I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm doing this for fun, not profit. Please let that be a sufficient disclaimer!
...
"The judges have conferred and are ready to announce the scores for the second task", Dumbledore announced.
"Pauline: we cannot give any points for magic performed before the task. For performing some minor hexes and completing your task, you scored two points", Dumbledore announced, again to a few polite claps and many grumbles from the crowd.
"Ana: for excellent use of an agility charm, strength charm, Bloodmoon Sword conjuration, self-transfiguration, as well as completing your task, you scored eight points", Dumbledore announced, to several cheers from the crowd.
"Fred and George: we cannot give any points for magic performed before the task, no matter how advanced. For an unsticking charm and completing your task, you are awarded two points. As you completed your task first, you gain five additional points, for a total of seven", Dumbledore announced. The crowd were again cheering vigorously for the twins.
"That means the scores going into the third task are as follows: in last place with eight points is Pauline", Dumbledore declared unnecessarily. Fleur noted there were a couple of people booing her.
Dumbledore continued as if uninterrupted. "in second place with thirty-two points is Ana." This time, there were many cheers, including vocal supporters from all schools.
Dumbledore took a moment to marshall his thoughts, then finished, "in first place, with eighty-six points, are Fred and George Weasley"
"WE LOVE YOU GRED AND FORGE!" shouted a voice that sounded suspiciously like Lee Jordan's.
...
It was the Thursday after the second task, and Fleur was joining Harry in an evening potions session with Professor Jones. They were brewing a weight-manipulation potion, or more accurately a weight-manipulation potion base. The base was hellishly difficult to brew, but then could be stored for years until the final ingredient was added, at which point the potion would be complete.
The possible final ingredients varied the end results significantly – the potion could be used to significantly increase the drinker's weight, or to reduce it to almost nothing. It could even be used to coat objects, for a semi-permanent effect.
Jones noted that buyers would be rare, but that the potion commanded a high price.
But whilst the lesson was interesting to Fleur, it was after the lesson that was more notable. As Harry and Fleur were preparing to leave, Jones spoke up. "Fleur? Could I speak to you for a moment? In private?"
Harry looked curious, but merely stated, "I'll just be outside", and left Fleur and Jones to it.
"You love him, don't you", Jones began without preamble.
Fleur blinked. Was this going to be some sort of warning? Fleur proceeded carefully, but honestly. "Oui. I love 'arry more than I can say; he means the world to me."
"You see a future with him?" Jones probed.
"Without a doubt. 'arry 'as been a part of my life since 'e was born, and 'e 'as been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I want no-one else" Fleur replied, with conviction.
Jones nodded. "That will make next year difficult, won't it? With Harry still at school. What do you plan to do?"
Fleur had thought much about this, and given how much Harry trusted Jones (as did Fleur, if she was being honest), she was willing to share. "Ideally I would find a job in Britain so I was closer to 'arry. I could earn enough making potions to get by, maybe even living in 'ogsmeade so I could see 'arry often."
"Only at Hogsmeade weekends, I'm sure", Jones added wryly, knowing that Harry and Fleur, with their knowledge and skill in potions, would not find it difficult to escape the castle.
Fleur couldn't help but give a small smile at that. "No comment", she joked.
Jones was happy with Fleur's replies, so had no problem proceeding as planned. "What if another opportunity presented itself?"
Fleur's eyes widened. Was Professor Jones going to suggest...? Just in case she was considering it, Fleur responded very deliberately. "Any opportunity that allowed me to further my potions skill, and let me be nearer to my beloved, would be something I could only wish for."
"Something like a Potion Mastery at Hogwarts?" Jones asked, her face a mask betraying no emotion.
Fleur shivered in anticipation. "Were that a possibility, there would be little I wouldn't give for the chance."
"Even if the cost was one of your hairs per month, willingly given?" Jones asked, carefully watching Fleur's reaction.
This was not what Fleur had been expecting. She considered the question, then countered it with another. "What would you use my hairs for?"
Jones nodded her approval. "There are some potions – very rare, very profitable potions – that require veela hair as an ingredient. They are... sensual... potions, as you might guess" she explained. Then, in case her meaning could be misinterpreted, added, "They are not love potions, and will not change romantic allegiance. They will... enhance experiences for those who can afford them."
Fleur had heard of such potions before; she had read about them, in one of her mother's potion books. "I assume you do not need the 'ole 'air? That the root would remain, and the 'air would grow back?" Fleur asked. This should be true for something temporary like potions; for more permanent uses, like wands, the entire hair (and the magic within) was gone for good. It was a sacrifice to give an entire hair, let alone several, and that was something Fleur hoped she could avoid.
Jones nodded. "Yes, you are correct. I wouldn't ask for something that would permanently weaken you."
Fleur, curious, had a question before she jumped at Jones' implied offer. "'ow many vials of potion per 'air?"
Jones smiled knowingly. "Between five and fifteen, depending on the potion. The average is about eight." Then, before Fleur could ask another question, Jones turned the implicit into explicit. "Fleur Delacour, I would like to offer you the opportunity to study your Potions Mastery under me, at a cost of one of your hairs per month. I will even teach you how to brew the potions that will use your hair. What do you say?"
Fleur's face blossomed into the biggest smile Jones had ever witnessed on it. "Oui, Professor Jones! I would love to!"
...
The squeals of delight that Jones heard from outside her office, as Fleur obviously related the news to Harry, brought a smile to her face. McGonagall had previously questioned whether she was able to support two students through their mastery together, but as Jones explained that they would take a minimum of two years to complete it, and that she intended to take a leaf out of Slughorn's book and have the pair teach some of her classes, McGonagall's doubts evaporated... and left the Deputy headmistress with a desire to find her own prodigies!
A week later, McGonagall had cleared it with Dumbledore, who had only one question: where would Fleur live – in the castle or outside? McGonagall planned to take responsibility for figuring this out, but Jones offered to deal with it, as it was a consequence of her offer... and as she was very sure that the option for Overnight Visitors would factor heavily into any accommodation decisions, and she wanted to spare McGonagall the embarrassment.
So, after their next evening potion session, Jones asked Harry and Fleur to stay behind for an important discussion.
"Now, Fleur there's one key question about your Masters that we need to answer", Jones began without preamble.
"Oh? What is that, Professor?" Fleur asked, curious.
"Where will you live during your study?" Jones asked.
Fleur tilted her head to the side; she had thought the answer to that would be obvious, but perhaps it was not. "What are my options?" Fleur asked.
Jones smiled at the question. "The obvious one would be to live in the castle, either with one of the houses or in separate accommodation. Alternatively, you could seek private accommodation, perhaps in Hogsmeade, and commute each day."
Fleur nodded in thought. "I 'ad assumed I would live at 'ogwarts, so 'adn't considered private accommodation; I didn't know it would be an option", Fleur admitted.
"It isn't, for regular students", Jones replied. "But as you will be an of-age witch, who will have passed her NEWTs, you would not be under the same rules as other students, so you have more options."
Fleur thought for a moment; living in Hogsmeade would mean she could see her family far more often (at least without needing to sneak out), as a floo journey then apparition could see her almost instantly in France whenever she liked. And she suspected there would be one additional bonus, too. "If I stayed at 'ogwarts, what would be the rules on 'arry visiting?" Fleur asked directly.
Jones smiled wryly. "If you stayed with one of the houses, then the usual rules apply – girls can visit the boys' dorms during the day, but must be out by curfew. Boys cannot visit the girls' dorms at all. If you stayed elsewhere in the castle, there would be scrutiny about when Harry visited, and for how long."
Fleur nodded her understanding; that was about what she had expected. "I will see what options there are in 'ogsmeade first", Fleur answered.
...
Daphne was suspicious. She had been pranking the twins for months, but so far there had been no repercussions. She was not naive enough to believe they didn't care; perhaps they were too busy with their business? They were certainly selling enough of their 'Wheezes'.
Sitting down for dinner, she was just enjoying a steak pie when she was distracted by Crabbe yelping. Turning to look at him, Daphne saw... too much. She had never wanted to see that much of Crabbe. But what was worse were the two items he was wearing – very familiar items that would now need to be industrially cleaned, or burned. Or maybe both.
For Crabbe was wearing nothing except a matching set of Daphne's green underwear, and a look of horror on his face. Daphne risked a glance at the twins, who were both wearing terrifyingly happy grins on their faces, looking directly at her. Damn it.
...
Cheveu missed her little brother. Oh, she knew that as soon as Fleur arrived at Hogwarts then Harry would be terribly distracted, and to be fair to him Harry had made sure to call her regularly. But she was looking forward to when her brother finished school – then they could meet up much more easily!
Speaking of meeting up, Harry should be appearing in a few minutes; he seemed particularly keen to speak face-to-face, so she was waiting in Hogsmeade for him to appear, and sure enough...
"Cheveu!" Harry cried, before wrapping his arms around her.
Cheveu chuckled, returning the hug. "Hey bro, good to see you!" Then, seeing Harry was alone, she asked jokingly, "No Fleur today? Has some Dark Lord put you under some terrible spell?"
A nervous look passed over Harry's face for a moment, then Harry hastily replied, "I just thought it would be nice to spend time together, just the two of us."
Cheveu gave Harry a sceptical look, which only strengthened as Harry started fidgeting. "Ok, how about you tell me what the problem is, then we can solve it, then we can enjoy the rest of our time together. Sound good?" Cheveu offered.
Harry sighed in defeat. "I wanted to enjoy time with you first!" Harry weakly protested.
Knowing she had won, Cheveu overrode her brother and got straight to the point. "So, what's wrong? Is your relationship in trouble?" she asked, concerned.
Harry vehemently shook his head. "No! Not at all! In fact it's..." Harry paused and took a deep breath. "It's going really well, better than I could have dreamed. I realised this term that, well... that I want to spend the rest of my life with Fleur."
Cheveu rolled her eyes and smiled affectionately at Harry. "Well, of course you do, you two are perfect for each other!" she declared.
Harry blushed happily, then continued. "But sis, I want Fleur to know that. I want her to understand how much she means to me, and I want her to know, without a doubt, that I want a life together with her."
Cheveu grinned. "I think she already knows, what with the joint Gringotts account and the plans to buy a house together." Then Cheveu decided that she hadn't teased her brother enough, so added, "Besides, you could always just propose!"
Harry didn't react how she thought he would. He blushed, for sure, but met her gaze and didn't protest. In fact, he had a pleading look in his eye, almost as if he was seeking her understanding and support, almost as if...
"You're going to propose?!" Cheveu half-shouted. Then, just as Harry started to look nervous, or worried, or some combination of the two, she added, "That's so exciting!"
A relieved smile broke out on Harry's face. "You really think so?" he asked.
Cheveu pulled Harry into another hug. "Of course!"
"I was worried you'd say it was too soon, and that we should wait a bit", Harry admitted, his arms wrapped tightly round his sister.
Cheveu gave Harry a tight squeeze. "Don't be an idiot. You two have basically been unofficially together for years, and in less than eighteen months you'll be of age. If you were hoping to marry Fleur once you graduate then you've got a bit of a wait, but that's not a terrible thing."
Harry smiled happily. The thought of marrying Fleur was the most wonderful thought in the world; there was only one question for Harry to ask before he could enjoy the rest of his day with Cheveu. "Cheveu? Do you have any ideas about how I could propose to Fleur?"
Cheveu thought for a minute, then turned to Harry with a mischievous smile. "Well, I have an idea if you want a grand romantic gesture..."
...
The twins were having their best term yet. Wheezes were being sold so quickly that they had to work almost fifteen hours a week just to keep up with demand, and that was just from the students! Imagine what would happen if they were able to open up a shop on Diagon Alley!
Speaking of which, their profits this year had easily exceeded one thousand galleons, and if some enquiries about the Boneless Boots were anything to go by, they would soon be profiting far more! They should easily be able to afford the deposit on a shop front; in fact, only the tournament was keeping them at Hogwarts any longer.
They were just about to start a new batch of angel drops – which were more popular than they'd hoped – when Harry found them.
"Hi Fred, Hi George", Harry greeted.
"Harry! Great timing!" Fred replied.
"Any later and we'd be..."
"...uninterruptible for the next few hours!"
"Making more products?" Harry asked, curious.
"More Angel Drops", agreed George.
"They keep selling out..."
"...as fast as we can make them!"
"But what can we do for our..."
"... favourite Mr. Potter?"
Harry drew a deep breath. "I've come to call in a favour", Harry announced.
Fred and George exchanged a look.
"If this is about Daphne..."
"...you should know she started it..."
"...and we've actually been going pretty easy on her..."
"...given how much time the business is taking."
Harry smiled at the information, then shook his head. "No, it's nothing to do with Daphne. It's... I'd like you to make me something. Something new."
The twins gave Harry a curious look. "What do you want us to make?" George asked.
"Well..."
...
The end of the spring term drew to a close, and with it did the term-long Potion competition. There were forty participants in total, though almost half had dropped out due to failures in their brew over the last several weeks – clearly many students had attempted potions far beyond their capability. Of the remaining twenty-three, eight were pre-OWL, and so had no real chance of winning.
Which left fifteen with a real chance. They were gathered in the great hall, where the winner would be announced; most of the student body was out in force to see the results – Professor Jones had made potions a popular Hogwarts subject, and the other schools wanted to support their compatriots.
The crowd could see there were a variety of potions brewed by the final fifteen, including agility potions, Veritaserum, even a vial of Felix Felicis. There was also a potion that nearly got thrown out.
"Non! Wait! That vial is mine!" Fleur urgently called, as one of the judges made to throw it away.
"Well hurry up and fill it, Miss, the final judging is about to begin", the witch said, as patiently as she could.
Fleur wasn't sure whether she felt more amused or exasperated; either way, she had brought this upon herself. "It is filled, ma'am", Fleur assured.
The witch took a second look at the vial, but it was clearly empty. Was this a joke, or just a confused student? "Miss, you can clearly see the vial is empty. Perhaps you forgot to fill it? Hurry up now, we can't delay any longer."
Fleur shook her head. "Looks can be deceiving. Can you hear any liquid in the vial?" Fleur asked.
The witch valiantly stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the clear delaying tactic, but went along with it anyway – sometimes it was quicker to indulge the confused. Picking up the vial and holding by her ear, she lightly shook it. Then her eyes widened, and she stared at the vial in shock. "There's a potion in there!" she declared, surprised.
"Oui, ma'am", Fleur' replied, now smiling.
"But it's invisible!" the witch protested.
"Oui. An invisible invisibility potion", Fleur explained.
The witch managed not to drop the vial in shock, but it was a close thing.
"Vials to the table, ready for the judges!" called a voice.
The witch shook herself, then took the remaining vials to the table. From Fleur's vantage point, it looked like she was explaining the vial to the panel of judges.
Five minutes later, the judges were ready. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the results are ready. In third place, with a prize of one hundred galleons... Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts, for brewing Felix Felicis!"
The crowd cheered enthusiastically, with a few students eyeing the vial enviously.
"In second place, with a prize of two hundred galleons... Harry Potter of Hogwarts, for brewing Wolfsbane!"
More enthusiastic cheering, and a kiss on the cheek from Fleur. Harry knew which he valued more.
"In first place, with a prize of three hundred galleons... Fleur Delacour of Beauxbatons for an invisible invisibility potion!"
The crowd cheered even louder at that, and Fleur distinctly heard Fred (or was it George?) shout, "That's so cool!". Fleur suspected they would be paying her a visit soon.
Harry returned Fleur's kiss, though if his was right on the corner of her mouth she wasn't going to complain.
...
Harry and Fleur knew it wouldn't make much difference to the total, but they wanted to add their potions winnings (plus profits from what they had brewed from Professor Jones) into their joint Gringotts account. So over Easter, Sebastian offered to take them. Fleur also wanted to know how much they had, so they could think properly about somewhere in Hogsmeade for Fleur to live for the next two years.
"Ah, welcome Mr. Potter, Miss Delacour, Mr. Delacour", greeted Smashface as the group entered the bank.
Sebastian looked a little surprised at this, until Fleur responded. "Hello again, Smashface. I hope you are well?"
The goblin grinned; it was terrifying to behold. "Very well, thank you. Can I help you with anything today?" he offered.
"We would like to make a deposit and then check our vault's overall value", Fleur replied, with Harry nodding in agreement.
One wild cart ride later, and Fleur and Harry were outside their vault. Sebastian, having heard about the previous value from Appoline, wasn't overly surprised when the vault opened. Harry and Fleur, on the other hand, were.
"Fleur, there's more than last time!" Harry declared.
Smashface looked bemused. "Of course. The interest from your investments, plus the minor additions – relatively speaking – from your deposits all add up."
Harry both did, and didn't, want to protest. "But we transferred 30,000 galleons into a new account for our sister, Gabrielle Delacour... Didn't we?" Harry asked, now a little worried the transfer hadn't happened.
Smashface let out a small laugh; wizard children could be adorably naive sometimes – well, the richer ones could be adorable, at any rate. "Yes, but that was almost three years ago. Your investments had done well over that time; in fact, the amount you donated to Gabrielle was made back in interest in about fourteen months. Further interest, plus deposits, brings your total vault value to about 237,000 galleons", Smashface explained.
Harry and Fleur exceeded expectations by not collapsing in shock. Fleur turned to Harry, and shared what was on her mind. "With this, we could even buy a house in Hogsmeade for the two years!"
Harry just nodded dumbly in reply, still coming to terms with the value.
Smashface, however, had heard Fleur and had an idea which would be beneficial for both of them. "You are seeking accommodation in Britain?" he asked.
"Yes. I plan to live in Hogsmeade for two years whilst I study my potion mastery at Hogwarts, then Harry and I will move to France permanently", Fleur explained.
"I see. Have you found a property in Hogsmeade?" Smashface enquired.
Fleur shook her head. "I've only just been offered the mastery, and I haven't taken a look yet."
"Properties for sale in Hogsmeade are rare, but I have two suggestions if you want to hear them", Smashface began. At Fleur and Harry's encouragement, he continued. "Gringotts owns a property in the village, near the school, for when cursebreaking or other services are needed in the village. That could be rented to you. Alternatively, you could build a new home, though that is likely to be more expensive."
Fleur looked interested. "Tell me about the property I could rent." Then, forgetting her Papa was there (not that he disapproved), Fleur added, "Would there be enough space for two to live there together, on occasion?"
Smashface grinned his terrifying grin, glancing at Harry as he did. "I'm sure the property will be to yours and Harry's liking", he assured.
...
Half-way through the Easter break, there was a surprise visitor to the Delacours. Well, it was a surprise for Harry and Gabrielle; Fleur knew about it, as she was the one who had arranged it.
"Katie? What are you doing here?!" Harry asked, before throwing his arms around his close friend, and holding her tight. Then cursed the sweet strawberry scent that she always had.
"Surprise!" Katie replied, smiling as she gave Harry an affectionate squeeze.
"Katie's 'ere to visit for the day. We planned it a few weeks ago", Fleur chipped in, smiling happily.
Harry beckoned Fleur over, then pulled her into the hug, too, with one of Harry's arms around Katie and one around Fleur. A second later, Gabrielle entered the room. She had a mixed reaction to what she saw.
"Katie! Have you come to visit? That's so exciting! But why is Harry hugging you both... Without me too?!" Gabrielle asked indignantly, then clambered into the group hug, nestling herself between Fleur and Katie.
Harry and Fleur giggled, and so did Katie... after a quick translation.
"So what are we all going to do today?" Harry asked, after the group hug was over and Katie was leaning against him.
Katie looked up into his eyes, hopefully. "I was really hoping that we could... well..."
Harry tilted his head to the side. "Yes?"
Katie blushed a little. "I mean, if it's ok; we did it before and it was so good, but if we can't then I understand!"
Harry smiled at Katie encouragingly. "We can't read your mind, Katie. What did you want us to do?"
"Can we... can we go back to that bakery?" Katie asked, a pleading look in her eyes.
Fleur laughed out loud. "You mean Celeste's?" she asked.
"Yes! That was the name!" Katie replied eagerly.
"Did Katie say Celeste's?! Are we going today?!" Gabrielle asked, hearing the only word in the sentence that mattered to her.
Harry grinned and gave Katie a quick side-hug. "Well, if both my little sister and one of my closest friends want to go... Yes, Gabrielle, we'll go to Celeste's today."
"You're the best, 'arry!" shouted the excitable nine year old, before hugging her brother tightly.
...
Katie moaned in pleasure. The profiteroles at Celeste's were so good! Last time she was here, she'd only managed to have one of Harry's (how was she to know French profiteroles were so much better than English ones?!), but this time she had eight of her own, with four different fillings: plain (although how anyone could call it 'plain' was beyond her!), strawberry (which she could easily fall in love with), caramel (which brought joy to her taste buds) and pistachio (which she had initially been unsure about – incorrectly so).
"'aving fun, Katie?" Fleur asked with an entertained smile.
"It's so good!" Katie whimpered.
"Try the 'ot chocolate. It's better than the one you 'ad last time", Fleur suggested.
Katie looked sceptical. "But the hot chocolate I had last time was really good!"
Fleur shook her head. "The 'ot chocolate you 'ad before was an English version. The one you 'ave there is the real version", Fleur explained.
Katie took a sip, and melted into her chair. "It's too good! Why do they even sell the other version?!" she protested weakly.
Gabrielle had a slice of Frasier, and was in a similar state of bliss. "'arry, you should 'ave gotten the Frasier! It's the best!"
Harry laughed, enjoying his profiteroles. Like Katie, he had gotten eight, with the same four flavours. "You say that about whatever you order", Harry pointed out.
"But today the Frasier is particularly good!" Gabrielle insisted.
Harry, however, knew his sister too well. "You're just looking for a trade!" he accused, an amused smile on his face.
Gabrielle took on the look of a nine year old caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "What? No! That's ridiculous!" she insisted, fooling no-one.
Harry grinned, then made an offer. "Two bites of Frasier for two profiteroles... of different flavours! You can't just take both pistachio ones!"
Gabrielle pouted – sometimes her big brother knew her too well! She considered it for a moment, before internally admitting it was a fair trade. "Deal!"
...
On the way home, Harry panicked and announced he'd forgotten his jacket inside Celeste's, and so Katie's best friend had to go back and get it – when they were half way home! She loved her friend, but she would tease him about that later! But Fleur and Gabrielle were excellent company, so Katie didn't feel abandoned.
The rest of the day passed too quickly, with Katie not knowing who she had spent more time with – Harry or Gabrielle! Little Gabrielle was just adorable, and had wanted to play with her friend throughout the day ("but you get to see Katie all the time!"). Katie admitted the language barrier wasn't getting any easier – maybe she would need to start learning French... or maybe she would just try to find some magic to cheat?
All too soon, though, Katie was getting ready to go home, with Sebastian volunteered to apparate her. She was just in the process of hugging everyone goodbye (including an especially exuberant hug from Gabrielle) when Harry took out a brown paper bag and gave it to her.
"What's this, Harry?" she asked, curious.
Harry wore an incredibly pleased smile on his face. Some might even have called it self-satisfied. "Take a look", he answered mysteriously.
Katie opened it, then squealed in delight. Carefully placing the bag down, she launched herself into Harry's arms and hugged him for all his worth. He was so sweet! Why was he always, always so sweet?!
"Thank you so much! But how..." Katie asked.
Harry grinned. "I may have been lying about forgetting my jacket", Harry explained, a twinkle in his eye.
Katie released Harry and kissed his cheek, then hugged him again. "You're the best, you know that?" she declared.
Harry grinned, pleased at Katie's reaction, then let her go. "Well, don't eat them all at once!"
Katie picked up her paper bag – filled with the Celeste's pastries she had wanted to try but hadn't chosen this time – and gave Harry a beaming smile. "No promises!" she replied.
As Sebastian apparated Katie home, Fleur sidled up to Harry, then kissed his cheek lovingly. "You're so sweet, my cherished", Fleur stated. Harry blushed, pleased that he had made one of his closest friends and his love happy through his actions.
...
There was only one extra thing Harry wanted to accomplish over the break, and that involved a conversation with Sebastian. Harry was initially very nervous, but after explaining the topic, his Godfather had pulled him into a fierce embrace, happy tears in his eyes. Harry's nervousness gone, the pair were able to have a conversation that Sebastian would look back on as one of his favourites in his entire life.
...
All too soon, the holidays were over and Fleur and Harry were back for their final term.
For Harry, there were exams to study for, a Quidditch tournament to win, and a third task to enjoy. And then, when Fleur stated that she wanted his opinion, Harry also needed to view the property the goblins were offering to rent her.
The latter task was easy enough to accomplish. Sneaking out of Hogwarts had become almost mundane, and so when Smashface suggested a date and time, Fleur and Harry agreed without hesitation.
A few minutes of looking round the house – which had a (magically expanded) living room, dining room, modern kitchen, large bathroom and two bedrooms – and Fleur was sold. Especially after seeing the large king-sized bed in the main bedroom.
Harry, who had assumed that any sleepovers would be in separate beds – as had been the case over the Easter break – wasn't as excited about the bedroom, but concluded that the house looked nice and roomy, and for only one hundred galleons a month it was easily affordable. The fact that the house was only a twenty minute walk from Hogwarts – and a five minute walk from Honeydukes – sealed the deal, and the contract was signed that afternoon.
...
The prank war was in full swing, at least as far as Daphne was concerned. For the twins it wasn't as full-blown as the ones they had with Bill or even Charlie, but respectable nonetheless.
Daphne managed to prank the twins with their own fake wands.
The twins snuck Daphne a canary cream, in the middle of the great hall.
Daphne caused the twins to loudly belch whenever they tried to speak, for an entire day.
The twins turned all of Daphne's cloaks just the slightly wrong shade of green... It was maddening when she spotted it!
Daphne caused the twins' food to taste of vomit for an entire meal, whatever they ate.
The twins convinced Crabbe that Daphne had a huge crush on him, so that he followed her around like a lost puppy for a week.
For everyone watching, it was great entertainment. The twins were delighted, and thought about how to incorporate some of Daphne's ideas into new products. Even Daphne was enjoying herself, though she would hex anyone who suggested such in her hearing.
...
The final Quidditch game of the year – and Angelina and Alicia's final Quidditch game at Hogwarts - did not go as hoped.
They found out a week before the match that Durmstrang had the world-class seeker Victor Krum at their school the previous year, and so the school's Quidditch Teams had enjoyed professional-level training for at least that year. Whilst the Durmstrang seeker was a little worse than Harry, the beaters, keeper and chasers were better than the Hogwarts team – especially without the Twins as beaters.
The game ended after Harry caught the snitch, but by then Durmstrang were more than 150 points ahead. The game ended with Durmstrang on 280 and Hogwarts on 250.
The Durmstrang team had won the Quidditch tournament, and Harry (and Katie, grudgingly) had to admit – they had more than earned it.
...
Finally, the morning of the third task arrived. The crowd were waiting with excitement, Ana was fiercely determined, Pauline was focused, and Fred and George? They had been grinning since waking up. They had a few plans in place and were quite certain they would win. But they were even more certain that the day would be very profitable, especially with the accomplice they had managed to agree to help out.
Yes, they had been looking forward to this day all term.
...
Author Notes:
I had originally planned to include the third task in this chapter, but the chapter was already getting quite long and I wanted to do the task justice. You'll get it soon!
I continue to be so very grateful to you all – the reception Delacour Godparents has received means so much to me. Thank you.
A particular thanks to those who favourite or follow the story, and an even bigger thanks to those who review: TheGreenBlueHunter, DrackNath, setokayba2n, LAB1, Cardinal Snowflame and DalkonCledwin; and thanks to the patisserie chefs who are Arnie1701, Bahnannah, mike3308, Urgazhi, Mitkon2001, PhantomKnightPercival, Mando-Vet, Scott the Wanderer, magitech, MauserTeleri, Spider of Dreams, annette-ella, amortentiate, alix33, SKFF, autumngold, LAB1 (x14), Wynn Silver, DalkonCledwin (x11) and Red Renera for additional reviews.
Mitkon2001 – check your PMs :-) also, I think it would be morally wrong for me not to have Gabrielle try them soon.
setokayba2n – Harry is good friends with Ron, and friendly with Ginny. He's friends with Daphne but hasn't really met Astoria. He hasn't really met Luna. No particular reason for those last two, other than not wanting to take up too much story space. And yes, I've worked hard to keep this story no-bashing. I've not changed DADA teacher yet, no reason to start now!
LAB1 – thanks for helping me make it to 500! Honestly, I'm not sure Harry really needs a stronger wand in this universe, but I wouldn't rule it out.
DalkonCledwin – ah. I hadn't meant to imply the mirror was left out overnight. Oops! I may go back and slightly reword that chapter later. Good question about Marcus; I'll say he learned it from his mother, who knew Snape through Mr. Flint senior. The Maxine mistake was also pointed out to me by Red Renera; I'll fix it over the next week or so. Thanks for the many reviews, and pointing out mistakes!