Chapter 3

Previously: "Why would you even want me to accompany you?" Daphne asked. "It's not like you'd have trouble finding a date. You could just walk down Diagon Alley and you'd have a score of women throwing themselves at you."

"Why would I want you to accompany me? Besides the fact that you're stunningly beautiful, intelligent, and interesting?" Harry asked rhetorically. "How about because you expect me to go on a suicide mission with you in a different dimension, and I know barely anything about you? If it helps, think of this as a team building exercise, Miss Greengrass."

Daphne crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff of exasperation. "Fine! I'll go as your platonic escort."

Harry grinned back at her, ignoring her annoyance. "Excellent. I'm sure we'll have a wonderful time."

.

Harry stared intently into the mirror as he adjusted the bowtie on his dress robes in his bedroom in Wimbourne. The past two weeks had been a whirlwind of activity for the young wizard, filled to the brim with extensive planning sessions with the Unspeakables and training with Daphne. The pair had begun to develop the basic level of rudimentary teamwork that the Aurors relied on. Years of living in uneventful comfort had softened him a little, but he hadn't forgotten the harsh lessons he learned during the war.

Part of him still thought the whole mess was simply some kind of elaborate prank. The alternative was almost too crazy to believe. His life would never be quiet and uneventful, but he did have a semblance of control over it once he became a star Quidditch player. The last few weeks had brought it all crashing down.

Ron's wedding would serve as a welcome distraction, though a small part of him was dreading seeing so many past acquaintances again. It wasn't as if he had become a recluse or anything like that, but he simply traveled in different circles these days. Many of his schoolmates from Hogwarts had gone to the work at the Ministry, and Harry had done his best to avoid that place in the last few years. And Ron… Harry had forgiven him for abandoning him during the Horcrux hunt, but the truth was that their friendship had never fully recovered. They had drifted apart once their careers had taken them on radically different paths, and they didn't see each other that often anymore. They were certainly still friends, just no longer best friends.

Harry went to his desk again and picked up the letter that he had spent the past week composing, giving it yet another read through.

Dear Katie,

I'm off on a very mysterious and secret quest to save the world from some unspeakably horrid threat. I'm sure everything will be fine and I'll have wonderful stories to tell you when I get back, but if I end up kicking the cauldron, here's my will! I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye in person, but you know how much I hate them.

P.S. you're also the executor. Have fun with that.

I, Harry James Potter, of sound mind and magic, do declare this document to be my last will and testament, and I name Katherine Guinevere Bell (sorry couldn't resist using your full name) as my Executor.

To Katie Bell, the best friend a bloke can ask for when he really needed one, I leave you my flat in Winbourne, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons.

To Luna Lovegood, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and anything that you can carry out of any of my properties before someone stops you. I also ask that you employ my good friend Dobby should he require it, and pay him a fair and suitable wage.

To Hermione Granger, who I am sure is responsible for the fact that I'm still alive today, I leave you my entire collection of books, parchments, and scrolls, my flat in London, as well one hundred thousand galleons.

To Ron Weasley, my oldest friend, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my broom collection, except for my Firebolt mk III.

To Molly and Arthur Weasley, for being parents to me when I had no one, I leave you each one hundred thousand Galleons, as well as my Muggle automobile collection.

To George Weasley, I leave you all my shares in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons.

To Bill and Fleur Weasley, I leave you my Chateau in La Ciotat, as well as one hundred thousand Galleons.

To Ginny Weasley, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my Firebolt mk II racing broom.

To Andromeda Tonks, I leave you one hundred thousand Galleons, and my residence at 12 Grimmauld Place. The Black home should've rightfully been yours in the first place.

To the Lily Potter Memorial Foundation, I bequeath an annuity totaling one million Galleons, to be paid over the course of the next ten years.

Lastly, to my Godson Teddy Lupin, I leave you my invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map with the provision that you must carry out at least one prank per term while at Hogwarts, as well as the entire remainder of my estate.

Satisfied that he thought of everyone, Harry sealed the letter in an envelope and left it on his desk. Katie would probably stumble upon it after he'd gone missing for a while. As if on cue, a loud banging on his bedroom door made him jump in shock.

"Harry!" Katie yelled through the door. "Get out here. Your date is here."

Harry frowned at the unexpected development. He had fully intended to pick Daphne up from the Greengrass manor. After sealing the letter and will in an envelope addressed to Katie, he quickly made his way out to the living room, where he saw Daphne and Katie chatting amicably on the large sofa. Daphne's appearance, like the other times Harry had seen her, was immaculate. Her silky straight hair was pulled up in a bun, letting her show off her sparkling diamond necklace and earrings. She was dressed in opulent velvet dress robes, and simply exuded an air of elegance and refinement. Katie similarly was dressed in her finest dress robes, though her date to Ron's wedding had yet to arrive.

"Miss Greengrass, you look stunningly beautiful, as always," Harry said.

Daphne nodded slightly. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. You look sufficiently adequate as well."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Harry said, smiling widely. "I was under the impression that I would be the one picking you up."

Daphne merely shrugged as she looked around his flat. "I was curious to see how the Great Harry Potter lives."

"Oh? And what do you think?"

Daphne was silent for a moment as she looked around. The flat was outfitted completely with muggle furnishings and decorations. A large flatscreen television sat at one end of the living room, and artful black and white photography dotted the walls. A number of DVD cases were strewn about carelessly on the coffee table.

"It's certainly not what I expected," Daphne said. "Don't these photographs that never move eventually get dull? What do you think Miss Bell? You grew up in a pureblood family."

"It was a bit weird at first," Katie admitted, "but it's not like my folks were wealthy or high society like yours were, so we never really had an aversion with the Muggle world. To be honest, I don't think I could go back to living in a purely magical household. Some of the Muggle programs and movies these days are brilliant. And they have this thing called the internet. It's pretty much the greatest thing since Quidditch."

"Oh?" Daphne asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what do you do with it?"

"Er – mostly just watch videos of puppies and kittens," Katie said sheepishly.

Daphne merely raised an eyebrow at her, and Katie blushed a furious red under the scrutiny. A knocking on the front door saved Katie from any more embarrassment, and she leapt to her feet to answer it. Her date, a young Chaser on the Caerphilly Catapults, had arrived. Katie and her date squeaked out a quick goodbye as they left for the wedding first, leaving Harry and Daphne alone for the moment.

"We leave in two days time," Daphne said quietly. "Tonight's a good opportunity to say your goodbyes."

"Yes, I know," Harry said. "Have you finished your preparations?"

Daphne nodded. "Yes, I've made peace with what's to come, and I've set my affairs in order."

"Sheesh, don't talk like this is really a suicide mission," Harry said. "There's always the chance of a return trip."

"I know, but let's not worry about that until after everything is over," Daphne said. "Shall we head out, Potter?"

"Please, call me Harry," he said, smiling widely. "We are going to be working closely together after all."

Daphne responded with a small nod of her head. "Very well. You may call me Daphne as well then."

Harry smiled cheerfully as he extended his arm out to his date. "Shall we?"

The ceremony was being held at the Burrow, and Harry felt his stomach churn when he laid eyes on the rebuilt house. The old Burrow had been destroyed during the last War, and had been rebuilt as a stately two story Tudor style home. The new abode looked spacious and dignified, but Harry couldn't help but prefer the old Burrow, which looked like five small cottages stacked on top of each other in defiance of gravity and common sense. Sure it was small, cramped, and constantly teetering on the edge of collapse, but Harry had found it all quite charming.

The grounds, however, remained much the same, and reminded Harry greatly of the last wedding he attended there when Bill and Fleur were married. A large tent had been set up for the reception, and brightly colored flowers were tied up on strings that hung from the main house to the tent. Animated fairy lights floated and danced just above their heads, providing light for the wedding once the sun set. The actual ceremony itself would take place under the open sky, with rows of chairs arranged on the Burrow's large lawn for the guests. At the front of the chairs was a temporarily erected stage where Ron and Lavender would be wed.

Harry and Daphne, after giving their greetings to the elder Weasleys, chose seats towards the rear as they waited for the reception to start. They arrived a bit later than most of the guests, many of whom were already seated. That suited the pair fine, since neither were keen for the attention that Harry's celebrity status would undoubtedly bring. Harry spotted several familiar faces in the crowd from his position at the rear, but decided not to seek them out until the reception.

Soon, the ceremony started, and the procession began. A hush fell over the crowd as all the heads swiveled towards the aisle, where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley strolled up first. Mrs. Weasley's eyes were already blotchy from tears, but she was smiling so widely that Harry couldn't help but feel his spirit lift as well.

The rest of the Weasley boys followed next, led by Ron, with the rest of his brothers serving as groomsmen. Harry chuckled when he saw Ron tug at the neck of his dress robes. Evidently, the youngest Weasley son still couldn't handle dress robes without discomfort.

A gasp shot through the crowd as Lavender Brown appeared next with her father. The bride-to-be looked radiant in her long-sleeved white wedding dress with a high collar. Harry grimaced as he realized that she must have chosen such a modest and unrevealing dress to hide the scars that she had sustained at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Lavender slowly made her way up to the front, and the ceremony began with the two soon-to-be-weds staring dopily at each other.

"Do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley, take Lavender Isabelle… ?"

Harry wasn't surprised that Ron was the first out of the original 'Golden Trio' to be wed. Most purebloods that he knew tended to marry young, and Harry had already attended the weddings of most of his pureblood year-mates already.

"… then I declare you bonded for life!"

The gathered crowd exploded into cheers as Ron laid a gentle kiss on Lavender. When they pulled apart, it was obvious that the eyes of newlyweds were both glistening.

The wedding party moved swiftly into the tent after the ceremony, where dinner and mingling followed. Harry was immediately recognized by everyone around him, of course. After exchanging many greetings, handshakes, several drinks at the bar, a bone crushing hug from Mrs. Weasley that left his ribs bruised, and more than a few inappropriate gropes from some of his more zealous fans, Harry and Daphne finally made their way over to the man of the hour.

"Harry! I'm so glad you could make it, mate," Ron said, pulling Harry into a tight embrace.

"Are you mental? I wouldn't miss this for the end of the world," Harry replied, earning him a glare from Daphne. Harry simply grinned back at her.

"Yes, well you never come around to the Burrow anymore," Ron said. "Mum really misses you, you know?"

Harry winced as he felt a stab of guilt. Molly Weasley had been like a mother to him ever since his first year at Hogwarts, but with his disastrous breakup with Ginny and his drifting apart from Ron, the Burrow was simply too awkward of a place for him to visit these days. "I'll make sure to apologize to her later. Allow me to re-introduce you to Miss Daphne Greengrass."

"Congratulations, Mr. Weasley," Daphne said primly.

Ron grinned back at her. "Thank you for coming, Miss Greengrass. You were in our year at Hogwarts, right?"

Daphne nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well, let's hope you can keep this one out of trouble tonight then," Ron said, laughing boisterously and punching Harry gently on the arm.

"I shall try my best," Daphne responded. "If you'll excuse me, I'll let the two of you get reacquainted."

Ron waited for Daphne to leave earshot before turning back to Harry. "Greengrass, eh? Didn't see that one coming. I definitely rubbed more than one out thinking of her back at Hogwarts."

"Merlin's balls, Ron!" Harry sputtered out. "I don't want to know that. Way too much information."

"What? It's not my fault your balls didn't drop until our fifth year," Ron said.

"I would've thought you would be more discerning about 'Slimy Snakes'," Harry said.

"Oh I wouldn't have wanted to befriend them back then, but I won't deny that she's quite the looker," Ron said, grinning at Harry. "It's funny to think how much we used to care about the Houses. None of it really matters in the real world now. But Daphne Greengrass! Well done there."

Harry sighed dramatically. "Unfortunately, she is accompanying me only as a friend tonight. But enough about this. I'm going to have nightmares tonight if you talk about your masturbatory habits anymore. You're a married man now!"

Ron grinned widely as his gaze wandered over to his new bride. Lavender was chatting happily with some of her old classmates from Hogwarts just a few meters away. "I know. I feel like the luckiest bloke in the world."

"She's lucky to have you too. You're both lucky to have found each other." Harry paused as he remembered Ron and Lavender's ill-fated romance during their sixth year at Hogwarts. Both newlyweds were drastically changed after surviving the War, with both baring scars that were both physical and psychological. "Well, found each other again."

Ron chuckled sheepishly as he shared Harry's reminiscence. "You thought about settling down yet, mate? I know we're still young, but you're not exactly a kid anymore."

"Rubbish!" Harry protested. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend."

Ron laughed. "He had to grow up pretty quick once he got to the real world." Ron leaned in and whispered quietly, "besides, Lavender needs me to be strong. Our world hasn't been kind to her."

"If there's anything you need," Harry began speaking, but Ron interrupted him with a quick shake of his head.

"No no, I'm actually doing fairly well for myself in the Aurors. Enough for both Lav and me anyways…" Ron cleared his throat as he lowered his voice. "Hermione is here."

"Seems cruel of you to have invited her to your wedding," Harry murmured back.

Ron rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "She never cared half as much about me as she did for you. You're the only bloody idiot who doesn't see that. We actually get along these days. She's a barrister at the DMLE you know."

"I'm aware."

"You should go talk to her."

Harry shook his head. "Ron, don't."

"Come on, if the two of us can still be friends, then there's no reason why the two of you can't patch things up."

Harry sighed and nodded absentmindedly, and the two friends caught up on their current lives. If Ron had any jealousy over Harry's success as a Quidditch player, it certainly wasn't visible. In fact, Harry had never seen the man happier, even when they had won the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup together.

A small crowd of people who wished to congratulate Ron had formed nearby, and Harry soon used that as an excuse to make his way back to Daphne. He paused when he found her, and took a moment just to take in the sight. Daphne was conversing with one of their old classmates, Padma Patil, and was laughing softly over a shared joke. Even in such a mundane setting, Harry could tell that Daphne easily stood out from the crowd. Her appearance was immaculate, her posture elegant, and her every movement was crisp and graceful.

The band was now playing a slower song, a waltz, and a majority of the guests were making use of the dance floor. Harry took the opportunity to lead Daphne out to the dance floor. Dancing was not one of the skills that had come naturally to him, but he ended up getting dragged to so many formal events after the end of the War that he had no choice but to learn quickly. He wasn't the most graceful dancer on the floor, but he was no longer a spasming menace. He had even run into Parvati Patil at one of the Ministry balls, his Yule Ball date back in fourth year, and danced properly with her to make up for his horrid behavior back at the Yule Ball.

"Weasley is a brave man," Daphne said quietly as the two danced together.

"Yes, he is."

"It's a shame this marriage will hurt him politically."

Harry's head snapped up as he stared hard at Daphne. "Think carefully what your next words are going to be," Harry warned in a low tone.

Daphne sighed. "Don't be a prat, Potter. I don't have anything against Brown. I'm simply pointing out the political reality. Werewolves aren't anymore loved today than they were since before the War. Weasley was a rising star in the Ministry, maybe even on track to become Head Auror in a decade's time if he simply played the game. This marriage complicates that."

"Lavender was turned by Greyback fighting against Voldemort's forces in the Battle of Hogwarts!" Harry protested. "As far as I'm concerned, she's a bloody hero. Nobody should hold it against her, and certainly nobody should hold that against Ron."

"I don't disagree with that, Harry," Daphne said gently. "I respect her for what she's done, and she deserves Ron and a happily ever after as much as anyone else does. But Aurors don't write policy. Head Auror is typically a springboard to be the next Director of Magical Law Enforcement, where he could be dictating policy and doing a hell of a lot more to help Brown and others like her."

"Ron loves her," Harry said stubbornly. "That's enough. Everything else is bollocks. He wouldn't be someone I would call a friend if he valued 'the game' more than her."

"And that is why nothing changes," Daphne muttered with a shake of her head. "You either play the game until you're in a position to make changes, or you overthrow the status quo like Voldemort did. I wonder how many would've followed you if you had simply overthrown the Ministry and named yourself the Leader of Magical England after the War."

"We'll never know. I'm not cut out for that shit. It's why I play Quidditch instead of politics."

"Oh come now, there has to be at least one alternate reality out there where you're the Supreme Dark Overlord of England," Daphne said with a small grin.

"We're probably married in that one," Harry said, laughing. "You can be my Dark Lady."

"Don't flatter yourself, Potter!"

The slow waltz ended, and a livelier song began playing to the delight of many of the younger guests, who started cheering and whooping. Harry was about to suggest that they stop for some more alcoholic beverages when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"May I cut in?" A petite blonde woman with pale grey eyes interrupted the two. She was wearing bright yellow dress robes with too many frills for good taste, and an odd pair of Dirigible plum-shaped earrings. She had a serene expression on her face, but her eyes danced with mirth.

"Of course, Miss Lovegood," Daphne said.

"Hello Daphne," Luna Lovegood greeted her in her usual airy voice. "Are you enjoying Harry's penis?"

Harry made a choking noise as Daphne glared at the petite blonde.

"I assure you, Miss Lovegood," Daphne said, "nothing of that nature is occurring."

"Oh, that's a shame," Luna said with the same cavalier tone. "I was just telling that witch over there from Teen Witch Weekly how much you are enjoying Harry's penis these days."

Harry felt Daphne stiffen a little at his side, but her face remained remarkably calm. "If you'll excuse me," she said, "I have to go freshen up a bit."

"What was that all about?" Harry said, releasing his pent-up laughter after Daphne stomped away.

Luna smirked at Harry as she pulled him in to dance with her. "Just having some fun. Greengrass was a bitch to me at Hogwarts."

"Yikes, well I'm glad I'm not on your bad side," Harry said, chuckling. Luna was an odd dancer, and was seemingly leading him around the dance floor in random directions that changed on a whim. Harry struggled to keep up with her, and was constantly apologizing to the other guests that they kept bumping into.

Luna shrugged. "You were one of the few that was actually nice to me at school, and I don't blame you for how our relationship ended. Though I suppose it is immature of me to hold a grudge from our school days. After all, it looks like you've forgiven Greengrass for wearing a 'Potter Stinks' badge during the Triwizard Tournament."

Harry frowned at that revelation. "Did she really? I honestly don't remember. She was never part of Malfoy's little posse. Lots of students wore one back then though, including some of the guests here tonight."

Luna sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't hold it against Greengrass either. So many were mean to me back then. And Hogwarts was a long time ago."

"How was your trip to South America?" Harry asked, moving the conversation towards a more pleasant direction.

"Marvelous," Luna replied wistfully. "Daddy and I discovered a most extraordinary new magical avian species. These birds fly not through the air, but underwater! What a remarkable inversion of the natural order."

"Err – did these birds happen to have black feathers and white bellies?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded, her stomach sinking as she foresaw what was about to happen.

"I think those were penguins, Luna," Harry said. "They're a completely non-magical type of bird that live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Muggles have known about them for ages."

"Drat." Luna sighed forlornly. "I'd appreciate it if you did not tell Daddy about it. He was so excited about discovering a new magical species too."

"Of course, Luna. Are you here alone, or did you come here with someone?"

"No, I came here alone tonight," Luna said. "Which reminds me, if Greengrass isn't putting out for you, I could really use a de-stressing tonight after all that travel."

Harry grinned back at the petite blonde. "Hmm, let yourself into my Whitstable manor tonight. You're still keyed into the wards."

Luna beamed at Harry. "Wonderful. Moving on, have you talked to Hermione yet?"

Harry groaned. "Not you too, Luna."

"You'll thank me for this one day," Luna said. "Well, maybe."

With that said, Luna shoved Harry with a substantial amount of force, and he stumbled backwards a few steps and bumped right into the person he least wanted to see at the moment.

"Er – hello, Hermione," Harry said to the witch that he almost knocked over. "Want to dance?"

Hermione smiled weakly back at Harry as she nodded her head. "Hi Harry. It's been a while."

The slightly older witch was wearing sky blue dress robes, and her bushy hair hung freely behind her. She wore a light application of makeup on her face – just enough to accentuate her beauty, and not enough to look like she put too much effort into it. Harry noted that she didn't bother with the hair-taming potions and products that she used to favor for formal events.

"You look nice," Harry said awkwardly.

"You too, Harry," Hermione replied, brushing the shoulders of his extravagant dress robes gently. "You clean up nice these days."

"I think I rather prefer your hair this way," Harry said with a small grin. "It has so much character."

Hermione grinned and swatted him on the arm. "Don't be a prat. I know it looks dreadful. I just don't bother with that Sleakeazy stuff these days."

"My grandad invented that stuff, you know?" Harry said, chuckling. "The Potter fortune was built on Sleakeazy."

Hermione gasped in astonishment. "Really? How did you find that out?"

"Looked up my family tree after the War and did some research. They keep all that stuff in the ministry. I come from a long line of blood-traitors, apparently."

Hermione chuckled quietly. "Well, maybe I'll start using it again in honor of Grandad Potter."

"Praise be to bushy-haired witches everywhere," Harry said as the two shared a chuckle. "But I was serious when I said I prefer your hair like this."

The pair danced silently for a minute, and Harry struggled internally as he tried to figure out what he should say. Sharing light jokes and inconsequential banter was easy, but Daphne had reminded him rather uncomfortably that a return trip was not a guarantee, and a part of him did want to settle things with Hermione before he left.

"Do you ever wish you could go back in time and do things differently?" Harry asked.

Hermione looked up into Harry's eyes and stared hard at him for a moment. "Of course I do. All the time. You know that."

"Ever think about stealing a time-turner?"

Hermione laughed softly. "Time-turners only allow up to a couple of hours of time travel."

"Still, we should have nicked one when we had the chance," Harry said. "What other magic or rituals can we use for some extreme time travel?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Time travel like what you speak of is the single most forbidden activity, and for good reason too. Are you sure you should be discussing your criminal intentions with a Barrister from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"

"You wouldn't turn me in, would you?" Harry asked. "I'm prepared to offer significant bribes, if that's what it takes."

Hermione rolled her eyes and gently swatted him on the arm. "Don't joke about that! I would never accept a bribe. You do know that I work in the anti-corruption unit, don't you?"

"But that's what it makes it perfect!" Harry replied cheerfully. "You're not going to rat on yourself, are you? Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

Hermione frowned at the unexpected Latin. "Who guards the guardsmen themselves?" she translated.

"I prefer the translation, 'who watches the Watchmen,' but close enough."

"In my case, Director Shacklebolt and Head Barrister Burke," Hermione responded.

"Pity. I would've gotten away with it all if wasn't for all that meddling bureaucracy!"

The two shared a quiet chuckle as they continued dancing.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry about everything," Hermione said with a sad smile.

"Me too, Hermione. I'm sorry about a lot of things as well."

"Do you think…?" Hermione looked away bashfully as she chewed on her lower lip. "Do you think we could grab lunch sometime? Do some catching up?"

"I'm leaving on a trip soon, but we'll make time after I get back," Harry promised.

Hermione smiled back at him. "I'd like that."

.

The day had come, and Harry reluctantly made his way to the Ministry of Magic again. An Unspeakable escort greeted him at the visitor's entrance, and he once again skipped the regular security checkpoint. Apparently, having contacts with the Department of Mysteries was quite convenient – at least when it came to avoiding minor inconveniences.

Harry felt a little guilty about not saying proper goodbyes to his friends. The only person that he really told about his little trip was Dobby, who was adamant that Harry would successfully make the return trip as well. Harry figured in this case, it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. And if he never made it back, well, that's one less thing he'd have to worry about anyways.

After a quiet elevator ride, Harry stepped out onto level nine – the Department of Mysteries. Daphne and Croaker were there to greet him. Daphne had elected not to wear her Unspeakable robes and was dressed in simple navy blue dress robes and flats.

Harry followed the two Unspeakables through one of the doors in the circular entrance lobby, and Harry found himself in a place that he really didn't want to be at.

"Um, Daphne, what are we doing here?" Harry asked nervously.

They had led him into a chamber that he had all too much experience with – the Chamber of Death. The Veil sat in the center of the dim room

"The Veil changed significantly this morning, due to Lilith's work," Daphne answered. "She says it will send the two of us to where we need to go."

"Are you out of your mind?" Harry asked in disbelief. "I'm not going through that."

"Those runes," Daphne said, pointing to the runes that were pulsating with a soft glow that were inscribed upon the arch, "the color of the portal, and the magical signature has all changed significantly since this morning. I'm confident we can trust Lilith on this."

"You're 'confident,' are you?" Harry asked. "You expect that to be good enough for me to just walk through that thing?"

"The Veil and the others like it scattered around the world were originally supposed to be doorways between worlds. We now believe it's due to the Keystone's barrier that it earned its current reputation for… fatalities."

"I don't care about the history of it!" Harry yelled. "I'm not going through that. I was on the fence with this whole mess to begin with, and nothing you say is going to convince me to willingly walk through that."

Daphne pursed her lips as she frowned at Harry. "Where's the legendary Gryffindor courage?"

"I don't think courage has to be synonymous with stupidity," Harry replied. "Why do you have so much faith in this anyways?"

"She's Lilith!" Daphne insisted. "I know that doesn't mean much to you, but most of the pureblood families have always believed or worshipped the Old Gods. Meeting her was like… validation."

"Yes, well Merlin decided to shut the whole lot of them out of our world. Maybe that should mean something?"

Daphne sighed as she rubbed her nose with her right hand. "Harry, I apologize in advance for this."

Harry barely had time to register Daphne's words when he felt Daphne's silent Banishing Charm send him flying straight towards the veil. If he had been in a better state of mind, or warier like he was during the height of the War, he might have been able deflect the spell or stop his flight. As he was, though, he wasted precious microseconds marveling at the speed of Daphne's wand draw instead, and he sailed through the Veil all the while hearing the ghostly voice of Alastor Moody screaming "Constaaant Vigilaaaaance" at him. Then, his world dissolved into pain.

.

Harry groaned as consciousness slowly returned to him. Every muscle in his body ached, and he felt as if all the Beaters of Britain's Quidditch teams had collectively decided to use as a Bludger target. Or as a bludger. Other than the pain, his body felt small and weak. He blinked his eyes rapidly as they slowly acclimated to the brightly lit room he was in. Sitting up a bit, he pushed the strands of long red hair away from his eyes. Wait what? Harry pushed himself up rapidly, and patted his head.

"Why do I have long red hair?" he muttered.

He looked down at his body. "Why am I wearing a frilly nightgown?"

He tentatively lifted the hem of the gown and reached down between his legs and felt around a bit. The blood drained from his face as his eyes widened in horror. "AND WHERE THE BLOODY HELL DID LITTLE HARRY GO?"

.

Author's Note: The wedding scene was pretty fun to write. Hope you all enjoyed it. Interesting note, the bit about Harry's granddad (Fleamont Potter) inventing Sleekeazy is actually canon on Pottermore. My mind was blown when I found out that Charlus and Dorea Potter are NOT James's parents, and was just widely used fanon.

I know the "twist" at the end may be off-putting for some, but think of the potential for humor! I don't write crack, but I think there is a lot of comedy with this setup. It's also meant to show that the AU they land in is significantly different from their own, so don't expect a rehash of the canon stations.

This week's recommended story: "Ice Princess" by Luan Mao. A short (15k words) Daphne/Harry story that inverts a lot of the fanon tropes, and manages to be both funny and sweet at the same time. Highly recommended if you like the pairing.