Ch 19
An unusually grim sort of morning arrived on the day that the Hogwarts Express was bound to take the students back to Hogwarts. The grey skies, threatening to unleash a downpour at any moment, rumbled quietly as thunder rattled off far into the distance. It was an ill omen, and one that left Harry wary.
The last time he'd been at Hogwarts had been just after the disastrous third task. He'd nearly been kidnapped or killed in the hospital wing by Barty Crouch Jr, who'd been disguised as Professor Moody for the entire year. Then, he'd left the school after he'd woken up, full of anger in his heart from the dark magic he'd used.
At the very least, Harry knew that he was stronger now. The darkness that had lingered in him for so long was now no more than a tiny speck in the far recesses of his mind, and his wandwork and magical talent had improved threefold over the summer thanks to his tireless practising with Astoria and Daphne. He was far better equipped to deal with whatever he would inevitably confront at Hogwarts.
Optimism was a thing of the past for Harry. Each year at Hogwarts came with its new trials and tribulations that seemed insurmountable at the time he was first faced with him. This year would doubtlessly be no different in that regard, but with Astoria and Daphne by his side, Harry believed that he'd be able to adapt and overcome whatever came his way.
Perhaps his optimism wasn't entirely dead after all.
"Are you two all packed up and ready to go?" Cyrus asked as he stepped slowly into Astoria's bedroom. The repaired bonds between the family were still fragile. All four of them sometimes acted like they were walking across a frozen lake that was continuously threatening to fracture beneath their feet. It would take months if not years before things returned to a semblance of normalcy, the kind that existed before Cyrus and Anastasia separated their two daughters, but no one had made a major misstep yet.
"Almost," Astoria answered as she walked along her bookshelf for the umpteenth time. She was a voracious reader, and a surprising amount of her trunk space was dedicated to which books she'd take from home. She already had nearly two dozen in there, though she wasn't likely to finish them all by the winter break.
Harry was laying back on her bed, watching her scrutinise every book in her collection. He'd finished packing the night before as he so often did. Though he used to be quite the slacker when it came to getting things done, he'd always been beyond excited to pack up to go to Hogwarts.
"Daphne and mum are waiting for us downstairs," Cyrus informed Astoria and Harry. "And you know how your sister gets if you make her late for anything."
"I know, I know," Astoria waved him off, still not taking her eyes off of her books. "We'll be down in a minute."
Cyrus shot Harry a pleading look before he turned around and headed back downstairs.
With a small smile, Harry slipped off of Astoria's bed and swept up behind her. He wrapped his arms lovingly around her waist and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "You've already got plenty of books packed," he pointed out.
"I know, but there's so many I want to read," Astoria replied.
"Weren't you the one complaining about how I take up so much of your reading time?" Harry asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, and I'll never forgive you for that," Astoria said teasingly.
"Not even if I offer you a kiss?"
"Mmm," Astoria hummed in thought.
"Ouch," Harry said as he let go of her and took a step back. "Maybe I'll go offer Daphne a kiss instead."
"No!" Astoria exclaimed, spinning around and grabbing hold of his wrists before he could get away from her. "A kiss from you would be wonderful."
"I don't know," Harry grinned. "I'm starting to feel like second place compared to your books."
Astoria playfully sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll pick just one more and then we can go. After you've given me that kiss that is."
"Deal," Harry said as he closed the gap between himself and Astoria and gave her the kiss that they both so desperately craved. He'd never tire of feeling her soft, sweet lips against his and experiencing the rush of warmth that filled his chest and emboldened his heart.
Astoria moaned softly as Harry pulled away from her. "I wish we could get a room together at Hogwarts."
"So do I," Harry agreed. "You could always go back to sneaking into my dorm though."
"It's not exactly the most private place," Astoria sighed.
No, it wasn't. "I'll see if Dumbledore has any suggestions."
"He did say that he was going to be helping you train this year," Astoria said, remembering the conversation early in the summer when Dumbledore had come to visit Harry here. "Maybe you can convince him that you need a bit of privacy to help relax more. After all, you have quite the burden to bear."
"That's not a bad idea," Harry smiled at her.
"It's a great idea," Astoria countered playfully. "I'm full of them. So, if you need help with anything else…"
"How about using a great idea to pick out that book so that we can get going?" Harry chuckled.
"I was hoping for something more intimate," Astoria sighed.
"We're already close to running late as it is," Harry pointed out. "Even if we tried to go fast, I don't know if I could finish that fast."
"Spoil sport," Astoria pouted.
"I promise to shag you rotten tonight at Hogwarts," Harry told her.
That put a bright smile on Astoria's lips. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Finally, she turned back to her bookshelf one final time. She didn't even need to think about it as she grabbed a dark-covered book off of her shelf and brought it over to her trunk. She neatly deposited it atop the stack of other books she had held firmly in place by her robes and then closed her trunk up for good.
With a wave of his wand, Harry shrunk both his and her trunks so that they could easily fit in the palm of his hands. He stuffed them in the inner pocket of his robes so that they wouldn't get lost and then offered Astoria his hand to take. She beamed as she took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers together.
"Let's go," Harry said as he planted a sweet kiss atop her head.
The two of them hurried through the halls of Greengrass Manor. As they walked, it surprised Harry as to how much this place already felt like a home to him. He'd never felt that way at the Dursley's house, even after he'd gotten his own room. The only other place that'd felt like a true home for him had been Hogwarts, and he found that same pang of bittersweet sadness strike his chest as he started to leave this place. Thankfully, just like with Hogwarts, he knew that he'd be back here eventually.
As they neared the entry hall of the manor, they found Daphne, Cyrus, and Anastasia waiting for them.
"Finally," Anastasia sighed as she walked over to them. Instantly, she started fussing with Astoria's robes, ensuring that they were as crisp and beautiful on her as possible. Harry smiled at the sight; it was exactly the type of thing a normal mother would do.
Harry released Astoria's hand and walked over to Daphne, who he greeted with a kiss as sweet as the one he'd given Astoria earlier. Daphne was more forceful in kissing him back, almost deepening their kiss to the point that it would have been inappropriate to do in front of her parents.
Cyrus cleared his throat loudly, but Daphne held onto the kiss for another second before releasing Harry. "We should get going," Cyrus told everyone.
"Right," Anastasia nodded as she stopped fussing over Astoria. "Remember to apparate to the eastern apparation points at King's Cross."
Harry offered Astoria and Daphne his hands, which they gladly took, while Cyrus gave Anastasia his arm to hold onto. The two groups smoothly side-along apparated away, leaving Greengrass Manor behind.
With Daphne and Astoria holding onto him, Harry managed to not stumble out of his apparation for once. The three of them arrived in a wide circle that was ringed with runes that prevented anyone from accidentally apparating in while anyone else was already inside of it. They quickly stepped out of the circle and met up with Anastasia and Cyrus, who arrived in a similar circle just a few metres away. By the time they started moving towards the horde of families headed towards the Hogwarts Express, more families were apparating in behind them.
The steam from the Hogwarts Express wafted across the station, obscuring people from sight. Harry, Daphne, Astoria, Cyrus, and Anastasia shuffled forward blindly, moving at a slow pace so that they didn't accidentally knock anyone over. Still, that didn't stop them from being bumped into by people headed for the train. The thrum of the noise from the countless families brought back Harry's uncomfortable feeling this morning that something was wrong.
Thunder boomed overhead. The lightning arrived a moment later, illuminating the great windows that overlooked the station.
The noise was so loud that it caused some of the younger children around to jump or cry out in fright. People jostled around, and Harry ended up banging his hip against someone who stumbled back into him.
"You alright?" Harry quickly asked the man before he saw who he was.
Draco Malfoy spun around with a sneer on his lips, which only grew when he saw who he had bumped into. "Watch it, Scarhead."
Harry narrowed his eyes at Draco. "You're the one who ran into me."
"I—" Draco paused in his words as he noticed the Greengrass family standing around Harry. Astoria and Daphne came up to Harry's side confidently and stared Draco down. "Greengrass," he nodded politely to Daphne before glaring at Astoria. "I see that you're still hanging on with Potter. Haven't you gotten tired of him already? There are plenty of proper wizards I could introduce you to."
"Your perceptions on proper wizards must be skewed, Malfoy," Astoria replied acidly. "But who can be surprised when you have a Death Eater as a father."
Draco scoffed at her, but Harry could see that Astoria's words got under his skin. "You need to get your head checked, or else you might end up losing it once things start to change around here."
"Be careful with your words," Daphne said icily. "You're threatening my sister here."
"I'm not threatening her," Draco quickly backpedalled at Daphne's cold glare. "Just giving her a warning is all. Things are going to change, you can be sure about that, and I'd hate for you and your sister to be on the wrong side when the time comes."
"We won't be," Daphne assured him.
It was clear that Draco took those words opposite the way Daphne intended them. What a fool he was.
Through the steam, Harry saw Lucius Malfoy striding towards him. The man looked far more confident than the last time Harry had seen him. Without Voldemort around to chastise him, he stood tall and proud with his long, flowing hair and snake-headed cane. Harry scanned his face, disappointed that he saw no burn scars there from his Fiendfyre.
"Come now, Draco," Lucius said as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder. His eyes bore into Harry's with a dangerous edge that held unspoken violence within. Voldemort wished for Harry's death, and Lucius was more than willing to be the one to grant it, but Voldemort didn't seem the type to allow anyone else to do his killing for him when it was this personal. Harry had humiliated Voldemort by managing to escape his clutches; he wouldn't let Lucius kill Harry for him.
"Lucius," Anastasia said politely.
Lucius turned his gaze onto her, completely ignoring Cyrus. "Anastasia," he said, dipping his chin in the barest form of a nod. "I see that you've chosen to keep company with a… controversial man."
"Yes," Anastasia replied, her tone darkening a touch. "My daughters are quite taken with him."
"Daughters?" Draco repeated, his voice choking up in surprise. His pale eyes flickered between Harry, Astoria, and Daphne's faces in surprise, like he couldn't believe that this could be true. Anger, jealousy, and loss all crossed his face in a flash, and Harry had a sudden realisation: Draco must have wanted the sisters for himself, or at least one of them. It was easy to see why; Daphne and Astoria were two of the most beautiful witches of their generation, and they were both incredibly intelligent and magically talented. Since they were both adults, Draco could've tried to secure a marriage contract and have his fun with them at Hogwarts.
Realisation dawned on Draco that Daphne's earlier words hadn't been meant to say that she'd join the other fanatical pure-bloods. At that moment, Daphne grabbed onto Harry's arm, and Astoria mirrored her action with his other arm.
Draco's face twisted up into something disgusting. "You're going to regret this, blood traitors," he said. Harry wasn't sure if it was directed to him, Daphne, Astoria, or maybe all three of them.
"And you're a fool for ever thinking that you had a chance with me," Daphne retorted sharply.
The blow stung Draco's pride something fierce. His nostrils flared in fury, and he looked ready to fight to reclaim some scrap of his former pride. He might have even done so had his father not been holding him back.
"Draco," Lucius said sharply, finally causing Draco to look away from the trio before him. "That's enough. They've made their choices, and they'll come to understand the ramifications of them soon enough. It's time we take our leave."
"Of course, father," Draco said petulantly. He shot Harry one last furious gaze over his shoulder before he stormed off close behind his father.
"What a prat," Astoria muttered.
"I can't believe he ever thought that you would've agreed to be with him," Harry said to Daphne with amusement in his voice.
"He tried many times," Daphne replied, shaking her head. "Parkinson hated me for it."
"Do let me know if he tries to do anything to you or Astoria," Harry told her.
"We can take care of ourselves," Daphne assured him.
"All the same, please tell me," Harry insisted. He didn't doubt that Daphne and Astoria could handle Draco with ease, but he couldn't tolerate any actions taken against them because of him. He deeply wanted to protect them from any harm or even the mere threat of it, and he'd ensure that Draco would never get a second chance to do so.
"Alright," Daphne agreed.
Harry turned around then to see Cyrus looking mightily concerned with the conversation that had just taken place while Anastasia was still staring at Lucius' retreating back. "Thank you for backing us up there," Harry told her sincerely.
"For better or for worse, we're all with you, Harry," Anastasia assured him. "Just make sure that no harm comes to my daughters."
"I will," Harry promised.
He so dearly wished he could be genuine in that promise.
"Good," Anastasia nodded. "Now, you three should get on the train."
A round of hugs ensued, and Harry was surprised that even he was pulled into a hug by Anastasia. He shook Cyrus' hand and then helped Daphne and Astoria aboard the train. It was only a few minutes later that they found Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville aboard the train sitting with a strange blond-haired woman named Luna Lovegood. Hermione, Ron, and Daphne left not long after to go do their prefect duties, but they eventually rejoined everyone near the end of the trip.
By the time they reached Hogwarts, Harry felt the familiar joy of returning to the first place he could truly call home. Even the dreary mood from the dark skies couldn't get him down.
But then he saw something peculiar. The horseless carriages weren't so horseless after all.
"What…?" Harry murmured under his breath as Astoria and Daphne glanced curiously at him. They tried to follow his gaze, but all they saw was air.
"I can see them too," Luna told Harry. He'd only exchanged a handful of words with her on the train, and those had been quite odd, but now he couldn't help but wonder if she wasn't so strange after all.
"What are they?" Harry asked her.
"Thestrals," Luna answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
The fleshless horses would have looked like a skeleton had it not been for their black coats clinging to their bones, making them appear entirely distinct from normal skeletons that Harry had seen. They had withered, black wings that stretched out from their backs like a bat's.
"I've heard about those," Hermione chimed in. "They're clever creatures who live in herds in forests. Despite their terrifying appearance, they're actually quite gentle and friendly creatures, as long as you treat them well."
"Can you see them?" Harry asked her.
"No," Hermione said hesitantly, giving a slight shake of her head. "They can only be seen by those who've seen death."
Harry's mind flashed back to the graveyard. The man—Yaxley, another Death Eater had called out his name—he'd burnt alive with Fiendfyre. There may have been others that died too that day. Merlin, he didn't know how many people he killed.
Suddenly, Harry felt sick to his stomach.
Daphne noticed the shift in his expression right away. "Let's get in and get up to the castle," she said as she ushered Harry towards the carriage.
Harry let her guide him up. He sat down with Astoria and Daphne on either side of him as they rode up to the great castle. Normally, he enjoyed taking in the scenery, but he was lost in his mind today instead. He kept replaying that night in the graveyard, trying to see if he could remember anything beyond the haze of the flames he'd conjured. Could he remember anyone else he killed?
It was impossible to tell. Besides Yaxley, he'd seen at least half a dozen men be touched by the flames, but that didn't mean that they died.
He didn't feel bad about killing Death Eaters. At least, not entirely. They were horrific criminals who'd slaughtered hundreds, if not thousands. What he did feel bad about was that he was the one who did it.
And yet, it was an unfortunate reality that he would have to do it again. Voldemort needed to be stopped, and there would be more fights to come.
Harry steeled himself internally with that knowledge. Killing Death Eaters wasn't wrong, and yet it felt like it was. It was another burden he'd have to bear.
Daphne rested her head against his shoulder lovingly. "You didn't do anything wrong," she murmured to him, as if sensing his thoughts. "You were protecting yourself."
He was. It made him feel a little better about his actions, but more than that, it brought up a new feeling of anger inside of him. Anger that Voldemort had forced Harry into a situation in which he needed to defend himself in the first place.
No, he couldn't let himself be consumed by anger again. Harry took a deep breath in and held it to help his heartbeat return back to normal.
Ultimately, he couldn't blame himself for killing that Death Eater or any others. They'd made their choices, and Harry wouldn't simply allow himself to be killed just for living his life. He would defend himself if need be, and even if he didn't like the fact that he had to kill anyone, that wouldn't stop him from doing it if he had to in order to protect himself or the ones he loved.
"Thank you," Harry murmured back softly to Daphne. He took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly.
They arrived at the castle steps a few minutes later. The great oak doors stood open, ready to receive the incoming students. Already, a swarm of them were flooding into the castle's entrance hall, eager to reach the Great Hall where they could feast and enjoy their first night back at Hogwarts.
It hurt to part ways from Daphne and Astoria, but during important meals like the opening feast, they had to sit at their house table. He kissed each of them and followed Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville off towards the Gryffindor table. Still, his gaze lingered on Astoria and Daphne as they went to sit down at the Slytherin table together.
The sorting ceremony was interesting as always. The seventeen-year-old, first-year students were led down the centre of the Great Hall to be sorted. The Sorting Hat gave a song on inter-house unity in the face of darkness first, a portent warning given the secret return of Voldemort, and then the sorting began. Harry clapped along with his house each time a new student was sorted into Gryffindor, and then once the final student was sorted, he listened as Dumbledore welcomed everyone back and announced the start of the feast.
A dizzying array of dishes suddenly appeared across the five tables in the Great Hall, making them all sag under the weight of them. Harry happily loaded up his plate with all of the components of a classic Sunday roast and tucked into it as he caught up with Ron and Hermione.
By the meal's end, his belly was full, and he could see that he wasn't the only one. There was nothing quite so uniquely satisfying as a Hogwarts meal after a long time away.
Not long after the dishes were cleared away, Dumbledore returned to his place behind the podium, overlooking all of the students.
"Your attention please," Dumbledore smiled at everyone as he waited for the chatter to cease. "The start of a new school year comes with many unexpected changes, including in our staffing. This year, we are very pleased to announce that Professor Snape, the head of Slytherin, will be taking over the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
There was a smattering of applause from that from three of the houses, but the noise from Slytherin was the loudest.
"In his place as potions master, the Board of Governors has seen fit to elect one of their former members to the position," Dumbledore announced. Despite his sharp words, they were delivered with the utmost politeness. "Please welcome Lucius Malfoy to the position."
This time, the cheers and applause from Slytherin was practically deafening. Harry had to wonder how many of the students' parents had instructed them to do so at his announcement.
Lucius stood up from his seat and gave a short bow towards the Slytherin table, ignoring the unenthusiastic but polite applause from the other houses.
Afterwards, Dumbledore's speech continued on as normal. He reminded everyone of Filch's increasingly ridiculous rules, Quidditch tryouts, and a number of other mundane matters that hadn't changed since Harry's first year at Hogwarts.
As he finished his announcements, Dumbledore dismissed everyone to return to their dormitories for the night. There was a rush of movement as everyone got to their feet. Ron and Hermione hurried to help guide the new students through the halls of Hogwarts.
Harry was ready to head back to his dorm too when a letter suddenly appeared on the table in front of him with his name on it. Curious, he opened it up to find a note from Dumbledore, inviting him up to his office after the meal ended. He glanced back up at the head table only to find that Dumbledore was already gone.
It took a great deal of careful manoeuvring through the throngs of students heading back to their houses for Harry to make his way to the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Fizzing Whizbee," Harry said.
The gargoyle suddenly animated and moved aside as the wall behind it split and revealed a stone staircase moving upwards. Harry stepped onto the bottom step and allowed it to carry him up to the top of the spiral-shaped stairwell. He stepped off to a small landing and used the gryphon-shaped knocker on the old wooden door to announce his arrival.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Harry stepped inside to Dumbledore's unique-looking office. Unlike normal, it was quite silent here tonight. The portraits of all of the past headmasters and headmistresses were awake, but none spoke up as Harry entered the room. Dumbledore was alone, sitting behind his desk in a high-backed chair with a myriad of documents laid out before him. He was just in the middle of signing something when Harry stepped inside.
"Harry, my boy!" Dumbledore exclaimed, looking more jovial than ever. "How are you? Did you enjoy the feast?"
"I did," Harry smiled in return.
"Please, sit," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the seat across from him. Harry sat down quickly, curious as to what the headmaster wished to meet with him about. "For your training this year, I will send you letters whenever we have the ability to meet. There is much we have to cover and precious little time to do so. Our first session will likely occur within the next week or two."
"I'm eager to get on with it," Harry replied honestly. "Would Astoria and Daphne be welcome to them as well?"
"Of course," Dumbledore told him sincerely. "But be warned that there may be some meetings that may best be done in private."
"I have nothing to hide from either of them," Harry said.
"I understand and commend you for that," Dumbledore nodded. "But there are things that may require some more sensitivity. I will not stop you from bringing them if you insist upon it, but I hope that you can trust my judgement when I feel it is required."
"I'll try," Harry agreed hesitantly. He supposed that he could always tell them everything afterwards if he decided to.
"Excellent. Then, let us move onto a more pressing concern," Dumbledore began, leaning forward in his seat. "It should be no surprise that Lucius Malfoy was and still is a devoted servant to Tom."
No, it wasn't.
"I'm still surprised that you hired him," Harry replied honestly. "I know that you were in a tough spot with the Board of Governors and the Ministry, but…"
"Could I have done more to find an alternative candidate?" Dumbledore finished Harry's thought for him. "Perhaps. Yet, I do not regret Lucius' appointment to the staff. Given the man's proclivity for politics, I find it quite curious that he has decided to forgo spending his time whispering into Minister Fudge's ear to instead broaden the minds of the students here at Hogwarts."
Harry's mind connected the dots quickly. "Did Voldemort order him to seek this post?"
"That is my suspicion," Dumbledore replied gravely.
"Then I'm confused," Harry admitted. "Knowing this, why did you hire him on?"
"To discover exactly what his plans are," Dumbledore told Harry honestly. "If I did not hire Lucius, another would have been sent, and then another. One of them might have slipped beneath my notice and been able to operate in secret. Lucius, however, cannot. It is sometimes better to keep your enemies close if it allows you greater insight into their planning."
"But that's a dangerous game," Harry pointed out. "He's close enough that he could strike when you least expect it. What if he was sent here to kill us?"
"Lucius is not the type to give away his own life so foolishly," Dumbledore replied. "He would not stand a chance against me, and I would wager that you'd give him a run for his money as well. Even if he succeeded, Lucius would not be able to escape Hogwarts. I believe he's here for another purpose. Something that requires a trusted hand. If Tom simply wished us dead, there are many more notorious killers throughout Europe whom he could have hired."
"Do you have any idea as to what it is that he's after?" Harry asked.
"I have suspicions, vague suspicions," Dumbledore clarified. "I would appreciate it if you kept a close eye on him as well and report to me anything you deem worthy of my notice. Err on the side of caution, Harry."
"I will," Harry promised him. "Are you keeping an eye on his son as well? He might use him."
"I do not believe that young Draco would be a threat like his father is," Dumbledore tried to assure Harry. "Lucius loves his son dearly, and I have no doubts in my mind that he would not involve Draco in something as dangerous as whatever goals he is pursuing."
Harry wasn't quite won over. Draco was a horrible person who seemed destined to become a Death Eater, if he wasn't one already. Harry could imagine him jumping at the chance to help his father if it meant currying favour with Voldemort.
"I would also caution you to be careful around Lucius," Dumbledore continued. "The man is most definitely relaying information to Tom about the goings on in the castle, and I do not doubt that you have been marked as a prime focus. Avoid anything to get on his bad side, if you can."
"Okay," Harry agreed.
"Wonderful," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together. "I do not wish to take up any more of your time tonight, Harry."
"One last thing," Harry said quickly. "I was hoping to make a request of you, if I could."
"Go on," Dumbledore nodded, looking intrigued.
"I'm concerned about Astoria and Daphne's safety within Slytherin," Harry began. "And given my… closeness with them, I was wondering if we might be able to get a private suite in the castle for ourselves. I know that it's happened for married couples, and although we're not quite there yet…"
"You hope that I would make an exception," Dumbledore finished for him again. He leaned back in his seat and slowly stroked his long beard. "It would be highly irregular for me to grant you this, but you are in highly irregular circumstances. I will consider it."
"Thank you, professor," Harry said sincerely.
"Now, it is past time that you head off to bed," Dumbledore dismissed him.
Indeed, it was. But first, he had a promise to keep with Astoria. Hopefully she didn't mind him shagging her rotten in his dorm room.
Ch 20
The early morning sunrise rarely bothered any inhabitants within Harry's dorm in Gryffindor Tower. Everyone kept their curtains drawn around their beds to block out the light, and with the addition of a couple nifty charms they'd been using ever since they learned how to cast them, they managed to block out all light and sound entirely within the privacy of their own beds. It was one of the few things that gave Harry enough comfort to sneak Astoria into his bed.
Unlike with him, Astoria had always been an early riser. She didn't even need the sun's rays to make her stir awake, her body simply did it of her own accord. It wasn't altogether uncommon for Harry to wake up to Astoria reading in bed next to him, unwilling to dispense of the warmth his body provided next to hers. Similarly, it wasn't altogether uncommon for Harry to wake up with Astoria's mouth wrapped around his cock.
The warm, wet sensation elicited a deep groan from Harry as the sharp sting of pleasure woke him up. Without his glasses, the world was still blurry, but that didn't matter since all he could see was his duvet over top of his body and a lumpy shape underneath it positioned right in between Harry's legs.
He grabbed the edge of his covers and lifted them up to see Astoria's brilliant brown eyes staring up at him with amusement.
"I figured you would've been too sore after last night," Harry chuckled quietly.
It was cute the way that Astoria shook her head from side to side with his cock still between her lips. Her tongue swirled around the underside of his cock, teasing every pleasure receptor he had there. She knew his body so intimately that just his little reaction was enough to assure her that she was doing the perfect job of pleasuring him.
Stroking the back of Astoria's head, Harry laid his head back down and sighed contently. "We'll have to get up for class soon," he reminded her. As much as he enjoyed their sex life, being late on the first day rarely led to anything good.
"Then you'll just have to cum faster," Astoria said teasingly as she went back to slowly sucking his cock.
"You know I can't do that when you're just teasing me like that," Harry chuckled.
He could see the taunting look in her eyes that asked him what he was going to do about it. She only reinforced the fact that she was going to take her time by slurping around his cock but barely moving her lips to stroke him. Instead, her tongue continued its smooth little dance around him.
The pleasure was building up in Harry's cock, but it would be too slow.
Well, if she wanted him to take control, then he would.
He waited until her lips ever so slowly moved up to pucker around the head of his cock to suddenly grab her by her shoulders and lift her up. The duvet flipped onto the bed behind her, revealing her gloriously naked body. Her breasts jiggled perfectly as Harry flipped her over onto her front.
"You brute!" Astoria squealed, giggling as Harry grabbed her ankles and yanked her towards him.
Her pert arse was staring him right in the face. He grabbed her cheeks roughly and spread them apart, revealing her glistening wet pussy.
Before he knew it, Harry felt himself pushing inside of Astoria's pussy. She couldn't have hidden the moan that left her lips even if she wanted to as Harry filled her up inch by inch of his wonderfully thick cock. He pushed until his cock was fully sheathed inside of her hot, tight hole and his hips were pressed against her arse.
He wished that he could take the time to linger and savour the feeling of Astoria's walls pulsing around his cock, but they didn't have time for that. He needed to make this fast and quick.
Bracing his hands down on the bed on either side of Astoria's head, Harry started thrusting away into Astoria's pussy. He moved at a breakneck pace, putting in as much force as he could into each thrust. The sound of his hips smacking off of Astoria's arse was heavenly, and the feeling of her walls tightening up around his cock was driving him wild.
"Fuck me," Astoria moaned lewdly as she buried her face in Harry's duvet. Her toes curled in delight as Harry kept pounding into her tight, little pussy.
Harry felt utterly in control as he dominated Astoria. He loved it when she got all submissive like this and let him fuck her hard and wild. It really reminded him of when they first got together and used any excuse they had to slip out of the library to shag each other's brains out in whatever abandoned classroom or broom cupboard they could find.
"Harder, harder," Astoria's muffled voice called out.
Harry went harder, almost as hard as he could. The bed squeaked in protest beneath them, threatening to break at any moment, but Harry didn't care. If the legs of the bed gave out, then so be it. He could fix them later.
"Pull my hair," Astoria begged.
With one hand, Harry grabbed a fistful of Astoria's hair and yanked her head back so that he could see her panting face. She looked so fucking good and so unbelievably turned on by how he was fucking her, which only turned him on more in turn.
His cock throbbed inside of her pussy, threatening to spill his seed inside of her. Her pussy felt like it kept trying to suck him back into her depths each time he pulled his hips back. All he had to do was let go and he could stay inside of her.
Suddenly, Astoria let out a high-pitched shriek as her walls clamped down around Harry's cock. He barely lasted a second longer before his seed shot out of his cock into Astoria's pussy. Her walls helped milk him dry of every last drop as the two of them gasped for breath.
In the afterglow of it all, Harry peered through the crack in his curtains to see that everyone else had gotten up already. He listened for any sounds coming from the nearby bathroom, but there were none.
"Stick close to me, okay," Harry murmured as he pulled his cock out of Astoria's pussy. His seed spilled out of her, staining the duvet, but he knew that the house-elves would clean in later.
Astoria nodded and climbed onto unsteady feet. The two of them crossed over to the empty bathroom and quickly found themselves beneath a nice, hot spray of water where they were able to wipe away the sweat from their bodies. Harry helped to soap Astoria's body up as per usual, though she kept swatting his hands away whenever she felt like they were getting too close to going for another round again.
Eventually, they both got out of the shower and dried themselves off before getting dressed. Harry had decided to keep spare uniforms for Astoria and Daphne in his trunk for days like today.
Using his cloak of invisibility, Harry smuggled Astoria out of the Gryffindor Common Room and out into the corridors beyond. Once they got down a few floors, Harry took back his cloak, and the two of them walked hand-in-hand down to the Great Hall.
Harry parted with Astoria reluctantly and watched her run over to the Slytherin table.
It felt wrong sitting down at breakfast without Daphne or Astoria at his side. Even though he was back with Ron and Hermione now, he missed his girls terribly. He placed himself on the side of the Gryffindor table that would allow him to stare out across the hall towards the Slytherin Table. Daphne and Astoria were sat together, alongside a few others that Harry recognised. Millecent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, and a woman in Astoria's year sat around them, but it was clear that Daphne and Astoria were as sad not to be sitting with Harry as he was.
The longing, wistful looks they kept sending each other across the hall weren't missed by everyone.
"You must really love them," Hermione chimed in suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that came with everyone eating their breakfast.
"I do," Harry smiled lightly, spooning some beans onto his plate. "They've both been through so much with me, and I loved spending every day with them over the summer. It feels weird not sitting with them right now."
"Why not invite them over then?" Ron asked.
Harry blinked in surprise. Even though Ron had been surprisingly calm with the knowledge that Harry was dating Astoria and Daphne, two Slytherins, he hadn't quite been expecting him to welcome them over here so easily. It was a pleasant surprise, and perhaps something indicative of the changes he'd undergone once he realised what a jerk he'd been in pushing Harry away for something he didn't even do.
"I think I will," Harry told him. "But they need to be at their table today to get their class schedules."
"Speaking of which," Hermione looked up eagerly at Professor McGonagall, who was making her way down the Gryffindor table with a hefty stack of parchment in her arms.
After a few moments, Professor McGonagall made their way down to them. The normally stern and serious professor had a surprisingly kind and supportive look on her face as she offered Harry his schedule.
"It's good to see you up and about again, Mr Potter," she told him.
"Thank you, Professor," Harry smiled at her. "It's good to be back."
She handed Ron and Hermione their schedules next and then continued onto the students next to them.
Glancing down at his schedule, Harry bit back a groan as he realised what his first class of the day was. Ron, however, wasn't so strong willed as to stop himself from whinging.
"Snape, really?" Ron cursed under his breath and dropped his schedule down onto the table. He glared at it, almost as though he expected it to burst into flames from his righteous anger.
"Maybe it won't be that bad," Hermione suggested weakly. "After all, it's not like he's teaching potions anymore. Defence Against the Dark Arts might make him a bit more flexible."
Harry doubted Hermione's wishful thinking. "Don't you remember that time he substituted for Lupin when he was ill?"
The looks on Ron and Hermione's faces made it clear that they hadn't forgotten. That not-so-subtle class on werewolves might have gone over everyone's heads at the time, but in hindsight, it was a terribly cruel thing to indirectly out Lupin's little furry problem. Besides, Snape had been as strict and uptight as ever in that class.
The three of them fell into silence, morose over the knowledge that things weren't going to be easy this year.
Suddenly, Ron's head shot up like he just had a brilliant idea.
"We could always try setting his robes on fire again," he suggested gleefully to Hermione.
Hermione couldn't manage to hold a chastising look for more than a second before a giggle escaped past her lips. That was all it took for Harry and Ron to follow suit, laughing happily along as they imagined Snape panicking as he stomped on his robes until they stopped burning.
Merlin, Harry had missed this.
The mood lightened back up as they finished breakfast. Hermione was excitedly informing Harry and Ron about her incredibly intricate study plan for their O.W.L.s this year, while Ron was more focused on his hope for a successful season for the Chudley Cannons.
When they finally finished eating, Harry was the first one to his feet. It only took a moment of waiting before Astoria and Daphne both stood up too and made their way over to him by the massive doors that led out of the Great Hall.
"I hope your morning class goes well," Harry told Astoria as he planted a kiss on her cheek.
"It's Herbology," she informed him happily. Her love of gardening came second to her love for reading, but she still enjoyed it immensely.
"Do you want to meet us for lunch here?" Harry asked her. "If you and Daphne want, you can join us over at the Gryffindor table."
"That'd be really nice," Astoria beamed. "I missed sitting with you."
"So did I," Harry chuckled.
With a wistful sigh, Astoria glanced down the corridor at all of the students who were making their way to their first class of the day. "I suppose I ought to get going."
Harry gave her another kiss, only this time Astoria turned her head just in time for Harry's lips to brush across hers. He smiled into the kiss.
"See you at lunch," Astoria giggled as she pulled away from him. She turned and gave Daphne a massive hug before waving goodbye to Ron and Hermione.
Turning to Daphne, Harry offered her his hand, which she took in her own with a soft smile.
"Snape might start to hate you now," Harry grimaced. "He's always hated me, no matter what I do."
"I know," Daphne nodded sympathetically. "But I think I'll be alright. We all know that he treats us Slytherins better than the rest of the houses. At the very least, I doubt he'll do anything to reprimand me publicly."
"It's not like your work is worthy of much criticism anyways," Hermione pointed out. "You've always been at the top of the class."
"True," Daphne admitted. "But I'm sure that Snape will find a way to complain about something of mine, even if it's just a snarky comment on one of my papers."
Harry sighed softly. "I guess there's no sense in delaying the inevitable anymore."
"Right," Daphne said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Let's get going then."
The four of them walked through the halls of Hogwarts towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Harry was surprised that Snape hadn't insisted that the room be changed to something more befitting his gloomy personality, but he was sure that the room would be decorated differently at least. Each professor brought their own unique flair to their classrooms. Lupin had a number of pictures of magical creatures hung from the walls, Lockhart had kept photographs of himself and signed copies of his books around the room, and Barty Crouch Jr, disguised as Moody, had kept a number of strange artefacts that were designed to reveal threats to the owner.
When they reached the classroom, they found a small crowd formed around the locked door to the classroom. Snape always refused to allow anyone into his classroom unless he was also present, which meant that they always had to linger in the corridor waiting for him to arrive.
"Guess he's still the same git," Ron scowled.
"He'll be here soon," Hermione assured him. "At least it's right after breakfast. It's not like he can take that long to get to class."
Sure enough, just a few seconds later, Snape came striding around a corner with his robes billowing out behind him as dramatically as ever. The man had a perfectly neutral expression of mild disdain on his face as his eyes scanned the crowd of students. Harry saw the man's gaze linger on him for just a fraction of a second longer than anyone else.
"Get in," Snape said gruffly as he unlocked the door for everyone.
Curtains had been drawn over all of the windows in the room. There was only the faintest hint of light shining through the fabric to give any indication of what time of day it was. Candles floated overhead, providing a gentle glow that gave just enough light to make reading and writing possible. Gruesome pictures adorned the walls, showing the aftereffects of dark curses in a variety of ways. One picture showed a man screaming as flesh was torn from his arm. Another depicted malevolent flames consuming an entire family.
Harry shivered in recognition of that last image. That was Fiendfyre, he was sure of it. Was that picture chosen specifically for Harry? And if so, how the hell had Snape heard about what Harry had done? Had Dumbledore told him?
The class of Gryffindors and Slytherins divided themselves up on opposite sides of the classroom as they always did. The divide between the two houses always left a tense animosity between them in any classes they shared, even if some of the individual students were friendly with some of those from other houses outside of the classroom. Harry looked to Daphne to see where she'd like to sit, but she simply followed Hermione and Ron's lead to sit over on the Gryffindor side of the room.
When Snape came to a stop at the head of the classroom and turned to face everyone, his eyebrow raised a fraction of a centimetre as he eyed Daphne's choice of seating. His gaze didn't linger long though.
Slowly, as though discerning his own thoughts through speech rather than delivering a carefully-practised monologue, Snape addressed the class.
"Your instruction in the defence against the Dark Arts has, until today, been substandard. You have had five teachers, each of whom struggled to maintain a consistent cohesion with what the previous instructor prepared you all for. That changes today. I have seen a sore lack of instruction on what the Dark Arts actually are and what they can do to those who are afflicted by them and those who use them."
Snape took a few steps forward and gestured to the portraits around him.
"The Dark Arts are not for the faint of heart. They are malevolent and insidious, ever changing and impossible to confine, and, ultimately, as complex as magic can be. In order to truly be able to prepare yourselves to be confronted head on with the Dark Arts, you must learn to be creative."
Harry could see the looks and sounds of confusion begin to bubble up in the class around him. No one had expected something like this. Each year, they were taught a number of curses and counter-curses, but that was merely rote memorisation. There was nothing creative about learning what you needed to do to stop a specific spell.
And yet, although most of the rest of the class seemed confused, Harry felt like he understood what Snape was getting at. Back in the graveyard, Harry had been woefully under prepared to deal with Voldemort. He'd been utterly outclassed and hadn't had a single coherent set of tactics to rely upon to counter Voldemort's attacks. It'd been through sheer luck and spontaneity that he'd happened to replicate the spell that Voldemort had cast earlier.
"Potter!" Snape suddenly snapped.
Harry realised too late that he'd drifted off into his own thoughts. Snape must have noticed his unfocused eyes, even if they'd only been that way for a moment. He grit his teeth in frustration. It seemed as though Snape wasn't going to take it any easier on him this year.
"Sir?" Harry replied in as polite a tone as possible.
"Since you seem so distracted, perhaps you'd like to volunteer as my first example of why focus and creativity are required to counter the Dark Arts," Snape said coldly. "Get up here."
Daphne glowered at Snape, showing her disapproval, but Snape just stared right back at her with all of the dispassionate annoyance that he could muster.
"It's fine," Harry murmured to her, patting her arm as he stood up.
With a wave of his wand, Snape cleared the front of the classroom for them. The man's desk slid backwards against the wall in a smooth motion, clinking with the gentlest sound as something rattled within.
Harry walked to a spot just a couple metres in front of Snape, but the older man strode past Harry rudely to speak to the rest of the class.
"Mr Potter will aid me in demonstrating the necessity of creativity in combating the Dark Arts," Snape sneered. "Professor Dumbledore has allowed me, in the interest of teaching, to use certain spells that the Ministry has deemed dark. Be assured that the Ministry has agreed to this as well, so long any participants in any practices are willing."
Harry felt everyone's eyes fall upon him as Snape turned around with a dark smile. The man was trying to goad him into going through with this, Harry realised.
"Well, Potter?" Snape raised a single eyebrow. "Do you consent to participating in this practice, or would you prefer to return to your seat?"
"Harry, don't," Hermione's soft voice came from her seat.
"I consent," Harry replied quickly.
This was bound to be yet another chance for Snape to belittle or punish Harry for some unknown slight, but Harry was willing to step into the man's trap rather than back down. Besides his prideful nature, Harry knew that practice against the Dark Arts was the only thing that was ever going to help give him a proper fighting chance against Voldemort. He could practise against normal spells any day, but he wouldn't allow Astoria or Daphne to taint themselves by using dark magic. Better that this greasy git do it instead.
Besides, Harry knew that his pride could suffer a beating or two from Snape. After all, Harry had fucked Astoria on the man's desk during the Yule Ball. That memory was enough to keep Snape's snide looks from bothering him.
"Excellent," Snape said as he walked to the side of the front of the classroom. He gestured with his wand for Harry to go to the opposite side. Harry did so and faced down Snape with the class looking on at a perpendicular view.
"You will attempt to stop me from cursing you," Snape informed Harry.
"Are there any restrictions on my part?" Harry asked.
"Nothing lethal," Snape snorted. "Not that you'd be able to kill me if you tried."
Another attempt to sting his pride. Harry tried to not let it get to him, but Snape's jabs had always prickled him.
"Of course, sir," Harry replied with just the slightest hint of sarcasm. Snape's eyes narrowed at him, and Harry drew his wand.
There was a moment where neither of them moved. Harry could feel the eyes of the class on him. Everyone was curious as to how he'd handle himself, but he could sense the genuine concern radiating from Daphne. The last time he'd gotten into a duel with someone other than her or Astoria, he'd nearly ended up dying. But that wasn't going to happen today.
Harry's eyes barely caught the sharp movement of Snape's wand before the man cast his first spell at Harry. Snape was casting nonverbally, obscuring what spells he was using. Given the fact that he was using the Dark Arts too, Harry had no idea of knowing exactly what spells he was using in the first place. The jet of viridian-coloured light was unlike anything that Harry had ever seen before.
He knew that he couldn't simply try and block this spell lest it shatter his defences on a single hit, so he leapt aside out of its path and attempted to return fire, but Snape was already tracking his movements. Had he not spent the summer training, Harry was sure that Snape's follow-up strike would've struck him, but he was faster than he had been. He stepped back to his original space, neatly weaving his body in between the two jets of light.
A gasp went up through the class as Harry barely squeezed through the narrow gap between the two spells. It was an impressive feat that he doubted anyone else except for maybe Daphne could've pulled it off, and from the annoyance on Snape's face, it seemed as though he'd doubted Harry's abilities as well.
With a flick of his wrist, Harry returned fire with a Stunning Charm and a Blasting Curse to the floor near Snape's feet, hoping to send up a spray of bits of stone to distract the man long enough for Harry to be able to get off a finishing blow. However, Snape mirrored Harry's movements and neatly dodged his Stunning Charm before conjuring a physical shield that blocked the chipped stone.
"You'll need to do better than that," Snape said mockingly.
Snape's wand moved in a blur, too fast for Harry to track accurately, and a volley of spells went flying Harry's way. They were coming too quickly for him to dodge easily; blocking was his only option.
He brought up his Shield Charm with every bit of magical power he had, and he gasped when the first curse nearly shattered it in a single blow. He redoubled his resolve and pumped more power into his spell, allowing it to hold off the next two spells, but he quickly realised that this wasn't a tenable strategy. He'd be whittled down by Snape's dark magic before long.
Gritting his teeth, Harry looked for an opening, but there was none. Snape had the endurance to continue to cast again and again, and Harry couldn't use a single spell in return without dropping his shield. He didn't know how long Snape could keep this up for, but he had a feeling that it'd be longer than his shield could last.
He needed to do something to get out of this. He had to be creative! But how?
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came to his lips. Apparently, copying his attackers was just his style.
Harry waited until another spell struck his shield, and then he reacted as quickly as he could to drop it and conjure a physical shield just as Snape had. A solid sheet of rock formed in the air between them, hovering perfectly in place, but doing so left Harry vulnerable for a fraction of a second. He couldn't stop the jet of red light from reaching him.
A gasp went up through the class as a spray of blood gushed out from Harry's midsection. The dark Cutting Curse cleaved straight through his robes and his torso, leaving a deep gash that bled heavily. Faintly, Harry heard a cry escape Daphne's lips, but he couldn't afford to pay her any mind right now. This was his only chance to get a shot off to end things.
He had three directions he could go: to the left, the right, or above the shield he'd conjured. Each would offer him a shot at Snape, and if the man wasn't prepared for him, Harry might be able to take him down.
The first of Snape's spells struck Harry's physical shield, and chips of stone exploded back out towards the man. This was Harry's chance.
Grimacing, Harry chose to go right, leaping away from the other students so that Snape's spells wouldn't risk harming them. Harry hadn't seen Snape use any protective charms on the room before their duel. Even if he may have already placed some before class, Harry didn't want to risk anyone else's safety.
Fighting through the pain, Harry leapt to his right with a spell on his lips, only to find a sickly-green hex waiting for him. He tried to bring his wand up to shield himself, but he wasn't fast enough. The hex struck him, and he collapsed to the floor.
Mucus and blood filled his nostrils and mouth immediately. He tried to breathe in, but the thick, rapidly-congealing liquid stopped him from being able to. A burst of panic filled his chest. He tried to cough, but no air would escape his lungs. His body spasmed in protest, trying to find a way to get out of this, but the hex was too powerful, and Harry didn't know how to counter it.
His wand was wrenched from his hand as Snape strode over to him. Harry glared daggers at the man who turned to face the class.
"And this is why creativity is most important," he instructed the class. "Had Mr Potter attempted to distract me by transfiguring a second attacker or using some other types of magic besides his simple-minded shielding and counter-attacks, then he may have had a chance at beating me."
Harry's lungs burned with the need to be filled with air. His body thrashed on the floor.
"Help him!" Hermione shrieked.
Snape turned to Harry with a glower on his face. "You'll need to do better if you wish to defeat the Dark Lord," he murmured.
Suddenly, the blood and mucus vanished, and Harry sucked in a deep breath.
"Greengrass!" Snape snapped. "Take Potter to the Hospital Wing. The rest of you, get out your textbooks and turn to page thirty-six."
Harry burned with humiliation as Daphne rushed to his side and helped him up to his feet. For a moment, he wished that his usage of dark magic still had enough of a hold over him to tempt him to burn Snape alive in Fiendfyre, but he recognised that this malevolent thought was just another holdover from that time. He took a deep breath in to replenish his lungs and let Daphne help him down between the rows of desks towards the door.
Snape may have humiliated Harry today, but he'd also taught him a valuable lesson: Harry was still nowhere near ready to face Voldemort. But, he'd be ready to learn everything he could about fighting the Dark Arts to give himself a fighting chance.