16

Discussing partners…

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"I am sorry but I can't do anything in this matter, Mr Potter," McGonagall said. "I understand your request but compared to other students your position is much more complex. As one of the champions you are required to do the opening dance. If you weren't one then something could've been arranged for you, like it was for Mr Longbottom."

Harry nodded. "I understand, professor," he said slowly.

"Well, I suggest you then find yourself a partner to bring to the ball with," she said before she paused for a minute. "How far along are you in finding the clue for your second task though? I completely forgot to ask you about it," she said.

"I've already found the clue, professor," Harry said, "thanks to my friends."

"You've reconciled with Ms Granger and Mr Weasely?" she asked.

"No, not them," Harry said. "I meant my other friends."

"Oh," McGonagall said. Harry purposely didn't tell her Daphne and Tracey's name because he didn't want to risk it getting out that they were his friends. "Well good for you. Harry," she said after a little pause. Harry looked at her. He knew McGonagall didn't call her students by their first name unless she wanted to talk to them about something serious or private.

"Professor?" he said slowly as he knew she had something to say to him.

"I would like to apologize to you on behalf of your housemates…"

"Don't…professor," he interrupted her. "Please, don't. It's not your fault so you shouldn't apologize for them."

"But as Gryffindor's faculty head they all come under my responsibility," she said.

Harry seemed to think for a little before he spoke, "Can I be frank with you, professor?" he asked. She nodded. "Stop standing up for them. That defeats the very purpose of them being Gryffindors. To be a Gryffindor means one has to be brave, determined and chivalrous. If they can't stand up for their own mistakes then they are not brave. I know you love them but please, stop enabling them. If you apologize for them then they will never learn and I am saying that with utmost respect for you. Please don't let my respect for you dwindle by apologizing for my housemates. It's not your fault. It's theirs."

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"Well, how did it go?" Neville asked as soon as Harry left McGonagall's office.

"I am so very jealous of you right now," Harry said with a tired smile.

"So it didn't go well," Neville said as the two headed towards the common room when he noticed the look on Harry's face. "Is something else the matter?" he asked.

"McGonagall wanted to apologize on behalf of our fellow housemates," Harry said.

"But…she didn't have to," said Neville.

"That is what I told her," Harry said, "but it didn't look like she completely agreed with me."

"She is our house head, Harry. She blaming herself for the Gryffindors' incompetence only proves how much she care about all of us," Neville said.

"But she is also enabling them by apologizing on their behalf," Harry said. "I get that she is upset over how they all treated me but she doesn't have to blame herself for their behavior."

"It's what a good leader does though, doesn't it?" Neville said. "They feel responsible for people who are under them."

"Yes, but it's a whole different thing when the people under them don't seem to show any improvement," Harry said.

"Do you think it's because they don't know how much McGonagall is doing for them?" Neville asked.

"Oh, they know it for sure," said Harry. "There's no way that such a gossiping bunch wouldn't know of something like that. They simply hate me and I don't it like when McGonagall wants to apologize to me because of what they've done. Even if by some rare chance she was actually responsible for all of this I still wouldn't be able to see her apologize to me."

"Well, I can understand you there," Neville said. "Even though she is the second faculty that I fear after Snape, unlike him I actually respect her." Harry nodded as the two continued walking when Neville changed the topic. "So, what are you going to do about the whole Yule Ball thing?" he asked.

Harry sighed. "I don't know to be honest," he said. "It has already been a month since the Yule Ball was announced and even if I could take someone to the dance with me I don't think there's any girl left who is without a partner."

"There is one," Neville said.

Harry looked at him. "Who?" he asked.

"Do you know of Luna Lovegood?"

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"Greengrass, can I talk to you?"

Daphne saw Draco standing beside her by the fireplace. "What is it?" she asked.

"Not here," said Draco. "Outside?" Daphne seemed to think for a moment before she stood up. Tracey followed her suit when Draco stopped her. "It's private," he said looking from Tracey to Daphne.

"It's alright," Daphne told Tracey.

"Are you sure?" Tracey asked as she glared at Draco.

"Yeah," she replied looking at Draco. "Let's go."

Tracey watched the two leave the common room as she wondered what he wanted to talk to Daphne about. Could it be that he wanted to ask her to the ball? Draco was the only boy in their house who hadn't asked Daphne to the dance which had seemed odd to both Daphne and Tracey.

"Alright, what is it?" Daphne asked once they were outside the common room and in the corridor of the dungeons.

"Your arrogance will get you into trouble, Greengrass," Draco said.

"I haven't even rejected your offer yet and you are already giving me the tone?" she said smirking.

"I'm not talking about me," he said. Daphne grabbed the change in his tone. "Theo hasn't taken it well ever after you rejected his offer to take you to the ball. He's angry."

"When is he not angry?" Daphne said. "He should learn to take no for an answer."

"I am surprised to see you act so naïve even after knowing what kind of a person he is," Draco said. "Last night when we were talking in our dorm he threatened you and your sister. He said you two will pay for your arrogance. You know how dangerous and out-of-control he gets."

Daphne seemed to be thinking for a moment before she took in a long breath to calm down her thoughts. "I can look after myself, Malfoy," she said looking at him. "You don't have to worry about me."

"What about Astoria?" he asked.

"She is not your responsibility," she said. "Thank you for bringing this to my concern, though. I appreciate the heads-up. However, like I said if anything happens, I'll handle it."

"Just to let you know, I can offer to take Astoria to the ball as my partner," Draco said. "That way Theo won't be able to come after her and you can have one less person to worry about."

Daphne looked at him. "Why are you offering to help me?" she asked. "Is it so that I can be indebted to you?"

"You can think whatever you want but that is not my motive," he said. "I've been watching you and Theo since last year and I can tell things haven't exactly been good between the two of you. At first I thought that you two will settle your matters but when you almost clashed outside Professor Snape's classroom I knew it wouldn't take long before the two of you would become the reason for the downfall of our house's reputation. I am only offering you my help because I can't reason with Theo. He won't listen to me because doesn't care about anything and if he comes after you or your sister on the night of the ball there is a high chance that it will be noticed by students from the other houses or worse, from the other schools. And as a loyal Slytherin I don't want my house's name to be tarnished just because a handful of people can't settle their arguments like cultured people. Think on it and get back to me by this evening. If you don't then I would've taken it as your arrogance winning over what is smart. You will then have your wish to look out for yourself and Astoria on the night of the ball. If anything happens, it will be your fault."

Daphne watched him leave as she stood there pondering over what Draco had just said. If his warning was right then she really was worried because everyone knew about Theo and his borderline psychopathic nature. It was true that she could look after herself but taking care of her sister too, when it was from Theo, she was a bit worried. But she had decided to go through with it. She had survived this long on her own. She had looked after Astoria ever since she had started to attend Hogwarts. One night shouldn't be that bad. She could have Tracey help her.

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"Are you sure?" Cedric asked.

"It worked for me," Harry replied. He and Cedric were sitting at the Hufflepuff table in the early morning as Harry told him how he figured out the clue for the second task. "Although I am not too sure if we'll all have the same clues but putting the egg in water definitely worked for me."

"Thanks, Harry," Cedric said. "You really saved me there. I had hit a dead end with that damned thing. No matter what I tried it didn't work. I had never thought that putting the egg in the water would be the solution."

"You told me about the dragons," Harry said. "I'm just returning the favor. Truth be told, receiving help from a fellow champion was the last thing that I'd expected so, thank you."

"Well, the information that I got was still not as reliable because I didn't have a way to confirm it," Cedric said. "But what you've told me about the egg, you've done the same thing first so you are confidant of it to work so you helping me hold more weight than when I helped you."

"Let's just see this as an equal exchange," Harry said. "I really don't want anyone to feel indebted to me. It makes me feel awkward. Also, I try not to owe it to anyone if I can help it."

"Because it makes you feel dependable on them and you don't like it, right?" Cedric said.

Harry nodded before responding with a 'yes'. "I don't know why I feel that way," he said. "It has always been like that with me. I think after knowing that a mad dark wizard is after me I took up this way of thinking where everything that I do I have to do it on my own. I only became more convinced with that mentality after I saw how my friends got hurt because of me."

"I can't say that I share your feelings but I understand what you mean," Cedric said, "and I am not very good at talking to people about their emotions…" (Harry chuckled) "…so all I can say to you is that just believe in yourself. Don't let anyone make you do anything you don't want to."

"Thanks," Harry said before pausing for a moment. "So, have you found someone to take to the ball?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact I have," he said before he looked at the Ravenclaw table. Harry followed his gaze and saw Cedric was looking at Cho Chang. She was in fifth year. She saw Cedric looking at her and smiled. Harry also saw Luna at the table sitting at the very end, all by herself, as she ate from a cup of pudding and read a magazine named Quibbler. What was weird was that she was reading it upside down.

"She is a little weird though." Harry remembered Neville's words when he was telling him about Luna and now he could see why that was. He hadn't really noticed her until now. The only thing that he knew about her was that she was a year below him.

"Have you asked anyone to the ball yet?"

"Huh?" Harry said coming out of his thoughts.

"I said have you asked anyone to go to the ball with you?" Cedric asked.

"I haven't, really," Harry said. "I just can't seem to gather enough courage, that's it."

Cedric patted him on the back as he leaned closer. "You won't be able to take a girl out like that, Harry," he said sounding like a caring big brother. "Even if it is a girl who likes you it's a man's duty to ask her out. Don't tell me that the Gryffindor inside you is scared."

Harry laughed softly as he nodded. "I'll do my best," he said as he stood up. "I should be heading back now. Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Thanks for the tip regarding the clue," Cedric said.

Harry nodded before he started heading towards the Ravenclaw table as Cedric and everyone looked at him in confusion. Like all times he ignored those looks as he came and stood in front of Luna who looked from her upside-down magazine to Harry.

Harry noticed she had big round eyes and an expression which made her look like she was day-dreaming with her eyes open. He felt a bit awkward with her staring at him like that. It wasn't like this when other people looked at him. He blinked as he cleared his throat.

"Ahem! Hi, Luna," Harry said. "Wou…Would you like to go to the ball with me?"

The great hall went silent as everyone looking at him in utter shock, especially the girls. Luna smiled as she nodded. "I would love to, Harry," she said in a dreamy tone.

"Huh, great!" Harry exhaled in relief as he felt like a huge load had come off of his chest. "Brilliant! Thanks. I mean, uh…right. Well, I'll, uh…I'll see you later then."

Luna nodded before Harry left the great hall as all the eyes watched him go.

Back at the Slytherin table Daphne watched him leave as well. While she knew that Harry had asked Luna to the ball because of the necessity of having a partner for that evening, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the third year Ravenclaw. The feeling had lasted for only a moment as Daphne realized how she was feeling before she cleared those thoughts from her head and focused on her breakfast instead when Tracey leaned in.

"See, even Harry has a partner now," she said. "How long are you going to take to choose one for yourself? You have so many options."

Daphne sighed. This was tiring and also annoying.

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Thanks for reading…