The Greengrass Is Greener On The Other Side

Blurb: The 2nd Wizarding War has been won. Harry and an expanded circle of friends return to Hogwarts for their last year. But Harry still has major problems to resolve – and it will take a cunning plan to overcome them and win the peace within Hogwarts. Luckily, Harry can now count on the cunning of some Slytherins, to really shake things up and shock some people in the process...

Themes: Drama, Romance, Conflict & Friendships.

Principal characters: Harry, Daphne, Luna, Ginny.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the established characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Any additional characters and ideas are of my creation! No money is being made from this story.

This stand-alone story is broadly in line with the events of 'The Half-Blood Prince' and 'The Deathly Hallows' – though where there are differences they will come to light in due course. For example, I have made Astoria Greengrass a year older than she is in canon, for reasons that will be revealed in Chapter 3.

This tale has been inspired by elements in some Harry Potter fanfiction stories that I have been reading in recent years. If I say here which stories they are, it might tip the readers as to which directions this story will go – but I will pay due credit to the relevant authors at the end. Also, this story is more wacky than is usual for me – as I've tried to forge my angle on inspired ideas to create something that is hopefully new. It's also rated 'M' for a reason. If you don't like it, then don't read…

The italicized text in the opening section is taken directly from 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'

Chapter One:

The Flaw In Ginny's Plan

June 1996:

Harry's deadened heart fluttered as he was taken aback by Luna stepping forward and gently taking hold of his hand. The two of them stood in the wide cloister-like corridor. He felt unable to respond as the warmth of the young witch's hand seemed to reach out and fill something of the void inside of him – if only just a little. Seeing Sirius's death, having Voldemort in his head, then learning of the prophecy from Professor Dumbledore over the course of one night… All on top of the treatment he had put up with in the last year from Draco Malfoy and his lackeys, from Professor Snape, from the vile Dolores Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic. Saying that it had been far too much strain was putting it rather mildly.

No wonder he had exploded with rage in Dumbledore's office when he had learnt why Voldemort had killed his parents. Why the so-called Dark Lord was determined to kill Harry also.

They looked at each other. Luna was smiling slightly. Harry did not know what to say, or to think. Luna believed so many extraordinary things…yet he had been sure he had heard voices behind the veil, too.

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you look for your stuff?" he said.

Luna had refused, saying she was sure that her possessions would turn up again soon. But when they wished each other a nice holiday, Luna gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

"Harry… Don't be afraid to seek out new friends, and add to those you already have," she whispered. "We in the DA have your back, or I believe the Muggle term goes…"

Harry felt the corner of his lip twitch into what just might have been a smile – the first since…when? He asked himself. He looked Luna up and down, as if with new eyes, suddenly thinking of a wallflower. Something that the passing eye would miss easily – but would pick up hidden details, hidden beauty, if only that eye would stop, look, and appreciate…

"Thanks, Luna…," Harry managed to croak. "And you…? You don't seem to have many people to support you. I heard what you said about the DA - and that to you it was like having friends."

"I'm rather friendly with Padma in Ravenclaw. And with Ginny. But no. I don't have many friends. I used to visit the Burrow, you know. Before my mother died. My daddy and I still live close to Ron, Ginny, and their family."

"Er. You do?" Harry reached forward. Without thinking about it, he briefly rested his hand on Luna's shoulder. "You ought to visit us at the Burrow sometime, this summer. I'll…talk to Ron and Ginny," he told her.

Luna's surprised smile lit up her face. "Thank you, Harry. I'll like that. Take care of yourself in the meantime now, won't you?" And with that, the short, slender girl with the dirty-blonde hair, dreamy slightly Irish accent, and the even more dreamy expression turned and skipped away along the corridor.

Harry stared at Luna's retreating figure – realising that the heavy cloud of his grief and despair had lifted a little…

He turned, and had only taken a few steps – when he halted again. Two more girls in their uniforms were standing before him. They looked anxious as they took a deep breath and walked closer. Harry bristled, seeing the Slytherin crest on their jackets and the green lining on both of their robes. He took a moment to take in their appearances. The most anxious-looking of the pair, who kept glancing around them, was a bit taller than Luna. She had dark, wavy hair which reached to the base of her neck and wore light brown-framed spectacles over her matching eyes. The crease lines around her mouth hinted that she smiled often. One of her hands kept fidgeting with a loose strand of stitching at the hem of her pencil-grey skirt. Whilst her companion was more serious-looking, with blue eyes – set within an attractive face framed by long honey-blonde hair that fell upon her shoulders like a yellow curtain.

"What do you pair want!?" Harry asked curtly. He had seen their faces often enough in his Potions class – yet he had never really paid them attention. "You're…Greengrass and Davis, isn't it?"

"That's right, Potter," the blonde answered. There was something in the way she held herself in her posture and her bearing. As well as how she spoke. Something almost…regal. She had to be from one of the richer families amongst the purebloods in her House, Harry decided. She held up her wand, not pointing it at Harry. "I'm Daphne Greengrass. And this is my friend, Tracey Davis. We've not had any real words with you before. We would like to cast a privacy-type charm, if that's acceptable."

Harry stared at them - then glanced around them in both directions along the corridor. The nearby pupils were some way off – and yet these girls seemed afraid to be overheard.

"Alright. Go ahead," he told them.

"Muffliato!" The blonde-haired witch created the barrier that prevented any eavesdroppers from hearing them, and then glanced at her friend. "Go on, Trace…"

"We… We're sorry for your loss, Potter," the bespectacled girl managed to speak, after biting her lip. "We overheard Weasley talking to that witch you've just seen. Loony…"

"Luna," Harry bristled. "Her name is Luna."

Tracey winced, blushing. "Sorry. Right. So we know now that Sirius Black was your godfather… Well, we wanted to apologise for what some idiots from our House have done to you and your friends. Especially in the last year or so, and…"

"Hold on. You pair wore those stupid 'Potter stinks' badges a year ago – just like the rest of your lot…" Harry's hand rested on the handle of his wand.

"Guilty as charged, Potter," Daphne confessed, bowing her face for a moment. Then she looked up straight at him, huffing. "Tracey and I didn't know what to make of your name coming out of the Goblet of Fire – but we felt obliged to wear those badges by the more vocal of your critics in Slytherin. And we weren't part of that Inquisitorial Squad. Look – we know that this apology may feel hollow after what you've been through. Especially from the likes of Professor Snape and that moron, Malfoy… And that it doesn't really change anything. But…we're sorry that we doubted you for warning about You-Know-Who's return. We're sorry about a lot of things. Just… Just don't think that anyone from our House is automatically your enemy."

Harry blinked – then he narrowed his eyes, still wondering if this was some kind of ploy to get him to lower his defences. They were from the House of the Snake, after all. "And you feel that your apologies have to be made to me under the cover of a privacy charm?" he snorted.

Tracey Davis nodded. "If certain people in Slytherin realised what we were doing, they would make us feel like dirt, Potter. Anyway, we do hope to see you in September. If it was possible…we would like to join that club you were running…the DA."

"You…would?" Harry couldn't believe his ears.

"Us two Slytherin girls – and a few Slytherin boys – want to be able to fight and survive in the war that is coming, Potter. Fighting against Death Eaters, that is," Tracey admitted, looking straight at Harry.

"We also hope that you'll be feeling…better…the next time we meet. Until then… Well, take care of yourself." And with that, Daphne cancelled her spell. The two girls turned and slowly walked away. Daphne gave him a final, brief glance of scrutiny. There was a slow, deep nod. Of…respect? Then they were gone.

Harry released his tensed breath and scratched his head as he headed on. One girl leaving him confused was bad enough.

Just his luck to have three leaving him bewildered in the space of a few minutes…

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

June 1997:

At Harry's hissing, the serpents draw back from the lock one by one, making ominous mechanical 'thuds'. Then the heavy door swung open.

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, seeing the troubled expression on Harry's face.

"Just thinking, Ron. Despite what's happened to me and my magical core, it's me who is still able to speak Parseltongue, and not…"

"Yes, I know what you mean, Harry," Daphne spoke up. "But let's worry about that later. Let's get this job done." There was a pause, and then Daphne smirked. "Ladies first, then?"

Smiling, Luna stepped over the bottom frame and led her friends into the Chamber of Secrets.

Immediately, Harry and the others gagged and shielded their noses with their free hands from the vile stench. In the background, water dripped from the ceiling and fell into the deep pools set to either side of the wide walkway.

"Urgh!" Hermione protested. "Right. There's the skeleton. Let's do this quickly." With Harry, Ron, Luna, and Daphne in her wake, Hermione led them over to the decayed remains of the basilisk – in order to break off the fangs. A few charms were soon cast to help clear the foul air.

Within the next few minutes Daphne stopped gazing around the dank chamber, in order to resume counting the number of fangs being dropped into the sack they had come armed with.

"That's twelve now."

"That's enough," Harry nodded with satisfaction. "Now…"

"Harry… The venom in them will burn through the sack before long. There's hardly anything that is resilient against Basilisk venom! I tried to tell you and Ron before," Hermione protested. "We need to think about how to safely carry them…"

"The bones of the creature! The Basilisk must have been immune to its own poison…"

"Luna! That's brilliant!" Harry grinned. "Somehow, we need to reshape the skeleton into containers."

"Here's an idea…," Daphne spoke up. "Break up the spinal column into a dozen parts…"

"…and hollow out the vertebrae, whilst fusing the bones into narrow jar-like holders?" Ron added.

"That's…tricky. But possible," Hermione conceded, her lips twitching upwards with hope, as she nodded her approval at Ron and Daphne. "Thankfully both Harry's and Daphne's magic is stronger now. And I'm getting better at transfiguration lately…"

"We all are. Right! Let's get to it. Before the stink overwhelms us," Harry urged them all. "Thanks for thinking about the fangs, Luna. You're a genius!"

"Thank you, Harry. But it's nothing…"

"No, Luna. Harry's right. I didn't consider this place. None of the rest of us did – not even Professor Dumbledore, it seems," Hermione confessed. "We've been thinking so much about how to hunt down these Horcruxes, that we've not thought about the next step…"

"…namely, how to destroy them," Harry finished that line of thought.

When the five friends eventually finished their grisly work and held in their hands their bone jars and sheaths that held the fangs, Harry put down one jar in order to cancel the charm made earlier to repel the odour of decay. Then they all strode back to the entrance. Bad memories were returning. Seeing the smug shade of Tom Riddle. Seeing Ginny almost dying. Feeling himself dying from the basilisk venom before Fawkes restored him to health. There was no point in staying here any longer than necessary.

"Well done, everybody!" Harry beamed at the four others, pleased that putting their heads together had resulted in good teamwork.

They all had a great more to do – now that Dumbledore was dead, killed by Professor Snape, during the recent Death Eater raid that could have easily have resulted in more deaths, if Harry's instincts over Malfoy hadn't been on target.

All of them knew that the full-blown stage of the wizarding war would soon erupt into deadly life…

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

1 September 1998:

Ginny Weasley was smiling as she and her suitcase trolley passed through the magical barrier and emerged into the gas-lit Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, which held just a few milling clusters of people at this moment in time. Some of the youngest children and their equally amazed-looking parents were looking around the magic-animated posters on the platform walls, as well as at the wizards and witches passing by – and Ginny knew that they had to be new first years with Muggle parents.

She wheeled her trolley to the waving figure of Ron, and parked her load next to him.

"Hi Ron." Ginny gave her brother a quick hug which he returned with a smile. But his embrace felt stiff. She pulled back with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just…" Ron took a deep breath to steady himself, as he glanced around at the train guards and families walking along the platform. The normally of it somehow didn't seem right, given the death and devastation earlier in the year. "…still getting to grips with everything that's gone down, you know? Including what's been happening over the summer."

"Yeah. I understand that. But I wish you would tell me why you left home, Ron. Even putting Fred's death to one side for even a moment, the Burrow doesn't feel the same, given your empty bedroom," Ginny declared wistfully.

Just then, the rest of Ginny's party – Harry, Hermione, and Luna – all pulled up with their suitcase trolleys. Harry grinned and playfully exchanged slaps on the shoulder with Ron. Then Hermione, followed by Luna, hugged Ron.

"Are you sure that you pair have broken up?" Ginny teased Ron and Hermione.

Hermione blushed and fiddled with her bushy-brown locks. "We have, Ginny. But as unbelievable as it may seem, we're actually been…"

"…mature about it," Ron's lips twitched into a smile. "We're still friends, obviously. We paused, took stock, and mutually decided that we just weren't that suited to each other."

"This year at Hogwarts will be interesting then. If only to see who you pair are going to set your sights upon," Ginny announced. Ignoring the rolling of Hermione's eyes, she turned to Harry and grinned at him. "I think we need to have some fun, after all we've been through."

Harry's heart missed a beat upon seeing that impish grin. "Well, I can't deny that, but…," he trailed off.

"I think what Harry is trying to say, Ginny, is that he needs to take things a bit easy. He wants some normality in his life, at school," Luna spoke up. Her dreamy voice was conveyed with a solemn look as she glanced at Ginny.

"Perceptive as always, Luna," Harry remarked with the ghost of a smile.

Ginny's frown was missed by the others, as they were all diverted by the cry of two voices. Tracey Davis and Daphne Greengrass were charging towards their group, looking overjoyed to see them. A round of hugging and cheek-kissing then followed, led by the bubbly-natured Tracey. Ginny joined in as much as the others – but her eyes narrowed again, as she watched Daphne hug Harry too long for her liking. Then the younger Greengrass sister – Astoria – joined the growing crowd, accompanied by the Hufflepuffs Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott. All of them warmly greeted Harry and his friends.

After the small talk finished, Harry spoke. He looked nervous and glanced at Daphne. She gave a slight nod.

What was going on between them…? Ginny's mood darkened. Granted, she and Harry hadn't been dating yet – thanks to the collective grieving for Fred and the other good people who had tragically lost their lives in the wizarding war. And her plan to get Harry out on a real date – just her and him – in recent weeks, hadn't yet taken off. But she would persist. They needed each other. Taking her cue from the singer Celestina Warbeck, she would make Harry forget the tragedies of the past, and heal him with a cauldron of hot, strong love…

The simple fact was that she was suspicious and jealous of Daphne Greengrass. It wasn't just because even when she was dressed as casually in her skin-tight dark jeans, brown jacket, and leather boots - as she was at that moment - that Daphne radiated a grace and calm beauty that Ginny would kill to have. The pretty blonde witch was one of the four Slytherin pupils that Harry, Hermione, and Ron had allowed to join Dumbledore's Army during Ginny's fifth year – the school year that had ended with Dumbledore being killed by Professor Snape during the Death Eater raid on Hogwarts. Despite arguments from some of the established members, herself included - the judgment of her brother, Hermione and Harry had been final. Since then, she had noticed – whenever they were together - that there seemed to be some type of attachment between Harry and Daphne, despite the fact that herself and Harry had briefly become an item, until Harry broke up with Ginny at Dumbledore's funeral, to avoid her being targeted by the Death Eaters.

And she understood that whilst Harry, Hermione and Ron had been on their hunt for Voldemort's Horcruxes, Tracey and the Greengrass sisters had joined them – an act which had apparently helped to locate the Horcruxes sooner. And at the climax of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry had verbally stuffed the prophecy that only he could kill Voldemort, by urging everyone who had lost someone to the Death Eaters to let Voldemort know exactly what they thought of the Dark Lord's 'brave new world'. And so, with all his followers defeated, Voldemort had tried to shield himself from all of the defenders present, whilst their spells dealt him the death of a thousand cuts in the Great Hall – leaving him still alive, but on his knees and rasping for breath. Then, stabbing the disbelieving Dark Lord in the chest with a junior Erumpent's horn, Daphne had joined hands with Harry. Together, with a dual cry of "Confringo!", they had blown Voldemort apart against the wall behind the teachers' table. Ginny herself had been amongst the crowd present, being one of the many to slash Voldemort – as she cursed him for Fred's death. She, like the others, had seen the shock on the monster's face, as he saw a Slytherin witch join her magic with Harry's as they raised their wands and blasted him to hell…

But Ginny didn't know why Harry had allowed Daphne to join him in the final attack. Ginny had asked him, but he had refused to tell her. And despite her suspicion that Ron and Hermione knew the answer, they wouldn't say either. Nor did Daphne, when once she summoned up her courage to ask the Slytherin witch. Tracey kept her mouth zipped, too.

Ginny could not shake off the feeling that she was being deliberately being left out of the loop from knowing something important. Something that Harry, Daphne, Ron, Hermione, and Tracey knew. Possibly a secret that Luna and Astoria were aware of, as well…

"Okay guys. I've an announcement to make. Why I wanted to get here early," Harry began, bringing Ginny's mind back to the present moment at hand. He focused his attention on her. "I think we need some time to ourselves, Ginny. So I've used some of my money to book a private carriage for us. Right at the very back of the train. It's even got its own self-service bar."

Ginny's eyes lit up in surprise and delight.

"Oh…!" Astoria's eyes lit up too – but with mischief. "Do we get one too?"

Harry laughed. " 'Fraid not, Tori. You'll all need to get a compartment - or two – between yourselves. As normal."

Ginny caught Daphne flashing a look of worry at Harry, who hesitated, then nodded. Before she could say something, Ron stepped forward and spoke.

"Don't do anything to Ginny that would make me angry at you, Harry," he said, smiling.

"I don't need you to be over-protective of me, you git," Ginny shot at Ron, swatting his arm. "Harry and I are both of age now, after all."

"Sure. But I still felt that I had to say it, being your brother," Ron fired back. "I want you both to be making the right choices in love, after all. First it was Michael, then Dean…"

Ginny put up her hands. "Point taken," she conceded.

"And Cho in my case," Harry added. "Anyway… Ready to follow me, Miss Weasley? Good… See the rest of you guys later." And waving away, Harry led Ginny to the rear carriage of the Hogwarts Express, where they parked their trolleys for the nearby guard to collect. Then, levitating their suitcases into the private carriage with them, Harry and Ginny shut themselves in, whilst Ron, Hermione, Luna, and their other friends got onto the train and selected the neighbouring compartments – before the children amongst the crowds now filling the busy platform could grab them…

Ginny sat herself in one of the two comfortable sofas, which were set on either side of a coffee table. She took a glance at the tastefully-decorated carriage, with its upmarket wallpaper and plush gaslight fittings. A magically-animated photo of the Hogwarts Express speeding through the Pennines hung on one wall – then the scene changed to depict the train steaming its way along the Glenfinnan viaduct in Scotland.

Just as well the wizard cameraman wasn't there when Ron and Harry were riding our Ford Anglia over the Express…, Ginny considered.

"This is nice…," she commented, smiling as Harry made sure that both his and Ginny's suitcase were secure in their racks on one side of the room before seating down next to her. "So… What was that between Daphne and you?"

Harry blinked and his face creased up, as if caught off-guard. "Um… What was what?" he spluttered.

"She flashed you a look – as if she was trying to tell you something. And when did you start calling Astoria 'Tori' anyway?" Ginny pressed him.

"Oh, right…" Harry took a deep breath then released it. "I have had some contact with them over the summer, Ginny. Like my other friends. I've not been just keeping to myself indoors and crying over those who died too early – though I've been doing that too…"

"I've barely seen you over the summer, Harry. I was hoping to, you know. Around your birthday and so on."

"Yeah. Thanks for the case of Cornish Pixie wine which you sent to me…"

"You drank it, then?" Ginny smiled.

"Sure. Some of it so far, anyway."

"Good. So what have you been doing during the summer when I've not seen you around, Harry?" Ginny brushed her fingers lightly across Harry's. He looked rather startled as he glanced down, before facing Ginny again.

She frowned a little. This wasn't working quite as well as she had hoped. She would address that later…

Outside, the conductor blew a whistle. The last of the pupils were now boarding the train. One by one, the exterior doors were shut by the platform staff.

"I got together with some of our contacts and helped Luna and her dad to rebuild their home," Harry answered her question.

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that from Luna. Ron and I couldn't go because of our family making arrangements over Fred's funeral."

"And I had a few days of holiday around the country. To places like Alnwick Castle and the Lake District. Get some time lounging in the sun, surrounded by peace and quiet – but with Hermione, Luna, Ron and Lavender to make sure that I was okay…"

"Ron's getting rather serious about Lavender, isn't he?" Ginny asked.

The whistle blew again – and moments later the train started shunting into motion. Moments later, with the steam becoming thicker, the Hogwarts Express sped up and pulled out of the station. The backs of Muggle houses flashed past them through the window.

"He is." Harry nodded in response to Ginny's question. "With him and Hermione agreeing to just be friends, I think him seeing Lavender in a bad way during the battle at Hogwarts kept coming up in his nightmares. He…he's been visiting Lavender at St. Mungo's, keeping her spirits up. Him, Bill and Fleur." Harry paused. "Before Ron saw Lavender, Ginny, she… She tried to commit suicide. Her parents rejected her when they saw her scar and injuries and learnt that she was going to become a werewolf."

"Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed. "I didn't know about that! Her parents, I mean…"

"And it was thanks to your two brothers that Lavender found a reason to live again. Seeing Bill's scar and learning that he didn't let it stop living his life. That Fleur still loved him, and later married him. And Ron took the time, whilst visiting Lavender in hospital to really get to know her. And there was Remus and Dora visiting Lavender in hospital, too. Remus helping Lav to mentally adapt to her forthcoming change. And when Lavender was discharged in Remus's and Dora's care, she changed along with both of them…"

"Both of them!? Tonks is a werewolf too, now?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. And she prefers to be called 'Dora'. She started using a wolf skin and salve to transform, not long after she gave birth. Magical items that Percy Weasley was able to get authorized for her use, as a favour for their assistance in the war. And Remus and Dora have worked together to embrace their lupine natures – not weakening and subduing the wolf, as Remus tried to do previously. It's not left them going feral during full moon – instead it's led to them developing better self-control." Harry smiled.

"Good for them…," Ginny muttered. Her lips twitched into a smile. "Glad to know that 'Dora' made Remus better by getting her claws into him! So… What shall we do to past away the time on our journey, Harry?" She drew her face closer to him, hoping for him to smile and start kissing her. Even better if they decided to see who had the more questing tongue…

But Harry didn't smile, and he pulled his face back.

"What is it, Harry? Don't you want us to go back to where we were? The two of us, before Dumbledore's death?" Ginny's brown eyes narrowed. "Have you got your eye on somebody else? Daphne Greengrass, perhaps? Or even Astoria or Tracey?"

"You…really don't like them, do you?" Harry momentarily closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Look… I know that they helped our side during that Horcrux hunt you, Hermione, and Ron were on – and during the battle. Theodore Nott helped us too. But he and those three girls… They're still Slytherins, Harry! That House made your life a misery at Hogwarts. Voldemort and the Death Eaters – all ex-Slytherins. Umbridge, too – so we've since learnt…"

"Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor," Harry pointed out, his green eyes flashing with rising anger.

"Okay – one exception! But Snape too…"

"You don't know all I've learned about Professor Snape."

The sharp tone of his voice took Ginny by surprise, but she re-gathered her breath and plowed on. "Whatever! But you and him hated each other at school!"

"True…"

"So, what I'm trying to tell you Harry, is that despite you gaining some Slytherin friends – you're better off not getting too close to Daphne, Tracey, or Astoria. They're schemers…"

"We're…" Harry bit his tongue, then spoke again. "Give them some credit, Ginny. They're good girls. Try actually getting to know them properly! Like you were prepared to get to know Luna, when most of the kids in Ravenclaw wouldn't!"

Ginny scrutinized Harry's impassive face. "Okay… Just answer this, Harry. Are you in love with Daphne, Tracey, or Astoria?"

"I'm not. Really…I'm not."

"Or any other girl?"

Harry gave a smile. "It's you that I have feelings for, Ginny." And, steeling himself, he leaned forward and met Ginny in a soft kiss on the lips.

He started to pull away, but Ginny's eyes widened with delight, and her arms snaked around Harry's neck, pulling him in closer and making him hers. Still, Harry gently eased himself off from her.

"Well… That was nice." Harry's throat bobbed as he smiled.

Nice!? That's an understatement…, thought Ginny. But she instead replied: "Yeah. I liked that. Look, let's make use of this self-service bar, Harry. What can I get you to drink?"

"Um… Do they have any Butterbeer?"

"Let's look…" Ginny got up and examined the drinks behind the bar. "Right! Butterbeers coming up for us both."

As she got to work, Harry stood up and went over to the window, apparently looking out at the green hedges bordering the railway track now that they had pulled away from London and the tangled network of Muggle roads. Was there something in his hand? Ginny frowned. But then the moment passed. She and Harry returned to their comfy sofa, drinks in hand. She began to relax. Soon the trip to Hogwarts would be the best ever…

The next few minutes saw Ginny catching up on news from Harry. In between his sixth and seventh years – just before the Death Eaters had attacked and taken over the Ministry of Magic – Harry and some of his expanded circle of friends had discovered through enquiries at Gringotts that, with Sirius's death, Harry was entitled to become the next Lord Potter. The Potter family's manor had been kept in trust by agents of the goblins. And so Harry had used the warded manor as a base during the Horcrux hunt, where fugitives on the run from the Death Eaters had been taken to as a sanctuary - after Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna had encountered them during their hunts. Ginny hadn't yet been there – but she had heard about Potter Manor from Luna and Hermione. She wanted to see it – and she wondered what it would be like to live there, herself, after years of living at the Burrow with her many brothers…

Lady Ginny Potter-Black… Hmm. No. Lady Ginevra Potter-Black… Yes. That was better, she silently decided. She took another sip from her Butterbeer and waited for Harry to start becoming more comfortable.

Instead, he rose from his seat – easing Ginny off him.

"Wh-? Where are you going, Harry?" she asked.

"To the loo." He strode to the door and opened it, pausing at the doorway to look over his shoulder when an irate Ginny spoke again.

"But you've not even touched your drink!"

"Who said I was taking a pee?" Harry gave a smirk that looked forced, and then closed the door.

"Ugh!" Ginny put down her drink and bashed her fist into one of the cushions – before throwing it across the room. This definitely wasn't working as well as she had hoped. She wanted them to properly build upon the (too-short) boyfriend-girlfriend relationship that they had between Gryffindor winning the Quidditch cup and Dumbledore's funeral in her fifth year at Hogwarts. But Harry was giving her mixed signals in response to her efforts...

What was going on with him?

Just a few minutes later, the chain of the toilet next door to their compartment flushed. Then Harry re-entered their compartment, closed the door, and sat down on the sofa next to her, his face composed.

"So… What are you hoping to do after our final year at school, Ginny?" he asked her. "Ron told me you're considering taking Quidditch to a professional level."

"Er…yeah. I might try joining the Holyhead Harpies… See if they think I'm good enough," Ginny replied. "What about you? You've got a lordship, and a manor to run now! A seat on the Wizengamot too, when you finish school… I've heard you've started to push for changes through some of those already on the assembly…"

"Yeah, I have. Daphne's been teaching me about our political system during the summer, and which people are sympathetic and carry the most weight…"

"Has she now?" Ginny winkled her nose. "Make sure she's not leading you astray, Harry."

"She won't. And whilst I'd rather have a normal life right now – I've made some useful allies in recent weeks. Thanks to them, werewolves such as Remus, Dora, and now Lavender have greater employment rights, and they are not to be dismissed from their jobs without due cause now…"

"Wow! Good going, Harry."

He smiled. "I hope to get some other changes to our society through in due course. Naturally, Hermione wants to improve the conditions and employment rights of house-elves. But that's a harder thing to sell, when house-elves have the mindset of either Dobby or Winky…"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Harry called out "Who is it?" but received no reply.

"Blast…" Harry raised his Butterbeer to his lips – then put the glass down again as he started to rise. "I suppose I'd better…"

"No – I'll go. You get your drink down you, Harry," Ginny urged him. Getting up and drawing her wand, she walked over to the door. Whoever stood outside was being very quiet. So, ready for trouble as she grabbed the door handle with her free hand and flinging the door wide open, Ginny found herself confronted by Ron, Hermione, and Daphne. But all three of them were staring back at her with grim faces.

"Uh, guys? What is it?" she pressed them.

They didn't answer. The only voice providing any kind of response was Harry's – right from behind her.

"Petrificus!"

"Urhh!"

Ginny's brown eyes widened as Harry's low-level spell struck her in the back. Her petrified body wavered, and then fell forward – to be caught in the arms of Ron and Hermione.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

From where she was laid, stretched out on the sofa that she and Harry had been using, Ginny was still able to hear the others moving about and talking. See them also, if they were within her now-limited field of vision, given that she couldn't move her body except for her eyes.

Apparently Ron was sniffing Harry's drink…

Then Daphne managed to find the secret compartment to Ginny's handbag, which Hermione had magically restored to its normal size.

Ginny's heart sank…

"Here, Ron," said Daphne, as she passed the discovered half-used vial to him.

There was another sniff, as Ron checked it out, out of Ginny's sight.

"Yeah… It's the same stuff that's been added to your drink, alright," Ron declared.

"There's more vials in her bag. Same colour liquid. No labels, though. Is it what we suspected?" Daphne spoke as though there was something foul in her mouth.

"I'm afraid that it is…," Harry answered.

Hermione sighed. "You're both right, Harry, Daphne… It's Amortentia. The same as what we were able to find in that Cornish Pixie wine."

Ron walked over to Ginny where she could see the thunderous expression on his face.

"I had hoped that I was going to be proven wrong!" he spat at her.

Ginny couldn't speak. She couldn't even whimper. She would've otherwise. Shock reeled through her system. How did they suspect? She had been so careful for so long…

If only Harry had drunk his Butterbeer…

Harry stood besides Ron, and pointed his wand at her, cancelling his petrifying spell. Immediately, Ginny shuddered, and began to weep as she curled up on the sofa. She hid her face in her hands.

Daphne sat on the space next to her – whilst Harry, Hermione, and Ron took their seats in the sofa opposite.

"Care to tell us your side of the story, Ginny?" Daphne asked, not unkindly. She pulled out a clean handkerchief from the pocket of her black jeans and offered it to Ginny.

Ginny hesitated, and then took it.

"I…I…," she stuttered. "I only wanted to give Harry the love that he needed! And a family… In time," she sobbed. She looked at Harry and Ron. "You two would've become brothers-in-law! Isn't that what you would have wanted?"

"Maybe… But not like this," Ron muttered. He lowered his reddening face to stare at the carpet.

"We're still waiting, Ginny," Hermione told her, her expression stony.

"I can't tell you. I'm going to be in so much trouble when…" She shot her face back up. "No! You're not going to report me…! Are you...?"

"Amortentia is the strongest-known love potion known to wizarding kind, Ginny. Undiluted use of it makes men – and women go crazy with lust," Hermione bristled. "Repeated use of it is forbidden. Given the circumstances, I'm not sure if the Aurors would or would not lock you up for a while in one of the newly-built prisons – in addition to a fine!"

"We rather not report you, Ginny," Harry declared. "But you need to tell us the truth now. No more tricks. No more deceit."

Ginny shook her head. "I was bound not to tell…"

"Okay…" Daphne glanced at Harry. "Tell you what. We'll tell you what we know already – and you can nod or shake your head. But no more lies. Promise? Or we might have to repor-"

"All right! I promise!" Ginny shrieked.

"Well, it's a long story," Harry began. "As you know, I was falling for you, Ginny, by the time of the final Quidditch match in my sixth year. We kissed in front of the other Gryffindors. Then there was the night of that Death Eater raid on the school. Dumbledore dying…"

"And at the fu-funeral you told me that you were breaking up with me, because in effect you didn't want me to be a target. A tool for Vol-Voldemort and the Death Eaters to get to you if they had taken me or my family hostage, for example!" Ginny scowled. "But I had no say in the matter. None of you three…" she pointed at Harry, Hermione, and Ron, "…told me of your plans. I could've helped you!"

"Well… There's another reason I broke up with you, Ginny," Harry sighed. "When Dumbledore died, the compulsion charms he's placed on Hagrid were lifted."

"Com-compulsion charms?"

"So you didn't know about that… We'll get back to that later," Harry muttered. "Anyway, during the hunt for Voldie's Horcruxes, Ron and Hermione wondered why I wasn't worrying myself silly over your safety, given my earlier feelings. And right after Voldie's death, I was so tired and wanted to get some privacy. I could've walked over to you and comforted you in your grief over losing Fred. It was only later - when Hermione pointed it out to me that I hadn't - that I started to ask myself why I evidently didn't feel the same way about you then, compared to the end of the previous year."

"During my time at the Burrow two years ago, I once heard your mum encouraging you to use love potions, Ginny," Hermione confessed. "I didn't think you would. But it's only in the past month – with everything else out of the way, that Harry, Ron, and I started to join all the dots together. Especially when Harry drank one of your wine bottles on his birthday and started to act like…"

"…like I did when I eat those laced chocolates that Romilda Vane gave Harry as a present," Ron snorted, still uncomfortable with his own memories of his ruined seventeenth birthday. "Fortunately, learning from experience, we soon got Harry cured before he could pop over to the Burrow and start drooling over you, in between passionate kisses…"

Harry winced. "That's… That's enough detail, Ron."

"And Harry told me that he started having feelings for you when he became jealous of Dean Thomas being cosy with you in our sixth year," Daphne added.

The witch on trial before them glared at Daphne. "He told you that…?"

"Ginny! Right now it's you who needs to answer the questions!" Hermione fumed at her. "I suspect that you started to spike Harry's drinks when you were 'dating' Dean. Possibly a diluted dose during Quidditch practices or the try-outs, when Harry wasn't watching his drink. So to speak… Are we right so far?"

Ginny reluctantly nodded.

Ron groaned as he ran a hand down his face. "Poor Dean… He was just being used as a tool by you, sis! To get a spiked Harry jealous and fall in love with you. That's really low…"

"What's this about compulsion charms on Hagrid?" Ginny asked, keen to change the topic.

"After the funeral, Hagrid got me to meet him in private," Harry began. "He told me he'd realised that Dumbledore had modified his memory. That modification and the charms could only last as long as Dumbledore was still alive. Essentially, Dumbledore got Hagrid to act as his agent for making transactions on the Potter family account at Gringotts. What none of us had previously realised - and what Hagrid couldn't have told me before - was that Dumbledore was trustee for the Potter account, with the goblins bound to secrecy. And that money was being siphoned from my vault, by Dumbledore, to the Weasley family. Your parents were being paid to look after me!" Harry fumed. "That would've been okay with me – if only I had been told!"

"I should have realised…," Hermione's eyes glistened. "But of course we had too many other things to worry about. I should have asked myself, how could the Weasley family be so large and seemly poor – and yet be able to arrange everything for Bill and Fleur's wedding? All these years, it's been Harry's money that's been keeping them afloat…"

"And, thinking back, I don't think it was co-incidence that mum, the twins, you, or me met Harry at King's Cross station at the same time that he first arrived there to go to Hogwarts…," Ron muttered darkly. "I think mum was on the lookout for you, Harry. I was being used as a pawn to get you acquainted with our family. I just didn't know anything of Dumbledore paying us lot…"

"Ron's taken a magical oath to prove that, by the way," Hermione added, raising an eyebrow at Ginny, challenging her.

"I…didn't know about your money already going to my parents, Harry! I once observed mum and dad arguing about their accounts, before mum urged me to use love potions on you. Dad wasn't happy about it – and I heard mum say that he was already sworn to secrecy… They didn't see me behind the kitchen door that I'd barely opened that night, when I was about to get a late supper. But yes, mum encouraged me to woo you, Harry. She sees you as an adoptive son. She cares for you…"

Harry made a face. "Maybe. But not enough to tell me that I was being fleeced by her and Dumbledore, it seems!"

"And I care for you, Harry! I love you – but I was experiencing too much trouble in getting you to focus enough on me, what with you being distracted by other matters. That's the truth! I'm sorry for tricking you. But I want to be…" Ginny trailed off.

"Lady Potter? Lady Black?" Daphne pressed her. "The wife of the famous Harry Potter – instead of being the wife of just Harry?"

Ginny bowed her head, unable to meet Daphne's accusing gaze. Her silence answered the question. Then she whimpered.

"You said earlier that you had feelings for me, Harry…"

His expression was cold. "Yes… But they're not the find of feelings you were hoping for, Ginny."

"Anything else that we need to know, sis?" Ron huffed.

She shook her head. "I've told you the truth. All that I was party to."

"Swear it on your magic then!" Hermione urged her.

And Ginny did, pulling out her wand – which lit up, confirming her words. After her wand was put away, Ron got the now-tearful Ginny to look at him, as Hermione sat next to her and held her. Daphne had not approached Ginny any closer, due to the red-haired witch's distrust of her.

"I've got a confession to make as well, Gin…"

"What's…that, Ron?"

"I'm only taking a half-curriculum this year. The rest of the time…, I'll be acting alongside Lavender. We'll be Hagrid's assistants in looking after the grounds and his magical creatures."

Ginny stopped sniffing and gave him an appraising look. "You're getting serious about Lavender, aren't you?"

Ron managed a brief smile. "She needs someone to love her, especially after what Greyback did to her. She's got adoptive parents. But she's decided that she needs me too. We're both grown up since…"

"…since the days of her calling you Won-Won," Hermione smirked.

"Um… Yeah," Ron agreed.

Daphne exchanged a look with Harry.

"Time to send in…Astoria…, I reckon."

Harry nodded and rose to leave the compartment. Ron went with him. But Harry paused in the doorway to glare at the subdued Ginny.

"I'll just say this, Ginny. I too can be sly. But I would never stoop to using love potions on someone without their permission!" He took a deep breath to steady his anger. "If we find out that you use Amortentia – or any love potions again…"

Ginny shook her head as her tears ran over her freckled cheeks. "I won't be doing so now. I promise!"

"Good… Then we won't have to report you to the authorities." Harry nodded. "See you in school." And with that, he left the compartment with Ron. A minute later, Astoria entered, closed the door behind her, and joined the other girls present. The Greengrass sisters sat on the sofa facing the now half-recovered Ginny, who blew her nose. Hermione rubbed her shoulder to calm her.

"Um… Why is Astoria here? In fact why are you here anyway, Daphne?" Ginny challenged them.

"Ginny…," Hermione sighed. "We're grateful that you've eventually told us the truth. Now…now it's our turn to be honest with you."

"Your plan to make Harry Potter fall in love with you had a major flaw, Ginny. One that you didn't know about," Daphne declared.

"If you hadn't been so preoccupied with Dean and Quidditch at the time…, we would have got round to telling you. Just as well we didn't, as it turned out." Hermione puffed out her cheeks.

"Wait! Waitaminute… Look, Hermione… I know that you, Ron and Harry trusted Daphne, Astoria, Tracey, and Theodore enough to admit them into the DA classes that we got going again, not long before Dumbledore's death…," Ginny ranted.

"But you don't trust me and my sister enough. Why is that, Ginny? Us four Slytherins proved ourselves to you all by fighting against Voldemort and the Death Eaters," Astoria asked her, tilting her head in a way that reminded Ginny of someone – but the face of whom eluded her in her moment of anger.

"Maybe because your House and its head teacher caused Harry so much grief in the past few years? Not forgetting that a certain pair of ex-Slytherins pupils caused me to be possessed in my first year at school – with Hermione and others, including me, nearly dying. And the cheating and intimidation from their Quidditch team – with how they treated Ron. Plus the fact that nearly all of the Death Eaters were schooled in Slytherin – with their kids also being sorted there... I just find it hard to totally trust any of you slimy snakes…"

Astoria looked disappointed. But not rattled. Which irritated Ginny further. She wanted to lash out at them, if she really couldn't have Harry…

"Whilst all you've just said is true – you shouldn't judge us all, just because of our house, Ginny. The war is over, too. We have a plan…" Daphne flicked a loose lock of blonde hair behind her ear, somehow making the act look naturally graceful. She glanced at her sister, who nodded – imparting a silent agreement.

Ginny huffed. "A plan… I'm not surprised! I've heard how much of a schemer you can be… Right now, you pair seem to be planning to worm your way into Harry's heart, given how much he seems to like having your pair around. He even called Astoria 'Tori' earlier on! Until then, I've never heard anyone but you use that pet name for your sister, Daphne."

"Yes… That was unfortunate… And I'll explain soon." Daphne took a deep breath, before continuing. "But our plan is about making sure that Slytherin House…"

"Just answer me this! It's a mystery that Harry has never answered to my family," Ginny snapped, her face red and her eyes puffy. "During the Battle of Hogwarts, I saw Harry and Astoria follow you from outside the Great Hall, when I was crying over Fred's body. You must have all gone to surrender to Voldie, when he wanted Harry to – because the next time you three are seen, you've all being carried in by Hagrid and two of the Death Eaters. Voldie gloats that you're all dead. Then, when the fighting starts again, all three of you are up and running again! What happened?"

"Daphne and I stood by Harry, to give him courage in his darkest hour." Astoria explained calmly. "Voldemort tried to kill Harry with the killing curse, as all three of us held hands. We were all prepared to die together, if we had too. But Harry's love – and our love… The magic protected us. The combination of the three Death Hallows – the Elder Wand wielded by Voldemort, Harry's Invisibility Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone used by Harry as we walked to our fate – was a factor, too. In the event, the killing curse homed in on the accidental Horcrux that was embedded into Harry – and that badly weakened Voldemort in turn."

"So you admit it! You two are in love with Harry!" Ginny gave a triumphant smile. "Well I have news for you, Daphne. Harry swore to me – in this very compartment, earlier - that he's not in love with you!"

Daphne smirked. "Actually… My sister said that she loves Harry – and I accept this. Personally, I'm not in love with Harry. But the boy you were trying to spike with Amortentia, Ginny… He and I are two halves of a whole."

"I don't understand." Ginny faced Daphne. "And what's this about my attempt to make Harry fall in love me having a major flaw?

"Oh, the flaw in your plan…" Daphne smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. "You wouldn't have got Harry to fall in love with you – either today or earlier this summer."

"Why the hell not!?"

"Because, Ginny, the boy you were trying to ensnare is actually Daphne Greengrass. I'm the real Harry Potter!"

Ginny stated at Daphne as if she had just turned into a singing and dancing cabbage. Or something similar.

"As if! Polyjuice potion only lasts an hour! And Harry definitely had his wand with him earlier…"

"We found out that their magical cores were swapped, along with their forms, when Harry and Daphne became each other," Astoria explained.

"But one thing that didn't change was something that is formed from their personalities – their Patronuses." Hermione took up the explanations. "Cast your mind back when you were at the DA classes we brought back during your fifth year, Ginny. Who taught those who wanted to know how to produce a Patronus?"

Ginny frowned, thinking. "It was me, Ron, and Neville. Harry resisted the calls from the class to produce his Patronus. He said he, Luna, and Ernie would teach the Greengrasses and Tracey in a private session…" She trailed off and jerked her head to face Daphne. "No…!" She exclaimed.

"I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you before, Ginny. But as you've proved to us – it was just as well we didn't." Daphne pulled out her wand from its holster set inside the left sleeve of her pale green blouse. "Expecto Patronum!" she cried out.

Please let it be the husky that Tracey told me about, back then…! Please…! Ginny shouted to herself. Her heart hammered with the fear that…

A misty miniature silver animal leapt out of the end of Daphne Greengrass's wand. It grew and become more defined, turning into a stag that halted its run and looked around at the four witches around it.

It was Harry's corporeal Patronus. The stag form taking after the animagus identity of his dad…

Ginny bolted up from the sofa, her hands shooting towards her face as she dug her fingernails into her cheeks in shock – even as the stag faded away.

"NO!" she screamed. She stared at Daphne – or rather Harry-as-Daphne – feeling the compartment suddenly spin. Ginny gulped, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She turned to Astoria.

"You…you've accepted Harry as your…new sister?

"Oh yes. And whilst, at the start – Daphne, Hermione, and Ron were on the run, hunting Horcruxes – Harry and I were able to track down, and destroy the Ravenclaw diadem, whilst forced to attend Hogwarts under the rule of the Death Eaters. Just as well for us that we were both disguised by then, as Slytherins," Astoria declared, smiling cheerfully.

"Both…!?" Ginny blurted.

"Tori… Be careful," Harry-as-Daphne warned her.

"Ginny needs to know now, Harry," her sister retorted. The dark-blonde haired witch drew out her wand and raised her voice. "Expecto Patronum!"

The Patronus that emerged from the wand tip rapidly took shape. It was a unicorn…

Ginny made a chocking noise as she remembered where she had seen this unicorn before. During her sessions of the DA classes, before Umbridge had broken them up. A shy, withdrawn girl had produced this Patronus – thanks to Harry building up her confidence. A girl who habitually tilted her head at people. A girl who was her friend whilst they grew up together. Before her mother's death had caused her to spend more time with her father…

"Luna!?" Ginny blurted, her eyes wide with shock.

The girl she had thought to be Astoria Greengrass smirked and nodded. "Hullo Ginny."

Ginny's vision blurred. The compartment began to spin round again.

The false Daphne caught Ginny as she fainted – preventing her from collapsing upon the floor…

"Harry did warn you…," Hermione muttered as she slapped her palm against her face, groaning.

Luna-as-Astoria hummed apologetically as she regarded the unconscious, slack-jawed Ginny Weasley.

"Oh dear… I hope I haven't broken her!"