Hello everyone!
Hope you are enjoying your week. I got a little behind with work and school, so I haven't been able to focus on this as much as I would like. I will try to make my post every Monday night, but we will see how it goes. Thank you for all of the encouraging messages, they really make working on this story worth it. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was actually fun to write about them all just having fun!
P.S.
I still don't own Harry Potter as J.K Rowling will never give it up. All I can do is play with the world that she created for us to enjoy. All OCs are mine though, unless otherwise stated.
Chapter 29
The following week flew by quickly.
Harry and her friends continued further in their advanced studies, with many of them now comfortable with silent casting. Having been given some notes on the subject of wandless magic by Prof. Snape, Harry had been able to enhance her already impressive style of magical combat while simultaneously helping her friends during practice. On a few occasions, hidden in the Room of Requirement, the surly potions master would join Harry in mock duels to ensure she was ready for anything the tournament threw at her.
To say that his training methods were unique would be an understatement. Before each duel, the professor would silence Harry to get her into the habit of silent casting and award her points whenever she cast spells with her off hand. Her most powerful wandless spells were Accio, Protego, and Expelliarmus. The potions master assured Harry that these three spells would be the most beneficial for her to learn as they would allow her to summon her wand should it ever be taken from her, shield herself from any sudden danger, and disarm any opponent that attacked her when she herself was unarmed.
"Concentrate, Potter!" the dark wizard snapped when a stray piercing curse broke through her defenses and struck her shoulder. He quickly canceled the spell silencing her, and rushed to her aid. "What has you so out of sorts that you allowed that to happen?"
"Sorry, sir," Harry said with a grimace as the professor began knitting the wound back together and shoving a blood replenisher down her throat. "I've gotten nowhere with the second task. There are no books in the library that cover the strange markings on the egg or the strange language that comes out of it. Padma Patil couldn't find anything either, and she is one of the best linguists of our year. She said that it's as if someone had taken all the books on magical languages from the library that could provide the answers that we need."
"Hmm," thought the professor aloud. "This is quite worrying. While I am able to aid you in training, I am unable to give you the answers you seek outright. I will investigate the matter to discover if these tomes have indeed been hidden away. They will be immediately returned to the library if I can locate them."
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Harry exclaimed while bouncing excitedly.
In moments like these, the young witch reminded him so much of her mother. If he were being honest with himself, he would admit that there had been occasions when he would anger her just to see her hair shift to red, becoming the spitting image of her mother when she was still in school. Alas, Severus Snape knew those days were gone, and it was time to look toward the future. With Harry's presence, he had finally come to terms with the mistakes of his past and thought that maybe he could finally move on and search for his own happiness. Perhaps he should write Narcissa again as he had done after his fallout with Lily. While she had never been available romantically, that was no longer true today.
'Narcissa had always been an excellent conversationalist who had nearly been my match in potions when we were children,' the wizard thought to himself. 'She was on the path to obtaining her own mastery prior to her unfortunate marriage to Lucius Malfoy, and with the proper guidance, she could become a capable potions mistress. Now on the side of the maybe he coul-. No, I am too wrapped up with that monster to be free enough to chase this fleeting fantasy. Maybe in another life.'
He quickly calmed his mind before sighing and returning to the task at hand.
"You are most welcome, Harry," he replied in his silky baritone. "Now that your mind is at ease, en garde!"
…
"Happy Christmas, Reggie!" shouted the two witches as they jumped on the Black heir's bed in an attempt to rouse him.
"It's time to wake up, sleepy head!" Harry exclaimed into his ear. "There are presents!"
Harry was understandably excited as this would be her first Christmas spent with those that were more than just friends. Hermione and Regulus were family, and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with them. Today would be their first major holiday (as she hated Halloween), and she was determined to make it memorable for each of them, tonight even more so. Oh yes, Harriet Potter had plans.
Each watch grabbed one of Regulus' arms and hauled him from the bed, hilariously sending them all sprawling to the floor as they had not accounted for his greater weight. The sudden lurch had awoken Regulus completely, and soon the room was filled with the sound of laughter.
"I know that you've fallen for me, Reg," Harry teased, "but do you mind getting off? You're crushing me down here!"
"I don't know, Harry," the young wizard said with a smirk. "I kind of like this position."
That being said, Regulus pressed his lips to hers, and the two began snogging then and there. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little jealous watching them, but she had Harry's full attention the night before and couldn't complain. Her lady bits were still very sensitive after the previous evening's activities, and watching them go at it was torture.
"Hermione!" Harry squealed, trying to escape as the two gasped for air. "Help! Save me from his morning breath!"
"Oi!" Regulus shouted in indignation. "You're one to talk! If you hadn't dragged me out of be-."
Was as far as he got before Hermione tackled him to the floor in an attempt to free Harry. With a quick wiggle of her hips, Harry finally escaped the young Veela's clutches.
"You know," Hermione sighed, "You really are quite pretty."
Before she knew it, Gryffindor courage had the witch leaning down and capturing Regulus' lips, his eyes opening wide in surprise before giving in and wrapping his arms around her.
Turning around to gloat, Harry froze at the sight of Hermione kissing Regulus, the witch straddling the young man's waist.
"Wow," Harry whispered. "That is so hot…"
With the two distracted, neither saw the happy smile stretching across Harry's face.
'It's about time,' Harry thought to herself before silently leaving the room.
"Dobby," Harry called for her friend.
"Happy Christmas, Mrs. Harry Potter, Ma'am!" shouted the excitable elf.
"What can Dobby do for you's today?"
"Happy Christmas, Dobby," Harry replied. "Could you please set up our breakfast down by the fire while I am sorting everyone's presents? I want today to be perfect."
"Right away, Mrs. Har-," Dobby squeaked in excitement before being cut off.
"Dobby," Harry whinged. "Can you please just call me Harry? I see you as part of my family, and I wish that you could speak with me the way that you would speak with a sister."
For a long moment, Dobby just stared at Harry with an open mouth. The elf had never felt such shock or joy as at this moment. Once regaining his composure, Dobby wrapped his little arms around Harry's legs and beamed up at her with the largest smile that Harry had ever seen on his face.
"Dobby would be's liking that very much, Harry," he said with tears streaming down his face. "Dobby never be having a sister before!"
With tears of her own, Harry bent down are wrapped her arms around Dobby as well, the two enjoying the unexpected moment. After regaining their composure, the two set out to accomplish their tasks. Harry had gathered four separate piles for herself, Hermione, Regulus, and even Dobby. The little elf was surprised to see that there were presents for him under the tree. He had never received a present before and felt new tears well up in his eyes.
He quickly vanished the tears and continued with his task to ensure that the small table by the fire was filled with everyone's favorite breakfast foods before placing a warming charm across the table to keep the food warm.
"Don't forget to set a place for you, Dobby," Harry reminded the elf.
"Thank you's, Harry," the eld squeaked with a smile. "I's never eaten with family before. Dobby has always been alone. Just Dobby."
"Never again, Dobby," Harry said with a sad smile. She knew what it was like to live as the elf had lived. She had been no better than a house elf when she had lived with the Dursleys. Never again would she allow herself, or those she cared for, to be treated as less than they were. "I will never let you feel that you are less than my family Dobby."
It wasn't long before they were joined by a very disheveled Hermione and Regulus. Each seemed embarrassed that they had lost track of time while snogging, which caused Harry to tease them relentlessly. Hermione and Regulus were surprised to see that Dobby would be joining them. However, the love that Hermione felt for Harry in this moment grew even more, thanks to her selfless actions. She couldn't help herself, and Harry suddenly found herself gasping for air as she had become the latest recipient of a "Herme-Hug".
"Mione!" Harry choked out. "Need air!"
"Oh!" Hermione gasped in surprise. "Sorry, Harry!"
"Merlin, you're strong," Harry teased as she rubbed some feeling back into her neck. "Sometimes I wonder if you could have beaten that troll all by yourself. I bet you wouldn't have even needed your wand!"
"Oh shush, you," Hermione pouted in reply, although she couldn't help the smile that started growing on her lips.
The four companions laughed and spoke of their year so far, reveling in the company of one another until finally finishing breakfast.
"Time for presents!" Harry shouted as she dragged everyone closer to the neat piles that had been set aside.
"Let's only open the presents that we got for each other," Hermione scolded. "We can save the others for when our friends get here. I told them to come up once they were ready, and knowing them, we still have at least an hour before they are all awake."
"Oh, alright," Harry pouted, knowing that she was right. "You open your first Mione."
Hermione graciously accepted and began to neatly open her presents from Harry, Regulus, Sirius and Calliope, and even one sent by her parents thanks to the Blacks. From Regulus, Hermione received a Dicta Quill crafted from one of his own feathers, charmed to never run out of ink, which accompanied a journal for her to draft all of the plans she had for spell research and crafting.
Sirius and Calliope sent her three books from the Black family's Library. The first book covered aquatic spells and charms, the second covered different aquatic creatures of the U.K., and the last book covered elemental magic that Hermione felt would be an interesting read.
Her mother and father, Dan and Emma, had sent their daughter a beautiful diamond bracelet belonging to her grandmother and a small book containing every letter she had ever sent home to her parents about Hogwarts and Harry Potter. Harry snagged the book and blushed brightly after reading a few of the letters. The green-eyed witch wondered how she could have ever been so blind towards the beautiful young witch's affections.
Dobby had also given her a gift of gloves, which the elf had knitted himself. Each of the gloves was covered with little books and quills and perfectly matched the house colors of Gryffindor.
Finally, Harry's gift for her was a complete set of hooded battle robes created from the skin and scales of the basilisk that Harry slayed. Powerful runes of protection were woven into the form-fitting robes, enhancing their already powerful resistance to magic, and would turn away nearly any spell except for the unforgivables. The beautiful green scales reminded Hermione of Harry's eyes, and she couldn't help but gush over the unexpected gift.
Regulus also received a set of basilisk robes from Harry, which he noticed had slits in the back for his wings. It filled his heart with warmth that Harry remembered how much he desired a set of robes that would allow his wings to pop out without shredding his clothes. He would have to thank her privately later.
His mother and father had sent him an enchanted cloak of acromantula silk, which had been covered in runic symbols and charmed for protection, allowing the wearer to travel through shadow. When worn, the wearer was shrouded in mist-like shadows, obscuring them from the sight of their enemies.
Hermione's gift to Regulus had been a new dragonhide holster for his wand, which had the appearance of a bracer for his arm. He quickly strapped the holster to his arm and inserted his wand to test it out. With a quick flick of his wrist, his wand shot into his hand, showing his companions just how useful this gift would be.
His gift from Dobby had been a crimson scarf with black feathers sewn into the fabric. Regulus immediately adored the gift and admired it before wrapping it around his neck and enjoying the warmth that it provided.
The last gift, a joint gift for him and Harry, came from Dan and Emma Granger. After tearing off the wrapping paper, the witch and wizard found a mundane photo album that was filled with pictures of Hermione. The album started with photos of Hermione as a baby and lead all the way to the pictures they had taken over the summer. Needless to say, and much to Hermione's embarrassment, this gift would be cherished by Harry and Regulus for many years to come.
Harry urged Dobby to open his own gifts next, nearly sending the elf to tears once more so early in the morning. From Hermione, Dobby had received the entire set of books from the Chronicles of Narnia. The elf had never heard of Narnia before and quickly promised to finish the entire series as soon as he was able.
Harry's gift to Dobby nearly gave him a heart attack! The dark-haired witch had to assure the elf that the basilisk robes were to be his uniform while in service to House Potter. Beside himself with joy, Dobby quickly snapped his fingers, and the new armored uniform appeared on his small frame. The diminutive elf who once appeared as harmless as a fly now appeared to be a mighty, albeit small, warrior. His pride from being Harry's elf nearly doubled this morning, and he internally vowed to serve Harry Potter forever, in this life and in the next.
Regulus had not been very close with Dobby, as the elf had the tendency to distance himself from anyone but his mistress and had failed to procure a gift. Thinking quickly, Regulus unfolded his wings from his back and withdrew a single black feather. Next, Regulus began to inject his passion fire into the feather while whispering an incantation that would make the feather nearly unbreakable. Finally, shrinking the feather to a mere two inches in length, he attached it to a silver chain that had been resting on his neck and gifted his creation to Dobby.
"Dobby," Regulus began, "I have enchanted this feather with the flames of a Veela. The black flames will never go out and will keep you warm while on your person. It will even enhance your own natural charisma and make you more desirable to those who already have feelings of affection towards you. Please accept this token of appreciation for being such a good friend to Harry."
"Thank you, Mas-, Reggie," Dobby said with a smile. "I will cherish this present always!"
"Alright, everyone," Hermione declared to the room. "It's time for Harry to open her presents now!"
With an excited smile, Harry dove into her presents with the glee of a child. Before arriving at Hogwarts, she had never received any Christmas presents. However, after having made friends with Ron and Hermione, she had become included in the season's gift-giving. While presents from friends were nice, it somehow felt even better to receive presents from those that she saw as her true family.
The first present that Harry opened came from Sirius and Calliope. After shredding the wrapping paper to get the gift inside, Harry was surprised to find an ornate dagger. The dagger was obviously a Black family heirloom as the circular pommel of the weapon was engraved with a snarling grim. The blade itself appeared to be made of Damascus with runes engraved down the center of its nearly 12-inch length. A note was attached to the weapon's sheath, written in Sirius' familiar scrawl.
Happy Christmas, Pup,
I just want to thank you again for being in my life. Since the day that you and Hermione rescued me on the back of Buckbeak, I feel as though my luck in life has finally changed. I am with the love of my life, have an heir with whom I am extremely proud, and am about to witness the birth of two more beautiful children. I love you as though you were my daughter, and I can't wait to see what the future has in store for our growing family. Don't tell Reggie just yet, but I have convinced Calliope that we should travel back to our villa in Santorini this summer. With luck, the twins will be born while we are away. My lovely wife won't admit it, but I know that she wishes to give birth to our two girls in the land of her ancestors.
Now to explain your gift. Your great aunt, Dorea Potter née Black, gifted me this dagger when I fled my mother's home and moved in with James and his parents. The dagger itself has a long history that dates back to the time of Charlemagne. The dagger was given as a gift to the family for saving the wizard king's life when he was nearly felled by a goblin ambush whilst out with his bride-to-be. My great, great, great, (you see where I'm going with this) grandfather came upon the skirmish while adventuring across the countryside. He joined the battle and slew the kings' enemies with courage and ferocity, his own blade destroyed in the battle. In thanks for saving his life, Charlemagne commissioned this weapon which was then crafted by the dwarves (who have since been destroyed by the goblins during the goblin wars). The weapon will forever maintain its edge as well as heighten the senses of its owner whilst in battle and once bonded with the weapon, you will be able to wield it with thought alone. Simply allow seven drops of blood to fall onto the grim engraves upon the pommel and recite the following phrase:
"Virtus nos in via ad victoriam deducet"
Love
Lord Sirius Orion "Padfoot" Black
Lady Calliope Ophelia Black née Asteropaios
P.S
We hope you like your gift, Harry. It has saved my hide on more than one occasion, and we just hope that it will provide the same safety for you. Give our love to Hermione and Reggie.
P.P.S
Don't ever let the goblins see this weapon. They hated the dwarves more than they hated witches and wizards. I can't imagine anything positive taking place should that ever occur.
"Brilliant," Harry whispered under her breath while admiring the blade.
The green-eyed witch placed the magical weapon back in its sheath before setting it beside her. She decided to bond the dagger as soon as she finished opening the rest of her gifts. She could feel the power emanating from the ancient enchantments woven into the weapon and knew it would become a powerful aid to keeping her alive.
The next present that Harry opened came from Regulus. Regulus had seen Harry admire Sirius' pair of dragonhide boots and purchased a pair of boots which were crafted from the hide of a Welsh Green. He chose these boots as they perfectly matched Harry's eyes. The fact that they also matched Harry's Basilisk battle robes was simply a happy accident.
Dobby's gift to Harry had made her smile as it was a set of mismatched socks that the elf had once more knitted by hand. The first sock was covered with roaming snitches, while the second had what appeared to be firebolts zooming all around. Harry thanked the elf for the gift, which made the little elf smile joyfully.
The final gift for Harry to open had come from Hermione. Harry's brilliant witch had gifted her a silver bangle littered with many runic engravings, which appeared to give its wearer protection against magical attacks. When worn, the bangle would generate a small barrier around its user by absorbing the ambient magic that existed in the world. Upon impact, the runes would activate and either absorb or deflect any harmful spell cast upon its owner, depending on the might of the spell. Unless the spell was cast by a truly impressive caster, the bangle should keep Harry relatively safe from any unexpected attacks.
"Thank you," Harry quietly mumbled from under her curtain of wild curls. The morning had gone even better than she thought. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes before three sets of arms quickly wrapped around her. "I never thought that I could ever feel so happy. I promise that I will be worthy of the gifts that you have given me."
"No tears, Harry," Dobby squeaked. "You's are an amazing witch. Dobby never believed a wonderful witch like you's could be real. Dobby was wrong. You's be the best mistress Dobby could ever have hoped for."
"Dobby's right, Harry," Regulus said as he brushed some loose curls behind her ear. "You deserve all of this and more. I only wish that I had met you sooner so that I could have shown you how amazing you are."
"We love you, Harry," came Hermione's voice from Harry's chest. "You are worth more to me than you know. I owe you my life many times over, and without you, I'd be lost. Just a bushy-haired know-it-all that no one would ever give a passing thought unless it were to spurn me. You are my world."
At those words, Harry's tears finally fell. However, the smile on her face had never been more genuine. She shared a tender kiss with the two that she loved most before Hermione dragged her off to get dressed for the day. A quick charm to help with her puffy eyes wouldn't hurt either.
Regulus just smiled at the two witches as they walked up the stairs to their room to get ready for the day. With a wave of his wand and a snap of Dobby's fingers, the rubbish remaining on the floor had vanished. He thanked Dobby before turning away to prepare himself for the day as well.
"Dobby," Regulus called once reaching the stairs.
"Yes, Master Reggie?" Dobby asked.
"Harry's right," the young wizard smiled. "You look quite sharp in your new uniform. May it serve you well. Watch after Harry and Hermione closely tonight, ok? I'm worried that something will happen before the end of the. Our girls need to be kept safe."
"Thank you's, sir!" Dobby exclaimed with a slight bounce. "Dobby promises to be the bestest elf that I's can be! No one will hurt Harry Potter or her Grangey!"
…
The rest of the day went surprisingly well. After opening more presents in the Gryffindor common room with their friends, Harry, Hermione, and Regulus spent the afternoon together out on the school grounds. Ron ran up to them in greeting while looking for his girlfriend when suddenly, they were attacked! A snowball smacked Ron right in the face, surprising all who were present. Crouched behind some bushed, Lavender could be heard giggling her ass off, instantly giving away her position. Ron hurriedly scooped up an arm full of snow before running off after her, a squeal erupting once he dumped his load on top of her head. She attempted to get revenge on her boyfriend but missed with her throw, hitting Harry right in the face!
Mayhem ensued! Harry was quickly helped to her feet by Regulus, who quickly drew his wand to levitate some snow, forming the mass into tangerine-sized balls and launching them at the perpetrators!
"No fair!" Ron cried out indignantly from behind his girlfriend. The git had used her as a shield!
Before he realized what had happened, Lavender pulled out her wand and sent a wave of snow at him in retaliation. Harry, Hermione and Regulus laughed as Ron was launched through the air and landed in some snow-covered bushes.
"Oi!" came the sudden voice of Fred Weasley as he ran over with his twin.
"What are you doing to our brother?" followed his brother George.
"Only we are allowed to pick on our brother," Fred called out with an impish grin.
With a sudden twirl of their wands, the snow erupted around them into the shape of animals, such as foxes and weasels, before charging at the group of fourth-year students.
Surprised by the sudden use of magic and the close proximity, the group of friends was quickly overrun! After climbing out from underneath the mountain of snow that covered them, the three companions nodded to each other, launching their wands into their hands. The attack was on!
Harry quickly formed an army of snakes out of the snow around her before sending them toward the gaggle of redheads and the giggling menace that was Lavender Brown. Hermione followed up with a squad of animated snowmen who were quickly accompanied by Regulus' snowbirds that dived down upon their friends. The battle was on!
Prof. McGonagall watched from her office window as the friends battled in the snow below. She was in awe at the magic that her students were tossing around and couldn't be prouder at their progress in the art of Transfiguration. She wondered if they were ready for more advanced magic, pondering if they could possibly be ready to study the art of the Animagus. She quickly wrote a letter to Sirius, asking for his thoughts on the matter. After all, he may have been a troublemaker in his youth, but he and the other Marauders had become animagi during their Hogwarts years. Surely the children would be able to tackle this new challenge.
…
Severus Snape was also watching the battle taking place below. He watched as a few more students joined the fight and almost laughed when Harry took another snowball to the side of her head. He would need to enhance her training if she was so easily struck. The girl was lucky that it was only snow being thrown around. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling that something dark would occur before the school year's end.
The mark upon his arm had been paining the potions master for the past few days, darkening once more and filling him with dread. The Dark Lord was gathering strength. Soon, the war would be upon them again. Severus had vowed upon Lily's grave that Harry would live to see a better world. It was time to teach her daughter the more powerful spells that he had learned over the years. He had become a powerful wizard during the first war, easily second or third most powerful amongst all the Death Eaters. He would use his knowledge to give Harry a fighting chance should his previous master ever return. Or worse, should his current master decide that she has outlived her usefulness. Harry would need all the help that she could get. She was certainly powerful, there was no doubt about that, but she would need experience to truly temper herself into a capable warrior.
Yes. Severus Snape would forge Lilly's daughter into a true battlemage. She had the potential for greatness, and he would ensure that she became the most powerful witch she could be. He quickly turned and set out for the dungeons. He had much to prepare for. The old man could never learn of his intentions. Should the headmaster ever learn that he was teaching Harry, the man would quickly intervene.
…
Finally, it was time to prepare for the ball. Everyone vanished to their dorms to prepare for the event they had all been waiting for. Hermione returned to her room to grab her dress before finally noticing that Harry had not followed her. She ran to the closet to see if Harry's dress robes were still there, but the garment bag was also missing. Hermione sent a Patronus after Harry to ask where she was and was glad to receive a reply less than a minute later.
"Don't worry, Mione," came Harry's voice from the silvery grim that appeared in their room. "I am just throwing some final touches together for the surprise I have for you. Grab your dress and head on over to Lavender and Parvati. I asked them to help you prepare for the ball as I would be preoccupied with your final Christmas present. I love you and will wait for you at the bottom of the grand staircase."
With its message completed, the Patronus dispersed, taking its warmth with it. Hermione sighed, wondering what harry could be up to. She quickly gathered her dress into her arms and made her way toward the Gryffindor girls' dormitories to meet Lavender and Parvati. Hermione had never really liked to dress up, a side effect of being told that she wasn't pretty by her peers while growing up. However, after what felt like forever, she could finally see the finished product in Lavender's mirror.
"Oh my!" exclaimed the magical mirror. "Aren't you just the perfect vision of beauty? You should smile more, my dear! Whoever was lucky enough to escort you to the ball this evening will surely be pleased with how you have blossomed."
"Hermione!" Lavender gushed with Parvati at her side. "You're beautiful! Harry is going to be floored!"
"Are you saying I wasn't pretty before?" Hermione asked with a pout.
"Huh? Wha- Oh you, you're having me on!" Lavender sputtered. "You know that I think you're very pretty. You just don't get dolled up as much as I would like. Ugh, you're such a bully! I'm gonna tell Harry!"
Hermione laughed at her friends' antics before gazing back in the mirror. Lavender and Parvati really did an amazing job on her. She had never felt more beautiful in her life. She hoped that Harry would feel the same. Harry had been handsome when he was a boy, but she was simply gorgeous as a girl. Her glossy black curls, vivid green eyes, and blossoming feminine curves would make any other girl jealous of her beauty.
Still, Hermione couldn't help it. The anxiety she had been accustomed to over the years wouldn't settle until she saw Harry's reaction. She needed to look into those green eyes to see if Harry thought that she was good enough for her. Hopefully, Harry won't be disappointed. The two girls beside her seemed to sense how worried she was.
"Hermione," Parvati called to grab her attention. "Harry is going to be head over heels when she sees you. You are truly a beautiful witch."
"Listen to Parv, Hermione," Lavender encouraged. "If Harry's jaw doesn't drop when she sees you, I'll eat my handbag!"
"Oh, my!" Hermione said with a small laugh. "That I would have to see! Thank you, girls, for the kind words."
"Always!" Lavender exclaimed with a wink. "Oh! It's time! Let's get out there and knock their socks off!"
The three girls couldn't help it and giggled all the way down the stairs. Upon reaching the final flight of stairs, Lavender was met by Ron, who was looking quite sharp in his new dress robes. They really accentuated his more athletic physique and gave him quite an intimidating presence. Lavender seemed to melt when he placed a kiss on the back of her offered hand and led her the rest of the way down the stairs.
Parvati surprised everyone with her date when Slytherin's own Blaise Zabini greeted her. The Italian wizard kissed Parvati on her cheek in greeting before leading the smiling girl down toward the Great Hall. Hermione had never seen either of the girls happier than they appeared. She would have to ask Parvati how long this relationship with Zabini had been going on, as it was obvious that he was more than just a partner for the dance.
For a few moments, Hermione just stood there chewing on her bottom lip in worry. She didn't see Harry anywhere! What happened? Had Harry decided not to go? Wait. That didn't make sense. Harry had to go and open up the dance! Did Harry not want her anymore? What if Har-!
"Hello there," came a voice Hermione hadn't heard for months. A voice belonging to a certain green-eyed boy that flew on the back of a hippogriff with her. A boy who now appeared to have grown into a handsome young man. "Are you searching for someone? Maybe I can-"
"Harry!" Hermione shouted before charging into his open arm like a heat-seeking missile. "You finally did it! When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? When did you find the time? This is-!"
A sudden kiss from Harry stopped Hermione from continuing her barrage of questions. The surprise kiss nearly turned into a snog until someone grabbed Harry by the back of his robes and pulled him off Hermione.
"Oi!" bellowed Ron, who was red in the face. "Keep your mitts off her, or I'll knock your-! What? Harry?! Blimey mate! How the bloody he-!"
"Mr. Weasley!" exclaimed the stern voice of Prof. McGonagall. "What have I told you about the use of such lang-! My word! Mr. Potter! How did you? What did you do? Oh, never mind. Hurry everyone into the Great Hall. It is nearly time for the Champions to enter! Harry and Hermione, please wait beside the entrance for the rest of the Champions to arrive. They should be with us momentarily."
Prof. McGonagall quickly rushed off to ensure the stragglers entered the hall. Harry and Hermione just stood there, staring into each other's eyes with a goofy smile on their faces. Eventually, Harry noticed the other Champions arriving, confusion written on their faces.
"Woah!" Cedric exclaimed once he recognized Harry. "That you, Harry? How'd you pull this off? Not even Tonks could change genders! How did you do it?"
"Yeah, turns out that I am a true metamorphmagus," Harry replied with a grin. "I found a book that covers the magic of metamorphs. Tonks is considered a partial metamorph while someone that could change things like their hair, like my Aunt Cissy, would be considered a slight metamorph."
"As fascinating as this conversation is," came the imperious voice of Prof. McGonagall, "it is time for the Champions to enter the hall. Are you all ready?"
"Ready or not," Harry whispered.
"Here we come," finished Hermione with a smile.