A/N : Thanks those who reviewed. I hope you keep following along. Well without any further
Chapter Eight: And the Winner Is . . .
Tuesday morning breakfast was quite hectic. Everyone was debating who had one, why when and how, what they 'swore' McGonagal said, and why this thing for sure meant that. But they were not at all surprised when Dumbledore announced that there were six groups of winners. From a talented school like Hogwarts how could there only be one? And no one was either surprised when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were part of the winners. Breakfast continued in chaos as everyone decided whether or not it was fair. Then came mail. Hedwig came with a letter for Harry.
Dear Harry,
Dumbledore got my case to be reviewed. He told me you are one of the winners, so you may want to postpone your visit to the Tower of Power for three weeks when my trial is to go up. That week is also to be exciting for other reasons. The ministries of magic groups, excluding Fudge, are getting together to decide whether or not Fudge is capable of his position. There are to be many interesting stories uncovered. There is to be a lot of entertainment as well, because some international guests are coming to help decide as well, and Dumbledore said he can get only six tickets to the Tower that day. He said he'll let the other three groups go this weekend, and you Hermione and Ron will come then with your partners then. I am currently under watch 24 hours, but Dumbledore made sure they kept me out of Azkaban. They said they'll make an exception till the trial. Hoping to see you then.
Sirius
Harry shoved the note in front of Ron, who was celebrating with Liza over a cup of pumpkin juice. He showed it to Hermione and Liza and asked if they agreed. They all did.
"I'll go to Draco and ask him," Hermione offered.
"Gosh, Herm, you just saw him. I'll go. It's the perfect opportunity for me to make peace with him finally." Harry spun around and headed toward Cho. He showed her the note. She looked at him searchingly.
"You must be worried about Sirius, Harry. Of Course I agree on pushing it off. Besides that week must be real cool, if Dumbledore has to get tickets. I wonder what gruesome secrets will be spilled about Fudge." Cho smiled at him. "Did everyone else say okay?" She queried.
"I asked everyone except Malfoy, and they all said yeah. I am not looking forward to this at all."
"I'll go to him instead, "Cho offered.
"Thanks but no thanks. This is something that I must do myself. I have to talk to Malfoy anyway."
"Good Luck Green Eyes." Cho gave his shoulder a squeeze and Harry strode toward the Slytherin table. Already he could hear the Slytherins asking Malfoy about his hunt. Malfoy was trying to ignore them and kept on saying that he and the mud-blood fought the whole time. Harry felt a surge of pity for him. He loved Hermione, yet he would be able to talk to her in private only, because of the hatred of some people in the school. It was so unfair. If everyone would just be in harmony with all the others, you wouldn't have such problems. You wouldn't have people like Voldemort trying to get more power, because they would just be happy with who was in charge. Well, what would life be without some strife, and healthy tension? That was how everyone was created, and that's how it would stay. You could try to keep the fighting to a minimum, but that's about it.
"Er, . . . uh . . . Malfoy? Can I have a word with you?" Harry stammered looking apologetic.
"What is this Draco? Two days with that mud-blood, and you have Dumbledore's boy chasing after you for private conversations?" Pansy's voice was derisive.
"If it bothers you so much, I'll have you know that it concerns the reward for the winners," Harry spat back suddenly furious with compassion for Draco. "And even if it wasn't. He is allowed to speak to whomever he wants. It doesn't concern you, you nosy good for nothing. So butt out." Draco jumped up and followed Harry out.
"What is it Potter?"
"First of all, I now give you permission to please call me Harry when your not around your classmates. And I hope you won't mind if I call you Draco. Secondly, please read this letter and tell me if you agree." Draco read the letter slowly, and nodded in agreement.
"Sure Pott . . . Harry. And while we're here please accept my apologies for the way I treated you all these years. I'm really sorry."
"No harm done," Harry said pleasantly. "And You'll please accept mine." He nodded and they both turned and went their separate ways.
Double potions was today, and it was as unbearable as usual.
"Today we will be learning how to make a lucky potion. One swallow of this and something lucky you wanted to happen will happen right then. It is an illusion, and it does not predict the future. Granger! I will not have you squirming like that. Fifteen points from Gryffindor. And we will test the potion on you. WEASLEY!!! What do you think you're doing? Forget that Granger. We'll test . . . hmm . . . Potter's potion, on you Weasely." Harry rolled his eyes at Snape's turned back. Normally, he would have spaced out, but for Ron's sake, he listened well, and soon his potion was bubbling and shimmering to perfection.
"Okay, Weasely. Get up her and take a sip." Snape sneered at Ron. Ron swallowed the potion and suddenly everyone could hear the roar of a crowd and Lee Jordan's voice announcing, " . . . and Weasely, the new keeper of the Gryffindor team." The class looked awed as they saw an outline of Ron, soaring through the air, making a fabulous move. When the sounds and movements died out, they all cheered. Snape looked sour.
"Class dismissed." Harry suddenly turned to Snape, on the spur of the moment.
"Professor? May I speak with you for a moment?" Snape looked extremely curious. "Sure Potter." For a moment he didn't look half as evil as always.
"Professor, why did you vote for me to be a Quidditch captain? I mean, everyone knows you hate my guts." His face turned red, something he hadn't done in awhile, and he looked like he wanted to run out.
"I could, you know, take off 20 points for your cheek, Potter, but I'll spare you. I'm sure you didn't ask just to get points taken off." He turned slightly red, and continued. "All of the teachers had voted for you. Don't let this get to your head, but you are pretty good at Quidditch. And all the other professors would've had my head, if I hadn't voted for you."
Harry was about to turn away when something in Snape's eyes made him stop. He had a certain satisfied look in it, that made Harry think that he had just made up a story and was proud that it had been sold to 'Potter'. "Is that the truth Professor?" Harry didn't know what had contained him to do that, and where he picked up the audacity to say that.
"Well Harry," Snape suddenly said softly, using his first name for the first time ever. "The truth is, that I think you deserve it. Dumbledore gave me a special job, which I wasn't supposed to mention, but knowing the circumstances, I'm sure he won't mind. I always thought that you had your muggle family around you lovingly. Though they may oppose your magic, they still deep down, loved you very much. And I thought that you always did strut around, even at home, not having to put up with too much. Then came the last day of the year, and Dumbledore was very worried about you. So he asked someone to put a bird's eye spell on you, right after that thing happened with the Tri wizard campaign. He couldn't ask Black to watch you, because in case of trouble, he couldn't even go down to you. And because, my, uh job, wasn't demanding he asked me to keep an eye on you."
Harry's mouth opened and closed soundlessly till he finally managed to gasp out, "What is a bird's eye spell?"
"A bird's eye spell is a spell, that allows you to watch the person it was put on in a screen that can be enlarged, or reduced even to the size where it is just seen in your head in times of danger. It allows me to see the person at ALL times a day. No one else but the person who put the spell on him, which in your case was me, can see this screen." Snape smiled at Harry's look of horror.
"You mean, even when I went to the bathroom you were able to see me?"
"Yes, Potter. Don't look so horrified. When I saw you had some business to do, I made sure not to look. So anyways, I can also see anyone in the house you are staying in, as long as it isn't bigger than a certain measurement. So I saw you. I saw what you had to put up with. I saw how you still weren't rude or disgusting to them. They insulted your parents, abused you, and were cruel to anything that represented you. Yet you maintained a civil attitude. I was impressed Harry, I must say. And even after it was taken off, at King's Cross Station, I kept a lookout, and I noticed that you don't strut." Severus Snape's face turned red. "That's it Potter, now leave. And try not to repeat this to too many people. Hurry up, you're late to Herbology."
Harry hurried off to Greenhouse 1 in a state of shock. He smiled absent mindedly at Justin Fintch Fletchly and listened to Professor Sprout telling everyone to put on their gloves.
"Today we will be feeding the Violet Rays bottles of Honey. Violets are good for protecting your skin from the sun. They are different than other sun protectors, because they allow you to get tanned while not getting harmed." Her voice droned on and on. Harry sighed with relief as he let himself be sucked into the familiarity of a regular day. After what Snape had told him, and the kindness and admiration he had heard in his voice, that familiarity wasn't just a comfort. It was a necessity.
A/N R/R