CH 25

When he came out he saw Daphne sitting on his bed clearly waiting for him. She was absentmindedly twiddling her new ring and using her upper teeth to worry at her bottom lip. She was wearing a set of pale blue pyjamas; short sleeved and shorts. Harry smiled and said, "What can I do for you, Daphne?"

"Get changed into your pyjamas first," she said. "Then we can talk."

With a grin, he said, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Prat!" she absentmindedly replied.

He picked up his pyjamas off the bed and took them with him into the bathroom to get changed.

Before returning to the bedroom he left his 'dirty' clothes on the floor in the bathroom. Re-entering the bedroom he walked around the foot of the bed where she was sitting and climbed up onto the bed to sit cross-legged on top of the blankets near the pillow end.

Meanwhile, Daphne moved to sit with her legs tucked under herself on the foot of the bed facing him. She kept her head down. "Firstly," she said, "I want to thank you for the ring. It's really beautiful."

"You're most welcome," replied Harry. "I was worried you wouldn't like it because they weren't your colours, or something."

Her head shot up to look at him and she said, "Oh, no! I love sapphires! It's my favourite gemstone because blue's my favourite colour."

"I picked it because I think the stone is a perfect complement to your eyes," said Harry. "And the white gold of the band better suits your skin tone."

"I know," she softly said, looking closer at the ring. "It's perfect."

"I also wanted to thank you for the ring," she continued, "because it'll make life easier for me in Slytherin."

"If you get into Slytherin, that is." "Yeah - if," she agreed. "This will stop those in there who will try to use their family positions against me. Especially, the boys."

"They had best not attempt it," growled Harry. "And I want you to immediately let me know if anyone does attempt anything, alright?"

Looking back up at Harry again, she shyly nodded.

"I - also wanted to know if I could borrow that book on Occlumency you have," she asked. "Daddy and Mummy have been teaching it to me but I want to see if there's anything else in the book I can use towards building my mental shields."

With a shrug, Harry replied, "Of course," and clambered off the bed. Unlocking his trunk to the correct side he quickly found the right book and offered it to her before relocking the trunk and returning to his place on the bed.

"Thank you, Harry," she said, looking down at the book now in her lap.

"You're welcome," he replied.

Sensing the girl wanted to talk to him about something else, Harry decided to lead the conversation by asking about her other friends.

"Well, you know, of course, about Tracey. Then there's Susan Bones, the Heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Bones, and Hannah Abbott of the Noble and Ancient House of Abbott. At least, they're the core group of my friends. There are other kids our age of whom I'm on friendly terms, but we're not close enough to be asked as individuals around to each other's homes. "We're not seen as a 'Light' House, so many 'Light' families are wary of letting their kids mix with us; and Daddy doesn't want us to have too much to do with the 'Dark' families in case we're seen as 'Dark' ourselves. It's mainly kids of families that don't care about the 'Light' and 'Dark' divide we mainly mix with. And that includes Tracey and the few others."

"And what about me?" asked Harry. "The Potters are supposedly a 'Light' family. And, yet, here I am staying with you."

Smiling at him, she said, "The betrothal contract renders the distinction between 'Light', 'Grey' and 'Dark' moot. No Ancient House would ever question you're firmly under the protection of House Greengrass, due to the betrothal contract; just as I fall under the protection of House Potter. I daresay Regent Bones and Madam Longbottom would have been quite opposed to you spending even an evening with us alone, if not for the betrothal.

"Daddy doesn't know, or remember, what was going through his head when he signed the betrothal contract; but, he suspects it had to do with trying to more closely align House Greengrass with the 'Light' without openly coming out in support of the 'Light' against You-Know-Who. By tradition, betrothal contracts have always been a protected way by which a House can shift its loyalties. If only temporarily."

Harry sighed and shook his head. "It all sounds so - overly simplistic. We're eleven years old. And yet, because we're born into a certain House, we're already judged on something that should be based on an individual's developed personality, from the moment of our birth. "I've also had it - impressed upon me - that the Potters are a 'Light' House. However, from what I've read and heard from others, I don't see myself as 'Light'. I see myself more as 'Light Grey', if not fully 'Grey'. There are just too many collective views of the 'Light' that I simply cannot see myself agreeing with or supporting. And, besides, there's no way I can see myself aligning House Potter with the 'Light' as long as Albus bloody Dumbledore is the recognised 'Leader of the Light'."

"I'm pretty sure Daddy sees House Greengrass the same way," said Daphne softly.

Daphne left a few minutes later and Harry settled down into his meditative state in a lotus position. He was deep into his mind when Cygnus and Isabel came by later to check and ensure the kids were all abed. On the morning of the ride to Hogwarts, Harry was sitting at the informal dining table reading that morning's Daily Prophet and sipping on a mug of coffee. He could hear Daphne calling out to Isabel trying to find this or that, and otherwise being in a frazzled state finalising her packing. Harry's trunk was already packed with everything bar Hedwig's cage stowed inside. His trunk, with Hedwig's cage on top, was sitting ready to go near the floo.

Harry, himself, was already dressed, with his school robes lying on the top layer inside his trunk ready to be taken out and donned. He'd also made a last minute inspection of Hedwig to ensure her health, and would shortly send her winging her way to Hogwarts in advance. He felt it was a better idea than forcing her to endure being caged on the Express. Cygnus was sitting opposite reading his own copy of the Daily Prophet and sipping on a cup of tea.

Suddenly, Daphne burst in through the door and blurted to Harry, "Harry, there's not enough room in my trunk. Can I put some stuff in yours?"

"Sure, why not," he calmly replied. "You have access to it now. Why not put some of your non school uniform clothes in there. And put the set of uniform you want to change into on the train on top. That way, you wont need to open your trunk on the train."

She thought furiously for a few moments before suddenly launching herself forward and planting a smooch on Harry's cheek. "Thanks, Harry! You're the best!" And dashed back out of the room again.

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