Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
The Worst Party of the Year
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Harry crouched under his invisibility cloak as he hid in a seldom used corridor. Footsteps raced towards him. He couldn't believe how bad things had become since his name had popped out of the Goblet of Fire. A number of people saw this as their chance to finally get back at Harry for all manner of perceived wrongs with one house leading the charge.
Maybe all of them didn't have a grudge against him; maybe some just wanted to say they got a shot in at Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. He didn't really care one way or the other.
When the corridor grew quiet Harry set out again for his destination. He had taken Moody's lessons to heart and placed silencing charms on his shoes in case anyone was lying in wait, listening. He arrived at a seemingly random abandoned classroom in a seldom used part of the castle.
The door was left slightly ajar so that Harry cloud see in and check that the only person who was supposed to be in the room was alone, she was unless someone was hiding behind the door. As he stepped in that was the first place he checked.
"Have any trouble getting here?" Susan asked as Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak.
"Just the usual people from your house trying to find me." Harry said. Slytherin had always been a house of bullies but Hufflepuff quickly put them to shame in their relentless and highly orginized harassment of Harry.
Cedric had tried to rein them in after the first task and Harry's warning about the dragon but they choose to believe instead that Harry had somehow cursed him and doubled their efforts. Only a few students from Hufflepuff wouldn't hex Harry on sight now.
"I still can't believe Professor Sprout refuses to do anything. I've tried to talk to her a dozen times, the same with Cedric but she won't listen to us. She actually had the nerve to tell me that I should stay away from you and show loyalty to my house." Susan vented. She had been growing more and more frustrated as the year went on. Her aunt was being stonewalled at every turn from finding out who put Harry's name into the tournament, her own house seemed to have gone insane and were acting worse than the Slytherins and Harry refused to openly date her for fear of what her housemates might try and do to her. He had even refused her invitation to the Yule Ball because he was worried about her, it was sweet but infuriating.
Well she was going to fix that last one by the end of the day even though the Yule Ball had already passed. "Harry… since the Yule Ball was such a success Professor Flitwick arranged a New Year's Eve party for tonight. Do you want to go with me?"
Harry sighed deeply, he hated having to decline Susan's invitations but he wouldn't forgive himself if her house did something to her because they were together. His reasons never seemed to make it any easier to turn her down though. "Susan we've been over this…"
"Alright that's it. You don't get a choice anymore." Susan forcefully said. "I can handle my housemates, you will take me to the party tonight, we will have a good time and we will start properly dating afterwards got it?"
Every one of Harry's self-preservation instincts urged him to agree. Numbly he nodded his head.
Susan smiled. "Excellent. I'll meet you by the bust of Clarence the Clumsy on the fifth floor." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before she hurried from the room.
Harry stood there shocked for several moments before he threw his invisibility cloak back on and also left.
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Harry wore the same dress robes that he had for the Yule Ball as he waited for Susan by the cracked bust. Legend said that Clarence the Clumsy had actually tripped and cracked it when it was first added to the school.
He was nervous and relieved at the same time, though he didn't understand how the conflicting emotion could both be so strong. Not to mention the others that he seemed to be running through that evening.
There was a feel of joy that he was finally going out with Susan, worry over how her housemates would react, anger that they had been the reason he and Susan weren't already together. He was relieved that it was finally happening, it felt right to him. But the worry continued to grow over how the others would treat her now. He was long past carrying how the school thought of him but if they went after Susan. Well he'd faced a number of magical creatures full grown wizards feared. A few students weren't going to hurt him or Susan.
"You look deep in thought." Susan's voice brought him back to reality.
Harry looked up and choked on his greeting. She was wearing the same dress she did to the Yule Ball but somehow she looked even better than she had just a few days ago. "Susan you… wow… you look great."
"Thank you, you look very dashing as well." Susan looped her arm around his as they walked to the classroom where the party was. Unlike the Yule Ball the party was invitation only so Harry was attending as Susan's date.
"Dashing is good right?" Harry asked nervously.
"Very good." She assured him.
They arrived precisely at the stroke of nine. Professor Flitwick had received permission for the party to last until midnight to truly celebrate New Year's properly. As they stepped in the music stopped and Harry wondered if this had been a mistake. Practically everyone who hated him was there. Most of the Hufflepuffs, the Ravenclaws lead by Cedric's girlfriend Cho, a good deal of Slytherins and a handful of Gryffindors. Noticeably only those who were outspoken about him being a cheater.
There was also Snape and Professor Sprout. Both of who looked at him as if he was something unpleasant that they had stepped in.
Moody ambled over and looked between them. "Potter, what are you doing here? Remember what I told you, I thought you were taking my lessons to heart. Never, ever allow yourself to feel. Feelings kill."
"I… I decided that I didn't want to live a life like that sir." Harry tightened his hold on Susan; she did the same to him.
"Then be it on your head Potter, won't last, you got to many enemies." Moody gave a disapproving look and left the party.
Most of the guests continued to stare at the new couple. The first one to start moving again was a sixth year Hufflepuff. "Get away from her Potter!"
He made to charge at them but was stopped by two wands. Both Harry and Susan had them pointed between his eyes. Another Hufflepuff slowly reached out and put a hand on the first's shoulder to move him back. "Susan, Susan you know me right? I'm Billy. Listen Potter has potioned you, put down your wand and we'll fix everything up. No worries."
"Why do you assume that Harry potioned me?" Susan asked through gritted teeth.
"Why else would you turn on your house?" Sprout asked. "Severus would you mind helping?"
"Not at all." Snape's silky voice was full of glee and malice. "Using such potions on another student is a very serious offence; I imagine his father used similar methods."
Before all hell could break loose Harry pulled Susan from the room and they took off running down the corridor. He blindly pointed his wand over his shoulder and cast a smokescreen charm. Shouts echoed behind them as nearly everyone from the party gave chase. They ducked around a corner and Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak, he threw it over them just as the first people appeared.
The Hufflepuffs were in the lead followed by several Slytherins all eager for an excuse to curse Harry. The group ran past Harry and Susan's hiding spot. Carefully the couple moved away from the corner and down another corridor. Every few moments someone else came running around wildly looking for them.
"This is insane." Susan whispered as yet another Hufflepuff ran by with his wand drawn. "What's wrong with them?"
Harry shrugged, though the gesture lost something in such a confined space. "I'm sorry about this Susa…"
"This isn't your fault." Susan cut him off. "Ug if there was just some way I could contact my aunt about this but an owl would take forever."
"How about a secret passage to Hogsmeade?" Harry offered. "We could take it and maybe find a floo in the village."
"Or just take the Knight bus." Susan said.
"It's running tonight?" Harry was surprised; he figured everyone would have the evening off.
"It's always running, come on show me this secret passage." Susan said, Harry took her hand and pulled her back down the corridor.
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(A/N: For this round we had forbidden romances, I got two people from different houses. I'm sure most people thought of Gryffindor and Slytherin, not Hufflepuff. But the idea of what would need to happen to see the house of loyalty turn on another intrigued me. I also thought that they would be the worst ones to make enemies of. My prompts were (quote) 'Never, ever allow yourself to feel. Feelings kill.' - Malorie Blackman, Knife Edge, (word) practically, and (occasion) New Year's Eve party. Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed.)