CHAPTER 12: A Party of Surprises
Harry pulled at the cuff of his old dress robes and made a shocked noise.
"What is it mate?" Ron asked from his bed, reading his quidditch magazine.
"I grew!'' Harry remarked in shock. "More than an inch!"
"Well yeah, mate," Ron said before he came to stand beside Harry. The teen scowled at their still astronomical height difference. "I noticed that weeks ago."
"Well excuse me, but everyone else still sort of towers above me," he complained.
"Being short is not so bad." Hermione piped up from the door. She was dressed in a lovely powder blue dress. It complimented the beautiful snowflake necklace that Anthony had bought her. Harry felt a bit underdressed in his still stylish but simple bottle-green robes.
"Do you know a spell to fix the hems?" Harry asked as he pulled his sleeve again.
"Certainly!" with a tap of her wand the robes extended down to the length they ought to be. "But really Harry you should get new robes."
"I have some! But I didn't pack them… didn't think I'd get invited to a fancy dress." Harry
remarked with a snort.
"Have fun at your slug club," Ron said as he flopped back on his bed.
"Oh!" Hermione said before she looked back at Ron with a wince "Ron before we go, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not coming to The Burrow this Christmas." the ginger froze and turned to her with a horrified face.
"Wot?!" he demanded, "why not?!"
"Anthony's parents invited me to celebrate Hanukkah with them this year." she explained with a smile "it's really quite exciting and I'm quite looking forward to meeting them." Harry winced at each word she said. Ron's face grew increasingly stormy until he was scowling darkly.
"Fine." he snapped "whatever. I don't care what you do." Hermione bit her lip before she turned back to Harry.
"We should get going." Harry nodded. He paused in the door and looked back to Ron.
"See ya later, yeah?" but the ginger didn't respond. Harry sighed and followed Hermione into the common room.
"I'll take Snuffles for his evening walk, Harry," Neville promised from the sofa. The dog let out a huff of irritation. Harry patted the dog's head with a sympathetic grin.
"You'll get lots of Christmas treats at The Burrow, I promise." the dog's ears perked up before he sneezed and settled back down much more leisurely. Harry snickered and shook his head indulgently before he and Hermione made their way towards Slughorn's office. Halfway there they met up with Anthony and Susan.
"This is gonna be a long night." Susan declared with a sigh. Harry nodded, already feeling tired.
"Maybe we'll be lucky and Slughorn will be too distracted by the other guests." Anthony reasoned. "I hear The Weird Sisters are going to be there."
"What really?" Harry asked. "I love them!"
"They are pretty spectacular." Hermione agreed.
"Welp," Susan said as they turned a corner and heard the gentle music undercut by a lull of conversation pouring from Slughorn's open door, along with bright light. "Into the fray." as the four stepped into the room Slughorn let out a loud cry.
"Harry!" the teen forced a grin on his face.
"Hello professor," he replied to the man who quickly rushed forward and grabbed his hand for a shake.
"Come in come in! There are some people I simply must introduce you to!" The other three winced and Susan whispered a quiet sorry as they made a clever escape. Harry was then dragged around and introduced to everyone present. He had a picture taken with every attendant. The photographer worked with the daily prophet and happened to be an ex-member of the slug club. Slughorn privately informed Harry that he was a touch disappointed with how some of his guests had turned out. The photographer as well as the author, Eldred Worple, whom he thought was wasting his time working with Sanguini, the vampire and subject of Worple's latest book. Something about vampires and politics on the mainland. Harry personally thought the subject was probably fascinating but supposed that Slughorn wouldn't be able to gain many advantages.
"Ah! Now here my lad is someone you must meet!" Slughorn cried. Harry stepped forward and froze. There was no mistaking that piercing gaze.
"Mrs. Snape," he said in awe. The woman sniffed haughtily.
"Madame, I should think." she drawled coldly, "and it is rather rude to address someone before you are properly introduced, Mr. Potter."
"Sorry," Harry said quickly, though he would have liked to point out that she had just done the very same thing.
"Eileen, you should know that young Harry here is a real prodigy!" Slughorn declared. "Why I'd say he's about as good as your son!"
"That seems highly unlikely." a voice suddenly replied from behind them. Harry winced and turned around.
"Professor Snape," he said with what he hoped was an air of innocence. "Professor Slughorn is exaggerating. I'm not nearly as good as you."
"Nonsense my boy!" Slughorn insisted. "You're the top of the class. Better than even Miss. Granger!"
"That is rather surprising." Snape drawled slowly "given that he performed generally mediocre when I was professor of potions." Slughorn chuckled.
"Perhaps he needed a gentler hand," Slughorn argued before giving a knowing look "not everyone works well under a drill sergeant, Severus old boy." Harry flinched. Snape's face went blank, but the hand around his glass whitened a bit. Harry instantly wanted to provide some sympathy. He knew that referring to Snape under any kind of military rank no doubt would make him think of his abusive father.
"Severus." Eileen suddenly cut in, before Slughorn could make things any more uncomfortable. "It's good to see you. Why haven't you visited me at all this year?"
"Mother." Snape snarled under his breath.
"It's really so impolite." she continued with pursed lips "I expect you to come for Christmas at least once."
"Mother I am a grown man with multiple responsibilities-"
"At least once!" the woman snapped angrily. Harry couldn't help but sputter out a small laugh as the man grumbled and took a sip of his drink. Eileen made a noise of satisfaction before looking down at Harry's pinched face. "A little decorum Mr. Potter. This isn't a circus." Harry straightened and schooled his face. Then under her breath, she muttered "though I could understand the confusion." Harry almost laughed out loud. Then something truly shocking happened. The woman smiled at him. "You remind me of your mother." she suddenly said. Harry froze.
"I... I do?" he asked.
"Yes." Eileen confirmed "you have a similar sense of humour. And you have an air about you." she trailed off eyes growing far away. "The world is truly a dimmer place without her in it." Harry sank a little.
"I wish I'd gotten to meet her," he muttered quietly. Slughorn suddenly cut in loudly.
"Harry, come along, still many more people to meet," he said hurriedly. Eileen's face as Harry was dragged away looked murderous. Snape looked only slightly less annoyed. The pair began talking to each other in hushed tones before Harry was sucked back into the crowd.
Twenty minutes later the door opened once again.
"Sorry I'm late!" a very familiar voice cut in. Harry turned to the door so fast he probably should have gotten whiplash. "The weather in Surrey was repulsive!"
"Dudley!" he cried in delight. The teen smiled.
"Hello, my darling cousin."
"Mr. Dursley!" Slughorn cried just as delightfully "come in! Harry and I simply must introduce you to some of the guests!" The pair of teens shared a look that had Dudley chuckling at Harry's expense before he melted into the crowd of schmooze with ease. In fact, Slughorn was so enamoured with Dudley as he caroused with the rich and powerful guests that he didn't even notice that Harry had decidedly not joined his cousin for another round of introductions.
"Finally free?" Anthony said with a grin. Harry let out a breath of relief
"Thank Merlin for Dudley. I was about to deck him."
"I saw you talking with Madame Snape." Susan suddenly declared. "She's quite a fascinating woman. I wasn't expecting her to be here."
"Have you met her before?" Harry asked.
"My granny lived in York." Susan explained "she and granny were friends. I went over for tea to her potions shop when I was about nine. She was nice. A bit cold at first, but once she warms up to you, she has a wicked sense of humour."
"I noticed," Harry remarked with a chuckle. Then suddenly Susan's face fell.
"Oh god not again," she muttered in frustration.
"Hello, Bones," McLaggen said as he waltzed over with a smug grin. Harry instantly scowled. He'd been made quidditch captain at the start of the year and had set about filling in the various positions that had been vacated by half the team graduating the year before. McLaggen had been one of the candidates for filling the position of keeper. He'd performed well enough in the tryouts. Harry had set him as keeper, with Ron on reserve. That had strained their friendship a bit. But it soon became clear that McLaggen's ego was impossible to work with. The boy acted as though he were a quidditch God that could do no wrong. Harry had kicked him off the team and pulled Ron from reserves. Ron had since outperformed McLaggen by remaining focused on his own roles, instead of telling everyone else how to play their positions.
"McLaggen." Harry snapped. The boy ignored Harry
"Come and dance with me, Bones," McLaggen demanded. Susan grimaced.
"I'd sooner dance with a dementor." she snarled. The teen's smug grin remained.
"Well in that case how about a kiss?" That was too much.
"Piss off McLaggen." Harry snarled. The teen finally acknowledged Harry.
"What's it to you Potter?" the teen demanded; grin still frustratingly present "not as if she's your girlfriend."
"Well, she is!" Harry shouted angrily. The group around then quieted at Harry's shout. Mclaggen's face fell.
"Wot?"
"She is my girlfriend." Harry repeated angrily "so piss off." McLaggen swallowed before he turned and walked away. Harry huffed in irritation. Susan came up beside him with a wince.
"So much for keeping it a secret," she muttered under her breath. Harry winced.
"Sorry," he said. He could hear the whispers all around them now. And considering that a Prophet photographer was literally right there across the room, news of Harry Potter's new girlfriend was sure to be on the front page the next day.
"Good thing Dumbledore is monitoring all communications." Hermione reminded "so it won't be as bad as what I went through."
"Doesn't stop internal communications." Susan remarked, "I have a feeling things are going to be pretty rough when we get back from break." Suddenly Dudley walked over.
"So, I have to hear through the grapevine that you're getting married, eh?" Dudley said with a grin. Harry groaned in despair.
"I can see the headline now." Susan remarked with a snicker "Harry Potter elopes with pregnant Hogwarts sweetheart."
"Shush!" Harry cried in alarm "everything that happens here is gonna end up in the paper!"
"Which means mum is going to see it," Dudley explained with a grin.
"Which means that I'm going to be in a shit ton of trouble if anything like that gets put in there," Harry said matter-of-factly. Hermione winced.
"He's not exaggerating. I've met her. Petunia Evans is quite terrifying when she needs to be." Hermione declared. Susan grinned.
"Don't worry. I remember last year." she snickered "Ms. Umbridge." The five teens started snickering amongst themselves. Suddenly a hush fell over the group as a commotion arose from the door.
"Get your filthy hands off me!" Draco Malfoy snarled as Filch dragged the boy into the room.
"Sorry to disturb professor." the man rasped "found this one lurking about your office!"
"Let go!" the teen cried before he straightened his jacket "I was gate-crashing! Not a crime, is it?!" Suddenly Snape cut through the crowd.
"Thank you Mr. Filch." he said coldly "I'll escort Mr. Malfoy back to his common room." Then he grasped Draco's upper arm and dragged the teen out of the room. Slughorn then instructed everyone to get back to their merriment. Dudley however put his drink down.
"Time to figure out just what that squirrely bastard is up to." he declared softly before he walked towards the door. The other four looked at each other in a panic before following the teen.
"Dudley, what do you think you're doing!" Harry stage whispered after the teen. Dudley waved his hand for him to pipe down as he paused at a corner. Sure enough, Draco and Snape could be heard arguing around the corner. That shut them up immediately. It was time to get some answers.
Harry sat quietly across from Ron in the compartment as the teen stared back, gobsmacked.
"For real?" he finally asked.
"That's what they said," Harry confirmed.
"An unbreakable vow? You're sure that's what you heard?" Ron demanded.
"Dudley, Hermione, and Anthony heard it too." Harry insisted, ignoring Ron's scowl at the mentions of Hermione and Anthony "you can ask them."
"I heard it as well." Susan said plainly from where she was lying across Harry's bench, propped up by the armrest "Snape definitely said he'd made an unbreakable vow."
"That's... Pretty insane." Ron said plainly.
"What is an unbreakable vow?" Harry finally asked. It'd been bugging him all night.
"It's the most powerful and binding magical contract a witch or wizard can enter," Susan explained.
"Basically, a person makes three promises," Ron began, "and if they break any one of those three promises, they die."
"Really?" Harry asked in horror.
"It's a bit more complex than that." Susan continued. "The ritual requires three people, the one demanding the vow, the one accepting the vow, and a binder. The binder is the one that lays out the conditions of the vow. Usually, they consult the vow requester, but it has been known for a binder to take control of the situation themselves. There are lots of reasons to do this. The requester of the vow cannot do anything to undermine the efforts of the vow acceptor, so if the binder and the vow accepter were working together, they could force the vow requester to work against their better interests. Or they could just do it to spite the accepter, by adding an extra layer of difficulty to the vow."
"That sounds like a nightmare!" Harry cried in horror "what if you're forced into an unbreakable vow and then forced to break it?! Or what if you make an unbreakable vow and get obliviated!"
"You can't be forced to enter an unbreakable vow." Susan calmed him. "It has to be entered consensually."
"As for the obliviated." Ron began "well actually that might be a problem…"
"It's never been known to happen before. At least not on purpose." Susan said "the point of an unbreakable vow is usually to get someone to do, or not do something. Obliviating them afterwards would ultimately defeat the purpose, don't you think?" Susan argued with a roll of her eyes.
"Is there any way to break the vow without the acceptor dying?" Harry asked quietly.
"If the requester is killed," Susan said bluntly. Harry flinched.
"What did Snape make the vow about?" Ron asked. Susan shook her head.
"He was much too vague, but it seemed as though he'd made a vow to help Malfoy with something."
"He got on his case about being reckless," Harry said slowly.
"'Too obvious' was his actual line. And something about attacking you at the start of the year?" Susan asked coldly. Harry flinched.
"It was nothing," Harry assured her. "I deserved it anyway. I was pretty stupid."
"Oh?"
"I walked into a trap. Malfoy tricked me into the baggage car and petrified me then broke my nose."
"How did you get out of that one?!"
"Luna came along and helped me," Harry explained.
"Lovegood?" Susan asked in confusion. "How did she know you were there?"
"No idea." Harry admitted, then he frowned "actually she was really weird. She said to stay away from the dragon. Something about him being wounded and dangerous."
"Maybe she was talking about Draco?" Susan offered "Draco does mean dragon in Latin."
"Maybe," Harry said with a shake of his head.
"Well, if she was, she was right." Susan muttered "knowing that Snape made a vow to help him, I'm afraid what this mysterious task of his is." she shook her head "rest assured that whatever it is, it won't be anything good."
"Snape 's not a bad man," Harry argued. Susan looked at him sympathetically.
"I know Harry," her face hardened "but an unbreakable vow is a serious thing, even the slightest hint of disloyalty to it can lead to a very slow and painful death. And a person can do truly horrible things to avoid such a fate." Harry didn't respond to that. In fact, he was silent the entire long train ride back to London. At some point, Snuffles whined and lifted his head onto Harry's lap. Harry smiled down at the dog and rubbed his head. Then he berated himself. Whatever this vow was about he was sure Snape would figure something out. This was Snape! He could probably weasel his way out of anything! And it's not as if Draco could really do anything THAT bad.
He was overreacting.
Everything would be fine.
A/N: Oh...
Oh, poor Harry.
Poor sweet innocent Harry...
You know not what you say.
See you all next week.
Don't forget to keep on reading
-TTC