Sensing Magic
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
The second Saturday in May began bright and sunny. "Thank Merlin," Harry muttered to Lucy. "Today, all the first-years' parents and perhaps even little siblings are going to come for the weekend." He chuckled, when another thought crossed his mind. "I wonder how Dumbledore is going to react, when he realises that I've asked Marvolo to be the referee for our Quidditch matches."
At breakfast in the Great Hall, the headmaster announced that everyone from third-year onwards was allowed to go to Hogsmeade for the day.
Harry had already expected him to do so; therefore, he rose from his chair at the Gryffindor table. "The first-years are going to have their families at Hogwarts over the weekend, and we will have a rally through Hogwarts this morning. As the second-years are not allowed to go to Hogsmeade, they are welcome to participate in our rally if they wish. Everyone who wants to join us, please meet me here in the Great Hall shortly before ten o'clock."
He grinned upon realising that his announcement had the expected effect, as all the second-years began to chatter in apparent excitement.
'Harry,' his father's voice penetrated his mind. 'Have you decided where you're going to sit today?'
Harry smirked. 'I agreed with Teddy, Hermione, Neville and Draco to join Ginny, the twins and Theo at the Slytherin table.'
'The twins aren't first-years.'
'But Ginny's family.'
'What about Ronald and Percival?'
Harry shrugged. 'Ron has probably invited his mother. No idea what he's going to do. Ginny invited her father, and I suppose that he's going to join us at the Slytherin table.'
'Why Slytherin?'
'Because Marvolo might be the most comfortable with it. I invited him as the referee for all three Quidditch matches, but he can't well sit at the high table next to Dumbledore now, can he?'
Severus let out a small snort that made his colleagues fuss over him in apparent concern, causing Harry to chuckle.
HP
Soon afterwards, breakfast was over and while the older students and the teachers who chaperoned bustled away in the direction of Hogsmeade, the first-years and the remaining professors assembled on the grounds to greet the arriving families.
The first and 'hopefully only' incident occurred, when Marvolo stepped over to where Harry and his group of friends were standing.
"Marvolo…"
"… how nice of you to join us…"
"… on this wonderful summer morning…"
"… at Hogwarts."
"Hi twins." Marvolo grinned broadly.
"Voldemort!" Molly, who was standing a little aside with Ronald and Percy shouted, pointing her finger at Marvolo.
"I am Lord Gaunt." Marvolo's voice was quiet but firm. "And you are?"
"Molly Noname…"
"… our insufferable mother," the twins informed him.
"Lord Gaunt." Dumbledore approached the group in a fast pace that did not give away his age. "Why are you here?"
"Because Harry Prince invited me as his relative to join him and his family during this weekend and to referee the Quidditch matches which are due later today and tomorrow." Marvolo's voice was neutral, and Harry realised that he was not in the slightest afraid of the headmaster. 'Oh well, in contrary to Dumbledore, he knows that we're all on his side,' he thought in amusement.
Shaking his head in apparent annoyance, Dumbledore cast Harry a glare that would have made his blood coil if he did not know better, before he walked away without any further word.
"Molly, behave yourself." Arthur glared at his former wife, before he returned to his conversation with Narcissa and Bellatrix.
HP
When Harry sat at the Slytherin table next to Teddy and Cicero, he noticed in surprise that his parents seemed to decide to attend the event as his family and not as professors. Misty sat on his other side with Lucky and Felix in their high chairs between her and Regina. Severus sat on Regina's other side. Marvolo took the seat opposite of him with Bellatrix, Draco and Narcissa on his one side, Hermione and her parents on his other side.
'What a cool mix,' Harry thought, feeling very happy. He could not help grinning, when Hermione and her mother immediately began to bombard Marvolo with questions about the magical world.
HP
The rally was much fun for everyone. Harry did not participate but popped himself from one group to the next to assist with one or the other question. His parents remained in the Great Hall together with the other professors to entertain the groups who returned first.
"Harry, that was much fun." Hermione greeted him with obvious enthusiasm, when he returned to the Great Hall shortly before the last group. "I learned a lot about Hogwarts, which isn't even stated in 'Hogwarts: A History'. It was amazing."
HP
When the Quidditch teams of the first-years and the professors gathered on the Quidditch pitch ready to take into the air, Harry marvelled at the fact that not only the first-years but almost the whole school was gathered on the grounds to watch the match. Suddenly, he heard Molly Noname's voice. Due to the number of Howlers she had sent to her children, he recognised her immediately.
"Why do they have a house-elf play with the students? Don't the first-years have enough players?"
Harry could not hear Percy's response; but he was certain that Teddy had heard the comment as well. He had not completed the transformation into his elf form yet, however, knew that he would be able to transform if he just summoned enough magic. 'She made me upset enough,' he thought, grimly, and within an instant transformed, before he mounted his broom. 'Come on, Teddy, let's show them,' he thought to his best friend, who returned a small squeal of apparent delight.
"The students even have two elves on their team, Ms. Noname," Marvolo commented, dryly, before he introduced the teachers' team first and the students' team afterwards.
'I thought Dad would play Seeker for them,' Harry thought in surprise, only to realise that his father was probably going to play on the parents' team. Somehow, he felt extremely happy about it. 'Oh well, I need to concentrate on the Snitch,' he realised, knowing that Charlie Weasley, his opponent Seeker, had been the number one Seeker of the Gryffindor Quidditch team for a long time.
He barely noticed what happened below, as he fully concentrated on the Snitch, trying to not distract himself by his unused form. He realised, however, that he could move easier in his elf form and that it only made him faster. Thirty-two minutes into the match, he manged to catch the Snitch, an arm length before Charlie would have been able to reach it.
"Harry Prince-Potter caught the Snitch. The students win 230 – 150. Congratulation, students." Marvolo's voice sounded over the grounds, causing the assembled student body to cheer.
HP
When everyone was assembled back in the Great Hall, where a fifth house table had been prepared for the visitors, Remus announced the winners of the rally.
"The group of Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy was the fastest and is on the first place. Each of you wins a 10 Galleon voucher of Flourish and Blotts in Hogsmeade. Congratulations."
Over the upcoming applause and squeals of excitement coming from Hermione and Ginny, he continued, "The group of Teddy, Neville and Susan is in the second place. Each of you wins a 10 Galleon voucher of Honeydukes."
"Oh, yummy." Teddy cast Harry a cheerful look.
"The group of Daphne, Tracey and Theodore is in the third place. Each of you will receive a 5 Galleon voucher of Honeydukes. All prizes have been donated by Marvolo Gaunt and the Weasley twins."
"Excuse me, Professor." Hermione rose from her chair. "When can we go to Hogsmeade?"
"During the summer holidays." Severus' no-nonsense voice sounded through the Great Hall.
"Dad!" Harry spoke up, indignantly.
"Professor Prince was only joking," Remus informed them. "Tomorrow afternoon, the winning groups may go to Hogsmeade together with the adults in their groups."
"Why are they allowed to go and we not? Ginny is even a year younger than everyone else."
"Ronald…"
"… please behave yourself…"
"… worthy of a member of the Weasley family."
'Where did they come from?' Harry thought in amusement, as the twins came from behind, squeezing themselves onto the bench between him and Teddy.
Remus cleared his throat. "Now, the prize for the winning Quidditch team, which will be determined tomorrow morning, will be arranged by Harry Prince, and I am sure that it is going to be a treat for everyone."
tbc...
Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter.