All right. All right. I admit I let myself get a little carried away in the last chapter. But it was fun. I've decided to stick with the girls wearing dresses instead of robes, even if I'm wrong. I can't imagine girls looking hot completely covered by a robe.
To SnWfLaKeSwEeTy. Keep reading RJ. That series has some of the most complex and interseting lines of literature you will ever read. Plus it's cool as hell.
When the morning of the banquet rolled around, the robes and dresses that the fifth year Gryffindors had chosen were delivered to the hotel. On each robe the Hogwarts school crest had been embroidered on the left side just over the heart. The girls' dresses were embroidered in the same way, just in different areas. Most of the dresses had thin straps, so the crest had been place on the skirts so as not to ruin the look. Hermione's dress had the crest embroidered on the right side of the skirt, just over her thigh. She had thought that the crest would look stupid, but it ended up looking very good.
Standing in front of the mirror in her room, Hermione was examining herself. She admitted to herself that she wanted to look good tonight. The pale blue dress he had chosen fit her very nicely. It displayed curves that she had never known she had. Ron would wet himself when he sees me, she thought.
Realizing what she had just thought brought a blush to her cheeks. Things certainly had changed in the last few days. Where she had almost never cared what she looked like before, she now primmed, preened and plucked. She had a reason to care now. Ron loved her.
The very idea stilled seemed so foreign that she had to pinch herself periodically to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Ron loves me!, she thought happily. Though usually not one to succumb to emotion, she now had to admit that fact made her more than slightly giddy.
Parvati and Lavender looked amazing, of course. Far prettier than she thought she ever could. Parvati had gotten a beautiful pink dress while Lavender had gotten a matching green one. They had devoted the day to setting their hair, painting their toenails and gossiping. Hermione could hear them chatter through the thin walls of the bathroom.
"Did you see Harry in his robe?" Parvati squealed. "He's such a good looking boy."
"Yeah." Lavender said "I saw your face the other day when we were in the water. I was surprised you weren't drooling"
"Hey!" Parvati objected. "I was just surprised. I've never seen him without a shirt on before. Besides I saw the way you were looking at Ron."
Lavender giggled. "Yeah, he was pretty amazing."
Hermione felt a surge of jealousy course through her body. Who was Lavender to think she could look at Ron that way?
Lavender continued. "But it's OK for me to look at Ron. He's so enamored with Hermione that he didn't even notice me." She sounded like she was pouting.
Damn right!, Hermione thought. She felt herself blush again at the anger in her thoughts. When had she lowered herself to listening to gossip? But she couldn't help but listen.
"You were just a little too late to notice Ron, Lavender. At least I still have a chance with Harry." Parvati said.
Hermione forced herself not to snort. If Parvati knew how Harry really felt about her, she would completely give up on him.
"I wasn't too late with Ron!" Lavender screamed. "Unless I fell in love with him sometime during second year, I never had a chance. He's been in love with Hermione since before he even knew what love was."
Hermione was surprised to find tears springing up in her eyes. She thought back to what Harry had said the day before. She wondered why she and Ron had never noticed how much they had liked each other before. To find out Ron had loved her all these years was like a slap in the face. She cursed herself for not realizing. Then again, things hadn't turned out so bad.
Parvati and Lavender didn't know the half of it. Hermione was the person Ron cherished most in the world. He couldn't have become her Sentinel otherwise. The entire idea seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Of course, ever since she was eleven years old, most things in her life seemed like they belonged in a fairy tale.
She thought about how different her life would be if she hadn't been accepted into Hogwarts. She would never have experienced magic, which had become the entire backbone of her life. She would have never made any real friends. Before Hogwarts, she had been known as the annoying, smart girl. No one had ever wanted to talk to her except, of course, when it came to choosing partners for a school project. The kids had known that she would do all the work, and that they would get an A, regardless. She hadn't really minded it. It had been a way to interact with other kids. She had experienced a string of week long friendships that always ended with the other kid ignoring her in the halls.
But that was before Hogwarts. Before she had met Harry Potter-The boy who Lived and his gangly sidekick- Another Weasley. At least that was how the school had viewed the duo.
That was before she had made true friends. The kind that would lay down their lives in battling a mountain troll, even if it was out of guilt. The kind of friends that valued her as a person and not just a walking textbook. The kind of friends that would throw up slugs for you.
Hermione looked back on that last memory with more fondness than any other. Ron had always come to her side when Malfoy and his cronies would tease her. Ron had often come close to blows with Malfoy over it. The funny thing was that he had never defended Harry with the same vigor as he had defending her. Maybe that had been his way of showing his affections when he was too young to understand them.
Hermione fingered the crest embroidered onto her left thigh. She loved Hogwarts. She loved what it had taught her and what she had seen there, but what she loved most of all was that it had given her Ronald Weasley.
***
Harry and Ron got dressed in their room. They were a whole lot less fussy about their appearances than the girls were. But that was because they had larger things to worry about. Harry sat on one bad with the sword of Gryffindor on his knees. He ran a finger along the ruby-encrusted hilt and traced the word that had been engraved in the blade. Gryffindor.
Even more so than Hermione, Harry had found a home at Hogwarts. Before Hogwarts he could have honestly counted the number of times he had been truly happy on one hand. Now, he had such a myriad of great memories, that in his mind, they all ran into each other. There had been bad times too, of course. Everyone of his memories having to do with Voldemort were bad
Harry felt a surge of pure hatred run up his body as he thought of Voldemort. He had killed more people than anyone could count, including Harry's parents. He had tried to ruin Harry's happy life at Hogwarts numerous times. And he had killed Cedric Diggory right in front of Harry.
Harry had always blamed himself for Cedric's death. If it hadn't been for Voldemort's insane want to kill Harry, Cedric would still be alive. Harry had long ago accepted that he hadn't been able to do anything to stop Cedric's death, but he still felt guilt whenever he thought about him.
As Harry sat there on that hotel room bed, he came to a heart stopping conclusion. He hadn't been able to do anything about Cedric's death, but he could always help stop future deaths. By going to this banquet, he could help the cause. He could help recruit new warriors for the battle against Voldemort.
His new resolution firmly in his mind, Harry strapped on the sword of Gryffindor. Tonight was going to be a new beginning.
***
From the opposite bed, Ron saw the transformation taking place in front of him. Harry had sat down on the bed and looked at the sword. Slowly, Ron had seen Harry's backbone stiffen as he thought on things of the past. By the time Harry strapped the sword on, there was a grim look on his face. He had looked over at Ron and said firmly, "It changes tonight, Ron. Tonight."
Harry had marched out of the room, leaving Ron to alone to consider his words.
It changes tonight.
Ron nodded and walked over to dresser on the far wall. On the dresser was the Sentinel pin McGonagall had given him. Ron picked it up and looked at it. The pin was a small, blue representation of a shield. Ron thought that was fitting. Shields protect, just like Sentinels.
Then, made a resolution of his own. He would always protect Hermione, there was never any question about that. No, Ron decided there, while he stared down at the pin, that he would always protect Hogwarts. That he would always protect those that he loved.
Ron pinned the small shield into his black robes. He placed it in the center of the Hogwarts crest, symbolizing his new resolution.
Ron walked over to the full body mirror in the corner of the room. What he saw there shocked him. Standing there, in the mirror wasn't Ron Weasley the boy. He wasn't a man, but no longer a boy. He had been through far too much to be considered a boy anymore.
He had far too much to lose.
***
When Hermione walked into McGonagall's room, she saw that almost everyone had arrive. Dean and Seamus sat in one corner, probably betting who could get the most action that night. Lavender and Parvati stood in front of McGonagall's dresser mirror, making last minute changes to their hair and make-up. Neville stood uncomfortably against one wall. Neville had bought a canary colored robe that did very little to improve his appearance. Hermione loved him to death, but he would never be an attractive boy.
McGonagall wore her standard robes, just a tad bit nicer than her every day apparel. Her long flowing hair was back up in it's bun.
Hermione saw that neither Harry nor Ron had shown up yet. She was on the verge of going down to their room, when Harry walked in the door. He looked very handsome in his blue robe. The gold that had been embroidered into the collar and cuffs matched the gold in the Hogwarts crest.
When the other students noticed Harry in the room, they gasped. None of them had known about Harry wearing the sword of Gryffindor to the banquet. If Harry felt any embarrassment at wearing it, it didn't show on his face. In fact, he looked slightly angry for some reason. The grim look only left his face for a moment when he noticed Hermione. He smiled and said, "You look great, Hermione."
"So do you." she responded, but the grim look had already returned.
She was about to ask about Ron when he strolled into the room.
Because Hermione had left the clothing store before everyone else, she hadn't seen the robe that Ron had chosen. It was completely black, and on any one it would have looked slightly evil. But with Ron's honest face, he looked merely imposing. And very handsome. Oh his chest was the Sentinel pin, directly over the Hogwarts crest. He also had a slightly grim look on his face when he walked in. It disappeared, however, when he saw Hermione.
He stared at her for a good thirty seconds before he walked over to her. "You look amazing." he said.
Most satisfactory, Hermione thought before returning the compliment.
Parvati and Lavender had obviously seen the exchange, because they were giggling horribly.
Oh well, Hermione thought.
***
The class had rented a long limousine for their transportation to the banquet. The students were sprawled out on its long couches. Dean and Seamus were taking advantage of the wet bar.
"Isn't this a pretty Muggleish way for wizards to travel to a wizard banquet?" Dean asked.
McGonagall flashed one of her rare smiles. "We're in America, Dean. We have to travel in style."
"How did we get a limo, anyway?" Hermione asked.
McGonagall answered. "The wizard who owns the hotel called in a favor."
"Where are we going?" Seamus asked.
"There is a building less than a hour from here that is devoted to these kinds of banquets. The American schools have replaced all the waiters and waitresses with their own students."
"So all the schools are actually bringing more than eight students?" Harry asked. He hadn't said a word since he had complimented Hermione on her dress. He just didn't feel like talking. The other students had picked up on his mood, and hadn't spoken to him. They were a little surprised when he spoke.
McGonagall answered him. "Yes, Harry. Each school will be bringing eight students to eat and dance with you, but there will be other, probably younger students, who will be serving us."
Harry nodded. "Good."
Harry noticed the looks being exchanged across the limo, but he didn't care, and he didn't feel like explaining. Ever since Cedric's death, the other students had learned when Harry wanted to be alone.
The ride was long and boring. After the first fifteen minutes, conversation stopped. Harry realized he was the cause of the ominous mood, and tried to make light conversation with Parvati, who had insisted on sitting next to him.
"Are you anxious to meet all these new people?" he asked her.
Her face lit up when he spoke to her. "Not at all. I'm really excited. Why, aren't you?"
Harry forced himself to smile. "Yes, of course. This is a really good opportunity."
Parvati looked puzzled. "An opportunity for what?"
Harry realized that only he, Ron and Hermione knew the real reason the Gryffindors were going to the banquet. "Uh...to meet new people."
Her smile returned. "Yeah, it should be a lot of fun. Though I've heard the girls from Salem are a bitchy lot."
"Let's not pass judgment on them yet. I'm sure they're a great group of girls."
Harry knew he had said something wrong when Parvati's face went frosty. "I'm sure you'll insist on meeting all of them." she hissed.
Harry knew she was mad about something, but he didn't know what. "I might as well, right? We might not get the chance to meet others for a long time."
Parvati's eyes squinted. "I've heard the boys from Bourbon Street Academy are very charming. I'll probably talk to all of them."
"Yeah, go for it." Harry said brightly.
He knew he had said something else wrong when Parvati turned away from him for the remainder of the ride. He didn't really care, he had just been trying to make polite conversation.
The rest of the ride past by, uneventful. When the limo driver made a right turn, Harry looked out the window. They were pulling onto a street that led to a massive building. RADCLIFFE HALL a sign in front of the building said.
The limo stopped in front of the building. Harry could see a small boy walk through the large, wooden doors. The boy hurried over to the limo and opened the door. He was a small boy with sand colored hair. He seemed extremely nervous. "Hello! My name is Jeremy Mead. I'm a second year at the Stillwater School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
The boy reminded Harry of Colin Creevy. Always doing his best to please.
The boy continued, "If you'll follow me I'll lead you in to the hall."
McGonagall nodded and left the limo. Once she was out, she turned back expectantly, waiting for something. None of the students seemed to know what she was waiting for. Because no one else made a move, Harry scooted forward and exited the limo. He went to stand beside McGonagall.
Harry saw Jeremy's eyes widen when he saw the sword at Harry's side. Jeremy extended his hand to Harry.
"Hello! My name is Jeremy Mead. Oh, I've already said that. I only had on job to do and I've screwed it up." Jeremy seemed very distressed at messing up. Harry almost expected him to start banging his head on the side of the limo the way that Dobby often did.
Harry felt like he needed to say something before Jeremy broke down and cried. "It's OK, Jeremy. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is James Evans." Harry said as he extended his hand.
Harry thought he heard McGonagall gasp when he said his alias.
Jeremy was pleased that Harry didn't think he had screwed up too bad. He reached out his small hand and took Harry's. Harry could feel him trembling. He felt sorry for the kid.
"Relax, Jeremy. You're doing fine." Harry said quietly so one could hear but Jeremy.
Jeremy beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, sir." he said in a slightly calmer voice.
Once every student was out of the limo, Jeremy led them up the concrete steps to the doors. Jeremy grunted as he tried to open the massive door. Harry could see veins beginning to pop out on Jeremy's forehead. He had the door about halfway open when Harry reached out a hand and pulled it the rest of the way.
The gratefulness was clear on Jeremy's face. Harry was once again reminded of Colin Creevy.
Once they were in the building, Harry saw that the room they were in was a greeting room. But there were no greeters.
"Where is everyone, Jeremy?" Harry asked the small boy.
"The other schools have not yet arrived. We at Stillwater have been here for more than an hour." Jeremy seemed proud of his school's punctuality. "Are you Hogwarts' student representative?" he asked Harry.
Harry nodded.
"You and you and Ms. McGonagall will have to follow me. I'll take to where all of the school's representative are meeting. Though there will only be two of you at the moment. The rest of the students will continue on to the dining hall."
Harry and McGonagall broke of from the rest of the students. Harry saw that another Stillwater student had come forward to lead them down a long hallway. Jeremy led Harry and McGonagall down a different hallway which led to a small room.
While Jeremy struggled to open the door, McGonagall leaned over and whispered into Harry's ear. "I approve of your choice of name, James."
Harry smiled slightly. "I thought you would."
"You should probably take your glasses off. Your description is well known."
Harry nodded and slipped his glasses into his robe pocket.
Once Jeremy got the door open, he led them inside. The room small, just large enough for the two couches and the bar on the opposite wall. Sitting on a comfortable looking couch were two men. One was older with flecks of gray in his brown beard. The other was a young black boy, not much older than Harry.
They both stood when Harry and McGonagall entered the room. Harry got a good look at the black boy. He was almost as tall as Ron, but where Ron was lean and sinewy, the black boy was solid. His head was shaved to the skin.
Both men wore traditional robes, but Harry could see a collared shirt with a tie beneath the black boy's robe of green. A touch of modern fashion, Harry thought. Both men were smiling widely.
Jeremy came to a halt halfway into the room. He said in a steady voice, "Headmaster Gabriel, Representative Boyd, I present to you Professor McGonagall and Representative James Evans."
Headmaster Gabriel gave Jeremy a kind smile. "Very well done, young master Mead."
The black boy smiled proudly. "I knew you could do it, Jeremy."
Jeremy's face went scarlet as he was being complimented. He seemed very pleased. "Well, if you'll excuse me now, sirs, I have to get back to the door."
The older man nodded and Jeremy scurried out of the room. Once he was gone, all formality left with him. The older man that Harry guesses was Headmaster Gabriel came forward and wrapped McGonagall in a hug. "It's been so long, Minerva."
McGonagall was smiling. "That it has, Thomas."
As McGonagall and Gabriel chatted, the large black boy extended his hand to Harry. "Quentin Boyd." he said with an honest smile.
Harry shook his hand. "James Evans. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same here. So, how are you liking America?"
"It sure is different." Harry felt himself relax.
"Yeah? I wouldn't really know. I grew up here in Florida. I was at home when I got the letter that told me about this banquet." Quentin said.
"How did you receive the letter?" Harry asked, curious as to how wizards sent their mail in America.
"I got it by eagle."
"Oh, we use owls."
Quentin nodded. Harry saw his wonder when Quentin's eyes came to a rest on the sword of Gryffindor.
"Holy shit. Is that what I think it is?" he asked quietly.
"What do you think it is?"
"The sword of Gryffindor!"
Harry was surprised that the boy knew what the sword was. Quentin must have seen his puzzled expression because he explained. "Our school hasn't been around for nearly as long as Hogwarts. So, in our History of Magic class, we cover a little of Hogwarts' history as well. I saw a picture of the sword in a textbook once."
Harry laughed. "I don't think I've learned a single thing in my History of Magic class." Harry saw the question in Quentin's eyes, so he explained. "The class is taught by a ghost. He tends to put the students to sleep."
Quentin smiled widely. "We have a ghost Professor, too. She teaches Potions. I have a feeling our entire school is way behind in potion making."
They both laughed loudly at this.
Quentin spoke first. "I'm relieved, James. I figured you English wizards to be a stuffy group. I'm glad I was wrong. I don't think I could handle an entire night of forced conversation."
Harry and Quentin continued to talk until the door opened again. Jeremy led two females. The older woman was paper-thin with stark white hair. The younger girl was about Harry's age. She was very beautiful, Harry noticed immediately. Her black hair was all pulled back into a ponytail except for a lock of pure white that fell free on the right side of her face. Harry felt his gaze drawn to that lock of white hair. There was something about it.
Jeremy stepped forward and announced the newcomers. "Headmaster Gabriel, Professor McGonagall, Representative Boyd, Representative Evans, I present to you Headmaster Abigail Corey and Representative Susan Posenjak."
Gabriel nodded to Jeremy and the boy left the room. He turned to the newcomers and greeted them with extreme formality. "Headmaster Corey, I welcome you and your representative."
The woman nodded solemnly, but said nothing. The greeting was duplicated by McGonagall. The woman stayed silent, but her nod seemed a little warmer when directed to McGonagall.
Harry glanced at Quentin, wondering why he wasn't going forward to speak to the girl as he had done earlier. Quentin wasn't being overtly rude, but he definitely wasn't going to greet the girl.
Harry let a few silent moments pass before he gathered himself to address the girl. Quentin noticed what he was about to do and grabbed Harry's arm. Harry looked up at him and Quentin whispered into his ear, "Be careful, James. The girls from Salem are flighty around men. Be gentle in what you say."
Harry nodded and then walked slowly toward the girl. She noticed his approach and Harry noticed fear etched into her features. Harry wasn't put off. He continued his walk until he was few feet away from her. "Hello, Susan. My name is James Evans." He extended his hand to be shaken.
Susan flinched away from his hand but nodded to him shyly. "It's a pleasure, James." She didn't say anything else, so Harry moved back to Quentin, who was hiding a laugh behind a massive, black hand. "I told you, man." he whispered when Harry reached him.
"What's the matter with her?" Harry asked quietly.
The smile disappeared from Quentin's face. "A lot of the girls at Salem have had horrible pasts. Child abuse, molestation, rape. It's one of the reasons they don't like men."
Harry let that information sink in. And he thought he had it bad at the Dursleys. At least they didn't beat him. They just ignored him. "What do you mean 'one of the reasons'?"
"It's an all girl's school. They don't have any exposure to men. They're just not used to them."
"What about on vacations. There have to met men when they're away from school, right?"
Quentin shook his head. "They live at school. They don't leave the school for vacations."
Harry had often wished that he would never have to leave Hogwarts. But he knew that being at Hogwarts for seven years straight would eventually get boring.
Harry was going to ask more, but Headmaster Gabriel announced, "Well, now that we have been aquatinted, we can join the other students in the dining hall." he started walking towards the door.
Harry turned to Quentin. "What about the other school? Bourbon Street Academy. They're coming aren't they?" he asked.
For the first time Harry saw something other than friendliness pass over Quentin's face. It was close to hatred. "They'll come, all right. But they like to make an entrance. They tend to be fashionably late."
"What's the matter, Quentin? You don't like them?" Harry asked.
"No, I don't."
"Why?"
The smile returned to Quentin's face, but it was a wry smile. "I'll let you judge them yourself. Don't let my dislike of them change your opinion."
Harry nodded and the small group made their way to the dining hall.
I realized that the Banquet was way too long to put into one chapter. I know nothing happened, but just wait. Conflict is coming. Ron's special assignment is in the next chapter. Harry will try to speak to Susan with interesting results Give me feedback.
To SnWfLaKeSwEeTy. Keep reading RJ. That series has some of the most complex and interseting lines of literature you will ever read. Plus it's cool as hell.
When the morning of the banquet rolled around, the robes and dresses that the fifth year Gryffindors had chosen were delivered to the hotel. On each robe the Hogwarts school crest had been embroidered on the left side just over the heart. The girls' dresses were embroidered in the same way, just in different areas. Most of the dresses had thin straps, so the crest had been place on the skirts so as not to ruin the look. Hermione's dress had the crest embroidered on the right side of the skirt, just over her thigh. She had thought that the crest would look stupid, but it ended up looking very good.
Standing in front of the mirror in her room, Hermione was examining herself. She admitted to herself that she wanted to look good tonight. The pale blue dress he had chosen fit her very nicely. It displayed curves that she had never known she had. Ron would wet himself when he sees me, she thought.
Realizing what she had just thought brought a blush to her cheeks. Things certainly had changed in the last few days. Where she had almost never cared what she looked like before, she now primmed, preened and plucked. She had a reason to care now. Ron loved her.
The very idea stilled seemed so foreign that she had to pinch herself periodically to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Ron loves me!, she thought happily. Though usually not one to succumb to emotion, she now had to admit that fact made her more than slightly giddy.
Parvati and Lavender looked amazing, of course. Far prettier than she thought she ever could. Parvati had gotten a beautiful pink dress while Lavender had gotten a matching green one. They had devoted the day to setting their hair, painting their toenails and gossiping. Hermione could hear them chatter through the thin walls of the bathroom.
"Did you see Harry in his robe?" Parvati squealed. "He's such a good looking boy."
"Yeah." Lavender said "I saw your face the other day when we were in the water. I was surprised you weren't drooling"
"Hey!" Parvati objected. "I was just surprised. I've never seen him without a shirt on before. Besides I saw the way you were looking at Ron."
Lavender giggled. "Yeah, he was pretty amazing."
Hermione felt a surge of jealousy course through her body. Who was Lavender to think she could look at Ron that way?
Lavender continued. "But it's OK for me to look at Ron. He's so enamored with Hermione that he didn't even notice me." She sounded like she was pouting.
Damn right!, Hermione thought. She felt herself blush again at the anger in her thoughts. When had she lowered herself to listening to gossip? But she couldn't help but listen.
"You were just a little too late to notice Ron, Lavender. At least I still have a chance with Harry." Parvati said.
Hermione forced herself not to snort. If Parvati knew how Harry really felt about her, she would completely give up on him.
"I wasn't too late with Ron!" Lavender screamed. "Unless I fell in love with him sometime during second year, I never had a chance. He's been in love with Hermione since before he even knew what love was."
Hermione was surprised to find tears springing up in her eyes. She thought back to what Harry had said the day before. She wondered why she and Ron had never noticed how much they had liked each other before. To find out Ron had loved her all these years was like a slap in the face. She cursed herself for not realizing. Then again, things hadn't turned out so bad.
Parvati and Lavender didn't know the half of it. Hermione was the person Ron cherished most in the world. He couldn't have become her Sentinel otherwise. The entire idea seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Of course, ever since she was eleven years old, most things in her life seemed like they belonged in a fairy tale.
She thought about how different her life would be if she hadn't been accepted into Hogwarts. She would never have experienced magic, which had become the entire backbone of her life. She would have never made any real friends. Before Hogwarts, she had been known as the annoying, smart girl. No one had ever wanted to talk to her except, of course, when it came to choosing partners for a school project. The kids had known that she would do all the work, and that they would get an A, regardless. She hadn't really minded it. It had been a way to interact with other kids. She had experienced a string of week long friendships that always ended with the other kid ignoring her in the halls.
But that was before Hogwarts. Before she had met Harry Potter-The boy who Lived and his gangly sidekick- Another Weasley. At least that was how the school had viewed the duo.
That was before she had made true friends. The kind that would lay down their lives in battling a mountain troll, even if it was out of guilt. The kind of friends that valued her as a person and not just a walking textbook. The kind of friends that would throw up slugs for you.
Hermione looked back on that last memory with more fondness than any other. Ron had always come to her side when Malfoy and his cronies would tease her. Ron had often come close to blows with Malfoy over it. The funny thing was that he had never defended Harry with the same vigor as he had defending her. Maybe that had been his way of showing his affections when he was too young to understand them.
Hermione fingered the crest embroidered onto her left thigh. She loved Hogwarts. She loved what it had taught her and what she had seen there, but what she loved most of all was that it had given her Ronald Weasley.
***
Harry and Ron got dressed in their room. They were a whole lot less fussy about their appearances than the girls were. But that was because they had larger things to worry about. Harry sat on one bad with the sword of Gryffindor on his knees. He ran a finger along the ruby-encrusted hilt and traced the word that had been engraved in the blade. Gryffindor.
Even more so than Hermione, Harry had found a home at Hogwarts. Before Hogwarts he could have honestly counted the number of times he had been truly happy on one hand. Now, he had such a myriad of great memories, that in his mind, they all ran into each other. There had been bad times too, of course. Everyone of his memories having to do with Voldemort were bad
Harry felt a surge of pure hatred run up his body as he thought of Voldemort. He had killed more people than anyone could count, including Harry's parents. He had tried to ruin Harry's happy life at Hogwarts numerous times. And he had killed Cedric Diggory right in front of Harry.
Harry had always blamed himself for Cedric's death. If it hadn't been for Voldemort's insane want to kill Harry, Cedric would still be alive. Harry had long ago accepted that he hadn't been able to do anything to stop Cedric's death, but he still felt guilt whenever he thought about him.
As Harry sat there on that hotel room bed, he came to a heart stopping conclusion. He hadn't been able to do anything about Cedric's death, but he could always help stop future deaths. By going to this banquet, he could help the cause. He could help recruit new warriors for the battle against Voldemort.
His new resolution firmly in his mind, Harry strapped on the sword of Gryffindor. Tonight was going to be a new beginning.
***
From the opposite bed, Ron saw the transformation taking place in front of him. Harry had sat down on the bed and looked at the sword. Slowly, Ron had seen Harry's backbone stiffen as he thought on things of the past. By the time Harry strapped the sword on, there was a grim look on his face. He had looked over at Ron and said firmly, "It changes tonight, Ron. Tonight."
Harry had marched out of the room, leaving Ron to alone to consider his words.
It changes tonight.
Ron nodded and walked over to dresser on the far wall. On the dresser was the Sentinel pin McGonagall had given him. Ron picked it up and looked at it. The pin was a small, blue representation of a shield. Ron thought that was fitting. Shields protect, just like Sentinels.
Then, made a resolution of his own. He would always protect Hermione, there was never any question about that. No, Ron decided there, while he stared down at the pin, that he would always protect Hogwarts. That he would always protect those that he loved.
Ron pinned the small shield into his black robes. He placed it in the center of the Hogwarts crest, symbolizing his new resolution.
Ron walked over to the full body mirror in the corner of the room. What he saw there shocked him. Standing there, in the mirror wasn't Ron Weasley the boy. He wasn't a man, but no longer a boy. He had been through far too much to be considered a boy anymore.
He had far too much to lose.
***
When Hermione walked into McGonagall's room, she saw that almost everyone had arrive. Dean and Seamus sat in one corner, probably betting who could get the most action that night. Lavender and Parvati stood in front of McGonagall's dresser mirror, making last minute changes to their hair and make-up. Neville stood uncomfortably against one wall. Neville had bought a canary colored robe that did very little to improve his appearance. Hermione loved him to death, but he would never be an attractive boy.
McGonagall wore her standard robes, just a tad bit nicer than her every day apparel. Her long flowing hair was back up in it's bun.
Hermione saw that neither Harry nor Ron had shown up yet. She was on the verge of going down to their room, when Harry walked in the door. He looked very handsome in his blue robe. The gold that had been embroidered into the collar and cuffs matched the gold in the Hogwarts crest.
When the other students noticed Harry in the room, they gasped. None of them had known about Harry wearing the sword of Gryffindor to the banquet. If Harry felt any embarrassment at wearing it, it didn't show on his face. In fact, he looked slightly angry for some reason. The grim look only left his face for a moment when he noticed Hermione. He smiled and said, "You look great, Hermione."
"So do you." she responded, but the grim look had already returned.
She was about to ask about Ron when he strolled into the room.
Because Hermione had left the clothing store before everyone else, she hadn't seen the robe that Ron had chosen. It was completely black, and on any one it would have looked slightly evil. But with Ron's honest face, he looked merely imposing. And very handsome. Oh his chest was the Sentinel pin, directly over the Hogwarts crest. He also had a slightly grim look on his face when he walked in. It disappeared, however, when he saw Hermione.
He stared at her for a good thirty seconds before he walked over to her. "You look amazing." he said.
Most satisfactory, Hermione thought before returning the compliment.
Parvati and Lavender had obviously seen the exchange, because they were giggling horribly.
Oh well, Hermione thought.
***
The class had rented a long limousine for their transportation to the banquet. The students were sprawled out on its long couches. Dean and Seamus were taking advantage of the wet bar.
"Isn't this a pretty Muggleish way for wizards to travel to a wizard banquet?" Dean asked.
McGonagall flashed one of her rare smiles. "We're in America, Dean. We have to travel in style."
"How did we get a limo, anyway?" Hermione asked.
McGonagall answered. "The wizard who owns the hotel called in a favor."
"Where are we going?" Seamus asked.
"There is a building less than a hour from here that is devoted to these kinds of banquets. The American schools have replaced all the waiters and waitresses with their own students."
"So all the schools are actually bringing more than eight students?" Harry asked. He hadn't said a word since he had complimented Hermione on her dress. He just didn't feel like talking. The other students had picked up on his mood, and hadn't spoken to him. They were a little surprised when he spoke.
McGonagall answered him. "Yes, Harry. Each school will be bringing eight students to eat and dance with you, but there will be other, probably younger students, who will be serving us."
Harry nodded. "Good."
Harry noticed the looks being exchanged across the limo, but he didn't care, and he didn't feel like explaining. Ever since Cedric's death, the other students had learned when Harry wanted to be alone.
The ride was long and boring. After the first fifteen minutes, conversation stopped. Harry realized he was the cause of the ominous mood, and tried to make light conversation with Parvati, who had insisted on sitting next to him.
"Are you anxious to meet all these new people?" he asked her.
Her face lit up when he spoke to her. "Not at all. I'm really excited. Why, aren't you?"
Harry forced himself to smile. "Yes, of course. This is a really good opportunity."
Parvati looked puzzled. "An opportunity for what?"
Harry realized that only he, Ron and Hermione knew the real reason the Gryffindors were going to the banquet. "Uh...to meet new people."
Her smile returned. "Yeah, it should be a lot of fun. Though I've heard the girls from Salem are a bitchy lot."
"Let's not pass judgment on them yet. I'm sure they're a great group of girls."
Harry knew he had said something wrong when Parvati's face went frosty. "I'm sure you'll insist on meeting all of them." she hissed.
Harry knew she was mad about something, but he didn't know what. "I might as well, right? We might not get the chance to meet others for a long time."
Parvati's eyes squinted. "I've heard the boys from Bourbon Street Academy are very charming. I'll probably talk to all of them."
"Yeah, go for it." Harry said brightly.
He knew he had said something else wrong when Parvati turned away from him for the remainder of the ride. He didn't really care, he had just been trying to make polite conversation.
The rest of the ride past by, uneventful. When the limo driver made a right turn, Harry looked out the window. They were pulling onto a street that led to a massive building. RADCLIFFE HALL a sign in front of the building said.
The limo stopped in front of the building. Harry could see a small boy walk through the large, wooden doors. The boy hurried over to the limo and opened the door. He was a small boy with sand colored hair. He seemed extremely nervous. "Hello! My name is Jeremy Mead. I'm a second year at the Stillwater School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
The boy reminded Harry of Colin Creevy. Always doing his best to please.
The boy continued, "If you'll follow me I'll lead you in to the hall."
McGonagall nodded and left the limo. Once she was out, she turned back expectantly, waiting for something. None of the students seemed to know what she was waiting for. Because no one else made a move, Harry scooted forward and exited the limo. He went to stand beside McGonagall.
Harry saw Jeremy's eyes widen when he saw the sword at Harry's side. Jeremy extended his hand to Harry.
"Hello! My name is Jeremy Mead. Oh, I've already said that. I only had on job to do and I've screwed it up." Jeremy seemed very distressed at messing up. Harry almost expected him to start banging his head on the side of the limo the way that Dobby often did.
Harry felt like he needed to say something before Jeremy broke down and cried. "It's OK, Jeremy. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is James Evans." Harry said as he extended his hand.
Harry thought he heard McGonagall gasp when he said his alias.
Jeremy was pleased that Harry didn't think he had screwed up too bad. He reached out his small hand and took Harry's. Harry could feel him trembling. He felt sorry for the kid.
"Relax, Jeremy. You're doing fine." Harry said quietly so one could hear but Jeremy.
Jeremy beamed at the compliment. "Thank you, sir." he said in a slightly calmer voice.
Once every student was out of the limo, Jeremy led them up the concrete steps to the doors. Jeremy grunted as he tried to open the massive door. Harry could see veins beginning to pop out on Jeremy's forehead. He had the door about halfway open when Harry reached out a hand and pulled it the rest of the way.
The gratefulness was clear on Jeremy's face. Harry was once again reminded of Colin Creevy.
Once they were in the building, Harry saw that the room they were in was a greeting room. But there were no greeters.
"Where is everyone, Jeremy?" Harry asked the small boy.
"The other schools have not yet arrived. We at Stillwater have been here for more than an hour." Jeremy seemed proud of his school's punctuality. "Are you Hogwarts' student representative?" he asked Harry.
Harry nodded.
"You and you and Ms. McGonagall will have to follow me. I'll take to where all of the school's representative are meeting. Though there will only be two of you at the moment. The rest of the students will continue on to the dining hall."
Harry and McGonagall broke of from the rest of the students. Harry saw that another Stillwater student had come forward to lead them down a long hallway. Jeremy led Harry and McGonagall down a different hallway which led to a small room.
While Jeremy struggled to open the door, McGonagall leaned over and whispered into Harry's ear. "I approve of your choice of name, James."
Harry smiled slightly. "I thought you would."
"You should probably take your glasses off. Your description is well known."
Harry nodded and slipped his glasses into his robe pocket.
Once Jeremy got the door open, he led them inside. The room small, just large enough for the two couches and the bar on the opposite wall. Sitting on a comfortable looking couch were two men. One was older with flecks of gray in his brown beard. The other was a young black boy, not much older than Harry.
They both stood when Harry and McGonagall entered the room. Harry got a good look at the black boy. He was almost as tall as Ron, but where Ron was lean and sinewy, the black boy was solid. His head was shaved to the skin.
Both men wore traditional robes, but Harry could see a collared shirt with a tie beneath the black boy's robe of green. A touch of modern fashion, Harry thought. Both men were smiling widely.
Jeremy came to a halt halfway into the room. He said in a steady voice, "Headmaster Gabriel, Representative Boyd, I present to you Professor McGonagall and Representative James Evans."
Headmaster Gabriel gave Jeremy a kind smile. "Very well done, young master Mead."
The black boy smiled proudly. "I knew you could do it, Jeremy."
Jeremy's face went scarlet as he was being complimented. He seemed very pleased. "Well, if you'll excuse me now, sirs, I have to get back to the door."
The older man nodded and Jeremy scurried out of the room. Once he was gone, all formality left with him. The older man that Harry guesses was Headmaster Gabriel came forward and wrapped McGonagall in a hug. "It's been so long, Minerva."
McGonagall was smiling. "That it has, Thomas."
As McGonagall and Gabriel chatted, the large black boy extended his hand to Harry. "Quentin Boyd." he said with an honest smile.
Harry shook his hand. "James Evans. Pleasure to meet you."
"Same here. So, how are you liking America?"
"It sure is different." Harry felt himself relax.
"Yeah? I wouldn't really know. I grew up here in Florida. I was at home when I got the letter that told me about this banquet." Quentin said.
"How did you receive the letter?" Harry asked, curious as to how wizards sent their mail in America.
"I got it by eagle."
"Oh, we use owls."
Quentin nodded. Harry saw his wonder when Quentin's eyes came to a rest on the sword of Gryffindor.
"Holy shit. Is that what I think it is?" he asked quietly.
"What do you think it is?"
"The sword of Gryffindor!"
Harry was surprised that the boy knew what the sword was. Quentin must have seen his puzzled expression because he explained. "Our school hasn't been around for nearly as long as Hogwarts. So, in our History of Magic class, we cover a little of Hogwarts' history as well. I saw a picture of the sword in a textbook once."
Harry laughed. "I don't think I've learned a single thing in my History of Magic class." Harry saw the question in Quentin's eyes, so he explained. "The class is taught by a ghost. He tends to put the students to sleep."
Quentin smiled widely. "We have a ghost Professor, too. She teaches Potions. I have a feeling our entire school is way behind in potion making."
They both laughed loudly at this.
Quentin spoke first. "I'm relieved, James. I figured you English wizards to be a stuffy group. I'm glad I was wrong. I don't think I could handle an entire night of forced conversation."
Harry and Quentin continued to talk until the door opened again. Jeremy led two females. The older woman was paper-thin with stark white hair. The younger girl was about Harry's age. She was very beautiful, Harry noticed immediately. Her black hair was all pulled back into a ponytail except for a lock of pure white that fell free on the right side of her face. Harry felt his gaze drawn to that lock of white hair. There was something about it.
Jeremy stepped forward and announced the newcomers. "Headmaster Gabriel, Professor McGonagall, Representative Boyd, Representative Evans, I present to you Headmaster Abigail Corey and Representative Susan Posenjak."
Gabriel nodded to Jeremy and the boy left the room. He turned to the newcomers and greeted them with extreme formality. "Headmaster Corey, I welcome you and your representative."
The woman nodded solemnly, but said nothing. The greeting was duplicated by McGonagall. The woman stayed silent, but her nod seemed a little warmer when directed to McGonagall.
Harry glanced at Quentin, wondering why he wasn't going forward to speak to the girl as he had done earlier. Quentin wasn't being overtly rude, but he definitely wasn't going to greet the girl.
Harry let a few silent moments pass before he gathered himself to address the girl. Quentin noticed what he was about to do and grabbed Harry's arm. Harry looked up at him and Quentin whispered into his ear, "Be careful, James. The girls from Salem are flighty around men. Be gentle in what you say."
Harry nodded and then walked slowly toward the girl. She noticed his approach and Harry noticed fear etched into her features. Harry wasn't put off. He continued his walk until he was few feet away from her. "Hello, Susan. My name is James Evans." He extended his hand to be shaken.
Susan flinched away from his hand but nodded to him shyly. "It's a pleasure, James." She didn't say anything else, so Harry moved back to Quentin, who was hiding a laugh behind a massive, black hand. "I told you, man." he whispered when Harry reached him.
"What's the matter with her?" Harry asked quietly.
The smile disappeared from Quentin's face. "A lot of the girls at Salem have had horrible pasts. Child abuse, molestation, rape. It's one of the reasons they don't like men."
Harry let that information sink in. And he thought he had it bad at the Dursleys. At least they didn't beat him. They just ignored him. "What do you mean 'one of the reasons'?"
"It's an all girl's school. They don't have any exposure to men. They're just not used to them."
"What about on vacations. There have to met men when they're away from school, right?"
Quentin shook his head. "They live at school. They don't leave the school for vacations."
Harry had often wished that he would never have to leave Hogwarts. But he knew that being at Hogwarts for seven years straight would eventually get boring.
Harry was going to ask more, but Headmaster Gabriel announced, "Well, now that we have been aquatinted, we can join the other students in the dining hall." he started walking towards the door.
Harry turned to Quentin. "What about the other school? Bourbon Street Academy. They're coming aren't they?" he asked.
For the first time Harry saw something other than friendliness pass over Quentin's face. It was close to hatred. "They'll come, all right. But they like to make an entrance. They tend to be fashionably late."
"What's the matter, Quentin? You don't like them?" Harry asked.
"No, I don't."
"Why?"
The smile returned to Quentin's face, but it was a wry smile. "I'll let you judge them yourself. Don't let my dislike of them change your opinion."
Harry nodded and the small group made their way to the dining hall.
I realized that the Banquet was way too long to put into one chapter. I know nothing happened, but just wait. Conflict is coming. Ron's special assignment is in the next chapter. Harry will try to speak to Susan with interesting results Give me feedback.