Chapter 7

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," said Professor McGonagall as Harry entered the transfiguration classroom.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Harry replied politely.

McGonagall studied her star pupil as he sat down. It had been a little over a month since the school year had ended and Harry had begun his apprenticeship with Dumbledore. In that month, she had seen extraordinary progress from Harry.

Over his first five years at Hogwarts, Harry had shown talent for transfiguration, but nothing compared to the prodigious abilities he was now demonstrating. In fact, McGonagall had been slightly disappointed with his performance in class. Harry was the son of James Potter, one of the most talented transfiguration students she had ever taught. In fact, James, along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, had managed to perfect the Animagus transformation in secret during their fifth year. The Animagus transformation was, perhaps, the pinnacle of Transfiguration achievement. Only a master could achieve the transformation, and James Potter had achieved it as a schoolboy.

When Harry came to Hogwarts, she had expected that same kind of talent, but she saw none of it. Instead, she saw a normal, sometimes lazy boy who often became caught up in crazy adventures. Granted, he sometimes showed glimpses of greatness, but that was a departure from his normative behavior.

Over the past month, however, he had completely changed. He had learned the transfigurations and conjurations for sixth and seventh years as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Not even James Potter could have done it with such ease. He had also developed a keen talent for dueling. Not only was he fast and accurate, he was creative. He would use transfigurations and charms in duels in ways that she had never before considered. The scariest part was how fast he improved. Every single day, he was markedly better than the day before. Sometimes, it seemed like he had been a master duelist in a past life and was just shaking off the rust.

In addition, McGonagall could see a shift in his personality. Before, Harry would have been content with mediocrity in his schoolwork; now, he would settle for nothing but the best. She had seen his ambition and was astounded by it.

She had thought long and hard over the past few days about what she could continue teaching Harry. He was rapidly approaching the point at which she could not teach him anything new; his future progress would come from practice and experience.

There was, however, one thing that she could still teach him: the Animagus transformation. She was confident that, given his recent strides in transfiguration, he would be able to master the transformation relatively quickly.

As he sat down at his desk at the front of the classroom, Professor McGonagall withdrew a potion from her drawer and placed it on top of the desk. Harry raised an eyebrow in curiosity but did not comment.

"Today we will be doing something a little different," explained McGonagall. "There is an aspect of transfiguration that you have yet to explore, one that I am certain will interest you immensely."

Harry immediately sat forward in his seat, intrigued by the possibilities.

"I believe that you have the capacity to master the Animagus transformation," she said, causing Harry to grin wildly. "Today, I wish for you to complete the first step, which is to discover your Animagus form by taking the Animagus revealing potion."

Harry nodded, slightly confused. "Professor, I think that I already know which form I have. My Patronus is a stag, just like my dad's Animagus. I am willing to bet that I will be the same."

McGonagall shook her head. "While it is true that Animagus forms and Patroni are based off of personal characteristics and qualities, they are not always the same for an individual."

Harry nodded in understanding.

"With regards to your Patronus, I have some questions myself that we will discuss after you have taken the Animagus potion. The potion is relatively simple. Take it and you will have a vision of yourself in your Animagus form. Once you know your animal, you can begin researching and beginning the transformation."

McGonagall handed him the potion, which he eyed with distaste before swallowing it. He immediately leaned back against the chair, slouched a bit, and closed his eyes as if he were sleeping.

McGonagall watched him closely as he entered his trance, making sure he didn't suffer any adverse side effects. After about 15 minutes, he began to stir. Moments later, his eyes shot open. He sat up and grinned.

"My form is a black panther!" Harry exclaimed.

McGonagall was surprised. Very rarely was an Animagus form so large or so deadly.

"That is fantastic news, Mr. Potter," she replied. "Now you can begin researching the biology of a black panther in preparation for your transformation."

Harry nodded, eager to begin as soon as possible.

"I have another question for you," continued McGonagall. "Have you cast the Patronus Charm since the end of the school year?"

Harry shook his head. "Why do you ask?" he inquired.

"Just a curiosity. If you don't mind, would you mind casting it right now?" she asked.

Harry nodded and got to his feet. "Expecto Patronum!" he exclaimed as a bright white light began to emanate from his wand. The light coalesced into a solid shape. However, it was not the stag that Harry was accustomed to. Rather, it was a large panther, his Animagus form.

McGonagall could perceive the look of shock on Harry's face.

"How did you know that it would be different?" Harry asked, his eyes still focused on his panther Patronus, which was bounding around the room.

"I didn't know for certain," admitted McGonagall. "However, I have noticed very significant changes in your personality over the past month. It stood to reason that these changes might have affected your Patronus as well."

Harry nodded, although he did not look too pleased with the explanation.

"Are you upset?" prodded McGonagall.

Harry shook his head. "No. It's just that my stag Patronus was one of the only things that really connected me to my dad."

McGonagall smiled sadly. "I understand your feeling of loss. However, I believe this is a sign that you are becoming your own man. Your father would be quite proud of that."

She continued to observe Harry as he processed all the new information.

"Let's call it a day," she suggested. "Why don't you go down to the library for the rest of the time and start researching your Animagus form?"

Harry smiled softly in agreeance.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said as he left for the library.

Harry sighed as he walked up to Dumbledore's office after dinner. It had been a long couple of days. He had been doing heavy research into his new Animagus form. However, he had been shocked by the change in his Patronus. He knew he had changed, but he had not realized the changes were that drastic.

After knocking, Harry walked into Dumbledore's study.

"How are you, my boy?" Dumbledore asked as he continued to compose a letter at his desk.

"Busy," Harry replied simply.

"Professor McGonagall has informed me that you have begun the initial stages of your Animagus transformation. A black panther. I believe congratulations are in order," Dumbledore said.

"Thank you, sir," Harry replied.

"I also heard your Patronus changed forms," continued Dumbledore, still not looking up from the letter he was writing. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Harry shook his head in annoyance. "Did you use Legilimency on me?" he demanded.

Dumbledore chuckled. "I don't need to use Legilimency to know when something is bothering you, Harry," he explained. "You haven't answered my question. Would you like to talk about it?"

"No," Harry said simply. He wasn't in the mood to discuss how Voldemort's soul fragment was changing him. Dumbledore didn't need to know everything.

"Very well," said Dumbledore, putting down his quill and looking at Harry. "As I promised, tonight we will be reviewing several memories from Tom Riddle's life. These memories will help us to understand him better and perhaps give us information into his Horcruxes."

He stood and motioned for Harry to follow him over to the Pensieve.

"We will be viewing a series of memories consecutively," Dumbledore explained. "I had originally intended to show you these memories over a longer period of time, but I believe that you are ready for all of them now. The first memory is before Tom's birth, and his related to his biological family, the Gaunts. The rest of the memories show Tom in various times in his life."

Harry nodded as Dumbledore poured the silvery memories into the Pensieve. Together, they entered the memories. Harry watched memories of Morfin, Marvolo, and Merope Gaunt, long before Tom's birth. He watched Dumbledore's memory of giving Tom his Hogwarts letter. He watched Tom's confrontation with his uncle, Morfin, leading to murder of Tom Riddle Senior and Morfin's subsequent incarceration in Azkaban. He watched Professor Slughorn's tampered memory of a young Tom Riddle asking about Horcruxes. He also watched Tom interact with an elder Hepzibah Smith, who showed him a locket of Slytherin and Hufflepuff's cup. Finally, he watched another of Dumbledore's memories, of Tom Riddle applying for the position of defense against the dark arts professor.

Finally, the memories ended, and Harry found himself back in Dumbledore's office. He and Dumbledore sat back down.

"So, what did you learn?" Dumbledore asked Harry, who was still thinking about what he just saw.

"Riddle has always had a desire to be different, to be special. He despised being normal, just as he despised the fact that his father was a Muggle," Harry replied thoughtfully.

"Indeed," replied Dumbledore. "I believe that is why he changed his name. Tom is a much too common name for him. What else did you discover?"

"It seems that Tom has an obsession with ancient magical artifacts, especially artifacts relating to the Hogwarts founders. There were Slytherin's ring and locket, and Hufflepuff's cup."

Dumbledore smiled. "Precisely. That is a key observation that I believe will play an important role going forward. What did you think about Professor Slughorn's memory?"

"It was obviously tampered with," replied Harry. "I assume that he tampered with it out of guilt?"

Dumbledore nodded. "It will be your responsibility to convince him to give you the true memory. I believe it contains vital information for our search."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Do you have any ideas what his other Horcruxes could be?" he asked.

Dumbledore smiled. "I believe that we got a look at three of them."

Harry's eyes widened in shock. "The locket, the ring, and the cup?" he asked.

Dumbledore smiled in return. "Very good," he said.

"Do you have any clue where they might be?" Harry asked.

"I am confident that I have located the ring," Dumbledore revealed. "I have a good guess at where the locket might be as well. The cup, however, is a mystery still."

Harry grinned. "That is fantastic!" he exclaimed. "You know where two of them are!"

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "However, we still do not know how many Horcruxes there are in total. That is why we need the memory from Professor Slughorn."

Harry nodded in understanding. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet as he remembered something that he had read the other day. "Wait a minute! I think I know where the cup is!" he exclaimed.

Dumbledore looked at him in shock.

"Gringotts sent me a detailed summary of the contents of Bellatrix's personal vault that I transferred to the main Black vault. I remember seeing an entry for a golden cup covered with the Hufflepuff coat of arms!"

Dumbledore looked extremely pleased. "Marvelous, my boy. We shall have to visit Gringotts soon to discover if it truly is a Horcrux."

Harry agreed. "When will we go after the locket and the ring?"

"Soon," replied Dumbledore. "I wish to do so before school begins."

Dumbledore soon changed the topic of conversation. "I wish to speak with you regarding the current political situation," Dumbledore explained.

"Is Fudge still holding on?" Harry inquired.

"He has a couple of weeks left, at the most," explained Dumbledore. "The public reaction after the news of Voldemort's return has left him in very poor standing, indeed. I believe that the Wizengamot will hold a vote of no confidence in two weeks. I believe that will be the perfect moment for you to make your debut on the Wizengamot."

Harry was surprised. He had been so busy with training over the past weeks that he had forgotten that he held four seats on the Wizengamot.

"Who do you think will replace Fudge?" Harry asked.

"There are several individuals subtly campaigning for the position," Dumbledore explained. "The frontrunner is Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Auror office. I am certain that Voldemort is working behind the scenes, attempting to put in one of his own men. It is for that reason that you need to make your debut before the vote for the new Minister of Magic."

"Who do you prefer?" asked Harry.

"At this point, Scrimgeour seems the best option. He is not perfect, but he seems intent on ramping up the war effort, which is a welcome change. In addition, I believe that he will try to involve you in the Ministry's efforts, which will be the perfect opportunity for you."

"You want me to work with the Ministry?" asked Harry, confused.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I wouldn't necessarily describe it as working with the Ministry. I would call it an opportunity to influence the Ministry."

At Harry's questioning look, he continued.

"Voldemort has numerous people working for him inside the Ministry. We need to act as the counterbalance to his influence. If you were to work with Scrimgeour, you could be that counterbalance."

"How likely is it that Scrimgeour gets elected?" Harry asked.

"If you were to vote for him, it is extremely likely," answered Dumbledore. "You would be adding four votes for him, not to mention your influence on the Greengrasses and the other members of the grey faction."

Harry sat, processing what Dumbledore had just told him. "With regards to the Greengrasses," Harry said, "is there anything specific that I should do to win them over? I have another dinner with them later this week."

Dumbledore chuckled. "No, you are already doing just fine," he replied. "Continue to be your charming self. Jonathan Greengrass has always been a reasonable man. I believe that you will gain his support soon."

A few days later…

Daphne stood anxiously in front of the fireplace, waiting for Harry to arrive. They would be spending an hour together before dinner, and she was nervous. Originally, she had wanted to spend the whole afternoon with Harry, but he had declined her request, giving the excuse that he was extremely busy with training. Instead, he had offered to come an hour before dinner. She was wearing another summer dress, although not as revealing as the one she had worn the last time Harry had come for dinner.

Suddenly, a fire burst into existence in the fireplace. The flames dissipated to reveal Harry, who calmly took a step forward. Instead of a full suit, he was wearing dress shoes, slacks, and a light blue dress shirt with the top button left unbuttoned. Daphne had to admit that the shirt fit him well. It seemed to accentuate his biceps and shoulders.

Harry stepped forward, gently grasped Daphne's hand, and kissed the back of it.

"Good evening, Miss Greengrass. Thank you for inviting me back to your home," he said with his trademark smirk.

Daphne gave him a nervous smile but was already frustrated. He was still being his confident, formal self, exactly what she didn't want.

"Thank you for coming, Harry," she replied, purposely using his first name. "We have an hour before dinner begins. Would you like to take a walk around the grounds with me?" she asked.

Harry smiled gently. "I would enjoy that, my lady." He motioned for Daphne to lead the way.

She led Harry out of the manor and onto the grounds, where she began her tour of the grounds. While they walked, she tried to make small talk with him.

"So how is your apprenticeship with Dumbledore going?" she asked.

Harry shrugged. "It's going well. I've been very busy – Albus is very demanding."

Daphne nodded. He was still giving her non-answers.

"Do you train with him every day?" she asked.

"Most days," Harry replied. "Most of my time is spent training with other instructors, however."

Daphne looked at him, trying to figure out who else he could be training with. His face gave nothing away, however.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked him.

"I thought that's what you have been doing this whole time," replied Harry sarcastically.

Daphne ignored his sarcastic remark. "What do you want to do after you graduate from Hogwarts?"

Harry gave another noncommittal shrug. "I'm not sure. Haven't thought much about it, to be honest."

Daphne shook her head in exasperation. It was a lie and they both knew it. "I highly doubt that," she replied in frustration. Harry just gave her another smirk.

"What about you? What do you want to do after Hogwarts?" he asked her.

She smirked right back at him. "I honestly don't know either."

Harry gave her a confused smile. "Really? I would have thought you would want to be a potions mistress, maybe even get into politics one day," he said with another smirk.

Daphne suddenly stopped walking and glared at him. He was messing with her – he knew that because he had used Legilimency on her the other night.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed in anger.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Harry, feigning innocence.

"I knew you used Legilimency on me when you came for dinner last time!" Daphne declared.

Harry gave her a confused look. "Legilimency? What's that?" he asked innocently.

Daphne gave him a death glare, which he returned with a smile.

"You are an arsehole, Harry Potter," Daphne said angrily. Her temper was starting to get the best of her.

Harry's grin faded as he looked dangerously at her. "Those are some harsh words, Miss Greengrass. You might want to take them back," he said ominously.

Daphne didn't back down. Rather, she took another step closer to him. "You are an arsehole, Harry Potter. I am trying to make an effort to get to know you, and you just throw it back in my face!" she half shouted at him.

Daphne was tired of trying with him. She had tried to be honest and sincere like Tracey had suggested, but Harry wasn't even giving her the time of day. She was done with him.

Harry just shook his head at her. "Get over yourself, Daphne," he said icily.

That set Daphne over the edge. "I hate you, Potter," she said with venom in her voice. "You come into my house, invade my mind, act all high and mighty, and then tell me to get over myself. I hate you!" she shouted at him. She was so angry, tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I am done with you trying to use me!"

Harry snorted in derision. "And you weren't doing the same thing to me? Wasn't your plan to use me and then throw me away like a piece of trash when you were done? Stop being such a hypocrite, Daphne."

His green eyes were drilling holes into her. His words stung her more than she wanted to admit. He was right, and she knew it. She balled her fists to try and control her emotions, but to no avail. Tears started to leak from her eyes, which she wiped away furiously. Not wanting Harry to see her cry, she turned away from him and stormed off.

Before she could take a step, she felt Harry grab her wrist firmly, preventing her from leaving.

"Let go of me!" she yelled at him, trying to shake her arm free of his grasp.

"We're not done here," said Harry, refusing to let her go.

"I hate you! Let go of me!" she exclaimed again. This time, Harry walked directly in front of her, blocking her escape.

"Not until you let me talk," said Harry, still holding on to her wrist.

Daphne glared at him again. Strangely, he did not look angry anymore. If anything, he looked regretful. It was only then that Daphne realized how close together they were standing – mere inches separated them.

She didn't reply, so Harry took that as a yes.

"The last time I came here, you spent the whole time trying to manipulate me. All part of your little plan to use me for my fame," he began.

"You only know that because you invaded my mind!" Daphne exclaimed viciously.

"You're the one that didn't put up your Occlumency shields," Harry retorted.

"So that makes it right?" demanded Daphne, tears still leaking from her eyes. She angrily wiped the tears away again.

Harry sighed. "No, it doesn't. What I did was wrong, but that doesn't excuse your actions, either," he replied. "You have been trying to manipulate me, and when I call you out on it, you say that I'm the villain and that you're the only one that's trying in our relationship."

Daphne looked down at the ground in shame, away from Harry's accusing eyes. He did have a point. She waited for Harry to continue, but he didn't. He kept staring at her, waiting for a response.

Finally, after a long moment, she answered. "I admit that, in the beginning, I was trying to manipulate you. And I was wrong. But I'm not trying to use you anymore. I am honestly trying to be honest and get to know you!" she defended.

"And you expect me to believe that?" asked Harry. "After what I already know about you?"

"It's the truth!" Daphne exclaimed.

Harry sighed before responding. "If you really want me to trust you, it's going to take a lot more than just being honest, especially with the foot we got off on," said Harry. "It's going to take time. Don't expect me to tell you all of my secrets after just a couple dinners," he suggested.

Daphne nodded. She understood where he was coming from.

"I get it," Daphne replied. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I was being a manipulative bitch. I'll try to make it up to you."

Harry smiled gently at her. Suddenly, without warning, he brought his hand to her face and softly wiped away some of her tear with his thumb. "I'm sorry for making you cry. That wasn't my intention," he admitted. "Your father is going to kill me for making you cry."

Daphne was completely caught off guard by his sudden gentleness. She wasn't complaining, however. She just wished it hadn't taken a fight to get him to let down his walls a little bit.

As Harry withdrew his hand from her face, Daphne brought her hand up and caught Harry's hand. Even though they were disillusioned, Daphne could still feel the rings he was wearing.

"Can I at least know what other lordships you have?" Daphne asked.

Harry chuckled, as he knew his plan had worked the other night. He waved his wand over his hand, cancelling the charm. He held his hand out to Daphne, who took it in her hands and examined the rings he was wearing.

"Potter, Black, Rosier, and… what is this last one?" Daphne asked.

"Peverell," Harry replied softly. "It's a part of the Potter line."

Daphne nodded, trying to take in the information. "So, you're Lord Potter, Lord Black, Lord Rosier, and Lord Peverell."

"Yes," confirmed Harry simply.

Daphne shook her head in disbelief, causing Harry to smile in amusement.

"We need to get back. Dinner is almost ready," Daphne said. "Can you put a Glamour Charm on me? I don't want everyone seeing my red, puffy eyes."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, still feeling guilty for making her cry.

Daphne nodded softly. With her approval, Harry took out his wand and cast a nonverbal Glamour Charm to hide her puffy, red eyes and streaked makeup. Daphne was impressed by the ease with which he completed the silent casting.

"There. Good as new," said Harry as he finished.

Daphne smiled in thanks. "Let's head back," she suggested.

Harry nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. They walked the rest of the way back in silence, their shoulders occasionally brushing up against each other.

When they arrived back at the manor, they were met by the rest of Daphne's family, who Harry greeted politely. They sat down for dinner, with Harry once again helping Daphne into her chair before taking the seat across from her.

As they ate, Daphne's mother spoke up. "So, Harry, which NEWT classes will you be taking this year? I imagine that you will have several classes with Daphne."

Harry nodded. "I will be taking Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, and I think Daphne will be in both of those classes," he replied politely.

Daphne's head shot up in surprise. "You're taking Runes and Arithmancy? Since when? You weren't in the OWL class!" she questioned.

Harry smiled at her. "I have been studying Runes and Arithmancy a lot this summer. I am planning on taking the OWLs for them at the end of August," he clarified.

"Very impressive," replied Daphne's mother. "What other NEWT classes will you be taking?"

"Just Runes and Arithmancy," replied Harry. "I am actually taking my NEWTs in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and History of Magic at the end of August as well."

Daphne's mouth hung open in shock. "What?" she asked dumbly.

Beside her, Astoria was surprised as well. "How is that possible?" Astoria asked.

"I've done a lot of studying this summer," said Harry modestly.

"Even if you studied all day every day, you couldn't learn all the NEWT material in a single summer!" exclaimed Daphne.

Harry smirked at her. "I guess I'm just a fast learner."

Daphne was suspicious. He was obviously hiding something from her, but she now knew better than to push him.

Harry turned his head and gave her a knowing look. Daphne knew exactly what he was saying with that look. He had just revealed something big about himself, and he wanted her to know that he was making an effort in their relationship, even if it was something small. Daphne gave him a small smile, trying to look thankful.

"If you are only taking two classes, what are you going to do with all your free time?" asked Astoria.

"I will actually be working on getting my mastery in Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and History of Magic," explained Harry.

Harry's latest bombshell shocked everyone once again. Daphne had never heard of anyone getting more than two masteries. Five was unheard of. Harry must be incredibly skilled in order for him to achieve that.

The rest of the dinner was filled with small talk. They were still trying to process the bombshells that Harry had dropped earlier.

Finally, dinner was over, and Harry prepared to leave.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Lord and Lady Greengrass," Harry said politely.

"You are welcome anytime, Harry," said Daphne's mother warmly.

Daphne shook her head. It appeared that Harry was already winning over her mother.

Daphne walked Harry to the fireplace alone. She had no idea what to say. Before she could say anything, Harry stepped up to her.

"I'm sorry again for being an arsehole and making you cry," Harry apologized. "It won't happen again."

"It's okay," Daphne replied, very conscious of how close Harry was. "We both know you'll make me cry again at some point," she joked.

Harry chuckled, but then became serious as he spoke. "Thank you for having me over. I really enjoyed it," he said.

With that, he leaned in and gently kissed her on the cheek. Before she could reply, he stepped away and vanished in the fireplace.

Daphne remained there for several long moments, blushing and wondering what had just occurred.

The next morning, Daphne had just finished getting ready when Tracey arrived via floo. She immediately raced up the stairs and barged into Daphne's bedroom as if she were a member of the family.

"So, how did it go?" Tracey demanded as she burst into the room.

Daphne looked disapprovingly at her excitable friend.

"Fine," she replied, not giving any details. She knew this would drive Tracey crazy, which was exactly why she was doing it.

"Daph, come on! You have to tell me! Please?" begged Tracey.

Finally, Daphne relented. "Okay. It was interesting. That's all I'll say."

"Interesting how?" pestered Tracey.

Daphne took a deep breath before replying. "Well, we may have gotten into a big fight and I may have called him an arsehole and he may have made me cry."

"What!" shouted Tracey. "How did this happen?"

Daphne proceeded to describe her fight with Harry and its eventual resolution.

"At the very end, though," began Daphne, "he put his hand to my cheek, wiped away my tear, and said he was sorry for making me cry."

Tracey looked like she was going to die. "This is the best story ever! You two go from screaming in each other's faces to him wiping away your tears. That is so romantic!"

Daphne shook her head in exasperation. However, she was still replaying that moment in her head.

"There's more," she said teasingly.

"Please tell me!" begged Tracey.

"When he was leaving, he apologized again for making me cry, and then he kissed me on the cheek," said Daphne with a blush.

Tracey dramatically put the back of her hand to her forehead and fell back onto the bed, pretending to faint.

"You are so lucky, Daph," exclaimed Tracey.

"I am happy with how last night ended," Daphne replied. "But I still have a long way to go with him."

"But he is at least giving you a chance now!" Tracey pointed out.

Daphne nodded and smiled. Last night had started off horribly, but she was happy with the progress that she made with Harry.

"What do I do now?" asked Daphne.

"It's up to him to make a move now," said Tracey. "Wait for him to contact you."

Daphne nodded nervously. She just hoped he wouldn't make her wait too long.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the Harry/Daphne scene towards the end. I really enjoyed writing that scene. In particular, I tried to show the opposing aspects of Harry's evolving personality. At times he can be cold and ruthless, while at other times he can be kind and forgiving.

The Horcrux hunt has officially begun! Horcruxes will not be the focus of the story, so Dumbledore and Harry will take care of them much quicker than in canon. The focus going forward, besides Harry and Daphne's relationship, will be the political and physical battles between Harry and Dumbledore and Voldemort.