Chapter Fourteen: The White Lies Revealed
New York City was the city that never slept. At any hour of the day one could require drugs, drink, gambling or any other lust and wicked desire you could yield from obsession. It was a city of wonder, chaos and brutal history. The English had conquered New York back before the Revolutionary War, Irish gangs fought the Union Army during the Civil War in an epic four day riot where thousands were killed, and even presently, thousands of people ranging from all over the four corners of the globe landed on the docks of Ellis Island, yearning for a chance of the good life America offered.
Needless to say, it also boasted as one of the most violent and corrupt cities in the world. Hundreds were killed, raped, robbed and heartbroken every day. It was the city of both Hell and Heaven, the best of both worlds, and underneath it all, lay an underworld of abandoned train tunnels, passages and catacombs.
It was nearing four in the morning as a lone man walked briskly down the cobble roads of Little Italy, a section of New York known for Italian food, Chianti and tales of the mafia that supposedly still ran Manhattan. The man wore a ragged rain jacket and soot-covered slacks. His shoes were worn thin and he grimaced with pain as the rough road underneath punished his feet, but he kept his pace. He didn't want to be late. He knew the rules of his profession, and the life he lead. A rule he knew not to break was never keep a contact waiting, especially the one he was going to meet.
Over the past two years he had questioned and worried over the double life he was leading. Spy for the Order, subject to the Dark Lord.
If only I hadn't been caught, he said to himself for probably the hundredth time that night.
He had thought about running. Two weeks ago an old friend offered security in an unknown town on the outskirts of Alaska, but he had turned it down. He willed himself to think that he wasn't afraid, that he was in control and that Alaska would be so miserable and cold he probably would have just killed himself, but he knew he was kidding himself. He would have been discovered and he'd be found horrifically murdered in a shed just like Karkaroff had been.
The image made him grimace and unconsciously grab his left forearm.
All too soon, he arrived at his destination. Santino's Café was a mom and pop hole in the wall that had probably been owned by the same family since its establishment over a hundred years ago. He wouldn't be surprised if he saw the great grand-daughter at the hostess stand, a nephew as the waiter and the old but charming grandmother cooking Ravioli through the expo line. Then he remembered it was the dead of night and probably some third cousin who needed the money for his crack problem would be the only one inside, merely serving re-heated alfredo with half empty bottles of Pinot.
He opened the front door and stepped inside the candle-lit room. The café was empty except for a diseased looking man behind the bar counter sneaking a glass of scotch. He nodded at the waiter who grinned and took down the drink and pointed to the back of the room.
A tall and mean-looking man sat at the last table, his back to the far wall, a bottle of red wine in front of him with two glasses. The man who had just entered felt his insides harden and his heart beat quicker. He walked as casually as he could and sat opposite of the man who had been waiting for him.
'Glad to see you made the appointment Jack,' the man said refilling his glass.
Jack settled himself in his chair and tried his best to smile, revealing stained yellow teeth, a few of which were missing. He hunched over the table to grab the bottle but in a flash the other man moved the bottle away from him.
'Come on man,' Jack whined. 'I'm freezing my ass off, let me warm up a little.'
'You can warm up after you tell me what I want to know,' the man said flatly.
Jack heaved a great sigh and put his hands in his pockets under the table, gripping the wand with his right hand as he did so. Though he knew that the man sitting with him could easily out duel him, he still felt a little better knowing he came armed.
'You know,' Jack said eyeing the bottle, 'It wasn't easy getting out of there. I think they know that I'm ratting on them. If the Dark Lord gets wind of this conversation…'
'He won't,' the man said evenly.
'If he does,' Jack insisted, 'I'm a dead man. So I was thinking that this information you want from me is pretty important.'
'You know it is,' the man replied, his voice getting dangerous.
'So yea,' Jack said gripping his wand tighter. 'I think you should give me a little extra.'
The man didn't reply. He stared at Jack Sloan for a full minute, wanting nothing more than to reach across the table and strangle him to death, but he couldn't. He also had his orders, and he wasn't going to give up the fortune that was promised to him over a piece of shit like Jack Sloan. Besides, it really didn't matter how much Sloan wanted anyways.
'How much more do you want Jack?' the man asked.
Jack shrugged, his eyes still on the bottle, but waved his left hand dismissively, his right still on the wand.
'I was thinking like maybe,' he pause, thought some more and said, 'five hundred galleons?'
There was a tense silence. Although it was near freezing outside, Jack was beginning to sweat and the man noticed. He looked over Jack's shoulder and saw the waiter return with another bottle of wine. He placed it on the table, already opened and marched back into the kitchen. After another minute, the man poured Jack a small glass.
'Alright Sloan,' he said putting the bottle back down on the red and white checkered table. 'Sounds fair.'
He opened his jacket and pulled out a crimson velvet bag and tossed it unceremoniously on the table. Jack greedily snatched it and undid the string and peered inside. Satisfied, his retied the bag and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.
'Now tell me,' the man said coldly.
Jack leaned back in his seat, the grip on his wand getting looser and smiled.
'Well, like I said, it wasn't easy getting this info,' Jack began. 'But I can tell you, its not gonna do you any good. No one can get to it, not even you, and a team of your best Aurors.'
'Who's guarding it?' the man persisted leaning closer to Jack.
'Guess.'
'I don't like guessing, Jack, so just fucking tell me because my patience is wearing thin.'
Jack looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one was around. He was sweating even more now. He reached inside his pocket and dug out a piece of parchment. Stealthily, he slid the parchment across the table. The man took the parchment and put it into his pocket without looking at what it said.
'The location,' Jack answered. 'It's on the last corridor on the right. There's only one way into that room and forget about apparating in there.'
'Inferi?'
'No,' Jack said and his back stiffened. 'Death Eaters.'
'Death Eaters?' the man asked bewildered. 'The Dark Lord wouldn't have his own men protecting it. He'd use spells, enchantments, maybe Dementors but he wouldn't use his own men.'
Sweat was pouring out of Jack's face and he began to twitch.
'These aren't just Death Eaters,' he whispered. 'These are the most violent bloodsucking psychos I've ever seen. These are the worst of the worst, man, I'm telling you. When they're not guarding it, they're out of the streets, torturing muggles and killing kids just out of boredom. No one can get past them, not even the Dark Lord could do it by himself.'
The man listened intently to all of this. He knew Jack wasn't lying to him but he still couldn't figure it out. Voldemort wouldn't have just regular wizards guarding something so priceless. There was something else to this, but at the moment he didn't know for certain. The waiter's voice brought him out of his thoughts.
'Another bottle?' he wheezed.
'No,' he answered. 'But I'll be awhile with my friend here. Come back out in ten
minutes.'
The waiter gave the man a curious look before shrugging and mumbling something about having a smoke.
Jack leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply.
'Nervous I'm gonna rat you out Jack?' the man asked.
Jack leaned his head back and took in a deep breath.
'Nah,' he said. 'I was just wondering something?'
'At that is?'
Jack looked the man straight in the eye, and as quick as he could, jumped out of his chair, pulling his wand out as he did so.
'Expelliarmus!' he shouted.
The man's wand flew out from under the table and landed with a thud on the other end of the room. Jack laughed with delight.
'Can't believe I just got the better of you,' he sneered raising his wand to shoulder height. 'After killing you, I'll be in the Dark Lord's favor again, not to mention whatever money you still got on you.'
To Jack's astonishment, the man smirked. He raised his glass and downed the rest of the wine.
'You know what I don't like about wizards like you Jack?' the man asked putting his arms behind his back.
Jack pointed his wand over the man's chest.
'Yea, what's that?'
The man yawned, cracked his head to one side and grinned.
'They underestimate muggle ingenuity.'
Jack had enough to time to blink before he heard a small pop and instantly he felt an overwhelming searing pain from his chest. He stumbled back, the wand in his hand forgotten and he looked down to see a small hole in the center of his chest, right underneath his heart. Blood slowly oozed from the hole, as he looked up to see the man still sitting at the table, a pistol with a long cylinder attached to it held firmly in his hand. Jack Sloan raised his wand and with the last amount of breath he had left in his lungs, whispered, 'Aveda, Ke-'
The man fired twice more, once more into Jack's chest, another right above his left eye. Jack Sloan dropped his wand, swayed a moment, and then fell on the cold wooden floor. He was dead.
Riley Sevagio slowly stood up and looked at the lifeless form of Jack Sloan with little regret. He still held the pistol in his hand but after a moment slid it back into the holster. He walked forward and knelt over the body and fished out the crimson bag of galleons, Jack's wand and anything else that would be considered "magical." He picked up his own wand on his way out and left a few muggle notes for the wine. He walked out the door, made his way down a deserted alley, checked to see that he was for sure alone, and apparated.
A few minutes later, the waiter returned from his cigarette break to find Jack Sloan with three bullet holes in him lying in the middle of the cafe. He called the police moments later, but not before stealing the watch off the dead man, staining the wooden floors with blood, revealing a morbid tattoo of a skull with a snake coming out the mouth, inked upon his left forearm.
Harry Potter sat at the edge of the forbidden forest twirling his wand with his fingers, his eyes closed. The next week at Hogwarts had been utter chaos and melancholy. Harry only knew one of the four students that had lost their parents. Although he never liked Zacharias Smith, point of fact he hated him, but he still felt awful and sorry for the Hufflepuff. His parents had been murdered at the hands of Lord Voldemort, and even though he been told many times there was nothing he could do about it, he still felt responsible. Day in and day out he grew more and more frustrated with Hogwarts, and the wizarding world. To cope with his stress, he began working out almost as hard as he had over the summer. He took to waking up an hour earlier to take an even longer run. He dueled with Ron during their time away from classes and he constantly bugged Hermione about new curses, jinxes and anything else he might find useful. The enormous weight upon his shoulders was starting to get to him, and even the kiss with Sarah Davenport did little to cheer him up.
And then there was Voldemort, or the lack of Voldemort. Since he had returned to Hogwarts his scar never seared up in pain, but kept a rhythmic tingly that Harry usually ignored. Keeping his word to Castor he practiced Occlumency every night before going to sleep, and in the morning mediated before his run. By the time he returned to the castle, he was too out of breath to think much of anything besides breakfast. It was a perfect way to clear one's head.
He took from his pocket the letter that he had received only minutes before kissing Sarah. He had read it over a dozen times, had talked with Hermione constantly over its meaning but still was left bewildered. The note read:
Harry,
I'm not sure what is driving your curiosity over this request of yours but I know you well enough to know that you're not just interested in the coincidence that Elizabeth Albin died on the same night as your parents. I didn't know her all that well, Harry, but she was a very likable and extremely talented witch. I bet she would have given Lily a run for her money. Sirius had quite an eye for her. She was a year above of us. She was probably the oldest girl at Hogwarts but before her final year she left. I rarely heard from her again, only in passing. I didn't even know that she died the same night as your parents until much later on. I'm sorry, but that's all I can remember about her. I hope you're staying out of trouble. Take care.
Remus
Harry had read the letter over and over again and although he couldn't put his finger on it, he knew something was off. He knew, deep down, that Remus Lupin wasn't telling him the entire truth.
For the next couple of days, Harry tried to black out all he could about the attacks on Hermione's parents, the murders that the Death Eaters were responsible for, and the agonizing torment of waiting for his private lesson with Professor Castor on Friday. He threw himself back into his studies, forgot all about the Winter Ball and concentrated his effort on his schoolwork and Quidditch. Even Ron was complaining about the practices they were having, yet Harry would not let up. It was only after a grueling practice that went well after dinner that Ginny finally grabbed Harry by the collar and insisted that he ease up on the team.
'I know you got a lot going through your mind,' she had said quietly so the rest of the team wouldn't hear her, 'but you're killing them, and we could use a break.'
Angrily, Harry relented and called off the weekend practices and stormed back up to the castle, not even caring about the concerned looks from Ron, Ginny and the rest of the Gryffindor team.
Later that night, Harry walked the now familiar march to Castor's office, preparing to what he assumed would be three hours of strenuous hell in which Castor would get inside his mind, and discover whatever secrets Harry had left, one of which was Elizabeth Ann Albin, and Harry worked diligently every night to try his best to erase the memory of what he had found in Castor's bedroom during the summer. He didn't doubt for a second that if the young American wizard found out what Harry knew, he would certainly beat him to death.
He walked slowly passed the deserted corridors and almost walked past an empty classroom when out of the darkness, someone grabbed him with both hands and tugged him inside the room.
Instantly, he pried himself off and went for his wand, but was completely caught off guard when the stranger grabbed him roughly by the shirt, pulled him forward, and kissed him. Harry staggered for a minute, completely forgetting where he was and having no clue who was kissing him and that thought made him come back to his senses. He peeled away and focused his eyes to see Sarah Davenport smiling up at him, her face flushed.
'Hope I didn't scare you,' she whispered kissing him once more.
'Uh,' was all that Harry could say.
'I saw you coming down the corridor so I decided to play a little trick on you,' she breathed leaning in and kissing him again.
Harry regained himself and kissed her back, her fingernails leaving trails of ice along his back.
'Minx,' he muttered before kissing her once more.
Sarah giggled.
'Are we still going to Hogsmeade on Sunday?' she asked as she kissed his neck.
Harry's breathing was getting hoarse.
'Absolutely,' he said. 'But, oh shit, what time is it?'
He untangled himself from Sarah and checked his watch. Had it been twenty minutes already he asked himself. He looked at Sarah and immediately got depressed.
'Sorry,' he said. 'But I have to go, I have, er, extra lessons with Professor, er McGonagall.'
'Oh,' she said, and she looked disappointed. 'Are you late?'
'Uh,' Harry said looking at his watch. 'Not yet.'
Sarah looked up and him and smirked, raising her eyebrows.
'Well,' she said grabbing Harry's hands and placing them on her shoulders, and then slowly letting his hands slide lower, 'You can be a little late can't you?'
Harry's eyes widened as she pressed herself against him, his hands caressing every inch they could.
'Well,' he breathed before kissing her again, 'I'm sure ten minutes won't kill me.'
Harry was fifteen minutes late when he knocked on Castor's door, his hair wildly messy, his shirt unbuttoned and his lips beet red. Before he could knock, the door magically opened and Harry walked through, the door closing as he passed the threshold into Castor's smoky quarters. Castor himself was sitting behind his desk, rummaging through parchment, smoking a cigarette and pouring a glass of brandy with a wave of his hand.
'You're late,' he said not bothering to look up.
Harry noticed that Castor wasn't alone. Professor Addams was sitting in a comfy looking armchair, the fire illuminating his golden eyes as he periodically smoked on a pipe, the rich tobacco permeated through the room, filling Harry's nostrils.
'Sorry,' Harry mumbled. 'I got caught up.'
Castor looked up and after noticing Harry's disheveled state of dress, merely shook his head and went back to his papers.
'Have a seat Harry,' Addams said gesturing for Harry to take a seat opposite him. Harry hesitated but then walked forward and sat down. Harry felt weary being in the presence of Nathanial Addams not just because that Harry knew deep down that Addams had come to Hogwarts for the sole purpose of seeing him, but also because he was late to Castor's office because he was busy feeling up one of Addams' top students. What made Harry even more nervous, he didn't know which reason why Addams was sitting across from him.
'Sir,' he said, 'what are you doing here?'
To Harry's relief, the Headmaster did not take offense to the blatant question. He didn't speak for a minute, his eyes peering into the fire.
'I'm here, at Hogwarts, for you of course,' he said pleasantly. 'Surely Professor Castor told you that.'
Harry looked over at Castor who still hadn't looked back up but continued flying through parchments on his desk.
'He mentioned something about you coming here for me, and that you would bring students to make sure that no one got suspicious of your presence.'
'Exactly,' Addams said smiling. 'Though I must say, even if this little chat we're about to have wouldn't have taken place, it still is quite nice visiting Hogwarts. It's been many years since I've been here.'
Harry could sense that natural power the wizard possessed, a familiar sensation Harry felt whenever he was around Dumbledore.
'How familiar are you in your History of Magic knowledge?' Addams asked, the fire dancing off his round glasses. Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
'Not that good sir,' he muttered.
Thankfully, Addams smiled.
'Yes. I hear that Professor Binns can be rather boring sometimes,' he said cheerfully.
Harry grinned sheepishly.
'I'd like to tell you a story Harry,' Addams said. 'And please listen carefully for it holds great importance with what will partake in the near future.'
Although Harry didn't understand much of what Addams had just said, though he leaned closer with interest. It was remarkable how similar Addams was to Dumbledore Harry thought. Though both men were exceptionally powerful and shouldered much responsibility, they were both cordial and rather humble, as though they were equal to all they encountered which Harry respected, and which most powerful men were incapable of doing.
Addams brought the end of his wand to his pipe and re-lit the tobacco. He puffed for a moment, collecting his thoughts before addressing Harry once more.
'Harry, in the year 1066, a powerful man from Normandy by the name of William the Conqueror took his army of over fifty thousand men across the English Channel and invaded England.'
Addams paused and puffed on his pipe before continuing.
'With the exception of the Romans, who only conquered the southern half of England, William is the only man ever to successfully conquer all of Great Britain. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, he appointed himself the King of England.'
'Uh Professor?' Harry interjected. 'Sorry to interrupt, but what exactly does this have to do with me or you being here?'
Addams chuckled.
'Patience, Harry, I'm getting to that,' he said. He took a sip from his goblet, cleared his throat and began once more.
'Now then, after William had made himself King, he set his sights on the rest of the U.K., particularly Scotland and Ireland. He sent Norman loyalists to rule over both Scotland and Ireland. Now, keep in mind that this is nearly a thousand years ago.'
Addams paused and looked at Harry expectantly. Harry, at a loss, simply shrugged nervously.
'So?' he asked dumbly.
Addams sighed, his golden eyes twinkling in the firelight. 'Come now Harry. What else occurred a thousand years ago?'
Harry thought for a minute then it suddenly hit him.
'Hogwarts was founded.'
Addams nodded. 'During this time of the transaction of William's reign, many witches and wizards fled from their homes in England and started new lives in Scotland, Ireland and Wales and spent the rest of their lives dodging Norman loyalists. Four of these wizards and witches fled to a small county just north of Dover, which is where we are conveniently sitting.'
Harry made to speak but Addams lifted his hand for silence.
'Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin were the most well known sorcerers in their time. The four had planned to build a school for our world in England but after William's invasion, they fled to Scotland and built Hogwarts. This is all in Hogwarts: A History should you ever get around to read it.'
Harry snorted. Addams smiled before continuing.
'Hogwarts was an immense success. Wizards and witches from all over the world came here to study from the four greatest sorcerers of all time, but there was one small problem.'
'What?' Harry asked.
Addams sighed. 'No one is immortal Harry. What the four didn't think about was who would govern the school once they were gone. After Salazar Slytherin had left the school because of his, shall we say disagreements with the other three, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw agreed that only one, not three or four would preside over the duties of Headmaster.'
'The three voted and agreed that Godric Gryffindor would be the first Headmaster of Hogwarts, which he was until his death at the age of 148. Rowena Ravenclaw died shortly after; rumor has it she died of a broken heart for her beloved Godric, which left only Helga Hufflepuff, the last surviving founder of Hogwarts to run the school. For the next twenty-five years, she concocted the future of Hogwarts, added many corridors, courtyards and greenhouses to the castle. She also is responsible for the by-laws stating at the time of death of the Headmaster or Headmistress, only the Deputy Headmaster or mistress can take their place, and only a hundred percent vote by the Board of Governors can have a Headmaster relieved of their duties, which has only occurred once in the school's history.'
'The Chamber of Secrets,' Harry said. 'Lucius Malfoy threatened the council to have Dumbledore thrown out.'
'Correct,' Addams said. 'Now, where was I?'
'Helga Hufflepuff?' Harry asked.
'Ah yes,' Addams said taking another puff from his pipe. 'Now Harry, Helga Hufflepuff was the Headmistress of Hogwarts for twenty-five years after the death of Godric Gryffindor, though she resigned from her position only a few weeks before her death at the ripe old age of 173.'
'Wow,' was all Harry could say.
'Indeed,' Addams said smiling. 'Not a bad age to get to, I believe that record is set by Nicolas Flamel, who died at the age of 667, though he had the Sorcerer's Stone. The record for those who didn't have an elixir of life died at the age 184, but that is another story.'
'Before Helga died, she gave all her personal effects to her grand-daughter, Edwina Hufflepuff. Over the years, the family has kept the heirlooms of Helga in the family, yet as the years went by fewer and fewer of Helga's belongings remained.'
'How's that possible Professor?' Harry asked.
'Well Harry,' Addams said, 'over nearly eight hundred years, many belongings were stolen, destroyed or lost over time.'
Addams paused and a gloomy look crossed his face, and Harry recognized the expression in Addams eye. It was a look of regret and longing.
'Are there any descendents left of Helga Hufflepuff?' Harry asked.
'Only one actually,' Professor Addams said. 'Zacharias Smith. After his parents were
killed, he is the only known descendent left of Helga Hufflepuff.'
Harry didn't know what to say to this but simply nodded. He had no idea that Smith, the same boy who questioned him all of last year, the same boy who constantly riled him during his commentary, the same boy whose parents had been killed last week, was a descendent to Helga Hufflepuff.
'Now, about fifty years ago. Zacharias' Great-Aunt was in possession of the cup. She was mysteriously murdered after a young man had visited her. Her family never found the cup in her possessions. It had vanished. And this, my dear boy, is where you come in.'
'Me?' Harry asked. 'What does all this have to do with me?'
'Potter,' Castor said coldly. Harry jumped. He had forgotten that Castor was still in the room. He now stood behind his desk, looking directly at him. 'Remember what I told you about the Grail?'
'Yes but,' said Harry, and then it suddenly hit him. Could it be? Harry sat dumbstruck for what felt like an eternity before turning his attention back to Addams.
'You were friends with Dumbledore weren't you? He told you about me and him going into the Pensieve.'
Addams smiled and nodded in confirmation. It took all of three seconds for Harry to finally pull all the pieces of the puzzle together.
'It's the cup!' he said with awe. 'The Holy Grail is the cup of Helga Hufflepuff! The same cup I saw in the Pensieve last year. The woman who had it last was Hepizbah Smith. She was related to Zacharias. She had it right until she showed it to Lord Voldemort. She was murdered three days later and the cup vanished. Voldemort has the cup! The Horcrux is the cup of Hufflepuff!'
He paused and looked over at Castor. 'You're Holy Grail.'
Castor didn't say anything for a moment until finally nodding.
'Bravo, Potter. Bravo.'
Harry stood up and paced the room, both Addams and Castor eyeing him expectantly. He paced for a minute before turning and addressing the Headmaster.
'You came to Hogwarts to help get the Horcrux. It was you who told Castor that the Horcrux was in New York City.'
Addams chanced a glance at Castor who bowed his head, as if not daring to look his former Headmaster in the eye. Harry picked up on it.
'You went after the Horcrux yourself didn't you?' Harry said staring at Castor in disbelief. 'But you failed. That day in Hogsmeade, you showed up nearly killed. You managed to escape but you couldn't get to it.'
Castor looked at Harry for a long few seconds before turning away and walked back to his desk. Addams said nothing, he merely sat in the armchair and continued to smoke his pipe. But Harry wasn't through.
'We're going to go after it aren't we?' Harry said. 'The three of us.'
'No,' Castor said abruptly. 'Not just us three.'
Before Harry could say anything there was a knock on the door.
'Come in,' Castor said.
The door opened softly and in walked probably one of the last people Harry wanted to see.
Riley Sevagio was dressed in a thick traveling cloak. He looked exhausted, his face had gotten much thinner and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. He closed the door and walked into the room.
'Good to see you Riley,' Professor Addams said.
Sevagio didn't say anything but merely nodded to the old man.
'Jack Sloan?' Castor asked from behind his desk pouring two drinks into glasses.
Sevagio looked over at Harry then back at Castor and shook his head.
Castor let out an angry huff.
'You didn't have to kill him, Riley,' he said angrily.
Sevagio shrugged, went into his pockets and pulled out a piece of parchment.
'Not that I had much of a choice,' he said plainly. 'Though he did give me some useful information.'
'How many?' Addams asked.
'Atleast thirty.'
Castor let out a whistle then looked over at Addams.
'You sure you want to do this Professor?' he asked solemnly.
Addams locked eyes with Castor as he slowly stood up.
'Yes,' he replied. 'I think I owe it to Albus to help young Harry here.'
Castor nodded and gestured for all three men to sit around the fire.
For the next hour Harry listened intently to what would happen the night of the Ball. The more he listened, the more he began to worry. This was suicide he thought later. Four wizards, although as powerful and skilled as Sevagio, Castor and Addams were, going against thirty Death Eaters wasn't exactly fair, or what he had in mind.
'The most important thing to remember gentleman is that we must contain the element of surprise. Our only chance is to get in quietly, grab the cup and bounce out. We'll have maybe ten minutes to do it before they know we're there and they send for reinforcements and I am in no shape to take on Voldemort.'
'Now Riley,' Professor Addams said calmly for he noticed the concerned look on Harry's face. 'We do know what we're doing and we'll be more than prepared after the Ball.'
'After the Ball?' Harry asked abruptly.
All three men turned to him.
'Yes Potter,' Sevagio said coldly. 'After the Ball. When it's over, we'll all meet back here then portkey to New York. The American students will stay at the castle til the following night and no one will be in any hurry to wake up early on a Saturday. There is less of a chance someone will notice that you, along with Professor Addams and Castor are gone. Unless of course, you have any objections?'
Harry opened his mouth but judging by the looks that the rest of the men were giving him, he quickly closed it.
The sat in silence for a minute, until Addams stood up slowly and stretched.
'Well,' he said tiredly. 'I believe if there is anything less to discuss, I'll make my way back to my quarters.'
'Remember gentlemen,' Castor said firmly. 'One o'clock, Friday night, an hour after the Ball, a week from tonight.'
'Care to show me out Harry?' Addams asked.
Harry, now feeling sick more than anything else, stood up slowly, mumbled a goodnight to Castor and walked towards the door.
'Potter,' Castor called out before he reached it. Harry turned. Castor was now standing next to Sevagio, both giving looks of cynical tiredness.
'I know that you are very close with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, but you will not tell them what has transpired in this room tonight. It is for their own safety that they be kept in the dark.'
'But Professor,' Harry started but Castor cut him off.
'And there is not a chance in hell that they will be accompanying us to New York, and that is non-negotionable.'
'But they're my friends!' Harry said angrily. 'I want them to be there with me.'
'Tough shit Potter,' Sevagio said coolly.
Harry's eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to Sevagio, who smirked back.
'Calm down, Potter,' Castor said putting himself between Harry and Sevagio. Castor turned to the Auror.
'Watch yourself around him Riley,' he said in a tone that left no argument.
'Oh, give it a rest Dem,' Riley said angrily. 'I don't know why you're bringing this arrogant little brat with us.'
In a flash Harry made for his wand, but Castor spun on his heel, clicked his fingers, and Harry's wand flew from his grasp and onto the floor.
'That's enough!' Castor shouted.
He turned back to Sevagio.
'I'm gonna make this clear, Riley,' he said in a grave voice. 'You ever say something like that again and mark my words you will regret it.'
Sevagio snorted.
'You really think this boy could lick me?' he asked in a sing-song voice that made
Harry's blood boil.
Castor shook his head.
'No he can't,' Castor said quietly. 'But I can.'
No one said anything for a minute. The silence in the room was almost unbearable. Sevagio stared defiantly at Castor who simply stood, staring right back but with more ease and confidence than Sevagio. It was only after Addams, who was standing at the door had cleared his voice that the two men looked away from each other. Castor turned his attention back to Harry.
'Do not tell them or anyone else,' he said evenly. 'And do not tempt me on this.'
'Then how am I gonna explain to them why I left right after the Ball and disappeared until morning?' he said angrily.
Castor looked at Harry with a skeptical expression until finally shrugging.
'Ain't you gonna go with that Sarah girl to the Ball?' he asked, this time, smirking.
Harry could feel the heat rise from his neck, and he didn't dare turn around to look at probably an amused expression on the face of Professor Addams.
'Probably,' he mumbled.
'Well then,' Castor said stepping forward, putting a hand on his shoulder and walking him towards the door. 'If I were in your shoes, I suggest being as charming and British as possible.'
He led Harry and Addams into the hallway. He nodded at Addams then looked back at Harry.
'Who knows Potter,' he said handing Harry back his wand. 'Maybe she'll want to leave the Ball early, and from what I hear, there is a very cozy broom closet on the fourth floor.'
And with that, he shut the door in Harry's face, leaving him standing in the cold and
deserted corridor, his mind spinning. He turned around quickly but was startled to notice that Addams was no where in sight, as if the old man had vanished. He started walking down the hallway towards Gryffindor Tower. He had promised Ron and Hermione that they would be with him when he went after the Horcruxes, and now, he had to lie, to his two best friends. He felt wretched knowing that they wouldn't be with him this time, but he didn't feel scared surprisingly. Or maybe he wasn't surprised at all that he wasn't afraid. With men like a mercenary, an Auror and possibly the most powerful wizard in America standing next to you, Harry felt at that moment that he could have done anything. Then again, he was sometimes foolish.
The next day Harry avoided Hermione and Ron as much as he could. He fled to the library early in the morning, went for a run around the lake in the mid-afternoon and spent the rest of the evening quietly sitting in the common room. Hermione and Ron finally had the chance to ask him about the meeting with Castor no more than ten minutes before they were due in the Great Hall for the D.A.
'We just went over Occlumency and strategy,' Harry said vaguely.
'Any word on the 'Holy Grail?" Hermione asked with a curious look.
Harry shook his head quickly.
'Castor won't say anything about it,' he heard himself say and to make it sound more official, he added in an ugly tone. 'I wish someone would tell me something.'
'Don't worry bout it mate,' Ron said. 'Let's just get to the Great Hall. I'm sure something will pop up.'
'Ron's right Harry,' Hermione piped in.
Harry froze in his tracks.
'What did you just say?' he asked barely believing it.
Ron and Hermione looked at each other and both shrugged.
'Ron's right,' Hermione said again.
Harry looked from one to the other. It had previously occurred to him that both of them were acting cordial to one another and hadn't gotten in an argument since that day in the dungeons. They were even smiling and joking with one another during classes. But this was the first time that Harry wondered if something else was going on with the two of them.
'You alright mate?' Ron asked bringing Harry out of his frame of mind.
'What?' he said. 'Oh yea, sure, just uh thinking about what its going to be like in there tonight.'
'Hope he doesn't break any bones,' Ron said with a shudder.
'I hope he does,' Hermione said pleasantly.
Ron and Harry both stopped to make sure Hermione had actually said what they thought.
'What?' they both asked.
'Well,' Hermione said plainly. 'I have said that he is really good at what he does. And besides, it is good practice for when the final battle comes.'
'You've really warmed up to the guy, you know that,' Ron said arching his eyebrows. 'You're not thinking that Professor Castor is… dare I say it… cute?'
'He most certainly is not cute,' huffed Hermione. 'But he did save my parents, and I guess what happened last week just kind of reminded me of how dangerous it is right now.'
Neither Ron nor Harry said anything as they made there way into the Great Hall.
Three long and grueling hours went by until finally Professor Castor called it quits. Harry, Ron and Hermione all walked out, sweaty and every muscle in the body tense.
'That was,' Ron breathed, 'intense.'
'You can say that again,' said Neville walking out and rubbing his shoulder.
'If its gonna be like that every Saturday,' Seamus said walking out behind Neville, 'I fer one don't wanna go back.'
'Me neither,' said Susan Bones.
Nearly everyone who was permitted to attend arrived promptly at seven o'clock, with the
exception of the Slytherins. Only four from their house showed up, one of which was Theodore Nott who had tried unsuccessfully to get back at Ron for breaking his nose the last Hogsmeade trip. Harry, who was standing at the top of the staff table, shouted the first curse at Nott he could think of just seconds before Nott could get his curse off while aiming at Ron's back. Nott had screamed in pain as yellow boils the size of golf balls started to sprout all over his arms and face.
Fuming, Castor had two Aurors escort Nott to the hospital wing, and then banned Nott along with Zabini, who was also in attendance from the dueling sessions. He also gave twenty points to Harry for exhibiting what Castor said, 'gut instincts.'
Although beat and sore, Harry was beaming on his way back to the Gryffindor Tower, not only because of Castor's praise, but also because Sarah Davenport couldn't keep her eyes off him the majority of the session.
After dropping off Hermione at the Head Girl's Room, Ron and Harry both slowly walked back to their dorms.
'You know Sarah was eyeing you all night, you know,' Ron said grinning.
'Yea,' Harry said. 'You're not steamed at me are you?'
'Better you kiss her than my sister,' Ron joked playfully slugging Harry in the arm, though it felt pretty rough.
'And who says I kissed her,' Harry asked but he was smiling too.
'Dean Thomas,' Ron said nonchalantly.
'Dean Thomas?' Harry asked.
'Says you too were going pretty wild up in the dorm during the party. I also caught wind of her dragging you into an empty classroom last night.'
Harry felt his face heat up as he looked over at Ron who was strolling down the hallway, as if he were taking a walk down the park.
'How the hell did you find out about that?' Harry asked incredulously.
'Lindsay Jacobs,' Ron said plainly.
'Who the hell is that?' Harry shouted hysterically.
'You know Lindsay mate,' Ron said. 'The red-headed American that's been on Seamus arm for the past week now. Well, Sarah told Lindsay who told Seamus, probably in the broom closet, who joked about it with Dean, who told Ginny, and Neville told me because he was eavesdropping.'
It took Harry a second to register all that information until he grimaced.
'Oh,' he said. 'Ginny knows then.'
'Looks that way,' Ron said. 'You know she's pretty mad at you for going with this American girl.'
'Why's that?' Harry asked, his anger already starting to get to him.
'Well,' Ron said, 'Jealous probably. Sarah's really smart and bloody gorgeous and if she's kissing you in a deserted classroom. Merlin knows what else, and that's okay mate, you don't have to tell me.'
'And the best part is,' Harry said grinning. 'She doesn't give me any necklaces that says My Sweetheart.'
Ron shuddered.
'Not funny.'
But in a moment, they both wound up laughing all the way back to the common room, though Harry felt worse knowing that Ginny was jealous of Sarah.
The next morning Harry met Sarah at the front gates of the school and after passing the wheezing Filch, made their way down to the village of Hogsmeade. Harry wore jeans, a thick jumper and a dark leather jacket he had "acquired" at Professor Castor's house over the summer. Though Sarah had dressed in the same manner as Harry, he still couldn't help notice how pretty she looked, even in numerous clothing.
'So,' Harry said trying to act casual. "Where do you want to go?'
Sarah shrugged.
'This is your town Potter,' she said teasingly. 'Anywhere that's warm sounds good.'
Harry grinned, took her hand and made their way to the Three Broomsticks. Once inside,
Harry went to the bar to fetch drinks while Sarah found a table in the corner of the room. He brought back two steaming mugs of butterbeer and passed one to Sarah.
'I've never had this stuff,' she said pulling off her jacket, as Harry tried to not to stare as her back arched.
'They don't have it in America?'
Sarah took a sip, grinned and said, 'We have this honey-ale called Nine Pin. Its really good.'
'You should bring me back some,' Harry said.
Sarah smiled and looked around the room.
Due to the cold and snowy December climate, the bar packed with Hogwarts students. Giggling third years beamed at their first experience in Hogsmeade. Harry spotted Ron and Hermione sitting at the other end of the room. Harry had told them he was taking Sarah to Hogsmeade and hopped it wouldn't bother them. To his surprise, they simply shrugged and Hermione said, 'have fun.'
Harry noticed that they didn't mind at all. Ron was leaning towards her and saying something funny as Hermione laughed warmly. Maybe it was just his imagination but were they sitting closer to each other than they usually did?
Harry and Sarah talked for awhile before leaving and heading down to Honeydukes. They spent some time testing candies and chatting with Seamus and Lindsay.
'I really like this place,' Sarah said leaning closer and whispering into Harry's ear.
'I'm glad,' Harry said and he boldly leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled and kissed him back, her face turning a little pink though it probably didn't have anything to do with the cold.
They spent the rest of their time in Hogsmeade visiting small shops, particularly the Quidditch supply store. (After thirty minutes, Sarah forcefully dragged Harry out) and headed back up the winding road back towards Hogwarts.
'Oh look,' Sarah said pointing at a small café. 'Madam Puddifoots, do you want to go in there and get a coffee?'
Harry flinched. There was no way in hell he was going back to that café.
'Actually,' Harry said thinking up a lie. 'I was in there once. It was terrible. Bad coffee, bad service, and they got these annoying cherubs.'
Well, it wasn't a total lie, Harry thought.
Sarah, to his great relief didn't say anything and simply walked next to him, there arms connected.
Upon reaching the grounds, Harry had no intention of going back inside. He tugged her hand a little and they walked over towards the edge of the lake. Though freezing out, Harry was starting to sweat. He still had not asked her, and his time was running out. The sun started to drift lower and lower and in a few minutes, it would be dark and they had to make it back.
They walked silently towards the lake and stopped next to the beach tree.
'Favorite spot of yours?' Sarah asked.
'Yea, it is,' Harry said remembering the time he went into Snape's Pensieve and saw his fifteen year old father trying to unsuccessfully court his mother.
'Its beautiful,' Sarah said looking out over the lake.
'Yea,' Harry said, but he wasn't looking at the lake, he was looking at her. 'Look, Sarah.'
She turned and smiled.
'I know that it might be too late to ask you,' he said thickly. He felt tense and he twitched a bit but tried to conceal it by running a hand through his hair. 'But I was wondering, if you, uh,'
'Yes?' Sarah persisted. She turned and was now facing him. She leaned a little closer.
'Well,' Harry stammered, his mouth feeling like a sandbox. 'I was hoping that you might
want to go,'
'To the Ball with you?' Sarah asked leaning a little closer and closing her eyes.
'I,' Harry mumbled, but he finally took a deep breath, leaned forward and kissed her. Sarah fell into him. Harry was so caught off guard that he took a step back and tripped over a root of the beach tree. He fell, taking Sarah with him and landed onto the soft white snow. Sarah laughed as she broke away from his mouth.
'Are you ok?' she said giggling.
Harry looked up and smiled.
'Yea,' he said with a stupid grin on his face.
Sarah looked at him to a moment before leaning forward and kissing him once more. Harry then realized that they were alone and that she was lying on top of him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her frantically. They kissed for awhile until Harry pulled back.
'What's wrong?' Sarah asked.
Harry grinned.
'So,' he said sliding one hand underneath her jacket. 'Is that a yes?'
Sarah moaned at the touch of Harry's hand on her.
'That's a definite yes,' she breathed before kissing him again.
Harry lost all track of time and it wasn't until he heard laughing from someone near by that he broke away.
'What time is it?' he asked sitting up, Sarah, to his surprise, clung to him and now was
sitting on his lap. She checked her watch.
'Nearly seven,' she said.
Harry looked around to hear who had been laughing. Through the darkness, he saw Ron and Hermione walking back towards the castle.
'Shit,' Harry said standing up. 'We're nearly an hour late.'
'Oh dear,' Sarah said and she stood up and started to flatten her hair. She pulled her sweater back down and grabbed her jacket.
'Come on,' Harry said and they both ran up towards Ron and Hermione.
'Hey you two,' Ron said grinning and bobbing his eyebrows at them. 'What have you guys been up to?'
Harry got the overwhelming sensation to punch him but he was too busy walking on clouds to get any more frustrated then he already was.
'You guys heading back?' he asked Hermione.
'No, actually,' Hermione said. 'We were actually just going in to get you. Hagrid invited us down for dinner, but we're a little late. We thought you'd be up in the castle and not,'
She glanced at Sarah who gave a squeak and flushed. Harry groaned inwardly.
'Its okay,' Harry said. 'I'll just walk Sarah back and meet you guys there.'
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.
'Alright mate,' Ron said. 'See you there.' He looked at Sarah then back at Harry. Harry knew he was trying desperately not to laugh. 'Take your time.'
Hermione gave him a smack on the arm then dragged him towards Hagrid's cabin.
Harry and Sarah walked back towards the front entrance. After walking past the Aurors, they made their way up the marble staircase but Sarah turned to face him.
'I had a great time today, Harry,' she said smiling.
'Me too,' he said.
She smiled, looked over her shoulder then quickly leaned forward and kissed him. She broke apart quickly, smiled and dashed up the stairs towards the Great Hall.
Harry's mind was reeling. He stood on the stairs for a good few minutes before turning down and making his way to Hagrid's cabin. Although it was very immature, he couldn't help but strut passed the Aurors and onto the grounds.
Smoke was barreling out of the chimney from Hagrid's cabin and light poured out of the windows. Getting closer to it, Harry could hear music coming from inside. Upon reaching the door, he could hear laughter coming from inside. Harry knocked on the door and immediately it went silent from inside. Harry could hear muffled whispers.
'Who's there,' came a voice.
'Uh,' Harry said. 'Its me.'
The door creaked open and Harry saw a pair of eyes look at him. Then, the door swung open, and Harry's eyes shot up in surprise to see Fred or George Weasley, he wasn't sure which one, grab his jacket and pull him roughly inside, and the door closing the instant he was inside.
'Welcome to our little shin-dig!' the twin said happily.
Harry looked around the room in awe. Hagrid was sitting at his table, which was
immensely burdened with bottles of wine, hard liquor and bottles of beer with a happy monk on the label. Not only were the twins in attendance, but also were Bill and Charlie who were sitting next to none other that Professor Slughorn. The three men looked up and hollered.
'Happy, hic Christmas, Potter!' Bill said, his breath wreaking of booze, stumbling a bit and shaking Harry's hand vigorantly. 'I know ish not Chrishmas yet, but hey, dish is the only time we could all get, hic, together.'
A roar came from the rest of them. Harry spotted Ron and Hermione sitting together on Hagrid's enormous armchair. Harry was even more surprised to see Professor Castor, who was sitting between Hagrid and Charlie. He was pouring a bottle into ten small glasses and passing them to each person in the crowded hut. Harry had never seen Castor look so, goofy. His hair was wildly messy, his shirt untucked and wrinkled and he wore a ridiculous grin on his face. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was drunk beyond his mind.
Harry looked around to see a banjo, violin and guitar all magically playing, pumping out a rhythmic Irish melody.
'Drink up lads,' Slughorn boomed happily.
Harry shook hands with the rest of the wizards and gave Fang a pat before sitting down next to Hagrid, who was drinking from a bucket. Harry leaned forward and pounded Hagrid on the shoulder.
'What the hell are you guys doing?' Harry asked in astonishment.
'Well,' Hagrid said taking a hearty drink. 'Fred and George are here to give Professor Castor some supplies for his next dueling class, I heard, and Bill cided to go with them.'
'And that's why you're all drinking like fishes?' Harry asked incredulously, but he was smiling.
Hagrid looked at Harry, smirked and gave Harry a thump on the shoulder. 'Ah, what's a few drinkies gonna' do there, 'Arry?' he said happily.
The men cheered and down their shots. Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione had taken one and were now smiling and gossiping with Bill and Charlie. Harry grabbed a shot, threw it back and sat down next to Professor Castor, who was lighting a cigarette.
'Professor,' Harry said nervously, 'isn't this illegal?'
Castor took down his drink in a steady breath, slammed his drink on the table and gave a chilling laugh.
'Don't see why it shouldn't be,' he said gruffly. 'We're all of age, its Sunday night, and after the week I've had, I could use a good drink.'
'You've had a lot more than one good drink, Demetrius,' piped Bill who was smoking a cigar Harry recognized as one he gave him at the wedding.
'Ah shut up Weasley,' Castor said grinning. 'It's not like I got anything to do tomorrow. Well, except classes but I don't have to be relatively sober for a bunch of third years. Now lets shut up and get pissed.'
The men cheered again and all ten sat down at the table and drank, smoked, and talked about everything and anything.
'Where did you guys get all this liquor anyways?' Ron asked as he uncorked a bottle of beer and passed it to Slughorn who hiccupped in thanks.
'From the party,' Castor mumbled. 'Can't let good booze go to waste.'
'Here here,' cried Fred and George who were showing Hermione their new day-dream product.
'This one here lasts for up to three hours,' Fred said proudly. 'But its way too mature for you lot.'
'Oh really,' said Hermione who though was sipping on a glass of wine, Harry could tell she was getting on in her drinks, and rather quickly. 'How is that exactly.'
Fred and George grinned identical mischievous smirks.
'It's for those who have done the deed, Ms. Head Girl,' George said, as Bill and Charlie roared with laughter. 'Little fantasy that goes beyond kissing and holding hands.'
'Really?' Ron asked leaning closer and inspecting the purple velvet box in Fred's hand. 'Can I have one?'
'Absolutely not ickle Ronnikins the virgin!' Fred boomed and the whole hut went off
into a fit of laughter.
'Want one Professor?' George asked Professor Castor shoving the box towards him. 'After the order you just made, I'll make it on the house.'
'Pass,' Castor said gruffly. 'I don't need a little purple box to get girls. You might think about giving some to Horace here. I'm sure he'll need one or two.'
The twins, along with everyone except for Professor Slughorn roared with laughter.
'Go to hell Demetrius,' Slughorn mumbled before taking a drink from his mug.
'You placed an order?' Harry asked.
Castor turned and nodded exuberantly, he looked like a bobble-head Harry had seen once on the dash of Uncle Vernon's car. 'Shield gloves and a few other products for defense. Thought they might be useful next Saturday.'
Harry lost all track of time as he along with the rest of the wizards and Hermione in Hagrids cabin drank more and more of Seamus' confiscated liquor. Harry went red from embarrassment as Ron told the story of how Professor Castor had caught him and Sarah Davenport kissing in the dormitories.
'You're going to the ball with this vixen?' Bill asked hiccupping.
'Yep,' Harry said proudly, swishing his drink and letting it fall towards the ground where Fang immediately started licking.
At around midnight, Slughorn stood up and pronounced he was going back to the castle to get more wine. It took him a good two minutes to finally stand up and wobble diagonally towards the door.
'Think he'll be alright?' Charlie asked Hagrid.
'He'll be 'alright,' Hagrid said, his voice sounding thick. 'I think.'
The party continued on. The music played, the liquor flowed and the smell of tobacco from Bill's cigar filled the room with a cherry rich smell. The music blared from the instruments and suddenly as Harry felt himself dozing off, Hagrid leaped from his seat and started to dance by the fire, as the rest cheered him on.
'I love this song!' Hagrid boomed as Fang pounced around him.
'Sing it! Sing it!' they all cheered.
Hagrid grabbed a bottle of whatever from the table, took a swig and started to sing.
As I walked down from Puffin Street
A fair did I did meet
She asked me to see her home
She lived on Bleaker Street
To this way, my hardies
My dear Annie
Oh you New York girls,
Can't you dance the polka
To this way, my hardies
My dear Annie
Oh you New York girls,
Can't you dance the polka
When I got inside the house
The drinks were passed around
The liquor was so awful strong
My head went round and round.
Fred and George stood up and started to dance with each other as Bill and Charlie jumped on top of the table and started to sing along with Hagrid, as Ron, Hermione, Harry and Professor Castor clapped them on.
The music roared as Harry took another drink and started to sing the chorus. Harry looked over at Castor who was not singing but was staring with a curious look towards the other end of the cabin. Harry looked at him questionably until Castor pointed at the corner of the room. Harry turned around and felt his jaw hit the floor.
Hermione and Ron were standing in the corner of the room, half hidden by Hagrid's armchair. Hermione had her arms wrapped around Ron's neck, and Ron was holding her clumsily by the waist, his eyes wide open in surprise. Hermione was kissing him. Harry stared with an open mouth and wide eyes until suddenly, the music stopped and Harry felt a cold breeze hit his back as he heard the door open. He didn't turn around, the look upon Bill and Charlie's face as they stood mid-swing on the dance floor confirmed that whoever had just entered Hagrid's cabin was not Professor Slughorn. Hermione and Ron broke apart and turned around slowly and Harry heard her give a muffled squeak. The room had gone deafly silent as the intruder let out a earsplitting cry.
'WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN IS GOING ON IN HERE!' came a furious high pitched voice.
Harry knew that voice anywhere. He shuddered and wanted nothing more than to disappear right then and there. He slowly turned around and locked eyes with Professor McGonagall, looking so furious that parts of her hair started to free from her tight bun. Harry immediately felt like vomiting.
Oh shit.
Professor McGonagall stormed into the room and the door slammed violently behind her. She looked directly at Hagrid who was holding Fred and George with both hands, and was holding a bottle of wine with his teeth.
'HAGRID!' she hollered. 'EXPLAIN YOURSELF!'
Hagrid looked incapable of moving and Harry caught Bill smirking out of the corner of his eye. He gently dropped the twins who stood ram rod straight.
'Well, 'Nerva,' he said gruffly.
'WHAT IS ALL THIS!' she screamed pointing at the bottles of liquor that were all over the room, floor and table.
'We're, er, celebrating,' Hagrid mumbled.
Professor McGonagall stared at Hagrid with piercing narrowed eyes then her eyes darted towards the other men in the room. Charlie and Bill slowly got off the table and stood without saying anything, but they swayed looking about ready to collapse. McGonagall let out an angry huff when she saw Professor Castor sitting at the table next to Harry, still smoking a cigarette, his eyes half closed and his head bobbing from side to side.
'You're obviously drunk Professor,' she said staring daggers at Castor.
Castor hiccupped, grabbed a bottle and took another swig.
'Shitfaced more like it,' he mumbled.
Professor McGonagall let out an angry huff then turned her attention to Harry, Ron and Hermione.
'As for you three,' she said, her voice trembling with anger as she pointed a finger, shaking with fury. 'I cannot, in all my years as a Professor at this institution think of one other time I have seen such disobedience and immaturity.'
Though Harry had much to drink, he felt himself getting sober in a flash as the Headmistress of Hogwarts angrily stared at him.
'I cannot believe the Head Girl, along with a prefect,' she said looking at Ron and Hermione, 'could be this foolish.'
She took a deep composing breath. She was shaking with anger and even though Harry was much taller than her, she towered over him. 'You three will have detention with me tomorrow morning at seven a.m. And if you do not show because you couldn't get out of bed due to all the alcohol you've drank tonight, you will serve detention every night for the next month!'
McGonagall finished her tirade in a yell and everyone, including Hermione, groaned in depression.
'And one hundred points to be taken from Gryffindor, for your severe lack of maturity and negligence. Now I want you three to march back up to your quarters this instant and if I catch you partaking in anything remotely similar to tonight, you'll get a lot worse, do I make myself clear.'
'Yes, Professor,' they all mumbled.
'Back to the castle then,' she said sternly. 'I will be having a talk with the rest of you gentlemen, none of you are going anywhere.'
Harry, Ron and Hermione gave one frightened look to Hagrid before heading out the door. Though it was only a quick second, Harry could have sworn that Castor had smiled at him, a real genuine smile.
They quickly made their way back to the castle, and after dropping off Hermione at the Head Girl's room, Harry and Ron dashed back to their dorms, but not after being lectured for a good five minutes by the Fat Lady, who swore violently for waking her in the dead of night.
It was nearing two in the morning as Harry finally fell into bed. Although he felt drunk and extremely tired, he lay awake for awhile, thinking of Sarah, of the party he had just come from and the hell he was in for in less than five hours.
'Harry?' Ron's voice came in the darkness.
'Yea?'
'Can I ask you something mate?' he asked and Harry sensed a wariness in Ron's voice.
'Sure.'
There was a long pause until Ron spoke again.
'Do you think Hermione kissed me tonight because she was drunk or because she likes me? I mean, do you think she knew what she was doing?'
Harry was too tired, too drunk and too much of everything to talk with Ron about this. But atleast he still didn't truthfully know.
'Not sure, mate,' he said turning in the darkness to face him. 'It all happened so fast. I'd ask her about it tomorrow.'
There was silence, and Harry could actually hear Ron thinking.
'Yea,' he finally said. 'Yea, I'll do that.'
Harry sensed Ron's uneasiness.
'You alright Ron?' Harry asked.
'Yea,' he said. 'I'm alright.'
They lay in silence for awhile until Harry shrugged, turned away and got comfortable. Before going to sleep, he smiled and said to Ron in the darkness, 'Look on the bright side mate, atleast Hermione's nose is dead center'
A/N: Sorry this took me awhile, I finally just got over a bad case of writers block. This chapter is dedicated to my stepmother. RIP.