Chapter Thirteen
Spending his days in bed with nothing better to do but talk to those around you was, in Harry's opinion, too damn boring.
"You can use these moments as a holiday," said Dumbledore after Harry's many complaints on the subject. "No responsibilities, no work..."
"I AM on holidays," Harry had rebutted, making the headmaster chuckle. It wasn't all bad, though, since Daphne visited often and for extended periods of time, as did his friends. The rest of the time, he either chatted with Dumbledore about candy, or about history and transfiguration, which seemed to be a sort of passion for the headmaster. Sure, Harry had to keep his knowledge to himself but was able to "learn" from the headmaster, especially about Xenodarius's principle of converting organic matter to inorganic without killing the living tissues, Garalde's principles of transformation, and the principles of creation, all subjects beyond NEWT level.
Harry noticed that gleam of delight in Dumbledore's eyes as he spoke from the heart. It was clear that the older man enjoyed his subject. Of course, when asked about his favourite subjects, Harry responded DADA, leading to a long discussion. Harry believed that DADA was an overly generic and reductive name for a course that was a mixture of all subjects with practical uses. Dumbledore listened to his arguments, quite interested in the young man's reasoning. Of course, Harry made sure only to let slip information up through NEWT level, asking for clarifications that Dumbledore was very much delighted to offer.
Harry's primary concern, much to Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey's amusement, was the Yule Ball. Seeing the date approaching fast, he went as far as stating that he would go to the ball with Daphne, even if he needed to go back for another stay in the hospital wing after it. Daphne glared at him, but his words amused her and made her quite happy.
Fortunately for Harry, Madam Pomfrey allowed Harry to leave the hospital wing at breakfast time, two days before the ball.
"You can go have breakfast in the Great Hall. And let's hope I don't see you in one of my beds again so soon," Madam Pomfrey said as a goodbye.
"One can only hope…" was Harry's reply, walking away from the hospital wing and whistling, with a grin on his face.
Walking through the deserted corridors of the castle, wearing clothes similar to those he had worn before the accident, he called Dobby to his side and wave his wand around the two of them.
"Any news?" asked Harry.
"Nothing relevant happened. The mistress has passed her time in the Chamber practicing, as you requested of her, or reading, with your friends or with you. She has been safe, and no one has bothered her," Dobby reported, as Harry nodded with a grin. "Also, the mistress suggested that as long as the translation method is not known by the headmaster, I could mix several Parseltongue books and copy its pages into a forgery that should pass for the book you claimed to have learned the Fading spell from." Harry widened his eyes and looked at the elf.
"Brilliant!" he said with a huge grin, "I didn't think about that, that's brilliant," he laughed, as the elf smirked. "You've got to love that woman."
"I'll leave that to you," Dobby replied, and Harry laughed again. "I'll remind you that you haven't finished the mistress's gift and that the Yule Ball will happen in two days."
"I need only a couple of hours," replied Harry, waving away Dobby's concerns.
"You weren't contacted by Gringotts and didn't receive correspondence from anyone else." Harry nodded. "Your uncles brought you the materials for the tiles the last time they came, and I started to carve some of them."
"Excellent. Anything else?"
"Nothing at all," replied Dobby.
"Very well. Finish the forgery and don't forget the Fading spell in the middle of it. Let Dumbledore deal with the translation if he's able, and make a couple of more tiles. Also, if you can, pop by a bookstore and attempt to find a book about Xenodarius's principles of Transfiguration. I found my conversation with Dumbledore fascinating."
"As you wish," replied Dobby, popping away. Harry dropped the wards around him and continued to the Great Hall.
When he got there, he noticed that there weren't many people around. Remembering it was the holidays and checking the time, he realized that not many people would be up at eighteen past nine in the morning, especially when breakfast ended at half past ten on holidays.
Luckily for him, the one person he wanted to see was already there. Daphne raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw him entering the Great Hall.
"Good morning," he said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Good morning. I'm surprised you're out of the hospital wing so soon."
"So much confidence in me," Harry joked and Daphne smiled. "I feel fine, and Madam Pomfrey gave me leave without recommendations."
Daphne snorted.
"I strongly doubt that," she said, and Harry looked at her.
"She didn't... well, she asked me to try not to occupy one of her beds again so soon, and to come down and have breakfast in the Great Hall." Daphne smirked and went back to her toast while Harry filled a cup with tea. "Tell me, how was your evening?"
"Calm," replied Daphne. "I went to the Room of Requirement to practice my spell work and the exercises you gave me. I stayed there a bit, studying and relaxing, and then went back to the common room."
"Great," replied Harry with a smile. "Do you have plans for the day?"
"I wanted to check on you. After that, I wanted to spend some time with Tracey, Millie, and Pansy," she replied.
"Ball things?" asked Harry, and Daphne sighed.
"It seems everyone is going crazy about the ball. Millie asked Tracey's opinion about her makeup, and suddenly Pansy started to change her hairstyle trying to find the perfect one, and now we have a dorm meeting to help each other," she confessed with a sigh.
"Well, it's in two days..." he added, and she glared at him.
"Not you too," she replied, and he chuckled.
"Don't worry, I'm quite pleased with my plans and I know that my date will be the most beautiful woman in the room, no matter how she decides to appear," Harry replied with a smile, and Daphne fought a blush.
"Why?" she asked, "What did you want?"
"I wanted to ask you out for a date but if you already have plans it's all right," replied Harry, and Daphne raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Then tell me, what were you planning?" she wondered, as he drank his tea.
"I thought about having a stroll in the grounds. I noticed it snowed last night, and I thought about taking you ice skating on the lake," he replied, not noticing the glimmer in Daphne's eyes.
"Really?" she asked, and he nodded with a smile.
"As long as you promise not to laugh at me when I fall," he replied, mumbling to himself. "I never learned how to do it. Not without you."
Daphne chuckled, smiling with a small blush.
"Thank you," she said, and he returned her smile.
"Who knows, maybe we can have some time after your girls meeting," he replied, earning a huff from his girlfriend. "It might be enough to make you relax for a bit."
"Maybe," she replied, "But it can't happen. The lake isn't frozen." To that, Harry lifted an eyebrow.
"So?"
"What do you mean, so? You can't ice skate without ice," she replied, confused.
"True."
"The lake isn't frozen. You can't skate on the lake," Daphne replied, getting annoyed with Harry, who was clearly teasing her.
"I'm sorry, I thought you were a witch?" asked Harry in a mocking tone, raising an eyebrow and earning a glare from Daphne.
"Don't be ridiculous. The amount of power necessary to freeze the lake surface would be..." she started, and Harry stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Want to make a bet?" asked Harry, and Daphne looked at him, recognizing his I know something you don't smile.
"I'll pass," she replied, and he pouted.
"Spoil sport," he mumbled, and she almost giggled.
"How, then?" she asked, and he grinned at her.
"How about we leave it as a surprise for later?" he asked, and she smiled back.
"For some reason, I find your proposal very appealing," she replied, going back to her breakfast. "What will you do?"
"I guess I'll spend some time with the boys," replied Harry, shrugging. "I still have one thing to do that will take me a couple of hours, but I was planning on doing it later in the evening anyway... "
"Which would be?"
"A surprise," he replied, and Daphne rolled her eyes.
"How about a walk now?" Daphne suggested. "The girls should eventually come down and have breakfast, unless they decided to skip it...either way, it's too early for me to join them."
"That's something I would enjoy," replied Harry, and Daphne smiled. She didn't mind that he wanted to spend time with her; she found it sweet. That fact that he tried not to be overly possessive was also great.
Harry and Daphne finished their breakfast and left the Great Hall, meeting Fleur and her friends on their way out. After exchanging courtesies, the couple left the French group and went outside after quickly transfiguring their robes into something far warmer, courtesy of Harry.
"Is your favourite colour green?" asked Harry, and Daphne looked at him.
"I bet you know it is, why are you asking?" she asked him, glancing at his emerald eyes. Favourite colour, indeed.
"Just checking," he replied, and she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her, as if demanding answers. "It's for a surprise."
She sighed.
"Yes, my favourite colour is green, happy?"
"Yes, but that has nothing to do with it," he replied, stealing a quick kiss from her, making her roll her eyes. Sometimes, forgetting what she knew of him, he could be so childish. She loved it.
"Harry, I want to speak about serious things, for a moment," she said, and Harry lost his smile, nodding and choosing to ignore his godfather's pun. He quickly drew his wand and waved it, raising the wards.
"Sure, go ahead," he said.
"It's about Dumbledore and what happened a couple of days ago," she replied, and he nodded.
"What do you want to know, exactly?" he asked, and she shrugged.
"What happened? What did you do? Will he recover the memories or...?" she asked, and he shook his head.
"Like I said, I locked his mind. We fought in my mind and that's what scrambled my brains. The old man is a powerful and cunning wizard, and he gave me trouble, even with the advantage of being inside my mind," replied Harry.
"When you say you fought..." she wondered.
"Dueled," he replied, and she sighed. "Like I said, the old man is both powerful and cunning. Luckily, I had Bael, which helped me by paralyzing him instead of me having to fight him until I had the upper hand. What I did next was Obliviate him of the memory and create a new one. By locking his mind and keeping him unconscious, the memory was allowed to settle, so even though he is a master Occlumens he won't realize that the memory is artificial..." I hope.
"Are you sure?" she asked, and Harry looked undecided.
"Yes," he replied, but Daphne noticed his hesitation. "I destroyed the real memory. Even if he realizes the memory is fake, he won't be able to remember what really happened."
"But he'll hound you," she replied, and he sighed.
"He might be a bastard that ruined part of my life, but I didn't want to kill him. He didn't deserve it," Harry admitted, and Daphne caressed his face.
"You didn't have to, either. You did the right thing," she replied with a smile, and he smiled softly back at her. He held her hand in place and kissed it.
"Thank you," he replied.
"I'm just concerned about you. If Dumbledore finds out..."
"He won't," Harry replied in a soft tone, "I'll be careful, I promise."
"Make sure you are. I trust you, but you need to be careful," she said, and he nodded. "A lot of bad things can happen."
"I know," he replied, closing his eyes and bending his head down. "I was foolish. I believed I had all points covered; that I had plans for these things. What's ironic is that I had just been talking with Moony..."
"Remus?"
"The same. I had been talking with him about hubris...and I..." Harry sighed, "I was the most powerful wizard for too long. I think I grew arrogant without anyone to match me. Dumbledore at least opened my eyes to that."
"What happened, exactly?" Daphne asked.
"The most ridiculous thing, actually. Dumbledore had protections against Compulsions and noticed each time I cast one on him," admitted Harry, and Daphne nodded.
"Fine. What's done is done," she said, and he smiled.
"Focus on the future, right?" he asked, and she nodded.
"Of course," she replied, and he held her in his arms. He kissed her deeply, and she felt the emotion, the longing, and the appreciation he had for her in that kiss. When it ended, he held his forehead against hers.
"I know you're right," he replied, while she smiled and didn't even attempt to hide her blush.
"Be careful. I think it's too late for me, now," she whispered.
"What do you mean?" he asked, separating from her and she blushed even more, ignoring his concerned looks. "Daphne?!"
"I don't want to lose you," she almost whispered and he understood what she meant, even if she didn't say it yet.
"I promise I will," he replied, holding her close to him. They stayed like that for a while, like statues in a field of snow.
"Why are Bael's eyes blue? I thought basilisks' eyes were yellow?" Daphne asked, and Harry chuckled.
"I wondered when you would ask me that," he said, and she lifted her eyes to him.
"So?"
"It's a long story," he replied, "I'd rather tell it after the ball, if you'll allow me?" asked Harry, and Daphne looked at him before agreeing, returning to his hug. She enjoyed it.
"I'll trust you," she replied, "Besides, I don't want to talk about that for now."
That solved Harry's dilemma about telling her about Jason Hallys. They still had time.
"I thought you were more powerful than Dumbledore," she said, and Harry looked thoughtful. "I'd assume you'd have less of a problem facing him."
"So did I. It seems I was wrong," he replied with a sigh, and Daphne looked back at him, confused.
"Sometimes, being powerful isn't everything. Skill counts a lot, and so do control and ability. Dumbledore has it all and was able to resist Voldemort several times, even if the Dark bastard is more powerful than the old man, or so Dumbledore claimed several times. With power you can cast more spells and more powerful ones as well, but if you can't control your magic or don't have enough skill, you'll use more magic than needed and tire yourself easily, making mistakes that your opponent can capitalize on. Besides, if your opponent is skilled, he can avoid your spells and let you tire yourself until you're on an equal footing... do you understand?"
"I do...you did say that Dumbledore was powerful, skilled, and cunning," Daphne replied, looking seriously at Harry, "But so are you…and you're more powerful than Dumbledore, aren't you?"
"I believe so... but even if I am more powerful, one mistake can still take me down, and Dumbledore is skilled enough to use such an advantage. Our duel was intense enough to damage my mind. In the real world, the damage would be physical, but in one's mind..." Harry trailed off, thoughtful, and Daphne nodded.
"Don't do it again, then," she warned him, and he smiled, nodding.
"Shall we continue our walk?"
Daphne and Harry entered the common room, noticing there were only a couple of their housemates around. With a sigh and a kiss, Daphne went to her dorms to meet the girls and Harry went to his own, attempting to find the boys. Luckily for him, Theo, Blaise, Vince, and Greg were all in their room, sitting on their beds and talking, still in their pyjamas.
"You do know that it's a beautiful day outside, right?" asked Harry, surprising them.
"Hey, welcome back. Pomfrey let you out?" asked Blaise, and Harry shook his head.
"No, I escaped while she was giving Dumbledore a sponge bath," replied Harry sarcastically, making the four boys laugh.
"That's not something I'd like to imagine, thank you very much," replied Vince while Harry smirked, waving his wand to open the curtains of his own bed.
"Have you seen your girlfriend today?" asked Theo, and Harry nodded.
"I met her in the Great Hall for breakfast and we had a sort-of date before she decided she had to come back for the girls' meeting or whatever it was," replied Harry, and Blaise chuckled.
"She was going to see you, wasn't she?" he asked, and Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Jealous?" Harry asked in an amused tone, and Blaise snorted.
"In your dreams," Blaise replied.
"I can assure you, you're not part of any of my dreams," Harry rebutted, "You're too manly and dark haired for that."
The four chuckled, knowing what he meant.
"Do you know what they are doing?" asked Theo. Harry shrugged.
"Daph told me that the girls wanted to discuss something about their dresses and make-up or whatever...I honestly didn't care enough to probe, and she didn't explain it very well."
"Millie told me that they were having a girls' meeting, but for the life of me, all I could think about was an all-girls slumber party," Blaise replied, and they all laughed.
"What about you guys?" Harry asked Greg and Vince, "Are the two of you both going with Pansy or what?"
"Yeah..." replied Vince shyly, while Greg nodded.
"So... how does that work?" asked Theo, genuinely confused. "Who asked, and how did you reach that agreement?"
Greg just shrugged. He wasn't a boy of many words, unlike Vince.
"Pansy wanted to go with the two of us and told us we were taking her," Vince replied, "How it will be, I don't know, but it will be fine."
"If you say so..." mumbled Blaise, "I guess Pansy is building her own male harem, then," he said, earning some chuckles.
"She's been nervous," replied Greg in almost a whisper.
"All of them are. I understand they want to look pretty but they don't need to overreact," said Blaise, and Harry nodded.
"Maybe we should do something to help them to relax," he said, earning curious glances from his friends.
"What are you talking about?" asked Theo, seeing Harry's smirk and realizing he had an idea.
"How about we take the girls to have lunch by the lake?" he proposed, noticing the thoughtful looks.
"By the lake?" asked Blaise.
"It's cold and there's snow," replied Vince while Greg looked at Harry, confused.
"Not you too," complained Harry, rolling his eyes. "We're wizards. Snow can be melted, and we know how to cast warming charms."
"You mean a picnic, then?" asked Theo, and Harry smiled.
"Sure," he replied, "What do you say? I can have Dobby get us a couple of baskets with enough food for all of us, and we can spend our afternoon relaxing."
"I agree. I have nothing better to do, either way," replied Blaise. Greg nodded, as did Vince. Theo chuckled.
"I remember you saying something about wanting to go on a date with Daphne?" he asked, and Harry grinned.
"I never said I suggested it out of the goodness of my heart. What do you think I am, a duffer? Or worse, a dork?"
They all laughed.
~BREAK~
Daphne was bored. It was the seventh time Tracey cast the hairstyle charm on Millie, and she still hated her looks. This time, her hair was shorter, falling just to her neck. Personally, she thought Millie looked better with long hair, but she decided to keep quiet after her last comment caused Millie to angrily retort, "Not all of us are beautiful." Daphne had known Millie for a long time, and she knew that the other girl was a little insecure and had self-esteem problems.
"How about some curls near the tips?" asked Pansy, waving her wand. Millie's hair took the desired shape, and she frowned.
"No."
"Damn it, Millie," growled Tracey, and Daphne smirked. She was lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling.
"What do you think, Daphne?" asked Millie, and Daphne looked at the other three girls.
"I already said it, long wavy hair suits her," the blonde replied.
"I agree," replied Pansy, and Tracey sighed something that sounded like, "You're not helping." Daphne waved her wand and Millie's hair took the shape Daphne intended.
"What do you think?" asked Daphne, and both Tracey and Pansy nodded their approval.
"I don't know," she mumbled, and Tracey let out a sigh.
"Millie, what's the problem?" she asked, "You look beautiful. Blaise will no doubt drool all over himself over you."
"I wish..." the girl mumbled, though they all heard her.
"Wait, is that it? You want Blaise to drool?" asked Daphne. Pansy had to hold back a laugh.
"I just want to look beautiful for him," Millie blushed, as Tracey shook her head. "I don't want him to regret it."
"Are you sure we're talking about the same guy?" asked Tracey, and Millie looked at her. "Blaise, the guy that in a month, more or less, has proven he's completely crazy about you?"
"He's not..."
"Yes, he is," replied Pansy with a somewhat superior tone.
"But what if he finds someone better?" asked Millie, more to herself than to her friends. Daphne put her hands on Millie's shoulders.
"Millie, Blaise is an idiot," she said, and Millie looked outraged and was about to retort when Daphne interrupted her, "No, hear me out. Blaise is an idiot because, according to Harry, he spent hours in front of the mirror before asking you out. He didn't have the courage to ask you, so Harry threatened to put him under the Imperius Curse." Pansy raised an eyebrow in surprise; she had no idea. "Do you know what convinced him to ask you to the ball?" Millie shook her head.
"Harry threatened that if the girl he wanted to ask to the ball was so special, how much longer would she be available as a date before someone else asked her first?" replied Daphne, looking into the reflection of Millie's eyes in the mirror. "That's when he came down from the boys' dorm and asked you."
"Really?" asked Millie in almost a whisper.
"And tripped. You can't forget how he tripped in front of Millie," remembered Tracey with a laugh.
"He compensated by falling on his knee and conjuring a rose," replied Pansy with a wistful sigh. "I wish my boys had done that."
"Theo didn't do it, either," replied Tracey, crossing her arms. "Theo might learn something from Blaise about how to treat a girl."
Daphne noticed the three girls had turned to her.
"Please, Harry asked me to the ball in the least romantic way possible. I asked for his help with my spell work, and in exchange he asked for my help with any tournament related business...ball included," she replied with a small scowl.
"But we've gotten sidetracked. What I meant was that Blaise has it bad for you, Millie. Don't worry about it. Go to the ball, have fun, let him pamper you a bit and enjoy it. Blaise knows he wouldn't survive long if he did something to ruin your night."
"Are you sure?" asked Millie, and Daphne smiled.
"You're a beautiful girl, Millicent," the blonde said with a smile, "He'd be a fool to let you go." Millie smiled and looked herself in the mirror.
"All right, I think I like this style."
"Finally!" groaned Pansy, raising her arms to the ceiling.
"You poor girl," mocked Tracey with a grin, turning to Daphne and patting her shoulder. "Harry asked you in the least romantic possible way, how dreadful." The other three girls laughed, and Daphne smirked. The truth was that while she didn't care about the ball before, she now was delighted about it. Sure, Harry didn't ask her in a romantic setting, but really, how could he when they barely knew each other at the time? Still, everything had worked out.
Out of nowhere, a pop sounded behind them and the four girls turned back, noticing Dobby in the room…wearing a black blindfold.
"Dobby? What's wrong?" asked Daphne, and Dobby snapped his fingers, conjuring a scroll in his hands.
"Mistress, ladies, Master Harry and his gentlemen friends send you a message," Dobby replied, extending the scroll in the direction of Daphne's voice. The blonde took it.
"What's with the blindfold?" asked Tracey, and Dobby smirked.
"Mr. Zabini insisted on it, to be sure I wouldn't see you ladies in your undergarments, Ms. Davis."
"Blaise what?" asked both Millie and Pansy, confused, "Why?"
"He insisted I act too much like a person and not like an elf," replied Dobby with a bow. He popped away from the room, leaving the girls perplexed.
"Was it me or was the elf amused?" asked Tracey, and Daphne shrugged, opening the scroll. As she opened it, the scroll floated from her hands and unrolled itself.
"Dear Tracey," started Theo's voice, making said girl raise her eyebrow.
"Dear Millie," sounded Blaise's voice, getting said girl's attention.
"Dear Pansy," sounded both Greg and Vince, and Pansy grinned.
"My dearest Daphne," sounded Harry, and Daphne blushed at the chuckling from the girls.
"Hey, no fair," complained the nervous Blaise's voice.
"Oi, it's recording, you ass," admonished Theo's voice.
"But..." Blaise tried, before being interrupted by Harry.
"We never agreed on a script set in stone Blaise, only highlights," replied Harry. "Can we proceed? Thank you. Now, ladies, as we believe you are need of some relaxation, we would like to invite each of you for a picnic lunch today at the lakeshore. Don't worry, we took care of everything. Please join us no earlier than twelve o'clock. Daphne, I hope to see you there. Love, Harry."
"Tracey trust me, you'll like it. Love, Theo."
"Millie, I hope you'll come. Love, Blaise."
"Pansy, we're waiting for you. Love, Vince."
"It will be fun. Love, Greg."
"Just come prepared for the outside," said Harry once again, and the message scroll rolled itself back up while the girls looked in surprise at each other.
Daphne was the first to chuckle. The other three followed after.
"Do you think they'll come?" asked Blaise, standing with Theo, Greg, and Vince at the lakeshore, watching the path from the castle. Harry was watching the lake, keeping his hands behind his back, having chosen a place close to the path but distant enough from Hagrid's hut and Durmstrang's ship. All five of them had cast the warming charms on themselves and were waiting expectantly.
"They will," replied the green-eyed wizard, turning back slightly to his friends, "Don't worry."
"Shouldn't we start preparing everything, then?" asked Theo, and Harry nodded, drawing his wand, mimicked by the other four boys. They vanished the snow in a small patch of ground around them, and then Harry cast a warming charm over the area. Dobby could have done it, but he was occupied preparing the picnic baskets.
"Feel warm enough?" he asked, and the boys nodded. Theo conjured a large blanket with the colours of Slytherin house and spread it on the ground. Dobby appeared moments later and brought with him four picnic baskets, placing them in the center of the blanket. With a nod to Harry, the elf popped away and Blaise checked the time.
"It's noon," he announced, and Harry chuckled.
"They'll come," he said, turning back to the lake, closing his eyes and feeling the wind and cold against him as soon as he stepped out from the warmed area.
"What's so interesting in the lake?" asked Vince, and Harry looked at him.
"Nothing," he replied, "I'm just wondering how much power it would take to freeze the entire lake."
Theo looked at him, surprised.
"A lot, no doubt," Theo replied, and Harry nodded, "May I ask why you're thinking about that?"
"You may, but I think I'll wait and show you," Harry replied, and Theo just shook his head, amused but mumbling something about Harry being too Slytherin.
"There they come," noticed Greg. The four girls came together, walking slowly and chatting among themselves. They were wearing their heavy cloaks and their Slytherin scarves. When they reached them, Daphne gave Harry a big smile.
"Why do I have the feeling this was your idea?" she asked, and Harry chuckled. Without a word, Harry asked for her hand, which she gave, and he kissed her knuckles before guiding her to the blanket. Inspired by Harry's actions, the other boys took similar gestures, and as Theo and Tracey sat next to Daphne and Harry, Blaise, Millie, Greg, Pansy, and Vince sat opposite them.
"How did you do this?" asked Millie, noticing how warm it was and removing her heavy cloak and scarf, the rest of the girls doing likewise. Only Daphne didn't look surprised, only amused.
"Magic," was Harry's reply, and all chuckled as they descended into conversation.
"First of all, the message was great spell work. Who had the idea?" asked Tracey, and the boys turned to Greg.
"We were thinking about what kind of message to send, when Greg said it was a shame that Howlers were too loud," explained Blaise. "Then Theo had the idea of doing something similar, but simpler, and we went to the library. As it turns out, making a Howler is easy and the method is well documented."
"It was a really nice job, would you teach me?" asked Millie shyly, and Blaise grinned.
"Of course. I'd be delighted," Blaise replied, ignoring the chuckles around them.
"And whose idea was it for the picnic?" asked Pansy. The boys turned to Harry, who had his arm around Daphne's waist and an amused grin on his face as he played with a curl of blonde hair.
"He has a secret plan," mocked Theo playfully, making the girls each raise an eyebrow.
"Oh? Do tell, then," asked Tracey, and Theo shrugged.
"Now now, Tracey, be patient," Harry replied, earning a look from Daphne.
"Actually, I want to know what you're planning," the blonde said, and Harry just smiled.
"Don't tell me you already forgot?" he asked, and Daphne her eyes widened briefly as she remembered their earlier conversation. She quickly returned to her normal expression.
"Really? Well then, Mr. Wizard, how about a demonstration?" she taunted, and he grinned. Leaving a kiss on her cheek, he rose and drew his wand as he walked to the lake. He pointed his wand outward, ignoring the looks he knew his friends were giving him, and whispered, "Glaciem Nulla."
A blue light was expelled from his wand, impacting the water before him. To everyone's surprise, the water immediately started to freeze, and to their further surprise, the freezing followed the movement of Harry's wand, creating a corridor of ice nearly five meters wide. Harry walked on the ice, clearly testing how strong it was, only then turning to his friends, who were already standing and watching him in awe.
"Now, because I'm a good guy, I'll teach you the spell and you can help me create a rink for ice skating so we can have some fun after lunch. What do you say?"
Daphne's expression went from astonishment to acceptance, amazed by Harry once again. She smiled proudly and excitedly. She loved ice skating, and she knew Harry knew that as well. With a quick look around, she noticed their amazed friends already had their wands in their hands, eager to both learn and get started making the ice.
"Are you sure you want to do it now? We could have lunch before..." asked Harry, noticing how eager they were.
"Are you kidding?" asked Tracey, rhetorically, of course. Harry turned to Daphne, who also looked eager, and chuckled. He just pointed at the lake shore and they all followed him.
"The spell is Glaciem Nulla and has no wand movements to cast, only to control the ice formation. It's a more powerful version of the Freezing Charm and requires only power. Now, point at the water and take a breath before you cast."
They didn't breathe, and several shouts were heard at the same time, yielding no results. Greg and Vince weren't able to cast the spell, and neither was Pansy, who got only cold air from her wand. Blaise and Millie managed results similar to Pansy. While Tracey actually managed to cast a spell, nothing happened to the water. Theo managed to freeze the air between him and the water, creating snowflakes and earning giggles from Tracey. Daphne was the only one who managed to cast the spell and actually achieve results. She noticed that Harry was beaming at her with a look of pride.
"That's my witch," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How about you help me teach the others?" Daphne nodded and turned to Theo and Tracey, while Harry turned to Blaise, Millie, Pansy, Greg, and Vince. It wasn't easy and it took nearly an hour and several tries, but in the end all of them learned the spell, although Greg's and Vince's were still weaker compared to the others.
Feeling optimistic, the group took their places along the ice corridor, Harry and Daphne facing one side and the rest turned towards the other. It was a moderate success. On Harry and Daphne's side, the ice sheet grew another four meters wide and eight meters long. On the other side, the sheet grew the five meters wide but only five meters long.
"Well, I'd say that's enough," said Daphne, slightly panting.
Harry grinned and helped Greg, who had fallen to his knees, exhausted.
"You weren't kidding when you said the spell needed power... damn, I'm tired," replied Theo, helping Tracey off the ice and onto the blanket. Greg, Vince, Pansy, Blaise, and Millie all snorted at the same time.
"I don't even want to know where you learnt this spell..." said Daphne, sitting on the blanket. Harry waved his wand and the food came out of the baskets, promptly claimed by the teens.
"You know very well where I learned it..." he replied, in a playful voice, claiming a sandwich. "Do you think it will be enough for all of us?"
"I think it's more than enough," she replied, looking at him. "I'm curious, though. The Freezing Charm is supposed to freeze everything uniformly. How does this spell work?"
"The main difference is that instead of freezing everything uniformly, as you said, it freezes the point where the spell impacts it at exactly the moment of contact. The power of the spell will focus on that point, and the ice will grow from that point outwards in all directions."
"Makes sense, I suppose," replied Daphne "It's not very well known, is it?"
"I read it in one of the old books, and it was already old by the time the book was written, I think."
The group enjoyed a laughter-filled lunch before turning their attention to the ice sheets extending into the lake. Harry called Dobby, and while the teens tried the spell once again to increase the size of the skating rink, if one could call it that, Dobby added several protections around the border to guarantee that no one would fall into the freezing water. Once they believed it to be suitable, Daphne was the first to transfigure her shoes into skates, leaving the others on the shore looking at her.
"I didn't know she loved it so much," mumbled Millie, as Tracey and Pansy were also transfiguring their shoes.
"Come on, boys." Pansy pushed Greg and Vince onto the ice and started to skate with them. When the boys clashed into each other, they all snickered. Theo was attempting to accompany Tracey in a very clumsy way, making her laugh, and Blaise was teaching Millie how to skate since the girl had never done it before. Harry was still on the shore, ignoring all but the blonde girl who was sliding towards him with her hands behind her back.
"Are you just going to stay there?" Daphne asked, stopping mere inches from Harry, who pulled her into a hug to ease any possible collision.
"Do you want the truth?" he asked, and she nodded. "I still remember the fall I had the last time I tried it. I fell on my back on the ice and was bruised from my butt to my back for nearly two weeks."
Daphne laughed and it sounded like music to Harry. The small moments he knew she was happy meant everything to him...
"Come on, I'll help you," she said, grabbing his arm. Harry chuckled and waved his wand at his feet, transfiguring his shoes before starting to slide carefully, his arm entangled with Daphne's. They didn't speak for a while, sliding softly together across the ice. Daphne held Harry's arm carefully and only guided him around the curves.
"See? It's not that hard," she said, and he smiled.
"I never said it was. I only said I hurt myself last time I did it," he replied.
"When was that?" she asked, and his demeanour turned grim for a moment.
"Our last winter together..." he whispered loud enough for her to hear him, and she squeezed his arm tighter. Neither of them said a word for some time after.
"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" she asked, and he nodded.
"I wanted to have a date with you, of course. I remembered you liked skating and remembered the spell I could use. That the guys wanted to help and have some time with their girlfriends was a bonus. I wouldn't say no to some help. Besides, it's a bonding activity for all of us as well."
Daphne smiled.
"Where and when did you actually learn the spell, by the way?" asked Daphne.
"Somewhere in my fifties...and it's ice magic lore," admitted Harry.
"Have you considered writing down all the spells you know?" she asked, and he nodded.
"I did it once, a couple of years before...you know." She did understand what he meant. "I have the memories of it, it would take some time to complete such an undertaking. Maybe after this year is done."
Daphne smiled and would have started skating faster to force Harry to follow her, had it not been for the calls from the shore. Harry turned and saw Viktor Krum with a couple of Durmstrang students, looking wide-eyed and surprised.
"There vas no ice in morning," Viktor said as Harry approached him, followed by Daphne and the others "You made dis?"
"We did," replied Harry with a nod, and Viktor nodded to all of them in greeting.
"It is good job. Strong ice. Vat you do? Ice Lore?" asked one of the boys with Viktor, a blonde one with blue eyes.
"Yes. We used Glaciem Nulla," Harry replied. However, none of the Durmstrang students reacted to the name of the spell.
"Can ve join?" asked one of girls, clearly hopeful, surprising the Slytherin teens. Harry looked around to his friends, who all shrugged, but before he could reply the blonde boy stepped forward.
"No, ve can make our ice," he said, ignoring the surprised looks from his schoolmates.
"Is true. Sascha is right. Ve can make our own," replied Viktor with a smirk to Harry, who couldn't help but remember an older Viktor Krum.
"Can you teach us spell?" asked the boy identified as Sascha, and Harry nodded, twirling the wand in his hand.
"Sure. Since you're older and more experienced, I expect you to learn the spell faster and produce more ice in less time than us," Harry said, feeding the Durmstrang students' ego, seeing some of them actually puff their chests and smirk.
"Of course, ve are Durmstrang. Best school," one of the boys said, and Harry grinned.
"Really? In that case you shouldn't need my help, right?" asked Harry, and the Slytherin teens smirked while Viktor and several others rolled their eyes.
"Dimitri is fool," replied a girl, making everyone laugh while said boy complained about the elbow to the ribs he had just received.
"Very well, then. The spell is..." Harry explained the spell and how to cast it, returning to skating a few minutes later while the Durmstrang students rallied by the shore and started to practice it.
"Sharing your secrets?" asked Daphne with a raised eyebrow, and Harry smiled.
"It's not exactly a secret, is it? Besides, it's Christmas, it is the time for sharing and happiness," Harry said with some flair, making Daphne giggle.
It took nearly half an hour for most of the Durmstrang students to become proficient with the spell, and nearly fifteen minutes for them to create an ice sheet as big as the one the Slytherin teens had created. Some fell on their knees in exhaustion, but they managed it.
As luck would have it, someone from Durmstrang spread the word, and soon nearly half of their number was on the lakeshore, learning the spell from friends and casting it into the water to increase the ice sheet's size. Unexpectedly, the same happened with the students of Beauxbatons, who joined the ever-increasing group first out of curiosity, and then staying for the spell and the skating.
Fleur was among her school mates, quickly engaging in conversation with Viktor over what was happening. She joined Daphne and Harry later on, after she and her school mates managed to create their own ice sheet, even larger than the two other combined.
Harry had no problem with any of that. Both schools were staying in their own respective housing on the school grounds, and obviously they saw them and felt curious. That they decided to stay could be accepted, no problem, since they all learned the spell and created their own ice sheets to skate on. However, when a small group of fifth year duffers appeared and started to ask what was happening, it was only a matter of time before everyone in Hogwarts knew about it.
Lo and behold.
"How the hell did this happen?" Harry asked in bewilderment, sitting on the ground with Daphne leaning on him. She chuckled, noticing the amount of people from the three schools on the ice. From Hogwarts, she could recognize some older Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, as well as a couple of Gryffindors, who happened to be the house least represented in numbers. They were all mixed up among themselves, with no divisions of schools or houses. All had one thing in common.
They were having fun.
"I have no idea," she said, noticing Millie skating with Blaise, "However, it might have something to do with you sharing the spell with the Durmstrang students, who shared it with the Beauxbatons students. That left a lot of people who could teach the spell when the Hogwarts students arrived in full."
"Fine, it's my fault," he sighed, ignoring her amusement. "All I wanted was a nice date with you but nnnnooooo, something had to happen..."
Daphne smiled, feeling the warmth spreading to her face.
"Despite everything, it was great. I liked it very much," Daphne admitted, a little embarrassed. Harry smiled and kissed her cheek.
"At least there's that," he whispered. Daphne turned to him and kissed him fully on the lips.
"That was for a great afternoon. Not to mention getting me out of the girls' meeting." Harry chuckled.
"Glad to be of service," he mumbled, and Daphne smiled as their eyes met. "It might not be much, but happy Yule, Daph," he said, caressing her cheek, before giving her another kiss.
"Happy Yule, Harry," she replied, after the kiss.
"The best I've had in many years," he mumbled, and she smiled.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" shouted McGonagall as she marched towards them, followed by Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Madam Maxime, and Highmaster Karkaroff, her voice's volume increased magically. The fun stopped almost immediately as everyone turned to the source of the shout. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
"Having fun," shouted someone from the Hogwarts group.
"GET OFF OF THE ICE, RIGHT NOW! DON'T YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT CAN BE?" McGonagall shouted again, and everyone had to obey after she threatened to remove points. Of course, the threat didn't work with the foreign schools until their own headmasters threatened them with punishments in their own languages.
"WHO WAS IT THAT HAD THIS STUPID IDEA?" McGonagall asked when everyone had left the ice, leaving Flitwick to study how it had been done.
Everyone looked in the same direction, feeling the magic of a certain green-eyed teen flare. Harry didn't move from his place, still supporting Daphne who was glaring at the deputy headmistress, outraged.
"That would be me, Deputy Headmistress," replied Harry in a low tone.
"DETENTION!" McGonagall shouted in anger, and to her and everyone else's surprise, nearly all the students defended the young champion. Amid the commotion of students shouting, the three older champions looked to each other and stepped forward.
"Professor, with all due respect, while Harry did share the spell with all of us, it was us that decided to stay and have fun. We shared it among ourselves as well. To be fair, you'll have to give us all detention."
"Da, to us asvel." replied Viktor, his arms crossed, "It vas my group dat asked for spell first."
"Et nous," replied Fleur with a smile directed at Madame Maxime, "We joined in ze fun as well."
The teachers were surprised by the show of support towards the youngest champion, who was still sat in his place, curious at what was happening. Daphne was smirking.
"Before anything is decided, I do believe that for an amazing display of magic, everyone student should be awarded with at least ten points. The ice is strong, and I found several protections cast as well, no doubt to add safety. Well done everyone," the tiny professor beamed with a smile, confusing the professors, especially McGonagall.
"Filius, this is not the time..."
"I'm sorry, Minerva, but this is the perfect time," replied Filius, pretty much ignoring McGonagall and letting go his inner Ravenclaw. "I would like to offer the chance for extra credit to all those who cast charms as protection. Please, bring me an essay detailing what you did and how before the start of the next term." The commotion started again, but this time was softer and more amused.
"Potter, explain," ordered Snape.
"Me and the guys decided to give our girls a surprise. I knew the spell, I taught it to all of them and we made the ice together," he replied, looking at Snape, who by now knew better than try Legilimency on him.
"Viktor and his group came first and asked me to teach them, which I did. Then more people came from Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, and Hogwarts, and we shared the spell."
"And how did you learn the spell, whatever it was?" Sprout asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I read a book," was Harry's reply, and some people tried to hold a laugh.
"Very well, then. I am satisfied with your explanation," said Snape with a nod. "Ten points for a job well done. Maybe you're as much of a dunderhead as I thought."
The students from Hogwarts had seen some weird things over the years, but nothing could prepare them for such a moment. Severus Snape complimented Harry Potter?
Seeing her support gone, since even the headmasters from the foreign schools had become somewhat more accepting of the students' activities after Flitwick's report, the Scot sighed and turned back to the castle, mumbling something about needing a strong drink.
"Does that mean that we can continue using the ice?" asked Harry, noticing how everyone was looking at him.
"Of course you can. Once again, excellent job!" replied Flitwick, amused by the cheering from the students. While Snape and Karkaroff left the lake, Madame Maxime and Professor Sprout decided to stay a while and talk with their students and learn more about what happened.
"Mr. Potter, can I have a moment of your time?" asked Flitwick, approaching the teen wizard who was, whispering something to a grinning and amused Daphne Greengrass.
"Now?!" questioned Harry, letting escape some disappointment. Daphne shared the disappointment with a scowl, which their teacher saw.
"Not at all, I wouldn't want to keep you from your amusement and your friends. How about tomorrow after dinner?"
"Of course. Thank you, Professor," replied Harry. "Thank you for your help as well."
"It's my job, Mr. Potter. The moment I realized there was no danger whatsoever for the students, I was delighted to study what you students did and reward you all for it. The spell used was something from Ice Lore, wasn't it?"
"Glaciem Nulla," replied Harry, and Flitwick smiled.
"Ice Lore, ancient low-level spell," the Professor mused. "Still used today as a training spell for focus and control," Flitwick looked at the teen. "Nicely done, Mr. Potter."
"Professor, what did you mean when you said training spell?" asked a curious Daphne.
"It is a demanding spell, Ms. Greengrass," Flitwick explained, "One excellent way to master spells and develop our own magic is to..."
"Practice control and cast the spell as many times as necessary until you are able to do it almost unconsciously," she completed, and Flitwick blinked in surprise. Harry laughed, and Daphne smirked.
"I wouldn't put quite it like that, but sure, exactly. Five points to Slytherin," he beamed. "As I was saying, simple spells which are also demanding in terms of magic are often used as a training tool. This one in particular was adapted from much older magic by an ancient Roman wizard, who used the spell to teach his apprentices control."
"Interesting," she mumbled, and Flitwick smiled.
"I'll expect you tomorrow, Mr. Potter. May you both have a good afternoon."
"You too, Professor," replied Harry, as did Daphne.
"That was interesting," Daphne said, "Did you know that?"
"No," he replied with a shake of his head, "I just learned the spell and the theory. Not the story."
Daphne chuckled.
"Do you want to go back to skating?"
~BREAK~
Night had come and dinner had been an energetic affair. A lot of conversations were being shared among the students about their afternoon, accompanied by laughter and amusement. The fourth year Gryffindors had only made an appearance in the middle of the afternoon, and even then it was only Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who were curious enough, accompanied by Finnigan and Thomas.
The remainder of their number had stayed inside the castle. Granger had been seen in the library, and no one had seen Longbottom or a Weasley the entire day. If any of them regretted not experiencing the afternoon, they didn't show it at dinner after discovering what happened.
In fact, Ron Weasley had scoffed and even asked loudly why he would want to do such a stupid thing, earning him a glare from his sister, Granger, and any others near him. He then reverted to his usual spew about how all snakes were evil, and how Potter had tried to kill Dumbledore, especially once he realized his former friend was sitting in the Hall, as if nothing had happened.
For Harry it was perfect. He had a wonderful time with Daphne, she enjoyed the experience, and he got Daphne to outright admit she truly liked him. It wasn't an I love you, but it was close enough for now. He was nothing if not patient.
When dinner ended, they returned to the Slytherin common room and Harry stayed there for a while, hanging out on the couches with his friends and occasionally talking with some of the older students. Brian Carrick even cracked a joke when he asked him if he had Confunded Professor Snape, in light of the older man's recent actions. Harry's answer, a "No comment," accompanied by a huge smirk left more people wondering than laughing. They realized later he was joking.
Harry eventually found himself in the Chamber of Secrets once again.
"Master, the workshop is ready," Dobby declared, and Harry nodded. The elf vanished again, and Harry walked over to a desk with several carving tools and a bag. Opening the bag, he took out a silver chain for a necklace and three two-inch emeralds. After careful consideration, he picked one up and put it with the silver chain, while picking a three-inch frame for the emerald.
Using his wand and tools, he began carving runic patterns in the silver frame. It was a job that required attention, although not as much as if he was doing the carving by hand. An hour later, the runic pattern covered the frame. After some analysis, Harry considered it perfect and turned to the emerald. With a slice of his wand, the gem was cut in the back, making it ready to be fit to the setting. Once again Harry used his wand and his tools to carve runes on the surface of the emerald, taking only half an hour to finish the job.
He wasn't a master jeweler or anything. He had simply planned every step of the final product and knew by heart what to do. In fact, while he had never made a necklace as he was attempting to do now, he had used several runic patterns to enchant equipment in his old life, hence his experience.
With one strong spell, hissed in Parseltongue, the emerald was stuck to the frame setting, leaving no runes showing. A respectable job, indeed. Harry checked the final product, a silver necklace with a large emerald at its center.
Daphne's enchanted gift for Christmas.
With a soft tap of his wand, the emerald glowed a soft green, and Harry smiled as he felt the runes doing their job.
"You'll keep her safe, even if I can't," he whispered, placing the necklace in a grey jewelry case, leaving it open on the table while the runes were charging.
Harry sighed and sat at one of the chairs, filling a cup with Ogden's firewhisky, something he didn't do often. His mind retreated to years past, remembering the time he had spent with his wife, but no matter what he tried to think about, his mind would always bring up the same image...his Christmas torment, no doubt. It didn't help when he started remembering another set of memories, something he hated as much as the first set.
For too long, the Dark Lord Harry Potter had contemplated his actions, considering what to do should his plan work, how to maximize his victory... however, he was no fool and knew that some things would be forever lost to him, no matter how hard he tried.
He dropped a tear and hid his face in his hands in regret.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "so, so sorry."
For too long he wondered if his memories were a curse and a punishment for all his actions, or just his guilty conscience. For too long he suffered the weight of those memories, and like a clockwork, every year the memories assaulted him during Christmas. It was painful, but everyone who mattered knew the truth, why he retreated into loneliness during the holidays.
Anger slowly started to build in him, towards his enemies and himself.
"Why haven't I killed them, yet?" he wondered, before remembering his plan. He wanted to make them suffer as much as they made him suffer. His demeanour changed to a scowl, "Dobby!"
"Master?" asked Dobby, popping next to Harry.
"Get me some parchment and ink" he asked, and Dobby nodded.
"What for?" asked a confused Dobby.
"Something I should have done a long time ago," Harry replied ominously.
The following day during breakfast, Hogwarts Great Hall was filled. The ball would be the next day and students had permission to go to Hogsmeade. Harry, Daphne, and their friends were having breakfast, talking happily.
Then the owl post arrived.
It wasn't an unusual occurrence, therefore it was ignored by many.
That was, of course, until Alistair Pince checked the paper, as he did every morning.
First his eyes widened. Then he read the news and looked at Harry, completely shocked, who was unaware of the attention on him.
"Alistair, what's wrong?" asked Ursula Corwin, who sat in front of him, next to Eliza, who sat in front of Brian.
"Bloody hell," whispered Brian, checking his friend's paper.
"What?" asked Eliza, concerned.
Alistair gave them the paper, and much like the two boys, they were stunned by what they read.
Potter Breaks Centuries-Old Alliance With Longbottom
Longbottom Heir Denounced as an Oath Breaker and a Blood Traitor
An Open Letter by Lord Harry James Potter
Nearly a thousand years ago, the Potter-Longbottom alliance was created. An alliance not between friends, but family. It is no secret that both the Potter and the Longbottom families are branch families of an older Briton clan native to the Isles.
Throughout history, the two families, so much alike, stood together either in battle or in politics. It is no secret that Lord Franklin Longbottom fought at my father's and my godfather's side against the Dark Lord Voldemort.
As many are now aware, I was raised by muggles. Despicable people, really. I never knew anything about my family or my magic until I received my Hogwarts letter, no doubt unlike Heir Neville Longbottom, who, despite his parent's situation, was raised as the proper heir by his grandmother.
I have several questions, then.
Why didn't Heir Longbottom approach me in the first days of our first year?
Why hadn't Heir Longbottom told me about our families' alliance?
Why hasn't Heir Longbottom offered to assist me when I clearly needed help?
Why hasn't Heir Longbottom stood at my side when these past years I was accused and bad-mouthed?
Why didn't Heir Longbottom stand by my side when my name came out of the Goblet of Fire this past October?
Why didn't Heir Longbottom stand by my side when I was made a pariah by my own house in Hogwarts?
Why has Heir Longbottom contributed to making me a pariah?
Why did I need to claim my inheritance and my lordship (thanks to my forced participation in the Triwizard Tournament) to learn about these things?
I can understand why my godfather, Sirius Black, has been unable to help me, since he had been wrongfully imprisoned since the night Lord Voldemort was vanquished.
I can understand why my uncle Remus Lupin kept his distance, since he is a werewolf and was legally forced to stay away from me.
Why then, Neville Longbottom?
Honestly, I don't care at all about your reasons, cousin. What I do care about is that you can not to be trusted to keep the alliance between our two families. I don't trust you to have my back and I don't care about you enough to have yours. You betrayed the alliance made by our ancestors and turned your back on kin, hence you're an oath breaker and a blood traitor.
To some of the readers, I may sound like a petulant child throwing a tantrum because of not being given its pudding. Personally, I choose to see it as my revenge against the family who turned on me.
The Potter-Longbottom alliance is henceforth dissolved.
May the line of Longbottom crumble and end with Neville Longbottom.
Should I discover other alliances with other families whose heirs have left much to be desired, I shall act accordingly.
On a side note, I wish a Happy Yule to all magical people in the United Kingdom, including wizards and witches, squibs, goblins, centaurs, vampires, werewolves and so on.
With my best wishes,
Lord Harry James Potter
E.N: The Daily made inquiries with Gringotts and was able to confirm that Lord Potter's claims are valid. We at the Daily Prophet wish him the best.
The four seventh year students looked to the same person, the green-eyed wizard sitting next to the girl who was the Ice Queen to all but her friends. Then they looked to the other side of the Great Hall, seeing a shy pudgy boy who was eating his breakfast alongside Granger and the younger Weasleys.
"Shit is about to break loose," mumbled Alistair. Ursula was so shocked that she didn't even care to admonish him.
"How long do you think it will take for someone to tell Longbottom?" asked Eliza, noticing how some people were looking back and forth between at the papers and Longbottom.
"My guess?" replied Ursula, "The time it takes for his grandmother to come to Hogwarts and shout it to his face."
Brian Carrick turned to Harry and noticed him smirking at them, seeing the paper between them. Brian raised a goblet at Harry, and the teen nodded once in return.
"What game are you playing, Harry Potter?" asked Eliza, noticing the salute.
Harry Potter smirked, focusing on the conversation again. The girls were making plans for lunch at the Three Broomsticks.
The game was set, and he would win it.