Dauntless Dimensions
Chapter VI
The Daunting Week
Monday
Harry found the odd Defence against the Dark Arts teacher amusing. The man was whiter than white, quite literally. He was putting the ghosts to shame. He couldn't be any whiter if he was albino – well, maybe he was exaggerating a little. However, the professor wore a huge crimson turban on his head as if that made him special or something because he was certainly no Sikh or anything.
Then while walking back and forth in front of the class, the professors' eyes were shifting as if moments away from a panic attack. Harry didn't like him at all, and he could teach the class better, and he didn't know much about hexes and curses, except what he read from his textbook. The man supposedly got his turban from a prince in Arabia or something saving them from vampires, so why fear a class of underage-newbie magicians. Though, Harry supposed that was just a rumour, someone overstating facts; the truth being Quirrell likely bought the turban in the gift shop while on a package holiday and liked to tell tall tales after a few drinks down the pub.
Professor Quirrell was trying to give a lecture about the dark arts and its counter measures. However, even Harry was having a lot of difficulty understanding him when he was a stuttering mess, and not the odd slipped word, as he would expect, but everything. Observing the 'teacher' it became apparent that it was put on, and highly over-exaggerated, like how some ignorant kids would mock someone, only worse. The professor was faking it for some reason and doing a very bad job of it. He should certainly stay away from theatre unless he wanted rotten fruit thrown in his face.
It made Harry smile as he sat with Hermione and marvelled at her note taking ability, as she seemed able to decipher the stuttered words with minimal effort on her part. He supposed he could have too if the teacher wasn't also boring him into a stupor with what would have been a boring lesson without the stuttering. How could one man be that boring? It was supposed to be a class on monsters, hexes, and that sort of thing, so should have been heller cool, and all sorts of amazing.
Harry shook his head clear as he watched the shifty professor. He would have to keep a very close eye on him. He was obviously up to no good. Harry was certain that Dumbledore must know the guy was up to something, as Dumbledore wouldn't let such a shifty character in the school, especially with his lacklustre support as of late without some kind of reason. It could be something to do with that horrible death waiting on the third floor.
Dumbledore had warned them that the third-floor corridor was off-limits to anyone not wanting to die a horrible death, or he might have said fourth floor. Harry wasn't paying attention at the time. He didn't know what Dumbledore would be doing putting something in the castle that might want to kill them. Then, nobody knew why Dumbledore did the stupid things he did, but him – well, maybe even Dumbledore didn't know why he did silly things that risked students' lives.
Harry had to look out for whom he could, most likely cute girls, like his new best friend Hermione. It was the least he could do while this was partially his home, and he was a God of Heroes, so he had to at least partake in some heroing, to do by example or something along those lines, and he was pretty sure he was probably considered a hero on this world too. Dumbledore maybe stupid at times but Harry was certain he had a reason for everything he did, even if he or nobody else could figure the long game out, and didn't want to hurt anyone. But if the old man thought for a moment that it was the right thing to do, he would do it no matter what others might think, and probably regret it later when it went wrong. Though, some people never learnt from their mistakes, as they quickly skip off to make all new ones.
Harry was sure that Dumbledore would probably listen to him, (if only to try getting on his good side), but the old man most likely wouldn't tell him what was going on no matter what he offered. The old man was stubborn, that was for sure, and no amount of bribery would loosen his grin if he thought it was for the best. The old man likely had many regrets for that kind of stubborn behaviour, so it served him right to have his schemes backfire for the shear nerve and arrogance alone.
Sighing, Harry shook his head as the fake-stutter box finished a twenty-minute lecture in one hour fifty minutes leaving them to read the first chapter of their books while waiting for the morning bell to signal break, and it couldn't arrive quickly enough.
"He seems a little much," Hermione whispered as she leaned over to Harry once the talking started. She actually looked mentally drained, and she had been so happy and eager before the class started.
"You mean the fact he's boring or that he should play some taped lectures if he's going to 'stutter' every word?" Harry asked, using air quotes around the word stutter to make her know he thought it was all rubbish.
"Now you mention it that stutter does seem really put on," she agreed frowning as she looked at the teacher sitting nervously at his desk and watching them all like they were about to attack him, and they might have had he been slightly more annoying and boring. "There is something really odd about that man."
"I know, but what gets me is Dumbledore," Harry said startling her. She looked to him, confused. "I mean, I know we shouldn't discriminate against people with disabilities, but this is a teacher. Teachers shouldn't have such speech impediments as they need to talk to their students. This damns our education no matter how knowledgeable he might be."
Hermione nodded her agreement after a little thought. "I think you're right. If he was in a wheelchair or something it would be perfectly fine, but having such huge communication problems should have been a red flag against hiring him. I would have thought that good communication would be a must for a teacher. I think it should be in the job description too."
"Yeah, but," Harry shrugged. "I don't know how the magical world works with this. Do teachers in the magical world even have to be qualified? Maybe Dumbledore can choose whoever he wants? Could you actually see Snape going to… umm… well-a-school for teachers?"
Hermione shivered and looked like that would be an affront to her. "I don't know, but I hope they're qualified. I would be happier knowing that I have qualified teachers thank you very much, Harry."
Harry grinned and laughed. "Well, Dumbledore is an oddball."
"He's not that much of a…" she trailed off as she looked to Quirrell. "Okay, he might be that much of an oddball, as he did kind of tell us something would kill us yesterday if we-."
"See, I guess I'm rubbing off on you," Harry replied while wiggling his eyebrows and Hermione blushed and had to stifle her giggles. "I think Dumbledore always has a reason for whatever he does, but that doesn't mean it's a good reason. I heard that this job is cursed, and for the past twenty odd years nobody has lasted more than a year."
"Well, whatever reason Dumbledore has let's hope it's over next year," Hermione said rolling her eyes as she got her blush and laugh under control, as Harry seemed to have a silly streak, but she enjoyed that about him. "If the job really is cursed, I suppose we'll have another teacher next year, so we can hope he doesn't have an over-the-top stutter."
"We can only hope, Hermione, we can only hope," Harry said while stifling his laughter. "But we might have some corny little poser next who would be stupid enough to set a bunch of mischievous pixies free on us without a hope of getting them back in their cage because he barely knows how to use magic."
Hermione couldn't help but quiver at the thought while Harry sniggered. "Harry, please, I would rather the stutter than incompetence."
Harry couldn't help but laugh more. In fact, lots of students were laughing and joking and ignoring their assigned defence books. However, the 'teacher' was just sitting with a shifty look as his eyes darted around in his head as if he was actually observing rather than fearful. Harry bet he was observing them, and his eyes moved to Harry more than necessary. Quirrell was certainly up to something extremely dodgy.
"Don't worry Hermione, I'm sure Dumbledore can't screw up two years in a row," Harry tried reassuring her but she looked as doubtful as he felt.
"But maybe the curse has scared any real teachers away?" she suggested in a hushed whisper.
"You have a point," Harry readily agreed. "I've noticed that the magical people can be very superstitious… but then twenty plus years of this would make me think twice too."
"Well, when you live in a world of ghosts and magic-," Hermione said with a small grin. "After a while I might even start believing in some freaky things, but then those freaky things might be real."
"They probably are," Harry replied. "I've already seen some ghosts and wizards. I wonder whether the lake has some merpeople, or the forest has centaurs and elves."
"Hmm, it might have," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Oh wait, I read that centaurs live in the forest, but I can't remember any mention of merpeople in Hogwarts. A. History."
"Oh yeah, come to think of it I read that too," he agreed with a grin. "I had been reading that in the evenings before bed, after making sure my little sister was tucked in, so I was a little drowsy sometimes, so I might have missed some bits or skimmed over."
Hermione smiled a little as she knew from reading The Daily Prophet Newspaper that Harry had taken in the little girl who had been born in Azkaban Prison. She was horrified that anyone could be incompetent enough to let that happen, and she thought it was bad that they locked away an innocent man, and let some kind of demons that tortured the prisoners for just being near was bad. Though, Hermione was pleased to find out that Harry and Sirius Black were taking care of the poor little girl, and that little Tifa was getting the help she needed on the Ministry's coin.
"You shouldn't read while sleepy, silly," Hermione finally reprimanded playfully. "That's how you end up reading something but not fully taking it in. We're Ravenclaws. We have to keep up our reputation as the smarty-pants."
Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Being smart isn't just about books and reading. It's about gaining knowledge and using that knowledge. It's about understanding and experimentation, and knowing that our smarts isn't everything."
Hermione nodded as she thought that over. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she agreed just as the break bell rang.
The whole class was relieved as they dumped their books into their book bags and quickly got up while Quirrell was stuttering something that they ignored. If he couldn't gain their full attention, why should they wait? Sure, he was the 'teacher', but if he couldn't control a few first year Ravenclaws then that was his problem. He obviously wouldn't like having to deal with Gryffindors or Slytherins as they were of more unruly stock when it came to gaining respect.
Harry and Hermione were among the babble of other first years fighting to leave the class and, in a hurry, which was unusual for Ravenclaw, but this wouldn't be the first and last class to flee on the bell.
Tuesday
Harry had not thought that a class could be any worse than Quirrell's class. However, that was before he was sitting in a class next to Hermione with an old ghost teacher droning on about something to do with goblins. The dead man seemed to be obsessed with them, and if he wasn't careful Harry was going to have to start studying some exorcism rituals and send the guy's imprint into the afterlife, or maybe Death had a few quicker tricks she could teach him when they next meet.
Harry was sure the goblins had every right to be angry with humans, so why was the ghost making out as if they were evil warmongers. Though, he had zoned out so many times that he was not sure the bell hadn't gone yet, but looking at his watch he realised it had only been half an hour. He wished Dumbledore wouldn't hire these 'people'. Life could not be this drab, and he was immortal so he hoped that he met lots of interesting people throughout his existence.
The class was so boring that Harry wasn't the only one looking as if they wanted to kill themselves, take a really long nap, or take up exorcism as a hobby. Harry sighed as he looked to his friend, Hermione to see her actually taking notes. Hermione was the only one, and he found it amazing. If someone had just thought to trap Voldemort in this class for a whole day, he would have killed himself, or became Mr. Sunshine Bunny-Pop with a new show for children everywhere to be made stupider.
If Harry was ever Headmaster of Hogwarts, he would have just ignored this guy and gotten a new teacher. He would bet Dumbledore didn't even pay him. He also wondered why this ghost was so oblivious to the world around him when the others seemed to be very lively, more so than most of the living teachers. Binns was an unusual one for sure, and Harry wondered whether he had been drugged up to high heavens when he died and that translated as a teacher ghost whom OD'd and had to stay drugged up forever, or until a crossing, or whatever.
Harry shrugged, but that brought about other thoughts. Since ghosts were magical imprints on the world, did real spirits or souls ever linger? But then an imprint must be able to pass over and join the rest of its soul – possibly? He was thinking that earlier, but he wasn't completely sure? He hoped not, but then Angels of Death wouldn't have existed, and there were infinite over worlds where things like that would be certainly true with different rules of life, death, and rebirth.
Harry wanted to cry as he had enough to deal with, with imprints of boring old men droning on about goblins and wizards warring with each other that he didn't need to get involved with Death's job. Lessons hadn't been that promising yet, but he could only hold out hope. He turned to Hermione as she suddenly stopped writing notes with a frown as she looked over what she had written. Harry smirked as he realised that she hadn't been paying attention but just writing everything she heard for later review, and probably lost her place.
"Harry, umm…" Hermione leaned closer looking concerned as she whispered. "He just went back to the beginning of the lesson and started all over again, again. I've written this stuff down twice, word for word."
Harry looked at his new friend dubiously as he took her notebook and went to the beginning. If that was true then Hermione wasn't listening as he thought, or only half paying attention. Tuning into the teacher Harry's eyes widened in surprise, but nobody else seemed to notice, as he was so boring. Harry would have burst out laughing if he hadn't been so surprised. The teacher had really been through the boring crap twice, as he skipped between Hermione's first lot of notes and the second.
"Wow," Harry whispered back, confused. "I didn't think a teacher could possibly be worse than Quirrell. You don't think he just repeats this over and over for all classes do you?"
Hermione looked around at all of the sleepy and zoned out students before answering. "Well, if the other classes are this inattentive, I wouldn't be surprised."
"No way," Harry said shaking his head, but he doubted his own doubt. "I'm sure somebody would notice if all he did was repeated the same predigest crap about goblins fighting us over and over, someone would have noticed, surely, but then I suppose if well-."
"He had almost made me completely zone out a few times," she retorted. "I only kept myself focused, writing almost on autopilot because I didn't want to admit that a class could be worse than Defence against the Dark Arts with Quirrell. But look. I hadn't been listening enough to notice the first time he started over. Maybe this was all he ever knew about magical history. Maybe he just never liked goblins or something like that and wanted to spread his hateful propaganda or something?"
"Well, I admit that I would rather Quirrell's stuttering over Binns's racism," he said with a smile. "I can't believe this ghost, look; word for word… hey wow... you're really good at taking dictation."
"I wouldn't be if I bought those quills," she said rolling her eyes as she flicked him on the nose with her pen. "I'm glad I and the others forced that woman to take us to the decent shops or I would never be able to keep up, and maybe that is half the reason no one noticed, because they couldn't keep up and he doesn't stop to let anyone using a quill and ink write what he says, and he is speaking quite fast and fluidly. He must have practiced all of this for decades, and only gotten better at reciting it."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "So, anyway, do you want to leave and see whether he cares? He didn't even take attendance. I don't want to hang out in a class that doesn't teach me anything. I might as well hang out in the library and read some history books. I bet we've had cooler wars than an uprising with the goblins!"
"We can't just walk out Harry," she replied worriedly. "What if he does notice?"
Harry couldn't help but shrug while looking confident and packed up his schoolbag with his history book. Hermione watched Harry stand up and walk across the room without the teacher making a motion that he noticed, and then opened the door and left loads of gawking Ravenclaws as they noticed him leaving the class as if the bell had actually gone, but to their horror they still had an hour until break. They checked watches and wished they had the gull to walk out.
It took Hermione a few moments to catch up with Harry with her book bag. She was out of breath with a look of amazement on her flushed face.
"I-I can't believe he didn't even acknowledge us leaving," she said with a look as if she had committed a Las Vegas casino robbery and gotten away with-it Ocean's Eleven style. "I-I've never bunked off of a class before," she said looking around shiftily for teachers to catch them bunking off to give them a week's detention.
"Hermione-baby," Harry slurred in a 60's American gangster accent. "Don't be so dramatic. What's the worst that could happen? A stint in detention...? Ah, forget about it!" he said with some wild gestures.
Hermione couldn't help but burst out into laughter. "You are one crazy wizard," she said smiling while he chuckled.
"One person's crazy is another's interesting," Harry retorted with a cocky smirk. "Anyway, come on, that ghost could kill with his boring-factor. I'm surprised students and parents haven't complained, but then I would have to wonder whether Dumbledore would do anything."
"I don't know," Hermione agreed. "Maybe no one had cared too much. He makes history so boring that they might just like the nap."
"Well, everybody likes a nice long nap," Harry replied smiling at her. "But I would also like to learn something about history," he said leading her into the library. "This is the best bet for getting some real education when the teacher is a moron or inattentive and repetitive."
Hermione looked nervous as the librarian looked over. The stern woman gave them looks of suspicion but otherwise left them to pick out some history books and find a table so they could read together. Harry had been tempted to look up something on the truths about Camelot or other such awesome stuff, but changed his mind. He didn't want to jump ahead of himself, and ruin all of history by giving himself too many spoilers, which could be a load of bull crap. Though, he wanted to see whether these goblin rebellions were really that special that the history ghost would repeat them over and over.
It turned out that the goblin rebellions were just as boring as Binns made them out to be. In fact, they were even more so. Though, looking at the book he realised that the author was not very good at writing, as he skimmed to some other conflicts. He hoped that it was just a very few history writers that were boring or he would have to give up and go and live the history for himself and write something interesting for kids to enjoy history; wizards lived in the 'past' anyway so they should enjoy the past.
"Maybe we were being too judgmental," Hermione agreed with his thoughts looking over a book just like his. "This rebellion does sound like it could drain the life out of someone. Maybe that's how Binns died," she said grimacing as the librarian 'shushed' them.
"I wouldn't be surprised. It was either that or he really did OD'd, which would explain why he doesn't 'see' people," he replied, amused while he lowered his voice, and she nodded in agreement. He didn't get why the librarian cared about talking when nobody else was around to disturb, and he wondered whether she would tell on them later, but he was unconcerned.
Hermione smiled as they settled down to read. This way they could claim to have actually been working if caught, and they could still tell any teacher about Binns's repeat lessons if they needed to defend themselves, and then the teachers might get rid of him, if Dumbledore let them.
Wednesday
This was more like it, Harry thought in relief. It was a good first class of the day. It was transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She talked about her subject for twenty odd minutes before she was happy to have them draw their wands for some practical application. Everything in her class was spiffing as they finally had a really good teacher who knew what she was doing.
McGonagall handed out matchsticks to everyone in the class, and they were to use the spell she showed them to turn it into a silver pointed sewing needle. Harry found it quite amusing as he watched the other students trying and failing as they scrunched up their faces in concentration. However, Harry listened intently; it seemed to be the pronunciation that was failing them, or something like that, not that he was doing much better.
Harry figured for an ancient people who mainly used Latin for magical casts that they would have Latin classes to help with things like that, but that seemed like too much to ask when they had a useless class like History of Magic, and so many useless teachers – well, two so far, but he did have potions the next day.
Harry had been hopeful that he would get everything straightaway, like the pro he knew he had to be. However, it took him three attempts before he did get it down only because of his freaky know every language in the muti-verse 'EVER' ability he had going on.
Hermione had given him an annoyed look as his matchstick changed into a perfect silver coloured sewing needle. Harry couldn't help but smirk at her in smugness as he helped her say the word correctly, concentrating on Latin so he got it right for her. Hermione was close by the end of the lesson. He was the only the only one who got the whole thing.
They left together, Hermione pouting at him.
"Don't be such a sore loser, Hermione," Harry reprimanded her playfully. "I can read and speak Latin..."
"I wish I could," Hermione mumbled with a sigh as she gratefully slumped into Harry's arms as he laughingly guided her on to their next class.
Thursday
Potions - Harry really didn't want to attend the class with the Slytherins, or at all, not that he had anything against the Slytherins, but anyway, Hermione dragged him along with her. Snape looked at everyone with hate as he opened his classroom door to let them in, but he looked even more hateful as he looked to Harry.
Harry would have loved to smack him in the face but he just went to take a seat without thinking about it. He had lost Hermione while grabbing his seat and it took a few moments to notice her on the other side of the class looking at him in worry. He looked around in surprise to see that Slytherins surrounded him and all of the Ravenclaws were on the other side.
Harry shrugged when a tiny Slytherin girl with her black hair in a bob sat next to him, glaring so hard that it looked like she was trying to burn him with laser vision. He remembered her trying to hang off of Malfoy's arm all the time, to his annoyance. Malfoy was obviously broken or something because the small girl was quite cute, and more so, she was amusing.
Sighing did nothing to dissuade her glare. It was as if she blamed him for the seating arrangements. Though, it probably was his fault that he didn't realise the Slytherins probably wanted this side to themselves, so Snape knew who not to punish for 'misbehaviour'.
Harry gave her a nervous smile and her glare just made her seem meaner. He was sure she was pretty in that mousy kind of way if only she stopped giving him that look of hate.
Snape went on to tell them that he hated them and that they were all going to be useless idiots. Well, he might as well have. Harry could read between the lines as the gaps were so huge, and Snape didn't seem to understand the key points of subtlety. Anyway, Snape called them all dunderheads at the end of his little speech.
"Potter – our new celebrity," Snape spoke in a drawl as if anything else to them was beneath him. "Maybe you can be the first to answer a question for me?" he asked but awaited no answer. "Why is it that when your whole house sits the other side of my class do you feel it your need to bother my Slytherins by sitting there?"
Harry was a little startled by the question while the Slytherins snickered. "I don't see a problem Professor, unless you promote some kind of segregation, sir," he responded to the grease-balls shock. "I don't much mind having umm…" he looked at his new partner in thought. "I think her names Pansy. Well anyway, I don't mind having her as a lab partner," he said shrugging.
Snape just continued glaring, but that was nothing to Pansy's glare, but Harry annoyed them more than anyone as their glares seemed to bounce off. "Very well," he reluctantly said as he couldn't admit it or do anything. "But maybe you can answer something else? What could you make with ash wood extract bound in eucalyptus leaves?"
"Did you just make that up?" Harry couldn't help but ask.
Snape sneered smugly. "Well, it seems fame isn't everything," he said allowing the Slytherins to laugh
"I couldn't agree more," Harry readily agreed shocking them while smiling widely they stopped snickering. "But it's just as well I'm rich and good looking too," Harry couldn't help but say, which caused a few silent snickers from Ravenclaws.
"Twenty points from Ravenclaw for being big-headed Potter," the greasy man hissed out. "Now, instructions are on the bored, get on with it!" he hissed as he flicked his wand at the blackboard and the writing appeared before he sat at his desk and picked up the morning paper.
The class wasn't very noisy as they got underway, some looking confused, but they talked a little. Harry glared at the teacher, confused before looking to Pansy to see her getting prepared with the cauldron on their desk. He wondered why they would put a cauldron in their supply list if they got a school one anyway. It was not like they should be trusted to make potions outside of class; they were dangerous enough with explosions in the making in their pockets in the form of the harmless guise of sticks.
Harry shrugged as he looked to his partner as she did everything in her power to ignore him. He found it amusing to annoy her as much as possible, which got some super-glares. It was funny how one tiny first year girl could glare so hard. She must have practiced at home in a mirror. He could actually imagine her sitting in front of her vanity mirror glaring at herself until she found the right affect.
It wasn't too bad partnering with Pansy. Harry was certain that most of the other Slytherins would have been continuous douches. So, he would count himself lucky she pulled the short straw to be his lab partner, or that Malfoy didn't want her hanging off him and partnered with that black dude who looked bored as Malfoy wouldn't shut up talking about something, likely himself.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Harry suddenly said as Pansy went to add something to their cauldron. She looked at him, annoyed, but her expression questioned him as she paused cautiously. "The book says that if we do the potion will start reversing, and instead of curing boils it will give them," he said looking over one of his potion books.
He had bought the standard potion book from the bookstore, but he had also found his mother's old potions book, with many other books. His mother's book(s) has hundreds if not thousands of different tips on the subject each, and he would be inclined to trust it since she got O's in both her OWL's (ordinary wizarding level exams) and her NEWT's (nastily exhausting wizarding test), and was obviously smarter than the original authors, but then he wondered who wasn't.
"Don't be stupid, Potter," Pansy said as she looked at his book as it looked like the normal one to her. Harry was hiding it under an illusion because he didn't want to have to beat Snape up if he tried to steal it from him. Harry already knew about that greasy freak and him chasing his mother, which made him feel sick just thinking about it. It made Snape high up on his shit list, and if the greasy bastard didn't turn over a new leaf Harry was sure he would kill him personally.
Harry had already been reading up on a few magic's to rework all of the additions into the book whole, so he could add the whole thing to his 'special' book sometime in the near future, or whatever time he was at the time he had time. His mother must have been a genius or something close because she had even altered and added things too all of her schoolbooks, nearly filling all of the space in every book, every year, and then in books she obviously bought for fun, but she seemed to have a mastery beyond mastery when it came to potions.
"That ingredient is a catalyst, and it will clash with the mole hair," he retorted pointing to the tiny explanation next to the ingredient list, which his mother had marked out in his book with red ink. "It needs the bat dust first or it will be ruined and we might as well give up."
Pansy looked at the book, her face getting closer, and she wasn't the only one as Tracey Davis, a dark-skinned cutie was behind with the beautiful; blonde, Daphne Greengrass and stopped doing the same thing as she looked closer at her book. It probably said that on the blackboard but the smoke from the cauldrons was making visibility poor, which was weird; Harry would have thought the dungeon would be ventilated better than this for potions class.
Pansy sulked as she put the ingredient back down and placed in the bat dust instead before stirring a few times in each direction, and then adding in the final ingredient. The liquid turned a vivid yellow colour like the book said and was finally done.
The class was over faster than defence and history had been because they had something to do, even though the 'teacher' didn't do any teaching, but just criticised everyone all lesson, and this was the first time for all of them, what did he expect, even if he did teach them. But then watching Pansy's glares was fun, and as the saying goes, time moves when you're having fun. Then again, Harry could just give time a little nudge during his boring and useless lessons if he chose to get them over with.
Shrugging, Harry bottled and labelled up some potion. Neither Harry nor Pansy were surprised when Harry placed his down on the teacher's desk that it suddenly flew off and smashed on the floor. Snape didn't even try to make it look like an accident.
"Oh, dear Potter, it looks like you'll be getting a zero," Snape said with a smug smirk.
However, Harry just shrugged while smiling and leant over onto the desk. "No problem Professor. After all, I don't give a dam about your lessons, but pull that shit again and I'll see to it that your pathetically miserable life becomes a whole lot more miserable!"
"Are you threatening me?" Snape demanded, enraged.
"No Professor," Harry answered with a polite smile. "I'm promising you. I'm not like all of these sheep who will let you get away with whatever you want because Dumbledore vouches for you. Me… I shall bring down a hailstorm, and you will be nothing but a greasy smudge at my feet begging me for leniency. Speak to me like that again, Snape, and that's it, my patience gone!"
Harry stood up straight, still smiling as he moved back to his desk and grabbed his belongings before leaving passed all of the stupefied students. Snape didn't speak or stop him leaving early, but he could feel his heated glare on his back.
Harry found the business with Snape quite satisfying as he left the dungeons just before the end of day bell rang, and he found his way to Dumbledore's office. It amused him that the gargoyle door jumped aside for him in eagerness, and without a password. This was good; Dumbledore must have ordered it too. He felt honoured, but please, note the sarcasm.
It didn't seem worth knocking so Harry barged in, and it would amuse him anyway. He must have actually caught the old man off guard as he walked into the office, which surprised him, as Harry was certain the old man had his tricks. There had been an argument going on between the Minister of Magic, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and a greying red-haired woman, Amelia Bones, Head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. Harry had spoken with her a few times before as she helped big when it came to officially freeing Sirius, and she had dealt with the incident at Charles's funeral too.
However, it was truly amusing to see these 'powerful' people in such as state, and catching them at it was almost laugh-worthy.
"Oh, sorry, please don't mind me," Harry said with a smile, and not looking at all sorry. "I'm always up for watching a good argument. Maybe I could offer my opinion into the matter?" he joked, as the situation seemed to call for.
"No, no, it's quite alright, Mr. Potter," the old man said from behind his desk, smiling. "It's nothing to concern yourself with-."
"It has everything to do with him!" Fudge spat out in annoyance before turning to Harry with a forced smile. "Mr. Potter, it's about all of these debts. Can't we all come to a more, economical agreement? It has been affecting the Ministry itself, and stocks and shares, and just about the whole of the Magical UK's economy.
"And we have a whole influx of lesser and lower houses in so much need that they have little choice but to apply for bankruptcy, which is leaving the Ministry out of pocket. I have to cut budgets left, right, and centre. The larger and older houses are okay for now. They have something to offer up or can afford any repayments, or to buy out completely with a new mortgage, but-."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, and that's my problem how?" he asked, amused. "I didn't get them into debt; Dumbledore here did, so it's not my problem to fix. I've been more than reasonable. I've already agreed to so much leeway.
"I'll tell you what," Harry changed tacked as an idea cropped up. He wasn't going to do this until a little later, but if it got Fudge off his back for a while it was worth jumping ahead. "Those 'lesser' and 'lower' families with small businesses or homes worth my time… if they go to my manager, and my solicitors, I can buy them out to pay off their debts. After all, I don't want to make anyone homeless, or take food from their mouths. I've already done much more than others would in my position. They can stay on and rent homes and continue working for their, I mean my businesses as employees so that they can have a chance to pay off the rest of their debt, and to add to the offer, as long as they pay on time, I'll cap repayments, and interest so that their debts no longer climbs."
Fudge sighed as he thought it over. "I guess that's all we can get out of you?" he said trying his luck as he knew from magical world business that what Harry was offering was actually beyond generous, and he wondered what the boy would accomplish being so generous. He could see that gleam; the boy was up to something, but he internally shrugged as he was half-hoping come the next election that he was voted out so he didn't have to deal with this anymore.
Harry smiled and nodded while the minister's mind wondered, but Harry knew he was far too stupid and narrow minded to see the bigger picture.
"I can't just go and let it drop. That's the key to fanatical ruin," Harry replied with a mocking smile, but Fudge couldn't do or say anything.
"Good, now you've finished," Amelia interrupted as she handed Harry an official looking envelope.
"This is what I think it is, isn't it?"
"You've been through this with someone else already?" she asked in surprise.
"Greengrass's," Harry agreed shrugging as he opened the letter and just skimmed through it with a sigh. "Okay, does your umm… niece know about this…?"
"Yes, I have discussed it with her," Amelia agreed. "I let her choose. It's either this or dishonouring our family, and losing our family estate, and though I think it's much too big, I couldn't let it go so easily. Susan agreed once I informed her that you are neither ugly nor… fat."
"Great to know she has her priorities straight," Harry said chuckling, nervously as he realised, he was being too mature and hoped they blamed that on how he 'wasn't' raised. He found it hard to play the child when he had a world to play with. "So, you were arguing over this?"
"Professor Dumbledore and I thought it best they wait until the weekend," McGonagall said. "Though, Madam Bones was agreeable, Mr. Fudge felt his time was more important than your school education."
"I see," Harry said with a shrug. "Maybe next time Minister it might be nice to call first and arrange a meeting time that suits both of us," he said before turning to Dumbledore. "Anyway, I haven't got all day Professor. I came to make a complaint about Severus Snape. He was nothing but malicious to me during my first potion lesson, not to mention how rude he was to all the students.
"Then, after I had bottled my potion and placed it on his desk, he wilfully knocked it off, and smiled while telling me my score shall be zero," he said before moving closer, no longer smiling. "If you don't sort that filthy pretender out, I'll go above your head and deal with it my way, and I will destroy anything he has along the way and he will be going to Azkaban where he belongs."
Dumbledore paled a little before he sighed as he straightened up. "Now, now Mr. Potter, I'm sure it was a-."
"Misunderstanding?" Harry asked as his eyes scanned over a stone basin in a corner. "Then why don't the four of you have a look of my memory and see whether you believe it's all a misunderstanding then?" he suggested as he gestured the basin.
"Now I don't think that will be necessary, Harry," Dumbledore said nervously, making the mistake of showing his nerves, which said he knew Snape was a prick to the students and ignored it. He likely got complaints all the time, and if not from students, then from parents.
"I do," McGonagall said quickly. She hadn't ever had a chance to see Snape's teaching, even with the rumours of his lack of teaching talent, Dumbledore hadn't bothered to look into it. She had brought many complaints to the old man when parents realised that Dumbledore was ignoring them. However, she was just brushed aside too, but here Dumbledore would be cornered with the truth in front of the minster. (He could be brushed off easily as he was a money grabbing stooge), and head of law enforcement (who would never back down from Dumbledore, especially if she was going to join with the Potter family, and Harry didn't seem like the kind of child to back down from a fight, reminding McGonagall of his mother).
"I'm interested too," Amelia agreed as she came to a similar conclusion, as she had always been dubious about Severus Snape's appointment as teacher at Hogwarts, especially now her niece was at the school.
"Okay, I have a few spare minutes..." the Minister said, curious, or afraid not too, and nervous about what he would find that could annoy certain people to try 'correcting' if it's to do with Snape.
Harry smiled as he drew his wand and placed the tip to his head. "I have one at home," he answered the unasked questions, as he pulled away the silvery substance, walked it to the bowl, and placed it in before swirling it around with his wand, and gesturing them to touch it.
Harry watched amused as they each touched the silver and stood motionless for several minutes before coming 'back', shaking away a fog from their minds. Dumbledore looked pale, and McGonagall and Amelia looked furious while Fudge didn't seem to know what to think as he was torn between siding with THE Harry Potter and his benefactors who may or may not be evil twats, but they still supported Snape. Then he would have to deal with Dumbledore, and, he didn't like his odds of staying in office for siding against Potter, or his Benefactors, and what if he lost Dumbledore's ear and support? He couldn't win no matter what he did, so maybe he should at least go down with the 'right' ship.
"Dumbledore, you best sort that man out," Amelia said angrily while Fudge nodded along in agreement as his mind was whirling with indecision. "If I hear that you've just let him…" she trailed off as Snape suddenly barged in looking furious.
"Albus, we have to talk about that insufferable Potter brat-!" he said only to see Dumbledore not smiling but looking disappointed and resigned to do what must be done, and hope that things got better or he would be left with no choice.
"I'm sorry Severus, but we've seen Harry's memories of your class," the old man said, gesturing Harry as he reclaimed his memory. Snape looked to him and paled as he saw who was in the room with them, so he knew that the old man couldn't brush anything under the carpet this time. "I'm placing you on monitored probation, and if you do not improve your behaviour towards students, you'll be looking for a new job."
"B-but Albus, this boy is insufferable!"
"We saw your class, start to finish!" McGonagall said angrily. "You were not only horrid to Mr. Potter but the other students too, and that's not to mention the fact you left brand new first years to their own devices during a lesson as potentially as dangerous as potions. Your probation will include your Head of House. I believe Professor Sinistra is a viable candidate, being a former Slytherin herself."
"You can't honestly side with this boy over me?" Snape hissed out angrily. "He's only been here a few days and-."
"And what…?" Harry demanded. "And I've been nice to everyone. I haven't started any fights or trouble?" He laughed humourlessly. "Wow, I'll just go and be a good little boy and commit some war crimes, and promote segregation like you!" Harry's expression became cold as ice. It caused Snape to pale further and step back as Harry's eyes were glowing an unearthly gold light again like they were at the sorting.
"Now Harry, Severus changed sides…" Dumbledore only received a cold look.
"I don't care!" Harry hissed. "That, 'man' thought he could tell me off for sitting with Slytherins because I'm not, and do you think that this 'man' doesn't have innocent blood on his hands? I've had enough of this."
Harry looked away from Snape and Dumbledore to Madam Bones, "if your niece is okay with this contract then I accept, ma'am," Harry said sliding the papers away into the inside pocket of his robe. "I apologise for being so rude, but you are more than welcome to arrange a time over the Christmas Break to meet. I assure you I am usually quite pleasant… oh, and awesome."
"Thank you," Amelia said looking more relieved and smiling a little. "And I can understand being angry," she said turning to Snape while Harry left the office. "Give me one good reason, Snape, and you'll be in Azkaban."
Harry sighed as he left the office back out into the school, his smirk suppressed with a great deal of control. Snape just walked right into all of that. Harry found it quite amusing as it couldn't have gone better if he set it up himself. Harry had nothing much to do all year really so destroying Snape would be his prime goal, and if destroying Snape messed with Dumbledore, all the better. He would consider Quirrell as a side gig.
Friday
Charms was quite the interesting class. The tiny Head of Ravenclaw and charms teacher was quite excitable, but not as much as the students were. But why he sat on a stack of books to see over his desk and not transfigure the chair Harry might never know. He thought about asking, but figured that some things were probably more fun as unanswered mysteries, plus he kind of wanted to laugh if he fell off, but the small guy had amazing balance, and rumour had it he was part goblin.
The class had just finished breakfast and were informed by Dumbledore that Severus Snape was on probation, meaning he couldn't take or give house points or detentions, and that he had been removed as Head of House with the astronomy teacher taking over. Harry had looked over at her. He wouldn't meet her until later, but she was certainly the best-looking teacher he had seen at the school, and looked amazing, and had skin like midnight, and long black hair, smooth, and seemed to reach to her knees.
However, shaking off those thoughts, Harry turned to his Gryffindor class partner, Neville, while Hermione had gotten unlucky and partnered with Ron as they kind of entered the class wrong as it had a bleacher like set up rather than chairs and desks. It was not that Ron was bad or anything, but he was far from smart, and had never heard of tact before. Ron didn't seem to know how to censor his thoughts either as he had insulted Hermione several times already while she was just trying to help him. Harry shook his head. If Hermione didn't have him, it might have upset her, but she had come a long way in a week.
Turning back to Neville the poor boy didn't seem to know what to do with his wand, let alone the feather they were supposed to try levitating.
"Don't think about it too much, man," Harry interrupted the nervous boy. "Thinking too hard won't do anything but give you a headache. It's more about letting your magic reach out like an extra arm and pick it up," he said as he waved his wand with the cast. The feather floated up a few inches before falling back down, and he hadn't even said the spell that time but thought the words.
Neville tried but the feather only quivered. "Where'd you get that wand?" Harry asked after a moment as he sensed something off with the way the magic moved. "Did you get that from Ollivanders?" he asked as he figured so and that Ollivanders wands sucked.
"N-no, my dad did," Neville replied timidly.
Harry took the wand from Neville while frowning. "That's no good. The wand chooses, not the wizard, or something like that. The Longbottom's are loaded from what I know, and at least as old as the Potter name from what little I've researched. So why haven't you gotten a proper wand?"
Neville was embarrassed as he looked at Harry. "I… I live with my gran," he said. "S-she gave me my dad's wand. Something happened to him and mum, and gran gave me that, thinking that it might help me be as good as dad was."
Harry snorted, rolling his eyes. "No offence my dude, but if anything, this wand is holding you back. It doesn't belong to you. You should tell your gran that you want your own wand."
"B-but… you've never met my gran; she's scary."
"Wand Lore, Neville," Harry retorted while rolling his eyes. "You'll never get anywhere with a wand that won't accept you. If you don't have a new wand after Christmas, I'll have to visit your gran about this myself, which could bring some kind of dishonour or something, I'm not sure, but to honour your father and mother, tell your gran no. If your gran wants you to be stronger, she'll appreciate you telling her what you want. I suggest going to The Wand Gadget Shop in Diagon Alley. It's the best place around… and pick up some pens and notebooks too, much better than quills and parchment."
"A-are you sure?" the scared boy asked as Harry returned his father's wand.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Of course… using that wand is like a plumber sticking his hand down the toilet to unblock it instead of using proper tools. It might do the trick, but it's still messy..."
Saturday
The fateful day had finally arrived. Harry just hoped that Daphne turned up. He didn't want to be stood up because that would have been embarrassing. And since he was responsible for Snape's predicament, he was dirt with quite a lot of Slytherin House, more so than some of them hating him because he offed their parents' master, Voldemort. However, he had noticed some of the female population of Slytherin House looking at him in a weird way, and kind of wondered how much money their parents owed him.
Harry was waiting in the Entrance Hall when Daphne finally entered from the Great Hall, and instead of rushing away to her common room she came straight to him. She just stood before him for a few moments staring at him looking thoughtful.
"So, Daphne, what would you like to do?" Harry asked as the silence was getting uncomfortable. "You name it, we can do it."
"Let's just walk," Daphne answered, nonchalant as she led him outside walking him around the outside of the castle. "I have already decided if that will make this any easier?"
"Okay," Harry agreed with a shrug. "You don't have to tell me now if you don't want? We can still spend some time together-?"
"I have decided that my sister and I shall be better off with you," Daphne interrupted, her cheeks pink but her expression still blank. "You hold a lot of power over a good many people. A lot of the others in my house are either scared of crossing you or still reeling with hate because of your vanquish of… Voldemort.
"These… few who hate because of what happened to their parents master are fools. They think you are on Dumbledore's side even though it is obvious that you are far from Dumbledore's. Then, both those who fear you and hate you do so because you have no stance on light or dark, and you are friends with muggle-born's and purebloods alike. You even treated Pansy Parkinson like she was anyone else… you didn't hate her during potions, even though she's so easy to hate, even for other Slytherins.
"What is your stance…? Where does your elegance lie? Do you stand in the light or dark?" Daphne finally got to the point and demanded that he told her, which was cute with her accent.
Harry startled her as he laughed. "My elegance lies with me, and me alone. I do what I want as long as I'm not doing something douchey to someone else," he said while looking directly into her eyes. "I have connections and I will protect them; I will protect you," he said to her surprise. "Dark, light, good, evil, it's all comic book stuff. Sure, there are good and bad people in the world, but that doesn't define the world, me, you, humanity… so I guess to answer your question… I don't have an answer, nor do I need one."
Daphne looked at Harry, surprised as she processed those words, looking into his stunning green eyes as they peaked over his sunglasses into her cool grey eyes. She couldn't help but let her cheeks light up more as she realised, he spoke so honestly to her.
"I see," Daphne said, and Harry was surprised as she showed him a gentle smile and it made a huge difference to show she wasn't always cold and had an amazing smile. "I have made the correct choice. I'm sure there shall be other family's wishing to come to similar arrangements. If you want to do things right, you shouldn't give them a second choice… especially to the ancient houses. It is a dishonour. Though, I'll admit I am flattered that you considered my feelings. This is my fate, and… it is better than it could be. I will be pleased to marry into your family over a… 'dark' family."
Harry smiled and shook his head. "I guess I have a lot to learn about these ancient archaic rules, lore's and laws and stuff, huh?"
Daphne offered a tight-lipped smile this time while nodding. "Yes, but… I'll admit you are doing rather well considering. You should be careful though. Some of the young Death Eater wannabees hate you enough to call you out. They cannot try to just get rid of you. They would be signing their own death warrants for the attempt alone..."
"So that means that we would have to duel?" Harry asked while Daphne nodded her head. "But the Arcanum wouldn't just allow a duel unless there is a real dispute, and I could refuse."
"Refusing could either dishonour their family or yours," Daphne replied shaking her head. "And yes. The Arcanum used to allow duels over the stupidest of things until it changed, or adapted, or, I don't know, but it brought some order to the chaos. If you don't think you can win, I suggest refusing, and use the excuse that you have not long been learning magic. They will have been learning much longer than you have. It will shed foolishness upon them and their families. They could even get expelled for challenging an eleven-year-old ancient head raised in the muggle world."
"Wow, seems like a lot to learn," Harry said with a shake of his head. "How did you learn all of this and not have your head explode?"
Daphne showed a little amusement. "I am the heir of my family; it's a part of my duty. Some ancient houses don't teach their children anymore. Though, once my father retires you shall gain my entire house for our children. So, in away; taking me just guarantees that everything that belongs to my family will become a part of your family."
"So, I win either way?"
"Exactly," Daphne agreed. "But this way you gain all of the Greengrass family rather than just money, which is quite different and more... impressive I suppose."
"I'm going to get challenged in a moment, aren't I?" Harry suddenly asked as he looked around as they had walked into a courtyard where he noticed so many Slytherins.
"Hmm… interesting," Daphne said with an amused smirk as they both stopped as they were slowly circled. "Archie Muller," she said sounding as surprised as Harry looked. "I hadn't thought that a lower house would take the lead. They will play fair. I told Tracey about the walk I planned to speak with you. However, I made sure that Pansy had overheard, and I was beginning to think she hadn't said a thing, even though a fair few Slytherins want to put you in your place," she said gesturing over where said tiny girl was bothering a confused Draco Malfoy.
"See Draco, this will be fun, Potter in a duel," Pansy said happily gesturing the large year five boy as he walked forward to stand facing Harry.
"Pansy, this is stupid," Draco said. "Do you have any idea what this will do if it backfires? He might not even accept."
"Then everyone will see what a wimp his family is," Pansy replied smugly.
Draco didn't even answer that as he gave her a look of exasperation. She didn't see how foolish those words were.
Harry looked at Daphne as she looked smug.
"So, you set me up?" Harry asked while looking unconcerned.
Daphne shrugged. "No… I don't think I did," she replied. "I think I set them up, Harry," she said quietly as she used his first name for the first time and slinked back into the crowd to stand with her best friend while she looked somewhat confused, but amused.
"I challenge you to a duel of honour, Potter!" Muller cried out in anger.
Harry was surprised when a rippling transparent light lit him up and connected him to Archie, rippling out in waves around them but keeping from touching anyone else. Harry just looked around, fascinated before looking up at the ogre of a boy. Harry shrugged as he thought things through. It would be good for a laugh if nothing more.
"Umm… and what stakes do you claim?" Harry asked as he remembered the little, he had read about duels. He may not have his Materia, but he could still fight, and he was sure that other than the gods of this and connected realms that he was the most powerful person on the earth – or at least the UK as he hadn't sensed anyone on this world who had a presence more powerful than Dumbledore, and Harry was almost certain he was stronger than that.
"You will wipe ALL of my family's debts, and give me the deeds to OUR properties!" Muller demanded smugly as his side of the rippling light turned red. "Name your stakes!"
Harry frowned in thought and looked to Daphne. She looked unconcerned and shrugged at him. Harry hadn't planned on fighting a duel with anyone, ever, but he saw no way out. He could refuse and lie about his age, or just do this anyway, and do something messed up to this one so no one thinks duelling him again was worth anything.
It took Harry a moment before he thought of something. "Your whole family bloodline will never be able to have a child with a wizard or witch, and no child of your family's blood will be born outside of love!" Harry said, which caused a lot of gasps of shock and horror. It amused Harry as it was a fitting curse for a purist loser like him, "and the loser; no matter who shall be expelled from Hogwarts, never to return again!"
"Deal," Muller spat out after a few moments of hesitation (proving he had some sense, but that was lost to anger,) as Harry glowed red, and then they flashed green before it turned back to a transparent field.
The Muller boy fired twice before he realised Harry had moved, and he squealed as the air left his lungs. His eyes wide as he looked down to see Harry's right fist buried into his stomach. Blood splattered from his mouth as Harry pulled back and Muller shot back knocking through the crowd, and crashed into the wall behind him, shattering the bricks crashing down to the floor with wide blank eyes full of horror and blood drooling from his mouth as he collapsed out cold. He had tears pooling from his blank eyes, and several students were on the ground as he crashed through them, whimpering and crying.
Harry lit up blazing with a flash of green light while red shone up around Muller, sizzling over him. It made the Slytherins step back as Harry looked at them. They had a look of terror shining in their eyes. Harry turned from them to Daphne to see her smirking and gulping as she saw the sheen of power within Harry's eyes. The smirk suited her too well. It was a look that said she liked her choice more and more with each moment they spent together.
"He didn't even use his wand," he heard Pansy whisper in awe, no longer holding Draco's arm as she stared at Harry wondering whether she should have been jealous of Daphne or not.
However, Harry turned back to Daphne, smirking. "I believe I owe you the rest of my day," he said smugly.
"I wasn't really sure you would win, and… I, apologise," she admitted. "I needed you to show your strength or they would never stop bothering me about my father giving me and my sister to you. I think it will be a long time before they make the mistake of crossing you again, after seeing that you are not above cursing their whole bloodlines… families may even demand that heirs keep from such a route."
Daphne offered up a small smile and surprised Harry as she took hold of his left hand with her right, linking her fingers through his.
"You are now my fiancé," Daphne explained. "I would like to try… being more intimate in our relationship going forward, so that I can get used to you. I am not the most comfortable with public affection, but I will do my best."
Harry smiled in understanding when he was startled as he looked to his right side as Daphne's dark skinned best friend, Tracey Davis grabbed hold of his right arm and linked her fingers with his too. She had short brown hair and sparkling brown eyes as she grinned smugly at him.
"Don't hog him to yourself, Daph," Tracey said as she turned a bright grin to Harry. "My family owes you dirt tons of money, and after seeing that duel, I can't let Daphne keep you to herself."
Daphne half glared at her best friend before sighing. "I suppose you can join us," Daphne accepted for her friend.
"Okay," Harry said slowly, "so where do you ladies want to go?" he asked as he started leading them through a parting crowd of Slytherins as they looked at Harry in awe and fear.
Pansy Parkinson watched Harry Potter go, taking Tracey and Daphne with him, and yes, she was feeling jealous. Draco stood next to her also watching Harry Potter walking away with his girls practically in his arms, but he looked thoughtful and amazed. Pansy wished Draco wasn't so slow and could show her even a tiny bit of the attention Harry Potter gave Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis.
Sunday
Ahh… Sunday. The day of rest and relaxation until classes the next day. Harry had just wished it had been that simple. He had been told off by McGonagall for accepting the duel the day before, and told he was lucky that he could at least use muggle fist duelling (as she called it). She even ignored the fact that his punch had shattered several of Muller's ribs and punctured a lung, and knocked over several other Slytherins as that was not normal on this world, which made Harry realise that he needed to go easier on humans as he was a lot stronger, especially compared with wizards because of all of his years of training to be a hunter.
Though, on a happier note, Harry kept being praised for accepting the duel by students, and a few older girls might have molested him if he didn't manage to escape. Though, he wondered why he wanted to escape after the fact, and regretted it, as they were all cute.
Harry sighed as he had just finished with the Marauder Grimoire, laying down hidden on his bed. It was coming along nicely, but he needed a break. So, he went for a walk around the castle. He had hoped Hermione had been around to hang with, but Terry Boot said she went with some first-year girls to hang out in the library. Harry didn't like the library that much because he could just order what he wanted from a shop and not have to be stupidly quiet.
Therefore, Harry set out to see what the girls were up to as nobody had even given the first years any homework their first week. However, Harry was half way up a large flight of stairs towards the library's floor when he heard a high-pitched scream and looked up with wide eyes.
Books flew over Harry's head, but an older girl with shoulder length plumb purple hair flew down after them. Harry staggered as he captured her in his arms and held onto her. She had her eyes closed tight on her pretty face. Harry held her sweet feeling body quite glad for once that some girls didn't wear anything under their robes (well Hermione said they wore undies) as he could feel her fine body pressed to his and he was certain she wasn't even wearing a bra over her nicely sized chest.
The older girl opened her blue eyes to look into Harry's green as he held her securely in his arms, bridle style. She blushed brightly as she pulled back a little but didn't seem quite trusting enough to let go and stand up for herself. However, it was enough for her to get a good look at her saviour, and for him to see the Ravenclaw badge on her robe.
"Hey, did you bring me back a present from your trip?" Harry couldn't help but ask her jokingly.
She smiled a little as he helped her stand up on a step. "S-sorry, I can be such a klutz," she said blushing more. "But wow, what muscles and you're just a first year. I can't believe you caught me. I expected to wake up in the infirmary again."
"Yeah, well, it's just lucky I was on my way to the library," he said sheepishly. "I've never caught a fallen angel before. But I don't mind if you've been naughty," he said with a grin while she blushed giggling. "I'm Harry Potter, at your humble service, but why the rush with so many books, you'll kill yourself if you're not careful," he said with a playful bow.
She smiled. "Wow, a charmer, and cute," she said laughing while it was his turn to blush. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks, but people just call me Tonks, and the books, and rushing… it's my final year so I think I'm rushing more than I usually did with my NEWT's coming up. I want to get into the Auror Academy and help people. Though I did want to be a medi-witch, I'm too clumsy while they need to have a super-steady hand, but this is hard to… and I'm ranting…"
Harry laughed, "and being an auror allows you to break things," he said while she nodded sheepishly. "You know, being a part of the Black family, I'm sure will be something with all this crazy family business."
"But mum was kicked out," she said, surprised, "and how do you know that anyway?"
"Sirius told me about calling you Dora when you were little," he said laughing at her surprise. "Don't worry, freedoms just gotten to his head so he hasn't gotten around to fixing things yet."
"Oh," Dora said, surprised. "Umm… thanks I guess, but could you possibly let us off all of this debt then?" she asked hopefully, shocking him. "Our house was destroyed and because of all the attacks on blood-traitors and 'mudbloods' insurance rates were so high mum and dad couldn't afford it. We don't owe nearly as much as some, but mum and dad are always fretting."
Harry shrugged and looked thoughtful. "Just ask Sirius to bail you out. Once he takes your mother back in, which will include you and your father, it will only be a formality for him to pay off the debt, pretty much just paperwork."
"Oh, really?" she asked, surprised.
"I know, these things can be weird," Harry said, shrugging. "But our families are connected through the whole godfather thing, which magic takes as seriously as if Sirius were a second father, like a backup, or something, apparently."
"I'm getting a headache just thinking about that," Dora replied while looking baffled. "I don't envy you having to sort through all this, but…" she trailed off and quickly kissed his cheek. "Thanks for beating up that jerk, Muller. He may have been younger, but he was always getting on everyone's nerves, and now he has been expelled!"
"You're welcome," he said sheepishly smiling. "Umm… let me help you pick up your books," he said while she nodded gratefully and they picked them all up together.
They talked as they did and Harry ended up leaving with her where she would take him back to the tower and into her private Head Girl room. Harry hadn't even known she was Head Girl, so that was pretty cool, and she was really cute, so he could test the water, and if he could trust her.
This was where they spent some time laughing as Harry looked through some of her books and found some things to question her on to help her with her NEWT's. After all, she was semi-family. And if he helped her out, she would help him, and it didn't hurt that she was sexy, and flirty, and only wearing her robe, and possibly panties.
Dora was actually quite knowledgeable. If only she could lose her clumsiness, she could be quite the auror, it was likely more that she rushed around rather than taking her time. Harry sighed and wished he could tell her he was really just a few months younger than her instead of years, and then they could be making out instead of studying since she had already said she didn't have a boyfriend.
Though, Harry took her return flirts and touchy-feely-ness as a good sign of her attraction towards him, eleven or not. She wasn't just teasing him like she might anyone else, but then she might be taking it differently compared with him, but he would take what he could get and enjoy that for now.
Though, Harry wished he had X-ray vision as he watched her movements, and made a mental note to look into magical sight. He would have seen plenty of great positions her body could move in, as she walked back and forth and moved this way and that while thinking while Harry questioned her. Harry had to admire her work ethic as school had only just started. Harry would have been slacking off, but then he wouldn't need to care about grades for his future job.
Dora's thinking poses were adorable, and Harry made sure to ask harder and harder questions because she was even cuter the harder, she thought, or the more annoyed she was that she got the question wrong. Harry got to see her large breast bounce when she stamped her foot, and that could keep him occupied for hours.
It had been fun getting to know Dora. Harry would have to make sure Sirius got around to taking Dora's family back into the fold over Christmas, so he could buy her some sexy muggle clothes to admire her in without that being too weird.
It looked like everything was shaping up well for Harry; his first year of school had started looking great.
He had a cute girl for his best friend, and now a cute older girl within his grasp.
Life was good.
to be continued…