Hi everyone ! How are you doing today ?

Before we begin I have two things I want to talk about.

First, a huge thanks to the persons who PMed me to tell me they were glad to see me back. It warmed my heart, for real. Also thank you for the reviews. I heard your concerns about my writing and I am working on it. I will eventually edit the first chapters to include the various helpful tips you guys gave me about writing a dialogue for example.

And secondly, you will find another AN at the end of this chapter. If you would be so kind to check it out.

Without further ado, let's get right into the chapter.

DISCLAIMER : I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY REFERENCED WORK.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN : THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM (PART TWO)

Sitting in an abandoned classroom, two young men were locked in a staring contest.

Harry and Draco were sitting face to face, trying to understand what the other was thinking.

"So, let me get this straight. Your father was more or less forced to join the Death Eater." began the green eyed Gryffindor.

The young Malfoy nodded.

"He's always been a pureblood supremacist but not to the extent Voldemort is."

Draco flinched at the mention of the name of the Dark Lord, then nodded.

"Now that the Death Eaters know for a fact that he will be back, they are starting to gather again."

Nod.

"And you don't want to join their ranks because, and I quote, you 'don't want to grovel at anyone's feet for the rest of your life.'."

Nod.

"But as soon as you refuse to join they will try to kill you, your mother and your father."

Nod.

"You know that it's hard to believe ? And that's coming from a guy who got his ass handed to him as a kid by an Angel 'cause he stole her chocolate cake..."

"What do you want me to say, Potter ? If you don't want to, just say so and don't waste my time !" growled the pale boy.

"What I want to know, Malfoy, is why you think I would believe you. I don't want to sound like a dick, but I'm a busy man, and my time is precious."

"Because I have no other choices ! I can't go to my father because he's already neck-deep in shit, my godfather's a Death Eater as well, my mother is a brilliant witch but can't fight, and I can't just go to any Professor and ask them to teach me how to fight without telling them why. So if you have any other options, I'm all ears, Demonsbane !" Draco spat the last word as if it was a curse. He soon came to regret that as an ominous feeling oozed out of the previously calm and composed man in front of him.

"You watch your tongue, boy. If you know this name, you should also know why it was given to me. Sit back." ordered Harry, his vividly green eyes lighting with power.

Unconsciously, Draco swallowed a lump in his throat and sat back with as much dignity he could muster.

"Let's say I accept. What makes you think it would change anything. You refuse to join, they still try to kill you and your family, and you either run away or you get captured or worse. Granted if I train you, you would have a lot more chances to stay alive, if what I saw during the Dueling Class was any indication. But why not just attend these classes like everyone else ? It would be a perfect cover. No one would find it suspicious and you would still improve yourself." explained calmly the Soldier.

"Mph. You know as much as I do that the Dark Lord and his minions don't abide by the rules. Dueling class wouldn't hurt, but I need to know how to fight knowing my life is on the line, not to learn how to fight knowing my opponent will only use non-lethal spells. I could make it worth your while. Our family have a lot of money as you already know, and the ear of the Minister. It could be profitable for you."

Harry leaned forward and folded his hands, deep in thoughts.

"How long do you think you have until you are 'asked' to join the Death Eaters ?"

"A few years at best. By the time I leave the school, I will bear the Dark Mark."

"I will think about it. For both of our sake, this conversation never happened. I'll contact you when I have made my decision." said Harry as he got up. "Good night."

And just like that the Gryffindor was gone, leaving a worried Draco Malfoy behind.

"There you are !" exclaimed Hermione as Harry entered the unused classroom they now used as a place to hang out.

"You just vanished after the Dueling Class. We almost went to McGonagall again." added Neville.

"I went for a stroll and one thing let to another... Anyway, what's up ? Why are you all so serious ?"

"We...We wanted to talk to you. You don't look fine." said Tracey.

"What do you mean 'I don't look fine.'. I'm feeling great. Totally fine. Nothing..." he yawned mid-sentence. "Nothing to worry about."

"Very convincing. I almost bought it." deadpanned Daphne, seated elegantly on an armchair.

"You're running yourself ragged mate. When is the last time you slept after nine in the morning ?" asked Ron with worry.

"Never. Except when I've been unconscious but it doesn't count. I'm telling you, it's alright. We just need to put this whole business about the Chamber of Secrets behind us and everything will go back to normal." replied Harry. He was getting slowly but surely more irritated by this impromptu interrogation.

"You keep getting nightmares ! It can't be good for your health ! Maybe if you went to that Mind Healer my mother reco-" Daphne was cut in the middle of her sentence by a sudden outburst from the Commander.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ! MY PROBLEMS ARE MINE TO DEAL WITH !" roared Harry with ragged breath and a manic glint in his eyes. In the middle of his shout, he stood up from his seat and his magic flared briefly before he got it under control.

His friends flinched and retreated in their seats when his powerful aura washed over them, like a tidal wave.

Only Harry's heavy breathing could be heard in the room for a moment. The frenzied look in his eyes faded away as he reigned his emotions. His shoulder sagged and he sat back in armchair.

Rubbing his face in embarrassment, he kept his eyes on the floor.

"I see your point. I will take it in consideration. However, and I think I mentioned it before, but a Mind Healer would be useless in my case." said Harry, visibly embarrassed but still trying to sound dignified.

"A-A lot of patients says that. They don't think they need someone to tell them something is wrong with them. But to admit that you need help is the first step to recovery." stuttered Daphne.

"It's not what I meant. If what I've been told is true, then a Mind Healer will enter you mind to see first-hand the traumatic event, right ? Then, with specific spells, they will slowly mend the effect of the traumas you endured. Well, for that you need to bring down you mental problem here is that I can't do that. My mind is protected by an Heavenly ward. I have no control over it, it is always up..."

All of his friends nodded in understanding.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't have and I apologise. You were only looking out for me." apologised the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. But... Can't you do anything at all ? Maybe you could go to a muggle Mind Healer ?" asked Neville.

"Oh Neville...Do you remember how hard it was for us magicals to accept the fact that Angels and Demons were real ? Imagine how muggles would react... They would send him to an asylum and that's not even considering the breach of the Status of Secrecy..." replied Tracey.

"There's this old saying in my world. I don't know if you have something equivalent here but it roughly translate to 'Time will heal everything eventually.'."

Unfortunately, another attack occurred barely one week later. And the whole castle could feel the magical power of a very angry Harry Potter.

"Tell me he's going to be OK. Are you one hundred percent sure that Justin will be fine ?" said Harry in the staff room.

Excepted from Albus and Gilderoy, all the teachers in the room were pale and visibly frightened by the amount of power the young man pacing in front of them was radiating. The air was distorted around him, the temperature oscillated from burning hot to freezing cold, and the windows seemed to be about to break.

"I assure you as soon as the Mandrake are ready, Severus will start brewing the potion to cure Mr. Finch-Fletchley's condition." explained Dumbledore calmly.

"Can't we just order some ? It would be faster !" replied Harry, as his anger was starting to dissipate.

"Unfortunately we can't." said Severus with resolve. He would have thrown in a jab at Potter's lack of talent in Potions but in the current state the war-hero was in, the potions master feared he would rip him to shreds in an heartbeat. "Mandrakes need to be fresh in order to be used in this potion and the cure itself react badly to stasis charms so you have to use them shortly after they were brewed."

"For the moment, let's go over what happened tonight for those who still don't know. Shortly after dinner, Mr. Potter walked towards the courtroom to indulge in his unhealthy habit of smoking. However, in the middle of the way, he stumbled upon the petrified body of Mr. Finch-Fletchley who apparently shares his taste for health hazards and Nearly Headless Nick. At the same moment, Peeves, the Poltergeist, saw the scene in front of him. Harry then ordered the ghost to warn the closest teacher, which happened to be Filius. After that, Mr. Finch-Fletchley and our resident ghost were carried to the Infirmary and I called for this staff meeting."

"What should we do ? The situation is dire, Albus ! If we don't put an end to this, they are going to close the school." said McGonagall.

"I know. This is why I intend to alert the DMLE and we shall prepare counter-measure in case of another attack. We will reinforce patrols and as soon as we can we will eliminate this threat." replied the old Headmaster.

Albus summoned a piece of parchment and a quill then looked at everyone in the room.

"Any volunteers for the first patrol tonight ?"

At the end of the meeting, Harry went to smoke as he intended to do before he found Justin.

After a few moments he heard footsteps and turned to see Daphne walking towards him, her arms crossed across her chest to protect herself from the cold.

"How are you fine in this cold ?" she said while she shivered slightly.

"I believe you already asked me this question multiple times. The answer is still the same." replied Harry in a neutral tone.

"Are you... Are you okay ?"

"I have to. Justin's gonna be fine. We just have to wait for the Mandrakes to mature and he'll be up and running."

"You don't have to lie to me, you know ? The others are worried too."

"I'm fine. I'm used to it. At least this time, the loss is not permanent."

Daphne took out her wand and cast a Warming Charm on them.

"Way better." she said with a sigh of relief.

"Thanks."

Heavy silence fell upon them like a blanket of snow. The 'Ice Queen of Slytherin' looked around and took out her wand again.

Harry raised an eyebrow when she saw her conjure a smoke for herself.

"Don't tell anyone." she said in a threatening tone.

"Since when do you smoke ?"

"Since the Trolls incident. I stole one from Justin's pack to try it... It calms me." she replied.

"Do you want to go somewhere else ? We're not exactly hidden here."

"You know a place ?" she asked with interest.

"Follow me." Harry said.

He lead her to the edge of the Forbidden Forest and sat on a large rock hidden behind a particularly big tree.

"It's nice here. But aren't we going to be in trouble ? We're technically in the Forest." she said as she sat beside him.

Their legs were touching because of the lack of space and she could feel his warmth even with the Warming Charm in effect.

"Not if you're with me. As long as we don't spend the night here." replied Harry with a small smile.

"Is this an invitation ? At least take me to dinner first." she huffed teasingly.

"You know that it doesn't really help you ? You just created another need to fulfill and that's it." patronised Harry as he pointed to her still unlit cigarette. He didn't even acknowledge her previous sentence.

"You of all people don't have the right to give me lessons about that." she replied. "Do you have a lighter ?"

"Are you a witch or not ?" he teased back with a smirk.

"My Fire Charms needs... A little bit of work... I almost singed my eyebrows last time..." she said with a blush.

The young warrior tried to stiffen a laugh but to no avail.

"Yeah, laugh all you want, but at least I can brew my potions." she scoffed.

"Yeah, . Here." he replied as he put his hand in front of her face.

She put her smoke on her lips and Harry leaned forward a bit.

Then, he spread his index and middle finger, forming a V, and a single rune appeared between his fingers. The air between his fingers was wavering with heat and the cigarette in her mouth was lit.

"Thank, that's a neat trick." she said after a puff of smoke.

"It has proven itself a few times, yes." he replied smugly.

"Wait a minute, this is not very destructive. I thought you were only able to use War Magic ?" asked the young woman.

"It's because it's not a spell. It's the first rune of an entire array. And it just happen to produce some heat when this specific spell fails." he explained.

"Do you come here a lot ?" asked Daphne as she gazed at the peaceful area surrounding them.

"I usually come here to rest after my training in the Forest. You know, take a few minute to breath before I go take a shower."

"Sounds nice. But you know there is a lot of dangerous creatures in here ?"

"I got my ways... Here, wanna see something really cool ?" he asked with a bright smile.

"Sure, go ahead."

Harry stood up, turned towards the center of the Forbidden Forest and cleared his throat.

He began to hum the same song he sang when he slept in the Forest the last time.

Goosebumps crept on Daphne's skin as she listened to the man in front of her. How he managed to produce such sounds using only his vocal chords was beyond here. It really was out of this world.

She never got the time to reflect on the song Harry was singing, as numerous creatures seemed to appear like ghosts behind the trees.

In front of her was gathered a large crowd of animals, both from the mundane and magical world.

Squirrels, deers, hippogriffs, boars, wolves, even a unicorn came as soon as he called.

She saw him turn to face her. For a second she thought it was an Angel. His entire body seemed to be freed from any and all burden he carried. His face so happy and caring. His smile shone brighter than a thousand suns, and his eyes were visibly shining with bliss. The sun's rays managed to pierce the heavy foliage to caress his figure.

Her heart skipped a beat and a warmth she never felt before coursed through her entire being. She couldn't think of anything else but to enjoy the magnificent scene in front of her.

"Come closer. Let me introduce you to my friend. She's right here." he said gently.

Daphne barely realised she had walked closer to him. In fact she never would have if he hadn't grabbed her hand in his own. They were calloused, as expected from someone who used to wield a weapon every day of his life, but his grip was gentle and warm. He guided her hand to an empty space next to him and suddenly she felt something rough and lukewarm.

"This my friend Klerah. She's a Thestral." he said softly as he scratched the spot where the creature's head would be if she was able to see it.

"Why is she invisible ?" asked Daphne intrigued.

"Hagrid told me that someone can only see Thestral if they saw someone died. It's a real shame. I wish more people could see them. I don't mean I wish more people could see others die but...They're really kind."

"Oh..." replied Daphne. Of course he would be able to see them then.

A couple of minutes went by as he introduced her to various animals. She was deeply impressed when the Unicorn let Harry pet her.

Unfortunately, the magical moment was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. The creatures were startled and fled in the Forest.

Harry sighed and took out his phone.

"Why do you have an alarm set up for now ?" asked the Slytherin.

"I'm part of the patrols during the night until we end the attacks for good. And it's almost curfew so you should head to your common room." he answered as he stopped the loud alarm.

"What ? But you're not even a Prefect ! It's not fair."

"I volunteered. And I doubt the Prefects would be able to stop whatever it is that's attacking the students." he said. Suddenly, his previously carefree and happy attitude vanished to be replaced by a colder and determined demeanor.

As they walked back to the castle, Daphne wished Harry could be as happy as he was back in the Forest more often. But it seemed as though Fate had different plans for her friend.

Two weeks had passed after Justin got petrified. Every day, Harry would visit him and the other students. The patrols were uneventful, but tiring nonetheless. The castle had a beautiful but eerie feel at night, and every shadow could hide an enemy. No one was more invested in the searches as Harry. He spent most of his nights paroling the castle with the other member of the staff. One night , he and Snape were forced to group together, which led to a very awkward situation. They really tried to make casual conversation, but neither were good at this particular subject.

Which leads us to this morning, where Harry could be seen sleeping on the bench of the Gryffindor table like a hobo. His head was tilted to the side, his mouth agape, and his left arm was hanging out of the bench.

Gilderoy walked in through the staff entrance and decided to wake him up before the students could enter the Great Hall. It took the combined effort of half the staff of the castle to convince Harry to take a nap. The poor man had barely slept in two weeks and it was a miracle that he was still able to walk.

The Professors told him that they would wake him later during the night, but no one actually did.

"Harry. Harry !" said Lockhart as he shook Harry's shoulder.

"Huh ? Wh-Whaat's-goin'... Huh ?" replied the Boy-Who-Lived as he stood up from his bench.

"The students are going to come in to get breakfast."

"What time is it ?"

"Almost seven in the morning."

"You lied to me ! You guys said you were going to wake me up !"

"Well, you lied to everyone too, when you kept saying that you weren't tired."

"Fair enough..." sighed the young man.

"Can I give you a piece of advice ?" asked Gilderoy, sitting down next to his former commander.

"You're the teacher. You don't have to ask my permission."

"Not as a teacher. As a friend, a brother."

"Even less reasons to ask then."

"Stop it. Whatever you're doing to yourself. You may be an extraordinary man, but you're still just a man. You remember how I was when I admitted that almost none of my stories were real ?" said the DADA teacher seriously.

"You bet. You wouldn't look at us in the eyes and you threw yourself in your recon job. You had to nearly die in order to get your shit together."

"You're doing the same thing. We live in a different world, in a different time. We're not alone anymore. We can share our burdens. You helped me carry mine so let us carry yours. You don't have anything to prove. Do your best, but don't put yourself and your happiness at risk."

"It's not that easy..."

"Is it ever ?"

They sat here, in the empty Great Hall in silent contempt for a minute.

"Do you miss her ?" asked Harry mysteriously.

"Every day and every night. Teaching helps though. I can see why she was happy in Beauxbaton. But there is this...void."

"Hm. Like a cold hand that grips your heart every time... Are her parents doing okay ?"

"Not really. Her mom got sick. I think it's more in her head though. Can't help much about that. Every time she look at me I think she get worse..."

At one point, the doors of the Hall opened themselves, signifying that the first people would be coming down to have their breakfast soon.

"Remember that my door is always open for you." said Lockhart as he stood up.

"I will, Gil'. I'm going to take a shower."

"I didn't want to tell you, but now that you mention it, you reek like hell."

"Yeah, you would know, too !" replied Harry jokingly as he walked toward the doors.

Just before he crossed the threshold,Harry heard Lockhart call him one last time.

"Take care of yourself, Harry. Dawn wouldn't want to see you wither away."

"I know... I know..." he whispered to himself, but his voice managed to reach Gilderoy across the empty Hall.

Hey guys ! Did you enjoy this chapter ? I'm sorry it's shorter than usual, but this part is important. Later in this story, our protagonists will never catch a break and these somewhat peaceful moments are critical to set up the rest.

Also there is something that has been bothering me for a while now. I had the idea for this story from a dream I had a while ago, and I immediately started to write some key elements if I ever wanted to write it. And last week, I had a bit of free time and I started daydreaming (as usual). However, this daydream session gave me an idea for another fanfiction, and it won't leave me alone.

This fanfic' would be about Monster Hunter ! I know, nothing in common with Harry Potter. If you don't know, Monster Hunter is a series of game, in which you play as a... Monster Hunter. You accept a contract, hunt the huge beast, then you get money and materials from the said monster, which allows you to craft better weapons, armors, and all kind of crazy stuff. If you are interested, here's a few things about my idea:

-It would be in a Modern AU. Mankind developed their techs around monster parts and the various ressources you came across during the games.

-Hunters are rare and melee Hunters even more. It's a modern AU so most Hunters use ranged weapons, but they still need at least one person to distract the target.

-People don't become Hunters just like that. You have to be compatible with at least one type of weapon, which allow you to stand a chance against the monsters, by being faster, stronger and more resilient. If you ever played Monster Hunter, you know how destructive some attacks can be and I don't think a normal person can withstand a fireball from a Rathalos and live to tell the tale. So Hunters are regarded with respect, as they are the pillar of this society.

-Our protagonist would not start as a Hunter. In fact, he's a college student in Monstrology. Of course, something would come and disturb his 'peaceful' life, 'cause that's how it works.

Let me reassure you, if I ever started writing this new fan fiction, I won't forget about this one. I really like writing it, and I can't wait for the 'real' story to begin.

Let me know what you think, both about this chapter and my other possible project. Please leave a review and thank you for your support.