Disclaimer: Not mine, I only own some of the plot of this fanfic and Carya, some parts might be copied from the book (hopefully not very much. I tried to keep it to a minimum), you might notice that some people got into different houses than in the books by JKR; this has only minor reasons, but I need them to be where they are now ^_^
Author's Notes: The Final Chapter! Everything worked out in the end. I had one hell of trouble writing this. It was my first Harry Potter fanfiction and I just didn't know how to move in this universe. I know there have been far too many parts taken from the books but I couldn't help it.
If I ever find the time, I'll try and write an 'alternate' version of this with the same plot but less copied parts though. I do hope you still enjoyed this and will continue the second part which will hopefully be a bit more original.
The slight (or more, I don't really know) Mary-Sue-ishness of the twins will have to continue though. As will it with their friends. It's vital for my plot just to warn you. But they aren't perfect students in the long run. The twins do have their flaws like any other human. ^_^
You can find answers to your reviews in the Author's Notes.
This will be continued in: Harry Potter - A Different World Book 2;
If you want to be notified, leave me a review with your email address.
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Chapter 12 - The End of the Year Feast
After some serious arguing Madam Pomfrey let Hermione, Draco and Ginny into the infirmary.
"Only five minutes!" the nice, but strict nurse said.
"Harry! Carya!" they exclaimed.
Hermione looked ready to fling her arms around him, but Harry was glad she held herself in as his head was still very sore.
"Oh, Harry, Carya, we were sure you were going to -- Dumbledore was so worried -- ," Ginny nearly started crying.
"The whole school's talking about it," said Draco. "What really happened?"
It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange and exciting than the wild rumours. Harry told them everything sometimes with the aid of his sister: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort. Draco, Ginny and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.
"So the Stone's gone?" said Ginny finally. "Flamel's just going to die?"
"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that -- what was it? -- 'to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure."
"I always said he was totally nuts," said Draco, looking quite amused at how crazy his headmaster seemed to be.
"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.
"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Draco up here -- that took a while -- and then I met Ginny in the corridor and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall -- he already knew -- he just said, they've gone after him, haven't they?' and hurtled off to the third floor."
"D' you think he meant you to do it?" asked Draco. "Sending you your father's cloak and everything?"
"Well, " Hermione exploded, "if he did -- I mean to say that's terrible -- you two could have been killed."
"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a weird man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give us a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let me find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could...."
"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Draco proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. I bet the food'll be good. The points are all in and Ravenclaw won the house championship, of course -- you missed the last Quidditch match of the year, Gryffindor won against Hufflepuff but didn't have enough points in the end -- they only managed a difference of one hundred and thirty points. That means the Quidditch Cup is ours!"
At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over. "You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT" she said firmly.
After a good night's sleep, the twins felt nearly back to normal. Carya still was a bit shaky but she would never show it.
"I want to go to the feast," she told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened their many candy boxes. "I can, can't I?"
And Harry insisted on going too. They just couldn't miss that.
"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said stiffly, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realise how risky feasts could be. "And you have another visitor."
"Oh, good," said Harry.
"Who is it?" asked Carya.
Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down between Harry and Carya, took one look at them, and burst into tears.
"It's -- all -- my -- ruddy -- fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"
"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard.
Carya looked uneasy too. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him."
"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"
"VOLDEMORT!" Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "We've met him and I'm calling him by his name."
"Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, we've got loads...," Carya told him.
Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I've got yeh a present."
"It's not a stoat sandwich, is it?" said Harry anxiously, and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.
"Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'Course, he shoulda sacked me instead -- anyway, got yeh this..."
It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry took it and opened it curiously. Carya sat beside him and looked over his shoulder. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at them from every page were their mother and father. And there on the last page was a photo with all four of them. Carya was on their fathers arm and Harry on their mothers. They were all smiling and waving.
"Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos... knew yeh didn' have any... d'yeh like it?"
Even Carya who always said that 'Slytherins don't cry' had tears in her eyes and was unable to say anything. Harry couldn't speak either, but Hagrid understood. The twins made their way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. They had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving them one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full.
It was decked out in the Ravenclaw colours of blue and bronze to celebrate Ravenclaw's winning the house cup for the first time in nine years. A huge banner showing the Ravenclaw eagle covered the wall behind the High Table.
When Harry and Carya walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. They slipped into a seat next to Draco and Ginny at the Slytherin table and tried to ignore the fact that people were standing up to look at him. Harry glanced up and saw Hermione smiling at him from the Ravenclaw table. He instantly felt better. Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died away.
"Another year is over!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were... you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts.... "Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and
twelve points; in third, Gryffindor, with three hundred and seventy-two; Slytherin has four hundred and seventy- three and Ravenclaw, five hundred and seventy- two."
A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Ravenclaw table and the Gryffindors were applauding very loud too. They were glad that Slytherin hadn't won both championships. Harry could see Ron Weasley smirking at them. It was an unnerving sight.
"Yes, well done, Ravenclaw," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account." The room went very still. The Ravenclaw's and Gryffindor's smiles faded a little. Gryffindor had been ecstatic when they found out that Slytherin hadn't won this year. "Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes...
"First -- to Mr. Draco Malfoy.... for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Slytherin house fifty points."
Draco looked totally surprised and couldn't believe what he had just heard. He'd always thought Dumbledore would never give a Slytherin house points - now he was proven wrong. Ginny gave him a pat on the back.
"Second -- to Miss Hermione Granger..." Dumbledore continued.
Hermione went crimson in the face; she looked like she was going to melt into the floor.
"... for the use of pure and calm knowledge when others were in great danger, I award Ravenclaw house fifty points."
Ravenclaw's cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. They were still in the lead but they didn't know what came next. At last there was silence again.
"Third -- to Miss Carya Potter ... fifty points for cool logic in the face of fire. And last --," The room went deadly quiet. "... to Mr. Harry Potter... for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Slytherin house fifty points." said Dumbledore.
The cheering was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Slytherin now had six hundred and twenty-three points -- exactly one point more than Ravenclaw. They had won the house cup!
"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of cheering that came from the Slytherin table, "we need a little change of decoration."
The other houses were merely clapping, they so had wished Slytherin would loose this year but their hopes had been in vain. Slytherin made more noise than the other three houses had done together before. Dumbledore clapped his hands. In an instant, the blue hangings became green and the bronze became silver; the elegant Ravenclaw eagle vanished and a huge Slytherin serpent took its place.
Snape was shaking Professor Flitwick's hand, with a satisfied smirk. He caught Harry's eye and Harry knew at once that Snape's feelings toward them hadn't changed a bit. This didn't worry Harry. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, or as normal as it ever was at Hogwarts. He told Carya about this.
"It's good to have some things in life that really never change," she said an smiled at her brother and then at Professor Snape.
The professor was clearly not expecting that and looked away quickly. Carya's smile got even wider and she suddenly felt more relaxed than ever in the whole year.
It was one of the best evenings of Harry's and Carya's life, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or hexing obnoxious Gryffindors... they would never, ever forget tonight. Draco was perfectly happy too but he was beginning to worry what his father would say to this.
Being friends with Ginny, Harry and Carya was already bad enough but a muggle-born Ravenclaw as a friend? And the story with the stone? His father was bound to find out about that. The holidays wouldn't be pretty. Draco just knew there would be trouble.
They had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. Harry wasn't really worried about his exams as was Draco but they of course wanted to pass. To their great surprise, both he and Draco had gotten good and better marks; Hermione, Carya and Ginny had of course the best grades of the first years. They had hoped that Ron, who was not really that good, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. But as Draco said, you couldn't have everything in life.
Suddenly the wardrobes were empty, the trunks packed and everyone was ready for departure. They all were once again reminded that they were not allowed to do magic over summer and they really had hoped the teachers would forget about that. The children soon boarded the Hogwarts Express. Carya, Harry, Ginny, Draco and Hermione shared a compartment.
They spent the time playing cards, eating chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. They then changed from their school robes into muggle-style clothing right before the train pulled into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross Station.
It took quite a while for all the students to get onto the platform but finally everyone was on their way towards their parents or guardians. An old guard made sure that they didn't go through the gate in too large groups because otherwise they might attract unwanted attention and alarm the muggles that something strange was going on.
"You must come and stay some time this summer, all of you -- I'll send you an owl or better a raven." said Harry smirking slightly and Carya was grinning, too.
"Thanks," said Ginny, "I'll really need something to look forward to. I just hope my family will even notice me after getting sorted into Slytherin last year. You all know how they behaved."
"If they bother you too much, you can always come over. I doubt that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon would mind. Just call us. I trust you remember how to use a phone? Here's our number by the way," Carya said seriously and handed Draco, Ginny and Hermione a slip of parchment.
Draco was looking worried but he didn't tell them why. He just said he most likely wouldn't be able to visit. The others just let him be when he walked away and searched for his parents. Carya seemed to know what was bothering him. He was worried about being friends with them and Hermione.
The next to leave was Ginny. Harry, Carya and Hermione could see that only her mother was greeting her warmly. Her father just stood there and her brothers still ignored her completely.
"Arrgh, how dare they. We have to do something about that, Harry, Hermione. We just have to help her. She's our friend," Carya said looking furious.
Harry and Hermione just nodded. Harry knew, there was no arguing when his sister was in this kind of mood. Soon Hermione had to go too. She hugged Carya and said goodbye and then hugged Harry a bit tighter whispering her goodbye right into his ear. Carya shot them a knowing look. Harry and Hermione turned crimson and the boy glared daggers at his sister who just stood and smirked.
Hermione waved one last time and disappeared with her parents just as Uncle Vernon appeared in front of them.
"Hello you two! Have had a good year?", he asked and when they nodded he continued. "Let's get you home, your Aunt's waiting and Dudley too," he said to them.
When they finally arrived at Privet Drive No. 4 they were greeted warmly by their aunt and cousin. Carya couldn't help but again think about Ginny. Her and Harry's relatives didn't care about the house they were in. They had told them everything about it but they just didn't care. They only were glad to have their nephew and niece or, in Dudley's case, his cousins back at home. This made the twins more than happy. Now they had two homes. One with their relatives and the other at Hogwarts.
~*~ End Part One ~*~
A/N: This will be continued in: 'A Different World - Book 2'. The story will be featuring J.K. Rowling's third book 'The Prisoner of Azkaban'. Don't ask me about swapping the books positions it would spoil the fun and we don't want that, do we?
Please Read AND Review.
Thx ^_^,
Carya
