Harry leaned back in his chair and massaged the back of his neck. He had spent the last hour hunched over his desk, putting the finishing touches on the runic array he was designing to protect Scylla. He stood from his chair and walked out of the Chamber's living quarters and into the main room. It was still only seven in the morning, so Harry decided to take the opportunity to run a few laps around the Chamber before heading back to shower and meet up with Daphne and their friends in the common room.
As he jogged around the room, he found himself feeling more optimistic than he had in a long time. His preparations were complete, and if everything went according to plan, Voldemort would be dead by the end of the week. True, he would still have some loose ends to deal with before being free to live his life in peace, but unburdening himself from Riddle and the prophesy would be a huge step. Besides, it wasn't as if Rhassel'Thoth or his cult were likely to present a problem, and he'd actually take great pleasure in dealing with Titania again.
Feeling refreshed after his shower, Harry dressed himself and had Dobby take him to the common room. None of his fellow fourth years had made it down yet, but he saw Astoria sitting down with a slightly troubled expression and decided to go talk to her.
"Good morning, firecracker," Harry greeted, taking a seat in the chair next to her.
"Good morning," she replied, blushing slightly.
"What are you doing down here so early?"
"I couldn't stand to be in the dorm any longer," she sighed. "My dormmates were all talking about...you wouldn't understand."
"I can try," he offered.
"Well... No, never mind, I'd rather speak to Daphne."
"Ah, womanly things? Yeah, if that's it, then you're probably better off asking a woman."
"Yeah," she agreed, though she still had a somewhat dejected look on her face.
Harry sighed to himself. While this Astoria wasn't the same woman who had been his closest confidant for all those years, he still cared about her and couldn't stop himself from trying to help her.
"Out of curiosity's sake, is it about the monthlies, boob size, or boys?"
Astoria was momentarily taken aback by the question, but Harry seemed to be serious, so she decided to take a chance.
"Well... It's mostly the period. I still haven't gotten mine, and all the other girls in my year have. My boobs still aren't growing like I wanted them to though, and the only concern I have about boys is how to keep away from their stupidity."
"As a member of the male population, ouch," Harry joked, clutching his chest.
Astoria snorted.
"Try not to worry too much about the other things. You're still young, and it'll all happen for you before you know it."
"How do you know?" she asked.
Harry stopped to think for a moment. He obviously couldn't tell Astoria about all the books he'd read about how to raise little girls. Of course, Daphy was still years away from puberty at the time, but he tended to overprepare when it came to his daughter. A fourteen-year-old boy with knowledge of these topics must seem a little odd, but it was too late to back out now.
"It may have escaped your notice, but you're not the only girl going through those things," he started. "Even though I'm a boy, I've learned a lot by living in close proximity to teenage witches for the last four years, and I'm not talking about magic."
"Right..."
"I'm serious. Back in Gryffindor, we learned the hard way how to recognise the signs, what to do, and more importantly, what not to do," Harry told her. "As for the rest, you must've noticed by now that the women in your family are all extremely beautiful and quite well developed. I think it's safe to say that you'll wind up being at least as stunning as your mother, and if you're lucky, maybe even your sister."
"You're just saying that to be nice."
"Suit yourself, firecracker," Harry replied with a shrug.
"If you're so knowledgeable, then why haven't I bled yet?" Astoria asked crossly.
"It never happens at the same time for every girl," Harry told her. "Some girls bleed at ten, others at fourteen, most of them somewhere in between. Besides, why are you in such a hurry to experience bloating, cramps, and a sour mood for a few days every month?"
Astoria looked at him with an odd expression.
"Granger?" she asked, and Harry snorted.
"Nah, your sister. Sometimes she gets cramps that last all day. A pain potion helps a little, but it's almost like she's oversensitive to contact and doesn't like for me to touch her. She's even snapped at me to leave her be once or twice. That's why on those days I usually bring her a small gift and stay nearby without pressuring her to do anything in particular. A flower is usually enough to raise her mood."
"You gave her a flower yesterday."
"And what does that tell you?" he asked her, and Astoria laughed. "My point is, don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up. In no time at all boys will be chasing you around, and I'll have to play the part of the intimidating older brother."
Astoria giggled.
"Thanks Harry," she said as she rose from the couch. "You make a fine big brother, even if it's a little creepy you know so much about girls."
"Hey, it never hurts to be prepared," Harry remarked, then noticed look of surprise on Astoria's face when she looked back at him.
"Daphne's behind us, isn't she?" he asked.
"Yup," Daphne replied from behind him, to the sound of giggles.
"And you're not alone."
"Nope."
"I see... Astoria, does Daphne have that look she gets when she's angry?"
"The one that says, 'I will cut you into little pieces if I catch you'?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of, 'I will make you regret you were ever born', but that works too."
"Then, no."
"No?" he asked, somewhat surprised.
"No, she's smiling," Astoria replied, and Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Look at me, you idiot."
Harry turned to see his girlfriend smiling down at him. Tracey, Millie, and Pansy were with her wearing smug expressions, while Theo, Blaise, Greg, and Vince were trying to fade into the background.
"Hi," he said, and Daphne reached down to cup his face and kiss him deeply.
"How is it he always gets away with everything?" Blaise asked no one in particular. In response, Daphne slid over the chair and into Harry's lap, all without breaking the kiss.
"Oi, that's enough, lovebirds," Pansy said. "Save your snogging for later, unless you want us to leave you behind."
"Go ahead," Daphne replied without looking back. "We'll meet you there."
Theo snorted and they left them in the chair.
"What is it?" he asked, and Daphne smiled at him and shook her head.
"Nothing. That was just very sweet advice you gave my sister, and I think you should be rewarded."
"In that case, I have more advice to share..." he said with a wink, making Daphne giggle.
"I had never realised you always brought me a flower during my period week."
"What kind of a Slytherin would I be if I made it that obvious?" he asked, and Daphne's laughter rang out across the common room. To Harry, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
"And you do all this out of the goodness of your heart?" she asked, their noses touching.
"Of course not," Harry replied. "I expect repayment for all the things I do."
She shifted in his lap so that her lips were right next to his ear.
"Then tell me, Lord Potter-Slytherin, how can I repay you for all your kindness towards me and my sister?" she asked in a seductive whisper, her face flushing as she felt the bulge in Harry's trousers.
"I can think of several ways," he replied, kissing her from the side of her neck down to her collarbone. "In the long and the short runs."
"Oh? Tell me more about the long run..."
"You and me, together forever. I won't accept anything less."
"I like the sound of that...mmm...especially if you keep acting like this."
"For you? Always," he said earnestly, recapturing her lips.
"And in the short run?" she asked, after a minute of intense snogging.
"Your heart. In full."
"Oh? I thought there'd be something else you might want," she replied huskily.
"I can wait for your body," Harry said as his hand moved up Daphne's leg and over her upper thigh, making a shiver of excitement run through her. "Don't get me wrong, I want you in more ways than you imagine, but I can wait as long as you want...as long as I have your heart."
"You have it," she said, gasping slightly as she felt Harry's hand grasp her rear as his lips latched onto hers.
Breakfast could wait.
"Was it me, or was Moody particularly cranky today?" Theo asked after a long two-hour period in DADA.
"He seemed normal to me," Millie replied with a shrug. "Why?"
"I don't know, it felt like he picked on us more than usual for some reason."
"You're probably growing paranoid," Tracey replied, kissing him on the cheek. "Never mind him, I bet he was born cranky."
The fourth year Slytherins all shared a chuckle.
"Any ideas for what to do today?" Blaise asked.
"I want to finish the Charms homework, and you can help me," Millie said.
"Of course, love," he grinningly replied, making Millie smile shyly.
"I have that meeting about the third task today," Harry groaned.
"What's that about, any idea?" asked Tracey.
"None, but I noticed some work being done on the Quidditch pitch," Harry told her. "Maybe they're going to show us what they've been doing."
"I'm sure it's nothing time consuming," Daphne added. "They haven't given you any clues for the third task yet. Maybe that's it."
"Probably," Harry replied, wrapping his arm around her waist. "But for now, I really don't feel like caring about it, or anything else for that matter."
"I suggest you care about Transfiguration, Mister," Daphne admonished playfully. "That's where we're headed now."
"Lovely," Harry groaned. "And I had just decided which chair I wanted to sleep in."
"Rough night?" Theo asked, smirking at the couple. "You sure didn't seem too tired this morning."
Daphne blushed at the reminder, but she didn't even try to hide her huge smile.
"Not really, but..."
Harry's expression looked slightly disturbed.
"I've had this strange feeling for the past couple of hours, ever since DADA started. It's like there's a constant buzzing in my ears with a tingling headache."
Daphne frowned at that, and his friends all looked at him with quizzical expressions.
"If I didn't know any better, I would've said someone was using Legilimency on me."
"That's...weird..." Blaise mumbled.
"It's probably nothing," he shrugged, pulling Daphne more tightly to him and grinning down at her.
"Maybe a kiss from a beautiful girl would help me feel better? What do you say, Daph, would you like to give it a try?"
Daphne rolled her eyes in amusement gave him a peck on the cheek.
"That's enough for now," she said, Harry's pouty face making their friends laugh.
They reached the Transfiguration classroom and filed inside to sit in their usual seats. As usual, their sedate group made a stark contrast to the rowdy Gryffindors. McGonagall appeared shortly before the class's start time and immediately went into a lecture about conjuration, a specific branch of Transfiguration.
"That's what Potter and Greengrass do with their demonic snakes, isn't it?" asked Lavender Brown, raising her hand.
"No, it is not, Ms. Brown," McGonagall replied. "Mr. Potter, care to explain?"
"You can conjure objects, but you can only summon living things," Harry explained succinctly.
"What Potter forgot to explain was that conjuration is often the act of transfiguring the air itself into the desired object, while summoning involves the act of bringing an object or living creature from one place to our location," Granger added snobbishly, giving her former friend a spiteful look.
"Very good. Five points for Mr. Potter and another five for Ms. Granger," McGonagall replied. "Can anyone give an example of a spell used to summon a particular living creature?" she asked, then glanced at the two Slytherins and added, "Apart from summoning your snakes?"
Daphne raised her hand, as did Granger.
"Ms. Granger?"
"Avis, which may be used to summon birds," the know-it-all replied with a smug look.
"Very good, that's a N.E.W.T. level spell," McGonagall replied, then turned to Daphne.
"Ms. Greengrass?"
"Serpensortia," she replied, and McGonagall paled slightly but acknowledged Daphne's answer with a stiff nod.
"Indeed," the professor replied.
"Now, continuing our lesson about conjuration, as Ms. Granger said, conjuration is the act of transfiguring the air itself into another inanimate shape. There are several rules of basic conjuration, and we will discuss them before attempting practical work...am I boring you, Mr. Potter?"
McGonagall was glaring at Harry, who had just yawned behind his hand.
"Sorry?" he asked, surprised at being singled out.
"I asked if I am boring you?" she said, her eyes still narrowed hawkishly at him. "You certainly seem so."
"Not at all, Professor," he replied, trying keep his face neutral and mask the annoyance in his voice.
"If you are tired, then I suggest you go to sleep earlier, instead of wasting your rest time participating in frivolous activities. Ten points from Slytherin."
Harry scoffed at her "advice" and attempted to pay attention to the rest of the lesson, but that was easier said than done. The longer he sat there, the more he could feel his anger bubbling up inside him, entirely directed at the woman who was once his head of house. How dare she? Who did the bitch think she was to single him out like that?
If he was tired, it was because he had work to do. Work that neither she nor her precious headmaster were willing to do, as usual. Good for nothing hag, always offering useless advice. Always ignoring what was in front of her, always belittling anything that didn't fit into her precious Light philosophy. And she had the nerve to call herself a teacher? She was never available for her students, nor did she ever lift a finger to help them when they needed her.
"Is there a problem, Potter?" the woman's voice called out, interrupting his dark thoughts. He was so wrapped up in them that he wasn't even conscious of the fact that he was glaring at her with all the hate he could muster.
"Yes, there is," Harry replied dangerously. McGonagall could swear she saw his eyes getting darker, but she ignored it as a trick of the light.
"The two of us have been having a problem for a long time. It's only become worse since Halloween, and I am tired of it."
"Pardon?" McGonagall blurted out, her eyes widening in surprise, as did those of most of the students.
"You heard me," he scoffed, rising slowly from his seat to look the woman directly in her eyes.
"When I arrived at Hogwarts, I listened to your speech about how our house was going to be our family, and for once, I had hope. Hope that I'd meet someone like me, someone who would support me and encourage me. For a short while, I actually saw you as the grandmother I never had, and what did you do?"
"In my first year, you sent me, Malfoy, the beaver, and the waste bin to do a detention with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest, which as Dumbledore reminds us every year, happens to be forbidden for a reason! We're regularly warned of the dangers, and yet you sent us there with nothing but half-giant and a dog to protect us! And we all know who I found out there, drinking the blood of a unicorn. Had it not been for the centaurs, I would be DEAD!"
Harry's magic started leaking again as his face grew red with anger.
"Next, you had another chance to demonstrate your support when we told you about how we suspected someone was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone."
McGonagall's eyes continued to widen as she stared open-mouthed at Harry.
"Instead, you ignored us and sent us on our way. You claimed the stone was safely hidden and protected, and yet three first years easily passed through the defences created by the teachers of this school. Once again, I had to be the one to deal with Quirrell and his master, since nobody else seemed to care. If it weren't for Dumbledore using the mirror, Quirrell would have already left with the stone by the time we got there."
"And let's not forget second year. It took Granger to figure out it was a basilisk using the pipes, and it had to be me to actually do something about it, AGAIN, because you teachers wouldn't use your FUCKING BRAINS FOR ONCE!"
Harry was in a towering rage now, and the other students started to shrink away from him.
"Third year, instead being the surrogate grandmother I'd hoped for and telling me the truth, you deliberately kept me in the dark about my GODFATHER! I only found out because I snuck out of Hogwarts under my Cloak and overheard a conversation between you and Fudge. Furthermore, you were my parents' head of house and should have known better. You of all people should have known how deep the bond between my father and Sirius ran. Yet instead of helping one of your own lions and demanding answers, instead of having faith in one of your comrades from damned Order of the Turkey you gallivanted around with, you turned your back on him just like everyone else and let him rot in Azkaban for twelve years!"
"And this year, the cherry on top. Instead of helping me, you allowed those brain-dead morons in your house to cast me out for being a liar and a cheat with no evidence, when I was innocent."
Harry's anger was palpable, and he was leaking so much magic in is rage that even his friends were afraid of what he might do. Daphne was usually able to help calm her boyfriend, but his sudden outburst had her frozen in place.
"So why don't you take your wondrous advice and share it with someone who gives a damn."
Harry turned around started to walk towards the exit of the classroom, but McGonagall was able to recover her composure by the time he got to the door.
"Fifty points from Slytherin for your inexcusable behaviour!" she shouted, but he ignored her.
"Sit down, Mr. Potter! I have not dismissed you from the lesson yet."
"Make me," he retorted, waving his wand and opening the door with loud bang.
"Your parents would be appalled by your behaviour," the woman reproached, and Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to face McGonagall with a murderous expression.
"My parents...ARE DEAD!"
They all flinched, half expecting him to start attacking. He didn't, however what he said next shocked them all beyond belief.
"They were murdered due to their own stupidity and their stupid loyalty to your Order and your Light. Why were they in Godric's Hollow when they had a fully warded manor? Why couldn't they have paid the goblins for protection, if the Potter vaults were so loaded? Why was the Potter Invisibility Cloak in Dumbledore's possession instead of being at the house? Why did my father, who was supposedly an oh-so-talented duellist, die in the entrance of the house like an amateur? Why did my mother, who was supposed to be an amazingly intelligent witch, not have escape plans prepared in case they were attacked?"
Daphne knew something was very wrong with him. While they had never spoken at length about his parents, she had never heard him speak badly about them. Of course, if Harry actually resented them, that could be the reason why he rarely spoke about them.
Then Daphne saw the trickles of blood running from Harry's nose and eyes, and she started to panic. Just as concerning was how he didn't even seem to notice and just continued on with his rant.
"Your generation created Voldemort, who destroyed our parents' generation, but somehow, you're still in charge and fucking things up, leaving us to pick up the pieces while we try to do something worthwhile with our lives. YOU FAILED US! Just like you failed when you allowed Dumbledore to abandon a one-year-old baby at the doorstep of magic-hating muggles on a cold November night!"
McGonagall had gone white as a sheet at Harry's accusations, though he never saw it, because at that moment his world starting fading from view.
"Harry!" Daphne shouted the moment she realised he was fainting, but luckily Vince was quick enough to catch him before he fell face first on the floor. The other Slytherins scrambled out of their seats to gather around Harry, watching as Daphne cleaned off the blood and tried unsuccessfully to wake him.
"Harry, wake up!" she cried fearfully, but he was completely unresponsive. At least he was, until he started screaming and violently convulsing.
Harry opened his eyes and blinked rapidly in confusion. It took him a few moments to realise he was laying in the hospital wing yet again, surrounded by his friends all looking at him with concern.
"Um, hi?" he tried to say, but even the act of speaking made his head throb.
"Don't speak," Daphne told him in a soft voice. Her eyes were swimming with relief, and he knew something bad must have happened.
"Are you alright, mate?" Theo asked, and Harry gave him a weak nod.
"What happened?" Harry asked, and they all looked at each other uncomfortably.
"Harry, what's the last thing you remember?" asked Daphne.
"Going to Transfiguration...asking for a kiss and only getting a peck on the cheek..." he replied with a small frown, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember. His friends chuckled nervously.
"Why? What happened?"
"Harry..." Millie started, being the first to gain enough courage to speak. "You tore McGonagall apart in Transfiguration class."
"Verbally, that is," Pansy clarified.
"You were angry, that's for sure," Tracey remarked, and Harry frowned while Daphne tried to soothe him by running her fingers through his hair. "You accused her and her generation of failing ours, then your eyes started bleeding and you fainted. Then..."
"Then?" Harry asked, not sure he even wanted to know.
"You started screaming in pain and convulsing," Theo informed him. "Greg and Vince couldn't hold you, so we had to stun you until Madam Pomfrey showed up. Hell, we had to stun you three times because your magic kept breaking through the spell."
"What?" Harry asked in shock.
"When Madam Pomfrey checked you, she said your magic was wildly unstable," Daphne replied softly. "For reasons she couldn't explain, your magic was lashing out at you from within..."
She hesitated for a moment.
"Have you been feeling sick or anything? Have you been doing anything out of the ordinary lately?"
"No, not really," he responded. "The only thing different I've been doing is that Runes project."
Daphne nodded.
"I remember having that weird buzzing headache before class. Do you think it's connected?"
"It seems possible. Madam Pomfrey fed you several potions, but none of them seemed to have an effect. After nearly an hour, you just stopped screaming on your own and your magic went back to normal."
"That doesn't make any sense," Harry mumbled.
"It certainly doesn't," Madam Pomfrey said gravely as she joined them at Harry's bedside. "That's why you are going to stay here for observation for a few days."
Not in the mood to argue, Harry nodded resignedly and laid his head back on the pillow. Madam Pomfrey was a little put off by his uncharacteristic lack of complaint, but she swiftly recovered. "Here, drink this," she instructed him, handing him a vial containing a green potion. Harry threw it back in one gulp and leaned into Daphne, who gladly accepted his closeness.
"Do you have any suspicions?" Harry asked the matron, who shook her head.
"You need to rest," she replied and gave his friends a pointed look, but they chose not to take the hint and stayed where they were.
"So, what else happened in Transfiguration?" Harry asked, suspecting they hadn't yet told him the entire story.
"Before we answer you, I need you to answer one question for me," Daphne requested, and Harry agreed.
"I want you to tell me the complete truth, will you do that for me?"
Harry nodded again, but this time he seemed somewhat wary.
"What do you honestly think of your parents?"
He didn't reply at first, so Daphne repeated the question. After a third time he finally responded.
"They're dead. They really don't matter anymore," he said, a trace of resentment in his voice. "Why?"
"You sort of admitted your feelings for them in class," Blaise replied solemnly. "You also pointed out the flaws in their plan to go into hiding and their lack of preparation in case of an attack."
"Ah..."
"Not to mention you declared yourself even darker in front of everyone," Pansy added, smirking slightly.
Harry looked at Daphne and saw the concern in her blue eyes. He reached for her unoccupied hand and squeezed it.
"So what?" he asked uncaringly.
They talked for a while longer, but eventually Madam Pomfrey forced his friends to leave. Once he was alone in the room, Harry summoned Dobby.
"Master. How do you feel?"
"Tired," he replied with a heavy sigh. "Any ideas about what happened?"
"None," the elf replied.
"Fine, just bring me the plans for the runic array. I want to check over them again."
"I just did, and they are perfect," Dobby replied, but he snapped his fingers anyway. At once, a scroll appeared in his hand, which he handed to Harry.
"Why are you so concerned?"
"I care about Scylla," Harry replied, and Dobby shook his head as his master opened the scroll and checked the rune formula and the arithmancy one last time.
"You're right, it seems perfect," Harry agreed. "Can you go ahead and carve the array onto some tiles anyway? I want it to test it first before we apply it to Scylla. It needs to be flawless."
"It might be easier to temporarily deafen her instead of trying to make her specifically immune to the crow of roosters."
"Perhaps, but then Scylla couldn't hear her enemies either," Harry pointed out. "Plus, we wouldn't be able to communicate with her. I'd rather have this work instead of taking chances. This is too important."
"Very well, I suspect it won't take me very long," Dobby replied, and Harry nodded appreciatively.
"Excellent. The day I get out of here, we'll apply the runes to Scylla and send her to Voldemort's lair."
"Would you like anything else, master?" Dobby asked.
"No, thank you. Have a good night, Dobby."
"You too, Master," he replied, popping away and leaving Harry alone in the darkness.
He fortified his Occlumency shields to full power and started reviewing his memories from Transfiguration class, finding them to be both amusing and worrisome. He seemed to have felt something right before he fainted, something like a small breeze or a sense of warmth, but he had no idea what it had been. His review of the event gave him no answers, but he did have a lot of questions.
Three days later, Harry was finally allowed to leave the hospital wing. Whatever happened to him in Transfiguration had not happened again, and Madam Pomfrey had no idea what to think about the strange occurrence. Harry left with orders to return if he felt anything unusual, which he agreed to without complaint.
It was still mid-afternoon, so knowing his friends would still be in Charms class, Harry chose to walk around for a bit. He could join the class late, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with the Gryffindors. He went outside and walked down to the lake, standing as he often did with his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of the cool breeze on his face. For a short while he was able to clear his head and not think about anything, until he felt a familiar magical presence approaching him.
"Headmaster," Harry mumbled, his eyes still closed.
"Mr. Potter," the headmaster said tentatively, but not without warmth. "I'm glad to see Madam Pomfrey has allowed you out of her domain at last."
He didn't bother responding. The older man stopped and stood at his side, gazing out across the lake.
"How do you feel?" asked Dumbledore.
"Troubled. Uneasy," Harry replied. "More than a little shocked."
"Understandable," the headmaster agreed, and for several moments neither one of them spoke. "Do you care to enlighten an old man on your side of the story?"
"You probably know more than I do," Harry replied, opening his eyes to look at the headmaster. "I woke up in the hospital wing with no memory of anything that happened during class. My friends had to fill me in. I have no idea what caused the episode, which is quite concerning. All I can say is that I definitely don't want it to happen again."
"I'm very glad to hear that, Harry, but unfortunately we do need to talk about it," Dumbledore responded. "Professor McGonagall wants to give you a month's detention for your lack of respect."
"Typical," Harry snorted, and Dumbledore frowned at him. "That woman is as biased as Professor Snape, but at least he has the guts to admit it."
"Now, now, Harry," Dumbledore replied, "Professor McGonagall is a fine professional and an excellent educator..."
"No, she is a fine Transfiguration Mistress, but she isn't very understanding when it comes to dealing with children."
Dumbledore hummed to himself, recalling how a Gryffindor first year recently said something similar.
"Is it to her that I must report for my detentions?"
"No detentions have been assigned as of yet," Dumbledore replied. "How would you like to accompany an old man on a stroll around the grounds?"
"If I must, but I don't see any old men around," Harry joked, making Dumbledore lightly chuckle. The two started walk together in silence.
"I understand your friends were quite concerned about you," Dumbledore said.
"They're good people," Harry asserted, walking with his hands clasped behind his back.
"I admit my surprise at how quickly you were accepted in Slytherin," Dumbledore replied. "I admit, I had my concerns..."
"Not everyone in Slytherin is dark or sinister, Headmaster," Harry sighed. "A child is not their parents, nor are they the sum of their parents."
"Wise words, Harry. I find it refreshing to see a child with such perceptiveness."
"I'm no child..." Harry muttered. "I haven't been a child in a long time."
Dumbledore frowned at his statement but chose not to respond. Neither of them spoke for some time.
"I think we've dawdled long enough, Headmaster," Harry eventually stated. "Please, feel free to ask your questions."
"And why would you think I had anything to ask you?" Dumbledore asked with a small chuckle.
"You came to me, instead of summoning me to your office like you usually do," Harry replied bluntly. "And I would do the same if I were in your place."
Dumbledore simply nodded, his expression turning serious.
"I asked Professor McGonagall for a memory of the event. I must admit that I was shocked by some of your words, Harry."
"Which ones?"
"For one, how did you hear about the Order of the Phoenix?"
"My parents left diaries behind," Harry replied shortly. Dumbledore peered over his glasses at him for a moment, but he seemed to accept the answer.
"Did you mean what you said?" he asked, and Harry sighed heavily.
"Which part, exactly?"
"How about the part when you mentioned that you wanted to see Professor McGonagall as a grandmother, and to find people like yourself?"
"I was...severely disappointed when I realised I couldn't count on Professor McGonagall. Of course, that was nothing new for me," Harry added, mostly to himself. Dumbledore appeared disquieted by the statement.
"I learned at a very young age that I couldn't count on anyone, and that in order to survive I needed to be smart and self-reliant. I had hope that Hogwarts would be different, but those hopes quickly vanished when I understood the kinds of people who surrounded me."
"I see..." Dumbledore replied hesitantly, making Harry snort derisively.
"No, you don't, Headmaster," he retorted, turning to look at the older man. "You have no idea what it's like."
"Would you like to explain it to me, then?"
"I learned to hate at a very young age, but I also learned how to be cunning and hide it."
Dumbledore was alarmed by the boy's words, but he'd asked for him to share so he would listen to everything he had to say.
"Then again, I also learned the value of love and family, if only by seeing others experience what I couldn't have. I watched how the other kids acted with their parents. I wanted that more than anything, but I knew it could never happen. Instead, I knew nothing but neglect and abuse for ten long years."
A pained expression appeared on Dumbledore's face as he was hammered by feelings of guilt.
"I came here, hoping for a fresh start and to finally have some friends, but because of Voldemort, everyone had already decided who I was. When the hat told me I would do well in Slytherin, I was repulsed. The blonde dunce I met on the train was bad enough, but the idea of being in the same house as the man who destroyed my family terrified me."
Harry took a deep breath, considering his next words.
"Ollivander had already told me of our similarities, including our brother wands. I didn't want to be like him."
It came out in barely a whisper, but hearing that helped to calm Dumbledore's worried heart. Harry picked a small stone from the ground and slung it across the lake, watching as it skipped along the water.
"I was afraid, and all really I wanted was to learn, grow, make some friends, and..." He exhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it doesn't really matter. Not anymore, at least. I'm finally where I belong, and I'm happy. More than I ever have been."
"I am glad you have finally found what you were searching for, Harry," Dumbledore replied, gracing Harry with a grandfatherly smile. "However, I must know. Did you truly mean what you said concerning your parents?"
Harry looked back at the headmaster with steely eyes, which was all the answer the man needed.
"Your parents loved you, Harry."
"That's not the point, Headmaster," he responded. "Their deaths were stupid and preventable. How could I not wonder how important my safety was to them, considering how underprepared they were for such a critical situation. I myself came up with several ideas that my mother could've used to escape, and only two of them involved the Cloak, which for some reason was in your possession. Care to explain that?"
Dumbledore coughed, clearly embarrassed.
"I'm afraid I share some of the blame for that, Harry. It is a remarkable artefact, and I had asked your father to study it. He never asked for it back, neither did I remember to return it to him."
Harry snorted and shook his head. Out of all the possible explanations...
"Your father was the quintessential Gryffindor, Harry. Brave to a fault, and sometimes he rushed in too easily. Lily tended to be calmer and use more critical analysis in situations, however..."
"However, they were both Gryffindors, no matter how meaningless those titles truly are, and they both died because they failed to plan accordingly," Harry finished.
"Do you resent them for dying?" Dumbledore asked.
"For dying stupidly, yes," Harry confessed. "If it were my child at risk, I would've done a lot more. It's not like I hate them or anything, I'm just...appalled by the circumstances leading up to their deaths. It was such a waste."
"All needless loss of life is a waste, Harry."
"I know," he replied.
Dumbledore studied Harry's face, and he did not see the eyes of a child there. His piercing green eyes carried the haunted look of one who had seen too much suffering. They seemed tired, almost ancient, much like his own.
"To have what we love the most taken away by others...not again. Never again."
Those words were a salve for the older man's spirit. When he viewed Minerva's memories, he had again become afraid that Harry Potter was falling into darkness. He had almost been convinced of it at the beginning of the year, and yet somehow, his association with the fourth year Slytherins had changed that. While still having some dark tendencies, he had shown his protective and caring side and somehow seemed lighter, in a manner of speaking.
Confirming that Harry was still capable of love and empathy was Albus's goal, and he was relieved by what he had found. The boy's future was still uncertain, but he would gain no information by pestering him further, and even less by pushing him away.
"Well, I must say, this was a most enlightening conversation," Dumbledore said, his smile taking Harry somewhat by surprise. "Alas, I have much work to do, and I merely wanted to enquire about your health. Fear not, I shall keep you informed of any detentions you may have to serve for what happened."
Harry rolled his eyes and chuckled in amusement.
"Enjoy the rest of your day Harry, and please try not to get caught. We are in the middle of a class period, after all."
He started to walk away, then paused and turned back to face Harry.
"Although, I do urge you not to think so harshly of your parents. They loved you very much and gave their lives to protect yours."
"My parents are dead, Headmaster, regardless of how it happened," he responded. "I appreciate their sacrifice and I accept that they died, but I don't have to like it."
He sighed and turned away, looking out towards the lake again.
"It doesn't really matter anyway. The dead don't concern me, Professor. It's those who are alive today or yet to be born who truly matter."
Had Harry looked to the headmaster, he would have seen a huge smile forming on the older man's face.
"That's a wonderful thought, Harry," Dumbledore said before finally taking his leave.
Harry thought so too, now that he had Daphne back.
"How do you feel?" Harry asked, and Scylla hissed and slithered back and forth for a bit.
"Normal, my pet," the young basilisk replied, which pleased Harry. He had spent the last five hours etching runes into Scylla's scales, and he was exhausted. Scylla herself chose to have the runes permanently engraved on her body instead of being painted on, even though it was painful. She wanted to be invincible, after all, so she jumped at the chance to forever remove her one true weakness.
"Then you should rest while the runes charge. It won't take much time. You can still go this evening, if you want," Harry said.
"I am ready, my pet. I will vanquish your enemy and protect you and your mate."
"Let's go over the plan again," Harry said, and Scylla excitedly recited it to him.
"I will go into this Riddle's nest and stay hidden. When I see the puny enemy snake called Nagini, I am to bite her and kill her. Then, I go back to the place where I first arrived and call for you on the mirror your elf will leave there for me. I will tell you the snake is dead, and you will take care of the remaining hor-hora...those soul thingies."
Harry chuckled and ran his fingers over Scylla's muzzle.
"Make sure you stay safe," Harry told her.
"Of course, I will. Who do you think I am?"
"And what about your friends?"
"They will stay in the forest and wait for my triumphant return," the basilisk replied pompously.
"Alright, in that case, just stick around for a bit. You can coil up on the bed if you want. I'm going to take a quick shower, and then I think I'll sleep for a bit."
"What about your mate, my pet?" Scylla asked, curious as to why she wasn't with him.
"She stays in her nest with the other girls," Harry replied, using snake words to help Scylla understand. He really didn't want another replay of their conversation around beds/nests and mates. Why couldn't she have gone to her friends in the forest for "the talk" anyway?
After his shower, Harry climbed into bed. Scylla had coiled herself at the foot of the bed, but she didn't look like she was preparing for sleep.
"Do you think the rune thingies are done yet?" Scylla asked as Harry settled in.
"No, you need to wait a bit longer."
"How much longer?"
"Just a bit."
"How much time is a bit?" Scylla pressed.
"One hour, maybe less," Harry replied.
"How long is that?"
"Remember two days ago, when I left with Daphne for dinner? That was two hours, more or less. So, you have to wait for about half that time."
"That's too much time!" Scylla hissed, raising her head up from her coiled body. "So boring!"
"Scylla, it's important to wait for them to be ready. You need to learn how to be patient."
"But that's too much time," Scylla complained again. "What am I supposed to do? I am not sleepy like you are, my pet. Besides, I'm too excited to go on this adventure. I know, I will sing you a song to help you sleep, and when I'm ready I will wake you."
"Oh no..." Harry thought to himself.
"There was once a big snake;
The snake was really big.
Once it got a deer, it swallowed it whole,
And burped loud for all to hear."
"Can snakes even burp?" Harry thought to himself, before closing his eyes and trying to fall asleep, if only for a short while. He wasn't sure how much he slept, but before he knew it, he was being shaken awake by an amused Dobby. He felt something heavy weighing on his chest, and he looked down to see Scylla's sleeping head laying on top of him, moving up and down as Harry breathed.
"The runes are charged, Harry," Dobby informed him. Harry nodded and roused Scylla with a soft pat on her head.
"Scylla, it's time, if you still want to go."
Scylla woke up and hissed incoherently, moving off of Harry's chest and coiling herself at the foot of the bed.
"I guess not," Harry said.
"I'll wake you at seven," Dobby chuckled before popping away again.
Harry closed his eyes again and soon drifted off sleep. That night, he dreamt of being with his wife and their daughter inside a dark cave. Daphne looked at him with wide eyes before jumping into his arms and kissing him, just as the small, overexcited girl ploughed into him and almost knocked him over. He could see their lips moving, but he heard none of their words. Even more unusual was how their bodies seemed to be flickering.
Even though he couldn't understand what they were saying, Harry felt more at peace in his dream than he had in ages. He was so focused on the feeling of his arms being wrapped around the two girls he loved the most, that he never even noticed the giant blue-eyed basilisk resting in the shadows. He would not remember the strange dream the following morning.
At seven o'clock the next morning, Dobby woke Harry, who woke up Scylla. After a few last-minute instructions, Dobby popped away with the basilisk wrapped around his waist. He returned not even ten minutes later, reporting that everything was in place.
"Then let's prepare the rest," Harry decided.
He opened up the Horcrux chest with a wave of his wand and placed next to it a small barrel of basilisk venom, which had been harvested from the former guardian of the Chamber. Once Scylla succeeded in her mission, all they needed to do was empty the barrel into the chest and the Horcruxes would all be destroyed. After that, all that was left would be to infiltrate Riddle Manor and finish the job.
It was all a bit anti-climactic, now that Harry really thought about it.
Daphne had heartily approved of the new plan, which was unsurprising since she had always been leery about the idea of waiting for the third task. Their new sets of basilisk hide armour had been finished, and they were ready to depart at any time. The problem was that it was only Thursday, and they couldn't afford to arouse suspicion by missing class. In any case, Harry planned to keep the mirror on him at all times so he wouldn't miss Scylla's call.
Both Harry and Daphne were oddly quiet at breakfast that morning. Their friends all noticed how tense they seemed, but neither of them wanted to talk about it. They seemed anxious, but at the same time focused. They still performed admirably in class, of course, even in Transfiguration.
Harry had expected McGonagall to show some animosity towards him, but her professionalism won out and she treated Harry no different than the other students. He had approached her earlier and apologised for his behaviour and for undermining her authority, but not for his words. The look on McGonagall's face suggested that she understood his message loud and clear, but she refrained from comment and responded only with a curt nod.
By the time they were midway through Ancient Runes, Harry was seriously on edge. He tried paying attention to the lesson, but his thoughts kept drifting towards Scylla. Would she be able to find Nagini? Would she be safe?
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft hand resting on top of his. He turned to Daphne and saw her looking at him with a soft smile.
"Everything will be alright," she reassured him quietly.
"I know. I'm just worried about Scylla."
"Anything you two would like to share with the rest of class, Ms. Greengrass, Mr. Potter?" asked Professor Babbling.
"Nothing at all, Professor," Harry replied promptly. She gave him a stern look but continued with the lecture, ignoring the snickers from the other students. Hermione Granger scowled at them from the front row before returning her undivided attention to their professor.
"We're nearly out of time, so for homework I want you each to write a short essay on the meaning and magical significance of three runes of your choice."
"Does it have to be three runes we've learned about in class?" Granger asked, and the professor shook her head.
"Three runes of your choice, Ms. Granger," the professor repeated. "Feel free to leave early for lunch, and have a nice weekend."
While the other students were packing their things and leaving the classroom, Harry called for Dobby. Both his and Daphne's bags vanished into thin air, and then he stood and offered his arm to her.
"Shall we go to lunch, my dear?" Harry asked in a pompous tone, trying to mask his concern.
Daphne placed her arm in his and they walked out of the classroom together, ignoring the envious looks some of the other students were giving them.
"You need to relax," Daphne said, and Harry deflated slightly.
"She's still a child, maybe I shouldn't have sent her," he whispered back.
"You're being such a father," Daphne teased, giggling at him even if she did find his protectiveness endearing.
"What can I say, I like the obnoxious little snake," he replied, and Daphne grinned at him. "It's a shame her gaze isn't fully developed yet, it would make things so much easier."
"She's doing it willingly, and I recall her being fairly excited about it," Daphne reminded him. "The only surprise is that she only went this morning, instead of last night. I would've thought she'd be more eager to leave."
"Well, after singing me a lullaby last night, Scylla ended up falling asleep on my chest. By the time the runes were charged, she decided that sleep was far more important."
Daphne laughed out loud, picturing Scylla singing a lullaby to an exasperated Harry.
"Was the song like the others?"
"You mean surprisingly catchy?" Harry asked, and Daphne gave him a look but refrained from comment.
"Not so much. The lyrics were about a big snake eating something."
"Typical," Daphne replied.
It was at that moment that Harry stiffened and stopped in his tracks, his expression shifting to a mask of focus.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
"Raise a silencing ward. Quick," he replied, reaching his hand into his pocket.
Daphne drew her wand and raised the ward, watching as Harry pulled out a small mirror. "It's too early..." he mumbled, making sure everyone passed them by before raising the mirror. Daphne understood immediately what was happening and stood so that no one could see what Harry was doing. It wasn't like she was going to understand Harry and Scylla's conversation anyway.
She waited patiently as they hissed back and forth to each other, Harry seemingly becoming more concerned the longer the conversation went on. Daphne knew something was wrong by the way his eyes shot wide open before he hissed at Scylla one last time and pocketed the mirror.
"What's wrong?" she asked anxiously.
"Riddle Manor is empty," Harry replied, almost seething. "There's no one there, and from the looks of it, there hasn't been for several months."
Daphne gaped at that.
"But... I thought Voldemort stayed there..."
"So did I," he replied, massaging his temples.
"What now?" Daphne asked, folding her arms and attempting to quash her anxiety. "What do we do?"
"Put a challenge in the paper to draw him out," Harry said in frustration, only half kidding.
"Harry..."
"Sorry, but I have no idea. I have no idea what's happening."
"Would Crouch know?" she asked, and Harry's annoyance almost immediately vanished.
"Brilliant!" he said with a huge smile, picking her up and twirling her around. "Of course!"
"Harry, put me down!" she ordered, more out of surprise than anything.
"Come on, let's find the bastard."
"Are you going to simply go up to him and ask?" Daphne asked, slightly alarmed.
"He's under my spell. I said I took care of him, didn't I?" Harry countered.
Daphne conceded the point, and the two walked to the DADA room and found Moody, aka Barty Crouch Jr. under Polyjuice, alone in the room and sitting at his desk grading papers.
"Potter, Greengrass. What do you want?" the man asked bluntly.
"Are we alone, Professor?" Harry asked. "Or can anyone see or hear us?"
"What kind of question is that, Potter?" the man responded gruffly, raising his eyes from his work and glaring at the boy.
"It's a simple question, Crouch," Harry barked, and the man behind the desk stiffened.
"What did you call me?" the man asked, his arm slowly moving towards his wand under the desk.
"I said..." Harry started, only for his eyes to widen in understanding.
He quickly threw himself sideways just in time to dodge Crouch's Stunner, pulling out his wand as he hit the ground. Daphne shook off her own surprise fired off a Stunner of her own, but Crouch deflected it with a hastily raised shield. He may have been no slouch with a wand, but he was in a confined space that limited his options. Crouch sent a spell at Daphne, but he immediately realised his mistake when her locket glowed green and Kael burst forth.
He was just beginning to retreat from the giant snake when Harry hit him with his Veritas Imperio. Harry hissed at Kael to stand down and then rounded on Crouch.
"How did you break free?" he practically roared.
"I don't understand your question, Master."
"I had you under my power. How did you break free?" Harry demanded again. Daphne stepped up to stand at his side, still a little shaken from the short, but intense duel.
"The Dark Lord cast several spells on me. One of them might have done it," he replied in a flat tone, his eyes glazed over in a vacant expression.
"Where is Voldemort?" Daphne demanded, but Crouch didn't answer.
"Answer her, scum," Harry ordered.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Don't you report to him?" Daphne asked again.
"I send my reports to the Dark Lord by owl, and he does the same when he has orders for me," Crouch replied.
Daphne sighed as Harry growled in frustration.
"Has the plan to capture me during the third task changed?" Harry questioned, but the man shook his head.
"Not that I know of, Master."
"Tell me if it does," Harry commanded, and the man nodded.
Harry turned to Daphne and pointed at Kael. Understanding his meaning, Daphne dismissed the giant snake while Harry Obliviated the Death Eater so he wouldn't remember what just happened.
"See you in class, Professor," Daphne said, almost dragging Harry from the room. Completely unaware of what just happened, the man grumbled and went back to grading his essays, taking a sip from his hip flask.
"What the hell is going on?" a concerned Daphne asked Harry after getting away from the classroom.
"I have no idea, but I don't like it," Harry replied.
Daphne didn't either, and they both felt a sense of foreboding about the day of the third task.