PART TWO
CHAPTER EIGHT: SIDE-EFFECTS
The next morning, Harry had to fight a group of giggling third year girls so that Neville and he could make it to the Great Hall for breakfast, or, as Eleanor pointed out, for early lunch. It was almost noon when they finally left the Common Room. The attempt at a surprise party of the night before seemed to have been forgotten. Instead, the Great Hall exploded with applause as soon as Neville walked in. Harry helped him make his way to the Gryffindor table, which took a good twenty minutes as Neville was shaking every hand that was presented to him by cheerful supporters. Ginny tried to join them as soon as she saw them walk in, but there were quite a few shoulders to nudge along the way. At last, she decided to wait for them at the Gryffindor table instead.
"Everyone is mental," she said as Harry and Neville sat down besides her. She was helping herself to some strawberries.
"I know," said Neville through clenched teeth and an overlarge smile as the Creevy brothers were taking a picture of him.
It was almost lunchtime and the Hall was nearly full of students, including the ones from Beaubatons and Durmstrang.
"Everyone's asking me if I'll be playing Quidditch next year," said Neville hopelessly. "You can bet that my parents will give me a broomstick for Christmas." Then he leaned closer to Harry and Ginny. "Imagine the look on everyone's faces if they learned that it was actually you flying that broom, Harry. Everyone's convinced that you hate Quidditch."
"I don't hate Quidditch," replied Harry. The popular idea that he hated Quidditch was really starting to get on his nerves. "I don't think it's a stupid sport or anything like that."
"We know you don't," said Ginny quickly. "It's a shame that you don't want to play, though. You'd be a great Seeker. But I can understand that you don't want to be compared to your dad all the time. I heard Professor McGonnagal saying that he was a spectacular player."
"Well he was a bit of a show off when he was at school," said Harry bitterly as a memory of what he had once seen in Dumbledore's Pensive flashed through his mind.
"I don't care if he was the greatest Seeker in the world, Harry, but your dad never had to dodge fireballs," retorted Neville proudly.
When he said that, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell, who were sitting nearby, started to clap loudly and another uproar of applause followed.
Neville looked at Harry apologetically and muttered "sorry" under his breath. "I meant it as a compliment, mate," he added quietly so that only Harry and Ginny could hear.
Harry was about to say out loud that he might try out for Quidditch Seeker next year when he caught the sight of Ron and Hermione coming into the Great Hall. They were walking up the Gryffindor table, and they were (Harry gasped) holding hands.
"See what I mean?" said Ginny, seeing the look of total shock on Harry's face. She followed her brother and Hermione with her glance. "Everyone's mental. It's like all the fourth year students and up want to be dating someone before Christmas. You'd think there's a deadline or something."
Harry looked around, following Ginny's gaze around the Great Hall. Cedric Diggory was talking close to Cho Chang's ear. Harry's stomach gave a jolt. He could not bear to look at Cedric, knowing what might happen to him if he could turn the events around. It wasn't surprising to Harry to see Cedric and Cho sitting so close to each other, of course, but there were more couples like this in the Hall. A group of seventh year Slytherin boys was sitting with the Beaubatons' girls. Harry saw the Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, Marcus Flint, leave the group with a tall blond girl who was talking fast in French. He was holding her cat awkwardly with his right arm but he seemed quite happy with his situation. Percy and Peneloppe Clearwater were kissing restlessly at the end of the Gryffindor table over two cups of fuming hot chocolate. A few more couples could be seen holding hands. A very shy Durmstrang boy was sitting close to Pavarti Patil and trying to pronounce her name properly. Lavender Brown was laughing loudly as a Ravenclaw boy that Harry didn't know was tickling her nose with a quill.
Harry's gaze darted back to Ron and Hermione. They were sitting apart from the other Gryffindors. Hermione was trying to study and Ron kept closing the book that she was reading. Far from making her angry, she seemed to find Ron's interruptions quite funny and kept throwing her head back with laughter.
"You're right, Gin. Everyone has gone mental," said Neville dreamily. "It must be the Christmas spirit. Sometimes they get out of hands."
Harry was speechless. He was aware that Ron and Hermione had a thing for each other. All their bickering had to mean something, anyway. However, he had never imagined that their relationship would end up in them dating.
"Don't you find it kind of strange? He's my brother," said Ginny with the same dreamy expression, "which means that Hermione could become my sister-in-law one day. I like her, but it's still strange." She brought her attention back to the strawberries, but pushed the bowl away. Apparently, she had lost her appetite. "Any idea what it's all about?" she asked.
The answer suddenly burst in Harry's head, but this wasn't how he remembered the students had found out about the ball. Something was different in the course of events again.
"Maybe Fred and George added a few drops of love potion to our morning tea," offered Neville. He was still staring dreamily at Ron and Hermione.
"It's not a love potion, Nev," someone behind them retorted.
Harry did not need to look around to know that it was Neville's sister speaking.
"It's the Yule Ball," she added with an annoying know-it-all tone.
In fact, Harry was finding that Eleanor was annoying him a lot with her self-confidence and constant sniggering comments. She was probably enjoying Neville's status as Triwizard champion more so than Neville was. There had been three articles written about her in the Daily Prophet so far.
"A ball? When is it?" asked Ginny, suddenly interested by what Eleanor had to say.
Harry had forgotten to fake surprise. He knew about the upcoming Yule Ball, of course, but he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to live it again.
"It's on Christmas Eve. Honestly, where have you been, Gin? The whole school knows. Your dad made the announcement this morning, Harry. I think that the other teachers wanted to wait a bit, but anyway the news is out now."
She glanced over at the staff table. Harry turned around to look as well. His father was sitting with a cup of tea and eyeing the behaviour of the students in the Great Hall with a great self-satisfied expression. Snape was present as well, helping himself to some coffee, and Harry could tell by the look on his face that, contrary to James Potter, the grim-looking Potions master was not at all happy with the idea of students snuggling and kissing in the Great Hall.
"It's only for the fourth years and up," said Eleanor with the same contemptuous expression on her face. "You're taking me, Nev. Mom will want you to. Otherwise I won't be allowed."
And with that last comment, Eleanor turned her heels towards her usual group of Ravenclaw second year girls and they left the Great Hall with a few admiring back glances at Neville.
"What a little brat, that one," snorted Ginny. "I'm sure your mom will want you to go with whoever you want, Nev," she added hopefully.
"It's no use," said Neville resolutely. "Eleanor will never let me forget it if I don't take her."
Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. Both of them were quite reluctant to expose their views on Neville's sister.
"It's OK, guys," said Neville, seeing how uncomfortable they had become. "Eleanor is my sister and I don't mind taking her. I learned how to dance with her so at least I don't have to worry about that."
They did not talk anymore about the Yule Ball while they ate lunch, except when one of Ginny's friends came to ask her if she was planning on going with Neville. Apparently, the request was coming from a whole group of Hufflepuff girls who were standing just outside the Great Hall, waiting for an answer. Ginny started to laugh very loudly. In fact, she was laughing so hard that she was unable to give a clear reply. The young girl lost patience after a few awkward minutes and then she left the Hall in a hurry.
They spent the afternoon on the school ground, strolling under the first snow flakes. They were not the only students outside, but they eventually found a spot where they could talk freely about the first task and Harry was able to relate to them what had exactly happened.
"You heard a dragon speak inside your head?" said Neville, incredulous.
Harry merely shrugged as though he couldn't explain it either.
He was absent-mindedly throwing pebbles into the Black Lake. Neville and Ginny were sitting on a long flat rock. Harry was remembering with a certain nostalgia having shared that spot with Ron, Hermione and Hagrid on the day of Buckbeak's hearing. His pebbles did not quite ricochet as far as Hagrid's had.
"Leo? Where did you get that name from?" asked Ginny.
"I don't know. First thing that came through my mind."
Harry had not told them yet that he could talk to snakes. He had made it sound like he had heard both creatures in his head. As he did not know the full story of how the events in the Chamber of Secrets had turned out, he was not sure how his friends would react if he said anything about being a Parselmouth.
"Charlie told me that the dragon disappeared," continued Ginny. "Your friend Leo really did get his freedom after all. "
Harry only half smiled at Ginny's comment. The memory of the pain in his shoulder was enough to make him wish that it had been his final encounter with the dragon. Yet he had felt sad as he had watched Leo fly away.
"I reckon you should tell someone," said Neville, "about… stuff."
Harry turned around. He didn't like the idea of going to a teacher. The thought of anyone finding out that he did not belong in this reality was starting to give him nightmares, in addition to the memory of the night of Voldemort's return and the persisting Dragon Fever. Perhaps the lack of sleep was affecting his nerves, but he was loosing his patience rather more rapidly than usual.
"What stuff, Neville? How's your scar doing?" Harry replied angrily, rubbing his shoulder as he did so. He could still feel a stinging where the dragon's spike had cut his flesh. "Dragon Fever is just temporary, OK? It's nothing to worry about. It's not like I'm permanently cursed or anything, Neville. I'm just normal."
"You hear voices and you have funny dreams. It's just weird, Harry. And you call me Neville all the time. Nobody calls me Neville. And my scar doesn't hurt or anything. It's just a stupid scratch. I wish that there were some special magic powers attached to it, but there aren't. I wish that I was permanently cursed, but I'm not. Everyone thinks I'm so special, well that's my real curse."
Neville was speaking somewhat louder than usual. His cheeks had gone suddenly blushed with pink and his eyes were narrowed. Harry opened his month to argue about the so-called curse, but he was stopped abruptly by Ginny.
"Oh shut up, both of you!" she said with furious glances at both Harry and Neville. "Listen to you, bickering like an old married couple. I won't let you get into a fight and stop talking to each other. Look at what it did to Lupin and your dad, Harry."
There was a silence during which Neville and Harry stared miserably at their feet. Four years of going to Hogwarts with Neville flashed through Harry's mind. He could not believe that he was having an argument with him over something so trivial.
"Sorry, mate," Neville said at last. "I suppose I'm a bit distraught."
"Me too," said Harry. "Dragon Fever, you know."
Ginny seemed satisfied with the outcome because she went to sit down on the long rock beside Neville again.
"So… err… did the snake say what it wanted me for?" asked Neville off-handily.
Harry was relieved. At least, he wouldn't have to lie about being a Parselmonth.
"It didn't say," he replied as he was sitting down on the rock as well.
The three of them remained silent for a while, staring thoughtfully at the Black Lake.
"You-Know-Who wants me then," concluded Neville after a while. "He wants me alive, but why?"
Harry did not reply. Of course he knew that Voldemort wanted Neville's blood to complete the ritual that would bring him back to life, but somehow Harry felt that Neville did not need to know that yet.
"Don't worry, Nev," said Ginny. She placed a comforting hand on Neville's shoulder. "We'll watch your back."
Harry said nothing and continued to stare blankly at the lake. In his mind, he had begun to realise that Voldemort was growing stronger and that it was happening a lot faster this time around. Whoever was helping him, whether it was Barty Crouch Junior or Wormtail or someone else, that person would not wait for the third task. Neville was not safe and he, Harry, was the only person that could protect him. After all, how could he possibly explain to anyone, his parents or even Dumbledore that he knew so accurately what Voldemort's plans were? The best he could do, at the moment, was to keep Neville safe for as long as possible, until he figured out how to stop the most feared Dark Wizard of all times to return to his power.
"So what about that Yule Ball," offered Ginny casually as they were heading back to the castle, "do you reckon Hagrid is going to dance with Madam Maxime?"
And they laughed all the way back to the Common Room, imagining all kinds of most unexpected couples, including Draco Malfoy with Moaning Myrtle.
