Chapter 5

Harry's feet dragged noticeably as they neared the Registry office.

Finally Daphne snapped, "Give it a rest, Leo! I already know you're top banana, as Taurus would say."

"What!" Harry's jaw dropped.

Daphne tilted her head. "Isn't that right? Top banana, big wheel, head honcho…"

"Stop!" Harry held up his hands. "How do you know that?"

"Because I looked, the minute I joined the Unspeakables and had access to the Registry."

"You're not supposed to do that," Harry said weakly. "Those records are confidential."

"Like you didn't check?"

He blushed, embarrassed to admit he wanted to know not only his rank but that of the others in his year.

"I think it's natural to be curious about who holds the greatest amount of magical power," Daphne stated. "I wasn't surprised to find you leading the list, so to speak, but I was absolutely stunned to find Longbottom in the top five!"

"You shouldn't underestimate Neville," Harry murmured.

"Anyway, I figure we should look at the top ten first," Daphne concluded.

They bent their heads over the magical register, and names appeared.

"Right on top, Leo," Daphne looked into his eyes. "Ready to confess?"

"Very funny," he grumped. "You're number eight so I might ask the same of you!"

"Who's second? Hmm, Newt Scamander. Somehow I can't see the illustrious author sneaking around Diagon Alley murdering Slytherins."

"Let's stick to people who would have known the victims," advised Harry. "Anyone else in the top ten?"

"Luna Lovegood in number nine. The rest are years older, like Damocles Belby, so we'd better check the next ten. Anyone less powerful than that probably wouldn't be able to create such a spell."

Harry studied the next cluster of names. "Kingsley is listed at fourteen, George Weasley at seventeen, and Lucretia Zabini at twenty. The other names, again, are much older."

"Leaves us where it found us," sighed Daphne.

"Maybe not, let's go talk to George."

They found George, Angelina, Ron, and Padma all lunching together.

"This is cozy," Harry raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon, mate, got to eat," Ron laughed. "Join us?"

"Sure," Harry agreed. "But first, give me a minute, George?"

George looked taken aback. "Well, yes, Harry, I did work on something like that for a little while, thought it would aid in pranking? But then I realized it would also aid in committing crime, so I never sold it."

"What did you do with it?"

George headed down into the cellar beneath the shop. There he and his twin had set up a rudimentary potions lab, plus storage space for what George called "false starts."

But Harry was well aware of the brilliance of the Weasley twins when it came to inventions.

George rummaged along one of the shelves. "It's not here!"

Harry had expected that. "So, who has access?"

Angelina and George had decided to wed on the autumnal solstice.

On one hand, Harry was delighted to be a groomsman. On another hand, Harry dreaded the proximity to Ginny. And on a third hand, which Harry did not have, he concluded the whole thing would be more pain than pleasure.

"It's a wedding, what is the problem?" Daphne eyed him knowingly. "Unless, you are worried about encountering your ex?"

"It shouldn't be too awkward." Harry doubted that, knowing Ginny, but could see no way out. "Fine, it will be very awkward! What should I do?"

"Here's a thought… take a date? For protection, if nothing else?"

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed. "Brilliant! What time shall I pick you up?"

"Wait…what!" Daphne stared at him. "Uh…okay, let's say eleven?"

"Fine." He gave her a fleeting smile, then dashed off.

"Well. Well, well, well." Tracey Davis grinned down at her.

Daphne grimaced. "What do you want, Pisces?"

"Not a thing. Just watching the early stages of your relationship with Potter. Before it implodes completely, since Potter doesn't know how to be in a relationship!"

"Shouldn't you call him Leo at work?" Daphne mentioned.

"I try not to call him anything at all! Careful, Gemini…because he'll break your heart."

"He won't." Daphne was suddenly quite sure. "I won't let him."

Tracey gave a short snort of laughter. "You won't even see it coming. All at once, you'll be in over your head."

"Like you would know! You just hate him because you fawned all over Malfoy and got Hermione into detention with Umbridge, and he's detested you ever since!"

"I didn't do anything to him, though. But he acts like I'm infected with Dragon Pox!"

"That's because hurting people he cares for matters more to him than any harm done to himself. It's the Gryffindor in him."

Daphne felt her dislike of Tracey Davis grow. In their first days in Slytherin, she'd hoped they might become friends. Then she found that Tracey had a vicious streak clear to the bone, plus a way of using the older boys to give herself protection in the House of Snakes. After that, she'd attempted to avoid her when possible, though that was harder now that they were both Unspeakables.

She scanned every dress in her closet while Astoria watched with interest. "Not wearing dress robes?"

"Harry said muggle clothes. Casual, since the wedding is at noon."

She grabbed two dresses and held them up for inspection. One was a sleeveless blue sheath, the other a pale green floral print.

"They're both pretty enough," Astoria remarked.

"Pretty enough won't do." Daphne's eyes narrowed; she made up her mind. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Astoria scrambled to her feet.

"Harrods."