CHAPTER 6:
HARRY'S MUSINGS
Well, Harry Potter thought to himself as he picked at his food at the Welcoming Feast. That was an unpleasant experience.
Which was a considerable understatement. As the Dementor (as Lupin and Hercule had identified it as afterwards) entered, it seemed to inhale a vast, rattling breath. And then, things had gotten so cold, a roaring rushing filled his ears, and then, so too did the pleading screams of a woman…
He had woken up on the floor of the compartment, Ron and Hermione waking him up, looking extremely worried. So too did Ginny and Neville. Hercule Delacour looked absolutely furious, and for a moment, the normally jovial, good-natured man seemed more frightening than even the Basilisk Harry had killed last year. Lupin looked shaken, but was snapping a bar of chocolate, which turned out to be a remedy for the effects of Dementor exposure.
After going to see the driver, and coming back, Lupin asked Harry if he was all right. Harry nodded. Perhaps if he hadn't known Lupin was a friend of his father's, he might have wondered how the man knew his name. He had all sorts of questions he wanted to ask Lupin now that the man was awake, but Harry was still feeling the after-effects of the Dementor exposure. He also felt shame at having gone to pieces like that. He had faced down Voldemort and his puppet Quirrell back in first year, and a Basilisk the year before that. Both were extraordinarily frightening things, but he hadn't reacted like that.
He realised, with a chill, what that meant. The Dementors were something else entirely. He remembered Apolline Delacour's words about them. He remembered how frightened Hagrid had been, not wanting to be taken into custody at Azkaban. Now he could see why. Vile, evil things, and implacable, too. He wondered what would have happened if Hercule and Lupin hadn't repulsed them. Hercule had told Harry that they had used Patronus spells.
They had taken horseless carriages (Harry hadn't seen them the first two years for different reasons) to the castle, where Malfoy tried to taunt Harry for fainting, having gotten the story out of Neville. But Hercule and Lupin arrived before Malfoy could provoke a fracas, and Hercule said something in French that caused Hermione to giggle. Malfoy left, unwilling to do anything in front of adults, but both Harry and Hermione were taken away by McGonagall to her office. Hermione had told Harry that Hercule had said, in French, that doubtless Malfoy had soiled himself in the presence of the Dementors.
McGonagall and Pomphrey had made a fuss all over him, at least until he pointed out Lupin had given him chocolate. He shared their anger over the Ministry sending these creatures here. Once he left the office with Pomphrey, while McGonagall discussed something private with Hermione, he said to her, "Is it common for people to faint around Dementors?"
"Common, no, but mark my words, Potter, like I said to Minerva, you won't be the last one to collapse. Damned Ministry…Black may be dangerous, but that's no excuse to turn Hogwarts into Azkaban!"
After waiting outside the office for Hermione, they went back to the Feast. They'd missed the Sorting, and Harry could feel the eyes of the students on him acutely. It seemed the rumour mill had worked fast. Did a good chunk of the school already know?
Ron had saved them both seats, and Harry listened as Dumbledore made a series of announcements prior to the Feast. The warning about Dementors was expected, though Harry noted that Dumbledore specifically pointed out that they weren't fooled by Invisibility Cloaks. He then introduced two new teachers: Lupin and Hagrid. Harry was disturbed to note, when Ron pointed out, that Snape looked murderously at Lupin, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. If looks could kill, Lupin would be a gooey, steaming mess on the floor.
Then again, perhaps it wasn't so surprising. Harry knew that Snape coveted the DADA position. But he also knew that Snape had hated his father. And if Lupin had been a friend of Harry's father…
Hagrid's appointment as new teacher of Care of Magical Creatures was very well-received. Harry was glad that he had a teaching position, especially after being framed for the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. Both of them.
Harry noted that Hercule Delacour was also seated at the High Table. Dumbledore then said, "Some of the more observant amongst you has noticed another new face amongst us. It is my great pleasure to introduce Monsieur Hercule Delacour, a consulting detective of some renown from France. He has been retained by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to investigate certain matters relating to the escape of Sirius Black. I would ask that you treat him with the respect any member of Hogwarts staff is due, and cooperate with him if he requires any help."
Not that he would get much respect from some quarters. Harry felt that Snape was due no such respect from himself or his friends, and many in Slytherin, he knew, would treat Hagrid with no respect. Given how Malfoy looked down on Hercule for having a half-Veela wife…well, Hercule would get little help from any ally of Malfoy's within Slytherin. Maybe a few in the House might help him, if they thought it would benefit them: Harry was beginning to see some Slytherins who worked outside of Malfoy's influence.
After that announcement, Dumbledore announced that the Feast had begun. Harry found himself picking at his food listlessly, think about what had happened. First Aunt Marge, then Sirius Black escaping Azkaban, and now the Dementors.
As he crammed his face full of food, Ron said, "So, Harry, tell us about this Veela girl you've been seeing."
"I only met her once, Ron," Harry said. "We've been exchanging letters, though."
"Is she beautiful?"
"Well, yes. Amazingly so. But she was a bit snooty. A bit superior," Harry said. "But she was all right. I found it hard to take my eyes off her, though. It was probably the allure."
"You mean that glamour thing Veela use? Merlin, don't tell me she's bewitched you, mate. Or maybe she slipped you some Amortentia potion."
"Ron, don't be silly," Hermione interjected. "If she did either of those things, Harry wouldn't be able to say those things about her."
"And it's not just that," Harry said, thinking back to his correspondence with Fleur. "She's so beautiful, it's like she's cursed. When she gets boyfriends, she's worried it's her allure or Veela looks that attract them, and…well, not her. Not Fleur the person. And many girls and some boys call her nasty names. The only one I can repeat is hussy, really."
Hermione flinched. "It must be…hard for her," she said.
"Why would it be?" Ron asked. "She could have any guy she wanted."
"Oh, Ron, sometimes you're so dense," Hermione said, exasperated. "It's like with Harry. People see him as the Boy Who Lived, as the saviour of the wizarding world. How many people want to befriend the Boy Who Lived, and not Harry Potter?"
Ron seemed to get it. In fact, it seemed like he had a flash of introspection. "Like me…" he murmured.
"Ron, you're not like that," Harry said. "You're a good friend, and the first friend I've had my age. I mean, you came with me to save the Philosopher's Stone along with Hermione, we went to find the Chamber of Secrets together…who else but a good friend would do that?"
"I guess…" Ron said sheepishly. "Just wish I could get a Veela to notice me."
"If she knows a chess-playing relative on her mother's side, I'll ask her to set you two up," Harry said facetiously.
After the Feast had ended, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to congratulate Hagrid, who seemed effusive about being a teacher. Then, they were shooed away by McGonagall.
They were escorted up to Gryffindor Tower by Percy, who had been made Head Boy. Harry got the feeling he was becoming more pompous now. And he felt sorry for Neville when the next password, Fortuna Major, was spoken. The poor guy didn't have much luck remembering them.
Hogwarts felt more like home to Harry than living at the Dursleys ever did, he reflected as he got ready for bed. And in the wake of the whole Marge affair and his encounter with Hercule and his family, Harry had to wonder, why did Dumbledore leave him with the Dursleys? He could understand maybe wanting to avoid the fame of his position as the Boy Who Lived. But why not, then, leave him with another Muggle couple? One who Dumbledore trusted?
Hercule's comments had led Harry to question many assumptions. Dumbledore himself had hinted at a reason he wasn't ready to trust Harry with after that whole debacle with the Philosopher's Stone. Dumbledore was an intelligent wizard, and Harry trusted him…but after Marge, Harry began to wonder whether that trust should be as unconditional as it was. It wasn't that he thought Dumbledore was bad…he just hated lacking possession of all the facts. Especially if someone was withholding them deliberately.
And it wasn't just that. For all Dumbledore's power, he had been forced to allow the Dementors to be here. Wasn't he also head of some of the Wizarding World's top organisations? Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock, or something like that? He needed to look those up. So how could he allow this to happen? It meant that some of Dumbledore's power was less than he had thought. And that scared him.
With an effort, he turned his mind to a happier topic: Fleur. Over the course of the time spent before heading to Hogwarts, he had exchanged a number of letters with her. Her last letter was sent shortly before he went to Hogwarts, and they had already become a little less frequent, given that she had gone back to France. But the last one was to say she was heading back to Beauxbatons.
Harry had to admit, he was coming to view her as a friend, despite their short acquaintance. It was probably because, despite the somewhat awkward nature of their first meeting, her first letter was…nice. A bit stiff and formal in some regards (Harry didn't know whether it was her nature, or her lack of ease with English, or perhaps both), and she had doubted his sincerity about detesting those who hated Veela, but there was also a baring of her heart. Only a bit, but she had divulged some things to him that she may have found it hard to do so. And in doing so, she began to draw Harry Potter out as well.
True, she had reached out to him because he was the Boy Who Lived…but it was because she was curious about the person behind the myth. He had no compunction about that. If she actually wanted to know who Harry Potter was, then he could live with that. And she was interesting too, once the whole thing about Veela allure went away. Her father came from a family that had inspired a number of fictional detectives, and was himself an intelligent and perceptive man. Her mother was half-Veela in a world filled with people who envied and despised Veela and their offspring, and worked hard to help her kind, as well as other magical hybrids or beings. But there was a culture of a different species entirely, one that could interbreed with humans. Harry had only gotten hints about that from Fleur, but it was interesting and fascinating. Hell, Fleur even admitted that her wand contained a hair from her grandmother, a full-blooded Veela. It was apparently a tradition of Veela who had part-human offspring to give these hairs to their descendants as wand cores: normally, they were too temperamental for the task, but for their descendants, it would work wonders.
In a way, Harry and Fleur were alike in more ways than you'd think. They straddled two worlds, and had expectations and preconceptions forced upon them because of circumstances beyond their control. Harry was the Boy Who Lived, a halfblood wizard who hadn't even known of magic being real until he was eleven, lauded as a hero for something he didn't do, and feared because of his Parseltongue. Fleur was the part-Veela, looked on as a thief of men, desired and shunned in equal measure for being born with bewitching beauty.
She wasn't a girlfriend, not by any means. But he hoped she would be a friend, and a good friend.
That night, he had a dream. He was walking down a sandy, sun-kissed beach, hand in hand with Fleur. He was older by some years, in his late teens. They were both dressed for the beach, him in trunks, and she in this rather elegant one-piece swimsuit.
They didn't speak. They just walked in silence, hand-in-hand, down the beach. Enjoying each other's company. Listening to the susurration of waves against the shore. The sound of the sand crunching beneath their feet. The call of birds overhead.
At some point, they stopped, letting go of each other, and turning to face each other. So elegant and so beautiful, Harry thought. How do I have a chance with someone like her?
As if in reply, she gently took his head in his hands, and brought his face towards her own. Their lips met. It was no passionate, throbbing kiss, filled with lust, merely a simple, prolonged contact, a quiet and gentle intimacy, of lips touching lips.
Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when Harry woke up. But the feeling of Fleur's lips in the dream lingered, and he gently touched his lips with his fingers. With a resigned sigh, he got out of bed, not quite ready to face the day. She may become a friend, but he wasn't sure he had a chance with her…
CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:
Wow, another chapter out so quickly. You guys are lucky. I got some inspiration for this chapter, wrote it up quickly, and, well, here you are. Hope you like.
Now, further chapters will probably be some time coming. Like I said, In Spite of Obstinate Men is more of an experiment in pure Harry Potter fanfic for me, and I have other fanfics to work on. If you're lucky, I might have inspiration for another chapter before long, but otherwise, you will have to be patient. I know that's a dirty word on the internet, but still…well, remember what Sander Cohen from BioShock said: "My muse is a fickle bitch, with a short attention span!"
BTW, sorry if the dream sequence is a bit awkward. I'm not good with romantic scenes, and I wasn't going to ruin the story by making it a wet dream either. But I wanted to plant the seeds of the Harry/Fleur relationship's future. And if you're wondering why Harry thinks he has no chance with her, keep in mind that even in canon, Harry is somewhat self-effacing. The treatment of the Dursleys probably didn't help his self-esteem either. Plus, his circle of friends is small and only recently made. Not to mention the fact that Ron is more or less correct: Fleur, if she chose, could pick any man she wished. In this story, it will be Harry, rest assured of that.
You'll also notice that, unlike in canon, Harry's beginning to question Dumbledore's infallibility. This is partly because of Hercule Delacour revealing information to Harry that has been kept from him. Keep in mind, though, that this won't be a Dumbledore-bashing fic. Dumbledore will be a heavily flawed character, yes, but he is ultimately trying his best for Magical Britain. However, he is also one of the obstinate men of the title. Ron, too, will have a few jealousy fits, but he will still be Harry's friend throughout this story. I actually gave him that little epiphany during the Feast, but also pointed out (through Harry) his good points. I prefer reconstructing these characters, as compared to just deconstructing them. I don't want them to be taken apart, but rather, to be put together, better than before.
Review-answering time: minerdude: Asimov's family only revealed it some years after his death, after attitudes had changed. Sad but true.
daithi4377: In canon, Pomphrey does point out that Harry will probably not be the only one to collapse. But you're right, he has gone through more than a kid should at his age.
Stormbow: I might consider that, but while I had intended to have Pettigrew caught earlier than in canon, that wasn't the method I had thought of. Then again, I hadn't thought of any method yet. I tend to write by the seat of my pants.
paladin3030: Thanks. I do sort of hear Suchet's voice (or rather, the one he uses as Poirot) when I write Hercule Delacour.
diagonalpumpkin: Glad to see you liked my neologism. I sincerely hope I am the first person to coin the term 'Batrachian Bitch' to apply to Umbridge. As for Hercule losing his cool with Draco, it was someone with the same attitudes as Draco who ended Hercule's career as the French equivalent of an Auror. I mentioned this in the first chapter. Unlike Hercule's nemesis in the French DMLE, Draco is also the child of a Death Eater. He hates the terms used by Draco with impunity, and had to restrain himself from punching the little POS.
Ariel Night: Thank you very much for your assessment. My beginning was a bit contrived, but no less so than the examples you mentioned. I also get annoyed with 'love at first sight' stories in fanfic or normal fic. Love at first sight is, at best, a rare occurrence in real life. It's usually lust and/or infatuation. And I agree with your assessment of allure immunity. Harry is less affected than many, though. That's partly because he only just hit puberty relatively recently, and partly because he tries to be a decent person.
Your assessment of Fleur is also spot-on. I think I read one or two fics where her snobbish and aloof attitude is a reaction to her being basically lusted after half the time. I decided to extrapolate from that, which is why she feels a kinship with Harry: they both have very public perceptions of them that don't quite match the people behind them.
JukedSolid: It's less that I don't intend to finish, and more like I probably won't. If I can finish it, I will. But it's less of a priority for me than other works which take my fancy. Consider yourself lucky to get two chapters in about as many days. I'm glad you think so highly of my work, though. I'm very grateful that you to consider my work top-drawer, and I thank you for your compliments.
Axcel: I have no idea. Personally, I'd think a Dementor would shrug it off, go 'meh', and get back to imbibing the happiness of those present.
Holmes: I don't know the reputation of French beaches, though I can infer from your comment. As for the rest of the comment, I'm not sure what you mean. Hermione will probably help Harry in learning how to treat a woman properly, psychologically speaking. Anything else, I dunno, and I probably won't write.
EmeraldGuardian7: Hope your story goes well. :)
No numbered annotations this time.
