Her first instinct was to immediately shout 'NO' but as the seconds went on and she thought it through she realized it could be possible. Her input was the 'power' and they were acting in secret. It suddenly became difficult for her to breathe. She felt a hand on her arm.

"It can be a bit overwhelming."

"Just a bit," she finally managed to mumble out. Harry removed his hand and Daphne immediately missed its presence.

She had no idea how long had passed but Harry remained silent...letting her process the implications. Slowly the weight that had settled in her chest receded and her resolve began to grow. If they really were The Chosen Ones then she needed to sort herself out and help.

"Suppose we should crack on then shall we?" she finally said with as much confidence as she could muster.

He smiled and nodded. "I reckon you could do with a break from prophecies for now and I can tell you my idea?"

"Yes," she replied immediately. She marveled at how perceptive he was then realized he had to go through the exact same thing seven months prior.

The seriousness of the moment was broken as another student came into view. The Gryffindor (Daphne thought her name was Violet or something similar) did not immediately spot them as it appeared she was looking at the shelves of books for something specific. Daphne suppressed a snort as the girl finally spotted them and immediately stopped and stared, her eyes threatening to bulge out of her skull.

Harry canceled the Muffliato spell and spoke. "All right there Lavender?"

'I really need to start learning first names,' Daphne mused as Lavender quickly nodded and fled from sight.

"Well there is no turning back now," Harry said. "Lavender is the biggest gossip in the school. Everyone is going to know about us by breakfast. Given her flair for the dramatic, I'm guessing she'll be telling people she caught us shagging in the Restricted Section. Ron's reaction should be interesting..."

"In for a Knut in for a Galleon I suppose," Daphne joked, silently thankful for the levity that Lavender had unknowingly provided. She recast the privacy spell and looked back to Harry. "So your idea?"

"Right," Harry said, still smiling at his fellow Gryffindor's sudden appearance.

"To begin with this isn't just a scar," he began, pointing to his forehead. "I have a...connection to Voldemort. When I was around Quirrel in first-year my scar used to hurt. I didn't realize it until later but it was being so close to Voldemort that caused it. Sometimes when Voldemort is feeling angry or hurting someone I can feel it and-" he paused and suddenly looked unnerved, sometimes I can see what's happening through his eyes when he's doing it and he's excited or enjoying it."

Daphne's mind was screaming but she forced herself to stay calm. Harry needed her to stay calm. She waited for him to continue.

"Voldemort didn't realize we had this connection until last year. He only knew the first bit of the prophecy and was obsessed with hearing the rest so he started sending me messages...visions of things through the connection. At first, they were visions of the Department of Mysteries where the prophecy was stored and finally at the end of the year he sent the fake vision that my godfather was in danger there." Harry stopped talking. She could tell the weight of his actions had returned and silently vowed to carry her new coin everywhere she went.

She mirrored Harry's earlier action, placing a hand on his arm and gently squeezed. The burdens he had to deal with were unfathomable and seemingly without end. She could tell he was getting lost in his thoughts and spoke. "That's why you can speak Parseltongue."

She was pleased to see that her question had broken him out of his trance.

"Yeah...probably," he answered, now slightly more relaxed.

It was more than a connection she thought. It was as if he had a bit of Voldemort in him. She shuddered at the implications.

"There is another connection as well. This is going to sound crazy."

Daphne couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course...because everything you've shared so far has been perfectly normal."

"Fair point," he replied. "Voldemort has a familiar...a huge snake. Around Christmas last year I...connected to the snake. It was attacking Ron's father and it was like I was seeing it happen through the snake's eyes."

"And that vision was real? Not a false vision like the other ones?"

Harry nodded gravely. "Yeah...it was actually a good thing in the end that I saw it. I was able to notify the headmaster right away and get Mr. Weasley help. If that hadn't happened no-one would have known that he had been attacked."

"You know you hardly ever mention the people you save but you constantly talk about the ones you couldn't."

Harry shook his head. "I didn't really save him though," he argued. "I just happened to be the one who saw it. It really came down to-"

"Luck, I know," Daphne interrupted. She had only really known Harry for about a week but could already predict his reactions. It wasn't exactly difficult. If praise was being doled out he avoided it. If it was blame he embraced it.

"So your idea has to do with this connection. Do you want to lure him into a trap like he did to you?"

"No," he replied. He took a deep breath and continued. "The pain in my scar from the connection is excruciating when it happens. It got me thinking. What if I could turn the connection around and send something the other way."

"You want to give Voldemort a headache Harry?"

"Not exactly," Harry replied, taking another deep breath. "Do you remember when you asked me why I didn't ask Hermione for help with this?" He waited for her to nod before continuing.

"I told you there were two reasons but only gave you one at the time. The second reason is Hermione would have refused immediately based on what I have in mind."

'This can't be good,' Daphne thought as she braced for another bombshell.

"I wasn't thinking of a headache spell. I was thinking more along the lines of Avada Kedavra."

"No. Absolutely not," she blurted out, bolting from her chair so she could leave.

Harry quickly grabbed her wrist. "Please, let me finish."

He looked so sincere and so desperate. She slowly took her seat again and nodded for him to continue.

"I have no clue if such a thing is possible, let alone whether there are other less...permanent solutions. I need you to help prove the actual connection could potentially work as I think and maybe come up with other ideas besides Avada Kedavra. I tend to think like a blunt instrument. The simplest solution would be the killing curse but if you can come up with something different I am all ears."

"Let's say I decide you are right...that we could damage him through your scar...but I can't come up with something besides Avada Kedavra. You would willingly do that if that is the only option?"

"If it's the only way and you thought it would work then yes. I would." He suddenly looked down and stared at the table. Based on prior observations she knew that the next bit would be uncomfortable for him to say.

"I told you I've been thinking lately about all the decisions Dumbledore has made on my behalf. There is more to it than what I shared at the time. He seems to be concerned with me surviving physically for now but not necessarily being happy or...I don't know...content. I've received no special training...anything I've learned has been down to working with Hermione or someone else...never Dumbledore. He isn't preparing me to win a fight."

"I think he is expecting me to die but needs it to be what he thinks is the 'right way'. I think he wants me to sacrifice myself like my-"

"Your mother," she interrupted. "She protected you with her sacrifice...her love."

"Exactly," he answered, sounding relieved that she understood. "The only problem is I think he is too afraid or doesn't trust me enough to tell me the truth."

Daphne's hatred of the headmaster seemed to be growing exponentially by the day but she needed to mask that anger for now. She needed to be calm and think for Harry. Harry could be wrong and it would be up to her to examine the facts.

"You seem remarkably calm for someone who is basically planning his own death," she stated. It was true. The only time he had become uncomfortable during their conversation was based on her reaction.

"Do you remember what you said about your sister? How you and your parents are much more troubled than she is about her dying? It's the same reason I'm okay if I have to die to end this." He was still so calm as he spoke.

"If you could reverse it...could sacrifice yourself and take the curse so your sister would be healthy and live a long life you would do it. You don't need to answer...I know you would. That's what I'm willing to do."

He stopped staring at the table and looked her determinedly in the eye.

"Too many people have already died for me and every one just makes it harder. If I can make sure that Hermione is safe...that Ron and his family are safe...that you are safe....well, that's a much better option than someone else dying so I can be safe. It would be a relief."

He was right. She would have been overjoyed if she could have been cursed instead of Astoria. Once he explained his reasons it made total sense why he would accept such a fate. She, however, did not accept it. There had to be another way. They would figure it out. She would figure it out.

Daphne suddenly realized Harry had been staring at her...waiting patiently for her thoughts.

"Like you said the first step will be to figure out more about this connection. Then we'll figure out something other than you getting hit with the killing curse again. One time is enough for a lifetime I think."

He smiled and nodded. "I hate to be the bearer of more bad news but I'm afraid we've missed dinner. I know a secret passage to the kitchen if you're interested. The elves are always excited to make something when I show up."

Daphne nodded and began packing up her things, purposely ignoring the fact that Harry had just equated the concept of him dying to missing dinner. "So are we done with the oath for tonight?" she asked, praying he would say yes so they could talk about something pointless and most especially non-death related for awhile.

"Definitely...but before we do there is just one more thing," he answered nonchalantly as he stood up.

"Something else you're scared of Hermione finding out about?" she said with a smile.

"Not this time," he said through his chuckle. "She's working on this bit as well actually but hasn't been able to come up with anything."

"Have you ever heard the term Horcrux?"