Chapter 58
Daphne walked into the room of requirement, feeling a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and sadness. The reason is that Astoria was spying on Harry and her from behind a bush and interrupted something that might've been one of the most memorable of her life. After setting the bush on fire, she chased after the little shit, but somehow Tori managed to stay out of her reach and disappear. Daphne then flopped on the couch with her face in a pillow. There were two things she wanted to do now; one was to wrap her hands around Astoria's neck and strangle her skinny little behind. The second was wishing the ground would come alive and eat her. She and Harry were so close to having their first kiss, but given the expression on his face, it didn't look like that would ever happen, and it was all because Astoria had to open her big mouth. How was she supposed to look Harry in the eyes, now?
A moment later, Iroh trotted towards her after waking up from his nap. The hellhound licked her face with his cool tongue, trying to make her feel better. Daphne raised her head to look at him "thanks, Iroh," she began scratching behind his left ear.
Soon after sitting up, Nicole and Tracey came in to see an aggravated Daphne on the couch. Tracey got a mischievous grin plastered on her face. "So, how was your alone time with Harry? Did anything interesting happen?" she joked.
Daphne shot her a glare so cold that it would even freeze hell "don't start, Tracey," she wasn't in the mood to hear it. Tracey all but laughed, Nicole, on the other hand, had to stifle her's, but it didn't stop a smile from appearing on her face. "So, you and Harry weren't making out by the lake," she teased.
The glare Daphne gave her became more dangerous "no, we were not making out by the lake," anger clearly in her voice.
"That's not what we heard," Nicole began "according to Astoria, the two of you were quite close by the tree."
"I am going to kill her," Daphne declared, wanting nothing more than to find her sister and rip her head off her shoulders. But, knowing how big of a mouth Astoria had, it would only be a matter of time before everyone around the school found out. This time both Nicole and Tracey burst out laughing. "It's not funny!"
Nicole being the older and more mature out of the three, sobered up, "you're right. Tracey, behave yourself," turning her head to the brunette who was trying to stifle her laugh. But, unfortunately, it was met with little success, so Nicole ignored her, turning her attention to Daphne. "So, how long have you liked him?" However, she already had an idea of what Daphne thought of him. It was pretty obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain.
Daphne mumbled incoherently.
"I'm sorry, what was that" Nicole leaned in.
"I said for a year! Happy now?" she bit back.
Nicole giggled a bit before calming down. "I figured you had a thing for him," admitting with a sly grin ignoring the scathing look she was receiving. "You're good at hiding it from most people, but not from us."
"However, I'll tell you something that you don't even know," she got Daphne's attention. "The way you look at him is the exact way he looks at you."
"What?" Daphne said, hopping to her feet.
"Yeah," Nicole nodded, "he feels the same way about you."
Harry feels the same? He wants to be with her? "Then why won't he say or do anything? I've been dropping hints that I want to be his girlfriend since last semester." She found it hard to believe that he saw her as girlfriend material.
Nicole sat next to her "oh honey, you have to remember that while he is very powerful and immensely intelligent. He is still a boy! And like all boys, they are pretty clueless when it comes to the feelings of a woman. Also, keep in mind that Harry might be a Potter and a Black. He was raised by Professor Snape and trained in the ways of occlumency for a long time."
"So, what do I do?"
Tracey answered before Nicole. "Just drag the boy in a broom closet and snog the daylights out of him," she somewhat joked, earning another glare from Daphne.
"You are the last person anyone needs to be getting advice from," Nicole stated. "Besides, you still haven't made a move on Blaise," smirking at Tracey as she instantly went scarlet.
"You like Blaise?" Daphne asked in a surprised tone. While it was true that they've been spending a lot more time together. She never thought it was anything more than just the two of them hanging out. "Since when?"
If possible, Tracey's face became even redder. "It started this summer before school started. So we've been spending a lot more time together doing homework assignments, having chess matches, or just spending time together" glaring daggers at Nicole. "And you promised to keep that quiet!"
The older girl ignored the daggers being sent at her "if you're going to tease Daphne about who she likes, then it's only fair that she knows who you fancy."
While the girls continued talking, Professor McGonagall was escorting Hermione to the apparition point. It hurt her to have to do this to one of her lions, especially as brilliant as Granger, but rules were rules, and the girl needed to be punished. Hopefully, her time away from Hogwarts would help straighten the girl out. Behind them was professor Septima who was escorting Ronald Weasley back to the burrow. Both teens looked like they've taken a few too many bludgers to the stomach, mainly the Weasley boy. However, Minerva didn't envy him as he would have to endure Molly's punishment. When they reached the apparition point, they took their hands to side-along apparate them to their destinations.
(0^0)
Meanwhile, at Malfoy Manor, Draco and his friends were being chewed by their fathers, who were quite livid with them after receiving their letters of last night's events. After receiving letters and floo calls from their fathers, Severus brought the children home and ushered them in the floo network after breakfast. When they arrived, the teenagers were royally being fucked and not the good way. The heirs and heiress were absolutely terrified as their fathers were really angry at them. Especially the ones who lost all their money. Draco's punishment wasn't as severe as he didn't lose any money, though it didn't stop Lucius from being pissed at him.
Lord Flint held his son Marcus against the wall delivering a few punches to his stomach. "Father… please… stop," he coughed, trying to catch his breath. "I…" he didn't get to finish as his father punched him in the face.
"Shut it," Flint senior roared. He then slammed Marcus against the wall again. "What in the hell were you thinking? Thanks to your bullshite of a stunt, I lost millions of galleons." The look on his face showed murderous intent, earlier today, he, along with the others, went to Gringotts to sign over the money to Potter, Madam Black, and the Tonks girl. It didn't help their nerves as Lord Black and his sister Cassiopeia were present to make sure they actually signed the money. Upon leaving, they immediately left for Malfoy manor and practically demanded Lucius bring out a few bottles of Firewhiskey. To which the man reluctantly agreed. "You not only have to retake your NEWTs, but you embarrassed our House with your lack cunning."
While Flint was dealing with his son. Lucius was handling Draco in a similar manner, albeit without punching him as much. After receiving a punch to his face, Draco tried sliding down the wall, only to be caught by his father. "Father… I" he would have finished, but another punch to his face shut him up.
"Shut your mouth" Lucius was about to strike Draco again but was held back by Severus.
"Lucius, I know you are angry, but it wouldn't do you any good if you killed the boy," Severus drawled. "And unlike the others, Draco didn't cost you any money."
"Hmm," Lucius pondered for a few minutes after accepting Severus's words as it was true that while he didn't lose any money. Draco still embarrassed the Malfoy House. "You will stand there like a man!"
"Potter was the one who embarrassed our House and took the money," Draco said in a low voice. "So why are we being punished?"
Lucius was about to retort, but Severus held him back. "You idiots embarrassed yourselves," he said in a voice normally reserved for Gryffindors. "Far as I'm concerned, you should be glad that Potter didn't take anything else from you. If anything, it's an agony to admit to this," acting as if he swallowed a sour lemon even though deep down he was proud. "Potter is worthier of being in the Noble House of Slytherin than you lot combined."
That shocked the other adults as they stared at him like he grew a second head. All except for Lucius, who silently agreed with him.
The shocked expression on Goyle Sr's face changed into one of anger. "Well, it's not like you did anything to help the situation." Severus sneered at the way the inflated gorilla tried to make it sound like it was his fault. "From what I've heard, you sat back and watched. You're their head of house, so the fault lies with you for not keeping them in line."
"I would think before speaking if I were you, Goyle," Severus coolly stated. "While they are indeed in my house. They are old enough to understand the meaning of 'cunning' and should know the law right now. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself as he is your son and, therefore, your responsibility. So, stop acting like a little bitch, and get your priorities straight" his voice was deadly cold.
"Then again, I shouldn't have expected much considering that you're his father."
Goyle snarled at what Severus said. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Severus narrowed his black eyes at him. "Are you really that brainless," it wasn't a question. "I know you're not the sharpest tool in the shed, but even you can figure it out. During the first war, you were nothing more than a dog who needed to be told what to do. Just like when we were back in school, you had to have things done for you because you were too stupid to do anything yourself." He quickly glanced at the man's son. "It would appear that your low intelligence has transferred to that pathetic oath you call a son. And to top it off, you seem to only want to sit on your arse like the fat gorilla you are."
"You overgrown hook-nosed piece of shite" he would have taken his wand out, but Severus was faster and had his wand pointed directly at his neck.
"Don't test me," Severus warned him. A spell was ready to leave his mouth, and Goyle felt the wand heating up against his neck. "You know, I never liked you, and if I had it my way, then you'd be dead by now. So, what's it going to be? Are you prepared to die?" flexing his magic.
"Enough," shouted, having grown annoyed with the two's argument, and it was clear on who would win in if they got into it. "This is my house, and you will mind the décor." The two stared at each other for a few minutes before backing up, though Severus still had his wand out, ready for anything. "Now, Goyle, leave Severus be. The fault lies with our children's lack of subtleties."
Crabbe senior then spoke, "what if we contacted the death eaters that escaped Azkaban?" he suggested. "Maybe they can help us out."
"Are you insane and lose our heads along with our dignities," Lucius shouted, half in anger and half in fear. The escaped death eaters were a fearsome bunch, with his sister-in-law being the worse of them. He would know as he saw Bellatrix's work first hand and even suffered her cruciatus curses on several occasions during the first war. Lucius was not easily scared, but Narcissa's sister was an extremely powerful and unmerciful bitch. One who he didn't want to meet in a dark alley. And he figured her time in Azkaban made her all that more insane. "We're lucky they're not here, or we all be dead by now. Or have you forgotten what Bellatrix was like during the first war?"
Draco might have been able to get away as his father's attention wasn't on him at the moment. That said, he, like the others, paled significantly at the mention of his aunt. Both his parents described her as a ferocious and insane bitch who possessed little to no restraints. The other grown men except for Severus paled considerably as they remembered what she was like, and had no desire of being in her presence. On the other hand, Severus was of a different mind as he knew how powerful Bellatrix was, but even then, he would be able to outduel her should he have to.
"Yes, you fools. Now you know why we can't contact them," Lucius looked at the group. He was disgusted by how little brain cells these idiots had. The only ones who seemed to have any intelligence were Severus and Theodore.
Lord Parkinson ran his hands through his hair "what if we tried searching for the dark lord. Maybe if we find him, then we can get this mess straightened out." The others paled when he mentioned the dark lord. If they found him, two things would either happen: A) he would reward them for finding him. B) he would vent his displeasure at them for not braving Azkaban and for not trying to find him. Likely, it'll be the second choice.
"That will be a fool's errand as the dark lord is gone," Theodore commented even though he was secretly happy his former master was gone as he wished to avoid his punishment.
Severus mentally snorted. "You only wish he was gone as he is still alive," he mentally said as he knew the dark lord was alive and likely with the other death eaters.
Lucius also looked scared as he had been working exceedingly hard to ensure that the ministry funds going to the DMLE were at an all-time low. Should the dark lord ever return, it would hopefully please him to know how he'd been dealing with the security forces around Britain and Ireland.
Crabbe groaned. "This is a nightmare. What are we going to do now?"
Severus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "For starters, I suggest you deal with your heirs," glaring at the teens who were sitting on the couch looking scared as their fathers directed their ire's on them.
"Excellent idea Severus," Lucius commented, his gaze not leaving Draco. "Draco, for the next two weeks, you'll be cleaning the dungeons without any magic, and all the money in your trust vault will be used to clear up the debacle you created. Now get to your room," he knew that any punishment he gave Draco would be better than what he would get from his aunt or the dark lord.
In the meantime, the other Lords were wringing the ears of their heirs. Finally, Lord Flint disowned Marcus, thus stripping him of his right as heir to the House of Flint. Marcus pleaded for his father to reconsider, but the man declared him incompetent and told him that he would have to live with his mother's side of the family. The others refused to disown their kids but made sure they knew their displeasures and warned them that if something else like this happened then, they would meet the same fate as their friend.
Away from Malfoy manor in the town of Hampstead was the location of where the Grangers lived. After breakfast, Professor McGonagall dropped Hermione home, where her mother was out tending to the garden. Ms. Granger noted how sad her daughter looked and the cold visage of her Head of House at school. Instantly she knew something was wrong. She led them into the living room, where her husband read the morning newspaper on the couch. When Mr. Granger heard his wife come in, he assumed she was done tending to gardens; only to see his daughter and one of her professors present. Minerva explained that Hermione had been suspended from school and the reasons why.
An hour or so later, both Mr. and Mrs. Granger were furious, though that was putting it mildly given the looks on their collective faces. By then, Hermione started crying as she tried to explain why she did what she did. But they sent her upstairs to her room, giving no quarter. Finally, Minerva warned them that if something like this were to happen again, Hermione would be expelled from Hogwarts, have her magic bound and wand snapped. After saying what she needed to say, Minerva left the Granger's residence to return to Hogwarts.
"Dan, this is becoming a problem," turning his head to his wife as he felt the same. "What are we going to do about this?"
Dan started contemplating what they were going to do about Hermione. While they would transfer her out of Hogwarts to attend a muggle school, he knew how important magic was to her. "Amanda, I am at a loss here. We can't take her out of Hogwarts as she loves magic almost as much as she loves reading books." He rationalized.
For the next forty-five minutes, they continued debating how they would handle Hermione as something needed to be done. Amanda was about to speak but was interrupted when someone knocked on the door. Rising from her seat to see who it was after opening the door. She saw a severe-looking man with silver eyes. Amanda realized that it was Arcturus Black from how her daughter described the man as a cold and severe person. The expression on his face showed that he was pissed and wanted to be anywhere but here. Before she could speak, a pop was heard from behind the man; if possible, he was more pissed when he saw Dumbledore.
Albus cringed a bit when he saw Arcturus at the Granger's residence as he had hoped to speak with miss. Granger's parents alone. Quickly putting on his grandfather persona, "Lord Black, I must say that this is a surprise. If I may ask, what are you doing here?"
Arcturus sneered at the man. "I am here on Black family business, not that it's any of your concern." He loathed having to speak with the old goat but figured that Dumbledore was here for a reason. "More importantly what are you doing here? Last I checked you were being detained in a holding cell to await your trial."
"I was given twenty four hours to get my affairs in order before the trial. I did not come here to fight," holding a hand up, "merely to speak with miss. Granger and her parents." His attention then turned to the woman in question "a good day to you, Mrs. Granger. Is your husband and daughter home?"
"They are," Amanda tentatively confirmed.
"Would it be possible for us to have a chat with the three of you?" his eyes began twinkling.
Amanda wanted to say that this wasn't the best time but allowed them to come in. "Dan, honey, we have guests," she called out to her husband, who was deep in thought.
Dan pulled out of his thoughts to see that two more people had entered his house. He recognized Professor Dumbledore; the man next to him he didn't know with his long white beard. "Sir, who are you? And why are you here?" looking at Arcturus with fear clearly in his voice as the man was terrifying.
"I am Lord Arcturus Black," he introduced himself. "You don't know me, but you know my nephew Harry Potter" speaking in a gruff voice. "The reason I am here is that, according to my nephew, your daughter's been sticking her nose in matters that don't concern her. Namely mine and his family." The ire in his voice showed how dissatisfied he was at the moment.
"Truth to tell, at the moment, I am not happy with her constant interference as it is unwanted."
"Lord Black, please," Dumbledore stopped him before he could continue. "Mr. Granger, would it be possible for us to speak with your daughter?"
Dan was torn between being angry and fearful at Lord Black. Mostly fear because he could tell the man meant business, taking a breath "Amanda, please get Hermione from her room."
Amanda went upstairs to collect their daughter. The next moment, she came down with Hermione, who had streams of tears running down her face. The moment the bushy-haired girl saw Lord Black, her heart sank as he was not in a good mood. Even with Professor Dumbledore's presence, he still scared her. Drying her eyes, she took a seat on the sofa next to her dad while her mom sat next to her husband. "Professor Dumbledore, what are you doing here?"
Albus gave a light chuckle. "Dear child, I am not your professor at the moment. So, it's Mr. Dumbledore," he corrected. "I just came by after speaking with Arthur and Molly about young Ronald." It was partly true as he only spoke with Molly as Arthur was out getting groceries. Upon his arrival at the burrow, he instantly heard Molly go into one of her tirades as she began tearing her youngest son a new one.
"Um… how is Ron doing?" Hermione was concerned about how he was doing as she didn't know what his parents would be doing to him.
"About as well as you can guess," he answered. "Molly was quite unhappy with her son at the moment."
"Dispense with the dribble regarding that useless sack of shite, Dumbledore," Arcturus said in a tone that said he was bored. "My time is precious right now, and I would rather be anywhere else than having to spend my time dealing with these muggles."
Albus took a breath as he knew the man was serious. Then, brandishing his wand, he conjured a squishy armchair for himself.
Arcturus turned his attention away from Albus after he deposited himself in his chair. "I will keep this as simple as possible, so you three know how ticked I am at the moment," he began. "Starting with the two of you," looking at both Dan and Amanda. "I don't know where you two went wrong, but the two of you have obviously failed at raising your daughter. For the past three years, she has been harassing my heir, acting all high and mighty like she knows what is best for him. Not only that, but she has also tried to bully him into submission on multiple occasions."
"I was only trying to-" Hermione tried to speak.
"Quiet little girl," Arcturus coolly said that made her freeze. "As I was saying, your daughter has been harassing and trying to bully Harry into doing what she wants. Up until now, I have tolerated her impudence, but then she started meddling in the affairs of House of Potter and House of Black. This will not go on! Evidently, you forgot to teach her how not to get involved in matters that don't concern her."
"Now see here, Mr. Black," Dan hopped to his feet to meet the man, but Arcturus was taller. "How me and my wife raise our daughter is one thing. But you have no right to make her feel bad as it is our job to let her know when she misbehaves."
"When it concerns my family, it becomes my problem," Arcturus looked him dead in his eyes. Amanda pulled her husband back as Albus did the same with Lord Black.
"Perhaps we should all take a breath at the moment," she suggested as her husband and their guests resumed their seats. Then, letting loose a breath before turning to Hermione, "Hermione, there is no question that you need to learn to leave well-enough alone. Particularly when it comes to Mr. Potter. I don't know the full story about what's been going on between the two of you, but it's clear that you're the cause for most of the issue. From what your Professor Vector has told me, he mainly wants to be left alone with his sister and friends."
"But mom, it's not fair," Hermione commented. "Why does Harry get special treatment all the time? I worked harder than anyone in the school, yet his friend Daphne got to be in the accelerated program. It's not fair that she gets put in a renowned program just because she's from a powerful family, not me. On top of that, she acts all smug about it, and I'm betting he used his status as your heir to get her into the program. If the proctors only saw my exam results, they'd surely see that I am better than her. Also, he didn't have to threaten me."
It was Dan's turn to speak "the boy threatened you?" Hermione nodded. "When did this happen?"
"After his duel with headmaster Karkaroff," she replied. "All he did was grab Harry and pull him close. The next moment Harry started beating him up and challenged him to a duel. Harry won, but he also used dark magic and tortured him with lightning."
"Funny, the story I heard was different," Arcturus sneered at her, bringing the attention to him. "Sirius showed me the memory about what happened that led to the duel. Igor grabbed my heir by the throat; Harry's actions were a defensive matter. As for the duel that little shite stain used more dark magic than Harry did. He mainly used grey and family magic to teach Karkaroff a lesson. If anything, Igor should be glad that he is still able to breathe because if I were there, then the swine would soon find himself six feet under."
"I do not think that is appropriate to talk about at the moment as Igor was in the wrong for putting his hands on Mr. Potter and was dealt with a severe punishment." The twinkle in his eyes was now gone as he wondered what Harry threatened the girl with. "Miss. Granger, if I may ask, do you remember what Mr. Potter said to you after the duel? And was anyone else present at the time?"
Hermione shuddered at the memory of what happened in the common room. "He said that if I continued to stick my nose in his family, then Lord Black and his sister would be the least of my concerns" her voice was shaken.
"Go on," Albus beckoned her to continue.
"Then said that my parents nor I would ever see another sunrise. He then gave me a choice on who should die, first my mother or my father," tears were threatening to come down her face again. "After what he did to the late Morrison and to Mr. Karkaroff, there is little doubt in my mind that he would actually carry out with his promise."
Albus turned his attention to Arcturus as Amanda went to console her daughter. "Did you know anything about this?" Arcturus's only response was a grunt. He was aware of what the boy said to the muggleborn as Harry would undoubtedly do the deed. "Lord Black, I have to request that you have a few words with young Harry. I can understand that Harry does not get along with miss. Granger, but he had no right to threaten the lives of her parents in the process. He's already treading down a dark path, and if you don't reign him in, then he could probably end up as worse as Voldemort."
Hermione gasped when he used He, who must not be named names. However, Arcturus only glared at him. "Dumbledore, you have got a lot of nerve comparing my nephew to that miserable bastard. Need I remind you that this mess results from you insisting on taking an active role in his creation. All you had to do was put him down, but you were more concerned with sitting on your lazy arse eating sweets. Just so you know, I am Harry's uncle and Head of House, not his dictator. Unlike you, I have no desire to manipulate or dictate his life, just to clear my conscience. You already got the boy's parents killed, and my grandson sent to Azkaban, but I'll be damned if I let you ruin his life."
"I had nothing to do with James and Lily's death," Albus looked at him. "Had I known Peter was the traitor, then I would have had him sent to prison, not Sirius. But the evidence was pretty overwhelming as my hands were tied when Tom was killed that night. There was nothing I could do!"
"Pull your head out of your arse Dumbledore," Arcturus didn't believe Albus for one minute. "You're a supreme legilimens, so don't even try to justify that you didn't know anything about that rat being the traitor. As for what Harry said to Granger, he had every right to speak to her the way he did."
"I may be a legilimens, but I don't make a habit of going into everybody's mind," Albus attempted to justify himself even though he did know Peter was the traitor at the time. "You need to temper Harry, or there will be grave consequences, and many more people will suffer or die. At least lift the restrictions you and Lord Stevenson placed me so I can speak and show him my way is better."
"I will do what I must to protect my family, and that means without you. You are irrelevant to both the House of Black and the House of Potter. As for your way, you will likely get the boy killed." He then turned to the Grangers, "if you people value your lives, then your daughter will stop pestering my nephew, or you will experience what real pain is" he then apparated out of the house.
Albus had to massage his temples as he was thoroughly agitated with Lord Black. Not only did the man refuse to lift the restrictions against him. He also called him irrelevant! He was Albus Dumbledore, and something would need to be done if he wanted to get Harry under his control. If only they had never found Peter, and if Sirius had died, he could have had more influence over the brat. Luckily for him, he was still the proxy for the House of Potter. He would need to be patient and strike once the opportunity presented itself for his plan to work.
Dan, however, looked at his sobbing daughter, who was at the moment being comforted by his wife. "Young lady, you have really stepped into this time; not only did you get into trouble in school, but you practically painted targets on our backs. You will stop antagonizing Mr. Potter, or your fifth year at Hogwarts will be your final year." Neither he nor Amanda would pull her out of Hogwarts, but it was the only way for him to know how grave the situation was. Hermione was scared stiff as she didn't want to be taken out of Hogwarts as she loved magic and enjoyed the classes.
"Now go to your room! Your mother and I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore privately."
Hermione did as she was told and left to go back upstairs. Dan let out a long tired breath as he watched his daughter leave the room.
Albus took a moment to speak. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, I must ask you to reconsider as your daughter is one of the best students to ever come to Hogwarts," he spent the rest of the day speaking to the pair, occasionally peering into their minds to see if they were serious about pulling the girl out of school. He was glad to see that it was only a bluff as they wanted her to leave Harry alone. He needed to have the muggleborn girl as a pawn to get Harry on his side. The more she depended on him, the more he could get her to do what he wanted.
(0^0)
Later that day, back at Hogwarts in Salazar's personal library, Harry was reading over the scrolls on how to create orbs. After what happened on the grounds earlier with Daphne, he was super embarrassed that Astoria interrupted the two of them as they were close to sharing a kiss. At the time, he didn't know how to react as he fancied Daphne and wanted to be more than friends with her but was unsure of what she wanted. Deciding to clear his thoughts, he went back inside to work on project: Guardian. He ran into Blaise, walking through the fifth corridor with a smirk on his face. The two talked for a couple of minutes before pulling the torch on the wall so they could enter the passageway for Salazar's quarter. Well, it was mostly Blaise doing the talking, if you could call it that, as the dark-skinned boy started cracking jokes about Daphne and him. Harry ignored him for the most part, and when they arrived, he lifted his shirt up to release Byakko and Suzaku from their tattoo forms.
Once they returned to their actual size, Harry requested Salazar and Rowena to join him in the library to review magical orbs. Together the three spent most of the day in the library going over theory regarding the orbs and their different properties. Rowena filled him on the materials that would be required while Salazar explained the rituals to him. However, the cranky old bastard was quite clear on the dangers of performing the rituals. Harry understood as he could tell the man was serious about what could happen if something went wrong. That would likely be the hardest part, but it was essential to his project. The materials he could pretty much get his hands-on without any trouble; there was only one thing that would make it hard. Trying not to get caught as the materials came in.
Suzaku flamed in soon after he finished reading through the last scroll, looking exhausted. The immortal bird trilled a beautiful melody to try and lift the child's spirit up "young one, I think it'd be wise to put a hold on your project for the time. Remember that you need to prepare for the task at the end of the month."
"I know I have to be ready for the tournament," Harry groaned. "Whether I like it or not, I have to compete or risk losing my magic." It still pissed him off that he was chosen to be a fourth competitor even though he didn't want to compete. Suzaku flew to his right shoulder and nuzzled his cheek.
"Don't worry, we'll get you through this," he continued trilling his melody.
Harry said goodbye to Salazar and Rowena before exiting the library to retrieve Blaise, who was speaking with Byakko. "About time. I was wondering if you were going to come out of there or not." Blaise rose to his feet.
"Yeah, yeah, let's go," pulling the torch so the wall could open. Together they walked up the lit stairs; Suzaku said he was going hunting with Byakko. Then, after wishing the teens goodbye, he hopped from Harry's shoulder to Byakko's head and flamed them away. The boys shared an identical smirk as they knew how the two gods like to hunt for their meals. It was pretty amusing how two of the four gods acted like children when going out to catch their dinners. Byakko was a total carnivore meaning that he enjoyed meat. Suzaku ate both meat and different types of fruit. Harry and Blaise made it to the wall, where the latter pulled the torch so they could proceed out. As the wall separated, they quickly scanned the area to make sure no one was around; they left for the great hall after a quick look around.
On their way to the great hall, they talked about the girls. Harry listened as Blaise talked about Tracey and beautiful she became. Blaise went on about how great it was being around the brunette, much to Harry's amusement as he had a feeling his best friend had a thing for the girl. "Strange thing is that I am unsure on how I am going to get her to agree to go on a date with me."
Harry threw his arm around Blaise's back, much like Harry Blaise had a growth spurt and was the same height as him. "Want my advice? Try doing something she likes. But let me ask you this do you want her as a permanent girlfriend or just another chick you can get with? Because you've already had two girlfriends."
Blaise rolled his eyes. "They're just the warmup acts; besides, maybe you should take your own advice. So when are you going to ask out the resident Ice Queen?"
This time it was Harry's turn to justify himself removing his arm. "I am…" he coughed a bit, "working up to it."
"You better get a move on," Blaise jokingly nudged his arm. "Because girls don't like waiting forever, so I get with her quickly if I were you."
"Then what does that make Tracey then," Harry countered, much to Blaise's embarrassment. "So, it seems like I'm not the only one who is having problems with the opposite sex."
"Looks that way," Blaise conceded. He would have said more, but Harry sensed people coming from behind and held his hand up. "We got company!"
Turning around, they saw Lilith and Astoria coming from behind. The latter looked more subdued than from earlier as she was being dragged by her companion. Lilith gave her arm a gentle squeeze "okay. Okay!" Astoria then looked at Harry, slightly sad. "Harry, I wanted to say I was sorry for what happened on the grounds earlier. It was wrong of me to spy on you and Daphne like that. Please don't be mad at me."
Harry chuckled a bit before placing a hand on her head. "It's alright, Tori. I'm not angry with you," he admitted. "That said, I'm not the only one you owe an apology to. Also, if I were you, then I ward my bed as you know how Daphne can be when she gets mad."
The young Greengrass girl paled slightly as she knew how her older sister was like when angered. However, Daphne was not one to let a grudge go so easily that said she did enjoy riling her up about her relationship with Harry. "When do you think I should talk to her?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders "probably after dinner, if anything." He began rubbing her head, "though I would recommend staying out of her reach for dinner."
Astoria gave him a quick hug before leaving with Lilith for the great hall, with Harry and Blaise following behind. Taking his advice, the girls sat at the end of the Slytherin table near the door away from Daphne, who gave her sister a death glare. Harry sat to her right, holding her hand under the table, and began channeling some magic to ease her frustration.
"It'll be alright, Sapphire," he whispered in a calm voice.
Daphne found it hard to be mad at her sister with the magic he was channeling into her. 'Morgana's old saggy tits! How am I supposed to focus on being mad at Tori when I can feel him inside me? Wait… no! Bad brain! Terrible brain! Don't think like that! We're surrounded by the other, and it won't be good if I become irrational.' She berated herself, trying to maintain her self-control.
Looking at him from the corner of her right eye and gave him a smile. "Thanks, Harry."
Tracey clapped her hands "alright, you two, enough with the lovey-dovey stuff! You can find a broom cupboard to snog in later" she began laughing after seeing how embarrassed the two of them were as they jumped apart.
Daphne was not amused and sent a cold glare towards Tracey. She and Tracey may have been best friends since they were toddlers, but she was almost as bad as Astoria when it came to getting on her nerves. A mischievous grin then appeared on her face "would you prefer if I told everyone what we talked about in the room? Or should I tell you to know who what we both know to be the truth?"
That shut Tracey up almost immediately as her face became scarlet. "You wouldn't," stealing a glance at Blaise, who was sitting next to Aaron and Katie.
"Do you want to bet," Daphne challenged in a voice that said she was serious?
Having known Daphne for years, Tracey knew when to back off. "I'll be quiet!" She returned to her dinner.
Harry looked at the two of them with curious eyes. "What's going on?"
"It's girl stuff," Daphne replied. At that, Harry thinned his lips as he remembered what his sister Emily and Miwa were like when they wanted to have some girl time. Shuddering at the memory, he decided to stay out of it, not wanting to step anywhere near that territory again. Because the last time, he found it hard to sit right for a week courtesy of Miwa.
Shaking his head, he took a bite out of his chicken. "So are we a go with the plan?" deciding to change the subject.
Daphne and Nicole nodded. "the house is meeting after dinner!" Nicole confirmed. "I wager that within a week, we'll be able to get rid of Binn's." A knowing smirk appeared on the group's faces as they were tired of the old ghost and wanted him gone. However, the good mood was soon gone when she continued. "The only thing we have to do is find someone to take his place."
"Leave that to me," Daphne assured, knowing the perfect person for the job.
Nicole then added, "here's more good news" she began with a big smile on her face. "I heard that neither Draco nor any of his friends would be back in Hogwarts for two weeks."
"Hallelujah," Adrian said equally as happy. "Maybe now the common room will actually be tolerable without those idiots strutting around as if they are better than the rest of us. That's the best news I've heard all day! Arrogant, self-important bastards!"
The gang chuckled at the way he described Malfoy and his cronies.
"I propose a toast" Adrian raised his goblet of pumpkin juice. "To Harry for not only getting rid of the bad eggs but also taking a lot if not all of their family's money. You really should have been a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor," looking at Harry. "To Harry!"
"To Harry!" They said together, raising their drinks.
Harry had to hide his blush, clearing his throat "alright, so we all know our jobs. Now with Dumbledork and his lackeys out of the way, we can actually live it up a little bit." It still amazed him how many people wanted Dumbledore removed from his position as headmaster and how many people sided with him against Granger and Weasley. Truth to tell, he expected more people to side with them, namely the Gryffindors, but surprisingly they agreed with him.
(0^0)
The next two weeks quickly came by, and many things happened both in and out of Hogwarts. Starting with Dumbledore's trial. Thanks to the many favors owed to him, the old goat was able to keep his position as headmaster. However, it didn't stop the board of governors from suspending him from his duties, and he was put on probation until the end of February. Arcturus was half tempted to show the wizengamot all the information he had on the meddling old fool but remembered what Harry said. For as much as he loathed the bastard, his nephew was right. They needed to weaken Dumbledore first, and only when he was at the end of his rope would they reveal his true face. Cassie started cackling after he explained the plan to her. The way Harry deconstructed the goat's influence and power was truly ingenious as Dumbledore was powerful not only in magic but also in the political sphere. Arcturus commented on more than one occasion on how he wished Harry was a Slytherin rather than a Gryffindor as he possessed more traits from them than the lions.
On another good note, Headmaster Yoshi spoke to the board of governors in Japan and explained the situation Harry was in. Needless, to say they were incensed at the predicament and lodged several complaints with the ICW. As a result, they not only sent a letter to Bagman and Crouch about how Harry would be representing Mahoutokoro during the tournament; they also approved the matter of him taking some of his exams when he came back to Japan in March. Once he got the form for the exams he wanted to take, he wrote down the ones he wanted to get out of the way. Out of the thirteen exams, Harry listed only nine of them. Meaning that he would only need to take four of them in June.
Speaking of Harry, he no longer attended classes unless it was to do exams as he wanted to devote as much time as he could to prepare for the tasks. Another perk about not attending classes was that he was free to complete the syllabuses from each class and began working on his project in the chamber of secrets. If it wasn't that, then he spent his time trying to perfect his wandless magic abilities. However, it was only under the watchful eyes of either his two animal companions or the founders. His dad, however, still held his reservations over him practicing it without other people present but relented as both Byakko and Suzaku agreed to watch him. Harry had to admit that he was annoyed and touched that his father cared so much for his safety, but he wasn't a child anymore.
Another good thing happened because he and the others could get enough signatures to get rid of Binn's. It astounded the board of governors how many people wanted someone who didn't only teach them about goblin wars and put the students to sleep. Daphne contacted her mother the same day Binn's was removed, and with some clever political maneuvering, Roxanne was able to sign her employment contracts within an hour. Already, there had been a drastic change in the students' attitudes as they were satisfied with their new professor. The best parts were that Roxanne could keep her students awake, get them to participate in class, and not talk about goblin wars. Instead, she focused on the true history behind magic, covering everything from why the wizengamot was created to why some laws were put in place, etc.
However, the bad news was that Draco and his friends returned with angry expressions on their faces. Namely, Flint, who shot dirty glances at harry whenever he got the chance. Severus informed him that Flint's father had disowned him and that he was forced to move in with his mother's side of the family. After him came Theodore Nott, who was livid that Potter was not only able to get him in trouble with his father but that he took a lot of his father's money and gave it to his cousin.
Harry was quite pleased when he got the confirmation letters from Gringotts about the transfer of money into his vault. Griphook explained that he was considered an adult since his name came out of the Goblet of fire. Meaning that he could remove Dumbledore from his position as the proxy for the House of Potter. At first, Harry wanted nothing more than to remove the swine from his seat but halted himself as he came up with a way to publicly oust the man from his position. The name of the game was patience, as precision was required. Precision demands planning! Planning requires patience! Harry was sure to give the wizengamot and Dumbledore a show they wouldn't forget with these thoughts in mind.
At the moment, he was sitting at the front desk of a classroom taking an Alchemy exam. Professor Marchbank had been aware of his pupil's situation and understood why Harry would not be attending his lessons as much. Five minutes later, after the bell rang, Aart dropped an exam packet in front of Harry and told him to get started. The exam was pretty straightforward as he knew the answers; just as he was about to answer the last of his questions, the door flew open, revealing Colin Creevey.
"Young man, I hope you have a good reason for bursting in here like some uncivilized buffoon," Mr. Marchbank enquired as he raised an eyebrow.
"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, sir," Colin stuttered, "but Mr. Bagman sent me to get Harry for the wand weighing ceremony.
"Mr. Potter is currently taking an exam," Aart replied in a brisk tone. "He will be there when he is done."
"But sir, Mr. Bagman was-"
"Colin," Harry interrupted the boy before he could finish. "I will join you as soon as I am finished. Just give me five minutes" his voice was calm and yet firm.
Colin wanted to say more, but he idolized Harry too much to disagree with him and agreed to wait outside. Two minutes later, Harry raised his hand to announce that he was done with the exam. Once Aart collected his test, he dismissed him. Harry grabbed his things and exited the room to follow Colin to where the ceremony would take place. On the way there, Harry spent the time ignoring Colin's rant on how great it was that he was a champion. When they arrived at the door, Harry was surprised to see his aunt present.
"Aunt Cassie, what are you doing here," he gave the woman a quick hug which she returned.
Cassie answered. "Since the other champions either have their guardians or headmaster/headmistress present, I am here as your representative." She then narrowed her eyes at the mousy-haired boy that came with him "be gone, boy. I will take over from here."
Colin paled instantly at her tone of voice as she scared the living daylight out of him. She may be old, but he could tell that she was not a woman he wanted to cross. "Ye-yes ma'am. Good luck, Harry," was all Colin said before walking as fast as he could to try and get away from the woman.
"Let's get this over with," she opened the doors to see the other champions present. The Diggory boy was in the company of his father, Amos Diggory. A rather portly man who stood protectively in front of his son, even though he was terrified of Cassiopeia for a multitude of reasons.
"W-what are y-you doing here?" Cassiopeia narrowed her eyes at the trembling man. His voice, along with his body language, showed that he was close to either yellowing or browning his pants.
"I am here for the same reason you are here for your son. Now, I suggest you shut your gob before I spell it shut," ending with a final glare that made Amos piss himself. "Go change your pants boy, your embarrassing not only yourself but your son."
Amos hustled out of the room as fast as he could to get some new trousers. Viktor chuckled a bit while Fleur simply looked amused. Cedric looked only moments away from laughing. Harry, however, sent a playful glare to his aunt, "Cassie was really necessary for you two scare Mr. Diggory like that?"
She only rolled her eyes. Viktor soon approached her "a good day to you, miss. Black. I hope you are doing well," giving a respectful bow.
"I would be a lot better if my nephew wasn't involved in this blasted tournament," Cassiopeia responded.
Meanwhile, Harry spoke with Cedric and Fleur, "are you two alright?"
Cedric was the first to reply. "Honestly, Harry, I was hoping to get out of this tournament, all things considered. However, the tasks we have to face will undoubtedly be a challenge. My father spent the last few days making calls and writing letters to try and get me out of the contract. But nothing could be done!"
Harry nodded in understanding. "We're going to need to watch our backs," rationalizing the truth. "These tasks are not likely going to be easy as we will need to be ready for anything."
"Oui," Fleur said. "Papa and Maman' ave been incensed when zhey received my letter about ze tournament. 'Arry, I don't wish to offend you, but I 'ate et' ere." She had been here for only two weeks and had already been approached by no less than twenty boys. No, doubt they're drawn in by her allure, and their intentions toward her were clearly in their eyes.
"Let me guess, some hormonal teenagers are either trying to get a date or are attempting to claim you, right?" Harry asked.
She slowly nodded her head.
"I'm sorry about that," he understood where she was coming from; many of the guys were trying to get in her pants as they only saw her as a sex object. But like with the female population around the school, they've been hounding him for either a date or wanted to get him alone in a classroom or broom closet. That was annoying enough, but now he had to deal with the girls from the other schools as they took an interest in him. To top it off, his uncles informed him that the other Lords were stepping up their advancements to arrange a marriage contract between him and their daughters. "However, I suggest that you stay close with your friends."
Accepting his advice, she gave a curt nod and was about to speak when the doors went open, revealing Septima Vector, Crouch, Bagman, Rita Skeeter, her cameraman, and Ollivander. Behind them were the other headmaster and mistress. When Bagman saw Harry, he became angry and was about to say something unintelligent, but stopped himself after receiving a death glare from the boy's aunt. Her glare told him that if he valued his life, then he'd stand down. The out-of-shape piece of shite quickly composed himself.
"Ahh, good you're all here," Bagman said, looking at everyone other than Potter or his aunt. "Ahh, and you've all met Rita, I assume," he said, pointing out the blonde reporter in the corner of the room, "she'll be doing the writing on the tournament." Cassiopeia sent cold daggers at Rita, making her go as white as a bedsheet. Harry openly laughed. "Well, now for the weighing of the wands, we have Ollivander of Ollivander's Wands in Diagon Alley." He introduced the silver-haired old man next to Septima, "he will be checking to make sure your wands are in proper working order for the tournament."
Ollivander stepped into the middle of the room and spoke in a quiet voice, "Miss Delacour care to go first?" Ollivander asked, and Fleur swept over to him, producing her wand to him.
"Hmm," he said as he twirled it around in his hand, causing pink and gold sparks to come out. He held it close to his eyes before he spoke again, "nine and a half inches…inflexible…rosewood…and containing, oh my,"
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," Fleur said for him, looking proudly, "one of my grandmuzzer's."
"Yes," Ollivander spoke, "I've never used veela hair as my cores. I find it makes for a very temperamental wand, however to each his own, if it suits you…" he trailed off and ran his fingers over the wand and muttered, "orchiedous," flowers burst forth from the wand. "Very good, it's in fine working order," he said, giving the wand back to Fleur.
"Mr. Diggory next, please," Ollivander called. Cedric smiled and stood, walking over to Ollivander and producing his wand. "Ah, now this is one mine, isn't it?"
"You created the damn wand, so why wouldn't you recognize it," Harry muttered, causing Fleur and Viktor to chuckle and Cassie narrowed her eyes at Harry "behave you," she muttered.
"Oh yes, I remember it well," Ollivander spoke, seemingly giddy over it belonging to him. "Contains a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn…nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked it. Twelve and a quarter inches…ash…and pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition…You treat it regularly?"
"Polished it last night," Cedric said brightly.
Harry couldn't contain himself, "I bet that's not the only wand you'd like to polish." This time Cedric burst out laughing, while Fleur giggled and turned scarlet, and Viktor barked out laughing. This time, Cassie bopped Harry on his head, causing him to look at her, "Oh come on, I couldn't resist." Again, the others laughed, and Cassiopeia rolled her eyes at her nephew's antics. But at least he was better than his godfather. For he knew when it was a time to joke and when not to.
Ollivander let loose a stream of silver smoke rings with Cedric's wand before handing it back. "Mr. Krum, please?" Viktor strode over to him and handed over his wand; though he scowled as he did so, Harry empathized with him, and giving up your wand to someone you didn't know sucked, especially with him listing the parts.
"Hmm, this is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm mistaken? A fine wand-maker…though the styling was never quite what I…however…" Ollivander trailed off and lifted the wand examining it. "Yes…hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring?" Viktor nodded, and Ollivander continued, "Rather thicker than one usually sees…quite rigid…ten and a quarter inches…Avis," the hornbeam went off like a cannon and outshot birds that flittered towards the open window. Ollivander handed the wand back to Viktor, "Which leaves Mr. Potter?"
Harry took a step forward, flicked one of his wands out from its left holster, and handed it to the man. The wand he gave the old man was often used in classes as he didn't want him to examine his main wand. "Oh my. I dare say that this is not one of mine," Ollivander stated as he began examining the wand. Harry mentally snorted 'really no shite.' Garrick continued, "crafted in Magical Japan; been in use for over seven years. Let's see 11 ½ inches Ebony wood combined with aspen wood. The cores are dragon heartstring and phoenix feather." He drawled on, explaining that his wand was good for transfiguration before waving it, and red and gold sparks came out. After confirming the wand was working perfectly fine, he returned it to its owner. Harry returned his wand back to its holster and took a step back.
"Good, good, wonderful," Bagman said, "now are we missing anything?"
Rita piped up "photos, Ludo. Photos." She immediately settled into her element as she began thinking about what to write.
"Ah, yes, of course," Bagman said
Rita made to grab Harry's forearm, but he stopped her hand by grabbing her wrist. "I will be careful if I were you, Skeeter," tightening his grip, making her cringe in pain.
Skeeter tried to pull away, but he locked her in a vice grip. "Come now, Harry. I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I asked you a few questions. As you probably have a lot to say."
He just narrowed his eyes at her. "I have nothing to say to a filthy cunt who takes the pleasure in ruining the lives of others, just so she could make a few galleons." Eventually, his grip became so tight that it broke her wrist, making her crumple to the ground in pain as he maintained his grip. "I know how you operate, Skeeter. And I know what happens whenever you decide to interview someone. The absolute last thing I want is for a pathetic bitch like you to publish private details, and I'm pretty sure the other champions feel the same way." Fleur, Cedric, and Viktor nodded in agreement as they knew who Rita was and what she liked to write.
"Now, you are going to leave us alone, or the next time you write something will be the last" he then sent bolts of lightning through her body before tossing the annoying bitch on the ground. "Consider this your first and only warning."
He then began walking away with his aunt. Only to stop when Skeeter's cameraman helped her up. "You do not know what I am capable of, Potter. I can very much make life difficult for you," she clutched her broken wrist.
Harry then began laughing and sent a chill down her spine "that's rather cute you thinking I care if you live or die. No, I'm afraid you don't know what the House of Black or I am capable of." He continued laughing for a moment before looking over his shoulder "you are nothing more than a worthless piece of shite who needs to get her priorities straight." He and Cassie walked out of the room with the other champions following behind, for they had no wish to be interviewed by the gossip columnist.
While they were walking through the corridors, Harry stopped when Cedric called out. "Harry, can we talk to you for a few minutes," behind him were Fleur and Viktor.
"Sure," he shrugged his shoulders before turning to his aunt. "Thanks for coming, Cassie," giving her a quick hug, "and send my love to that dogfather of mine."
She chuckled at what he called Sirius "don't worry, it was my pleasure." A smile appeared on her face "leave Sirius to me" was all she said before leaving him with the others.
"So, what do you guys want to talk about?"
"Is there any place we can go without being overheard?" Viktor asked.
"Sure, follow me." He led them to an abandoned classroom on the sixth corridor; when they were all in, he closed the door and added powerful privacy and locking wards so no one could eavesdrop on them. Turning around, he noticed them staring at him with shocked expressions plastered on their faces. "What?"
"You just did wandless magic," Cedric exclaimed. "How are you able to do that?"
"That will be for another time" he dismissed the question. "So, what did you guys want to talk about?" wanting to get to the point.
Viktor answered. "Speaking for all of us, we wanted to let you know that the way you tore into that Skeeter woman was amazing," he began. "But do you really think it is wise to shrug her off like that? Don't get me wrong, she definitely deserved it and a lot more. But, no matter what anybody says, she's still going to write what she wants."
Harry flashed him a smaller, "and that is what I'm hoping for. I got her right where I want her." That made them open their eyes wide. "Think about it, Skeeter is well-known for writing anything but the truth, and since she's the one who is reporting about the tournament, that means she will be going after us. No, doubt she's going to paint us, mostly me, in a bad light."
"But if you know what she's capable of, then why would you antagonize her?
The smile on Harry's face didn't fade "because this way I will be able to ruin her and Cuffe's life. Skeeter likes to use the Daily Prophet to ruin the lives of others, and no one has tried to stop her. Even if they try to protest, then she only gets a small punishment. I think it's time she got a taste of her own medicine."
The others now understood what he was trying to do and began laughing. His plan to ruin Skeeter's life was ingenious.
Eez z'ere anyway 'e can 'elp," Fleur looked pleadingly at him. "I don't want her to write anything negative." Cedric and Viktor were of a similar opinion.
Harry spent the next 20 minutes explaining what he had in mind on dealing with the bug-eyed bitch. He told them that having interviews with either the International press or with the Quibbler. As Skeeter had no power or any influence with them. Cedric had to explain what the Quibbler was to the other two. It was mainly a publication owned and operated by Xenophilius Lovegood. His daughter Luna was a third-year whom he offered to introduce them to if they were interested. After the two agreed, he said they'd talk with her at dinner to see what could be arranged. However, for the time, he told them to beware. To keep their eyes open for anything Skeeter may write about them, the more she wrote, the more they have a chance to get her arrested.
While everyone was in the great hall for breakfast two days later, Harry and the others were seated at the Ravenclaw table. He informed his friends of the meeting he had with the other champions. They agreed with him as it was about time Skeeter was punished. All they needed to do was be patient and strike when the timer was right. Halfway through breakfast, the gang discussed the first task, with Nicole leading the way.
"After looking through the old files regarding the tournament. I concluded that it follows a pattern, with the first task usually being that the champions either have to kill or get past a certain type of creature."
"What kind of creature?" Emily asked.
"Anything from a Class-XXXX or XXXXX," Nicole answered. "The most used creature would be a cockatrice." The others gasped as they knew the creature was a cross between a dragon and a rooster. It possessed the same abilities as a basilisk. If anyone looked them in the eyes, they would instantly die; indirectly, they could petrify people. That is not even counting the fact that they could fly, and their talons were dangerously sharp. "The reason why the tournament was canceled was that the cockatrice went on a rampage and not only killed the champions but also some people in the audience."
Harry pondered what she said. "I doubt they'll use a cockatrice this time, but just to be sure. Can you recommend any books that might give me an edge?"
Nicole had to think for a minute. "I'd say look into a book called Fantastic Beast And Where To Find Them. There you can find the information about any magical creature."
Harry was about to speak, but an owl from the Daily Prophet dropped the morning paper in front of him. He pulled out a galleon to drop it in its pouch, then it left. "This should be good. Let's see what that bitch Skeeter did," unrolling the paper as the people near him scooted closer. Reading the title: The Boy Who Cheated?
They spent the next fifteen or so minutes reading what was in the Daily Prophet. The ones who were mostly mad were Daphne and Emily. The former was steaming because Skeeter snapped a picture of the two of them near the lake and wrote how Daphne was supposedly using a love potion on Harry. To bolster the reputation of her House. Also, because Skeeter very publicly called her a slut with no class! Emily was pissed at how the bitch labeled him a crybaby who desperately missed his parents and wanted their approval. The more she read, the angrier she became as the heifer used some very choice words on her pseudo aunt. Finally, after a few minutes, both girls were taken out of their anger when they heard Harry chuckling.
"How could you laugh at a time like this," Emily glared at him. "The bitch basically called you a lie, a cheat, and a bunch of other things. She's out to ruin your character, and the only thing you can do is laugh."
"Stay calm, Shizuku," placing a hand on her shoulder. "What we have here is a good start." Everyone stared at him with confusion. "Skeeter is going to do whatever it takes to ruin me. However, little does she know is that the more she pushes me, the easier it will be for me to get her and Cuffe fired. She's basically signing away her job! And if you haven't noticed, she also wrote some nasty stuff about Fleur." The gang looked over to where the Beauxbaton students were seated. There they saw a thoroughly agitated Fleur Delacour throw down the morning paper and looked about ready to snap at someone.
Many of the boys were still gawking at her as if she was a piece of meat, while most of the girls were sending hateful glances at her.
Turning his head, he saw the angry expression on Daphne's face; grabbing her hand underneath the table, he gave it a gentle squeeze. "Sapphire, keep it together! You know nothing in the paper is true, don't let Skeeter win," whispering into her ear.
"I really hate that woman. How dare she insinuate that I'm drugging you to bolster my family's reputation."
"Daphne, I understand your anger, but keep in mind that once we have enough evidence against her, we can get her out of the picture for good." An idea suddenly popped into his head "however, should we catch her nosing around anywhere, then you can have the first crack at her," adding an evil smile.
She caught onto the mischievous glint in his eyes and adopted the same expression. "Promise?" He gave her a nod. "Alright, then I'll wait," releasing a breath.
A moment later, another owl came swooping down with a letter tied to its leg. Harry gave it a piece of bacon and untied the letter. The owl accepted the bacon and flew off. He smiled after reading who the letter was from and stuffed it in his pocket. "I'll see you guys later," rising from his seat, he decided to head towards the room of requirement.
A/N: The fathers of the Slytherin group were royally pissed with the way their children lost their money. With the bastards either financially ruined or mostly ruined Voldemort will not have the currency to bribe people. As such defeating him and his followers will be all that more easy if he can't use their money. The biggest blow to the death eaters who evaded Azkaban is their wallets as they enjoy their social statuses and wealth a lot.
Next Chapter: Here's some information and getting approval!
Sidenote: Chapter 59 will be coming in a day or two after this chapter is posted.