Disclaimer: So not mine. But a girl can dream, can't she.
A/N: Fifty hits on the last chapter and only one review? -tear, sniffle- BIG thanks to Karone-Sakura!
Antics Ensue
Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, nervously looking around. He didn't know how this was going to turn out. Everyone in the Great Hall for breakfast was chatting with his or her neighbors. Ron was not there, but Ginny and Hermione were engrossed in some whispered conversation that Harry was sure was about him. But he didn't have time to think about that right now. Harry closed his eyes, and concentrated.
(Ready?) Harry asked silently.
(As ready you are.) came the response.
(This is going to be fun.)
"Watch this," Draco whispered to Crabbe and Goyle. Draco climbed onto the Slytherin dining table and shouted "Petrificus Totalus!"
Harry jumped, and the spell burned the bench between Ginny and Seamus, where Harry had been sitting.
(Nice move, Harry.) Draco said. (Thanks! Watch out.) was Harry's reply.
"Tarantallegra!" shouted Harry. Draco vaulted over a large bowl of eggs, narrowly missing Harry's curse. "Just thought that since you were already on the table, you'd like to dance for us Malfoy!" Harry taunted, climbing onto the Gryffindor table.
(That wasn't very nice, Harry.)
The entire hall erupted. Some first years dropped to the floor to hide beneath the tables, some Gryffindors laughed at Harry's remark, but most were awestruck that these two archenemies would engage in a duel in front of professors. Hermione was outraged that Draco would attack Harry like this after everything he'd said to her about friendship. She glanced at the head table. Dumbledore was leaning back in his chair, watching the commotion. Snape and McGonagall were glancing anxiously back and forth between Dumbledore and the combatants. Odd that they're not stopping this, thought Hermione. She decided to follow Dumbledore's lead and stay out of it. But, Professors Flitwick and Grubbly-Plank rushed forward to end the duel.
(Uh, oh, Draco. Company.)
"Petrificus Totalus!" Draco tried again. "Stupify!" Harry was able to get a Shield Charm up in time to reflect a curse to each teacher. (Poor Professors. That'll teach them to meddle where they don't belong.) Draco said sarcastically as both Professors fell to the floor with a crash.
(You know we'll be in detention until the end of the year for this, don't you?) laughed Harry, silently.
(More practice time, right?) replied Draco.
"Expelliarmus!" yelled Harry. Draco protected himself with the same Shield Charm and reflected that spell to Neville, who had stood to help Harry. (Stop your housemates there, Harry. Don't need to get them in on this.) Draco warned. "Stupify!" he called.
"It's okay Neville. I got this!" Harry said, leaping over a candlestick holder to avoid Draco's last curse. Hermione put a hand on Neville's arm, "If any of the other Slytherins get up, Neville, we'll jump in and help." Hermione exchanged an uneasy look with Ginny, and shrugged.
Both Harry and Draco were jumping over students, dodging spells, trying to jinx each other, and causing complete pandemonium. The students had never been so captivated. This was better than the ambush at the beginning of the year! The duelists moved down the tables, hurling curses at each other, and deftly avoiding each other's spells. Students leapt from the tables to avoid the spells themselves.
"Stupify!" Harry tried again. (Oops. Accidentally hit your dear friend Crabbe.)
(He'll get over it.) Aloud, Draco sneered, "Trying to run away, Potter? Locomotor Mortis!"
Harry dodged his spell, knocking over Colin Creevey's pumpkin juice. "Sorry 'bout that, Colin," Harry said. "It's alright, Harry! Kick his arse!" Colin said appreciatively, and snapped a picture of the conflict before him.
Spells were flying over the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. The students were watching in amazement, sometimes shielding their heads in the hopes that an errant spell wouldn't find them. Luna, who'd had her nose buried in this week's edition of the Quibbler, looked up in curiosity. She watched the action for a brief moment, shook her head, and serenely left the Great Hall, spells flying overhead.
(I always knew she was odd.) commented Draco, with a snort.
(She's nice. Let her be. We're running out of room here. Shall we take this into the entry hall?) answered Harry, raising his eyebrows at the question.
(If we must.) replied Draco, in mock-boredom. He grinned but then quickly turned it into a sneer.
Both boys jumped gracefully from their tables, Harry taking the lead and running backward while firing off another curse into the Great Hall, somewhere near Draco's head. There was a clatter in the Great Hall as the entire student population got to their feet to follow the action. Dumbledore followed as well, watching his two pupils intently. It was time for this to end. Once in the hall, Dumbledore bellowed, "Finite Incantatem!" which not only nullified all spells bouncing around the halls, but also stopped both boys in their tracks.
In the entry hall, the sea of students parted to allow Dumbledore through to the staircase, where Draco and Harry had halted in their battle. Dumbledore examined each boy for a few seconds before ominously uttering, "You will come with me."
The students whispered loudly amongst themselves. "They are in so much trouble!" "That was bloody brilliant!" "Do you think they'll be expelled?"
As they followed the headmaster, Draco and Harry were having a tough time keeping a solemn expression on their face, and Ginny could have sworn that Harry winked at her on his way out of the entry hall.
Safe in Dumbledore's office, both Harry and Draco erupted into riotous laughter. Dumbledore studied his pupils with amused bewilderment. It seemed these two were co-conspirators in this unusual morning adventure.
"Oh, Lord! That was the most fun I've had in a long time!" exclaimed Harry, still laughing and wiping tears from his eyes. He threw himself into a chair by Dumbledore's desk.
"I know, me too!" replied Draco, clutching his sides in laughter and plopping down in the chair next to Harry.
"Am I to assume," Dumbledore interrupted, eyebrows lifted, "that this little escapade was planned?"
Harry and Draco exchanged mischievous glances.
"Yes, well, next time you plan on something of this nature, please be sure to let me know. It was a bit of a shock to some of the professors," Dumbledore chided, with an amused expression.
"I'm sorry, sir," Draco responded, "We didn't have time. We only came up with this idea at breakfast, as Crabbe and Goyle had been giving me a hard time and…"
"You mean to say, you were communicating across the Great Hall without eye contact?" Dumbledore questioned, leaning forward in his chair.
"Yes, sir," answered Harry proudly. Draco nodded, beaming.
"And you were able to keep others out of your head?" Dumbledore asked.
"We think so," replied Draco, glancing at Harry to see if his answer was the same. Harry nodded, adding, "But I don't think anyone was trying to get in our head at the time, sir."
"Still…" Dumbledore mused.
(Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.) thought Harry.
(I don't think we're in trouble.) replied Draco.
(You both are definitely not in trouble, but you are going to have detention for awhile.)
Harry and Draco's attention snapped to Dumbledore. "Well, you weren't blocking me then, were you? And sometimes you won't be able to tell if someone's using Legilimency against you. They won't be talking in your head, but they could be listening. Remember that."
Dumbledore chuckled at the boys' alarmed expression. "I know, I know. You were having a private discussion, and I won't do it again unless I have to. We'll just keep up the detentions as they were then, shall we? We still have a lot to do."
Leaving Dumbledore's office, Harry glanced apprehensively at Draco. It was now or never.
"So, Draco. I just, uh… wanted to let you know that if, and this is only if you wanted, I mean…" Harry trailed off. What the hell, Harry? It's just Christmas holiday! Harry berated himself. "What I'm trying to say is, if you didn't want to spend Christmas here at Hogwarts, you are welcome at my house."
Draco, shocked at the invitation, stopped walking. "With the muggles?" Draco asked, looking a bit uncertain.
Harry laughed. "What? No way. I wouldn't go back there again! I meant at the house I inherited from, from…"
"Sirius." Draco finished. "I always wondered where that house was. None of the Death Eaters have been able to find it. Where is it?"
"I can't say," replied Harry. "You'll have to arrive with Dumbledore, though. He's the secret-keeper."
"Fidelius Charm? And Dumbledore the secret-keeper. No wonder they haven't been able to find it," Draco said appreciatively. "Yeah, why not. It'll be better than this empty place." Draco gestured carelessly to the halls around them.
"It's not a very big house, and there are loads of people already staying there," Harry warned. Draco shrugged.
"And you're going to have to share a room with Ron," he continued.
Draco groaned and rolled his eyes.
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