Hey, everyone! Mystery Critic here, back at you with Chapter 34 of Ma Fleur! A few things before we get started. First of all, I am so sorry for not having another chapter out sooner. I have been struggling with a massive amount of writer's block and a complete lack of muse due to the pandemic. On that note, I hope everyone is staying safe and washing their hands. Let's all do what we can to lessen the spread. I also must apologize for the enormous author's note this chapter, there's a lot of news. Onto a happier note, there is going to be another beta with the team from here on out! They are not going to be replacing mineng, but will help pick up some of the earlier and later chapters when he can't. Everyone, say hello to the new member of the Ma Fleur writing team!
Hello, all~ I'm Eun! A little bit about myself? I'm a Hufflepuff with an intense desire to work with dragons^^ I first read Harry Potter in middle school behind my parents' back and possibly broke even more rules in order to see the movies, but every risk of wrath was worth it! I've been reading and writing for... oop, over half my life, at this point. You can find me in many different fandoms but mostly science fiction and fantasy! Nice to meet you~
On to the amazing parts, we hit two amazing milestones! Not only have we hit 750,000 views, WE HIT 3,000 FOLLOWERS! Thank you so much to everyone who is supporting this story. When I first started writing it, I never thought I would get to 300, let alone 3,000! But we made it! Let's hit that million view and 3,000 favorite next, shall we? I'd like to thank you all for bearing with me while I find my drive to write again, and I want you all to hang in there. Just… Don't antagonize the murder hornets, okay?
One last thing before the disclaimer. I would like to wish a very happy birthday to the girlfriend of LordProtectorCorvoAttano! Your significant other came to me and asked me if I could get the chapter done by today, so here it is! Have a very happy birthday, and this chapter was finished this soon for you! If anyone would like the same, feel free to send me a message. With that out of the way, I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the rights affiliated with it. Anywho, sit back, relax, and enjoy chapter thirty-four!
Chapter 34
Italics – French
"Hermione, can you hear me?" Harry asks, lightly tapping his best friend on the cheek. "Yoo hoo, sleepyhead?" Grinning evilly, he turns to Morgana. "Oh, Dark Mistress!" he exclaims dramatically, receiving a roll of her eyes in return. "Please use your dark and sinister powers to wake her up!"
"Just splash some water on her, you silly boy," she says mirthfully. "It's not that hard."
"A brilliant idea, Mistress!" he exclaims, waving his hand, water pouring into existence onto Hermione. Spluttering as the water crashes against her unconscious face, Hermione sits up quickly with wide eyes. "Morning, Sleeping Beauty!"
"Harry James Potter, why am I soaking wet?!" she shrieks, panting heavily as the temperature of the water brings her fully awake. "It is absolutely freezing!"
"Well, I had to wake you up somehow, didn't I?"
"You couldn't just use an Ennervate?!"
"Huh, didn't think about that," he says with a shrug. "I'll have to remember it for next time. You're the best, Hermione!"
"You're going to be the death of me one day, Harry," she grumbles, pulling out her wand and casting a Drying Charm on herself.
"Nah, thats not true," he says, waving her off. "Now, have fun with Morgana. Merlin and I are going to get some training done."
As the two powerful wizards walk away from the pair of witches, they hear Hermione begin to launch a questions at the speed of light at the Lady of Darkness. Morgana simply smirks and waits patiently for the young girl to run out of breath.
"Is Morgana going to be okay?" Harry asks nervously, glancing back at them. "Hermione can be… Tenacious."
"Oh, she'll be fine!" Merlin says dismissively. "You would not believe how much of an annoying chatterbox Arthur was. Your young friend has nothing on his nonstop babbling."
"So what you're saying is…" Harry says, grinning up evilly at Merlin. "Hermione IS annoying. HERMIONE! MERLIN SAYS YOU'RE ANNOYING!"
"HE SAID IT FIRST!" Merlin shouts in turn.
"Don't make me hurt you!" Hermione and Morgana say at the same time before turning to each other, blinking owlishly, and bursting into laughter.
"Am I ever going to understand women?" Harry asks.
"I'll let you in on an age-old secret, my young apprentice," Merlin says, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder. "The secret to understanding women."
"What is it, Merlin?" Harry asks, eager to learn about how to understand the fairer sex.
"Women are all insane."
"...that's it?"
"Pretty much," he says with a shrug and a smile. "You can't understand women at all, that's the secret. You're just going to get hurt trying."
"We're going to lose, aren't we?"
"Every time, dear friend," Merlin says with a chuckle, leading Harry away. "Every single time."
~Fleur~
"Are you ready to get your butt handed to you, Harry?" Merlin asks, smiling at Harry as he nervously stands in front of the Greek demigod.
"Merlin, I know we gotta push me from time to time, but..." Harry says nervously, visibly sweating.
"Yes?" Merlin asks with a smirk.
"FUCKING HERCULES, MERLIN?!" he practically shrieks, gesturing to the muscular deity who chuckles in return.
"No, you won't be," Merlin jokes. "However, I doubt he'd be opposed to it. He is an ancient Greek deity, after all."
"Hey! I don't swing that way!" Harry snaps.
"He's a bit young for me, Merlin," Hercules chuckles.
"What?" Harry asks.
"Everyone was gay back then, young sorcerer," Hercules says with a scoff, rolling his eyes.
"Hmm, good to know," Harry says, storing that information away for later.
"Well, shall we?" the demigod exclaims, charging forward.
"Oh, Zeus' cock..." Harry mutters, jumping back away from the blow that nearly connected with his jaw.
"Please refrain from talking about my father's genitals while I decimate you," Hercules requests, slamming his fist down into the ground just after Harry dodges again, a large crater forming where the young wizard was moments prior. Charging forward, Hercules swings again, causing Harry to duck under the right hook. When he ducks under Hercules' attack, he doesn't see the other fist flying towards him. Cursing himself internally, he raises his arms up to block the blow and is sent backwards, his feet skidding along the ground before he slides to a stop and lowers his arms.
Looking down, he sees his arms trembling from the force of the blow delivered by the demigod. 'These aren't kid gloves,' Harry thinks, looking at Hercules who's holding a fighting stance and waiting for Harry to return the favor. 'Right, then. I guess I better take this as serious as I can.' Standing up straight, Harry takes several deep breaths as crimson magic begins manifesting around him. Swirling up around his body, wind starts to blow, swirling wildly as his magic coalesces around the young wizard.
Opening his eyes, the energy explodes around him, violently raging as he sets his eyes on Hercules. Holding his hand out to his side, a circle appears on the ground below his hand. Traveling vertically, a staff materializes as the circle travels into the air. As the staff finishes materializing, Harry grabs it and disappears at the same time. His eyes widening, Hercules turns around and swings, expecting Harry to appear behind him. To his surprise, Harry doesn't appear and the staff slams into him from behind, causing him to roll forward a few feet. Shooting to his feet, Hercules moves to adopt a defensive stance, only to have the staff slam into his jaw from the side before he can even register what's happening.
"interesting, young mage!" Hercules says excitedly after standing back up. "You can't overcome my strength, so you resort to speed! Quite a smart strategy! I guess I better stop treating you with the kid gloves!"
Dashing forward, Harry swings his staff towards Hercules' head, only to have it caught just before impacting him. "Wait, what?!" Harry exclaims just before Hercules swings him over his head by the staff and into the ground. Hard.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieks in fear, causing Hercules to turn towards the sound of the young voice in terror. Seizing his opportunity, Harry slams the butt of the staff straight up in between Hercules' legs. As he squeals in pain and shock, Harry disappears and reappears behind the demigod in an instant and swings the staff into the side of the demigod's head as fast as he can. He pours all his magic and energy into the blow, sending the deity flying away towards the mountain range and slamming into the mountain with an explosive impact.
"Take that..." Harry pants, dropping to his knees. "You enormous, muscle-bound dickhead..."
Harry drops onto his back, panting heavily in exhaustion, having used up almost all of his energy. Rushing over to him, Hermione kneels next to him in shock, tears running down her face as she sees him bruised and bleeding.
"Harry, are you okay?!" she shrieks in terror. He raises a thumb weakly with a small smile before Hercules walks over. Holding out his thumb, he shows Harry a blotch of red on it with a beaming smile. Pointing his thumb towards a smear on the corner of his mouth, he erupts into laughter.
"That's was one of the best fights I've had since defeating the Nemean Lion, Harry!" he exclaims in joy. "You're the first one to make me bleed in centuries! You have my respect, and I can't wait to fight you again when you get stronger!"
"I think that's enough for today, don't you?" Merlin asks, a proud smile adorning his face as he looks at his apprentice.
"I agree completely, Master Merlin," Hercules says. "Harry did amazingly, and he deserves a long rest, like any warrior after a victory."
"What victory?" Harry sasses as he coughs up a bit of blood. "I had to expel nearly all my magic for that last blow, and it barely did anything to you."
"What do you mean anything, Harry?" Hermione exclaims, gesturing to the Greek demigod. "You made Hercules, THE HERCULES, actually bleed! If that's not a victory, I don't know what is!"
"Rendering him unconscious?" Harry asks, receiving a smack from Hermione. "Oww..."
"Harry, your young friend is correct," Hercules says.
"Wow, someone's confident in his abilities," Harry jokes.
"I am Hercules, Harry," he responds with a smirk. "However, that's not what I mean. In friendly spars, training sessions, and fun wrestling, victory is by first blood. No matter how small the drop is, in my culture, first blood is victory."
"So… I actually won?" Harry asks in disbelief.
"According to the rules of my people, without question," he answers, holding his hand out to Harry to help him up. "You beat me. Congratulations, Harry."
"Wow," Harry says simply. Nearly falling over as he coughs up blood again, Hermione and Hercules catch him by his shoulders.
"Come, let's get you back to Morgana," Merlin says, transporting them all back to the castle and into Morgana's infirmary.
"Battling Hercules," she mutters as she waves her hands over Harry. "I should castrate you for that, you old codger."
"You love me too much."
"Don't push it," she warns, pointing at him. He holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
"You know you're in trouble, right Harry?" Hermione asks, wiping away a few tears.
"Why?!" he exclaims. "I'm going to be fine in a few minutes!"
"Oh, not with me," she says with a smirk.
"Oh, no. Hermione, please don't," he pleads, clasping his hands together. "I'm begging you."
"I'm telling Fleur," she teases in a sing-song voice.
"Die well, young Harry!" Hercules exclaims. "I may be strength personified, but even I know not to incur a woman's wrath."
"I'm so dead..." he mutters.
~Fleur~
"'ARRY JAMES POTTER!" Fleur shrieks upon entering the Great Hall. "You get your cute butt over 'ere right now so I can burn it off!"
"She thinks my butt is cute?" Harry asks Katie.
"Well, it is," Katie answers with a shrug and a smile. "You should probably run now."
Not needing to be told twice, Harry jumps out of his seat and runs to the staff table in hopes of refuge. "Professors, protect me from the angry beautiful woman!" Harry practically begs, feigning fear. "She's gonna burn my cute butt off!"
"What did you do this time, Potter?" Snape drawls, rolling his eyes with a smirk.
"Nothing!" he says a little too quickly. "Except, I maybe, kinda, sorta fought Hercules and nearly killed myself by draining my magic to defeat him..."
"He's over here, Miss Delacour!" Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore say at the same time, pointing behind Snape.
"Traitors, the lot of you!" He cries indignantly, placing the back of his hand on his forehead dramatically.
""Arry." Fleur says coldly, motioning for him to walk over to her. "Come. 'Ere. Now."
"Fleur, I know you're mad, but-" Harry begins, only to be interrupted by Fleur wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug.
"You're such an idiot..." Muttering into his shoulder, she sniffles as tears run down her cheeks.
"Fleur, why are you crying?" he asks, hugging her back.
"Because you are an idiot!" she practically sobs. "What in ze world were you zinking when you agreed to spar wiz 'Ercules, of all people?!"
"Fleur, I-"
"Non!" She cuts him off, glaring at him. "I don't care what you 'ave to say!"
"Do you really think Merlin would have let anything happen to me, Fleur?" he asks, placing his hands on her cheeks and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "What would be the point in training me if I died? I have full confidence in him, and he wouldn't throw anything at me that I wasn't ready to handle."
"And zat's supposed to make me feel better?" she snaps. "What if 'e was wrong? What if 'e overestimated your abilities? Contrary to what you English wizards believe, ze man was not all-knowing! 'Istory 'as shown 'e 'as made plenty of mistakes!"
"I… You're right, Fleur," Harry says, sighing in defeat. "I'm sorry. It was really stupid and I shouldn't have used anywhere near the amount of magic I did. It was dangerous and idiotic, I have no excuse. I just wanted to beat him."
"Zat's your problem, 'Arry!" Harry flinches at the tone of her voice.
"Miss Delacour is right, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore says, walking forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with accepting defeat rather than hurt yourself. If you strive for nothing but victory, you will lose yourself. What is the point in achieving the win if you lose your life?"
"I'm sorry..." he whispers.
"You really upset me, 'Arry," Fleur says.
"I'm sorry, Fleur," he says, keeping his head lowered.
"Look at me, 'Arry," When he doesn't move, she curls her finger under his chin and lifts his face up to meet hers. "Never lower your head to me, 'Arry. Own your mistakes, do not let zem keep you down. I am very upset, but I still love you and zat will never change. Do not worry, I won't be leaving."
Saying nothing, he wraps his arms around her tightly and pulls her in closely. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot, Fleur," he mutters into her shoulder.
"I forgive you, but you'll have to make it up to me," she whispers in his ear.
"Anything you want, Fleur," he agrees, smiling at her and wiping away the remaining tears on her face. "I promise."
Smiling softly, she turns around and walks out of the Hall. Sighing, Harry turns around and walks back towards the table, sitting down next to Katie. She places her elbow on the table and leans her chin on her palm before rubbing his back with her free hand.
"First fight, Harry?" Nodding silently, Harry pushes his food around with his fork, his appetite gone. "Yeah, the first one is always the worst. Welcome to the magical world of relationships, Harry. Gotta take the good with the bad, I'm afraid."
"I should probably tone it down with Merlin for a while, huh?"
"Probably a good idea," she agrees, patting his back.
"You could try working out a plan of whatever you're going to be doing with Merlin for the week and showing to Fleur beforehand." Hermione suggests.
"Hey, yeah!" Harry says, perking up a bit. "That's a great idea, Hermione! You're a genius!"
"You say that like you're surprised," she says in a deadpan, raising an eyebrow.
"Shut up," he counters before standing up to rush out of the Great Hall, only to have Katie pull him back down.
"A little advice about women, Harry," she says, patting his shoulder. "When we leave after a fight, it means leave us alone for a little while. We need time to calm down so we don't kill you stupid boys."
"Oh, yeah..." he says a little bit dejected. "That makes sense. Any other advice?"
"Yep, it's always your fault, even when it's not."
"That makes absolutely zero sense whatsoever." he mutters.
"Doesn't matter if it does," Hermione says, cutting in without looking up. "We could have been having a great day, and slap you out of nowhere. It's your fault."
"Even if I didn't do anything?"
"Oh, you did something," she says, taking a sip of tea. "We wouldn't slap you for no reason, after all."
"Even if it's fun," Katie adds.
"Even if it's fun," Hermione echoes.
"Harry, even I know that," Neville chimes in. "Gran taught me the only words you need to know in a relationship are 'yes, dear' and 'sorry, dear.'"
"Very good, Neville!" Hermione says, patting him on the head jokingly.
"So, should I let her come to me, or should I try to talk to her again before bed?" Harry asks.
"That's up to you to determine," Hermione answers. "If you don't know, I can't tell you."
Sighing in defeat, Harry nods his acceptance before muttering goodbyes to everyone and Shimmering out of the Great Hall down to the edge of the Black Lake. Sitting down on the snow, he looks out at the lake and thinks on how to make it up to Fleur.
Oblivious to Harry, several hours pass before he hears the crunching of snow behind him. On instinct, he turns around and whips his wand out, a spell already glowing on the tip. "Peace, Potter," Snape says, raising his hands in surrender.
"Professor Snape," Harry says in surprise, lowering his wand. "I apologize, sir. I didn't know it was you."
"It's alright, Harry," he says, lowering his hands. "I should have made my presence known."
"What are you doing here, Sev?" he asks, unknowingly using the nickname for him his mother came up. Getting no response from the shell-shocked potions master, Harry raises an eyebrow in concern. "Severus, are you alright?"
"I haven't been called that since your mother and I were friends..." he whispers, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around Harry. "Thank you, Harry. You gave me back another piece of your mother tonight."
Hugging the professor back awkwardly, he clears his throat after a moment. "Uh, Sev?" Harry says in embarrassment. "This is really awkward. I know we're friends and all, but..."
"My apologies, Harry," Clearing his throat, he steps back abashedly. "I forgot myself, I apologize."
"It's fine," He waves the apology off.
"This never happened, are we clear?" Snape says threateningly, his finger in Harry's face.
"What never happened?" Harry asks, cocking his head to the side in mock confusion.
"Very good," he smirks, straightening out his robes. "Anyway, I've come to bring you back to the castle. It's after curfew."
"Oh, sorry," Harry says, looking back at the lake. "I lost track of time."
"Obviously," Snape snorts, rolling his eyes before lightly shoving Harry. "Come on, Potter."
"Sure, Professor," he says, shoving him back. They walk back to the castle in content silence before the two bid each other goodnight upon reaching the Entrance Hall. "Goodnight, Professor Snape."
"Goodnight, Potter," he says, turning around and walking away. After a few steps, he stops. "Oh, and before I forget. Ten points from Gryffindor for being out of bounds after hours."
"Five professor points from you for being a git," Harry says, earning a fake look of shock from the professor. "However, take fifteen professor points for coming to get me."
"You're ridiculous, Mr. Potter," Shaking his head in amusement, Snape walks away in the opposite direction. Walking to the door of his apartment, Harry gives the password before stepping in.
"Fleur, are you up?" Not getting a response, he walks into their bedroom quietly to see her sound asleep on their bed. Smiling fondly, he walks over quietly and tucks her in fully before kissing her softly on her forehead, eliciting a small sigh of happiness from her. Walking back out of the bedroom, he walks into one of the guest bedrooms and lies down in the bed, falling asleep the moment his head hits the pillow.
~Fleur~
Waking up to the smell of freshly baked croissants, Fleur rubs her eyes as Harry walks in with a tray of food and a smile on his face. "Harry?" she asks sleepily.
"Good morning, Fleur," Harry says, placing the tray on her lap over the covers. "I hope you slept well. I made you breakfast."
"Thank you, Harry," she says with a smile. "It looks delicious."
"I know you said you forgave me already, but I still had to make it up to you, didn't I?"
"It's a decent start," she jokes, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you very much, Harry."
"I have to get to class, so I'll see you at lunch, okay?" he says, kissing her softly. "Enjoy your breakfast, and I'll take care of the dishes when I get back."
"He's housebroken, too?" Fleur quips, fanning herself in faux excitement. "Oh, my. I certainly won the lottery with you."
"Don't you forget it, babe!" he shoots back, walking out the door with a wink.
"Men." Fleur says simply, shaking her head with a smile.
Walking down the hall towards Transfiguration, Harry smiles brightly with almost a skip in his step. Ignoring the odd glances from the students at how cheery he is, he spots a head of long blonde hair before walking up next to the person and looking at the painting on the wall. The painting depicts a man trying to teach a group of trolls how to dance, only for them to nearly step on him repeatedly.
"Hello, Harry Potter," Luna says dreamily.
"Greetings, Luna Lovegood," he answers in kind, a bright smile on his face. "How are you today?"
"I'm fairly well, thank you for asking," she replies before gesturing towards the painting. "Why do you think he keeps trying to teach the trolls when they're unable to dance."
"I think it's less about the end goal and more about the journey," he explains, causing her to look at him curiously. "Think of it this way. Even if they never learn how to dance, they're all having fun. He's with those that enjoy his company, and vice versa. They could be right awful at dancing forever, and I doubt he'd care. He just enjoys spending time with his friends."
"Yes, I suppose that makes sense," Luna nods, tapping her chin in thought. "Do you feel that way about your friends?"
"Of course," He says, grinning madly. "What's the point in having friends if you don't enjoy your time with them?"
"It must be nice having friends," she mutters absentmindedly.
"I'll be your friend if you like, Luna," he says, holding a hand out to her. Staring at his outstretched hand for a few moments, she looks back at him to see his smile not changing as he waits patiently.
"Why would you want to be my friend?" she asks, cocking her head to the side.
"I've heard the stories of 'Looney Lovegood' from other Claws, and I've always thought they were dragon shite," he explains with a shrug. "Anyone who's talked about that much means they're jealous about the amazing creatures you can see. I'm always having interesting conversations with people, and those Wackspots sound amazing."
"Wrackspurts, Harry," she corrects him, a small smile adorning her face. "They're called wrackspurts. They're invisible creatures that float in your ears and make your brain go fuzzy."
"Really?" He ponders for a moment before smiling. "Sounds like a great way to build up mental defenses!"
"They were actually used hundreds of years ago for that exact purpose," she says, brightening a bit before taking his hand and shaking it. "Friends, Harry Potter?"
"Friends, Luna Lovegood," he says, his grin brightening. "I have to get to class, I'll see you later!"
"Until then, Harry Potter!" she calls after him, a wide grin on her face. Turning away to look back at the painting, she hears a voice from behind her.
"Hey, Looney! We have a few things to say to you!"
~Fleur~
Walking into the Transfiguration classroom, Harry's ears are assaulted by the "dulcet" tones of the Ferret of the Slytherins. "Trouble in paradise, Potter?" Ignoring Malfoy, Harry sits in his usual seat next to Hermione.
"Good morning, Hermione!" Harry exclaims cheerily. "Isn't it a beautiful morning?"
"Indeed it is, Harry," she answers hesitantly, raising an eyebrow at his exuberant mood. "Harry, are you alright?"
"I'm great, Hermione," he answers, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Well… It seems like you just ran face-first into a cheering charm," she says with a chuckle. "Made of bricks."
"Oi, Potter!" Malfoy called out. "I'm talking to you!"
"Oh, I just made up with Fleur a little bit and made a new friend!" he explains.
"Oh! That's great to hear, Harry," she says, giving him a small hug. "I'm happy to hear that."
"Thanks, Hermione."
"Potter, I will not be ignored!" Malfoy snaps.
"You already are," Harry says, not even turning towards Malfoy.
"Maybe I should see if that Veela of yours will ignore me," he taunts, oblivious to the temperature in the room starting to increase rapidly.
"Harry, stay calm," Hermione says, placing a hand on his shoulder. "He's just trying to get a rise out of you. Professor McGonagall will be here any second. Stay calm."
"She's rather attractive, for a creature," he says to Crabbe, not looking at McGonagall picking the perfect time to walk in.
"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall snaps, ready to reprimand him when she notices that he's no longer sitting in his seat. "Mr. Potter, where did he go?"
"I don't know, Professor, but I know he's not hurt. Unfortunately..." Harry says honestly, muttering the last word under his breath. Taking a few deep breaths, he calms down before he begins grinning madly. "But since he's not here, wouldn't that make him tardy?"
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter," she says, barely containing her smirk. "If he's unharmed, no further points will be taken and no detentions will be assigned. For now, we will continue with your porcupines." Waving her wand, the cupboards to the side open up. "Everyone, grab your bark and your porcupines. Today, we will attempt the transfiguration for the first time."
Rushing over, Harry grabs his small bin of bark and his cage before bringing it back over to the table. Opening the cage, he smiles brightly as the porcupine inside walks out and takes a piece of bark from his hand.
"Lady Stabbington, I'm so happy to see you again!" he exclaims, scratching the porcupine gently under the chin.
"Harry, it's literally been a week since you've seen her," Hermione deadpans, sighing in exasperation.
"Yeah, but it feels like two weeks!" he argues with a faux whine. "Besides, look how much she missed me!"
"She only loves you for your bark, Harry," she responds with a roll of her eyes.
"How dare you?!" Harry declares in mock outrage. "Her Royal Sharpness, Lady Stabbington the Twenty-Sixth would never love me for just bark! She is a lady, and would never lower herself to that standard!"
"That reminds me, Mr. Potter," McGonagall interrupts his rant. "What happened to the twenty-five previous members of her family before her in line for the throne?"
"Political assassination," he answers simply, causing McGonagall to audibly burst out in a single shriek of laughter before placing her hand over her mouth.
"I HAVE DONE IT!" Harry screams, standing up in triumph. "I HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE AND MADE THE UNBREAKABLE PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL LAUGH! VICTORYYYY!"
"Mr. Potter, sit down," McGonagall says, her lips quivering as she tries to stop herself from laughing. "Now please refrain from further outbursts and attempt the transfiguration."
"I don't know, Professor McGonagall," Harry says, grinning. "Maybe I should explain the pros and cons of a constitutional monarchy ruled by porcupines and ferrets first."
"As fascinating as that would be to hear, Mr. Potter," she says sarcastically, rolling her eyes slightly. "You have a transfiguration to do. Get to work."
'Hystrifors," Harry mutters with a pout. Lady Stabbington immediately turns into a large red pincoushin, the quills transforming into large needles.
"Extremely well done, Mr. Potter," McGonagall says with a small smile. "Twenty points for a perfectly executed first-time transfiguration. You may turn Her Ladyship back into her normal self."
"Oh thank heavens…" He sighs, immediately turning her back and bowing to her dramatically. "I'm so sorry, my lady. Can you forgive your humble servant for following the orders of the evil sorceress?"
"Harry, I doubt she can even register what just happened," Hermione sighs in defeat, placing her forehead into palm. The porcupine in front of them narrows her eyes at Hermione, causing her to reel back in shock. "Did- Did that porcupine just GLARE AT ME?! I will turn you into a pincushion and KEEP you as one if you don't lose that look, Princess!"
Scooting back away from the ensuing fight, Harry Shimmers away and reappears behind Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Potter, please tell me you are not actually scared of this."
"Okay, I'm not actually scared of this," he says before muttering out weakly. "I'm terrified."
Rolling her eyes, Professor McGonagall waves her wand and Lady Stabbington floats back into her cage with the door closing and locking behind her. "There. Miss Granger, please remember it's just a porcupine," she sighs. "You're a witch, please refrain from cursing Lady Stabbington."
"Not you too, Professor!" Hermione cries in shock.
"What can I say?" she says, shrugging as a small smile appears on her face. "He is quite convincing."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry says, beaming up at her.
"Now please let go of my robes and retake your seat, Mr. Potter."
"Right away, Professor," he says, walking out from behind her. As the class comes to an end, Malfoy walks back in with Professors Snape and Dumbledore behind them, Snape with an emotionless mask, and Dumbledore with mirth twinkling in his eyes.
"Mr. Potter," Snape begins, crossing his arms. "Would you care to explain why Mr. Malfoy was hanging upside-down from one of rafters of the Great Hall and it took fetching the Headmaster to get him down?"
"He's got a big mouth," he mutters under his breath.
"Care to repeat that, Potter?" Snape says, raising his eyebrow.
"I said I don't know, Professors," he said with a shrug. "He insulted Fleur and my magic sent him away."
"Very well," Dumbledore says with a sigh. "He is unharmed, but since you put him in a potentially dangerous situation, albeit unintentionally, you will serve a detention with Professor Snape tonight."
"Yes, sir," Harry says, smirking at Malfoy as he passes him with a death glare.
"That will be all for today's lesson. Next week, we will begin with the theory behind changing guinea fowl to guinea pigs," she says. "I want a foot of parchment on the differences in the two creatures on my desk the day before your next lesson. You are dismissed. Say goodbye to Lady Stabbington, Mr. Potter."
"No, Lady Stabbington!" Harry cries dramatically, holding her cage and sniffling loudly.
"Think of it this way, Harry," Hermione says, patting Harry on the back. "It's another new friend."
"Oh, you're right!" Harry says, perking up as Lady Stabbington's cage floats over with the rest. "A brand new animal to corrupt and use to take over the Wizarding World!"
"We're all doomed…" McGonagall mutters as Harry walks away, muttering evilly.
Well, everyone! That's chapter thirty-four! I apologize again that it took so long to finish. So many things have been going on, with writer's block, loss of muse, and both due to the pandemic. Please, once again, everyone stay safe and wash your hands. As usual, read, review, and spread this shit like wildfire! I'll see you all next time! This is Mystery Critic, signing off.