Chapter 4 - Results and Detentions

Disclaimer – I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER, J. K. ROWLING DOES.

Potions Class

-Flashback-

"Sit down," Snape ordered. "Potter, Weasley, 10 points from Gryffindor for not being prepared." Snape waited several seconds for Potter or Weasley to respond so he could assign detention, but when they didn't, he continued with the class assignment. "Today you will be attempting to brew the drought of the living death potion. The instructions are on the board. Begin."

With the assignment given, the class made their way to the cupboard to get materials for the potion and begin brewing. Halfway through class however, Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw 5th year prefect, came to the class to inform Snape that Headmaster Dumbledore wanted to see him in his office.

"Continue working. If the room is not in the same condition as it was before I leave you will not like the consequences," Snape said, giving a pointed look to Potter and Longbottom.

Class continued normally for 10 minutes after which Malfoy decided to get his revenge for the train incident. "POTTER!" Malfoy yelled. "I told you you would pay for what happened on the train," Malfoy said while pulling out his wand. "Densaugeo."

The spell was cast towards Harry Potter but he, using his seeker skills, dodged the spell out of reflex and it hit Hermione who was behind him, causing her front teeth to grow abnormally large.

Harry was pulling out his wand when from the door came Snape's voice "what is going on here?"

"Potter was pulling out his wand on me professor," said Malfoy.

"You lieing git," said Harry. "He attacked us and hit Hermione with a spell that caused that," pointing to her teeth.

"I don't see any difference" answered Snape, at which point Hermione began crying.

"Considering you're both blind and greasy as a bat, I doubt you can see anything," Harry answered.

"Detention tonight Potter, for lieing about Mr. Malfoy and for your cheek in talking back. My office at 7, and if you're late, you will have detention for a week."

-End Flashback-

Library

"Daph, maybe we should take a break for today and continue tomorrow. It's been 5 hours already and we still haven't found anything" said Tracey.

"You go ahead, I'll keep looking for a little while longer" answered Daphne.

"Don't forget that you still need time to do homework as well."

"I know, I'll just stay for another hour today."

"Alright, but I really think we should ask for some help in finding the right book. Why not ask Madame Pince? I don't think she would tell anyone," Tracey said.

"I suppose you're right. You go ahead to the common room; I'll ask her for help."

"Alright, I'll see you later Daph," said Tracey before turning around and leaving the library.

With Tracey gone, Daphne began returning the books they had searched through before approaching Madame Pince.

"Excuse me Madame Pince, do you perhaps have a recommendation on a book dealing with contracts and methods or loopholes to break them?" asked Daphne.

Contrary to what students may have thought, Madame Pince was very observant having to work in the library with little to do for most of the day besides shushing loud students. She saw Greengrass and Davis looking over books dealing with contracts and reasoned that Greengrass, being a pureblood, was looking for a way to avoid a betrothal contract signed by her family.

"I think I might know just the book you need Ms. Greengrass. Follow me," Madame Pince said, leading Daphne. "Here we are" Madame Pince said pulling out a book with the title How to Take Advantage of Magically Binding Contracts and handing it to Daphne. "You should be able to find your answer in there," Madame Pince said before returning to her desk.

Daphne was skeptical that she would find her answer in this book, but decided to look through it before leaving for the common room. As there was no table of contents, it took her half an hour to flip through all the financial magical contract information before reaching a section on betrothal contracts.

Betrothal Contracts

Betrothal contracts are fickle things, and perhaps the hardest to break or avoid the consequences of. There are, however, three main ways to break a betrothal contract without suffering the loss of your magic.

other party in the betrothal contract dies before you are set to be married. Do note however that the death of the other party must be of natural causes or of a situation or event unrelated to your own actions. If you are the cause of the death of the other party, magic will exact the same penalty and cause you to lose your life. This means you cannot poison, hire assassins, or in any way influence others to kill the other party of the betrothal contract or magic will recognize your intent and take your life as penalty.

signers of the betrothal contract must both agree, of their own free will, to cancel the contract. Again as with the first option, magical intent is the key. You cannot use potions, compulsion charms, or other methods of control, including threats, to force the signers of the betrothal contract to cancel the contract. They must both agree to cancel the contract of their own choosing.

develop a life-debt to another witch or wizard who accepts that life-debt. As with the other options, magical intent is again important to remember. You cannot forcefully create, or purposefully put yourself in deadly situations in the hope of developing a life-debt to a witch or wizard that saves your life. It must happen on its own and cannot be planned. If it does however, you will become a vassal of the house of the witch or wizard that saved your life. As a result, you are no longer subject to contracts signed by you or your previous guardians and all such contracts become null and void as the witch or wizard you have a life-debt to becomes your new magical guardian.

Should you attempt to avoid a betrothal contract, it will result in the loss of your magic.

'Just great,' thought Daphne. 'Now I have to hope I nearly die and someone saves my life, or Slughorn kicks the bucket.'

Daphne then checked out the book and left the library, heading towards the dungeons to show Tracey what she found. At this same time, Harry Potter was heading towards Snape's office in the dungeons.

Daphne, not paying attention to the sound of footsteps nearby, sharply rounded the corner of the hallway and ran into Harry Potter, causing both of them to fall down and for her to drop the book.

"Potter," said Daphne after noticing who the other person was. "Watch where you're going."

"You're the one that ran into me Greengrass," Harry answered annoyed with the blonde girl. He started to get up and picked up the book that was beside him. He noticed the title and handed it to Greengrass asking "why do you need a book on magical contracts?"

"That's none of your business Potter" replied Daphne, snatching the book from his hands.

He was about to ask her what her problem was when Snape appeared.

"Potter! I warned you that if you were late you would have detention for a week. Now I see that you attacked Ms. Greengrass in the hall, I think 2 weeks of detention would be more suitable. I'm quite sure that Filch will appreciate the help in cleaning the bathrooms," said Snape before sneering and adding "without the use of magic. Ms. Greengrass, do you need to go to the hospital wing?"

"No, professor" answered Daphne,

"Very well then. Potter, to the potions lab, you will be scrubbing the cauldrons clean. Your 2 weeks detention with Filch start tomorrow."

Harry was furious with Snape, and he was angry with Greengrass for not correcting Snape. He figured though that if he did not want to be in detention for the entire year it would be better to ignore him rather than replying so he followed Snape to the potion lab, giving an angry look to Daphne as he passed her.

For her part, Daphne felt responsible for what happened as she did run into Potter because she wasn't paying attention. She wasn't about to contradict her head of house, but she did owe Potter for him getting 2 weeks of detention, and she hated owing anyone anything. 'I'll have to think of something to make up for this' thought Daphne while groaning and making her way to the common room.

A/N: Hope you all like the chapter.