Thank you so much Seaver for beta reading and everything!

Thanks for all the reviews, those on other chapters then the last one as well!

Jelei: Lol… thanks for reading.

Joyce2: Thanks!

Devotion408: Oh no it'll be a happy ending (sooner or later).

Ankalagon: Well I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that they are young and loads of stuff will have time to change back and forth. Thanks! Snape won't dare push Harry around again, well a little perhaps it is Snape we are talking about after all.

keebler-elmo: Thanks for all the reviews! Ginny's mood is a part of the plot… Thanks! There are several agility charms just like "Mobiliarbus" and "Locomotor tree" should be about the same thing. Harry will only use the Reaktus charm in this story however. You made Hermione cry! She really cares for Harry… lol seriously though, is there something specific about her or Harry you find disturbing? Thanks again!

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Chapter 23 Malfoy honour

Potion the following week was cancelled and Snape did not return to the school until Friday just in time to teach the younger Slytherins dueling in the dueling club. Harry knew Snape would ignore him so Harry did his best to stay far out of Snape's way as possible, which was not very hard since their rings were on the opposite side of each other in the great hall.

Harry was very proud of his youngest students, even the first years were capable of performing the disarming spell now and some fourth years had begun practising stunning. It was very funny to see them duel in the end of every class they all put in a huge effort in finding funny curses in the library even though they were not required to or even asked to study on their own.

Harry still found it a bit awkward in speaking in front of so many students especially as they all called him Professor Potter, but it was a small price compared to the good feeling of doing something worthwhile, as Hermione would have put it. Ron and Hermione both had things they considered worthwhile.

Ron's was being the Quidditch captain of course and Hermione spending time bonding with the house elves in the kitchens. Unfortunately Hermione's attempt befriending the house elves were going so poorly that Ron didn't even have a heart to tease her for it. Especially not when the first Quidditch match of the season drew close, Gryffindor would play Slytherin as usual. Ron was in pieces, he sat up every night figuring out tactics and when he went to bed the other sixth year boys could hear him muttering Quidditch terms in his sleep.

On the morning of the match Ron ran around in Gryffindor tower waking the team members, he even used his broom so that he could fly up the stairs to the girl dormitories and pound on the doors even though it was forbidden even for Prefects. When he finally had managed to wake all the sleepy team members, he marched them down to the great hall for breakfast.

"Go make sure the house elves make proper breakfast," Ron commanded Hermione who had joined the team for breakfast.

"When have they not made proper breakfast?" Hermione retorted.

"Please Hermione," Ron said dismissively. "I do not have time for argues just go down to the kitchens and make sure that every thing is as it should be."

Hermione looked as if she wanted to argue with Ron very badly but left the great hall not to upset Ron any further.

"Now, while all you stayed in bed I was out flying," Ron stated. Harry had never heard anyone finding so many things to say about the whether and much less being able to link them all to Quidditch as Ron did. Harry felt his eyes close he was just too tired to listen to Ron even if he was his best friend.

"Potter," Ron barked, "Keep you eyes open or we'll find a new seeker!"

"Sorry," Harry muttered. Ron had never spoken to him like this but he couldn't say that he was surprised, Ron was obsessed by Quidditch and the only person who could drag him out of his obsession was Hermione and never more then a few minutes.

"Good! You are back Hermione," Ron said as Hermione reappeared, "The food all right?"

"Everything is as it should be," said Hermione curtly.

"Excellent," Ron exclaimed, "I want everyone to eat plenty we do not know how many hours we will be up there. If every thing goes as it should Harry will have caught the Snitch in time for lunch otherwise he'll catch it in time for dinner and I don't want to hear any whinging Virginia!"

"No Ronald," Ginny replied and started to eat some plane toasts. She was too tired to put any thing on them instead she dipped them in her tea.

"Where do you think you are going?" Ron barked at Katie Bell who was done eating and stood up.

"I'm not hungry," Katie said firmly too used with obsessed Quidditch captains to care about Ron's tone, "And I won't whine if we are not done until dinner."

"That's beside the point," Ron said, "You got to eat more!"

But nobody heard Ron they all stared at his hair. Ron flushed badly, it was odd because Ron couldn't possibly know that his hair had changed it was much too short.

"What?" He asked blushing, his face becoming more crimson every second. Finally, his face reached a complete red colour. A colour that human skin was incapable of, except perhaps with the exception of Vernon Dursley, if you count him as human. Hermione had a superior grin on her face. The grin she wore when she had proven somebody wrong.

"You know something Hermione?" Ron demanded.

Hermione pulled a small mirror out of her pocket and handed it to Ron. Ron stared angrily in it first and then surprised.

"Very funny Hermione," Ron said with a fake grin, they all burst out laughing.

"What makes you think I did anything?" Hermione asked innocently.

"You put something in my food when you were down in the kitchens and then you just happened to have a mirror with you." Ron replied, "Now turn me back."

"Oh I don't know. I think Gryffindor colours suit him, don't you?" Hermione asked the rest of the team. They all laughed again.

"Fine, but did you have to change my hair couldn't you just made my face golden?"

"That wouldn't have been any fun," Hermione replied.

"You are a prefect," Ginny scolded Hermione in a very accurate Hermione impression. They all laughed at this even Ron at least until they realised that Ginny was dead serious.

"I'm sorry Ginny," Hermione said earnestly. Ginny snorted indignantly.

"Come on Ginny," Katie said, "It was fun even Ron thinks so."

"It was silly," Ginny replied.

"It wasn't silly," said Ron sticking up for Hermione even though he was the victim.

"Ron," Hermione said sensing an argument approaching for once, "Have you checked the conditions yet?"

"Oh… yes," said Ron gathering his mind back to Quidditch, "Right we better get out there early morning prognoses are not to reliable and I want every one to know what to expect."

They finished breakfast on Ron's command and walked down to the pitch.

"Get off that broom!" Ron bark at Ginny when she tried to mount her Cleansweep 11, "We are not having any stupid accidents today we will have a warm up on the ground first then some spins around the field before we change for the match."

"Yes my Lord," Ginny teased bowing deeply as if Ron was Voldemort.

"You know" Selena said seriously "I've never realised it before but if you rearrange the letter in your name Ron, but that's not possible, it just can't be!"

"What?" asked Ron.

"It spells 'I am Lord Quidditch'" Selena stated.

Ron stared disapprovingly around at them for a moment this was not the time for jokes, "I haven't even got a Q in my name."

This caused every one burst out laughing once more. It was very funny to see someone completely red faced and golden haired telling everyone that he does not have a 'Q' in his name. It was very good that they were able to laugh this much before a match especially as this was Selena's first match ever and Ginny's first match as a chaser.

"This is it," Ron said when they all wore their Gryffindor Quidditch robes a while later. Apparently, Quidditch captains tended to start their pre match pep talks like that.

"We have trained harder then any other team, we have earned this victory. Are you ready to show those Slytherins how to play?"

"YES!" They all coursed and left the locker room. Harry was very glad that he had not been chosen as Quidditch captain by McGonagall he couldn't have done half of the things Ron had done for the team even if he didn't teach the dueling club.

The stands were full of cheering students everyone seemed careless and happy, all everyone worried over was if Gryffindor would beat Slytherin or the other way around. No one seemed to give Voldemort much thought at the moment. Harry managed to locate Fleur in the stands next to her sat Tonks and then Hermione they all waved at them Harry and Ron waved back.

"The Gryffindors!" Ernie McMillan announced apparently McGonagall or who ever it was who chose the commentator had thought it better to chose someone who would stay more impartial then Lee Jordon had.

"Gryffindor has a new Captain, Ron Weasley! Closely followed by the star seeker Harry Potter and chaser Katie Bell. Rearrangements in the line up this year with Ginny Weasley playing chaser instead of seeker together with the newest team member Selena Malfoy! Beaters are as last year Sloper and Kirke!"

The Slytherins had apparently already entered the pitch and stood in their line up, Draco Malfoy being the captain of course. Ron walked up to Malfoy and they shook hands reluctantly when madam Hooch told them so.

"And they are off!" Ernie said but was drowned in the cheers from the crowds. It was wonderful to play a match again, Harry hadn't realised how much he had missed it.

"Ginny Weasley got the Quaffle, Bell, Weasley again and Malfoy, oh to bad nice bludger work by Crabbe and Goyle."

"Potty," Draco Malfoy taunted and flew up to him choosing to mark him instead of finding the snitch on his own. "Must be hard? First, he steals your prefect badge then the mudblood and now he's Quidditch captain too. And the worst part is he's the son of plump and useless."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Harry spat and tried to shake him off but the Quidditch pitch was small and there was nowhere to hide so all Harry could do was to keep flying so that Draco wouldn't get close enough to insult him.

"Will you look at that," Ernie announced, "Malfoy scores her first goal that makes it fifty, forty to Slytherin."

The Gryffindors cheered. It soon turned out to one of the dirtiest games Harry had played; Selena and Ginny's top priority seem to inflect pain rather then to score. If either of them got a good chance to fly into the side of a Slytherin they did, not caring for if they got hurt themselves, which they did. When Ginny flew strait into Goyle knocking the wind out of him and earning her a nosebleed Ron called a timeout.

"What's the matter with you two?" Ron accused them, "We are losing points!"

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked innocently, pinching her nose to stop the bleeding.

"If you don't stop it I'll write to mum!" Ron threatened.

"We can't help it, it's kind of hard to avoid them, I mean look at the size of them," Selena said defensively.

"I am not stupid! Knock it off or else," Ron said dangerously.

"Right," Ginny muttered though Harry could tell that she didn't mean it.

"Good," Ron said, "We are only under with fifty points, we'll catch up."

The chasers focused a little harder on goal scoring but didn't seem to be able to catch up.
After all this was Selena's first match ever, Ginny had never played chaser before and the fact that the Gryffindor beaters probably were the worst of all time didn't help the slightest.

Harry scanned the field for the snitch frantically it had not shown it self for the entire match and was statistically bound to show up any moment. He flew high to avoid the Bludgers and to get a better view of the pitch. Malfoy followed him a few feet behind. The Slytherins had just scored again and Ron threw the Quaffle over to Katie. Harry glanced up towards the Slytherin goal posts to see if there was any good chance of Katie scoring. Katie passed the Quaffle over to Selena. Then he saw it, the Snitch was hovering down by the Slytherin goal posts inches over the ground. Harry went for it Malfoy close after him. There was an 'ohh' from the stands when they realised that they were diving for the Golden Snitch.

"Potter has spotted the Snitch!" Ernie announced, "Malfoy close on his tale this will be a close one!"

Harry could hear the swishing sound from Malfoy right behind him, he felt a rush of adrenaline; he leaned closer to his broom and begged it to go faster. He felt another rush of adrenaline when the ground approached him much faster then if he had been falling freely. But Harry was in cool control of his dive. He stretched out his arm to catch the Snitch.

Through the rushing wind and adrenaline driven heartbeat, he heard a deep thud behind him but Harry and his brain filtered it away for the moment. Fractions of a second later Harry held the struggling Snitch in his fingers victoriously. He pulled out of the dive inches from the ground.

There was short yelp, another deep thud, and a second later a third soft thump. Harry spun around. Malfoy lay sprawled on the ground face down both of his arm stuck out in odd angles and he appeared to be unconscious. Malfoy must have failed the dive Harry realised but then why had there been three thuds?

"Ouch," Selena said Harry looked up and saw that she was sitting on the ground a few feet away from Draco. She appeared to have crashed.

"You're hurt?" Harry asked.

"No," Selena said in a whisper "But I bet my dear cousin is."

"What happened?" Madam Hooch asked as she swept down on them. Selena's expression changed from pleased to sad and regretful.

"I was watching Harry dive," Selena said she looked as if she was on the verge of tears, "And then I must have lost control and the next thing I know I'm sitting here and my head hurts so badly. And Draco what happened to Draco? Will he be alright, he is my only cousin?"

Harry gaped at her, she was acting and she was very believable. Selena had deliberately flown into Draco Malfoy to make him crash. Madam Hooch conjured a stretcher and magic Draco on to it. His pale blond hair was red with blood that flew freely from his forehead.

"Oh no," Selena said dramatically.

"Is he all right?" McGonagall asked closely followed by Snape.

"Yes I believe so Minerva, he has a few broken bones and he needs to be taken to the Hospital wing immediately to stop the blood flow," Madam Hooch said gesturing to Draco's head.

"You come along too Miss Malfoy," McGonagall said briskly. McGonagall walked up to the hospital wing with Draco and Selena Malfoy. Madam Hooch stayed back to declare Gryffindor winner. Ron was happier then Harry had seen him in days but most of all relieved. The Gryffindor team gathered up shortly after in the hospital wing to make sure Selena was all right.

"Of all the mindless games," Madam Pomfrey complained loudly to no one particular when they entered. Madam Pomfrey was too caught up in the far end of the infirmary no doubt with Draco's injuries to notice them. They sneak quietly over to Selena's bed.

"Shh," Selena hushed them when she saw them, "I'm trying to hear how bad Draco is."

"Sorry," Mumbled Katie, she obviously thought Selena felt guilty about flying into Draco and that it had been an accident.

"Two broken arms, five ribs broken, a punctured lung and a nasty concussion," Madam Pomfrey muttered. Selena smiled widely, pleased with her results.

"How can you smile?" Katie asked, "You're cosine is badly injured."

"He'll live," muttered Selena, trying to force a sad look but to no success.

"Are you okay then?" Ginny asked.

"Never better," Selena replied, "Madam Pomfrey thinks I was just shocked since I don't have any injures."

"That's great," Jack Sloper said, "We'll have a party in the common room think she will let you out?"

"I'm afraid Miss Malfoy will have to spend the night here," Albus Dumbledore said seriously, they all spun around none of them had noticed him entering.

Selena sighed, "I guess that there is no point telling you that I feel fine Professor?"

"I'm afraid not Selena," Dumbledore replied gently, "I'm sure that your housemates is waiting in your common room to celebrate your victory."

"Right see you Selena," Harry said.

"Yeah bye, perhaps they will let me out for breakfast tomorrow. That is unless I'm too fragile" Selena said and gave Dumbledore a very hostile Malfoy glare.

All the Gryffindors celebrated the victory over Slytherin happily in the common room. They had indeed missed lunch but it didn't matter since Hermione, to Ron and Harry's great surprise, had asked the elves for snacks which they had been more then happy to provide. Hermione explained that if there was to be any chance of freeing the elves the needed to be treated as humans and since she had been working many hours in the kitchens this was a fair way for them to return her favour. After dinner, Harry visited Fleur and Tonks in their office. They too had a little party and Harry told them that Selena had in fact not lost control.

"Told you girls aren't innocent," Tonks exclaimed, "Remember?"

"Gabrielle was innocent," muttered Fleur sadly, putting a new meaning to the words. Harry hugged her trying to ease her pain, it was not often Fleur brought Gabrielle up like this but he knew that she always thought of her.

"Oh," Tonks said, "I'm sorry."

"No don't be," Fleur said and sighed, "You couldn't help that."

Fleur hugged Harry hard as if fighting her threatening tears by squeezing him.

"You know what? I think I'm going to go and see Selena," Tonks said and left the room. Tonks knew of course that Harry and Fleur hardly kissed each other and gave them space to expand their relationship whenever they seemed close.

"She doesn't give up, does she?" Fleur asked.

"I don't suppose she does," Harry replied and let Fleur settle down in his lap as she usual did when they were alone.

"I know it's kind of early to ask since it's only November but have you made any plans for Christmas?" Fleur asked.

Harry shook his head.

"I usually spend Christmas with my aunt, maybe we could go visit her some day of the holyday," Fleur suggested.

"Alright," Harry said, "But don't you think she… well we don't know each other."

"Don't worry she will love you I mean you and I are practically the same"

Harry smiled.

"Anyway I was thinking that perhaps New Years Eve would be a good time, Beauxbaton is always decorated beautifully," Said Fleur dreamily.

"Sure and we could spent Christmas with Remus and maybe Tonks and the Weasleys," Harry said.

"All right but what if…"

"Bill," Harry finished for her, "Ron told me he'll be spending the holyday in Egypt."

"Oh," Fleur said visibly relieved, "Then I'll ask Dumbledore for permission so that we can go to France."

The door swung open to the office swung open and Selena entered closely followed Tonks.

"Hi," Tonks said, "We are not disturbing are we?"

"No," replied Fleur, "Hello Selena."

"Hi Professor, Harry," Selena said, she was in a very good mood.

"Dumbledore said you could leave?" Harry asked.

"Nope," Tonks answered, "But Madam Pomfrey allowed her to have an extra lesson in defence against the dark arts. After all going on with life is the best you can do after a shock."

Fleur sighed, "You really shouldn't."

"Don't worry we will study hard won't we Selena?" Tonks asked pouring her a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Of course we will," Selena said smiling wider then ever.

"Now," Tonks said as seriously as she could, "This is normal pumpkin juice I want you to remember the taste so that you will know if a dark wizard poisons it."

"Oh yes Professor," Selena said obediently and took a long sip pumpkin juice.

"So what did Dumbledore say?" Harry asked.

"Not much really, since he technically can't prove I flew into Malfoy more then… you know," Selena said.

"Oh its okay, we know about that," Tonks said pouring her a glass of pumpkin juice.

"You are going to drink that?" Selena asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, why shouldn't I?" Tonks asked.

"Oh no reason… it's just that well my parents never drink pumpkin juice they say it's for kids," Selena said apologetically.

"Oh, well if you pardon me but that's stupid," Tonks said and took a huge gulp from her glass, "I'll always love pumpkin juice."

"Me too!" Selena said and for a moment seemed younger than the facade she constantly wore.

"So Selena are you staying here for Christmas?" Fleur asked.

Selena nodded, "Ginny is staying too she said that she can't stand her family, I figure we will be the only Gryffindors unless you are staying Harry?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Harry said.

"Well I'm staying we can have load of fun," Tonks said, Harry got the feeling that Tonks made up her mind now just so that she can stay with Selena. "We will be able to do all sorts of things. We could freeze Myrtles bathroom and skate in there. I would have gotten a huge detention when I did that the last time but I got away before anyone knew it was me."

"You froze the entire bathroom?" Fleur asked.

"Yeah, well just the floor," said Tonks, "But first we must get Myrtle to flood it, she will do it if we ask nicely and she will do it if we ask rudely it's not hard."

"And then if Hagrid joins us we might be able to catch a unicorn in the forest…"

"NO!" Selena yelled, "I mean I don't feel like going close to that place yet."

"Right, forgot about that besides the centaurs are mad too"

"They are?" Selena asked, "I thought they were friendly like Firenze."

"Not really," Tonks said shaking her head sadly, "Anyway we are going to have fun!"

Selena smiled brightly.

They had a very pleasant evening even though they mostly covered girl topics fortunately they spared Harry the worst of it and instead discussed some Quidditch. Finally, Selena looked so tired that Tonks dragged her back towards the hospital wing even though Selena protested.

"She must have had a really horrible childhood," Fleur stated when the door closed leaving Harry and Fleur alone again.

"Yeah," Harry agreed.

"Imagine what kind of people that not doesn't drink pumpkin juice but also claims that it's only for children," Fleur said, "It's a wonder she turned out as well as she did even if she practically tried to kill her own cousin."

"I can't blame her for wanting him dead after what he did."

"No me neither but it is not sure he did it, it's only what Selena thinks imagine if she's wrong," Fleur said expecting him to agree.

"I think Draco did it," Harry said a little more forcefully then needed. "Nobody else would be able to do anything like that."

"So what if he'd died?" Fleur said her temper rising, "And then years later it was discovered that it was somebody else!"

"Malfoy still deserves it!" Harry replied his temper flaring too. Fleur got up from him.

"So I suppose we might as well go down there and finish him off since he deserves it?!" Fleur retorted her veela transformation not far away but Harry didn't care he was angry.

"You know what? Maybe you should invite him to teach the dueling club as well since he is such a wonderful person." Harry retorted back while also getting up from the chair.

"Don't bring that up now!" Fleur hissed.

"I'll bring that up if I feel like it!" Harry hissed back.

"I thought better of you." Fleur said barley controlling her voice.

"Don't hold back for me I know what you look like with feathers!" Harry said fiercely and Fleur transformed.

"Happy?" Fleur screeched, "You got yourself a veela! Bet all your friends will be jealous now!"

"Shut up!" Harry yelled.

"Fine!" Fleur spat, "Then you can just get out of here!"

"I will!" Harry snapped, "And you might as well spend the entire holyday in France alone."

"Don't expect a gift!" Fleur said and threw a fireball at him.

"I don't," Harry said firmly and left her office before the fireball hit him.

Harry was furious he had not felt this angry since this summer. He turned a corner and a suit of armor turned its head to watch him. Harry felt a sudden urge to hit something and threw a hard punch at the armor's helmet. The helmet flew off and landed on the floor noisily He decided to run for it before Mrs Norris arrived. As he ran towards Gryffindor tower, he noticed that his right hand throbbed painfully he looked down and saw that he was bleeding severely but he didn't care. By the time he arrived Gryffindor common room, his anger had faded partly because of the fast sprint and partly because of the pain in his hand.

"Hey Harry what's up?" Ron asked as Harry entered, he and Hermione were doing homework at one of the tables, "is that blood?"

Hermione's head snapped up from her book, "What have you done, Harry?"

"I kind of punched a suit of armor," Harry admitted.

"Why?" Asked Hermione, "Mind if I try to heal it, I'm pretty sure I can, I just haven't tried before?"

"Knock yourself out," Harry said and sat down next to her.

"Right," Hermione said visibly thinking through a textbook. "Pull your sleeve up and put your hand on the table."

"So is that what you and Fleur do when you are alone?" Ron asked, "Walking around in the castle after curfew vandalising suits of armor?"

Harry didn't reply he watched Hermione first clean his wound and then with a tap and a short incantation the wound sealed it self. Harry gasped it was painful.

"Oh I'm so sorry Harry I should have told you it stings a bit," Hermione apologized.

"Don't worry it doesn't hurt anymore."

"So if you and Fleur don't vanda…" Hermione said but trailed off, as she seemed to guess why Harry hit that armor, "Did you argue?"

"It would be a little hard to have an argument with a suit of armor, Hermione," Ron said patronizingly.

"Yes," Harry agreed sadly, "We argued."

Ron grunted in surprise.

"Don't be stupid Ron Harry didn't argue with a suit of armor with Fleur of course!"

"Oh," Said Ron.

"It was just so stupid every thing was just great Fleur asked me to visit her aunt in Beauxbaton and then all of a sudden we started arguing and she did her veela stuff and then we argued some more and then I left."

"Don't worry about it, girls are like that if I'm not arguing with Hermione I'm fighting with Ginny," Ron explained.

"We've never argued like this," Harry muttered, "I've never argued like this."

"You'll be fine," said Hermione comfortingly, "She loves you and Ron is right it is normal to argue once in a while."

"I'm right?" Ron asked utterly bewildered.

"Yes Ron, for once and don't let that go to your head," Hermione teased.

Harry sighed, "I'm going to bed."

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Hmm… what do you think?

Next chapter: "Azkaban cleared"