Chapter Two: Poetry and Peril

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: By the way, we made Harry stupid on purpose. Thank you.

Once Harry regained consciousness, he took it upon himself to attend the first dinner meeting of the summer. He had a sick stomach and the images of Malfoy taunting him kept repeating in his mind. The dining room doors were open and Harry figured he would go to the kitchen to get his key before attending.

Harry assumed the kitchen was next to the dining room and it didn't take long to find it. The kitchen was filled with pots and pans containing scraps of what would be for dinner, the house-elves were scurrying around to complete the welcoming meal. Harry didn't want to bother them because he figured Hermione already had annoyed them with talk of foolishness…a club for house-elves…foolish.

The kitchen was simple and poorly decorated despite the elaborate décor of the rest of the house. Harry would have made the kitchen less attractive as well because only house-elves were ever found there. The walls were not painted and a golden framed picture of Lucius Malfoy. Harry furrowed his eyebrows and stared at it for a moment. What was a picture of Malfoy's father doing in the Hogwarts Home kitchen?

He found the wooden board holding up eleven key hooks. All of the keys were missing besides his key and the hooks looked bolted to the wall. The key was very fancy and was lettered with the number of his room. Harry quickly removed himself from the brightly lit kitchen. The swinging door hit him on his way out.

Harry heard music coming from the room next to the kitchen and went back to the dining room to meet the other guests. A fire crackled in the hearth while rain pelted against the wide windows. The music must have been played to sound out the rain drops; or Hermione's voice which was babbling about the history of salt to a snoring Ron.

The dining table was long enough to seat several more guests then eleven and the only thing that stood out to Harry was the horrid classical music playing from the walls. Already seated at the table was Hermione…probably got there an hour early, Ron…sleeping, Dean…polishing a soccer ball, Lavender…staring at the sleeping Ron, Cho…gossiping to Lavender who not listening to a word she said, Neville…looking, as usual, nervous and timid, and at the end of the table, glowering at the surrounding people, was Malfoy. Harry took his seat on the opposite end of the oak table.

"Disgusting, a Potter…I didn't think a repulsive rat like you would be allowed in any home such as this one," a snickering Malfoy said from behind the large flower centerpiece. Ron raised his head and fell back to sleep after he found out the insult wasn't directed to him.

"Well, at least I don't hide my face behind a pot of frilly flowers," Harry muttered and Harry could see his hand rising to flick him off while managing to slick his hair at the same time. Hermione scowled at the unseen gesture.

"Where are the last two peeps?" asked Neville while making a high pitched sound with the rim of his glass. Everyone turned to look at him in deep confusion…Neville is seen not heard.

"I didn't know you went gangster! That is so dope!" Cho commented on the unusual phrasing. Harry put his head into his hands and wondered why he didn't think of it first…yo dog fo shizzle the rain has dizzle…d.

While Neville was smiling at the compliment, the wind blew threw the dining room as two girls strutted to the entry way. Harry couldn't hold up his mouth with the sight of the two new girls and either could any of the other boys in the room, except for Ron who was drooling on his napkin.

The two new lassies were both very tall and had very striking features. The girl on the right was a natural blonde and the one of the left was a natural brunette with freckles. Harry couldn't see there eye color but he hoped they weren't brown…shallow.

"'ello, dis is my friend Nicolette and my name is Kristana. Is a plea-zure to veet you. Ve are transfers vrom Beaubatons," said the brunette to the dining room guests. Harry didn't care that drool was slowly moving its way to his chin. He liked English girls but French girls really turned him on…France…the city of love.

"Hey babes…take a seat next to me. I have a wooden wand….in my pants," Malfoy drawled. The girls giggled and one began to push out her lips. Harry couldn't see Malfoy's face but he knew it was performing a sly wicked smile. Hermione, again, scowled at the rude pick up line.

"Aren't ve all vizards here?" asked Nicolette quietly to Kristana.

"Not that kind of vand," Kristana whispered back, making an obscene gesture.

"Oh, I get it….. Well, I only use the finest vands," Nicolette snickered.

"Of course, I always get to use it virst…I love to try new spells," Kristana said back. The girls approached Harry and he took a fast look at the two empty chairs next to him. As soon as he began to smile the girls took the chairs, with one hand, and moved them to the other side of the table. He could hear Malfoy laughing.

The food was brought out to the guests by the house-elves and the candles magically lit themselves. Everyone began to dig into the home-cooked meal and talking about there planned adventures at Creedy Island. The conversations went silent when a cloaked figure appeared at the door.

"Mmmph…I'm your adult advisor…mmph…and I am here to collect my supper…mmph," sneered Snape with a bothered expression and quickly grabbed his plate. He was gone before anyone could say anything else or complain at the fact Snape was in the house alongside them.

Dinner was soon over and the house-elves delivered plates of pumpkin Danishes to everyone at the table. The dinner was much better than Aunt Petunia's television dinners and he hadn't had dessert in several months…strict work-out diet.

"Why, isn't that a odd mantel piece to have above the fireplace?" asked Hermione to the dining guests. Only someone like Hermione would be the one to notice the mantel piece instead of noticing the dessert.

"How whack, it seems to be a poem," Neville deducted while taking another bite of his Danish. Suddenly everyone's gaze went to the large poem on the fireplace's mantel. The poem was handwritten and framed in a thin glass covering.

"That vooks very cheap," Nicolette announced while petting Malfoy's right hand, his left hand was being petted by Kristana. Malfoy always picked the wealthy hotties.

"Yeah, the poem looks so tacky in this well bedecked dining room," Dean noted while seeing his reflection in his soccer ball…the love of the sport and the love of the player. Harry took a look at his own reflection in the back of his silver spoon…what was so wrong with him?

"Gosh, why would a poem be on the fireplace? It needs a picture of me to make it worth while," Malfoy said taking the conversation to be directed to himself. Harry rolled his eyes while the two French girls nodded their heads.

"I have 20/20 vision from reading such small print all the time, so I shall read the piece of literature," Hermione suggested.

"I don't really care," Mlafoy sneered. "Go ahead."

"Ten little wizards saw the sign,

all the lights went out and then there were nine.

Nine little wizards went to the gate,

One never returned so then there were eight.

Eight little wizards go swimming in Devon,

One can't float so then there were seven.

Seven little wizards practicing magic tricks,

The spell goes wrong and then there were six.

Six little wizards jump and jive,

One can't dance and then there were five.

Five little wizards go out to soar,

A tree appears and then there were four.

Four little wizards refuse to read

Expect for one so then there were three.

Three little wizards hide in the loo,

One gets a swirl and then there were two.

Two little wizards have a fight. Who won?

The winner, the killer, and then there was one.

One little wizard there all alone,

He Avada Kedavraed himself and then there were none."

"That is highly morbid and very disturbing," Cho cried.

"What horrid grammar! Some of it didn't even rhyme and my soccer ball could do a better job of composing a poem," Dean said scornfully while Hermione nodded in agreement.

"What poem?" asked Ron, who had finally woken up from his long slumber. He hadn't touched his food and his head was covered in the potatoes he had fallen asleep in.

"You didn't hear any of it, home brother?" asked Neville, annoyed.

"I heard the term "little wizard" and I thought you were talking about Harry; you know he is kinda scrawny," Ron confessed as everyone began laughing. Harry glared at his friend and lifted his arm up and flexed. "See what I mean?" Ron said. Harry grew very red and hid his face in his hands again.

"Well…I am going to go hit the sack...," Neville shouted and left the room without another word. Cho and Dean left without saying good night. Hermione found it very rude of them.

"I am going to go to bed…Who shall join me?" Malfoy drawled slowly putting his arms around the two French girls. Harry began hitting his head on the table as Malfoy escorted himself and the girls to his bedroom.

"I'm out and gone," Ron yelled, leaving his chair. Lavender jolted out of her daze and scurried to his side. "Didn't notice you were here Lavender," stated Ron. Lavender shrugged and followed him without question out of the room.

"Harry, you must get yourself to your bed chamber soon. It is getting late and we have a big day tomorrow," Hermione scolded. Harry nodded, yawning, and went to his room.

He changed into his pajamas and turned out the light.