The second term at Hogwarts took off on a sombre and panicking note after the winter holidays. There had been no more attacks but everyone had heard and read about the attack on Potter Castle and the attempted kidnapping of Harry Potter and Dylan Lestrange.
"We won't be working in pairs today," said Harry, addressing the group which had dubbed themselves the Defence Association. "The spells I will be teaching you today will be dangerous and deadly, but they are something which you must know so that you can counter them. I don't expect you to learn the spells, but watching me cast them would ensure that you know how effective they are – and how effective you need to be in case someone uses them against you."
"What are we learning?" asked a seventh year Ravenclaw curiously.
"Spells which are not taught at Hogwarts. The Fire whip, the Bone-Breaking curse, the Blood-Boiling curse, the Organ-Liquefying curse to name a few, and how you can defend against them."
Hermione sucked in a breath. "But those spells are dark!" she cried shrilly. "You can't teach us the Dark Arts!"
Harry stood silently as he carefully tied his hair in a short ponytail. Taking a deep breath he said, "I'm not teaching you the Dark Arts, Granger. Those words mean nothing to me. There is something I want all of you to understand. Magic does not come in forms of light or dark. These brands are what witches and wizards give to magic which they don't feel is right for them."
"Magic is always in shades of grey. The balance must always be maintained because too much of either light or dark will have unhealthy consequences. Voldemort and Bellatrix are perfect examples of what could happen if someone uses too much 'dark' magic as you call it. This generation, filled with weak and close-minded witches and wizards, is what happens if there is too much 'light' magic. You can't learn one without learning the other. It would only be a cause for destruction."
"How will you fight an opponent who fires spells you can't even recognise? How will you treat a wounded patient if you can't even identify the cause? You'll be surprised just how much 'dark' magic is taught in Healing and Auror Academies. This is because without knowing the Dark Arts, you can't effectively defend yourselves against it. Magic is varied, with different forms, and is quite unpredictable. Without understanding both light and dark magic, you cannot strive for balance. And without balance, there would be no order, only chaos – like the war that is currently plaguing our country."
'Because that's what it truly is – a war between the Light Lord and the Dark Lord – with innocent people caught in the middle. When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers most. My mother's research was right. Without balance in magic, there would only be chaos. It is time for you all to open your eyes and stop seeing everything in black and white. If I was able to overcome my apparent blindness, so can you.'
"Just because all these curses and rituals have been misused by different people over time does not make them evil," said Harry clearly, enjoying the group's rapt attention. "Parseltongue is a perfect example. The language is feared in Europe and branded dark because of people like Herpo the Foul and Voldemort. Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth and we considered him evil for a thousand years and how did that turn out? The language itself is very ancient and it has been used for a variety of purposes, the good and the bad. Healing magic using Parseltongue has saved so many lives over several thousand years. Protective enchantments created using Parselmagic are stronger than the conventional wards we have. Hogwarts itself has wards made using Parselmagic and yet we hate the fundamental thing which keeps us safe. What you might consider evil might actually be used for an act of good, and even if that happens, because of the stigma that is light and dark, it is not accepted. Again, magic in its purest form is just that, magic!"
Many people were stunned when Harry levitated a small stone and banished it towards a dummy with such force that it blasted right through the dummy human, creating a small hole in the chest like a Muggle bullet.
"That was a banishing charm, considered to be a very simple charm taught to fourth-year students," said Harry quietly. "And yet, the same charm, which according to you all can be classified as light, just killed that dummy human. What about this?"
Harry levitated the dummy to the ceiling. "If I were to drop this dummy to the ground, do you think it would stay intact? If it were a real person, do you think he or she would survive? I'm using a simple levitation charm which is taught to first-year students. This is the epitome of light magic and yet it can so easily be used to kill someone."
Carefully placing the dummy back on the ground, Harry turned to face them. "It is all about intent which distinguishes magic from light or dark, nothing more. It is all in shades of grey and it is your choices which define the magic you perform, not the spells you cast. I won't be asking any of you to perform the spells, but I will be teaching you the theory and demonstrating it for you but most importantly, I will teach you how to defend yourselves against them. Know that my brother and I would not be alive today had we not known these spells when our home was attacked. Let go of the blind superstition and see the true beauty of magic and not what people have classified it based on ignorance and fear. Such classification might have been necessary at that time, but as years rolled on, it was never reversed. Watch closely."
The next several hours were spent in one-quarter of the school observing Harry intently as he explained the concept behind several different spells which were considered the Dark Arts and how to cast and defend against them. The curses were deadly, but Harry explained their origin and how many of them had been used for good until they were misused by wizards wanting to seek power.
"That's all for today everyone," said Harry loudly. "We'll be meeting in two days and we'll start on the Patronus Charm. I'm happy with the amount of improvement displayed by everyone in this chamber and I have no doubt you all would be able to cast the charm in due time."
"Wait, isn't the Patronus Charm supposed to be very advanced?" asked a third-year boy timidly. "Can we all do it?"
A ghost of a smile formed its way to Harry's lips.
"Dylan."
Dylan nodded and flicked his wand and said, "Expecto Patronum!"
People gasped as the large silvery golden eagle burst from the tip of Dylan's wand and glided across the chamber as people watched in awe.
"He learnt it last summer," said Harry to everyone. "Daphne and I learnt the Patronus Charm when we were thirteen as well. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be hard because it took me some time to master it too but I'm willing to help you if you are willing to put in the right amount of effort into it. Alright, I'll see you all in two days! Class dismissed!"
Half an hour later, the Chamber of Secrets was empty and Harry ensured that every last one of the students had returned to their dormitories. Once done, Harry, Daphne and Dylan returned to their suite, chatting idly about the class.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Hermione Granger was walking towards the staff room, a day after the class on the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets. She couldn't believe that Harry Potter was actually teaching them the Dark Arts! While she had to admit the spells he had taught them until now were educational, yesterday's class was over the top! Hermione was not an unintelligent girl. She knew that even with several books on Defence, she wouldn't have come close to learning as much about the subject without an effective teacher, which, she would wholeheartedly admit, Harry Potter was. While she still did not like keeping Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the Hogwarts staff in the dark, she could not pass up an opportunity of learning more magic. Of course, that was until yesterday's lesson. It was horrifying! She couldn't in good conscience let this slide. No matter what Potter may claim, showing such spells and teaching them was a terrible idea. Didn't Potter understand that someone might use such spells to cause more damage? Either way, she would have to fix this mess before it got out of hand. She was a prefect, damn it, and it was time to uphold the honour the badge demanded.
"Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" asked Professor McGonagall as Hermione entered the staff room. She noticed that there were several other teachers as well. Good!
"Professor, I'm here to tell you something that none of the staff is aware of," she said guiltily. "I apologise for not coming to you sooner, but it hadn't been a problem until now."
McGonagall frowned slightly. "Whatever problem you have, I'm sure we can solve it. What is it, Miss Granger?"
Hermione took a deep breath. "Harry Potter has been teaching me and the rest of the school the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets."
The teachers' jaws dropped in shock as they looked at each other, eyes wide. "W-What?" squeaked out Professor Flitwick, not able to form a coherent thought.
"Can you please repeat that Miss Granger?" asked Professor McGonagall, looking at the girl, her face suddenly pale.
"Harry Potter has been teaching me and the rest of the school the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets, Professor. Nearly one-quarter of the school is involved in this, I'm afraid, and they don't realise the consequences of their actions. I thought it would be educational when I decided to join, but now ..."
"Miss Granger – I – I," spluttered Professor McGonagall lost for words. "Why, in the name of Lord Godric, would you and the rest of the students want to attend a practical sexual education class with Professor Snape in the dungeons?" she asked aghast. She couldn't believe that this was happening right under her nose! She knew it wasn't a prank; Hermione Granger wasn't such a girl who would lie to her. So if the young Gryffindor prefect was troubled enough to confess something like this, it must be the truth.
"What?" squeaked Hermione in shock. "No! I said that Harry Potter has been teaching me and the rest of the school the Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Minerva, I think we should have Poppy check the students for mind-altering potions," said Professor Vector sharply. "If Severus is sexually assaulting the students, then this is bad!"
Hermione was in shock as the teachers scrambled out of the staffroom, with McGonagall taking her to Madam Pomfrey. What had just happened?
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"This is ridiculous!" shouted Snape in fury, his face red in anger with spittle flying from his mouth. "I would never do such a thing!"
"We have a student who confessed to it, Severus," said Professor McGonagall angrily. "After the incident with Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory and the Weasley twins, the Board of Governors had agreed to take strict actions to ensure that such an incident never happens again! One-quarter of the school, Severus, one-quarter of the school! I can't believe you would do this! And I can't believe we were all such blind fools for this long!"
"I assure you, Minerva, that Severus has my complete trust," said Dumbledore tiredly. He had just come back after another fruitless search for Voldemort's Horcruxes and the journey had drained him badly. The curse was turning him weak. "If I could talk to the student who came forward –"
"No," said McGonagall firmly, fire dancing in her blue eyes. "I will not let their identity be known so that they could be coerced into remaining silent. I have still not forgiven myself for what happened to Potter, the Weasley twins and Diggory and I will not let this go! I have already contacted the Board of Governors and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They should be on their way."
Snape's eyes widened as the door opened, revealing several angry witches and wizards. What the hell was going on here?
The Minister of Magic entered the room, his grey eyes hard as steel.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"Daphne, you are certainly the most amazing girl I have ever met," muttered Harry, as they saw Severus Snape walking out of the castle with his belongings in tow. "You turned something which was a deterrent to keep the secret of the Defence Association from getting out and used it to successfully get Snape sacked instead. Voldemort's best spy isn't at Hogwarts anymore. Brava, my love."
"I swear, I didn't intend for this to happen," said Daphne, trying to hide her smile. "It was actually supposed to be funny while also being effective. After the incident with the Goblet of Fire, I researched a lot about Confundus and compulsion charms and how to activate them. I raided my family library and the Restricted Section here at Hogwarts and used those advanced charms on the book containing the names of the members of the D.A. so that anyone wanting to rat us out would never be able to do it. It was a varied form of a very simple secrecy contract I tricked them into signing. Instead of telling the truth, they would repeat the words I had conditioned into them."
"That's really impressive magic, sis," said Astoria, looking impressed.
"That's high praise coming from you," Daphne replied with an amused twinkle in her eye. "I aim to please."
"Too bad he wasn't arrested," Dylan muttered, sounding annoyed.
Harry glared at the front doors from where Snape had disappeared. That was true because once the Board of Governors led by the Minister of Magic had begun to investigate the claims made by one Hermione Granger, they realised that there was a charm in place to make her talk. They couldn't find the counter to the charm placed on her to make her reveal what exactly she wanted to say. Even writing it wouldn't help.
The combination of spells she had used could be undone of course, but it would require the source from where the enchantment originated – namely, the diary which held all the names. Harry was sure that the D.M.L.E. could have undone the charm had they put their mind to it but had come to the conclusion that his adoptive parents wanted to get rid of Snape with the opportunity provided, so the effort to undo the charm was quickly forgotten.
Once the investigators had realised Hermione's claim may not be the truth, Snape could not be arrested, however, the Board was not willing to take any chances. Voldemort was bad enough and after the Lockhart incident, they didn't need any more incentive to take action. Sirius may or may not have persuaded the other members of the Board to see reason. They finally had a solid reason to kick Snape out of Hogwarts; something which they did not have all these years, despite numerous complaints.
Sirius gave them all a passionate speech about how Snape's teaching was abysmal and how it had led to the crippling of the Auror force and the number of Healers and Potions Masters in Britain. He also showed them the statistics of the number of students who had not taken up Potions because of him and his harassment of several others. The fact that he was a Death Eater was not something they could ignore. Many students complained about the Defence program and how they weren't learning anything from Snape and how they were not prepared for the real world, especially during a time of war.
Not everything had gone according to plan, however. Sirius had wanted to lock Snape in Azkaban but Dumbledore had meddled. The aged headmaster may not have been able to save Snape's job, but he had managed to counter every other allegation levelled against Snape, making him walk a free man. Sirius had been furious about that, but he knew that it wouldn't have worked. Dumbledore still held a lot of power in the political sphere, but he took solace in the fact that the old man would die soon anyway.
Harry and Dylan had already made plans for pissing on the man's grave.
Hermione Granger had been horrified that her actions had caused the dismissal of Professor Snape. She was still unable to tell the teachers or Governors what had happened as nobody was willing to listen. Oh, they knew the classes with Professor Snape were not real, but it had been enough to raise a red alert and things had quickly spiralled out of control. While Professor Dumbledore had assured her that it was not her fault, she still felt guilty, not to mention was furious with Potter and Greengrass for tricking her the way they did. She didn't even register the dirty looks being sent her way from the rest of the school.
The other members of the D.A. knew well and good how much help they were receiving from Harry Potter in teaching them Defence. Sure, they may not all agree with his theory about light and dark magic, but it wasn't as if he was forcing them to perform those spells! He had only explained the theory, given the incantation, had demonstrated it to them, and spent more time instructing them on how to counter those deadly curses. He was teaching one-quarter of the school for free – Hogwarts education was expensive, after all – and yet Granger had tried to rat him out and had she succeeded, the classes would have been stopped.
Harry had not once asked for anything in return, only that they do their best so that they could protect themselves and their families in case of an attack. Hannah Abbott's mother had also been killed recently and the threat had just gotten real, and yet Granger didn't seem to understand that! So what if Harry's views on the Dark Arts differed from hers? People surprisingly agreed with Luna Lovegood when she said that Granger was too narrow-minded and unless she had the facts shoved in her face, she would never acknowledge it.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Draco Malfoy let out a shaky breath as he examined the rune cluster on the chart he had prepared. His hair was thin, his skin very pale and his high grades had dipped significantly over the past several months. He couldn't believe that his O.W.L. year was this bad! The teachers kept piling more homework on them all and Draco could barely finish it. Tears stung his eyes as he recalled the talk he had with Harry Potter in June.
The boy had been right. The Dark Lord only handed out punishments. His latest punishment had been worse than before. Oh, it was not physically painful this time, but it was agonising having to watch his parents be tortured before his very eyes because of his failure. He did not know what the Dark Lord was planning, but it had become significantly more important than just killing Albus Dumbledore. Whatever the plan was, it involved sneaking several Death Eaters into Hogwarts – which required Draco to succeed in repairing the cabinet.
Oh, how he wished he had listened to Potter back then. But then again, even if he had listened to Potter, did he have a choice at all? Draco had learnt by now that what the Dark Lord wants, the Dark Lord gets. It would never have made a difference. The Dark Lord wanted to punish his father for his failures and Draco was the perfect way to do it! To think the man – no, monster – would be willing to do this to a fifteen-year-old boy was disgusting!
Then again, the Dark Lord had tried to kill a fifteen-month-old infant and hadn't seen anything wrong with it.
The runes checked out. Now all he had to do was wait for the next shipment of materials, carve them correctly and also apply the enchantments. Once all this was over, he hoped that he, his mother and father would remain alive. At this point, he just wanted it all to end. He would not be the cause of the deaths of his parents.
Wiping the tears away, Draco got to work; another sleepless night in the dark, filthy room in the dungeons.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"The Dark Lord is demanding more direct results," said Snape stiffly. Clearly, his anger at being sacked had not evaporated.
"And what results would those be?" asked Dumbledore, looking worn out and utterly exhausted. He drowned the blue coloured potion Severus had brought with him and he felt the pain in his joints reduce. He knew the potion was highly addictive and dangerous in large quantities, but he was dying anyway. He honestly didn't care about any side effects.
"His attempts at gaining access to the prophecy orb have been – less than successful," said Snape as his lip curled. "The Department of Mysteries is locked tighter than a Gringotts vault, I'm told; no doubt Black and Croaker are involved. He's also angry at Potter's escape, both at the graveyard and at Potter Castle a few months back. He is thinking of another way in which he would be able to control Potter and he is demanding that I help him. I believe this is a test to prove my loyalty to him."
Dumbledore got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. This could not be good. "What is his latest plan?
"He wants to kidnap Daphne Greengrass."
There was silence for several seconds. "I see," said Dumbledore slowly. "This is … troubling."
"Greengrass in only one person, Albus," said Snape quietly. "Need I remind you of the millions of lives that are at stake here? If I do not fulfil this mission, you will have no source from within the Dark Lord's ranks. He does not wish to kill her, so we can rescue her later. I shall provide you with information on how to get her out once she is captured. Miss Greengrass is a Slytherin and a pureblood. Trust me, the Dark Lord will not harm her."
Dumbledore sat quietly, pondering on what to do. On one hand, Severus' role in the campaign was extremely important because no one else would be willing to spy for him. His initial plan had been to turn young Dylan Lestrange into a spy as well but he could never get past the overprotective mother dragon that was Harry Potter, so that plan had been quickly scrapped. Severus' information had been useful over the past several months, so there was no alternative.
On the other hand, there was also Harry he had to consider. The boy would take the loss very badly and he knew it. But on the whole, considering the millions of lives that were at risk – was it worth it? Harry had a destiny – he had to die because of the Horcrux that was lodged in his scar, but the boy's rebellious attitude and he defending Voldemort's actions were quite unnerving to Albus. Maybe this would solve their problems.
If Daphne were to be kidnapped, Harry would turn to Dumbledore for guidance and support, thus increasing the chances of him sacrificing himself later on. Harry would blame himself for what had happened to his fiancée and that would work for Albus' plans. Severus would also be firmly cemented as Voldemort's trusted advisor, so it was a win-win situation. Using Severus' information, he would instruct Harry and Sirius to launch an attack on Voldemort's forces. Miss Greengrass could be saved, the Horcrux would be destroyed, and hopefully, Voldemort would meet his end. The world would greatly benefit from this plan.
But there was the ethical dilemma. Normally, Albus would be aghast that Severus would even suggest something like that and would have protested vehemently, but this was not a normal situation. What had happened during the last war, especially with the Potters and Sirius still haunted him, but the war was becoming deadlier and people were dying everywhere.
Voldemort had to be stopped by any means necessary and if that meant Daphne Greengrass being held hostage by Voldemort, then so be it. It would only be a temporary arrangement. They could rescue her later.
It was for the greater good of both the Magical and Muggle worlds. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Sadly, it was yet another burden he would have to carry to his grave.
'I hope you can forgive me, Harry, but I cannot let Voldemort win the war. We need to destroy him before he destroys the world. I shall do what I must.'
"Here," said Snape, removing a phial containing a silvery substance. "I was able to procure the memory of the Dark Lord's resurrection from Crabbe Sr. I obliviated him after he gave it to me, so he should have no recollection of me having this memory."
"Very good, Severus," said Dumbledore enthusiastically. "Now we shall finally see why Harry did not want this memory viewed by anyone. Pour it in the Pensieve will you?"
Dumbledore and Snape dipped their hands into the Pensieve as they disappeared. When they finally emerged, Snape's lips were parted slightly in shock. Dumbledore, on the other hand, was white as a sheet. He covered his face with his left hand as he recalled everything he had seen in the memory – Harry admitting that he did not hate Voldemort, how he had been conflicted when Voldemort made the offer of accepting Harry as his son, how he had finally used a Killing Curse, silently, thus indicating that he had indeed been practicing the Dark Arts.
"What have I done?" whispered Dumbledore, looking defeated, staring blankly at the wall. Have I created yet another Dark Lord in Harry Potter? First Gellert, then Tom, and now Harry – am I truly responsible for it all?
"What have I done?"
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"That's it," said Harry encouragingly. "Keep trying, everyone! Think of the happiest memory you can recollect and feel the emotions of happiness, joy and love. These emotions are what power the charm, not the memory itself. Let them infuse you and once you are ready, cast!"
There were many who began shouting 'Expecto Patronum' immediately after his instruction. The silvery mist for many of them changed to form some sort of distinctive animal; after several weeks of practice, they were finally able to do it.
"Very good, Luna," said Harry with a smile as he saw her hare Patronus bounce around the chamber. "Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, Harry," said Luna, beaming at him.
Harry smiled as he saw several people looked in awe at the Patroni. Astoria's Patronus was a swan, Ginny Weasley's was a horse, Cedric's Diggory's was a German Shepard, Fred's Patronus was a hyena while George's was a coyote, and he could see Daphne's tigress regally looking at the other silvery animals. Dylan's eagle was gliding across the chamber and Harry's smile widened.
"Expecto Patronum!"
The massive thunderbird Patronus joined the rest as the Chamber of Secrets was filled with silvery animals and happy emotions.
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
Draco took a deep, shaky breath as he opened the doors of the Vanishing Cabinet. The bird was alive and chirping. His jaw dropped in shock. He couldn't believe it. He had done it! The bird was alive!
Just to make sure, he contacted Borgin again and tested the cabinet three more times with other animals. Sure enough, all of them survived the trip without any injuries. Draco collapsed on the floor as he laughed like a maniac, his hands and legs still shaking. Taking the mirror from an inside pocket of his robe, he tapped it and said, "Lucius Malfoy."
"Father, it is ready."
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
"The Vanishing Cabinet is ready, my Lord," said Lucius, kneeling in front of the Dark Lord.
Voldemort smirked. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he said in a high, cold voice, laced with sadistic amusement. "He just needed the right incentive to get to work. Are you sure he has succeeded, Lucius? I would be very displeased if something were to go wrong during transport."
"No, my Lord," said Lucius quickly. "Draco is a smart boy and Borgin has confirmed that the experiments have worked."
"So it would seem," said Voldemort casually. "Very well. You better hope it works, Lucius. Now, I have a new task for you."
"Of course, my Lord, I live only to serve you!"
Voldemort sneered at those words but did not comment. "We need more Death Eaters. Our new recruits are not up to the mark, evidenced by what we have witnessed over the past several months. I want you to travel around, find new and talented witches and wizards and convince them to join our cause. We need assassins, Lucius, if we are to take over the Ministry of Magic. Give them practical tests so that they knew we aren't looking for anyone mediocre. I expect results."
"Yes, my Lord," said Lucius as he backed away from the room quickly.
"Rodolphus, Rabastan, you are to attack Hogsmeade with your teams," ordered Voldemort. "Terrorise the students but don't kill them. However, if you are confronted by Aurors or members of the Order of the Phoenix, kill them all and be done with it. Your main assignments are to kidnap Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and Dylan Lestrange, understood?"
"Yes, my Lord,"
"Severus, you will be leading the team which will be using the Vanishing Cabinet to enter Hogwarts," said Voldemort. "Again, if you encounter Order members, kill them. If the three of them are not at Hogsmeade, you'll have to kidnap them and bring them here. Your main assignment is to kill Albus Dumbledore."
"My Lord, if I may?" asked Severus. When Voldemort nodded, he continued. "May I know who is to kill Dumbledore? Your previous orders were for Draco to kill him but I was prepared to do the deed myself should the need arise; I was wondering if the plan had changed."
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed dangerously as his fingers twitched. "Draco is not capable of killing anybody," he spat. "But he is to be given a chance to finish the deed. If not, you are to kill Dumbledore, is that clear?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"I want Harry Potter, Daphne Greengrass and Dylan Lestrange here at my manor and I won't appreciate any sort of failure," said Voldemort coldly as he looked at them all. "It is in your best interests to see that the mission is accomplished. I will be providing some help for you during your attack. The Dementors have been instructed to not kiss the students, but just drain them all. It will prove to be a suitable distraction for the students and teachers – enough for you to capture the three."
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
It was the first week of April and the sky outside was a rare sunny day in Scotland. Dylan Lestrange came out of his room and smiled when he saw his girlfriend by the window in the common room of Harry's suite. He silently walked up to her and hugged her from behind. Astoria gave a surprised squeak.
"Hello, beautiful," whispered Dylan, his breath warm against her ear. "Ready for our date?"
"You were the one who took so long to get dressed," said Astoria teasingly.
Dylan lightly nibbled on her earlobe. "I took a shower and got dressed in less than ten minutes. I woke up late, that's all!"
"So you forgot about our date?"
"Never," breathed Dylan as he turned her around, pulling her close. "So, how is it like, being fourteen years old?"
"It's only been a week, so I can't tell the difference," Astoria giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't believe I am dating a younger man."
"Only by a few months," protested Dylan, but he was interrupted when Astoria leaned up and captured his lips in a soft kiss. He smiled as he pulled her closer, running his fingers through her hair. "I love you, Astoria," he whispered sincerely.
"What?" asked Astoria, blinking in surprise.
"I love you," repeated Dylan, not at all fazed by her look of shock. "I know that we haven't dated for too long and that we're barely fourteen years old, but I want you to know how I feel about you. You've been my best friend since I was eleven and I've enjoyed every second of the past seven months we have been dating. I don't expect you to feel the same way, but I just wanted to tell you –"
"I love you too," said Astoria softly as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I never expected you to say something like that, that's why it surprised me. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't know how you would react, considering your childhood and how you were raised. But I do love you, Dylan, very much."
Dylan's eyes lit up in surprised happiness as he looked at his girlfriend. A dopey grin formed on his face as he asked, "Is this the part where I get to kiss you?"
"You can kiss me whenever you want, lover boy," teased Astoria right back.
"Really? Well then Miss Greengrass, let me demonstrate to you the greatness of one Dylan Lestrange!"
"Oh, quite full of yourself today, aren't you?" Astoria murmured as they lips met. They were quite oblivious to the couple watching them with fond smiles on their faces.
"Oh, they're so adorable!" gushed Daphne.
"Yeah, they are," Harry agreed, smiling faintly. "He's grown up so much, hasn't he? Just thinking of the small boy who was so shy in talking to anyone, to looking at him now, a confident fourteen-year-old is – startling – to say the least. Words cannot describe how proud of him I am."
"Words cannot describe how proud of you I am," said Daphne softly as she looked at him. "You have come a long way too, Harry. Don't think you haven't changed for the better because you have. From the eleven-year-old Ravenclaw who seemed to be carved out of ice, to the proud young man you have become, I can't even begin to describe how happy I am that you have managed to overcome all your obstacles. Yes, we still have Voldemort to deal with but I have faith in you. Nothing is impossible for you Harry, and this is something I believe with all my heart. We'll get through this together, you'll see."
Harry smiled as he kissed the side of her face lovingly, savouring the moment, delicately cupping her cheek. "You're the light of my life, you're the love of my life," he said in a small voice. "I can't ever live without you."
"You'll never have to, Harry. I'll always be here by your side, I promise! You'll never be alone again. I love you."
"I love you too, Daphne."
HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP
A team of two dozen Death Eaters had Apparated to a hill overlooking the village of Hogsmeade, silently observing the hundreds of students slowly making their way towards the village.
Another dozen Death Eaters had Apparated to Knockturn Alley and at the specified time, walked towards Borgin and Burkes, drawing their wands in preparation for the task.