Unspoken
by Teddylonglong
Please refer to chapter 1 for my disclaimer and warnings. Thank you.
"No, Albus," they suddenly heard a firm voice coming from the high table. "Just because an almighty Potter comes to Hogwarts, we have to skip all the rules? No, not with me."
"You'd ensure the Quidditch cup for Slytherin for seven years in a row, provided the rest of your team is better than that of Ravenclaw." Minerva sounded convinced.
"How do you know that? It's skill that defines the winner, not fame."
Flitwick jumped up and down on his seat in apparent excitement. "I trust Rolanda's assessment and will suggest him to my team captain then."
"Harry, that's great. We can play on the team together," Hermione whispered from behind him in apparent happiness.
"We, that is the rest of the team and I, will give the professor a piece of our mind, when he comes to the common room tonight." Marcus' voice was grim, and Harry pondered for a moment to invisibly be present in the common room for the conversation; however, he quickly dismissed the idea, deciding that his study time together with Connie and his friends was more important.
HP
When the post owls arrived on Saturday morning, an old barn owl carrying a red letter arrived in front of Ronald Weasley, who was sitting across the table from Harry, Neville and Draco.
'A Howler?' Harry wondered in surprise. He knew about the feature, however, had never witnessed someone receiving one. Before he could further ponder the matter, however, a female voice screeched through the Great Hall.
"Ronald Weasley, how dare you allow the Hat to sort you into Slytherin of all houses? You're a disgrace for the family. Wait till your father gets to…"
With a small flick of his hand, unobtrusive enough for everyone but his closest neighbours to not notice anything, Harry stopped the screaming, and the red letter vanished into thin air.
"Thanks," Ronald uttered, glancing at Harry. "My mother loves to write Howlers."
"Twenty points to Slytherin for stopping that nonsense," Harry heard Snape utter at the hight table, before Flitwick began to chuckle in apparent amusement.
"Ah, thanks, Severus, for giving Harry house points. Ravenclaw just gained twenty points as well."
"Harry?" Dumbledore asked in apparent surprise. "How would he know a spell to stop a Howler, which I am not even aware of?"
"Probably accidental magic." Minerva's voice was convincing, and the conversation at the high table turned to other matters, much to Harry's relief. 'I really must be more careful,' he thought in annoyance.
HP
"I'm just glad that my father has better manners and doesn't send me Howlers for being in the same house as muggleborns and sons of muggle loving fools who are a disgrace for the magical world." Draco sounded smug, as he glanced at Ronald.
"Why, you slimy Slytherin. You're a disgrace for the magical world."
"That sounds gross, considering that you're a Slytherin yourself."
"As Snape said, the Sorting Hat must have been drunk. I should be in Gryffindor."
"What a pity."
"Yes. Absolutely."
Draco grinned. "Weasley, prove that you're not a disgrace for the magical world. I challenge you to a Wizard's duel. In the common room at midnight."
"All right."
"Harry, will you be my second?"
Harry shook his head in amusement at the conversation between Draco and Ronald, before he gave Draco a sharp nod. "Of course."
Ronald looked from the left to the right, where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting on either side of him. "Who's going to be my second?"
Harry inwardly grinned, when the two boys in question pointed their hands at each other, simultaneously voicing, "He."
"Crabbe then please," Ronald decided, and the other boy nodded, grimly.
HP
During their study time in the evening, Harry excused himself for an hour and headed to the Unspeakables' office to brew a large batch of the fresh-and-go potion, which he had developed together with Whisker a few months ago. 'Perhaps, we'll need it in the morning if we stay up for hours during the night.'
HP
Needless to say that the whole first-year class was assembled in the common room at midnight to watch the Wizard's duel between Draco and Ronald. Harry had invited Marcus, the Quidditch captain, to referee the match, and the fifth-year had agreed to do them the favour.
"At least, you're doing it within Slytherin. Otherwise, Snape would have your heads if he got wind of it." Marcus smirked. "Now, only Draco and Ronald remain in the centre. Who are your seconds?"
Harry and Vincent stepped forward.
"Very well." Marcus nodded. "Everyone else sit down on the sofas." With a flick of the older boy's wand, all the furniture moved towards the walls leaving a large free area in the centre of the common room. "No muggle means, and no dark spells. Seconds only interfere if your first is down."
The four first-years nodded in understanding, and Harry moved a bit back, quickly followed by Vincent. It was not a second too soon, as Draco already moved his wand to cast his first spell.
To Harry's disappointment, the whole event was not much of a duel, as it soon became clear that Ronald did not know any spells apart from those, which they had learned in class. It took Draco five minutes to have Ronald lie on the ground. While the rest of his body was stunned, his lips moved, stating, "I am an idiot."
"Very well. That was fast. Draco wins. Everyone, please go to bed now."
When the first-years set to follow Marcus' instruction, Harry quickly handed out his fresh and go potion, advising everyone to only take it after waking up in the morning.
HP
When Harry and his roommates readied themselves for the day, Vincent came into their room.
"Why did you give us a potion that made us stay awake for the rest of the night?" he complained before asking, "Draco, can you take the spell off Ronald? He says nothing but that he's an idiot."
Draco smirked. "No, I can't do that. It's going to wear off after twenty-four hours."
"As to the fresh-and-go potion, you were supposed to take it now," Harry informed the boy, shaking his head at Ronald's and his friends' stupidity.
"Cheers," Neville added, as he brought the small phial to his lips.
HP
During the following days, Harry eagerly worked on the final stages of his Chaser broom, deciding to finish it on time for Hermione's birthday. 'If she's going to play on the house team, she needs a proper broom.' After Martin, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, had allowed Hermione and him onto their team, Flitwick had asked if they had their own brooms.
Hermione shook her head. "No, sir."
"I will ask my godfather to bring my broom and one for Hermione to Hogwarts before the first match," Harry promised.
"Very well. As first-years are not allowed to have their own brooms yet, they will have to be deposited in my office, from where you can fetch them for practice and matches at any time."
"Thank you, Professor."
tbc...?
Thank you so much for the kind reviews for the last chapter. Are you still interested in this story?