QL, Season 8, Round 11 - Pride Of Portree, Chaser 2
Chasers 2 - Never Have I Ever
Prompts - [Setting] - beauxbatons carriage
[Object] - invitation
[Emotion] - surprise.
Word Count - 1831 (wordcounter .net)
Harry Potter sat in the Great Hall alone and tuned out all of the conversations going on around him. This year, his fourth year, was the loneliest yet. He had lost all of his friends since being chosen as champion and felt like the entire school had turned against him. Harry hadn't had the best life but his friends and this school was something he had always been able to depend upon, so without that, he felt out of sorts.
With a sigh, he stared down at the letter in his hand. It was an invitation. To him. But was it really real? Genuine? Or was it some sort of snide trick? Should he even bother going?
It wouldn't have been the first time that this sort of thing had happened. He had received numerous letters from admirers through all his years at school. Invitations to publicity shoots, invitations to parties, invitations to 'meet up', and even the odd invitation to his own funeral.
So after years of receiving these invitations, he always took the information with a grain of salt. After all, you know what they say; once bitten, twice shy.
Dear Mister Potter,
I wish to thank you once again for the help you provided my family when you rescued my sister during the second task of the Twi-Wizard Tournament. As a notice of my formal gratitude, I would like to cordially invite you to a fun-filled evening at the Beauxbatons Carriage.
If you accept my invitation, then please reply by owl and we will expect you at eight o'clock this evening.
Many thanks,
Fleur Delacour
It obviously had to be a trick, or perhaps she had some ulterior motive to see him? They were on opposite teams for this tournament. She must have wanted something in return, but he didn't know what.
Nevertheless, he didn't really have anything to lose. He had no friends in his house at the moment and trying to sleep in his dorm was akin to sleeping in a den of lions. Each and every one waiting for just one small public moment of weakness and then they would pounce; devouring him whole. So no, a trip to the Beauxbatons carriage may not be an ideal evening, but it couldn't be worse than what was waiting for him at the tower.
He arrived at the carriage early. He may not be expecting a 'fun-filled evening', but he wasn't going to be impolite and turn up late.
The carriage itself took up nearly the entire space next to the lake. It was a light blue colour with bright gold features, highlighting the wealth, power, and sophistication of Beauxbatons school. It dominated the bland Scottish landscape, which was still dulled by winter.
The carriage was an impressive work of craftsmanship and he could tell by looking at it how strong the Abraxans had to be to pull it. He couldn't even bear to think about the thousands of spells that must also be coating it to ensure it shone even in the pale grey moonlight.
He stepped up to the carriage door and knocked lightly three times.
He shivered as he waited in the cold, regretting not bringing a warmer cloak nor applying a warming charm.
He hoped that he wouldn't have to wait too long, or maybe that was the trick? The invitation was just an incentive for him to come and really they were all watching to see how long he would wait outside before he would realise he was being duped. Maybe they were all taking bets on it? The highlight of their nights.
He was pulled out of his depressing thoughts when the ornate door swung open.
"'Arry! Welcome! Come on in!" It was Fleur, maybe this wasn't a trick after all?
He followed her in, marvelling at how much bigger the carriage was on the inside compared to the outside. The interior mirrored the colour scheme shown on the outside; the light blue and gold theme, with windows surrounded by gold detailing showing glamour and decorum. It truly was a miraculous sight. Harry was pleased to even be able to experience the inside of this wonderful creation, even if he was still unsure as to whether this was a joke or not.
"'Ere we are! Sit, sit. We are playing a game," Fleur explained as she guided him to the others "Would you like to join? We will have fun. Never 'ave I ever?"
It was all a bit overwhelming for him, if he was honest with himself. He was starting to believe that the invitation wasn't a hoax, nor a dramatic affair all put together to make fun of him. But to find out it wasn't was a shock, a surprise.
Nobody ever did anything nice for him after he had helped them. First year nobody really noticed, then second year they had all blamed him for opening the Chamber Of Secrets. Sure, once they realised he hadn't, they stopped taunting him, but nobody ever apologised or said they were happy that he had helped to save them. During his third year it was all about him, again - a murderer was after him and nobody even thought to ask about how he felt or if he was worried about the safety of himself or others.
Nobody ever thought about him or how he had felt after each and every incident. Therefore, knowing that Fleur, somebody who he wasn't even friends with, was actually thankful and that this evening was to thank him for his help was a nice new surprise. She didn't need to go out of her way to do this for him, and that somehow made it even more amazing that she did.
"'Arry? Are you okay?" Fleur questioned as he still stood there, making no move to sit.
"Oh, erm. Yes. I just… Nobody has ever thanked me for my help. So I'm just a bit… surprised, I would say. Yes, this is a surprise to find out that you are actually thanking me, but, a nice surprise." He paused when he noticed some of the girls getting teary-eyed, he didn't want to make them cry, he cleared his throat awkwardly. "So... Never have I ever?"
"Yes! Yes! Sit! We shall start!" Fleur pulled all of the others away from their thoughts on his sad little speech as he sat down.
A girl pushed a drink towards him as they gathered more into a circle where he sat.
"I shall start. Never have I ever been to London," Fleur started.
Harry watched as some other girls took a sip as well before taking a sip of his drink. He swallowed it harshly before coughing.
"Merlin! You could have warned me!" He managed to stutter out as they laughed at him.
"We play with real stuff! Not some watered down Butterbeer, you'll get used to it soon," one of the girls around him replied, whilst the others continued to laugh.
He smiled and the game continued.
"Never have I ever been to a Muggle town."
"Never have I ever skipped class."
"Never have I ever messed up a Transfiguration."
"Never have I ever fallen off a broom."
"Never have I ever owned an owl."
It got around to Harry's turn where he said; "Never have I ever been to France." He laughed at the surprise and outrage on the girls' faces as they all took a sip.
The next girl to voice her statement spoke; "We've got to that point to get to the fun then. Fine. Never have I ever been a student at Hogwarts."
Harry mock-glared at her as he was the only one to take a sip as the others laughed at his predicament.
The statements got more and more directed towards various individuals at that point until they were all feeling quite pleasantly tipsy.
It was Fleur's turn again; "Never have I ever kissed my crush."
Harry watched lazily as some of the girls drank before taking a small sip himself hoping not to be noticed. He thought he had got away with it until he saw the quizzical look on the girl's face sitting across from him, Chloe maybe? But it wasn't her turn yet so he figured he was good.
He was wrong.
"Never have I ever been on a date."
"Never have I ever been to Hogsmeade."
Generally statements passed until it got to Chloe once more.
"Never have I ever confessed my love," she uttered calmly, a gleam in her eyes as she spoke.
Harry swore quietly under his breath as he took a sip, hoping nobody around him would notice. But his secrecy was for nought as Chloe exclaimed; "I knew it! Spill!"
Harry blushed red and he was sure he looked more like a Weasley than a Potter right now. "There's nothing to tell."
A cacophony of voices could be heard all urging him to tell, to share his secrets, the spill the details and tell them what had happened.
"Fine!" It went silent as all the girls waited for him to speak. "Something happened. I went to tell them that I didn't think it was right. They didn't speak and I panicked and said what I really thought of them. I then panicked some more. Kissed them and ran off. That's it."
"Harry!" The cacophony started up with all the girls chiming in to try and tell him what he should do next, did he explain everything? Had he seen them again? What was he going to do now?
"Nothing! I have been avoiding them and most of the people in the castle hate me anyway, so there's no point, really," he finished deprecatingly as he stared into the liquid in his glass as he swirled it in his hands.
There was a moment of silence as he didn't dare look up. It was a shame to end the evening this way, but at least it had been nice while it had lasted. He just needed them to tell him officially that he wasn't welcome anymore before he left.
"No. We are on your side now. Except for the final task, then we are with Fleur. Obviously. But, anything other than that we can share. You tell us everything and we are going to get you sorted."
He looked up in shock as they all stared at him with smiles on their faces. Maybe this was what it was like to have true friends?
He leaned back onto the blue cushions behind him, a heavy sigh escaping him. He languishly stared at the wall opposite, clearly feeling the effects of the alcohol, he saw a large painting of one of the Abraxans used to pull the carriage. It stood upon the crest of a hill, wings unfurled, ready to take the leap up into the sky, and soar.
But now, now, it was his turn to take that leap.
"Well, it all started three weeks ago…"