Chapter Twenty One – First Prank

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. Me, I'm just a PR professional. I don't profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world. However, its her sandbox and she's left the gate unlatched so we can go in and play a bit. Which, I've done.

Chapter Twenty One – First Prank

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-==(oIo)==-

\""/

After meeting again in the library, Harry and Hermione walked in to meet Daphne, Tracey, Susan and Hannah had already beaten them there. Neville came in a short while later.

"And - here's where we see the disadvantage of our Houses being in the upper reaches of the castle," said Neville. "You have so much further to go to get things you need."

"At least it's warmer up there," replied Tracey. "I shudder to think just how cold it's going to get down in the snake den when winter is fully upon us."

"So, what's first?" asked Hermione eagerly.

"Settle, Hermione," said Susan. "It's homework."

"But I like homework," replied Hermione.

After a bit of good-natured ribbing, The Seven were soon working on various assignments.

A couple of hours later, Neville sat back and said, "That's me done, I think."

Susan and Hannah said, "Us, too."

"Harry?" asked Daphne.

"Hmm?" replied Harry, his nose in a book.

"You're often the first of us finished," she said. "What are you reading?"

"Oh," he replied, setting the book down. "Just something on something called blood wards. I wanted to see if there was a specific reason Dumbledore insisted on me being placed at the Dursleys."

"Find anything?" asked Hermione.

With a shake of his head, Harry replied, "Not yet. At least, nothing that would specifically mean I'd be placed at the Dursleys. I think it might have a lot to do with how my aunt is my closest living blood relative. Otherwise, there would be far stronger wards that could be placed on a wizarding home over a muggle home."

"You did say Dumbledore also placed you there so you wouldn't grow up knowing you were famous," said Susan.

"True," replied Harry. "But, that doesn't mean I couldn't have grown up outside of wizarding Britain. I'm sure, as he was Supreme Mugwump, he could have found a home for me in another country where being the Boy-Who-Lived wasn't that much of a big deal."

Shaking his head, he said, "No. There was something about aunt Petunia that made him do it; I'm sure of it"

"I'm sure you'll find it, Harry," said Daphne soothingly. "But, I think it's time for lunch."

With agreement around the table, The Seven packed up. As Harry had already packed away his things, he carried the texts that had been brought to the table over the past couple of hours and returned them to their shelves.

After lunch the seven separated. Harry led Daphne to the Entrance Hall. Just before they arrived he asked, "Do you think you're going to need your cloak? We can always head down to the dungeons so you can collect it before we head outside."

With a shake of her head, she replied, "No. As long as we stay away from the lake, I think I'll be fine."

Harry merely nodded and, after accepting her hand in the crook of his elbow, escorted her outside for a walk around the grounds.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

The next morning, The Seven were sitting at the Hufflepuff table finishing their breakfasts, when the mail came in. Harry was very quick to spot Hermione's parent's new owl. He almost didn't see the large Barn owl that landed in front of himself.

Untying the shrunken package, Harry could see it was redirected via the Post Office before being sent on to him. It was the package that contained the costume he'd ordered, plus the catalogue.

Hermione was casually talking to the owl before her, complementing it on it's plumage, as she was untying a package from each of it's legs.

The Seven were each surreptitiously smiling at each other as they watched her work. Neville even reached over with a piece of bacon and handed it to the bird. Who, as soon as one of its legs was free of it's burden, proceeded to use it's talons to eat it.

As soon as it's legs were free the owl moved to sit on Hermione's shoulder, startling the girl in the process.

Hermione opened the first box and drew from it a small bracelet and a letter on muggle stationary.

In shock, she opened the letter and quietly read it with one hand while holding the bracelet in the other.

After a few moments, Harry and the others watched as she gasped, before turning to look more closely at the owl. "Hello, Rocket," she sniffled to the bird.

The owl hooted softly in reply, giving itself a little ruffle of feathers.

Returning to her letter she looked more closely at the bracelet. The others watched as tears fell from Hermione's eyes. She sniffed and carefully folded the letter before placing it within her robes. Only then did she look around the others.

"Who..." she stuttered, before taking a deep breath and trying to centre herself. "Who was responsible for buying my parents an owl?"

Neville grinned and said, "We all were. Harry was a little upset we didn't know it was your birthday, last Thursday, because you didn't tell us. So, he thought the nicest belated present we could get you was an owl for your parents."

"This way," said Hannah, "Your parents are going to be able to contact you when they want to or need to, instead of having to go into Diagon Alley, or wait until you send a letter to them."

"We all put money into buying it," said Daphne, "together with a portable roost, some owl treats and a small booklet on how to care for a post owl."

"And Daphne selected the breed of owl based on it's ability to be able to cover long distances in flight, and it's ability to carry pretty weighty parcels," said Harry.

"And it looks adorable," said Daphne a bit smugly.

"What's it's name?" asked Susan. "Part of the gift is that your parents needed to name it."

"They named him 'Rocket'," replied Hermione, still sniffling a little. "And they said to make sure I said thank you to you all for such an amazing gift.

"A - And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my birthday. I've never had friends who bought me a present before, so I didn't think it was important."

She then carefully rose from her seat and hugged each of the others while softly saying thank you.

Susan was closest and first, so she handed the girl a handkerchief. "I just don't want my school robes stained with tears," she grinned.

Sitting down again, Hermione lifted the owl off her shoulder and fed it another slice of bacon while she looked it over.

"He's absolutely gorgeous," she softly said.

"Well, if you're not going to give it a return letter," said Neville after a few moments, "You'd best release it so it can fly back to your parents."

"Oh!" said Hermione, a little startled in realisation. "I'll just dash off a quick note letting them know I received the packages, thanked you all, and that I'll write to them when I've got more time to do so."

After a quick couple of minutes of writing, Hermione folded up the parchment upon which she was writing, and tied it to the owl's leg. It immediately took to the air. She watched it the whole time until it disappeared into the enchanted ceiling.

Breakfast was winding up and many students had already left. They headed off to their first classes for the week. In the case of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, that was Charms with Professor Flitwick.

On the way, Hermione, who was walking between Harry and Neville, asked Harry, "So, all that stuff about attending family business. It wasn't just so you could buy me an owl, was it?"

"No, that was actual family business," replied Harry. "We just stopped in at the Owl Emporium on our way through Diagon Alley."

"Mum and Dad also told me why you sent Rocket to them, even though he's my gift," she said. "Its very considerate of you all. And dead clever."

Neville, in a moment of clarity, said, "It wasn't the owl that was our gift to you, Hermione; it was the ability for your parents to be able to keep in contact with you that was the true gift. Since they can now keep in contact with you, they'll be less worried about you; and you'll be less worried about them not being able to get in contact with you if an emergency or some such crops up back home. And, that makes you happier."

That earned Neville another hug. This time it came with a kiss on the cheek.

"However," said Harry, "At Christmas your present from me, at least, will be all you."

"Thank you," she softly said.

"Now all each of us has to figure out," said Harry, pretending to be thinking really hard. "Is what sort of gift to buy you that doesn't have pages within."

That earned him a grin and a smack on the arm before she gave him a big hug. Then she turned on Neville and gave him another.

When she released him she said to them, "You people are the best friends!"

"Dashing, too!" said Harry, smirking at Neville.

"And handsome," said Neville. "Don't forget handsome!"

"Oh, you two!" stamped Hermione trying to frown and stop from laughing. "Honestly!" She couldn't hold her laughter back anymore and laughed aloud.

After class, Harry asked Neville to find him the Weasley twins for him.

Frowning a little in confusion, he asked, "Why do you want to see them?"

"I'm setting up a prank and managed to get them to agree to help me," replied Harry. "I figured, if we can work with them on pranks, we're less likely to be the target of theirs."

"That's - brilliant!" said Neville, not with a little wonder in his voice. "What's the prank? Who's it aimed at? Can I help?"

Harry laughed and replied, "Woah, Nev. Slow down a little. The prank is, I'm going to dress as a character out of a muggle movie. Dumbledore would not recognise the character, but I think every muggleborn will. The prank will, in effect, make Dumbledore think I'm going completely dark while the muggleborns will know for a fact I'm just pranking Dumbledore.

"I'm going to pull it in the Great Hall just as dinner starts, so there will be lots of witnesses. The muggleborns will recognise the character immediately, so I'm hoping they'll let the magically-raised at their tables know it's a big prank."

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

At lunch, Harry was sitting with the others at the Slytherin table when one of the twins' dorm mates walked over and handed him a note. Moving it down to his lap he opened it and read.

Harrikins,

Meet us in the antechamber you were in immediately prior to the sorting, straight after lunch.

G & F

Folding the note back up, Harry shoved it into one of his pockets.

"What's going on?" asked Daphne, having noticed the note.

In a near-whisper, he replied, "The twins are working with me on a prank aimed at Dumbledore. I need to meet them right after lunch and before next class."

"What's your next class, again?" she asked.

"Afternoon nap time; otherwise known as History of Magic," he replied.

"Well, I would say, 'don't be late for the class'; but, I don't think that's possible," she sighed. "I think the entire class could be unattended and Binns wouldn't notice."

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

As soon as he'd finished his lunch, Harry told the others he needed to talk to someone for a few minutes and asked Neville to escort Hermione to the next class alone. Then he quickly left the Hall.

Entering the Entrance Hall antechamber he noticed the twins were already there and waiting.

"Hi, mates," he said, before pulling from his pocket the still shrunken package. A quick tap with the tip of his wand and the package was returned to normal size.

He quickly resheathed his wand and pulled the package open to reveal the costume he'd ordered. Surprising, even to him, the costume came with the boots and gloves. He pulled it out of the box and let the box fall to the floor before asking the twins, "Recognise this?"

"No - wait!" said one of them. "That's what one of those people on that poster Lee has on his bedroom wall is wearing."

"Oh, yes," replied the other, "Now I recognise it."

"I take it Lee is a muggleborn?" asked Harry.

"No, he's a half-blood" said one.

"But, muggle-raised" said the other.

"And his home is a muggle home?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes," replied one.

"Did you watch television while you were there?" asked Harry.

"The box with the moving pictures?" asked one.

"That was fun," said the other.

"Yes," replied Harry. "This costume is a copy of the one worn by a character that appeared in a movie. I was wondering if you'd seen that movie on the television while you were there."

"Nope", replied one.

"Don't remember it," replied the other.

"But I bet Lee will," said Harry. "Are you guys heading back to your common room, soon?"

"Yep," replied one.

"We have yet to collect our books..."

"...for our next class."

"Alright," said Harry. "Can I hand this costume off to the two of you, to take back to your dorm, show it to Lee, and ask him to charm it to play a piece of orchestral music whenever the person wearing it is walking?"

"We can do that," said one.

"What's the piece of music?" asked the other.

"He'll know," replied Harry. "I'm also going to need it fitted with an auto-sizing charm to make it fit me, if you can do that."

"Easily done," replied one.

"When do you plan on pulling the prank?" asked one.

"As soon as you've managed to charm the costume and can get it back to me, I'll probably pull it that night at dinner," replied Harry.

"Alright Harrikins," said one.

"Leave it to us," said the other.

Harry left the package with them and quickly made his way to the History of Magic classroom. He managed to walk in just behind the last person to enter. He took seat next to Hermione.

"Why are you late?" she asked.

"I told you," he replied. "I needed to talk to someone."

"About what?" she asked.

Harry sighed and said, "I'm pulling a prank on Dumbledore and the Weasley twins are helping me do it."

"Harry! You'll get in trouble!" she quietly exclaimed.

"Yes," he shrugged. "But, trust me, it'll be worth it."

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

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The Seven sat the Gryffindor table for dinner. Not long after they did, Harry was passed a note from the twins.

H

Showed the costume to Lee and told him what you want done. He told us he knew the required piece of music, once he stopped laughing hysterically. Now we're really curious. He won't tell us what's so funny either.

We should have the costume ready for you within a couple of days.

F & G

As he was refolding the note and sticking it in his pocket, Harry looked down the table. He caught the eye of a dark skinned kid with dreadlocks who was grinning back. The boy threw him a thumbs up gesture.

'Hello Lee,' thought Harry, smiling back.

Seeing the expression on Harry's face, Neville frowned, leaned forward from the other side of the table and asked, "What's going on between you and Lee Jordan?"

Harry also leaned forward and softly said, "Lee is best mates with the twins. He's helping me with a couple of charms I need for my prank on Dumbledore."

"You know you're going to get detention, right?" asked Neville.

With a bit of an evil grin, Harry replied, "No, I don't think so. I think Dumbledore will come out of this willing to give me anything I want so long as I promise not to go dark."

"You're going to pull a massive and very public prank on the Headmaster, and you don't expect to get detention for it?" asked Neville. "This, I have to see."

Harry laughed and said, "I'm just playing to Dumbledore's greatest fear. He's going to freak."

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-==(oIo)==-

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As promised, a couple of days later, just as Harry was about to meet The Seven in the Entrance Hall on their way to dinner, Lee approached him.

"The costume is ready and in the antechamber off the Entrance Hall. Do you know the one?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's the same one I met with the twins to get the costume to you," replied Harry.

Nodding, Lee grinned and said, "If I may suggest, wait until the Great Hall is full and the meal is served, then make your big dramatic entrance."

"That's the plan," replied Harry. "However, I'm not going to know when that is."

"I've got that covered," said Lee. "I can see the door to the antechamber from where I sit at the Gryffindor table. I've been practicing a Knock Jinx that will allow me to knock on the door from where I sit. That'll be your cue."

Grinning, Harry said, "And the final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Excellent, Mr Jordan! And thank you, very much!"

Harry joined the others and said, "You folks go on in. I need to get ready for my prank on Dumbledore."

"You're still going ahead with it, then?" asked Daphne.

With an emphatic nod, he replied, "Yes. This should prove very interesting."

Daphne gave him a quick peck on the cheek as the others started heading off. She quickly joined them.

Harry paused for a moment before he gave a quick grin and ducked down to the antechamber.

Once inside, he quickly closed and latched the door before turning to see the opened package sitting on the floor. He quickly stripped down to his underwear and hoped no one decided to be adventurous and have a look inside.

Quickly dressing into the costume, he waited until he felt it resize to fit him like a glove. He cast the Cantrip that would make his cloak billow, the one to make his hair lay better, the one that gave him the twinkle in his eyes, and finally the one to make his teeth sparkle when he smiled. He knew it was overkill, but he was going for overkill. Lastly, he stood with the helmet tucked under his left arm, waiting and hoping the knock would come soon.

It did. Right then.

A little surprised at his anticipation, Harry waited a few moments before donning the helmet with the mirrored eye openings, opening the door and marching out. As soon as he started to move the Imperial March broke in.

In the Great Hall, all eyes turned to the double doors as soon as the music started. Harry entered and, without breaking stride, marched with his head held high up between the tables towards the head table.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed quite a few wide grins on some faces. Faces that also turned to those sitting either side of them and whispering. The muggle-raised were telling their table mates just who Harry was dressed as.

Almost perfectly on a break in the music, Harry came to a halt on the open space in front of the head table. He paused a moment to take in the looks of shock on the faces of some professors, and dropped to one knee with his head bowed.

Lifting his head to look in Dumbledore's stunned face, he said through the voice altering charm the twins had placed on it, "I, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, present myself to you, Emperor Dumbledore!"

"Whaaat?" spluttered Dumbledore, visibly flinching. "Dark Lord? Emperor?"

"I said..." began Harry/Vader, before he rose and said, "I was informed, Emperor, you would be conducive to an audience!"

"Whaaa...?" spluttered Dumbledore. "I'm not an Emperor!"

"Ha! You jest, my Lord," retorted Harry/Vader, before he pointed a finger at Dumbledore. "Who else but an emperor would seat themselves upon a throne made of gold!"

"Nooo...!" exclaimed Dumbledore. "This is the seat of the Headmaster! I'm not - an Emperor!?"

"Well!" snarled Harry/Vader imperiously. Playing it right up with as much flourishing as possible, he said, "I came here hoping to forge an alliance between my forces and your own. I believed that, together, we would become Masters of the Universe! Clearly, I was mistaken. I am left with no choice but to crush you under the heel of my boot! Good day, Sir!"

Quickly, Harry/Vader spun about, threw his nose – breathing apparatus - into the air, and stormed back out; the Imperial March echoed through the Hall. As he passed the doors, one of the twins banished the doors closed for him.

"Noooo...!" Harry heard the Headmaster call out as the doors closed.

Quickly, he dashed across the Entrance Hall and back into the antechamber. Hurrying, he changed back out of the costume and into his Hogwarts robes before ducking back out of the room.

Harry left the Great Hall amidst riotous laughter and merriment. The head table was all afluster, still.

Quietly, he ducked back into the Hall and, staying crouched, made his way between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables to take seat next to Daphne. No one at the head table appeared to have spotted him come in or find his seat.

Hermione, trying to stifle her laughter, had tears in her eyes and was red in the face. She couldn't even look at Harry.

Daphne looked at him with her eyes twinkling and said, "I think you broke the Headmaster."

"Why, what happened?" asked Harry trying to act innocent.

Neville replied, "Madam Pomfrey had to escort him from the Hall out the teacher's door. I think she was taking him back to his office. He looked pretty shaken up."

Harry looked up at the head table and noticed Professor Flitwick was looking at him and grinning like a loon. Professor Snape was sitting with his head down and a slight smirk was on his face he was trying to hide.

Professor McGonagall was sitting with her elbows on the table and her hands covering her face. The slight jiggling of her shoulders informed anyone paying attention she was trying hard not to laugh aloud.

As the Hall calmed back down and returned to their meals a couple of Gryffindors whispered to Harry and the others, "Great prank, Harry!"

At the end of the meal Professor Flitwick came over and, still grinning, said, "That was very well done, Mister Potter. Maybe now the Headmaster will get rid of that infernal chair he favours so much. Oh, and five points to Ravenclaw for a prank really well done that caused no actual harm and could not be called bullying."

"Thank you, Professor," Harry warmly replied.

Chuckling, the diminutive professor turned away and said, "Darth Vader - Dark Lord of the Sith!" And burst into full laughter again.

"Hmm," said Harry, turning back to his friends. "I think Professor Flitwick is a closet Sci-Fi fan."

"Sci-Fi?" asked Tracey, grinning but clearly puzzled.

"Short for science fiction," replied Hermione. "It's a muggle thing."

"Oh," replied Tracey, clearly still not understanding. "If you say so."

The twins and Lee approached next.

"Bloody marvellous, old chap!" said one.

"Yes, indeed!" said the other.

"That was even better than I thought it would be," said Lee, grinning away.

When Harry was finally able to get away from all his new well-wishers and those who wanted to congratulate him, he finally managed to return to the Ravenclaw common room with the package tucked safely under his arm.

He underwent another round of congratulatory remarks before he was finally able to head to his dorm and put the package away.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

\""/

The next evening Harry found himself summoned to the Headmaster's office. Professor Flitwick once more accompanied him, along with Daphne.

As they approached the gargoyle, Professor Flitwick gave the password and the gargoyle leapt out of their path. The stairs were already revolving upwards. Both Daphne and Harry donned their plain glasses as the stairs ascended.

The three entered the office to find Dumbledore behind his desk with Snape standing brooding in the corner.

"Ah, Harry," said Dumbledore jovially, "So good of you to come."

"What is this about, Headmaster?" asked Harry in a no-nonsense tone.

"I wanted to talk to you about that little prank you pulled at dinner last night," replied Dumbledore. "Won't you please take a seat?"

Harry, seeing only one chair present, indicated for Daphne to sit while he stood just behind her and off to the side.

"Clearly, I cannot, Sir," replied Harry. "As with the last time we attended, there is a distinct lack of seating available."

Snape started to say something but apparently thought better of it. He shut his mouth with an almost audible snap of his teeth.

Dumbledore almost distractedly waved his wand and a second seat appeared alongside Daphne's matching her own.

Without a word, Harry sat. Then he looked back at Dumbledore waiting for the man to say something.

After a quiet few minutes that stretched long enough to be uncomfortable, Dumbledore finally said, "That was a masterful prank you pulled last night, Harry."

"Why, thank you, Albus," replied Harry. "The school populace seemed to think so."

With a frown, Dumbledore said, "Its Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry."

Right back, Harry calmly replied, "Its Mister Potter, Albus. I figured if you wanted to be overly familiar with the use of my given name you wouldn't be upset if I used yours in the same manner. Did we not have this discussion the last time you summoned me?"

Harry could see Snape sitting in the corner, itching to say his piece and scowling away.

Frowning for a few moments, Dumbledore seemed to collapse a little into himself. "Mister Potter, I was hoping we could restart our acquaintance and become - closer - now that the difficulties of your living with your muggle relatives is concluded."

"The legalities surrounding me being unlawfully placed with the Dursleys may be concluded, Headmaster," said Harry. "But, the psychological and physical impact of their treatment of me has a long way to go before I would even dream of considering it - as you put it - concluded. The physical damage to my body may be almost repaired, and I may consider that done and dusted before too much longer, but the psychological damage?" He sighed, "I suspect that is going to take many, many years - if ever - for me to come to full terms with."

"Can't you see beyond that, Harry?" begged Dumbledore. "Everyone should be given a second chance."

"A second chance to kill me, you mean Albus?" asked Harry. "The Dursleys had ten years to show remorse and change their ways. They failed every opportunity given to them. And only a naïve fool would think them capable of changing their ways after so long."

"I meant me, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I admit it was a grave mistake, on my part, to place you with the Dursleys. But you were safe from the magical world there. My intentions were good and just."

Thinking a moment, Harry said, "Aldous Huxley, a novelist from earlier this century once said, 'Hell isn't merely paved with good intentions; it's walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too'.

"And Albert Camus, a French Philosopher, said, 'The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding'.

"You lacked properly understanding what my relatives were capable of. It was a mistake that would have killed me if not for my bouts of accidental magic in self-healing," replied Harry. "There were quite a few times that, had I not been born a wizard, should have killed me.

"No, your mistakes - multiple - were not that you just placed me with the Dursleys when you had no right to do so; nor understood how they would react to me for my very presence. No, your other mistakes were - not regularly coming and checking up on me, not having my placement properly registered as you were legally bound to do, and not teaching me my proper place in the wizarding world.

"Then there's the ones I know you did but have not been pursued through the courts over; and only because I see no benefit from it for myself. There clearly must be an owl-redirection or blockage ward placed on either me or on Privett Drive, and it can only be you who put it there; that's illegal. Included in that, you blocked my mail from Gringotts; that's a breach of the Treaty. You never took me in for my mandatory inoculations against wizarding diseases, such as Dragon Pox, Scrofungulus, and Vanishing Sickness; that's recognised as child abuse in wizarding Britain, each case. And, finally, you currently have in your possession property that rightfully belongs to House Potter you were obliged to return to me on the passing of my father, and have not; that's theft."

Leaning forward, Harry said, "You need to atone and show true remorse for all those matters, Albus; plus others I didn't mention and of which I know you're fully aware. And you can make a good start by returning my property to me without further prompting. Until you recognise and publicly accept your crimes against me - and atone for them - you have no right to ask for forgiveness for them. You will not have deserved it.

"And, as I mentioned in our previous meeting, I'll also need a full accounting from you as to why you did the things you did. And none of that sidestepping of the question you employed in the courts, either. You cannot expect me to consider forgiveness if you're not willing to come clean. You can start with why you took a personal - some might say unhealthy - interest in me in particular; when there were a great many orphans created by Voldemort and his Death Eaters you otherwise ignored.

"You want my forgiveness, Albus? Earn it!"

Harry then sat back and waited.

After a few moments, Dumbledore sighed and with a note of sadness said, "You are, of course, correct, Harry. You have given me a lot to think about; and I shall be up at nights doing just that. You have sacrificed a lot for the wizarding world."

"I have sacrificed nothing, Albus. Everything was stolen from me."

With a second sigh, the old man said, "Thank you for your time, Harry."

Recognising the dismissal, Harry rose and assisted Daphne to her feet. " Take down that mail redirection ward immediately, Albus; tonight. Otherwise, have a good evening, Headmaster," he said, as he led Daphne and Professor Flitwick from the room.

After the door closed behind them, Snape said, "The brat might be arrogant, but he's right, you know."

"I know," said Dumbledore sadly. "However, there are a great many things he is not yet ready to hear."

"And, if you leave out even one thing and he knows of it, he'll never trust you again," said Snape.

Nodding, Dumbledore said, "Thank you, Severus." Effectively dismissing the Potions Master.

Out in the hallway beyond the gargoyle Professor Flitwick walked with the two back towards the main part of the castle. Daphne had her hand firmly in Harry's elbow and was almost hard up alongside him.

The Professor said to Harry, "You've also given me a lot to think about, Mister Potter."

"Yes, Professor, I suspected as much," replied Harry.

"May I discuss with other members of staff what you discussed with the Headmaster tonight?" asked the Professor.

"If you wish, Professor," replied Harry. "Nothing I said you should construe as a secret."

"Thank you, Mister Potter," said the half-goblin just as they arrived back at the grand staircase. "I take it you're safe to find your own ways back to your common rooms from here?"

"Yes; thank you, Professor," replied Harry while Daphne nodded in agreement.

"Then I shall bid you good night," he said, giving a short bow before leaving.

"It's still quite early," said Daphne. "I suspect the others will be in the library. Shall we see if they're there?"

Harry nodded and said, "Sounds like a good idea to me."

As they walked towards the library, Daphne suddenly ducked to the side of the hallway dragging Harry with her. She opened a door, dragging Harry in behind her. It looked like a disused classroom.

As soon as Harry regained his balance from almost being dragged off his feet, Daphne spun him towards her, grabbed each side of his head, and planted a long kiss on his lips.

When she let him go, Harry staggered back half a step and looked back at her in shock. "What was that for?"

"That, Harry, was for both keeping yourself calm and speaking so eloquently back there in the Headmaster's office," she replied. "You make me so proud to be your betrothed."

Quite befuddled, it took Harry a few moments to respond. "I - guess I need to do that more often, then," he stammered.

"Definitely," she replied with a smile.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

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