Disclaimer: I only own anything that you don't recognise from JKR's work.
A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, I was on holiday. Now I am back so hopefully before school restarts there may be a few more updates.
The poll will be up for this chapter and maybe the next, so if you haven't already please vote.
Once again thanks to those who read and reviewed and please keep doing so. They are great motivators and often give me inspiration! ;P
Skyeward MusicLover- Here is the next update, thanks for reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoy this chapter.
NicoleR85- It's always great to hear that people love your work. I hope you keep enjoying it despite my late update!
Iveya Jade's psycho mind 08- Everyone Bleeds Red is still going to be updated some point soon so please keep watching out for that and reading and reviewing it also. I'm glad that you liked the comparison between Ron and Draco- because they are there, even in canon. The plotline about Hermione finding out that the other three are not Muggles will not happen in Year 1. And Ally's blood purity is not going to be common knowledge until probably year 4 or 5. It's all part of the plot! Don't worry, it will be mentioned again!
Blue Luver5000- I'm glad that you love it!
deathlyhallow0- I'm glad you like the story. I know that Ally and Harry are not spending much time together but it will be happening a bit more as the years continue, so don't worry. The Weasley bashing is getting quite controversial but it will still be happening but maybe not explicitly until a bit later.
laissankari- Here's the next post, enjoy!
Snowball1982- Wow, thanks for the review. It's good to know that my work is being appreciated, I hope that this does not fail to meet expectations.
Penny is wise- I agree with you to some extent about the Seeker position and the Quidditch game, but I put Harry in the chaser position because I feel that it will suit him and the story better. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing like always and enjoy!
Grace Furey- Wow, your enthusiasm is heart warming so to prevent a good sort of nervous breakdown I thought that I should publish this enjoy!
And to everyone else, keep reading and reviewing!
Chapter 12- The Midnight Duel:
Harry Potter looked around the Great Hall, it was not often that Ally decided not to turn up to a meal and he honestly had no idea where she went but given the fact that none of the others were concerned, he decided to ignore this for a little while. Ally was an enigma; it was part of her charm. Not that he thought that she was charming, the thought made him blush. He liked Ally, she was the first person his own age who liked him and he knew that he would marry her eventually, but he didn't want to scare her away. He was broken out of his thoughts by a voice.
"Getting ready to get on the next train home, Potter," Harry almost groaned but somehow stifled it as he heard Draco Malfoy's drawling voice from behind him.
Sure enough when he turned to look behind him, there was the blond ponce. He was surrounded by the two gorillas that he called friends. He thought that he could never have met someone dumber than Dudley but there they were in all their glory- Crabbe and Goyle.
"Don't you have to go cry to Daddy about something, Draco," Susan asked sweetly, inwardly she was resisting the urge to curse him.
"I'd be a bit nicer if I were you Bones, don't want to end up the same way as Mummy and Daddy."
Neville growled, "I see that you are a lot braver now that you are on the ground, Draco. Do the twin gorillas seem like good back-up?"
Malfoy snarled, "I challenge you to a duel, but against Potter, you will be the second, what do you say, Longbottom," Draco challenged, fully expecting the Gryffindor boy to back down.
"Okay, you're on, Malfoy. Time and place," Neville asked, despite Susan's warning touch on his wrist, to try and get him to stop before he dug himself into a hole.
Susan groaned, she just knew that this was going to end badly. Draco Malfoy was a coward and for him to ask for an honour duel was suspicious to say the least.
"The trophy room is always open and Filch never checks it. So tonight, there at midnight," Draco proclaimed.
"Fine," Neville retorted.
As Draco and his cronies walked away, Hermione Granger butted in, "You can't be thinking of going? He's going to get you into trouble."
"Leave it alone, Granger, it's none of your business," Neville snapped, this was uncharacteristic for him, but he had been pushed to the end of his tether.
"What's a Wizard's Duel, Neville," Harry asked, his eyes widening as Neville explained the term to him.
"What would someone like you know about such things," Granger asked snobbishly but one look at Neville's stormy expression had her retreating to sit far away next to Seamus Finnegan.
"I am more concerned as to how we are going to get out without Granger shoving her abnormally bushy head into it," Susan mused.
"I think that Ally may be able to help us there, I'm sure she has some sleeping potion, we slip some to her. Hermione always has a hot chocolate before she goes up to the dormitory," Harry observed.
"That's a good idea," Neville agreed as the trio walked back towards Gryffindor Tower, "the question is, is Ally going to help us?"
"Is Ally going to help you do what, Nev," Ally seemed to materialise out of nowhere as she fell into step with her three friends.
"Slip Granger a sleeping draught with her hot chocolate," Susan remarked.
"Well you know that I'll do it, but why am I doing so," Ally asked, there was no love lost between Hermione and herself.
"Draco Malfoy challenged us to an honour duel," Harry told her.
"Great, I leave the three of you alone for one bloody second and you've already gotten yourself into trouble. Who is his second," Ally groaned, she knew that it was a bad idea leaving the others alone but what she had to do was important.
Ally had had to go to see Aurora and had been given correspondence from Croaker, essentially telling her that she was on her own. She had to take whatever resources she had access to and do whatever it took to fulfil their plans. It wasn't very helpful, but then again Croaker wasn't known for being helpful, deep down though, Ally was proud to be able to help, but that was very deep down.
"Crabbe, and in all fairness Als, they were provoked. Neville is Harry's second," Susan piped up.
Ally rolled her eyes, she could not believe how foolish they were. It was evident that Harry had no clue what they had gotten themselves into and that Augusta and Amelia had sheltered their wards too much. Draco on the other hand knew exactly what he was doing.
Outwardly however Ally managed a grin, "This'll be fun, I'm pretty sure that Crabbe doesn't know how to hold a wand. Even if Nev holds back he'll still win against both of them. Draco is good at talking the talk and walking the walk, but he's all show and no real substance, much like his father," this last was said as an afterthought as she thought of the long-haired blond aristocrat one of her favourite cousins was married to.
"You aren't mad," Neville asked the younger student.
"No, I'm not mad, slightly irritated that Draco managed to get you to do a duel on his terms, but not mad. Before you ask, Sue, I'm not at all angry at the fact that I'm not Harry's second; firstly, I'm sure that he can hold his own. Secondly, Nev is a decent dueller, and thirdly, it is best not show all of our cards right now."
"Isn't Draco on our side," Harry asked confused, from what he could understand, Draco's parents would help Ally out, they were allies. Harry had yet to understand Wizarding politics and as such did not see the difference between allies and trustworthy friends.
"Not necessarily, Lucius, his father isn't on our side, he gives off the impression that he is but he's a cunning, opportunistic manipulator. Cissy, that's Draco's mum, Narcissa, is my cousin, she is on our side but she's powerless for the moment against her husband. Draco is a mini-Lucius; I have no doubt that should Voldemort return he will join him.
As for being allies, we are, it is mainly out of family loyalty to my cousin, she knows that and Lucius is a Slytherin to the core, being my ally suits him, so he is. What he doesn't know is that Narcissa will tell me everything that I want to know regardless of their marriage vows, she was born a Black and for us birth family is stronger than married family. Well at least for the most part."
"Are all Pureblood things so complex," Harry moaned, Ally stifled a smirk whilst the other two laughed.
"Caput Draconis," Ally told the Fat Lady who swung backwards to reveal the Common Room.
Neville was the one to answer Harry's question, "Don't feel bad, Harry, Susan and I grew up around this stuff and we still don't fully understand it. Ally is some sort of alien; she must be, to be able to remember all the crap she does. It's really impressive."
Susan reached over and hit Neville upside the head despite Ally not hearing his comments as she was too busy lacing Hermione Granger's mug of hot chocolate. Ally then handed the mug over to the stuck-up Muggle-born who took it with ill-grace.
Ally gave Granger an innocent smile before rushing off to join the other three, Susan and Neville entertained themselves by playing Wizard's chess (which they both were not so good at) whilst Harry tried to complete their potions' essay. Ally, meanwhile had curled up on the sofa with her Kneazle and was reading a rather thick tome, which to everyone barring those who already knew read as 101 Ways to annoy in Hogwarts but really was Pureblood Supremacy: The Dos, The Don'ts and The Absolute Musts. Ally had no real need to read this book but given her own blood status and some social circles she had allies in, thought it best to brush up on the topic.
Finally the common room emptied and the quartet snuck out of there as fast as they could, it was times like this that Ally wished that the map had been finished, it would make sneaking out easier. That and it would make her life a hell of a lot easier, but nothing could be done at the moment.
"I'm worried, Ally," Harry whispered into his friend's ear. Harry was not someone who admitted to his insecurities easily, his upbringing made sure of that, but he felt safe with Ally Black so he moved closer to her in the darkness as he admitted this.
Ally smiled, but it was slightly rueful, "In all truthfulness Harry, it's slightly fishy that Draco has issued this challenge, he is a lot like his father, an opportunist so it worries me that he has issued this duel. It occurs to me that he may be using this to try to expel you by getting you caught outside curfew."
Harry looked worried, Neville sent a glare in Ally's direction, the last thing they needed was Harry getting freaked out, well even more so. Susan rolled her eyes; Neville was fighting a losing battle there.
"What? Nev, I never sugar-coat things, you know better than almost anyone, I'm not about to start, he's not fragile," Ally snapped at her friend as they snuck into the deserted trophy room.
Without even thinking about the impact of his words, Neville snapped back, "Yeah, well unlike you, we actually care about other people. It's what family does, not that you'd know," he immediately knew that he had gone too far by the look on Ally's face.
Ally and Neville were so engrossed in their staring match that the latter missed Harry's grateful look thrown in Ally's direction but both Susan and the girl in question did. This was an interesting revelation to say the least; it meant that Harry was beginning to trust them.
Suddenly Ally turned her head and hid a grimace; she thought that she heard some snuffling. Reacting only as years of training with Croaker could have made her do, Ally reached out and grabbed the other three and pulled them into the cover of the shadows.
"Filch," Neville groaned.
"And that stupid flea-bitten cat," Susan spat.
None of them particularly liked the cat, but Susan especially didn't. Harry and Ally had yet to say anything, the former was petrified, but the latter was calculating. Neville looked beseechingly at Ally, the girl smiled, all was forgiven but not forgotten, she knew better than most that things were said at the heat of the moment but Neville did actually mean it, and she couldn't really blame him.
"We're going to be expelled," Harry moaned because he really didn't want to end up back at the Dursleys' residence.
Ally was ignoring the moans that were emitting from the others, some quick thinking was required to avoid the caretaker and his horrible cat, "alright, guys on my count run after me, okay?"
The others stared at her, but Ally seemed to take their silence as an acceptance for she quickly ran out of the shadows and out of the room. The others had no choice but to follow, Ally took the back knowing that she was the fastest runner and that if she didn't make sure that no one got left behind then the chances were that Susan would not be able to keep up.
Suddenly Ally almost slammed into Susan's back for the others had stopped in one spot; the problem seemed to be a locked door.
"Seriously, Nev, you can't remember how to open a locked door," Ally asked him incredulously, it was one of the more simple charms that they had had to learn for Croaker.
Neville blushed red, he knew that he should know the spell but he could not for the life of him remember what the spell was supposed to be. Under any other circumstance he would have shot something back at the other student, but given his earlier issue he left well enough alone. Susan grimaced when Ally looked expectantly at her, she too had forgotten, the thing was that the two always relied on Ally to pull them through so they didn't think it was important to remember the spells. That and they always thought they were invincible, Ally was jealous of this; she was under no delusions about her mortality.
Ally rolled her eyes; they couldn't afford to stand around with Filch lurking around. Just as she was about to cast the charm Peeves appeared.
The Poltergeist cackled as he saw the first years, "Ooh, ickle firsties, what fun, students out of bed, I should tell Filch," he swooped down on the quartet.
Ally thought that she may be able to convince the poltergeist to leave them alone but Susan had gotten frustrated and displaying her redhead's temper she tried to bat Peeves away, this was a bad idea. Ally groaned aloud, this was not going to end well, instinctively she pushed Harry behind her, shielding him with her own body.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED, STUDENTS IN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"
Ally tightened her grip on her wand and groaned, but she knew that she had to do something to save them, or at least attempt to, "Alohomora," she whispered pointing her wand at the lock, which turned and opened.
Ally did not even look around in the room, she had a feeling that this was the forbidden corridor on the third floor; she pressed her ear to the door wondering what was going on. She could hear Filch's shuffling feet move closer, apparently Peeves had disappeared as quickly as he had arrived for she could hear the caretaker muttering about "annoying poltergeists".
Ally was aware of someone tapping her on the shoulder, turning she came face to face with the Cerberus that her cousin had talked to her about. The thing was massive, and Ally could see now why Hagrid loved it so much, it was a magnificent dog.
"Ah," Ally said rather stupidly, she really didn't know what to say. Inwardly she was thinking about what to do when one finds themselves face to face with a gigantic, slobbering, three-headed dog.
"Ally, between Filch and certain death, I'll take Filch," Harry told his friend who nodded in response.
"Okay, Neville, when I tell you to run, go okay and the others follow him," Ally told them quickly taking in the surroundings, there was a chance that she may not make it but she would have to make do.
"What about you," Susan asked tremulously.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Ally nodded reassuringly as she rushed forward and began whistling a tune, the three heads began drooping as soon as the music permeated through the air and Ally thanked her cousin Narcissa in her mind for telling her that Cerberus' liked music. She wasn't sure if she was going to make it, but at least it would leave her friends alone.
Neville sighed relieved that the dog was falling asleep, one look at Ally told him to run as fast he could, so opening the door he ran out followed by the other three, Ally locking the door safely behind them with an advanced charm.
They all ran to the Gryffindor Common Room, the Fat Lady was not best pleased at being awoken at this ungodly hour and made it known until Harry flashed a charming smile at her and she melted.
"Nice save, Potter," Ally muttered as the two headed off to their dorms.
"Thanks, Black, I do try," Harry blushingly replied, as he reached over and pecked her on the cheek, "thanks for saving us," and he disappeared.
Ally stared at his retreating back in shock, things were certainly improving. If anyone had seen Ally then they would have noticed the flushed pallor of her cheeks and the goofy smile that graced her face as she touched the cheek that Harry had kissed in both shock and awe.