I do not own Harry Potter, this is a fan fiction.

Dumbledore was quite relieved to see that Harry was so reasonable. He even made the last minutes of his Phoenix a lot happier. The burn days was always stressful for Fawkes , but thanks to Harry it went off a lot easier. The reborn Fawkes came out of the ashes and was quite happy to see Harry when he came out of the pile of ashes.

Harry decided to go back to his common room. The gargoyles still looked quite scared of his threat. "See, nothing bad happen. I was not planning to ritualistic slaughter anyone. Honestly I just wanted to talk to the man." One of the gargoyles decide to look at him in the eye and saw he was indeed honest.

"Sir, if no one ever wanted to harm the headmaster of this school. Why do you think they placed us here? I know you were quite in a hurry Lord. But please understand it is no fun for either myself or my wife to sit here all the time. " Harry told him he understood and apologized for his actions.

As they left his wife talked to him. " Must have been something really important to him. He seems like a good boy. I told you he would listen to reason. " Her husband asked if they were guarding the school sewers would she still feel the same? "Aren't we guarding a sewer of sorts anyways?" His wife had a point so much political bullshit went up and down the stairs it could be called a sewer. These made the two gargoyles do something they did not do often, laugh.

Harry walked up the owl resting quarters and Hedwig was quite happy to see him. She flew down and sat on his shoulder giving him a little nip on his ear as a show of affection. "Hedwig, I am sorry to ask you to do this, but I have a letter for Fleur. Please make sure you get there safe. I do not want to lose you."

She put her leg out and waited for him to place the letter. She gave him another nip and took off. She was one of the fastest owl in the school. She flew like she was a commercial airplane. She got to the school in just two hours. She saw Fleur eating breakfast. She flew down and did as many owls before her. She delivered the letter. "Now who could be sending me mail this early?"

Fleur opened the letter and began to blush and smile. Her good friend asked what was making good her so happy. Fleur gave her the letter for her to see. 'Dearest and beloved mate. I know two years is not such a long time when compared to the rest of our lives, but to me it feels like an eternity. I am writing to send you my love and tell you that I do miss you so. Be safe. Your loving mate, Harry.'

Her friend could understand why she was smiling like that, but what this about a mate? "Fleur I do not mean to pry but why is this Harry calling you his mate?" Fleur looked at her friend and told her she did not mind answering at all. "Simple, because as a couple of days ago I am no longer single. That letter should pretty much tell you how romantic my mate is. I guess he sent it so that the other girls who love to gossip would spread word that their boyfriends are no longer in danger of me trying to steal them. In other words my mate did it to make my time here easier. "

Ivone had to agree that the other girls did make her stay I school rather unpleasant. "I never understood why they need to be so protective. If the guy decided to ask you out, clearly their so called boyfriend was not being faithful period." Ivone was a very pretty black haired witch, she always had her long hair in a ponytail. She had a great figure since she was part of the dance club and played quidditch any chances they got.

"I know but it is still quite the nice gesture from my mate. If only I could reward him when he gets here. I didn't even get to enjoy my honeymoon. If you saw him, my mate makes most of the boys here seem plain by comparison." Ivone joked that maybe she wanted to do some mating. "And how, but my mate is stuck in that borish castle in England for two years."

Ivone asked what could she mean, magical schools usually went for seven years not two. Fleur told her that her mate would attend from the third year onwards from their school. "So maybe the shoe is going to be on the other foot. If he is as much a hunk as you say, who is to say the witches in our school will not try to have some fun with him?"

"Are you counting yourself among those that might want to have a go at my mate? Or am I imagining things? " Ivone told her she was not imagining anything, it was not unheard of for male veelas to have multiple mates. In fact in some flocks it was actually encouraged. " Let's get something straight my dear close personal friend, he is mine! Anyone who tries to seduce my mate is in for one hell of a beating."

"Which is why the other girls were so hostile towards you all this time. Your hunk is not even here and you are already thinking about beating some bimbo's skull in. Imagine what you will be like when he actually gets here. " This made Fleur laugh as she finally understood why the other girls were so hostile.

" They will not even have a chance. My mate is very faithful to me. After all would he risk losing a classical beauty like me? " Ivone said it was more likely he did not want to be on the receiving end of the beating she would give him." Well, there is that too, of course. A good mate has to teach the mate in her life proper ethics after all. "

Ivone began to laugh and say that it was too much work, and that it was the reason for her still not looking for a boyfriend, let alone a mate. " I don't know if your figure gets any better. You will not need to find do a boyfriend, he will find you. " Ivone looked rather upset at that comment. "yeah, yeah, remind me again my dear friend who is the one of us who is older and who is the one that is married to a total hunk, by her own admission no less?"

Fleur finished her breakfast and writing her mate a response which he tied to Hedwig , after she stole a piece of bacon from her friend's breakfast. "Well that would be me. I happen to get really lucky, and when he gets here, then I will really get lucky. Two whole years and I can only send him a reply. God how many cold showers am I going to have to take?"

They both left to their own classes. "You hear the latest gossip, they are trying to do a triwizard tournament in a few years." Fleur watched Hedwig fly off in the direction of her mate's school. "God I hope not, the last one had no winners. They all died on the blasted thing. Money reward is nothing to sneeze at, but you can't even collect it if you are dead."

Hedwig really out did herself. She flew in right on time for the regular mail delivery, and all that distance too. She flew down to his shoulder and took the letter from her. She then motioned for little plate on the side of his. He set apart some food in case she showed up. The other owls looked like they were glaring daggers at her.

He ate her food while Harry opened his letter. 'To my beloved mate: I miss you too, more than a piece of paper can convey. Two years of cold showers I hope I don't get sick because of it. If you think you miss me, well I really need you in my bed to keep me nice and cozy. Love, Fleur. P.S. See you during Christmas break I got you a present we will both really enjoy. '

Hedwig thanked him for the kind gesture. But what really upset the other owls was what happened next. He took her in his arms and gave her a kiss on her head. You can almost hear the owl thinking.' what the hell!? My master never showed me that kind of appreciation. '

She flew off to the place the owls considered their home away from home. She looked actually quite happy. "So something good in your mail, or do you miss your girlfriend so much that you needed to kiss your owl in her place?" Hermione was not happy to hear this from Neville Longbottom. The boy with an overinflated head.

"First thing it is none of your beeswax Longbottom. Second I don't have a girlfriend, I am married you wanker. Lastly how I show appreciation to my owl for a job extremely well done it's between me and her so keep your nose out of it, if you can. "

Neville to wanted to use the killing curse right there and then. But much to his displeasure he did not know that spell. It was a nice unforgivable curse that earned you a life sentence in Azkaban for just casting it. But seeing the freak dead would be worth it or so Neville believed. He was sure he could get an amnesty since he was a world hero, the boy who lived.

Harry sometimes couldn't understand why did Neville believed himself the supposed boy who lived, when he had nothing that showed that he survived the killing curse. A curse that powerful would never touch someone and leave no mark, no evidence that the person had this curse cast on them. The countless dead people that died because of it all had some kind do of residual energy of the curse on their bodies. But Neville had no such mark and no energy was ever detected on him. It was almost as he suspected. Neville was never on the receiving end of that curse.

Before his next class he walked over to the greenhouses and we to see professor Sprout. The professor was curious what he was doing at the greenhouse they would have expected a classic a couple of days but not today. "Sorry to bother you professor, but do you have any Bay leaves?" Sprout was even more surprised by this question.

"Indeed I do but I can not give them to you unless you tell me the purpose you plan to used them for. " Harry had defense against the Dark Arts in half an hour, so he had to be direct. " Professor Quirrell tends to stutter so badly that we can understand a word he says. I saw a remedy using a bay leaf, so I figured it was worth a try. " Professor Sprout was happy to see he was doing it as a favor to a fellow professor. He gave him ten fresh Bay leaves.

As he finally made it to class and saw professor Quirrell he gave him the leaves. " Professor try not looking directly at the people you are talking to and talk with one of these leaves under your tongue." Professor Quirrell did not know why he should do those things. "please professor for your students give it a try."

He went to his seat and the rest of the class finally came in. He did place a bay leaf under his tongue and did not look at anyone directly. He began to give his class and a miracle happened he did not stutter. He went through the entire class without stuttering once. When the class was over the other students were impressed how much he knew.

"Mr. Potter please stay I need to have a word with you. " Neville was quite happy to see the freak in trouble for a change. " Professor, what can I do for you? " Quirrell asked what were those leaves and if he knew of other things he could do." Bay leaves, sir. You could try to teach your lesson in a rhythm, you will not stutter if you are almost singing your words. Another thing is to visualize the words before you speak them. I am sorry professor if you feel that I was doing a prank."

" Nonsense Mr. Potter I am quite grateful for this. It felt wonderful to have my students actually listen and understand my lesson. " Harry told him he simply wanted to help him feel happier while teaching their class. Harry left a smiling Quirrell as he went to his history lesson. Little did he know the reason he stuttered was caused due to him being so nervous that he would be found out.

The Dark Lord had been very specific that he was to steal the sorcerer's stone and with it he could make a full recovery. The other reason for his stuttering was that he was being possessed by the very same Dark Lord. The leaves did make it easier for him to teach. But he wondered why did the Potter boy decide to help him, what could he be after. He simply couldn't believe that someone would want to help him, as a honest act of kindness.