This chapter is a little longer because the last chapter was a lot shorter than normal. Hope you guys like it. Again, if certain liberties were taken with characters that you don't like, well I guess you won't like it. I want to make it clear, I don't hate Harry Potter, there is a plan for him, I am just keeping in with the flaws that were present through much of the series. He's a hothead and very arrogant, but I don't see him as a bad guy. Just got a break him down a bit before I can build him back up. Thanks for reading, hope you like it.
"These children are not but sixteen! Some of them merely fifteen, fifteen Albus!" Minerva McGonagall shook her head. "Can you even remember half of the irresponsible and immature things you did when you were a child? I certainly can't! There is far too much pressure on Harry right now! He hasn't even had a chance to grieve for the death of his Godfather, he's trying to keep up with his classes, Slughorn's advanced potions class and club, quidditch and now you make him the team captain of an inter-house debate team and require him to work with students from Slytherin? When does he get to catch his breath?"
Albus took the shrieking Scottish woman's lecture in stride. He had always adored how protective she was of her students, like a lioness defending her cubs. In truth, if circumstances were anything but what they were now, he would wholeheartedly agree with her. Harry was going through too much and even he was not blind to the boy's struggles to cope. Minerva was absolutely correct in her belief that Harry's emotions were becoming more and more unstable, but what else could he do? Tom certainly didn't care to take it easy on him, he wasn't going to wait for Harry to catch his breath and feel better.
Minerva's eyes narrowed on him angrily when he did little more than smile and nod. "What do you intend to do to remedy this situation, Albus? Even Ronald Weasely is aware of his friend's distress! That should speak volumes in and of itself!"
"I understand you're feelings completely. The boy is going through a lot, but this is an opportunity to see if he has learned anything about the minds, strengths and weaknesses of his peers." He answered simply, but he knew by the intake of air that his deputy headmaster had just taken, that it was not an answer that would suffice. "Minerva, I need you to trust that I know what I am doing."
"A task that would be easier if I knew what it is that you are doing!" The woman huffed, though it was evident through her body language that she was beginning to calm down. "You keep too many secrets, Albus. I worry that one day those secrets are going to get you killed or worse; break the very person you are grooming for war."
With twinkling blue eyes, Albus placed a hand on the red clad witch's shoulder. "You have my word, Minerva, that I will not break Harry Potter. The boy will be just fine. He is strong like his parents."
She gave him a pointed look as she shook her head. "For all their strength, their lives were still lost." She reminded gravely.
Hermoine Granger sat in the library as she looked over three different books for her references on a report. She was a little surprised when she saw Draco Malfoy come into the library alone, but pure shock and horror filled her as she watched the boy politely request to sit at a table full of Hufflepuff students that included Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchly, Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott. They seemed just as worried as she was, but they eventually conceded. Deciding she needed to know what was going on, she subtly walked over to the shelf beside their table and pretended to search for a book.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Susan demanded.
Draco looked at her, his smile never wavering as he put a hand to his heart. "Really, Susan, I am hurt. Can't a guy look in on his Hufflepuff classmates?"
"No." Ernie glared angrily. "You are a trouble maker, you helped Umbridge torture more than half of us for nothing and you have blatantly called for the death of several of our friends because you are an arrogant bastard who hates muggle borns!"
Malfoy frowned as he felt the four sets of eyes focusing on him. This was going to be harder than he thought. Damn Graves for sending him on this futile mission. How was he ever going to get Susan and Justin to join him with Ernie reminding them of every foul act he had committed against them? He certainly wasn't going to beg; a Malfoy would never beg a mud-blood or blood traitor for anything.
With what would have been a charming smile to his own friends, Malfoy looked to Ernie. "You know, Macmillan, I am surprised to hear you throwing out such harsh words when we all know you are as prone to flawed accusations as anyone in the school. Wasn't it you who started the rumor that Harry Potter cheated to get himself in the Tri-Wizard tournament?" He yawned calmly letting that sink in before he continued. "Truthfully, I would have done it but you were too quick for me and alas the credit goes to you. You, too, accused Potter of being the heir of Slytherin as well, yes? How embarrassing it must have been for you to have claimed such a thing when it was Potter himself who defeated the wretched creature that nearly killed your little friend here."
"What's your point?" Susan demanded with an air of authority that reminded most of the students of her aunt.
"Clearly, we all make mistakes, we are all wrong at times." Draco smiled smoothly. "Even I can admit that I have been wrong in the past, that the lure of power and prestige has been too strong to deny." His eyes focused on Susan Bones, sure that if he got her to join, Justin would follow suit. "Susan, are we not all teenagers? Are we all not learning? Ernie Macmillan has attacked Potter as often as I have, the only difference between us seems to be that I wear green where as he wears yellow."
"You are attempting to use our sense of fair play against us." Hannah frowned.
"Is it working?" Draco grinned and winked at the normally shy girl who blushed immediately.
"Depends. What is that you want?" Susan asked, not falling for the blonde's charms what so ever.
"Believe it or not, I wanted to ask you, Susan and you Justin to join Emery Graves' inter-house debate team. You are the two Hufflepuff''s he singled out for recruitment and here I am, offering you the invitation to be a part of something this school has never seen before." Draco shrugged casually.
Hermoine dropped her books, catching the attention of all five students at the table beside her. She looked pale and enraged. "You are on Emery's team?"
"Joined just this morning, Granger." He smiled at her as he bent down to pick up her books. He offered them kindly. "I am looking forward to working with you."
The Hufflepuff students looked to one another, clearly uncomfortable with what was going on, especially as Hermoine stood with her jaw slack, her eyes wide in disbelief. Draco normally would have insulted her, but as they waited, he did nothing but patiently wait for her to take the offered books from him.
"I can't join Emery's team." Justin was the first to break the silence. "Emery is...is a...a parseltongue."
"What's your point Justin?" Draco's eyes turned to the mud-blood. He had to be careful when dealing with this one as he was beginning to understand why Emery didn't want to do this part himself. He had forgotten that much of Emery's favor with the student body was lost when it came out that he could speak to snakes. "While I am not a fan of Emery's I can tell you this. He isn't aligned with You-Know-Who."
"Oh, and what's makes you an authority?" Ernie growled.
"Well, if you believe half of what you all say about me, than wouldn't I know who was working for the Dark Lord?" Draco tried to make that a joke, but even to his own ears, he knew his silver tongue had failed. Instead it sounded like an admission of guilt. That was, until Hermoine laughed softly and took the books from him.
"Hermoine?" Susan frowned.
"Sorry, I just..." She blushed profusely as she hugged the offered books to her chest, trying hard to disappear. "I just understood that he was joking is all."
Hannah's face softened as she smiled, too. "Emery has always been exceptionally nice to me. I also know that Dumbledore is the one who proposed the teams, so you both know it's a legitimate team."
Draco looked to Hannah and flashed her a kind smile. Why not? She was helping with his cause and he could see that Susan had already made up her mind. "Well, what is it going to be Susan? With Hermoine and Justin being invited, you have to know that Emery isn't out to harm anyone, just to win."
Again, Hermoine's eyes widened. Twice now the most hateful Slytherin in the entire school had implied a compliment toward her, his most hated adversary. She had often gotten the feeling that Draco hated her more than he did Harry. So to hear him not only say he was looking forward to working with her but to imply that she was good enough to make the team a winning team? It was a little disconcerting and it made her very nervous.
"He has a point Justin." Susan agreed. "You are known to have a photographic memory and we all know Hermoine's standing in the school. I believe that Emery is trying to put together a winning debate team."
Justin shook his head and spoke with timid disgust. "Then why have Malfoy?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Susan asked with a bit of a blush. "He just talked me into joining when I was dead set against it from the moment of his arrival."
"You have got to be kidding me?" Ernie shouted incredulously.
"No, I am not. I will join Emery's team." Susan clarified. "I was hoping Harry would ask me, but I have already heard that most of his team are his own Gryffindor friends with the exception of Hermoine."
"Why are you on Emery's team?" Justin's nervous brown eyes looked up at Hermoine expectantly. "Why aren't you on Harry's team?"
Even Draco couldn't help but look up to the girl as they all waited for her answer. "Well for one, Emery also asked me first." Hermoine reasoned lamely. She could tell the five students looking at her weren't buying it. "Alright fine, because I believe in what Dumbledore is trying to do with this sport. He wants us to create bonds with students outside of our own house, to become a united school. Even the sorting hat warned that we would all fall to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named if we didn't find a way to unite. Unity will not be found on Harry's team."
While Hermoine knew the truth was that she was spying on Emery; it actually pained her to put Harry down. To say that unity couldn't be found on his team? It was unfair and cruel to say that in front of Ernie who never seemed to trust Potter and Malfoy who hated him. Still, she had stumbled on a truth she hadn't wanted to see until it slipped right out of her mouth. Harry was not capable-no, not willing to unify the houses, and that realization hurt as much as slamming him had.
Justin looked to Hermoine and then to Susan and finally to Malfoy. "If you or Emery try anything, anything at all, I am out." He sighed nervously.
"This is stupid!" Ernie raged loudly for the second time. "He is setting you up! He is-
"Mr. Macmillan!" Madam Pince hissed as she seemed to appear out of nowhere. "You will leave the library this instant! Out! Out! Out!"
Malfoy smiled darkly as he watched the witch chase Ernie out of the library. His blue eyes settled on Susan and Justin. "See you two at practice. I believe the next one is tonight after the evening meal before curfew. We meet in the trophy room."
With that, the Slytherin teenager left , politely bowing to them before doing so. What had at first seemed impossible was an easy challenge. He couldn't help but find it more rewarding than winning a quidditch match had ever been. Perhaps his godfather was right; debate was talking people into seeing things your way and he clearly had a talent for it.
Emery sat during the evening meal beside a small fourth year named Astoria Greengrass. She was still petite for a fourteen year old. She had freckles splayed across her nose and beneath her dark brown eyes. Long auburn hair framed her round face and fell a few inches over each shoulder. She was dressed in a black pleated skirt that hit just below her knees, a green sweater vest was placed over a white long sleeved blouse. Her uniform was immaculate with every thread in the right place. Even her black Mary Janes were polished so nicely that she could see her reflection if she tried.
"Will I get any extra credit?" She asked in a business like tone.
Emery grinned and shook his head. "I don't think so. Honestly, Dumbledore has not said if there will be a prize for the winning team or not."
"Hmm. Who all did you say was on the team so far?" She inquired before taking a bite of her broccoli.
"Myself, Luna Lovegood, Lisa Turpin, Herm-
"Let me rephrase. What boys are on the team?" She asked, her facial expression was all business but her cheeks turned slightly pink.
With a small laugh Emery shook his head. Of course, what fourteen year old girl cared about her female teammates? "Am I not enough for you to look at?" He teased.
"Don't toy with me, Graves. Just answer my question." She said a little heatedly.
"Alright fine. Justin Finch-Fletchly, Michael Corner, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, and as I stated before, myself." He answered.
After a few moments of eating her meal while she deliberated she finally nodded. "Very well, Graves. I will join your team, but I want my study partner to be either Michael Corner or Neville Longbottom. I assume you can make this happen?"
This was easily the funnest recruitment Emery had experienced. He chuckled while nodding his head. "Yes, Ms. Greengrass I can make sure those two are your partners for any team assignments. Is there anything else?"
The girl's brown eyes hardened as she looked at him, displeased by his laughing. "You will stop laughing at me this instant. I am not a joke, Mr. Graves."
He bit back a smile. "Ok, ok. I will not laugh or smirk at you. We have practice tonight after the evening meal. You need to be at the trophy room on time, got it?"
"Fine. You can go away now. I don't need Neville or Michael thinking that you and I are an item." She waved him off.
Harry and his team stood in front of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and several professors who had been chosen to act as judges. All four house heads were present as well as Madams Pomfrey and Pince, as well as Professors Vector, Binns, and Burbage. It was Dumbledore, however, that kept Harry's attention as his pale blue eyes looked him and his team over with obvious disappointment. Of all the adults present, Dumbledore was the last person that he thought would be upset with him; if anything the man should be more than understanding.
He looked over his team again and found that there was nothing lacking. Why Theo Nott was sitting alone at the Slytherin table was still beyond him. He had told him his services were not required, so why had he shown up? Maybe he was a second for Emery in case one of the Professors disapproved of a student on their team?
"I see we have Ms. Cho Chang and Padma Patil of Ravenclaw, Mr. Ernie Macmillan and Ms. Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff." Albus began as he looked over each student. "Then we have Ms. Parvati Patil and Ginny Weasely along with Misters Seamus Finnegan, Ronald Wesley and Dean Thomas all from Gryffindor. Where, Mr. Potter, is your Slytherin representative?"
"I couldn't find anyone willing to join, Sir." Harry lied as he frowned. Who wouldn't believe him? It wasn't as if Dumbledore could have known that Theo had volunteered.
"I find that rather odd, Mr. Potter, considering I assigned Mr. Nott to join your team." He looked to Theodore. "Mr. Nott, did you disobey me?"
"No, Headmaster. Harry informed me that he would not work with me and dismissed me." Theo stated after standing up respectfully. And that's the nice version of what he said. He thought to himself.
Harry's cheeks flushed as he looked down at the floor. He could hear the other team snickering as they waited to present themselves. He couldn't understand why Dumbledore was doing this to him. His godfather was dead thanks to the Death Eaters and here they all were playing games with the very children of those hateful murderers. Meanwhile, Voldemort was probably gathering his strength and allies for the upcoming war. Who the Hell really knew if Nott, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle weren't already made Death Eaters themselves?
"Harry, you must pick a Slytherin teammate for your debate team to be eligible." Professor Dumbledore spoke gently, not wanting to embarrass the boy further. "I suggest you ask Mr. Nott to join your team."
With a scowl that could rival Snape's, Harry looked to Theodore Nott. "Are you still interested in joining my team, Theo?" The words came through gritted teeth.
"Would love to." Theo smirked as he stood and joined the teenagers. "So who are you getting rid of in my place?"
"Perhaps once of the five Gryffindors." Professor Snape muttered under his breath.
"Actually, I will leave." Dean spoke as he stepped forward. "Never really sounded fun to begin with, Mate. Just a lot more studying."
Harry said nothing as the boy walked away from the line of ten students and sat at the Gryffindor table. "This is my team, then." Harry frowned as he finally lifted his green eyes to see the Professors looking over his team.
"Do any of you object to Mr. Potter's team or have any questions?" Albus asked his comrades.
"Tell me, Mr. Potter, how did you pick your teammates?" Minerva asked, her eyes conveying an understanding smile to her ego-bruised cub.
"Well, I chose them based on who has been most loyal and helpful to me in the past. They are all really clever, strong and they are my friends." Harry answered.
"Who do you think will be your strongest asset?" Professor Flitwick questioned next. "I see that Hermoine Granger is not on your team. She would have seemed like a shoe-in for you."
"Well, Hermoine joined Emery cause he asked first I guess." Harry answered going with the cover story he and Hermoine had come up with the day they discovered Emery might be Voldemort's son. "I suppose my greatest asset on my team would be, Cho Chang. She's a Ravenclaw and is pretty smart and has high marks."
Professor Snape rolled his eyes while Professor Flitwick seemed disappointed by the boy's answer. Harry felt like he was failing a test he hadn't studied for. He was beginning to think that it may have been a mistake to have Hermoine on Emery's team. What was he going to do without her to read between the lines? Yes, he had definitely made a mistake.
"How much time did you put into picking your team?" Severus smirked as his black beady eyes took him in like a snake eying a rat.
What does that matter? Harry thought to himself. "Well, Professor Snape, it wasn't really that hard. I just started asking my friends and they said yes." He shrugged. "Maybe an hour or-?"
"Thank you, Harry." Albus interrupted. "Are there any objections?" When no answer was received Dumbledore gestured to an empty table. "You may take a seat while we look over your competitors. Mr. Graves please come forward with your team."
Emery led his nine teammates up to the head table. The teachers seemed plenty impressed as Draco Malfoy, Astoria Greengrass, Luna Lovegood, Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchly, Neville Longbottom and Hermoine Granger all stood before them in single file beside their team captain. Despite the different houses, all of the students looked at ease in each others presence. Even Neville appeared confident.
"Thank you Mr. Graves. Your team looks very formidable." Albus smiled pleasantly before once more looking to his fellow professors. "Questions or objections?"
Severus sneered as he saw Neville Longbottom. Even with his dislike of the female Gryffindor, he could admit there was sound logic in choosing Granger, but Longbottom being picked was beyond him. The boy was a nervous wreck and unable to perform in front of others. Every time he had been in his potions class the boy would much up everything and then the little know it all would save him from certain disaster. "If those are the best two Gryffindors you can find, then I approve."
Professor McGonagall glared openly at her co-worker before returning her gaze to Emery. "How did you pick your team, Mr. Graves."
"I believe I chose the smartest of each class with a focus on Ravenclaw like tendencies thanks to their dedication to all types of knowledge. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor have never specifically pointed out intelligence as a desired trait, which is why there are three Ravenclaw and Slytherin students each on my team. Honestly, I would have preferred a twelve man team to make the houses completely even." Emery explained confidently.
"Do you truly believe you picked the smartest of the school?" Professor Sprout asked curiously. "What was it about each of these students that led you to believe they would create a winning team?"
"Yes, I believe they are the smartest. I chose based on their skills and talents. Luna Lovegood has a wide range of obscure subjects and her grades are never lacking. Lisa Turpin and Michael Corner each are two of the highest in grade point average amongst the school and Hermoine Granger is obviously the highest marked student in the whole Sixth year, if not the entire school. Neville is superior in Herbology, ingredients to potions and their preparations. Susan Bones is the most Ravenclaw like Hufflepuff with a sharp eye for following rules and a talent at reading people. Justin has a photographic memory and is particularly good with numbers, dates, calculations and data in general. Astoria has the best overall marks in the entire Slytherin house and as for Draco Malfoy? Well, this is debate and who wouldn't want the man with the silver tongue on his side?"
Pamona Sprout smiled and looked to Severus. "Your student reads his classmates well." She complimented. "It's good to see one of the first inter-house teams so well built."
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor Flitwick spoke up with a grave tone. "How will you work with Ms. Granger and Mr. Finch-Fletchly? We all have docked point or issued detentions due to some of your more extreme opinions about muggle borns."
Harry finally got a chance to smile as all eyes fell to Malfoy. He knew that Draco would not be able to resist putting down Hermoine or Justin in some way. He was too pompous, too arrogant to ever see them as anything but second class citizens. Draco was too much like his father and he was going to say something to prove that. He just knew it.
Emery's odd eyes looked to Malfoy as he waited nervously for the boy to answer. Sure he had recruited Justin and Susan, but that didn't mean the boy had changed over night. He didn't trust Malfoy, but he was still in a position where he had no choice but to put his faith in him. If the self proclaimed Prince of Slytherin insulted either of the two muggle borns on his team it would set the tone and he would either lose Malfoy, or both Justin and Hermoine. They had both warned him of this when they joined the team and he didn't blame them.
"Well, Professor Flitwick, I am just going to treat them with the same respect that I give to my house peers and quidditch team." Draco smiled. "Besides, I for one, took the sorting hat seriously when it spoke of unity." He paused as he winked to Hermoine and then flashed a debonaire smile to the professors. "Besides, if I don't behave, Emery here will happily kick me off the team, thus robbing me of the opportunity to beat Harry Potter. A feat we all know I want more than anything,"
To Harry's surprise, Albus Dumbledore smiled the same smile he gave to Fred or George when they pulled of a magnificent prank. Minerva smirked and Professor Flitwick gave in to a chuckle. They had all been charmed by Malfoy and his blatant honesty. What really bothered him was that even Hermoine had smiled when Draco winked at her. Hermoine Granger, the girl who had punched him in the face during third year!
"Very good." Dumbledore nodded. "Your team is approved. I wish both teams the best of luck. Please be prepared to compete in two weeks time. Harry, Emery; you both will come to my office to gather the rules and subject material."
