Chapter 396: The Calm Before the Storm

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 396: The Calm Before the Storm

Ten Days Before the Second Task, Potter Manor

"Lyra!" Ginny and Astoria rushed forward to greet their friend. It had been almost two months since they last saw each other.

"I missed you so much!" Lyra exclaimed, pulling them both into a hug.

While his sister was having her moment with her friends, Harry looked across the hall, where Daphne sat reading.

As he approached, he noticed she was engrossed in one of the books they had retrieved from the family vault at Gringotts.

"Found something interesting?" Harry asked, sitting beside her.

Daphne glanced at him, her lips curving into a smile. "Your mother knows you've been sneaking into the house every week to see me."

"And…what did she say to you?"

Daphne scoffed. "She told me she expects us to be 'careful.' Can you believe that?"

"From her? Yes," Harry said with a smirk. Lily Potter had never been the strictest of parents.

Daphne chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Careful. What was she doing in her fourth year, I wonder?"

"I don't think I want the answer to that question," Harry replied with a serious expression.

Daphne glanced toward the trio of girls laughing and chatting nearby. "It was kind of you to bring Lyra. Astoria's been impatient to see her again."

"I'm sure Ginny felt the same. Lyra was starting to drive Neville mad with all the attention she was giving him."

Daphne smirked. "I don't know about that. Ginny's been getting along with Victoria surprisingly well. They seem to have become fast friends."

"Really? Those two are so different…" Harry said, surprised. Ginny, embodying the boldness of a Gryffindor, and Victoria, the epitome of a Slytherin princess...it was an odd pairing.

"Well, you know what they say about opposites attracting," Daphne mumbled.

"Hm?" Harry didn't quite catch that.

"Never mind. Did you miss me?" Daphne asked, her tone playful as she struck a coquettish pose.

"I saw you two days ago."

Daphne frowned. "That's not what I—"

"Harry!"

Both of them turned to see Lily Potter approaching, her expression alight with mischief. She leaned in close to Harry's ear, whispering, "I thought your next visit was on Friday."

"This isn't a private visit," Harry replied evenly. "Lyra was desperate to see her friends. At Hogwarts, she only has Luna, and while I adore Luna, talking to her too much can be…a bit much."

"You're no fun…" Lily pouted.

"And you're supposed to be the responsible adult," Harry shot back.

"Oh, before I forget, Victoria's been asking for you," Lily said.

"She must've finished fixing the artifacts I left with her," Harry noted, standing. "Where is she?"

"She's in her room. Don't worry, I'll keep Daphne company," Lily said with a chuckle.

As Harry made his way out of the hall, someone else called his name.

"Harry…wait."

Turning, he was surprised to see Ginny approaching him. They hadn't spoken much over the past few months.

She hesitated, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. "I…I'm an idiot. I should've said this sooner, but I was too embarrassed to talk to you properly."

"You can tell me anything, Ginny. There's no need to be embarrassed," Harry said gently.

"I wanted to thank you. You saved my life...and my family's, too. If it weren't for you, I…" Ginny trailed off.

"Your mother thanked me enough. As for George—"

Ginny interrupted, shaking her head. "Harry, you can't save everyone. You've done more than enough already."

"Do your other brothers know what happened? They're welcome here too, you know."

"Bill doesn't know yet," Ginny admitted. "He's still researching some ancient tomb in the Middle East. We'll tell him as soon as he returns."

They spoke for a few more minutes before parting ways. As Harry turned to leave, Ginny called out again.

"Oh, and Harry…you and Daphne don't have to hide it...not for my sake at least, anyway. I know, and…I'm fine with it now."

Harry nodded. "I'll let Daphne know."

That wasn't the main reason they'd kept their relationship a secret, but Ginny didn't need to know that.

After a short walk, Harry arrived at Victoria's room and knocked.

"Come in," came her voice.

Inside, he found Victoria playing Exploding Snap with Holly.

"Harry!" Holly leaped from the bed, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug.

"You know, Lyra's down in the main hall," Harry said. "Why don't you go greet her? She'd love to see you."

"But…" Holly glanced back at her game, reluctant to leave.

"You can finish it later. It's not going anywhere, and it's polite to say hello to your family when they visit." Harry said.

Holly still seemed unconvinced.

"Besides," Victoria added, "I need to talk to your brother about something."

"But Harry's your brother too, isn't he?" Holly asked, looking between them.

Victoria glanced at Harry with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose, genetically speaking, at least."

"Genetaly?" Holly frowned, unfamiliar with the term.

"Never mind that. Go on now," Victoria said, ushering her out.

Once Holly left, Victoria retrieved a small box from her desk drawer.

"Were you able to fix it?" Harry asked.

She handed him the box. "I fixed it...and improved upon it. Though I still think it'll kill you if you use it."

"Already did that once," Harry said dryly, examining the artifacts. The Arkenstone jewelry was fully charged, but something caught his attention. "What are these symbols?"

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Runes, of course. You really are bad at this, aren't you?"

Harry frowned. The runes didn't resemble anything he'd studied. 'But they look familiar…where have I seen these before?'

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