Chapter 62
Soon after arriving in the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey sighed as she figured something was wrong. Her eyes instantly landed on Harry as she was positive that it had something to do with him. Rolling her eyes, she ushered him to sit on one of the open beds and ordered Severus or Minerva to tell her what had happened. McGonagall elaborated on the duel in the DADA class and that Mr. Crouch's son had been impersonating Alastor Moody for the first part of the semester. The matron heavily paled at hearing that Barty's son was alive and posed as a professor. "How was he able to disguise himself as a professor without anybody knowing?" So many questions ran through her mind that she couldn't think straight.
Severus reached into his robes and pulled out the flask he found on the floor. Flicking it open, he took a quick sniff "polyjuice potion."
"Well, that explains who's been stealing from your stores Severus," Minerva cast a look at him before releasing a tired sigh. "This is a nightmare! First, there was the incident with Mr. Potter's name coming out of the Goblet of fire, and now we find that the students were being taught by a thought to be dead man. I'm going to need a glass of scotch tonight."
"It would seem that young Barty was the one who put Potter's name the Goblet to make him a champion. Though, why I do not know," Severus spoke in his usual silk voice. "However, that will soon be the least of our problems because once people discover that Barty Jr is alive, it will cause an uproar."
"Professor, that's putting it mildly," Harry replied as Madam Pomfrey performed some diagnostic spells to make sure he was alright. "I give it less than a week, and there will be riots both at the Ministry and at the school's gates. Heck, the people from the ICW are going to be pissed that a high-ranking Ministry official broke his son out of Azkaban."
"Merlin save us," Poppy groaned. "Minerva, would you mind if I join you tonight?" Minerva answered. "Yes, please." Poppy turned back to her patient "well, Mr. Potter, appear to have not suffered any injuries. Unfortunately, though, I can't say the same for your magic as you used a considerable amount in it."
"That tends to happen when someone performs wandless magic," shrugging his shoulders, much to everyone's surprise. Looking at their shocked expressions, "what?"
Nicole was the first to recover "you can perform wandless magic now! Since when?"
"A question we would all like to know," Minerva chimed in while giving the boy a stern look, even though on the inside, she was amazed.
"Woah, Woah people, easy. Can I at least have a vial of strengthening potion?" madam Pomfrey shoved the potion in his hand right after he finished asking. Downing the potion, he groaned at the taste. "I began studying wandless magic over the summer, and it's taken quite a toll on me considering it requires extreme control over a person's mentality, emotions, and magic," taking a quick breath. "So far, I can only muster about 65 percent of my full power, and it's about 40 percent if I try to do it silently."
"Well, that would explain why your magic was severely drained," Poppy thought. "But being able to perform wandless magic at your age is not only amazing, but it's also incredibly risky."
Harry nodded his head, "which is exactly why I am taking it step by step. The last thing I want to do is lose my magic," he explained. "Keep in mind that I'm not some reckless Gryffindor. Just because I was sorted into the lion's den doesn't mean that I have to act like the other members of my house. If anything, I'm much more of a Slytherin."
The occupants found it hard to disagree with his statement. As it was true that while Harry may have been sorted into Gryffindor, he acted more like a Slytherin. Severus looked with pride at how his son was quickly becoming a man. Meanwhile, Poppy sent them away after confirming that Potter was fine. Before leaving the wing, McGonagall awarded Harry 85 points for unparalleled bravery and performing wandless magic.
Harry and the others went to have lunch in the room of requirement while Severus and Minerva went to handle their charges in the great hall. Arriving at their destination, they walked into the room where Daphne summoned some house-elves and asked if they could bring some sandwiches. The elves happily agreed to bring them some food. They mostly ate in silence until Adrian, Aaron, Tracey, and Blaise came in to see how quiet they all were.
"What happened here?" Adrian asked. "You guys look like you saw a ghost."
Tracey then spoke, "any particular reason why the professors all seem to be frazzled? Right as lunch was about to end, they said classes were canceled for the rest of the day and ordered everyone to return to their common rooms."
"Y'all might want to sit down for this," Harry gestured for them to sit either on the couches or the floor. When they were seated, he explained what happened in the Defense classroom with Barty Crouch Jr. Twenty minutes later, he finished with, "after that, some the Aurors took the sack of shit away and escorted Mad-Eye to St. Mungo."
Blaise was the first to respond, "wait, if he used the killing curse, then how are you alive? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're still here. But how?"
Harry hesitated as he didn't know how to tell them about his invention. Daphne, however, stood up "does it have something to do with your project?" Harry unconsciously rubbed his left hand. "Harry, I know you're not big on sharing, but if you found a way to counter the killing curse, then we need to know. Please!" They all looked at him with pleading eyes.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, he rolled his sleeve up, revealing a black fingerless gauntlet with a white orb. Harry saw that the thing was still recharging "this is project guardian. I designed it as a form of protection against the killing curse. Though I am still working out some of the bugs, it's the best I can come up with."
"You actually created something to counteract the killing curse," Aaron exclaimed after hopping to his feet; then, before he knew it, he fainted.
"I got it," Adrian rolled his eyes as he took out his wand and revived his unconscious friend.
Aaron was back on his feet a moment later, staring at Harry with bewilderment. "How did you even create that thing?" He was both amazed and shocked at what he was hearing. "And is it supposed to glow like that?"
The gang saw that the orb on the gauntlet was white. "The project is two parts. First being Archfiend steel, which was a bitch to get a hold of; not to mention manipulating the thing is a major pain in the arse. That's the first part; the second was a lot more taxing as I had to literally create a magical orb which took a lot out of me. But, thanks to Rowena and Salazar for their guidance and the two gods, I managed to pull it off without killing myself." He made a mental note to thank them later. "As for why it's glowing like this, it is only recharging. One of the bugs I am trying to fix."
"Why would it need to recharge, and how many times can it defend against Avada Kedavra?" Tracey asked.
"Right now, it can only manifest two shields at a time," turning his head a bit. "As for why it needs to recharge is because it takes a lot of power to manifest a shield capable of protecting against the killing curse," Harry explained. "Hopefully, I can have it create more shields with a lesser amount of energy and time to recharge."
A smile appeared on Blaise's face "well…awesome!" he exclaimed, causing the others to look at him. "Now, people will no longer have to be afraid of being hit with the killing curse. All they'd have to do is create their own and hold out for a while until backup arrives."
"It's not that simple," Harry retorted. "It takes almost a week to create the orbs and a lot of magic to make them work. When I first started creating them, they always left me drained and weak in my bones." The gauntlet's orb glowed green a second later, signaling that it was fully charged.
"So, how long will it take for you to fix the bugs?" Blaise saw the tired expression on his face.
"Honestly, I don't know," Harry replied. "The only thing I want to do right now is to relax," taking a seat next to Emily and Daphne. Then, just when he was about to close his eyes, a realization hit him. "Oh, that's right, I need to give Crouch's portkeys to Alex and Uncle Jack."
Activating the crystals, Harry called his pseudo uncle at work as he would most likely be in his office. A moment later, the visage of Jack appeared for all to see with Alex behind him, "Harry? This is a surprise; I hope you know that Alex and I are busy debating about what to do about Voldemort and his death eaters."
"You're going to need to postpone your discussion because something big just happened at Hogwarts that you guys are not going to like."
The two heard the seriousness in his voice and immediately knew something was wrong. "What happened?" they asked together.
"Long story short, Barty Crouch Jr is alive and has been impersonating Alastor Moody for the better part of the first semester."
"What!" they shouted in unison, looking aghast at what they had just heard.
Alex spoke, "he's supposed to be dead. How is he alive? Wait, where is he now?" he asked all that in one breath. What was going on at that school?
"Everything is alright. Amelia and some of her Aurors came and took him away," Harry explained. "I instructed them to not kill the degenerate as he might have information on where his buddies might be. Though for argument's sake, you guys might want to get to him first before Fudge does something stupid."
"I'm leaving now," Jack stated in a firm voice before exiting the office via floo network. If Harry was right and Crouch's son was alive, it would certainly cause an uproar. But, on the other hand, it could also give them a lead as to where the others were hiding, among other kinds of information.
Alex spent the next few minutes speaking with Harry about his duel with Barty. Alex was completely shocked that Harry was able to remove the portkeys from the man without him even knowing. Next, Harry called a house-elf from Potter castle and had her take the box that contained the portkeys to Taymore. Within a couple of seconds, Alex got the portkeys, where Harry suspected that they might lead back to Voldemort or any of his death eaters. When the conversation was over, he cut the connection off and retook his seat.
Blaise saw the expression on Harry's face as he sat down and could tell that something was on his mind. "Uh oh, I know that look anywhere," he knowingly replied. "What are you up to?"
Harry pulled out of his thoughts to see that everyone's eyes were on him. "You know me a little too well. It's kind of scary," he joked. "To answer your question, I'm wondering how to make Dumbledore look bad. Seeing as he and Alastor are supposedly close friends, one would think that he would have noticed if something was wrong."
"Either that or he's not as smart as people think her is," Daphne chimed in. "That said, the responsibility falls to him since he's in charge of this school. Whether it's true or not, I'm pretty sure the Wizengamot will extend his punishment."
"Daphne's right," Tracey began inspecting her nails, "the old goat should have known something was up from the beginning.
Harry ran his fingers through his hair "anyway, I'll see you guys later," hopping to his feet. "If you need me, I have a few things to handle at Diagon Alley. I should be back in an hour or two," he said before stepping into the fireplace and, by the next moment, was transported out of the room.
(0^0)
After what happened at Hogwarts, an emergency session of the Wizengamot was called, and the members were positively shocked to see that Crouch Sr.'s son was alive. Amelia wasted no time raising hell when she got back to the ministry. Needless, to say the Director of the DMLE tore Barty a new one and arrested him herself. On the day of their trial, Cornelius practically demanded that they be given the dementor's kiss before they could say anything. Luckily, Madam Marchbank was present to remind him that they had a procedure to follow. The portly man grudgingly complied, and with that, the trial commenced. Crouch Sr was the first to be questioned under veritaserum.
He explained his wife's dying wish: remove her son from Azkaban. Crouch told the court that his wife switched places with their son via polyjuice potion and ordered his former house-elf Winky to tend to him the best way she could. He placed his son under the imperius curse for the next ten years and forbade him from leaving the house. When the issue about the Quidditch World Cup came, he told them that to protect himself, he used his house-elf Winky as a scapegoat. For he knew that it was actually his son who cast the dark mark. Finally, it was his son's turn to start talking. Everything his father said was the truth with a few added details because, after his escape, he fled to find his real family, the other death eaters. After rejoining the others and being in the service of his master, he was tasked with putting Potter's name in the goblet of fire and making sure that he survived until the final task.
Dumbledore tried asking where Voldemort and the others were hiding, but Fudge stopped the man from speaking, saying that he was insane due to repeated exposure of being under the imperius curse. Before their sentences could be given, Arcturus and Sirius demanded that they'd be punished for putting Harry in the tournament in the first place. Albus tried to protest, but to no avail, as Harry was the heir to the House of Black, and Arcturus was the Head of the family. He could do as he pleased with the man while Sirius dealt with his son. Both of them wanted revenge for what they did to their family. Crouch Sr. was beaten within an inch of his life courtesy of Arcturus, who made the man scream his vocal cords raw. Several minutes later, he left him with a broken body. When it came to Sirius, everyone was surprised to see that he would use such lethal spells against Barty Jr., who was still paralyzed from the waist down courtesy of Harry.
However, that didn't stop him from brutalizing the man. The only reason why Sirius didn't kill him was that Harry gave him a call before the trial, saying that Crouch might have information on him. Naturally, Sirius was incensed but complied with his godson's wishes as he had a point. After the session, Crouch Sr was sentenced to the dementor's kiss, while his son was taken to the ICW's headquarters, where the agents there could question him more thoroughly. Finally, it came time for Dumbledore's punishment. Since he was the one who hired Moody in the first place, he should have known that something was off about the man, given how long they've known each other. As penance, his suspension from being headmaster was extended by two weeks, which obviously rattled the old man, but he accepted the extension as he couldn't afford to anger the Wizengamot any further.
The next day came Daphne's 15th birthday, and she received a number of gifts from her friends and parents, all except for Harry, who said he had something special in mind for her. He told her to meet him in the room after classes were over. She didn't know what he was thinking but knowing Harry had been something amazing. Anyway, her last class for the day was herbology, and Professor Sprout was having them work with Dittany leaves. The herb was often used in creating healing potions, especially for those who accidentally splinched themselves during apparition. Daphne already knew about the plant, from its origin to its uses. After the period was over, Sprout released the students with their homework assignments.
Gathering her things, Daphne walked out of the room with the others who were reapplying warming charm to themselves. Even though Daphne could do the spell, she chose not to as she was an ice elemental, meaning that she could control all forms of ice. Being an elemental granted certain abilities. As she was an ice type, the cold didn't affect her that much. Making her way to the castle, she maneuvered herself away from the others and went to the seventh floor.
Arriving on the floor, she expanded her senses to ensure that no one followed her. Then, walking up to the door, she muttered the password 'エレメンタルウォリアー.' (Elemental Warrior). The room allowed her to proceed after she spoke the password; opening the door, she found Harry on the couch reading from the Potter family Grimoire. Sensing her presence, he closed his book and put it in his watch.
"Hey, Sapphire. So, you ready to go," giving her a mischievous smile as he got to his feet.
"Sure," Daphne replied, placing her bag on the couch, "but you haven't said where we're going." A smile appeared on his face; now, she knew he had an idea.
"Don't worry, you'll love it," assuring her, extending his right hand. "Shall we?" taking his hand, she was pulled towards him. Then, giving her a quick wink, he apparated out of the room.
After the squeezing sensation ended, they landed on a beach in which Daphne would have fallen over had she not hold onto him. Taking a look around, she was mesmerized by where they were. The clear blue ocean was beautiful, and the sand felt oddly warm. "This place is amazing. Where are we? How is it not cold here?" taking in the surrounding area.
Harry gave a slight chuckle "okay, in order. This is an island owned by the Potter family, and the reason it isn't cold is because of the wards I put up. After all, it wouldn't be great if I brought you here if it were cold. Happy birthday, Daphne!"
Daphne couldn't explain it, but she was extremely touched that he would bring her to one of his family vacation spots. "I can't believe this," still shocked. "Thank you," throwing her arms around his neck, "thank you so much."
He pulled her closer and reveled in the warmth she provided. "Oh, don't thank me yet. We haven't gotten to the best part yet," grinning at her. "But for now, how about we eat something?" After receiving a nod, he pulled out a blanket and a picnic basket from his watch. "Hold onto your tastebuds because they're about to be rocked" taking a seat on the blanket, he pulled out two plates and their meals.
Her eyes opened wide when she saw the spread of food. "Oh my god, this looks heavenly," it was all of Daphne's favorite dishes. "How did you even know these were my favorite?" taking a bite out of her steak.
"I spent over three years getting to know you, and I picked up a few things here and there," eating his chicken fettuccini.
"This is amazing," Daphne commented after taking another bite out of her meal. The food was better terrific in her opinion, never before had she eaten food like this. "I don't know what you put in here, but this is by far some of the best food I have ever had."
Harry gave a mock bow "why thank you, milady."
They continued eating while talking about what they wanted to do once they left Hogwarts. Harry could tell that her desire to gain some masteries stemmed from being ambitious and wanting to prove herself. It was some of the things that he admired about her. The people in their generation hardly had any ambition, save for a few who knew that hard work was essential to accomplishing one's goals. A large majority of the wizarding world just reveled in their statuses in society and lacked the desire or will to move forward. After eating, Harry packed up the stuff he brought, placing it back in his watch. The two sat on the warm blanket, watching the waves from the ocean in pure bliss.
When the sun began going down, Harry pulled out a nicely wrapped box from his watch and gave it to her. "Happy birthday."
Daphne accepted the box and removed the wrapping paper, then opened the lid, revealing an exquisite silver chain necklace with a sapphire pendant in the center surrounded by a couple of small diamonds. She was completely stunned by what he gave her. "Harry, thank you so much. Can you put it on me, please?"
Giving her a warm smile, he removed the necklace from the box and clasped it around her thin neck as she held her hair up. "The chain is made of goblin metal. Griphook told me he could have it done for a price. I also added some protections like it'll let you know if someone wishes to cause you harm or is trying to read your mind along with a couple others."
Words could not describe how Daphne felt was deeply touched that he went to length to ensure her safety. She immediately threw arms around his neck and embraced him warmly, which he returned.
After they separated, a mischievous grin appeared on his face, and she instantly knew he had something else up his sleeves. "Now for present number two," whistling a bit, he pointed off into the distance as the sun was almost gone.
To her immense surprise, a set of fireworks went off in the air and exploded in various colors. The combination of magical and muggle fireworks was amazing when a couple exploded; they formed the words' Happy 15th' in the air. They sat on the beach watching as the fireworks went off and were greeted with different shows from phoenixes flying in the air, dragons dancing around, etc. Finally, when it was dark, the last of the fireworks went off, and they began forming a new set of words. 'Will you be my date to the Yule ball?'
Daphne's face became scarlet, which she tried to keep under control as it might have spread to more embarrassing places. Nevertheless, this was probably one of the best days of her life. Turning to him with a smile, "I would love to go with you," she gave a kiss on the cheek and leaned her head on his shoulder. On the inside, she was ecstatic; if it weren't for her being raised to act like a proper lady, then she would have been giddier.
After spending a few more minutes on the beach, Harry packed up the stuff putting back in his watch, then apparated them back to the room of requirement. Upon arrival, Daphne was immediately pulled away by Astoria, Tracey, Nicole, Emily, and Lilith. Luckily for Harry, the guys were not present, and he was able to evade questioning by dashing up the stairs to his room.
"Alright, Greengrass spill," Tracey began shaking her back and forth, only to stop when Nicole placed a hand on her shoulder and gave the brunette a stern look.
"Well, go on tell us," the seriousness on Nicole's face quickly morphed into a smile. "Or do you want Tracey to shake you again?" her eyes twinkled with mirth.
Seeing no chance of getting away, she began explaining what Harry and she did when they got to the island. How the two sat on the beach eating the food he brought. The necklace he got her, which she absolutely loved, to the fireworks display, and finally the way he asked her to be his date for the ball and how she said yes. Joyous screams erupted from the girls as they congratulated her and complimented her new necklace.
"Harry certainly has good taste in jewelry," Lilith looked envious at the necklace as she guessed that it must have cost a lot of money. "Most boys his age and older don't know how to pick out jewelry." Lilith, Astoria, and Emily nodded their heads.
"Here, here," Tracey bounced on her heels, "I remember when my dad got some jewelry for mom on their anniversary, and it wasn't necessarily bad but not that good either." Shaking the memory out of her head, she looked at the others "ladies, I think our mission is pretty clear. We have to make Daphne irresistible for the ball" images started flooding into her mind as she imagined what to do.
"Merlin save me," Daphne groaned after seeing the look on Tracey's face. They may have been best friends, but there were times when she was just as bad as Tori.
"No time for that" a huge smile appeared on Emily's face. "If you're going to be with my brother, then you're going to have to prove yourself." Her smile became one of mischief. She could think of hardly anyone worthy of being with Harry, but Daphne came pretty close. Of course, she'd never say it, but if he wanted to be with the blonde girl, then that would be good enough for her. "This is going to be fun."
(0^0)
The following days passed by relatively quickly, with Harry spending most of his time in the chamber of secrets working on different magical orbs. After a couple of failed attempts, he soon created some new orbs meant for protection. Rowena explained that the orbs were vastly more powerful and difficult to break through than regular wards. After confirming what his ancestor said, he delivered a set to where the centaurs were in the forbidden forest. Naturally, the centaurs were curious about what the device did and its purpose. Apparently, Dumbledore has made multiple trips to visit them with the intent of transferring them to his side. All ended in failure. Though, it did prove one thing; Dumbledore was getting desperate as Magorian explained that no one in his tribe gave up his identity. Magorian was also not fooled with the old man's grandfather persona as he had seen it before numerous times in the past. If he and his kind sided with him, then everything they've worked for and their ways of life would be destroyed. Harry understood why they chose to remain out of the first war as nobody should be forced to fight for two megalomaniacs.
He showed how the orbs worked. They provided a means of protection for them, and no one could enter their campsite without their chief personally bringing them in. Anyone foolish enough to try to enter, harm them or destroy the orbs will get a painful surprise they will never forget. He explained that Voldemort was indeed alive and would be back far worse than ever before. Mutter ran through the campsite, and the centaurs vowed that they would never work for that monster. As soon as control was firmly in Magorian's control, Harry left them saying that if they needed him, all they had to do was call one of Hogwarts house-elves or one of the two gods.
Stealthily, he went back to the castle, ensuring that no one saw him as he didn't want to answer any questions about why he was in the forbidden forest. Making his way back to the castle, he found his fellow champions by the entrance. There they remained for a good half-hour talking about the connection between the golden and second task.
"I don't know why but I have a bad feeling that this tournament is only the beginning of something even more sinister," the nervousness on Cedric's face was visible.
"That is putting it mildly," Harry grunted in agreement "between this tournament and the fact that Crouch senior's son was impersonating the supposedly the best Auror of his time is all too vexing." According to Alex, he and Jack were having a hard time getting information out of junior. Since his father held him under the imperius curse for over a decade, what was left of his mind was nearly broken. Not to mention that he's been very uncooperative.
It got to the point where Arcturus himself had to visit him, and they could tell that he wanted nothing more but to end the bastard's life.
"Tell me about it," Cedric shuddered. "I still can't believe that Crouch broke his son out of prison. First, it was Pettigrew along with a bunch of death eaters, now this thing with Crouch's son," taking a breath. "However, that is not our main concern at the moment. We need to decipher what is so important about the eggs."
"Da, I've spent long hours in the library looking for any sort of clues that might have the answers but nothing." Viktor looked solemn as he spent most of his free time either on the quidditch pitch or in the library. Having to deal with so many fangirls and other members from his fan club, there weren't that many places for some alone time.
Fleur agreed, "I 'ave asked Madam Maxine if she had any knowledge of what the second task may be. The only thing she says is that I'd have to figure it out for myself. So, it's either she knows about the task and won't say anything, or she really doesn't know."
"Your English has improved greatly," Harry commented, to which she flashed him a smile. "Though, about the golden eggs, I may have an idea on what it is," reaching into his watch and quickly pulling the egg out.
"See these carvings," showing the unique designs on the egg. "They bear a resemblance to the culture of those who live underwater."
Fleur soon went pale after what he said while Cedric and Viktor looked shocked.
"Wait, the second task involves water?" Cedric suddenly felt colder as his teeth started chattering. All Harry did was nod his head. "But that's insane! The water temperature in Great Britain is close to freezing."
Once again, Harry nodded. "However, you missed a few details. Like how are we going to breathe underwater? In the wizarding world, there are only three ways for us to survive. One will be gillyweed, the second will be the bubblehead charm, and the third would be if the person is an elemental that can control and manipulate water." Bringing up some good points as it was true that many resources allow someone to function underwater. "You might want to also consider the fact that you and Fleur will have a more difficult time than Viktor and I."
"What do you mean?" Fleur asked with a curious expression.
Clearing his throat, "in Bulgaria, the temperature is much colder there, meaning that so is the water. Seeing as Viktor is from there, he has a lot more experience dealing with cold water, so the water here won't hamper him as much. Me, I'm an elemental who can control both water and fire."
"Da, it gets very cold where I'm from, and even then, the temperature from the water here is much warmer than back home," Viktor confirmed. "Speaking of which mind if I see your egg, Harry?"
"Here," handing him the egg, which he accepted, "Just don't-"
He didn't get to finish as Viktor opened the thing, and out came an ear-destroying shriek. "Close it, man! Close it!"
Viktor immediately closed the egg.
"What was that?" Cedric rubbed his ears.
Fleur gasped before responding, "that was the cry from a mermaid." But, unfortunately, mermaids and Veela's did not get along too well, and if the task involved them, they would not hesitate to attack her.
"Yeah, I got that impression too," Harry retrieved his egg and put it back in his watch, "and for the record, Viktor, I wouldn't recommend doing that again," giving the Bulgarian a critical glare.
"Da," he said bashfully.
Letting out a breath, an idea suddenly formed in Harry's mind. "Hold on, I just remembered something," he exclaimed. "Merpeople can only talk underwater; whenever they come to the surface, they emit a powerful shriek."
"I get it," Fleur realized what he was thinking. "If we put the egg underwater, then we'll have a better way of knowing what the second task is."
"Indeed," Harry commented. "Though, however, I suggest we grab some lunch. I'm pretty hungry."
Cedric chuckled while Viktor had an amused look on his face though it couldn't hide the fact that he was also hungry. Fleur merely rolled her eyes at them. Agreeing, they went to the great hall except for Harry, who went to the kitchen.
Upon arrival, he tickled the pear and walked in to see Emily and the others eating their sandwiches while Byakko and Suzaku ate some fruit and meat. Then, walking to the table, he took a seat next to Blaise, where the elves immediately brought him a PB&J along with some pumpkin juice.
"Well, look who's decided to join us. The mighty Mahoutokoro champion has decided to grace us with his presence," Adrian teased his friend. "Where have you been? We haven't seen you all day."
Taking a bite of his sandwich, he swallowed and washed it down with some juice "nice to know I've been missed. But if you must know, I've been busy. So, where's Aaron at? I thought he would have joined us."
"You really need to ask that?" Nicole didn't take her eyes off her food. "Right now, my baby brother is with his girlfriend. I swear if they get caught doing anything inappropriate, then I will not bail him out." She made sure to let Bell know that if she plays with his heart, then she'll answer to her personally.
Tracey began giggling. "I can only imagine what those two get up into a broom closet. It must get really steamy being all alone without any supervision," her eyes were dazed with excitement as her brain began to form what might be happening in such a closed area.
Daphne immediately glared at Tracey as she knew what she was thinking. "Keep those dirty thoughts to yourself, Tracey. My little sister is here and doesn't need to hear anything like that."
"Don't be such a prude Daphne," a mischievous smirk soon formed on Tracey's face "besides, you're already sleeping with Harry. I wonder what that must be like. Kinky right. They must be really pleasant for you."
By now, Daphne's face became red as a tomato, and Harry wasn't far off as he was coughing up some of his pumpkin juice.
"Damn, woman, dial it down, will you," Harry regained himself after he was through coughing. "And for real, you shouldn't be saying such things when Astoria or Emily are present."
A victorious smile appeared on her face but quickly vanished after seeing the dangerous look on Daphne's face. The young brunette was having a hard time trying to stifle her laughter as Daphne looked about, ready to freeze her. Quickly maneuvering towards the end of the table.
Emily then cleared her throat "all jokes aside, have you figured out what the second task will be?"
"For the most part, yes," Harry answered. "It involves the merpeople in the black lake. First, though, I still need to figure out what the task is and how the merpeople are linked to it."
Shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, well, I'll deal with it later today," eating the last bite of his sandwich.
Not a moment later, when the elves came to take their empty plates, the head house-elf pop before Hadrian. "Axel is sorry to be disturbing Mr. Harry Potter, sir, but there's be a problem."
"What is the matter, Axel?" Harry took in the nervousness on the old elf's face. "It's alright. I won't get mad."
Swallowing a lump, the elf continued, "During the beginning of the semester, Hogwarts received a new elf named Winky, and she has not adjusted well. A couple others and I have seen her consume butterbeer at an alarming rate. Axel fears that she may slip into permanent depression or end her life if something isn't done soon."
"Hmm," tapping his chin with his index finger, "can you perhaps get her to come here? I may have an idea that might help."
"Axel can do it," with a silent 'pop,' the elf disappeared. A second later, he returned with the
small elf, and Harry could tell that she had definitely been drinking a lot of butterbeer, and her eyes were red from crying. "Axel has returned with little Winky."
"Thank you, Axel. You may leave us now. I will take it from here," the head elf popped away as Harry took a knee in front of the depressed elf. "Greeting little elf, my name is Harry Potter. Your companions tell me that you have difficulty adjusting to your new position at Hogwarts. Can you tell me why?"
Winky sniffed and looked ready to start crying again. "Winky is a bad elf for failing her masters. She is not worthy of being in the presence of the Protector," bowing her head in shame.
"Winky, will you please look at me?" Upon his request, she nervously raised her head. "You are a not bad elf. Your former master Crouch was wrong to free you the way he did, but rest assured that he's been punished." At hearing that, her golf ball eyes became even wider.
"I have a proposition for you if you'd like to hear it?" She fervently nodded her head. "Do you want to belong to a family again?" Again she nodded her head.
"The Great Protector is offering to take Winky as his elf," she said somewhat ecstatically.
"No, but I believe that my godfather could use another house-elf where he lives," clarifying what his intentions were. "Would you like to meet with him?"
"Yes, Winky would be delighted to meet him."
"Very well, Kreacher can you come here?" he called.
The next moment they appeared in front of him. "What can Kreacher do for good Harry Potter, sir, today?" Kreacher had become very fond of the boy, especially after their first meeting.
"Kreacher, I like you to take Winky here," gesturing to the elf next to him, "to my godfather Sirius. Tell him that I'm requesting her to be a member of the elves at Grimmauld."
"Kreacher will comply with what Hadrian sir wishes," grabbing the elf's arm, he popped them to where Sirius was at the moment.
Standing on his feet, he looked over his shoulder to see some of his friends were smirking at him. For they knew that he had a soft spot for those in despair and disliked how some were unjustly punished. "Oh, shut it," he said just before the bell rang. 'Thank you,' mouth as he left the kitchen while hearing Blaise and Adrian snickering.
Now that lunch was over, the students attended their remaining classes for the day. In the case of fifth years, Daphne and Aaron had potions with the Gryffindors and were not looking forward to it because, last time, some of the lions blew up their cauldrons. Once they took their seats, Professor Snape entered the room, demanding their assigned essays. As Snape collected everyone's homework, Aaron looked around to see that his sister was not present for the day. Whenever she attended his fifth-year classes, the atmosphere felt better as some of the other Slytherins were not likely to do anything to sabotage the Gryffindor's potions, and the lions didn't complain or make as many mistakes.
After the essays were collected, Severus waved his hand on the chalkboard, revealing the instructions for the potion they would be creating. Today's assignment was the wit-sharpening potion designed to let the drinker think more clearly.
Nearing the end of the period, Daphne added the last ingredient and stirred until it became the proper color. So far, she was nearly through with all of the fifth-year syllabuses and was about to start working on the sixth year. All that was left was for her to finish was Ritual and healing. Grabbing a vial, she took a potion sample out of her cauldron, labeled her name on it, and placed it on Snape's desk for grading.
Severus looked over the vial that contained Greengrass's potion, and after examining it, he placed it back on his desk. "Well done, Ms. Greengrass. You not only completed your potion but also made it more potent. Nice to see at least someone actually takes this course seriously. Ten points to Slytherin."
Daphne gave him a curt nod before resuming her seat next to Aaron while at the same time ignoring the angry looks from some of the Gryffindors who looked like they wanted to say something stupid. A minute later, the rest of the students finished their potions and placed them on Snape's desk just as the bell rang.
"I want two rolls of parchment regarding the history and effects of the wit-sharpening potion on my desk at the beginning of the new term," he coolly stated before sending them off. "Ms. Greengrass stay, I'd like a word with you."
When the last students left the classroom, Severus activated the wards to ensure no one would overhear them. The absolute last thing he wanted was for someone to overhear their conversation.
"What is it, professor?" Daphne asked as he rounded his desk.
"Ms. Greengrass, I want to discuss your growing relationship with my son," a smile appeared on his face when he saw the girl's cheeks become pink.
"U-um sir, I don't know what your… I mean me and Harry are only-" she stopped when he raised a hand.
"Save it, Ms. Greengrass. I am well aware that you are not sleeping in the Slytherin dormitory's" he began. "Your mother and I have already talked about your sleeping arrangements and have decided not to interfere." Daphne's face suddenly became redder as her mother knew she and Harry were sleeping together. Knowing what was going through her head, Severus spoke once more, "settle down if I had any inkling that something inappropriate was happening, then I would have stopped it."
"That said, your relationship with him is very surprising. Whatever's going on between the two of you, it helps Hadrian relax more than usual. In short, I approve of your relationship with him."
Daphne couldn't stop a smile from appearing on her face "thank you, sir." It then hit her, "can I please have a pass to DADA?"
Severus took out some parchment and immediately wrote a note to excuse her for being late to class. Then, she quickly left the room and went to Moody's class.
The rest of the day passed relatively quickly, with a few occasional annoyances. For instance, some of the boys have started asking Daphne to be their dates to the ball but were met with a frosty glare. Her reputation as Hogwarts resident Ice Queen kept some of them away. Others required a little more force, like a couple of students from Durmstrang who looked at her as if she were a piece of meat. Some, in particular, were the boys' Harry faced in a duel. They've made it quite clear that they wanted her to accompany them to the ball, but she had none of it, and after a few banishing charms, freezing spells to their nether regions, and confringos, did they finally back off. Of course, it also helped that she was already going with Harry, so this way, they would leave her alone.
Speaking of Harry, he was fairing any better as many more girls tried to get his attention and desperately wanted to be his date. A majority of the third-years tried to make themselves look presentable with the hope of accompanying him as they wouldn't be able to attend otherwise. His response was always the same: I already have a date to the ball. That only worked for a moment, but they didn't give up. The most persistent out of the bunch was Ginny Weasley, even though he had already turned her down multiple times. She still tried to get him to take her. It got to the point where he either ignored her completely or vanished when she wasn't looking. In all honesty, he had grown quite annoyed with the young redhead. In the end, he decided to leave for the room of requirement.
Walking through the hallways, he saw Peeves pelting a couple of first and second years with balloons filled with ink. Already annoyed for the day, he brandished his wand and trapped the poltergeist in an electrical bubble. Leaving him suspended in the air, Harry faced the younger students. "I suggest you all head back to your dorms and find a change of clothes. I'll handle Peeves."
Turning his attention back to the trapped poltergeist, he started slamming him against the floor and against the walls. "You've had this coming for a long time, Peeves. Frankly, someone should have done this a long time ago. In the time you've been here, there's been mischief and mayhem. The house-elves have grown tired of your antics, and so have most of the students. As of right now, you have no more ties left to Hogwarts."
"No, please let Peeves stay. Peeves will be good," he begged.
As Harry was about to speak, McGonagall came rushing in, skidding across the floor. "Mr. Potter, please stop. I will deal with him." She had warned Peeves that if she continued misbehaving, she would let Potter deal with him. But, apparently, he chose not to listen.
"Sorry, Professor, but it's time for him to leave," waving his wand in a complicated gesture. "I, hereby, cast the poltergeist known as Peeves away from Hogwarts school of witchcraft and Wizardry. You no longer have any unfulfilled reasons to be here, so be gone at once."
Peeves screamed in pain as wholes of light started popping out of different sections of his body. But, of course, the more wholes that appeared, the more he screamed, not that Harry cared in the slightest as Peeves eventually exploded into dust.
"And that is done," he casually said before turning to the shocked transfiguration teacher, "with him out of the castle, the elves and student body will finally get some peace and not have to worry about being pelted with balloons filled with who knows what.
Minerva was completely baffled by what she saw. Right before her own eyes, she witnesses Potter exorcise Peeves. Deep down, she wanted to do it on several occasions in the past but held herself back because Dumbledore insisted that he'd remain.
"Mr. Potter," she called out as he was walking away. When he stopped in his tracks and turned his head, a ghost smile appeared on his face "twenty points to Gryffindor house for relieving the castle of Peeves." Merlin knows that she was happy that he was finally out of her hair.
Harry gave her a nod then left for the room of requirement.
An hour or so later, Daphne came in and crashed on the seat next to him. "Hey, Sapphire, how was the rest of your day?" he asked while examining his egg.
"Same old," she groaned. "OWLs are killing me, Malfoy and his goons being their insufferable selves. Thank god they're under house arrest. Oh, and apparently, I heard that you exorcised Peeves earlier. I was wondering when you would finally do that. The annoying bugger had it coming for some time now."
"Your compassion never fails to warm my heart," placing a hand over his chest. The two then started laughing.
Despite feeling exhausted from today's lessons, Daphne was still happy after talking with Severus. She never would have guessed that he knew about their sleeping arrangement, let alone her mom. Pushing that into the back part of her mind.
So, any ideas on when you're going to figure out the clue?"
"I was thinking about doing it now," he replied. "Plus, it will give me a chance to test out my new form."
"You've unlocked your final form," she exclaimed. "So, have I. Want to guess what it is?"
Harry pretended to think, "your new form involves water."
"Correct, but do you know what animal it is?" raising an eyebrow. He shook his head. "Well, how about I show you. We can test our new forms and figure out what the second task will be."
Seeing no problem with that, he agreed. "Let's do it."
Thinking of a large pool, the room instantly complied with what he wanted, and a large swimming pool formed in the room. Along with that came two changing rooms. "Which do you want to do first, the clue, or see what our forms are?"
"Let's figure out the egg first. After that, show each other our forms. Sound good?"
"I'm okay with that."
Daphne instantly got a mischievous grin on her face. "Well, I'm certainly glad! This way, I can try out my new bikini," rising to her feet, she went to one of the changing rooms. She made sure to add a little more sway to her hips. Looking over her shoulder, she saw his face go bright red. Giving him a wink, "can I trust you to not sneak a peek while I'm changing?"
Harry was so struck speechless by what she said. Immediately pushing his thoughts back, he tried to keep his rational mind which slightly faltered as his teenage hormones started to surge. "Would you please go change already," spinning around with his face still a bit red. Try though as he might, the images of her in a new swimsuit came flooding into his mind.
Achieving what she wanted, Daphne giggled a bit before locking the door. It was nice to see Harry act like a normal teenager every now and then. The expression on his face was priceless. She could tell that he was fighting back his urges. Hopefully, soon she would be able to break through the wall he built and get him to acknowledge his feelings. Daphne could tell that he felt the same way but always held himself back. Whenever they would get too close, he would push away, which slightly annoyed her. Though, she couldn't fault him with everything that's been going on, from being forced into the Triwizard tournament to knowing that the man who slain his parents was still alive, constantly having to deal with Dumbledore, who only saw him as a weapon. Having to find the escaped death eaters, especially the worst of them. Bellatrix Lestrange! That would no doubt stress anybody out. Resigning herself, she pulled her clothes off, and once every piece of clothing was off. She pulled her new swimsuit off the hanger and began putting it on.
It had taken a few minutes, but she finally finished tying the strings; stepping out of the changing room, she saw that Harry was standing by the pool wearing black trunks.
Harry had a difficult time taking his eyes off Daphne when she finally emerged from the changing room in a white two-piece bikini. He was even having a harder time keeping his true emotions from coming out. A demon from within was practically screaming for him to ravish her right here and now. Mentally cursing his teenage hormones, he forced down his internal desires. Her new swimsuit hugged her curves rather nicely.
"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," the smile on Daphne's face increased as he was brought back to reality.
"Um, right," clearing his throat a bit. "Your new swimsuit looks great on you," mentally sleeping himself as he couldn't believe what he had just said.
"Thank you, Harry. You've also filled out in some areas," giving him a once over. He was dropped dead handsome; his body accumulated the training he did. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. It was all muscle! The scars on his body and height made him look like a male model.
Quickly composing herself, "you ready to find out what the second task will be?"
"Yep, come on," grabbing the egg, he jumped in the pool with Daphne right behind him. "On the count of three, I'll open it. Hold your breath." She gave him a nod.
"One… Two… Three!"
Lowering their heads in the water, they listened to the egg and were greeted with a beautiful melody.
"Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour-long you'll have to look,
And to recover what we took,
But past an hour, the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."
Resurfacing, Harry's emerald eyes shined brightly "they're insane; if they put anyone underwater while it's the middle of winter, then the hostages will likely die." Placing the egg on the ground, he looked at Daphne "there's no way in hell that I'm going to allow them to take you or Emily. The tournament can go to hell for all I care."
Daphne swam closer and placed a hand on his cheek. "Harry, I seriously doubt that the judges would endanger the lives of students. I know they've done so in the past, but with any luck, they won't this time, considering the stakes are now higher than they were before. You can always go and speak with Professor Vector about the task."
Harry deflated after hearing her suggestion as she was correct. However, professor Vector took her job seriously and would never allow the judges to endanger the students under her care. "You're right! I'll speak with Cedric and the others, and we'll speak to Professor Vector about the task."
"Do you want to swim for a while? After that, we can transform into our new animagus forms."
"Sounds good to me," leading the way, the two played some water games for the next half hour.
Harry occasionally showcased some of his abilities to manipulate water, which Daphne still found pretty cool. However, she was amazed after witnessing that he could easily glide on the water as if it were nothing.
"Alright, you, ready for this?" backing up a little bit. Daphne was having a lot of fun and didn't want it to stop.
"Show me what you got, Sapphire."
Daphne morphed into a bull shark at his insistence, which surprised Harry greatly. If it were a regular shark, he might be a bit scared, but this was Daphne. One of his closest friends.
"Not bad. I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who shares the same form," a smirk appeared on his face while she gave a shark expression of confusion. To her surprise, he also transformed into a bull shark.
The two brushed against each other and swam around the pool for a while before transforming back. "Wow, this is amazing!" Daphne grinned at him. "We have the same animagus form. What are the odds of that?"
"Well, given that-" she immediately cut him off by splashing some water in his face.
"That was a rhetorical question, mister smarty-pants," giving him a cheeky smile.
"Oh, now you did it," he responded in kind by splashing water at her.
Eventually, they got tired and decided to get out of the pool. Harry didn't have to use any warming or drying charms as he was a fire elemental. Taking her hand, he ignited the fire within himself to engulf them. Daphne was amazed that the flames didn't harm her as they felt comfortable around her body. A second later, the flames surrounding them subsided, and they were no longer wet. Moving into the changing rooms, they substituted their swimsuits for their regular clothes and went to have dinner in the great hall. The two silently agreed that today was probably the most fun they've had since school started back up.
(0^0)
The month of December started fading away as the students were finally able to relax and play in the snow. Now that it was winter break, they could finally relax without having to worry about their classes. It helped that the Professors didn't give as much homework except for the OWL and NEWT students, who groaned in annoyance. A majority of the students, particularly those from Gryffindor's house, were less than happy that Granger and Weasley were back in the castle. The two lions have become outcasts as their fellow lions didn't want to be anywhere near them save for Weasley's siblings. But even they were somewhat frosty with them.
Members from Slytherin's house were far from happy with them as they were still angry that they broke into their common room and drugged two of their own. That said, Crabbe and Goyle didn't fair any differently as they've been effectively cut at the knees. The only people willing to be anywhere near them were Draco, Nott, Parkinson, and Flint. This was mainly because they were still under house arrest, so they got to spend a lot of time together. Severus refused to let them attend the ball no matter how much they begged him. He even threatened to extend their punishment for another three months if they failed to listen. No, one had it worse than Draco, who was both angry and humiliated as his parents got wind of what he did by trying to discredit his cousin. After his parents got word of what he did, his mother threatened to pull him out of Hogwarts if he didn't shape up. Draco was utterly miserable as his father not only cut off his allowance but promised to punish him as soon as he got home.
On the upside, Blaise managed to convince Tracey to be his date for the ball, though he did have to turn a couple girls down.
Finally, on the day of the ball, the gang gathered in the room of requirement and exchanged gifts. Astoria practically jumped to her feet and started unwrapping her gifts. Ironically, it reminded Harry of how Emily would react on Christmas mornings. He gave his dad an assortment of ancient potion books he translated from parseltongue and some runespoor eggs. After the teens finished opening their gifts, they decided to have a little fun before the ball tonight. When the clock struck noon, Miwa called to thank Harry, Emily, and Blaise for their gifts, which they had a feeling she would love. Harry even told her about his new animagus form. Much to everyone's delight and surprise, neither of them knew about his form except Emily, Severus, and Daphne.
Miwa responded in kind by changing into a lion. After talking for a few minutes, she wished them a happy Christmas before hanging up. Emily was the next to get a couple calls from her friends in Japan. The little bundles were delighted to see each other again and spent the next two hours talking.
Once the clock struck 4:30, Daphne, Nicole, Lilith, and Tracey hopped to their feet and left to get ready for the ball. Emily and Astoria used the floo network to go home.
"Why do girls need three hours to get ready?" looked at the others somewhat confusingly. At most, it would only take guys about forty-five minutes to get ready for an event of this magnitude.
Aaron sighed in agreement "don't think too much about it, trust me. It's not worth the effort, and besides, we men will never fully understand the minds of women."
Adrian was the next to speak, "boys, boys, your boring me here. Let's play another round," shuffling a deck of cards. A smug grin appeared on his face "this round is mine."
They continued playing blackjack until it was time for them to start getting dressed.
By the next thirty minutes, the guys were dressed in a fine three-piece tuxedo covered by an expertly styled black acromantula silk robes. Harry decided to leave his hair unruly as Daphne asked him to leave it the way it was, which he obliged. Making their way to the great hall, they ran into Neville and his date Luna. It shocked them as they didn't know that he'd ask her to be his date. Aaron separated from the group when he saw Katie coming down the stairs wearing a wine-red gown. Its straps wrapped around her neck, exposing her bareback. Next came Fleur, wearing a beautiful silver dress with her hair in a bun. Adrian kissed her knuckles, and they got in line. Viktor soon came with Nicole, wore an elegant strapless emerald, green flowing gown.
"Well, it seems like you boys can clean up," approving of their attires for the evening.
Blaise chuckled a bit "we do our best. So, where are Daphne and Tracey at?"
"Settle down. Without further ado, let me introduce the Davis and Greengrass fashion show. First, Ms. Tracey Davis, come on out."
Tracey rounded the corner in a beautiful one-shoulder black dress, wearing gold hoop earrings and identical black heels to compliment her dress. The dress she wore was sleeveless, hugged her curves, and accumulated her breast.
"Milady, you look very beautiful tonight," giving her a respectable bow and kissing her knuckles. "Shall we go inside the great hall," offering his elbow to her.
"Thanks, Blaise, you clean up well yourself, and I be delighted to accompany you," wrapping her arm around his elbow. With that, the two went inside the great hall.
Nicole resumed, "and last but not least, Ms. Daphne Greengrass."
Harry's eyes immediately went wide as his jaw hit the ground when Daphne emerged from the corner. She had chosen to go with a sleeveless, spaghetti strap slit front. Harry could tell the dress was designed by a famous fashion designer in France, given the highlights and designs on the dress. Around her neck was the sapphire necklace he got her for her birthday, along with a pair of diamond earrings he gave her for Christmas this morning.
Internally Daphne was conflicted as she thought her attire was a little much, but she wanted to look her best for the night. The silver heels she chose matched her dress; although she abhorred wearing them, Nicole helped her practice walking in them. But the look on Harry's face let her know that he liked the way she looked. Viktor chuckled a bit while manually closing his mouth and snapping him back to reality.
Harry gave Viktor a grateful nod before looking back at Daphne. She looked like she could be the daughter of Aphrodite. "Daphne, you look amazing. Mere words could not describe how beautiful you are." He was having a difficult time forming words.
"Thank you, Harry. You look very handsome." He offered her his arm, which she happily accepted.
Not a moment, Cedric and Cho were the last to arrive. Harry could tell that Cedric was second-guessing his decision on inviting Cho. The Asian girl wore a Chinese to accumulate her heritage and batted her eyes at Harry, though he paid it no mind, and struck up a conversation with Cedric, Viktor, and Fleur. The four discussed what they wanted to do once they finished their educations. Their conversation ended when Minerva emerged from the doors of the great hall.
"Oh, good, you're all here." She instructed them on how they would be making their entrance before joining the judges for dinner. Harry and Daphne stood at the back, sharing a quiet conversation about being ready for any unpleasantries they might encounter. Daphne smiled and tapped her wrist, which held her new wand in its strap, ready to be called when needed. The two nearly missed their cue from Minerva as they were already absorbed in conversation with each other.
Following the others, they saw that the great hall was splendidly decorated with over a dozen round tables. As the champions walked in, the other students began having a hushed conversation about their appearances and who their dates were. Most of the conversation revolved around Harry and Daphne.
"It's not fair. I wanted to be Harry's date."
"My God, he looks like a prince."
"Greengrass looks sexy! How did Potter get her?"
"Damn, they look good together. I wonder if they're dating."
"Potter always gets the ladies; I wish I had what he had."
"Hopefully, I can have a dance with Greengrass."
Daphne saw Harry tense up and whispered, "don't listen to them. I chose to come with you, and that's good enough for me." Harry flashed her a smile and proceeded to the head table while at the same time ignoring Percy, who invited them to sit next to him. Then, being the gentlemen he was, Harry pulled out a chair next to her before taking a seat himself.
Vector showed how to order from the menus when everyone was seated. Harry ordered pork chops while Daphne went for a well-done sirloin steak. Throughout dinner, Percy talked about how he would be filling in as a substitute for Mr. Crouch, seeing as he no longer had a soul. Harry and Daphne mostly ignored him, not that he noticed as he talked about the ministry. When the food finally vanished, it became time for the champions to open the ball. The music started playing when Harry and Daphne made it to the middle of the dance floor, and the two danced.
Their movements were perfectly in sync with one another's, as they caught the attention of the other students without even noticing. Soon everyone got onto the dance floor with their respective partners. After sharing a couple dances, they decided to trade partners. Harry danced with Nicole, Tracey, Lilith, Susan, and Luna. All of which he enjoyed more than he thought he would. Finishing a final dance with Luna, Harry brought her back to where Neville and Daphne were sitting at one of the tables.
"I have to say this is pretty unexpected," he began after taking a seat next to his date. "So, Neville, how are you enjoying the ball?" Harry could see that Neville had changed in a couple of areas. No longer was he shy, timid, or slightly fat. The Longbottom heir was actually making a name for himself and had improved considerably in his classes.
Neville chuckled a bit "the ball is amazing and is even better since Luna agreed to go with me."
Her dreamy eyes met his as she poked him in the ribs "it was really nice of you to invite me. I didn't think anybody would even ask me. From what the nargles have said, no one wanted to be seen with me."
He took her hand "well, I do. If people don't like it, then that's their problem, and they can come to talk to me."
Both Harry and Daphne noticed how protective Neville was around her. Daphne had a sneaking suspension that he really liked her, which she found quite adorable. Looking back on the dancefloor, her attention fell on Padma, sitting at a table with the youngest male Weasley. The poor girl looked utterly miserable as Weasley wasn't paying her any mind, choosing to look at Granger. The red-headed git was wearing the ghastliest robes she'd had ever seen, which didn't seem to help his mood as he stared angrily at Granger, who was dancing with a student from Durmstrang.
"It appears that Granger has an admirer," the others turned to where she was looking.
Harry shook his head in disbelief. Apparently, the idiot wanted to attend the ball with the teacher's pet but never got the chance to ask her. Seeing the look on Padma's face, he could tell that she was miserable. Turning to Daphne, she gave him a curt nod, understanding what he was thinking. With that, he moved across the dancefloor over to where Padma was "hello Ms. Patil would you mind joining me for a dance?"
The Indian girl responded immediately. "I would love to, Mr. Potter, seeing as how my date doesn't want to dance with me. Shooting Ron a scathing look.
"His loss anyone would be lucky to dance with such a beautiful girl such as yourself," he commented. "Your dress not only accumulates your beauty but shows that you acknowledge your heritage."
Padma's cheeks became pink at his compliment," thanks, Harry." Then, they went to the dancefloor and shared two songs.
"I can't believe he only brought me here to make Hermione jealous. So mean. Anyone with a pair of eyes could tell that he has the hots for her."
"Truer words could not have been more said," spinning her around. "Can I ask you something?" she gave him a curious look before nodding. "Why would you bother accepting an invitation with him if you knew the night was going to be like this?"
"Honestly, I don't know," shrugging her shoulders. "I guess I felt bad for him, plus no one else would have gone with me. So, it was either stay in my dorm or come here. Now that I'm here, I kind of wish I had stayed in Ravenclaw tower."
"That's not true," he bit back "any one of the boys, be it from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, or Beauxbaton, would have been happy to take you," he assured her. "In fact, I happen to know a person who desperately wanted to ask you. Granted, he's a bit shy and has been passing glances at you since the ball started." Then, motioning towards a table, she saw him looking at Terry Boot.
Padma and Terry have known each other for a long time, and if she could be honest, she kind of hoped that he would ask her to be his date, but he never did. "You think he'd dance with me?"
"Can't hurt to find out. Why not ask him?" giving her a quick smile.
"Thanks, Harry," giving him a quick hug before walking to Terry.
Meanwhile, Harry checked his watch to see that he still had some time; walking back to Daphne, he held out his hand "would you like to keep dancing, my dear?"
"Of course, kind sir," she took his hand, and they went back to the dance floor.
They spent the next few hours dancing until the music came to an end. Then, Harry leaned in "follow me. I have something amazing to show you. In one motion, he led her out of the great hall and back to the room of requirement. When they made it to the entrance, "you're going to want to close your eyes for this."
Shooting him a curious look, she complied and closed her eyes. He led her inside and closed the door behind them. "Alright, stop! Open!"
Daphne opened her eyes and saw the sky filled with stars, and the full moon was lit. The stars soon started dancing and continued to shine beautifully.
Harry waved his hand over in the corner where some instruments were lying and activated them. "I figured that we could have a private dance of our own. Would you, Daphne Greengrass, join me for a final dance?"
"Yes, I would like that very much," a smile plastered on her face as he wrapped his hands around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck.
The music was beautiful and slow. The two were seemingly lost in each other grasp, as nothing else mattered to them. Finally, Daphne raised her head to look him in the eyes "thank you for an amazing night, Harry."
Words could not describe how Harry was feeling at the moment, but he knew one thing. He truly loved being with Daphne, and in a moment of pure instinct, he leaned down and captured her lips with his.
Daphne was a little taken back by his actions but didn't acknowledge it; instead, she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, making her toes curl as their lips started moving with each other. When his tongue brushed against her teeth, asking for permission, she happily obliged allowing him entrance, moaning into his mouth as their tongues started wrestling with each other. Finally, after a few minutes of making out, they reluctantly separated, completely breathless.
"Wow, that was," Daphne regained her breath as her eyes twinkled. She silently hoped that she wasn't dreaming.
"Yeah, I've wanted to do that for a long time," he commented as the demon within him happily jumped up and down.
"Well, I'm glad you finally did as I wanted to do the same."
"Now, I believe there is only one thing left to do."
She raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was thinking. "What would that be?"
Sucking in a breath, "Daphne, will you be my girlfriend?"
In response to this question, Daphne kissed him again before separating "does that answer your question?" smiling at him.
He was equally as happy. "I believe I can get a different answer. Like this," leaning down, his lips met hers, and the two began snogging again.
A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is late I've been so wrapped up with studying for finals and completing my last group project which left me utterly drained. Any way thank you all for being patient.
Harry and Daphne are finally together. Again sorry it took so long, but I wanted to make it memorable for them. Also, in response to one of the readers I will not put Hermione and Viktor together. Viktor deserves better than her all things considered; she would have likely used him to bolster her reputation.
The way Ron treated Padma both in book and movie was unacceptable as he invited her. The least he could have done was asked her to dance or talk to her. Part of me wanted to have her slap him.
I've tallied all the votes for the second task and it's a tie between the Aquaman potion, and elemental ability to control water. This is going to be a tough one. I don't know if I should do both or one over the other. Oh, well, it'll be a surprise. Stay tuned.
Next Chapter: The beetle and half-giantess go down.