A/N: have you heard that according to statistics Rowling became the richest British woman of 2002? And Queen Elizabeth is only the 11th richest in GB! Go, J. K. (and give us book five at last)!
Please, tell me May the Force be with you, because I'll have seven exams in the next two and half weeks! I really, really need the Force right now! :))
Warning: some material in this chapter comes close to R rating (though it doesn't reach it). I think it's rather funny, so perhaps you won't be mad at me. But you cannot say that I didn't warn you ;)
Chapter 10
Citius, altius, fortius
"Gilda!!!!!!" Gilderoy Lockhart ran panting towards the Flying grounds. "Gilda!" he shouted and closed his daughter into his arms, sobbing.
"Dad?" she disentangled herself from his embrace, clearly dumbfounded by her father's sudden emotional outburst.
"Are you all right?" he asked with a wavering voice.
"'Course I'm all right. Dan saved me."
"Dan?" professor Lockhart looked at the boy. "How? I only saw you from a window - I saw that branch sway beneath you and I started to run downstairs... how did you save my daughter?"
"I flew," Dan shrugged, just to be hugged by Gilderoy so tight that one of his ribs might have broken.
"If you saw Gilda from the window, why couldn't you just stop the branch from breaking?" Norbert asked the P.E. teacher.
"Well..." Gilderoy blushed. "I'm not that good in that kind of magic..."
Daniel stifled a chuckle – his father had told him how clumsy a wizard Mr. Lockhart was.
"And you, professor?" Norbert turned to Neville. "Couldn't you stop Gilda from falling?"
Professor Longbottom shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm not good at this kind of magic, either. On the other hand, not even Albus Dumbledore could have saved the young lady - I remember a Quidditch match in my third year when Harry Potter fell off his broomstick because of the dementors, and all Dumbledore could do was slow his fall down a bit... had young Potter here not acted, Ms. Lockhart would be with us no more."
"My hero!" Gilderoy exclaimed and lunged himself at Dan to hug him again, but his daughter stepped between the two of them - to Dan's utter relief. So, the father embraced his daughter once more, tears glinting in his eyes.
"He loves her, after all," Dan whispered to young Malfoy. "Just hid it well."
* * * * *
"Oh, here comes Dannikins, the ickle hero!" Kevin greeted Daniel as he joined the queue standing in front of the door of the Great Hall, waiting for lunch. "You must be very taken with yourself now."
"You are jealous," Norbert said calmly. "Jealous because you haven't saved anyone's life yet, while Dan has already saved four lives."
"Four?" Viv raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah - Gilda's and yours," young Malfoy pointed at Kevin and the twin girls.
"He hasn't saved our lives, but ruined it!" Valentine stamped her foot.
"Still angry about those 300 points, eh?" Norbert squinted at her. "I understand. It must suck to lose so many points. How many points does Gryffindor have right now? Minus 220? Slytherin has 120 already, and Daniel has earned twenty of those. You must be very unhappy that he's not in your house... but Gryffindor's loss is Slytherin's gain."
"Who's talking about losses? Just to inform you, Gryffindor is going to get back at Slytherin in a month - on the Quidditch pitch!" Viviane snapped.
"So sure about it?" Norbert smirked. "How could you expect to win with that pathetically feminine little team you have? Exactly how many girls are on your team? Five? And just two boys?" he laughed. "Prepare for a grim defeat, chicks."
"And may I ask why you are so sure that you'll win?" Kevin crossed his arms.
"Because Slytherin has good players. Five males and only two girls. I'm also on the team, just got selected to be Beater. So is Gilda... she's also playing Beater. Ehm, you remember how well she can beat, don't you? And of course we have Dan, too."
"Daniel?" the Weasleys gaped. "What are you playing, Dan? A new position maybe - Faller?"
"Seeker," young Potter replied calmly and entered the Great Hall as the doors opened. His friend followed him.
"And they are talking about Gryffindor's defeat!" Kevin snorted. "Daniel is afraid of flying... beating them will be a piece of cake."
"Don't be so complacent," Val frowned. "We've seen him save that girl - he was good. Damn good."
"Mere luck," Kevin shrugged. "And even if he was good, you two would still make his life a hell at the match, right, girls?"
"Aim at the twigs of his broom?" Viv pondered.
Kevin nodded. "That was how he fell off Uncle Harry's old Firebolt six years ago. It was an accident then - it will be deliberate at the match."
* * * * *
"I'm very proud of you, son," Harry told Daniel that afternoon in his study. "You have overcome your fear and saved Gilda's life. That was a very brave thing. You have found your way into Gilderoy's heart - he hasn't stopped praising you all day. I guess you'll have to prepare to put up with his enthusiastic ways of showing gratitude."
"Great," the boy grimaced. "That will provide another reason for the Weasleys to taunt me. They have already told me their opinion: that I must be very complacent about my 'heroism', but they'd still wipe Slytherin off the Quidditch pitch, no matter that I'd be playing..."
"What?" Harry cut in. "You'll be playing Quidditch?"
"Yeah. Seeker," Dan shrugged. "Like father like son."
"This is... quite a surprise."
"But not a good one, as I see," the boy remarked. Harry's expression really didn't look too happy.
"Don't get me wrong, Daniel," his father said. "I'm happy for you... being selected Seeker is a great achievement, and I wish you good luck with it, but..."
"...you'll be rooting for Gryffindor. That's what you wanted to say, right?"
"Not exactly," Harry shook his head. "As a teacher I must be impartial. So I can't be rooting for either Gryffindor or Slytherin. On the other hand... both teams contain one of my children and I wouldn't hurt Lily by rooting for Slytherin, or you, by rooting for Gryffindor."
"Oh, I haven't even realised yet that I'd not only be playing against the Weasleys but also against my sister. This sucks..."
"Do you feel ready to play against her?"
"I feel ready to play against Kevin and the twins," Dan replied defiantly. "They were my reason to join the team, after all."
Harry gave his son a disapproving look. "So you did it out of anger, to avenge yourself... Anger is a bad adviser, Daniel, don't forget that."
"I won't. I've got to go now, dad. Detention's awaiting."
As the door closed behind the boy, Harry heaved a deep sigh. Dumbledore had been right when he said that Dan would find his place in his house. He had truly become a Slytherin.
* * * * *
Harry had an appointment with Ginny that afternoon – they wanted to have a look at the houses that were up for sale.
So, Harry walked into Hogsmeade and headed for their meeting place, The Three Broomsticks. On his way he saw Mrs. Figg taking her dozen kitties out for a walk, Draco Malfoy ushering a pair of mad goblins out of his bank, and Cho whom he greeted politely but coldly.
"At last, Mr. Potter!" Ginny rose from her chair and gave him a quick kiss.
"Hello, dear. How are you? And that little tyke in there?" he patted her belly gently.
"I'm sure he's doing fine," she smiled, sipping a bit of butterbeer.
"Aren't you supposed to avoid drinking alcohol?" Harry worried.
"Dear... you know this barely contains any alcohol."
"It's still dangerous for house-elves, and a baby is even tinier than an elf, and..."
"Harry..." Ginny laughed. "You're being overprotective again. Don't get me wrong," she reached out to caress his cheek, "I think it's endearing, but... a bit annoying. You kept worrying throughout my pregnancies… with the exception of my first..."
"Do you want me to move to Egypt?" Harry smiled sadly. He had happened to be in Egypt and India when Ginny was expecting their first child. He had been amnesiac back then, not remembering his fiancée, his friends, not even his identity. He hadn't been there when Ginny had had morning sicknesses and mood-swings... he hadn't been able to be there for her when she was giving birth... When Ginny got pregnant again – and again – and again, Harry had decided to make up for the time he missed when she was expecting Lily.
"No way," she shook her head. "I said it was annoying to see you worrying when I was pregnant with Dan, the triplets and Lea, but it was still much better than waiting for news from you, not knowing where you were... it was hell for me, Harry," she took hold of his hand and squeezed it. "You may be protective, Love, just promise me that you won't overdo it."
"I promise, Mrs. Potter. Shall we go?"
They left the pub to have a look at a house fifty feet from Honeydukes – it would have been the most favourable, given how close it was to the shop, however Ginny didn't like it.
"It's too sullen-looking, Harry. Not the right place to raise children in."
The second house for sale proved to be too small for a big family, but the third managed to meet their expectations – and not just meet them, but even surpass them.
The building was painted a cheerful yellow with a pretty thatched roof. There were seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, a hall, a dining room, a kitchen, a huge cellar and a small, built-in swimming pool in it. From outside it didn't look half this big – Harry suspected that some expanding spells had been cast on it. The neighbour to the left had a very similar-looking house, but Ginny stated that it wasn't as pretty as this one.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, the current owners, gave the Potters the grand tour in the garden as well.
It was not exactly the house, but its garden that Ginny found captivating: there was a big treeless place for playing Quidditch, a little arbour for resting and a small lake with frogs and lilypads.
"Shall we bring some gnomes as well?" Harry asked, thinking the same as his wife: that the garden reminded them much of that of the Burrow.
She smiled and pulled his head down to herself to give him a lingering kiss. "We'll be so happy here, dear."
"Yes, we will. I just feel a bit sorry for Sirius... he is going to stay in Black Manor, alone... Do you think we could talk him into moving here with us?"
"We might try."
Before Harry returned to the school and Ginny to Black Manor, they paid Ron a visit at his home. They found Hermione there as well – she spent about half of her time in the castle, the other half with her husband and son.
"Uncle Harry!" Rupert, the youngest child of Ron and Hermione ran up to him to give him a hug.
"Hey, young man!" he ruffled the boy's chestnut brown hair.
Harry was happy to spend the evening with his best friends – it had been a while since they had been together like this for the last time.
"So, you are buying the Sanders house?" Ron asked.
"Very likely."
"I'd think it over if I were you."
"Why?"
"Because constantly quarrelling with your neighbours is the worst thing imaginable," Ron replied.
"What do you mean?" Ginny furrowed her brow.
"Your neighbour is going to be none other than..."
"...than?"
"Malfoy."
"Draco?" the Potter couple gasped.
"Yeah," Hermione nodded. "I don't know, but it might be the reason for the Sanders to get rid of the house... Sorry if this news destroyed your plans..."
"Oh, how pity, I liked that house so much!" Ginny sighed.
"And you'll continue liking it, dear!" Harry snapped. "We won't give our plans up just because that git is the neighbour!"
"But... he could make our lives a hell, Harry!" Ginny reasoned.
"If he does, we'll do the same," he replied with a small smile.
Ginny didn't understand what kind of reason he had for smiling. "What is so funny?"
"Just imagine, Gin," Harry said, "Malfoy having us... especially the triplets as neighbours!"
Ron started to chortle and even Hermione allowed herself a smile.
"I'd – never – let – my – children – go – near – Malfoy!" Ginny replied angrily.
"Maybe you wouldn't, but I would," Harry grinned. "And God help him then!"
"It's nice to see that you're back to normal, mate," Ron smiled. "Hermione told me you've been quite under the weather lately."
"I was, and I still am," Harry shrugged, "but there's nothing I can do, so why brood, eh?"
"It's about your son, isn't it?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Harry replied, his expression changing to more serious. "He has not only been sorted into Slytherin, but also fallen out with his cousins."
"Because of the house points," his friend nodded. "Hermione told me everything."
"And may I ask why I didn't know about this?" Ginny crossed her arms.
"I... didn't want to worry you with it, honey," Harry replied. "Not in your condition..."
"What condition?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"No need to ask," Ron smirked. "Just look at the way they are blushing."
"Ginny!" her sister-in-law clasped her hands. "This is wonderful! Congratulations! To you too, Harry!"
"Thanks," the Potters smiled.
"Did you plan it, or...?" Ron inquired.
"Not exactly," Harry shook his head.
"It broke, then," Ron perceived and burst into laughter, seeing his sister and best friend turn even pinker.
"What broke?" came a voice from the door that stood ajar.
"Rupert! Go up into your room! It's not nice to eavesdrop on your parents!" Hermione scolded her son.
"All right," Rupert sighed and left.
"Back to our children," Ginny said, "What was this thing about the points?"
Harry filled her in.
"...and Daniel is playing Quidditch just to take revenge?" she shook her head in disbelief. "It's so not like him!"
"Exactly. It's like Slytherin," Harry sighed.
"I can't believe... my son, turning into a..."
"No, Ginny," Hermione spoke up. "Not only your son – my daughters as well. Kevin, too. And they are Gryffindors, still behaving like Slytherins," she heaved a deep sigh. "Let's hope that their antagonism won't last long."
"How could we make them reconcile?" Ginny pondered.
"We'll think of something," her sister-in-law gave her a reassuring smile. "You just don't worry, Gin."
"Speaking of Malfoy," Harry tried to change the topic, "I saw him kicking two goblins out of his bank."
"Oh, that's daily business for him. The goblins are coming to him, demanding that he closes his bank, because Malfoy & Malfoy is giving Gringotts quite a competition. Allegedly, yesterday one of them tried to kill him," Ron said with a wide grin.
"...and this will be the beginning of another goblin revolution... goblins versus Draco Malfoy," Harry commented. "One day we might read a Daily Prophet headline 'Malfoy & Malfoy exploded by goblins'."
"Don't even joke about something like this, Harry," Ginny said. "It's such a beautiful building, I'd feel sorry for it if it got ruined. By the way, that other building opposite the bank also looks good. A fast food restaurant, or what?"
"Yeah. Cho's McRice," her husband replied with a grunt.
"Cho? She's back?"
"Uh-huh."
"What is this sour expression, mate?" Ron smirked. "You used to like her, didn't you?"
"No."
"C'mon, Harry, don't pretend she wasn't the first girl to give you an erection!"
"Ron!" both Harry and Hermione gave him a scolding look.
"What is an erection?" came Rupert's voice from behind the door.
"I have told you to go to bed!" his mother jumped up and took the child by the hand, heading upstairs.
"So, what is it, mum?" the boy asked. "Tell me, pleeeease!"
"It's something you'll get to know in time. Good night." To make sure that Rupert wouldn't overhear any more naughty details, Hermione magically locked his door.
"Mummy, I want to know!" came the child's voice through the locked door.
With a small smile on her face, Hermione went downstairs and entered the living room again to see a furious Ginny.
"Why, Harry?" she hissed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why should he have, sis?" Ron asked. "It was just a dream – all teenage boys have such dreams of a girl and many of them marry another girl later. Take Seamus for example – he dreamt about Alicia first and married Lavender. Dean dreamt about Fleur, and..."
"...and who did you dream about?" Hermione cut in.
"Only you, sweetheart," Ron blushed a bit.
"Glad to hear."
"Gin, it was just a dream, I have already forgotten it," Harry said with a pleading stare, then turned to Ron. "Really, how did you know about my first...?"
Ron turned even pinker. "I saw you. In our fourth year. You were still asleep, but kept muttering things..."
"Don't go into details, please," Harry shook his head, embarrassed, but laughing. "Let's forget Cho. The only woman I love and ever loved is Ginny," he knew this was a bit of a lie, but he didn't care. He wouldn't let Cho or her memory stand between him and his wife. Never.
* * * * *
Daniel, after having returned to the Slytherin common room from his daily detention, got a message from Snape, delivered by Norbert. Snape wanted to talk to him in an hour in his dungeon study.
Dan wondered what his head of house could have wanted from him.
When he reached Snape's study, he heard voices coming out of it: Snape's and Mr. Bradley's.
When had these two become so inseparable? – he thought and peeked into the room. The two men were standing with their backs turned on the door, facing a blackboard. The Potions Master was writing some difficult-looking formula on it, while verbally analysing it to his companion.
Mr. Bradley shook his head and started explaining something Snape must have misunderstood, because he looked quite perplexed as far as Daniel could tell, seeing only his back and occasionally his profile.
The caretaker took the chalk out of Snape's hand, wiped out a number from the blackboard and replaced it with another, then placed the chalk back into the professor's hand.
Daniel couldn't really put a finger on it, but something must have happened between those two, because as Bert touched Severus' hand, giving him the chalk back, they both stiffened, as though an electric shock had coursed through them. For a second they seemed petrified, then Snape hastily stepped backwards. "All right, I understand it now, Mr. Bradley. It seems you can also teach me a bit of Chemistry."
"Yes, professor. Good that our subjects complete each other so perfectly."
"Complete... each other... perfectly," Severus nodded. "Well, thank you for the lecture."
"You're welcome," Bert smiled and headed for the door.
"Mr. Bradley?" the Potions professor called after him.
"Yes?"
"I have never asked before: what makes a brilliant mind such as yours decide to come to Hogwarts and clean the floor? Someone like you should be sitting at Oxford."
"Let me not answer this question just now, professor. When the time comes, I'll tell you everything, I promise."
Daniel had moved away from the door when Bradley first wanted to leave, so the caretaker didn't get the impression of him eavesdropping.
"Oh, hello, Daniel," he smiled. "Are you waiting for Professor Snape?"
"Yes. He wanted to see me."
"Well, then, see you."
Daniel knocked on the half-open door to shake Severus out of his reveries – Snape had been standing in front of the blackboard, gazing at the chalk Bradley had given him. When he heard the knock, he shuddered and looked up.
"Ah, Potter."
"You wanted to talk to me, sir."
"Yes," Snape nodded, his dreamy expression vanished, replaced by his usual 'I'm-disgusted-whenever-I-see-a-Potter-expression'. "Professor Longbottom informed me that you had been chosen Seeker."
"Yes, sir."
Severus stepped closer to him and looked into his eyes in a way that made Daniel screw up all his courage not to turn and run away.
"I want to see results from you."
"Results, sir?" Dan blinked, although he understood quite well what Snape meant.
"Put it this way, Potter: win the game against Gryffindor, or..."
"...or?" no sooner had this little word left Daniel's mouth than he had regretted it.
"You don't want to know, Potter," Snape growled. "Believe me, you don't want to know."
"I understand, professor," the boy nodded. "I'll do everything in my power to beat the Gryffindors. I have no bigger desire."
"Glad to hear, Potter, glad to hear. Slytherin hasn't won the Quidditch cup for seven years now."
"It will, this year," Daniel said, not feeling half as optimist as he sounded.
"I don't want promises, Potter – I want results."
*Just like in an Old Spice commercial.* Dan thought, but nodded.
"Train well, and show the Gryffindors in a month," Severus squinted on a calendar hanging on the wall. "Exactly in a month. Results, Potter!"
* * * * *
Daniel was tossing and turning in his sleep, hearing professor Snape's voice bellowing at him 'Results, Potter!' while he was falling off his broomstick at the middle of a Quidditch match. He was falling, falling, then suddenly someone caught him and held him – two firm, still gentle arms encircled his body, and he turned around to see that the person who had caught him was Gilda Lockhart. She was smiling sweetly, her arms holding him tight, maybe too tight – her hands touching parts of his body that made him feel ticklish even through his Quidditch robes... no, it didn't exactly tickle, it rather sent shudders down his spine and warmth to...
Dan sat upright, breathing heavily. He reached out of the curtain of his four-poster, put on his glasses and almost let out a terrified yelp.
Harry's slumber was also fitful – he had some kind of a headache that kept torturing him even in his sleep. It happened so that the worse your sleep was, the weirder dreams you had. It was not the first time Harry was having this particular dream – it was a returning one with letters dancing in it, arranging themselves into words, but whenever he tried to remember what those letters and words were, he could never recall them. Sometimes a woman's scream tore at his dream – the woman was suffering for some reason he did not know, and then there was a green flash of light and Harry woke up, panting, his whole body drenched in sweat.
He started to get annoyed by his returning dream and was grateful to be awoken by someone knocking on his door.
The visitor was his son. He let him in.
"What are you doing up so early? It's just half past six," Harry yawned, sitting back on his bed.
"I had a dream, dad," Dan said, looking very pale, as if he had been sick.
"You too? Hm, there must be something wrong with the Moon or I don't know... I also had a dream and I didn't like it."
"I bet it wasn't as bad as mine," the boy replied.
"Why? What was yours about?"
"I almost died in it," the boy replied, "then I got saved..."
"Got saved? It couldn't be such a terrible dream, then," his father pointed out.
"No, it's not that... it's that I got saved by Gilda, and she was..."
Harry got worried, seeing that his son suddenly turned from chalk white to ruby red. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, but ten minutes ago I wasn't," Dan shook his head. "Because she was... um, pressing so close to me and... and then I awoke feeling something weird..."
"What?"
"I... didn't know at first..." Dan gulped. "It was so scary, dad, I thought I had been seriously sick, and maybe I was, I even contemplated going to Madame Pomfrey, but then I thought it would be so... embarrassing..."
"Dan, I have no idea what you are rambling about," his father cut in. "What scared you?"
The boy's face was now the same colour as the setting sun. "That sticky white stuff, dad."
"Sticky white... oh!" Harry's eyes widened, then he started to laugh, falling back onto his pillows, pressing his hands on his stomach because it started to hurt, laughing so hard. "Oh, Daniel!"
"This isn't funny, dad! I might be dying and you're laughing your head off!" the boy looked downright hurt.
"Dying?" Harry wiped the tears of laughter. "On the contrary, son – you've just started to live... really live. You've become a man."
"A man? I still don't understand," Dan frowned.
His father took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, son, this is my fault. I should have told you about this long ago, I just didn't think it'd happen this soon... I was two years older than you when it first happened to me..." a dreamy expression fell over his face. "I dreamt about Cho Chang."
"Chang? Is she related to Liu Chang, by any chance?"
"Yeah, Cho is Liu's mother."
Daniel gasped. Was this Cho the same Cho his father had been talking to in Honeydukes? It had to be, after all... Harry had told this Cho that he had felt something for her, so he could have dreamed about her as well...
It was still confusing for Daniel, but he didn't want to ask more about that woman, fearing that he'd give himself away and his father would get to know that he had been eavesdropping on him and Cho. "So... I'm not dying, dad? I'm not sick at all?"
"C'mere," Harry beckoned his son to sit down on the bed next to him. "And now, we are going to have a real father and son discussion..."
Half an hour later Dan left Harry's room, his head spinning with all the new information on male adolescence. He had known a couple of things about sex beforehand (e.g. the 'plug goes into the socket'), but there were lots of things that he had been unaware of – like wet dreams, that Harry had told him about now. Dan left Harry's room feeling a lot cleverer, but somehow he had the impression that his father still hadn't told him everything… And there was one question that Harry surely wouldn't have been able to answer: why Gilda? He didn't even like her that way... he liked Liu. Gilda was a good friend, but he rather thought of her as a buddy than a 'girl'.
With a sigh he headed down into his dorm, hoping that he wouldn't have to talk to Gilda in the near future – or he'd surely die of embarrassment.
All through Potions Daniel couldn't keep his mind off his early morning 'event', although he sat as far from Gilda as possible. Strangely, Snape didn't seem to be as nasty to him as at his first Potions lesson.
It was also unbelievable for Dan that he had spent only a week at the school – so many things had happened in this short period of time that sometimes he felt as if he had arrived at Hogwarts several months ago.
His cousins kept sending him withering glances, but it didn't bother him.
At Charms, he had serious difficulties with a simple heating charm and froze the glass of water he was supposed to heat. Kevin and the twins were derisively laughing at him, but not even that bothered him now – whenever he heard a mocking laugh, he thought of Liu to get into a bit better mood – but this time his mood didn't improve a bit when he realised that thinking of Liu made him get into the same state he had been in the morning. "Oh, shit!" he murmured.
"What?" Norbert asked, flicking his wand at his glass, making the water boil at once.
"I've got to... er, Professor Potter?" Dan put up his hand after having arranged his robes to hide his lower parts.
"Yes?" Harry asked.
"I don't feel well, professor. May I go out into the bathroom?"
His father nodded, looking worried, but his expression changed at once when he saw that his son was holding the hem of his robes in a rather peculiar way. He hid a grin and continued lecturing the children about the counter-charm to the previous one: the cooling charm (not the same as the Flame-Freezing charm, but a much simpler version).
As Daniel left the classroom, he heard Kevin chortling: "Does ickle Danniekins have to pee?", but he didn't care at all.
One minute later he slammed the door of the nearest loo shut and was just about to begin what Harry had so willingly explained to him in the morning, when he got the strange feeling of being watched. He turned around to see a ghost hovering behind him, eyeing him in a curious way.
"Myrtle!" he gasped. "What are you doing here? This is a men's bathroom and you're a girl!"
"You also came into the girl's bathroom and you're a boy... or a man, as I see," she added with a giggle, her gaze focused on the area under Dan's waist. "A bit early developed, aren't you?"
"No, I'm just one year older than my classmates because I was born a squib and got powers the year after my birth and came to school a year late... and I have no idea why I'm having this conversation with you," Dan growled with a suffering expression – the pressure in his pants started to become unbearable.
"Maybe because you know that I'm interested. May I watch?"
"Hell, no!" he shouted angrily. "Now I know how you could have witnessed Lily's conception. You are spying on people all the time, aren't you?"
"No!" she cried. "I only watched your father, honestly! He was the only person I liked to spy on!"
"Oh. And why are you spying on me now?" Dan frowned.
"Because you are so much like him!" she sighed.
"Oh, no," the boy groaned, both with pain an annoyance. "You're in love with my dad."
"I used to be... but now he's a grown man and I'm still a teenage girl... so I thought I could use you as a Harry-substitute..." she shrugged.
"A Harry-substitute?" Dan laughed sarcastically. "Get the hell out of here!"
"Okay, I'm leaving now!" she snapped. "But don't expect me to give up on you, because I won't!" with that she vanished.
The boy heaved a deep sigh and pulled on his zipper, thinking that if this was what being a man meant, he'd gladly give it up.
* * * * *
Daniel spent the following month with trying not to think of any girls at all. It still didn't help him too much – to his great annoyance he kept having wet dreams. He was not only miffed about them, but he also felt that something was amiss with him. According to Harry the reactions of his body were totally normal for a teenage boy, but Daniel didn't want to tell his father that there was something else, too. He couldn't really put a finger on it, but ever since the day he became a 'man', he felt something strange – as though he had been filled with a mystical energy... still this energy didn't make him be more skilful at Charms and Transfiguration, neither did it help him feel fit after exhausting P.E. lessons and Quidditch training sessions. He felt this energy a burden – something that didn't help him with anything, just wanted to burst out of him, suffocating him with its presence. This couldn't be just his hormones, could it?
With every passing day he felt more and more full of this mysterious and disturbing energy, but he had no idea how to give it out of himself. At first he thought it had to be his hormones and he could easily get rid of his excess energies by 'playing with himself', but no, it did not help. This was nothing to do with his adolescence.
While he had been eager to get near Liu Chang at his first Astronomy class, he tried to be as far from her as possible later. She even asked him whether he wasn't interested in Uranus anymore and he blushed furiously... since he had realised that 'Uranus' and 'your anus' sounded very similar, and that he was more than interested in her... oh, no.
So, from that time he was avoiding Liu.
He had a much more difficult time avoiding Gilda Lockhart, since she not only insisted on sitting near him at every class, but also played Quidditch and he had to endure her presence three times a week during training as well.
The training sessions were going all right, under the leadership of the sixth year Slytherin Quidditch captain, Ted Avery, who was giving the team quite a workout. Daniel was downright grateful to him for making them work so hard, because after tiring training sessions he never had unwanted dreams and embarrassing awakenings.
Ted Avery was playing Keeper on the team, the Chasers were Lavinia Flint, Patrick Parkinson (Pansy's second-cousin) and a boy called Walter Wimple (a relative of Gilbert Wimple of the Committee on Experimental Charms). Parkinson and Wimple were fourth-years and knew each other well enough to be able to cooperate brilliantly. Lavinia Flint, who had joined them only this year, seemed to be able to adapt to them easily, so the captain wasn't worrying too much about his Chasers. He also seemed to find the two Beaters – Norbert and Gilda – rather promising, and it was almost always Daniel who got all the dressing-down from Ted, most of the time for no reason. Dan put this down to the importance of his position – Avery surely wanted him to train as hard as possible, since the outcome of the match depended on the Seeker. On the other hand, Dan had the impression that Avery didn't really welcome him on the team – maybe because he was a Potter, thus inadequate for being a Slytherin.
However, Dan didn't mind the rough treatment he got from the captain – at least it kept his mind off his other problems. All he had to do was concentrate on the Snitch and imagine the furious face of Kevin when he caught it before him.
Strangely, as the days and weeks passed, his thirst for taking revenge on his cousins got dampened a bit and he wasn't dying to beat the Gryffindors so much anymore. Once he mentioned this to Norbert, who was beside himself with fury and immediately reminded Dan of his cousins' nasty behaviour. Somehow Dan had the feeling that Norbert was pouring oil on the fire by encouraging him to take revenge, but he couldn't really find it in his heart to be mad at his cousins so long. Sure, they had been rather mean to him, but he just wasn't the vindictive type. Weeks earlier he felt a great thirst to defeat them, but now this thirst turned into a thirst to prove himself being a good Seeker, but not exactly to 'wipe' the Gryffindors off the pitch. He felt ashamed both for having felt such animosity towards his cousins, and for not feeling too devoted to the Slytherin team, either.
Although most of his Slytherin classmates seemed to have accepted him, he still didn't feel too happy in his house. Maybe he would never feel happy there...
* * * * *
Meanwhile, the Gryffindors were training just as hard for the upcoming match as the Slytherins. Their captain, Olivia Ollivander, was playing Chaser along with Lily Potter and Circe Diggory. Viviane and Valentine Weasley got the positions of the Beaters, and there were only two boys on the team: the Keeper Christopher Wood and the Seeker Kevin Weasley.
On the day of the match, Olivia was giving the usual pep talk to her team: "We know that the Slytherins have better brooms than we do," Indeed, Slytherin had Rocket 6000 broomsticks, while Gryffindor had Thunderstorm 4500s. "We know that they have more males on their team than we do, but we don't care. We'll show them that girls can be just as good at Quidditch as boys! Of course this does not concern you," she gave a smile to Kevin and Chris. "So, the Slytherins have great advantages over us, but we will still win this game, won't we?"
"Oh, of course, Olivia!" the other six players cheered.
"Especially if you two manage to knock Dan off his broom as planned," Kevin whispered to the twins, who nodded. They didn't notice that Lily was listening to them...
* * * * *
"The day has come, Potter. Results," Professor Snape told Daniel that morning over breakfast.
"Certainly, sir," the boy nodded, trying not to show his nervousness, although he was trembling from head to toe.
"Think of the rude things Kevin and the girls told you," Norbert said. "Remember what they called you: filthy Slytherin, and a weakling... they laughed at you every time you failed in a charm and wanted to see you fall off your broom..."
"Okay, Norbert, enough!" Dan snapped. "I remember all of these!"
"Then you know what you have to do," his friend grinned. "Show 'em, Dan!"
"Don't worry, I will!" young Potter jumped up from his chair to bump into his sister. "What is it, Lily?"
"I have to talk to you, Dan," she said hastily, looking very pale.
"Sorry, I'm busy."
"But this is important!" she protested.
"Sod off, Gryffindor, don't you see that he's not interested?" young Malfoy growled at her and grabbed Dan's arm, dragging him out of the Great Hall.
"What if she really wanted to tell me something important?"
"She just wanted to unnerve you right before the match, mate," Norbert said. "Calm down, we're starting in half an hour."
Daniel gulped. Half an hour? He had barely been able to swallow a pumpkin pasty, and now even that single pasty wanted to come back. "I'm sick..." he mumbled and ran off to the toilet.
"Watching you wanking was more fun than watching you spewing," a voice spoke up as he washed his face a couple of minutes later.
"Beat it, Myrtle," Dan sighed. He had got used to the ghost following him around, but still found her terribly annoying.
"Hey, don't get mad at me," she smiled. "I just wanted to wish you good luck."
"Did you?" he raised an eyebrow. "I never thought you'd be rooting for Slytherin."
"I'm not rooting for Slytherin, I'm rooting for you. Good luck, Daniel."
"Thanks. I'll need it."
* * * * *
"It has finally come – the season's first Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Slytherin!" came the commentator David Dursley's voice through the magical microphone. "The two teams are lining up on the pitch, Gryffindor led by captain Ollivander, Slytherin led by captain Avery! This year three new players joined the ranks of the Gryffindor team, and we can greet four new ones among the Slytherins!"
Daniel thought that David didn't seem to be partial at all, which was strange since he had heard about Lee Jordan calling the Slytherins all names imaginable. Was David's impartial behaviour to be put down to his friendship to Daniel? Maybe he didn't want to hurt his cousin by degrading Slytherin. That was nice of him...
All the spectators had taken place on the stands, waving red and green flags and cheering. Harry was sitting somewhere on the imaginary dividing line between the supporters of Gryffindor and Slytherin – this way showing that he didn't belong to either team's supporters.
Dan caught his father's eyes and was somehow relieved by the soundless message Harry's expression sent him. There were many things in it: encouragement, soothing and a plea... a plea for what? To play fair? Or to forgive his father for not waving green flags? Dan understood Harry a hundred percent: he'd never root for Slytherin, but he'd never want Slytherin's downfall either, given that it would mean his son's downfall as well.
Daniel felt a bit sorry for his father – it couldn't be easy for him to watch a game in which his two oldest children would be playing against each other.
"All right, Daniel?" Gilda asked, shaking him out of his reveries.
"Yeah," he gave her a smile – probably the first smile since his dream about her.
"You're smiling at me again," she perceived a bit sardonically. "My, what an honour. I felt you were avoiding me."
"Avoiding you? No. Why would I want to avoid you?" Dan tried to look innocent.
"I don't know," she shook her head. "It just didn't feel too good, Dan. I thought you weren't my friend anymore."
"But I am. I'm just a bit troubled... the match, you know."
She gave him a 'don't-take-me-for-a-fool-I-know-it's-something-else-not-the-match'-stare, but he tried to look as though he hadn't noticed.
He looked over to the Gryffindors who were putting their heads together, discussing something. Only his sister Lily was looking over the heads of her teammates, giving her brother worried glances.
"And professor Longbottom walks onto the pitch to start the game!" David Dursley announced. Neville grabbed his broomstick, mounted it and opened the crate containing the four balls.
Ted Avery gave his team-mates a last glance – his stare stopping on Daniel, as if sending him a silent message 'win the match, or...', then they saw Neville release the Quaffle and all fourteen players soared up into the air.
"The Quaffle is by Circe Diggory of Gryffindor, she passes to captain Ollivander who tries to score... captain Avery saves!" young Dursley's voice bellowed. "Parkinson gets the Quaffle, a nice Bludger from Viviane Weasley and he drops it!"
While the six Chasers, four Beaters and two Keepers were playing with all their might, Daniel and Kevin didn't have much to do – the Snitch hadn't been spotted yet. All the two boys were doing was keeping a look out for the tiny golden ball and occasionally exchanging dark glances.
"Lily Potter scores, Gryffindor in the lead!" David announced and the crowd waving red banners cheered and jumped. Kevin sent his cousin a rather nasty grin.
"Beater Lockhart sends a Bludger towards Keeper Wood, but Beater Val Weasley directs it onto a new course... uh-oh, someone tell Madame Pomfrey to prepare a bed for Chaser Wimple!"
Walter Wimple indeed got a Bludger to the head and almost fell off his broomstick. His head was bleeding badly and he must have been close to losing consciousness, but somehow he still heard Ted Avery instructing him to leave the pitch. Professor Snape helped him sit down on the stands and performed a quick spell to stop the bleeding. However, Wimple didn't seem to be able to continue playing.
Slytherin was one Chaser short, and Kevin smirked at Daniel again.
In the next five minutes Gryffindor scored twice, leading 30 to zero. Finally – thanks to Norbert's brilliant handling of a Bludger – Olivia Ollivander dropped the Quaffle, Lavinia Flint caught it and scored – 30:10.
Patrick Parkinson caught the red ball next, to add another goal to Slytherin's glory. Right after this Circe Diggory got hold of the Quaffle and swooped towards the Slytherin goalposts, but got hindered by Gilda's Bludger and the opportunity to score was again by Lavinia Flint.
While David Dursley adjusted the magical screens to show 30:20, Lily Potter suddenly appeared next to her brother.
"Dan!"
"What?" the boy knitted his eyebrows. It was not accustomed for the players of the two opposing teams to talk during the match – with the exception of shouting 'sod off's and 'fuck you's.
"The twins... they..." Lily began, but got dragged away by a furious Captain Ollivander, who started giving her a thorough telling-off for not being around when Circe dropped the Quaffle, thus not being able to catch it before Lavinia did.
Lily shouted Olivia a 'sorry' and soared forward to take the red ball from Ms. Flint, if possible.
It wasn't possible.
Slytherin equalised: 30:30.
Dan was just wondering what his sister wanted to tell him so badly that she even risked Gryffindor's victory, when he suddenly saw something flash in the morning sunshine.
Something gold...
He immediately directed his Rocket 6000 towards the little golden ball that kept zigzagging among the players – and so did Kevin on his Thunderstorm 4500.
Dan was getting closer and closer to catching the Snitch when he felt his broomstick buckle... it had got two Bludgers into the twigs that got smashed to smithereens at once.
The Rocket 6000 started to lose height.
Young Potter madly tried to jerk the broomstick upwards, but it just didn't want to obey him, it kept speeding towards the ground instead.
Ten meters before the impact...
He didn't see Viviane and Valentine shaking hands...
Seven meters...
He didn't see the ashen face of his father hopping up from his seat and casting some fall-slowing charm on him along with professor Snape and both Dumbledore brothers.
Four meters...
He didn't hear all the terrified voices screaming...
One meter...
The impact broke his broomstick into half and very possibly his right leg as well. He fell onto his back, and despite his pain he hastily pushed himself up onto his elbows to see the Snitch whooshing six meters above him, with Kevin in tow...
Suddenly he heard everything: people screaming on the stands, some with excitement, some with fright... then he saw the two Gryffindor Beaters laughing and pointing at him... finally his gaze shifted to Kevin again...
Two meters... one... and he'd reach the Snitch...
The Weasley boy stretched out with his right hand, leaning forward as much as he could, his fingers grazing the tiny golden ball... when it suddenly exploded.
It wasn't a big explosion, but it was enough for the Snitch to vanish in a puff of smoke, and Kevin grasped the thin air.
A malicious smirk appeared on Daniel's face, then he collapsed and blacked out.
A/N: the chapter title is Latin, is means: quicker, higher, braver (at least I think so, I still don't speak Latin) - it's the motto of the Olympic games. I thought it'd suit a Quidditch match.
Before you start hinting that I 'borrowed' the exploding ball idea from the CoS movie, let me tell you that I wrote this part back in July and of course I saw the movie just a month ago, thus I couldn't have taken the idea from there. In fact I found the 'Hermione-blowing-up-the-Bludger' piece a bit irritating – in the book the Bludger wasn't blown up, so why do it in the movie???
Katie Bell: yeah, you didn't review in time for chapter 8, so I'm thanking you now :)
Nefertiri: I envy you for speaking a bit of French.
Frostic Chibi: perhaps *enigmatic smile*
Red Ridding Hood: you sometimes call your parents madam and sir? Whew, that's VERY strange for me! Glad you love Norbert so much ;) You said you could translate TGSoHH into Spanish. Well, a Mexican boy called Pablo told me a year ago that he'd translate it, but he hasn't contacted me ever since. But perhaps he really translated it, I have no idea.
heavenly182angel: a Dan/Liu relationship? Not much of a chance, but we'll see…
ruffled owl: the HP books are BETTER in Hungarian than in English. Don't look at me like that, it's the truth! Our translator is a genius and translated the whole stuff in a brilliant way, making it be even funnier than the original. But I read the first book in German as well, and the German translation is cr*p.
Lavendar Brown: the Potions sex ed is in the 12th chapter of TGSaWCS (round the middle of the chapter).
X-Tow-Naga: it must have been my bad choice of English – I know that there are millions of galaxies, I should have used that instead of several. Sorry, language mistake. Well… perhaps Gilda does have something for Dan… but it's not like Hermione, since I don't think that Hermione has EVER HAD anything for Harry. She's just Harry's friend, but she has something for Ron, so my story will be different in this respect. Very different.
Myr Halcyon: don't worry, not all Weasleys are like Slytherins, you'll see in chapter 16.
Kit Cloudkicker: well, he made Seeker. Though many readers didn't want him to.
Houou: no, you're definitely no nuts :)
Black Ice: foreshadowing? Perhaps ;) Sorry, but I just had to make Kevin and both of the twins play Quidditch – plot reasons. They had to knock Dan off his broom in order to… *Agi slaps her hands over her mouth* not telling yet! You'll find out in a couples of chapters. I must admit that I was playing with the thought of making Dan Chaser instead of Seeker, but then I got this funny plot bunny and for that it was necessary for him to be Seeker. Sorry.
C-chan: I don't remember Agrajag. Which book was it in? I read Hitchiker's Guide only once. About Vega… uhm… I couldn't resist the temptation, LOL. Sorry, I don't really know Sailor Moon. I guess I've seen some minutes of it when zapping, but I never really liked anime so I didn't start watching it. I can't drive, unfortunately, and I'm not likely to learn any time soon, because my family doesn't have a car, so what's the point in learning to drive? Glad you liked the card! :) No, I haven't read the BreadBox edition.
Alexander Phoenix: I'll read your fic in about a month, when I'm done with my exams. Please, remind me at the end of January.
K.C. Hunter: ooohh… I'm sorry about your father barely being aware of you… I know what it's like: my parents divorced when I was one year old and I barely see my dad, too.
Inken: was last chapter the best so far? Well, it's far from what is going to come. Very far. The story's going to be much, much more interesting soon. Neville's current toad is a new one, Trevor died long ago, his new one is called Severus. Please, read my answer to Black Ice about the Quidditch part.
Zenon Lee: you're a boy? Oooooh… sorry… for some reason I always thought you were a girl! But I'm happy that you're a boy, it always amazes me that boys also like my stuff :) Yes, we also have sex ed in the primary school, but as far as I remember we weren't shown any pics about badly infected penises ;) Holiday – horny day? LOL, that was funny! Yes, I've read LotR, but I'm not particularly a fan. But I agree, Gandalf was really cool in the movie, I'd like him as Dumbledore. In fact I've read somewhere that he has already signed the contract to play Albus in PoA, but it hasn't been officially announced yet.
Lana Riddle: I'm glad you share my opinion on the Astronomy part :)
CandyGurl83: yeah… probably she does ;)
SiriDragon: yes, it seems she does… About the costumes… just wait it out, it'll be hilarious.
Justin: yes, there'll be lots of romance in this fic, but history won't repeat itself. The story has 31 chapters. As you see, the rivalry between Dan and his cousins is getting stronger and stronger.
Missy: mind-boggling? LOL. And you have no idea how mind-boggling it'll be :) What does the abbreviation bff stand for? I'm ashamed of my ignorance.
Altec: well, Norbert's still a Malfoy, so he has to be at least a bit like a Malfoy. When do you usually decorate your Christmas trees? Because you said that you put up the ornaments late – the day before Christmas Eve. In Hungary it counts as early – here we only decorate the tree ON Christmas Eve and no sooner.
Sean Mulligan: no, Dan won't dress up like Harry. Yes the Two Towers is out here in Hungary, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm not exactly a LotR fan, but I'll watch it, of course. Perhaps at the end of the month, when I'm done with my exams.
Lady Schezar: see, all the three of them made the Slytherin team :)
Princess Ginny: LotR came out here last week, but I'll be too busy in the next month to watch it. I'll probably watch it at the end of January.
goldenstar555: well, Gilderoy didn't totally ignore his daughter, did he?
Lupin's Angel: I couldn't stop giggling when I read your 'Pettigrew finding Sirius' piece. Huge LOL, you're very inventive! :))))
Autumn Dreams: you know that you're the only one who mentioned Snape behaving funnily in your review? I was glad that at least someone loved that part. Silly, isn't he? But he'll be even sillier, just wait it out, it'll be a lot of fun! Poooooor Sev…
Aimee: they will stop hating Dan. But not now.
PepsiAngel: yeah, Gilda seems to have a crush on Dan, doesn't she?
Molto Bella: oh yes, Bert is definitely hiding something. You'll find out what it is in chapter 19.
Romina: I heard that the HP PC game is very difficult. How are you coping with it?
jasper: yes, Dan will have more confidence soon, so you won't have to feel sorry for him for a long time :)
Toby Haine: can't wait for that mail :) I'll read the new part of your play soon.
tarantula: thanks :)
Indigo Ziona: what? You tried to make a Potion as a child? LOL! You're right, Dan is very much like Harry, and very much unlike Harry. My beta said the same :) About the ship-guessing… *wink*
Bucky: Gilda doesn't need to loose weight, she's very slim, but she's boyish, that's her problem. I also like Gilda much, much better than Liu. How could Harry have anything to do with a Malfoy? *Agi looks confused*
Sky: yes, they'll make up some day.
Pamela-potter-24: sorry, I had a reason to make Dan not win the match. You'll see what it is. About the 1000 days separation for elves – I just thought that elves had quite stupid habits (like wearing tablecloths and slapping themselves), so they might as well have this kind of idiotic rule as well.
Katrina: yes, Mezopothamia is the same as Mesopotamia, I just didn't know how to write it. We in Hungary write it with a 'z' and I thought that there was an 'h' in there, too. Language mistake… it occurs once in a while, given that English isn't my native language. You said you liked Dan because he's very much like James. But wait… we don't know at all what James was like! All we know is that Dan LOOKS like James, but Rowling didn't tell us anything about James' character.
Kamatazi Yumi: glad your friend liked the Mrs. Norris part :) We also have a fake tree, we've had it for about ten years, but it looks very real and we always decorate it as though it were a real tree.
The-Girl-Who-Lived: yes, poor Dan just wanted to help… but life is often unfair, isn't it?
DJRowley: yes, I know and I'm happy about it :) McKellen will undoubtedly be a cool Albus.
starheart20: you said in your review that you wanted to tell me something in an email but you haven't. I've been wondering ever since what you wanted to say.
LilGinny: what exactly is a Hallmark stuff? Is Hallmark a large warehouse or what? Sorry, I have no idea… I spent New Year's Eve at home, watching TV – on New Year's Eve there's a lot of funny stuff on TV :)
TaMaraR: what? Sorry, I didn't get this line: "Gilda is having a David Dursley about Daniel". What did you mean with that? (my lack of English-knowledge is to be blamed, that's why I don't understand some things people write me)
FireBolt9000: no, your feelings betray you.
Bailey Ballinger: Dumbledore said that the mirror would be moved to a new place – to the dungeons where Harry found it with Quirrel looking into it. But 30 years have passed since then and the mirror could have been moved to a new place again.
seashell: they will forgive him and he will forgive them. Someday…
2Coolio: you write stories, too?
The One and Only Amazing Typo: you dislike Harry? WHY? Do you dislike him only in my fic or in Rowling's books as well? I love him, I can't help. So, you're also a Julie? That's a cute name. In fact my grandpa's dog was called Julie, and I named Aberforth's granddaughter after her :))
Lainy: what is IDK? Yes, you do need a scanner to put pics on the net. I don't have one, so my friend scans my pics for me – but I'll hopefully get a scanner for my birthday in February. Can't wait :) Forbidden Meadow? LOL, I get it!
nimacu: that pink and magenta tree must have looked very pretty. Thanks for reviewing, I'm always happy when new people give feedback!
DeSiRe: yes, you misspelled it. It's Quidditch (you left out the 't').
Silver Wolf: glad you found your way back to me :)
Bamboo Anime: what is Tamora Pierce about? I saw that there were Tamora Pierce fanfics here on ffnet, but I don't know what it is. Adopted? My two half-siblings are adopted, too. But they live with my dad and his wife while I live with mum. Your hair is thin? I envy you, mine is simply too thick and untameable. My best friend's hair is also thin and she envies me, but I wish mine wasn't this thick… well, you cannot have everything you want…What or who is MT. Dew? And who's or what's Orlando Bloom? Sorry for asking such stupid questions, but I've never heard of them.
candycaneOgram: the names of the people who graduated from Slytherin and Gryffindor are unimportant. Yes, I just needed some vacate positions on the two teams. It was for plot reasons to have first-years on the teams. Gilda knows lots of things, but she isn't totally like Hermione. She's a little bit more mischievous. Why is it important that Dan knows so much about Astronomy? Well, I can't tell you yet, you'll see in chapter 19. The following constellations are circumpolar in Hungary: Ursa Maior (Great Bear), Ursa Minor (Small Bear), Camelopardalis (Giraffe), Draco (Dragon), Cassiopea, Cepheus, Perseus, Canes venatici (Hunting Dogs), Lacerta (Lizard), Lynx.
Amaranta: hope your journey was nice. Yes, I remember most people who have written me reviews, I have a very good memory. I remember many of those who had written reviews for the first fic but not for the second and the third. I always hope some of them will turn up again, and sometimes some really do :)
Kristen Michelle: yes, you are right about Gilda and Dan.
HP Blone Crazy Chick: boggart? The caretaker? Hahaha! You made me howl with laughter! No, he isn't a boggart. There's another reason for him knowing about the Snape-looking boggart. You'll get to know in chapter 18. For the time being I'm very busy with my exams, but I intend to read your fic. Could you please remind me to read it at the end of January? Thanks :)
Any last requests: do you also like Astronomy, then? :)
BratPackGirl: sorry about not having updated sooner.
Ice Kitten: no problem, I know what it's like to be busy! :)
Rab: yes, lots of Dobby coming! :)
King Jasbon: A. D. meant Albus Dumbledore, not Aberforth, but you're right, that's confusing. Anyway, it could as well mean Aberforth…
Punky Poet: I'm glad that you liked TGSaWCS so much (with Draco, and everything), and I hope you'll like this one, too. Fleur's sister is about 23 years old now (she was 8 in book four, that took place 17 years before this story). Kama Sutra is an Indian book (not American Indian), that talks about the art of lovemaking, showing lots of… *pictures* as well, if you get what I mean ;)
Waldomier: yes, it's nice to find someone who loves Astronomy! :)) Do you have a telescope? I have a small one that showed me Saturn's rings and four of Jupiter's moons!
apple-pie: glad you liked it!