Chapter 4 Dates & The Wand Weighing
Author Notes: Sorry about the long wait, as I said in a previous Author Note, Fourth Year fanfiction is a struggle for me, but I haven't forgotten about this story yet. This is a kinda simple chapter, but hope it is good. Don't want it to be too fast paced after all. Hope y'all enjoy and remember to review
Sunday
Harry walked into the Great Hall early, and made his way towards Dumbledore, who was looking at him with that trademark twinkle in his eyes. He ignored the sneers from Maxime and Karkaroff, they weren't worth putting down.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Potter?" asked Dumbledore
"May I have permission to go to Diagon Alley? I need a whole new wardrobe" asked Harry, and Dumbledore looked surprised before he developed a knowing grin
"Do you have a date, Mr. Potter?" asked Dumbledore, and Harry blushed a light shade of red and nodded. Dumbledore was too all knowing for his own good.
"Well I guess I could authorize this trip, but you'd need a chaperone" mused Dumbledore, and McGonagall quickly offered to take Harry, but the cheshire grin on her face was concerning
"Well then, when are you ready to leave, Mr. Potter?" asked Dumbledore
"Now if McGonagall's ready" said Harry, and McGonagall got up and quickly escorted Harry out and Side-Along Apparated him to Diagon after passing the ward line
Four Hours Later
Harry couldn't have felt more grateful to be back at Hogwarts than he'd ever felt before. Four hours. Four bloody hours of McGonagall and Madam Malkin using him as a dress-up doll. He had a brand new trunk. It was a multi compartment trunk with various protections on it, and had one, already filled, walk-in closet that he was sure most witches would drool over if they saw it. It was huge! He had casual and formal wears now, and his Trust Vault was a 1,000G emptier.
He quickly went to his dorm and changed into a black and emerald green trimmed blazer with a silver T-shirt underneath, with blue Muggle-like jeans Malkin made out of comfy, magic resistant fabric she had in the back of her shop. He tried and failed to comb his hair, so he quickly left the dorm with his money pouch in his pocket, and his wand in a wand holster McGonagall had him buy and keep on his right thigh.
He went down to the Great Hall, where everyone was having lunch, and found Fleur eating at the Ravenclaw Table. She was wearing a baby blue blouse and had on peach colored, tight jeans that were obviously Muggle, but had worn holes at the knees that he kinda liked. It looked good on Fleur, though basically anything looked good on Fleur. Though she'd look divine in less, but that was his raging teenage hormones talking.
He saw that many eyes were drawn towards him, and many mouths were gaping because he, Harry Potter, was dressed better than anyone had ever seen him, even himself. He even caught a few predatory glances from some upper year witches, but smirked to himself as he made his way towards Fleur, who was looking at him a slightly gaping mouth, as she was beginning to comprehend how good he looked when he cleaned himself up.
"Mademoiselle Delacour, are you ready for our date?" asked Harry with a better than average French accent, thankfully Godric knew French and had been teaching him it along with other languages, and now he wasn't butchering her native tongue. He even bowed slightly with a lopsided grin on his face as Fleur smiled coyly at him in return, while gasps were heard throughout the Great Hall.
Harry Potter had a date? And it was with Fleur Delacour? The witch who'd turned down every boy who'd asked her out so far?
"Oui, Monsieur Potter, I am ready" said Fleur, matching his formal tone, and held out her hand expectantly
Harry grinned and grabbed her hand and stood her up on her feet. She was like a head taller than him, but he was making up for his current height with his body filling out from Godric's training. He then kissed the back of her danty hand, and escorted her out to Hogsmeade.
"So, where do you want to go first, Fleur?" asked Harry, and Fleur placed a finger on her chin and looked thoughtful
"I've heard good things about the Three Broomsticks and butterbeer" said Fleur
"Three Broomsticks it is, and two things of butterbeer. Then we'll start on your tour of the Hogsmeade experience" said Harry, and waved his hand towards Hogsmeade dramatically
"Okay, 'Arry" said Fleur with a giggle at his antics
They arrived at the Three Broomsticks, and Harry got them a booth in a corner. The waitress/barkeep, Madam Rosmerta, walked up and smirked at Harry.
"Finally found yourself a date I see" said Rosmerta, and Harry blushed a light red
"Yep, and she's lovely" said Harry, and this time Fleur blushed a light pink
"I believe you. Now what do you two want?" asked Rosmerta
"I'll take fish and chips with a butterbeer for me and my lady. What else do you want, Fleur?" said Harry
"I'll have a side of chips. I just ate lunch" said Fleur, and Rosmerta nodded as she wrote down their order on a notepad
"I'll have your order out in five" said Rosmerta before she walked away
Harry and Fleur talked for the next few minutes. Fleur asked Harry what he liked, and he told her that he liked training, Quidditch, and his friends. He was still broadening his horizons, so he figured he'd have additions to that later on. He asked Fleur the same, and she said with a great passion that she liked Charms, Enchanting, clothes, and her family. When he told her to continue, she happily told him about her sister, Gabrielle, who she cared for fondly. Her Papa was the Head of the Department of Magic Law Enforcement in France and was a politician as well. Her Maman was a clothes designer. So far Harry could say that their likes, while different, weren't detrimentally different that a long-term relationship wouldn't work, not that he was looking for one, but he knew that this one could become long-term if he and Fleur wanted it to.
Their food came, and they ate and talked. Fleur found Harry's school adventures to be shocking, and while she felt hers paled in comparison to his, she told him about her school years. How most of her friends had ditched her upon her late maturity, then how they became bitches when she matured, and how she took it all with a grain of salt. She wasn't internally broken and in need of someone understanding her plight. She felt proud of what she was, she was proud of her heritage, and she knew when a boy was just that, a boy. So far, she told him, he was fairing much better than her previous dates.
Afterwards, Harry took Fleur on a tour of Hogsmeade. They visited every place of importance, and he even told Fleur the truth behind the haunting of the Shrieking Shack. She found it amusing. They finished their date at about six, having spent as long as they could together, just enjoying the date and each other's company. Harry honestly hoped that Fleur would want a second date. He quite enjoyed himself.
"Walk me back to my carriage?" asked Fleur as they lay in the grass somewhere between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts
"Sure" said Harry, and the two walked in peaceful silence back to the Beauxbatons Carriage
At the door to the carriage, Fleur stopped, turned to look at Harry, and smiled.
"I had fun, 'Arry" said Fleur
"I had fun to, Fleur" said Harry with a light blush as he found that the atmosphere was a touch romantic and something inside of him wanted a goodnight kiss. So he was shocked and elated to feel a pair of cool lips on his lips. He kissed back almost immediately, and he could've sworn he felt her tongue flick against his teeth, but the kiss ended before he could figure out whether or not he was going crazy, which he might've been because that kiss made him all warm and fuzzy inside.
"I expect another date, 'Arry" said Fleur with a grin before she sauntered back into the carriage, her hips swaying back and forth while Harry just stood there standing like a statue
Shaking his head to get his bearings, Harry turned to walk back to the castle, thinking up what he could do for their next date.
November 13th
Harry stood beside Godric inside a small classroom where the Wand Weighing was being held. It was supposed to be this official part of the event, but Godric said it was just an excuse to get pictures of the Champions and possible interviews for the reporters, so Harry was a bit out of his element. He was dressed in blood red robes with the Gryffindor Crest on his left breast and on his back, which was a lion in mid roar. The insides of his robes were gold as were the trimming of the robes. They went down to his knees where they had orange-red flames designed into the bottom to look as if the flames were licking the bottom of his robes. Godric wore his usual robes.
They stood off to the side awaiting the arrival of Ludo Bagman, who was running late. Igor and Maxime were talking with Dumbledore and Crouch about something. Krum was off to one side looking quiet and broody. Cedric was doing some last minute polishing of his wand. And Fleur, well she was just looking utterly beautiful in silver pants and a silvery blue blouse. Her silvery blonde hair was tied into a loose ponytail. She looked absolutely radiant, though Harry was a bit biased seeing as how they'd gone on three dates since their first date and were officially both off the market as they were together.
He noticed that the reporter from the Daily Prophet, Rita Skeeter, looked like she'd gotten a few too many plastic surgeries and looked utterly fake. Plus she overused her make-up. Her robes were just a bit on the overly bright side, and that shade of green wasn't doing her any favors. Honestly, Harry felt she was one of those women who'd done almost everything to get where she was, and some of that almost everything was less than decent, at least in polite company. Great, he was thinking like a snob. He'd just have to keep a wide birth from her, and try not to think about her or his somewhat snobbish opinion of her.
"Sorry, I'm late, had a run-in with some Goblins at Hogsmeade" said Ludo breathlessly as he entered, earning several dirty looks for taking so long
"Now that everyone is here, let us begin" said Garrick Ollivander after appearing almost out of nowhere. Harry had forgotten the man was even here.
"Let's start with Ms. Delacour" said Dumbledore, and Fleur walked up and handed Ollivander her wand
"Hmm..." said Ollivander as he scrutinized the wand
He twirled it in his fingers, flicked it in the air emitting pink and gold sparks, then he held it closely to his eyes and examined it closely.
"Yes" said Ollivander quietly "Nine and a half inches... inflexible... rosewood... and containing... dear me"
"An 'air from the 'ead of a veela" said Fleur "One of my grandmother's"
*"Orchideous"* whispered Ollivander, and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand
"Very well, it's in fine working order" said Ollivander, and handed Fleur back her wand
"Mr. Krum next" said Ollivander, and Krum stepped forward and handed him his wand
"Hmm... A Gregorovitch creation... Hornbeam and dragon heartstring... Thicker than one usually sees... Quite rigid... Ten and a quarter inches... *Avis*" mused Ollivander before he made a flock of small, twittering birds shoot forth from the wand
"Yes, yes, in fine working order" said Ollivander, and handed Krum back his wand
"Now Mr. Diggory" said Ollivander, and Cedric walked up and handed him his wand
"Oh, one of my creations. Contains a single hair of the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn. Twelve and a quarter inches... Ash... Pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition. You treat it well?" said Ollivander before looking at Cedric curiously
"Yes, I polished it last night" said Cedric proudly
"Very well. I'd say it's in fine condition" said Ollivander before handing Cedric his wand back
"Now I believe Mr. Potter's wand needs a looking at" said Ollivander, and Harry stepped forward and handed Ollivander his wand
"Yes... Holly and phoenix feather... Eleven inches exactly... Nice and supple... And my oh my, it has seen some advanced usage in the last few weeks, but it is adapting quite nicely to the change of pace... I see that you've recently learned of proper wand care, good good. A wizard is only as good as his wand, and vice versa. It is a partnership like no other. If you find that you are having any trouble with it as you face your transition, just let me know, Mr. Potter. But as of right now, it is in fine working order" said Ollivander, and handed Harry back his wand
"Well, I best be off. Dumbledore, Lord Gryffindor" said Ollivander, and nodded his head to Dumbledore and bowed to Godric, who bowed respectfully back, before departing
"Now for interviews. Let's begin with the Fourth Champion" said Rita, finally getting to where she'd wanted to be
"My apologies, but as his current guardian, I must kindly inform you that my charge won't be taking interviews" said Godric, surprising Harry. He wasn't aware that Godric became his guardian. Cool.
"Come on, Lord Gryffindor. A harmless little interview won't be much of trouble" said Rita, and Harry winced as she dug her long nails into his arm as she tried to pull him aside. Godric noticed this and struggled to keep a polite facade up.
"Again, Ms. Skeeter, my charge won't be taking any interviews today" said Godric, his eyes narrowed at Rita
"The public deserves to know what our hero is doing" snapped Rita, taking this approach as the other one wasn't working
"And I am execising the right to decline an interview between you and my charge" said Godric sternly
"How about we ask him what he wants" said Rita, and looked at Harry imploringly, but he just shook his head
"I have no desire to give an interview, thank you" said Harry, and Rita harrumphed before demanding they take pictures and be done with it all
Harry took a few shots beside Fleur, who once gave him a quick smile and wink, which made the ordeal much more pleasant. Finally the nightmare was over, and Godric led Harry to the Quidditch Pitch.
"I hate those things, Hadrian. So aggravating. Now, let's continue your swordsmanship practice, and break in those new robes" said Godric with a grin, and Harry shook his head with a chuckle. Godric was truly at his element when doing something physical.
"Sure thing, and maybe I'll finally hand you your arse" said Harry, and Godric laughed heartily
"Not likely, Hadrian! Maybe in a few decades!" said Godric with a grin that promised Harry that he'd be going harder against him this session for that remark