Champion's tent
Walking into the tent, Harry still had the armour on. Holding the spear in his right, and the egg in his left hand, he took in the sight of the tent. Cedric was sitting on a stool, a white ointment on the left side of his face. Viktor, now just in shorts, was currently treated by Madam Pomfrey, for he had suffered numerous burns across his whole body. Fleur was lying on her stomach, a grumpy expression on her face and a cloth laid over her lower body. Willing his armour away, Harry watched in amazement how the golden pieces he could see burst into tiny yellow sparkles. No longer feeling the weight of the spear in his hand, he walked over to Fleur.
"'ARRY!" The French witch had just caught sight of him. She jumped up and engulfed him in a strong hug. "Oh I waz so worried about you! Are you un'armed?" She asked with a radiant smile on her face. Harry grinned at her and said "Jup, never felt better. What about you?'' Whining, Fleur said "You won't believe it. Ze blasted dragon ignited ma skirt. It burned me. 'Ere" She turned around, bent forward a bit and lifted the cloth that was tied around her waist. Presenting her bare backside to Harry, she continued to whine "My poor derrière is all red! Look!"
The moment she presented her (in his opinion) perfect ass to him, Harry's brain froze. His gaze was fixed on the smooth skin of her heart shaped backside, the slight red hue was barely recognized by his brain. "'Arry?" Fleur's voice broke him out of his gazing. Snapping back and shaking his head to restart his brain, Harry quickly said "Sorry Fleur I was uh….." Not knowing what to say, Harry blushed and looked at his feet. Giggling, Fleur walked towards him and softly kissed his cheek. "Even when I show you, being a gentleman eez what you do. Zank you 'Arry" A cough ripped the two out of their moment.
"It vould be appreciated if you take flirting somevere private!" Called Viktor over with a grin. Covered in the burn ointment, the bulgarian champion now sat next to Cedric, who was barely able to hold in his laughter. "Yeah yeah, suck it up you two. After I watched Cedric getting his face eaten by Cho for the last year, he has barely any room to laugh '' Smirked Harry. Killing the dragon had certainly boosted his confidence. All four champions laughed at the comeback. Madam Pomfrey walked away from Harry after checking him with every diagnosis spell she knew, baffled that he was unharmed. But now, the four had to go back to the stadium to get their points.
Arriving back at the stadium, each champion held their egg. The dead body of the everlasting dragon was still lying on the ground, her eggs on the other hand were already taken away. "Hey Ornstein, is it a good idea to have the eggs taken? Shouldn't we do something?" The Lion Knight laughed and said "No worries brother. Every living thing is the same. How you get raised will define you. As long as these hatchlings get raised by a dragon that values all life, they will become good dragons. So you don't have to worry about it, ok?" "Ok" Appeased, Harry directed his focus towards the judges.
Cedric received 40 points. 10 from Dumbledore, 8 from Maxime, 9 from Bagman, another 10 from Crouch and 3 from Karkaroff, with the reason that he got hurt.
Then came Fleur. She got 42 points. Dumbledore gave 9, Maxime 10, Bagman another 10, 10 again from Crouch and 3 again from Karkaroff. He gave the same reason as before.
Krum only got 38 points. 7 points from Dumbledore and Bagman each, Maxime and Crouch gave only 5 points each, with the reason that the dragon destroyed her eggs in the fight. Karkaroff gave 10 points, stating that Krum won despite overwhelming odds against him. The hypocrisy was ignored by him since Krum was the one who got hurt the most.
Then came Harry's turn. Dumbledore's blue eyes bore into him, before he shot a silvery 10 out of his wand. Maxime followed with a 9, Bagman gave another 10, same as Crouch. They reasoned that Harry killed the rabid dragon when it broke free, instead of running away from it. His display of wandless and silent casting was also praised by all four. Now came Karkaroff. With an evil smirk, he shot a silvery 4 into the air. He said "It vas tasked to get the egg. You succeeded in that. You used impressive magic twice. But you killed the dragon, and I can't remember that being part of the task. Four points is fair." Ignoring the loud booing of the crowd for his obvious favouritism, the Durmstrang headmaster stood up and left, quickly followed by the other judges.
When the four champions left the tent once again to get back to the castle, Viktor and Krum were quickly swarmed by their friends and fans, who all wanted to congratulate the two for their wins. Harry and Fleur walked together, talking along the way. "You seem scarily calm 'Arry. I mean, you just killed a dragon. Wizout magic of all things!" Harry chuckled and said "Well, that wasn't the first XXXXX beast I killed with a cold weapon. In my second year there was a basi-" Whatever he wanted to say, Fleur would never know. Because Harry got tackled to the ground by two blurs, one brown and one blonde. "OH HARRY!" Yelled Hermione "I was so scared for you! What were you thinking? Fighting a dragon head on? Thank Merlin you are unharmed!" Hermione stopped her rambling with a kiss to his cheek. "You really are a prat Harry" Sneered Daphne, a happy smile on her face "But I am glad for it. No sane person would have had the gall to do what you did" The Slytherin girl also gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. Untangling themselves, the three fourth years stood up. "And congratulations to you too Fleur, letting the dragon fall asleep with your singing was brilliant!" Praised Hermione. "Zank you 'ermione. Come you three, I am hungry" Laughing, the four resumed their way to Hogwarts, but then a voice interrupted them.
"HARRY, MATE WAIT UP!" Turning around, the said wizard turned around and saw his (former?) best friend Ron running up to them. He was definitely reasonably angry at the redhead for not believing him about the whole tournament deal. Ok, that applied to his whole dorm, but Neville quickly came to his senses and apologised, and Dean and Seamus were… not smart enough to understand what they did wrong. But Ron was a whole other deal. The youngest Weasley boy stopped in front of the quad and panted heavily. "Ron" said Harry, emotionless. "What can I do for you?" Grinning, the redhead looked up and said "That was wicked mate. Like when we fought the basilisk! You up for a round of wizard chess? Been ages since our last match. Lemme see that egg!" He greedily reached towards the golden egg but Harry shifted his body away, letting Ron grab the air. "Hey what's up Harry? I just want to hold it" He looked into Harry's emerald green eyes confused. Harry mustered him for a few moments more before he said "And?" "And what?" Replied Ron cluelessly.
Now Hermione piped into the conversation "Oh I don't know Ronald. How about an apology for you ignoring Harry for the last few weeks?" Ron just glared at her and said "What's it to you Herms? Harry knows I was just messing around with him, right mate?" It was only then he caught a sight of Daphne and Fleur standing behind Hermione, his dislike for Slytherins overshadowing his lust for Fleur. "What are you doing here you slimy snake? Harry, you shouldn't be near one of those dungeon gits! You know that they are all evil followers of you-know-who"
"Damn what shall I do now?" Cried Harry in his head. He was torn. On one hand he was angry that Ron acted like nothing happened and insulted Daphne, on the other hand, he was his first friend. "Are you seriously asking that son?" The sharp voice of Artorias said. "I-" "Silence" yelled the Wolf knight "Think about it! And think hard about it! Who stood beside you from the day your name came out of the goblet? Who helped you whenever they could? Who wished you luck and gave you moral support?" "Hermione, Fleur and Daphne" "And who abandoned you and your three years of friendship over some stupid mock-fame?" "...that was Ron" said Harry timidly. This was the first time Artorias got angry, and he certainly didn't like it. "Then with whom shall your loyalty be?" "With the girls, obviously. But Ron is my first friend, he's my best mate. I have to forgive him." Argued Harry. "You have to forgive him? Who decided that? Breaking trust is one of the greatest sins you can commit!" Harry pondered over those words, then he asked "But what about second chances?" Sighing, Artorias finally said "But just one. Make it clear to him that if he steps out of line one more time, it is over. But in the end it's your decision" Taking a deep breath, Harry made himself ready for the possible fallout.
"Listen Ron" the redhead broke his glaring at Daphne and looked at Harry "You definitely hurt me. You didn't believe me, you called me names and you wore those stupid buttons Malfoy made. But I am willing to forgive you just this one time. I give you a chance to rebuild our friendship, if you don't want to take it, that's your problem. And if you insult Daphne, Hermione or Fleur one more time, well, you won't like the outcome. Clear?" He extended his hand to Ron and looked at him expectantly. "But Harry, she's a Slyther-" "So what?" Cut Harry in. "She helped me and proved herself as a friend. If you can't accept that, then it is goodbye" He turned around but Ron quickly said "OKOK! I'll behave, I promise!" And then he bolted towards the castle.
"Are you sure that was smart?" Asked Daphne. "It wasn't" replied Harry "But despite being a stupid git, he hasn't done anything too bad. So I'll give him one more chance and hope against all odds that he doesn't blow it" Walking in silence for a few minutes, Hermione suddenly realised something "Harry, you said you'll explain whatever it is with your rings after the task, remember?" Now this caught the attention of the two other girls, who now joined Hermione in staring at Harry. "Do it brother" said Ornstein. "They all have proved to be worthy of your trust." "Ok, I will tell you. After we made sure no one could listen and we had something to eat." And so, the four finally made their way to dinner.
Corridor before the headmaster office, evening
Sadly, the girls had to wait for the explanation a bit longer. At dinner, Professor McGonagall informed Harry that the headmaster wanted to speak to him after dinner. That was where Harry was currently heading to.
Raising his hand to knock at the office door, Dumbledore called for him to enter before he could knock. Entering the office, Harry saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, beside him sat Snape, Crouch, Bagman and a really pissed looking man with black hair. "Ah Harry my boy, come in and sit down" said Dumbledore in a joyful voice. His blue eyes were sparkling and Harry sat down as requested. "Harry, this gentleman here is Mr. Simon Trepak, the head dragon handler of the Romanian dragon reserve" Mr. Trepak grunted in greeting and Harry nodded back. "So, what am I doing here sir?" Asked Harry politely. "You see Harry, Mr. Trepak is angry that you killed one of the breedable dragon females of a very endangered species." "ANGRY!?" Yelled Trepak "If I was angry I would be drunk now! I AM PISSED AND DEMAND LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST THE BOY!" Taken aback, Harry said "Legal actions? On what base? I killed a dragon who broke free of his chains and possibly saved hundreds of humans. Mr. Trepak, I am really sorry for killing the dragon, but it was her or me. You want to sue me for defending my life?" All anger Trepak had was blown away, he never looked at it in that light. "If you want any form of reparations, I'll ignore my right of conquest and give the dragon carcass to you for selling. If that isn't enough, you can have the basilisk too." "A BASILISK?" shouted Mr. Trepak "HOW DID YOU SLAY A BASILISK?!"
A short explanation later, Mr. Trepak slumped in his chair. "Ok, THAT is unbelievable but if you can show me the carcass I will believe you. Also, I hereby accept your offer. Gentleman, goodbye" and with that he left. Harry also made an attempt to stand up but Dumbledore stopped him "Wait Harry, we still have some questions for you" Looking at the aged headmaster, Harry sat back down. "We were wondering-" "How you dunderhead learned a spell that enabled you to fight a dragon!" hissed Snape. He was close to exploding for the whole meeting, and now he could finally let loose. Looking at the two professors and the silent Crouch, Harry said "I learned that spell from a book I found last year" Now Crouch became active "And say, where did you find that book?" "In the chamber of secrets" replied Harry nonchalantly with a shrug "I thought that there must be more down there so I visited the chamber a few times last year. Was definitely better than having the dementors close by. However, there I found a book that was written in parseltongue and in there I found that spell" All three authorities gaped at Harry, but in the end they had to drop the matter, since there was no way of proving or denying his explanation.
10th december 1994, great hall
Harry plopped down next to Hermione in the great hall at lunch. With a sigh, he slammed his head on the desk. "A knut for your thoughts?" Chirped Hermione in a happy mood. Turning his head to her, Harry whined "You'd think being one of the only dragon slayers in history would stop the muttering of girls once you come closer to their group but NOOOOO! It causes the exact opposite" He grabbed a treacle tart and stuffed it as a whole in his mouth. "Bloody ball" he muttered before he was slapped lightly on the head. "Mind your language please. I conclude you still haven't got a date for the ball?" The silence was her answer.
Since professor McGonagall had announced the great Yule Ball a week earlier, the whole castle was buzzing with activity. Boys asked girls to be their dates, girls denied numerous boys in the hope that the one they wanted would ask them yada yada yada. And our ring wearing hero was trying to do the same, keyword trying. He was told that as a champion he HAD to attend the ball and open the dance, with a date of course. But his boosted confidence from slaying the dragon vanished every time he approached a group of girls. At least Hermione gave him daily lessons in formal dancing so he wouldn't break the toes of whoever became his date. "What about you?" asked Harry his best friend. "What about me?" Smiled Hermione back. Rolling his eyes, he said "Have you gotten a date yet?" Her smile only got wider "Yep" She replied, plopping the p for effect. Waiting for a few seconds, Harry said "And there is no chance that you'll tell me who it is, right?" "You got that right" Sighing at her grinning face, Harry once again stared at his feet. "Why don't you ask Daphne? Or Fleur?" asked Hermione.
Now that was an idea. But whom should he ask? He liked both girls the same, and asking one of them would certainly cause trouble with the other one. Damn, looks like he was back at square one. "Why" *bonk* "Can" *bonk* "Nothing" *bonk* "Ever" *bonk* "Be" *bonk* "Easy" *bonk* "For" *bonk* "Me?" Whined Harry, slamming his head on the table between each word. Sighing, Hermione rubbed his back softly, trying to console him.
Not seeing the sad display at the Gryffindor table, Daphne and Fleur sat together at the far end of the Slytherin table, quietly whispering to each other. "So, we both want to go with Harry to the ball, right?" asked Daphne. "Oui" replied Fleur. "But Harry can only have one date" "Zat is correct" Musing for a few seconds, Daphne scowled "So how do we decide which one of us gets to be his date? Rock paper scissors?" Laughing, the french witch replied "now zat would be funny, but I 'ave a better idea. Do you 'ave a gay friend?" Looking at Fleur weirdly, Daphne said "Noooooo? Why do you ask?" Pointing to a quite handsome young man in the middle of the beauxbatons group, Fleur said "Zat zere is Jaque, 'e is an old friend of moi, and 'e is 'omosexual wiz a love for dancing. 'e would be very sad if 'e couldn't attend ze ball, so 'ere comes my idea" Giving her his undivided attention, Daphne gestured to Fleur to continue "I will tell 'Arry zat I go wiz Jaque so 'e can attend ze ball, zen 'Arry can ask you. BUT! 'e will dance wiz me as often as 'e dances wiz you, are we clear?" Nodding, Daphne began writing that idea down and together the two blondes spent a good part of the day working that plan out.
4 days later, lunch at the great hall
A scowl was once again plastered on the beautiful face of Daphne. In the last few days, she and Fleur, together with her best friend Tracy Davis, sowed the information that Fleur had a date, and why she had a date. She was absolutely sure that this piece of information should have arrived at Harry now. But the pighead still hasn't asked her to be his date. Hm, but maybe the information hasn't reached Gryffindor yet. Would explain why the youngest Weasley asked Fleur to the ball yesterday. Ok, it wasn't really asking, more like staring at her, then drooling before he shouted the word "BALL!" in her face and ran off. Peak comedy if you asked Daphne. But still, Harry fricking Potter better hurried in asking her to the ball, else she will do it and he certainly won't like it. At least he finally told her what the deal with his rings was. Boy was she surprised.
"Hop Hop Hop Hop Hop Hop" this call, together with the rattle of what sounded like knight's armour, ripped Daphne out of her musing. She looked around and saw three people wearing complete armour running into the hall. Two of them were carrying a sedan, the other one held a roll of parchment in his hand. "You think this is part of the tournament?" came the voice of Daphne's sister, Astoria. "No idea Tory, but it is more likely some ridiculous stuff" replied Tracy. The three knights took a whole tour through the hall, still yelling "Hop Hop Hop" with each step, before they suddenly came to a screeching halt in front of Daphne. The two carriers put the sedan down, and then pulled out a sword. Crossing the swords over the third one, they suddenly also raised their wands, and a fanfare sound was heard across the whole hall. The one with the parchment now unrolled the scroll and said loudly "Hear hear!" Came the voice of Lee Jordan, a sixth year Gryffindor "By decree of his Grace, our beloved ruler Harry James Potter requested that the fair maiden with the name Daphne Elisabeth Greengrass join him in the yard at this hour! So it is written, so it shall happen!" With that he threw the scroll away and lifted up a banner. It was blood red, with a black dragon on it, in whose skull a golden spear was embedded. He walked in front of the sedan, and then the other two became active. Faster than she could react, they sheathed their swords, grabbed Daphne by the arms and placed her on the sedan.
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU HOOLIGANS?! LET ME DOWN!" She screamed. "We are very sorry, fair lady" said the one in front "but our ruler made his request quite clear" continued the one in the back. "So up we go!" They said simultaneously before they lifted the sedan up. "The Weasley twins?" Daphne heard Tracy mutter. This whole situation was just so weird, nobody knew how to react. "LEAD THE WAY COURT MASTER!" The twins yelled, and Jordan quickly took off, heading out of the great hall, followed by the twins carrying the sedan. Daphne, having no choice but getting carried away, could only hide her face in shame.
The entourage quickly arrived at the courtyard, where a laughing Fleur and Hermione stood next to a blushing Harry, who pinched his nose in obvious shame. Lee stopped in front of him and bowed, before he said "Your grace, we, your humbly knights, have brought you the maiden you desire. CARRIERS, LET HER DOWN!" The twins followed his command. They gently lowered the sedan before they stood to the left and right of Harry, acting as a guard of honour. Lee extended his hand to Daphne, who took it with a blushing face and gently helped her up. He then raced behind Harry, still holding the banner high. Daphne now stared at Harry, who looked at her apologetic and said with a blushing face "I swear to Merlin, I had absolutely no idea that they would do this. I only asked them to help me find a way to ask you" Scowling, Daphne replied "You can apologise later, now stop falling out of role!"
Sighing, Harry raised his right hand, the wolf ring glowed blue for a second before he held the sword of Gryffindor in his hand. Planting the sword on the ground, he took a knee, grabbed Daphne's hand and then said "My fair maiden, would you do me the honour and accompany me to the ball at the evening of Yule? I could think of no greater honour than having you at my side, for you are more fair than all the jewels in the earth, and brighter than every star in the sky" Smiling brightly, Daphne replied "My lower self would be honoured to accompany you my grace" visibly relieved, Harry kissed the back of her hand softly and smiled up at Daphne.
Their moment was ruined by Fred, George and Lee. The twins yelled "SHE ACCEPTED! COURTMASTER!" Lee addressed the now sizable crowd and yelled "HEAR HEAR! THE MAIDEN ACCEPTED THE INVITATION OF HIS GRACE! WHAT A JOYFUL DAY! CARRIERS!" He raised the banner once again and moved in front of the sedan. Fred and George wasted no time. Fast as lightning, they placed Harry in the sedan, grabbed Daphne, sat her down on Harry's lap and then picked up the sedan once more, following Lee across the castle, all the while shouting that Daphne accepted to be Harry's date.
"Now zat I've seen zis" started Fleur "I regret that I 'aven't inzisted to become 'Arry's date" Chuckling, Hermione patted her new friend on her back and said "There there Fleur. You can still dance with him. Now come, instead of sulking here, you can help me with my hair" the bushy haired witch started to drag Fleur into the castle. "But 'Ermione, ze ball iz still weeks away" protested the veela. "I want a permanent solution" retorted Hermione and continued her way.
A few days later
Smiling widely, Harry sat down in the great hall for breakfast. It was Saturday, and today was even a Hogsmeade weekend! He was thinking what he should buy for Daphne and Fleur before he met with them in three broomsticks. At this moment Hermione sat down across from him. Mustering his stupid grin for a second, she asked "Still at a high, now that you got a date?" Looking up from his scrambled eggs, Harry nodded eagerly. His best friend gave him a smile before she also started eating.
The post owls had just left and Harry was reaching for today's daily prophet. He took a sip from his goblet but he spit it out in shock once he read the headline.
SIRIUS BLACK PARDONED
By Edward N.
In a shocking wizengamot session that took place yesterday, the convicted murderer and death eater, Sirius Orion Black, was granted a full pardon.
When the wizengamot session was opened by chief warlock Albus Dumbledore, an entourage of numerous ICW officials, Aurors and lawyers entered the chamber, in their midst stood Sirius Black. Minister Cornelius Fudge immediately called for Dementors to kiss the dangerous criminal, but the IWC wizards quickly stopped them. Under use of §11 of the ICW constitution, the officials took control of the session. Protests by wizengamot members and supreme warlock Dumbledore were ignored, the law gave them full control.
The lawyers (judging from their accent, this reporter suspects them to be French) presented the case of Sirius Orion Black. Or better, they opened a trial, a trial he should have received 13 years ago. Using Veritaserum and a court-pensive, the lawyers showed what happened on October 31st 1981 between Sirius Black and the thought-dead Peter Pettigrew.
It was revealed that Pettigrew was the true secret keeper of the Potter's. It was Petigrew who revealed their location to he-who-must-not-be-named. It was Pettigrew who killed a dozen muggles. Black, led by rightful fury, wanted to exact vengeance upon the traitor, but making use of his wrath-clouded mind, Pettigrew managed to trick Black and escape.
Yes, Peter Pettigrew, according to the ICW lawyers, is still alive. He survived by using his secret talent of being a rat animagus. Black, a dog animagus, revealed a heartfelt tale of how he, Pettigrew and the deceased James Potter, became animagi in their school years to accompany their friend, Remus Lupin (a registered lycanthrope) when he transformed.
To silence the last voices of doubt, a Gringotts employee revealed a document, signed with blood. The document showed that Sirius Black is the sworn godfather of Harry James Potter, the boy who lived. Yes dear readers, Black made an oath to always protect the young Mr. Potter, if he betrayed that oath, he would die.
The lawyers then called for a vote. Black already got pardoned by the ICW, now only Britain needed to do the same. Lucius Malfoy, member of the board of Governments of Hogwarts, voiced his concerns of Black roaming free. Multiple certificates, written by the best healers in Europe, showed that any concerns regarding Black's mental health were uncalled. Lord Greengrass, the unofficial leader of the grey fraction, then gave the first vote. He voted for a full pardon of Mr. Black.
Mr. Black was pardoned by no less than 95% of the Wizengamot members. Those that opposed his pardon were those that claimed that they were imperioused to follow you know who. A coincidence?
Mr. Black was then given custody over Mr. Potter, much to the protests of chief warlock Dumbledore. In a press conference, Black revealed that he was sought out by the French Minister of Magic, Pierre Delacour. Minister Delacour granted Black asylum in France, then he started to present Black to the ICW.
But not all is well right now. While Mr. Black got pardoned, declared healthy and got to take his rightful position as Lord Black, there are now numerous internal investigations going on at the ministry. Why you might ask? Lord Black showed a memory of last year, when he was caught at Hogwarts. From his cell, Black heard his godson and two other students argue with Minister Fudge. They told Fudge of Black's innocence and that Pettigrew was still alive, but their claims were ignored by the minister after the potion master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape, told Minister Fudge that Lord Black must have confounded the young students.
This led to these investigations. Why did Minister Fudge believe the words of a marked death eater over three students, who all had a pristine record? This reporter will look into it.
For information about Lord Black Page 3
For information about Peter Pettigrew Page 4
For information about Animagi Page 5
Frozen in shock, Harry stared at the article and the picture of his happily smiling godfather. Sirius was innocent AND had custody of him now? SCORE! While he had read the article, Harry missed how Fleur sat down next to him and started happily chatting with Hermione about their plan to tame her hair once and for all. Daphne was now also walking over to them. Greeting Hermione and Fleur, she looked at Harry and said "What's up with him again?" Smiling, Hermione pointed at the article and got a nod from Daphne in return.
"Brother, you should move, your friends are starting to get concerned" Ornstein's teasing voice snapped Harry out of his shock. Seeing Daphne and Fleur beside him, his brain gave the command for a show of gratitude to his body, before his mind was able to catch up.
If people did not know Harry as the boy-who-lived before, they certainly did after today. Harry yelled "THANKS YOU TWO!" And then he grabbed Fleur's face and kissed her straight on the mouth! The lip lock was so short and unexpected, that Fleur had no chance to react (or she had no chance to kiss back). After Harry broke the kiss with Fleur, he did the same with Daphne and then he bolted from the great hall, a wide grin plastered on his face and a scream of pure joy coming from him. Everyone else in the hall questioned how Harry managed to kiss the untouchable veela and the ice queen of Slytherin without getting gutted. Fleur and Daphne on the other hand, sat frozen in their seats, a fierce blush on both faces. Hermione had a cramp after she laughed for 20 minutes straight.
Storming up the stairs to his dorm, Harry felt over the moon. "That wasn't what we had in mind but nonetheless, good job son!" Praised Artorias. The two knights were happy that Harry was finally acting on his growing feelings for the girls at least a bit. "Thank you two. Now we'll solve that egg clue and then I can kick back and relax till the end of february!" said Harry. He reached the fat lady, gave her the password and in a flash, he was in his dorm. Happily, Harry jumped on Ron's bed and shouted "WAKE UP RON! SIRIUS IS FREE!", then he grabbed his golden egg from his trunk and left the dorm. On the stairs down to the common room, Ornstein said "Maybe you should open it underwater brother…"
Stopping mid step, Harry looked at the egg and asked "Why?" "The screeching coming from it reminds us of the wailing pisacas, horribly disfigured women who were held captive by a mad dragon. Don't ask son, it's a rather long story. However, their screeching was in reality their singing, but it could only be heard underwater" Pondering over Artoria's words, Harry decided that trying wouldn't hurt, so he turned and made his way to the 4th year boys bathroom, where he filled the bathtub with water. Then he put the egg in, opened it and, after he heard no screeching, stuck his head underwater to listen.
Way to Hogsmeade
Hermione and Neville were slowly walking towards the small village. They walked so slow so that Harry could catch up to them easily. "GUYS!" and here he comes. Stopping, the two turned around and saw Harry running towards them. He skidded to a halt in the snow and grinned at them. "Sorry for the delay, I had to do something. Honeydukes?" Receiving a nod from his friends, the trio resumed their walk. "What exactly got you in such a good mood mate?" Asked Neville. "You mean beside him giving two stunning blondes a kiss in the great hall?" Came Hermione's sarcastic reply. Laughing, Harry said "Well that was great too, but I've figured out the clue for the second task" After a few steps, he turned around and saw his friends staring at him in shock. "You did?" Asked Neville. "What is it? How did you do it? Is it dangerous? Do you need help?" Rambled Hermione. "Guys chill. According to the clue, they will take something from me and hide it in the black lake. I then have one hour to retrieve it." Harry scratched his chin and then said "If we then ignore the fact that I can't swim, I still have to figure out how I can stay underwater for an hour"
"Ah that's easy" perked Neville up after a few moments. "Use Gillyweed. This plant will allow you to breathe underwater for roughly an hour." "Roughly?" asked Harry unsurely. Chuckling Neville replied "Yeah well, one standard batch of it works for an hour in salt water. It was never really tested in freshwater. I'd say you either test it, or you take a bit more with you" Nodding at the idea, Harry said "Ok great, thanks a lot Neville! Now where do I get some….think the pharmacy has some?" Shaking his head, Neville said "Not likely. It is really rare and has no medical usage. But don't worry. I have grown some in my greenhouse at home. I'll write Gran this evening to send me everything I've harvested so far"
Staring at the normally shy Gryffindor, Harry said "No Neville, I can't take that" Smiling, Neville replied "Sure you can. The plants I have are still healthy and Gran will never ever need it. So better you take it than I let it go to waste. Also, you're my friend and I want you to not only survive this stupid tournament, I want you to win it, so I will help you with everything I can!" Throwing his arm over Neville's shoulder, Harry smiled "Thanks a lot mate!" They gave each other a high five, much to the amusement of Hermione. "Then I now only have to solve the problem of my non-existent swimming skills." Now the bushy-haired witch piped in "No problem Harry. Each day, after our dance lessons, I will teach you how to swim" Relieve flooding his face, Harry wrapped Hermione in a hug and said "I really have the best friends in the whole world" Chuckling, Hermione returned the hug and said "And don't you forget it! Now show me your gratitude by buying me all the sugar quills I want" Harry was all too happy to comply with her demand.
Hairdressing Salon in Hogsmeade
Fleur and Daphne sat next to each other, both were currently getting their hair washed by a worker of the store. They decided on this a few days earlier, so that they can test a few hairstyles for the yule ball. But right now, something else was in the front of their minds. "You are surprisingly calm Daphne. I would 'ave thought zat you would be furious right now" said Fleur with a slight smirk on her lips. Smiling, Daphne replied "What gave you that idea Fleur?" "Oh you know" her smirk widened "after I was ze one to get 'Arry's first kiss" "Hm, you are certainly right, it bugged me for a moment." The blonde Slytherin turned towards Fleur and smirked "But then I realised something" Confused, Fleur asked "And what would zat be?" "I get to dance with him first" leaning closer, she then whispered to the french student "And it will be me who gets escorted by him to my sleeping quarters" Fleur gasped and stared at Daphne in shock "I see you caught that too now. And I'd say it is only fair. You get the first kiss, I get his first time" Standing up when the hairdresser told her to, Daphne patted Fleur's cheek softly and smiled "But in the end it is all no reason to fight with each other right? I mean, if you are as serious about Harry as I am, we will both share him in a few years. Now come, future Mrs. Potter, I need your opinion"
An hour and seven different hairstyles later, Fleur finally spoke again about something different than hair "Future Mrs. Potter eh? Why did you say zat?" Looking up from the hair ribbons in her hands, Daphne said "Sirius Black was imprisoned in the high security sector of Azkaban for twelve years. There is no way he can still produce children. Since he is Harry's godfather, and Harry has an ancestor from the Black family, he named Harry the heir Black, if you recall his duel with Draco. Since Harry is also heir Potter, he has to take two wives to continue both families. Now the problem is, the Black family magic demands that the heir marries a pureblood, which I am. The Potter family doesn't demand anything similar. Meaning, you will become lady Potter, and I will become lady Black. Sounds good?" Stunned for a moment, Fleur laughed her melodic laughter and then replied "You 'ave given zis a lot of thoughts mon ami. But it is brilliant!" Grinning, Daphne said "House of the cunning my dear. Now, blue or purple ribbon?"
25th of December, in front of the great hall
Harry paced in front of the great hall. The yule ball would start in 15 minutes. He spent a brilliant Christmas with Sirius in the Gryffindor common room before his godfather stuffed him in a very formal dress robe. It reminded Harry of a tuxedo, the trimmings were emerald green, while the bow tie was a dark silver that still managed to sparkle. It was clearly the robe of a Slytherin, but considering that Daphne told him her dress was green, it was fitting. Next to Harry stood Jaque, the gay best friend of Fleur. The tall frenchman was definitely handsome. Mid-length brown hair with brown eyes and an aristocratic face. He wore a really classy evening tuxedo and was smiling widely. Harry has already talked with him and accepted the question for a friendly dance together (Harry might not swing that way, but a friend of Fleur was a friend of his, and he never denied a friend something). Viktor, dressed in a red, traditional uniform from Bulgaria, stood as still as a statue. Cedric, in a similar robe to Harry, only with a black bow tie and blue trimmings, had just arrived and walked to Harry. "Hey Harry" greeted the handsome Hufflepuff happily. Stopping his pacing, Harry grinned at him "Hiya Ced. Looking sharp tonight" "Right back at you" laughed Cedric "But why are you running a trench in the ground?" "I'm nervous" said Harry. "Still haven't figured out the egg? I'd suggest you take it for a bath and ponder over it a bit. The prefect bathroom is a good place. The password is-" "CEDRIC!" hissed Harry sharply "I've already figured out the egg, but thank you anyway. I am nervous because I want to make this evening perfect for Daphne" Gaping like a fish out of water, Cedirc stuttered around a bit before he found his ability to speak again "Just be yourself, then everything should work out" "Wow thanks captain obvious" said Harry dryly. Laughing, the two Hogwarts students continued talking with Viktor and Jaque joining in after a few minutes.
Suddenly, all talking in the entrance hall stopped. Viktor, Cedric and Jaque were staring at the stairs with different expressions. Harry turned around and had to violently fight down a blush and keep his mouth closed. Descending the stairs were Cho Chang, a fifth year Ravenclaw of Asian descent who also was the girlfriend of Cedric. Harry had talked with her a few times but that was it. She wore an elegant, white chinese dress. Next to her was Hermione. Her periwinkle blue dress was literally glowing, and her hair was straight for once! Then came Fleur, dressed in a silver dress with multiple flower accents on it. Her silver blonde hair was elegantly braided and laid over her left shoulder. And then there was Daphne. Her golden hair was normally straight, but today it fell down in soft waves. Her dress was, as promised, an emerald green evening gown that stopped at mid calf. She stopped in front of Harry and smiled beautifully at him. "It fills me with joy that his grace finds my appearance pleasing" This little tease brought Harry back to reality. "My lady" he offered her his arm "You certainly trump the beauty of the stars tonight." Giggling, Daphne locked her arm around Harry's elbow. "You also look fantastic Fleur" Said Harry to his French friend. The Veela looked at him and smiled "Zank you monsieur Potter, you look quite dashing as well"
Harry then looked for Hermione after he gave Cho a compliment as well, and boy was he surprised when he saw her on the arm of Victor! "So" he drawled with a grin, enjoying her guilty fidgeting "This is your mysterious date, huh?" Nodding, she said "He asked me a day after the ball was announced in the library. Sorry for not telling you" "Ah to hell with that" laughed Harry. "I'm happy for you, and you look great! How many litres of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion did you use?" Smiling, Hermione replied "None actually. Fleur helped me straighten my hair permanently." She smiled at Fleur, who smiled back. "Now" said Harry suddenly. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Viktor. The confused Bulgarian Seeker was suddenly grabbed by the collar of his uniform and, with a strength greatly surprising him and everyone else, got pulled down to Harry's eye level. "I like you Viktor, I really do. But if you hurt Hermione in any way, if I only see one tear leaving her eyes tonight, if anything happens that denies Hermione the perfect evening and you are the one responsible, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that the only thing you can taste for a week are my feet! GOT IT?!"
At first, Viktor wanted to scoff at what Harry said, but then he thought about it for a second. He saw how Harry challenged a dragon head on. He saw how Harry defeated Draco in a spear fight with only two movements. And then there were the rumours. According to them, Harry has slain a basilisk and defeated hundreds of Dementors. Looking into the blazing emerald green eyes of the younger champion, Viktor realised that what Harry just said wasn't a threat, it was a promise. Gently patting Harry's hand so he let go, Viktor straightened himself, patted his robes down and then said "Da. If I hurt Hermyony, I vill help you vith it" Staring up at him, Harry held his stare at Viktor for a few more seconds before he nodded.
Before Hermione could lay into Harry for threatening her date, Professor McGonagall appeared. Dressed in an elegant green robe, she mustered the four champions and their dates. "I hope you are all well prepared for tonight. After your entrance, we will have dinner and then you will open the dance. Any questions?" Getting none, the aged professor then informed them that they will be called in shortly.
Later
Harry had a great time so far. Dinner was delicious and pleasant, although Harry had to sit next to Percy Weasley, one of Ron's older brothers, who attended in place of Mr. Crouch. Thankfully it was quite easy to turn his rambling about the ministry and rules out and talk with Daphne. Afterwards came the first dance and Harry was very proud of himself for not stepping on Daphne's toes. He then danced with her a few more times, before he was forcefully grabbed by Fleur who danced with him just as long. Then he danced with Hermione, Ginny who was Neville's date, and as promised with Jaque. After he was finally done getting passed around he came once more face to face with Daphne. Grinning, the two danced for another round before Daphne complained that her feet hurt and she wanted to sit down. He guided her to a table where Fleur sat. The french champion was smiling widely when she saw the two approach her. Pulling out a chair for Daphne, Harry asked "Can I get the ladies something to drink?"
"A Gillywater please" "A wine s'il-vous-plait" Nodding, Harry turned around and came face to face with Viktor and Hermione who also wanted to sit down. "Pumpkin juice and a firewhiskey?" Asked Harry smiling. Receiving two nods, he happily made his way to the bar to get the drinks. At the bar sat Ron. Dressed in horrid, maroon coloured robes, he was seemingly busy drowning his displeasure in butterbeer. "Hey mate" said Harry after giving his order. "What's got you in such a bad mood?" "Tch, Herms turned me down this morning. Now I am here without a date and she is crying in her room. Why didn't she take my invitation?" Confused, Harry said "What are you talking about? Hermione is over there" He pointed towards his table. Ron lifted his head lazily and looked at it. "Where?" Sighing, Harry said "The girl in the blue dress" The redhead's eyes widened, he then looked at Harry with a furious expression "So she came with you?" "What? No. I came here with Daphne, I told you that like ten times. Hermione is here with Viktor" "KRUM?" Ron half-shouted in rage. Nodding confused, Harry asked "What's the matter with you? I'm sure she told us numerous times that she had a date. I only found out about it tonight." Slamming his hands on the bar and standing up, Ron said "It's bad enough that you came with a snake, but now Hermione stabs me in the back by coming with the foreigner? Oh hell no!" He then stormed off towards Hermione. Hastily grabbing the tray with the drinks on it, Harry hurried after his friend. He saw how Ron was talking to Hermione furiously and he only caught the last bit of the conversation.
"-and if you'd take the effort to look so good each day, I would've asked you earlier!" "WEASLEY! Calm down" yelled Daphne before a slap echoed through the great hall. Ron had backhanded her across the face in his rage. And now all bets were off. Faster than he could react, Ron was punched in the face by Viktor and then slapped hard by Fleur. Before he could register what had just happened, Ronald Weasley was lifted off the ground by a really strong kick into his nether regions from behind. That's right, Harry, still with the tray in his hands, was already running towards Ron when he heard what he said. But when he hit Daphne, he broke into a sprint, summoned Ornstein's boots to his feet and poured every ounce of strength into the kick. Whimpering, Ron sank to the ground, holding his balls in pain. Setting the tray on the table, Harry said with anger in his voice "LEO HASTA!"
Ron felt a cold piece of metal lifting his chin. He looked up and stared into the rage filled eyes of Harry, who had the dragon slayer cross spear pointed at him. "Five seconds. You have five seconds to get out of here or I will put more holes in you than in a block of cheese!" "Ha-Harry mate-" Slamming the spear blade into the ground a hairbreadth away from his head, Harry roared "GET LOST AND NEVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!" Scrambling to his feet, Ron fled the hall as fast as he could, Professor McGonagall already on his trail.
"Are you alright Daphne?" Asked Harry in a soft voice after he let the spear disappear. The blonde girl rubbed her cheek with a napkin and scowled "Luckily the weasel has the strength of a flobberworm. The grease on his hands was more irritating than the actual punch" Laughing in relief that she was ok, Harry handed out the drinks and spent the rest of the evening in an activity he would never have imagined he enjoyed. To slag about Ronald Weasley.
Later, near the dungeons
Harry had Daphne on his arm. Being a gentleman, he offered Daphne to escort her back to her common room, an offer she happily accepted. Arriving at the portrait that led into the snake den, the two fourth years separated. "Thank you for tonight Daphne. I would never have imagined that I would have so much fun at a ball. Sorry that Ron ruined it" Chuckling, Daphne replied "Don't worry about the git. I had a lot of fun as well. So thank you Harry" She kissed him on the cheek and whispered the password to the portrait. Just before their hands parted completely, she stopped. Turning around, she said with a seductive grin on her face "You know, I am alone in my dorm tonight." "Really?" Asked Harry, unsure what was going on. "Yep" replied Daphne, popping the p. "Tracy and Bulstrode went home over christmas break and we threw Parkinson out last year" "...why?" "Snoring and farting" shuddered Daphne. "However" her smirk returned "Wanna come in with me and help me feel less alone?"
Now THAT was the last thing he expected tonight. Really, Harry had thought it would be more likely that Ron blew up and then snogged Malfoy before Daphne would invite him into her bed. Thinking it over, Harry got help from his two ancient friends one last time for tonight. "It is rude to turn down the offer from a lady, brother" said Ornstein. "But please son, take our rings off before you engage, ok?" Laughing mentally, Harry thought "To hell with concerns, time to live!" He slipped his rings off and swiped Daphne up in his arms. "Led the way my fair lady". The stunning witch pulled his head down and gave him a deep kiss. "With pleasure your Grace". And so, Harry had the best night of his life (yet).
Another chapter down yay :D Was fun to write once again. If it does seem rushed to you, come on. There are so many fics out there that describe the yule ball as a whole. Same with Sirius' trial. We all know how it goes so I didn't feel like writing it. But how did you like it? I hope you liked it. The thing with Ron is, I didn't want to make him a complete jerk when he "apologised", instead I made him a jerk using alcohol and emotions. I really wanted to have him be Harry's friend again, but then I thought it over and realised, all the bashing of Ron makes sense. He is many things, but a good friend, he is not. And as someone who got exploited and lied to in the past, I can't forgive someone who breaks trust.
However, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you next time.
Bye :D