Still looking for a beta/co-writer. Might call this off, seeing as not too many people seem to be interested in volunteering. Enjoy.
IMPORTANT: A reader recently brought it to my attention that I've been alternating between the names Daniel and Damien (when referring to Lord Greengrass). I deeply apologize for this. I won't be editing previous chapters for a while, but from now on, I will be using the name Daniel Greengrass.
Snow billowed around the Hogwarts Express as the magical train strained against the howling blizzard. It was about a week before Christmas, and all six of them had decided to go home. Ron had grumbled immensely at that prospect, for he had wanted to sample the Hogwarts Christmas feast very badly. He had brightened up, however, when he realized his parents were taking him to Romania.
"Never had Romanian food before. And Charlie's really cool! He's a dragon tamer," Ron had bragged proudly.
He rested his head back against the seat, glad that the train somehow kept itself heated despite the raging cold.
Probably some sort of warming charm at work he mused as he made his move. They were playing Exploding Snap to pass the time, and his fingers had been singed once already.
"Remind me to teach you all this game called poker," he muttered as Daphne pondered her move.
"Poker? Like the fireplace appliance?" asked Terry, confused by the term.
"Yes, Harry's going to teach us how a tool is used in a card game," retorted Draco sarcastically as he leaned away from the cards, as if afraid that Daphne would fail.
"Oh, please tell us what it is then, Draco," snapped Terry as Daphne made her move unscathed.
"I only implied I knew what it wasn't."
"Prat."
"It's a muggle card game," cut in Padma, before the conversation could turn any more juvenile.
"What's the point of muggle cards? They don't even do anything," asked Ron, his entire face scrunched up in concentration as he added his card to the structure.
"They manage to keep you engaged without incinerating parts of your body," he replied with amusement, looking at what Ron was doing with some trepidation. The structure was becoming unstable now.
"I don't see how," declared Draco as Ron finally made his move.
"Well, playing with money tends to keep you hooked, burns or no burns," he explained, "Not to mention the game requires a fair amount of mental skill."
"I can't believe everyone will meet up during Christmas except me," grumbled Ron.
"Believe me, I would rather prance around a dragon reserve naked rather than go that Ministry Ball," shuddered Terry as he considered the card structure.
"There's a pretty mental picture," muttered Daphne, "Padma, how is your family invited? As far as I remember, Mr. Patil doesn't work in the ministry, nor is he nobility here."
It was a mark of how well they now understood each other that Padma correctly interpreted Daphne's question as curiosity, rather than an attempt to be insulting.
"Father is one of the richest businessmen in the magical world. Not to mention he IS part of the Indian nobility. All the ministers try to keep him happy for those reasons," explained Padma, reaching for one of her cards.
"The money alone would have done it, if I remember Fudge correctly," snorted Daphne.
"In any case, it's wonderful that the ball is a day after the Christmas celebrations. We can tell each other how good their presents were," said Terry enthusiastically.
"Damn. Now I actually have to put some thought into them," complained Padma, with a mock-exasperated look on her face.
"It's not all fun and games though," muttered Draco, "What happens in that one night could very well dictate how the balance of power will be for the next year. My father nevers lets that chance go to waste."
Draco wore a faint look of distaste on his face, which surprised him. He realized that while Draco would mention his mother frequently and enthusiastically, the same could not be said of his father. Perhaps he would be able to get more insight at the Ministry Ball.
"Mum's going to go mental when she finds out Harry is going to be there and she's not," Ron said conversationally.
His lips thinned slightly in distaste as he recalled the domineering woman. He was quite relieved that he would not be meeting her, though Ron insisted that she was a kind-hearted woman most of the time. Loudness was a quality he could never stand for too long.
"Is it equally important for us?" he asked, trying not to think about the previous conversation.
"Of course," asserted Draco, "It was in those occasions that I strengthened my position in anticipation of getting so"
"In your case, I'm sure your family name did half the work," snickered Terry as Draco's face grew pink, "I just went because they usually had a very good feast."
"Connections are always useful Harry," explained Daphne, "You'll see many there whom you might remember passing by in a corridor. Today's heirs are tomorrow's Lords and Ladies."
Then I should take this occasion seriously. Hopefully today will help lay part of the foundation I need to form a coalition against Nyx he pondered to himself. This was far outside his area of expertise, as his previous life had require power and martial strategy, not political thinking. He resolved to talk to Daniel, as they had a little over a week to plan for the ball.
"It's not the most pleasant way to spend a holiday, no matter how you look at it. It'll be especially bad for my family," complained Terry as he placed his last card on the precarious structure.
"Why especially so?" he asked curiously, soaking in all the information he could.
"My family is considered part of the neutral faction too, though they've never admitted as much. They vote mainly on economical and educational issues. It's been decades since one of them voted on anything else," Terry elaborated, disdain clear in his voice.
"So Dan- Lord Greengrass will also face similar pressure then?"
"He's faced it for years," asserted Daphne, "This year will be no different."
"I wouldn't be so sure. From what I've overheard, the Dark will begin to make bolder moves soon. They think Dumbledore has gotten too complacent," warned Draco.
"Can't argue with them," sniffed Daphne as the game continued. The rest of the journey was spent talking about lighter topics, as the blizzard began to lose some of its intensity. The train chugged away through the deserted region.
"HARRY!" yelled Astoria as she threw herself at him with all her might, making him stagger back slightly from the force of the tackle. Daniel and Isabela walked towards him at a more sedate pace, even as Astoria moved to tackle Daphne next.
"Harry, you look like you've grown," commented Isabela with a slight smile on her face.
"Hogwarts food always did that to students," said Daniel, though his expression looked quite distant.
He rolled his eyes as he remembered what Daniel had said about his public mask. No doubt the Greengrasses were waiting until they were away from public eyes before exchanging their real greetings. Well, all save for Astoria, who seemed to exhibit enough energy on all their behalf.
The rest of his friends began to walk towards their respective groups, bidding their farewells as they went. Draco's family stayed the least amount of time, as his father grasped his hand and apparated as soon as he reached them.
"Well then, let's get you two home shall we?" asked Daniel, "I assume you've shrunk your suitcases."
Daphne nodded, upon which Daniel took her and Astoria by the arm before twisting into nothingness with a loud crack.
He took one last look around the crowded platform before taking a hold of Isabela's proffered arm. They reappeared in the living room of the Greengrass manor, and he took a seat immediately, trying to shake off the effects of the apparition. It was still better than the time Daniel had taken him.
"We should give the poor boy a few seconds to collect himself," needled Daniel, the mischief in his voice clear.
"Harry's weird," giggled Astoria as she poked at his shoulder. He rolled his eyes, refusing to acknowledge either of them. Soon, the sensation of being squeezed through a straw faded, and he felt himself return to normal.
Daphne had taken that time to tell her family about the highlights of their term so far, though a three headed monster and trolls were absent from her story. She gave him a meaningful as she gave her parents the safer highlights. Her expression was clear: You can tell them about the adventurous parts.
"Well then," Isabela broke off when she realized he was alright, "Why don't you two go up to your rooms and unpack? There's quite some time before dinner."
Both of them nodded and began to walk towards the staircase. Before he began to climb it, however, he turned to the adult Greengrasses.
"Daniel, can I talk to you and Isabela in the study? I have some important things to talk about. I can be there in ten minutes."
Both of them looked curious, but quickly nodded their assent. He sighed and continued walking up the stairs.
"Good luck," muttered Daphne before heading in the direction of her room. Astoria followed close on her heels, chattering away at lightning speed.
You might need that luck more than I do he thought with amusement as Astoria showed no sign of easing up.
His room looked exactly the way he had left it, though it was clear that Prim had kept the room spotless. He wondered when the diminutive elf was.
Do I get Prim a present?Would that even be appropriate? he wondered idly as he pulled out his trunk and enlarged it before setting it in one corner of the room. He freshened up quickly and changed his clothes, all the while thinking of how he would break the news to Daniel and Isabela without suffering grievous injuries.
Well, no point putting it off he resigned himself before walking towards the study.
"Let me see if I have this right," Daniel said in a deceptively calm voice, "Around Halloween, you had to fight off three fully grown mountain trolls."
He nodded.
"Trolls that somehow penetrated Hogwarts' security."
He nodded again.
"Then, some weeks later, a spectral creature appeared in Hogwarts and made you follow it."
Another nod.
"This spectral creature led you into a room that had a Cerberus in it."
"A Cerberus that was standing on a trap door," he added helpfully.
"Of course. How could I forget the trapdoor," deadpanned Daniel before massaging the sides of his forehead lightly, clearly trying to process what he had been told.
"So much for being the safest place in Britain," gritted out Isabela as she clenched her hands.
"I feel like I should apologize for the troll incident," he said hesitantly, knowing he had to get it off his mind, "If I hadn't been where I was, Daphne would never have been in danger."
"Stop right there," Isabela said sharply. He looked at her, confused.
"Are you the person responsible for Hogwarts security?" she asked him. He shook his head in the negative.
"Are you the person who smuggled those trolls in?" she continued. He shook his head yet again.
"Then you have neither the reason nor the right to blame yourself," she asserted conclusively, as if daring him to refuse her logic. He stayed quiet, feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"With that out of the way, we should discuss what to do next," Daniel brought their conversation back on track.
"I think we shouldn't make a move until we find out what the Cerberus is guarding. We know it had something to do with what was stolen from Gringotts," he suggested.
"As much as I dislike it, that does seem to be the best course of action," muttered Daniel, though his lips thinned at the prospect, "This clearly goes beyond some old artifact that needs to be protected, if someone was desperate enough to break into Gringotts for it."
"This thief might grow bolder and more desperate if the news got out. Dumbledore would change its location if it ever makes the headlines," continued Isabela as all three of them headed to the inevitable conclusion of their thought process. Say nothing just yet.
"BUT there's no reason not to collect information and evidence," interjected Daniel, "There's no such thing as having too much of it at your disposal."
He nodded, agreeing with the suggestion, "We were intending to investigate the Cerberus by talking to Hagrid."
"Good plan, if there are magical creatures in Hogwarts, Hagrid probably has pet names for them," smiled Isabela rather fondly.
"We'll see about securing owl post soon," added Daniel, before pouring himself a finger of whiskey, "Anything else to discuss?"
"Yes, Daphne mentioned that all of us would be going to the Ministry Ball," he began hesitantly, and Daniel nodded in the affirmative, "Well, I was wondering if you could tell me where to begin forming connections."
"Is this for anything specific?" asked Daniel curiously.
"I guess I've already started thinking ahead to the big battle," he confessed. It was a half-lie. They probably thought he meant Voldemort, when he himself was more focused on Nyx. Then a thought struck him.
"Actually, I can think of a more immediate issue as well,"
"What do you mean?"
"Sirius Black. You told me that he was one of my father's closest friends, and that he was imprisoned without a trial. The lack of a trial is rather suspicious, I was hoping we could look into it."
"Harry," began Isabela gently, "You realize the evidence against him is heavy? That he was a close friend of your parents just makes it all the more likely that he was the Secret Keeper."
"I'm not holding my breath about his innocence," he assured her, "I just want to confirm it."
"Fudge is too much of a jellyfish to even consider that," snorted Daniel, "That leaves only one option. Amelia Bones."
"Who is she?"
"The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," explained Isabela, "One of the few honorable people in the Ministry."
"She's dead set against Death Eaters, but isn't a Dumbledore loyalist either," added Daniel.
"I think I remember a Susan Bones? She's in the same year as me," he spoke up.
"That would be her niece, I think," mused Isabela.
"In any case, try to approach her at the Ball. I'm sure even she must be curious about the Boy-Who-Lived," grinned Daniel.
He would never get used to that ridiculous hyphenated title.
Christmas Morning
"HARRY POTTER! GET UP YOU SPINELESS WORM!"
He sprang out of bed as an ungodly voice echoed throughout the room, already reaching for the wand on his desk as he tensed for action. He was brought up short, however, by the sight of a red envelope that was shaped suspiciously like a mouth.
"Well, that should have woken you up," continued the red letter at a normal pace, "This is Terry. Merry Christmas."
The red letter burst into flames even as Terry began to chortle, and was soon nothing but ash.
He swore for the next few minutes, using every possible insult in every language he knew. Sleep was one of the few things he valued greatly and hadn't gotten enough of. Perhaps he would let Beelzebub play with Terry for a while. Purely for recreational purposes of course.
He groaned before coaxing himself into action. He might as well prepare himself for the day ahead. Astoria had grown ever more energetic as they had gotten closer to this day, no doubt eager to open her presents. He wouldn't be surprised if she was up already.
He was proven right when he found Astoria pouting heavily as she sat in the dining hall.
"Merry Christmas," he greeted. Sullen silence was his only reply.
"What's the matter?" he asked her softly, crouching to his eyes down to her level.
"I called all of them to open presents but none of them would come," she said in a broken-hearted voice. He glanced at the clock, which told him the time was six in the morning.
"Well it is pretty early," he told her hesitantly.
"It's also Christmas!" she exclaimed, "It's not a normal day. So normal rules don't count"
That he couldn't argue with. Sighing, he held out his hand and summoned the present he had bought for her, before handing it to her. Summoning was one of the magics he used frequently and easily, after a point, finding it remarkably useful.
"I'll make you a deal. You can open my present now, and be patient till the rest of your family gets down. Agreed?"
"Agreed!" she chirped happily before taking the present and tearing the wrapper off. He waited in nervous anticipation, wondering whether she would like his present. While he had become good at giving presents after a point, children had never been in his life. He could not consider Ken Amada a child, not after all he had been through.
For the Greengrasses, he wanted to make his presents truly special. And the ideas that came from his heart all went back to Japan, a place he still considered home. Thus, when Astoria took out her present, what she saw was a beautiful, pink yukata with cream-colored petals that had been woven from acromantula silk.
"Wow," she whispered as she unfolded the yukata, "It's so pretty. What is it?"
"A yukata," he explained, "It's a very special dress that people wear in Japan."
She didn't respond outwardly, choosing instead to trace her fingers along the yukata.
"Do you like it?" he asked her hesitantly, wondering whether he should have gotten her something else instead.
His question was answered when she squealed before jumping up and running up the stairs with the yukata in her hand.
"I'm gonna make mother help me wear this right now!" was all she said.
He smiled, glad that she seemed to like the present. But then the gravity of the situation dawned on him. He was sending an overexcited girl to wake up her family at around six in the morning. The family which hated waking up early. He reached into his sea of souls.
Thanatos, I need your help. Now more than ever.
In this, my master, I must refuse.
Then I'm dead.
It would appear so.
Death came in the form of a very bedraggled Daniel. He felt like the only reason Daniel wasn't trying to kill him was because he too was distracted by the yukata Astoria was hold in her hands. Soon, the entire household was assembled in the dining room, and Prim began to hand out cups of hot chocolate.
"This looks marvelous Harry," admired Isabela as she held out the yukata, "Is this from Japan?"
He nodded.
"But why Japan in particular?" Everyone seemed curious about that question, and he felt it was best to answer it, as the others were receiving presents from his home as well.
"I've always been interested in Japan. I'd read books about it from the school library, sometimes I'd be able to watch TV while a Japanese cartoon was playing. So I wanted to make my gifts a part of what I liked." Well, going by his memories, Dudley would be watching while he would be trying to get glimpses from the kitchen sink.
"This really is an excellent gift Harry," grumbled Daniel, relenting at all, "Acromantula silk, you say? That must have been very expensive."
"Oh no," he assured them, "Draco's connections are excellent. The price was more than reasonable."
"That's right, Daphne's letters sometimes mentioned your circle at Hogwarts. It's quite...ecentric." The question was unsaid: How the hell did the group come to be?
Before he could answer, however, Astoria seemed to have decided that she wanted her other presents as well. Daniel rolled his eyes in mock exasperation before summoning Prim again.
"Prim, you might as well bring us our presents before Astoria exploded," he instructed good naturedly. Even Daphne looked up from her cup of hot chocolate then, the sleep fading somewhat from her eyes.
Prim soon re-entered the dining room, levitating five separate piles of presents. He idly noted that it took considerable skill to keep the piles separated while levitating them. But before he could pay more attention to it, a pile of presents had been placed in front of him.
"Let's open Harry's presents to us first," suggested Daniel as they looked through their presents. He took out the presents from the Greengrasses and kept them aside, excited to see how they would react to their own presents.
Isabela found three shrunken paintings in a small box. When she enlarged them, she realized that they were, in fact, animated in the style of magical portraits, though the art form was quite different.
"Harry, these look beautiful. Is this Japanese too?" she asked excitedly. It had not failed to escape his attention that Isabela seemed to be the art enthusiast in the family, and had scattered her acquisitions throughout the manor.
"That's right. We-The Japanese call it gadÅ, though it's unusual for them to be 'living' portraits in the muggle world," he explained with some amusement. He had bought two paintings for himself when he found out that the Japanese had their own form of moving portraits too. It would make a good addition to his room in the Ravenclaw Tower.
"I already know where I'm going to display these," Isabela murmured as she continued to survey the paintings.
"My turn," announced Daphne as she opened her present. She too had gotten a yukata, though hers was a dark blue, with white stars scattered throughout the robe, and a thin white line around what would, in England, be the collar. He had included, along with it, a dainty blue hand fan as well as a blue wagasa.
"Why didn't I get a fan or umbrella?" pouted Astoria, even as Daphne looked quite pleased with her gifts.
"I wonder if we should make Daphne wear that to the Ministry Ball," mused Isabela, a wicked glint in her eye.
"Mother!" exclaimed Daphne, her face actually blushing beet red, "You can't be serious!"
"I don't see why not," commented Daniel innocently, before taking pity on his daughter, "No, Daphne, I don't think our Ministry could take the cultural shock just yet."
"They haven't even gotten used to muggle clothes in their own country," muttered Daphne as she set her present aside.
"Alright, it's finally my turn," Daniel rubbed his hands together gleefully before opening his present - a rather large and heavy box. It was a stark contrast from the man who had looked murderous at being awoken early just half an hour ago.
He smiled slightly, confident that this was one present Daniel would greatly enjoy. When it had come to picking a gift for the Greengrass head, the first thought that had popped into mind was the drunk monk Mutatsu.
"Kubota sake," Daniel read aloud, as he opened the box and picked out one among the many bottles that lay inside, "Sake is a kind of alcohol right?"
"Yes, and that is arguably one of the best tasting ones," he told Daniel, pleased to see that Daniel looked delighted at the gift.
All three of them looked at him expectantly, prompting him to open his own presents. His eyes widened in shock when he opened Daniel's present - It was another book by the author Ignatius. He had never even considered the fact that this wizard had written another book.
"I saw how engrossed you were in his book, and how much it helped you, so I made use of my contacts to learn there was another one and acquire it," supplied Daniel.
He traced the title of the book Magic and Energy before looking up with gratitude. He honestly could not think of a better present.
"Don't worry about," Daniel waved in advance, saving him the effort of trying to find the appropriate words of gratitude.
From Daphne he received a set of formal dress robes. He had been confused, until it struck him that he hadn't yet thought about what he would wear to the Ministry Ball.
"Wouldn't want you to end up wearing the school uniform would we," was her way of telling him that he was welcome.
Isabela and Astoria had apparently banded together to get him a holster for his wand, as well as a wand maintenance kit.
"One of Daphne's letters mentioned how you were always misplacing it, so we thought this holster would help you with that," smiled Isabela. He ignored Astoria's laughter at his clumsiness with dignity as he strapped the holster to his forearm.
"A flick of your wrist will summon er...Satan," began Isabela, and he could tell she was still a little unnerved by the core of his wand, "And to return it to the holster, merely make that specific motion again. Each holster identifies its particular wand somehow, otherwise it would be summoning every wand in its proximity to itself."
"That will help. But if you think he'll stop misplacing it, you're sorely mistaken," Daphne interjected dryly.
"Alright!" exclaimed Astoria before he could respond, "Let's unwrap the other presents now!"
For the next forty five minutes, the dining room found itself being covered with torn wrapping paper. It was a mark of how different house elves fundamentally were that Prim looked delighted at the prospect of having to clean up the mess, as if that had been the family's christmas present to her.
December 27 - Evening
"For the last time Harry, you don't have to dance!" exclaimed Isabela exasperatedly as he pulled at his collar uncomfortably. The dress robes were stifling and uncomfortable, too stifling, even when compared to the school robes he had been wearing for a few months.
He gathered all the dignity he could muster before walking towards the fireplace, still harboring his doubts about whether the Greengrasses were being entirely truthful. It was a ball, which traditionally required people to dance. Though as Daphne pointed out -
"We're eleven years old! Even wizarding noble society won't make us waltz yet!"
"Well they sure make us do everything else," was all he muttered in reply as Daniel joined them after placating Astoria in her room. Prim would watch over her while they were gone. She did not take kindly to not being allowed to attend a party, and had to be placated with the promise of a day in Diagon Alley before he returned to Hogwarts.
"Alright Harry, the minister is going to be all over you for the press. Commit yourself to nothing, and make your sentences as vague as possible. That should get you through tonight," Daniel advised, though his eyes gave away the amusement he felt at the situation.
"And don't forget, keep an eye out for Amelia Bones. She's much more likely to be receptive to your advances. Your father was one of her best employees," added Isabela as Damien threw some Floo powder into the fire, and the fire roared to life in an unearthly shade of green.
"So long as the Floo journey doesn't shake it out of my memory," was all he had time to say before he was pushed towards the fireplace to take his turn.
The travel didn't make him forget, though it wasn't for lack of trying on the Floo network's part. It took a lot of his athletic ability to remain standing when he emerged at the other end, where ushers seemed to be standing ready to dispel the soot and ash on his robes. It was a surprisingly thoughtful bit of organization on the Ministry's part.
Soon, the others came through as well, and together they were shown the way to the main hall where the Ball was being held. Uniformed wizards seemed to patrolling the corridors, though he was surprised to see that no measures were being taken to secure the wands of the guests. Daniel looked amused when he asked about the security measures.
"Yes, it would be a very smart move indeed to imply to the most powerful people in magical Britain that we don't trust them with a wand. Fudge would be thrown out of office before he could blink. No, this place is secured by the Aurors and the fact that no noble would be stupid enough to cause a commotion here."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, attempting anything stupid here would bring down the wrath of the most powerful people in Britain, and quite a few foreign dignitaries as well. You would be destroyed."
It made sense, he had to agree.
"Although it was quite different when Voldemort was actively trying to usurp the ministry," continued Daniel, "At one point, old Bagnold stopped these balls altogether. It was one of his better decisions."
That made sense as well. He suddenly found himself thinking of a powerful Machiavellian image where the rich and powerful whispered and plotted.
I hope that isn't an accurate picture of what happens here he thought just as an attendant pushed the door to the grand hall open, and a wave of colors, noises and smells hit them with considerable force.
"Welcome to the elite club Harry," Daniel said dryly before walking into the wall. Immediately he was surrounded by people, welcoming him, shaking his hand, and speaking all at once.
"That, Harry, is one of the downfalls of being the power behind wizarding Britain's major newspaper," Isabela winked almost imperceptibly before she headed towards Daniel, turning many heads as she went.
"Come on, if the last year is anything to go by, the children will be by the food tables," Daphne gestured before moving through a throng of adults.
"Harry!" exclaimed Terry as he bounded in front of them with little to no concern about decorum. He found himself liking Terry even more.
"Terry, how was Christmas?" he asked as the three of them continued making their way towards the food.
"It went well. We hang out boots instead of stockings," joked Terry, "Thank you for the muggle puzzles by the way. They have some really good numerical ones."
"You gave him something muggle for Christmas, Potter?' came a sneering voice.
"Good evening to you as well, Malfoy," he replied without missing a beat.
"At least you put more thought into my present," continued the blonde boy as he joined the group.
"What did you get him, a signed copy of the Pureblood Manifesto?" snickered Terry, only to receive a death glare from Malfoy.
As they got to the tables, he was surprised to see that quite a few of the dishes seemed to carry dragon meat as the primary ingredient. He saw dragon steaks, dragon liver and dragon tongue, among many other things.
"This is your first time coming across dragon meat isn't it?" Terry's eyes sparkled with mischief, "They're quite the delicacy in the wizarding world. Please, try some."
"We eat dragon once a month at least," Draco announced haughtily before serving some of the dragon liver onto his plate.
Well, it can't be worse than the odd morsels I came across in Tartarus he told himself before heading towards the dragon steak. He was stopped, however, when Kohryu, the celestial dragon, and the ultimate persona of the Hierophant Arcana entered his mind.
I feel a sudden need to share a thought, my master.
What is it, Kohryu?
Dragons, too, enjoy eating human meat.
I sense discontent somewhere in there
I am glad to see your senses remain sharp.
He sighed and opted for the chicken either.
"Coward," snorted Terry. If only he knew. Apparently Kohryu did not take kindly to his kin being eaten, even if they were only his kin in name.
"Harry, there's Padma. She seems to be calling you," pointed out Daphne. Even as she did so, the music suddenly rose to a higher volume, and the adults began to dance. He shook his head, amused by how out-of-date the dance and music were. He walked over to where Padma was standing with her twin, and a boy he vaguely recognized as being from Gryffindor.
"HARRY POTTER!" squealed the twin, Parvati, drawing curious looks from nearby people, "I still can't believe you're friends with my sister. And oh, you dress well too! This is incredible!"
He blinked, not sure how to respond to that. He was saved the trouble of doing so, however, when Padma rolled her eyes and introduced him to the boy with her.
"Harry, this is Neville Longbottom. You've probably seen him with Gryffindor house."
"I have," he nodded, "Pleasure to meet you, Neville."
"I-I heard you were injured a few months back. Alright y-you alright?" the boy asked timidly, stuttering slightly. His face was filled with genuine concern, however, and he felt himself liking Neville already.
"Of course, it was nothing too serious. Thank you for asking," he reassured Neville.
"Neville has been asking about you for ages," cut in Parvati, "He's just been too shy to talk to you."
Neville went even redder with embarrassment.
"Is there any reason in particular why you wanted to speak with me?" he asked Neville curiously.
"I...the Longbottoms and Potters have always been friends. M-my mother was your godmother, you see," Neville said, his eyes downcast.
Daphne nudged him sharply, "Don't ask him about his parents. I'll tell you later," she whispered.
"Well, in that case, we're brothers of sorts," he replied brightly, wanting to snap Neville out of the depressed state he was in.
"Y-You want to be friends with me?"
"Of course I do. We can talk more when we're back in Hogwarts if you like?"
"Sure," replied Neville, looking extremely happy.
"Oh great. Here comes the biggest clown in the kingdom," muttered Padma.
There was a flurry of activity around them as a portly man bounced towards them, holding a jarringly green bowler hat in his hands. Flanking him were two aurors who appeared to be doing their best to blend with the crowd. He felt like they would have had better luck if they hadn't been wearing their uniforms.
"Harry m'boy!" boomed the man - who he was reasonably certain was Cornelius Fudge - boisterously as the trio drew close.
"Such a pleasure to meet the Boy-Who-Lived," Fudge smiled widely, holding out his hand. He hesitantly shook the proffered hand, only to be pulled into a nearly minute-long handshake.
"A pleasure to meet you, minister," he said tersely. Public speaking was certainly not his forte, and every eye in the room was currently resting on him and Fudge.
It came as a huge relief then, when he suddenly heard a voice say, "Ah, Harry. I'm delighted to see you've already met Cornelius."
Thank God Dumbledore is here. I never thought I would say those words he thought with some amusement as the focus shifted to Dumbledore and Fudge instead, two of the most powerful figures in Magical Britain meeting again.
As people started to drift closer to Dumbledore and Fudge, who were now exchanging pleasantries, he slowly began to back away, using the crowd to try and hide himself from the minister's sight.
Suddenly, he felt himself collide hard with someone who was standing behind him.
"I'm sorry," he apologized as he staggered away. When he collected himself, he noticed something strange about the person he had collided with.
The man was wearing plain robes, and looked to be a ministry employee of some kind. But what struck him was how the man's eyes looked completely and utterly empty, as if his mind was absent. Even as he looked however, the man reached inside his pocket and pulled out his wand, before pointing it at Harry saying the two most dreaded words in the magical world
"Avada Kedavra!"
A/N: I like cliffies. Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. I was very pleased with the milestones the last chapter crossed. 100 reviews, 270+ followers, and 200+ favorites. It's the reviews that mean the most to me, but thank you for all three milestones!
Reviews are fuel. Just keep sending them in. Forever.
SK.