Harry Potter The Vampire Lord

Chapter 18

Daphne woke up sluggishly; she looked at the clock on the bedside table, and was amazed to see that it was 9 o'clock in the morning. She had apparently slept throughout the whole day, and the sudden need to visit the toilet was a testament to that. After taking care of the most pressing concerns, she fixed herself up a bit, and went downstairs in search of food.

She entered the hall and looking into the kitchen, she saw that Hermione's mom was in the kitchen cooking something up. She was truly grateful to Hermione's parents for all the help that they had provided. But she knew that she couldn't stay here. Now that she had banished herself from the family, her parents wouldn't hesitate to take drastic measures to ensure that the blemish that she represented on the Greengrass family, would be dealt with properly. Her continued stay here would put the Grangers in danger and she couldn't have that on her conscience. She had argued with Hermione, stating that she needed to leave but hadn't stated her reasons for it. She knew that if she told Hermione, she wouldn't leave her out of her sight even for a bit. She was truly glad for her friendship, but Hermione needed to understand that she was doing this for her own good.

Harry Potter's presence had complicated matters as well. If she stayed here, and if someone was to come and . . . harm her, they would undoubtedly notice Potter's presence, and then every person who held a grudge, everyone who wanted to meet him, would begin swarming the place. His location had always been kept a secret, much to the public's displeasure, but she understood the need for it. Half the girls in Wizarding Britain had a crush on him, and Daphne would sooner die that admit to being one of them at one point. Seeing Harry at Hogwarts and hearing to Hermione talk about him, had been effective in making her see that the Harry Potter that was portrayed in the books, and other Teenage Magazines, was nothing like the real person. Daphne was definitely glad that she had grown out of that phase. He was just an ordinary wizard, albeit not that ordinary, like the rest of them.

"Good morning Daphne. Breakfast?" Emma asked smiling pleasantly in her direction.

Daphne managed a weak smile, and nodded her head. As Emma put together her plate, Daphne pondered over another thing that was bothering her. Hermione's and especially, Harry's, physical changes. She had asked Hermione about that the first night that they had arrived here, and Hermione had looked flustered for a short while and responded with, " You are my friend Daphne, and I won't attempt to make lame excuses, but I am not comfortable answering that question. Don't try and ask Harry about it either." She had been quite firm as well. She had told her what she had told her parents, and asked her to tell them the same if they were to ask her about it. Daphne was curious, but relented.

"Daphne, a letter arrived for you this morning." Emma said, as she placed the letter on the table in front of her.

"Thank you." Daphne managed through the feeling of nervousness that had settled in her stomach. She immediately noticed the green ink that the Headmaster preferred. Suddenly, she wasn't so hungry anymore, her mind thinking through the worst outcomes if her plea to the Headmaster for a scholarship was rejected.

Her hands were shaking imperceptibly, as she opened the envelope.

Miss Daphne,

First of all, I would like to express my condolences for the events that have transpired. If you would like any help, or just like to talk with me, my office doors are always open for you.

I am happy to inform you that your application for the Scholarship has been approved by me, and the Hogwarts Board of Governors by extension. Let me be the first one to congratulate you on this. As you might have guessed, there were some objections by some of the members, but you were highly recommended by the rest of the staff, and me as well. You are a bright student, and it would be a shame to allow circumstances to hinder your education.