Wipe away the weakness
Will you let those scars define you?
Or will they adorn you as we carve our way to victory?

Doubt is crying out but I refuse to let it drown me
Wearing down my fight till nothing's left

Harry felt a spike of anger for a moment and then felt it abate. Replacing his anger was a suffocating sense of helplessness as the negative news overwhelmed him. He thought over the contents of the Daily Prophet's headline article after he had finished reading.

A small gathering for a Bat Mitzvah at a local synagogue was attacked by Grindelwald's Neo-Nazi supporters. The Jewish victims were dismembered and their body parts hung on the wall in various odd ways to spell Hitler's surname. Their blood was used to paint various swastika designs and racial epithets on the walls of the synagogue. The Torah was defecated upon and the severed bodily remains that weren't nailed to the walls were also defecated upon. The lone survivor of the slaughter, the 12-year old girl that the religious celebration was meant for, was repeatedly raped by three perpetrators. One of the suspects, the aurors identified from the girl's memories and description, was the same Nazi who had raped the Muggle girl in the arcade center. It has been confirmed that he and many of Grindelwald's other supporters have come out of hiding and are committing hate crimes against Black and Jewish communities to stoke fear for both Muggle and Magical British communities. Aurors are still assessing the evidence and accounting for the total victims of this specific incident and other attacks. Regrettably, the Jewish girl was improperly memory wiped and immediately ran into open traffic to be killed by a car. Whether or not the death was a deliberate suicide or a side-effect from the failed memory charm will forever remain unknown, the auror responsible has been put on desk duty along with docked pay and will not partake in any further assignments on the field.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry broke out of his thoughts once hearing someone calling his name. He turned to see his Head of House coming over to his seat at the Gryffindor table. A frown marred her worn visage. Harry shook his head, hoping to get the negative thoughts out of his mind before facing the professor.

"The Headmaster would like for you to come into his office. He said it was an urgent matter that required your attention." said McGonagall, she shook her head. "He wouldn't give me any details. Please finish up your breakfast quickly and head straight there."

Harry suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow. He felt a knot in his chest. The Daily Prophet's headline having perturbed him and remaining fresh in his mind. He forced himself to respond. "Sure . . . thank you."

McGonagall nodded and left for the Head table. Harry quickly cleared his breakfast and left for the Headmaster's office.

Several minutes later, Harry spoke-up the password to the gargoyle statue and walked through the spiral staircase. He waited until hearing "Enter." before moving past the doors and through the threshold.

"Good morning Harry, please have a seat," said Dumbledore, gesturing to the free seat at the front of his desk. Harry frowned as he noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt seated to the left and Mad Eye Moody stood silently by the fireplace. "As I'm sure Professor McGonagall has informed you, we've a grave matter to discuss. We have uncovered the Dark Lord's schemes. Kingsley, if you would . . ."

Harry turned to face Kingsley as he took a seat. Kingsley's lips curled and he seemed to be holding back a sigh of frustration. His eyes met Harry's green orbs. "The investigation over Grindelwald's escape has been concluded. We found no evidence of trespassing on the ground level and found no usage of brooms from the detection wards. Considering the magnitude of the sealing wards to keep Grindelwald locked away and the lack of evidence for any ward tampering, the investigation team of Unspeakables and Cursebreakers could only come to one conclusion. Within the scope of that conclusion, only one possible candidate could have had the power and ability to bypass the wards undetected. There's only one wizard who holds both the capability of flight without a broom and ability to hide their presence within wards of that power. The culprit had to be someone of immense power to even manage that feat."

Harry blinked. He tried to remain calm but a feeling of dread swelled within him. Flashbacks of Professor Quirrell revealing himself to be the culprit after the Philosopher Stone and the news article that he had read a few minutes ago swarmed his thoughts. Numbness overcame him. Have I just been an idiot this entire time? Was it all an act from her? Am I just everyone's pawn?

"It was Lord Voldemort, wasn't it?" His voice dull. Kingsley nodded. Harry felt a spike of rage momentarily overtake him as his mind wandered to his date yesterday with Delphini. She said I was the one with the power to decide. Was I just falling into the trap that her father ordered? What the hell have I been doing?! How could I let myself be deceived so thoroughly?

"Judging from the evidence, it's the only conclusion that could be drawn . . . it's practically guaranteed that it was the Dark Lord himself." Kingsley hesitated. "But, well . . . the Ministry is choosing not to bring the news to the general public and the investigators are legally bound to silence or they'll face legal repercussions including the possibility of jail time."

"What?!" snapped Harry, involuntarily moving back from the shock. He gaped at Kingsley. Do they have a bloody death wish?! "Why?!"

"Because, lad, they still have a guaranteed peace up until the end of the Hogwarts school year," cut in Moody, "It may seem foolish, but they're being prudent for the time being. I'll do my best to rally in preparation for the coming war. All this peace nonsense is just lip service as far as I'm concerned."

"There's more to the government's motive for keeping silent than that. Releasing this information to the press would undoubtedly cause a public outcry against the Death Eaters and Dark families. Any sense of legitimacy in a peaceful resolution and the possibility of cooperation against the Neo-Nazis would be lost." said Kingsley, he let out a sigh and shook his head. His visage was pensive. "They're still hoping the second proposition will be signed by you. It doesn't hurt that the Scrimgeour administration looks favorable in the public's eye because they're believed to be working hard to hash out a peace agreement against someone as notorious as You-Know-Who for the sake of Magical Britain."

Harry scowled and his palms balled into fists. "So I have to decide the fate of the Wizarding World while they get to twiddle their thumbs and take all the credit for my decision."

Dumbledore shook his head. "To think they would fall so far for empty promises. It seems the follies of Cornelius's administration has taught them nothing. The Dark Lord's deception was clearly to ensnare Harry through this farce of a peace treaty and to swiftly transition himself into power. The Dark Lord's servant acted her role well as a proxy to transmit his intentions. Nevertheless, we've uncovered their plot and must act with haste."

"Albus, I must add my expert knowledge in this regard and speak against revealing this to the general public. Unfortunately, I and Moody could likely be implicated on charges should you leak this news. Perhaps I'd be able to avoid an investigation, and that's honestly a fifty-fifty chance, but Moody would definitely be placed under watch because people in the Ministry know of his loyalty to you." said Kingsley, his posture straightened as he gazed at the Leader of Light at eye level. "However, more importantly than that, leaking the information to the public would jeopardize the Order's mission. Despite the cause of the present circumstances, Moody and I are already trying to make efforts to prepare for war through careful prodding but that could deteriorate should this news be leaked. Light families and Dark families are likely to get into violent altercations and scuffles, if we're preparing for war then we can't have the Aurors stretched thin investigating incidents of violent crime that would inevitably arise to cause friction. That's on top of the work we're already doing to cover-up incidents of magic from Neo-Nazi attacks. The probability of war breaking out before we're adequately prepared would skyrocket, if the news was leaked. Right now, there's an uneasy peace and we must take advantage of that."

Dumbledore pressed his fingers together. "Very well, I shall trust your judgment on this matter. Use all resources available to prepare for the inevitable war to come. We mustn't allow the Dark Lord to go unchecked as he uses Grindelwald as bait to keep our focus off of him. He is the true threat and undoubtedly has secured a plan to deal with or made arrangements with Grindelwald in some capacity."

Harry's head spun as Kingsley and Moody said their goodbyes. A headache began building. Everything feels so out of control, like it's all moving without me having a say . . . like always. Bloody fuck . . . I refuse to feel helpless! I have to do something. I'm going to confront her about this and let her have it. I'm sick and tired of everyone around me using me for their own stupid agendas! When will it ever stop?! No more . . . NO MORE!

Harry abruptly rose from his seat and walked out the Headmaster's office. He gave a curt "Goodbye" and didn't hear Dumbledore's words. His anger caused him to lose focus as he pulled out the Marauder's Map and checked the contents.

Harry snorted. The library. Of course, she's in the library. I'm going to give that wretched snake a piece of my mind!

His teeth clenched. Harry bit out the "Mischief Managed" and put the map away. He practically ran to the library. His mind awash with thoughts of the recent revelation, the news article, and Lord Voldemort's cold laughter intermingling. He felt a suffocating air around him as he thought of how he'd been so thoroughly duped by her so-called love. His anger felt almost palpable, as if he would burst from his chest tightening and his head pounding. His mind continued to race and his body felt as if it would burst from the tension within him.

I won't let you get away with this!

Harry marched through the library, unheeded by whether or not Madame Pince had shushed him as he hadn't paid attention. His mind solely focused on confronting the daughter of Voldemort. He found the private area that had been given to the nefarious snake by the Ministry and walked towards there. Granted a privilege after aiding in making innocent children suffer, what a bloody farce.

She looked up from the book she was studying and smiled brightly at him. Her beautiful features accentuated by the sunlight. "Good morning!"

"Could you please put a privacy charm?" said Harry, his tone detached. He stared at her with a blank expression. His mind too frizzled on how to begin the impending torrent to say anything else. I need to keep this private at least. Dumbledore and Shacklebolt said it would be best and I'll need to trust their judgment on this. But I am letting this snake know I'm onto her. I refuse to play any more of these bloody games.

Delphini frowned at his blank stare. She raised her wand and silently cast a privacy charm before tucking it away. She straightened her posture and gazed back at Harry with a calm expression. "What's troubling you?"

At that moment, Harry felt something within him break, but he maintained the blank stare. This farce will be over soon enough, then I'll get to see the real Slytherin underneath all that charisma and charm.

"Did your father release Grindelwald from prison?" blurted Harry. Delphini's posture stiffened, her eyes widened, and her lips parted without a sound. She simply stared at Harry in silence. A tense silence hung between them both for several seconds. Harry scowled. She's trying to think of some bullshit excuse! "Did Lord Voldemort release Grindelwald from prison?!"

His tone was much harsher. He let the anger flow with every word. His teeth clenched and his eyes saw red as he witnessed her thunderstruck expression. I see you for what you truly are now!

"I . . ." Delphini sputtered. Her visage a blank, cold stare as Harry's eyes narrowed and his body visibly shook because of his rage. Delphini had paled at Harry's fuming gaze. "How did you come about this information?"

That absolutely does it! thought Harry, his anger peaked. His expression livid. He cut loose and refused to hold back. All of those deaths and rapes, and for what?! For some sick ploy to play a trick on me?!

"DID HE RELEASE GRINDELWALD FROM PRISON OR NOT?! ANSWER MY BLOODY QUESTION!" shouted Harry, his raw voice stinging his own ears. Despite his loud tone, Delphini didn't flinch. She gazed back with the same blank and cold stare. She doesn't know how to react. She's probably weighing her bloody options to try to appease me! I won't fall for it! Never again! Harry sneered. "Never mind. Why am I even asking? Why even shout?! It's all clear to me now."

"What is?" questioned Delphini, her voice hollow. Her face holding back a fierce torrent of emotion and trying to remain calm. Her visage guarded - a mask to hide her emotions.

"YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME THIS ENTIRE TIME! WHAT WAS HELL WAS THAT RUBBISH ABOUT TRYING TO CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY THE LAST TIME WE WERE BOTH HERE?! YOU'RE FOLLOWING A PLAN FROM YOUR BLOODY DARK LORD FATHER THAT LET LOOSE A NAZI WHO ORGANIZES MURDERS AND RAPES ON INNOCENTS!" hollered Harry, his cheeks turning puce as he shouted every word to let out the helpless rage that he wallowed in. Delphini's blank visage remained but her complexion became paler as Harry continued to shout. "What?! Planned to tell me on the honeymoon, were you?! Oh wait, you were never going to tell me what part your father played. You just planned to deceive me the entire bloody time so you could get whatever the fuck you wanted out of this bullshit peace deal! I . . . why am I even shocked, that a racist piece of shit like Lord Voldemort would make such a trick?! Or maybe, I guess I'm just pissed off, because I was stupid enough to think you were somehow different!"

"Don't call him that! And . . . for your information, that's wrong," said Delphini, her voice hollow and weak. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her face a cold mask that barely held back her emotions. "Daddy wasn't the one who organized the plan to release him or the peace agreement. It was all my plan. He gave me full discretion. Daddy only broke him out because it was the crucial first step of my plan to pressure the Ministry into acquiescing to our interests."

And there it is! I see you for what you truly are now!

Harry sneered. "So, you don't deny that you and your mass murdering father are complicit with releasing Grindelwald and letting innocent muggles fall victim to hate crimes of rape and murder?!"

Delphini's eyes narrowed into a scowl as she glared at him. Harry's lips twitched upon noticing. The first marring of her perfect, porcelain facade.

"You're being too hasty. Think about this rationally, Harry. Think about all that you'll personally gain from marrying me." said Delphini, her tone cold and terse. Harry could tell that she was struggling to hold back her anger and that she was forcing herself to keep a neutral tone of voice. Her visage seemed to harden. "Think about a life free from death and violence, not just for you but for everyone that you cherish and love. Didn't you tell me that you wanted peace? What would you, I, or anyone else gain from a three-way war of bloodshed? There's no benefit in that scenario for either of us. By submitting to me, you can guarantee the safety of the majority of people and both of our loved ones. How can that be wrong?"

"As if I would fall for your self-righteous bullshit! Why should I trust anything that you say to me anymore?! You deliberately deceived me and innocent people suffered because of your own fucking agenda!" screamed Harry, his visage turned a shade puce from his continuous shouting. "Now that I think about it . . . I must be quite stupid for not seeing it before! You were always trying to be in control of my actions, always trying to manipulate me through veiled threats. From the life debt, to Draco's injuries, and now this marriage proposal farce. You're just a fucking control freak; telling me what I want to hear and trying to make me into your fucking plaything. I was nothing more than that to you!"

Delphini's lips curled and she was shooting him a withering look in return. Harry felt his lips twitch.

That's it. Let that stupid mask of yours fall. Let me see precisely what you are deep down. A treacherous schemer, a snake waiting to bite and shoot venom on unsuspecting victims. thought Harry, feeling excitement and rage mingle as he continued his tirade against Delphini. You're no different from your parents, you have all their best qualities. Murderous, calculating, and gratified from hurting others! I know exactly what to expect now. I saw this side of you with Ginny. I should have just listened to Dumbledore.

Bile rose in Harry's throat as images of yesterday's date when he felt her lips on his own came unbidden in his mind. The supposed closeness they shared. The meetings together where they shared and debated their personal views in the Hog's Head and the Kitchens. All a damnable deception. Probably pre-planned from using Legilimency on me all the time! Why didn't I consider that possibility before?! I was such a fucking fool!

Delphini's eyes seemed to bulge and Harry snarled as he noticed the subtle shift in her eyes. Harry felt his headache worsen and his chest constrict. His body continued to shake with fury as he awaited what his words would bring forth. She just read my mind again to try to manipulate me again! She has no respect for my privacy and has given me no reason to trust her!

"You were just looking for a way to corner me, weren't you?! Your real goal was to send me off to your father so you could feel proud and probably get a prize! What was the boon he offered you for capturing the bloody Boy-Who-Lived?" snapped Harry, glaring at her. The swell of negativity in his chest felt almost palpable. Pain enraptured him from his own hate. I'll need to draw my wand, if it becomes a fight. Delphini began to shake and her lips formed a thin line. Her hands balled to fists and shook along with the rest of her body, but she remained seated. "Oh wait, perhaps it was to take House Potter and Black after a ravishing honeymoon! You're doing it all for your Slytherin dynasty, aren't you?! Maybe you'd get an exquisite boon for your heroic deed of capturing me using your own wits too, and not just fortune and fame. You'd probably have your kid be a pliant fanatic, like your mother!"

"That is not true at all! I . . . how can you accuse me like this?! You should know me better than that by now!" shouted back Delphini, her cheeks turning puce. A tense atmosphere hung between them as they looked each other in the eyes. "If my plan had been to capture you, I could have just taken the first deal that the Ministry proposed. A deal that I explicitly rejected and which would have been more favorable to neutralizing you as a threat. And you know what? Even if this marriage proposal falls through, they would still offer you to us! Your best bet is to agree to marry me!"

"So, you and the Ministry have all your bases secure, do you?! Already planned out my future, I either submit to your proposal or the Ministry sends me off on a silver platter." shouted back Harry, his chest felt aflame. His head was pounding as he stood there and prepared for her to attack. Delphini seemed to barely restrain her own anger with her body shaking. To Harry, she seemed just as keen on a violent altercation like with Ginny. "What was that crap about me holding all the cards?! It seems to me like you've just been brainwashing me this entire time with whatever I wanted to hear! You never actually cared about me at all, did you?!"

Delphini's eyes flashed and she abruptly rose from her seat. Her chair fell backward onto the ground as she immediately moved aside from her table and marched toward him. Her beautiful visage contorted with a livid expression. Each footfall thudded heavily on the ground as she stood in front of him. Her furious grey eyes meeting his blazing green ones as they stood close enough that their noses almost touched. A thick silence descended upon the two of them for a few brief moments.

Here it comes, thought Harry, slowly drawing his wand from his pocket. He felt a short calm before the storm. He noted that she hadn't bothered to draw her wand in her rage. She probably thinks that she can take me down wandlessly. I'll be sure to take advantage; perhaps show her how much of a Slytherin I can be too!

Delphini felt a tightness in her throat lift as she screamed at him to his face. Her raw emotions surging forth like a volcano that she had been trying to shove back down causing her feelings to simmer and then erupt.

"I'D BURN THE WIZARDING WORLD TO THE GROUND, IF IT MEANT KEEPING YOU ALIVE!" screamed Delphini, her voice becoming hoarse and echoing around them. Harry's eyes bulged, his eyebrows moved up his hairline, and his mouth went slack. "I LOVE YOU! IF IT COMES DOWN TO WAR, THEN ALL I CARE ABOUT IS KEEPING MY LOVED ONES SAFE! MY FAMILY AND YOU ARE WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME! I'LL LET EVERYTHING ELSE BURN TO THE GROUND!"

She promptly turned away as Harry witnessed tears cascading down her cheeks. Delphini moved back to stand by the table with her back to him. Harry felt a wetness streaming down his own face, he touched his left cheek with his right hand, and realized that he was crying too. This is too much . . . this is just too much . . . What do I do? I don't even know why I'm crying, everything just feels so overwhelming.

Harry let the hand fall to the wayside. He stared back blankly and felt a cold chill up his spine. His tears continued streaming down unimpeded and he couldn't muster the strength to care. Delphini turned around, her own tears continuing their silent stream, and she tried wiping them away. After her futile attempt, Delphini straightened her posture and returned a calm gaze back at him. Both stared at each other as silence descended between them like a chasm and their tears continued to flow without restraint.

"I don't care about those rape victims or the murders, it's not my problem what happens to Muggles. It's Muggle culture that caused that situation in the first place. Their culture and ours should remain separate. I'm fine with Muggle-borns who assimilate to our cultural heritage . . . and blood purity is obviously an idiotic belief system that I'll campaign against." said Delphini, her voice frail and her tone holding a layer of contempt. "But I just don't care what the neo-Nazis - a group of Muggle-born extremists - are doing in the Muggle world. Maybe I can see an argument for protecting the families of Muggle-borns from neo-Nazi wizards to a certain extent, but I'm not going to pretend that I feel anything when it was their culture that brought it upon themselves by allowing racist beliefs to be tolerated under freedom of speech. Those victims are the consequences of their own stupid culture."

"You and your father released Grindelwald, you both hold equal blame for what's happened to those Muggle victims. I know you benefit whenever an attack happens because of the sense of urgency in the Ministry, the panic it obviously caused Wizarding Britain, and you'll get the Ministry to become more amenable to your demands as a result." said Harry, holding back a soft sigh as he felt exhaustion overtake his body. He took a deep breath and exhaled to try to calm his nerves. "Knowing you, it was probably a cost-benefit analysis. There's no way that your repercussions can ever come back to you. Rape victims who've been memory wiped to keep the Magical world a secret certainly can't testify in the Wizengamot. Even if they did get the opportunity without any memory charm impeding them, it would only be against their attackers. If I go to the public with this information, everyone will lose in a bloody three-way war. If that war were to happen, your father's already a wanted man so it'll just be one more in a long list of crimes, and I bet it wouldn't be hard to convince a court that your father was the decision-maker in the worst case scenario of your family losing the war to us."

"It wasn't my father, or I, or even our Death Eaters who conducted those heinous rape and murder sprees. None of us ordered them and we had nothing at all to do with them." said Delphini, her voice toneless. "Why should any of us be held accountable for actions that we have nothing to do with? It was all Grindelwald, the Neo-Nazi movement of his, and his own vendetta against Dumbledore that's the cause of those horrific crimes. We don't support them, we don't speak for them, and we have nothing to do with their actions. You can't hold my father and I accountable for actions outside of our control.

"You're also giving my father and I too much credit; we only thought he'd be organizing troops, we didn't think he'd make some quasi-terrorist gang to go raping and murdering innocents. I'm not lying; we didn't give him any instructions, we're not making any backdoor deals, and we certainly never ordered him to do anything. We just set him free and we only thought he'd organize his own powerbase for a war. We didn't release him wishing he'd be a sick fuck."

"Voldemort and you are still complicit with the murders and rapes for releasing him. You deliberately chose to let him free and knew that he was capable of horrendous crimes upon the Muggle world. You're well aware of his beliefs. You knew that you would never suffer any consequences and didn't care about the jeopardy placed upon the Muggle world. You don't even care about the suffering that you brought upon others through your plan." said Harry, his tone strained. A thought jolted him. "No one else but your father and you are aware of this plan, are they? I bet not even your Uncle Lucius knows considering his honest reaction. If your father's followers found out about your plan . . . then again, if it came to war, you could just decry it as a preemptive propaganda campaign to invigorate the Death Eaters. The idea that a Dark Lord who vigorously supports Pureblood aims would release a Muggle-born extremist probably seems dubious. The majority of Light and Dark families, even your Uncle Lucius and your mother, would find the truth to be incredulous."

"This information doesn't change the present circumstances. You would still have more to gain by submitting to me than a three-way war. And consider this, as much as it pains me, if it came down to a matter of survival, then we could broker a peace deal with our worst enemies and have the neo-Nazis agree to a ceasefire and non-intervention agreement." said Delphini, her visage scrunching as if she'd swallowed a lemon. "They would have hegemony over Muggle and Muggle-born matters as an independent government separate from ours. Under my father, we'd keep ourselves secluded in an isolationist policy to keep our culture free from Muggle interference. It has glaring drawbacks, but if it came down to survival then we'd consider the option."

Harry shook his head. A heaviness seeped throughout his body. "Why am I not surprised? I suppose that's that, right? From what I can tell of your full meaning; If I agree, I'm playing into your manipulative hands. If I don't agree, the Ministry might kidnap me to ship me to your father. And, if worst comes to worst for the Death Eaters, then you can strike a deal with your ideological enemies . . . or just use that possibility as a veiled threat to get the Ministry to give concessions to avoid prolonging the war, even should the war occur. You've really thought this through."

"I told you . . . I would do my utmost to ensure my family's safety. I love them and I'll do just about anything to protect them. Even with this plan, I'm more than likely going to suffer losses in my family and it terrifies me that I can't do anything to stop it once war breaks out. I don't want to lose anyone; I don't want to wake-up one day and find that all I have left of them are my memories of the past." said Delphini, her tone just as weak and tired as Harry's voice. "I don't want that for you either. The thought of losing you scares me and we both know that it scares those you love just as deeply. To be frank, nothing short of you purposefully harming or murdering one of my loved ones is going to convince me that I'm wrong. This knowledge doesn't change the circumstances; you're going to submit to me. As I said before, your loved ones will be safe, my loved ones will be safe, and we'll have a future together. You're mine, Harry. You just need time to accept it. I believe that you'll prove me right about your intrinsic selflessness and love for others. Peace is worth all the effort."

"And if I were to reject the second proposition?" His free flowing tears continued to fall. Numbness overcame his body after the exhaustion began to set in.

Delphini swallowed as tears continued to spill forth like a waterfall. "My father would probably imprison you. As a Horcrux, you're more useful to him alive than dead. My objective would be a complete failure and he'd probably assign me more arduous tasks as punishment. He would never torture me though. But . . . regardless, I'd still . . . I'd try to convince him that your emotional stress caused poor decision-making. I'd do my best to make sure that you would be cared for, even if you became my father's prisoner. It would be similar to house arrest. I wouldn't be able to do anything for Hermione, Ron, Ginny, or anyone else that you cherish as family though. I honestly wouldn't hold as much influence at that point. So . . . it's in both of our best interests to marry me."

"Well, it's a shame for you and I both then," said Harry, his tone holding a hint of bitterness. He took a deep breath and exhaled. "Trust is a fundamental foundation for any longstanding friendship and happy marriage. You can't have trust when you're constantly scheming behind others backs and causing suffering just to gain your own selfish ends. I can't bring myself to view your peace treaty as legitimate because I can't find it in me to trust you. I think I'll just stay away from you to think over all my options."

Harry turned and left without saying a goodbye. Delphini had noted that his tears had kept spilling even as he turned away and watched him leave without saying a word. Delphini walked over to the fallen chair and waved her hand to move it back to an upright position. She fell heavily on the library chair, put her hands over her face, and continued to weep her own tears.