A Familiar Bond: Chapter 18 (Patreon)

Harry was aware that Daphne was awake by the time he woke up. He was spooning her from behind with their bodies flush against each other, and he had his face buried in her lustrous blonde hair. He inhaled her flowery scent and pulled her closer.

Daphne rested her hands on his that were holding her by the belly, drawing lines over his skin with soft, featherlight touches.

They lay quietly for a few minutes, savoring this feeling of intimacy when Daphne spoke softly, “That was all I’d dreamed, and even more. It was wonderful.”

Harry’s response was to reach up, caressing her bare skin and cup her breasts, gently brushing his thumbs over her nipples. Daphne sighed in pleasure.

He felt invigorated this early in the morning, and he knew he was ready to go for another after the three rounds they’d had the previous night. However, he knew Daphne was new to this and it was not okay to rush her. She needed to get used to this side of their relationship before they took it up a notch.

“We can share our thoughts and feelings through the mind-link we now share, but I still prefer to express our feelings normally. I want you to know that,” Harry said, squeezing her breasts.

“Last night still feels like a dream I never thought I’d be able to fulfill,” she replied. “When you were kissing me, I knew there was something different about it… different from the kisses we shared previously. When you undressed me, I felt my heart beat faster than it’s ever beat before. When you touched my breasts for the first time… you have no idea how much moisture I felt pooling inside me. It was so embarrassing to finally go naked in front of you, and to see you in all your glory, but it was also so exciting. I never wanted to stop, but when you kissed my breasts… when you sucked my nipples… I knew I wanted you to keep doing that to me till the end of my days.”

Harry listened to her describing all her feelings with mounting arousal. His hands were kneading her breasts more firmly than before. He knew he should control himself, but this woman was making things too hard.

Daphne continued, enjoying the way he was making her feel.

“When your… manhood touched me for the first time… when it went inside me for the first time… I could feel every bit of it. It felt slightly uncomfortable at first, but then as I got slightly used to it, it felt as if it grew bigger inside me. And when you started moving… I knew I had found a husband penis. Not one you enjoy for a few times and then move on, but one you would love to be attached to for life. It was so wonderful, and all thoughts left my mind. All I wanted in that moment was to climax. Until last night, all I had was the use of my fingers… But after you were inside me, I could think of nothing else. I’m sorry if it sounds selfish, but I didn’t even care if you came. All I wanted was to scratch that itch I had inside me… and it was surreal. I can’t even put into words how it felt. Surreal is the best I can do.”

Harry’s fingers had traveled downward while she was speaking and he was now teasing her vulva. Two of his fingers parted her lower lips before he slid one inside, making her moan in approval. His other hand was still caressing her breast.

In only a night, he had memorized all her weak points. He felt Daphne jerk slightly in his arms as he brushed over the hood of her clit before he lifted it and rubbed the sensitive bundle of nerves over her pussy.

“Mmm… yeah…” she moaned sensually.

His body was flush against her ass and his manhood was rock hard after hearing it all and feeling her lovely body against his. His pelvis pushed into her rear as his prick searched for an opening.

Daphne shifted against him and allowed him to find her. Hiking her leg up a bit, he slowly slid inside her from behind, penetrating her while his finger continued to work her lips around his erection.

“Ah yes…” Daphne’s voice was a breathless whisper and Harry began to slowly move in and out of her. He pulled back until more than half of his length was out of her pussy before he slammed back inside, making her moan. His fingers worked her up, gently rubbing her clit while his other hand squeezed her breast from behind.

Daphne lifted her leg and folded it, resting her feet on the bed to give him better access, and Harry took full advantage of the room she provided him. He began to torque his waist slightly, and Daphne responded by gyrating her hips on his length, thrusting back against him to take as much of him inside her as she could.

Shaking her head to push her hair off her face, Daphne turned her face around and kissed him. Harry returned her kiss with equal enthusiasm, pushing his tongue inside her mouth and sucking on her lower lip.

“I want to try being on top,” she whispered after a few minutes of intense lovemaking.

Harry nodded and lay down on his back. Daphne wasted no time in straddling him and Harry stared up at her as she reached behind and grabbed hold of his manhood.

“Whenever you’re ready,” he said as she rubbed the head all over her pussy lips. Daphne smiled and lined him up against her before she slowly lowered herself on his length, sliding it inside her in one go.

“Ahh yesss… you feel so good, my love…”

It was not smooth, and her movements were those of an inexperienced woman, and it was perfectly fine. He knew she would get the hang of it in no time.

And as expected, Daphne did get the hang of it in no time. She had a little trouble in the beginning as his prick slid out of her pussy a few times and she had to repeat it, but she quickly understood how much she needed to move.

Harry reached for her breasts and cupped them as Daphne started to move much more confidently on top of him. His fingers teased her nipples as his penis slid in and out of her. Daphne had her head thrown back in pleasure as she raised her hips on his erection and dropped repeatedly. All the while, Harry kept playing with her tits.

Finally, she looked down at him with her eyes glazed over as her arousal skyrocketed and Harry grabbed her hands. Her fingers intertwined with his and he pulled his hands so that she could lean over him.

“I’m close, so I’ll start moving now,” he said throatily. Daphne simply gave him a nod and closed her eyes as she leaned over, resting her body over his. He relished the feel of her breasts squished against his chest and felt her clamp her lips on his shoulder, kissing him.

Harry took her hands with his and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her bound over his body by her arms. Daphne grunted but did not pull away. Planting his feet on the bed, Harry folded his knees and started to furiously slam inside her.

Daphne buried his face even further into his shoulder as she tried her best to keep herself under control. Her gasps near his ears were like music to his ears and Harry suddenly felt her go limp over him. He released his hold on her arms and clutched her body to his, shooting the first shot of his load deep inside her.

He gently pulled her by the back of her neck to make her look at him and he stared into her face contorted in orgasmic ecstasy as they both climaxed at the same time.

Breathing heavily, they stared, transfixed, at each other as they rode their respective orgasms. Daphne, exhausted, dropped her face into the crook of his neck as Harry breathed heavily. Their skin was sweaty and he could feel all of it, and it was perhaps the best workout he could possibly have.

They remained silent for a while, bringing their breathing under control. Finally, Daphne broke the silence as she pulled away to look at him with a smirk.

“We both stink. Any chance we could have a bath in here?”

Harry stared at her before he chuckled.

“I’d be a fucking moron to say no to that.”

XXXXX

The jolly atmosphere between them did not last though.

They had woken up quite late, and it was already evening when Daphne decided to broach the subject.

“Harry… about your relatives…”

Harry grimaced.

“I don’t like to talk about them.”

Daphne scooted closer and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s in the past.”

Daphne frowned. She knew the way they had treated him had left a mark on him. His reluctance to associate with anyone when he arrived at Hogwarts, his aversion to touch when she had first met him, and his indifferent attitude. She used to wonder why he was like that. He had not grown up in the pureblood circles which forced many to build a wall around themselves, and yet he had more walls than anyone else.

She had never seen him even crack a smile before Valerie came into his life, and it seemed a curtain had been lifted off him. That had been the primary reason why she had backed off. She had seen how happy he finally was, and there was no way she could snatch that from him.

At his core, he was someone who wanted to be understood and appreciated for who he was. Watching his memories had been the final puzzle in the jigsaw she had been trying to solve ever since her interest had been roused in him.

Daphne wanted him to always be happy, and she hated to bring those wretched human beings up like this, but she loved him too much to just let it go. Just like that.

It was something impossible for her.

Furthermore, she knew Harry was still carrying the remnants of the mental scars he had suffered in his childhood. He had left those people behind, but it was not as easy to forget it all as it was to blow their house up.

She wanted to be there for Harry, to support him however she could. She had seen him and Valerie comfort each other over their shared trauma, and even though she did not have such trauma of her own, she wanted to share his.

They were married in the eyes of magic, and that meant they were bound for life. He was her other half, just as she was his. His emotional scars were hers to shoulder with him.

However, she realized it was not the right approach to bombard him with questions or force him to talk about it. She was fairly certain that was what he and Valerie had also done with each other.

The door to the Room of Requirement swung open and they looked over to see a familiar brunette come in with a smile. She shut the door behind her and came closer.

Before the woman could say anything, Daphne shut her up with a bone-crushing hug, making the woman grunt.

“I saw it all,” the blonde whispered, squeezing Valerie whose eyes widened fractionally before she sighed and hugged Daphne back. “I can’t believe how your family could do something so vile to you.”

“Shh…” Valerie smiled as she pulled back and looked at Daphne. “It’s all in the past. I’ve long put it all behind me.”

“That’s not it though,” Daphne replied firmly as she looked at both Harry and Valerie. “Both of you are victims! There’s no way those assholes are getting away scot-free.”

For the first time since that night, Valerie was treated to the sight of a livid Daphne right in front of her. She looked at Harry who was looking straight ahead.

“Daph…” He tried.

“No, you don’t get to talk me out of it,” Daphne replied with a glare. “Those Death Eaters and their master will go down in time. However, those animals who put you – an innocent child – through so much misery… I won’t forgive them.”

“I told you, remember?” Valerie asked Harry with a mirthless chuckle. “You were only postponing the inevitable. And truth be told, I’m with her on this.”

Daphne stared as Valerie took her hand in his and looked straight at Harry.

“You don’t get to decide this time, Harry. You asked me to not do anything right now, and against my wishes, I caved in to your wishes and relented. But not anymore. A payback is long overdue. You don’t have to do anything. And you don’t need to think about it either. Between the two of us, we will take care of it. Those lowlives will pay for what they did to you.”

Daphne wiped the single track of tear that had slid out of her eye and nodded firmly as she led Valerie over to the couch. They sat on either side of Harry and leaned against him.

“I still feel you don’t need to do anything to them. I already destroyed everything in that house. Must’ve cost Vernon a lot to fix it all.”

“Money doesn’t matter, Harry,” Valerie said firmly. “It’s about what you suffered. You can’t convince us, Harry. They will get what they deserve.”

Harry sighed in defeat. He had put that past behind him a long time ago, but if these two were so insistent on revenge, there was nothing he could do about it. A part of him could not help but feel slightly sorry for what the Dursleys will be getting though. Both Val and Daph were very capable and ruthless witches, and he could only imagine what… or rather how much the Dursleys were going to suffer.

“What exactly will you two do to them?” He still tried.

“Well, I’d love to kill them off for what they did to you,” Daphne replied, and Harry didn’t know whether she was joking or not.

“Not before we torture them to insanity. I did it that one time but it was not exactly me. I got a pet project related to the subject too.”

“The one about you curing insanity from Cruciatus, right?” Daphne asked inquisitively, recalling the information from Valerie’s memories.

The brunette nodded.

“Well…” Daphne mused. “They could make test subjects, if nothing else.”

“Good idea,” Valerie nodded with a thoughtful look on her face. “At least that way they’d be useful for something.”

Harry simply stared straight ahead as they talked, face to face while leaning on his chest, and he reiterated his previous thought to himself.

He had no idea whether they were joking or not. Knowing them as intimately as he did, he’d put nothing past them.

“Can we move on from the topics of torture and killing now?” Harry asked with a sigh.

“What? But you were the one to ask,” Daphne replied quickly.

“And now I regret asking,” Harry replied.

“Okay then. We’ll discuss our plan later,” Valerie replied, looking at Daphne who nodded. The brunette smirked before asking, “So then… how was it? Your first time?”

Daphne blushed but there was no mistaking the look of absolute bliss on her face.

“Better than I could’ve ever imagined,” she replied.

“Told you, didn’t I?” Valerie grinned. “That’s a husband dick right there.”

Harry grunted as she cupped his crotch and gave a soft squeeze.

“I agree completely,” Daphne grinned. Her face adopted a look of absolute satisfaction. “Merlin, I never knew I could feel like that.”

“That’s what I thought after we fucked for the first time, and ever since then, I do my best to enjoy it as much as I can, not that it’s hard. Our man can fuck,” Valerie grinned back.

Daphne chuckled as she rested her hand right beside Valerie’s, holding his length over his pants while Valerie had hers over his balls.

“That he can,” she replied.

“You know I’m right here, right?” Harry asked in a deadpan voice.

“Quit acting as if this isn’t an ego boost,” Daphne replied immediately, and Harry shut up.

“He’s only acting,” Valerie replied, grinning.

Harry was exerting the full force of his willpower to not succumb to their ministrations, successfully keeping his arousal under control. No matter how easy it was to give in, there was somewhere they had to be.

The two women pulled their hands away with similar pouts on their faces.

XXXXX

“Harry! Come in, dear boy,” Horace Slughorn beamed as he allowed his favorite student in. “Miss Swann, Miss Greengrass, you two as well.”

The threesome smiled at the exuberant Potions professor and walked inside the office.

“Take a seat, you three,” Slughorn smiled before he walked over to the cabinet behind his table.

It was after dinner and curfew would begin in about an hour. Harry and his two girlfriends and unbeknownst to anyone but a select few, his wives in the eyes of magic had discussed this after their little teasing session in the Room of Requirement.

It had been over two months since they had come back to Hogwarts and set their little plan into motion, and it was safe to say that it was progressing nicely, albeit at a slower pace than they would have preferred. Slughorn had nothing but words of praise for him, and if the glowing looks he kept sending him were anything to go by, he knew he was progressing at a personal level too.

However, they needed to accelerate their plans. Voldemort was at large, and there was no telling when he might come back. It was prudent to extract the knowledge about the Horcruxes as soon as possible. There was still the task of finding those vile objects and Dumbledore had assured him that he was gathering evidence to see if he could find out something. So far, it had proved unfruitful.

“A glass of Qaisir Mousseux for three of the most remarkable students, not only in your year, but in the entirety of Hogwarts. It’s a 1822 vintage from the south of France.”

They smiled at the man, brushing aside his gushing over the wine, and clanked their glasses together.

“To a fruitful future,” Harry toasted, making the old wizard beam.

They took a sip and Harry had to admit that it was truly a delicacy.

“Must’ve been quite a benefactor to gift you that bottle, Horace,” Harry commented, making Slughorn chuckle.

“It is you I have to thank for it, my boy. After all, had it not been for your words of praise, I wouldn’t have gotten into touch with Monsieur Delacour.”

“It’s from him, hmm? Things worked out the way you hoped?”

Slughorn’s grin was not normal. It was an outright expression of utter delight.

“My boy, my boy… You have no idea what you’ve done!”

Curious, Harry stared at the man who seemed to be bouncing in his seat, barely able to contain his excitement. Beside him, the two young women sat with poise, a small smile affixed on each of their lips.

“Come on, Horace. Surely I didn’t do something so big that you’re acting like this?”

Slughorn shook his head with a beaming smile.

“We had a meeting, Delacour and I,” the man began breathlessly. “Merlin Harry, the man was so impressed that he has offered me the position of the Head Overseer of his business here in Britain.”

Harry’s eyes widened.

“You mean…”

Slughorn nodded, beaming.

“He’s branching out, expanding the operations, and he wants me to be the one to manage the operations. I tried to explain how an old man should be the last choice, but he was so insistent I couldn’t say no.”

Harry felt a barely audible snort from his left and he glanced to see Val hiding her mirth behind her glass of wine.

“You have to take it, Horace,” Harry encouraged. “And it’s the least you deserve.”

“I did end up saying yes to the offer. The set-up will commence next year, so it gives me enough time to sort out my affairs here at Hogwarts. Albus did say he wanted me for a year. Don’t you worry though, lad. I’ll make sure to recommend someone capable as my replacement.”

“I’m afraid those would be quite massive shoes to fill, definitely not an easy task,” Harry replied.

Slughorn waved his hand dismissively as he beamed at him.

“You, my boy, have turned my life on its head, and I have no idea how I can ever repay you. I could’ve never imagined I’d ever run an entire business arm of a conglomerate before. If you’d not recommended me to Miss Delacour on that night and followed up on it several times after that, I don’t think Monsieur Delacour would’ve even considered me.”

Harry frowned.

“I think you are doing a disservice to yourself here, Horace,” he said, taking the man by surprise. “All I did was introduce you to Fleur and speak nothing but the truth. Everything you have achieved has been because of your own talents and abilities. I could’ve done nothing if you were not the best potion master I’d ever seen, and Monsieur Delacour gave you this responsibility because of your ability, not because I asked him to.”

Slughorn stared at him with slightly misty eyes, a beaming smile on his face. He looked away, presumably to blink back tears before he looked at Harry once again.

“You truly are your mother reincarnate,” he said softly, taking everyone by surprise. Slughorn smiled. “I see so much of her in you that it’s scary. It’s almost as if she somehow lives inside you and you somehow channel her on occasion.”

Harry simply smiled, not knowing how to respond to that.

“She must have been a remarkable woman,” Daphne said with a small smile. Slughorn looked at her and nodded.

“One of the best I’ve had the pleasure to meet. She was the granddaughter I never had,” his voice dipped slightly, a shadow crossing his face. “It’s a shame what happened. Not a day passes when I don’t blame myself for it.”

Slughorn’s eyes widened as his whisper trailed off, and Harry understood exactly what the man was thinking. He felt both Daphne and Valerie grab each of his thighs firmly.

“What do you mean, Horace?” Harry asked slowly, staring at the wide-eyed wizard who was staring at the table. “What do you mean you blame yourself for her death?”

Slughorn remained silent as he kept staring at the table, his eyes unseeing. A dark veil had enveloped his vision and his heartbeat rose with every passing second.

“Horace?” Harry probed once again. “What do you mean you blame yourself?”

Slughorn barely registered his voice. The ringing in his ears was growing by every second, and involuntarily, he felt his mouth start to move.

“He was a charming young lad. My favorite student of the time. I have no shame in admitting that I treated him as the son I never had,” Slughorn began in a monotone, yet the ringing in his ears grew louder with every second in direct proportion to his heartbeat. “He was always curious. One day, he asked me about Horcruxes, purely from an academic point of view. As an instructor, I tried to satisfy his curiosities and yet dissuade him from the notion of further looking into it…”

Slughorn was speaking in a whisper and Harry was eagerly leaning forward. Beside him, Daphne and Valerie were also leaning forward, ears peeled for any information that could be useful.

Harry did not ask any questions. He simply listened. Slughorn too kept speaking, never pausing even though his breathing became ragged.

“He was very curious that night… I should’ve seen something was amiss… The boy was talking about murder like it was eating or drinking… and I told him…” Slughorn gasped. “I told him how splitting your soul even once was bad… that one remorseless act of such vileness was unfathomable… let alone—”

Suddenly, Slughorn gasped out loud and toppled over, shaking uncontrollably.

“Horace!” Harry shouted and stood up. Daphne, who was the closest to the side the professor had tumbled over to, quickly rushed toward him and dropped to the floor, pulling the old man’s head in her lap. She quickly started casting cooling charms over him.

“He’s burning up!” She cried out.

“I told him… even once was bad…” Slughorn gasped again, breathing heavily. Harry banished the chairs and the table to the side and opened the windows. He waved his wand, flooding the room with cool air as Valerie fiddled with the potions cabinet.

“Daphne!” The brunette called out, throwing a vial toward the blonde. Daphne easily caught it. Harry recognized the words ‘Calming Draught’ written on it.

“He’s having a panic attack,” Daphne said as she slowly poured the contents of the vial inside Slughorn’s mouth. To their dismay, nothing happened. The old man kept muttering about what he told him.

“I told him… even once was bad…”

Harry stood helplessly, staring at the man while controlling the cold air, making sure it didn’t get too cold or fast. Slughorn was sweating profusely and he had already pulled a few buttons near his neck open.

“… but he asked… he asked if it could be done seven times…” Slughorn coughed harshly. Harry’s eyes widened in shock and he looked at Daphne who was staring at him with wide eyes. Valerie was still fiddling with the potions cabinet a little ways away from them, so she had heard nothing.

“… I tried to tell him… that it was wrong… I hoped it was only his curiosity…” the man trailed off with another violent cough.

“Shh… Horace,” Harry whispered, leaning in front of the man and getting on his knees. His hands grabbed the old, wrinkly ones and he squeezed in reassurance. “It’s okay… it’s not your fault…”

Slowly, Slughorn’s face turned to look at him. His eyes were full of tears and his face was scrunched up in gut-wrenching sorrow.

“You never knew his true colors. You never knew what he would do. Even if you had not told him, he would’ve done it regardless. Whatever he did… those sins belong to him. You have nothing to blame yourself for.”

Tears flowed down Slughorn’s eyes as he stared into those emerald orbs… as vibrant and as bright as Lily’s.

“I… I…”

“Shh… Horace,” Harry whispered with a soft smile. “You have nothing to apologize for… and I’m sure my mother would’ve said the same if she was here right now.”

“Lily…” Slughorn whispered. “I’m so sorry… He became so dangerous… undying… because of what I told him.”

Valerie rushed over with another vial and Daphne quickly took it from her. She poured the contents in the old man’s mouth and they watched as his eyes closed slowly and his breathing evened out.

Finally, when they were sure that Slughorn was properly sedated and breathing properly, they allowed themselves a sigh of relief.

“Merlin…” Valerie sighed. “Who would’ve thought he’d suddenly get like that…”

Frowning, Harry looked at Daphne who bit her lower lip and looked down at the old man with his eyes closed and the final vestiges of tears sliding down his wrinkled old cheeks.

“We should take him to the Hospital Wing. It’s not safe to leave him alone at night,” the blonde said softly. Harry nodded and levitated the man in front of him.

“Let’s go,” he said with a sigh and began walking ahead, leaving the two young women to follow behind him. They shut the door to the office once they were out and began walking through the corridor at a sedate pace.

They arrived near the infirmary within five minutes and Madam Pomfrey stood up in alarm when she looked over at the entrance.

“Merlin! What happened!?” She exclaimed, rushing over to a bed. Harry walked over and gently deposited the man on it. Turning around, he gestured for Daphne and Valerie to take charge of the explanation. They nodded and went over to Madam Pomfrey who had begun casting diagnostic charms over Slughorn.

“Expecto Patronum,” Harry whispered. His faithful patronus materialized in front of him, and he instructed it to ask Dumbledore to quickly come to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, Daphne and Valerie explained what had happened to Slughorn while Madam Pomfrey listened gravely. She nodded in approval when they told him how they had given him a few calming draughts and a dreamless sleep potion.

“Good, you two,” Madam Pomfrey nodded. “Nothing seems wrong with him. A good night of sleep should fix him. It is as you said… the memories triggered a panic attack. You two thought on your feet and dealt with the situation in the best way possible.”

Daphne and Valerie exchanged a look with each other before they nodded toward Madam Pomfrey. Barely a second later, there was a bright flash of orange as Dumbledore arrived in a swish of Phoenix fire. The magnificent red-and-gold creature perched on top of the aged wizard’s shoulder and trilled softly.

“What happened to Horace, Harry?”

Harry sighed and recounted how they had been invited by the man and how they were having a good time when suddenly the professor started talking about his mother. Dumbledore frowned when Harry explained how Slughorn had a panic attack, but his eyes gleamed in triumph when Harry told him about Slughorn’s constant apologies and why he held himself responsible.

Off to the side, Madam Pomfrey listened in with a frown as she stared sadly at the old man who still had not fully gotten over the death of his favorite pupil. She did not know what Potter and the headmaster were talking about, or rather, who, and she did not dwell much on it either.

“Headmaster, Horace is under my care now. If there is nothing else, I would ask you all to make your way out now.”

“My apologies, Poppy,” Dumbledore gave a smile and nodded before he turned toward Harry and his two companions. His eyes twinkled slightly at the sight of the Greengrass heiress standing beside Valerie. “We should take this to my office, Harry. Please hold on to my arm. Fawkes will take care of the rest.”

Harry put his hand on Dumbledore’s arm. Daphne and Valerie mirrored his actions, and they vanished in a bright flash of phoenix fire, arriving right in the middle of Dumbledore’s office.

“Take a seat, you three,” Dumbledore instructed as he briskly walked forward and around the table to take his seat. They sat down once the headmaster had and looked at him. Dumbledore glanced at Daphne for a moment.

“Daphne and I did the same ritual Val and I did, professor,” Harry said before Dumbledore could ask. The headmaster looked at them and nodded with a small smile.

“It’s done. I just wish it didn’t happen like that,” Harry said with a sigh. Dumbledore nodded with a small smile.

“An emotional confession was unavoidable, Harry. No matter what you did. I understand this was a bit more extreme than you would have thought, but there is nothing we can do about it now.”

“I guess…” Harry sighed. Dumbledore gave the young man a proud smile.

“You have truly surpassed my expectations, Harry,” the old headmaster praised. “I expected you to take much more time. How many are there?”

“He planned on seven,” Harry replied with a small frown. “The diary, the locket, the diadem, and the one in my scar. That’s four done.”

Dumbledore nodded.

“Over the past few weeks, I have been gathering memories from people who knew or might have seen Tom Riddle during his youth,” he started, gaining their undivided attention. “I have collected several memories, and it is my belief that these memories could contain a clue regarding the remaining Horcruxes and where they might be.”

There was no mistaking the looks of excitement on their faces.

“I shall be examining these memories. In the meantime, Harry, you focus on the tournament. The first task is only a few days away. You have done a more than admirable job so far. Leave a few things up to me now.”

Harry nodded toward the old wizard and stood up. Daphne and Valerie followed suit.

“Goodnight, headmaster,” they chorused together.

Dumbledore nodded and watched as they turned around and walked out of his office. His hands came up to stroke his beard as he smiled.

“Ever since you arrived at Hogwarts, there has been progress. The prophecy truly had some value, it seems.”

Smiling, Dumbledore stood up and walked over to retire for the night. Things were looking up for the better.

XXXXX

To be continued…