This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokemon, which belong to the Pokemon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.
I thank both Rowling and the Pokemon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.
Harry spent little time with Eevee after it hatched. The tiny Pokémon was exhausted and lethargic, and Madam Pomfrey assured him that it was normal for newly hatched Pokémon to quickly tire themselves out. Norbert, apparently, was the exception.
Eevee had curled up to sleep by the time Harry left the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey keeping a careful watch over it, and Harry hurried so he could return to class.
The next day he returned first thing in the morning, Ron, Hermione and Ginny in toe. He was rushing down the corridors, moving so fast that the other three were struggling to keep up.
"Honestly, Harry, calm down," Hermione complained. "Eevee will still be there tomorrow, there's no need to rush." Harry ignored this for he knew that, while Hermione was right that Eevee wasn't going anywhere, she was also dead wrong. She hadn't seen Eevee yet, hadn't been captivated by his presence. She couldn't understand.
Harry was almost at the Hospital Wing, having not slowed down a jot since Hermione's complaint, when he bumped into two people he hadn't expected, but knew he wanted to see.
"Blimey, Harry, what's the rush?" Fred asked amusedly.
"Been having a whiff of that Oddish powder, eh," remarked George. Harry ignored the insinuation.
"Come with me," he told them. "You'll want to see this." And he continued forward, leaving Fred and George to hurry after him with the others that trailed in his wake.
He reached the Hospital Wing doors, firmly shut, and pushed them open.
"Vee," Eevee cried excitedly. He was standing up on the bed, being examined by Madam Pomfrey, but the moment Harry walked in he turned away, taking several quick steps over the comically large bed for his size towards Harry and jumping off it into his arms. Harry was forced to lurch forwards, Eevee's jump not carrying him anywhere near as far as he had intended, and caught the tiny fur ball in his cupped hands. Eevee seemed to show no signs of worry at almost falling and instead curled up in Harry's hands, gently licking his exposed wrist.
"Mr Potter, you're back," Madam Pomfrey said with an amused tone as she straightened up, acknowledging the other students that had followed Harry into the room. "And you've brought friends." Eevee, for the first time becoming aware of their presence in the room, twisted in Harry's hands so he could get a look.
"Oh my, he's so adorable," Hermione whispered, moving in close and gazing at Eevee with adoring eyes. All complaints she'd had earlier about Harry rushing to see him were gone. She was completely captivated by the Pokémon.
"Blimey, where'd this fellow come from?" George wondered, coming round the other side of Harry to peer down at the Pokémon.
"He hatched yesterday," Harry told them. "He was in that egg that Remus brought over last summer."
"Hard to imagine that this was just an egg," Fred commented, leaning against the side of the bed to see. "He's so small. You could probably carry him around in your pocket."
"Not that you should," Hermione said protective. Fred rolled his eyes.
"He's so cute," Ginny commented, ignoring the others. She was leaning over Harry's shoulder, a hand grasped on his arm to keep herself from falling, and her long red hair was tickling Harry's cheek and falling all the way down to the baby Eevee. He looked curiously at the strange red strands, sniffing tentatively before pawing at it, watching in amazement as it swung back and forth. Ginny giggled.
"Hem, hem." Harry's blood ran cold. He could feel everyone else jump and freeze in place, turning around as one to see the intruder standing in the doorway. Harry was slower to do so, taking great care to keep Eevee shielded from sight, as he looked over his shoulder.
Professor Umbridge was standing there, looking unpleasantly annoyed. Her face was wrinkled into a frown and she glared over at the students gathered around Eevee's bed.
"Yes, Professor Umbridge," Madam Pomfrey said curtly, hostility bubbling beneath the surface. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Professor Umbridge stepped forward and automatically everyone took a step back and, as the wall of Weasleys separated, Umbridge caught a glimpse of Eevee in Harry's arms.
"I was not aware the egg had hatched, Madam Pomfrey," she said stiffly. "I thought I made it quite clear that I was to be notified immediately when it did."
"The egg hatched very recently," Madam Pomfrey said simply. "You were here yesterday. If you'll recall Eevee was still in his egg at that time. Since the hatching I have been providing care, as is my job." Umbridge did not look happy.
"Give it here," she instructed, gesturing for Harry to hand over Eevee. "Give it here, Potter." Harry could not bring himself to do it. He could not hand over something so innocent to the likes of Delores Umbridge. Umbridge huffed.
"Fine then," she said and she reached out with one of her chunky little hands and wrapped her fingers around the tiny Eevee, pulling it easily from Harry's grasp and holding it up in the air. Eevee looked terrified, struggling in Umbridge's grip, and Harry felt the overwhelming urge to get him out.
Umbridge dropped Eevee into the palm of her hand, eyeing him critically.
"What is it?" She demanded, inspecting the tiny Pokémon.
"An Eevee, Delores," Madam Pomfrey told her crossly.
"And does it have any special abilities?" Umbridge asked.
"It has the ability Adaptability," Madam Pomfrey told her. "It increases the power of Eevee's normal type moves."
"And is that unusual?" Umbridge pressed. "Is this a special ability?"
"Adaptability is a common ability," Madam Pomfrey told her. "Many Eevee have it."
"And what else, there must be something," Umbridge snapped. "Biology? Moves?"
"Helping Hand, Growl, Tackle and Tail Whip," Madam Pomfrey provided. "This Eevee is normal for its species. There is nothing unusual about it."
Professor Umbridge did not look happy. "Keep me updated, Pomfrey," she told the matron, depositing Eevee into her hands, much to Harry's relief. "If anything unusual happens then I want to know immediately." She turned to the students. "Now what are you doing here?" They stayed silent.
"We're visiting Eevee," Harry said eventually. There was no point denying it. "I was here when he hatched." Umbridge's face went purple.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter," she said angrily. "And don't you come near the Hospital Wing again. You are banned from visiting this Pokémon and if I catch you, and I will catch you, disobeying my instruction I'll be putting you in detention for the rest of the year."
Detention for the rest of the year didn't sound like the worst trade off for seeing Eevee again but Harry knew it was worse than that. Every day Professor Umbridge's power was growing and soon she'd be able to do a lot worse than simply assign detention.
"Now, out," Umbridge told them, sounding a little bit more composed now as her face started to return to its usual hew. "You are upsetting the Eevee with your presence. It needs peace and quiet, not nosy school children lurking about."
There were protests, the loudest coming from Fred and George, but twenty points later and a detention to the pair of them soon found the group of Gryffindors traipsing out the Hospital Wing doors. Harry looked over his shoulder as he went, seeing Eevee's distressed face from within the safety of Madam Pomfrey's cupped hands, and felt his heart break as the Hospital Wing doors were closed and Eevee was obscured from view.
"Damn it," Ron swore, glaring at the doors. "That mangy cow."
"She's a bitch, that's what she is," Fred agreed, his expression unusually angry.
"Makes you want to try out our latest ideas on her, doesn't it," agreed George. Hermione looked worried.
"Don't prank her," she pleaded with them. "It'll only make things worse."
"Hermione!"
"She'll know it's you," Hermione pointed it. "And she can punish you, terribly. We need to fight back in other ways, ways she won't know about. Like the DA."
"And what about Eevee?" Ginny asked, concerned. "What'll we do to look out for him?" The whole group fell silent.
"I have a plan," Harry said, his voice firm and determined. "And it'll work. I won't let Umbridge punish Eevee too."
Harry's plan for protecting Eevee wasn't shared with the others, for more reasons than just worry that it might not work. Unfortunately for him he couldn't set it into motion immediately, having to wait out the whole weekend before he could do anything. It left him horribly distracted, in class, doing homework, on the Quidditch pitch, and he was sure that people must be noticing that something was up but he didn't care. If his plan worked no one, not even his friends, would find out.
The day for which his plan was due to be set in motion was Monday, the second Monday back. With a full week under their belt it was decided that it was time to restart the DA. That weekend Harry, Hermione and Ron spread the word, making sure that everyone involved would hear before Monday morning. And it worked as Daphne Greengrass, by far the hardest of those they needed to reach, appeared in the Gryffindor fifth year's boy's dormitory at eight o'clock sharp.
"Daphne, hold on a sec," Harry said as Daphne went through her usual routine of passing over Gardevoir to Seamus. Daphne looked confused, usually she would be there and back to the Slytherin dungeons within just a minute with minimal fuss, but she accepted Harry's request to talk, obligingly wandering away from the others as Seamus started the process of gathering the DA.
"What is it, Potter?" She asked in a whisper. She clearly understood Harry's desire for secrecy.
"I need your help," Harry said simply. Daphne's eyebrow raised.
"You mean more than I'm already helping you?" She asked sardonically. Harry nodded.
"After the DA I need you to meet me back here with Gardevoir," Harry told her. "There's somewhere else I need to be and I need your help to get there." Daphne frowned.
"And why would I do that?" She asked. "Our agreement didn't include any favours."
"This isn't a favour," Harry told her. "I wouldn't ask this if it wasn't very important. I just need a way to travel from one part of the castle to another without being spotted by the cameras. Will you help me?" Daphne considered him for a moment.
"Alright," she said. "But if you're roping me into some sort of risky scheme I'm taking you to the highest tower and leaving you to find your own way back."
Harry nodded. He didn't intend to get into any trouble anyway. He turned away and soon Seamus was there with Gardevoir, waiting to take him away and Harry disappeared from his dorm room and reappeared in the dark and bitterly cold clearing in the forest, the rest of the DA huddled nervously together.
"There you are, Harry," Hermione murmured as she saw him appear, keeping her voice low as she huddled up against the cold night air. "Where were you? Why didn't you come with Ron and the others?"
"I'll explain later," Harry told her, his eyes on the group that were huddled together for warmth. "Is everyone here?"
"Yes," Hermione said.
"All of them?" Hermione nodded.
"They're worried," she told him. "With this new Inquisitorial Squad they're concerned about what's going to happen and whether we're going to get caught. But they all came. They still want to learn and battle and they all believe we need to prepare ourselves for what's coming. They're just a bit scared, that's all. They could use some encouragement."
Harry nodded. "Alright," he said. "Lets start." He took a step forward, walking up onto a small rocky outcropping which allowed him to see all the way to the back of the group, and allowed them to see him.
"Hello," he said in greeting, his breath coming out in a fog before his face. "Thanks for coming. I know a lot of you were nervous about doing this after the Inquisitorial Squad so I'm glad to see you all here." He took a breath.
"The Inquisitorial Squad is outrageous," he told them. "It gives Umbridge power and gives students the right to take out personal vendettas on each other, and mostly against us. But they do not know we are here tonight. Umbridge doesn't know we meet here or what exactly we do here. She just suspects that I'm doing something and so she's acting to try and stop me. It won't work." The group were completely silent as they listened to him. Not one of them made a sound.
"Now more than ever it is important that we practice and prepare ourselves," Harry told them. "Just before the Christmas holidays Voldemort made his first move." The whole group shivered for reasons having nothing to do with the cold. "He broke out some of his most loyal followers and now they are back at his side, recovering and getting ready to attack. They've already struck once. Ron's dad, Mr Weasley, was attacked, I'm sure you've all seen that in the papers. What the papers won't tell you is that he was attacked by an Arbok, the same Pokémon that Voldemort keeps at his side, and that he was attacked because he was protecting something that Voldemort wanted. He succeeded, the Arbok was driven away, but Voldemort will try again and now that he's making moves it is only a matter of time." He paused.
"And so we'll be working even harder than before," he told the group. "I know you enjoy these sessions and that you do still try hard, but there's no time for games now. Now we must train ourselves and our Pokémon to be ready for when Voldemort finally chooses to show himself."
"If you want to back out now you still have that option," he told them in a softer voice. "So long as you keep our secret you have no obligation to be here. I know I'm asking a lot from you, that I'm asking a lot from your trust, and if you feel you can't give it or you are better off not coming to these meetings then I'll fully understand. All you need to do is tell me."
No one moved. No one spoke. Not a sound was heard except for the soft whistling of the wind in the night. Either they were too scared or they were ready, either way Harry would find out when they gathered next time. He nodded.
"Ron," he said, turning to the red head and indicating for him to speak, and Ron stepped forward.
They'd drawn up plans over the weekend, detailed, sophisticated plans that they'd discussed and debated, gone back and forth on, but eventually settled on as being in the best interests of the group.
As Ron marshalled the DA, dividing them up into their pairings for the practice battles they were about to undertake, Harry wondered whether he was doing the right thing. The rigidity of their plan, the way they were forcing it upon the DA without their input, worried Harry. Watching from his slightly elevated position the members of the DA looked like soldiers, awaiting and accepting their orders, and Harry could only hope that he never had to lead any of them into battle.
While he may have had misgivings with the direction the DA was taking he couldn't complain about the results. Even since last meeting when they'd broken up for Christmas the improvement was enormous. Whether the DA members had been practicing over the holidays or Harry had managed to instil how serious the situation was each and every person looked determined, strong, and ready for battle. And as Harry wandered around the edge of the clearing, keeping his distance as Fred's Magmar blasted a Flamethrower at Dean's Hariyama, he found solace in the fact that at least these students would be ready to defend themselves.
The meeting came to a stop amid a bunch of determined faces and some rather bashed and beaten up looking Pokémon. Harry wondered whether Madam Pomfrey would start putting two and two together and realise what was going on with the increased admissions to the Hospital Wing.
The DA members made their way back to their dormitories, Gardevoir flashing in and out of sight as the crowd became thinner and thinner until it was just the fifth year Gryffindor boys that were left to go.
"See you, Gardevoir," Seamus said lazily, waving to the Pokémon once they were in the safety of their dormitory as the powerful psychic type disappeared without a sound.
With the Pokémon gone Seamus fell back on his bed, hands behind his head. Neville nervously picked at his school books for the next day while Ron took off his socks and threw them into a pile beside his bed. Dean walked into the bathroom.
Harry didn't do any of these things, sitting on the side of his bed expectantly, and he was the only one who wasn't surprised when Gardevoir returned, Daphne Greengrass in toe.
"Bloody hell," Ron swore. He'd been halfway through taking off his shirt when Daphne appeared. Seamus sat up, eyebrows raised, and Neville stopped dead, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Potter," Daphne said simply, fixing a firm look on Harry. He nodded and got to his feet.
"What's goin' on?" Seamus asked, looking between Harry and Daphne in confusion.
"Nothing," Harry told him. "It's not got anything to do with the DA."
"Then what's it about?" Neville asked nervously. He was never comfortable when Daphne was there. Harry wasn't sure whether it was because she was a Slytherin or because she was a girl. Probably both.
"Harry," Ron said, standing up with a look of realisation on his face. "Is this…?" Harry nodded.
"What?" Seamus asked, looking between Harry and Ron now.
"I'd like to know that myself," Daphne pointed out. "Since I am supposed to be helping you. Believe me, I take no pleasure in being here."
"Are you sure?" Seamus asked with a wicked grin. Daphne turned away.
"I need you to take me to the Hospital Wing," Harry told her. "There's someone I need to visit there but Umbridge has banned me and there are cameras all over the corridor outside."
"I didn't know there was anyone in the Hospital Wing," Seamus commented.
"Who's in the Hospital Wing?" came the voice of Dean just moments before he appeared in the door to the bathroom, shirtless. He looked at Daphne in surprise. "What's going on?"
Harry turned to Ron. "Can you explain?" He asked. Now that his plan was almost started he felt an intense urge to be gone. Ron nodded. Harry turned to Daphne.
"I suppose I can help you," she said with a long suffering sigh. She gestured to Gardevoir. "The Hospital Wing, then?" Harry nodded. Daphne exchanged a look with Gardevoir and a moment later they were gone.
The Hospital Wing was a much different place under the cover of night, as Harry knew from personal experience as he'd been a visitor more times than he cared to remember. Usually it was quiet, and often it was empty as most people tended not to get injured enough to require long term stay.
This night there was only one inhabitant and Harry swiftly moved towards their bed, keeping as silent as possible so as to avoid arousing the attention of Madam Pomfrey in the adjoining room.
He sat down next to Eevee's bed.
"Vee?" The tiny little Pokémon had been asleep when Harry had arrived but it had somehow sensed his presence anyway. He blinked blearily, his adorable round eyes filled with sleep, and shook his head slightly to clear out the cobwebs. Then he looked up.
"Hey," Harry said softly, smiling down at the Pokémon.
"Vee!" Eevee cried out and he ran over to the edge of the bed and leapt into Harry's arms. Closer this time, and not so surprised, Harry caught the baby Pokémon with ease, quickly cradling the tiny little Eevee up to his chest. Eevee rubbed his head against Harry's chin, seeming to try and push himself as close as physically possible to him and Harry smiled as he felt the worry lift off his shoulders. He should've known Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let anything happen to Eevee. It just made him feel so much better to see it with his own eyes.
As Eevee snuggled up to Harry Daphne approached the bed, taking a seat silently on the other side and watching the human and Pokémon with a surprisingly soft look in her eyes. Harry supposed it was Eevee; there was no heart he could not melt.
"I know you're probably a bit annoyed at the deception," Harry told her, finding it hard to be sorry for it. "Seamus was right, there isn't anyone here I wanted to visit. Just Eevee."
"I forgive you, Potter," Daphne told him, rolling her eyes lightly. "You know you could have just told me the truth. Even Slytherins like cute Pokémon." Harry smiled.
"He hatched last Thursday," Harry told her, making conversation as Eevee got comfortable in his arms. "You see, I found him as an egg last summer and brought him here for Madam Pomfrey to look after. I've been visiting as often as I can get away with but Umbridge has been really interested in the egg." Daphne raised an eyebrow.
"It's because I brought it," Harry explained. "She thinks that Eevee is going to have some sort of special powers and that Dumbledore gave it to me for some reason. That's why when she realised Eevee had hatched she banned me from visiting."
"Which is why you requested my help," Daphne finished for him. Harry nodded.
"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't be taking advantage of you like this," Harry told her. "I was just so worried about Eevee and just had to see him, by any means necessary."
"I understand," Daphne told him and Harry looked up. "My Nidoqueen was given to me as an egg before I started my second year. I was up here checking on it all the time and when it hatched I just couldn't leave her side. Of course this was second year so Madam Pomfrey didn't want to keep anything around the Hospital Wing so she sent her back with me to look after. The bond built between a trainer and a Pokémon they hatch is something that no one can understand, unless they've experienced it themselves."
Harry smiled. Daphne, it seemed, understood him. In fact, she understood him in a way even Ron and Hermione could not. They had not been there when Eevee had hatched, they had not been there when he had turned those wide innocent eyes on Harry for the first time. They couldn't understand Harry's need to be with him.
"Will you help me?" Harry asked, tearing his eyes away from Eevee who was snoozing now in his arms. "Will you help me visit?" Daphne smiled.
"I'll send Gardevoir round the same time tomorrow," she told him and Harry let out a broad smile. "But you've got to be careful. Eevee will need to learn independence and you can't always be there. Don't get sucked into spending too much time with him. Madam Pomfrey will keep him safe."
"I will, I promise," Harry told her though inside he thought how impossible that really was. Already he was having a hard time letting go. "I suppose we should probably leave." Eevee was fast asleep in his arms. He needed his rest.
As carefully as Harry could he transferred Eevee from his arms to the bed, trying his best not to wake the delicate little Pokémon as he did so. Eevee stirred as he was moved away from the warmth of Harry's body, making him pause, but didn't wake up and so Harry was able to silently slip away across the room to where Gardevoir was waiting. Daphne followed him.
"Thank you," Harry said softly, trying to keep his voice as low as possible as he glanced back to where Eevee lay. "Thank you so much for helping me."
Daphne smiled. She'd probably done more of that here tonight than she had in the whole time Harry had known her. It had a remarkable effect on the girl. She was always beautiful, even Ron would admit that, but smiling gave her something more, something undeniably warm.
"I've got to admit I'm glad I was here," she told him softly. "Who would have thought Harry Potter had a soft side."
Harry didn't know what caused him to do it, the question would plague his mind for months to come, but in that moment, with moonlight streaming through the windows and illuminating her perfect visage, he felt like it was right. As always he went with instinct. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and pressed his lips to hers.
A/N: Hi everyone, hope you've enjoyed the chapter. I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be quite busy over the next few weeks and so I might not be uploading as often as usual. This is only temporary, I'll be back to my normal uploads soon.
Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.