The next day, Harry and Daphne were walking hand in hand in Hogsmeade, enjoying the crisp October morning in Scotland. They were idly talking as they made their way around the streets. It was surprisingly not crowded and Harry wondered why that was.
"No one can stop talking about your classes," Daphne smiled proudly. "I already knew that you were an excellent teacher, Harry, but the way you handled that Potions class was amazing!"
Harry smiled slightly but didn't say anything. "Now, where are we all supposed to meet?" he asked her.
"Near the large Beech tree facing the valley, away from Hogsmeade and prying eyes. A few dozen people are to meet us there."
Harry hummed. When they neared the Beech tree, Harry's eyes widened. He rounded on Daphne and demanded, "You call this a few dozen people? There are probably two hundred students here; one-quarter of the school!"
Daphne wasn't fazed by his anger. "And that is a problem because?" she asked calmly. Better to nip things in a bud before we start fighting again. "Look, you're going to teach them anyway, so what's the difference in having a hundred students instead of ten? Wouldn't having more students help in the long run as your father said?"
"And what if their friends want to join too?" hissed Harry. "Pretty soon, the entire school would want me to teach them. I don't know if you know this Daphne, but I'm not paid to teach. I do so in classes because it is part of my apprenticeship. This is –"
"If you don't want to teach them, just say so," said Daphne coolly. "Don't pick a fight in public. I'm already done arguing with you after last night and I'm not in the mood for yet another argument. You want more Aurors and this is the best possible method of getting them. For your information, many of them here are sixth and seventh-year students. They could easily join the Auror Corps right after graduation, especially with the new incentives being offered by the D.M.L.E. Don't think I'm ignorant of your long-term plans, Harry. I know that you consider the Muggles a threat and I also know that you believe we need more Aurors for protection in case of danger, and even with you teaching them all, it won't happen overnight; it'll take three to five years but the numbers will eventually rise. I'm giving you the perfect opportunity to gain their loyalty which would reap benefits in the future. Take it or leave it, I don't particularly care."
Daphne turned and walked towards the large group with Harry slowly walking behind her. While she knew that she had her faults, Harry was no different. Sometimes she felt like pulling her hair out in frustration at the way he behaved and how closed off he was with his emotions. She knew that Harry wouldn't be who he is if he weren't so emotionally detached most of the time, but that didn't mean she should like it all the time. He was also a very proud boy and it was difficult to get him to back down, even for the simplest of matters. She understood that he was under tremendous pressure lately and she did her utmost best to help and support him, but that was not to say she would be fine with constantly being his punching bag. There were days when she was stressed and irritable too.
Who knew living with another person was so difficult?
Both Harry and Daphne were true alpha personalities and as they grew up, they were scraping shields more than usual. That was not to say that they didn't love each other unconditionally, but with both of them being dominant and assertive, it was difficult to end an argument when both of them weren't willing to back down.
According to her mother, both of them were acting like teenagers. Daphne didn't understand that at all! That was what her mother said to everything. Didn't older couples fight too? Oh yes, according to her mother, they did fight, but they also tended to compromise.
That word did not exist in either Harry or Daphne's vocabulary.
"Are you okay?" asked Dylan worriedly.
"Fine," said Harry quietly as he began casting privacy and notice-me-not charms around the entire group; no need for others to overhear.
"Hello everyone," said Daphne loudly. "Thank you all for coming here. We have gathered here because a few of us were discussing the curriculum of Defence Against the Dark Arts and how it is being taught, or more specifically, how it is not being taught by Professor Snape."
"Here, here," said Anthony Goldstein. "He's worse than how he was in Potions."
"Yeah, he doesn't show the wand movements, doesn't explain the theory, doesn't demonstrate for us, and expects perfect results on the first try!" said a seventh year Gryffindor heatedly, several others nodding grimly.
"His teaching method is just different, that's all," said a third year Slytherin defensively. "He is a teacher and Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him unless he knew that Professor Snape could teach."
Many growled at the girl when Daphne interrupted. "Not learning how to defend ourselves given the current climate is exactly what will lead us to our doom," she explained. "We are currently in a state of war and unless we can fight back, there is no hope for us."
"What do you think we should do?" said Zacharias Smith snidely. "Raise an army?"
"If you were at home during the holidays and your house was attacked, what are you going to do, Smith? Sit on the couch and brag to the Death Eaters about how well you did in Quidditch?" asked Harry pointedly, making the boy flush. "The purpose of this meeting is so that you can learn how to defend yourselves in case of an attack. When Death Eaters choose to attack, they don't do so one by one. A dozen will attack at the same time and take you out. Tell me, can you all defend yourselves against a dozen Killing Curses coming at you at the same time?"
There was absolute silence as nobody was willing to answer. "Or how about the thousands of Dementors that are plaguing the country right now?" asked Harry casually. "Do I need to remind you of the attack that took place two years ago?"
"What about the Aurors?" asked a fourth-year girl. "Surely they would protect us, right?"
"And how long do you think it would take for the Death Eaters to kill you if you are standing right in front of them? It would all be over in a matter of seconds, long before the Ministry could even detect it. The Aurors cannot help you all the time and thanks to Bagnold and Fudge ruining the Auror corps over the years, they are limited in number. Unless you all learn to defend yourselves, you'll end up like the couple of thousand witches and wizards who died in the last war. This is not a game."
"What we are offering you is a chance to learn and train," Daphne took over. "Harry is willing to teach you if you are willing to learn. You all also want to pass your exams, right? With how Snape is currently teaching, it's not going to happen."
When there was a general murmur of agreement, Daphne continued, "Alright then, the next item of business is how often we do it. I was thinking two or three times a week because there is no point in meeting less frequently than that –"
"Hang on," Angelina piped in, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."
"No," Cho agreed, who had become the new Ravenclaw Seeker after Harry had left, "nor with ours."
"Nor ours," added Zacharias Smith and there was a murmur of agreement amongst the Slytherins too.
"Do you think Quidditch is more important as of this date than your lives?" asked Dylan irritably before Harry could answer. "The lives of your parents, the lives of your siblings?"
"That's rich coming from the son of a Death Eater," Marietta Edgecombe sneered. "Like you have anything to worry about, Lestrange. When are you going to be joining daddy dearest to murder innocent people?"
Everyone sucked in a breath as she said it, looking at Harry expectantly. There was no doubt in everyone's mind that this was going to end badly. Even Zacharias Smith, in all his arrogance, was not stupid enough to say something like this. No one messed with Dylan Lestrange and got away with it.
"Get out," said Daphne darkly. There was a strange white tint to her blue eyes. She looked furious.
"Excuse me?" said Marietta sharply.
"She told you to get out," said Harry in a cold voice, his own eyes glowing a shade of blackish-green. "We don't want you here. I have tolerated enough from you when I was a student myself. You picked on me but I didn't have a problem with that as you were not worth my time. You said that fame had gone to my head when I got into the accelerated program, spreading rumours about me in the process, and I ignored you. I found you bullying Luna Lovegood, stealing her clothes and books, and I had to step in to put a stop to it. I don't even want to think about how much Luna would have suffered if I hadn't found out a few months into her first year. You kept insulting and harassing my brother constantly and I warned you to back off and I have finally reached the end of my tether. Daphne and I aren't obligated to put up with your shit anymore. You better walk out of here right now, Edgecombe or you'll face our wrath."
"Harry, Daphne, it's fine," said Dylan quietly. "If I wanted to murder people, Edgecombe, I would have done it already. The fact that you are still alive proves that I didn't go down the same route as my father. Now, can we carry on with the meeting?"
Marietta paled slightly, but when she saw the heated glares being sent her way, she huffed and walked back towards the village, trembling slightly. Harry Potter was terrifying when he was angry and she made a mental note to stay the hell away from him for the next few weeks. Maybe it was a good idea to stay away from Greengrass too. She had not forgotten what had happened the last time Daphne Greengrass had gotten angry during the Triwizard Tournament; the scars still remained.
"You also have to realise that these group sessions will be kept a secret," Daphne added. "You can't tell anyone because Voldemort doesn't want the younger generation trained and if the staff were to know what we're doing, word would soon reach the ears of the Death Eaters"
"You mean we don't have permission from the teachers?" asked Hermione, aghast. "What we're doing is illegal?"
"There no rule in the Hogwarts Charter that states that a club shouldn't be formed by the students, but all student organisations have traditionally been approved by the staff in the past. However, you are forgetting my unique position. I do wield power at Hogwarts; the only reason my father has stayed away is due to the war. As Smith so eloquently put in a few years ago, the Smith and Potter families ensure that we are well aware of the Hogwarts Charter and By-Laws from a young age. I'm sure he can confirm what I've just told you, not to mention you can borrow a copy of the Charter from the library. In response to your question, no, we're not doing anything illegal, but secrecy is necessary considering that we are at war."
"All those who are interested, please write your names in this book," said Daphne, after a pause. "We'll let you know when the next meeting will be and where."
People were quite nervous about writing their names but after several of them did so without complaint, they grumbled and complied. While the others may not have noticed it, Dylan and Astoria did seem troubled by the frosty atmosphere between Harry and Daphne; the older couple seemed to be fighting constantly over the last few weeks. Giving them one last worried look, the younger couple walked away, hand in hand, wanting to explore more of the village.
Daphne quietly packed everything and carefully tucked the book with the names into a deep, secure pocket in her robes. Just as she was about to leave, she felt someone grab her wrist. She didn't pull away.
Harry slowly walked towards her, squeezing her hand as he did so. "I'm sorry, Daphne," he said softly. "I know that you were only doing what was best, trying to help me achieve my goals. I didn't even think about the time and effort you must have spent to get so many people here. I really do appreciate it, and I'm sorry for getting short with you. I'm just frustrated with everything that's going on and –"
"I know," said Daphne quickly as she turned around to face him as her features softened. "I also understand that you needed to vent, and I don't mind that. But Harry, you can't dump your frustrations out on me day after day."
"I know," muttered Harry as he pulled her close, nuzzling her face against his. "I'm really sorry. I don't appreciate and cherish you as much as I should. I promise you that I will from today."
Daphne frowned. She never expected him to treat her like that. She didn't mind him showing his frustration out on her; just not every day. She was his fiancée. Who else could he do that with?
"Harry, I don't – no, listen to me!" she said sharply when she saw that Harry was about to interrupt her. Intertwining her fingers with his, squeezing his hand slightly, she continued in a soft tone. "I understand that you're frustrated with everything that's going on. Working on so many Master's degrees is very hard work and I don't mind you taking your anger out on me. I'm your fiancée, Harry, and that is not just a title. I'm your life partner and it is my duty to take care of you. I have never expected you to treat me like a queen. Your love for me is more than enough and I would gladly make sacrifices to keep you happy, just as you have always done for me. But you have to understand that there are days when I'm tired and frustrated too and your irritation combined with mine becomes a trigger for us to fight. I've come to realise that living together is really not as easy as I once thought."
"Are you going to move out of my quarters?" asked Harry, sounding worried, but very touched by her words as well.
"Of course not!"
"Good! But Daph, I promise you that in the future I won't –"
He was cut off when Daphne wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a loving kiss. Harry smiled into the kiss and gently stroked her wavy dark blonde hair with his fingers as he tightened his grip around her slim waist. A minute later, they parted, breathing heavily, their foreheads touching each other. The green and blue orbs locked gazes as love and pure adoration mirrored each other. Yes, both Harry and Daphne were not perfect and each had plenty of faults, but they were perfect for each other. As an ideal couple, they tended to balance each other's strengths and weaknesses and were only complete as a whole. Their relationship had its ups and downs, but they were confident that their undying love would never fade, their inner fire for each other only growing stronger with time.
In the end, that was all that mattered.
Harry dipped his head as he kissed her neck, pushing her against the large Beech tree, making her squeak in surprise.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
Harry's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Well," he said slowly. "I found one of your romance novels tucked away under the bed."
Daphne's face burned in embarrassment. "You found that?" she asked, horrified.
"Yup," he smirked at her. "Nice glamour charm, but it wasn't strong enough to fool me. I didn't know that you liked porn!"
"It's not porn!" she hissed at him. "What you and Dylan have in the bathroom is porn, not the books I read!"
"How did you find those?" asked Harry, looking surprised. "I thought we'd hidden them well!"
"Last week, I caught Dylan masturbating in our common room, staring at those women who were featured in your blasted Playwitch magazines. In exchange for not telling either Blaise or Theo about the incident so that they wouldn't tease him about it, Dylan told me all about your secret stash."
"Well, at least we have no secrets from each other," Harry grinned at her. "I did find one particular scene interesting in that book of porn, though."
"It's not porn!"
"Whatever you say," he said, enjoying the indignant look on her face. "Anyway, there is this particular scene where the female protagonist and her boyfriend make love outside, right after they had reconciled after a fight. Daphne, who knew notice-me-not charms were so useful?"
"That's fiction!" A soft moan escaped her lips when Harry's fingers explored her bare stomach, his hand already under her shirt.
When did that happen?
"Please, Daphne? I promise not to tell anyone about your porn collection."
"Harry, are you pouting?"
"No!"
Daphne smirked slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well," she said softly, their faces impossibly close. "If you pout for me again, I promise to make love to you right here, right now, just like in the romance novel. And for the last time, it's not porn!"
Harry's eyes lit up in surprised happiness. No one other than Daphne had seen this side of him, ever. He flashed a lopsided grin at her, full of happiness and mirth, an expression that was reserved for her eyes only.
"Really?" he asked excitedly. He pouted as requested and joked, "You're not taking advantage of poor, innocent little Harry, are you?"
"Oh, Harry," cooed Daphne, cupping his cheek. "You lost your innocence a few months ago – and I was the one to take it from you!"
Harry smiled as he captured her lips, his fingers slowly sliding down her face to her neck, down her collarbone and finally to the locket that was hanging from around her neck; the same locket bearing the Potter crest he had gifted her on her twelfth birthday. With a squeeze, he activated a strong notice-me-not charm.
Daphne grinned as she flicked her wand, vanishing their trousers, leaving them both nude from the waist down. With another wave, she cast warming charms on them.
"Weren't we supposed to meet our friends for lunch?" panted Harry sometime later, his face buried in the crook of her neck, his hips moving in a steady rhythm against hers, pumping his cock in and out of her vagina.
"Dylan and Astoria will cover for us," Daphne moaned as she arched her back in pleasure. They didn't speak a word as they were soon lost in ecstasy.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"Gummy Bears," said Harry as he neared the gargoyle which guarded the headmaster's office. The gargoyle stepped aside and Harry walked up the spiral staircase and knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Harry entered the office, face impassive as usual as he walked forward. "Hello, sir," he said politely. "You called for me?"
"Yes, Harry, take a seat," said Dumbledore, looking tired and worn-out. "First, I must say that I am very impressed with your teaching skills. You truly have a gift, my boy. If you ever were to choose this field, the doors of Hogwarts are always open to you."
"That's kind of you, sir, but while I do enjoy teaching, it's not something I would want to do all the time. I have bigger plans for the future and teaching isn't on my list."
"And what might those plans be?" asked Dumbledore kindly.
"You'll find out eventually," said Harry casually. But considering the fact that you are going to die soon, I don't see that happening.
"Hmm," said Dumbledore, stroking his beard. "Anyway, the reason I have called you here, Harry, is because I think it is time we have a few lessons of our own."
Harry sat straighter. "Alchemy?" he asked, his eyes glinting with interest and hope.
Dumbledore chuckled. "I can see why the Sorting Hat placed you in Ravenclaw, Harry," he replied good-naturedly. "No, I'm afraid not. No, what we'll be discussing is something far more important. I'm sure you'll find the information that I'm about to divulge intriguing."
Harry simply raised an eyebrow at that. What was the old coot up to this time?
A few minutes later, Harry understood what was going on. He could immediately recognise the Gaunt shack and Morfin Gaunt from Voldemort's memories and from his own – he had been to the place before, after all. He knew that Tom had murdered his uncle when he was sixteen and the very same day, had murdered his father and grandparents. He watched the confrontation dispassionately, wondering how such an old and powerful family had been reduced to blatant poverty and lack of brains.
"Salazar would have been horrified that his descendants, even if it was from his blood-adopted son, were living like that," said Harry as they came out of the Pensieve. "Snakes are considered sacred by the Slytherin family and to think Morfin was willing to kill them so mercilessly proves why they were not worthy of the Slytherin family title and fortune in the first place."
"I assume you have recognised them?" asked Dumbledore lightly.
"Of course, the Gaunts were well-known for their level of insanity amongst the nobility as well as the common folk. They were the laughing stock of Magical Britain for a long time. I assume Merope Gaunt was Voldemort's mother while the Muggle was his father. Marvolo, his grandfather and Morfin his uncle, am I correct?"
"Sharp as always, Harry, yes," said Dumbledore, nodding in approval. Harry mentally rolled his eyes as Dumbledore spouted drivel about love potions and running away and he wondered just what the point of it all was. Surely the old man could just come to the point, right? But Dumbledore never worked that way and Harry never expected him to reveal any secrets this soon. Harry himself never did, so why should he expect the same from Dumbledore?
Either way, his parents would most definitely be interested in knowing what the old man was up to.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"Is this where we're going to meet?" whispered Zacharias Smith, sounding annoyed. "In an abandoned classroom? It is hardly big enough to fit two hundred people, let alone practice magic."
"Relax," said Ernie. "I doubt Potter is that stupid. He's probably found a place. It's only been three days since we decided to form a Defence club. I'm actually surprised that he called us this soon."
Dylan was acting as though he wasn't paying attention, but that was an interesting quirk of his which he used to spy on people. Using the notice-me-not charm on his locket to great effect, he wandered around the large, abandoned classroom, listening to everyone talk. After twenty minutes, he realised that it was okay to proceed. There was no one here that would prove to be potentially dangerous. Giving the signal to his brother, he waited as he sat next to Astoria.
"Welcome, everyone, to our first Defence class," said Harry confidently. He was dressed in form-fitting clothes, his hair tied in a short ponytail. "Everyone follow me."
People were wondering where they were headed as they walked towards a dark corridor away from the classroom. They were on the fourth floor and the people in the front saw Harry tap a blank stretch of wall and hiss in Parseltongue. The Slytherin ring glowed for a moment and the wall opened with a hiss, showing them a wide passage to slip into.
"Keep up and follow me," said Harry. The first group followed him, with Daphne leading the ones in the middle and Dylan bringing up the rear. The students were lead through another passageway, down several flights of stairs, until another wall opened again and they stepped into an enormous chamber. The green light and snake statues made it easy to recognise.
"Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets," announced Harry. He waited for everyone to come through as he sealed the passageway again. Just as he turned, he heard someone scream in alarm.
"What?"
"T-That skeleton!" shrieked Hannah Abbott in fright. "That's the Basilisk, isn't it?"
"That must be like seventy feet long!" exclaimed Lavender Brown, backing away.
"Oh come on, it's just a skeleton," Harry exhaled as he led them to the middle of the chamber. "The real one was a lot scarier. Anyway, this is the best place for us to hold our classes. No one other than me can give you access so we don't have to worry about teachers finding us to hand out detention. Now, I – yes, Granger?"
Hermione had raised a hand like how she did in class. "I think we should elect a leader," she said briskly.
"Harry's the leader," said Colin Creevey quickly.
"This isn't a hierarchy," explained Daphne in a calm voice. "This is not an organisation either. We are trying to learn how to defend ourselves and we have a teacher. That's it. Everything else is superfluous."
"I still think we should have a name," said Hermione, sounding slightly annoyed that her idea was shot down. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity."
Harry mentally sighed, praying to Mother Magic for patience. Was it really worth it? They hadn't even started and they were already getting on his nerves. "Fine, what name do you want for the group?"
There was a discussion for about two minutes until Cedric Diggory asked, "How about the 'Defence Association'?"
"That's a good idea," replied Cho, agreeing with her boyfriend. "We can call it D.A. for short. It would be easier to communicate."
"Or maybe we can call it Dumbledore's Army," Hermione said. "After all, everyone knows that Dumbledore is the only one You-Know-Who ever feared."
"Absolutely not," said Harry firmly. "This is not an army and I don't want people to think this is one and I'm most certainly not going to be involved in a group that has Dumbledore's name in it. He and I don't see eye to eye and I don't want his name representing a group that I'm going to teach. The Defence Association is a good idea. Is everyone fine with that so we may move on?"
When they all nodded, he clapped his hands once. "Great," he said. "Now, let's begin. I want all of you to pair up and give yourselves room. This place is massive so don't worry about any space requirements. Quickly, now!"
There was shuffling seen as everyone moved to find a partner and stood in front of Harry. Even though he said that it was not an army, it certainly looked like one from his perspective.
"Now, the first thing we're going to be learning is how to dodge spells."
"That's it?" said Zacharias Smith loudly. "You're not going to teach us magic? If I had known then I wouldn't have come."
"Really?" said Dylan, throwing the obnoxious Hufflepuff a dark look. "You think dodging spells is irrelevant?"
"Well, I don't see how it can help," said Smith with an arrogant shrug.
"Alright, Smith," said Harry, looking at the boy critically. "Say I fire a spell at you, right now, which is red in colour. What are you going to do to defend yourself?"
"Shield, of course," said Smith, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Very good," said Harry sarcastically. "That would work against a low powered stunner. What if I'm using the Cruciatus Curse on you? Or a Blood-Boiling Curse? Can you tell the difference in the different shades of red in a moment's notice?"
"But the Cruciatus Curse is illegal!"
"Just because the spell is illegal doesn't mean people won't use it! The elementary mistake everyone makes is that you all shield and not dodge. A witch or wizard who is stronger than you could easily shatter your shield with a powerful spell. There are a variety of curses that would make your shield useless. The Unforgivable Curses would also pass through the shield as though it weren't there. Let me demonstrate."
Motioning them to join him, Harry said, "Fred, George and Dylan are going to fire spells at me at the same time, and I'm going to defend myself without magic. Boys, give me the best you've got and don't go easy on me."
"Step back," said Daphne as the boys got into position. "Begin!"
Everyone watched as Fred, George and Dylan began firing spells at Harry from different directions. Harry, on the other hand, was dancing around them all without a wand in hand as he avoided getting hit. Using a somersault, he avoided a blasting curse courtesy of Dylan as he moved to the other side and kicked Fred, disarming him. He managed to dodge the rest of the spells until George was out too. Many were surprised at how talented Dylan Lestrange truly was as his spells got more powerful and deadlier.
"Level Three," shouted Harry. "Lethal spells."
"Aye," shouted Dylan.
"Diffindo!"
"Bombarda!"
"Reducto!"
Everyone gasped as cutting curses and exploding curses rocked the chamber, but Harry dodged them, slowly moving closer to Dylan. A bone shattering curse too was dodged until Harry punched Dylan in the face and with a swift kick, disarmed the boy and made him fall on his butt.
"This is the power of dodging spells," said Harry, breathing hard. Holding out his hand, he pulled his brother up, muttering spells under his breath as he healed the other boy's injuries. "None of you has the skill to take on members of the inner circle Death Eaters. If you come across any of them, none of you stands a chance. It is better to dodge their spells because trust me, you do not want to get on the bad side of Bellatrix or Rodolphus Lestrange. They like to play with their food before they eat it. Does anyone else have any problems with learning how to dodge spells?"
When no one protested, Harry smirked slightly. "Good, then let's get started."
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Harry dragged himself to his suite as he crashed on one of the couches in the common room. The painting of the eagle opened again and his two unofficial roommates entered as well.
"I think that was a pretty good first lesson, Harry," said Daphne tiredly as she lay down next to him, leaning her head on his chest as she stretched her legs.
"Understatement of the century," muttered Dylan. "That was probably the best Defence class I've ever had."
"You already know how to dodge," pointed out Harry.
"That doesn't mean I can't improve! My record is fifteen minutes against an enchanted dummy. I can't last a minute when you're firing spells at me. It's a good thing you started on this instead of actually teaching us defensive spells. By the way, I know this is supposed to be a secret, but what is stopping them from revealing it to someone else?"
"When I said that they can't, I meant it," said Daphne, smiling wickedly. "I charmed the book in which they all wrote their names. It ensures that they can't speak about what we're doing with anyone whose name is not written in the book. If they do try, it's all gibberish. With two hundred people, we're bound to have someone who'll turn traitor, though I'm hoping that won't be the case."
"Beauty and brains," muttered Harry as he stroked her hair.
"I'm so exhausted that I can't even bring myself to walk to my room," Dylan yawned and stretched on the couch. "Wake me up tomorrow, will you? Good night."
"I agree," said Daphne sleepily as her eyes drifted shut.
Harry sighed. Sleeping on the couch couldn't possibly be comfortable, could it? Oh well ... if you can't beat them, join them!
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Draco Malfoy was nervous as he walked into the throne room of the Dark Lord's manor. The place was actually quite elegant once it was cleaned up and was said to have the best wards and protective enchantments available, with the Dark Lord himself putting up a Fidelius Charm. It was the 31st of October, and the Dark Lord no doubt wanted to know about his progress with the Vanishing Cabinet. He idly looked around, wondering where his father was, as he was lead into the throne room by his aunt.
"My Lord," said Draco, sinking to his knees in respect. He did not notice his Aunt Bella slip out of the room nor his father who was tied up in the corner, disillusioned.
"Draco," breathed Voldemort, his red eyes boring into the fifteen-year-old boy. "Rise, my young friend and tell me how goes the progress with the mission I assigned to you more than two months ago."
Lucius winced and held back a sob as he realised what was going to happen. His son was going to pay for his failures but coupled with Draco's inability in repairing the cabinet and not getting Dumbledore killed, it was going to be horrible to watch. Mentally, he braced himself. There was a reason he was tied up, after all. Draco was going to be tortured and he was being made to watch.
"Ah, Severus, come in," said Voldemort silkily and Draco's head turned sharply when he saw his Defence teacher walk in. "We were just discussing Draco's progress; or lack thereof."
Draco swallowed. "My Lord, I am making progress. I have figured out the materials I need to fix the cabinet and also the rune cluster I need to carve on it. However, it is difficult to bring them into the castle."
"You promised me that Dumbledore would be dead by the end of October, Draco," said Voldemort dangerously.
"Y-Yes, my Lord," he stammered. "I'm working on it and I promise you that –"
"I don't have much use for incompetent servants."
Draco barely had time to register what was going on when he was screaming in pain. It was more pain than he had ever imagined! His body was on fire, he was being killed, his nerves were going to be ripped apart! No, he couldn't take it anymore!
"Did that hurt, dear Draco?" cooed Voldemort, smirking at him. "Tsk, tsk, look at that, Severus. Our little baby dragon has wet himself! He couldn't even stand a few seconds under the Cruciatus Curse. Do you think you have what to takes to be a Death Eater?"
Draco couldn't answer as he was twitching and moaning. Tears were flowing down his pale face as he was tortured over and over again.
"I am losing patience, Draco," Voldemort sneered, pinning the boy down with his foot. "When I said I want Dumbledore dead as quickly as possible, I meant it. You better get it done soon, boy, or you will suffer the consequences. Those consequences are definitely something you would want to avoid – if you fail, Draco, I will torture and kill you, your mother and your father. Let that thought be an incentive for you to work harder and get the mission done. Macnair, take our young guest and dump him outside Hogsmeade."
"Yes, Master," muttered Macnair as he exited the room, dragging the twitching boy.
"That was a warning to you as well, Lucius," said Voldemort as he cancelled the spells binding Malfoy Sr. "Another mistake on your part and you will pay."
"Yes, my Lord," said Lucius quietly.
"Good," said Voldemort. "I need information from you both. Severus, you told me that Harry Potter and Dylan Lestrange live together in one of the Potter properties half the time and the rest with Sirius and Amelia Black, correct?"
"Yes, my Lord," said Snape, his face blank. "They usually stay together at Potter Castle, but as of late, they spend more time at Black Manor. Dumbledore believes it is due to Potter now acknowledging Sirius and Amelia Black as his parents. I have observed Potter's movements over the years, and I believe that he always spends the first day of the holidays at his family castle, regardless of the circumstances. I have unfortunately not been able to track his movements after he enters the castle during the holidays as the wards and various protective enchantments are usually raised to their maximum setting immediately upon his arrival."
"Ah, yes, I have heard about the impressive wards around this Potter Castle," said Voldemort as he ran his fingers over Nagini's head. "I believe Dumbledore sent you to look around the place to get more information?"
"Yes, my Lord," said Snape after a moment's hesitation. Truthfully, he had not been able to find out anything of value which he and Dumbledore hadn't already known or suspected.
"Lucius, Harry invited you to Potter Castle for a ball a year ago, is that right?"
"Yes, my Lord," said Lucius quickly. "I had a lot of time to search the place for any weaknesses when Potter wasn't looking."
Voldemort leaned forward, a smirk forming on his lipless mouth. "Tell me everything you know of the layout and wards of the castle and also any other information you have about it; historical records of fights, the Potter Massacre, anything."
Lucius swallowed. He was going to be tortured again. There was a reason the Potter family was shrouded in mystery – they were notoriously secretive. He only hoped that whatever information he had would be sufficient.
Voldemort's red eyes glowed with triumph as he heard the report.