Chapter Fourteen
It started with the looks everyone gave Harry during breakfast. Then, Millie opened the Prophet and saw what was on the front page. To say that the fourth year students were stunned was an understatement, even if they kept their shock in check.
"You're a lord?" whispered Tracey.
Harry nodded with a smirk.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Daphne, and Harry turned to her.
"I am, believe me."
"Good," was her reply, turning to read the rest of the paper.
"You don't seem shocked to learn that your boyfriend is a lord," stated Millie, and Daphne smiled.
"I've known since he went to Gringotts to claim it," replied Daphne, chuckling at their friends' dazed looks. "Remember the day we started dating, when I was alone in Hogsmeade?"
"That's why..." mumbled Theo, "Damn, Harry. Any more surprises?"
"A couple," Harry replied, eating a piece of toast, "Nothing too bad for my friends, though."
"But this... this will have strong repercussions," replied Blaise, pointing to the paper.
"For whom?" was Harry's simple reply. For a moment, they looked at him as if he was mad. Then, slowly they started to chuckle, hiding their laughs.
They were distracted by Dobby, popping behind Harry.
"Master, a message from the wolf and the mutt," Dobby said and Harry raised an eyebrow. It was obvious what they could want.
"The wolf and the mutt?" asked Tracey, curious.
"Lord Black and Professor Lupin," replied Daphne while Harry opened the letter.
"As you know, Sirius is my godfather and Remus is my uncle. They were close friends with my parents and are closest thing I have to a proper family," explained Harry, opening the letter. "And they read the Prophet and want to meet with me at lunch today, in order for me to explain my actions. Too bad I already have plans."
"Tell them to meet you in Hogsmeade," suggested Daphne, reading the letter as well. "I don't think we mind. Besides, you can have lunch with them. It sounds important."
Harry shrugged.
"We'll see," he replied, starting to write a reply with a conjured parchment and calligraphy pen, courtesy of Dobby. He finished the reply after a couple of minutes and handed it to Dobby, who popped away once again.
"How would you like to walk to Hogsmeade instead of taking a carriage?" asked Harry out of nowhere, gaining his friends' attention.
"Walking? Why?" asked Pansy with a small scowl.
"Enjoying the sights. Having a stroll. Appreciate the cold air of morning," replied Harry.
"Freezing yourself, catching a cold, getting tired..." continued Blaise.
"Sure, why not?" replied Theo without any hint of sarcasm, receiving disbelieving looks from Tracey, Blaise, Millie, and Pansy. "What? It's not like we have anything better to do, do we?"
"Well..." added Millie, "It would be different, that's for sure."
"Besides, you're a wizard," said Daphne with a grin, "Be practical."
Harry laughed.
"Oh, fine, let's go," Blaise replied in exasperation, earning a smile from Millie. Tracey shrugged, which pretty much meant she was good either way, and Greg nodded. Vince agreed with a shrug, and Pansy sighed.
"Let's go, then," she replied, and the group rose from the table, talking and ignoring the looks the people in the Great Hall were giving them. They were at the door when there was a shriek from the Ravenclaw table. Turning in the direction of the sound, they saw a number of ravens surrounding something, no doubt a copy of the Prophet.
"I guess someone read the paper," mumbled Harry with a chuckle and a smirk.
"NEVILLE!" shouted the known and hated voice of the beaver. Those who turned in the direction of the sound were able to see her shaking the front page of the paper in front of Longbottom, who sat in front of her and next to Ron Weasley. Those paying attention could see him turning pale and trembling in fear, although the best moment was no doubt him fainting against the table, his face falling in his eggs.
"NEVILLE!" the beaver shouted again, her concern replaced by anger when the fourth year Slytherins started to laugh, as did some Ravenclaws. In Hufflepuff there were some nervous looks traded among themselves.
"HOW DARE YOU?" she shouted at Harry, who was chuckling, not noticing how everything went quiet when everyone noticed whom she was addressing. "HOW DARE YOU LIE AND HUMILIATE POOR NEVILLE LIKE THAT?"
"Shows what you know, mudblood," hissed Harry in a cold tone, making several people gasp. Luckily, there were no teachers in the Great Hall.
"What? How dare you?" cried Granger, preparing to go on a rant.
"Cry me a river, bitch," hissed Harry, his anger showing in his voice. "Or better yet, give me a reason to end the torture that is being forced to share this castle with the likes of you." Granger flinched, as did pretty much everyone.
"Hey, don't talk to her like that, you filthy snake!" shouted the Weasel, getting up from his seat next to Longbottom and standing next to his friend, his face reddening in anger. "You think you're so special, don't you, Potter? Well, guess what, YOU'RE NOT BETTER THAN ME!"
"Please, Weasel," Harry scoffed with a scowl, "It's common knowledge that everyone is better than you. You have bad manners, you're rude to your peers, you're lazy, loud, and greedy to the point that you actually believe you are entitled the world on a golden platter. Let's not forget you're as bad a bigot as Malfoy."
Harry chuckled as Weasley's eyes bulged as he continued to fume. Daphne and the Slytherins were surprised to see that many students were nodding at Harry's words. "Well, maybe Longbottom is worse than you, since he's a blood traitor and a near squib..." Harry seemed to think on it for a moment. "I guess I was wrong, you're better than someone. Congratulations, you're not as worthless as I thought."
"SLUGULUS ERUCTO!" shouted an enraged Weasley, his wand pointing at Harry. Lazily, Harry waved his hand, which already had his wand in it and the spell vanished in the air.
"Really, Weasel? Slug vomiting again? Don't you know any more spells?" Harry taunted him. Before the redheaded Gryffindor could say or do anything, his wand flew from his hand. When he attempted to say something, all that came from his mouth was a donkey's bray, making the whole Great Hall hysterically, after their initial surprise.
"Now now, Weasel, you don't need to be an ass," taunted Harry, making everyone laugh again. Even some of the Gryffindors were amused by the sight. Enraged, Ron charged Harry, only to be caught by a Freezing Charm from the Slytherin, making him fall on the ground.
"You changed!" Granger cried, attracting everyone's attention while Weasley became redder. Harry scoffed.
"Did I?" he asked with a glare, crossing his arms. "Please, do share with us your wisdom, oh smartest witch of our age," the sarcasm was clear for everyone.
"How can you even stand to look at yourself in the mirror when you act like that?" Granger shrieked in indignation. "This is nothing like you. You were kind and supportive of your friends, but now you're a bully, just like Malfoy, always walking around as if you own the place, as if we are all beneath you. You're even followed by your own sycophants, just like he is," Granger spat, managing to insult the fourth year Slytherins and earning their glares.
"What happened to the brave and caring boy that jumped on the back of the troll and stuck his wand up its nose to save me?" At Granger's words, everyone looked shocked, appalled, and confused as they stared at both her and Harry, who lost the smirk and was looking coldly at his former friend.
"What happened to the brave boy that killed a giant basilisk because it was threatening the whole school?" They gaped again and the Slytherin students shivered, remembering the memory they had seen just days before. "What happened to the boy that faced over one hundred dementors to save his wrongfully accused godfather?"
Before anyone could react, Harry clapped slowly and sarcastically, stopping after a few moments as everyone looked at him in expectation.
"He grew up after he was betrayed by those who were supposed to be his family, if I recall correctly. What was it that you all said? I clearly used Dark magic, because there was no way that I could pass through Dumbledore's wards. My behaviour was unbecoming of the house of Gryffindor and that I was banished because of my actions."
Harry's cold words brought him some glares from the house of the lions, while some others actually looked embarrassed. Not that he cared, as he demonstrated by turning his back on all of them.
"Then again, I was never a real Gryffindor, was I?" he asked with a scoff. "I have better things to do than talk to you," he said, noticing Daphne's amused smirk. "Much better things to do."
"I said I'm sorry," said Granger, tears showing, "I'm sorry. We're sorry. Why won't you forgive us?"
Harry stopped and scowled. Daphne saw his anger taking hold of him and for a moment, she was scared of what he might do. To her surprise, as well as everyone's else, he just laughed.
"After all you did?" he asked, his amusement slowly turning in to a cold gaze. He felt the mist in his eyes but took a hold of it just in time, focusing on his anger and his hate, "I will NEVER forgive you."
At that moment, Daphne knew that Harry was no longer speaking just about what had happened after Halloween. She realized Harry was speaking about his past, the future where he had lost everything. However, when her eyes met his, he smiled at her.
"You think you're better than everyone, Granger. You think you know best and that everyone else should listen to you because there's no way you could be wrong. You fancy yourself a leader, don't you?" Harry said with a smirk, noticing the newcomers at the Great Hall door that no one else had noticed yet, so focused they were on him and Granger.
"Longbottom was a fool to listen to your drivel. He chose to follow you instead of honouring his family honour and oaths. Look what he got for Christmas," said Harry, ignoring the shock around the Great Hall. "Could he be more pathetic, really? Never step up, never come to me and explain what I needed to know when I clearly lacked the knowledge, allow a muggleborn, a m-blood person to convince him, an heir of a noble house, how to act? Throw away centuries of friendship and brotherhood at the words of one person, without evidence?" Daphne realized something was up when Harry referred to Granger as a m-blood person instead of a mudblood, and so did the other Slytherins, who were enjoying the show. "Oh, right, he fainted on his own breakfast. I guess that's enough to answer my question."
The students laughed, and Granger looked embarrassed and insulted, with tears in her eyes. She just ran away from the Great Hall, and the moment they saw her pass the Great Hall doors, several students gasped. At the door stood McGonagall, who had her cold demeanour focused on Harry, and an even older woman, dressed in what seemed to be rich robes with a fur cloak and a very extravagant hat with a stuffed vulture, her face a mask that was threatening to break at any moment.
Every pureblood knew who the woman was.
If Augusta Longbottom's demeanour was any indication, Neville Longbottom was doomed.
"Lord Potter, I presume," the older woman said, before McGonagall could say anything.
"Yes. And you would be?" asked Harry a cold look, pretending not to know. Even if he didn't know the woman from his past life, the legendary hat was a giveaway.
"I am the Dowager Augusta Longbottom," the woman replied, her eyebrow rising imperceptibly. "I would like to arrange a meeting between our two houses, Lord Potter," the dowager said, and Harry just looked at her with a bored expression.
"So far, I'm currently booked until the next summer," Harry replied coldly and everyone close enough could see the woman's eyebrow flinch. "You may send an owl though, and maybe my house-elf will be able to schedule something suitable."
The purebloods widened their eyes in surprise. In other words, "You and your house are so undeserving of my time that I will instruct my house-elf to deal with you."
McGonagall stayed quiet throughout the proceedings, glaring at Harry, not that he cared.
"We lost enough time already," said Harry, walking to Daphne and offering her his arm. "Shall we take our leave, my dear lady?"
"I would be delighted, my Lord Potter," Daphne replied with a smirk. Ignoring everyone else, the couple left the Great Hall, unknowingly being followed by their friends in the same way.
"That was AMAZING," said Pansy when they were far enough from the Great Hall, making the others laugh.
"You knew the dowager was there, didn't you?" asked Daphne, and Harry nodded.
"I saw when McGonagall arrived with her. I couldn't lose a chance, could I?" replied Harry, and Daphne chuckled.
They walked through the Hogwarts grounds to the gates, joking, sharing the reactions of the students to Harry's words and the mudblood's revelations. None of them spoke again about Harry's reasons, trusting him. Besides, he was the Lord of House Potter. That was something far more interesting than talking about Longbottom being a failure.
"You don't look like a lord," said Theo with a smirk. "Don't expect me to kiss your ass just because of that."
"Thank Merlin for that," laughed Harry, as did all of them. For them, despite being a lord, Harry was still Harry. The guy that they had not liked for nearly three years despite knowing nothing about him, and who suddenly became one of them in the house of the snakes, where he always belonged.
They were close friends. At least Theo thought so, although he wouldn't share his opinions with anyone. Not even Tracey. Not for now, at least.
"I have a question," announced Millie as the group was leaving by the Hogwarts gate. "What could possess you to stick your wand up a troll's nose?"
Harry flinched as they all laughed.
"I was a little brat with one month of magical education," he replied with a huff that Daphne found cute.
"Still, very Gryffindorish," replied Tracey with a smirk. "And in a way, romantic."
To everyone's surprise, Daphne glared at Tracey and Harry gagged.
"Tracey, for my sanity's sake, as well as keeping my breakfast in my stomach, please, never insinuate THAT again," a disgusted Harry replied, clearly disturbed.
The glare from Daphne was enough to convince Tracey that she should shut up about that specific topic. Daphne wasn't amused at all.
"I didn't mean it like that," Tracey defended herself, "I only meant..." she wasn't able to say what she meant because she was hit by a snowball right in the face.
"Shut up," replied Daphne with a smirk, who had her wand in her hand.
Tracey blinked a couple of times, realizing what had happened and their friends chuckled.
"Oh, you're so on, Greengrass," Tracey replied, ducking and picking up a snowball and throwing it towards Daphne, who dodged it before using her wand to create a new ball and hurl it at Tracey.
"Hey, no magic," complained Tracey, ducking behind her boyfriend.
"Why not? It's funnier this way and my hands won't get cold," replied Daphne with a grin, throwing another ball.
"Hey, watch it," complained Theo after being hit by Daphne's snowball. He drew his own wand and retaliated against Daphne, who dodged the ball, which found Harry's nose instead.
"Well then, I guess this means war?" wondered Harry, drawing his own wand and slinging two balls at the same time in the direction of Tracey and Theo, in support of Daphne.
"Aw, Harry-poo is joining his Daphy?" taunted Tracey with an amused laugh, only to be forced to duck to avoid an assault from Daphne. No one noticed how Harry had frozen for a moment, before being brought back by a snowball hitting him.
"Do you think we should do something?" asked Blaise, seeing Daphne and Harry laughing while throwing snowballs at the other couple. His reply came with in the form of a snowball thrown by Tracey.
"Oi, what are you five doing just standing there? Join in the fun," Tracey demanded with a huge grin, only to see them look at each other in an agreement.
"Whoops," Tracey thought to herself, as Blaise, Millie, Pansy, Greg, and Vince all drew their wands and started to cast their own snowballs against the four of them.
"We're under attack from behind!" shouted an amused Theo, dodging one ball.
"Truce?" proposed Daphne, and with a nod, the four started to retaliate against the other five.
None of them noticed the several carriages passing by them with curious looks coming from the people inside, witnessing the nine Slytherins in the middle of a snowball fight. First of all, they were Slytherins, so they should be stoic and serious. Many were also wondering why on earth the smaller group of Potter, Greengrass, Davis, and Nott conjured a small wall between them and the other group. Was it meant to act as a defence against the relentless assault from the other group?
Not wanting to be outdone, the group of five made a wall themselves after some failed attempts to assault their friends behind the other wall, leading to a standoff after nearly thirty minutes of battle.
"So..." started Tracey, realizing that no one would be attacking anyone anytime soon. "Truce?"
"Truce," replied Millie and the two groups joined each other between the walls.
"That was fun," replied Millie with a grin.
"It was funnier before they made the wall. I didn't hit any of them after that," complained Pansy, making Tracey snort.
"Hey, there were five of you," was her reply and the nine laughed, casting Drying Charms on themselves to dry the snow. The sound of popping brought them from their distractions.
"Master, a message for you," Dobby said, extending Harry an envelope, "From the wolf and the mutt."
Harry quickly read the message.
"My uncles understand that I already have plans but would still like to meet with me at the Three Broomsticks around lunch hour."
"It's up to you," replied Daphne and Harry nodded, turning to Dobby.
"Tell them that I shall be in the Three Broomsticks for lunch and that I'll have friends with me," Harry said, and Dobby grinned.
"With a bit of luck, they'll try to embarrass you," Dobby replied, and Harry actually looked pensive.
"Tell them to be sure to act their age, as well," Harry said, earning a laugh from Dobby and confused looks from the others.
The group continued their walk to Hogsmeade, ignoring the looks some of the students gave them as they were passing by. Since they didn't need anything in particular for the ball or the upcoming term, their first stop was Honeydukes to stockpile on their sweets. After some time spent browsing and choosing what to get, they paid for their sweets and Harry summoned Dobby, who would take their bags to their dorms.
"Handy," commented Pansy, saying what they all thought.
"Has anything happened since we left?" asked Harry to the elf.
"After you left, Longbottom was awakened by his grandmother and dragged to an empty classroom, where she shouted that he had a lot to explain, ranted at him for a while and even gave him a good spanking," replied Dobby with a grin.
Harry chuckled, as did everyone else as they were imagining the scene.
"Then she told him that he would be going home with her for the rest of the holidays and would not be allowed to attend the ball tomorrow because of his behaviour. McGonagall tried to intervene on Longbottom's behalf, but his grandmother was unyielding. They left by floo ten minutes ago and the while the old bat wasn't happy, Longbottom's tears only made her angrier."
"The dowager must not have wanted to make a scene in front of everyone in Hogwarts," mused Millie, while they laughed.
"Take these to our dorms, Dobby," said Harry after some chuckles, noticing that it was time to get to the Three Broomsticks. The nine went together, and much to their surprise they found Lord Black and their former DADA professor in a booth, talking and drinking.
"We need to talk," said Sirius in his most serious demeanour as soon as he saw Harry, not noticing the other eight teens. The man had left the booth and hadn't even bothered to greet his godson. Not that Harry cared, since he could see the older man's concerns in his face. Sirius was able to hide it better than Remus, though.
"Good morning to you too, Sirius. And Remus, nice to see you as well," replied Harry sarcastically, making his godfather roll his eyes and Remus chuckle.
"Harry..." attempted Sirius, only to be stopped by Harry.
"What would you do in my place?" the boy asked, knowing very well what Sirius wanted and meant. Caught by surprise, the older man looked at his godson, noticing his cold and serious demeanour, allowing for no jokes. Sirius only sighed.
"You know, you remind me of your grandfather, and on some level, my grandfather and father as well. They were three ruthless bastards against their enemies, and never let slights against honour pass," Sirius mused. "To answer your question, I don't know what I would do, but I know what those two would probably do... they'd probably do something that would destroy the reputation of the name Longbottom. Both would do it in a flashy and definitive way, to make sure that everyone knew what had happened," Sirius sighed.
"Then can you blame me for doing what I should have done a long time ago?" asked Harry, and Sirius sighed again. The conversation was not going according to plan. He was supposed to make Harry understand the consequences of his actions, not end up agreeing wholeheartedly and reminiscing about the two men that influenced him the most in his life.
"Are you sure of this, cub? This will no doubt raise heat," asked Remus very seriously.
"Cub?" asked Pansy, voicing what they were all thinking. Harry smirked as the two men finally noticed the other eight Slytherins.
"Yeah, Uncle Remus is a werewolf, as you may remember from last year, thanks to our dear head of house," explained Harry, and they all looked a bit nervous at that. "Oh, come on, it's not like he can turn without a full moon."
"It's fine, Harry," replied Remus with a nervous chuckle, seeing his nephew defending him.
"No, it's not," sighed Daphne, extending her hand. "Hello, Professor. It's nice to see you again." Remus smiled and shook Daphne's hand.
"Very nice to meet you again, Ms. Greengrass. And please, I'm no longer your teacher."
"You were the best we had, though," she replied, and Sirius laughed while the others agreed with her.
"She's a keeper, alright," said Sirius with a huge and proud smile.
"I know, right?" replied Harry with a huge grin. "By the way, meet Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe."
"Ah, yes...I know some of your parents," replied Sirius with some ice in his voice, looking at each of the teens, making some of them look embarrassed. "However, if my godson trusts you, that's good enough for me," he finished with a grin, losing all the coldness, both confusing the teens and giving them hope.
"Sirius, stop scaring my friends, please. The dangerous criminal act ended with your exoneration, remember?" replied Harry, and Remus chuckled, making Sirius pout.
"You need to wind down, pup," Sirius replied, and Tracey mouthed pup to Daphne in a question, only to receive a shrug in reply. "Besides, it's Christmas, time for being jolly and all that. What are exactly your plans for the day?"
"Having lunch..." Harry replied. "It's not like we had a busy schedule."
Sirius laughed.
"I'm in for lunch," the older man replied. "We can even make it our Christmas lunch, and you're all invited as well," Sirius told the eight other teens, who looked surprised and somewhat confused. They had all heard stories of the infamous Sirius Black, but the real thing was nothing like what they had heard. He was much more easygoing and Gryffindorish...
"Sirius, maybe we should leave and let the kids have their day out..." tried Remus, hoping to help the teens...
"Oh, come on, Moony. Think about it. We can embarrass Harry by sharing his baby stories, meet his friends, and his girlfriend..." Sirius replied with a suggestive eyebrow wag. "Besides, the bill is on Harry, to celebrate his lordship," claimed Sirius.
"Wait a minute, what?" asked Harry in surprise.
"We have to celebrate, it's almost as important as becoming of age," continued Sirius, finding Harry's reaction very amusing.
"What about you?" the black-haired teen asked. "Your lordship, I mean. Shouldn't that be celebrated as well?"
"Oh, pup, we took care of that, no worries," Sirius gave them a rogue grin, "Today the party is all yours."
"You damn tightwad," complained Harry, making everyone laugh.
"Embarrassing stories, you said?" asked Tracey, stepping forward and looking amused. "My name is Tracey Davis, Lord Black, Professor Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a huge grin, "We should talk."
The lunch with the two older men was fun for the Slytherins.
Sirius and Remus told them stories of their times in Hogwarts, their own pranking days, and their adventures around the castle. Then, they shared baby Harry's stories, like the one where James bought a baby broom and Harry flew upside down, escaping all of them until he was caught by his mother, who gave them all a tongue lashing for putting her baby in risk. Then there was the one when Harry had the hiccups and was casting accidental magic with each hiccup, and even the one when Harry bawled desperately until James returned his son's nose to his face.
After a lot of laughs and a bit of incentive from Sirius and Remus, Tracey decided to share their own stories of Harry (AND Daphne!), and the group of nine teens and two adults laughed throughout the lunch, although two of the teens were somewhat embarrassed.
Sirius told them about his own experience in "Azkaban Resort," as he put it, mentioning the lousy room service, management, and the drafty rooms, and suggesting none of them stay there for any period of time. Had it not been for the obvious sarcasm or the time they spent together that afternoon, the teens would probably think the Lord Black was a bit crazy. Remus talked with Millie and Blaise about his life as a werewolf, and werewolf ingredients for potions. Daphne found herself entertained and Harry was actually pleasantly surprised, having heard several stories he had never heard before.
Neither of the two realized how Lord Black smiled when he saw them close, talking between only the two of them, or when Daphne shared an amused look at Harry. It reminded the older man of two other people...a very long time ago, before everything.
When they checked the time, it was almost four o'clock. The time really did fly. Saying their goodbyes, the teens went back to Hogwarts, laughing and talking among themselves, while the "grownups" decided to apparate back to their home.
Curiously, no one approached Harry regarding Longbottom, not even any of the teachers. In fact, apart from some shared looks and whispers, the subject wasn't spoken of in the Great Hall that evening. Except for the glares sent at him by a certain group of four redheads and a bushy brown-haired girl, nothing happened.
Not even Flitwick, in their scheduled meeting, mentioned Harry's open letter, instead focusing on debating the happenings of the previous day and some ancient spells that he knew. It wasn't hard for Harry to be focused on the conversation, even if he already knew Flitwick's stories from his past life. The small man had several qualities, among them being an outstanding duelist and an even better teacher, but above all else, a fantastic storyteller.
At the end of the day, all of them had their fun and managed to unwind for a bit. The following day would be Christmas and the ball...
~BREAK~
Christmas morning was an enjoyable experience for Harry; the best he had in decades.
It seemed that Harry's friends, not knowing what to offer him, decided to each give him a box of chocolates, as well as a combined gift of Quidditch supplies and broom maintenance equipment. The meaning was clear to Harry. Daphne actually looked embarrassed by her gift, especially when Harry gave her a book on healing magic.
"You already gave me what I wanted the most," he whispered in her ear, making her blush and smile before kissing him.
To his friends, Harry used what he knew of them from his past and the present to give them gifts based on their likes and their future occupations. To Millie, Harry gave a book on potions, knowing Millie was already focused on being a Potions Mistress. In the future, Blaise was the guy who somehow always managed to find anything and everything that was needed, especially the ingredients for his wife's potions. That was mostly thanks to his import/export business, something he started in Hogwarts in his sixth year, getting the younger years what they needed from Hogsmeade and taking a fee for it. Since it was too early for that, Harry dropped a hint to Blaise and gave him a book on Transfiguration, his favourite subject. He used no Compulsions but could see his friend thinking about it.
To Tracey, Harry gave a book on Charms, knowing that it was her favourite subject and that it was too early for anything related to being a prosecutor. To Theo, a book on Defence and an offer to practice together left the boy ecstatic. Pansy was fairly adept with Transfiguration, the reason she was given an advanced book on the subject. Maybe this time she would have a better chance. Vince, who liked creatures, even if he didn't show it outside of Care classes, was given a book on creatures. Greg, who was as good as Longbottom in Herbology, although few knew of this, got a book on exotic plants and how to take care of them. One step closer to becoming the herbologist he could become.
All of them enjoyed their gifts, and felt somewhat embarrassed by their gifts to Harry, not that he cared. He enjoyed them, nonetheless. Sirius and Remus had also sent him his gifts by Dobby: broom supplies, a photo album with pictures of James and Lilly Potter and baby Harry, books on the duties of young lords and etiquette, and what most certainly was a joke by Sirius, a book on puberty for young wizards. That had generated a couple of laughs.
"I still don't believe that they went to get ready at three o'clock," said Blaise, laying on his bed in his normal attire.
"Women," mumbled Theo, earning a chuckle from Harry, who took a chocolate from one of his many boxes, offering it around.
"I bet that when you see her, you won't be able to take your eyes off her," replied Vince, as he sat on his bed, reading his creatures book. "Just don't forget to compliment how good she looks."
Everyone looked at the boy.
"Anything you'd like to share, Vince?" Theo asked, confused by the boy's reply.
Vincent mumbled something.
"Say again?" asked Blaise.
"He read a book called Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches and will be trying to apply what he's learned," replied Greg from his own bed, munching on a chocolate.
Vince hid his face behind the book, ignoring the amused chuckles of the other boys.
"Good luck, man," replied Harry. "If I may give you some advice, just be honest with her. What about you, Greg?"
"I'm going to be there, but I'm letting Vince go first," Greg replied.
"Did you make a schedule, or something? I mean, two guys, one girl...sharing dances and time together..." asked Blaise.
"Yeah, something like that," replied Greg, and leaving it at that.
The other boys just looked at each other and shrugged. Better not to pry. Besides, they would discover soon enough.
"What time is it?" asked Theo.
"Nearly half past five," replied Blaise, "We still have one hour."
"Then we should start to get ready," said Harry, getting up from the bed.
"Are any of you nervous?" asked Blaise, receiving four yes-es in reply. "Good, I thought it was just me."
"Are you nervous because you have to open the ball?" Vince asked Harry, who was taking a towel and shower supplies from his trunk, which were left there earlier by Dobby.
"No, I'm more concerned about not screwing up Daph's evening than the ball," Harry replied, taking everything from the trunk. "I would like to say I want it to be perfect, but something always happens..." he mumbled. Theo laughed.
"You're whipped."
"Look who's talking," was Harry's reply, picking everything up from the bed. "Let's face it, we all are. We're not lesser men because of it. Now, I'm going to take a long shower and start to get ready." The boys shrugged, and one by one they started preparing to do the same. By a quarter past six, they were all ready.
Harry's formal robes were black with silver trim, just like he had agreed with Daphne, and he was wearing a silver shirt and a black bowtie. Looking himself over in the mirror, he thought he looked quite sharp. He combed his hair the best he could, but there was not much he could to with it. However, it was part of his charm, or at least that was what Daphne had told him. As long as it was good enough, she liked it.
Theo's robes were dark blue, closed at the chest, not showing the shirt under it. Much like Harry, he had a white bowtie and combed his hair properly. Feeling pleased with himself, he nodded at his reflection.
Blaise decided on black robes with purple trimmings, similar in style to Theo's, and a black bowtie. He was ready for the evening.
Vince wore green robes, open at the chest, revealing the white shirt under it and a green bowtie.
Greg's robes were also green, but unlike Vince's the robes were closed at the chest.
"Don't we look fancy?" asked Vince in an attempt to crack a joke. It worked and the five boys laughed.
"Dobby!" called Harry, and the house-elf they all knew appeared before Harry.
"Very sharp, Master. How can I be of service?"
"Well, thank you," replied with a grin, "One bottle of liquid courage and five glasses, if you will."
Dobby snapped his fingers and a small table with one bottle of firewhisky and five glasses appeared before them.
"Thank you, Dobby. Enjoy your evening."
"Thank you, Master. May yours be much better," Dobby said, popping away.
"Liquid Courage?" asked Theo, curious as Harry filled the glasses.
"Let's make a toast," Harry suggested, giving all of them a glass, "May our evening be perfect to us and our ladies."
"Cheers," they all said, taking a swig from the cups.
They went to the common room and saw many boys waiting for their dates. They actually saw Alistair leaving the common room with Ursula on his arm, as well as Brian taking Eliza.
They didn't have to wait for long for their dates, though. Millie and Pansy were the first to show up. Pansy was wearing a long-skirted green dress with no sleeves that matched Greg and Vince's robes. Her hair was curled, and she had applied a bit of makeup. She smiled and went to her two boys, beaming at them.
Millie looked nervous but chuckled when she saw Blaise's eyes widen.
"You look beautiful," he said, taking in the sight of HIS girlfriend in the purple dress that suited her in a very good way. Her hair was wavy, falling down her back, and the makeup somehow made her glow in Blaise's eyes. It was a sight he would never want to forget.
"I think I'm in love," Blaise thought to himself as he kissed Millie's hand in a very gentlemanly way.
Tracey was next, in a long, dark blue, sleeveless dress that showed off her arms. She had picked up her skirt and beamed at Theo, the locks of her short hairstyle covering the right side of her face.
"You look sharp," she beamed at Theo. "What do you think?"
"You look beautiful, just as I knew you would," Theo replied and Tracey beamed again, rewarding Theo with a kiss.
Daphne was the last. She was wearing a black, form fitting dress with no sleeves and silver trim around the chest and straps. She wore her hair in a long and curly hairstyle and had only a bit of makeup applied. Harry smiled as she approached him. He could see the nervousness in her movements.
"What do you think?" she asked softly when she approached him. He approached her and hugged her with one arm by the waist.
"I know you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he whispered to her, kissing her softly.
"Flatterer," she replied with a soft smile.
"There's one thing, though," Harry said, getting her full attention. "Dobby!"
Dobby popped next to Harry and bowed, handing him a rectangular box before popping away with a grin. Daphne didn't notice the elf's smirk since she was looking curiously at Harry, who had the box in his hand.
"This is for you, Daphne..." he said, giving her the box. Daphne took it nervously and opened it, only to gasp at the sight. Inside the box was a beautiful silver necklace with a large emerald set in a silver frame. Not only it was beautiful, but the gem seemed to glow softly with a green light.
"What do you think?" he asked her, "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe, taking the necklace from the box.
"May I?" asked Harry with a smile, helping Daphne to put on the necklace. "The necklace is imbued with some powerful enchantments that may be useful to you, but none so powerful that I needed to add blood. I enchanted it to your magic and your magic only. It will only work for you."
"What do you mean?" she wondered, only to be distracted by a squeal.
"Merlin, Daphne, what is that?" asked Pansy, noticing the necklace. All of them turned and looked at the couple, curious and surprised.
"Whaaaa?" asked Tracey, seeing the necklace.
Daphne smiled as Harry hugged her by the waist with one arm.
"How do I look?" Daphne asked Harry, after noticing the awed looks of their friends.
"Even more beautiful than before," replied Harry, drawing his wand from his sleeve and conjuring a mirror in front of them. "What do you think?"
Daphne didn't speak, her hand feeling the necklace around her neck, looking at her own reflection.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, "I love it. Thank you."
"Then you should wear it every day," Harry whispered in her ear, embracing her from behind and kissing her on the cheek. For a moment, he stayed like that, the both of them looking to their reflections in the conjured mirror, ignoring everyone in the room. For a moment, Daphne remembered the memory of their wedding, the one memory that had changed her life.
"Harry?" Daphne whispered.
"Yes?"
"Can you...not wear your glasses today?" she asked softly, "I know that it's part of..."
"Sure," he replied, not giving her time to finish her sentence. "If you don't want me to, then I won't."
Harry removed the glasses from his face and placed them in his pocket.
"Better?" he taunted, and she smiled.
"Just a little bit," she teased back, pleased.
"Uh, guys?" called Blaise, bringing the two teens from their own world, "Maybe we should get going?"
"Yes, we should," mumbled Harry, letting go of the hug and offering Daphne his arm. "Would my lady indulge my desires and allow me to escort her to the ballroom?"
"I believe I will, my lord," she replied with a smile, taking Harry's arm.
"Won't you need your glasses?" asked Millie, as confused as everyone else.
"Ah, Millie, because it's Christmas, I'll let you know a secret..." Harry grinned, having the attention of everyone. "I haven't needed my glasses for a while now."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at his revelation, while Harry laughed and Daphne just smiled.
"But... how?" asked Pansy, and Harry shrugged.
"Magic," he replied, "I can tell you later if you want. Shall we leave?" Harry asked, and their friends nodded, their surprise partially disappearing. Harry and Daphne left in the front, followed by Theo and Tracey, Blaise and Millie, and finally Pansy, on the arms of her two boys. They reached the entrance to the Great Hall and noticed McGonagall approaching them.
"Good evening, ladies, gentlemen," the older witch said, wearing conservative green dress robes and a red carnation on her chest. "Mr. Potter, you and your date's presence are needed in the room adjacent to the Great Hall, where the champions are waiting until the grand entrance. The rest of you, please join your fellow students in the Great Hall."
After some last words traded between them, their fellow Slytherins entered the Great Hall while Daphne and Harry joined the remaining champions in the adjacent room. Viktor was already there, as well as Fleur. Cedric Diggory was also there, accompanied by Cho Chang.
"Ah, 'Arry, Daphne," said Fleur with a smile, seeing the two entering the room, Harry opening the door for Daphne and letting her pass. The others looked up and recognized them.
"Good evening," said Harry with a smile.
"Velcome, Harry, Daphne," said Viktor with a pleasant smile, earning a nod and a smile from the green-eyed wizard. "We vere vaiting you."
"Not for long, I hope. What about your dates?" replied Harry, and Viktor chuckled.
"She's here," the Bulgarian replied, waving at a smiling Fleur.
"You look very 'andsome, 'Arry. Did you use a spell to drop ze glasses? Daphne, you look beautiful." Fleur complimented, earning a smile from the two teens.
"Thank you, Fleur. You look quite beautiful yourself," replied Daphne with a smile.
"Not as much as you, though," replied Harry, making Daphne elbow him softly in the ribs and Fleur and the others chuckle.
"Ah, 'e is a flirter. You are a very lucky girl, non?" asked Fleur with a smile, "Mon Dieu, Daphne, zat is a most beautiful necklace. Is it an 'eirloom?"
"Thank you," replied Daphne with a proud smile, "I don't really know, actually. Harry gave it to me just moments ago."
"My gift to my beautiful girlfriend," he added, noticing gasps and the wistful looks on the girls in the room.
"Cedric, Cho, very nice to see you as well," saluted Harry with a smile, receiving a pleasant nod in reply. Cedric was still a bit nervous about how to deal with the youngest champion.
"So tell us, how did this happen?" Harry asked, waving to Viktor and Fleur.
"I vas in library, doing work and thinking who to ask vhen Fleur showed up," the Bulgarian started.
"I was trying to have a moment of peace from ze many invitations to ze ball and ze many boys drooling," Fleur added with a sigh. "We spoke about our problems and asked each other zat day."
"I think you make a lovely couple," said Daphne with a bit of teasing. Fleur actually hid a blush.
"Nuzzing like zat, Daphne," she replied, missing Viktor's nervous look, "We are just 'ere as friends."
"If you say so..." replied Daphne with a smirk, noticing the looks the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw in the room were giving her. "Something wrong?"
"It's just curious..." replied Chang, "Being used to the Ice Queen and then suddenly, you show up."
"Today is a special occasion, Chang," Daphne replied, "I can be happy, can't I?"
"Of course you can," Harry replied, pulling her to a back hug, holding her in his arms much like he was before in the common room. Daphne smiled and let him embrace her from behind, feeling comfortable in the position. Fleur actually giggled and Viktor smirked, while Cedric and Cho just felt surprised.
That was how the judges found them some minutes later when they came to get them, talking of other things.
As Harry was the one with fewest points, he entered last, although everyone commented on the travesty that had been. Not that it mattered for the green-eyed teen wizard. He had the most beautiful girl in his arms and was about to spend the entire dance with her. Daphne almost blushed when she saw Harry looking at her.
"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, and he just smiled.
"No, for the first time in a long time, everything is perfect," he whispered before giving her a soft and quick kiss that made her smile.
They entered the Great Hall and noticed how different it looked decorated with Christmas themes. Snow was falling from the ceiling, disappearing before reaching the heads of the people in the hall, and the house tables had disappeared, replaced by several smaller circular tables. The occupants of the Great Hall stood at the sides of the corridor leading into the center of the room, clapping at the sight of the champions as they walked to the head table, where the headmasters of the three schools already stood, along with several teachers. They too were clapping.
There were also reporters in the room, the most noticeable being Rita Skeeter in her golden robes and beetle shaped glasses, standing near the dais where the head table sat with her cameraman in tow. The whispers were abundant, and Daphne managed to see their friends smiling and clapping, as well as their housemates, showing their full support.
For his part, Harry had the unfortunate luck of noticing Weasley between both Granger and his own sister, scowling at him and his date. Weaselette seemed to be beyond angry, if her redness and scowl was any indication.
The champions reached the dais, and several pictures were taken before they could take their seats for dinner. Harry sat on Daphne's left, between her and Cedric, while Daphne had Fleur at her side, next to Viktor. The headmasters were also at their table, as were McGonagall, Bagman, and Percy Weasley, who was replacing Crouch. When the commotion finally died down and everyone was seated, Dumbledore rose, asking for silence.
"In the spirit of cooperation and friendship, we welcome our champions, our guests, and each and every one of you to our celebration. May we all find merriment and enjoy ourselves on this special evening," the headmaster started, having the full attention of everyone, and not because of his purple robes that thankfully, were not an eyesore.
"As is tradition, the headmaster of the hosting school is supposed to speak some words at the beginning of the event." Dumbledore looked around, noticing everyone expecting his speech. "I hope mine have been enough."
Amused laughter filled the Great Hall.
"Let the feast begin!" said Dumbledore, waving his arms, the lights dimming and soft music starting to play in the background before being drowned out by the sound of several conversations taking place at the same time.
"Is 'e always like zis?" whispered Fleur, and Daphne actually chuckled.
"Most of the time. We are unable to tell if he's a genius or just a mad old man," the younger blonde replied, making the older blonde chuckle. The conversation took full swing then.
"You gave us quite a problem, Potter," said the Weasley at the table at one point during the dinner.
"Pardon?" asked Harry, all activity in the table stopped, its occupants now focusing on the two.
"When you killed the dragon, you caused us quite the expense," continued Weasley, looking at the younger wizard in his most accusing and pompous tone. "The Ministry had to pay huge fine to the Dragon Reserve because of your antics."
Harry dropped his cutlery softly on the table and looked at the redhead with a smirk.
"Really?"
"Oh, yes," the pompous git continued, not recognizing the taunt in Harry's voice. "Personally, I think you should have been penalized for killing the dragon. Better yet, you should be disqualified for such a blatant display of Dark magic... using Parseltongue in public, the Aurors should have been called at once and you should have been fined for endangering the audience."
"Well then, Mr. Weasley, with that kind of bias it is quite fortunate that you are not in a position of responsibility," Harry replied with a smile, his turn to ignore the shocked look in the git's face. "Also, I would like to take this moment to tell you how much I care about the Ministry's plight," Harry smiled. "Absolutely zero. It does not concern me a single bit. You see, as I was able to prove several weeks ago, I was forcefully entered in the tournament by an unknown party. I did not wish to enter, and I did not wish to participate. All that I wanted was to have a peaceful year for once. Of course, it would not come to be, and thanks to my dear former friends I was forced to reveal my true self well before I had planned," Harry explained, noticing that he now had the full attention of everyone at the table.
"Embracing my Slytherin side, I was able to discover the Dragons ahead of time and plan accordingly. Now, I had several plans to deal with the dragon, all based in our dear Professor Moody's suggestion to play to my strengths. One was to summon my broom and use my Seeker skills to catch the egg, and another was to simply make use of Parseltongue and attempt to communicate with the dragon."
"Dragons and snakes are both reptiles, so it could work. It is unfortunate that the dragon was so angry that she didn't even want to listen to me and immediately attacked me. I blame the handlers and their constant cursing of the dragon, distressing the poor beast and enraging it even further. Taken from their home, being displayed before hundreds of noisy humans, threatening its eggs... How would one of us react?" Harry wondered.
"Quite badly, I'd wager," replied Daphne with a smirk, enjoying each moment she was experiencing. She noticed how the redhead was now angry and nervous and knew that Harry would be ruthless.
"Quite so, my dear," was Harry's reply, smiling at Daphne. "However, you did raise a good point, Mr. Weasley. Safety. I do believe that everyone remembers how the dragon broke the chains and was able to come after me?" There were several nods. "I believe that I should take your advice and communicate to everyone in the audience that since they were all endangered thanks to the lack of safety provided, they should seek compensation from the Ministry. After all, it was the Ministry's responsibility to make sure that it would be safe for the audience. I wonder how much the Ministry would be forced to spend?"
Daphne smiled at the judges' alarmed expressions. Viktor, Cedric, and Cho laughed, while Fleur hid a chuckle behind her hand. Bagman actually attempted to babble something, but he was unable to say anything. Weasley had actually gone white as a sheet.
"Now, now, Harry, let's not be hasty," tried Dumbledore.
Harry ignored, him since Daphne had squeezed his hand, pulling away his attention. The two just smiled at each other, her pride clear in her eyes and smiling face.
"Well said," she told him with a smile.
"Oh, and Weasley?" said Harry, momentarily taking his eyes from his girlfriend's, "There are no rules on what magic can and cannot be used in the tournament," Harry said, glaring at the redhead, "So keep your stupid opinions to yourself, you worthless excuse for a wizard," Harry hissed in Parseltongue, making everyone become even paler at the sound. Only Daphne kept her composure, smirking at the scene.
"Behave, Harry," she admonished, and Harry just smiled.
"Of course, my dear," he said with a smile, "How are you enjoying your meal?"
"The food is good, and the entertainment is better," she replied, making Harry chuckle. "However, we have never spoken about what you actually told the dragon."
"Oh, the usual. I said hello, told her I wasn't a threat, and attempted to explain what was happening. She didn't take it very well."
"True. However, what did you say after she breathed fire on you? I remember you were quite angry."
"Oh," Harry chuckled, "I said I really didn't like her interrupting me when I was talking," Daphne chuckled.
"Try another stupid plan in the second task and I'll hurt you," she told him, not losing her sweet smile.
"I know," he replied softly. "Let this be a warning for you, headmasters, Mr. Bagman," Harry said in a strong voice, filled with power. "Should anything happen to the one I would miss the most, heads will roll." Both the organizers and the champions looked at Harry with wide eyes.
"Solved the clue, da?" asked Viktor and Harry nodded, returning to his meal.
"Is that a threat, Potter?" asked Weasley angrily.
"Yes, it is, Weasley, and it is Lord Potter to you," was Harry's reply.
For a moment, there was silence. Then Cedric laughed, as did Cho, Viktor, and Fleur. Daphne just glared at Bagman, letting him know very well what she thought of the coming task.
"You spoke of Seeker, da? Ve should play game," suggested Krum, changing the subject
t and looking at Cedric, "I vas told that Harry and you two vere Seekers in teams."
"I, for one, would enjoy the experience," replied Cedric while Chang nodded.
"Well, I'm not a Seeker anymore, since my house team already has a Seeker..." Daphne snorted. "Although if my friends' opinion is any indication, next year I will be trying out for the position against Malfoy."
"Vhat about you, mademoiselles? Do you play?" Viktor asked Fleur and Daphne.
"Not really," replied Daphne, "I'm not much of a flyer."
"We have to fix that," replied Harry with a grin, earning a small mocking glare from Daphne.
"I played a couple of times as a Chaser wiz my family," Fleur replied amusedly, "But I would like to see it 'appen, zat would be a bonding experience for ze schools."
"Speaking of bonding experiences," said Dumbledore, attracting everyone's attention. "I was informed of a most amazing activity two days ago, at the lake's shore. I was told that a large number of students were using spells to freeze the water for ice skating?"
"Oui, zat is right," replied Fleur with a smile.
"I was told that our Mr. Potter and the fourth year Slytherins were the ones who started it?" the headmaster asked again.
"Honestly, Headmaster, when you say it like that it sounds it was a bad thing," complained Harry and the teens all laughed, as did Dumbledore, while the other headmasters just remained impassive.
"Not at all, Mr. Potter, quite the opposite," Dumbledore replied, "Professor Flitwick told me his conclusions after analyzing the ice. I was quite pleased to learn that it was Hogwarts students that started the interaction. It was a shame that not all students joined the fun." McGonagall actually looked sour hearing Dumbledore's words but stopped herself from commenting. "However, I did hear about a snowball fight yesterday, on the way to Hogsmeade?"
"Ah... People know about that?" asked Harry, and Daphne actually blushed, since she was the one that started it.
"People saw it," said Cho, correcting the fourth year and giving her an amused laugh.
"Well, it was fun," replied Harry, and the champions and Dumbledore all chuckled.
"I guess it's time for the opening dance?" asked McGonagall a little later, noticing how they were on schedule. Everyone had finished their dinners by then. With a nod, Dumbledore rose and asked for everyone's attention.
"It is my pleasure to announce the beginning of the ball," the old wizard said. The plates disappeared from the tables and everyone clapped in approval. The lights dimmed and the music changed magically once again, becoming a waltz tune. The champions and their dates were applauded once again as they walked to the center of the hall.
"Nervous?" asked Harry, and Daphne shook her head.
"Not really. You?"
"All that matters to me is that you're in my arms. Nothing else."
Daphne smiled as the two took their positions. As the music started, the two started their steps. Daphne could sense the eyes of pretty much everyone on her and found that she really didn't care. She looked into Harry's eyes and saw the green focused on her. She smiled.
Slowly, other couples joined the three in the middle of the hall, not that Harry noticed, so focused he was on the beautiful blonde in his arms. Daphne smiled at Harry, who still had a smile on his lips. Harry never realized how people looked at the two of them or how they had already danced several songs in each other arms.
"Really Harry, stop looking at me like that," said Daphne as she twirled in Harry's arms.
"Why?" he asked with a chuckle, "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
"No, but you have a stupid grin on your face and it's embarrassing," she taunted with a chuckle and Harry smiled.
"I hate Christmas, you know?" asked Harry in a soft voice, having Daphne's full attention. "It beats Halloween in my hated days list by a lot. For decades, I brooded over the day, cried myself to exhaustion or drank to oblivion...with both my wand and the Resurrection Stone in reach," Harry admitted, noticing Daphne's interest and concern. "I gave myself three options. To kill myself, to summon the souls of those I loved the most, or just be a coward and do nothing." Daphne was alarmed by this but didn't show it, looking at Harry with concern.
"I had to be strong and ruthless, but I almost gave up on Christmas. For sixty years I have been a coward. I was afraid that you above all would reject me, for all I had done and what I failed to do. I couldn't take it if you died... and I didn't have the courage to kill myself, because I was afraid of not seeing you in the afterlife." Daphne saw tears forming in Harry's eyes. She became curious, though. What could he have done to fear her rejection so much? "Pathetic, aren't I?"
"No," she replied softly, caressing his cheek. "Don't say those things. You're a powerful wizard and a good man. You did well in not doing anything stupid." Harry chuckled, and for a moment Daphne was concerned.
"No, Daph, I'm not a good man," he replied, caressing her hand to his face. "I did things..."
"I don't care what you did," she replied with a glare. "You had your reasons to do them, I'm sure. You told me you killed people. You told me about the wars. You had to kill, hadn't you?" Harry nodded. "I trust you had a good reason for it?"
"Yes..." he whispered.
"Then why are you so concerned?" she asked, "If I don't mind, why do you think my older self would?"
Harry didn't reply, looking down. Daphne hugged him by the neck and kissed him on the lips, holding him tight, feeling comfortable and safe being held by him. So little time had passed since they had started dating and she was completely taken with him, she thought with a small grin.
"Stop being an idiot," she ordered, and he smiled. "You're here with me and you better enjoy it because I don't want to be with a brooder," Harry smiled and recovered his grin.
"I think I can give it a try," he replied, and she smiled.
"Let's take a break," said Daphne and Harry nodded. The two of them walked to the table where their friends had spent dinner and were currently having an amusing conversation.
"You were enjoying yourselves, weren't you?" asked Pansy with a grin, "Together, exploring each other's throats..."
"Ha ha," mocked a laughing Daphne, looking to her friend, "Yes, I was. Jealous?"
Pansy mocked scoffing, grinning at the blonde.
"Shouldn't you be enjoying yourselves as well, instead of just sitting here?" asked Harry, only to receive laughter in response. He raised an eyebrow.
"Harry, mate, have you been so focused on Daphne that you missed the fact that you've danced through seven songs? Or that we have danced a couple of those around the two of you?" laughed Blaise, and Harry looked to Daphne, who just smiled at him.
"Am I that distracting?" she asked Harry with half a smirk.
"Yes, you are..." he replied, making her chuckle, and their friends laughed, ignoring the fact that Flitwick was saying something from the stage.
"ALL RIGHT HOGWARTS, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME REAL MUSIC?" they heard, turning to the stage where several wizards were picking up their instruments.
"YES!" shrieked both Pansy and Millie, dragging Vince, Greg, and Blaise with them into the crowd starting to form in front of the stage.
"Damn, I knew Pansy was a fan of the Weird Sisters but Millie too?" wondered Tracey, laughing.
"I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want something?"
"Punch will do, thank you," Daphne replied and Harry left after a soft kiss on her cheek.
"What?" asked Theo, noticing Tracey was looking at him.
"I'm thirsty," she replied, and he sighed in relief.
"Damn it, woman, I thought I had done something... or not, I never know," Theo complained.
"Oh, do you have a guilty conscience, Theo?" Tracey asked with a mock glare.
"I'm going to get some punch," Theo replied, rolling his eyes and leaving a giggling Tracey at the table.
"I can see you're having fun," Daphne joked, and Tracey grinned.
"So are you. Tell me everything," Tracey demanded.
Daphne chuckled.
"Having fun?" asked a cold voice. The two girls turned and saw both Granger and the Weaselette, Granger in a blue periwinkle dress and Weaselette wearing a pale green dress with a red waistband, the two dorks glaring at Daphne.
"What do you want?" asked Daphne with her Ice Queen mask on, while Tracey just glared at the two.
"Aren't you rude?" replied Granger, "Ginny asked you a question."
"And I fail to understand how it is any of her business," Daphne replied, seeing the younger girl fuming.
"It's all your fault, you slimy snake," Weaselette shouted, unknowingly attracting the attention of four older students who hadn't joined the fans of the Weird Sisters dancing in the front of the stage. "I was supposed to come with Neville. If you and the rest of you filthy snakes hadn't filled Harry's head with lies against his friends, Neville would be here, and I could have danced with Harry because he wouldn't have left us!"
Daphne raised an eyebrow in surprise, although it could be shock and disgust. How stupid was the bint? Didn't she grow up?
"I'm not even going to bother answering that. Go away," replied Daphne, only angering the redheaded girl further. Granger, who was smirking or at least attempting to, noticed her friend's temper rising and actually used her brain.
"Let's go, Ginny. They're not worthy of our time," she said, attempting to sound superior. The two Slytherin girls just looked at each other before laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Weaselette shouted, getting redder, not noticing the surprised looks on the faces of those discreetly paying attention to them.
"You!" replied Tracey, covering her mouth.
"You're both pathetic," Daphne said without smile, only a cold glare. "You blame me, blame us for taking Harry from you? When are you going to grow up and admit that it was all your fault?" she asked, glaring at the two girls and slowly rising from her chair.
"However, I do need to thank you." That was a surprise to other the three girls, especially Tracey, and even more so when Daphne smiled. "Thanks to you betraying him, Harry became a part of our lives. My life. Thank you for being idiots and giving me an amazing and supportive man. Just imagine, all that I have now, Harry's caring and support, his teachings, access to the Chamber of Secrets and incredibly old magic, and simply being a part of his life and having him in mine...all that could have been yours," Daphne said in a soft tone with a smile, noticing the Weaselette's growing anger and Granger's shock. "So thank you. Now go away, we were having a conversation and you are both unwanted and unneeded."
Daphne sat back down in her the chair and noticed Tracey's grin, which was growing ear to ear.
"Do you love him?" Tracey asked with a giggle.
"It's too early to answer that," replied Daphne with a blush, her voice lowering in embarrassment, "but I think so." Tracey squealed in happiness.
"YOU BITCH!" shouted Weaselette, almost forgotten by the two Slytherins, drawing her wand from somewhere and pointing it at Daphne. The curse was yellow and directed at Daphne, who despite the warning just sat there with widened eyes. Daphne may have been able to dodge the curse thanks to her training over the past weeks, however, the green flash that surrounded her and subsequent formation of a long black shadow before her that swallowed the curse shocked her enough to keep her rooted to the spot, her eyes widening even further.
She was awakened out of her daze by the terrified cries of both Granger and Weaselette, Granger on the floor, attempting to crawl away from the massive snake, and Weaselette crying in both pain and terror, being twirled in circles with her wand arm stuck in the gigantic snake's jaw.
The ball stopped at that moment and terrified shouts were heard from everyone who saw the massive snake, nearly thirty feet long and almost a foot thick. Its scales were dark and sturdy, and it was violently tossing Weaselette around. Then, with a pull and several terrified cries, Weaselette was thrown away from it.
The snake rose to its full height and hissed threateningly, terrifying everyone even more, especially once they saw the remains of an arm falling from its mouth and blood dripping from its jaws.
"Z-Zael?" wondered Daphne, recognizing the massive snake in front of her.
"Daphne!" cried Tracey, grabbing her friend by the arm, failing to notice Ursula, Eliza, Alistair, and Brian at their side.
"What..." started Ursula, being stopped by a very loud and furious voice.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" the unmistaken voice of Harry Potter shouted, fading between Daphne and the snake, another shock for everyone. He turned to Daphne with a concerned look, noticing she was fine, if not a little shaken.
She, however, noticed the distress in him, being able to realize he was shaking in fury. He also showed it when he hugged her tightly.
"Daph... I thought I lost you again," he whispered, and Daphne felt his whole body trembling. She hugged him softly.
"Harry, I'm fine," she whispered in his ear, her voice shaking. He looked at her with pleading eyes and kissed her.
"GINNY!" shouted Granger, running to the redhead, who was still on the floor, apparently unconscious with a puddle of crimson growing under her. "SHE'S BLEEDING! MADAM POMFREY!"
Several spells were cast against the snake, only to be stopped by none other than Harry, who had broken the kiss and the hug, still holding Daphne to him.
"I ASKED WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!" he shouted again, alarming everyone, especially the staff who had their wands in their hands, most of all Dumbledore.
"Mr. Potter, what is the meaning of this?" demanded the ancient wizard, only to receive a glare filled with hate from the teen.
"KAEL!" shouted Harry, letting go of his girlfriend, much to his own displeasure, and drawing the snake's attention, "Protect your mistress!" The snake turned to Daphne and much to everyone's fright and awe, it coiled itself in a protective stance in front her, Tracey, Theo who had joined them, Eliza, Brian, Alistair, and Ursula. Harry stepped forward.
"Mr. Potter! I demand you to lower your wand now and stop with..." started McGonagall, outraged as she realized that the snake obeyed Harry.
"IT'S LORD POTTER TO YOU, DEPUTY!" Harry shouted back, his magic flaring around him as he realized what had happened. "It was the Weaselette, wasn't she? She attacked Daphne. She attacked my girlfriend AGAIN! That's the only reason why Kael would come out to protect her."
No one said a thing.
"Kael?" wondered Daphne in a whisper.
"Lord Potter, please, let us all calm down and..."
"YOU SON OF A MUDBLOOD WHORE!" shouted another redhead, none other than Percy Weasley, drawing his wand against Harry, "REDUCTO! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS! STUPEFY!"
Harry glared at the redhead and violently waved his own wand to the right. Weasley's spells changed trajectory and crashed against the opposite wall, and he barely had time to see the spell that hit him in the chest, making him cry out in pain as he was thrown several feet away.
"DAMN YOU, POTTER!" shouted the youngest Weasley male, casting a Reducto at Harry, who simply blocked it, and with a sneer cast a silent spell back at him. Metallic chains wrapped around Weasley and squeezed him, making him cry out in pain as he felt the pressure, and some of the nearby teens thought they heard sounds of bone cracking. The Weasley twins did nothing but glare at Harry, since they were next to Granger and Madam Pomfrey, who was working on the stump of their youngest sister's arm, both angry and disgusted by the sight.
"ENOUGH!" shouted Dumbledore, his magically enhanced voice achieving its purpose. "There will be no more fighting! Lord Potter, stand down."
"NO!" Harry replied defiantly, glaring at Dumbledore. "I am sick and tired of having to deal with that shit and her family attacking me, my girlfriend, or my friends. They will NOT take everything from me again!"
Hearing that, Daphne widened her eyes, fearing that Harry would spill his secrets.
"What does he mean?" asked Tracey, still terrified, hugging Theo.
"Put down your wand, Harry. Let us talk quietly," asked Dumbledore again, "We will have to call for the DMLE because of the Dark spells but I am sure..."
"Are you even listening to me, old man?" asked Harry, "I AM LORD POTTER and according to the law, I am within my rights to defend my family."
"Ms. Greengrass is not your family, Harry," tried Dumbledore.
"She's my girlfriend and she has my house's protection. That alone means she's as good as family to me," Harry replied.
"You could have killed Ms. Weasley!" replied McGonagall, both terrified and angry.
"I did nothing," replied Harry with a glare. "Kael was a gift I gave my girlfriend to make sure she was safe from attacks. As you can see, Kael does its job very well," Harry said, glaring at the headmaster. "That little blood traitor whore attacked my girlfriend, and it had to be a powerful spell for Kael to come out. How do you justify that?"
"I do not, however your own actions were dangerous..." started Dumbledore, only to be interrupted by Alistair.
"Just a damned moment, Headmaster," the older boy said, making everyone turn to him, especially Harry. "We saw everything, and I can assure you that neither Lord Potter nor Ms. Greengrass are to be blamed for what happened," said Alistair. "It was Granger and Weasley that came over here, and it was Weasley that cursed Ms. Greengrass first. Ms. Greengrass's initial reaction was shock, and because of that I have to conclude that she had no idea of what would happen."
"And let's not forget that Ms. Greengrass did not draw her wand at all. She chose to dodge the curse by herself, and she would have if that...snake hadn't appeared to protect her," concluded Eliza, with nods from Brian and Ursula.
"Still, the DMLE will be notified," replied Dumbledore.
"Yes, I am sure Ms. Greengrass will want to speak to the Aurors about this attack," replied Alistair, with a smirk. "Had it not been for Lord Potter's gift to Ms. Greengrass, who knows what could have happened."
"Don't even try to use that Dark magic nonsense against me," Harry said, "Kael is family magic and I am well within my rights to use it to protect whomever I want. Now, the Weasleys have a lot to answer for because of this attack."
Daphne looked at Harry defending her while she stood by, doing and saying nothing. She definitely didn't like it. Angry with herself, Daphne stepped forward. She wouldn't allow Harry to fight her own battles.
"You can tell that bitch if she wants to curse me so badly, she can do it in a witch's duel," announced Daphne in a cold tone, stunning everyone, even Harry. "No quarter given. I've had it with her, Granger, and the pig. It ends now."
Harry just looked at Daphne with a mix of respect and concern.
"I'll be Daphne's second, if she wants me," Harry stated without hesitation, earning a nod from the blonde girl and a thankful squeeze of the hand.
There was nothing Dumbledore could do. He knew the law, and since Harry was a lord he was indeed allowed to use family magic to protect his family and his vassals, and Ms. Greengrass's declaration had done nothing to ease his worries. He liked the Weasleys, they were good people, but were definitely blinded by their hate against everything Dark, or what they perceived to be Dark. He supposed he needed to have a long talk with Arthur Weasley, after attempting to defuse the situation.
"Minerva, call the DMLE, please," the older wizard asked, and the witch just nodded, both scared and angry.
The ball was ruined. Maybe something could still be salvaged.