A/N: to those who don't know yet: Rowling's baby is born, it's a boy called David. I just love the name David! :D
I'd like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed the first chapter of Gadding with Goats! *hugs you all*
This chapter is dedicated to maureen and Altec who both had their birthday on Monday. Happy belated birthday to both of you!
Chapter 23
Happy birthday, Hogwarts!
"All right, boys… and girls," Harry spoke up, looking at the members of his 'Quidditch team', the team that would play in the parent-teacher game right after the tournament. They were standing at the entrance to the Quidditch pitch, blinking in the warm April sunshine. Harry had reserved the pitch for training his team and it was agreed to not let anyone else in – they didn't want the students to see them and laugh at them in case they made blunders after years/months of not playing Quidditch. "We are going to be a cool team, I'm sure of that. We have two wonderful Beaters," Harry grinned at Fred and George, "a tough Keeper", he nodded in Oliver Wood's direction, "so far two talented Chasers – we'll need a third one -, and an okay Seeker."
"Just an okay Seeker? C'mon, Harry, stop being so modest!" George commented.
"Really, mate, who is going to be the third Chaser?" Ron asked. Although he had played Keeper on the Gryffindor team, he knew quite a lot about the task of a Chaser as well – the Weasley children had grown up playing Quidditch in the back garden of the Burrow and they had learnt to play all positions. Originally, Angelina would have played one of the Chasers, but she had got pregnant again (this time – fortunately - with Fred's baby), so Ginny had taken on her position. Just like in the old times when there had been a bunch of Weasleys on the Gryffindor team…
Harry shrugged. "No idea. The problem is that none of our old school friends have kids at Hogwarts yet… as Ginny was so kind to remind me, not all people started conceiving children at the age of seventeen… Katie is living abroad, Alicia's son is only six years old, Colin and Natalie McDonald are still single, Dennis has a two-year old daughter. Period. I have no idea at all whom we could get to play. All of you should go and ask your friends. Maybe Lee Jordan?" he turned to the twins.
"Out of question," Fred shook his head. "Firstly: he doesn't have a child. Secondly: he's just started that tarantula-farm of his and his hands are full. He wouldn't have time for training sessions."
"Then… someone from our Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw friends?" Ron suggested. "Maybe… Justin?"
"Nah, just married Hannah Abbot – they're on honeymoon," waved Ginny.
"Then I'm at my wit's end," Harry sighed. "Why don't our old school friends have kids at Hogwarts?"
"Look who's just turned up," Oliver spoke up.
"Who?" Harry looked around to see Cho Chang walking in their direction.
"Hullo, everyone," she smiled. "Are the rumours true? Is there really going to be a match with parents and teachers playing?"
"Not sure," Captain Potter replied. "We might have to call it off – we are a Chaser short and really have no idea whom to ask for the role."
"I'd gladly help," Cho said.
"You?" Ginny knitted her eyebrows. "You used to be a Seeker."
"Yes, but I spent years in the United States where I tried all positions when playing with my friends. Quidditch isn't that popular in America yet, but I think I have managed to persuade some people there that it's by far better than Quodpot. So, if you'd like me to, I'd gladly play Chaser on your team, Harry."
Harry wanted to turn her down somehow, but the Weasley men seemed to be charmed by the idea of Cho as a Chaser. Harry cast a surreptitious glance at Ginny and saw her undisguised disapproval, but what could he do? He had to accept or there wouldn't be a match at all. "Okay. It'd be nice if you played with us, Cho. Thanks for volunteering."
"You're welcome, Harry," the owner of McRice smiled sweetly (Ginny felt like kicking something). "Well, tell me when the next training session is and I'll bring my broomstick. It's an American model, I hope it's not a problem, is it? Now I've got to go – it's my daughter's birthday and I got permission from the headmaster to visit her. Bye," with an even sweeter smile she walked away.
"Put your eyes back into their sockets," Ginny snapped at her brothers.
"Whyyyyy?" George sighed dreamily. "She's beautiful. She used to be pretty back in school, but now she's even prettier."
"Exactly," Fred nodded eagerly.
Ron was just about to add some sort of 'I agree', but seeing his sister's expression, he thought better of it. "Of course my Hermione is much prettier. And your Angie, too, right?" he turned to the twins.
"Er… of course," Fred said. "So, Captain, are we going to train today or not?"
"Of course we are going to train!" Harry replied with sudden resolution. "On to the pitch, everyone, hurry up, move yourselves, there's no time to waste!"
"Harry?" Oliver turned to him.
"Yes?"
"You have learnt this from me, eh?"
"Of course, oh great slave-driver!" the Charms professor smirked and motioned Oliver to enter the pitch. After months of Quidditch-deprivation, Harry felt in his element again. He released the four balls, then mounted his 'Firebolt – The Special Edition' broomstick (the latest model of the Firebolt series. He had bought it after his old Rocket 5000 had burnt down in the fire devastating the Potter house – lucky that he had left his invisibility cloak at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays.)
He took off. As the wind ruffled his hair, he felt all the worries escape from his heart. This was what he really enjoyed; this was what he had been missing so much. This was very likely the second best thing in the world, he thought, grinning. For the first time that day he managed to forget about the nightmares that had started to return in the last few days again. He had had these dreams back in autumn, but then they had ceased for a while and only returned days earlier. They were always the same: letters dancing in the air, a woman's voice tearing into the silence of the night – the woman was screaming, howling in pain, then came a green flash of light and everything went silent, and Harry woke up, drenched in cold sweat. He had tried and tried to remember more of the dream but he had never managed to – all he managed to do by straining his memory was to get a headache.
Now, however, all headaches and all nightmares were forgotten, only the joy of flying existed. Circling above the pitch, Harry watched as Ron and Ginny tried to score while Oliver saved. A Bludger whooshed past his ear, in tow with George – Fred was chasing the other one above the Slytherin stands. All the five of them seemed to be enjoying themselves tremendously. Something gold glinted around the goalposts at the other end of the pitch. Harry spurred his broom and fifteen seconds later the little golden ball was fluttering in his palm.
"Good catch, old boy!" Fred gave him the thumbs-up. "It seems you haven't totally forgotten how to play Quidditch yet!"
"Thanks!" Captain Potter grinned. "You've also been doing well, people! If Cho is going to be as good as you five are, we are going to win this match without the shadow of a doubt."
"We'd better," Ron grunted. "I couldn't stand if gits like Snape and Marcus Flint beat us… not to mention Mr. Goldilocks."
"Goldilocks?" Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Gilderoy," Harry waved, flying right next to her. "You know, honey, I have just realised something."
"Judging by your expression it must be something naughty," she perceived.
"Eh, perhaps," he grinned. "We have been together for thirteen years now, but there's something we've never done before."
She raised an eyebrow. "I thought we have already done everything."
"But not everywhere," he replied.
"Not everywhere? Hm, I seem to recall us doing something in a Prefect's bathroom, on the teacher's desk in Hermione's Arithmancy classroom, in Durmstrang, in a Donald Duck armchair in the Mickey Mouse Hotel in Disneyworld, and…"
"There's still something we've never done."
"What?" she cocked her head, giving him an impish look.
"This," he inched closer, giving her a searing kiss.
"You mean… making out on a broomstick?" she licked her lips as they parted.
"Yeah. I wouldn't try anything else on a flying broomstick, though," he whispered and brushed his lips against hers again.
"Urgh, just tell me that this isn't the way you want to win the match against team B, Harry," Fred shouted, "kissing your way to the Snitch?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "No. This was just a one-time spectacle. I have realised that I have never kissed my wife up in the air before and I had to make up for it immediately. And now, back to work, people!"
"Can't we rest a bit, boss?" Oliver asked. "We're not as young as we used to be… we need a bit of a rest."
"Don't tell me that you've become this lazy, my slave-driver friend," the captain said. "No rest."
"Can't we have lunch at least?" inquired George.
"No," came the captain's resolute answer.
"May I go and fix my makeup?" Ginny asked.
"Your what? You aren't even wearing…"
"Can I at least leave to the toilet?" Ron said with an innocent expression.
"You're teasing me, aren't you?" Harry crossed his arms.
"Of course we are, boss," Fred smirked. "All right, guys, let's do Captain Potter's bidding or we'll never beat Snape that yellow-toothed git."
"Yellow? Uh, you haven't heard yet, then?" Harry laughed.
"What?"
"Just wait. I'll show you at the tournament. Prepare for a shock."
* * * * *
"So, your dad and his team are training on the pitch right now?" Norbert asked Daniel. They were sitting by the lake, enjoying the wonderful spring weather. The boys were playing wizard chess, while Gilda was studying – very possibly for the May tournament quiz.
"Yeah," Dan nodded. "A pity that all students are forbidden to enter. Uh, queen to F5."
"Why did they forbid us to enter, I don't understand," young Malfoy pouted. "Knight to H3."
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Gilda said, not even looking up from her book. "They are out of practice and they fear that they'd become a laughing stock in front of the kids."
"My dad's no laughing stock!" Dan snapped. "He's the best Seeker in Great Britain!"
"He used to be, you mean," the girl replied calmly. "He stopped playing professional Quidditch last summer, didn't he?"
"Yes, but he's still the best non-professional Seeker," the boy defended his father.
"We'll see on 8th May," she shrugged and buried herself into her book called 'The most famous witches and wizards in England's history'.
"With this much studying you are surely going to win the quiz, Gil," Norbert perceived. "Bishop to…"
He couldn't finish the sentence because suddenly a shadow got cast over the chessboard. The three kids looked up to see Liu Chang.
"Hello, Dan," the girl smiled.
"Hullo, Liu," young Potter replied, happily realising that he hadn't blushed.
"What do you want?" Norbert asked.
"Today's my birthday," Ms. Chang said.
"Well, congratulations," Gilda snorted. She had never liked this girl – perhaps because Daniel had once liked her so much?
"It's great, happy birthday," Dan added.
"Thanks," Liu smiled. "In fact, my mum has come to Hogwarts and decided to arrange a small party for me. She's brought the biggest rice-tart from McRice and I was wondering whether you'd like to come to the party, Dan."
"Are my friends also invited?" the boy asked.
"Er…" Liu shuffled her feet, "this is a… private party with not too many people…"
"I see," young Potter nodded. "Thanks for the invitation, Liu, but I'm busy. Very happy birthday once more and give my regards to your mother."
"Well, thanks," Miss Chang forced a smile and left.
"I don't believe it!" Norbert gasped. "Dan, do you realise that you've just turned down the girl you have had a crush on since September???"
"I do," his friend grinned. "And I don't care."
Gilda cast a surreptitious glance at Dan, who, in the same instant also cast a surreptitious glance at her. Their eyes locked, and they blushed.
"Er," Dan looked away immediately, "pawn to E4."
* * * * *
Days flew by and everyone started to get more and more excited about the upcoming tournament and the parent-teacher match afterwards. You could barely hear the students talking about anything else but going for the title Champion or Queen of Beauty and Love.
While Gilda was reading book after book, Norbert kept practicing some basic charms that could come in handy in a duel. To both children's surprise, they never saw Daniel practicing any spells, although Dan had clearly stated that he'd enter the tournament. He told his friends that he could only practice alone, and he lied (quite reluctantly, because he didn't like lying) that he used to sneak out into the park and study there.
In fact, Daniel kept visiting the secret chamber of Gryffindor and studying from Vivian Vablatsky's book on Imaginers. This book gave him much more detailed knowledge than Dumbledore's ancestor's diary. This book gave the description of highly advanced Imaginings as well and once in a while Daniel tried some of those, too. Certainly he didn't succeed in all of them, but the proverb says: 'knowledge has bitter roots but sweet fruits', and he was determined to harvest those fruits the sooner the better, thus he kept exercising.
Three days before the beginning of the tournament, Harry asked his son for a man-to-man conversation in his study. Daniel was wondering what his father could want from him.
"I'm glad you have come," Harry motioned his son to sit down on the chair facing his desk.
"Wow, you look serious, dad," the boy perceived. "What's the matter?"
"I just wanted to ask you something, Daniel," Harry said, his eyes skimming the boy's features, as though he wanted to look into is soul.
"What?" the boy shuddered. He didn't like it when his father looked at him like that. It gave him the creeps.
"It's about the tournament. Do you… do you intend to use your Imaginer powers?"
Dan shrugged. "It depends."
"On what?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"It depends on what I can accomplish without them," Dan replied. "You know… at first I didn't want to take part in this whole madness, but then Kevin kept making fun of me, and I felt I had to show him that I was more than he thought! I know it's probably not entirely fair to use powers that the others don't possess, but when is life fair?" he looked up at his father, his brown eyes deeply boring into his green ones. "Life has never been fair to me either, dad. Even you told me so. I was born a squib. I was a pathetic bungler even after I got magic powers. My classmates constantly laughed at me. I had to endure people's mocking from a very young age… I remember the twins, Kevin, Lance, and even Lily laughing at me when I screwed up at Uncle Fred's secret magic lessons… I was only five and I felt miserable."
"I had no idea," Harry frowned. Fred and George had been teaching the children magic tricks from a young age, but without Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione knowing. Harry had only got to know about it when Dan had already been nine years old and had one day asked him why he was such a bungler, why he never managed to do things his cousins did. "I never knew that you had such bad memories of being five years old. I'm sorry, Dan."
"It's okay, dad. It's not your fault, you did everything you could: you wasted a precious wish on me… and I'm grateful for that," the boy replied. Strangely to Harry, he looked much older than he really was. Then it struck him: this boy had suffered a lot, and the trials he had gone through had given him this inexplicable maturity. Sure, Daniel's childhood hadn't been as hard as his with the Dursleys, still, it was not a happy-go-lucky childhood… not that happy a childhood as he had wanted to secure for all of his children.
Harry still remembered his feelings when he had got to know about Ginny's pregnancy with Lily. He had been scared to death, and not because of the scandal that was about to ensue, but about being a father. He had had no idea how to be one. He had never got love from his foster-parents, and hadn't known how to be a caring and loving father. All he had known had been that he'd have to try to raise his own children in a loving family, giving them everything he could. And yet, he felt that it had never been enough. He had been accusing himself when Dan was born a squib – he had been accusing himself of having passed the Evans-genes down to him – the Evans genes that had a knack of turning out non-magic children.
He had given his children everything in his power, but now he realised that he hadn't managed to make his son grow up as happily as he would have liked. Daniel had got a lot of love from him and Ginny, but lacking the talents his cousins possessed, the boy could never be really happy.
Harry felt ashamed. He should have realised this long before – he should have realised that his son, however happy he had looked as a little child, had always had some kind of a thorn in his heart that kept pricking him… Harry felt like kicking himself for having been so blind. He had believed Daniel to be as carefree and joyful as any other child, while he hadn't been. This boy had been hiding his sadness deep in his heart, not letting anyone catch a glimpse… but Harry, being his father, should have seen it!
He glanced at his son again - the boy was waiting for some kind of an answer to why he had come up with this 'do-you-intend-to-use-Imaginer-powers'-stuff…
He shook his head. He had asked his son to come here to make him swear not to Imagine stuff and play fair, but now he felt totally silly about it. His son had never had a real success in his life – at least not without his special powers. Harry knew what a useless, pathetic little wizard his son was without his Imaginer powers – he knew it from experience, and also his colleagues had told him about Daniel's bungling at their classes. Poor Daniel had grown up seeing others being so much more talented than him and longing to be like them… and now there was a chance for him to feel that he was just as good as the others, if not better. Harry knew that, as a teacher, he should be reprimanding the boy for taking advantage of his powers, but as a father he wanted his son to be successful. To feel satisfied with himself. To feel proud of himself.
"I have heard a bit from Dumbledore about your progress," Harry spoke up, "but I haven't seen you Imagining anything intentionally yet. I'd like to see it, Dan."
The young boy's face lit up. "Really? So, you don't want to tell me off now?"
"No. Why would I? If there's one thing I have learnt during my seven years at Hogwarts, then it is to use the talents you have. Ron is talented in chess, so he defeated McGonagall's huge chess figures. Hermione is very clever, so she used her mind to solve Snape's riddle. I'm talented in flying, thus I used my broomstick to outwit the Hungarian Horntail. You're an Imaginer. So Imagine."
"Thanks, dad," Daniel beamed. "I feel so much better about it now. You know, I have had pangs of remorse, but now I no more have them. You are right. Play to your strength. By the way, if we are talking about strengths… how is the Quidditch team coming along?"
Harry told his son about the progress of team A. Allegedly, Cho Chang turned out to be just as talented a Chaser as she had been as a Seeker.
Team B – under the captaincy of Neville Longbottom -, also kept training for the big day. Gilderoy Lockhart – one of team B's Chasers – could be seen/heard several times bragging about the wonderful performance of his team, and especially about his own talents as a Chaser. Harry had to hide a grin whenever they heard Gilderoy's self-appraisal – he still remembered Lockhart bragging how good a Seeker he had been back at school, and, knowing Lockhart, he suspected that he had never been a good Seeker and wouldn't be any better as a Chaser. The other two Chasers were Marcus Flint and his wife Blaize Zabini. Harry didn't know much about them, just that they had been in Slytherin and they had always seemed rather unsympathetic to him.
McGonagall was always scowling when her husband talked about the match – Aberforth would be playing Beater, along with Remus Lupin. Harry didn't mind having to play against Aberforth, because Aberforth was not exactly a person to be taken seriously, but he did mind having to play against Remus.
Ever since Halloween, the one time friends had been avoiding each other, and the few times they had met in the Great Hall or in a corridor, Remus had always given Harry a look of contempt and hurried past him, making Harry feel very, very miserable. Harry couldn't have counted how many times he had felt the temptation to go to his old friend and ask him to make up, but his pride held him back. Remus had called him selfish and stuck-up. He somehow managed to accept being called stuck-up, but being called selfish simply riled him up. It wasn't true and Lupin didn't have a right to call him that!
And finally, there was Severus Snape, the Keeper of Team B. Harry had only once seen him actually fly a broomstick – in his first year, when Snape had decided to referee Gryffindor's match against Hufflepuff.
Speaking of Snape, he had changed. Harry had heard from his children and the Weasley kids that Snape wasn't bullying them that much in Potions anymore. Then, there was this tooth-thing that also made a difference… and finally there was the niffler. Harry still wondered why on Earth the children had decided to give Severus a present, and not merely a present, but a cute, cuddly pet! To add to Harry's confusion, Snape was seen quite a lot with his little niffler on his arm.
Even Beryl Bradley started to think that she should maybe tell Severus about her real gender and her pregnancy. Whenever she saw him with Lucky the niffler, she found him incredibly endearing and thought that if he could treat a little creature so wonderfully, then he could become a superb father as well. Still, she didn't even have the chance to talk to him, because whenever he spotted her, he looked away and hurried past.
She put this down to their last encounter, when they had been kissing so passionately. *Severus must still be thinking that I'm a male and the fact that he has kissed me again and again must feel horrible for him. Poor dear,* she thought. She wished he would only stop for ten seconds on the corridor so that she could blurt out 'I'm a woman and I love you!', but no, he wouldn't give her the chance. It was a catch-22 situation: she couldn't tell him the truth because he wouldn't listen to her, but the reason why he wouldn't listen her was that he didn't know the truth.
* * * * *
"I tell you guys, we are going to beat Harry's team!" Aberforth said gleefully as he, Neville, Remus, Gilderoy and Snape left the pitch one evening after a training session.
"Yes, I'm also sure about it, mate," Lockhart nodded happily, wiping some invisible dirt off his elegant navy blue robes. "Our captain is giving us quite a workout, though, don't you think?"
"I have to, if we want results," Neville replied.
"Oh, of course, that's why you had to make them chase all the Bludgers at me, right?" Snape pointed at the two Beaters: Lupin and Aberforth.
"I didn't make them send the Bludgers at you," Neville shrugged. "You should have kept a better look-out for them, then you probably wouldn't have been hit. But don't worry, I'm sure that your arm will heal soon, it wasn't a serious accident at all."
"Not serious, eh? Of course, it didn't happen to you, Longbottom," Snape growled, massaging his arm.
"Tell me, why are you being this… mean to me, Severus?" Neville asked. "I didn't hurt you."
"First, don't call me Severus, will you? Not when you are calling your toad Severus, Longbottom!" the Potions Master spat.
"But… that's your name," Neville pointed out. "Anyway, whatever your problem with me is, Snape, you'd better forget it until the match. We have to stick together if we want to be a team. If there's discord within the team, we won't be able to work together and we'll surely lose."
"Exactly," Remus said. "Do you want Potter's team to beat us? Yes?"
"No,." Snape hissed through gritted, flashy teeth. He seemed to be restraining himself from telling Neville something rude. "Good night to you all."
"He's grouchy about something," Gilderoy perceived, watching Severus hurry off to the castle.
"Or maybe he's just been missing his cute little niffler," Aberforth commented. "I'd surely miss Lucky if he were mine. Come to think of it, I still have to feed Angel! G'night, people!"
Snape entered the castle, seething. What was Longbottom thinking of himself? Playing captain, commanding him around, and doing all this as though it were totally natural?!?
*Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to play in this damned match!* he thought. There was no way he'd endure the one time blundering, cauldron-melting little Longbottom treating him like that!
He was so much absorbed in his bitter thoughts that he didn't notice the caretaker rounding the corner.
"Uh, sorry!"
"Watch where you're going!" Snape growled, massaging his nose that he had bumped into Bradley's forehead.
"Hey, at least you're talking to me again!" Beryl's face lit up.
"Don't get delusions, Bradley, I'm not talking to you, I merely expressed my annoyance at having bumped into you of all people!" he shouted and turned on his heels to leave.
"Listen to me at last!" she called after him.
"Why?" he doubled back. "What do you want to tell me, eh? That you're a woman? That you have been lying to me all along? Well, you don't need to tell me, I already know!"
She blanched. "You… you know? How… how long?"
"A week," he replied.
"Did… did Albus tell you?"
"Albus?" Snape blinked. "So, Albus knows?"
"Of course he knows! He knew it all along."
"Great. Just great. So he knew it and probably enjoyed himself very much when I told him how… disgusted I felt because I thought I had slept with a man!" Severus hissed. His eyes were sending fire-bolts at the caretaker. "How totally amusing – let's poor Sev believe that he's gay! Hahaha! What a joke! I bet you two were having a lot of fun!"
"No, Severus, let me explain…"
"No! I'm not interested in your explanations! You have taken me for a fool, you have humbled me, you have made an idiot of me in front of everyone else, and you have played with me, while you've been chasing after Longbottom!"
"What?" she didn't know whether to scowl or laugh. "Neville?"
"Ah, Neville!" he yelled. "Why not call him Nevviekins?"
She crossed her arms, glaring furiously at him. "You don't understand anything, and you'll never understand it if you don't even let me explain, Severus!"
"Don't call me Severus! To you I'm Professor Snape!"
"All right!" she stamped her foot. "Then listen to me, Professor Snape!"
"I don't care what you want to tell me! I don't care at all!" he turned on his heels to leave again.
"Wait, I just wanted to tell…" but he was already out of earshot. "…that I'm expecting your child," she sighed, leaning to the wall. A single tear ran down her cheek, but she wiped it away and drew herself up. "I'm not going to cry for you, Severus Snape. If you want to be an idiot, then I won't stop you."
* * * * *
The remaining week before the tournament was spent in the fervour of organising. Everyone seemed to be organising something, perhaps save for Professor Snape who was avoiding people – he was never seen outside class and meals. He must have been spending his time in his dungeon room with Lucky.
Beryl Bradley and the bunch of house-elves who helped her, were cleaning the castle more diligently than ever before – it had to look perfect by the first of May, its millennium anniversary.
Several dozen of architect wizards were working on the Quidditch pitch that would serve as the ground for the tournament. The students tried to get sneak views of the stadium but it was magically barricaded from their curious eyes.
The only people allowed into the stadium were the members of the two adult Quidditch teams, but they were made to swear not to tell the students anything about the inners of the building.
Cornelius Fudge paid the school several visits the last week, checking on the work of the architects and discussing details of the event.
After the fiasco at the Halloween party, it had been agreed that no one else but the residents of Hogsmeade and the parents of the contestants were allowed to come - and only the magic parents. Some Muggle-borns took this as an evil discrimination, but even they had to admit that having freaking Muggles around would not do any good to the school and the festivity.
A whole squad of hit wizards had been arranged to provide protection for the seven days of the tournament and the eighth day with the Quidditch match. This way there wouldn't be another spider attack or another memory charming.
Some pupils expressed their annoyance at having to duel with a bunch of bodyguards around, but Dumbledore and McGonagall were relentless. They wanted the students and the visitors to be safe this time. There was no way they'd let Rhea Skeeter have another field day, criticising the lack of judgement of the Hogwarts stuff.
Harry, besides training diligently for the match, had volunteered to set up defence spells around and inside of the stadium. Aberforth helped him a lot – they had learned to work together on stuff like this back at Durmstrang when placing security charms for the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament.
* * * * *
One evening after walking back to the castle from the stadium, Harry met Lily in a corridor. She wanted to get out of his sight, but he caught up with her.
"I want to talk to you."
"About what?" she asked. "If you want to reprimand me for the last time, don't waste your time. I feel so miserable about it that it's enough of a punishment."
A gentle smile spread on his face. "I don't want to reprimand you. Neither do I want to punish you. I just wanted to tell you that I wasn't mad at you, no matter what you said. I was just a bit sad that you felt that way. I love you, Lily. And I'm sorry that I didn't let you come to the wedding."
"No, it's okay, Harry. I understand," she hung her head and kept talking to her shoes. "You did it in my own interest… you didn't want people point at me and say that I'm being favoured just because I'm the great Professor Potter's daughter," she looked up with a feeble little smile. "Will you forgive me?"
"Only if you also forgive me," he said.
"'Course I do," she shrugged.
"Then c'mere," he gathered her into his arms. When they parted he was appalled to see tears in her eyes. "What's the problem, sweetie?"
"Nothing… and everything," she sniffed. "I feel so ashamed, Harry. I don't know what came over me last time…"
"Forget it, okay? I have already forgotten it. Here," he handed her a hanky. "I don't want you to look sad when everyone else looks happy."
"Oh… you mean the tournament."
"Yes. Aren't you happy about it?"
"Dunno. Should I be?"
"Well, I was hoping to see you going for the title Queen of Beauty and Love…"
She had to smile at this. "At first I wanted to go for it, then… I no more felt like it. But now I might change my mind."
"Good girl," he said. "I think you could be a very pretty Queen, Lily."
"Thanks, Harry," she blew her nose. "But… would you be mad at me if I didn't win?"
"Oh, you little goose," he shook his head. "Even if you don't manage to become Queen, you'll always be my little Princess."
"Thanks, Harry," she stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Now I really feel that I have a father."
"Then wouldn't you call me dad?" he cocked his head, sending her a puppy stare. She barely could hold back the laughter that wanted to burst out of her: he was simply so cute. No other student in the school (besides her little brother) had a father so young.
"I'll try, dad. But it won't be easy. I've got used to calling you Harry."
* * * * *
"I can't believe it's already 1st May," Daniel sighed, pushing the covers off himself and starting to dress up. Abu handed him his socks. "Thanks, Abu. Oh, I'm so excited! How exactly will the tournament go? Dumbledore didn't go that much into details, did he?"
"Nope," Norbert yawned, caressing the wings of his pet raven, Ivo. "All we know is that there will be seven days for the tournament, presumably one day for each year."
"Then… we are likely to go as first, right?"
"It's obvious, isn't it, hotshot?" Jerry Travers interjected. "By the way, Potter, how did it even occur to you to enter? I mean… back in September, you couldn't even conjure some decent sparks and now you think you're good enough for real wizard duelling? Aren't you afraid that you'll suck?"
"Not really," Dan shrugged while Abu gave Jerry a furious look. "I have learnt a lot since September and I'll show you."
"Can't wait," Donald Rookwood's ugly fox face tucked into a smirk. He seemed to be sure about Daniel's grim defeat.
"Really, you sound way too self-assured, Potty," added Iago Rosier. "Why this great confidence? Just because you managed to turn a mouse into a snuffbox? That doesn't make you a great wizard, you know."
"I never said I was a great wizard," Dan snapped. "Are you coming, Norbert? I'm dying of hunger."
On their way up to the Great Hall, they met several friends who looked just as excited as they were. The Weasley twins were chattering happily about winning the title of the Queen, and David Dursley was muttering incantations, very possibly exercising them for the duel. Kevin Weasley didn't miss the chance to give Daniel a remark similar to that of Dan's Slytherin dormitory mates, but Dan didn't mind. Today he'd show this self-conceited boy that he was a real wizard. He had learnt many spells in the last few months, even those, which weren't in the syllabus of the first-years, and Norbert seemed to be doing the same. They had spent a lot of time in the library searching for various disarming and disabling spells that they were likely to need today. Daniel had also sneaked down into Gryffindor's chamber as often as he could without waking his friends' suspicion.
He felt better and better in this Imagining business and barely could wait to try his powers on his opponents. Maybe it wasn't exactly fair, but heck, he was a Slytherin! Whenever pangs of remorse assaulted him about using his advantages, he kept telling himself that the Hat must have had a reason to put him into Slytherin and a Slytherin shouldn't have such high morals.
On the other hand, even his father had approved of Imagining and Dumbledore hadn't told him with a single word not to enter the tournament, and that must have meant that Dumbledore didn't mind him Imagining stuff in order to win. Daniel had tried to Imagine things while saying incantations, so that it would look as though he had performed the spells in the normal wizard way – this way, he wouldn't wake anyone's suspicion. Of course he knew that he wouldn't be able to perform the spells without using his special talents, because he barely had normal magic in himself. About 90% of his magic talents was Imagining, and if he could imagine-transform a mouse, then it was just as good as if he had done it the official way. If he managed to make his Imaginings look like normal magic, it wouldn't hurt anybody. Oh yes, that was probably cheating, but as long as there were bastards like Kevin Weasley mocking him about being a bungler, he had to show that he wasn't.
Before entering the Great Hall, he met his father, who gave him the thumbs-up. This encouraged him a lot – his last conversation with his father came to his mind. Harry had told him to play to his strength. And that was what he'd be doing.
With a grateful grin to Harry, Daniel hurried off to the table of Slytherin to see Gilda Lockhart already sitting there, deeply absorbed in a book.
"Still studying for the quiz, Gil?" Norbert asked, flopping down into a chair next to her.
"No. Dad told me that I had overworked, reading all those complicated books and I should relax – read something… lighter for a change. So I'm trying to relax."
"Hehe, why does it sound as strange from your mouth as it would from Aunt Hermione's?" Daniel smiled. "What 'relaxing stuff' are you reading?"
Miss Lockhart showed him the cover of her book: '1001 magical hairdos' by Gilderoy Lockhart. "Dad's latest book, it hasn't come into the stores yet, I just got a copy beforehand. He even signed it for me," she said. "I'm sure it is going to be a hit."
"No doubt. Who would know more of hairdos than the great Gilderoy Lockhart?" young Malfoy smirked.
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Gilda frowned.
"No way," he laughed. "I'm making fun of your father."
"Oh… then it's okay," she giggled, casting a glance at her father who was sitting next to Harry Potter at the staff table, wearing lilac robes and unusually curly hair.
"Wonder where Snape is?" Dan asked. The Potions Master was nowhere to be seen.
"Dunno. And don't care," Norbert shrugged, putting a lot of marmalade on his slice of bread.
"Beryl's here," Gilda pointed at the caretaker. "That means they cannot be together."
"I haven't seen them together for a long time," Daniel commented. "And it's strange, because they used to be inseparable back in autumn. They must be still angry at each other for some reason. I wonder whether Snape knows about the baby at all."
"No idea. But… it isn't even sure that Beryl's pregnant, is it?" the girl said. "I mean… we only saw her once being sick, but it could have been caused by something else… an indigestion or whatever."
"If it was an indigestion, then I'll eat Abu," young Potter said.
"And you'd be spitting furballs for a month," his friend laughed. "Really, imagine it, Dan!"
"I'd better not," Daniel grimaced. *Or it might come true,* he added in thought.
* * * * *
Albus Dumbledore was late for breakfast, since he had been tending to his phoenix that had a nasty cold. "Tut, tut, catching a cold in May!" Albus patted Fawkes' head and tied a shawl around the phoenix's long neck. "There, I must go now. Be a good boy."
He was about to exit his room when Severus Snape entered.
"Oh, good morning, Severus! Are you just as excited about today as I am?" the headmaster asked with a wide grin.
"Excited is not the right word, Albus," Snape grunted. "I have to talk to you."
"Oh, my, Severus, you frighten me. What does this glare mean?"
"Something's amiss, Albus. Seriously amiss."
"With the caretaker, again?" the headmaster gave the Potions master a quizzical look.
"No, I have no problems with her anymore," Snape growled.
"Her? So, you know then."
"Yes, I do, and I'd demand an explanation from you if it was the most important thing now. But it isn't."
"Of course it isn't, the most important thing right now is the tournament," Albus nodded.
"Not for me."
"Oh, of course, how could I ever presume that you'd feel a little bit happy about an event like this!" the headmaster waved jovially. "I should be scolding myself for the sheer presumption, Severus."
"You still think this is funny, Albus, but it's not. Look," he rolled up his sleeve and showed Dumbledore his Dark Mark. It was as indistinct as ever, but the skin around it was burning-red. It must have been causing Snape great pains.
"Oh," Albus breathed. "I don't like this," tentatively he reached out and touched the Mark.
"Why, do you think I do?" Snape gritted his flashy teeth – Albus' touch must have hurt.
"How long has it looked like this?"
"Not long. Probably two or three days. You remember what I told you back at Halloween? My arm had been aching dully ever since September. Then, after Halloween, the pain lessened a bit. It has just started to burn again and it's worse than ever before. Do you think that… he has something to do with it?"
"I don't know, Severus," the old wizard shook his head and sank into his armchair, all his happiness and excitement about the upcoming tournament gone. "I seriously don't know. He cannot have returned, you know that. On the other hand… Tatyana Fiodrovna couldn't be making your hand ache…"
"Who?"
"Er, long story. It has nothing to do with you, you didn't even know her."
"But… who is she?"
"Who is she? Or rather who was she," Albus said.
"I don't understand a word," Snape replied.
"Neither do I, Severus. Neither do I. I think we should be going downstairs. I have to give the contestants instructions about the tournament. Come, Severus, and try to forget about your arm for a while. Keep smiling, Hogwarts is 1000 years old today," said the headmaster with an unusually sullen voice.
As the headmaster entered the Great Hall, everyone fell silent. Even the buzzing of a fly could have been heard.
"Well," Albus smiled, "the big day has come. Our prominent school celebrates its thousandth birthday today. The staff has agreed that Hogwarts, as everyone who celebrates his birthday, deserves a birthday-cake," he clapped three times with his hands and a dozen elves appeared in the door, carrying a huge, four-tiered cake. Its lowest tier had red icing, the one above it was blue, the next one yellow, and the one on the top green. On the green tier there were four small figures: a lion, a badger, an eagle and a snake. Around the three lower tiers exactly a thousand candles were burning – candles that never burned low and never started dripping wax. All of the house-elves were singing: 'Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Hogwarts, happy birthday to you!'
In the second the song ended, fireworks erupted from the little figures on the cake and zigzagged in the hall, bouncing off the ceiling, but not harming the students or the fabulous cake at all.
"Hey, Slytherin's tier is the smallest!" Kevin Weasley chuckled while applauding fervently. "And Gryffindor' the biggest!"
"But Slytherin's on the top," Vivian pouted.
"I don't care for the colours, it looks marvellous!" Lily said. "I can't wait to taste it!"
"Do you think we'll be allowed to eat it?" Lancelot frowned.
"Of course, why else would they have baked it?" Valentine said. "Hehe, if all houses get their own tier, then the Slytherins will be fighting for each slice!"
Dumbledore raised his hand to silence the kids, most of whom were eyeing the tart, drooling.
"Certainly you will be able to taste this little beauty at dinner," said Albus, "but, before that, we have a whole day of excitement before us! Let me tell you the details. The tournament starts at ten o'clock with the speech of Cornelius Fudge," almost everyone groaned. "Ehm, try and sit it through, all right?" Dumbledore gave the students a grin. "So, the tournament will take place in the Quidditch stadium. The architect wizards have put expanding charms on the stands, so don't worry, every student and every guest will be able to see everything. The other professors and I decided to let the first-years learn a bit from the older students' performances, so today will be the day of the seventh years, tomorrow the sixth years come, and so on and so on."
A loud murmur ran down the hall. Most of it was disappointed groans – clearly, the first years had been prepared for a fight for today, and the seventh years had thought that they had six more days to practice. Well, Dumbledore seemed to have upset their plans.
"Oh, I can't believe it! Six days! I wanted to get it over with today!" Daniel sighed, furiously eyeing the thousand burning candles on the cake.
"I for one am happy about it. No worrying for a while, we can enjoy watching the others screw up!" Norbert commented.
"I like to have such things behind me," Dan shrugged.
"You said you weren't worried at all, so why this 'let's get it over with' now?" Gilda asked, propping her chin on '1001 magical hairdos'.
"Nothing," Dan shrugged.
"Let me continue," the headmaster spoke up. "We have exactly 141 seventh-year students, 68 of which are males and 73 females. To my great delight 32 male students have decided to go for the title Champion today, and 25 girls will be fighting for the title Queen of Beauty and Love. Now, how will all this go? Let me start with the explanation of the girls' contest. Right after the breakfast is cleared from our plates, those 25 ladies please stay in the Great Hall – you'll be getting a quiz of fifty questions. You will have thirty minutes to fill in the test and the ten ladies having the best results will go for the second round that will take place after lunch."
"Will we be filling out another form, Professor?" a seventh-year Ravenclaw girl put up her hand.
"No, you will be taking part in a real quiz show in the second round – you'll be getting questions from Professor Weasley and the one who sends up green sparks as the first, will be allowed to answer the question. I trust most of you know how Muggle quiz shows work, don't you?" Albus saw that many students nodded their heads. "Excellent. And finally, the three ladies with the best results will go for the third round that will take place in the Quidditch stadium at sundown. We aren't telling you yet what kind of questions you'll be getting then, let it remain a surprise. And now," he gave the students a jovial smile, "let me give you the details of the wizard duels. There will be a draw to decide who will be paired off with whom for the first duel. The winners of the first duel will be paired off again and again, until there will be only two contestants left. The winner of those two will be today's Champion who will be crowned by today's Queen. Is everything clear?"
"Not totally, Professor!" a seventh-year Slytherin boy (as far as Dan knew, a second-cousin of Millicent Bulstrode) shouted. "You haven't told us the rules. What is allowed in a duel and what isn't?"
"It's very simple, Mr. Bulstrode," replied Dumbledore. "You may not use Expelliarmus. If you rid your opponent of his wand right away, where would be the fun? You may not stupefy your opponent or cast Petrificus Totalus on him, because that would also end the game in a second. Besides these you may use any spells, hexes, jinxes and curses, with the exception of the Unforgivable ones. Any more questions, anyone?"
There were no more questions. All students left the Great Hall, save for the seventh-year female contestants who received their parchments with the fifty questions.
Daniel and his two friends headed for the Quidditch stadium. It was only nine o'clock, but the sooner they took place on the stands, the better seats they got.
Not for nothing had the architect wizards been working on the stadium for days – it looked marvellous. The spitting image of a medieval tournament-pitch. There were colourful banners swimming in the air everywhere on the stands, there was a top box situated in the Hufflepuff stands – it had about twenty seats for some teachers and prominent guests. There was a tent-like thing built over the top box to protect the spectators from the harmful rays of the Sun, or – in case of rain – from getting soaked to the skin. However, Hogwarts' meteorologist, Sybill Trelawney, hadn't forecast rain for the next week, to some people's great relief and other people's unhappiness (the latter never believed in Sybill's predictions and were quite sure that if she forecast sunny weather, then there would be a hailstorm.)
The tournament must have been sponsored by Gringotts bank, because there was a huge screen above the entrance, advertising the wizard bank's wonderfully favourable interest rates and credit possibilities.
Several wizards could be seen dressed up as medieval pages and jesters with fool's caps. They were employed by Dumbledore to serve wizard sweets, just like popcorn was served at a Muggle football match. They were pacing among the rows of seats with a tray suspended from their necks – a tray full of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, chocolate frogs and pumpkin pasties.
Some of the witch-guests had put on long, pointed hats with veils hanging from it (a very popular piece of clothing in the Middle Ages) and dresses that had long gone out of fashion – one of them strongly resembled Ron's old frilly dress robes.
There were even some wizards with trumpets and lutes. The ones with the lutes kept entertaining the crowd till ten o'clock with singing various medieval songs, just like minstrels.
Daniel saw several familiar faces among the guests. There was for example Draco Malfoy, sitting next to Gabrielle Delacour. Draco seemed to be sizing up Gringott's huge advertisement with a sour expression suggesting 'it should have occurred to me instead to advertise here!'
There was Cho Chang, too. Some of her employees at McRice were working here now, serving magical sweets. Madame Rosmerta was also present (with Sirius) – she must have thought that no one would want to visit the Three Broomsticks when there was a tournament at Hogwarts. At least she had made a good deal when agreeing to sell Hogwarts two hundred barrels of butterbeer.
Daniel waved at his mother and younger siblings. He suspected that little Lea would have to be taken back to the Potter house after lunch, because small children like her couldn't sit through the whole day. Harry was sitting next to Ginny in the Gryffindor stands.
Dan was just about to ask Gilda why she was still studying '1001 magical hairdos' when Lily appeared next to the three friends. "Norbert, could we talk… in private?" she asked.
"Er… do you mind?" the boy asked Dan and Gilda.
"Not at all. We'll reserve your seat."
"What does she want from him?" wondered Dan as his sister and young Malfoy disappeared into the crowd.
Not far from the Potter parents sat Ron and his son Rupert. He was in deep conversation with Professor Longbottom's wife whose name Daniel didn't know. She seemed nice enough, though.
Mrs. Figg (who had brought two of her cats) was chatting with Minerva and Aberforth in the top box.
As Lily Potter passed by the Ravenclaw stands with Norbert, she had no idea that they were getting murderous glances from Christopher Wood and David Dursley.
"What are you looking at like that?" Yvette snapped at her boyfriend.
"Uh, nothing, dear," Chris replied, though he followed Lily with his eyes until she disappeared out of sight.
"And you, Dave?" demanded Circe Diggory, David's girlfriend.
"Huh?" young Dursley shuddered. "Oh, nothing. I just thought that this Malfoy guy wasn't the one for my cousin. Circe, dear, you're her best friend, couldn't you talk to her about this?"
"Ah, I have tried," Miss Diggory waved indignantly. "She doesn't listen to me. She told me that even her father had expressed his disapproval about her relationship with Malfoy, but she didn't care," she leant closer to her boyfriend. "Either she wants to make Wood jealous, or she's really in love with this Norbert."
"That would be a shame, if she loved him. He's just a baby, after all!" David protested.
"Well, not everyone can be as masculine as someone I know," Circe giggled and kissed him on the cheek, making him forget all about Lily and Norbert.
* * * * *
"Am I hallucinating, or is that really Snape there in those dark green robes?" George Weasley asked from Harry after he, Fred and Angelina had joined the Potters in the Gryffindor stands.
"No, you're not hallucinating," Harry grinned.
"But… what happened to him?" Fred gaped. "He looks so…"
"Sexy," Angelina sighed, ogling the Potions Master whose hair seemed unusually clean and whose teeth glittered in the May sunshine (even though he wasn't smiling, just talking to Draco Malfoy).
"Angie!" both Fred and George gasped. "You don't mean it!"
"Oh… it must be the pregnancy," Harry smiled. "I bet Angelina isn't feeling too well."
"But I am!" the woman replied. "And Snape really looks good! Oh my gosh, I never thought the day would come when I'd be saying something like this!"
"Then what will you say when you hear about Valentine's timetable?" Harry smirked.
"Why? What's up with it?"
"Um… let me just say that nowadays Snape is Hogwarts' new Casanova, not Gilderoy Lockhart."
* * * * *
"So, what did you want to discuss with me?" Norbert asked Lily as they left the building.
"I wanted to talk to you about us," the girl answered. "Or, put it this way: I wanted to tell you that there's no more an 'us'."
"I thought there was," he said with a sour expression.
"Maybe you were wrong. Maybe I was wrong, too," she pursed her lips. "Listen, Norbert, I have been thinking a lot since the day dad caught us in the Astronomy Tower."
"Oh, so he managed to convince you that you shouldn't be going out with me," the boy looked very disappointed.
"No, he didn't. But my discussion with him made me start to think stuff over… and he was right. I'm not in love with you. Never was. I… I don't know what got into me back at Christmas when you first kissed me… or on Valentine's Day… I wasn't in my right mind. I suppose… I suppose I should be giving this back to you," she pulled the gift necklace out of her robes. "If it's a break-up, then let it be a proper one."
"No… no, keep it, please. It is, as I said back on Valentine's Day, a gift from a friend to a friend. I… understand that you're no more my girlfriend, or never really were, but… keep it. I couldn't do anything with it, it symbolises the sky at the time of your birth," he reached out, gently took her hand and guided the necklace back into her robes. "I want you to have it."
"All right," she nodded. "Can we… can we still be friends?"
"Of course," he sighed. "Though, if truth be told, I don't understand why you chose exactly today to break up with me."
"Because I knew that today Daniel would be much more interested in the tournament than in you and me having a private discussion."
"Clever girl," he gave her a sad smile and turned around to head back for the stadium.
"Norbert!" she called after him.
"Yeah?"
"I like you. I truly do," she walked up to him, gazing deeply into his eyes. "I don't know why, but I felt something between us from the first moment I saw you, and I still feel this tie. I don't know what it is or whence it came from, but… it exists."
"And is it good or bad?"
"I don't know," she shook her head. "But I intend to find out. So… you'll just have to stay my friend, so that I have an opportunity to find out."
"Okay," he nodded. "But now let's go back if we don't want Dannie and your dad to be mad at us."
A/N: you might be wondering how I got the numbers of students taking part in the seventh-years' championship. Well, since Rowling said that there were about 1000 students at Hogwarts, I thought that there had to be around 140 students at each year. I frequently visit a Hungarian HP forum in which we have debated the number of Hogwarts students a lot, but I tend to believe that there are 1000 students at Hogwarts. (I remember that when posting TGSiHH someone wrote me a rather nasty review yelling that I got the numbers wrong. I didn't want this to happen again, so that's why I started explaining it :)
jasper: glad you do :)
Black Ice: I understand, then. Well, it's both a 'made up person shock' and a 'real person shock'. Don't ask me to explain it now, you'll understand when the time comes. Sorry 'bout the lack of house-elf grammar, it's hard enough for me to try and write the English grammar as well as I can, I can't pay attention to everything :)
weirdo_without_a_clue: nooo, Beryl doesn't walk in on Snape while he's rummaging through her undergarment :) Your theory about Tatyana is really imaginative.
maureen: yes, Dumbledore will find out about the chamber. Wow… you remember the mysterious voice. Not many people did!
Lavendar Brown: don't worry, Snapie will be happy at the end! I also think he needs to be loved, he didn't get much love throughout his life.
Indigo Ziona: Percy as the heir of Slytherin? Hahaha, that's cool. You should write an AU fic called "Percy Weasley and the Chamber of Secrets" :) Yeah, Snape's mum's so nice to knit him a new jumper every year :D I agree, never go for the first suspect!
The Millenium One: and what do you think is happening to Lily besides turning into a woman? Hmmmm?
Katrina: and you'll get even more confused before I tie up all the interwoven lines of the story. Aaron and Desideria? Nooo! They're nice people! They helped Harry get his powers back, remember?
Houou: don't call poor Snapie an ass! ;)
SiriDragon: glad you liked the niffler.
candycaneOgram: yes, I know that my writing has improved a lot since I wrote TGSiHH :) The nifflers are just there for fun and cuteness :) What? The Malfoy elves all dying of influenza? LOL, that's funny! But no, they didn't have the flu, neither did they leave Lucius. Draco doesn't really like his dad. Well, the Malfoys will be sort of happy at the end. Why did Godric's son never find out about the chamber? As I have mentioned in the last chapter, any kind of accident might have happened to the owl carrying the message about the chamber – the owl might have got attacked by an other bird of prey or something. The reason why Godwin didn't get to know about the chamber isn't important, only the fact that he didn't know about it.
Beauty in Disguise: well, strange things are happening to Lily. Draco and Gabie will surely get together.
Altec: no, Trelawney's prediction in TGSiHH only referred to the fact that Voldemort would kidnap Lily and want to make the Potion of Eternity with her blood. It has nothing to do with Lily's current 'madness'. I know what you mean: really most authors gloss over writing the emotions of pregnant teens. I think I didn't really go into details when I wrote Ginny being pregnant, but at least I wrote Harry's emotions quite thoroughly. I thought that students didn't leave the castle for Easter. *shrugs* Anyway, it was necessary for the plot to assume that students weren't allowed to leave Hogwarts at Easter – otherwise Lily couldn't have fallen out with her dad.
BigDaddy753: what else would Snape think when he sees a pic of Neville in Beryl's room? I think it's fun that he misunderstands things. I particularly loved this kind of misunderstanding in Return of the Jedi when Han thinks that Leia is in love with Luke :)
Alexander Phoenix: I don't think that students go home for the Easter holidays, at least the trio never does, in none of the four books, and Rowling never mentions anyone going home for Easter.
PheonixFire: Tatyana's spirit possessing Lily? Hm… you're very imaginative, you know. No, the goat story won't impede my updating of this fic. You'll be getting one chapter of this one and one chapter of that one every week for three weeks – so two chapters from me a week, a real treat! :)
2Coolio: I hope you did your English term paper okay! :)
VegaKeep: yep, and more trouble to come.
apple-pie: Snape will get to know the truth about Beryl and Neville in chapter 27. Glad you liked the niffler part :)
Lupin's Angel: yes, I also had to think of my David Dursley when I read the news about Rowling's baby! :D What? You actually like Lucius? Hm… interesting. You gave interesting theories again, but they aren't right :)
Bucky: more Dan/Gilda in chapter 25, 26 and 30. No, Snape won't try and kill Neville, but he's mad at him, as you've seen in this chapter as well.
romina: glad you liked the drawing, and thanks for wanting so much to review! :D According to some people you can find the American cover of OotP on the site of amazon.com. I saw it in a Hungarian HP forum where someone linked it. You have a shrine to HP? LOL. Of course, do send me some photos, thanks!
Wood's secret lover: certainly Rowling wouldn't do such a thing as to call her son Harry or Ron :) She named him David.
Lioness-07863: I didn't count the candles on the OotP cover, but if you say that there's 12 of them, I believe you. Yes, I also noticed that the room was round, so I also thought that it might have been Dumbledore's office. Thanks for the Niffler you gave me, it has already ruined my house ;)
AmandaPanda: yes, I also feel sorry for poor Sev :)
Mistri: you said you had asked a question that I have never answered. I think I must have forgotten. Ask it again, and if I can, then I'll answer it :)
Lana Riddle: I will :)
C-chan: I have never played with a HP game yet. About Lucius… you might be right. I hope you'll be able to eat jellybeans at Easter. I have never had braces. Hey, I've read the part you wrote for Indigo Ziona, it was sooo cool! I found it very funny that Draco's favourite day was Friday because they had Potions, and the Pansy thing was also a nice touch. Jaffar being his fave Disney character? LOL. I loved the way Hooch took 20 points from Slytherin after Snape had taken 20 points from Gryffindor! You're very imaginative, C-chan, double kudos to you! :D
seashell: I loved your recipe, LOL. Very imaginative. Yes, it'd be nice to see the back-cover of the OotP book as well, but perhaps it'd tell us too much, that's why they didn't show it?
Mage: no duel between Snape and Neville, but Snape was quite hostile to Nev in this chapter, wasn't he?
Tap Dancing Widow: there'll be more of the good things in Severus' life soon :)
Sky: I'm sorry to hear that you are also ignored by your father :(
Myr Halcyone: I don't think that Harry looks way too young on the cover of GoF. Well, he looks young for a 14-year-old, but JKR always said that he was a small boy and I always assumed that he looked younger than his actual age. I think Harry has a haunted expression on the cover of OotP. I doubt that Rowling would openly talk about sex in OotP, even if Harry has turned fifteen. I think he'll carry on pining for Cho or he'll fall for Ginny (I hope so), but we surely won't get descriptions about his first erection, not even a hint at that, because if Rowling wrote something like that, she'd be skinned alive by those Christians who already yell at her for having written such an 'unholy' thing as Harry Potter. No, the baby unicorn won't be used for a Potion, she'll be just around to provide some cuteness for the story. Bedspread??? What do you mean by that? Hahaha, flushing Dan down the toilet made me rotfl. I'll try and not get myself blown up here, I also want you all to read the rest of the fic, so that I can laugh wickedly when you yell at me after certain nasty chapters ;)
Punky Poet: glad you like my Snape :D
ArgiCallista: Snowball the kitten doesn't come from Stuart Little (I haven't even seen/read Stuart Little), it comes from the Roxanne movie. Of course there might have been a cat called Snowball in Stuart Little, but I only knew about the one in Roxanne.
Toby Haine: glad to see you again! I was afraid you wouldn't write me anymore. I was already getting mad and worried – mad because you hadn't kept your word, and worried that something might have happened to you. That would have sucked, Toby, you're such a great friend :)
Inken: I think the fact that he'll be a father will be bigger a shock for Sev than getting to know that Beryl is related to Neville. Well, Norbert does like Lily, and Dan sort of knows that those two are 'together' (he might have heard from others who had seen Norb and Lily snogging on Valentine's Day – Harry had also known about it, although he hadn't seen it). But now their relationship is over. Or is it?
Makayla P.: what was the surprise you got? It's cool that your English teacher loves HP. I must admit that the reason for me reading the HP books was a comment of my Communications teacher. She told us to write complaining letters to a travel agency, and she loved mine so much that she read it out for the class, and added: "see, I'm sure that even Harry Potter was made up in a Communications class!" And I thought: "If this teacher likes HP, I should probably read it." So it's her fault that I became obsessed with Harry! It's nice that you have your own room – I never had an own one, there aren't enough rooms in our flat :(
Nefertiri: I'm glad your computer didn't freeze! Well, Beryl didn't deny her sex. Voldie and Tatyana? Hm… not really. You'll find out about Lily's problem in chapter 28. Yes, the baby elf will be born in the story. Who tore out the page? Well, you'll find out in chapter 28. You loved Lily/Norbert? Sorry... I had to make them break up. I fear I can't tell you the end of Albus' joke – we should ask Rowling, perhaps she knows it :) The goat story will have three chapters. No problem, your review wasn't that long :D
Lady Schezar: no, Lucius didn't do that. But you really like him? Hm… I don't. He was cool in the movie, but I don't like him in the books.
xaebhal: you'll get to know who set the house on fire in chapter 28. The same stands for the one who made Gilda poison Harry and Remus. As for Tatyana… you'll find out in chapter 29.
notebook girl: I'm sorry that I haven't heard Ode to HP yet. But its text is really cool, I've read it.
ArgiCallista: yes, Cho and Liu are sort of players. May I ask something: where does your name come from? The only Callista I know was in the Star Wars sequel books, she was a long deceased Jedi whose spirit Luke Skywalker fell in love with.
heavenly182angel: I don't intend to change the rating, since most R-rated fics here on ffnet have real sex in them, while mine doesn't and will never have. I tend to imply that people had/will have sex, but I never go into details. My short story (Starry Night and Racoon Bite) is a real R-rated fic, but this one isn't – IMHO. Look at some other R-rated fics, e.g. the fics of Leila B or webba, those are definitely R-rated, because they have sex, however TGEEF is far from those in that respect.
goldenstar555: you'll get to know what's going on with Lily in chapter 28 :)
romina: well, Snape is a real dupe and doesn't let poor Beryl tell him!
Red Ridding Hood: I'm glad you got a new PC and you have no trouble reviewing anymore :)
Autumn Dreams: I imagined Snape's mum a bit like Mrs Weasley – knitting jumpers for Severus, even adding his name on them ;)
Laina: glad you liked the Mr/Miss Bradley thing :D
Inigma: sorry, but there won't be a sequel to this fic. But I promise you that I won't stop writing, after I read OotP, I'll come out with a totally new fic based on the new knowledge that I acquired from the fifth book.
Disturbed Chic: sorry, perhaps this update wasn't that quick… but I started uploading my goat story, and wanted to leave some days between the two uploads.
Lady Marie: thanks a lot for reviewing. It always makes me happy to hear that my writing style has improved a lot :) You really thought that Bert/Beryl was a guy with STD? LOL! Don't worry about Ginny's miscarriage, she'll be happy again soon *wink, wink* I'm not going to do a sequel after this one, but I'll surely write other stories about Harry and Ginny, and of course I'm doing outtakes and asides, just like Starry Night and Racoon Bite, and Gadding with Goats (also here on ffnet, it you haven't read them yet, check them out).
ruffled owl: aha, so that's why you found it Star Warsish… there'll be several SW references in chapter 27, be prepared! :)
Hermione We@sley: glad you found it amusing :D
Rose: no, I haven't read the Mists of Avalon, but about two weeks ago I saw a two-episode film with the same title on a German TV channel. Julianna Marguiles played Arthur's sister Morgain. Are we talking about the same story? Well, just to assure you: I haven't taken anything from that book, because when I wrote this fic, I didn't even know that it existed :)
Shazzman: glad you liked the Niffler part. I for one have nothing against Draco, I kind of like him.
Lily: I'm glad you think it's suspenseful, it'll get even more suspenseful soon :D
Colibi: a niffer is a small, furry black creature with a lot of whiskers, I have always imagined it like a bigger version of a mole ;)
Kit Cloudkicker: is the Usual Suspects a movie? I haven't seen it.
njprincessky: perhaps. Can't reveal it yet :) You'll get your answers in chapters 28-29.
Katie Bell: yeah, I wouldn't talk to my parents like that, either ;)
CloverWeave: I'm happy you think this is one of the most suspenseful stories you've ever read… and I don't dare imagine what you'll say a couple of chapters later, LOL :)
figgiesblazin: glad you liked it. Sent you the pic.
Princess Ginny: congrats on winning! :D You'll get to know what's up with Lily in chapter 28.
Amaranta: well, since Harry, Ron and Hermione never went home for Easter, I thought they weren't allowed. And also, the school rules might have been changed since they were at school ;) I'm glad your friends like TGSiHH! You'll find out about Lily in chapter 28. You'll have a bit of Draco/Gabie in the next chapter. Their meeting-talk at Aberforth and McGonagall's wedding was taken from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (its book version, since it was cut out of the movie).