Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.

WARNING: This is a MATURE story. It has adult themes, dark and violent acts, and reader discretion is advised.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Harry Potter

September 1st, 2017

Harry Potter sat across from Daphne Greengrass in an interrogation room in the belly of the British Ministry of Magic. The room was almost featureless, bland wooden chair and chairs, blank gray walls, and a handful of enchanted flames burning in glass jars along the walls. Susan Bones, Head Auror, stood behind Daphne, with her wand in hand.

"I'm pleased to see you're not dead," Harry Potter said eventually. Daphne smiled in amusement.

"I'm pleased not to be dead," Daphne said as if she was sharing a joke. Harry wondered if it was a Slytherin trait, to always sound sarcastic. Silence fell between the two, and Harry allowed it, reasoning that it might soften up Daphne's defenses.

After a few minutes, it became clear that the only person who was growing antsy was Susan in the corner. Harry spoke once more. "We have a lot to talk about, Ms. Greengrass."

"Please, call me Daphne," the witch replied. Harry's eyes narrowed at that. Rare was the Slytherin who offered permission to use their first name so easily, so it set off alarm bells in his mind. His jaw tightened.

"Daphne. Can you tell me where you've been for all these years?" Harry asked.

"I can't answer that."

Harry frowned at the witch, who sat there with a pleasant smile. He made to speak, but Daphne held up her hand to stop him. It took him a moment longer for him to understand that she wasn't asking for him to be silent, but to look at her hand.

"An Unbreakable Vow," Harry sighed, tracing the thin scars that wrapped around Daphne's hand and wrist. "Who managed to get an Unbreakable Vow out of you?"

"I can't answer that," Daphne replied. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Then what can you tell me? About your disappearance, where you've been, about this?" Harry asked, slapping Daphne's Riddle Coin on the table between them.

The Riddle Coins. Seventeen years ago, a global magical disturbance occurred. Overnight, millions of small gold coins appeared, one next to every single witch and wizard, age eleven and older, in the world. Magical, squib, creature ancestry, and purity of blood, none of it mattered. Anyone even remotely connected to the Wizarding World suddenly possessed a coin.

No ward kept them out, and if a witch or wizard tossed theirs away, it would reappear under their pillow in the morning. They could not be transfigured, vanished, banished, or affected with any magic other than a Summoning Charm. If destroyed, a new coin would appear the next day, as if it were a game. It was confounding.

A student had figured out how to activate the Riddle Coins. Strange runes appeared on each coin, dozens of never before recorded etchings, and the configuration for each seemed to be different for each person's coin. More alarm rippled through the world but, eventually, it settled down. The coins seemed harmless; nobody was hurt or cursed. Maybe it was just an elaborate prank?

And then the first disappearance occurred, and it was not the last. First dozens, then hundreds, finally thousands of witches and wizards of all ages, vanished from around the world, leaving their belongings behind. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to link the many disappearances until the investigating Aurors realized that there were two missing items: the missing magical's wand, and their Riddle Coin.

A more in-depth investigation revealed each person claimed to solve dozens of "riddles" from their Riddle Coins. The riddles mentioned in these reports were a subject of hot debate among the international wizarding community. All had gotten the feeling that the coins were somehow curious about them, that it was almost like they were being asked questions. Many claimed that the runes on their coins had changed in response to their thoughts, asking new questions, but this was treated scornfully. No known runic alphabet had that ability.

And after years and tens of thousands of disappearances, Harry Potter finally had one of the missing victims in front of him. And she was bound by an Unbreakable Vow.

"I can't say much," Daphne said carefully. She brushed off a microscopic piece of dust from her knee, and her perfect posture made Harry involuntarily straighten his own. "I can say that all three of your questions are linked."

"How?" Harry demanded. This was the first good lead in over a decade.

"I can't answer that."

Harry couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes, and in the corner, Susan Bones did as well. Neither of them was pleased with that answer; both had spent years tracking down leads as Aurors only to be disappointed by dead ends. They would not allow that to happen again.

"So, what can you tell me?" Harry repeated, his patience slowly waning. He may not be the impulsive Gryffindor he once was, but he was an Auror, a lawman, and he wanted to find the missing witches and wizards to make sure they were okay.

"Their creator has no ill will toward anyone that's missing," Daphne said. Her blue eyes matched the blue icicle hanging around her neck and resting on her chest. Harry flicked his eyes back up to hers before he stared too long, but judging by the slight twitch of her lips, Daphne had seen it.

"So why were they taken?" Susan asked to allow Harry a moment to recollect himself. She walked around the table so she could look Daphne in the eye. "They must have had something this creator wanted for him to kidnap them."

Daphne shook her head. "They weren't taken, not like you think. The Riddle Coins are like an invitation, a test. The creator needed to find-" she choked as the words caught in her mouth.

"Take a moment, don't force it," Susan suggested kindly, smiling. Harry leaned back and allowed Susan to slide into the role of good cop. It was something they had plenty of practice with.

Daphne finally managed to breathe easily once more. "We were kept safe. We were provided with food, entertainment, and shelter. If we needed it there were healers to help us but for the most part we-"

She began to cough as the words became stuck in her throat. Susan conjured a glass of water, covertly adding three drops of Veritaserum to it, before handing it to Daphne. The witch gratefully took it, drinking it down.

"I've practiced Occlumency since I was a teenager, Susan," Daphne quietly said a moment later. The buxom Auror froze, realizing she had been caught. "I can recognize and resist the effects as easily as anyone else."

"We need information that you have," Harry said, sliding back into the conversation. "There are still thousands of missing men, women, and teenagers, and we don't know what's happening to them. You should work with us, Ms. Greengrass."

It was a calculated move on Harry's part to not use her name. Judging by the way Daphne's eyes tightened ever so slightly in amusement, he reasoned it didn't have the effect he desired. But he was fast losing his patience with the Slytherin witch.

"What were we doing at Hogwarts?" Daphne suddenly asked. Harry's brow furrowed.

"We were learning magic," Harry said. He didn't bother mentioning his many adventures or brushes with death; he was aware that his was not a typical Hogwart's experience.

"Try again," Daphne pressed, looking toward Susan.

Susan crossed her arms and shifted her weight, assuming what Harry knew to be her thinking pose. "Making friends, dating, playing Quidditch, studying," she began to list. Daphne nodded at the last one.

"But what's the difference between learning and studying? Why is it important?" Daphne asked.

Silence feel over the interrogation room as Harry and Susan considered her question. To Harry, they were the same thing, studying and learning were just synonyms. But he thought about the words more, saying them over and over again in his mind. Learning. Studying. Learning at Hogwarts. Studying at Hogwarts. Learning magic at Hogwarts. Studying magic at-

"They're studying magic?" Harry asked, swallowing the lump in his throat. Susan looked confused, but Daphne's response was telling.

"I can't answer that," she said. And that was all the answer Harry needed.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Susan asked.

"They're studying magic!" Harry said, rising and rubbing his hand over his face. He began to pace.

"What of it?" she pressed. "So did we."

"No, we learned magic. We followed the lessons of our professors, gained our knowledge through reading books and going to lectures. They're experimenting," he explained. Susan grew pale as realization hit her.

"They're experimenting on the ones they've kidnapped!"

"No."

Daphne's short denial drew both of their attention. Harry glared at her. "But you just said-"

"-I know what I said," she said, cutting him off. "But no one is being tortured, dissected, or experimented on. They all came willing, and we can all leave whenever we want. With restrictions, of course."

Harry eyed her hand, where the faint scars of the Unbreakable Vow lay. "You don't know where everyone is, do you?"

Daphne shook her head. "I had to agree to be Obliviated of the knowledge. I can remember trees, water, and stone, but nothing more. Even the names and faces of people are a blur to me now."

"If you could leave at any time, why did you stay so long? Why does anyone?" Susan asked. Harry and Susan were startled when Daphne laughed at them both.

"Why would we leave? There was no judgment there. No contempt for Muggle-borns, squibs, those with creature ancestry. Pure-bloods weren't accused of being Death Eater spawn, or Dark! We were all there to study magic, bonding over each advancement. It was almost like a family."

"So why did you leave," Harry asked. Daphne gave him a sad smile.

"I missed Astoria, my blood family. When I had left, she had just married Draco Malfoy of all people, and she was happy! I wasn't going to come between them for my own selfish needs. I came back now because the Greengrass's have suffered under a blood curse for generations, and even though it missed me, it did not miss my sister. I wanted to see her before she died, and then I'll go back."

Harry stepped forward sharply, causing Daphne to flinch from surprise. "What do you mean, go back? Do you know how to go back?" he asked intently. Daphne gave him a puzzled look.

"Yes, the coin," she said, gesturing to her Riddle Coin lying on the table. "They gave it back to me when I left, telling me that if I solved it again, I'd be welcome with open arms.

Harry sighed in frustration and rubbed his infamous scar. A different kind of pain rested there now, one caused by stress and anger. He looked toward Susan. "Do we have anymore questions?"

Susan considered the question for a second before shaking her head. Harry turned back to Daphne, who was still sitting attentively. His spine hurt just looking at her posture. "Ms. Greengrass, you're free to go. I would ask that you remain in the country for the foreseeable future to answer more questions, but I think I'd be correct in guessing that you'll be staying at Malfoy Manor to reconnect with your sister?"

"You are correct," Daphne replied.

"Then again, please stay in the country and remain available for further questioning. Susan, could you show her out? I need to go inform the international community there's been a new development in the Riddle Coin case."

"Sure thing, Harry," Susan said, giving him a bright smile. Harry returned it with a weary filled one. "Let's go, Greengrass, I can tell you about the Quidditch League on the way out."

"Are the Cannons still bottom of the league?" Daphne asked, picking up her Riddle Coin as she walked out.

"Funny, you mention bottom..." Susan's voice trailed off as she and Daphne walked out of the interrogation room and into the Ministry of Magic.

Harry Potter eyed the spot on the table where Daphne's Riddle Coin laid, before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out two coins, that could have been galleons, were it not for the fact neither were currency. On the left sat his ancient Dumbledore's Army Coin, well-worn over the years, and occasionally used to ask his once comrades to meet up for drinks. On the right sat the Riddle Coin, defying the wear and tear of the years by remaining as shiny and smooth as the day he found it in his pocket.

As he stared at the Riddle Coin, its surface rippled, and a winding path of runes appeared. It seemed to slither all over the coin before settling into a circle, rotating slowly. Harry Potter sighed and returned the coins to his pocket. He had work to do.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Daphne Greengrass

September 1st, 2017

As one of the Malfoy House-elves escorted her to the sitting room, Daphne couldn't help rolling her eyes at the decorations. Draco must have turned control of the household over to Astoria, for only her sister would have paired lime green drapes with purple carpet. It was a regrettable fact, but Astoria was unfortunately colorblind.

That thought lasted only until she walked into the sitting room and saw Astoria and Draco sharing a couch, sipping tea.

"Daphne!" Astoria shouted, quickly rushing over and hugging her sister tightly. The House-elf cleaned up the spilled tea and popped away. "I was ever so pleased when Auror Stein told me you were alive! I've missed you terribly."

"I've missed you too, Astoria," Daphne said, wrapping her arms around her sister greedily and enjoying the feeling of holding her sister once more. "It's been far too long."

Draco approached and smiled at Daphne warmly. "It's good to see you again, Daphne."

Daphne smiled at him. "Draco. I see my sister hasn't come to her senses yet." She and Astoria finally separated, and her sister smacked her arm.

"Hey! Draco's been very good for me! And he's given me Scorpius, who you still need to meet! You'll love him; he has my eyes and Draco's smile," Astoria said, giving her husband a warm look.

"It's fine, love. Daphne's always had high standards," Draco said. "I still remember when she hexed Travers when he asked her out. He couldn't sit properly for a week."

Astoria giggled, but turned back to her sister. "Where have you been? The Aurors wouldn't tell us anything. It's been awful!"

Daphne sighed, but explained what she could, telling them everything she had told Potter and Bones. It was far less than what her sister wanted, however, and she was quite insistent on needling more information out of Daphne.

"So these mysterious creators made the Riddle Coins as a test," Astoria said. She and Draco had summoned theirs from somewhere inside the manor, using the only spell known to work on them, Accio. "What was it like there?"

Pleased that Astoria asked something she could honestly answer, Daphne replied, "peaceful. It was nice, and the air always smelled fresh on account of the ocean."

"So you were near a coast," Astoria said, pouncing on the information like a cat. "What was the sand like?"

Daphne blinked at that. "There wasn't any."

"So you were near cliffs," Astoria said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. Suddenly she began to cough and clutched Draco's arm tightly. He rubbed her back with his free hand until her fit passed. "Excuse me, Daphne, I seem to have forgotten my potions. I had Nilly set up a bedroom near the library; he'll show you to them."

Daphne sighed as Draco helped her sister from the room. She flicked her hand, sending a few wandless charms at her sister's back, blinking as the medical diagnosis spells fed her information. Her family's blood curse was a wretched thing, popping up every few generations, and twisting some poor unfortunate soul's organs until they died. Healing the organs only did so much; it was a parasitic infection on Astoria's magic that caused the troubles, needing constant attention and healing.

And yet, Daphne knew there was a cure. She just needed to get her sister to solve the Riddle Coin to earn it. Daphne held her hand up to her eyes, examining the scars from the Unbreakable Vow there. Part of the scars had faded, so she focused, narrowing her eyes intently, and the lines on her hand and wrist grew sharper and more defined.

Satisfied that the fake scars were in place, Daphne rose. She needed to get settled in and rested. She had a family to save, after all.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

Alexander Dantes

Eighteen Years Ago

Alexander loved the smell of the sea, the crash of the waves, and the sensation of standing at the edge of the world. It made him feel alive, and it was made all the sweeter by who was by his side.

"So, where are we?" Daphne Greengrass asked. They held hands as they stood on the edge of the world.

"Cape Horn," Alexander said. "There's a small non-magical presence nearby, but with wards, they'll be a non-issue."

"You've decided then? It'll be here?" Daphne asked, turning her back on the sea and examining the land. It was rocky, but magic could help with that. Alexander gently turned her attention back to the ocean. "Here?"

Alexander smiled at the disbelief in her tone. "Yes. I came up with a new idea when we were in Athens while you were shopping. I'm not just going to build us a home; I'm going to build us an acropolis."

"Sounds like a dead thing," Daphne said. Alexander smiled.

"Akron means highest point, and polis means city. Together, it meant a fortified location, and we're going to build it here," Alexander explained. Daphne looked around at the obvious lack of mountains and said as much, causing Alexander to laugh.

"Something I've learned from Rowena is that the wisest builders start at the very bottom. Although every time she brings it up, Salazar looks like he swallowed a lemon," Alexander said.

Daphne shook her head. "It's weird how casually you speak of the Founders that way. They're the Founders! And why do we need a city anyway? I thought it was just going to be for my sister and us? And Draco if they're still married."

"Blame Helga," Alexander said. "She told me about the reasons why they opened up Hogwarts to the world, why they refused to accept payment for their knowledge. She, and the rest of the Founders, believed that Hogwart's purpose was to be a school, a place of learning and safety. And so they built a castle.

"I happen to agree. That's why I chose an acropolis; a fortified city defended from all threats. And we'll open it up to the worthy, to those who appreciate magic," Alexander finished. The pair was silent as they watched the waves crash below them.

"But why here?" Daphne pressed. "You're not saying something."

Alexander smiled at her and gestured at the ocean below them. "Tectonic plates move unseen beneath the world. Here the Scotia Plate rests, and it's one of the smallest and most isolated plates in the world. There is a special kind of sedimentary rock we need that can only be reached where these plates meet, and we'll need a lot of it to build the acropolis."

"There are plates beneath the world?" Daphne asked, confused. Alexander rolled his eyes.

"We haven't gotten there in our lessons yet. I'll explain later, the point is, right now, this place is perfect for what we need. Although we'll need to figure out a way to get the rock to the surface, it'll be impossible to summon them."

Daphne shrugged. "Just build some golems. It's what wizards used before House-elves. They're slow and clunky, but they're perfect for mines."

Rare were the moments where Alexander didn't know something. "What?"

"Golems? Enchanted clay? Not ringing a bell?" Daphne asked teasingly. Alexander pouted, an odd look for a one-eyed man covered in scars to have.

"No. Would you please enlighten me?" Alexander asked. He leaned in and laid a gentle kiss on Daphne's neck. She giggled but turned her head to give him better access.

"I'm surprised the Founders didn't mention, you talk to them so often I thought you'd know everything they knew," Daphne asked before gasping. Alexander had nipped at her neck.

"Daphne," he growled in warning. She smiled although Alexander couldn't see it, and ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sure you've heard stories of wizards molding clay and animating them. You could always transfigure them to look human, but they'd never look very life-like, so most didn't bother. But they're usually pretty sturdy, and able to lift immense loads. The enchantments break if you cast fire on them, though. It turns them into statues."

Alexander kissed up Daphne's neck and along her jaw, finishing with a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you. No runes were used in their construction?" he asked, trailing a hand up and down her side.

"Not that I know of. The enchantments gave them a sort of limited sentience, allowing their wizard creators to give them orders that would be then carried out. Simple things, like dig a hole here, move an object there. Stuff like that," Daphne said as Alexander's fingers moved to her back, massaging the flesh through her clothes. His hands moved south, and she gasped.

"Thank you, love. I think I'll play with those later. Right now, I want to play with something else," Alexander said before capturing Daphne's lips with his own. It was not only the ocean that roared after that.

Later, as the sun was setting, the two lowers lay under a conjured blanket, holding one another for warmth. Alexander's gaze wasn't on the waves, the sun, or the wilderness; it was on Daphne Greengrass, and how beautiful she looked at that exact moment. Unseen to her, in his hand, lay a ring with an extraordinary stone embedded in it. He had an important question to ask her.

Magic Break Can't Be Seen

AN: The sequel to Alexander Dantes has arrived! If you haven't noticed, this story will be written a little differently from the first part, as there are other points of view that tell the story better than Alexander's. The outline for it is all written out, but I WILL NOT BE POSTING DAILY UPDATES. Sorry guys, but I have too many writing projects going on to focus solely on this one. I will be aiming for an update every THREE days though, so they won't be long waits.

Canon: This story starts the moment the Deathly Hallows ends. The Cursed Child will not be included, because I think its characterization of Harry Potter was trash, among other things. I will be taking some canon information from interviews that J.K. Rowling has done, but it shouldn't impact the story one way or another.

Harry Potter is the Head of the DMLE in this story, and Susan Bones acts as his Head Auror. I still think Auror was a weird career for Harry Potter to pursue, but to each their own. Hopefully he comes across as more intelligent/investigative than he's portrayed in canon, but...well, you'll see.

As for Alexander: He'll show up in the present timeline, eventually. This story is definitely going to to be interesting, to write and to read. So don't go complaining he isn't doing anything, because trust me, he has, is, and will.

I hope you enjoy the story!