Author's Note: Sorry this updating took so long. I had Writer's Block on how to proceed from the last Chapter and it took me almost five months. Without further ado read on and laugh.

Chapter 6

The next morning in the Great Hall a bizarre happening happened in Hogwarts.

Harry Potter had come in to an already packed hall with a smile on his face. Students of Hogwarts and staff members who were normally used to a moody and scowling Harry walking in to the Great Hall were wondering what caused the Potter boy to be in a good mood. The silence was quickly broken however.

"Hey, Potty," came a drawling voice.

Severus Snape almost groaned at the Head Table. Could the ever obnoxious Malfoy scion ever shut his goddamned mouth when Harry Potter walked near him?

"Are the rumours true?" the blonde moron commented, strolling up to Harry. "You broke up with Weaslebee for another boy. It's Creevey, isn't it?"

Ignoring the angry shout that came from the Gryffindor table, Draco continued to sneer at Harry. "Well, Potter, are you going to admit you're gay or not."

Harry continued to smile at the Slytherin blonde ponce. Malfoy finally noticed that he hadn't made Harry Potter angry. He gave a subtle look at the Head Table at Snape.

Severus felt like banging his head on the table. Everyone had seen the look Draco had sent him, and now the Headmistress was eyeing him to see how he would handle it. Gritting his teeth, he made his way to the two miscreants who both had the eyes of the entire hall focused on them.

"POTTER," he snarled, forgetting that he was being watched. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for blocking the path."

The green eyes flashed in his direction. Now he wished he hadn't said anything. He could feel McGonagall's eyes boring into him. He shuddered.

"Hello, Professor Snape," the green eyed devil said. "How are you this fine day?"

He opened his mouth to scream at the impertinent brat when there was an interruption.

"Bonjour, Harry," came a French voice.

Harry smiled wider. Many males in the vicinity went rigid and started drooling as the sight of Fleur Delacour threw them completely.

Fleur Delacour went up and stood next to Harry. Taking his hand, she led him to the table. Before she reached it however, Harry pulled her close and gave her a kiss, whispering a good morning to her.

The noise dropped -if even possible- lower.

The hall went silent for a brief moment, but then suddenly angry shouting came from the many males whom had made a ploy for the attractive French witch. Several girls glared in the direction of Fleur angrily, while some cried that they hadn't gotten to Harry first.

Knowing he was likely to do something that could get himself tossed into Azkaban at a moment's notice if he stayed, Severus left the Great Hall. Up at the Head Table, Hagrid smiled widely at seeing that Harry had found his first girlfriend, as he widely hoped they would get together. While not a very observant man, he noticed the looks Harry gave Fleur's direction recently and knew what was in the head of his young friend.

Sitting at his table with Fleur Harry ignored the cacophony of voices around him and the stares. He was used to it at Hogwarts and so he continued to eat his breakfast while conversing quietly with his girlfriend.

IlIlIlI

Transfiguration was the First Lesson of the day. Harry made his way to the class with Hermione by his side, whom was feeling nervous about her homework ("Did I get Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration right").

They went into the classroom and sat down. As he was with Hermione -who was always on time- they were the first in the class. Seated at the desk was the new teacher, Professor Maggy Smeth who had replaced McGonagall since she had become Headmistress. Strict but fair, the woman taught the class with exceptional vigor. Harry's grades started improving after Halloween as he had cut ties with the one who made him mostly lazy.

Fifteen minutes had gone into the lesson with Smeth when there came a noise out in the hall. A few looked up including Smeth to see Ron Weasley burst into the class looking like he had run several miles.

"Mr Weasley, explain yourself. Why are you late?" Smeth spoke in a clipped tone.

Wheezing and gasping for some air, Ron said, "Well Professor, Harry didn't wake me up so I rushed down for some breakfast than I came here."

Some of the students were surprised that Ron managed to tear himself away from his food in order to come to class.

"Mr Weasley," Smeth spoke harshly. "It is not up to someone else to wake you up in the morning. Maybe if you tried to wake up yourself you would get here on time. Now sit down and listen. You also have three days of detention for being late, starting tonight. And clean up that mess on your robes"

It was only now Ron observed that his robes were covered in bits of food from trying to shove his breakfast into his mouth. Ron glowered at the Professor but for once wisely shut up and sat down, flicking egg and kipper off his robes.

The lesson continued as if they had not been interrupted with students trying to change their guinea fowl into a guinea pig. The lesson ended with an announcement.

"May I have your attention please."

The class turned their attention to Professor Smeth.

"The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Tri-wizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to third years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle.

"Dress robes will be worn," Professor Smeth continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —"
Professor Smeth stared deliberately around the class.
"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she said, in a disapproving voice.
"But that does NOT mean," Professor Smeth went on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be very displeased if a student embarrasses the school in any way."
She sent a pointed look at Ron who cowered away from her gaze. "You may go."

IlIlIlI

Once classes were over for the day Harry made his way out to the oak tree by the lake, knowing he would find Fleur there. With each step he took towards the lake, the more nervous he was beginning to feel.

Buck up your Gryffindor courage Potter, he told himself, pushing himself closer to the lake. He could already see the figure of his new girlfriend by the tree.

"Hello, mon amour," Fleur said, as Harry approached. "How was your classes today?"

"Very interesting," Harry said nervously. He was quite sure Fleur already knew about the ball.

Fleur had her golden egg at her feet. She had been trying to figure out the clue in the egg but she couldn't come to any conclusion what the screeching noise would mean.

"Have you figured out what the egg means yet?" Harry asked.

"No, I haven't," she pondered for a moment. "I'm not going to focus on it too badly though. There is something else I need to focus on after all."

"What is that?" Harry asked.

Smiling, Fleur leant forwards and planted a soft kiss on Harry's lips. Harry became dazed for a brief moment, and then-

"Willyougototheballwithme," Harry blurted out.

Harry spoke so fast that Fleur didn't understand what he had said. "Sorry, Harry, I didn't get that."

Smiling sheepishly, Harry tried again. "I was wondering if you would like to go to the Ball with me."

Fleur smiled happily. She was hoping Harry would ask. "Of course, I would like to go to the Ball with you."

Harry's smile could have lit up an entire Christmas tree.

"You know how to dance, Harry?" Fleur asked.

Harry's smile went away and a look of horror appeared on his face. "Well, I-"

"Say no more," Fleur said softly, putting her arms around Harry. "I will teach you how to dance. It is my duty as your girlfriend."

She smiled at him. She took his arms and placed them at the appropriate place. They moved around in unison right there by the lake. Harry's movements were rather jerky at first as he tried to remember the steps, and keep in time with Fleur, but he caught on quickly enough and Fleur gave him a bright smile.

"You catch on pretty quick, mon amour."

Harry pulled her close and planted a brief and sensual kiss on her lips. They held onto each other like that for a few moments as they danced by the lake.

Harry lost his footing when his foot collided with the Golden Egg and fell down , pulling Fleur with him. When his foot collided with the egg, it opened suddenly and the most horrible screeching noise came from it.

"I'VE HAD IT!" Fleur screamed angrily. She snatched up the egg and threw it away. It disappeared beneath the water just near the shore.

Harry took hold of Fleur's hand and caressed it gently. The feeling of Harry's hand on hers caressing her fingers greatly relaxed her.

"Sorry I got so angry," she said sadly. "That damn egg has been making that sound every time I try to open it. It's just making me so mad."

"I understand," Harry said gently.

They sat there holding hands for what seemed like hours, but was really only twenty minutes.

"WILL YOU TAKE YOUR DAMN EGG BACK," came a roar, startling Harry and Fleur.

They looked for the source of the voice. They saw a head poking out of the water at the lake. The figure was holding the now closed golden egg.

"I AM SICK OF HEARING CLACKINTINA SING THAT BLOODY SONG," the figure shouted tossing the egg towards Harry and Fleur. Surprisingly the egg landed directly at their feet.

Realisation dawned on Fleur's face as she realised how to get the egg to work. Grabbing hold of the egg, she ran towards the lake and ran into the water, getting herself completely wet.

"What are you doing Fleur?" Harry called out.

Fleur turned to see Harry just at the edge of the water. A smile on her face she waded to the shore. When Harry was within reaching distance from her she grabbed him and pulled him in to the water, laughing hysterically at the look on his face.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you for that," Harry smiled cheekily. Moments later she and Harry were having a battle in the water throwing water at each other and having fun, forgetting about the egg she had left at the shore.

Ten minutes later they had stopped playing with each other and were both floating on their backs next to each other holding hands staring up at the bright sunlit sky. The water had been cold at first but they quickly got warmer with their activities.

But Harry had one more activity up his sleeve he always wanted to do as a kid. The famous 'Who could hold their breath the longest' game.

"Fleur, I have an idea for a game," Harry smiled at her. "Have you ever heard of 'Who can hold their breath the longest."

"I have indeed," she said happily, remembering the times she had done it before with her cousins.

"Would you like to try it?" Harry asked.

They both prepared for it. After casting a spell that would start timing them once they moved underwater they counted down. "Three, two, one, GO."

Harry ducked his head underwater at the same time as Fleur. Under the water of the lake it was a lot clearer than it normally would be.

Harry held his breath as he watched Fleur underwater. Fleur flashed him a smile. Harry smiled back. Harry knew he could probably last longer. Fleur had never done much exercise while he had done plenty from running from Dudley and his gang for years. Despite the torment from Dudley in his youth, it really had kept him fit.

Fleur blew out a bubble, a sign that she was beginning to lose her breath. Harry was about to smile in satisfaction of winning when something strange happened.

Fleur threw her arms out and pulled herself closer to Harry. The moment she was close enough she placed her lips on his. Harry was surprised but he loved the feeling of being kissed underwater. It felt really romantic. For the first time they had their first deep kiss. Harry held on to her as if his life depended on it as their lips moved slowly and passionately into each other's. It felt like everything had vanished, that there was nothing in the world but him and Fleur, and he was falling in love with it, falling in love with her. His Fleur.

Eventually, the need for oxygen won out and they both surfaced at the same time. Gasping together, both teens held each other close as they forgot about everything surrounding them as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes, too entranced in each other.

"I love you," Harry said to her softly as he pulled her even closer.

"I love you too," Fleur said back to him. They found themselves kissing once again. Both remained like that for ten minutes before they left the scene, forgetting about the Golden Egg that was still at the shore.

IlIlIlI

A grumbling bearded man was walking to the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade in a bad mood.

Albus Dumbledore had got into another fight with his brother. After he had been kicked out as his role of Headmaster he couldn't get any living quarters at the school. For him to stay there he had to be either a student, a member of staff, or personally invited and he was neither of those. Minerva refused to give him a job and had called him too incompetent to be a teacher or to be around children, citing Harry Potter's childhood abuse as an example.
So he seeked out his brother Aberforth. While he and Aberforth never got along with each other much for the past ninety years, Aberforth gave him some houseroom, as they were still family.
He was now working for his brother, delivering drinks to tables and working behind the bar. He, Albus Dumbledore, had been resorted to working in the most dingy magical pub in all of Britain serving strangers drinks.

It had gone bad on the first night when the now squibbed Lucius Malfoy came into the bar wearing rags. He had been forced to listen to the former wealthy aristocrat complain about his current life. How his wife had left him, how he lost his money, how Harry Potter had tricked him into firing his house-elf, how Harry Potter got him kicked off the board of Governors, how he believed Harry Potter somehow turned him into a squib, how he was now wearing rags and so on and so on. Dumbledore had tried to leave the conversation but Aberforth made him listen to the man for a full night.

He opened the door to the Hogs Head and stepped in. His brother had given him the night off in order to be rid of him for a few hours, but Albus was thirsty for a drink. He poured himself five tall pitchers of Firewhisky and sat at the table in the back of the pub where he couldn't be spotted by the patrons.

By the time he had gone on to the second pitcher he was more than halfway to roaring drunk. He looked up briefly to see a figure sit down next to him. The man was dressed in all black with dark grey trousers.

"Care for a little indulgence," he offered to the man, raising the pitcher he was drinking.

"Don't mind if I do," the man said, grabbing hold of the third pitcher on the table.

Both men started drinking in a salute to each other. Once they got going on the drinks they began to bemoan their fates to each other.

"My fellow Wizards and Witches think I am the reason that the Potter's are dead," he bemoaned.

"I am the reason they are dead," the other man moaned. "I was named in some prophecy made by some booze addled fool and it nearly got me killed."

"Me and you both brother," Dumbledore said. He was liking his drinking comrade more and more. "I have been told by my former co-workers that I have to go to a Yule Ball on at Christmas. Because the Yule Ball only happens when the Triwizard Tournament is on, the magic enforcing me to the tournament demands I go to the Ball."

"That sucks," his companion slurred. "Not only do we men embarrass ourselves at that kind of event, but it takes absolutely forever to get a date. All the good looking ones get taken too quickly."

"That is why I don't go for the women," Dumbledore slurred. "I was in love with Gellert Grindelwald for years and slept with him to end the Wizarding War fifty years back."

"So that's how that ended," the man exclaimed, sounding amazed. "That just has the sweetest ending. You sleep with your lover and then you send him to jail for life."

"I'd like to take a man to the Ball for a change," he told his friend. "But I don't know how that would look."

"Why don't you take this man Albus?"

Dumbledore looked up to see his brother pointing at his drinking comrade.

"What?" he asked him, not understanding the question.

"Take this man," his brother pointed at his drinking buddy, "to the Yule Ball. You're getting on quite well with him. He will understand."

Albus turned to his drinking buddy and looked him in the face. The facial features on the man looked strange but he didn't care. "Hey mate," he slurred. "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"You want me to go with you," the companion garbled to him. "You know what, why not?"

"Make a vow Albus," Aberforth said. "Vow on your magic that you will take this man, and ONLY this man, to the Yule Ball."

Albus grabbed his wand and grabbed his companions rather furry felt hand. "On My Magic, I vow to only take the man whose hand I am now holding to the Yule Ball at Christmas of this year."

As the magic glowed from the wand to ensure the vow remained Aberforth smiled in a predatorily manner. He had just tricked his brother into inviting a hybrid rat/skunk to the Yule Ball.

Life is good.

IlIlIlI

Sirius Black was furious about the day's events.

The revealing to the Wizengamot that he had never received a trial hadn't sat well with anyone. A full investigation was put into the Azkaban Prison System to find out if any of the prisoners had been denied a trial. Because the Remand period of their sentencing had gone out they were released whether they were guilty or not. Nearly all of the Death Eaters received trials but few didn't receive any.

Now there were four Death Eaters back in the public eye. Despite them not having their magic as the stunt with the botched ritual Voldemort did deprived them of it, they were still extremely dangerous.

Then to top it off, the Wizengamot decided to give Voldemort a trial. Despite the head of Voldemort was being called for by many, the majority vote whom were Death Eater sympathisers had released Voldemort from custody. The Wizengamot were sure they were safe since Voldemort didn't have any magic at all.

Dumb, deluded fools, Sirius thought as he took a swig of Ogden's Finest. Voldemort had been raised in the Muggle World. The man could easily find a Muggle weapon of destruction and destroy them in one fell swoop.

Luckily for Sirius and the Wizarding World, Voldemort would rather kiss Dumbledore and call him honey bunny before he would go near Muggle machinery.

IlIlIlI

The next morning dawned bright and sunny on Hogwarts Grounds and its lake.

As students made their way to classes at nine that morning there came two groans from the edge of the lake where Harry and Fleur had been swimming the previous day.

Albus Dumbledore and Tom Riddle woke up.

The moment Dumbledore opened his eyes he was blinded by some massive bright light.

"My eyes," he nearly screamed."Turn off the light."

There came a brief scream next to him as the brightness of the sun inflicted itself on his drinking partner from the previous night.

"Great Merlin, I need a Hangover Potion."

"What the Merlin happened last night?" Dumbledore asked himself, trying to recollect himself.

"Dumbledore," came a growl.

Dumbledore looked to his comrade to see that he was facing a man sized half-skunk/half-rat. As he had not read the Daily Prophet in days, he did not know who this was.

"Who are you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Have you not been reading the news you fool?" Squibmort hissed at him. "It's me, the feared Lord Voldemort."

"Tom," Dumbledore asked shocked. "What happened to you?"

"Harry Potter turned me into this thing and took away my magic," he told him. "According to Black he found out where I was hiding and tampered with my ritual."

Dumbledore was shocked. Harry had caused Tom to look like a hybrid rat/skunk and had actually succeeded. But how did Harry manage to do it without attracting his attention. He had Arabella watching his every move and had been informed that Harry hadn't even left the confines of the Dursley home.

He had to do ANOTHER routine Obliviation back in the Summer when one of the Dursley neighbours brought their suspicions of Harry's treatment to the authorities. It had always been a pain in the rear doing that for the first ten years of Harry's life at Privet Drive. All the neighbours were too nosy regarding the Dursley home. And Vernon's bad behaviour had always brought bad attention to him, from Muggle auditors and banks and the swindling he had done of his own company.

"How did Harry find out you were in Little Hangleton?" Dumbledore asked.

"How do you know where I was hiding?" Tom stormed at him.

"If someone like you were to lay low, they would choose the home of the first person they killed," Dumbledore said.

"I didn't even get the satisfaction of killing the Muggle gardener who I had framed," Tom moaned. "I only got to kill one person in the last thirteen years."

"That must be painful for you," Dumbledore spoke sarcastically.

"Wait a second," Tom suddenly remembered the previous night. "Weren't you my drinking buddy from last night?"

Now Dumbledore recognised the figure from last night. Oh good Merlin, what did he tell Tom? He searched his memory of what he said. He remembered telling him how he actually defeated Grindelwald. Ok, that wasn't good.

Dumbledore suddenly fainted as he remembered the vow he had made. While he fell, his foot collided with the Golden Egg that was still lying there from the previous day. The egg immediately opened and once again a loud screeching noise filled the air. As both men were suffering from their hangover Tom dropped into a dead faint on top of Dumbledore due to the noise permeating through his head.

A reporter named Rita Skeeter who was watching both men in her Animagus form was forced out of her form and quickly shut the egg before she could possibly go deaf. She had been following Dumbledore the previous day as she had a strong feeling she would find something good on the man. She had heard the drunk conversation between the two and the vow Dumbledore had made the previous night in the Hog's Head.

She could see the potential in the articles that were running in her head. Rita was having a lot of fun indeed.

IlIlIlI

Gellert Grindelwald was sitting in his cell happily reading the old articles of the British Daily Prophet.

The guard known as Nikolai was a staunch supporter of his ideals, but hadn't let it known to others as his position would be compromised. Nikolai had arranged a subscription for himself to retrieve the British Daily Prophet in Nikolai's name. There had been several articles among the International Magical Newspapers about Dumbledore's falling from society and he found the articles to be the best present he had had in years.

Now it was a new day and he was waiting for Nikolai to turn up with his meal and the Daily Prophet with hopefully a new article. He was just reading the old articles to pass the time and have a laugh.

The smell of beef wellington and Butterbeer suddenly entered his nostrils. He looked up to see Nikolai staring at him in complete horror from the other side of the cell.

"Are you okay, Niko boy," he asked in a sing-song voice.

After several seconds went by Nikolai choked out two words.

"You're gay."

Gellert reared back in shock. Just how did Nikolai find out his sexual preferences. No one had ever known he had liked men, no one except-

"Dumbledore," he growled.

"I got the Daily Prophet for you, you bloody queer," Nikolai scowled at him. "This is the last good meal you're getting from me."

With that the man turned and walked away, leaving the warm meal and the paper behind on the tiny shelf on the cell door.

Gellert ate the meal quickly as he was absolutely starving. Once he had finished he picked up the paper and unfolded it. Once he saw the headline he went white as a sheet.

DUMBLEDORE COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET
SO DOES GRINDELWALD
by Rita Skeeter

The prison turned witness to the most terrified scream that came from any prisoner in the Nurmengard walls. For the rest of the day Gellert shied into the corner of his cell rocking back and forth muttering to himself about that dreadful night he slept with Albus.

The next day he came out of it as Nikolai found something more amusing in the next edition of the paper. Gellert had gone from sobbing to laughing hysterically when he read that Dumbledore had made a vow to the former British Dark Lord to take him to the Christmas Yule Ball at Hogwarts. Despite losing the warm meals from the homophobic Nikolai he was allowed to keep the newspapers that he had in the cell.

A week later he died peacefully in his sleep, dreaming about ways to humiliate and torture his old buddy, Albus Dumbledore.