Re-edited & Re-Posted 29/11/16

Chapter 11 – Snakes and Pug

Sunday 15th May, Conference Room behind the fireplace, Leaky Cauldron, London

The trio made their way towards the fireplace and saw that the three Slytherin girls were standing near the exit appearing to wait for them or Professor McGonagall, but with the Professor having just apparated they surely would have just left.

They approached Harry and asked if they could have a word with him. Ron and Hermione said that that would wait for him in the bar. After a look of concern passed between Hermione and Harry he nodded his head to her slightly, sending a silent message between them that he'd be alright. Hermione and Ron went through the fireplace into the bar to see the former Gryffindors and Hannah and Susan seated in a large booth at the side of the bar. Hannah waved them over and Hermione and Ron set off to join them.

"So ladies. What can I do for you?"

The group looked at each other before Pansy Parkinson stepped forward in front of the others and to Harry's astonishment got onto her knees in front of him before reaching up and taking his hand in both of hers. She felt Harry tense straight away at her touch.

"It's long overdue, but I have an apology I need to give to you Harry…. No please don't interrupt me yet I need to get this off my chest as it's been eating away at me and I need to do this now."

Harry couldn't help looking at her chest, which was showing a serious amount of cleavage and he couldn't believe that he was actually looking down at Pansy Parkinson, on her knees, in front of him, holding his hand, flashing him, and that he was checking her out. He noticed that his pants were feeling a little tight all of a sudden.

"What's with calling me Harry all of a sudden? It's always been Potter followed by an insult." he questioned rather frostily.

"I've never thrown an insult at you." Pansy replied in surprise as she tried to recall a time she had thrown an insult at him.

"Course you have loads of times."

She thought more about their time at school and couldn't think of a time she'd actually said something horrible to him, confident that he couldn't think of one she said "Name one time I've insulted you. Other than when I teased you about Dementors coming. Granted it was in bad taste, but I didn't mean it as an insult just a bit of teasing."

Harry racked his brains thinking of a time that she had actually thrown an insult specifically at him. When he thought about it, it was normally at one of his friend's expense, most likely Hermione as the two of them clearly didn't get along.

"See you can't think of one can you? If Weasley was still here he wouldn't be able to think of a time I threw an insult at him either. I'm not saying I wasn't a horrible bitch at times, but it was all school kid stuff. I've matured and grown out of it now that I'm not involved in house politics. I'd like to apologize to Longbottom and Granger as well if you can get her to promise not to hex me before finish apologizing."

"Do you really mean that?" as he had seen over the years how Pansy's sharp tongue had upset Neville and Hermione.

"Yes, I would like to work at making friends with you and your friends, we all would." she indicated Tracey and Daphne behind her who flashed him a smile and nodded together.

"Ok... I'm fine with trying to be friends, but you wanted to turn me over to Voldemort not long ago."

"That's what I need to apologize for." She took a deep breath, "I was scared Harry, absolutely terrified. You don't know what it's been like being in Slytherin since you-know-who returned. It was bad enough beforehand with the Death Eater's kids ruling the roost and making the lives of people who weren't in families of Death Eaters horrible.

You might not believe us but mine, Tracey's and Daph's families have never been members of the dark magic practicing families. Our families have always preferred to stay neutral and try not to get involved because we don't want to hurt anyone. We've just tried to get along and stay out of things as much as we can.

I know my behavior at school was always been horrible to people in other houses especially up to our OWLs. I was stupid to let a childish school rivalry dictate my actions, and to make people's lives harder than they needed to be in school. I know I don't deserve it, but I really hope that you can forgive me." Pansy explained looking down cast again with tears forming in her eyes.

Harry didn't say anything for a long time while he thought about the rivalry that the house system in school put in place, and how it automatically puts students against one another and decides that he'd need to speak to Ron, Hermione and Neville about it later.

First he had to deal with Pansy. Yes, she had been a bit of bully at school. Not evil like Malfoy and his cronies but she seemed to genuinely repent for her actions. Harry was inclined to forgive her because he thought she deserved a chance to at least try and earn his trust and let them all bury the hatchet.

"Pansy," he started causing her to look up at him in fear. "I forgive you for what happened before the battle. I can understand you were scared as I was scared myself for many years. I can't blame you for wanting to survive Voldemort's attack on the school. Hopefully next time, and I pray that there isn't a next time, but hopefully you'll have more faith in the light as opposed to the dark. After all the dark can never snuff out light, but light can get rid of the dark but will always cast shadows if we let something get in the way to cause them."

Harry was shocked to hear what he himself had just said as it's the sort of thing he'd expect Dumbledore to come out with and couldn't help smile at the reactions on the faces of the three girls.

The three of them squealed and Pansy jumped up onto her tiptoes, throwing her arms around his neck before giving him a full-on kiss on the lips while pressing herself body to him. She whispered into his ear that she can't wait to really start making it up to him before kissing him just below his ear lobe.

This had the obvious physical reaction in Harry and he couldn't help getting hard in his pants as he felt Pansy's breasts crushed against him, and she didn't fail to notice his length pressing into her stomach.

Suddenly she was pulled back by Tracey, who was a few inches shorter than Harry, grabbed him in the same way as Pansy had but given her extra few inches in height she felt Harry's hard on pressed firmly against her pussy. This caused tingles to shoot through her as she too gave him a full-on kiss, before asking whether that was his wand in his pocket sticking into her or was he just happy to see her.

Before Harry could reply Tracey was pulled away to be replaced by Daphne, who fit against him in exactly the same way as Tracey had, and she smirked at him as she felt him pressed against her and kissed him with such determination that Harry felt shockwaves going through him. He wouldn't have been at all surprised if the hair on his head had been stood on end and steam was coming out of his ears.

"Thanks for forgiving Pansy, Harry. I'm sure that the four or should I say five of us," she said as she looked down towards her and Harry's waist, "are going to become very good friends indeed." she gave Harry a playful bite on his bottom lip before stepping back to stand with the others.

Harry just stood there in shock at what had just happened and looked like he'd been stupefied and confounded at the same time.

"Oh dear girls I think we broke him." Pansy commented with a smirk causing Harry to look at her standing there with her arms crossed under her breasts helping to push her cleavage even further up.

"At least we know we've got little Harry's attention now." Tracey laughed as the three of them looked at Harry's groin and all purred and licked their lips at him getting an even more startled look from him and causing him to drop his hands to cover his crotch.

"I…, I…, I don't really know what to say to that girls. I mean I've got a girlfriend you know."

"Ah yes, Sorry Harry we forgot about her but we won't tell her if you won't." Daphne reassured and winked at him.

"Well as much fun as this is, and believe me Harry it was fun, I need to go and apologize to the rest of them out there. Then I want to read what is in this letter McGonagall gave us." Pansy announced "You three coming or do you need a minute Harry?"

"Yeah give me a minute and I'll be right out." he replied as he sat there trying to mentally digest what the hell just happened. He'd just been kissed, properly kissed, by THREE Slytherin girls. No he'd actually just been kissed by three hot and sexy Slytherin girls. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being set up in the back of his head and wondering whether this new found desire to be friends or more than friends was because Voldemort was gone.

"Yeah so would you like to join us at the table in the bar? We can all open our letters together and see what they are about, and if you really are wanting to make friends with everyone then it's a perfect time to start." Harry added to the three who confirmed that it would be great but that they'll have to go and get some money from Gringotts to pay for lunch. Harry said as a start to their new friendship he'll treat them all to lunch and doesn't expect to be paid back for it and opened the door for the three to exit the room.

They entered the bar with the conference room sealing itself away into the fireplace and Harry offered to get them all a drink at the bar, took their order of two butterbeers and a mead for Pansy as the three girls stood undecided on whether to stand with Harry or whether to go and talk to the larger and more rowdy group seated on the large table in the big corner booth of the room.

Given that Daphne and Tracey had Runes with Hermione and knew and got on with her reasonably well, they decided that they would go with Pansy to the group so that she had some morale support. So, they could help Pansy apologize to the group as they knew she wasn't a bad person and had been in a sticky situation. Plus, she might need some additional shield charms if they all throw curses at her.

Pansy stopped in front of Hermione and asked if she could have a word with her. Hermione said that if she had something to say then she could say it in front of everyone and gave her a cold look.

Pansy seeing the animosity growing in the group went for it and apologized to the group for her behavior while they were at school, to the general shock of the table. She explained the trunk incident had been an accident to Hermione back in first year and apologized for not seeking her out once they had arrived at school to apologize for what had happened.

Harry came over with their drinks and put them on the table before announcing to the group that Pansy had already apologized to him for what had happened at Hogwarts before the battle and during school, and that he had chosen to forgive her, and was willing to start building bridges now that house loyalty was a thing in their past, and he hoped that they could all learn to trust each other and become friends with one another.

He told them that he had invited the Slytherins to sit with them for lunch but if any of them had a problem with that then he'll go and have lunch with the Slytherin girls on his own at another table. They all exchanged a look before saying it was fine and they could join them, albeit they were all a bit wary.

Harry took a seat next to Seamus who leaned in and quietly asked him why he was prepared to build bridges after Parkinson had wanted to hand him over to Voldemort a few weeks ago. Harry explained that she was scared and that he'd spent too many years fighting and things have to be resolved in order for the magical world to heal itself. He's putting his trust into the girls and that they'll have that trust until it's abused and then all bets are off.

"So have any of you opened these letters that McGonagall gave us?" he asked the table.

"We were waiting for you to get here before we opened them." Hannah Abbott told him.

"Are any of you thinking of going back to Hogwarts?" Lavender Brown asked the table but her eyes slid over to Ron to see his reaction to the question.

"I don't know; I mean I was thinking about it, but given everything that happened last year I kind of fell out of love with de place you know." Seamus replied.

"I know what you mean. I watched Colin Creevey die right in front of me in the Entrance Hall. I don't know if I could walk through there every day and not see that." Susan added as she fought back tears. She thought about the horrors she had seen that day as Hannah put her arm around her friend's shoulder trying to comfort her.

Seamus sat up in his chair "It didn't feel like Hogwarts at all last year, most of us spent our time hiding from the Carrows in the Room of Requirement, and I didn't really learn anything last year. Neville and I just basically kept going over things we'd learned in the DA and of course you three and Dean were on the run."

"It was horrible last year we were forced to stay there against our wishes, were made to go back to school by our parents, we spent the whole time afraid that if we weren't in school, and didn't appear to be towing the line then the Death Eaters would come calling and attack our family." Daphne added.

"Yes the three of us had a feeling you lot were hiding out somewhere in the castle but didn't think you'd allow us sanctuary from The Carrows and the other goons in Slytherin." Tracey added.

"I thought you three and your families were in favor of Voldemort?" Lavender asked getting pained and hurt looks back from the three Slytherins who shook their heads as one.

"We most certainly are not and were never in favor of Voldemort or his stupid Pureblood," she made air quotation marks with her fingers "movement." Pansy replied.

"I know you'll probably think that we're lying, but being in Slytherin house doesn't mean that we are all like Malfoy who think we are better than everyone or that we are believers and users of dark magic or something evil. We've basically had to survive in amongst a bunch of deluded and power hungry…. well for want of a better word animals. Every day we had to try and keep them from bullying us, and as we've grown older taking liberties physically, just because we were in their house." Tracey added.

"But you went out with Malfoy." Lavender pointed out to Pansy collecting nods from the others at the table.

"Well the truth of it is that I was under a marriage contract that magically restrained me from being able to act the way I wanted, and also I had to come up with appearances for my family's sake. Believe me I never loved that ferret and I can't tell you how happy I am to be out of that contract now."

"How did you get out of the contract?" Hannah asked curious.

"As soon as he took the dark mark he activated a clause that my father had put in making it null and void. I don't know how that clause slipped past Narcissa Malfoy though because she is probably the best magical contract writer in the country according to my mum. She says that Narcissa should have really gone into magical law as a solicitor but when she got married Draco's father just turned her into a trophy wife."

"Well I for one am glad that you are no longer held to a marriage contract." Hermione announced to the group's general astonishment. "I think it's barbaric to force someone to marry someone with no say at all in who it is," she clarified "and for the record Pansy thank you for apologizing about the trunk incident. I wasn't chilled out back then."

"Chilled?" Ron and Neville teased earning Ron a swat on the arm and Hermione stuck her tongue out at Neville who laughed at her childish antics.

"That's the way it is for lots of pureblood women. Arranged marriages, and on occasion, being one of multiple wives because when a man is head of more than one house he can take more than one wife." Susan added and then there was a silence that stretched out as the girls sat there and thought of what their own lives would be like if they had arranged marriages.

"Bloody hell who would want more than one wife, it's hard enough keeping one woman satisfied and I'd know" Seamus boasted to the rest of the table.

"Ha you keep five women occupied every chance you get." Neville retorted, giving Seamus the wanker sign, which caused everyone to look at Neville before the penny dropped and they all burst out laughing except for Seamus who blushed to the roots of his hair. Neville blushed as well because he couldn't believe he'd embarrassed his friend in front of seven of the best looking girls they went to school with, but his blush abated when Dean patted him on the back and Neville chuckled along as well.

Wanting to move the conversation along Harry cleared his throat and said "I'm not going back to Hogwarts. I've seen too many friends and people I care about get killed and hurt there. I want to continue my education but I don't think I can go back there again. I am curious to see what this letter says." and getting nods agreement from the rest of those present.

"Well I suppose there's no time like the present let's have a look at what they've got to say." Daphne added with barely concealed excitement.

They all turned their envelopes over, broke the Hogwarts seal on the parchment, opened them up to find a letter from Professor McGonagall explaining that she thinks they should redo their final year of their education and to finish their NEWTs, and that she'd like them to re-attend Hogwarts but if they wished to study abroad, offer letters from schools happy to accept them were enclosed. They all had other letters inside and took them out as well before opening them.

"So whose got what?" Dean asked the table.

"Well I've been offered a place in Durmstrang, a school in Brazil called Castelobruxo that think I would fit in perfectly as they are saying that they are one of the world's leading authorities in Herbology, but there is also an offer from a School called Koldovstoretz in Russia which I've never heard of" Neville replied.

"Oh, I've been offered a place at Koldovstoretz as well they have a great potions program there although I've also been offered a place at Beauxbatons, which I think would be much more suitable as it's nearer for when I need to come home plus they wear those cute little outfits." Daphne replied with a grin as all the boys blushed and suddenly found the interior of the Leaky Cauldron very interesting.

"I've got offers from both of them as well." Tracey informed the table and Pansy said that she had the same.

"Suzie and I have been offered a place in Beauxbatons as well and a place called Ilvermorny in America." Hannah shared with the group. "What about you Lavender?"

"Castelobruxo and Beauxbatons as well," she replied with a small shrug of her shoulders "but I've already been given a job offer that I'm seriously considering. Although I used to really enjoy Herbology, in fact I think I remember hearing about a girl who was in Ravenclaw a few years ahead of us that...".

"What have you two got?" Neville asked Seamus and Dean not wanting Lavender to build up a head of steam because she was impossible to shut up once she got talking about herself. They looked at each other's letters and saw that they had the same offers.

"We've both been offered a place in Durmstrang and somewhere called Woolloomooloo, which I've never heard of." Dean replied.

"Woolloomooloo is the second best Quidditch school in world after some school in Japan, which I can't remember the name of." Seamus cut in trying to keep the excitement out of his voice and Ron seated further down the table was disappointed to not have been offered a place at a school with great Quidditch prowess seeing as Dean had only made the school team by default a couple of times and Seamus hadn't made it at all.

"You seem to have a lot of offers from places there Ron. More than any of us." Pansy noted hoping that he wouldn't bite her head off like he normally did.

"I've been offered places in Castelobruxo, Durmstrang, Koldovstoretz," he said leafing through the offer letters, "and two other places. Uugandou, which is meant to be the biggest magic school in the world according to this letter and a place called Bazai Gonbad in Tajikistan. What have you two got?" Ron asked looking at Hermione and Harry.

"You go first Hermione." Harry offered

"Right well I've been offered a place at Koldovstoretz, Uugandou, Bazai Gonbad, Ilvermorny, Woolloomooloo, Beauxbatons, Castelobruxo and Mahoutokoro in Japan." Hermione said.

"That's the place. Mahoutokoro. It's the best Quidditch school in the world. All the players from Taskashi Tengu went there." Seamus said excitedly almost bouncing in his seat.

"It's also the most accomplished and selective magic school in the world Hermione it's not just about the Quidditch. Hogwarts in this country has the reputation for being the best magical school in the world because Dumbledore and V...V... Voldemort went there but school reviewers say that Mahoutokoro is the best." Tracey Davis added "What did you get Harry?"

"I got Koldovstoretz, Uugandou, Bazai Gonbad, Ilvermorny, Woolloomooloo, Durmstrang, Castelobruxo and Mahoutokoro, which is more than I was expecting." he said looking down the table.

They all tutted "Yeah right you do know who you are don't you?" Hannah Abbott asked rolling her eyes

"The heads of those school would probably come and collect you to take you to their schools themselves given who you are and what you've done." Susan added, blushing as Harry looked her. She felt her temperature rising as those green eyes locked with hers and she could have fainted when he gave her a little wink and a small smile before he said that he was nothing special.

"Well it's hardly shocking that you three have got so many offers. Golden trio and all that." said Dean with a grin.

"So what does everyone think? Is anyone going to go and finish their NEWTs at another school?" Harry asked.

"I don't know. It's a big adjustment going to a completely different country. It's going to be a big change and there is going to be language issues for example if I go to France does that mean I've got to learn French so I can understand what's going on?" Tracey asked.

"I'm sure there will be something in place for that. It wouldn't make sense for the schools to offer us places and us not be able to understand what is being said, but thinking about it all the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons that came to Hogwarts could all speak English pretty well." Susan responded.

"I'll write to Professor McGonagall tonight and ask her what would be done about that along with how we'd get to places if we go abroad because they brought their own transport for the tournament." Hermione announced.

"Right well until we know about that how about some lunch?" Ron asked to which everyone agreed and they called Tom over to ask what the specials were for that day.

They all ordered and chatted about what they knew about the schools they had offers from, and said that they would have to meet up and find out what each other were doing as it would be nice to have to go to the new schools on their own if possible.

As they chatted the conversation turned to the previous day and what had happened at Gringotts. Not fully trusting the Slytherin's at the table yet a look passed between Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville.

Harry and Neville said that they had inherited from their parents and Harry said that he had also inherited the title of Lord Black from Sirius as he knew that the Slytherin's knew that he was Harry's godfather.

"So, does that mean that you're going to be taking the family seats in the Wizengamot then?" Daphne enquired.

"Yes, we're going to be taking the seats, although I'm not sure what we are meant to do." Neville replied.

"Oh I'll be able to help you with all of that. My dad drags me to all the Wizengamot hearings and makes me sit in the gallery so I can tell you what to do, the etiquette, and what's expected of you." Pansy stated.

"Thanks Pansy that would actually be really helpful." Harry responded giving her a smile that caused her to blush. Harry couldn't believe that the Ice Queen of Slytherin was blushing at him.

"So that's what the ministry are getting in a flap about is it?" asked Hannah.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked as everyone else sat up to take notice.

"Well my mum was saying that people at the ministry are all giddy and in a flap about the next Wizengamot meeting as there is going to be a series of really big announcements and that they are going to be holding a ball after the meet for all the established magical families to attend. We got our invite to it last week." she replied excitedly.

"That must be it then. They are probably excited about being able to say that the Black, Longbottom and Potter family seats are going to be taken again." Tracey reasoned.

"Don't forget the Bones seat as well." Seamus added.

"So who here has received an invite to attend this ball thing after the meeting?" Harry asked.

Lavender, Susan, Hannah, Pansy, Tracey and Daphne said they were going and that they'd have great fun if Harry and Neville were going to go as well.

Hannah said that Harry better be prepared to dance a bit more than at the Yule ball as there will be plenty of witches wanting to dance with the new Lord Potter-Black, and he'll have no Ginny there to protect or put them off.

This caused Harry's color to leave his face at the thought of having to dance with a load of witches, considering he didn't really like dancing. The rest of the Gryffindor boys around the table clearly found the look of dread amusing.

There was a round of laughter from everyone at the table and Neville told Harry that he'd give him some pointers when it comes to dancing before the night. Hermione smiled and noticed Susan, Daphne, Pansy and Tracey all exchange a quick look and a smile before jumping back into the conversation that had turned into recounts of Harry and Ron seated with the Patil twins not dancing at the Yule ball. Hermione felt a strange feeling inside that she recognized for what it was at the thought of lots of witches dancing with Harry.

She recognized it and hadn't felt it in over a year. That feeling was jealousy.

AN - Big thanks for Goldzar for re-editing my chapter for me and allowing me to repost it.