Broke 200 reviews! How cool is that?
Note:
The angels and demons bit is a wee bit after the fight against Voldemort. The world falling into anarchy will be something of a gradual process that occurs late during the war. So it's not exactly taking from the story, is it? Like I said, I'm setting it up. It's not gonna happen in this chapter, nor the ten chapters after this one. This is for much later. Though, perhaps I'll rethink the angel bit...
Also, some of you think that Harry forgave Hermione's "betrayal" way too easily. Well, first off, the level of betrayal was minor. Second off, she was looking out for his best interests; in her eyes, he was jeopardizing his future, and so she acted accordingly. Third off, it's been a full month since that event occurred. A month is a long time to hold a grudge over something so minor. Wouldn't you agree?
SInfuL: More like adventure/humor with a little of romance thrown in.
xp3r1a: I wasn't exactly bashing Ron, though. That's completely in character. I like Ron. About the fanfiction thing, my advice is utter shit. With that said, try for at least 4000 words per chapter. The best thing to do is to emulate human behavior as well as you can. If you want your character to have flip flopping personality changes in the span of 10 seconds then he/she has got to have a mental illness of some sort. Also, while you should have a basic idea of how the story's gonna go, it's not an issue if you're imagining it chapter by chapter. That's what I'm doing. When I sit down to write these things, I just let my mind wander and I write. If you want, I can check your story out, let you know what I think. :)
As always, thank you guys for the reviews. I seriously can't believe people like this. Hah.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
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Lightning Dragon's Roar
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
By Zero Rewind
© 2014
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"But you should know these colors that you're shining are
Surely not the best colors that you shine!" - Crossfade - Colors
Chapter 13: Longest Date Ever— First One, Too.
The next few days, Hermione was busy speaking with the various people she had sounded out previously, and convinced them to meet up at a shady pub called the Hog's Head to talk about learning Defense Against the Dark Arts through self study.
Admittedly, It was a better location than most, since no one actually goes there, preferring to head to The Three Broomsticks instead.
I sighed in great relief as the hot water ran over my sore body. It felt good to have a nice, relaxing shower after a glorious workout. This morning, I managed to shoot four lightning bolts instead of my usual three per hand. I was so stoked. Soon, I'd be able to shoot five bolts out of a single hand.
The lightning bolts themselves were not too well powered, but they can paralyze whatever they hit for a short while. In RPG terms, it's a Crowd Control skill, or CC for short. It would give me a lot of breathing room if I ever was outnumbered in a fight— and let's face it, with my track record, I'll never have the upper hand in a fight.
Or do I need to remind you of all the times I had the odds stacked against me? I've only survived due to lucky flukes that conveniently weakened the enemy— and even then, I would almost die every single time. It was pretty pathetic, come to think of it.
In any case, today was the day that meeting was supposed to happen. Oh, and my date with Daphne, too. The past few Potions classes had me filled with nervous anticipation. She would smile every time she looked at me; that was a good sign, right?
Or maybe she was going to rape me or hand me over to Voldemort, or both.
Nah, that can't be it. That's just my fucked up head coming up with increasingly strange situations. I wouldn't be raped though, because I'd probably enjoy it if she forced herself on me— however unlikely that event is.
After I told Sirius about it, he sent me a letter saying that I should just take her out to eat, and maybe a little shopping while I'm at it; he also said to treat her like I would treat a friend, except much nicer. Made sense.
Was it really that simple? I thought romantic stuff was supposed to be all flowery and lovey-dovey. Whatever, Sirius usually knows what he's talking about. Usually.
I took my time toweling myself off, before putting my clothes on— a pair of dark blue jeans, and a red t-shirt that said "Sometimes I pretend to be normal, but it gets boring. So I go back to being me."
I ended up choosing that, instead of the one saying "Life's too short, and so is your penis", figuring that would probably be sending the wrong message. I checked myself in the mirror for one last time. I'd let my perpetually wild hair grow longer over the summer, reaching my lower neck. Not needing glasses sure helped my appearance out a lot.
"You are one fine son of a bitch." I said to the mirror. My reflection smirked in response.
After a few more moments of making sure I looked all right, I left the dorms. I gave Hermione and Ron a nod, telling them I'd meet them at the Hog's Head Inn. Leaving the Gryffindor common room, I set out to the Great Hall at a brisk pace, wanting to make a decent impression. Being late would probably be detrimental to that effort.
Daphne was already there, waiting. She was staring at some students that were passing by. She was wearing a dark red blouse, and a black knee-length skirt. She was facing away from me, not yet aware of my presence.
I admired the view for a bit, before she finally noticed me. She smiled and waved me over.
"You're early." She started the conversation lightly.
"Really?" I laughed and scratched the back of my head. "I actually thought I was running a bit late. You look great, by the way."
"You're not so bad yourself, Potter." She gave me a once-over, her eyes stopping at my shirt.
She smirked in amusement at what she read.
"Nice shirt."
"Thanks!" I beamed at her; it was nice having my efforts at being funny appreciated. "Anything you want to do before we head out?"
"No." She smiled. "Let's go."
In almost no time at all, we found ourselves in one of the carriages leading us to Hogsmeade. We shared the carriage with a couple of excited Third Years. They chattered on endlessly about how they were going to get some prank material or something. I wasn't really paying attention to them, preferring to speak with Daphne instead.
"So, what's the plan, then?" She asked abruptly. Straight to the point. I liked that.
"Oh. Well..." I rubbed at my chin in thought. "I figured we could check out the stores, stock up on anything we need, and then get a bite to eat."
"Hmm..."
"Other than that, there's the meeting at the Hog's Head." I supplied. I wanted to make a dig at Hermione's constant nagging, but realized that would be an unwise move in this situation. Mentioning another girl while on a date was bad form, according to Sirius.
The rest of the trip was spent in a comfortable silence, though I did notice Daphne sneaking several glances at the thestrals pulling the carriage.
We got to the village a minute later. I got off the carriage, and held out my hand for the lady. She rolled her eyes at the cheesy gesture, but took my hand anyway, smiling mirthfully as she did so.
"You can see them too, can't you?" I asked as we tread on the path to the village.
"See what?" She sounded a little confused.
"Those thestrals back there." I clarified, feeling a little stupid for assuming she could read my mind.
"Oh." She looked down for a moment. "Yes. I've been able to see them for a long time."
"Oh." Ah, crap. She was probably thinking of whoever died in front of her. Damage control!
"I first saw them this year." I said with a rueful smile. "I actually thought they were some kind of evil undead abraxans."
"Undead... Abraxans?" Daphne repeated incredulously. The buildings got bigger as we got closer and closer to Hogsmeade Village.
"It was a valid assumption! They look all skeletal, so why not?" I whined petulantly.
"Undead abraxans... Really, Potter?" She chuckled, the ice broken between us once more. We stopped by Scrivenshaft's to stock up on some school supplies, before browsing around afterwards.
Daphne insisted on stopping by Zonko's— to my pleasant surprise.
"What're you thinking of getting?" I asked her curiously as we entered the shop.
"Something to use on Draco." She gave a savage smirk, before looking around at the various joke products.
"Huh?" Well, that was eloquent. "Why?"
"Well, partly because of you." She absentmindedly said as she looked over a few dungbombs. She nodded in satisfaction and headed to the clerk to ring up her purchase.
Once outside, I decided to ask.
"Because of me? What did I do?" I looked a little amused.
"Well," she began. "He didn't quite like the idea of you and I..." She trailed off with a hint of pink on her cheeks.
"Ahhh." I said in understanding. So the blonde ponce was jealous? Or, perhaps he thought this was the only way he could antagonize me. After my 'talk' with him, he seemed to avoid me like the plague. He probably assumed that this course of action was safe.
"In fact, he made it into a huge issue in the common room." Daphne smiled wryly. "Saying that I was betraying the House of Slytherin by consorting with 'the likes of that Potter'. He seemed a little scared of say your name, really."
"I'm not surprised."
"How so?"
"I might have threatened him at the start of the year." I admitted shamelessly. "Might have to reinforce that fear a bit later. If you need help, you'll let me know, right?"
She gave me a strange look.
"I can take care of myself." Daphne said, in a somewhat standoffish manner.
"I'm sure you can." I smiled evilly. "But I want part of the action, too. Don't hog all the fun!"
"I suppose that's only fair, Potter." She conceded, and lightly ran her hand over her stomach.
"What will it take for you to call me Harry?" I asked in amusement.
"What's wrong with calling you Potter?"
"Well, nothing, I suppose." I gave her a sheepish look. "I guess I feel like I'm about to get detention or something." I gave a nervous laugh.
"It's fine, though. I don't mind if you do it." I said a little shyly at the end, there. Daphne smiled at that.
"Come on." She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the Three Broomsticks.
Her grip was surprisingly strong.
I let myself get dragged along, enjoying the feeling of her hand against mine, before falling into step with her.
The Three Broomsticks Inn was as crowded as usual, but it had a welcoming, cozy feel to it. We were lucky enough to find a nice, slightly secluded spot by the fireplace. I spent a few moments watching the people milling around, drinking, eating, and generally having a good time.
Madam Rosmerta greeted us as she bustled over, skillfully dodging some Sixth Years who weren't watching where they were going.
"What can I get for you two?"
We both ended up ordering some steak, a butterbeer for Daphne, and a soda for me.
"So, what's your story?" I asked lightly as we were waiting.
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Daphne shifted in her seat, leaning back.
"That is to say," I floundered for a bit. "Tell me about yourself, Daphne."
"Not much to tell, is there?" She smiled pleasantly. "Both my parents are magic, so I knew that my sister and I— she's a few years below me— were probably going to attend Hogwarts. My big brother is off traveling the world, somewhere. Last I heard, he was somewhere in Tibet."
I filed that information for future references.
"Oh, what do your parents do?"
"My dad's in the Wizengamot. He voted for your acquittal, by the way." Daphne said before I could ask. "From what I could tell, your trial seemed to greatly amuse him, though it. I take it the Prophet's rendition of the events was accurate?"
"Oh, yeah." I smirked. "The idiots dug their own grave on that one."
Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but Madam Rosmerta bustled in with our orders. I gave her a polite thanks, mirrored by Daphne, and we began to dig in.
"Anyway," She continued after a few bites. "My mom works at St. Mungo's as a Healer."
"I've never been there, myself." I admitted, pouring some gravy on the side dish of baked potatoes. "What's it like?"
"Very busy place." Daphne grinned. "Most people come in with broken bones and bruises from accidents, and leave soon afterwards."
"You go there, often?" I guessed.
"When I was little, yes." She confirmed. "My mother would make me sit in her examination room and show me what she did for work. I've been learning the spells and potions for it, ever since I started at Hogwarts."
"W-Wow." I said. "You must be really good."
"Well, maybe at the spells." She said with a blush. "My potions aren't that great. Madam Pomfrey gave me a book about channeling magic into my potions to make them better—"
"I know that book!" I blurted out, before blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry."
"It's fine."
"So, Madam Pomfrey?" I prompted and sipped at my soda.
"Oh, yes." Daphne said happily. "My mother asked her for a favor. Madam Pomfrey's had me brewing potions for her, and practicing my spells on the other students."
"Even me?" I asked curiously. "I do end up there a lot."
"I've assisted in some of your recoveries." Daphne said vaguely, giving a mysterious smile. I felt oddly satisfied at that. A little creeped out, but satisfied nonetheless.
We spent the next few minutes finishing our meals in silence, before packing up, and paying Rosmerta. Daphne was going to pay for her share, but I insisted on doing it myself, seeing as I was taking her out, and not the other way around. She relented without much of a fight; hey, if someone insisted on paying for me, I'd be all for it, too!
We went on the beaten path leading up to the Hog's Head.
"This place looks terrible." She commented with a grimace as we entered the place. The pub was much smaller than The Three Broomsticks, and was dingy, dark and dirty; it also smelled like goats. The windows were grimy, giving the place an abandoned look. The pub's occupants looked even worse than the place itself.
"Tell me about it." I agreed, a look of distaste on my face. "Why is this place so badly kept? I thought household spells were easy."
I ignored the creepy duo chatting by the grimy window, and headed straight to Ron and Hermione, who looked to be somewhat nauseated at their surroundings. Hermione's eyes found mine, and then Daphne's. Hermione gave a look of pleasant surprise, but beckoned us over. Ron was one step away from gaping.
"Are you regretting the decision to come here?" I sat down next to the duo, with Daphne following suit.
"A little." Hermione admitted sheepishly, before giving Daphne a glance. "Care to introduce us?"
"Oh, right. Sorry." I apologized sheepishly. "Guys, meet Daphne. She's in our year."
"A Slytherin?" Ron said out loud, showing some disdain.
"Yes, Ron." I smirked. "I asked her out on a date. It's been going wonderfully so far." I gave Daphne a smile. "At least, I think it is."
"You might be right." She said with a sly smile. "Though our current whereabouts are quite... dubious."
"It was the best place I could think of!" Hermione argued. "No other student or teacher would willingly come here."
"Fair point. It's nice to meet you both, by the way." Daphne acknowledged, before the door to the bar opened, revealing a literal deluge of students. The barman gaped at the amount, probably having never seen that amount of customers in one go.
Let's see what we got here... Neville, Dean, Seamus (who looked a bit unsure), Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Cho Chang (who was alternating between leering at me and glaring at Daphne?) with one of her giggly bitches. Oh, there's that blonde Ravenclaw spaz who was reading a magazine upside down; what was her name again? Luna, I think. She's cool.
Who else? Sally-Anne Perks, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson (I was still a little angry at her, but I'd gotten over the Quidditch thing over the past month), Fred, George and Lee (of course), Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan (I remember him loudly stating the fact that he believed me a few weeks back), Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, a bunch of Hufflepuffs I couldn't name off the top of my head, three Ravenclaw boys, Ginny, and even a few Slytherins! I recognized Tracey Davis and Adrian Pucey among them, and a little girl resembling Daphne (probably her little sister).
"Hey, Harry." Neville beamed at me. I waved him over, as everyone ordered drinks— though why they would want to touch those filthy bottles was beyond me.
As everyone got settled in, they looked at me to begin. I smirked and pointed to Hermione. They all shifted their attention on her.
"Well..." Hermione began. "You know why we're here. I've had the idea that it might be good if we formed a group to study Defense Against the Dark Arts— proper Defense Against the Dark Arts, and not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us."
"Hear, hear." Anthony Goldstein— that's the name!— said. Hermione looked a little more confident after that.
"Well, I thought it would be good if we took... matters in our own hands."
She's terrible at public speaking, isn't she?
Hermione gave me a sideways glance. "By that, I mean more than just the theory, but the actual spells as well."
"For the Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL, no doubt?" A guy who was being cozy with Ginny said. Everyone shared an appreciative laugh at the friendly dig.
"Not just that." Hermione hesitated for a moment, before speaking. "But also because... Lord Voldemort's back."
Most of them winced, or shuddered at the name. The previously giggly bitch who was accompanying Cho shrieked. Really? I still don't understand how the children who've never experienced the war could react this way. The indoctrination must have been very deep.
There was an awkward silence, before Hermione continued.
"Well, that's the plan anyway." Hermione spoke. "If you want to join us, we need to decide—"
"Where's the proof?" One of the Hufflepuffs said aggressively. He was in the Hufflepuff Quidditch team if I remember right.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it—"
"You mean, Dumbledore believes him." The blond said, nodding in my direction.
"And you are?" I spoke up. I should've seen this one coming. Hermione got tricked, eh?
"Zacharias Smith." The blond boy said. "And I think we've got the right to know exactly what happened."
"Is that so?" I asked, gaining everyone's rapt attention. "And why should I tell you what happened? Dumbledore already told everyone what happened during Cedric's memorial."
"No he didn't." Smith waved dismissively. "All he said that Diggory was killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought his body back. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how—"
"What? Exactly how, what?" I challenged. "Exactly how he was killed? Why, you looking to kill people or something, you sick fuck?"
Everyone was now looking at a now mortified Smith.
"N-No!" He denied, paling in fear from the gazes he was getting. "That's not what I want to know!"
"Look, man." I said, highly irritated. "I don't particularly care if you don't believe me. You know why?"
A few moments of silence passed, before Smith realized I was talking to him.
"No... Why?"
"Because soon, it'll be declared that I was right all along, and you all will feel horrible about not believing me in the first place." I answered with an uncaring wave of my hand.
I motioned towards Justin Finch-Fletchley.
"Remember how you thought I was the evil Heir of Slytherin?" I said to Justin, who put his head down in shame. "Remember how I turned out to be innocent? Same situation, really."
"For what it's worth, Harry." The boy in question said. "I believe you, this time."
"Thanks, I appreciate that." I said amiably, before turning to Zacharias Smith and the rest. "Anyway, we're here to form a study group for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Hermione convinced me to teach you all how to fight." I said simply. "I don't care what your reasoning for joining this group is. Whether it's to pass your OWLs, impress that hot chick or guy you know—" I got some snorts for that. "—or to help in the fight against the snake bastard who calls himself Voldemort—" cue winces. "—it doesn't matter. Just know that what I can teach you will make the difference between being life and death. It will decide if you're bravely fighting alongside the good guys, or if you're just shitting yourself while hiding." I bit out harshly at the end.
"What makes you fit to teach us?" Ernie Macmillan asked, nodding politely at me.
"Well—"
"Is it true you can conjure a Patronus?" One of the Hufflepuff girls asked. Well, more like blurted out.
"Yeah."
"A corporeal Patronus?" She continued excitedly.
"...Corporeal?" I looked confused for a moment. "That means solid, right? Then yeah."
"Blimey, Harry!" Lee exclaimed, looking impressed. "I never knew that."
"It's no big deal, I learned it in my Third Year." I answered dismissively.
"Not a big deal, he says." Fred quipped.
"Yeah, right." George snorted. "And Firebolts are cheap."
"Well, yeah. I've done way better things, though." I said, thinking about my Lightning Dragon Slayer magic.
"Like that basilisk you killed with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" A boy I recognized as Terry Boot asked.
"How the hell did you know about that?" I asked, a little surprised.
"That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was there last year..." Terry answered.
I wondered what it was the Ravenclaw boy could've done to end up in Dumbledore's office, but shook off these curious thoughts in order to answer.
"Yeah, I did that." I confirmed, starting another round of whistles and awe-filled stares.
"And in our first year." Neville interjected. "He saved that Philosopher's Stone from You-Know-Who."
"Not to mention that dragon last year." Someone piped up.
"Right. As much as I'd like you guys to endlessly talk about how great I am," I got sheepish looks. "I think the question of whether I'm qualified or not is answered. Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"I'll let you guys figure out when and where to meet, and all that crock." I stood up, and turned to Daphne. "You coming, Daphne? I think we can still squeeze in a nice walk."
"I'd like that." Daphne said, before we left together, garnering a few curious and jealous gazes from the students. Daphne's sister was looking at us a little bit too intently.
Once outside, I shivered a little. It was getting a bit chilly. I felt a little cheesy doing it, but I offered my arm to Daphne. She latched onto it with a smile, enjoying the heat off of my body. I blushed, feeling like I was way out of my element here.
We walked in pleasant silence, admiring our surroundings, as well as each other.
"Do you really think we stand a chance against him?" I heard her ask.
"Against Voldemort in person? Probably not anytime soon." I said honestly, feeling her tense. "You'll definitely beat his underlings, though."
"What about you? What will you be doing?" She pressed, looking a little worried at the dark look on my face.
I sighed tiredly.
"Let's not worry about that, yeah?" I gave her a forced smile. She stared at me for a few moments, before nodding.
"Sorry. It's not my place. I shouldn't have—"
"It's all right." I waved her off. There was nothing wrong with being curious, after all.
"Did you have fun, today?" I asked, changing the subject.
She gave me a haughty look. "It could've been worse."
"Any hints on how to make it better?"
"Hmm..." Daphne tightened her grip on my arm and moved even closer to me, giving me a peck on the cheek. "You seem to be doing just fine right now, Potter." She purred out my name.
She rolled her eyes at the slightly dazed grin on my face, as we walked back to the carriages leading us back to Hogwarts Castle.
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Done! Pretty calm interlude. I hope you don't cringe at the corniness of the date, heh.