15 Chapter 13

Spending his days in bed with nothing better to do than talk was, in Harry's opinion, frighteningly dull.

"Just think, Harry, you can treat these moments as a holiday," advised Dumbledore, after Harry's many complaints on the subject. "No responsibilities, no work..."

"I am on holidays," Harry rebutted, making the headmaster chuckle.

It wasn't all bad, though, since Daphne visited often and stayed for extended periods of time, as did his friends. He spent a lot of time chatting with Dumbledore, if not about candy, then about history and transfiguration. It seemed that the headmaster had a passion for both subjects, and his eyes would light up as he animatedly spoke with Harry about them. Harry had to keep much of his own knowledge to himself, of course, but he still took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the headmaster. He was especially captivated by Dumbledore's takes on Xenodarius's principle of converting organic matter to inorganic without killing the living tissues, Garalde's principles of transformation, and the principles of creation, which were all subjects well beyond NEWT level.

When asked about his favourite subjects, Harry responded with Defence Against the Dark Arts, leading to an in-depth discussion on the topic. Harry believed that DADA was an overly generic and reductive name for a course that was, in essence, a practical mix of all subjects. Dumbledore listened carefully to his arguments and happily offered his own unique perspective.

Much to both Dumbledore's and Madam Pomfrey's amusement, Harry's primary concern was being released from the hospital wing in time for the Yule Ball. Seeing the date approaching fast, he insisted he would be going to the ball with Daphne no matter what, even if it meant he needed another stay in the infirmary afterwards. Daphne tried to be stern with him for suggesting he'd jeopardise his recovery, but she couldn't help but feel happy he considered her a priority.

Fortunately for Harry, Madam Pomfrey allowed him to leave the hospital wing two days before the ball.

"You can go have breakfast in the Great Hall, Mr. Potter. And let's hope I don't see you in one of my beds again so soon," the matron said, giving him her usual farewell.

"One can only hope…" Harry said, leaving the hospital wing and whistling his way through the corridors with a grin on his face. Seeing he was alone, he summoned Dobby to his side and waved his wand around the two of them.

"Any news?" asked Harry.

"Nothing noteworthy happened. The mistress spent much of her time practicing in the Chamber, as you suggested. Other than that, she's done a great deal of reading with your friends, when she wasn't with you. She's been safe, and no one has bothered her," Dobby reported, as Harry nodded happily.

"Also, the mistress had an idea for how to forge the book with the Fading spell for the headmaster. She suggested we take parts from different Parseltongue books and mix them together into one volume. You can choose some of the less interesting sections just in case, but as long as the headmaster has no method of translating it, he won't be able to learn anything from the book anyway."

"Brilliant!" Harry said, with a delighted look. "I didn't even consider that, that's absolutely brilliant," he laughed, and the elf smirked, enjoying his master's good mood.

"You've got to love that woman," he added pensively.

"I'll leave it to you, then," Dobby replied, and Harry laughed again. "I'll remind you that you haven't finished the mistress's gift yet, and the Yule Ball is in two days."

"I only need a couple of hours," Harry replied, waving off Dobby's concerns.

"Your uncles also dropped off the materials you requested for the tiles, so I got started carving some of them."

"Excellent. Anything else?"

"Nothing at all," replied Dobby. "You didn't receive any correspondence from anyone, including Gringotts."

"Very well. I'll copy some pages from the Parseltongue books so you can put the forgery together, just don't forget the add Fading spell in the middle. Make a couple more tiles, and if you can, pop by a bookstore and see if you can find a book about Xenodarius's principles of Transfiguration. I found my conversation with Dumbledore fascinating."

"As you wish," Dobby replied, and he popped away. Harry dropped the wards around him and continued his walk to the Great Hall.

When he got there, he was surprised to find that it was mostly empty, then remembered it was the holidays, and not many people would be up this early, if they didn't have to be. Luckily for him, the one person he wanted to see was already there.

Daphne saw him entering the Great Hall out of the corner of her eye, and looked up in surprise.

"Good morning," he said, giving her a peck on the cheek and sitting down next to her.

"Good morning. I'm surprised you're out of the hospital wing so soon."

"So much confidence in me," Harry quipped, and Daphne smiled. "I feel completely fine, and Madam Pomfrey even let me leave without any stipulations."

"I strongly doubt that," Daphne snorted, and Harry looked at her with faux indignation.

"She didn't! Well, she did ask me to try not to occupy one of her beds again so soon, and to come down and have breakfast in the Great Hall."

Daphne smirked and went back to her toast while Harry filled a cup with tea.

"Tell me, how was your evening?"

"Calm," replied Daphne. "I went to the Room of Requirement to practice my spell work and try out the exercises you gave me. I stayed there to study and relax for a bit, and then went back to the common room."

"Great," replied Harry with a smile. "Do you have plans for the day?"

"I was planning to come up and check on you. Other than that, I was going to spend some time with Tracey, Millie, and Pansy," she replied.

"Ball things?" asked Harry, and Daphne sighed.

"It seems everyone is going crazy about the ball. Millie asked Tracey for makeup advice, Pansy has taken to switching between different hairstyles trying to find the perfect one, and now we have a dorm meeting so we can all help each other," she pouted.

"Well, it is in two days..." he added.

"Not you too," she groaned, making Harry chuckle.

"Don't worry, I'm quite pleased with how my plans are turning out," Harry replied with a smile. "It helps knowing that my date will be the most beautiful woman in the room, no matter what she does."

Daphne's cheeks turned pink, but she gave him a radiant smile for his compliment.

"Anyway, why do you ask?" she said, shifting topics. "Was there something you wanted to do today?"

"I wanted to ask you on a date, but if you already have plans it's all right," Harry replied, but Daphne was intrigued.

"Really? Can you tell me what you were planning?" she asked, as Harry sipped his tea.

"I thought we might go out onto the grounds again. I noticed it snowed last night, so I was thinking about taking you ice skating on the lake."

"Really?"

"As long as you promise not to laugh at me when I fall," he grumbled. "I never learned how to skate properly. You took me a couple times, but I never quite got the hang of it."

"Thank you," she said sincerely. She'd always loved ice skating, and Harry must've known that about her.

"Who knows, maybe we'll have time after your girls meeting," he suggested, and Daphne huffed at the reminder.

"It might even be enough to make you relax for a bit."

"Maybe, but it's not like we'd actually be able to skate," she replied. "The lake isn't frozen."

"So?"

"So? You can't exactly ice skate without ice," she replied, confused.

"True."

"The lake isn't frozen. You can't skate without ice. That means we can't skate on the lake," Daphne deadpanned. She could tell Harry was winding her up, and she was hoping he would just get to the point.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were a witch?" Harry teased, and her eyes narrowed at him.

"Don't be ridiculous. The amount of power necessary to freeze the lake surface would be..." she started, and Harry stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"Would you like to make a bet?" Harry asked, and Daphne recognised his 'I know something you don't' smile.

"I'll pass," she replied.

"Spoilsport," he pouted, and she almost giggled. She wanted to know what he had in mind, of course, but their banter was too much fun.

"Fine, how were you planning on creating enough ice?" she asked, and Harry grinned broadly at her.

"How about we leave it as a surprise for later?" he suggested, and she couldn't help but return his smile.

"For some reason, I find your proposal very appealing, Mr. Potter," she replied cheekily, then returned her attention to her breakfast.

"What will you do today?"

"I guess I'll spend some time with the boys," Harry shrugged. "I still have one little project I need to finish, but it'll only take a couple of hours, and I was planning on doing it this evening anyway."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"A surprise," he replied coyly, and Daphne rolled her eyes.

"Then how about we go for a walk now?" she suggested. "It's too early for me to join the girls, so we should have plenty of time for that."

"That sounds like something I would enjoy," he agreed, and Daphne smiled. She thought it was sweet how Harry had made plans, but easily adjusted them to work around her schedule. He seemed to strike just the right balance between wanting to spend time with her and not being overly possessive.

The couple finished their breakfast and left the Great Hall, exchanging pleasantries with Fleur and her friends on their way out. Harry did some quick transfiguration to make their robes heavier, so they'd be warm enough on their walk.

They both had to shield their eyes as they exited the castle, as the morning sun reflecting off of the newly fallen snow made a blinding contrast to the dimly lit interior. After taking a moment for their eyes to adjust, Daphne intertwined her hand with Harry's, and they set off down their familiar path towards the lake. The strolled along in silence for a few minutes, until Harry turned to ask her a question.

"Is green your favourite colour?"

"I have a feeling you already know the answer, so why are you asking?" she countered, glancing up at his emerald eyes. Favourite colour, indeed.

"Just checking," he replied, and she grabbed his arm and looked at him expectantly.

"It's for a surprise."

She sighed. "Yes, my favourite colour is green, happy?"

"Yes, but that has nothing to do with it," he replied, and stole a quick kiss from her.

She rolled her eyes, but still smiled back at him. It was in moments like these when he could be so charming, almost childish in a way, that it made it easy to forget about his past. She loved it.

"Harry, I'd like to speak to you about something serious," she said apprehensively, and Harry nodded, deciding to ignore the opportunity to use his godfather's favourite pun. He quickly drew his wand and raised the usual privacy wards.

"Sure, go ahead," he said.

"It's about Dumbledore, and what happened a couple days ago," she replied.

"Sure, what exactly do you want to know?"

"What really happened? What did you do? Will he recover the memories, or...?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Like I said, I locked his mind. We fought inside my mindscape, and that's what scrambled my brains. The old man is a powerful and cunning wizard, and he gave me a lot of trouble, even with the advantage of being inside my mind," replied Harry.

"When you say you fought..."

"Duelled," he replied, and she let out a resigned sigh.

"Like I said, the old man is both powerful and cunning, and we were fairly evenly matched. The difference was that I had Bael, which paralyzed him with its gaze before the duel could drag on for too long. That's when I Obliviated the memory from his mind and replaced it a new one. Using the Parseltongue spell to lock his mind and keep him unconscious was important, because that gave enough time for the memory to settle. Even though Dumbledore is a master Occlumens, he shouldn't suspect that the implanted memory is artificial."

"As least, I hope," he thought.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, after a slight hesitation.

His moment of uncertainty didn't go unnoticed, and Daphne gave him a stern look.

"I destroyed the real memory. Even if he realises the new memory is fake, it will be impossible for him to remember what actually happened."

"But he would hound you non-stop," she argued, and his shoulders slumped.

"He might be a bastard that ruined part of my life, but I didn't want to kill him. He hasn't done anything to deserve that," Harry admitted, and Daphne reached up and caressed his face.

"You didn't have to, either. You did the right thing," she replied with a smile, and he held her hand in place and kissed it.

"Thank you," he replied.

"I'm just concerned about you. If Dumbledore finds out..."

"He won't," Harry replied softly. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"Make sure you are. I trust you, but you need to be careful," she said. "If he finds out the truth, a lot of bad things can happen."

"I know," he replied, closing his eyes and lowering his head. "I was foolish. I believed I had all points covered, that I had a contingency in place for everything. What's ironic is that I had just been talking with Moony..."

"Remus?"

"The same. I had been talking with him about hubris, and I..." Harry sighed. "I was the most powerful wizard for too long. I think that without anyone to match me, I had unknowingly become arrogant, and too sure of myself. If nothing else, Dumbledore has at least opened my eyes to that."

"What went wrong, exactly?" Daphne asked.

"The most ridiculous thing, actually. Dumbledore had protections in place against Compulsions, and he noticed each one I tried to cast on him," Harry admitted.

"Fine. What's done is done," she said.

"Focus on the future, right?"

"Of course," she replied, and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. She felt the emotion, the longing, and the appreciation he had for her in that kiss, and when it ended, he rested his forehead against hers.

"I know. You're always right," he replied, and dropped another kiss on her smiling lips.

"Please, just promise me you'll be careful. I think it's too late for me, now," she breathed, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"What do you mean?" he asked, pulling back so he could see her more clearly.

"Daphne?"

Her blush deepened.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered, and he understood what she meant, even if she couldn't say the words yet.

"You won't, I promise," he replied, and held her close to him. They stayed that way for a while, like two statues embracing in the middle of a snowy field. They eventually loosened their grip on each other, and Daphne decided to take the opportunity to ask Harry more of her questions.

"Why are Bael's eyes blue? I thought basilisks' eyes were yellow?" she asked, and Harry chuckled.

"I was wondering when you'd ask me that," he said, and she raised her eyes to meet his.

"So?"

"It's part of a longer story," he replied. "I'd rather tell you everything after the ball, if that's alright with you?" Harry requested, and Daphne nodded her agreement before returning to his embrace. Hugging him like this had quickly become one of her favourite things.

"I'll trust you," she replied. "Besides, I don't want to talk about that for now."

That solved Harry's dilemma about telling her about Jason Hallys. They still had plenty of time for that.

"I thought you were more powerful than Dumbledore," she said, and Harry looked thoughtful. "I'd assume you'd have less of a problem facing him."

"I assumed the same. It seems I was wrong," he sighed, and Daphne gave him a confused look.

"Simply put, I underestimated the old man. Sometimes, power isn't everything. Skill counts for a lot, and so do control, knowledge, and experience. Dumbledore has it all, and in large quantities. He's admitted several times that Voldemort is more powerful than him, and yet he's been able to duel him to a stalemate every time they've met."

"More magical power means you can cast stronger spells, and fight for longer without tiring. It also makes it easy to overwhelm lesser opponents. Against strong opponents, however, those advantages don't count for as much, unless you also have superior skill and control. If not, you risk overexerting yourself, or making mistakes your opponent can capitalise on. Dumbledore's technique is almost flawless, and he uses it to avoid damage and conserve his energy. That way, he can drag fights out for longer and create more opportunities for his opponents to make mistakes. Does that make sense?"

"I do...you did say that Dumbledore was powerful, skilled, and cunning," Daphne replied thoughtfully. "But then again, so are you…and you are more powerful than Dumbledore, aren't you?"

"I am, though I'll admit the gap is smaller than I once thought. It's like I said, one mistake is all it takes, and Dumbledore is talented enough to take advantage of even the tiniest of errors. On top of that, our duel didn't take place in the real world, so my having a youthful and more resilient body didn't make a difference. The duel was intense enough to damage my mind, and without Bael, it likely would have lasted a lot longer. Who knows what would have happened then, to either of us?"

"Don't do it again, then," she warned him.

Harry nodded his agreement, giving her his best reassuring smile.

"Shall we continue our walk?"

~BREAK~

Daphne and Harry entered the common room, which was still mostly unoccupied. With a sigh, Daphne kissed Harry goodbye and took the stairs up to her dorm to meet up with the girls. Harry turned and went to his own, intent on joining up with the other boys. Sure enough, Theo, Blaise, Vince, and Greg were all in their room, hanging out on their beds and talking, still wearing their pyjamas.

"You do know it's a beautiful day outside, right?" Harry asked, surprising them.

"Hey, welcome back. Pomfrey let you out?" Blaise greeted Harry, who shook his head.

"Nope, I escaped while she was giving Dumbledore a sponge bath," he deadpanned. The other four boys grimaced, until they saw Harry's wry smile and realised he was joking.

"That's something I'd rather not picture, thank you very much," laughed Vince, while Harry waved his wand to open up the curtains around his own bed.

"Have you seen your girlfriend today?" Theo asked.

"I met her in the Great Hall for breakfast this morning," Harry nodded.

"I was planning on taking her on a date, but she already had plans, so we just walked around for a while, until she had to come back here for the girls' meeting, or whatever it is they're doing."

"Do you have any idea what they're up to?" Blaise asked, but Harry just shrugged.

"Daph told me that the girls were getting together to help each other with ball stuff, you know, like their dresses and make-up, or whatever. She didn't explain it very well, and to be honest, I didn't care enough to probe any further. I don't think she was looking forward to it much."

"Millie told me that they were having a meeting, but I swear, all I could picture was an all-girls slumber party," Blaise remarked, making them all laugh.

"What about you guys?" Harry asked Greg and Vince. "Are the two of you both going with Pansy, or what?"

"Yeah..." Vince replied shyly, while Greg silently nodded.

"So... how does that work?" Theo asked, genuinely curious. "Who asked who, and how did you reach that agreement?"

Being a boy of few words, Greg just shrugged, so Vince had to answer for both of them.

"Pansy just came up to us one day and said she wanted to go with both of us, then told us we were taking her. How it will be, I don't know, but it'll be fine."

"If you say so..." mumbled Blaise. "I guess Pansy is building her own male harem, then," he said, triggering another round of chuckles.

"She's been nervous," Greg replied, almost in a whisper.

"All of them are. I understand they want to look pretty and all, but they really shouldn't get all worked up," Blaise added.

"Maybe we should do something to help them to relax," Harry suggested, and the others looked around at him curiously.

"What were you thinking?" Theo asked. He noticed Harry's smirk and realised he must already have an idea.

"How about we invite the girls to have lunch by the lake?"

"By the lake?" Blaise asked doubtfully.

"It's cold, and there's snow everywhere," Vince pointed out, while Greg just looked confused.

"Not you too," Harry complained, rolling his eyes. "Look, we're wizards. Snow can be melted, and we know how to cast warming charms."

"You mean a picnic, then?" asked Theo, and Harry smiled.

"Sure," he replied. "What do you say? I can have Dobby prepare a couple of baskets with enough food for all of us, and we can spend our afternoon relaxing out by the lake."

"I'm in. I have nothing better to do, either way," replied Blaise. Greg nodded, as did Vince, but Theo looked back at Harry and chuckled.

"I believe I remember you saying something about wanting to go on a date with Daphne today?" he asked, and Harry grinned triumphantly.

"I never said I was suggesting it out of the goodness of my heart. What do you think I am, a duffer? Or worse yet, a dork?"

They all laughed, then started making plans.

~BREAK~

Daphne was bored.

It was the seventh time Tracey cast the hairstyle charm on Millie, and she still hated how she looked. This attempt left her hair shorter than usual, falling just to the top of her neck. Personally, she thought Millie looked better with long hair, but she decided to keep her mouth shut, after her last comment caused Millie to angrily retort, "Not all of us can be naturally beautiful." Daphne had known Millie for a long time, and she knew that the other girl had always struggled with insecurity.

"How about some curls near the tips?" suggested Pansy, waving her wand until Millie's hair took the desired shape.

"No," she frowned, taking in her reflection.

"Damn it, Millie," Tracey growled, and Daphne smirked from her spot on the bed, where she was laying back and looking up at the ceiling.

"What do you think, Daphne?" asked Millie, and Daphne turned to look at the other three girls.

"I already gave you my opinion, long wavy hair suits her," the blonde replied.

"I agree," replied Pansy, and Tracey sighed something that sounded like, "You're not helping." Daphne waved her wand and Millie's hair took the shape Daphne intended.

"What do you think?" asked Daphne, and both Tracey and Pansy nodded their approval.

"I don't know," Millie mumbled, and Tracey let out an exasperated sigh.

"Millie, what's the problem?" she asked. "You look beautiful. You'll have Blaise drooling all over himself for you."

"I wish..." the girl mumbled, but loud enough that they all heard her.

"Wait, is that it? You want Blaise to make drool?" asked Daphne. Pansy had to hold back a laugh.

"I just want to look beautiful for him," Millie blushed. "I don't want him to regret it."

"Are you sure we're talking about the same guy?" asked Tracey, shaking her head. "Blaise, the guy that for the last month has proven over and over again that he's completely crazy about you?"

"He is not..."

"Yes, he is," replied Pansy in a sing-song voice, dragging out the last word.

"But what if he finds someone better?" asked Millie, more to herself than to her friends. Daphne put her hands on Millie's shoulders.

"Millie, listen to me. Blaise is an idiot," she said, and Millie looked like she was about to retort when Daphne interrupted her.

"No, hear me out. Blaise is an idiot, because according to Harry, he spent hours in front of the mirror trying to work up the courage to ask you out. He was so nervous that it looked like he was going to chicken out, so Harry threatened to put him under the Imperius Curse."

Pansy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had no idea.

"Do you know what finally convinced him to ask you to the ball?"

Millie shook her head.

"Harry told Blaise that if the girl he wanted to ask to the ball was so special, then it was only a matter of time before someone else asked her first," Daphne explained, looking into the reflection of Millie's eyes in the mirror. "The idea of you going with another boy scared him so much, that he immediately came down and asked you to the ball."

"Really?" Millie whispered.

"And tripped. You can't forget about how he tripped right in front of Millie," Tracey laughingly recalled.

"He made up for it by falling to one knee and conjuring a rose for her," Pansy added with a wistful sigh. "I wish my boys had done something like that."

"Theo didn't do anything like that, either," Tracey replied, crossing her arms. "Maybe Theo should try to learn something from Blaise about how to treat a girl."

The three girls turned to look at Daphne expectantly.

"Please, Harry asked me to the ball in the least romantic way possible. I asked for his help with my spell work, and in exchange, he asked for my help with any tournament related business. Two seconds after I agreed, he clarified that 'tournament business' also included the ball," she replied with a small scowl.

"But we've gotten side-tracked. What I meant was that Blaise has it bad for you, Millie. Don't worry about it. Go to the ball, have fun, let him pamper you a bit, and enjoy yourself. Blaise knows he wouldn't survive long if he did something to ruin your night."

"Are you sure?" Millie asked, almost pleadingly.

"You're a beautiful girl, Millicent," she answered with a reassuring smile. "He'd be a fool to let you go."

Millie smiled and looked herself in the mirror.

"Alright, I think I like this style."

"Finally!" groaned Pansy, raising her arms to the ceiling in celebration.

Suddenly, there was a loud pop from behind them, and the four girls turned around to see Dobby, who, for some reason, was wearing a black blindfold.

"Dobby? What's wrong?" Daphne asked, and Dobby snapped his fingers and conjured a scroll.

"Mistress, ladies, Master Harry and his gentlemen friends send you a message," Dobby replied, holding out the scroll, which Daphne took from him.

"What's with the blindfold?" Tracey asked, and Dobby smirked.

"Mr. Zabini insisted on it, Ms. Davis. He wanted to ensure I wouldn't see you ladies in your undergarments."

"Blaise did what?" Millie and Pansy asked at the same time, both confused. "Why?"

"He insisted I act too much like a person, and not like an elf," Dobby replied with a bow. He popped away from the room, leaving the girls perplexed.

"Was it me, or did the elf seem really amused?" Tracey asked, and Daphne shrugged and opened the scroll. Before she could read it, the scroll levitated away from her hands and unrolled itself.

"Dear Tracey," started Theo's voice, making said girl raise one eyebrow.

"Dear Millie," spoke Blaise's voice, causing a similar reaction.

"Dear Pansy," Greg and Vince's voices sounded in unison, making Pansy grin.

"My dearest Daphne," Harry's voice said, and Daphne blushed at the girls' chuckling reaction.

"Hey, no fair," complained a nervous-sounding Blaise.

"Oi, it's recording, you ass," Theo admonished.

"But..." Blaise tried, but he was interrupted by Harry.

"We never agreed on a script Blaise, just the general idea," Harry said. "Can we proceed? Thank you. Now, ladies, as we believe you are in need of some relaxation, we would like to invite each of you to a picnic lunch, today at the lakeshore. Don't worry, we've taken care of everything. Please join us no earlier than twelve o'clock. Daphne, I hope to see you there. Love, Harry."

"Tracey trust me, you'll like it. Love, Theo."

"Millie, I hope you'll come. Love, Blaise."

"Pansy, we're waiting for you. Love, Vince."

"It will be fun. Love, Greg."

"Just come prepared to be outside," Harry concluded, and the message scroll rolled itself back up, while the girls looked around at each other in surprise.

Daphne was the first to start giggling, and the other three followed soon after.

~BREAK~

"Do you think they'll come?" Blaise asked nervously, standing with Theo, Greg, and Vince at the lakeshore, watching the path leading down from the castle. Harry was looking out over the lake with his hands behind his back. They had chosen a spot fairly close to the path, but far enough from Hagrid's hut and Durmstrang's ship that they'd have a modicum of privacy.

"They will, don't worry," Harry assured them.

"Shouldn't we start preparing everything, then?" asked Theo, and Harry nodded and drew his wand, the other four boys following suit. They vanished the snow from a small patch of ground around them, and then Harry cast a warming charm over the area.

"Feel warm enough?" he asked, and the boys nodded.

Theo conjured a large blanket in the colours of Slytherin house and spread it across the ground. Dobby appeared moments later with four picnic baskets and placed them in the centre of the blanket, before popping away again.

"It's noon," Blaise announced, and Harry chuckled.

"They'll come," he said, turning back to the lake. He closed his eyes and stepped out of the warmed area, enjoying the refreshing feeling of the wind and chilly winter air against his face.

"What's so interesting about the lake?" Vince asked Harry.

"Nothing in particular," he replied, looking back over his shoulder. "I'm just wondering how much power it would take to freeze the entire lake."

Theo looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"A lot, no doubt," Theo replied, to which Harry agreed.

"May I ask why you're thinking about that?"

"You may, but I think it'll be better if we wait a while longer, and then I can show you," Harry replied.

His response seemed to amuse Theo, who just shook his head and mumbled something about Harry being too Slytherin.

"Here they come," Greg called out to the others. The four girls had all walked down together, and they were slowly making their way down the path and chatting among themselves. They were all wearing their heavy cloaks, with their green and silver striped Slytherin scarves wrapped around their necks. Once they reached the spot where they boys had set up their picnic, Daphne walked right up to Harry with a big smile on her face.

"Why do I have the feeling this was all your idea?" she asked, and Harry responded with a sly grin. Without a word, he took her hand and brushed a kiss across the top of her knuckles, before escorting her to the blanket. Not wanting to be outdone, the other boys hurried to make similar gestures. Theo and Tracey sat down on the blanket next to Daphne and Harry, while the other five took their seats opposite them.

"How did you do this?" asked Millie, noticing how warm it was and removing her heavy cloak and scarf, the rest of the girls doing likewise. Daphne was the only one who didn't look surprised, this being the second time she'd experienced one of Harry's surprise picnics.

Harry's smirking reply of "Magic" was met with a round of eye rolls and chuckles, and the group descended into conversation.

"First of all, the message was great spell work. Whose idea was that?" asked Tracey, and the boys all turned to Greg.

"We were debating how we wanted to send the message, and Greg said it was a shame that Howlers were too loud," explained Blaise. "Theo figured there had to be a way to make a talking message that didn't yell at you, so we ran with the idea. We went to the library, and as it turns out, the method for making a Howler is well documented. Once we had the information, creating the message for you was actually fairly simple."

"It was a really nice job, would you teach me?" Millie asked shyly.

"Of course. I'd be delighted," Blaise replied, grinning and ignoring the chuckles around them.

"And whose idea was it for the picnic?" asked Pansy. The boys turned to Harry, who had one arm around Daphne's waist while he played with a curl of her blonde hair.

"He has a secret plan," Theo mocked playfully, piquing the girls' curiosity.

"Oh? Do tell, then," asked Tracey, and Theo shrugged.

"Now now, Tracey, be patient," Harry replied, earning a look from Daphne.

"Come on, Harry, I want to know what you're planning," she said, and Harry just smiled.

"Don't tell me you already forgot?" he asked, and Daphne's eyes widened briefly as she remembered their earlier conversation.

"Really? Well then, Mr. Potter, how about a demonstration?" she taunted.

With a grin, he dropped a kiss on her cheek, then stood up and walked to the lake. Ignoring the looks his friends were giving him, he pointed his wand out towards the water and whispered, "Glaciem Nulla."

A beam of blue light sped from his wand and impacted the water in front of him. To everyone's surprise, the water immediately started to freeze, and to their further surprise, the freezing followed the movement of Harry's wand, creating a corridor of ice nearly five meters wide. Harry walked out onto the ice, testing its strength, and then turned back to his friends, who had all stood up and were looking at him in awe.

"Now, because I'm a nice guy, I'll teach you all the spell. That way, you can help me create a big enough patch so we can do some ice skating after lunch. What do you say?"

Daphne was starting to get used to being amazed by Harry, so her astonishment soon a gave way to feelings of pride and excitement. She loved ice skating, and she knew Harry knew that as well, and had really done this just for her. She glanced around at her friends and noticed they already had their wands out, ready to learn the spell and get started on the ice.

"Are you sure you want to do it now? We could have lunch first..." Harry asked, but trailed off as he noticed how eager they all seemed.

"Are you kidding?" Tracey asked rhetorically.

Harry turned to Daphne and saw the anticipation on her face, and realised it was a lost cause. He just gestured to the lakeshore, and they all followed him.

"The incantation is Glaciem Nulla. It requires no wand movements to cast, only to control the direction of the ice formation. It's basically a stronger version of the Freezing Charm, and even though it's not difficult to cast, it does require a fair amount of power behind it. Now, everyone take aim at the water, focus your magic, and don't forget to take a deep breath before you cast."

The anticipation was too much for the Slytherins, and instead of following Harry's instructions, they all immediately shouted the incantation, their combined spells having little effect. Theo had managed to make Tracey giggle by creating a flurry of snowflakes in front of him, but otherwise, Daphne was the only one to produce a visible result. Delighted by the small patch of ice she had created, she looked happily over at Harry, who was beaming back at her proudly.

"That's my witch," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"How about you help me work with the others?"

Daphne nodded and joined Theo and Tracey, while Harry turned to assist the others. After nearly an hour of work and several failed attempts, they all learned the spell well enough to have a go at making their skating rink.

Feeling optimistic, the group spread themselves out along the corridor of ice Harry had made earlier. Since Harry and Daphne had proven to be better with the spell, the plan was for them to expand the ice along one side, and the rest would team up to deal with the other side. The end result was a patch of solid ice about fifteen meters wide and extending ten meters into the lake. All in all, Harry considered it a successful effort.

"Well, I'd say that's enough," Daphne said, panting slightly

Harry grinned and helped Greg up, who had fallen to his knees in exhaustion.

"You weren't kidding when you said the spell took a lot of power... Damn, I'm knackered," Theo panted, helping Tracey off the ice and onto the blanket.

"I don't even want to know where you found that spell..." Daphne said, sitting down on the blanket.

With a wave of Harry's wand, the food levitated out of the baskets and arranged itself on the blanket, before being promptly claimed by the famished teens.

"You know very well where I learned it..." he replied playfully, claiming a sandwich for himself. "Do you think it will be enough space for all of us?"

"I think it's more than enough," she replied. "I'm curious, though. The Freezing Charm we're taught is supposed to uniformly freeze its target. How does this spell work?"

"Well, as you saw, the effect of the spell is concentrated on the point of impact. Since we're focusing all the energy of the spell on a limited area, the relative freezing power is much greater than that of the usual Freezing Charm."

"Makes sense, I suppose," replied Daphne. "It's not very well known, is it?"

"Definitely not. I read it in one of the old books, and I'm pretty sure it was already old by the time the book was written."

After enjoying a laughter-filled lunch together, the group filed out onto the ice and worked together to extend it out even further into the lake. Harry called for Dobby, who then added protections around the borders to make sure no one would fall into the freezing water. They quietly stood by admiring their work for several moments, when Daphne suddenly burst into a grin. She quickly transfigured her shoes into ice skates and took off, leaving the others behind to stare after her.

"Wow, I didn't know she loved skating so much," Millie mumbled, while Tracey and Pansy got started transfiguring their shoes.

"Come on, boys," Pansy called, pushing Greg and Vince onto the ice and skating behind them. They didn't make it far before the boys slid into each other and fell to the ice, almost taking Pansy with them. Theo was clumsily trying to keep up with a cackling Tracey, while Blaise was teaching Millie how to skate for the first time.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time, but Harry only had eyes for the blonde girl skating ice towards him with her hands behind her back.

"Are you just going to stay there all day?" Daphne asked, stopping mere inches from Harry.

"The last time I tried skating, I fell so hard my butt and my back were bruised for nearly two weeks."

"Come on, I'll help you," she laughed, wrapping her arm around his.

Her laughter sounded like music to Harry. These little moments where she looked so happy and carefree meant everything to him.

Harry chuckled and transfigured his shoes before tentatively pushing off, still hanging on to Daphne's arm. They took a few slow laps around the ice, Daphne making sure she helped guide him around the curves.

"See? It's not that hard," she said, smiling.

"I never said it was, I just said I hurt myself last time," he replied.

"When was that?" she asked, and his face fell a bit.

"Our last winter together..." he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear him. She squeezed his arm and rested her head against him, neither saying a word for some time after.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" she asked after a while, and he nodded.

"I just really wanted to spend time with you today, and I remembered how much you loved skating," he answered. "The guys wanted to spend the afternoon with their girlfriends too, so here we are."

Daphne looked up at him fondly, and asked him, "When did you actually learn that spell, by the way?"

"I think I was somewhere in my fifties. It's from of a collection of spells known as Ice Lore, some of the earliest known recorded magic," explained Harry.

"Have you ever considered writing down all the spells you know?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I did it once, in my previous life. It would take some time recreate it, but I might be able to speed it along if I use the Pensive to review my memories of doing it the first time. Maybe after this year is done."

At that moment, Viktor Krum and a few other Durmstrang students called to them from the shore.

"There vas no ice in morning," Viktor said, as Harry approached him, Daphne and the others following close behind.

"You made it, da?"

"We did," Harry replied with a nod, and Viktor nodded to all of them in greeting.

"It is good job. Strong ice. Vat you do? Ice Lore?" asked one of the other students, a blonde boy with blue eyes.

"Yes. We used Glaciem Nulla," Harry replied. However, none of the Durmstrang students reacted to the name of the spell.

"Can ve join?" one of girls asked hopefully.

Harry looked around to his friends, who all shrugged as if to say, "Why not?" Before anyone could reply, however, the blonde Durmstrang boy stepped forward.

"No, ve can make our own ice," he said, ignoring the surprised looks from his schoolmates.

"Is true. Sascha is right, ve can make our own," Viktor replied with a smirk to Harry, who was reminded of an older Viktor Krum.

"Can you teach us spell?" asked the boy Krum identified as Sascha, and Harry nodded, twirling his wand with his fingers.

"Sure. You're all older and more experienced, do you think you can do an even better job than us?" Harry inquired.

"Of course, ve are Durmstrang. Best school," one of the boys said.

"Really? In that case you shouldn't need my help at all, right?" Harry smirked, while Viktor and some of his mates rolled their eyes.

"Don't listen to Dimitri, he is fool," replied one of the girls, while the boy in question complained about the elbow to the ribs he had just received.

"Very well, then. The spell is..."

Harry explained the spell and how to cast it, then returned to skating while the Durmstrang students rallied by the shore and started practicing.

"Sharing your secrets?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow, and Harry smiled.

"It's not exactly a secret, is it? Besides, it's Christmas! It's a time for sharing and happiness," Harry said pompously, making Daphne giggle.

Less than an hour later, Durmstrang students had an ice sheet as big as the one the Slytherins had created. Word must have gotten back to their ship, because it wasn't long before even more joined the group and started learning the spell from their friends.

Another unexpected arrival came in the form of Fleur Delacour and her friends. Fleur went straight up to Viktor, who gladly shared the spell with the Beauxbatons delegation. It wasn't long before a third ice sheet appeared on the lake. More and more curious students came out to see what was happening, and what started off as a small patch of ice made by Harry and his friends had been transformed into one huge, interconnected field of ice, built in cooperation by students from all three schools.

"How the hell did this happen?" Harry asked, sitting on the ground and observing the scene, Daphne leaning against him. She smirked and looked around in wonder at the sight of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students intermingling with the Slytherins, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even a few Gryffindors. True to the stated mission of the Triwizard Tournament, students from all three schools were united in a common purpose: having fun.

"I have no idea," she said, watching a much more confident Millie skating around with Blaise.

"However, it might have something to do with you sharing the spell with the Durmstrang students, who shared it with the Beauxbatons students, and then they both taught it to the Hogwarts students…"

"Fine, it's all my fault," he sighed. "All I wanted was a take you out on a nice date, but nooooo, something crazy had to happen..."

Daphne smiled, feeling the warmth spread to her face.

"This has been great," Daphne reassured him. "I honestly don't remember the last time I had this much fun."

"At least there's that," he whispered, and kissed her temple. Daphne turned and put her hand on his cheek and kissed him full on the lips.

"That was for a great afternoon. Not to mention getting me out of the girls' meeting."

"Glad to be of service," he chuckled, and Daphne smiled as their eyes met. "It might not be much, but happy Yule, Daph," he said, caressing her chin with his thumb and giving her another kiss.

"Happy Yule, Harry," she returned.

"The best I've had in many years," he murmured, and she smiled.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

The fun stopped almost immediately, as everyone turned to the source of the magically amplified shout, and saw an irate Professor McGonagall marching towards them, followed by the other heads of house, Madame Maxime, and Highmaster Karkaroff.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Having fun!" shouted someone from the Hogwarts group.

"GET OFF OF THE ICE, RIGHT NOW! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT CAN BE?" McGonagall shouted again. The Hogwarts students begrudgingly complied after being threatened with the loss of house points, the others following behind them after receiving similar warnings from their headmasters.

"Who's foolish, irresponsible idea was this?" McGonagall demanded, while Flitwick examined the ice.

Everyone's heads turned in the same direction, and the crowd parted to reveal Harry, who was still sitting on the ground with Daphne. Harry's expression was emotionless apart from his slightly narrowed eyes, but his feelings were betrayed by his subtly flaring magic. Daphne was glaring at the professor with a look of pure outrage, though she didn't move from her place leaning against Harry.

"That would be me, Deputy Headmistress," Harry replied darkly.

"Detention!" she angrily shouted, and was taken aback when nearly every student immediately jumped to the young wizard's defence. During the ensuing commotion, the three older champions looked to each other and seemed to come to an agreement. Diggory was the first to step forward.

"Professor, with all due respect, Harry may have been the first to share the spell, but we are all responsible. We're the ones who decided to teach the spell to each other and go out and have fun on the ice. It would be unfair to give Potter detention without the rest of us receiving the same punishment."

"Da, to us as vell." replied Viktor, his arms crossed. "It vas my group dat ask for spell first."

"Pareil avec nous," Fleur added, with a smile directed at Madame Maxime. "We joined in ze fun as well."

The teachers were surprised by the show of support, and with one notable exception, they were starting to wonder if they had overreacted. For Harry's part, he hadn't moved from his spot, but was looking around curiously at what was happening. He certainly hadn't expected anyone to defend him, that being quite the opposite of what he was used to.

"Before anything is decided, I do believe that every Hogwarts student should be awarded with at least ten points for this amazing display of magic," Professor Flitwick announced.

"The ice is exceedingly strong, and I found several protective spells cast around the area as safety precautions. Well done everyone!" the tiny professor beamed, bemusing the other teachers and throwing McGonagall off her rant.

"Filius, this is not the time..."

"I'm sorry, Minerva, but this is the perfect time," he replied, letting his inner Ravenclaw shine and celebrating the admirable display of both magic and cooperation.

"I would like to offer a chance for some extra credit to everyone who cast protections around the ice. All you need to do is write me a short essay detailing what you did and how, and hand it in at the start of the next term."

The commotion started up again, but this time it was more amused conversation than angry shouting.

"Potter, explain," ordered Snape.

"Me and the guys planned a surprise for the girls. I knew the spell, so I taught it to the rest of them, and we made the ice together," he replied, not shying away from making eye contact with Snape, who by now knew better than try Legilimency on him.

"Viktor and his group came by first and asked me to teach them, which I did. More and more people saw what we were doing and got curious, everyone started sharing the spell with each other, and before we knew it..."

Harry made a sweeping gesture with his hand, indicating the large crowd of students and the ice sheet.

"And how did you learn the spell, whatever it was?" Sprout asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I read a book," Harry replied flatly, and those nearby had to hold in their laughter.

"Very well, then. I am satisfied with your explanation," Snape decided. "Ten points for a job well done. Perhaps you're not as much of a dunderhead as I once thought."

The Hogwarts students looked around at one another, hoping that the sight of Severus Snape complimenting Harry Potter wasn't a sign that the world was ending.

Professor McGonagall glanced around at her colleagues and the foreign headmasters, and realised she no longer had their support on the matter. Admitting defeat, she sighed and turned to make her way back to the castle, muttering something about needing a strong drink.

Noticing how most the students were looking at him expectantly, Harry turned back to Professor Flitwick and asked, "Does that mean that we can continue using the ice?"

"Of course, you can, and once again, excellent job!" he replied jovially, triggering a round of cheers from the students. Snape and Karkaroff took their leave, but Madame Maxime and Professor Sprout decided to stay a while and learn some more about the day's activities from their students.

Professor Flitwick then approached Harry, who was busy whispering something to a grinning Daphne.

"Mr. Potter, may I trouble you for a moment of your time?"

"Now?!" Harry questioned, both him and his girlfriend obviously disappointed by the interruption.

"Not at all, not at all! I wouldn't want to keep you from your afternoon with your friends. How about tomorrow after dinner?"

"Of course. Thank you, Professor," Harry replied. "And thanks again for your help, I really appreciate your stepping in back there."

"It's my job, Mr. Potter. The moment I realised there was no danger whatsoever, I was delighted to study your accomplishment and reward all the students accordingly. I take it the spell you used was something from Ice Lore?"

"Glaciem Nulla," confirmed Harry, and Flitwick smiled approvingly.

"Ah, I do have some familiarity with that one, how wonderful," the Professor mused. "It's an ancient low-level spell, which to this day is still used as a training spell to develop focus and control. Nicely done, Mr. Potter."

"Professor, what do you mean when you say it's a training spell?" Daphne asked curiously.

"It's a low complexity spell, Ms. Greengrass, but one that is magically very demanding, as I'm sure you learned today," Flitwick explained. "Spells such as this are well suited for training one's magic, because while it requires intense concentration and stamina, it doesn't require much skill to actually cast it. This spell in particular was adapted from even older magic developed by an ancient Roman wizard, who used it to teach his apprentices control."

"Interesting," she muttered, and Flitwick smiled at her.

"I'll expect you tomorrow evening, Mr. Potter. May you both have a pleasant afternoon."

"You too, Professor," they replied in unison.

"That was really interesting," Daphne said. "Did you know all that?"

"No," he replied with a shake of his head. "I just learned the spell, but I'd never heard the story."

Daphne seemed to think about it for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Harry with an eager expression.

"So…. Do you want to skate some more?"

~BREAK~

Dinner was an energetic affair that evening. The Great Hall was filled with laughter and conversation, most of the students having enjoyed a fun day outside. The majority of Gryffindors, however, had remained in the castle, and those who were curious enough to wander down to the lake didn't stay for long.

As such, the lions' table was more subdued than the rest, though if any of them regretted missing out on the day's activities, they were careful not to show it. In fact, a scoffing Ron Weasley had loudly suggested that anyone wanting to spend the day like that needed their head examined. When none of his housemates joined in on his rant, he reverted to his usual tripe about how all snakes were evil, but also made sure to include his new conspiracy about how Harry had tried to kill Dumbledore.

Harry, on the other hand, was having a perfect day. He'd finally gotten out of the infirmary, he had a wonderful time with his friends and his girlfriend, the other students and teachers had stood up for him against McGonagall, and Daphne admitted how deeply she cared for him. It wasn't quite an 'I love you', but it was close enough for now. He was nothing, if not patient.

Once dinner was over, Harry decided to spend some time socialising with his housemates in the common room. Brian Carrick had been nearby for Professor Snape's earlier compliment, and jokingly asked Harry if he had Confunded him.

"No comment," he replied curtly, making some of the Slytherins look at him with some uncertainty. After a few tense moments, Harry finally cracked a grin, and the rest dissolved into laughter as they caught on that he was kidding.

Once the evening started to wind down, Harry said good night to Daphne and made his way back to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Master, the workshop is ready," Dobby called, and Harry acknowledged him with a nod before the elf popped away again.

Harry walked over to the table Dobby had prepared, on top of which were set several carving tools and a small leather bag. Opening the bag, he took out a fine silver chain and three square-cut emeralds, each of them just under two inches across. After careful consideration, he selected one of the gems and sat it on the table next to the silver chain. He reached into the bag again and pulled out an elegant silver frame, which was only slightly wider than the emerald.

He set to work using his wand and tools to carve runes into the flat surface of the silver frame. After an hour of painstaking work, the intricate runic pattern covered the entirety of the frame's interior. After reviewing his work and determining it satisfactory, Harry turned his attention to the emerald. With a quick slice of his wand, the gem was cut so that the back was completely flat, which would allow it fit flush inside the frame setting, once it was ready. Harry then turned it over, and once again set about carving a fairly complex runic array, this time on the flat surface of the emerald.

Harry wasn't a master jeweller by any means; he had never even attempted to make a necklace before now. He did, however, have plenty of experience using runes to enchant items and equipment. With one final hiss of Parseltongue, the emerald was permanently attached to the frame setting, ensuring the runes would no longer be visible. His work finally complete, Harry examined the finished product, a rather exquisite emerald pendant hung from a fine silver chain.

Daphne's enchanted gift for Christmas.

With a light tap of his wand, the emerald glowed a soft green, and Harry smiled as he felt the runes activate.

"You'll keep her safe, even when I can't," he whispered, carefully placing the necklace in a grey velvet jewellery box, leaving it open on the table while the runes were charging.

With a sigh, Harry sat down in one of the chairs and filled a glass with Ogden's Old Firewhisky, something he didn't partake of very often. His mind retreated to years long gone, and he fondly reminisced about some of his best memories with his wife.

At least, that's what he was attempting to do. However, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the good times, his thoughts were repeatedly invaded by the same excruciating image. These dark thoughts opened up the pathway to other, similar memories, and his familiar Christmas torment was upon him once again. He'd spent many of his years as a Dark Lord contemplating ways to right the wrongs of his past, but he was no fool. His time travel gambit may have succeeded, but he knew some things would remain forever lost to him, no matter how hard he tried.

A single tear escaped his eye, and he buried his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

Like clockwork, he was assaulted by his worst memories every Christmas, the crushing weight of them forcing him to retreat into himself. For years, he'd wondered if these vivid memories were some sort of curse, a punishment for his misdeeds and failures, or if they were just symptoms of his guilty conscience.

Slowly, his misery started to be replaced by anger, directed at both himself and his enemies.

"Those bastards took everything from me, and I won't let them do it again. Why haven't I killed them yet?"

He took a few deep breaths and attempted to calm himself, remembering his plan. He didn't want to kill them just yet; it would be too easy. First, he wanted to make them suffer, just as they had made him suffer. With that thought, he came to a decision and walked towards the desk, his eyes alight with familiar green flames.

"Dobby!"

"Master?" Dobby responded, popping in next to Harry.

"Fetch me some parchment and ink."

"What do you intend to do?" asked the confused elf.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," Harry replied ominously.

~BREAK~

The following morning, the Hogwarts Great Hall was abuzz with excitement. The much-anticipated Yule Ball was tomorrow, and students had permission to go to Hogsmeade to finish their preparations or do some last-minute shopping. Harry and Daphne were having breakfast with their friends, talking happily as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

That was, until the owl post arrived.

As he did every morning, Alistair Pince picked up his copy of the Daily Prophet to peruse the headlines, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head as he read the front page. He rapidly skimmed the article and looked down the table at Harry in shock, the latter completely unaware of the attention on him.

"Alistair, what's wrong?" asked Ursula Corwin, who was sitting across from him, next to Eliza.

"Bloody hell," whispered Brian, who had leaned over to see what all the fuss was about.

"What is it?" Eliza asked, concerned.

Alistair handed them the paper, and they were as stunned by what they read as the boys had been.

———————————-

Potter Breaks Centuries-Old Alliance With Longbottom

Longbottom Heir Denounced as an Oath Breaker and Blood Traitor

An Open Letter by Lord Harry James Potter

Nearly a thousand years ago, the Potter-Longbottom alliance was formed, an alliance made not between friends, but family. It is no secret that both the Potter and the Longbottom families arose from branches of an older Briton clan, which was native to the Isles.

Throughout history, the two families, so much alike, stood together either in battle or in politics. It is well documented that Lord Franklin Longbottom fought at my father's and my godfather's sides against the Dark Lord Voldemort.

As many are now aware, I was raised by muggles. They are despicable people, who kept the truth of my heritage from me. I never knew anything about my family or my magic until I received my Hogwarts letter at age eleven, unlike Heir Neville Longbottom, who, despite his parents' situation, was raised as a proper heir by his grandmother.

That leaves me with several questions.

Why didn't Heir Longbottom approach me when I finally returned to our world?

Why hadn't Heir Longbottom informed me about our families' alliance?

Why has Heir Longbottom never offered to assist me in times where I clearly needed help?

Why hasn't Heir Longbottom stood up for me these past years, when I was falsely accused and bad-mouthed?

Why didn't Heir Longbottom stand by my side when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire this past October?

Why did Heir Longbottom contribute to making me a pariah, and see me exiled by my own house at Hogwarts?

Why did I need to claim my inheritance and my lordship (thanks to my forced participation in the Triwizard Tournament) to learn about these things?

I can understand why my godfather, Sirius Black, was unable to help me, since he had been wrongfully imprisoned since the night Lord Voldemort was vanquished.

I can understand why my uncle Remus Lupin kept his distance, since he is a werewolf and was legally forced to stay away from me.

Why then, Neville Longbottom?

Honestly, cousin, I no longer care to hear about your reasons. What I do know is that you cannot be trusted to keep the alliance between our two families. I don't trust you to have my back, and I don't care about you enough to have yours. You betrayed our ancestors' alliance and turned your back on kin, and henceforth I name you an oath breaker and a blood traitor.

The Potter-Longbottom alliance is henceforth dissolved. May the line of Longbottom crumble and end with Neville Longbottom.

As a side note, I wish a Happy Yule to all magical peoples in the United Kingdom, including wizards and witches, squibs, goblins, centaurs, vampires, werewolves, and so on.

With my best wishes,

Lord Harry James Potter

E.N: The Daily made inquiries with Gringotts and was able to confirm that Lord Potter's claims are valid. We at the Daily Prophet wish him the best.

———————————-

The four seventh year students all turned to look at the enigmatic green-eyed wizard, who was sitting with his friends and eating breakfast as if he didn't have a care in the world. They then turned their gaze to the article's other subject, the shy, pudgy boy sitting at the Gryffindor table alongside Granger and the younger Weasleys.

"Shit is about to break loose," Alistair mumbled. Ursula was so shocked that she didn't even bother scolding him for his language.

"How long do you think it will take for someone to tell Longbottom?" Eliza pondered, noticing that several people were now glancing back and forth between their papers and Longbottom.

"My guess?" replied Ursula. "As much time as it takes for his grandmother to come to Hogwarts and shout it to his face."

Brian Carrick turned towards Harry again and noticed he was smirking at them, having seen they were reading the paper. Brian raised a goblet in salute at Harry, who responded with a respectful nod.

"What game are you playing, Harry Potter?" Eliza wondered, watching the interaction.

Harry Potter smirked. and returned his attention to his own conversation, where the girls were currently making plans for lunch at the Three Broomsticks.

The game was now set, and he had no doubt he would win it.