Fairy of My Heart

ch 3

Isdh

121

The three schools were sitting down to dinner when the sky-charm on ceiling of the Great Hall darkened. Then one by one, the candles flickered out. Three candles floated over the High Table. These and the fires burning in the harths along the sides of the Hall, were the only light.

But the sky-charm, boiled into a storm. Flickering bolts across the sky, muffled the steps of the approaching magicials. So everyone was startled when the big doors to the Hall were flung open. And like when Moody entered back in September, the sky cast lightning at the two wizards. The two raised there canes, catching the energy bolts before throwing it back into the night sky. The clock bells rang, as the school shuddered.

The night-sky cleared, as the candles rekindled. Standing just inside the doors were Potter and Longbottom. Dressed in midnight blue cloaks over deep Emerald green open robes. Both lads wore a leather vest over a silk shirt, kilts with a familiar pattern, over leather, knee high boots. But drew the eye was the carved canes they were leaning on.

The silence was heavy.

"Ladies. Gents." Potter stepped forward, dropping a bag on the Gryffindor table. "Please put your coin into the pouch, along with any jewelry, grimoires, and your knickers."

A three count of silence… then the redheads of Gryffindor burst out laughing. The Twins stood to clap the boy on the shoulder, their sister scrambled to hug him. The bushy haired witch just stood, tapping her foot at them, as the youngest male redhead just grabbed another drumstick from the pile.

"Good one." twin one said.

"Almost had us there." twin two, as they were priming up for a round of twin pong.

"POTTER!" the potions master roared, "One hundred points and detention with me every night!"

"On what charge, sir." Harry glared at the man.

"You left the grounds, your tasteless prank, and you are out of uniform." the potion master sounded pleased with himself.

The Rubies in the hour glass shifted, but did not move.

"I do not think so." Suddenly McGonagall was behind the Lads. "While his prank was rather tasteless." She swatted the back off his head. "Knickers? Really?" She strode past the group, "The Lads were with me all day. We want to Ollivander's, and hit Milkin's while we waited for him to finish. Over lunch, my cubs bet me that you would use their outing to abuse the system. We also spoke about the rumors that Potter cheated his way into this bloody blood-sport. I called on Griz, and as of five o'clock this evening… Misters Potter and Longbottom are enrolled into a different School."

"South London University of Thaumaturgy." Neville declared to the Hall, with a grin.

"Our Headmaster and his deputy should be here in the morning." Spoke Harry. "Headmaster Dumbledor, we would enjoy partaking in many of the classes you are offering. There are a couple we will be passing on, but all 'core' classes will be covered by next year."

Every eye in the Hall turned to Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Of course, dear boy." the grand wizard smiled, "Please, enjoy the bounty that is Hogwarts."

Harry and Neville bobbed their heads in thanks, before joining their friends in red and gold. Harry had reclaimed the pouch, as he dropped to sit between Hermione and Ginny, Neville on Ginny's other side.

"So. Our knickers?" the female redhead asked.

"If we were robbing this Hall, what else would teenage males be wanting?" Harry grinned at her. Those in hearing range snickered. Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Old man Whiskers probably wants us to continue bunking with you fourth year Gryffs." Harry filled his goblet with water.

"Harry, why are you ragging on Professor Dumbledor?" Hermione frowned.

"The Headmaster is the root of so many of the things that are wrong in my Life." Harry sighed, "As he is not one of my teachers, I will not grant him that title. He is my host, the Chief Warlock, and the Headmaster of this School. I will grant him the respect he deserves… when he fills the roles that are his to claim."

"Dumbledor is the greatest Wizard since Merlyn." Ron spoke up, for once, his mouth was empty.

"And yet he has done … nothing." Harry hissed, "Nothing but preen and fluff his feathers."

Ron choked on his next bite of chicken. The twins raised opposing eyebrows, and Hermione and Ginny frowned.

"How many Dead-heads walked or bought their way out of the courts? Why did Black spend twelve years in that hell, without a trail?" Harry glared at his former best Mate. "Now let's talk about the Good Deeds and Intentions done in my name, done for me… done to me!"

Ron's face went from pink to white… to reddish purple, matched only by Vernon when Harry had really blown it. "What would you know of his great deeds!" Ron yelled before he stood. "You are nothing compared to him!" he stormed from the hall.

"Wow."

"Ronnikins left…"

"Before clearing the table."

"So…" Ginny rubber her shoulder on Harry, "What wand did you get?"

"Turns out, when you bind an infant's core, you are supposed to leave it open ended. The idea is so the developing core can unravel the binding. Someone bound not only my core as a yearling, but Neville's too. And they tied it off. It was why Neville never showed he was more than a squib, his power never needed to answer the call, with the exceptions where his great uncle tried to kill him. I, on the other hand, was stressed, and my power kept trying to help. So I was rebound, again they tied it off." Harry sipped his water, "Today, my bindings snapped. When testing us for woods… the wand blanks that were found compatible, kept burning. Too much feedback."

Neville took up the story, "Had I gone in on my eleventh birthday, like my parents wanted me to, I would have had an eleven inch holly and phoenix wand. Instead, Gran had me using my Dad's wand, causing my core to backup. The only reason I did not burnout his wand, my core was bound and tied off." he grinned at Harry, "Kind of like how Harry burned out my wand."

"You mean…" Ginny sputtered.

"The wand I was waving these last three years, should have gone to Nev." Harry smiled, "Fumbledor applied pressure to ole Ollivander, and when I showed up before Neville, I was assigned a wand that was not my complete match. I burned the feather out, and glazed the wand from the inside out. When we were selecting our cores, from his collection, my bindings, unraveling due to my taking up my Ring..." the Ring on his right ring finger shimmered into view, before shimmering out again, "snapped like an overpressured bungee cord. The wave/ripple of wild magic caused Nev's to blow too."

"Luckily, his workshop is designed handle random and wild bursts of magic." Neville chuckled. "As of noon today, Harry and I can not wield wands as you know the word." He hefted his cane, setting it on its side just past his Plate. "I give you… my sceptre. Thirty-nine inches of twisted Cherry heartwood, with a core of Unicorn Tail, three strands braided about, devil's snare. The Snare is what caused it to twist. Ollivader called this is the Focus of a Defender of the Green."

Harry brandished his cane. "Blackthorn, forty-two inches, containing a hippogriff primary feather, a thunderbird tailfeather, and three thestral tail hairs, giving me a five core short staff." Harry broke off, looking at his hand. "Bloody hell!" He stood, turning to the high table. "Headmistress McGonagall! It looks like I just won our third bet. If you and Matron Pomfrey would escort me to the fourth year male Griffondor dorms. It seems that my former housemate has hurt himself."

The twins shared a look, before they bolted from the Hall, their sister on their heels.

Harry and Neville waited for the named staff to join them and Hermione, before they exited the Hall.

"Mister Potter," the nurse demand, "just what happened!"

"When we returned from the Alley, this evening, The Headmistress escorted us to our old dorm. Expecting the old man to allow me and my schoolmate to remain in our old dorm, we stored our things before heading down to dinner. Both Neville and I sealled our trucks with locking charms, tied to our House rings. The youngest Mr. Weasley left in the middle of dinner, and just now, my Ring alerted me to someone trying to force the lock. I called on you two, one to make sure the Arse lives… the other to see punishment done." Harry glared at the scottish witch, "If he skates, you lose the cup next year!"

Upon entering the fourth year Dorm, both adults could see what happened. The twins were checking their brother out. One was waving a wand over the boy, the other peering into an eye he had forced open. They both looked to Harry as he stood in the doorway. "Just did you use on your trunk?" one asked.

"Lupin's Lockout Joybuzzer." Harry sneered. "Moony got tired of Wormtail digging through his things."

The twins froze, as did McGonagall. But for different reasons.

"You know who They are?" the twins chorused, as they were suddenly in his face.

"Mister Potter… Lord Potter, do you have any idea how hard I have tried to keep that info from Them?"

"No, Headmistress. But I can guess." He grinned at the two troublemakers. "A compromise. From now until christmas break, you two are model students. Percy class model." the twins pouted. "Not only will I tell who, but will introduce you to them." the twins lost their pout, as the Headmistress lost her colour.

"What about our Pools?" the twin on the left asked. Three sets of eyes turned to the Scot.

"E's on everything. No pranks. And you keep it discreet." the witch sighed. She had more than a few galleons tied up in veris pools run by the twins.

"E's in every subject."

"Might have issue with Potions…"

"No Pranks, from us…"

"Or by us..."

"But others might try."

Then they choursed, "That is our best offer."

"Get." they scampered. "Poppy?"

"He will live. It was like an overcharged stinging hex. He will twitch for a few days, but no lasting harm." the nurse stood. "Not even a need to take to the Ward." a flick of her wand and Ron landed on his bed, before the curtains were drawn closed.

Harry watched his former Head of House.

The Scotish Witch inspected the trunks of Potter and Longbottom. Potter's showed signs of someone trying to spell it open, while Longbottom's just sat there. "Has he done this before?"

"Yes, ma'am." Neville answered. "He often treat Potter's truck as his own. Usually just candy or minor coins. We asked him about it in First Year, but he said he had permission."

She looked at Potter, an eyebrow raised.

"Never said he could, but as long as my Cloak and Photo album were not touched…" Harry just shrugged.

"I will need the night." McGonagall sighed. "Ron will face me in the morning. I am thinking of calling Molly in." the adults left the two boys with two curious girls.

"Are you really going to introduce the twins to them?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. Padfoot will get a kick out of it." Harry dropped onto his bed, resting his cane against the end table. "Moony will earn his gold."

"Why did you chose that name, for our new School, anyway?" Neville had set his cane against his end table, but so he could tend his garden.

"We were in London… South of Fleet street… and I remembered what we call Granger's elf project."

"Spew?" Ginny frowned. "I don't get it."

"Not Spew." Hermione grumped, as she flopped on Harry's bed, beside him. "It is the Society to Promote Elfish Welfare…" her face twisted, as she sat up. "You Arse!" she slugged Harry's shoulder.

"What?" Ginny asked.

Harry chuckled. "South London University of Thaumaturgy." he drew in the air with his finger. 'S.L.U.T' in red flames.

Neville snorted, as Ginny gasped.

121

An; no one has commented on fairy types in Harry's chest...