act two: little dark age
chapter fifty

Family was one thing that could be broken down but forever remain. But family wasn't always blood, Daphne had learned that over the years as she grew. She learned from her father about his experiences. He was not just family with his - who were terrible. He was family with the people who cared for him. He was family with his friends. Most were long gone now, but he held on to them.

Daphne felt as if that was the case, she was surrounded by family at Hogwarts. The Weasley's were family, in more ways than one. Harry and Hermione were part of her family. They were all that she needed. Her brother, her uncles, and her father would always be there to protect her, but so would they. And they've proved that time and time again.

Daphne found herself sitting in the Hospital Wing with her friends and family surrounding her. Harry sat on the same cot that she was on, reciting the story over and over again as more people asked though he was visibly shaken. Sirius Black had even made an entrance, standing next to his brother as he looked between the two teenagers.

Daphne had barely said a word on the matter, and everyone was waiting for the moment that she would. She simply sat there as they treated her wounds, which she at first refused to get treated, while glaring down at the floor as if that would do anything about the situation. No one but Harry dared to even touch her, every time someone tried she flinched or she glared at them.

It was clear that what had gone down in the graveyard was something huge. They had learned that Harry and Voldemort's wand had connected, which is why he could see and talk to the dead for the brief moment that he had. Harry made a comment about Rosalie there, but he wanted Daphne to discuss the matters of her mother.

Everyone there now knew of Daphne's ability and the fact that she would be hunted for. She wasn't safe until the war was over, and the same for Harry. They were both pawns that Voldemort either wanted alive, or wanted dead. And Daphne would be damned if she let Harry die. The war was going to be finished and Voldemort was going to lose.

But there were still remaining questions in Daphne's brain that couldn't help but linger. She wondered about the past vision she had with the silver-haired woman and the man who looked an awful lot like her dead Uncle. Had that been some sort of sign of what was to come? Was that supposed to be some sort of warning for her?

As she sat beside Harry listening to everyone talk, she found herself going deeper and deeper into a spiral of her own thoughts that raised so many questions in her mind. She didn't understand what quite a few of her visions meant and she needed answers before someone else ended up in the same position as Cedric Diggory.

"I will say it again," said Dumbledore as the phoenix rose into the air and resettled itself upon the perch beside the door. "You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you tonight, Harry."

Something seemed to pull Daphne from her mind as she looked between the adults as she opened her mouth, immediately catching their attention, "Rosalie is a Death Eater," She looked around at her family members, "She tortured me and she didn't care. All she cared about was that he won."

The look that cascaded over Remus' face was one of pure sorrow, "She's truly gone," Remus muttered as he looked at Sirius who gave him a sad look.

But there stood Lucerys', finding out that his wife was beyond saving. The mother of his children was truly gone, she had truly hit rock bottom. He was trying to stay strong and composed but Daphne could see the pain in his eyes, and she offered out her hand for him to take. He seemed to hesitate before slowly grabbing his daughter's hand.

"She's called the banters to war," Daphne looked around at the others as she looked down at Harry's hand on her leg, "She's known all along. She knows too much."

"She's your mother, she was going to know," Sirius tried his best with the situation as he looked at his niece as he winced at her gaze.

"I have no mother," Her words were fueled by fire and filled with venom as her gaze softened, "I only have one parent. That is all I've ever and will ever have."

"I think we best leave them to sleep now, would you like to stay with them?" Dumbledore asked Sirius as he also looked at Remus and Lucerys who all agreed as Sirius turned back into a dog.

It was only when Dumbledore opened the curtains around where the two were in the Hospital Wing that they were met with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well as the twins and Ron and Hermione who were harassing Madam Pompfrey.

"Harry, Daphne! Oh, Harry! My sweet Daphne!" She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them.

"Molly," Dumbledore paused, holding up a hand, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry and Daphne have been through a terrible ordeal tonight. They have just had to relive it for me. What they need now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If they would like you all to stay with them," he added, looking around at Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Bill too, "you may do so. But I do not want you questioning them until they are ready to answer, and certainly not this evening."

"Did you hear? They need quiet!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she looked around at all those in the room.

"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey began, staring at the great black dog that was Sirius, "may I ask what — ?"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry and Daphne for a while," Dumbledore answered simply, "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry, Daphne," Dumbledore went on, "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school."

Dumbledore exited promptly and Daphne rolled her head around causing a few pops to sound from her neck as she looked down at the healing wound on her side before her eyes fell onto the group standing outside of the screen while Harry shooed off Pompfrey each time she tried to move him.

Harry refused to leave the same bed that Daphne was on as she remained sitting. Ron, Hermione, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, and the black dog came around the screen and settled themselves in chairs on either side of the two. Ron and Hermione were looking at them almost cautiously, as though scared of them.

"I'm all right," Harry told them, sharing an uneasy look in Daphne's direction, "Just tired. I'm sure that Daphne feels the same."

Daphne felt something coming on as she paused, rising to her feet very unsteadily as the whispers began to grow louder in her ears.

"Daphne, firefly, you need to sit down," Remus was one of the first to get to her before realizing what was happening, "Everyone be quiet."

Daphne's eyes moved back and forth before she heard what sounded like the voices of McGonagall and Fudge, it appeared to be daylight. She looked around the infirmary to find herself standing alone as she walked around - making her way through the door before she got a sense of cold and she saw the image of Barty Crouch getting the dementors kissed and she paused.

"The dementors kiss," Daphne whispered out as she narrowed her eyes, "I'll be damned," She tensed completely up as she came back out of it, finding herself a few feet from where she had been prior as her name met her ears.

She could still hear Cornelius' voice in her ears telling her that he had not returned, that the teenagers were simply making up preposterous accusations which made her blood boil as she turned back around ignoring the questions thrown at her as she sat back down on her bed, beside Harry who tensed at her movement.

"I'm going to sleep."

And by no means did anyone stop her. She laid down, after Harry moved slightly so he wasn't in her way but still close to her, she fell asleep and stayed asleep. Despite the images that passed through her mind as she kept her eyes closed. No matter what haunted her in her mind. She was asleep, and slowly losing her mind.

And by the time she woke up, her vision had come true. Barty Crouch Jr had been killed by the dementors kiss and Cornelius Fudge had gotten into an argument with both Lucerys Black and Dumbledore over the fact that Voldemort had risen again. McGonagall defended the teenagers against the delusional Minister of Magic.

"Your winnings," Cornelius said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry's bedside table. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances . . ."

He had given up arguing after Snape flashed the Dark Mark on his wrist to the man. Refusing to believe that You-Know-Who had truly returned while Daphne made her way out of her bed without anyone realizing it except the black dog who stayed at her feet. Everyone seemed to be enraged by Cornelius, even the headmaster.

"Minister," Daphne's voice caused everyone to turn to her, and when he did his eyes narrowed, "You may be foolish, and you may be the worst thing that has happened to this fucking wizarding world - but you are playing a game that is not in your grasp. All of this has happened under your nose, undetected, and the fact that a bunch of teenagers can see it and you can't? Your time as Minister is ticking."

Cornelius snarled at the young girl as he walked over to her, "You are insulting a man who runs the law of this Wizarding World. I'll have you know the serious trouble that you could be in Miss Black. Insinuating against your mother - do you not remember your own names legacy?"

"And do you not remember the face of a coward you see in the mirror every fucking morning?" Daphne retorted in an instant as she stood tall against the Minister, "I have endured more pain in my fourteen years of life than you have in a single miserable day of your own. At least I know when to admit I am wrong or at fault, at least I fucking know how to get something fixed. All these deaths? Are on you."

"Daphne," Hermione gasped as she listened to her friend's words as she looked shocked, "That's the minister."

"I wouldn't have been in that maze if it wasn't for Crouch. Crouch Sr wouldn't be dead if it wasn't for his son. You let him slip out of Azkaban and kept your fucking mouth shut," Daphne pointed a finger at the man, "Fucking coward of a Minister. Go ahead, do something to me. Turn one more part of the Wizarding World against you. I dare you."

At the challenge, he was gone. He left in a hurry of rage while everyone's jaws were on the floor at the girl's words as she stood looking as if nothing had just happened. As if she had not just threatened a man with much more authority than she had. As if she had not just played a game with her future. But then again, that was what she was best at.

It wasn't a moment later that everyone was given certain tasks to do and Molly Weasley found herself face to face with Sirius Black who loomed right behind his niece. Everyone resumes their titles as Order members as well as anti-Voldemort. The Order was being reformed and re-alerted while Harry Potter tried to figure out what to do with Cedric's gold.

Daphne ended up giving him the bright idea to pass it to the twins for the joke shop, and he did. Plans were made to protect both teenagers as they attended the funeral of Cedric Diggory that the school had held before each and every student would be sent off. Daphne barely said a word to anyone, including her friends. Simply staying close to them as Harry held her hand.

Something dark was coming and coming quickly, almost like it knew they were waiting for something else to happen. But Daphne wasn't sure when or how it would hit, so much had already happened what truly could happen next? She knew that was a question that could easily spin against her.

"You'll write to me, right?" Harry looked down at the girl whose head was leaned against the leg of his that hadn't been hurt merely a few nights prior, "You usually do."

Daphne managed the ghost of a smile as her eyes glanced up at the boy, "You don't need to worry about me not writing back, I'd say that's more of an issue with Ron."

"Hey!" The boy in question couldn't help but exclaim as he looked over at the two, "Mental. You're mental."

"Thanks for the fact, Ronnie," She teased before settling herself back into her spot as she fiddled with her fingers, more specifically her ring.

The summer would be long and painful, Daphne knew that. And she did not have a good feeling about what was to come. The train ride wasn't enough time for her to see her friends - until they'd meet again. She was worried of what would happen in that time. Who else would die? Who else would get hurt?

But she knew she'd see them again. They always came back to one another no matter what, even if it was a month before term. Something always drew them back in.

And over the summer, Lucerys did everything he could to protect his daughter, as did her two Uncle's. They were all relocating completely into 12 Grimmuald Place but first, Lucerys and Daphne had to go retrieve a few things that they had left behind when they left in the first place and make sure that they did not run into the horrid woman herself.

"You know that we need to be careful," Lucerys looked at his daughter with a soft look, "You can't keep shooting out your quick-witted comments the moment someone attacks us, right?"

Daphne let out a small laugh as she looked at her father, "The moment someone attacks us? Are you really worried that when it comes down to it I'm going to say something - I will and rightfully so."

Despite everything that had happened, Daphne had become more and more open in a way. It was almost as if any filter that she had disappeared after the tournament. She had become a very flat out person, who strived to make jokes in random situations even if they were not needed.

"I'd like to think that it is very good to be prepared, don't you?" Lucerys questioned as he ruffled his daughter's hair as he smiled at her, "Best to know what to do and how not to get yourself killed. I'm surprised that Fudge did not - you were brilliant. But don't take that as parenting advice," He gave her a pointed look.

Daphne managed a small smirk as she looked at her father as they slowly opened the door, "Parenting advice? Are you insinuating that you should scold me?" She feigned a pout while stepping through, "I think that you should be proud that I held my own for once. No more crying and what? More crying."

Lucerys let out a small chuckle as he looked at his daughter while shaking his head before he responded, "My sweet girl, I think you've been around your Uncle's too much."

"I get it from you," She pointed a finger at her father as her eyes glistened with what was the remnants of happiness.

Daphne entered her former home to retrieve some more of her belongings alongside her father once they made sure that there was no sign of her mother. Daphne slowly crept up the stairs to grab a few things before she heard quite a bit of ruckus from the floor below her which caused her to look around before slowly moving to hide behind her door.

It felt odd being in the home again, she wasn't going to lie. It had been so long since she had been in there and now here she stood. Part of her could relive the memories in the moment, but right now she couldn't help but be on high alert. Especially because the footsteps she heard did not sound anything like her father's.

"Daddy?" Daphne whispered really quiet as she pressed her back firmly against the wall behind her door before covering her mouth when she heard someone pause in front of the door and she heard someone's wand hit the floor, no... no.

The way the floorboards creaked and then the sound of struggling from the floor below told her something was very wrong. They were not in the clear to come in the home when they did. She felt the floorboards move from under her feet and she found herself clutching her face tighter trying to remain as quiet as possible.

Daphne had not seen this coming and she felt as if she should. The door swung open and her eyes widened as she was met to face Lucius Malfoy whose wand was pointed right at her as he grabbed a fist full of her hair while his wand pressed into her throat, there was nothing she could do in that moment that would save her.

"Come," Lucius' voice was strong as was his grip on her as he dragged her down the stairs where her father was disarmed on the floor with two Death Eaters on either side of him as Rosalie forced something into his mouth, "Watch."

"Let go of her," Lucerys spit the liquid out as he fought against the grip of the Death Eaters that held him against the couch as their wands dug into him.

"Fuck you!" Daphne yelled as she managed to grab ahold of Lucius' wand and get out of his grasp before Rosalie turned and grabbed ahold of her, "Rosalie."

"Daphne," The woman held a fake smile as she forced the younger girl to look at her father, "You better not waste the time you have left, watch him die now, or watch slowly..."

"I'm going to kill you," Daphne jabbed Rosalie with Lucius' wand who in return yanked Daphne back which caused Lucerys to try and get up.

Daphne's eyes widened as a flash of green light went in her direction before she was forced behind someone, "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

It was the woman from her vision, and the man. They were here? But they were supposed to be dead... Daphne's head was spinning at nine hundred miles per hour and she truly couldn't keep up. Before Dapne had any time to react spells of various colors were flying through the air before the house fell empty, except for the remaining four.

"Daddy," Daphne ran over to her father from behind the woman as she used her sleeve to wipe off whatever was on his mouth, "I didn't see any of this coming - I'm so sorry. I should've seen it or had some sort of feeling - but I didn't."

Lucerys had a certain look in his eyes that made Daphne worry as he placed a hand on either side of her face to calm her down, "Seers can only see what they are shown, Daphne. You can't dwell on any of this."

But then his eyes shifted from her as he looked at the two people behind him, causing Daphne to turn and look as well as Lucerys rose to his feet with his daughter at his side.

"Hello, brother." 

But just know, if you hide? It doesn't go away.