Daphne sighed wistfully.
“I would love to become an Animagus.” She looked up at the birds soaring freely above the gardens.
What she wouldn’t give for that kind of freedom.
“Yeah, me too,” Harry said.
After a pause, he added, “Tell you what—when we get to Hogwarts, why don’t we learn it together?”
Her eyes widened.
“Can we do that?”
“Sure, why not? Just don’t tell your parents about this conversation, okay?”
She smiled.
Harry might be keeping secrets, but he didn’t seem so bad.
And judging by his incredible skill with a wand, he would be a very useful person to have around.
“Okay.”
≤○≥
Harry sat across from Jacob and Sunny, finishing the latest round of correspondence between Lord Slytherin and various members of the Neutral faction.
“Harry,” Sunny said, breaking his concentration, “we’d like to speak with you about Daphne.”
“Oh?” Harry set his quill aside.
Sunny hesitated for a moment before pressing on.
“For the past few months, we have been in negotiations with Lord Walter Slughorn regarding a possible betrothal contract between him and Daphne.”
Harry nodded slowly.
The nephew of the famous Potions Master.
He could see the strategic appeal—the Slughorn family was renowned for its networking prowess.
The Greengrasses were watching him expectantly.
“Well, it makes sense,” he replied carefully, “from a purely strategic standpoint.”
Jacob took over.
“Yes, that was our reasoning, but…”
“Daphne isn’t happy with the arrangement,” Sunny interjected.
“He’s quite a bit older than her. By the time they marry on her majority, he’ll be nearly fifty. I think she was hoping for something different, and honestly, we aren’t particularly fond of the match either. But if we break off negotiations without a strong reason, we risk alienating an important lord we’ve been trying to bring into our circle.” She finished the explanation in a single rushed breath.
“I see.”
“We were wondering…” Sunny took another deep breath.
“We were wondering if we could offer you her betrothal instead.”
Harry’s eyes widened slightly. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
He really should have seen that coming, but it still caught him off guard.
“Um… wow. Lord and Lady Greengrass, I am truly honored. Daphne is a wonderful person, and I have no doubt she would one day make an excellent wife… though I must admit I was already considering another.”
“It’s alright, Harry,” Sunny said gently.
“You don’t have to answer right away. Just promise us you’ll consider it… please?”
“I will consider it.”
“That’s all we ask.”
≤○≥
Daphne waited anxiously in the manor foyer.
She had been told that Harry was taking her somewhere today.
For some reason, her parents had become very eager for her to spend time with him lately.
Her mother had made it perfectly clear that Harry was in charge and that Daphne should listen to him.
It annoyed her—she could take care of herself, after all—but she also understood why.
In the past few weeks, Harry had displayed a level of magical skill that bordered on the mythical.
It seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do.
“Good morning, Miss Greengrass.”
She turned.
“Good morning, Harry. Are you finally going to tell me where we’re going?”
“I thought I’d make it a surprise, but I suppose I can give you a small clue.”
“Go on then.”
Harry drew his wand and waved it over her with a casual flick.
Her elegant robes transformed into something that could only be described as extremely Muggle.
“What is this?!” she exclaimed.
“Why am I wearing boys’ clothes?”
“You’ve never seen girls wearing trousers before?”
“Well… yes.” She blushed.
“But I’ve never worn them myself.”
“Wow. Pureblood princess indeed.” This story is hosted at g.com.
“Shut up, Mister. What is all this anyway?” She ran her hands over the strange material.
It felt cool and smooth on the outside, yet warm and snug against her skin.
The top was a bright blue with odd orange dangling cords.
The trousers were dark green and made of the same peculiar fabric.
Even her shoes felt enormous, like wearing bricks on her feet.
“It’s outdoor gear,” Harry explained.
“It’s what Muggles wear when they go exploring.”
Daphne’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Really? We’re going exploring?”
“Well, neither of us has actually been where we’re going—though I do know quite a bit about it—so yes, let’s call it exploring.”
“And how exactly are we getting there?”
“The Knight Bus.”
“Oooo! I’ve never ridden the Knight Bus before!” She grinned.
“Lead the way, Harry.”
≤○≥
Daphne was riding an absolute high.
“That was amazing!”
“…”
“It was so wavy! Everything was spinning and bouncing all over the place!”
“…”
“You okay, Harry?” She finally noticed he looked a little green.
“…Next time… I’ll just Disillusion us and we’ll go by broomstick,” Harry muttered, bent over with his hands on his knees.
“Oooo! That would be amazing too!” She looked around eagerly.
“Where are we anyway?”
The Knight Bus had unceremoniously dropped them on a quiet roadside in the middle of nowhere.
Rolling green hills stretched endlessly in every direction.
In the valleys below, patches of woodland hugged winding streams.
There wasn’t another soul—Magical or Muggle—in sight.
A light, peaceful mist hung in the air, giving the landscape an almost ethereal quality.
“Welcome to Dartmoor.”