Harry Potter and the Rise of the Dark Lord
by: Logical Raven
****
Well, this turned out to be a long chapter. I'm so excited about getting to the wedding, that I'm feel like I'm rushing things. The next chapter will be the rehersal dinner.
About Harry not being so innocent. That was the reason I almost left the last chapter out, but then I asked myself. Harry is a seventeen (going on eighteen) year old boy, he may not be a total perve but he's still a guy. So I think a scene like the one in my previous chapter is absoultely nesseary to illustrate his age.
I wanted to thank everyone for their kind reviews...
I was worried when hardly anybody reviewed on fanfiction.net, but I'm sure you guys had your reasons..
keep reading and reviewing
nothing is my own...
****
Beaten at His Own Game
It was amazing how quickly time had went by since they had arrived at the Burrows. It seemed surreal, and quite definitely the best time Harry could remember. Dudley sat across from Harry as they sipped their cider by the fire. It was the night before Christmas and Dudley's now forest green hair meshed well with the surrounding red heads, giving off just enough holiday charm.
Dudley of course hadn't been exactly thrilled about receiving his new hair color, but when Fred and George were around, there were a lot of things that happened most people weren't thrilled about. Mrs. Weasley had warned them if they didn't behave they'd be locked outside during the traditional Christmas Day dinner, but her threats did little to detour the twins. Dudley Dursley was always a bit to accepting of presents, especially edible presents. The hair popper gum was responsible for Dudley's new hair color, but apparently the taste was magnificent because he kept asking the twins if could have another piece.
"Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you two," Mrs. Weasley said sounding exasperated as she watched the twins teasing Harry's cousin with a red wrapped piece of chocolate.
"It's just candy mum, we swear," George said innocently as Fred placed his hand over his heart.
Mrs. Weasley sighed, gritting her teeth slightly as she picked up a few empty mugs, "Anybody want seconds?"
Dudley raised his hand immediately.
Fred grinned evilly as his mother disappeared from sight, "Hey Dud, want to try out new chocolate chews?"
Dudley fidgeted nervously, "What do they do?"
"Fred, I think you've experimented enough, he doesn't want to try anymore of your lame brain trick treats," Ginny said with a Hermione look.
George looked at his little sister with intrigue, "Sure he does, don't you?"
"It depends, it isn't going to do anything painful is it?" Dudley asked apprehensively, his hands getting sweaty as he eyed the treat.
"Nah, it's completely harmless," Fred assured.
"Dudley don't," Harry said casually after Cho poked him in the ribs for staying so quite.
Dudley narrowed his eyes, "Give it to me."
"That's the spirit!" Fred said eagerly handing him the piece he had been fondling.
"George, I think we may have found our first employee, this lad will eat anything!" Fred continued.
Dudley was about to object but his face suddenly inflated like a balloon and turned twelve different shades of blue before returning to normal.
"Excellent!" George exclaimed, "We're calling them Big Heads, great for entertaining guests at parties."
"That's enough, Dudley doesn't want to be your stool pigeon. Why don't you try them on yourselves, maybe something positive will happen between the lot of you, like maybe you'll grow a brain," Ginny fumed.
"Ginny, calm down love," Charlie said briskly, placing a hand on his little sister's shoulder, "They weren't doing anything to bad, Dudley is fine."
Ginny narrowed her eyes but leaded back her in chair to relax a bit.
Mr. Weasley appeared in the kitchen door with a list of some sort mumbling to himself. Harry watch him curiously as he took a seat without lifting his eyes from whatever it was he was reading.
"December won't be returning tonight, she and …..well she'll see you tomorrow Harry," Mr. Weasley said quickly, without looking up.
Mr. Weasley had been to an Order meeting that night. It wasn't a full meeting and only a selected few were asked to attend. Cho and Mrs. Weasley had stayed behind while Mr. Weasley and December O'Riley had attended. It was pointless asking what happened in meetings, nobody ever said a word about them, not even Cho.
Although the secrecy of the Order meetings use to bother Harry, it didn't any more. Probably because he felt it was going to dwindle away without Dumbledore around. No matter how he sliced it, he was going to be alone when the final confrontation came, nobody was going to be there to save him.
Cho leaned against Harry as she rested her head on his shoulder. The couple had grown closer over the past two days then they had their entire relationship. Since the night in Ron's room Harry couldn't stop thinking about her. He noticed little things about her features he had always managed to overlook before. Her eyelashes on her right eye were longer than the ones on the left. She had a series of moles on her neck in the shape of the constellation cancer. She had a habit of pulling on her earlobes when she was thinking. Then there were the things that drove him mad, one being the mysteries under her blouse. He found himself glancing at parts of her anatomy he had never been bold enough to glance at before, and every time her eyes would catch him stealing a peek he felt a rush of excitement rush over him.
"Merry Christmas," Cho whispered, letting her lips graze softly near his ear.
Harry felt that same rush of excitement as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His eyes wandering dangerously close to the top of her sweater. What was wrong with me? Why am I thinking such boyish things when I have so many other woes on my mind.
Ginny Weasley said glaring hatefully at her brothers as Fred pulled out another piece of candy, this one wrapped in purple. Harry had barely paid her any attention since his moment with Cho. As it was oblivious to him that her hate was a direct reflection of his new found obsession.
"Ginny, why are you trying to kill me with your eyes," George jeered laughing loudly.
Ginny curled her nose as her head slipped in Harry and Cho's direction, "Trust me if I wanted to kill you with a look I would succeed, luck for you that wasn't my intention."
"Ginny, what the hel…," Ron caught himself as his father looked up from his paper, "problem."
Ginny grunted, "I don't have a problem."
Fred followed Ginny eyes and a wide grin grew on his face, "I know what's bothering sister dear."
Ginny eyes grew wide, as she was well aware of George's deduction skills.
"I'm just angry because I couldn't bring a date to Bill's wedding, not with you four fouling up a muck," Ginny snapped as Charlie's eye looked at her confused, "Don't give me that look Charlie, you're no better than Fred, George and Ron when it come to me and romance. Ron told me what you said about Dean Thomas."
"What did I say?" Charlie asked offended.
Ron smirked, "You should have broken his arms not his nose."
"Oh yea, I did say that. Must have slipped my mind, anyways you had no business dating a boy that couldn't even fly on a broom," Charlie said with a yawn.
Ginny mouth dropped slightly, "Who told you Dean couldn't fly?"
Ron smirked again, "Well, he couldn't."
Mrs. Weasley handed Dudley another cup of cider as she entered the room and took a seat in her knitting chair, "Ginny dear, why don't you and Dudley go to Bill's wedding together, that way you can keep one another company," Mrs. Weasley suggested.
"WHAT!" Ron said loudly, spitting his mouthful of cider into the air.
"Ronald, look at the mess you've made!" Mrs. Weasley said in a dangerous voice.
Ginny frowned as Ron wiped the back of his mouth with his robes.
"It was only a suggestion, I mean everyone else will be with a date," Mrs. Weasley continued towards Ginny.
Harry felt his arm twitch, "I'm going to the wedding with Ginny," he blurted out before he realize he said was he was thinking out loud.
Cho looked at him a hurt expression as the rest of the room fell quite.
"Harry, don't be silly. You're going with Cho," Ginny said casually.
Harry looked at his girlfriend to his side, "Of course I'm going with Cho, but I thought you'd hang out with us, I did promise you I'd hang out with you at the wedding, and I am still going with you to the rehearsal dinner."
"I'm glad you told me about our plans," Cho suddenly said, jealousy creeping into her voice.
"Oh nonsense, Ginny wouldn't want to be a third wheel on your date dear. I think her and Dudley will have a wonderful time," Mrs. Weasley said with her Molly voice.
"Ginny doesn't need a date," George said flatly.
"Couldn't agree more with you mate," Fred added, "She's to young to bring boys to family events."
"It's a wedding, and I'm seventeen!" Ginny said hatefully, "I think mum absolutely right. What do you say Dudley?"
Dudley looked up dryly as his cider ran down his chin, "Do you have anymore of this cider Mrs. Weasley?"
Harry eyes lingered over towards Fred and George who had looked of absolute disgust littered on their face. George put his purple wrapped candy back into his pocket as Fred whispered something into his ear. George winked at Ron who nodded, and Harry had a feeling that Dudley was in more than he bargained for. If there was one think the Weasley took very seriously, it was defending their little sister.
****
"HARRY! HAPPY CHRISTMAS!" Ron yelled as he flung a pillow at Harry's head.
"What time is it?" Harry croaked throwing the covers back over his head.
Ron shrugged, "Who cares, let's go down stairs and see what we got this year."
"How old are you again?" Harry said rubbing his eyes in defeat.
Ron sneered, "You're only as old as you feel."
"In that case I must be nearing 100," Harry said rising to his feet. The sun hadn't even been born into the morning sky as Ron made a dive for the first box under the tree.
"RONALD!" Mrs. Weasley called out loudly with her hands on her hips, she stormed down the stairs, "You know that we don't open gifts until after breakfast. I know you didn't know Harry dear, I'm not yelling at you."
"But mum!" Ron whined, throwing out his bottom lip.
"I said no, now go wash up, you've probably waken the whole house with your behavior," Mrs. Weasley said disappearing into the kitchen.
"Honestly, where does she come up with these stupid rules," Ron bellowed, slamming himself into the couch.
"Come one Ron, what's another hour going to hurt?" Harry asked, looking up the stairs and thinking about falling back into his cozy bed.
"I'm already awake, now I'm not going to be able to do anything until I open those bloody gifts," Ron continued.
"I heard that Ronald," Mrs. Weasley warned.
Though Ron protested and complained it wasn't until after breakfast before everyone gathered around the tree and started passing out gifts.
Dudley looked around nervously, he had never had fewer than 50 gift at any given Christmas in his life, now only five gifts laid at his chubby feet. Two from his aunt Marge, one from the Weasleys, one from Harry (although he didn't see why he had to buy Dud a gift) and one from December and Remus.
Ron passed an oddly shaped present to Cho who looked at Harry suspiciously.
Harry tore open his first gift which was from Hagrid, Harry hadn't seen much of his favorite half giant this year, but the big fellow was never far from Harry's heart. He automatically threw the chomping ball of fur the floor as Charlie threw a blanket over it.
"A Quitup, harmless really, unless they get their teeth around you. They're suppose to ward of bad dreams," Charlie explained as Harry stared at the moving lump beneath the blanket.
Ron shrilled as he pulled Harry's present out of its box holding the robe up to chest, "Harry, where did you find it?!"
Harry and Hermione had searched through endless Quidditch catalogs to find an authentic Chudley Canon's uniform. It was proven to be the only thing that kept their sanity while they were doing research for the Quidditch festival. Ron didn't realize it yet, but Hermione's gift was the uniform pants and pads.
"Can't tell you," Harry said with a smile as he watch Cho gently tear the wrapping off her present from him.
Cho gasped as a beautiful spectacled owl hooted at her, "Harry…she's beautiful…"
"He," Harry corrected, "it took me nearly two hours to figure out which one to get you. I was told that the Spectacled Owl is the most loyal."
"What's his name?" Cho asked as she opened the cage and the owl stretch his wings.
Harry smiled, "You haven't named him yet."
Cho leaned over and planted a kiss on Harry's cheek, "Thank-you."
Dudley was examining a book December and Remus had given him 100 Easy To Master Spells for The Wizard In You .
"That's a squib book!" George pointed out, pointing his finger at Dudley.
Dudley frowned, "A what?"
"Don't worry about it dear," Mrs. Weasley said sweetly.
Harry sat aside his usual sweater from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as picked up the package Cho had given him. Harry held up the blue stone attacked to a sliver chain with a puzzled expression on his face.
"It's a moon stone, if someone tries to hit you with an unfriendly hex it will reflect off of you if you're wearing it around your neck, although it doesn't work against advanced spells or all Aurors would wear them. I got it when I was in Bulgaria," Cho said with a smile as she stroked her new owl lovingly.
"What did December and Remus get you?" Ron asked, looking over at Harry's opened gifts.
"More defensive spell books, what a surprise, you think I was preparing for something," Harry said sarcastically, although he always welcomed defensive spell books.
"Look, Hermione got you a wand holder, you've needed one of those," Ron added, now going through Harry's gifts himself.
Harry smiled, "Yea, Moody will be happy, he's always fussing about me keeping my wand in my pocket."
Fred nudged George as Harry picked up the gift from them with a tag that read to our favorite partner and finical supporter .
"We thought you'd like to be the first to have our soon to be released on the market pranks and gags. Careful with the tripping floss, haven't quite figured out how to find it and remove it once it disappears from sight," Fred said as George nodded.
"I think I'll call him Chu Jung," Cho said out loud, as she let her owl nibble on the tips of her finger.
"Chu Jung?" Ron asked.
"Well why not, he looks like a god to me," Cho said diligently.
Ron whispered over to Harry, "Who is Chu Jung?"
Harry shrugged as Cho sighed, " Ancient Chinese god of fire, honestly."
"I think it's a good name Cho, his eyes looked like glowing fire," Ginny offered, stretching her hand out to stroke the young owl's stomach.
Dudley suddenly opened Harry gift and turned it over with an ill expression, "Is this some kind of a joke?"
Harry narrowed his eyes, "Thank-you would have been sufficient."
"You got me a broom?" Dudley choked out, looking slightly insulted.
"Yea, I thought maybe we'd teach you how to fly," Harry said not really paying attention.
Dudley expression dropped, he obviously still didn't understand what Harry was talking about.
"We'll take him out later and show him the proper way to fly, ay?" Charlie asked, flashing Harry a bright smile. He obviously felt some connection with Harry since they were both seekers and Quidditch captains.
"Oh yes, I'd love to have a fly today, it's quite lovely outside," Cho said excitedly, her eyes glowing as they only did at the mention of Quidditch.
"Yea if old Billy boy would show up, we'd almost have enough for a whole team," Charlie added, glancing at his watch.
"Well, Bill will be here shortly, they had to stop at the Delacours for breakfast," Mrs. Weasley said slowly, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Mum, don't be upset, I'm sure Bill meant to be here," Ginny said softly, noticing her mothers tears.
"Oh dear it isn't that, I just never thought two of my children would be missing from Christmas," she said lightly, running her hand over her eyes.
It was the first mention anyone had made of Percy Weasley. Harry suddenly felt his stomach bottom out, realizing how difficult this holiday must be for all the Weasleys.
Cho read a letter attached to her last gift as she slowly opened it with a sigh.
"Who's it from?" Ron nosed in.
Cho frowned, "My mum. Apparently my father still doesn't want to have anything to do with me."
"I'm sure that isn't true," Harry said sharply.
"She says right here that your father sends his love," Ron pointed out reading Cho's letter on the floor.
"She's lying, see how the handwriting is smaller on that line, she always writes her lies smaller than the rest of the letter, I think it takes away some of the guilt for her," Cho said pointing out the obvious.
Two loud pops caused Harry's head to jump up as Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley made their appearance.
"About time you two got here, mums been all teary eyed over you," Charlie jeered as he pulled his younger brother into a head lock and flicked his pony tail.
"Well, forgive me dear brother," Charlie commented sarcastically, as he fought to free his head.
Charlie let out a great laugh, "You can't out wrestle a dragon fighter."
"That's enough boys," Mrs. Weasley said firmly in a motherly tone.
"Sorry mum," Charlie said pouting out his bottom lip.
Bill narrowed his eyes and mouthed something that resembled, "We aren't finished yet."
"Hello mum, happy Christmas," Bill greeted kissing his mother on the cheek.
"Ello Misses Weasley," Fleur greeted, standing shyly behind Bill.
"Please dear, call me Molly," Mrs. Weasley insisted pulling her soon to be daughter in law into a brief hug.
"Arry, iz been a while, hows are you?" Fleur asked brightly spotting Harry on the couch next to Cho.
Harry smiled, "I'm fine, congratulations."
"Iz amazing, I never thought I'd be gettzing married," Fleur declared, smiling brightly.
"Well, if you're done socializing in here, what about a round of Quidditch?" Charlie suddenly huffed as the twins instantly called Bill to their team.
"That isn't fair, you two are both beaters, I think one per each team," Ginny argued.
"No way sis, the twins never play against one another," Fred protested.
"I'm sure we'll work something out, you forget who taught Fred and George how to play," Charlie laughed.
Bill grinned, "I did."
The group marched outside with their brooms over their shoulders. Charlie appointed himself and Harry as captains, since he claimed that they had been the real captains and knew how to delegate players. Cho started to protest, but Charlie quickly reminded her that Gryffindor was the only real Quidditch team, and being a Ravenclaw captain didn't count.
Ironically, Cho ended up on his team, since he knew he needed a decent seeker against Harry. Ginny, Ron and Bill were picked by Harry. While Charlie added Fred and George to his roster of Cho. Charlie took the position of Keeper, since nobody else was very good at that position and possibly because Cho was giving him looks of death from his comment about the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
Fleur reluctantly jointed Harry's team since Bill assured her he'd teach her how to play. George was assuring Dudley that nothing could possible happen as long as he followed his lead and watched out for the flying bludgers.
The players took their position on the make shift field and prepared to play. Cho glared at Harry with determination. She had never been given a chance to beat Harry at Quidditch, and she was going to do her best to finally make good on her threats of beating him.
Bill dismounted his broom and released the bludger (only one since they only had one beater per team), "I want a good clean game," he said in a mock Madame Hooch voice, before throwing the Quaffle up into the air.
Ginny immediately swooped down and grabbed it out of the air and charged towards the three trash can goal Charlie was guarding. She pelted it towards the middle can with all her might, but Charlie swung his broom tail and knocked it back over her head, where George grabbed it out of mid-air.
"This does feel odd, I feel so vulnerable without my bat," George whined, shouting up towards his twin brother.
Fred gave a cheeky smile, "I've got it, use Dud as a shield, the bludger should just bounce right off him."
Dudley looked panicked as he desperately tried to hold on to his broom, he obviously didn't like being this high off the ground.
"Relax Dud, you aren't going to fall until you do something stupid like let go," Harry called down towards his cousin, who wasn't paying any attention.
"I'd be watching for the Snitch if I were you Harry," Cho warned, "I wouldn't want to show you up."
"Whatever Chang, since when have you ever beaten me," Harry said with a cheeky grin.
"Arrogance will be your undoing Potter," Cho warned as she tagged him across the field.
Dudley lost his grip and spun his broom in an upside down circle, catching himself on the upswing. The distraction was enough to make Harry lose sight of what Cho was up to. The keepers were evenly matched as neither had allowed a score yet. It was going to be up to the seekers to win this game. Finally he caught Cho out of the corner of his eyes. She was flying at a record speed down towards the ground, in front of her a tiny golden ball.
"NO!" Harry shrilled, before plunging into a dive. He pushed his Firebolt to it's absolute end, but it wasn't enough. Harry was less than a broom length behind her when she let out a triumph victory yell.
"I knew I always like that girl!" Fred bellowed as Cho threw her arm into the air showing off her prize.
"I thought you were good Harry?" Bill said sully, as he hated losing, especially to his brother Charlie.
A loud thud caused everyone to turn their attention to Dudley who had fallen off his broom and was now rubbing his arse.
"Dudley, the object is to stay on the broom," George reminded him, "He's absolutely hopeless. Oy Ginny, I think you two may actually work out, don't you have a thing for guys who can't fly?"
Ginny gave George a disgusted look.
"Best out of three!" Harry demanded, snatching the snitch out of Cho's hands.
"You're on Potter," she grinned, pushing off the ground and back into the air.