Teenage Detective
Interlude: Realising and Appreciation
A/N: This interlude took place before chapter 7 and I ask you, the readers, to read this with your mind and heart open. This interlude has nothing to do with the mystery. Thank you.
Hermione was searching for Harry. She knew it was annoying of her to do, but she had to do it for her own sake. It seemed useless as lunch was nearing. Sitting near Harry would scare him away and would cause gossip amongst her friends. When she thought of it, why should she bother being friends with people who only care because she was popular? She thought of that, but it never did occur to her that losing one single friend over being popular would hurt.
Her Head Girl's duties slumbered, and she was constantly being scolded by her professors for lack of enthusiasm. She should be worried but she did not seem to care as her top priority right now was Harry, getting him and changing him back. She was intimidated by the new Harry.
It never occurred to her that she was the one that needed a change.
She was walking towards the Great Hall, when she saw a mass group of people at the double doors, she knew it was trouble. She trudged down the marble stairs and pushed past the crowd and gasped when she saw two unlikely people arguing.
Draco grasped Dennis by the collar, glaring menacingly at the small mousy haired boy. "Tell me… what is Potter doing!" he asked. Ginny, his girlfriend behind him, was tugging the sleeves of his shirt, trying to stop the panic stricken Slytherin.
Hogwarts was under the state of panic since the body of Walden McNus was found in the lake. Some people were panicked and practically went mad after hearing Dumbledore making an announcement that everyone had to stay in school by the order of the Ministry of Magic. Students started to write to their parents, but even they could not do anything as it was an order. The Daily Prophet spread news that there was turmoil at the Ministry. It seemed Phillips movement cause quite uproar amongst his peers.
Students went even more mental than ever. After they heard it was Harry who discovered Walden's body, they did some idiotic things. They went on a hunt for the killer and kept pressing on Harry for information. Then they started to hurt some people, mainly Hufflepuffs until Dumbledore and the professors put a stop to it. A lifetime detention with two of the most feared professor in Hogwarts was given as a punishment to whoever went on a so called hunt.
Now present time, Hermione watched Dennis struggling to get out of Draco's grip. "What is it to you, huh?" Dennis spat. "You're being an arsehole!" he added.
"Be quiet and tell me what Potter is doing!" Draco raised his right hand, aiming to hit Dennis.
"What are you going to do, hit me?" Dennis shot back daringly. Hermione gasped when she heard the small body spoke with such courage. Even more shocking to her that Colin Creevey, Dennis brother was at the side, watching lazily. Prefects were controlling the crowd to back off.
"Look you imbecilic blind boy! In case it didn't occur to you that there's a lunatic running around this old place, killing people. And if you don't tell me what Potter is doing, I'm going to show you the meaning of boils and trolls," Draco threaten and Hermione was about to jump in and stop the whole fight when something amusingly unexpected happen.
Dennis, whose height only reached Draco's chest, grabbed the arm that held him by the collar and surprisingly perform a muggle martial arts throw. In an instant Draco was thrown off Dennis shoulder and landed on his back with a loud thud. Draco cringed from the pain on his lower back.
"Draco!" Ginny went over and knelt down by Draco's side. There was a mix of amused and bemused faces all over the crowd.
Draco was madly exasperated and flushing red. He stood up quickly with Ginny holding him to help. He whipped out his wand ready to cursed Dennis when a small white ray jetted across the crowd and hit his wand. The wand flew into the hands of another person.
Murmurs of his name waved along the crowd.
"Potter," Draco muttered with dislike.
Harry had come up from the crowd, pointing his wand at Draco and another wand in his other hand. He examined the situation quickly. "Are you alright, Dennis?" he asked, his calm and incisive eyes on Draco.
Dennis just straightened his collar and said, "Yes."
"Good," said Harry threw back Draco's wand at the owner and went to Dennis and motioned him to move out of the crowd but Draco was not finished yet.
"Wait, Potter!" he spoke loudly, calling on Harry like an order but his voice was panting. Harry halted but did not turn around. Dennis stopped but turned back to look. Draco pulled his messy bangs out of his view and stared menacingly at the back of Harry's head.
"You can't stand away from the spotlight can you?" he said, trying to mock and bring down Harry's emotions like he always did.
Ginny pulled Draco's arm in warning. "Draco!"
"Why you?' Dennis growled, and started to make his move but Harry halted him by grabbing his shoulder.
"Face it Potter, you only wanted the spotlight after Ron Weasley is gone off the picture, now you're being a noble hero again," Draco accused, and save a few people, the crows believed him.
Ginny was trying to futilely to stop whatever was hitting Draco's sane head. Hermione was in agony of wanting to stop it or see where it led, but finally decided to watch.
Harry remained unfazed by the accusation and made no attempt to retort which made Draco even madder.
"Now the vilest wizard has gone, you're useless so you wanted to spread rumours about this supposed killer and faked everything that has ever happen." Draco did not know what made him said those things but his mind was in a state of mess. Ginny was already moving backwards into the crowd, almost in tears. Hermione went to comfort the youngest of the Weasleys.
Murmurs around the crowd made it known that they believed what Draco said and it made the Slytherin feel triumphant. Then, Harry smirked and let out a 'huh', audible enough for Draco to hear. Harry turned around slowly and met eye to eye with the silver eyed boy. For the first time ever, Draco squirmed under that intensive and incisive gaze of Harry's emerald eyes.
Harry let out a snort. "You are a mindless git, you know that, Malfoy." Harry laughed a bit and it made Draco irritate. Then Harry asked Draco, "Have you ever heard the story of the Dhampir?"
Draco gazed at Harry with puzzled expression. "Dhampir? A half vampire half human that became a vampire hunter… what's got to do with anything?" he asked irritatingly.
Harry grinned. "Everything… every single sin that humans do especially us wizards and witches in the Wizarding World. You would see, Draco had you read all the Dhampir's adventures, fighting his father, the lord of all vampires, and later killing him in a brutal fight in his own castle. But one of his adventures made me realise how unappreciative the Wizarding World was, making the Muggle World look more heavenly than here."
Some people wanted to protest Harry's statement but they kept on listening. Hermione did not know what Harry was telling. She then saw Snape and McGonagall standing near them but no one noticed their presence. It was astonishing that Harry's voice seemed to draw everyone's attention to him instead of the two professors.
"A group of vicious vampires kidnaps twelve little children from a small town village called Abel, the villagers were too afraid to go and rescue their own children, so they hired bounty hunters, knights, wizards, witches and vampire hunters but after countless hired people have died trying to do so, they gave up and pray for two things, their children's safety and a miracle."
Hermione examined her surroundings again while holding Ginny, who was sobbing. Evidently, each word Harry said seemed to affect everyone. Their faces showed interest, that not even they showed during lessons. Hermione spotted a tall wizard with long white beard standing behind the crowd unnoticed by everyone like McGonagall and Snape but her.
"Then the dhampir came to the village with his unnatural and undead horse, the villagers knew who it was and did not care as long as whoever it was could rescue their children. The dhampir volunteered. He went to the vampire's hideout and took out quite a number of them, and he left no vampires alive. Thankfully, the twelve children were safe and not infected by the vampires. When they returned to the village, that's when us human showed the greatest weakness of them all."
By now the entryway of the castle was as silent as at night.
"The villagers, seemed to change their hearts and minds about the dhampir. Their bad conscience took over as they turned against the dhampir, attacking him right after he saved their children. He saved their children for god sake, and this was how they repaid him by attacking him, cruel and despicable. At last he ran, leaving no remarks and wanting no revenge. He was not the kind of person to hold grudges. And all of this because he was half vampire, and yet they forget he had human feelings."
Harry stopped, staring at Draco with calm eyes, indicating he just finished the story.
Hermione watched as Draco, whose face was once malicious, turned blank. It seemed he did not know what to feel or how to react. Hermione saw Draco staring at Ginny, and finally how apologetic he was by the face he was showing. Then Harry spoke again.
"And do you know what the lesson of this story is?" he asked, with a graceful smile.
Draco quickly turned puzzled. "What?"
"What is the lesson we learn today?" Harry repeated again.
Draco did not know what to answer. He simply answered. "Prejudice is a natural disease known throughout the ages since the beginning of man and wizards. We should not bear such feelings and notice people by their actions and hearts not the way they look."
The answer was satisfying and everyone understood but Harry wanted another answer. "And…," he continued.
Draco simply looked confused. "What do you mean? Isn't anti prejudice is the lesson?" the silver blonde Slytherin said.
"In part, Malfoy," Harry leered and turned his back and started walking off.
Draco noticed this and frantically acted on impulse. "Potter… tell me…what is the real lesson?"
Harry stopped, turned around and smiled a smile that simply described as honesty. "The dhampir was only doing a job that everyone is afraid of, so be appreciative and be glad it isn't you," Harry said and he walked off, with Dennis behind him.
No one knew what happened, they just stood there calmly. Hermione watched as McGonagall and Snape dismantled the crowd and told all of them to take the rest of the day off. Hermione also noticed Dumbledore disappeared. Then she was being called by McGonagall and she sighed. She was going to get another lecture on tardiness. At least Draco and Ginny reconciled.
"Harry," Dennis called him.
"Yes Dennis," he said, with a smile.
"What happened to the village after the dhampir was gone?" Dennis asked, intriguingly.
Harry looked down at the short young boy and admired his curiosity. "Even though the villagers had forgotten him, the twelve children always remembered the dhampir and their words about his kindness spread throughout the Wizarding World as the twelve children grew up and told their children and their grandchildren of the dhampir that saved their lives."
"Wow!" was all Dennis said and he was astonished.
End Interlude…
Dhampir pronounced as dam-pire. I got the myth from the anime series Vampire Hunter D, is a great movie check it out and also check out Kindaichi case files comics out now in stores worldwide.
Responds:
Rachkmar: Thank you for everything, if it weren't for you, this story would not be possible.
MarkCohen: Thanks.
korrd: I got ood news, HP and HG will not be together cause i'm thinking of making this a series. I mean, let i'm going to make one of those sappy romances scene. I'm not going to make Harry go up to Hermione and say i love you crap.
Ginny22: Thanks for reading.
MionePotter2U: Thanks.
Sparkle Tangerine: You have to wait.
NL Kaos: Thank you for the review and the wild guess, and please don't bastardize Ron, he's already been bastardise enough by other people. There will be a big surprise corcerning Ron and the victims. You are my favourite reviewer.
old muggle: I read your stories, they are awesome. It's a definite AU by the way, when book 6 comes out.
sporty12gd4u: Please be patient as i have alot of things to do.
Disco Jesus: you're great at one liners, hope to know more about you.
Please if any of you would reccomend this story, i will be greatly appreciate the work if you do, thank you for reading.