Sorry for the long delay – I've had my bachelor's thesis to write and defend. Other than that, I found out like three months ago that my wife is pregnant. YAY! So, yeah, life's been pretty crazy in these past few months, but I should be able to return to my normal writing schedule in a few weeks, once I establish myself at work and (hopefully) get out of the writer's block... Thank you for your patience.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 35

Harry watched as the large black dog sprinted through the tall grass around the Greengrass Manor, occasionally lifting its head. A quick look around and a few sniffs later, it resumed its frantic, seemingly pointless running. Seeing Sirius like that stopped being funny at least half an hour earlier, but the sight still managed to bring a smile to his lips.

"Remind me, what is your father doing?" he asked, turning toward Daphne. It felt odd to walk around with his wand drawn. No teacher was suddenly going to tell him to put it away, no Muggle was going to see it, and no Ministry Owl was going to arrive for acts of underage magic. At least, that's what Cyrus has promised.

"To place the 'Fidelius' Charm, he first has to erase the previous runes," Daphne replied, staring at some random point far in the distance. "The people you've seen in that graveyard were keyed into our wards – they could easily enter our home if they wanted to. Or if they received such an order," she added as an afterthought. "My father started working on it even before Lupin and Black came to us," Daphne continued after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I think your memory served as a final nail to the coffin."

Harry managed only to nod, shuddering slightly upon imagining thirty hooded people suddenly invading the calmness of the Greengrass Manor.

"Does your father expect us to defend your home if they come?" Harry asked, increasing the strength of his grip on his wand.

"Why not?" Daphne replied with a question, shrugging her shoulders. "You're the Triwizard Champion after all, and what he had seen in your memory certainly gave him some understanding of your abilities. And I'm pretty confident about my skills as well."

Harry stared at Daphne as if she suddenly grew a second head; a riposte was already at the tip of his tongue. But her body was saying something completely different than her mouth. Her lips were pursed, her back perfectly straight as always, but with a noticeable tension in her muscles. Her skin was slightly paler than usual, and the knuckles of her hand with which she was gripping her wand turned ghostly white.

She was as scared as he was, but she was trying to hide it.

Harry slapped himself mentally. Two weeks earlier, he was terrified as well, when the dots started connecting in his mind. His fear made it impossible for Cedric to understand why they were in danger. His Schoolmate paid for Harry's fear with his life.

And in that moment, the circumstances were much different than when he was in the graveyard. What remained of his true family was with him in the Greengrass Manor, as well as his closest friend. The only person that he could turn to in the last year, and her family. If not for his own, then for all those peoples' sake, he couldn't allow fear to cloud his judgment again. He shook his head after seeing a mental image of Sirius, Remus, Daphne, and her family falling to the ground, hit by the same green light that killed Cedric.

Never again, he vowed to himself, clenching his fists.

"Okay," he sighed, trying to force his newfound resolve into his voice. "So," he continued after another moment of awkward silence. "That House Elf of yours-"

"Tipsy," Daphne supplied.

"Yes. Hermione might have done some… odd things in the past year, but she has a point in that whole S.P.E.W. thing," Harry continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "And I saw how they are treated. They're nothing more than…" Than me at the Dursleys, he bit his tongue before he could say that. "Slaves. And in the Muggle World, slavery was abolished long ago."

If Daphne noticed his hesitation, she didn't show it. Instead, she simply watched him as he continued explaining. "I am aware of all of this. However, despite what you or Granger might think, the relationship between the House Elves and Magical Families isn't based on the concept of slavery. Has Granger made any effort to understand the basics of that relationship?"

"I think so," Harry replied hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, I haven't been talking to her that much these past few months, which you know, but she always does her research."

"That's not an answer to my question, Potter," Daphne countered immediately. "And, based on the things she's been trying to spread, I can tell you that she hasn't made any effort to understand the concept of the relationship between the House Elves and Wizards. Not that anyone can blame her, though. Some things can't be learned from books, no matter how deep one may dig."

"Then what is it? How would you explain it?"

Daphne cocked her head to the side, staring at some random point far in the distance. "In some ways, the relationship between House Elves and Wizards resembles marriage. It's a form of agreement between two sides, and each of them understands their responsibilities. And, just like in marriage, both sides benefit from this arrangement."

"That's not what I've seen," Harry countered, shaking his head. "I saw how the Malfoys treated Dobby. It's a miracle he's even still alive. And he certainly was glad to be freed from them."

"As I've said, just like marriage," Daphne replied easily. "The concept itself is good, but there are husbands or wives who abuse that relationship. And yet, you don't see anyone trying to organize a protest against marriage."

"Still, the House Elves are being used for things Wizards could easily do themselves," Harry countered again. "And even your family uses Tipsy like that. How does that make you any different from the Malfoys?"

Daphne glared at Harry as if he slapped her in the face. "I'm not going to curse you right now only because you weren't raised in a Magical Family, Potter," she hissed. "Did you ask Tipsy if she's unhappy with our arrangement? Of course not," Daphne continued without waiting for a response. "And even if you did, I doubt you would believe she speaks freely. As I've said, in the relationship between House Elves and Wizards, both sides benefit from the arrangement. As you've obviously noticed, they make our lives easier by doing chores around the house."

"And how exactly does Tipsy benefit from being your family's servant?"

"She lives," Daphne replied easily. "The nature of this relationship is much more complex than marriage. House Elves depend heavily on Magic, but their Core doesn't regenerate like Wizard's or Witch's. They need a Magical Family simply to survive. In return, they work for us. Not only because they feel obliged to, but because it gives their existence a feeling of purpose. If the relationship is healthy, like between Tipsy and my Family, the House Elf is happy whenever their Master calls them, even if it's for something trivial, like bringing a vial."

"So, if the House Elves aren't connected to a Family…" Harry trailed off.

"They die," Daphne completed. "Not immediately, though. In the beginning, the House Elf might not feel the difference. However, over time, their strengths start disappearing, their bodies become more fragile and weak, and soon, they're incapable of doing anything, even feeding themselves. So, in the end, they die a tragic death – alone, starving and parched, waiting for their bodies to finally give up. And I can assure you that the House Elves can survive without food or water far longer than humans, so they suffer even longer."

"I… I didn't know any of that."

"Of course, you didn't," Daphne nodded her head. "As I've said, it's not something that can be learned from books but is passed from one generation to another. So, naturally, Muggle-borns don't have this knowledge. I agree that many House Elves are treated horribly, but no law passed in the Wizengamot can fix this. The bond between them and their Family is a private matter, just like marriage. Everyone knows how a husband should treat a wife, and how a wife should treat a husband, but there are still cases when one is abusive toward the other. And since the House Elves depend on us for their survival, they can't go anywhere if they are being abused, simply because their Master might banish them, sentencing them to the fate I just described to you. So, tell me. Would you rather have a few odd cases of House Elves being treated poorly, or sentence millions of living creatures to painful death?"

Harry blinked a few times in surprise, trying to comprehend everything he learned. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he searched for words to formulate a response.

"I thought so," Daphne commented his silence after a few minutes of waiting. "Granger's idea might be good and noble, but the way she tries to act upon it is horrible. Luckily, society won't listen to her, simply because of the knowledge she lacks. And I'm afraid that if anyone tried to explain to her that she was wrong, she wouldn't listen. That's just a trait of people who think they're the smartest and the best in everything they're doing."

"So, by freeing Dobby…"

"He might have been saved from the Malfoys' abuse, but, in some time, he will die," Daphne explained plainly.

"How do I reverse it?"

"What do you mean, 'you?'" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Only the House Elf's Master can sever their bond. In Dobby's case, it had to be someone from the Malfoy Family."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, exhaling loudly. "I… I might have tricked Lucius into freeing Dobby," he muttered, not daring to look at Daphne. "I didn't know anything of what you've just said, though, I promise," he added hastily.

"Did he free him, or did he banish him?" Daphne asked carefully. "Because those are two different things."

"He freed him, I guess," Harry replied after a moment of hesitation. "I mean, he gave him a sock. That's how a House Elf is freed, right? By receiving a piece of clothing?"

"He wasn't banished then," Daphne commented. "That means he can still be accepted by another Master. Besides, you've promised me a long story. Meanwhile, you've said everything in just a few sentences. If that's long for you, then I have absolutely no idea how you've been able to complete any essay at school."

Harry chuckled at that, shaking his head. "I've said that the story of how I know Dobby is a long one, not how he was freed from the Malfoys."

"I'm listening then."

And so, Harry described to Daphne how Dobby became a significant part of his life in their Second Year. He did the best he could to include as many details as possible, starting with the Elf's sudden appearance on Privet Drive, all the way through to his encounter with Lucius Malfoy. Daphne never once interrupted him throughout the entire tale – something Harry wasn't used to before he started spending more and more time with the Slytherin girl. He couldn't complain, though. And if he thought she wasn't listening, given how Daphne's eyes continued scanning the area around the Greengrass Manor, she quickly dismissed that notion each time he paused for a longer period of time by urging him to keep talking.

"I'm not surprised Lord Malfoy didn't say what happened to his House Elf," Daphne commented, nodding her head. "It would bring shame to him and his family if news spread out."

"Lord Malfoy?" Harry queried with a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's odd about that?" Daphne asked, clearly surprised by Harry's reaction.

"I know that the Malfoys think too highly of themselves, but I didn't know they were so stuck-up to call themselves noble titles," Harry replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "Just when I thought they can't surprise me anymore," he sighed.

"It's not that," Daphne countered immediately, shaking her head. "I admit that both Malfoys are vain, but that's not the main reason. I know that nobility still exists in the Muggle World, or, at least, it used to, and it's still a thing in our world. Old families, like Malfoys or Greengrasses, hold noble titles to this day. "

"Wait, wait, wait," Harry said quickly, stopping in their stroll through the grassy plains. "You are a Lady?" he asked with the same puzzlement as when he asked about Lucius.

"Surprised?" Daphne teased, softly pursing her lips. "I think I've told you before the Yule Ball that I expect to be treated like a Lady. Do you think I was kidding back then? On a serious note, though, I'm not a Lady – not yet. I will become one once I turn seventeen. Until then, I'll be an Heiress to the Greengrass Family."

"So… am I supposed to call you by your title?" Harry asked awkwardly.

"No, I'm not that vain," Daphne replied, scrutinizing Harry's shirt for a second or two before her eyes moved upward. He raised his eyebrows, noticing a subtle twitching of the girl's lips, who seemed to be holding back a smile. "'Your Highness' will suffice. After all, I am the Ice Queen, am I not?"

Harry couldn't stop the laughter even if he wanted to. He bent forward, chuckling madly; the previous tension gone entirely. Daphne looked to the side, trying to force her lips to remain in their regular position.

"I'm not surprised you didn't know any of that, to be honest," Daphne continued after a while when Harry calmed down. "Just like with the House Elves, it's not something that is being taught at Hogwarts or can be learned from books. It's a real pity, though. Muggle-borns and people like you – raised by the Muggles – enter the Magical World with no real knowledge of how to function in it."

"And why is that important? I mean, does anyone really care about those titles and whatnot?"

"Everyone," Daphne nodded her head. "It's one of the most important aspects of functioning properly in the real Magical World."

"Even if the Malfoys are Death Eaters?" Harry countered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Unfortunately, yes," Daphne nodded once again. "But don't worry, it doesn't mean you'll have to kiss their boots or anything like that. In fact, I think you'll hold a similar position in our society once you turn seventeen."

"What do you mean?"

"I think the Potters are one of the Old Families as well," Daphne explained. "I'm not sure of that, though. My father will know. Or your godfather," she added, noticing Sirius running through the grassy plains around the Manor.

"What?" Harry asked, once again trying to comprehend her words.

Daphne sighed heavily, closing her eyes as they resumed their walk. "It's so difficult to explain all of this. I mean, for me and my sister, all that we talked today about is something normal. And if I'm correct with my suspicions, I'd recommend you to get a hang of it before we get back to school. Once you turn fifteen, you're going to become a part of this 'noble world' as you're the last living member of your Family," she added, drawing air quotes around the phrase.

"Will you help me with that?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"I'll try," Daphne promised. "But I think my father would be a much better tutor in that regard."

The air around them rippled suddenly, and a loud crack echoed across the empty fields, causing both teens to tense immediately. Both Harry and Daphne looked around frantically, their wands raised cautiously, searching for any signs of danger. They noticed Remus and Astoria, who stood on the other side of the Manor, doing the same thing. Even Sirius stiffened and raised his head over the grass.

However, no spells were fired at them nor at the Manor itself, and no hooded figures appeared anywhere on the horizon. The air stopped rippling as suddenly as it started, and no other cracks were heard. Daphne sighed heavily, lowering her wand.

"The first layer has just been taken down," she informed her partner. "My father said that the entire process will take a few days, and he can't erase more than one layer a day. I think we can go back to the Manor now," she said, walking towards the building. Harry followed her without complaining, taking one last glance at the area around the house, just to be sure no unwanted guests appeared.

The entire day had been too long and too exhausting for him to really understand what had happened. In the morning, there were no chances for him to return to Hogwarts after summer, and there was also a real threat of landing in Azkaban if the Wizengamot found him guilty, even despite Sirius' info that they were working on getting him out of that mess.

Then, Daphne's father, of all people, defended him in the courtroom and invited him into the Greengrass house, offering him a place to stay for as long as he wished. And Remus and Sirius were there, waiting for him. That's something he couldn't imagine even in his wildest dreams.

Sharing his memories from the graveyard wasn't easy, but, with Daphne's explanation, he could understand why it was necessary. His conversation with Cyrus wasn't a particularly easy one as well, and it left him eager to learn wandless magic, even if he knew it wouldn't happen immediately.

The things Daphne explained to him also left him with more questions than answers, especially the whole 'nobility' thing. But with the sun already hiding behind the horizon and the weight of the day finally catching up with him, Harry decided to leave it for another day.

Keeping in mind what Daphne had said about the House Elves, Harry kept a watchful eye on Tipsy as she served the dinner in the Dining Room. Of course, he didn't have much experience with the tiny creatures, but even he could see how different her overall attitude was compared to Kreacher's or Dobby's when he still belonged to the Malfoys.

She was almost constantly smiling, even as Cyrus or Roxanne kept ordering her to bring one thing or another. Each time she was summoned, nothing in her posture indicated that she was afraid of her Masters, nor that she expected to be reprimanded. And the admiration in Tipsy's huge eyes each time she looked at any member of the Greengrass Family was impossible to miss.

Harry had seen Kreacher in Sirius' presence, and he had seen Dobby in Lucius' presence – the behavior of neither of them resembled Tipsy's. Considering everything that happened in the past few months, Harry started wondering in how many more aspects Hermione was wrong. How many of their adventures didn't end tragically for the three of them because of her knowledge, and how many times did simple luck determine their fate? He doubted he wanted to learn the answer to that question, even if it was given to him on a silver platter.

Hours later, when Harry was lying in the bed, specifically prepared for him by Tipsy, his mind kept taking him back to the unpleasant images of the Greengrasses, Remus, and Sirius being consumed by the sickly green light. The old Muggle from his dreams and Cedric served as a too-good a model of how that scenario would play out.

Harry's chest clenched painfully each time his mind supplied him with the image of Daphne's body, lying motionlessly on the cold ground. Never again, he promised himself again. He wouldn't allow the Slytherin girl, nor any remaining member of his broken family, to suffer the same fate as Cedric. With that thought in mind, Harry shut his eyes, trying to force his body to go to sleep he so desperately needed.