Day One Evening
"So what duelling style do you use Harry?" Susan asked as they were finishing dinner. She had been dying to know all evening but didn't want to ask as Harry seemed preoccupied.
Harry looked up from his plate, seeing his friends all looking at him, he realised the he had been brooding over the prophecy. Not being a good host at all.
Before he could answer Neville offered his opinion. "The Prat?"
Harry laughed and was about to retort when Daphne offered "The Joker?"
"No, no he is so strict with us during training, he is more The McGonagall" said Tracey.
That had every just about rolling out of their chairs.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up while you can, remember it am organising tonight's activity." Which quickly shut them up. "In fact, I better get on to it, have to put down some cushioning charms so no one gets too badly hurt."
He got up and started walking out noting the looks on everyone's faces, he could barely contain his smile.
"The Destroyer" Theo said when Harry had left. "While most of you wouldn't have seen it, Harry in full duelling mode is scary."
The other Slytherins at the table just nodded.
"So it's true then, you Slytherins duel in your common room?" Susan asked.
"Just the ones trying to prove something or making a power play." Millicent said "I haven't. But there are ones who are stupid enough to challenge Harry. Malfoy puts them up to it, pays them to do it."
"And Snape takes them to the infirmary. Every time." Theo added.
"Please don't mention it to Harry, he takes no enjoyment out of beating them, and would be embarrassed if you brought it up. It is just his way. Standing up for your friends and your values. And people play on that." Daphne pleaded with them.
"And what about you Daphne, do you duel as well?" Hermione asked.
"Are you kidding?" Tracey said "After the first couple, the rest of the girls are too scared to take on the Ice Queen"
Daphne shot Tracey a look that could have powered a wandless freezing hex. She hated being called that, and every time Tracey called her it, the name stuck a little more in everyone's mind. After all, she was a gentle soul.
"I see what you mean" said Hermione who was sitting next to Tracey and therefore spared the full force of the look, but still recoiled in her chair jokingly at the ferocity of it.
Everyone cracked up at that, this time Lavender actually fell out of her chair she was laughing so hard.
Harry walked back in at this point. "What's so funny, don't tell me that Neville told you the story about how his gran caught him naked in his greenhouse singing to his Abyssinian Shrivelfig? Supposed to induce flowering or something like that."
Neville growled loudly and leapt from his chair to get to Harry.
By now Lavender was not the only one rolling on the floor laughing.
Neville chased Harry twice around the table, dodging the bodies rolling around, before Harry made a quick escape through the door with Neville hot on his heals.
When Harry and Neville didn't return, curiosity got the better of the others and so they went looking for the pair.
The problem with a manor, there is a lot of rooms to search. Eventually the found the boys in the games room, sitting on a sofa, drinking butter beer in companionable silence. Every now and then one would start laughing which would set the other one off.
"Well you lot took your time" Neville said.
"We wanted to wait until the bloodshed was over" Daphne said flopping on the sofa next to Harry.
"Never mind, better late than never." Harry said "Grab a drink and sit down. Without getting all soppy, you guys are our friends and we would like to spend some time just hanging out. We haven't really done that since new years."
Everyone grabbed a drink and a seat in the scattered sofas and armchairs.
"So, without further ado, let me introduce you to tonight's entertainment."
He pointed his finger towards the corner of the room and the disillusionment charm disappeared revealing a low table with two old fashioned gramophones. Both had very large speaker trumpets.
Everyone looked at Harry with a puzzled look. Harry picked up the piece of parchment from the table in front of him and wrote something with the attached quill.
Instantly the room filled with music of surprisingly good sound quality considering the source.
Hermione started laughing, she looked at Dean. "A remote control jukebox."
Dean shook his head. "You purebloods are crazy" he laughed and reached for the parchment to add his own favourite song to the list, wondering if there was any limitations to song choice.
Harry's choice ended (A Weird Sisters song that sounded suspiciously like that new band Nirvana or vice versa)
Dean was pleasantly surprised that while Nirvana was fading out the opening trumpet and trombone of The Specials blasted out bring back fond memories of his dad's band that used to practice in their shed when he was really young. 'Stop your messing around. Better think of your future. Time you straightened right out…' Dean sang along realising the poignancy of the lyrics.
As his song ended, he was amazed to discover that the next song, Theo's choice, was muggle as well. The quizzical look on his face got the magic raised in the room laughing at him.
"Seriously Dean, how can you look at Robert Smith and think he is a muggle" Tracey teased.
"No way!" was Hermione's shouted response. Tracey reached across and took Hermione's butter beer out of her hand and replaced it with an orange juice.
As The Cure finished weeping their love song it became obvious that Theo had snuck another one in there as Morrissey asked 'How Soon Is Now'.
Hermione muttered something about goths and wizards that thankfully nobody really heard.
As the night wore on, it became obvious that the late 80's was a renaissance period for magical musicians in the muggle world, free to be themselves without anyone even noticing.
Siouxsie and The Banshees seemed to be just about everyone's favourite of the night. Go figure, thought Dean.
Lavender's choices for the night however were not overly popular, apart from being New Romantics, who would want to listen to an inferi band. And their name did not fool anyone. Human League? Really?
The night wound up with everyone's favourite Elven Lord singing about 'Scary Monsters and Super Creeps' in the 'Serious Moonlight'.
As they were all heading off to bed, Neville stopped Harry. "I thought there was meant to be an exercise session in the evening? Not that I am complaining, this was probably one of the best nights of my life."
"It was a strengthening session Neville" Harry said patting him affectionately on the shoulder.
"Strengthening our friendships"
Author's Note:
Sorry about the brevity of the chapter – just thought that with all the drama and hard work, a bit of fun would do the kids a world of good.
I also realise that I am showing my age with the music references – this is set some time around August 1992. I would have been in my twenty's.
Thanks for reading and the reviews. I do love the reviews.
Greg
