Disclaimer- To repeat, Harry Potter doesn't belong to me.

HpLcp

Chapter 4

King's Cross Station,

London, England.

September 1st, 1992.

Flames burst a beautiful shade of emerald green in one of the many fireplaces on platform number Nine and Three quarters and Daphne Greengrass stepped out of the flames gracefully. Her luggage was held securely in her hands. With a slight swish of her wand, she vanished the soot from her clothes and luggage.

Turning back, she stared at the fireplace and huffed in frustration. Today was the first time she was asked to go to the train station by herself. And I am only twelve. Then again, she only had to use the Floo to get there.

Her father was busy in a business meeting, something about the latest model of enchanted mirrors. And her mother decided that a meeting with one of her associates was more important than seeing her daughter off to school. It probably was.

She smiled sadly at the realization. At least Astoria gave me a proper farewell, even if she is unable to join me till the next year. She will make a great slytherin, I know. She understood that work was important for her parents but it did nothing to alleviate her sadness and frustration.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed all her negative feelings to the back of her mind and stood a bit straight. It would not do her any good if people saw the heiress of Greengrass family slouching.

While walking to the Hogwarts Express, she observed many important people. Plenty of them were people she knew or was acquainted with. She recognized the Bones, Longbottoms, Abbots, Malfoys and the Parkinson family, all of them had considerable influence in their society. They were present to send off their progenies to Hogwarts.

She almost stumbled when one of her many rings heated up suddenly. Curiously, she looked around, trying to find the one responsible for it. Her eyes widened a little when she spotted a familiar figure standing near the wall. She looked away quickly before she caught their attention.

Her mother, dressed in her Unspeakable robes, was standing with a cloaked woman. They seemed to be having some sort of discussion but she couldn't be sure. Their faces were shadowed even though their hoods didn't cover their faces fully. Some kind of cloaking spell?

It hurt Daphne that her mother was present on the station but didn't see it fit to talk to her. Especially after the way her mother stressed the importance of her work. She felt her eyes prickle and she hastened to find herself an empty compartment before she made a scene.

Greengrass Family magics were wide and varied, full of spells and rituals and curses. Using one of those spells, with the help of her father (most of it was done by him while she helped a little bit), she was able to enchant a ring to heat up whenever her mother was nearby. This ring was their closely guarded secret.

How else was she supposed to go on her nightly visits to the restricted section of their family library? Her father encouraged her to know about ancient family magic, obscure as they were. It was something her mother didn't seem to like, especially when she did it without supervision.

She had no way of knowing that her mother had a similar ring that alerted her whenever she breached the wards around the restricted section. Or that the books in the 'restricted section' were approved by her mother.

While she was curious about the lady standing with her mother, she didn't think much about it. There was no reason to speculate. If it was anything related to the Unspeakables, she was not going to learn about it in any way. Then again, the presence of an Unspeakable on the train station is intriguing. Curious, very curious. She glanced towards her mother.

She would have waited for her friends and joined them if she was not so upset that her parents ditched her for work. Especially her mother. It was likely that she was not going to see her parents for a major part of the year and she would have liked to have a proper farewell as opposed to the rushed goodbyes she was given.

Finding an empty compartment, she casted a Notice-me-not charm on the door and windows and placed her luggage near the windows. She had no desire to spend the whole train ride in company of people she didn't know.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, she tried to calm her raging emotions. It did nothing to stop a few tears from escaping. Her mother must have had a very good reason for her actions. A very good reason that she would never know about. She decided to enjoy the trip to Hogwarts in silence with her books. What else could she do?

It was too bad that she wasn't allowed to have any books about family magic from their library. Or any books related to arcane magics for that matter. But she understood the importance of that knowledge and agreed. She didn't have to like it though.

There are plenty of good books in the world. She consoled herself as she took out the latest edition of the 'Forgotten Rituals and How to do them' and began reading.

Mother would likely have my hide if I was caught reading this material. Heh, I would be grounded for even getting my hands near this book, rare and illegal as it is. But only in magical Britain. She felt a rush of excitement as she opened the book.

A little while later, she was absolutely certain that she was not going to even think of doing half of the rituals described in the book. Ever. But it was good to know about the forgotten history of spell-work and rituals, the lengths people went to in order to gain eternal beauty, immortality and things like that.

Even if plenty of things mentioned were just hypothesis and flimsy theories. She made sure to read the fine print before buying this book. Besides her mother did warn her not to do any rituals without her permission.

She was so lost in her book of fascinating yet morbid rituals that she didn't hear the sound of knocking. She did jump in fright when the door opened and someone entered her compartment.

Slamming her book shut with haste, not wanting anyone to find her reading one of the more interesting rituals in the book, she turned to look at the intruder with narrowed eyes. She hoped that her flaming red face didn't ruin the effect of her trademarked mean glare.

She wondered how her 'notice-me-not' charm allowed the intruder to notice the compartment but decided to not pay it much thought, assuming that the charm's effects had worn off. She was twelve- almost thirteen, and understandably not magically powerful enough to maintain the spell for long durations.

Her eyes narrowed further when she saw Harry Potter staring at her with a confused look. His eyes flickered from her face to the book in her hands momentarily and she felt her face get warm. Before she could say anything in her defence, the boy straightened up and smiled disarmingly in her direction.

"My apologies for intruding. I knocked a few times but when no one answered, I assumed that this compartment was empty." Harry grinned apologetically in her direction when she nodded cautiously. He is apologizing. Now that's a first. She hid her shock almost perfectly. If Harry saw her surprise, he didn't comment on it.

"Would you mind terribly if I join you?" Daphne's eyes widened at the request before her training kicked in and she nodded her consent wordlessly with a small fake smile. She was still too confused seeing the changed Harry Potter in front of her.

Gone was the boy who tried to make himself as small as humanly possible by slouching and dressing in rags that were a few sizes too big for him. Instead, the boy in front of her was standing straight with squared shoulders and his head raised high. He was, surprisingly, dressed in good clothes. Anything was good compared to the rags he wore last year.

What was more astounding were the changed spectacles! The ugly, broken spectacles held together by cello tape were replaced by new glasses. They were the source of much amusement among my peers. The boy seemed to be, finally, dressed as someone of his stature should.

She stared at the boy as he placed his bags and sat with a book in his hands. She glanced at his snowy owl for a moment. No one could deny that the white owl was beautiful. Her eyes narrowed and she felt herself being amused when she read the title, 'Latin for Dummies'.

"I would have never assumed that you would sit with snakes, Potter." She noted with a bit of sarcasm. Left unsaid was his usual preference of company. She was not a Malfoy who would spout nonsense without any reason. Her eyes glinted with suspicion as she observed the boy who, seemingly, caught her parent's interest out of nowhere.

Personally, she didn't find anything special and that was the only reason she didn't interact with the boy in her first year. She had no desire to play nice with someone who disrespected their traditions while belonging to an old family. Muggles and muggle-borns, she could understand.

Even now, he was disrespecting his social superior by not greeting her properly. A Potter not making a social faux pas… The words and subsequent laughter of her ancestor's portrait echoed in her head and she sighed mentally.

Well, at least he seems to follow his family's way of not giving a damn about standards and customs of their society. Besides, this is not a formal setting anyway. She was just another student in the same year as him.

"And I would have never assumed you to be alright with my company, Miss Greengrass." Harry answered with a small smile, watching her frown.

She noted that he was familiar with her name and that he didn't use her given name like he usually did with everyone in their previous year. That confused her even more. Is he finally using manners? Or did he start getting his much-needed etiquette lessons?

"Where are your friends?" She asked, deciding to ignore his answer for the time being while casting another Notice-me-not charm at the door discreetly. This was a good chance to know more about the supposed 'saviour' of their world.

"I have no idea." Harry smiled while staring outside. Following him, she, too, saw outside and almost snorted in amusement when she saw a bunch of red heads rushing amongst the crowd. She winced when the Weasley matriarch's shrill voice hit her ears.

"Right." She drawled, causing the boy to look at her in surprise. Malfoy isn't the only one who can drawl. "Have you finally decided to ditch them then?" She asked in confusion.

Harry remembered a conversation he had with his great-grandmother's portrait.

"So, this Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger are your best-friends?" Harry's eyes narrowed a bit at the disdain in Dorea's voice.

"Yes." He answered a bit frostily.

"Don't take that tone with me, young man." Dorea sniffed in disdain. "I am not judging them per se. I just want to know who my great-grandson associates with."

Abashed, he nodded with a nervous smile.

"Well?" Dorea prompted after a bit of silence. She sighed when Harry stared at her. "What about others? Any other friends? Bones? Longbottoms? Greengrass? Tonks?"

"No." Harry looked away when he saw her disapproving frown.

"Why? There is no such thing as too many friends. Why limit yourself to only two good friends?" Dorea sighed. "You realize that these friends you make will be very helpful in your life, don't you?" That was her inner slytherin making her presence known.

"You don't get it, do you?" She pinched her nose in frustration when Harry blinked curiously. "Magical community, Harry, is not as vast as the muggle one. The last two wars made the situation worse than it was. These friends… these connections you make now will be very helpful in the future if you decide to pursue a career."

"Especially…" Dorea hesitated for moment. "… in your case, Harry. Twice now, you have defeated the Dark Lord. I know… I know that the Dark Lord was vanquished by your Mother. But how many people know that? Does the Dark Lord know that? The Dark Lord considers you to be the one responsible for his demise."

"The whole magical world considers you to be the one who defeated the Dark Lord. You are the only known person to survive the killing curse. And you have, yet again, foiled his plans. Do you really think the Dark Lord won't pursue revenge?"

Harry gulped in fear. Could he survive another encounter with the Dark Lord again? How long would his luck last?

"You see it, don't you? You are going to need all the help you can get if you want to survive against the Dark Lord when he returns. Make no mistake, he will return again. And unlike you, he already has people working for him in the ministry. A vast majority of his followers are free, upstanding people of the society." She explained gently. Her lips curled in a sneer when she descried the Death-eaters.

"You think that they are just waiting for the Dark Lord to return? No, they are actively trying to get and hold more and more power in our society. Notts, Malfoys, MacNair and many, many more… Every day is fight to get, hold and secure as much power as they can for their Lord. And let's not forget about his more brutal followers. They are waiting in Azkaban for their Lord to rescue them. You think a prison will stop the Dark Lord once he attains his body?"

"Against all this…" She paused, considering her next statement. "What does one Harry Potter have? Two friends, many acquaintances and the old crowd (people who fought against the Dark Lord in the first war) who may not even want to involve themselves in the war again. How will young, average, naïve Harry Potter survive when the Dark Lord decides to take revenge?"

"Who will Harry Potter rely on? A muggle-born witch who might decide to leave for the safety of her family? A Weasley whose family has already seen one war and may not want to participate again? Who will help you, Harry?" Dorea stared at the squirming boy.

"Dumbledore…" Harry hesitated, desperately wanting that to be true. "Dumbledore will help me. He will train me, teach me what I need to know. People say that Dumbledore was the only man the Dark Lord…"

"…feared." Dorea completed a tad bit sarcastically. "Yes, Voldemort might have feared Dumbledore one day. But that was the case over a decade ago. Dumbledore is already too old and he isn't going to get any younger."

"And how much will Dumbledore be able to teach you? You will still have to learn a lot by yourself before you are even qualified to be taught by someone of Dumbledore's stature. The Dark Lord has over five decades of experience. You think there was no one with that much experience in magical combat? What do you think happened to those who fought him? Besides Dumbledore, no one is alive now." She didn't want to share the story about the fate of Longbottoms yet. It was, if anything, worse than death.

"I ask again, Harry. Do you plan to fight alone when he returns? Why do you not mix with other students? Why limit yourself to two friends? What is stopping you from making friends? Let's not take the Dark Lord into consideration. Why do you not interact with children of families that have stood with the Potters for generations?"

"Why insult them and your family's history by ignoring them in this manner?" Dorea stared at her great-grandchild who tried to stutter excuses.

"I didn't know." Harry mumbled, staring at his feet.

"That's not the real reason." She raised an eye-brow at his surprised face.

"They stare." He mumbled.

"A little louder, Harry."

"I said that they stare and then whisper behind my back like I am some animal on display." He frowned remembering all the times he was pointed and talked about.

"And?" Dorea asked in a careless tone. "Tell me, didn't your friends stare at you like that when you first met them? Did they not ask to see your famous scar or talk about what they read or heard about you?"

"They did." Harry muttered, understanding where this was going.

"And yet you gave them the chance to know Harry Potter, didn't you? You gave them the chance to learn that you were not this magical creature called 'The-boy-who-lived' from the stories, didn't you?"

"Yes." He answered with a weak smile.

"Then why the double-standards, Harry?" Dorea sighed. "You know, your mother suffered from this as well…"

He shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at Daphne. "Am I supposed to always be in company of two people?" He asked back. He would not make the same mistake as his mother.

"Besides, I find myself in lovely company at the moment." She was certain that he was being sarcastic but decided to make no comments about it.

"I am sure you are enjoying my company." She drawled with a smug smile of her own, happy to continue bantering with him. For someone known to be arrogant and whiny, he was making a much better impression by not being a stuck up. It went against everything Malfoy told them. Then again, she would never trust the word of a Malfoy anyway.

Harry smiled in her direction before turning his attention to the book. And soon after that the Hogwarts Express began its journey. Daphne returned the smile with one of her own and began reading her book again. This time making sure to avoid reading things that would make her blush. The shade of a Weasley's red hair would not suit her face.

They continued reading in silence, occasionally glancing at each other with a small frown. None of them found the other as they expected them to be. Then again, all they knew about each other was hearsay and their own assumptions.

Headstrong Gryffindor.

Slimy Slytherin.

The train was yet to leave the station when Daphne noticed an ethereal raven flying next to her window. Use your heiress's ring and find me at Leaky Cauldron, 9'o clock. She heard her mother's voice inside her head and watched as the raven dissolved in mist.

Mother's modified messenger spell? Interesting. Maybe I will get to know something about her meeting? Excitement bubbled in her chest. She glanced at her current partner who seemed to be lost in his own book, not that he could see or hear the message, and leaned against the window. She carefully closed her book and made sure that it wouldn't fall.

Making sure that Harry wouldn't notice, she twisted her invisible heir's ring four times in anti-clockwise direction before muttering, "Magicae spiritus y tempus itinerantur."

Greengrass family magic- ancient and intoxicating, hummed under her skin. She took a moment to feel the familiar coolness of the magic. It was calm, it was vast. It was old yet restless. And it was hers for the moment.

It called to her, demanding her to achieve her potential. The magic hummed in delight when she wielded it with her ring as the foci. She could practically feel the magic magnify exponentially in strength and power. It was blissful and for a moment she didn't want it to end. The raw power… that intoxicating feeling… the possibilities… they were endless. And it was all within her grasp.

She felt the world fade as the spell took effect. And at that moment she was, once again, reminded of advice her father gave when she first felt her family magic.

Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Remember that every time you use our family magic.

Harry watched curiously as his companion closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them again. He raised an eyebrow when she stared at him with a curious look in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to see through him.

If he didn't think it impossible, he would have thought of her as a completely different person. She seemed a bit more interested in him. Her eyes looked at him with a focus that wasn't present when they conversed earlier.

Harry shrugged to himself and continued reading his book. It contained many notes on the basics of potion making that his ancestors compiled through years of hard work and research. Apparently, there were plenty of good potion brewers in his family. And it was one of the few books he was allowed to take with him anywhere he wanted.

HpLcp

Daphne looked around herself. The world was a shade of white, black and different shades of grey. The empty platform was a sharp contradiction to what she saw that morning. There was no Hogwarts express present on the platform. There was almost no one on the platform. It was just empty.

She stared at her transparent, grey form and smiled. I love this spell. It's extremely useful. She stared making her way out of the station. It's around 7'o clock now, plenty of time to get to the Leaky Cauldron. Mother left the house at 8, I am sure I can get to know more if I am a bit early. No such thing as too much information.

She sighed and started walking in the direction of Leaky Cauldron. It was a good thing she knew how to get there. While being able to pass through solid objects, she wished she was able to turn into an animagus as well.

She was sure it would be something that could fly. It would make it so easy for her to travel as well. Alas, she was too young to even think of trying that out.

But, hey, a girl could dream, right?

HpLcp

It was half-past eight when she reached the Leaky Cauldron. She got distracted many times when she came across something that caught her eye. It was the first time she got a chance to explore the muggle world by herself. It didn't matter if she was a spirit or not.

She looked around the Leaky Cauldron but couldn't spot her mother anywhere. Sighing, she raised her wand again and whispered the incantation for her family's modified version of the 'Point me' spell. "Point me Lady Greengrass."

Well, it's my lucky day. Mother's in the range of the spell. She frowned curiously when it pointed away from the Leaky Cauldron and into the Diagon Alley. Well, it's my fault for being early. I shouldn't have expected her to be having breakfast with that lady. She huffed and started walking in the direction her wand was pointing.

Diagon Alley was not as crowded as it was when she last visited to get her school supplies. But then again, Diagon Alley was very busy during that time of the year. Besides, it was very early anyway. She passed the Apothecary, Floren Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Floursih and Blotts and many others before eventually spotting her mother at the one place she didn't expect.

Her ring heated up momentarily when she got close. Her mother was standing with the same lady she had noticed at the train station. Behind them, the entrance to the Knockturn Alley loomed in all of its dark and terrifying glory. Despite her initial fear, she felt a rush of excitement. I get to see the Knockturn Alley? Isn't that just wonderful?

This was her first, and probably only visit to the infamous dark alley, and she felt thrilled at the prospect. Anything you wanted for dark arts or rituals was available there. Rare, forbidden, illegal, it didn't matter what kind of item one required. Everything could be bought in the Knockturn alley. For the right price, of course.

"Stay close and don't touch anything." She heard her mother's voice as she neared. Of course. I am not that stupid. She didn't say anything but followed them in to the dark and dingy alley obediently. Something rustled behind them but when she turned, it was gone. Frightened, she rushed to join her mother.

Her mother and the mysterious lady remained silent as they passed several shops. Their faces were shadowed and both wore dark robes. She moved her head back and forth, eager to take in the sights. But she made sure to remain near them.

She felt a shiver run down her spine when she saw human bones on display at a shop named Dystyl Phaelanges. She gulped when she identified the 'poisonous candles' and 'evil-looking masks. Unconsciously, she got closer to her mother as they continued to travel the twisting paths of the alley.

She watched curiously when one human 'eye' hanging outside a shop followed their movements. Nasty shrunken skulls were lined on display in one shop, and two doors down, a cage full of large black spiders rattled and they clacked their jaws menacingly.

She started when an old witch suddenly jumped in their path. "You wouldn't happen to want these fresh muggle fingernails, would ya?" She smiled a crooked smile. Her black, rotten teeth made Daphne cringe in disgust.

"I tell ya, dearies. You won't find better, genuine articles anywhere else in the whole alley." Daphne cringed again when the old lady pushed a tray full of what looked like whole human finger nails towards them.

Lady Greengrass pushed the tray away and continued walking without a word. Her companion gave a chuckle before following her. "We don't have time for you, Miss. Maybe some other time." Stunned at her mother's behaviour, Daphne followed quietly.

The yells of the old woman rang behind them as she tried to collect her supplies. Those were some colourful curses she got introduced to that day.

Eventually, they turned and climbed a set of stairs near 'Markus Scarrs Indelible Tattoos' and came to a stop in front of a small pawnbrokers shop next door to The White Wyvern pub.

"Stay here and don't touch anything." Daphne rolled her eyes at her mother's instructions. Is she even talking to me? It was not like she could touch anything. She was a spirit at the moment. Her mother walked in with her companion while she waited.

Daphne strained her ears to listen curiously.

"-yes, yes. Of course, I was able to procure some of the items on your rather large list. Rare as they-" An oily voiced spoke and Daphne could imagine an old looking man, with a crooked nose and little hair on his head, rubbing his hands greedily.

"-and what of the things you could not procure-" the lady with her mother asked in a cold tone.

"-of course, of course. For a little bit more, I am sure I can manage to-" Daphne chuckled at the blatant attempt to make more galleons. She missed the next bit of conversation.

"-will find someone else. Good day-" He was answered in the same cold tone.

Wordlessly, they traced their steps back to the entrance of Knockturn alley. Only after they were back in the Diagon Alley did they speak again. "You are as shrewd as ever." Lady Greengrass chuckled as they walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. "May I ask what you need those items for? There are some questionable uses for some of the items I saw."

"Of course, you may not." Her mother's companion sniffed in distaste. "You know better than to ask such questions, dear."

Daphne looked on curiously when her mother dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Our guest seems to have arrived."

They entered the Leaky Cauldron and nodded to the bartender, who returned the gesture nervously, before walking upstairs and towards their room. Another cloaked figure stood up from a corner and followed them without a word.

The last figure closed the door behind her and removed her hood. "This better be important." Madam Amelia Bones spoke with a stern look on her face. "I am busy enough as it is."

Daphne was surprised to see the Head of DMLE in the room. This is getting interesting. She watched as her mother removed her own cloak and set it aside. "You look well, Amelia." Her mother smiled.

"Sophia." Amelia nodded with a small frown. "You are doing well, I hope?" Her tone was frigid as she stared at her long-time friend.

"Come now." Cassiopeia Black removed her own hood and smiled. "There is no need to bitch at each other. I thought you were past that stage."

"No, we are not." Both ladies answered in perfect unison before huffing and turning away from each other. Though Daphne could see a small smile on their face.

"Ah, this reminds of the old times." Cassiopeia sighed ruefully with a small smile.

"Anyways," Amelia interrupted with a frown. "Shouldn't you be dead?" She asked with suspicion. Surely, she would not use rituals to cheat death, right? Besides, Sophia seems to trust her. But, can I trust her?

Daphne's head was starting to spin. My mother is friends with the 'Iron Lady' Amelia Bones. I thought they were just bitter duelling rivals. And Cassiopeia Black is alive? That's… not as strange as it looks. She knew reading history books were useful. Blacks were notoriously good at faking their death. Just what did I get myself involved with?

"I should be." Cassiopeia affirmed with a small sardonic smile. Amelia shook her head in amusement. "But, you know, family comes first. Why don't you introduce yourself to these beautiful ladies?"

Daphne frowned in confusion. Who is she talking to? Then her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Harry Potter appearing out of thin air, a cloak in his hand. A real invisibility cloak? She thought in amazement. Those were incredibly rare and very, very expensive.

Was he with us all this time? Was mother talking to him all this time? Her face flushed in realization. There was no way for her mother to know for certain that she was with them all this time. She was even more confused when Harry was introduced to her mother. What is going on? Shouldn't they know each other if mother was talking to him all this time?

"Harry. This is my apprentice Lady Sophia Greengrass." Harry kissed the back of her mother's hand with a small murmur of 'a pleasure to meet you'. "You might know her daughter, Daphne Greengrass."

Harry blinked in confusion, it made Sophia smile. "The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin is still going strong, I see." Sophia's comment made Harry blush in embarrassment and he ran a hand through his hair in nervousness.

"I am sure he will rectify that as soon as the opportunity presents, won't you Harry?" Harry nodded sheepishly before he was introduced to Amelia. "And this is someone I used to work with, Madam Amelia Bones. She is the Head of the DMLE."

Harry repeated the same greeting again, feeling a bit relieved when no one stared at his scar. "Are you related to Susan Bones?" Harry asked with a polite smile.

So, he does know how to greet a lady properly. Daphne pouted.

At the mention of her niece, a small smile formed on Amelia's stern face. "Yes, I am her aunt. She has a lot of interesting things to say about you, Mister Potter. Youngest seeker in a century. Very impressive, I must say. Very impressive indeed."

Not to mention those strange rumours about Professor Quirrell. And the recent matter of underage magic. She glanced at Cassiopeia Black. I think I can let the matter drop for now. This meeting seems to be more important than a closed case of underage magic.

Harry smiled sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. "It's nothing special. I just like flying, that's all."

"Indeed." Amelia raised an eyebrow at the boy's bashful behaviour before turning serious. "I take it that there is a reason for this meeting."

Daphne frowned at the sudden change of mood in the room. "Help me with the privacy charms." Cassiopeia Black took out her wand and started muttering incantations. Sophia followed suit and after a moment of staring, Amelia followed their lead.

After the wards were erected, Cassiopeia took out a pensieve. It was a wide and shallow dish made of metal, there were intricate marking on it. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"A pensieve. A rare one at that." Amelia frowned and took a seat near the pensieve. "Did something happen?"

"You can decide that for yourself." Sophia took a seat opposite her. Her grave face worried Daphne.

"Harry, you know what to do." At Cassiopeia's prompting, Harry took out his wand and touched its tip to his temple. Concentrating on the memory, he pulled it out. A long white strand was pulled out of his head, which he placed in the pensieve.

Daphne leaned forward curiously and watched as Cassiopeia muttered a spell and touched the runes etched on the pensieve with her own wand. "This is Harry's memory from some time ago. A strange elf delivered a warning at his residence."

Daphne leaned forward in anticipation. Let's see where the 'great' Harry Potter lives. She imagined a large manor with many elves to serve him. A lavish lifestyle fit for the 'saviour' of their world. She was not prepared for the small muggle room that took shape above the pensieve.

As the memory played, she felt herself being amused. Someone must have sent their elf to play a trick on him. Poor boy. He is scared of a joke. Is he really a Gryffindor? She then noticed the small room. There were barely any personal decorations in them.

The cat flap on the door and the bars on the window, the beautiful snowy owl locked in its cage raised warning bells in her mind. A small, old bed near the window. The suspicious lack of magical items.

Many eyes narrowed when they observed the room in Harry's memories. Daphne, personally, found it hard to swallow that this was where the 'great' Harry Potter lived. Is that a store room?

Her eyes narrowed and she tried to remember every detail before focusing on the memory. With a frown, she realized that they were not shown the full memory of the event.

"…But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him of the dangers at Hogwarts… Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

There was a silence broken only by the chinks of knives and forks.

"Wh-what?" Harry stammered. "But the term starts in September. I have to be at Hogwarts by then. It's the only thing keeping me going."

Sophia's eye narrowed at the statement. Just what was wrong in the boy's life? She wondered in worry.

"No, no, no." squeaked Dobby, his ears flapping. "If Harry Potter goes back, he will be in mortal danger."

Amelia raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to take a good look at the elf.

"Why?" Harry asked in surprise.

"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year." Dobby whispered. "Dobby has known it for months now. Harry Potter must not put himself in danger."

There was silence in the room as the memory ended. The amusement felt by Daphne was, fortunately, not shared by others.

Even if everyone noticed the condition Harry lived in, it was not the topic of discussion at that moment. Amelia made a note to discuss it at a later date.

"A likely prank by one of the students. I don't think it is anything to worry about." The elf might have been responsible for the magic. Amelia mused and stared at the grave faces of her companions with a frown. "What is it?" She asked cautiously after a moment of silence.

Daphne blinked in confusion when Harry retrieved the memory. She watched curiously as the boy moved away and stared out of the window with a pensive look on his face.

"As you have already noticed, the memory was not complete." Cassiopeia confessed in grave tone. "Without context, the warning doesn't make much sense. It seems like a simple prank on surface but I assure you that there is more going on than we know."

"What do you know of events that took place at the end of last academic year in Hogwarts?" Cassiopeia asked Amelia seriously who frowned at the sudden change of subject.

"The DADA curse again. Terrible business, that curse." Amelia sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Professor Quirrell was very talented too. It's a shame we aren't able to remove it, it is."

Daphne blinked. Is she suggesting what I think she is? Her throat was suddenly dry, she felt sick. She glanced at her mother who looked resigned. Dear Merlin…

"Professor Dumbledore informed me about that. Professor Quirrell. Another victim of the curse, I suppose. We can assume that…" Amelia trailed off. And then, there are those wild rumours that Susan brought. Though I don't know how much truth they contain. Unless… Cassiopeia shared a look with Sophia, who nodded and closed her eyes.

"Then you will be most interested in seeing this" Amelia leaned forward a bit as Cassiopeia turned to Harry and gave a small nod. "Just like we discussed, Harry." Cassiopeia glanced in Sophia's direction who nodded grimly.

Harry sighed. The memories were still fresh in his mind. The blood-curdling screams of his professor, the smell of burning flesh, the accusing eyes… With a resigned smile and shaky hands, he proceeded to repeat the process. It is important to show that the memories are mine and they are untampered. He told himself. It is important. I must do it.

A large chamber formed above the penseive. There was a mirror in the centre with Quirrell in front of it. Harry was lying on the floor behind the professor, bound in ropes.

Daphne gasped in surprise. Amelia leaned forward to take a closer look.

"Use the boy… Use the boy…" The voice came from Quirrell but his lips didn't move.

Quirrell rounded on Harry, who was trying to get away.

"Potter- you come here."

Quirrell clapped his hands once, and ropes binding Harry fell off. Harry got slowly to his feet.

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry walked towards the mirror.

Quirrell moved close behind him. Harry closed his eyes, stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.

Harry saw his reflection, pale and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

"What is that mirror?" Amelia murmured softly to herself.

"The mirror of Erised." Harry answered without looking at her. "It shows your deepest desire."

"And the stone?" Amelia asked curiously. Her mind working furiously.

Harry hesitated for a moment. "The Philosopher's stone."

Daphne breathed sharply.

Amelia muttered a curse.

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he answered. "I — I've won the house cup for Gryffindor."

Daphne frowned. Somehow, she didn't believe that.

Quirrell cursed again.

"Get out of the way," he said.

But he hadn't walked five paces before a high voice spoke, though Quirrell wasn't moving his lips.

"He lies…He lies.…"

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What did you just see?"

The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to him…face-to-face…"

"Master, you are not strong enough!"

"I have strength enough…for this…"

Quirrell reached up and began to unwrap his turban. The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. Then he turned slowly on the spot.

Daphne screamed in fright. Sophia and Cassiopeia nodded gravely when Amelia stared at them in disbelief.

Where there should have been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, a most terrible face. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

"Harry Potter…" it whispered.

"See what I have become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor….I have form only when I can share another's body…but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds…Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks…you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest…and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own….Now…why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?"

"Unicorn blood?" Amelia repeated, horrified at the mere implications. "You saw that?"

Harry nodded. "In a detention in the Forbidden Forest."

Amelia cursed again.

Daphne grimaced. So, the things Malfoy spoke were true. She didn't feel too happy about that.

Harry stumbled backward.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save your own life and join me…or you'll meet the same end as your parents…They died begging me for mercy…"

"LIAR!" Harry shouted suddenly.

Quirrell was walking backward at him, so that Voldemort could still see him. The evil face was now smiling.

"How touching…" it hissed. "I always value bravery….Yes, boy, your parents were brave…I killed your father first; and he put up a courageous fight…but your mother needn't have died…she was trying to protect you…Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain."

"NEVER!"

Harry sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE HIM!" and the next second, Harry felt Quirrell's hand close on his wrist. He yelled, struggling with all his might. Quirrell let go of him. He looked around wildly to see where Quirrell had gone, and saw him hunched in pain, looking at his fingers — they were blistering before his eyes.

"Seize him! SEIZE HIM!" shrieked Voldemort again, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck. Quirrell howled in agony.

"Master, I cannot hold him — my hands — my hands!"

And Quirrell, though pinning Harry to the ground with his knees, let go of his neck and stared, bewildered, at his own palms — they looked burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill him, fool, and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Harry, by instinct, reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face —

"AAAARGH!"

Daphne closed her eyes and covered her ears. She didn't want to watch any further. She couldn't watch any further. It was all too much for the girl.

Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering, too.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off.

The next bit of memory was a visual blur. Yet, the screams remained painfully clear.

"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"

"Harry! Harry!"

There was an eerie, uncomfortable silence after the memory finished playing. Daphne opened her eyes cautiously and sighed in relief when she saw that the memory was over.

So, there is something special about Potter after all. Daphne glanced at the boy. What is it so special about you?

Amelia leaned back and rubbed her head. "So, he isn't gone after all?" She glanced at the surprised faces of Sophia and Cassiopeia and chuckled humourlessly. And it also confirms that the Potters did something to ensure the safety of their child. A ritual perhaps…

"What?" Amelia asked rhetorically. "We have always had our suspicions regarding the measures the Dark Lord took to preserve his life." She said in distaste. "And I can see why you are concerned about the elf's warning as well."

Sophia nodded. "What I want to know is how Mister Potter found himself in that situation. Do we have enough time for that as well?" She asked softly.

"I think…" Cassiopeia cut in before anything could be said, "…that we should continue this at a later that. I will have Harry's memories with me. There is no need to have Harry relive them again and again."

Daphne glanced at the boy. His skin was pale and sweaty. He was fumbling with a small vial.

"Here, let me help you with that." Cassiopeia helped him drink its content. Harry muttered his thanks in a weak voice.

"Very well." Sophia conceded, identifying the calming draught with a single glance. "Let's meet in a few days then. I am sure Amelia would want to discuss more about the Dark Lord."

Amelia nodded with a frown. "I understand that this has been a stressful ordeal for you, Mister Potter. But do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

Harry nodded his acceptance cautiously and retrieved his memory from the pensieve.

"This Mirror of Erised… How did it work for you?"

"The mirror would work for the one who wanted to find the stone but not use it." Harry recited from memory. "That's what Dumbledore said when I asked him the same question. I… I was able to find the mirror before it was used to hide the stone."

Harry glanced away and continued. "I… The mirror showed me standing with my parents. I spent many nights sitting in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection and wishing for it to be true." He wiped his cheeks. Daphne looked away.

"I used to do that every night from the day I found the mirror until Dumbledore found me and explained how the mirror worked." He smiled weakly when Lady Greengrass squeezed his shoulder.

Amelia cleared her throat softly and murmured a soft apology. "Tell me about the traps you faced before the mirror. Wait, I think I will see that in the memory. Why don't tell me if there were any traps at all?"

"Yes, there were quite a few." His answer made Amelia frown. Sophia shook her head when she realized what her friend was trying.

"And you were able to get past them by yourself?" She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"A few of my friends helped me." He admitted hesitantly.

Granger and Weasley, I am sure. Daphne looked on, wondering if he was in trouble.

"I see." Amelia wrote something on a piece of parchment with a muggle pen.

"While I am curious to know how you found out about the Philosopher's stone and how you suspected that an attempt was going to be made on that day, it can wait." She stared at him with a small frown. "Tell me, did you go to a professor with your suspicions?"

"Yes, we went to find Headmaster Dumbledore. But Professor McGonagall said he was not in the school. We shared out suspicions with her then." He admitted. "She told us that the stone the stone was safe and to not worry about it."

"I see." Amelia muttered softly. "Tell me Harry, would Quirrell have been able to get the stone?"

"No." Harry hesitated. "I don't think he would have been able to get it out of the mirror."

"Were you aware of the traps before you went to save the stone?" She asked with a frown.

"We only knew about one of them." He answered.

"Did Professor McGonagall try to stop you from going?" She asked, leaning forward to look into his eyes.

"Twice." He admitted. "Once, when we went to find Headmaster and again when we tried to go by ourselves."

Daphne snorted. Typical Gryffindor-ish behaviour.

Harry knew that Amelia was unimpressed, if her face was any indication.

"So, let me get this straight." She straightened in her seat and glanced at her fellow adults. "You repeatedly ignored warnings from your professor and went after the stone yourself. All because of mere suspicions, if I may assume."

"If that was not enough, you went and dragged a few of your classmates in the ordeal too." She shook her head. "I don't know whether you call you brave or stupid. What would you have done if there were any truly lethal traps for the protection of the stone?"

Harry remained silent.

"The mere fact that a handful of students, most likely from first year?" She continued when he nodded. "Yes. The mere fact that you were able to get passed the traps means that someone changed them so that you could reach the mirror."

There is no other way someone like Professor McGonagall would be confident in the safety of a magical artefact if it wasn't truly protected. She thought to herself and continued to her observation.

"And while I am glad that you and everyone that followed you are safe. The only thing you did was put yourself and others in needless danger. You most definitely didn't save us from the return of the Dark Lord. Instead you endangered the life of others by not listening to the authority."

"But what if the Dark Lord got his hands on the philosopher's stone?" He asked in a squeaky tone. What if he actually succeeded?

"Then he would have spent the next few decades trying to figure out how to make the elixir of life." Amelia answered easily. "What? You think it is easy to get the elixir of life form a stone?"

"Nobody knows how the stone works, Mister Potter." She explained. "It's a closely guarded secret of the Flamels. And even if he got the stone. What's to say that it wasn't fake?"

Harry stared at her blankly. He was feeling like an idiot now. At least no one was hurt. His own words about the stone rang in his mind. His speech about the Dark Lord's return in front of his friend seemed foolish now.

Could it really be true? Did I endanger others because I was too caught up in myself that I didn't want to believe anyone else? Professor McGonagall told me the stone was safe. I should have listened to her. Why didn't I?

"Dumbledore could have had the stone in his pocket when he left the school and no one would have known. Did you consider that possibility before running off to save the day?" She shook her head when the boy refused to meet her eyes.

"I didn't." He mumbled.

"And what would you have done if Quirrell started attacking you with magic? You are lucky that he was unable to touch you. In any other circumstances, you would have faced a terrible fate for charging in foolishly like that." Harry winced when his own thoughts were used against him.

Sophia and Cassiopeia smiled in sympathy.

"Mister Potter." Amelia sighed. "I do hope that you will learn from this and think before doing anything like this again in the future."

Harry nodded.

"Very well then." Amelia smiled at the boy and stood up. "Allow me to escort you to the train station. I would like to formally introduce to my niece as well."

HpLcp

A/N - Long time no see?