Gifts Chapter Ten, a harry potter fanfic

AN: Here it is! And if you want to blame someone on why it's late, blame Mother Nature. She decided to bathe where I live in high winds, leaving me with no power.

And yes! it will be getting to the SB/HP part soon (two more chapters, really), so hang on!
PS - Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story. It keeps me motivated to continue, even when it seems like writing's become a chore, rather than a hobby.

Chapter 10

Severus was still stunned the morning after the Goblet of Fire had chosen the champions. Once Harry's name had come out of the stupid thing, Severus had demanded that if Albus could do something about it, then he should do so now. Karkaroff also protested quite loudly, while Madame Maxime was threatening to pull the Beauxbatons champion out of the tournament all together.

Their champions, he'd seen, had been bewildered at Harry's inclusion in the tournament. Severus had actually been proud of Diggory going over to congratulate Harry this morning, even if he was a Hufflepuff. He'd also noticed that quite a few Hogwarts students - including many Gryffindors - were treating Harry like a pariah. At least his friend Hermione was still chatting with him, but the youngest Weasley boy was ignoring him.

He would need to keep an eye on the entire situation.

A week later, he was exasperated by Malfoy's buttons. Severus really couldn't discipline him - because he wanted to do it as a parent and not as the boy's head of house. He had been able to confiscate any that were worn during his class, using the excuse that they were distracting. Of course, he'd thrown his best sneer at Malfoy when he said that Slytherins weren't that flashy. The Malfoy heir still couldn't understand that a good Slytherin was subtle and wasn't at all flashy or showy.

Severus was still not happy to be working with Moody, though. The retired Auror was even more paranoid than he had been before that Halloween thirteen years ago. The potions master stayed away as far from Moody as he could. But Dumbledore continued to throw them together at meal times. Well, either him or Karkaroff, and it was making Severus crazy. It was enough to make him Lockhart's roommate at St. Mungo's.

Resigning himself to the term from hell, Severus sat down to write out his troubles to James.

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Harry moaned. "It had to be dragons," he said into his hands. He peeked through a couple of fingers at his friends and his sister.

"At least Hagrid showed you what you're up against," Ron offered.

Harry eyed his best friend and sent him a 'you're not helping' look. It was nice, though, to have him back among the fold as it where. He didn't know - or particularly want to know - what Hermione had said to him. But, whatever it was, Ron's attitude changed from ignoring Harry to being his best friend again. Knowing Hermione, it was probably scary.

Last night, Hagrid had taken him down past his hut, invisibility cloak wrapped firmly around him. Hagrid had waxed poetically on "their" beauty when he'd tagged along, wondering what 'they' really were.

Boy, had he been surprised.

"One of them's a Hungarian Horntail!" Harry bemoaned. He sat up suddenly. "I should tell Cedric. What do you reckon that Krum and Fleur already know? Both Karkaroff and Madame Maxime were there. Cedric's got to be the only one who doesn't know."

Helena brightened. "I'll tell him. I can hang around the Transfiguration classroom, because sixth year NEWTs class is after mine."

Harry nodded. "But how am I going to beat a dragon?"

"What are you best at?" Hermione asked.

The other three looked at her.

"Wouldn't you know that?" Ron asked.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "You pay more attention to my scores than even Patri does!"

Hermione flushed. "I don't see how charms will do you much good. Dragon hide is nearly impenetrable for a team of wizards, let alone a fourth year."

"Too bad you just can't fly, Harry," Ron commented as he shook the latest edition of Quidditch Monthly. "But you can't take your broom with you."

"You can make it come to you, though," Hermione said. "You could use a summoning charm."

Harry straightened up. "Let's get cracking then."

"It's not working," Harry said the next day. "It's a sixth year level charm!"

Ron was quiet for a minute. "Hey! Maybe your dad could help!"

"Patri?"

Ron nodded.

"But wouldn't that be considered cheating?"

"Why should it?" The red head reached for one of his hidden chocolate frogs - hidden from Hermione and Madame Pince as they were still in the library. "Krum and Fleur got hints from their teachers."

"True."

"Then do it."

Harry nodded. "After supper. I want to ask if Helena told Cedric yet or not. He'll need to prepare for this, too."

He and Ron then decided to skive off homework while Hermione was deep in the stacks and so looked through the new brooms advertised in Quidditch Monthly.

"Cedric said 'thank you,'" Helena said as she leaned over Harry's shoulder at dinner that night. She grabbed a roll off his plate. "He said that if he could, he'd try and help you on the next task."

Harry glared at his sister as she took off towards the Ravenclaw table with his roll. When he looked back at Ron, all his best friend said in answer, shuddering, was, "at least she didn't turn it into a spider."

Severus frowned while Harry groaned.

"Why isn't it working, Patri?" the green eyed boy yelled in frustration.

"Harry."

"Sorry." It was a little sheepish.

"I think your problem is that you are trying to learn this the way Miss Granger learns new spells. I've seen what she's done to 'correct' your potions habits, and I suspect she has done the same with your other subjects as well."

"Then what can I do? There's only a couple of days left before the first task."

Severus thought about it for a moment. "Sit down and relax, Harry. I shall check a couple of references."

He was deep in a tome on the learning habits, from the thirteenth century, of Hogwarts students as observed by the resident Head of Slytherin forty-five minutes later. Severus sighed as he shut the book, using his finger to hold his place. He wanted his son to succeed at this task to the best of his abilities, and Harry had enough ambition to push himself to the end. It was just the getting started point that Harry had problems with.

Severus looked over at where Harry was sitting on the divan and noticed his son was perfectly still, a position he was rarely seen in. Curious, he looked closer and saw that Harry had a faint aura surrounding him. An idea struck, and Severus rapidly thumbed through the book.

A smile crept over his mouth as he sat down next to Harry. He'd always known all his children were special, and it just wasn't the parent in him. He had taught many students in the twelve and a half years he'd been at Hogwarts, and it was the rare student that really stood out in the way Harry was beginning to.

"Harry?"

The boy almost fell off the divan at the sound of Severus' voice. Startled green eyes glared at the man as Harry straightened himself.

Severus let his smirk come forth.

"Very funny, Patri."

He cleared his throat. "I think I've found a way for you to learnt this charm quickly and easily."

"Really?" Harry brightened considerably. He was practically vibrating in his eagerness.

"Yes." Severus looked his eyes on Harry's. "I need you to close your eyes." Once Harry did so, he continued. "Now, think of how you feel when you do magic."

The green eyes snapped open. "What?"

Severus glared at him.

"I'm closing them now," Harry muttered as he did so.

"Feel how your magic flows when you floated feathers in your first year." Severus paused. "Do you feel it?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah," he said in a distant voice.

Fourteen year olds did have the most atrocious grammar.

"Now think of how you can make the magic bring the feather to you."

Again Harry glowed just the slightest bit, confirming Severus' suspicions. To reinforce his supposition, Severus said, "Think of one of the books in your bag." He looked over and saw Harry's Charms book sticking out of the open bag. "Try your Charms book. Now think of it coming to you."

The book wiggled twice before shooting towards Harry, almost smacking him on the nose as he brought his hand up in reflex, catching the flying textbook.

"I did it, Patri!" Harry shouted.

Severus waited in silence.

His son sheepishly said, "Sorry, Patri. Indoor voice should be used and all." Harry was still grinning madly.

"And did you realize what else you did?" Severus finally asked when it looked like Harry wasn't coming down from his high any time soon.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't do anything but summon my Charms book."

Severus pointed to the boy's bag, where Harry's wand was sticking out of the pocket that was specially designed to hold it. Harry's eyes widened and he looked back at his father with a slack jaw.

"I did it wandless?"

Wandlessly, Severus mentally corrected. Out loud, he said, "Yes, you did. I would suggest, however, that during the first task you at least have your wand on you at all times." Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Severus continued. "Use it only for that spell. Wandless magic will take a lot of energy when first learned. After the first task, we will meet once a week to train you."

Harry sunk into the seat. "Figures."

Severus held back his smirk at his son's disgruntlement.

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James shivered in the stands. It was a balmy November morning as he and Severus made their way to a seat in the teachers' stand on the quidditch pitch. He had brought Hugh with him this morning, and the boy had gone with Helena, as well as Harry's friends in the Gryffindor stands.

As they sat beside Vector and Flitwick, he leaned into Severus in an effort to get warm.

"Are you feeling well, James?" Severus asked.

"Just cold." James shivered again.

Severus looked at him. "Why didn't you use a warming charm?"

James glared. "You know I can't do them to myself."

He laughed, surprising some of the parents in the nearby sections of the stand. "Yes. I seem to remember your eyebrows and hair took an extraordinarily long time to grow back." Still, he took pity on him and cast a warming charm.

James glared, then pouted as he sank into the warmth surrounding him. "Meanie."

Ludo Bagman stood up at the front of the stands to begin announcing the first task.

It wasn't until later that James realized how good of a flyer Harry was. He'd been in a state of half-panicked, that his child was doing this, and half-excited that he'd be able to see dragons this close. James had watched as Harry summoned his broom as soon as he stepped onto the field, gazing at the Hungarian Horntail with a determined look. The dragon hadn't been all that impressed, but the rest of the crowd had been silent as Harry stood still.

It had been like watching a graceful dance once Harry had set off on his broom - all swan dives and high climbs above the dragon's head. James had been awestruck and just the tiniest bit jealous. Jealous that Severus had been able to watch Harry like this for all of his Quidditch games and jealous that Harry was so good.

The dragon had almost burnt Harry as it let loose its fire-laden breath, but he had dodged swiftly to the left, leaving the dragon off balance as she tried to follow him. Harry had taken advantage of this by going higher after a tight buzz around the dragon's head. The dragon had followed him, leaving Harry free to swoop down and grab the golden egg.

James and Severus had hurriedly climbed down the stands to where McGonagall had herded Harry, in order to congratulate their son. His score had been very high, though James was ready to throttle Karkaroff for his blatantly rude score. Severus had stayed him with a hand on his arm, but it lingered long enough for him to realize that his husband would like to do the same thing. Huffing in the direction of the Durmstrang headmaster, he had turned to his son and given him a hug long enough to embarrass him in front of his friends - as well as Cedric Diggory, who was coming out of the tent Poppy had set up.

Now he was sitting on a comfy couch, full from the feast the entire family had shared in Severus' quarters. Next to him, Severus was quietly grading a few papers, while Hugh was sprawled out in front of the fire on the rug that lay there, basking in the warmth. Severus had sent Harry and Helena to get any course work that needed to be done, if they wanted to stay the rest of the evening. Both of them had raced away, leaving James to wonder if they would return.

The door creaked open, revealing Harry, much to James' surprise. When Helena didn't show right away, he decided now would be a good time to talk about the Yule Ball.

"Harry?" he asked quietly as his eldest child joined him on the divan across the room from Severus and Hugh. "Has Professor McGonagall talked to you about the responsibilities of the Champions?"

Harry shook his head.

James sighed. It probably hadn't occurred to McGonagall to talk to Harry as his Head of House, and that she had most likely thought Severus would explain as the boy's father.

"What I wanted to talk to you about was that, as a Champion, you will be required to help open the Yule Ball," James said as Harry's eyes grew wider. "Which means you will need to bring a guest."

"What?" Harry asked. "Ron and I were already making plans to sit in the common room and make fun of the guys who went, and then we'd play some chess."

James looked at him, and he sighed.

"Does this mean I'll have to dance, too?"

He chuckled to himself. "Yes, Harry. You will probably be required to open the dancing, along with the other Champions."

Harry hunched his shoulders as his face fell. "Well this is just great." He looked at his father. "You do know I have no dancing skills?"

This time James hid his laughter. Yes, he was well aware of Harry's co-ordination - or lack of - if it didn't involve a broom. That fact had definitely been brought him to his this afternoon.

"I'll see to it that you get some lessons, Harry. You just make sure that you have a date for the dance."

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"What am I going to do?" Harry asked a week later as he, Ron, and Hermione sat in the library.

Ron eyed him. "I thought you liked Cho, so why not ask her?"

Harry flushed the tiniest bit. "Not really."

Both of them looked at him.

"Well, not since Helena said that she's been a bit stuck up around the Beauxbatons students."

Ron poked Harry in the side. "So you're having her spy for you now?"

Harry shoved Ron away. "No, you stupid prat."

Ron wore a goofy grin and turned to Hermione. "What about you, Hermione? Would you go with Harry?"

Hermione huffed at them. "For your information, Ronald Weasley, I have an escort for the ball."

Both boys looked at her with amazed looks.

"What?! Already?!" Ron yelled, garnering a glare from Madam Pince, as well as a few fifth year Ravenclaws studying nearby. "Who is it?"

"If you're going to be like that," Hermione said, "I'm not going to tell you." She began to pack up her books, practically shoving them into her already over laden bag.

Harry sunk back into his chair. And people call me clueless, he thought, watching his two best friends. As he watched Ron and Hermione fight, he wondered just who he should take to the ball. He really didn't think that whom he was leaning toward would actually go with him. She was older than him by almost three years. After all, what sixth year Beauxbatons girl wanted to go with a fourth year Gryffindor boy?

Ron threw himself into his chair, startling Harry. It must have been a quick spat rather than a fight.

"What is with her?" Ron asked as he put his Transfigurations book in his bag and dragged out his Potions notebook.

Harry shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"So, who did you want to take then?"

"Amelie Fortant."

Ron turned to fully face him with wide blue eyes. "From Beauxbatons? Wonder if I could get Fleur Delacour to go with me."

Harry looked at him with an 'are you kidding?' look.

Ron slunk down. "Probably not, huh?"

Harry nodded in commiseration.

The two of them went back to their coursework, finishing with their Care of Magical Creatures essays on - what else would Hagrid ask for so soon after the First Task - dragons.

"What are you two up to?" Helena asked as she sat down next to Harry as they started packing. "Where's Hermione?"

"What does it look like?" Harry asked. He paused. "Do you know who Amelie Fortant is?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. She hangs out with Fleur a lot in the common room with Roger. Why?"

"He wants to ask her out," Ron guffawed.

Harry glared at his best friend. "Thanks a lot, Ronald."

"You're welcome, Harry," Ron said with a wide grin.

"It's really H-"

Harry cut Helena off with a hand over her mouth. "Ixnay on the amenay."

Ron perked up. "I thought your name was just Harry. That's what they said in the Daily Prophet."

"Do you really believe everything you read in that rag?" Helena asked. "If everything they printed was the truth, Harry wouldn't be asking about Amelie and would be sitting firmly in Hermione's pocket. Besides, even if they have some weird things in it, The Quibbler's much better."

Harry glared at first Helena and then Ron. "I'm not telling my real name. For all we know, Malfoy's listening right now and he'd spread it all over the school."

"Good point, Harry," Ron said.

"Are you going to help me, then?" Harry asked Helena.

She shrugged. "What'll I get for it?"

Harry scowled. "You've got to stop hanging out with Zabini, Helena."

Helena wrinkled her nose. "I'll find out her schedule and how about you tell Finnegan that if he razzes Luna one more time, I'll show him how a Snape hexes a boy's balls off."

"Helena!" Harry didn't know whether to be shocked at her language - or temerity - or to cross his legs in sympathy. He thought about it before agreeing. "I'll do it."

She smiled brightly. "Ta, Harry."

Ron leaned over after she left and they were making their own way to the Great Hall. "How long do you think she'll take?"

Harry shrugged one shoulder. "Depends."

"On what?"

"When she sees her."

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah."

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"She said yes, Patri! Even if Malfoy did spread it across the school that I wanted to ask her to the ball, she still said yes when I did ask," Harry exclaimed as he entered Severus' office two weeks after the First Task. The boy's shoulders hunched in a sudden movement. "But I don't know how to dance!"

Severus sighed. He would have to get this problem. James had called him the man with four left feet, or some such saying, so he would not be of any help in the matter.

The problem was exacerbated when Helena came into the office, Luna slightly trailing, just as he was about to fire call James.

"Guess what, Patri? I got asked to the ball!"

Severus stopped still. "Who?"

"Blaise," Helena said happily as Harry choked.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "And why does a fourth year want to take a second year to a dance?"

Helena answered, "because Blaise is afraid that Malfoy would get him to take Bulstrode to the dance and he said she dances like an elephant. He said he'd take me so that he could say he already had a date if pressed."

Severus narrowed his eyes. He would have to deal with Zabini about this. But first, his son needed dancing lessons. Sticking his head into the green and purple tinted flames, he called, "James!"

A couple of seconds passed with no response. "James?"

There was no response yet again. Severus pulled out and turned to his children.

"Helena, go tell the headmaster I've gone home. Harry, stay here." He threw the powder in. "Haven House!"

He twirled through the network, finally getting spit out into the den where James wrote.

"James!"

Maddy popped into the room. "Master Severus! Maddy can't wake up Master James! Maddy was about to call Master Severus for help!"

"Where is he?" Severus asked as Maddy practically ran out of the room.

"The bathroom, Master Severus!"

Severus raced to the bathroom, cursing the day they had erected the anti-apparation wards.

He choked on a gasp at the scene that met him.