Back to the Chamber

The room in Riddle Manor was filled with people who were kneeling in front of the lone armchair by the fireplace. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, Rookwood, Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Junior were all kneeling in front of the babyish form of Lord Voldemort.

"Rise, my faithful Death Eaters," said the high, cold voice. "We have gained valuable information thanks to Wormtail's spying on the wizarding population and from the mind of that Ministry witch, Bertha Jorkins. Barty here has had the time to listen to his father speak of the Ministry's dealings and operations during all those years he was held captive, so we have classified information at our disposal. It is time we show them the true power of Lord Voldemort."

"I cannot believe my blood traitor of a cousin is now Lord Black!" shrieked Bellatrix, "and Minister of Magic to boot!"

"That is most definitely something we hadn't anticipated, my Lord," said Barty. "Amelia Bones is now married to Sirius Black and they are a formidable team. Ever since Black became Minister, there have been several changes. International relations between Magical Britain and the rest of the world are at an all-time high. He is also more efficient, which was how Rowle, Dolohov, Jugson, Travers and Mulciber were killed. He is a dangerous adversary."

"We can deal with Sirius Black later," said Voldemort coldly. "But first, I must get my body back. I will be using a ritual of my own design, but the potion needs to stew for nine months using very rare and hard to find ingredients, culminating on the night of the summer solstice. I also need the blood of an enemy and right now, there is no one better than Harry Potter, the boy who caused my downfall." Twice – once when he was a baby, and the next when he was eleven years old. I need the blood of the boy who was willing to commit cold-blooded murder at the age of eleven. "I will need his blood to make me stronger than ever before."

"Barty, here is what you must do," ordered Voldemort. After explaining the plan to him, he turned to the others, "You all will have to begin working on the potion. I will also send you on missions so that we can begin recruiting the dark creatures. We shall not call the rest of the Death Eaters yet. Their welcome shall be special."

"However," said Voldemort, his red eyes gleaming, "we do need the specialised services of one of them. Contact Macnair and bring him here. We need to send envoys to the Giants. I'm not sure how successful we would be with Vampires, but we need to find Greyback if we are to have the werewolves on our side again. Begin searching for him. The Dementors can be taken care of once I regain my full powers."

All of them grinned savagely. "Wormtail here will continue his role in spying on the wizarding population," said Voldemort. "Any new piece of information or magical technology which we can use – he'll let us know so that we can take advantage of it. Barty, are you up to the task?"

"I live to serve you, my Lord," said Barty, looking at Voldemort with respect shining in his eyes.

"Good," said Voldemort. Smirking, he turned to one other. "Rabastan, you have been awfully quiet. Any thoughts about this newly discovered son of yours? Barty here tells me the boy wears the Heir ring of your family on his finger, so there is no doubt that he is your son."

"No son of a Mudblood is a son of mine," spat Rabastan. "The heir of the noble Lestrange line being a half-blood is inconceivable!"

"Not to worry, my friend," said Voldemort smirking coldly. "Your family's taint shall be taken care of soon enough."

Rabastan didn't mention the conflicting emotions he was feeling within him. He had a son ... Dylan ... Oh, he remembered the boy's mother, alright; the beautiful Muggle-born witch he had violated. Rabastan still felt sick just by thinking about it. He and the rest of the Death Eaters had done a lot of vicious things in their lives, but never in his life would Rabastan ever have imagined that he would have been capable of doing that to a woman, even if it was a filthy Mudblood. He had been intoxicated that night, not in his senses, and he had let his body overrule his mind and instead of killing the young Mudblood, he had raped her.

Even the vegetative state of the Longbottoms had never bothered Rabastan, nor did the countless deaths he was responsible for, but this one memory was something he couldn't ever forget. He had violated one of the most sacred laws of Magic. Was this a way to make up for it? He had been given a chance to redeem himself for what he believed to be the one and only mistake of his life and he would use it to the best of his ability.

He would ensure that his son joined their side of the war, no matter what it takes. He would ensure Pettigrew checked for any information available on Dylan Lestrange. His stomach clenched every time he thought of the boy since he had found out about Dylan's existence – how was he? Did Dylan look like him? How was the boy raised? Was he already corrupted by Muggle-loving fools like Dumbledore?

Rabastan knew that his brother was actually pleased about it since Rodolphus and Bellatrix could not have a child through natural means and Azkaban had robbed them of the ability to have a child using other methods. It was disgusting that the boy was a half-blood and a bastard to boot, but Rabastan didn't find himself caring much about that. This was his son.

One more year and Dylan would be back with his family where he should have been all along. The next generation of Lestranges would continue to serve the Dark Lord, just like his generation and the one before him.

Neither Rodolphus nor Rabastan noticed the anger in Bellatrix's eyes whenever Dylan was mentioned.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

The first of September dawned bright and early and the house-elves at Potter Castle were busy preparing a heavy breakfast for the two occupants. Harry shrunk his trunk, with Hedwig flying to Hogwarts, as he came down the stairs. After breakfast, Harry and Dylan packed the lunch the elves had prepared for them and Flooed to the platform.

Once they entered the train, the two brothers headed in different directions towards their friends. Spotting Daphne in a compartment, Harry opened the door and pulled her into a deep kiss. They only parted when someone cleared their throat.

"That is not something you do when you have company," said Susan wryly.

Harry chuckled as he gracefully sat down next to Daphne and the compartment soon filled with several people from all four Houses. The train journey was smooth without any interruptions and after several hours, they reached Hogsmeade station. Once they entered the Great Hall, Harry sat down at the Ravenclaw table and observed those around him. After a few minutes, Dylan sat down next to him, looking a bit dazed, confused and perhaps slightly smug.

Putting up a privacy charm with just a wave of his hand, Harry asked, "What's up?"

"Draco Malfoy came to our compartment during the train ride," said Dylan, smiling slightly. "When he did, he greeted Astoria and ignored me as always. By the way, what did you do to him? He had been the most vocal of those who used to call me a bastard, but now he ignores that I even exist!"

"You don't want to know," smirked Harry. "Besides, Draco himself doesn't know that I was the one who spoke to him a year ago. You were saying?"

Chuckling, Dylan said, "Well, he asked Astoria to join him in his compartment. She politely declined and went back to speaking to me, right in front of him. When he tried to gain her attention, it didn't work so well. I was shocked when she took my hand in hers as we were talking. I swear I could see steam coming out of his ears by the time he left with his goons. The best part is that she never let go of my hand during the entire train ride!"

Harry smiled. Looks like Daphne's talk with Astoria had worked. Shaking his head in amusement, he concentrated on the sorting, memorising the new names and faces like he did every year. Everyone in the room was shocked when they noticed that Remus Lupin was still there as the Defence teacher. He was the first witch or wizard in a long time that had stayed as the Defence Professor for more than a year because there were rumours that it was cursed. Of course, Harry had verified that theory using Voldemort's memories. There was no curse; just a very powerful compulsion charm cast using Parseltongue and linked to the Defence classroom, making the teacher not stay for more than a year.

It went without saying that Harry had removed the charm at the end of the previous term.

Once the feast was over and the plates cleared away, Dumbledore stood up to make his usual start of term announcements. Once the usual speech was done with, he continued and said, "I have a great pleasure in announcing that we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century - the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year!"

"You're JOKING!" shouted Fred Weasley in awe.

Harry's face remained impassive, but the twinkle in his eyes showed that he was quite amused. Even Dumbledore's beard twitched as he smiled. "No, Mr Weasley, I'm not joking," he said, sounding deeply amused. "A lot of work has gone into this over the past three years, so trust me, I would hardly joke about it. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament."

He went on to explain the history of the tournament and why it was discontinued and about the twenty-five thousand Galleons personal prize money.

"– only those who are of seventeen or older will be able to participate," said Dumbledore amidst protests. Once he explained the finer details and announced that the delegations of the foreign schools would arrive in October, he dismissed all the students.

Harry shook his head, amused as he observed several students who were grumbling under their breath. The tournament sounded like fun, sure, but if it were him, he would stay the hell away from it. He knew what the first task was and as he had said three years ago, if he ever saw a dragon in front of him, he would head in the other direction; the basilisk was bad enough. His sense of self-preservation would not allow him to even think of participating, even if he could talk Dumbledore into it. Technically, he could participate because he was a seventh-year student, but from what Sirius had told him, it was essential that the champion is an adult, meaning he or she is seventeen years old. The contract created by the I.C.W. and enforced by the Goblet of Fire demanded it, which was why he couldn't take part in the tournament.

Even without participating, he was sure that it would be fun to watch!

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Once everyone had gone to bed, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak, held the Marauder's Map in his hand as he made his way to the first-floor girl's bathroom. Once inside, he cast a detection charm. He snickered when he found an alert charm – Dumbledore's work. Disabling it, he looked at the tap and hissed, "Open!"

When the pipe was visible to him, he stuffed the cloak inside the expanded pocket of his trousers and jumped. The pipe was just as slimy as last time and once he landed, he flicked his wand at himself, making the dirt and slime disappear from his body.

"Tippy!" he called. Harry frowned when no elf arrived. There were probably anti-elf wards in place. He went forward and examined the shed skin. There was so much shed skin here! He would have to harvest it all. Moving forward, he opened the door to the chamber and stepped inside.

The basilisk's corpse was perfectly preserved. The inherent magic of the snake must have preserved decay or there must be an ancient variety of a preservation charm on the entire chamber. He slowly went forward and looked at the corpse of the magnificent creature. It was probably the last of its kind and it had been killed. After a silent prayer of apology for taking its life, Harry got to work. He began casting detection charms in every direction. From what he knew, Tom Riddle had tried to search for any hidden room in the Chamber of Secrets, but he had been unsuccessful in getting past a barrier which was powered by ancient blood wards. But Harry was going to try it. He had been curious about it since the time he had read Godric's journal. According to Godric, Salazar's family had vivid emerald green eyes, a natural colour which had never been seen in any other human. This had gotten Harry curious. Was it possible?

Finding something strange at the base of the statue, he began hissing in Parseltongue, using detection and revealing spells. After twenty minutes of trial and error, a pedestal appeared. Harry understood what had to be done. Now he would know if his theory was correct. Taking a deep breath, he sliced his palm and let the drops of blood fall on the pedestal. The blood was absorbed and it glowed, making a stone door appear as it opened with a groan.

Harry's heart was beating a mile a minute. His theory was right! He and his mother were the descendants of Salazar Slytherin himself! There was no way he could have bypassed the blood ward if he did not have Slytherin blood in him.

It was a known fact – even though the traditionalist purebloods did not want to openly admit it – that all Muggle-borns were the descendants of a witch or wizard. Witches and wizards were different from Muggles at the microscopic level which was their DNA. That was where the differences started. Many witches and wizards had studied the differences over the centuries, but no real explanation was given as to why Muggles existed in the first place. It was also a proven fact that once upon a time, the planet had been a habitat to magical human beings only but at some point in time, a mutation had occurred in the DNA of select human beings, creating humans without the power of magic in their blood – Muggles.

Initially, they had been very limited in number, with magical humans being the dominant race, but several millennia later, especially in the period of the two thousand years before Harry's time, with the current century being the worst, Muggle population had increased drastically, outnumbering witches and wizards as they reproduced at an exponential and illogical rate. With the Magical Royal Houses having come to an end all over the world and Muggles taking their place, the balance had been irrevocably broken, completely shattering the last vestiges of peace between magical humans and Muggles.

Since their DNA itself was different, it was impossible for two Muggles to create a magical child. Through outward appearance, no one could tell if a human were magical or Muggle, but the differences went deeper than that. The average lifespan of a magical human, for example, was at least two or three times the average lifespan of a Muggle. Magical children too developed faster than Muggles, from babies to teenagers. This was also the reason Harry had been able to speak fluently when he was a child while Dudley could not. Witches and wizards entered puberty early and their body's accelerated growth would slow down at the age of seventeen, which was why it was universally considered the age of reaching adulthood in the case of magical humans. After that, witches and wizards would age slowly to the point where a ninety-year-old witch could easily pass off as a forty-year-old Muggle. The reason for all this was pure and simple – Magic.

Magic was the fundamental building block of the universe itself. It existed in every living thing, and no organism or inanimate object could exist without magic. Plants, animals, humans, rocks, soil, water, air, the vacuum of space – they all had a magical component in them. Muggles had magic too, but the level of magic in their blood was so ridiculously low because of the mutated DNA that even non-magical animals had more magic in their blood than them. The soul itself was nothing but pure magic, which was why splitting it was considered the biggest act of evil and not even the worst of the worst dark wizards would attempt it – except Herpo the Foul and Voldemort. Even dark wizards believed in the sanctity of Mother Magic, which was why even if they pushed the boundaries, they never crossed it.

That was the reason Voldemort and Herpo the Foul had been physically disfigured so badly. They had crossed the line and their bodies reflected it.

Magic existed everywhere and its source was infinite, however, magical creatures like humans, elves and goblins couldn't completely harness the infinite power available to them. While magic existed in the air or soil, only a certain small quantity of it could be used or tapped.

The wards powering Potter Castle was the best example of this.

While the castle wards could absorb magic from the lay lines present underground, the ward stone could only harness a limited amount of magic. The ward stones itself came in various forms, with different input and output configurations on how much magic it can absorb and use. This was the limitation to magic in that nobody could tap into its unlimited natural reserves. It was always finite as far as witches and wizards were concerned. Using a lot of magic to power the wards meant dumping a huge about of gold in maintaining it. The ward stones at Potter Castle were very expensive, which was why the war wards were not always powered. The standard wards would be powered when the Potters did not occupy the castle, but if the situation demanded it, the full might of the wards could be raised, but it did not come cheap.

Hogwarts and Gringotts worked on a similar approach. The school had extensive ward stones powering wards, but maintaining them was not easy, nor was it inexpensive. The castle had built a reputation for the reason that despite it being a school, the wards were well maintained. This, along with the cost of boarding and teaching, led to an increase in the fees of incoming students, which not everyone could afford. Hogwarts had always been an elite school for the rich or talented, while the rest of the British magical population attended the other magical schools of the realm.

At Gringotts, since the bank's primary function was to protect the treasures of its clients, the ward stones for the high-security vaults, in particular, were constantly replaced because of the high amount of magic used to power them. It went without saying that maintaining such high-security vaults was very expensive.

As for Muggle-borns, the only way for a Muggle-born witch or wizard to be born is if they had a magical relative somewhere in their bloodline. The DNA, dormant in the parent, might activate in the child. The pureblood philosophy was somewhat accurate, actually. Marrying Muggles would give rise to weaker wizards or squibs (there were a few exceptions, of course) but they were wrong in that marrying Muggle-borns would do the same.

Muggle-borns were just the same as any pureblood wizard – there was no difference in blood or power, with the original human DNA of witches and wizards having fully activated in their blood. Just like physical strength differed from person to person, magical strength also differed. Some purebloods were naturally weaker as compared to others while some Muggle-borns like Lily Evans were naturally more powerful than the rest.

The pureblood fanatics did not hate Muggle-borns only because of their Muggle heritage; they hated them because they were a threat to all witches and wizards. Harry, for one, truly believed that unless something was done, the knowledge of magic could not be contained in fifty years. There was also the problem that Muggle-borns bring their Muggle culture into the magical world, and some of them expect witches and wizards to change or adapt to suit their Muggle heritage. Naturally, the purebloods had been furious, which was why Voldemort had risen to power as quickly as he had. That is also why the Death Eaters would not care if their master was half-blood himself. Voldemort supported their goals and was ridiculously powerful, and that was enough.

Entering the chamber, Harry flicked his wand to his hand, just as ancient lighting charms activated. He frowned when he saw that the room was empty. Just as he took another step, another pedestal appeared with a sheet of parchment on it. He sliced his palm again and let several drops of blood fall on the parchment. The parchment absorbed the blood and words began forming in what was clearly Parselscript, being displayed in Harry's blood.

Dear descendant,

I am Salazar Slytherin, the last member alive of this once noble family. I am about to go confront my son, but before I do, I want to ensure that my true descendants would be able to access this place and know of their ancestor. If you're reading this, then Amarantha must have told you about the Chamber of Secrets. She assured me that once she and her family returned to Britain, she would tell her grandchildren about me securing the Slytherin fortune and titles here in my chamber at Hogwarts. I hope the time is right for you to reclaim what is your right by birth. But before you claim it, I would like you to know more about me.

I was orphaned when I was ten years old, my child. My family was murdered by a bunch of Muggles. I was devastated, as any child would be, but I also knew that I had to take care of myself. I didn't trust anyone on the Wizengamot to take care of me because there were many, even amongst the nobility, who were jealous of my family's wealth and knowledge and would have done everything possible to steal it from me, just as my father had always said. So I raised myself and grew up in the shadows, learning the most obscure forms of magic that interested me. I went abroad when I was old enough and learnt from various tribes who taught me more obscure rituals and magic. I have always been ambitious, and I wanted to achieve something great so that I would be remembered by many for centuries to come for my great achievements. That's when my life took an unexpected turn.

When I met Godric Gryffindor, he was in a bad shape. The man too had lost his family to those filthy Muggle barbarians and was doing his best to take care of his young daughter. We bonded over that and learnt different forms of magic from each other. Through Godric, I met Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff, two very gifted witches. Together, we created this school – Hogwarts.

I didn't marry anyone at that time, but I wanted a child of my own, so I blood adopted a young boy and gave him my own name – Salazar Slytherin. How I wish I knew that I was raising a boy who would be the cause of so much pain and misery! I showered him with love and affection but he grew up to be very arrogant and power-hungry, not to mention had an intense dislike for Godric and saw the rest of the students as beneath him. When Salazar was eighteen, he attacked a group of students, intending to molest them, and that's when I threw him out of the castle. We consider women to be sacred; the ones who are blessed by Mother Magic to be able to create life. The fact that he could even think of something so atrocious still makes my blood boil!

Several years later, there was a young student. Her name was Evangeline Noma, and after she finished her studies, she apprenticed under me. Though she was more than thirty years younger than me, I couldn't help but fall in love with her as we had several things in common, including the fact that we both were orphans. She too loved me, but she said that society wouldn't accept our relationship, given our great age difference, not to mention the fact that I was her mentor. If such a relationship were known to the magical public, they would stop sending their children to Hogwarts, fearing for their safety. So we got married in secret and pretty soon, she found herself pregnant.

We were very happy about that, but we were also scared of being discovered. She hid her pregnancy, but nine months later, she died in childbirth. I was devastated and heartbroken, but when I saw the beautiful baby girl who was in my arms, I knew I couldn't let my wife down. I named our daughter Amarantha and she also seems to have inherited my green eyes and so have her children. It is a trait in my family that all Slytherin children have vivid, emerald green eyes.

If you're reading this, my child, it means that you've passed the blood ward that my daughter and I placed around this room. Please do not disturb the basilisk unless the castle is under attack. Give her specific orders, but try to leave her alone. Call her to battle against the Muggles only if all is lost, as innocent witches and wizards could die in the attack as well. But I do have to say that it is better to die by the stare of a basilisk rather than being mutilated by those filthy Muggles.

My daughter grew up at Hogwarts under the watchful eyes of those faithful house-elves. Rowena discovered that Amarantha was my daughter, but she agreed to remain quiet, although I'm sure Godric suspects it as well. Amarantha grew up to be a fine young woman and I couldn't be more proud of her. She met a young man in Greece and fell in love with him. I'm happy that my dear daughter has found love and happiness.

But now, I have to go confront my son. Thinking of killing him makes my heart ache, but I shall do it. He has killed many witches and wizards in his bid for power, and I cannot let that happen. Salazar seems to have a family of his own, having married the daughter of the House of Gaunt, but what can I do? He is terrorising people using my name, and I have to put a stop to it. Godric has volunteered to come with me, but I can manage on my own. I am confident I shall return to Hogwarts triumphant.

My dear child, please accept the signet ring and magic of the Slytherin family. It shall help you in your future endeavours as I'm sure you'll go on to do great things. My blessings are with you always.

May Mother Magic always stay by your side and watch over you.

Salazar Slytherin.

Harry closed his eyes and dropped down to one knee in respect for his ancestor. Lily Evans was born to the Slytherin line. While the magic manifested in her, giving her the emerald green eyes of the family, Petunia still remained a Muggle. Harry placed his hand on the parchment and poured some of his magic into it. Immediately, a green glow surrounded him, as though judging to see if he was worthy. After several seconds, the aura seeped into Harry's skin, just as a ring appeared on the middle finger of Harry's left hand. It had a silver band with a large emerald with the basilisk crest.

When he opened his eyes, the area around him seemed to be shimmering. There was a flash of light and Harry took a step back in shock. Just like how it had been in Godric's chamber, there were mountains of gold and other precious metals and gems. Harry was now probably the richest wizard in the world! He noticed something else too. While all of Godric's books had been given to his daughter a thousand years ago, there were many books here in the Chamber of Secrets that belonged to Salazar Slytherin. Most were in Latin, but there was nothing a translation spell couldn't fix. Some other old tomes were in Parselscript which contained information on Parselmagic.

Harry smiled. This place contained information Voldemort could never get his hands on! Calling for his house-elves, now having the power to do so, he asked them to transport all the gold and books to Potter Castle. He also asked them to render the basilisk for all useful parts and store them at the castle. Merlin knows those parts were extremely hard to come by, if at all.

After exploring the chamber for another three hours, he found an alternate exit that led him to a passageway on the fourth floor. Donning the Invisibility Cloak over himself, Harry returned to Ravenclaw Tower. It had been a very productive night.

He wondered how people would react when they realised that he was now the official Heir Apparent of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Slytherin. Dumbledore's reaction would be absolutely hilarious!

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

The month of September passed by without a problem. Harry had once again started his rapid routine of studying. He had finished the N.E.W.T. syllabus from Voldemort's memories and was now learning new forms of magic which the Dark Lord had learnt from around the world. It was certainly exciting on a monumental scale – there was a reason Harry was in Ravenclaw.

Harry had also told Sirius, Amelia, Daphne, Dylan and the Greengrasses about him being Lord Slytherin. Sirius had choked and looked at him with wide eyes. Harry would never forget Cyrus Greengrass actually dancing around the drawing room at his manor in joy when he found out that his daughter was the future Lady Slytherin. They had decided not to announce it so soon, but do it during the Yule holidays when Harry and Sirius planned on releasing Godric's journal to the public. Obscurus Books had already begun printing the books and they would go on sale in December. Sirius had decided that the winter session of the Wizengamot was the perfect time to announce it.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

In the Room of Requirement –

Daphne slashed her wand in the air as she twisted her body to avoid the incoming spell. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she glared at the smirking form of Harry Potter who was currently duelling with her. They had been at this for nearly three hours and she was utterly exhausted, but Harry wouldn't let her stop! Every time she opened her mouth to utter a spell – as he demanded non-verbal spells only – or if she was about to say that she was tired, Harry would fire lethal spells at her, forcing Daphne to fight back.

Damn her for asking Harry to train her in duelling! This was way beyond fourth-year syllabus!

But Daphne had to admit, Harry was an outstanding teacher. He may be very strict and frustrating, but his methods were infinitely more rewarding. Harry had started teaching her how to duel since her second year and after the escape of the Death Eaters from Azkaban, he had been teaching Dylan too. Daphne was grateful for that, however, it didn't discount the fact that he was too demanding of his students. She had struggled to master silent casting as Harry had refused to teach her without it. Harry repeatedly scoffed at uttering spells out loud, saying that it was a terrible weakness and thus, she and Dylan had been forced to learn the technique in advance.

Once they were adept at non-verbal casting, Harry began training them in how to fight. Daphne was amazed at Harry's technique when it came to duelling; he would curse the life out of his opponent one moment, switch to a combination of Transfiguration and Charms the next and also used a wide range of acrobatic moves to dodge spells which were thrown at him. Of course, the reason for this was twofold – one, Harry had been trained in martial arts since a very young age, so dodging spells came naturally to him, and two, Harry had a wealth of knowledge in his mind from Voldemort's memories which he was slowly learning from, combined with rigorous practice sessions with Amelia every week. Combined with his inherent magical power which was already high on the scale, he was quite a formidable duellist for his age.

"Not so fast, Greengrass," said Harry coldly as he saw her move further back so as to stop the fight. Slashing his wand as he moved closer, cornering her against the wall, firing spells at her which Daphne managed to shield and deflect. When Daphne's back touched the wall, with her wand on the floor as she was disarmed, he conjured a wooden sword and raised it above his head but before he could strike, a wandless shield prevented him from coming close to her neck.

"Nice," commented Harry, smirking slightly. "I thought I had you there."

"This is ridiculous!" cried Daphne, panting hard. "I know that you enjoy sword-fighting, but I certainly don't!"

"I did it because you were not expecting it," explained Harry. "I could have easily taken you out with a wand, but you would not have learnt anything. Aunt Amelia always says that in a fight, you must expect the unexpected. You have no idea what surprises she can bring up in a fight; I should know - I've been at the receiving end of it many times. Through pure will and desperation, you were able to conjure a wandless shield, something which you were not able to do before."

"Oh, I was desperate alright," muttered Daphne. Just as she picked up her wand, she saw a jet of scarlet light coming towards her. With a yelp, she dodged to the other side, only to see more spells being fired at her. Cursing Harry to the pits of hell, Daphne got up from the floor and danced around him, doing her best to dodge his spells. Her anger increased multifold as she saw the smirk on Harry's face. Couldn't the bloody emotionless nitwit give her even a minute to relax? Screaming in rage as the pain in her limbs became unbearable any longer due to the constant stress, she fired several curses at him.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

"Confringo!"

"Expulso!"

There was a loud explosion as Daphne collapsed on the ground, panting hard. Her eyes widened when she saw the destruction around the Room of Requirement. There was debris all around, with no sign of Harry.

"HARRY!"

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Daphne ran forwards, moving the debris with her bare hands, her wand forgotten on the floor. Just as she removed another conjured rock, she was caught off guard when she was thrown away from the pile of debris by a banishing charm.

"When I said to expect the unexpected, I meant it," said Harry impassively as he emerged from the debris without a scratch on himself. "You opponent, who you think is defeated, might only be playing you and would choose the best moment to attack when your guard is down. According to Sirius and Aunt Amelia, the Death Eaters during the last war used this to their advantage and even Alastor Moody was caught off guard. You – UFF!"

"You complete ARSE, Harry Potter!" screamed Daphne, as she pinned him to the ground. "Do you have any idea what a dirty trick that was? I thought I had killed you!"

"That was the point," said Harry, frowning slightly. He didn't get it. Why was Daphne worked up over this?

"That was the point?" hissed Daphne, her blue eyes flashing an eerie white for an instant as she glared at her fiancé. Cupping his face angrily, she said, "I have put up a lot with you over the past three years, but this time, you have crossed the line. You may be incapable of understanding the ramifications of what you just did, playing on my emotions like that, but don't you fucking dare do that to me again! I thought I had killed you!"

Harry blinked in shock. He was genuinely confused. "What did I do wrong?" asked Harry curiously.

Daphne's heart melted at the innocent question. She sighed as she collapsed tiredly against him, her head on his chest as she breathed deeply.

"How would you feel if you thought you had killed me?" asked Daphne quietly. "I know that you can perform the Killing Curse. What if I had been present when you were practising it and you fired the curse at me accidentally?"

Harry paled slightly and his eyes widened in shock and understanding.

"That's how I felt when I saw the destruction around me after I fired so many blasting curses at you," she said. Looking up and seeing the shocked expression on Harry's face, she gently caressed his face, locking eyes with him. A tear rolled down her cheek and fell his face.

"You mean the world to me, Harry," whispered Daphne tenderly. "A few years ago, you were just the boy hero from the children's' stories my mother used to read to me when I was a child. You were the Boy-Who-Lived, but you are more than just an icon to me now. We have gone from being casual acquaintances to friends to best friends and finally to romantic partners. I deeply love you, Harry and I can't stand the thought of losing you. Please don't do something like this again. I won't be able to handle it."

"I'm sorry," whispered Harry, cupping her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "I didn't know, I swear."

Daphne smiled slightly as she leaned down to kiss him softly. Harry reciprocated, his kisses full of warmth and love he felt for her as wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

Harry and Daphne complemented each other, completed each other. Both of them were not perfect and would never be perfect, but they were perfect for each other, which in the end, was all that mattered.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Daphne were having dinner in the kitchens. Just as they were finishing dessert, they saw five elves sitting in a corner, drunk. The other elves were giving them worried looks, and the Head Elf was looking at Harry strangely, wondering if he could solve their problems as Dumbledore was not at the castle for the moment.

"Trixie, is there a problem here?" asked Harry, bending down to one knee so as to be level with the elf.

The Head Elf nodded hesitantly. "There is a problem at Gryffindor Tower, Master Harry," she said softly. "The bushy haired Gryffindor is giving clothes to elves. Trixie be wanting to explain to her, but Trixie is scared of the bushy haired girl. She has set four elves free by tricking them to take clothes while we clean Gryffindor Tower."

Harry's eyes flashed with anger. Hermione Granger had been going on about house-elves and slavery over the past month, but no one had paid any attention to her. But to think she would do this!

"What about the fifth elf?" asked Daphne.

"That is Winky, Mistress Daphne," said Trixie. "She used to be the Crouch elf, but her master be giving her clothes. She is very sad and wants a real family."

"How is it that those elves were freed when Granger gave them clothes?" asked Daphne curiously. "Your bond is with the castle, and you report to Harry and the Headmaster."

"We serve the students, Mistress Daphne," explained Trixie. "We be bonded to the castle which houses the students. When any student intentionally gives clothes to free us, it be the same as a master giving us clothes."

Harry nodded in understanding as he stood up. He went over to the depressed elves and said, "Do you four want to bond with the castle again?"

"Yes, Master Harry!" said one of the elves desperately. Tears leaked from the elf's big eyes as he said, "The bushy hair be trying to kill us!"

"Calm down, Floppy!" said Harry. "I'll take you back. Winky, would you like to work here or do you want to work with a family?"

"Winky would want to work with family, Harry Potter sir," said the elf miserably.

"Well then, I have a master who would be delighted to have you," said Harry with a hint of a smile. "At Ravenclaw Tower, you'll find a second-year student named Dylan Lestrange. Go to him and explain what happened and tell him that I would like him to bond with you. Explain why it must be done and then go to Potter Castle. My elves will give you a job to do, okay?"

Winky's face brightened immediately. "Thank you, Harry Potter sir!"

With a pop, she was gone. Harry turned to the others. "I, Harry James Potter, Lord Gryffindor-Slytherin, do hereby take back these elves to serve the residents of Hogwarts School. I also give an order to all the Hogwarts house-elves that any clothes intentionally given to you by the staff or students will not affect you unless you wish to be set free."

There was a small magical discharge and the elves were suddenly feeling better as the bond from the castle helped them recover. They immediately hugged Harry's legs, making him smile.

"I'll take care of the Granger problem," said Harry as he and Daphne walked out of the kitchen.

"I can't believe her," said Harry, sounding annoyed.

"It is because of Muggle-borns like her that the rest of them suffer," muttered Daphne, as Harry made a noise of agreement.