Chapter 10
Hoping to change the subject, she asked, "so what about the golden egg?"
"Crap! Can't believe I forgot about that. With all the excitement of today I forgot about the main part of the stupid task."
He moved his hand to where he had kept the egg, on the floor next to the bed. Bringing it on the bed so Daphne could look, he turned the clasp and opened it…
A low and quiet monotonous pulse came out the egg, sounding almost like a heartbeat. It had a rhythmic pattern to it., however it was incomprehensible. There were no words or anything to try and understand. Inside the egg were swirling lights of green which added to the mystery of the egg but didn't help comprehend it any better. Harry and Daphne stared at the glowing lights for a few seconds before he shut it.
"Do you have any idea what that's about?" Harry asked.
"None," she replied, still staring at the golden egg on his lap.
"Well… it doesn't matter. I have months before I have to figure it out anyway. Plus, at the moment, I don't have the brainpower to understand the clue," he said.
"Don't worry about it…" she said smiling, "I didn't think you had a lot of brainpower to start with," she continued jokingly.
"Prat," Harry laughed, before throwing a pillow at her.
Just as she was about to return the favour, "Excuse me, Miss. Greengrass, but I'd prefer if my patient didn't get hit… even if he may deserve it," Madam Pomfrey said, entering the infirmary.
"HEY!", Harry replied. "Did you ever think that she was the one who started it?"
"Madam Pomfrey, maybe he should spend another night here. The potions seem to be messing up his memory," Daphne added innocently.
"Perhaps… but I wouldn't want to hear his whining throughout the night," Madam Pomfrey replied, a smile on her face. "Now Mr. Potter, take off your shirt so I can see if those abrasions have healed,"
"Well Madam Pomfrey… that's quite forward of you. At least buy me dinner first," Harry teased. Daphne burst into laughter, while the matron murmured to herself about the Weasley twins and their influence.
"I think I'll go now," Daphne said. "Well done, Harry," she said again, giving him another smile before leaving the room.
"What a nice girl," Madam Pomfrey commented as she checked his wounds.
"Yeah… she's great."
After ten minutes of the matron prodding and poking him to see if he was completely fine, was he allowed to leave. Within his first steps into the Gryffindor common room he was pounded by large amounts of noise coming in every direction. Fred and George had gone all out for this party. There were tables streaming with food and drinks, courtesy of the kitchen elves. He was sure he spotted a bottle of firewhisky in the corner, compliments of the seventh years. Someone had even created a banner which was animated to show him defeating the Horntail.
"Dragon Slayer!" Fred and George said together, bowing comically to Harry as he walked in.
"Do that again, and I'll be the twin slayer," Harry said amusedly. Sleep was forgotten about as he enjoyed the next few hours of the party, even spending some more time with Neville. The egg was passed around numerous times, with different people trying to come up with ideas about what it meant. He spotted Ron in the corner, speaking with Dean and Seamus, but he was not inclined to speak with him. Surprisingly, Hermione wasn't here, but then again, she had never been fond of the loud Gryffindor parties, and probably have given students a lecture if she had spotted the alcohol.
"Ok, so what the hell was that?" George asked, as the party came to its end. The trio were currently lounging near the fireplace, taking comfort of the heat on the cold November night.
"Which part do you mean Georgie?" Fred replied. "The one where he did a transfiguration spell that McGonagall hasn't even taught us sixth years yet or the spell which destroyed the head of a Horntail."
"Well… both. You should have seen the faces of some people when you did that Harry," George said amusedly.
"Yeah, that fifth year kid McLaggen looked like he pissed himself when it happened."
"I'm just glad it's done," Harry sighed.
"At least people apologised to you at the party for not believing you," Fred added.
Harry deflated at this statement, "Yeah of course they say it now. I just killed a dragon so now everyone wants to be my best friend. Let something else happen, and they'll have forgotten all about it and go back to fearing me," he replied depressingly.
"Yeah I guess you're right," George added morosely. His face quickly turned into a smirk as he continued, "Well at least that Malfoy kid won't bother you after this. Even daddy's gold won't make him brave enough to face you after what you did."
Harry chuckled at this, "Yeah but knowing Draco, he'll probably make up some story about how it was all fake and make it seem like he could have easily done it… stupid ponce."
They continued chatting for a few minutes until Fred remembered something. "Oh, by the way Harry, Charlie met us before he left. He wanted to thank you again for the dragon and promises that he'll send you a gift from the remains," Fred mentioned.
"No way!"
"Yes way," the twins replied together.
"I hate when you do that," Harry said.
"Well whatever…"
"… do you mean?"
"I thought you…"
"… loved when we did this."
"OUCH!" they shouted together as Harry sent stinging hexes towards the both of them.
"Damn," Fred said, rubbing his arm. "The boy defeats one dragon and starts beating his friends,"
Harry just laughed, before sending another stinging hex which led into to a game of chase between the three through the early hours of the day.
The morning after the task started as he had expected. He had walked into the Great Hall to see most of the students pouring over the latest copies of the Daily Prophet, and rounds of whispers broke out. He wandered to the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Lee Jordan. "So, what is it this time?" Harry said exasperatedly.
"Skeeter," was all he replied, before passing the article towards him.
DRAGON SLAUGHTERED IN FIRST TASK!
Yesterday afternoon, I had the privilege of attending the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. The objective of the task was to retrieve a golden egg from a dragon, each chosen different for the four participating champions. The first contestant was Cedric Diggory, who used his skills in transfiguration and charms to trick the dragon before gaining the egg.
Fleur Delacour, champion of Beauxbatons, used enchantments to put the dragon into sleep before retrieving the golden egg. Whereas, her competitor Victor Krum, champion of Durmstrang blinded his dragon before retrieving the sought-after egg.
However, none surprised us much as the performance by Harry Potter. The champion has been amidst a lot of controversy on his entrance into the tournament, many speculating the Headmaster being involved. Mr. Potter approached the task in a very different way to the other champions. To win the task, the fourth champion fought the dragon head on, before ending the battle by sending a dark spell which decapitated the head of a Hungarian Horntail.
Our readers may be surprised by this proclamation, especially as the Horntail is classed by the Ministry as the most dangerous dragon. Therefore, it is more surprising that a boy only in his fourth year was able to handle a dragon in such a way and end up in second place. Additionally, where did Mr Potter learn such a hazardous spell which would be able to hurt a dragon. Is the boy who saved us from the last dark lord, perhaps walking in the same footsteps? This reporter is increasingly suspicious about his victory. Is Harry Potter being personally trained by Albus Dumbledore? This is against the rules, and if so, actions must be taken to vindicate them, and be brought to justice.
Rita Skeeter: Correspondent to the Daily Prophet
For more on Hungarian Horntails; see page 9
"Well to be honest, I'm actually surprised she didn't just dedicate the entire article to me and my evil ways," Harry said nonchalantly before tossing the paper on the table.
"You don't care that she just made you out to be some kind of dark wizard," Lee asked surprised.
"Why would I? I've finally learnt this year, that people are going to make their own opinions of me, whether I did it or not. So, I'm not going to bitch and cry because what's done is done."
Lee chuckled at this, "yeah I guess when someone's in the newspaper as much as you, you've got to learn and ignore it."
"Exactly. So, screw Skeeter," Harry replied, before tucking into his breakfast, and getting ready for the day. He was sure he was going to get another letter to meet Sirius and Remus after this being published in the paper.
"You sure you're ok?" Neville asked, who had come towards the end of the conversation.
"Yeah completely Nev. Let's get going to DADA, before Moody curses us for being late."
Neville laughed at this. "Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him to do that. But that eye of his really creeps me out. It can see through anything," Neville replied, picking up his bag and following Harry out the hall.
"What about clothes? Because that would be creepy if he could see through clothes."
"Maybe he can, but I don't have the guts to ask him that," Neville said, becoming immediately nervous and carrying his bag in front of his chest.
"What about that hip flask he always has with him?" Harry inquired.
"Oh, some sixth year Ravenclaw told me that he only drinks from his own flask because he's worried about being poisoned by dark wizards."
"That doesn't surprise me. He's always banging on about constant vigilance," Harry replied, taking a seat in the defence classroom.
The class remained quiet once everyone was in, even though Moody hadn't arrived yet. Even when he wasn't here people were scared not to follow his rules. He had a habit of throwing stray spells at students who didn't co-operate in his class. Suddenly, a red spell flew from the front of the classroom, stunning Dean Thomas in the front row, sending Lavender into shouts of terror.
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Moody shouted, as he removed the disillusionment charm on himself from the front of the room. Harry was the only one to laugh at this. Every few weeks, Moody would sneak up on the class in some way to try and catch them off guard, and he succeeded every time.
"Finnigan, wake up your friend and someone shut Miss Brown up." Moody barked.
"Now," he announced to the class, waving his wand to the blackboard. "Can anybody tell me what spell I just used?"
Surprise, surprise only one hand shot up, waving in the air. "Yes Miss. Granger," Moody asked, not even turning around as he focused on the blackboard.
"The stunning spell Professor," she answered.
"Correct. Five points to Hufflepuff,"
"But… sir I'm in Gryffindor," Hermione protested. However, if he had heard, he obviously didn't seem to care, amusing the Hufflepuffs greatly who shared the class with them.
"Well what are you waiting for! Copy this in your notes now," he said, pointing to his description on the board. "See. This spell is supposed to be taught in your fifth year, but I'm not going to let some hippies at the Ministry dictate how I should teach you," he ranted. "This here is the basic defensive spell you need to know, and you better know it," he added menacingly on as the class copied down the notes.
"Mr. Potter" he bellowed. "Come up here for a demonstration of the spell." Harry sighed to himself. He always got chosen. Moody was oddly fascinated by him.
"Now, I'm going to wager a guess that you know this spell after I saw your performance at the task," Moody said, breaking out into a heavily scarred grin.
"Yes Professor," Harry replied.
"Good lad. The incantation is 'Stupefy' and the wand movement is like this," he said, performing a jab with his wand. "Simple enough. Now Potter… BLOCK" he said quickly, shooting the spell at deathly speed, but Harry managed to get a shield in front of it, the charm rebounding harmlessly.
"Nice work Potter. Ten points to Gryffindor," he said, ignoring Hermione's huff when he got Harry's house correctly. "WELL! What are you waiting for! Pair up and start practicing."
Harry went to partner with Neville, because he tended to get left behind by the other Gryffindors. "Alright, Neville. You try it, and I'll just block," Harry instructed.
"Stupefy!" he stammered, jabbing his wand, but nothing came out. He sighed in defeat, his shoulders sagging in disappointment.
"Come on Neville! You only tried once. No one gets spells on their first time. Try again but say the spell clearly this time."
"Stupefy" he intoned. This time there was some sort of light, but it fizzled out.
They tried throughout the class. No matter how many times he did it, the spell would die out before reaching Harry.
"This doesn't make sense." Harry said to himself. "You're doing it perfectly. It should work." The class had ended, and they were the only students left, as Harry tried to figure out Neville's problem.
"I'm just no good Harry. I don't have enough power," he murmured embarrassingly.
"That can't be right lad," Moody said, coming up from behind. "Show me your wand," he commanded.
Neville handled it and watched as the professor looked at it. "Have you damaged this in anyway?"
"No sir. It's been in the same condition since my gran gave it to me."
"Wait, your gran?" Harry asked confusedly.
"Yeah, it was my father's. She gave it to me, hoped it would make me like him," he answered.
Harry was still confused when Neville said this. Why would he have his father's wand. In fact, in the four years as dormmates, he had never even heard Neville mention his parents. He guessed they must be dead if he lived with his grandma.
Moody seemed aware of Harry's confusion and continued the talk. "That's not how it works Longbottom. You may have some connection because it was your father's wand. But the wand will never be tuned to yourself. Don't worry lad. I'll send a letter to your grandmother and sort this out."
Neville took his wand back, looking at it sadly. "Don't be upset Nev," Harry said. "You can still honour his memory in different ways. Keep the wand as a reminder of him."
Neville nodded, but his resolve looked stronger. "Thanks"
"Potter stay back for a second," Moody asked. "Take a seat" he commanded, once Neville had left.
"You looked confused at the mention of his parents?" Moody noted.
"Are they dead sir?"
"No" he answered. "They are incapacitated. They were tortured into insanity by the Dark Lord's most loyal followers." Harry thought he saw the hint of a smile on his face but must have imagined it.
"That's terrible," Harry replied. "Did the people who did it get caught?"
Moody looked incredibly grim at the question. "Yes. A death eater in Azkaban ratted them out. He was released for tattling on them, but if there's anything I hate is a death eater who was allowed to walk."
Harry made his way towards the Headmaster's office. He had just finished his dinner and decided to meet him. Dumbledore hadn't actually called him, but he wanted to discuss the spell he used, and ask him questions about his family vault. The small talk with Daphne about his heritage, showed how little he knew about his family. Questions that Dumbledore would finally be able to answer.
Saying the password to the stone gargoyle, he made his way up the stairs. He was about to knock when he heard voices.
"- he's worried Albus. The mark gets darker each passing day. You know exactly what this means," a voice said. A voice which Harry knew much too well for his liking; the resident potion master of Hogwarts.
"He's only worried. I do not believe he is part of any plan that Voldemort may have. He gave too many names to get out of Azkaban." Wait! Is this the rat that Moody was talking about yesterday? Who was this person?
"And me?" Snape replied loudly. "Where is my part in this?"
"The same it has always been Severus. Now we will need to save this talk for later. I have a guest… Come in Harry," the headmaster called out.
Harry sheepishly walked in, followed by the knowing eyes of Dumbledore and the murderous glare of Snape.
"Potter what exactly are you doing here?" Snape asked, quickly pulling down the hem of his robes to cover his arm.
"I called Harry here," Dumbledore lied. "Perhaps it is best I talk to him now." Severus looked at Harry one more time; giving the headmaster a curt nod, he walked out, his black robes billowing behind.
Dumbledore gestured to the seat in front of him, which Harry took. "Have you ever heard of the muggle expression, 'curiosity killed the cat,'" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling jovially.
"Sorry sir," Harry replied guiltily. "I should have knocked."
"It doesn't matter. Now I guess you've come to talk about the spell you used. I'm surprised you didn't wait for me to send for you."
"I just didn't want you to think I went dark because I used that spell," Harry said worriedly.
"Why would I think that?"
"Because it blew up the head of a dragon… It's not exactly taught here."
Dumbledore nodded serenely. "I'm guessing you learnt this from a book in the restriction section then?"
"Yes sir," Harry replied. He didn't want to explain the room of requirement, but if Dumbledore knew he was lying, he didn't show it.
"Harry, I have never been one to believe the words of the news. Ms Skeeter couldn't be any more wrong about your 'path to the dark lord'" he quoted from yesterday's article. "I do not believe you are going dark, not in the slightest. Firstly, what even makes a spell dark or questionable?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Is it… how you use it?"
"Precisely. It is your intention of the spell. You didn't use that spell for fun, but to get out of mortal danger. It was your instinct to survive that made you do it. Just look at Professor Moody. When he was an auror, he used curses and hexes that were terribly gruesome. However, he didn't do this for fun. He did it for good; to stop death eaters who used those spells for completely different reasons. Let me take an unforgivable curse for example…" Dumbledore said, watching as Harry shifted to pay more attention now.
"If we were to take the Imperius curse, it could be seen as wrong because it lets you control people, stripping them off their free will. However, what if I were to use it on someone who was trying to harm someone else and talk them away from doing it. I can use a spell that gives you a life sentence in Azkaban for the good of another," Dumbledore finished.
"So, what you're saying is that spells are classified as dark because of the intentions of people. But because of the effects they have and because people have abused it, they're deemed as dark," Harry replied in understanding.
"Exactly. In fact, this was the same explanation Professor McGonagall gave Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley when they questioned the spell you used."
Harry nodded back, but on the inside, he was absolutely furious. He had told them to stay away from his life, and this had Hermione written all over it. Dumbledore said she went to question McGonagall. No, she had probably dragged a confused Ron to complain about the spell and try and get him into trouble.
Dumbledore sensing his internal battle, wisely moved on to calm the young boy. "Now, is there anything else you wanted to discuss with me?"
"Yes sir," he replied, pushing his anger down for now. "Recently, I learned that I have a family vault, but I just wondered why no one ever told me about it," Harry asked.
"Ahh…" Dumbledore replied, pushing himself back in his chair. "Well I knew of you having one, because the older families have always had one. However, I myself didn't feel comfortable talking about what your finances and assets may be, especially since it is such a private matter. You are right, I should have told you about it, but you are still too young to access it, and I didn't think it would be that important to you at the moment."
"It's not sir. I just don't like when things I should know are kept away from me," Harry replied.
The headmaster remained silent for a few seconds after Harry had said it. "I understand," he said quietly. "Is there anything else you wanted to know?"
Harry thought about anything to do with his family, before it came to him. "Did my parents have a will?"
"They did. But under Goblin law, the death of both parents, stipulates that the will is locked in the family vault. The items that your parents bequeathed went to the intended people, but there was no will reading. It was very private, but you yourself cannot access it until you're of age, or you need a guardian to access it. However, as you know, your legal guardians are the Dursley's, so it would be up to them if they wanted to see your parents' will."
Harry sighed to himself. He didn't even think guardians could be a suitable word for the Dursley's. That and their aversion to anything magic meant he would have to wait until he was seventeen.
He stood up to leave, when he asked, "Sir, are you saying it is fine for me to learn dark spells?"
"It is. Like I told you this summer, to become a powerful wizard you must expand upon different branches of magic. However, it is not the only thing you should learn, and I would advise strict caution when learning them," Dumbledore replied sternly.
Harry nodded in response, one more question plaguing his mind. "Did you ever use spells like this in the first war with Voldemort?"
"I did not," was his only reply.
Knowing that he didn't want to expand upon it, Harry said his farewell before leaving the office. He wondered why the headmaster wouldn't use spells like it. If Moody, someone firmly fighting for the good used spells like that, why wouldn't Dumbledore? Maybe he couldn't accept using them for moral reasons. Dumbledore had always believed in giving people a second chance and reforming their ways, even if Harry himself didn't understand why he'd give some people another chance.
But he had more important things to dwell about. Pulling out the Marauder's map he found Hermione in the Gryffindor common room. His anger finally coming back at full throttle, he walked as fast as he could to the tower. Hissing the password at the Fat Lady, he went and found her.
"What did I tell you?" Harry said, not bothering to keep his voice quiet. The rest of the common room quickly became silenced as they watched the commotion. Everyone had known that some sort of physical confrontation would happen after Ron and Hermione stopped talking to Harry. However, most assumed that Harry would have faced Ron, who was always quick to temper.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?" he shouted this time, when she didn't reply.
She flustered at his shouting, his green eyes glowing in rage. Ever since McGonagall had told her that Harry did nothing wrong, she had expected him to come and find her. However, she didn't account for him getting so enraged. "It… it was my duty. It was a dark spell" she replied, trying to act authoritarian, but her voice coming out in a strangled squeak.
"I told you that-"
"Leave her alone" a voice commanded, cutting him off. Harry turned around to see a red-faced Ron come forward.
"No, I've had enough," Harry said angrily, pulling out his wand and pointing it towards Ron. "I said the next time you two interfered in my life; you'd be talking to my wand."
"You wouldn't." Hermione said smugly, her voice finally coming back, and she stood up to face him, pulling her wand out.
"And why is that?" Harry retorted, his eyes still blazing.
"Cause I'm the better student," she replied condescendingly. "You may have fooled Professor McGonagall, but she doesn't know you as well as I do. You wouldn't try and fight me."
"Fine then Hermione. Why don't you show me how much better you are?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"How about a duel now? Right her in the common room and it'll be non-lethal because I wouldn't want to use a dark spell on you" he said, mocking the use of dark.
Hermione seemed oddly glad at this. She obviously thought this was her chance to show that she was the best student around. "Fine," she said with a triumphant smile. She had been training recently and knew that since she put even more effort in her work, she could easily best Harry. She had always been better at magic than him, and this time she would show him up in front of everyone.
"Harry what are you doing?" Fred whispered, yanking him back from the confrontation.
"I've defended them for too long in my head. I've always had this hope that we could reconcile our friendship. But, no… I'm done playing around with them. I was in this exact position weeks ago. I came here to the common room and told her off for meddling with my life. She didn't listen last time and won't listen this time So, the time for talking is done," he ranted; his tone unwavering.
"If you think this is what you have to do. I support you," George replied, knowing there would be no changing Harry's mind. Fred nodded in agreement to show his support.
He turned around to face her. It looked like the entire common room was watching, but he didn't care. Ron was glaring from the side-lines, but Hermione must have said something to keep him quiet. Her wand was out, and she looked incredibly smug as she watched him. He wasn't going to toy with her. He was going to use every bit of that practice and finish it in a few seconds.
"You can start," he said.
The fight that took place was talked about for weeks to come. Each re-telling was adapted into a story more dramatic than the last. The Hogwarts rumour mill had this amazing ability to twist anything into the most fanatical story, with people telling their friends that the fight almost blew up half the common room. Everyone knew it was fake, but no one bothered to correct it. However, the reality was much more disappointing than what was spread around the school, and the reality was that the fight lasted less than twenty seconds.
She looked at him for a few seconds before sending a combination of spells. She started with a tripping jinx, following by a banishing charm and a stunner. It was obvious to Harry she had practiced this combination by herself because she did it with a well-rehearsed fluidity. However, it was nothing compared to the speed and power of the training dummies in the room of requirement. He dodged it with ease, before disarming her simply.
Not bothering to catch it, he let the wand fall to the ground, before proceeding to walk in front of her, shock evident on her face. "And that was non-lethal" he whispered harshly, before walking upstairs to his room, the students in his path, quickly moving away.
"Ok shall we get started?" Daphne said, pulling out a large book from her bag. It had been two weeks since the first task, and as promised, Daphne was teaching him about the magical world.
The time since the task had almost been comical for Harry. Those who had openly mocked him before the task, seemed to give him a wide berth or quickly moved away when he was in the same vicinity. Many others tried to apologise or act like they had believed him the entire time. Malfoy as usual had blathered nonsensical arguments about Harry cheating, but for once not as many people believed the self-acclaimed prince of Slytherin.
The story of his duel with Hermione only added to the controversy behind him. Many believed that if he had fought his ex- best friend that he was going to go after those who had insulted him. For once, however, he didn't mind those rumours if it kept people from annoying him. It also meant that Hermione kept away from him. Fred and George told him that she looked close to tears when he had left. He wanted to feel sympathy for her, but she had it coming for weeks, and he was tired of trying to find reasons for forgiving her.
However, he did feel bad, because the duel had put a strain between Ron and the twins. Ron believed that they saw Harry as more important than him and felt that they had betrayed the family by siding with a 'dark wizard.' Fred and George, didn't seem to be bothered by it, their only comment being, "once a prat, always a prat." He had really believed that after the task, one of them would have come and tried to apologise, but he was done with them.
Other notable news had been the announcement about the Yule Ball taking place the day before Christmas Eve. It was open for fourth years and above, and Harry watched as the common room broke out into whispers, and gazes at their potential dates. She also announced that trains would be leaving the day after for those who wanted to spend the rest of the Christmas break with their family. Harry still cringed internally as he remembered his conversation with McGonagall:
"Mr. Potter," she called after telling the Gryffindors about the event.
"Yes professor?"
"Now, I assume that will you be trying to find a partner for the ball?"
"I guess so…" Harry replied, uncomfortable about taking about asking a girl out with his head of house.
"Well you must. It's a tradition that the ball opens with a dance between the champions and their dates."
"But Professor… I don't dance," Harry said nervously.
"I don't think your heard me correctly Mr. Potter. The tournament has been going on for centuries and I will not have my own Gryffindor be the first to break the tradition," the transfiguration professor replied sternly.
"But professor-" He tried to protest but was cut off with her stern glare. "Who'll teach me how to dance" Harry asked resignedly, knowing there was no way he would be able to back away from this.
"Your date preferably. However, if she herself needs lessons, then I will have to teach you."
"You," Harry spluttered, his face getting red.
"Yes, Mr. Potter," she said, smiling a bit at his discomfort, before walking away.
Those thoughts still rummaged through his head, as he watched Daphne organise the books in the room of requirement. Fred and George had mocked him constantly about the girl since the ball had been announced. Although he had thought about it in depth, he didn't have any idea what he should do.
Yes, he found her immensely attractive. His first ever meeting with Daphne at the Quidditch finals made him flustered by her looks, but he wasn't shallow enough to ask her to the ball just because of that. But then she had an amazing personality as well, once he had gotten to know her. She had believed him immediately, and never pressured him to do anything that he didn't want to do. But would she even accept it if he asked her? Unknown to him, Daphne was also having similar thoughts:
She had been walking around the Hogwarts grounds with Tracey. It was a Hogwarts tradition for them to take a walk on the first week of December and just catch up on everything in their lives. Even though they spent most time together, they both appreciated this moment to be alone together and just talk about anything at all.
They took a seat on the floor, their backs upon a tree, watching the lake. Tracey's warming charms meant the snow gave a tingling sensation on their bodies. It had been an hour of talking, before Tracey had brought up her favourite subject- boys.
"So, the Yule Ball?" Tracey asked.
"Oh yeah. Are you going to stay over at my house during the winter break, the day after the ball?" Daphne inquired.
"Yes, but that isn't why I mentioned the ball," Tracey smirked mischievously.
"Tracey please… noo," Daphne groaned.
"Yes. We've been in school for four years, and we've been friends with you for even longer and I have never seen you show any attention to boys until this year."
"Because, most of the boys here want me because they think I'll be a great possession for them. You know how disgusting they can be."
"I agree with that, but we're not talking about just any boy. I have a particular boy in mind."
"Please can we not talk about Harry again," Daphne pleaded.
"Why not? What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing… but"
"Exactly," Tracey said, cutting her off. "There's nothing wrong with him. He's intelligent, powerful, is so nice and Merlin knows he's handsome," Tracey swooned.
"Jeez, why don't you go take him to the ball then."
"If you don't get moving on, I just might," Tracey joked.
"Anyway, this is all hypothetical. You don't even know that he would ask me? And who say's I'll say yes?"
"Hmm… let me think about that," Tracey said dramatically rubbing her chin. "Didn't you go running off to find him directly after the first task finished?"
"Hey… wait a second-"
Tracey, wasn't finished yet, "Didn't you also try and find out where he had been sneaking off to and then ask him to train with you?"
"That was different," Daphne retorted.
"Maybe… but think to yourself. If you had seen a different boy in the library that day, would you have followed him?"
So, there she was, with the boy in question now. Tracey's questions ran through her head constantly, yet there was still something holding her back. Since the ball had been announced, she had been asked out a few times. Multiple older students in Slytherin had made attempts to ask her, stating that it would be an honour for her to attend it with them. She had declined all, even having to hex the last one who came way too close when asking her.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Harry said, taking a seat, knocking her out of her reverie.
Taking the seat opposite to him, she opened her book. "Ok, so I thought we'd start with politics." At Harry's scrunched up face of disgust, she continued. "Look, you wanted to learn more about the Wizarding world, and politics is very important in it."
"Fine," Harry conceded. "So, what are we doing today?"
"I thought we'd start with the Wizengamot. Do you know anything about it?" she inquired.
"Doesn't it pass laws?"
"In essence yes, but it has more functions than it. I'll just give you a brief history of it, so I don't bore you too much. From what this book tells me, the first recorded Wizengamot trial was in 1544, but more basic versions had been going on for centuries before. Now, the Wizengamot was founded by six of the oldest pureblood families of the time. However, the only known families were the Blacks and the Longbottom's" she answered.
"Neville's family?"
"Yes. Neville's ancestor was one of the founding members of the Wizengamot we know today. Now many other pureblood families have tried to make a claim in the creation of the Wizengamot. However, there has never been enough proof, and most families will not reveal their family tree to the public to give evidence to their claim."
"Why wouldn't they want to reveal that?"
"Because as much as these families want to boast that they are pure. Everyone's ancestors have married muggles, muggleborns or half-bloods. If they hadn't, we would have died centuries ago."
"That makes sense," Harry said in agreement.
"Now, that's all the history you really need to know about it. Now what do you know about the Sacred twenty-eight of them?"
"That there are twenty-eight of them," Harry joked.
"Pretty much. The sacred twenty-eight are the families that can trace their magical lineage past seven hundred years. They are known as the purest families out there. Some names that you'll know are the Blacks, Abbott, Malfoy, Crouch, Longbottom, Weasley's and even my family."
"I though you said the Potter's were one of the oldest families. How come we're not there?"
"I thought you'd ask that. Essentially, the Potters have always been muggle sympathisers, and many also believe that you have a very muggle name. Therefore, they drew the conclusion that your blood isn't very pure and had dodgy beginnings. But the reason I mentioned the sacred twenty-eight is because, due to their names, they automatically have a permanent seat and a vote on the Wizengamot. However, while the Weasley's are part of the sacred twenty-eight, they don't have a seat whereas the Potters do."
"Wait, how did that happen?" Harry asked, engrossed in the subject.
"Well from what this book tells me. In the seventeenth century, a Weasley was charged with conspiring with muggles and were stripped off their seat. The next family with the greatest claim to the seat was the Potter's and so your family gained the seat and the vote. That's why people like Malfoy often call the Weasley's blood traitors. Now there are other families that were part of the Sacred twenty-eight that died out like the Gaunt's or Fawley's. So, when this happens, the next pureblood family with the greatest claim gets the position. That's why the Bones family has a vote, because they replaced the Fawley family when they died out." Daphne replied.
"Wait, so how exactly does a family die out. I mean I know you have a sister as well. So, if you were to both get married, and take your husband's name, wouldn't the Greengrass family be finished."
"Not exactly. In that case, if Astoria and I were to take our husband's name, our first child would have the father's surname, and it's usually a tradition to give the second child my last name. So technically that's not dying out. However, some family names have died out in the past because there were no heirs or because they were incorporated into newer families that didn't allow them to keep their last name. That's the problem with purebloods. This constant intermingling between themselves mean that hundreds of families have died out."
"Yeah, that does makes sense… But one thing is bothering me. I'm assuming that later in my life, I will be able to take up the Potter seat in the Wizengamot." At Daphne's nod at his assessment, he continued. "But all these families you mentioned are purebloods, but I'm only a half-blood. Won't that cause a problem?"
Daphne laughed at that question. "Harry no matter what the purebloods keep harping about with blood purity, what really matters is wealth or power. No will challenge you because you have money, and your family has had a seat on it for generations. It's the same reason why no one challenges Dumbledore in his position as Chief Warlock. He may be a half-blood, but when you're that powerful, people seem to conveniently forget about your blood."
That makes sense. I'm sure some of his closest followers knew that Voldemort was a half-blood. But it didn't matter because he was so powerful. "So, doesn't that mean, that anyone with money could try and get themselves a seat?"
"In theory yes. However, all the people with the large amounts of money are purebloods, or descendants of pureblood families. I doubt you'll find wealthy muggleborns here, and even then, the prejudice against them would hold them back."
"Alright, I understand. So apart from the sacred twenty-eight, who holds votes?" Harry asked.
"Well, after the hereditary seats, there are around ninety more seats. These are people who have to be elected into these positions by the people. However, the problem with our current administration, is the corruption. Namely Lucius Malfoy. As long as he keeps lining Fudge's pocket with gold, the people who are elected are usually his supporters."
"Is that why all those acts against creatures such as werewolves have been passed?" Harry questioned.
"Precisely, which is why even though Professor Lupin was one of our best defence teachers ever, he was kicked out because it was leaked that he was a werewolf. Lucius Malfoy and his supporters are the reason why muggleborns still struggle in our world today," she said sadly. Continuing, she spoke, "Now, let's go onto the governing body of the Wizengamot. Like I mentioned, Dumbledore is the Chief Warlock. That means he governs the discussions and talks and must raise any proposals put forward."
"So, what does Fudge do at these things then?"
"Well technically, the Wizengamot doesn't come under the Minister's jurisdiction. It's handled by the DMLE, so Amelia Bones. The minister's job is more about the day to day running of the departments and international relations. However, Fudge can try and put forward any decrees he wants, and as Minister he gets two votes. He also judges over very high-profile trials, which is when the entire Wizengamot has to be present to vote, and that's pretty much it for the Wizengamot. Obviously, there's more intricacies, but I don't know enough about that. My father would be able to go into much greater depth."
"Well at least now I have a better understanding of it. I was completely clueless about it before."
"It's fine Harry. You've helped me so much, I'm glad to do this for you," she smiled.
She started packing up the books in her bag when she dropped a book, and he quickly went to pick it up, his hand fumbling with hers as she tried to do the same thing.
"Daphne would you be my date for the ball?" he blurted out. Once again, he had no idea what overcame him. Every time she came close to him, his mouth just didn't listen to his mind and operated on its own.
She looked at him, her face going through multiple emotions at once. "I'm sorry… but I can't."
Karkaroff appeared with a light pop outside the address that had been sent to him. He appeared in front of a huge manor. He walked through the garden; the area had definitely seen better days. The grass was yellow and sickly, growing in tufts around the house, contrasting to the dozens of overgrown bushes with no one to maintain them. He walked to the door, a small plaque on the side. Years of rust had turned it red, but the bold imposing letters 'RIDDLE' were still easy to read. He still wondered why his master had chosen to reside in a muggle's house, but every death eater's earliest lesson was to never question their master.
Moving up the stairs, he knocked on an old ornate looking door, before a voice welcomed him in.
"Wormtail get out," the voice rasped. The small rat-like man who had been tending to his master quickly scuttled out the room.
"My lord," Karkaroff said, getting down on his knees in the front of the throne and bowing.
"Get up," he commanded. "I don't have time for this, and you must get back quickly to avoid suspicion. You know why you're here, yes?"
"You wanted to hear about the task my lord, and how the Potter boy did it."
"Yes, I did not know if I could trust what was written in the Daily Prophet that Wormtail gave me."
"He came second my lord-"
"I don't care about that you blithering idiot," Voldemort said, swiping his small disfigured hand impatiently. "Is it true. Did he take the head off that beast?"
"Yes, my lord. I'm surprised he found such a spell in Hogwarts. Dumbledore doesn't strike me as a man who'd let his students be taught that."
"No, the old fool has an aversion to the dark arts. The Potter boy is training hard for this. If the spell destroyed the dragon, he is much more powerful than I expected," he replied. "You can take your leave Igor and remember not to fail me," he said, his red eyes gleaming in the dark.
Igor nodded, leaving Voldemort alone in the room. "He has become stronger Nagini," he told, the snake who had slithered up to his throne. "We must dispose him at all costs. Harry Potter will not live."
And there we go. Chapter 10 done. I'm really amazed by the response this has gotten. You guys are absolutely brilliant.
And don't worry, you'll see Daphne's reasons soon. Those of you who want them together are going to have to wait just a bit longer.
Thanks for everything. Please continue to keep reviewing and following the story. All your reviews have been truly helpful.