchanted silver instead of those old broken ones that Aunt Petunia found in the donation bin of the church.

    He also wore expensive, tailor-made clothes under his silk robes.

    His hair was wellbed and secured in ce with a charm that prevented it from bing messy like it used to be.

    "We do look different, yes¡­ but we are the same in the end. However, exining exactly who I am and how I got here would take too long, and I''m not sure I have that much time."

    "No matter! One Potter or two, the basilisk will take care of you!" Tom shouted.

    "The basilisk?!" Little Harry got rmed.

    While Tom was busy speaking Parseltongue, Harry took the chance to move the levitating Ginny closer to him.

    The girl was still clutching onto the diary.

    "I''ll be taking that¡­" He then pointed his wand at her and ced a sanctuary barrier.

    The protective cocoon enveloped herpletely in a sphere of pure white light.

    "What did you do to her?!" Little Harry demanded to know.

    "This is a protective barrier so she doesn''t get more hurt than she already is. But you should be paying more attention to that."

    Harry pointed to the statue of Szar Slytherin as its mouth opened and the basilisk emerged.

    Even though he was terrified, Little Harry tried to speak with the snake using Parseltongue and convince it to go away.

    "It won''t work, it only listens to me," Tom said with a tinge of smugness. But then he noticed Ginny. "What is that?"

    "We need to run! Don''t stand there!" Little Harry approached him before looking at where Ginny was. "She is going to be okay in there?"

    "Of course, a snake of this size would not be able to break my protection," Harry assured him.

    "That''s a basilisk, not just a snake. Don''t look into its eyes or you will die!" Little Harry held onto his robes. "Come on! We need to get away."

    "Haha! Yes, you better run, little Gryffindors. But you will never escape the Slytherin Beast! This ce will be your tomb." Tom looked very satisfied now.

    "It''s okay, Harry," he told the terrified child.

    "You should have never been put in this situation." He felt some pity for this young version of himself, knowing firsthand how much pain he had gone through already and how much he still had left.

    The basilisk hissed angrily and continued to approach.

    "Keep your eyes closed, no matter what you hear, everything will be fine," Harry told his counterpart with a calm voice.

    This time, he didn''t need to use any amplification for his ears; he knew exactly where the basilisk was.

    "Petra¡­" His wand made contact with the cold stone.

    "Tredecim Hastae."

    The thirteen stone spears prated the beast''s body with no mercy, starting from its head and moving their way across.

    Like the previous time, the spears continued to rise up, lifting the giant snake in the air, as if it were being prepared for a barbecue.

    Tom Riddle stared at the scene without being able to articte a sound. He could never have imagined the basilisk being defeated so quickly. The young boy made it almost look easy. Just one spell and a one-thousand-year-old basilisk was no more.

    "You can open your eyes now. That thing is dead," Harry said.

    Little Harry hesitated for a moment but eventually opened them slowly.

    "Wait! It''s still moving!" As he started to look up, he saw part of the beast move and started to panic.

    "Reptiles will continue to move for a few minutes after they die¡­ I assure you, that is dead. Isn''t that right, Tom?"

    "Y-You¡­ how could you do this?!" Tom reacted.

    "What the bloody hell?!" Little Harry was now able to get a good look at what happened.

    "How did you do that? Where did all those spikese from?"

    Harry gave him an intense look.

    "Well, you know¡­ magic."

 Chapter 153: An unexpected gain

    Chapter 153: An unexpected gain

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 153: An unexpected gain

    "Basilisks are extremely resistant to magic, so you used transfiguration¡­" Tom noted.

    "Who are you really? I demand to know. Are you Albus Dumbledore?"

    "The professor?" Little Harry stared at him with shock.

    "I won''t have a conversation with you, little fragment." Harry waved his wand at Tom.

    Thetter immediately got on guard but was too slow.

    With one fluid motion, Harry chained three silent spells, starting with a ''silencio'', followed by an ''expelliarmus'', and ending with an ''incarcerous''.

    The holly wand flew in the air andnded in his hand as Tom fell down, covered in white chains.

    But as soon as he hit the floor, his body disappeared.

    "He''s gone?!" Little Harry eximed.

    "No¡­ the only way to get rid of him and save Ginny is to destroy this diary." Harry gave Little Harry the ck book.

    "Destroy it? Can we just burn it?" The boy asked.

    "With fiendfyre, maybe, but normal fire will not damage a Horcrux." He mentioned that name on purpose, hoping that Dumbledore wouldter read these memories from little Harry.

    ''May as well give them a heads-up.''

    "Hor¡­what?" Little Harry had never heard that name before.

    "Remember this because it''s important. A Horcrux is a container with a piece of someone''s soul. It allows you to extend your life, as long as the containers are not destroyed,"

    Harry exined while walking towards the basilisk head. Once below it, he used a cutting charm to sever one of its fangs and allow it to fall.

    Before it touched the ground, Harry picked it up by the cut side.

    "There are a few things that can destroy these containers. Fiendfyre and Basilisk venom are the easiest ones to use." He walked back to little Harry.

    "Put the book on the floor."

    Harry released the protection on Ginny. She remained there, floating in the air with her eyes closed.

    "Is she going to be okay?" Little Harry asked.

    "She will be after we destroy that¡­ right now, her soul is being contained in there along with Tom Riddle''s. Once we destroy the container, her soul will be set free."

    "So¡­ you are going to stab the diary with that?" Little Harry pointed at the giant fang.

    "No, you are going to do it."

    "What?!" Little Harry was startled. He did not find the idea of holding a fang with the deadliest venom in the world appealing.

    "Just don''t poke yourself with it and you''ll be fine." Harry handed the fang, and the boy took it with utmost care.

    "But wait a moment, I''ll tell you when to stab it," Harry instructed.

    "What are you going to do?" Little Harry asked when he saw his other version waving his wand around.

    "Shhh¡­ be quiet for a moment, I need to focus¡­ I''m not very good with this."

    Little Harry was now even more curious. After seeing him kill the basilisk like it was nothing, he wondered what kind of magical feat could be considered difficult for him.

    Chunks of rock came flying by themselves and started to circle above Harry.

    They then clumped together and started to melt into one and deform as if they were made of y.

    The new material became darker in color and shrank in size until it was no bigger than a tennis ball.

    "What is that ck thing?" Little Harry asked, but received no answer.

    Harry then changed the shape of the material until it formed a small sk.

    Finally, he manifested a series of runes in the air.

    Little Harry was surprised as he found this to be simr to the magic performed by Tom moments ago when he spelled his name.

    The runes also started with an orange color but as Harry ced them onto the ck container, they changed color and became pure white.

    After cing thest rune, Harry examined the still-floating container before taking it with his left hand.

    "This should work¡­" He sighed in relief. As usual, he found it very stressful to work with runes. Just one tiny mistake could change the intended effect into something catastrophic.

    "So¡­ you just made a sk?" Little Harry could not hide his disappointment. He was expecting something much more impressive.

    "It''s a very special sk, trust me. Now, I want you to-"

    "Stop!" Tom Riddle appeared again. His calm expression was now gone, reced by panic. "You can''t do that. If you destroy that diary, you will also kill the girl!"

    Little Harry gasped in shock and moved his eyes to look at Harry, hoping for an exnation.

    "Of course, he is going to tell you that¡­ he doesn''t want to die. He will tell you anything to prevent you from destroying that diary," Harry exined.

    "Don''t listen to him! He''s been lying to you the whole time! He''s an impostor. He wants to betray you!" Tom shouted.

    Seeing little Harry hesitate, he spoke again.

    "That''s Voldemort¡­ are you really going to trust anything he says?"

    "Ah¡­" Little Harry realized. He gave him a nod and lifted the fang in the air.

    "No, stop!" Tom tried to stop him but couldn''t do much before the fang made contact with the diary.

    "Ahhh!" Tom screamed with agony as grey smoke came out of the ce where little Harry had buried the fang.

    The smoke quickly divided itself into two, one white and one ck.

    The white smoke went inside Ginny while the ck smoke started to dissipate.

    "No, you are not leaving." Harry activated the runes on his sk.

    They shone brightly, and an intense wind vortex formed at the mouth of the ck vial.

    All the ck smoke was quickly driven into the container, and once it was all inside, the entrance transformed and sealed itself, preventing any of it from escaping.

    "Got most of it." Harry grinned. He did not n for this, but when he saw the diary again, he realized that he had to try it.

    Now he had in his power a fragment of Voldemort''s soul.

    ''A surprising gain!'' he thought.

    As the white smoke returned to her, Ginny seemed toe back to life and started making noises and moving.

    "Ginny!" Little Harry forgot about everything else going on and ran to her side.

    "Catch her, I''m going to release the levitation charm I put on her."

    "She is waking up!" With the girl in his arms, little Harry felt a wave of relief washing over him.

    "Here, this is yours." Harry returned the holly wand to the boy.

    "Thanks¡­ uh¡­" Little Harry stared at him. "Are you really me?"

    Harry chuckled. "Why is it so hard to believe? Magic can make the impossible¡­ possible."

    "Then¡­ would I also be able to do all those things you did? Like, all that magic!" The boy asked.

    "Sure, but you will have to work hard. This means more study and less messing around with Ron."

    Little Harry flinched at that moment. "Can you teach me? I want to learn."

    Harry felt his vision bing blurry.

    "I don''t think I have time for that¡­ but you have great teachers to learn from at Hogwarts, except for Snape¡­ and Lockhart."

    "Wait!" Little Harry saw him fading away.

    His vision became dark. "That girl you are holding¡­ you better take care of her¡­ and good luck."

    He was going to need it.

 Chapter 154: The End of Second Year

    Chapter 154: The End of Second Year

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 154: The End of Second Year

    June 30

    The entire school was gathered in the Great Hall for thest feast of the year.

    Dumbledore walked to the podium to make his announcements and for a moment, he exchanged a nce with Harry.

    They had recently had a conversation that left the old man very worried.

    Harry decided that he had to share his findings with someone else since he didn''t know enough about space and temporal anomalies to fix this by himself.

    Dumbledore was able to understand the issue quite well since he was very familiar with the Time Book that he lent to him.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t know what to do either since this was not his field of expertise.

    However, he did promise Harry to get into contact with someone who could know something.

    Nics mel was still alive in this timeline and was the wisest man that Dumbledore knew, so he may have something useful to say.

    At this point, Harry didn''t have any better ideas, so he could only wait for an answer on that regard.

    "One more year hase to an end¡­" Dumbledore started his speech. "This has been quite an interesting year. We had a bit of a shaky start, but we recovered from it."

    The students chuckled,pletely ignorant of how close they were to being crushed by a snake almost as big as their school.

    Only a few knew about that.

    Professors McGonagall and Snape were not smiling at all.

    But the only ones who had theplete story were the Headmaster, Harry, and the three young girls who decided to follow him that afternoon.

    After that, came the house cup announcement, and to no one''s surprise, it was given to Slytherin.

    Dumbledore could not give Harry any points for his service of protecting the school since no one was supposed to know about that or his involvement in it.

    And to be fair, Harry himself could not care any less about who gets to disy that cup in theirmon room for the next year.

    Then it was time for the Quidditch cup, and this one, of course, went to Gryffindor.

    They only lost one game in the entire year, the one that Harry missed, and then proceeded to win every game in less than sixty seconds.

    Oliver Wood went to pick up the Champions Cup, and you could tell that he had mixed feelings about it since other than Harry, the team had barely done anything.

    This had earned Harry a mixture of praise and resent during the year and made him question if he even wanted to y the next.

    <><><><><><><><>

    The second year had finallye to an end, and it was time to return home. Harry had to admit that despite his previous experiences, this one was particrly exhausting.

    "Harry!" Holly jumped at him as soon as he came out of the train. She had grown big enough so he didn''t have to kneel as much to hug her. His little sister would soon be seven years old.

    Just four more years and she will be attending Hogwarts.

    "I''m back, Holly," Harry greeted her.

    "I''m here too, you know?!" Lyra huffed.

    She was upset by the fact that Holly would always greet her brother first and then forget about her.

    "Hi!" Holly waved at Lyra without letting Harry go.

    "You little¡­" Lyra sighed before turning her attention to her brother. "Harry, help me with this thing! It''s too heavy," Lyra eximed while dragging her suitcase.

    "I''ll help you with that," their mother waved her wand and applied a weightless charm to the case.

    "Thanks, Mom! I missed you so much!" Lyra went to greet Lily.

    "Lily!" Molly Weasley approached them while the rest of the family followed behind.

    "Molly, it''s been so long," Lily went to speak with her while their children did the same.

    "Hey!" Ginny waved at Lyra.

    Lyra greeted her, and she nced at Holly. "Hello, Holly!" She got closer to the little girl who was still clutching onto Harry''s robes.

    "Hi," Holly waved with her free hand.

    "Can I have a hug?" Ginny knelt next to her and opened her arms.

    "No, I''m busy!" Holly hid behind Harry.

    "Holly, don''t be rude! Just let go of Harry already," Lyra scolded her.

    "No!" Holly stuck her tongue out.

    "She is getting worse¡­" Lyra sighed.

    "It''s fine," Ginny brushed it off. "She really loves her big brother, huh?"

    "Well, you were just the same with Bill¡­" Percymented.

    "I was not!" Ginny then seemed to recall something.

    "Right! Bill ising home for three weeks this summer, you have toe visit, Lyra. He is going to teach me a cool spell he made."

    "Sure!" Lyra grinned. "But remember that¡­" Lyra whispered something into her ear.

    "I know!, I''ll be there," Ginny chuckled.

    "Do you think I can bring Luna?"

    "I''ll have to ask him, but I''m sure it will be fine," Lyra answered.

    Ron was getting impatient, so he decided to say something too.

    "Well, I also have ns for the summer." He huffed.

    "I''m going to spend a week with my friend Neville, you know¡­ the Boy Who Lived." He made sure his sister heard him clearly.

    Ginny turned around and looked at him directly. "Have fun, Ron."

    "Heh?..." Ron was surprised by theck of reaction. Normally, she would have pestered him with questions or demanded toe too.

    "Ronny¡­ it''s not nice to brag like that," Fred said.

    "Yes, it makes you sound like one of those pompous rich kids," added George.

    "And it doesn''t suit you at all¡­" Fred chuckled.

    "I''m not bragging!" Ronined.

    "Yes, that was very uncouth, Ron. As the younger brother of a soon-to-be Head Boy, you should learn to be more humble, like me, for example," Percy bragged.

    "Yes, you tell him¡­ Mister soon-to-be Head Boy," Fred added.

    "What''s going on here? Can''t you kids keep it down for five minutes?!" Molly shouted.

 Chapter 155: A Sudden Emergency

    Chapter 155: A Sudden Emergency

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 155: A Sudden Emergency

    The return home was very much weed.

    After a rough year, Harry was looking forward to a peaceful summer.

    He made mental notes of the things he had to do during the summer.

    He had to retrieve some of the materials he ordered from Lord Greengrass and start working on that golem he promised Holly.

    Harry also wanted to make a trip to the south of Spain. There were a couple of crafters he wanted to meet there.

    And he had also promised his sister and Ginny that he was going to teach them a few spells.

    Lyra had asked him if it was okay for Luna to also attend, and he had no problem with that. It actually saved him some trouble as he had been waiting for an excuse to speak with Luna''s father.

    The first week passed in a breeze, but then, one early morning, the Potters received an emergency call through the floowork from the Greengrass family.

    "They want to speak with you, son," his father urged him toward the firece.

    "Harry!"

    He heard Daphne''s voiceing out of the mes, and he had never heard her this rmed before.

    ''Was she attacked? Or maybe her family?'' he tried to think what could have happened to put her in this state.

    "What''s wrong, Daphne?" he asked.

    "Is Astoria! My sister is dying!" Daphne cried.

    "The curse?" he asked. ''But why now? She seemed stable enough when Ist saw her¡­ something must have triggered it.''

    "My father thinks so¡­ Harry, please, there has to be something you can do, right?" She sounded desperate.

    "Daphne, what do you think my son can do? He is no healer, and I''m sure your father has already called the best," James said.

    Harry thought for a moment. ''There may be something I can do, but¡­ I didn''t want to use that again¡­ but if I don''t do anything, Astoria is going to die¡­''

    "Harry¡­" Daphne called in between sobs.

    "Keep the floo open, I''ll be there in ten minutes," Harry stood up and started to walk away.

    "Harry, wait. What can you do?" asked James.

    "Harry¡­" Lily ced a hand on his shoulder. "Is there really something you can do for that girl?"

    "There may be¡­" was all he could say.

    Lily could tell that whatever her son was about to do, it wasn''t something he was happy about. "As long as it won''t harm you, I don''t care what you do. Your mother will always be on your side."

    Harry stared at his mother with aplicated expression. "Mom¡­ I¡­"

    "Go, Harry. You shouldn''t make a crying girl wait. We can talkter," Lily told him.

    Harry then left the living room without saying anything else and hurried to his room.

    "Why did you tell him that?" James asked.

    "I don''t know¡­ I had the feeling he needed to hear those words," Lily told her husband. "You can call it motherly instinct."

    "An instinct¡­ yes, I also wonder what had him so troubled. Last year he didn''t bat an eye after using an unforgivable curse. It makes me worried what kind of magic will make him hesitate," James said.

    <><><><><><><><>

    "Dobby!" he called with an urgent tone after closing the door.

    The elf immediately appeared. "Master?" He felt Harry''s distress.

    "I''m fine¡­ there are a few items I need you to retrieve, and you will need to hurry; we don''t have much time."

    <><><><><><><><>

    Harry and his elf appeared in bursts of green mes and found themselves in a massive dining room.

    It was the first time he visited the Greengrass estate, but he had no time for a tour.

    He immediately found Daphne sitting on a nearby chair.

    Her face was a mess; she seemed to have been crying for hours.

    "Harry!" she stood up as she saw him appear and ran to embrace him.

    This behavior was so out of character for Daphne that it took himpletely off guard.

    He wrapped one arm around her and realized how much she was trembling. "Daphne¡­ it''s going to be okay. I''m here now."

    He held her for almost a minute until she appeared to calm down a bit before speaking.

    "Take me to your sister," said Harry.

    "Can you save her?" Daphne stared directly into his eyes.

    "You called me here because you thought I could help her," Harry pointed out.

    "I don''t know, after seeing what you did that day¡­ that power¡­ I thought that if anyone could save her, it was you¡­" She looked down, feeling a bit self-conscious.

    Harry ced a hand on her head. "Then I better not disappoint you."

    "You can really save her?!" Daphne eximed.

    "I''ll need to see her first, and for that¡­ you have to let me go," Harry pointed at her arms as she was still holding onto him in a tight hug.

    "Ah!" Daphne yelped and released him immediately. "This way!" She started walking at a fast pace.

    "Let''s go, Dobby," Harry followed her closely. "Today, you will be my assistant."

    "Yes, Master Sir!" Dobby ran after Harry while carrying a metallic box in his arms.

    The group reached a pair of wooden doors almost three meters tall.

    Daphne opened one of the doors and went inside.

    Harry followed and found Lord and Lady Greengrass sitting next to a king-size bed.

    A small girly motionless on top of the bed.

    Harry could not help but frown when he saw her. She looked so much worse than thest time he saw her.

    Her pale skin was almost transparent, and she was so thin that you could see her bones.

    ''Let''s hope I can make it in time¡­ it looks like she only has a few hours left at most,'' Harry thought.

    "Mister Potter? What are you doing here?" Lord and Lady Greengrass turned around and stared at him and his elf.

 Chapter 156: Forbidden Magic

    Chapter 156: Forbidden Magic

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 156: Forbidden Magic

    "I called him," Daphne admitted.

    Lord Greengrass''s eyes shifted from Daphne to Harry.

    "Mister Potter, I don''t know what my daughter was thinking to bring you here, but there is nothing for you to do here¡­please, go back to your home."

    "Wait, Sebastian," his wife interjected, walking over to them.

    "Daphne, why did you call Harry here?"

    "He can help Astoria!" Daphne said with conviction.

    "Dear, I know that he is an extremely talented boy for his age, but¡­your father has spent a fortune bringing here countless experts of all kinds of healing arts to see your sister, and no one could do anything for her¡­"

    Selene Greengrass looked very troubled. She knew her daughter had good intentions, but this was not helping.

    "And what did these experts say?" Harry approached the bed and made a quick magical scan. Astoria had barely any magic left; she was almost a squib at this point.

    Sebastian Greengrass gave Harry a hard re.

    "They all said that her curse was impossible to remove since it wasn''t cast directly at her. But it was something ced on our bloodline. The curse is part of her¡­of her magic, and there is no way to separate the two."

    He was angry but still exined the situation to Harry.

    "Yes, that''s what I thought¡­healing will not help her. There are only two schools of magic that can save her, and none of their practitioners will answer your calls. They will never move just for money," Harrymented.

    "What do you mean? Do you know someone who could help my daughter?" Selene asked with hopeful eyes.

    "Even if I did¡­she only has a few hours left," said Harry.

    "A few hours? That''s it?!" Daphne eximed.

    Selene gasped in horror.

    Sebastian didn''t say anything because he already knew it was true¡­he knew his daughter was not going to survive the day.

    "But you are in luck. I happen to be an expert in one of those two branches," Harry admitted.

    "What kind of magic are you talking about, Mister Potter?" Sebastian sounded very skeptical.

    "Well, the first one would be necromancy." He waited for them to calm down before continuing.

    "A necromancer could separate her soul and body, allowing the curse to dissipate once it had nothing more to consume, before reattaching them. However, this would not return her to her previous self but instead turn her into something akin to a zombie. Her body will slowly decay and will have to be preserved with charms, and her mind will also be affected a great deal¡­"

    "That''s horrific!" Selene eximed.

    "I will never allow a necromancer to turn my daughter into a monster!" Sebastian shouted with fury.

    "Yes, I wouldn''t rmend that method, and I don''t know enough about that type of magic to perform it either," Harry agreed.

    "So, what is the other branch of magic? The one you are an expert in" Daphne asked.

    "Demonology," Harry said.

    "What?! Have you lost your mind?!" Sebastian stood up. "This is no time for jokes!"

    "Demonology? That''s impossible. That''s a myth... demons don''t exist,"

    Selene said, in a more collected tone than her husband.

    "Father, Harry would not joke about this. And he is a lot more capable than you can imagine!" Daphne shouted at him.

    This took Sebastian by surprise, as his daughter had never raised her voice to him in such a way.

    "I can assure you that demons are very much¡­real. You probably have already seen a few and didn''t know about it," said Harry.

    "I think I would remember that," Selene raised an eyebrow.

    "Have you ever seen a dementor?" Harry asked.

    "Dementors? The creatures protecting Azkaban? Those are demons?" Asked Daphne.

    "They are not from around here, that''s for sure," Harry answered.

    "Some madman brought them here five centuries ago to protect his fortress¡­"

    "He is right about that¡­" Sebastian said.

    "What do you mean?" Asked his wife.

    "Demonology is not a myth¡­is real," he nced at Harry.

    "Is also the most forbidden branch of magic in the world. Just the mere mention of practicing it will turn you into a wanted man in all nations covered by the I.C.W."

    "Yes, that''s why I have some conditions before I do anything," said Harry.

    "So, you im to know about that magic and that it can save my daughter?" Sebastian asked.

    "I do, and yes, it can¡­is probably the only thing that can save her at this point."

    Sebastian Greengrass looked at Harry with his intense silver eyes.

    "And where did you gain knowledge about this kind of magic? I doubt the Potters passed it on¡­and your father is one of the most righteous men I have ever met. And there are definitely no books about this in the forbidden section of Hogwarts."

    "My two conditions are these¡­" Harry ignored his question and raised one finger.

    "One¡­whatever happens in this room, you will not talk about it with anyone outside it. If you do...you will bring death upon yourself and my family."

    He raised a second finger.

    "And two¡­you will not ask me where this knowledge came from¡­not now nor ever."

    "This is ridiculous!" Sebastian shouted. It was very rare for him to lose his calm demeanor, but this story about a thirteen-year-old child who could summon demons to save his dying daughter was too much.

    "If you cannot agree to my two conditions, then I won''t be able to help you," Harry told him.

    "Father, please let Harry help," Daphne pleaded.

    "Dear¡­we have tried everything. We had men dressed in strange clothes dancing around our daughter''s bed, or that one spitting salt on her¡­we tried everything out of desperation. Let''s give him a chance...what do we have to lose?" Selene tried to reason with her husband.

    Sebastian remained silent for over a minute after that. He then looked directly at Harry, like he was trying to discern something. Until he eventually spoke again.

    "Very well¡­Mister Potter. I''ll agree to your conditions."

 Chapter 157: Preparations

    Chapter 157: Preparations

    Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 157: Preparations

    "Do you require some sort of oath?" Sebastian inquired.

    "Your vows of silence will suffice," Harry replied. He knew that the contract would prevent them from speaking. Asking for a magical oath at this point would be insulting. And having this man as an ally could prove very useful.

    "You have my word, Mister Potter," Sebastian assured.

    "You have my word, Harry," added his wife, Selene.

    "I won''t say anything!" Daphne eximed.

    "Then we''d better get started," Harry said, ncing down at the floor of the room. It was made of small pieces of high-quality wood, forming aplex pattern.

    "Wood is no good... I need stone at least," he mumbled as he approached the closest wall under the watchful eyes of the family.

    He tapped his wand against one of the many stones forming the walls of the room. The stone came loose from the wall and floated in the air.

    Harry directed the stone to the center of the bedroom. "Engorgio."

    The stone grew ten times in size.

    Harry tapped the giant stone again and, without uttering a word, it started to change shape by itself.

    "Is that a chantless transfiguration?" Sebastian asked, wide-eyed. This was not something he expected a young student to be able to perform.

    There were two main ways to use transfiguration. One was to chant an already-known spell. This would help circte the magic and mold the object into the desired shape and material while the caster focused on the wand movements and a clear mental image.

    The second was ''chantless transfiguration.'' The caster had no help here and must do everything by themselves at the same time. They had to mold the material with their magic like a master potter working a piece of y to create something beautiful.

    Harry''s family had always been talented in this type of transfiguration for some reason, and Harry himself was one of the best among them.

    Daphne nced at her parents and noticed how impressed they were by this little demonstration.

    ''If only they had seen what he did... how would they react?'' she wondered, as she had never told her parents what happened that day with the basilisk.

    Harry finished forming the stone into a big tform with a diameter of around two meters (6.5 feet) and rested it carefully on the floor. On top of the tform were engravings depicting a very detailed magical circle with a pentagram inside and several runes on the outside.

    The three observers got a good look at the tform when Harry walked to one side.

    "Those runes look a bit strange," Daphnemented as she saw them. She had reverently started learning about runes and nned to apply for the ss in her third year.

    The runes Harry had carved looked familiar but also different from the ones she had studied.

    "These are the original Norse runes," her mother exined to her. Selene had studied runes after graduating from Hogwarts for several years. If she hadn''t gotten married so young, she would have be a teacher of runes at some point.

    "Our current rune system used these ones as a basis for its creation."

    "So, these runes are outdated then?" Daphne asked. She did not understand why Harry was using them instead of newer ones.

    "They are old but not outdated," Harry told her.

    "These runes can convey the ''calling'' in a much more concise way than modern runes can. It sends a clearer idea to them¡­"

    "Calling?" Daphne asked.

    "Of course. Just opening a door will not be enough¡­ The Nether is immense, more than you can imagine¡­ It could take years before a demon showed up, and it would likely be the wrong kind. We need a very specific demon."

    "It dawned upon Sebastian the reality of the situation.

    "You are nning on letting a real demon into my house?!" he eximed.

    "Yes¡­ what did you think I was going to do?" asked Harry.

    Sebastian did not know what to answer to that. He hadn''t thought about what Harry was actually going to do, but he could not admit that.

    "Is it safe? Isn''t the demon going to attack us?" Selene asked with worry.

    "You are not going to bring a dementor here, right?" Daphne looked concerned.

    Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "Why would I bring a dementor? I''m trying to save your sister. As far as the demon attacking us¡­ there is little chance of that happening. They usually honor their deals, unless something happens... in a way, they are more trustworthy than humans. And besides, the one I''m calling is one of the weak ones. I won''t let it hurt anyone. Now, let me work in peace...I need to focus."

    He turned around to look at Dobby. "Put the box on the floor and open it."

    The elf did as told while Harry removed his robes, leaving himself wearing only a dark shirt and some ck pants. Then, he removed those too, revealing a light-colored shirt that he normally wears to sleep.

    "Why are you-" Daphne stopped her question when she saw Harry pull a big ceremonial knife from the metallic box.

    "Dobby¡­ remember what we talked about before?" Harry took out a round potion now. The liquid inside was extremely bright, almost as if it could be used as a source of light.

    "Yes, Master¡­" Dobby took the shining potion in his hands.

    Lastly, Harry took onest sk out of the box. This one was dark in color and had many white runes carved on its surface.

    He then walked to the center of the room and stood in front of the stone tform he had just created. "We are ready to start now."

 Chapter 158: The Infernal Gate

    Chapter 158: The Infernal Gate

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 158: The Infernal Gate

    Harry carefully positioned the small vial at the precise center of the intricate pentagram etched onto the stone tform.

    "What exactly is that vial for?" Sebastian inquired, his curiosity piqued as he examined it closely. Despite his extensive experience as a Potion Master, he found himself unable to identify its contents.

    "It''s not a potion. This vial contains a fragment of a soul," Harry exined matter-of-factly.

    "A soul?" Selene''s expression twisted with horror.

    "There''s a soul inside that thing?" Daphne''s voice trembled with unease.

    "To be precise, it''s merely a fragment," Harry rified, his brow furrowing in concentration.

    He intended to utilize this fragment of Voldemort''s soul to attempt to locate the other Horcruxes...should they also exist in this reality.

    However, Harry had doubts about the efficacy of this n. Given that this fragment originated from a different timeline, it might have no connection whatsoever to the fragments present in this world. Nevertheless, he feltpelled to try.

    At least that was the n, but now he had to use it.

    He could not let that girl die when he had a method to save her, even if it cost him an opportunity.

    "So, you intend to use that to lure the demon here?" Sebastian deduced.

    "There are few offerings more enticing to demons than human souls. Even a fragment is considered a delicacy. To demons, human souls are akin to the most exquisite feast imaginable," Harry exined solemnly.

    "May I dare ask whose soul this is?" Sebastian inquired cautiously.

    "Let''s just say it belonged to a deeply malevolent individual, deserving of such a fate... and worse," Harry replied cryptically, stopping further inquiries.

    For a moment, he wondered how would they react if they knew who this soul belonged to.

    Without waiting for further questioning, Harry drew a deep cut across his left wrist with a swift, practiced motion. Crimson blood welled up and cascaded onto the stone surface.

    "Harry!" Daphne cried out in rm, moving to intervene, but she was held back by her mother''s firm grip.

    "Let him, Daphne. He seems to know what he is doing." Selene was somewhat taken aback by seeing Harry cut himself without making a sound ofint.

    "He didn''t even flinch¡­." She whispered.

    Harry dropped the knife and stopped the bleeding with a potion when he was starting to feel dizzy.

    His blood flooded the crevices on the stone tform, forming the figure of a magical circle with a pentagram inside.

    "Deitzen dizut." Harry started to speak in an ancient tongue.

    "Prezioa ordaindu da¡­"

    "Whatnguage is that?" Daphne whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the charged atmosphere.

    "Shh, be quiet. Don''t interrupt him now." Her father cut her off. He may not know anything about demonology, but he had a feeling that something very bad could ur if he was interrupted at this point.

    As Harry''s blood began to bubble and froth as if boiling, the runes inscribed on the stone tform shimmered with an ominous red glow.

    "Zatoz¡­" Harry''s voice grew louder, infused with urgency.

    "KONTRATUA BETE!"

    The misting out from the boiling blood became thicker and thicker until it turned back into a red liquid and formed a circr shape that stood floating in the air.

    The liquid looked almost like blood, but they could all tell it was something else¡­something not from this world.

    "

    "The gate is open," Harry dered, his gaze fixed upon the ethereal portal that materialized within Astoria''s bedroom.

    At that moment, the vial containing Voldemort''s soul began to levitate, drawn by an invisible force.

    Harry had his wand ready already. A wisp of pure white light formed at the tip of the wand.

    The surface of the gate rippled and three strange fingers emerged from it.

    Daphne and her mother gasped in horror at the sight of the inhuman appendages, their minds recoiling from the unnatural sight.

    The hand, with its crimson, leathery skin, and elongated ws, extended tentatively at first, then swiftly lunged for the vial.

    Harry acted immediately and poked at the hand with his wand. As the white light made contact with the red skin, the creature on the other side of the gate let out a shrieking sound that pierced their ears and immediately retracted the hand back to where it came from.

    "W-was that¡­was that a ¡­" Sebastian was unable to keep his calm. He was truly scared¡­.he had never seen something like this before.

    "A demon, yes¡­but not the one we need. That one tried to get greedy and went for the vial. We will need to wait a bit now¡­" Said Harry before ncing at Astoria.

    The young girl had not moved or made a noise the entire time.

    "Let us hope she canst a bit more¡­" Harry muttered.

    They continued to stay in the room without moving from there for thirty minutes.

    It was only then that the gate reacted again.

    Another hand came thought. This one was very different from the previous one.

    This hand had smooth dark skin and five human-looking fingers.

    Harry grinned.

    "This is the one¡­looks like we got lucky."

    "But this is¡­" Selene, along with her husband and daughter stared in disbelief at the creatureing out of the infernal gate.

    Not because it was hideous or monstrous, but because of how human it looked.

    "This is a demon?!" Daphne found it hard to believe.

 Chapter 159: Forbidden Magic

    Chapter 159: Forbidden Magic

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    <strong>Chapter 159: Forbidden Magic</strong>

    After the hand, a human-looking torso came through the gate.

    A female torso with almost pitch-ck skin. She had no hair, and her eyes were closed, but she looked almostpletely human, though something was off.

    She wore no clothes, but her big, exposed breasts had no nipples, and her skin was just too dark to be human, almost reaching a charcoal ck.

    "That woman is a demon?" asked Selene.

    "She doesn''t lo-" Sebastian''s words died in his mouth when he saw this "woman" open her eyes.

    They werepletely round in shape and had a solid yellow color, no pupils, iris, or anything that a normal human eye could have.

    This one thing alone had made this creaturepletely inhuman-looking, but then she opened her mouth.

    Instead of teeth, she had thousands of long fments hanging from her mouth, kinda simr to those seen on a blue whale.

    The creature let out a loud shriek that no animal on earth could muster.

    They then noticed that the creature was now paying attention to them, and instead, her attention was solely focused on the vial resting at the center of the circle.

    "That''s the payment, go do your job," Harry ordered the demon.

    The female humanoid moved her eyes to Harry as if she had just noticed he was there.

    Harry pointed at the bed where Astoria was resting, and the demon moved her eyes there.

    Her yellow eyes opened widely as if she had just found something very interesting.

    "Can she understand English?" Daphne didn''t know why she asked that. Considering the weirdness of the situation, this creature understanding theirnguage would not be that strange or important.

    But Harry answered anyway. "No, it can''t¡­ Some demons can speak humannguages, but this one can only read basic intentions."

    "Our intentions? How th-ahhh!" Daphne screamed.

    "Daphne, what is it?" Selene heard a crunching sound and looked back at the demon.

    The creature moved towards the bed, and as it did, more of its body came out of the gate.

    At first, they had only seen a floating torso poking out of it, but now they saw the rest of it.

    The human-looking torso of the creature was connected to an insectoid body.

    The elongated insect body had a ck exoskeleton and countless feet that kept tapping on the wooden floor.

    By the time the human part had reached Astoria''s bed, its insect body was stilling out of the gate and twisting around to fit in the massive room.

    "Wait! Stay away from my daughter, you demon!" Sebastian rushed to his daughter''s bed.

    "Let the demon do its job, Lord Greengrass. It''s not going to hurt her, just eat her curse," said Harry.

    "Eat the curse?...." Selene asked.

    "Yes, this type of demon can feed on all sorts of powerful energies, including curses. Wizards and witches from the east have been using them for centuries¡­ now¡­"

    Beads of sweat were starting to fall from Harry''s face.

    "Let it do its job¡­ I won''t let it harm Astoria¡­"

    "Harry?... What''s wrong?" Daphne had recovered a bit from her fright when she saw Harry acting strange.

    "I''m fine¡­" He said while clutching his arm. "Let''s get this over with¡­ "

    Sebastian took a step back, letting the humanoid part of the demon climb onto the bed and get closer to Astoria.

    He was well aware that this was his daughter''sst chance to survive, so he had no other choice but to trust Harry''s decision to bring this monster to his house.

    Daphne and Selene remained quiet and watched in horror as the demon got its human-like body on top of Astoria and opened its mouth widely. The long white fments inside its mouth started to move, and the demon made a strange noise.

    Harry had to do his best to ignore the increasing pain in his left arm and pay attention to the demon, just in case it tried something.

    But that was very unlikely. He understood this demon well enough. The centipede demon feeds on powerful sources of energy with the fments inside their mouth.

    At this moment, Astoria had almost no magic and no life force left. The most notable source of energy in her was her curse, so that''s what the demon would feed on.

    As far as the demon was concerned, Astoria''s magic was just some breadcrumbs thrown to one side while her curse was a luxurious delicious meal that it could not resist eating.

    "What?!" Sebastian eximed when he saw something purpleing out of Astoria''s mouth and entering the demon.

    "Is that the curse?!" It was the only thing he could think of.

    The strange purple mist continued to leave Astoria''s body as the demon was happy to devour it.

    The eventsted less than a minute, but for the family watching, it felt like an eternity.

    As soon as the curse waspletely consumed, the demon seemed to lose all interest in Astoria, much as Harry had hoped.

    The creature closed its yellow eyes and moved away from the bed.

    Sebastian, Selene, and Daphne felt a bit relieved to see this, but they would not feelpletely at ease until this demon left their home.

    The centipede did not need to be told what to do next. The only thing left of interest for it was the vial with the soul fragment. The creature turned its body in the altar''s direction and started to move at a slow pace.

    Harry clutched at his arm, and his breathing became more erratic.

    "Not now!...." He pleaded.

    The centipede demon used its human hands to grasp the vial, but when it was about to leave through the portal¡­something changed.

 Chapter 160: The Voice

    Chapter 160: The Voice

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    <strong>Chapter 160: The Voice</strong>

    Harry clenched his left arm as a wave of intense pain invaded him. Tendrils of ck ink moved across his skin, breaking it apart and forming intricate marks on its surface.

    He was ustomed to feeling pain by now. He could break a few bones, and his facial expression would barely change. He could withstand the effects of the Cruciatus Curse without screaming, but this... this was a different type of pain.

    The brand was not just being engraved into his flesh and bones but also his very own soul, tearing it asunder and changing it.

    ''I had hoped but¡­ I didn''t get rid of this damn thing, it followed me here¡­ attached to my very being.'' Harrymented.

    The pain continued to increase until Harry could not help but scream out loud.

    "Harry!" Daphne eximed, rmed. She had never seen him like this before. No matter how difficult the situation got, Harry always maintained his poise.

    "What''s wrong with him?" Selene asked, not understanding what was happening. The demon had not even touched him so he couldn''t have been injured.

    From where Sebastian was standing, he saw a brand appear on Harry''s arm. It started on his left shoulder and continued to grow across the surface of his skin, forming an intricate shape.

    The demonic centipede noticed the change in Harry and suddenly became very interested in him.

    Its yellow eyes opened widely, as did its mouth. The tendrils inside it moved around very fast as the demon made a guttural noise and approached Harry.

    "Stop!" Daphne yelled at the demon, afraid it wanted to hurt Harry.

    "Stay away from him!" She took out her wand and pointed it at the creature.

    The infernal gate started to ripple again and changed color towards a golden tone.

    The family nced at it, expecting with dread to see a new demon trying to make their way into their home.

    But instead...the only thinging out of the gate was a soft voice...the voice began to speak in a bizarrenguage they could not identify.

    "What is that?!" Sebastian shouted.

    The soundsing out of the gate were piercing into his mind and bypassing all his mental defenses with no effort.

    What he was hearing were not words, but there was a hidden meaning there that he was unable to understand.

    "Get out of my head!" He shouted.

    The centipede demon switched its attitude immediately after hearing that voice. Its curiosity was then reced by shock and then...anger.

    The centipede demon nced at Harry with its intense yellow eyes and hissed at him.

    Not even a secondter, the demon lunged with its human arms at Harry, as it was trying to grab him.

    "Dobby, now!" Harry shouted themand to his elf.

    The little house-elf did not hesitate after hearing the order and threw the shining potion he had been holding in his hands, as his Master had instructed him beforeing into the Greengrass residence.

    The potion impacted Harry, the demon, and the gate. The ss container shattered into a hundred pieces, and a wave of blinding light rushed out, filling the roompletely.

    They all heard the demon let out a blood-curdling scream but were unable to see anything.

    The light prevented them from seeing but did not hurt them in any way. In fact, they all felt warm and protected under its embrace.

    This event onlysted for about ten seconds, and then¡­ there was absolute silence.

    As their vision returned to normal, they did not hear the demon or the strange voice again.

    When they were finally able to see again, the hideous creature was nowhere to be seen, and neither was the infernal gate.

    They only saw Harry, kneeling on the ground next to the stone tform, which was now cracked in half.

    Daphne ran to his side while her parents tried to make sense of the situation.

    Harry was still clutching his left arm and looked to be in deep pain.

    "Are you hurt?" Daphne looked at him up and down but could not find any visible injuries. "We have some strong healing potions; I can bring you some."

    "No¡­ just need a moment¡­" Harry breathed with difficulty. "I''ll be fine."

    "Is it over? Is it really gone?" asked Sebastian while clutching his head.

    "What was that?!" That presence peeking thought the infernal gate had been trying to enter his mind. In a way, it had been a lot more terrifying than the Centipede demon.

    "Yes¡­ the demon is gone, and the gate is closed. You are all...safe."

    "Master Harry!" Dobby looked at him with concern.

    "I''m okay, Dobby¡­ you did a good job back there." Harry gave the elf deserved praise before he nced back at Sebastian.

    "You should go check on your daughter."

    The Lord gasped. So many terrifying things had happened in thest few minutes that for a moment, he had forgotten why they were doing this in the first ce.

    Both parents ran to Astoria''s bed to get a close look at her.

    "She is breathing," Selene noticed with relief¡­ she was alive.

    Some color had returned to her skin; she was still pale but now looked more natural at least.

    "She looks much better now!" Sebastian said with a smile.

    "Hmm¡­" Astoria moaned, and her eyes moved.

    "She is waking up!" Selene eximed.

    Daphne stood up after hearing this and ran to the bed. "Astoria!" she called.

    "Mmmm." Astoria opened her silver eyes with some difficulty and nced at her family. "Good¡­ good morning¡­."

    The family cried tears of happiness and relief.

 Chapter 161: The Brand

    Chapter 161: The Brand

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 161: The Brand</strong>

    "Astoria! You are awake!" Daphne had an unusually wide grin on her face.

    "Daph¡­" Astoria tried to speak more, but her eyes started to close again.

    "It''s okay, my love," Selene told her. "You must be very tired. Rest now."

    Astoria moved her head a bit as if trying to nod, and then her eyes closed again.

    "She is going to be okay now," Sebastian looked at Harry. "Is the curse gone?"

    ''If the curse wasn''t gone, she would be dead already,'' Harry decided not to say that.

    "Yes, the curse is gone. But her body and magic will need time to recover. I''m sure you have many potions to help speed up her recovery¡­" Harry stood back up with difficulty.

    "Dobby, my shirt."

    The elf hurried up to bring him his clothes.

    Harry nced at his left arm....the pain was almost gone. The brand was very faint now that the gate had been closed and that ''entity'' was far away, but it was still visible.

    ''It''s never going to disappearpletely now¡­'' He knew this for sure.

    Harry had hoped that after waking up in a different timeline with a different body, he would not have to worry about this brand again, but he was wrong.

    ''It must be attached to my soul¡­ In that case, it will follow me always.''

    He had already considered this possibility but now he had the confirmation.

    "No useining now¡­" He told himself in a whisper while putting his shirt back on.

    "Mister Potter¡­" Sebastian approached him.

    "I believe you can call me Harry at this point. We can drop the formalities a bit after this," he told the Lord.

    Sebastian nodded in agreement. "Harry¡­ you saved my daughter¡­ my family owes you a great debt."

    Harry noted how Lord Greengrass had worded that. The debt was to ''him,'' and not to his family.

    He was leaving the Potters out of this matter because Harry had told him to keep silent about what happened on this day.

    "I''m sure there wille a time when you can repay that debt. For now, I''ll just ask you to remain silent about everything you saw here today. That includes the rest of my family," Harry told the Lord.

    He had no ns of demanding anything outrageous from this family. And he would not have minded brushing off this debt, but to a pure-blood Lord like this one, that would have been a great insult. Like telling him that his daughter''s life was worthless to him.

    "I understand," Sebastian said, and then Harry saw the man smile for the first time. "Thank you."

    Harry put his robes back on and looked back at Sebastian, who was still standing in the same ce.

    "Is there something you want to say?"

    The Lord looked troubled. "You don''t have to answer me, but¡­ about that brand on your arm. I couldn''t help but see it¡­ it''s¡­"

    "You are familiar with these types of brands," Harry stated matter-of-factly. Already knowing what brand had this man seen before.

    "My brother was foolish enough to join him¡­ the Dark Lord¡­" Sebastianmented.

    "Dear¡­" Selene spoke softly. She knew how little he liked to talk about his younger brother.

    "He paid for that with his life already. But¡­ I saw that brand on his arm a few times. I remember well the feeling it gave off¡­"

    "And it reminded you of this one," Harry pointed at his left arm.

    Harry saw the Lord nod.

    "If you''re worrying about me being involved with Voldemort¡­"

    "Of course not!" Sebastian interrupted him. "That was not my intention."

    Harry shrugged. "That''s fine. You are not wrong¡­ the brands have many simrities."

    Sebastian was surprised that Harry admitted this much.

    "Of course¡­ mine has nothing to do with Voldemort. It was given to me by someone else¡­ someone much more dangerous¡­"

    "More dangerous than¡­" Sebastian looked at the empty space that the demonic gate had upied a moment ago. He recalled the gate doing something strange when Harry was clutching at his arm. ''Then there was that voice¡­ who was that?!, what did it want?!'' Sebastian thought.

    Harry saw his expression change and knew what he was thinking.

    "It''s best if you forget about that¡­ many have gone insane just for thinking too much about it."

    Harry looked at the bed where Astoria, Daphne, and Selene were.

    "You have your family back together. Enjoy the moment."

    ''Who knows how long it willst this time?'' He thought to himself.

    Harry walked to where the elf was standing.

    He turned around and waved his wand.

    The stone tform lifted in the air for a moment before returning to its original shape and size and cing itself back on the wall.

    The knife returned to the box, as well as all the shards of ss left behind by the potion Dobby broke.

    "We are done here," Harry dered once the room was clean again.

    "Wow¡­" Selene stared at the disy of magic.

    "He can clean too?!" Daphne looked shocked.

    No one would be able to tell what happened here today by just looking at it.

    "Come on, Dobby, we are leaving," Harry told the elf and this one picked up the metal box.

    "Yes, Master!"

    "Wait, Harry!" Daphne called for him as he opened the door to leave.

    "Huh?" Harry turned around and for a moment was reminded of his little sister Holly. As Daphne threw herself at him in the same way, except she was much bigger¡­.

    "Thank you so much!" Daphne eximed.

    Harry''s body was extremely exhausted by the ritual and by having his brand reactivated...so when a girl his own age jumped at him in such a way¡­

    "Daphne¡­ heavy¡­" he managed to say before copsing on the ground under her.

 Chapter 162: I have a What?

    Chapter 162: I have a What?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    <strong>Chapter 162: I have a What?</strong>

    "We are all ready!" Lyra announced loudly as she got in front of him.

    Harry lifted his eyes from the book and nced at his sister. She had barged into the library, apanied by Ginny, Luna, and for some reason, Daphne.

    "Good for you, have fun." Harry returned to his book, not really sure why she felt the need to inform him of that.

    "What do you mean by ''have fun''?! Did you forget your promise already?" Lyra huffed angrily with her fists at her hips.

    "Huh?..." Harry gave the girls another nce and remembered the conversation he had with his sister about teaching them a few spells this summer. "Right¡­" he put the book down.

    "So you remember now? Well, good! We are ready, teach us!" Lyra eximed.

    He was still recovering from the day''s experience. Not from summoning the demon...that didn''t take much of a toll on him, and after drinking a blood-replenishing potion, he would have been back in top shape. What caused him to be in this state was the awakening of his brand. He still felt tired even after resting for several days... his limbs ached as if he had run three marathons in a row, and his arm still felt very sore.

    ''But I did make a promise... I suppose it will be good for those girls to learn to defend themselves. That would give me some peace of mind at Hogwarts at least.''

    "Let''s go to the gardens then," Harry stood up from the couch.

    "Are we not going to that room you usedst year?" Lyra asked, and Ginny elbowed her side. "That was a secret, remember?" Ginny whispered to her.

    "No, there is no need for that, and it would be a bit cramped," Harry told her.

    The group walked out of the library, and Harry noticed that Daphne stayed a bit behind the rest. He assumed she wanted to tell him something, so he did the same and got closer to her.

    "How is Astoria doing?" He asked in a soft voice.

    Daphne smiled. "Much better¡­ Father hired a team of healers to stay at her side. They said that she should be in perfect shape very soon."

    "That''s great news. Was there something you wanted to tell me?" He asked.

    "Yes, actually¡­ I was nning on sending you a letter, but this is faster. My father told me the full list of materials you requested will be ready in two weeks. But we already have most of them, so if you are in a hurry to-"

    "No need. I can wait two weeks. Send the amount to pay and I''ll have my elf collect it."

    "I''m not sure if my father will not ept the payment¡­ after what you did for us," Daphne whispered.

    "He will. What I did for your family was a personal favor...this is a business transaction. Let''s not mix them."

    He cared little for coins. Even after paying for this purchase, he would still have a mountain of gold, thanks to Lord Malfoy''s ''generosity''. Having Lord Greengrass owing him one was more valuable than that.

    "I will tell him what you said." Daphne looked satisfied with his answer.

    "I didn''t expect you to be here though," he recalled his sister telling him about Luna but never mentioning anything about Daphne.

    "Lyra told me toe," Daphne said with a tinge of coldness in her voice.

    Harry noticed this. ''Is she mad because I didn''t invite her myself?... I honestly didn''t even remember about this. I had more important things on my mind.''

    "I didn''t think you would be interested. I''m only going to teach them some basic stuff."

    "I have learned some things at home, but you ca-"

    "Wow!" Luna interrupted Daphne and got closer to her, her eyes scanning the air surrounding Daphne''s head.

    "What is it?" Daphne took a step back, attempting to create some distance between her and the strange blonde.

    "You have a lot of Wrackspurts flying over your head!" Luna sounded very shocked.

    "I have what?" Daphne looked very confused now.

    "Wrackspurts¡­ is the name of one of the creatures that only Luna can see," Ginny exined.

    "She sometimes says things like that; don''t let it bother you " Lyra added.

    "That''s not true...my daddy saw a Narglest summer," Luna informed her that she was not the only one who could see them.

    "So, only your family can see these creatures?" Daphne looked a bit suspicious. "That sounds¡­"

    "Crazy?" Luna asked her directly. "I have been called that a lot." She seemed unfazed.

    "I¡­ I wasn''t going to say something that impolite¡­" Daphne told her.

    "She is not exactly making things up. Luna has a peculiar gift," Harry spoke.

    "She does?" Asked Lyra with shock.

    "I do?" Asked Luna, equally shocked.

    "She can perceive things that cannot be glimpsed with naked eyes," Harry said.

    "You mean like magic?" Daphne asked.

    Harry gave her a nod. "Something like that." The truth is that even he didn''t understand exactly what Luna''s ability was. But he knew she wasn''t just making things up. His best guess after knowing her for so many years was that Luna was somehow able to see souls and spirits and her brain interpreted it in that peculiar way.

    "Oh¡­ so your family must have some bloodline ability. That''s incredible!" Daphne was truly impressed. That type of magical ability was incredibly rare, even among old magical families.

    "So, I''m not crazy?" Luna asked.

    "You are a bit crazy. But someone else with your gift would have gone insane already," Harry told her.

    "Mmm¡­ okay then." Luna shrugged and continued to walk, not seeming to care that much about what Harry told her.

    "Wait!" Daphne went after her. "You said before that I had a lot of¡­" She forgot the name already.

    "Wrackspurts." Luna nced up. "You have a few more now."

    "What does it mean then? Is it bad?" Daphne asked. Now that she knew Luna''s ability was the real deal, she was getting worried.

    "Huh?..." Luna stared at Daphne with a nk expression. "How should I know? I have never seen this many before." She turned around and continued to walk.

    Daphne was left standing there,pletely baffled. "But you¡­ why would you mention it then?..."

    Lyra tapped her on the shoulder. "Don''t think too much about it, Daphne."

    Ginny approached her. "Yes, it is best to forget about it. Last year she said I had some Gulping Plimpies running around me¡­ I still don''t know what she meant."

    "I don''t think Luna knew what she meant¡­" Lyra added.

 Chapter 163: Harry the Teacher

    Chapter 163: Harry the Teacher

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 163: Harry the Teacher</strong>

    "Alright, give me your wands; I will remove the trace," Harry told them once they arrived at the garden.

    "Mine was already removedst year," Daphne said.

    "Daddy also removed mine," Luna added.

    "Hold on, what? How did that happen?" Lyra questioned the girls. She believed only her brother would do that kind of stuff.

    "Some seniors removed the trace on my first year," Daphne exined.

    "They do this for all new Slytherin students."

    "Why?" Lyra asked.

    "Everyone knows the whole thing with the trace is the Ministry''s way of controlling Muggle-borns. It should not apply to students who live in magical houses," Daphne answered.

    "My brothers said the same," Ginnymented. "But Mom and Dad refused to remove mine. They are very strict when ites to obeying thew."

    "What about you, Luna?" Lyra asked.

    "I have to do a lot of cleaning around the house, so Daddy removed the trace of my wand so I didn''t have to borrow his anymore," Luna told her.

    Lyra nced at Harry with a frown. "You could have removed minest year."

    "To do what, exactly...?" Harry sighed. "Just give me your wand; I''ll remove it now."

    Once everything was ready, Harry walked to the middle of the garden. There was a big and almost empty space there, with only a giant apple tree.

    Harry tapped one of the branches, and it started to grow in length. The branch slithered over the grassy ground like a snake and formed more branches as it passed. From these branches, humanoid figures started to form.

    "What are those for?" asked Lyra.

    "These are going to serve as your targets," Harry said as the figures finished transforming into very simple wooden golems. Their feet were still attached to the main tree branch, making it easier for Harry to repair them.

    "Wow, I could barely transform that toothpick," Ginny looked impressed.

    "What defensive spells have you learned already? We can go from there," Harry asked them.

    Luna shrugged.

    Lyra scratched her head.

    Ginny nced at her friends with a troubled expression.

    "Nothing?" Harry was not expecting much, considering their only defense teacher had been Lockhart, but this¡­ "He did not even teach you one spell?"

    "Oh, he did teach us one!" Ginny got excited.

    "Ginny, don''t¡­" Lyra became embarrassed.

    "Yeah, you know, the charm to make our teeth shiny when we smile," Ginny exined.

    "That''s not¡­ that''s not a defense spell, Ginny," Harry pointed out.

    "Ah¡­ no, but it was the only spell we learned from him¡­ I think," Ginny said while looking down.

    "That''s it?" Harry asked.

    "To be fair, he didn''t teach us a single spell to us second years. Unless you want to count the one he assured us would serve to chase out a werewolf¡­ but it sounded so ridiculous," Daphne frowned.

    "Mom was very angry when I told her about him, and she went straight to talk with the Headmaster," Lyramented.

    "What did she say to the Headmaster?" Ginny asked.

    "I don''t know¡­ she never told me. But she looked a lot happier when she came back," Lyra said.

    "Fine¡­" Harry started. "Let''s just start from the beginning." He walked some distance away from the dummies and stood next to the girls.

    "I''ll show you how to use the disarming charm."

    Harry made a circr motion with his wand, followed by a stabbing one. His movements were slow but fluid.

    "Expelliarmus."

    From the tip of his wand, a sh of light came out and shed against the hand of the target dummy, destroying itpletely.

    "Oh¡­ so that''s what you meant by disarm," Luna nodded like she understood something.

    "Okay, you girls try it now," Harry told them.

    Lyra, Ginny, and Luna started trying to replicate what he did.

    "Expelliarmus!" Lyra made a correct motion, but her aim was a bit off, and missed the dummy''s hand.

    Luna hit the dummy on its shoulder and removed the entire arm.

    "Luna, aim for the hand¡­ that''s where the wand usually is," Harry told her.

    "But I''m trying to disarm him!" sheined.

    "Nevermind¡­" He turned his attention to Ginny.

    Her movements were good, but she was also missing the target.

    "It doesn''t go where I want it to go," Ginny pouted.

    He found her reaction very amusing. Haven''t seen her do that in a very long time¡­

    "Let me see it again," he instructed her.

    Ginny performed another disarming charm, but her aim was off once more.

    "I see¡­" He got closer. "You are ending the spell too soon. The end of the motion also serves as your aiming tool. You have to get the timing right¡­"

    He got behind the girl and grabbed her wand hand.

    "Har¡­." Ginny''s face became as red as her hair.

    "Let me show you." His hand made contact with her wand and formed a gentle connection. Harry then moved Ginny''s arm and formed the charm. "Expelliarmus."

    Ginny felt his magic course through her hand and then the wand¡­ it shone brightly until a spark of light came out and hit the training dummy on its hand.

    "There, that is the correct timing. You just need to practice it¡­. Ginny?, are you listening?" He noticed that the girl was staring at the ground and not paying attention.

    "Y-Yes!" She hurried to say.

    "Okay then." He let her go and took a step back.

    "You can also practice with a stick so you don''t exhaust yourself¡ª"

    "Silencio!" The head of the training dummy went flying.

    Harry nced back and saw Daphne clenching her wand.

    "Daphne¡­ I think you poured a bit too much magic into that one," Harry told her.

 Chapter 164: Going on a trip

    Chapter 164: Going on a trip

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 164: Going on a trip

    "It seems like you kids could use a break," Lily said as she entered the garden, carrying a tray of sweets.

    Their house elf, Mipsy, followed behind her with some tea.

    They ced the trays on the biggest stone table near the entrance.

    "Thanks, Mom!" Lyra hurried over and sat down. "I''m so hungry!"

    "That''s good, but don''t fill yourself with sweets¡­" Lily observed as the rest of them arrived and sat down.

    "Oh, you made my favorite. Thank you, Mipsy." Said Harry.

    "You are most wee, Master," the elf replied.

    "How is the practice going?" Lily asked.

    "Is going great!, right Ginny?" Lyra eximed.

    "Ginny? Are you okay?" Lily noticed the girl wasn''t answering and grew worried.

    "Huh?... I mean yes! It''s great." Ginny nced at Harry for a second before looking down again.

    Lily raised an eyebrow. "Mmmm¡­ is that so?"

    "Wow! Ginny has a lot of Wrackspurts around her head now," Luna said while staring at the redheaded girl.

    "Leave my Wrackspurts alone, Luna!" Ginny eximed.

    "But they are distracting me!" Lunained.

    "What?..." Lily wasn''t sure she wanted to know, but she asked anyway.

    "It''s one of Luna''s creatures that only she can see," Lyra exined.

    "Aha¡­" Lily didn''t know what to say to that. She was not familiar with the Lovegood family. She only knew they lived close to the Weasleys and that Lord Lovegood was a bit entric.

    She decided to avoid the topic and looked at Daphne.

    The blonde girl was sipping her tea with the manners expected from a pure-blood princess, but Lily noticed she had not touched any of the sweets.

    "Are you not hungry, Daphne? If there''s anything specific you like, Mipsy can prepare it for you."

    "It''s not that, Lady Potter¡­ I''m just¡­ I''m on a bit of a diet." Daphne looked a bit embarrassed to admit it.

    "Diet?... but you are already so thin." Lily noticed the girl stealing nces at her son. "I see¡­" She looked at Harry with suspicion.

    Harry noticed this and returned the stare. "What?" he asked.

    "Aren''t you a popr one?" Lily teased.

    Harry had been focusing on his dessert and had no idea what his mother was talking about. So he turned to his left and asked Luna.

    "What did I miss?"

    "A lot of Wrackspurts, I think," Luna answered while digging into her cake.

    ''Why did I ask her of all people?'' he wondered.

    "And what has Harry been teaching you?" Lily asked them.

    "The disarming charm," Lyra answered.

    "Expelliarmus? That''s a very useful one." Lily looked at Harry. "Good choice, son."

    "At least now we know one defensive spell," Lyra huffed.

    "Yes¡­ your first-year teacher was truly disappointing," Lily said.

    "But worry not. I made sure to solve that problem already."

    "You mean the day you went to talk with the Headmaster?" Lyra asked. "How did you solve it?"

    "What did you tell him?" asked Harry.

    "I just mentioned that I didn''t like his way of choosing professors¡­"

    Harry had the feeling that his mother did more than just ''mention it''.

    "And?... what then?" Lyra pushed her mother to continue.

    "I can''t say more, but the problem is solved. You can trust your mother," Lily assured them.

    "Why can''t you say more?" Lyra asked.

    "Are we getting a good professor next year?" Ginny asked.

    "It''s a surprise! That''s all I will say." Lily ended the conversation there.

    "Fine!" Lyra huffed.

    "We should get back to our practice now. I think I am close to mastering the disarming charm."

    "You still can''t hit the target though," Luna reminded her.

    "Neither can Ginny!" Lyra eximed.

    "But Harry helped her with that, right?" Luna nced at Ginny with her innocent eyes.

    "Uh¡­" Ginny covered her face.

    "You have to help me with my aim first." Daphne grabbed Harry''s hand and started to drag him away.

    "Your aim?" Harry asked her.

    "You were doing quite well before. You just need to put less power on your spell."

    "No, it was definitely off!" Daphne insisted.

    Lyra was surprised to see her act in such a way.

    "What''s with Daphne today? She never behaves like that¡­"

    Lily chuckled. "Oh¡­ your brother is very popr."

    <><><><><><><><><>

    "So, do you remember everything I said?" James asked his son.

    "Of course, Dad. We''ll only be there for a few days" Harry told him.

    "Why are you giving him the instructions? I am the adult here," Lily huffed.

    "Well¡­ I suppose you are right," James said, not wanting to upset his wife. He handed her the portkey in the form of arge coin.

    This was a special type of portkey, an international one that allowed them to go through Magical Britain barriers and enter a different country.

    Harry had initially nned on making his trip to Spain by himself but then discovered that minors were not allowed to travel alone, except for very specific circumstances.

    So in the end, it was decided that Lily would apany him since James was currently busy, working on a case involving some missing persons that he couldn''t talk about.

    "I always wanted to visit another country!" Lily looked excited about the trip, even if they weren''t exactly vacations.

    "Your father never takes me anywhere!"

    "Oi!" Jamesined.

    "Haha!... I''m joking, James." Lily knew well that the reason for not going out too much was because of the danger of encountering some Death eaters.

    Despite what the Ministry usually says in the newspapers, Britain has be a very dangerous ce after Voldemort''s first appearance, and even after going missing, there has been a lot of activity from Death Eaters and other dark wizards.

    "Now¡­ I want you to be very careful. I haven''t heard about any Death Eater movements over there, but France had two raidsst year," said James.

    "We will not be going into France," said Harry.

    "I know, but the Spanish magicalmunity you are visiting is a very old one, which means¡­ there is probably a lot of shady stuff going on there," James warned them.

    "I want to see them try anything!" Lily huffed.

    "Our son has taught me some very interesting spells recently."

    James sighed. "I don''t wanna know¡­"

 Chapter 165: Pomora Alley

    Chapter 165: Pomora Alley

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 165: Pomora Alley

    Harry and Lily walked through the streets of Barcelona wearing casual Muggle clothing to avoid attracting attention to themselves.

    "This is so exciting. It''s been so long since I visited a foreign ce like this," Lily said, appearing to be in a very good mood as she looked around the streets.

    "I''m d you''re having fun, Mom. But pay attention too, we are about to enter the oldest part of the city. We are bound to cross paths with other wizards and witches," Harry said, his words not loud but audible despite the noise around them.

    Lily assumed he had used some charm on his voice.

    "Hey, wait a moment, I''m supposed to be the adult here," sheined.

    Harry ignored her mutterings and focused on finding the entrance since he was not very familiar with this ce.

    "Are you sure it''s around here?" Lily scanned the area.

    The two of them had left behind the busy city streets and ventured into the oldest area, called the "Casco Antiguo."

    The city was extremely old. Even though it wasn''t formally recognized as a city until the thirteenth century, parts of it had been around since much earlier, and this was the oldest part.

    They were walking on cobblestones and surrounded by old, gloomy stone buildings.

    The upper parts of the buildings extended forward, so most of the natural light became blocked.

    "There, to the left," Harry said.

    They took a turn and found themselves in an alley with no exit.

    Lily was unable to see or hear anything here.

    "This is it," Harry said, tapping his wand against some of the small stones decorating the walls.

    They then heard a crack, and the end wall of the alley parted ways, revealing a dark corridor.

    Lily was a bit dubious but still followed Harry through this dark ce.

    "Whoa!" she eximed. After just walking for a few seconds, the narrow corridor disappeared, and she saw the alley in all its glory, with shops, the streets'' enchanted lights, and all the wizards and witches walking around.

    "Wee to the ''Callej¨®n De Pomora,'' or ''Pomora Alley'' if you prefer," said Harry.

    For a moment, Lily felt like a kid again, visiting Diagon Alley for the first time.

    Most of the shops were made of stone, giving it a much more rustic feeling than its English counterpart, but it was beautiful in its own way.

    "It looks more ancient than Diagon Alley," Lilymented.

    "That''s because it is. Diagon Alley was built around the sixteenth century, and this hidden space has been around since the sixth century¡­ more or less."

    "That old?" Lily was surprised to hear this. Even Hogwarts Castle had not been around this long.

    "Of course, back then, this was not amercial alley. It was just a house. A hidden ce for a witch called Pomora. Her family inherited the ce after she died, and during the Spanish Inquisition in the twelfth century, they started to rescue wizards and witches who were being persecuted by Muggles. The refugees decided to stay here and expanded the ce to create this magicalmunity."

    "You seem to know a lot about this alley," Lily noted. She had read about other magicalmunities, but it was hard to find much information in books. Thesemunities tended to be secretive when it came to foreigners.

    "I''ve only been here a couple of times in, you know¡­ my past. But the two old men we are going to visit, well¡­ let''s just say that they love to talk. I only remember a fraction of everything they told me," Harry exined.

    Lily smiled. "There are a lot of interesting shops around here; we should look around and bring back some things for the girls."

    "There will be time for shoppingter. The item I need takes time to create, so we should order it first."

    "You still haven''t told us what this item you need is," Lily pointed out.

    Her son had this terrible habit of feeding them information bit by bit. She wondered where he learned that from.

    "You''ll see very soon," he answered.

    "Ugh¡­" Lily groaned.

    They continued walking for a bit longer until Harry stopped before a corner. To their left was a narrow corridor with almost no light.

    It reminded her very much of Knockturn Alley.

    "Mmm¡­ Harry, don''t tell me t-"

    "Se?orita, no se meta ah¨ª!" (Lady, don''t go in there!) An olddy approached them. "Ese lugar es peligroso, es mejor no ir ah¨ª¡­ mucho menos con un ni?o." (That ce is very dangerous, it''s better not to go there¡­ much less with a child.) She nced at Harry.

    "Huh?... hold on¡­" Lily couldn''t understand a word that woman was saying. "Right!... there was a trantion charm, how was it?" she muttered.

    "Son ingleses?" (Are you British?) Thedy asked.

    "S¨ª," Harry answered.

    "Oh, el peque?o me entiende." (Oh, the little one understands me.) Thedy smiled at Harry.

    "Solo vamos a visitar los hermanos Vel¨¢zquez. Tenemos un negocio con ellos." (We are just going to visit the Vel¨¢zquez brothers. We have some business with them.) Harry told her.

    "?Esos viejos chidos?!" (Those crazy old men?!) The olddy frowned.

    "S¨ª¡­ esos dos." (Yes¡­ those two.) Harry already knew they had a bad reputation around here since they were a very entric duo.

    "?Aj¨¢!, ahora te entiendo!" (Aha!, now I understand you!) Said Lily with confidence.

    "Bueno¡­ si tienen que ir all¨ª, no los voy a detener, pero aseg¨²rense de salir del callej¨®n antes de que se haga de noche." (Well¡­ if you have to go there, I''m not going to stop you, but make sure to get out of the alley before nighttime.) Thedy sighed and left them alone.

    "We should get going; we are going to attract attention if we stay in this corner," Harry told his mother.

    "Mira, Harry!. ?Estoy hando espa?ol!" (Look, Harry. I''m speaking Spanish!) Lily had a smug smile on her face.

    "That''s great, Mom. But the Vel¨¢zquez brothers can speak English quite well, so you won''t need that charm," Harry informed her.

    "?Qu¨¦?!" Lily eximed.

 Chapter 166: A peculiar duo of craftsmen

    Chapter 166: A peculiar duo of craftsmen

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 166: A peculiar duo of craftsmen

    Lily followed behind Harry as they passed by many shady-looking shops, most of them closed. She only spotted a few people peeking through their windows as they walked by.

    "This ce will get very lively at night, but for now, it''s mostly closed. Unless they see us as easy targets, they won''te out," said Harry.

    "Easy targets?" Lily inquired.

    "Ah¡­ here it is." Harry took a turn to the right and into an even narrower passage.

    Lily''s shoulders were almost touching the walls as she passed, and someone bigger than her would have to walk sideways to get through. ''Why would anyone have a business here?...'' she wondered.

    After getting past the narrow passage, the area opened up a lot.

    "What in Merlin''s name?" She was not expecting to see this.

    In the middle of a maze of stone brick buildings was a circr garden with a wooden fence and a fountain.

    At the center of the garden were two stone houses built against each other. It looked like if you were to remove one, the other one would crumble.

    "The one on the right is the shop;e on." Harry stepped forward and opened the wooden gate.

    Lily took a closer look and noticed the wood had started to rot, and the garden was filled with growth, while the fountain looked like it hadn''t seen water in centuries.

    "This looks abandoned¡­" shemented.

    "I doubt they care at this point," Harry told her.

    Lily looked at the two houses; they were very simr, but the one on the left was in much worse shape and could copse at any moment. She was surprised for this ce to even exist here.

    For what she had heard...this alley was even more dangerous than Knockturn Alley, and yet¡­ this little house was allowed to take up all this space when everyone else had small shops and houses, crammed against each other.

    She then stopped when she heard something crack beneath her feet. At first, she thought it was just a branch, but then she noticed its peculiar shape.

    "Wait¡­ isn''t this?..."

    "Oh¡­ that''s a broken wand," Harry said casually. "I''m sure there are plenty around this garden."

    "You mean...?" Lily looked around the ce, but it was hard to distinguish anything with so many overgrown nts.

    "This is the best location in the alley, no¡­ the best in the city and many miles around it. I''m sure that many had wanted to take this spot for themselves," Harry told his surprised mother.

    "You are saying the shop owners killed them?"

    "Of course. How else are they going to keep this location for so long?" Harry pointed at a stone que on top of the door before knocking.

    Lily looked up at the que. It had the letters DCLXV carved on the stone.

    "Six hundred and sixty-five?... is that the year this was built?" Many shops in Diagon Alley also had ques with the year they started their business.

    "But you said before this alley didn''t exist until the twelfth century," Lily recalled.

    The door opened by itself.

    "Let''s go." Harry stepped inside, and Lily followed behind him.

    She was pleasantly surprised to find that the interior was well-kept and clean. It also looked much bigger insidepared to the small stone house she had seen.

    "Bienvenidos!"

    "?En qu¨¦ podemos servirles?"

    Two elderly men wearing simple brown robes stood a few steps away from them.

    "I need a staff. A good one," said Harry.

    "Oh¡­ British. I see."

    "A staff, he says¡­."

    The two of them looked at each other.

    "Hello!" Lily greeted the men. "Wait¡­ a staff? What do you need that for? You have a perfectly good wand already." Lily was confused.

    She, of course, knew about staves and other kinds of foci, but Britain only allowed wands to be used, so you would not see them there.

    "Oh, what a wonderful young witch."

    "Beautiful! Absolutely delightful."

    The two old men stared at Lily.

    "Um¡­ thanks?" Lily didn''t know how to react to that.

    "Would you stop staring at my mother so much?" Harry was getting annoyed.

    "Forgive us."

    "It''s been so long since we have seen a young beautiful damsel like her."

    "See, Harry? Your mother is still young and beautiful, even after three children." Lily had a smug smile on her face now.

    "Let''s get to business¡­" Harry sighed. "I need something that would allow me to channel arge amount of magic without disintegrating," Harry said.

    "Howrge are we talking about?"

    "Yes, it would help to know."

    "About five Grand Sorceries." Harry answer.

    The two old men went pale. "Five?!"

    "Nonsense! He is speaking nonsense."

    "Grand Sorceries?" Lily asked. She knew sorceries, but nothing that could be called grand.

    "Big spells, usually cast by groups of wizards or witches working together," Harry answered.

    "And five?...." Lily said.

    Harry had estimated that the unnamed magic he used against the colossal basilisk was around that level. If he could acquire a magical foci that would not break after activating his jewel array, he would be gaining an important weapon.

    He didn''t know if that was possible. The staff he wielded in the past was incredibly good, but even those would break.

    He never had another chance to ask this duo for another one before this country was destroyed.

    "So you can''t do it?...." He asked.

    "Did we say that?"

    "Nothing is impossible for us!" They huffed.

    "But not of wood, that''s for sure."

    "Yes, it would need to be made of that particr metal¡­ do we have any left?"

    "I think so... we made one kind of simr three centuries ago, remember?"

    "The one for the Syrian prince with the harem of virgin witches?"

    "That one!... what happened to him?"

    "I think he blew himself up¡­"

    "And his harem?"

    "Them too¡­"

    "What a shame."

    "A shame indeed."

    "Can we focus?" Harry interrupted their rambling.

    "Did they say three centuries ago?" Lily was barely following what they were saying, but she understood that.

    "It can be done!"

    "It will be expensive though."

    "That''s fine by me¡­ what do you want?" Harry asked, already knowing that these two were not going to ask for money.

    But he had a bad feeling when they nced at his mother.

 Chapter 167: The three cores

    Chapter 167: The three cores

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 167: The three cores</strong>

    "How expensive are we talking about?" Lily was somewhat worried. She had brought with her a small bag of Galleons but wasn''t sure if that would be enough. She could only hope that Harry hade prepared.

    "Here." Harry pulled something out of a pocket and erged it until it became clear it was a leather bag. Then he handed it to the old men duo.

    They opened the bag and inspected its contents.

    "Oh¡­ not bad."

    "Lots of good stuff in here¡­"

    He had filled the bag with many rare materials that he assumed these craftsmen would find useful. He had spent a fortune on that, and he even included the heart of a Nundu.

    "Yes, this will do quite nicely," one of the men said.

    Harry was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the other one spoke.

    "For half the payment, that is."

    "Just half?!" Harry could not believe what he was hearing. These two were not so greedy in his previous life.

    Lily didn''t know what Harry had put inside that bag, but seeing how surprised he was, it must have been very valuable.

    "If that is not enough, I have some Galleons with me¡­ how much w-"

    "No, no¡­ my dear."

    "We have no interest in your coins."

    "Or use for them¡­"

    "We only ept rare materials as payments."

    "Rare materials?" She had none of that on her. Never meet anyone who would not ept galeons as payment.

    "Normally, yes¡­"

    "But perhaps there is something else you can offer us¡­"

    The two of them said while staring intensely at Lily.

    All of a sudden, the temperature in the room dropped drastically.

    "Be very careful with what you say next..." Harry''s voice sounded cold and threatening.

    "Ho-ho¡­ how dangerous¡­"

    "Dangerous indeed."

    The two old men moved their eyes to him.

    "Harry?" Lily nced at her son.

    ''Is that his magicshing out? But¡­ why does it feel so cold?''

    "Calm down, young Lord, we would never ask for something inappropriate from a married woman."

    "We merely ask for a kiss."

    "On the cheek."

    "From this beauty."

    "Wait¡­ that''s all you want?" Lily was confused.

    The temperature went back to normal, but Harry was still looking at them with a displeased expression.

    "That''s all we ask."

    "You have our word."

    "I mean¡­ okay then." Lily approached them and gave each of them a quick kiss on their cheeks.

    "Ah¡­ how wonderful¡­"

    "Such soft lips¡­"

    The two men appeared to be delighted by such a small gesture.

    "Will you make the staff for my son now?" She had no idea why Harry needed something like that, but it seemed to be important to him, so she wanted to help him.

    "Yes, that was more than enough, young girl."

    "You made these two old men very happy. "

    The two said with wide grins on their faces.

    "And had we asked for anything more¡­"

    "That young Lord was ready to tear us apart."

    They peeked at him.

    "You can be sure of that," Harry told them without skipping a beat. Ha, they requested anything more than that, he was ready to forget about the staff and teach these two old fossils a lesson, despite knowing they would not have been easy opponents.

    The two craftsmen have been around for a tremendous amount of time and Harry was sure they had a lot of hidden tricks.

    "So, you have received your full payment." He told them.

    "Indeed, the young Lord seems to be in a hurry so we can get started right now."

    "The youngest are always in a hurry. I wonder why¡­ you have the most time."

    The duo started to walk out of the room and signaled for Harry and Lily to follow them.

    They were led to a massively big basement, much bigger than the rest of the house altogether.

    The basement appeared to be separated into several sections and was filled with all sorts of tools.

    It became evident that this was their main workshop where they performed their craft.

    "Over here, young Lord."

    "Move your hand over those containers and let us know if you feel anything unusual."

    They pointed to arge number of ss-looking containers stored on some wooden shelves.

    "Are you trying to find the best core for him?" Lily asked. She was at least aware of this part of the process for custom-made wands.

    "Indeed, but it''s not just one."

    "Yes¡­ wands need one core, but staves use two."

    "However, I believe in this case¡­"

    "Yes, we will need three."

    "Three cores?" Lily said with shock.

    "To channel the amount of magic the young Lord has requested..."

    "We will not ask questions on how he ns to aplish that."

    "Harry?" Lily looked at her son, waiting for an answer.

    "Do you trust me?" Harry asked.

    "Of course!" Lily did not hesitate.

    "I will show you everything when it''s ready...trust me until then." It would take too long to tell her about his artifacts and this was definelty not the ce or time for that.

    Lily stared at her son for a few seconds.

    "Okay. I''ll wait then. Go choose your cores, son."

    Harry hovered his hand over the ss boxes until he felt some sort of connection with their contents.

    "This one¡­" He called and continued to move under the careful watch of the two craftsmen.

    "This one¡­" He called another one.

    "And this one." He finally stopped.

    "Let''s see¡­"

    "Mmm¡­ interesting."

    The duo started to write some notes.

    "What materials did he choose?" Asked Lily with curiosity.

    "This is going to be our most difficult work to date."

    "I think that too, brother."

    They looked at the names of the materials again.

    "Unicorn horn, Thestral hair, and ourst Phoenix feather."

    "Life¡­ death¡­ and resurrection."

 Chapter 168: A Magnificent Creation

    Chapter 168: A Magnificent Creation

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author''s notes -

    <strong>Chapter 168: A Magnificent Creation</strong>

    They were told toe back three dayster to pick up the finished artifact.

    Returning to Ennd would have been quite a hassle since it would require them to acquire another International Portkey, so Lily and Harry decided to spend the time here in the city.

    For the next few days, mother and son spent their free time walking around Barcelona while doing some tourism and shopping, both in the muggle part and Pomora Alley.

    On the afternoon of the third day, it was time to go back and visit the shop.

    The dark alley was a bit more lively than thest time they visited. They saw several suspicious-looking individuals who stared at them as they walked but took no action against them.

    "Should I be worried?" Lily asked her son, not liking the way they were looking at them.

    Harry smiled.

    "You should always be worried. But they don''t seem to wish us harm"

    ''For now at least.'' He thought.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Wee!"

    "Wee indeed!"

    The old twins appeared to be in a good mood as they ushered them into the house.

    "I take it that it was a sess?" Harry asked.

    "Of course!"

    "A great sess!"

    They proimed loudly.

    "That''s wonderful to hear," Lily said, relieved that the trip was worth it, at least for her son. She had plenty of fun just visiting a new ce.

    "Come,"

    "This way,"

    the two old men guided them to a nearby table where something was covered with a piece of red fabric.

    Lily and Harry stood before the table and waited for the two men to continue.

    "Allow me the honors." One of the twins pulled the piece of fabric away, revealing their creation.

    "Our greatest masterpiece to date!" the other one added.

    "Oh!" A smile appeared on Harry''s face.

    "That''s a staff?" Lily said, shocked. She had never seen a magical staff before since they were not allowed in Ennd, but this was not what she was expecting.

    The most shocking part to her was that it appeared to be made of metal.

    "I thought staffs were made of wood, like wands."

    "Normally, that would be the case¡­"

    "To aplish the requirements of the young Lord, we had to resort to something more durable."

    "No wood would have been able to channel so much magic through it."

    "Only goblin steel had enough reliability while still being capable of acting as a conductor for the cores." The two old men exined.

    "Goblin steel?" Lily eximed. "Isn''t the forging of that material a huge secret for them?"

    "The goblins can rest assured. We don''t know how to create the alloy."

    "But we do know how to shape an already made one while keeping all its properties intact."

    "That''s incredible!" Lily stared at the artifact.

    "May I?" asked Harry.

    "Of course, young Lord."

    "It is yours after all."

    Harry picked up the staff from the wooden stand where it was resting.

    It felt heavier than he expected, considering it was made of goblin steel, meaning they must have done something to increase it''s density and durability. The surface was silver andpletely pristine. Four rows of runes had been carved vertically across its surface, except at the handle where it waspletely smooth andfortable to hold.

    The three cores were all secured inside the metallic casing and could not be seen, but Harry could feel them in there, waiting for him.

    On the tip of the staff were three crystals he was not able to identify.

    "They are called dragon opals. They can only be found on a small ind north of Norway."

    "They are the most resistant magical crystals in the world, very rare ones too," the two men exined.

    Harry focused on moving his magic through the staff and creating a connection with it.

    It was very easy to do. After all, this was something made specifically to match his magic.

    The crystals on the staff started to shine with an intense green light and a wave of energy came out of the artifact, pushing everything away while sparks of lightning jumped across its surface.

    Harry had to control the reaction that otherwise would have destroyed the small house and hurt everyone inside.

    "A perfect match!"

    "I was expecting nothing less." The twins smiled with satisfaction.

    "Amazing!" Lily stared in awe at her son. Despite hearing stories about his aplishments in his past life, she always had a hard time picturing him doing these things.

    For her, Harry was still her little boy¡­ but seeing him like this now¡­ his eyes brimming with barely contained power, his magic engulfing the room with such intensity that she had a hard time breathing¡­ she could see it now. ''He really is¡­ something else¡­''

    Things calmed down after a bit, and Harry ced the staff back on its stand.

    "You two have created something impressive¡­ thank you," Harry told them.

    "Haha! It was our pleasure, young Lord."

    "Yes, we should celebrate now! I will go fetch the good wine."

    "I think we should get going. It''s close to bing dark already," Lily said with a slight worry. She had been told by several people never to go into the alley at night time.

    "Here it is!" one of the twins said with excitement in his voice aftering back with a dark bottle.

    "Ourst Chateau Lafite 1787!"

    Lily stared at the bottle for a moment. "Of course, one ss won''t hurt."

 Chapter 169: A lifetime of learning

    Chapter 169: A lifetime of learning

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author''s notes -

    <strong>Chapter 169: A lifetime of learning</strong>

    "Ah! And then what happened?" Lily asked. After drinking half a bottle of wine worth a small fortune, she was listening with rapt attention to a story being told by the old twins.

    Harry, on the other hand, had to content himself with a ss of water since he was not ''technically'' old enough to drink alcohol, and that was the only thing these two old guys had in the house.

    "Hoho, it''s nice to have a young beauty listening to our old stories."

    "Yes, how long has it been since ourst visitor?"

    "You know¡­ if you moved your business to the main street, you two would have nock of clients." She didn''t understand why such incredible craftsmen had their shop in such a hidden ce.

    "My dear, that is just not possible."

    "Indeed, this shop cannot be moved from here, and¡­ neither can these two old men. We will remain here until our time is up." The two had a sad expression on their faces as they spoke.

    "But why is that?" Lily asked.

    "The shop cannot be moved because it''s on top of a focal point," Harry exined.

    "The young Lord knows¡­."

    "That is correct. The quality of our work would not be the same in a different location. This is the best spot in the city."

    "By focal point, you mean a ce where magic is more concentrated, right?" Lily asked.

    "Yes," Harry answered.

    "Magic is everywhere, but it doesn''t just sit in ce; instead, it flows like a massive river. Sometimes, two or more of those rivers will meet at the same location."

    "Yes, I know about that. Most wizard family homes are located in ces like those, and Hogwarts is supposed to be on top of a massive one," Lilymented.

    "Correct, my dear."

    "Our craft requires being close to one of these high magical density points."

    "Magicalmunities always thrive if they are built at the center of one of those focal points."

    "People also call them convergence points."

    Harry''s expression changed when he heard that word. Not because he was unaware of that concept, but hearing that word out loud reminded him of something.

    ''A convergence point¡­ that''s the same way the time book referred to the points where the wall between two realities was at its weakest and it was then possible to cross¡­ like what happened to me at the end of the year.''

    Now that he thought about it, those two concepts may have some corrtion. Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and the train station were the ces where he had been a witness of a convergence taking ce, and those are also focal points with high magical density¡­ especially Hogwarts.

    ''Am I overthinking things? Or could they be rted?...''

    Unaware of his internal musings, his mother continued the conversation with the old twins.

    "So that''s why you chose this spot. Very clever. But¡­ I assume a lot of people would also want to be here, right?... wait." As soon as she asked that question, she recalled all the broken wands in the front garden.

    "Many have wanted our space, yes."

    "Many have tried¡­ and failed." They chuckled.

    "But we didn''t choose this ce."

    "Yes, Lady Pomora had good senses¡­." The old men said.

    "Lady Pomora?... you mean the witch who first came here?" Lily asked, still remembering clearly the story Harry told her.

    "Yes, she was a wonderful witch¡­"

    "Indeed¡­ she allowed us to build our house right next to hers."

    "You mean¡­ your ancestors? Because she lived here like fifteen hundred years ago." Lily was confused.

    The two old men smiled.

    "Lady Pomora took these two foolish old men into her house after we escaped from Rome."

    "It''s been so long¡­ we went by a different name back then...but we still remember her like it was yesterday."

    "That''s impossible! You can''t be THAT old¡­ right?" Lily thought that maybe she had misheard them because of the wine and turned to look at Harry.

    "There are many ways to extend one''s life¡­ but they alwayse with a heavy price," Harry said.

    "Wise words, young Lord."

    "And a heavy price we have paid¡­" A myriad of emotions were concealed in their words.

    "Do you regret it?" Harry asked.

    "No," the two of them said at the same time.

    "Then it was worth the price." Harry nodded.

    Lily felt that she was missing something important.

    "Thank you for your kind words, young Lord," the two of them said.

    Lily wanted to ask why they kept calling her son ''young Lord''. At first, she thought they were just being polite to an heir from a noble family, but would two wizards this ancient even care about English magical nobility?

    They never referred to her as ''Lady'', even though she is the Lady of House Potter.

    "We should get going; it''s gettingte," Harry suggested.

    They had to return to the inn and pick up their things before going to the designated spot to use the Portkey.

    "Wait! But¡­ I have so many questions. You two have been alive for over a millennium¡­ the amount of wisdom you must have is¡­"

    Theyughed at hearing this.

    "My dear¡­ we have indeed seen and learned many things in our long life."

    "But we have also forgotten just as many."

    "What do you mean? That you don''t remember anything?" Lily asked.

    "We wouldn''t say ''anything''¡­. we know a great deal about the crafting of staffs and a few other topics."

    "But the human mind is very limited in how much it can store, even with the help of magic." They exined to her.

    "But surely there is something important you must have learned after all this time." Lily insisted.

    "There are some things, of course. Wisdomes and goes¡­"

    "But your instincts honed over the years will only improve."

    Lily raised an eyebrow.

    "Your instincts?... that''s it?"

    "Do not underestimate a person''s instincts... especially ones honed over extreme periods of time."

    "It is thanks to those instincts that one is able to discern things that others would miss, like gauging the power of an individual, regardless of how innocent they could look." They both nced momentarily at Harry.

    "Those are the kind of things..."

    "That allows us to live this long."

 Chapter 170: Constant Vigilance

    Chapter 170: Constant Vignce

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author''s notes -

    <strong>Chapter 170: Constant Vignce</strong>

    "Are you that disappointed?" Harry asked after leaving the garden.

    The sun waspletely gone, and the sky was dark, but the streets still had some lighting from the surrounding houses.

    Lily turned around and got another glimpse of the two old houses, one leaning against the other.

    She now knew the abandoned house on the left belonged to the witch Pomora and her descendants.

    "I mean¡­ they have lived for so long. If it were me, I would have wanted to learn¡­ I don''t know¡­ everything."

    "They probably did, but only what was truly important to them stuck for the rest of their journey," Harry told her.

    "How do you think they did it? How did they live for fifteen hundred years?"

    He shrugged. "If I have to guess, they found a way to bind their bodies to the focal point here and use its magic and their own souls to extend their longevities for as long as possible."

    "So they really can''t leave the house¡­" Lily recalled their words.

    "There was probably a time when they were able to move around the city, but the leash continued to get shorter. By the looks of this garden, they haven''t been able to leave the house for at least a century or two."

    "They sacrificed their souls and freedom to live longer¡­ doesn''t seem worth it," Lily considered.

    "Everyone has different definitions for what is ''worth it''..." Harry reminded her.

    "I suppose¡­ they appeared to be happy enough."

    The two of them walked through the dark alley in silence until Harry spoke again.

    "How drunk are you after all that wine?"

    Lily was surprised by the sudden question.

    "Huh? I''m fine. It would take a lot more than half a bottle to get your mother drunk."

    "That''s good¡­ because we are being ambushed."

    "What?!" Lily noticed a sh of light behind her and moved aside.

    A red sh passed next to her head and impacted a nearby wall.

    Lily immediately pulled out her wand and scanned the area, trying to find the attacker.

    "There!" Lily pointed her wand and shot a silent stunner.

    The red light impacted someone, and they heard the sound of someone copsing on the floor.

    "Got him!" Lily celebrated.

    "Hija de puta!" they heard a female voice yell.

    "That was good, but not that useful. There are at least three enemies. Stunners are only good for duels."

    "Rennervate!"

    They could not see where they were, but they heard the same female from before.

    "We are back to three," Harry pointed.

    Lily nced at her son; he was standing with his arms crossed and his usual calm expression.

    "Wait, are you not going to do anything?"

    "Are you telling your young innocent son to go fight these evildoers for you?"

    Lily raised an eyebrow. He was not taking this seriously at all.

    "I want to see what Lily Potter can do. Don''t worry about me," Harry told her.

    Thest time, she was too distracted while trying to protect him. But now, she could focus on defending herself against the four enemies.

    He only had time to teach her one spell, but it would surelye in handy now.

    Of course, he knew she was in no real danger for as long as he remained close to her, but one day he may not be there and he wanted to make sure she could take care of herself.

    "What? You are going to let y-" Lily felt something and moved her wand forward.

    "Protego!"

    A couple of spells hit her shield and broke it.

    Lily did not waste time and went for cover.

    She had one enemy behind and two more in front.

    ''Take the solitary one first.'' She thought.

    A light ''Bbombarda'' against the wall near the duo of thieves served as a distraction.

    The man and woman hidden in the shadows made a yelp of surprise when the wall next to them exploded, and they were forced to take a few steps back and duck for cover.

    Meanwhile, Lily sent a silent lumos behind her.

    The small ball of light illuminated the alley just enough to show her the position of the solitary thief.

    This was no moment to hesitate...she had a small opening to take this man out.

    "Silencio."

    "Stupefy."

    "Incarcerous."

    She cast the three spells in one fluid motion, as her husband had taught her.

    The thief went down quickly, making it clear that these people were not duelist experts by any means and instead were just three opportunistic thieves looking for some easy prey.

    With one down, Lily focused her attention on the other two.

    She could not use a stunner now as they would be able to dispel it from each other, and she was not confident in being able to take both of them at the same time.

    ''I''ll have to use the spell he taught me¡­'' She felt a bit troubled.

    "Don''t start doubting now. A moment of hesitation could kill you," Harry shouted at her.

    "Protego!" Lily blocked the iing spells, and it was time to fire back at them.

    "Divulsa!" She made a cutting motion, and a wave of purple light came from her wand.

    The male thief tried to use a charm shield, but that only stopped half the spell.

    The reason Harry chose this particr lethal spell to teach his mother was because it was half a charm and half a curse, making it easier for her to learn it since Lily was already a master in charms.

    It was also a tricky spell to block, as people would often confuse the motion for a different charm and try to block it with a Protego.

    That was a deadly mistake as this would only block the charm while letting the curse pass by...

    "Ahhhh!" The thief screamed as some purple liquid sshed onto his chest and started to dissolve it.

    His partner panicked and made another fatal mistake. She tried to remove the liquid using her robes.

    The curse spread to her and started to consume her.

    Lily flinched at the macabre spectacle but did not look away.

    ''I did this¡­ I ca-''

    She was startled as all of a sudden, some masked man with a knife appeared on her side and tried to stab her.

    She could not react in time to save herself, but then¡­ the man went flying and was smashed against the closest wall with a loud crunching noise.

    "What¡­ what was that?!" She did not understand where that man came from.

    She looked at her son''s expression and realized what had happened.

    "You told me there were only three!"

    "I said at least three... but you should never lower your guard. I could have also been wrong in my detection. I could still be wrong, and there could be more attackers around. To be honest, I''m not that great at detection."

    Lily could not argue against that. She had indeed gotten careless.

    "Constant vignce¡­" that''s what Moody always said.

    "Constant vignce," Harry agreed.

 Chapter 171: Xenophilius

    Chapter 171: Xenophilius

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author''s notes -

    <strong>Chapter 171: Xenophilius</strong>

    Harrynded close to the house.

    He would have used Floo powder to travel here, but Luna''s father was a very paranoid man and believed there was some conspiracy involving corrupted fairies leaking information to dark wizards.

    Funny enough, he wasn''tpletely wrong about that one.

    Apparition would have been risky since he had never been in this version of the Lovegood house, and things could be in a slightly different positionpared to what he remembers.

    A humming sound could be heard when Harry tapped the property wards. This was a non-intrusive way to inform the home upants of his presence.

    He was looking forward to his conversation with Xenophilius. It didn''t take long for Luna to send him an invitation after he requested to speak with her father.

    The girl didn''t even know what he wanted to speak about, but she had always been very carefree with these things.

    Harry felt the magic moving around the ancient wards, and the wooden house that had been previously in sight disappeared. It was then reced by the real Lovegood house as it came into view a short distance away.

    Had someone entered the property without permission, they would have wandered around for a very long time before finding the real ce.

    The Lovegood family home was more simr to a tower than a typical house. Wizards used to employ these kinds of buildings a lot in the past as they were easier to defend.

    The tower was surrounded by a well-kept garden, filled with flowers of all kinds and colors, giving the otherwise gloomy tower a picturesque appeal.

    Harry had no doubt this was Luna''s doing.

    The door of the tower opened up by itself.

    "I guess I''m being weed," Harry told himself while walking towards it.

    "Daddy! Harry is here!"

    He heard Luna calling from upstairs as he crossed the entrance.

    "I''ll be down in a minute, Pudding," her father answered.

    The blonde girl came down the stairs while jumping.

    "Hi!" she greeted him with excitement.

    "Hello, Luna, have you been practicing what I taught you?"

    "Yes, I have already disarmed all the scarecrows in the field," Luna exined.

    "Poor scarecrows¡­" Harrymented.

    "Lyra told me to visit your home tomorrow," shemented.

    "Yes." He had agreed to give the girls a few more sses until the end of the summer. After all, he had plenty of free time even with his own personal daily train.

    "Today she went to the Weasleys. Ginny''s oldest brother is also there, I believe."

    "Ah, there he is!" Xenophilius descended the stairs and nced at him with interest.

    The man had long blonde hair like his daughter and was wearing a mboyant yellow tunic that would make Dumbledore proud.

    "Let us take a seat in the kitchen; we can talk there," he said with a mischievous smile.

    Harry and Luna followed him, and the three of them sat down at a small circr wooden table.

    "Very cozy for an old tower," Harrymented after looking around the kitchen.

    "Right?" Xenophilius grinned.

    "It''s all thanks to my Luna¡­ I don''t know what I would do without her¡­"

    His expression changed to a very serious one as he looked directly into Harry''s eyes.

    "So¡­ Mister Potter. I know why you are here."

    Harry raised an eyebrow.

    ''Did he sense the item in my bag?... Maybe I didn''t give him enough credit, but why do I feel so much tension in the air?''

    "Mister Lovegood, I -"

    "Allow me to speak first." Xenophilius raised a hand to interrupt him.

    "I know you are here to request the hand of my lovely daughter in marriage, but let me tell you something first."

    "What¡­" He knew the man was peculiar, but he was not expecting this.

    ''Why are all purebloods so obsessed with marriage?'' In his previous life, he had grown away from the magical world, and even after entering Hogwarts, he never got involved in politics, so he was not used to these things.

    "Don''t you think for a second that it will be that easy! I will not give you my precious Luna!" He mmed his palm on the table with fury.

    "No¡­ that''s not what I-"

    "Very well!" Xenophilius interrupted him again.

    "Your tenacity has won me over! You may marry my beloved Luna, but I have two conditions, and they are not negotiable."

    "Like I''m trying to say¡­ that is not what I-"

    "Condition one!" Xenophilius raised one finger in the air.

    "You must treat her like she is the most important thing in the world....because she is!"

    He raised another finger.

    "And two¡­ you must move to live here. This tower would crumble in a week with my daughter."

    Harry looked at the girl in question.

    "Can you reason with your father?... please?"

    "Huh?..." Luna was staring at the ceiling with misty eyes.

    "Sorry, I think I saw a Crumble-Ho Snock passing by."

    "You weren''t listening at all?..." Harry sighed.

    "Did I miss something important? That happens a lot," Luna told him.

    "Wait¡­ don''t tell me¡­" Xenophilius gave him a suspicious look.

    "You want to taste the milk without buying the cow?!"

    "Cow?" Luna became confused.

    "Daddy, don''t be silly. We don''t have any cows here."

    "I''m going to stop you right there." He did not like where this conversation was going, so he put his bag on the table and opened it up.

    "I came to talk about this." He pulled his Invisibility Cloak out.

    "A cloak? Wow, it''s so pretty!" Lunamented.

    "Hmm? What is this?" Xeno got closer to inspect the item.

    "Why did you bring me a¡­ wait a minute."

    He saw the symbol inscribed near the neck area of the cloak, and his demeanorpletely changed.

    "Can it be?!" He said with shock.

    "I have looked for them for so long¡­ is this really?¡­"

 Chapter 172: The Powerâ€™s Origin

    Chapter 172: The Power¡¯s Origin

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 172: The Power''s Origin</strong>

    "Yes, this is the Cloak of Invisibility. It has been passed down through my family for many generations," Harry exined.

    "The Potters had it¡­of course, I should have known. The Potters and the Peverells were very close in the past," Xeno said.

    "Yes, I heard that too¡­" Harry nodded.

    "Incredible¡­this is a real Hallow. But¡­" Xeno ran his fingers through the fabric and noticed the obvious issue.

    "It stopped working a year ago," Harry confirmed his suspicions.

    "This can''t be possible!" Xeno picked up the cloak and examined it further.

    "Are you sure it''s not a fake one?" Luna asked. Her face was uncharacteristically serious.

    "Even a high-quality Invisibility Cloak doesn''tst more than a few years. This one has been in my family for several centuries and was working perfectly untilst year when it suddenly lost all its power and became a normal cloak. This is a real Hallow, one of the three¡­I would bet my life on that im," Harry answered.

    "I do not doubt your word, Mister Potter. But you said this cloak lost its power¡­that is just not possible," Xeno told him.

    "Well, that''s what happened," Harry said.

    "You are aware of the source of this power, yes?"

    He nodded. "Of course. I know what the tale said. These three artifacts were crafted by Death himself."

    "Is more than just a tale¡­ I have spent a very long time researching them¡­ trying to find them. And I have learned much about them and where they came from. Their power originates from Death, yes¡­and thus can never be exhausted or disappear for as long as Death exists."

    "Why did it stop working then? Do you have any theories?" asked Harry.

    "If its power didn''t vanish, that must mean it went somewhere else," Xeno said.

    "It went somewhere else¡­" Harry muttered.

    "If you could find the other two, perhaps we could learn more," Xeno suggested.

    Harry thought about it. "I may be able to get my hands on the wand."

    "You know where the Wand of Power is?!" Xeno didn''t expect him already to know where the second artifact was located.

    "I do but¡­ I have good reason to believe it had also lost its power. I''ll try to get it," Harry told him. ''I could pay a visit to Riddle Manor at some point to see if the Stone is still there, but that is very unlikely.''

    "Would you mind leaving the cloak with me? I would love to study it further," Xeno requested.

    "If that helps, I don''t mind. But take good care of it. Even without its power, it is still a family relic," Harry said.

    "Of course, Mister Potter," Xeno appeared to be very excited at the prospect of studying one of the legendary Hallows.

    "Just call me Harry, no need for Mister."

    "Oh, in that case, you must also address me by name. Mister Lovegood is just too long and formal. you may call me Xenophilius Lewis Gruffyd¡­the third."

    Harry raised an eyebrow. "Can I just call you Xeno?"

    He shrugged. "If you prefer it. Once you marry my daughter you can call me Father."

    "What?..." He thought they were done with that.

    "I''m getting married to Harry?" This was new for Luna.

    "No, hold on¡­"

    "Oh no¡­ Ginny and Lyra are going to be very disappointed¡­" Luna said with a sad tone.

    "Wait, what?!" Harry shouted.

    <><><><><><><>

    On the next day, Ginny and Luna came to the Potter Manor for another defense practice session with Harry.

    "So¡­ is it not true?" Lyra leaned closer as she asked him for the third time.

    "How many times do I have to tell you? No one is getting married," Harry was beginning to lose his patience.

    Ginny nced at Luna. "What did your father say?"

    "Oh, he offered my hand to him, but Harry said he had to think about it," Luna exined.

    "I did not¡­" Harry noticed the tiny smile on Luna''s face and realized she was messing with Lyra and Ginny. ''This must be her version of a prank, I guess¡­''

    "Forget about that, you have better things to upy your minds on," Harry told them.

    "Eh? But¡­" Lyra muttered.

    "Today I''m going to teach you the Stunning Charm," Harry aimed his wand at one of the training dummies. "Stupefy!"

    A wisp of red light impacted the chest of the dummy, creating a lot of sparks.

    "Isn''t that a bit boring?" Lyrained.

    "Boring?" Harry questioned her.

    "Yes, I mean, yesterday¡­ Ginny''s brother taught us this Bat-Bogey Hex," Lyra waved her wand at the dummy and was surprised when nothing happened.

    "The Bat-Bogey Hex won''t work on a wooden dummy. It has no bogeys¡­" Harry informed her.

    "Oh¡­ that makes sense," said Ginny.

    "What were you thinking? It''s so obvious," Luna taunted her.

    "Ah¡­ ahmm...shut up!" Lyra became embarrassed.

    "Harry, did you know my brother''s jinx?" Ginny asked. This was supposed to be something her brother had created, so how could Harry know about it?

    "No¡­ by the way she formed her magic, the wand movements, and the name, I was able to figure out what the jinx is supposed to do," he just said the first thing that came to his mind.

    "Amazing!" Ginny looked at him. Her amber eyes were filled with admiration.

    ''Stop it¡­ you are making me feel guilty,'' Harry thought.

    "In any case!" Lyra spoke again. "Can you teach us something like that?"

    "You want to learn something shy and eye-catching?" Harry asked.

    "Yes!" Lyra shouted with excitement.

    Ginny did not say anything but was also looking with a lot of interest.

    "Okay, pay attention¡­ I will only show it to you once."

    Lyra got closer and opened her eyes wide open.

    "Lumos Solem!"

    "Ahh! My eyes!" Lyra shouted.

 Chapter 173: The Missing Family

    Chapter 173: The Missing Family

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 173: The Missing Family</strong>

    The Potter family was having dinner one night when James had some news for them.

    "I will be gone for the next week. I have an investigation to perform in France," James announced.

    "You are going to Paris?!" Lyra became instantly interested in the conversation.

    "Is this about that case of missing people you were working on?" Harry asked.

    "Yes, it''s still that same case," James replied.

    "Those missing persons must be very important, then," Harry pointed out. The Ministry would never try this hard if the victims were from an average wizarding family.

    "They are, yes," James confirmed.

    "Who are they? Someone we know?" Lyra inquired.

    Harry observed his mother''s expression, and by the faces she was making...she knew.

    "I cannot talk about an investigation in progress," James said.

    "But you told Mom," Harry countered.

    "I¡­I did not," James muttered.

    "Oh,e on! You can trust us, we won''t tell anyone!" Lyra eximed.

    "You are terrible at keeping secrets! You always end up saying something," James reminded her.

    "If an important pureblood family has disappeared, the Ministry won''t be able to keep it a secret for too long anyway. People always talk," Harry remarked.

    "He is right, James. When the boy fails to show up at school, they will know that something has happened," Lily added.

    "The boy?" Lyra asked.

    James sighed in defeat. "Fine¡­but better keep your mouths shut about this. If people find out, let it be by someone else¡­it''s the Malfoys. They have been missing since the end of June."

    "Draco is missing?" Harry was not expecting that.

    James nodded. "And his mother too."

    "Any suspects?" Harry inquired.

    "We already questioned the most obvious ones¡­.but we have nothing to link them with the disappearance."

    ''The usual ones¡­.he is likely referring to Lord Parkinson, the current Dark Lord, and his closest associates. But if they are not involved in their disappearance¡­there is another individual that could be responsible for this. That would be Voldemort.'' Harry thought about it for a moment.

    By the look his father was giving him, he had reached the same conclusion.

    "And what are you going to do in France?" Lyra wanted to know.

    "The Malfoys have two properties in France. We may be able to find something if we search them."

    "Be careful, you don''t know what you could find," Harry warned him. If Voldemort was actually involved in this, things could be dangerous.

    "I''m always careful, son," James grinned with confidence. "And I will have Mad-Eye Moody with me, as well as a few otherpetent Aurors. We will be fine."

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Harry didn''t leave the house much during the next week.

    For the next practice, Daphne had brought with her the full list of materials he requested from her father.

    There was still a month left before Holly''s birthday, and he had a promise to keep. He had to craft a golem for her.

    Harry taught Luna, Ginny, and Daphne how to use the silencing charm, while Daphne began to practice the ''Incarcerous'' conjuration.

    This was considered a very advanced spell, but Daphne showed an impressive amount of talent.

    Once she masters her arsenal and learns to chain spells one after another¡­she will be a force to reckon with.

    "Ginny, do you have a minute?" Harry approached the redhead.

    "Yes? I mean, yes! Of course." Ginny did her best to hide her nervousness. She didn''t have many chances to speak with him alone. "What is it?"

    "There has been something I have been meaning to tell you for a while but haven''t found the chance."

    "R-really?" She stammered her words and looked down to hide her embarrassment.

    "Yes¡­ um¡­ how do I say this? How do you feel abou-?"

    "Yes!" She hurried to say.

    "Ginny? I haven''t asked you the question yet¡­" Harry looked confused.

    "Ah! Sorry!"

    "It''s okay. So, what I wanted to ask you¡­ how do you feel about bing a seeker for the Quidditch team?"

    "Ye-...wait¡­ seeker?" Now it was Ginny''s turn to be confused.

    "I haven''t told anyone yet. But I''m nning on quitting the team," Harry exined.

    "What?! Why? You are the best seeker the team ever had," she asked.

    "There is no way to say this without sounding arrogant¡­but ying at Hogwarts is¡­ boring for me. There is no challenge. And I''m sure my teammates resent me for winning the games too quickly and not giving them the chance to y that much."

    "Mmm¡­ you did finish all the games very quickly, that''s true¡­." Ginny assented. "But, you want me to take your ce? I don''t think that¡­"

    "Yes, I have only seen you fly a couple of times, but I can already tell that you have a lot of talent," Harry said.

    Ginny was taken aback by the sudden praise. "I-I¡­ don''t know¡­"

    "I am aware that you and Lyra wanted to y as chasers. But there won''t be an opening in that position for at least two more years. And ying as a seeker would allow you to improve your flying skills."

    Ginny nodded. She could not argue with what he was saying, and she knew it was a great opportunity, but she didn''t feel prepared to take on such a role right now.

    "We still have a bit over a month before sses start. I could teach you a few things."

    Ginny''s interest peaked at hearing this. "You want to give some personal training?"

    "Yes," Harry nodded.

    "Just you and me?" Ginny asked.

    "Well¡­ of course."

    "I''ll do it!" Ginny shouted.

 Chapter 174: Ambush

    Chapter 174: Ambush

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 174: Ambush</strong>

    On the next day, the Potter family received some concerning news: James had been seriously injured during his mission in France and was currently in St. Mungo''s.

    They rushed to the hospital, and upon entering his room, the family found stor Moody standing next to his bed.

    "Dad!"

    "Daddy!"

    "James!"

    "Oh? Looks like your family is here to see you, James," Moody said, his magical eye scanning the crowd for any threats.

    James, though visibly tired, managed a smile. "I''m sorry for making you all worry. I''m fine."

    Harry observed him carefully. He seemed fine at first, but then he noticed his left leg was covered in bandages. It also appeared too thin for a normal leg, giving Harry an unpleasant feeling.

    "Your leg¡­" he said. "It was hit by a very potent dark curse... but it''s fading already," he noticed with relief.

    "Ah... yes. That was nasty nasty curse..." James replied, not seeming inclined to borate on the details in front of his daughters.

    "Don''t worry, boy. Your father won''t be needing one of these," Moody tapped his prosthetic leg. "The healers did manage to remove the curse. He''ll be walking soon enough."

    "James, is that true?" Lily stared at her husband with concern.

    "I may need to use a cane for a while, but the healers said they will be able to regrow all the muscle and bones in less than a week, and then I''ll need at least two or three more weeks to recoverpletely."

    "That''s a relief¡­" Lily turned to Moody. "What about you, stor? Were you hurt too?"

    "Just a few scratches. I got lucky... can''t say the same about my other men," Moody said somberly.

    "You mean..." Lily didn''t need to finish the question. Moody shook his head.

    "Well, I''ll leave you for now. You seem to be in good hands," Moody said.

    "Oh, before I forget, Amelia contacted me. She wille by tomorrow to visit you."

    "I understand. She is going to need my full report," James replied.

    Moody bid farewell to the family and left the room.

    "When can you leave the hospital?" asked Lyra.

    "I think in about six or seven days."

    "You don''t have to return to work so soon, right?" Lily asked.

    James shook his head. "I still need to speak with my boss. But they should let me free until my leg ispletely recovered."

    "Does it hurt?" Holly asked with concern.

    "Not anymore, my love. They gave me a lot of medicine," James reassured her. His eyes met Harry''s for a moment.

    "Lily, can you take the girls out for a moment? I need to speak with Harry alone for a few minutes."

    "Okay¡­" Lily didn''t question it. She knew her husband wouldn''t have asked for this if it weren''t important. "Let''s go, girls."

    "Eh? But I wanna stay with Daddy!" Hollyined.

    "I know, dear. But why don''t we go buy something delicious to eat from the cafeteria and bring some to your Dad? Maybe some sweets too?" Lily suggested.

    Holly was already at the door. "Let''s go!"

    Lyra looked back at Harry, suspicion filling her eyes, but she didn''t say a word.

    Harry noticed this. He knew his sister sensed that something was off with him. It made sense, after everything she had seen him do...

    But for now, at least, she hadn''t demanded any exnation, and he wondered how long that wouldst.

    After the girls left, Harry closed the door and secured the room with a few charms.

    "So... what happened there?" Harry asked.

    James sighed. "As nned, we went to investigate the two Malfoy properties. The first one waspletely empty, and I really mean empty... not even a piece of furniture was left."

    "The Malfoys are probably hurting for money. It wouldn''t be surprising if they sold everything that was non-essential to them," Harry remarked.

    "Yes, that was our conclusion too," James admitted.

    "And then? What happened at the second house?"

    James took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. "That one was different. There were signs that someone had been living there until very recently. We did not find any traces of the Malfoys, even after using all sorts of tracking spells, making it clear that whoever had been living there... had not been the Malfoys."

    "And then?"

    "And then... an ambush. Five individuals... we don''t know where they came from. We made sure the house was empty, even Moody scanned everything with his magical eye."

    "They must have apparated in," Harry suggested.

    "Apparition or a Floo entrance are the most likely scenarios. But that means we must have triggered some rm that alerted them to our presence in the house. But still... even in that scenario, we should have had the advantage. Counting me and Moody, there were ten Aurors. Nine were veterans with many years ofbat experience... we only managed to take down one of them while they killed eight of us and almost got me too. If it hadn''t been for Moody''s quick reaction¡­"

    "They were that good?" Harry understood the Death Eater organization quite well. During its early years, that group wasposed of Lords, Ladies, and their pureblood descendants. They were all from wealthy families and, as expected, they were not the best fighters. Few of them could have defeated a veteran Auror. Had it not been for Voldemort himself, they would not have gotten very far in their initial rebellion.

    Of course, that changed during the Third War when demons came into y, but that was not applicable here.

    "We underestimated them... I''ll admit that much."

    "Were they really Death Eaters?" Harry asked. "What did they look like? Did you manage to identify any of them?"

    James shook his head. "They wore ck tunics and pure white masks. All the masks looked exactly the same... a simple skull with some brand on the forehead. We were only able to kill one of them, but they took the body away."

    "The description could fit the Death Eaters. But their masks were all different though. They liked to be unique in their own way," Harrymented.

    "Yes, I noticed that too. These were different, and they were much stronger than the typical Death Eater," James said.

    "Can you show me your memory of the event? Perhaps I can find something else," Harry requested.

    "I was just going to ask you that," James grinned. Hey back on his bed and looked directly at Harry. "Go ahead, I have lowered my defenses."

    His wand appeared in his hand. "Legilimency."

    Harry''s vision changed as he delved into his mind, and he found himself in a poorly lit living room.

    He was seeing things from his father''s perspective. Moody was just a few feet away, looking around incessantly.

    Five more Aurors were in the room, rummaging through drawers and cabs.

    Another Auror entered the room to give a report, and that''s when things went awry.

    Moody yelled at the Auror next to the door to take cover, but it was toote. A sh of green light hit him on the side, and he fell down.

    Five individuals with ck cloaks entered and started attacking them.

    The Aurors fired back while using the furniture as cover.

    Spells flew all over the ce, but Harry noticed that two of the masked individuals never cast any spells. They didn''t even hold wands in their hands. Instead, they wielded knives.

    The three who did use magic were extremely skilled. They didn''t just use the Killing Curse and hope for the best...theybined it with many other support spells to disable their opponents and used the environment to their advantage.

    They also served as cover for the knife-users.

    When the Aurors hid behind the furniture and stopped shooting, the knife-wielding Death Eaters jumped into action. They moved at an impossible speed, leaving behind a shadowy residue.

    They leaped through the air and climbed walls to avoid the Aurors'' spells before attacking them with their knives.

    One of Moody''s curses hit one of the wand-wielding Death Eaters, killing them on the spot.

    At this point, only Moody and James were left.

    James faced off against one of the knife users and was stabbed in the leg during the struggle.

    Harry paid attention to the weapon now that it was up close. The de waspletely ck and had a clear baleful aura around it.

    James managed to push the attacker away with a Depulso before being stabbed again. Moody grabbed him, and they escaped by breaking one of the windows and mounting onto Moody''s broom.

    Harry''s vision returned to the present as he looked at his father. "That was close¡­"

    James nodded solemnly. "Yes, very close. I don''t want Lily or the girls to know how close it was."

    "Did you know you were almost killed by a vampire with a cursed de?" Harry asked.

    James didn''t seem surprised to hear this. "So it was a vampire... I didn''t know for sure. I knew it wasn''t a normal human. But Moody has more experience with them and told me¡­"

    "Hmm¡­ Uncle Remus mentioned some strange vampire activityst year¡­" Harry recalled hearing that but didn''t think much of it at the time.

    "Yes, we also received some reports of the sort over the past year or so. It seems like he had sessfully recruited a few vampire ns into his ranks¡­ Voldemort¡­" James looked genuinely worried now.

    "You''re going to have to be extra careful for now. We don''t know what else he has or what he has been doing for the past ten years. It''s obvious that he has not been idle¡­ Voldemort has spent thest decade preparing for his return."

 Chapter 175: Hot Temper

    Chapter 175: Hot Temper

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 175: Hot Temper</strong>

    Thest month of the summer went by quickly.

    While their father enjoyed his vacation rxing at home, Harry finished the golem he had promised his sister, Holly, for her birthday.

    It was made of wood, stood twenty centimeters tall (7.8 inches), and had a high-quality arkstone to act as a renewable source of power. The construct was only able to follow simplemands, so it didn''t have much practical use, but Holly loved it nheless. She called it Woody and had it running all around the house.

    On thest week of the summer, just one day before their trip to Diagon Alley, Harry had made ns with Ginny to give her onest ss before it was time for Hogwarts. When he entered the garden, Harry was surprised to find his sister and Ginny having a heated argument.

    "Why are you being like this?" Ginny asked.

    "You know why! Why have you spent so much time with him?" Lyra demanded to know.

    "I already told you everything!" Ginny sounded frustrated. "I don''t keep secrets from you."

    "You think I didn''t notice? You haven''t mentioned Neville or the Boy Who Lived in months!" Lyra said back.

    "I... that has nothing to do with anything," Ginny replied.

    "Yes, it does! You got over Neville, and now you''re going after Harry. Well, you can''t have him!" Lyra huffed.

    "What?!" Ginny was taken aback by her friend''s reaction.

    She was then going to say something, but Lyra stormed away.

    "Lyra!" Ginny called for her but was ignored.

    She stood there in shock, not sure what she should do next.

    "Lyra can be very temperamental sometimes," said Harry, startling Ginny in the process.

    "Harry?... ehm¡­ were you listening to our conversation?" she asked.

    "I wasn''t trying to pry, but you two were being quite loud," Harry told her.

    "Right¡­ about what Lyra said¡­" Ginny became very embarrassed.

    "Don''t worry about it," Harry reassured her.

    "I''ll go talk to Lyra. Why don''t you wait here for a bit? We have our ss afterward."

    "Are you sure it''s a good idea? That was the main reason she got mad..." Ginny appeared to be conflicted.

    "Of course. It''s ourst practice...we can''t waste it," Harry insisted.

    Ginny assented. "Okay¡­ I''ll wait then. Will you tell Lyra that I never wanted to do anything to upset her?"

    Harry gave her a thumbs up. "Leave it to me."

    He found that Lyra was inside her room thanks to a couple of ''point me'' spells.

    She had locked the door.

    "Alohomora."

    "Hey, what are you doing?!" She shouted when she saw the door opening. "What if I was changing?"

    "Nothing I haven''t seen before," Harry told her nonchntly.

    "Don''t remind me of that!" Sheined while her cheeks became somewhat red.

    "What are you doing here?"

    "I came to talk to you, about that silly argument you had with Ginny," Harry told her.

    Lyra''s eyes opened widely. "You heard that?"

    "I heard some of it. What was that about anyway? I was just giving her some flying lessons so she could take my ce as seeker next year. I''m sure she told you about it."

    "I know¡­" Lyra admitted. "But Ginny¡­ she¡­ never mind¡­"

    "She wants to take me away?" Harry asked.

    Lyra became embarrassed at being reminded what she said but then¡­ she nodded.

    "Do you have any idea how silly that sounds? " Harry asked.

    Lyra did not answer and instead continued to look down at her bed.

    "I''m your brother, Lyra, and no one will take me away from my family."

    She lifted her gaze and stared at him. "Then why did you trust her with your secret instead of me?"

    "It wasn''t much of a secret. I just told Ginny because it was relevant to her¡­ but that''s not the secret you really want to talk about, is it?"

    "Well¡­" Lyra appeared to be hesitant to speak about this.

    "Go on, you can tell me anything, you know that," Harry reassured her

    .

    "I overheard a conversation you had with Mom and Dadst Christmas¡­"

    "I see¡­ and what did you hear?" He asked, unsure about what conversation she had heard.

    "I didn''t understand much, but there was something about your original second year, a diary, and I think you said that you had fought the basilisk before. What was all that? I don''t understand..." Lyra questioned.

    "Ah¡­" Now he could recall the conversation she was referring to.

    ''No wonder she is so confused. No one would understand that out of context.''

    Harry sat on the bed and took a deep breath. "It''s true; there is a big secret about me that I have not told you."

    "I knew it!" Lyra perked up. "What is it then?!"

    "I can''t tell you right now," Harry said.

    "Why not? I know I''m not the best at keeping secrets, bute on!" Lyra eximed.

    "At least you admit that much... but it''s not that simple. This is not a random gossip that Lavender and Parvati wouldment about. If this information ended up in the wrong hands, our entire family could be in mortal danger. Do you understand?" Harry''s serious tone startled her.

    "Is it that bad?" Lyra already knew this was something important, but not like this.

    "Yes, it is. I don''t like keeping things from you, but if you want to get involved in this, you will have to show me that you are truly ready," Harry told her.

    "Okay, what do I need to do?" She asked.

    "Do you know what lumency is?" Harry asked her.

    "I do. It''s some type of magic that is used to protect the mind. Dad said he was going to teach me when I was older. He said it was very important."

    "It is very important, yes. There are people out there who can enter your mind and steal all your secrets. lumency is your only defense against such an attack," Harry exined.

    "Will you teach me, then?"

    Harry nodded.

    "And when I learn this lumency¡­"

    "Once you can protect yourself, I will reveal everything." In truth, he did not want her to know much, not because of ack of trust, but because he did not want to see his sister involved in the uing war. If he is lucky, everything will be over before shees close to mastering lumency.

    Lyra appeared to be satisfied enough with this deal...at least she had confirmed her brother was keeping a big secret and had promised to tell her in the future.

    "Now that this matter is resolved¡­ can you go back and fix things with your friend?" Harry asked.

    "I suppose¡­ I think I owe her an apology..."

    "I''m sure it will be fine, Ginny knows you are very hot-headed and get easily carried away," Harry told her.

    "I am n...nevermind..." She had no defense.

    "Say, Harry. Can I join in the flying practice?"

    "Sure, I don''t see why not. This is thest lesson thought. " Harry said.

    "That''s great! Let''s go then!" Lyra looked excited now.

 Chapter 176: Dumbledoreâ€™s Troubles

    Chapter 176: Dumbledore¡¯s Troubles

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 176: Dumbledore''s Troubles</strong>

    One week before sses, Dumbledore''s Office.

    The Headmaster of Hogwarts was not having a great summer. First, he had been stressed trying to locate his mentor, Nics mel. The man had be more elusive over the years, if that was possible, always going on some long trip and bing unreachable in the meantime.

    After a month of trying every method he knew, Dumbledore finally managed to establish contact and secure a meeting with the man. It did not go as well as he expected. Nics, despite his centuries of knowledge, did not have enough understanding about theplexities of time magic to offer any useful insight that could exin the bizarre recent events.

    He did, however, promise to put him in contact with a friend of his who was a true expert on the matter.

    Dumbledore could only hope his mentor understood the urgency of the situation and did not dy things too much, as he usually does.

    "Headmaster, what am I going to do?"

    Dumbledore''s mind stopped wandering for a moment. He adjusted his sses and looked at the frantic Divination professor, wondering what he could possibly tell her this time.

    "Sybill¡­ without knowing the cause of this issue, I have no solution to offer at the moment."

    "But how am I going to teach sses like this? I have lost my gift!" She eximed.

    Dumbledore sighed. This was her fourth visit to his office this summer.

    During the first and second visits, she imed that her visions were getting muddier and less urate. He attributed this to stress and told her to take some time to rx.

    But during her third visit, she imed to have bepletely unable to predict the future any longer. Now¡­ that was concerning.

    To be fair, Trwney had never been the most gifted diviner he had ever met...other than that one time she made a prophecy about Voldemort, her predictions rarely came true, even the ones about the weather.

    The reason he kept her around was that, even with her flimsy predictions, she at least knew enough theory to teach the students, and that was good enough for him.

    Even if she had somehow lost her gift, it wouldn''t have been a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

    But it soon became obvious that this was not an isted incident.

    Through Hagrid as an intermediary, he received a message from the Centaur tribe who lived in the Dark Forest. They wanted to meet with him and discuss some urgent matters.

    He had been Headmaster for a very long time, and this had been the first time the centaurs requested to meet with him in person. That went to show the severity of the situation.

    Centaur diviners were considered among the best in the entire world, so when they informed him that, like Trwney, they had be unable to see the future, or as they said it, they couldn''t hear the whispers of the stars¡­ that was very concerning.

    "Headmaster, are you listening to me?" Trwney called him again.

    "Oh¡­ my apologies. I got lost in my thoughts again." Dumbledore considered for a moment. "Perhaps you can still do your ss as usual. Just teach the theory to the children."

    "But what if my gift is gone forever? What am I going to do then?"

    "I''m afraid it''s moreplex than that. I have spoken with other diviners, and they are all in the same situation as you, Sybill. Now¡­ I am sure there is nothing to worry about and that this is just a temporary issue that will be solved soon enough."

    The professor didn''t seem that convinced. "I don''t know, Headmaster¡­ my instinct tells me that this is just the beginning of something much worse."

    "Don''t be so pessimistic, Sybill¡­ I am sure th-"

    All of a sudden, the fire in his firece lit up with green mesing out of it. "Albus!, Albus!... are you there?!"

    The Headmaster turned around and nced at the firece. Very few people in the world were able to contact him in such an invasive way.

    But he was very familiar with this voice. "Cornelius¡­ what is the matter?" He noticed the Minister''s rmed tone.

    "Albus!, there you are¡­ you need toe to the Ministry right now... it''s an emergency!"

    "Emergency?" Dumbledore frowned. ''Could it have been an attack? Did He¡­?''

    "What kind of emergency?"

    "Something happened to the Hall of Prophecies. You have toe quickly!" Fudge demanded.

    "The Hall of Prophecies?" Dumbledore nced at his side where Sybill was still sitting. ''This has to be rted to this divination issue¡­''

    "Very well. Open the Floo... I''ming through."

    The Headmaster''s eyes moved again to the Divination professor. "Perhaps you cane too, Sybill. This may be connected to your issue."

    The two of them appeared in a big office. The Ministry of Magic and a few of his attendants were waiting for them.

    "Ah, there you are, Albus!... finally, wait¡­ who is this?" He pointed at the redhead woman.

    "This is my Divination professor. If there is an issue in the Halls of Prophecies, she may have something useful to add," Dumbledore said.

    "Oh¡­ that''s fine, whatever. Let''s hurry; I have a press conference in an hour, and I don''t know what to say. Someone had leaked the issue to the press, can you believe it?!" Fudge looked outraged.

    "What is the issue, exactly?" Dumbledore asked.

    "It''s best if you see it yourself¡­e on, let''s go!" Fudge and his attendants escorted the Headmaster and professor to the Hall of Prophecies, deep inside the Department of Mysteries.

    "Let''s see what you make of this," Fudge asked his assistant to open the door.

    Dumbledore and Sybill entered the hall.

    He was very familiar with this ce, as he had visited often, especially after that foreboding prophecy made by Trwney.

    He now looked at the hall, and it took him a few seconds to process what he was seeing.

    On a usual day, the crystal spheres would have some white mist inside them. This was the prophecy that was contained inside the ss ball. Once activated, this would start to shine with a bright white light.

    Once the prophecy waspleted, the sphere would go ck.

    "How could this have happened?" Dumbledore''s eyes moved around the hall from one sphere to another, hoping to find a different one, but they all looked the same. "They are all clear!"

    The crystal spheres were now allpletely clear. There was no color to them and no white mist inside them. There was nothing inside them.

    "The prophecies¡­" Trwney picked up one of the spheres in her hands. "They are all gone¡­ all the prophecies are gone¡­"

    Dumbledore grew rmed. "Gone?, how can they be gone?. What does this mean?"

    "You know what it means, Headmaster." Trwney looked at him directly.

    "This means that¡­this is what I was afraid of... Fate has abandoned us."

 Chapter 177: The New Year

    Chapter 177: The New Year

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 177: The New Year</strong>

    The students rushed into the Great Hall with excitement and joy.

    Harry walked to his usual seat next to Hermione. Lavender and Parvati were already in the middle of a discussion about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

    "You think it''s going to be another handsome man?" Lavender asked.

    "Another? I thought you didn''t like Lockhart," Parvati questioned her friend.

    "Not as a teacher, but I won''t deny he was good-looking, and our first-year one, Professor Nayar, was also nice," Lavender added.

    "I suppose... but I do wonder what happened to Professor Nayar, though. We never heard any news about him after he left at the end of the year," Parvati said, turning to her other friend. "What do you think, Hermione?"

    "I think that as long as we have apetent teacher, I will be happy," Hermione answered.

    "What a mature answer," said Parvati. "But you did have a crush on Lockhart."

    "Yes, our Mione is growing up. You think she is going to have a boyfriend this year?" Lavender teased her.

    "Hmm... maybe. I bet she''ll receive a few invitations to Hogsmeade at least," Parvati said with a grin on her face.

    "Hey, don''t talk like I''m not here, I hate that. And instead of worrying about me getting a boyfriend, why not find one for yourselves?" Hermione huffed.

    "I''m sure I will find one soon enough," Parvati said, with a smug expression.

    "Actually, I have already been asked," Lavendermented, taking the other girls by surprise.

    "How? We just got here!" Hermione asked.

    "Yes, and we were together on the train. I''m sure you didn''t talk with any boys," Lavender added.

    "It was this summer. I have been exchanging some letters with a fourth-year boy from Ravenw," Lavender confessed.

    "Howe we only found out about this now? You can never keep your mouth shut," Hermione was confused.

    "That''s right! You can never keep quiet about anything!" Parvati eximed.

    "Well... I don''t gossip about myself, hehe," Lavender chuckled.

    "Ah, how lucky. You guys can go to Hogsmeade this year... Ginny and I still have to wait for another year." Lyramented.

    "Was there anyone in particr you wanted to go with?" Lavender asked.

    "Don''t answer that! She will tell everyone!" Hermione warned.

    "Is not like that!" Lyra hurried to say. "I just mean I wanted to go with my friends. I mean, spending all year in the castle gets boring."

    "Can''t argue with that," Parvati nodded.

    "What about you, Ginny?" Lavender gave her a knowing grin. "Anyone you wanted to go with?"

    "Eh?..." The redhead became visibly embarrassed and stole a nce at Harry. "I... I don''t know."

    "Look, the sorting is about to begin," Harry pointed out, hoping to end this conversation.

    "Where is Astoria? Ah, there she is!" Lyra waved toward the group of first-years.

    "Astoria, good luck!"

    "A friend of yours? That first year," Hermione asked.

    "Yes, but she is going to be in the second year actually," Lyra said.

    "How so? Is she some sort of genius?" Lavender asked.

    "She is the same age as Ginny and me, but... she was too sick to attend schoolst year," Lyra exined.

    "Oh, that''s terrible. I''m sorry to hear it," said Hermione.

    "But she is fine now, and she still received private tutoring at home, so the Headmaster agreed to let her start in the second year," Lyra added.

    "That''s great. Now let''s hope she gets sorted into Gryffindor," Parvati said.

    "That would be unlikely. Her sister is in Slytherin. I think most of her family is in that house, actually," Lyra recalled.

    "Her sister?" Hermione asked.

    "Astoria Greengrass!" Professor McGonagall called her name out loud.

    "Wait... Greengrass?!" Lavender eximed.

    "She is the sister of Daphne Greengrass? The Ice Queen?" Parvati asked.

    The ck-haired girl sat down, and the Professor ced the Sorting Hat on her head.

    Just a few secondster, it had reached its decision. "Ravenw!"

    "Oh? She didn''t go to Slytherin," Lyra was the first one to be surprised.

    "Looks like Luna is going to have somepany this year," Ginny knew that Luna did not get along with the other Ravenw girls her age, so she hoped that she would be friends with Astoria at least.

    "Those two together... I wonder if they will get along. They are both strange in their own ways," Lyramented.

    At the Slytherin table, Daphne was watching with interest as her sister was sorted.

    "Oh, that''s too bad, she didn''t get sorted here," Tracey said.

    "My mother went to that house. I''m sure she will be fine there," Daphne said calmly, keeping her emotions in check.

    When Ravenw was announced, she felt a mix of sadness and relief.

    She would have liked to have her sister in her house, but on the other hand, it was probably best to stay clear from here.

    It had be obvious to her almost immediately after sitting down that the mood in the Slytherin house felt very tense this year. Something was definitely different.

    Daphne was yet to find out for sure, but it may have something to do with what Harry had told her at the end of the summer.

    Her eyes moved to Pansy Parkinson for a moment. The girl had been unusually quiet since she entered the train. ''Something must have happened near the end of the summer,'' she concluded. They both talked in July, and she appeared to be her usual self.

    "Wee, wee to another year at Hogwarts," the Headmaster climbed onto the podium and announced loudly once the sorting was over. "Now I would like to say a few words before we are all too busy with our excellent feast."

    The crowd of students waited patiently. After all, the food was not going to appear until he was done with what he wanted to say.

    Harry nced over the Professors'' table and noticed three empty seats. ''What''s that about?''

    "First, I would like to announce that our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has decided to retire after many years of service... he wanted to keep his remaining limbs intact."

    "Wait... what did he say?" Hermione asked.

    "Fortunately, I''m delighted to announce that his ce will be taken by none other than our beloved Groundskeeper, Rubeus Hagrid."

    Everyone pped as the half-giant approached the Professors'' table and took his seat.

    ''I guess some things never change,'' Harry thought. He was happy for his old friend and hoped that this would go better for him than the previous time since there was no Draco to mess with his ss.

    "Second, I am saddened to announce that this year, we will have no Divination ss."

    The murmurs in the hall started to get loud, and the Headmaster had to quiet them.

    "Now now... nothing has happened to Professor Trwney, you can all rest at ease. She is fine and in good health. We had some other issues that I cannotment on at the moment, but in any case, this year, Hogwarts will have one less elective ss."

    "No Divination? Oh no, I was looking forward to that ss," Hermionemented.

    ''You would have hated it..'' Harry thought.

    "Lastly, I would like to introduce a new addition to our staff," Dumbledore smiled and gave a signal to someone who was waiting outside their view.

    The person then walked in.

    "What?!" Lyra stood up all of a sudden.

    "I knew it¡­" Harry muttered.

    "Lyra! That''s..." Ginny eximed.

    The redhead woman walked next to Dumbledore and waited.

    "I''m pleased to wee Professor Lily Potter, who kindly consented to fill the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher¡­ good luck, Professor."

 Chapter 178: Private chat

    Chapter 178: Private chat

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 178: Private chat</strong>

    "Mister Potter, stay for a moment, please."

    "Of course, Professor," Harry replied.

    Hermione smiled, while Lavender and Parvati chuckled.

    Once all the students had left, Harry approached the professor''s table.

    "What can I do for you, Professor Potter?"

    Lily gave him a pouting face. "Call me Mom when we are alone!"

    "I''d better get used to calling you professor, lest my tongue slip," Harry retorted.

    "You are no fun¡­ I wish you had reacted more like Lyra. Do you know how hard it had been to keep it a secret?" Lilyined.

    "I can only imagine¡­ Was there something in particr you wanted to discuss? I have an appointment with someone¡­"

    Lily raised an eyebrow. "An appointment?... Do you mean a date? It''s only the second day! Just how popr are you?"

    "It''s not a date¡­" Harry grumbled.

    "And who is this ''appointment'' with?" She asked.

    "That is¡­ private," Harry looked away.

    "Fine. I won''t meddle in your personal life¡­ too much. But there was something I wanted to ask you."

    "And that is?"

    "How did I do?!" Lily eximed. "I mean, for my first ss."

    "Better than the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," Harry told her.

    "Well, that''s not a greatpliment¡­" Lily replied.

    "You asked for my opinion, not apliment. It''s just the first ss. You did a good job," Harry added.

    "Mmm¡­ perhaps you can help me a bit with the list of spells I have to teach. Maybe there is something you could think of adding," Lily requested.

    "That''s fine, but¡­ we could have done this during the summer if you didn''t insist on keeping it a secret."

    "That would have ruined the surprise!"

    "And?... How did Holly take it?" Harry asked.

    "Well¡­ you know¡­ not great. But is not like she is staying alone. Mipsy is with her, and I had Dumbledore connect the Floowork to my office so I can go back home every day. I can also bring Holly for Hogsmeade weekends. I bet she is going to love that!" Lily said with excitement.

    "Yes, I think she will," he agreed. The poor girl barely leaves the house. Going out a bit will be good for her.

    "Well then¡­ that''s it for now. I won''t keep you from your¡­ ''appointment'' any longer," Lily gave him a wink.

    Harry wanted to roll his eyes.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    As soon as he took thest turn, Harry spotted the two girls waiting for him in the corridor.

    He approached slowly to avoid making any noise.

    Astoria turned her head once he was a few feet away.

    ''Good senses¡­'' Harry thought.

    But she did not alert her sister of his presence.

    Harry stopped right next to Daphne and ced an invisible hand on her shoulder.

    "Sorry for the dy."

    Daphne let out a loud shriek as she jumped in the air.

    "Why do you always do that?!"

    Harry removed his invisibility charm.

    "You need to pay more attention. Your sister was able to detect me, but you didn''t."

    He would never admit that he enjoyed seeing her reaction.

    "That''s¡­," Daphne nced at her sister. "Why didn''t you say anything?"

    Astoria shrugged.

    "We should go inside. Daphne''s shrieks are bound to attract some attention to this ce." Harry unlocked the door to their usual meeting room and went inside.

    "I did not shriek!" Daphneined.

    "Loud¡­" Astoria frowned.

    He locked the door once the two girls were inside. They gotfortable on one of the couches, and Harry sat in front.

    "I was surprised that you contacted me so soon. Did something happen?"

    "Well, something did happen, but this meeting wasn''t for me." Daphne tapped her sister''s shoulder. "Go on."

    Astoria looked directly at Harry for a couple of seconds before she bowed slightly.

    "Thank you. For¡­ saving me."

    "Oh¡­ you are wee, Astoria," Harry nodded politely. He was not expecting this girl to thank him at all. In fact, he was wondering how much she even knew, but could not ask in front of her.

    "How are you feeling?"

    "¡­Good," Astoria said.

    "She talks a lot more now," Daphne smiled.

    "Yes, I have noticed it," Harry grinned.

    "She will be more talkative as time passes, but let''s just hope it doesn''t reach Lavender''s level."

    They conversed for a bit longer and had one of the elves bring some dinner for them. Harry then offered to apany them to their respectivemon rooms.

    After leaving Astoria at the Ravenw tower, Daphne and Harry were left alone.

    "I felt there was something else you wanted to discuss," he told the blonde girl.

    "There is, but¡­" She looked around. They were in the middle of a hallway.

    It waspletely empty as most of the school was currently eating at the Great Hall, but you never knew.

    Harry took her hand. "Here."

    He led her through a nearby door and closed it behind them before applying a privacy charm.

    "Harry?! Wait!" Daphne eximed.

    "What? I put a privacy charm, so no one can hear us here."

    "That''s not the problem!" She now shouted.

    "I know it''s small, but¡­"

    "That''s not the problem either!" She shouted again.

    "Then what is th-"

    "Harry, this is a broom closet!" Daphne screamed as her cheeks gained a reddish tint.

 Chapter 179: What do you think about Fate

    Chapter 179: What do you think about Fate

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 179: What do you think about Fate</strong>

    "I am well aware this is a broom closet, Daphne."

    The girl was about to say something when he spoke again.

    "And I also know what these are typically used for¡­well, other than storing brooms that no one uses. But we are not under any obligation to snog, you know? We can just talk."

    "I wasn''t thinking about THAT!"

    She totally was.

    "It''s still very inappropriate!"

    "My apologies if the room I chose is not to your liking, Princess, but if we waste time going back to the room we were in before, we may run out of time to be outside."

    "I know but¡­argg!, fine!" She grunted and crossed her arms but did notin again.

    "Let me start then," said Harry. "How much does Astoria know about what happened that day?"

    Daphne''s face changed to her usual serious one.

    "She knows it was you who removed the curse but she is unaware of ¡­the method you used."

    "And she did not question how I knew a way to remove a curse no one else could?"

    "Not at all," Daphne answered as if it was obvious.

    "There is something I don''t understand¡­" She started.

    "And that is?"

    "I thought her ck hair was caused by the curse, like her muted emotions, but now that it has been removed¡­I thought it was going to change."

    "No, that won''t change. That''s because a small part of the curse remains and will always remain with her...that part cannot be removed, as it is part of her very own being."

    "What do you mean? Is she going to get sick again?" Daphne said, her voice filled with concern.

    "I understand your worries but there is no need. What the demon did was basically eliminate the harmful part of the curse, leaving only behind the part that triggers her physical changes since that part could not be removed nor reversed. You can be at ease. Her life is not at risk, and her emotions will improve over time."

    "But if part of the curse is still in her¡­what about¡­ you know, the future?..."

    "Her children?" Harry asked, and Daphne nodded.

    "As I said, the remnants of the curse in her are not harmful. The only thing she can pass on to her descendants would be her ck hair."

    "That''s such a relief¡­." Daphne sighed. A huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you, Harry¡­ my family will never be able to repay you for everything you have done for us. But if there is anything that you need¡­"

    "I''ll let you know."

    "Ah, there was something else I wanted to tell you. It''s about the Slytherin house. The older students have been acting a bit strange since yesterday. And Pansy has been a lot quieter than usual¡­"

    "Strange?....do you know what that is?" Harry asked.

    "No, but I can try to find out," Daphne said.

    "Be careful, remember¡­Parkinson -"

    "I am aware, but I have known Pansy since I was five. I ¡­I know what to do."

    At the end of the summer, Harry had decided to inform the Greengrass Family about Parkinson''s connection to the previous Dark Lord and his current acting as a fake one.

    He was worried about Daphne being too close to some of the most dangerous wizard families, so he wanted to warn her at least.

    "I know you can handle yourself. Just don''t take any unnecessary risks. And let me know if you find anything important."

    "I will," Daphne said with confidence.

    "Well, if that is all, we better get out of here before some prefect finds us here¡­wouldn''t that be embarrassing?"

    Daphne made a panicked face. "Hurry, open the door!"

    <><><><><><><><>

    "Mister Potter."

    As he was about to leave the area close to the dungeons, a painting of an old wizard riding a hippogriff called for him.

    "It''s not curfew yet¡­" Harry grumbled.

    "Of course, you are not in trouble, Mister Potter. I merely wanted to ry a message from the Headmaster. He wishes to see you in his office."

    "Right now?" Harry asked with a hint of incredulity.

    "Yes, right now¡­the password is Mint Berries."

    "Is this day never going to end?...." The first day of sses was usually tiresome, but it was getting excessive.

    "Very well¡­.let''s get this over with."

    Harry pulled his wand and Apparated away.

    In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the statue leading to the Headmaster''s office.

    "Password¡­" The stone bird asked.

    "You have an ugly face," Harry answered.

    "That''s incorrect-" The voice stopped as the gargoyle moved around, revealing a set of stairs.

    Harry chuckled.

    It didn''t matter what he told the construct. As long as his intention was to enter the office, this one was bound to make way for him. His level of authority was equal to the Headmaster''s, and as far as Hogwarts was concerned, this was also his office.

    "I do wonder if that thing has the capability to be offended." He muttered as he went up.

    The office was very dimly lit as he entered, with just a few candles doing their best.

    "Mister Potter¡­you came," Dumbledore called with a tired voice.

    "You know you are making me break your own school rules bying here at this hour, right?" Harry looked around the office for a bit before he sat down.

    He noticed arge volume of opened books on a small table in the corner.

    "You never cared about curfew anyway. The paintings may not be able to tell me where you are, but they can tell me where you are not¡­" Dumbledore said.

    "Fair enough¡­ you seem to have been busy. Working on something?"

    Dumbledore nced at him. "I have been looking for answers¡­tell me, Harry, what do you know about fate?"

 Chapter 180: Fate, Time and Hallows

    Chapter 180: Fate, Time and Hallows

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 180: Fate, Time and Hallows</strong>

    "Fate?" He was not expecting to be asked about that topic.

    "You mean like divinators and their prophecies?"

    Dumbledore nodded.

    "I''m not sure if I ever believed in them," Harry told him.

    "Even though you were the subject of a prophecy yourself?" Dumbledore asked. He knew at least that much about his past as the Boy Who Lived.

    "I always considered that a self-fulfilling one. It only worked because you and Voldemort believed in it so much¡­ you let those words influence you and manipte you¡­that''s what I believe, at least."

    "Many think the same way as you do, Harry¡­ prophecies have always been a controversial topic. But I can assure you that divinators who possess the gift can truly glimpse into the future. I have seen it many times," Dumbledore promised him.

    Harry shrugged. He also had this conversation many times, but it didn''t change his opinion. "Why are we even talking about this?...what happened?"

    Dumbledore sighed. The old man looked tired enough to copse at any minute.

    "During the end of the summer, I heard from the lips of many diviners¡­they have all be unable to glimpse into the future any longer. It''s like they all lost their gift at the same time."

    "All of them?...that''s¡­"

    "And it''s not just that. The other day, I received a call from the Minister¡­something had happened at the Hall of Prophecies."

    Harry flinched at hearing the name. That ce brought back many unpleasant memories for him. This was one of his worst failures...when he let himself be lured into a trap that cost Sirius his life.

    "What happened to the prophecies?" Harry asked.

    "The crystal orbs have all gone clear¡­meaning that all the prophecies contained in them had just¡­vanished. Professor Trwney said there was no more Fate."

    Dumbledore appeared to have a hard time saying that.

    "No more prophecies¡­" He never cared for them, but other people did. "Wait so¡­the Boy Who Lived prophecy?..."

    Dumbledore shook his head. "It doesn''t matter anymore¡­ Neville is no longer tied by those words."

    "Does the public know about this?" Harry asked.

    "No¡­someone leaked bits of information to the Prophet but they didn''t have any specifics. We told the public a story about a small ident urring in the Department of Mysteries but that everything was under control. They know nothing about the prophecies being gone."

    "Then we can expect that Voldemort will continue to aim for Neville."

    Harry noticed the expression on Dumbledore''s face change.

    "Even if the truth is released, that won''t change his mind. Voldemort will still want Neville dead. He won''t take any risks, no matter how small those risks are. He is an extremely cautious man."

    "Mmm¡­you are right, of course. He is that type of person."

    "Is this what got you so obsessed?" Harry pointed at the pile of open books in the back.

    "Yes¡­I''ll admit it. I have been trying to find some answers to why this is happening. But no luck so far. It''s like¡­this is the first time something like this has happened¡­in thousands of years of magical history."

    "It''s possible. I mean, there always has to be a first time for everything," Harry told him.

    "I suppose¡­ but people expect me to have all the answers¡­ and I don''t have them this time," Dumbledoremented.

    "Mmm¡­there is a chance this is also rted to that other matter¡­" Harry suggested.

    "The one at the chamber? If that is the case, we may have some answers soon."

    "Oh?, did you find anything?"

    "Not me, but my mentor promised to put me in contact with one of the greatest experts in time-rted magic. I will make an appointment for that expert to visit Hogwarts as soon as is possible."

    Harry nodded. "Let me know when that happens. I want to be present."

    "Of course. I will." The Headmaster nced at the mechanical clock on the wall.

    "My apologies, it seems like I made you miss your curfew. I will write you a note in case the professorsin."

    "Before I leave, there was something I wanted to request from you, Professor."

    "A request?...what is it?" Dumbledore asked with curiosity.

    "Can I borrow your old wand? You know the one I mean, the one you got from Grindelwald."

    Dumbledore''s eyes opened widely for a single moment before they went back to normal.

    "I shouldn''t be surprised you know about that¡­"

    "No, you shouldn''t," Harry agreed.

    "That wand won''t be of any use to you, I''m afraid."

    "I already presumed it wasn''t working, otherwise you would have been using itst year," Harry said.

    "You know that too¡­" Dumbledore made a pause and then he appeared to remember something.

    "The cloak! You¡­" He just recalled that the Potters had the cloak of invisibility in their possession.

    "Yes, my father gave it to me. And as you were suspecting just now¡­ it also stopped workingst year."

    "The Hallows lost their power?¡­ I had assumed the wand had merely stopped answering to me for some reason. Why didn''t you mention this earlier?" Dumbledore questioned.

    "A lot of things happenedst year!" Harry said in his defense.

    "And besides, there was someone who I wanted to speak with first. Someone who had spent arge portion of his life researching the Hallows and knew more about them than you or I."

    "And what did this expert tell you?"

    "Not much for now, but he assured me that the power from the Hallows cannot just disappear so if it''s not contained in these objects anymore, then it must have gone somewhere else."

    "What about the stone?!" Dumbledore raised his tone. That was the Hallow he had the most interest in but could never get his hands on.

    "Do you know where it is?"

    "I know where it was in my time¡­"

    "Where? Tell me? I must find it!" Dumbledore was almost shouting.

    "Calm down, Professor. Use your head¡­if the wand and the cloak are powerless now¡­"

    Dumbledore regained his wits. "My apologies for that poor disy, Harry¡­"

    "It''s fine¡­I tell you what, I was nning on visiting that ce sooner orter, why don''t I take you there?" Harry suggested.

    "Right now?"

    "This weekend. Right now you need some rest. You won''t be of much use as you are right now." Harry offered.

 Chapter 181: Lyraâ€™s Mind

    Chapter 181: Lyra¡¯s Mind

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    <em>Author notes</em>

    <strong>Chapter 181: Lyra''s Mind</strong>

    Harry closed the door and secured it. "Sit down and getfortable."

    Lyra took a seat on a fancy-looking leather sofa. "Harry, how did you find this room? It''s so nice. Do we have permission to be here?"

    This was the room he normally used for his meetings with Daphne. He decided to bring his sister here for her first lumency lesson.

    "I found it by chance, and no, we don''t have permission to be here, so try to keep silent about it. And I really mean¡­ try."

    "Is this where you bring the girls?" Lyra made a poor attempt at teasing him.

    He wondered where she was picking that up. Hopefully not from Lavender and Parvati.

    "Yes, this is where I bring the girls. Several timesst year, in fact," he answered.

    "W-what?!" Lyra became shocked all of a sudden. "You are joking, right?"

    Harry sat down in front of her.

    "Of course...who do you take me for?" Although, technically, he did not lie as he has been here with Daphne many times.

    "That was not funny!" Lyrained. She wanted to make fun of her brother¡­not the other way around.

    "You asked first. Now let''s not waste time. We only have two hours before dinner."

    "Why did I have toe alone? It would be more fun with Ginny, Luna, and Astoria here."

    "It would take too long to teach a group." He already tried that with Hermione, Daphne, and Tracey¡­ it was exhausting.

    "Once you learn enough, you can teach your friends. But I would not worry about Astoria. She probably already knows quite a bit."

    "Okay, so¡­ what do I do?" Lyra leaned forward with interest.

    Harry put two fingers on her forehead and gently pushed her back.

    "Rest your body in afortable position and look directly at me."

    Lyra did as told. "Now what?"

    "Now rx, I''m going to enter your mind using ''Legilimency''..."

    She opened her eyes widely. "W-what? You are going to enter my mind?!"

    "Calm down, I''m not going to poke around or view your memories. However, I will be able to read your thoughts, so try to keep your mind clear of anything."

    "That''s easy for you to say!" Lyra''s cheeks became red.

    "If you feel ufortable with this, we can ask Mom to teach you, but we will probably have to wait until next summer. Or I could get you a book about lumency, but learning by yourself will be much slower and a bit dangerous so I don''t rmend it."

    "No! I''ll do it. I¡­I trust you." Lyra said thest part with conviction.

    "Very well then¡­y down and rx¡­ stare into my eyes." Harry pointed his wand at her and whispered. "Legilimency."

    As soon as he entered her mind, he found himself in a nk space filled with countless bubbles scattered all over.

    This was how unorganized minds typically looked.

    Each bubble contained a memory, and some were bigger than others. The sizes of the bubbles indicated how important that memory was for Lyra, and this also made it easier for her to remember them.

    A memory of something unimportant like what you had for breakfast would have a tiny bubble that would get lost in the sea of bubbles after a few days.

    He had promised Lyra not to peek into her memories, so he tried to avoid staring at any particr bubble for too long.

    But some of the bubbles started to move and jump in front of him.

    A memory of Lyra taking a shower this morning, changing clothes, or one of her and Ginny having an intimate conversation about female hygie at night in their room.

    Harry wanted to sigh but could not do it in this ce. He was also unable to close his eyes or cover his ears since he had none of those things here. ''Lyra¡­ you fool¡­''

    He knew well why this was happening. She was actively trying to avoid thinking about any moments she considered embarrassing.

    But this was a foolish endeavor. The more you try to avoid thinking about something in particr, the more your mind will focus on those very same thoughts.

    But he could not leave yet or this would be all for naught.

    The objective of this intrusion is to force her mind to defend itself.

    From the moment he invaded her mind, Lyra was instinctively working on expelling him from this ce.

    To aplish this, she would be forced to create some primitive mental defenses.

    This method is even more effective if the invader is actively trying to cause harm to the other person, increasing the urge to expel the unwanted intruder.

    Of course, he would not do that to his sister as he knew well how terrible that felt.

    Just standing here will be enough for now.

    He then started to feel a force trying to push him away.

    It was very weak still but it was just the start. Her defenses had begun to form.

    He left Lyra''s mind and opened his eyes. "We will be stopping here for today."

    Lyra returned to her senses and also opened her eyes. "Wait, that''s it? I thought we had two hours."

    "It''s been almost two hours already." Harry pointed at the clock on the wall.

    "Whoa! That felt like minutes," Lyra eximed.

    "Yes well, time feels different while you delve deep into your mind."

    "How did it go? I don''t feel like I did anything," Lyra said.

    "You didn''t do anything directly, but your mind has already started to form defenses. It''s going to take a few more sses like this one before the defenses are formed enough for you to gain control."

    "We have to do this again then?..."

    "At least three more times. We can meet once a week," Harry suggested.

    She then looked like she recalled something important. "Harry¡­"

    "Yes?" He had an idea of what she wanted to ask.

    "You didn''t see anything¡­ when you were in there¡­ you didn''t see anything bad, right?" Lyra asked, clearly embarrassed.

    "Don''t worry. I saw nothing." He had no choice but to lie there.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

    /Kriogenix

 Chapter 182: Riddle Manor

    Chapter 182: Riddle Manor

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    ¡°Dialogue¡±

    ¡®Thoughts¡¯

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 182: Riddle Manor</strong>

    Space distorted as two robed figures appeared into existence out of nowhere.

    Harry looked around the ce. He had taken a small risk by Apparating to a ce he had never been before. At least in the technical sense.

    ¡°Harry¡­ are you sure it''s here?...¡± Dumbledore frowned as he stared at the numerous graves surrounding them.

    ¡°It was the safest ce to Apparate to. No one visits the cemetery at thiste hour, and the house is close by,¡± Harry exined.

    ¡°I understand¡­ well, I¡¯ll let you lead the way then,¡± Dumbledore said to him.

    It was already almost midnight on a Saturday when they agreed to make the trip to the Gaunt Manor.

    ¡°Yes, if I remember correctly, the house should be on that hill over¡­ huh?¡± He kept staring at the distant hill, where the house should have been¡­but he saw nothing. ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The old man asked after seeing Harry¡¯s confused expression.

    ¡°The house is not where it should be¡­¡± Harry muttered.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ perhaps they built it somewhere else in this timeline. Perhaps we have put too much trust in the memories from your past.¡±

    Harry looked around the cemetery, trying to find a specific statue. ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± He walked to it after finding what he was looking for.

    ¡°This is?¡± Dumbledore asked, unsure what made this grave special.

    ¡°Here lies Tom Riddle Senior¡­ Voldemort¡¯s Muggle father.¡±

    ¡°His father¡­¡± Dumbledore stared at the inscriptions on the stone. It wasn¡¯t just him, but several members of the Riddle noble house had been buried here.

    ¡°If this is here, then¡­ oh¡­¡± Harry spotted anotherrge house on the opposite side. ¡°Could it be that one? Maybe I got it wrong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth taking a look, I suppose,¡± Dumbledore said.

    The two of them walked to the house. It was very old and made of wood but was still holding strong by the looks of it.

    ¡°There should be no more members of the family left, but ¡­¡± Harry started.

    ¡°It appears that someone has been maintaining this garden,¡± Dumbledore pointed his thoughts out loud.

    ¡°Should we knock?¡± Harry asked. His wand was already in his hand.

    He was sure that Voldemort himself was not here. Even without his scar, he would be able to feel a wizard that powerful if he was this close. But some of his associates could be here...one never knew.

    Dumbledore was also on guard, trying to spot any movement inside the house.

    It waspletely dark, and any light inside the house would have stood out, but magic allowed us to hide many things.

    Both of them turned around when they heard someone approach.

    ¡°Hey, who goes there?!¡±

    The voice sounded like it belonged to an elderly male, and it didn¡¯t seem to have intentions of hiding his presence.

    ¡°Forgive us, good sir, for ourte visit. Are you perhaps the owner of this house?¡± Dumbledore spoke first with his polite tone. His wand, however, was still firmly in his hand, ready to be used at any moment.

    The man finally came into sight. An elderly man with humble clothing, carrying an old oilmp in one hand and a rusted shotgun in the other.

    ¡°You are looking for the owner, at this hour?!. But if you mean the Riddles...you are toote...¡° He got themp closer to them so he could see their faces better. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Professor Dumbledore, and this is my¡­ grandson, Harry. We came indeed looking for the...ehm...Riddle family yes¡­ if there is anyone left?.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, the Riddles¡­¡± The old man grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know what business you have with that family, but they have been gone for a very long time¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you know what happened to them?¡± Dumbledore asked, hoping to learn something new about Voldemort.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The old man considered for a moment. He was not the talkative type, but he hadn¡¯t talked with anyone in years now.

    Harry nced at Dumbledore and moved his eyes to his wand.

    Dumbledore shook his head.

    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Harryined. It would have been quicker to just stun him and read his mind.

    ¡°I used to work for Lord Riddle as the caretaker¡­ they hired me after I returned from the war. It feels like it was a lifetime ago,¡± the old man started talking. ¡°One day, something terrible happened. The Lord went mad and killed his wife¡­ I don¡¯t know why it was. They seemed to get along, and then¡­¡±

    ¡°Were they the only ones living here?¡± asked Dumbledore.

    ¡°No, they had a boy... creepy little thing that was. It may sound wrong for me to say it, but it¡¯s the truth. I always felt there was something wrong with that boy. After his parents'' death¡­ he was taken to an orphanage out of town. He never came back here to reim this house or its contents. I guess he is dead too by now.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ no one else hase to this house since then?¡± Dumbledore inquired.

    ¡°Yes. The house has been upied by other families, but none have stayed for more than a year. They all said the same¡­ there is something wrong in that house. Thest family left ten years ago.¡± The old man stared at Dumbledore for a moment. ¡°I hope you are not nning on buying this ce¡­ I''m telling you, that would be bad. Just let this damn house rot.¡±

    ¡°If you want this house to rot¡­ why are you taking care of it?¡± It was Harry who asked.

    ¡°Ha! I am the caretaker. That¡¯s what I do. But I only take care of the garden, nothing else¡­¡±

    Harry was surprised to hear this. If the house itself was not being maintained, it should have crumbled away already.

    ¡®There is definitely magic involved¡­ but from who?¡¯

    He doubted Voldemort had any sentimental value for this ce so it must have been something his mother did. She may have been a squib but she still came from an old wizard family.

    ¡°My good sir, rest assured as we have no intention of buying this ce. We are very grateful for your help,¡± Dumbledore said.

    ¡®But wait¡­ wasn¡¯t the ring found at the Gaunt manor?¡¯ Harry realized that they had the wrong house. He was not that familiar with this ce and both houses were very close to each other.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir, but¡­ does the Gaunt Family sound familiar to you?¡±

    The old man stared at Harry in shock.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s another old name I haven¡¯t heard in a while. Where did a young boy like you learn of that name?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ my¡­ grandpa....¡± He nced at Dumbledore. ¡°And I, like to read about history and old English families.¡±

    ¡°Well, you are in no luck. That family is long gone too¡­ and their house.¡±

    ¡°They have a house here¡­ where?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°They used to¡­ it was bigger than this one. The biggest house in the town...you could see it from here.¡± He pointed in the distance. ¡°Right on that hill.¡±

    ¡°What happened to that house?¡± Dumbledore inquired.

    ¡°Well¡­ I believe it was two years ago¡­ it was burned.¡±

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 183: Gaunt Manor

    Chapter 183: Gaunt Manor

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    ¡°Dialogue¡±

    ¡®Thoughts¡¯

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 183: Gaunt Manor</strong>

    ¡°What a mess,¡± Harry observed the remains of what was once the Gaunt Manor.

    Most of the property hadpletely copsed, with only a small part still standing.

    A police perimeter had been set around the area, warning onlookers against approaching, for fear of the house copsing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this was done by a few children,¡± Dumbledoremented.

    This was the story the caretaker told them. Two years ago, some rascals from the nearby town came to the house to have some fun and identally set it aze.

    ¡°Of course not. Even in its abandoned state, this was a pureblood wizard manor. It must still have some protections remaining. The idea of some Muggle kids going inside and starting a fire is ridiculous. This was done with magic.¡±

    ¡°I agree¡­ we should proceed with caution. From what I know of the Gaunts, they were a very dark family. Some old traps may remain in ce.¡±

    Harry tapped the entrance door with his wand, and it fell backward with a loud ¡®thud¡¯.

    ¡°Lumos.¡± Multiple spheres of light came out of his wand and spread over the house, illuminating its interiorpletely.

    Dumbledore continued to cast detection spells as they moved.

    ¡°The part remaining is like what¡­ twenty percent of the house? We will be lucky if anything useful remains here,¡± Harrymented.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this part of the house survived the fire by luck alone, Harry. ¡± Dumbledore pointed at the walls.

    Harry looked more closely until he found what he had missed.

    The room was not burned equally. While the entrance was almost turned into charcoal, some of the walls and furniture inside were in much better shape.

    ¡°I believe that something in here had protected this part of the house,¡± Dumbledore said.

    Harry noticed a pattern then. He followed the path that was least burned.

    The more he followed it, the fewer burns he found. Finally, they came across a corner of the house that waspletely intact.

    ¡°There!... that cab looks good as new,¡± Harry pointed.

    ¡°Indeed¡­ whatever protected this room...is in there.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s words also contained a warning.

    This magical object or artifact was powerful enough to protect itself from a massive fire, so it stands to reason that it could also be very harmful to handle or even get close to.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ look at that.¡± Harry used his wand to call attention to one particr drawer but didn¡¯t get too close.

    The cab appeared to be in pristine shape, but the top right drawer had a small hole burned in it.

    ¡°Something came out of there. And it was hot enough to burn its way out and leave such a clean hole,¡± Dumbledore pointed out.

    ¡°Yes, that could be the origin of the fire.¡± Harry knelt down and tapped on the wooden nks.

    Several nks of wood separated from the ground and melded together while starting to change shapes.

    Dumbledore stared with interest at Harry¡¯s work until it was finished.

    ¡°Impressive. You can create them very quickly.¡±

    The mass of wood had transformed until it formed a humanoid golem, almost the same size as Harry.

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m getting really good at making these golems.¡± He had gained a lot of practice recently.

    ¡°I assume this fellow will be opening that cab for us?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s take a few steps back,¡± Harry rmended.

    The duo stood a safe distance away and let Harry¡¯s golem take the risk.

    He had a mental connection with the construct, so there was no need to speak any orders out loud.

    Harry directed the golem to open the drawer that had the burned hole in it.

    As the golem pulled it open, some yellow substance was squirted out by some mechanism inside the cab andnded on the golem¡¯s face and chest.

    The parts touched by the viscous liquid started to dissolve immediately.

    ¡°Some kind of acid¡­¡± Dumbledore concluded after observing it carefully.

    ¡°Very nasty, and it didn¡¯t use any magic, so the detection spell would not have picked up this kind of trap.¡±

    Dumbledore had been relying on these same detection spells since they entered.

    ¡°Perhaps you can make another golem to escort us out. We may have been fortunate to not trigger anything else so far.¡±

    ¡°I assume most traps were destroyed in the fire. But we are not done yet."

    The golem was damaged but could still move. Harry had it pull the entire drawer out and empty its contents on the ground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± He moved the golem and used it to better examine the contents while Dumbledore watched with rapt attention.

    ¡°Jewels¡­ paper¡­ oh? look at that box.¡±

    The golem picked up a small metallic box. It had a velvet cushion inside and a melted hole on the side.

    ¡°That thing came out of this box,¡± Harry said.

    ¡°It¡¯s a box meant for a ring.¡± Dumbledore pointed out.

    ¡°There is a symbol at the top,¡± Harry observed.

    ¡°That is the Gaunt Emblem,¡± Dumbledore added.

    ¡°The Gaunt family ring was in there¡­ He must have recalled it somehow. And in doing so, it started a fire¡­ damn¡­ the stone we were looking for was on that ring.¡±

    ¡°The Resurrection Stone was part of the Gaunt family ring?¡± Dumbledore was surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Yes, but I doubt Voldemort knew that he had one of the Hallows in his power. He would not have used it to make one of his Horcruxes.¡±

    Dumbledore appeared to be thinking something. ¡°Did he actually turn the Resurrection Stone into a Horcrux or just the ring part?¡±

    ¡°Huh?... I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Harry tried to recall the events of his past. Dumbledore found the ring and was cursed when he put it on, and then, after destroying the Horcrux, they were still left with the intact stone.

    ¡°There is a good chance he only managed to use the ring and not the stone¡­¡±

    ¡°That would make more sense¡­ turning a Hallow into a Horcrux should not be possible. Those are not artifacts that a mere mortal wizard could meddle with and alter in any way.¡± Dumbledore pointed at the bottom of the drawer that the golem took out.

    ¡°And look at that¡­¡±

    Harry followed his finger and saw it too.

    There was a second burned hole at the bottom of the drawer.

    His eyes moved back to the cab. ¡°There is something still in there.¡±

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 184: The Resurrection Stoneâ€¦

    Chapter 184: The Resurrection Stone¡­

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>¡°Dialogue¡±</em>

    <em>¡®Thoughts¡¯</em>

    <em>- Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 184: The Resurrection Stone...</strong>

    Harry guided the golem back to the cab and opened the lower door.

    The two of them waited for a minute.

    ¡°No traps¡­¡± Harry said.

    ¡°It does seem like it,¡± Dumbledore agreed.

    ¡°Someone is going to have to look inside because the golem can''t see, and if it tips the entire cab is going to be a mess¡­¡± Harrymented.

    ¡°Indeed¡­that seems to be the case,¡± Dumbledore agreed again.

    Harry nced at the man. ¡°Well¡­ old men first¡­¡± He pointed at the cab.

    ¡°That is a very impolite way to speak to your Headmaster, young man,¡± Dumbledore reprimanded him.

    ¡°What do you mean by impolite? It''s thew of life. Besides, aren''t professors supposed to protect their students?¡± Harry huffed.

    ¡°I don''t remember ever teaching you anything, and yet you call me Professor¡­¡± Dumbledore remarked.

    ¡°In a different life, you were my mentor and taught me many things. That should count for something, right?¡± Harry said.

    Dumbledore sighed. ¡°I suppose¡­and I was the one who wanted this the most¡­¡± The old man took a step forward and approached the cab.

    The golem moved out of the way but stood close. Harry kept it there in case something actually happened and he had to move the old man out of the way.

    A small light appeared at the tip of Dumbledore''s wand, and he used it to search the interior of the furniture.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ most things here have been burned to an unrecognizable state. What fell from the drawer must have been extremely hot.¡±

    ¡°If there is something that is not burnt¡­ that¡¯s probably the thing we are looking for,¡± Harrymented.

    ¡°Oh?!¡± Dumbledore eximed. He then used his free hand to move something out of there.

    ¡°Careful¡­ don''t touch it with your bare hands. Don''t wanna get cursed again,¡± Harry warned.

    ¡°Again?¡± Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

    He used his wand to move the ck stone out, and Harry could get a good glimpse of it.

    ¡°Yes, that''s the one¡­¡±

    ¡°The resurrection stone¡­¡± Dumbledore stared intensely at the octagonal ck stone.

    ¡°Let the golem grab it first,¡± Harry advised.

    ¡°There is no need. A curse that could be ced into something like this would not be triggered unless a living being held it,¡± Dumbledore said without hesitation and immediately grabbed the stone.

    ¡°If you feel anything wrong, let me know. I¡¯ll cut your hand,¡± Harry told the Headmaster.

    ¡°I don''t think there will be a need for that¡­ I don''t feel anything in this stone,¡± Dumbledore didn''t take his eyes off the artifact.

    ¡°Well, that''s good¡­¡± Harry noticed the way Dumbledore was staring at the stone.

    ¡°If you are going to use it, go ahead. But don''t get your hopes up¡­¡±

    He looked back at Harry for a moment. ¡°You knew about it?¡±

    Harry shrugged. ¡°You once told me a few things about your sister¡­ your brother told me the rest of the story.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Dumbledore held the stone firmly in his hand and whispered a name. ¡°Ariana¡­¡±

    Harry waited for several minutes and watched as the old man called the name of his sister many times. But there was no answer.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ but I already told you. The Hallows are not working any longer.¡±

    ¡°It does appear to be the case¡­ I spent so long looking for this stone. I just wanted to apologize¡­¡± Dumbledore said with a sad tone.

    ¡°I''m sure you''ll have your chance to speak with her again¡­ one day,¡± Harry tried to cheer him up.

    ¡°Yes¡­ you may be right.¡± The Headmaster stood up and walked to Harry. He extended his hand and handed the stone to him.

    ¡°I think it''s best if you keep this. It was not meant for me.¡±

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    On Monday morning, all students were having breakfast at the Great Hall.

    Harry could not help but overhear a conversation the two biggest gossips in Hogwarts were having.

    ¡°Maybe he just got sick,¡± Parvati said.

    ¡°I heard he wasn''t even on the train here. And no one saw him during the summer either!¡± Lavender eximed.

    ¡°Still¡­ he started sses a bitter this year,¡± Hermione frowned. She may not like the boy, but she didn''t like the idea of something bad happening to one of the students.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s disappeared. Draco Malfoy has vanished!¡± Lavender said it a bit too loud.

    ¡°Wait, is that true?!¡± Ron became excited upon hearing the news.

    ¡°I thought it was weird he didn''te to bother us yet,¡± Seamus added.

    ¡°Did something happen to Malfoy?¡± Neville asked with concern.

    ¡°I asked around, and no one knows. No one has seen him,¡± Lavender said.

    Harry felt Lyra''s gaze on him. He returned the look in a way that said ¡®keep your mouth close.¡¯ They were not meant to know about their father''s investigation.

    Right at that moment, several owls entered the hall to deliver their letters and newspapers.

    Two of themnded in front of Harry, and he barely managed to move his cup out of the way before it was hit. ¡°Why do they always aim for my cup?...¡±

    The first paper he got was from Xenos¡¯ paper, The Quibbler. He did not ask for a subscription but was apparently gifted one anyway.

    The front cover spoke of the usual conspiracy theory. This time it was werewolves moving around the countryside and stealing cheese.

    ¡°Wait¡­ what?¡± The cover of the Prophet was a lot more troubling.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lyra heard him and got her head closer so she could also read the paper.

    The newspaper headline read: Breaking News, five Azkaban convicts are discovered to be INNOCENT!.

    ¡°They had innocent people in there? Oh, that''s terrible!¡± Hermione had also leaned towards Harry. ¡°I had read about that prison¡­ what a cruel ce.¡±

    Harry continued to read the article until he reached the names of the innocent men being released.

    ¡°A cruel ce for cruel people.¡± Augustus Rookwood, Avery Jr, Corban Yaxley, Mister Jugson, and Mister Selwyn."

    ¡®Five known Death Eaters¡­¡¯

    He looked over at the Slytherin table and spotted several happy faces among the senior students.

    ¡®This must be Parkinson''s doing¡­ I hope the Order gets to work because that man is nning to make a move soon.¡¯

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 185: New Troubles

    Chapter 185: New Troubles

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>¡°Dialogue¡±</em>

    <em>¡®Thoughts¡¯</em>

    <em>- Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 185: New Troubles</strong>

    ¡°Expelliarmus!¡± A sh of light shot out from Ginny''s wand and impacted the target dummy''s hand, making the stick it was holding fly away.

    ¡°Very good demonstration, Miss Weasley.¡±

    Ginny felt embarrassed when she felt the eyes of the entire ss on her and rushed back to her seat.

    ¡°Professor Potter.¡± A student raised his hand.

    ¡°Yes? Do you have a question?¡± Lily gestured for the student to speak.

    ¡°I thought the Disarming Charm was supposed to be taught in our fourth year. Why are we studying it now?¡±

    Lily nodded. ¡°That''s true, but it is a very important spell to learn early, so I decided to teach it now. It is also a crucial part of your Defense O.W.L.S. Having two extra years to master it will do you good.¡±

    ¡°Yes, shut up, Tommy! We want to learn it.¡± A girl from Gryffindor shouted at him.

    ¡°It looks like bravery is not present in all Gryffindors.¡±

    ¡°I know, what kind of coward doesn''t want to learn a new spell?¡± Some of the Slytherin students started to mock him.

    ¡°I¡­ I just wanted to point that out¡­¡± The student was starting to regret bringing that up.

    ¡°Hey, Gin!¡± A blonde girl next to Ginny tapped her shoulder.

    ¡°When did you learn to do that?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ well¡­¡± Ginny wasn''t sure what to say. She now wished Professor Potter hadn''t called her for a demonstration.

    ¡°My brother taught us during ourst summer,¡± Lyramented from Ginny''s left side.

    ¡°Lyra!¡± Ginny gave her a ''shut up'' gesture. They were not supposed to talk about that. Performing magic outside Hogwarts was against the rules, after all.

    Lyra finally realized this and looked troubled now. ¡°Did I say that?... No¡­ what I meant is¡­ we read it in a book. Yep¡­ that''s what happened.¡±

    The blonde girl chuckled. She knew that Lyra was terrible at keeping secrets.

    ¡°It''s okay, I won''t tell anyone.¡± She leaned onto Ginny''s table so she could whisper. ¡°So¡­ your brother Harry gave you some private lessons?... how lucky.¡±

    ¡°Of course! My brother is a genius.¡± Lyra bragged.

    ¡°He is also very cute¡­ too bad we can''t go to Hogsmeade until next year. I would drag him away with me otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Anna! You can''t!¡± Ginny raised her voice a bit too much.

    ¡°Why do you care, Gin? I thought you were going after Longbottom.¡± The blonde girl gasped. ¡°Don''t tell me¡­ you changed teams?¡±

    ¡°What?! That''s¡­ that''s none of your business, Anna.¡± Ginny was getting annoyed.

    The girl threw Ginny a suspicious nce before moving her eyes to Lyra.

    ¡°You know¡­ speaking of your brother. I heard this morning that he quit the Quidditch team. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°You heard that already¡­¡± Lyra was surprised. That only happened the day before, and she only knew about it because she apanied Ginny for her Seeker test.

    ¡°I don''t think they want people to know until the next game at the end of the week.¡±

    ¡°That is going to be difficult. I heard it from Lavender.¡± Anna made aplicated expression.

    ¡°The entire school will know by the end of the day then¡­¡± Ginnymented.

    ¡°But why? He had to be the best Seeker we ever had.¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°He had his reasons.¡± Ginny hurried up to say before Lyra opened her mouth and said something she shouldn''t.

    ¡°And do you know who the recement is going to be?¡± She asked.

    Lyra''s eyes moved to Ginny, but before anyone could say anything else, something hit Ginny''s desk, where the three girls were leaning over to talk.

    A series of bright sparks shot out, making a lot of noise and startling the girls.

    ¡°Were you three listening to anything I was saying?¡± A very annoyed Lily Potter was staring at them.

    ¡°I''m sorry, Professor Potter.¡± Ginny and Anna said together.

    ¡°Sorry, Mom!¡± Lyra added.

    Lily''s frown deepened. ¡°It is Professor Potter, or just Professor when we are in ss. How many times do I have to remind you of that, Lyra?¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­ Professor.¡±

    ¡°That would be five points from Gryffindor for talking in ss and not paying attention,¡± Lily said with a stern tone.

    ¡°But Mo- Professor!¡± Lyra wanted toin. ¡°This is not fa-¡± Ginny covered her friend''s mouth before she could make things worse.

    ¡°Do I need to add a detention?¡± Lily asked.

    The three girls shook their heads very quickly.

    ¡°Good¡­ I am going to call you one by one, and you will try the Disarming Charm on the dummy.¡± Lily nced at the girls.

    ¡°Since you were not listening to my exnation, I am going to assume you already know all about it. Let''s start with you, Lyra. Come to the front and show the ss how it''s done.¡±

    ¡°Urgg¡­¡± Lyra groaned.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    ¡°We really made your mother mad today¡­¡± Ginnymented as she and Lyra walked through the halls once sses were over.

    ¡°I can barely recognize her when she is in ¡®Professor Mode¡¯... she is such a sweet mom at home.¡±

    ¡°Well, at least she is sweet at home. Consider yourself lucky. I don''t want to imagine having my mother as a teacher.¡± Ginny got goosebumps at the mere thought.

    They went through another set of stairs and finally arrived at thest floor of the castle.

    ¡°Puff¡­ why did they have to put the Ravenw tower so high up¡­¡± Lyra felt exhausted already.

    ¡°Maybe next time we can just meet at the Hall.¡± Ginny added.

    They had promised to meet with Astoria and Luna to hang out after sses.

    ¡°Mmm?...are those?...¡± Lyra squinted her eyes when she spotted a group of people ahead.

    Two girls with Ravenw uniforms were cornered by two older boys with green robes.

    Ginny gasped. ¡°Those are Luna and Astoria!¡±

    ¡°They are in trouble! Hurry, Ginny!¡± Lyra took off running.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 186: The worst

    Chapter 186: The worst

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>¡°Dialogue¡±</em>

    <em>¡®Thoughts¡¯</em>

    <em>- Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 186: The worst</strong>

    ¡°Hey! Leave them alone,¡± Lyra shouted, her wand already pointed at the two boys.

    ¡°Oh, we have some heroes.¡± Graham Montage was a tall boy with ck hair. He towered over the four girls in an intimidating manner.

    ¡°Look, two Gryffindorks.¡± Peregrine Derrick was much shorter than his friend but still had a very thick and muscr frame with short blonde hair. He did a lot of physical training due to his position as a ¡®beater¡¯ on the Slytherin team.

    The scars on his face twisted around when he smiled at the girls.

    There was not an ounce of kindness in that smile, just cruelty and lust.

    "Creepy..."Lyra made a disgusted expression.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Derrick shouted.

    ¡°Ha! She got you there.¡± Montage chuckled. He then looked directly at Lyra and Ginny.

    ¡°We have some business with the blonde one over here.¡± He pointed at Luna.

    ¡°It''s best if you get lost.¡±

    Derrick got closer to Luna. ¡°Yeah¡­ this blonde bitch and I have some unfinished business fromst year.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Luna pointed at him. ¡°You are the floating boy.¡± She just realized.

    Astoria was just ncing at Luna and the Slytherin boy. There was not a hint of worry on her face.

    ¡°Floating boy¡­¡± Derrick''s face contorted with anger.

    ¡°It''s best if you leave,¡± Montage warned Ginny and Lyra.

    ¡°Even I cannot stop him when he gets like this.¡±

    ¡°You think we are going to abandon our friends?! You are crazy!¡± Lyra pointed her wand at the two boys.

    ¡°Stay away from them¡­ I know how to fight. I''m warning you!¡± She shouted, her hand trembling uncontrobly.

    A cruel smile crept onto Derrick''s face.

    ¡°Maybe we can have some fun after I''m done with the Ravenws¡­ I like redheads with a temper.¡± He licked his lips while staring at Lyra up and down.

    ¡°Wait¡­ that redhead with green eyes... Doesn''t she remind you of someone?¡± Montage told him.

    ¡°Huh?... ohh, you are right!... those eyes¡­¡± Derrick eximed.

    ¡°Oi, redhead, what''s your name?¡±

    ¡°Don''t answer him!¡± Ginny told her.

    "Two redheads with temper then..." Derrick''s grin became more entuated.

    ¡°I''m not going to tell you anything. Just go away,¡± Lyra frowned.

    ¡°Ha! That''s fine. I know you''re a Potter. Those green eyes can''t lie,¡± Derrick clenched his teeth.

    ¡°You must be rted to that hot new teacher.¡± Montage chuckled.

    ¡°Ah yes¡­ every boy in Slytherin wants to give her a good fuck, hahaha!¡± Derrickughed.

    ¡°Don''t talk about my mother like that!¡± Lyra aimed her wand at Derrick. ¡°Stupefy!¡±

    The expression on the boy changed immediately when he saw the red spark approach. ¡°Protego.¡± He created a small shield and used it to deflect the spell away.

    ¡°Incarcerous.¡± White ropes came out of his wand and wrapped around Lyra, who did not have time to react.

    Harry had taught them how to use a few spells against a target dummy, but they had never dueled against another human who would fire back at them. She didn''t even think of using the protective ring that Harry had given her. Unlike the one he gave Holly, this one had to be manually activated. Lyra let out a yelp as she fell down and lost her wand.

    Ginny acted immediately. ¡°Expelliarmus!¡±

    Her aim was good, but Derrick saw iting and moved out of the way, answering with another Incarcerous that hit Ginny.

    Luna, who was in front of the other boy, also pulled her wand from her ear and aimed it well. ¡°Expelliarmus.¡±

    ¡°Ahh!¡± Montage yelled in pain and grasped at his right arm, letting his wand fall.

    ¡°What the bloody hell was that?! You almost broke my arm.¡±

    ¡°That was not what I was trying to do¡­¡± Lunamented before Montage pushed her violently against the wall.

    The hit made Luna lose her bnce and fall while Montage took his wand back. ¡°Fuck, that hurt!¡± Heined.

    ¡°You okay, Graham?¡± Derrick asked.

    ¡°I''m fine! That blonde one almost broke my arm with an Expelliarmus.¡± Montage moved his gaze to Astoria.

    ¡°What about you? Aren''t you going to fight?¡±

    Astoria shrugged.

    ¡°I think this one is harmless,¡± Montage told his friend. ¡°Now what?¡±

    ¡°Now¡­ it''s time to get some payback.¡± Derrick approached Lyra.

    ¡°Do you see these scars, girl?¡± He pointed to the several scars across his face.

    ¡°Your damn brother gave me these when he dragged me across the entire school!¡± He screamed.

    ¡°He should have done worse,¡± Lyra muttered.

    ¡°Oh yeah. I could have had them removed but I decided to keep them, as a reminder of what I have to give him back.¡± Derrick had a cruel smile on his face as he got closer to Lyra. ¡°Maybe I''ll give some to you. That will send a message¡­¡±

    Lyra was trembling now.

    ¡°You can''t! You''ll get expelled!"

    ¡°If you touch us...!¡± Ginny warned him.

    ¡°A good memory charm and you won''t know who did what. Who is going to get expelled then?¡± Derrick asked.

    ¡°We should take them to a ssroom. People maye through here,¡± Montage warned his friend.

    ¡°Right¡­but before that¡­an appetizer.¡± Derrick lifted his wand.

    ¡°Oi, Derrick, what are you doing? Not th-...¡± Montage''s eyes opened wide. Suddenly, he couldn''t speak.

    He tried to move towards his friend to warn him, but he tripped and almost fell down.

    Derrick didn''t notice this. He was busy staring at the terrified face of Lyra.

    ¡°I hate those eyes¡­¡± He spat the words.

    ¡°I want to see them in pain¡­ Cruci-...¡± Derrick clutched at his throat. He couldn''t speak any longer.

    ¡°Hey! What''s going on here!¡± Someone came running through the hall and yelled at them.

    Montage and Derrick didn''t recognize who he was, but by the band on his arm, they assumed he was a prefect.

    Neither of them could speak, so they just ran. Montage had a lot of difficulty moving and had to be helped by Derrick.

    Ginny looked at the approaching figure, whom she had recognized immediately.

    ¡°Percy! Help!¡± Ginny shouted.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 187: His side

    Chapter 187: His side

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>¡°Dialogue¡±</em>

    <em>¡®Thoughts¡¯</em>

    <em>- Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 187: His side</strong>

    Harry left the castle''s foundation and went through the giant painting into the hall.

    He was done checking his project. The current batch of magicite was much bigger than the previous one because he was nning on making a few extra pieces of protective jewels for his family and closest friends, as well as some other project he had in mind.

    "Can''t wait to see the final product. Hopefully, this next onests me longer¡­"

    Hisst jewel array didn''t evenst an entire year. After months of work...it was a shame.

    Harry had only turned the first corner when two house-elves appeared in front of him.

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    ¡°Mister Potter, students are in trouble, sir!¡±

    He heard another noise behind him.

    ¡°Master Potter Harry sir!¡± Dobby butchered his name once again.

    ¡°My sister?¡± Harry asked the elf. There were only three girls this elf was guarding and his sister was the most likely to get in trouble.

    ¡°All of them, sir!¡± Dobby looked extremely nervous.

    ''All of them?...what could have possibly happened now?'' He thought.

    ¡°Okay, take me there then.¡± He did not want to waste any precious time so he extended his hand and allowed the elf to bring him away.

    As soon as he appeared, he could already hear a heated argument.

    Harry assessed the situation and quickly grabbed Dobby before moving behind a column, away from their eyes.

    ¡°Master?¡± Dobby didn''t understand what they were waiting for. He thought they hade here to rescue them.

    ¡°Don''t intervene. I want to see how they handle this.¡± Harry ordered the elf.

    With a quick nce, he recognized the two boys. They were part of the Slytherin team and were also present at the Parkinson''s party.

    <em>¡®Montage and¡­ Derrick, I believe. That guy didn''t learn his lesson, it seems.¡¯</em>

    ¡°Stay away from them!... I know how to fight. I¡¯m warning you!¡± He heard Lyra shouting.

    <em>¡®Oh, for Merlin''s sake¡­ you should have shot them ten times already. Why did you even stop to talk?¡¯</em>Harry wanted to smack her head.

    By the time Lyra used her stunner, Derrick was more than ready to counter her.

    Lyra didn''t react in time and lost the fight in just one spell.

    <em>¡®Didn''t even use the ring I gave her¡­¡¯</em>

    He could not feel too disappointed though, as he was already expecting this result.

    After Lyra went down, Ginny made her move.

    <em>¡®Was she waiting for her turn to attack? It was two against one¡­ what a wasted opportunity.¡¯</em>

    And Ginny went down as easily as his sister.

    ''I can see that they are in dire need of some real training... Ill have to make some room in my schedule to teach them a few things.''

    Luna was the most interesting one...she didn''t even aim the disarming charm at the wand. She went directly for the arm and almost broke it.

    <em>¡®If she likes ripping arms so much, perhaps I should teach her a more efficient method¡­¡¯</em>Harry considered.

    Luna lost, and Astoria didn''t even put up a fight.

    Harry wasn''t sure if that girl had the chance to learn a single spell yet. She had only been able to use her magic very recently after all.

    ¡°Now¡­ it''s time to get some payback.¡± He heard Derrick threatening his sister.

    ¡°Master¡­¡± Dobby looked worried but couldn''t disobey his order.

    ¡°Do nothing. And don''t give me that look, Dobby. I¡¯m not going to let that waste of oxygen touch my sister. Have some faith in me for Merlin''s sake¡­¡± Harry told Dobby.

    He was impressed by how Lyra stood defiant in the face of a stronger opponent until the end.

    He decided that it was time to intervene before those boys used something harmful. First, he disabled Montage and then silenced Derrick, who was about to use an Unforgivable on Lyra.

    <em>¡®That one is going to cost you extra.¡¯</em>Harry frowned.

    He was about to show himself and chase them away when he heard Percy yelling.

    Derrick and Montage took off running in the direction he was in, so he took Dobby and apparated away before they saw him.

    He reappeared back in the corridor he was in before being called by the elves.

    ¡°What a mess¡­¡±

    He conjured a piece of parchment and some ink.

    ¡°Before you go back to your normal duties, I have something else for you to do,¡± he told Dobby.

    ¡°Master Harry is not going to punish those evildoers who attacked the Miss?¡± The elf asked in disbelief.

    Harry moved the ink to write a short message on the parchment before he turned to look at Dobby.

    ¡°Punish them¡­?¡± His eyes had turned colder.

    The elf felt the temperature in the hallway drop all of a sudden.

    ¡°You mean the boys who attacked my friends, insulted my mother, and tried to use a Cruciatus curse on my sister?¡±

    Dobby took a step back and looked into Harry''s eyes.

    ¡°M-Master?...¡± This was the first time Dobby had ever seen his Master this angry.

    ¡°Yes, Dobby. I am going to make them pay, and their families too. But first¡­¡±

    He handed the piece of parchment to the elf.

    ¡°I want you to give this to Daphne once she is alone. Then, you can go back to your duties. Make sure those girls are okay.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Dobby took the parchment and disappeared to carry out his duty.

    Harry opened his robe and took a small metallic stick from his inner pocket.

    The stick then grew in size until it became a long metallic staff, around 120cm (47 inches), with three green gems on its head.

    ¡°Can''t use my wand for this. So¡­ tonight, I will be testing you¡­ I think the Slytherin house is going to remember this night for a long time.¡±

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 188: The Dungeons

    Chapter 188: The Dungeons

    <span>Disimer:

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    <span>Chapter 188: The Dungeons

    Hogwarts, 10 P.M.

    All students were in theirmon rooms by now. It was still a weekday, so most of them were already in their own bedrooms, preparing to sleep.

    The entrance to the Slytherin house was the most secretive of the four.

    The dungeons wereposed of a confusing set of identical corridors. If one wasn''t paying a lot of attention, it would be easy to miss the snake decorations on one particr stone wall.

    If a Slytherin student stood in front of this wall, a door would appear, and after speaking the correct password aloud, it would open.

    "Bombarda Maxima." Harry was not in the mood for passwords tonight.

    The wall exploded into hundreds of pieces, revealing a marble staircase that descended further.

    The office belonging to the Head of the Slytherin house was near the entrance, meaning that Professor Snape must have heard the noise.

    Unfortunately for him, Harry had sealed the entrance to his office. This was not a normal lock that could be removed with a simple ''Alohomora''. Harry had made full use of his authority over the castle to block that particr office.

    Nothing short of physically destroying the door or wall would allow Snape to leave now.

    The Professor would surely spend quite a while trying every option before resorting to blowing up the door. But even if he did¡­he would never make it in time.

    "nk¡­" The sound of metal hitting the marble stairs could be heard with every step that Harry took.

    As he descended the stairs, he also tapped them with his staff, and a wall of marble rose up behind him with every tap.

    Harry was blocking the only entrance to the dungeons, further and further as he descended.

    When he took the final step into the narrow corridor that led into themon room, there was no longer an exit to these chambers.

    Only Albus Dumbledore, with his authority to use ''apparition'' inside the castle, would be able to intervene in time now.

    cing a sleeping draught in his nightly tea was surprisingly easy.

    All he had to do was go into the kitchen and tamper with the tea before the elf delivered it.

    He could hear somemotioning from the mainmon area of the house.

    Harry applied an invisibility charm on himself as well as a silencing one on his shoes.

    "What was that noise?"

    "It sounded like something broke."

    "Should we go take a look?"

    "Why don''t you go check?"

    "I''m sure Professor Snape will take care of it¡­ if there is something to take care of."

    "Are you scared, Patrick?"

    Harry noticed someone approaching the entrance, so he waited there.

    "Fine! I''ll go by myself!"

    A boy appeared into the dark corridor Harry was standing in. He looked like a sixth or seventh-year student that he was not familiar with.

    ''He''s not one of them¡­''

    He waited until the boy had taken a few steps away from the entrance before stunning him.

    Harry came here looking for specific people and had no interest in anyone else. Inside themon room, he counted nine persons, seven boys, and two girls. All of them appeared to be seniors, from fifth to seventh year.

    Several members of the Slytherin Quidditch team were present.

    Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey, Lucian Bole, and Peregrine Derrick.

    He did not know the other ones, but most of his targets were there at least.

    ''I can look for Montageter, I better take care of¡­ wait,'' he heard someoneing from the bedroom stairs.

    ''It looks like today is my lucky day after all¡­'' Harry thought when he recognized the figure of Montage walking into the room. He appeared to have a problem walking as he was limping a bit.

    "Still hurts?" Derrick said with a mocking tone.

    "Shut up!" Montage made his way to one of the couches and sat down.

    "What happened to your leg?" One of the girls asked.

    "Nothing, I just tripped this morning," Montage answered in a bad mood. He could not tell his friends that he got hurt while harassing a bunch of second-year girls. They would mock him endlessly.

    "We have a game against Gryffindor in two days," Marcus Flint reminded him.

    "I''ll be fine by tomorrow. This is nothing," Montage huffed, hoping to end the questioning.

    "Mmm¡­ that''s odd. You were fine after sses. Then you took off with Derrick to do Merlin knows what¡­" Lucian Bolemented. He was also in fifth year like Derrick and Montage.

    Flint gave Montage and Derrick a suspicious look. But before he could say anything, someone else spoke.

    "What is Patrick doing? He should be back by now," a seventh-year blonde girl said.

    "That is true¡­" Adrian Pucey nced at the entrance. "Should we go take a look? Maybe something did happen."

    "What could have happened? He just went to the corridor," Bole said.

    "What are you guys talking about?" Montage asked.

    "We heard some weird noises a few minutes ago. Patrick went to check the corridor," Derrick answered.

    "Strange noises?" Montage raised an eyebrow.

    "Fine, I¡¯ll go. Adrian,e with me," Marcus Flint said. As the Captain of the team, he was used to taking charge of the situation.

    "Carol, do you think something happened to him?" The seventh-year girl asked her friend.

    When she got no answer, she got closer and touched her shoulder.

    "Carol, are you listening?" As she pushed her a bit, her friend fell to one side, but her body remained rigid like it was made of stone.

    "Carol!" She eximed in rm.

    This got the attention of everyone in the room.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 189: A Day They Will Remember, Part 1

    Chapter 189: A Day They Will Remember, Part 1

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s notes-

    <strong>Chapter 189: A Day They Will Remember, Part 1</strong>

    Harry kept himself in the dimly lit areas of themon room.

    The invisibility charm was far from perfect, and they would immediately spot him if he walked into the light.

    While they talked, he moved behind a sofa and used a petrifying curse on one of the girls.

    This one was not as strong as the one used by the basilisk, and the affected person would return to normal after a few hours. However, in the meantime, it will be extremely difficult to reverse. This made it a better choice over a stunner, with the downside that it took longer to cast, and you had to be very close to the target.

    "Carol!" her friend eximed.

    "What''s wrong?" Flint asked. He and Pucey were close to the door when they heard.

    "It''s Carol, something is wrong with her!"

    Derrick and Montage were the closest, so they stood up and went to take a look.

    "She is not unconscious¡­" Derrick noticed her eyes were still open.

    "It''s like¡­ she is frozen," Montage added.

    "She has obviously been hit by some spell," Flint concluded.

    "By who? We are the only ones here!" The girl said.

    "That looks like petrification," said Pucey when he got closer.

    Derrick turned to the three boys sitting on a nearby couch. "Did you guys see anything?"

    When he got no answer, Derrick became annoyed. "This is not the time for jokes. I''m talking to you three!"

    "Wait!" Upon closer inspection, Pucey noticed that they had been afflicted by the same thing as the other girl. "They are also petrified¡­"

    "What is going on? Is someone attacking us?" Bole started to panic.

    "Of course, someone is attacking us, you bloody idiot!" Flint shouted. "Get your wands out."

    The remaining girl went to stand up when a sh of red light hit her at the back of her head, and she fell down.

    "I saw it!" Pucey said. "I saw a stunnering from there!" He pointed to a corner.

    Some of the boys shot a couple of stunners and a cutting charm to the corner but didn''t seem to hit anything except the furniture.

    Harry moved again, this time closer to the stairs that led to the dormitories.

    He had taken care of the three boys and two girls who had nothing to do with his visit.

    But if he left things as they were, it would just be a matter of time before more students came here to check on the noises.

    His staff made a soft ''nk'' sound when he touched the wall.

    The stone came to life and morphed, increasing its width until the two entrances to the dorms werepletely sealed.

    "Here is over there!" Derrick shouted.

    Another barrage of spells hit the wall where Harry had been moments ago.

    "He is using a disillusionment charm or an invisibility cloak," Montage said.

    "I''m tired of this game, show yourself!" Flint shouted before lifting his wand up. "Homenum Revelio!"

    "Find him!" Pucey eximed while he frantically looked around.

    Bole caught a glimpse of a bright silhouette moving towards the entrance. "There! He is trying to escape!"

    The other four Slytherin boys turned their heads.

    "Do you think we will let you go after this?" Pucey threw a stunner at the figure.

    Flint''s ''revelio'' had made his figure shine brightly, but they were still unable to identify him.

    "Escape?..." Harry deflected the stunner with little effort. "I have no intention of escaping."

    The five boys stood there in shock when they heard that voice.

    "That voice¡­ I know who that is," Montage spoke first, and by the faces of his friends, they also recognized it.

    "Potter!" Derrick screamed with rage.

    Harry canceled the invisibility charm since there was no more use for it.

    Flint smiled. "I''ll admit. You have some courage toe here alone and attack us. But this is going to cost you..."

    "You are also an idiot," Pucey added. "Now that your little trick has been exposed¡­ you have no chance against the five of us."

    Harry was next to the exit. He moved his staff and tapped on the wall.

    As he did with the entrance to the bedrooms, he transfigured the wall surrounding the door to close the hole, leaving them now in what was essentially¡­ a sealed chamber.

    The five boys were yet to realize how trapped they were, and their attention was instead driven to Harry''s weapon.

    "What''s that thing?... a staff?" Bole asked.

    "I have seen a staff before but never one made of metal," Pucey added.

    "Where did you get¡­ never mind that. What do you think you are doing?!" Flint pointed his wand at Harry.

    Harry''s eyes moved from Derrick to Montage before going back to Flint. "At least two of you know why I am here."

    Flint nced at Derrick and Montage. He knew these two had been up to no good today, but they would not talk about what happened. "What did you do?"

    "Come on, Captain¡­ who cares? Let''s just beat him up and be done with it," Montage said.

    "I knew it!" Bole pointed at them.

    "Shut it, Bole! It''s not like you never came with us for a bit of hunting before," Montage reminded him.

    "Hunting..." Flint''s eyes went from Derrick to Harry.

    "I see..." He could already guess what happened to get Potter this angry. They went after his sister. Not that he cared but this went against his orders.

    "See these scars, Potter?" Derrick pointed at his face. "After I''m done with you, not even that bitch of a mother you have will recognize you!"

    Flint sighed. "I told you not to do anything until I got permission¡­" He knew their parents were nning something big on Hogwarts this year, but he had not been given the full story yet. He just had been told to avoid doing anything that called for attention.

    "Fine, it''s toote to stop now. Let''s take care of this¡­ and make sure that word doesn''t get out." Flint moved his wand towards Harry. "Incarerous."

    White ropes flew at Harry. He caught them with his staff and flung them back, hitting Bole in the face.

    "Argh!" Bole yelled as the ropes tightened around his face and neck.

    Flint was shocked for a moment after seeing his spell deflected with such ease, but he recovered quickly and made haste to free his friend before he suffocated with the ropes.

    Meanwhile, Montage, Pucey, and Derrick went on the offensive.

    Montage tried the disarming charm, Pucey used a cutting charm, while Derrick went directly into a Cruciatus curse.

    Harry smacked away the two charms and blocked the curse with a conjured brick.

    He moved his staff up before bringing it down with a descending motion. "Engorgio." The staff grew in size until it almost touched the tall ceiling, and then it descended andnded on Montage''s shoulder, making a loud crunching sound when it shattered his bones.

    The boy let out a tremendously loud scream and went down on his knees.

    Pucey and Derrick threw more spells at him but were too slow.

    Harry retracted his staff and used first a ''Silencio'' on Derrick before pointing the tip of the staff at Pucey.

    The three green crystals on the end of the staff shone brightly with an eery green light.

    "Incendium." A ssh of liquid fire impacted Pucey''s chest. Harry had to ensure he avoided his face, or he would have died instantly. The boy started to scream and tried to remove the burning substance, but that only burned his hands, leading to more screams. The effect onlysted for a few seconds before the liquid disappeared, since Harry had intentionally put very little magic on that spell. Still, this was dark magic, and those burns were not going away anytime soon.

    His attention went back to Derrick, who had been staring at his friend''s burns without being able to do anything about it.

    "dius." The staff transformed into a long de.

    Derrick panicked when he saw Harry move quickly toward him. He tried to cast a silent tripping jinx followed by a silent stunner, since he was still unable to speak.

    "Protego." Harry blocked them with a small shield that manifested before his de.

    Once he was in front of Derrick, he made an upward shing motion that left a deep diagonal cut on the boy, from his calf all the way to his shoulder.

    Derrick screamed when he saw blood pouring out and felt a burning, painful sensation on his body.

    Flint was done freeing Pucey. It had only taken him ten seconds at most, but three of his friends were already grievously injured.

    Only then did he understand how bad of a situation they were in¡­ They had seriously underestimated Harry.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 190: A Day They Will Remember, Part 2

    Chapter 190: A Day They Will Remember, Part 2

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author''s Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 190: A Day They Will Remember, Part 2</strong>

    "Potter, stop this!" Flint saw Montage, Pucey, and Derrick lying on the ground.

    Derrick had a lot of blood on his chest, and Pucey was badly burned and moaning in pain.

    It quickly became evident that Harry was not ying around. This was not a simple school duel.

    He had never fought anyone for real before and could not help but be scared.

    "This is too much! We have to take them to the infirmary!"

    Lucian Bole stood back up and saw what Harry had done. His eyes opened wide.

    "You are going to be expelled for this! Our parents will make sure!"

    "You are talking like Malfoy now," Harry smiled at the memory. It had been a while since he heard the blonde boy''s catchphrase, and he kind of missed it.

    "Anyways¡­ let''s continue." The staff reverted to its normal shape.

    "Lucian, help me!" Flint told his friend. He realized that talking was not going to help them.

    They both aimed their wands at Harry.

    Lucian Bole used a blood-boiling curse while Flint tried a bone-breaking curse aimed at his chest.

    These were some of the most dangerous curses they had learned. Only Derrick was able to cast the Cruciatus, something he was very proud of.

    "nk," Harry''s staff hit the ground once more.

    A wall of stone appeared in front of Harry. Several cracks appeared on its surface when the spells hit it.

    Harry tapped the wall with his staff.

    "Depulso."

    The wall exploded into a hundred fragments of debris that shot at Pucey and Flint like bullets.

    The boys screamed as their flesh was ripped apart, and their bones shattered.

    A momentter, they were both lying on the floor, their bodies shaking while they made painful noises.

    Harry saw Montage staring at him with absolute terror in his eyes.

    When Harry approached him, the boy scrambled backward as fast as he could.

    "P-Please, I''m sorry!"

    He had lost his wand, and his shoulder hurt so badly that he could barely think.

    "Which hand did you use to push my friend Luna? Was it left or right?" Harry asked as he walked toward him.

    Montage hit his back against a wall and could not go any further.

    "W-what?!" He could barely remember what happened that afternoon any longer.

    Harry brought the pointy end of the metallic staff onto Montage''s leg with full force, piercing it.

    Montage screamed.

    "The blonde girl you attacked this afternoon¡­ was it left or right?" Harry asked again.

    "W-what?... ahhhh!"

    Harry pierced his other leg.

    "Say ''what'' again, and I''m taking both¡­"

    "I¡­I think it was right!" Montage finally said.

    Harry used his feet to expose Montage''s right arm.

    "Diffindo."

    With a quick shing motion of his staff, the arm was cleanly cut at the shoulder.

    Montage''s eyes opened so wide that it almost looked like they were about to fall out when he saw what happened to his arm, and then¡­ he passed out from the shock.

    "Tsk¡­ you lost consciousness just from that?" Harry hurried to cast a fire spell and seal his wound before he bled out.

    He then tapped the severe limp with the staff,...this one turned into dust and disappeared.

    "One left," He said as he walked to Derrick. He was the only one who remained alert at this point.

    The terrified boy was not able to see everything that happened, but he had been hearing all the screams his friends had given.

    "Potter! Stop this!" He shouted.

    "You are going to Azkaban for this!"

    "A good memory charm and you won''t know who did what. Who is going to get in trouble then?" Harry returned the words he told his sister.

    "Besides¡­ is just a few cuts and broken bones. A few days in the hospital, and they''ll be fine." Harry nced at Montage.

    "Well¡­ the missing arm is a different story. But forget about them¡­ now is your turn."

    "Potter¡­ I''m-"

    "Let me stop you right there," Harry interrupted him.

    "Don''t bother apologizing or begging me; I take no joy in those things. Let''s get this over with."

    "What else do you wanna do? I''m already hurt, don''t you see?!" Derrick shouted.

    "Of the four of you¡­ you are by far the worst." Harry got closer.

    "Assaulting children is something I will never be able to ignore."

    "What are y-" Derrick froze when he saw Harry''s cold eyes.

    "Are you going to deny it to my face?" Harry asked.

    "Those were mudbloods! I never defiled a pureblood girl!" Derrick said in his defense.

    "And you think that makes it okay¡­ why do I bother talking to you?" Harry pointed his staff between Derrick''s legs.

    "Noo!" the boy ignored his pain and tried to crawl away from Harry.

    "Incarerous." White ropes came out of his staff and secured Derrick in ce.

    Harry kicked him to turn him on his back and put a foot on top to keep him from moving again.

    "Keep wriggling around, and this may just kill you¡­"

    He aimed the tip of his staff at Derrick''s crotch.

    "Hexolvo horribilis." A sickly yellow orb dropped down and hit his pants. Despite being smaller than a fingernail, the moment it touched the fabric of his pants, it started to spread and dissolve everything it touched, making a sizzling noise and creating an unpleasant yellow smoke.

    Harry had to use a silencing charm on Derrick as his screams were getting too loud.

    Still, his expression of agony was enough to convey his situation.

    Harry vanished the acid curse after it had done its job.

    He pulled some healing potions out of his tunic and started to administer them to the boys.

    If they died in the school, it would create more problems than necessary.

    And he needed them alive for now¡­ the bait had been set.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 191: Questioning

    Chapter 191: Questioning

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 191: Questioning</strong>

    The next morning, the castle was in disarray. sses had been canceled for the day. The professors were seen walking around frantically, over a dozen Aurors had entered the castle, and the entire Slytherin house was missing.

    The students assembled in the Great Hall were staring with curiosity at the empty Slytherin table.

    "What do you think happened?" Neville asked.

    "Who knows?... Professor McGonagall would only say that there was some incident at the Slytherin house," Seamus answered.

    "Maybe the snakes started fighting among themselves. We can only hope it was really bad." Ron smirked.

    "Ron, that''s not nice!" Hermione gave him a disapproving look.

    "Don''t give me that!" Ron snapped.

    "Two of those snakes attacked my sister yesterday. Why should I care if something happened to them?"

    Hermione lowered her head, not having an answer for that. By now, they all knew about the four second-year girls who were attacked by two Slytherin seniors. And they were apparently saved by the Head Boy.

    "Maybe some senior students went to teach those two a lesson," Parvati suggested.

    "That would not exin why the entire house is missing," Lavender said.

    "And besides, we don''t even know their names, right?" She nced at Lyra.

    "No¡­ we don''t know their names," Lyra admitted.

    "I''m sure at least one of them is on the Quidditch team," Ginny added.

    "And we did give their description to Professor McGonagall."

    "Harry¡­" Lyra tugged on his robes.

    He looked at his sister.

    "Do you know something?" She got closer and whispered.

    Harry stroked her hair.

    "Don''t worry about it."

    Lyra had a worried expression. She was convinced that whatever happened, her brother was somewhat involved. Now she was just worried he was going to be in trouble with the school.

    "Attention, please!" The Headmaster entered the Hall, apanied by three people: two men and one woman.

    "Dad?! What is he doing here?" Lyra eximed.

    "Working, most likely. The ones next to him are Auror Dawlish and the Head of the Auror Department, Amelia Bones," Harry answered.

    "You know them?"

    "Attention, please!" Dumbledore had to raise the volume of his voice to silence all the murmurs.

    "These gentlemen anddy behind me are from the Auror Department. They have to ask some questions to a few students present in this hall. I will be speaking some names, and I want you to apany us for a few minutes. Is that clear?"

    Dumbledore looked around the hall; his eyes stopped for a moment on Harry before they continued.

    "Well then¡­ Percy Weasley, Astoria Greengrass, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Lyra Potter¡­"

    "Wait, why are they calling us?" Lyra eximed.

    "Calm down, Lyra," said Ginny.

    "They probably just want to ask us about yesterday."

    "We already spoke with the Professor," Lyra said.

    "Yes, but the Aurors may want a formal statement," Harry rified.

    Dumbledore mentioned the names of several senior students from different houses and then nced at Harry again.

    "And finally¡­ Harry Potter."

    The group was escorted to a corridor to the left of the Great Hall, where most of the professors, as well as several Aurors, were waiting.

    Harry saw his mother among the professors and a few familiar aurors like Shacklebolt.

    Percy, along with Lyra and the other girls, was led into an empty ssroom by Madam Bones.

    "Is it okay if I go with them?" Lily asked.

    Madam Bones gave her a warm smile.

    "Of course, Lily. I just want to get an official statement from them. It will be quick."

    Lily looked back at Harry for a moment before going into the ssroom.

    "Dawlish, I would like to speak with my son alone for a minute," James told the other auror next to him.

    "That''s fine, James. But don''t take long." Dawlish went to address the other students.

    "You boys sit there; we will be calling you one by one."

    Harry saw the Headmaster and Snape waiting next to an open door, waiting for the students toe in.

    "This way," James led him to what looked like an unused office.

    He closed the door behind him and ced several security charms.

    "You really made a mess this time, son¡­" James said. It was hard to tell by his tone if he was angry or just frustrated.

    "How are you so sure it was me?" Harry asked.

    James raised an eyebrow.

    "Weren''t you?..."

    "Of course I was, but I doubt you have much evidence of that." Harry shrugged.

    "This is serious, Harry. Four boys are in the hospital!" James snapped.

    "I''m usually serious¡­ But to make your statement more urate¡­ four Death Eater recruits are in the hospital, two of them attacked your daughter yesterday, and one of them tried to use the Cruciatus curse on her."

    "What did you say? The Cruciatus?!" James was taken aback. He already knew of the attack but had not heard anything about an unforgivable curse being used.

    "She probably didn''t notice it. It was a good thing I was there to stop him."

    "You were there?!" James eximed.

    Harry gave him an impassive re.

    "Of course I was. I have an eye on everything that happens in this castle now. Hogwarts is not as safe as Dumbledore likes to say. But don''t tell her that¡­ I don''t want Lyra to think her brother will always be there to save her."

    "If you were there, why didn''t you intervene sooner? They could have been hurt!" James asked.

    "I told you. She has to learn how to fend for herself. Because one day, there may be no one there to help her."

    "Harry, she is only twelve¡­" James stated.

    "So?... I had to learn that lesson when I was eleven."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 192: The bait

    Chapter 192: The bait

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author''s notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 192: The bait</strong>

    "I don''t think we should stay here much longer; they may start to think I''m suspicious," Harry suggested.

    "They already suspect you... especially Snape," James said.

    "To be fair, Snape always suspects me of being guilty of everything," Harry felt the need to point out. "But the real question is... can they prove anything?"

    James sat down and thought for a second. "They briefly questioned the boys before being taken to St. Mungo''s, and... they were unable to remember the person who attacked them. There were clear signs of Obliviation being used. And the other students present... they were all knocked out before seeing anything useful."

    "See? I did a much better job this time." He didn''t even use Apparition since now he knew they could detect that. Instead, he used a secret passage to leave the dungeons.

    "What about your wand?" his father asked.

    "Clean. Since I didn''t use it."

    "Don''t underestimate Miss Bones and Dawlish. They are good at detecting lies, even without magical means."

    "Anything else?"

    "Yes... I would like to know why you did this. You said they were Death Eater recruits... so was that the reason? Or was it revenge because they attacked your sister?"

    "That''s part of it, yes," Harry admitted.

    "What is the rest then? What other motives could you have?"

    Harry grinned. "You should see the results soon enough. Probably in a month or two."

    "Just tell me! I already have Dumbledore for keeping secrets," James shouted.

    "Sorry, I can''t. It''s not like I don''t want to tell you, but doing so may ruin things. Now... let''s stop the questioning here," Harry stood up. "Best not make them wait too long. Snape is probably already fuming..."

    "He always is," James sighed.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    He was then led into a ssroom with Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Auror Dawlish waiting for him.

    For the most part, the Auror conducted the interrogation, with only Snape interrupting a few times to use Harry of something. They questioned him for fifteen minutes with his father present and then tested his wand.

    With no clear evidence of any wrongdoing, they had no choice but to let him go.

    Both Dumbledore and Snape knew it had been him, although for different reasons.

    Dumbledore knew he was the only one capable of moving around the castle without his knowledge. And the only one with the magical prowess to fight against a group of seniors alone and win.

    Despite tampering with their memories, Marcus Flint and the rest will eventually realize the identity of their attacker, and so will their parents.

    With no hard evidence, they could not openly use him of anything, so they will have to resort to other means.

    Atst, that was what he was counting on.

    <><><><><><><>

    That same afternoon, he was discreetly called to the Headmaster''s office.

    Dumbledore had apparently, not been satisfied with his exnation after all.

    As Harry went inside, he was weed by a frown face.

    "You look grumpy today, Professor," Harry pointed out before taking a seat.

    "I expected Professor Snape to be here too."

    "He wanted to...It was hard to convince him to leave." Dumbledore admited.

    "Harry... you are in a very unique position. Because of this, I have overlooked many things. I never said anything when you destroyed Hogwarts property... but... this time, I have four grievously wounded students in St. Mungo''s."

    "You do," Harry nodded.

    Dumbledore was not amused. "I remained mostly quiet during the morning interrogation because I trusted that you must have a very good reason for this. But I would like to hear it from you."

    "I did have a good reason," Harry told him.

    The Headmaster frowned again.

    "borate a bit more, please."

    "I find the approach of your Order of the Phoenix a bit too passive. I''m trying to push things a bit."

    "Push things, you say?..." Dumbledore asked. "You need to give me a more clear answer."

    Harry chuckled. "You have no idea how funny that is,ing from you."

    He leaned onto the desk.

    "But I will give you a more clear answer... I''m starting a private war with Lord Parkinson and his followers."

    "What?! Harry, that''s preposterous. Didn''t James tell you to leave things to the Order?"

    "He did...and until now, I have left the Order to approach things in your own way. But we are running out of time."

    "What makes you think that?" Dumbledore asked.

    "The Order has been keeping an eye on his movements better than me so you must have also noticed things starting to change this year. Just one look at the Slytherin house and you can see it. You have many sons and daughters of Death Eaters members and potential members or allies, and they are all acting...off. "

    Dumbledore remained silent for a minute.

    "You are right about that. Lord Parkinson has been moving a lot for the past months. He has been creating many new alliances with other members of the Wizengamot and also, his most trusted allies have been taking trips to different parts of the country or even outside."

    "They are trying to find reinforcements. Giants, trolls, vampires, werewolves...I would keep an eye on those."

    "We already are...so far, we have seen nothing suspicious," Dumbledore answered.

    "I believe that Lord Parkinson is preparing to take over the country this year. But he knows he is not Voldemort... without some powerful allies, he doesn''t have the military strength to take over by force. This means he will try to do so by political means... do you know how to stop that?" Harry asked.

    "Well, unless we find out exactly what he is trying to do... no. But I don''t understand. How is crippling those boys going to matter in th... wait..." Dumbledore appeared to finally realize something.

    "You... you are trying to start a Blood Feud with those families?!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 193: A bold attempt

    Chapter 193: A bold attempt

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author''s notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 193: A bold attempt</strong>

    "Don''t worry about the noise?!" Daphne asked.

    Harry yawned and got morefortable on the couch.

    "Sorry¡­ what are we talking about again? I didn''t get much sleepst night."

    Dumbledore had kept him in his office for hours after finding out what he wanted to do. Mostly, he was trying to convince him to give up that n, but it was toote for that anyway. The pieces were already moving.

    On the next day, things went mostly back to normal. The Headmaster informed the school about the Slytherin students being attacked by a mysterious individual and that the auror department was working on the case.

    "I''m talking about that note you sent me!" Daphne shouted. The blonde girl had almost dragged him away after sses were over.

    "I thought of giving you a heads up... so you won''t worry," Harry nced at her. "Didn''t seem to work... you look very unsettled¡­"

    "Of course, I am! I can''t forget about those screams... I think like half the Slytherin students are going to end up with nightmares¡­"

    "Yes, those guys were too loud¡­ you know¡­ I can obliviate¡ª"

    "Don''t even suggest it!" Daphne shouted.

    "I''m not even going to ask why you came to terrorize my house... I already have an idea."

    Daphne knew those boys well enough and the things they usually did. It wasn''t surprising that they ended up the way they did after provoking the wrong person.

    "But their families aren''t going to stay quiet and do nothing. Four of those five are all heirs of their houses."

    "I know. I''ll deal with that when the timees."

    "I hope you do¡­"

    "Is there something else? I would like to rest a bit here¡­" Harry closed his eyes.

    Daphne considered for a moment.

    "I suppose not¡­ I still don''t have any more news about... you know... but now it''s going to be more difficult to¡­ are you sleeping already?"

    Daphne frowned. She then stood up from her sofa and approached Harry when she got no answer.

    She stopped for a moment when she was next to the couch that Harry was resting on and looked closely at his face.

    "How can you look so peaceful now¡­"

    She could still not figure out how could a boy of her own age do the things that he did. But she did have her own theories.

    "Mmm?" Her eyes went to his silver sses. "Maybe I should take them out¡­he shouldn''t sleep with those on."

    With a bit of hesitation, she extended her hands and took the sses off his face.

    She put them down on the nearby coffee table before looking back at Harry.

    A hint of a smile appeared on her face. She felt some satisfaction thinking that at least Harry trusted her enough to sleep in front of her. Her eyes moved to his face.

    ''He looks even more handsome without sses¡­ wait, what am I thinking?!'' Daphne''s cheeks became bright red.

    ''But¡­'' She nced at him again. ''I may not get this chance again¡­'' Her blue eyes moved to his lips.

    Her face leaned closer¡­ and closer to his¡­ her heart was pounding very fast¡­

    Daphne was merely inches away now¡­

    "I am awake, by the way¡­" Then Harry spoke, all of a sudden.

    "Ahh!" Daphne let out a scream and clumsily fell backward¡­nding on her butt.

    Even so¡­ she stood up surprisingly quickly.

    "Sorry, I just remembered¡­ I have something¡­ I''ll let you rest!" She rushed out the door.

    Harry watched her leave without saying a word.

    After she closed the door, he sighed andid back on the couch.

    "What a troublesome girl¡­ don''t give me more headaches¡­"

    <strong><><><><><><><></strong>

    "What is this ce?" Lyra asked.

    "When you asked me if I was busy on the weekend¡­ this is not what I was expecting," said Luna. "This is much better!"

    "What were you expecting?" Ginny asked but immediately regretted the question when she saw Luna''s face. "Don''t answer that!"

    "This is?...." Astoria looked around the massive room with curiosity.

    "This¡­ is the Room of Requirement. This is where you will be doing some extra-curricr defense sses," Harry told them.

    "Extra-curricr sses?" Lyra frowned.

    "It''s not optional for you," Harry added.

    "But I already have good grades!" Lyrained.

    "I don''t think this is about the grades, Lyra," Ginny told her friend.

    "I''m going to teach you how to actually defend yourselves," Harry told them.

    "You mean¡­ if we are attacked like the other day?" Ginny asked.

    "I don''t think that''s going to happen anytime soon. The guys from Slytherin look always terrified now¡­" Lyramented.

    "It''s not about IF¡­ it''s about WHEN. During the summer, you learned how to cast a few different spells, but never learned how to use them in a real scenario. But before we get to that, there is something else I want to say... the location of this room is a secret only a select few know and must remain like that."

    All three girls looked at Lyra.

    "What?" Lyra asked, feeling all eyes on her. "I won''t say anything!"

    "Now, you have promised me to remain silent about this room," Harry said in a stern tone.

    "Of course," Ginny said.

    "I was only going to tell the Nargles, but it''s probably better this way¡­they would probably tell the Blibbering Humdingers and make a mess..." Luna shrugged.

    "Promise!" Astoria raised her hand.

    "I pro-" Lyra got interrupted.

    "And you must also promise to shut Lyra up when she starts to talk too much," Harry added.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 194: The Ritual Part 1

    Chapter 194: The Ritual Part 1

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 194: The Ritual Part 1</strong>

    Two more months passed after that.

    Marcus Flint, Lucian Bole, and Adrian Pucey returned to school after spending almost a week in Saint Mungo''s.

    Marcus and Lucian did not have visible scarring from their injuries, but Adrian had some visible burns on his chest and neck area. Burns inflicted with cursed fire were not easy to remove.

    As for Montage and Derrick¡­ they never came back.

    Many stories started to circte about them. About Montage having lost his arm and Derrick having been permanently castrated with a dark curse.

    There were also many rumors about the person or persons responsible for the attack since no one had been officially punished for it.

    A few started to mention Harry since he was one of the students being interrogated, along with some other seniors. But those rumors quickly faded and were reced by more fantastical ones like¡­ Neville Longbottom awakened his full power and took revenge against the Slytherins. Or the ghost of the founder, Szar Slytherin himself came back from the grave to put some order in his house.

    Only a few knew the truth, but the parents of the five affected students were desperately looking for the real responsible one. And they wanted blood.

    <strong>Two weeks before Christmas break</strong>

    Space distorted around inside the main chamber and two figures appeared.

    "Why did you have to use apparition?" Daphne felt a bit disoriented.

    "The entrance to this ce has been closed. This is the fastest way to ess it," Harry answered.

    Daphne got her bearings back and looked around.

    She then screamed.

    "Mmm¡­ maybe I should have warned you." Harry realized his mistake.

    "This is the Chamber of Secrets!" Daphne screamed again. Terrible memories of theirst year resurfaced in her mind. "Ahhh!"

    "There are no more snakes here and the Professors even fixed the floor and walls. It''s quite safe," Harry assured her and hoped she would stop screaming so loudly.

    It took her a minute, but she finally calmed down a bit.

    "When you asked me if I was free on the weekend, I thought we were going to Hogsmeade¡­" Daphne muttered.

    "Yes, I''m sorry for the misunderstanding."

    "I even put on a new dress¡­ and now I am in a humid chamber that smells of¡­ death¡­" She added.

    "Again¡­ very sorry. But hey, you look very stunning." He gave her a thumbs-up.

    "R-Really?" That appeared to cheer her up a bit.

    "Yes, but now we must get down to business¡­ I don''t know how long this will take." Harry started to walk to the end of the chamber where his young self had once battled the basilisk with the sword of Gryffindor.

    "You still haven''t told me why we are here." Daphne hurried to follow him.

    "I have been making the preparations since we came back to Hogwarts, but for thisst part, I need a bit of help." He stopped in front of therge circle that had been drawn onto the stone floor.

    Daphne saw it and got goosebumps.

    "You are not going to summon another one of those things¡­ right?"

    "Huh?... oh, right. I understand the confusion¡­ no, this has nothing to do with demons. This is a circle for a different kind of ritual," Harry pointed out.

    "A ritual?" She knew a bit about rituals. But only what she had read in books.

    "I thought no one used them anymore. Since the Ministry dered them all illegal."

    Harry opened a leather bag and started taking out several boxes, ss vials, and other containers before cing them carefully on the ground, close to the circle.

    "They are... technically not legal, that''s true."

    "But you are doing one anyway¡­ why am I not surprised?"

    She then seemed to recall something else.

    "Wait, aren''t rituals like¡­ extremely dangerous? And don''t you need to make sacrifices for them to work? That''s why they were made illegal!"

    "Well¡­ I suppose they are. But everything has a price. All the magic we usees with some price, and the more powerful ones have bigger prices."

    "That''s very vague¡­" Daphne frowned. She felt like Harry was doing it on purpose to avoid telling her more.

    "I wanna know what this ritual does and¡­ what the price is."

    "Remember what you told me on our first week? You said that your family owes me a great favor and that you would do anything to repay it."

    Her frown deepened.

    "I don''t think those were my exact words¡­ but yes. Are you going to ask me to help you and not ask questions?"

    Harry shrugged. "To sum things up¡­ I''m going to perform two rituals, one to enhance my muscles and bones. The other one is to enhance my reflexes and perception. The prices are not as harmful as you think."

    Daphne knew him enough to know that this was going to be as much detail as she was going to get.

    "Fine¡­ what do I need to do?"

    Harry smiled. "Thanks."

    He went over the materials, naming each one of them and making sure she remembered them.

    "These are some of the ingredients my father acquired for you," she recalled some of the listed items.

    "Yes. Now what you need to do is to ce a specific ingredient in one of those small circles surrounding the big one. You will ce them exactly when I tell you¡­ timing is very important." This is why he didn''t ask Dobby to assist him. He loved the elf but would not trust him with a task this precise.

    Dumbledore would have been a better choice than Daphne, but the old man would not have helped him. He understood rituals much better than her. And would be able to guess that Harry was going to have to sacrifice many years of his life to sessfully perform these rituals.

    "Now, we can begin." Harry took off his robes.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 195: The Ritual Part 2

    Chapter 195: The Ritual Part 2

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 195: The Ritual Part 2</strong>

    "What are you doing?!" Daphne asked nervously.

    Harry threw his robes to one side and nced back at Daphne with his usual calm expression. "See the inner circle?"

    She hurried to move her eyes away from him and stared at therge drawing on the floor. On closer inspection, she noticed there were two distinct circles, one on the inside and another one on the outside, and they were connected by some lines.

    "I do¡­ what about it?"

    "Nothing with magic can enter that circle, except for myself and the exact ingredients at the precise moment. Anything else has the risk of interfering with the ritual."

    "I understand then¡­ the robes have magical enchantments, as well as the wand, and¡­ wait, you are not going to take off all your clothes, right?"

    "Normally, you would have to take them all off, but¡­ I will keep my underwear. I already made sure there is nothing there that could cause trouble."

    Daphne looked a bit relieved to hear that. She didn''t know how to act if he were to¡­

    "So¡­ what do I do exactly?"

    After being done undressing, Harry walked to the center of the circle and sat down. "Take a good look at the ingredients disyed there. I will need you to ce them in one of the small spaces around the big circle. When I request an ingredient, you will ce it. Do not dy and do not stop to ask questions."

    Daphne nodded. She didn''t know much about rituals, but she at least understood that if something went wrong, Harry would be in danger. The fact that he entrusted her with this task meant he had a lot of confidence in her. This made her very happy, but she did her best to keep her impassive expression.

    Harry then went into a detailed exnation about all the ingredients being used and their order.

    Daphne got goosebumps when she saw some of them. There were things like basilisk blood, venom, and even its eyes, along with some other nasty things.

    "I''m ready." She told him once the exnation was over.

    "Let us begin then¡­" Harry put his right hand on the inner circle. "First ingredient, dragon heart."

    Daphne followed his instructions and continued to pick ingredients and ce them at the correct spots on therge circle.

    These rare and expensive ingredients would then dissolve and fuse into the magical circle that Harry was sitting on top of.

    Some visible changes started to ur in Harry as more ingredients were processed.

    Daphne saw his body shake, and his muscles became more defined.

    She still kept her full focus on the ritual. ''Three more ingredients¡­'' She thought after emptying a vial containing several phoenix tears.

    That ingredient alone was worth more than half her wardrobe. ''Where did he get the money for all of this?'' She could already guess that neither of his parents knew about what he was doing right now. They would never have approved of Harry doing something so dangerous.

    ''Two more ingredients.'' Daphne thought.

    Harry finally called thest ingredient¡­ basilisk venom.

    Daphne was well aware that she could not ask any questions right now, so she trusted that Harry knew what he was doing, and then¡­ very carefully, she emptied the vial containing one of the most deadly substances into the magical circle.

    All that was left now was to wait.

    The inner circle gained a soft glow, and after that¡­ everything went very quiet for several unnerving minutes.

    Harry had his eyes closed and appeared to bepletely focused on something.

    Daphne did not dare to speak now for fear of distracting him and causing him harm. Instead, she directed her eyes to Harry''s left shoulder¡­ she recalled the markings that appeared on that day at her house when Harry came to save her sister.

    Those strange marks were still there, and she could swear they looked bigger now. They werepletely ck like ink and covered his shoulder and most of his left arm. ''What is that?...''

    Over the next ten minutes, Harry''s muscles contracted and grew, bing more defined. He even appeared to be slightly taller.

    Then¡­ he opened his eyes. "It''s done¡­" He said in a tired voice. The process was very exhausting.

    "Did it work? Are you okay?" Daphne asked with concern.

    He gave her a warm smile. "Never felt better." He moved his arms a bit.

    "I feel much stronger. The ritual should have also made my bones more resilient and increased the speed at which my body heals itself."

    "That''s amazing¡­" Daphne''s eyes scanned his naked torso until she took notice of what she was doing and hurried to look away with a light blush on her cheeks.

    "It is¡­" He remained concentrated on examining the results. "We will take a short rest and then we can perform the second ritual."

    "Ah¡­ right." She almost forgot there was still another one.

    Harry took notice of the concern on her face.

    "The next one will be faster, Daphne. It will also require fewer ingredients." He tried to ease her worries a bit.

    "That''s good¡­ you are not nning on doing more of these in the future, right?" She decided to ask.

    Harry shook his head. "Of course not. Trying to do too many rituals on yourself can lead to catastrophic results. I don''t n to¡­ ugh!" Harry put a hand on his chest and leaned forward.

    "Harry?" Daphne heard his painful grunt and grew concerned.

    "Is nothing¡­ I just felt a bit of pain in my chest," Harry said with a frown.

    "Is that normal?" She asked.

    ''No¡­ it''s not¡­'' He thought.

    "It''s okay, I just need to¡­ ugh!" This time it was much worse and it almost made him fall on his face.

    ''Did something go wrong during the ritual?'' He mentally went over the entire process but could not find any issues or mistakes.

    "Harry!" Daphne was now starting to panic.

    He was about to say something when he felt the sudden urge to vomit.

    Daphne screamed when she saw Harry vomit a mouthful of blood on the floor.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 196: The Strange Shop

    Chapter 196: The Strange Shop

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author notes -

    <strong>Chapter 196: The Strange Shop</strong>

    "Harry!" Daphne wanted to run to his side but wasn''t sure if entering the magical circle would make things worse.

    "W-wand¡­." Harry said with difficulty as he tried to stand up.

    "Your wand?....hold on, I think it was over here." She hurried to his pile of clothes where she recalled him leaving his wand holster.

    Harry let out some painful noises before more blood came out of his mouth and nose.

    ''What is this?!. It''s like my entire body is rejecting the magic from the ritual¡­and destroying itself in the process.'' He could feel his muscles trying to tear themselves apart and his organs starting to fail.

    He was dying¡­and very quickly.

    "Here!" Daphne came back with the wand but stopped at the edge of the circle.

    Harry did not have the vocal capacity to exin to her that once the ritual was over, it didn''t matter if she entered the circle.

    So, with a lot of difficulty, he took a few steps closer to her.

    When he was about to reach her, his legs gave up, and Daphne had to grab him and hold him up.

    "Harry, what happened?!, did something go wrong with the ritual?...should I go call Madam Pomfrey?" Daphne stammered nervously while trying her best not to let him fall.

    Harry managed to stabilize himself a bit and ced an arm over her shoulders to avoid falling. "W¡­wand¡­"

    Daphne hurried to ce the wand in his free hand.

    ''Madam Pomfrey would not be able to save me¡­and neither would Saint Mungo''s¡­I have a few minutes left at best.''

    There were only two persons he thought could have a chance to save him. And only one of them was in the British Isles.

    Since he was in no shape to attempt bypassing the international barriers, that left him with only one choice, and it wasn''t a good one¡­

    ''I have to try¡­ I wonder if she will actually help me¡­'' Harry lifted the wand, and it felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.

    Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, she felt a pulling sensation and disappeared from the chamber.

    "Ahhh!" She felt dizzy for a moment and closed her eyes.

    "T-there¡­.urggg!" Harry grunted.

    Daphne quickly opened her eyes again when she heard him vomit more blood. "Harry!...wait¡­" She then realized that they had apparated into a different location.

    It was a dark and humid-looking alley.

    Her eyes followed the direction that Harry''s wand was pointing.

    It looked like an old shop that had not been maintained in decades. The windows were incredibly dirty, making it impossible to see what was going on inside. Even the letters on the sign were gone, leaving it as a shop with no name.

    "You want to go in there?" She asked him with a dubious face. She did not understand why they didn''t go to the hospital if he was able to use apparition from the Chamber.

    "Hurry¡­." Harry urged her to go.

    As much as she wanted to question his decision, Daphne knew that he was in no shape to answer.

    She had made full use of her limited physical strength to help Harry to the door.

    He tapped it with his wand, and it opened immediately, revealing the interior of the shop.

    She was a bit surprised to find that it looked clean. At least the parts she could see under the limited light of a dozen candles or so.

    "We have customers today, wee!" A cheerful voice could be heard as soon as they put a foot inside.

    "Help!" Daphne immediately called.

    "Mmm?" The owner of the voice came into view now. It was a tall middle-aged woman with average looks, ck hair, and ck eyes.

    She wore a simple-looking violet dress and several pieces of jewelry on her wrists and neck.

    She stared at Daphne and Harry with mild interest. "I don''t usually get customers this young¡­"

    "Please, he needs help!" Daphne begged the woman. After all, whoever this was, Harry appeared convinced that she could help him.

    The woman raised an eyebrow. "Does this look like a hospital to you, little girl?..."

    "But¡­" Her eyes went back to Harry. If this woman was not a healer¡­ then why did theye here?

    "Mo¡­." Harry clenched his teeth and tried to ignore as much of the pain as he could. He had very little time, and now he had to convince this difficult woman to save him. He could only think of one way to aplish that.

    "Mo?" The woman asked. Her eyes gained a slight shine as she gazed at Harry.

    "Morgana." Harry finally said.

    Her expression immediately changed from mild curiosity to anger.

    Arge wooden staff appeared in her hand and was pointed at Harry.

    "Where did you learn that name?!"

    Harry''s answer came in the form of vomiting more blood on her shop''s floor. He waspletely pale now.

    Daphne looked at this woman. "My Lady, please. If you can''t save him¡­ he is going to¡­" Tears fell across her face.

    Harry lifted his face and looked at the older woman. "Morgana¡­ pact¡­ ritual¡­" He then copsed.

    "Harry!" Daphne cried.

    The woman walked to one of the shelves and took a sk before walking next to Harry.

    She used her staff to flip him over. Then, she opened his mouth and dunked the entire sk down his throat.

    Daphne saw some of the liquid spilling from his lips and gasped loudly.

    "Are you giving him blood?"

    "Unicorn blood¡­ this will keep him alive until I find how to save him. But¡­"

    Her eyes moved to Daphne. "He better have a good exnation once he recovers¡­ or I''m killing both of you."

    The door of the shop closed by itself with a loud ''bamf'' noise.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 197: Rituals and their Consequences

    Chapter 197: Rituals and their Consequences

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    - Author notes -

    <strong>Chapter 197: Rituals and their Consequences</strong>

    Daphne watched the woman work with rapt attention.

    She had seen healers of all kinds work on her sister, but never one like her.

    The woman had left Harry lying in the middle of her shop and then used her own blood to draw some symbols on Harry''s chest and then started to chant in anguage she had never heard before.

    She could do nothing but watch now. Not wanting to speak... in fear of interrupting the process, even though she had so many questions.

    The first one being¡­ who is this woman, what is this strange shop? or why did she get so angry when Harry mentioned that name¡­ ''Morgana''.

    The woman stopped chanting, stood up, and walked to another shelf.

    The rectangr shop waspletely surrounded by shelves that go from near the floor up to the ceiling. There must be thousands upon thousands of objects stored on those shelves.

    "Mmm¡­ let''s see¡­. where did I put that¡­" The woman muttered as she went through some shelves.

    Daphne was not surprised she was unable to find something¡­ none of the sks, vials, boxes, or other different objects had anybels on them.

    ''How is she supposed to remember what is where?...''

    "Is¡­ is Harry going to be okay?" Daphne decided to take this chance and ask.

    "He might¡­ if he survives whates next." The woman said.

    "What?! ...Whates next?"

    "Ah!, here it is!" She took arge box out of the shelf. It didn''t look that big at first, but as she pulled it, the box grew in size until it almost hid her entire upper body as she was holding it.

    She then walked back to Harry''s side and ced the box down.

    "Your foolish boyfriend performed a ritual that conflicted with a previous one. Now he has two sources of magic inside his body, fighting a war, and killing him in the process."

    "Two?, but¡­ wait no, he is not my boyfriend!" Daphne shouted at the older woman.

    The womanughed. "Young love¡­ how adorable."

    Daphne''s cheeks becamepletely red. "I don''t¡­ I mean¡­ I¡­ ahh!" She screamed and fell on her butt when she saw what was inside the box.

    "You are very loud, little one¡­" The older witch said before cing what looked like a dead human baby on the floor.

    "W-what¡­. what are you doing¡­. with¡­" Daphne pointed at the baby.

    "Oh, this? We need to remove all the magic this boy added to his body. Now, ritual magic is¡­ how can I describe it?... sticky perhaps?"

    "Sticky?" Daphne had no idea what this odd woman was talking about.

    "Indeed. The moment we remove it from him, it will try to attach to someone else. And so¡­ we need a container for that."

    "A dead human baby?..." Daphne frowned.

    The witch grinned. "You are wrong in two things¡­"

    She used her own thumbnail to make a small cut on her finger and then rested it against the baby''s forehead, leaving a bloody mark.

    All of a sudden, the baby''s eyes opened, and started to il his little arms and legs around, but did not cry or make any sounds.

    Daphne''s eyes opened wide at seeing this bizarre spectacle. "He is alive?!"

    "It is¡­ kind of. But as you can imagine by now. This thing is not human."

    Daphne noticed that this baby was extremely weird. "What is it then?"

    "A homunculus¡­ an artificial living thing. Created by alchemy. I got it from an old friend for a good price."

    "Homunculus¡­." Daphne repeated. She looked at the baby with disbelief. There was an uncanny feeling while staring at it. Just one look was enough to know that something was very off with this baby.

    "I better begin¡­ the sooner we start, the better for him." She took out her staff and started to chant again.

    The blood circle on Harry''s chest started to make noises.

    It was sizzling as if the blood was boiling.

    Then, some red smoke started toe out of Harry''s body and converged above the circle. The smoke then turned into a thick liquid as the witch continued to chant.

    "It''s all out." Several beads of sweat covered her forehead.

    The red liquid hovered gently over Harry''s stomach for several seconds before it started to move on its own.

    "Is that the magic from the ritual?... why is it moving so much?" Daphne asked. That liquid gave her a terrible feeling.

    "I told you it was sticky. It will now try to attach itself to someone else¡­"

    The thick liquid started to grow in size. Small tentacles appeared on its surface and moved around.

    "Let''s get you a new home." She gave her staff a flick, and the bead of liquid went toward the homunculus''s body.

    As soon as itnded on the baby''s face, it moved around and entered through its mouth and nose.

    They both stared at the homunculus baby in silence for a few seconds.

    Daphne looked horrified at the spectacle while the witch just appeared to be mildly interested.

    "That thing was inside Harry''s body?!" Daphne asked.

    "Nasty huh? That''s ritual magic for you¡­ and this one appeared to be special¡­" The witch pointed at the baby. This one thrashed around with violence as its body started to decay.

    Less than ten secondster¡­ it stopped moving.

    "Is it¡­ dead?" Daphne stared at the unmoving little body.

    The witch gave her staff another flick, and the box from before came flying and pulled the small body inside.

    "It is¡­ that ritual was particrly nasty. Even if nothing had gone wrong¡­" The witch nced at Harry. "The boy would not have lived more than a few years."

    "What?!" Daphne eximed with shock.

    ''Did Harry not know this?... but he made that ritual¡­ and he was going to do another one on top of that?'' She did not understand why he would do something like that.

    "Your boyfriend should be fine now." The witch told Daphne before moving her eyes to the pool of Harry''s blood beneath him.

    "Go check on him."

    Daphne did not need to be told twice.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 198: Miss Yafel Magical Artifacts

    Chapter 198: Miss Yafel Magical Artifacts

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter"and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 198: Miss Yafel Magical Artifacts</strong>

    Harry opened his eyes and found himself on the cold floor of the shop.

    "Youcouldn''teven put me on a bed?"

    The witch scoffed.

    "You just woke up and alreadyining. Beds are for guests, and Idon''tremember inviting you into my shop."

    "Harry, how are you feeling?"Daphne was kneeling at his side.

    He tried to stand up a bit, and it felt like he was being stabbed by a dozen knives.

    "Ifeel¡­better, thanks."

    Harry''seyes moved around the room until theynded back on the older witch.

    "At least bring me somerobes, don''tbe so stingy."

    Thewoman''sfrown appeared to deepen.

    "Icare not for yourfort. I still have to decide if youare going toleave this ce alive.Now tellme¡­who are youandhow do you know my name?"She pointed her staff at him.

    ''At least she is still temperamental as I remember¡­''Hewasn''tsure if that was a good thing.

    "Iam Harry Potter,"he answered.

    "Never heard of you¡­"The witch responded.

    "And I have not interacted with the House of Potter in a very long time¡­I am sure none of them had learned of my identity orabout mypact." She added.

    "I wasn''t done..." Harry huffed.

    "As for how I know your old name or about the pact youwere forcedto sign by that''Crazy old Man''...you told me yourself."

    "Oh?...did I?"Morganadidn''tseem too fazed by his revtion.

    "So you are iming to be either¡­the reincarnation of an old foe ofmine,or someone who tampered with thews of time and space. Is that what you are saying?"

    "Harry?"Daphne turned to him, unsure if she was supposed to hear this conversation.

    He looked at her with a soft smile and patted her head gently.

    "It''sfine for you to learn some things. You deserve that much, and¡­unlike my sister, you have proven capable of keeping a secret."

    Daphne felt incredibly happy to hear this but did her best to keep herposure and just nodded.

    Harry nced back at Morgana, who never took her eyes off him after he woke up.

    "There is some truth in bothstatementsI suppose."He took notice of her increasingly displeased expression.

    "But I will exin it better. When I said''I am Harry Potter",Ididn''tjust mean in this timeline. I was originally born in a different one."

    "You traveled from a different timeline?"Morgana became immediatelyinterested,rather than surprised.

    The same could notbe saidabout Daphne.

    "You are like¡­from the future?"She eximed.

    "That was one of my theories!"She had thought long and hard aboutHarry''sknowledge of magic. And one of the first things that urred to her involved time traveling.

    "Iam from ''A'' future. Not thistimeline''sfuture. Idon''tknow what is going to happen here. The world where I used to live was very different from this one, too different to make anything else than some educated guesses."

    "And so¡­in this timeline where you came from, you met a different version of meandI revealed some of my secrets¡­like the name I left behind...is that what you are saying?"Morgana asked.

    "You did¡­before you died,"Harrymented casually.

    Daphne became worried about how this witchwas going toreact, but much to her surprise¡­sheughed.

    "Ha!,yes¡­that does seem like the only scenario where I would reveal something like that."

    "You have your answer then¡­can I have some robes now?"Harry requested again.

    He could have conjured themhimself, but he was trying to gauge this oldwitch''sdisposition.

    Morgana stared into his eyes.

    "As absurd as your story is...Idon''tfeel any deceit from you. And I have heard much crazier ones."She turned around and walked behind the counter at the end of the shop before pulling out some simple ck robes.

    She then threw them at Harry and turned her attention to Daphne.

    "What is your name?"

    "Ehm¡­it''sDaphne Greengrass, Madam¡­"She was not sure what to call her. Harry referred to her as''Morgana''butsheseemed to dislikethat name.

    "Madam Yafel will do, Miss Greengrass. From now on, you and¡­Mister Potter are my clients and are wee into my shop."She handed Daphne a paper card.

    "Hold this, and you will always be able to find my shop in Diagon Alley."

    Daphne looked at the card she was now holding. It was made of white cardboard and said''Madam Yafel, Magical Artifacts''in purple letters. It looked like a simple business card¡­perhaps a bit too simple.

    "Mister Potter, do you knowthe reasonyou almost died today?"Madam Yafel asked him.

    Harry frowned. He stillhadn''tbeen able to figure that out.

    "Do you know the reason?I''msure there were no ws in the ritual."

    "Ritual magic is already wed enough¡­but that was not what went wrong. You already had the effect of a ritual inside your bodyandthese conflicted with the one you did today¡­your body paid the price of that conflict."

    "The effects of another ritual?..."He did not know what to think of that.

    He never performed any rituals in this life, and the previous owner of this bodydidn''teven know how to hold a wand. He looked at his hands.

    ''Ifit''snot a ritual¡­then what is inside this body?...''

    "By your reaction¡­youdon''tknow whatI''mtalking about,"the witch observed.

    "Well¡­this is none of my business, but you should figure that out before doing more reckless magic on yourself."

    "Iwill¡­"He needed to find out what happened. As proven bytoday''sevents, having unknown effects on his body can onlyend upin catastrophe.

    "Now all that is left is¡­the matter of payment."Morgana nced at him.

    "You already took my blood."Harry had not missed the fact that the pool of blood beneath him had disappeared.

    "Ah!, istrue! where did all the blood go?"Daphne had been focusinpletelyon Harry and had missed that.

    "That should give you at least a century or two,"Harry told her.

    "Mmm¡­.aren''tyou a bit overconfident?....very well. But that would only cover my work, youstill need to pay for the loss of my precious homunculus and the robes.Let''ssay ten thousand for the homunculus and fifty for the robes."

    "That''sso expensive!"Daphne eximed. She may not know the price of that weird baby, but with that amount of money, one could buyarge number ofrare ingredients. And fifty galleons for those ugly ck robes was just robbery.

    The witch chuckled.

    "If youcan''tpay, we can reach a different agreement. If you give the method you used to travel through timelines, we can call it even¡­"

    "Iwill send my house elf with the money in a few days,"Harry told her. Hedidn''ttake her request seriously at all.

    Madam Yafel shrugged. She already expected that.Even if Harry knew how to do that, a method to travel through timelines like thatwas not something thatcouldbe boughtwith mere coins.

    Harry adjusted the robes and looked at Daphne.

    "Do you have my wand?"

    She nodded and brought it to him.

    "We should return to the castle before it gets toote. Ortheywill question our absence."

    "Come visit again, mycustomers are always wee."The witch said with a smile.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 199: A Rough Night

    Chapter 199: A Rough Night

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 199: A Rough Night</strong>

    When they left the shop, Daphne turned around and stared at the front with confusion.

    The previously old and dirty shop was no more. Instead, she saw a beautiful ce with pristine paint, clean windows, and flowerbeds on the sides of the door.

    The sign was now in perfect condition, and she could read the name of the shop with no problems. The letters wereexactlythe same as the ones written on the card she was given.

    "This is what the shopactuallylooks like. What you saw before was merely an illusion designed to keep curious people away," Harry exined to her.

    "Who is this Madam Yafel? Everything about her feels very strange," Daphne asked.

    "You probably have read about her," Harry told her.

    "I have read about her? Is she that important?" She looked back at the sign of the shop.

    "It''s backward," Harry added.

    "Backwards¡­ Yafel¡­" She gasped. "Harry, that can''t be¡­ she is not real, just an old tale."

    "Careful¡­ don''t say that to her face; she may kill you. That woman is the most dangerous blood witch I know¡­ and¡­" He pointed at the card. "Don''t lose that. She gives them to very few people. That old witch must have seen something in you."

    "Really?..." Daphne nced down at the small card in her hands before cing it in her inner pocket.

    "Say Harry¡­ can I ask you something?" she looked a bit hesitant.

    "I figured you would have some questions after learning of my origins¡­ go ahead." He put a privacy charm around them just in case.

    "In your ¡­other life, did you know me? Or¡­well¡­ the other me."

    "No¡­ not really. We were in the same year, so I recall seeing you a few times when I was in Hogwarts, but we never talked. You are the only Daphne Greengrass that I know."

    "I see¡­" She felt somewhat relieved to hear that. She would not need topare herself with another version of herownpersona.

    "Anything else?" Harry asked.

    "Yes, but it''s not a question¡­" Daphne turned serious.

    Then, before Harry could respond, she interrupted him with a loud p.

    He could have avoided it, but he felt a bit curious about why she did that.

    "What¡­" She pointed at him. "What were you thinking with that ritual?!"

    "Oh¡­ that. I didn''t know it was going to affect me in such a way. I still don''t understand exactly what happened¡­" Even after being told that he already had the effects of a different ritual in him¡­ this was something he would have to research.

    "I''m not talking about that!" She snapped. "Madam Yafel told me¡­ even if everything had gone right¡­ that ritual would have killed you in a few years. And you were nning on doing a second one?! Why??!"

    "Ah¡­" Now she realizes why she was upset. "I suppose it''s difficult to understand from your perspective. But¡­ how do I exin this?... In my old life, I made some very grave mistakes that ended up costing a lot of lives. I don''t know why I got this second chance, but I am not willing to repeat those mistakes, no matter the cost."

    "And you would sacrifice your life to¡­. what? To save the world? That''s very Gryffindor of you¡­" Daphne scoffed.

    "The world?" He raised an eyebrow. "You are very mistaken¡­ I''m not so pure¡­ not anymore. I''m just trying to save a few people who are important to me, but who will likely die if I don''t give it my best."

    She calmed down a bit. "Can you at least promise me you won''t perform any more rituals?"

    "Sure., I can promise you that." He had no n to do them anyway. Not until he knew exactly what had happened. He may be reckless but not suicidal.

    "That will do for now¡­" She told him.

    "Let us return¡­" Harry offered Daphne his hand.

    Daphne smiled before taking it, and they both vanished from the alley.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Ufff¡­." Harry copsed on the couch of the meeting room after leaving Daphne at the entrance of the dungeons.

    His entire body was hurting, but he did not want to worry that girl any further so he tried his best to hide it.

    "Arrggg¡­." But now he was alone.

    "Dobby!" The elf appeared immediately with a loud ''pop''.

    "Master Harry?" Dobby approached him. Seeing his Master resting on the couch like that was not normal at all.

    "Dobby¡­ do me a favor¡­ bring me a case of healing potions. The best one we have in stock."

    "Immediately, Master Potter!" Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Dobby will bring them in a second!"

    "Wait Dobby¡­ one more thing¡­"

    "Master?"

    "And a bottle of fire whiskey," Harry grunted.

    Just in case the potions were not enough.

    Dobby promptly returned with the items.

    "Here, Master!" He brought him arge wooden box and a bottle on top.

    Harry nced at the bottle. It was an expensive one.

    ''Now that I think about it¡­ I never put any fire whiskey in there¡­ where did Dobby get that bottle.''

    "Bah¡­ no matter¡­" He put the bottle aside and opened the wooden box.

    There were a dozen sks filled with a thick green liquid. It looked disgusting, but they were very effective. He downed one sk in a single sip. "That feels better¡­. but is still so gross¡­"

    Then he decided to open the fire whiskey. "Thanks, Dobby¡­ that will be all for tonight."

    "Understood Master Harry Potter!" The elf looked content to have been of use.

    "Ohh¡­ before you go. Can you bring Daphne some food to her room? But don''t let anyone see you."

    The poor girl had not eaten anything since breakfast.

    "Dobby cando!" The elf disappeared, and Harry took another sip of fire whiskey.

    "Ahh¡­ this is good stuff¡­ it''s been long since I had some." He lifted the bottle and read thebel. "Wait¡­ this is a 1940s reserve¡­ didn''t Dad have one of these?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 200: A terrible headache

    Chapter 200: A terrible headache

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    -<em>Author''s notes</em>-

    <strong>Chapter 200: A terrible headache</strong>

    "Master!, Master, wake up!."

    Harry grunted and opened his eyes a bit. He felt terrible, but at least the room wasn''t too bright.

    "Master?" Dobby called again.

    "Give me a moment¡­" It took him a few seconds to regain his bearings.

    He was lying on a couch inside the meeting room, surrounded by a dozen empty sks and one empty bottle of fire whiskey.

    <em>''Right¡­I remember now¡­''</em>

    His body wasn''t hurting anymore, but he still had a terrible headache.

    <em>''An improvement, at least...''</em>he thought.

    "Let''s see¡­ today is Sunday, right?" He asked, hoping he hadn''t passed out for several days again.

    "Yes, Master. It is Sunday morning," Dobby confirmed.

    "I see¡­ and why on Merlin''s name are you waking me up on Sunday morning?¡­" Harry grunted.

    Dobby took a step back. "T-The barmy old man wants to speak with Master!"

    "The Headmaster?... This better be important. Or I swear I... I will pull him by his beard!." Harry attempted to stand up and grabbed onto the armrest of the couch.

    As he did, his fingers pierced the leather, and the entire armrest snapped loose with a loud crack, causing Harry to lose his bnce and fall to the floor, along with several of the sks.

    "Master?" Dobby stared at him in confusion, not really understanding what happened.

    "I''m fine¡­ it must have been an old couch¡­" He stood up without help this time.

    "So¡­ I must go to his office, I guess."

    "Yes, he said the password was¡ª"

    "Never mind that." Harry brushed it off.

    "Where is my wand?" He asked while looking around.

    "Here, Master, Dobby will bring it!" His wand had somehow ended up on the other side of the room.

    "Okay¡­" Harry took the wand and gave himself a quick look-over. He was wearing the ck robes Morgana sold him.

    "That will do." It was Sunday, so he didn''t need to dress in uniform today, and he also didn''t feel like going to his room to change.

    "But before I go see the old man, I need to do one stop." He gave his wand a flick and apparated away.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Moaning Myrtle screamed. "You! What are you doing here?!"

    "You''re still angry with me, huh?" This was the only bathroom he knew would be empty. It''s not like he could go around the school using apparition.

    "Did youe here to destroy my bathroom again?!" The ghost yelled.

    "Can you calm down? I have a headache already¡­ and no, I didn''te here to destroy anything¡­" Harry entered one of the stalls and started urinating. "Uff¡­ I waspletely full¡­"

    "Y-you¡­ you degenerate! This is a girls'' bathroom."

    "Stop with the screeching already!" Harry put a hand on the wall of his stall, and it made a loud cracking noise before toppling over, breaking two more walls in the process...

    Both he and the ghost remained in silence after that...looking at the broken stalls.

    "Mmm¡­ well, I was done anyway."

    He lifted his wand.

    "You!" Myrtle screamed at him. "You!... destroyer of bathrooms!"

    He heard the ghost raging before Apparating away.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Harry stood before the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster''s office.

    "Password¡­" The construct asked in its usual monotone voice.

    "I forgot to wash my hands¡­ annoying ghost¡­" Harryined.

    "Incorr¡ª"

    "Just open already!" Harry shouted. "My headache got worse."

    The gargoyle spun around, revealing a very familiar set of stairs.

    Before he could take a step inside the office, Dumbledore already greeted him. "Here he is, Harry Potter!"

    "I hope this is important, Professor¡­ I''m not feeling great today¡­" Harry grumbled.

    "He arriveste andins¡­ is this level of impoliteness normal for your students, Mister Dumbledore?"

    Harry heard a very acute voice he was sure not to recognize. When he finally entered the office, Harry quickly spotted the Headmaster standing next to his desk, and also¡­ he also saw a tiny man standing right on top of the desk, looking directly at him.

    Harry panicked for a moment. "Professor¡­ please tell me you can also see a tiny man standing on your desk¡­" He hoped this wasn''t some hallucination caused by drinking an entire bottle of fire whiskey in like thirty minutes.

    "Harry!" Dumbledore looked outraged at hisment.

    "I''ll change my ''impolite'' for ''tantly rude,''" the tiny man said with clear displeasure.

    "Okay¡­ so you can see it too. That''s good." He felt relieved.

    "Harry, this is Professor Merbis Silverbell. You should be familiar with that name," Dumbledore said.

    "Mmm¡­ it does ring a bell¡­" He looked at the tiny man again. He was quite peculiar because, unlike races like goblins or dwarves, he did not have stubby short limbs, but he was perfectly proportionate for his size, which was around one-fifth of a normal human.

    Other than the size itself, he looked like a normal old man with a long white beard and a wooden cane.

    "Ah! I remember now. Merbis Silverbell is one of the authors of the Time Book¡­" He nced at the tiny old man with interest. "Are you a gnome perhaps?" It was one of the few races he never interacted with in his past since they were one of the first to go extinct.

    "I am indeed a gnome!" He huffed.

    "Harry, be polite. Professor Silverbell is not only one of the authors of that book. He is also the Director of the Time Department in the Ministry. He is, without a doubt¡­ the number one expert in time magic," Dumbledore exined.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 HP â€“ Chapter 201: Professor Silverbell

    HP ¨C Chapter 201: Professor Silverbell

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    "Harry Potter" and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    -<em>Author''s notes</em>-

    <strong>Chapter 201: Professor Silverbell</strong>

    ¡°My apologies, Professor, I didn''t know you were a¡­ never mind... I didn''t know there were any gnomes living in Magical Britain¡­ the only ones I have ever seen are those garden gnomes the Weasleys are always beating with sticks.¡±

    The face of the tiny professor became red with anger. ¡°Do notpare me with those¡­ THINGS!¡±

    ¡°Harry¡­¡± Dumbledore sighed. ¡°Why don''t you let me do the talking?¡±

    That was the Headmaster''s polite way of telling him to shut up.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Harry agreed. It''s not like he was trying to argue with the tiny old man on purpose.

    ¡°Since we are all here, why don''t we get started? I¡¯m sure Professor Silverbell is a very busy person.¡± Dumbledore escorted them outside his office.

    ¡°I would like to go first to the area where the anomalous activity has been the strongest,¡± the professor said.

    Dumbledore nced at Harry first. ¡°Well¡­ that would be the Chamber of Secrets then¡­ this way, the entrance is not too far.¡± He''d rather not mention it was in a girls'' bathroom, and perhaps the old gnome would not notice.

    When they were about to begin walking, something very important urred to Harry. ¡°Wait!¡± He eximed all of a sudden.

    The two professors looked at him.

    ¡°Is there a problem, Harry?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°No, I just¡­ I need to use the bathroom, it''s very urgent!¡± He took a few steps and turned around. ¡°Just wait for me here, I won''t take long!¡± He took off running.

    Professor Silverbell nced up at Dumbledore with a displeased expression. ¡°Is this really the brilliant student you wanted to apany us?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dumbledore looked troubled. ¡°He is a very brilliant wizard¡­ on most days¡­¡±

    ¡°His breath reeked of alcohol!¡± The gnome huffed.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ ehm¡­¡± He did notice that¡­ as well as the strange robes Harry was wearing and¡­ hisck of shoes...and sses. ¡°You know kids¡­ always partying too much¡­ I''ll talk to himter.¡±

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Harry took another turn and finally found an old ssroom. ¡°There!¡± He opened the door and barged inside... he had no time to waste.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A girl let out a loud shriek.

    ¡°What the¡­ I locked the door!¡± Someone else said.

    When Harry moved his eyes in the direction of the voices, he found two Hufflepuff seniors in the midst of undressing each other.

    ¡°Get out of here!¡± The boy stood up from the table where they were both sitting and got in front of his girlfriend.

    ¡°You tell him!¡± The girl encouraged him.

    ¡°I have need of this room; go find a broom closet,¡± Harry said with an annoyed tone. It was still early in the morning...he didn''t get how these two were already in the mood for this kind of activities.

    ¡°How dare you, we are your seniors!¡± The boy had a deep frown.

    ¡°Just teach this boy a lesson, Justin!¡± The girl lost her patience.

    Harry was getting annoyed now. He didn''t realize it, but his green eyes started to shine brightly, and it was more noticeable since he wasn''t wearing his sses.

    The small tables and chairs around him started to shake.

    ¡°Get out!¡± Harry brought his hand down upon therge Professor''s desk next to him.

    The thick b of oak wood shattered like it had been hit by an iron cannonball. Its pieces flew everywhere, and the remains of the table copsed.

    The young couple became scared shitless. They looked at each other with expressions of shock and terror.

    ¡°You know¡­ there is a lovely broom closet just around the corner.¡± The boy hurried to say.

    ¡°Yes, let''s go there!¡± The girl covered herself and took off running out of the ssroom, promptly followed by her boyfriend.

    As soon as they were out, Harry closed the door with a flick of his wand before looking back at the remains of the desk.

    <em>''What is wrong with me today?... I keep breaking things¡­''</em>He didn''t think he had hit the desk too hard.

    As much as he wanted to find out more about these changes, there was a much more pressing matter right now.

    ¡°Dobby.¡±

    The elf appeared in front of him.

    ¡°Master Harry! What can Dobby do for you?¡±

    ¡°I have an urgent job for you. I need you to enter the Chamber of Secrets and clean the main chamber. There should be a huge mess from yesterday''s ritual¡­ like blood, materials, and other stuff. You need to go in there and remove as much as possible before Dumbledore gets there. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Dobby understands, Master Potter! Dobby will clean the chamber in no time at all.¡±

    ¡°Go then¡­ hurry.¡±

    The house elf disappeared with a loud ¡®pop¡¯ noise.

    He could only hope the elf was able to remove everything in time.

    <strong><><><><><><><></strong>

    Harry went back to Dumbledore and the little gnome. He noticed that both of them appeared to be mildly upset.

    <em>''Did I take too long?''</em>He wondered. ¡°Sorry about that, had a big meal yesterday¡­ we can go now.¡°

    Dumbledore coughed. ¡°Eh¡­ indeed, let us be on our way then.¡±

    As they walked around the castle, the tiny professor¡¯s mood seemed to improve. He was constantly looking around with a warm expression.

    ¡°It''s been so long since Ist visited Hogwarts. But it still looks the same.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the castle has barely changed since its creation, nearly a thousand years ago,¡± Dumbledoremented.

    ¡°Such a wonderful ce¡­.¡± The gnome added.

    ¡°Would you like to do a short tour? We can take a longer route.¡± Harry suggested, hoping to give Dobby a bit more time.

    The gnome seemed to consider it for a moment. ¡°No¡­ there will be another chance for that. I would like to finish what I came here for first. Mister Dumbledore, where are we going exactly? I always wondered about this legendary chamber and where the entrance could be.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­. about that¡­¡± Dumbledore looked around nervously.

 Chapter 202: Studying the Chamber

    Chapter 202: Studying the Chamber

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    ¡°Dialogue¡±

    ¡®Thoughts¡¯

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 202: Studying the Chamber</strong>

    The trio stood before the door leading to the Myrtle bathroom.

    ¡°I can''t believe Szar Slytherin would put the entrance here¡­¡± Professor Silverbell said.

    ¡°I had this theory¡­¡± The Headmaster started. ¡°I believe this was only meant as a side entrance while the real one was ced somewhere else, perhaps in the dungeons. It is not umon to have several secret paths leading to the same location in this castle. s¡­ if there is another entrance, we never found it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ ''we''¡­¡± Harry muttered.

    ¡®We only took five minutes to get here¡­ let''s hope Dobby was able to clean it a bit.¡¯

    ¡°Let''s just go inside. It would be better if no students saw using here,¡± Dumbledore said, opening the door.

    ¡°This looks¡­ messy,¡± Professor Silverbell pointed out after seeing the state of the bathroom.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± Dumbledore was startled. This bathroom was not used often but they made sure to keep it in good condition.

    Now, the wooden walls of half the stalls were lying on the ground.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Harry had already forgotten about doing this. He was in a hurry to leave with that sted ghost screaming in his ear.

    ¡°YOU!¡± The enraged ghost of Myrtle appeared, floating in the air and pointing at Harry. ¡°You came back to destroy the rest of my bathroom?! Leave it alone!¡±

    ¡°Hold on¡­ I can just fix it,¡± Harry said, pulling out his wand.

    ¡°Harry, did you do this?¡± Dumbledore asked, his grandfatherly voice carrying a hint of disappointment.

    ¡°Is this what you normally do? Get drunk with fire whiskey and vandalize girls'' bathrooms?¡± the gnome asked. Harry hadclearlynot made a great first impression on the little old man.

    ¡°I wouldn''t say normally¡­¡± Harry waved his wand around.

    ¡®Although¡­ I have destroyed this bathroom a few times already.¡¯

    ¡°Reparo,¡± as the words came out of his mouth, the wooden walls moved and returned to their ces, along with every lock, screw, and nail. It now looked brand new.

    Professor Silverbell, seeing this, had no choice but to look a bit impressed. ¡°Not bad¡­ at least you know how to use that thing,¡± he said, pointing at the wand.

    ¡°Happy now, Myrtle?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°No! I''ll be happy when you leave my bathroom,¡± she said, flying back to her toilet and disappearing.

    ¡°Well, that was interesting, to say the least, and now¡­ where is this entrance?,I hope we don''t have to delve into a toilet. ¡± Silverbell questioned while ncing at the Headmaster.

    ¡°This way,¡± Dumbledore said, passing by Harry''s side and whispering, ¡°We are going to talk about thister¡­¡±

    The Headmaster approached the faucets at the end of the bathroom and revealed the entrance.

    With the addition of the stairs, it was much morefortable to descend into the Chamber, but the little professors still required some assistance when they arrived at the pool of bones situated at the entrance.

    ¡°Magnificent!¡± Silverbell stared in awe at the wall of the chamber.

    ¡°It is fascinating, I agree. We had to do some repairsst year as it was damaged by the beast who used to live here.¡±

    ¡°The beast¡­ right. Szar''s legendary beast¡­ what was it? Some sort of snake for sure,¡± the professor asked.

    Dumbledore gave Harry aquicknce.

    Harry nodded.

    ¡°It was a basilisk¡­ a massive one,¡± Dumbledore said.

    ¡°Merlin! A basilisk?! And it didn''t kill anyone before it was stopped?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, no¡­¡±

    ¡°What about the corpse? I am very curious to see it. The body of a one-thousand-year-old basilisk¡­ it must be very impressive,¡± the professor said.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Dumbledore could not talk about the giant one since Harrpletelydestroyed it, but they still recovered theplete corpse of another one.

    ¡°My Potions Master dismantled the corpse to obtain its materials, but we still have its skeleton stored somewhere in the castle. I can show it to youter, but now¡­ we should move to the main chamber.¡±

    Dumbledore walked past the circr door and entered therge chamber, with Professor Silverbell and Harry following closely behind.

    While the little gnome gasped loudly at the sight, Dumbledore and Harry stared at the set of robes lying on the stone floor.

    ¡®Damn it Dobby! You forgot my robes!¡¯ Harrymented. But at least it seems like the elf managed to clean the rest. There was no sign of his blood or any other residue left behind by the failed ritual.

    ¡®I guess I cannot be mad¡­ he did what he could.¡¯

    ¡°What are those robes doing here?¡± Dumbledore''s eyes went immediately to Harry. He knew that Harry was the only student who couldpossiblyenter this ce.

    Harry hurried to pick them up. ¡°I''ll take care of them¡­¡±

    ¡°What have you been doing down here?¡± Dumbledore threw a suspicious re at him.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Professor Silverbell eximed.

    Dumbledore and Harry turned to him.

    The little professor had a strange device in his hands and was pointing it at one of the walls.

    ¡°What is it, Professor Silverbell? Did you discover anything already?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°Shh! I need silence to do my job!¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Of course,e on Harry. Let''s wait on the side and let the professor work,¡± the Headmaster told him.

    They then watched for over an hour as the tiny old man continued to pull different devices from his pockets and used them to analyze every nook and cranny of the chamber.

    Once he appeared to be done, he stored his artifacts and walked to them with a somber expression.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor?¡± Dumbledore became more worried seeing him like this.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Bad? No¡­¡± The professor lifted his gaze to look at their faces. ¡°This is the worst-case scenario I could have predicted.¡±

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 203: The Anomaly

    Chapter 203: The Anomaly

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 203: The Anomaly</strong>

    "The worst-case scenario?" Dumbledore asked.

    "You mean the one you wrote at the end of that book?" Harry added. It was the part that unsettled him the most about that book.

    "That was an idea I had a long time ago when I was pondering about the ultimate consequences of time travel¡­" Professor Silverbell stated.

    "You talked about the limit of parallel realities and possible copses that could ur in a distant future," Dumbledore had recently re-read that book too in advance of this meeting.

    "Every time someone travels in time and changes something¡­ even if it''s something small¡­ a new alternate reality is born. I and my colleagues could never discover why this happens, but it does¡­ perhaps it''s the universe''s way of addressing the issue of having possible futures urring at the same time. But in any case¡­ we do know that it happens. And we also know, thanks to Arithmancy, that nothing is truly infinite¡­ so these parallel timelines must also have a limit."

    "And what happens when we reach that limit¡­" Dumbledore muttered. Already dreading the answer.

    "There are a few possibilities¡­ none of them good. Realities will start to collide with each other. Perhaps only enough to make more room, but perhaps a chain reaction wouldmence, and then it will continue until only one timeline is left, or¡­ none."

    "That''s a grim picture¡­" Dumbledore said.

    "But ording to you¡­ that was not supposed to happen until a very distant future," Harry pointed out what he said in the book.

    "Indeed¡­ I did my calctions back then and I''m still confident in them. If we kept abusing time travel at the same rate, we should have maybe three or four hundred years before a copse event urred. Or it should have been that way at least..." The professor said.

    "But you think it is happening now," Dumbledore asked.

    "I don''t think¡­ I KNOW it is happening now. I could even tell you when it started if examined a few more points of convergence," Professor Silverbell said.

    "I can think of a few ces for that," Dumbledore said.

    "But why is it happening now?... that''s what I would like to know," Harry asked.

    "I would love to know that too. Some major anomaly must have urred to trigger this reaction¡­" Silvebell concluded.

    "An anomaly¡­" Harry didn''t like the sound of that.

    "So¡­ if I understand this correctly," Dumbledore started. "Countless timelines or realities¡­ are colliding against each other and being destroyed. And if we don''t find a way to stop this¡­ we will eventually be one of the realities that are destroyed¡­"

    "That is correct¡­ collisions could happen at any moment but it will need a powerful one to destroy a reality. I have detected that thousands of collisions happened at this point of convergence¡­ this Chamber. They weren''t strong enough to destroy the realities themselves but ... it is possible for ''things'' from one reality or timeline to enter another one during one of these collisions...this is very dangerous." The tiny professor exined while he looked around the ce.

    "And how do we stop this from happening? There has to be a way," Dumbledore was not willing to just give up and wait as their world copsed.

    The old man considered the question for a moment. "There may be¡­ if this was caused by some anomaly¡­ then by eliminating the anomaly that triggered this situation, it may stop it. But then again¡­ it may not, in that case, we can only hope to be the one reality that survives."

    "That''s¡­" Dumbledore nced at Harry, who had been quiet for a while. "What do you think, Harry."

    "Uh?... oh¡­" He got a bit distracted with hisownthoughts. "Well¡­ Professor Silverbell is the expert. I will trust his word."

    "I would like to examine other points now. I may gain some useful information then," the professor said.

    "I rmend taking a look at the Hogwarts Express, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley too. Any point with a high concentration of magic can create a convergence, right?" Harry suggested.

    Professor Silverbell nodded. "That is correct. Timelines tend to stick closer in ces with a lot of magic."

    "Let''s hope¡­ nothing happens¡­" Dumbledore was extremely worried. After all, Hogwarts is one of the greatest points of magical convergence in the entire world.

    <strong><><><><><><><></strong>

    Once they left the chambers, the Headmaster went on to apany the professor on his task.

    Harry said that he wasn''t feeling well and went separate ways.

    He had heard more than enough from Professor Silverbell already, and if there were some important findings, Dumbledore would inform him.

    Instead, Harry walkedall the wayto the Room of Requirements.

    When he entered, the room was still changing shapes.

    "Ha¡­ even you can''t give me what I need. Just give me the usual training room. I need to test some things."

    The Room of Requirements changed again, this time creating argeemptyspace with a dozen training dummies all around him.

    "At least my headache is gone¡­" Heactuallywas starting to feel great now.

    There was no pain anywhere in his body.

    He took off the ck robes he was wearing, leaving himself only with the underwear from yesterday.

    "Definitelya shower and some change of clothes after this¡­"

    Harry examined his body very closely.

    It was strange¡­ the effects from yesterday''s ritual should have gone. Morgana had to remove itpletely to save his life.

    "So why do I still have the effects?" The muscles on his body were muchrger and more densely packed. They felt tough like iron to the touch.

    "And¡­" He nced at the most distant dummy and was still able to pick up all the details of the design and could even see the wood grain despite being over sixty feet away (18mt).

    "And I''m not wearing my sses¡­ what is going on with me?" He could see much better than when he used his enchanted sses.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 204: Sudden Changes and sudden invitations

    Chapter 204: Sudden Changes and sudden invitations

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 204: Sudden Changes and sudden invitations</strong>

    "Test number 9¡­"

    Another wooden dummy shattered into smithereens.

    "Those are magically enhanced to be extremely resistant to damage¡­"

    Punching the non-reinforced ones was like hitting tofu. However, the reinforced ones required him to use at least two-thirds of his strength.

    Knowing from personal experience just how resistant those dummies were, he estimated that his physical power had increased by around tenfold from what it was previously.

    "That exins all the broken furniture..."

    There was probably a more urate way of calcting this that involved arithmancy or advanced calculus, but he could not do that to save his life.

    Harry had always been more the type who learns by doing instead of studying the theory behind it.

    He nced down at his knuckles. They had a few minor scratches but nothing serious, considering the force of the impact just now.

    "Enhanced strength, tougher skin, and reinforced bones¡­ those were the effects of the ritual I did, but that ritual failed and these results are much more potent than the ones I expected."

    Had the ritual seeded, he would have¡­ perhaps two or three times more strength.

    His eyes had also improved drastically, and he never had the chance to even begin that ritual.

    "Morgana imed the ritual failed because I already had the effects of a previous one in my body."

    He knew for a fact that no ritual had ever been performed prior on his current body, meaning¡­ it was something else.

    But the current evidence doesn''t lie. He did have something lying dormant inside him, without his knowledge.

    And whatever that was¡­ it appears to have be awake by the ritual...

    "That is a bit unsettling." Harry examined his body once more.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    The next school week was a difficult one.

    Harry had to put a lot of work into controlling his newfound strength and avoid breaking things. It could be considered a miracle already that his wand had survived this long.

    He spent his free time practicing with delicate objects like eggs and thin pieces of ss. By the end of the week, Harry was¡­ at least confident he wouldn''t hurt people by ident.

    "What?! You are noting home for Christmas?" Lily stared at her son with shock.

    "I want to stay in the castle. There are some things I''m working on."

    The truth is that he wanted to stay and perform some more tests on his changes and Howarts is a much better ce for that than his house.

    After a few days of using his magic in ss, he noticed that it felt a bit different. His spells woulde out with more potency than he intended.

    For most wizards, this would not be a huge deal, but for someone specialized in a branch of magic that requires havingplete control over yourownmagic¡­ it was a problem. And something he needed to work on.

    He had not informed his parents about this surge of power he had recently acquired because then he would need to also inform them about the ritual he performed.

    "And what are you working on? I know you don''t have much homework for the break," said Lily.

    Since he could not tell the truth, he came up with an excuse and told her that his batch of magical alloy was close topletion and that he needed to stay and keep an eye on it.

    This was a half-truth at least. That batch should be ready in January, and it would be a good idea to visit his workshop with some regrity.

    He did promise to visit for Christmas Eve, which helped in making her less upset.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    After leaving his mother''s office, he went to the Main Hall for some breakfast. It was a bitter, but there were still plenty of students there.

    He saw his sister, along with Ginny, Luna, and Astoria, sitting at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table.

    "Harry, where have you been? The time for breakfast is almost over," Lyra told him as he sat down.

    A te appeared in front of him. The elves already knew what he liked, so he didn''t even need to ask.

    "Thanks." He took a few bites and then looked at Lyra. "I had to talk with Mom," Harry told her.

    "About what?" Lyra asked.

    "About me staying in the castle during the Christmas break."

    "You want to stay here? Why?"

    "Ask Momter. I exined it to her." He did not feel like repeating himself.

    "That''s too bad¡­" Ginny joined their conversation. "I was hoping that you could give me a few more flying lessons during the break."

    Harry nced towards the redhead girl. "I heard from Lyra that you have been doing a great job. Sorry, I haven''t seen any of your games yet."

    "It''s okay¡­ I know you are busy." She looked a bit down.

    "Tell you what, I can give you a few more lessons after the break, and I promise to go watch your first game of the year," Harry told her.

    Ginny had a beaming smile on her face now. "Really?!"

    "Cough, cough¡­ excuse me¡­"

    They all looked up to see who it was and most of them were surprised to find none other than Pansy Parkinson, standing in front of their table, looking at Harry with her intense ck eyes.

    "Harry, may I have a moment of your time?" She requested politely.

    He put down the fork and stared at the ck-haired Slytherin.

    She had been quieter than usual this year, so it was very rare for her to approach him out of the blue now.

    "What can I do for you, Pansy?"

    "I was wondering¡­ if you are not busy this afternoon¡­ would you apany me to Hogsmeade?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 205: A Date?

    Chapter 205: A Date?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 205: A Date?</strong>

    "What?!" Ginny shouted, probably a lot louder than she intended.

    "You are inviting my brother on a date?" Lyra asked.

    "Ohhh, a date!" Luna said with excitement before turning to her friend. "Asto, what''s a date?"

    Astoria made a face of displeasure. She did not like that nickname, she preferred her sister one. She also didn''tliketo givelongexnations and was still getting used to speaking more than a word or two at a time. With no other choice, she took out some parchment and started to write.

    Pansy gave the girls aquicknce before choosing to ignore theirments. "What do you say, Harry? It''s thest chance to visit Hogsmeade until next year."

    Harry noticed how nervous she looked even though she tried to hide it. She had approached the table alone, but Nott and Zabini wereclose by and alsolooked nervous. Nott even had several visible bruises on his face.

    The Slytherin table still had over thirty students on it. Mostof themlooked to be seniors, and many were watching them with attention.

    "H-Harry?" Pansy asked again.

    "Sure, I''ll go," Harry answered, much to the surprise of everyone at the table.

    "Really?" It seemed like not even Pansy expected him to agree that quickly. "I mean¡­ wonderful. I''ll wait for you at two at the back exit of the castle¡­"

    "I''ll see you there," Harry replied.

    Pansy gave him a weary smile and left without saying one more word.

    "Are you serious? You are going out with her?" Lyra looked very upset.

    Ginny didn''t say anything and just gave him an intense re.

    Harry finished his breakfast. ''<em>Good thing Ron was not here¡­ that would have been annoying.''</em>

    "Hey, don''t ignore me!" Lyra shook him.

    "I was just trying to eat before the¡ª" The tes disappeared from the table, along with all the food. "Before that¡­"

    At least he had time to eat something before the elves took it away.

    Harry stood up. "As for me going to Hogsmeade with Pansy¡­ that''s my business."

    "Fine! I won''t worry about you then!" Lyra huffed.

    "Ohhh, so that''s a date¡­" Luna finished reading the paper that Astoria gave her.

    At the Slytherin table, Daphne and Tracey were sitting togetherand observed the whole event.

    "Wow, Pansy got daring all of a sudden. And I thought she looked depressed since we started school," Traceymented.

    Daphne frowned. "I don''t like this¡­"

    "Well¡­ you could have asked him first," Tracey pointed out. She knewthat herfriend had a thing for Potter, even if she thought she was good at hiding it.

    "Not that¡­ there is something weird about her suddenly asking Ha¡ªPotter out." She quickly corrected herself.

    Daphne did not miss the faces that some of the seniors were making. Many of them were there whenMontage, Derrick, and the others were attacked. But they were the only ones who suffered no injuries. They still appeared to hold a grudge against the attacker.

    To be fair,the entire house was angry.Even those who didn''t like the injured boys.After all, this had been a tant insult to the Slytherin houseas a whole.

    <em>''Should I warn Harry?''</em>Daphne considered it.

    ''<em>But he is not an idiot¡­ he must have realizedthat somethingwas off¡­''</em>

    She was sure that Harry was not easily deceived by just good looks.The fact that he agreed so quickly must meanthat hehad something in mind.

    <em>''At the very least, I should follow him¡­just to be sure.''</em>She decided.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Sorry, did I make you wait long?" Harry asked.

    He found Pansy waiting for him near the door.Shewas wearingan elegant ck dress with green decorations and a light jacketon top.

    "Not at all¡­" She seemed a bit hesitant. "Thank you for apanying me on such short notice."

    "Are you going to be okay with those clothes? It''svery coldout there."

    She chuckled. "I''m fine. All of these have warming charms."

    "Ah yes¡­ the conveniences of magic. Shall we?" He offered her his arm. He had to maintain basic manners, even if this was just a trap.

    Pansy smiled and grabbed onto his arm. "What a gentleman."

    The two of them left the castle and started to walk through the snowy path that led to Hogsmeade.

    There werea lotfewer students than usual, as many were taking thisst weekend to get their things in order before returning home for the break.

    "Say, Harry¡­" Pansy spoke after they had walked for a few minutes. "Your sister appeared upset by my sudden invitation. Sorry if I have caused trouble between you two."

    "Don''t worry about it. My sister is an idiot who is always getting upset by minor stuff," Harry said casually but also in a loud tone.

    They then heard some branches crack and a ''thud'' noise, like something heavy had fallen on the snow.

    "What was that?" Pansy turned around after hearing the noise but could not see anything among the rocks and trees.

    "Probably some wild animals, don''t mind it¡­"

    Harry felt something.

    He already knew that two groups of people were following them, but now¡­hewas abletoeven feel their magica bit.

    <em>''Another new thing¡­''</em>

    "So, it''s three then¡­" He found a third group of two people hiding behind arge rock.

    "Three?" Pansy asked.

    "Yes, it''s almost three pm. We should pick up the pace if we want to get any tables." He started walking again, and Pansy did notlet go ofhis arm.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 206: Snapeâ€™s Dilemma

    Chapter 206: Snape¡¯s Dilemma

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>¡°Dialogue¡±</em>

    <em>¡®Thoughts¡¯</em>

    <em>- Author notes -</em>

    <strong>Chapter 206: Snape¡¯s Dilemma</strong>

    Severus Snape walked through the halls of Hogwarts with nervous steps.

    The closer he got to her door, the more nervous he grew.

    Seeing Lily at Hogwarts had been extremely shocking. The Headmaster had not said a word to him until the day before sses started.

    After that¡­ the two of them had not exchanged more than a few words.

    He had expected her to hate him, or at least be angry with him, but that didn''t seem to be the case. Or at the very least, she was being polite about it.

    He knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    He heard her voice and opened the door.

    Lily weed him with a polite but somewhat cold smile. Nothing like the ones he was used to receiving when they were friends.

    ¡°I''m almost done grading these tests. Make yourselffortable; we can leave after I finish,¡± she told him.

    Snape nodded and sat down in front of her desk. He tried to avoid staring at her too much¡­ she was still as beautiful as ever.

    Today, they were going to Hogsmeade.

    After more than two months since sses started, he had gathered the valor to request a private meeting with Lily.

    He told her there were some important matters they must discuss.

    Snape would have been fine with talking here, in her office. It had been Lily¡¯s idea to visit Hogsmeade togetheronthest weekend.

    Snape concluded that this was Lily¡¯s way of telling him that she was willing to make peace and perhaps give their old friendship another chance.

    He doubted she was going to retain those thoughts after hearing what he had to say¡­

    But even so¡­ this was something he must do.

    ¡°Okay, I''m done,¡± Lily said.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He had been so lost in hisownthoughts that he didn''t even notice. ¡°Then, let us go,¡± he said, awkwardly. His social skills appear to have degraded¡­ not that they were great to begin with.

    The two of them walked through the castle, mostly in silence. Except for the asions when Lily was greeted by some students.

    Despite having only been here for three months, she was a very popr teacher.

    Snape had been teaching at Hogwarts for over a decade and no one had ever greeted him with such joy.

    Slytherin students would only offer a casual nod of respect or a contained smile at most.

    As soon as they left the castle, he was hit by the cold winter winds.

    He found them unpleasanttosay the least. Snape preferred the coziness offered by the dungeon walls.

    ¡°Are you okay, going outside with your usual robes?¡± Lily asked.

    To tell the truth, he didn''t even think of that until now. He waved his wand over his clothes, creating a temporary warming charm. ¡°I''ll be fine.¡±

    Lily chuckled. ¡°I see.¡±

    Snape didn''t know what she found amusing but¡­ he was d to hear herugh.

    When they arrived at the vige, Lily guided him directly to the Three Broomsticks.

    Personally,he would have preferred the Hog''s Head. It is quiet and more low-key. But he understood why she preferred this one.

    At least it was only around one-third full when they went inside.

    He and Lily sat down at a cozy table, close to a firece, and ordered some drinks.

    ¡°So, what have you been up to for thest¡­ mmm thirteen years?¡± Lily asked.

    ¡°That''s quite the question to start with,¡± Snapeined.

    ¡°Had you sent me some letters over the years, I would not need to ask this,¡± Lily rebuked.

    Snape frowned. How could he send her letters?... even if they had left on good terms with her¡­

    ¡°But to be fair, I don''t have much to tell. After the war was over, I came to Hogwarts to work. I don''t leave the castle often, only when I need delicate ingredients that I cannot trust an owl to bring.¡±

    ¡°You should go outside more often then. Your skin is too pale. A bit of sun will do you good,¡± Lilymented.

    ¡°Outside is not exactly safe for me.¡± He looked around to make sure that no one was listening.

    ¡°I put a privacy charm around us. No one will hear what you say,¡± Lily showed him her wand.

    Snape stared in surprise. He didn''t even notice her taking out her wand, much less casting a spell.

    ¡°I have a good teacher,¡± Lily answered the question he didn''t ask.

    A wave of displeasure filled him. He could not help but think of James Potter when she mentioned having a good teacher.

    ¡°Anyhow¡­ as I was saying, the outside is very dangerous for someone like me.¡±

    ¡°But you left his organization,¡± Lily pointed out.

    ¡°No one who abandons the Dark Lord can remain safe.¡±

    ¡°I learned from Dumbledore that you even removed his mark,¡± Lily said.

    ¡°I did¡­ found a method in an old book.Verypainful process, but I would say it was worth it. Still, even without the mark¡­ manystillremain loyal to him and would dly kill me, even if just for some useless revenge.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ well, I suppose that''s also how we''ve lived for the past thirteen years. Me and the children rarely leave the house. Only for the asional trip to Diagon Alley. If only that [consider recing with a less strong term] would just die already!¡± Lily spat the word with such vitriol that even Snape was taken aback.

    ¡°Maybe we should talk about something¡­ better. But first, let''s hear that important thing you had to tell me.¡±

    Snape nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ there is no easy way to say this. It''s about your son.¡±

    ¡°Harry?!¡± Lily eximed.

    ¡°Yes, of course, I mean Harry.¡±

    ¡°No, look!¡± Lily pointed at the entrance door.

    Harry had just walked in with Pansy still clutching his arm.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, and the alluring Lady Zabini.

 Chapter 207: Snapeâ€™s Suspicions

    Chapter 207: Snape¡¯s Suspicions

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 207: Snape''s Suspicions</strong>

    "What is he doing here?" Snape frowned.

    "It looks like he is on a date, but¡­is that girl?..." Lily stared at the ck-haired girl apanying her son.

    Of course, she knew who this was. Over thest year, she had heard her family name way too many times.

    She only found it strange to see Harry with her. After all, she knew her son had only attended her party to gain some information on Lord Parkinson and didn''treallyhave any interest in the young Slytherin girl.

    "That is Pansy Parkinson, one of my snakes," Snape said. "What is she doing with Potter?"

    Harry and Pansy went to find a table to sit down. Momentster, arge group of Slytherin senior students entered the pub and sat down at a nearby table behind Harry.

    Not even a minuteter, the door opened again, and Daphne and Tracey came inside and also sat down at a nearby table.

    "Something suspicious is going on¡­" Lily said softly.

    "No matter, there are some things I need to tell you, Lily," Snape insisted, not willing to allow this to distract him from his objective. He may not have another chance to speak with Lily like this.

    She moved her eyes from Harry and back to Snape. "What is this important thing you have to say? And you mentioned it was about Harry?"

    Snape leaned closer and nced toward Harry''s table for a moment like he wanted to make sure he was not going to hear what he had to say. "Haven''t you noticed any suspicious behavior from him?"

    "Suspicious behavior? You are going to have to be more specific than that," Lily raised an eyebrow. She could notment on anything specific since she didn''t know what Snape had found out. After his first year, her son wasn''t being subtle about his abilities.

    "Yes¡­I started to notice his strange behaviorsincehis first year. There was something different about him, but I couldn''t tell what it was until muchter. He was always calm and collected, nothing like what you would expect from an eleven-year-old."

    "Some kids are quieter than others¡­the youngest Greengrass, for example, would rarely speak more than two words in a row," Lily pointed out.

    "That one is also strange¡­.but this is not all. His grades were average, and he never got into trouble. If he wasn''t your son, I would barely have noticed he was one of my students at all. At least until what happened at the end of the year¡­"

    "Ah yes¡­ the matter with the Defense professor who attacked my son," Lily said.

    "Him and the Greengrass heir. Heapparentlyattacked them for no good reason and then¡­he disappeared without a trace. No one has ever seen him again, and honestly, I''m convinced that he is dead."

    "Well¡­good! How dared he attack my son," Lily huffed.

    "If only that was all¡­but things got weirder in the second year. To begin with, his grades went from average to the best of the year in almost every subject, leading me to believe that his average performance from the previous year was done on purpose," Snape said.

    "You think he wanted to get bad grades?...what about¡­he studied harder in his second year?" Lily suggested.

    Snape ignored this and continued. "Then there''s what happened during the first Dueling Club. He crushed the head of the snake that Malfoy summoned. He did it with one hand and barely reacted to it. Don''t you think that is weird?"

    "Yes, speaking of that¡­why did you even think it was a good idea to teach the snake summoning spell to a second year and then tell him to use it in a room filled with children?" Lily asked.

    "I¡­" Snape was not expecting that question. "That''s not the important part!"

    "Isn''t it?" Lily crossed her arms.

    "Anyhow¡­his duel against Draco was also bizarre¡­he used very advanced techniques that a second year should not know even existed."

    "Severus¡­so far you have only told me that my son is very mature for his age and has a lot of talent for using magic. And as you can already expect¡­I knew these things about him."

    "It''s not just that¡­" Snape could not speak about the events involving the basilisk and the Chamber of Secrets, even though he was convinced that Harry was somehow involved. But there was something else that happened that year.

    "Right, what about this? Your son came to my office dragging the wounded body of a fifth-year boy. He was covered in bruises, cuts, and broken bones."

    Lily looked somewhat surprised. She had not heard about this, but she knew that Harry would not attack someone without a good reason. "Why wasn''t I called to the school and informed of this?"

    Snape made a troubled expression. He had forgotten why he and the Headmaster were trying to hide that affair. "Ehm¡­we couldn''t make a big deal about it."

    "Why did Harry attack him? And don''t you dare tell me that it was for noreason.I will go talk with Dumbledore to get the details if necessary."

    Snape felt Lily''s angry eyes on him and became nervous. "The boy was¡­he was apparentlyin the midst ofattacking some first-year girl when your son decided to intervene."

    "A first-year girl?...who?" Lily asked in a cold tone.

    Snape was now regretting bringing this up. "Some Ravenw girl¡­.Lovegood, I think."

    "Luna Lovegood," Lily added. "So, my son saved Luna and beat that student in the process¡­what happened next? Since you wanted to keep it on a low profile, I assume it was to protect the attacker and not my son or Luna."

    "Your son threatened me! He told me that I should keep my snakes in line. And that if I allowed this to happen again, he said¡­he said he would take care of it by himself. You should have seen his face when he told me that. I can''t forget about his eyes¡­" Snape froze when he saw Lily.

    The look in her eyes right now was very simr to the one Harry had that day. Those cold green eyes¡­

    Then Lily spoke in a tone that gave him shivers. "And yet¡­you allowed this to happen again, didn''t you, Severus? You let my daughter and her friends be attacked because you didn''t want to maintain order in your house. What do you have to say about that?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

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 Chapter 208: Check Please!

    Chapter 208: Check Please!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 208: Check Please!</strong>

    "Lily¡­it''s not that simple," Snape tried to defend himself.

    "How so?"

    Snape sighed. He already knew she was not going to understand it.

    "Many of those boys are heirs from important families. Their families have a lot of influence on the Ministry and even the School Board for Hogwarts. We can''t do much to them. And as the Head of the Slytherin house, Iam expectedto be more lenient to them¡­attacking a few girls is not enough reason f-"

    Lily mmed her hand on the table and knocked over the drinks. If it wasn''t for the privacy charm she had set in ce, this would have earned the attention of the entire Pub.

    "Are you hearing yourself, Severus? You grew up in the Muggle world like I did. These old wizards may still have the mentality of medieval Lords, but I know you at least understand how messed up that is. But you are nowining about Harry standing up to defend that girl and teach that nasty boy a lesson."

    "It''s not his actions that troubled me the most¡­it''s his attitude¡­ he sounded cold and ruthless when he spoke to mest year. His eyes showed no remorse for breaking that boy, like it was something he was used to doing on a regr basis. I have met several people with eyes like those¡­and none of them were good news. There is something strange with your son¡­I think he''s under someone''s control¡­" Snape did not want to reveal hisplete thoughts.

    His most prominent theory had been that Harry was being possessed by the Dark Lord.If anyonewascapable of takingover someone else''s body¡­that would be him. But many things did not make sense. He had been observing Harry for a long time. The boy could be cruel when provoked, but most of the time he got along with the other students and even with the Headmaster. Somethingthe Dark Lord would never do.

    "Under someone''s control?...youthink I wouldn''t notice if someone took over my son''s body?Don''t give me that nonsense, Severus.Whatever you think is wrong with Harry¡­I can assure you that you are mistaken," Lily spoke with conviction.

    "If that''s what you believe¡­but let me tell you onest thing. I do not have evidence, but I suspect the recent attack on the Slytherin dorms was perpetrated by him."

    Lily already knew this, so she wasn''t surprised one bit. Had Harry not done that, she would have demanded those boys be expelled at least.

    ''But this would exin one thing,'' she thought.

    "Do all the students in the Slytherin house think it was my son who did that?"

    Snape was a bit shocked by herck of reaction. The attack on the students had been one of the most brutal ones in all Hogwarts History, and she did not even flinch after hearing that it may have been done by her son.

    "There are a few popr suspects¡­your son is one of them, yes.Of course, no one believes he did it alonebutwith the help of some Gryffindor seniors. After all, he is just a third-year student, and magical talent has its limits."

    Lily nced at the group of seniors who were staring at Harry with theirbadlyconcealed contempt.

    "Then those students are in for a surprise¡­."

    Snape followed her look and found the students in question. He didn''t even notice it when they entered. His focus had been almospletelyon Lilyafterall.

    It did not take a genius to figure out what their intentions were with the way they were staring at Potter.

    "I''ll go talk to them." Snape was about to stand up when Lily stopped him.

    "Let them. They may learn something." Lily looked very calm as she said that.

    "There are eight of them, Lily. And I am very familiar with those seniors they are not pushovers. Yaxley and Avery are seventh-years and extremely good at dueling. Especially Yaxley¡­that boy has won several under-17 tournaments and is probably going to be a professional dueler in the future."

    Snape tried to exin to Lilysoshe understood.

    He of course knew that Harry was very skilled, but unless his crazy theory about him being possessed by the Dark Lord or some other incredibly powerful wizard was true¡­he was in for a beating.

    But looking back at Lily, it didn''t seem like his words had convinced her.

    ''Let''s just wait and see¡­if things get too bad, I will have to intervene,'' Snape thought.

    <strong><><><><><><></strong>

    Back at his table, Harry was having a veryboringconversation with Pansy about Hogsmeade clothing shops.

    The girl was visibly nervous and kept looking at the other table where the Slytherin seniorswere sitting.

    "And there was this gorgeous red dress with decorations made with genuine gold dragon skin, but mom said it was too Gryffindor for me to wear¡­ohhhsorry! ,I didn''t mean to¡­ahh!" She knocked her butterbeer over again.

    Thiswas the third time.

    The waitress came quickly to clean the mess.

    "Can I have a normal beer?.... please," Harry begged.

    The waitress nced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you serious?...no. I''ll bring you another butterbeer¡­"

    Harry noticed the seniors at the table behind him standing up and walking out of the Pub.

    Pansy became even more nervous now. "Eh¡­.excuse me, there is no need to bring anotherone. Can we have the check?" She told the waitress.

    This one nodded and went away.

    Pansy nced at Harry with an apologetic expression. "I''m sorry, Harry, I just remembered I had something important to prepare back at the castle. Do you mind if we go back?"

    Harry wanted to jump with joy now that his one-hour torture seemed to havee to an end, but he remained polite. "No problem, let''s go back."

    Thishad been thelongesthour of his life... now someone is going to pay for this...

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 209: â€œSurpriseâ€ Ambush

    Chapter 209: ¡°Surprise¡± Ambush

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 209: "Surprise" Ambush</strong>

    "Wait!" Pansy hurried to grab his arm after they had just left the Pub.

    "Yes?" asked Harry, hoping she didn''t change her mind about leaving.

    "I can''t do this!" She eximed.

    Harry sighed. "Fine¡­where do you want to go now?"

    "No, it''s not that¡­ Harry, this is a trap!" Pansy confessed, tears welling in her eyes.

    "A trap?" Harry pretended he didn''t know what she was talking about.

    "They made me do this¡­ they said I had to lure you to Hogsmeade and they would ambush you on the way out¡­" Pansy said.

    "The ones who were sitting behind us?" Harry asked. He had recognized some of them. They were present the day he attacked the Slytherin dorm, but he was sure they didn''t see him.

    Pansy nodded. "They think you had something to do with the invasion on our house¡­ I told them it was impossible, but they didn''t listen."

    "So they threatened you to do this?" Harry asked. "I thought you werebasicallyuntouchable with your father''s influence."

    "No one is untouchable¡­ and most of those seniors are from powerful families too. If they all band together, there is not much my father can do to punish them¡­ as long as they don''t take things too far, my father will do nothing," Pansy exined.

    "But I don''t care anymore! I can''t let you get hurt¡­" Pansy eximed.

    "What an idiot¡­" Harry patted her head. "If they were threatening you¡­ you shouldn''t have told me."

    "What? But¡­" Pansy was expecting him to be angry with her or something.

    "Come on, if we take too long they will suspect something is off." Harry started walking towards Hogsmeade''s exit.

    "W-wait, didn''t you hear what I said? They are waiting for you there. You should stay here and return with a professor or with more people." Pansy had to hasten her steps to catch up with him.

    "If I were to do that¡­ wouldn''t you be in trouble?" Harry asked.

    "But I¡­" Pansy didn''t know what to answer. She woulddefinitelybe in a lot of trouble, but it should be a lot less than what they were nning on doing to him.

    "Stop worrying so much and let''s go." He grabbed her hand and started walking again.

    Pansy continued to look around with nervous eyes as they approached the exit.

    Harry was busy, trying to filter out therge amount of magical signaturesin order topick up the ones he was interested in.

    Lyra and Ginny had been waiting inside a shop close to the entrance.

    Daphne and Tracey had left The Three Broomsticks shortly after him.

    And now there was one more addition¡­ his mother and Snape were also following him.

    ''It looks like I have arge audience¡­'' He thought.

    "Harry¡­" Pansy clutched his arm when they arrived at therge sign with the words ''Wee to Hogsmeade'' written in big letters. Beyond that was a long path that led to the castle.

    He had to almost drag the girl out of the vige at this point, but they made it out.

    Just a couple of minutester, he heard a group of people walking out from behind some trees.

    ''It seems like they were impatient to show themselves.'' Harry thought with disappointment. They should have all attacked him from their hiding spot instead of this...

    "Oh?... what do we have here?" One of the boys gave Harry and Pansy a wide mocking grin.

    ''So they want to y the "this is just a casual encounter and we are just random bullies" card.''

    In total, there were eight students. Six boys and two girls.

    The one who spoke first was someone that Harry did not recognize. Next to him was another boy he didn''t know.

    ''It seems like they brought those two boys as reinforcements so they must have a lot of trust in their abilities.'' Either that or they were just looking down on him. At this point, he was starting to consider those seniors asplete idiots.

    "What a cute couple¡­ it would be a shame if something happened to them, hahaha!" The other unknown boy added.

    "Wow..." He didn''t know what to say to their terrible acting.

    Harry had a hard time forcing Pansy to let him go. "Can you go wait near those bushes over there with Daphne and Tracey?" Harry whispered to her and used his freed hand to point.

    "What?!" "Daphne, shhhh!"

    Two voices came out from the bush.

    "Wait...they follow us?" Pansy would never have expected this kind of behavior from someone as refined as Daphne. She would have anticipated it from Tracey, but that girl never showed any interest in Harry.

    "Go on, I''ll deal with this...ehm... issue." Harry gave her another push, and she moved towards the bush.

    He then turned to look at the senior students.

    "How brave!" "What a gentleman." The two girls chuckled.

    "Like a true Gryffindor¡­ brave and stupid." The boy named Patrick decided to add. He was the first one to be knocked out during his visit to the dungeon.

    "We do have that reputation, don''t we?" Harry chuckled. This was probably how most Slythering saw them.

    Yaxley and Avery were the closest ones to him. They pulled their wands and pointed them at him.

    Avery got even closer and put his wand next to Harry''s face. "Bravery and stupidity are a dangerousbination¡­ you are going to learn that today."

    Harry didn''t try to move away from the older boy.

    "Look, he is terrified! Can''t even move!" Someone pointed at him andughed.

    "Are you sure this is the one?" Someone asked Patrick, who seemed to be the one in charge of the group. Or at the very least, the one who had organized this.

    "I''m sure he was involved somehow¡­ he will tell us everything today."

    Yaxley and Avery nced back at Patrick as if asking for permission to begin, and he nodded.

    "Make him suffer a bit¡­I want to know who else was there!." Patrick said with a cold tone.

    Avery looked at Harry with a cruel grin. "Sorry, boy, it''s nothing personal. We are just hired hands." His wand gained a golden glow. Avery opened his mouth to begin chanting his spell¡­

    "Urggg!"

    Instead, he was met with a fist to his face.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 210: Brawl

    Chapter 210: Brawl

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 210: Brawl</strong>

    Avery fell on his back and started to scream while clutching his bleeding nose. "He broke it! He broke it!" He continued to shout.

    "Why would you stand so close to me? Did youreallyexpect me to do nothing?..." Harry raised an eyebrow. He thought those two boys had at least some experience with dueling but perhaps he had been wrong.

    Yaxley nced at Harry with sharp eyes and took a few steps back, his wand pointed directly at him.

    ''Well, this one is taking me seriously now. But¡­'' He gave Avery a passing look. His punch had only broken his nose. This showed that his training over the past week had not been wasted. He had inflicted just as much damage as he intended and not more.

    The other Slytherin students didn''t seem interested in attacking him. They probably thought that Yaxley and Avery were more than enough to aplish¡­ whatever their n was.

    "Incarcerous!" Yaxley sent a magically conjured rope to trap him.

    This was quickly followed by a couple more spells: a stunner and a tripping jinx, both cast silently and with minimal motion.

    This was an effectivebination. Trying to dodge either the ropes or the stunner would likely end up with you being hit by the other spell.

    A Protego charm could block both, but it would also be a mistake. The tripping jinx was aimed very low and would pass beneath the shield, hitting your legs or feet. The normal size of that charm was only enough to cover your upper body.

    "Not bad, but¡­" Harry moved his right arm forward and let the Incarcerous ropes hit him.

    As soon as they made contact with his hand, the ropes spun quickly and wrapped firmly around it.

    Now that he had an improvised ''gauntlet'' made of magical ropes, he used it to deflect the stunner and jinx.

    "You should have used the ''Incarcerous''st." Theropedtightened around his wrist but he didn''t mind. It was not enough to hurt.

    "What the¡­" Yaxley was an experienced duelist and had already prepared himself for several different oues even before firing his spells. He always tried to be one step ahead of his opponents, always ready¡­ he could never have predicted that Harry was going to do something like that.

    This threw him off for a moment, and he was not able to react when Harry started to run directly at him. They were only fifteen feet (5 meters) apart, so he did not have time to think.

    The tripping jinx was his fastest spell, so he used that and followed it with a diagonal cutting motion. "Diffindo!" He put as much magic as he could into that charm. If Harry avoided the jinx, he could get a severe injury from the cutting charm at least.

    But once more, Harry did something he could not have predicted¡­ he went over his spells by jumping in the air. He jumped high enough to not only go over the spells Yaxley threw at him but also enough to go over Yaxley himself andnd right behind him.

    Before the other boy could even turn, Harry directed a powerful hook to Yaxley''s side.

    He put around one-fourth of his total strength into the punch, and it was enough to shatter his ribs like they were made of dried spaghetti. His internal organs suffered too, from the shock and were damaged enough to make Yaxley vomit blood.

    Harry was going to follow it by breaking his arms also, but this was already too much for the poor boy, and he passed out before falling face-first on the snow.

    "It was nothing personal," Harry told the unconscious boy.

    He then looked at Avery. The sixth-year Slytherin boy was still holding his broken nose and ring at him with fear in his eyes.

    Before Harry could say anything to him, Avery turned on his heels and started running back to the castle.

    "Fine¡­ what about the rest of you?" Harry nced at the other six Slytherin seniors.

    Moments ago, they all had confident grins on their faces, but now¡­ they just looked like a group of scared children. And he did not like to fight those who had already lost their will to fight back.

    "What a waste of time...just go away and take that guy¡­" He pointed at Yaxley. "To the infirmary." He had hoped to have more of a challenge but this has just been disappointing.

    The others appeared more than willing to ept his offer to go away, but Patrick, their leader, stood in front of them with his wand in hand and pointed it at Harry.

    "If you fire a spell at me¡­ I''m breaking both your arms," Harry told him.

    Patrick was visibly trembling. After what he had seen, he knew Harry was more than capable of fulfilling that threat, but he did not back away. "It was you! I am sure it was you!"

    "Sure of what exactly?" Harry pretended he didn''t know what the boy was talking about.

    "You are the one who attacked our house that night!" Patrick insisted.

    "I don''t know what you mean, but¡­" He walked towards him. "If I was, it would seem like a very foolish idea to point that wand at me. I thought Slytherin was the house of cunning."

    The senior students were getting more nervous as Harry grew closer. His entire body shook with fear.

    "S-shut up!"

    Patrick shouted at Harry before turning his head around to look at his friends. Just onequicknce at their terrified faces already told him they were not going to be of any help. He had to do this alone.

    He felt something on his hand and hurried to move his eyes to the front.

    He saw Harry holding a wand¡­ a very familiar wand.

    "What?!" Patrick then realized his hand was now empty. "When did you?..."

    He didn''t understand. Harry was still a few feet away from him. How did he steal his wand away?

    "That''s enough! Graham, Potter!" Professor Snape came walking with fury towards them, with Lily a few steps behind.

    "Oh, the Professors finally decided to intervene." Harry knew they had been hiding behind some trees and had been watching from the beginning.

    "Harry." His mother called him over.

    "The wand, Mister Potter." Snape stopped him before he walked away and pointed at Patrick''s wand in his hand.

    "Of course, Professor." As he was handing it back, he applied a bit of pressure and the wood piece snapped in half. "Oops." Snape frowned but did not say anything as he took the broken wand.

    "Am I in trouble?" Harry asked his mother when he got to her side.

    "Of course not, Harry. Professor Snape and I saw the whole thing. Those boys ganged up to attack you first. If anyone is going to be punished, it''s going to be them." Lily threw Snape a re.

    "Isn''t that right, Severus?"

    Snape grumbled something under his breath. "Y-yes¡­ Potter can go. I''ll take care of my students." Snape knew better than to argue with Lily right now.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 211: Snapeâ€™s Reflections

    Chapter 211: Snape¡¯s Reflections

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 211: Snape''s Reflections</strong>

    "Come on, Harry. Let''s go back to the castle," Lily said. "Severus will lead the Slytherins."

    "I think there is someone else you should escort." Harry looked back.

    There was a veryrgerock covered in snow just around thirty feet away from them."You may want to take Lyra and Ginny back."

    "What?!" Lily shouted before moving her eyes to the same rockthat Harrywas ncing at.

    Murmurs could be hearing from there.

    "We''ve been caught! How did he know?!"

    "Shhh! Lyra, don''t shout!" Ginny said.

    "You two,e out this instant!" Lily''s voice carried so much authority that even Daphne and Traceycame outfrom behind the bush they had been hiding in.

    Lily didn''t notice this as she hadbeen focusedon her daughter.

    Lyra and Ginny hadno choice buttoe out with their heads down.

    "What are you two doing here? You are still secondyears! What were you thinking?!" Lily scolded them.

    "Sorry¡­" said Ginny.

    "We just wanted to see what the fuss was all about." Lyra made up an excuse.

    "You two are lucky that sses are almost over for the year. But as soon as youe back from the break¡­you are going tohave ten detentions with me," Lily told them.

    "Harry..." Lyra nced at him with teary eyes.

    "I want no part in this..." He kinda wished his sister would learn something from this and stop sneaking off the castle without permission. He remembers being much better behaved at her age.

    ''And she had to drag Ginny too...''

    While Lyra cried, Harry walked to where Daphne, Tracey, and Pansywere standing.

    "Harry, that was incredible!" Pansy gushed at him.

    "Thanks¡­ I told you there was nothing to worry about." His green eyesnded on Daphne, who was trying to avoid looking at him. "And¡­ why were you hiding behind that bush?"

    "We weren''t hiding!" Daphne hurried to reply.

    "You have a branch in your hair," Harry pointed out.

    Daphne panicked and started to touch her hair, looking for a branch that wasn''t there.

    "Ugh¡­ I can''t believe I let you drag me here to spy on Potter. I wasted myst Hogsmeade weekend¡­" Traceyined.

    "I wasn''t! ... Shut up!" Daphne cried.

    "Did youreallythink I needed help or something?" Harry asked Daphne.

    The blonde girl adverted his gaze in shame.

    "Anyways¡­" Harry ignored her and looked at Pansy. "Since I apanied you to Hogsmeade, it''s only fair I escort you back to the castle."

    "Yes! Let''s go," Pansy said, clutching his arm again, and the two of them began to walk away.

    "Did Imentionedthat you were amazing?!. The way you handled those seniors!."

    "W-wait! We are going too!" Daphne hurried up to catch up, not willing to let those two alone.

    Tracey sighed. "Myst weekend¡­"

    Lily went with Lyra and Ginny, while Harry did the same with the three Slytherin girls.

    <strong><><><><><><><></strong>

    Snapewas left behindwith the remaining students, who had not said a single word of excuse so far.

    Professor Snape used a levitating charm on Yaxley since the boy was unconscious.

    Avery was nowhere to be seen, but considering the speed at which he left, he was probably near the castle already.

    "Professor¡­ It was him!" Patrick approached Snape.

    "Forget about it¡­ that''s the best you can do right now," Snape gave him his most honest advice.

    "But Professor¡­" A student said.

    "Surely, there is something you can do¡­" Another one was added.

    "Do you have any solid proof it was him the one who sneaked into themon room?." Snape waited for a few seconds, but there was only silence. "Then there is nothing I can do. That''s why I''m telling you to forget about it. Do not confront Potter again," he warned them in a more stern tone this time around.

    "Tsk, did you see how he fought? Didn''t even use magic."

    "Yeah, he fought like a Muggle."

    Two of the boys saidin a mocking manner. Now that Harry was no longer here, they felt much braver.

    Snape frowned deeply. He hated that kind of attitude,and thatwas also a dangerous way of thinking. "You should count yourself lucky he didn''t take you seriously enough to use magic on you!" Snape shouted at them.

    "If he did¡­ none of you would still be standing." He wanted them to understand how dangerous Harry was, but those boys had too much arrogance to believe they were that far away from a half-blood.

    Snape was sure that after a few weeks had passed, they would start to get ideas once more.

    As much as he wanted to stay a bit longer and make sure they understood¡­Yaxley was inreally badshape and needed to be seen by Madam Pomfrey as soon as possible.

    He cursed at Potter for making his life more difficult. He never thought he would see a student behave in such abrazenmanner and get away with it.

    ''But¡­ I guess that remains tobe seen. Those old families that Potter offended aredefinitelygoing to do something.'' He just had no idea what or when¡­it''s been a long time since he left those circles.

    Even the Headmaster had grown interested in this matter and requested him to keep an eye out and inform him if he found anything useful.

    Snape could only hope that when things go down... Lily would at least be out of it.

    As theymade the long walkback to the castle, Snape thought about his conversation with Lily.

    It did not go as well as he hoped. Either Lily wapletelyoblivious to her son''s behavior, or the more likely scenario¡­she knew everything and was okay with it.

    Thismeant that his theory of Harrybeing possessedwas most definitely wrong¡­Lily would never be okay with that.

    The other ideas he hadwere even crazier and involved things like time travel¡­

    ''I''m getting a headache just thinking about¡­ damn you, Potter,'' Snape became increasingly upset.

    "Uh¡­ Professor Sn-"

    "Shut up!" He snapped. "I don''t want to hear any of you again for the remainder of this walk."

    "But professor¡­" One of the girls pointed her shaky hand to something behind him.

    He turned around and saw the limp body of Yaxley had dropped on the snow.

    ''Damn it! I lost my concentration!'' He flicked his wand, and the boy started to float again. "Let''s go!" He huffed.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

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 Chapter 212: Great Sorcery

    Chapter 212: Great Sorcery

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 212: Great Sorcery</strong>

    December 27

    Harry was walking through the castle corridors. Healmost forgot how quiet Hogwarts was during the Christmas break.

    Only a few students decided to stay here. Mostof them were seventh-years who barely did anything else other than going from their rooms to the library.

    He hadvisited home just forone day to celebrate Christmas with his family and exchange presents.

    Thiswas also something that he was still getting used to¡­but he could not deny that he enjoyed it.

    The cold winter breeze hit his face as he opened the castle doors.

    Harry walked along the empty path that led to the ck Lake. Noone came out here during this time of the year, so it wapletelydeste¡­and the perfect ce forrge-scale magical tests.

    "Dobby,"he called once he arrived at the shore.

    The elf appeared next to him."Master, here is Dobby!"He was carrying a small book and a quill. Hisjob was to act as an assistant and take some notes.

    "Okay, thisis going tobe the spell test number¡­ well, itdoesn''tmatter.I''mjust going tothrow some magic around theke and see what happens."

    Dobby rapidly nodded and started writing something.

    Harry had no idea what the elf was doing since they had yet to begin.

    He pulled his metallic staff out and held it in his right hand.

    Thesurface of thekehad a thinyer of ice on itbut it wasn''tthick enough to hold his weight as he stepped on it.

    So, he dipped thetip of the staffin the water at the shore."Magna¡­ cies."

    A path made of ice was created in front of him, leading up to the middle of theke.

    Harrywas now able tosafely stroll through the body of water until he reached the deepest parts of the Dark Lake.

    Dobby waited for him at the shore since it would bea bitdangerous to be at his side.

    "Okay, let us begin¡­"Harry lifted the staff in the air and channeled rge amountof magic into it.

    It was enough to make all three crystals shine with an eerie green light.

    "Torqueo!"Powerful gusts of wind formed ahead of him and started to spin around.

    This motion ended up creating a tornado that floated above theke.

    "Magna Custodia."His mostpowerfulprotection manifested around him, not only preventing him from being sucked into the vortex of wind but also keeping the ice beneath his feet from being decimated by the force of nature he had just created.

    Harry proceededto carefully observe the tornado that had justbeen formed.Thiscould already be considered a Great Sorcery and not somethingthat asingle wizard should be able to conjure.

    "But this is not enough¡­"He could feel that he was capable of more now.

    "Ingens mma!"An endless torrent of fire erupted from his staff like the mouth of a volcano.

    The fire was toostrongto be put out by the winds of the tornado and ended up being moved around and mixed, creating an immense fire tornado.

    "Oh, not bad!"He had a wide grin on his face. Hewas having fun with this.

    The runes that floated around his shield were starting to move very fast.Thiswas an indication that his shields were under great strain.

    This level of Sorcery would have been enough to destroy that massive basilisk he faced the previous year, and he did it without the help of any artifact.

    And after all of that...he stilldidn''tfeel close to magical exhaustion.

    "Great!, let''sgo for the grand finale before my shield copses."Harry aimed his staff at the fire tornado.

    Electrical sparks traveled over his body and through the metallic surface of the artifact.

    His eyes shone as brightly as the crystals on his weapon as the magic around him became denser and more concentrated."FULMEN!"

    Harry aimed the bolt of lightning at the center of the fire tornado.

    The sh of magical energies broke their flimsy bnce. Thewind currents from the tornado went awry, sending fire and sparks everywhere in at least one mile around it.

    Harry was thankful for his foresight in performing this test insuchan isted ce.

    The spectacle of wind, lightning, and firestedfora good minute before it finally ended.

    Harry''sshield crumbled right before he reached the shore.

    ''Okay¡­ nowI''mfeeling quite exhausted¡­''Not that it was surprising after all of that.

    "Master!"Dobby was jumping in excitement.

    Harry smiled. Heloved seeing his little friend so happy."Did you like it, Dobby?"It must have been like fireworks for the little guy.

    "Master!,there!!"Dobby shouted while moving his free hand around in a frantic manner.

    "Iknow. Itwas funfor metoo, but Ican''tdo it again, Dobby.I''ma bit tired,"Harry told the excited elf.

    "MasterPotter HarrySir!... the docks are on fire!"Dobby finally managed to get it out.

    "What docks?"Harry had no idea what he was talking about at first.Butthen he looked to where Dobby was pointing andwas ableto finally rememberthem."Oh¡­ those docks¡­" He hadpletely forgotten that they were there.

    "Master!"Dobby cried.

    "Well¡­ there is not much I can do at this point,to be honest¡­"The fire was too violent and had already consumed most of the wood.

    Even if he ran all the way there and cast his strongest Aguamenti, it would do as much as pissing on a house fire.

    At least the docks were isted sonothing else would burn along with them.

    "I don''tthink a Reparo would work either¡­"Harry saw the tforms copse one after another.Thewood was consumedand turned to cinders."Mmmm, Dobby?"

    "Yes, Master?"

    "Let''snot talk about this with anyone¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 213: The Real Source of the Anomaly

    Chapter 213: The Real Source of the Anomaly

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 213: The Real Source of the Anomaly</strong>

    "Albus Dumbledore likes to wear pink panties," Harry proimed.

    "That isincorr-" The gargoyle was interrupted when the mechanism activated, revealing the familiar set of stairs.

    He quickly spotted the Headmaster sitting behind his desk with a deep frown on his face.

    "You are aware that I can hear what people say to the gargoyle, right?"

    "Do you?" He knew that.

    "I didn''t mean to be rude; it was just some rumor I heard recently and was wondering¡­"

    "That was very childish," the Headmaster admonished him.

    "I would not have to do that if you just let me Apparate into your office," Harry told him.

    "Out of the question¡­I could be in the middle of a meeting with someone. How do you expect me to exin that one of my students can use Apparition inside the castle?"

    "Fine¡­" He admitted he had a point.

    "What did you call me for? I was¡­ erm¡­ I was resting in my room."

    "I noticed amotion at theke just moments ago," Dumbledore gave him a knowing look.

    "I know nothing about that¡­" Harry averted his eyes away.

    "I also saw arge fire in the distance," the Headmaster added.

    "Or that."

    "The school is nearly empty, but I hope you are more mindful during your¡­ ''practices.'' I trust you didn''t break anything at least."

    "So¡­ can we get to the point? I would like to get some rest," said Harry, trying to change the topic.

    "I thought you were already resting," Dumbledore said with a coy smile.

    "Please, sit down. I have news from Professor Silverbell. He has finished analyzing all the convergence points, or at least the most important ones."

    "And¡­ did he find anything interesting?" Harry asked.

    "He did. The Professor was able to learn the point in time when the ''anomaly'' entered our timeline and started causing all the problems. With this information, we may be able to narrow down the possible cause and find it. The time of entrance wastw-"

    "Two years and six months ago¡­" Harry interrupted the Headmaster.

    This one gave Harry an intense look.

    "That is correct¡­ how did you know?"

    "Because that is how much time has passed since I woke up in this timeline."

    "So you knew," Dumbledore statedin a calm manner.

    "I wasn''tpletely sure, but you just confirmed my suspicions. And by yourck of reaction¡­ you also knew."

    Dumbledore sighed.

    "When Professor Silverbell mentioned to me the time of the entry of this anomaly¡­ I did notice it was very close to the day you told me you woke up in this body¡­ I was very troubled, thinking about how to tell you this¡­"

    "Makes sense, right? You said it yourself. The way I entered into this timeline was most unusual. You said that it was not how time travel worked."

    "And it isn''t¡­ what you did was not time travel¡­ that is for sure. You died in one reality and awoke in a different one. I have gone through hundreds of books since we spoke for the first time, and I have yet to find another case with any resemnce to what urred to you. It should not have been possible," Dumbledore said.

    "No, it shouldn''t. And it seems like The Universe agrees with that sentiment..." Harrymented.

    "There are still many things we don''t know. We should not jump to quick conclusions, Harry."

    "But it is very simple, Professor. If I am ''removed''... everything will go back to normal."

    Dumbledore frowned.

    "I don''t think it''s that simple. Even the Professor admitted not to know if removing the anomaly would even solve the problem."

    "Yes, well¡­ in that scenario, we are all doomed no matter what."

    "He also told me that our timeline is still somewhat stable. We aren''t at risk ofplete copse yet. We have at least a few more years. He has not given up yet, and neither should we. We may find another solution. A better one¡­"

    "Calm down, Professor. I wasn''t nning on leaving so soon," Harry said.

    "And I still have a Dark Lord to deal with." Even if he could solve the dimensional copse problem, if he left now, the ones that he cared about would be doomed to die the moment Voldemort decided to return.

    Neville was most definitely not up to the task, and neither was Dumbledore.

    He knew this was a selfish motive. In the grand scheme of things, Voldemort was just a threat to part of the poption of Magical Ennd.

    If he ever got more ambitious than that¡­ there were many monsters out there who could put him back in his ce. Harry was just doing this for the safety of his family and friends while putting the rest of the world in danger.

    The him of the past would never do that¡­

    "I am d to hear that," Dumbledore smiled.

    "Oh¡­ before I forget. There was one more thing I had for you."

    He reached into a drawer and pulled out an old wand.

    Harry immediately recognized it.

    "Of course¡­it haspletely lost its power. You could say it''s nothing more than a stick now¡­ you can take it."

    Harry picked up the Elder Wand. Like the Headmaster said, he could not feel any magic within the wand.

    He did, however¡­ feel a faint connection with it.

    He stored the old wand inside his robes and stood up.

    "If there is nothing more¡­ I will take my leave."

    Dumbledore nodded.

    "If anythinges up, I will let you know."

    <em>''With this¡­ I have once more reunited the Three Hallows. It is time I pay another visit to Mister Lovegood.''</em>

    Before leaving the office, he turned around and nced at the Headmaster.

    "I''m going to leave the school grounds for a day or two."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 214: A Pleasant Surprise

    Chapter 214: A Pleasant Surprise

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>- Author notes -</em>

    <strong>Chapter 214: A Pleasant Surprise</strong>

    He did not have to wait long behind the wards before being granted entrance into the Lovegood grounds, despite having arrived without an invitation.

    ording to Luna, her father would rarely leave the house, so there wasn''t much need for a warning.

    Luna came out of the house and greeted him.

    "Harry! You came to see me? Did you bring me a present?"

    "Of course, but I''m afraid your present is not ready yet. I also need to speak with your father. Is he in the house?"

    "He is locked in the attic, writing some article about the werewolves'' migratory movements¡­ or perhaps it was seagulls¡­" Luna appeared unsure about it.

    "I''ll go call him!" She took off running into the house, leaving Harry by himself.

    He decided to wait inside, so he went into the kitchen and took a seat.

    Just a few minutester, he heard someone stumble their way down with hurried steps.

    "Harry! I knew you were going to visit us soon." Xenos looked even more unkempt than usual.

    "Too much work?" Harry asked.

    "Ah¡­ yes¡­ it''s a difficult time. Lots of strange things happening," Xeno said before moving his eyes over Harry as if he were searching for something.

    Harry noticed this and already knew what the man was trying to find.

    "I have them here." He did not feel the need to waste time and brought out the two Hallows in his possession, leaving them on the table.

    Xeno''s eyes passed by the wand but only held his interest for a couple of seconds before moving to the other object¡­ the Stone of Resurrection.

    Harry felt pity for the man. Like Dumbledore, he was also someone who wished to make use of the stone and talk with a lost loved one.

    He could understand Xeno''s need better than Dumbledore''s, as he also lost his wife once.

    But even if the stone worked, it would be of no use to him. That person doesn''t exist in this world, just a different version of her.

    "May I?" Xeno''s hand hovered over the small ck stone.

    "You will be disappointed, I''m afraid¡­ but go ahead." Harry heard some steps and nced to his side, just in time to see Luna entering the kitchen. She held the invisibility cloak in her arms.

    "Daddy told me to bring it," she exined.

    Xeno held the stone in his palm and looked at it very closely so he could inspect all its details.

    "It''sreallythe Stone of Resurrection!"

    "Of course¡­ it hadbeen in possession ofthe Gaunt Family for many generations. Although I''m not sure if they knew what they had," Harry said. At least he was sure that Voldemort didn''t know what the stone was. He would have kept it with him at all times otherwise.

    "Pandora¡­" Xeno whispered the name of his lost wife.

    He said it loud enough for Luna to hear.

    "Why is he calling for Mom?" the girl asked.

    "The Stone of Resurrection allows you to speak with the dead for a shortperiod of time¡­ or it would if it was still working," Harry told her.

    Luna stared at her father for a moment.

    "Yesterday was Mommy''s anniversary¡­"

    "Oh¡­" Harry now understood why Xeno looked so messy. It wasn''t just from work.

    Xeno sighed and gave the stone back to Harry.

    "Sorry, I already knew it wasn''t going to work, but¡­"

    "I know¡­ I would have tried too," Harry told the sad man.

    "That''s too bad; I also wanted to talk to Mommy¡­ I still don''t know where she put her recipe for strawberry pudding¡­" Lunamented.

    The writings on the stone became alight while Harry was holding the stone in his palm.

    "What is happening?" asked Xeno.

    The stone made a loud, strange noise, and grey smoke started toe out of it.

    Harry had seen this phenomenon before¡­

    "This can''t be¡­ it shouldn''t work!" He was truly shocked to see this.

    A female figure started to form from the smoke.

    "Pandora!" Xeno eximed.

    "Mommy!" Luna called.

    "W-what?... where am I?.. is this my kitchen?" She looked very confused.

    She looked around and stopped when she spotted her husband.

    "Xeno¡­ what is happening?"

    "Pandora, oh my love, you are here!"

    The woman nced at the young blonde girl with carrot earrings.

    "Luna?!, but¡­ how are you so big?. You should be eight¡­ have I been sleeping too much?"

    "No, you are dead," Harry told her.

    "You have been for the past¡­ four years."

    "Potter?... no¡­ you look different¡­ too young and no sses." Pandora stared at Harry.

    "He is Harry Potter." Luna went to his side and told her mother.

    "Nice to meet you, Miss Lovegood. I am Harry; you may have known my father."

    "You are James''s son¡­ and Lily. You¡­" She looked at her hands and gasped. Only her upper body had manifested from the smoke.

    "What is this?... am I really¡­ dead?"

    "I''m afraid so¡­" said Xeno with a grave voice.

    "We lost you four years ago¡­ There was an ident during-"

    "Magic crafting! I remember now! I was working on a new spell to make fireworks¡­" Pandora said.

    There was a moment of silence before she spoke again.

    "Oh, I''m so sorry for leaving you¡­ I didn''t know it was going to be so dangerous."

    "Harry¡­ how long do you think it willst?" Xeno asked.

    "I have no idea¡­ so if you have something important to say¡­ say it. I will try to hold this for as long as I can." He could feel his magic being drained at a fast pace. They were lucky he had a lot of it.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 215: The Master of Death

    Chapter 215: The Master of Death

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 215: The Master of Death</strong>

    The improvised "<em>s¨¦ance",</emsted for an entire hour, until his magic became too low to maintain the connection and she went back to where she came from.

    Harry would have liked to give the family some privacy to talk, but he couldn''t do that since he was the one keeping Miss Lovegood in the mortal realm.

    It was a bit awkward to be in front of Xeno when he was basically ''holding'' his wife.

    But at least, both Xeno and Luna appeared to be extremely happy afterward.

    He had never seen Luna smile like that, so he was fine with exhausting all his magic for that.

    "Harry, thank you for -" Xeno stopped talking when he heard the Stone of Resurrection making noises again.

    But this time, it sounded more like cracking.

    "What is happening now?" Asked Harry.

    Luna became excited. "Is someone else going to visit us?... maybe Grandma?... hopefully not Grandpa, he was always cranky."

    "I don''t think it''s that¡­" Said Harry. His magic was already exhausted, so it was impossible to bring someone else right now.

    Much to his surprise¡­ momentster, the Stone of Resurrection let out a series of loud cracks and crumbled down into small pieces while still on Harry''s palm.

    He moved his hand, and the pieces felldown, turning into dust before touching the table.

    "How can that be?" Harry asked. That was a magical artifact created by Death itself. How could it disintegrate like that?

    "It had lost its powerpletely¡­ I believe its purpose had been served." Said Xeno with an unusually serious tone.

    "But it was working just a moment ago." Luna pointed out. "Did Harry break it?"

    "No, I don''t think it was the stone that brought your Mom here. It was Harry himself." Xeno revealed.

    "I have many abilities, but bringing back the dead for a chat¡­ is not one of them, I can assure you of that. Harry told him with conviction.

    Xeno picked up the Elder Wand and brought it closer to him. "Try holding this."

    Harry picked up the wand and felt a strong connection with it, even stronger than before. And he wasn''t even trying to adjust to the wand...it was like it was already made for him.

    "Try casting a spell withit." Xeno suggested.

    Harry nced at the wand closely. Despite the connection, he did not feel any power in it. It was like the core was missing, so magic should be impossible to cast with it.

    But he was also curious to see if it would work. He channeled a small amount of magic through the wand like he usually did and gave it a flick. "Wingardium Leviosa."

    A cup that was standing on the counter started to float in the air.

    "It works¡­" Harry found it hard to believe the wand was working in its current state.

    Of course, he could have cast such a simple spell without the use of a wand, but that requires a different process. Had the wand not worked properly, the spell would have fizzled.

    "It is as I thought." Said Xeno as he pointed at the wand.

    The cup that Harry was makingfloatin the air,fell downall of a sudden.

    The wand let out a loud cracking noise, simr to the one made by the stone, and just a momentter, it crumbled in the same way, turning to dust.

    "What does this mean? First, the hallows lose their power, and now they disappear." His eyes moved to the clock that was resting on the table.

    "Go ahead. Take the cloak." Said Xeno.

    "I don''t want to break that one¡­ it''s a family relic." It was one of the first gifts he ever got. And the first one that came from his family.

    "It will turn to dust even if you leave it be. But I think it''s important that you do it yourself. They are already yours, but you mustplete the connection with the hallows." Xeno urged him.

    Harry felt the connection with the cloak even before touching it¡­

    Then¡­ with a quick motion, he pulled the cloak over himself like he had done so many times in the past.

    He disappearedfrom sightwhile being able to still see the Lovegoods through the translucent fabric.

    "It works!" Harry eximed. He never thought he could see this old cloak work again.

    But, like with the stone and the wand...it did notst long.

    "Ohh, I can see something again!" Luna said.

    The magic of the cloak ended, turning back into a normal ck cloak.

    Before Harry could pull it off him, the fabric turned into dust and disappeared into the air.

    Harry nced at Xeno. "You seem to know what is going on. Care to exin?"

    "Now I believe it isplete. Now¡­ you have be the first Master of Death." Xeno said with a smile.

    "Master of Death? That makes little sense to me."

    ''If anything, I should have been the Master of Death during my previous life. That''s when I became the owner of all three hallows.'' Harry considered.

    But nothing happened then¡­ he didn''t notice any change in myself.

    He was still the same Harry Potter I was before.

    ''Why are these changes happening now and not earlier? What changed?... something must have triggered this¡­''

    But then, something dide to mind¡­ something did happen.

    ''I died...but then...could it be?''

    What if...in order tobe the Master of Death, one had to die first, and only then, the changes will truly begin.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 216: I Was Chosen Againâ€¦

    Chapter 216: I Was Chosen Again¡­

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 216: I Was Chosen Again...</strong>

    Harry was starting to put the pieces together in his head.

    Early on, during his original life, hebecame the owner ofthe three Hallows.

    First, the cloakwas givento him as a Christmas present, then¡­the Stone of Resurrection was left behind by Dumbledore after his deathandhe finally got his hands on the Elder Wand when he defeated Voldemort during the battle at Hogwarts.

    Shortly after, he destroyed the wand, thinking it was too dangerous to keep. Something he woulde to regretter when the Dark Lord made his return.

    But what mattered was that, at that moment, he must have be the Master of Death, or at least a candidate¡­even if he didn''t know it.

    Later in life, he did learn that his magical capacity was much higher thanany normalperson.

    He was the only one capable of using the ''Seven Arkstone Array'' they had created. No one else in his group could channel that tremendous amount of energy through their bodies without dyingin the process.

    Even Neville, who wasatthis point, one of the most powerful wizards alive, could only withstand a three-stone version that Hermione modified for him.

    Luna always told him that she feltthere wassomething different about him¡­something that no one else had.

    He attributed these oddities to being the ''Boy Who Lived'', the ''Chosen One'' and all that¡­ he never gave it much thought. He had been an odd one during his entire lifeafterall.

    Butperhaps,some of these anomalies were caused by the Hallows after all.

    He had been experiencing some of the effects, but they only started to show their true potential the moment he died.

    Not even Albus Dumbledore could exin how he ended up here. Becauseit was not something caused by mortal magic.

    The effects of this ''resurrection'' had been severe enough to destabilize the entire multiverse and kickstart the copse of countlesstimelines,centuries before it should have happened¡­ an anomaly indeed.

    Only an entity with a level of powerparable to aGod,could do such a thing.

    And although, until now, he didn''ttrulybelieve that the entity of ''Death'' existed. He did know beyond any reasonable doubt that beings of such power doinfact¡­exist.

    At the very least,there aretwelve of them, afterall¡­he carries the brand of one of such beings.

    ''Perhaps I should consider myself as marked by two, after all. Even though ''Death'' didn''t ce any visible brands on his body.

    He looked at the empty table, where the three Hallows had been resting moments agoand hefinally understood something.

    If Death as an entity wasreal, then¡­there could only exist one. A Godlike being such asthat,would be unaffected by the myriad of timelines and alternate universesbeing constantly created.

    And if the Master of Death is some type of ''Chosen one'' for Death. Then it stands to reason that it will also be¡­ unique.

    That would at leastoffer an exnation ofwhy the Hallows had stopped working and lost their power.

    The cloaksted a year because that''s what anormalinvisibility cloak wouldstbuthe was sure that the other ones had lost their powerthe momenthe awoke in this timeline.

    He was unsure about the exact reason for this urrence, but it wasdefinitelyrted to him.

    "What am I supposed to do with this?" Harry asked.

    "What do you mean?" Xeno asked.

    "I mean¡­ I don''t know why Iwas giventhis ¡­''thing''.Was there a reason behind itorwas it just a coincidence that Iended up fulfillingall the requirements to be this Master of Death? What does that even entail?"

    "I can understand your confusion. But I can assure you one thing¡­it wasn''t by ident nor coincidence that youwere able to reunitethe three Hallows. These artifacts have a mind of their own and would only fall into the hands of thosewho weredeemed worthy. The fact that all three of them ended up in your hands...it was meant to be. There was no coincidence on that."

    "So I was chosen then¡­." Not that it was the first time this happenedbuthe did not likethe feeling ofbeing controlled or manipted. He had enough of that already.

    "I suppose you were. Death and Destiny always run close to each other, like brother and sister. As for the reasonyou were chosen¡­I wouldn''t dare to guess, but there must be an important one. I am sure of that."

    ''If itwasn''trandom, that would meanthatIwas sentto this particr timeline for a reason.'' Harry concluded.

    But he didn''thave a clue aboutwhy¡­not fornowat least.

    ''The only thing I can do now is continue with my initial ns. If there is something that this Death wants from me¡­we''ll see about that.''

    "So¡­" Luna got closer to Harry and gave him an intense look. "Does this mean I have to start calling Harry as Master?"

    "Please don''t¡­" If his sister heard Luna addressing him like that, shewas going todraw the wrong conclusions.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Harry spent the remainder of the Christmas break at the castle.

    At least he now had a motive for his recent boost in power.

    Hemade good use of his timeand worked as much as he could on fine-tuning his magic control.

    It appears that the failed ritual also had the unintended effect of elerating his magical maturity.

    Usually, wizards and witches had to wait until their fifteenth or sixteenth birthday for that.

    But atthe age ofthirteen, his body had already reached this point.

    Thiswastrulya blessing. Withhismagic nowpletely stable, he will be able to fight at his full potential without fear of suffering some bacsh.

    A.N- I wanted to rify something about what happened in this Chapter. Yes, there are many other versions of Harry Potter in the multiverse who have also acquired all three Hallows, like Canon Harry for example. The idea is that among all those different versions of Harry out there. The MC Harry is the<strong>first</strong>one who dies<strong>after</strong>bing a<strong>candidate</strong>for Master of Death.

    There could be other Harrys who died<strong>before</strong>him but did so before collecting all three Hallows and others who collected all three Hallows but lived a much longer life.

    So, among all the candidates, the MC was the<strong>first</strong>one to fulfill all the conditions and thus, was the one chosen.

    At least, that is the idea here. I hope that makes it more clear.-

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 217: Ginnyâ€™s Game

    Chapter 217: Ginny¡¯s Game

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 217: Ginny''s Game</strong>

    "Here, try holding the broom like this. It will give you better control when making sharp turns." Harry moved Ginny''s hands to a different spot.

    "Ah¡­I see." Ginny tried her best to hide her embarrassment.

    It''s only been two days since the students returned to Hogwarts.

    Harry was giving her a private lesson, and there was barely anyone on the Quidditch field right now.

    "Let''s do a real practice. Stay close to the circles, and I will release the golden snitch. Let''s see how long it takes you to catch it." He told her.

    Once she was in position, Harry opened the box and sent the small ball flying.

    He then stood on the ground and observed her movements from there. She began chasing the snitch and using the method he had taught her to make quick changes of directions.

    "Oh¡­that''s bad." During one of the turns, Ginny put too much weight on the front of the broom and lost her bnce.

    The broom tipped forward at great speed, and Ginny was not able to hold it. She was sent flying in the air and she screamedloudly.

    Harry casually strolled forward. His wand was ejected from the holster and appeared in his hand.

    With a smooth motion, he used a silent levitation charm on her robes to slow down her fall.

    Ginny noticed this and calmed down a bit. She nced at the ground just in time to see Harry waiting for her before catching her in his arms.

    "It looks like you need more practice with that," he said.

    "Harry!..ehm¡­I mean, thank you." The redheaded girl said.

    "Don''t mention it. Do you want to keep going?" Very gently, he let her down to her feet.

    "Yes!...if you have time?." She said, feeling a bit bashful.

    "It''s no issue. I would not have offered otherwise." He had done plenty of training during the break, and now he just wanted to rest for a bit.

    "Ah, I almost forgot! I haven''t said thank you for these!" Ginny lifted her hands. She was wearing a pair of Quidditch gloves made of ck leather.

    He had sent these to her for Christmas. They were made of ck dragon hide and were nearly indestructible.

    "I''m d you liked them."

    "I know these are very expensive. My brother Charlie told me that ck dragons are nearly extinct and it is almost impossible to find anything made with those materials."

    "I just got them because I thought they would be useful to you, not because I wanted to give you something expensive."

    "I know, but this and¡­the broom¡­" She said softly.

    "Oh? You knew it was me?" Harry asked with interest.

    Ginny grinned, feeling a bit proud. "It wasn''t hard, with that note¡­ you are one of the few whom I told about sneaking into the shed to borrow my family brooms. You and Lyra are the only ones with money to buy something like that broom and Lyra¡­ well, she would never have been able to keep it a secret. I would have found out long before the present arrived."

    Harry chuckled. "That''s true¡­ but I think she is trying to work on it." He had not checked on her progress with lumency for a while. He will have to ask her on the next chance he has.

    It took him a bit off guard when Ginny leaned forward and gave him a soft hug. "So¡­thank you for the gloves and the broom, It was the best gift I have ever received."

    "I''m d you liked them, but speaking of the broom¡­" Harry pointed in the distance, where the Nimbus 2001 was slowly floating down. It had a safety feature that allowed it to do that if the rider fell off.

    "You should go fetch it before a gust of wind sends it into the Dark Forest or something."

    Ginny saw this and panicked. "Ahh!,e back here!"

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    On Saturday, most of the school was at the Quidditch field. The first game of the year was about to be yed¡­ Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff.

    "How do you think your sister is going to do?" Seamus asked Ron.

    This put him in a bad mood. "Tsk¡­she has no chance against Cedric Diggory. He is the best seeker in Hogwarts." He could not understand how could they take his little sister as a main yer but he didn''t even make it into the reserve.

    "Yes, since Harry quit¡­.but I think Ginny is doing great. She caught the snitch against Slytherin,st year." Neville reminded him.

    "That''s just because the Slytherin team bloody sucks now. Half their team are reserves or not even that." Ron huffed.

    "Even so¡­I think she is a great seeker." Neville insisted.

    Ron threw him a suspicious look. "You are not going after my sister, right?."

    "What?! No!" Neville panicked and became embarrassed.

    "Oh, I smell gossip!" Lavender leaned forward.

    "Stop, you are going to fall!" Hermione eximed. They were sitting on the first row after all.

    "Let her¡­maybe she''ll learn something," Parvati told her.

    Lyra and Harry were seated together just one row behind.

    "It is rare to see you here. You nevere to watch the games." His sistermented.

    "I don''t find it fun to just be the spectator. But I made a promise to watch this one. " Harry told her.

    "To Ginny, huh?. That must be why she looked so happy this morning." Lyra said.

    Momentster, the announcer started to shout in his usual cheerful tone. "Wee to the first Hogwarts Quidditch game of the year! I am Jordan and will be yourmentator for the evening!"

    "It''s morning¡­" McGonagall muttered from his side.

    "In any case¡­ let''s wee the yers!" Jordan shouted.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 218: Unwanted Guests

    Chapter 218: Unwanted Guests

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 218: Unwanted Guests</strong>

    The match began very evenly. For the first thirty minutes, the score only had five points of difference.

    But still, the Gryffindor team didn''t seem able to close the gap.

    Unlike professional Quidditch, the school version will end after ny minutes even if the snitch is not caught, so if the Gryffindor chasers cannot turn things around, the game will then rest on the seeker''s shoulders.

    "Come on Ginny, catch that golden snitch!" Lyra shouted.

    "Where is that sted ball?!" Seamusined while looking around the sky.

    "I saw it fly into the clouds near the beginning of the match. I don''t think it hase down yet." Neville said.

    "Those clouds areawfullydark¡­ it looks like it''s about torain." Hermione added.

    "Yeah¡­ I wouldn''t go in there¡­ there are probably lightning and stuff in there." Lavender pointed out.

    Lyra looked at her brother. She was about to ask him about it when she saw his eyebrows arched with worry. It was even more noticeable now that he stopped wearing sses. Harry was good at always maintaining the same impassive face, so the only times she saw him making an expression like that were¡­ when something bad was about to happen.

    "Harry? What''s going on?"

    "Those clouds¡­ I don''t think it''s a storm," Harry answered her. ''Why does that look so familiar?... it was also a Quidditch game, against Cedric¡­ no, that''s impossible. They cannot be here, unless¡­''

    "Is it not a storm? What else could it be?" Asked Lyra.

    His eyes focused on those clouds, trying to see through them. He started to detect small sources of magic moving inside the clouds. Hundreds of them.

    The drop in temperature became noticeable even from where he was.

    "Dementors¡­" Harry said softly.

    Dumbledore was watching the game from the Professors'' seats. He also sensed that something was wrong and stood up.

    "Albus? What is it?" McGonagall asked.

    "We need to get the students out of there. I have a bad feeling¡­" The Headmaster said.

    "A bad feeling?" Snape frowned and also looked up at the cloud, trying to guess what the Headmaster could have seen.

    Ginny and Cedric were both very close to the dark clouds, they were both staring at it inplete concentration, trying to spot any signs of the snitch.

    All of a sudden¡­ Ginny saw something golden glimmering inside the clouds.

    She did not hesitate to go inside while Cedric remained behind. He did not see anything but also didn''t believe for a second that Ginny was doing a feint.

    He got ready to go inside the clouds too when he felt shivers run through his body. "C-cold¡­" He started to tremble. "Oh no¡­" He then thought of his Quidditch rival who had already gone inside.

    Ginny lost track of the snitch and found herself surrounded by darkness.

    There were no crackles of lightning but she had a very bad feeling. There was something very wrong with this cloud. "I need to get out of here." Her instincts were now telling her to run.

    The temperature dropped extremely suddenly and her body became paralyzed.

    A mixture of cold and fear invaded her as the clouds started to move like they were made of cloth.

    "No¡­what is that?." She realized then¡­ there was something inside the clouds. Something alive was moving around her.

    It wasn''t just one but many. And then she saw them approach.

    Disgusting creatures made of shadows, with bony fingers that came out of their dark tunics.

    They whizzed loudly but it sounded like whispers to her.

    One of them was staring directly into her eyes and started to get closer.

    She tried but could not move at all, not even an inch. Her body was not responding to her anymore.

    The horrifying monster got closer and extended its disgusting finger, trying to touch her face.

    Ginny started to have visions of that scary day¡­st year when they were being chased by the gigantic basilisk.

    That day...she thought she was going to die more than once. It was the worst thing she had ever experienced.

    ''But he saved me in the end¡­'' Harry did save her¡­ he faced that monster and won.

    After going through all of that and after seeing Harry destroy a being such as that with hisownmagic¡­ she could not imagine that he would have trouble against something like this.

    The images of the basilisk disappeared, and the monsters surrounding her started to be less scary.

    The dementor noticed a chance and stopped in its advance. Its urge to devour this human''s soul was then reced by something else...something that this creature thought to have forgotten¡­ its survival instincts.

    The dementor and its brothers let out a loud screeching noise. It was a call of warning¡­ a call to retreat.

    Ginny felt the cold disappear and be reced by a gentle warmth.

    The darkness was then reced by an intense light that quickly broke through and engulfed everything in its path.

    She could not see anything and could only hear the awful noisesing from those creatures.

    But she was not afraid.

    Inside this light, she felt safe for some reason.

    And part of her knew that the origin of this light was the one she was waiting for. "Harry¡­" She tried to call but her voice felt broken and could not yell. She was so tired¡­

    "You are safe."

    The familiar voice came from beneath her. And now she was able to see again.

    The scary creatures were gone, and when she looked down, she saw something that looked like a forest animal, but it was massive, and it appeared to be made of pure white light.

    "Is that a stag?" She asked.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 219: Containment and Destruction

    Chapter 219: Containment and Destruction

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 219: Containment and Destruction</strong>

    Harry approached the rails of the stands.<em>''I''m going to need a broom¡­''</em>

    He spotted several yers flying very close to the ground. They all seemed to be instinctively trying to get as far away as possible from that ck cloud.

    "io!" He targeted the broom of the yer closest to the grassy field, who just so happened to be one of the Weasley twins.

    The broom flew from under the boy, and it fell to the ground with a loud ''thud''.

    <em>''Sorry, Fred¡­ or George. But it is for a good cause.''</em>He was sure that the twins wouldn''t be too mad with him if they knew he did it to save their little sister.

    The Weasley broom stopped right in front of him and remained floating in the air, so Harry jumped over the rails and mounted the broom.

    "Harry?! What are you doing?" Hermione was the first one to call to him.

    Neville and the rest of his ssmates were also looking at him with a mixture of confusion and surprise.

    "Hey, that''s my brother''s broom!" Ron shouted at him while pointing at the broom.

    "Harry!" Lyra called.

    He did not have time to stay here and exin his actions to them. Dementors only need a few seconds to take someone''s soul after all.

    The broom levitated for a moment before speeding up towards the cloud.

    He heard some of the yers trying to warn him not to go there, but he did not slow down his approach.

    Harry aimed his wand upwards once he was close enough. "Expecto Patronum!"

    A gigantic white stag came into existence and flew directly into the dark clouds with clear orders to follow.

    Meanwhile, he circledaroundthe mass of dementors. Despite the massive size of this cloud, Harry could see clearly that all the dementors were concentrated in the middle, where the cloud was at its darkest. The rest was just a side effect caused by their presence.

    He waspletely confident that his patronus could handle those low-rank demons and protect Ginny without issues. But then, if those guys became frightened, they would try to escape by flying everywhere.

    This would put everyone standing in the immediate vicinity in danger, including his mother and sister.

    To prevent it, he had to create something that would contain the creatures in ce.

    When he arrived at the top of the cloud, it was already starting to disperse, making it easier to see what was going on inside it.

    He noticed the small lights that represented the dementors were starting to move away from the center in an attempt to escape from his Patronus.

    "Like I''m going to let you leave just like that¡­"

    Most people in the wizardly world were terrified of dementors because theycked understanding of these creatures.

    They saw them as scary monsters thateatsouls and were impossible to kill. And that statement was not entirely wrong¡­ but there is a lot more to it.

    Harry knew their true nature as well as the ce where they came from.

    To him, dementors were nothing more than low-rank demons with some basics on soul-type magic. They were slow, clumsy, and extremely vulnerable to any magic that was based on positive feelings, as well as magic based on the Sacrum spectrum.

    All demons shared these weaknesses to different degrees. Because of this reason, these types of magic were the most researched ones back in his world.

    Many advances were made during the several decades the war with the demonssted. Many new spells were developed, and even new sources of magic were discovered during thisperiod of time.

    "Expecto¡­ Custodia!"

    Arge number of white chains seemed to appear out of nowhere and started surrounding the dementors while preventing their escape.

    This had no negative effect on Ginny, so she was able to pass in between the chains with no issue and escape from the cloud.

    The white stag remained at her side, acting like a protector and dispelling the negative lingering effects of being exposed to the dementors.

    The demons flew as fast as they could and tried to escape his containment, but as soon as they got too close to the chains, they would be pushed back while suffering serious damage.

    The chains acted like a patronus. The positive energy emitted by them was like a potent poison for these creatures.

    But that alone was not going to be enough to destroy them.

    Harry pulled his metallic staff and lifted it above his head before closing his eyes. The type of magic was, without a doubt, the most difficult one for him to use because he had zero affinity with it. If it wasn''t because he had practiced it for so long, he would never be able to use it at all.

    The staff changed forms until it became a long spear while maintaining its metallic material.

    The entire spear started to shine brightly until it appeared to be madepletely out of light, a very intense white light that emanated a sense of warmth and safety to those close by.

    He opened his eyes¡­ instead of the usual bright green color, they had taken a very light blue one, making them almost seempletely white. This was an effect of channeling this type of energy through his body.

    Magic was used to pull it here and manipte it to create spells, but the energy itself was not magicalin nature. It was something¡­ not from this world.

    "Sacrum Hastae¡­"

    Under hismand, the spear started to shine brighter as it grew in size and power. Magic with positive feelings is capable of hurting and containing demons.

    But this one¡­ can obliterate their vessel and send them back to the Netherworld while also inflicting grievous injuries on their very own souls, preventing their return for a long time.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 220: The Spectators

    Chapter 220: The Spectators

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 220: The Spectators</strong>

    "What is that?!" McGonagall yelled, pointing at the sky.

    "I''m afraid that is a cloud formed by the concentration of many dementors¡­" The Headmaster said with a grave tone.

    "How can that be? Did the Ministry lose control of them?" Snape asked with a hint of fear. It wasn''t the dementors that scared him, but the reason behind their arrival. It wasn''t a secret that his former Master had found a way to control those monsters.

    Dumbledore gave him a passing nce. He could tell what his Potion professor was thinking by the look on his face.

    The Headmaster knew better. There was no way for dementors to just fly past the wards without his knowledge. Theseoneshad appeared out of nowhere.

    And there was only one way for that to happen¡­ a Timeline Convergence.

    Of course, he could not speak of this with the other professors, as they knew nothing about these matters.

    "Albus, what do we do?" Asked McGonagall.

    Dumbledore nced at the field when he heard one of the Weasley twins scream as his broom disappeared from beneath him before it flew directly to Harry.

    "Make sure everyone remains calm as they evacuate the premises," The Headmaster told her.

    "Harry!" Lily had been looking at the Gryffindor stands, where her son and daughter had been sitting. Then, all of a sudden, she was able to recognize her son jumping out of the stands and onto a broom.

    "Potter?,what is he doing?!" Snape saw the figure of his less-liked student fly toward the dark cloud.

    "Potter, get down from there!" McGonagall shouted. She then looked down at Lee Jordan. As a Quidditchmentator, he had a magical microphone in front of him. "Jordan!, give me that thing!" She pointed at the device.

    As soon as she got it in her hands, she prepared to make an announcement. ''Attention everyone! This is an emergency. I want youto-ahh!"

    "Expecto Patronum!"

    Harry''s patronus created a wave of light intense enough to temporarily blind everyone present.

    "A Patronus?!" Snape caught a glimpse of the giant white stag through his squinted eyes.

    "Lily, since when does your son know how to do that?" Professor McGonagall asked.

    "A corporeal patronus!,and it''s massive!" Professor Flitwick stared in awe once he recovered his sight.

    "I believe he was taught by his uncle Remus¡­" Lily recalled Harry telling them that story about his third year, and how he had to learn it because¡­ ''That year¡­ dementors invaded the Quidditch pitch during a game with¡­ what a coincidence¡­'' She knew there was something very strange about this.

    Lily gave the Headmaster a sidelong nce. If there was something strange going on with Hogwarts, he woulddefinitelyknow about it.

    "It seems like the situation with the dementors will soon be solved. But in any case, it''s best if we evacuate the premises," He said while looking at McGonagall. "And Severus¡­ we may have to give the Ministry a call."

    Dumbledore didn''treallywant to do that, since he already knew this had nothing to do with the dementors in Azkaban. But it would be strange if they said nothing, as they would certainly be hearing about this. Momentster, they saw the white chains appear and pierce through the clouds.

    "What in Merlin''s name is that?!" McGonagall felt like she was going to die from shock today.

    "Is Potter doing that?" Snape asked.

    "Mmm¡­ never seen a spell like that one" Dumbledore admitted. But he had a lot of interest in seeing what Harry was going to do next. ''That patronus would have been enough to scare the dementors away¡­''

    Dumbledore nced at Lily. ''Oh¡­ I see.'' He understood why Harry was not allowing them to flee. His family and friends werehere.

    He only knew Harry for less than a year but could already tell he was very protective of those he cared about.

    It was one of the reasons he felt at ease with having someone who wielded so much power staying at the school.

    He was sure that Harry would never put the students in danger for no reason.

    They then saw the white stag emerge back from the clouds and right next to it was Ginny flying on her broom.

    The Gryffindor yers saw this and hurried to help her.

    "Ginny, are you okay?!" George shouted.

    "Where did that thinge from?" Katie Bell asked.

    "Is it dangerous?" Alicia Spi asked.

    "Don''t you know it? That''s a Patronus!" Angelina Johnson told her.

    "A Patronus?" Alicia asked. She was in her fifth year and hadn''t heard of that spell yet.

    "She is right. We learned about itst year," said the Captain, who was already in his seventh year of school. "Of course, we only learned of its existence. Professor Flitwick didn''t expect anyone toactuallylearn to perform it. Although it would give you extra points for the N.E.W.T.s."

    "Yeah, it''s supposed to be like a super hard spell. I heard it from a friend," Angelina said.

    "Did Potteractuallycast this one?... it looks so real!" Katie asked.

    Ginny went to pat the stag and it lowered its head to make it easier for her. "Thank you," she told it with a beaming smile.

    With its job done, the stag started to be more transparent until it disappearedpletely.

    "Look!" Angelina pointed up.

    The clouds started to dissipate, revealing hundreds of cloaked creatures floating in the sky.

    They were all surrounded by the white chains as Harry stood over them with his light spear in hand. "Sacrum Hastae!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 221: The Minister visits Hogwarts

    Chapter 221: The Minister visits Hogwarts

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 221: The Minister visits Hogwarts</strong>

    The moment it reached the center of the group, the spear of light exploded.

    This explosion released thousands upon thousands of light particles that traveled everywhere, faster than any bullet.

    They werepletely harmless to most living beings, but for demons like these dementors, it was the most deadly of all substances.

    Just being touched by a couple of those light bullets was enough to send them back to the Netherworld.

    The dementors screamed in agony as their existence in this world finally ended.

    The dark clouds dispersed, and the creatures disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

    The whole thing had onlysted eight seconds, and then, all that was left was Harry''s staff¡­ floating in the air.

    It had lost its spear shape and had now returned to its original form.

    Harry extended his hand, and the staff flew back to him. He then stored it back into his robes before ncing down again.

    Harry spotted Ginny, along with the other Gryffindor yers, and she appeared to be uninjured.

    Most of the audience was looking towards him now.

    He wasn''t sure how much they had seen, considering how far away he was and how dark the clouds from before were.

    It wasn''t like he was trying to avoid standing up. He just didn''t want to be bothered by the other students asking him questions or whispering as he passed.

    ''I kinda wish there was a way to pin this one on Neville, but that doesn''t appear to be a possibility¡­ oh well.''

    He tipped the broom forward and made it descend as fast as it could go.

    He stopped for a moment next to Ginny to make sure she was not suffering from any aftereffects, but it appeared that his patronus did a good job.

    She thanked him with a wide smile for saving her.

    "Make sure to remind your brother Fred of that. I''d rather not be pranked for taking his broom," Harry told her.

    "Why would I do that?" asked Fred while floating around him.

    "Oh¡­ George then." Harry shrugged and went back to the ground level and noticed that the other twin was not there anymore.

    "He was taken to the infirmary," Oliver told him. "It wasn''t serious; I think he just twisted an ankle." He added.

    "Then, give this back to him," Harry handed the broom and walked out of the Stadium. He would rather not stay for the questions.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I just need to ask you a few questions, Mister Potter," the auror requested.

    "Of course, Mister Dawlish," Harry was sitting on arge couch. Next to him was his mother, and on the other side was Dumbledore.

    He had already been expecting to be called by an auror or someone from the Ministry after what happened with the dementors, but they didn''t even wait until the next day. That same day in thete afternoon, he was asked to the Headmaster''s office where Auror Dawlish, the Minister, and Lord Parkinson were waiting for him, along with the Headmaster.

    McGonagall had wanted to attend as the head of his house, but after being denied, she informed Lily of the meeting.

    And since they could not deny his mother''s presence, she was allowed to attend this meeting too.

    Auror Dawlish smiled at Harry. "So you remember me. I wasn''t sure you would¡­." He looked at Lily, and his eyes flinched as an involuntary gesture after seeing her upset expression. "Hello, Lily¡­ it''s good to see you again."

    "You too John¡­ but I would like to know why my husband is not here. I''m sure he would have been interested in attending since the subject of this visit was Harry."

    Dawlish made a troubled face. "He did but¡­"

    "That would not have been appropriate, considering the subject of this interrogation is¡­ as you said¡­ his son," Lord Parkinson interrupted the auror.

    "Is that what this is? An interrogation?" Lily raised her voice.

    "No, of course not!" The Minister was quick to interject. "Perseus, please. Control your manners."

    Lord Parkinson kept his frown but did not say anything else.

    The Minister then turned to look at Harry with a warm smile on his face. "Master Potter, I assure you as Minister of Magic that you are not in any kind of trouble. If anything, from what we have heard, you are nothing short of a hero."

    "Now then¡­" Dumbledore also joined the conversation. "If we can make this brief¡­ I''m sure Mister Potter is very tired, and he has sses tomorrow."

    "Yes, ehm¡­" The Minister gave the auror a sidelong nce. "We just want to rify the situation that urred today¡­ auror Dawlish will be asking you a few questions. We will try to keep it short."

    "Harry, you don''t have to answer anything if you don''t want to, okay?" Lily said to her son.

    "It''s okay Mom. Let''s see what they have to ask first. If there is anything that can help the Ministry, I''ll do what I can." Harry couldtake a guessas to why the Minister was so desperate for answers.

    The press was likely pressuring him for an exnation of how a group of dementors, who are supposed to be kept under tight control by the Ministry, ended up attacking a school.

    If he can''te up with anything good, he will not be able to keep his position for much longer.

    Lord Parkinson''s face did not show any changes, but Harry could already imagine what he was thinking about. ''It seems like this event has given Parkinson a great opportunity¡­ if things go his way, he may be the next Minister of Magic before the end of the school year.''

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 222: Family Magic?

    Chapter 222: Family Magic?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 222: Family Magic?</strong>

    "Now¡­Mister Potter. Wh-"

    "Harry. You may call me by my name, after all, you are a close friend of my father. It would be weird for you to refer to me as Mister," Harry told him.

    Auror Dawlish smiled. "You are right. Harry then¡­can you tell me your version of the events?.Let''s begin with, what did you see?"

    "I saw a massive dark cloud being formed out of nowhere above the Quidditch field."

    "Did you know what was in this cloud?"

    "Yes, dementors," Harry answered.

    "How could you possibly know that?" The Minister interjected.

    Harry threw him a side nce. "Even my little sister could tell that the cloud was very abnormal. I just happened to have read about those creatures. Dark clouds and a descent of temperature are a clear sign of their presence."

    "And even so¡­you flew towards it?" Dawlish asked.

    Harry nodded. "I saw a friend of my sister go in there. I knew she would be in serious trouble if I didn''t do anything."

    "So heroic! The press is going to love this!" The Minister grinned. He hoped this story would take attention away from him and the Ministry.

    "So¡­Gryffindor¡­" Lord Parkinson said with barely hidden disgust.

    Dawlish coughed. "Yes, um.. so¡­you flew into the dementors'' cloud. What then?"

    "I used the Patronus charmto-"

    "Dear Merlin! You canreallyuse that spell at your age?" The Minister interrupted him and stood from his couch.

    "Minister, calm down. We cannot possibly believe all the tales these children are spouting," Lord Parkinson was no idiot. He, of course, knew that Harry''s skills in magic were nowhere near normal for a third-year student. But he did not wish for the Minister to have anything to show at tomorrow''s press conference.

    If things went his way, his will then be aplished much earlier than he anticipated. Now it was going to be a good opportunity to make use of all the damning evidence about the Minister''s illegal activities that he had been collecting for months.

    The chances of Cornelius Fudge losing his position were almost guaranteed.In fact,he wouldn''t be surprised if the man ended up in Azkaban.

    He certainly did not have the magical prowess of his old Master, so he had to be patient and cunning about this.

    ''It might take me longer,pared to the Dark Lord, but I will get what I deserve in the end.''

    "Lord Parkinson." Dawlish''s tone sounded stern. "Beforeing here, we took ounts of many witnesses. And many of them recalled seeing a boy with the Gryffindor uniform, flying towards the dark cloud and using the Patronus charm. The members of the Gryffindor team even identified saidboyas Harry Potter. I don''t think it''s fair to diminish everything as ''children spouting''..."

    "Yes, and if you are going to be using my son of being a liar, then this conversation is over," Lily added.

    "Parkinson! There is no need for so much distrust," the Minister frowned.

    Lord Parkinson offered a fake smile in return. "I meant no offense. I was merely pointing out to the Minister that children tend to exaggerate in their stories¡­nothing more."

    "Okay, let''s get back on track," said the Auror. "Can you tell us what happened next?"

    "Well, I knew the Patronus was going to scare the dementors away, so I used something to prevent them from going closer to the people in the stadium," Harry answered.

    "Yes, many had imed to have seen white chains wrapping around the center of the clouds. I will admit that I am not familiar with that kind of magic. Can you tell us about it?" Dawlish asked.

    The Minister leaned forward, and even Lord Parkinson could not hide his interest in learning more about an unknown magic.

    "I can''t say much about that. It is Potter Family Magic," Harry revealed.

    The Minister''s expression immediately changed when he heard the words ''Family Magic''. For he knew well enough that all magic belonging to a pureblood family was untouchable. He could not use his authority to demand the magical form, for that would open a dangerous precedent where no secrets were safe among the more powerful families.

    The most the Ministry could do is to dere a particr spell illegal to use if it appeared to be darkin nature. But he could not use that argument in this case.

    The Minister moved his eyes to Lily, who had to do her best to hide her surprise. She was not familiar with that spell either, but she was sure it did note from the Potter''s Grimoire¡­because they didn''t have one.

    "Lady Potter, perhaps we can discuss this?" The Minister knew he could not press the issue too much, so he was as polite as possible.

    "I will speak with my husband about this. I can''tmake a decisionby myself, I''m sure the Minister understands," she said beforegiving her son a nce.

    "I see¡­thank you," the Minister sighed in defeat. Even if he can convince Lord Potter, it will likely be toote to solve his current situation.

    Harry had nothing else to add. It wasn''t like he wanted to keep the ''Patronus chains'' as a secret. After all, he had no right to do so. This was a piece of magic that had been created by thebined efforts of several wizards and witches to help humanity. All he did was learn it.

    Had the Minister been a more trustworthy man, or at least apetent one, he would have passed it on to him, the magical form.

    ''Perhaps I could send it to Madam Bones¡­'' He had only met her once, but she appeared to be very simr to the one he knew.

    "Moving on¡­" Auror Dawlish knew there was no point in continuing to discuss that family magic. "What about the sh of light that appeared afterward?.The dementors were nowhere to be seen once the light went out. What was that?"

    Harry considered his answer for a moment. He could not tell them about the existence of the ''Sacrum Spectrum''. Even if he wanted to¡­he didn''tpletely understand it himself.

    The Muggles were the ones who discovered its existence and also the ones who named it. Wizards then created a way to bring this energy into our realm by the use of a modified summoning charm so it could be employed to power spells, instead of normal magic.

    "Just another Patronus¡­" He ended up saying.

    "What?!" The Minister could not help but exim.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 223: Much to the Ministerâ€™s Disappointment

    Chapter 223: Much to the Minister¡¯s Disappointment

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 223: Much to the Minister''s Disappointment</strong>

    "That could not have been just a Patronus, Mister Potter. There had to be more to it," the Minister insisted.

    Harry could feel the suspicious nces from everyone in the room. But he cared little for that right now. They will have to take whatever answer he gives them.

    "The light, people have described it to us. It appears too strong for a simple Patronus," Dawlishmented.

    Lord Parkinson also wanted to know more. But Harry not giving the Minister any satisfactory answer was going to be good for him in the end, so he remained silent.

    "I never said it was a simple one. You can put a lot of extra magic when creating the Patronus. It''s not just about positive emotions. You can also change its size and shape," Harry exined.

    "That should not be possible. The Patronus shape is determined b-"

    Harry''s wand was ejected from its holster and appeared in his hand. "Expecto Patronum!" A sh of light was shot out of his wand, startling the three men in the process.

    Dawlish had also called his wand by pure instinct after the sudden spell being cast.

    Lord Parkinson''s eyes had be a lot sharper, and his hand was already inside his robes.

    And the Minister spilled all the tea after kicking the table during his moment of shock.

    "Sorry about that¡­I thought that a demonstration would be quicker." Harry extended his left hand, and a small white birdnded on it.

    "The witness imed to have seen something resembling a deer or a stag," Dawlish observed the little bird with attention.

    "As I said before¡­I can change the shape and size of my Patronus."

    "Is that an eagle?" The Minister asked.

    "It''s an owl¡­her name is Hedwig," Harry answered.

    "She is beautiful," Lily got her face closer to see it better.

    "She was¡­" Harry said softly.

    "Albus," the Minister addressed the Headmaster. "Howe we haven''t heard anything about such a talented student before?"

    "We like to give our students their privacy. If fame is what they want¡­then it is up to them to search for it," Dumbledore nced at Harry.

    "Mister Potter here¡­he values his privacy."

    Fudge frowned. "And what about the Boy Who Lived? How is he doing? I heard many rumors about him having some incredible dormant powers or something. How is that going?..."

    ''Maybe I can at least bring some positive news about that boy instead.''

    The Minister had to admit that he expected more from Longbottom. Had he been more brilliant, he could use him to further his career.

    "Still dormant I''m afraid¡­" Dumbledore said.

    The Minister clenched his teeth and cursed something to himself.

    "Well¡­for my part, I have found Harry''s answer satisfactory," Dawlish looked at his side. "Minister?..."

    "Eh?...ah, yes¡­quite satisfactory," the Minister said. He didn''t truly believe that¡­so far, he had found nothing that could help him. Perhaps, if he could trade something for that Potter Family spell¡­but currently, the Minister had not much gold to offer.

    Since Malfoy''s death, his pockets have been a lot emptier. He gets some ''donations'' from Parkinson and a few other Lords, of course. But they are nowhere near as rich as Malfoy had been.

    "If there is nothing else to discuss¡­shall we end it here?" Lord Parkinson suggested.

    The Minister threw him a nasty re. How can he say that? They needed to get something¡­ "Oh, wait. There is a very important detail missing. Perhaps, Mister Potter can rify it for us¡­what happened to the dementors?"

    "They must have flown away. What other exnation is there?" Dawlish concluded. After all, it is a known fact that dementors are impossible to kill. No matter how potent Harry''s Patronus had been, it would not have destroyed them.

    "Yes..but where? They all imed to have seen those creatures¡­disappear. Where did they go, Mister Potter?" the Minister asked. At this point, his best chance was to at least, find those dementors.

    He had already checked with the guards stationed at Azkaban, so he was sure they did note from the prison.

    But the Ministry had imed repeatedly, to have full control over the dementor poption.

    The Minister himself had, very recently, stood before several reporters and sworn to them that everything was under control, once some rumors about dementors sneaking into nearby viges in order to feed on the muggles. ''They are going to say it was my fault now!'' He cursed.

    Then¡­nced at the young boy with expectant eyes. "So, Mister Potter¡­where did they go?"

    "I''m afraid I will have to disappoint you there, Minister. I only saw them ascending higher into the air...I did not see where they went after that," Harry told him. There was no way he could exin they were dead. And yes, he knew this was going to make the Minister look bad, but for the most part, Minister Fudge was really good at doing that by himself.

    "I see¡­" He said with disappointment. But then he looked at Dumbledore. "And where were you during all thismotion?"

    "I was making sure the rest of the students were able to evacuate the premises safely. " The Headmaster nced at Harry. "When I saw Mister Potter''s powerful Patronus, I knew that no further action was going to be required to force the dementors away from the field." The old man''s eyes became sharp as he moved them back to the Minister. "Are you looking for someone to take the me, Cornelius?"

    The Minister became flushed. That was exactly what he was doing. "I am not doing such a thing!" He then stood up. "Let''s go, this meeting is over."

    He gave Harry and his mother a polite nod. "Mister Potter, Lady Potter¡­it was a pleasure to meet you."

    Dawlish and Lord Parkinson also stood up.

    Lord Parkinson left right behind the Minister without saying a word. The auror nced at them. "Well then¡­ I''ll take my leave. I''m sorry about the bother, Lily. You know how those things are¡­Ill inform James that everything went well."

    "Is okay. Thank you, John," said Lily.

    Once the door closed, Lily spoke again.

    "Was any of that true?" She asked him.

    "Some of it was," Harry said.

    "The second spell¡­those chains gave out a simr feeling to a Patronus," said Dumbledore. "Did you create a variation?"

    "Expecto Custodia. It uses the same principle, different forming. I can write it down for you," Harry offered the Headmaster.

    The Headmaster chuckled. "This old man has learned enough already, but I appreciate the offer. You should, however, remember to pass down your knowledge for future generations¡­it would be a shame if all of that wonderful magic got lost¡­after all, no one lives forever."

    "I''ll keep it in mind¡­" Harry said.

    "Hey, my son is still young. He is not going anywhere. He can pass everything down to my grandchildren. Isn''t that right?" Lily told him with a warm grin on her face.

    "Of course." He hated lying to her.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 224: Lord Parkinsonâ€™s Offer

    Chapter 224: Lord Parkinson¡¯s Offer

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 224: Lord Parkinson''s Offer</strong>

    When they left the office, both Lily and Harry were surprised to find Lord Parkinson still there by himself, waiting close to the entrance.

    "Lord Parkinson¡­is there anything you need?" Lily asked, trying to hide her uneasiness. She did not want to admit that this man scared her a bit. She could never tell what he was thinking behind his cold eyes.

    "I apologize for my rudeness, but I would like a few words with your son¡­" Lord Parkinson''s eyes werepletely fixated on Harry as he spoke.

    It wasn''t clear if this was because he only deemed Harry as a threat or because he refused topletely acknowledge someone with a muggle-born status.

    ''Now that the Minister is not present, it seems like he is showing his true personality¡­'' Harry thought.

    "You want to speak alone with my son? What could you possibly have to say that you cannot say in my presence?" Lily asked.

    "It''s okay, Lord Parkinson. My mother is aware of all matterspertaining toour family...and yours. My father would keep nothing from her," Harry informed the Lord.

    For once, he saw a change in the man''s face. He showed a hint of surprise.

    "Is that so?..." Lord Parkinson said.

    Before giving the man time to react, Harry''s wand was in his hand. With a smooth movement, he created a translucent screen around them.

    "A privacy charm?" Lord Parkinson asked. He hadobviouslybeen startled as his hand was already inside his robes, fetching his wand.

    "I thought you might want one," Harry said.

    "It is usually polite to give a warning before performing magic in front of someone else¡­you never know how they will react," Lord Parkinson said with a stern tone.

    "As long as they react slower than me, it''s all fine," said Harry while keeping his wand in hand.

    He was seriously considering if it would be a good idea to just kill this man right here and now. It may save him a headacheter on.

    "Auror Dawlish and the Minister are waiting for me, just around the corner," Lord Parkinson said as he had just been able to read his intentions.

    If it wasn''t because he could feel their presence, Harry would never have believed that. But the man was not lying.

    If he killed him here, they would likelyput the me onhis mother, since she was right beside him.

    ''I could apparate him into the Chamber of Secrets¡­good luck finding his body there. But apparition leaves a trace behind¡­tsk!''

    "Harry? Is everything okay? You are making that face again," Lily was looking at him with a worried expression.

    "Fine¡­let''s hear what Lord Parkinson has to say." Harry will have to let this one go. He may have had a hundred different ways to kill this man right now, but none of them would allow him to get away without consequences.

    "Yes¡­I wanted to tell you this before it was toote, Mister Potter." Lord Parkinson moved his eyes around to make sure no one was close by. "There is still time to choose the right alliances. If you are half as clever as I believe you are, then you must have realized already that it is only a matter of time before I gain control of this country."

    Harry raised an eyebrow. "You are seriously asking me to join your side in this? After everything that happened?" Leaving aside the matter of the Slytherin house, this man had already attempted to kill his father and kidnap his mother. That was not something he was going to forget any time soon.

    "Of course, your family will have to offer somepensation to the ones you have offended¡­ especially the Montague and Derrick families. But we can work something out. My daughter Pansy is very fond of you, as you may know. If you y your cards right, we could even arrange a marriage between the two of you."

    Lily was shocked after hearing Lord Parkinson''s words. She never expected this man to say something like this.

    "Did youactuallyexpect me to say yes to that?..." Perhaps this man was not that clever after all.

    Lord Parkinson frowned. "Mister Potter, you are young and talented. You may think yourself invincible, but you don''t know what you are dealing with here¡­this is the only time I will make this offer, then it will be toote. It would be a shame if someone with such a bright future¡­" He let thest words hang in a threatening tone.

    Of course, to Harry, his words sounded ridiculous¡­and kinda ironic.

    "You are threatening my son?" Lily clenched her fist.

    Harry held her back and got closer to Lord Parkinson.

    "Harry?" Lily wondered what her son wanted to do.

    The man took a step back by instinct. He then realized what he was doing and stopped.

    "You im that I don''t know what I am dealing with¡­but it is YOU who should heed those words. You are ying a very dangerous game that you have no way of winning¡­" Harry said the words in a cold tone.

    "What are you talking about?" Parkinson wasn''t sure if this boy had lost his senses after feeling threatened.

    "All your political skills, your money, your connections, your ckmail material¡­it will all be worthless when He returns¡­and He will kill you in the most painful way avable to him for your offense."

    "You are talking nonsense!" Parkinson raised his voice. When Harry mentioned a ''He''...a face and name came immediately to his mind. But that was impossible¡­he was certainly dead. What could this child possibly know that none of his contacts could find out?

    "Your wife and daughter appear to be decent people. At leastpared to you and the rest of your associates¡­so, for them, I will give you one chance¡­take your family and leave the country. Go as far as you can and hide in some hole for the next few years at least. That is your only path to survive right now."

    Lord Parkinson stared at Harry in disbelief for almost ten seconds. "It appears that I have wasted my time with you¡­" The Lord huffed in annoyance. He could not possibly take the words of a child seriously, no matter how much talent he had for magic.

    As far as Lord Parkinson was concerned, Harry was one of those geniuses who got arrogant when they gained some fame and started to talk about things they didn''t understand.

    ''But no matter what, the Potters will certainly be a problem in my future, and something I will need to address one way or another¡­''

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 225: Ravens

    Chapter 225: Ravens

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 225: Ravens</strong>

    The next day, most eyes were on him.

    Rumors move quickly inside Hogwarts, and even those who were not in the game or did not see him directly knew what happened already.

    The only spell used by Harry that the students were able to recognize was the Patronus he used at the beginning, so that is what they talked about the most.

    ''At least all they do is look at me.'' He was used to the stares. As long as people didn''t approach him and started to annoy him, he would not mind it that much.

    But before he could arrive at his table for breakfast, a small boy stood in his way.

    "H-Hi! I-I¡­I''m Colin Creevey!" The young blonde boy raised an old school camera and pointed it at him. "Can I take a picture?" The sh of light that followed indicated he already did.

    "Fine¡­you have your picture, now let me eat in peace," Harry told the boy.

    "W-wait, I am a member of Hogwarts'' Newspaper. Can Ido an interviewwith you?" Creevey followed him.

    "We have a newspaper?" Parvati asked.

    "Yeah, why haven''t I heard about that? I usually hear about everything that happens here," Lavender inquired.

    Hermione made a face of displeasure. Sheobviouslyhadn''t heard about it either but didn''t want to admit it.

    "Well¡­actually, it has been reinstated this year¡­by me," Creevey admitted.

    "Wait, don''t tell me¡­it''s just you," Lavender said.

    The boy nodded bashfully. "For the moment¡­but my brother said he will join!"

    His eyes moved back to Harry. "I just want to ask you a few questions. People want to know more about Hogwarts'' mysterious genius."

    Harry raised an eyebrow at the name. "What did you say?"

    Creevey became more nervous. "T-that''swhat people have been calling you sincest year."

    "It is kinda your fault, Harry," Lyra leaned closer to him. "You are not very approachable, to be honest. A lot of people ask me questions about you because they don''t dare to speak with you in person."

    "Yes, many students find you very scary," Hermione added. "You didn''t know that?"

    Harry nced over the Great Hall. Hermione was not wrong. He could recognize the mixture of fear and curiosity in their eyes. ''It''s better that way, I guess.''

    Since Harry didn''t answer the boy, Ron took it upon himself to deal with him. "Just let him eat alone, Creevey. Harry doesn''t want your stupid interview," the redhead shouted at the timid boy.

    "I-I¡­yes¡­sorry!" Colin Creevey ran away from the Great Hall.

    "Ron, that wastotallyuncalled for. Colin didn''t deserve that," Ginny smacked her brother on the shoulder.

    "But he is so annoying! Someone had to do something," Ron stood his ground.

    "Harry," one of the Weasley twins called for him.

    "We just wanted to say thank you for helping our little sister," the other one added.

    "No problem¡­so, how is your ankle?" Harry asked.

    "Madam Pomfrey fixed it in like two seconds. No need to worryabou¡ª"

    George was interrupted when amotion erupted in the Great Hall.

    A group ofck birdshad entered the room and were circlingaround.

    "Are those ck owls? There are four of them," Lyra watched with interest, wondering what kind of message they were bringing.

    "They look very small to be owls," Ginny pointed out.

    "Those are not owls¡­" Hermione was the first one to notice. "They are ravens."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    <em>The previous night, Parkinson''s second manor</em>

    Lord Parkinson arrivedte to his meeting. Minister Fudge had insisted he stayed in his office to help fine-tune his speech for the next day.

    "How did it go?" Lord Flint asked.

    Lord Parkinson did not answer immediately. Instead, he continued to walk until he reached his usual seat at the head of the table.

    He sat down and observed the faces of the fifteen people sitting in his dining hall.

    He had more allies, but these fifteen were his most trustworthy ones¡­his inner circle.

    "Well?" Corban Yaxley was a man of little patience, and even less so after spending a decade in Azkaban.

    "I believe¡­" Lord Parkinson started. "That the poor Minister Fudge will not be able to keep his position for long. Very soon¡­we will be the ones in control of this country."

    "It would have been faster if we just killed that pudgy bastard, like I suggested," Augustus Rookwood chuckled.

    "Yes, we heard that ''fantastic'' suggestion of yours¡­but killing the Minister of Magic would have created a lot of extra problems for us," Lord Montague said.

    "And it was just a matter of time before that ipetent man got himself into trouble," Lord Derrick said.

    "Well, I can''t wait¡­like we talked about it before. We want to be in charge of Hogwarts," Amycus Carrow said with a cruel grin.

    "We are going to put all those mudbloods where they belong," his sister added.

    Lord Parkinson had to put some effort into avoiding a reaction. Those two always creeped him out. He already had a good idea of what they wanted to do with those mudblood children.

    "Speaking of Hogwarts¡­what about Dumbledore?" Avery Jr. asked.

    "Yes, it''s not like Fudge was ever much of a problem¡­but even the Dark Lord was wary of that old man," Lord Selwyn reminded them.

    "The Headmaster won''t be a problem for long," Lord Parkinson''s eyes went to a burly man sitting close by. "Isn''t that right, Dolohov?"

    "About that¡­" The man made a troubled face. "Greyback is asking for an extra fifty percent¡­"

    "What?!"

    "Outrageous!"

    "Who does he think he is? That beast!"

    "Pay him." Parkinson did not hesitate. Before the other Lords could beginining, he raised his hand in a cating manner. "Once we haveplete control over Magical Britain, we will strip all those Blood Traitor Families of their assets¡­money will not be an issue, as long as we win. So pay that man what he asks. His role is a crucial one."

    "Speaking of Blood Traitors¡­" Montague nced at the other Lords next to him.

    "We decided to send the ravens to Potter in the morrow," Lord Derrick added. "Unless you have any objections?"

    Lord Parkinson considered telling them about his private talk with Harry Potter, but he decided against it.

    Nothing good woulde out of that, and Potter had rejected it anyway¡­before telling him all that nonsense. "Go ahead¡­" Lord Parkinson said.

    ''With Harry Potter''s death, there will be one less headache for the future¡­I hope Pansy doesn''t take it too badly.''

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 226: Black letters

    Chapter 226: ck letters

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 226: ck letters</strong>

    The four crows continued to fly over the Great Hall for another minute while all the students and teachers stared at them with interest.

    The birds began to descend and move towards one particr table.

    Both McGonagall and Lily Potter saw with horror in their eyes as the crowsnded right in front of Harry.

    He moved his te aside and the four crows got closer.

    Harry noticed that all of them carried small ck letters in their beaks.

    One by one, the crows deposited the letters in front of him, under the watchful eyes of the students.

    "ck letters? What is that about?" Lyra asked but could already imagine it was not good news.

    "A blood feud!" Hermione said with excitement. "Ah¡­sorry¡­I just remembered reading something about ck letters being delivered by crows in a book about old wizard traditions."

    "A blood feud? Is it from those Slytherin families?" Ginny asked with worry.

    Harry''s conflict with the Slytherins was not much of a secret at this point.

    Without saying a word, he picked up the first letter and was about to open it when Professor McGonagall and his mother ran to his side.

    "Mister Potter, no!"

    "Harry, wait! Don''t open that!" Lily warned.

    "Is there a problem, Professor?" Harry asked.

    "Those letters are¡­derations of blood feuds!" the professor cried.

    "Yes...I already knew that." He opened the first letter.

    "Harry!" Lily eximed.

    "Blood feud?!" Lyra was surprised. "Isn''t that like dering war on our family?"

    "That is exactly what that is, Miss Potter. These things are rarely used nowadays, but the Ministry never removed them¡­" Professor McGonagall said.

    "It''s not really against our family¡­" Harry was reading the first letter. "Their feud is only with me. There is no mention of the remaining Potter family."

    "Let me see it." Lily took the paper and started reading.

    Her expression became more upset the more she read. "How dare they?! They are dering the feud against Harry and challenging him to a duel for this ''supposed attack'' against their heirs!"

    "Can they do that? My brother is just in his third year, how can a bunch of adults challenge him like that?" Lyra said.

    "I''m afraid they can," said McGonagall. "Thosews arepletely archaic¡­"

    "Does someone have a quill? I need to sign at the end to ept the duel." Harry looked around.

    "Harry, are you sure about this?" Lily stared at her son with a serious expression.

    "Refusing this would not put an end to the blood feud. If I don''t ept the duel, they could then go after our family in other ways¡­the duel is a much more direct and preferable option," Harry said.

    "Perhaps we could discuss this with the Headmaster. He may have a better alternative, or we can go to the Minist¡ªLily!" McGonagall yelled when she saw Lily handing Harry a quill.

    "I trust my son. If he says he can handle this¡­" Lily knew that McGonagall was not going to understand it because she didn''t know what her son was capable of.

    Harry signed the four letters and gave them back to the crows, who took them and flew away.

    The four blood feuds had been issued by the Montague, Derrick, Flint, and Pucey families. The duels would take ce in one month in the Ministry dueling arena, located in the basement.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    On that same day, in thete afternoon, Harry entered his workshop at the castle foundation.

    The matter about the Blood Feuds and the duel was only of little significance to him.

    Instead, he had something much more important to worry about.

    His batch of magicite was finally ready¡­it was time to craft a few artifacts.

    "Let''s see¡­" He stared at the cauldron filled with molten metal.

    This one was much bigger than the previous one.

    He was nning on creating some protective artifacts for his parents, Ginny, Luna, and Daphne.

    The design was the same one that he used for Lyra''s, but the materials this time were of much higher quality.

    Lord Greengrass had provided him with the best of the best. The least he could do was give his daughter some protection.

    Once those were ready, it was time for the main event. He was going to create another set of the ''Seven Arkstone Array'' artifact like the one he lost the previous year.

    Except that given his recent physical improvements, he figured he was going to take things one step further.

    The design for the ''Nine Arkstone Array'' version was already in his memory.

    It was originally designed by thebined effort of Luna and Hermione. But neither of them thought that his body would have been able to take such a massive input of magic, so it was never created.

    His current body has far surpassed his old one. And now, he was sure that this time¡­he would be able to use it.

    Even with only two extra pieces, the amount of power generated by these artifacts should be exponentially higher.

    Each arkstone was able to hold the same amount of magic as an average wizard.

    But when all seven pieces are activated together, the output is more than double that. For a brief moment, Harry was wielding the power of around fourteen wizards, plus his own.

    If their calctions were correct, the nine-piece array should give him the power of thirty wizards added to hisownmagic.

    "I could destroy an entire city block with a Bombarda¡­."

    His body shook with anticipation and a smile crept onto his face.

    "Let''s do this."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 227: The Arena

    Chapter 227: The Arena

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 227: The Arena</strong>

    <strong>February 12, Ministry of Magic</strong>

    "Ahh, the Potters, we were waiting for you." Dolores Umbridge offered them a fake smile before turning to the other person next to them.

    "Headmaster Dumbledore¡­I''ll admit, we were not expecting you to attend."

    "Harry Potter is one of my students. I thought that¡­at the very least, I should be here as a witness. I hope that won''t be an inconvenience." Dumbledore told her.

    "Of course¡­follow me." She turned around and started walking at a brisk pace.

    Harry observed his surroundings as they walked and paid close attention to the people working at the Ministry.

    There was a clear tension in the air. It had been like that since Minister Fudge was relieved from his position with the most dishonor.

    It only took two weeks for this to happen since the disastrous interview where he attempted to exin the presence of dementors at Hogwarts.

    Not long after that, documents depicting many illegal deals he had made with Lucius Malfoy, among other Lords, ended up in the hands of Amelia Bones, as well as the press.

    Former Minister Fudge was very lucky to avoid ending up in prison. But ultimately was forced to leave the countryin order toescape the public''s outrage.

    The Wizengamot is due to get together and decidethenext Minister in just a few days, but everyone knows it is merely a formality.

    Lord Parkinson had the majority support in that chamber. This means that everyone who was not part of his Conservative faction is due to have a bad time working here.

    "Here we are." Umbridge pointed her wand at an old-looking stone door and this one opened up.

    Once inside, they found themselves in arge circr room. There were seats all around it and a stone arena in the middle.

    There were barely any decorations at all. It was all very rustic-looking.

    "This ce hasn''t changed¡­" Dumbledoremented.

    "You''ve been here before?" Lily asked.

    "It''s been a few decades. This chamber was used often in the past. When a disagreement between two Lords could no longer be discussed with words¡­they woulde here to solve it with their wands."

    "And that is exactly what we are doing today." Lord Parkinson approached them.

    "I was not expecting you to be here, LordParkinson." Dumbledore said.

    He walked from the other side of the circr room. Behind him, one could see the four Lords: Flint, Montague, Derrick, and Pucey. As well as their sons, the ones who Harry attacked that day.

    Graham Montague was still missing his arm, as for Peregrine Derrick¡­his wound was not visible but by the deadly look he was giving Harry¡­it was still there.

    "These Lords are good friends of mine, I could not miss this. Like you, Albus, I am here to be a witness to this duel. Let us hope that after today, we can put behind this ugly business between us." Lord Parkinson said.

    "Is that what you call this? An ugly business? Those Lords challenged my thirteen-year-old son to a Death Duel!" James shouted.

    "And your son agreed to it." Lord Parkinson reminded him.

    "Mister Potter! Be more mindful of how you address Lord Parkinson. You better learn to be more respectful if you want to keep that little job of yours." Umbridge''s tone of voice became more acute, almost like a shriek.

    Lily appeared ready to rip the toad-like woman a new one, so Harry decided to step in.

    "Let us get this ''ugly business'' going, shall we? Who am I dueling exactly?" Harry walked through the sitting area, getting closer to the others.

    "The guy with no arm¡­the one with no dick, the other two losers? Or perhaps their parents? Those great respectable Lords who would dly lower themselves to fight a child¡­how shameful¡­" He shook his head.

    "Potter! You bastard!" Peregrine Derrick screamed at him.

    "I''m going to kill you myself!" He was about to move to the arena when his father stopped him.

    "Control yourself, Peregrine¡­don''t fall for his provocations."

    "Ehem, ehem!" Umbridge cleared her throat.

    "Before we get to that¡­boy." She red at Harry.

    "We need to make the rules clear, as is customary."

    She walked to the arena but stopped before it.

    "Only those who are willing to fight to the death shall step on this arena. Killing will only be allowed in this particr space and only for the duration of this duel. There will be no restriction on spells. Everything is allowed."

    "They are even allowing the Three Unforgivables?" Lily gasped.

    "Mmm?...there is something off in the way she worded those rules." Dumbledore noticed.

    "Silence! I was not done!" Umbridge huffed.

    "Now, where was I?...right, there will be no res- Potter!" She yelled at Harry when she saw him stepping into the arena.

    "What? You were taking too long. So, everything is allowed, got it." He looked at the four pureblood families.

    "I assume you were thinking of stepping in all at the same time, right? Well,e on then. Get in here." He pointed at the arena.

    "What? Is that true?" Lily asked.

    "Of course¡­they didn''t dare to fight him in an individual duel." James nced at his son. He made them promise that no matter what happens, they will not intervene.

    He had no reason to doubt his son''s abilities, but this still felt wrong.

    "That confidence is going to kill you, Potter!" Graham Montague shouted.

    He and his other three housemates approached the stone arena.

    "Since this is an issue between our boys, we are going to let them solve it." Lord Derrick said.

    Although in reality, none of the Lords had the intention to sit there and do nothing if their heirs were in danger.

    If they saw that Potter had a chance of winning, they had nned to step into the arena and kill the boy together.

    The rules were left vague to allow this. Everyone who steps into the arena will have to fight to the death, but there is no restriction on who can step in.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 228: In an instant

    Chapter 228: In an instant

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 228: In an instant</strong>

    Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey, Graham Montague, and Peregrine Derrick got ready to enter the arena.

    The four Lords stood waiting right outside while Lord Parkinson was seated a short distance behind.

    James, Lily, and Dumbledore were on the other side of the arena, behind Harry.

    The four boys stared at Harry, eager to jump into the arena and end his life once and for all.

    Montague''s eyes went to the strange pieces of jewelry on Harry''s body. He had never seen him wear anything like that before.

    "Nice earrings, Potter!" he said in a mocking voice.

    "Thanks, I made themmyself." Harry answered with indifference.

    The smile vanished from Montague''s face.

    "That''s not¡­that''s not what I meant."

    "Graham, that''s enough, don''t bother talking to him." Marcus Flint took charge, as usual.

    "And soon enough it won''t matter." Soon¡­Potter will be dead, he was sure of that.

    "What are you doing?!" Peregrine Derrick eximed while pointing at Harry, who was now sitting on the arena floor with his legs crossed.

    "Potter, I hope you are not considering givingup,because I''m afraid it''s toote for that already." Dolores Umbridge saidin a condescending way.

    James and Lily also wondered what their son was nning.

    "Who said anything about giving up? I just felt like sitting. It''s not like those four idiots have a chance. Might as well give them a bit of a handicap." Harry said.

    "How dare you?!"

    "We don''t need a handicap!"

    His words enraged the boys, who then proceeded to yell at him.

    "Do not fall for his cheap provocations." Lord Flint told them calmly.

    "For they do nothing more than to show hisowninsecurities. Focus on what you have learned and you will be fine."

    The boys calmed down after hearing this.

    With their confidence back, they remembered their original n. Since their encounter with Harry, they had been practicing hard on learning a single spell. A spell they were going to usein order todestroy him today, right in front of his parents.

    They looked at each other and recovered their confident smiles¡­they were ready now.

    Umbridge nced at Lord Parkinson and this one nodded, giving his approval to begin.

    "Very well¡­today we are in this ancient chamber to carry out the blood feud between the Potter family with the following Wizard Families¡­Flint, Derrick, Montague, and Pucey. This will be done by a duel to the death in this arena. Everyone who steps on it will be considered a participant and thus will be allowed to kill or be killed without any legal consequences on the Ministry''s part. All magic is allowed, nothing is forbidden in this ce."

    After finishing her announcement, she got closer to the four boys and spoke in a lower voice.

    "The moment you set foot on the arena, the duel shall begin." Umbridge reminded them, so they knew to cast their spells immediately. Not giving Harry time to react.

    With their wands in hand, the four of them jumped onto the stone arena and immediately pointed their wands at Harry.

    There was no way for Harry to deal with four spells such as these at the same time. That''s what they thought at least.

    The four boys chanted in unison.

    "Avad-"

    Four letters. That was as far as they got in their incantation.

    It all happened in an instant.

    Everything looked normal and then¡­without any warning, dozens of spikes formed from the stone surface of the arena.

    The spikes shot upwards almost as fast as bullets. Not giving the four boys time to process what was happening before they found themselves impaled in various spots of their bodies and lifted in the air like pieces of dead meat.

    It took a few seconds for the ones watching to understand exactly what had transpired since it was all too brief.

    The four Lords screamed the names of their sons.

    It was in vain. The four boys were already dead. The spikes had pierced their vital organs, killing them almost instantly.

    None of the Lords could have predicted for this duel, if it could still be called that, to end in such a way.

    Harry lifted his wand a little bit. As the contact with the stone surface broke, the spikes sank back into the ground where they came from.

    The spectators then realized that Harry had not sat down in an attempt to provoke them or give them any form of advantage, but he did it simply to be closer to the stone surface so he could perform his transfiguration much faster.

    "That was both impressive and¡­brutal." Jamesmented.

    "He did not hesitate for a second."

    "I''m d he didn''t!" Lily huffed.

    "Those boys were going to kill him!"

    "I know, Lily, I know. I''m not judging him¡­I have been on that side many times too, I know how it feels." James said in a cating manner.

    "It was more than impressive, that is forsure." Dumbledore interjected.

    "What Harry just did was not technically a spell¡­he performed a veryplex ''Free Transfiguration''...manding his magic to morph the surface of the arena and bend it to his will...and he did incredibly fast."

    "Preposterous!" Umbridge shouted. "How can that blood traitor kill the four heirs like that?!, he must have cheated!."

    Lord Parkinson stared at Harry with an increasing feeling of worry. He had hoped for this matter to be over quickly but not like this.

    Now it was up to the four Lords to take action.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 229: An Impossible Transfiguration

    Chapter 229: An Impossible Transfiguration

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 229: An Impossible Transfiguration</strong>

    "Wait, don''t step in yet!" Lord Flint''s tone was cold but firm.

    "Don''t try to stop me, I''m ripping that boy apart!" Lord Derrick screamed.

    "Do you want to suffer the same fate as our sons?! Use your head!" Lord Montague said.

    "They are right¡­that boy''s transfiguration is too fast¡­going in there without a n would be suicide." Lord Pucey tried to maintain his calm, despite the situation.

    "We have already underestimated that boy too much¡­we cannot make any more mistakes today."

    "That is why I said to wait¡­I have a n." Lord Flint got closer to the tform and tapped it with his wand while chanting several sentences in Latin.

    "Is that?...a protection charm?" One of the other Lords recognized part of the chant.

    "Correct¡­" Lord Flint finished his chanting.

    "This will prevent the boy from using transfiguration on the arena."

    "You know?..." Harry stood up.

    "I feel offended that you thought I was going to pull the same thing against you."

    "Ignore his petty taunts¡­" Lord Flint said coldly.

    Harry walked to the edge of the arena and stopped there before turning around and waiting for them.

    "He is going to be okay, right?" Lily said softly.

    "I think so¡­" James could not help but worry too. He knew his son was incredibly capable, but there aren''t many wizards out there who could take on four experienced opponents. And Lord Flint had sealed his strongest weapon.

    "Be atease." Dumbledore said. "I believe that Harry had only shown us but a tiny fraction of what he is truly capable of¡­" He could feel the magic stirring around Harry''s body.

    He wasclearlydoing something while standing there, but even with all his years of experience, he could not begin to guess what this boy was nning on doing.

    The Lords started discussing among themselves in a low voice, trying toe up with some n while Harry waited patiently in the arena.

    What the four Lords didn''t realize was that giving him all this time to prepare was going to be a fatal mistake on their part. One they will pay dearly for.

    Five of his nine pieces of magicite jewels became alight. For this next magic, he was going to need a small boost.

    The Lords finished their secret talk, and without saying one more word, they separated and walked to four different spots, surrounding Harry.

    Their logic was obvious. As long as they are not close to each other, it would be impossible for Harry to attack them all at the same time. And while he focuses on one opponent, the other will be free to shoot at him.

    Without further warning, they stepped into the arena.

    "What is this?..." Dumbledore''s eyes opened wide. He had always been very sensitive when it came to magic. This sensitivity was one of the main things that allowed him to be the wizard he is today.

    But what Harry was doing¡­he had never seen that before.

    "Albus?" Lily gave the Headmaster a side nce.

    By the time thest Lord put his feet on the stony surface of the circr arena, they began casting their most deadly curses at him.

    But Harry''s spell was alreadyplete, all it needed was a swift flicker of his wand.

    The five arkstones shone in an eerie blue light as their magic was put to use¡­the air let out a cracking noise as if his magic was breaking it apart.

    No words came out of Harry''s mouth. Like the one from before, this was a type of free transfiguration.

    The four Lords stopped their chants midway. They all felt there was something very wrong with their bodies.

    The next second, a short bloodcurdling scream came out of their mouths before they turned into dust and disappeared.

    "Whoa, what was that?" James shouted.

    "Where did they go?!" Umbridge moved her head frantically around the room.

    "What happened?" Lily could not understand it either.

    "Those men¡­are dead¡­" Dumbledore said with a somber tone.

    "Dead?...but?...what kind of dark magic was that?!" Umbridge pointed at Harry.

    "What did you do?! Those were Lords of ancient magical families! Valuable members of magical society!"

    Harry turned to her. "I did the same thing they intended to do to me. As for what magic I used¡­it is irrelevant. ''All magic is allowed''...those were your words, weren''t they?"

    "Lord Parkinson." Dumbledore decided to speak before that woman started to run her mouth.

    "I believe this matter can be considered settled."

    Parkinson moved his eyes away from Harry, trying his best to hide his worry.

    "Y-yes¡­I think so too. Come on, Madam Umbridge, we have much to do¡­" His inner circle must be informed about what happened today as soon as possible. They will need to discuss furtherona way to deal with Harry Potter.

    Up until now, he had only considered Dumbledore as a real threat to his ns, while Harry had been nothing more than an annoyance and potential future problem.

    But today''s demonstration hadpletely changed his view. The boy was a monster¡­perhaps as much as his old Master and will need to be approached with the utmost care.

    He left the room with brisk steps while the toad-looking woman followed behind.

    "Harry!" Lily came running to him and gave him a tight hug as soon as he came down from the stone tform.

    "I hope that didn''t change your opinion of me¡­" Harry said softly.

    Lily''s answer was to hug him tighter.

    "Never."

    "You did what you had to do, son." James patted his shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod.

    "Harry¡­" Dumbledore approached too. His face looked slightly paler.

    "That surprised, huh?" Harry told him.

    He knew that the old Headmaster was the only one in the room who truly understood what he did.

    "How?..." Dumbledore asked.

    "You broke thews of transfiguration, Harry¡­how did you do that?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 230 (Extra): The New Minister

    Chapter 230 (Extra): The New Minister

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 230 (Extra): The New Minister</strong>

    <em>A.N- This chapter didn''te out the way I liked it. The thing is...I wrote this one, along with some other chapters,st week. I spent most of the week with a fever and headaches so the writing quality took a dive there. So I will be adding this one as an extra chapter because is also too short.-</em>

    "Thew of transfiguration?" Lily asked.

    "That was a transfiguration?" James looked at Harry in disbelief.

    "I see now¡­Harry didn''t touch any of them."

    "That''s right! Transfiguration requires physical contact, but Harry used it from the other side of the arena." Lily said.

    "There is always a way to bend the rules, youknow this well, Professor," Harrymented.

    "But this is hardly the best ce to have this discussion¡­we should leave before that toad snaps and tries to get me arrested."

    "Toad?" Lily asked.

    "I assume he is referring to Madam Umbridge," James answered.

    Lily appeared to be thinking for a moment before she started to chuckle.

    "She does look like a toad!"

    "Yes¡­but don''t let her hear you say that. That woman has a nasty personality."

    Harry wouldteronexin to Dumbledore how to aplish his little trick.

    It wasn''t tooplicated.Onejust needed perfect control over one''s magic, as well asarge amount of it.

    He then concentrated strands of magic until they became a pseudo-physical and tangible material, likevery thinstrands of fishing wire. They are almost impossible to see unless you know what to look for.

    They could, however,be detectedby the most skilled wizards.

    Once these strands touched his target, Harry could use transfiguration on them with no issues.

    Now, this was hardly an efficient way of killing by any means. Besides the high magical consumption, it isalsounlikely to work on any powerful wizard.

    Thestrands of magic can be detected and destroyed by the most skilled individuals.

    And human transfiguration can be resisted by the target.Thesame way that the Imperio curse can be thrown off by people with strong minds, human transfiguration can suffer the same fate against those who are exceptionally powerful.

    It was stillusefulif you chose therighttargets.

    Harry knew those four Lords would have no chance to defend themselves against it, making this a very efficient and decisive way to end this duel.

    <em>A.N - Allow me to rify something. I know that in canon, transfiguration doesn''t have these limitations. They are just something I added in this fic for mainly two reasons.</em>

    <em>For one, it makes sense thatin order tomanipte the shape of something, you need some form of physical contact to do so.</em>

    <em>And I also believe it makes itmore interestingfor Harry tohave the needto tap his wand on different surfacesin order totransform them. -</em>

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    The news about his duel did not take long to reach the ears of the school.

    Thenextnewspaper arrived with a very detailed andvery unttering article writtenby Rita Skeeter.

    The whispers quieteddownas the students saw Harry making his way to sses.

    They would even move out of the way to let him pass.

    If the students had been slightly afraid of him before¡­they were nowpletely terrified.

    Perhaps calling the article ''unttering'' was an understatement, considering that the only source of information wasnoother than Dolores Umbridge.

    It was an extremely one-sided story that tried to portray Harry, his family, and the Headmaster in the worst light possible.

    Despite this having been a duel to the death that four Lords pushed on a thirteen-year-old boy, Rita would still find ways to make Harry appear as the bad guy of thestory,and a ruthless murderer.

    She even ended the article with a "Is this the potential beginning of a new Dark Lord?...should the Ministry do something about it before it''s toote?"

    His family was understandably outraged by the article. His mother had even sent several Howlers to the Prophetandhis father sent a formal request to rectify the article.

    Harry knew it wasn''t going to work. Not only is Rita Skeeter an incredibly stubborn womanbutat this point, Lord Parkinson should havea very stronggrip on that newspaper. They won''t retract something that benefits him.

    The man wants to control the country using politics. Socontrollingthe most popr newspaper would be crucial for that.

    Most people will believe anythingthat waswritten in these, so he can decide what stories he wants them tobelieve.

    He didn''treallycare that much about all of this.At the end of the day,Lord Parkinson''s political yswere not going tosave him.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Two weekster, and to the surprise of almost no one, another paper with big news appeared.

    Perseus Parkinson hadbeen selectedas the new Minister ofMagic,after a long Wizengamot session.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 231: The Apprentice

    Chapter 231: The Apprentice

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 231: The Apprentice</strong>

    March 19

    "Are you sure you want people to see us together?" Harry asked.

    Daphne shrugged.

    "It matters little anymore. And my house is terrified of you. They won''t even look my way after they saw us speak the other day."

    "It''s not the students who worry me. The current Minister and I aren''t exactly on friendly terms, as you can imagine. If he thinks he can get to me by attacking you¡­"

    "I''m always careful¡­and it''s not like everyone in my house is a fan of the Minister. But let''s not talk about that." She sped her hands together.

    "Today, you invited me here because it''s my fourteenth birthday, remember?"

    "Ah¡­yes." It was she who insisted that he had to bring her to Hogsmeade today.

    "Wait, I didn''t know it was your birthday. And you want to celebrate it...here?" Harry looked around at the tacky decorations of the coffee shop. Everything but the floor was some tone of pink.

    "Well¡­I heard the tea was really good here."

    "Wee to Madam Puddifoot''s!" A very cheerful waitress with a frilly pink dress approached them.

    "What would you like to drink? Perhaps an Earl Grey tea, a strawberry rose tea infused with hibiscus?...or perhaps you would be more interested in our best-selling item¡­the couple''s special." She gave them a yful wink.

    Both Harry and Daphne groaned at the same time.

    "I''ll take some Earl Grey tea, please, and some pastries," said Daphne.

    "I''ll take the same," Harry added.

    Noticing that her teasing was not having the intended effect, the waitress finished their order and left.

    "Sorry for bringing you here¡­I thought it would be too embarrassing toe alone with Tracey. Also, she has started dating Nott, so she wouldn''t have time anyway¡­"

    "It''s no problem, but I would prefer a different ce next time," said Harry.

    A small smile appeared on Daphne''s face. ''Next time?''

    "But I hope you are not expecting a grand gift from me. I didn''t even know it was your birthday¡­"

    "You could have asked¡­"

    "And I already gave you that thing." He pointed at the magicite ring on her left index finger.

    It was a shield ring like the one he made for Lyra. This one came out more potent due to the higher quality materials.

    Daphne clutched her ring.

    "No¡­I don''t need any more gifts. I just wanted to talk with you for a bit, that''s all¡­"

    "Okay, and was there anything specific you wanted to talk about?" Harry asked her.

    "Actually, yes¡­" She pulled something small from a hidden pocket.

    She then gave it to Harry so he could take a better look.

    He recognized this piece of cardboard.

    "This is what Morgana gave you so you could find her shop."

    The front disyed the shop information.

    "Turn it around."

    Harry did that and discovered that some letters had appearedonthe previouslyemptyspace.

    "Give me a visit on Easter break, okay? Don''t disappoint me."

    "W-what do you think she wants?" Daphne asked with concern. She had done nothing that could have offended her.

    "I thought she was going to wait a few more years before inviting you¡­she must be worried about something."

    "You know why she is telling me to visit her?"

    "Likely, she wants to offer you an apprenticeship¡­or at least test you to see your affinity with her branch of magic."

    "Apprenticeship? Lady Yafel wants to teach me?!" Daphne could not believe it. If this woman was who Harry suggested, she would be taught by someone who could almost be considered the female counterpart of the Great Merlin.

    "That''s not an opportunity given to many. You could learn a lot from her¡­that woman is one of the most ancient beings in this world and one of the most dangerous ones."

    Daphne looked more nervous now.

    "Then¡­can I-"

    "Here is your tea!"

    Daphne almost jumped from the chair by the shock. She was so focused on the conversation that she didn''t even notice the waitress approaching with their order.

    "My! You look very nervous, dear¡­is this your first date?" The waitress asked casually while cing their drinks on the table.

    "N-no, I mean yes¡­no! I mean it''s not a date!" Daphne''s cheeks started to turn pink.

    "Oh, I see. It always starts like that, don''t worry dear. Everything will turn out okay." The waitress gave her a grin and a wink before leaving again.

    "Technically, it''s our second date. Remember that day I took you to the Chamber?" Harry asked.

    "How can I forget that?! And that was not a date!" Daphne wanted to smack his head but didn''t want to make a scene in a ce this full. She still had an image to maintain.

    "I see¡­so what were you going to say before?"

    "Ah¡­I was going to ask if you could apany me to the shop¡­"

    "I can take you to the entrance, but this is something you need to do on your own. Prove to that old hag that you are someone capable and worth teaching."

    Daphne realized that Harry was right. Acting like a scared girl was not going to earn her any favors with that witch.

    "Any advice?"

    "Sure¡­don''t mention Merlin¡­like ever, under no circumstances. It''sactuallybetter if you don''t mention anyone from old Camelot. She doesn''t have fond memories from back then, I believe."

    "Do you know what happened to her?" she asked with interest while leaning forward.

    "I don''t know much. Just that at some point, the old wizard managed to tie her to thends surrounding Diagon Alley. She can never go too far before being pulled back again."

    "I wonder what happened¡­" Daphne said.

    Harry shrugged.

    "She never gave me the details¡­perhaps you can earn her trust more than I did."

    Harry reminiscedabout the past. The Morgana he knew died the day that London was obliterated by a high-rank demon attack.

    She only survived long enough to tell him a few things¡­had she been able to move around freely, she would have had no problem surviving that attack, and with her help, they may have been able to end the war a decade earlier at least.

    "Mmm, Harry?"

    "Yes?"

    "You mentioned before that she was a¡­a Blood Witch, right? Isn''t that magic¡­incredibly dark? Is that what she would want me to learn?"

    "That is her specialty, but hardly the only thing she knows. However, you would be wrong to dismiss an entire branch of magic as evil, just because the Ministry says so, or because many wizards and witches have used it for nefarious purposes. At the end of the day, magic has no will of its own, it''s just a tool that you can use to aplish your goals."

    "I understand¡­" She felt a bit better hearing Harry say that.

    "Then, I''ve made up my mind. I will go visit her on Easter Break!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 232: The Ministerâ€™s Idea

    Chapter 232: The Minister¡¯s Idea

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 232: The Minister''s Idea</strong>

    April 13

    The entire school was in the Great Hall celebrating the beginning of thest trimester.

    Harry had returned home for the break since he didn''t have any urgent business toplete on the outside at the moment.

    He spent most of his free time keepingpany with his little sister while his mother worked on preparing for the end of the school year. She had a lot of work for the senior students.

    He spoke several times with his father, James. Things at the Ministry had be even worse. Parkinson and his followers were trying their best to remove anyone who disagreed with their political views or refused to follow orders blindly.

    Those close to him continued to receive promotions while others, like his father, found themselves either being demoted or fired.

    It was only thanks to Amelia Bones, who still had a lot of influence in the Ministry, that he was able to keep his job at all. But he was still delegated to a desk job with little to no authority.

    It wasn''t like James needed the money. He could quit at any point if he wanted to. But if the few people willing to oppose the Minister were to quit¡­things could spiral out of control very quickly. This was the main reason for people like James, Dawlish, or stor Moody to remain there.

    But Minister Parkinson still has one big hurdle to ovee if he wants to haveplete control over the country. He needs to rid himself of Albus Dumbledore.

    Not only is he the Headmaster of Hogwarts, but also the Chief Warlock in the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.

    His influence could even surpass that of the Minister in certain matters. For as long as Albus Dumbledore is allowed to remain, Parkinson will never haveplete authority, and he is very much aware of this fact.

    Harry thought for a while but could not think of anything that Parkinson could do to get the old man removed from his several positions of power.

    ''Unless something major were to ur in the castle¡­something that the Minister could put the full me on the Headmaster¡­like a very serious crime or some incident that caused the deaths of several students.

    "Attention everyone!,I need a minute of your time." While Harry was lost in his thoughts, the Headmaster walked to the podiumin order tomake an announcement.

    "Who is that ugly woman next to the Headmaster?" Ron asked while pointing at a short woman wearing a ridiculously pink dress and a wide smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "Ron, that is so rude!" Hermioneined.

    "Well, she is very unpleasant to look at¡­that smile gives me the creeps," Lavender said with a deep frown on her face.

    "Does anyone know who she is? I doubt they would be introducing a new professor thiste." Parvati stared at the woman with interest.

    "That is Dolores Umbridge. A bootlicker from the Ministry with too much authority," Harry said.

    "Oh, I''ve heard that name before!" Fred eximed.

    "That''s the one who keeps trying to get our dad fired from the Ministry," added George.

    "I heard Mum speak about her¡­" Ginny mumbled. "Said that she is the nastiest woman she had ever met¡­"

    "Attentionplease." Dumbledore spoke again.

    "Tonight, we have a representative from the Ministry with an important announcement to make."

    "Ehm Ehm¡­" The woman pretended to cough before lightly pushing the old Headmaster away from the podium.

    "I can take it from here, Headmaster."

    Dumbledore found her rude attempts very amusing.

    "Of course, Madam Umbridge. Go ahead." He moved aside.

    "I am Madam Umbridge!" She eximed a lot louder than necessary.

    "I represent the Grand Minister Parkinson himself. This means that my words shall be taken with the same level of authority and respect as you would give the Minister himself!"

    She nced down at a paper she was holding and gave it a quick read before continuing.

    "This school has recently been involved in an unfortunate incident involving some Dementors. The current Minister, in his infinite kindness, has decided topensate the students for that terrible experience."

    Murmurs in the hall grew louder.

    "Does she mean those clouds that appeared during the Quidditch game?"

    "Compensation?"

    "What is she talking about?"

    "What is the Ministry going to give us?...you think it''s money?"

    "Ron, they are not going to give us money¡­" Neville sighed.

    "Silence!" Umbridge screamed before mming her hand on the podium.

    Once the students calmed down a bit, she continued.

    "Do not interrupt me like that again! Now¡­where was I?...ahyes,pensation."

    She nced at the paper again.

    "On June 1, the Ministry will be hosting a wonderful party here at Hogwarts. There will be luxurious meals and a music band for the dance. You will receive more details by owl in the next few days."

    "A party?" Lavender said with excitement.

    "A dance?!" Parvati added.

    "Oh! That sounds fun!" Lyra said.

    "So, no money then?..." Ron said withdisapointment.

    "What kind of party will it be?" Neville asked.

    "Food and stuff?" Seamus shrugged.

    Everyone around him appeared to be excited about the prospect of a party by the end of the year.

    Harry was the only one who didn''t seem delighted in the slightest.

    ''So this is it then¡­a great chance to give free ess to the castle to anyone the Minister wants¡­''

    A party hosted by the Ministry would mean that guests from said Ministry will be expected, as well as personnel bringing things like food and decorations.

    Because of this, it would not be weird for the Minister to request Hogwarts wards to be temporarily disabled.

    Or at least, that''s what Harry thought at that moment.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 233: New tricks

    Chapter 233: New tricks

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 233: New tricks</strong>

    "Expelliarmus!" The sh of light left Ginny''s wand.

    Harry gave hisownwand a flick. This made the light return to where it came from, hitting Ginny''s wand and sending it flying away.

    "Try not to make it so obvious. You need to chain several spells together so your opponent can''t just deflect your disarms or stunners that easily," Harry exined.

    "Sorry¡­" Ginny lowered her head in shame.

    "It''s fine." Harry brushed it off. "You are still doing great for a second year. Much better than my sister."

    "Hey, I can hear you!" Lyra was a short distance away, fighting against a dummy. "I can''t believe you are making us practice on a Friday afternoon!"

    "I-I don''t mind¡­" Ginny said softly.

    "Dismembra!" Luna''s spell hit the dummy, and it was immediately ripped apart.

    Luna started tough maniacally. "Did you see that, Tori?!"

    Astoria nced at the remains of the training dummy as it tried to put itself together. "Scary¡­"

    "Harry, why would you teach Luna something like that?!" Lyra eximed.

    "Luna, remember what you promised me?" Harry asked her.

    "I will only use it on the bad guys!" Luna said with excitement while waving her hand around.

    "See? No problem," he told his sister.

    "I see a huge problem!" Lyra replied.

    "Harry¡­" Daphne walked past Lyra and stood in front of Harry with her wand in hand.

    "Want to practice?" he asked, and Daphne nodded.

    Harry moved to the middle of the room and stood there. "You can begin¡­"

    He hadn''t seen much of Daphne since she came back from her training with Morgana, but he could tell that she had improved a lot in such a short amount of time.

    Daphne moved her wand in a quick immersive motion. "Incarcerous!" A dozen ropes shot towards him at great speed.

    But she was not done yet. "Aguamenti." A cascade of water came from above. "cius!" The water transformed into spikes made of ice.

    "Protego." A shield appeared around Harry, blocking both the ropes and spikes from reaching him.

    "Lapis¡­" Daphne kneeleddownand touched the stone floor.

    "Transfiguration?..." Harry was surprised to see this. He had not taught her any elemental transfiguration.

    "Spica!"

    Harry jumped backward before a spike made of stone managed to pierce his body.

    "Not bad," Harry remarked.

    "I''m not done!" Daphne moved forward and aimed her wand at the stone spike itself. "Depulso!"

    A concentrated gust of air broke the spike into small pieces and shot them at Harry like bullets.

    He conjured a shield in front of him to block the shrapnel while starting his counter-attack.

    "Avis." A dozen birds made of paper made their way to Daphne.

    While she considered how to deal with them, Harry had already cast two more spells.

    A group of spiders had been summoned and were moving at fast speed towards her. When Daphne attempted to move back, she noticed the floor was extremely slippery.

    "Evane-" She attempted to vanish the creatures around her before it was toote.

    "Silencio."

    But found herself unable to speak.

    A tripping jinx sent her tumbling down on the ground while birdsnded on top of her head and the spiders started to climb across her legs.

    "Do you yield?" Harry pointed his wand at her.

    Daphne nodded vigorously, so Harry dispelled the summoned creatures and removed the silencing charm on her.

    "Ahh! I hate spiders!" Daphne eximed.

    "Daphne, that was amazing!" Lyra approached.

    "Yes, where did you learn to do all of that?... did Harry teach you?" Ginny could not hide her jealousy at this point.

    "Daphne¡­ great!" Astoria tapped her shoulder.

    "Well¡­ I have been doing some extra practice during the break." Daphne said. She could not mention where she had been. Only her parents had a vague idea of what was going on.

    "How was it?" Daphne stood up from the floor and got closer to Harry.

    "Good, but you got easily distracted with those summons and stopped paying attention to what I was doing. You should have been able to avoid that silencing charm with ease," Harry exined.

    "Why did you have to summon spiders?! Even a snake would have been fine¡­" Daphne wanted toin but she knew she should have done better. "Let me try again!"

    "Take it easy...why don''t you practice a bit with Ginny and Lyra?.I have to go check on Luna and your sister," Harry suggested, but seeing her face of disappointment, he decided to add, "Fine, just give me twenty minutes. Then we can do it again."

    He then approached Luna and Astoria.

    "How did I do?" Luna pointed at the targeted dummy with missing arms.

    "Great, but remember that against a real person, you will have put a lot of power into that spell. Real bodies are a lot more resistant than you imagine."

    Luna nodded vigorously.

    "I see...it needs more power"

    "Harry..." Astoria looked at him.

    He nced at the girl. She was still not talking much.

    ''I guess it''s hard to break old habits...''

    "Teach me!" Astoria demanded while making an expression that was probably the closest she could get to a pout.

    Harry found it amusing that she was probably being jealous of her sister Daphne.

    ''The only problem is that I still don''t know if there is any type of magic that she stands out on. She seems to be decent at everything.''

    "Is there anything in particr you want to learn?" He decided to ask.

    Astoria shrugged.

    "Mmm...well, is a bit early but if I teach you the basics of silent casting?." She seems to dislike speaking so learning to use spells without having to say anything will probably benefit her more than most.

    Astoria smiled.

    Apparently,she loved the idea.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 234: Ready to Party!

    Chapter 234: Ready to Party!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 234: Ready to Party!</strong>

    One week before the Party.

    Minister Parkinson had called his Inner Circle for onest meeting before the day to make sure everything was ready.

    While looking at the faces around the table, he couldn''t help but miss Montage, Flint, Derrick, and Pucey¡­ they were four of his most trustworthy men and had known them for years.

    The Minister could not help but feel guilty for what happened to those men. If only he had put more effort into investigating Potter''s abilities¡­

    ''Now the table looks so empty without them¡­ wait¡­'' He just noticed there were five empty seats and not four.

    "Where is Yaxley?!" Parkinson demanded to know.

    This was an extremely important meeting. This may decide whether they seed or fail in driving Dumbledore away and eliminating Harry Potter.

    The men nced at the empty seat belonging to Yaxley.

    "I haven''t seen him since¡­ two weeks ago," Augustus Rookwood said.

    Parkinson frowned. He now recalled an argument they had back then.

    Yaxley had disagreed with his ns and had wanted to take a more subterfuge approach¡­

    ''Did he betray me?...'' Parkinson could not help but think.

    "No one has seen him?" he asked.

    The men shook their heads or chose to remain silent.

    ''If they think they can betray me when things go wrong and suffer no consequences¡­'' That would set a dangerous precedent for his rule as Dark Lord.

    "Goyle, Crabbe, and Avery¡­ find Yaxley and bring him to me¡­ if he has betrayed us¡­ we will have to show him what we do with traitors."

    The men at least appeared to ept his order. He had chosen Crabbe and Goyle because they always followed orders and Averybecausehe was a sadist who enjoyed hunting people down.

    "Now, let''s get to the main topic of this meeting¡­." said Lord Parkinson.

    "Greyback is bringing almost his entire pack. Twenty-eight werewolves plus himself," Antonin Dolohov said.

    "That is more than overkill already. Do we even need the trolls?"Jugsonasked.

    "Five trolls and fifteen of the outer circle recruits. All ready for action," Walden McNair said.

    "Excellent¡­" Lord Parkinson smiled. His eyes then moved to Mister Jugson.

    "I know you all think that bringing such a force to deal with one boy is ridiculous, but must I remind you that this is the boy who killed four adult wizards with a single spell?!" Parkinson mmed his hand on the table.

    He knew that his story about what happened that day at the arena was going to be hard to believe. That''s why he went as far as to let these men review his memories of the event using a Pensieve.

    But he was afraid that even with that¡­ it may not have been enough.

    "No matter! We cannot be too cautious with this. This n cannot fail. There is too much at stake," Lord Parkinson said.

    "He is right," Lord Selwyn agreed.

    "In a week, we will get rid of that Potter boy, as well as the Boy Who Lived¡­ and Albus Dumbledore will take the me for the attack."

    "Indeed. The documents are all ready," the new Minister assured them.

    As soon as the press is informed about what happened in Hogwarts, they will find many documents implicating the Headmaster as the main culprit of the werewolf attack on the school.

    The deaths of Harry Potter as well as the Boy Who Lived will be pinned on him.

    Like the previous Minister, Dumbledore will be forced to leave the country.

    "Just one more week¡­" Parkinson said in a soft tone.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    One weekter.

    "You look so handsome!" Lily clung to his arm.

    Harry was wearing some elegant dress robes made of ck Acromant silk.

    "Mom, that''s enough¡­" Harry grumbled.

    "Did you at least leave Holly at home?"

    "Yes, but I still think you and your father are being too paranoid," Lily huffed.

    "Don''t forget whose idea this party was¡­" Harry said.

    "I know, but even that man won''t be that bold to try anything here. The Headmaster will be at the party, as well as important people from the Ministry and a dozen Aurors," Lily pointed out.

    "I wouldn''t trust any of those Aurors," said Harry.

    His father, Moody, Dawlish, as well as any decentAurorhad either been fired or put at some desk position. Far away from the action.

    The Aurors today at Hogwarts were allnewrecruits and weredefinitelypart of Parkinson''s outer circle of minions.

    "Make sure to keep an eye on Lyra until I find out what that man is nning to bring here," Harry said.

    The castle wards had been openedin order toallow all the guests to enter Hogwarts.

    But even with the defenses disabled, Harry would be able to use the elves and the living paintings to act as his eyes and ears so he would know whoes in and out of the wards.

    Someone knocked at the door of Lily''s office.

    "Mom! We are ready!" Lyra''s voice could be heard on the other side.

    "Come in! Let me see you," Lily answered.

    The door opened and Lyra entered the room, along with Ginny.

    "Luna and Tori are waiting for us around the corner, we can''t take long."

    The two girls were wearing dress robes with their house colors.

    "Harry¡­ you look so handsome," Ginnymented. She was feeling braver than usual today.

    "You look great too, Ginny," Harry answered.

    "What about me?!" Lyra eximed.

    "Don''t I look pretty?" she said in a teasing tone.

    Harry got closer and ced a hand under her chin.

    "You, my beloved sister, are the most beautiful of them all. Please, save a dance for me tonight¡­"

    Lyra''s face became red as a tomato.

    "W-w-what?!"

    Lily startedughing.

    "Harry, stop embarrassing your poor sister."

    Harry leaned closer to Lyra.

    "You are a thousand years too early to tease me." He gave her a yful wink before letting her go.

    He nced at Lily.

    "I''m going ahead. Remember what we spoke about¡­"

    Lyra finally reacted.

    "W-wait! Come back here!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 235: The Great Minister Party

    Chapter 235: The Great Minister Party

    Disimer:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 235: The Great Minister Party</strong>

    Harry moved through the corridors at a brisk pace.

    Once in a while, he woulde across some excited group of students making their way toward the Great Hall, where the party was going to take ce.

    His eyes moved to the paintings on the walls. Most of them were empty of the usual individuals depicted on them.

    This was because they were busy, watching the most important areas of the castle since he had put the entire school on high alert.

    The ghosts, the paintings, and the house-elves were all acting as his eyes and ears.

    After checking that one was around, he stopped in front of a set of armor.

    ''May as well activate them now and leave them on standby forter use.''

    "Piertotum Lotor."

    The four suits of armor in the hallway attempted to move at the same time but were unable to distance themselves from the wall and instead, they just thrashed around.

    "What is going on?... who put sticking charms on the armors?"

    For a moment, he thought this might be some sort of prank but then....Harry recalled something.

    Last year, the school had many incidents involving objects falling onto students during the tremors caused by the giant basilisk. Until one day, the Headmaster announced that he took preventive action and ced sticking charms on all the heavy objects in the castle that could potentially fall¡­ this included every statue and set of armor.

    "They must have forgotten to remove them¡­ or they didn''t think it was too important."

    Like this, they had sealed arge part of Hogwarts'' defenses.

    "It would take me all night to go around and remove every single sticking charm from them¡­ no, that won''t work. But perhaps there is an alternative to these ones."

    Harry''s eyes moved to the dark end of the corridor. This castle contained one more set of golems that could be activated as a defense mechanism.

    "I''ll have to move those guys. If anyone actually dares to attack this castle tonight¡­ they are going to be in for a nasty surprise."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "You arete! Where were you?" Lyra eximed as she saw her brother sitting down next to her.

    "I had some minor business to take care of," Harry answered.

    "Minor business?..." Lyra raised an eyebrow.

    "Toilet, huh?" Ron nodded in understanding.

    "I also made sure to make room for this." He took arge steak with his bare hands and ced it on his te.

    "Have you seen the size of this meat?"

    "Ron, please¡­ at least use the knife to cut it!" Neville begged.

    "Ugh¡­ does someone want to change seats?" Hermione was four seats away from the redhead boy but still felt the need to ask.

    "I''ll trade with you!" Lyra offered. She was just two seats away after all.

    "No, that''s¡­ you know what? My seat is fine," Hermione said.

    "Ron, no one is going to want to dance with you if you keep eating like that," Seamus warned his friend.

    "No one is going to dance with you either, no matter how you eat, Seamus!" Ron snapped.

    "And who cares about the dance? That''s for the seniors. I only care about the food." Ron then added.

    Harry ignored this and looked around the Great Hall while his ssmates engaged in another loud argument.

    The size of the Hall had been enhanced further to fit an extrarge table where several important guests from the Ministry were seated, including Minister Parkinson and his right-hand/secretary, Madam Umbridge.

    The tables had also been ced in a circr manner around the room, leaving arge opening in the middle to act as a dance floor.

    The decorations had been changed to make it seem more elegant and luxurious than usual.

    They even created an extra garden right outside the Great Hall so people could have a rxing walk after dinner.

    "Looks beautiful, doesn''t it?" Hermione leaned closer to Harry and asked.

    "It''s like a fairy tale."

    "Yes, magic can do some impressive things sometimes," said Harry.

    "Hey, Harry." Lavender called.

    "What''s with the earrings you are always wearing now?"

    "What about them?" he asked.

    "What are those stones? They don''t look like diamonds," Hermione said.

    "They are a special type of stone that can store magic," Harry exined.

    "I should have guessed¡­ you''re not wearing them as a fashion statement or anything." Lavender looked disappointed.

    "A fashion statement? Why would I wear something that has no practical use?" Harry wondered out loud.

    "So they are like magical artifacts? That''s fascinating! I have read a lot about practical jewelry in the magical world," Hermione said.

    "You don''t see them often here. But they are verymon in my country," Parvatimented.

    "My father always has every finger fitted with a magical ring of some sort."

    "And what do these do?" Hermione pointed at the earrings.

    "I already told you. They store magic forter use," Harry answered.

    "That''s it? But wait¡­ what do you need so much magic for?" Hermione didn''t understand it.

    "What do you d-"

    "Harry!" Ginny now called for him and interrupted Hermione.

    "Yes? What is it, Ginny?" Harry turned to look at the redhead.

    She seemed a bit hesitant but finally decided to ask. "Say, Harry¡­ are you going to dance after dinner?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 236: Wanna Dance?

    Chapter 236: Wanna Dance?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 236: Wanna Dance?</strong>

    "Hold your horses, redhead. I was going to ask Harry for a dance first." Katie Bell stood from her seat to get closer.

    "What, Katie? You can go with one of the seniors," Ginny told her.

    "Why should I? I''m only a year older than Harry. Isn''t that right, Harry?" Katie asked him.

    ''Why did they have to make this a dance?...'' Harrymented.

    "Oh¡­ Lyra¡­" Neville called for his sister with a nervous voice.

    "Yes?" She turned to look at the boy.

    "Ehmm¡­ this¡­ could you¡­" He pointed with his finger.

    "What is this?" Harry raised his voice. "What are you going to ask my little sister?"

    Neville''s eyes opened widely and he got even more nervous.

    "Harry, stop! Don''t scare poor Neville." Lyra red at him with a deep frown.

    "No¡­ I¡­" Neville tried to point again. His eyes moved to the potato sd in front of Lyra.

    "She is just in her second year." Harry huffed.

    ''If Neville thinks he can take advantage of my family¡­even if it''s him...''

    "So what? If he wants to ask me to the dance, he is free to do so!" Lyra snapped. "You were going to dance with Ginny, weren''t you?"

    "No one is dancing with Ginny!" Ron eximed.

    "Shut up, Ron!" Ginny smacked his head hard enough to almost dunk his face on his te.

    "You know what?" Lyra turned to Neville.

    "I would love to dance with you, Neville, thank you for asking me."

    "Huh¡­ ah¡­ yes¡­" The boy sat back down and kept his head lowered.

    "Neville," Seamus shook his shoulder. "Did you get the potatoes?"

    "Shut up, Seamus!" Neville snapped at him.

    "What?... what did I do?" Seamus looked baffled.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Once dinner was concluded, a music band appeared on the newly made tform and started ying music.

    Students, professors, and other guests made their way to the center.

    "Sorry, I know you don''t like dancing that much¡­" Ginny said.

    "I don''t mind if it''s just this much. I''m just¡­ really bad at it," Harry told her.

    "You are not that bad!" She hurried to say.

    His green eyes went to a couple dancing close by.

    Ginny saw this and grinned.

    "You are very protective of Lyra."

    "I just¡­ I don''t want anyone to hurt my family." Harry confessed.

    "You think I am exaggerating?" He asked her.

    Ginny shrugged.

    "My brothers are the same. But I don''t think you have to worry about anyone hurting your sister. Especially Neville¡­ he is terrified of you."

    "Yes, I was surprised he even asked her to dance," said Harry.

    "Mmm¡­ that was weirdly brave of him." Ginny chuckled.

    "You know¡­ not long ago, you were obsessed with his books. What happened to that Ginny?"

    She lifted her amber eyes to meet his.

    "Reality hit her in the face¡­"

    "You didn''t have the best Hogwarts experience, huh?" said Harry. In her first two years of school, this girl had already been attacked by some of the most deadly creatures.

    "The Headmaster likes to say it''s the safest ce in the country¡­ I don''t know about that." Ginny chuckled. "But I was always saved in the end, so it''s fine."

    The song ended.

    "I think I''m going to go sit with Luna for a bit," said Ginny.

    "The other girls are going to lynch me if I try to keep you for longer."

    "The other girls?..." Harry raised an eyebrow.

    A group of girls were sitting nearby and staring at him.

    "I thought most of the school was scared of me," Harry said.

    Ginny smiled.

    "The boys? Yes¡­ the girls?... who knows¡­ but I got the first dance." She gave him a yful wink before walking away.

    "Tell Lyra to stay in the hall," Harry reminded her.

    "It''s my turn now!"

    He saw Angelina Johnson approaching with a seductive grin.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Potter¡­"

    When Pansy finally let him go, he felt a strong pull on his arm.

    When he turned around, he found himself face to face with Daphne.

    ''She is mad¡­'' Daphne always ends up calling him Potter when she is angry.

    "What did I do?..." he asked.

    "If you are done having fun with half the girls in the hall¡­ I think there is something you should hear," Daphne said in a cold tone.

    "That was hardly half the girls in the hall¡­ and it would have been impolite to refuse," said Harry.

    "What happened?"

    The music started again. Harry realized they couldn''t just stand there and talk, so he grabbed her arms and put them around his neck.

    Daphne raised an eyebrow but did notin and soon started dancing with him.

    "The Minister has been whispering something to a few young men before they left the hall. Also, most of the seniors in my house are acting very suspicious¡­ all of them are sitting down and looking around the room, like they are waiting for something to happen."

    "Not bad¡­" Harry also noticed those things, but the difference was that he already knew that something was going to happen.

    "You knew," Daphne stated.

    "It''s okay, I already know who the targets are. Just make sure that¡­" Harry stopped midsentence when he noticed someone was missing.

    "She was here a moment ago¡­ where is she?"

    "Who?" Daphne asked.

    "My sister, Lyra. She is gone¡­." Harry said.

    "She must be with¡­" Daphne''s eyes narrowed. "I can''t find my sister either!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 237: Letâ€™s go to the Maze!

    Chapter 237: Let¡¯s go to the Maze!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 237: Let''s go to the Maze!</strong>

    "We have a problem," Harry whispered in his mother''s ear.

    Lily was sitting at the adults'' table along with the other teachers and Ministry guests. "What is it?" She knew her son would not call her unless something important had happened.

    "Can''t find Lyra. Her friends are missing too," Harry said.

    "They must be outside, in the gardens. Harry, it must b¡ª" Lily was about to say it was nothing to worry about but stopped herself when she saw his serious expression. "I''ll help you look."

    "Lily? Is something amiss?" Professor McGonagall asked when she saw Lily standing up for the first time during the party.

    "I just need to speak with my daughter about something, don''t worry," Lily didn''t want to cause panic yet.

    "Harry," he turned around and saw Daphne. "I spoke with some Gryffindor girls. They saw Lyra going outside with Longbottom."

    "See? They must have gone to the garden," Lily felt a bit more relieved to hear this.

    "Let''s go," said Harry before he started walking away.

    Daphne and Lily shared a look before following his steps.

    As soon as Harry stepped outside, he realized that this was going to be harder than he thought.

    The garden waspletely filled with students walking all over the ce. Even with his enhanced senses, it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

    Lily and Daphne also went outside and started to look.

    Lily had been expecting to spot her daughter after a couple of minutes of looking around.

    But ten minutester, she still had no clue where her daughter was, and now she was getting worried.

    "Harry! Where is she?!" Lily found Harry near the dirt path that led back to the castle from the gardens.

    "Did you see anything?" asked Daphne.

    Harry knelt down and picked up something from the floor. It was an earring in the shape of a carrot. He only knew one girl who would wear something like this. "This must be Luna''s¡­"

    An elf appeared next to Harry. His little face was twisted with panic. "Sir!

    We have spotted intruders in several parts of the castle!"

    "What kind of intruders?" Harry asked.

    "Humans wearing ck robes, Sir. And¡­ and trolls, Sir!" the elf eximed.

    "ck robes?!" Lily cried.

    "Trolls?!" Daphne''s blue eyes were wide.

    Harry kept his calm and nced at the elf. "Okay¡­ tell me where and try to be specific."

    "Professor Potter!" Some panicked students came running to them. "You have toe quick! There''s been a fire at the hedge maze!"

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    <strong>Fifteen minutes earlier</strong>

    "Come on! I heard there is even a hedge maze!" Lyra said with excitement.

    "It''s cold outside¡­" Lunained.

    "Lots of people¡­" Astoriained, but then she looked around. There were a lot of people inside too, perhaps even more. "Outside then."

    "See? Astoria is on my side," Lyra grinned.

    "But Harry said to stay here," Ginny told her.

    "My brother can''t tell me what to do! Come on, Neville. Let''s go see the garden." She grabbed Neville''s hand and pulled him away from the seats.

    "But¡­ I should¡­ I should go back with Ron¡­" the boy said.

    "My brother is still eating¡­ you are not missing anything there. Andst time I saw him, Seamus was half asleep, leaning against the table," said Ginny.

    "It''s decided then. Let''s go explore the garden." She pulled Neville along the way. "I wanna go see the maze first!" she eximed as they went outside.

    Ginny sighed. "We should go too."

    "It''s cold¡­" Lunained again.

    "Luna, we are in June already! It''s not cold at all," Ginny told her weird friend.

    Luna frowned while ncing outside. "There is something cold out there¡­"

    "Do we really have to go in there?" Neville saw the massive hedge maze and became worried. "What if we get lost in there?" He was mostly worried about Harry finding him alone with his sister and getting the wrong idea.

    "There is no way we get lost,e on." Lyraughed and they both entered the maze.

    At first, they came across several other groups of students, but after the fifth or sixth turn¡­ they were alone.

    A few more turns and they could not even hear the voices of the other kids.

    The noise of the party hadpletely disappeared and was instead reced by an eerie silence.

    "Uhm¡­ Lyra?" Neville looked around. Everything seemed the same.

    When ncing upwards, he could only see the edges of the nts and the dark sky. "Are you sure we are not lost?"

    "Lost? Don''t be ridiculous¡­ this is a maze for kids¡­, hehe¡­" Lyra tried to brush off Neville''s concerns, but she was starting to get worried too.

    She took a few more turns, with Neville following close behind her, but they didn''t seem to be getting closer to the center of the maze.

    "Uh¡­ Lyra?"

    Grey smoke appeared out of nowhere and started to fill the narrow passages.

    "Okay, there is something wrong¡­" She had no choice but to admit. "Let''s turn around and try to¡ª"

    They were both startled by the sound of footsteps right behind them.

    "You want to leave now, little one?" A mocking voice was heard. It sounded yful, but there was a clear threat in it.

    Neville froze when he saw a ck-robed person walk out and stand behind them.

    The man was wearing a pearl white mask. "The fun has just begun¡­"

    <em>A.N- No, Luna is not detecting Dementors when she says she feels something cold. She is picking up on the magic auras of Death Eaters. The reason she sees them as cold is because of their bad/evil intentions. Cold can be associated with the yin/evil part of a person''s soul.</em>

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 238: That was a bad idea!

    Chapter 238: That was a bad idea!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 238: That was a bad idea!</strong>

    "That''s a¡­ that''s a¡­!" Neville pointed at the masked man with terror in his eyes.

    "Expelliarmus!" A sh of light came out of Lyra''s wand and sted the wand away from the masked individual''s hand.

    "Bloody hell, that hurt!" He let out a shout ofint.

    Two more masked persons came out of their hidden spots.

    "You idiot, pay more attention!" one of them said.

    "Neville,e on, run!" Lyra took Neville by the cuff of his robes and pulled him along.

    The three masked men were blocking the only way out, so they had no choice but to venture further into the maze.

    "Hurry you idiots!, we can''t let the Boy Who Lived escape!"

    "Yes, the Dark Lord will kill us if we fail."

    Neville huffed and puffed as they ran. "Those are Death Eaters!" he finally said.

    "I know!" Lyra looked around. Everything looked the same, so she had no idea where to go from here.

    "You disarmed one of them. That was incredible!" Neville said in between breaths.

    "That was nothing¡­ Daphne would have thrown like three more spells andpletely disabled him¡­" As much as she would like to brag, she knew her brother would tell her that she could have done better.

    "Lyra¡­ where are we going?" Neville decided to ask as they were just going further and further into the maze.

    "To the center. Maybe there is another way out from there," Lyra hoped.

    As the two of them took the next turn, they finally arrived at the center of the maze.

    "Yes! We found it!" Lyra eximed.

    "And¡­ if there isn''t?" Neville asked after seeing that the center of the maze only contained a small statue with some congrattory message.

    There was no other way out.

    "You think they made it fireproof?" Lyra asked.

    "What? You don''t mean t¡ª"

    "Incendio!" Lyra pointed her wand at the back wall. The leaves and branches immediately burst into mes.

    "What are you doing? We are going to die in a fire now!" Neville eximed.

    "What does it look like I''m doing? I''m making a new path," Lyra pointed.

    The fire consumed the shrubbery, and soon enough, there was a hole big enough for them to pass.

    "Incendio!" Lyra continued to burn her way through the maze.

    After the fourth time, she could tell they were getting closer to the exit.

    "Just one or two more¡­" Lyra''s breathing was starting to be more irregr.

    "Are you okay?" Neville looked at her with concern. She now appeared to be a lot more tired than he was.

    "Fine¡­ just a bit more." Those fire spells were taking a toll on her. "Incendio!"

    "There!"

    Neville turned around to find the source of the voice. "Lyra! They found us!"

    The downside of Lyra''s strategy became evident. It was very easy to follow them since they were leaving a trail of burned nts.

    "Let''s go!" Lyra crossed through another burned hole, hoping to find the exit, but she only found herself surrounded by more walls.

    ''There is no other choice¡­ I have to fight them.'' She turned around, prepared to put up a struggle, but her wand was immediately pulled away from her. "Noo!"

    She was then hit by another spell that pushed her back with a lot of force, making her fall against the wall of branches.

    "Lyra!" Neville eximed. He hurried to get in front of her in a protective manner and pointed his wand at the three masked men. "Leave her alone! I will fight the three of you!"

    The trio of Death Eaters startedughing.

    "Go ahead, do your worst." One of them got in front of the group and taunted Neville.

    The boy trembled. He wasn''t even sure what spell he could use in this situation.

    "Neville, just run away, you cant beat them!" Lyra told him.

    "No¡­" Neville pointed his wand at the masked man. There was one spell that Professor Potter had taught them during thisst trimester, but he had been unable to use it sessfully so far. "Stupefy!" A bright red light came out of Neville''s wand and flew directly at the Death Eater.

    Neville''s eyes widened, both shocked and happy at his aplishment.

    This sensation went away quickly when he saw the masked man flick his stunner away like it was some sort of insect.

    "What a disappointment¡­ I was expecting something better than a stunner from the Boy Who Lived¡­" the Death Eater said.

    "Just kill him already. There is no need to waste time."

    "What about the girl? She is not one of the targets."

    "We kill her too, I guess. I doubt the Dark Lord will care."

    "I suppose¡­ we better do this thoroughly."

    Lyra and Neville were horrified to hear their conversation as they casually decided to kill them. She opted to do the one thing she could do at this moment¡­ she screamed as loud as she could.

    "Shut her up!"

    "Silencio!" One of them cast a silencing charm at her.

    "Just kill them already, we have to leave befo¡ª"

    "Found them." The voice of Astoria could be heard on the other side of the maze wall.

    "Over here!" Ginny shouted.

    "See? I told you that if we follow the wrackspurts, we will find them. Lyra is always surrounded by them," Luna exined.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 239: Get away from them!

    Chapter 239: Get away from them!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 239: Get away from them!</strong>

    Lyra tried to call for them but was unable to make a sound.

    "Ginny! Be careful, there are three Death Eaters here!" Neville screamed.

    "There!... Diffindo!" Ginny cut open a hole in the shrubbery wall. "Wait, what did he say?"

    The three girls were now able to see Lyra lying on the ground and Neville staring at them. Behind them were three creepy individuals with ck robes and white masks.

    "I think he said Death Eaters," Lunamented casually.

    "Dangerous¡­" Astoria narrowed her eyebrows.

    "Now what?..." the first Death Eater asked.

    "Let''s just kill the boy at least," another one said.

    "Let''s kill them all!" the third one pointed his wand at the three girls. "Avada Kedavra!"

    Ginny yelped in surprise and moved out of the way of the green curse. If it wasn''t for all the dodging practice they did during Harry''s lessons, she might not have reacted in time.

    "Dismembra!" Luna was the first one to react and she used the most potent spell she knew. The one that Harry had recently taught her.

    The Death Eater who shot the killing curse was hit on his right arm by a yellow light and immediately felt the effects of Luna''s curse.

    "What is happening to him?!" Neville eximed while staring at the masked man as he began to scream.

    "What curse was that?!" one of hispanions asked.

    "Bloody hell! His arm!" the other one shouted as he saw his friend''s arming off its ce and falling onto the ground, followed by a stream of blood.

    Lyra and Neville had front-row seats to the macabre spectacle, but the girl was able to recover quickly from the shock. She took Neville and dragged him along.

    "Hurry!" shouted Ginny.

    Lyra and Neville passed through the opening left by Ginny''s spell and they were finally out of thebyrinth.

    "Blood¡­ lots of blood¡­" Astoria said while looking at the wounded Death Eater.

    "That was a bit more graphic than I expected¡­." Luna said.

    "What in Merlin''s name did you expect was going to happen?!" Ginny shouted.

    "Like¡­ you know¡­ his arming off¡­ but without the blood," Luna admitted.

    "That''s not how real bodies work¡­" Ginny looked back as they ran.

    The two other Death Eaters had stopped chasing them in order to assist theirpanion, but she knew they would soone after them again.

    "We need to go find some help," she suggested.

    They hade out from the back of the hedge maze and there was nothing or no one around here.

    "If we make a turn to the left, we can go back to the Great Hall," said Neville.

    "Yes, let''s do t¡ª"

    "Careful!" Astoria shouted in a very out-of-character manner before shoving Luna away from her.

    A nasty-looking curse passed between them and hit the dirt ground. As the curse made contact with the surface, it started to dissolve.

    The group turned around and saw that the remaining two Death Eaters were already catching up to them.

    They now had no choice but to run in the opposite direction to get away from those two.

    "Wait, if we follow that dirt path, we can get to the front of the castle!" Ginny pointed ahead.

    "We can lose them inside the castle!" suggested Neville.

    "I think I lost my earring," said Luna.

    "Luna, who cares about that now?!" Lyra shouted. "Oh! I can speak again!" she realized.

    "But I will look weird with only one¡­" Luna pouted.

    "Your priorities are so messed up¡­" Ginny gave her a ck stare.

    "Pyros!" one of the masked men threw a ball of fire that hit a nearby wall and sshed fire over them.

    "Ahh!!" Ginny clutched at her shoulder when some mes fell on her.

    "Ginny!" Lyra eximed with worry.

    "I''m fine¡­" She did her best to ignore the pain on her left shoulder and pointed her wand back.

    Some green goo appeared in the air before sshing all over the floor, right behind them.

    "What was that?" Neville asked.

    "Slippery charm¡­ my brother Fred taught me that one," Ginny said.

    As soon as the two men stepped over the goo, they tripped over and fell down while screaming curses.

    "Nice," Astoria said.

    "Awesome, Ginny!" Lyra added.

    "There! I can see the front entrance!" Neville said with excitement.

    The group did not slow down as they could still hear their pursuers right behind them.

    "Hurry, inside!" Lyra opened the door and ushered everyone to enter.

    She waited until thest person had passed before entering herself but when she was about to close the door behind her, she heard one of the men. "Bombarda!"

    She was still clutching at the door handle as it exploded. With a quick reaction, Lyra used her ring shield, the one her brother had made for her.

    This time, she knew how to use it and managed to create a powerful shield around herself to act as protection from the explosion.

    However, the shield was only able to cover her upper body and her legs still received some cuts from the flying pieces of broken wood that came from the door.

    Lyra fell to the ground and continued to roll as more flying debris passed by.

    "We got you!" One of the Death Eaters immediately appeared on the other side of the entrance.

    The group was not able to see their faces but by their voices alone, it was easy to tell how enraged those two were. Their jovial and mocking tone from before was now gone and was reced by pure bloodlust.

    "This game is over...no more running." The Death Eater pointed his wand at the defenseless Lyra who was lying on the stone floor of the castle entrance. "Avada Kedavra."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 240: The Castle Guardians

    Chapter 240: The Castle Guardians

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 240: The Castle Guardians</strong>

    "Avada Kedavra!" The green spark of light manifested from the wand of the Death Eater and flew directly to Lyra.

    No one was able to react in time to save her, and they watched the green specks dissipate after the impact, right in front of them.

    "Nooo!" screamed Ginny.

    "Lyra!" Luna and Astoria eximed together.

    "Oh no!" Neville covered his mouth in horror.

    "Huh?... what is that?..." Lyra stared in awe at the stone hand that had appeared in front of her, just in time to block the spell.

    The hand hade out from the ground and was made of some sort of pearl white stone.

    The two Death Eaters didn''t understand the situation any better.

    They had both assumed the girl was dead and were ready to move on to the other children, but then they saw that thing appear out of nowhere.

    They then saw the stone hand rise further and further into the air.

    An entire figure was nowing out of the ground but it wasn''t breaking the floor tiles, it was more like the stone was changing shape and moving around to let this white figure out.

    Ginny hurried to grab Lyra and move her back. She did not want her friend close to whatever that thing was, even though it had just saved her life.

    "That''s a golem!" Neville was the first one to recognize the creature that appeared in front of them.

    The golem was nowpletely in the open and it stood between the children and the two Death Eaters.

    The construct was humanoid in shape, almost three meters tall, and had very simplistic features, with something resembling a basic face and some lines across its body to represent muscles.

    "It looks a bit like Goly¡­" Lyra said. The golem in front of her reminded her of the small toy that Harry had made for their sister. Except this one was made of stone and was much, much bigger.

    "Where did this thinge from?" one of the masked men asked.

    "I heard some rumors that Hogwarts'' statues and suits of armor were able to move and fight during emergencies¡­ but I have never seen this one before," the other one added.

    "What do we do?..." Neville asked.

    "It looks like he is on our side. I wouldn''t worry too much," Luna said.

    "Let''s hope so¡­we don''t need more enemies," said Ginny while clutching onto Lyra.

    "This thing is creeping me out¡­ blow it out," said one of the masked men.

    "Tsk! It''s always me¡­ Bombarda!" The other one pointed his wand at the golem and gave it a flick.

    A soft crack could be heard before a tiny piece of white marble fell from the golem''s chest.

    "What the¡­ how is it still standing?" the man who had just shot the spell asked. "What about this then¡­ Bombarda Maxima!" He put a lot more magic into the spell now. This would be enough to bring down a magically reinforced wall.

    Once again, they heard a soft crack, and a slightly bigger piece, around the size of a pinky nail, fell onto the ground.

    The golem stood as if nothing had happened. The cracks on its surface had already started to be magically repaired.

    "It''s heavily reinforced¡­ this must be a creation from the Headmaster!" one of the men concluded.

    "Then¡­ what do we do?!"

    The golem started moving towards them, and the two men became more anxious.

    "Let''s go find the others, then we can bring some trolls to break this thing!"

    "But the boy¡­" The Death Eater nced at Neville. The rest were not important, but if they left without killing the Boy Who Lived after being so close¡­ they would definitely be punished.

    "We have no choice¡­ we can''t destroy that thing. But at least, golems are always slow¡­ so we can l¡ª"

    Both Death Eaters heard a strange sound and when they looked over¡­ the golem, who had been standing some good sixteen feet away (5 meters)... had disappeared from its previous position and was nowhere to be seen.

    "What the..."

    They then noticed that all the children were looking upwards, so by mere instinct, they followed their eyes and just for a fraction of a second, they were able to spot the golem¡­ descending from the air andnding right on top of one of the two masked men.

    The Death Eater had his body crushed under the weight of the massive construct while hispanion watched in horror.

    "Wh-what is t¡ª" The masked man muttered the words as he tried to stand back and get away from the golem.

    The golem twisted its body at lightning speed and before the man had time to process what was happening, one of the golem''s hands got a strong grip on his head.

    "Nooo!" the masked man screamed. He had never felt this afraid before. Because he was aware of the futility of the situation. This golem was going to kill him and there was nothing he could say to change its mind.

    The magical construct had no feelings or empathy. It just followed itsst givenmand.

    But the masked man had to try. "Please¡­ let me g¡ª"

    That was as far as he got before the golem used its powerful grip to crush his skull¡­ as easily as breaking a raw chicken egg.

    The golem''s eyes were made of some type of crystal and at that moment they started to shine with an eerie blue light.

    [Kill the Intruders]

    The golem didn''t open its mouth to speak but sound came out of it. Amand that had been given with a familiar voice.

    "Harry?..." Lyra could have recognized her brother''s voice a mile away.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 10 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 241: The Interrogation

    Chapter 241: The Interrogation

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 241: The Interrogation</strong>

    "Harry, what d¡ª"

    "Go check on that fire. I will track down these intruders the elf mentioned. " Harry told his mother.

    Lily was a bit hesitant for a moment, but then...she knew her son could handle this by himself. Her priority should be to find her daughter.

    "Okay, but be very careful, Harry..."

    "I''m going with you, Professor," Daphne said. She knew that if she went with Harry, she would only be a bother and get in the way.

    Lily and Daphne were guided to the back side of the hedge maze by a few senior students.

    "Someone has burned their way out of the maze," Lily pointed out while looking at the hole in the shrubbery wall.

    "Yes. We thought at first it was some student trying to be clever¡­ but then we saw arge fire on that dirt path that goes around the castle¡­ that looked like dark magic, Professor," a worried student said.

    "Yes, and I noticed some guys with ck cloaks running that way, right before the fire. Those were definitely not students," another one added.

    "Okay¡­ you," Lily pointed at one of the students. "I want you to go inside and tell the Headmaster everything that you saw." She then looked at the others. "And the rest of you, I want you to gather the students here at the garden and bring them back inside the Hall. Make sure no one leaves."

    The senior students went on their way, leaving Lily alone with Daphne.

    "You should go back inside too."

    "No way, Professor. My sister is also missing!. I''m not going anywhere without her."

    "It may be dangerous. These ck-robed individuals they mentioned¡­" Lily already had a good idea of who they could be, given the current situation and Harry''s worries about who could be behind this.

    "I am not as defenseless as you think, Professor. I know what I am doing¡­"

    A quick nce at her determined blue eyes was enough for Lily to realize that the girl was not going to back down.

    "Very well, but stay close to me and do what I say."

    After Daphne gave her a nod of consent, the two of them hurried towards the dirt path where the students had seen the fire.

    "Wait, there is something over there!" Lily warned. "Daphne¡­ wand ready."

    "Yes, Professor."

    There was a dark bundle at one side of the path. It was hard to tell what it was at first because the moon was not offering much light on that night.

    But when they got a bit closer and heard it moan in pain, they knew it was a person wearing a ck cloak and lying on the ground. He appeared to be severely injured.

    Lily spotted several stains on the dirt that were probably blood.

    "Hey! Turn around¡­ slowly¡­" Lily had her wand pointed at the man, ready to fire.

    "Ugggrg¡­" The man managed to turn himself on his back.

    Lily spotted a wand in his hand and immediately fired a disarming charm at it.

    They both were now able to see the man''s face. Or more like they couldn''t, because he was wearing a mask. A very familiar white mask.

    Lily had seen a few like this one before. "A Death Eater¡­ in Hogwarts¡­" Her son''s worries appeared to have been warranted after all.

    Daphne noticed that the wand from the Death Eater had fallen close to her feet, so she knelt down and picked it up.

    She gasped loudly when she saw the wand. She recognized it¡­ this was certainly not the Death Eater''s wand.

    Her eyes moved quickly to the man lying on the ground and managed to catch the moment when another wand appeared in his hand, likely from a hidden holster.

    Without hesitation, she made a fast wand motion. "Expelliarmus!"

    "Arg!" The man yelped in pain when the wand was ripped from his hand, breaking a couple of his fingers in the process.

    Lily nced back at Daphne for a moment and nodded. "Good one."

    "Professor, look!" Daphne showed Lily the wand she had picked up.

    Lily''s face went a shade paler. She grabbed the wand from Daphne''s hand to take a closer look.

    Her face contorted with rage as she turned to face the injured Death Eater. "Where is she?! What did you do to my daughter?! This is her wand."

    Lily sent a pulse of wind that lifted the man in the air and pushed him against the rocky wall.

    He grunted in agony and fell back on the ground but refused to utter a single word.

    "io mask!" Lily took the mask off his face, revealing a young man with blonde hair and very pale skin.

    "I know him!. That''s Tobias Smith!" Daphne eximed. "He¡­ was in my house. Graduatedst year¡­"

    Lily stared at him. "A new recruit¡­ they send children to do the dirty work now." She would normally show morepassion, but if this boy had hurt her daughter¡­ there would be no mercy. Harry was not the only ruthless one in the family.

    The youngster opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at her.

    Lily noticed therge stain of blood on his side now and the fact that he was missing an arm.

    "He is not going tost long¡­ he lost too much blood already," Daphne pointed out.

    Lily''s eyes were cold as she spoke. "Then you better answer quickly, boy, if you want to live. Where are the girls?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 242: A Cruel Grin

    Chapter 242: A Cruel Grin

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 242: A Cruel Grin</strong>

    A cruel grin appeared on the boy''s face. "D-Death¡­ m-myrades must have¡­ hav¡­ g-got them b-by¡­ now¡­"

    Lily''s face went through many changes at that moment but eventually went back to anger.

    "I don''t think so," Daphne said with conviction. "Harry is here, he will¡ª"

    His eyes moved to Daphne and his smile disappeared. "Y-You¡­ traitor¡­ w-will die too¡­ t-the Dark Lord¡­ w-will¡­ will¡­ oh¡­" He tried his best to keep his eyes open a bit longer but was unable to continue. His body gave up.

    "He''s dead¡­" Daphne realized. She had mixed feelings about this. She may not have liked this guy but this was the first time someone died in front of her.

    ''Although Harry had been very close...''

    "Let''s go. We can''t waste time here," Lily gave the boy a look of disgust. She felt no pity for him at this moment. Even if his family influenced him, he still had to make many bad choices to get to this point.

    After all, her old friend Sirius had been not much different. Growing up in the ck House. But he chose to not be like them and leave that family behind to be a better person.

    ''There is always a choice...''

    After giving the dead young man ast nce, she turned around.

    "We need to find those girls." She did not believe his words even for a moment. Lily was sure her daughter was alive.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I-It''s looking at us¡­" Neville pointed at the golem with his shaking finger.

    "He is not going to attack us¡­ right?" Ginny asked.

    "No¡­ it just spoke with Harry''s voice. I think my brother sent it here to save us," Lyra said.

    The golem turned to them and advanced a few steps. Its eyes seemed to move to Lyra and then to her wounded legs.

    [Protect the students¡­]

    A voice came out of the construct again but it was also Harry''s voice.

    "See? He is here to protect us," Lyra said.

    All of a sudden, they heard a loud ''pop'' sound that startled them.

    "Missus!" A house elf was now in front of them.

    "Dobby?" Lyra recognized the little creature.

    "Missus is hurt! Dobby failed! Dobby is a bad elf!" Tonight, he had been tasked to protect Lyra, since Harry knew she was the most likely to do something stupid. But Dobby had lost track of her while they were in the maze and had just now been able to find her after they entered the castle. The poor elf started to panic while trying to pull something out of the small bag tied to his shoulders.

    "Dobby, calm down! This is not your fault," Lyra said.

    "That''s your house-elf? What is he doing at the school?" Neville asked.

    "I have no idea. Although, he is more like my brother''s personal elf rather than my family house elf," Lyra understood that much at least.

    "Here, Missus!" Dobby brought her a potion with some green liquid inside.

    "Healing potion, high grade," Astoriamented. Potions were an important part of her family business, so she had been learning a lot about them and the ingredients used to create them for quite a while.

    "Great! You are the best, Dobby!" Lyra smiled and took the potion before applying some over the several cuts on her legs. The effect was immediately visible.

    She made sure to leave some and hand it over to Ginny. "Here, put some on your shoulder."

    Ginny had been badly burned by that me explosion from before. Lyra knew she was in a lot of pain even if she didn''tin.

    "Thanks¡­" Ginny epted the vial with a smile and poured the remnants of the potion over her burned shoulder.

    "Where do we go now?" Luna asked.

    "Should we stay here or try to go back to the Great Hall?" Neville added.

    Lyra stood up. She felt much better now. "If we stay here, there may be more of theming through here."

    "But if we go to the Hall now, we could run into them," Ginny said.

    "But no one knows we are here. If we stay, the only ones who will find us are the bad guys," Neville pointed out.

    "We have him," Luna signaled at the golem.

    "But is it actually going to protect us?" Ginny wondered.

    "Dobby, do you know anything about it? Did Harry really make it?" Lyra asked the elf.

    Dobby shook his head. "Dobby doesn''t know¡­"

    "Fine¡­ let''s go to the Hall then. Staying here in the entrance just seems more dangerous," Lyra decided.

    They all agreed to that, so they ventured up the stairs and went further into the castle.

    "Tap¡­ tap¡­"

    The group kept ncing back as they walked.

    "It really is following us¡­" Neville said.

    "How else is he going to protect us?" Luna asked.

    "It is following us¡­ but I would still feel safer if I had my wand," said Lyra.

    "Dobby will also protect the Missus!" The elf dered with confidence.

    Lyra chuckled. "Thank you, Dobby. I feel safer now."

    "I-I will also¡­ you know¡­" Neville stammered the words.

    "Oh?...." Ginny gave Neville a side nce.

    "There are a lot of Blibbering Humdingers flying over Neville''s head," Luna pointed out.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Just a few minutes after the group departed from the entrance, threerge individuals came through the hole left behind by the broken door.

    "I can smell a lot of blood here¡­"

    "The door has beenpletely destroyed."

    "Yes¡­ something happened here."

    The threerge men wore simple pieces of wool clothing that barely covered their muscr torsos. Their bodies had copious amounts of hair, including their faces. This allbined gave the men a very feral and dangerous look.

    "Sniff sniff¡­ oh? What do we have here?" One of them moved his eyes towards the two dead men on the floor.

    "Bloody hell, what a mess!"

    A.N 1: Quick update, I have increased the number of P@treon advanced chapters from 10 to 15.

    A.N 2: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 243: The Stone Defender

    Chapter 243: The Stone Defender

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 243: The Stone Defender</strong>

    The three men looked over the scene withut showing much change in their expressions, as if the blood and gore were something they had grown used to.

    "What happened here?"

    "Those guys were not killed by magic¡­" One of them kneeled next to the bodies for a better look.

    "How so?"

    "This one has been crushed and the other one had his head broken into pieces."

    "Mmm¡­you are right¡­it doesn''t look like any spell I know, at least."

    "You think the trolls went wild on them?"

    "Well¡­a troll could definitely do this. I bet those newbies messed up big time and got killed."

    "Ha! I bet that''s what happened¡­those bloody idiots¡ª"

    "Wait, shhhh! Someone ising."

    The three men immediately went on alert and moved away from the door.

    "Look, Professor! Someone broke the door!" the voice of Daphne could be heard from outside the castle as she approached with Lily. The two of them entered with care.

    Lily went first with her wand at the ready.

    "Something happened he¡ª!!" She gasped at the sight of the two dead men. "Daphne, I think it''s better if y¡ª"

    "Don''t worry about me. I have seen a lot more blood than that¡­" Daphne covered her nose.

    She didn''t mind the sight that much, but the stench was very strong here.

    "These are probably thepanions of the one from before," Daphne said.

    Lily moved suddenly and got in front of Daphne. "Protego!" Several spells impacted her shield. "Who goes there?!"

    "Tsk¡­fine. Let''s do this the hard way," a man''s voice resounded from behind a column.

    The man then showed himself to them.

    He snarled at Lily and Daphne. "The twodies want to fight?"

    "Another Death Eater?...you don''t look like them," Lily said.

    "I am not like those two on the ground¡­I am much¡­more." With a grin on his face, he moved his wand at lightning speed.

    Two crimson lights shot out.

    "Dodge!" Lily shouted. She recognized them as extremely dark spells even if she could not tell exactly what they were.

    The Protego charm was unlikely to block thempletely.

    "Incarcerous!" Daphne responded by creating a series of ropes that flew at the man.

    But she was not done there. She used a continuous motion to also cast a silencing charm and a tripping jinx.

    Lily, for her part, was also going to cast a series of spells until she felt some movement at her side. ''He is not alone!'' She realized just in time to avoid being grabbed by arge man who had silently moved near her.

    The man made a noise of frustration that his n didn''t work.

    Of the spells thrown by Daphne, only the ropes created by the Incarcerous charm were able to hit.

    The man got the ropes tangled on one of his legs, making him almost lose his bnce.

    The blonde girl was getting ready to continue her assault when someone took hold of her right hand and twisted it.

    Daphne let out a yelp of pain and was forced to drop her wand. The man then pulled her back and grabbed her neck from behind while still securing her hand. "Got you!"

    "Daphne!" Lily eximed. "Let her go!" She was about to point her wand at the man holding Daphne when she heard the girl scream in pain.

    "You better drop that wand before I break this girl''s neck," the man said in a cold tone.

    Lily saw another one behind her but did not dare to move now, lest Daphne got hurt. ''What do I do now?...'' She wondered.

    The man behind Lily,ughed while thest one struggled to get the ropes that Daphne had cast off him.

    "What are you waiting for? Just break that little bitch''s neck," one of them said.

    "Professor¡­" Daphne clenched her teeth.

    "Oi, redhead. You better drop that wand. My friend over there is not going to hesitate to kill that girl," the man behind Lily said.

    Just at that moment of desperation, Lily noticed something before anyone else could.

    Something came out of the ground right behind the man who was holding Daphne without making any noise.

    "What the¡ª"

    "Troy! Behind y¡ª"

    Before any of them could warn theirpanion, the silent white construct moved its hands at an incredible speed, securing both arms of the man, and then, without hesitation¡­it squeezed them.

    The man could barely process what was happening before he felt his arms being grabbed and crushed.

    His bones made a loud crunching noise as they were destroyed.

    The man''s grip on Daphne became loose and the girl did not waste time getting away from her captor and hurried close to Lily.

    Lily did not understand the situation any better, but now that Daphne was free¡­she could fight.

    She twisted her body around and made a shing motion aimed at the man who had been approaching from behind her. "Divulsa."

    The purple light shed the man across his chest, creating a massive cut.

    The man tried to react and ignore the pain to fire back at Lily. He then realized his wound was more serious than a simple cut when a purple substance started growing on his chest while making a sizzling noise.

    "Noooo!" The man screamed in agony. His flesh was being corroded at a fast pace.

    Right then¡­a crunching noise was heard. It was loud enough to earn the attention of everyone present.

    The head of the one who had been captured by the golem¡­had exploded into a dozen pieces of flesh and bone when it was crushed with both hands.

    "Troy¡­" Thest man now realized that it hadn''t been a troll that killed those two Death Eaters¡­but this golem.

    "One more." Lily''s cold green eyes turned to thest man.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 244: Beast vs Construct

    Chapter 244: Beast vs Construct

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 244: Beast vs Construct</strong>

    "Ahhhrg!!" The man let out a scream of rage.

    As he did this, his eyes changed color to a bright and unnatural yellow. His muscles bulged even more, and fur started to coat his entire body.

    "What is happening? What is he doing?" Daphne was startled by the sudden change.

    Lily was more surprised than anything else because she knew this transformation very well. She had seen it many times when she and her husband had kept Remuspany during full moon nights.

    "This is impossible¡­we are two weeks away from the full moon," Lily said.

    "Full moon?...wait, you mean this is a werewolf?!" Daphne then understood. They had briefly covered werewolves this year in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    This man was not a normal werewolf. He was one of the elite soldiers from Fenrir Greyback''s pack.

    Like their leader, he had achieved enough mastery over his curse to transform at will.

    However, unlike Fenrir himself, he would still lose himself to his savage instincts when transformed. This was not a concern for him at this moment¡­hispanions were dead¡­.he had nothing to lose.

    "We cannot let him transform¡­" Lily focused her magic and made a diagonal shing motion. "Diffindo!"

    The werewolf''s eyes became sharp as a de. He twisted his body while it was still transforming and avoided the spellpletely.

    Daphne hurried to retrieve her wand from the floor and tried to restrain the creature''s movement. "Incarcerous!" She sent the ropes along with a tripping jinx.

    The werewolf moved out of the way of the spells with incredibly fast movements.

    As the transformation finished, he became faster and more agile.

    Lily was also trying her best and cast a barrage of spells at her dangerous foe, but all of them were avoided with ease.

    "He moves too fast, I can''t hit him at all!" Daphne eximed.

    Lily decided to change strategies and target the floor itself. She pointed her wand down and created arge sticking charm in front of them.

    If the werewolf tried to approach them, he would be stuck.

    But despite its altered mental state, the werewolf appeared to maintain much of his intelligence.

    His next move was to jump over the area where the charm had been ced and directly lunge at Lily before she could do anything else.

    "Professor!" Daphne shouted when she saw this.

    Lily lifted her left hand and poured as much magic as she could into the magicite ring that Harry had given her, creating a powerful shield in front of her.

    The beast lifted his right arm, showing her his long, sharp nails before bringing them down on the shield.

    Lily was unsure if her protection was going to hold long against an attacker like this.

    But it turned out she would not need to worry about that.

    She never saw when it happened, but at some point, the golem must have moved from its spot because it was now right in front of her. It had gotten between her and the creature.

    The werewolf did not seem to mind that much. In its current state, he wanted to rip everyone and everything apart. He shed with his sharp ws at the golem with no hesitation.

    The nails bit on the stone, making a loud and piercing scratching sound before the w was grasped by the golem''s hand and held tight.

    The beastman howled in pain when the golem''s hand started to crush his flesh and bones, and his reaction was to use both his legs to kick the chest of the construct.

    His legs were powerful enough that the kick managed to push him back with such force that the golem''s entire arm was ripped out of its socket.

    The werewolf was propelled thirty feet back with the golem''s arm still attached to his own while the white golem remained in ce,pletely impassive despite its missing limb.

    Lily and Daphne had their mouths open but had nothing to say. They stared at the struggle between the werewolf and the golem in silence.

    "Grrrrr¡­." The beastman snarled loudly, showing his fangs. His yellow eyes became brighter as he stared at his target¡­ready to jump at it again and finish it off.

    "We should help it out," Daphne said in a nervous tone. That beastman made her extremely nervous.

    Lily nodded. She knew what was at stake. If the golem was destroyed¡­they were next.

    "Tap¡­Tap¡­" The golem started moving forward towards its target.

    "Wait, no!!" Lily tried to warn the construct. Her sticking charm was still in ce, right ahead of him. If it continued on that path, it would certainly step on it and get stuck¡­then the fight would be quickly over.

    The golem did not listen to her warning and continued, leaving Lily with no other choice but to remove the magical substance from the floor before it was toote.

    Unfortunately, the golem had increased its pace, leaving her not enough time to dispel the jinx.

    "Stop!...wait!" Lily hurried with her hand movements.

    Her eyes were glued to the floor where the golem was about to step on the green substance. "Finite Incantat¡­what?!"

    She did not have time to finish her chant when the feet of the golem took the next step. Much to her surprise, it did not get stuck.

    Instead¡­the sticky substance moved out of the way, allowing the golem''s feet to step on the clean stone.

    One by one, the golem continued to step forward and every time its feet were about to touch the magical sticky substance, this one would move away like it was repelled by the golem''s presence.

    "Anti-magic?!" It was the only conclusion that Lily could reach at this point.

    She had only read about it in theories at this point. But there were some people who had worked on trying to create a material capable of nullifying magic or at least repel it to some degree.

    It was different from the magical resistance of trolls or dragons. This method would basically push the magic away from the material, like mas of opposite poles instead of resisting it.

    The researchers did not get too far though. Some of them ended up with the conclusion that it was not possible, while others believed they were at least a century away from having the magical technology to create something like that.

    But somehow¡­the golem in front of her had such defenses.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 245: Following the traces

    Chapter 245: Following the traces

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 245: Following the traces</strong>

    The white golem continued on its path, while the werewolf got ready to fight back. The golem''s broken arm remained attached to the werewolf''s upper arm. Its fingers were clutching with such force that the creature was unable to remove it from himself.

    "Grggg¡­ I''m going to break you!" The beast spoke in an unnatural voice.

    The golem was only a few feet away but did not seem to be in a hurry to get closer, as it moved very slowly, one step at a time.

    The muscles on the werewolf''s legs tightened up as he got ready to jump at the construct, ready to take another arm with him. But right before he could do that, he felt incredible pain in his arm.

    "Argggg!" The beastman screamed and looked at the source of this pain. The detached golem''s limb was now actively increasing its grip on his arm.

    Everyone present heard a loud ''crunch'' when the bones in the arm snapped, but the golem''s limb continued to press as the werewolf screamed and tried to remove it.

    The golem used this distraction to charge at the werewolf. It closed the twenty feet between them in less than a second. Its body twisted as it sent its remaining fist straight at the werewolf''s head.

    He could not react in time, as he had been distracted trying to pry its arm off him.

    The white marble fist impacted the werewolf''s right side of his face, breaking his nose, jaw, and turning his right eye into mush before making the beast collide violently against the ground.

    Lily and Daphne stared without blinking at the werewolf. His body continued to twitch a few times before it finally stopped moving.

    "Is he dead?..." Daphne asked.

    Lily walked a bit closer, circling around the golem so she could get a better look.

    "Oh¡­" The punch from the golem must have had tremendous force because itpletely destroyed the head of the werewolf. She could see how it was turned into a bloody mush. "Ugg¡­yes, he is definitely dead." She decided.

    [Kill the Intruders] The voice came from the golem.

    "Harry¡­" Of course, Lily recognized the voice of her son.

    The golem moved again. It approached the dead werewolf, who was now starting to change back into his human form. It picked up its detached arm and ced it back into its ce.

    "It can fix itself too?...what kind of golem did my son make?" Lily knew Harry was very advanced in this type of magic but could not have imagined he could create something this advanced. ''Could Dumbledore have a hand in this too?''

    "Did Harry make this?... Is it not going to attack us, right?" Daphne stared at the white marble golem.

    "I don''t think s-"

    The golem turned around and appeared to be looking directly at them. [Protect the Students]

    "That''s really Harry''s voice." Daphne realized.

    "I think those are itsmands. Kill the intruders and protect the students." Lily said.

    "Then let''s hope it doesn''t get them mixed up¡­" Daphne muttered. "You think there are more of them?"

    "I don''t know¡­I imagine making something like this would take a very long time, not to mention several of them. But we can ask those thingster. Lyra and the others had definitelye through here." Lily concluded.

    "Yes, and I bet they are trying to get back to the Great Hall!" Daphne realized.

    Lily nodded, agreeing with her. "Let''s hurry up."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Here, Sir!" The house elf said while pointing past arge door arch.

    Harry had let the elf carry him to the ce where they had spotted the intruders entering the castle.

    "The Astronomy ssroom¡­" He muttered. "I think I already know how they came inside."

    With the wards'' protections turned off, there were many good spots to enter the castle without being noticed.

    The balcony of the Astronomy Tower was massive, and it overlook an empty forestal area at the back of the castle. A good ce to sneak inside.

    He went inside therge chamber and soon spotted arge number of objects that shouldn''t be there, left carelessly in one corner.

    "That''s a lot of brooms¡­" Harry gave them a quick count, and it seemed to be over thirty. He turned to look at the elf. "How many did you see exactly?"

    "Ah¡­well¡­lots of them, Sir!" The elf answered nervously.

    "Forty-four humans and five trolls!"

    Harry moved his eyes towards arge painting near the entrance. It depicted a peaceful night scenery. An elegant knight was standing on a field, looking directly at him.

    "That''s a lot of intruders¡­the humans were all dressed in ck robes and wore white masks?" Harry asked.

    "No, my Lord." The knight answered. "Only fifteen of the humans were dressed as you mentioned. The rest just looked like uneducated thugs¡­ruffians, if I may. They lifted those ugly creatures with chains and unleashed them in the castle! This is preposterous. If only I still had my body, I wou-"

    "Okay, I understand, my good Sir." Harry interrupted the grumpy knight. "I will handle this. Did you happen to see where they went?"

    "Of course! This old knight saw everything. Let me tell you."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 246: No Escape

    Chapter 246: No Escape

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 246: No Escape</strong>

    It only took him a couple of minutes of flying around on a "borrowed" broom to find arge group of people who were about to have a very bad time.

    ''That''s not all of them.'' He could only see ten ck-robed individuals and three veryrge trolls being pulled by chains.

    "Come on, move!" One of them pulled on the chain too hard, making the troll growl at him.

    "Be careful! If they go berserk, we are all going to be in trouble!" One of hispanions admonished him.

    "Shut up, I know what I''m doing!" The young Death Eater snapped back.

    "I don''t think any of you know what you''re doing," Harry said as he flew closer.

    The ten Death Eaters turned their masked faces up.

    "What is this?"

    "Who is t¡­wait! That''s one of the targets!"

    "That''s Harry Potter!"

    Several of the men hurried to get their wands out and pointed them at Harry.

    "Kill him!"

    "Yes, he is a target. Don''t hesitate, just kill him!"

    Harry flew out of the way as a barrage of killing curses passed by.

    A smile appeared on his face. "I missed this broom¡­"

    "Hey, that''s my Firebolt!" One of the masked men started to yell at Harry.

    "Don''t stop firing, you bloody moron!"

    "But he stole my broom!" The Death Eater recognized it immediately. That had been a custom order with a gold handle and ck bristles made specially for him. It had cost him a fortune.

    "I''m keeping this one," said Harry as he passed by. "And you have better things to worry about¡­" He pointed his wand down. "ludo."

    ck smoke started to cover the area, preventing them from seeing more than a foot or two ahead of them.

    "I can''t see!"

    "Keep firing!"

    Theyunched another barrage, but their spells were now going everywhere.

    One Death Eater screamed when a Cruciatus cursended on him, while another fell limp on the floor when a killing curse hit him on the back.

    But things were about to get a lot worse for them.

    Harry''s green eyes shone with an eerie light. A deadly aura enveloped his wand right before he conjured the curse. "Venenum."

    From the air, a deadly mist descended upon the group of Death Eaters.

    It spread quickly, and its effects became evident very soon.

    The masked group started to cough and moan.

    "C-Cant breathe!"

    "Help!, g-get me out of here!"

    The corridor was wide, but they couldn''t even get a glimpse of where they were going. They couldn''t breathe¡­they couldn''t see¡­their bodies were in tremendous pain as the venom inside them started to consume them.

    The curse that Harry had called upon would create a cloud of not just one but several different deadly venoms and poisons. The worst ones among them were the necrotic types. Those would rot the person''s flesh, causing a level of pain that was hard to describe.

    The nine remaining masked men became immediately desperate and started to run as fast as they could.

    The idea of killing Harry had long been forgotten, and they just wanted to survive now.

    "Ahhh!"

    "Noooo!"

    "Help!"

    As they ran, many of them ended up hitting the walls of the corridor and fell back onto the floor, incapable of standing up again.

    There were a few who made it out of the cloud of death that Harry had created¡­but even those did not make it too far. Not even thirty feet after getting out, they would fall down and scream in pain, no longer able to move.

    Harry looked at the spectacle without an ounce of pity in his eyes. As far as he was aware, these people dug their graves the moment they decided to invade this ce.

    "No one is leaving alive¡­" Harry''s eyes moved around, scanning the area.

    The only living beings who were a bit better off than the rest were the three trolls.

    Because of theirrge height, they avoided most of the poison cloud as it settled on the ground. And because of their incredible resistance to magic, they were able to withstand the effects of the various venoms and poisons.

    Harry was going to need something else for these three.

    The trolls looked up and growled at him. They were smart enough to recognize the source of the threat.

    Their chains were loose now, and they could move freely without their handlers ordering them around.

    "Argg!" One of the trolls yelled at Harry while extending his hands in the air as if it were trying to reach him.

    "Human, argh!!" Another one of the trolls shouted at him. Theirnguage was mostlyposed of grunts, but they were able to speak a few of their words.

    "Coward!" Thest oneined. None of them could reach him while he was in the air, so they thought it was an unfair fight.

    "Do you think this is a duel or something?..." Harry asked them.

    He could no longer hear the screams of the Death Eaters below. No more than two minutes had passed, but most of them had already died. Only a few of them made it out of the cloud and were now left moaning in pain and shaking. Those mayst a few more minutes, but their deaths were already guaranteed.

    "Finite Incantatem." Harry gave his wand a wave, and both the ludo cloud and the poison one vanished immediately.

    Harry descended now that it was safe. He got off the broom and let it rest carefully against the wall before ncing back at the trolls.

    "Fine, I''ll give you a fair chance to livee at me." He waved at the trolls with his free hand in a taunting manner.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 247: Guided by Hogwarts

    Chapter 247: Guided by Hogwarts

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 247: Guided by Hogwarts</strong>

    "Are we lost?" Neville asked.

    "How can we be lost? We''ve been through these corridors like¡­a hundred times," Lyrained.

    "I don''t understand it¡­we went through the South Courtyard entrance and passed by the marble staircase. We should be seeing the Entrance Hall right now¡­" Ginny looked around. She had never seen this corridor before and at the end of it were more stairs.

    "The stone bridge," Astoria pointed ahead.

    "Ah yes, that goes to the library," Luna realized.

    "That is in apletely different part of the castle!, and on the third floor. How did we get here?" Lyra asked.

    "I heard that the castle could change shapes. And even reveal new rooms or hide others¡­but I have never experienced it like this," Nevillemented.

    "Hogwarts is guiding you, little ones. You should listen."

    They were all startled by the sudden appearance of an unknown voice.

    "Who''s there?" Lyra looked around but could not see anyone.

    "On the wall, child."

    "Is that one!" Neville pointed at a small painting hanging near the next stairs.

    "Well, it is the only painting," Lunamented calmly.

    The group got closer to take a better look. It was a painting of a humble farm with a wooden house on one side. Next to the house was a voluptuous middle-aged woman with long brown hair tied into braids and a simple yellow wool dress.

    "Who are you? I''ve never seen you before," Ginny asked.

    The woman in the painting smiled. "Well, I usually hang in ces where not many students walk by."

    "You said something about Hogwarts guiding us?" Neville asked.

    "Yes, the castle is guiding you. And you should listen. Hogwarts will always try to protect its students," thedy said.

    Lyra stared at her in disbelief. "You are talking like the castle is alive or something. That is impossible."

    Thedy chuckled. "You are far too young to know what is possible and what is not. The castle may not be alive in the same way that you are¡­but it definitely has a mind of its own."

    Ginny looked in the direction of the stairs. That seemed to be the way the castle wanted them to go, even if it would only get them further away from the Great Hall where they were trying to get. "We should go that way then¡­"

    "Ginny, that is the wrong way. We need to turn back," Lyra disagreed with her friend.

    "I also think we should listen to what Hogwarts wants to say," Luna remarked. Her eyes wandered around as if she was looking for something that wasn''t there.

    "Dobby will follow Missus anywhere!" the elf said.

    "I''ll follow Lyra," Astoria decided.

    They turned to look at Neville. "I-I¡­" He nced at Lyra. "I also think we should try to find the Great Hall¡­all the professors are there, and even the Headmaster. We will be safe there." He looked ahead towards the distant stairs. "We don''t know what''s ahead¡­"

    "It''s decided then! Let''s go back. We''ll find another way into the Entrance Hall." Lyra turned around and started to walk at a brisk pace.

    The rest of the children soon followed her, and just a few steps behind was the white marble golem, still acting as their protector.

    The middle-aged woman in the painting let out a sigh of disappointment. "Children these days¡­they never listen. Let''s hope nothing happens to them."

    "Do not worry, My Lady." The valiant knight who had previously talked to Harry entered her painting. "We have a mighty protector this time around. Hogwarts and its students shall suffer no harm!" he promised.

    "I know¡­I have seen him too. He¡­scares me. He reminds me too much of ''him''..."

    The knight pulled off his helmet, showing a healthy patch of brown beard underneath, and then he gave the woman next to him a knowing smile. "You are wrong, Helga¡­this one is one of mine."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I don''t think we came this way¡­" Luna pointed out after seeing arge wooden bridge.

    "I think we took a wrong turn somewhere," said Ginny.

    "No no, this is the viaduct bridge! We just have to cross it, and we will be at the front courtyard," Lyra said with excitement.

    "Ohh! You are right! I remembering herest year now," Ginny eximed.

    "Wait¡­it''s very cold there." Luna stared into the distant end of the bridge. It was too dark to see anything. It appeared that most of the torches had gone out.

    "I''ll get you a coat when we are back in the dorms. We need to go now," Lyra said.

    The group ran at a fast pace, wanting to get back to safety as soon as possible.

    "We are close! I can see t-" Lyra''s eyes became sharper when she spotted something moving at the end of the bridge. "Wait!" She stopped Ginny, who was at her side.

    "Bad news¡­" Astoria saw two veryrge figures.

    They heard arge number of steps resounding on the wooden boards of the bridge.

    "I smell fresh meat." "Haha! Me too. Make sure to keep this thing under control. I don''t want it taking our prey." The men spoke in a loud boisterous way.

    The group also heard the sound of chains nking as they approached.

    "What is that?!" Lyra shouted when she saw them.

    "M-More D-Death¡­D-"

    "No them!, the big ones!" Lyra corrected.

    They spotted two masked men holding chains tied to two giant humanoid creatures.

    "Trolls," Luna answered. "Those are trolls¡­and¡­" She then nced at the other two savage men. "Werewolves," Luna added.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 248: Troll vs Golem

    Chapter 248: Troll vs Golem

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 248: Troll vs Golem</strong>

    "Werewolves?!" Ginny eximed.

    "Missy and her friends should run!" Dobby stood before Lyra. "Dobby will fight the bad men, and those ugly ones."

    "Dobby, no!" Lyra shouted.

    "What is this?..." One of the Death Eaters said while staring at Dobby.

    "What a joke¡­a house elf is going to fight us?..." The other one chuckled.

    "Just let one of the trolls go have some fun. That will take care of this," one of the werewolves said with a cruel grin.

    "Oh! I wanna see that!" the other one added.

    "What are you all panicking for? We also have him." Luna pointed at the marble golem, who was still standing at the back of the group.

    "Right! He is supposed to protect the students," Ginny said.

    All of a sudden, the group was startled by a loud screaming from one of the trolls.

    The chains had been released, and therge creature started to walk forward towards them. "FUN!" he shouted with a wide smile on his face. He then moved his massive hand backward and pulled a colossal wooden club that had been attached to its back. "FUN FUN!" he kept repeating.

    "That doesn''t look fun to me," said Luna.

    Astoria nodded in agreement.

    "You will not harm the Missus!" Dobby got in front of the group and waved his hands at the approaching troll.

    "Dobby stop! Juste with us." Lyra turned to her friends. "We can just run the other way."

    "Yes, let''s d-...ahh!" Ginny ducked down to avoid several balls of fire that passed by her side.

    They impacted on the wooden bridge and started a fire that continued to spread at an unnaturally fast pace.

    "Noo!" Ginny screamed. Their path of retreat had been blocked.

    Both of the Death Eaters brought their wands down whileughing loudly. "You think you can leave just like that? There is no escaping this¡­ept your fates."

    "W-Wait!" Neville shouted. "It is me who you want, right? Let them go, you can have me."

    "Oh? The brave Boy Who Lived finally spoke."

    "And a good Gryffindor he is!"

    The two Death Eatersmented in a mocking manner.

    "Forget it, boy." The rough werewolf told him. "Once that thing is off the chain¡­there is no stopping it." He pointed at the giant troll.

    The creature had been walking very slowly towards them, but once it got to around thirty feet¡­it started running.

    The children panicked, not sure of what to do now. They could not retreat due to the fire covering thest part of the bridge.

    Ginnyunched a barrage of spells at the troll, in an attempt to stop it. But trolls were extremely resistant to magic to the point of near immunity so all of her attempts were brushed off.

    Dobby did not move from his spot, he was ready to take on the troll by himself if necessary. His elf apparition could only take one person away so this was the only way to protect all the students.

    Fortunately for the little elf, that was not necessary at all.

    When the troll was less than fifteen feet away¡­almost in the range of his club¡­the golem moved.

    The white marble construct passed by every member of the group andunched itself against the troll, pushing the creature away from them.

    "What is that thing?"

    "A golem?"

    The Death Eaters had missed the presence of the construct altogether.

    The golem had remained immobile the entire time and standing at the back. Due to theck of illumination, they couldn''t even see it clearly.

    The troll roared in pain. The golem had punched its stomach and almost sent him tumbling down.

    "Pain!" the creature screamed.

    After standing back up again, its face was a mixture of agony and rage. It stared at the golem and lifted its club before running back at it.

    The two were around the same size. The troll being just slightly taller and wider.

    The golem reacted to the troll''s attack by charging forward, avoiding part of the attack by closing the distance. It then hit the troll with its shoulder.

    This time, it seeded in making the troll lose its bnce and fall down, making a loud noise as the wooden bridge cracked and losing its weapon in the process.

    The Death Eaters and werewolves were watching the spectacle with increased worry. They all thought the troll was going to make quick work of this stone golem, but they were now seeing that this was hardly a normal magical construct.

    "It must be some secret project from the Headmaster¡­he is the only one who could make something like this," one of the Death Eaters said. As a recent Hogwarts graduate, he was very familiar with Albus Dumbledore.

    "S-Should I release this one too?" The handler of the remaining troll asked. Once he removed the charm on the chains, it would be very difficult to get that creature under control again. It may not even be possible due to their reduced numbers.

    They used groups of ten to chain the trolls in the first ce before bringing them to the castle.

    "Release that beast!" one of the werewolves said. He knew already that one troll was not going to be enough and he was in no hurry to face that golem either.

    "Yes, there is no need to chain them back either. After they destroy the golem, we''ll just leave and let the trolls continue their rampage," the other one added.

    "F-Fine¡­this will be someone else''s problem then¡­" The Death Eater holding the chains let them go.

    As he did, the rune markings on them disappeared, and the troll was now free to do as it pleased.

    "Grrr¡­." Therge troll groaned and grunted. Its eyes were fixed on the golem who had hurt its friend.

    "PAIN, DESTROY!" it roared.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 249: With the back against the wall

    Chapter 249: With the back against the wall

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 249: With the back against the wall</strong>

    Lyra knew that the golem was incredibly strong, but fighting two trolls at the same time might be too much. She nced at Dobby with worry. Lyra knew that the elf would immediately jump into danger to defend her if necessary, but she didn''t want him to get hurt.

    Retreating was going to be difficult. The fire hadpletely cut their way out, and as it continued to burn the bridge, it was also making their standing space smaller by the second.

    Even if the golem somehow won the fight against the two trolls, if it didn''t do it quickly enough, the bridge might copse anyway, killing them all.

    And then there were those four dangerous individuals who were determined to make sure they didn''t get away.

    Lyra felt like she was standing on a piece of ss that could break at any moment.

    ''This is my fault¡­'' She admitted to herself.

    ''I should have followed thatdy''s advice and continued ahead¡­Hogwarts was trying to protect us¡­and I didn''t want to listen.'' She wished she could go back in time and choose differently, but it was now toote.

    "Oh no!"

    Ginny''s scream brought her back to the dire reality.

    She saw the golem being hit by anotherrge wooden club. The construct was having a hard time against thebined attacks from the two trolls.

    And the two creatures appeared to be having a great time, bashing the white marble construct.

    "They are going to destroy it¡­" Luna said with bitterness in her voice. She already liked that golem.

    "Help?" Astoria asked.

    Ginny had already considered it, of course.

    "I don''t know how¡­I don''t have anything that could work on those trolls¡­" She only knew a very limited amount ofbat spells.

    "What about that slippery thing you used before?" Lyra asked.

    "That will also affect the golem," said Ginny. But then she thought about it a bit more. "Perhaps if I aim it correctly¡­"

    "If you have an idea¡­this may be the best time to use it," said Neville.

    Ginny aimed her wand right behind the trolls. She tried to give the jinx a more defined shape so it appeared only behind them. Since the golem was at the center, it might avoid stepping on it.

    She chanted the name of the spell and a green substance manifested from her wand before traveling to the spots she was focusing on.

    If the Death Eater group noticed her actions, they did nothing to stop her.

    Her aim was true, and only a few spots behind the trolls became stained with the slippery substance.

    It quickly became evident that despite their magical resistance, they were not immune to this. One of the trolls took a step back in order to make room for his next attack. But the moment it did so, his feet slipped backwards, making it fall on its face.

    The other troll got distracted by this, just for a moment. But the golem was intelligent enough to detect an opening in its enemies.

    The construct, which had been doing its best to defend from the barrage of attacks from the trolls, now changed into the offensive.

    It blocked the troll''s club with its left arm while punching its face with the right one.

    The troll grunted in pain as its jaw let out a crunching sound. And if that was not enough, the moment it was pushed back, it stepped on Ginny''s jinx, making it fallpletely on its back.

    The golem jumped in the air andnded on top of the troll before it began to throw one punch after another. All of them were directed at the troll''s face.

    The other troll grunted loudly at the golem. In itsnguage, it was probably a shout to ''stop.'' Not that the golem would have listened to it.

    The Death Eaters and the two werewolves decided that they could no longer stay still and had to take action.

    "Bombarda!"

    "Confringo!"

    The two masked men started firing their magic while the werewolves did the same.

    These two werewolves were not part of the elite few who could transform in the absence of a full moon, so at this moment, they were not that different from normal wizards, just with enhanced strength and sharper senses.

    The spells impacted the golem''s body but did little to stop it as it continued to pummel the face of the troll.

    It wasn''t until the second troll managed to stand still for a bit and used its wooden club to hit the golem that this one stopped its assault.

    When they nced at the immobile troll, it became obvious really quickly that it was not going to stand back up again. The golem hadpletely destroyed its head¡­blood and gore were pouring out in a stream.

    The remaining troll roared with pure rage after seeing its friend die.

    "That thing has magic resistance too. Use the strongest magic you have!" one of the Death Eaters shouted.

    "Bombarda maxima!" The two Death Eaters cast together.

    This time, the effect on the golem was much more visible asrge chunks became detached.

    The anti-magic coating that the golem was equipped with had its limitations. It was able to nullify magic up to a certain potency, but if it was hit by something that went over that limit, the spell would be able to cause a small amount of damage.

    It wasn''t enough to destroy it by any means, and the golems were able to regenerate extremely fast, but it did act as a distraction just enough for the troll to startnding some hits with its massive club. And those were the ones that did the most damage.

    An entire arm of the golem was broken into pieces by thest hit, leaving it in a bad position.

    "Noo¡­they are breaking it apart," Neville said with despair.

    "Ouch!" Luna yelped. The fire was getting closer and closer to them.

    They were between the wall and the sword, and no escape was in sight.

    Just as it seemed like hope was lost, they heard two voicesing from beyond the mes.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 250: The Tide Turns

    Chapter 250: The Tide Turns

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 250: The Tide Turns</strong>

    A very wee wave of cold air hit them instantly, and the mes started to dissipate. The bridge was filled with a thick misty vapor, a result of the ice colliding with the violent mes.

    "Are you okay?!" A tall redhead woman crossed through the mist and approached, rushing at them.

    "Mom?!" Lyra eximed with joy.

    They all turned to look as Lily and Daphne got closer.

    "Astoria!" Daphne jumped at her sister and gave her a crushing hug. "You had me so worried!"

    "Daphne¡­ hurts¡­" Astoriained but still wrapped her arms around her sister.

    "Professor, you saved us! We can leave now," Ginny said with relief. She was starting to think they were not going to make it out of here.

    "Yes, can we leave like¡­ now?" Lyra let go of her mother and nced back at the struggle between the golem and their enemies. Things were not looking good. The golem was doing its best with one arm, but it was gettingpletely overwhelmed.

    Just at that exact moment while she was watching, the troll got a good hit on the golem''s right leg and shattered it, making the construct copse on the ground.

    "Oh no!" Luna eximed. "Poor Goly¡­"

    "Goly?" Lily moved her green eyes around, scanning the area. "That golem t''s like ours¡­" Despite its terrible condition, she was able to tell that it was exactly the same as the one that had saved them.

    Luna gasped. "You have one too!" She spotted the second golem approaching. This one was the one that had been following Lily and Daphne for a while.

    "Bloody hell, there is a professor now too?" One of the masked men said.

    "Tsk! Well¡­ at least this thing is done for¡­" The other one moved his eyes away from the downed golem to focus on therge group of targets.

    "Oho! I''ll take the hot redhead!" One of the werewolves seemed to have gotten very excited with the arrival of Lily.

    "Let the boy to me¡­ I''ll rip him apart, grr!" Thest one said.

    "Come on, girls, let''s get you out of here. You too, Mister Longbottom. We must move now." Lily stood in front of the children with her wand pointed at the approaching men.

    "Big Missus! Dobby will help!" The elf proimed.

    "Dobby? What the¡­ no, you should stay close to Lyra." She instructed.

    "No, Mum! You can''t!" Lyra panicked when she thought her mother was staying behind with those men.

    "Hehe, wanna stay here and y with this big guy?" He wasn''t really exaggerating either. The man was over seven feet tall, with bulging muscles all over his body.

    "We don''t have time for this." His partner stood at his side and pointed his wand at Lily. Before therge werewolf couldin, he attacked.

    "Avada Ke-"

    "Silencio!" Lily was ready to react at any moment and her spell was a much faster one than his opponent''s.

    "Crucio!" One of the masked men fired his curse next.

    Lily hurried to conjure a shield made of stone to block the spell.

    "Protego!" Daphne created a shield before the professor to protect her from the debris created when her shield was blown up by the force of the unforgivable curse.

    "Thanks¡­ I forgot they did that¡­" Lily sighed.

    "Let''s fight together, Professor. We can beat them." Daphne stood at her side.

    The golem approached also.

    [Protect the Students]

    "I think he means he wants to fight too," said Luna.

    "Mmm¡­ another one of those things¡­" One of the masked Death Eaters stared at the golem.

    "This is troublesome. What do we do?" His friend asked. He was unsure if they could take another one, along with a professor and all those students at the same time. "Maybe we should retreat for now?"

    "Are you listening to yourselves? The Dark Lord will skin you alive if you dare go back now," therge werewolf spoke. The other one could not speak so he just nodded.

    "R-Right¡­ and we still have one tr-"

    "Grrrrr!!, P-PAI-uggg¡­"

    They all turned to look back at the ce where they left the troll to take care of finishing the golem. They all assumed it must have been turned into debris by now. But much to their surprise, they found the torso of the golem clutching with one arm to the troll''s neck while this one tried to free itself.

    Realizing the severity of the situation, the two Death Eaters pointed their wands at the golem.

    "Crack¡­"

    By the time they fired their bombardas, it was toote. The troll had its neck broken. The spells impacted on the golem''s back, breaking more pieces apart and pushing it away from the dead troll.

    "Shite! We have no more trolls now," the masked man shouted.

    "N-now what?¡­" The other one nced at the other white marble golem. That one waspletely intact and they had lost their best weapon to destroy them. Their situation had gotten much worse now. Even the werewolves were considering their options.

    The golem''s eyes shed blue.

    [Kill the Intruders]

    "Yeah, go kill the intruders, Goly 2!" Lyra eximed.

    "Are you giving them numbers now?" Ginny asked.

    "Well, I don''t know how many of them are¡­ so, this is easier." Lyra shrugged.

    "Go Goly 2!" Luna eximed.

    The Death Eaters took several steps back. For some reason, this golem appeared to be more intimidating than the other one.

    "And where do you think you are going?..." A raspy, threatening voice resounded over the wooden bridge.

    The two Death Eaters froze in ce, not daring to make another move. The werewolves immediately got to their knees.

    "Master!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 251: The Hunt

    Chapter 251: The Hunt

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 251: The Hunt</strong>

    Lily did not hesitate. She took her daughter''s hand and started running away from the scene.

    "Everyone, run!" she shouted.

    Seeing their professor panic like that after just hearing that man''s voice had them scared, so they followed her without looking back. They did not have time to see the looks of the new arrival or to notice the fact that he was not alone.

    Fenrir Greyback was apanied by the rest of his pack.

    "What are you all standing there for? Go kill the boy!" he screamed.

    "Master, these things are very dangerous. We need to be careful," the two werewolves who had been fighting the golem approached their leader.

    The two Death Eaters were now facing Fenrir and his pack of werewolves, so they failed to notice that the half-destroyed golem had been using its remaining arm to crawl toward them. One of them only heard the noise that the marble construct was making when it was already next to them. This was due to all the noise on the bridge caused by the students yelling and the werewolves shouting at each other.

    "Move!" The Death Eater tried to warn his partner, but it came toote.

    "Ahh, my leg!" He had already been grabbed by the ankle. The powerful marble hand crushed its bones without resistance, making the man let out a bloodcurdling scream that caught everyone''s attention.

    "Shit! Move away you fools!" one of the werewolves yelled.

    The only standing Death Eater had assumed that this was anotherte warning directed to his partner. But then he felt two hands grabbing onto his shoulders from behind.

    "The other one?! No!" In all the chaos, he had somehow forgotten about the second golem that had arrived with Lily and Daphne.

    Several werewolves rushed at them as fast as they could, but the golem only needed one second to destroy the Death Eater''s shoulders before it began to squeeze his body tighter, breaking his ribcage and turning his internal organs into pulp.

    A river of blood came from the bottom of his still-white mask as the golem continued topress him like it was trying to make juice out of him.

    They did reach in time to save the other one, as the broken golem only had one arm to work with and it was much slower to cause any lethal injuries.

    The one-armed golem had managed to break the masked man''s ankle and bring him down to the ground but then failed to grab hold of his head as it intended and could only reach one of his arms.

    The werewolves were able to separate the golem''s remaining arm before it could do the same to the Death Eater and then¡­ they unleashed their full fury on the construct, breaking it until it was nothing more than small pieces of white marble.

    The other golem suffered the same fate under the assault of over a dozen powerful werewolves. No matter how strong and fast it was¡­ there was nothing it could do against the overwhelming numbers.

    It still was able to injure several of them. Something that truly surprised their leader, who watched the fight in unusual silence.

    "What are those things? I don''t remember Dolohov mentioning them during the meetings we had." He had several conversations with the wizard, who had provided as much information about the castle as he had.

    All about their defenses, the professors, the Headmaster. They had gone over every possible thing that could pose a problem. The golems and sets of armor of the castle were indeed mentioned as a distant possibility.

    They could only be activated by the Headmaster or Vice-Headmistress McGonagall. But those were nothing like the constructs he was just seeing.

    "Well? Can someone tell me what in Hell are those things?!" Fenrir growled. He did not like surprises. And especially not at this moment. This mission was very risky and that is why he asked to double the payment, but this feels like someone made a grievous mistake in calcting the danger.

    "We don''t know either, Master. There was one of them with the Boy Who Lived¡­ that one took down both of the trolls we had with us. The other was apparently following Professor Potter and that blonde girl," a werewolf said.

    "Could the Headmaster have put some bodyguard golems on the boy?..." Fenrir considered the possibility.

    "That seems likely, Master. But whatever they were¡­ they are gone now. We destroyed thempletely." Therge man pointed at the golems'' remains with a satisfied smile.

    "Yes, well¡­ now we j-"

    "Ahhh, please!" Fenrir was interrupted by the Death Eater''s screams of pain.

    "Now we just need t-"

    "Ahhhh!" He was interrupted again. Fenrir huffed in annoyance and approached the injured masked man.

    "I-I need a healer! Please¡­ it hurts!" The Death Eater had his ankle and armpletely shattered and was in agony.

    Fenrir grinned.

    "I don''t have healers in my pack, I''m afraid¡­ but let me give you something for the pain."

    "Ahh¡­ t-thanks¡­ uhh!"

    Fenrir''s powerful fist impacted the Death Eater''s face, breaking his mask into pieces, as well as the man''s face, before being bashed against the floor. The injured Death Eater made no more noises after that.

    "Now¡­ as I was saying¡­ now it is time to hunt." Fenrir howled loudly, followed by his pack.

    "A hunt!" they all eximed with excitement.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 252: A Desperate Retreat

    Chapter 252: A Desperate Retreat

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 252: A Desperate Retreat</strong>

    "Who was that? Why are you so scared, Professor?" Ginny asked.

    "Yes, why are we running so much? We left Goly 2 behind!" Lyrained.

    "Fenrir Greyback¡­ I have encountered him before," Lily said with a grave tone. "He is the most dangerous and ruthless werewolf that I know, and he is not someone you want to fight."

    "The castle is changing again," Luna observed as they went through another set of staircases.

    They could all feel the walls shifting and changing.

    "I had no idea the castle could transform so much," Lily looked back at where they came from. She could not see or hear anything yet, but she had no doubt that Fenrir and his pack wereing after them, so she could not slow down.

    But as soon as she got off the stairs, Lily stopped in her tracks.

    "What in Merlin''s name is this?" Those stairs should have led them to the fourth floor ande out right next to her Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. She was then nning on using a secret passage that would lead them outside after passing through a long flight of stairs on the east side of the castle.

    Instead, they found themselves in a narrow corridor with only one way forward.

    "This one looks very familiar, even if the walls are a bit changed¡­" Lyra looked around.

    "The writing supplies storage¡­" Lily said as they passed by a room with a very old wooden door. She then realized where they were.

    "This is thest floor of Hogwarts," she said with worry. There was no escape from here. If their enemies found them now¡­ they would have nowhere to run.

    "The entrance to the training room is right there." Ginny pointed to the only painting remaining on the walls, depicting some trolls trying to practice ballet.

    "Right! Over there is the Room of Requirement," Lyra eximed.

    "The other paintings are missing," Astoria noticed. Usually, there would be several more decorations on the wall, but now¡­ there was only the one painting that pointed towards the secret entrance to the Room of Requirement.

    "I think Hogwarts wants us to go there," Luna said.

    "Yes, let''s go! They will never find us there." Ginny hurried to open the entrance by pacing around.

    Lily didn''t understand anything. She had never heard about this room they were talking about.

    "What are you doing?!" she told Ginny after seeing her pacing around in front of an ugly painting.

    "There is a secret room here, Mom. We can use it to hide," Lyra exined to her. "Once we go inside, the entrance will disappear. It is the perfect ce to hide."

    "There is a room here?" Neville had no clue about what those girls were talking about.

    "Really?" Lily had learned of many of Hogwarts'' secrets thanks to James and the other Marauders, but never heard of a hidden room on the seventh floor.

    ''Was there a ce like that in the castle? Could it be they never found it?...'' Her eyes opened widely when she saw a door forming out of the stone walls.

    Ginny did not waste time opening it and went inside. Luna and Astoria followed behind. Lyra pulled both Neville''s and her mother''s hands.

    "Come on, let''s go!"

    As they entered, they were all surprised by the contents inside. Even the four girls who were used to being here had never seen their training room in this state.

    "Ginny¡­ what did you ask when you opened the entrance?" Lyra asked before closing the door behind her.

    "A good ce to hide¡­" Ginny answered.

    The Room of Requirement had taken its original form. The entire massive chamber was filled with rows and rows of shelves, all filled to the brim with things. It did seem to be somewhat organized despite the amount of items stored, but it still gave them an overwhelming feeling.

    "There are plenty of good spots for hiding, so it wasn''t wrong," Luna said.

    "Where did all of this stuffe from?" Neville looked around in shock.

    "I don''t know¡­ we have never seen the room like this. It usually looks like arge training room, with target dummies and stuff like that," Ginny exined.

    "And my brother never exined much about this room either. He just asked us to never tell anyone about it¡­" Lyra added.

    "So remember¡­ when he asks, we tell him it was Ginny who revealed the secret and not me."

    "Okay," said Luna, while Astoria assented with her head.

    "Whoa, wait! Don''t tell him that," Ginny didn''t want Harry getting mad at her.

    "I won''t tell anyone, if that helps¡­" said Neville. "I mean, if Ron knew about this ce, he would have us skipping ss anding here all the time."

    "What?" Lily raised an eyebrow. Neville had somehow forgotten there was a professor present in the room.

    "Ah¡­ no¡­ I mean¡­ we would never do that!"

    Lily ignored the panicked boy and examined the entrance. There was nothing on the stone wall, but as soon as she got closer¡­ a door appeared in the same ce as it was before.

    "Don''t open it!" Ginny hurried to say. "As long as we are inside and the door is closed, no one else will be able to enter here."

    "Yes, Harry always made us all enter together. He said that as long as someone was using the room, it would not show for anyone else, even if they knew it was here," Lyra exined.

    "That sounds very useful," Lily agreed. "Let''s hope that is enough to lose them."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 253: You canâ€™t hide

    Chapter 253: You can¡¯t hide

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 253: You can''t hide</strong>

    "I think I heard something!" Lyra eximed.

    Only ten minutes had passed since they entered the Room of Requirement.

    "Shh! Be quiet!" Ginny told her.

    "W-what do we do? They can''t find us here, right?" Neville asked.

    "Everyone be quiet," Lily got closer to the door and tried to pick up what was going on outside.

    "Sniff, sniff¡­ it must be around here," she heard someone say from the other side of the wall.

    "Keep looking! They are hiding somewhere close."

    Hearing the voice of Fenrir made Lily''s blood run cold.

    She made a gesture of silence to the children. Their only chance was to make sure they didn''t reveal the existence of this secret chamber.

    ''But what if they actually find it?...'' She had no doubts that Fenrir would have a way to enter here if he discovered where they were. She kept silent about it since she didn''t want to worry the children¡­ no more than they already were.

    ''Harry, where are you?...'' Her son seemed to always know what to do. Now she wished she could talk to him.

    "Mmm?" Lily heard the steps and voices getting more distant.

    ''Are they leaving?'' She thought with an increasing sense of hope.

    A few momentster, she could no longer hear anything on the other side.

    Lily let out a sigh of relief.

    "I think¡­ I think they lef¡ª"

    "Bombarda!"

    The walls trembled and shook when the spell impacted them.

    Lily lost her bnce and fell backward.

    "Mom!" Lyra shouted and ran to her.

    "Fire again, all of you!" Fenrirmanded.

    Lily stood back up with the help of her daughter and, knowing what wasing, the two of them moved away from the wall.

    "Run! Go hide somewhere!" Lily told the children. But before anyone had time to do much¡­ a bombardment of exploding charms hit the walls of the room.

    The stone wall blew up into pieces that flew everywhere, leaving a giant gaping hole.

    The group stared at the entrance with frightened eyes.

    "How did they find us so fast?" Ginny could not understand it.

    "There is no way they knew about this ce," Lyra added.

    "Ha! You lot are truly underestimating the senses of a werewolf!. You think some hidden wall is going to cover your scent?." Fenrir walked inside, stepping over the remains of the wall as the smoke cleared.

    Following behind him was what remained of his pack. Leaving the three who died at the hands of Lily and the Marble Golem, there were still twenty-five werewolves plus their leader, Fenrir.

    All of theserge, fierce men were now standing in front of Lily and the students.

    "What are you after, Fenrir?" Lily decided the only thing left was to try and reason with this savage man, or maybe gain some time at least.

    A cruel grin appeared on the werewolf leader''s face.

    "All your deaths, I''m afraid."

    Lily clenched her teeth to keep herposure. "Did someone hire you to do this? I can double their offer. All you have to do is go away."

    "Oh, I have no doubt you could do that¡­ I heard wonders about the Potter fortune. But my word is more valuable than that¡­ and I know better than to betray someone like the Dark Lord." Fenrir may be quite fearless, but he was aware of how powerful and cruel the Dark Lord was. It would be stupid to make an enemy of someone like that for some coins.

    "The Dark Lord?..." Lily then realized. All these men thought they were working for Lord Voldemort. None of them knew of Lord Parkinson''s deceit.

    She was considering if it would be possible to convince this man that he had been lied to. But she had no evidence of her ims and they would sound like nonsense to his ears.

    ''Is there something I can say to him that could change his mind?...'' She wondered.

    "The Potter boy is not here¡­ that is too bad." Fenrir nced at Lily.

    "You wouldn''t happen to know where he is? We have some business with your son too."

    "You are also after my son? And you think I would help you find him? I''d rather die!" Lily screamed at him with rage. Her wand was held firmly in her hand, but she was hesitant to use it.

    The moment she fired a single spell¡­ all of those werewolves would rush at them without dy.

    "You will die, don''t worry about it. The rest of your family will soon follow. So go ahead¡­ use that wand in your hand." Fenrir chuckled.

    "I''ll give you the chance to fire the first shot!"

    A set of steps were then heard behind them.

    "I think I will take you up on your offer if you don''t mind." A ck-haired boy, wearing elegant robes, came walking into the chamber with steady steps.

    Fenrir and his pack turned to face the new arrival with a great deal of disbelief. This was because they had not heard or smelled his approach.

    Even now, when they could see him stand in front of them¡­ they could not sense anything from him.

    Harry''s green eyes scanned the room until theynded on Lily and the rest.

    "You gave me a lot of work¡­ I have been trying to find you for a while."

    "Harry!" Lily eximed.

    Daphne sighed in relief. "We are safe¡­"

    "What took you so long?!" Lyra shouted.

    "You are Harry Potter?" Fenrir asked.

    "I am¡­ but first¡­" Harry moved his wand and pointed it up.

    "Magna Custodia."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 254: Alone?, I am not alone

    Chapter 254: Alone?, I am not alone

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 254: Alone?, I am not alone</strong>

    A sh of light came out and moved immediately towards its target.

    The werewolves didn''t know what that spell did, so they were all on high alert, but they soon realized that it was not aimed at them but at Lily and the other students.

    The ball of light stopped right above the student group before it opened up like arge curtain. It enveloped them inside a translucent fment.

    "A protection charm?" Neville asked.

    The girls had seen this before and knew how strong this protection was. But for Lily, it was the first time, and she was shocked when she saw symbols appear on its surface and move around.

    "Runes? Youbined runes with this charm?... It''s like a miniature ward," Lily realized.

    "Just stay in there. That thing can protect you from almost anything," Harry told them as he used his wand to tap the wall behind him.

    All of a sudden, the hundreds of stone pieces scattered around started to move back to their source, repairing the wall in the process and sealin the entrance.

    "What are you doing?" Fenrir could not understand this boy''s actions. He sort of understood using some protection over his loved ones, no matter how futile that was. But he had no idea why he was now fixing the broken wall.

    "This room is no good forbat¡­ change it," Harry told no one in particr.

    But the room seemed to listen to his words and started to transform, even while everyone was still inside.

    There were many noises of confusioning from the werewolves until their leader began to put order.

    "Shut up! Keep your eyes open."

    All the clutter in the room disappeared. All the shelves and all the items stored inside were suddenly gone.

    The Room of Requirement was nowpletely empty. There was just one massive chamber with nothing in it but people.

    "Much better," Harry said as the wall also finished repairing.

    "Harry, what are you doing?!" Lily cried. Because she knew her son and it looked like he was getting the stage ready to fight all these werewolves on his own.

    "Let me help you!" Lily tried to leave the protective bubble but, much to her shock, she found out that she was unable to.

    "I can''t leave?!"

    "It''s for your own good. I made the protection go both ways so it also protects the outside from you¡­ this means that nothing goes inside or outside of that barrier," Harry revealed.

    "Like that sanctuary thingy you gave Holly?" Lyra asked.

    "Something like that¡­ the shield will go away in around ten minutes, so sit down somewhere and rx while I take care of these¡­ intruders." Harry nced back at the werewolves and Fenrir.

    The werewolf leader had now recovered his confident grin.

    "I will admit. That was an impressive demonstration right there¡­ you even frightened my pack a little bit. But you say you will¡­ take care of us?" He started tough.

    Soon, the entire pack joined in.

    "I have heard that Gryffindors were heroic, reckless, and stupid¡­ but you really take it too far, boy. Youe here alone and think that you can beat me and all my men by yourself?..." Fenrir growled at him in a menacing way and showed Harry his fangs.

    "I will eat you alive!"

    "And when did I say I came here by myself?" Harry pointed at the ground.

    The stone tiles began to move¡­ they began to ripple as if the surface of the room had been turned into some thick liquid.

    "What is happening?!" Ginny asked.

    "I have seen that before," Lily recalled a recent moment that remained engraved in her mind. "The marble golem!"

    "There are more than two?! Of course, it makes sense that Harry also had one for him!" Lyra realized.

    "I don''t think one of those golems is going to make much of a difference," Nevillemented.

    "I don''t think there is only oneing¡­" Luna noticed howrge the affected area was. Her senses were going crazy, but she was unable to understand exactly what was happening. She just knew that Harry was the one causing it.

    "How many are there?!" Daphne started seeing dozens of white hands pulling up from the ground.

    Fenrir''s expression quickly changed. His honed instincts were screaming at him about danger.

    His men panicked when they saw those white marble bodies emerge from the ground.

    It wasn''t just one or two¡­ all around them were dozens of those golems continuing to emerge.

    "This can''t be!"

    "How many of those sted golems areing out?!"

    Fenrir went and grabbed one of his men by the throat. "Didn''t you say they were unique constructs made by Dumbledore?! He could not have created so many." This was one of the two werewolves who had initially faced off against Lyra''s group at the wooden bridge.

    "I-I don''t know, Master! I just¡­ I just thought that¡­"

    "Hmph!" Fenrir threw him on the ground. He knew that the me was not on his men. They could not have known this. If he was going to be ming someone for this¡­ that would be Anthony Dolohov. He was their contractor and the wizard who was supposed to supply all the necessary information.

    The white marble golems stood all around the small group of twenty-six werewolves.

    In total, there were one hundred golems. But two of them were currently in a state of self-repair and could not answer Harry''s call.

    There was one extra golem that Harry did not call here. That one was a special case and it would have been a terrible idea to bring him to this location.

    "Master, if the boy is the one controlling these things¡­" One of his men told the leader.

    "Yeah! If we kill the boy¡­ those golems should be useless, right?" Another one added.

    A glimmer of hope appeared in Fenrir''s eyes.

    "Yes!" He shouted. This had to work. All they had to do was kill Harry Potter and then¡­ victory would be theirs.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 255: The Master of the Castle

    Chapter 255: The Master of the Castle

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 255: The Master of the Castle</strong>

    "That''s a lot of golems¡­ where are they evening from?" Ginny asked.

    "They areing from the ground, did you not see it?" Luna told her.

    "Luna! That''s not what I m¡ª"

    "Are we really trapped here?" Neville was starting to panic, tapping his hands against the translucent barrier.

    "You are safe in here. And Harry said it would onlyst for a short period of time." Daphne tried to calm him down.

    "I assume this charm consumes a lot of magic¡­ even for Harry."

    "But then what?! What if the werewolvese for us after this shield disappears?!" Neville asked.

    Daphne smacked him on the head, making the boy let out a painful yelp.

    "Think about it, Longbottom. You have seen what those golems can do. And you still believe those werewolves have a chance of victory?"

    ''Even without the golems, Harry would not lose,'' she thought.

    The more Daphne learned about magic and improved herself, the more she realized just how ridiculous Harry was. People who called themselves talented or geniuses had no idea how impossible his feats of magic were. At least for a single wizard. She had seen him use magic that was meant to be cast byrge congregations of wizards or an entire cabal of witches.

    "That''s alright, Neville. The golems will take care of these scary guys," Lyra told him.

    "But why are none of the golems moving? Shouldn''t they be protecting Harry?" Ginny was beginning to be concerned.

    The werewolves were approaching Harry with a lot of care. Their eyes kept going back and forth between therge group of golems.

    "Ginny is right¡­ they should be moving," Lily could not help but think that maybe there was something wrong with them. Was her son trying to call a bluff on Fenrir? That did not seem like him.

    She tried to catch a nce of his face but could not see him anymore among the crowd.

    Fenrir did not miss this and he also started to think that perhaps¡­ that boy was trying to deceive them into an early retreat by making them think they werepletely outmatched.

    After all, creating so many of those high-quality golems should be impossible. Even for someone like Albus Dumbledore¡­ much less, a third-year student.

    The golems surrounding them could be still iplete and were incapable of fighting at all.

    "That would be a clever ruse then¡­" Fenrir examined Harry a bit closer. He could not smell any fear on him¡­ or anything at all for that matter.

    ''What a strange boy¡­ too bad we have to kill him. I would have liked to add him to my pack.''

    The first few werewolves were now almost at arm''s reach of Harry. They were now much closer to him than the golems were to them.

    So, with no more hesitation, they pounced at him.

    Some of them tried to grab him in order to prevent him from casting any spells while others threw curses and disabling charms at Harry.

    Harry had nowhere to back up. His back was almost against the wall where the entrance used to be. After repairing it, the door had disappeared, leaving a clean wall behind.

    All around him were nothing but werewolves. The golems had all been positioned in an outer circle around the werewolves themselves.

    The men present could not be considered of the intellectual kind, but even they realized immediately that this was a very stupid decision. Instead of having some golems next to him to protect him¡­ he left them all outside and he stood alone, surrounded by enemies.

    "You have nowhere to run, boy!"

    "Come on! You are mine!"

    The tworge men moved at a very impressive speed considering their sizes. Their curse had given them many benefits and an increase in physical strength and speed was one of them.

    But they would all soone to realize that Harry was not as trapped as they thought.

    With a nimble motion, Harry lifted his wand in the air, and in the next instant¡­ he was gone from the spot he had been standing.

    This was so sudden that the tworge men did not even have time to stop and ended up having their bodies hit the wall with tremendous force.

    "Where did he go?!" Fenrir shouted. "Find him!"

    "Harry, how did you get there?" Lyra was the first one to spot her brother.

    He had somehow moved several feet behind the group of werewolves and was standing right in front of some of his golems with a confident smile.

    They all heard Lyra speak and turned around, finding Harry without problems since he wasn''t trying to hide.

    "When did he get there?"

    "How did he move so fast?!"

    The werewolves didn''t understand.

    "Apparition?" Fenrir had been very close to Harry when he used his wand. That spell was something everyone learned when they were still in magical school.

    "It''s impossible to use Apparition inside Hogwarts, Master." One of the werewolves dared to say. He had graduated over a decade ago but still remembered something that basic.

    Many of them had attended this school before bing what they were now and were also aware of this rule.

    "I know that already!" Fenrir growled. "But I know what I saw! That was Apparition."

    "The big wolf is right. I did use Apparition," Harry told them.

    Before they could ask any questions, he spoke again. His tone now sounded a lot less friendly and contained.

    "Because you see¡­" His eyes shone with an eerie green light.

    "I am the Lord of this castle you so foolishly decided to intrude¡­ and none of you will ever leave this chamber alive." After saying that, Harry vanished again.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 256: You canâ€™t see me

    Chapter 256: You can¡¯t see me

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 256: You can''t see me</strong>

    A.N - In case you were wondering. I have increased the number of extra chapters for Patreons from 10 to 15. That''s why you are getting 5 extra chapters on a Sunday.

    Have a good day and as always, thank you for your support! -

    "He''s gone again?!" Lyra eximed as she saw her brother vanish. "Did he Apparate again?"

    "No, that was not Apparition. He didn''t even move his wand," said Lily.

    "I think he used a Disillusionment Charm or something like that. He''s not gone, just invisible." Daphne had some experience with this. "He''s always using those tricks to startle me¡­"

    Ginny nced behind her and at Daphne. "You two meet alone very often?"

    Daphne raised an eyebrow. "And what if we do?"

    "Girls¡­ this is really not the time for this," Lily stood between them. "Leave it for another day for Merlin''s sake."

    The werewolves went crazy, trying to look for Harry.

    "I can''t track him down."

    "Why can''t I get any scent from him? Where is he?"

    "Could he have actually left?" A werewolf that was a bit more distant from the rest asked. All of a sudden, he could feel some movement behind him.

    "What the¡­" A small breeze of wind hit his skin. "He''s here! He''s her¡ª"

    Everyone turned towards the source of themotion just in time to see the werewolf''s head being separated from his shoulders.

    "He''s over there! Fire everything you have!"

    They used a wide variety of spells that impacted all over the walls and ground.

    The assault ended after a few seconds and was followed by a disturbing silence.

    "Did we get him?" One of the werewolves asked.

    Someone stood at his side.

    "No, I don''t think you did."

    Therge man frowned. "What makes you so sur¡ª it''s you!" He pointed at Harry.

    He answered by pointing his wand at therge man.

    "Incendium." Iridescent mes washed over him, melting his flesh and bones¡­ the werewolf could not even scream and instead, he just let out a brief whimper before being consumed.

    Once again, they all turned towards the source of the noise and just managed to catch a glimpse of Harry as he disappeared.

    "Two down¡­ twenty-four to go," Harry said.

    They fired spells at his previous location but he had already moved.

    Even with their enhanced senses, the werewolves were not capable of finding his location.

    This is because Harry was using a new ability of his. After awakening as the True Master of Death, he was now able to use powers rted to the Three Hallows.

    The Elder Wand improved the strength of his offensive magic.

    The Resurrection Stone allowed him to speak with the dead.

    And the Cloak¡­ did what it had always done. It gave Harry the power to be not just invisible but nearly untraceable, leaving no sound or smell. As the old tale said¡­ not even Death could find him.

    The werewolves grew more desperate as they saw theirpanions die, one by one.

    Harry would move around and throw deadly spells at them. They could not see him or track him down so they were not able to fight back.

    After a short period of time, only seventeen of the original twenty-five werewolves were left alive.

    Fenrir growled with rage.

    "Show yourself, you coward! Let me see you so I can rip you to pieces!"

    "Ahhh!" Another werewolf screamed as his body was set aze.

    "Seventeen down¡­" The voice of Harry resounded in the chamber.

    "Master! We can''t keep this up. Even withouth the help of those golems, he is going to kill us all at this rate! We can''t even fight back."

    Fenrir could not argue back. He knew his pack was right¡­ they could not win if things continued like this.

    He looked around.

    ''The golems did not move an inch¡­ it looks like I was right about that at least.'' His eyes then moved to the wall they had previously broken to enter here. It waspletely repaired, but they could always break it again to escape.

    But he did not want to escape¡­ Fenrir Greyback has never run away from an enemy before.

    And he just thought about a way to force that boy to show his face. He nced at the translucent protective bubble near the middle of the room. Where Lily and the students were standing.

    "We are not running away!" Fenrir eximed.

    "But Master¡­"

    "There!" He pointed at the barrier. "We break down that protection and take those girls. Potter will not dare to lift a finger against us anymore." Fenrir revealed his idea to his men.

    Their eyes opened widely at the realization.

    "Of course! His mother and sister are in there!"

    "If we get them, he will have no choice but to stop hiding!"

    Fenrir smiled.

    "Now you see it. Go on then, go break that barrier! Put everything you have left!" As he said that¡­ Fenrir''s growl became louder and fiercer, like the one from a savage beast.

    His body grew in size and began to change.

    "Master is transforming!"

    "Let''s follow him!"

    Several others also began to change into their werewolf shapes. These were the elite soldiers from the pack and there were five still remaining alive.

    They all began to transform and howl¡­ it was time to fight back.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 257: One left

    Chapter 257: One left

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 257: One left</strong>

    "Harry is killing those guys left and right," Luna said.

    "I can''t believe he is so ruthless¡­how can he kill them with such ease?" Neville could not understand it. Harry and he were the same age; how could he be so different?

    "Hey, my brother is not ruthless! Those werewolves deserved this," Lyra snapped at him.

    "No¡­I didn''t mean it that way," Neville hurried to say.

    "Mister Longbottom." Lily nced at him. "I understand how you feel. No one should take a life without a second thought, but don''t be so quick to judge my son. He has experienced things that¡­even I don''t truly understand. He may have be more desensitized, but he is not without feelings¡­he does what he does in order to protect others."

    "They are approaching." Astoria pointed ahead.

    "Missy, Big Missy! The bad wolvies areing here!" Dobby tried to get their attention.

    Five transformed werewolves rushed at the barrier and without wasting a second, they jumped at it, shing it with their sharp ws.

    "Oh no! They are going to break the shield!" Neville took several steps back in a futile attempt to get away before he was smacked in the head. "Ouch!"

    "Calm down, Longbottom¡­for Merlin''s sake, have some grace. You are the heir of an Ancient Noble house¡­" Daphne couldn''t believe she had at one time been troubled with the decision of choosing between an alliance with the Potters or the Longbottoms¡­

    "But¡­look!" He pointed with his trembling fingers.

    The werewolves continued to sh at the barrier with their ws. Over and over without signs of stopping.

    The shield showed no changes, other than the runes bing more brilliant when the charm was hit.

    "The barrier is not going to break after a few hits, and besides¡­they have all made a deadly mistake already," Daphne said.

    "What mistake? What do you mean, Daphne?" Lyra asked.

    "Haven''t you noticed that many of the golems are missing?" the blonde witch asked.

    They all appeared to be surprised, but when they actually took a few seconds to nce around, they were able to ascertain Daphne''s words.

    Right when they were wondering where those golems could have gone, they saw several figures emerge from the ground and lunge at the werewolves.

    Two dozen white marble constructs appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the savage beasts as they tried to break the barrier and took them by surprise.

    The golems were now the ones who had the numerical superiority and knew how to perfectly work together.

    While some of them grabbed onto their legs, others took hold of their arms.

    The werewolves struggled the best they could but were ultimately ripped into pieces, as they had previously done to those two golems.

    Their howls of agony filled the chamber while the rest watched.

    Fenrir stood frozen in ce while his transformation receded and allowed him to recover some of his human features. He had been ready to jump in and help his pack if Harry showed up to attack them¡­thest thing he expected was for the golems to move now.

    "They can move¡­" He now realized the unnerving truth. There was nothing wrong with these golems. They were all perfectly functional.

    "That boy has deceived us! The golems are functional!" Fenrir shouted.

    "Hey! Come on. I never said they weren''t. You just jumped to conclusions so don''t me me for your own stupidity." Harry came into view near the end wall. He was kneeling down, with his wand tapping the ground.

    "Twelve left."

    "Get out of there!" Fenrir screamed to his remaining men, trying to warn them.

    It wasn''t like they didn''t make the attempt. All the werewolves tried their best to get away from Harry even if they were not sure what he was about to do.

    The entire chamber shook and dozens of sharp spikes formed from the stone tiles.

    They shot upwards, as fast as bullets. The spikes pierced the bodies of the men while they screamed and were pulled into the air.

    Fenrir saw something forming beneath him and moved away. As he did this, a spike came out, faster than he would have ever expected possible for magic to do.

    When it was all done¡­Fenrir had been the only one quick enough to avoid the stone weapons.

    "This can''t be happening¡­" He now truly regretted not giving the order to flee when there was still time.

    ''No¡­we should never havee to this ce.''

    Now his pack was dead¡­all of them were dead. Their blood was staining the floor of the chamber, and he was alone.

    "One left. You must be the leader." Harry did not seem one bit affected by the sight. He walked among the corpses and all the gore¡­among the scenery he had created with his magic. Despite all of that, Harry''s expression had not changed one bit since the beginning.

    "I heard them call you Master or something like that," Harrymented.

    He stopped walking when he was a short distance from Fenrir and stared at the werewolf.

    "So you must be Fernir Greyback..." He had long forgotten the face of this man. In his past life, he had only seen him very briefly but he did recall the name being said many times. Among other things...this was the werewolf who attacked his uncle Remus when he was a child and cursed him.

    That alone would have been enough for Harry to kill him, but now he came into the school and harmed his family.

    "You¡­you killed my pack¡­" Fenrir used Harry.

    "You will join them soon enough. But first I have a question for you¡­who hired you?" he asked.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 258: Donâ€™t get too close

    Chapter 258: Don¡¯t get too close

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 258: D</strong><strong>on''t get too close</strong>

    "Let''s just be done with this! Fight me, Potter! I have nothing else to tell you!" Fenrir howled as his body transformed again. This time, he seemed to be even bigger and fiercer than before.

    "You will tell me what I want to know¡­one way or another." Harry pointed his wand at the giant beast.

    "Fulmen."

    Fenrir twisted his torso, bending his head away from the lightning as it passed by.

    The high temperature generated by the spell was still enough to burn his fur and skin due to the proximity. But this one did not seem troubled by the pain.

    Fenrir''s eyes turned blood red, his ws and fangs grew in size, and his fur started to lose its color, bing paler.

    The werewolf Master was now in his most powerful form. In this berserk state, he was twice as strong and fast as usual, with therge downside of losing his sanity and bing unable to tell between foes and allies.

    Fenrir charged at Harry with such speed that he almost seemed to disappear as he moved.

    He then performed a diagonal sh, aimed at Harry''s chest.

    The sharp ws ended up shing against a yellowish shield and cut it apart. But as he did, moreyers of the shield were created.

    Seeing the faint smile appear on Harry''s face behind the shields made Fenrir react. He used now both ws to attempt to break Harry''s protection.

    "Grrraaaaarrr!" Fenrir used his full strength with both arms and smashed the shield into particles of magic that soon disappeared into nothingness.

    Harry was prepared for this. He lifted his wand and vanished from the spot. Only to reappear a good distance away.

    "So that''s it? You are fast and strong but you fight like a savage beast." Said Harry with a mild grin.

    "How can he be so calm while facing a monster like that?!" Neville asked.

    "He has seen worse things¡­" Daphne recalled the monster they had to escape from during their second year. This werewolf was not that scarypared to that. Not that she would like to be the one fighting against him.

    "That''s right! My brother is the strongest wizard!" Lyra cheered.

    "Master Harry Potter is the greatest!" Dobby cheered.

    "Eh?...okay¡­" Neville didn''t know what to say to that.

    "Grrr!" The werewolf chased after Harry, moving as fast as his legs allowed him.

    The group watching thought that he was going to use the short period of time he had before Fenrir reached him to transfigure the ground or create some stronger protection.

    But much to their surprise, Harry did none of that¡­in fact, he did nothing and instead remained still, as if he was just waiting for the beast-man to arrive.

    "Harry? What are you doing?" Daphne could not begin to guess what was going on inside his mind right now.

    Harry extended his right hand and his wand disappeared from view, retreating back into its holster. But it was quickly reced by a small metallic stick that grew in size until it became a long staff made of goblin steel.

    He held the artifact by its head, leaving the sharp tip pointing forward.

    When Fenrir arrived at his side, ready to turn him into bloody shreds, Harry tapped the werewolf''s chest with the tip of the staff.

    Lily and the students were extremely worried when they saw Harry letting that massive beast with razor-sharp ws and fangs get into such close distance.

    Fenrir, who at this moment could not think of anything else but to kill the person in front of him, did the first thing his instinct told him. He shed once more with his ws.

    Only to then find out that he had no ws¡­or hands.

    Harry pushed the tip of the staff with more force and made the werewolf take a step away from him.

    The beast-man was inplete confusion while it looked at the stumps where his powerful ws had been just seconds before, not able toprehend what could have happened to them.

    "See? This is why it''s a bad idea to give up your sanity and ability to think in exchange for a bit of power." Harry told the werewolf, who obviously did not have the capability to understand him.

    "Where did his hands go?" Luna asked while she watched with interest.

    "What did Harry do?" Lyra turned to her mother for answers.

    "I think¡­that he is using human transfiguration." Lily recalled some of the things written in that book they found back at the Potter vault.

    As long as the caster was able to overpower its opponent, it was possible to transfigure another person against their will.

    "Fenrir''s decision to use that transformation probably only made it easier for Harry¡­" She assumed that it would take less work to ovee the will and magic of a creature with a simple mentality like a savage beast, instead of a fully functional wizard or witch who would understand what was happening and could fight back.

    "I think this battle is already over," Daphne said.

    "Over." Her sister nodded in agreement.

    Fenrir growled furiously, showing Harry his fangs. His legs bent slightly as he prepared to attack again.

    "You still don''t understand, do you? Go on¡­attack once more." Harry encouraged him to try again.

    Fenrir still moved at lightning speed even in his condition. The next instant, he was right next to Harry.

    His eyes were focused on Harry''s neck. His jaws opened widely, and¡­he took a bite.

    Only to find out he had no mouth.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 259: Speak to me

    Chapter 259: Speak to me

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 259: Speak to me</strong>

    Fenrir jolted when he realized what was happening and tried to distance himself from Harry. In his current state, he was more like a wild animal, guided by its instincts. And right now, those instincts were telling him to get away from the threat.

    "He''s transfiguring his body before he can do any damage. How can he do it so quickly?" Lyra asked, her voice trembling.

    "It''s not just fast¡­he''s doing it under the pressure of having a monster like that just inches away, ready to rip him apart. Transfiguration requiresplete focus...otherwise, it wouldn''t work at all," Daphne added, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and admiration.

    "Human transfiguration sounds very scary¡­to change someone''s body with just a touch," said Neville, his voice barely above a whisper.

    "It is, but it has many downsides. Compared to the many deadly curses one can use from afar, this type of magic requires one to be right next to the target," Lily exined. "I don''t think there are many wizards out there who would dare to stand that close to a werewolf to use transfiguration. You would need to have absolute confidence in your skills to even attempt something like that."

    "Right¡­I wouldn''t want to get close either," Neville agreed, shuddering.

    Harry walked toward the retreating Fenrir. "There is no escape from this room¡­"

    The werewolf scrambled away from him, fear clear in its previously fierce eyes.

    Harry frowned at the sight. "I wanted to make you suffer more than the rest since you were the one in charge, but right now¡­you are nothing but a scared beast. You can''t even talk, can you?... I mean, even if you had a mouth."

    Fenrir got to his feet, turned around, and started running away from Harry.

    He used Apparition to get in the beast''s path and hit him again with his staff.

    Fenrir''s legs started to shrink until they disappeared from view, and he tumbled down, but the beast continued to move, using the stumps of his arms to push his body around.

    "This is pathetic¡­I guess this was your way to prevent me from getting answers. Then again, I may be giving you too much credit." Harry nced at the desperate beast moving away and knew there was nothing else he would get from him. ''I will have to use another method¡­let''s finish this then.''

    He pointed his staff at the scared creature that had once been the mighty Fenrir Greyback. "Fulmen."

    Sparks jumped around the surface of the staff before converging and forming arge bolt of light that impacted the back of Fenrir''s head.

    The protective charm around Lily and the students disappeared.

    "Harry, are you okay?" His mother was the first one to reach his side.

    He nced at his mother and the rest of the group with concern.

    "I should be the one asking that. I''m sorry it took me so long to find you. The paintings were going crazy trying to track you down¡­in the end, I had to lead all of you here."

    "Wait, it was you who changed the castle? We were so lost!" Lyra eximed.

    "Not exactly me¡­I just asked Hogwarts to bring you here," Harry answered.

    "Is the castle really alive?!" Luna asked with interest.

    "That''s what thatdy in the painting said," Ginny confirmed.

    "Yikes¡­there is blood everywhere!" Neville was trying his best to avoid stepping in any of the werewolf remains sttered all over the chamber.

    "Dobby." Harry called.

    "Master Potter Harry, sir! What can Dobby do?" The elf hurried to answer.

    "Call the other elves¡­I need you all to clean the castle. There is a lot to clean. You can use the Chamber of Secrets as a disposal ce. There is an abundance of room in the waters" Harry said.

    "Right away, Master Sir!" Dobby disappeared with a loud ''pop.''

    "The Chamber of Secrets?!" Neville had heard tales about it but didn''t know that Harry had found it. He was about tounch into a barrage of questions but then stepped on someone''s intestines and was brought to reality. "Bleeeggghh!"

    "Ahh! Careful, Longbottom. Don''t you dare vomit on my new shoes!" Daphne moved away from the boy as fast as she could.

    "You can leave now. The castle is safe once more. There are no more invaders." As Harry said that, the door reappeared.

    "Harry?" Lily asked, wondering what he was nning.

    "I need to have a word with this man." He pointed at Fenrir.

    "I don''t think he is going to talk much without the head," Lyra pointed out.

    "Oh, you are going to use that thingy?" Luna asked.

    "Yes, I will use that ''thingy''." Harry answered.

    "What thingy?" Lyra didn''t understand anything, as usual.

    "Just wait for me outside, I''ll be there in a moment," Harry insisted.

    Lily knew him well enough to know he didn''t want them to see what he was going to do next. "Okay,e on children. Let''s go out. This is no ce to stay anyway¡­" There were corpses and blood everywhere. She was already surprised by the fact that her daughter and the rest were not freaking out more.

    The only one who reacted in a more normal way was Neville.

    "Bleeegh!"

    "Ahh! My dress!" Ginny jumped away.

    "Your dress is half burnt anyways." Luna reminded her.

    "Gross¡­" Astoria moved quickly to the exit.

    "Mom! Help me bring Neville out before he gets more sick," Lyra requested.

    "Just close your eyes, Neville. Come on, grab my hand," Lily said.

    Once they were all out, Harry approached the remains of Fenrir.

    "Speak to me¡­Fenrir Greyback."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 260: The dead donâ€™t lie

    Chapter 260: The dead don¡¯t lie

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 260: The dead don''t lie</strong>

    Arge amount of green smoke manifested over the corpse of the werewolf master. The visage of Fenrir began to form.

    "What is¡­am I alive?" The spectral figure moved its head around in a confused manner.

    "No, you are very much dead. Didn''t even put up a proper fight," Harry told him.

    "You!" Fenrir''s eyes locked on Harry''s. "You killed my pack! I''ll make you pay for this!"

    "You don''t seem to understand your situation¡­ I suppose that dying doesn''t improve one''s intelligence." Harry shrugged. "But unlike yours, my time is valuable, so let''s get to the point. Who hired you?"

    "Anthony Dolohov," Fenrir answered without hesitation.

    "Dolohov¡­so it wasn''t Parkinson directly. But he is one of his men if I recall correctly," Harry muttered.

    "Wait! Why did I say that?! I never meant to¡­" Fenrir was more than confused. Why did he even answer his question at all?

    "Did you have contact with any other Death Eater?"

    "I only spoke with Dolohov until today when we were joined by some new recruits¡­ What is going on?! I can''t keep my mouth shut," Fenrir shouted.

    "You don''t have a mouth, and spirits cannot lie to me. Next question¡­what was your mission?" Harry asked.

    "To kill Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. To inflict as much chaos as possible in Hogwarts and to avoid a confrontation with Dumbledore if possible."

    "Why?" Harry knew Parkinson would want him dead, but this was a terrible way to aplish that. As for killing Neville¡­ well, he is the Boy Who Lived, so it would probably help Parkinson to have him gone.

    Even if Neville didn''t ask for it, his name carries a lot of weight, and in the future, he could easily be an influential figure who could oppose Parkinson and take his position as Minister.

    "They pay me well. I didn''t ask why¡­stop this! Release me of¡­whatever this magic is!" Fenrir answered. He still did not seem to understand he was dead.

    "Onest question. Where can I find Anthony Dolohov?" This man was just a hired hand. If Harry wanted to know more about Parkinson''s ns, he would have to ask Dolohov.

    "I don''t know¡­" Fenrir clenched his teeth but still answered.

    "How did he contact you?"

    "Through amon acquaintance. We would arrange our meetings in some abandoned old house."

    "Tell me about this acquaintance of yours."

    "Damn it, Potter!... His name is Marcus. He is the owner of a tavern in Knockturn Alley, called Macabre Concoctions¡­"

    Harry remained silent for a moment, considering all the information he had received. It was at least enough to continue his search.

    Fenrir shouted slurs at him when he finally realized he could not escape either.

    Harry merely waved his hand. "Go back." And the spirit disappeared.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    He left the Room of Requirements but only found his mother waiting for him.

    "I told them to go directly to the infirmary," Lily informed him.

    "Did anyone get badly hurt?" He needed to check everyone properly.

    "No, but Ginny had a few burns that will need to be looked at," Lily said. "And before you say anything¡­it''s not your fault."

    "I promised to protect them¡­they could have died because I¡ª"

    "The ones responsible are already dead. Aren''t they?" Lily interrupted him.

    "Not all of them¡­I know who hired them," Harry said.

    "Then tell your father and have him arrested," Lily suggested.

    "My father is being suppressed by Lord Parkinson, he won''t be able to arrest anyone¡­much less one of his associates."

    "Associates?...so he was behind this." Lily already suspected it but did not want to say it out loud.

    "Yes, who else would be behind a n like this? My father can''t do anything in this case, his hands are tied¡­but mine aren''t."

    Lily frowned. "Harry, you can''t fight everyone by yourself. At least speak with the Headmaster about this. The Order is also trying to put a stop to him, but things areplicated at the moment¡­"

    "I know¡­politics. I''m tired of them. Maybe I should just go to Parkinson and have a private conversation with him¡­he is still in the Great Hall, isn''t he?" Harry began to walk away.

    "Harry! Have you gone mad?! He is the Minister of Magic. Do you have any idea what would happen if you even aimed your wand in his general direction?" Lily was not sure how serious her son was about this.

    He opened the doors of the Great Hall and walked inside, with Lily following close behind him.

    The Hall appeared to be inmotion. The music had stopped, and all the professors were close together, discussing something with worried expressions.

    When they heard the doors open, most of the people inside turned to the noise and saw him and his mother enter.

    Dumbledore and McGonagall stood up from their seats and went to meet them.

    "Mister Potter¡­what is the situation?" The Headmaster waited until he was close enough to avoid raising the volume of his voice.

    "Lily! Did you find the missing students?" McGonagall asked with concern.

    She gave her a warm smile. "Yes, everything is fine. The students are in the infirmary, but they have no serious injuries."

    "The situation has been resolved." Harry nced at Dumbledore. "The intruders are¡­''gone.'' Where is our beloved Minister of Magic? I would like a word with him." Harry scanned the Hall but could not find the man in question.

    Dumbledore gave a sigh of relief. "That''s good to know. But the Minister left in a hurry, along with his full entourage and the Aurors he brought with him. It was around ten minutes ago. What did you want to speak with him about?..." He had a bad feeling.

    "We better discuss thister," said Harry.

    "Shall we end this party then? The students are anxious to return to their dorms, I believe," McGonagall suggested.

    "It would be best to wait ten to fifteen more minutes. Give the elves a chance to¡­clean first," Harry told her.

    "Oh¡­" Dumbledore muttered. Knowing Harry as he did...he had a good idea what they were cleaning.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 261: Some days off

    Chapter 261: Some days off

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 261: Some days off</strong>

    "How are you feeling?"

    "Much better!" Ginny looked very energetic this morning. "Madam Pomfrey made sure there wasn''t even a mark left."

    "That''s impressive." Harry knew how difficult it was to remove every trace of a wound left behind by a dark curse. And the fire that had hit Ginny was such a spell.

    "Dobby''s potion also helped a lot. Say thanks to him when you have the chance."

    "I will." Harry looked around. The infirmary was almost empty this morning. His sister and the others were discharged after a quick check-up. Ginny was the only one who had to stay overnight. "I''m surprised they aren''t already here."

    "I told them not toe," Ginny said. "Madam Pomfrey said that she wille to check on me in thirty minutes and if everything is fine, she will let me go. There was no need for them toe visit."

    "I see¡­ I''m sorry you got hurt," said Harry.

    Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Why?...were you the one who shot that fireball at me?"

    "No."

    "Then you have nothing to apologize for," she said with a stern tone that reminded him of ''Her''.

    "It was still my sister''s recklessness that got you and the others in trouble. As her elder brother, it is my duty to¡ª"

    "Lyra is my best friend," Ginny interrupted him. "If she gets in trouble, I will go help her as I''m sure she would do the same for me."

    "Fair enough¡­I won''t insist on it then."

    "Still¡­it was a very scary experience¡­" Ginny said while staring at her bed sheets.

    "I know."

    "Will every year be like this?" Ginny asked.

    "I have no way to know that. But I will tell you one thing¡­I will always try my best to keep you all safe." He was not very satisfied with his performancest night. He wished he could have done things differently so the girls had not been exposed to so much danger.

    Harry spent the entire night thinking about how he could have done things differently.

    Maybe, instead of tracking down the intruders, he should have continued to search for his sister along with Daphne and his mother. Once everyone was secure, he could have been free to hunt them all. Or maybe¡­

    "Harry, what happenedst night¡­did it have anything to do with¡­You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked with hesitation.

    "What makes you think that?"

    "There have been a lot of rumors circting around the school. And the Slytherins have been acting very strangetely. So¡­is it true? Were those men working for him? Is that why they were after Neville?" Ginny asked.

    "Kind of¡­is a bit moreplicated than that." Harry didn''t really want to exin too much. It would only serve to worry her more.

    Ginny was smart enough to notice this and didn''t ask more questions. He then kept herpany until Madam Pomfrey returned.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I''m taking a few days off school," Harry said.

    The Headmaster leaned forward in his chair. "We are almost at the end of the year. What do you need to do that is so urgent?"

    "There are a few people I need to find," Harry answered.

    Dumbledore''s eyes seemed to shine for a moment under his sses. "Do these people have something to do with what happened yesterday?"

    "Yes," Harry simply said.

    The old man sighed. He already expected this reaction after hearing all the details from Lily Potter. "Your mother is worried that you will do something reckless¡­like going after the Minister. I told her to be at ease¡­I told her that her son was not someone foolish enough to do something that would certainly put him and his family in so much trouble. Tell me, Harry¡­did I lie to her?"

    Harry shook his head. "It is not Parkinson that I''m after. At least for now¡­those werewolves were hired by a man named Anthony Dolohov."

    The face of the Headmaster changed to one of displeasure. "Oh¡­that is one nasty individual. One of the worst ones, and unfortunately¡­very gifted with magic, and very willing to use it to aplish his goals."

    "He is also one of Parkinson''s closest allies," Harrymented.

    "And you know where to find him? He will probably be hiding right now. We can expect the same from the rest of the members. Afterst night''s failure, I doubt Minister Parkinson will be in a hurry to try anything else again. He may want to take a different approach."

    "So your suggestion is to take things easy and wait? Because our enemies will likely try toy low for a while?"

    Dumbledore frowned. "I wasn''t going to suggest taking it easy, just to use this time well and prepare."

    "You and your Order can do that without me¡­I think I will try a different approach." He stood up from his chair. "I will be back before the school year ends."

    Dumbledore sighed in defeat.

    "I know I can''t stop you so I won''t even try. But before you embark on your reckless hunt. I do have one more question before you leave."

    "A question?, and what would that be?" Harry stared at the old Headmaster.

    "You moved the marble golems that rest inside the castle foundation¡­how did you do that?"

    "I can connect with them while touching the main arkstone, and give them orders. I assume all Headmasters had been able to control all the castle defenses. Did you never try that?" Harry wondered how that was possible since the old Headmaster always liked to know everything.

    Dumbledore stared at Harry. His eyes shone under his moon sses.

    "I have spent years studying them and trying to make them move...and as far I know for the previous Headmaster''s records...this is the first time those golems have moved from the castle foundation. You are the first one they obeyed."

    "That''s...odd," Harry muttered.

    "Very much so...and very interesting," Dumbledore added.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 262: Macabre Concoctions

    Chapter 262: Macabre Concoctions

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 262: Macabre Concoctions</strong>

    Knockturn Alley was particrly quiet that night as Harry made his way to the bar mentioned by Fenrir.

    He was not familiar with this one, so he ended up taking a lot of wrong turns until he finally spotted a half-broken sign with the words "Macabre Concoctions" written on it.

    The ''bar,'' if it could be called such, was located at the end of an alley with no other exit. The exterior was extremely dirty and unkempt, with a broken window and arge variety of stains, from blood to¡­other things.

    Unlike the entrance to Miss Yafel''s shop, this was not the work of a spell to conceal its true form. Harry was sure of that. This ce was, as some would call it...a "shit-hole"

    "I doubt they get many new clients," hemented before pulling on the door handle.

    The old wooden door opened with a loud creak, alerting everyone inside to the new arrival. There was little light inside the bar, but it was enough for Harry to at least count the number of patrons.

    There were tworge individuals sitting at a small circr table on the right side. One dark-robed person sat at the far end of the sitting area, their face darkened even further by the hood they wore, making it impossible to even tell if it was a man or a woman.

    Onest patron was sitting at the bar, a short bald man wearing something akin to leather armor, drinking some green liquid from arge cup.

    And finally, there was the barman, a chubby man with dark red hair, a short beard, and cruel eyes.

    Harry hoped this was the person he was looking for. That would make things simpler, and he wasn''t even sure how much useful information this man could have.

    All the patrons had their eyes fixated on Harry. It wasn''t clear if this was because he was a new face in this ce, something very umon, or because he was still a minor and should have no business in a bar, much less one like this one.

    Under their intense gazes, he made his way to the bar and looked at therge man behind it. "Are you Marcus, the owner of this ce?"

    "That depends¡­ who is the one asking?" The barman was experienced enough to avoid antagonizing anyone until knowing who he was dealing with. His first instinct was to kick this child out of his bar, but if he turned out to be the pretentious son of some important pureblood Lord, he could get in a lot of trouble.

    The other patrons seemed to be thinking the same. They looked at Harry with interest, but no one had made anyments yet.

    A normal schoolboy would not havee to a run-down bar in the deepest part of Knockturn Alley. And judging by his elegant robes, this was someone from a wealthy family.

    "Harry," he answered.

    The barman''s displeasure became more evident. "And what family are you from, Mister Harry?"

    "That is not important, and I asked the question first. Are you the owner or not? I don''t have all night," Harry said.

    The bald man at his side let out a chuckle. "You heard him. He doesn''t have all night," he said in a mocking tone.

    "Boy¡­if you don''t tell me which family you belong to or who sent you here, I will begin to assume that you are a mudblood who stole those clothes from some proper young Lord," the barman said.

    The tworge men who were sitting at the side table were now standing up. Their eyes never left Harry.

    The bald man got his face closer to him. "You don''t wanna know what we do with mudbloods around these parts¡­so you may wanna start talking, little boy."

    Harry nodded. "Very well¡­I will tell you who I am." He stared at the barman. "I am the little boy who killed Fenrir Greyback and the rest of his pack. Now I am looking for Dolohov, and I have been told you may know something about that."

    There was a moment of silence in the tavern while the patrons tried to process what Harry had just said.

    Following this, the bald man and the other two started tough at the top of their lungs.

    "What a jokester we have here!" the bald man eximed.

    "Did you hit your head?" "A toddler like you killing Fenrir?...this kid is crazy."

    The only ones who had remained serious were the dark-robed figure at the back and the barman.

    It wasn''t that they believed what Harry imed, but the news about Fenrir Greyback''s death was not widespread yet. Marcus, the owner of the bar, had only learned about it that same afternoon after receiving a message from Dolohov exining briefly what had happened at Hogwarts and saying that he was going into hiding for a few weeks.

    As far as he was concerned, the only way this boy in front of him could know something about it was if he had been involved somehow. Perhaps a witness.

    "How do you know about Fenrir?" Marcus asked with a deadly serious expression while pulling his wand out.

    The men stoppedughing when they saw this.

    "Wait, is it true? The werewolf King is dead?" the bald man asked.

    "That can''t be!" "Yeah! There is no way. Who could kill that monster?"

    "Silence!" Marcus shouted. "Grab the boy!."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 263: Bar Fight

    Chapter 263: Bar Fight

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 263: Bar Fight</strong>

    The tworge patrons stood behind Harry while the bald man got closer.

    He gave Harry a smirk. "Do you have a wand, boy? Hand it to me, and do it slowly¡­" The man reached with his hand and grasped onto Harry''s shoulder with a lot of force.

    Harry responded by grabbing onto the man''s wrist. "I don''t like being touched." The strength of his grip increased until they all heard a loud crack.

    The bald man immediately started to scream. "Ahhh! Let me go!"

    The barman pointed his wand at Harry while the two men behind him tried to hold him. "Stupefy!" The red spark appeared to impact on Harry''s chest, but upon closer inspection, they saw that a small yellow shield had appeared in front of him, blocking the spell.

    Marcus nced at Harry''s hands. One of them was resting on the bar while the other one was still holding onto the bald man''s wrist. "Wandless magic?!." He could not believe that a boy this young had that much mastery already.

    Marcus was beginning to get worried. But he could not take back his actions. Now he had no other choice¡­he had to capture this strange boy and call Dolohov.

    The wooden counter at the bar came alive all of a sudden.

    "Whoa." "The bar is moving."

    Marcus knew what was happening. He first opened his mouth to warn them but instead opted for casting a protection spell for himself before it was toote.

    From the wooden surface of the bar, several protrusions formed and aimed at the men before they shot outwards at tremendous speed.

    "Urgg" "Argggg!" The tworge men grunted in pain as they were hit on their chests with something akin to a battering ram and sent flying.

    Marcus was pushed back against the shelves of the bar but thanks to his protection charm, he didn''t suffer much damage.

    "Ahh! Let me go!" the bald man continued to yell.

    Harry used his free hand to grab onto his bald head and brought it down onto the wooden counter. Instead of smashing his face against the hard wood, his head sank into the material like it was a liquid. Once inside, Harry ended the transfiguration, leaving the man with a broken wrist and his head trapped inside the counter.

    "Damn it all!" The barman moved his eyes towards the dark-robed individual sitting in the corner. "Yaxley! You better give us a hand! This boy is not normal."

    "Tsk¡­so you knew it was me." The man stood up from his chair and nced at Marcus.

    "Of course I knew it! I know everyone who enters my ce. Now do something!" Marcus shouted.

    Yaxley lifted his hood and looked at Harry. "You said your name was Harry¡­I presume yourst name is¡­Potter."

    "Potter?...Harry Potter?" Marcus was surprised to hear this. He knew about the Potters and their son, who was a rumored genius at Hogwarts.

    "Is it true? Did you kill Fenrir?" Yaxley asked.

    "And the rest of his pack," Harry answered.

    "Not many would believe that¡­but that was a very impressive demonstration of magic." Yaxley moved his wand to point at the tworge men on the ground.

    "So you are Corban Yaxley, one of the men who left Azkaban recently. I suppose you also are one of Parkinson''s cronies," Harry said.

    Yaxley frowned. "I am no one''s crony! My allegiance has never changed."

    "Is that so?...I still have some questions for you. You must know the locations of many of their hideouts." Harry walked towards him. "You will tell me everything you know about the inner circle members."

    The dark-robed man was visibly unsettled by Harry. He pulled out a white mask from his robes. "Sorry Marcus¡­I only came here to meet someone. I have no business fighting this person right now."

    Harry nced at the mask. It was simr to the ones Death Eaters typically used. But what caught his attention was Yaxley''s words. It was obvious that the man was nning on escaping. ''A portkey!'' Harry reached the most logical conclusion.

    His wand appeared in his right hand and, without hesitation, he called upon one of his most deadly spells. "Divulsa!" If he could not keep him here to answer his questions, he would rather kill him now than let him escape.

    The purple-colored curse managed to touch Yaxley''s robes at thest moment, right before he activated his portkey and disappeared.

    Harry wasn''t sure if that would be enough to kill him. "Tsk¡­one got away."

    "You bastard!" Marcus screamed with frustration towards the empty spot left by Yaxley.

    "io!" Harry ripped the wand from Marcus'' hand with such force that it almost sent him over the bar. To bypass the anti-summoning protections ced on wands, he had to put a lot of power into that spell.

    But that had never been a problem for Harry. "Can''t let anyone else get away." He approached the wooden counter, where the startled barman was trying to keep hisposure.

    The bald man continued to struggle to free himself. He was starting to run out of oxygen.

    And the tworge men were starting to recover from their tumble. They groaned andined about the pain as they stood back up.

    "Now¡­what would it take to make you talk?" Harry said in a cold tone.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 264: Remnants of the Past

    Chapter 264: Remnants of the Past

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 264: Remnants of the Past</strong>

    The sound of footsteps echoed over the stone tiles of the alleys as two individuals ventured further into Knockturn Alley at a brisk pace.

    One of them was a woman with olive skin and amber eyes. She was wearing a discreet dress, but even then, she could not hide her extreme beauty from the few onlookers in the alley.

    Had she been alone, many would have already approached her. The reason they didn''t was because of herpanion.

    Those who had lived in Knockturn Alley long enough were able to develop a sixth sense to detect dangerous people who should never be offended.

    Those who failed to develop this sense¡­ did not live too long.

    "This ce hasn''t changed," the one next to the beauty spoke with a mix of nostalgia and displeasure. No one could see their face because it was well covered under a ck hood, but the little skin that could be seen was extremely pale, almost white. And by the voice, it was easy to tell this was also a woman.

    "It didn''t change much, My Lady," the beauty answered with utmost respect. She was usually aloof and arrogant, but in front of this person apanying her today¡­ she did not dare to try anything.

    Lady Zabini did her best to contain her nervousness. Her life and her son''s depended on her doing a good job and not making ''Her''... angry. And from what she had heard, that was not an easy job.

    "Is it too far?" the ck-robed woman spoke again.

    "Just a little bit, My Lady. It is near the end of the alley. It''s a very private ce¡­"

    The ck-robeddy made a sound of annoyance but did not speak again and just continued to follow the figure of Trisha Zabini as she navigated through the narrow corridors.

    After a few more minutes of walking, the two of them entered a corridor with no apparent exit. "It''s just at the end, My Lady."

    "Would you stop with the ''My Lady'' already? It makes my skin crawl¡­ I am done with all of that noble bullshit."

    Lady Zabini started to panic. "I-I''m so sorry, Mi-, I mean¡­ I have been told not to use your name orst name in public¡­"

    She stopped and considered Zabini''s words. "Ah¡­ that''s right. If the wrong person learns of my identity, it could be trouble¡­ just call me ''Miss'' then."

    "As you wish, Miss. We are here." Lady Zabini indicated towards the old wooden door leading into a certain bar.

    "What a shithole¡­ that bastard Yaxley better have somepensation prepared for asking me toe here." The ck-robed woman pushed the door open and went inside.

    She then stopped after taking no more than two steps.

    Lady Zabini almost collided with her. There was barely any light here, and the other woman had stopped all of a sudden. "Miss?..." Trisha peeked her head and nced around the bar. "What happened here?!"

    "That''s what I was going to ask¡­" She pulled her hood off, freeing her long ck hair. She did not look a day older than thirty even though she had been around for much longer. Her previously violet eyes were nowpletely yellow, even more so than Lady Zabini''s, to the point of being her most distracting feature, only followed by how pale her skin was.

    To the knowledgeable about dark creatures, those two featuresbined in such a young and attractive individual would be a clear indicator of her true nature.

    Lady Zabini, however, had other worries at the moment. The meeting she had helped arrange appeared to have been ruined.

    The bar was aplete mess. Broken bottles, chairs, and tables were everywhere.

    She saw tworge men lying on the ground, and they did not seem to be breathing. Another person had their head stuck inside the wooden counter. And the one she recognized as the barman was resting on top of the counter with his face down.

    There was no trace of Yaxley, but as far as she knew, he could also be somewhere in the middle of all this mess. "Are they... dead?" she said in almost a whisper.

    "Those three are dead¡­" Her yellow eyes moved to the barman. "That big boy is still alive."

    "What about Yaxley? Could he be somewhere in here? Maybe he is injured," Lady Zabini said.

    "No¡­ there is no one else in here." She said with absolute certainty.

    Lady Zabini knew better than to ask how she could be so sure. But it was easy to reach the conclusion that it was due to this person''s unique skills. Or as some people called them¡­ dark gifts.

    "Go on¡­ wake him up." The ''Miss'' pointed at Marcus, the barman. "I need an exnation for this."

    "Immediately, Miss!" Trisha hurried to approach the bar. Once she was closer, she could see that the tworge men on the ground were lying in a pool of blood. They seemed to have been stabbed with something.

    "Urgg." She had to cover her nose. The scent of blood and¡­ death, was almost asphyxiating at this distance. And she had to literally walk over the two dead men to reach the unconscious barman.

    Lady Zabini averted her eyes away from the man incrusted inside the counter. She would rather not think about how painful his death must have been.

    Instead, she focused on the unconsciousrge man. By his clothing, it was evident that this person was the barman. "This must be Marcus, the owner of the bar." She had never been here but at least knew that this bar had no employees because the owner trusted no one. So this person could only be the owner.

    Lady Zabini then realized something else. "I think this man has been hit with some powerful mind spell¡­ perhaps an obliviation. I don''t believe it is going to be possible to wake him up for at least a few hours."

    The other woman made a sound of displeasure. "Fine¡­ bring him. We''ll take him with us."

    "Huh?... you want to take him?... there?" Zabini asked.

    "Do you have any objections?" She raised an eyebrow.

    Lady Zabini felt her blood run cold. "No! I mean¡­ I''m very sorry, Miss! I was just wondering how I can carry him¡­ he looks very heavy."

    "You are a witch, aren''t you? Surely you know a spell for that."

    "Right¡­" Trisha thought that it was better to be taken for ipetent than a traitor. She pulled her wand and cast a levitating charm on the man''s clothes so she could move him with ease.

    "Let''s go outside. I''ll activate my portkey there." The other woman said before walking outside by herself and waiting a few feet away from the door.

    Lady Zabini struggled to pass therge man through the door but received no help from herpanion. Not that she expected any. Despite not being someone used to physicalbor, she did not speak a single word ofint and eventually, she made it to the woman''s side while hanging onto the floating man. "We are ready, Miss¡­" she muttered as she cleaned the sweat from her forehead.

    "Yes¡­" The dark-robed woman pulled a white mask out and held it in her left hand. "Grab onto my arm, dear." She instructed.

    Lady Zabini did so and then waited to feel the pulling sensation caused by the activation of a portkey. But instead, she heard the ''Miss'' speak again.

    "Before we leave¡­ we better clean this ce. I don''t want to leave anything for the Aurors."

    "Miss?" Lady Zabini did not immediately understand the meaning of her words. Not until she saw her pull a wand and point it at the bar.

    "Fiendfyre."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 265: Dolohov

    Chapter 265: Dolohov

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 265: Dolohov</strong>

    Harry spotted a small wooden shack standing near the top of a mountain. He had to fly through almost half the country towards the northern area to find this house.

    The barman had given him clear directions under the Imperius Curse, so he had no doubts about finding the house, but he could only hope that Dolohov was still hiding there.

    It was still nighttime, but dawn was only a short time away. He pulled on his Firebolt broom andnded a good three hundred yards (270 meters) away from the actual house.

    Even before using any detection spells, he could tell there were several wards around the small home.

    ''If I alert him about my presence, he may run away like Yaxley, and then I will lose myst source of intel. I need to be cautious with this one,'' Harry thought.

    He could set up a rudimentary anti-apparition wards around the area, but that wouldn''t stop portkeys since they work very differently. That would require a different array setup that he didn''t even know how to create.

    Runes weren''t exactly his specialty, he had just learned a few arrays from his old friends.

    But after spending fifteen minutes performing a thorough examination, he was confident he could at least break through Dolohov''s defenses without being detected.

    Other than the charms meant to repel Muggles and animals, there were only two protective wards in ce.

    One was simply a detection ward that would alert Dolohov if anyone got too close.

    A bit ahead of that one was a shield ward. It wasn''t very strong, but its purpose was probably just to stop any intruder for a few minutes while he escaped.

    Passing by the first defense was a simple matter for Harry.

    His body vanished when he activated his invisibility. While using this power, he should bepletely undetectable, so the ward would be unable to pick up his presence.

    Harry walked forward and could feel the foreign magic pass by him as he crossed the ward.

    ''Mmm¡­ no changes¡­ I think I''m good.'' He never had the chance to try this method of bypassing a detection ward. He had a lot of confidence in his chances of sess; otherwise, he would have taken a different approach. But at the end of the day, any method would have some attached risks.

    ''Okay¡­ now I need to break through this one.'' The second ward was a protective one that would physically stop him from advancing.

    He pulled his staff out and got it closer to the ward.

    "Expulso." The jewels shone brightly as Harry channeled arge amount of magic through it.

    He then heard a loud crack before the protective ward started to shatter like a dome of ss.

    ''That must have alerted him¡­ I must hurry now.'' Breaking that barrier was always going to make noise, so he had been ready to rush after it went down.

    Harry maintained his invisibility as he moved. This would at least give him the upper hand to capture Dolohov alive or at least prevent his escape.

    Once he was very close to the house, he spotted someone turning on the lights, and a few momentster, he saw a man opening the curtains and looking outside.

    His wand was already in his hand.

    "Confringo!"

    The window, along with arge part of the wall, exploded in a cloud of fire.

    "Aguamenti." Harry heard someone groaning in pain inside the house as he put down some of the fire before going in. He did not need the entire house burning down before he could even talk with the man.

    "W-Who''s this?!" Dolohov moved his eyes frantically around the room, pointing his wand and yelling.

    "Show yourself, you bastard! I''ll rip you to pieces!" His clothes were burned, and he had to cover half his face with his free hand.

    Harry walked around until he was behind him.

    "Imperio."

    Dolohov became stiff as a table when the curse hit him.

    "Drop the wand and turn around." Harry removed his invisibility.

    The man turned around but struggled to avoid the othermand.

    "Y-You!... P-Potter!" He gritted his teeth so hard that they started to make unpleasant noises. The grip on his hand remained firm as his entire body trembled and shook.

    "You have a strong mind¡­" Harry was genuinely impressed. There weren''t many who could resist his Imperius Curse to this degree.

    "Depulso." Harry gave his wand a flick, and a powerful wind pushed Dolohov''s hand away, finally taking his wand away and sending it flying in the air.

    "Arhhgg!" He screamed. Some of his fingers were bending in strange ways and were clearly broken after receiving the brunt of the magic.

    The pain seemed to have been enough to give the wizard the final push, and he was then able topletely throw off the Imperius Curse.

    "Get out of my head! Get out of my house!" he yelled.

    "No," Harry simply answered.

    Dolohov made a swift move with his left hand, and another wand appeared in it. This was his spare holster, and it wasn''t the only one. He had been prepared for an attack.

    His left hand moved like lightning as he unleashed four spells in quick session.

    Three of them were restriction charms, while thest one was a dark curse.

    Harry deflected the charms and used his enhanced speed to avoid being hit with the curse. This one passed by him and ended up dissolving part of the wall behind him.

    "Was that the organ-dissolving curse or the corrosive one?¡­ and you''re using your offhand. Very impressive."

    He knew this man was a skilled duelist, but even in histe forties, he seemed to be in good shape.

    "It''s too bad you tried to murder my family; otherwise, I would have humored you with a proper duel."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 266: The Strange Castle

    Chapter 266: The Strange Castle

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 266: The Strange Castle</strong>

    Dolohov refused to show his fear to this boy.

    "Ahh!" He shifted his weight to move sideways while throwing more curses at Harry.

    Harry moved around, avoiding them, and then tapped his wand against one of the wooden walls.

    "Let''s end this."

    The numerous bookshelves next to Dolohov exploded in a rain of sharp shards that stabbed his entire left side.

    The man grunted in pain and lost his bnce, eventually falling onto his broken hand.

    "Ahhh! Fuck!"

    "That looks like it hurts a lot." Harry approached him slowly.

    The older man nced at Harry with pure hatred in his eyes and was somehow able to push through the pain just long enough to pull a small object from his robes.

    Harry reacted immediately.

    "Dismembra!"

    Dolohov let out a bloodcurdling scream as half his arm became detached from his body, along with the small object.

    "You bloody monster! Argh!!" Dolohov clutched his stump against his chest.

    Harry scoffed. "You hired an entire pack of werewolves to massacre a school filled with children. But I am the monster¡­ sure."

    "T-they were¡­ they were only there to kill Longbottom¡­ and you." Dolohov was starting to have trouble speaking. The light in his eyes was bing dimmer.

    "And anyone else who was present at the time¡­ but that is not the only reason for my presence here. I want Parkinson¡­ I know he is the one behind all of this."

    "Hahha¡­ argh!" Dolohov tried his best tough.

    "You want Lord Parkinson?¡­ and you think I can take you to him¡­ keep dreaming, boy."

    Harry didn''t really expect this man to know the location of Parkinson''s main house, just to point him in the right direction.

    "What about Lord Nott? He is the one who is closest to him."

    Dolohov remained silent for a moment. His eyes were starting to close as he had already lost too much blood.

    "I¡­ I''m not going to tell you¡­ a¡­ any¡­ ah¡­" His eyes closed, and his chest stopped moving.

    "Great¡­" Harry rolled his eyes.

    "It''s a good thing I have this¡­ speak to me, Anthony Dolohov."

    Green smoke started to emerge from the corpse.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Harry got off his broom and took a better look at the house in front of him.

    The ce was massive, with a main building surrounded by five tall towers, all made of grey stone.

    "This is a bloody castle¡­ I didn''t know the Rookwood family was this rich." Harrymented.

    It was around midnight, and he could not see any lighting from any of the windows, indicating that everyone was likely asleep at the moment.

    ''It seems like waiting for the cover of night was the right decision.''

    He did not know much about this wizard family, only that its Lord, Augustus Rookwood, had been in Azkaban for a very long time. He was one of the few followers of the Dark Lord who got out recently. This was also the only location that Harry was able to get out of Dolohov.

    It was unfortunate, but the man did not have much useful information.

    Parkinson must have had little trust in him because he was not told much.

    Harry could now only hope that Rookwood would have something more to offer.

    He anticipated for the wards on the castle to be many times more powerful than what he found at Dolohov''s ce, as it was expected from the home of an old noble pureblood family of wizards.

    But when he scanned the surroundings, Harry could not detect any kind of active protection.

    ''What is going on?...'' This made him more worried than encountering powerful wards.

    This either meant that the protections were different than anything he had encountered before and he would not be able to break them or¡­ something unexpected had happened here.

    He was being cautious in his approach. First, he threw some rocks and other physical objects but was able to reach the wall of the castle with no issue.

    Then he tried some spells, but once again¡­ he encountered no resistance at all. It was like there was nothing at all protecting the home.

    ''This should not be¡­ did they disable the wards? I cannot think of a single reason Rookwood would want to do that.'' He tried to think of more ways to test this, but he had run out of options¡­ the only thing he could do now was to try and enter in person.

    ''Okay¡­ let''s do this.''

    "Magna Custodia!" Harry then created ayer of his most powerful defense around him and began to walk forward towards the main entrance.

    He advanced very slowly while making sure he scanned the surroundings for any change.

    But after five minutes, he arrived in front of the door, and nothing had happened. No changes, no movements, and no magical reactions.

    He gave his wand a flick and the door opened.

    ''Nothing¡­'' Once more, nothing had happened, so he stepped inside. The entrance hall waspletely dark. Not a single candle or chandelier was lit.

    Usually, you would keep some lights here, just in case someone had to leave or you had an unexpected visit.

    Everything seemed to indicate that this ancient castle had no active magical wards.

    And that could only suggest one thing¡­ that someone got here before him.

    He did not find it odd before, but now that he found this out¡­

    ''I can''t detect a single presence in this castle¡­'' He was now able to pick up magical signatures in a veryrge radius. But he did not feel anything while standing at the entrance of this house.

    It was like¡­ the ce waspletely deserted.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 267: Unable to Contact

    Chapter 267: Unable to Contact

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 267: Unable to Contact</strong>

    "Lumos." A small bright sphere illuminated the hall.

    A bit of moonlight was able to get into the entrance hall, but the upper corridors were pitch ck.

    There were some torches on the walls, but all of them were off.

    ''Something happened here¡­'' The more time he spent here, the more he had this feeling.

    Even if Augustus Rookwood was the only member left of his family or the only one who lived here, there should be at least some servants working here. A castle this big would need at a minimum three house elves or two dozen squibs to keep it in decent shape.

    Harry looked over the furniture and decorations as he walked. There was no dust on them. The wooden floors were clean and polished. This home had been well cared for until recently.

    ''It also makes no sense for the wards to be¡­ wait¡­'' His green eyes moved to a double door to his right. It appeared to be the entrance to a dining hall or anotherrge room.

    But what caught his attention was that one of the door handles was missing and there were sh marks on the wooden surface. He could even feel the traces left behind by the cursed weapons that had been used.

    Harry pushed the door open and aimed his wand inside.

    "Mmm¡­ someone had a bad time in here¡­"

    There were clear signs of a fight in the living room. It must have been fancy at one point, but now it was filled with broken furniture, pieces of ss all over the floor, and severalrge red stains near the end of the room.

    "So¡­ somebody attacked Lord Rookwood in his house¡­ but where is he?" If he had been killed, the body should have been here.

    Considering the amount of blood on the ground, if it all belonged to the wizard, he was most definitely dead. But there wasn''t a single corpse in the dining hall.

    He decided to check the rest of the castle.

    "This is going to take a while¡­"

    By the time he had visited all the rooms, including a few hidden ones, it was already dawn.

    The only interesting things he found were a stash of illegal artifacts and a couple of dead house elves. Very hardworking house-elves, Harry was sure of that.

    There was no trace of Rookwood or anyone else. He did find the point of entrance. They used one of the windows of the west tower to gain ess to the castle. Other than the dining hall, that was the only part with signs of a fight.

    Harry then used hisst resort.

    "Answer my call¡­ Augustus Rookwood¡­" There was no immediate response.

    "So, he is alive? Someone took him as a h¡ªwhat?" The green mist started to manifest in front of him.

    He had only used this ability a few times, but it had never taken this long to show any sort of reaction.

    The mist began to group together and form a human figure, as it usually did, but it was now moving very slowly, like it was struggling to create the visage of the dead wizard.

    "Augustus Rookwood¡­ are you there?" Harry asked.

    For a moment, the mist began to form the face of a middle-aged man. Harry recalled the face he saw in the newspaper months ago. It was definitely him.

    The spirit appeared to look at Harry and then opened its mouth to speak, but before a single sound coulde out¡­ the mist lost its shape¡­ and dispersed.

    "Wait! What?..." That had never happened before. Calling a spirit would take a toll on his magic, but despite that, he would be able to maintain it for a long time.

    This could only mean that this was not a failure on his part but instead, it was on Rookwood himself.

    "The soul¡­ whatever they did to him, they must have also damaged his soul¡­"

    He personally knew a few ways to aplish that. There are spells out there that are capable of attacking more than just the body.

    There is even an entire branch of magic dedicated to affecting the soul. It''s called soul magic, but its main purpose is not to destroy souls but to find ways to make them stronger.

    It ismonly believed that the soul is tightly associated with one''s magic and is also the reason some people are able to use magic at all, while others just can''t.

    ''There is another branch of magic whose practitioners normally delve a lot into the study of the soul¡­ necromancy.''

    Necromancy and soul magic go well together, and sometimes you need thetter to make the former work at all.

    "Maybe I''m getting ahead of myself. Whether this was the work of a necromancer or someone else¡­ it doesn''t get me closer to my initial goal."

    He came here looking for information about the other Death Eaters, and especially toLord Parkinson.

    Now he was left empty-handed, with no more leads to follow. He did not know where to find any of the other members of Parkinson''s inner circle, and he couldn''t exactly walk into a Wizengamot meeting and kill them there.

    "There is another way¡­" He did not want to use this method, but the only other person who could lead him to where he wanted to go was Pansy Parkinson.

    He had no qualms about using Draco Malfoy to ess his house. But Pansy was innocent, as far as he knew, she had no idea what her father was doing behind the curtains.

    With a sense of defeat¡­ he returned to Hogwarts.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 268: Where were you?

    Chapter 268: Where were you?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 268: Where were you?</strong>

    "Can you pass me the sausages?"

    "Sure¡­ ehmm¡­ Ahh!" Neville almost dropped the te on top of Ron when he saw Harry standing so close to him. For the past two days, he had been having nightmares about that night. He would find himself being chased by those masked men and werewolves, then¡­ Harry would appear, along with all those white golems, and they would kill everyone¡­ there was always so much blood¡­

    "Neville, you look a bit pale, are you okay?" Harry asked. He was somewhat worried about the boy. He knew that his sister and the others were a bit more used to dangerous situations, but Neville had lived some fairly peaceful three years of school. Other than that one time he almost got killed by spiders.

    "I¡­ I''m fine¡­" Neville took a deep breath and recovered a bit.

    "Oi, be careful! Don''t drop the te on top of my head," Ronined.

    "Sorry!" He quickly apologized and passed the te to Harry.

    Harry sat down and began serving food on his te.

    "Ah¡­ I missed this."

    He noticed the stares of Lyra and Ginny. They were obviously wondering where he had been for the past two days but were familiar enough with him to know they were not going to get a straight answer if they asked here.

    "Harry, where have you been? You missed the final Charms test!" Hermione leaned forward.

    "I had a lot of diarrhea," Harry answered while taking a bite.

    "Ew¡­" Lavender said.

    "Too much information¡­" Parvati added.

    "Ah¡­" Hermione moved a bit further away from him before looking at his te.

    "Then I don''t think you should be eating fried sausages and¡­ fried eggs¡­"

    Harry moved his eyes away from his te and scanned the other side of the Great Hall, where the Slytherin table was ced.

    He was looking for one particr student, but no matter how much he stared at the Slytherin students, he could not find her there.

    As breakfast ended and the students started to leave, Harry stood up.

    He could feel his sister''s piercing green eyes focused on him as he moved.

    "I''ll tell youter," he said to her before leaving.

    <><><><><><><>

    After taking another turn into a long corridor and making sure no one was around, Harry used his new favorite ability and became invisible.

    His steps became silent, so there was no need for extra charms. He hurried his walking to catch up to a duo of Slytherin students and got closer to a particr blonde girl.

    "Hey," he said as he ced a hand on her shoulder.

    Daphne reacted by pointing her wand behind her.

    "Depulso!"

    "Whoa!" Harry was not expecting that reaction, but he was still able to move his head away.

    "Wait!" He turned his invisibility off and showed himself. "It''s me, Harry!." Harry nced back at the wall. There was arge chunk missing.

    "Merlin! Were you trying to take my head off?"

    "I already knew it was you," Daphne''s light blue eyes met his. "Otherwise, I would have used a stunner."

    Harry raised an eyebrow and nced at the other girl who was standing next to Daphne with a smirk on her face. "She is mad at me?"

    "How should I know?" Tracey told him. "But if she is, then you must have done something."

    "That was some nice wandwork. I see you have gotten used to the holster," Harry told her.

    "What do you need?" Daphne stored her wand.

    "Well¡­ I am looking for one of your ssmates, but she seems to be missing. Do you know where Pansy is?" Harry asked.

    "Oh by Merlin''s balls, Potter! Daph is already angry and youe here to ask her about another girl?" Tracey snapped.

    Daphne frowned. Once again, she did not know what he was nning, but she was sure that he wasn''t looking for Pansy to ask her out.

    "Wait¡­" She could only think of one reason for Harry to need that girl.

    "Tracey." She turned to her friend. "I need to speak with Potter alone a bit. I''ll see youter in ss."

    "Okay, you go kick his ass!" Tracey stuck her tongue out at Harry before leaving.

    "How old is she again?" Harry asked.

    "Come." Daphne dragged him into a nearby empty room and closed the door.

    "Daphne, this is a broom closet¡­"

    She then ced a privacy charm.

    "Where have you been for the past two days?"

    "Is that what got you angry? That I left without telling you?" Harry asked.

    "After what happened, you disappeared for two days and no one knew where you were! How can you be like that?"

    "I told the Headmaster I was leaving, and I''m sure he informed my mother. I didn''t tell anyone else because¡­ well, let''s just say that time was of the essence." He tried to exin.

    "You had time to visit Ginny at the infirmary," Daphne pointed out.

    "Ah¡­" He now understood.

    "I had to check on her. Ginny had been hit with a dark curse. I didn''t visit anyone else because no one else was hurt that badly."

    Daphne stood silent.

    "I haven''t told anyone what I have been doing for the past two days. But¡­ I will tell you the details, and why I am looking for Pansy."

    "You will?" Daphne was surprised by this. Harry was always so secretive about everything.

    "Sure. Get yourselffortable."

    "We are in a broom closet¡­" Daphne reminded him.

    There was barely any room for them to stand, much less to sit.

    "Then you should have chosen a different room. This is going to take a while¡­"

    "We have Potions ss in ten minutes," Daphne said.

    "Snape is not going to miss me," Harry shrugged. "Now, where do I start?... right, let''s begin with my conversation with Fenrir."

    "What do you mean by conversation? You barely talked to him. I was there, Harry."

    "Oh, I meant the conversation we had after he died," Harry said.

    Daphne stared at him.

    "I guess we are going to skip Potions ss then¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 269: Wanna go on a trip?

    Chapter 269: Wanna go on a trip?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 269: Wanna go on a trip?</strong>

    "I can''t believe it¡­" Daphne said.

    "Which part?" Harry asked.

    "The part where you decided to go all vignte and hunt down those men."

    "Death Eaters, and¡­ I only managed to hunt down one of them before I got stuck again." Harry rified.

    "You went alone to raid the ancient home of a pureblood wizard family¡­ you do know how dangerous that was, right?" Daphne eximed.

    "Are you seriously worried? You know that I can take care of myself."

    "I know you are strong, but you are not invincible¡­ no one is." Daphne said.

    "I assure you¡­ I am very much aware of myck of invincibility. More than you can imagine¡­" Harry said thest part in a low tone. "Now¡­ I did my part. Now, can you answer my previous question?"

    "About Pansy?... Why are you looking for her?" She stared at him with knowing eyes. "You think she is going to take you to her father?"

    "At this point, she may be my only way to reach the rest of them. Other than assaulting the Ministry of Magic." Harry told her.

    "She may not be my best friend¡­ but she does not deserve to be used like that." Daphne had a serious look on her face.

    "I don''t like it either. But what else can I do? Wait for Parkinson to organize another attack on the school? Maybe next time he will send people to my house. I already tried following my father''s advice and taking things slow¡­ it doesn''t work for me." Harry said.

    Daphne remained silent for a minute.

    "I can''t help you with that."

    "Daphne¡­"

    "It''s not that." She shook her head. "Pansy left the school shortly after you went missing. She said that her family was taking their vacation a bit earlier than usual and that she would finish herst school tests during the summer. We probably won''t see her again until the next term, unless she speaks to me during the summer."

    "An early vacation?..." That sounded to Harry like the Minister was running away from something.

    ''The question is¡­ what is he running away from? He could be afraid of someone pinning the me for the attack on Hogwarts on him. After all, it was a party organized by the Minister in person, and everyone allowed ess into the school was approved by him and his Ministry¡­ or, he is running away from whoever attacked the Rookwood castle and killed Augustus.''

    "Harry?" Daphne shook his head.

    "I was thinking¡­"

    "I wish you did that more often before jumping into some reckless actions again. But¡­ we already missed Potions, if we don''t leave this broom closet, we are also going to miss the next ss."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Wanna go on a trip?"

    The old man looked a bit tired as he returned the stare.

    "Harry¡­ tomorrow is the end of the year feast. I am very busy with all the preparations¡­"

    "Oh, but I think you will find this one very interesting." Harry leaned forward on the Headmaster''s desk.

    This managed to pique Dumbledore''s interest. He was confident that Harry would not waste his time with something useless at least.

    "Very well¡­ tell me more about this. Where do you want to go?"

    "A cave." Harry simply said.

    "A cave?..." Dumbledore repeated. "I have to assume you don''t mean for us to go spelunking for fun on the second tost day of the year."

    "There is more to that cave. It is located on a cliff at the end of the Thames River, west of London. It is fairly close to the orphanage of a certain former student of yours¡­ Tom Riddle."

    Dumbledore''s face changedpletely.

    "Riddle¡­ and what did he do in that cave?"

    "That''s what I want to find out. Why don''t we go take a look?" Harry suggested.

    "You must have known about this ce for a long time¡­ why bring it up now? Why haven''t you gone there before?" Dumbledore asked what was on his mind at the moment.

    Harry shrugged. "There was no point. Back then, we were looking for the Horcruxes¡­ but there is something else I want to check this time around." Harry said.

    "I see." Dumbledore sighed. "Very well, I will apany you there." He stood up from his chair.

    "I assume you want to depart as soon as possible, considering how little time we have left."

    Harry pulled his wand out and held his left arm in the air.

    "Hold on to it¡­ we are leaving now."

    "It was a good thing I was yet to put on my pajamas." Dumbledoremented.

    "Yeah¡­ it may be a bit cold for that." Harry said as the old Headmaster grabbed his arm.

    "Let us go then."

    Harry lifted his wand up and the next instant¡­ they were gone.

    When they opened their eyes, they were on a rocky cliff. It was a cold and windy night. And as usual in these parts of the country¡­ it was raining.

    Dumbledore made a noise of displeasure before using some magic to protect himself from the weather.

    "Lovely ce this is¡­"

    "Yes, he knew how to choose them." Harry pointed ahead, towards a darker area in the rocky walls. "If my memory doesn''t fail me¡­ the cave should be over there."

    "Let us proceed with caution then. If this cave was used by the individual that you imed, then I have no doubts about the presence of powerful protections." Dumbledore warned him.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 270: The Caveâ€™s Secrets

    Chapter 270: The Cave¡¯s Secrets

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 270: The Cave''s Secrets</strong>

    As they approached the cave, the presence of magic became more obvious.

    "There is a powerful anti-Muggle ward set around the area," Dumbledore noted.

    "It should be in that hole over there." Harry pointed at a nearby opening, just tall enough for a person to pass without bending down.

    "Should be? I had assumed you had been here before. At the very least in your¡­ previous world," Dumbledore said.

    "I did, but¡­ it''s been too long. And you were the one who brought me here that time. I''ll say we are already lucky I managed to Apparate this close to the target," Harry chuckled.

    "Considering your mastery of lumency, I doubt it was luck. But let us not dwell on that." Dumbledore nced at the pitch-ck hole.

    "Yes, let''s." Harry made a hand gesture. "Old people, children, and women first¡­ isn''t that what the Muggles like to say?"

    Dumbledoreughed. "You want to use your Headmaster as a shield?"

    "Well, I do recall doing absolutely nothing thest time I was here. So you either removed any protections by yourself or¡­ there was nothing dangerous to remove. I would still be extra careful with any detection charms put in ce by him."

    "Fair enough." Dumbledore scanned the entrance, using all the detection spells he knew. He was being very thorough with this; he didn''t want to miss anything.

    Harry left the work to the Headmaster. The old man was much more knowledgeable than him about these types of things.

    "I am done¡­ there is only a detection charm ced near that wall. It seems a bit light on protections," Dumbledoremented.

    "Not really. How many people know about his real identity and his past? The only reason you found this cave thest time was because you spent a very long time studying his early years of life. When he still lived at that orphanage." Harry spoke as the Headmaster cleared out the charms.

    Once he was done, he stood in silence for a moment, considering something.

    "I remember that orphanage well enough¡­ it was an awful ce. No child should grow up in a ce like that." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice.

    "Yes, growing up with no parents or anyone who cares for you is¡­ rough," Harry spoke from personal experience.

    "Maybe I shouldn''t have left him there. I always wondered if¡­ if I had done things differently."

    "Oh please, stop that nonsense, Professor. Having a bad childhood doesn''t excuse bing a murdering psychopath," Harry told him.

    "Mm¡­ yes, I suppose you are right," Dumbledore said. "I suppose you are right¡­" he repeated.

    "Come on, let''s open this thing." Harry cast a Lumos charm. "I believe that wall can move."

    Dumbledore nced at it. "I was going to suggest the same." He tapped it with his wand.

    After feeding it a bit of magic, the wall moved aside, revealing the real entrance to the cave.

    "Oh¡­ very impressive." Dumbledore stared at the insides of the cavern. It was much bigger than he expected.

    There was argeke that went all around it, with a small rocky ind in the middle.

    Dumbledore''s eyes moved around beforending on the small ind.

    "I assume that what we came to look for¡­ is there?"

    Harry smiled. "It used to be the first time around."

    "And now?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. Usually, he was the one with answers and not the questions.

    "He hid one of his Horcruxes on that ind. There is a magical fountain that needs to be emptied first," Harry said.

    "What? Did you know about this since the beginning? Why did we wait this long toe here?" Dumbledore eximed.

    "Because¡­ it was a fake. Sirius''s brother was one of his most trusted men, but he betrayed his Dark Lord in the end. Regulus ck took the Horcrux from here and left an imitation. The real one should have been hidden in the ck household," Harry exined.

    "But it won''t be there anymore. Is that what you think? Otherwise, you would have already tried to gain ess to that house."

    "I think at this point it is very safe to assume that Voldemort has recalled all his Horcruxes. The Ravenw diadem was missing, and so was the diary. We did find the ring but there was no soul in there."

    "Very well then, we are not looking for a Horcrux¡­ what did wee here for?" Dumbledore questioned him.

    Harry approached the waters and waved his wand over it. "Pyros."

    Several balls of fire appeared and were sent flying to several spots before they stopped and remained levitating over theke.

    Harry knelt down and stared at the dark waters. He could still see nothing.

    "It''s too dark¡­"

    "Is there supposed to be something there?" Dumbledore looked too. "I''m not sure what I''m supposed to be looking for."

    "Help me out a bit. Use your most potent light spell inside the waters. I need to make sure."

    Dumbledore nodded, even if he still was not sure what Harry was trying to find. He did detect traces of some very unpleasant magic inside this cavern.

    They both manifestedrge spheres of light inside the waters. Everything became as clear as if it was day and they were able to even look at the stones at the bottom of theke.

    Other than stones¡­ there was nothing in there.

    "They are gone¡­" Harry now wasmenting noting here before. But perhaps, he had taken them years ago.

    "Wha-"

    "Inferi," Harry answered the question before Dumbledore finished it.

    "An army of Inferi."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 271: Ends and Beginnings

    Chapter 271: Ends and Beginnings

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 271: Ends and Beginnings</strong>

    "We are here once more¡­ to say goodbye. Another year hase to an end," the Headmaster began his speech.

    Harry was not paying much attention. He was thinking about the next step.

    Everything was indicating that Voldemort''s return was imminent. If he was bold enough to get that close to London and retrieve his Inferi, that meant he was done or at least very close to be done with whatever preparations he had been working on.

    His eyes scanned the Slytherin table.

    Pansy had not returned to school.

    ''If he is back¡­ her family is going to be in great danger.''

    It did not take much to anger Voldemort. He could only imagine what he would do when he came back and found that Parkinson had been acting as Dark Lord in his ce and deceiving everyone in the process.

    The other Death Eaters would either hurry to return to his side or be killed for their betrayal.

    Things were about to change. He was sure of that, but didn''t know what the best thing to do now was.

    Neville was still here, and Voldemort would surelye after him. So as long as he kept a close eye on the Boy Who Lived, it would be a matter of time before he stumbles upon some of his followers at least.

    "And the winner of this year''s Quidditch Cup is¡­ Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall proimed with joy.

    Everyone at his table started to celebrate and cheer.

    Harry stopped his inner musings and nced at Ginny. She looked so happy right now. But how long would that happinessst?

    He was willing to do whatever it took to protect her. And not only Ginny, but now he also had a family. And there were also Luna, Astoria, and¡­ Daphne.

    He moved his eyes to the podium¡­. Dumbledore was standing next to McGonagall with a smile on his face, but Harry could tell that the man was very worried.

    They had decided to avoid informing the Order yet. At least not directly¡­ the old Headmaster had shared some ideas with him about how they could get more information about what is happening in the Ministry.

    That was very possibly the first ce that Voldemort would try to control. Because as long as he held a firm grip on the Ministry, there was not much that the Aurors could do against him.

    It was the same thing that Parkinson had done and it worked great for him. Of course, Parkinson did not have the ability to remain in power for much longer.

    The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers again when the Headmaster announced that they had also won the House Cup.

    Apparently, it had been a long time since the same house won both trophies.

    "You look very grumpy." Hermione touched his shoulder.

    "Do I?" Harry nced at her.

    She gave him an inquisitive nce.

    "You usually look very serious but there is something more this time¡­"

    "You are always too observant," Harry admitted.

    "Did something happen? Gryffindor had just won the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup. You also have one of the highest grades in our year. I bet they would make you a prefect next year if you were a bit older, so¡­"

    "I suppose that something did happen¡­ but I can''t talk about it right now," Harry said.

    "You can''t? I mean, what could it possi-"

    "Harry,e on!" Lyra pulled from his other side. "We are making a toast!" She handed him his cup.

    He will have to leave his worries for another day.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Ouch!" Harry grabbed onto the girl and lifted her up.

    "Ahh!" Holly yelled when she was tossed over his shoulders.

    "Harry, be careful." Lily gave him a side nce.

    "You are getting a bit too big to throw yourself at me like that, Holly. Next year, you may bring me to the ground." Harry shook her a bit and this made her giggle.

    "I''m only six!" she said defiantly.

    "Almost seven," Harry reminded her. It would only be two months before her birthday.

    "Stop it, Harry! Everyone is looking!" Lyra was bing embarrassed. They had just gotten off the train and all their ssmates were still around.

    "Bah¡­ leave it. She looks so happy now," Lily said. She knew that this year had been particrly difficult for her youngest daughter as she had spent most of her time alone in the house.

    "Yes, and you have no reason toin." James nced at his daughter, who was still clutching onto his arm.

    "You did the same to me."

    Lyra became more embarrassed. "But you didn''t lift me up like that¡­"

    "Ahh, I see¡­ if that is what you want¡­" James went to lift his daughter up.

    "No, stop!" Lyra panicked and began to struggle, trying to free herself from her father''s grip.

    "You are all very lively." Molly Weasley approached them. All her children were right behind her.

    "Molly! So good to see you." Lily greeted her friend. They hadn''t seen each other that much during this year.

    "Your family is also very lively. Especially those two." Lily pointed at the twins.

    "Hey, we haven''t done anything," George eximed.

    "Not today, that is for sure," Fred added.

    "You put a spider on my breakfast!" Ron shouted.

    "Come on, Ron. It wasn''t even a real spider," Ginny chuckled. Her youngest brother was often the target of the twins'' pranks, but they never took it too far with him.

    "Still, you did not hesitate to crush it¡­" Lyra nced at her friend. "It was kinda scary¡­"

    While the children were talking, Molly got a bit closer to Lily.

    Lily noticed this. "Is something wrong, Molly?"

    "No. Well¡­ there was something I wanted to discuss with you and James, when you have time," Molly said, looking a bit nervous.

    "Of course, you cane visit any day you want. James is usually home after five in the afternoon, if you need him there too." Lily wondered what could have the fearless Weasley matriarch so preupied.

    "Then, I''ll visit you in a couple of days¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 272: Unrest at the Ministry

    Chapter 272: Unrest at the Ministry

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 272: Unrest at the Ministry</strong>

    "How are things going?" Harry sat down in front of the desk.

    "Shouldn''t I be the one asking? Since, you know¡­ I am the father," James rested in his chair.

    "You look stressed," Harry pointed out.

    James sighed in defeat. "I don''t know how long I can keep going¡­ things at the Ministry are bing more tense. People have started to be divided into factions."

    "That''s not new, there have always been factions in there," Harrymented.

    "Yes, but not like this¡­ when Fudge was Minister, not everyone liked him. But even the ones who didn''t agree with him¡­" James seemed hesitant to continue.

    "What is going on? Tell me," Harry leaned forward on the table.

    "There has been talk of starting an uprising to remove Lord Parkinson as Minister," James said in a grave voice.

    "Why now? What''s the hurry?"

    "They have begun recing Ministry personnel. In just a few months, there may not be anyone left working at the Ministry that disagrees with Parkinson."

    "Are they going to fire you?" Harry asked.

    "They haven''t touched the Auror Department yet. Madam Bones still has a lot of authority left. But they have begun with other departments, like the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

    "Arthur Weasley?..."

    James shook his head. "More than half the department has been reced."

    "Mmm¡­ I suppose it makes sense. That is Parkinson''s way of doing things. But this is for the best," Harry surprised his father with those words.

    James nced at him. "For the best? Do you not realize how serious this is? Once there is no one left to oppose the Minister''s decisions¡­ he would basically have full control of the country."

    "I do understand it, but¡­ it won''t matter for long. Let the Minister do what he wants. I was going to suggest that you get out of there anyway," Harry said.

    "Out of the Ministry?... like quitting my job?" James was baffled.

    "Not just you, but everyone who, as you said, disagrees with the current Minister. It would be best if all of you got out of there as soon as possible."

    "Okay¡­ what are you not telling me?" James asked with suspicion.

    "Voldemort is back¡­ and I mean the real one this time." Harry just dropped that bomb like it was nothing.

    James remained silent for a few seconds, like he was trying to process what he had just heard. "What?!"

    "Maybe," Harry added.

    "Maybe? So you are not sure? And Dumbledore is also in this? You are going to have to exin that a lot better."

    "Mmm¡­ let''s see¡­" Harry tried his best to inform his father of everything he had learned during thest month.

    The Minister being the mastermind behind the attack on the school, Harry tracking down Dolohov, what he saw at the empty castle, and finally, what he saw back at the cavern.

    "You went after Dolohov alone?!" James shouted.

    "That''s not even remotely the most important part, did you hear what I said?" Harry asked.

    "I heard everything¡­" James muttered.

    "Do you know something about Rookwood''s disappearance? Have any other Lords from Parkinson''s faction gone missing?"

    James made an expression of displeasure. "There is no way for me to know. I have been stuck at a desk for months. The investigators won''t share anything important with us since they are all in Parkinson''s pockets."

    "Moody must be going crazy¡­" Harry could not imagine that man doing desk work for months.

    "Last week, he burned his desk¡­ this is the fifth time it got destroyed." James had a tired smile on his face.

    "But going back to what''s important¡­ just because Rookwood went missing, and some undead disappeared¡­"

    "Inferi."

    "Yes, well. You don''t know exactly when those things were taken. Voldemort could have taken them before leaving the country or¡­ who knows, maybe some other dark wizard stumbled upon that cave and did something to them. This is not hard evidence, Harry." James exined.

    "I know it''s not¡­ that''s why Dumbledore doesn''t want to share anything about this, yet."

    "He doesn''t want to cause a mass panic¡­ that''s understandable. If someone of his status suddenly started to make derations about that dangerous maning back¡­ this is something that everyone has been fearing since the day of his disappearance¡­ everyone was dreading his return."

    James realized something.

    "Is that why you don''t want me in the Ministry? You think he is going to attack there first?"

    Harry shrugged. "It''s just a possibility. But between the fake Dark Lord and the real one¡­ all of you are going to be in danger."

    "My job has always been a dangerous one, and I have epted the risk. I will not run away, and I''m sure that my colleagues would agree with me." James said with conviction.

    "If that monster ising back¡­ I will be there to receive him."

    Harry wanted to tell his father that he didn''t know what Voldemort was truly capable of. But to be fair, he also didn''t know what this version of the Dark Lord had been up to¡­

    If he was anything like the one Harry knew¡­ this Voldemort would also be obsessed with achieving immortality, by any possible means. Above all else, what that man feared was¡­ death.

    The fact that he recalled all the scattered pieces of his soul from the containers where he had previously ced them¡­ must mean that he had found another solution to his dilemma.

    ''What kind of answer has he found this time around?... what kind of monster have you be now, Tom?'' Harry pondered.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 273: The Calm Beforeâ€¦

    Chapter 273: The Calm Before¡­

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 273: The Calm Before...</strong>

    The next two weeks passed in rtive peace.

    Harry had received letters from Ginny, telling him that her mother had finally allowed her to fly her broom at home, now that she had demonstrated her skills during the school year. She sounded happy, and now that she was with her family, the ugly events during the end of the year were starting to be forgotten.

    He also received a letter from Daphne. She wanted to let him know that she would likely be hard to reach during the entire summer because she was going back to Madam Yafel''s shop to continue her apprenticeship.

    ''That girl is going to be a scary witch in the future¡­'' Harry thought.

    Daphne was already extremely talented at practical magic, and Morgana Lefay was the most dangerous witch Harry had ever met during his previous life.

    Had she been free from the curse and able to move around¡­ it may have been her, the one who ended up killing Voldemort.

    If Daphne learns from someone like that¡­ it''s hard to say how far she will go.

    Harry would have loved to enjoy a couple of months of peace and quiet after that eventful end of his third year. But this time, the silence was doing nothing but making him uneasy.

    ''Dumbledore has not contacted me yet, that must mean that nothing has happened.'' He had given the Headmaster all the information he had.

    Keeping secrets would do nothing but increase the danger of the situation at this point. He had also told him to keep a close eye on the Ministry and inform him if anything happened.

    It''s been almost three weeks since he killed Dolohov and since someone had taken Lord Rookwood out. But none of the newspapers wrote anything about it. There was also barely anything written about the invasion at the school. A short article on the lower corner of the fifth page, written by some nameless author in the Prophet, had said something about a small incident that had urred during the Minister''s party.

    The article only made a passing mention of one student getting hurt by a careless ident but said little more than that.

    It was obvious that the Minister had used all his power to prevent the public from finding out. This was made easier thanks to Harry''s actions, who eliminated the invaders away from prying eyes and then used the castle elves to clean up the evidence.

    Other than the rumors about his sister and her friends being attacked by some masked men, there was nothing to show.

    The Headmaster didn''t even attempt to get the real story out. As it would do nothing but bring panic into the public while also damaging his own image since Minister Parkinson would surely spin the story to make him seem like a senile old man who is imagining things.

    "Shit!" He identally put too much pressure on the quill and ruined the page.

    ''I need to focus. This is important.'' He had been having a hard time doing that for the past few days. His mind is always working on the many possibilities, but he had to try¡­ this was also necessary.

    He nced down at therge tome where he had been writing for so many hours already.

    Harry took a letter opener from the other side of his desk. The de waspletely dull, but a quick transfiguration changed that.

    The now sharp utensil did a clean job at removing the ruined page.

    "I was almost done with that one¡­ now I have to start again." Harry grumbled and his stomach started to make noises.

    "Mmm¡­ what time is it?" He had already forgotten how long it had been since he had eaten lunch.

    Just then, the door to his room opened without a knock.

    "Hey!" His sister poked her head inside. "Good, you are dressed!"

    "You could have knocked¡­" Harry was sure that his sister had been taught everything about manners and etiquette. She just chose to ignore them.

    She chuckled. "That''s boring! And I had my hands busy, look!" Lyra came into the room while carrying a silver tray. On top of it was a te with a delicious-looking sandwich and a ss of orange juice.

    "Mom said she didn''t want to bother you when you were working so¡­"

    "I missed dinner, huh?" He took a nce at therge mechanical watch that was hanging from the wall on his right side. It was already thirty minutes past eight. His family usually had dinner at seven o''clock.

    "Thank you, can you leave the tray over there?" Harry pointed at the coffee table that he ced near the center of his room.

    "Whoa, it''s been a while since I entered this room¡­" Lyra rested the tray on the table and looked around the neatly organized bedroom.

    "I try to keep it clean," Harrymented. He knew well why his sister had note into this room often. The previous ''him'' was not fond of visits.

    "I like it!" She said with a smile. Her eyes then moved towards the book on Harry''s table.

    "Are you studying already? That one thick book too¡­ it reminds me of the one Hermione is sometimes reading."

    "I am not reading this book. I am writing it." Harry corrected.

    "You are writing a book?" Lyra was surprised to hear this. She didn''t know her brother had such hobbies.

    "What are you writing about?" She got closer to take a better look.

    "What I am writing is not exactly a story." Harry closed the book to show her the cover. It was made of blue-tinted leather with the silver silhouette of a hippogriff ced in the middle and the letter ''P'' at the top.

    "Is that the symbol of our house?" Lyra had seen that one before¡­ that day when she went to the basement of the Potter Manor.

    "This is a grimoire. The House Potter Grimoire."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 274: Lyraâ€™s Reward

    Chapter 274: Lyra¡¯s Reward

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 274: Lyra''s Reward</strong>

    "A grimoire? Isn''t that the book that contains all the family magic?" She recalled a conversation she had with her friends about that topic. Ginny had told her that her mother''s family, the Prewetts, used to have one but it was lost when they were attacked by dark wizards.

    Astoria mentioned that her family still had their own grimoire, but she was not allowed to read it until she was older.

    Luna''s family also had theirs, and she had actually read it but apparently didn''t understand anything because it was written in Old Gaelic.

    "That is correct." Harry stood up from his desk and went to the small coffee table to eat his dinner.

    "Our house used to have one, but it was lost a long time ago. There is nothing recorded about what happened so it remains a mystery..."

    "Ah¡­" Lyra sat next to him on the couch before realizing something. "But wait, why are you the one writing it? Shouldn''t it be Dad the one who does that?"

    Harry smiled. "Both of our parents have already written a few pages of the book, but it''s up to me to fill the rest¡­ I have yet so much to write in there."

    "Is that what you have been doing all week?" Lyra had barely seen her brother since they came back from school. He always seemed to be busy with something.

    "Yes, you could say that this is going to be my summer project." Harry took another bite of his sandwich.

    "This is really good. What sauce did they put on the turkey?"

    Lyra gave Harry a look of suspicion. "Are you writing those weird spells that you use sometimes? Like that giant fireball that killed the basilisk?"

    "I will write down every bit of magic I know. That''s why¡­ it will take a while." He was telling mostly the truth with that statement. He wanted to make sure that all the knowledge he had umted during his lifetime did not go to waste.

    This wasn''t just his personal knowledge, but that of many others who had contributed¡­ without their help, Harry would not be the wizard he was today. He did not want all of that work to be wasted.

    The only exception he was making¡­ was his knowledge about Demonology. That was not a branch of magic he was willing to let anyone learn. It was just too dangerous.

    That knowledge¡­ he would take with him to the grave.

    "What''s the hurry? You just finished your third year." Lyra could not understand why he was writing this now, instead of doing it after graduating at least.

    "This time is as good as any other. It''s not like I''m going to learn much more with a few years at Hogwarts." Harry told her.

    Lyra did not miss the implication of what he was saying.

    "Is this like one of those things you promised you would tell me? You know¡­ about yourself¡­" She had not forgotten about that promise.

    "Have you been keeping up with your lumency training?"

    "Of course! Go ahead and look for yourself." She said with confidence.

    Harry would rather not do that¡­ he had not forgotten what happened thest time he went inside her mind.

    But he did make a promise to his sister, and he was not going to break it.

    Once he was done with his dinner, he pulled out his wand and nced at her.

    "Okay,y down¡­ getfortable, and look into my eyes."

    As soon as she did, he pointed the wand at her forehead.

    "Legilimency."

    Lyra had not been lying when she said she had been practicing. He could read her surface thoughts, but her memories were no longer moving around in in sight.

    She had locked them behind protections with the use of lumency.

    Of course, if he really tried, he could certainly break down those defenses. But for a second-year student who had just begun to practice¡­ this was a really good result.

    "I''m impressed¡­" He really was. Unless the attacker put in quite a bit of effort, they would not be able to steal her secrets.

    "You are?!" Lyra snapped back to reality and heard his words.

    Harry chuckled. "I really am. You have clearly put a lot of effort into learning lumency."

    "I did!" She smiled with joy. All those hours she spent meditating seemed to have paid off.

    "But don''t get overconfident. You have just begun to learn that discipline and are still a long way from bing a master at it. Promise me that you will continue your training."

    "Of course I will." For a moment, Lyra had a strange feeling. Her brother''s words sounded like he was nning on going away.

    "Hmm¡­ Harry?"

    "Ah¡­ yes, your reward." He said.

    "Yes! Then¡­ will you answer anything I ask?" Lyra''s face became more serious. She had been thinking a lot about this, and the questions had been piling up.

    "Instead of just sitting here and answering stuff, let''s do something better."

    "Like what?..." Lyra gave him a dubious look. "You are not backing down now, right?"

    Harry pressed his wand towards his own temple. "Why don''t you take a look into my mind and see for yourself?"

    "What?!" Lyra eximed.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 275: Harryâ€™s Memories

    Chapter 275: Harry¡¯s Memories

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 275: Harry''s Memories</strong>

    "You want me to enter your mind?" Lyra asked again.

    "There are some things that¡­ unless you see them for yourself, you won''t be keen on believing them. I''m afraid that exining my¡­ let''s say ''special circumstances'' with words¡­ well, it won''t be enough."

    "Is it that incredible? I knew it! You are a time traveler, right?!" Lyra stood up from the couch with excitement.

    "Calm down, Lyra. You''ll see soon enough. You need to sit back down."

    "Right¡­" She calmed down a bit. "So, what do I have to do?"

    "Normally, you would use Legilimency on me, but since you haven''t learned it yet, we''ll have to do it differently." Harry pointed his wand at her.

    "Hold on, isn''t that the same as before? You will enter my mind," Lyra said.

    "It is a bit moreplex than that. A mental attack like Legilimency works by establishing a connection between both minds. The one doing the attack will always have the advantage. But if the other person is skilled enough, they could use that chance to turn the attack back to the aggressor."

    "You mean that I can enter the mind of someone who is attacking me?" Lyra had never heard of that before.

    "It is possible. And I will put aside my defenses to grant you entrance so it will be very easy in this case. Now¡­ let''s begin."

    Harry used the same spell again, but this time, instead of trying to ess Lyra''s inner mind, he opened the connection even wider while removing any resistance on his end.

    A momentter, Lyra''s mind was diving into his.

    When she regained her senses, Lyra found herself looking at the moon and stars.

    "What is this? When did we leave the house?"

    "We didn''t... Look around you."

    As she heard her brother''s voice, she looked ahead of her and was shocked by the view.

    "Whoa! What in Merlin''s name happened here?!" She appeared to be in the middle of arge city, but everything was in ruins. Most of the buildings were half-copsed and there was fire everywhere.

    "What city is this?" she asked.

    "We are less than twenty blocks away from the River Thames. If you look towards the East, I believe that St. Paul''s Cathedral is that way¡­ and if you keep going in that direction, you will reach the Tower of London. Or whatever was left of it."

    "This is London?!" Lyra did not have the chance to visit these big cities very often, but she was somewhat familiar with London at least.

    "This is not ''your'' London. This is¡­ or was¡­ ''my'' London," Harry told her.

    Lyra made a confused expression, but when she turned around to look at her brother, she could not find him.

    "Harry? Where are you?"

    "Look to your right."

    She now realized that the voice of her brother was noting from anywhere in particr and then remembered that she was inside his mind.

    When Lyra followed his instructions, she found a small group of young people, walking through the ruined streets of the city.

    She had no idea who they were at first, but they began to walk directly towards her and as they got closer¡­ their faces became a lot more familiar.

    "Are they?... no, they look¡­"

    "Older? They are older than the ones you know. Around eight years older, in fact. But you can still tell who they are?" Harry asked.

    "Of course!" Lyra sounded a bit offended by the question.

    The one at the front of the group was a tall young man with short dark hair, brilliant green eyes and a pair of circr sses. He was wearing a dirty brown trench coat. But no matter how ragged he looked or how much older he was¡­ she would never fail to recognize her own brother.

    "That''s you!" Lyra smiled. "You look so old!"

    "I was only twenty-one back then¡­" Harry''s voice sounded slightly bitter.

    "And the other ones¡­" She pointed at the bushy-haired girl at Harry''s side.

    "Hermione!... wow! She looks so pretty, even with those dirty robes."

    A bit behind Harry was a redheaded man with slightly long hair and a very unfriendly expression.

    "Is that Bill Weasley?... or Charlie?"

    "That is Ron Weasley," Harry answered.

    "That''s Ron?... you were friends with him?" Lyra raised an eyebrow. From all of Ginny''s brothers, that was definitely her least favorite. And considering that Percy was one of them¡­ that was saying a lot.

    "I was¡­" Harry did not deny it.

    "I don''t know who thest one is¡­" On Harry''s other side, was a tall and strong-looking man. He had short brown hair and a chiseled jawline. The man was wearing something that resembled more armor than a wizard tunic and carried a sword on his hip.

    "He is kinda handsome though¡­"

    "You do know him. That is Neville Longbottom."

    "What?! That''s Neville?!" Lyra waspletely shocked. "Is he really going to look like that in a few years?..."

    "I can''t give you any guarantees¡­ this version of Neville has gone through a lot already."

    "Version?..." Lyra took a step back when she noticed that they just kepting closer to her.

    "Wait! Neville?" She put her hands forward as to stop him, but the figure of Neville continued forward and passed right through her as if she wasn''t there.

    "This is just a memory, remember? You cannot interact with them in any way. You can just watch¡­" The voice of her brother resounded everywhere and made her feel a bit foolish for her actions.

    "Right¡­ I forgot." Lyra turned around and could now see the backs of the group.

    "Where are they going?"

    As she asked that¡­ the top of one of the nearby buildings exploded into a rain of fire and debris.

    Some massive figure came crashing down andnded close to the group.

    The creature reminded Lyra of a gori. She had only seen its picture in books but this one seemed many times bigger than those. Its fur was also of a different color. This one was bright red¡­ just like its eyes. And it had four arms¡­

    That ''thing'' roared with pure rage and everything around began to shake and break.

    "To answer your question¡­ they came to kill a demon."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 276: The Old World

    Chapter 276: The Old World

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 276: The Old World</strong>

    "A demon?!" Lyra almost jumped from the shock. "But demons are not real¡­are they?"

    "Demons are very much real, Lyra. They just don''t exist in the same realm of reality we do," the detached voice of Harry exined to her.

    "Then what is that one doing here?" Lyra pointed at the creature.

    The other Harry and his friends had already started their fierce fight with the demon as Lyra and he spoke.

    "That one, and many others¡­were brought here by a madman who only cared about achieving his goals, no matter the price¡­"

    Lyra then realized that something was missing¡­or more like, someone. "Where is Ginny? What about Luna and Astoria?... What about me? Why aren''t we helping you fight that thing?" If her brother was already in his twenties during this time, that meant that she and her friends were already adults too.

    "Luna was busy, working on something else. I never met Astoria, so I don''t know what she could have been doing by then. As for Ginny¡­she was killed, almost two years before this happened," Harry said with a bitter tone.

    "What?! Ginny died?" Lyra turned around, but of course, her brother was not there. "Can you exin that better?"

    "There is not much to exin. She was killed at the beginning of the war. Back then¡­we didn''t even know there was a war at all. We all thought that it was over¡­we were so wrong¡­"

    "What about me? And Holly? Mom, Dad?" She could only guess the worst now.

    "Calm down, Lyra. It''s not what you think."

    Lyra''s eyes did not move away from the battle. She could never have imagined that she would see something like this.

    "Then¡­ this is the future?... Is this going to happen to our world?" She had reached a dreadful conclusion.

    "What you are seeing right now is not your future. This is not your world."

    Lyra''s eyes opened wide.

    "Not my world?"

    "Correct. Since humans began to manipte time with the use of time magic¡­there have been countless fractures in our time and space continuum. As a result, many different realities and timelines have been born. What you are seeing before you is just one of the many possibilities."

    "Are you saying that this is like¡­a different reality?" Lyra asked.

    "Yes. A grim reality in which Voldemort, at his lowest point, decided to open a gate to the Netherworld and bring a host of demons to destroy the world. To you, this is just a different reality, something that didn''t happen and will not happen in your world. But to me¡­this is my past¡­my old home."

    "You¡­" Lyra realized. These were Harry''s memories, so he had to have lived this before.

    "You came from another world?"

    The burning city around Lyra began to vanish into smoke, along with the figures of the demon and the ones fighting it. And it was soon reced by a differentndscape.

    It wasn''t exactly a better one. This one was apletely barrennd, devoid of everything. There were no signs of life or buildings, or¡­anything at all. Even the sun was looking dim while washing over the grey dirt and stones.

    "You are correct."

    Lyra detected that the voice of her brother was different, and it was nowing from behind her.

    When she turned around, she found herself face to face with a tall man. He had short dark hair, an unkempt beard, and wore some ragged clothes, filled with holes and covered in that grey dirt.

    It looked like this person had gone through hell and somehow came back.

    But a quick look into his bright green eyes was enough for Lyra to know that she was in front of her brother.

    "You look like shit."

    "Don''t let Mom hear you say that," Harry chuckled.

    "So¡­this is what you really looked like?" Lyra asked.

    "This is what I looked like by the end¡­yes."

    Lyra moved her eyes around the area. There wasn''t much to see.

    "And where are we?"

    "We are in the same ce as before, but around twenty yearster than the battle you saw," Harry exined.

    "Twenty years¡­" Lyra muttered.

    "By this point, most of the looked like this. They destroyed everything¡­ the few remnants of humanity had to hide underground."

    "You didn''t beat the demons?!" Lyra eximed. She could not imagine her brother losing a battle, not even to something like a demon.

    "No, I''m afraid not. This was not something that could be won in the first ce. The moment Voldemort opened that gate¡­ he doomed us all."

    "You-Know-Who did all of this?" Lyra had heard terrible tales about the Dark Lord, but she could never have thought he could destroy the world in such a way.

    "Did you at least kill him?"

    "I did¡­I think, at least."

    "You are not sure?" Lyra asked.

    "No, you see¡­ that''s when I died."

    "You died?! But wait¡­"

    "I am not a ghost¡­" Harry hurried to add.

    "That''s not what I was going to say!" Lyra looked offended.

    "I don''t understand either how it happened. I remember dying in this world and then¡­I woke up in the body of a younger version of myself. In your world."

    Lyra stared at him for a while without saying anything. But then¡­all of a sudden, she smiled at him.

    "I think I understand now. I just have one question¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 277: Old and New

    Chapter 277: Old and New

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 277: Old and New</strong>

    "Is it about what happened to your original brother?... I''m sorry but-"

    "No, of course not!" Lyra interrupted him.

    "Why would I care about that ungrateful brat? He tried to kill me."

    "Oh¡­" Harry had not anticipated her to care so little about that.

    "Then, what question did you have?"

    "To be fair, I have a thousand questions¡­but¡­ remember that day, in the basement, when my friends and I snuck in¡­"

    "Yes, I do remember. That was very reckless, one of my golems almost killed you," Harry said.

    "Hehe, yes, that day¡­" Lyra looked a bit embarrassed.

    "That day, I asked you if you were really my brother¡­"

    "And I told you to never doubt that," Harry added.

    "Did you really mean that or was it something you s-"

    "Of course, I meant it, Lyra. I''m not the kind of person who likes to manipte others with lies, you should know that by now." Harry looked down to meet her eyes.

    "I may havee from a different reality, but I am still Harry Potter, the son of Lily and James Potter. And for as long as you consider me your brother¡­that is what I will be."

    Lyra jumped at him and gave him a crushing hug.

    "You have a thousand questions, huh? Well, if there is anything else you want to ask while we are here¡­"

    "..." Lyra shook her head. "I think¡­I''d rather not ask¡­" She wanted to ask about what happened to her parents and the other versions of herself and Holly. But Harry never mentioned any of them, and she had a good idea as to why.

    "Let''s go back then." Sensing that she had seen enough, Harry pulled her out of his mind.

    A minuteter, Lyra opened her eyes.

    "How was it?" Harry asked.

    "I feel a bit dizzy¡­" Lyra answered while holding her head.

    "That is a normal aftereffect, but that is not what I meant."

    Lyra lifted her gaze to look at him directly.

    "You have learned what you wanted to know about me, right?" Harry asked.

    "I suppose, I mean¡­ that exins so much. No wonder you can do all that stuff with your magic!" Lyra eximed.

    "I did go through a lot, yes," Harry nodded.

    "And you are like, super old!" Lyra added.

    "Pardon?..." Harry raised an eyebrow.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I just wanted to thank you again, Lily."

    "Molly, I already told you that''s unnecessary¡­James just gave him a rmendation, nothing more." Lily felt a bit overwhelmed. Molly Weasley had already thanked her a dozen times and sent arge number of cakes to their house.

    After finding out that Arthur had lost his job at the Ministry, James spoke to Lord Greengrass, and this one agreed to give the man a good position in one of his businesses in France.

    This new job took away more of his free time since he had to travel to another country, so he could not be at home as much as he would have wanted, but it also paid three times more than his previous job, so the family was now a lot more rxed when it came to money.

    "And I insist! We would have been in a lot of trouble without your help. I brought another cake, a chocte one this time." She pulled a small wooden box from her bag, and this one grew several times in size before Molly finally ced it on the kitchen table and opened it up, revealing a delicious-looking cake.

    "Cake!" Holly became excited and went to fetch some tes.

    Lily nced at her youngest daughter with worry. She was going to get extremely fat if things continued like this.

    "Is Lyra here?" Ginny asked while standing next to the table.

    "She is in the backyard, I believe she is with Harry," Lily said.

    Ginny hurried out of the kitchen. This was the first time she was able to visit the Potter house since the beginning of the summer, and it had already been a month since sses ended.

    She opened the door to therge back garden and was weed by a pleasant breeze.

    Her eyes moved over all the greenery and found someone sitting on the bench that was ced beneath the apple tree, near the center of the garden.

    As she got closer, Ginny realized that the person in question was not Lyra but Harry instead.

    He was reading a book while also writing something in a notebook.

    She stood there for a few seconds, not sure of what to say. Ginny felt a bit conflicted about interrupting him while he seemed so concentrated.

    But then, Harry turned to face her and greeted her with a kind smile. "It''s been a while. How have you been?"

    Ginny returned the greeting with her best smile.

    "Were you looking for my sister? I believe she was taking a bath, but she should be done soon, we had a practice scheduled."

    "Practice? You mean like the ones we did during the school year?" She saw Harry give a short nod.

    "Do you mind if I join?"

    "Not at all, please." He offered some room to sit down, and she happily agreed. "How is your father liking the new job?"

    "Well¡­ I think he would like to spend more time near home, but he does like to work in that shop. He says there are several Muggle-borns who know a lot of interesting stuff. I mean¡­interesting for him."

    Harry recalled the man''s obsession with anything made by Muggles, including rubber ducks.

    "Next month, we are going to be spending some time in France¡­"

    Harry noticed that she seemed upset about something.

    "Are you not looking forward to that?"

    "Oh, it''s not that! It''s just¡­the Quidditch Cup finals are on August 25th! Irnd is going to y against Bulgaria, and I''m going to miss it!" Ginny eximed.

    "The Quidditch Cup?..." That brought up some memories for Harry. In his past life, he did go watch that game Ginny was talking about.

    ''There are going to be a lot of important people watching that game¡­'' He was getting a bad feeling now.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Extra â€“ Chapter 278: RECAP!

    Extra ¨C Chapter 278: RECAP!

    <strong>Extra - Chapter 278: RECAP!</strong>

    A.N - This extra chapter is going to be a summary of the important events that urred since the beginning of the story. I wanted to do this before starting the fourth arc so everyone is more or less on the same page. If you don''t feel like you need any reminders, feel free to skip this one.

    <strong>Arc Zero:</strong>Let''s begin at the beginning. Our main character originates from an alternate reality where demons invaded the world and destroyed everything. Let us call it Universe 1.

    In Universe 1, things were mostly the same as in the ''Original Universe'' until around the fourth year. For several reasons, Dumbledore never made the connection between Harry and the Horcruxes. Not knowing that the Boy Who Lived was supposed to die, he took Harry under his wing and trained him the best he could, discovering that Harry had a great deal of talent for Transfiguration.

    During the sixth year, Dumbledore still died, killed in a Death Eater ambush, leaving Harry and his friends alone to deal with the rest.

    In the seventh year, Voldemort threw an all-out attack on Hogwarts, thest ce he needed to control, but this time he had to face a much more prepared Harry.

    It was a tough battle, but eventually, Harry came out on top and killed Voldemort after destroying all his Horcruxes, not knowing that there was still one more... him.

    Several yearster, Voldemort announced his return by killing Harry''s new wife, Ginny.

    This time, Voldemort was much better prepared. After losing the protection from his Horcruxes, he resorted to a more extreme method. He used an ancient ritual that allowed him to contact a different world...the Netherworld, home of all demons.

    The warsted decades and ended with the destruction of one hundred percent of the earth''s surface and almost all humanity. The few survivors had to hide in underground bunkers, protected by both magic and thetest technology they had ess to.

    After decades of war, Harry made ast-ditch effort to kill Voldemort, who was now nearly invincible thanks to the help of the demons. After a long battle that ended in the deaths of every single soldier who apanied him, Harry achieved victory and killed Voldemort after destroying the demonic artifact that protected his life.

    Due to his injuries, Harry died shortly after. Unknowingly, he had just destroyed thest Horcrux, preventing Voldemort from ever returning.

    His death also triggered something else. During his early days, Harry hade into contact with all three of the Hallows and became the Master of them all, even if he did not know it yet. His own death was thest necessary step to fully be the one and only ''Master of Death.''

    This title came with privileges but also with obligations. Unlike the rest of the mortals, Harry''s soul did not go into the afterlife once his body perished. Instead, it ended up drifting along the river of Limbo until a suitable body became avable.

    The next time he opened his eyes, he discovered that he was in the body of a younger version of himself.

    <strong>Arc One:</strong>In this arc, Harry learns that he is now in a different reality, which we''ll call Universe 2. In this universe, history was very different from what he remembered.

    He was born almost a monthter, meaning he no longer fit the requirements of The Prophecy to be the Boy Who Lived, leaving Neville as the only possible candidate.

    With no one else to choose from, this version of Voldemort focused his attention on the Longbottoms, leaving the Potters and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to be taken care of by his minions.

    After Harry was born and knowing they were still in a lot of danger, the Potters moved to their family''s ancestral home. Not only were the protections much stronger, but the only one who knew about the location of this manor was Sirius ck.

    They knew there was a traitor in the order, so they didn''t dare to spread information about their whereabouts. The traitor turned out to be none other than Wormtail, much to their surprise. Remus had been the one under the most suspicion, so he had preventively left the country.

    After Voldemort demanded Wormtail reveal the location of all the members of the Order, Wormtail disappointed him by saying he only knew of a few of the less important members.

    But he saved his life by revealing where to find Sirius ck and that he knew how to locate the Potters'' main family manor.

    Sirius was captured and tortured to death but never gave up a single bit of information about his friends. Thanks to this, James and Lily, along with Harry and their newborn daughter, were able to survive the war and thrive.

    Voldemort eventually found the Longbottoms and went to kill them himself. Because of the Prophecy, he thought he was the only one fitting to kill this chosen boy, and his arrogance prevented him from thinking about the possibility of losing.

    The Dark Lord killed most of the Longbottom family, leaving only Augusta Longbottom, who survived her injuries, and one of Neville''s uncles, who was traveling through Germany at the time.

    But when Voldemort went to administer the Killing Curse on the young boy, his spell bounced back to him. Luckily for the wizard, the protections on Neville were not strong enough topletely deflect the curse with its full strength, and Voldemort survived, though his soul and body were greatly damaged, forcing him to flee the scene.

    Betrix Lestrange, along with her husband and brother-inw, went looking for their master after he failed to return in time.

    They found him in a forest near the Longbottom house, gravely injured and barely conscious.

    Voldemort ordered his most trusted followers to take him away from Ennd. He needed time to recoverpletely and to n his return.

    A few years after this, Wormtail, who was now a fugitive, was found by a group of Aurors. After killing one of them, the rat was able to escape, but his identity as a rat animagus was exposed. Not seeing a better choice, Wormtail decided to leave the country and go in search of his old master, who everyone believed to be still alive.

    <strong>Arc Two:</strong>Remus visits the Potters, and during a casual talk, he mentions something about unusual vampire activity in Romania.

    Harry pays a visit to his family vault at the deepest part of Gringotts. While he is there, he discovers the vaults of the Four Founders are right next to his family''s. He also spots the vault that belonged to the legendary Peverell family.

    When he gets a bit closer, Harry feels a connection with the vault, or at least with some of its contents. There is something in that vault that seems to be calling for him, but he does not have the chance to open it under the strict vignce of the goblins.

    During this arc, Harry learns that some of the Horcruxes are missing from the locations where they were supposed to be. He is unable to find the diary at the Malfoys'' house nor the Ravenw tiara inside the Room of Requirement.

    Strange urrences are happening at Hogwarts. The castle continues to suffer from tremors, and Harry eventually realizes that the source of those tremors is inside the Chamber of Secrets. He expects to have to fight a basilisk when he goes in there but instead finds much more. After killing three basilisks, he encounters a behemoth-sized basilisk.

    With the lives of his sister and her friends at risk, Harry resorts to using a Grand Sorcery that ends up costing him his wand and the ''Seven Array Arkstone'' artifact he had previously created.

    He only has a vague theory about how this gigantic basilisk came to be, but monthster, the truth is revealed with the help of Professor Silverbell, the Chief of the Time Department at the Ministry and the number one expert when ites to time magic. He is also a tiny gnome.

    He calls it a ''Convergence,'' a temporary union of two different timelines.

    They be connected due to weaknesses in the walls that separate realities. Those weak points ur in locations with very high concentrations of magical particles. When that happens, it bes possible for things or living beings to cross from one reality to the next, even without their knowledge.

    What happened in the chamber was a massive convergence where countless basilisks from countless different realities ended up all trapped in the same one. After they began to consume each other, the protective magical arrays from the Chamber of Secrets ended up acting as the container for an ancient ritual. This ritual enabled the basilisk to be stronger and bigger by devouring its siblings.

    By the end of the ordeal, what was left was one massive basilisk that had eaten everyone else, and three lucky survivors who escaped the massacre by fitting through the cracks in the walls.

    Professor Silverbell also mentions that these fractures in the walls of reality are only going to get worse until entire universes start to collide with each other, causing the destruction of one¡­or both. This will continue to repeat until there is only one universe left in existence, as it was originally meant to be before time travel was invented.

    The Professor had already predicted that this was going to ur eventually, but something seemed to have triggered the entire multiverse to begin its copse many centuries before it was supposed to happen.

    He also says that unless the ''anomaly'' that caused the trigger is removed, theplete copse of all realities will ur in the very near future.

    After hearing this, it does not take long for Harry to reach the conclusion that he is the anomaly in question. Dumbledore promises to find an alternate solution, but Harry knows that this is very unlikely to happen. One day, he is going to have to make a decision if he wants to protect his loved ones.

    <strong>Arc Three:</strong>Harry learns he is now the Master of Death after absorbing the inactive remnants of the Three Hallows and fully awakening histent abilities. Lord Parkinson, who had been pretending to be the Dark Lord in Voldemort''s absence, finally achieves his goal to be the Minister of Magic and begins his ns to haveplete control of the country.

    Everything is going well until his failed attempt to kill Harry Potter, followed by his next failure, involving the werewolves, trolls, and Death Eaters.

    A.N - I think this covers the most important points. But let me know if I have forgotten something and I will add it.

 Chapter 279: The Parkinsonsâ€™ Fate

    Chapter 279: The Parkinsons¡¯ Fate

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 279: The Parkinsons'' Fate</strong>

    One week after the end of the school term.

    "Ahh, I can''t take it anymore!"

    "Calm down, Pansy. I know how you feel, but we must be patient¡­" Lady Parkinson sighed again.

    It had been two weeks since her husband had pulled her daughter from school in a rush, even though there was only one week left to finish, and asked them to stay at the main family manor.

    Pansy had to tell her friends that she was going on an early vacation, even when she had no idea what was going on.

    "But Mom! How long is this going to take? I can''t even contact my friends! What about my ns for the summer?" Pansy had been patient enough during the first days, but after her father had continued to deny her any exnation about why she had to stay locked at home, she was beginning to lose her mind. "Martha!" Pansy called, but no one answered. "Where is the maid?"

    "Oh¡­ I''m not sure. She hasn''t answered my calls all morning." Aurora Parkinson made a worried expression. "I''m sure your father had her upied with something." Lord Parkinson only allowed a few selected servants to work at their main manor. But recently, he had sent them all away, except for the Head Maid, Martha, who was left to take care of the meals and some basic cleaning.

    "And when is heing back?" Pansy asked. He didn''t returnst night as usual.

    Lady Parkinson nced down at the table. "I''m sure¡­ he will be here soon."

    Pansy threw her mother a look of suspicion. "Do you know what is going on? Is there some sort of crisis at the Ministry?"

    "I''m not sure, Pansy¡­ your father will give us some exnation, have some patience, please." What she just told her daughter wasn''t exactly a lie. She did not know what could have happened now that her husband was so paranoid about it.

    Of course, she wasn''t oblivious to her husband''s darker side or his past as a follower of the Dark Lord. She even agreed with many of their points, even if she didn''t like their violent methods.

    After the disappearance of Lord Voldemort, she had hoped that her husband would take it as a chance to make things right, to leave behind that dark side of his.

    Everything seemed to be going great, until a few years back, when her husband became more secretive and quiet¡­ like he was back then¡­

    Everything became worse when he was dered Minister of Magic. She saw him be surrounded by questionable individuals like Walden McNair, Antonin Dolohov, and even Yaxley after this one came out of prison.

    Aurora was sure that her husband did not be Minister without doing something illegal or immoral, but he would not tell her about it. Instead, he would be constantly having secret meetings with those who followed him closely¡­ it almost reminded her of what the Dark Lord used to do.

    Wanting to shake away those thoughts, Aurora looked around the dining hall. Her eyes moved to therge grandfather clock on the side. "It''s getting a bitte, maybe I should begin to prepare something for dinner."

    Pansy almost jumped at hearing this. "You want to cook?!"

    Lady Parkinson began tough when she saw her daughter''s reaction. "You know, I used to bake when you were little."

    "I don''t remember that¡­ Martha is the one who prepares all our meals. Father says that the kitchen is no ce for people of our status." Pansy recalled hearing that many times before.

    "Yes, he does say that." And that is why she didn''t cook often. "But back in my house, I was taught that a nobledy should know their way around the kitchen¡­ and the bedroom." She gave Pansy a yful wink.

    "Mom!" Pansy became clearly embarrassed.

    "Come on, you can keep mepany." She stood up from her chair. "And maybe you''ll learn something."

    "I don''t want to learn to cook. That''s what servants are for." Pansy huffed.

    "It won''t hurt you to learn a few basic things. Maybe one day, you will use those skills to make someone happy." Aurora gave her daughter a side nce and saw her mood change. "Speaking of¡­ how are things going with that boy?¡­ Potter, was it?"

    "Well¡­" Pansy looked at the ground. "We haven''t spoken in a while."

    "Is this because of what happened that day?" Aurora knew about how those Slytherin seniors tried to use her daughter to lure Potter into Hogsmeade and attack him. She had a good talk with their parents after that, but she wished her husband had done something more, for once. "That was not your fault."

    "Harry said that too¡­ but I should never have gone along with those boys! I should have warned Harry earlier¡­"

    "See? He understands. I have only met Mister Potter very briefly, but he seemed like a very mature boy for his age." Lady Parkinson smiled.

    "It''s not just that. I''m sure that Daphne also likes him¡­" Pansy said with a depressed tone.

    "Greengrass?" Aurora lifted an eyebrow. She was fairly familiar with Lady Greengrass; she was one of the most beautiful women she knew, and for the few asions where she spotted her eldest daughter, it appeared that she had inherited much from her mother. "Well¡­ a bit ofpetition won''t hurt you."

    "Competition?" Pansy looked confused. She never had topete for anything before.

    "You are all still very young. You will have plenty of time to conquer Mister Potter next year. I''ll give you some tips!" She suggested.

    Pansy''s mood seemed to improve after that. "Really? Like what?"

    "Mmm¡­ let me think¡­"

    At that moment, they heard the firece be aze with green mes.

    "Dad is here!" Pansy eximed.

    "How odd¡­ he normally uses the floo from his studio." Aurora stared at the green mes and saw the figure of her husband emerge from it.

    But she immediately realized that something was wrong when she saw his face.

    "Get your things, we have to leave!" Lord Parkinson screamed, his expression contorted with fear.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 280: No Escape

    Chapter 280: No Escape

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 280: No Escape</strong>

    Both Pansy and her mother became rmed.

    "You are hurt!" Aurora just noticed that her husband was not only terrified but his robes were in a terrible state and his left arm was bleeding.

    "Where is Albert?!" Lord Parkinson ignored his wife''s concerns while he looked around the hall.

    "The butler? You sent him away, remember? Perseus, tell me what is going on. Who attacked you?" Aurora asked.

    Pansy approached her father. "Dad, what is going on? You lock us at home, then you disappear and n-"

    Lord Parkinson turned his gaze to her and screamed. "Now now!"

    This was so out of character that neither Pansy nor Aurora knew how to react. One thing that everyone could agree on when it came to Lord Parkinson was that the man was always calm andposed, no matter the situation.

    Pansy had never seen her father lose his mind in such an extreme way. While Aurora hadn''t seen him like this since¡­

    "Perseus¡­ is this about¡­" She did not want to ask. The words stuck in her mouth.

    "Those bloody traitors! All of them, bloody hell. I''m going to kill them all!" Lord Parkinson was not in the mood to listen at the moment.

    He clutched at his wound while pacing around the dining hall as his wife and daughter waited for an exnation.

    After a minute of this, he stopped and looked at them.

    "Forget your things, we must leave now! We can go to the beach cottage in Italy. No one knows about that one."

    "We have a cottage in Italy?" Pansy definitely didn''t know about that.

    "We haven''t been there in fifteen years. The house must be a mess. And you haven''t told me what is going on yet! Who are we running away from?!" Aurora was now sure that her husband had gotten involved in something very dangerous and probably illegal. She could only hope it had nothing to do with¡­

    "Come on! get in the firece. We have to leave now before it''s toote. They wille here soon." Perseus Parkinson eximed.

    "Who ising here?" Pansy was beginning to panic also, after seeing her father like that. Even though she didn''t understand anything that was happening right now.

    "How can anyone get here so easily? We have only given entrance to the Malfoys and they are gone," Lady Parkinson said.

    Over many years, Lord Parkinson had been extremely careful and reserved when it came to showing the location of his many properties to the public.

    Only one of them was used for parties while another was used for important meetings. But the main house, the Parkinson ancestral manor¡­ they had only ever revealed the location to those who were to join their family.

    Lady Parkinson was only granted entrance the day of her engagement.

    Lucius Malfoy''s son, Draco, was meant to marry Pansy. So they allowed their family ess to their house when their engagement became official.

    But then Lucius died and the betrothal was canceled by Lord Parkinson, who felt that the Malfoys had lost too much of their status and wealth and were no longer worthy of such a marriage. A short time after that, both Draco and his mother Narcissa had disappeared in mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again.

    Aurora, as well as many of thedies she spoke with on asions, believed that Lucius had gotten involved in something shady. The man was well known for collecting dark artifacts. Perhaps a deal went wrong and he was killed as a result.

    So most believed that both his wife and son were already dead. Perhaps killed by the same person who ended Lucius''s life.

    Lord Parkinson''s expression changed when his wife mentioned the Malfoy name. "The Malfoys are the worst of them all! They are all ungrateful traitors! After everything I have done for them¡­ for our cause¡­"

    "Wait, have you seen Draco?" Pansy was shocked. She never thought to hear about that boy again, after he disappeared in such a way.

    "Narcissa and her son are alive?" Aurora was shocked to hear this.

    "I''ll exin thingster¡­." Lord Parkinson took a handful of floo powder and threw it onto the firece.

    "Farnese Cottage."

    The powder turned into green smoke, but the mes failed to ignite.

    "What?! No!" Parkinson yelled.

    "The floo is not working?" Aurora got closer to the firece to take a better look. "How can that be? You just used it."

    "They must have closed it from the Ministry." Lord Parkinson concluded. Beads of sweat fell across his face as he stared at the fading smoke.

    "But Dad, you are the Minister! Who can do that to you?" Pansy didn''t understand what was happening, just that it was something very bad.

    "Well, use Apparition. Come here, hurry!" Lord Parkinson held his wand out and lifted it in the air.

    Pansy and her mother knew this was not the time to question him any further, so they immediately grabbed onto him and prepared to be pulled away¡­ but nothing happened.

    "Dad?...." Pansy nced up at her father''s pale face.

    "I can''t¡­ apparate¡­" Lord Parkinson said with a trembling voice.

    "An anti-apparition ward?!" Aurora eximed. "But how can that be? What about our protections?!"

    No one should have been able to get so close to the manor without triggering their own safety wards.

    But if there was an anti-apparition charm in ce¡­ this meant that intruders were already around their home.

    "What do we do?!" Aurora was truly scared now. Whoever had her husband so terrified¡­ was here now, and they could not escape.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 281: Punish the Traitor

    Chapter 281: Punish the Traitor

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 281: Punish the Traitor</strong>

    The family was startled by a series of tremendously loud noises. They heard something simr to an explosion, followed by the sounds of things breaking and scattering everywhere.

    "That came from the main entrance," Lady Parkinson said.

    "Mom¡­ I''m scared¡­" Pansy said, barely containing her tears.

    "We are doomed¡­." Lord Parkinson appeared to have given up by now. He let go of his wife and daughter and walked to a nearby chair, where he sat down after cing his wand on the table.

    "Can''t we escape with brooms? We can maybe go to thest floor and fly away from there," Aurora suggested.

    "We cannot escape anymore¡­ not from Him! It doesn''t matter what we use anymore, He will find us no matter where we go!" Lord Parkinson mmed his hands on the table.

    "Perseus¡­ who i-"

    "The Dark Lord!" He didn''t let her finish her question.

    Both Pansy and Aurora stared at him with a mixture of horror and disbelief.

    "The Dark Lord¡­ he is back," Lord Parkinson continued. "Everyone who didn''t immediately return to his side¡­ is probably dead already."

    "But¡­ you were one of his most loyal followers! Why would he?..." Aurora then realized, looking at her husband''s expression.

    "What did you do?!" she shouted. "What¡­ did you do!" She ran to his side and pulled him up by his robes.

    Lord Parkinson did not want to look at her, so he moved his gaze away.

    "I¡­ I just wanted to be in charge for a while¡­ I didn''t think he woulde back."

    "You¡­ you didn''t. Perseus, please tell me yo-"

    "Ahh!" Pansy screamed when the door of the dining room was sted apart.

    "I''m sure that one was open, Miss," a female voice said.

    "Oh, but it is more fun that way," another woman answered with a proud and smug tone.

    The Parkinsons heard the steps of several people getting closer.

    Aurora held her wand in hand. "Pansy,e here!" She hurried to pull her daughter behind her.

    Lord Parkinson moved his gaze to the destroyed entrance but made no motion to pick up his wand or stand up from his seat.

    Two women entered the room first, followed by two more figures who had their heads covered by ck robes.

    Aurora immediately recognized the dark-skinned beauty on the right.

    "Trisha Zabini?! And who¡­" She gasped in shock when she saw the other woman.

    This was a face she had not seen in many years, but she didn''t seem to have gotten older...if anything, she looked younger.

    Despite her skin being much paler and her eyes having changed color to an unnatural yellow¡­ she would never forget the face of the Dark Lord''s most devoted follower, and the most deranged witch she had ever met in her life¡­

    "Betrix¡­ you are alive¡­"

    Be gave her a mocking smile. "That is a very rude way to greet someone after so long, Aurora. I hope you don''t mind the sudden visit, but we just let ourselves in."

    "What do you want?! We have never been enemies. What is this about?!" Aurora knew this was all her husband''s fault, but she could only hope they could talk their way out of this one.

    Her eyes moved to the two covered individuals behind the women. One was very tall and towered over Betrix while the other was much shorter than the two women.

    "Your husband didn''t tell you what he did?" Be looked at Parkinson, and he lowered his head.

    "He has done something unforgivable while our beloved Lord was away. A terrible act of treason."

    Aurora also nced at her husband for a moment with a stern face.

    "I haven''t heard the details¡­ but whatever it was, I am sure we can work out somepensation. We have been loyal subjects of the Dark Lord for many years, Miss Betrix."

    "Have you?" Be smiled. "Why don''t you rip away that dress and show us your Dark Mark then?"

    "I¡­ I''m afraid that I never received that honor," Aurora answered.

    "No, you did not," Be stated. "Because you never were a true follower. Your husband was." She pointed at him. "And for the past years, he has stolen the identity of our Dark Lord and ruled over the outer circle followers."

    "What?!" Lady Parkinson could not help but shout.

    "You heard me. That¡­ disgrace of a man took advantage of the fact that only a few selected individuals had seen the face of our Lord and pretended to be Him! That''s how he became Minister so easily. Now do you understand the severity of his betrayal, my dear Aurora?"

    She looked at her defeated husband again. "How could you?..." This was far worse than what she had imagined.

    ''We are doomed¡­'' she realized now. There was no way to talk their way out of this.

    "Miss Betrix, my daughter¡­ at leas-"

    "Crucio!" Betrix had her wand pointed at Lady Parkinson before she even began to speak.

    The curse hit her chest, and she began to scream. She lost her grip on her wand, and it rolled beneath the table.

    Pansy had been standing right behind her mother and received a small dosage of the curse too, making her fall backward while screaming as well.

    Betrix released the curse.

    "No¡­ we can''t make this so quick¡­ besides, I''m sure there is someone else who wants to say a few words." Be turned around and nced at the shorter person who had been standing behind Lady Zabini.

    "Isn''t that right, Draco?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 282: Execution

    Chapter 282: Execution

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 282: Execution</strong>

    The short figure stepped forward while removing his hood. His face had not changed much since his disappearance the previous year, but his skin was much paler and his eyes were nowpletely yellow, just like Betrix''s.

    "Thank you, Aunt Be, for giving me this chance." Draco turned towards thest hooded figure and gave a deep bow.

    "And thank you too, my Lord."

    The hooded individual raised his face slightly, but even so, it was impossible to discern his features, as if an unnatural fog was preventing them from being seen.

    "Have fun, young Draco. But don''t dy much," the chilling voice said.

    Aurora managed to raise her head from the ground as she heard it.

    "The¡­ Dark Lord¡­" It had changed, but this was definitely the voice of Lord Voldemort. Despite having only met him once in person, it was not something she could ever forget.

    Pansy recovered from the pain she had suffered and stood up on shaky legs. She had no time to be terrified about being in the presence of the Dark Lord himself, because she was too surprised to see Draco again.

    "Draco?¡­"

    The boy''s gaze was also fixed on her.

    "Hello Pansy, it''s been a while. Have you missed your fianc¨¦?" he said with a grin before he began to approach.

    "W-wait, my Lord!" Lord Parkinson finally reacted from his stupor as he saw this. "My daughter, can you at least spare my d-"

    "Silencio!" Betrix shouted.

    The spell she threw at Lord Parkinson not only silenced him but also threw him across the hall.

    "You won''t speak again unless the Lord gives you permission!" she added.

    "Please!" Aurora tried to stand up, but the effects of the Cruciatus Curse were still lingering on her. With every movement she made, it felt like dozens of knives were being stabbed all over her body.

    "Ahhhh!" she screamed before copsing back on the floor.

    Draco ignored the plight of Lady Parkinson and continued to advance towards Pansy.

    "D-Draco¡­ what do you think you are doing?..." Pansy took a step back. She could feel the danger very clearly. Those new eyes that Draco had now showed her nothing but cruelty and bloodlust.

    The blonde boy chuckled. He very much enjoyed her current expression of fear.

    "I have been dreaming about this for a long time¡­ I want to make you suffer, Pansy."

    "I haven''t done anything to you!" she shouted while continuing to step away from him.

    Draco pulled a knife from his belt. The knife was only around four or five inches in length, but the moment it was out of its sheath, the de began to emanate a baleful purple mist.

    It would not take a schr to deduce that it was a cursed de. Just a simple scratch could be a death sentence.

    "You haven''t done anything to me?! You took everything from me!" Draco screamed at Pansy. He was now very close to her, and she had nowhere else to run. Her back was pressing against a stone wall.

    "I¡­ I didn''t¡­ I-"

    "Shut up! I don''t want to hear your excuses! I just want you to die." Draco raised the knife in the air.

    "No!" Pansy screamed and covered her face with her hands.

    Before Draco could finish his motion, he felt movement behind him. When he turned around, he saw the figure of Aurora Parkinson charging at him.

    "Leave my daughter!" she screamed.

    This might have worked against him in the past. But the current Draco was different¡­

    He twisted his body at an impossible angle and avoided the charge of Lady Parkinson.

    As she passed by him, he moved his right hand at lightning speed and plunged the de of his knife into the woman''s ribs.

    She yelped in pain for a second before he used his free hand to push her away.

    Her little remaining strength abandoned her, and she fell down right next to her daughter. As the curse began to take effect, her screams of pain became louder.

    "Mom!" Pansy panicked and took hold of her mother.

    Aurora clutched at her sides. The pain she was feeling now wasparable to the Cruciatus Curse she suffered before. She could not speak or think, she could only scream.

    "What did you do to her?!" Pansy eximed. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she watched Draco return a cruel smirk to her.

    "The same things I''m going to do to you."

    Just momentster, the screams of Lady Parkinson stopped. It had taken less than a minute for the curse to end her life.

    Pansy cried while clutching her mother.

    "No¡­ please no!"

    Draco nced back at his Lord. He knew he could not enjoy this for much longer, so he got to work.

    "Let''s end this¡­"

    Just at that moment, he noticed that Lord Parkinson was running at him.

    The man could not speak, but he had at least recovered from the blow inflicted by Betrix moments before.

    He had lost his wand too, but that didn''t matter to him anymore. He just wanted to grab Draco and crush him with his own hands.

    "Hmph!" Betrix huffed before disappearing from the spot where she had been standing.

    Like a gust of wind, she appeared between Draco and Lord Parkinson.

    Before the man could take even one more step, she extended her leg and gave the man a powerful kick on his chest.

    Once more, Lord Parkinson went flying through the air before he crashed against some bookshelves.

    Betrix turned to Draco with a stern expression.

    "Stop ying, Draco. Our Lord''s patience is limited¡­"

    Draco nodded. He knew how right she was. He had already seen what happens to those who anger the Dark Lord.

    Pansy nced up at him, but she said nothing at first. She just stared at him with as much hatred as she could muster in one look. She had never hated someone so much before.

    She knew she was about to die, but didn''t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her afraid anymore.

    Pansy closed her eyes while Draco lifted the de over her. She didn''t even listen to hisst words.

    Herst thoughts were of a certain boy with green eyes and the regret she felt for never seeing him again.

    "Noo!" Lord Parkinson yelled.

    "He broke my charm¡­ not bad." Be looked more impressed than otherwise.

    Draco saw as Lord Parkinson began to run at him, but he only took a few steps before his body was lifted into the air.

    "Enough¡­." The tall figure wearing ck robes finally stepped forward.

    "It is too early for you to throw away your life, Parkinson¡­ I still have uses for you."

    "You!" Lord Parkinson red at the threatening figure with eyes filled with rage.

    "You killled m-...ahhhh!"

    His levitating body began to twist in unnatural ways. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream as his bones began to crack.

    From behind the dark hood, a pair of red eyes emerged into view.

    "M-Monster¡­." Parkinson began to mutter words with difficulty.

    "T-they¡­ w-will never follow a¡­. monster¡­"

    The hooded figure extended his left hand from beneath the ck robes¡­ a hand made of pure white bones came into view and grasped Parkinson''s face.

    "They will do¡­ what they are told."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 283: Investigation

    Chapter 283: Investigation

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 283: Investigation</strong>

    Three figuresnded their brooms in a clearing near a small but cozy-looking wooden house surrounded by a forest on all sides.

    It was already gettingte, but the full moon gave plenty of light.

    They left their brooms resting against a nearby tree and focused their attention on the house.

    "This is a waste of time," stor Moody grumbled.

    "I''m just d we could leave the desk job for a while," John Dawlish said with a smile on his face.

    "I don''t think this was a waste of time." James Potter had wasted no time performing an examination of the area surrounding the house.

    "I can''t detect any protections, not even a simple rm charm," he added.

    "That''s suspicious¡­" Moody said.

    "Oh, look!" Dawlish pointed at the house. "That window appears to have been broken."

    Moody grinned. His mood had obviously improved. "Maybe we can have some action after all¡­ wands ready!" He started to move towards the house at a slow pace, while his magical eye constantly moved around, searching for threats.

    "Be very careful, this could be something much worse than a waste of our time," James said. He had not shared what Harry had told him about Voldemort''s return, but he could not help but keep his words in mind.

    Moody turned around and gave James a knowing look.

    "I am always vignt."

    As the three of them approached the house, the first thing that hit them was the smell.

    "Urgh¡­ it smells disgusting in there!" Dawlish said.

    Moody frowned. "It smells like death¡­"

    "And not a recent one," James added.

    It just took a light charm and a quick peek through the window hole to find the source of the stench.

    A rotting corpse with a missing army on the wooden floor of the living room, surrounded by a stain of dried blood, as well as other bodily fluids.

    "Dawlish, stay outside and keep an eye out. Potter and I are going in," Moody started to give instructions.

    "This man seems to have been killed a while ago, but you can never be too careful."

    "Yes, sir," Dawlish nodded and went to work.

    James and Moody decided to ess the house through the window hole. Part of the wall had also been broken, leaving an entrancerge enough to enterfortably. It was hard to tell if some trap had been set up at the front door.

    James used a spell to clean the air and make the room more bearable to be in.

    The state of the corpse was terrible, and his face was barely recognizable.

    "Mmm¡­ this man looks familiar," Moodymented.

    James thought the same. But that was not saying much. The magical poption of Ennd was fairly small, and by working at the Ministry of Magic for a few years, you could end up meeting most of them.

    "It appears that he died of blood loss. Whatever got rid of his arm was not a cutting charm. That is hardly a clean cut¡­ it''s almost like it was ripped apart from its socket. What a nasty curse," Moody said.

    While he examined the body, James went to look around the room, trying to see if he could find something that could identify the victim.

    And he soon found it. Disyed above the firece were many trophies and medals.

    "Those are dueling trophies¡­ there are so many of them." James felt the need to make thement. It was truly an impressive number of prizes.

    "A duelist, huh? That didn''t seem to have done him any good," Moody said.

    "No¡­ this can''t be him¡­" James stared in shock at the name on all the trophies.

    "Potter? What did you find?... out with it!"

    "This is Anthony Dolohov¡­" The moment he read the name, everything about this case changed for him.

    This was no longer a mystery murder. He knew exactly who had killed this man. He also knew the ''when'' and the ''why.''

    "Dolohov?... of course, that is him!" Now that he had a name he knew, Moody was able to recognize the familiar face, despite its rotten state.

    "This guy was quite the piece of work¡­ I can''t believe the bastard is dead. I kinda wish to shake hands with whoever managed to take him down," Moody smiled.

    "Was he even reported missing?" James was not in the mood to smile.

    "Not that I know of," Moody answered after thinking about it.

    "But then again, I doubt he had many friends."

    "Not friends, but you would think that his fellow Death Eaters would want to know what happened when one of their own goes missing." James knew there was something off about this case they were given.

    "You may be right¡­ and our beloved Minister never said a word about this either." Moody nced at the corpse while his magical eye moved around, searching for something¡­ or someone.

    "Who sent the report about this house?" James asked.

    "It was anonymous. And I was only told toe here to investigate this house. There was no mention of any corpse," Moody said.

    "The three of us have been stuck in desk duty almost since Parkinson took his position as Minister. They obviously didn''t want us snooping around in their business, and now all of a sudden¡­"

    Moody nodded. "They sent us to investigate this house in the middle of nowhere with an anonymous report."

    "It''s like they had been waiting for the right moment to send us out¡­" James noted.

    Moody gripped his wand. "Be ready, this is tr-"

    "Ahh!" Dawlish''s screams were heard from the outside.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 284: Ambushed

    Chapter 284: Ambushed

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 284: Ambushed</strong>

    "Dawlish!" James eximed.

    Moody was about to poke his head out of the window when, all of a sudden, their teammate jumped in.

    "We are surrounded, this is an ambush!" Dawlish screamed in a panicked voice.

    "Surrounded? That''s impossible," Moody said back. "I have been constantly using my magical eye to scan the surroundings. If anyone had gotten close to the house, I would know it," he said with absolute confidence.

    "You can go check yourselves! There are dozens of figures lurking among the trees," Dawlish was extremely shaken up.

    "Did you see what they looked like? Were they wearing white masks?" James asked.

    "You think they are Death Eaters?" Moody asked.

    Dawlish shook his head. "I... it''s too dark in the forest; I couldn''t glimpse any details."

    "Fine, I''ll go out there and take a look. You two stay here and take cover, then we can t-"

    "Moody!" James eximed in rm.

    The veteran Auror felt a tug on his leg and looked down.

    They had all been too distracted by what was happening on the outside to notice that the rotten corpse had been moving across the floor with its one remaining arm and was now clutching at Moody''s leg, getting ready to take a good bite out of it.

    "Depulso!" James was the fastest one to react and take action.

    Dolohov''s corpse was sent flying until it crashed against the firece, making a series of very unpleasant noises as its already dposed body continued to break apart.

    Unfortunately, he did not act fast enough to prevent Moody from suffering a quick bite.

    "Is that a zombie?!" Dawlish eximed in horror as he stared at the still-moving corpse.

    Its remaining arm had been destroyed, so it couldn''t do much more than twitch and look at them with its white, dead eyes.

    "Oh, this is bad! Zombies have a cursed bite." James nced at his mentor with worry, but then he realized something. The zombie had chosen the worst target.

    Moody huffed. "Aye, they do. But this one," he tapped on his artificial leg, "missed the mark."

    James sighed with relief. But they soon started to hear noisesing from outside. They were far from safe yet.

    "Our brooms are outside; there is no way we can get them back now," Dawlish pointed out.

    "We can still apparate, but¡­" James didn''t finish his sentence.

    "If whoever set us up has at least half a functioning brain, they have put up some anti-apparition charms," Moody said.

    "Bloody damn it!" Dawlish had just tried to apparate away but was unable to do so. "What about our emergency portkeys? They can get through some wards. But I haven''t gotten mine back since they took it." Dawlish nced at James, who shook his head.

    "Me neither¡­"

    "I should have been more paranoid about this," Moodymented.

    "We don''t even know what is outside. If they are just a few zombies, we may be able to st our way through them and escape by just running until we are out of the wards," James suggested.

    They then realized something and shared a look with each other.

    "The noises outside have stopped¡­" Dawlish pointed out.

    The three of them approached with care to the window hole to take a peek outside.

    They could see them clearly now that they were in the open, under the moonlight.

    They were humanoid-shaped, but there was hardly anything human left in them. They were little more than skeletons with a thinyer of grey skin left over them and a pair of creepy red eyes.

    There were not dozens but hundreds of them. And, although they could not bepletely certain, it was likely they werepletely surrounding the house.

    "Those are not zombies¡­" James said.

    "Inferi. Bloody hell, no wonder I could not detect them. My eye doesn''t work on dead things!" Moody huffed.

    "This is much worse than zombies, and there are so many of them. We have no way to run past them!" Dawlish added.

    Like zombies, Inferi were reanimated corpses, but there were some key differences among them that made them much harder to deal with.

    The zombie is simply reanimated by cing a curse on a corpse. The curse will take control of whatever remains of the body and only move if a living being gets too close to it. Getting bitten by a zombie has the risk of having the curse spread through the bite. If not removed in time, the curse will kill its victim and reanimate them as new zombies.

    Inferi were made with a purpose in mind. They were constructed using corpses as materials. In reality, they were closer to golems than other undead creatures.

    Compared to normal golems, the Inferi werepletely autonomous, but they always followed their creator''s wishes.

    Their bodies had also been restored to achieve perfect mobility, despite their gruesome skeletal appearance.

    To sum it up, Inferi were smarter and¡­ much faster than zombies.

    "They are moving!" Dawlish yelled as he saw the first row of Inferi take off running at them.

    "Use fire!" Moodymanded.

    "He was right¡­" James muttered while staring at the undead army.

    He knew there was only one individual capable of having something like this.

    ''Voldemort is back¡­ Harry was right.'' If he had any doubts before, they were now gone.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 285: Golden Flames

    Chapter 285: Golden mes

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue" ''Thoughts'' -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 285: Golden mes</strong>

    "Incendio!"

    "Inmare!"

    Several inferi were hit by the mes and would quickly be consumed by them.

    But while a small number of them were taken care of, the rest continued to advance.

    They could hear countless noises of the house being torn apart on the other side while they barely held the front.

    Moody turned around and found James patting his robes as if he was looking for something. "Potter, we need your help here. Start firing spells at something, for fuck''s sake!"

    "Hold on, I think I found it. My son gave me something¡­."

    "Incendio! Incendio!" Dawlish was desperately throwing fire at the creatures. "I can''t hold them!"

    One of them managed to squeeze inside.

    Moody hurried and used a powerful wind spell to push it outside while fanning the mes still burning on the exterior.

    This gave them a small breathing window in the front, but the inferi behind them were already inside the house.

    "What now? We can''t use fire inside here; we will die too!" Dawlish said.

    "Leave it to me!" James tapped the wooden floor with his wand and created a robust wall in front of the door leading to the living room where they were as the creatures were trying to enter.

    This blocked the only other entrance, but it also meant that they now had only one way to escape the house.

    "Good one, James!" Dawlish eximed.

    "Yes, but those guys are not that stupid, they will soone this way," Moody said.

    "I found it!" James pulled a small box from his robes.

    "Is that a portkey?" Dawlish said with a glimmer of hope.

    "No, this is an explosive artifact." James opened the box and took the item inside in his hands.

    It was a blue-tinted crystal covered in runes and encased in a metallic thin frame.

    "You said your son gave you that?..." Even for Moody, this was a strange gift to give your father.

    "Cover me while I throw it, this should kill enough inferi for us to escape," James suggested.

    "I''m up for anything that can get us out of here," Dawlish said.

    Moody pointed his wand at the opening. Arge number of inferi were charging at them once the mes went down a bit. "ma!" A wave of mes manifested in front of Moody and made its way towards the undead creatures. "Come on, Potter!"

    James nodded. As per Harry''s instructions, he carefully moved the tip of his wand in between the metallic frame until it made direct contact with the surface of the crystal.

    He then injected arge amount of his magic to activate it.

    The crystal began to shine with an eerie blue light and something that looked like a tiny me appeared inside the crystal.

    "I think it''s ready," James said.

    "You think? Have you never used one of those¡­ whatever that thing is?" Dawlish asked.

    "I was told to activate it, throw it as far as I could and¡­ to cover my eyes," James said.

    The me inside the crystal appeared to be growing in size and bing more wild, it had also begun to change color towards yellow.

    Moody noticed this immediately. "Throw that outside, now!"

    Both he and Dawlish used some fire magic to prevent the inferi from getting close while James approached the opening andunched the artifact with all his strength.

    James ced a shield in front of him and the other two aurors after they all took a few steps back. He used one of the rings that Harry made to create it and powered it with as much magic as he could spare, and hoped that would be enough.

    Dozens of inferi were scrambling and pushing against each other to enter through the window hole.

    In the distance, a sh of light could be seen.

    A secondter, they were hit by an extremely bright wave of golden mes that consumed everything in sight.

    "Nooo!" Dawlish began to feel the heat of the fire and screamed.

    The mes went through their shields like they were not even there.

    The light was so intense that even after closing their eyes and cing their hands on top, they could still see the golden light.

    For a moment, they thought they were all going to die for sure, under the massive assault of the powerful mes.

    But the heat from this golden fire never went above afortable warmth.

    It was actually a very cozy and calming sensation, being enveloped in this strange fire.

    The event onlysted for ten seconds but to them it felt like hours had passed.

    When they felt the light recede, they opened their eyes with caution and looked around.

    It took a bit for their eyes to adjust to the darkness of the night but when they did, they all were able to confirm that nothing was burned by the mes.

    The small wooden house was still standing, the same as before. And they were alsopletely fine, not even a small singe on their clothes.

    "What was that?!" Moody was the first one to speak.

    "I thought¡­ I was sure those mes hit me. Why aren''t we burned, not even a bit?" Dawlish asked.

    "I don''t understand it either. The fire did nothing?" James was extremely confused at the moment. The event had been so strange that for a moment, he even forgot about the most important thing.

    "I wouldn''t say that it did nothing¡­" Moody stood up from the floor. "Can you not hear it?"

    "Silence¡­." James finally realized.

    "Where did the inferi go?" Dawlish asked.

    Moody looked outside. The clearing waspletely empty. "Potter¡­ what in Merlin''s balls was that thing?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 286: Reduced to Rubble

    Chapter 286: Reduced to Rubble

    Disimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue" ''Thoughts'' -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 286: Reduced to Rubble</strong>

    "The anti-apparition charms are gone now," James noted.

    "Then let''s leave this cursed ce," Dawlish said.

    "Hold on, something has just urred to me." Moody appeared to be contemting something.

    "What is it? Dawlish is not wrong. We should not linger here longer than necessary. We don''t know if there are more enemies around," said James.

    "If this was an attempt by that sted Minister to take out his opposition, it is very likely we are not the only ones being targeted tonight," Moody concluded.

    "Madam Bones!" Dawlish eximed. "She left work early today, she should be alone in her manor."

    "If that is the case, she is a much more important target than us¡­" James was very concerned. If they already sent an army of inferi to kill them, what did they send to kill the most influential person in the entire department?

    "But there are only a few people who know about the location of t¡ª"

    "I''ll take you there," Moody interrupted Dawlish. "Hold on to my tunic, we have no time to waste."

    The two aurors did as told and in the next instant, they disappeared from Dolohov''s house.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    They reappeared in a different grassy clearing. The biggest difference was that instead of being surrounded by a thick forest, there were massive rocky walls all around them, like they were at the bottom of a cliff.

    The first thing they noted was theke a short distance to their right, but after giving the area a passing nce, they all realized that something important was missing from here.

    "Where is the house?" Dawlish asked what they all had been wondering.

    They had never seen the Bones manor in person before, but as all ancient wizard dwellings, they were expecting a castle or some massive mansion at least.

    ''It is supposed to be¡­" Moody pointed towards the darkest part of the clearing. "Wait, there is something there." His magical eye began to emit mechanical noises as it moved.

    Dawlish squinted his eyes and began to approach. "You are right, there is something there¡­ it almost looks like¡­"

    Instead of the expectedrge mansion, there seemed to be a mountain of something. It was too dark near the walls of the cliff as the light from the moon becamepletely obfuscated.

    "That''s a mountain of rubble." James hurried to send a luminous charm in that direction.

    The area became bright for a few seconds, allowing the men to get a better look and to confirm James''s suspicions.

    "Madam Bones, her manor¡­ there is nothing left." Dawlish could not believe what he was seeing.

    The Bones ancestral home had beenpletely demolished, leaving nothing but an enormous pile of wood and stone.

    "I can see someone!" Moody eximed.

    The light from James''s spell had begun to dissipate, but he was sure to have spotted a human figure standing there. "I saw someone standing near the rubble," Moody said.

    "Could it have been Madam Bones?" asked Dawlish.

    "She also has a niece, right?... Susan, I believe. We must find her too," James said.

    Moody stopped the two men before they rushed forward. "Hold on¡­ my eye can''t detect any living things in the vicinity, other than us," he said with a tone of warning.

    "Wait, are you saying that¡­" Dawlish''s face became a shade paler. They had just gone through this.

    The dark figure ahead moved from its spot and walked towards a more illuminated area so they could now see it more clearly.

    "Another inferius?" Dawlish clutched his wand with force.

    James and Moody thought the same¡­ just for an instant at least.

    Because then, the dark figure spoke to them. "It looks like we have some pests left."

    The words were spoken in a low tone, but despite that, the group could hear everything perfectly, as if it was being whispered directly into their ears.

    "Wands ready, full alert!" Moody eximed.

    They did not need to be told that twice. That creepy voice hadpletely startled them.

    They then began to hear some strange noises. It was loud enough to get their attention away from the mysterious figure.

    It was a terrifying and unnatural screeching sound.

    They all thought the same at the time¡­ no living creature should make a sound like that.

    And what made it worse was that the sound was getting louder and louder by the second¡­ it was getting closer, and fast.

    James soon pointed at the dark skies where he saw something pale and gigantic descending upon them.

    Before he could even utter a word of warning, that ''something'' had alreadynded.

    The creature was massive, beyond anything they had seen before, perhaps it was around half the size of the former Bones Manor.

    It was easy to make thatparison because the creature hadnded on top of the rubble. And it also solved the mystery of how the manor was destroyed.

    Its body reminded them of the inferi they had seen before. The shape of its bones was visible and barely covered by a thin membrane of pale flesh.

    Its eyes were bright blood red, even more so than the previous undead they had encountered.

    However, this creature did not have a humanoid shape. This was apletely different type of being, one they were all very familiar with.

    Despite its current putrid state, it was easy to say what this thing had been in life.

    "A dragon?!" Dawlish stared in horror at the undead beast.

    "An inferi dragon? How?..." Moody was at a loss for words.

    "We need to leave, NOW!" James shouted.

    As terrifying as this massive beast was, James''s eyes were locked on the dark-robed individual.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 287: Back Home

    Chapter 287: Back Home

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 287: Back Home</strong>

    "Master!" Dobby appeared inside his room with a loud ''pop''.

    Harry put down his quill and turned around to look at the house elf.

    Dobby knew better than to disturb him while he was working, and especially thiste at night.

    "What happened?" he asked with a hint of concern.

    His father was supposed to return hours ago, and he was afraid Dobby''s interruption was rted to that.

    "Big Master is back!" Dobby eximed.

    "So he is back?" He felt somewhat relieved. "Wait, is he injured?" This did not exin why Dobby was so nervous.

    The elf began to stammer his words while trying to exin, but all Harry could understand was that he did note back alone.

    "Never mind... I''ll go check. Where is he?"

    "Main Hall, Sir Harry!"

    When Harry entered the room, he immediately noticed the tense atmosphere.

    He found his father sitting at the table with a pale face and a cup of tea in front of him.

    On the other side, was his mother with an expression of concern. Next to him were two Aurors he was very familiar with.

    "Harry¡­." James nced at his son.

    Harry saw something in his father''s eyes. Something he had never seen there before¡­ an extreme amount of fear.

    He had seen those eyes many times before but never on James Potter.

    Dawlish was in even worse shape. The teacup in his hands was constantly making nking noises as he trembled.

    Moody appeared to be fine on the outside, but anyone who knew the man well enough could tell otherwise.

    "What happened to the three of you to end up like this?" Harry asked.

    Those were all veteran aurors who had seen plenty of action in their careers.

    "Harry...did you call your son here?" Dawlish nced at Lily. He didn''t think this was a conversation appropriate for someone of his age, no matter how brilliant he was.

    "We saw him¡­" James spoke in a somber tone.

    Harry didn''t need to ask his father about who this was. "What did he look like?"

    James gave him a detailed retelling of what they went through that night, and their encounter with the Dark Lord himself.

    "But we can''t be sure it was him! It has been more than ten years since he disappeared. Why would You-Know-Who¡­ why would he return now?"

    "Hmph, think what you want, Dawlish. But I have no doubt that the bastard we saw¡­ that was the old Dark Lord alright," Moody said.

    Harry was not listening to them. He was instead thinking about his father''s words. ''A skeletal dragon, zombies, an army of inferi, red eyes¡­ it seems like he had delved deep into necromancy territory while in search of his answers'' Harry thought.

    This was not a very surprising result. Necromancy was a popr area of study for those who wished to fight against Death itself.

    And Voldemort had already been studying it before even the first war began.

    ''Reanimating a dragon could not be an easy feat¡­ what else has he done?'' he wondered.

    He was also worried about what kind of method to preserve his life he was using now.

    Necromancy had several of them, but he was no expert in that practice. ''I''ll have to do some research.''

    Despite the grim nature of the news he had just received, Harry felt a lot more at ease than before. At least now he had a much better idea of what he was dealing with and could prepare ordingly.

    "What about Madam Bones and Susan? Did you not see them at all?" Lily asked.

    James shook his head. "Everything was destroyed by that thing. The Bones Manor¡­ there was nothing left."

    "Had they been still alive, my eye would not have missed them," Moody answered her.

    "And if we didn''t leave as soon as we did, we would all have died there," Dawlish added.

    Lily nodded solemnly. She knew her husband would not have run away if there was someone he could save.

    Moody turned both eyes towards Harry. "Tell me, boy. What the hell was that explosive you gave your father?"

    "Oh, that fire scared me silly! I really thought I was about to die," Dawlish eximed. "Did you make that?"

    "Yes, that golden fire was very strange. It burned down every inferius in sight until there was nothing left of them, but it didn''t burn us or the house at all," Moody observed Harry while he spoke.

    "It actually felt veryfortable," Dawlish felt the need to add.

    James remained silent. He wasn''t sure if his son had some good answers prepared for this.

    Although Harry never specifically told him, James had assumed this was something he had learned during his previous life.

    If he hadn''t been in such a dire situation, he would have preferred not to use it at all and instead protect his son''s secrets.

    "Ah, that thing." Harry made an innocent face. "I''m afraid that''s family magic."

    "Family magic?" Dawlish asked.

    "That is correct. The information about the artifact my father used, as well as its nature and the method of creating it¡­ I found it all written in the Potter Grimoire, so I cannot talk about it," Harry told them.

    ''Well, at least it will be written when I have time for that part¡­ so it''s notpletely a lie,'' Harry thought.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 288: All in the Family

    Chapter 288: All in the Family

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 288: All in the Family</strong>

    It was the next day. Moody and Dawlish went away to a secure location given by Dumbledore, since it would not be safe for them to return home.

    This left the Potter family alone once more.

    They were all currently in the kitchen, having ate breakfast.

    "You are not nning on going back to the Ministry, right?" Lily gave her husband a piercing re.

    "Of course not. I mean¡­ not for the moment at least," James answered.

    The Minister had finally gained the courage to go after his opposition, so going back in there would be like walking into the lion''s den.

    James was sure that this change in tactics was due to Voldemort''s return. Otherwise, Parkinson would not have been so brazen about his approach.

    "Did you get fired?" Lyra asked without holding back.

    "Lyra! Have some tact," Lily scolded her.

    "Well¡­ kind of? I suppose I did," James answered. After all, having your boss trying to kill you must count as getting fired.

    "Daddy got fried?!" Holly eximed in horror.

    "No, not fried, Holly. I got fired," James said. But seeing his daughter''s face of confusion, he tried again. "It means that I lost my job."

    "Like Ginny''s dad!" Lyra added.

    "Did you lose it?...." Holly seemed to be thinking about something. "You should ask Mipsy! I lose things all the time and she always helps me find them."

    "Ah¡­ thanks, I will ask her," James smiled at her. "In any case, I will be spending more time at home."

    "Will you be here for my birthday?!" Holly asked.

    "Of course!" James answered.

    "All day?"

    "All day, yes."

    "Yeah!" Holly celebrated. "I''m d Daddy got fried," she decided.

    "He got fired, not fried!" Lyra huffed.

    "Anyways¡­" James turned to look at his son, who seemed to have just finished his breakfast. "Say, Harry¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "About that ''family magic'' artifact you made¡­ can you make more?" James asked in a low voice.

    "Family magic? You mean the Grimoire?" Lyra asked.

    "How do you know about that?" James moved his eyes between his daughter and son.

    "What''s a grinu¡­ gri¡­ what was it?" Holly looked at her mother for help.

    "Why don''t we go to the library for a bit?" Lily stood up from her chair and went to her youngest daughter. She had the feeling that her husband wanted to speak alone with Harry.

    "Okay!" Holly was always happy to lie down and read something after breakfast.

    "Wannae too, Lyra?" Lily asked.

    "No, I want to stay and listen to this," Lyra didn''t like being left out of the loop. Now that she had learned the truth from Harry, she wanted to be more involved.

    "It''s fine, let her stay. She was going to hear about it sooner orter," Harry told his parents.

    James waited until Lily and Holly left to continue. "Why did you tell her about that?"

    "I made a promise to her," Harry said.

    "And¡­ how much did y-"

    "I know everything!" Lyra gave her father a smug smile. "I know where Harry came from and about his previous life. He even showed me some memories!"

    "Harry¡­ you could have consulted us about this. I don''t want her involved in these things¡­ she is still a child."

    "I''m thirteen already!" Lyra eximed.

    "Exactly!" James spoke back.

    "She was plenty involved already. And she doesn''t know that Voldemort is back." Harry shrugged.

    "What?!"

    "Harry! What did I just say?" James frowned.

    "It''s best if she learns about it. That way, maybe she can avoid getting into trouble," Harry said. "Or at least, I can hope so..."

    "That only happened twice!" Lyra defended.

    "In two years¡­"

    "Wait, twice?" James didn''t know about the basilisk attack in her first year of school.

    "So he is really back¡­" Lyra nced at her brother. "Is he as bad as¡­"

    "Voldemort is Voldemort. He is always going to be dangerous," Harry told her.

    "Is there anything I can do to help?" Lyra asked. She was well aware that she could not do much to help when it came to fights, but there had to be something¡­

    "When the timees, I will let you know¡­" He wanted her as far away as possible. But she had Potter blood in her veins. Lyra was never going to just stand aside and do nothing, so if he just told her ''No'', she was bound to do something dumb.

    Harry turned his attention back to his father. "As for your request¡­ those explosives are very difficult to make. I may be able to produce one more before the summer ends if I have enough materials left."

    "What explosive?" Lyra became curious.

    "Just one?..." James had been hoping to get many more than that. "That''s a shame¡­ if we had more, then Voldemort¡­"

    "Hmph¡­ you are really underestimating him. That artifact won''t do much against anyone powerful enough," Harry said.

    "Seriously? But it felt so¡­ strong."

    "That''s because you used it against some inferi. The effect is just a bit more potent than a Patronus, and they take a lot of time to make. That''s why I only made one."

    "I see¡­" James looked disappointed. He thought they had some incredible weapons at their disposal.

    "Don''t get me wrong, they woulde in handy if he tries to make use of arge army of inferi, zombies, or any other type of undead. It would also chase away dementors, but don''t expect it to kill them."

    "Inferi, zombies?¡­ dementors?¡­" Lyra became paler.

    "I''ll finish writing the Grimoire in a month or so¡­ make sure to give it a read. But be very careful with what you share," Harry warned. "That book is going to be m-... the Potter Legacy. Take care of it."

    James raised an eyebrow. "Why are you sounding like my grandfather now?"

    "Because he is super old!" Lyra eximed.

    "Do I need to jinx you?" Harry stood up from his chair.

    "W-wait!" Lyra stood back.

    "I know one that makes your hair change color every five minutes¡­ or that one that makes you vomit slugs¡­ or maybe¡­"

    "Noo!" Lyra took off running. "I''m sorry!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 289: An Insightful Exercice

    Chapter 289: An Insightful Exercice

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 289: An Insightful Exercice</strong>

    There were twelve rock golems in front of him. They were ten feet tall (3 meters) and wielded rudimentary stone swords. The des weren''t very sharp, but considering the weight of the weapon, plus the strength of the rock giants, it would be very easy for them to separate a limb with one good hit.

    All the golems had received the samemand¡­ to kill Harry Potter.

    They all began running at him, but instead of charging together with a frontal assault, they decided to make use of their numerical advantage. While some continued with a direct attack, others moved to his sides and back to overwhelm him with strikes from all directions.

    ''Fascinating¡­ they are thinking on their own. I had only given them the objective but didn''t specify the ''how,'' so they are making decisions now.''

    This had started as a simple training exercise, but now it was also a ''magical construct'' experiment.

    He had already been able to imprint some of his skills onto his creations, but these new golems appeared to have improved even further.

    ''Could it be another side effect of my fusion with the Deathly Hallows?'' Most of his magical abilities had be enhanced...he just didn''t have time to test this one before.

    "Whoa!" A stone de had just passed very close to his face. "They are faster too¡­"

    Fortunately for him, his physical abilities had also improved greatly.

    Thanks to this, he had little trouble avoiding the first barrage of attacks.

    He also had plenty of room to move since he decided to perform this exercise in the backyard, after taking proper precautions to avoid his sisters froming here and getting hurt by ident.

    The golem directly behind him just sent a powerful stab, aimed at where his heart would be.

    Harry jumped over it,nding on the de of the massive stone sword, and then used it as a tform to jump once more. This time, he propelled himself above the golems around him and escaped from the circle of death they had created.

    "I guess I better start fighting back before they try that again."

    His wand was already aimed at the first golem. "Reducto!"

    Half the body of the golem was reduced to dust before it copsed. These golems had some auto-repair properties, for as long as they had some magic left, but there was no chance of repairing the damage Harry had caused to it.

    "Let''s see¡­ what else¡­"

    They began the encirclement once more.

    At first, Harry thought they were just repeating the same tactic as before, but then he noticed that, out of the eleven golems, only five were circling close to him, while the remaining six had created an outer circle to catch him if he tried to jump away.

    ''They are learning¡­'' He had not been expecting this.

    A gigantic stone de came flying his way.

    His creations were not going to give him much time to be impressed.

    "dius." His wand transformed into a two-sided sword, and he used it to parry aside some of the attacks while avoiding the others.

    "Divulsa¡­" A baleful purple aura surrounded his de.

    Harry made a horizontal sh across the chest of a nearby golem. The curse began to eat away at the stone surface. But he could not stop there and continued to run his sword on the golems around him until he was able to create a gap in the encirclement and escape.

    Three golems were currently being consumed by the curse, while a fourth one had lost its weapon. But then, the constructs on the outer circle went on the offensive.

    Harry''s wand returned to its original shape. "Torqueo!"

    A powerful current of wind manifested in the area, with Harry as its epicenter.

    Despite their massive weight, the golems were pushed away by the wind. Some of them were sent away from him while others ended up colliding with their brothers and being destroyed in the process.

    By the end of it, only five golems remained in a functional state.

    "Bombarda!" The first construct to stand up was blown to pieces.

    The remaining four then began ast-ditch effort to reach Harry.

    "io!" He pulled one of the golems towards him, and once it got close enough, he aimed it at another one. "Depulso!"

    The golem was sent flying like a projectile, and when it collided with the other one, the two golems were reduced to small chunks of debris.

    Thest two were mere feet away already.

    After using an explosive charm on one, Harry stored his wand and moved closer to thest one.

    The golem made a downward sh aimed at Harry''s head.

    Instead of avoiding it, he took a step forward and stopped the attack with pure physical strength, something that should not be possible, considering that each golem weighed several tons.

    "Urgg¡­ damn¡­" Harry knew he was pushing his body to its limits right now, but he needed to learn how much he could do in a controlled environment like this, instead of a battlefield.

    With him and the golem at an apparent standstill, Harry was considering what to do next¡­. but then, he felt a presence nearby.

    A momentter, the golem''s upper body was reduced to dust.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 290: A string of visits

    Chapter 290: A string of visits

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 290: A string of visits</strong>

    "It looked like you were having trouble with thest one."

    Harry moved away from the crumbling golem and nced at the new arrival. "I had everything under control, Daphne."

    The blonde girl was wearing an elegant blue dress and arge witch hat. "My apologies then," she said with a soft grin.

    "How was your summer with that woman?" Harry asked.

    "Miss Yafel is a wonderful teacher. I have learned so much from her." There was more emotion than usual in her tone. That went to show how excited she was.

    "Wanna show me?" Harry made a gesture with his wand.

    "I appreciate the offer, but¡­ I don''t want to get my new dress dirty.

    Perhaps another day," she answered politely. "By the way, that was a very impressive disy of magic."

    Harry raised an eyebrow. "Were you watching the whole time?"

    She pointed at one of the windows overseeing the garden. "I have been meaning to ask you, those golems¡­ they look very simr to the ones at Hogwarts."

    "Of course. I used them as reference. But my constructs are nowhere near the same level as them. A dozen white marble golems would have given me some serious trouble."

    "So it wasn''t you who made them?" Daphne had wanted to ask him about it for some time, but the proper opportunity hadn''t presented itself.

    Harry shook his head. "Those were created a very long time ago. Even before the castle was built."

    "You mean even before Hogwarts existed? So they weren''t even made by the Four Founders?" Daphne was bing more interested the more she heard. "Who made them then?"

    Harry gave her a mischievous grin. "Perhaps another day I will tell you."

    Daphne knew he had just given her back her previous words. "You can be very childish sometimes."

    "How did you even make it here? I left clear instructions to not let anyone in the garden while I was training." Harry decided to change the topic.

    "After speaking with her for a while, your mother let mee here to watch."

    "She did, huh?" He didn''t really mind it. He had only asked her that to prevent Holly from getting hurt by ident.

    "She appeared to be very busy, reading some ancient tomes."

    Harry nodded. He was well aware of what she was talking about. Lily had brought the majority of the tomes hidden back at the family vault, in order to study them further. Her idea was to analyze all the spells and determine if any of them were worth adding to the new family grimoire, after Harry had finished with his part.

    This time, James had noints about his wife reading books with illegal magic in them, since he was more aware of the dangerous situation they were all in. In fact, his father had been reading them too and learning from them.

    "I saw one about rituals¡­" Daphne had a tone of concern in her voice.

    "I''m not nning on doing more of those," Harry assured her. ''Especially not after what I know now¡­'' His body had been modified by the magic of the Deathly Hallows. The result of mixing the magic of any ritual with that one would have unpredictable results, making it impossible for him to delve into that particr branch of magic for the time being.

    Still, it wasn''t like he needed it. Bing the Master of Death had given him more benefits than what he would have gotten from the rituals he had nned on performing. The only concern he had now was the fact that he still didn''t know what the downside was going to be.

    "Although, I must say¡­ there was a very interesting ritual at the end of that book¡­" Daphne muttered in a somewhat low tone.

    A.N - For reference, you can check Chapter 78: The Downsides of Rituals -

    "What was that about?" He didn''t recall anything interesting in those books.

    "Well, it was about¡­ nevermind." Daphne hid her rosy cheeks beneath herrge hat. "There was something else I wanted to speak with you about."

    "Sure, but why don''t we take a seat in the shade? It''s getting too warm out here." Harry pointed at his favorite spot in the garden: the stone bench beneath the apple tree.

    The two of them sat down, and Harry noticed the expression of concern on Daphne''s face. "Did something happen?"

    "It''s about Pansy¡­. I haven''t been able to contact her all summer. And she hasn''t sent a single letter to me¡­ I''m afraid something has happened to her."

    Harry frowned. ''The Parkinsons disappearing after Voldemort''s return¡­ that could only mean two things: they either ran away and are currently hiding in some small corner of the world, or¡­''

    "My father said that the Minister is acting very strange as oftely. He has also approached him several times to ask about the whereabouts of his daughter but has gotten no satisfactory answer."

    "Wait, so Lord Parkinson is still at the Ministry? Only Pansy is missing?" Harry found this very strange. ''Did Voldemort forgive him?... no chance¡­. did he perhaps take his daughter as a hostage to ensure his loyalty?.''

    "Who said anything about missing? I just said that I¡­ Harry, is there something you are not telling me? Do you know something?"

    "I just have some ideas, but¡­" He knew he had to tell her before it was toote. Her father was too involved with the Ministry of Magic and would be a target sooner orter.

    "There is something you should know. I''m not sure if you are going to believe me, but¡­"

    At that moment, Dobby appeared before them. "Master!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 291: Xenoâ€™s Discovery

    Chapter 291: Xeno¡¯s Discovery

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 291: Xeno''s Discovery</strong>

    "Master!"

    "What is it, Dobby? We are in the middle of something here." Harry was about to have a serious conversation.

    "You have a visit from the blonde Miss," Dobby said.

    Harry pointed at Daphne. "She is right here¡­"

    "Is that what he calls me?" She nced at Harry. "My name is Daphne," she told Dobby. She had never seen a house elf who was so bad at remembering names.

    "Not that one!" Dobby shook his head. "The weird one!"

    "Luna?" Harry asked. "Isn''t she here to see Lyra?"

    Dobby shook his head again. "They asked to see Master."

    "They¡­okay, fine." Harry knew there was little point in asking Dobby. "I''ll go see."

    "Do you mind if I apany you? I haven''t seen Luna in months,"

    Daphne asked.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    He opened the door to the small hall and found Luna sitting on a chair, happily moving her legs and mouthing some melody. Her father, Xeno, was pacing around in front of the firece, looking very shaken.

    "Harry!" Luna smiled brightly, stood from her chair, and went to give him a hug.

    "Hello, Luna. Did you have a good summer?"

    "It was fun! We went to an ancient druid cottage and explored the forests in search of unique creatures." Luna looked very excited.

    "Did you find anything?" Daphne had always been a bit skeptical about these creatures Luna always talked about. She had already seen enough weird things, so it wouldn''t be much of a surprise if some of them were real.

    "Mmm¡­ I thought I saw some moon frogs¡­ but they may have been albino toads instead," Luna said.

    "I see¡­" Daphne had never heard of those.

    "But then¡­ Daddy found something in a book and we had toe home earlier."

    "I''m sorry, Pudding. I''ll make it up to you next year. But this couldn''t wait¡­" Xeno had dark rings around his eyes and looked extremely tired.

    "What is this so important that you found?" Harry asked. He could only assume it was something about the Hallows, but he could not imagine what else was left to find. He already had all three of them.

    "Well¡­" Xeno nced at Daphne and hesitated to continue.

    "It''s okay, I trust her," Harry simply said.

    Daphne didn''t say anything, but a smile appeared on her face.

    "Very well, that is good enough for me¡­" Xeno stared at Harry with an unusually focused expression. "It''s about the Fourth Deadly Hallow!" he eximed all of a sudden.

    "Deadly Hallow?" Daphne asked.

    "The Fourth one? There is no fourth one." Harry had never heard of this in two lifetimes, how could that be?

    "This one is different than the other ones. This Fourth Hallow was never given to anyone, unlike the other three," Xeno exined.

    "Can someone tell me what -"

    "The Deathly Hallows, from the tale." Luna answered her.

    "Deathly Hallows¡­" Daphne repeated, it sounded familiar but she was still confused.

    "Have you read the tale of the Three Brothers?" Harry asked her.

    "Of course! Every child in the magical world has¡­ wait, by the Hallows, you mean the three gifts from Death?" Daphne now recalled some of the details from that book. It has been many years since she read that story.

    "Yes, those!" Luna nodded.

    "But that''s a children''s tale¡­ you are talking about it like it''s real¡­"

    "Is it that hard to believe? With all the craziness you have witnessed," Harry said.

    "No, but¡­ are you serious?" Daphne stared at him, still looking a bit incredulous.

    "It''s the truth!" Xeno intervened. "I witnessed it with my own eyes. He is in possession of all three Deathly Hallows."

    Daphne''s eyes moved to Harry. "Can I see them?..."

    "I''m afraid not¡­ they are¡­ inside me." Harry knew how this sounded.

    "Inside you¡­." Daphne repeated.

    "Yes, Harry absorbed them and became the Master of Death!" Luna said with excitement.

    "I can still use their effects." As Harry said that, he disappeared from the spot.

    "W-what? Where did you-... ahh!" Daphne yelped when she felt something touch her arm. "You are invisible!" she realized.

    "Yes." He reappeared in front of her.

    "This is what you used against those werewolves!" She now remembered that he used something like that before. "The Cloak of Invisibility?..."

    "That''s right. You''ve seen me use that cloak many times," Harry said.

    "You mean that cloak was¡­"

    Harry nodded. "It was one of the Hallows. It had been passed down through many generations of my family. That''s why I was so sad when it stopped working¡­"

    "And I told you to buy another one¡­" Daphne muttered.

    "It''s fine. The Hallows stopped working because of me¡­ because I took their powers without realizing it," Harry said.

    "What about the other ones?... the Wand of Power," Daphne recalled the name.

    Harry created a bubble of water above his hand. "It made my magic much more potent. It also improved my wandless magic."

    The bubble of water turned into a block of ice, and then it began to change shapes until it transformed into a crystalline rose.

    "Whoa!" Daphne stared at the ice sculpture. She knew Harry was a master of Transfiguration, but he did this silently and with no wand.

    All of a sudden, the rose broke apart and the pieces fell to the floor.

    "Itcks finesse though¡­" Harry added. "Still, it''s very useful for other types of spells."

    "Like for defense." Daphne concluded that he meant that. "And thest one? What was it?"

    "The Stone of Resurrection," Xeno was the one who answered. "It allows the user tomunicate with the dead."

    Daphne gave Harry a nervous look. "Is that what you used with the werewolf?..." He did not go into detailsst year.

    "Yes, that is what I used back then. But I won''t make use of this power without a good reason for it. Disturbing the rest of the dead is not something to use lightly¡­ even if that means you won''t believe my words," Harry said.

    Daphne''s look softened. She got closer to Harry and grabbed one of his hands. "Even if you had shown me no proof whatsoever¡­ I would have still believed you in the end."

    The two of them stood in silence, looking at each other for a moment.

    "Are you going to kiss?" Luna then asked.

    Daphne was startled. She let go of Harry''s hand and took a step back, covering her face with her witch hat.

    Xeno coughed. "Sorry to interrupt. But I would like to finish what I came here for¡­"

    "Right¡­ the Fourth Deathly Hallow. What did you find exactly?" Harry asked.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 292: The Fourth Hallow

    Chapter 292: The Fourth Hallow

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 292: The Fourth Hallow</strong>

    Xenos got serious. "Over my many years of research, I have found references pointing to a fourth Deathly Hallow several times, but they were nothing more than spections, rumors, or legends, even more so than the other three."

    "But?..." Harry assumed that Xenos wouldn''t havee here if rumors were all he had.

    Xenos reached into his robes and pulled out a small tome with a ck leather cover and something written on the top.

    "A diary?" Daphne spoke her first impression.

    Harry had to agree with her. By the looks of the book, it very much resembled a certain diary he was very familiar with. The name on the cover became clearer after Xenos held it in his palms. "A.N.P?"

    "Anthony Nathaniel¡­ Peverell," Xenos revealed.

    "Was that one of the Three Brothers from the tale? I don''t remember if the names were actually mentioned," Daphnemented.

    "No, but this Anthony was the direct descendant of the youngest brother, the one who was given the Cloak of Invisibility." Xenos nced at Harry. "It was, in fact, him who was responsible for the cloak ending up in the Potter family."

    "Really? Does it say the how and why?" Harry asked.

    "You''ll have a chance to read it in a moment, but first¡­ there is something else you need to see." He opened the diary around the middle.

    "At this point, the Peverell family was in decline. Anthony was one of itstest members and the current Lord of the house. The first half of the diary entries are very mundane and just describe the many struggles he had as the Lord. But then, on the night of his 30th birthday, he received the visit of a mysterious figure."

    "A mysterious figure¡­" Daphne repeated.

    "You don''t mean¡­" Harry could only think of one particr figure.

    Xenos nodded. "It is as you think. The description given here matches perfectly with the one previously mentioned by his ancestors¡­ during their brief encounter with Death."

    "Death in person came to visit him?" Daphne asked.

    "He never uses that name directly. He wrote that someone wearing a ck cloak that covered his entire body knocked on his door at night, iming to be an old family friend."

    "Does it say what this individual looked like? You know¡­ beneath the cloak," Daphne asked.

    "The description was kept vague and simple, not delving into details. I do believe this was done on purpose, perhaps for fear of punishment if he were to say too much¡­."

    "Okay, let''s leave the description aside. What did this individual want from Lord Peverell?"

    "From what he wrote, the visit was brief. This ck-cloaked person inquired about Lord Peverell''s ancestors and about the cloak left in his family''s care. Before leaving, he gave Anthony Peverell a box and requested that he and his family safeguard this box until the person meant for it finally appeared. He also left a warning to him, to never open the box or try to look inside. For whoever did so¡­ would suffer a terrible punishment."

    "What happened then?" Daphne said with interest.

    "He put the box in the safest ce he could think of¡­ his family vault. And then waited for this person meant for the box, but¡­ that never happened."

    "And he never tried to open it? I would have been too curious," Harry said.

    "Not everyone is so reckless," Daphne added.

    "He never did¡­" Xenos answered. "That visit left Lord Peverell truly scared and paranoid. Even his writing became different after that day."

    "So this box could still be at the Peverell vault?" Daphne asked.

    "That is what I believe, yes. If that was something left by Death for someone in particr, I doubt anyone else would be capable of touching it without suffering a terrible fate," Xenos said.

    After hearing the whole story, Harry recalled something important.

    "But how can you be so sure that this mysterious individual was actually Death, and that the box left behind was a fourth Deathly Hallow that no one had ever imed?" Daphne felt that he was jumping to conclusions.

    "I think you may be right," Harry said all of a sudden.

    "Thanks, I think th-"

    "No, I meant him." Harry interrupted Daphne and pointed at Xenos. "Around two years ago, I visited my family vaults and saw the one belonging to the Peverell family."

    "You saw the Peverell vault?" Daphne eximed. Only a few knew about that vault which remained untouched for centuries at the bottom of Gringotts'' underground caves.

    "I didn''t just see it. When I got closer¡­ I felt something, some sort of connection, but it was very faint," Harry exined.

    "Like what you felt from the other Hallows?" Xenos asked.

    "I think so¡­ it''s hard to be sure. This was much earlier."

    "Right, you were yet to awaken properly as the Master of Death. I''m sure the connection will be much stronger now," Xenos said.

    "You think that box was left for Harry," Daphne realized what Xenos was implying.

    "I believe it was left for whoever was chosen by the other three Deathly Hallows¡­ it just didn''t happen until now."

    "I guess we could make a trip to the vaults and check," Harry suggested.

    "And have you thought about how to open the Peverell vault? Because I assume you don''t have the keys," Daphne said.

    "I do have the key, actually." Harry said.

    This surprised both Xenos and Daphne.

    "Why would you have the key to the Peverell Vault?" Daphne asked.

    "A few years ago, when I visited my family vault...we found it there, in a small box, hidden behind a wall. It was very weird." Harry admitted.

    "I knew it!. This must be fate!" Xenos got exited.

    "But those old vaults don''t work with just keys. You need to be part of the family bloodline¡­" Harry frowned. "So we are still going to need a Peverell to open it for us."

    "That family went extinct centuries ago¡­" Daphne said.

    "We don''t have to look for anyone." Xenos proimed before moving his eyes to Harry. "We have a Peverell descendant right here."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 293: Another Visit to Gringotts

    Chapter 293: Another Visit to Gringotts

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 293: Another Visit to Gringotts</strong>

    "Harry¡­ a Peverell?" Daphne gave him a dubious look.

    Xeno pointed to the diary before passing it to Harry.

    "I believe it''s from page ny and onward. Lord Anthony Peverell saved a Muggle-born witch who was being chased by some Muggle vigers."

    Harry and Daphne began to read theter entries.

    After saving that girl, the Lord fell in love and wanted to marry her, but his remaining family was against it.

    Magical houses back then didn''t care that much about blood purity, but they still cared about social status.

    The Peverell family may have been in decline, but they still held a noble position among the small magical society of the era.

    This girl was just the daughter of some local Mugglemoner. She came from a humble family of poetry artisans.

    Anthony Peverell became outraged with his family, and by the end of a long conflict, he renounced his Lordship and family status, passing it to someone else and leaving his house.

    "If that''s how things are, I''m willing to be a simple potter to be with her¡­" Harry repeated the line written in the diary.

    "That''s so romantic!" Daphnemented.

    "Please, tell me that this is not the origin of my house¡­" Harry grumbled.

    His library contained little information about the founding of the Potter House, and this story was definitely not there.

    "I do believe that is the case¡­ if you continue to read, there is a lot more," Xeno said.

    "Lord Anthony left the Peverell house, only taking with him a few possessions. But he did take the Cloak of Invisibility and, I suppose he took the family vault key too. He then married that girl andter adopted ''Potter'' as his new family name. Although their firstborn son, Alexander Potter, would be the one recognized as the actual family founder."

    "At least it exins how the cloak ended up as a family relic," said Harry.

    "This also means that you really have some Peverell blood in you," Daphnemented.

    "Wait, and what happened to the rest of the family?"

    "The diary doesn''t mention much about them, but from what I learned from other sources, they didn''tst long. The title of Lord was passed to Anthony''s cousin, and after that, the Peverell house onlysted two more generations before vanishing from history," Xeno exined.

    "I wonder what happened to them," Daphne said.

    "Many old families end up disappearing over time, it is amon urrence. Perhaps they got into conflict with another house more powerful than them and¡­ got wiped out," Harry said.

    "Regardless of whether that story is true or not, the next step would be to visit the Peverell vault. Only then can we be sure," he added.

    "Do you mind if I apany you?" Xeno asked.

    "I have spent arge part of my life researching the Deathly Hallows, and this could be the culmination of a life''s work."

    "Of course, I don''t mind. Besides, you are the expert in these matters. I may need your help."

    "Ehm¡­ Harry?" Daphne looked at him.

    "You want to join us?" Harry asked. She already knew almost everything about him, so it wasn''t like he had much to hide from this girl.

    "That''s fine by me. But I can''t guarantee that we will find something interesting down there. It may still be a waste of time."

    "Just seeing that ancient vault will be worth the trip!" The excitement was reflected in her eyes.

    "It is decided then¡­ and what about you?" Harry asked thest upant of the room.

    Luna didn''t appear to have much interest in their topic of conversation, so she remained quiet the whole time while reading a book.

    "I don''t like the goblin mines; they are stuffy and smelly."

    "Fine then¡­ you can stay here. Call Mipsy if you need anything or if you want to go see Lyra." Harry pulled his wand.

    "Let''s get to Gringotts then."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "How far are we going?" Daphne asked.

    The cart ride had already been plenty long, and the goblin kept the cart going further and further into the underground tunnels.

    They had already passed the area where her family vault was located and just continued further.

    Even the illumination was getting dimmer, and she could not see any more vault doors around them.

    "There is still a bit left," said Harry.

    "Fascinating." Xeno was inspecting his surroundings.

    "I once wrote an article about how the goblins were amassing a huge army in the depths of these tunnels and conspiring to take over the surface."

    "What?!" shouted the goblin while driving.

    "Lord Lovegood!" Daphne gave the man a pleading look to shut up. This was the worst possible ce to anger the goblin.

    "Oh¡­ I mean, it was just something I heard from an unreliable source."

    "Who told you that?" The goblin was getting more anxious.

    Harry handed him a few galleons. "My friend here is just speaking nonsense. Can we forget about hisment?"

    The goblin grumbled something in hisnguage and continued driving the cart.

    A few minutester, they stopped before a massive crevice in the ground.

    "Have we arrived now?" Daphne looked at her surroundings. She saw no more railroads ahead, so she assumed it was here.

    "I can''t see any vaults though."

    "It''s just a bit ahead¡­" Harry said before gripping the cart with force.

    Daphne appeared to be confused. "Ahead?... there is nothing there. Harry?... why are you smiling like that?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 294: Unauthorized Access

    Chapter 294: Unauthorized ess

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 294: Unauthorized ess</strong>

    "I have never seen you scream like that before¡­" Harrymented after the cart finally stopped.

    "You knew!" Daphne eximed.

    After stopping at what seemed like the end of the rails, the goblin pulled another lever and the cart was propelled down the hole at a ny-degree angle at a ridiculous speed.

    "I wanted it to be a memorable experience."

    "I''ll give you a memorable experience!" Daphne punched his shoulder.

    "We have arrived, you can get out¡­." The goblin sounded somewhat annoyed already.

    "Xeno, you look a bit paler than usual," Harry noted.

    "Oh, I''m perfectly fine¡­. blegh¡­" He vomited next to the goblin.

    "Ahh!" Daphne jumped out of the cart.

    "Damn wizard! Get off my cart," the goblin shouted.

    "I didn''t see thating," Xeno said calmly as he didn''t just unload inside the cart.

    "It must have something to do with¡ªblegh!¡­"

    "OUT!"

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "So¡­ here we are. The Ancient Vaults," Harry announced.

    They could hear the goblinining in the back.

    "You know, I could clean that with a single spell," Harry offered.

    "No!, we can have wizard magic here. It could trigger the rm and we would all die." The goblin continued to use his dirty rag in the most efficient way possible.

    "What kind of rm is that?." Daphne wondered.

    "I''m really sorry about that," Xeno apologized again.

    Harry had already given the goblin several more galleons. Otherwise, they would have received more than some insults in goblin tongue.

    "Where is the Peverell one?" Daphne looked around.

    There were only half a dozen torches illuminating thisrge circr chamber, so it was almost impossible to distinguish one vault from another.

    "Over here." Harry was feeling the same connection that he felt during his first visit, but this time it was much stronger. He quickly located the door with the Peverell symbol on top.

    "This is it¡­. the end of my research," Xeno said with mixed feelings.

    "Hold it, wizard!" The goblin dropped what he was doing when he saw Harry approach the vault door.

    "You can''t do that!"

    "I haven''t done anything¡­ yet," said Harry.

    "You were authorized to ess the Potter Vaults and only the Potter Vaults," the goblin said.

    "If you try to open any other vault, the security¡­."

    "But if I can actually open the vault, doesn''t that mean that I had permission?" Harry asked, while taking something out of his pocket.

    The goblin nced at the vault that Harry had in front of him.

    "Are you a Peverell?"

    "Distantly rted¡­" Harry looked at Xeno.

    "Maybe¡­" he then added.

    "Are we sure about this?... perhaps there is another way to ess that vault." Daphne was starting to have doubts. Despite having the key, this may not be enough to open the vault gate if it also requires having enough Peverell blood.

    "Maybe we could search for the descendants of the main family." After all, Anthony Peverell left his house a long time ago, and since then, his bloodline must have been thinned out in favor of others.

    "It will be fine! This is fate. Harry is the chosen one! The door will definitely open for him," Xeno imed with absolute confidence.

    Harry turned around and took a better look at the vault door.

    The design was a bit different from his family''s. It looked much more ancient and rustic.

    But he could still easily recognize the ce where he had to insert the key and put his hand.

    He looked back at the key he was holding. It was definitely as ancient as this gate and it carried the Peverell symbol on it.

    "This has to work..."

    "Wait, wait! This is very irregr!" The goblin was starting to panic.

    "We must return to the ground level and speak with the manager, Yellow Scar."

    "And then we have to go through all of this again?" Daphne asked.

    "Since I am already here¡­ I may as well give it a try." Harry held the key with his left hand and ced his right one on the metallic te, despite the goblin''sints.

    Harry felt a pinch on his index finger and knew that some blood had been drawn and gave the key a twist at the same time.

    The group stood in silence, looking at the vault door, waiting with anticipation to see if it would open.

    The key was sucked into the gate without warning, and this one then began to make a series of noises.

    ''This is different...'' Harry noticed that this was not what happened when his father opened the Potter vault.

    "It''s opening!" Daphne eximed.

    "See? I told you. Harry was fated to be here, at this very moment, and to¡ª"

    "Silence!" The goblin screamed, startling everyone in the process.

    "Listen!"

    Harry felt that something was wrong.

    The noisesing from the gate had stopped all of a sudden, and now there were different ones from somewhere else.

    "Oh no!" The goblin hurried to return to his mine cart.

    He wasted no time getting inside and began to pull levers, not caring anymore about the mess that Xeno made.

    "Where are you going?" Daphne red at the goblin.

    "The security measures! You sted wizard! You have triggered the rm with your reckless behavior. Now the defenses have been activated." The goblin pulled onest lever, and the cart began to move backward.

    "Defense system?" Harry could detect something opening, but it was none of the vault doors. The sound came from somewhere further away.

    "Hey! You can''t leave us here!" Daphne wanted to catch the cart but it had already gotten too far away.

    "You are doomed!" The goblin''s cart disappeared into the darkness.

    "Maybe I was wrong after all," Xeno realized.

    "You think?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "Still¡­ it was me who created this mess¡­. let me deal with them." He added.

    "Them?...." Daphne then began to hear steps.

    The source of the sounds was arge hole that had appeared between two of the vault doors.

    From this hole, a four-legged creature emerged into the main chamber.

    The feeble light of the torches did a poor job of showing its features.

    But for those who were a bit familiar with it¡­ they could easily recognize it.

    "Is that what I think it is?" Xeno asked. "Because if it is, we are in some serious trouble."

    "What do you think it is?" Daphne was sure she had seen it before in some books, but the name evaded her.

    "Try not to breathe too much." Harry stepped forward.

    "That is a nundu."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 295: The Nundu

    Chapter 295: The Nundu

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 295: The Nundu</strong>

    A feline-like creature with dark leathery skin walked out of the recently opened hole. It had bright eyes that pierced the darkness of the cavern and a pouch around its neck with spikes all over its surface. As the creature moved and breathed, green poisonous smoke came out of its mouth.

    Any person who inhaled that smoke would be dead in mere seconds. Despite its rtively small sizepared to other dangerous magical beasts, the nundu was considered one of the worst, and a full squad of two dozen trained wizards was the minimum rmended to deal with this monster.

    "This is the security measure the goblin was talking about?" Daphne asked.

    "No wonder he was so scared¡­" Xeno said.

    They only lifted their eyes off the nundu for a second, and that was all it needed to lose it in the darkness.

    "Where d¡ª" Daphne heard a loud sound on her left side and was startled to find the nundu had almost reached her but ended up shing against a powerful barrier.

    Harry did not waste time using his strongest defensive spell. "Don''t take your eyes off them!" he warned.

    "Them?" Xeno then saw something moving a bit further away.

    There were two more creatures like the first one; they were slowly walking out of the opening.

    "Three nundus?!" Daphne eximed. She had read terrifying tales about what a single one of these monsters could do.

    "Petra¡­ Tredecim Hastae!" Harry did not want to give the nundu any time to recover after hitting its head against his shield and went on the offensive. Thirteen sharp stone spears formed from the ground beneath it and shot toward the target.

    This was one of his most efficient transfigurations and the same one he had used to kill a basilisk before.

    But against the nundu, it was useless. The spears were fast and their aim was true. But the magical feline was too nimble and quick. It managed to squeeze between the stone spears and escaped without suffering any damage.

    Harry frowned. He had hoped to end this quickly.

    The chamber was too small to use any of his most destructive spells without the risk of copsing it. And with three nundus filling the limited space with their deadly poison, time was of the essence.

    In the next instant, his wand was reced by his goblin steel staff. ''Good thing I took precautions.''

    "Libera¡­" Seven of the nine arks in his body became active and gained a bright shine.

    Harry''s eyes changed color to a bright blue as his body was overwhelmed by a massive surge of magical energy.

    The nundu remained at the spot where it hadnded and stared at Harry, as if waiting for his next move.

    The other two did not show any intent to join their brother in the fight. Nundus were very prideful lone hunters. They would never share prey unless they intended to steal it.

    Instead, they moved their attention to the other two people in the room, who were still behind Harry''s barrier.

    Harry had finished his short preparation and went back at it.

    "Let''s see how you dodge this!" He conjured a hundred steel des all around the nundu in front of him.

    The beast made a startled expression; it clearly had not been expecting a single wizard to be able to do something like this.

    The des began to move almost immediately after being conjured, not giving it time to adjust its position. With so many of them flying from every angle, it didn''t matter how fast the nundu was...it could not escape this time around. Dozens of sharp steel des impacted its body with tremendous force.

    Harry expected to see the creature bepletely skewered, but the result was much more disappointing than that. "Are you serious?..."

    Speed was not the only thing that made a nundu hard to kill. Its leathery skin had magical properties that made it as resilient as the strongest metal.

    Harry''s conjured des had only managed to inflict superficial cuts. But it wasn''t like they aplished nothing.

    The nundu roared in anger while ring at Harry. It had been too long since anyone had managed to make it feel this much pain.

    ''This is bad¡­'' Harry saw the other two creatures charging at the barrier protecting Daphne and Xeno.

    He had confidence in his defenses, but those sharp ws would eventually be able to damage the runes and take them down. And even if they didn''t, the deadly toxins exuded by these two would start to seep through the barrier.

    ''I can''t fail again¡­ the next attack, I have to kill it no matter what,'' Harry thought.

    The nundu stared at Harry and growled. The creature was not only arrogant but also had a high level of intelligence and understood that this person was very dangerous.

    As an apex predator, it is rare for it to find an opponent that would force it to get serious, but it knew that this was no time to hold back and went on the offensive. Its eyes shone with more intensity, its leathery pouch became more inted while green toxic smoke escaped its mouth.

    And then¡­ it disappeared from its spot.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 296: Daphneâ€™s Decision

    Chapter 296: Daphne¡¯s Decision

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 296: Daphne''s Decision</strong>

    Harry held the staff in front of him to intercept the sharp w of the nundu.

    He saw the incredibly sharp w beginning to cause an indentation on the surface of the goblin steel artifact. Something that should be almost impossible.

    "Depulso!"

    The nundu was pushed back but was not deterred in the slightest. Its intent still lingered and it was already preparing to charge again.

    "dius." The staff transformed into a long single-edged sword, made of the sameposition as the staff.

    Normal steel was not enough to cut through its tough hide, but goblin steel was several grades higher in terms of sharpness.

    However, he could not stop at just that.

    "Divulsa." A baleful purple aura enveloped the de.

    "elerato." He felt his muscles tense as the enhancement charm took effect. This would allow him to move much faster but would also tear his bones and muscles apart if he kept it for too long.

    The nundu jumped in the air with both its ws ready to cut him into shreds.

    But then, all of a sudden, Harry disappeared from view. This took the nundu by surprise and made it lose its focus momentarily.

    It all happened in less than a second. The invisible cursed de shed the beast across its chest before it had a chance to understand what had happened.

    Harry had not moved from his spot, he had merely used his ability to be invisible as a distraction to create an opening in its defenses.

    He then moved aside, allowing the nundu to fall behind him.

    The cut had been deep, but not deep enough to reach its internal organs.

    However, Harry knew that this was already over.

    The nundu let out an indescribable roar of agony when it felt the curse eating away at its insides. Its powerful hide could not protect it from this type of damage. And Harry had empowered the corrosive curse as much as it was possible to do so.

    Even a massive dragon would have been corroded in seconds with the amount of magic he put in it.

    When he nced back, all that was left was a pool of blood and some bones.

    The two other beasts had stopped their assault on the magical shield when they heard the agonizing noises from their brother. It was then that they realized something...that wizard was not just another prey for them to hunt but a predator like them.

    The creatures were intelligent enough to recognize they were in a dangerous situation and, against their usual instincts, it was best to work together and eliminate the threat.

    They then proceeded to ignore Daphne and Xeno, who were considered harmless to them, and focused on Harry.

    ''Great¡­ now I have to deal with two of them at the same time.'' One had already been difficult enough.

    His eyes moved to one of his rings. It was still shining brightly, meaning it still had plenty of magic in it, but¡­ that was not going tost forever.

    ''Should I activate the other two and go all out?...'' He considered it for a moment, but¡­ during the one and only test he had performed, the moment he activated the full Nine Arkstone Array, it would be followed by a powerful surge of magic that would shake the surroundings with tremendous violence.

    ''If I end up copsing the chamber, it will all be for naught. But it''s not like I have run out of tricks.''

    The two nundus moved at an incredible speed and were already in front of him.

    His staff had recovered its original shape, but his body was still under the effect of the speed charm, allowing him to react faster.

    "Incendium."

    Viridescent mes erupted forward like a volcano, covering his vision.

    Even with their incredible resistances, the two beasts knew better than to get hit by that cursed green fire. So, making use of their incredible speed, they moved away before being touched by the mes.

    Daphne and Xeno were watching everything from inside the protective barrier.

    Xeno was, of course, very worried, but the wizard knew his limits. The only thing he could aplish if he tried to fight alongside Harry would be to get in his way and maybe cause them both to die.

    Daphne had a different idea in her mind.

    "I have to do something¡­." She could not stand there and continue to watch any longer. It wasn''t that she didn''t have trust in Harry to win, but more that she did not want to just be one more person being protected by him¡­ she wanted to be at his side.

    Her eyes moved to the dead nundu. There wasn''t much left of it, but there was only one thing that interested her.

    "That blood should be enough¡­" she murmured to herself.

    "Don''t do anything foolish, little one. Those beasts are not to be trifled with." Xeno''s usual yful and aloof demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

    "I know what I''m doing." Daphne said with confidence. She was not one to rush into things without thinking. She had a clear n in mind.

    "I have not wasted my summer ying around, Mister Lovegood. I can help him now¡­ I have an idea of what to do."

    After saying that, Daphne ran out of the barrier without hesitation.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

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 Chapter 297: Daphnes Blood Magic

    Chapter 297: Daphne''s Blood Magic

    <strong><font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Disimer:</font></font></strong>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I own nothing but the original characters I created.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Dialogue"</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">''Thoughts''</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">-Author notes-</font></font>

    <strong><font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Chapter 297: Daphne''s Blood Magic</font></font></strong>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry was too distracted by the two nundus to realize that Daphne had left the barrier and was now running across the chamber.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Luckily for her, the two beasts werepletely focused on Harry and didn''t care about chasing anyone else at the moment.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">When she reached the pool of blood, she knelt down in front of it, touched the thick liquid with her wand, and began to chant in Old English.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Seeketh those folk, seeketh those liketh thee..."</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The blood began to stir.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Findeth those folk, and killeth those folk all..." The pool of blood came to life. It divided itself into several equal parts and remains in the air¡­ waiting for the finalmand.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Sanguinus Caedum." Daphne''s wand was pointing at the two nundus.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The orbs of nundu blood adopted the shape of sharp needles before flying to their targets, moving as fast as bullets.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry had noticed an intense magical current behind him but was not able to turn his attention away from these two.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">He was using his wand in his left hand, forming a barrier to block one beast while using his staff to fight off the other one.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">They didn''t give him even a second to breathe. And that was also starting to apply in the literal sense as the air around him became increasingly toxic to breathe.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Then, out of nowhere, some red spikes came flying and buried themselves into the flesh of the nundus, making them yelp in pain.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The blood needles were sharper than the average steel and were able to pierce the surface of their tough hides.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">But Daphne''s magic wasn''t finished yet.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The needles use the wounds as an entry point to bury themselves into the bodies of the beasts and continue to cause havoc from the inside.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The two nundus let out roars of agony and Harry felt their pressurepletely disappeared.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The beasts knew they were in a dire situation now and did not think twice before turning around and trying to escape back into the opening they used to enter the chamber.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"You think you can leave?" Harry said.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">As soon as the first one turned around, he plunged the tip of his staff into its back.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Divulsa!" The corrosive curse was injected directly into the nundu''s body.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The other one was already several feet away, although the damage caused by Daphne was making it move much slower than usual.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry removed the staff from one beast and used all his remaining strength to throw it at the other one like it was a javelin.</font></font>

    "Depulso!" As the staff left his hand, he added a wandless Banishing Charm for good measure.

    The staff became a blur until it caught the nundu on its side, almost piercing itpletely and sending it tumbling to its death.

    Harry could feel his bodyining from the strain he was putting it through, so he hurried to cancel his enhancement charm and close the connection to the seven arkstone array before copsing to his knees.

    "Harry, are you okay?" Daphne saw the toxic smoke close to his face and used a wind charm to move it away.

    "I doubt that would kill me, but thanks¡­" Harry stood back up.

    "And I''m fine¡­ just a bit tired."

    He turned and looked at her worried face.

    "Seriously¡­ I''m fine. By the way¡­ was that blood magic?"

    Daphne nodded.

    "I didn''t want to learn it at first¡­ that magic I just used...It is meant to kill people rted to the target of the blood curse¡­ seems very cruel."

    "Magic is not cruel, just the people that use it," Harry corrected her statement.

    "That''s what Miss Yafel said¡­" Daphne replied.

    "Is it over?... Can Ie out?" Xenos asked from the other side of the room.

    Harry gave his wand a flick and removed the protection.

    "Totally safe. Those damn beasts are not standing up again."

    Daphne nced at thest two. Their bodies had dissolvedpletely like the first one, leaving only their bones and some blood.

    "You know¡­ the materials of the nundus would have been worth a fortune¡­ what a shame, there is not much left."

    "If I didn''t use that curse, the ones dissolving on the ground could have been us," Harry said.

    "I wasn''tining!" Daphne huffed.

    "I just thought it was a shame to lose such valuable materials. And¡­ I think I helped you quite a bit this time, right?" She got a bit closer.

    Harry turned around and went to retrieve his staff.

    "I had everything under control."

    "Really? Because those twost ones appear to have been giving you a hard time from where I was standing."

    "Nonsense," Harry brushed her off.

    "I was about to take care of them with¡­"

    "With what?" She asked.

    "Now you''ll never know." Harry shrugged.

    "But¡­" He stared at her directly.

    "You were very helpful back there¡­ so thanks."

    He turned to face the Peverell vault.

    "Well¡­ if there are no more security measures¡­ we can open this door now."

    "I don''t think it will open with your touch. Your Peverell blood must be too diluted to pass the safety protocols," Xenos said.

    "Yes, I think we all noticed that¡­" Daphne said.

    "But Harry may have another way."

    "Sure, I do¡­" Harry tapped the gate with his staff.

    "You may want to stand back for this¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 298: Opening the Vault

    Chapter 298: Opening the Vault

    <strong><font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Disimer:</font></font></strong>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">I own nothing but the original characters I created.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Dialogue"</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">''Thoughts''</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">-Author notes-</font></font>

    <strong><font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Chapter 298: Opening the Vault</font></font></strong>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vault gate began to shake as Harry attempted to overpower the protections embedded inside.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Despite how old this particr vault was, the goblins who created it had made sure it was extremely secure, even by modern standards.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Harry knew there was a more efficient and discreet way of doing this. He recalled seeing Bill Weasley opening ancient vaults with rtive ease and without triggering any protections. Unfortunately, that requires a very specific set of skills¡­ skills he did not possess.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">The vault gate shook again.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Are you trying to break it or open it?" Daphne took another step back. She was beginning to doubt Harry a little bit.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"I''m not sure¡­ whatever urs first, I suppose." Harry said calmly.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"I believe our goblin guide must be on his way to inform his superiors about our¡­ ''misdeed''." Xenosmented.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Daphne gasped. Everything happened too fast and she hadn''t had time to digest it at all, but she had just realized something important.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"The goblins are going to arrest us! By Merlin, we are criminals!"</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Rx, it''s going to be fine. Let me deal with the goblins when theye here." Harry said.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Daphne couldn''t help but be more nervous at hearing this.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"By ''dealing with them'', you mean¡­"</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"I''m not going to kill them, okay? I have sort of an idea."</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Sort of?..." Daphne raised an eyebrow.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">"Yes!, sort of!. But that is forter. Now¡­ allow me to concentrate. This work requires finesse." He huffed in annoyance.</font></font>

    <font style="vertical-align: inherit;"><font style="vertical-align: inherit;">Daphne nodded and remained quiet. She may not know much about opening goblin-made doors, but she could believe it was a very difficult and delicate task.</font></font>

    Harry continued to pour raw magic into the door, hoping to break the defenses that were keeping him from being able to use transfiguration on it.

    During the previous fight, he had made use of an external source of magic so his personal reserves were still intact.

    He could feel something on the other side, calling for him. It was much more intense than during his previous visit, and it was getting progressively stronger.

    This must mean the gate is being weakened, or at least that''s what he thought.

    Feeling a bit relieved to know that his method was showing results, Harry continued pouring more and more of his magic into the gate.

    Soon enough, sparks of light could be seen across its surface with their naked eyes.

    "I got you!" He coursed even more magic, and this time it shook more violently. Harry knew it...it was almost there. All he had to do now is give it ast push.

    "But, I must say, Miss Greengrass," Xenos started.

    "You shouldn''t worry too much about the goblins. Our previous actions against the nundus were merely an act of self-defense. I''m sure they will be reasonable."

    Daphne tried to ignore the vault gate shaking and considered Xenos''s words.

    "Mmm¡­ maybe we can get away with only an apology and some marypensation. I mean, we haven''t really caused any real damag¡ª"

    At that moment, the gave stopped shaking and making noises, like it had finally been defeated.

    "The defenses are down! I think I can no¡ª" Before Harry could finish his sentence, the vault gate exploded intorge metallic chunks that went flying everywhere.

    The gate had be unable to contain the immense amount of energy that had been concentrated inside, so when its protections finally failed, it blew up with violence.

    Daphne and Xenos hurried to drop to the ground and heard the pieces of the vault door passing close by and crashing against the walls of the chamber.

    For the next several seconds, they heard a cacophony of unsettling noise as everything around them seemed to be destroyed.

    Once it was finally over and silence returned...Harry looked back at the mess he had just created.

    There wererge pieces of metal embedded into the walls and one of them had hit one of the other vault gates, causing some serious damage to it.

    He was d to see that Daphne and Xenos were fine. None of the parts were even close to touching them since they had been standing near the center of the chamber.

    This was not the ideal oue he had hoped for. And this will certainly make things more difficult with the goblins, but¡­

    ''What''s done is done¡­''

    He saw as Daphne and Xenos stood back up and looked around at the disaster before going back to stare at him withplicated expressions.

    Harry could not guess what they were thinking at this instant. So he just pointed at the hole left behind by the absence of the vault gate.

    "I¡­ I opened it."

    "You don''t say¡­" Daphne had her arms crossed and a deep frown on her face.

    "I did tell you to stand back." He did say that.

    "And what happened to the whole ''This work requires finesse'' thing you said before?..." Daphne nced around the chamber again.

    "I don''t see much finesse here..."

    "This is certainly not the way I¡­ but I suppose it doesn''t matter much." Xenos didn''t seem to mind it.

    "But the goblins will not like this one bit¡­" He added.

    "Those guys are never happy, anyway¡­ let us go inside. No need to waste more time here." Said Harry.

    Daphne peeked at the park entrance. As much as she wanted to yell at Harry a bit more, her curiosity about the contents of the vault was stronger than anything else.

    The three of them stood before the entrance. It was too dark to see anything beyond a couple of feet into the vault.

    "Here we go¡­" Harry aimed his wand forward.

    "Lumos."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 299: The Fate of the Peverell House

    Chapter 299: The Fate of the Peverell House

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 299: The Fate of the Peverell House</strong>

    Harry''s spell illuminated the entrance, but nothing of note jumped into their field of vision immediately. The vault seemed to be at least as big as the Potter one, maybe even bigger. It was hard to tell without seeing the walls.

    The floor was made of very simple grey stone, and there were no pieces of furniture, gold, shelves, or anything one would expect to find inside a vault.

    "There''s not much in here," Harry pointed out the obvious.

    They then heard a loud ''crunch'' noiseing from below.

    "Wait! I think I stepped on something," Daphne said.

    The three of them looked down at the same time. There was just enough light to discern exactly what it was.

    "Ahh!" Daphne screamed and took a big jump back to get away from the ''thing'' she had stepped on.

    There were bones on the ground¡­ but these were not just random scattered bones. They were bones belonging to a human hand that was still attached to the rest of the skeleton.

    "A corpse!" Xenos eximed.

    "Who dies inside a vault?" Harry created a few more spheres of light to get a better look at the skeleton.

    It was lying face down on the floor, and from the looks of it, it belonged to a woman. She was still wearing a long elegant crimson dress, and her long dark hair remained mostly intact.

    It was hard to tell if the face waspletely dposed, but no one seemed eager to turn her around.

    "W-who is that?" Daphne approached again, very slowly, and remained behind Harry.

    "Are you worried she is going to stand back up?" Harry asked her with a hint of mockery.

    "Of course not!"

    "That is definitely someone from the Peverell family." Xenos pointed at the sign from the Peverell House on the dress.

    "Makes sense¡­ this is their vault," Harry said.

    "So we can discard a thief who sneaked in here and got trapped¡­ not that it was very likely to begin with," added Daphne.

    "And what about those over there?" Harry pointed ahead and several orbs of light illuminated the ce better.

    Daphne gasped when the light charms showed her the rest of the vault.

    In front of them, several more skeletons were now visible.

    "What happened here? How did so many people die inside this vault?" Daphne wondered.

    As they got closer, they counted four more corpses at different distances from the entrance. Three were facing the vault door, like the first one they saw. It was like they all died while trying to leave the vault¡­ it was very unsettling.

    The one Harry found the most interesting was thest one. This one had died while clutching at some sort of stone altar near the middle of the vault.

    "What do we have here?" This altar appeared to be the only thing inside this room. He moved the lights to observe it better. The altar itself had nothing of interest on it. No marks or drawings of any kind, it was like it was created in a rush.

    But on top of the altar was a box¡­ a pitch-ck box.

    "I believe we have found what we came here for." Xenos''s eyes rested on the box.

    Daphne was the only one looking at thest skeleton, the one resting at the base of the altar.

    This one looked very different from the others. By the type of robes, it could be concluded this was a man.

    "Those robes are incredibly fancy." She recognized some of the materials, like the very high-quality dragon hide that formed the outside of his robes, or the mixture of precious metals and stones that decorated it.

    She had seen a few pompous Lords dressed up in simr fashion during her visits to the Ministry with her father, but it was a rare sight.

    "Wait, look at this!" She spotted something glistening and knelt down to pick it up.

    Right next to the skeleton''s right hand was a ring. It was golden with a ck emblem decorating its surface.

    "Let me see¡­" Xenos got closer and took a better look.

    "It''s a family ring," Daphne said with absolute certainty. She had seen many of these types of rings already. The Lord or Lady of a house would be the only one who could wear them.

    A quick nce at the emblem on the ring revealed who this person had been in life.

    "I believe we are in the presence of thest Peverell Lord," Xenos said.

    "And I believe we have discovered why the Peverell family vanished without a trace," Harry added.

    These five people in the vault must have been thest members of the house at that time.

    That would exin why no one hade here to reim the family ring and take care of the bodies.

    "But how did they enter here?. The previous Lord had taken the key with him before leaving... that''s how it ended in my family vault" Harry said.

    "The goblins must have made another copy for them. After all, once the next Peverell Lord took charge, he could use his family ring as evidence of his im. The goblins could not refuse him entrance to his own house vault." Daphne had read a lot about the inner workings of Gringots in her free time.

    "I''m more worried about...what killed them?" She looked at the position of the bodies.

    "It almost seems like they were trying to escape from something."

    "Yes, you may be right." Xenos''s eyes moved to the box. "And I believe the culprit is right here."

    "The box¡­ you mean¡­" Daphne nced at it too.

    The box was very strange. Even upon close inspection, they could not tell what material it was made of. But the most striking feature was its color. It was the darkest tone of ck they had ever seen. It was so dark that it almost gave the feeling that the box was absorbing the lighting from Harry''s light charms.

    Whatever the box was made of, it was something very unnatural.

    Harry stared at the Peverell Lord with a knowing look.

    "You couldn''t help it, huh? You tried to open the box."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 300: The Fourth Deadly Hallow: Deathâ€™s Visage

    Chapter 300: The Fourth Deadly Hallow: Death¡¯s Visage

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 300: The Fourth Deadly Hallow: Death''s Visage</strong>

    A.N - 300 Chapters!, yay!. We are getting there guys. Thank you for all the support and hope you keep enjoying this fic until its conclusion. -

    "Death''s warning¡­" Xenos muttered. "It appears that the warning left behind was not a mere bluff."

    "Harry¡­ are you sure about this?" After seeing those corpses, Daphne was more than worried.

    "ording to the diary, this was only meant to be opened by one chosen individual." Harry ran his fingers across the box''s surface. It felt cold to the touch, but the connection was stronger than ever.

    Whatever it was that had been calling for him¡­ it was inside this box.

    "I have no doubt that Harry is the one meant to open this," Xenos said with confidence.

    "You were also sure he could open the door...and if he isn''t¡­ we are going to end up like them?" Daphne''s eyes moved over the several skeletons scattered across the vault.

    "I have a lot of confidence in this," Harry said.

    "But you can wait outside of the vault if you want. I understand."

    Daphne sighed.

    "Fine¡­ open it. I''ll stay."

    "Very well¡­" He picked up the box and held it in one hand. It was a lot lighter than he expected.

    "There we go¡­" He pulled on the lid, and this one opened with almost no effort.

    Xenos and Daphne stared intensely at the box.

    They were all holding their breaths as Harry pulled the lid up.

    And then¡­ nothing happened.

    "Well? What''s inside?" Daphne could not see the inside of the box from where she was standing. Harry was holding it too high for her to peek.

    "How can it be?!" Xenos eximed.

    "Mmm¡­ I don''t know how to say this¡­" Harry lowered the box a bit so now they could all see the inside.

    "It''s empty."

    Unlike the pitch-ck exterior, the inside was very light in tone and they could all clearly see that it waspletely¡­ empty.

    "Empty?!" Even Daphne could not believe it.

    "This is impossible! No one else could have taken its contents without suffering from Death''s punishment," Xenos said.

    "Could it have been a different Master of Death?" Harry asked.

    "There has never been another one. Since their inception¡­ the Deathly Hallows have only been reunited once," Xenos exined.

    "Still¡­" Harry stared at the box. The feeling had not disappeared. He still felt its calling.

    "But if the box is empty, what is¡­ oh." He then realized the truth.

    "Is the box¡­"

    "What do you mean?" Daphne asked.

    "I mean that there was never anything inside this thing¡­ the box is the Fourth Deathly Hallow." As Harry said this, the ck box closed by itself. The lid became sealed shut and the opening disappeared, leaving apletely smooth ck cube.

    "What''s happening?" Xenos eximed.

    The ck cube in Harry''s hand began to dissolve before their eyes.

    Its previously solid surface turned into a dark thick mist.

    Harry did not panic. He felt that this was supposed to happen. The cube had only been a temporary shape. That was not the real visage of Death''sst artifact.

    "Harry!" Daphne was extremely nervous. She was watching as the mist began to encircle Harry.

    The cube hadpletely disappeared, leaving only the mist behind.

    The dark substance was so thick that it almost looked like a liquid.

    It was now covering Harry from head to toe.

    Harry''s shoes were the only thing left visible.

    "Harry! What do we do?" Daphne wondered.

    "Nothing!" Xenos hurried to say.

    "Look closely¡­ he is not struggling or making any painful noises. Harry is fine. I believe we are about to see the real Hallow!"

    Daphne did not take her eyes off Harry for one second. If he even gestured to ask for help, she was going to do something.

    But Harry never made a sound as the mist began to take shape.

    It seemed to mold around his body like a piece of cloth, but it still covered everything in such a dark tone of ck that it almost seemed to eat away the light around him.

    "I see now! I know what this is!" Xenos said with excitement.

    Daphne had no idea what he was talking about, so she remained quiet.

    The material covering Harry had gonepletely from gas to liquid and finally to solid.

    There was a thick fabric covering his body from head to toe, not even showing an inch of his skin.

    His face remained hidden beneath a cloak, and no matter how much they tried, they could not see his face at all.

    Then, all of a sudden, a pair of green beacons of light appeared on his face.

    Daphne got startled and almost fell on her back.

    Xenos was smiling the whole time.

    "The Visage of Death! These are the robes used by Death herself!. What a magnificent sight!."

    "Death¡­" Daphne mumbled.

    It was true. Right now, the figure of Harry has been reced by the God of Death. Or at least, the depiction that most people had agreed on when creating their drawings and paintings.

    The pitch-ck robes moved slightly as he took a step forward.

    Its two shiny green eyes were now focused on the scared girl.

    Daphne felt shivers and had the sudden need to get away from him. "S-Stop, don''t get an-"

    "Daphne¡­ it''s me." The voice of Harry washed away her fear.

    The cloak was pulled back, revealing his usual face.

    "Sorry for startling you. I was trying to get adjusted to this¡­ still feels a bit strange." He moved his hands a bit while saying this.

    "So this is the Fourth Deathly Hallow¡­ I was not expecting clothes," said Harry. He thought it was going to be some sort of weapon.

    "Comparing Death''s Visage with simple clothes is a bit¡­" Xenos murmured.

    "So¡­ you are fine¡­ when I saw that ck thing wrap all over you, I got scared¡­" said Daphne.

    Harry looked at her.

    "I''m perfectly okay, Daphne. I just need t-"

    They heard amotion outside.

    "Oh, what now?!" Daphne asked.

    "That may be the goblins, I presume," said Xenos.

    "That''s alright. We got what we came for. Let us go outside and deal with the goblins," Harry said.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 301: Commander Silver Axe

    Chapter 301: Commander Silver Axe

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 301: Commander Silver Axe</strong>

    "Are you going out like that?" Daphne asked.

    Without covering his head, Death''s robes may appear like a normal ck piece of clothing, but the more one stared at them, they would begin to notice their unnatural movements. It was like the fabric itself was alive.

    The color was also off-putting. The tone of ck was so dark that it almost seemed to vanish into the shadows while eating away all the light around it.

    "Right, I should take this off¡­" Harry almost forgot he was wearing them. The robes were extremelyfortable to him, almost like being wrapped in a warm nket on a cold day.

    But when he made a motion to take them off, he found an issue. "Mmm¡­they seem to be stuck."

    Daphne got a bit closer to look at the robes better. "Oh wow!" At this distance, she could clearly see it. The robes weren''t really acting like a piece of clothing. The ck material appeared to have fused with Harry''s body, making it impossible to remove.

    "I''m not sure how to say this, Harry. But it''s like the robes have be part of you¡­" She hoped for that not to be true, though.

    "Wait, you mean I can''t remove them?" Harry frowned.

    "Calm down. Of course, the robes have be a part of you. This is normal." Xenos stated.

    "You knew this was going to happen?" Daphne threw him an usatory nce.

    "I didn''t even know the Fourth Hallow existed until earlier this month, much less what it was."

    He looked at Harry. "But this should be no different than the other three. They also bonded with you and you have control over them and their powers¡­ the robes should be the same. At least, that is what I believe."

    He pointed at his head. "You removed the hood without thinking, remember?"

    Harry realized Xenos was correct. When Daphne got scared of him, he wanted to show her his face, and the robes obeyed.

    He closed his eyes and focused on his connection with the robes¡­ then, he gave them amand to hide away.

    The robes immediately began to shrink until they were nothing more than a small ck sphere, which then proceeded to disappear inside his body.

    "Fascinating." Xenos had a wide smile on his face.

    "So, it''s still in your body?" Daphne wondered.

    "Yes¡­ I can feel it. If I were to give it an order toe out, it will." He said with certainty.

    "Humans!"

    A loud shout came from outside.

    "This is Commander Silver Axe, from the Goblin First Battalion. You have nowhere to escape to. Come out and surrender in peace!"

    "Yikes¡­ he sounds very angry." Daphne had hoped they would be more willing to talk things out, but it appears to be very unlikely now.

    "Do not worry, Harry said he has a n." Xenos pointed out to her.

    This one nodded. "You can leave it to me. I''ll handle the goblins." He then began to walk out of the chamber.

    Daphne and Xenos followed him close behind. When the trio went out into the chamber, they found themselves facing an rming amount of armor-d goblins, who looked ready for war.

    "How did so many of them get here so quickly?" Daphne eximed. It took them at least ten minutes of riding the minecart to arrive at the chambers. For this amount of goblins to be here in such a short amount of time, it should simply not be possible.

    Xenos gave her a knowing look. "You are assuming the goblins don''t have a better and faster way to move around the tunnels¡­ one that they keep secret from us! " He said with enthusiasm. "One of my most reliable sources once told me th-"

    "Silence, humans !" The Commander screamed with fury. "Drop your wands and lift your hands in the air!. Do not make me repeat myself"

    The soldiers had circled the vault entrance,pletely sealing any chance of escape without a fight.

    As the Commander gave them the order to surrender, the armor-d goblins took a few steps closer, with their sharp weapons pointing at them.

    Daphne nced at Harry''s back. Wondering what kind of n he had in mind. She could only hope he was not thinking about embarking on something that would lead to a war with the goblin nation. They had enough problems already.

    "It''s okay, leave it to me." He turned around to her with a confident smile on his face before walking forward to the goblins.

    He did not take two steps before the Commander shouted back at him. He and his soldier appear to be ready for an attack at any second.

    "Stop!" The Commander pointed his axe at Harry, and his men did the same with their weapons. A good variety of swords, spears, and axes were being aimed at Harry.

    "There is no need for that, Commander Silver¡­" Harry started.

    "Silver Axe!" The Commander Corrected.

    "Right¡­" Harry shrugged

    Then, much to Daphne''s surprise, Harry lifted his hands in the air and offered the goblin Commander a gentle smile. "We surrender peacefully." He threw his wand at the leader''s feet.

    "What?..." Daphne thought she had heard him wrong. Harry never gave up without a fight¡­ she never thought she would hear him say something like that. But then, she recalled his words from before. ''Is this part of his n?... I must trust him.''

    Xenos was also surprised but hid it better. "I thought I was about to witness the beginning of a new interesting chapter in goblin history." He did sound a bit disappointed.

    "Smart choice, Wizard." The goblin Commander pointed ahead. "Arrest them!"

    A dozen armed goblin soldiers ran at them.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 302: The Goblin Nation Criminals

    Chapter 302: The Goblin Nation Criminals

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 302: Th</strong><strong>e Goblin Nation Criminals</strong>

    Once they took away their wands, they put cuffs on them and led them into a room, where they were told to wait until new orders arrived.

    The room where they left them, had grey walls and no windows, but at least it wasn''t a cell. It looked more like an interrogation room, with arge wooden table in the middle and some very ufortable chairs.

    Six guards remained inside to keep a close eye on them and prevented them from speaking with each other.

    After what felt like hours, the Commander from before came back and led Harry away, leaving Daphne alone with Xenos and the six guards.

    "How long are they going to keep us here?!" Daphneined. "And what are they doing to Harry?" She wanted to be patient, but even that had a limit.

    "The Commander must be questioning him," one of the guards finally answered one of her questions. He was just hoping for her to shut up now.

    Daphne was about to open her mouth again when the door opened abruptly.

    A goblin wearing an elegant tunic and a gold monocle on his face came inside and nced at Daphne and Xenos.

    "Who are you?" Daphne asked. Unlike the rest of them, this goblin did not look like a soldier, he was more like a schr.

    Ignoring her question, the elegant goblin moved his attention to one of the guards next to the door, the one who had just spoken to Daphne.

    "You may release those two humans, but do not return their wands until they are out of Gringotts."

    "You are letting us go, just like that?" Xenos inquired.

    The goblin turned to them. "Yes. You are free to go. The guards will escort you outside. And then y-"

    "Wait a minute!, what about Harry?" Daphne interrupted his exnation as one of the guards was opening her cuffs.

    The goblin let out an exasperated sigh. "Mister Harry Potter has confessed to being the only one responsible for the crimesmitted against our nation, freeing the both of you from any charges. So there is no point in keeping you here."

    "But that''s not fair. He is not a criminal. I want to see him!" Daphne demanded.

    The elegant goblin sighed again because he knew he could not deny that request. "I was afraid you would make that demand¡­very well. But you will have to wait for his representative to arrive."

    "Representative?" Daphne asked.

    "Of course, Miss Greengrass. We are not savages! Mister Potter is a minor, and he is entitled to choose an adult to represent him during the reading of his sentence."

    "Sentence?! What about a trial?" The seriousness of the situation was sinking in for Daphne. These goblins really wanted to treat Harry as a dangerous criminal.

    "Sir!" A different guard knocked on the door and peeked his head inside. "The representative is here."

    "Wonderful! Maybe we can get this done in a brief manner. I had already made ns for the evening..." The elegant goblin smiled. He was about to turn around when he seemed to remember something. "By the way, my name is Blue Fang, and I am the judge for this particr case¡­now follow me and don''tg behind."

    Daphne and Xenos shared a look before going out of the room.

    As they were doing this, they heard a familiar voice.

    "What is this about? I came as soon as I could but one one has t-¡­"

    "Headmaster!" Daphne immediately recognized the elderly wizard with the bright yellow robes.

    "Miss Greengrass, and¡­Xenos?. What a strangebination." Dumbledore looked at them with a hint of confusion.

    "Greetings, Albus. It has been quite a while since we saw each other," Xenos said.

    Dumbledore nodded. "It has¡­I assume you two are also rted to this incident with Harry?"

    "Yes, we came with him, but..." Daphne said.

    "Well, that is great. Then you can tell me what is going on because¡­"

    "Mister Dumbledore." The goblin known as Blue Fang interrupted their conversation. " I understand your eagerness to know more, but if you all follow me, I shall take you to Mister Potter. And then we can exin everything in more detail. It will be much faster that way."

    They obeyed the goblin and followed after him, along with several guards, to a nearby room.

    The ce they were in looked like a maze of corridors and doors that all looked the same. Only the goblins would be able to navigate this maze without getting lost.

    When they entered, they found themselves in a room that looked exactly the same as their previous one.

    Harry was sitting at the table, while the Goblin Commander who arrested them sat on the opposite side. All around them were eight goblin soldiers with their spears in hand.

    "Harry!" Daphne was the first one to say something before she moved to his side, ignoring everyone else.

    The guards gripped their spears, but their Commander was quick to give them a gesture of ''It is fine.''

    "Professor," Harry nced at the old wizard. "Sorry to make youe all the way here. They insisted I needed to have an adult present. And I didn''t want to bother my parents."

    "So you decided to bother me?" He said with a hint of amusement.

    "It is summertime. I doubt you have much to do."

    "You would be surprised, Mister Potter." The professor retorted.

    "Ehem¡­" The judge cleared his throat in an annoyed way. "You would do well to take this more seriously. Now¡­since we are all here, we can begin."

    The goblin sat down at the table and looked at the stack of papers in front of him. "I will ask to not be interrupted while I read the criminal charges against Mister Harry Potter¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 303: The Sentence

    Chapter 303: The Sentence

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 303: The Sentence</strong>

    "Criminal charges?!" Dumbledore eximed.

    "What did I just say about not being interrupted? I honestly expected better from you, Mister Dumbledore." The judge frowned.

    "My apologies¡­ please, continue. What did Harry do, exactly?"

    "As I was about to begin saying¡­" He put a piece of parchment on the table.

    "Mister Potter arrived at Gringotts at eleven A.M., and requested ess to the Potter vault, along with his two guests." The goblin judge gave Daphne and Xenos a passing nce.

    "Right after arriving at the vault area, Mister Potter ignored the guide''s warnings and tried to open the Peverell vault instead. This, of course, triggered the safety measures put in ce to protect the vaults from thieves. In this case¡­ since those were some of the oldest and most secure ones¡­ three nundus were released to deal with the intruders."

    "Merlin! Three nundus?!" Dumbledore''s handsnded on the table with a lot of force. His eyes moved to Daphne and Xenos.

    "They were very scary," Daphne said.

    Xenos nodded.

    "I thought my end was near¡­"

    "And these nundus¡­" Dumbledore could already guess the answer as he looked at Harry, who just shrugged at him.

    "It was self-defense," he stated, without going into details.

    The judge decided to continue.

    "Yes, the three security beasts were in by Mister Potter. But this is not the most serious charge¡­."

    "Oh¡­" Dumbledore made a worried face.

    "Mister Potter then proceeded topletely destroy the Peverell ancient vault gate, built by our ancestors by means that have been lost in time to us. A unique and irreceable piece¡­"

    "I was just trying to open it," Harry said.

    "I was not done yet!" The judge threw him a venomous re.

    "In the process of destroying this invaluable gate, he also caused tremendous damage to the chamber it was in¡­"

    "Those are just rock walls,e on!" Harryined.

    "And!..." The judge raised his finger.

    "He half-destroyed the Slytherin vault gate!"

    "Is that the one I hit?" He recalled seeing something breaking behind him.

    "The Slytherin vault?!" Daphne almost jumped from her seat before ncing at him.

    "Harry! How could you?. Do you have something against my house?"

    "I didn''t hit that one on purpose!" He said back.

    "Although¡­ if one vault was going to be damaged, I''m d it was that one." He whispered thest part.

    "These are very serious charges, Mister Potter." The Commander goblin raised his voice and spoke in a stern tone.

    "Yes, Harry. Be more respectful," Dumbledore told him.

    "Fine, let''s get down to business," Harry said.

    "How much?..."

    "Pardon?¡­" The judge raised an eyebrow.

    "How much do I have to pay to fix this?" he asked.

    "Money?! You think you can fix this with money?!" The Commander mmed his fist on the table.

    "I thought I made it very clear that those vault gates are priceless and irreceable. As for the three nundus¡­ those would be prohibitively expensive to rece, not to mention difficult. We can''t just go to the nearest pet shop and ask for a nundu, can we?" The judge exined.

    "And¡­ what kind ofpensation would be necessary to fix this?" Dumbledore asked with tact.

    "Ten years of forcedbor in our mines, and three million galleons!" The goblin judge dered.

    "What did you say?" Daphne''s eyes opened like tes.

    "That''s outrageous! He is only fourteen." Dumbledore.

    "ording to thew written by your Ministry, the minimum age for forcedbor on wizards is¡­ thirteen." The judge corrected him.

    "That must be an outdatedw¡­" Dumbledore considered it.

    "No matter, thew is thew."

    "There has to be something else. A different punishment." Xenos said.

    "This was never meant to be a negotiation. I am merely stating his punishment¡­" The judge nced at the Commander and this nodded.

    The goblin guards around the room grasped their spears.

    The tension became palpable. Just one wrong move and they would be attacked.

    Harry, on the other hand, looked very rxed.

    "I have a counter offer."

    "I already stated that this is not a negotiation¡­ Mister Potter. If you behave yourself, I may allow you to say goodbye to your parents before taking you to the mines." The judge gave him a cruel smirk.

    Dumbledore, Daphne, and Xenos were all looking towards Harry with worried faces.

    They weren''t really worried about Harry being arrested. They were worried about what his response was going to be.

    Dumbledore was the one who worried the most. He had a better idea than the majority, about how dangerous the goblin nation was.

    The majority of the poption didn''t consider them a big threat because they only saw the few goblins who worked on the surface. But deep beneath, there was an endless series of tunnels that led everywhere in the British Isles.

    There were even rumors of massive cities hidden underneath, filled with thousands upon thousands of goblins getting ready for the next war.

    Just the idea of going to war with these creatures again made his blood run cold.

    And with Voldemort working in the background to take over the country¡­ this was thest thing they needed.

    Dumbledore was about to open his mouth and request to speak with Harry alone. They must discuss the best course of action.

    But Harry spoke before he had a chance.

    "I want a trial bybat," he said with a straight face.

    "Harry?¡­" Daphne was confused.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "Trial bybat, you say?¡­" The goblinmander had a grave expression on his face.

    The judge was doing the same.

    "Harry, where did you hear that? There is n-"

    Daphne was interrupted by the voice of the goblin judge.

    "How do you learn about our trial bybat?!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 304: Trial By Combat

    Chapter 304: Trial By Combat

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 304: Trial By Combat</strong>

    "You mean to say it''s real?" Even Dumbledore was unsure of the existence of that goblin custom.

    Goblins were very secretive creatures who lived in closedmunities. They would rarely share something with an outsider.

    The Headmaster gave Harry a side nce and wondered when he had gained that bit of knowledge.

    "How did you learn about this, Mister Potter?" the judge asked. He obviously shared the same questions as the rest of the room''s upants.

    "It doesn''t matter. Thew is clear. If someone is used of a crime by the goblin nation, they have the right to request a trial bybat. If they are victorious, any and all charges will be dropped immediately." Harry told the judge, who proceeded to make a very displeased face.

    "Thisw is only meant for goblins!" the judge raised his voice.

    "I don''t think it specifies that in your books, does it? That means humans can also summon thisw." Harry still recalled well that conversation he had with a very drunk Griphook. The poor goblin had revealed a lot of the goblin secrets to the entire bar that night.

    Not that it matters that much at this point.

    Harry never thought that any of that could be useful to him one day.

    "Well? Does thew say that it''s only for goblins then?" Dumbledore chimed in.

    "No¡­ it does not¡­" The judge had some difficulty getting the words out due to his anger.

    Of course, thew was meant for goblins, as every otherw they had written. But no one thought about the need to specify that, since no one outside the goblin nation was meant to speak about it.

    The judge red daggers at Harry. This could only mean they had a traitor in their ranks. But it was toote to fix this issue now. As a person ofw, he had to abide by it.

    "Are you sure about this?" the goblin Commander spoke.

    "Since you seem to know about our customs, you must also be aware that a trial bybat is meant to be carried out with the exclusive use of close-range weapons. So no bows or crossbows are allowed, and of course, that would include magical wands."

    "I do know about that part, yes," Harry told him without a single change in his facial expression.

    The Commander looked displeased. He took this casual attitude of his as a great insult.

    "You think us weak, boy? You would do well to not underestimate us based on our looks. Goblins may be smallpared to humans, but we are a martial nation. We begin our training at the age of four and we never stop after that, until we retire. Even those working at the bank could chop your limbs in a second if they were provoked."

    "I am sure that Harry''s intention was not to insult you," Dumbledore tried to cate the angrymander.

    "No, it was not. And besides, aren''t I the one being underestimated here?" Harry asked.

    He knew a lot about goblins. Despite not being able to use magic in the same way that humans do, they are, in essence, magical creatures. Even with their reduced size, they are at least twice as strong as humans are.

    And as the Commander said, they are trained in martial fighting from a very young age. Every goblin is a potential soldier in case of war.

    The other thing that goblins excelled at was metallurgy and runes.

    This allbined turned them into the strongest warriors, with the best weapons and armor to boot, in the entire world.

    It was natural they would not take a martial challenge very seriously when it came from a human wizard.

    "The Commander is right¡­ for a young human wizard like you, this trial bybat would be akin to suicide. You are in time to change your mind." The judge managed to calm down after thinking about it a bit further.

    Even if Harry knew about theirws, he had no chance of winning.

    Especially when they could choose any champion they wanted to represent the goblin nation.

    "I am not retracting my words. I want a trial bybat¡­ that is final." Harry insisted.

    The judge red at Dumbledore.

    "You are acting as his representative, and as such¡­ you can stop this madness. As an adult, you may make the best choice for him."

    As much as the judge disliked Harry, having a young wizard from an important family potentially die at their hands¡­ it was bound to bring trouble.

    "Oh¡­" Dumbledore pretended to be thinking about it for a good minute.

    "I believe that I will trust in Mister Potter''s judgment. If he wants to do this¡­ trial bybat, he can do so with my blessing."

    Dumbledore had never personally seen Harry fight with a sword, but if this was the way he had chosen to solve this issue, he would not get in the way.

    After all, Dumbledore was well aware that if Harry wanted to resort to violence, those cuffs they put on him were going to do little to stop him.

    "This is outrageous!" the judge eximed.

    "Yes¡­ let''s get this over with." Harry could not wait to get out of this underground facility. The air was very unpleasant here. Luna definitely made the right call on noting along.

    "So¡­ does he have to fight here, or?..." Daphne asked.

    "Of course not. Trials bybat are a rare urrence, but we have a ce to carry them out." The Commander said before looking at the judge.

    "The only thing left is choosing the champion who will face the wizard¡­. any of my men would be willing t-"

    "No." The judge cut him off abruptly. "I already have something in mind." He moved his eyes to the guards around the room.

    "Find me¡­ Bloodfang!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 305: BloodFang

    Chapter 305: BloodFang

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 305: BloodFang</strong>

    "Wow! They have a coliseum down here?" Daphne stared in awe at the magnificent structure.

    "I''m sure they have much more hidden in these tunnels. I really need to write an article about this," Xeno was taking mental notes.

    "I''m not sure that would be a good idea, my friend¡­" Dumbledore added.

    "What you see here," spoke the General, " Is just a small arena meant for trials. We have a much bigger one for the tournaments."

    "I didn''t expect to have an audience," Dumbledore nced at the goblins sitting around the stone tform.

    There were at least two dozen of them, watching attentively from the stone benches that surrounded the arena.

    The Commander gave the goblins a re of disapproval.

    "This matter should not have reached the ears of the public. But word gets around quickly. I''m sure many are here to see what kind of human dares to challenge a goblin to a martial battle."

    They moved to one side of the arena. Once inside, it was not too different from the one at the Ministry of Magic.

    It was a rectangr stone tform that had been raised a few feet off the ground with one entrance on each side.

    All around it were ces for the audience to watch, as well as some extrarge doors covered with metallic fences situated below them.

    The decorations were undoubtedly superior, and the intricate carvings on the stones were a clear showcase of goblin artisanal skills.

    On the other side of the fighting arena, they spotted the judge, Bluefang. Next to him was arge goblin, fully d in dark metal armor with a helmet thatpletely hid his face.

    "I assume that is my opponent?" Harry asked.

    Commander SilverAxe nodded. "Indeed¡­that is BloodFang," he said with a solemn tone.

    "You seemed very upset when the judge mentioned that name before. Why is that?" Daphne decided to ask.

    "Of course I was. You wouldn''t know about him¡­but Captain BloodFang is one of our best warriors. He has also been the Coliseum Champion for the past five years in a row. There aren''t many who would dare to cross des with him. He is known for his cruelty and incredible thirst for blood. Judge Bluefang has been excessive in his choice of a champion for this trial¡­to fight a human child," he nced at Harry.

    "No offense." He added.

    "Well see about that..." Harry returned the stare.

    BloodFang stepped into the arena tform, and they could now see him much better.

    He was certainly much bigger than the average goblin, almost reaching the height of a human.

    His body was also incredibly thick. His bulging muscles could be seen in between the gaps of his armor.

    He looked very impressive and intimidating as he turned to re at his opponent.

    BloodFang pulled out his sword and pointed it at Harry.

    "The human who wants to die¡­step up here! I don''t have all day!"

    His sword was very crude-looking. It had a single-edged thick de shaped more like a cleaver than a sword.

    On his left arm, he held a circr metallic shield with intricate carvings on it.

    All of his equipment seemed to have been crafted with goblin steel, and all of it was heavily enchanted, as the glowing runes indicated.

    "How scary¡­" Harry said.

    "And am I supposed to face my opponent while still chained and unarmed? Does your champion require a handicap, perhaps?"

    "What did you say?!" BloodFang shouted.

    The Commander gave a sign to one of his men, and this one removed Harry''s restraints.

    "Over there¡­" SilverAxe pointed to one side of the arena.

    "You will find weapons and armor. Take what you need." He didn''t believe this was going to be a long fight, but to send him in unarmed would be a stain on his honor.

    "Then¡­" Harry gave Dumbledore, Daphne, and Xeno a quick look before turning around.

    "I''ll be back in a moment."

    This earned him a few grunts and huffs from the upset goblins who were watching the human group.

    "We''ll be here," said Xeno.

    "Don''t take things too far¡­" Daphne added.

    Most of the goblins in the arena thought that this wizard had lost his sanity for even requesting a trial bybat, and even more so after the fact that he did not try to run away from the challenge after learning who his opponent was.

    Harry ignored the stares and walked to the shelves containing the armament.

    He never had any intention of wearing any goblin armor, even if there was something there that could fit him.

    His eyes moved to the weapons. There was a good variety of them. Short swords, long swords, hammers, axes, spears¡­

    But even he could easily tell that these were just normal weapons, made with regr steel and without a single rune carved into them.

    One could find weapons such as these in any Muggle shop that sold medieval-style des. There was nothing special about them. And the armors were much the same.

    Compared to that, the equipment worn by BloodFang could be considered priceless magical artifacts.

    Harry shrugged and picked up a long sword. These kinds of things did not have much importance to him. It also didn''t really matter what weapon he chose, as none of them would be able to pierce that goblin steel-enchanted armor.

    With his sword in hand, he jumped on top of the rectangr tform, ready to face his opponent.

    BloodFangughed when he saw him like this.

    "Oh, this is going to be quick!"

    Harry''s eyes became sharp for a moment.

    "Yes¡­I think so too."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 306: Cutting Through the Competition

    Chapter 306: Cutting Through the Competition

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 306: Cutting Through the Competition</strong>

    Right after the judge gave the signal to start, Bloodfang jumped into action without hesitation.

    He felt no threat from Harry or the simple steel sword in his hand.

    In only a short moment, he had closed the gap between them.

    "Ghaaaa!" His cleaver descended upon Harry at tremendous speed, aiming at his shoulder.

    Harry used his own de to deflect Bloodfang''s.

    As the two weapons made contact, the de of Harry''s sword was cut at an angle with no effort, leaving only a small piece of it.

    Bloodfangughed and lifted his sword again.

    "I''m finishing this now, boy!"

    As he did this, Harry moved his eyes to the gap in the armor covering his right arm. There was a few inches of space around the joint of his elbow.

    Moving at lightning speed, he drove his broken sword in there, stabbing the goblin''s exposed flesh.

    Bloodfang screamed in agony but did not stop his attack.

    Harry used his other hand to stop the vertical sh by grasping onto the goblin''s gauntlet.

    Bloodfang gasped in shock when he saw this. By all means, he should be heavier and stronger than this human boy. This made no sense to him. He felt like he was having a terrible nightmare.

    "This can''t be¡­"

    Harry moved his fingers to get a good hold on his opponent''s de before lifting his left leg and sending a powerful kick.

    Bloodfang raised his shield and blocked it, but the impact was enough to make him release his weapon before being sent flying backward.

    He only managed to stop himself at the border of the arena, and he hurried to stand back up and stare at Harry, who was now holding his own weapon in a menacing manner.

    "This has to be a dream¡­" Bloodfang said. Humans were not suposed to be like this.

    The goblins watching were also thinking the same. They could not believe what they were seeing.

    Bloodfang grunted in pain as he removed the broken sword from his elbow.

    "Arggg¡­" His eyes became bloodshot.

    "You damn human, I will kill you for this!" His hatred rose to the point of losing his self-control.

    He was about to run at Harry but quickly realized there was no need for that¡­as this one was already doing that by himself.

    "Fast¡­" Bloodfang muttered. He could barely follow Harry''s movements as he approached.

    Before he could formte any sort of n, Harry was already next to him.

    Letting his instincts take over, Bloodfang raised his shield to block the attack. He knew how dangerous that de was, but his shield was made of the same material, so it stood to reason that it should be able to resist its assault.

    Even with his quick reaction, Bloodfang was barely able to lift his shield in time to intercept the horizontal swing from Harry.

    He heard a loud nking noise as the metals collided, followed by a sharp pain in his left arm.

    When he looked down, he understood why¡­his shield had been cut in half, and so had his arm.

    The goblin had never suffered any serious wounds during his entire career as a fighter and a soldier.

    "Ahhh! Nooo!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. His will to fight had been instantly shattered.

    Bloodfang''s eyes moved to the front, trying to find Harry, but the human had already vanished from sight.

    He then heard Bluefang shouting.

    "Stop! It''s already ov¡ª"

    Bloodfang felt something hitting the back of his head, and then¡­nothing.

    Harry released the grip on the de and let it fall, along with Bloodfang, who had the de stuck on top of his head.

    He didn''t want to drag the fight more than necessary, so after disarming his opponent, Harry moved behind him and gave the goblin a lethal blow.

    The audience was not happy with him.

    "Impossible!"

    "That boy killed Bloodfang?!"

    "He¡­he must be using magic!"

    "Yeah, he must have done something strange!"

    The audience was both angry and unconvinced about his performance.

    "Silence!" The Commander shouted with authority.

    "You shan''t say a single word about what happened here today¡­"

    The Commander''s eyes locked onto Harry.

    "The wizard fought ording to our rules¡­"

    "So¡­I''m free to go then?" Harry nced at the judge.

    Bluefang appeared to be extremely enraged and did not take his eyes off Harry.

    "Mmm¡­and I don''t have to pay anything, right?" Harry decided to add.

    The Judge red at Harry for a good minute, then...

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "I can''t believe he shouted at me like that. Just because I won the fight¡­what a sore loser." Harry huffed as they walked out of Gringotts.

    "I''m fairly sure that Bloodfang and the Judge were rted," Daphnemented.

    "Well, what was I supposed to do¡­it was a fight to the death," Harry said defensively. He did what he had to do.

    "I''m not sure that was the case," Dumbledore joined in the conversation.

    "That goblin judge never mentioned that you must continue to fight until someone dies."

    "Now that you mention it¡­" It was true that the goblin only said there was a risk of death.

    "I believe he was about to stop the fight before you¡­" Daphne made a motion with her hand.

    "But look at the bright side, the goblins would have been a lot angrier if they found out that you cheated." Dumbledore gave Harry a knowing look.

    "Cheated?" Xenos asked.

    "What do you mean?, Harry fought with a sword like they wanted." Daphne did not understand it either.

    "He did fight with a sword...but as for not doing any magic..." Dumbledore started.

    "You used magic?" Daphne had not noticed this at all.

    "They only said that I couldn''t use my wand. They never said anything about wandless magic." Harry stated.

    "It was implied, and you know it..." Dumbledore gave him a look of disapproval. He knew that Harry could have won without breaking any rule, but decided to do it anyway.

    "What did you do?" Daphne was just curious at this point.

    "I used a bit of wandless magic to make the sword cut a bit better. Also, I used some enhancement charms on my legs..." Harry admitted.

    "You are lucky the goblins have a poor understanding of wandless magic so they could not pick on that. But they definitely know you did something, but otherwise, that goblin steel sword should not have been able to cut through the shield in such a way." Dumbledore exined.

    "I wanted to finish it faster, okay?. Let''s keep this among ourselves...the goblins are angry enough with me."

    "Angry?, they were talking about banning you from Gringotts as we were leaving..." Daphne said.

    "What''s done is done¡­" Harry shrugged.

    "And it was much better than my alternative n anyway."

    "You had another idea? What was it?" Daphne asked.

    "Ah¡­well¡­" Harry scratched his head.

    "I think I better not say¡­ that could have ended up in a war¡­"

    "Ehem¡­" Dumbledore cleared his throat. He wanted to change the topic of the conversation, but there was still something he wanted to know.

    "What were you even doing down there? What was so valuable inside that vault that you would even risk starting a war to take it?"

    "That''s¡­" Harry looked around. It waste afternoon, but there were still a lot of people in Diagon Alley.

    "I''ll tell you another day."

    Dumbledore nodded. He could agree that this was hardly a good ce to speak about important matters.

    "Very well, you may tell me tomorrow when youe to my office then."

    "Tomorrow?" Harry appeared to be confused.

    "Have you forgotten?" Dumbledore asked.

    "The Quidditch finals are tomorrow¡­you asked me to get us some seats."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 307: Visiting the Headmaster

    Chapter 307: Visiting the Headmaster

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 307: Visiting the Headmaster</strong>

    The next day, during the early hours of the morning, Harry visited the Headmaster''s office.

    He apparated in the hallway and walked to the gargoyle.

    Harry was waiting for it to request the password and speak some nonsense in return, but to his surprise, the statue moved aside without saying a word and allowed him to pass. When he entered the office, he found the old Headmaster in his usual seat, writing something on a parchment.

    "Your gargoyle is broken," Harry told him.

    "No, it is not," Dumbledore answered without lifting his eyes from the parchment.

    "It didn''t ask me for a password this time."

    Dumbledore stopped writing and ced the quill back on its stand. "I have given you full ess to my office, so the gargoyle has no need for a password."

    "Mmm¡­ you ruined my fun." Harry then heard a loud crying from the other side of the office. "Hello to you too, Fawkes."

    The phoenix made some cheerful noises in response.

    "Wait, so this means I''m a fully-fledged Headmaster now?" Harry asked.

    Dumbledore chuckled. "As far as Hogwarts is concerned, yes. But legally, you are still a normal student. Why? Are you interested in the position?"

    "Not at all¡­ sitting all day in that chair, writing and reading stuff. That''s really not my style," Harry said in a joking manner, though he knew the real reason behind the Headmaster''s actions.

    He was making preparations for the worst-case scenario.

    "With that out of the way¡­ can you tell me now? What were you doing at Gringotts yesterday?" Dumbledore was very curious about what could be so important as to risk turning the goblin nation into enemies.

    "The Fourth Deathly Hallow," Harry answered.

    "There is no such thing," Dumbledore muttered, not entirely sure if Harry was just trying to test him in some way.

    "Hey, you don''t know everything, that''s fine." Until yesterday, he had no idea either.

    "And you found this unheard-of relic in Gringotts?" The Headmaster did not look very convinced yet.

    "Inside the Peverell vault," Harry said.

    "Indeed?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I would love to see it."

    "I thought you would." Harry distanced himself from therge table and moved to a less crowded ce in the office.

    He closed his eyes for a moment and focused.

    "What?!" Dumbledore stood up from his chair and stared in shock at Harry.

    A ck substance seemed to emerge from inside his body and covered himpletely.

    "What is that?" Dumbledore asked.

    The fabric of the robes was fluttering around, despite there being no wind inside the office. It covered Harry''s body from head to toe, and

    Dumbledore could barely see him at all, except for a pair of green eyes, which made the whole look more unsettling.

    "Harry?" Dumbledore called for him with a hint of wariness.

    As he had done with Daphne, Harry removed the hood and revealed his face. This time it was easier, and he was much more aware of what he was doing. He had time for a few hours of practicest night at home.

    "That''s¡­ not what I was expecting." Dumbledore continued to observe the robes with great interest. He wasn''t as knowledgeable as Xenophilius when it came to the Deathly Hallows, but he had seen enough depictions of Death to recognize how much these robes resembled them. "The robes of Death¡­"

    "That''s what Xeno said. What do you think? Still doubtful?" Harry asked.

    "And you found them inside the Peverell vault? How did you¡­ right." Dumbledore was about to ask how Harry managed to open a vault belonging to another house, but now the charges from the goblins made more sense to him.

    The Headmaster sat back down in his chair. "Now that I have it in front of me, I do not doubt the artifact''s authenticity. But your method of acquiring it could have been a bit more discreet¡­"

    "Yes, well¡­ things didn''t go ording to n."

    Dumbledore smiled. "They usually don''t, my boy¡­ So, what does this Fourth Hallow do? The other three all offer powerful abilities. I cannot imagine this one to be any less."

    "Haven''t had much time to test it. But I think I''ve learned about the nature of this artifact and the abilities it offers. It is a bit moreplicated than the other three," Harry exined.

    "Is that so? Care to borate?" the Headmaster asked with interest.

    Harry pointed to a ceramic cup resting on top of the Headmaster''s table. It was the one he used for his morning tea; the elves hadn''t removed it yet.

    "I''ll do a small demonstration¡­ keep your eyes on the cup," Harry said as he focused.

    All of a sudden, a pitch-ck circle appeared next to the cup.

    The circle was just floating in the air, and it was so dark that it almost seemed as if someone had removed a piece of space itself, leaving behind an empty void.

    Dumbledore was already surprised by this, but then¡­ a hand appeared from inside the ck void and took hold of the cup, dragging it inside before disappearing.

    Dumbledore''s eyes moved to Harry, just in time to see him pulling his hand out of a simr ck hole.

    Harry was holding onto his cup.

    "Pretty nifty, huh?" Harry said with a grin before moving closer to the desk and cing the cup back in its original ce.

    The ck circles vanished from existence, and everything returned to how it was before.

    "Space maniption¡­" Dumbledore muttered.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 308: Changes in the Ministry and the Teaching Staff

    Chapter 308: Changes in the Ministry and the Teaching Staff

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 308: Changes in the Ministry and the Teaching Staff</strong>

    "A very rare type of magic¡­" Dumbledore added.

    "What else can you do with it?"

    The robes began to shrink until they disappearedpletely.

    "Come on, I didn''te here to perform tricks for you, Professor." The truth was that he couldn''t really do anything more at the moment. But this was the result of just one night of practice, so it wasn''t too shabby.

    The Headmaster returned to his usual calm demeanor.

    "Right¡­ but we still have some time before the Portkey bes active." He pulled a piece of paper from one of the drawers.

    "There is something I want you to see first."

    "A teacher''s list?" Harry read the headline out loud.

    "Yes, they are the selected teachers for this uing school year. I think you''ll find some of the names¡­ interesting," Dumbledore told him.

    Harry''s face went pale when he saw the name.

    "Wait¡­ Dolores Umbridge as the Defense teacher? Please, tell me this is a joke list or something."

    "No¡­ I''m afraid that is the final list. It has already been approved by the school board," Dumbledore said with a solemn tone.

    "You are aware of what type of person she is¡­ because I told you about it," Harry stated.

    "Even if you didn''t, I would still know very well what kind of person she is."

    "So I take it you didn''t personally choose her for the position. What happened then?" Harry asked.

    "That choice was forced upon me by a neww that allows the Ministry of Magic to influence some decisions for all magical schools located within Britain. The school board also put as much pressure as possible to get the choices they wanted¡­"

    "You are the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot...how can that happen?"

    Dumbledore''s expression became more somber.

    "I no longer hold that position. It was decided by a majority vote to remove me from it and choose someone else instead."

    "What?!" Harry expected some things to change, but this was moving very quickly.

    "I believe¡­ Alecto Carrow has now been given that honor. My influence in the Ministry is very minimal at the moment. I have no doubt that I will also lose my title of Supreme Mugwump of the I.C.W. very soon, as my contacts there have been warning me. It is already fortunate that I managed to hold onto my ce as Headmaster. They will no doubt try to take that away as soon as possible."

    "I wasn''t aware that things were that dire already. Looks like you took a political beating this summer."

    "Many things have happened, yes¡­ the Minister has changed the most. He is now much more aggressive and imposing with his moves. His policies are also much more extreme and openly anti-Muggle. I guess I underestimated what Lord Parkinson was capable of."

    "You don''t really think this is just him making these decisions," Harry stated.

    "No, of course not. These things happening shortly after Voldemort''s return cannot be a coincidence. He must be the one behind many of the changes. No one has seen it yet, but I can feel his influence in the Ministry."

    Harry nced back at the list.

    "So we are going to have that woman as a teacher¡­ you have no idea how insufferable she is going to be."

    He was beginning to contemte the pros and cons of killing her in the first week of school.

    "Indeed¡­ they even forced me to retire Professor Binns."

    "The ghost? You know, that is not a terrible idea anyway. Who is the recement?" He went down the list until he found the name of the new History professor.

    "This can''t be right!"

    "I know what you are going to say. That man is a known follower of the Dark Lord, but he was cleared of all charges after leaving Azkaban."

    "No, this man is more than a Death Eater¡­ he is a dead Death Eater." Harry looked at the name again, in case he made a mistake.

    "What are you¡ª?"

    "I''m saying that Augustus Rookwood is dead. He cannot conceivably be a teacher, unless you are nning on recing one ghost with another."

    "Dead? No¡­ that''s not possible. I have personally seen him speak before the school boardst week," Dumbledore said with absolute certainty.

    Harry informed him about the night he went into his castle.

    "But you never found his body¡­ he could have escaped from whoever attacked his house."

    "I summoned his soul," Harry revealed.

    Dumbledore''s expression changed.

    "You did?" Harry had already told him about his ability to control the Deathly Hallows'' powers, so he was not too surprised to hear this.

    Dumbledore was even a firsthand witness to these abilities when Harry tried to bring the soul of his sister Ariana back. It onlysted for a few minutes, but he would never forget it for as long as he lived.

    ording to what Harry said, he could only maintain the connection for a short period of time because she had been dead for too long, and her spirit was now too disconnected from the mortal realm, making the process more difficult and consuming.

    "So, what did his spirit have to say?" Dumbledore asked with curiosity.

    "Nothing¡­ I could not talk to him at all. His soul had been damaged beyond repair and disappeared shortly after," Harry exined.

    "Are you suggesting what I think you are?" Dumbledore asked.

    "A person dies, their soul is either damaged or destroyed, and then that same person is walking around like nothing had happened¡­" Harry looked at Dumbledore directly.

    "Can you think of any magic that can aplish that feat?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 309: To the Quidditch Finals

    Chapter 309: To the Quidditch Finals

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 309: To the Quidditch Finals</strong>

    "I do¡­" Dumbledore could only think of one possibility.

    Things like Polyjuice Potion were ruled out since they require the target to be alive. Hair from a dead person would be useless.

    Human transfiguration is a more distant posibility , but that one requires great mastery over that type of magic. And it would have no effect on the soul whatsoever.

    As far as he was aware...necromancy was the only thing that could aplish such a feat, and Dumbledore knew well that Voldemort had been delving into that dark path for a very long time.

    "Any spell in particr?" Harry asked, trying to gather more information about necromancy, as his own knowledge in that branch was very limited.

    However, there were no books about it in his family library, and you couldn''t just walk into a bookstore and ask about them since that type of magic was highly illegal.

    ''I''ll have to ask Lord Greengrass about this¡­'' Harry thought.

    "Of course not¡­" Dumbledore denied immediately.

    "I am an advocate for the freedom of knowledge¡­ but some knowledge should remain untouched. That is not a branch of magic that I wish to touch...you won''t find much information about that in Hogwarts either."

    "Sure, but it would be useful to know what he''s doing¡­ this also raises some questions," Harry said.

    If Voldemort could make the dead act like the living¡­

    "Are you suspecting someone in particr?" Dumbledore asked.

    "A few¡­" The only good thing about this was that Harry had a reliable way to check if someone was dead or alive.

    He was unable to interact with the souls of the living, so if he called for someone''s spirit and it answered, that person was dead for sure.

    "Oh, it''s time to go. If we miss the portkey, there will be no more chances," Dumbledore said, pulling an object from his tunic as he moved around the table to the other side.

    "Here, hold on to it."

    Harry gave him a serious re.

    "Is that a dirty sock?..."

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    The crowd was massive. Perhaps even bigger than what he remembered.

    "Our seats are that way," Dumbledore told him.

    Harry nced over at the VIP area.

    "You got a private box?"

    "Of course. I still have some reliable contacts," Dumbledore said with a satisfied grin on his face.

    "Albus?"

    Someone turned around when he heard Dumbledore speak.

    "It really is you! I wasn''t expecting to see you at a Quidditch game of all ces."

    ''He looks very familiar¡­'' Harry thought as he stared at the middle-aged white man with a mustache and a top hat.

    He was sure he had seen him before.

    "Bartemius¡­ I also wasn''t expecting to see you here," Dumbledore responded.

    "Harry, this is Bartemius Crouch, the head of the Department of International Magical Co-operation."

    ''Right¡­'' Harry now recalled him, though he was more familiar with his son.

    ''Would Barty Junior still be alive?'' he wondered.

    "Harry." Dumbledore tapped him on the shoulder.

    Harry realized that Crouch was staring at him.

    "Nice to meet you, sir. I''m Harry Potter."

    "Potter?... Ah, yes. You must be the son of James Potter."

    As Crouch looked at him, Harry got the impression the man didn''t like him for some reason.

    "I heard your father quit the Auror Division¡­ how shameful," Crouch huffed.

    "Bartemius¡­" Dumbledore said in a warning tone.

    "Don''t mind me." Crouch chuckled.

    "I''m just talking¡­ oh," he turned to look at his side.

    "This is my new assistant¡­ Wither¡­ Weatherboy?... Wather?..."

    "Wesley, sir¡­" Percy looked a bit embarrassed and tried to avoid making eye contact with Crouch.

    "Right¡­ that¡­" Crouch nced again at Dumbledore.

    "So you brought a student to watch a game? That''s a bit unusual."

    "Yes, well¡­ Mister Potter here got excellent marksst year. I had some extra seats, so I brought him along as a reward for his outstanding performance," Dumbledore exined, saying the first thing that urred to him.

    "Mmm¡­" Crouch seemed to be losing interest quickly.

    "Anyway¡­ I''ll be visiting the school soon. We need to discuss¡­ you know what¡­" He said thest part almost in a whisper.

    "Of course, visit any time you want, Bartemius."

    The man soon left, with Percy and his house elf following him.

    Harry paid close attention but couldn''t detect any other sources of magic around them.

    ''If his son was hiding, I should have felt something¡­'' This didnt really mean much. He could have been left at home, or maybe he has already escaped...or maybe he is dead.

    "Harry?" Dumbledore called when he saw Harry staring intently at the back of Crouch.

    "Everything okay?"

    "Nothing to worry about for now. So¡­ the Triwizard Tournament?" Harry asked.

    "I didn''t have the chance to tell you yet. But yes¡­ it wasn''t my idea. But Bartemius and a few other influential wizards were very insistent on using Hogwarts as the host location." Dumbledore was especially wary of this tournament after hearing what had happened in Harry''s timeline, of course. But he had been powerless to stop it.

    "This is fine¡­ I don''t want you to stop it¡­ it gives us a good chance¡­" Harry appeared to be considering something.

    "A chance for what?" Dumbledore asked.

    "To put things in our favor. But it''s still too soon to tell¡­" There were still many unknown factors, and Harry didn''t want to rely too heavily on his old knowledge.

    "Harry? Is that Harry?"

    Before they could step onto the stairs leading to their box, they were spotted by someone else.

    "Ginny." Harry nced at the girl. He had only seen her briefly at the beginning of the summer before she went to visit some family members.

    In this short amount of time, she seemed to have grown even more. With every day that passed, she became closer and closer to the Ginny from his memory.

    "Did you get taller?" Harry asked when she was in front of him.

    She offered a sweet grin.

    "You noticed! I actu-"

    "Hey! Are you going to one of the upper boxes?!" Ron almost pushed his sister out of the way to get in front of Harry.

    "Can I go with you?!" he said excitedly.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 310: To The Quidditch Finals Part 2

    Chapter 310: To The Quidditch Finals Part 2

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 310: To The Quidditch Finals Part 2</strong>

    "Whoa! The view here is amazing!" Ron leaned against the railing.

    "These are high-grade view enhancers!" George said as he took hold of one of the devices that had been set up in the Headmaster''s VIP box.

    "I bet we can even see the yers'' nose hairs with these!"

    "Ew¡­ why would you wanna see that?" Ron made a disgusted face.

    "I''m sorry for this, Albus. Just let me know if they''re too much of a bother, and I''ll take them away," Molly Weasley said with embarrassment.

    "Don''t worry about it, Molly. This box is plenty big for everyone," Dumbledore brushed aside her concerns.

    Ron had kept insisting oning to the ''fancy'' seats, so in the end, Dumbledore invited the entire Weasley family to join him and Harry.

    "Still¡­ we already had some seats reserved," Molly said.

    "The Diggorys will enjoy the extra space then," her husband, Arthur, said.

    "Right!" Molly had almost forgotten they were going to share a tent with the Diggory familyter.

    "We should go tell Amos something. He''ll get worried otherwise."

    "I''ll go speak with him; you stay here with the boys," Arthur offered, standing up.

    "Let me see too!" Ron was now trying to push George off the viewing device.

    "Use the other one," his brother replied, pushing him back.

    "It''s not working," Ron huffed.

    "Hold on¡­" George''s tone suddenly changed, and he leaned his face closer to the artifact while pointing it at the audience.

    "I think I saw some Ves¡­"

    "What?! Let me see!" Now Fred was also trying to push him away.

    Molly sighed.

    "Do they always have to be so noisy?"

    She nced toward the other corner, where her daughter was standing next to Harry. They seemed to be engaged in a pleasant conversation.

    "Why can''t Ron be a bit more like Harry? They''re the same age, but one is so mature, while the other one has the manners of a toddler."

    Dumbledore let out a chuckle.

    "All kids mature at different ages. I mean, look at your daughter; she''s younger than everyone else, but she''s always polite and well-behaved."

    "Ginny¡­ yes, in some ways she is like that. But she also has a rebellious side. That girl loves to sneak behind my back to fly that broom of hers¡­ or do who knows what else. I don''t know how to control her anymore¡­"

    "I do believe that''s also very normal for her age," Dumbledore said.

    "I know that too, but she''s going to have a hard time finding a good husband with that wild personality of hers."

    "A bit early for that, don''t you think?" the Headmaster asked.

    "It''s never too early to start looking." Molly''s eyes went to Harry.

    "If only¡­"

    "Sorry I couldn''t send more letters this summer," Ginny was telling Harry,pletely oblivious to her mother''s thoughts on the other side of the room.

    "My parents would only let us use the owls from the next city''s owl office for some reason. They''ve been acting weird all summer."

    "Weird? In what way?" Harry asked.

    Ginny looked displeased just from remembering her summer.

    "We spent the first six weeks locked in our house in Paris."

    It wasn''t really their house, but Lord Greengrass had let the family use a house located near the shop where Arthur was now working.

    "I mean, the house is ten times better than the Burrow, but they wouldn''t let us go into the city at all! I couldn''t even fly my broom because the house was too close to a Muggle neighborhood," Ginnymented.

    "And after that? Did you go back home?"

    "I wish!" She huffed. "We went to Aunt Muriel''s house¡­ I hate that woman. She always forces me to clean and cook and wouldn''t let me have any fun¡­"

    "Sorry to hear that." Harry had a good idea about why Molly and Arthur were acting so paranoid this summer and why they avoided going to the Burrow. As members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore must have kept them informed about the current situation.

    "This is the first time I can have some fun all summer," Ginnyined.

    "And in just a few more days, you''ll be back at Hogwarts," Harry said.

    "Yes!" she eximed with excitement.

    "I never thought I''d be looking forward to going back to school this much¡­ but here we are. I hope my flying skills didn''t get rusty over the summer."

    "I''m sure you''ll be fine," Harry assured her.

    "Are you nning on staying as a Seeker?"

    Ginny shrugged. "For now, at least. There won''t be any openings for the Chaser position until Angelina and Alicia graduate at the end of the uing year."

    Harry could not tell her that the Quidditch House Cup was likely to be canceled this year due to the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

    "Well, I think you did great as a Seeker, so it wouldn''t be a loss to stay as one. But it''s best to do whatever you enjoy the most."

    "Thanks¡­" Ginny smiled at thepliment.

    "Oh! I just realized something. This year I can finally go to Hogsmeade." She said with excitement.

    "It''s not like you didn''t already gost year."

    Ginny chuckled nervously. "About that¡­ don''t tell anyone, please."

    "Of course I won''t. And if anyone is going to find out, it''ll likely be through my sister''s mouth."

    "That''s true¡­" Ginny had to agree with that.

    "Say¡­ Harry. Since this year¡­ you know¡­ would you want to go to Ho¡ª"

    "They''re here!" Ron screamed like a madman.

    "Yes! The game is about to begin!" George shouted.

    "The yers are finally here!" Fred said with joy.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 311: The Quiet Night

    Chapter 311: The Quiet Night

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 311: The Quiet Night</strong>

    The game went exactly as Harry remembered. Irnd won against Bulgaria, but Viktor Krum was the one who ended it by catching the Snitch, after realizing they couldn''t close the point gap.

    It waste at night by the time it was all done, and most attendees retired to their camps.

    Harry and Dumbledore were invited to rest in the Weasley tent since they still had room for a few more people. They epted the offer, even though neither of them was nning on sleeping.

    Harry activated his invisibility and walked outside after everyone fell asleep.

    He immediately found Dumbledore waiting for him.

    "That seems very handy. I didn''t feel your approach at all," the old Headmastermented when he noticed Harry appear at his side.

    "It''s supposed to be as untraceable as the cloak used to be. And no need for enchantments," Harry said.

    "Well, it''s not that surprising, considering its origin," Dumbledore added.

    Harry smiled.

    "During my first year, I tried to sneak around using the cloak, and you found me very easily¡­ I still don''t know how you did it."

    "Did I?..." Dumbledore smiled with amusement. He knew that Harry wasn''t talking about this lifetime but his previous one.

    "I can''t really answer that, but¡­ I''m sure the ''other me'' had a few tricks up his sleeve."

    The Headmaster scanned the area with care.

    There were hundreds of tents covering the surface of the clearing. The light of the full moon and a few torches was enough to see quite far into the distance.

    "You think something is going to happen tonight?"

    "Honestly?... No," Harry simply answered.

    "You don''t?" Dumbledore asked, a bit surprised by his answer. He was about to speak again when Harry continued.

    "But it would be good if it did¡­" Harry had a very stern expression at the moment.

    "How so?" Dumbledore could not think of a single positive thing about having a group of Death Eaters attacking them.

    "The attack happened before his resurrection¡­ before the Dark Lord could reim his empty throne. The ones who did it were likely some drunk idiots who missed the old days. I was just a clueless child back then and didn''t get to see much. So this is mostly spection, but¡­"

    "I understand¡­" Dumbledore then realized.

    "No attack would mean that he is in full control of his forces again."

    It was clear to them that Voldemort still wished to keep his return¡­ silent. He wouldn''t want some of his followers toe here and start terrorizing people in his name.

    "It would also give me a chance to capture a few of his followers and get some details from them. It''s not like I can walk into the Ministry and grab them," Harry said.

    "I hope so¡­" Dumbledore gave him a side nce.

    "Something like that would turn you into an international criminal¡­"

    The two of them continued to wait and observe for the entire night. In the end, the sun began to creep on the horizon¡­ and the quiet night ended without a fuss.

    "What now?" a worried Dumbledore asked.

    "If the enemy doesn''t want to show, we have two choices¡­ we could do something drastic that might force him out, or¡­ we''ll have to discover what he has nned and use it in our favor," Harry concluded.

    The door of the tent opened up. Ginny stepped outside and started looking around until she spotted him, standing a few feet away from the tent.

    "There you are!" she eximed.

    "You really woke up early, huh? Oh, Headmaster, didn''t see you!"

    Dumbledore smiled.

    "Yes, you seemed to be very preupied with finding Mr. Potter," he said with amusement.

    Ginny blushed.

    "Sorry¡­"

    "Don''t be. I believe it''s time I take my leave. There''s still much to prepare before the start of the new school year. Minerva would never forgive me if I ck off."

    "That does sound like Professor McGonagall¡­ Did you sleep well in our tent? You look a bit tired," Ginny noted.

    Neither he nor Harry had slept for a single minute, so it was normal they looked tired. Harry was less noticeable because he had tremendous stamina. A few days without sleep wouldn''t be too detrimental to him, especially if he used magic to diminish the effects.

    "I''m afraid I had too much on my mind to sleep soundly. But regardless, I thank you for the invitation into your family tent, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and looked at Harry again.

    "We can talk again in a few days."

    "Of course." Harry nodded, giving the Headmaster a wave before he disappeared.

    Ginny and Harry stood there for a moment.

    "I didn''t know you were that close to the Headmaster."

    "Yes, we became acquainted a couple of years ago."

    "A couple of years ago¡­" This brought her some memories.

    "He was very curious about the magic I used to destroy the castle grounds," Harry said with a grin.

    Ginny gasped.

    "You mean¡­" This was the year when he fought that giant basilisk.

    "I hope you didn''t get into trouble for that¡­" She never really thought about it. She had been too traumatized by the monster itself.

    But the aftermath of that night had been quite severe. Arge part of the castle was broken by the basilisk as it made its way out, and then Harry had used that fire magic that left a massive burned hole on the ground.

    "Not at all. The Headmaster understood the situation."

    "To be honest, you should have gotten a reward for that¡­ like an Order of Merlin or something. I mean¡­ they gave one to Professor Lockhart¡­" Ginny made an angry expression.

    Harry chuckled.

    "Yes, he loved to remind us of that¡­maybe I should behave more like Lockhart?"

    Ginny''s expression changed.

    "Please no!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 312: And the Fourth Year Begins

    Chapter 312: And the Fourth Year Begins

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 312: And the Fourth Year Begins</strong>

    As soon as Harry crossed the main gates of the castle, he somehow knew that this year was going to be different from the others¡­ there was a tension in the air that he could not describe.

    Hogwarts felt different as if the castle itself knew that some danger was lurking around and was getting ready for battle. The rest of the students around him werepletely oblivious to this fact. They were all cheerful and happy to be back at Hogwarts and see their friends again, like one would expect.

    Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender passed by his side and greeted him. Those three had be inseparable since the first year. And even though she would never admit it, Hermione had changed a lot. She now worried a lot less about books and studies and paid much more attention to her appearance. Not that she stopped studying, but had found a better bnce in her life.

    The boys were definitely starting to notice this. Many of them turned their heads as she passed.

    "Harry,e on¡­ walk faster! I don''t want to miss anything!" Lyra tugged at his robes.

    "It''s the weing feast¡­ It''s always the same thing¡­.what is there to miss? " Harry rolled his eyes.

    "Well, I''m going without you then! "

    Lyra stuck her tongue out and ran ahead to catch up with her friends before they had to take their seats.

    Harry continued to walk at his own leisurely pace. He was in no hurry to begin this year.

    The corridors began to empty as more and more students got ahead of him.

    "What''s with the bitter face? The year has just begun."

    Daphne walked in front of him, blocking his way so he had to stop.

    "What if I told you that I had a vision of the future? And it was not good." Harry said.

    Daphne gave him an inquisitive look, as if trying to figure out if he was serious.

    "I''d tell you to go teach the Divination ss. Apparently, you''re the only one still having visions of the future."

    The problem with Divination had now be public knowledge. After all, they had to give some exnation for the sudden cancetion of Divination sses in all magical schools worldwide. And after the rumors about the state of the Prophecy Hall in the Ministry of Magic started to circte, the disappearance of an entire branch of magic had been a big deal in the news. More so because no one knew how it happened, if it was permanent, or if other branches of magic were also going to start disappearing.

    "I don''t like teaching," Harry retorted.

    "That''s too bad¡­ you''re really good at it."

    "Could you two go flirt somewhere else?!" Tracey bumped their shoulders as she stormed away.

    "Tracey!" Daphne called after her friend.

    "I''ll go alone!" She shouted without stopping.

    "What''s with her?..." Harry raised an eyebrow. Tracey had never liked him, but this was a bit too much. She was usually polite at least.

    "Dont mind her, she is been like this for a while. It''s because of her boyfriend, Zabini¡­ well, I should say ex-boyfriend now," Daphnemented.

    "Zabini broke up with her?" He honestly didn''t even remember they were dating at all.

    "He didn''t just break up¡­ he''s noting back to Hogwarts."

    Harry was surprised to hear this. Despite its ws, Hogwarts was still considered one of the most prestigious magical schools in the world. Unless something very serious happened, a pureblood house like the Zabinis wouldn''t quit the school.

    "Do you know why?" Harry asked.

    Daphne gave him a knowing look.

    "I know what you''re thinking¡­" Harry had told her about Voldemort''s return and everything his father saw that night so she could make an educated guess about Harry''s suspicions.

    "Zabini''s family has always remained neutral, much like mine."

    "You know it well, Daphne. That''s not going to work anymore," Harry told her.

    "So you think that¡­"

    "I just don''t think it''s a coincidence, that''s all."

    Daphne remained silent for a moment, considering the possibility. The pressure on her family had lessened a lot after Lord Malfoy passed away, but she had no doubt that this was going to change soon¡­

    "Right¡­" She''d rather not think about it now. After looking around and not seeing any more students nearby, Daphne pulled something from a hidden pocket.

    It was a small rectangr box that fits in the palm of her hand. She held it up for him to see.

    "My father would rather not ask why you need something like this, but¡­"

    Harry grinned and picked up the tiny box.

    "You''ll know soon enough. I think the surprise will make it better."

    She frowned.

    "I''m not sure I want to be surprised by you¡­that usually involves danger."

    Harry stored the box very carefully so as not to damage the enchantment on it.

    Then, from the other side of the hallway, they heard hurried steps.

    "Hey, you two!"

    They both recognized the badge on the older boy who called them. It was a prefect from Hufflepuff.

    "What are you waiting for? The feast is about to begin." The boy appeared to be in a foul mood already.

    "Sorry, we were just catching up about our summer," Daphne told the boy.

    "Sure¡­e on. Walk ahead of me so you don''t get lost in a broom closet or something."

    "Wh¡ª¡­" Daphne''s face gained a red tint.

    Harry didn''t take it seriously and justughed about it.

    "It''s not funny." She hit his shoulder.

    "I have a reputation to maintain."

    "You mean the whole Ice Queen thing?"

    She hit him again.

    "I meant a reputation as a proper student!"

    "Okay, fine¡­ do you want me to Obliviate that guy?" Harry waved his wand around.

    "You know?..." Daphne had an impassive expression. "It worries me the fact that I don''t know if you are joking or not..."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 313: Introductions and Announcements

    Chapter 313: Introductions and Announcements

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 313: Introductions and Announcements</strong>

    "Wee once more to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore tried to appear as cheerful and energetic as usual, but he felt so tired.

    "I don''t know¡­ he looks off this year," Hermione and her friends were just discussing this.

    "It''s probably just age. I mean¡­ isn''t he like, over a hundred or something?" Lavendermented.

    "He was still very livelyst year. And besides, wizards can easily live over a hundred and be in good shape, right, Harry?" Hermione nced at him.

    He nodded absentmindedly, his attention somewhere else at the moment.

    Harry''s bright green eyes scanned the professors'' area.

    The toad was easy to find. She was standing close to the podium where the Headmaster was still giving his wee speech. She looked about ready to push him out of the way and take his ce for herself.

    Then there was Augustus Rookwood. This one was easy to miss if one wasn''t paying attention. He took his seat between Hagrid and Flitwick.

    The man had a bald head, an unkempt ck beard, and arge scar across his face. He wore very simple ck robes with no decorations on them.

    The scowl on his face could almost put Snape to shame, but this one seemed directed at no one in particr but more like his natural state of mind.

    Other than the scar, there was only one remarkable thing about Rookwood that made him stand up for Harry. It was in his eyes¡­ there was no light in them; they looked like the eyes of a dead fish.

    Harry had never met the man in person and had only seen a single picture of him, but he doubted that was his usual look.

    ''I''ll soon get some answers on that front at least,'' he reminded himself.

    Dumbledore ended his speech and was about to introduce the new professors when the woman behind him decided it was finally time to act.

    "Ahem¡­ if you don''t mind¡­ Headmaster¡­" She sneered when she called him that. "I wish to introduce myself."

    "Right¡­ of course, go ahead, Miss Umbridge." Dumbledore stepped back and allowed the plump woman to step in front of the podium. Her smile was giving him a shiver and he would rather look at anything else.

    She gave the Great Hall a passing nce and smiled with delight and a clear air of superiority.

    "I''m sure most of you still remember me fromst year''s announcement or for my fantastic work at the Ministry of Magic as the right hand of Minister Parkinson. But in case you somehow don''t... my name is Dolores Umbridge, and I will be your new Defense professor this year."

    She received mild apuse after the announcement. She didn''t seem very pleased with that.

    "I expected better¡­ is that all the enthusiasm you have?" A scowl crept behind her false smile.

    This time, most of the students pped. They all knew she was the type to keep insisting until she got what she wanted.

    "A bit better¡­" Umbridge nodded.

    "Now¡­ besides being your new professor, as his loyal right hand, our beloved Minister Parkinson has also decided to entrust me with an extra position."

    The smile returned to her face as she was about to read the next part of her speech.

    "Along with the School Board of Directors, we have decided to bring back an old charge that used to be part of every magical school in Britain back in the day. This is¡­ the High Inquisitor of Education."

    The hall erupted in murmurs.

    "Silence!" She used her wand to amplify her high-pitched voice several times over.

    This was enough to be called a weapon, and all the students cried out in pain while covering their ears.

    "You will remain quiet while a professor is speaking to you." She looked back at the other professors sitting at the table.

    "It seems like you educators have failed to teach you some proper manners¡­ but that will change this year."

    Her eyes moved across the Hall.

    "As High Inquisitor, I will have full authority to create and enforce new rules and regtions, and I have the feeling that I will have to make many changes around here, and I¡ª"

    "Miss Umbridge¡­" Dumbledore tried to get her attention.

    "What?!" She snapped back. There was still one more page left and she hated to be interrupted.

    "We need to get the feast started soon, so¡­"

    Umbridge frowned. "Fine! Since the Headmaster has decided to interrupt me so rudely, I will finish my introduction here. You will learn all the details very soon anyway." She stepped back and walked away with loud steps.

    Dumbledore sighed and got back on the podium.

    "Well¡­ we also have another professor to introduce. Professor Augustus Rookwood will be recing Professor Binns in the subject of History of Magic, now that Professor Binns has ''decided''¡­ to retire."

    He nced towards the dark-robed man.

    "Professor Rookwood, would you like to say a few words to your new students?"

    Rookwood stood up and red at Dumbledore for a few seconds.

    "No," he grunted before sitting back down.

    "Um¡­" Dumbledore wasn''t sure what to say to that.

    "Right¡­ well, let''s give Professor Rookwood a nice wee."

    The students gave a few ps before the Hall fell back into an awkward silence. None of them knew what to think about their new History professor.

    "Now, I know you are all very hungry and wanting to begin the feast, but there is one more very important announcement to make before that. This year, Hogwarts is bringing back another old tradition to these halls¡­ I am honored to inform you all that we will soon be hosting¡­ the Triwizard Tournament!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 314: Death or Alive

    Chapter 314: Death or Alive

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 314: Death or Alive</strong>

    "Triwizard Tournament?" Lyra tilted her head to one side.

    "A tournament? That sounds cool!" Ginny appeared to be excited about it.

    "I think I read about that one¡­" Hermione was trying hard to remember.

    "Wasn''t it banned after some students died?"

    "Wait, seriously?" Lavender asked.

    "The Triwizard Tournament is an old tradition. Apetition between champions from three different schools who will face three difficult tests to determine which one is the best," Dumbledore exined.

    "Three schools?... Does this mean?" Parvati said.

    "Are we getting visitors from other schools?!" Lyra eximed.

    "Boys?!" Lavender perked up.

    The Headmaster waited for a bit before continuing.

    "In one week, we will receive students from two very prestigious schools into our walls¡­ those will be Beauxbatons and Durmstrang!"

    Once thest announcement concluded, the Headmaster finally allowed the feast to begin.

    Most of the students were in great spirits after learning about the tournament and the foreign studentsing to Hogwarts. But even this was not enough to lift the spirits of many students from Hufflepuff.

    It wasn''t until very recently, before the start of the sses, that it was finally revealed in the newspaper.

    The deaths of Amelia Bones and her niece, Susan Bones, were confirmed on the second page of the Daily Prophet.

    The circumstances of their deaths had been skimmed over and were said to have been an unfortunate ident. It did not go into details, other than that it was caused by the partial copse of their family manor.

    Susan had been a very beloved figure in Hufflepuff House, so many of the students were still in shock from her sudden death.

    Harry nced over at the other side of the Great Hall.

    The Slytherin table was also devoid ofughs and smiles, but of course, this was for a different reason. They didn''t care for a dead Hufflepuff.

    Several of their students were missing, much like ise Zabini.

    The older Slytherins knew better about what was going on out there. But even the youngest ones could feel the tension in the air, and that made them very uneasy.

    Most of their parents were now on Voldemort''s side, and those who weren''t would soon have to make a decision, as was the case with Daphne and Tracey.

    A war had already begun, even though most people didn''t know about it yet. The members of that house were the closest ones to people who knew what was truly going on behind the scenes.

    Harry''s eyesnded on an empty chair next to Daphne, serving as a reminder of something he had to do.

    ''I need to tell her about it¡­''

    Daphne had not brought up the matter of Pansy''s absence, but he knew she was very much worried.

    After the day of the Quidditch finals and learning about Rookwood and his conversation with the Headmaster, Harry felt the need to check a few things.

    There was one sure way to find out if someone was alive or dead, and that was to call upon their soul, something that only he could do.

    Calling the name of a living person would have no effect whatsoever, so when he said the name Pansy Parkinson and her spirit manifested in front of him¡­ he learned of her death.

    He wanted to understand more about the circumstances surrounding her demise, but much like what happened with Rookwood, her soul appeared to be extremely damaged and could not remain in the mortal realm long enough to reveal any useful information.

    Harry then repeated the process with her mother¡­ it was the same.

    And then, he tried with Minister Parkinson¡­ the man was dead too.

    Which meant two things. That the person ruling the Ministry of Magic was an impostor and that the one responsible for the death of Lord Rookwood was likely the same one who killed the Parkinson family.

    Or at least they used the same method.

    Lord Greengrass, the Headmaster, and his father James had all mentioned noticing a sudden change of attitude in the Minister.

    ''That must have been at the point when he was killed and reced by something else,'' Harry concluded.

    The only way to know for sure what was happening was to check on him personally. This was unfortunately impossible for the Minister. He was too well protected.

    But if the same thing happened to both of them¡­ Rookwood could have the same answers.

    There was a slim chance that this could be a simple case of an impostor using Polyjuice Potion or some human transfiguration.

    However, the damaged souls told Harry that something much more sinister had befallen those people¡­ especially when Voldemort was involved in this matter.

    ''It would be just like him to find a way to, not only kill, but also destroy the souls of those he hates.''

    "Harry¡­ you have barely touched your te." Lyra leaned closer to him.

    "Are you feeling unwell?"

    Harry looked down at his te. It was true that he had barely touched it. He had too many things in his head at the moment.

    "It''s nothing¡­ I''m just not feeling very hungry."

    His sister stared at him for a moment before shrugging and going back to her meal. After all, she didn''t think it could be something serious.

    Harry had time to take a few bites of his food before the end of the feast.

    The Headmaster ushered them all to their respective housemon rooms, and the prefects made sure they all got there.

    Harry followed along and went to his room, but he had no ns of resting that night.

    "Tempus¡­" It was almost midnight, and his housemates were fast asleep, like the rest of the castle.

    "Time to go."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 315: An Unexpected Outcome

    Chapter 315: An Unexpected Oue

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    ¡°Dialogue¡±

    ¡®Thoughts¡¯

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 315: An Unexpected Oue

    Moving around the castle at night was no issue for Harry. After all, the castle elves, ghosts, and paintings were on his side.

    The only one he had to avoid was that nasty man and his cat.

    ¡°This way, My Lord. It is close to Miss Williams'' cottage.¡± A middle-aged man dressed in elegant clothing from the 1800s pointed to his left from within his painting.

    Harry didn¡¯t know where the dormitory of the new professor was located, so he had to ask for help.

    He thanked the man inside the painting and continued walking.

    After taking two more turns, he arrived in front of a painting depicting a beautifulndscape of a grassy meadow with a wooden cabin on one side. At the front stood a young woman in a yellow tunic.

    ¡°Ah, My Lord. Did youe to visit me thiste at night?¡± she asked in a flirtatious manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that kind of visit, Miss Williams¡­ Is he here?¡± Harry asked.

    She made a face of disgust.

    ¡°Yes¡­ why did they have to put him next to my painting? That man creeps me out!¡± She pointed to her right.

    There was an old wooden door right next to the painting. This corridor only contained two rooms, and if he recalled correctly, the one at the end was used for storage.

    ¡®Hmm¡­ did the Headmaster give him this room on purpose?¡¯ Harry considered it for a moment. This was not a usual area for professors'' offices or bedrooms.

    This part of the castle was very isted and rarely visited.

    ¡®Well¡­ it¡¯s good for me, anyway.¡¯ Harry thought.

    ¡°Thank you, Miss Williams. I¡¯ll talk to the Headmaster about moving you to a different location, perhaps closer to the main hall?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that would be lovely!¡± she answered excitedly.

    ¡°Okay¡­ now¡­¡± Harry activated his invisibility and walked toward the first door.

    He first checked for any extra security the new professor could have added.

    There was nothing.

    ¡®He¡¯s either very confident¡­ or very careless.¡¯

    All Hogwarts'' private bedrooms were well-protected with anti-unlocking charms and more. But none of those worked on him and no additional security has been added.

    With the full authority of a Headmaster, there was no door in this castle that would not open to him.

    He grasped the copper handle and began to twist it very slowly. The door opened with a soft click¡­ and he began to move inside.

    The charm on his shoes prevented any noise from being produced, and his ¡®cloak¡¯ of invisibility protected him from all sorts of detections, but he still moved with a lot of caution.

    The inside of the room was very dark, but the moonlighting from the window on the other side gave him just enough to know where to step next.

    Not much was in this room. Basic furniture, and a small bed next to the only window, which was carelessly wide open.

    The dim light illuminated the surface of the bed¡­

    ¡®Wait¡­ where is he?¡¯ The bed appears to bepletely empty.

    The sheets were still intact, making it obvious that no one had used this bed yet.

    Harry could feel a faint magical presence inside the room, so he looked around.

    ¡°Hmm!¡± His eyes widened, and he had to stop himself from making any noise by covering his mouth.

    Professor Rookwood was standing next to the wardrobe, with his eyes open and not moving an inch. He was looking right at him.

    ¡®Did he see me?!...¡¯ Harry took a few steps to one side, but Rookwood''s eyes remained in the same position.

    ¡®Is he?... He can''t be sleeping like that¡­¡¯ This situation was too strange.

    ¡®No matter¡­ let''s just do what I came to do¡­ I need answers.¡¯ He decided to ignore the bizarre behavior and push forward.

    Harry pointed his wand at the strange man.

    ¡°Imperio.¡±

    As the Forbidden Curse hit Rookwood''s chest, Harry knew something had gone very wrong.

    Normally, when you use this curse, you feel an immediate connection with the other person as you try to get past their defenses.

    This time, he only felt a powerful bacsh that almost made him drop his wand and push him back.

    ¡®What is this?...¡¯

    There was something blocking him from essing his mind. It broke the connection so fast that he didn¡¯t even feel it form.

    ¡®This is not lumency! ¡­ This is more like¡­ uh oh¡­¡¯

    Rookwood''s brown eyes changed color until they becamepletely red and shone with enough intensity to stand out more than anything else inside this dimly lighted bedroom.

    ¡°Who dares?!¡± The still body of the new professor came to life in an instant.

    He pointed his wand directly in front of him.

    ¡°Avada Kedavra.¡± The deadly sh of green light passed a foot away from where Harry was standing.

    ¡®I need to leave¡­¡¯ he decided immediately.

    When he moved his foot slightly, the wooden tile beneath him let out a mild creaking noise. His charm only affected his shoes and not the floor beneath.

    ¡°There!¡± This time, Rookwood used a silent curse for more speed and uracy.

    Harry almost tripped on the bed while trying to avoid what looked like an organ-dissolving curse.

    There was no room to fight here.

    He lifted his wand up and was about to Apparate away when he realized that it would be a mistake.

    Only the Headmaster can Apparate inside the castle. This would put the me directly onto Dumbledore, and the Ministry is only looking for an excuse to expel him from the position.

    With no other choice, Harry got onto the bed, and before Rookwood could fire again¡­ he jumped out of the window.

    Rookwood held his wand firmly and walked to the window. He then poked his head outside and nced down.

    There was nothing to be seen or heard at all. The night waspletely quiet once more.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can only feel faint traces of their magic¡­ not enough to find the source. A skilled one, huh?... Interesting.¡±

    The red light in Rookwood''s eyes disappeared, and they returned to their previous lifeless state.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 316: First Impressions

    Chapter 316: First Impressions

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    ¡°Dialogue¡±

    ¡®Thoughts¡¯

    -Author notes-

    Chapter 316: First Impressions

    The next day, all the students received their schedules.

    ¡°Double Defense Against the Dark Arts first thing in the morning?!¡± Ron made a face of pure disgust.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not double Potions likest year,¡± Seamus reminded him.

    ¡°I mean¡­anything except for that again, but¡­have you seen the new professor? She looks and sounds insufferable,¡± Ron said.

    ¡°Come on, maybe she¡¯s not that bad.¡± Neville decided to say something he was going to regret very soon.

    Harry nced at the schedule for the day. There was indeed a double ss with Umbridge and no History of Magic until the next day.

    ¡®This gives me a good chance¡­¡¯ He thought about going directly to inform Dumbledore of his findings with Rookwood, but he could already imagine how the old Headmaster was going to react. It would be better to first have a good conversation with Umbridge.

    ¡®I just need to secure a private meeting with the toad¡­that shouldn¡¯t be difficult,¡¯ Harry thought as he finished his breakfast.

    Professor Umbridge was already standing at the end of the ssroom when the students began to enter. She waited with an impassive gaze as they took their seats.

    ¡°Ten points from Gryffindor!¡± Umbridge announced.

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Hermione eximed.

    ¡°What did we do already?¡± Ron looked confused.

    ¡°You arrivedte!¡± Umbridge red at them.

    Hermione raised her hand. ¡°Professor¡­there are still two minutes until the-¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Umbridge shouted at her.

    ¡°You have to be here ten minutes before the start of ss in order to prepare. I expect you to be on time next¡­or it will be twenty points then.¡±

    Some of the Slytherin students who shared their ssroom began to chuckle.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Ron pointed at the other half of the ss.

    ¡°They got here at the same time. Why aren¡¯t you taking points from Slytherin too?¡±

    ¡°I do not need to excuse myself to students. But I will make an exception just this time, Mister¡­¡± Umbridge looked directly at Ron with intensity.

    Ron got a bit nervous.

    ¡°W-Weasley¡­¡±

    She scowled.

    ¡°Of course¡­you look like your useless father after all.¡±

    Ron was about to snap, but Neville stopped him.

    ¡°Shhh! Don¡¯t!¡± he warned his friend.

    Umbridge saw this and grinned.

    ¡°For your information, Mister Weasley¡­ the reason I have not punished the Slytherin students is because the dungeons are much further away from this ssroom than the other houses. So I can forgive a few extra minutes.¡±

    Hermione was about to raise her hand to tell the professor that she was wrong about that statement, but Parvati was quick to grab her hand.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    It was easy to tell that this woman was very biased toward the house of the snakes. They already had experience with this, thanks to Professor Snape. Arguing with her would only serve to lose more points for their house.

    ¡°Now¡­if there are no more interruptions, we will begin the ss.¡±

    The students pulled out their Defense books and ced their wands next to them, as they had always done during their previous D.A.D.A sses.

    Umbridge saw this and gestured for them to put the wands away.

    ¡°You can store the wands back in your bags. The book will be enough for this ss.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re not going to practice any magic?¡± Daphne raised her hand and asked.

    Umbridge frowned.

    ¡°There will be no need for any practical use of the wand. The theory will be more than enough to pass your tests.¡±

    Daphne¡¯s eyes widened at hearing this.

    The ss stood in silence as the information began to sink in. It was not just for today. This woman was not nning on teaching them anything practical for the entire year.

    ¡°But what about the O.W.L.s? There¡¯s a practical part to it! How can we pass if we don¡¯t practice?¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t take this without saying something.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. Our beloved Minister Parkinson, along with the Board of Education, and of course¡­me¡­have decided to create a neww that will change the way the O.W.L. exams work. The practical part will be removed, leaving only the theoretical test,¡± Umbridge exined.

    ¡°So you see, there¡¯s no need for the wands. In fact, once thisw passes, we will also remove the practical part from every single ss that still has them, like Charms.¡±

    Umbridge smiled after seeing the horrified expressions on her students¡¯ faces.

    In fact, thews that the Minister had nned for the future, went far beyond that.

    He intended topletely take away the wands of every student until they passed their final exams. And even then, only those that the Ministry of Magic dered as ¡®trustworthy¡¯ would be given the right to use magic.

    In the future, they would be able to control who could even use magic at all. And of course, they would only give this right to those loyal to their cause.

    ¡®No more mudbloods and blood traitors with wands¡­¡¯ Umbridge almost giggled at the mere thought of what the future held.

    ¡°Now¡­if there are no more pointless questions¡­perhaps we can begin this ss.¡±

    A student lifted his hand, and her mood immediately dropped a few notches at noting who this was.

    The student in question was none other than Harry Potter.

    ¡°I do have a pointless question,¡± Harry said with an innocent face.

    Umbridge gritted her teeth. She had not forgotten about him...this was the one she hated the most and the one she was the most wary of. She could not wait for the moment when she could take his wand away.

    ¡°And what is it?!. Be quick about it. ¡± She snapped at Harry.

    ¡°Is it true that you are half-magical toad?¡± Harry asked without skipping a beat.

    The ss stared at him with shocked eyes.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 317: A Private Chat with a Certain Toadâ€¦

    Chapter 317: A Private Chat with a Certain Toad¡­

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 317: A Private Chat with a Certain Toad...</strong>

    "What did you say?! How dare you?!" Umbridge looked about to explode.

    "Did I get it wrong?... Was it one-fourth toad, perhaps?" Harry made a confused expression.

    "Harry, what are you plotting now..." Daphe muttered softly.

    "That''s it!" she shouted. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and two weeks of detention!"

    Harry shrugged.

    "You said we could ask questions."

    "Four weeks!" Umbridge screamed.

    "Harry¡­what are you doing?" Hermione whispered to him.

    The rest of the ss also wore expressions of bafflement.

    Umbridge pointed her finger at him.

    "This afternoon, after sses, you areing to my office. And you better not bete!"

    "Of course, Professor. I wouldn''t dream of it," Harry replied with a kind smile.

    He knew this was going to be easy, at least. Now he just needed to wait¡­

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    As requested, Harry finished his sses without causing any more trouble and walked to the Inquisitor''s office.

    Umbridge was waiting for him at the door with an upset expression. She was too angry with him to use her usual fake smile.

    "I didn''t expect you to actually appear¡­" She was getting ready to go talk to his Head of House and present a formalint.

    "You may not know, but I am quite the exemry student around here," Harry said as he pointed at the door behind her.

    "Shall we?"

    Umbridge had her wand ready in her left hand, just in case. Despite her hatred for Harry Potter, she was very wary of him.

    How could she not be, after what she saw him do the previous year?

    She opened the door and urged him inside, not taking her eyes off him for a moment.

    "Leave your wand on my desk¡­you won''t need it for this detention, and then sit down in that chair." She pointed to a small table in front of her desk that had a single piece of parchment resting on top.

    Harry did as she said, cing his wand on her desk before taking a seat in front of the small table.

    This calmed her down a bit and gave her more confidence now that she was the only one armed.

    Students like Harry Potter were the main motivators forws that restricted the use of wands to only trustworthy individuals.

    Umbridge closed the door and added a silencing charm. It was going to be needed for what she had nned.

    "Mister Potter¡­" She walked to her desk and grabbed Harry''s wand.

    "Today, you are going to learn to respect your superiors¡­I want you t¡ª"

    Harry turned to look at her. His wand appeared from its holster and was pointed at Umbridge.

    The woman waspletely caught off guard when her wand was sent flying with a silent Disarming Charm.

    She quickly grabbed the wand she had taken from her desk and aimed it at him.

    "Crucio!" But nothing happened.

    Harry ignored her confusion and followed up with a restraining spell.

    "Incarcerous."

    White chains wrapped tightly around her body, making her let out a painful grunt.

    "How?...the wand¡­"

    "My wand is right here." Harry showed it to her.

    "What you''re holding is just a wooden replica I conjured¡­you''re way too naive, Professor. You didn''t even check if it was real or if I had other fi on me. " Harry turned to examine the room.

    "Potter! You can''t do this! Let me go!" Umbridge screamed.

    Harry continued to ignore herints and performed a few tests. He wanted to make sure there was nothing that could disrupt him, but other than the silencing charm Umbridge had used, the office was clean.

    "Release me this instant! This is a very serious crime, Potter! You''re going to Azkaban for this!"

    "That''s a bit harsh, Professor. You''re the one who used an Unforgivable Curse on me¡­"

    "That was¡­I have the right to¡ª"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t judge you for that. The Unforgivable Curses can be useful sometimes. Although my favorite is a different one¡­" Harry pointed his wand at her face.

    "W-wait!" Umbridge recalled the coldness Harry had shown when he killed all those people at the Ministry.

    "Don''t kill me, please!"

    "Kill you already?...No, it''s too soon for that¡­Imperio." A sh of light came out of his wand and hit Umbridge directly.

    She seemed to enter a trance, her eyes bing zed over.

    "Umbridge, I''m going to ask you a few things, and you will tell me the truth¡­is that clear?" Harry said.

    "Of course!" She smiled at him like he was her best friend.

    "Wow¡­she has like no mental protections at all¡­" Harry wondered how someone like her could hold such high positions in the Ministry.

    "Anyway¡­where do we start?" Harry considered for a moment.

    "What is your real objective here at Hogwarts?"

    "I have several, but the most important ones are to keep an eye on Albus Dumbledore and to make sure that Neville Longbottom participates in the Triwizard Tournament."

    "Neville?...Did Minister Parkinson order you that?"

    She shook her head.

    "No¡­this came from the Dark Lord himself! He said that my job is crucial and that I will be rewarded properly." Her eyes were filled with admiration.

    "The Dark Lord, you say¡­"

    Harry flicked his wand, removing the white chains. There was no more need for them, as the woman waspletely under his control.

    "Show me your right forearm¡­"

    "Right away¡­" She lifted the sleeve of her right arm, and Harry could clearly see the familiar ck tattoo depicting the snake and skull.

    "You are a Death Eater."

    "My Lord granted me that honor very recently." That was not a question, but she seemed very eager and happy to talk about it.

    "Do you know where the Dark Lord is?" Harry decided to ask, even though there was little chance.

    "No¡­the Dark Lord has only visited the Ministry twice to share some of his ns with us, but he never told me where he was staying¡­I need to work harder to earn his trust!"

    "Figures¡­how does hemunicate with you?"

    "I''ve been told to listen to what Mister Rookwood says. He will deliver any new orders to me."

    "Rookwood¡­what do you know about him?"

    "I knew him a bit before he was sent to Azkaban. He has been a very loyal follower of our Dark Lord. That''s why he was released from prison, so he could continue to serve."

    "That''s it?...Do you know nothing about his death?"

    Umbridge looked genuinely confused at this question.

    "But he''s not dead¡­I don''t¡­I don''t know¡­"

    "Looks like you really don''t know what he is¡­Did you not notice any change in his personality?"

    "Personality?...He seems quieter than the Lord Rookwood I remember¡­We never really spoke much."

    "Mmm¡­" It wasn''t much, but at least he had a clue of what Voldemort was nning for Hogwarts at the moment. He was trying to get rid of Neville and Dumbledore¡­

    His eyes went back to Umbridge.

    "Tell me more about your n¡­how do you intend to force Neville Longbottom to participate in the tournament?. I want to know all the details..." Harry was thinking that he could make a few changes.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 318: A Shocking Revelation

    Chapter 318: A Shocking Revtion

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 318: A Shocking Revtion</strong>

    A loud knock was heard all of a sudden.

    It surprised the two other upants of the room, as they weren''t expecting any more visitors.

    But the Headmaster knew exactly who it was.

    "Come in," he said.

    "Mister Potter?" Professor McGonagall looked at Harry with wide eyes. It was very unusual for a student to visit the Headmaster directly.

    If a professor had any issue with a student, they would first have to go through the Head of House, and she certainly hadn''t received any messages concerning Harry Potter.

    "Potter¡­" Snape narrowed his eyes. The mere sight of this boy already soured his mood, and this year had been bad enough on the first day.

    "Oops¡­should Ieter?" Harry asked the Headmaster.

    Dumbledore stared at him for a moment. He knew that Harry wouldn''t appear unannounced unless he had a good reason.

    "No¡­we were already done with this meeting, just wait a bit."

    "Albus, we were not done. That woman is talking about re-implementing a lot of medieval rules in our school, like physical punishments!. We have to do something!" McGonagall eximed.

    "I''ll see what I can do, Minerva¡­but for the moment, just try to keep your head down and don''t give her any excuses to make trouble for you." Dumbledore knew this wouldn''t satisfy the other professor, but for now, it would have to do.

    McGonagall was still notpletely aware of how tied his hands were already.

    There was nothing he could do¡­at least not legally.

    "Fine¡­let''s leave it here¡­for now." McGonagall stood up and prepared to leave.

    Harry was waiting near the door and noticed the inquisitive look on his Head of House''s face as she passed by.

    "Then¡­I presume my presence is no longer needed either." Snape stood up from his chair.

    Harry closed the door.

    "No, I want you to stay. We may need your assistance in this."

    "Excuse me?..." Snape stared at Harry in disbelief.

    "Are you giving me orders, you arrogant boy?!"

    "Severus, calm down¡­I''m sure Harry was merely making a polite request." Dumbledore tried to cate the professor.

    Harry took the seat that had been left vacant by Professor McGonagall.

    "You might want to sit down for this."

    Snape frowned. He had been trying very hard not to snap at Harry, just because he didn''t want to ruin his rtionship with Lily, now that they were talking again.

    The best way he found to aplish this was topletely ignore Harry...or at least as much as he could, given that he was a professor. But the boy wasn''t making it easy.

    "You!...."

    "Voldemort is inside Hogwarts," Harry stated.

    Dumbledore almost fell to the ground and had to grab his desk for support.

    "I told you to sit down," Harry added.

    "Are you crazy?! Don''t say that name! Is this your idea of a prank?" Snape finally lost his calm.

    "And Umbridge is a Death Eater," Harry added.

    "What?!" Snape shouted.

    "Maybe I should have opened with that¡­" Harry pondered.

    "Harry¡­how can this be? Please, exin it a bit better¡­" Dumbledore managed to sit back down.

    "Headmaster, you can''t be taking him seriously, right? The boy is obviously making things up. His father was known for his ridiculous pranks." Snape tried to make him see reason.

    "Severus, I understand your point of view, but¡­I assure you that Harry''s information is always reliable. More than you can imagine." Dumbledore gave him a knowing look.

    Snape''s eyes widened as he realized something.

    "Don''t tell me it''s him!" He pointed at Harry.

    "This is the mysterious source that you always refuse to reveal during the Order meetings?!"

    "Mysterious source?" Harry tilted his head.

    "Yes, Severus¡­there is more to Harry Potter than I could exin at the moment. I never revealed this to you because I knew how you would react¡­I would appreciate it if you kept this information to yourself." Dumbledore told him.

    Snape was staring at Harry now. He could never have imagined that the mysterious informant who had been helping the Order of the Phoenix was none other than James Potter''s son.

    "You¡­" Snape muttered. "I knew there was something strange about you. Who are you really?!" Snape demanded to know.

    "Now is really not the time for that¡­" Harry said.

    "He is correct, Severus. Harry¡­tell me¡­when did you see him? Tell us all the details." Dumbledore leaned forward on his desk.

    "Here''s the thing¡­he''s not here in person. I believe he is controlling some sort of magical construct," Harry rified.

    "A construct? You mean like a golem?" Dumbledore asked.

    "Something like that¡­remember when I told you that Rookwood was dead? Well, I was right¡­he is definitely dead," Harry said.

    "Dead? What is he talking about?" Snape had never heard about this.

    Dumbledore, however, had an idea of what Harry was implying.

    "You don''t mean that¡­"

    "Yes¡­if you remove the soul from a person, you are left with something that is neitherpletely alive nor dead¡­a vessel to be filled by something else," Harry exined.

    "Right¡­that could be possible¡­" Dumbledore began to consider this possibility.

    "You believe he put a fragment of himself in that vessel?" That would create something akin to a living Horcrux.

    "No." Harry immediately dismissed that possibility.

    He didn''t think Voldemort would have recalled all of his soul pieces just to fragment his soul again and put them in living vessels.

    That would make him even more vulnerable than before.

    "I think he found a way to create a connection with the construct. I just don''t know if he is directly controlling it or merely giving it orders like I would with one of my golems," Harry said.

    "Mmm¡­regardless of that, we cannot have something so dangerous inside the school," Dumbledore said.

    Snape was feeling a bit lost, but from what he understood, he had to agree with the Headmaster. Anything connected with the Dark Lord should be immediately removed from the school premises.

    "Let''s not be so hasty. I don''t think that puppet is an immediate danger to the students," Harry said.

    "How can you be so sure?"

    "That''s why I had to speak with Umbridge beforeing here¡­I couldn''t get any information from the construct¡­but I did get some interesting things from the toad¡­.Let me tell you about it."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 319: Madam Umbridge Objective

    Chapter 319: Madam Umbridge Objective

    <strong>Disimer:</strong><em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "<em>Dialogue</em>"

    ''<em>Thoughts</em>''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 319: Madam Umbridge Objective</strong>

    "Toad?...oh¡­I think I see it now," Dumbledore seemed to realize.

    "You spoke with that woman?" Snape looked a bit dubious.

    "I have to assume that she didn''t willingly share any important information with you; that woman hates you," Dumbledore stated.

    "The feeling is mutual, yes," Harry nodded.

    "And I suppose it would be better not to ask about the specifics of how you obtained that information, yes?"

    "That would be for the best, I agree," Harry answered.

    "Why?..." Snape asked.

    "You don''t want to get involved in this one, trust me," Harry told him.

    "Is she still alive, at least?" Dumbledore inquired.

    "Alive, well, and won''t remember a thing," Harry said.

    "That''s good enough, I suppose," Dumbledore decided.

    "Good enough?!" Snape could not believe what he was hearing.

    "Now¡­what did you find out?" The Headmaster leaned forward on the desk.

    "She revealed to me the details about her mission here at Hogwarts. Other than serving as a spy for the Death Eaters, her most important role is to make sure Neville''s namees out of the Goblet of Fire."

    "How do you even know about the Goblet?!" Snape pointed his finger at Harry. They hadn''t revealed the Goblet yet or exined how the selection process was going to be.

    "That can''t be¡­is this the same?" Dumbledore looked somewhat shocked.

    He had considered many possible oues for this year, given the information he received from Harry about his own timeline. This could have been one of the possibilities, but it no longer made sense in the current circumstances.

    "Why would he be after Neville? The prophecy is no longer valid." And he had no doubt that Voldemort was well aware of this fact.

    "I also thought it was strange. But if you think about it from his point of view, you will see that this is more than just about the prophecy," Harry said.

    "It''s about pride¡­" Snape understood it well. He had known the Dark Lord for many years, and he had never seen someone with a bigger ego than him.

    "Even my little sister knows the story about how the ''Boy Who Lived'' defeated him when he was a mere baby and sent him fleeing to another country, where he had remained licking the wounds of his humiliating loss until now¡­" Harry said.

    "He wants revenge," Dumbledore muttered. "But he''s just a boy¡­"

    "I think he wants to put on a spectacle and kill Neville in a very public way, to show the world that he will not be defeated by some miracle again. He wants people to lose any remaining hope¡­" Harry was very familiar with that scenario.

    "Still¡­he doesn''t need to put him in the tournament for that," Dumbledore still had doubts about this n of his.

    Harry shrugged. "Who knows what goes on in that psycho''s mind¡­maybe he wants to present Neville as apetent wizard before crushing him."

    "It could be about the rumors¡­" Snape muttered.

    "What rumors?" Dumbledore asked.

    "Since the first year, there have been a lot of rumors circting about Longbottom''s hidden potential¡­and about his secret feats of magic," Snape answered.

    "I''m sure Lavender started at least half of those," Harrymented. Of course, he was familiar with the rumors that had been going around the school for four years already. It would be impossible not to be.

    "You think he put Neville in the tournament to see if those rumors had any weight?" Dumbledore said.

    "I only know that the Dark Lord is a very cautious man¡­and after all these years in hiding, I can only imagine how much worse it got," Snape added.

    "Very well¡­regardless of his motivations, we now know what he is nning and can do something about it. The question is how to stop it," Dumbledore looked at them for ideas.

    "That should not be too difficult. You were already nning on adding several protections to the Goblet of Fire. We can think of a few ways that would make it impossible for Longbottom''s name toe out of there," Snape seemed to be in deep contemtion.

    "Stop it? Are you two mad? Why would we do that?" Harry eximed.

    "Harry?" Dumbledore nced at him.

    "Think about it¡­even if we ruin his ns, do you assume he will just give up? No, he wille up with a different way to get what he wants, and maybe next time we won''t find out what it is until it''s toote¡­now we have an opportunity," Harry exined.

    "An opportunity¡­but¡­" Dumbledore repeated.

    "Are you trying to get Longbottom killed? You have no idea how dangerous this tournament is." Snape felt a bit conflicted. A part of him would certainly enjoy seeing that annoying brat getting a bit roasted by a dragon.

    "We are not going to put Neville in the tournament. I will be the one participating in the tests. We just have to make everyone believe it''s actually him."

    "You?" Snape got up from his seat.

    "Mmm¡­that would not be as simple. If Neville''s namees out of the Goblet, he will be bound by a magical contract. You won''t be able to take his ce in the tests," Dumbledore pointed out.

    "I am well aware of how the Goblet of Fire works, but I have an idea for this¡­an idea that would require the cooperation of both of you¡­and Neville himself."

    Dumbledore nced at Snape.

    "That''s why you asked him to stay¡­you had something nned from the beginning. Let''s hear it then."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 320: Rules and Regulations

    Chapter 320: Rules and Regtions

    <strong>Disimer:</strong><em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "<em>Dialogue</em>"

    ''<em>Thoughts</em>''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 320: Rules and Regtions</strong>

    "No, a bit more to the right¡­" Umbridge woke up the next day in a very bad mood. And she couldn''t even tell why.

    The events from the previous day were somewhat fuzzy.

    ''Did I eat too many rum choctesst night?...'' This was not the first time it happened, but it was certainly not amon urrence.

    She was so angry that she decided to begin applying her first new rules today, instead of letting the students have a bit more time.

    "I said to the right!" She just realized that the janitor was moving the que the wrong way.

    "Ugh¡­," the man grumbled from hisdder and moved the other way.

    "There! Hang it there." Umbridge instructed, and Filch began to use a hammer and arge nail to secure the que on the wall.

    This one read: <em>"Educational Decree Number 23: Dolores Jane Umbridge has been appointed to the post of High Inquisitor of Hogwarts."</em>

    Next to this sign were twenty-two others with different texts written on them. Some were rules, while others were mere announcements.

    It was still early in the morning, and the students began to walk by the wall.

    "What is that?"

    "Where did all of those quese from?!"

    This was the main hallway that led to the Great Hall, so everyone who was going to get some breakfast stopped to read the ques.

    Umbridge stood there and watched with amusement at the students'' reactions.

    "Curfew has been changed to seven P.M.? That''s just after dinner!"

    "We can''t wear skirts shorter than the school robes? Who even has something like that?!"

    "No holding hands or any other show of affection inside the school premises?..."

    "Oh¡­she''s begun already," Harry took note of therge number of ques as he made his way to the hall.

    "What''s all of that?" Lyra was at his side and began to read them.

    Her reaction was much like the others. She was outraged.

    "Come here," he took her by the hand and dragged her a bit further away from the crowd.

    "Harry? What are you doing?" Lyra asked but did not try to resist.

    "I need you to listen to something."

    If Lyra was going toin, the thought disappeared when she saw how serious he looked.

    "I know those rules are ridiculous, but you have to obey them for now."

    "What? You can''t be¡ª"

    "You have to trust me on this."

    "Ehmm¡­okay¡­" She could not say no to her brother when he was like this.

    "Do whatever you can to avoid getting in trouble. That woman will take any chance to give you detention; don''t give her the opportunity."

    "The new professor, why would she do that? Harry, what is going on? You''re scaring me," Lyra said.

    "It''s best not to know some things¡­just keep in mind that Umbridge is more dangerous than you think. Make sure to tell this to your friends. If she gives detention to any of you¡­let me know immediately and never stay in a room alone with her. Do you understand?"

    Lyra nodded.

    "I get it¡­even though I don''t understand why¡­"

    Harry was well aware of how selfish this was of him.

    Umbridge was going to do her best to ''discipline'' as many students as she could, and he was not going to stop her because he wanted to keep things as unchanged as possible.

    This was his best advantage at the moment, and he did not want to lose it.

    But if that toad were toy a finger on those he cared about¡­he did not trust himself to stop before ripping her into pieces.

    That would ruin things quite a bit and put everyone in even more danger in the long run.

    He looked back at the toad as she smiled in satisfaction at her creation before he moved his eyes to the wall.

    ''There are still quite a few rules left...I cant believe I have to deal with this and the tournament at the same time...''

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    The rest of the week went in rtive peace.

    This was a much-forced peace, given all the rules that had been newly implemented by Umbridge.

    The first Hogsmeade weekend was still another week away, but at least, it was finally time for the arrival of the two other schools that would participate in the tournament.

    The Great Hall had been expanded with an extra table to amodate all the uing guests.

    At the front of the Hall was a veryrge object that had been covered with a tarp.

    "Tonight is a very special one...tonight we will be receiving students from two foreign schools, who will remain on Hogwarts premises for the remainder of the year," the Headmaster announced.

    "Now¡­I will expect all of you to be on your best behavior and make these students feel very much wee." He made a hand gesture, and the giant double doors on the other side of the hall opened by themselves.

    "Let''s first give our wee to¡­Durmstrang!"

    Arge number of students dressed in ck and red robes made their way in between the tables.

    "They all look¡­upset¡­" Hermione observed.

    "I heard that Durmstrang is in the middle of some frozen tundra¡­. I would be upset too if I had to study in a ce like that," Parvati added.

    "Look! That one in the front is really hot!" Lavender was quick to point out.

    "That''s Viktor Krum!" Ron shouted.

    "Look, George."

    "Yes, Fred?" one twin said to the other.

    "Looks like our brother has finally found love."

    "It does look that way." The twins began tough.

    "Hey, stop it!" Ron pointed his fork at them.

    The group from Durmstrang was around thirty people strong, and most of them were males.

    Their Headmaster stood at the front. He was a tall man with long hair and a beard, who looked around with paranoia.

    Dumbledore greeted them briefly before signaling to the door again.

    "And now¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 321: The French Guests

    Chapter 321: The French Guests

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 321: The French Guests</strong>

    "Beauxbatons!"

    This group received a lot more cheers than the previous one.

    If the Durmstrang students felt very angry and intimidating, these ones were theplete opposite.

    With their tall Headmistress at the head, the group from Beauxbatons made their way to the front of the Hall.

    They were around the same size, some thirty-odd students, and most of them were females.

    "Whoa!" Seamus was practically drooling.

    "I know¡­" Neville agreed.

    "I heard some rumors about Ves going to that school," Georgemented.

    "Well, the tall blonde one next to the Headmistress does have the look¡­" Fred added.

    Dumbledore went to greet the Headmistress from Beauxbatons before introducing them to the audience.

    Olympe Maxime was even taller than Hagrid and certainly had some giant blood in her.

    The paranoid Headmaster from Durmstrang was a man called Igor Karkaroff, a former Death Eater who betrayed his allies to avoid prison.

    Harry was surprised the man even dared to show his face in Ennd at all at this time, given the circumstances.

    Judging by his demeanor, he no doubt knew about Voldemort''s return to the country.

    ''He must have a lot of trust in the security offered by Hogwarts walls¡­ too bad he doesn''t know they''re already inside¡­'' Harry thought.

    While Maxime and Karkaroff took their seats at the professors'' table, most of their students sat down at the newly added table.

    But a few of them were daring enough to approach some of the four house tables.

    Harry spotted the face of an old acquaintance getting close.

    Fleur Dcour looked so much younger and more innocentpared to the one from his memories.

    She stood behind Fred and George, along with two of her friends at her side.

    "Excuse moi¡­ may we sit here?" She pointed at the empty seats next to Fred.

    *A.N. - Let me say something. I know Fleur is supposed to have this heavy French ent, but I don''t know how to convey that in text, other than adding a few French words here and there. So I''m not going to try¡­ imagine she is talking with a French ent :) -

    Fred became frozen like a statue until his twin gave him a smack on the head.

    "Yes?..."

    "Wonderful." Fleur offered him a sweet smile and sat down at his side while her two friends upied the other ces.

    "Your English is really good." Ginny decided to say something after seeing the panicked faces of the twins. They were usually a lot more vocal around girls.

    "Merci, I have practiced all summer." Fleur said.

    "Are you going to join the tournament?" Lyra asked.

    "Oui! I will. This is the reason for my visit." Fleur said with determination in her eyes.

    "She is going to be our champion!" one of her friends said.

    "She is going to win the tournament!" the other one added.

    "Please¡­ behave¡­" Fleur threw them a re of disapproval.

    "Really? You already know who your champion is? We still don''t know ours¡­" Ginny felt like their school was already behind and they haven''t even started yet.

    "We don''t even know how the champions are chosen¡­" Lyra added.

    "With the thing beneath the tarp," Harry told his sister.

    Just then, the tes with food began to appear.

    "Finally!" Ron groaned.

    "The tarp?..." Both Ginny and Lyra nced at the mysterious object. They had all been wondering what it was since they arrived at the hall.

    "Do you know what it is?" Ginny asked.

    Harry gave Fleur a quick nce. There was a smug smile hiding beneath her mask of calmness.

    "You can ask our French guests¡­ they know." Harry began to eat his dinner.

    "You do? Can you tell us?" Ginny turned to them.

    Fleur made a troubled expression.

    "Oh¡­ well, we promised to keep it to ourselves until your Headmaster¡­."

    "We can''t tell you!"

    "Yes, our Headmistress will get angry with us," the two French girls said.

    "Oh¡­" Ginny looked down in disappointment.

    "By the way¡­" Fleur wanted to change the subject to something else. Her eyes wandered around the table.

    "I heard many stories about the Boy Who Lived¡­ and that he was in this house. Is it true?" She finally looked at Neville.

    "Ah¡­." Neville became very nervous. He was not used to talking to girls. Much less one this beautiful.

    Fleur smiled. She was used to this reaction.

    "Me and my sister are great fans of your stories."

    "The stories¡­. yes¡­" Neville felt very awkward. He hated being reminded of those children''s stories. People always made assumptions about him because of them. And then he had to hear how disappointed they were because he was nothing like the character in those books.

    "He doesn''t like those stories, you know?" Hermione decided to jump in the conversation.

    "Oh?... and you are?" Fleur nced in her direction.

    "Hermione Granger¡­" She did not like the way the three French girls were ncing at her.

    "And why would he not like those stories?"

    "Yes, he is a great hero in them," the two French girlsmented.

    "I''m not¡­ I''m not like that¡­" Neville looked down.

    Fleur was measuring him with her eyes.

    "Really?... I figured you would be one of the champions. Who else is more qualified than the Boy Who Lived to represent Hogwarts ?"

    "Those stories are all made up. They never even consulted with Neville before writing them," Ginny said with a frown, despite the fact that she had been one of the many who believed in them.

    "Yeah, but Neville is a great guy though." Seamus jumped to support his friend.

    "Yeah! And very rich!" Ron added.

    "Ron!" Neville eximed.

    "I see¡­ so none of the rumors were true then?" Fleur''s smile seemed to disappear from her face and was reced by one of disappointment.

    "I thought I could measure thepetition a bit¡­ seems like I wasted my time." She stood up from the table.

    "Let''s go, girls." She told her two friends who hurried to follow her.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 322: An Unsettling Meeting

    Chapter 322: An Unsettling Meeting

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 322: An Unsettling Meeting</strong>

    Six dayster

    It was thirty minutes past midnight. The halls of the castle were dimly lit with the help of a few magical torches.

    Everyone was fast asleep by now, or at least almost everyone...a certain woman was in a hurry to arrive at ate meeting.

    The silence was constantly being cut by the incessant noises produced by her new shoes hitting the stone floor.

    Most would find the sound very irritating, but she quite liked it and so she never bothered with any sound-dampening charms.

    All of a sudden, she heard a loud hiss next to her as she was about to take another turn.

    "Ah!" Madame Umbridge jumped one foot in the air and almost lost her bnce from the unexpected noise.

    When she looked down, she found herself staring at an ugly cat with disgustingly dirty hair and a pair of piercing orange eyes.

    "What is this thing doing here?..." Her high-pitched voice resounded all over the ce.

    She then heard hurried steps approaching while the cat stared at her with a pair of disturbingly orange eyes.

    "Oh¡­ Miss Umbridge, it''s you!" The janitor appeared in a rush from around the corner. He was gasping heavily for air after finally catching up to his cat.

    "Mister Filch¡­ of course." Umbridge scowled. She should have remembered that this ugly creature belonged to this ugly man. But perhaps her mind was trying to protect her from such memories after all.

    "Your pet startled me." She gave the man a look of displeasure and waited for his apology.

    "I''m very sorry, Madam Umbridge!" Which he immediately offered.

    "I-I thought Miss Norris had found some students sneaking around at night for¡­you know... they do that very often and t-."

    "I dont want the details!, that is stricly forbidden!. " She screeched.

    "Of course, yes!. I-I will allow such acts in my halls..." Filch said with passion.

    ''These are not you halls...you...dimwit.'' Thats what she wanted to say.

    "Well...going back to the topic. I am obviously not a student." She really disliked this man and had nned to get rid of him as soon as possible. But he just so happened to be useful¡­ for now, at least.

    "So you can go back to patrol ''your'' halls, and do it properly this time."

    "Yes¡­ ehmm¡­" He picked up his cat from the floor.

    "Still...it''s a bitte to be wandering the halls though¡­" He nced at her for a possible exnation.

    Umbridge''s frown deepened. Now she was being questioned by this lowly individual.

    "A woman of my status and caliber has many obligations. Rest can be a luxury sometimes. Now, if you don''t mind, I have some business to attend to."

    "Ah¡­ yes¡­ uhm¡­" He fumbled with the words.

    She did not even let him finish his mumbling before turning around and walking away, leaving the nervous janitor behind.

    She was already anxious, and now she was also furious, thanks to that buffoon.

    ''I''ll get him back for that. Perhaps I''ll make that cat of his... disappear.''

    Umbridge did her best to calm herself before reaching ''that person''s'' room.

    Talking alone with Mister Rookwood always made her feel uneasy, to say the least.

    In public, Rookwood is a quiet man with a personality as interesting as a rock.

    But during the few private conversations they had, he seemed to be apletely different person.

    His eyes turned more lively and his demeanor suddenly switched.

    Umbridge was, of course, very curious about this but she did not dare to ask. She had been told very clearly that, at least for the duration of the mission, Mister Rookwood was going to be acting as her superior.

    She would receive any new instructions directly from him, and any reports would also have to be delivered to Rookwood in person.

    Tonight, she had a very important report¡­

    ''Okay¡­ here we go.'' Umbridge stood before the door until she got up the courage to knock.

    "Enter."

    Just by the tone alone, Umbridge could tell that Rookwood was in his alternate persona.

    She opened the door and went inside. The bedroom had even less light than the corridor, with only a couple of candles doing all the heavy work to light the ce.

    Rookwood was sitting in front of a small circr table that had been set up at the center of the small room.

    An empty chair was on the other side and Rookwood made a gesture for her to sit.

    "Well?... How did it go?" He asked with a tone that gave her goosebumps.

    Her intuition told her that if she were to give this man some bad news¡­ something terrible would happen to her.

    Luckily, that was not the case. Umbridge tried her best to form a smile and pretend to be calm while she sat down.

    "It was aplete sess, Mister Rookwood. I followed all your instructions to the letter."

    "Give me the details." He demanded.

    "Yes¡­ ehm¡­ I took a piece of parchment with Longbottom''s name on it. One that had been written by him, as you instructed."

    He nodded. "Continue."

    "I used the Confundus Charm on the Goblet to make it believe there was a fourth school after bypassing the protections set by the Headmaster."

    "Did you encounter any problems?" He asked.

    "Not at all!" She lied. Umbridge had never been skilled in practical magic and it took her many tries to get the spell right.

    "You will definitely see the boy''s nameing out of the Goblet of Fire tomorrow night."

    Rookwood''s eyes seemed to shine with a red light for a moment.

    "Excellent¡­. If it all goes ording to n, you will be generously rewarded¡­ by our Lord. But do not forget that failure¡­ will not be tolerated." His gaze pierced her.

    Umbridge''s face went a shade paler.

    "Y-Yes! Of course!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 323: The Champions are announced

    Chapter 323: The Champions are announced

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 323: The Champions are announced</strong>

    The next day, at night

    The entire school was in the Great Hall, finishing their dinners and looking towards the front, where the Goblet of Fire had been ced, with great expectations.

    Tonight, the Headmaster was finally going to announce the three participants for the tournament.

    Over thisst week, they had the opportunity to meet the students from the other schools, and it was easy to tell who their champions were going to be.

    From Beauxbatons, Fleur Dcour was the favorite candidate¡­ and the only one. Everyone else appeared to havee here just to support her as champion.

    From Durmstrang, there were a few candidates who put their names in the cup. But everyone was expecting Viktor Krum to be the one chosen. He was, after all, a very famous and popr professional Quidditch yer.

    From Hogwarts, it was less clear. Dozens of seniors had put their names in.

    However, there was one student in the Hall who already knew what the results were going to be.

    Harry stared at the Goblet of Fire with impassivity for a while before looking at Neville, who was peacefully finishing his dinner while talking with Ron and Seamus.

    He felt a bit bad for what was about to happen, but this was the best way. He had no doubt about that.

    If he hadn''t taken charge of the situation, the danger could havee from anywhere at any time.

    It was preferable to have a sword pointed at you in the open than a hundred daggers in the dark.

    "Urgg¡­ I can''t believe it¡­" Hermione groaned.

    Harry nced at her.

    Meanwhile, his housemate was worried about somethingpletely unrted.

    "Cheer up, Herms! That happens to me all the time!" Lavender said.

    "Yeah¡­ honestly, no one will me you. That professor is even worse than the ghost¡­." Parvati made a face of disgust.

    "I never fell asleep in ss before!" Hermione eximed.

    Apparently, the history lessons of Professor Rookwood were even more boring than his predecessor.

    Boring enough to make someone like Hermione Granger fall asleep during his ss.

    Harry didn''t understand all the ins and outs of whatever necromancy Voldemort had used to create that soulless puppet.

    But it appears that as long as the Dark Lord was not directly controlling him, Rookwood would act in sort of ''automatic mode.'' And that made him extremely dull.

    "Look! It''s time!" Lyra pulled on his robes over and over.

    His sister was extremely excited about this tournament.

    "Who do you think Hogwarts'' Champion is going to be?" she asked him.

    "Probably Cedric Diggory." Harry told her.

    "The Hufflepuff?..." Lyra could not imagine a Hufflepuff champion.

    "Cedric?¡­" Ginny poked her head from behind Lyra.

    "Mmm¡­ he is very popr, yes¡­" Of course, she was very familiar with him. Not only was Cedric her rival at Quidditch, but he was also her neighbor.

    "But I still think that Ethan Colten has a better chance to be the Champion."

    "Who?¡­" Harry asked.

    "The Head Boy. Wait, how are you sure that¡­" Lyra then realized something. The reason her brother was so sure must be because the same thing happened in his time.

    With a mischievous smile on her face, Lyra turned around.

    "Say, Ginny¡­ do you wanna make a bet?"

    "A bet? On who bes the Champion?... sure, why not? But what do you want to bet? I don''t have a single nut." Ginny waspletely oblivious to her friend''s machinations.

    Lyra grinned widely. "Don''t worry about it. I don''t want money¡­ what about this?¡­ the loser has to g¡ª ouch!" Lyra felt a hand smacking her head.

    "No bets." Harry told her in a firm tone.

    "But¡­" Lyra pouted.

    "No bets." He insisted.

    Ginny tilted her head in confusion. She had no idea what Lyra had in mind. She would have to ask herter.

    With the dinner finished, it was finally time to make the announcement everyone had been excited about.

    Dumbledore approached the Goblet of Fire and tapped it with his wand.

    The blue mes on the top became much more intense.

    "And now¡­ we will know the names of the Three Triwizard Champions! I will have to ask everyone to remain in silence." He pointed at the artifact.

    "The Goblet of Fire will select a name, and this one wille out from within its mes. Once that person has been chosen, there is no going back, so I hope that everyone who put their names inside thought things through."

    The entirety of the audience remained silent as requested. Their eyes were glued to the goblet¡­ waiting¡­

    Not even a minute had passed when the mes red up, and a piece of scorched paper flew out.

    Dumbledore, who was waiting close by, was the one who caught the paper.

    "Viktor Krum!"

    The students cheered for the Durmstrang champion.

    Viktor stood up from his chair and acknowledged the cheers with a polite gesture.

    Another minute passed, and another paper flew out of the goblet.

    "Fleur Dcour!" the Headmaster dered.

    This surprised no one, but still, Fleur stood up, smiled at the crowd, and gave a curtsey.

    "Merci."

    It was finally time for thest champion¡­

    Another minute, and the paper came out in the same way as the others.

    Dumbledore extended his hand, and the papernded on his palm. He looked at it for a moment and read its contents.

    "Cedric Diggory!"

    Everyone cheered, but no one as loudly as the Hufflepuff table.

    "Hey, you were right, Lyra!" Ginny eximed.

    "Yeah¡­" She pouted, crossed her arms, and gave her brother a re.

    "Hufflepuff!"

    "Cedric!"

    The entire table began to cheer.

    The Hufflepuff house really needed this now. The atmosphere had been very depressing for the past weeks, and this bit of happiness was very wee.

    "Hogwarts!"

    "Cedric!"

    Soon enough, the Gryffindor and Ravenw tables also joined in. After all, this was their champion! And he was going to win...

    or so they thought.

    The Goblet of Fire became active again.

    Its blue mes gained a green hue and began to rise in intensity.

    "What is going on?!"

    "Are there more champions?"

    "I think there is something wrong with the goblet!"

    Umbridge opened her eyes widely. She expected the fourth name toe out like the others, but something was off.

    She was extremely worried now. If something went wrong, she was going to take the me in front of her Lord¡­

    "Stay calm, remain in your seats!" the Headmaster shouted.

    Just when the mes appeared to be losing control¡­ something came out of them with a loud explosion¡­ a piece of paper.

    As the paper descended, the mes on the goblet calmed down until they returned to normal.

    McGonagall and a few other professors stood up from their seats and approached Dumbledore for an exnation.

    They all saw the Headmaster catch the fourth piece of paper¡­ and look at it, before closing his fist around it.

    "Neville Longbottom!" he announced.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 324: The Controversial Fourth Champion

    Chapter 324: The Controversial Fourth Champion

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 324: The Controversial Fourth Champion</strong>

    The Hall becamepletely silent.

    "W-what did he say?¡­" Neville stammered the words.

    "I''m sure he said your name," Seamus told him.

    Ron frowned.

    "You put your name in?!"

    "Neville Longbottom!" Dumbledore repeated.

    "Neville, I think you are supposed to go there with the others," Ginny said.

    "But, I¡­ I didn''t put my name! I swear!" Neville said defensively.

    "Why didn''t you tell me? I would have put my name in too." Ron red at Neville with disgust.

    "Neville Longbottom,e here please." Dumbledore made a hand gesture for him to approach.

    The other champions were already behind the Headmaster and staring at Neville.

    Not being given any other choice, Neville lowered his head and began to walk towards the front while everyone stared at him.

    He heard some of his housemates whispering and calling him a cheater and worse.

    He hadn''t felt like this since his first year. Most seemed to have lost interest in the whole ''Boy Who Lived'' thing after a while. Especially after Draco disappeared.

    Other than hearing ridiculous rumors about him, no one had really bothered him¡­ but now this happens.

    ''Why?¡­'' Neville wondered while he walked.

    "Mister Longbottom¡­ I expected better from you¡­"

    Neville was first weed by a very disappointed Professor McGonagall.

    The Headmaster got in between them and put his hand on Neville''s shoulder.

    "Let us discuss this in a more private setting. Severus, do me a favor and guide the champions to the side chamber. We have to talk..."

    "This way¡­." the Potions Professor told the other champions.

    They all followed him, along with the two foreign Headmasters.

    They went inside arge studio filled with cabs and shelves.

    As the door closed, the Headmistress from Beauxbatons went directly to confront Dumbledore and Neville.

    "What is the meaning of this?! Hogwarts has two champions now?! I demand that you remove one this instant! I don''t care which one."

    "Miss Maxime, I assure you tha¡ª"

    "I agree! I was not expecting this type of machination from you, Albus," Karkaroff joined in.

    Neville kept his head down, not wanting to make these people even angrier.

    "Igor, you know me¡­ Hogwarts has nothing to gain from doing something like this." Dumbledore tried to calm the two.

    Madam Maxime''s eyes moved to Neville.

    "If this is not something you nned¡­ then this boy cheated all by himself. Is that what you are saying?"

    "I did not put my name in the goblet¡­." Neville muttered.

    "Hmph, like we are going to believe that. I just don''t know how you got past the protections¡­" Karkaroff grunted.

    "How did you do it, boy?" He got a bit closer, and Neville was more scared now.

    Snape stopped the other Headmaster.

    "Igor, you are in no position to go using people of transgressions¡­ or have you forgotten your past?"

    "Severus¡­ how dare you say that to me?!. Who do you think you are?." Karkaroff frowned.

    "Okay, that''s enough!" Dumbledore got serious. The intensity of his magic ring was sufficient for them to take a step back.

    "What is done is done¡­. you know as well as I do that once the namees out, the magical contract is formed. And there is no going back. Neville Longbottom will participate in the tournament."

    Before they could open their mouths again, Dumbledore added something else.

    "However, Hogwarts will only have one champion, and that is Cedric Diggory, since he was chosen first. In the case of Mister Longbottom winning the tournament¡­ it would be treated as an independent side, and Hogwarts would take no credit for it. Is that eptable?" He nced at Neville and Cedric.

    Cedric shrugged.

    "Sure, as long as everyone knows I''m the real champion."

    Neville nodded.

    "I don''t mind¡­" He knew he wasn''t going to win anyway. He just wanted people to stop being mad at him.

    "Ha! Like that little boy is going to win." Fleur stepped forward and stood next to her Headmistress.

    "It''s fine, Headmistress¡­ let Hogwarts do what they want. I will be the winner in the end."

    Maxime smiled.

    "So much fire, that''s my girl! ¡­ very well, Albus. I''llin no more about this matter¡­ but I want you to know that I am very disappointed in you."

    Viktor Krum moved next.

    "It is alright, Headmaster. I always wee thepetition¡­" He red at Fleur.

    "And the final champion will be me."

    Karkaroff chuckled.

    "Right!" He looked at Dumbledore.

    "Fine! Let Hogwarts have two champions, there will be more to crush!"

    Dumbledore shook his head. They weren''t even listening to him after all.

    "Very well¡­ then I will just say, congrattions to all the champions. You can go back to the Great Hall and celebrate with all your friends. I have convinced Madam Umbridge to allow a ten P.M. curfew, just for tonight."

    The foreign champions began to leave the room, while McGonagall apanied Cedric.

    Neville was about to follow them when he was stopped by Dumbledore.

    "Not you, Mister Longbottom¡­ I''m afraid we still have more to discuss. We can continue in my office."

    "Am I in trouble?¡­" Neville asked with a trembling voice.

    "My grandma will kill me if I get expelled¡­"

    Snape could not help but scowl. ''The Dark Lord is wary of this boy¡­'' The Potion Master reminded himself of that fact.

    "No, you are not in trouble, Neville¡­ I just want to talk about a few things rted to what happened tonight. I promise to be as brief as possible so you can return to your friends," Dumbledore said.

    Neville flinched.

    "That''s okay¡­ I''m in no hurry to get back there¡­ they probably hate me now¡­ they think I''m a cheater."

    Dumbledore sighed. He detested that they had to do this.

    He looked at Snape, and even the Potions Professor looked a bit troubled.

    "Go call for ''him''¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 325: The Switch

    Chapter 325: The Switch

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 325: The Switch</strong>

    The gargoyle mechanism activated as soon as Harry and Snape got close to the entrance.

    "How strange¡­ it did not ask for the password." Snape stopped in his tracks and stared at the moving stairs.

    "It must be broken," Harry told him.

    Snape''s eyebrows twitched a few times.

    "Potter, I know you are hiding something¡­ I won''t ask about it, but don''t take me for a fool!"

    Harry nced at him with a serene expression. "I am hiding many things. You may learn some of them soon while others¡­ you will never get to know. And I will only take you for a fool when you do something foolish."

    "Potter!" Snape stood in front of him with clenched teeth.

    "You will show me the proper respect."

    Harry returned his aggressive re with a face that didn''t give anything away.

    "Is that an attempt to intimidate me? Because you have no idea how funny that is to me."

    Before Snape could begin yelling, Harry spoke again.

    "But, I believe the Headmaster is waiting for us to arrive at his office. Unless you want to keep him waiting?"

    Snape muttered a few curses under his breath before going up the stairs.

    When they walked inside, they found Neville discussing something with the Headmaster.

    "A magical contract?" the boy asked.

    "That is correct. Every Tournament Champion is tied to the Goblet of Fire by a magical contract until the tournament is concluded. Breaking such a contract would have terrible consequences, but¡­" His clear blue eyes moved to the new arrivals.

    "I don''t think you need to be concerned about that."

    "How can I not? I¡ª" It was then that Neville realized there were two more people in the office now.

    "Harry¡­ what are you¡­ Professor Snape?!" His face went a few shades paler.

    The Headmaster had told him they were waiting for someone, but¡­

    "I thought you called for my grandma."

    "I believe that conversation can wait until tomorrow." Dumbledore was already dreading talking to that stubborn woman again.

    "But¡­" Neville still didn''t understand what his ssmate and Potions professor could be doing here.

    "Allow me to exin this, Neville¡­ this is going to take a bit of time, so I would ask you to bear with me and be patient."

    Dumbledore told him all about Voldemort''s return and his ns to involve him in the tournament.

    "You-Know-Who is back?" Neville''s body shook with terror while sitting in his chair.

    "I''m afraid so. This has been confirmed to me by various sources, and all of them are very reliable."

    "But, what does he want with me?! Hasn''t he already done enough to my family?" Neville still didn''t know about the prophecy that was the main trigger that caused the death of his parents all those years back.

    Dumbledore didn''t feel it was necessary to tell him due to the fact that the prophecy was no longer in effect. So, there was no need to put that extra burden on Neville.

    And knowing him, there was a good possibility that he would end up ming himself for what happened that night if he were to learn the full truth.

    "The motivations behind Voldemort''s actions are not important at this precise moment. But now that he has decided to go after you, well¡­ he is not the type to change his mind. Let''s just say that." Dumbledore sighed.

    "So¡­ he is the reason my name came out of the Goblet of Fire then? Can''t you at least tell that to everyone so they don''t think of me as a cheater?" Neville requested without much thought.

    "You want me to announce the return of the Dark Lord to every professor and student in Hogwarts?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

    "Ehh¡­ well¡­" Now that the Headmaster was saying it like that, it did not seem like such a great idea anymore.

    "People''sints about your presence in the tournament are going to disappear after the first test¡­ trust me," Harry told him.

    "Really? But even if that is true¡­" Neville lowered his head in defeat. "I don''t want to be in the tournament¡­"

    "About that." Dumbledore started. "I believe it''s time to tell you the next part¡­ you won''t really be participating in the tournament."

    "What? But you said before¡ª"

    "Voldemort expects to see Neville Longbottom taking part in the tests." The Headmaster moved his eyes to Harry.

    "But thanks to the wonders of magic, there are many ways to aplish that without putting you in any real danger."

    Harry took something out of his pocket. It was the same tiny box that Daphne had given to him on the first day of school. He ced it on the desk and gave it a gentle tap with his wand.

    The box grew in size until it resembled a briefcase.

    "We will be using this," Harry said as he opened the case.

    Inside it were around twenty vials, all with identical contents and carefully stored to avoid any breakage.

    "Potions?... wait¡­" Neville gave the case a sniff.

    He may have been terrible at making potions, but he was great at recognizing the ingredients of a potion just by smell alone.

    However, there was someone else with much more expertise already in the room who had already recognized the identity of the potions inside these vials.

    "That''s Polyjuice Potion!" Snape had only been given part of the n, but now that he saw this, he finally understood how Harry was going to participate in the tournament.

    "Correct, this is arge supply of Polyjuice Potions. More than enough for the task. But we are going to need everyone''s cooperation for this to work." Harry nced at Neville.

    " Will you help us?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 326: Would you go?

    Chapter 326: Would you go?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 326: Would you go?</strong>

    Over the next few weeks, Neville learned what it felt like to be disliked by an entire school, plus two foreign ones.

    Ron was quick to turn against his friend, and Seamus felt like he had no choice but to follow along with the rest of his house.

    The fact that he knew the truth about his participation in the tournament and that he was helping in the fight against the Dark Lord did make him feel a bit better, though.

    Also, he didn''t have to worry about the tournament itself since Harry had already exined in detail how they were going to handle it.

    He wasn''t left by himself, either. Harry, along with his sister Lyra, and Ginny, would often keep himpany.

    Luna Lovegood and Astoria Greengrass would often join them, so he never felt truly alone.

    But Neville was hardly the only one suffering at Hogwarts this year.

    Professor Umbridge had quickly be the most disliked person in the entire history of the school.

    She had continued to add more decrees to that wall, and it had gotten to the point where there was barely any room left.

    Umbridge even tried to limit the Hogsmeade permits to only the ''Good Students''...of course, this was done ording to her own criteria.

    The Headmaster had to intervene in order to stop that decree personally, as it would have created an endless amount of trouble.

    But just the fact that she tried to do that, had earned the scorn of most students.

    There were so many rules that it was impossible not to break one by ident, and students would often find themselves in detention.

    This was the reason he had been forced to interject today in Hogwarts affairs.

    "Well?¡­ how did it go?" Lyra asked with expectant eyes.

    Harry walked out of Umbridge''s office and closed the door.

    Today, the toad had found some excuse to give detention to both his sister and Ginny.

    The girls came to inform him, and he had no choice but to deal with her in person.

    "I spoke with Professor Umbridge, and your detentions have been cancelled," Harry informed them.

    "Really?¡­ she looked so angry with us this morning," Ginny said with a frown. This was the first time she truly hated a teacher. Even Lockhart had not earned this much dislike from her.

    "You didn''t kill her, right?" Lyra asked with suspicion.

    "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Harry was beginning to show concern about his personal image.

    "I just spoke to her in a reasonable manner and made her see the error in her ways," he told them before walking away.

    This was the fourth time he had to Obliviate the toad since the year started, and he was beginning to worry about causing her some permanent mental issues.

    Not that he was worried for her well-being, but she needed to remain at least functional until the end of the tournament. Otherwise, Voldemort will be forced to send someone morepetent.

    "Wait, Harry!" He heard Ginny call for him.

    "Yes?"

    "Well¡­ I wanted to thank you for the help¡­" Ginny said.

    "It was no trouble. Now you can enjoy your afternoon." Harry nodded.

    "Yes, hehe. If only we could y Quidditch¡­" Ginny was still somewhat hurt by the absence of her favorite activity.

    "The Headmaster only said that there would be no Quidditch House League. You can still y on the fields. There is plenty of space all around Hogwarts. You just have to convince a few more people to y." Harry gave her some advice.

    Ginny''s eyes opened wide.

    "That''s right! Why didn''t I think of that?"

    "Just be a bit discreet about it. If that woman finds out that someone is having fun, she is going to add another rule," Harry told her.

    "Yeah¡­ you are probably right," Ginny nodded.

    "Say, Harry¡­ there was something else I wanted to ask you¡­."

    "Mmm?... what is it?" Harry noted the girl''s face bing a bit red.

    "Well¡­ would you¡­ you know¡­ the weekend¡­"

    "Yes?..."

    "I¡­ never mind!" She took off running.

    Harry had aplicated expression.

    "Ahh! She almost got it!" Lyra eximed before jumping from behind a nearby column.

    "Are you a stalker now?" he asked her.

    "You doofus!" She came to him and punched his shoulder.

    "Why didn''t you help her?"

    "Is this how you thank me for getting you out of detention? My little sister used to have better manners than this¡­"

    "Don''t give me that now¡­" Lyra raised an eyebrow.

    "You are not that thickheaded. Ginny wanted to invite you to Hogsmeade."

    "She didn''t, though," Harry pointed out. He was already conflicted about this matter, and his sister was not helping.

    "You have to invite her now," Lyra said seriously.

    "Why are you getting involved in this?" Harry asked her.

    "Because she is my best friend, and I want to help her," Lyra said.

    "Come on, you even went with Pansyst year¡­ and don''t tell me that Ginny isn''t pretty. There are already plenty of guys lining up to invite her."

    "That''s not the issue here¡­." There was no way he could exin the whole thing to her.

    "Just one date to Hogsmeade, please?¡­ and besides, that way we can do a double date with me and¡­" Lyra stopped talking.

    "Hold on¡­ you? Who are you going with?" Harry''s tone became slightly harsher.

    "That''s my business. Isn''t that what you always say?" Lyra seemed to enjoy this.

    "Just tell me who it is¡­ it''s not someone from Slytherin¡­ it''s not Michael Corner, I hope." That guy was too sleazy.

    "You''ll have to wait for the next weekend to find out," Lyra chuckled.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 327: A Hostile Crowd

    Chapter 327: A Hostile Crowd

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 327: A Hostile Crowd</strong>

    "H-Hi¡­" Neville moved his eyes around, looking very nervous.

    "So¡­ you and my sister?" Harry red at him.

    He had arrived and found him standing next to Lyra and Ginny.

    "Harry, stop it!" Lyra huffed. This is why she didn''t want to say anything.

    "It''s not like that!¡­ w-we¡­ this is¡­ the first time that¡­" Neville stammered the words badly.

    "It''s our first date, okay?" Lyra stood in front of Neville in a protective manner.

    "Fine¡­" Harry''s eyes met Neville''s.

    "We''ll talk about thister."

    Lyra hurried to push Ginny forward, as if she were some kind of offering.

    "Isn''t Ginny looking beautiful today? She got a new dress for the asion." Of course, Lyra was the one who paid for it during their previous outing.

    Ginny wore a long ga-colored dress with some gold ents that reached her knees, paired with boots and a jacket in the same tones.

    "Very Gryffindor. You look great, Ginny," Harry told her.

    "What about me?" Lyra waved at him.

    His sister''s attire was very simr, but hers was ck and silver.

    "You look okay. Now, shall we go?" Harry said.

    "Hey!" Lyra huffed.

    "I think you look great," Neville hurried to say.

    "Thank you!" Lyra grinned. "Let''s go then." She grabbed his hand and began to walk out of the castle''s back doors.

    Harry did the same, while Ginny walked at his side.

    "Did you apply some warming charms? Otherwise, those clothes are not going to be enough."

    "I did¡­ we learned themst year," Ginny said.

    "What about Lyra? She can be kinda useless with charms sometimes," he inquired.

    Ginny grinned.

    "She can do this much at least." She nced at him.

    "You care a lot about her, huh?"

    "Of course," Harry answered without hesitation.

    "She does make it difficult sometimes¡­"

    "Come on, Neville! Grab my hand harder, are you a boy or not?" Lyra shouted loud enough to make everyone nearby turn their heads.

    "Yes, I understand that feeling¡­" Ginny nodded.

    "But you aren''t really mad at Neville, right? He is a good boy¡­ I can''t believe everyone got mad at him for the whole tournament thing¡­ it''s so stupid."

    "Crowds are easier to convince than individuals. And the article from the Daily Prophet calling him a cheater probably didn''t help either," Harry told her.

    "Yes, but¡­ my brother and Seamus should know better. They''ve been friends since first year," Ginny huffed.

    "Your brother Ron is also an idiot," Harry said. "No offense," he then added.

    "No¡­ he can be an idiot sometimes," Ginny said. "Okay¡­ most of the time. But I think he''s just jealous. I know he wanted to be in the tournament too," she then added.

    "I wouldn''t worry too much about that. He''ll change his mind as soon as he finds out what the first task is going to be," Harry told her.

    "You know what it''s going to be?!" Ginny''s embarrassment began to vanish as she became more interested in the conversation.

    "I could tell you, but¡­ you can''t tell anyone," Harry said.

    "Not even Lyra?"

    "Especially not Lyra¡­"

    Ginny nodded. That made sense. "Okay¡­ I promise."

    "Dragons," Harry whispered.

    "Seriously?¡­" Ginny nced at Neville, who was walking a bit ahead on the snowy path.

    "Does Neville know?¡­" she asked.

    "Of course." That was not exactly true. There was no need for Neville to know what the test was since he wasn''t going to be the one participating in it.

    ''But I should give him a heads-up, just in case someone goes to tell him.''

    They continued to walk at a leisurely pace until they arrived at the small vige of Hogsmeade, along with many other students who also traversed the same path.

    Lyra and Ginny seemed to have already decided where they wanted to go and guided the boys towards the Three Broomsticks.

    Harry almost let out a breath of relief when he found out they weren''t going to that terrible cafe he visitedst year with Daphne.

    The pub was already getting full, even though it was still far from lunchtime.

    This was likely a side effect of Miss Umbridge''s endless rules and regtions. It made students feel trapped while inside the school, and Hogsmeade was the only ce where they could be free¡­ at least for now.

    The group went inside the ce, and the atmosphere seemed to immediately change.

    Most of the students stopped their conversations and turned to look at them¡­ or, more specifically, they were all looking at Neville.

    "Uh oh¡­" The boy felt the intense pressure already.

    Then, the murmurs and nasty res began.

    "I don''t like this¡­" Ginny was bing worried that something bad could happen.

    No one would dare to move a finger while inside the castle for fear of breaking some of Umbridge''s rules in the process.

    Rumors about her harsh punishments were already well-known among the students.

    But here in Hogsmeade¡­ they did not have to worry about any of that.

    "Longbottom!"

    "You have some nerve to show yourself here!"

    A group of Hufflepuff seniors were already making their way towards them.

    Lyra stood in front of Neville while she looked at the approaching group. Right behind them were Ginny and Harry.

    "M-Maybe we should go somewhere else¡­" Neville muttered.

    "Look who it is¡­ the fake champion." Cho Chang''s words carried enough venom to kill an adult.

    She clutched at Cedric''s arm with enough force to make the boy flinch.

    Cedric looked at Neville''s group with a troubled expression.

    "Come on guys, let''s just get along."

    "No¡­ Cho is right. The fake champion deserves a lesson," a seventh-year Hufflepuff boy said.

    Many of the students at the table began to cheer at thement.

    Harry felt the ambiance of the ce bing more violent.

    ''Looks like we won''t be able to solve this one with words alone¡­''

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 328: Not Backing Down Now

    Chapter 328: Not Backing Down Now

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 328: Not Backing Down Now</strong>

    It appeared that in the absence of Draco and his ridiculous badges, people didn''t have a proper outlet for their anger¡­ Add to that all of Umbridge''s oppressive restrictions, and now the situation had reached a boiling point.

    Harry didn''t recognize the three Hufflepuff boys at the front, but they were likely seventh years.

    He did recognize Cho Chang, though.

    Harry hadn''t thought about her since the second year when Cho and some of her friends began to mess with Luna.

    But that quickly stopped when Lyra and Ginny stood up for their friend.

    It seemed like she was now dating Cedric Diggory again, and by the look on her face, the girl was very upset with Neville at this moment¡­ much like everyone else present in the pub.

    Harry was thinking about a way to handle this in the most peaceful way possible. After all, he was sure that Dumbledore would not be happy if he sent a bunch of students to the infirmary today.

    Then, his sister decided to shove away one of the seniors who got too close to them.

    "Leave us alone, and Neville is not a fake champion. He did not cheat!" Lyra shouted.

    "Oh yeah? Then how did his namee out after the Hogwarts Champion had already been selected?" Cho asked with a smirk.

    That was a question that Lyra had no answer to, so she turned to look at her brother for help.

    Neville did know the answer to that question, but he could not say anything. Even if he did, the reaction was bound to be a negative one.

    They did not even believe that he did not put his name in the Goblet¡­ why would they believe him if he began to talk about the return of the Dark Lord without an ounce of evidence?

    The two foreign champions, Krum and Fleur, were also present, sitting at the second-floor tables, from where they had a perfect view of the wholemotion.

    Neither of them seemed interested in joining in to support either side and were content to just watch the Hogwarts students fight each other.

    "Cho is right, there is no way for you to be a champion other than cheating," one of the older boys said.

    "Potter, get out of the way. I can''t believe you are defending him!" Cho let go of Cedric''s arm and got closer to Lyra.

    "That''s enough, Cho, just leave us alone." Ginny went to stand next to her friend.

    "Ginny? What are you doing here?" Ron appeared from among the crowd and pointed at his sister with an angry face.

    "Come here right now! I can''t believe you are with that traitor!"

    "Ron¡­" Neville wore a hurt expression. He could take thosements from others, but he had considered Ron his best friend.

    "You two, move!" one of the Hufflepuff boys eximed. He had his wand in hand. "Don''t think you are untouchable because some people are afraid of your brother."

    "Okay¡­ let''s stop right here." Harry moved in front of his sister and Ginny, standing very close to the threerge Hufflepuff boys.

    "Before you lot get hurt," he then added.

    The three boys became angered, and three more of their ssmates came closer, with the clear intention of confronting Harry.

    "There is no need to fight!" Now Cedric was getting worried. This could only end up making him look bad if some seniors began to beat students on his behalf.

    "That''s right, there is no need to fight," Cho pointed at Neville. "All he has to do is drop out of the tournament, and we can let this go."

    "Cho¡­" Cedric looked at his girlfriend with conflicted feelings. He had already told her that it was impossible to drop from the tournament, even though he didn''t tell her the specifics about the magical contract.

    "I can''t do that¡­" Neville said.

    "So you admit it then? You wanted to be in the tournament after all," Ron joined in the conversation. "You found a way to put your name in the cup and didn''t tell me anything." The redhead huffed.

    "So? What if he did?" Harry''s words were loud enough for everyone to hear, despite not shouting.

    "So what?"

    "That''s against the rules!"

    "Yeah!"

    The crowd began toin.

    "Sure, the rules said that no one under the age of seventeen could enter, but¡­ it''s not like many of you didn''t at least try."

    That shut down the murmurs.

    "I remember seeing the Weasley twins attempt to cheat their way through the age line for almost an hour. And you were all cheering for their sess. So what is yourint with Neville being chosen? It''s not like he took anyone''s spot." Harry pointed at Cedric. "The Hogwarts Champion is right there."

    "He took the spotlight away from Cedric!" Cho shouted.

    "All the newspapers talk about the ''Boy Who Lived'' being in the tournament. He stole all the attention from my boyfriend."

    "I don''t care that much about that¡­" Cedric muttered.

    "That''s it? You all think Neville wanted more fame?" Harry snorted. "You are all being ridiculous."

    Harry''s words made many of the pub''s upants hesitate, and they began to doubt if their motivations were correct after all.

    But the seniors from Hufflepuff were too angry to back down now.

    "No! That''s not enough. The cheater has to leave the tournament, or else¡­" He pulled his wand and showed it to Harry as a threat.

    "We are going to take matters into our own hands."

    While Neville, Lyra, and Ginny were looking concerned, Harry shook his head in disappointment.

    "Oh well¡­ I tried at least. So no one canin." He looked up at the senior students.

    "Just remember that¡­ you chose this."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 329: A Way to Calm a Furious Crowd

    Chapter 329: A Way to Calm a Furious Crowd

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 329: A Way to Calm a Furious Crowd</strong>

    "I''m not afraid of you, Potter!" The senior moved his right hand to point his wand directly at Harry¡­ but stopped moving soon after, as if he had just be paralyzed.

    Cedric did not waste the chance to grab his girlfriend and drag her away from the conflict, despite herints.

    "What are you waiting for?... curse him!"

    The other Hufflepuff seniors who were right behind him began to react.

    "There is something wrong," another one said.

    "Bloody hell! I''ll do it myself!" a third boy pulled his wand.

    Harry was not nning on letting anyone fire a single spell. After paralyzing the senior student in front of him, he mmed the palm of his hand on the boy''s chest.

    The Hufflepuff robes of the boy were transformed into dozens of ropes made of the same fabric and quickly wrapped around all the students that were standing behind him.

    "Ahh!"

    "What is this?!"

    "I can''t move!"

    There were six Hufflepuff seniors in total, and now all of them had been tangled with the transfigured ropes.

    Harry then pulled them all together by tightening the ropes until he created a nice bundle with the six students.

    The seniors'' screams changed quickly from shock to realization.

    "L-Let me go!"

    "You can''t do this!" they began toin.

    But Harry was not done with them.

    He moved his right hand up and touched the boy''s forehead with his index finger.

    The Hufflepuffs had no time to react before they began to experience some unpleasant changes in their bodies.

    One of them found his teeth bingrger andrger with no sign of stopping.

    Another one had all the hair on his body growing uncontrobly while it also changed color to a strong lime green.

    "Blegh!" one began to vomit slugs all over his housemates.

    Another''s tongue transformed into a snake before it began to bite at his own face.

    Hundreds of massive pimples on one of the boys'' faces began to explode, sshing a disgusting white substance over them.

    And thest one continued tough while all of this was happening, as he was feeling an uncontroble tickling sensation all over his body and would continue to do so for a very long time.

    To finish things up, Harry flicked his fingers in front of them, and the boys went flying out of the tavern in time, taking the whole mess with them.

    The ce got very quiet after that.

    "Mmm¡­ perhaps it would be best to go to a different location after all." Harry nced at his sister, Ginny, and Neville.

    "What do you think?"

    "That was awesome! Were those all jinxes? You have to teach me some of them." Lyra looked very excited.

    "I think¡­ leaving is not a bad idea." Ginny nced at her brother Ron. His face had gone pale and he was trying his best to avoid looking at Harry.

    "Yes¡­ I think so too¡­" Neville did not feelfortable with everyone staring at them.

    Although the looks had now be a lot more reserved and the air of hostility had disappearedpletely.

    No one was daring to speak up now, for fear of suffering the same fate as those six Hufflepuffs.

    "Let''s go then." Harry saw Madam Rosmerta approaching with a less-than-happy expression.

    "I don''t want troublemakers in my tavern! You better leave and nevere back here," she shouted.

    Harry stopped for a moment and pulled a small pouch from one of his many pockets.

    The pouch grew three times in size until it was bigger than his palm and made some metallic noises in the process.

    "This shouldpensate for the disturbance."

    She took it in her hands and began to open it.

    "You rich kids think that you can fix everything with money, huh?¡­ well let me tell you that¡­" She now noticed that the pouch was filled with gold galleons and there were at least fifty of them.

    "Is that not enough?" Harry asked.

    A beautiful smile appeared on the face of Madam Rosmerta.

    "That will be more than enough, Mister Potter. Come back any time you want."

    Harry nodded and led the group outside.

    A small crowd had already begun to gather around the screaming boys, but for the moment no one was trying to help them while the Hufflepuff seniors continued to make sounds ofin.

    Most of them were younger students and didn''t even know where to start to remove Harry''s spells, so they just watched in fascination at the spectacle.

    "Where do we go now?" Ginny asked while trying to avoid looking at those boys on the floor. The smell alone was enough to turn her stomach.

    "What about Madam Puddif¡ªmmmhmm!"

    "Hog''s Head." Harry covered Lyra''s mouth. "It''s close by and is usually quiet at least."

    "Isn''t that a bar for adults?" Neville asked.

    Harry pulled another coin pouch. "I''m sure they''ll let us in."

    Back at the Three Broomsticks, the jovial mood had not returned to normal.

    Most of the patrons were whispering among each other, discussing what had just happened.

    There were many rumors about Harry Potter already circting in Hogwarts.

    Many imed he was the powerful wizard who destroyed the Slytherinmon room andter on, killed several members of very important pureblood families.

    This made it so most students avoided getting into conflict with Harry. But at the end of the day, those were just rumors and no one had seen him acting seriously before.

    That was until today¡­ and now there were going to be a lot more rumors.

    On the second floor of the tavern, Krum turned to the next table, where the French champion remained silent, as if she was pondering something.

    "What is Miss Dcour thinking about? Are you grateful that he is not one of the champions?" There was a tone of mockery mixed in Krum''s words.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 330: A Troublesome Goodbye

    Chapter 330: A Troublesome Goodbye

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 330: A Troublesome Goodbye</strong>

    As usual, Fleur was apanied by her two best friends, who came all the way from France just to cheer her on.

    The two girls furrowed their brows after hearing Krum''sment.

    "Fleur is not afraid of any British wizard, much less a boy like that one," one of them said.

    "Yes, and what is so impressive anyway? Those were childish jinxes. I could do those too," the other one added.

    Fleur clicked her tongue to show her disapproval while Krum justughed.

    "Those two are not the brightest of the ss, yes?" Krum asked.

    "What?!"

    "How dare you?!"

    "Enough!" Fleur smacked her palm on the table.

    She red at Krum. "What do you want?"

    "I just wanted to have a friendly conversation with another champion about something that I found interesting¡­ that''s all." Krum raised his hands up.

    Fleur nced at him without saying anything for a few more seconds.

    "You want to know how much I noticed? Is this your way to measure thepetition?"

    "Please, that''s something that you would do. But it''s not my style." Krum gave her a knowing nce. She had been using her good looks to gather information on the other participants since the first day. Of course, he knew about it.

    "Hmph! I don''t care for your schemes. Go away," Fleur said.

    "Fine, I''ll start." Krum took a seat next to one of the other girls, who immediatelyined. "He first used a petrifying charm on the boy closest to him."

    "Wait, he did?"

    "When did he do that?" the two French girls asked.

    Fleur sighed. She knew what he was doing already. "Wandless, chantless¡­ he used his left hand."

    Krum smiled. "Good eyes. I almost missed that one. But I found more impressive what he did next¡­"

    "The ropes?"

    "Ah yes, he put his hand on that boy''s chest and then¡­ those ropes came out. What spell was that?" The two girls asked Fleur.

    "Transfiguration," Fleur said.

    Krum nodded.

    "No chant either. He must have done a free transfiguration. One of my professors is capable of doing that, and he said to me that it is one of the most difficult feats of magic that a wizard can perform, due to how much precision it involves in controlling your own magic to shape the material to the desired form."

    "I can do it too, as long as it''s something simple¡­" Fleur admitted.

    "But not without a wand." Krum saw her flinch. "Don''t let it bother you. My professor can''t do it wandless either. In fact¡­ I didn''t believe it was possible until today."

    "Now that you mentioned it¡­ he never used his wand."

    "Right!" the girls said.

    "Who is he?¡­ I''ve never heard of him before," Fleur asked.

    "Then you have to get better sources for information." Krum told her.

    "Harry Potter has quite a bit of fame in the school. I was already hearing about him on my second day here. Mostly about his time as Seeker for the Gryffindor team. Apparently, he broke a few records and won the House Cup that year. Then he didn''t y again¡­"

    "Quidditch¡­ ugh¡­" Fleur made a disgusted face.

    "I also heard that one night, he went into the Slytherin house by himself and made an absolute mess in there, sending several senior students to the hospital with grave injuries," Krum added.

    This piqued Fleur''s interest. "Did he?"

    Krum shrugged. "It''s only a rumor, you know how those are. I assume that if there was solid evidence, he would have been expelled. I know Hogwarts is not that lenient with those kind of things."

    "If he is so incredible¡­ why isn''t he in the tournament?" Fleur asked.

    "Well, he is only fifteen, so he is not allowed," Krum said.

    Fleur raised an eyebrow.

    "But if you want another reason¡­" Krum added. "Maybe he is not interested in money and fame."

    "Everyone has something to prove¡­" Fleur did not like this. And she also hated the fact that, like Krum said before, she was d that Harry Potter was not one of the champions.

    "Let''s go." She was no longer in the mood for cheap butterbeer.

    "Eh? Already?¡­" Her friends were not very happy to leave this soon, but they still stood up.

    "You''re leaving now? We still haven''t talked about the other champions," Krum said.

    "What is there to talk about? One is a pretty boy with average skills and the other one is a little boy who should not be here," Fleur said.

    "That''s harsh¡­ and what kind of boy am I to you?" Krum had a yful smile on his face.

    "An asshole." She pushed him aside and left towards the stairs.

    "I am also great at Quidditch, and kinda handsome ording to the girls of my fan club," Krum told her as she left.

    "Oh well¡­ at least I learned something new." He looked to the floor below, just in time to see Cho Chang dragging Cedric out of the pub.

    "The pretty boy is on a tight leash¡­"

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    It was already dark by the time that Harry returned to the castle with Lyra, Ginny, and Neville.

    It was close to curfew, so they couldn''t waste any time before returning to themon room.

    Harry noticed a familiar presence close by and stopped.

    "Harry? We only have fifteen minutes,e on." Lyra turned to look at him.

    "You guys go ahead, I''ll be there soon." Harry said. The entrance to themon room was just around the corner.

    "Okay but¡­ just be quick. You don''t want to get in trouble with that woman." Lyra said.

    "Harry¡­" Ginny got a bit closer. "Thank you for today. I had a lot of fun."

    "Really? I thought it was quite the mess with all those Hufflepuffs¡­"

    Ginny made aplicated expression. "Yes, that was a bit¡­ but the rest of the day was very fun!"

    They did end up spending a good time at the Hog''s Head before walking around the vige and visiting a few shops, so he supposed it wasn''t that bad in the end.

    What Ginny did next took him off guard.

    The girl leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

    "Let''s do it again sometime." She did her best to cover her face before turning around.

    Neville''s eyes were as wide as saucers while Lyra was making victory signs.

    Harry felt strands of magic stirring nearby¡­ and he knew he was in trouble.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 331: Raging Feelings

    Chapter 331: Raging Feelings

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 331: Raging Feelings</strong>

    "I know you are there," Daphne said. She looked ahead to the empty narrow hall that ultimately led to the Gryffindor Common rooms.

    "Of course you do." Harry removed his invisibility and walked closer to her. "After all¡­ you have been following me, all the way from Hogsmeade." He said in a low voice. Not wanting to take chances with other people hearing him.

    Daphne did not even attempt to deny it, after all, she had been dragging her friend Tracey all over Hogsmead to look at what Harry had been doing and finally followed him here. Instead of that, she punched him on the shoulder.

    "You kissed Ginny!" Her face contorted in anger. As far as she was concerned, her wrongdoings were much worse than hers.

    "Your lumency needs work. Your emotions are showing." Harry said casually.

    Now she pped him.

    "Maybe I deserve that¡­" Harry admitted.

    "You sure did!" She spat the words.

    "Perhaps we can take this conversation somewhere else? The halls are hardly a good location to talk right now¡­ and curfew is just a few minutes away." He looked around. They had been lucky so far, but that was not going tost. Eventually, some students were bound to pass thought this same hall and spot them.

    "Fine." Daphne could agree to this much, no matter how angry she was with him.

    Harry produced his wand from the holster and extended his left hand for Daphne to grab onto.

    The girl seemed hesitant for a moment but eventually did grab his hand, and Harry whisked them away.

    In a sh, the duo appeared right in the middle of the inner part of the Chamber of Secrets.

    "This should be good enough. It''s clean, well-illuminated, and very private," Harry dered.

    "It still smells terrible!" Daphne had to cover her nose with a handkerchief. She hadn''t been here since the day of the ritual and had not been looking forward to return.

    "Ah yes¡­ poor Dobby tried his best to clean the ce up, but you know¡­ it was impossible to remove traces of so many basilisks living in this closed space for so long. All day here, dying, eating, and shi¡ª"

    "Harry!"

    "Yes?"

    "We could have gone to that safe room that we''ve been using before. Remember?... the safe room?"

    "Ahh, that one¡­ that is not a good idea. You see, Umbridge gave Filch a Master Key that can open all those unused old rooms. So it''s not really so safe anymore," Harry exined.

    "I see¡­ still." Daphne looked around. The chamber waspletely empty except for the stains left behind by the rituals they tried the previous year. "This is gross¡­ and we can''t even sit here."

    Harry sighed. "Alright." He held his wand again. "I''ll take you somewhere else."

    Daphne did not hesitate to grab his hand this time. She did not want to stay here longer than necessary.

    In the next instant, she found herself standing on a grassy hill that overlooked the castle of Hogwarts.

    It was already dark outside, and the sky was filled with stars that gave just the right amount of light.

    "This is beautiful."

    "Ie here sometimes, when I need to think in peace," Harry said.

    "Well, I wish we hade here sooner..." Daphne huffed.

    "Sure, but¡­ we are barely inside the school premises." He pointed behind them.

    "Just make sure not to go past that rock over there. If you leave the wards, you will trigger the tracking charm on your head," Harry suggested.

    "Wait¡­ there is a tracking charm on my head?!" Daphne didn''t recall ever hearing of this before.

    Harry nodded.

    "But that''s not important now. You wanted to discuss something about th¡ª"

    "Right!" Daphne punched his arm.

    "You kissed Ginny!"

    "Technically, she kissed me," Harry pointed out while rubbing his shoulder. The girl was stronger than she looked and it was beginning to hurt.

    "Don''t give me that. What about our deal?"

    "Deal? If you mean the contract we made with your family, it did not cover any type ofpromise in that regard." It only talked about the possibility of a future marriage contract in the distant future, after both of them were seventeen and considered adults.

    "I know what the contract said, but I thought¡­" She couldn''t say it, Daphne knew she was being unreasonable, but she always had this idea in her mind that one day¡­

    "So¡­ does this mean that you and Ginny¡­" She was unable to finish the sentence. Tears had begun to form in her eyes and even her mind protections were not able to stop her raging emotions.

    Harry did not like seeing this usually stoic girl looking like this.

    "Look¡­ there is nothing between me and Ginny. It was because of my stupid sister''s meddling that today''s mess happened. I don''t see Ginny that way; she is more like¡­ family, I guess."

    He had thought about this more than a few times since he woke up in this world.

    Would it be possible for him to have another chance at a rtionship, to get more, to have a family? But the answer to that was always the same.

    And even if he did¡­ Ginny would not be the one he would choose.

    He had loved the Ginny Weasley from his world, the one who became his wife. And a part of him died the day she did.

    However¡­ his Ginny was irreceable.

    Of course, he still cared for this version of Ginny also, and he wanted her to be happy, as well as all the other members of the Weasley family¡­ including Ron.

    As well as Hermione, Neville, Luna, and so many others.

    That was as far as his feelings for this Ginny went. He cared for her like he cared for his own family.

    "Family, is that all?..." Daphne repeated. She then got closer and stood in front of him.

    "What about me? Do you also see me as just family, or is there something more?"

    "That''s¡­" Harry hesitated to answer.

    "If you tell me that it''splicated, I will punch you again," Daphne warned him.

    "It is¡­ difficult to say."

    She punched him.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 332: Revelation and The Greater Good

    Chapter 332: Revtion and The Greater Good

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 332: Revtion and The Greater Good</strong>

    "That hurt¡­" Harryined.

    "You deserve it! I want you to tell me straight¡­ what do you think of me?"

    "Very well¡­ I''ll tell you the truth." Harry got serious.

    "But you must keep this to yourself."

    "Mmm?..." Daphne tilted her head. "What do you to keep it to myself?"

    "The world is ending," Harry told her.

    "Huh?...." That was not what she expected to hear.

    "Not just this world, but every world in the multiverse is ending," Harry added.

    "The multiverse?... You never told me about this. Wait, are you making this up to change the topic?" Daphne asked.

    "Of course not. This is very important. At one point in time, there was only one single world, but after time travel was invented, the world began to shatter into fragments that gave birth to different worlds. Each one with a few differencespared to the others."

    "Like the world that you came from?"

    "That''s right." Harry nodded. "That was just one of many."

    "And what makes you think that the world is ending?" Daphne was still somewhat skeptical about this and still wasn''t sure if this was Harry''s way to avoid an important topic.

    "Since the moment I woke up here, there have been strange events urring all over the world. More often in ces withrge magical concentrations," Harry said.

    "You mean like Hogwarts?." A lot of strange things happened at the school. To the point that she already considered them kinda normal urrences.

    "Yes. Or the train station, Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley¡­ there are many ces like that."

    "And what are those strange events exactly?" She still wasn''t sure where he was going with all of this.

    "Those events are situations where two or more realities get too close to each other, and one reality begins to bleed onto another one. At first, they were small things, like briefly seeing other versions of myself or my friends. But things got more serious at the end of my second year¡­ with the basilisk." Harry exined.

    "Wait¡­" Daphne was getting a bit concerned now.

    "You mean that monster was the result of one of those events?" She never got a proper exnation for what happened in her second year.

    "What happened in the Chamber of Secrets was the result of countless basilisks from different worlds converging in the same ce. This is why Professor Silverbell coined these strange events as ''Convergences.''"

    "Who?"

    "He is an expert found by the Headmaster to help us figure out what happened. Professor Silverbell is the Director of the Time Department at the Ministry of Magic."

    "Time Department?... I didn''t even know that existed." Daphne said.

    "Not many would¡­ it is part of the Department of Mysteries," Harry said.

    "And this professor is the one who imed that these Convergences are causing the end of the world?"

    Harry shook his head.

    "All of those events are nothing more than symptoms that point towards the disease. The reason they are happening is because realities are beginning to collide with each other. Once the collision is strong enough, the result will be that one of them will cease to exist. Or even both in the worst-case scenario. This process will continue until only a single world remains¡­ or none."

    "Harry¡­ you are scaring me." Daphne frowned.

    "I am sorry. I know it''s a lot and it''s hard to ept. But there may be a way to stop this process. That''s what we''ve been working on."

    "And what is the solution?"

    "ording to Professor Silverbell, the reason for this happening is the creation of too many alternate timelines. There is a limited amount of energy and matter, so when too many worlds try to exist at the same time¡­ it eventually bes too much, and this chain reaction begins."

    "Okay¡­ I think I understand that much." Daphne said. "So we have already reached this critical point?"

    "That''s the problem¡­ things shouldn''t have gotten this bad for at least several centuries from now."

    "Several centuries? Then what is causing this now?" Daphne asked.

    Harry had a weary smile on his face.

    "That would be me."

    "Excuse me?" Daphne raised an eyebrow. "You will have to exin that one better."

    "Time travel is the main cause of all of this. The more important the changes made, the more damage it causes to the walls of reality. My appearance here has already caused changes that affected the entire multiverse. I became an anomalyrge enough to cause an imbnce in all reality, and now everything is copsing earlier than expected because of that."

    "Wait¡­ if you are the one causing it, then this solution of yours¡­" Daphne could already see where this was going.

    "There is only one way to stop this process. And that is to remove the anomaly¡­ in other words¡­ me." Harry said.

    "You can''t be serious¡­." Daphne stared at him.

    "Dead serious¡­"

    "How much time?" Daphne asked.

    "There is no clear answer to that. The Professor said at least a few more years, but the sooner I do it, the higher the chance for this world to survive," Harry said.

    "And you are sure that''s the only solution?... I mean, have you even tried to look for an alternative?" Daphne was beginning to get furious.

    "Daphne, we have b¡ª"

    "Don''t give me that! You are such a Gryffindor. Don''t be in such a hurry to throw your life away!" She shouted.

    Harry sighed. He was expecting a reaction like this. That''s why he had never told his family and would rather never have to do it.

    "I assure you that I am in no hurry to do that," Harry said.

    "But you don''t even have a guarantee that this would work." Daphne said.

    "No, but I do have the guarantee that if nothing is done, this world will end in a few years, and everyone will die. If my death can give everyone a chance, this is for the greater good." He wasn''t going to let another world die for his mistakes.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 333: It is Oficial

    Chapter 333: It is Oficial

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 333: It is Oficial</strong>

    "Bloody hell, Harry. At least get a second opinion!" Daphne eximed.

    "Did I just hear Daphne Greengrass saying bloody hell?" Harry asked.

    "Can you be serious for a moment?..." She huffed.

    "I already am. The wisest wizard and the number one expert in time magic are already working on it. If there is an alternative solution, they will find it. If there isn''t¡­ I am prepared to do what is necessary to protect the ones I care about. Is that serious enough for you?"

    After a moment of silence, she spoke again.

    "Have you told your family about this?" Daphne asked.

    "Only Dumbledore knows, and maybe Silverbell managed to figure it out. And now¡­ you. I hope it stays that way, at least for now," Harry said.

    Daphne looked a him with a conflicted expression. "So...this is your reason for avoiding getting close to people?"

    "I don''t avoid getting close to people. I just enjoy the moment." He told her.

    She scoffed. "You totally avoid getting too close to anyone¡­ and you still haven''t answered my first question."

    "What was that again?"

    Daphne furrowed her eyebrows.

    "I asked you how you feel about me¡­ you already know my side. I need to hear yours, and no more going on tangents about world-ending events." She leaned closer to him.

    "That tangent was relevant¡­" He retorted.

    "Harry¡­." She had a serious expression on her face. Her blue eyes almost seemed to shine under the stars.

    "You are an extremely beautiful and intelligent girl. Any guy would fall for you. Although sometimes you are too stubborn, and you also get violent at th¡ª"

    She hit him.

    "Don''t ruin the moment."

    "Fine¡­ you wanted a clear answer, and you do deserve one¡­ I consider you my closest friend...of course, I have feelings for you. However, I c¡ª"

    "No, you can stop there¡­ I''ll take it." She said with a soft grin.

    "Huh?... You''ll take what?" Now it was Harry''s turn to be confused.

    "I know what you''re going to say. That because you have limited time, you don''t want anypromise." Daphne said.

    "That would be correct. That''s why I revealed everything to you. So you can understand my reasoning. I didn''t want to hurt you. " Harry told her.

    "I understand, and I said that I''ll take it. Whatever time you have left¡­ I''d rather have you for a short time than none." Daphne lookedpletely serious as she said that.

    "That sounds like a recipe for disaster." Harry said.

    "I don''t care."

    "You will regret that decision."

    "I don''t care."

    "Okay¡­" Harry finally said. It appears there was no convincing her to change her mind. "And¡­ what do we do now?"

    "Mmm¡­" Daphne seemed to be considering it for a moment.

    "Why don''t you ask me out properly?"

    "You are from a traditional pureblood family. Don''t I need to speak with your father and sign a contract or something?"

    Daphne chuckled.

    "Actually¡­ normally, you would need his permission to court me. Something that he has denied to everyone who asked so far¡­ but, I think we can do this the informal way. Our families already have an alliance, after all."

    "That works for me¡­ I hate those formalities. So¡­ do you wanna go out for coffee or something?"

    Daphne lifted an eyebrow.

    "Mmm¡­ maybe a bit more formal than that." She decided.

    "You are so difficult sometimes¡­. Daphne Greengrass¡­ would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

    A beaming smile appeared on her face.

    "I would love to!" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

    "There is one more formality to perform." She added.

    Harry ced his hands around her waist and brought her closer.

    Their bodies were touching. He approached his lips to hers, just two-thirds of the way there¡­ and then waited.

    Daphne did not want to waste any time and pushed her lips into his.

    The kisssted for almost a minute.

    It was moist and sweet, but also chaste and pure as this was the first one of many toe.

    When they finally separated, they both looked happy.

    "So¡­ is it official now?" Daphne asked.

    "Of course, but there is something I want to ask you." Harry said.

    "Sure, what is it?" She said.

    "Do you mind if we keep this between us for now?"

    Daphne was not too surprised by the request.

    "I don''t mind. But why are you asking? I know you are not worried about the reaction from Slytherin. Everyone there is afraid of you, and after today¡­ it would just be worse."

    "It''s not the students that I worry about, but their families. If word gets out that you are with a Gryffindor, it would just make things more difficult for your own family," Harry said.

    It would also make them more likely to be attacked if their alliances are revealed.

    Voldemort would be too busy still to go after neutral families, but others may try something in an attempt to earn his favor.

    "I also would like the opportunity to clear things up with Ginny. I don''t want to hurt her." Harry said.

    Daphne nodded. "I agree on that."

    This was also better for her as she didn''t want her father to find out like this. That would only get her into trouble.

    "I just wish I could tell Tracey¡­"

    "Can she keep a secret?" Harry asked.

    "Better than Lyra."

    "That''s not saying much¡­" Harry frowned.

    "But not too much better¡­." Daphne added.

    "I mean, you can tell Astoria and Luna. Your sister barely talks, and no one ever believes anything that Luna says." Harrymented.

    "So does this mean we can''t go out on dates?" She looked a bit upset at the thought.

    "Not to Hogsmeade. But I can take you to other ces."

    "Really? Like where?" Daphne got more excited now.

    "There are a few other magicalmunities here in Ennd. But before that, we will need to remove the tracking charm on your head."

    "Wait, that was actually true?!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 334: Getting Things Ready

    Chapter 334: Getting Things Ready

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 334: Getting Things Ready</strong>

    "Oh¡­ I''m very nervous!" Harry was shaking like a leaf and kept muttering stuff while wandering around the office.

    "Calm down, Neville. If you start to act like this in public, people will notice that something is off." Neville said with a deep frown. He then turned back to the full-body mirror that the Headmaster had set up for them. He wanted to make sure that the transformation had no ws and that his robes were well-adjusted.

    "Come here, let me take a look at you," he told the other boy.

    Harryposed himself and approached Neville.

    "This is so strange¡­ I''m looking at myself."

    "Okay¡­ everything seems fine." Neville said after a quick inspection.

    "There is no need for much worry, most of the attention will be on the tests, so no one should look at you twice. Just dont be to obvious." Neville said.

    "B-But¡­ I-I don''t know how to act like you at all! We are going to get caught." Harry looked extremely nervous and worried.

    "Thats exactly what I''m talking about!"

    "I must say, it is very bizarre seeing a ''Harry'' act in such a way." Dumbledore chuckled while watching the scene from his seat.

    "Longbottom." Snape stood up from his seat and walked to him. "Just act like an annoyed brat who looks down on everyone and keep your mouth shut. No one will notice the difference."

    "Yes, very professional advice, Professor Snape." Neville rolled his eyes. "But the part about keeping your mouth shut is not a bad suggestion. Don''t say anything unless someone asks you something, and keep your answers short, like ''yes'', ''no'' or ''I don''t care''."

    Harry nodded repeatedly. "Yes...no...I don''t care" He repeated his words. "I-I''ll try!." But then he seemed to recall something else.

    "But¡­ what if the potion effect runs out before the test is over? I read that the Polyjuice effect canst anything from twelve minutes to twelve hours."

    "That would depend on the skill of the brewer," Snape pointed out. "Hopefully, Potter didn''t make this himself, otherwise twelve minutes would already be a miracle."

    Nevile snorted. "Not at all, I got these from a reliable source. They were brewed by a well-known and respected Master Potioner from Wales, and they have a guaranteed effect of six hours, or I''ll get my money back." He said with confidence.

    "Let me see that." Snape picked up one of the vials and examined thebel. "Master Rugal created these?" He recognized the unique symbol on the vial. This was the equivalent of a Potion Master''s signature.

    "He always sells his potions at exorbitant prices!"

    "Yes, well, it is good to have some money then," Neville remarked.

    "I''m sorry to interrupt this lovely conversation between professor and student, but there is only one hour left before the tournament starts and Mister Longbottom is expected to be ready at the field," Dumbledore decided to remind them.

    "Here, take this with you." Neville ced a sk inside Harry''s inner pocket.

    "It''s an extra dose of the potion, just in case. If you feel the effects disappearing, take a sip from the sk."

    Harry nodded. He felt a bit better now.

    "Remember the n, just go to the stands and sit next to Lyra and Ginny. They are waiting for you. Try not to stand out too much and keep the talking to a minimum."

    "This is difficult¡­" Harry muttered.

    "Would you rather fight a dragon?" Neville asked.

    "N-No!... I mean, no thank you¡­" Harry gave a sigh of relief.

    "Speaking of the dragon." Dumbledore nced at Neville.

    "Try to avoid killing it please, we will be charged an extra fine if one of them dies."

    "I wasn''t nning to¡­" He noticed the judgmental stare. "Look, I don''t go around killing everything that moves, okay?" Neville said defensively.

    "Come on, we better get going." He spoke before he walked towards the open window at the back of the office.

    "What are you doing?" Harry almost jumped out of shock.

    "I''m taking a shortcut to the Quidditch Fields." As he said that, a ck circle appeared next to his hand, and from within it, he produced a flying broom.

    Without saying another word, Neville jumped out.

    "How handy." Dumbledore noticed that this was the same space ability that Harry had previously shown him.

    ''It seems that he had already found other uses for it,'' the Headmaster thought.

    "What magic was that?" Snape said.

    "Wow¡­.how did he do that?." Harry stared in awe.

    "Mister Longb-...Potter, unless you are nning on doing the same thing, I suggest you get going. There is a fifteen-minute walk to the fields," Dumbledore said.

    "Yes, sir!" Harry took off immediately and left the Headmaster''s office.

    "Severus, you and I should do the same. We both have roles to y today," Dumbledore reminded him.

    "Yes, I have not forgotten." Snapemented. He was to keep very close to Madam Umbridge and Professor Rookwood, and pay close attention to any strange movement on their part, at least for the duration of the tournament''s first trial.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    While "Neville" flew to the location of the tests, "Harry" was walking at a brisk pace.

    He didn''t want to bete, otherwise, the stadium would be filled and it would be more difficult to find his seat next to Lyra and Ginny.

    "There you are."

    Harry heard someone say. Right then, the door of a broom closet opened as he was about to pass by.

    A hand came out of it and grabbed onto his arm, dragging him inside.

    He felt someone pushing him against the back of the closet and quickly closed the door.

    At first, he thought someone was pranking him. After all, this would not be the first time someone locked him inside one of these closets.

    But he then remembered that he was Harry now¡­

    ''Who would dare to attack Harry?'' He then quickly realized that the person who dragged him in here was also inside along with him.

    "You made me wait¡­ Harry." Daphne said in a soothing tone.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 335: The Three Champions and â€˜Nevilleâ€™

    Chapter 335: The Three Champions and ¡®Neville¡¯

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 335: The Three Champions and ''Neville''</strong>

    "W-Wait! You are¡­." Harry stammered the words. His entire body was shaking. Seeing a girl throwing herself at him was thest thing he expected to happen.

    "I know¡­ we weren''t supposed to see each other until tonight." Daphne wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer.

    "But I couldn''t wait¡­ the other day was so much fun. I just wanted to give you a reward for that wonderful date¡­" Her face was mere inches away from his.

    "Y-You¡­ you''re Greengrass!" Harry finally recognized the girl.

    He was more familiar with her sister, Astoria, but Daphne would sometimese talk with Lyra and Ginny while he was there.

    "What?...." Daphne pulled herself away from Harry.

    "Why did you call me by myst name?...." There was something wrong here. Harry was behaving very strangely.

    "I''m no¡­ I''m not¡­."

    "You''re not what?" Daphne''s tone became more serious as she let go of him.

    "I''m not Harry!" he finally managed to say.

    "What?!" Daphne''s wand was already in her hand. She pointed it at his neck. "You better have a good exnation¡­ who are you?" Her tone was now cold as ice.

    Neville felt terrible. It had been less than ten minutes and he had already revealed the secret. "I-I''m sorry!" He was mostly saying that to Harry.

    "Who are you?!" Daphne''s tone became more pressing.

    "I''m Neville! Neville Longbottom! We have talked a few times¡­.remember?..."

    "Longbottom?... Why are you¡­" At that moment, something snapped in Daphne''s mind.

    She recalled the case filled with Polyjuice Potions that had been given to Harry.

    When she asked about it, he just told her that she would find out soon enough¡­

    ''If Longbottom is pretending to be Harry, then¡­''

    "Where is Harry?!" she asked with urgency.

    "Well, he¡­" Neville made a troubled expression.

    "I''m not supposed to tell anyone! They made me promise!" he begged.

    "He''s going to take your ce at the tournament." Daphne could make an educated guess at this point. This sounded like something Harry would do. "Just say yes or no. I won''t ask anything else from you."

    "Y-Yes¡­" Neville admitted.

    "Damn it! Why didn''t he tell me?!" She looked about ready to punch him.

    Neville panicked.

    "I''m not him!" Neville felt the need to remind her. She was scarier than Professor Snape right now.

    "Please don''t make that face¡­ I''m not going to hurt you, Longbottom. I know this is not your fault," Daphne said. "I guess Harry dragged you into this whole tournament thing¡­"

    "It''s not like that! Harry and the Headmaster are just trying to help me," Neville said.

    "The Headmaster is involved in this too?" Daphne said.

    "Ah¡­ no¡­" Neville covered his mouth. He did not want to reveal anything else.

    "Okay, you can go now. I''ll talk to himter," Daphne told him.

    He sighed in relief and went to open the door.

    She ced a hand on the door.

    "What happened here today¡­" Daphne''s eyes were locked onto his.

    "I-I won''t say anything!" he promised immediately.

    "Good boy." She nodded. "Go on. It''s best if we are not seen together."

    Neville didn''t need to be told twice. He hurried out of the broom closet and almost ran to the Quidditch field.

    He hoped that was the scariest thing that would happen to him today.

    Daphne closed the door behind her and stared in the direction that Harry had left.

    ''What in Merlin''s name are you nning to do?...''

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Good! Mister Longbottom is finally here." Barty Crouch Senior rushed to his side as soon as he entered therge tent and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, bringing him further inside.

    "Now that all the champions are here, we can exin what this test will be about."

    Neville moved ahead, closer to the rest of the group.

    The other three champions were staring at him.

    Cedric looked almost apologetic. He still felt bad for what happened that day at the Three Broomsticks. Even though things ended quickly, thanks to Harry''s intervention.

    The Hufflepuff students had continued to make his life difficult. Or at least as much as possible, since no one dared to raise a finger to him. So it was mostly an asional shoulder bump here or a meanment there.

    Neither Fleur nor Krum had much of an opinion about Neville. They did not see him as a threat at all, so they mostly ignored him.

    And after learning more about the boy, they were more than willing to believe that he didn''t put his name inside the Goblet.

    Fleur reached the conclusion that someone put his name in the tournament just to show the world that the famous Boy Who Lived was nothing like the stories.

    Krum would have reached the same conclusion if it wasn''t for his Headmaster.

    Igor Karkaroff had been a follower of the Dark Lord, and he knew there was a good chance that his old Master had a hand in this matter. So he told Krum to remain as far as possible from Neville Longbottom as he could.

    Lest he get involved in something nefarious while dragging his Headmaster along.

    "Well then¡­ let''s see¡­" Barty Crouch went to open arge chest that had been ced at the back of the tent.

    But he seemed to be struggling with the lock.

    "Wfel! Come here and open this thing for me!" he demanded.

    Percy Weasley became a bit embarrassed for being called by the wrong name for the hundredth time, but he no longer had the will to correct his boss.

    "Yes, Sir...."

    Percy got the lock sorted in a few seconds and opened the chest.

    The champions leaned forward, trying to peek at its contents. Even though they all knew what the test was about.

    Except for one person.

    Cedric Diggory was the only one who remained clueless.

    Dumbledore didn''t even consider telling him, as his mind was upied with more important matters, and his Head of House was too honorable to break the rules.

    Barty was about to take the sack when it began to move. "You take it," he told his assistant.

    "Yes, sir¡­" Percy did not seem to like the task but obeyed in the end.

    He pulled the brown sack out and allowed everyone to take a good look.

    "Now is time for the reveal¡­" Barty unfastened the knot that was holding the sack closed¡­

    "Who goes first?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 336: The First Obstacle

    Chapter 336: The First Obstacle

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 336: The First Obstacle</strong>

    "What about you?" Barty Crouch pointed at Krum.

    "Me?..." Krum nced at the moving sack with apprehension.

    "Yes,e on, you''re a big boy. Don''t tell me you''re afraid. They won''t bite¡­ too much." Barty gave Krum a sign to hurry.

    Therge ck-haired boy did not want to look weak, so he stepped forward until he was in front of Percy.

    Weasley opened the sack just enough so Krum could fit his hand inside.

    "Go ahead, grab one and pull it out," Barty Crouch urged him.

    Krum did as told.

    A momentter, he let out a painful grunt, followed by some curses.

    "It bit me!" he said as he pulled the miniature dragon by the tail.

    "Is that a¡­ dragon?" Cedric was obviously the most surprised in the room.

    The tiny dragon that Krum pulled out waspletely red and continued to struggle in his grasp.

    "Oh¡­ the Chinese Fireball¡­ nasty fellow. They love to burn things down," Barty Crouch said before urging the next one.

    "We have to fight dragons?!" Cedric almost shouted.

    "Exactly!" Barty said with a wide smile.

    "Each of you will have to face a different dragon. The dragons inside the sack are exact replicas of the ones you will encounter outside. Although you don''t have to actually fight them...I''ll get to that in a moment."

    "You didn''t know?..." Fleur gave him a nce of pure disappointment.

    "You did?!" Cedric eximed. He then heard Krumughing.

    "You did too¡­" He nced at Neville, who just shrugged at him.

    "You all knew¡­" Cedric realized he was the only one behind.

    "What?! You did?! I can''t believe this¡­" Barty Crouch was outraged by the breaking of rules.

    "Hey, you brought several fire-breathing dragons onto the school grounds. Someone was bound to see them and talk about it," Krum said.

    "Yes, only a fool would fail to find out." Fleur gave Cedric a side nce.

    Cedric frowned but did not say anything else.

    "Oh well¡­ what''s done is done. Let''s continue." Mr. Crouch pointed at Fleur.

    "What about we let thedy go next?"

    Fleur smiled and walked closer to the sack.

    She pulled a small dragon with green scales. The creature almost seemed docile in her hands.

    "Lucky! That is the Common Welsh Green. The least aggressive of the bunch," Barty Crouch said with a smile.

    "Can we hurry? I think these two are starting to fight." Percyined.

    "Yes, yes¡­ Mister Diggory, if you will?"

    Cedric went ahead and pulled another miniature dragon.

    "The Swedish Short-Snout!" Mr. Crouch proimed. "Be careful with its fangs¡­ they have a potent venom."

    Cedric hurried to secure the head of the creature.

    "Haha! That one is harmless." Crouchughed. "But now, this means that¡­ I see¡­"

    "Do I still have to pull it out? You already know what it is." Neville said.

    "All participants must pull their creature. It is written in the rules, Mister Longbottom. And we will need them for the picture."

    Neville went and took hold of thest dragon remaining in the bag.

    Percy made a startled face when he saw it.

    "You brought that one?!"

    "Hoho! Yes¡­ that is a special one," Mr. Crouch said. "You see, we only had nned the first three dragons, so when a fourth contestant appeared out of nowhere, we had to improvise. And this was the only dragon avable."

    The violent little creature tried to wrestle itself out of Neville''s hand.

    It had brown scales with spikes around its head and at the tip of its tail.

    Even at this scale, the dragon looked dangerous.

    "A Hungarian Horntail¡­" Mr. Crouch said.

    "The most violent species ofmercial dragon¡­ although it is rarely sold. It was very difficult to bring this one here." He nced at Neville.

    "I suppose it is appropriate that the fourth champion gets to face thest acquired dragon¡­ albeit very unfortunate for Mister Longbottom."

    "You got the worst one, huh?" Krum chuckled.

    Fleur had a mocking smile on her face. She held her calm green dragon while looking at Neville''s, which was trying to bite and stab him.

    "How big are the real ones¡­?" Cedric could only think of that.

    Barty Crouch turned to him. "Well¡­ you will see soon en-"

    Crunch¡­.

    They all turned to the source of the strange crunching noise.

    The little pieces of stone that had been forming the dragon miniature in Neville''s hand had been reduced to pebbles and were now falling onto the ground.

    "Did you break it?!" Mr. Crouch eximed.

    "It tried to bite me." Neville said.

    "You broke it with your hands?...." Krum said.

    Neville realized that everyone was staring at him.

    "It''s just a golem¡­ I didn''t kill anything." He made sure to rify.

    "We needed that for the photoshoot¡­." Crouch made aplicated expression. "Speaking of¡­ where is that sted reporter?" He asked his assistant.

    "I don''t know, Sir! I haven''t seen her today." Percy answered.

    "Fine¡­ everyone stay here. We still have thirty minutes before the start of the tests. I''ll go look for her." Barty Crouch hurried outside the tent.

    Neville decided to go take a seat on one of the several couches ced around therge tent.

    "Ptshh!"

    He heard someone making noises outside.

    "Neville?..."

    He now heard a very familiar voice.

    Neville looked down and saw a pair of shoes sneaking beneath the tent''s fabric.

    He lifted it a bit.

    "Lyra?"

    Soon, his sister''s head poked inside.

    "There you are!" She smiled brightly.

    Neville nced back.

    The other champions didn''t seem to be paying attention to him and were instead focused on their own preparations.

    "What are y-" Before he could ask what she was doing there, Lyra went inside the tent and got close to him.

    "I just wanted to wish you good luck before your test," Lyra said, and then¡­ without giving him time to react, she leaned forward and smashed her lips against his.

    This was quickly followed by the sh of a camera.

    "Ohh, young love!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 337: No Exclusive For You

    Chapter 337: No Exclusive For You

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 337: No Exclusive For You</strong>

    Lyra pushed Neville away and looked at the strange woman who was now giving her a creepy smile.

    "Oh, I didn''t mean to interrupt you, I''m so sorry!" the woman said before pointing her camera and taking another picture.

    "Where did youe from?!" Lyra was sure there was no one there before.

    "Rita Seeker¡­" Neville said.

    ''Now I have to deal with this woman too¡­'' There was no way he would let her keep those pictures, so now he would have to find a way to get them.

    "You remember me! I''m so ttered. You must have read the article I wrote about you. Did you like it?" Rita had a predatory smile on her face.

    "Rita Seeker¡­ wait! You''re the one who wrote that awful article about Neville being a cheater!" Lyra recalled.

    "Oh dear¡­ it was not my intention to make your boyfriend look bad. I just write what I see. By the way, what is your name?" Rita asked.

    Lyra got nervous. "Me?... I''m¡­no, wait...we are still not..."

    At that moment, the tent opened again, and Barty Crouch entered.

    "What''s all the ruckus?... Rita! There you are! We''ve been waiting for you."

    "I''m sorry, my dear Mister Crouch. I was held up by another exclusive, but I came here as soon as I could," Rita said.

    "Hmph¡­ fine, just hurry and take the pictures of the champions. We can''t waste any¡ª" He suddenly noticed Lyra.

    "And who are you? Visits are not allowed until the tests are over."

    "Eh? well I ... I was¡­ just leaving!" Lyra hurried back outside the tent and got away before things got more awkward for her.

    ''They ruined my perfect moment with Neville¡­'' Lyramented.

    Neville watched her leave and shook his head. ''Why do these things happen to me?...'' he wondered.

    "Mmm¡­ well then, let''s get this done. Rita, the pictures!" Mister Crouch eximed.

    "Yes, yes¡­" Rita didn''t have much interest in some boring pictures. But she was looking forward to writing another article about the Boy Who Lived and his new girlfriend. She just needed to find out who that girl was.

    "Very well¡­ everyone, go stand over there and make a nice pose." He indicated to the champions.

    "Make sure to hold your dragon out. It would make for a better picture," Mister Crouch added.

    "And where is Mister Longbottom''s dragon?... Did you not give him one?" Rita gave Crouch a side nce.

    "He broke it!" Crouch pointed at the remains on the ground.

    "Okay¡­ whatever¡­" Rita hurried to take the picture. "There, done!" She had someone to find now.

    "Excellent!" Crouch nced at the clock on the wall. "We are on a tight schedule, so we will start calling you very soon."

    "Wait, you still haven''t told us what we have to do!" Cedricined. He was sure that everyone else already knew everything about the first test, but he didn''t.

    Barty Crouch looked bbergasted for a second.

    "Of course! Sorry about that. I will now exin what the first test entails¡­ I suppose we have a few minutes for that."

    "I''ll take my leave then. I have a few items on my agenda to prepare before the main show begins." Rita Seeker started to make her way out of the tent.

    "Yes, Miss Seeker. Make sure to do an excellent job with your coverage of the event," Crouch reminded her. He could not afford for anything to go wrong today.

    Rita made a gesture of affirmation and pulled the tent door open before leaving.

    While Crouch was distracted, exining the test to the champions, Neville sneaked out of the tent and caught up to Rita before she disappeared.

    "Miss Seeker," he called out.

    Rita Seeker almost jumped from the surprise. She had made sure that no one was around and was about to transform into her Animagus form. Thest thing she expected was to see the Boy Who Lived running up to her.

    "Mister Longbottom?..."

    A smile appeared on her face. Rita could imagine what the boy was about to ask of her.

    "I hope you are not here to request me not to publish those saucy pictures with you and your girlfriend. Because the public has the right to know."

    Neville got closer to her.

    "No, Miss Seeker¡­ I was not nning on asking that."

    Rita looked at him, a bit confused. She had been sure that''s what he wanted.

    "If this is about my previous article, I assure you¡ª"

    Neville did not stop until he was just a few feet away from the reporter. He needed to be close for this, and she did not suspect anything from him. As far as Rita was concerned, Neville Longbottom was harmless.

    "Not at all. I understand you were doing your job¡­ I just need one little thing¡­"

    "And what would th¡ª" Before she could finish her sentence, a silent spell hit her chest and prevented her from moving.

    It was a paralyzing charm, just a bit weaker than the petrification curse but much faster and easier to throw without a chant or a wand.

    Just a flick of his left hand, and that was enough¡­ he had her.

    Without wasting time, Neville took the camera that was hanging around her neck.

    Rita was aware of what was happening but could not move an inch.

    Neville opened thepartment at the back of the camera and took a small crystal cube from within. This was the storageponent of the camera where all the images were contained. It worked simrly to the camera reel from the Muggle version.

    Neville took the cube out and closed the camera back up, cing it again where it was before.

    A small ck circle appeared next to him, and he dropped the crystal cube in there. This was a small pocket dimension created by the powers of his new Deathly Hallow.

    He had discovered that if he created an entry hole but no exit, the items deposited inside ended up in a different dimension, separated from everything else.

    He could use it to store things, like his broom, and no one would ever find them there.

    Now that he had gotten rid of the evidence, he used his wand and ced an Obliviation charm on the reporter.

    He had gotten a lot of practice this year and was much more precise at deleting specific memories.

    This would leave some gaps in her recollection, but the brain was good at filling those gaps without the need for further action.

    After releasing Rita Seeker from the magic trapping her, she appeared very dizzy and disoriented.

    "Miss Seeker, are you alright?" Neville asked with an innocent face.

    "Uhm?... I¡­" She nced at the tent she had just left, then at her camera, before finally moving her eyes back to Neville.

    "Mister Longbottom¡­ is there something you need? I have some important work to do."

    "I understand. Perhaps we can discuss what I had in mind on a different asion then." Neville turned around and went back to the tent.

    Rita looked very confused. She did not remember having spoken about anything with Neville¡­ and now she felt like she had a headache.

    "Great¡­ I had to get sick today of all days¡­" she grumbled.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 338: Lyraâ€™s Great Secret is Revealed

    Chapter 338: Lyra¡¯s Great Secret is Revealed

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 338: Lyra''s Great Secret is Revealed</strong>

    When Neville sneaked back into the tent, Mister Crouch was still going on with his exnation about the first test. That was until he realized it was time to begin.

    "Right! So¡­ why don''t we let thedy go first?" Crouch suggested.

    "That''s fine by me." Fleur red at the other champions.

    "I''ll show them how it''s done." She said with a confident smile on her face.

    "Oh!" Krum raised an eyebrow and then bumped Cedric''s shoulder. "You think all French girls are this fiery?"

    "I¡­ don''t know¡­" Cedric was too nervous to think about girls or anything else right now. He still hadn''te up with a way to get the golden egg that Mister Crouch just mentioned they had to retrieve. Meanwhile, he was sure that all his opponents already had a clear strategy, after all, they had weeks to think about it.

    "Can we see the other champions'' performances?" Cedric finally asked.

    Krum seemed to find his nervousness amusing.

    "I''m afraid not, Mister Diggory. That would give an advantage to whoever goesst, as that person would have more information to work with," Crouch exined.

    "Right¡­" Cedric lowered his head. He couldn''t argue with that.

    "Now, if you are ready, Miss Dcour?" Crouch made a gesture to proceed.

    Fleur nodded. She was also feeling nervous but would never allow herself to show it.

    With a confident expression, the French girl waltzed out of the tent through the front door, and soon they began to hear the cheers from the audience.

    "Okay¡­ I will also have to go outside," Mister Crouch said.

    "The order will be as follows. after Miss Dcour haspleted her task, the next one toe out will be Mister Krum, then Mister Diggory, and finally, our fourth champion¡­" His eyes moved to Neville.

    "Put on a good show, my boy. Some people are expecting a lot from you...oh, but no pressure." He smiled.

    He then approached Percy Weasley and patted him on the shoulder.

    "Wetherly here will be in charge. If you need anything, just ask him. And remember the rules I told you¡­ good luck!" With thosest words of encouragement, the man left the tent.

    Krum nced at the other two boys.

    "So, you two have a n already?"

    "I was thinking of creating some sort of¡­ distraction," Cedricmented. It was the only idea he hade up with so far.

    "You probably have something better. You had plenty of time after all¡­"

    Cedric couldn''t help but sound bitter as he nced at Krum.

    Krum had a satisfied smile on his face.

    "I suppose I did¡­" His eyes moved to Neville.

    "What about you, fourth champion? You look very confident today. You must have a foolproof n, then."

    Neville shrugged.

    "Not really¡­ I''ll just go in there and grab the egg." He hadn''t really put much thought into how toplete the task. After all, he had been wondering if Voldemort had something nned for him. Perhaps he had prepared some interference that could get him killed. Or maybe he thought the dragon would be enough.

    "Just go in there and grab the egg?¡­" Cedric had a look of disbelief.

    "Oh¡­ I would love to see that," Krum added.

    <strong><><><><><><><></strong>

    Outside, in the stands, Daphne was receiving some curious looks from her sister and Luna.

    They all thought she would be sitting on the other side of the stadium with the rest of the Slytherin students.

    But now she was here, sitting next to Astoria.

    Ginny and ''Harry'' were in front of her.

    ''There is no way I''m not keeping my eye on him¡­'' Daphne told herself while ncing at the boy in front.

    Harry looked back at her for just a second before he became too nervous and went back to looking at the floor.

    "Harry¡­ are you feeling alright?" Ginny asked with great concern. She had never seen Harry act this way. He even looked to be trembling.

    ''He must be very sick¡­ and he still came to see Neville¡­ how brave!'' Ginny concluded.

    "I''m fi¡­ fi¡­ I''m f-ouch! I''m okay!" Harry scratched his head after Daphne gave him a subtle smack.

    "Eh?....ok." Ginny continued to look a him with worry.

    ''What was Harry thinking?... No one is going to believe this is his doing!'' Daphne thought.

    "Sorry I''mte!" Lyra had just arrived at their seats, looking very cheerful.

    "Where were you?" Ginny asked. They hade here together, but before the tournament began, Lyra made some excuse and took off.

    "Did you have to poo?" Luna asked casually.

    "Oh¡­ so that''s why." Astoria nodded in understanding.

    "No! That''s not it!" Lyra''s face became flustered.

    "I just¡­" She sat down and became quiet.

    "Lyra?... What is it? Did something happen?" Ginny knew her friend very well. When she got like this, it was because she had something big she shouldn''t tell but always ended up spilling in the end.

    "A secret¡­" Astoria said.

    "Another one? What is it?" Luna asked.

    "Oh,e on, Lyra. Just save us the waiting," Ginny said. "You know you always end up spilling the beans."

    "Yes, there was even that time when you actually spilled some beans while spilling the beans¡­ remember?" Luna earned an angry re from Lyra.

    "Fine! I can''t keep this any longer!" Lyra eximed.

    "You just sat down," Astoria pointed out.

    "Is it about the Crumpled Snox following you around? Because we all know about that one," Luna stated.

    "No!" Lyra shouted. "And I don''t wanna know what that is..."

    "Did you actually go to poo?" Ginny asked.

    "No! And shut up about that!" Lyra took a moment to catch her breath.

    "I kissed Neville!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 339: Lyra, you did what?

    Chapter 339: Lyra, you did what?

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 339: Lyra, you did what?</strong>

    "You kissed Neville?!" Ginny eximed.

    "You did what?!" Daphne shouted.

    Lyra''s green eyes moved to her. "Huh?... Daphne? What ar¡ª"

    "Neville Longbottom?" Luna asked.

    "Who else is it going to be? We don''t know any other Neville," Ginny said.

    "There is Neville Mcud," Luna added.

    "Who?!" Lyra was confused.

    "He''s a second-year from Ravenw," Astoria said.

    "I don''t know who that is!" Lyra was getting annoyed.

    "I just told you¡­ Neville Mcud, from the n Mcud. I believe he''s from Scond," Luna rified.

    "I¡­ no¡­ I kissed Neville Longbottom, okay?" Lyra knew it was impossible to argue with Luna when she got like this.

    "You¡­ you kissed¡­ you kissed¡­." Harry kept pointing at her.

    "Oh¡­" Lyra had forgotten her brother was also there. "Harry¡­ calm down, please. It was just a kiss."

    "You¡­" Harry''s hand was shaking. "You kissed m¡­ I mean Neville?..."

    Lyra interpreted the boy''s nervousness as Harry being extremely angry, to the point that he couldn''t even talk properly. She was getting very concerned. Her brother could be overprotective sometimes, and she didn''t want him to do something reckless. Neville already had enough on his te with the first test.

    "Calm down, Harry¡­." She said in a soft tone.

    "So you kissed Neville?... The one inside that tent over there?" Daphne pointed, just to be sure.

    "Yes, that one!" Lyra was getting annoyed now. What part of her message was not clear?.

    Daphne was baffled. She wasn''t sure how to feel about this.

    At first, she got angry. But the more she thought about it¡­ it was almost funny.

    "So¡­ how was the kiss exactly?" Daphne eventually asked for details. She was getting more curious about this.

    "Eh?... Well¡­" Lyra nced at Harry, who seemed to be having a mental breakdown. She wanted to tell all the details but was also worried about making things worse.

    "Yes, how was it?" Ginny asked.

    "Okay, I''ll tell you." Lyra sat back down and began to narrate the whole thing with as much detail as she could.

    "He was surprised?" Daphne asked.

    "He looked shocked, to be honest¡­" Lyra said.

    "So, no tongue?" Luna asked.

    "No!... and how do you even know about that?" Lyra asked.

    "Tongue?... What do you use the tongue for?" Astoria asked innocently.

    "I saw some of the seniors practicing the other day," Luna told her friend. "Want me to show you?" she offered.

    "No!" Daphne grabbed her little sister and pulled her back in a protective manner. "It''s too early for that!"

    "Oh¡­ okay." Luna shrugged. They could always do thatter at night if now was too early.

    "So¡­ back to the topic¡­" Ginny said. "What happened then? Where did he put his hands?"

    "Well¡­ he didn''t really move, now that I think about it," Lyra recalled.

    "He must have been too shy," Ginny nodded. This was expected of Neville.

    Harry''s face was red as a tomato, and he couldn''t articte a word.

    "I think so too¡­" Lyra nodded. "Maybe next time, I''ll grab his hand and ce it on my butt."

    "Oh dear Merlin!" Harry copsed in the stands.

    "Ah, Harry!" Ginny hurried to help him. "I think he''s not feeling well."

    "Oh no, I broke my brother!" Lyra frowned.

    "Dear¡­ this is too much," Daphne could barely contain her need tough.

    Harry had barely managed to stay conscious. He felt very conflicted about this.

    For one, he was happy that Lyra felt that way toward him¡­ but on the other hand, albeit unknown to her, she had just done something that had been banned by the Ministry of Magic for two hundred years already...much to the dismay of some pureblood families.

    He felt a wave of relief when Fleur Dcour entered the arena and everyone began to cheer.

    At least he could distract himself with something else now.

    Barty Crouch climbed a tall podium and announced the first tournament test before exining what it was about.

    Most members of the audience were shocked when they saw the handlers bring a giant green dragon and secure her on one end of the arena.

    The tournament arena, also known as the Quidditch field, was, for the most part, a giant oval covered in rocks, with the dragon on one side and the champion on the other.

    All around the arena were the stands, ced several feet higher on top of a solid stone wall. This was done for a better view, but also as a security measure against dragon fire.

    Unless the beast started to spew fire upwards, they would be fine.

    The walls around the arena were heavily reinforced with magic, and even the dragon would not be capable of damaging them.

    Thest security measure was the chain that secured the beast''s legs to the ground. It could still move around a bit, but it wouldn''t be taking off into the sky.

    "This is too scary¡­" Lyra said. They all knew already what the test was going to be. After all, one of Ginny''s brothers worked as a dragon handler and was responsible for bringing the beasts to Hogwarts.

    But seeing the giant creatures in person was a different matter. She didn''t know if Neville was going to be capable of seeding.

    Lyra cared little about him winning the tournament, and she knew Neville didn''t care either. She just didn''t want him to get hurt.

    Ginny was also concerned, but mostly about Neville. When put beside the monstrosity that chased them two years prior, this dragon almost looked friendly.

    Daphne nced at the dragon but was not too impressed. She considered the basilisk and nundu a lot scarier creatures than this dragon.

    At least fighting a dragon was a lot more direct, and one didn''t have to worry about petrifying gazes or poison clouds.

    With all said and done, it was finally time to begin.

    Fleur got in position and was given the signal to start her trial.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 340: A Storm Approaches

    Chapter 340: A Storm Approaches

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 340: A Storm Approaches</strong>

    "Oh Merlin! You can see everything!" Lyra stared at the French champion, who got a bit too exposed after the dragon burned away her dress while she was in the process of getting away once she got the golden egg.

    "Don''t look!" Ginny hurried to cover Harry''s eyes.

    "I didn''t see anything, I swear!" Harry said quickly.

    "What did she do to the dragon to piss it off so much?" Lyra asked.

    "She used some type of bewitching charm on the dragon. I''m not familiar with that one, but it must have been something between apulsion and the Imperius Curse¡­ she must have forgotten that most magical beasts are very resistant to mind magic, so it wore off very quickly." Daphne exined.

    Fleur had managed to return to the champions'' tent while carrying the golden egg and covering as much of her body as she could.

    "Look, they''re giving the scores," Luna pointed at the judges'' area.

    "Seriously?... She got an eight?" Lyra raised an eyebrow. That seemed like a very high score for someone who barelypleted the task.

    "They make an average of all the judges'' scores," Ginnymented. "And she got a ten from Headmaster Karkaroff." She added with a raised eyebrow.

    "And another ten from Mister Barty Crouch Senior¡­of course. " Daphne huffed.

    "I wonder what they liked so much about her performance¡­." Lyra looked very annoyed.

    "Can I open my eyes now?" Harry asked politely.

    "What''s with him today?..." Lyra could not recognize her brother right now.

    ''Did my news snap something in his brain? That can''t be¡­'' she thought.

    While they took away the green dragon, the next champion entered the arena.

    " That''s the Viktor Krum that my brother Ron won''t shut up about...he is always surrounded by fangirls. " Ginny said.

    "I wonder if he''s also good at using magic," Lyra said.

    "He wouldn''t be here if his only skill was flying a broom," Daphne added.

    At that moment, they were all startled by a loud cracking noiseing from the sky.

    "What is that?" Lyra asked.

    "A storm?" Astoria suggested.

    "It doesn''t look like a storm..." Daphne said.

    They looked up, but the morning sky waspletely devoid of any dark clouds, and no matter how much they looked, they couldn''t find anything amiss.

    Daphne stared up with a concerned look. She couldn''t say what it was, but she had this foreboding feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

    "Daph?..." Astoria pulled on her sister''s robes.

    "It''s nothing. I''m fine," Daphne tried her best to offer her a reassuring smile.

    The proceedings continued, and Krum''s dragon was brought into the arena.

    A violent red dragon, who began to spit fire around the moment its mouth guard was released by the handlers.

    "Okay, that one looks a lot scarier," Lyra admitted.

    "A Chinese Fireball," Luna identified the dragon immediately.

    "Let me guess¡­ they love breathing fire," Ginny said.

    "Yes! How did you know?" Luna looked impressed.

    Ginny rolled her eyes.

    Krum was given the signal to begin. His performance went a lot better than Fleur''s. He used a Conjunctivitis Curse on the beast, blinding itpletely, before sneaking by and grabbing the egg.

    He would have gotten an almost perfect score if his spell hadn''t caused the dragon to step on several of its eggs, killing the unborn hatchlings.

    He ended up with an 8.5 score, which put him in first ce for now.

    Then it was Cedric Diggory''s turn.

    The entire stadium cheered for him as soon as he entered.

    "Wow¡­ he really is the most popr candidate," Lyra grimaced.

    "Of course. This is Hogwarts, and he''s the Hogwarts Champion," Daphne shrugged. "At least that''s what everyone says," she nced at ''Harry''.

    "Well, for one, I hope he gets burned a bit," Ginny said.

    "Ginny, you can''t say that¡­" Harry muttered.

    "Why not? It was his housemates who attacked us¡­ why should I care what happens to him?" She crossed her arms.

    "But Cedric has never said anything mean to m¡ª Neville¡­."

    "Maybe not him, but that girlfriend of his has said enough for both of them," Lyra added.

    "Cho¡­" Astoria muttered the name. She was one of the few people in the entire school she actually disliked.

    "I don''t like her much either¡­" It was rare for Luna to say that about some anyone.

    They brought out Cedric''s dragon...the Swedish Short-Snout.

    It was the smallest one so far, but it looked angrier than the two previous dragonsbined.

    "That dragon is ready to rip his head off," Lyra said.

    "Then for his own good, he''d better have a good n," Ginny said.

    Cedric looked very nervous as he approached the dragon¡­ step by step.

    Once he determined he was just outside its range of attack, Cedric tapped his wand on some loose stones and transfigured them into several small animals.

    The creatures began to run toward the dragon from different directions, sessfully distracting it just long enough for Cedric to sneak behind it.

    The audience watched with rapt attention¡­ not wanting to make a noise that could ruin their champion''s n.

    But just as Cedric was about to grab the golden egg from the nest, another one of those loud cracking noises resounded all over the arena.

    This one was much louder than the previous one.

    Cedric, who had been so focused on grabbing the egg, was startled by the sudden noise and let out a short scream.

    He immediately realized what he had done and covered his mouth, but it was toote. The dragon heard him and turned around.

    Cedric was now trapped at the back of the arena, and the only way out was to circle around the dragon.

    "Merlin! He''s going to get killed," Daphne said.

    "This is very bad¡­." Ginnymented.

    "Bad?¡­ he''s bloody screwed," Lyra said.

    Charlie Weasley and the other handlers hurried into the arena to save him.

    Cedric stared directly at the ugly giant beast, thinking he was about to be killed.

    But at that moment, out of nowhere, something fell from the sky andnded with force on the head of the dragon.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 341: Something Out of Place

    Chapter 341: Something Out of ce

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 341: Something Out of ce</strong>

    Not wanting to waste what could be his only chance to escape, Cedric took advantage of the confusion and sprinted past the dragon.

    The beast shook its head and snapped back to reality after being hit.

    Without turning around, it swung its tail like a whip, catching Cedric on the back.

    "Arrgggg!" The boy was pushed forward and ended up falling on top of arge rock.

    He heard the dragon moving behind him.

    "No¡­" He must have broken something in the fall because he could barely move.

    The dragon began to open its mouth, sparks of crimson mes appearing within.

    But before it could unleash its fiery breath on Cedric, it was hit by a barrage of spells from the four dragon handlers rushing at it.

    The dragon shrieked violently and took several steps back.

    "Get him out of here!" Charlie Weasleymanded the others.

    Two of the handlers grabbed Cedric and carried him out of the arena, into the infirmary tent that had been ced nearby.

    "Let me see," Madam Pomfrey was ready and waiting for them.

    "Hmm... three broken ribs and a fractured leg. It could have been so much worse, to be honest." The Healer smiled.

    "I''ll get you fixed up in a jiffy, Mister Diggory. You''ll be running by dinnertime."

    Back in the audience stands, everyone was talking about what they had just seen.

    "Yikes... I thought he was a goner," Lyra grimaced.

    "Lyra! Have some tact¡­ he really could have died there," Ginny sighed. She had said earlier that she hoped Cedric would get burned a bit, but this had been too close.

    "They were warned that the tournament was dangerous and still chose to participate. So there''s that," Daphne said.

    "Did anyone else see something fall on top of the dragon''s head?" Luna asked.

    The girls turned to look at her.

    "Am I seeing things again?" Luna asked with a confused expression.

    "No...you are not seeing things, Luna. Well, at least not in this specific case. I saw something too. It fell on the dragon''s head and distracted it for a few seconds." Daphne told her.

    While the handlers ced the dragon back in its cage, the judges were giving their scores.

    "A three?!" Harry eximed.

    "It''s already very generous, considering he failed the task," Daphne pointed out. "They probably gave him a few points based on the quality of his transfiguration," she added.

    "It didn''t seem very impressive to me," Lyramented. She was used to seeing her brother use that branch of magic, and he always made it seem so effortless as he transformed his surroundings. Turning a few rocks into small animals was something even she could do.

    "What do you think, Harry?" Lyra turned to nce at her brother.

    "Ehm... yes!" Harry recalled his instructions. He was told to keep his answers short, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

    "Yes, what?" Lyra was confused. She had no idea what was going on with Harry today, but it couldn''t be just because of what she said before.

    "I mean¡­ I don''t care." Harry tried his best to sound authentic.

    The girls looked at him for a moment before losing interest. That had been a more normal answer, at least.

    Back in the arena, the dragon handlers were able to safely remove the beast and ce it back in its secure container.

    While some of them began to work on recing the eggs for the next dragon, Charlie appeared to be looking for something on the ground.

    "Where could it be..." He scanned the area with his eyes.

    "What are you looking for?" One of his co-workers approached him and asked.

    "I swear I saw something fall from the sky and hit the dragon before it could attack the boy," Charlie said.

    The other young man looked up.

    "From the sky?... You mean one of the spectators threw something at the dragon to help the champion?" The stands were much higher than the arena floor, so it wouldn''t be impossible.

    "Maybe..." Charlie said.

    "That''s some impressive aim, then."

    Charlie spotted something red behind arge rock.

    "There!" He rushed over and grabbed the object. "A broom?"

    His co-worker got closer to have a better look, and when he saw it, his eyes widened.

    "That''s not just a broom, that''s a Firebolt! The best flying broom in the whole world."

    "Yes, I know that," Charlie said.

    Most of his family was obsessed with Quidditch, so how could he not know what this was? "My brother Ron wouldn''t shut up about this broom all summer. Apparently, one of his ssmates got one." He then added.

    "Must be a rich kid. That broom costs about six months'' worth of my sry." The young handler said with a chuckle.

    "What I meant to say is¡­ who would throw a broom at a dragon?" Charlie wondered.

    "Mmm... a very rich kid?" The young worker looked at the broom with wide eyes. "Say¡­ you think we could keep it?"

    Charlie scoffed.

    "Don''t be ridiculous, of course not! This must belong to a student from the audience, and I''m certain they''ll want it back."

    "Yeah¡­ I guess so," the young man looked a bit disappointed.

    Charlie chuckled at his friend''s reaction before turning his attention back to the broom. He passed his finger across the wooden body.

    "There''s a bit of damage on the handle, but it shouldn''t be too much trouble to fix... wait, here are some engravings on the side." He just noticed.

    "Does it say the name of the owner?"

    "Let''s see¡­" Charlie read its contents aloud.

    "To H.J.P., with love from your favorite Godfather, Padfoot."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 342: It Has Begun

    Chapter 342: It Has Begun

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 342: ItHas Begun</strong>

    "Padfoot? What kind of name is that?"

    Charlie shrugged. "I''m going to take this to the Headmaster. You lot start preparing the Horntail, but don''t release it until I''m back, you hear me? I don''t want any incidents," he said in a serious tone.

    "Aye, aye... I hear you. We know how dangerous that bugger is... I can''t believe they''re sending the youngest kid against it," one of the young handlers said.

    "Yeah... me neither," Charlie nodded before leaving the arena, carrying the expensive broom with him. He made his way to the judges'' area, where the school Headmaster sat.

    As he neared the familiar old wizard, someone rushed past, bumping into his legs. Charlie nced down, initially thinking it was a small child. But the white hair and long beard streaming behind the figure suggested otherwise.

    "A gnome?" He had met a few in the past and knew better than to confuse them with someone like Professor Flitwick, who was half-goblin. But gnomes were extremely rare in Britain.

    "Dumbledore! This is terrible!" The gnome ran toward the judges'' table, while waving a peculiar stick around.

    "Professor Silverbell? What are you¡ª" Dumbledore looked around as the other judges turned their attention to the gnome. Dolores Umbridge, one of the judges, was among them.

    This was exactly why Dumbledore had warned the old gnome not to meet with him in public. If the Ministry caught wind that he had been in contact with the Director of the Time Department, they would demand answers. The only good thing was that few people in the entire Ministry knew who Silverbell was. Most would go their entire careers without catching a single glimpse of the peculiar gnome since he rarely leaves the Department of Mysteries.

    "You shouldn''t be here," Dumbledore whispered, leaning closer to the small professor.

    "This is an emergency! Look!" Silverbell waved the stick in front of him.

    "Why are you showing me a broken stick?" Dumbledore noted that the top part seemed to have been snapped.

    "This used to be my most urate tool for measuring the scale of time anomalies. It blew up this morning!"

    "What?... You don''t mean¡ª" Dumbledore began, his mind already racing to the possibility of a Timeline Convergence. He and Harry had considered the possibility of one of those taking ce during the tournament trials.

    "What is going on here?" Umbridge red at them, though thankfully, she wasn''t familiar with the Time Department at all. Otherwise, her attitude would have been very different. Still, this was a woman who disliked anyone who was human, an even among those, she only had respect for a select few.

    "Albus? Who is this?" Bartemius Crouch, another judge, asked, narrowing his eyes.

    Crouch had worked many years at the Ministry but had never set foot in the Time Department either. Few, even within the Department of Mysteries, had ever done so, and thus, very few recognized Professor Silverbell at first nce.

    "This is... an old colleague of mine. Excuse me for a moment," Dumbledore said, rising from his chair.

    "You are friends with a gnome?...why am I not surprised?" Umbridge huffed.

    "You can''t leave now! We still have one more champion to go," Crouchined.

    "It will only take a few min¡ª"

    "Headmaster!" Charlie interrupted, approaching the group. "I''m very sorry to intrude. I just wanted to hand you this," he said, cing the broom on the table.

    "A broom?" Dumbledore looked at him in confusion.

    "Aye. I believe one of your students threw this into the arena during thest match."

    "Someone threw a broom?" Dumbledore nced at it again. He still didn''t understand why this was brought to him. "You could have handed to any of the prof-"

    "That''s a Firebolt!" Headmaster Karkaroff interrupted him and got closer. "What kind of rich brat would throw something like that?"

    "Well, whoever did deserve a thank you from the Hogwarts champion. This might''ve saved his life," Charlie said.

    "What do you mean?" Dumbledore inquired.

    "This fell from the sky and hit the dragon on the head just as it was about to attack the boy... he got very lucky."

    "From the sky, you say?" Professor Silverbell asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

    "Is the next dragon ready? We must get thest test started," Crouch interrupted, clearly impatient. "I have a very tight schedule," he added with a scoff.

    "Right! They''re waiting for me to release the dragon." Charlie nced at Dumbledore. "I have to get back to work. I''ll leave the broom with you, Headmaster. It should be easy to find the owner...there''s an inscription on the side." He rushed out.

    "Right..." Dumbledore flipped the broom over and found the inscription.

    "This is not the time for this, Dumbledore! You must stop this tournament before it''s toote!" the gnome urged.

    "Stop the tournament? Are you mad? And who are you anyway?" Crouch frowned.

    Dumbledore was about to respond but suddenly froze. His eyes focused on the inscription on the broom.

    "Padfoot?..." he murmured. He had heard that nickname before.

    ''But that''s impossible...'' Dumbledore thought. That person had died almost fifteen years ago, and this model of broom was quite new.

    ''There could be a student with a simr nickname, I suppose...'' he considered. But then his eyes caught the initials H.J.P.

    ''James Potter?... Harry James Potter?... This can''t be a coincidence.''

    While Dumbledore was deep in thought, another cracking noise echoed through the stadium.

    "Ahh, that sted sound again!" Umbridge yelled.

    "I hope the storm holds off until we finish thest test," Crouch said, concerned.

    "That''s not a storm," Madame Maxime observed.

    "There aren''t any clouds in the sky either," Karkaroff added.

    "Whatever it is, I hope it can wait. Nothing can disrupt the tournament. Everything must go ording to n!" Mister Crouch eximed.

    Dumbledore''s gaze met Professor Silverbell''s for a brief moment before the old gnome nced skyward.

    "The sounds... are they...?"

    "It''s toote now. It has begun," Silverbell said, just as a massive ck crack appeared in the clear blue sky, splitting it in half.

    "By Merlin!" Dumbledore''s eyes opened widely.

    "The Convergence... is here," Silverbell muttered.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 343: A Crack in the Sky

    Chapter 343: A Crack in the Sky

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 343: A Crack in the Sky</strong>

    Neville was stepping out of the champions'' tent when thest cracking noise echoed, and the sky seemed to rip in half.

    "That can''t be good¡­" he mumbled. He had been expecting something to ur. But this may be worse than predicted.

    As he moved onto the rocky terrain, he could see the dragon handlers in the distance. It had been too long since hest saw that creature, but the memories rushed to the front of his mind like a torrent as heid eyes on the angry beast.

    "We meet again, Horntail¡­ but it won''t be the same this time¡­" Neville nced up at the sky again.

    This was a clear sign of a Convergence. The walls of their reality must be colliding with something, thus creating a rupture. The only question was¡­ just how bad things were going to get, and what would slip through that crack before it closes.

    There was a notableck of cheers after Mister Crouch announced his entrance. In fact, most of the crowd was booing or calling him a cheater.

    ''Technically, they''re not booing me, I guess,'' he thought. Still, it did not make him happy. And brought back some very unpleasant memories.

    Mister Crouch reminded him of the task and wished him good luck. The audience fell silent as the Horntail was finally unleashed.

    "Can''t me them¡­ that thing is terrifying." Neville stopped a safe distance away and considered his next move.

    It wasn''t clear if Voldemort had interfered with the test, but that seemed unlikely. If that was the case, it would be best toplete his task without showing too much of his abilities. That would keep him confident, and he wouldn''t make any rash moves.

    Then again, Voldemort acting early could be a good thing. The best-case scenario would be if the Dark Lord attacked Hogwarts directly, bringing all his forces with him. If that were to happen, He would be in the strongest position to counterattack. A battle within the castle would be quick, and he knew time was of the essence...this world might notst long.

    With his mind made up, he moved forward. "Okay¡­ I think the best course of action would b¡ª"

    Something fell in front of him with a loud ''thud.''

    "What was that?! Something fell from the sky!" thementator announced, stating the obvious.

    Everyone could see it now.

    "Mmm?... this is¡­" Neville squinted.

    Screams began to echo around the stadium.

    The ''thing'' that had fallen wasn''t a ''what,'' but a ''who.''

    No one could immediately identify the person, but it was clear by their appearance that they were dead.

    "Let me through!" Madam Pomfrey was already rushing into the arena at an impressive speed.

    Neville stood there, staring at the body. It was lying face-down, so he couldn''t see the person''s face, but he knew who it was. He nced up at the sky. The ck crack was still there, showing no signs of disappearing.

    Whatever this was... it was just the beginning.

    "Let me see!" Pomfrey knelt beside the corpse and checked for vitals.

    "Oh no...it''s toote..." she confirmed what everyone already suspected. But as a healer, it was her duty to be certain.

    All that remained was to identify the body. She ced a hand on the shoulder and was about to turn it over when Neville spoke to her.

    "It would be best if you left it as it is."

    "I must confirm this person''s identity as soon as possible. Their family and friends deserve to know," Pomfrey insisted. "Also, is not like we can leave him here."

    The dragon ahead of them began screeching loudly, pulling violently at its chains.

    "I know you have a job to do, but¡­" Neville pointed upward. "That''s going to be difficult right now." He gestured toward the sky.

    Pomfrey first heard the screams from the crowd, and then arge shadow was cast over her. The moment she looked up, she, too, screamed.

    The first arrival had been the broom.

    The rider came next.

    And now, the one who had caused them to fall had arrived.

    One Horntail roared from the air, and the other roared from the ground.

    The newly arrived dragon ignored the audience andnded in the rocky arena. Something had caught its interest...the eggs guarded by the other dragon.

    "Where did <em>that</em>onee from?! There should only be one!" Pomfrey shouted.

    "Leave the arena while you still can. It won''t be distracted for long," Neville advised as he walked past her with his wand in hand.

    "Where are you going?! Let the dragon handlers handle this!" Pomfrey cried out.

    "I have a task toplete. An extra dragon won''t change much." Neville''s voice was cold, but he wasn''t trying to be. He was worried this wasn''t the end of it.

    He wanted to deal with this problem before anything worse happened.

    Neville aimed his wand at the extra dragon, and it must have sensed the magic stirring because it shifted its attention away from the eggs and toward him.

    He didn''t want to waste time. He focused his wand on the target and conjured a metallic spear.

    The spear was simr to ance used in knight tournaments. It was round and thick on one side, sharp and pointed on the other. The spear measured about three meters long and was made entirely of steel.

    Dragonhide was nearly impervious to magic, much like the basilisk he had faced in the past. It also offered resistance to physical attacks. He would need something with incredible piercing power to get through it.

    As the dragon moved toward him, its mouth opened, and Neville gave his wand a twist.

    The spear began to spin in ce, so fast that it created a grinding sound as it cut through the air, building friction.

    mes started to form in the dragon''s mouth.

    "Too slow." Neville released the spear.

    It shot forward faster than a bullet, piercing the dragon''s skull. It didn''t stop there...it continued through, disappearing into the coliseum walls.

    The mes in the Horntail''s mouth vanished as it copsed.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 344: Neville, the Dragon Slayer

    Chapter 344: Neville, the Dragon yer

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 344: Neville, the Dragon yer</strong>

    "N-Neville Longbottom killed the dragon!" Mister Crouch yelled into the voice amplification artifact. His eyes were wide with shock, his hand trembling with excitement.

    "This has to be a jest...that boy?" Madam Maxine could not believe it.

    Igor Karkarof stared at the arena with worry. This could make things difficult for his champion.

    Madam Umbridge tried her best to avoid showing her emotions, but the mixture of anger and concern was clear on her face.

    "This boy is a freak too?..." She had been ordered to keep an eye on the Boy Who Lived, but she had never been too concerned about it. The rumors about Longbottom had all appeared to be false for what she had the chance to observe.

    But now...she was worried that those rumors talking about Longbottom''s hidden magical abilities could be true after all.

    Mister Crouch stared at Neville inplete disbelief. "I never thought I would say something like this¡­ but wait! That wasn''t our dragon, was it?" He stood up from his chair, pointing at the one still chained to the ground. "Our dragon is right there! What are the handlers doing?" He could only assume this was some mistake by those in charge of the creatures.

    However, Charlie and the other dragon handlers were just as confused as everyone else. They had only brought one Horntail dragon and a few of her eggs. No one knew where the second dragon hade from, and it made no sense to them¡ªthere were no wild dragons in Britain.

    "Wow, that was amazing! Did Neville really do that?" Lyra eximed.

    "Since when can Neville do magic like that?" Ginny looked perplexed.

    "That looked like¡­ Harry," Astoria managed to say.

    "Of course it does. That is Harry, after all," Lunamented casually.

    Lyra turned to ''Harry'' and shook his shoulder. "Harry, have you been teaching Neville weird stuff?"

    "Eh? What do you...uh, I mean... no?" The boy wasn''t sure what he was supposed to say. He just hoped Harry hadn''t killed a dragon while using his face. Now, everyone was going to get the wrong idea.

    "Lyra, I don''t think that...wait¡­ what did Luna just say?" Ginny nced at the blonde girl. "I must have misheard¡­"

    "I said," Luna pointed at Neville, who was still standing in the arena staring at the dead dragon, "the one over there is Harry, and¡­" she pointed at ''Harry'' sitting beside them, looking pale, "that''s Neville."

    "What?! What are you talking about?" Lyra asked.

    "That makes sense," Astoria nodded.

    "No, it doesn''t!" Lyra retorted.

    "Wait¡­ that can''t be true¡­" Ginny looked at ''Harry.'' "Is it?"

    "Ehm¡­ well, I¡­" ''Harry'' looked incredibly troubled.

    ''Come on, Nev. Think of something. What would Harry say in this situation? Right!'' He turned to look directly at Lyra and Ginny with the most serious expression he could muster. "I don''t care!."

    Then, he quickly looked away.

    The girls stared at him in disbelief.

    "Luna, how can you be so sure?" Ginny asked, clearly feeling something was off.

    "Neville is always surrounded by at least a dozen Nargles, six Blibbering Humdingers, and one Gulping Plimpy. It''s impossible not to recognize him," Luna exined.

    "That many?" ''Harry'' wasn''t sure what those things were, but it sounded like a lot.

    "Today, you have more Nargles than usual, though," Luna added. "Also, the real Harry is easy to recognize because the only creatures that get close to him are a few dark ones. They look very... wrong, but Harry told me not to worry about it."

    "So, you knew who everyone was from the beginning? Why didn''t you say anything?!" Ginny asked.

    "I thought you all knew too. I mean, it was so obvious." Luna shrugged.

    "Luna¡­ we can''t see the creatures you do. Only you have that ability," Daphne reminded her.

    Luna made a surprised expression. "Oh right! I forgot."

    "So¡­" Ginny nced at the terrified ''Harry,'' who kept mumbling something about failing.

    Meanwhile, the ''Neville'' in the arena turned his attention to the remaining dragon.

    "This isn''t how I wanted to do things, but... it is what it is, I suppose. The Headmaster will have to understand." His eyes sharpened as he looked at the Horntail. "Now, how do I deal with you?"

    The dragon couldn''t understand his words, but it was intelligent enough to recognize that this human was dangerous. It could kill her, just as it had killed the other dragon. The beast took several steps back, trying to distance itself, but was quickly reminded of the chains binding her. She began pulling at them in desperation, attempting to escape.

    "Is the dragon trying to run away?" Lyra stared at the bizarre scene, lookingpletely baffled.

    "Poor thing¡­ it looks so scared," Ginny said, starting to feel sorry for the creature.

    "Please, don''t kill that one too," ''Harry'' begged. He did not want to be remembered as the ''Dragon Killer'' for the rest of his Hogwarts years.

    Lyra''s eyes moved from the ''Harry'' beside her to the ''Neville'' in the arena. She might not have Luna''s ability to see magical creatures, but the situation had be painfully clear.

    "Even the bloody dragon is scared of him. Yep, that''s my brother, alright¡­"

    The realization hit her all at once.

    "By Merlin''s Balls! I kissed my brother!"

    Ginny gasped in shock. "You totally did!"

    "Oh no! What have I done?" Lyra brought her hands to her head.

    "Apparently, something illegal," Luna said, matter-of-factly.

    "Lyra! Too loud!" Astoria noticed people nearby had started staring at them.

    "Why didn''t anyone stop me?!" Lyra cried.

    "We didn''t know you were going to kiss your brother," Luna reminded her.

    "Yeah, you can be very unpredictable sometimes," Ginny agreed.

    "That was <em>not</em>the n!" Lyra yelled. She then turned to ''Harry.'' "You¡­"

    "Eh?... me?" The boy began to sweat nervously.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 345: The Second Visitor Arrives

    Chapter 345: The Second Visitor Arrives

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 345: The Second Visitor Arrives</strong>

    "Why did you have to do that?!" Lyra shook ''Harry''s'' shoulders.

    "I... I''m sorry. I was told it was very important, but¡­ I can''t say more¡­" Harry apologized.

    "Lyra, calm down. I''m sure they had a good reason. Harry isn''t the type to do something like this for fun," Daphne told her.

    "But it was¡­ it was my first¡­" Lyra mumbled.

    "If it makes you feel any better, Harry was also my first kiss," Ginny told her friend.

    "It does not make me feel any better!" Her eyes moved to ''Harry'', who she now knew was actually Neville. She realized that he had heard everything she said. "Oh¡­ this is so embarrassing."

    "Am I the only one worried about that crack in the sky?" Luna asked.

    "No... you are not," Daphne told her. She was also looking at it, wondering if this was one of those events Harry had described to her.

    ''If this is a Convergence, then that dragon must havee from some parallel reality.'' Her eyesnded on the dead boy lying on the ground of the arena.

    It was impossible to catch any details, but if that dragon that appeared was an alternate version of the one chained to the ground, then the person who fell was likely a different version of either Harry or Neville.

    She didn''t care to find out which one it was. The situation was disturbing enough as it was.

    "But¡­" She looked up again. If Harry had already killed the invading dragon, why isn''t that crack going away?

    At the judges'' table, Professor Silverbell and Dumbledore were having the same thoughts as Daphne.

    "There''s more, isn''t there?" Dumbledore asked.

    "Definitely, and I don''t know how much. But it''s toote to stop it. Now we must face this trial and hope toe out on top. Our continued existence depends on it," Silverbell said in a somber tone.

    "Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" Headmistress Maxine approached them.

    Next to her, Professor Silverbell looked even tinier, like an ant beside an elephant.

    "We were¡ªahh! A giant!" The old gnome had been too concerned with other matters to notice therge woman''s approach and got really startled.

    She frowned. "I am not a giant! Just a tall woman." She did not like being reminded of her origins.

    "We were merely talking about some theoretical experiments that we were interested in," Dumbledore gave Silverbell a knowing look. It would do them no good if more people found out what they knew.

    And with Umbridge so close by, that information was bound to end up in the worst possible hands.

    The situation was bad enough already; there was no need to make it worse.

    "Yes, it''s just some theoretical experiment. By the way¡­" He pointed at the arena. "Who is that boy who just killed a dragon?"

    "That''s¡­ ehm¡­ Neville Longbottom." Dumbledore could not reveal the secret right here.

    "I thought everyone in Britain would recognize the Boy Who Lived," Maxinemented.

    "And he wasn''t supposed to kill the dragon!" Mister Crouch said. "But then again¡­ that dragon wasn''t ours¡­ right?. We don''t have to pay for that one." He felt a bit more relief now.

    "Ah¡­ the Boy Who Lived¡­ I see. I don''t leave my study very often. He looks like a talented young man, not like that other rude pupil of yours¡­" Silverbell thought about Harry and how bad the first impression he had left on him was.

    "And who is the girl next to him?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the arena.

    "What girl?" Dumbledore said.

    There was only one female champion, and Fleur had already gone into the infirmary castle for further treatment of her burns.

    But when they looked, there was indeed a girl with long dark hair in a Hogwarts uniform.

    "Did someone sneak into the arena?! This is bad!" Mister Crouch was already thinking of the implications if some random student got killed in his tournament.

    "She''s definitely one of yours, Albus," Maxine recognized the Hogwarts robes.

    Dumbledore''s eyes became sharp. He had prepared all the protections on that arena. There was no way for a spectator to just jump in without his knowledge.

    "She must have entered in a different way¡­" His eyes moved to therge crack in the sky and then¡­ to the dead boy on the ground.

    "Could it be?¡­" Dumbledore wondered.

    Only he knew that the one down there was actually Harry Potter and the one who fell from the sky was likely another version of himself.

    Now a third person appears out of nowhere... there was a likely conclusion to reach here.

    Down at the rocky field, Neville was considering what spell to use on the dragon when he felt a familiar magical signature appear behind him.

    He turned around, thinking this could be an ambush of some sort, and found himself staring at a young girl with long ck hair and deep green eyes.

    "It is quite big, I suppose... mmm?..." She looked away from the dragon and proceeded to stare at him.

    The girl couldn''t hide the surprise on her face.

    "Longbottom? What in Merlin''s name are you doing here?!"

    "I should be the one asking that¡­ only the champions are meant to be here," Neville answered.

    The girl raised an eyebrow and gave him a very haughty look.

    "Are you mocking me, Longbottom? I didn''t think you had it in you." She pointed her wand at him.

    "I am the fourth champion¡­ now get out of my arena before I curse you."

    He could already guess who this was.

    "Your name isn''t Potter by any chance?" The moment Neville asked this, he realized he had made a mistake.

    Her face contorted in fury.

    "You dare use that name in my presence?!" Her wand lit up.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 346: The Potters

    Chapter 346: The Potters

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 346: The Potters</strong>

    "Calm down... if you are who I think you are, then I believe we have bigger problems right now," Neville said to the ck-haired girl in front of him.

    Her response was to fire a curse at his feet.

    "That was the only warning I will give you, Longbottom. Get out of my way," she said coldly.

    Neville just noticed the robes she was wearing. They were of very high quality and heavily enchanted. Beneath them, he could catch a glimpse of a green tie with the symbol of Slytherin House.

    "You''re i¡ª" He was interrupted by a wave of magic washing over him, as if someone had thrown a stone into a pond, creating ripples.

    "Huh?... What is this? I thought I was supposed to do the test alone¡­" A tall young boy with short dark hair and green eyes walked out from behind somerge rocks and stared at them. He wore small rectangr sses and had his wand in hand.

    The unnamed girl and Neville returned his stare.

    "Bloody hell... this is going to be much worse than I thought." He kept his ward up and continued scanning his surroundings. He had a feeling something terrible was about to happen. For every extra person that ended up here, a lot more trouble would follow, and he had no way to stop this.

    "What?!... Another one? And who are you?" the girl demanded an answer from this new arrival.

    The boy looked a bit surprised. "I thought everyone in the school knew me by now." His eyes moved to her robes. "I guess it''s true that Slytherins live in their own world."

    "Fine! I don''t care anymore. This is my test, so get out of here. And take Longbottom with you!" she shouted.

    "Neville?!" The boy stared at him, shocked.

    "Mate, what are you doing here? This is a dangerous ce to be," the boy said, concern clear in his eyes.

    "Ouch!"

    They heard someonein. His voice came from somewhere nearby.

    "Oh no..." Nevillemented.

    Then, out of nowhere, another boy came walking from behind a rock and began toin in a very loud manner.

    "I hate this! These rocks are sharp. The Headmaster is going to hear from me this time!"

    The boy came into view and immediately looked bbergasted when he saw the others. "Wait...who are you all?."

    "Okay, is this a prank? Because it''s not funny at all," the girl scoffed.

    The new boy looked very skinny and fragile, with long dark bangs that covered part of his vibrant green eyes.

    "This is so not fabulous¡­ Are you girls trying to take away my big moment? Because let me tell you something¡­ I am so not in the mood for this." He waved his wand at them.

    "Whoa!... You look a lot like me!" the other green-eyed boy said with shock.

    "Like you?... With that terrible hair and cheap clothes? Honey, please, keep dreaming." The skinny boy looked at the symbol on his clothes and his expression got more serious.

    "I shouldn''t even be talking to a Gryffindor¡­ my boyfriend would get mad."

    "Okay..." Neville sighed and hoped this was thest one.

    " Just out of curiosity... what are your names?" Neville asked. He already knew the answer but needed to confirm something.

    "You forgot my name, mate?..." He looked confused.

    "Just humor me," Neville said.

    "I''m Harry... Harry Potter. Your best and only male friend. Do you remember now?" The tall Harry said while adjusting his sses.

    "Is this a joke? I am the only Harry Potter here," the skinny Harry said, looking very offended.

    "Potter?... That''s impossible. That''s my old family name, and I''m sure there are no Potters left. And I''m even more sure there aren''t any in my school," the girl turned to Neville.

    "You also mentioned that name¡­ What is this about? If it''s about money, their vault is empty. You can thank the old Headmaster for that."

    "What is your name then?" Neville asked. "And before you answer¡­ I''ll tell you all that I''m not the Neville Longbottom you know."

    "What''s that supposed to mean, Nev?" Harry asked.

    "I''ll try to exin, but I doubt we have much time¡­" Neville looked around. Nothing had happened yet, but it wouldn''t be long.

    He looked back at the girl.

    "Can you tell me your name? It''s important."

    She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was being serious, but couldn''t detect any deceit, and she was very good at that.

    "I am Victoria Cassiopeia ck¡­ current Lady of the House of ck. Now tell me what is this about."

    "The House of ck? You mean like Sirius?" tall Harry asked.

    "That house is extinct¡­" Skinny Harry muttered. "But Draco told me that in the future it will belong to him, because his mother is a Bl¡ª"

    "Did you say Draco?!" Victoria''s eyes became sharp as knives as she red at the Harry who had just spoken.

    "Yes¡­ That''s my boyfriend. What is it to you?" he huffed. "You better not get any weird ideas, honey¡­ he''s not interested."

    Neville sighed. He had to do something before they started fighting over that blonde twat. "Listen to me¡­ this is not your t¡ª"

    At that moment, someonended on the ground, right in the middle of the group, creating arge crack in the rocks beneath him.

    "Oops¡­ I got my robes dirty¡­ should have been more careful." The young man said in a casual tone.

    They were all forced to take a few steps back to look at the neer.

    The young man was about the same height as Neville.

    His face was more than familiar, but he had very long ck hair that reached his waist and a striking pair of bright orange eyes.

    He wasn''t wearing any robes¡ªjust a pair of ck leather pants and a leather jacket that showed off his muscr, bare torso.

    "Now¡­ where''s the dragon I have to kill?" he asked.

    A.N: In case you are curious about what they look like, I have posted pictures and brief descriptions of all the Potters alternate versions in my P@treon . You can view those for free.

    - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 347: The Four Travelers

    Chapter 347: The Four Travelers

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 347: The Four Travelers</strong>

    "Oh my¡­ and who is this?" Skinny Harry nced at thetest arrival with great interest.

    "Another one? This is getting out of hand," Neville said.

    "Mmm?... I wasn''t told there would be other people here. And you lot don''t look like dragon handlers to me," the young man in tight leather pants said to them.

    "Who the hell are you?" Victoria ck furrowed her eyebrows. There was something about this neer that made her uneasy.

    The young man''s orange eyes met her green ones before he offered her a charming smile.

    "Whoa, I haven''t seen you before. You must be new at Hogwarts." He approached her, causing her to take a step back.

    "I am Lord Hadrian Potter-ck, among many other titles. I''m also the heir of the Four Founder Houses and the creator of the Fifth Hogwarts House¡­ it''s a pleasure to meet you."

    Victoria''s expression softened.

    "N-nice¡­ to meet you."

    He stepped closer, cing a hand on her shoulder.

    "You know¡­ after I deal with this test real quick, why don''t youe with me? I have a massive private chamber in my own personal tower. We can get to know each other a bit better¡­ what do you say?"

    Victoria''s eyes became zed and lost their brightness for a moment.

    "I¡­ I¡­" She appeared to be in a trance, but then something snapped inside her, and her demeanor returned to normal. She clenched her fists and punched him hard enough to knock him onto his back.

    "You bastard! You tried to charm me!"

    "I was about to do that," Neville remarked, looking down at the fallen boy.

    "What happened? I felt something strange just now," Skinny Harry said.

    "It looks like Mister Gigolo over there tried to use some type ofpulsion on the girl, and it didn''t work out as he nned," the other Harry replied.

    "That''s awful!" The other Harry looked very perturbed by the mere thought.

    The young man on the ground didn''t look angry or disappointed. He simply chuckled while clutching his wounded cheek.

    "You must have top-notch mental defenses to throw off my charm like that. Now I want you even more¡­"

    "What did you do to me?" Victoria pointed her wand at him.

    "Now that she mentions it, I didn''t see him use a wand or anything to cast a spell," Tall Harry observed.

    "The magic in his eyes," Neville said. "He has demon blood¡­ from a type capable of manipting the minds of others. Perhaps a subus."

    "I am no subus!" Hadrian scoffed, annoyance creeping into his voice as he got back up. "On my eleventh birthday, I awoke mytent abilities as an incubus. My charm only works on women."

    "He''s actually a demon?"

    "Those exist?"

    "And you tried to use it on me?¡­ That''s going to cost you." Victoria''s wand began to glow.

    "Whoa, hold on! I was just ying around," Hadrian raised his hands defensively.

    "Wait," Neville interjected, stepping between them.

    "Move! I''m going to curse this bastard!" Victoria shouted.

    "And he would certainly deserve it¡­ under normal circumstances, I''d let you curse him until your arm got tired, but now''s not the time for that. You all need to find a way back before it''s toote," Neville said.

    "Go back where? What are you talking about?" Victoria demanded.

    "You seem to know what''s going on," Tall Harry pointed out.

    "Is this one of those weird things that always happen at the end of the year?" Skinny Harry asked. "Because it feels a bit early for that."

    Hadrian nodded. "Neville Longbottom is taking charge, and I got rejected by a girl¡­ there is definitely something wrong here. No doubt about it."

    "You''re so annoying and conceited," Skinny Harry said, crossing his arms. His eyes trailed down from Hadrian''s face, taking in his appearance. "You''re so arrogant, and¡­ hot."

    Hadrian grinned. "I know."

    "Ahem¡­" Neville cleared his throat. "If you can pay attention for one minute, I''ll exin. I think it''s best if I just say it directly...you''ve all traveled to a parallel universe without realizing it."

    "Pardon?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

    "A parallel universe?"

    "Care to exin a bit better?"

    Neville pointed around.

    "This isn''t your original world. It may look simr, but if you take a closer look, you''ll notice things are different."

    "Now that you mention it¡­" Hadrian nced toward the stands.

    "My cheering squad was over there. Most of the members of my harem hade to watch me y the dragon."

    "Did he say <em>harem</em>?" both Skinny Harry and Tall Harry said at the same time.

    "He''s not wrong¡­" Victoria was scanning a different part of the stadium.

    "I can''t find my friends¡­ nor Draco. Where are they?"

    "Wait! I can''t find my Draco either!" Skinny Harry was starting to panic.

    "And I don''t remember seeing that ugly woman at the judges'' table either. Who is that? She looks like a toad. Or that tiny old man who keeps pointing at us," Tall Harry added. His gaze then shifted to where Ron and Seamus were sitting, and his expression darkened.

    "Okay, I definitely believe you now¡­ because the Ron Weasley I know is very much¡­ dead."

    "Good, now we can figure out how to get you back to where you came from. That being said, there''s one more thing that worries me¡­" Neville looked around.

    "Where are your dragons?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 348: Find The Way Back Home

    Chapter 348: Find The Way Back Home

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 348: Find The Way Back Home</strong>

    "Where did all those studentse from?" Madam Maxime asked, her confusion evident.

    "Albus! Is this some ploy to help your second champion? I won''t stand for it!" Karkaroff shouted, clearly agitated.

    "Igor, I assure you tha¡ª"

    "Albus! This is a disaster! You have to get those boys off the arena. They are interfering with my tournament!" Mister Crouch demanded.

    Dumbledore sighed. "I have nothing to do with that, but¡­ I do agree that we need to do¡ª"

    "I also have something to say!" Madame Umbridge screeched at the Headmaster, standing abruptly.

    "Albus Dumbledore, I don''t know what¡­" The fury on her face was quickly reced by confusion.

    "I don''t know what I was going to say¡­" She sat back down, leaving everyone perplexed.

    "Mmm?..." The Headmaster stared at the toad woman with an inquisitive look and wondered what was wrong with her today.

    ''Now that I think about it...she has been a bit off, as oftely.'' He thought.

    "Dumbledore! Look!" Professor Silverbell pointed at the Firebolt broom in Dumbledore''s hands.

    It was bing transparent.

    The tiny professor hurriedly pulled another tool from his belt and began performing checks on the item, but he couldn''t do much before the broom vanishedpletely.

    "What in Merlin''s name is going on?" Madam Maxime had never felt so baffled in her entire life.

    "What does this mean?" Dumbledore asked Silverbell, concern growing in his voice.

    "I''m not sure yet¡­" Silverbell''s eyes shifted to the arena. "I need to examine that body from before, and perhaps the dr¡ª"

    Creaking noises echoed from the sky, startling everyone, followed by a series of loud roars that reverberated through the arena.

    Then¡­ they saw them.

    One dragon after another began to appear, filling the rocky area.

    "More dragons?!" Mister Crouch shouted.

    "But where are theying from?" Maxime asked, rmed.

    This time, they saw it clearly. The dragons didn''t fly down from the sky, instead, they simply appeared out of nowhere.

    "Is this an attack?¡­" Karkaroff muttered, worried this might be something orchestrated by his old master to kill everyone.

    "Oh¡­ this is much worse than I thought!" Professor Silverbell caught a glimpse of the dead dragon as it disappeared, followed by the corpse of the unknown boy.

    "Dumbledore, we must hurry!" Something had urred to him.

    "Quick! Someone call the dragon handlers!" Mister Crouch ordered.

    "No!" Silverbell quickly objected. "You must not interfere!"

    "What is this gnome talking about? We can''t just let those dragons run wild! I''ll get fired for this!" Crouch shouted.

    "Hold on, Bartemius. The professor here knows a lot about these¡­ phenomena. We should listen to him," Dumbledore said calmly.

    "Do you know what is happening?" Maxime asked, sensing that Dumbledore was withholding information.

    "Dumbledore, there is no time! You have to get me down there. I must speak with those boys before they do something that could doom us all," Silverbell urged.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "See? This is what I was worried about," Neville said, as four more Hungarian Horntails manifested into their world.

    There was one extra dragon for each extra individual that had appeared. Counting the one that had already been there for Neville''s test, that made five.

    "Whoa¡­ that''s a lot of dragons. This might get tricky," Hadrian Pottermented nonchntly.

    "Where did theye from?" Skinny Harry asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.

    "They came from the same ce as you all did. These are your dragons," Neville exined.

    "What about that one?" Tall Harry pointed at the corpse lying on the ground.

    "He was already like that when he appeared¡­ I guess the dragon killed him right before crossing over...wait. " Neville was interrupted as the dead dragon and the corpse both disappeared, vanishing into thin air.

    "Where did they go?" Tall Harry asked.

    "Did they go back to their world?" Victoria asked, looking at Neville.

    "Is that what we have to do to return? Do we have to die?"

    "Wait, hold on! Is that true?" Skinny Harry asked, panic rising in his voice.

    "I don''t have all the answers, okay? Just give me a moment to think¡­" Neville was clearly frustrated.

    At least all the dragons had appeared with their chains, which gave them a bit of time toe up with a n.

    Neville''s eyes drifted to the spot where the dragon he had killed had been before it vanished.

    ''Maybe they''ll go back as soon as their dragon dies¡­'' Neville considered.

    "Maybe we should just kill these dragons and see if that works. Because I''m certainly not willing to die myself. I don''t know about the rest of you," Hadrian said, reaching the same conclusion.

    Hadrian began walking away from the group, but Tall Harry stopped him.

    "So you want to do that alone?" Tall Harry asked.

    "No offense, but you all look like a band of weaklings. I can handle this myself." Hadrian smirked.

    "You don''t have to thank me. Just stay there and watch."

    "Hold it, leather pants," Victoria said.

    "Oh? Did you change your mind?" Hadrian gave her a wink.

    "You do realize that you''re all different versions of the same person, right?" Nevillemented.

    "Ew¡­ I''d rather not think about that," Victoria grimaced. "But what I was going to say is¡­ we don''t know if killing all the dragons will send us back. What if it makes things worse?"

    "So? It''s not like we can wait all day. Look." Hadrian pointed at the dragons.

    The Hungarian Horntail is a notoriously aggressive species of dragon, and even though they were chained, they were now struggling fiercely to break free. It was clear they wouldn''t remain restrained for much longer.

    "Wait, please! Don''t do anything yet!" Professor Silverbell''s voice echoed through the arena.

    He and Dumbledore were descending slowly onto the field on the Headmaster''s flying carpet.

    "You should all listen to what he has to say¡­" Dumbledore spoke in a grave tone.

    "Everyone''s future may depend on it."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 349: Which One Is Yours?

    Chapter 349: Which One Is Yours?

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 349: Which One Is Yours?</strong>

    "Only if it''s very, very short, because¡­" As Neville was speaking, one of the dragons broke free from its restraints. "...Because that will happen."

    "Wait! You mustn''t kill any of these dragons! It''s very important!" Professor Silverbell shouted urgently.

    "Why not? What happens if we do?" Victoria asked

    .

    "Right now, your connection to your own reality is weakening by the second. If that connection breaks for any reason, you will not be able to return, and¡­" Professor Silverbell hesitated, unable to finish.

    "And¡­?" Tall Harry looked at the old gnome with interest.

    "No matter. What''s important right now is that you must aplish your mission in order to go back. I believe that''s the only way." Silverbell concluded.

    "Our mission? You mean the trial with the dragon?" Skinny Harry asked.

    "So, we do have to kill the dragons then," Hadrianmented.

    "The goal of the first task is for you to acquire the golden egg and bring it back. The dragon is just the obstacle to pass," Dumbledore exined.

    "Oh, we just need to get the egg," Victoria said, realizing. "And then we can return?"

    "I see a problem with that," Neville pointed at the are where the dragons were located.

    They weren''t the only thing in the arena. There were nests all over, filled with golden eggs.

    "Can we just grab any golden egg?" Tall Harry asked.

    "Absolutely not! You must confront only <em>your own</em>dragon and retrieve the golden egg from your world. If you pick the wrong one... the consequences will be catastrophic!" the gnome warned.

    "How can you be so sure? Aren''t you just guessing?" Hadrian scoffed.

    "I''m making an educated guess... I''d say there''s about a sixty percent chance I''m correct," Professor Silverbell admitted.

    Another dragon broke free from its restraints.

    "It''s not like anyone else has a better idea. Just listen to the old gnome¡­" Neville approached the furious dragons.

    "Wait, Mister Longbottom!" Silverbell yelled.

    "I know¡­I won''t kill them. I''ll just hold them in ce a bit longer so our visitors canplete their task without the audience being burnt to a crisp. " Neville knelt down, letting the tip of his wand touch the ground as the first dragon began to move toward him.

    "Need help, mate?" Tall Harry offered.

    "No, I''ve got this." Neville''s eyes briefly glowed green. "<em>Ferrum Magnum Constrictus!</em>"

    The rocks and stones scattered around the arena transformed into iron chains, which quickly took on a life of their own and wrapped around the dragons.

    The more the dragons struggled, the more chains appeared, binding them tighter until they could no longer move.

    Neville kept his wand on the ground and sat down.

    "Just let me know which one I need to free. We can do this one at a time."

    "That was impressive," Skinny Harry said with a yful wink.

    "Nice one, mate," Tall Harry gave him a thumbs-up.

    "Yeah, but now what? We''ve got five dragons and five sets of eggs," Hadrian pointed out. "How are w-"

    "The pervert is right." She interrupted him. "How do we find the one that belongs to our world?" Victoria asked.

    "Hey!" Hadrianined.

    "That''s a good question¡­" Dumbledore said, his eyes on Professor Silverbell, hoping he had an answer. When Silverbell mentioned ''catastrophic consequences,'' only he and Harry truly understood the gravity of the situation. Their very existence was at risk.

    "As I said, you''re still connected to your own realities, and so are the eggs and dragons. When you''re near something connected to you¡­ you should <em>feel</em>it," Silverbell exined the best he could.

    "That''s a bit vague... what exactly are we supposed to feel?" Skinny Harry asked.

    "Just give it a try!" Neville urged.

    "Get closer to the dragons and see if you sense anything." There was a hint of desperation in his voice. The more they dy, the worse things will get.

    "Fine!" Skinny Harry, with an exasperated gesture, moved toward the nests of eggs.

    The others followed, while the audience looked on in confusion.

    Mister Crouch, who had been narrating the previous trials, had fallen silent. He didn''t know what to say, understanding as little as everyone else in the stands. The only people who seemed to know something had just joined the contestants down below.

    "Ne¡ªHarry, do you know what''s going on?" Lyra asked.

    ''Harry'' shook his head. He hadn''t been told anything about what was going to happen during the task, but he doubted it was supposed to be like this. He had only been warned about the possibility of Voldemort making a move during his trial.

    But seeing even Dumbledore involved, this had to be something else.

    "I don''t know¡­" It was the only answer he could give.

    Daphne watched in silence. Since Harry had revealed more to her than anyone else, she had a better idea of what might be happening.

    ''A Convergence¡­ those dragons, and those people down there, they must be from different realities. But¡­'' she was now very worried.

    Based on what she had learned, two separate realities couldn''t remain connected for long. If they did, there was a risk of one of them disappearing entirely.

    Back in the arena, Skinny Harry jumped in excitement, pointing at a group of eggs.

    "I felt something! I think these are mine!"

    "Great! Now you have to find your dragon and confront it," Silverbell instructed.

    "Can''t he just take the egg and be done with it?" Hadrian suggested.

    "No! The task must bepleted properly, like you would have done originally. Otherwise, there''s a risk of leaving something behind... and the connection won''t close properly."

    "What happens if the connection doesn''t close properly?" Victoria asked.

    Professor Silverbell sighed.

    "If that were to happen, then¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 350: The Power of Lord Hadrian Potter-Black

    Chapter 350: The Power of Lord Hadrian Potter-ck

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 350: The Power of Lord Hadrian Potter-ck</strong>

    "Well¡­ ehm¡­" Silverbell seemed hesitant to continue.

    "Well, what? Come on, spit it out, old man. Are we going to die if we don''t get this done?" Victoria asked harshly.

    "I have a feeling it''s worse than that¡­" Tall Harry sensed something troubling.

    Neville nced at the old gnome. He knew what would happen if those other versions of them didn''t return...their worlds would collide, and only one could survive. And it looked like the small professor did not want to tell them that.

    "I believe it''s best to focus on the task at hand. Knowing too much won''t help you right now," Silverbell decided, fearing that the added pressure could backfire with so much at stake.

    There were murmurs ofint, but Neville cut them off with a powerful shout.

    "That''s enough!" His voice carried so much force that the entire arena shook. Even the dragons snapped their jaws shut.

    "All you need to do isplete the task, and you''ll go back home. That''s all you should focus on. Thinking about what happens if you fail is just a distraction," he added.

    "Heh, Longbottom''s right," Hadrian said, locking eyes with a particr dragon. "Why would I think about failing?... when I <em>never</em>fail." He pointed at the dragon. "That one''s mine," then at the nest, "and those¡­"

    "Everyone, stand back! I''m going to release his dragon and bring it forward," Neville instructed.

    The dragon had to be before the nest, as it would have been in the actual test....or so Neville believed. He wasn''t sure of the universal rules for fixing cosmic convergences, but this felt right.

    "Go get yourself burned, pervert," Victoria muttered, hoping the Hungarian Horntail would wipe the smirk off Hadrian''s face.

    "Hurry up, will you?" Tall Harry urged.

    "Be careful! Those beasts look nasty," Skinny Harry added.

    As Neville dragged the dragon into position using the chains, Hadrian stood confidently in the center of the arena.

    "Ready?" Neville waited for Hadrian''s nod, then vanished the chains holding the dragon.

    The dragon was freed and began to roar. It looked extremely angry and ready to kill the first thing that got close to it. The Horntail proceeded to look back at its eggs for a moment, before turning its fiery gaze toward the front.

    Hadrian did not seem intimidated by the best and approached a bit more.

    "This will be fun." He smiled.

    Everyone else, including Neville, had positioned themselves far behind, ensuring the dragon''s aggression would focus on Hadrian.

    The young man stood tall, showing no intention of retreating. The audience watched in breathless anticipation as he boldly approached the dragon.

    mes flickered in the dragon''s mouth, and a momentter, it unleashed a torrent of fire straight at him with no restrain whatsoever.

    The boy made no attempt to defend himself, not even drawing his wand, or at least that''s what it looked like. He simply stood there, letting the mes engulf him.

    Neville could hear gasps of shock from behind him. "He''s fine¡­" he muttered.

    ''If he wasn''t lying about being part Incubus¡­ dragon fire would never kill him.'' Neville recalled that both Incubi and Subi had a natural affinity for fire, giving them a lot of resistance also. On top of that, he noticed Hadrian had cast a fire-resistant charm on himself without needing his wand.

    As the mes diminished, Hadrian''s silhouette emerged unscathed, much like Neville had predicted.

    The young wizard stood untouched, watching the dragon tire from its fiery assault.

    He let out a loud chuckle. "Hah! That''s the best you''ve got? Those mes are nothing¡­ let me show you some <em>real</em>fire!" Hadrian raised his right hand, and a strange me began to form.

    Viridescent mes, glowing green, danced around his arm. And the temperature in the arena spiked rapidly.

    "Tsk¡­ that fool," Neville muttered, casting a heat-protective charm around himself and the others. Without it, they would''ve been seriously burned at this distance.

    "What dark magic is that?... is it Fiendfyre?!. No...this is something else." Victoria eximed, her eyes wide. She was well-versed in the dark arts after reading most of the books at the ck Family library, she would have recognized a Fiendfyre being used, but this was something she had never seen before. It looked even more potent and dangerous.

    The dragon, sensing danger, tried to turn back to protect its eggs, but Hadrian wasn''t about to give it the chance.

    "This is too much! He''s going to destroy the eggs!" Silverbell shouted.

    "Stop freaking out. I know what I''m doing," Hadrian replied with a wide grin. He threw the small green me toward the dragon.

    As soon as the me touched the Horntail''s scales, it rapidly expanded, enveloping the entire beast.

    The dragon''s roars of agony echoed through the arena, but they didn''tst long. The green mes consumed it like a living entity before sinking into the ground, leaving almost no trace...only a few ck bones and the scorched stones where the dragon once stood.

    Neville couldn''t help but be impressed. This boy had a tremendous level of control over something that no ordinary human could ever hope to master. He noticed that the nests had not been touched. Most of the head had been focused on himself and the dragon.

    "What was <em>that</em>?!" Victoria demanded.

    "Those were Nether mes. Fire is sourced directly from the Netherworld, where demons reside. Fiendfyre was modeled after it¡­a very long time ago." Neville exined.

    Hadrian walked with his head held high, confidently retrieving the golden egg from the nest. "See? I told you. I never fail."

    "Now I would like to go back. I''m sure there are a lot of worried girls waiting for me."

    Just as he said that Hadrian vanished, along with the nest and the rest of the eggs.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 351: A Dangerous Melody

    Chapter 351: A Dangerous Melody

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 351: A Dangerous Melody</strong>

    "The hot guy is gone!" Lyra eximed.

    "Who was that? Or¡­ the other people, who are they?" Ginnymented.

    "I mean, one of them looks a lot like Harry, and the others¡­"

    "They are all Harry Potter, though," Luna said with confidence.

    "All of them?" Astoria asked.

    "Luna, what are you talking about? One of them is clearly a girl," Lyra said.

    "Are you sure about this?" Daphne asked Luna, and she nodded.

    "They all have¡­ the same feeling. It''s hard to exin, but they all feel the same. I know they are all the same person."

    The others stared at Luna with wide eyes. She rarely spoke with this much focus in her expression. Usually, she seemed distracted or in a daze.

    "You know something," Lyra noticed that Daphne didn''t look too surprised by all the strange stuff happening today.

    "It''s not for me to say," Daphne answered her.

    "So you''re saying they''re all like¡­ different versions of Harry or something?" Ginny was getting used to weird things happening, but this was truly new.

    "That''s exactly what they are," Daphne felt she could say at least that much.

    "Even the girl? Or that hot guy who disappeared? That can''t be right¡­" Lyra said.

    "Yes, and you might want to stop calling him ''hot guy''... he was technically your brother too," Daphne pointed out.

    "I''m starting to think she has a problem¡­" Ginny looked at her friend with concern.

    "Ahh! What''s wrong with me?!" Lyra panicked.

    "Lyra¡­" ''Harry'' looked at her with worry.

    "It worked! It actually worked!" Professor Silverbell was jumping around with joy.

    Not just Hadrian, but also the remnants of the huge dragon and its nest had all vanished without a trace.

    "You weren''t sure at all that it was going to work, were you?" Neville nced back at the professor.

    "So, he went back home?" the Tall Harry asked.

    "Yes, definitely! My tools can''t detect any trace of his presence," the gnome assured him.

    The four remaining dragons continued to struggle, trying to free themselves from their restraints.

    Neville had to pour a lot more magic into the transfiguration to reinforce the chains.

    "Oi!" he shouted back at them. "In case you''ve forgotten, I''m still holding four bloody giant dragons! Do you mind speeding this up?"

    "Don''t worry, mate. I already found mine," the Tall Harry walked ahead and pointed to the Hungarian Horntail on the far left. "Can you let that one go for me?"

    "Great." Neville brought the dragon closer and removed its bounds. "Good luck."

    "You have a n, don''t you?" Skinny Harry asked.

    The other one gave him a confident thumbs up. "Yeah, I got this. I was the best in my ss at Defensive Music." He said before turning around to face the dragon, wand in hand.

    "Did he say music?" Skinny Harry thought he might''ve heard wrong.

    "I hope he''s not nning on soothing the dragon with a song¡­ because that''s going to end badly," Victoriamented.

    "Defensive music¡­" Neville repeated. An idea popped into his head.

    The Tall Harry held his wand up, and it transformed into a long wooden flute with runic marks over its surface. He brought it to his lips and began to y. It was a soft, calm sound.

    The dragon did not seem affected by the soothing music and began to approach.

    "What is he doing? Myment before was merely a jest," Victoria said.

    "Should we do something?" Skinny Harry asked.

    "No! You must not intervene in the task, no matter what. This is of utmost importance!" Professor Silverbell ordered with authority. The truth was, he was also worried. He wasn''t sure what to do if one of them failed the taskpletely.

    "Rx¡­ he''s not going to fail," Neville could guess what they were all thinking right now. "Do none of you feel the intense magic being emitted by that flute?"

    "Magic? I can''t see anything," Victoria said.

    "No? Well¡­ neither does the dragon," Neville said. "Since it''s already surrounded."

    It was then that Dumbledore noticed it too. "By Merlin! I''ve never heard of such magic."

    The previously soothing melody began to change and transformed into something a lot more aggressive as the tempo sped up.

    They could all see it now with their naked eyes. Hundreds of light orbs floated in the air around the dragon.

    The beast panicked and tried to attack them with its sharp teeth and ws.

    Harry''s flute made a sudden strident sound. The color of the orbs shifted from yellow to red, and they morphed into sharp objects, before they began to assault the dragon from all sides.

    They didn''t inflict serious damage, due to the dragon''s resistant scales, but it was more than enough to keep it busy.

    Harry did not stop moving for a second as he continued to y his flute, and soon, he was standing in front of the egg''s nest.

    "He actually did it!" Skinny Harry celebrated.

    "I''ve never seen anything like that before¡­" Victoria was truly surprised by the music demonstration.

    Harry secured the golden egg under his arm while keeping his magic in effect and began making his way back.

    The dragon was unable to do anything under the constant assault of his magic.

    Only when he reached the starting position with the egg in his possession andpleted the task did Harry stop ying.

    As soon as he did, the red lights disappeared, and the dragon copsed. It was still alive, but covered in bleeding wounds.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 352: Gryffindor Chosen One

    Chapter 352: Gryffindor Chosen One

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 352: Gryffindor Chosen One</strong>

    "That was very impressive," Neville said. He now wondered how different this version of Harry''s world could be, for them to use apletely different branch of magic.

    This was not the first time he had seen someone conjuring magic by sound alone, but at least it was the first time he saw a human do it.

    "Thanks, mate," Tall Harry replied with a grin. "You should see me y with my band..." His body began to disappear. "But I guess that''s not possible."

    "No. You''re going back home," Neville assured him.

    "Hey, I''ll tell my Neville about you. I''ll tell him how badass he can be, hahaha," Harryughed.

    Then, the boy vanishedpletely, and soon after, the dragon and the nest followed suit.

    They heard some cracking noisesing from above. The fissure in the sky was visibly shrinking now.

    "It''s working!" Professor Silverbell eximed with excitement.

    "Okay, let''s keep this going. Next!" Neville called.

    "I''ll go..." Skinny Harry said, looking at a particr dragon.

    "Did you find yours?" Neville asked.

    "Yes... that one."

    Neville nodded and proceeded to release the correct beast, away from the remaining two.

    "Go on. You can do this," Neville encouraged him.

    The boy looked a bit hesitant.

    "Oh,e on. Just try not to get murdered by the dragon. You''re not <em>that</em>useless, are you?" Victoria said haughtily.

    Harry snapped back at her.

    "Shut up! I''m not scared... just worried about something."

    "As you should be." She crossed her arms. "I cannot imagine what a pillow-biter like you is going to do against a dragon."

    "Hmph, what does a virgin like you know?" Harry grinned.

    "What?!" Victoria looked outraged. "How d-... I mean, I''m not... that''s none of your business!"

    "I bet your Draco is only with you because he wants the ck family fortune," Harry said.

    "How dare you... you know nothing about me," Victoria huffed.

    "Would you two quit bickering already?! This is not helping at all," Neville shouted. "Stop wasting time and go get your egg."

    "Very well, here I go..." Harry turned around but nced at Victoria onest time. "By the way, those Prada boots you''re wearing... are so out of style."

    Victoria gasped.

    "Okay... let''s do this..." Harry looked at the dragon, and the dragon stared back.

    He had originally nned on using his broom to distract the dragon by flying around, but that no longer seemed like an option.

    He needed a quick way to finish the task, and he knew how, but... he didn''t like it.

    Harry looked around the stands.

    "You''re not there, are you, Draco?... Well, if you''re somehow seeing this, please... close your eyes for a minute." He said in a soft tone, mostly to himself.

    Harry''s eyes narrowed. He put a hand on a small container tied to his belt and withdrew a thin sword. "This won''t take long¡­"

    Dumbledore, who had been observing the proceedings from somewhere close, recognized the de instantly. "How does he have that?"

    Neville also recognized it. "Oh?... so you went through that too."

    "Wait..." Victoria said. "Why do you have the Sword of Gryffindor? Aren''t you a Slytherin?" She didn''t want to remember that day in the Chamber of Secrets when she was forced to use that de. It had been one of the worst days of her life.

    Harry ignored everything else, he was nowpletely focused on the task ahead of him. He held the sword in one hand and brought the steel close to his lips.

    "Wake up, please," he whispered to it...and the sword answered his request.

    Neville''s eyes widened. "That''s... new."

    Harry hated doing this. For a proud Slytherin like himself, using this sword was a stain on his pride.

    But more than anything, he hated using this sword because his personality changed, and he didn''t like the person he became.

    The Sword of Godric Gryffindor responded to the call of its heir and transformed into its original shape.

    The previously thin rapier morphed into a massive, two-handed medieval ymore that had been once wielded by Godric Gryffindor.

    Harry held it over his shoulder and nced up at the dragon with cold, green eyes.

    "You''re in my way¡­" As he said this, his magic was already taking shape.

    "Oh¡­ bloody hell!" Neville reacted when he realized what was about to happen.

    His right hand was busy keeping the transfiguration active to restrain the other two dragons, so he moved his left hand and poured arge chunk of his remaining magic.

    "Magna Custodia!" He erected threeyers of his most potent protection before them.

    He hoped that this Harry had some control since there was nothing he could do for the audience right in front of him.

    Dumbledore was shocked to see Harry use this protective magic and wondered what he was so worried about.

    But the answer came very soon.

    The Hungarian Horntail was about to open its mouth to breathe a wave of fire, and then... it stopped all of a sudden.

    Before the beast could even understand what was happening, it was dead.

    It hadn''t even noticed Harry moving from his spot or making a swing with that de.

    In its awakened state, the Sword of Gryffindor had only one function: to absorb as much magic as possible into its runic circuit and manifest it in the form of an empowered cutting charm. A very thin strand of magic traveled forward, cutting through anything in its path until it ran out of energy.

    It was a simple concept taken to the absolute limit. And in the hands of the right wizard, it was the most terrifying weapon one could imagine.

    Harry took a step forward and made a single swing... everything in front of him was cut in half.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 353: Hold Still

    Chapter 353: Hold Still

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 353: Hold Still</strong>

    There was absolute silence for a long moment.

    Most were still trying toprehend what had just happened...and why the dragon was now in two pieces.

    Neville let out a sigh of relief.

    "At least he has more control than I thought..." He removed the protective wards. Thankfully, he didn''t have to test their effectiveness against such powerful magic.

    Harry had aimed the cut downward, making sure it didn''t hit the stands or the audience. Instead, it only sliced through the lower part of the wall. It hadn''t even cut anything behind him. That showed a lot of restraint on his part. Someone else would have made a mess in this situation.

    The person in question, however, seemed to be preupied with something else.

    "Ew, gross!" Harry eximed, jumping back to avoid the dragon blood spilling everywhere.

    He sheathed the sword and carefully made his way around the dragon''s remains to grab the golden egg from the nest toplete his task. He did not want to stay here for longer than necessary.

    "Okay, I''ve got the stupid tacky egg. This is disgusting, my silk robes are ruined, and I think I broke a nail. I really hope this was worth it," he continued toin.

    "Did that really happen?..." Victoria was still in shock. "He cut the dragon in half!."

    "I never knew the Sword of Gryffindor had such abilities..." Dumbledore remarked. He never really realized that the sword could have anything hidden. After all, he had the chance to observe a few of the founder''s artifacts in his life in great detail. "Even at my age, it seems like I can still learn new things."

    "Don''t beat yourself over it. I doubt there''s anyone else who could use it in that way. It probably requires a very specific set of magical skills and a mindset to project a cutting charm to that extreme," Neville exined.

    "Something even you couldn''t do?" Dumbledore asked with amusement.

    "I''ve told you before...there are plenty of things I can''t do." Neville nced over at Harry, who was still standing next to the nest, holding the egg. "Oi! You have to bring it here to finish the test!"

    "I know!" Harry shouted, looking around in panic. "There''s blood everywhere!" He could not find a single clean path to pass.

    "Ugh..." Neville rolled his eyes. "Juste over already! You can clean your shoes with a spell afterward!" His patience was wearing thin.

    "Okay, okay, no need to yell. That''s easy for you to say, wearing those cheap boots..." Harry muttered as he navigated through the pools of blood under the watchful eyes of the audience.

    "Ew, oh, this is so gross! And it smells! I think I''m going to vomit!" he whined.

    "I can''t believe this guy just bisected a dragon..." Victoria said. "And now he''sining like a little girl."

    "You shouldn''t judge by appearances alone. "Professor Silverbell told her.

    "Ugh... okay, I''m here," Harry finally arrived, looking down at his blood-soaked shoes in disgust. "I''m throwing these out... So, we''re done? I''m done here, right?"

    "Yes, I believe you are," Neville confirmed, pointing at Harry''s legs. They had begun to fade.

    "Wonderful! I can''t wait to be back," Harry nced at Neville. "Good luck with the rest."

    Neville nodded.

    "Thanks. And be careful with that sword. That move you made is a lot more dangerous than you realize. There are some things you really don''t want to cut."

    Harry disappearedpletely, and soon, the dragon and its nest followed. Even the blood vanished, leaving the stones clean.

    "Okay, you don''t need to guess," Neville twisted his wand.

    "That''s your dragon." As he said this, one of the two remaining dragons was dragged forward. "And the nest behind it...that''s yours."

    "Are you sure?" Victoria asked.

    "There are only two left, and I never lost track of mine, so yes, I''m sure," he answered confidently.

    A noise from the sky caught their attention.

    Therge crack from earlier was now just a thin ck line.

    "It''s almost healed! Just one more!" Silverbell muttered.

    "Okay, let''s finish this," Victoria said as she walked forward and stopped beside Neville, ncing at him.

    "I guess I owe you a thank you. You''ve been very...petent. For a Gryffindor."

    "Thanks?, I guess...Do you have a n for the test?" Neville asked.

    Victoria removed one of her rings. "I am thest Lady of the Ancient House of ck. I have prepared myself to surpass any obstacles and ensure the prosperity of my house. It''s the least I owe to my family... I am always prepared."

    The dragon roared with pure rage, finally freed from its chains and eager to burn something to ash. Its eyes locked on Victoria.

    The ck-haired girl strolled forward without concern.

    The ring in her hand gleamed silver as she tossed it into the air.

    "I won''t let that annoying boy get all the credit today. Let me show you what a Rune Master can do."

    The ring transformed mid-air into a long metallic object thatnded in her hands.

    "Isn''t that the thing Muggles use?" Silverbell asked while staring at the newly appeared weapon.

    "Indeed... I haven''t seen a wizard wield one since... the Great War," Dumbledore replied.

    "She has a runic rifle?" Neville had seen simr weapons before.

    Muggles had made them with the help of wizards. It was a rarebination of disciplines from both worlds. To create one, that person needs a great deal of knowledge about runic enchantments and also firearms.

    The long metallic rifle had arge blue crystal embedded in it, glowing with power.

    Victoria flipped a switch, and the crystal began to shine brightly.

    She aimed the gun at the dragon''s head.

    "Hold still..."

    And then, she pulled the trigger.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 354: The Last First Task

    Chapter 354: The Last First Task

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 354: The Last First Task</strong>

    When the smoke cleared, the terrifying result of the shot became apparent.

    The top half of the dragon''s head was missing, with smoke billowing from the remaining lower portion. It was a gruesome spectacle, but at least it didn''tst long. The dragon, clearly dead at this point, copsed to the ground and did not move again.

    The blue stone embedded in the weapon dimmed, turning a dull gray before shattering into dozens of small fragments that disintegrated into dust as they hit the ground.

    "You overloaded the arkstone with that shot. Too much power," Nevillemented.

    Victoria turned to look at him, unable to hide the surprise in her expression at the fact that he understood that much.

    "I designed it for a single shot. And something had to be sacrificed to achieve maximum potency..."

    "You made that yourself?" Neville asked, impressed. Apparently, there was a version of him that waspetent with runes.

    A smug smile spread across her face.

    "Of course. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I have a trial to finish."

    With the beast already dead, it took her only around a minute to retrieve the golden egg and return to the starting position.

    "He wasn''t wrong...this <em>is</em>tacky," she muttered, ncing at the egg in her hand.

    "Good job!" Professor Silverbell cheered.

    "I suppose we''re done here... I don''t want to stay in this ce longer than necessary," she said, her green eyes scanning the few people left in the arena.

    With the alternative versions of Harry Potter gone, only Neville remained. He was still seated with his wand touching the ground, maintaining control over thest dragon. Professor Silverbell and Headmaster Dumbledore were the only others present.

    Her eyes paused briefly on Albus Dumbledore, her expression shifting to one of disdain before she looked away.

    The old headmaster noticed this and wondered what could have caused such animosity.

    Victoria''s body began to fade, and within moments, she disappeared. Just like the others, her dragon and the nest vanished as well.

    The fracture in the sky had shrunk to a barely visible line, easy to miss unless you knew it was there.

    "Looks like we''ve nearly made it through," Dumbledore observed.

    "Hey, don''t jinx it," Neville huffed.

    "All that remains is for you to finish your task. Concluding that should end the Convergence," Silverbell said with a tinge of hope in his voice. He could not bepletely sure of that until they actually tried it.

    "Right... let''s do this quickly," Neville said, ncing over at the nest containing the dragon eggs, including the golden one he needed to acquire.

    The egg was protected against summoning charms, but there was another way to bring it to him.

    Without moving from his seated position or lifting his wand from the ground, Neville began to manipte the rocks beneath the nest.

    The ground trembled for a moment before the entire nest began to shift on its own.

    Moving a bit of dirt and rocks was much easier, and faster than confronting the angry dragon. This had originally been his n... to restrain the dragon''s movements with transfiguration and simply move the nest closer.

    It would have been a disy of magical prowess impressive enough to attract Voldemort''s attention and perhaps make him a little uneasy, while simultaneously not revealing too much about his abilities.

    ''But things hadn''t gone ording to n at all...'' hemented.

    Now he needed to find out more about Voldemort''s reaction to today''s events and any potential change in his ns.

    ''I may have to rely on Umbridge for that'', he thought. She was the most essible active Death Eater at the moment. Hopefully, her mind will hold another interrogation.

    While Neville was lost in his own thoughts, the nest had already arrived beside him.

    "Oh? I guess we''re done here," he remarked.

    The audience didn''t even react. This had likely been the least impressive-looking task of them all since they had already been shooked too many times today.

    The moment he lifted his wand from the ground and stood up, the metallic chains binding the dragon disintegrated into dust, vanishing into the air.

    Neville picked up the golden egg and raised it for the judges to see.

    "I havepleted the task," he dered in a bored tone.

    He was mostly met with silence, as the audience was still trying to process what they had just witnessed.

    They had seen dragons appear out of nowhere and four different versions of Harry Potterplete their tasks with absurd disys of magical ability.

    Even Mister Crouch stood there, watching and wondering if it was truly over...or if something else was about to happen. Maybe another dragon would appear out of nowhere or more people would enter the arena unannounced.

    "Congrattions, Mister Longbottom," Dumbledore said, pping loudly enough to wake the audience from their stupor.

    This seemed to stir the crowd, who soon followed his lead. Apuse and cheers began to fill the arena.

    "Ehmm... well, there you have it, folks," Mister Crouch finally reacted, picking up the voice-enhancing device and bringing it close to his mouth.

    "Neville Longbottom haspleted the task in record time... if we only count thest part and ignore that girl who blew up a dragon''s head with that strange weapon or... everything else... What <em>was</em>that all about? Oh...sorry about that... Let''s move on to the scoring."

    "See?" Neville turned to Dumbledore with a smirk.

    "Ipleted the task without any issues. And the dragon is still ali¡ª"

    <em>Thud.</em>

    The dragon copsed.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

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 Chapter 355: A Permanent Guest

    Chapter 355: A Permanent Guest

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 355: A Permanent Guest</strong>

    "What the... there''s no way it''s dead. I didn''t do anything!. " Neville nced at the Horntail, lying still on the ground and not moving at all.

    "Perhaps it was choked by the chains?" Dumbledore suggested.

    "I saw it moving just a minute ago..." Neville replied.

    "Wait... something''s wrong." Professor Silverbell was now staring at the sky.

    Dumbledore sighed, clearly disappointed.

    "Oh well... I was expecting this oue. Hogwarts will cover the fines," he muttered.

    "Don''t pin this on me. It''s not my fault!. Do you think it''s easy to hold five dragons and not identally kill one?. " Neville protested.

    "You could have asked for help." Dumbledore pointed out. "That was not part of the test after all."

    The dragon handlers rushed into the arena to check on the Horntail, unsure if it had died. One handler ventured too close to the dragon''s mouth when, suddenly, its eyes snapped open.

    "Careful!" Charlie Weasley managed to pull his teammate away just in time before they could be bitten.

    The creature woke abruptly and began thrashing around, forcing the handlers to restrain it and hurriedly guide it out of the arena.

    "See? It was just sleeping," Neville sighed, relieved. Enough dragons had died today.

    "Will you two <em>listen</em>to me?" Silverbell''s voice rose, but he wasrgely ignored.

    "You <em>did</em>kill the other one," Dumbledore pointed out.

    "That one was extra, you don''t have to pay for that one." Neville defended himself.

    "Would you both <em>shut up?!</em>" the small professor shouted, startling them both.

    "Professor? What''s wrong?" Neville turned to look down at the enraged gnome.

    "Look!" Silverbell pointed to the sky.

    They all looked up and immediately noticed it too. That thin ck line in the sky hadn''t disappeared, even though the task had already beenpleted.

    "Mmm...it is still there. But perhaps it just needs more time to close. Let''s not panic yet," Dumbledore suggested.

    "No, the professor''s right. Something''s wrong... I can feel strange magical oscitionsing from up there. It''s almost like..." Neville''s eyes widened in realization.

    "What is it?" Dumbledore asked, concerned.

    "There''s something...or rather, <em>someone approaching. </em>" Neville said just as another cracking noise echoed from the sky.

    The fracture didn''t growrger, but something...or more like, someone came out of it and began to fall onto the ground at terminal speed.

    "I''ve got this," Neville said, flicking his wand. A bubble of air formed around the falling figure, slowing their descent.

    "It''s... her," Dumbledore said, recognizing the person as they got closer.

    It was Victoria ck, eyes closed and motionless. Neville caught her in his arms before she could touch the ground.

    "What''s the meaning of this? Why is she back here?" he asked, perplexed.

    Right after she came out, the crack vanished, as it had only remained open for her.

    "That was close," Silverbell said, ncing upward. "If my theory is correct."

    "The crack is gone now!" Dumbledore observed as the thin ck line disappeared entirely, leaving no trace.

    Neville looked up as well.

    "The chaotic feeling from earlier... it''s gone now," he noted.

    Professor Silverbell nced at the girl in Neville''s arms.

    "It appears like we were toote after all..."

    "What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked.

    "Do you not see it? Do you not understand how close we came?" Silverbell''s voice grew tense with frustration.

    "Let me make it clear." he pointed to Victoria, " Our world and hers just collided... and now, only <em>one</em>remains. She must have been caught mid-transition and, with nowhere to go, she returned here."

    Dumbledore''s eyes widened in shock.

    "But... I thought you said this wouldn''t happen for years!"

    "I didn''t ount for a Convergence of this magnitude!" Silverbell snapped.

    "So... we''re the lucky ones," Neville murmured, looking down at the unconscious girl in his arms.

    "And now we have to exin to her that everyone she cared about is gone... that her entire world no longer exists."

    "It seems that way," Dumbledore said grimly, though he wasn''t looking forward to that conversation. The girl already seemed to dislike him for some reason. His blue eyes turned to Silverbell. "Will this happen during the next task as well?"

    Silverbell shrugged.

    "There''s no way to predict something like this so far ahead. We can only get readings moments before a Convergence begins."

    "If that''s the case, perhaps we should consider changing the remaining tasks," Dumbledore suggested.

    "We can''t do that. The tournament has to continue as nned," Neville interjected firmly. Changing it now could dy his encounter with the Dark Lord, and he couldn''t risk that. The sooner they resolved this, the sooner he could move on.

    "Besides, altering the task in this world won''t affect what happens in the other realities."

    "Hmm, I hadn''t thought about it that way," Silverbell admitted, before turning to the headmaster.

    "Wait, how does <em>he</em>know so much? Did you inform this boy about everything? Wasn''t Potter enough?"

    "No... that''s... a bitplicated to exin right now," Dumbledore said evasively.

    "You two can sort that outter," Neville cut in, gesturing toward Victoria.

    "We have more urgent matters to deal with."

    He was also eager to return to his own persona.

    ''I hope Neville didn''t mess things up too badly and managed to keep the secret for at least an hour,'' he thought briefly. Then he shook his head.

    ''No, there''s no way he could pull that off.''

    "Why don''t you take the young Miss to my office and wait there with her, just in case she wakes up?" Dumbledore suggested.

    "I''ll call Severus and make the necessary arrangements..." He sighed heavily. This was going to be a very, <em>very</em>long day.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

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 Chapter 356: Things are Back to Normalâ€¦Mostly

    Chapter 356: Things are Back to Normal¡­Mostly

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 356: Things are Back to Normal...Mostly</strong>

    "Seriously? You couldn''t keep it secret for even an hour?" Neville red at ''Harry,'' who sank onto the couch, looking guilty.

    "Don''t be so harsh on him. He was put on the spot," Daphne defended Harry. She had insisted on apanying him, and the Headmaster allowed it since it was obvious she already knew who he really was.

    "By you?" Neville stared directly at her.

    Daphne nced away. "Well¡­ among others."

    "She wanted to kiss me! I had no choice but to tell her the truth.!" ''Harry'' blurted out.

    "What?!" Neville shouted.

    "You weren''t supposed to say that, remember?" Daphne red at Harry with narrowed eyes.

    "I''m sorry!" Harry quickly covered his head. "Don''t be mad at me!."

    "What happened to wait until tonight?" Neville asked.

    "I couldn''t wait! I just wanted to kiss my boyfriend. What''s wrong with that?" Daphne gave Neville her best attempt at puppy eyes.

    "Greengrass?! You''re involved with <em>Potter</em>?" Snape, who had been silent in the room, looked utterly horrified.

    They had all forgotten he was still in the office.

    "Your ''secret'' boyfriend..." Neville emphasized the word. "But apparently, everyone has forgotten what that word means."

    "Don''t be so dramatic, Professor Snape is not a gossip, and...his is getting weird¡­ Can you go back to your normal look? I don''t like being scolded by <em>Longbottom</em>," Daphneined.

    "The potion may stillst several more hours," Neville said.

    "Several more hours?! I want my face back!" Now ''Harry'' was the oneining.

    "Luckily, we have someonepetent here." Snape pulled a couple of vials from his robes and ced them on the Headmaster''s desk.

    "Take this. It will nullify the effects of the previous potion and free us all from this madness..."

    "That''s brilliant, Severus," Dumbledore praised him.

    ''Harry'' was quick to grab one of the vials and downed the strange liquid in one gulp.

    "Is being me <em>that</em>bad?" ''Neville'' wasn''t sure whether he should feel offended by Harry''s eagerness.

    "It''s...plicated," Daphne muttered.

    "Did something else happen?" Neville asked, curious.

    "Umm..." Daphne hesitated, ncing around. The Headmaster and Professor Snape were standing nearby. "We can talk about thatter."

    "Ah, it hurts," the real Neville yelped as his body began morphing back to its original form.

    "It''s an expected side effect of ending the magic too soon," Snape said. "Perhaps I should''ve given you a warning."

    Harry, meanwhile, walked over to the desk and took the other potion.

    They all watched as both boys slowly returned to their original appearances.

    "I''m back!" Neville eximed, looking at his reflection on the polished table. "I''m me!."

    Harry considered reminding him that they''d have to do this at least two more times but decided now wasn''t the best moment.

    Daphne grabbed Harry''s face with both hands, examining him closely.

    "Let''s see... everything seems to be in order."

    "Good, then... can you release my head?" Harry requested.

    She smiled and leaned in, kissing him softly on the lips. After a few seconds, she let him go.

    "Do that again, and I''ll give you detention," Snape said with disgust.

    "I believe that''s against the rules now... but I can look the other way," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

    "Can I go now?" Neville asked, clearly eager to return to his normal life...though that wouldn''t be possible until the tournament was over.

    "You may leave. If somethinges up, you''ll be informed... Oh, and take this," Dumbledore handed him the golden egg from the first task.

    "The champions are expected to discover the secret inside the egg to prepare for the next task."

    "Eh?" Neville eyed the egg with concern.

    "You don''t actually have to figure it out," Harry assured him. "But if anyone asks, just pretend you''re working on it."

    Neville looked relieved.

    "Right... then, I''ll get going," he said, hurrying out of the office.

    "I wonder why he was in such a hurry. He didn''t even ask about the sleeping girl on the couch," Harry pointed to Victoria, who had yet to wake up.

    "I would like to ask about that," Daphne said.

    "I was going to say the same," Snape added, his tone sharp.

    "Well..." Dumbledore nced at Daphne, uncertain how much he should say in her presence.

    Harry noticed his hesitation.

    "She knows pretty much everything about me and what''s happening. So don''t worry about her¡ªjust speak your mind."

    "You told her <em>everything</em>?" Dumbledore was genuinely surprised. Harry could be even more secretive than he was, at times.

    "I felt it was necessary to keep her away from me," Harry said, as Daphne grabbed his arm and smiled.

    "And I see that worked wonderfully," the Headmaster said with an amused grin.

    "So, what''s her story? Is she really... like another version of you?" Daphne asked.

    "How did you reach that conclusion?" Harry asked, intrigued.

    "Luna. She said that you all felt simr...you and the other four who appeared earlier in the arena," Daphne exined.

    "So, Luna can sense that much," Harry muttered, impressed.

    "She''s right. This girl is from an alternate reality. Another variant of what <em>could</em>have been."

    "And now she''s trapped here," Dumbledore added.

    "Trapped? She can''t return to her world? Why not?" Daphne asked, concerned.

    "Because her world doesn''t exist anymore," Harry said solemnly.

    Snape''s gaze shifted to the Headmaster, utterly confused. They had only exined parts of the situation to him...mostly those concerning Voldemort. He hadn''t been told anything about parallel realities or Convergences.

    "Headmaster... what is this all about?" Snape asked, his tone demanding answers.

    Dumbledore considered his response for a moment before noticing something.

    "Why don''t we wait until our guest wakes up? That way, we''ll only have to exin it once."

    "You heard Madam Pomfrey. She might not wake for another..."

    Victoria moaned softly as she began to regain consciousness.

    "This is going to take a while to exin... and she''s not going to believe us," Harry noted grimly.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 357: Anger

    Chapter 357: Anger

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 357: Anger</strong>

    "I don''t believe you," said Professor Snape.

    "No one cares if you believe it or not," Harry answered.

    "Victoria?..." Daphne sat by her side.

    The girl had a massive freakout when she woke up inside the Headmaster''s office. She thought she had been tricked and kidnapped.

    After calming her down a bit, they exined everything that had happened, and now she wasn''t saying a word.

    Victoria was sitting on a couch, looking down at the floor with an empty expression.

    "Victoria¡­ can you say something to us?" Daphne tried her best to be reassuring and calm.

    "If you have any questions, you can ask all you want," Harry said.

    "I have a lot of questions," Snape added.

    "Severus¡­ let us answer Miss ck first," Dumbledore said.

    Victoria''s head moved, and her eyes snapped.

    "It is Lady ck!" She spat the words while ring directly at Dumbledore "This is just another one of your schemes, isn''t it? What is it that you want this time?!"

    "Lady ck, please calm down," Dumbledore said in a cating manner."This is no such thing. I know you are very confused right now, but if you give us some time¡­ we c¡ª"

    "I won''t give anything else! You took my inheritance, you sent me to live with those monsters, and then¡­ when I was finally happy¡­ you had to take them too." Her eyes grew cold as she stared at the Headmaster.

    "No more..." She raised her right hand. The silver band on her wrist transformed into a runic weapon, like the one she used against the dragon, but much smaller.

    This one was more like a handgun and was aimed at Dumbledore''s chest.

    "No more!" she screamed.

    Harry moved in front of her before she could shoot, pushing the gun away with one hand while his other hand touched the girl''s neck.

    "Hypnos." As Harry said the word, Victoria felt the uncontroble urge to sleep.

    She tried to fight it, but Harry had put a lot of power into that spell, knowing about her mental defenses. Her mind gave up, and her eyes closed.

    He secured her body before it could fall, as well as the gun.

    "That went well..."

    "She wants to kill us," Daphne said.

    "Not all of us...just one." Harry put her back on the couch and held up the gun to examine it.

    Snape nced back at Dumbledore.

    "She wants to kill me," the Headmaster said. "That''s quite the relief."

    "It seems like taking away her wand wasn''t enough of a precaution," Snape said, staring at the weapon in Harry''s hands. "Is that a Muggle pistol?"

    "It has a simr design," Harry put it on the table. "But this one works with magic. It has a small arkstone on the top part. It must shoot some type of spell, like a piercing charm."

    "This is like what she used to kill that dragon?" Daphne asked.

    "It looks like a smaller version of that," Dumbledore said.

    "Merlin!" Daphne eximed. That one took off half of the dragon''s head. Even though this one was much smaller, she''d rather not think about what it would have done to the Headmaster if she''d pulled that trigger.

    "I would rmend taking away all of her jewelry. She may have more of these ready to use," Harry advised.

    Daphne looked at the sleeping Victoria. She appeared so peaceful now.

    "What are we going to do with her? We can''t keep her asleep forever. There must be someone she will listen to."

    "Are there any remaining members of the ck family?" Harry asked.

    Dumbledore shook his head.

    "Walburga ck died a few years ago. She was thest proper member of the family. The others, like Narcissa Malfoy, no longer carry the name. And we don''t even know where she is or if she''s alive."

    "Yes, I remember hearing Draco Malfoy bragging a few times about how he was going to take over that family and be the next Lord ck," Daphne said.

    "I suppose we could call my parents," Harry said, although he wasn''t sure how Victoria was going to react to that encounter either.

    From the few bits and pieces of information he had gotten from herments, it seemed likely she had been sent to live with the Dursleys and waster rescued by some members of the ck family.

    That meant the Potters must have all been dead in her world.

    "You think that''s a good idea? What if she gets violent again?" Daphne asked.

    "I''ll be there to stop her," Harry said.

    "I''ll call them." Dumbledore nced at Snape next.

    "Severus, why don''t you take her to your office? I don''t think it would be wise for her to wake up in here again. And I also believe it would be better if I''m not present in that meeting."

    "Very well¡­ I''ll keep an eye on her," Snape said. There was no way he was leaving her alone in his office.

    After he left, Dumbledore sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

    "Could I really have been that bad in her world to warrant that reaction?"

    "I mean¡­ it wasn''t you, though. Just a different version of you," Daphne said.

    "Yes, but¡­ can we be that different after all? She used me of stealing her inheritance and killing someone important to her¡­ I cannot imagine myself doing something like that."

    "Don''t beat yourself up over it. Alternative versions can be extremely different from ourselves. I mean, today I learned that at least two versions of myself are in love with Draco Malfoy," Harrymented.

    "Wait¡­ what did you say?" Daphne asked.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 358: Finding a New Home

    Chapter 358: Finding a New Home

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 358: Finding a New Home</strong>

    "This is a lot to take in..." Lily Potter said.

    "Yes, take your time, Lily," Dumbledore reassured her.

    James nced at his son. "Looks like we missed quite a bit."

    Harry nodded.

    After bringing his parents into the Headmaster''s office, they had to exin a lot of what was going on to them, including Victoria''s situation.

    It wasn''t too hard for them to ept since they already knew about the existence of alternate realities and were aware that Harry came from one of them.

    Even though his circumstances were very different from Victoria''s. He had died in his old world and awoke here in a new body, while Victoria just found herself in a different ce out of nowhere.

    "I cannot imagine what that girl is going through... she lost her entire reality," Lily said.

    They did avoid mentioning the fact that, had Victoria not lost her world, it would have been them...the Potters, and everyone else, who would have disappeared instead.

    James looked at Daphne with curiosity.

    "And how did you get tangled in this mess, Daphne?"

    "Oh... well..." She wasn''t sure what to answer. Now she realized that it had been a mistake to stay. She only wanted to be of some help to Harry.

    "Miss Greengrass has not left Harry''s side for a moment. I believe they are quite close," Dumbledore said, giving the Potters a knowing look.

    "Are they?" Lily nced at them with interest.

    "Really?" James raised an eyebrow.

    "Don''t you have anywhere else to be?" Harry asked the Headmaster.

    "This is my office..." Dumbledore responded.

    "Harry, don''t be so rude to the Headmaster," James scolded him.

    "Is this true?" Lily was now staring directly at Daphne.

    The girl grew embarrassed but eventually nodded.

    "I believe we have more pressing matters..." Harry decided to help her out.

    "Yes, Harry is right. Should we go talk to this girl? Victoria, was it?" James said.

    "Victoria ck. And she also answers to ''Lady ck,''" Dumbledore said.

    "ck? Wait, isn''t she a Potter?" James felt like they had skipped an important part of the story.

    "She is, of course, a Potter. But from what we know, she was adopted by some members of the ck family when she was little and ended up taking their name," Dumbledore exined.

    "We can also be sure that all the Potters of her world were already dead since she was sent to the Dursleys," Harrymented.

    "To Petunia? You mean like..." Lily started.

    "Like me," Harry confirmed.

    "I don''t remember her mentioning that name," Dumbledore noted.

    "She mentioned that you left her with ''those monsters.'' That is also how I would have called them at some point in my life," Harry said.

    "Oh¡­ were they that bad?" The Headmaster inquired.

    "Yes." That''s all Harry was willing to say.

    Lily frowned. She hadn''t spoken to her sister in many years, and after hearing about Harry''s past, she was in no hurry to call her again.

    "Do we at least know which one of them adopted her? Please tell me it wasn''t Walburga..." James said. He had met the woman only twice, and that had been enough for him.

    "We don''t know. You will have to ask her yourself," Dumbledore said before putting a box on the table. "I will entrust these with you."

    He moved it closer so the Potters could see it better. There was a wand, a gun, and several pieces of jewelry.

    "Is that a Muggle firearm?!" James was not expecting to see one of those inside Hogwarts.

    "These are Victoria''s belongings. She is apparently a master when ites to runework. She created these magical projectile weapons. This pistol used to be a wristband, and we can assume that all these rings and other pieces of jewelry can also transform into something dangerous. So we took them all," Dumbledore exined.

    Lily took the magic pistol and examined it.

    "She made this?... This is very impressive work. There is an arkenstone and a piercing charm embedded into the barrel¡­ it''s very inventive."

    "And dangerous. We all saw her use arge version of that to kill a dragon today," Dumbledore warned her.

    "I would rmend not returning anything in there to her until you''repletely sure she won''t use them against you."

    "We couldn''t take her family ring off. But that should be fine," Harry said.

    "Those old rings have so many protections that it would be impossible to add anything else to them."

    James nced at Harry. He was getting a bit worried about bringing someone dangerous into his house.

    Lily noticed his look and could guess what he was thinking.

    "James... she is also our daughter. We shouldn''t judge her before knowing more about her, like what kind of childhood she had."

    "You''re right¡­ we should go meet her then," James nodded. "Where is she?"

    "I requested Severus take her to his office. She did not react well to being here or... seeing me. I believe it''s better if I''m not present during your conversation," Dumbledore said.

    Once they were outside the office, Daphne approached Harry.

    "I think I better sit this one out too. It''s going to be a family affair after all."

    Harry agreed. The fewer people there, the better.

    Daphne gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and excused herself.

    "I''ll see you tomorrow."

    After she left, Harry heard his father chuckling.

    "How long were you nning on keeping that to yourself?"

    Harry sighed.

    "Forever."

    A.N - This next part was going to be a separate chapter, but I didn''t want dedicate more chapters to Victoria''s story since her remaining role is going to be very minor so this ended up as an extra part.

    That''s why this chapter is longer than usual. -

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    "Potter..." Snape snarled after opening the door, finding himself face-to-face with James Potter.

    "As pleasant as always, Snivel-ouch!" James grabbed his head in pain.

    "Do not call him that," Lily warned with a re from his side.

    "They came to meet Victoria. We thought they might have better luck getting through to her than the Headmaster," Harry exined.

    Snape grunted before opening the door wider. "She hasn''t made any sign of waking up yet."

    "Of course not. Unless I remove the spell I put on her, she won''t wake up for another day or so," Harry said, walking into the office, followed by his father.

    Lily paused for a moment to greet her old friend. "It''s nice to see you again." They hadn''t seen each other since the end ofst year.

    Snape nodded. "Yes... it is."

    "So, this is... her," James said, staring at the sleeping girl on therge ck leather sofa. "She has the Potter hair..."

    "And my eyes, from what I''ve heard." Lily got closer. "She''s beautiful."

    "And has quite the temper, too," Snape added. "Did the Headmaster tell you she tried to shoot him?"

    "He did. Apparently, in her world... Dumbledore was responsible for a lot of bad things happening to her," James said.

    Snape red at him. "How much do you know about that?" He was just starting to learn about it and didn''t like that Potter might know more than him.

    "Just a few things Harry decided to share with us," Lily said.

    Snape turned his gaze toward Harry, trying to piece things together.

    Harry noticed his stare. "You can ask questions to the Headmasterter. But for now..." He pulled out his wand and approached Victoria.

    "Should I leave you alone?" Snape asked Lily.

    "I believe it''s best if you stay, Severus." Lily noticed Victoria''s robes. "This girl is a Slytherin. Maybe she''ll feel morefortable with the head of her house present."

    "Then, I''m going to wake her up." Harry pointed his wand at Victoria. "Finite."

    Victoria gasped and opened her eyes, her body contorting violently before she fell back onto the couch, breathing rapidly.

    "It''s okay, you''re not in danger," Lily said gently, trying to calm her. It looked like she''d been having a terrible nightmare.

    "Yes, you''re safe here," James added.

    Victoria''s eyes scanned the dimly lit room and stopped on Snape for a moment.

    "Professor Snape... what''s going on?" She looked confused.

    Snape raised an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten our conversation at the Headmaster''s office?"

    Victoria gasped. "That was real?... No... that can''t be." She appeared to be in shock.

    "It was as real as it could be. I won''t im to understand everything, but..." Snape gave Harry a passing nce. "You''re no longer in your own world."

    Victoria stared at Harry. "Then, you are..."

    "Harry James Potter. I am the ''you'' of this world," Harry said, though that wasn''t exactly true, but he didn''t want to confuse her further.

    He then pointed at his parents. "And these two... can you tell who they are? You must have seen some pictures of them in your past."

    Victoria looked at Lily and James for a long minute before it clicked.

    "You... can''t be alive."

    "Things went differently here. They were never killed during the war. And they also have two more daughters," Harry exined.

    "Really?" Victoria looked at them in shock.

    "It''s true. Their names are Holly and Lyra," Lily said.

    "I''m sorry we couldn''t be there for you, in... you know... your world," James said. "I wish we had.

    "

    "Yes, and I''m sorry that my sister treated you badly," Lily added, pained.

    Victoria shook her head. "I never med you two for that. I left that ce before my seventh birthday. Haven''t seen them since."

    "We were told you were taken in by the ck family. How did that happen?" James asked. "I mean, my mother was a ck, but they never showed any interest in my family after she left. I don''t think our families were on very good terms."

    "It was thanks to Sirius," Victoria revealed. A soft smile appeared on her face as she mentioned the name.

    "Sirius?!" James was surprised to hear that name but then realized that he must have been alive in other realities, even though he''d died early in theirs. "He took care of you?"

    "Oh yes. Him and my adoptive mother, Cassiopeia ck. She got Sirius out of Azkaban, and after he recovered, he started asking questions about you two and then... about me. It took them almost a year to find out where Dumbledore had put me. And when they did, they rescued me without a second thought." Victoria smiled as she recounted this.

    "Sirius saved you..." James couldn''t help but feel emotional hearing about his old best friend.

    Lily ced a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Well, we did name him your godfather for a reason. He was reckless but also reliable and loyal."

    "Sirius showed me a lot of pictures of you two. You do look somewhat different though," Victoria said.

    "They are a lot older," Harry pointed out.

    "Harry!" Lily frowned. She didn''t like being reminded of that.

    "Say, Victoria," James began. "I''m sure you have a lot of questions, so... would you like toe stay with us for a while?"

    "You mean at your house?" Victoria asked.

    "It could also be your home, if you want it to be. But we won''t pressure you. You have a lot to process right now. I would love to learn more about you," Lily told her.

    Victoria nced at Snape.

    "You can trust them... at least Lily," Snape said.

    "Hey!" James protested.

    Victoria considered it for a moment. "I do need a quiet ce to think about what to do next..." She didn''t feelfortable staying at Hogwarts with the Headmaster, especially without her old protections.

    She looked at the Potters, trying to gauge whether she could trust them. It seemed, at least for now, like her best option.

    "I''ll go with you," Victoria finally said.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 359: The Erratic Professor

    Chapter 359: The Erratic Professor

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 359: The Erratic Professor</strong>

    "Miss Umbridge?..." Lyra stared at the back of her teacher. The woman had been acting strange all morning, and now she was just staring at the board without saying a word.

    Ginny nudged her and made a gesture for her to shut up.

    "Right..." Lyra realized her mistake and kept quiet.

    Professor Umbridge really hated them for some reason and gave them detentions far too often.

    ording to her brother, Umbridge had something against their family and was just taking it out on her and her friends because she was a bitter woman who didn''t know what else to do.

    "Did you... say something to me?" Madam Umbridge turned around and red at Lyra. Her expression was almost vacant, like she was half-asleep.

    "No, Professor Umbridge!" Lyra quickly replied. They had already gotten two detentionsst week, and she really didn''t want another one so soon.

    It had only been two days since the champions'' first task ended, and she hadn''t even spoken to her brother yet.

    "Did you just yell at me?!" Umbridge mmed both hands on Lyra''s desk.

    "Um... no?" Lyra wasn''t sure which answer would avoid detention.

    "Are you calling me a liar?!" Umbridge shouted, her voice shaking the ssroom.

    The Slytherins usually enjoyed it when Umbridge went after someone from Gryffindor, buttely, her behavior had been so erratic that even some of them had been on the receiving end of her punishments.

    In the end, they all decided it wasn''t worth the trouble and just stayed quiet.

    "Well, which is it?! Meow!" Umbridge''s face contorted with rage.

    Lyra stared in shock. "Did you... did you just meow?"

    "Lyra... shut up..." Ginny tugged at her robes, eyes wide.

    "I did not meow! Meow! That''s it... detention for a month!" Umbridge shouted.

    "Oh no..." Lyra groaned internally. Now she''d have to call her brother again.

    "Miss Umbridge, please... be reasonable," Ginny pleaded, knowing why Lyra didn''t want detention now and trying to help.

    "Two months!" Umbridge barked. "For both of you! And now get out of my ss! I have to meow¡ª I mean teach!"

    The students exchanged confused nces, unsure of what was happening. The professor looked even more deranged than usual.

    <><><><><><><><><><>

    After sses were over for the day, the two girls had no choice but to go look for Harry.

    At this point, they were well aware of what was going on during Umbridge''s detentions by the recounts of other students who had been there.

    "You got detention again?" Harry raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused by the news.

    "It''s not our fault! Miss Umbridge is unusually crazy today," Lyra told him, avoiding direct eye contact.

    "She''s not lying. The professor has been acting really strangetely, and today..." Ginny didn''t know how to put it.

    "Strange how?" Harry asked, hoping it wasn''t connected to anything he had done.

    "Well...keeps forgetting things, and today, she just stared at an empty board for almost ten minutes. When Lyra asked if she was okay... she freaked out and started yelling," Ginny exined.

    "I see..." Harry looked thoughtful.

    "She also started meowing... like a cat," Lyra added.

    "She... meowed?" Harry stared at his sister in disbelief. "You don''t have to make stuff up, Lyra."

    "It''s true! I swear. Right, Ginny?" Lyra looked to her for backup.

    "She did meow... or at least it sounded like it. Maybe we misheard her," Ginny replied, still skeptical. The whole interaction had been too weird.

    "Fine... I''ll deal with this. Stay in your dorms this afternoon," Harry instructed.

    "Thank you, Harry!" Ginny smiled brightly.

    Harry then noticed Lyra tugging at his robes.

    "Is there something else?"

    Lyra nodded, then shook her head.

    Harry sighed. "If this is about what happened in the tent with... ''Neville''..."

    He saw Lyra flinch and knew he had hit the mark.

    "You knew that... we..."

    "That you all knew about our switch? Yes... let''s just say Neville is almost as bad as you at keeping secrets," Harry said.

    "Harry, I..." Lyra stammered, unsure of what to say.

    "It''s fine. You thought it was Neville, and... actually, it''s not fine," Harry corrected himself. "You''re too young to be going around kissing boys."

    "Wait, I am not!" Lyra huffed in protest.

    "Yes, you are. But let''s make an agreement... we''re never talking about what happened that day. Clear?" Harry suggested.

    "I agree." Lyra nced at Ginny.

    "I think it was funny, but I won''t tell anyone. You know I can keep a secret," Ginny promised.

    Harry gave her a nod. "That''s true. Then, if there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave."

    "Um..." Ginny hesitated.

    "Yes?" Harry asked, remembering they hadn''t cleared things up between them yet. She was probably waiting for him to make a move after that kiss.

    "Nothing. It''s nothing," Ginny shook her head.

    Harry sighed. ''A problem for tomorrow.''

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    He left Umbridge''s office in a bad mood. He had gone there to fix the detention issue and also to try to get some information about Voldemort''s future ns. But he left with nothing.

    The woman''s mind was clean. She knew nothing about...well, anything at all.

    "Wait a moment... of course, why didn''t I think of this sooner?" Harry suddenly realized something. Umbridge might have been Obliviated. That would exin why her mind was so empty.

    ''Did Voldemort do this? Did he lose trust in her? Or maybe she learned something she shouldn''t have...'' Several possibilities crossed his mind, but one thing was clear:

    He could no longer rely on her as a source of information. Even if he found something eventually, it might be a trap nted there on purpose.

    ''Now what?...'' Harry wondered, deep in thought.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 360: A Broken Mind

    Chapter 360: A Broken Mind

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 360: A Broken Mind</strong>

    A.N - Update: I have just uploaded the images for the main cast of this arc antagonists, including the Dark Lord himself. You can check them out for free on my P@atreon. -

    The next week was incredibly stressful for Harry.

    Madam Umbridge''s behavior was bing increasingly unstable and deranged.

    She was giving detentions to Lyra and Ginny every day. And it wasn''t just them, but also Luna, Astoria, and even Daphne had been handed several detentions too.

    She was punishing students for breathing too loudly, blinking too many times, or not greeting her with enough politeness.

    Harry knew he would have to deal with it personally. He didn''t want to think about what kind of punishments Umbridge might inflict on her current mental state, so he always responded with, "I''ll take care of it."

    Most of his afternoons were spenting and going from her office, and the worst part was that he hadn''t been able to discover whether Voldemort had altered his ns in any way.

    Interrogating Rookwood was pointless since he was merely a meat puppet, and approaching him carried the risk of exposing himself to the Dark Lord.

    He needed to find a way to lure Voldemort out in person.

    ''Thest time he came to the castle was during our seventh year, but I can''t wait that long. What was the trigger? The reason he felt confident enough to take on Hogwarts¡­ Oh, I remember now.''

    It had been so long since those days, that it felt like several lifetimes had passed. But now it was alling back.

    It started at the end of his sixth year, with the death of Albus Dumbledore.

    ''If that could elerate his ns¡­ if that¡ª''

    "Harry, are you listening?"

    A voice nearby interrupted his thoughts.

    "I''ll take care of it!" he snapped instinctively, a mix of frustration and exhaustion evident in his tone.

    He then saw Neville Longbottom''s pale face staring back at him, a spoon in hand.

    "I-I just wanted a bit of potato sd..."

    "Ah..." Harry had almost forgotten it was dinnertime.

    "Here, Nev." Lyra reached forward, grabbed the ss bowl, and passed it to Neville.

    "Thanks..." Neville smiled, clearly relieved.

    Lyra then turned to her brother. "Are you okay? You look more tired than usual. Is this about the dance?"

    The mere mention of that word caught Ginny''s attention as she nced over.

    "Oh..." Harry suddenly remembered another thing that was stressing him.

    The Yule Ball had been officially announced, and though Ginny hadn''t said anything, it was obvious from the looks she was giving him that she was waiting for him to invite her.

    "You know she''s waiting, right?" Lyra whispered in his ear.

    "I know..." He wasn''t looking forward to that conversation. "I''ll talk to her tomorrow."

    "Great, then we can all go together." Lyra had already been invited by Neville...or rather, she had made him invite her on the second day after the announcement.

    Neville had been awkward and shy about it when Lyra asked him. But since he was required to attend as one of the champions, he was at least happy to attend with someone he cared about.

    All of a sudden, a loudmotion erupted in the Great Hall.

    Students turned to look at the teachers'' table, where someone had fallen from their chair and was now making strange noises.

    The Headmaster stood up and rushed to help, along with the other professors.

    "Call Madam Pomfrey, quick!" they heard Professor McGonagall shout.

    "That''s Umbridge!" someone at the Gryffindor table eximed.

    They couldn''t see much from their seats, so many students stood up and tried to approach, but were quickly stopped by Dumbledore.

    "Everyone! Stay in your seats!" he shouted with authority before turning his attention back to the situation.

    "I''ll take her directly. I can Apparate to the infirmary. Help me get her up," the Headmaster instructed the others.

    Hagrid effortlessly lifted the pudgy professor, helping keep her steady while Dumbledore raised his wand.

    Momentster, the two of them disappeared from the Great Hall, leaving a room full of shocked students.

    The silence was broken by none other than Lyra.

    "Was she meowing?"

    She was...over and over.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Later that night, Harry received a summons from the Headmaster, delivered by one of the house-elves.

    When he arrived, he found Dumbledore sitting alone, concern etched on his face.

    "That bad?" Harry asked.

    "Harry, be honest with me... how many times have you Obliviated that woman?" Dumbledore asked gravely.

    Harry frowned. That was a difficult question. He''d honestly lost count.

    "It doesn''t have to be exact," Dumbledore added.

    Harry thought for a moment. "A hundred...?"

    "A hundred?!" Dumbledore eximed.

    "Maybe a hundred and fifty... I don''t know. She''s been giving out a lot of detentionstely," Harry admitted.

    Dumbledore muttered something under his breath.

    "Were you aware that even a single Obliviation carries the risk of causing permanent damage to a person''s mind? This is why it''s only used in extreme circumstances."

    "So how bad is it?" Harry asked, though he could already guess the answer.

    "Well... I had to deliver her to the mental ward at St. Mungo''s. ording to Madam Pomfrey, and I quote... ''Her mind is a potato.''"

    "So that bad, huh?" Harry sighed. He had wanted to avoid this scenario and had hoped she would at leastst until the end of the tournament.

    "Let me know when they decide on her recement. I assume you have no say in that matter," Harry remarked.

    "You assumed correctly. I do not. We can only hope they choose someone better than Miss Umbridge." Dumbledore then noticed something in Harry''s expression. "Is there something on your mind?"

    "The beginning of an idea... Give me some time to think it over. I want to know who her recement is before making a decision."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 361: Hogwarts Girls

    Chapter 361: Hogwarts Girls

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 361: Hogwarts Girls</strong>

    Things only got worse the next day.

    "I don''t understand¡­ I thought that¡­" Ginny looked at Harry with tear-filled eyes.

    Harry, on the other hand, was already starting to look forward to his next great adventure.

    ''I wonder what it would be¡­ maybe arge meadow with a wooden cabin where I can rx for all eternity¡­''

    "I thought there was something between us," Ginny continued. "You even gave me that wonderful gift¡­" She clutched at the golden broom pendant around her neck.

    Harry knew this was his fault. His misguided attempt topensate for someone who no longer existed had led this version of Ginny to get the wrong idea.

    "I''m very sorry, Ginny. Thest thing I ever wanted was to hurt you. But not telling you the truth now would only make things worseter."

    He couldn''t let her hold on to false hopes, so he needed to be clear.

    "I''ll always be your friend, but nothing more."

    "I¡­" Ginny''s voice cracked before she turned and ran, tears streaming down her face.

    "That went well¡­" Harry muttered to himself.

    Things only got worse when his sister came to find him an hourter and scolded him for how he had handled Ginny.

    "How could you say that to her? I thought you liked her!" Lyra eximed.

    Harry wanted to tell her that things wouldn''t have gone this badly if it wasn''t for her meddling in the first ce, but he decided to stay quiet. Part of him felt like he deserved the scolding.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    While leaning against the first-floor balcony railing and pondering his situation, Harry spotted a group of boys leaving the castle, deep in conversation.

    It was the not-so-golden trio, Ron, Seamus, and Neville.

    ''At least things are getting better for someone,'' Harry thought as he watched them.

    After the first task, Neville''s standing among the students had greatly improved. Many had gained a newfound respect for him, and the sheer danger of the task had made more students believe he hadn''t put his name in the Goblet of Fire.

    That included Ron Weasley, who hadn''t even waited a full day before apologizing to Neville and asking to be friends again. Seamus, who had never been angry with Neville and had just followed Ron''s lead, apologized as well when Ron did.

    Neville, though hesitant at first, eventually forgave them. He missed his friends too much to hold a grudge.

    Harry thought Neville was being an idiot but chose not to say anything. This was Neville''s business, after all, even if Harry would have chosen differently.

    None of them noticed Harry''s presence on the balcony as they continued on their way out of the castle. Perhaps they were heading to theke, judging by the direction they were walking.

    Harry then heard footsteps approaching and turned around.

    It was unusual for students toe here at this time of year, as the balconies werepletely open to the elements and the castle was quite cold.

    "Greetings, Mister Potter. I''ve been looking for you," came a voice.

    "Mmm? You have?" Harry asked, confused as to why Fleur Dcour would be looking for him.

    He didn''t recall exchanging more than a sentence or two with her since the year had started. It was also rare to see her alone...this might have been the first time he had seen the French champion by herself.

    At least, that''s what it seemed. On closer inspection, he detected traces of two more individuals lurking behind the nearby wall. No doubt the two girls who usually apanied her everywhere.

    "And what can I do for you?" Harry asked.

    "I saw your incredible performance that day¡­" Fleur said, stepping a little closer.

    For a brief moment, Harry thought she had figured out the truth about him. But then he realized she was likely talking about something else.

    "You mean that squabble at the Three Broomsticks?" he asked.

    "Of course, what else? From what I''ve heard, you rarely show your prowess during sses. Although some strange rumors areing from the Slytherins."

    Harry shrugged. "Miss Umbridge won''t even allow us to have our wands on the table during ss. If I actually cast a spell in her presence, she''d go crazy¡­ though it may be a bit toote for that."

    Fleur chuckled. "Yes, I believe it is. Very unfortunate, what happened to her. The mind can be so fragile."

    "You still haven''t told me why you were looking for me," Harry said.

    "What''s the rush?" Fleur moved closer, now only a few feet away. She made a suggestive gesture and ced a hand on his chest. "I''ve been looking for a powerful wizard to take to the Yule Ball¡­"

    As she looked into his eyes, Harry felt something brushing against his lumency shields.

    ''She''s using the allure on me?'' Harry wondered. He wasn''t sure if she was doing it on purpose or not. As far as he remembered, Fleur didn''t have much control over her Ve side at this stage of her life.

    Not that it would affect him. Or that she would have time for anything.

    He suddenly felt a very familiar magical signature approaching, heading straight for him.

    They both heard the voices of two girls outside trying to stop someone.

    "Move."

    Fleur turned around, visibly annoyed by the interruption. "What is going on now?"

    After hearing the yelps of pain from outside, the culprit made her entrance.

    "How did you find me?" Harry asked, a grin forming on his face.

    Daphne smirked. "I have my ways."

    Her smile quickly disappeared when she noticed Fleur.

    "And now, Miss Dcour¡­ do you mind taking your hands off him?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 362: Daphneâ€™s Request

    Chapter 362: Daphne¡¯s Request

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 362: Daphne''s Request</strong>

    "Excuse me?" Fleur red at Daphne, her eyes narrowing. "I was here first. And what did you do to my friends?"

    "I just put them to sleep. And I told you to keep your han-"

    "That''s enough, Daphne. Let''s go." Harry walked past Fleur and dragged his girlfriend off the balcony before she did something stupid.

    He wasn''t in the mood for this.

    "Hold on, Harry. I wasn''t done with her," Daphneined.

    "Wait, Mister Potter!" Fleur called after him.

    Harry turned around briefly. "I can''t go to the ball with you. I''m sorry."

    Fleur looked stunned. She had never been rejected before.

    "You must be joking¡­"

    Daphne said nothing, but her mocking smile said it all.

    "You''re a beautiful and elegant girl, Fleur. I have no doubt you''ll receive dozens of invitations. And you won''t need to use your allure to get what you want." After saying that, Harry turned and left, pulling Daphne along with him.

    "What? But¡­" Fleur stood there, visibly confused, and Harry realized she hadn''t meant to use her allure on him.

    "She did <em>what</em>?!" Daphne eximed. She knew Fleur was part-Ve, but the fact that she had tried to charm Harry was something she wasn''t willing to ignore. She was about to pull her wand when Harry stopped her and led her away.

    "But Harry, that''s not okay," Daphne fumed.

    "Leave it, Daphne. She''s not in control of her abilities yet," Harry said, holding her close as they walked.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Daphne eventually calmed down.

    "People were already talking about what happened with Ginny¡­" she said, her voice softening.

    "That was just this morning. Do Hogwarts students have nothing better to do than gossip?" Harry huffed.

    "Apparently, Lavender overheard a conversation between Ginny and your sister. You know how she is¡­" Daphne exined.

    "So the entire castle knows by now," Harry sighed. That would exin why Fleur hade looking for him today of all days...she must have heard something.

    "I just came to check on you. I was a bit worried. I know you care a lot for her," Daphne admitted.

    "I feel terrible, but it had to be done."

    "I know. You did nothing wrong, Harry," she reassured him.

    "Oh, I did. But on the grand scale of mistakes I''ve made, making a girl cry doesn''t even make the top ten." He said this with a self-deprecating chuckle.

    "Speaking like that doesn''t suit you." Daphne took his hand in hers.

    "Then let''s talk about something else," Harry said as they walked through an empty hallway. "How did you find me so quickly?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

    "That''s easy. The house-elves told me where you were," Daphne said casually.

    "They did?" Harry found that odd. The house-elves were tied to the castle and didn''t have to obey orders from anyone who wasn''t part of the teaching staff. He was the only exception because he had written his name into the Wardstone of Hogwarts, giving him authority on par with the Headmaster.

    But Daphne was just a regr student.

    "How strange¡­"

    "Is it?" Daphne didn''t seem to see why it was unusual. She then recalled something. "Oh, there''s one thing I wanted to show you."

    "What is it?"

    "Not here. Let''s go to the Room of Requirement," Daphne said.

    It was a long walk from the first floor, but Daphne didn''t let go of his hand the entire time, chatting to keep his mind off the day''s events.

    It was out of character for her to talk this much, and Harry knew she was just trying to distract him.

    When they reached the Room of Requirement, Daphne opened the door, and Harry noticed that it had been shaped into their usual training room.

    "Do you need some practice?" he asked. They hadn''t had much time for trainingtely, with the whole tournament taking up most of their attention.

    "No, nothing like that." Daphne held her wand up. "I want to show you a new transfiguration I came up with."

    "A transfiguration?" Harry was intrigued. He knew Daphne''s strengthsy in potions and runes. She had even expressed a desire to study alchemy in the future. But her skill in transfiguration was also above average.

    "Okay, pay attention," Daphne said, focusing as she flicked her wand. Arge rock, about the size of a ser ball, appeared in front of her.

    Harry watched as she transformed the rock into a cute-looking golem.

    "My sister, Holly, would love that. She''s obsessed with golems," Harry remarked, recalling how his mother had told him that Holly wanted to attend Hogwarts just to learn how to make them.

    "I''m not done yet," Daphne said, levitating the golem onto the ground. She then pulled out a vial filled with a white liquid.

    "What''s that?" Harry asked.

    "You''ll see," Daphne replied with a satisfied grin as she poured the liquid over the golem. The dark gray stone absorbed the potion and turned pristine white.

    "That looks like¡­ marble," Harry noted, observing the patterns forming in the stone.

    "That''s just a side effect, I couldn''t get it to turn different," Daphne said. "The important part is what it does."

    "Then what does the potion do?" Harry asked, intrigued.

    "It''s an antimagic reagent," Daphne exined, pointing her wand at the golem. "Watch this¡­ Reducto!"

    Harry watched as the spell hit the golem''s chest, breaking off a small chunk.

    "It''s not perfect yet," Daphne admitted, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "It reduces the effects of spells, but¡­"

    "You made the golem magic-resistant. That''s really impressive. I would''ve never thought of using a potion for that," Harry said, genuinely admiring her work.

    "Were you trying to imitate the white marble golems?"

    Daphne nodded. "Yes, I was inspired by them. The potion uses parts from both dragons and basilisks to replicate their near immunity to magic. I used a mixture of blood magic and potion making to create this solution. "

    "How long do the effectsst?" Harry asked.

    "Only about ten minutes. I think I can make itst longer if I figure out the right runic matrix to feed the enchantment so it doesn''t wear off. Still working on it," Daphne exined.

    "That''s¡­ very impressive," Harry said sincerely. This level of ingenuity reminded him of the old Hermione from his past.

    "Say, Harry¡­ do you think I could take another look at those golems? It would help me a lot," Daphne asked.

    Harry usually wouldn''t let anyone into the castle''s foundations, but he decided to make an exception this time.

    "Alright, I''ll take you there."

    Daphne jumped at him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you!" These were the moments when she allowed herself to lower her emotional guard.

    "You know, since we''re already here, there''s something else we could do¡­" She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning closer.

    "I can''t say no to that request either¡­" Harry said with a smile.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 363: An Intact Soul

    Chapter 363: An Intact Soul

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 363: An Intact Soul</strong>

    December 1

    It''s been a few days since Harry tried to clear things up with Ginny, and she hasn''t spoken to him even once. She''spletely avoided looking at him during meals in the Great Hall.

    His sister, Lyra, has also tried to do the same but hasn''t been able topletely ignore him. She still tries to be a good friend and stay by her side.

    At least he received some good news. That same morning, an owl arrived with a letter from his parents. Victoria seemed to be doing better, and ording to his mother, she was getting along with Holly. Not that it was much of a surprise, since that ball of sunshine could probably be friends with anyone.

    Neville was also doing much better now. All the harassment and meanments hadpletely stopped. Not only because he had earned the respect of most of the students, but also because everyone''s attention was now more focused on the ball that was happening in only twenty-four days.

    "Seriously? He invited you?!" Lavender still couldn''t believe what her friend had told her.

    "When did he do that? It couldn''t have been this morning," Parvati added. "I mean, we''ve been together the whole time."

    Hermione made a troubled face and looked around as if trying to make sure no one was listening. "Could you lower your voices? I don''t want more people to know. And¡­ he invited me on Saturday¡­"

    "That was three days ago!" Lavender was shocked that someone could hold a secret for that long.

    Trying his best to ignore their conversation....or the side nces he was receiving from the other side of the table, Harry focused on his breakfast.

    At least until he heard people gasping loudly and murmuring all around him.

    Harry lifted his eyes from his te and looked around the hall to see what themotion was about. He quickly noticed that everyone was ncing toward the professors'' table, and when he finally looked, he almost gasped himself.

    Dolores Umbridge was making her way to the table under the shocked gazes of not only the students but also the other professors. Apparently, she had failed to give them a heads-up about her recovery.

    ''That can''t be right...'' Harry thought.

    Dumbledore had spoken to the healers who treated her in person. They had said there was no chance of recovery, as her mind waspletely broken. And then she was ced in the permanent mental ward.

    "She''s back?!" Lyra eximed.

    "Wow, I thought her condition was more severe¡­" Parvati said.

    "I know. I heard she was going to spend a very long time in the hospital after her mental breakdown," Lavender added.

    "She looks different though¡­ right?" Hermione noticed that something was off in the way she carried herself.

    Harry had noticed this too.

    Unlike her usual arrogant and confident demeanor, the current Umbridge looked very taciturn, almost as if she were tired or distracted.

    Without saying a word, she went to her chair and sat down between a very confused Professor McGonagall and an equally shocked Professor Babbling, the Ancient Runes professor.

    The thing was, only a few truly knew how critical her condition had been. Otherwise, they would have been more than just surprised by her return.

    Harry was one of those people, and he found the situation very suspicious.

    Once breakfast concluded, the students had some free time before sses. Harry used this time to sneak into the Room of Requirement.

    "The way her eyes looked¡­ it''s too simr. I have to make sure." Harry walked deeper into the room before stopping.

    He looked ahead of him and took a moment to focus.

    "Speak to me¡­ Dolores Jane Umbridge." It was a good thing he made sure to learn her middle name in case he had to do this. He wasn''t sure if it would work without the full name.

    A few seconds passed after he activated his ability to call upon the souls of the dead. This was a sure way to check if someone was truly dead, and he had to be sure when his enemy was someone capable of manipting death at will.

    Green smoke manifested before him and began to take shape.

    In less than a minute, a perfect manifestation of Madam Umbridge was standing before him, looking very confused.

    "Mmm?... She actually manifested intact." It was not much of a surprise to find out that she was dead.

    The moment he saw the way she moved and looked, he had made an immediate connection to Augustus Rookwood.

    The Umbridge that returned was no doubt a puppet, but there was a big difference in this case.

    "What?... Where am I?..." Umbridge looked very confused, as if she had just woken from a long dream.

    But the moment she spotted him, her expression quickly changed. "Potter?!"

    "As I thought¡­ there''s something different. Your soul remains untouched." This was different from what had happened when he tried to summon Rookwood and Parkinson''s souls.

    Harry had first thought it had something to do with whatever Voldemort had done to them to turn their bodies into empty husks. But perhaps the reason was something else.

    "If that''s not the cause, then¡­ it must be a result of the method used to kill them," Harry muttered.

    "What are you mumbling about, Potter?! What did you do to me?"

    Umbridge screamed at him, looking down at her semi-transparent limbs.

    Harry smiled. ''He made a mistake.''

    Of course, Voldemort had no way to know that Harry could speak with the dead, so he had no reason to damage the soul of a loyal follower. He must have given her a quick, merciful death before turning her body into something more useful.

    "And he left me with a source of information," Harry said.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 364: The Bait

    Chapter 364: The Bait

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 364: The Bait</strong>

    "Ahhh, nooo!" The spirit of Umbridge screamed and thrashed as it vanished.

    "So annoying¡­ just go away already." Harry was already feeling the start of a headache.

    He had to force the spirit away to have some peace.

    "Tsk¡­ that woman is as useless in death as she was in life," Harry said with bitterness.

    Her mind had been so damaged during thest month that she barely had any useful memories, and a spirit can''t recall something the person never learned in life.

    He did get a few interesting bits, like the fact that Minister Parkinson was sending people to negotiate with all the tribes of giants in the country, as well as bringing dozens of trolls under ministerial control.

    It was clear that he was preparing for a massive attack.

    She didn''t know the targets, but it was guaranteed that Hogwarts was at least one of them. Not only to gain control of the most important school and a powerful magical castle, but also toplete his revenge against Dumbledore and the Boy Who Lived.

    ''If he''s anything like the Tom Riddle I know, he won''t be able to rest in peace until he washes away the humiliation of being beaten by a baby. That''s not something he could live with. And killing Dumbledore will also give him some reassurance about his safety.''

    Voldemort wasn''t aware that there were several other wizards and witches out there who could rival, or even surpass, Dumbledore in terms of magical prowess.

    Luckily for him, most of those were unable or unwilling to take action.

    Except for him¡­

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    He left the Room of Requirement and walked through the empty halls, continuing to think about a way to learn more about the Dark Lord''s ns.

    When Voldemort went away, thest three members of the Lestrange family went with him. They were likely his most trusted followers at this point, but no one had heard of anyone spotting them.

    Wormtail would be his next choice. But he went missing after killing Sirius, and no one had seen him since.

    Ron never had a pet rat either. This was likely because James Potter was alive.

    Wormtail wouldn''t have dared to stay this close to someone who could recognize him immediately, so he probably left the country in search of his Master.

    Those were the most likely to have crucial information, but Harry had no way to get his hands on them at the moment.

    ''If only Snape had kept his status as a Death Eater¡­ I could use a spy right now.'' Harry never considered how important Snape''s role had been during his past.

    But this Snape was different. After the attack on Harry''s parents, he deserted the Death Eaters and even tried to remove Voldemort''s brand from his arm, cutting all contact with them.

    Harry suspected that the only reason the other Snape stayed as a spy until his death was revenge for his mother''s death. Since she was alive now, he had no reason to to the same.

    ''He was also the one who killed¡­ wait, that''s it!'' Harry had an epiphany.

    There was a way to solve two problems at the same time.

    "Why didn''t I think about it sooner? We just have to kill the Headmaster!"

    "What?!" one of the paintings eximed.

    "Did I say that out loud?" Harry asked.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    He arrived at History of Magic almost an hourte.

    But he wasn''t worried. Professor Rookwood didn''t even acknowledge his existence as he walked inside and took his seat.

    He neverined or took points from students for beingte, and because of that, it had be amon urrence.

    "Harry¡­" Hermione still gave him a look of disapproval.

    "Do you have a dress for your date with Viktor Krum?" Harry asked her casually as he sat back in his chair.

    Hermione''s face changed colors.

    "How do you know about that?!" The bushy-haired girl asked with a trembling voice, before turning to look at Lavender.

    "Hey! For once, I haven''t said anything. I know when to keep my friends'' secrets," Lavender said.

    "But that is a good question. Do you have a dress?" Parvati asked her.

    "Ooh! We can go shopping this weekend in Hogsmeade!" Lavender eximed.

    After sessfully getting Hermione off his back, Harry decided to rx for a while. There was still over an hour left of history ss...

    or, as the students had been calling it, "nap time".

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    Once sses were concluded for the day, Harry made his way to the Headmaster''s office.

    He had already sent a message earlier that day to call for Snape as well.

    He knew that the Potions professor was going to be hard to convince, but he was the only one who could y the role.

    Without him, the n wouldn''t work.

    When he opened the door to the office, he found them both inside, waiting for him.

    "Harry, what is this urgent matter you wanted to talk about?" Dumbledore asked.

    "And why did I have toe?" Snape said, sounding annoyed.

    "I have a n that could end this uing war in a few months," Harry said.

    This piqued their interest.

    "And what would that n be?" the Headmaster asked.

    "Well¡­" Harry looked at Dumbledore. "Do you mind if we killed you for a little bit?"

    Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. He was already used to Harry saying crazy things like that.

    "What?!" But Snape wasn''t.

    "Oh, and¡­ Umbridge is dead," Harry added. "Maybe I should have started with that¡­"

    "What?!" Snape eximed again.

    "I''ll ask the elves for some tea¡­" Dumbledore said. He had a feeling this was going to take a while.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 365: Puppets and Brands

    Chapter 365: Puppets and Brands

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <strong>Chapter 365: Puppets and Brands</strong>

    "Okay... let''s begin again," Dumbledore said, adjusting his sses.

    "What happened to Umbridge? I saw that insufferable woman just a few hours ago," Snape asked, his tone sharp as ever.

    "No... Harry is correct. That could not have been the real Umbridge. I spoke with the mind healers who treated her. She was far beyond recovery," Dumbledore exined gravely.

    "Then who is that?!" Snape demanded.

    "Her body was reanimated as an empty husk controlled from a distance, or allowed to function autonomously with limited intelligence. Like a golem," Harry exined.

    "Just like Rookwood then," Dumbledore added, nodding.

    "You mean the Dark Lord did the same thing to Umbridge?" Snape''s frown deepened. He didn''t like the woman, but being turned into a puppet through necromancy... that was a fate he wouldn''t wish on anyone.

    "This is, at the very least, his third one. We can safely assume the Minister is another," Harry said calmly. "I don''t know how many can he have, but he cannot control them all at the same time. His consciousness can only merge with one at a time. The rest of it, they would just act like the mindless puppets they are."

    Dumbledore nodded again. They had discussed this before, and it was the most likely exnation they could offer.

    "And what do you suggest we do about her? We cannot reveal to the public that she''s actually dead without exining everything. Nor can we remove her from the school without a solid excuse," Dumbledore said, his voiceced with concern.

    "There''s no need to do anything to her. Even if you removed her, they''d likely just send another puppet. At this point, Voldemort has near full control of both the Ministry and the School Board," Harry replied, his tone pragmatic.

    "It does not look good then..." Dumbledore sighed, his usual optimism clouded.

    "It doesn''t matter how much political power he holds. In the end, all we need to do is destroy him, and it will all fall apart," Harry said with quiet confidence.

    "You make it sound simple. Do you think it will be that easy to kill someone like the Dark Lord? Many have tried and failed." Snape''s eyes flicked to Dumbledore, just for a moment, before he added, "My apologies..."

    "No need." Dumbledore gave a sad smile. "You''re not wrong. I have failed in more than one way when ites to him."

    The Headmaster then turned back to Harry. "And you said you had a n... that involves my death? How would that help?"

    "Not a real death, of course. But it has to be convincing enough," Harry exined.

    "Convincing enough for who?... You don''t mean..." Dumbledore''s

    expression shifted to one of dread. "You want to lure Voldemort here? To the school?"

    "He''s already nning to attack this ce. I just want him to do it sooner...before he''s fully prepared. And there''s another reason for this... this will¡ª" Harry was cut by Snape then.

    "This is absurd! You really want to bait the Dark Lord into attacking Hogwarts?!" Snape interrupted, incredulous by the mere suggestion of bringing such a dangerous individual to a school.

    "Yes, but as I was about to exin before you interrupted me, there''s more to gain from this. Right now, what weck most is someone who can provide us with inside information. The Ministry is under his control, so it''s impossible to infiltrate someone new. But if we already have someone who used to be on the inside..." Harry''s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Snape.

    "Me?!" Snape''s voice rose, shocked by the suggestion. "Are you insane? I betrayed them! They''d kill me on sight!"

    "Harry... Severus is right. Once you betray the Dark Lord, there''s no going back. Had he not been forced to leave the country due to his injuries back then... many more would have died," Dumbledore added somberly, recalling Karkaroff''s fate as another who had betrayed Voldemort.

    "I even went as far as to remove the Dark Mark!" Snape lifted his sleeve, revealing the clear skin on his right arm.

    Harry raised an eyebrow. "First of all, you only removed the tattoo. The brand is still there. And second... Voldemort would consider taking you back if you made a significant contribution. Like killing thest man he sees as a threat."

    "That''s..." Dumbledore was now considering the possibility.

    "What do you mean I only removed the tattoo?! That is the Dark Mark! I used a very ancient andplex spell to aplish this!" Snape was livid.

    Harry sighed and stood up, moving closer to Snape with his wand

    in hand.

    "What are you¡ª"

    Before Snape could finish, Harry tapped his wand on Snape''s arm.

    A wave of excruciating pain coursed through Snape, and he screamed, clutching his arm and nearly copsing in his seat.

    "Harry! What did you do?!" Dumbledore asked, rmed.

    After a few agonizing moments, the pain subsided, and Snape''s screams died down.

    "Sorry about the pain, but you needed to see the truth." Harry pointed to Snape''s arm. "You removed... nothing."

    They all looked at Snape''s arm. The Dark Mark had reappeared, clear and vivid as though it had never gone.

    "Potter, what did you do to me?!" Snape demanded, furious.

    "I just brought it back into view. I told you it hadn''t been removed," Harry exined calmly. "A soul brand, as the name implies, is attached to your soul. Even if you cut off your entire arm, it won''t disappear... as long as the one who branded you still exists. Destroy Voldemort...that is the only way."

    "This... can''t be..." Snape stared at the Mark, disbelief etched across his face.

    "Now, with that detail out of the way," Harry said, sitting back down, "can we talk about the rest?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 366: Itâ€™s Christmas!

    Chapter 366: It¡¯s Christmas!

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <strong>Chapter 366: It''s Christmas!</strong>

    "How are things going here?" Harry asked as he sat down at the kitchen table.

    "We''re making pancakes!" Holly eximed with excitement.

    "Yes, I can see that, Holly. But I was asking Victoria," Harry replied, turning his attention to the ck-haired girl who was flipping another pancake.

    "It''s fine..." Victoria muttered, avoiding eye contact.

    Harry observed her quietly. She still seemed a bit down, but that was understandable. He wasn''t a mind healer, but staying with a kind family like the Potters was likely the best thing for her right now.

    She hadn''t asked for her wand or any of her jewelry yet. Harry knew she was incredibly smart, so she must have realized that the Potters would feel safer if she wasn''t armed...or perhaps she had some hidden resources they didn''t know about. Either way, Victoria didn''t seem to harbor any harmful intentions toward them.

    "You''re really good at that," Harrymented, nodding toward the pan she was holding.

    "She makes them just like you!" Holly added enthusiastically.

    "Does she?" Harry said with a hint of surprise.

    "I learned when I was little..." Victoria''s voice trailed off, and it was clear she was recalling something unpleasant.

    Just then, someone else entered the kitchen. "And shouldn''t you be in school, young man?" Lily Potter asked, raising an eyebrow at her son, who had arrived unannounced at the manor.

    But she wasn''t too surprised. This wasn''t the first time Harry had done this.

    "I am, but today is December 25th, and I had toe see my family." Harry smiled, then nced at Holly. "And to bring a present for someone in particr..."

    "Presents!" Holly eximed, bouncing in ce. She may have been eight years old, but her excitement for gifts hadn''t changed one bit.

    "Harry..." Lily began, her tone slightly reprimanding.

    "I know presents are usually for the evening, but I have ns tonight," Harry exined.

    Lily gave him a knowing look. "Are you going to the ball with Daphne?"

    "Maybe," Harry replied evasively, avoiding the subject.

    "You''re dating Daphne?" Victoria perked up, intrigued. Daphne had been one of her closest friends since her first year. "Aren''t you in Gryffindor?" she asked, noting the difference in houses.

    "So?" Harry shrugged.

    "Isn''t that, like, against the norm?" Victoria asked.

    "It is. But I''ve always been an unconventional person," Harry replied with a smirk.

    "I wish you had brought Lyra," Lily said. "Victoria hasn''t had the chance to meet her properly yet."

    "She''s trying her best to avoid me at the moment. It''s probably better this way...gives Victoria some time to prepare before meeting Lyra," Harry exined.

    "Why is she avoiding you?" Lily asked, her curiosity piqued.

    "For several reasons," Harry said vaguely. There was still some awkwardness between him and Ginny, and today was also the day of the ball. Lyra was going with Neville, and she probably didn''t want him to say anything that could scare her date. "I''m sure she''ll tell you all about it during the summer."

    "Hmm..." Lily stared at him, unconvinced.

    "Where''s my present? What did you bring me?" Holly tugged at Harry''s robes impatiently. "Come on!"

    "Alright, alright. Go stand over there," Harry instructed, pointing to the kitchen corner.

    Once Holly was in ce, he continued, "Now, close your eyes."

    Holly closed her eyes a little but kept peeking.

    "Cover your eyes with your hands and no peeking!" Harry insisted.

    Once she did it properly, Harry extended his right hand forward and produced a dark hole in front of him.

    From the hole, a small white golem emerged and stood before Holly.

    Lily gasped. "What is that?!" Victoria wasn''t referring to the golem...she was still focused on the strange hole that had appeared.

    The dark hole vanished, leaving only the golem behind.

    "Harry, how did you do that?" Lily asked, bewildered. She had seen dimensional containers before, but Harry had just summoned that construct out of thin air.

    Harry turned to her with a mischievous grin. "Magic."

    "Oh,e on..." Victoria rolled her eyes but kept herposure, trying to remaindylike.

    "Oh,e on!" Lily repeated, also rolling her eyes.

    "Can I open my eyes now?!" Holly''s impatience was reaching its limit.

    "Go ahead," Harry told her.

    "Whoa!" Holly stared at the golem in front of her. It was tall enough to reach her chin and made of pure white material. Its construction was extremely detailed, with many moving joints.

    "Wait... this looks simr to those..." Lily began, recognizing the resemnce between this golem and therge white marble ones from Hogwarts.

    "It is a bit simr, yes," Harry said. "I made it with Daphne''s help. It''s much more advanced than the previous one. It can followplex orders and is also very strong." He handed Lily a small book. "We wrote all the instructions in here."

    Victoria put down the pan she was holding and nced at the golem as Holly began shouting randommands at it.

    "What is it made of?" Lily asked, still examining the construct.

    "Just stone. Daphne added a coating that gives it some special properties. That''s also what gives it that color," Harry exined.

    "Did you do the rune work?" Victoria asked, now inspecting the golem more closely.

    "I did," Harry admitted.

    "It''s very sloppy," Victoria said bluntly.

    Harry chuckled. "I''ve heard that before." He couldn''t help but think of the old Luna, who also didn''t mince her words.

    "If you let me, I can make its movements a lot smoother. I could even make it dance," Victoria offered.

    "Really?!" Holly''s eyes widened in shock.

    "How would you do that? Perhaps there''s room to add an Ansuz rune over here," Lily suggested, getting a closer look at the golem.

    Victoria seemed a bit surprised but nodded. "Yes, but it would be better if you..." The two of them began discussing ancient runes in detail.

    "I have a new set of carving tools I haven''t had the chance to try yet. Want to give them a go?" Lily asked.

    Victoria nodded. "I would like that, yes."

    Harry shrugged. "Well, you two go ahead and do that. I''ll just¡ª"

    "I wanna see Goly dance!" Holly eximed impatiently.

    "Goly again? You already have a golem with that name... don''t you want to give this one a different one?" Lily asked her daughter.

    "Oh, that''s right," Holly realized, pausing to think of a new name while everyone waited.

    "Whitey!" she dered proudly.

    ''Okay¡­ she''s terrible at naming things,'' Harry thought with an amused sigh.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 367: Date Night

    Chapter 367: Date Night

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 367: Date Night</strong>

    Harry stood near the exit of the Slytherin dungeons, using his invisibility ability. He preferred not to be seen by any random students wandering around, especially not here as it would rise questions.

    Soon enough, he spotted Daphneing out, apanied by Tracey and some boy who seemed to be Tracey''s date.

    Daphne turned to them and spoke.

    "I''ll be fine. My date will be here soon," She assured them.

    "Are you sure?" Tracey asked, looking around. She knew exactly who Daphne was waiting for but could not see him.

    "Yes."

    Tracey shrugged. "Fine then... I wish you''de with me though. You still haven''t told me what you''re nning to do¡­"

    Daphne smiled. "Sorry, can''t talk about it. I''m sure it''s against the rules¡­"

    "Right," Tracey chuckled. "Our old Ice Queen is bing a rule-breaker now. Should I be proud or worried?"

    "Just go. Don''t make me curse you¡­"

    Once she was left alone, Daphne walked a bit further and stopped at the next corner. "Well? What do you think?" she asked.

    "You knew I was here already?" Harry revealed himself, removing his invisibility charm and walking up to her.

    Daphne smirked. "An educated guess. I figured you wouldn''t leave me alone in this dark dungeon, and..." She gestured to herself. "You still haven''t answered my question."

    Harry took a moment to admire her. Daphne looked stunning with her long blonde hair flowing freely and her elegant ck dress. A silver pendant with an emerald hung from her neck,pleting the look.

    "You look... okay," Harry taunted her.

    Daphne chuckled. "Why, thank you. I just threw this old thing on. So¡­ where are you taking me?"

    The students didn''t yet know they were together, and they both wanted to keep it that way for now. Plus, Harry didn''t want to stir up any more drama with Ginny by showing up at the ball with someone else, so they''d made different ns for the evening.

    "It''s a surprise." Harry offered his arm, which Daphne happily took.

    With a soft crack, they disappeared from the castle corridor.

    They reappeared in a dark alley that led to a bustling, brightly lit street. The sounds of arge crowd filled the air.

    "Come on, let''s not stay here," Harry said, taking her hand and leading her out of the alley.

    Tall buildings surrounded them, and the streets were alive with lights and sounds from shops, cars, and people walking by.

    "Where is this?" Daphne asked, looking around at the busy scene. She couldn''t recall ever seeing a ce like this.

    "This is the center of London, not too far from the Tower of London," Harry exined. "I made reservations at a nearby restaurant."

    "This is the Muggle area? Wow¡­ I think I vaguely remember seeing a bit of it when I was little, but my parents never likeding here," Daphne remarked.

    "I''m sure you''ll love the ce I''m taking you to. Ready?" He offered his arm again.

    "Absolutely!" Daphne replied with excitement. "This is beautiful at night."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Severus!"

    Snape was startled by the sudden call as he inspected the exterior of the Hogwarts dance hall, making sure no students were sneaking around the garden before the main event started.

    He recognized the voice immediately. Despite the darkness, he spotted someone moving near therge bushes.

    "Karkaroff? What are you doing out here? You should be inside the hall already," Snape said, his irritation barely concealed.

    "No¡­ no¡­ I can''t! You have to listen to me. Someone is following me!" Karkaroff eximed, his voice trembling with fear.

    Snape had never seen the man so scared before. "Calm down. Who''s following you?"

    "It''s HIM! HIM!" Karkaroff''s eyes widened in terror before he lowered his voice to a frightened whisper. "It''s the Dark Lord¡­ he''sing for me¡­"

    Snape''s rm spiked. Only he knew about the two necromantic puppets that Voldemort had stationed within the castle. So far, they''d only been used for surveince, never taking any direct action.

    Could one of them be after Karkaroff? It didn''t make sense. Karkaroff wasn''t a threat to Voldemort, so why target him now?.

    "Did you see who it was? What did they look like?" Snape asked, half-expecting a description that could match Rookwood or Umbridge.

    "I didn''t¡­ I couldn''t see¡­ but I can feel him¡­" Karkaroff clutched his right arm, where the Dark Mark had once burned bright.

    "Alright¡­" Snape realized he had to take the situation seriously. "Come with me to the Headmaster''s office. We''ll call Dumbledore and figure this out."

    "No!" Karkaroff took a step back, pressing himself against the bushes. "No¡­ I need to leave. Now."

    "Wait!" Snape called after him, but Karkaroff had already dashed into the shrubbery, disappearing into the night.

    Snape stood still for a few moments, gathering his thoughts. The first thing he needed to do was inform Dumbledore about this.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    After having dinner at a fancy restaurant, Harry and Daphne moved to a different area of the building, which housed a bar and a dance floor. They had fun, dancing for a while, until Daphne noticed Harry making a strange expression.

    "Harry? What''s wrong?" Daphne leaned in, whispering in his ear.

    Harry frowned. "Dark magic has been used inside the castle¡­"

    Daphne''s eyes widened. "Was someone attacked?"

    Harry considered it for a moment. "My sister and yours are under strict protection. It''s not them, but I need to go back and check."

    Daphne nodded. "Of course, but we can''t Apparate from here. We''re surrounded by Muggles."

    Harry took her hand. "Come with me. I know a ce we can use."

    He guided her out of the dance area toward the bathrooms.

    A staff member, keeping an eye on the guests, noticed Harry and Daphne heading into the bathrooms together. It wasn''t too unusual, but when she saw them enter the men''s room, she gasped in shock at their audacity.

    She looked around...the ce was too crowded to cause a scene, so she hurried toward the bathroom. After ensuring no one else was using it, she stepped inside.

    "Excuse me?" she called, raising her voice. "We do not allow indecent acts in this establishment. I will have to ask you to lea¡ª"

    She was cut off by a loud noise, and thest private stall shook violently.

    "What the¡­" She couldn''t believe how brazen these people were. But she had a job to do. She approached the stall, steeling herself before grabbing the door and lifting herself up to peer inside.

    "Hey, you two! You can''t¡­ huh?" The stall was empty.

    "Where are they?" She looked around the bathroom and, just in case, opened the rest of the stalls. They were all empty.

    "What the hell?" the confused Muggle eximed.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 368: Venturing into the Dark Forest

    Chapter 368: Venturing into the Dark Forest

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 368: Venturing into the Dark Forest</strong>

    Harry and Daphne appeared in the middle of a grassy clearing, the moon casting just enough light to reveal their surroundings.

    "Huh? I thought we were going back to the castle... This is..." Daphne looked around and spotted the wooden house where the groundskeeper lived, with the ominous Dark Forest looming behind it. "The Dark Forest?"

    "This is close to where the signal was triggered. I think it came from inside the forest," Harry said, his gaze fixed toward the trees as he tried to detect any signs of disturbance.

    "I didn''t realize the forest was inside the wards. Are they that big?" Daphne had never explored the Dark Forest herself, but she knew it extended far beyond the castle grounds.

    "No, the forest is massive. Only the entrance near the castle is within the wards'' range... and that''s where it happened."

    "What about the Headmaster? Wouldn''t he have sensed it too?" Daphne asked.

    "I''m sure he did, but he must have his hands full right now." Harry pointed his wand at the castle and sent his Patronus. A brilliant silver owl flew towards it at great speed.

    "A message?" Daphne noted.

    "I told him not to worry, that I''ll investigate. He''s likely handling other things at the moment." Harry nced at her. "And..."

    "Don''t even think about it. I''ming with you." Daphne shed her wand. "See? I''m ready. Just give me a second to transfigure my shoes and dress into something more... practical."

    Harry nodded, pulling out his goblin steel staff and adjusting his enchanted jewelry. He wasn''t sure what they''d find in the forest, but he wanted to be prepared for anything. He then tranfigured his elegant suit, back into its original form... some heavily enchanted ck robes he bought over the summer.

    Once they were both ready, they ventured into the Dark Forest.

    "It should be... somewhere around here." Harry used a detection spell his father had taught him, one designed to trace the use of illegal dark magic. Soon, they found the spot. "There!"

    Daphne lit her wand, casting a soft glow so they could see more clearly.

    At first nce, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but upon closer inspection, they noticed burn marks on a nearby tree.

    "This must be it. But... I can''t tell what specific spell was used. Wait, what''s this?" Harry knelt down, observing the burn marks encircling deep cuts in the tree''s bark.

    He cast the detection spell again, directly over the marks, and found only faint traces of dark magic. "This wasn''t what triggered the rm... I think this was done with a cursed de, not a spell."

    "Harry, look." Daphne was kneeling near the base of the tree, pointing to the ground.

    There were small stains of blood scattered around, pooling at the roots and trailing off in a haphazard pattern.

    "Blood¡­" Harry moved his light around. "But no body."

    "I can use this... hold on." Daphne waved her wand over the bloodstains and began chanting in Old English. Slowly, a red mist emerged from the blood, hovering in the air before starting to drift away.

    "The person who shed this blood is still alive! We can follow this to find them," Daphne said.

    "Then let''s not waste any time. Whoever''s been attacked, we need to help them."

    Harry and Daphne moved quickly through the forest, following the red mist as it guided them deeper into the trees.

    "We''re outside the castle wards now... be careful," Harry warned.

    While within Hogwarts'' territory, Harry had ess to several magical tools and protections, but out here, they could only rely on their own abilities.

    "You know, I never thought our date would end up like this," Daphne remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

    "What? You don''t find it romantic? A beautiful forest, at night, alone..." Harry teased.

    Just then, a distant scream pierced the night. "Ahhh! Stop!"

    "We''re not alone though," Daphne said, her voice tense.

    "I see it... stay close," Harry told her as they approached the source of the noise.

    They emerged into a small clearing with a pitch-ck pond at its center.

    Two figures stood near the water. One, taller and looming, was gripping the other and seemed to be leaning into their neck.

    Harry was about to intervene when the taller figure turned and released their victim.

    In the faint moonlight, Harry and Daphne could now see who it was.

    The taller figure was not a Hogwarts student. The limp body of the other person, their neck twisted grotesquely, was unmistakable.

    "Karkaroff¡­" Harry muttered in shock.

    The Durmstrang Headmaster''s eyes were wide open, blood dripping from his mouth and the gaping wound in his neck. His head hung at an unnatural angle, his face frozen in terror.

    "And who might you be?" The tall figure, now revealed, nced at Harry and Daphne with a calm, almost amused expression. His bright eyes flicked to Daphne. "Ah, a young couple looking to spend time together on this beautiful night... how unfortunate you had to witness this."

    "You killed him." Daphne''s voice was steady as she stared at Karkaroff''s lifeless form.

    "I did," the tall man admitted without hesitation. "But don''t mourn for him. He was a coward and a traitor. There was nothing good to say about him. He''s much better off now¡­"

    "You''re¡­" Harry noticed the blood staining the man''s mouth and the unnatural gleam in his vibrant yellow eyes. "A vampire."

    The man''s eyes widened in approval. "Very good! You must be an excellent student to figure it out so quickly."

    "Who are you?" Daphne asked sharply.

    The vampire shifted his gaze to her, a strange smile forming on his lips. "Mmm... you two are remarkably calm for being in the presence of a murderer. How curious that is. But if it''s my name you want, mydy..." He bowed slightly, his tone mockingly polite. "My name is Rabastan Lestrange... at your service."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 369: Trapped

    Chapter 369: Trapped

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 369: Trapped</strong>

    "Lestrange?! But then, you are..." Daphne was, of course, well-informed about Voldemort''s closest servants. The Lestranges were the only ones who disappeared alongside the Dark Lord.

    "You know about me? It''s been so long since I left Ennd." His eyes scanned Daphne up and down.

    She wasn''t wearing her school robes, so he could only guess.

    "You have the air of a true pureblooddy. That''s unfortunate. If the circumstances were different, I would offer you the chance to join me. But my instructions were very clear on what to do with any witnesses."

    Harry noticed some faint magical signatures around them. They were much harder to detect than normal magical folk, but they couldn''t escape his senses.

    His eyes then moved to the vampire ahead. Rabastan Lestrange was one of his primary targets, and now¡­ Fate had put him right in front of him.

    Harry had no intention of letting this opportunity go to waste.

    But he had to consider how to approach this.

    ''I have no time to set up any type of anti-apparition wards, so if he tries to teleport away, I won''t be able to stop him.''

    Yes, he could attempt to kill him before Rabastan could do anything and then try to summon his soul, like he had done before with the werewolf and Umbridge.

    Had Lestrange been a normal wizard, Harry would have seriously considered this option.

    But Rabastan Lestrange had been turned into a dark creature... a vampire. One of their many names was <em>the ''Soulless ones''</em>.

    It was amon belief that vampires lost their souls on the day they transformed, but studies on the matter had beencking, and nothing had ever been proven.

    He couldn''t take that risk. What if he killed him only to find out there was no soul to call upon?

    Harry was thinking of a way to keep him alive, and something came to mind.

    He now had ess to a tool that could potentially lock Lestrange in a ce with no escape.

    The only problem was that he hadn''t tested it yet. He was mostly relying on his instincts, and those were telling him that it was going to work.

    Rabastan lifted the dead Karkaroff with one hand while making a signal with the other.

    "As much as I would love to stay and y with you two, I need to deliver the corpse of this traitor to my Master. It may still be useful after all."

    In his free hand, he held a small object that he pulled from one of his pockets.

    "Enjoy the meal," he said, as six shadows jumped from the trees,nding in the clearing, very close to where Harry and Daphne were standing.

    "Harry? These men are also vam¡ª" Daphne''s question was cut short when she saw him vanish before anyone could stop him.

    Harry knew he couldn''t afford to waste a single second if he wanted to prevent Rabastan''s escape.

    He first used apparition to move in front of him.

    A pitch-ck circle emerged out of nowhere, right behind the vampire.

    At the same time, Harry was already moving his staff forward and pointing it at Lestrange.

    The vampire could not react to the sudden attack. This was thest thing he could have predicted after encountering the two youngsters.

    He only had enough time to lift the corpse he had been holding and put it between him and Harry, hoping it would serve as protection for whatever wasing.

    "Depulso!" Harry had put so much power into that pushing charm that not only Lestrange and Karkaroff, but most of the terrain around them was sent inside the ck hole.

    Rabastan hadpletely failed to sense anything behind him. He just felt a powerful force pushing him backward, and then he was falling onto the ground.

    "Urgg....bloody hell!. You are going to pay for th-" But he quickly realized that this¡­ was no longer the Dark Forest clearing where he had previously been standing.

    He looked around, but other than the corpse at his side, he could only see darkness in all directions.

    "What is this?" He became rmed.

    Vampires had night vision. Even on the darkest of nights, they could see everything as clearly as if it were the middle of the day.

    But his yellow eyes were unable to pierce through the darkness of this ce for some reason. It was as if there was truly nothing there.

    Rabastan felt a sense of uneasiness and¡­ fear.

    His Master had been the only one who had ever made him feel truly afraid¡­ until now.

    This ce scared him to no end, and he couldn''t even understand why exactly, but he knew that he wanted to get out of here.

    "The portkey..." He nced down and looked at it, wondering why it hadn''t pulled him away already.

    The small stone sphere had cracks all over its surface, and dark smoke wasing out of the cracks.

    "This can''t be happening... It''s broken?" He had never heard of a portkey breaking in such a manner.

    But he still had another way. His hands moved to his neck and pulled onto his gold ne.

    This was his emergency portkey. He never left the house without it. This would take him to a secret safe house that belonged to his family. Not even his Master knew about its location.

    "Corvus Oculum." Those were the words to activate it.

    For a moment, he felt the magic inside the ne activate and felt a wave of relief wash over him.

    But it didn''tst long. He then heard a loud cracking noise. The beautiful gold ne split right in half, and from the crack¡­ dark smoke started toe out.

    "No¡­ not this¡­"

    There was a big downside to wizards bing vampires. Their magic worked in a very different manner, making it impossible to cast spells the way they used to. Using a wand became impossible from then on.

    Of course, they gained many powerful gifts that made up for this, but¡­ none of those were of any constion to Rabastan at this very moment, as he just lost his only means of escape.

    "Noooo!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 370: How to Kill a Vampire

    Chapter 370: How to Kill a Vampire

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 370: How to Kill a Vampire</strong>

    "Master Rabastan!" one of the vampires shouted. He was the only one close enough to see him fall into some hole.

    The others had assumed the portkey had activated.

    "Don''t worry about your Master so much," Harry said, turning around to face the six vampires. They all looked fairly young, but it was hard to tell with vampires. "You should worry about yourselves."

    "What a cocky boy," one of the vampires said with amusement.

    "Can we y with them for a while? The night is still young."

    "No!" A tall blonde woman, who looked like the leader, snapped harshly at him. "Dispose of them quickly, like the Master wanted. Now is not the time to feed or y."

    "I think we are being observed," another female vampire told the leader.

    "You definitely are... this forest has many eyes." Harry ced his staff on the ground. "But as I said before¡­" The ground began to shake.

    "You have other things to worry about."

    "Careful! The wizard is doing something to the ground!" the vampire leader eximed just in time.

    Spikes shot up from the grassy ground, aiming at the creatures.

    But vampires were incredibly nimble and quick. They could also see perfectly in this dark forest.

    Out of the six of them, only one was injured, despite the number of spears that Harry had produced from the ground.

    "Argh!" The one who had a spear pass through his right leg let out a painful grunt.

    The othersughed.

    "That''s what you get for being careless," the leader said, though she didn''t find it funny. She decided to take action.

    "ra, go for the girl. The rest with me...kill the wizard quickly!" She had rightly considered Harry the biggest threat.

    A vampire with long ck hair approached Daphne while the others surrounded Harry.

    "Daphne, if you don''t know how to conjure silver, then use fire against them," Harry advised.

    "Fire, got it!" she replied, readying herself.

    A smile appeared on the face of the vampire who was approaching her.

    "Poor girl... you''ll never hit me with one of your silly spells... you magic users are all too slow."

    "Ignis!" Daphneunched a bolt of fire in the vampire''s direction.

    The vampire easily dodged it, chuckling as she disappeared.

    The next instant, she was behind Daphne. Without hesitation, she opened her mouth, revealing her long sharp fangs, and lunged at Daphne, aiming to tear her neck apart.

    "Urgh¡­" The vampire suddenly stopped and looked down.

    A sword was embedded in her chest.

    "I never said I couldn''t conjure silver, though," Daphne said with a yful tone.

    The vampire screamed as her insides were burned by the reaction with the silver de.

    The others were about to move to aid theirpanion.

    "Fulmen." Harry''s cold voice was followed by a sh of light.

    The lightning bolt from his staff pierced the heads of the two vampires closest to him, leaving only the leader and two others.

    "Kill the wizard, damnit!" the vampire leader shouted, pulling out a ck dagger and lunging at Harry.

    The other two kept their calm and followed their leader. They all attacked at the same time from different sides, thinking Harry wouldn''t be able to take them all out at once.

    At least, that''s what they thought.

    In an instant, hundreds of silver des appeared around Harry. They manifested out of nowhere and were perfectly aimed at the three vampires.

    It was toote for them to slow down or change direction. They tried to cover themselves, but they were bombarded by the deadly weapons.

    Silver acted as venom to vampires. A small cut or stab wasn''t enough to be deadly, but if they were hit enough times or in a vital area like the heart, then they were likely to die.

    Harry looked ahead at the only remaining one.

    The leader had shown her impressive skills by deflecting most of the des with her own knife.

    Only two hadnded on her, one on her left leg and another on her right shoulder.

    Her yellow eyes moved to Harry. They were filled with hatred and something else¡­

    "You..." Her squad had been annihted in moments, and now she was the only one left.

    At least she still had her knife. Just one cut from this cursed de would be enough to kill any human, no matter how skilled they were.

    Pushing past the pain, she held her weapon firmly in her right hand and attacked at lightning speed.

    She was right in front of him. Her hand moved so fast it would have been impossible to see with the naked eye.

    Harry snatched her wrist mid-thrust with his left hand, holding her in ce. The de of her knife was mere inches away from his skin, but she was unable to move any further.

    She tried to grab him with her other hand but was easily pushed back by his staff.

    "Impossible!" The vampire''s eyes widened. Even an average vampire was five or six times stronger than an adult man.

    And she was no average vampire... yet this boy was overpowering her with no effort.

    She felt like an insignificant human once more.

    "No¡­ No! Who are you?!"

    Harry didn''t answer her.

    "I don''t need minions. You won''t know anything useful..." His staff transformed into a silvery sword.

    "No, please¡ªuggh!"

    The de entered through her lower jaw and exited through the top of her head. It cut through bone like it was jelly.

    The vampire''s body began to disintegrate, just like the others that had been killed with silver.

    The ones who were killed with lightning were still there, but as soon as the sun reached them, they would also disappear.

    Harry''s eyes moved to the dagger that fell to the ground.

    "That is a cursed de. You''d better not touch it."

    The voice came from the forest. Momentster, arge centaur walked out into the clearing.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

 Chapter 371: The Guardians of the Forest

    Chapter 371: The Guardians of the Forest

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 371: The Guardians of the Forest</strong>

    "Centaurs?!" Daphne hurried to Harry''s side.

    It wasn''t just one that hade from the forest, but arge group of armed centaurs. They could see at least a dozen, but many more could be hidden.

    "You finally showed up. Were you waiting for us to die before making a move?" Harry asked the first centaur.

    The centaur scoffed at hisment.

    "We have the duty of protecting the forest¡­ not the reckless humans who venture inside." He then looked over the remains of the vampires.

    "But I will admit, I''m impressed. I would never have imagined that some young magic casters would be able to kill so many of these dark creatures."

    "You''re wee," Harry said, kneeling to pick up the ck dagger.

    When the centaur tried to warn him again, Harry stopped him.

    "I''m aware it''s cursed. I''m not nning on testing it on myself." He conjured a receptacle and ced the dagger inside.

    "What kind of curse does it have? It gave me goosebumps..." Daphne said.

    "I''ll have to study it a bit to find out." He had a feeling this could be the culprit behind all those damaged souls. A powerful curse could definitely do something like that.

    Harry turned to thergest centaur.

    "I assume your only business was with them. In that case, we will take our leave." He gestured for Daphne to get closer.

    "Wait!" the centaur called out. "I''d like to know your name at least."

    "Harry, and she''s Daphne."

    The centaur nodded.

    "Mine is Bane, leader of the scouts," he said with pride.

    "I could send a scout to escort you out of the forest. It''s easy to get lost here, even more so at night. And there''s an Acromant nest not too far from here..."

    "I appreciate the offer, but..." Harry wrapped his arm around Daphne and held her tight. "I have a quicker way out."

    With a wave of his staff, they both disappeared from the clearing.

    "Oh?" Bane stared at the empty space where they had been standing.

    "Human magic seems very handy."

    "Bane," another centaur called.

    "Do we inform Firenze of this? If these dead creatures continue to appear in our forest..."

    "If that Dark Lord thinks he can send his monstrosities into ournd, we''ll have to show him how wrong he is," Bane scoffed.

    "What about the two humans? They didn''t even give you their second names, so we don''t know who they really are." The centaur was obviously displeased.

    "I know who the boy was... That was Harry Potter. I have no doubt," Bane said.

    "The one from the prophecy?"

    Bane nodded.

    "Firenze made onest prophecy before everything went dark¡­ the description he gave me matches well with the boy we saw today. Not to mention... you saw how he fought. There can be no mistake."

    "That was the boy of the prophecy then..." The other centaur said.

    "But is he going to save us all, or destroy everything, like the diviner said?..."

    Bane nced at the starry sky. "Only the gods up there have the answer to that."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "<em>Tempus</em>," Harry nced at the numbers.

    "It''s almost midnight. The ball should be ending by now," Daphne said, looking at him. "What are you going to do?"

    "I need to inform the old Headmaster of what happened. And then, I''ll have a lengthy conversation with Lestrange."

    "Wait¡­ I thought he escaped," Daphne said.

    Harry shook his head. "No, I managed to lock him up before he did."

    Daphne stood silent for a moment.

    "You used that ability, didn''t you? The one from the cloak." She only knew the basics of what it could do, but she knew Harry could create pocket spaces to store things.

    "I did."

    "Isn''t he going to die in there?" She assumed there would be no air inside that space, which was why Harry never stored anything alive.

    "Technically, he''s already dead... but we''ll see," Harry replied.

    "Would you tell me if you find something important?" she asked. She knew Harry didn''t want her to get more involved in the war against Voldemort, but she didn''t want to stay on the sidelines.

    "If there''s something I can do¡­"

    "I know." Harry''s face was serious.

    "I won''t leave you in the dark. I promise. But for tonight, it''s best if you go rest."

    Daphne nodded.

    "Yes¡­ this has been quite theplete date. We ate, we danced, and we even fought some vampires in a dark forest."

    "Let''s try not to make a habit of that," Harry told her with a smile.

    Daphne got closer and kissed him with passion. "I don''t think is possible to get bored with you...Goodnight, Harry."

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    When He arrived at the Headmaster''s office, he had expected to find Dumbledore there, but was surprised to see Snape waiting for him.

    "Did you find the source of that dark magic?" Dumbledore asked.

    Harry sat down and nced at him with a grave expression.

    "Karkaroff is dead."

    "What?!" Snape eximed.

    Dumbledore sighed.

    "Lately¡­ it feels like every time youe to my office, it''s either to announce that you want to kill someone, or that someone is dead..."

    "You''re making it sound like it''s my fault..." Harry said.

    "Where is he? He told me earlier that someone was following him," Snape said.

    "Really?" Harry knew it couldn''t have been Rabastan or the vampires, as they would have triggered the wards if they tried to enter.

    This meant someone must have lured Karkaroff outside.

    "This reminds me... I''ve captured Rabastan Lestrange," Harry said.

    "What?!" This time, it was Dumbledore''s turn to exim.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 372: Into the Void

    Chapter 372: Into the Void

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 372: Into the Void</strong>

    "He is safe¡­ I think." Harry didn''t sound very convinced.

    "You think?" Dumbledore asked.

    "Well, where is he?" Snape added.

    "I put him inside my pocket dimension."

    "You mean the ability you acquired from¡­? Can you keep living people in there? I thought it was only for storage," Dumbledore pointed out.

    "That''s why I''m not sure. But it was the safest way to capture him. As long as he doesn''t die in there, he won''t be able to escape. I''m sure of that at least," Harry exined. "Also, he isn''t exactly alive anyways."

    "What do you mean by that?" Dumbledore asked.

    "He''s be a vampire."

    "Rabastan Lestrange is a vampire?" Snape looked shocked.

    "It shouldn''t be that surprising. We now know that when Voldemort fled the British Isles, he traveled to Romania. And at some point, he began to take over all the vampire ns there. He was apanied by six others when I found him," Harry exined to them.

    "There are six other vampires near Hogwarts?" Dumbledore eximed.

    "Not anymore¡­" Harry paused to think for a moment. "I doubt torturing him will yield much. " He looked at Snape. "How much Veritaserum do you have in storage?"

    Snape hesitated and nced at the Headmaster. After Dumbledore nodded, Snape spoke.

    "I have enough to make a dragon talk, if necessary."

    "Bring as much as you can. I have a feeling I''m going to use a lot of it," Harry said.

    While Snape was gathering the potion, Harry produced the container with the cursed dagger and ced it on the desk.

    "One of the vampires had this weapon." He opened it so Dumbledore could examine it closely.

    "This¡­" The Headmaster didn''t even need to perform any tests with his wand. The curse on the de was potent enough to make him feel sick just by being this close. "What kind of curse is this?"

    "It''s definitely one of the nastiest ones I''ve encountered. And trust me... that''s saying a lot. I believe this was created by Voldemort himself," Harry said.

    Dumbledore nodded, having thought the same thing.

    "He must have poured all of his hatred and depravity into creating this." He then looked at Harry.

    "And what do you expect me to do with it?"

    "Study it. Learn what you can from it. If our enemies are using these cursed weapons, I want to know its effects and if there''s a way to counter them. Just in case. You probably have a better shot than me with that."

    "You can count on me," Dumbledore said.

    Snape returned ten minutester with severalrge sks of Veritaserum.

    Harry felt exhausted but knew there was still one more thing to finish tonight.

    "I''ll find everything I can," Harry said, grabbing the potions.

    "Are you going alone?" Dumbledore asked.

    "It''s better that way. I don''t know if that ce would have negative effects on your bodies. And I''m not risking letting him leave," Harry told him.

    "I understand... Be careful. The Lestranges are all extremely dangerous. A cornered beast will always fight for its life to the best of its abilities."

    "Of course¡­" Harry closed his eyes and focused.

    He had never gonepletely inside the pocket space before...only enough to store things and retrieve them. But now, he was going to send his entire body in there.

    He wasn''t worried about getting trapped. His ability came with some innate knowledge, enough to know that he had full control of the space. This should allow him to go in and out at will.

    He felt a pulling sensation, simr to Apparition, and in the next instant, he found himself in the familiar dark ce.

    Rabastan was still where Harry had left him, pacing around restlessly.

    He hadn''t even found the spot where Harry had stored all his things. It was apparent that only Harry could see more clearly in this ce, even without the aid of any spells.

    However, it only took a few steps before Rabastan noticed his presence.

    "Who goes there?!" Rabastan snapped in his direction.

    "I suppose your vampire eyes are of little use in this ce," Harry said.

    "You..." Rabastan recognized the voice.

    "You''re that boy from before. You put me in here!"

    "I did," Harry admitted as he continued to approach.

    Rabastan growled, his fangs stretching out and his eyes glowing intensely.

    "Get me out of here! I will rip you limb from limb, you bastard!"

    Harry held his staff in hand. "Empty threats. Even if you kill me, you''ll never escape this void. Only I can let you out¡­ if I want to."

    Rabastan hesitated for a moment. He couldn''t tell if Harry was bluffing, but he didn''t doubt that Harry had the power to release him from this ce. After all, he was the one who had brought him in.

    "What do you want?... I am from a powerful, ancient family, and my Master is the most powerful wizard in the world. There is little we cannot obtain¡­ just state your demands," the vampire grunted.

    "I do want something from you. And what I want is very simple¡­ I want to know everything about your Master. And I want the truth," Harry said.

    Rabastan was not expecting that demand.

    "You want to know about my Master?" He grew more cautious.

    "Yes, I want to know everything¡­ everything he did after leaving Ennd, everything he''s done sinceing back, and what he ns to do now. Tell me everything you know about¡­ Voldemort."

    Rabastan''s eyes widened in shock.

    "You know!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 373: Return to the Dark Side

    Chapter 373: Return to the Dark Side

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 373: Return to the Dark Side</strong>

    Three hourster

    Snape was sitting on a couch with his eyes closed, while the Headmaster reclined back in his chair.

    Suddenly, a loud cracking noise filled the room, startling both men.

    Arge ck mass appeared in the middle of the office.

    "What is that?" Snape nearly fell off the couch, pointing his wand at it, his mind was racing, trying toprehend what he was seeing.

    "Calm down, Severus¡­" Dumbledore hurried to halt him. He then observed the dark mass with tired eyes. "Harry has finally returned¡­"

    "That¡­ is Potter?!" Snape stared in shock as the ck mass began to take human form.

    The pitch-ck material moved in an unnatural way as if swayed by a non-existent wind within the office. Itsposition was puzzling...shifting somewhere between solid and liquid.

    The unsettling sight even gave Snape goosebumps, a rare urrence for him.

    As the material receded, Harry''s face emerged. He was not alone.

    In his left hand, Harry was holding someone.

    When the ck mass finally disappeared, they could clearly see who it was.

    "Karkaroff¡­" Dumbledore noted, staring at the former Durmstrang Headmaster. He hadn''t needed to ask about Karkaroff''s location anymore.

    Harry dropped the body and walked to the table, cing a broken gold ne and a ring upon it.

    "This is¡­" Dumbledore recognized the symbol engraved on the pieces.

    "The Lestrange family crest¡­ I take it their owner didn''t make it."

    "You killed Rabastan?!" Snape eximed.

    Harry gave the Potions professor a tired look. "Did you think I''d just let that vampire go? Or hand him over to authorities that are, by now, mostly Dark Lord supporters?. Of course, I killed him, but not before getting something useful."

    Realizing Harry was right, Snape said nothing further.

    "I hope all of this was worth it¡­" Dumbledore murmured.

    Harry sat down. "Could you ask the house-elves for some coffee? I don''t think any of us will be sleeping tonight. We have a lot to discuss."

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    A knock on the door echoed through the room.

    "Come in¡­" a cold voice answered.

    Snape opened the door, feeling like he was stepping into a den of snakes.

    The room was barely lit, with two candles doing most of the work.

    Professor Rookwood was seated at a round table, staring directly at Snape.

    But this wasn''t the Rookwood he had be ustomed to over the past three months. That man was taciturn, barely spoke a word, and often looked distracted, as if his mind was elsewhere...or not there at all.

    This version of Rookwood was entirely different. His eyes gleamed a bright red, and his expression and mannerisms were as intimidating as Snape remembered from years past.

    Snape still had nightmares from that era, and now he had to face it again.

    He hoped it wouldn''tst long.

    Venturing further into the office, he closed the door behind him.

    "I was surprised by your note...you said some interesting things in it. I wonder what was that about." Rookwood mentions.

    "Greetings¡­ My Lord," Snape said, injecting as much respect into his voice as he could muster.

    "So you do know who I am¡­" Rookwood''s face twisted in anger.

    "And you dare send me a mere written message, requesting a meeting with me¡­ you traitor!" He mmed his hand on the table, the force of the impact cracking the wood.

    "My Lord¡­ I was merely serving you in a different way," Snape said, having rehearsed the many ways this conversation might unfold.

    "So the rumors about you abandoning our cause and removing the Dark Mark were all lies?" Rookwood asked, his tone dark.

    Snape was prepared for this. He revealed the intact brand on his right arm. "As you can see, My Lord¡­ it is still there, just where you put it, all those years ago."

    Rookwood frowned. "Hmph! Even if you still bear it, it doesn''t excuse yourck ofmunication all this time. How am I supposed to interpret that?"

    "My Lord¡­ you tried to keep your return secret. I only found out because the Headmaster trusts me¡­" Snape replied, hoping this excuse would suffice. Voldemort had yet to make his presence public, so Snape had no choice but to feign ignorance.

    "If that''s true¡­ then you''re a lot more ipetent than I remember," Rookwood sneered.

    "So tell me, Severus¡­ are you a traitor or a fool? Because those seem to be the only two options."

    "My Lord¡­ I''ve spent thest decade earning the respect and trust of your enemies. Allow me to serve you once more."

    "Why should I believe anything you say?" Rookwood replied. "You im to have spent years winning over my enemies, yet you bring me nothing but empty words. The only thing I believe is that you''re afraid of the consequences of your betrayal¡­"

    Rookwood leaned forward, his piercing red eyes gleaming even brighter. "And you also wish me to believe it''s a mere coincidence that this meeting urs just days after Karkaroff''s disappearance?"

    "You''re correct, My Lord. It''s no coincidence¡­ but I do have something to show you." Snape reached into his robes and pulled out several items.

    Rookwood''s attention sharpened as Snape ced a gold ne and a family ring on the table.

    He immediately recognized the ring.

    "Rabastan¡­this belongs to Rabastan." His red eyes met Snape''s. "I hope you have a good exnation for this."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

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 Chapter 374: Broken Trust

    Chapter 374: Broken Trust

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>"Dialogue"</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 374: Broken Trust</strong>

    Snape recounted a carefully prepared story, ensuring to tell mostly the truth and only altering details where absolutely necessary.

    The Dark Lord had always been skilled at detecting lies, so Snape minimized the risks, even though he was technically only speaking to a puppet being controlled from afar and not the real man.

    "You say Dumbledore found him in the Dark Forest and killed him? The Dumbledore I remember wouldn''t kill so easily," Rookwood questioned, clearly skeptical.

    "I can only tell you what I heard from him, but¡­ I don''t think he intended to kill Rabastan. It seems he had no other choice," Snape replied.

    "Mmm¡­ but why didn''t he escape?" Rookwood pondered. Rabastan hadn''t even crossed the wards, and he had a portkey for escape.

    "What about the other vampires who apanied him?"

    "They were caught by the centaurs protecting the forest. They showed no mercy."

    "My vampires, killed by those beasts?! Ridiculous!" Rookwood snapped.

    "It''s true, my Lord. Look¡­ I brought you something else. Something I believe you wanted." Snape pulled out a small bag.

    At first, the bag seemed small, but it continued to grow until it was about the size of a person.

    "You brought me a corpse?" Rookwood had no doubt what was inside the bag; the shape was unmistakable.

    Snape said nothing and simply opened it.

    "Karkaroff¡­" Rookwood recognized the man on the floor. He looked remarkably fresh, indicating some preservation spell had been used on him. "Why would I have any interest in the corpse of a traitor?"

    "I was told Rabastan put great effort into taking this body with him. I wouldn''t presume to guess at my Lord''s ns, but it seemed of some importance, so I went through the trouble of securing it for you. " Snape replied.

    "I did have ns for him¡­" Rookwood nced at Karkaroff. "But now it''s toote for that." It was likely Karkaroff had already been dered dead, making him useless as a puppet. This will make taking over Durmstrang a bit more difficult, but is not like that would stop him.

    "I see¡­I did something unnecessary then. " Snape looked at the corpse. "Shall I dispose of it?"

    "No¡­ leave it. It may still serve some minor purpose," Rookwood smiled...a smile so sinister it sent chills down Snape''s spine. He didn''t want to imagine what dark uses Voldemort might have for Karkaroff''s remains.

    "Mmm¡­" Rookwood seemed to be considering something. His eyes went to pieces of jewelry that used to belong to Rabastan. "Those must have also been dificult to obtain." He could not imagine that Dumbledore would just leave them lying around.

    "It was..." Snape answered.

    "I see..." Rookwood became silent after that.

    Snape waited patiently. He knew his old master''s habit of pondering in silence and that any interruption could lead to unpleasant consequences.

    "Severus¡­" Rookwood''s red eyes locked onto the Potions professor.

    "Yes, My Lord?"

    "North of London, in the countryside, there is a small vige called Little Hangleton. On the outskirts of that vige, there''s a cemetery. Be there tomorrow at midnight. Then we can discuss your loyalty¡­ in person."

    Rookwood noticed Snape''s hesitation. "Unless, of course, everything you''ve told me tonight is nothing but lies. In that case..."

    "No, my Lord!" Snape said quickly. "I''ll be there. I swear."

    Rookwood nodded and waved his hand dismissively. "You may go now¡­ I have other matters to attend to."

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    It was a cool, moonless night when Snape arrived at the appointed location.

    He looked around but couldn''t see anyone.

    He knew Harry was hiding nearby, and he could only hope he stayed well hidden, for if he was discovered, his death would likely be anything but swift. Harry had insisted oning, just in case Voldemort appeared in person, but Snape had no idea what the boy nned to do if that happened.

    Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. The fact that he only heard them now meant the person was purposely revealing their presence.

    He turned to face the neer, expecting to see a familiar face among the Dark Lord''s followers. He never imagined that Voldemort himself woulde to meet him.

    Instead, a young blonde woman he had never seen before emerged from the shadows.

    However, her pale skin and yellow eyes were enough to tell him what she was.

    "The Dark Lord sends a vampire to meet me?" Snape tried to maintain a tough demeanor.

    He remembered well the days when showing weakness among Death Eaters could easily lead to death if one was deemed unworthy.

    "Do you have something against vampires?" the woman asked.

    "No¡­ I just expected an old acquaintance, that''s all," Snape replied.

    The woman grinned. "The old Inner Circle? There aren''t many of them left. <em>We</em>are the ones who currently hold most of the Dark Lord''s trust, so be mindful of what you say."

    "I''ll keep that in mind," Snape replied, trying to appear unbothered.

    She pulled something from her pocket and tossed it to him. "Catch."

    Snape caught it and realized it was a small stone sphere.

    "Oh¡­" He felt it activate immediately and had no way to react to it.

    The vampire chuckled. "Good luck¡­ you''ll need it."

    Snape was whisked away as the portkey activated.

    Harry watched from afar, thinking, ''He <em>will</em>indeed need luck¡­''

    This wasn''t an entirely unexpected oue, but it was certainly a risky one.

    Voldemort was being cautious. Instead of meeting Snape directly, he''d sent a disposable minion to deliver a portkey that would bring Snape straight to him.

    Now, the only chance Snape had of returning was to truly convince Voldemort of his loyalty.

    ''Let''s hope our preparations have been enough.'' Harry thought.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the Dark Lord.

 Chapter 375: The Lordâ€™s Manor

    Chapter 375: The Lord¡¯s Manor

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 375: <em>The Lord''s Manor</em></strong>

    As soon as he felt his feet touch the ground, Snape''s body was overwhelmed by an unpleasant sensation that made him dizzy and disoriented.

    Luckily, there was a cab nearby, and he quickly used it to steady himself and avoid a bad fall.

    This also gave him a moment to regain his bearings and nce around the ce where he had arrived. It was arge room, and more specifically, it looked like the living room of a very elegant house.

    Something about the furniture felt familiar. He had seen those before.

    But before he could analyze it further, he felt a sudden urge to vomit.

    "Urggggg!" He only had time to move his head down and let it all go.

    Snape had never felt so ill after using a Portkey, and he had used plenty of them over the years.

    "It is unpleasant, isn''t it?" A melodious female voice spoke from the side.

    This startled him, as he hadn''t even heard anyone enter the living room, so this person must have already been inside and he had missed it.

    Snape made an effort to straighten his back and look at the source of the voice. It was an extraordinarily beautiful and exotic woman with olive skin and amber eyes, looking at him with an innocent smile.

    "It will soon pass. What you''re feeling is just your body adjusting to the blood wards."

    "Blood wards?!" Snape managed to say. He shouldn''t have been that surprised by this, considering who he was visiting. But blood wards were one of the few home defenses that were illegal to use in all Britain territory, so you would rarely see wizard families being bold enough to use them anymore.

    "Yes. Our Lord wanted the ce securedpletely. You see, this house has been breached in the past¡­ and its previous owner was murdered," the womanmented.

    Snape nced down at the cab he had been using for support. A family symbol was engraved on its surface.

    "Malfoy... this is Malfoy Manor!" He now realized why the furniture had felt so familiar.

    He had been here many times in the past, though this living room seemed to have undergone some remodeling. The familiar pieces of furniture were all out of ce.

    "Correct. This used to be Malfoy Manor, but now it''s our Lord''s house. One of many."

    Snape was feeling a bit better now and took a good look at the woman before him. He recognized her, of course. This beauty was infamous across magical Britain.

    Because of the wealth she had amassed following the deaths of her many husbands, people called her the ck Widow.

    "Trisha Zabini¡­ you''ve been missing for months, along with your son. There were rumors that you''d left the country and gone to France."

    She offered him a sweet smile that would put most men on their knees. "I appreciate the concern, but my son and I are perfectly fine. We''ve just been keeping a low profile so we can serve our Lord better."

    Snape had to admit her act was convincing. But behind that charming smile was an unmistakable fear. She couldn''t hide it from her eyes.

    He sighed in relief as he regained his strength. Though still a bit dizzy, he no longer feared copsing.

    "I see you''re feeling better. Then we should get moving. The Dark Lord is eager to see you in person," Trisha said.

    Snape felt goosebumps at the thought of facing that man directly. This was going to be far more terrifying than speaking with one of his flesh puppets.

    ''Why did I let that damn boy convince me to do this?'' Snapemented.

    But Potter had been persuasive. He made him understand that as long as Voldemort lived, Snape would never be free.

    And if that monster won the war, there would be nowhere in Britain for him to hide.

    By taking this risk, he hoped he might bring the Dark Lord one step closer to his downfall. At least, that''s what he wanted to believe.

    "Then let''s not keep the Dark Lord waiting any longer."

    Snape glimpsed at the stains he''d left on the polished wooden floor and wondered if he should clean them up before leaving. After all, this was Voldemort''s house.

    Trisha noticed his look. "Don''t worry about it. We have many servants here. They''ll clean it up." She turned and began walking out of the small dining room.

    Snape wasted no time following her. He knew just how precarious his situation was. One misstep, and the Dark Lord could kill him without warning.

    Being familiar with the manor, he could guess their destination after only a short walk.

    The main hall was just two turns away.

    Since he was being taken to thergest room in the house, this would likely not be a private meeting as he''d initially expected.

    He spotted therge double doors, and as he anticipated, Trisha walked directly toward them.

    What he hadn''t expected was to see two familiar faces standing on each side of the door, waiting for him.

    It was none other than Draco Malfoy and his mother, Narcissa.

    The former Lady of the manor lifted her gaze to look at him with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

    "Severus¡­ it''s been so long."

    In his eyes, she looked as beautiful as he remembered, with her long tinum hair and piercing blue eyes. Yet she seemed incredibly sad.

    Draco, however¡­ was very different than he remembered.

    His once-blue eyes were now a bright, unnatural yellow. His cruel smirk revealed a pair of sharp fangs. The boy was no longer hiding his dark nature.

    Not that he had ever been good at it.

    "So¡­ you dare toe here¡­ Professor," Draco sneered at Snape.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the Dark Lord.

 Chapter 376: The Dark Lord

    Chapter 376: The Dark Lord

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 376: <em>The Dark Lord</em></strong>

    Snape would like to say he was surprised to see that his godson had be a vampire, but knowing the boy''s personality¡­ he wasn''t.

    "What''s wrong, Professor? Don''t be scared. I won''t bite you," Draco chuckled.

    Snape chose to remain silent. Draco likely thought he was more intimidating than he actually was.

    "Draco, that''s enough. Severus has always been a family friend," Narcissa told him.

    "You shut up! I have another family now. A better one," Draco huffed. He was still angry with his mother for refusing the dark gift and choosing to remain a "useless" human.

    "Master Draco, we mustn''t dy this meeting. The Lord must not be kept waiting," Trisha reminded him politely, as the young vampire had proven to have a short temper, much like his aunt.

    "Right¡­ then what are you waiting for? Open the doors." Draco calmed down. Even he knew better than to keep the Dark Lord waiting.

    Trisha opened the doors without hesitation and then moved to the side, allowing Snape to walk in.

    "Oh¡­" He had expected to see others inside the hall, but there were far more than he''d imagined.

    On each side of the hall stood dozens of individuals watching him.

    Not only humans, but vampires and even giants were present.

    They were all standing there, waiting for something.

    Between them was a long red carpet that led to a throne at the end. On this throne, arge figure covered in a ck tunic was restingfortably.

    The figure, who could only be Lord Voldemort, raised one hand.

    Everyone inside the hall immediately knelt down, even the giants.

    Snape noted that behind him, Draco, Narcissa, and Trisha Zabini were also kneeling.

    He was the only one left standing and felt increasingly worried by the situation.

    ''Should I kneel too?'' Snape wondered. But he decided that he had to first address the person in question. "My Lord, I¡ª"

    "Come closer¡­"

    The voice of the Dark Lord seemed to pierce through everything else.

    But the first thing Snape noticed was that he sounded very different.

    It had been over ten years, but he would never forget Voldemort''s voice.

    The Dark Lord had always been intimidating, but his voice had been sweet and charming, even when he was threatening. It created a contrast that one would never forget.

    But now, it was deep and husky¡­ and there was something inhuman about it.

    As Snape got closer, he nced to the sides, scanning the crowd.

    He recognized a few of the men kneeling.

    Near the end, he saw the Carrow twins, Mair, Yaxley, and even the inseparable duo of Crabbe and Goyle Sr.

    These had all been loyal Death Eaters in the past, but none of those used to be part of the Inner Circle.

    Close to the throne, he spotted a pudgy, ugly man he was very familiar with.

    ''Peter Pettigrew is still alive?...'' Snape was surprised to see him here.

    Everyone had assumed he was dead. He was responsible for the deaths of many members of the old Order of the Phoenix near the end of thest war, including Sirius ck and the Longbottom family.

    A man and a woman stood on either side of the Dark Lord''s throne.

    When Snape was close enough, they were the only ones who stood to look at him.

    Rodolphus and Betrix Lestrange looked even younger than thest time he had seen them, well over a decade ago.

    ''Did they all be vampires too?'' Snape immediately recognized what they were, with their pale skin and yellow eyes.

    Betrix was grinning at him, but it was hard to tell what she was thinking.

    Rodolphus, on the other hand, didn''t bother to hide his anger. Not even a bit.

    He had always been an emotional man, and it appeared bing undead hadn''t changed that.

    Snape stopped a good distance away from the throne and nced at the Lord.

    It was impossible to see his face under the ck hood, likely due to a powerful concealment spell.

    The only thing he could clearly see was a pair of bright red eyes.

    "Severus Snape¡­" Voldemort finally spoke.

    "My Lord." Snape did his best to show respect with a polite bow.

    "You''ve taken your time returning to my side."

    "My Lord, I was merel¡ª"

    "I know what you were doing," Voldemort interrupted. "I haven''t forgotten the conversation with my puppet, nor have I forgotten your excuses."

    He gestured with his hand, and everyone in the hall stood up at the same time.

    "Tonight, I''ve gathered my Inner Circle to help me decide your fate," the Dark Lord spoke.

    Voldemort lifted his hand from the throne, this time moving it forward, as if reaching for something. Snape watched in horror as a skeletal hand emerged from Voldemort''s robes.

    Arge wooden staff materialized into existence, and he gripped it firmly.

    Voldemort''s red eyes turned to Snape, followed by a loud chuckle.

    "Surprised?"

    A fewughs filled the hall briefly before silence returned.

    "Yes¡­ My Lord¡­" Snape said, trying his best to stay calm.

    "I suppose it''s to be expected. It has been a long time since youst saw me, and I''ve changed a bit." His left hand moved to the top of his hood, and he began to pull it back. "I''ll allow you to see me, then¡­"

    Snape had to cover his mouth to keep from screaming when he saw the Dark Lord''s face.

    Because he had none.

    His current head was devoid of skin or muscles. It was a pearly white skull, though it didn''t even look like a human skull.

    It had pointed protrusions everywhere, and at the top, they seemed to form something resembling a crown.

    His red eyes grew brighter as he leaned closer.

    "Tell me, Severus¡­ what do you think of the new me?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 377: Lord Voldemort, The Undead

    Chapter 377: Lord Voldemort, The Undead

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 377: <em>Lord Voldemort, The Undead</em></strong>

    Snape remained silent, frozen by shock. He''d seen many things since entering the magical world, but nothing like this.

    He knew that Voldemort had dabbled in necromancy, the most taboo branch of magic...even more forbidden than blood magic.

    But it seemed the Dark Lord had done more than just experiment with it; he had transformed himself into an undead.

    Snape wasn''t sure how Voldemort had achieved this, but he knew he had to find something positive to say.

    "It''s¡­ it''s magnificent, My Lord¡­" he managed to murmur.

    "Magnificent, is it?" Voldemort leaned back in his golden throne.

    Snape couldn''t detect any reaction from him. His skeletal face revealed nothing.

    "Of course you''re magnificent, My Lord!" Betrix seized the chance to join in, her eyes wide with reverence as she stared at her Dark Lord.

    "You are the most magnificent being in the entire world, the most regal, and powerful¡­ and the most handsome th¡ª"

    "Enough, Be," Voldemort interrupted, cutting her off before she could continue. If he let her go on, she might haveunched herself at him. He couldn''t allow that...he was trying to intimidate Severus into submission.

    "My apologies, My Lord! I spoke out of turn." Betrix quickly retreated, bowing her head in shame.

    "My Lord! You''re not seriously considering taking him back, are you?" Rodolphus eximed, pointing usingly at Snape.

    "There''s no way he wasn''t involved in my brother''s death. Please, give me permission to rip his head off!"

    Voldemort''s gaze turned cold as he looked at Rodolphus. "Are you telling me what to do?"

    Rodolphus''s demeanor shifted instantly, his anger reced by fear.

    "N-No, my Lord!" He quickly dropped to his knees.

    "I just¡­ I only want justice for my brother."

    "And you think I don''t?" Voldemort''s red eyes narrowed as he spoke.

    "Rabastan was one of my most loyal followers, and you know how much I value loyalty. If I thought Severus had anything to do with that unfortunate matter, I''d personally rip his head off."

    Voldemort turned his gaze to Snape, who felt his blood run cold.

    "But he knows who did it, don''t you, Severus?" Voldemort asked.

    Snape nodded.

    "Yes, My Lord. It was Albus Dumbledore¡­ with the help of some centaurs."

    "Dumbledore¡­" Rodolphus muttered.

    "Centaurs? Those inbred horses dared to kill one of us?" Betrix huffed.

    "Why don''t you tell us the whole story, Severus?" Voldemort ordered.

    Snape recited the story they had prepared. Dumbledore had ced every protection he could think of in Snape''s mind, fully aware that Voldemort was a master of mental arts. They had even removed some of Snape''s memories, storing them in containers hidden in the Headmaster''s office.

    As Snape spoke, he felt Voldemort probing his mind. He held the Dark Lord''s gaze, knowing that looking away would appear suspicious. He had to trust that the preparations were enough.

    When Snape finished recounting Rabastan''s demise, anger filled the hall.

    "How dare they?!"

    "I want to burn that forest down!"

    Voldemort said nothing at first, allowing his followers to vent while keeping his eyes on Snape, as if weighing his words. This was the first major defeat their side had suffered since they''d returned to Britain.

    "That''s enough," Voldemort eventually said.

    He didn''t need to raise his voice...that much was sufficient to hush them.

    Silence fell over the hall.

    "Do not forget that this is a war. No matter how much we prepare, some losses are inevitable. We knew this from the beginning, and I''m afraid that Rabastan will not be thest." Voldemort''s tone was steady.

    "My Lord, I am more than willing to die for you!" Betrix hurried to say.

    ''You already did¡­'' Snape thought but held his tongue. As vampires, she and her husband could no longer be counted among the living.

    "Now¡­ one of the biggest obstacles left in this country is going to be to take over Hogwarts. The castle was designed as an imprable fortress when all defenses are activated, and Albus Dumbledore is there."

    "We already had a n to address that obstacle, but¡­" Voldemort''s red eyes swept the room beforending on Snape once more.

    "I believe you mentioned that you had a way to end this in a more expedited manner. Is that true?"

    "It is, My Lord¡­ if you allow me. I believe I can help you end Dumbledore''s life within a month, leaving the castle free for the taking," Snape said.

    "Is that so? Then I wish to hear all the details," Voldemort demanded.

    Snape exined how he had developed an untraceable poison that he could slip to Dumbledore. It would gradually weaken him until he''d bepletely unable to use magic. At that point, the greatest wizard the world had ever known would be as defenseless as a Muggle.

    After their discussion, Voldemort handed Snape a one-time-use Portkey that would take him outside, allowing him to leave.

    "Do you really trust him, My Lord?" Rodolphus asked once they were alone.

    Voldemort chuckled. "Of course not. Severus is like a venomous snake. You don''t get too close."

    "Then why let him leave? Why not just kill him? This could be one of Dumbledore''s schemes," Betrix pointed out.

    Voldemort nodded.

    "It could be. And if it is, then I''ll give him the ending he deserves. But there''s a chance he''s telling part of the truth, and if so, I''d be a fool not to take the opportunity. There''s little risk, just two puppets at the castle and little more. A direct assault on Hogwarts would lead to heavy losses. Eliminating the Headmaster in this way would make the conquest much simpler."

    "I knew it! My Lord is merciful," Betrix gushed. "He takes this risk because he cares about us!"

    "Be, control yourself," Rodolphus scoffed.

    Voldemort tapped his bony hand on her head, and she looked blissful.

    "Of course, I care for my followers. I always have." As long as they were useful to him, at least.

    "You revealed your true appearance to him. What if he tells the old Headmaster?" Rodolphus asked.

    "There''s nothing they can do with that information," Voldemort said, waving his skeletal hand in front of him.

    "They don''t know what I truly am. And if they did¡­ they''d only be able to scream in despair."

    Voldemort''s red eyes gleamed with malevolence.

    "For I am the God of Death."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 378: The Long Night

    Chapter 378: The Long Night

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 378: <em>The Long Night</em></strong>

    December 31

    Usually, Hogwarts was quiet on New Year''s Eve, with most students at home celebrating with their families.

    This year, things were different. Because of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, many foreign students were staying at the castle, along with local students who wanted to participate in the holiday events. First, there had been the Yule Ball on the twenty-fifth, and tonight, the professors had organized a New Year''s Eve party. Although simpler and without Ministry personnel, it was enough to keep nearly half the student body at Hogwarts for the entire break.

    The mood at breakfast was buzzing with excitement as students discussed their ns for the night.

    "Ugh... can''t they stop kissing at least until after breakfast?" Seamus groaned, moving away from a couple before dropping down beside Harry.

    "At least Ron isn''t here to see this¡­" The boy was grateful for that. He had not taken well to the news of the official new couple being formed and felt like he was being pushed away.

    Harry lifted his eyes from his te and nced to his left.

    His sister Lyra wasn''t being particrly subtle in her public disy of affection with her new boyfriend, Neville. And they had gotten worse after Ginny left to spend the rest of the break with her family.

    "They haven''t stopped since the Yule Ball," Lavender observed with a smirk.

    "They could at least go somewhere else¡­ this isn''t the ce for that," Hermione added with a deep frown.

    "I''m surprised Professor Umbridge hasn''t said anything. Isn''t this a tant breach of her rules?" Parvati noted.

    "Professor Umbridge hasn''t been the same since she came back from the hospital," Hermione remarked. And she knew that was an understatement. Umbridge''s attitude hadpletely changed and she always looked absent and quiet.

    "Mate, how can you let your sister do that?" Seamus nudged Harry.

    Harry sighed. What was he supposed to do? It''s not like he enjoyed watching them, but Lyra was old enough to make her own choices. And telling her to stay away from the boy would only drive her further onto his side.

    Besides, Neville wasn''t a bad influence. If anything, Lyra was a bad influence on him.

    "That''s enough, you two." Finally, Professor McGonagall approached the couple. "I know you''re all on break, but the Great Hall is hardly the ce for that kind of behavior."

    Lyra and Neville quickly apologized and left the Hall together. Surely, to continue somewhere else.

    Ginny, Ron, and the twins were all absent, having returned home for the holidays. From what he''d heard, Ginny hadn''t even attended the Yule Ball.

    Harry couldn''t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

    His eyes drifted to the Slytherin table.

    Somehow, Daphne must have noticed his gaze, as she nced back with a slight smile. She had stayed at Hogwarts over the break to spend more time with him, while her sister had returned home. Her friend Tracey was also still at the castle, but mostly because her new boyfriend was staying as well.

    "So, Harry¡­ what about you?"

    He heard someone speaking to him and turned his head.

    Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati were all looking at him with interest.

    "Sorry, I wasn''t following the conversation. What about me?" he asked.

    "We were talking about tonight''s ball," Hermione exined.

    "Yes, and we were wondering if you had any ns," Lavender added.

    "Since you missed the Yule Ball¡­" Parvati chimed in. "Don''t think that we didn''t notice."

    "Oh¡­ that. I haven''t thought about it."

    "You know, a lot of girls would''ve been happy to go with you. My sister Padma has had a crush on you since at least the second year," Parvati said.

    "We even heard a rumor that the French champion asked you to the ball. Was that true?" Lavender asked.

    "You shouldn''t believe everything you hear," Harry decided to say. There was no need to talk about that.

    "Well¡­ I know that." Lavender was, after all, the source of most of those rumors.

    "I knew it wasn''t true. That one sounded particrly crazy," Parvati chuckled. "She is easily the most popr girl this year."

    "So, you''re not going to attend?" Hermione asked.

    "No, I don''t think so," Harry replied.

    "That''s too bad. But if you change your mind and need a date, let me know. My sister would go with you," Parvati offered.

    "Isn''t Padma already going with Michael Corner?" Lavender asked.

    Parvati dismissed the question with a wave.

    "She''d drop him in a second to go with Harry, I''m sure of it."

    Harry finished his meal and walked out of the Great Hall alone. He didn''t n on attending the ball, but he did have other ns.

    <><><><><><><><><><><><>

    Another wooden target dummy exploded into pieces.

    Harry had lost count of how many he''d destroyed tonight, but he didn''t feel tired at all. The Room of Requirement could easily regenerate them, so he continued.

    At least, until he sensed someone standing outside.

    He made the door appear, and soon it opened.

    Daphne entered, wearing her usual robes and looking at him with a serious expression.

    "I know you told me toe here in my normal robes, but please tell me that tonight''s n isn''t just blowing up dummies¡­"

    Harry looked back at her. "You could have a bit more confidence. Of course, I have prepared something. " He used a cleaning spell on himself and made the target dummies go away. "Now, let''s see.."

    <><><><><><><><><><><>

    While most of the castle inhabitants were having fun, the Headmaster and Snape were having a serious conversation in his office.

    All of a sudden, Snape clutched his arm, looking as if he were in intense pain.

    "Severus?... What is it?" Dumbledore asked.

    Snape gasped for breath. He had hoped to never feel this unpleasant sensation again.

    "I¡­ I''ve been called¡­"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 379: Tonight We Hunt

    Chapter 379: Tonight We Hunt

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 379: <em>Tonight We Hunt</em></strong>

    The Portkey they''d left with him could only be activated from the other side when his presence was explicitly required. Snape didn''t even know where it pointed to.

    After reappearing, the professor regained hisposure and looked around. It was the same cemetery where he''d been calledst time.

    ''It seems he doesn''t trust me with a Portkey that leads directly to the house'' Snape thought.

    Voldemort had always been cautious, and it appeared that bing even more monstrous had done nothing to change that.

    Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was another of the Dark Lord''s minions sent to fetch him.

    "Well, who do we have here?" A middle-aged woman with a cruel smile appeared from behind arge tombstone and began to approach him.

    "Alecto¡­" Snape muttered. This was one of the infamous Carrow twins and one of the few women who he feared. She has also been the talk of the public very recently so it was easy to recognize her. This is the one who took over Dumbledore''s position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

    He hadn''t seen her during hisst visit. But then again, there had been so many people, that it was easy to miss someone. And his attention had been somewhere else on that day.

    Two more figures stepped into the open area, bing visible in the moonlight.

    Unsurprisingly, Amycus Carrow was also present. The twins were inseparable.

    "Severus, how have you been?" thenky man with long, ck hair and an unkempt beard sneered. Amycus usually had a jovial attitude that waspletely opposite to his sister''s no-nonsense one.

    "I''m fine¡­" Snape replied, he never liked this man... always making light of every situation. Instead, he focused his eyes on thest person. Who was no other than his Godson.

    But Draco Malfoy barely acknowledged him, seeming preupied with something else.

    "Don''t mind him," Amycus said with a smirk. "He''s just nervous about tonight''s hunt."

    Snape''s eyes widened slightly. "Hunt?"

    "Hey, I''m not nervous!" Draco retorted, feeling obviously offended by thement.

    "You weren''t even told the reason for this meeting? Seems like you''ve really fallen out of the Dark Lord''s favor," Alecto said with a somber tone.

    Amycus was about to add something when the ground shook violently.

    Snape looked up as something massive blocked the faint light, casting a huge shadow.

    The giant, who must have been lying behind the graves, had somehow gone unnoticed until he stood up. He let out a loud grunt, sounding displeased.

    Even by giant standards, this one was particrly tall.

    "What''s wrong, Grunt? Did we wake you from your nap?" Amycus chuckled. "Don''t mind him, Severus. He''s always a bit grumpy."

    Snape did his best to appear impassive. "Tell me about this hunt¡­"

    "Oh, don''t be in such a hurry. You''ll find out soon enough. The rest should be arriving any moment," Amycus replied.

    As if on cue, they began hearing sounds of Apparition and Portkeys activating.

    Within moments, arge group of Death Eaters assembled in the old graveyard. But there was no sign of the Dark Lord.

    "Alright, seems like we''re all here." Betrix took charge, and nobody objected.

    Snape didn''t know much about her rtionship with her husband, but considering that he stood silently at her side, it was obvious who held the higher rank.

    "The night is young, so let''s not waste it. You know your targets and what you''re to do," Betrixmanded.

    "I expect each of you to report back to me before dawn. Give them the ultimatum, and if they refuse¡­ show no mercy."

    Snape remained puzzled, having been given no exnation of the night''s objective.

    ''Are we raiding Muggles¡­ or is this something else?'' This seemed like an odd time for a Muggle raid. As far as he knew, there hadn''t been a single attack on Muggle territory since the Dark Lord''s return.

    "Severus,e here." Betrix waved him over.

    While the others prepared to depart, she was left mostly alone, with only an older wizard, Corban Yaxley, by her side.

    She pulled something small from her pocket and handed it to him.

    "I assume you didn''t bring a broom, so you can use this one."

    Snape looked down and saw a tiny broom.

    "We''re flying?" he asked.

    Yaxley had already removed the shrinking spell on his broom, and Betrix was doing the same.

    "Yes, and you''reing with me." Her yellow eyes gleamed under the moonlight. "Listen, Severus. You''re on thin ice right now, and I''m sure you''re aware of that. Tonight, I''ll be watching your performance."

    ''So, that''s what this is¡­'' Snape realized. This was likely a test of his loyalty. If he showed even a hint of hesitation, he''d likely be eliminated.

    That would exin why Betrix was with him. She seemed to be the Dark Lord''s most trusted, and perhaps his most powerful follower.

    Snape watched as the other groups mounted their brooms and took off toward¡­ somewhere. The homes of some unfortunate people, no doubt.

    He nced toward the Carrow twins, curious about the giant''s mode of transport.

    To his surprise, the giant sped his iron bracelets together, shrinking from a towering colossus to something resembling a very tall, very ugly human. He was still unable to fly on a broom, but at this size, he could ride as a passenger on Amycus''stest model Comet broom.

    "Let''s go," Betrix said coldly. She was always like this when her beloved Dark Lord was absent.

    Snape mounted his broom and followed her without dy.

    His stomach churned, and he felt nauseated. Tonight, there was a very real chance he would have to kill someone.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 380: Raids

    Chapter 380: Raids

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 380: <em>Raids</em></strong>

    They flew for almost an hour, passing over several Muggle towns, but Betrix didn''t so much as nce in their direction. Their objective was clearly someone specific.

    Eventually, Betrix stopped mid-air, and Snape halted beside her, hovering while looking down at thendscape below.

    Arge grassy clearing stretched out beneath them, with a stone path leading to a single, expansive house. Even from this altitude and in the night''s shadows, the house''s size was obvious.

    "Who lives in there?" Snape asked.

    "Our target," was all she said before beginning to descend.

    Yaxley found Snape''s predicament amusing, chuckling loudly. But didn''t give any exnation either.

    Snape could only hope the old man broke his hip during thending.

    "The wards shouldn''t be too strong. This family has been in decline for several generations," Betrix noted.

    "Thest lord of the house dared to marry a half-blood with no standing¡­ Disgusting, and not much different from choosing a mudblood. What a way to spit on your ancestors," Yaxley sneered.

    Then it dawned on Snape...this was not a Muggle household. They hade to attack a wizarding family. One that the Dark Lord had some disagreement with, no doubt about that.

    "Which family lives here? Do I not deserve to know at least that much?" Snape dared to ask, needing the answer.

    Was it someone from the Order? Or maybe a Wizengamot member who had displeased their Lord?

    "Blood traitors," Yaxley answered with a sneer.

    "This family used to follow the old customs," Betrix added, "but in thest generation, they''ve begun to change their ways. And despite being a pure-blood family, they''ve chosen to remain neutral and ignore our Lord''s invitation. Tonight, they''ll have theirst chance to correct things, or they will perish."

    "Who?" Snape insisted.

    Betrix nced at Yaxley.

    "The Davis family," Yaxley answered, certain Betrix had already forgotten their name.

    "Davis¡­" Snape echoed.

    ''Tracey Davis¡­'' One of his Slytherin students...a girl from fourth year. This is her family¡­'' He thought with dread.

    There was nothing he could do to save them from what wasing.

    Any rebellion tonight could result in his immediate death.

    "Can you breach the wards?" Betrix asked Yaxley.

    "Sure, but it may take a bit of time. My skills aren''t what they used to be," the old man said.

    "We have time." Betrix spoke calmly as she looked toward the house, a glint of anticipation in her eyes. "We have time¡­" she repeated.

    <strong><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Is everything okay? You''ve barely touched your dinner," Harry noted.

    Since they couldn''t be seen together at the Yule Ball, he and Daphne had chosen to spend a rxing evening in the Room of Requirement.

    "I''m just¡­not very hungry." Daphne poked at a chicken thigh with her fork.

    "Dobby will be disappointed. He put a lot of effort into this meal," Harry teased.

    "Wait¡­" She looked up at him with concern while almost dropping her fork. "Dobby made this?"

    Harry chuckled. "No, I was joking. Dobby''s enthusiastic about cooking, but his sense of taste when ites to human food is¡­ questionable at best."

    "Oh¡­thank Merlin." She shuddered, remembering the one time she had tried Dobby''s cooking.

    "So, what''s wrong, then? If you don''t want to stay here all night, we can go out. There''s still an hour left before midnight. We could get changed and¡­" He trailed off, not particrly keen on going out but not wanting to ruin her night, either.

    Daphne smiled, appreciating his thoughtfulness. "Thanks, but it''s not that. It''s just¡­ I don''t know how to exin it."

    "Try," Harry suggested.

    Daphne thought for a moment. "It''s like this feeling¡­ a sense that something terrible is going to happen."

    "Like a premonition? I didn''t know you had a gift for Divination," Harry said, smiling.

    "I don''t¡­and Divination is no longer a thing, remember? They removed the sses from everywhere. They said that the entire branch of magic was dead."

    "Yes. Professor Silverbell believes it might be due to the fractures in the walls between alternate realities. Making it impossible to predict any future oue." Harry didn''t fully understand Divination, other than it had nearly ruined his previous life.

    But the timing seemed too coincidental...prophecies going dark, Seers losing their sight, just right when the Convergences began happening.

    Perhaps Diviners hadn''t been seeing the future at all, but glimpsing into alternate realities. Possible futures that might stille to pass, depending on certain choices. And now that the worlds were no longer connected, they had all gone blind.

    "Well, I doubt it''s that. I think it''s¡­wait!" Daphne''s face went pale, and she nearly jumped from her chair.

    "What''s wrong?" Harry''s expression grew serious. Daphne wasn''t one for overreactions, so whatever it was, it was serious.

    "I think someone''s trying to break into my house!" Daphne eximed.

    "Are you connected to your wards?" Harry asked, surprised. He thought only her father could monitor them.

    Daphne shook her head. "I''m not. But at the end of the summer, I set up a basic Blood Guard perimeter around my house. It doesn''t offer real protection, but it does alert me if it''s breached¡­ and it just triggered." She looked at him, her expression deeply worried.

    Harry immediately stood up, walked to one side of the room, and opened a ck portal.

    He reached inside, and pieces of enchanted jewelry flew out, arranging themselves on his body. His goblin-steel staff hovered by his side, and his ck robesyered themselves under an even darker fabric.

    "Harry¡­Astoria''s there too," Daphne said, her voice tinged with fear.

    "Let''s go take a look. If anyone''s trying to harm your family, I''ll deal with them," Harry replied.

    Daphne pulled out her wand, her eyes narrowing.

    "We''ll deal with them," she corrected.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 381: Ruthless Assault

    Chapter 381: Ruthless Assault

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 381: Assault</strong>

    "It is done." A cruel grin appeared on Yaxley''s face as he said that.

    Betrix took a small metallic object shaped like a pyramid and ced it on the ground.

    "What is that?" Snape asked, trying to avoid thinking about what they were going to do next.

    "This is something our Lord prepared for us." She pressed her index finger against the tip of the pyramid.

    It was sharp enough to pierce her skin, and a few drops of her blood fell onto its metallic surface. The runes carved into the artifact began to shine with an eerie red light.

    Momentster, a wave of magic emerged from the pyramid and washed over them.

    Snape felt an immediate change in his surroundings. There was an added pressure that hadn''t been there before. He nced back at the small object. He wasn''t well-versed in runes to immediately identify the effects of aplex artifact like that, but given the current situation, something came to mind.

    "Is that an anti-Apparition ward?" he finally asked.

    "It''s a portable blood ward, created by the Dark Lord," Yaxley exined. "It blocks any teleportation inside and outside the area. Apparition, Portkeys¡­ nothing works."

    "Not even for us?" Snape asked. It seemed like a w, but he didn''t want to say it.

    Yaxley nodded. "A small price to pay for something this potent. But it can quickly be deactivated by its user. It also works with blood, so even non-wizards can use it, as long as they have some magic in them."

    Betrix smiled. "The Dark Lord made these especially for us, vampires. He is so thoughtful¡­"

    Snape wanted to vomit again, seeing Betrix acting all sweet while she talked about that monster. Thankfully, he was a master of mental arts and could keep his expression impassive.

    "Now it''s all ready¡­ let''s go hunt!" Betrix licked her lips with anticipation.

    "Wait, aren''t we supposed to offer them onest chance to join our side?" If Snape understood the assignment correctly, that was the point of today''s mission.

    There were still several pure-blood families who had chosen to remain neutral, not siding against the Dark Lord or with him.

    "I mean, they may not even know the Dark Lord is back," Snape added. It wasn''tmon knowledge.

    Even in the Ministry, many still believed that Minister Parkinson remained in charge of the country.

    Only a few knew that the man was already dead and what remained was nothing more than a literal puppet.

    Betrix''s eyes sharpened as she turned to him. "The blood traitors will have their chance to beg for mercy. But first¡­ I''ll have my fun."

    As she said this, she rushed toward the house, moving at an inhuman speed.

    Snape was taken off guard. They hadn''t made any sort of n.

    "Leave it." Yaxley brushed it off. "She always does these things herself. I was only brought along to help breach the wards. I''m too old for hunts anyway."

    While Snape was about to wonder about his role in all of this, they began to hear screamsing from inside the house.

    "She works quickly," Yaxley chuckled.

    "Isn''t she going to kill them?" Snape asked.

    Yaxley shook his head. "She has a lot of control over her bloodlust. Much more than any other vampire of her age. She''s also much stronger than the others. You could say Betrix always had a gift for the dark arts."

    At that moment, they saw someone being thrown out of a window.

    "We should get closer, though. Make sure they don''t do anything stupid," Yaxley said.

    As they approached, they found that the person on the ground was an old man, covered in blood.

    "Urggg¡­" The old man grunted and coughed a few times before he tried to stand.

    "You may want to stay there for a bit, old timer," Yaxley advised him.

    "Who¡­" The old man turned with difficulty to look at them.

    "You¡­" His eyes moved over Yaxley and then to Snape.

    "You''re the Potions Professor of Hogwarts."

    "And you don''t recognize me? I should feel offended," Yaxley said.

    "I do recognize you too¡­ you''re one of the bastards who escaped from Azkaban. What are you doing in my house?!"

    "I didn''t escape; I was let go. And¡­" Yaxley pointed behind the old man.

    The wall was hit with tremendous force and exploded into pieces.

    As the dust settled, they saw Betrix walking out, holding two people in her hands.

    It was a man and a woman, both around theirte thirties, dressed in elegant clothes. Although now, they were in rough shape, with torn clothes and injuries all over.

    She threw them next to the old man.

    "Graham! What have they done to you?!" the old man eximed as he examined one of them.

    "Father¡­" the younger man managed to sit up.

    "Margaret!" He quickly went to check on his wife.

    She grunted in pain and opened her eyes. She was alive but badly injured.

    "I''m assuming this is the current Lord of House Davis and his¡­ mudblood wife, yes?" Yaxley asked.

    "Don''t call my wife that!" Lord Davis eximed. "Why are you attacking my family?!"

    "We''ll exin, but first¡­" Betrix nced at Snape. "Severus, kill the old man."

    "What?!" Snape was surprised by the sudden request.

    "Wait! Why?" Lord Davis demanded.

    "I know who you are," the old man looked at Betrix. "And I know who you serve¡­ that pretender who called himself Dark Lord and was defeated by a baby."

    Be frowned. "What did you say about my Lord?"

    "Father, shut up! Please." Lord Davis begged.

    But it was toote. The old man was truly enraged. "Is that why you came here? You want my family to join that loser?! The Davises have always remained neutral. We will never serve that piece of s¡ª"

    <em>Snap!</em>

    Betrix moved like lightning. In an instant, she was behind the old man, picked him up with one hand, and snapped his neck with ease.

    "No one talks about my Lord like that," Betrix said coldly.

    "Father!" Lord Davis screamed.

    "Tsk!" Be became annoyed. She''d been told to have Snape kill at least one of them as a show of loyalty to their side. But she had gone and done it herself.

    "Severus¡­" She nced at the woman, who was still lying on the ground, barely moving. "You''re going to kill the mudblood."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 382: The Greengrass House is in Danger

    Chapter 382: The Greengrass House is in Danger

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 382: The Greengrass House is in Danger</strong>

    "Where is my house?" Daphne looked around furiously.

    "Tsk! Something''s wrong," Harry said, just a second after they appeared.

    He had aimed his Apparition much closer to the house than this, but they were in the middle of a field instead.

    "Wait¡­ this is the stone road that leads home." Daphne followed it with her eyes, but it disappeared after a short distance.

    "Someone must have put a ward around the ce, and it''s blocking our view." Harry noticed that the image was distorted when looking ahead.

    It was clear that this was an improvised distraction.

    "Stand back. I''m going to take this down." Harry aimed his staff upward but in the direction he remembered the house being.

    "Do you know how to remove wards?" Daphne asked.

    "I know at least one way." The green stones embedded in his staff began to shine as he channeled his magic through it.

    "<em>Confringo!</em>" A loud, fiery explosion sted against the surface of the wards, momentarily revealing them.

    Daphne gasped. "There really is a foreign protection around my house."

    This confirmed her fear that someone was attacking her family.

    "I see you now¡­" Harry poured much more power into the next spell, aiming to pierce the protection in one go.

    "<em>Fulguras!</em>" Lightning emerged from the tip of his staff, forming a concentrated beam of light that shot forward.

    As the beam collided with the protections, it pierced through, opening a path.

    Greengrass Manor came into view shortly after.

    "Oh no!" Daphne could see fire burning in her house already, and part of it had been destroyed. The entire west wing appeared to be missing.

    "A giant?" Harry quickly spotted the culprit, as it was hard to miss.

    This was thergest giant he had seen in a while, and it appeared to be very busy destroying as much of the house as possible.

    "Wait." Harry had to physically stop Daphne from running toward the house.

    "Let me go, Harry! I have to find my family," Daphne snapped at him.

    "There are three people standing by the front gate, and they''ve already noticed us. If you go there without caution, you may get killed," Harry warned her.

    His entrance wasn''t exactly subtle, so of course, they had noticed their arrival.

    "Stay by my side," Harry said as he began to approach.

    Daphne knew he was right. Rushing into the house carelessly would only cause more problems.

    Her manor had many more defenses inside, and her father was no pushover. She was sure they were still fine since the attackers hadn''t even gotten past the entrance.

    At the gate of the manor, the Carrow twins and Draco, who had been about to walk through the broken entrance, paused when they saw the blood wards being pierced.

    "Are our wards down?" Amycus asked.

    "No, that spell only made a hole in the outeryer. It''s already regenerating," his sister, Alecto, replied, being a bit more versed in this type of magic.

    "So those two intruders are trapped, then," Draco said, narrowing his eyes and trying to figure out who the two might be.

    "Who goes there? This is a private party!" Amycus shouted.

    "Wait, that''s¡­ Daphne?! Why isn''t she inside the house?" Draco had expected to find her in the manor, noting from outside.

    "Maybe she left to do something, then felt someone breaking into her family home and came to check," Alecto said. "It''s not important right now. She''s one of the targets¡­ but who is that with her?"

    "Harry Potter¡­ what is he doing here? And what''s he doing with Daphne?!" Draco clenched his teeth, anger beginning to boil inside him.

    "That''s Draco Malfoy!" Daphne finally recognized him as they got closer.

    "His magic feels¡­ off." Harry tried to scan the area, searching for any hidden threats.

    He found none, but he did detect something else.

    "Daphne¡­ I found your family."

    "Where are they? Are they okay?" she asked nervously.

    "I can sense their magic inside the house. I have no way to know their condition, only that they''re alive. But we have no reason to believe they''ve been harmed yet. Those three were about to enter when we arrived, and the giant is only destroying the house."

    Daphne felt a massive weight lift from her shoulders.

    But with some of her worries gone, they were quickly reced by anger.

    "How dare they¡­" She red at the three individuals by the front gate.

    "How dare theye here to harm my family!"

    Harry continued forward, recognizing the two others beside Draco as the Carrow twins.

    "Two adult wizards, a giant, and¡­ Draco. This is going to be quick."

    "Grom! Get over here! We have guests!" Amycus shouted at the giant, who was still holding a piece of the roof and hadn''t even noticed Harry and Daphne''s arrival, too busy enjoying the destruction.

    "Huh?..." Grom walked back slowly, ncing at Harry and Daphne. "Guests?..."

    "Daphne!" Draco called with a wide grin. "Did you miss me? I came all the way here for you." In reality, she was only half the reason he had requested to join this raid. He also had a bone to pick with Lord Greengrass, who had rejected his family''s offers of alliance so many times.

    Draco nced Daphne up and down. It had been a while since hest saw her, and she had grown even more beautiful.

    At first, he had been interested only in her family''s assets and connections, but seeing her like this now¡­ there was something else he wanted.

    "Malfoy¡­ how dare you attack my family!" Daphne spat.

    Dracoughed. "Tonight, I''m nning to do more than just get back at your traitorous family. I''m going to make you mine!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 383: Daphne and Draco

    Chapter 383: Daphne and Draco

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 383: Daphne and Draco</strong>

    "Did he seriously say that?" Daphne asked.

    "Yes, I think he did. How do you want to handle this?" Harry replied.

    "I want to do it myself," Daphne said, looking determined.

    "I''ll leave Malfoy to you, then. I''ll manage the others. Be careful if you see a dagger," Harry warned her.

    He had had a chance to examine the curse on the one he recovered, along with Dumbledore.

    The curse was as bad as he thought. It had roots in necromancy, attacking the soul directly. While powerful protections could minimize the effects, without proper preparation, it would be a death sentence. The curse was designed to kill by removing the soul almost instantly and leaving the body as an empty shell, something akin to a "meat puppet."

    "I know. I''ll be careful," Daphne reassured him.

    While Harry and Daphne were having their private conversation, the others were also deciding their next steps.

    "What about the boy?" Alecto Carrow asked. They hadn''t yet been told exactly what to do with the Potter family, though she was sure they''d all have to die sooner orter. The Potters had openly opposed the Dark Lord, after all.

    "Kill him, capture him, I don''t care. But Daphne is mine," Draco insisted.

    "Oho! Good luck with that one... she looks fierce," Amycus taunted.

    "You think I can''t handle that witch?!" Draco huffed.

    "Grom!" the giant grumbled.

    "Right, I called you over," Amycus said. "Well, since you''re already here, why don''t you grab that boy? You can y with him or crush him immediately, it''s fine in any case. Go have fun. My sister and I should go find the rest of the family."

    "Yes, I''m a bit concerned about what other defenses Lord Greengrass might have hidden. This is a very old family, so don''t lower your guard." Alecto added.

    Amycus shrugged. "We''ve got time, and if things get too difficult¡­" He nced at Daphne. "We''ll use the girl for leverage. That''ll draw Daddy and Mommy out."

    "Not until I''m done with her," Draco said, impatient. His eyes were fixed on the beautiful blonde girl in front of him.

    Draco walked forward with determination until he was less than ten feet away. He could clearly smell her perfume from here.

    "Daphne¡­" he growled.

    All he received from her was contempt. Daphne held her wand in her right hand. "There''s one thing I want to know from you."

    Draco raised an eyebrow, not expecting her to make any requests.

    "Are you ready to give up? Because that would be very disappointing."

    "The night Pansy and her family died¡­" Daphne red directly into Draco''s eyes. "Did you have anything to do with that?" She knew how much he had hated Pansy and her father for breaking their engagement.

    "That''s what you wanted to ask?" Draco chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face.

    "Yes, I''m the one who killed that bloody traitor. And you have no idea how good it felt."

    Harry had moved a short distance away to give Daphne some space. He didn''t want to get in the way of what wasing next. He then noticed that the giant was eyeing him.

    "I see¡­" Daphne''s face remained impassive, though her anger had never burned hotter.

    "I should have guessed¡­" She let the tip of her wand morph into a sharp edge and used it to cut open the index finger of her left hand.

    Draco''s pupils dted. He hadn''t had a single drop of blood in a week, and he was thirsty. "Daphne¡­" he licked his lips, stepping closer.

    Daphne let her blood drip, but it never reached the ground. Instead, each drop floated in the air. "You want blood? You can have it," she said.

    Blood continued to drip from her finger, each drop hovering in ce.

    Draco began rushing for the blood.

    "Draco, stop!"

    "Don''t touch it¡ªthat''s blood magic!"

    Luckily, the Carrow twins were paying attention and shouted a warning just in time.

    Draco was about to swallow one of the blood drops when he sensed something was wrong and backed away.

    As he did, the smooth crimson drop transformed into a sharp needle.

    Had it not been for his inhuman reflexes, he could have been seriously hurt. A vampire wouldn''t die from having their brain pierced, but it would have left him defenseless long enough for her to finish him off.

    "You¡­ witch! You tried to kill me?" he shouted, enraged.

    "Well, let''s see¡­ You killed a friend of mine, attacked my family home, and tried to force yourself on me." Daphne had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "So yes, Malfoy...I am going to kill you for that."

    Draco scowled. "I''m going to enjoy putting you in your ce." He moved away so fast it almost looked as if he disappeared.

    Daphne knew she couldn''t match a vampire''s speed, so she didn''t even try. She was done with her preparations.

    Draco appeared behind her, his hand moving at an impossible speed to grab her neck.

    But before he could reach her, some of the floating blood drops blocked his path. Reacting on their own, without Daphne''smand, the blood needles attacked him.

    Draco twisted his body to dodge the needles.

    As he did, Daphne spun and shed at him with a swift motion.

    Draco caught a quick glimpse of something shiny in her hand. Instead of her wand, she now held a thin silver de.

    "Tsk!" Draco was growing frustrated. This was supposed to be an easy fight. Why was he having so much trouble with a mere human? He was stronger, faster¡­ better.

    The silver de swiped by as he moved his head to avoid it.

    ''I''ll show you,'' he thought, clenching his fist. A good punch to her chest would remind her who was superior.

    But Draco, was so focused on hurting her, that he missed a single blood drop that moved toward his left eye.

    By the time he saw it, it was toote to avoid itpletely. He twisted just enough to prevent the needle from piercing his eye, but it hit his cheek instead.

    Draco grunted in pain as the needle disappeared, absorbed into his flesh.

    And as this happened, a small, satisfied smile appeared on Daphne''s face.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 384: How to Take Down a Giant

    Chapter 384: How to Take Down a Giant

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 384: How to Take Down a Giant</strong>

    "Aaaaah!" Draco began to scream as the pain from before grew more severe.

    "What''s happening to him?" Amycus nced at Draco in concern.

    "That witch is using blood magic. We have to help him before it''s toote," Alecto said, pointing her wand at Daphne.

    "Avada Kedav¡ªahh!" She felt a sharp pain shoot through her hand, forcing her to drop her wand, and she then saw the blood dripping from her palm.

    "Don''t interfere. Those two have something to settle," Harry said, having cast a piercing charm on Alecto''s hand.

    "Grom! Kill that boy!" Amycus gave the order to the giant immediately. Neither he nor his sister recognized Harry, assuming he was just another Hogwarts student not worth their attention.

    But now it was clear that had been a mistake.

    "That boy¡­" Alecto clutched her wounded hand, staring at Harry. She hadn''t even seen him move or speak to cast a spell, it was as if the magic hade from nowhere.

    Meanwhile, as Daphne continued her fight, the giant, Grom, obeyed Amycus''smand. The creature leaned forward and lifted his massive foot into the air, aiming to crush Harry with all his might. The foot,rger than the average car, descended upon Harry.

    Remaining calm, Harry raised his left hand, drawing a circr motion in the air. A ck circle appeared above him, directly in the path of the giant''s foot.

    It was difficult to see clearly in the darkness of night, but all of them noticed something strange had appeared.

    The giant sensed that the small wizard beneath him had done something, but he had no time to wonder what it was before his entire foot, and part of his leg, disappeared into the ck hole.

    From the Carrow twins'' perspective, it was truly bizarre...it looked like the giant''s leg had simply vanished into thin air.

    Before they could guess what was happening, the foot reappeared. Except now it was above the giant''s own head, carrying all the force of his intended attack.

    "Careful!" was all Amycus managed to yell before Grom''s own foot collided with his head.

    The impact was tremendously loud, a testament to the giant''s strength, which was now directed at himself.

    The giant groaned in pain but was not deterred. He prepared for a straight punch this time.

    The Carrow twins yelled at him to stop. There was clearly something wrong here, but the giant was too angry to listen.

    "Ahrgg!" Grom yelled as he brought down his fist upon Harry with all his might. He wanted topletely crush this human into a meat paste.

    Harry made another motion and just like before, arge ck hole appeared in front of him, intercepting the attack from the giant.

    The fist went through the hole and reappeared at the back of the giant''s head.

    The impact was even louder than before, creating a shockwave that they could all feel from where they were standing.

    "Urghhh!" Grom groaned as his eyes rolled back and his enormous body began to copse.

    Harry quickly sidestepped to avoid being crushed.

    The giant let out another grunt upon hitting the ground. He was still conscious, but dazed.

    With Grom now vulnerable, Harry positioned himself beside the giant''s head, aiming the tip of his staff at the creature''s temple.

    "Terebra." The curse version of the piercing charm could be empowered beyond normal limits, and with the amount of magic Harry poured into it, even a dragon''s scales would be punctured.

    Giants had a natural resistance to magic, but this curse pierced through with ease.

    "Noooo!" Amycus cried. It had all happened so quickly, and they hadn''t expected this. For a moment, he was certain that the boy would be crushed without a chance to fight back. Now, barely a minuteter, he watched the giant being put down like a rabid beast.

    "Who is he?!" Alecto muttered in shock. It was obvious now that this wasn''t some ordinary Hogwarts student. Even a trained Auror wouldn''t have brought down a giant so effortlessly.

    And Grom was far from an average giant...he was the eldest son of the Giant King, one of thergest and strongest giants alive.

    "What do we do?" Amycus was now seriously considering retreating. But to escape, they''d need to deactivate the anti-apparition wards they''d put in ce. These blood magic variants were incredibly potent, though they also prevented their escape. They''d never had a reason to consider fleeing until now.

    Both Carrows had the same thought and nced at the metallic pyramid they''d set a few feet away.

    "I''ll create a distr¡ª"

    Amycus''s next words were drowned out by Draco Malfoy''s blood-curdling screams.

    "Aaargh! What did you do?!" Draco yelled at Daphne.

    "Painful, isn''t it?" she said, holding her wand in front of her.

    "Argentum dio." The wand transformed into a silver de.

    "Stop! Get it out! Get it out of me!" he screamed.

    Daphne made a sweeping gesture with the sword, sending more drops of her blood toward him.

    In his panicked state, he couldn''t dodge a single one, and each drop pierced his body.

    Draco''s screams grew louder as he copsed, unable to control his spasms.

    Daphne stepped closer to him.

    "My blood is tearing you apart from the inside. Ironic, isn''t it? Doing this to a vampire?"

    A regr human would already be dead, but Daphne knew a vampire wouldn''t die from this. She just wanted him to suffer.

    "S-stop! P-please¡­" Draco managed to stammer as red tears streamed from his eyes.

    Daphne raised her de above his chest. Draco was now defenseless.

    "Pansy had her ws as a person¡­but she was my friend, and she didn''t deserve to be murdered by an egotistical monster like you." She took a breath, her expression unreadable.

    "I hope she can see this, somehow."

    Without hesitation, she brought the de down.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 385: Refusal to Speak

    Chapter 385: Refusal to Speak

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 385: Refusal to Speak</strong>

    "Draco!" Alecto screamed. She wanted to do something, but it was toote to save him.

    "Sis! Come on!" Amycus shouted with urgency in his tone while he pointed at the warding device that was on the ground, just a few feet away from their position.

    Alecto understood her brother immediately. They had to escape, and for that, she needed to grab the device and turn it off.

    "Bombarda!" Amycus aimed his wand at the ground, casting the sting charm.

    It struck the stone path leading to the house, causing an explosion that sent debris and dust everywhere.

    Amid the chaos, Alecto rushed to grab the small device, which was only a few feet away.

    "Do you have it?" Amycus asked with panic, they could not waste a single second, but his sister was not responding. On top of that, while the dust was still settling, the visibility was very low so he could no longer see her.

    "Wait!" Alecto said after a few more seconds passed.

    "Alecto, bloody hell!" Amycus already had his portkey in hand, but it was useless until she disabled the wards they''d set up.

    "I can''t find it!" Alecto finally said. She was on her knees, feeling the ground with her left hand, squinting against the dust but unable to see much.

    She was certain the device had been right there a moment ago, before her brother used the spell.

    ''Did the Bombarda st push it away?'' she wondered. But it shouldn''t have; the explosion was too distant to affect it.

    Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind hit them.

    "Let me save you the trouble," said Harry.

    As the dust cleared, Alecto realized that the device was gone. "Where is it?!" she eximed.

    "Alecto!" Amycus shouted, and she saw he was pointing at Harry.

    "You were looking for this?" Harry held the device in his palm. "It looked like you wanted it back, so I assumed it was important."

    "Give that back!" Alecto demanded.

    "Maybe¡­ if you answer something first," Harry said. "Who else is being attacked tonight?"

    Amycus and his sister exchanged a look.

    "Amycus¡­" she nodded.

    They seemed to reach a decision.

    Amycus pointed his wand at Harry. "Avada Kedavra!"

    A green bolt of magic shot out of his wand, aimed directly at Harry.

    If there was one spell Harry had learned to defend against, it was this one. He''d lost count of how many times Death Eaters had tried to use it against him.

    He conjured arge rock in front of him, letting the spell collide with it.

    Chunks of the rock shattered, but a significant portion remained floating in the air, shielding Harry.

    With a light tap of his staff, he sent the rock hurtling toward Amycus like a cannonball.

    The rock struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying back until he crashed against the manor''s entrance wall.

    He was still alive, but just barely. Blood dribbled from his mouth, and his internal injuries were severe.

    "Brother!" Alecto stood up and rushed to his side.

    "Save yourself the trouble and don''t do anything stupid," Harry said coldly. " You can''t win and you can''t escape. Just answer my question¡­ I won''t ask a third time. Who else are you targeting tonight?"

    "Alecto, we have to¡­" Amycus managed to lift his head to look at her.

    "I know¡­" Alecto took his left hand, cing it atop his right arm, then did the same with her own.

    Harry watched closely, wary of any tricks. The spot where they ced their hands was¡­

    ''The soul brand?'' He briefly wondered if they were trying to call for reinforcements.

    It quickly became clear that wasn''t the case.

    Daphne, watching from a short distance away, called out, "Harry, what are they¡­?"

    Suddenly, the Carrow twins began making painful choking sounds.

    "What''s happening to them?" Daphne asked.

    "This isn''t of my doing¡­" Harry replied, narrowing his eyes as ck lines appeared beneath their robes, spreading across their necks and faces.

    The sounds continued for a few more seconds, then abruptly stopped as the twins fell silent and motionless.

    "Are they¡­ dead?" Daphne asked in shock.

    Harry approached cautiously.

    The duo was clearly dead. He had no doubt about that.

    Using the lower part of his staff, he lifted Alecto''s sleeve to reveal her right arm.

    "So it can be used like this too¡­" There were ck, vein-like lines spreading from the dark brand, extending over her body like poison.

    They hadn''t been calling for reinforcements after all...the Carrow twins had decided to end their lives once they realized they couldn''t win or escape. Their fear of what their Lord would do to them for failing the mission was higher than anything else. A quick death was preferable.

    "Daphne?!"

    They both turned toward the sound. Someone was peeking out from one of the windows.

    "Mother!" Daphne called immediately.

    "By Merlin! Are you okay?" Lord Greengrass''s head appeared beside his wife''s.

    "Daphne!" Astoria''s head popped up below them.

    "We''re fine. You cane out, it''s safe now," Daphne said with a beaming smile. "They''re safe¡­" A huge weight seemed to lift off her shoulders as she spoke.

    She then turned to Harry, running over and throwing her arms around him.

    "Thank you!" she said. None of this would have been possible without him.

    "No problem," Harry replied.

    "And thank you for letting me deal with Draco myself. I needed that."

    Harry tapped her back. "I knew you could handle it."

    She leaned closer, whispering in his ear, "And you can remove the protective charm you ced on me now."

    Harry flinched. "You noticed that?..."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 386: Family Reunion

    Chapter 386: Family Reunion

    <strong>Disimer</strong>: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    <em>Dialogue</em>

    <em>''Thoughts''</em>

    <em>-Author notes-</em>

    <strong>Chapter 386: Family Reunion</strong>

    "I was just worried he''d use that cursed dagger. It''s not that I don''t trust your abilities," Harry assured her.

    Daphne caressed his cheek. "I know. I''m not angry...it makes me happy to know you were worried about me."

    She turned to look at the bodies of the Death Eaters.

    "Do you think they''re attacking other families tonight?"

    "It seems likely. It wouldn''t make sense to just attack your family, and if they had, they''d have sent more than just these four."

    "But they''re all dead now¡­ You told me before that you could speak with spirits¡­" Daphne trailed off.

    "Yes¡­ I''ll call them." Harry was about to move closer to the Carrow twins when her family came rushing out of the manor.

    "Daphne!" Her mother, Selene, was the first to reach her.

    "Ahh!" She almost tripped over the two bodies.

    "It''s the Carrow twins!"

    "Those ungrateful bastards!" Sebastian Greengrass gritted his teeth. "We helped them out after their Dark Lord disappeared, and this is how they repay us¡­"

    "Astoria, close your eyes. You shouldn''t be seeing this," Selene said to her younger daughter.

    Astoria didn''t seem that bothered. "It''s fine. I''ve seen dead people before."

    "Wait...what?!" Selene eximed.

    "Are any of you hurt?" Daphne asked with concern. "When I saw that the giant had destroyed the west wing¡­"

    "He did what?!" Selene hadn''t noticed that yet. "Ahhh!" She now saw it.

    "My manor!"

    Sebastian red at Grom. "That''s an unusually big giant¡­ no wonder the house shook like that."

    "You didn''t see them?" Daphne asked.

    Her father negated with his head. "The moment I felt the wards break, I took your mother and sister to the safe room."

    "We tried to use the emergency portkeys, but they wouldn''t work," Selene added.

    "Right, about that¡­" Harry held up a small metallic object. "This is likely the culprit."

    Selene moved closer to examine the object. "A portable ward¡­ may I?"

    "Go ahead. See if you can disable it...we won''t be able to leave until it''s off," Harry replied.

    "Oh my! There''s blood magic in this¡­ some powerful magic, too," Selene gasped.

    "Let me see¡­" Daphne leaned in to take a closer look.

    Lord Greengrass suddenly seemed to realize something. "Hold on, if this thing was active¡­ how did the two of you get inside?"

    "Harry made a hole in the blood wards with some kind of¡­ what was that?" Daphne asked.

    "He did¡­ what?" Sebastian eximed.

    "It was a variant of my lightning sorcery. It creates a more focused beam of energy," Harry exined.

    "Whoa, someone got stabbed with a sword," Astoria said nonchntly while pointing at the body on the ground.

    "Don''t y with¡ªwait, is that Draco Malfoy?" Selene was about to scold her when she recognized the boy on the ground with a silver sword embedded in his chest.

    "Malfoy?!" Sebastian checked the body, his usual stoic face contorting with anger. "The Malfoys were involved in this affront, too? Why am I not surprised?"

    "Father, he was just a pawn. They were all sent here by the Dark Lord," Daphne exined as she approached Draco''s body.

    "The Dark Lord sent them¡­?" Sebastian felt goosebumps.

    To her family''s shock, Daphne pulled the silver sword from Draco''s chest, transforming it back into her wand before storing it, and just as she did this, the body of the vampire turned into dust.

    "Daphne, did you kill him?" Selene asked in disbelief.

    "Um¡­ well¡­" Daphne wasn''t sure how to respond.

    "Daphne." Her father stood before her with a stern expression.

    "Yes?" She wasn''t sure if her father was angry or disappointed.

    He put a hand on her shoulder. "You killed a Malfoy."

    "Yes, Father¡­"

    "I am so proud of you!" Lord Greengrass''s rare smile made it clear he meant it.

    "Wait¡­ you''re proud?" Daphne tilted her head in surprise.

    "Sebastian! That''s a terrible thing to say to your daughter. We should set a good example," Selene frowned.

    "But it''s a Malfoy! If I knew who killed the father, I''d send them a bottle of my finest Firewhiskey," Sebastian replied.

    Daphne gave Harry a sidelong nce.

    "I''ve got it!" Selene said excitedly. She had been tampering with the device the whole time and she finally managed to shut it down.

    With the magic gone, everyone could feel the difference. The air seemed cleaner.

    "You shouldn''t stay here much longer," Harry advised, gesturing at the bodies. "When these guys fail to report back, the Death Eaters will likely send reinforcements."

    "Oh no¡­" Selene murmured.

    Sebastian looked pensive. "He''s right¡­ if the Dark Lord sent them, they won''t give up easily."

    "Where can we go, then? The cabin in France, perhaps?" Selene suggested.

    "We could go to Harry''s house," Astoria proposed.

    "Tori, we can''t just impose on someone else," Selene said.

    "No, she''s right. You may not be safe in your other properties either. It is likely that the Death Eaters already have all of your addresses. Potter Manor would be secure," Harry replied.

    "And the other houses barely have any defenses, they are just meant for short vacations. " Daphne pointed out. "Let''s go to the Potters''."

    Selene raised an eyebrow, ncing at her daughter. "I think I know why you want to go there¡­"

    Lord Greengrass looked at Harry. "No offense, Harry, but how can we be sure they won''t attack your manor next?"

    "If they can find it, they''ll try," Harry replied.

    "Then how can you assure me my family will be safe there?" Sebastian pressed.

    Harry met his gaze. "Because it''s under my protection."

    Sebastian saw no hesitation in Harry''s eyes. "That''s what I wanted to hear."

    "So¡­ it seems we''ll be intruding on your family for a while. I hope James and Lily won''t mind," Selene said.

    "Please¡­ that manor is big enough to host five families. Go pack your things ande back here. I''ll have my house-elf take you there," Harry told them.

    "But don''t take too long," he added.

    While the Greengrass family went inside to gather their belongings, Harry called Dobby and exined his next task.

    Then¡­ it was time to turn his attention elsewhere.

    Harry''s eyes scanned the corpses. There was no point in calling Draco, he''d already tested calling on Rabastan Lestrange, and his ability didn''t seem to work on vampires.

    Perhaps the theories about vampires losing their souls were true.

    "Let''s see¡­ speak to me, Amycus Carrow."

    The green mist began to form before him.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 387: Another Family in Danger

    Chapter 387: Another Family in Danger

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 387: Another Family in Danger</strong>

    "Are you calling upon the spirits of the dead?" Daphne had only seen this once and didn''t fully understand how it worked.

    Harry nodded. "The Stone of Resurrection gives one the ability to speak with the dead. I just call their name, and their soul will appear before me."

    "That''s incredible." Daphne watched as the green mist took the shape of Amycus Carrow in front of her.

    "The best part is that they lose the ability to lie. A spirit summoned by this power will always tell the truth," Harry exined.

    All of a sudden, as the form nearedpletion, the spirit of Amycus let out a painful cry and began to vanish again.

    "What¡­" Harry frowned deeply. He''d seen this happen before.

    "What''s happening to him? Why is he disappearing so soon?" Daphne asked.

    "His soul¡­is damaged. I can''t call damaged or broken souls," Harry said, clenching his fists.

    They couldn''t have known he had this ability when they chose to end their lives in this way.

    "His soul is damaged? You mean¡­" Daphne nced for a moment at the two corpses.

    Their skin was still covered in the ck lines created by the cursed mark.

    "Is it because of the mark?... like a side effect?"

    "They used the soul brand to end their lives¡­ the brand¡­ shit!" Harry cursed.

    There was no way they could have known this would damage their souls, or they might have chosen a different method. No one in their right mind would do such a thing if they were aware of the consequences.

    "Harry?" Daphne looked at him with concern.

    "It''s useless. I won''t be able to get anything from them," Harry finally said.

    "What about Draco? He died by my sword," Daphne suggested.

    Harry shook his head. "Draco had be a vampire. It wouldn''t work on him. When someone bes one of them, their soul is destroyed in the process. They have eternal life here, but there is no afterlife for them."

    "What now, then?" She couldn''t think of anything else at the moment. "Do you really think they are attacking other families?"

    "I have no doubt¡­ but there are many possible choices." The only one he was sure of was his own. If anyone had tried to approach the Potter Manor, he would have known immediately.

    "Traitors¡­" Daphne muttered.

    Harry looked at her.

    "That''s what Draco called us. He said we were blood traitors. ording to my father, that''s what the followers of the Dark Lord liked to call pure-blood families who didn''t agree with their ideals," Daphne said.

    The moment she mentioned the words "Blood Traitor," one family specifically came to his mind...one that Draco used to love calling that.

    "The Weasleys¡­" Harry muttered.

    "What?" Daphne couldn''t quite hear what he said.

    Harry snapped back into action. "Daphne, as soon as your family returns, have Dobby take you to my manor. Don''t waste time and stay there until I return."

    "Harry, what are you g¡ª" Before she could finish her sentence, he was gone.

    <><><><><><><<><><><><><><>

    "Hahaha, look at them go," Rodolphus chuckled as he watched the Inferi cause chaos inside the old family home.

    They could all hear the screams of horror very clearly.

    "Master, shouldn''t we go too?" A gorgeous blonde woman stood at his side and asked.

    "I don''t know if a dozen Inferi are going to be enough to do the job." An equally beautiful brte was on his other side.

    Rodolphus red at his two vampire brides and smiled. He had created them from Muggles just one year after his transformation, and they had rarely left his side since.

    Since his wife Betrix barely paid him any attention, he had no choice but to resort to this. But he had noints with these two.

    He moved his hand and grabbed onto the ample chest of the brte, who moaned loudly in response to the sudden touch.

    "You think I don''t know what you really want? You just want to go in there to suck them dry¡­ you greedy bitches."

    The blonde chuckled. "You know us too well, Master."

    "Please, Master¡­ we haven''t had a drop of blood in two days already," the brte pouted.

    Rodolphus groaned. An average vampire would only need blood once a week if they fed properly, but these two would alwaysin if they didn''t feed every other day.

    Calling them greedy was an understatement, to say the least.

    A stern expression appeared on Rodolphus'' face. "Do not forget. We didn''te here for fun. We are here to make an example of these blood traitors. We need to make them suffer¡­ do I make myself clear?"

    The two vampire bridesposed themselves and answered quickly and in unison. "Yes, Master!"

    Rodolphus''s expression softened a bit when he saw them obey. "After we''re done here, we can visit some Muggle house and have our fill."

    The two women smiled brightly.

    "Thank you!"

    "Master is the best!"

    The heartwarming scene between the three vampires stood in stark contrast to the screams of horroring from the Weasley house.

    Soon enough, one of the Inferi went flying out of a window andnded close to Rodolphus.

    "Very well¡­ we''ll go assist these poor creatures. Our Lord will be disappointed if we allow those traitors to destroy his creations."

    The two brides were very excited at the prospect. They rarely got to hunt wizards and witches.

    He walked over to the undead creature. It was missing an arm but was still moving.

    The Inferi stood back up and ran once more inside the house.

    Rodolphus let out a chuckle. "That''s the spirit. Let''s go hunt!" he shouted with excitement.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 388: No Mercy

    Chapter 388: No Mercy

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 388: No Mercy</strong>

    Once the three vampires joined the fray, things went badly for the Weasleys very quickly.

    Arthur was currently working in France, as well as the three eldest ones. The only ones present were Molly, George, Fred, Ron, and Ginny.

    They put up as much of a fight as they could, but it ended badly. One of the boys was punched so hard he was sent through the house wall and outside.

    "George!" Molly screamed before running to him.

    Ron hadn''t even practiced a single offensive spell other than the Disarming Charm, so there was little he could do other than try to punch one of the vampire brides, who promptly grabbed him.

    Ginny did manage to injure the other bride with a well-aimed <em>Reducto</em>that hit her shoulder.

    "Ahh! It hurts!...you bitch." the blonde bride screamed beforeunching herself at Ginny and shing her chest with sharp nails, leaving deep cuts that bled profusely. "You are dead!"

    "Ginny, no!" Fred attempted to help his sister, only to be stopped by Rodolphus, who grabbed him by the neck and disarmed him.

    "Let''s go outside, shall we?" Hemanded the Inferi to surround them, ensuring no one would escape.

    While Rodolphus dragged Fred, his brides did the same with Ron and Ginny.

    "Let me go!" Ron yelled. "Let me g¡ªurk!" The brte bride clenched her hand around his neck and applied pressure.

    "Silence! Proper food doesn''t speak," she snapped.

    As they left the house, they found Molly a short distance away from the house, kneeling next to her son and crying.

    "No¡­George¡­"

    Rodolphus groaned. "Is he dead already?... Humans are so fragile."

    He was supposed to make them suffer, but now he had lost one.

    "And where are the rest? There were supposed to be three or four more, right?" he added.

    "George?..." Fred struggled to free himself from Rodolphus''s grip. "George! Ahh!"

    "Oh well¡­" Rodolphus threw Fred close to where his mother was, making him fall face-first.

    "Let''s deal with these ones, and we''ll find the otherster. I''m sure the Dark Lord will understand that this is not my fault. " Rodolphus said. After all, he could not have expected the entire family to be at home during the attack. It is not like they had nned this for weeks. Their Lord had decided to do this out of nowhere.

    Although Rodolphus had an idea as to why that was.

    "Master, I want to eat this one, please!" The blonde bride lifted Ginny slightly, making the redhead girl groan in pain.

    Rodolphus raised an eyebrow. "What did I say before?"

    "But she hurt me! Look¡­" She gestured to her shoulder. The damage from Ginny''s spell had taken out almost half her shoulder, though it was already regenerating due to her vampire healing.

    "You''ll be fine," Rodolphus told his bride. "Stopining."

    "She also damaged my favorite dress!"

    "Enough!" Rodolphus shouted. His patience had reached its limit. "They will die when I say so!"

    "You killed my son!" Molly turned to face Rodolphus, wand in hand.

    Rodolphus didn''t feel threatened and just grinned at her.

    "I''d drop the wand if I were you." His left handnded on Ginny''s head, held fast by his bride.

    Molly''s eyes widened when she saw her daughter''s condition.

    "Ginny¡­" Her daughter was in bad shape. The wound inflicted by the vampire had caused some massive bleeding and she looked to be barely conscious.

    "You''re going to lose more than one child if you don''t behave¡­" Rodolphus increased his grip on Ginny''s head, making her scream.

    "Stop, please!" Molly hurriedly dropped her wand. "Let her go, please¡­just tell me what you want."

    "That''s more like it." Rodolphus nodded and released the girl. "Blood traitors like you belong on the ground, begging."

    "Master?" asked the bride holding Ron. Their master hadn''t shared his exact ns for the family, so she was unsure what to do now that they were at his mercy.

    Rodolphus appeared to be thinking for a moment. He''d already decided to kill them all, regardless of what they did or said.

    The only thing he was considering now was how to do it.

    "Perhaps impaling them would be appropriate. That would certainly send a message. Don''t you think?" he asked.

    The brte bride chuckled. "I would love to see that." She dug her nails into Ron''s face, making him groan.

    "Master¡­this one won''tst long." The blonde bride watched in dismay as Ginny continued to bleed out.

    "What a waste¡­" She licked her lips. If only her master allowed her to feed¡­

    "Right¡­" Rodolphus decided he would start with Ginny before it was toote.

    "What kind of monsters are you?! What has my family done to you?!" Fred shouted in rage.

    Molly continued to beg, but it fell on deaf ears, as Rodolphus had no ns to show them any mercy.

    "Monster, huh? I''ve been called that many times before, even when I was still human. I''ll take it as apliment," Rodolphus said with a wide grin.

    He wanted to enjoy this longer, but unfortunately, he didn''t have all night.

    Just as he was about to turn towards Ginny, he felt something strange.

    It was quickly followed by something more intense.

    "Urgh!" Rodolphus nearly fell to his knees. It was as if someone had punched him incredibly hard in the chest.

    "Master?!"

    "Master, what''s wrong?" The two vampire brides became immediately concerned.

    "I just felt like¡­wait a moment." He suddenly realized what it was. He looked toward the spot where he''d left a small device.

    Since he was the one who activated the blood anti-apparition wards, he was connected to it. So the feeling could only mean one thing.

    "Someone is trying to break i¡ª"

    At that moment, the device shattered into pieces, and Rodolphus felt as though he''d been kicked by a giant.

    A new figure appeared before them.

    "Finally¡­" Harry said before he began to assess the situation.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 389: Rage

    Chapter 389: Rage

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 389: Rage</strong>

    1 Second.

    ''Am I toote?'' The first thing Harry noticed was the intense smell of blood.

    His sharp green eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to make sense of the situation in the shortest time possible.

    2 Seconds.

    Three vampires were looking at him, but he did not recognize them. Two young-looking women and one elegantly dressed man with dark hair.

    His eyes were drawn for a moment to the figure on the ground.

    ''Fred?!'' He saw Molly kneeling beside one of the twins while the othery motionless.

    3 Seconds.

    He couldn''t detect any magic from the one lying down, which meant he was already dead.

    ''Where are the rest?!'' His mind was racing.

    4 Seconds.

    His eyes snapped back to the vampires and noticed that the two female ones were holding something.

    ''Ron¡­'' He was hurt but still alive, his neck gripped tightly by the brte vampire.

    5 Seconds.

    Harry''s eyes widened. ''Ginny!'' The brte vampire was grasping the familiar girl by the neck.

    She was bleeding... her magic felt weak, almostpletely faded. That was why he hadn''t noticed her at first, and she appeared to be only half conscious.

    "Ginny¡­" Harry muttered.

    6 Seconds.

    This scenario was so familiar to him that memories of the past began to rush to the front of his mind.

    That day, he had found his wife lying in a pool of blood when he returned home from working at the Ministry.

    She was barely alive, left with just a whisper of life in her. Voldemort had wanted Harry to find her like that...to watch her die in front of him.

    Just as this Ginny was dying now.

    "Who is this?!" Rodolphus asked, his yellow eyes scanning Harry''s still figure.

    7 Seconds.

    "No¡­not again..." Something inside him snapped.

    The idea of failing once more was the one thing he feared most. Ginny and all his friends dying in front of him...the world being destroyed.

    ''Is your fault...'' The inner voice that he had heard for countless years, came back to him.

    Inside Harry''s body, a tremendous amount of magic raged, ready to be unleashed at any moment. He always kept it controlled to avoid harming others.

    The nine arkstones embedded in nine pieces of magicite jewelry began to glow with an eerie blue light, releasing their magic without Harry''smand.

    His subconscious had activated them, along with everything else within him. Every offensive tool he had prepared was now ready to obliterate his enemies.

    8 Seconds.

    In a sh of rage, all the restraints he''d ced on himself were gone.

    "Master? What a¡ª"

    The blonde vampire bride holding Ginny was interrupted by an explosion.

    A surge of magic from the activation of the Nine Arkstones Array erupted in front of them.

    Magic was present in such concentration that it waspletely visible by the naked eye. It was moving so violently that it almost felt as if a tornado had suddenlye to life right in front of them.

    As thest Deadly Hallow activated, Harry''s body was entirely enveloped in thick darkness, leaving only his bright green eyes, which quickly shifted to the same shade of blue as the magic surrounding him.

    9 Seconds.

    Rodolphus was still trying to make sense of the situation amid the pain he was feeling. He had no idea who this wizard was, but the fact that he''d just shattered a blood ward crafted by his Lord...and that he could see the wizard''s magic swirling visibly, did nothing but signal danger to him.

    His instincts screamed at him to get away. Fortunately, the destruction of the blood wards meant he could escape. Like his brother, Rodolphus had ess to two emergency portkeys: one around his neck and another in his right pocket.

    This meant abandoning his two brides, but the decision was made instantly.

    10 Seconds.

    Rodolphus reached for the pocket of his trousers.

    The vampire brides felt a tremendous pressure bearing down on them as Harry unleashed his magic.

    They saw only a pair of blue eyes in front of them, but fear had already begun to creep in.

    "Master¡­"

    "Master!" They both called with desperation, not realizing their master had already decided to leave them behind.

    11 Seconds.

    The pressure the three vampires felt only grew stronger, like a massive stone pressing down on them.

    None of them realized this was caused not only by the magic in the air but by what Harry was doing with it.

    Rodolphus''s fingertips reached the round stone that was the portkey. All he needed now was to speak the activation word, and he''d vanish for good.

    His lips parted, and he began to speak.

    12 Seconds.

    Despite his temporary loss of control and the sudden release of magic, Harry''s mind stayed sharp enough to know exactly what to do.

    His magic washed over the area, touching every individual present, including the dozen Inferi surrounding the Weasleys.

    After taking a short moment to connect with his targets, Harry let his power do the rest.

    Like a faucet turned fully open, all that energy surged into their bodies. All of his magic and rage went into them.

    Even for magical beings like vampires, there was a limit to how much they could contain before it became deadly.

    13 Seconds.

    By the time they realized what was happening, it was toote.

    The Inferi copsed like stringless puppets, only for their corpses to explode into hundreds of pieces momentster.

    But it was the vampires who bore the brunt of the attack.

    Harry poured everyst drop of magic from the Nine Arkstones Array into them.

    They didn''t have time to feel pain before they were reduced to dust.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 390: A Safe Place

    Chapter 390: A Safe ce

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 390: A Safe ce</strong>

    The world appeared to be moving in slow motion.

    As the dust from the vampires lingered in the air, Harry saw Ginny''s body falling.

    Without a second thought, he moved forward and caught her. Her face was as pale as ivory, and she didn''t appear to be breathing. He knew she was only moments away from beingpletely gone.

    "Ginny!" Molly''s stupor broke as she saw a shadowy figure holding her daughter.

    Harry was stillpletely cloaked in his<em>Death Visage</em>. His robes were darker than night itself, giving him a terrifying appearance.

    "Let my daughter go, you fiend!" Molly cried. She had no idea why this creature had killed the vampires and then grabbed Ginny, but without a wand, her fear was still no match for her determination.

    Harry nced down at himself.

    "When did I¡­?" He didn''t remember summoning the Death robes. But that didn''t matter right now.

    He willed the robes away, and the Weasleys quickly recognized him.

    "Harry?!" Molly said, her face a mask of pure shock.

    "What is¡­ what is happening?" Her eyes darted back to her daughter.

    "She''s still alive¡­ but barely," Harry replied. A faint trace of magic lingered within her.

    However, he was a lot more prepared this time.

    "I''m not letting you die on me again." Next to his right hand, a small ck void appeared, and Harry pulled a vial from within.

    Molly stared at the small crystal vial, wondering where it came from and what was inside. Before she could even ask, Harry opened it and poured the contents down Ginny''s throat.

    The effects were immediate for all to see.

    "She''s healing!" Fred eximed,ing to his mother''s side to see.

    They witnessed as the deep gash across Ginny''s chest and belly was closing quickly, not even leaving a faint scar.

    "Harry, what potion was that? What did you give Ginny?" Molly moved closer but didn''t try to take Ginny from his arms.

    "Phoenix tears. Three of them." Harry said as he continued to move, and summoned two more vials.

    These were different from the first one. Their contents werepletely red.

    Ginny began to make faint sounds, her eyes moving slightly.

    Molly gasped. "Ginny!"

    "Her wounds are healed," Harry noted. "But she''s lost too much blood¡­" He opened one of the red potions and carefully gave it to her.

    "That''s blood-replenishing potion," Fred noted. "I had to drink a few of those after my Quidditch ident in my second year."

    As Harry gave her the second potion, color began to return to Ginny''s face.

    "Here." Harry handed Ginny to her mother, who was relieved to take her daughter into her arms. "She''ll be fine now."

    "Harry¡­" Molly looked at him with a soft expression. "I have so many questions, but for now, let me just say¡­ thank you. You saved my family."

    "Not all of you." Harry''s gaze fell on George''s body.

    "George¡­" Fred murmured, his eyes welling with tears.

    "Wait¡­ are you Fred?" Harry asked, realizing his mistake. For some reason, he had immediately assumed that the same twin had died again. But apparently, fate had different ns this time.

    Fred nodded. "Yeah, I am."

    "I''m fine too, by the way.." Ron managed to pull himself up, despite a bleeding lip and bruised ribs.

    "Ron,e here!" Molly pulled him into a hug, still holding Ginny close.

    "Why did they attack us? I don''t understand," Ron said.

    "Were those really vampires?" Fred asked.

    "They were followers of the Dark Lord," Harry replied.

    "What? But wasn''t he gone?" Ron eximed. "Didn''t Neville defeat him?"

    "He''s back?" Fred looked at his mother, noticing herck of surprise. "You and Dad knew about this, didn''t you?" He and George had overheard talk of the Order but never knew the exact purpose.

    Molly nodded. "He returned recently but has stayed hidden¡­ so far." She turned to Harry. "Is that why they attacked us tonight? Is this our fault?"

    Harry shook his head. "I doubt it. They''re probably targeting every wizard family they consider ''blood traitors.'' Basically, anyone who didn''t join the Dark Lord is now in danger of bing a target for his anger."

    "So we weren''t the only ones they went after?" Fred asked.

    "No." Harry nced at the house. It had taken some damage but was still standing.

    "You can''t stay here. Gather what you need. I''ll take you to my family home...it''s safe. Others wille to find their fallenrades."

    "We''re going to stay in that giant ce?" Ron asked.

    "What about George?" Fred nced at his brother.

    "We''ll bring him too. I can ce him in a stasis charm, and you can give him a proper funeral once the family''s all together," Harry suggested. He had a lot of experience with these proceedings.

    "But we need to hurry. This ce isn''t safe anymore."

    "He''s right," Molly agreed. She rose to her feet. "Can you hold her a bit longer?" She handed Ginny back to Harry, reluctant toy her on the cold ground.

    "Of course." Harry held her carefully.

    "Come on, boys, let''s grab our things." Molly was about to rush into the house when she seemed to remember something. "Arthur! He''s supposed to be back tomorrow morning. And what if my other sonse to visit?"

    "You can reach Arthur through the Floo, but don''t tell him where you''re going. Some of Voldemort''s followers may havepromised thework. Just warn him not toe here, and I''ll pick him up tomorrow," Harry advised her.

    "My house has an owlery. You can send messages to Percy, Charlie, and Bill."

    Molly nodded and gave Harry a long look. "It is you, isn''t it?" she said softly. "Dumbledore mentioned help woulde from someone young but didn''t reveal who¡­"

    Harry nodded in acknowledgment.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 391: A Safe Place for Now

    Chapter 391: A Safe ce for Now

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 391: A Safe ce for Now</strong>

    Since his house elf was likely still upied helping the Greengrass family, Harry personally brought the Weasleys into his home. He took them two at a time and, as he reappeared with George''s unconscious body, the front door of his manor opened.

    "Oh dear, what do we have here... Molly, is that you?!" Lily Potter hade to investigate after Mipsy, the family house-elf, had warned her about people at the door.

    "Lily¡­ hi," Molly said with a weary smile, holding her unconscious daughter Ginny in her arms. "Sorry to bother you like this."

    Lily took in their appearances and could immediately tell they''d had a terrible night.

    Dobby had arrived just minutes earlier, informing her about the attacks, so she wasn''t entirely surprised...until she noticed George.

    "Harry¡­ were they also¡­ oh no!" Lily gasped as she saw George. "Is he...?"

    Harry nodded solemnly. "Their house isn''t safe anymore."

    "Thene in, all of you. We have more than enough room." Lily opened the door wide, waving them inside without a second thought.

    "Is anyone in need of medical attention?" she asked, taking in their condition. "Normally, I''d suggest rushing to St. Mungo''s, but¡­"

    "It may not be safe, I know." Molly agreed grimly. At this point, no one knew how far Voldemort''s influence spread. The hospital could already have spies among the staff, ready to watch for them...especially after tonight.

    "Mipsy," Lily called, and the elf appeared. "Please prepare the east wing for the Weasleys...at least three rooms."

    While Mipsy went to work, Lily led them into a cozy, smaller dining hall.

    "You can leave your things here for now, and let me take a look at any injuries. I''m no professional healer, but I''ve fixed my fair share of wounds. My husband James doesn''t like hospitals, yet he was alwaysing home injured when he first became an Auror, so I''ve had plenty of practice," she assured them.

    Mollyid Ginny on one of the sofas, then turned to her other children. "Fred, are you hurt?"

    Fred shook his head. "Nothing serious¡­ not like¡­" His gaze drifted to George, sorrow in his eyes.

    Harry stepped aside with Fred, drawing his wand. He conjured a beautifully decorated coffin, sturdy enough tost a month, and ced George carefully inside.

    "This will hold for about a month. You''ll need a permanent one before that, but¡­"

    "Thank you, Harry." Molly hugged him tightly. "You''ve done so much for our family."

    Lily smiled as she watched. "I''ll fetch some potions and clean clothes in case anyone wants to change."

    "I''ll let you all rest," Harry said, ncing at his mother, and she nodded knowingly. "The main hall," she told him.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    "Harry!" Daphne threw her arms around him the moment he opened the doors to the hall. "You left so suddenly, I was worried¡­"

    "I''m fine, Daphne. Just a few more vampires and Inferi. Nothing too serious," he said, trying to reassure her.

    "That sounds very serious," Lord Greengrassmented with a raised eyebrow.

    "Where did you go? Daphne said that other families might have been attacked too," Lady Selene Greengrass asked.

    "At the very least, the Weasleys were attacked," Harry replied.

    "The Weasleys?" Sebastian Greengrass repeated while trying to make sense of the situation.

    "That''s where you went? Are they okay?" Daphne asked with concern.

    "Most of them are, but¡­ George Weasley is dead. I was toote to¡­" Harry''s voice trailed off.

    "Oh no¡­" Selene covered her mouth, horrified. "Poor boy..."

    Daphne hugged him tightly. "I''m so sorry¡­"

    "That damn Dark Lord! May Merlin curse him to death!" Sebastian Greengrass spat angrily.

    "Is Ginny okay?" Astoria ventured to ask.

    "She''s just sleeping for now," Harry assured her.

    "Did you bring them here as well?" Selene asked.

    "They''re resting in the east wing hall for now," Harry nodded.

    "Master Harry Potter!" Dobby appeared beside him, looking ted. "Did Dobby do well?, Dobby brought all the greens here!"

    "It''s Greengrass..." Sebastian didn''t why he felt the need to correct the house elf.

    Harry grinned. "Yes, Dobby, you did great. You brought them here just as I asked."

    Dobby beamed, but Harry continued. "Could you do one more thing tonight? I need you to prepare a couple of rooms for them."

    "Oh, there''s no need for that," Selene interjected. "We could sleep on the couches here."

    "We have plenty of spare rooms for everyone," Harry assured her. "And, as long as this war continues, it isn''t safe for any of you to leave this ce. It''s best you all getfortable."

    "Does that mean I can live here with Lyra?" Astoria asked, brightening at the thought.

    "What? No! We can''t stay here forever. I have obligations to fulfill, and we m¡ª" Sebastian began, his words quick and uncertain.

    "Father, please," Daphne said softly, cing a calming hand on his arm.

    "Sebastian," Selene reasoned gently, "let''s wait until things have settled a bit. Then we can think more clearly about what to do. What harm is there in that?"

    "And it won''t be forever," Harry added confidently. "If things go ording to n, this will be over within a few months."

    "A few months?" Sebastian asked, clearly skeptical. "How is that possible? The Dark Lord is still in hiding, sending his followers to pick off his enemies one by one. This could drag on for years. We don''t even know how many followers he has amassed while out of the country. He could have an army for all we know."

    "It won''t drag for years, no matter what he had done or what preparations he has. " Harry said firmly. "Because there''s at least one enemy he''ll want to kill in person, and that''s where we will get him."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 392: The Day After

    Chapter 392: The Day After

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.</em>

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 392: The Day After</strong>

    "The house feels busy today¡­" Victoria observed as she entered the kitchen.

    Despite its massive size, the space was bustling with activity. Mipsy and Lily were hard at work preparing breakfast for everyone.

    "You didn''t hear anythingst night?" Harry asked her. With two families arrivingte at night, there must have been a lot of noise, yet Victoria seemedpletely oblivious.

    Victoria shrugged, disinterested, as she calmly ate her breakfast.

    Holly, on the other hand, was thrilled by the lively atmosphere in the house. The little girl, however, remained blissfully unaware of the heavy tension in the air.

    The previous night had been devastating for both families, but it was undeniably worse for the Weasleys.

    Harry even made another trip after talking with the Greengrass family. He went to check on Luna and her father.

    He already knew they were okay since he had stopped the attack on the Weasleys, there was no one left to go after the Lovegoods that night.

    Still, he wanted to offer them staying at the Potter Manor but neither of them wanted to leave their home.

    At that moment, the door opened, and two men entered, James Potter and Arthur Weasley.

    "Arthur!" Molly eximed, rushing to hug her husband.

    "I''m sorry, Molly. I should have been there¡­" Arthur said, his voice heavy with guilt.

    "You would''ve been in even more danger," James interjected. "It was a terrible situation, but we should be grateful that most of you survived."

    Arthur nodded solemnly before scanning the room. His gaze settled on Harry.

    "I don''t know how to repay you for this¡­" Arthur began.

    "Come on, Arthur...you don''t have to say anything else, Molly has already thanked my son enough," Lily interjected. She could tell Harry was growing ufortable with all the gratitude. "You should check on Ginny. She''s still sl¡ª"

    The door swung open again, and Fred appeared, excitement on his face. "She''s awake! Ginny is awake!"

    The Weasleys immediately rushed out of the kitchen, leaving the others behind.

    "What''s going on?" a confused Victoria asked.

    Daphne, sitting nearby, answered cautiously. "Our families were attackedst night. Ginny was badly hurt, and¡­" She hesitated.

    "By who? Who attacked you?" Victoria asked, surprised. She still didn''t know much about the magical world she now found herself in, as the Potters had kept conversations light around her.

    Daphne nced at Harry, seeking his input.

    "It won''t hurt for her to know," Harry said. He wasn''t sure how far along the war had progressed in her world, but withholding information seemed pointless.

    Daphne nodded. "We believe it was the Dark Lord who sent them."

    Victoria''s eyes widened in shock. "Even the Weasleys? But they''re so close to the Dark Lord! Why would he attack them? Did they betray him?"

    "The Weasleys¡­ close to the Dark Lord?" James repeated, looking baffled.

    Harry quickly pieced together the misunderstanding. "Victoria¡­ what Dark Lord are you talking about?"

    "Albus Dumbledore!" she dered without hesitation, anger shing in her eyes as she said his name.

    Harry sighed. "As I thought."

    "Wait...what?" Mostly everyone was confused by herment.

    "Victoria," Lily began gently, "we''ve discussed this before. People here are different from the ones you knew. Albus Dumbledore is not an evil man, much less a Dark Lord."

    "Hold on¡­ is that the only Dark Lord you know?" Daphne asked.

    "Of course not." Victoria huffed, clearly annoyed. "There''s Lord Grindelwald. Everyone thought Dumbledore killed him, but it was all a ruse. And now¡­"

    "Does the name Lord Voldemort mean anything to you?" Harry asked.

    Victoria thought for a moment. "I don''t know any wizard by that name. I''d remember hearing something so strange... and it doesn''t even sound like a proper wizarding family."

    Her answer left everyone stunned.

    "How is that possible?" James muttered.

    "Could her world be so different?" Lily wondered aloud.

    "Can someone please exin?" Victoria demanded, exasperated.

    "Fascinating¡­" Selene Greengrass mused. She only knew bits about Victoria''s origin but found it intriguing.

    "Mom, I want more!" Holly interrupted, sliding her te toward Lily.

    Realizing the topic wasn''t suitable for the kitchen, Harry stood up. "Victoria,e with me," He said. "We should discuss this in private."

    Victoria narrowed her eyes suspiciously but followed. Whoever this Voldemort was, he clearly held great significance.

    Harry led her to the library, and they sat down to talk. He gave her a detailed rundown of Voldemort, from his rise to power, his atrocities, and the war.

    "Apletely different Dark Lord¡­" Victoria murmured, trying to process the information. "It''s hard to believe. How can there be so many differences? I thought parallel worlds only varied slightly."

    "Our worlds must''ve diverged significantly," Harry said. "I mean¡­ just look at us. We''re very different."

    "Are you pointing at my breasts?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

    Harry flushed slightly but kept hisposure. "I''m just stating the obvious. Different gender, different names¡­ our worlds likely had wildly different circumstances."

    "<em>Were</em>different," Victoria corrected, her voice tinged with sorrow. Her world was no more.

    "Right."

    "But to be fair¡­" Victoria hesitated. "Our names aren''t that different."

    "How so? Victoria seems very¡ª"

    "Harriet," she interrupted, a sad smile forming on her lips. "Harriet Potter was my birth name."

    Harry blinked in surprise. "You got angry when I suggested that name when we first met," he recalled.

    "My adoptive mother gave me a new identity...one ''he'' couldn''t take from me. I left my past behind," she exined.

    "I see¡­ but if you want to c¡ª"

    "No!" Victoria eximed, her voice firm. "I won''t change the name my mother gave me. I''ll carry it with pride until the day I die!"

    Harry waited patiently as she calmed herself. Clearly, her name was a sensitive topic.

    "Better?" he asked gently.

    "Sorry¡­ I shouldn''t have lost myposure. It''s unbing, even if I''m no longer the Lady of the House of ck."

    "It''s fine." Harry pulled a small box from his pocket dimension. "Let''s change the topic. I need your input on something."

    Victoria raised an eyebrow as she took the box and opened it. "Jewels?"

    "They''re designed to store magic in the arkstones and release it in a single burst. Part of the rune work amplifies the effect," Harry exined.

    Victoria''s face paled. "You''re nning to <em>use</em>these? You might as well sign your death warrant! This will kill you!"

    Harry chuckled softly. "I already used themst night. The problem is, they''re not recharging."

    Victoria stared at him, dumbfounded. After a long pause, she looked back at the jewels. "This¡­ this is insane. There are <em>nine</em>of them! If these work the way I think they do, the amplification could kill a dragon."

    "That sounds about right. So¡­ can you fix it?" Harry asked, smirking.

    "You''re serious?" Victoria asked, still in disbelief.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 393: The Victims

    Chapter 393: The Victims

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 393: The Victims</strong>

    Several dayster, after things had calmed down a bit, the three families were gathered in the Potter Manor living room, discussing what to do next.

    "What do you mean by that? We can''t go back to Hogwarts?" Daphne looked very upset.

    "I said you shouldn''t go back. A lot of people will be looking for you, and¡­" Harry nced at Ginny and her family members, who were sitting nearby.

    "I''m okay with not going back to school for a while," Ron said hurriedly.

    "Of course you are¡­" Fred rolled his eyes.

    "Are we still in danger?" Ginny asked.

    Molly hugged her daughter. "You''re safe here, my dear. I won''t let anyone hurt you again."

    "Daphne¡­" Sebastian Greengrass called.

    "Father?" Daphne turned to look at him.

    "Harry is correct. The Dark Lord does not take losses lightly. Now that the illusion of neutrality has been shattered, we have openly be his enemies. He will most definitely try again."

    "I understand that, but¡­" Arthur nced at his family. "The children will need to finish their education. Are you suggesting sending them to a different school?"

    "Like Beauxbatons?" Ginny asked.

    "The one where Fleur Dcroix goes?" Ron asked with mild excitement. As much as he disliked school, he wasn''t entirely opposed to the idea.

    "We can''t afford that school. You know that, Arthur," Molly said.

    "I wasn''t suggesting that one."

    "That won''t be necessary. As I told Lord Greengrass, this conflict won''tst that long," Harry said.

    "You seem very sure about that," Selenemented. "But you haven''t shared any details in that regard."

    "Mother, you know he can''t," Daphne told her.

    "Why not? Harry¡­ what''s going on?" Ginny became more curious. Harry had always been secretive, and she knew he was hiding something big. But even Lyra wouldn''t talk about it.

    "Ginny, that''s enough," Molly said in a firm tone. "Some things are too dangerous to know."

    "I already said this before," Lily spoke. "But you are all more than wee to stay as long as necessary."

    "And you don''t have to worry about the kids'' education. My wife is qualified to teach them for a while," James said. "This manor is also well-equipped with a library, a spellcasting area, and even a Quidditch field."

    "We can y Quidditch here?" Ron was getting excited.

    Harry looked at Daphne. He knew she was not happy with this arrangement at all. "It won''t be long. I promise," he said softly.

    Daphne frowned. "That just means you''re going to put yourself in more danger, isn''t it?" she whispered.

    Ginny''s eyes moved to observe the two of them. She hadn''t missed how close they seemed.

    "Do we know if any other families were attacked that night?" Selene asked.

    "We do¡­" James pulled out a letter. "I received this from Dumbledore just yesterday. Two other houses were targeted."

    "Well?" Sebastian urged him to continue.

    "The Abbotts," James said.

    Ginny gasped. "Hannah''s family? What happened to them?" She wasn''t close to the Hufflepuff girl, but they at least knew each other.

    James shook his head. "No survivors¡­"

    "Oh no¡­" Ginny cried.

    "And who else?" Daphne asked, a terrible feeling creeping over her.

    "The Davises."

    Daphne''s face turned pale. "Tracey''s family?!"

    "Lord Davis is still alive, but his father and Lady Davis were killed," James added.

    Harry remained quiet and just held Daphne''s hand. He had learned about thisst night but hadn''t had the chance to tell her. He also knew that Snape had been the one who killed Tracey''s mother, but he wasn''t ready to share that.

    "No¡­ Tracey¡­" Tears began to stream down Daphne''s face.

    Harry pulled her closer and hugged her tightly as she cried.

    The room remained silent for a while.

    When Daphne calmed down a bit, she spoke again. "Wait, but Tracey is at Hogwarts. Does she know?"

    "She does." James nodded. "The Headmaster informed her. I assume she''s with her father at the moment."

    "I need to send her a letter, at least. I need to know how she is," Daphne said.

    "I don''t think it''s a good idea to contact her right now," Harry said.

    "What are you saying? She just lost her mother! I just want her to know that¡ª"

    "I know, but¡­ think about it," Harry interrupted.

    "Daphne, dear," Selene called softly.

    "Why do you think her father is still alive?" Sebastian asked.

    "Ah¡­" Daphne''s eyes widened in realization.

    To survive, Lord Davis must have sworn loyalty to the Dark Lord.

    "If she receives a letter from our family right now¡­" Selene began.

    "I''ll get her in trouble," Daphne finished. She understood now.

    Voldemort would want to know their location. If he thought he could use Tracey to get that information, she would be in grave danger.

    Daphne stood up. "I¡­ won''t send a letter, but I need to be alone for a bit," she said before leaving the dining hall.

    Harry stood up a few minutester. "If anyone needs me, I''ll be in the basement." He needed to blow off some steam.

    Ginny saw him leaving the room and stood up. "Excuse me for a moment," she said, hurrying to catch up with him.

    She left the hall and saw Harry turning a corner. Ginny wanted to ask him something important...or at least it felt important to her.

    She moved faster until she saw his figure again.

    Ginny raised her hand and was about to call for him, but something stopped her. She couldn''t bring herself to call out.

    <em>''Do I even want to know?''</em>she wondered. After what she had seen in the hall, she was almost certain there was something between him and Daphne.

    All she had to do was ask, and Harry would tell her the truth. But she hesitated.

    When she looked up again, Harry was nowhere to be seen.

    "Are you lost, redhead?"

    Ginny turned to the voice and found herself staring into familiar piercing green eyes, but they didn''t belong to Harry.

    Instead, she was looking at a beautiful girl with long ck hair and elegant robes.

    "You''re¡­" Ginny was sure she had seen her before.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 394: At Hogwarts Once More

    Chapter 394: At Hogwarts Once More

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 394: At Hogwarts Once More</strong>

    On January 7, Harry returned to the castle by himself.

    His house had gotten a bit too lively for his taste, so he weed the change.

    He was one of the first students to return, and as such, he found the Gryffindormon roompletely empty for a change.

    Deciding to take advantage of the quiet, hey down on one of the sofas and closed his eyes for a bit.

    Before he realized it, he had fallen asleep.

    "Harry?"

    He opened his eyes when he felt someone calling his name and touching his shoulder.

    "Hermione?" Harry discovered the bushy-haired girl staring at him.

    "Sorry, I didn''t want to bother you. You looked so peaceful while sleeping," Hermione looked apologetic.

    Harry peeked around. He must have slept for a while, because themon room had be much busier, with students going here and there, talking to their friends with excitement on their faces. Everyone seemed ready to start the new term, having no idea of the storm that was approaching.

    "It''s just that dinner is going to start in fifteen minutes. I thought you wouldn''t want to miss it," Hermione added.

    "Right. Thanks," Harry responded.

    Her two close friends approached and promptly led her away after greeting him.

    "Harry? Oh, there you are." Lyra sat down beside him. "Where have you been? You disappeared after New Year''s."

    Harry nced at his sister. Much like the other students, she waspletely unaware of what had happened.

    "I had some stuff to do outside the school. Did anyone ask for me?"

    Lyra shook her head.

    "Good." That meant not many eyes had been on him or his family.

    "That''s not good!" Lyra eximed. "You should worry more about your poprity."

    Harry wanted to roll his eyes. "I have other concerns at the moment. And¡­I thought you were avoiding me."

    "Ah¡­" Lyra looked down, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I wasn''t trying to¡­I was just trying to be considerate with my best friend."

    "Mmm¡­well, I spoke with her recently," Harry said.

    "You did?" Lyra perked up. "But when?... She''s at home. I actually wanted to ask you if you saw her today. She should be back at school by now, but I can''t find her."

    "About that¡­" He was going to have to tell her after all.

    "And Neville says he can''t find Ron either. Have you seen any of the Weasleys?" Lyra asked.

    Harry stood up from the couch. "Come with me. Let''s speak in private." He didn''t want anyone overhearing the conversation.

    Lyra looked somewhat confused by the secrecy. This didn''t seem like such an important matter after all.

    Still, she followed her brother outside themon room. She knew he wasn''t the type to exaggerate, so it must be important.

    "Harry¡­did something happen?" She was getting worried now, and the more she thought about it, the worse it seemed.

    "Here." After making sure no one was around, he pulled her into an unused ssroom.

    Once inside, he secured the door.

    "Harry?"

    "On the night of New Year''s Eve, four families were attacked by Voldemort''s followers."

    "What?! Wait¡­you don''t mean¡­" Lyra''s face went pale.

    "Yes, the Weasleys were one of them. But Ginny is fine."

    "She is? Oh, thank Merlin¡­" Lyra sighed.

    "She is, but her brother George was killed."

    "Oh no¡­" Lyra had always been fond of the Weasley twins.

    Many people disliked them for their pranks, but the two had always been nice to her. "Poor George¡­but where are they?"

    "Our father ced them in a secure location. For now, it''s not safe for them to return to Hogwarts. Our enemies have eyes and ears everywhere."

    Harry considered telling her where Ginny was and even offering to take her home for a few hours, but he decided it was better to keep quiet.

    The less Lyra knew, the safer she would be.

    "You said four families¡­who else was attacked?" Lyra asked.

    Harry told her about the others, only skipping unnecessary details, like the fact that he and Daphne had gone to save her family. Lyra was too shocked to ask many questions anyway.

    "So, I won''t be seeing Astoria or Ginny?"

    "At least for this term, no." Harry hoped everything would be over before the end of the year.

    That would give them the best chance of survival.

    If possible, he wanted to bait Voldemort intounching a full-on assault on the school during the second task.

    He had concluded that the more significant an event, the more powerful the Convergence would be. Voldemort''s resurrection at the end of the third task was undoubtedly one of the most critical events of this era.

    The resulting Convergence of such an event could end everything.

    He wanted to avoid that risk at all costs.

    "Harry?"

    He realized his sister was still looking at him.

    "It''s best if you don''t speak of this with anyone for now. Eventually, this will be public news¡­but until then¡­"

    "Not even Neville? He''s going to keep asking for Ron."

    "Not even him. Can you do that?" Harry wasn''t sure, so he had to ask.

    Lyra huffed. "Of course! Who do you take me for? I''m not the same clumsy girl from the past who couldn''t keep a single secret."

    "Is that so?" Harry didn''t look convinced.

    "I just don''t like keeping things from my boyfriend." Lyra then seemed to realize something. "You still haven''t said anything about that¡­"

    "About what?"

    "You know¡­me and Neville dating. Are you okay with that?" she asked.

    "Well¡­I don''t love the idea of my little sister dating anyone. But I suppose you could do much worse than Neville Longbottom." Harry shrugged.

    "Come on, Neville is a great guy." Lyra perked up.

    "He''s okay," Harry answered.

    "And he''s a fantastic kisser."

    "Hey!" Harry stopped her. "I don''t need too many details."

    He unlocked the door. "Now run along, you''d better hurry to the Great Hall."

    Lyra nced at him. "You''re noting to dinner?"

    "I''ll eat somethingter. There''s someone I need to speak with first," Harry told her before walking away in the direction of the stairs.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 395: The Final Preparations

    Chapter 395: The Final Preparations

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 395: The Final Preparations</strong>

    "Come in¡­"

    Harry stepped through the office door after hearing Dumbledore''s familiar invitation.

    The Headmaster sat behind his desk, as he often did, looking weary and burdened.

    "Not going to enjoy the feast?" Dumbledore asked, a faint trace of a smile on his face.

    "I''m not hungry¡­ and we need to talk," Harry replied.

    Dumbledore nodded. "How are the families holding up?"

    Harry shrugged. "They''re being patient, given the situation. Have the teachers started asking questions yet?"

    "Only Minerva, for now. But having an entire family of redheads vanish is bound to attract attention sooner rather thanter," Dumbledore admitted.

    "You can always im ignorance. Let the Ministry of Magic fabricate an exnation...it won''t matter anyway," Harry said calmly.

    Dumbledore frowned. "She is my friend, Harry, and a member of the Order. I hate having to keep things from her."

    "You can tell her everything once it''s done. For now¡­"

    "I know. The fewer people involved, the better," Dumbledore sighed, his exhaustion clear. "This will already be a delicate n to pull off."

    "Did you find the man we need?" Harry asked as he took a seat, ncing at the perch where Fawkes rested.

    The phoenix let out a soft, melodic cry.

    "Hello to you too, Fawkes," Harry greeted before turning back to Dumbledore.

    "I have," Dumbledore replied. "He doesn''t have much time left and is asking forpensation for his family. A poor old man¡­"

    "His family will be ten million pounds richer, and he''s going to save countless lives. I don''t pity him that much," Harry said coldly. Sacrifices were inevitable, he had learned that lesson long ago.

    Dumbledore looked deeply troubled. "I still have doubts about this n¡­"

    "Which part? You won''t be at risk, so is that what worries you?" Harry asked, his tone slightly sharper.

    "Don''t patronize me, Harry," Dumbledore snapped, his blue eyes shing. "It''s not my safety that concerns me. I would die a thousand times to protect the children in this school. It''s <em>them</em>I worry about."

    "They won''t be at risk," Harry assured him firmly.

    Dumbledore mmed his fists onto the desk. "You want to lure an <em>army</em>inside the castle walls!"

    Harry remained unfazed. "An army that will swiftly die by my hand before they have the chance to harm a single innocent student. I can guarantee Voldemort''s defeat if hees here. But I can''t make the same promise if it happens anywhere else."

    "Can you really guarantee it?" Dumbledore pressed. "After hearing Severus''s report? Voldemort is not even human anymore. We don''t know the extent of his protections. The only certainty we have is that he''s no longer using Horcruxes. He must have found something far more secure¡­"

    "That''s why I need him here. I know I can defeat him in this castle. Nowhere else," Harry said with unwavering confidence.

    "You always seem to have something hidden up your sleeve¡­"

    Dumbledore murmured, studying Harry intently.

    Harry met his gaze without flinching "Of course I do. Will you trust me with this?"

    After a long moment, Dumbledore''s expression softened. "I will trust you, Harry. I will trust you with everyone''s fate. And I can only hope that I won''t regret it."

    "Good." Harry stood. "Finish the preparations on your side, and I''ll do the same on mine. We shouldn''t meet again unless absolutely necessary...I don''t want to take any unwarranted risks this close to the goal."

    Dumbledore nodded. "That''s probably for the best."

    "How is Professor Snape holding up?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

    "Not well¡­not after being forced tomit such atrocities. But I know him...Severus will not fail, he will do his duty until the end as he wants this to be over as much as we do." Dumbledore said quietly.

    "Let''s hope so," Harry replied, though there was little sympathy in his tone.

    Dumbledore hesitated before adding, "He''s made a curious request. He wants asylum for Narcissa Malfoy."

    "Draco''s mother?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

    "From what I understand, she only joined Voldemort to protect her son. Severus says she''s looking for a way out."

    Harry shrugged indifferently. "As long as she''s not too involved with the Death Eaters, I won''t pursue her. Just tell Snape to ensure she doesn''t participate in the battle."

    "I''ll pass along the message," Dumbledore agreed.

    "If there''s nothing else to discuss, I''ll take my leave," Harry said, heading for the door.

    "Aren''t you going to eat anything?" Dumbledore asked.

    "I''ll visit the kitchenster," Harry replied. "For now, I think I''ll spend some time in the Room of Requirement and break a few dummies."

    After Harry left, Dumbledore turned to Fawkes. "It''s going to work¡­right, Fawkes?"

    The phoenix let out a loud, echoing cry.

    <strong><><><><><><><><><><></strong>

    <em>Meanwhile¡­at a distant gloomy manor.</em>

    "He''s waiting for you, and he''s not happy," Betrix said with a wicked grin.

    "I hope you brought him good news, or you may not survive the night."

    Snape nodded. "Open the door."

    Of course, Voldemort would be in a foul mood. He had been that way since the night of the attacks when he lost many of his most loyal followers.

    The worst blow, however, was that he still hadn''t uncovered the culprits.

    "Severus¡­" Voldemort''s chilling voice greeted him. The Dark Lord was seated on his throne, his skeletal face illuminated in the dim light.

    Red eyes, glowing with a terrifying light, fixed on Snape. "What do you have for me? Speak!"

    Snape knelt before him, lowering his head. "I have seeded in my task, my Lord."

    "You mean¡­?" Voldemort''s voice quivered with anticipation.

    "The liquid curse we prepared for Dumbledore...I''ve sessfully made him drink it. In less than six weeks, the old wizard willpletely lose his magic."

    Voldemort''s lips curled into a ghastly smile, his red eyes zing with triumph.

    "Albus Dumbledore¡­you are mine now!"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 396: The Calm Before the Storm

    Chapter 396: The Calm Before the Storm

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 396: The Calm Before the Storm</strong>

    <em>Ten Days Before the Second Task, Potter Manor</em>

    "Lyra!" Ginny and Astoria rushed forward to greet their friend. It had been almost two months since theyst saw each other.

    "I missed you so much!" Lyra eximed, pulling them both into a hug.

    While his sister was having her moment with her friends, Harry looked across the hall, where Daphne sat reading.

    As he approached, he noticed she was engrossed in one of the books they had retrieved from the family vault at Gringotts.

    "Found something interesting?" Harry asked, sitting beside her.

    Daphne nced at him, her lips curving into a smile. "Your mother knows you''ve been sneaking into the house every week to see me."

    "And¡­what did she say to you?"

    Daphne scoffed. "She told me she expects us to be <em>''careful.''</em>Can you believe that?"

    "From her? Yes," Harry said with a smirk. Lily Potter had never been the strictest of parents.

    Daphne chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "<em>Careful.</em>What was she doing in her fourth year, I wonder?"

    "I don''t think I want the answer to that question," Harry replied with a serious expression.

    Daphne nced toward the trio of girlsughing and chatting nearby. "It was kind of you to bring Lyra. Astoria''s been impatient to see her again."

    "I''m sure Ginny felt the same. Lyra was starting to drive Neville mad with all the attention she was giving him."

    Daphne smirked. "I don''t know about that. Ginny''s been getting along with Victoria surprisingly well. They seem to have be fast friends."

    "Really? Those two are so different¡­" Harry said, surprised. Ginny, embodying the boldness of a Gryffindor, and Victoria, the epitome of a Slytherin princess...it was an odd pairing.

    "Well, you know what they say about opposites attracting," Daphne mumbled.

    "Hm?" Harry didn''t quite catch that.

    "Never mind. Did you miss me?" Daphne asked, her tone yful as she struck a coquettish pose.

    "I saw you two days ago."

    Daphne frowned. "That''s not what I¡ª"

    "Harry!"

    Both of them turned to see Lily Potter approaching, her expression alight with mischief. She leaned in close to Harry''s ear, whispering, "I thought your next visit was on Friday."

    "This isn''t a private visit," Harry replied evenly. "Lyra was desperate to see her friends. At Hogwarts, she only has Luna, and while I adore Luna, talking to her too much can be¡­a bit much."

    "You''re no fun¡­" Lily pouted.

    "And you''re supposed to be the responsible adult," Harry shot back.

    "Oh, before I forget, Victoria''s been asking for you," Lily said.

    "She must''ve finished fixing the artifacts I left with her," Harry noted, standing. "Where is she?"

    "She''s in her room. Don''t worry, I''ll keep Daphnepany," Lily said with a chuckle.

    As Harry made his way out of the hall, someone else called his name.

    "Harry¡­wait."

    Turning, he was surprised to see Ginny approaching him. They hadn''t spoken much over the past few months.

    She hesitated, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. "I¡­I''m an idiot. I should''ve said this sooner, but I was too embarrassed to talk to you properly."

    "You can tell me anything, Ginny. There''s no need to be embarrassed," Harry said gently.

    "I wanted to thank you. You saved my life...and my family''s, too. If it weren''t for you, I¡­" Ginny trailed off.

    "Your mother thanked me enough. As for George¡ª"

    Ginny interrupted, shaking her head. "Harry, you can''t save everyone. You''ve done more than enough already."

    "Do your other brothers know what happened? They''re wee here too, you know."

    "Bill doesn''t know yet," Ginny admitted. "He''s still researching some ancient tomb in the Middle East. We''ll tell him as soon as he returns."

    They spoke for a few more minutes before parting ways. As Harry turned to leave, Ginny called out again.

    "Oh, and Harry¡­you and Daphne don''t have to hide it...not for my sake at least, anyway. I know, and¡­I''m fine with it now."

    Harry nodded. "I''ll let Daphne know."

    That wasn''t the main reason they''d kept their rtionship a secret, but Ginny didn''t need to know that.

    After a short walk, Harry arrived at Victoria''s room and knocked.

    "Come in," came her voice.

    Inside, he found Victoria ying Exploding Snap with Holly.

    "Harry!" Holly leaped from the bed, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug.

    "You know, Lyra''s down in the main hall," Harry said. "Why don''t you go greet her? She''d love to see you."

    "But¡­" Holly nced back at her game, reluctant to leave.

    "You can finish itter. It''s not going anywhere, and it''s polite to say hello to your family when they visit." Harry said.

    Holly still seemed unconvinced.

    "Besides," Victoria added, "I need to talk to your brother about something."

    "But Harry''s your brother too, isn''t he?" Holly asked, looking between them.

    Victoria nced at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose, gically speaking, at least."

    "Galy?" Holly frowned, unfamiliar with the term.

    "Never mind that. Go on now," Victoria said, ushering her out.

    Once Holly left, Victoria retrieved a small box from her desk drawer.

    "Were you able to fix it?" Harry asked.

    She handed him the box. "I fixed it...and improved upon it. Though I still think it''ll kill you if you use it."

    "Already did that once," Harry said dryly, examining the artifacts. The Arkenstone jewelry was fully charged, but something caught his attention. "What are these symbols?"

    Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Runes, of course. You really are bad at this, aren''t you?"

    Harry frowned. The runes didn''t resemble anything he''d studied. ''But they look familiar¡­where have I seen these before?''

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 397: A Dangerous Encounter

    Chapter 397: A Dangerous Encounter

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 397: A Dangerous Encounter</strong>

    <em>Five days before the second task, Hogwarts Castle</em>

    Despite the grim news that students had been receiving over the past two months, the mood at the school was overall a cheerful one.

    The missing students were hardly noticed amidst the influx of others from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. And with only a few days left until the next task, the Triwizard Tournament was all anyone could talk about.

    Harry had be more reclusive recently, only venturing out to attend sses when absolutely necessary, and even then, just to maintain appearances. His focus was on ensuring everything was ready for the uing battle.

    Afterpleting his training routine in the Room of Requirement, Harry was strolling leisurely through the Seventh Floor corridor.

    There were only a few minutes left until curfew, but if needed, he could always Apparate to safety.

    As expected, the halls werepletely silent at this time.

    He savored these small moments of peace and quiet, so he wasn''t in any rush to return to his dormitory.

    Passing one of the many open windows, he nced outside. Even from this height, much of the Dark Forest was visible under tonight''s moonlight, giving it an eery aura.

    <em>"Wait...what was that?"</em>He stopped abruptly, feeling something bizarre emanating from the distant forest.

    There were no visible clues at first sight, but he sensed a peculiar magical signature deep within the woods.

    However, it was fleeting, vanishing almost as quickly as it appeared.

    <em>''Did I imagine it?''</em>It wouldn''t be out of the question.

    He had just finished an exhausting session in the Room of Requirement. Though he could have kept going for a few more hours, perhaps his perception had been dulled.

    <em>''No¡­this isn''t the time to be careless. I need to check it out, at least.''</em>

    This close to the second task, it wouldn''t be surprising to find Voldemort''s followers snooping around, trying to set something up around the castle boundaries. That was not a risk he was willing to take.

    While he''d assumed precautions with Hogsmeade, he hadn''t considered the Dark Forest as a potential weak point.

    It would be an odd choice for a point of invasion, given the forest''s many dangerous creatures and the open space between its edge and the castle. Anyone attempting such a thing would bepletely exposed.

    ''Let''s go see what it is...''

    Without further hesitation, Harry pulled his broom from his pocket dimension and jumped out of the window.

    He soared toward the area where he had felt the strange magical signature and descended slowly.

    Wand in hand, he advanced cautiously.

    <em>''Wait...this ce is...''</em>

    He recognized the shapes of the trees and caught a glimpse of the clearing ahead.

    It was the same pond where he had encountered Rabastan and the vampires apanying him.

    This was no coincidence. Whoever had been here was almost certainly connected to Voldemort.

    Activating his concealment ability, Harry vanished from sight.

    In this state, detecting him was nearly impossible. For good measure, he cast a Silencing Charm on his feet.

    As he approached the clearing, the scene became more evident. The light of the full moon reflected off the pond, illuminating the area.

    A young-looking girl with long ck hair stood by the pond, appearing deep in thought.

    She wore an elegant, old-fashioned ck dress with a wide dome-like skirt reminiscent of the Victorian era.

    Although some pureblood families still favored such attire, it was a rarity to see nowadays.

    But what caught Harry''s attention the most was her umbre. Despite the absence of rain and theteness of the hour, she held it open above her head.

    <em>"Are you the one who killed my brethren?"</em>the girl asked somberly, turning her gaze directly toward Harry.

    She was stunningly beautiful, enough to momentarily distract even Harry.

    Her features were doll-like...porcin skin, amber eyes, and an innocent face that could make anyone lower their guard.

    <em>"You cannot hide your presence from me, Young Lord. These old eyes have seen too much for that."</em>

    Her voice was both sweet and menacing.

    Harry dropped his concealment, revealing himself.

    "Oh, there you are. You look a bit younger than I imagined by the feel of your magic ¡­"She scrutinized him with her piercing gaze, as though measuring his worth.

    "You couldn''t see me, yet you knew I was here,"Harry observed, realizing her sensitivity to magic was far more refined than his own.

    He didn''t need to ask what she was. Her appearance and her mention of "brethren" confirmed it...this was a vampire. Likely rted to the ones he had killed before.

    But this vampire was much different from the other ones he encountered previously in this same ce.

    Her aura exuded a danger he had never felt before, far greater than the colossal basilisk he had once fought in his second year.

    "What is an Ancient Vampire Lord doing in a ce like this?"Harry asked calmly, and fairly confident in his guess about her status.

    Unfazed by his urate deduction, the girl smiled sweetly.

    "I came to investigate the ce where some of my brothers and sisters fell. I wasn''t entirely convinced by the story I was told. And now I find a Young Lord here. So, I will ask once more¡­"

    Her amber eyes flickered red.

    "Are you the one who killed my brethren?"

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 398: Power Unleashed

    Chapter 398: Power Unleashed

    <strong>Disimer</strong>:

    Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.

    I own nothing but the original characters I make.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author notes-

    <strong>Chapter 398: Power Unleashed</strong>

    Harry gripped his staff in his left hand, his wand in his right. This was not an oponent he could take lightly. And in fact, it may be the most dangerous individual he has faced in his lifetime.

    <em>"What if I said that I was?"</em>he asked, noticing how her eyes shifted to an orange hue.

    The dark energy emanating from her body grew stronger. She was preparing to attack.

    Harry had a fair amount of experience fighting vampires, but this was only the second time he had faced one this ancient.

    Vampires, being immortal, grew more powerful with age, and this one was extremely ancient.

    With a tap of his staff, the ground beneath him began to stir.

    The girl nced downward.<em>"Tsk... how annoying."</em>She leaped away just as jagged rock spikes erupted from the floor.

    While airborne, she appeared to step on thin air before vanishing, only to reappear beside Harry.

    Her umbre was now closed, wielded like a spear. Its metallic tip glinted in the moonlight.

    Harry flicked his wand, conjuring dozens of silver des around him. The vampire darted backward, maintaining distance.

    <em>"Oh silver...how scary. You''re quick for a wizard too,"</em>the girl remarked.<em>"And so much magic..."</em>

    She lifted the hem of her skirt, releasing a swarm of bats that poured out like a dark cloud.

    <em>"What a peculiar trick,"</em>Harry muttered with a raised eyebrow.

    The bats swirled around him, thenunched at him in a suicidal frenzy.

    He had to abandon the des and apparated a short distance away, leaving behind a ball of fire that detonated a momentter.

    The bats disintegrated into dust, which coalesced into a ck mist and returned to the girl.

    She moved again and appeared next to him. She made a swing aimed at his face with her open hand. Her nails had grown long and sharp as des.

    But Harry had been ready to conjure his strongest defense. "Magna Custodia!"

    A translucent wall appeared in between them, but confident in her abilities, the vampire did not stop her motion.

    "Argg!" She yelped in pain as her nails and fingers collided against the barrier and shattered by the sheer force of the impact.

    Although Harry was more surprised by the fact that she still managed to crack his defensive charm.

    This barrier was capable of stopping pretty much everything. Threeyers were enough to contain the equivalent of a miniature Sun. But she cracked it...

    The vampire took a step back and nced at her hand. "That hurt..." As she said this, her hand was quickly regenerating and the bones on her fingers were making unnatural noises as they went back into their proper ces.

    <em>"Shall we stop ying games, Young Lord?"</em>she asked, her voice ominous.

    As she spoke, her eyes turned a deep blood red, and her ck hair began to whiten like ash.<em>"It''s been centuries since I had to do this."</em>

    The intensity of her aura grew suffocating.

    Harry realized his current strength wouldn''t suffice.<em>''Let''s hope Victoria fixed them properly.''</em>

    <em>"Libero."</em>

    The nine Arkstone crystals embedded in his body activated simultaneously, flooding him with a surge of magical energy. A luminous blue mist surrounded him.

    ck fog seeped from his body, intertwining with the blue light.

    The<em>Robes of Death</em>manifested around him, shielding him from harm.

    The suffocating pressure from the vampire vanished entirely.

    Harry''s eyes glowed with a piercing blue light that drove away all darkness, while ck holes materialized in the air around him.

    The ancient vampire, poised to lunge at him, froze in her tracks.

    Her red eyes widened in astonishment.<em>"This magic... That can''t be... Death..."</em>she muttered under her breath.

    Harry pointed his staff at one of the ck holes.<em>"Let''s see what you can do with this."</em>

    Pure white light began radiating from the three stones at the top of the staff.<em>"Lumin¡ª"</em>

    <em>"Wait! My Lord, mercy!"</em>The vampire threw herself to the ground, mming her forehead against it.

    Her umbre ttered to the floor as she reverted to her human form, her transformation undone in an instant.

    <em>"Mercy, oh Great Lord of Death!"</em>

    Harry blinked, bewildered by her sudden change in demeanor.

    <em>"What are you doing?"</em>he asked, baffled.

    Moments ago, she had been defiant, ready to attack and go for the kill. Now, she was groveling on the ground and begging for mercy.

    <em>"What is the meaning of this? Do you wish to surrender without a fight?"</em>he continued.<em>"You were so eager to face me just a moment ago."</em>

    <em>"I mistook you for a young Sorcerer Lord and wanted to measure myself against you,"</em>she admitted, her voice trembling.<em>"But the magic you just disyed... I realize now how wrong I was."</em>

    Harry noticed that, while speaking, she wasn''t looking at him but at the area around and above him.

    <em>"You can see all forms of magic with those eyes,"</em>he deduced.

    Her fear made sense now...she must have perceived the full magnitude of his unleashed magic, including thetent power of the Nine Arkstones and the<em>Death Visage</em>.

    <em>"I can see it all, My Lord,"</em>she confirmed.<em>"It''s a gift I awakened in my youth, several millennia ago."</em>

    <em>''Several Milenia... This vampire is far older and far more powerful...than I initialy thought.''</em>

    But her sudden submission left him in a tricky situation. He needed to tread carefully.

    <em>"Are you a follower of Voldemort?"</em>he asked.

    The vampire''s face twisted in disgust.<em>"Of course not. Why would I follow that child? I merely proposed an alliance. I offered him the assistance of myself and my brethren in exchange for that castle and its surroundingnds."</em>She pointed in the direction of Hogwarts.

    <em>"That fool assured me that no Lord owned thesends! The only one he mentioned was a female in London, but he imed she is bound to her territory and unable to leave."</em>

    <em>''Morgana Le Fay... He knows about her,''</em>Harry thought, surprised. She was hardly the type to advertise her existence.

    <em>"Had I known this was your domain, I would never have made such an offer. I swear to you!"</em>she pleaded earnestly.

    Harry didn''t care whether she was lying or telling the truth. His hesitation to kill her stemmed from other concerns.

    The immense magical power from the Arkstone Array could only be maintained for a few minutes before dissipating.

    He had to decide quickly. If the vampire realized he wasn''t as powerful as she believed, the situation could change drastically.

    A.N - The whole thing about the Lords will be exined better in the next episode. -

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 399: Lord Death

    Chapter 399: Lord Death

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 399: Lord Death</strong>

    ''Lords''...in certain old circles of the magical world, that title denotes more than nobility.

    For magical beings, there are countless ways to extend one''s life, there are soul containers, curses, vampirism, necromancy, blood magic, alchemy...and the list will continue to extend as more discoveries are made.

    Those who seed in extending their lifespan for five centuries are given the title of ''<em>Young Lords''</em>.

    Those who can manage to do so for over a thousand years will earn the title of ''<em>Old Lord''.</em>

    And finally, those who can survive in this world for over two thousand years, are known as the ''<em>Ancient Lords''</em>.

    Thest distinction is most often reserved for vampires, as they are among the few creatures capable of such longevity. Wizards and witches rarely pass the one-thousand-year mark, no matter what methods they employ.

    But those who can even go past the millennial mark are both feared and revered. An Old Wizard Lord is considered many times more dangerous than even an Ancient Vampire Lord.

    The sheer magic and knowledge that a wizard could amass in such a span defies calction. No one in their right mind would willingly antagonize such a being.

    Harry Potter wasn''t even close to being a Young Lord, but the sheer power of his magic often led others to misjudge.

    The two Spanish craftsmen had already confused him with a ''Young Lord'' during his visit, and Morgana Lefay had done the same. He never tried to correct their mistake, as the real exnation for his bizarre magical signature was going to be much harder to believe.

    The vampire standing before him was also one such individual. Gifted with the rare ability of <em>Magesight</em>, she could perceive the intricate flow and potency of magic with extraordinary rity.

    This ability had led her to a terrifying conclusion that Harry was an Old Wizard Lord, one who had hidden away for many centuries...or perhaps, something far worse.

    "It can''t be¡­" The vampire took a cautious step back.

    For a being who had existed for several thousands of years, long-forgotten memories now wed their way to the surface.

    A very long time ago, before Hogwarts had even been conceived, thends Harry now stood on had been home to the only Ancient Wizard Lord in all recorded history. At least as far as she knew.

    She was young and na?ve then, full of ambition and curiosity. The British Isles were scarcely inhabited by humans at the time, save for scattered barbarian tribes.

    Seeking refuge from the crowded Sumerian Empire, she and her vampire kin had crossed great distances to settle here. They hoped for an easier life, far from the watchful eyes of mortal empires.

    But another race had already imed this ind as their domain: the Elves.

    Not the diminutive creatures humans now called house-elves, but tall, elegant beings of unparalleled beauty and strength, their magic flowing as naturally as the wind or sea. They ruled the British Isles with mastery over the elements and an unyielding pride.

    The vampires quickly learned to conceal themselves, utterly terrified of the elves'' overwhelming power. For centuries, they lived in the shadows, contemting leaving the dangerousnd altogether.

    But then, one day, the elves vanished without a warning...

    Years passed before the vampire pieced together fragments of the truth from human stories in what is now Scond.

    There had been a sorcerer, a solitary man, who lived near a small forest.

    The elves, enamored by thend''s beauty and its power hidden underneath, had tried to im it for themselves.

    No one knew exactly what happened next, but when the dust settled, the elves were gone.

    At first, they thought the elves had been annihted entirely. But soon after, strange, diminutive creatures began to appear... beings with pointy ears and a faint resemnce to the proud elves of old.

    These small, servile creatures were nothing like their predecessors. Ugly and pitiable, they were doomed to spend eternity in servitude to wizards.

    Many believed the elves had incurred the wrath of an immensely powerful Ancient Lord, who not only destroyed their civilization but cursed the survivors, stripping them of their pride and beauty for all eternity.

    They were now known only as <em>house elves..</em>.the servants of the wizard kind. And only a few still remembered the once-mighty race they had been.

    And all because they had dared to challenge <em>him</em>.

    However, this event had been a blessing for them. The vampires thrived after the elves'' disappearance, turning the British Isles into a veritable paradise for their kind.

    But none dared approach the forest where the elves had ultimately fallen.

    Centuries passed. The humans multiplied and spread across thend, despite the asional hunt from the vampires.

    asionally, a human with magical ability would appear, but none posed a threat to the vampire ns.

    Arrogance grew among the Vampire Lords, and whispers of expanding into the forbiddennds near the forest began to circte. Some believed the Ancient Wizard Lord must be long dead. Others were confident in their superiority, even if he wasn''t.

    Her n alone abstained from the expedition. Despite the protests of her children and servants, who called her decision cowardly, she held firm in her decision to stay away from there.

    And in the end...she was proven to be correct.

    When news of the expedition''s fate reached her, she fled the isles with her n,mandeering human ships to escape.

    All she knew was that other than her n, there were no survivors. She never learned the full details of what happened, but one fact was clear...no vampire n would ever return to Britain.

    Among her kind, the ind became known as the <em>Cursed Land</em>.

    And the Ancient Wizard Lord who nearly exterminated two entire magical races...he was given a dreadful title.

    For the vampire standing before Harry, it was impossible to ignore the parallels. His magic radiated with the intensity of the being who had once cursed an entire race and mixed with his magic was something else...something much darker...Enkara could feel the power of ''The End'' emerging out of his body.

    "You¡­" she whispered, trembling. "Could it really be¡­ <em>him</em>?" But her mind had already been made.

    The Ancient Wizard Lord that had once filled her with dread...the one her kind had named...Lord Death.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 400: Bound

    Chapter 400: Bound

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 400: Bound</strong>

    Harry studied the terrified expression of the Vampire Lord before him. For a fleeting moment, he considered ending her life. But was ultimately hesitant to do so...something held him back.

    This moment was pivotal for his ns, and killing the vampire could ruin everything.

    Voldemort likely had a clear understanding of this Ancient Vampire Lord''s power. If she were to die so close to Hogwarts, Voldemort would inevitably grow suspicious. The Dark Lord might alter his carefullyid ns, dying the very oue Harry needed to control.

    But he couldn''t let her leave, either. Once she reported what she had seen, it would create an entirely different set ofplications.

    ''There''s only one way to resolve this... and I must act quickly.'' Harry had finally decided on the best path to follow.

    He raised his staff, its tip glowing with power. The Vampire Lord recoiled, her fear intensifying.

    "Please, oh Great Lord!" she begged, her voice trembling. "I did not mean to offend by trespassing into yournds."

    Despite her millennia of existence, the instinct to survive was overwhelming so she did not hesitate to surrender while in front of an impossible obstacle.

    She was nowpletely convinced that this was ''Him''!. This had to be the Ancient Wizard Lord from back then. The coincidence was too great for it to be anyone else...could there really be another wizard appearing in the same spot and wielding such magic?.

    "What is your name?" Harry asked, his voice calm yetmanding.

    The vampire hesitated before answering. "It is Enkara, My Lord."

    ''A Sumerian name,'' Harry thought, carefully hiding his surprise. ''This might be the oldest vampire I''ve ever encountered.''

    He maintained hisposure, keeping his tone cold and authoritative. "Enkara, you have allied with an enemy of mine and dared to trespass into my domain. I cannot allow such insolence to go unpunished."

    Enkara''s eyes widened slightly, hope flickering in her gaze. Punishment meant she might survive...at least for now.

    "Of course, My Lord. This one understands." She bowed her head submissively before adding, "If that young lich is your enemy, I could kill him for you. I could bring you his head and the heads of his followers."

    Harry shook his head. "No. That task is mine alone."

    He couldn''t entrust Voldemort''s destruction to anyone else. The Dark Lord''s mastery of magic and his precautions against death required Harry''s direct intervention. He could never rest at ease unless he saw his demise in person.

    "I have a different task for you," he continued. "Once it isplete, you and your entire n will leave the British Isles and never return."

    Enkara''s eyes widened further, this time in genuine surprise. Leaving the cursednds was no punishment...it was a blessing. She had already regretted returning to Britain, and now she silently vowed never to make such a mistake again.

    "What is the task, My Lord?" she asked eagerly. The sooner she could aplish it, the sooner this would be all over.

    Harry felt the Arkstone''s borrowed magic waning, the reservoir nearly depleted.

    ''I have to act now.''

    "There is something I must do before revealing your task," he replied.

    "Something more?" Enkara asked, her wariness returning.

    Harry pointed his staff at her, the glowing tip intensifying. "Since I cannot trust your word, I will bind you to my will."

    "Bind me?" Panic surged through her. Vampirescked souls, rendering magical oaths and unbreakable vows useless. But as undead beings, they were susceptible to necromantic bindings...spells that made them utterly subservient to their master.

    Enkara hesitated, her mind racing. A binding would strip her of freedom, condemning her to eternal servitude.

    While trying to learn more about this version of Voldemort, Harry had read arge amount of books about necromancy.

    Not enough to call himself an expert by any means, but he could at least be considered knowledgeable, and more than capable of forming a permanent bind with an undead.

    Theplicated part was the will of the target. A low-rank undead, like a zombie or a reanimated skeleton, would have little will left, making them easy to bind.

    But vampires were much different. They had a lot more resistance and an Ancient Vampire Lord like this one would bepletely impossible to bind, unless she allowed the magic to take effect out of her own free will.

    "If you refuse," Harry said, his voice cold as winter''s bite, "I will have no choice but to end you."

    His robes seemed to expand, shadows pooling around him like a living void.

    "Wait, My Lord!" she cried out, trembling. "I... I''ll do it. Perform the binding." She hated this more than anything, but it was still preferable to having her existence erased.

    Harry inwardly sighed with relief. He couldn''t afford a drawn-out battle, not with time running short.

    "Wise choice," he said curtly.

    He channeled the remnants of the Arkstone''s magic, his staff radiating a purplish beam of light that struck the vampire squarely.

    Enkara stood still, submitting to the spell. A thin thread of dark energy connected them, and Harry focused all his magic on forming the bond.

    Harry poured everything he had into the spell, the Arkstone''s magic draining rapidly. The connection deepened, and with a final surge of power, the binding took hold.

    It was done.

    Harry could feel the link between them, an unbreakable tether that ensured her loyalty. Enkara, once a terrifying predator, was now bound to his will.

    ''It seems I''ve just acquired a very useful tool,'' Harry thought, suppressing a smirk.

    "Enkara," he called.

    "Master," she replied, falling to her knees. Despite her pride, she found herself strangely at ease. Those piercing green eyes held an authority she could not deny.

    Harry nodded, the weight of exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

    "I will now exin your task."

    A.N 1 : In case you are curious about what she looks like, there are some images of her on my P@treon page. Also, the name Enkara means ''Weapon'' in the old Sumerian Empire where she was born. And don''t worry, we are about to begin with the main event of this arc.

    A.N 2: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 401: A Midnight Betrayal

    Chapter 401: A Midnight Betrayal

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 401: A Midnight Betrayal</strong>

    Three days before the Second Task, Hogwarts Castle.

    It was a quiet night. The corridors, bathed in shadow, carried the stillness of midnight.

    But that stillness was broken by two sets of hurried footsteps echoing against the stone floor tiles.

    Severus Snape moved swiftly, his sharp eyes darting around as he led the way. His paranoia was palpable. This mission demanded absolute secrecy, and no one could witness it.

    Behind him, Professor Rookwood followed at an unhurried pace. But his demeanor was strikingly different from usual. The typically vacant expression was reced by a cruel grin that stretched unnervingly across his face, his unnaturally red eyes gave away who was the one in charge of this body.

    "This way... almost there," Snape whispered.

    Rookwood chuckled, his voice carrying a mocking edge. "You think I don''t remember where the office is?"

    Snape ignored him, keeping his focus on their surroundings. The less they spoke, the better.

    When they reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster''s office, Snape sighed in relief. The small stone wedge he''d ced earlier to keep the passage open was still in ce.

    With a firm push, the statue moved aside, revealing the spiraling staircase.

    "I''ll go first," Snape muttered, ncing back.

    Rookwood...<em>or rather, Voldemort </em>gave him a nod. The Dark Lord had entrusted much to Snape, and so far, the gamble appeared to be paying off.

    If the curse ced on Dumbledore had worked as intended, tonight''s mission would be disturbingly simple.

    Together, the two men ascended the staircase and stepped inside the Headmaster''s office.

    Voldemort, inhabiting the flesh puppet of Rookwood, already had his wand in hand. While he appearedposed, he understood the limitations of this form. The flesh puppet''s bodycked magical potency, making him vulnerable in any serious duel.

    Still, if Severus had done his job, there wouldn''t be much of a fight.

    ''And if he hasn''t¡­'' Voldemort''s thoughts darkened momentarily as he imagined the excruciating punishments he would inflict on the potions master for treachery.

    "My Lord," Snape whispered, breaking the silence.

    Voldemort''s attention shifted to the slumped figure at the desk.

    Albus Dumbledore was fast asleep, his upper body sprawled over scattered papers. The sight sent Voldemort a rush of exhration.

    The room was as it should be. The enchanted paintings were obscured with an obstruction jinx...no doubt Snape''s handiwork, and Dumbledore''s wandy carelessly on the desk. Voldemort snatched it with a quick, fluid motion.

    ''Why take unnecessary risks?'' he mused to himself.

    But something was amiss. His eyes fell on the perch in the corner of the room.

    "Where is the phoenix?" he asked, his voice sharp.

    Snape nced at the empty perch, feigning surprise. "I don''t know, my Lord. It wasn''t here thest time I checked."

    Voldemort didn''t appear fully convinced but chose not to dwell on it.

    "It often disappears on its own," Snape added. "It won''t return unless called. We should proceed quickly."

    Voldemort nodded, reluctantly agreeing. He turned his wand toward the slumbering figure.

    "Mmm¡­" Voldemort frowned, his expression unreadable.

    "Is something wrong?" Snape''s voice wavered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

    ''I can''t detect any magic on him,'' Voldemort thought. It was unsettling. Even with the curse draining Dumbledore''s strength, the Dark Lord had expected some trace of resistance. But there was nothing. The man before him was as defenseless as a Muggle.

    "It''s nothing," Voldemort said after a pause. "Let''s wake him, shall we?"

    With a flick of his wand, an invisible force shoved Dumbledore from his desk, sending him crashing into the stone wall.

    "Urgh¡­" Dumbledore groaned, his body crumpling to the floor.

    "My Lord," Snape hissed, his irritation barely concealed. "We agreed to be quiet. This isn''t subtle at all."

    Voldemort chuckled darkly. "Do you have any idea how long I''ve waited for this moment? Let me savor it."

    Dumbledore stirred, struggling to his feet. He clutched at a nearby chair for support, his piercing blue eyes locking onto his intruders.

    "Severus¡­" His voice was hoarse, tinged with disbelief. "What is the meaning of this?"

    Voldemort''s grin widened, his satisfaction in.

    "I wish I could draw this out further," Voldemort said mockingly. "But here''s the short version: your loyal Severus has betrayed you."

    Dumbledore''s expression faltered. He staggered toward therge window behind his desk, leaning against it for support.

    "Betrayed¡­" he repeated, his voice trembling. "How could you, Severus?"

    "The curse that reduced you to this pitiful state?" Voldemort sneered.

    "That was my gift. I stripped you of your magic, and now¡ª" He raised his wand, the tip glowing menacingly. "I will take your life."

    "Please, no¡­" Dumbledore sped his hands together, his eyes wide with desperation. "Don''t kill me!"

    The plea gave Voldemort pause. His grin faded, reced by a look of disgust.

    "This is pathetic," he muttered. "You, once hailed as the nexting of Merlin¡­ reduced to this?"

    Without further hesitation, he uttered the words:

    "Avada Kedavra."

    The deadly green light struck Dumbledore squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling backward out of the open window.

    For a moment, silence filled the room. Both men stood still, the enormity of the act sinking in.

    But the stillness was soon followed by a ''thud'' noise, caused by the body of the Headmaster hitting the rooks a the bottom of the tower.

    "It is done," Voldemort murmured atst. Years of nning, hatred, and anticipation culminated in this moment.

    Hogwarts was nearly his. With Dumbledore gone, there was no one left to oppose him.

    "All that''s left is to ensure no one discovers this," Voldemort said, turning to Snape. "Clean this mess and dy anyone from uncovering the truth. I don''t want my ns disrupted."

    "Yes, my Lord," Snape replied, bowing his head.

    Voldemort allowed himself a rare smile. "In three days, this castle will be mine."

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

 Chapter 402: The Second Time Around

    Chapter 402: The Second Time Around

    <strong>Disimer:</strong>

    <em>Harry Potter</em>and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I create.

    "Dialogue"

    ''Thoughts''

    -Author Notes-

    <strong>Chapter 402: The Second Time Around</strong>

    "Harry, are you even listening to me?!" Neville shouted, tugging at his robes in frustration.

    "Shh! Stop making a fuss ande with me. We don''t have all day," Harry replied, his voice a mix of urgency and irritation.

    "But I can''t find Lyra anywhere! How can you not be worried? Something could have happened to her!" Neville insisted, his concern unmistakable.

    Harry stopped, ncing around to ensure they were alone in this deserted wing of the castle. "Didn''t you figure out the task already? Surely, you managed <em>that</em>much¡­" Harry''s voice was low but sharp, his patience wearing thin.

    "I did!" Neville fished a few leaves from his pocket and held them up triumphantly. "I got the egg underwater and heard the clue. The task is underwater...look! This is Gillyweed!"

    "You won''t be needing that, remember?. " Harry said tly. "And that''s not the part that I was referring to¡­"

    Neville froze as he thought about the next part of the message, the leaves still clutched in his hand. "You mean¡­ ''We''ve taken what you''ll sorely miss''...oh no! I thought it meant something like an important object, a family heirloom or something¡­ Are you saying they <em>took her</em>?, are they really going to put people inside theke?, that''s crazy!."

    "That''s Hogwarts for you..." Harry shook his head. He''d known from the beginning that Neville''s greatest treasure wasn''t an object, but his sister, Lyra.

    Harry would have preferred someone else...Ron perhaps would have been taken instead, but the Weasleys were still taking refuge at his home, making Lyra the most obvious choice.

    Despite the risks, Harry had taken every precaution to ensure Lyra''s safety during the task.

    "She''ll be fine. Nowe on, we need to hurry before anyone sees us," Harry said, steering Neville down the corridor.

    "This isn''t the way to the Headmaster''s office," Neville said nervously as he noticed that Harry was leading him toward the dungeons.

    "You''ll see soon enough." Harry didn''t bother exining.

    Minutester, the reason for their detour became clear.

    Neville stopped abruptly, his face draining of color. "Snape''s office?!"

    Not giving him time to panic, the door creaked open, and the familiar voice of Professor Snape greeted them.

    "It''s <em>Professor</em>Snape to you, Longbottom," he sneered.

    "Oh¡­ sorry," Neville stammered, his voice trembling.

    Snape turned to Harry. "Did anyone see youing here?" he asked, poking his head into the corridor and ncing both ways.

    "No. Everyone should already be at theke. That''s why we waited until thest moment," Harry said, brushing off the concern.

    Snape muttered something unintelligible under his breath before ushering them inside. "Good. We''ve only thirty minutes until it begins. Let''s get this matter solved already."

    Inside the office, a wooden box rested on thest table at the far end. Snape walked over and opened it, producing two potions.

    "You know how this works already so I won''t exin. Drink it, but change your clothes first," he instructed.

    Neville hesitated, eyeing the potion nervously. Harry was far less squeamish, downing his dose before pulling a set of robes over his head.

    Momentster, Neville doubled over, his stomach lurching as his body twisted and transformed.

    "Urgh!" Neville groaned, trying to steady himself.

    "Don''t you dare ruin my robes!" Harry scolded, his voice sharp.

    Snape''s cold eyes scrutinized them both, ensuring the transformations were wless. Harry stepped to a nearby mirror, checking his reflection.

    As before, the Polyjuice Potion had worked perfectly. No one would be able to tell that he wasn''t the <em>Boy Who Lived</em>.

    "Harry¡­ where should I sit?" Neville asked shakily.

    "Go to the Gryffindor section of the stands. You''ll find my parents and the Lovegoods there. Stay with them...they''ll protect you."

    Harry''s tone left no room for argument. He''d warned his parents that something might happen during the task. Though the chances of them needing to fight were slim, Harry wasn''t willing to leave them unprepared.

    Neville blinked, confused. "Protect me? From what? I''m just going to be sitting in the stands."

    Snape remained silent, observing Harry with an inscrutable expression. Even he wasn''t entirely sure how Harry nned to keep his bold promises of defeating the Dark Lord today.

    Dumbledore had insisted over and over that Harry could handle the task, that he had a n. But Snape struggled to ept that, even knowing how powerful Harry had be. But it was toote to go back now...the cards were on the table, now he could only hope he was on the winning side.

    "You''ll be fine, Neville. Just stay with them. And don''t be surprised if they say anything strange...they already know who you are."

    "They <em>do</em>?!" Neville eximed, his nerves briefly giving way to relief. If nothing else, he wouldn''t have to pretend to be Harry in front of them. Something that he had proven to be incapable of doing.

    "Yes, but the rest of the audience doesn''t know. So watch what you say and how you act. You <em>have</em>to pretend to be me in public. Understand?"

    "Right¡­ I''ll do my best!" Neville said, trying to muster some confidence.

    "Well, then," Snape said, his dark eyes narrowing as he turned to ''Neville.'' "The great champion shouldn''t keep everyone waiting, should he?"

    "Harry, are you sure you don''t need the Gillyweed?" Neville asked, holding out the slimy nt.

    Harry waved it off. "I hate that stuff. I''ve got a different n this time."

    "This time?" Neville echoed, confused. "When have you done this before?"

    Harry smirked but didn''t answer, walking out of the office and leaving Neville to ponder the mysteries of his friend''s past adventures.

    A.N: - Remember toment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

    You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

    You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others. I recently also added the main cast of bad guys, that also includes the <strong>Dark Lord</strong>.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!