For several long moments, Harry and Daphne simply stood there staring at one another.
Neither seemed entirely capable of finding the right words.
Hermione, however, had no such problem.
“That…” she breathed, eyes wide with amazement.
“That was awesome!”
The moment the words left her mouth, Harry’s expression twisted.
A sharp cry escaped him.
Then agony exploded through his body.
It felt as though molten fire had suddenly been poured directly into his veins.
His stomach lurched violently.
Doubling over without warning, he stumbled toward the toilet and grabbed the wall for support as a wave of nausea crashed through him.
He dry-heaved painfully into the bowl.
Again.
And again.
Every muscle in his body clenched.
Sweat broke out across his skin almost instantly.
His entire frame trembled.
He barely registered the fact that both girls had rushed to his sides.
Hermione steadied him from one side.
Daphne supported him from the other.
Several terrible seconds passed before the pain finally began to recede.
Harry remained bent over the toilet, breathing heavily.
“Oh… God…” he groaned once he managed to drag enough air back into his lungs.
Daphne looked alarmed.
“Harry, what’s happening?”
Hermione immediately understood.
“Molly Weasley.”
Daphne blinked.
“What?”
Hermione’s expression hardened.
“This morning she dosed Harry with a loyalty potion keyed to Ron and a love potion keyed to Ginny.”
The Slytherin girl’s eyes widened.
“She did what?”
“My Grim Reaper warned me about Molly,” Daphne replied.
“But nobody mentioned this.”
“The soul bond destroyed the potions.”
Hermione gently rubbed Harry’s back.
“His body is purging the magical effects.”
Realization dawned across Daphne’s face.
Harry finally straightened.
His legs felt unsteady.
Taking several deep breaths, he nodded.
“Hermione’s right.”
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
“John warned me it would happen.”
A grimace crossed his face.
“He neglected to mention how bloody painful it would be.”
Daphne shook her head slowly.
For a moment she seemed genuinely horrified.
Then she squared her shoulders.
“Alright.”
Both Harry and Hermione looked at her.
Daphne pointed directly at Hermione.
“Your turn.”
Hermione blinked.
“My what?”
“Your bond.”
The Gryffindor witch immediately turned pink.
“Daphne!”
“What?” Daphne asked innocently.
“We’ve already established one bond. If we’re doing this properly, we may as well finish the second.”
She crossed her arms.
“Besides, if anyone questions why I kissed Harry and then Hermione kissed Harry, that’s our business.”
Harry couldn’t help smiling.
“Simple and straightforward.”
“Exactly.”
Hermione rolled her eyes but eventually nodded.
“Fine.”
Daphne stepped aside.
Harry instinctively positioned himself so Hermione had a clear path to the toilet if her body reacted the same way his had.
Hermione noticed.
“So thoughtful.”
“I learn quickly.”
That earned him a small smile.
Then she stepped forward.
Unlike before, Harry was prepared.
He wrapped his arms around her.
Hermione lifted her hands to his shoulders.
And kissed him.
The moment their lips met, Harry felt the same warmth he had experienced with Daphne.
Only this time it felt different.
Familiar.
Comforting.
Like coming home.
A deep sense of belonging spread through him.
Nearby, Daphne watched in fascination as silver light once again emerged around them.
The same luminous aura wrapped itself around Harry and Hermione.
Soft.
Ancient.
The glow lingered for several seconds before gradually fading away.
When the kiss ended, Hermione stepped back slightly.
Daphne immediately moved closer again.
Harry found himself with a witch tucked comfortably beneath each arm.
His brain seemed to have temporarily stopped functioning.
“Double wow,” he finally managed.
Both girls laughed.
Hermione rested her head briefly against his shoulder.
“Looks like I successfully avoided Molly’s potions.”
“Good.”
Harry sighed in relief.
“At least one of us was spared that nightmare.”
Reality eventually intruded.
People would start looking for them sooner or later.
Daphne quickly cast a minor glamour over herself, concealing any trace of her earlier tears.
Once satisfied with the result, she returned to her compartment.
Tracey Davis looked up immediately.
“There you are.”
Daphne smiled casually.
“Hermione wants to go over our Ancient Runes and Arithmancy notes.”
Tracey frowned.
“Now?”
“Apparently.”
Daphne retrieved her school robes and gathered a few books from her trunk.
“I’ll see you at Hogsmeade.”
Though clearly confused, Tracey simply shrugged.
“Alright.”
Then she smirked.
“Just don’t end up alone in a compartment with Malfoy.”
Daphne laughed softly.
“I’ll do my best.”
Meanwhile, Harry and Hermione returned to their own compartment.
Ron and Ginny immediately looked up.
“Where’ve you two been?” Ron asked.
Harry exchanged a glance with Hermione.
“We’re joining a few people to work on Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.”
Ron brightened.
“Oh, brilliant.”
Both Harry and Hermione immediately became suspicious.
“I could use some help with my homework too.”
“No.”
Ron blinked.
Hermione hadn’t even hesitated.
“No?” he repeated.
“No.”
Her tone was perfectly calm.
“I’m reviewing Ancient Runes and Arithmancy.”
Ron opened his mouth.
Hermione continued before he could speak.
“If you had homework to do, Ron, you should’ve done it.”
Then she smiled sweetly.
And slid the compartment door shut.
Ron was still staring at it when they walked away.
Once reunited with Daphne in an empty compartment, the first thing they did was cast multiple Notice-Me-Not wards.
The door.
The walls.
The windows.
Everything.
Only after ensuring absolute privacy did they finally relax.
Harry dropped onto one of the seats.
“Alright.”
He exhaled deeply.
“What do we do now?”
Daphne immediately answered.
“We plan.”
The practical response somehow felt very Slytherin.
For the remainder of the journey, the three began organizing everything they knew.
Daphne proved especially useful.
There were numerous details about magical law and noble customs that neither Harry nor Hermione had ever learned.
For example, both Gryffindors were surprised to learn that their newly formed soul bonds would almost certainly trigger notifications through both Ministry and Gringotts detection systems.
Harry frowned.
“So we’re going to receive owls?”
Daphne nodded.
“Most likely.”
“Immediately?”
“Probably when we arrive.”
She began counting on her fingers.
“Hermione and I should each receive two notices.”
Then she pointed at Harry.
“You’ll probably receive four.”
Harry groaned.
“Wonderful.”
“It gets better.”
“By law, bonded couples are entitled to private accommodations.”
Hermione blinked.
“What kind of accommodations?”
“Normally?”
Daphne shrugged.
“A two-bedroom apartment.”
Then she smirked.
“In our case, they’ll need to improvise.”
Harry laughed.
“Three bedrooms?”
“Exactly.”
Hermione visibly relaxed.
“For a second there, I thought you were going to say we’d all be expected to share a room.”
“Oh, eventually that’s expected.”
Hermione nearly choked.
Daphne’s smile widened.
“But not yet.”
The Slytherin witch became more serious.
“The soul bond legally recognizes us as future spouses.”
Harry nodded.
Hermione listened attentively.
“And because ours is a three-person bond, the magical world recognizes it as a three-person marriage.”
Daphne folded her hands neatly.
“Not even the Ministry can overrule that.”
“Because magic itself approved it,” Hermione guessed.
“Exactly.”
Daphne’s eyes sharpened.
“More importantly, interfering with a soul bond is highly illegal.”
Harry immediately thought of Molly Weasley.
“So if someone tries—”
“They’ll regret it.”
Daphne’s voice was ice.
Hermione nodded slowly.
“I don’t think Molly will stop.”
“No.”
Daphne agreed.
“Neither do I.”
Then a cold smile crossed her face.
“But if we catch her attempting to manipulate any of us again…”
Her eyes flashed.
“The law will destroy her.”
The compartment grew quiet.
Eventually Daphne turned toward Harry.
“Now.”
Her expression became serious again.
“Your name comes out of the Goblet.”
Harry nodded.
“It has to.”
“And we’re not allowed to stop whoever enters it.”
“Unfortunately.”
Daphne sighed.
“Then our next priority is the magical oath.”
Hermione immediately focused.
“The wording.”
“Exactly.”
Daphne leaned forward.
“If we’re careless, the oath could backfire.”
Harry nodded.
“John said the same thing.”
The conversation shifted.
“When do we start hunting Horcruxes?” Hermione asked.
Harry didn’t hesitate.
“As soon as possible after the Goblet incident.”
He began mentally reviewing the instructions John had given him.
“The diadem is easy.”
Both girls looked at him.
“It’s hidden in the Room of Requirement.”
Daphne’s eyebrows rose.
“Convenient.”
“Compared to the others, definitely.”
Harry continued.
“The morning after my name comes out of the Goblet, I’m supposed to go straight to Gringotts.”
“For emancipation?” Hermione asked.
“Yes.”
Harry nodded.
“And while I’m there, I’ll inform the goblins about the Horcrux hidden inside the Lestrange vault.”
Daphne looked impressed.
“That should get their attention.”
Harry smirked.
“John seemed very confident it would.”
“And Sirius?” Hermione asked quietly.
Harry’s expression softened.
“I need to arrange a proper lawyer.”
His voice became firm.
“This time Sirius gets a real trial.”
Neither girl argued.
After everything they remembered from the previous timeline, they all knew one thing.
Sirius Black was going home.