Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the related characters, terms, or settings. All belong to J. K. Rowling and her publishers.
Note to everybody: Please review this story after you are finished. I'm very negative about myself, but I have to compliment myself on this one here; I like it. I wrote this because Fleur Delacour is among my favorite Harry Potter characters and because I like to write FanFictions with a different point of view. I hope you enjoy it!
Fleur Delacour Returns to Hogwarts/ Chapter 1
Fleur Delacour sighed deeply and boarded up the airplane shakily.
"Au Revoir Maman!" she called back to her mother without looking behind. She walked into the plane and found her seat.
Fleur was finally going back to Hogwarts again! She missed everything about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: the food, the grand halls and corridors, the chattery students, and definitely most of all-- Harry Potter. About three years ago Fleur had went to Hogwarts for almost a year to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Of course she ignored Harry and his stupid immature friends at first-- they were just so young and annoying! But when Harry had saved Gabriel, her youngest and most beloved sister, she became a bit more interested in Harry altogether. She had spied on him and his friends, read as much as she could about him, and then soon began to find that she, just like the million other mind-sick witches across the world, was falling in love with the all-famous Harry Potter.
Fleur and Harry were about two and a half years apart-- but no bother! Fleur really didn't give a care. Besides, Harry had always acted older and more mature than he actually was. Although Fleur wanted more than anything to fling her arms around Harry and kiss him when she first arrived at Hogwarts-- her heart fluttered at the mere thought of that-- she wouldn't be permitted to have any relations with Harry or any of the other boys because the whole reason she was going back to Hogwarts was to accept the Defense Against the Dark Arts job that Dumbledore was offering her. She didn't want to complain; At least she would have the joyous pleasure of seeing Harry again. Fleur sighed. It didn't matter anyhow; It was obvious that his stupid Muggle-born friend, Harmony Grangette--or something like that-- had her eyes on Harry, and Harry the same. Of course they may not like each other anymore… or at least Fleur hoped. She got heartsick with thinking about it. She 'woke' up out of her trance-like state and studied her surroundings.
On the side of her sat an elderly old woman dozing off and on the other side of her sat a rather handsome young man reading quite a large book. In front of her sat middle-aged woman with two arguing children.
"Mum!" the little girl squealed. "Georgie won't give me my dolly back!"
"Georgie, give Jewlianne her doll back!" the mother said sternly, while reading a recent issue of Good Housekeeping.
"Aww, she started it, she--"
"No I didn't! No I didn't!" the little girl ranted on.
"--stuck her tongue at me!" the boy finished while the girl stuck her tongue out, giggling, while chanting the same "No I didn't!" over and over. Fleur couldn't help suppressing a grin. She shook her head, smiling, and muttered, "Muggles."
"Hullo," the cute young man sitting next to her said.
"Er-- hello," she said in her obvious foreign accent.
"I'm glad I'm not the only Nonmuggle here," he said, smiling, "Beauxbatons?"
"Er-- yes," she said.
"You speak English very well," he said, not dropping his almost-too-friendly smile. "Um, enough small-talk. My name is Zachary Blue. You may call me Zach for short."
Fleur smiled. "Fleurina Delacour. And you may call me Fleur."
"Well thank you, Fleur," Zach said, "You know what?" He didn't wait for Fleur to answer and just went on. "I do think I've heard your name somewhere before. But I can't quite remember when or where."
Fleur shrugged. "Well, I was ze Triwizard Champion for Beauxbatons."
Zach snapped his fingers. "That's it then! I must have seen your name in the newspaper or something."
And for the rest of the airplane ride to England, Fleur had to put up with the non-stopping chatterbox that wouldn't shut up. It couldn't have come soon enough, but they finally arrived at the Jakobs Airport in England. Fleur got a taxi and hurried to King's Cross, as she was running a bit late. She took out a little piece of parchment that Albus Dumbledore had sent Fleur, including the directions on how to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
Fleur looked up. There was a Platform Nine, and a Platform Ten, but only a large stone barrier in between the two….no Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Was Fleur even at the right train station? Maybe it was Queen's Cross, or something like that.
"Zis iz not right," she muttered to herself, unfolding Professor Dumbledore's letter, searching for the part that explained ho to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.
In order to get to the Hogwarts Express, you must walk straight through the stone barrier in between Platforms Nine and Ten. If you feel scared or anxious, it is best to shut your eyes closed and to break into a run.
Fleur folded up the parchment and put it gently back into the side pocket of her metallic purse that was glittering cheerfully in the bright sunlight. It didn't seem possible-- the barrier looked so stone solid! Fleur most definitely was not going to break into a run. What if it didn't work and she knocked herself out unconscious and missed her only way to Hogwarts? She couldn't risk it; she wouldn't be able to see her Harry!
She took a deep breath and pushed her cart slowly and cautiously towards the stone barrier. Her anxious grip on the cart handles seemed to tighten as she neared closer to the barrier. Before she knew what was happening, she found her eyes squeezed closed and herself running right through the barrier-- she was going to run straight into it!-- but, for some odd reason, she just kept on running.
She opened her eyes and slowed down. A large sign above her indicated that she had made it to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. A grand scarlet stood in front of her. Fleur took out Dumbledore's letter once again.
Go to the front of the train and see the captain, he'll tell you where to go and what to do. Try not to be seen by any of the Hogwarts students because new teachers are traditionally always a surprise.
Fleur pushed her cart to the front of the train and opened the compartment door. "Excuse me, Meester? Are you ze captain?" she asked. The captain was a cheery old bloke. He grinned a toothy smile and helped Fleur load up her trunks on the Hogwarts Express. He directed her to the compartment reserved just for the teachers. Fleur opened up the door and let out a groan. Zachary Blue was in there. She sat down in a seat farthest away from him, but the non-stop rambling started once again.
"Oh! Terrific! You must be a teacher at Hogwarts, too!" he said loudly.
Don't remind me! She thought miserably to herself. And he just went on and on and never quite knew when to shut up. She really didn't want to be rude, but she had to get him to shut up before she had a nervous breakdown and ran down the train's corridor's screaming, "God help us all!"
"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude or anzeting, but I 'ave this aw-fille 'eadache and-- and can you just 'ush up, please?" Fleur pleaded.
He looked at her for a while and then just burst out laughing. "You don't have to get your knickers in a wad!" he said, still chuckling appreciatively to himself. And then he changed the subject to all the types of knickers and underwear that he had ever seen in a Muggle shop.
Fleur sighed heavily. She couldn't leave the train compartment she was in until they arrived at Hogwarts because the students shan't have a glimpse of her until after the Sorting Ceremony is over.
Suddenly, to Fleur's delight, there was a knock on the door and an elderly old lady pushing a cart full of sweets walked in. "Anything off the cart, dears?" she asked generously. Fleur's appetite was rather ruined by Zach, but Zach had bought so many sweets that she thought, or much rather hoped, that all his teeth would fall out.
"You don't speak much," Zach observed, while shoving a whole Chocolate Frog into his mouth.
"Hmm," Fleur said apprehensively.
Then he smiled. "Oh! Now I get it!"
"Pardon?" Fleur asked, confused.
"Est-ce que tu parles anglais?" he said slowly in French. That was the slowest Fleur had ever heard him speak. She laughed at his horrible accent.
"Oui, je parler anglais," she said. "You really are pathetic, aren't you? Actually, I never knew you spoke French."
"Je parler Francais!" Zach said. "But only a little bit. At least I got you to say something, even if I couldn't understand you too well."
"I thought," said Fleur, thoroughly confused, "That you spoke French?"
"Yes, well you speak so fast," Zach admitted.
"Well, now you know 'ow I feel when you speak to me vairy fast," Fleur said.
Zach blushed with embarrassment.
Later on when the train finally started to slow down, the captain opened the door. "Stay in here until all of the students have gone," he said, and then shut the door back again. The train stopped and Fleur could hear the sounds of the students screaming, laughing, talking, giggling and getting off the train. Fleur hadn't seen Harry since he was in his fourth year and now he was in his last year of schooling. She wondered how cute he was actually going to be now that he was at his full growth-- probably tall and muscular with the most dreamy eyes that not a single girl could withstand. Suddenly the corridors grew quiet. Fleur looked out of her window at the students clamoring into carriages to bring them to the school. She smiled and remembered when she arrived at Hogwarts with Madame Maxime, she had been traveling in a giant carriage with giant flying horses to match its size. The last carriage drove off and Fleur stood up. The captain opened their door and motioned for them to go. Fleur grabbed her luggage.
"No, no, no, Professor Delacour! Leave your trunks here! We will transport them to the castle," the captain said. Fleur shrugged and walked out of the train. Zach walked up to her and said, "Where do you suppose we go now?" Fleur shrugged and saw that there was only one carriage left. The captain walked out of the train and said, "You're supposed to go in that carriage, but you better hurry now!"
Fleur hesitated. The last thing Fleur wanted to do was to barricade herself in that carriage with Zach, but she managed anyway, thinking that the actual last thing was to be late for her lovely Harry. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him.
The ride to the castle wasn't very long but Fleur was oh-too-grateful to get out of that carriage away from Zach. He caught up with her and they walked up the marble steps together and pushed open the grand wooden door open. An older woman stood there and Fleur recognized her as Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress. Her stern lips split into a wide rare grin when she saw Fleur and Zach standing in the doorway, overshadowed by the greatness of the Hogwarts Castle.
"Welcome!" she cried, "Do come in." They followed Professor McGonagall through a beautiful corridor and into the recognizable Great Hall. The traditional Sorting ceremony was just over and Professor Dumbledore was speaking when they entered the Hall. Professor McGonagall gestured for the two to sit down in the two empty seats reserved for them at the High Table. Fleur was very nervous indeed; every one of the students in the Great Hall had their eyes set on her. She scanned the staring crowd for Harry's gorgeous face.
"I'd like to introduce two new members of the Hogwarts staff: Professor Blue, whom will be filling in the position of Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, while she's away for just a year." Dumbledore waited for the polite applause to quiet down.
"And I'd also like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Miss Professor Delacour," he said. Fleur was so busy scanning the crowd that she didn't notice she was getting the loudest applause yet.
Then Fleur spotted him. Her heart fluttered and her stomach turned funny on her. It wasn't really possible to say that harry was even cuter than the last time she saw him, because he was just so good-looking. But now he was almost, well, nonhuman-- like a male Veela. His brilliant green eyes stood out and Fleur wondered how she could have ever missed him in the crowd in the first place when she walked in.
Then their eyes met. Embarrassed, Fleur looked around at the other students. A lot of the boys were gazing at her like she was the prettiest girl they had ever seen. Though, it was actually kind of true because Fleur was part Veela. She was used to this kind of attention, but was thoroughly upset that guys couldn't appreciate her for her beauty on the inside, not the outside. Fleur thought she was a very sweet, sensible and mature girl and wished people would learn to like her for her personality traits and characteristics. The Fleur saw Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley, whom was majorly in love with Fleur, gaping at her. Fleur liked him a lot; he was a really sweet and funny boy and wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
After the feast was over, Professor McGonagall led Fleur to the teacher's dormitories on the fifth floor. Needless to say, it was quite a long walk.
"Fleur, dear, what's the matter?" Minerva asked her.
"Oh, I am in love wiz a boy ew can't love me back," Fleur said wearily.
Minerva looked at Fleur with eyes full of sympathy. "I know how you feel. My second year here, I, too, fell in love with one of the older students. So who is he?"
Fleur shrugged. She was just too embarrassed to say who he really was.
"I think I know who he is," Minerva said slyly, "Is he…hmm… say, Harry Potter?"
Fleur looked at her with almost a pleading look in her eyes.
" 'Ow do you know zis?" she asked.
" I saw the way you searched the crowd frantically for him and once you saw him you seemed more relaxed and had this dazed sort of look in your eyes saying simply, 'I'm in love!' "
To even her surprise, Fleur burst into tears.
Minerva put a comforting arm around Fleur and said, "You never know, he may actually love you back. Just give it a chance. It's a funny thing, love is."
Don't forget to review it! I have more chapters already written. And they're nice and long, too!