AN:AN: Just to let you guys know, if this story gets the big cut (though why it would at this point I dont know) I'll try editing it and reposting it. And if that doesn't work then I'll start posting on other sites, I'm on yourfanfiction as NaruHarrHaremFan, but I have yet to post anything there. Also if anyone reading this likes Percy Jackson or Naruto fics, I'd like to inform you that I have one of each. Go give them a look, and before you ask, yes they already have betas! ALSO THANK Joe Lawyer FOR THIS CHAPTER. WITHOUT HIM IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSTED!
"Hey Harry!" Kevin called, running up to his long haired friend who had just entered the tower.
Harry had been gone that morning when Kevin and the first years in the boy's dorm had woken. When they had asked Daphne, the only person who spent more time with him than Blaise, if she had seen him, she had told them no, and that he was more than likely off flirting with some girl. "He'll show back up once he's had his fun." She had told them in her usual monotone, before turning back to her book.
"Yeah?" Harry shouldered his workout bag as the entrance swung closed behind him.
"Have you heard?" Kevin asked sounding panicked. Behind him a few of the others were walking up to them. "Neville Longbottom made the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
By now the entire group of boys from his year, Morag and Su Li had joined them. Harry could see that they each knew what Kevin had told him and were expecting him to react to the news.
"Alright... what does that have to do with me?" He was curious as to what they were getting at.
"Don't you see what he's doing?" Kevin was amazed that the smartest person in their year couldn't see what was as plain-as-day to everyone else. "He's trying to take the glory you would have received when you made the team as a first year. I'd bet anything he used his fame to bully his way on to the team!"
He raised an eyebrow at the boy, surprised at the accusation. "I doubt it," Harry replied lightly.
"Why?" Morag asked. She, like the others, had been expecting him to be upset at the news. "Everyone knows he hates you!"
"She right," Su Li agreed to the nods of the others. "He can't stand the fact that the only person outside of Slytherin to call him out on his mouth is also the only person able to best him in all of our lessons."
"That might be, but I can see at least two flaws with your reasoning." Harry told them, making his way to the foot of the stairs leading up to the boy's dorm rooms. "The first problem is Neville had little to no chance of knowing I was going to be trying out for the house team." A few of the group looked to be about to say something, but paused as they realized he was right. "The second problem would be Gryffindor's quidditch captain."
"What about him?" Questioned Terry, who, like all Ravenclaws, didn't like that he might be wrong about something.
"He's kind of quidditch crazy…and I mean that literally." He could still remember the twice and sometimes three time-a-day practices Oliver had put the team through in the keeper's final year. Harry would more than likely have enjoyed the challenge that kind of regimen would have presented, now that he was into pushing his body to its limits, but back then it had almost killed him and the rest of the team. "He wouldn't care if it was his mum who tried out for his team. If she wasn't the best player out on that field for that position, Oliver would tell her he loves her then send her packing."
"Really?" Stephen asked. The look of embarrassment he was wearing was being mirrored by the rest of the group, excluding Blaise, who was laughing at how fast the others had jumped to the conclusion that Neville was out to get Harry. It seemed the dark skinned boy had been enjoying himself, watching their friends work themselves up and was now taking joy in watching the wind being taken out of their sails. It became clear to Harry at that moment that the kid had a twisted sense of humor.
"Yeah, but don't worry about it." He told them kindly smiling serenely at them. "I'm happy to see you guys worrying about me. It shows how good of friends you all are."
He was happy to see his words had eased their embarrassment and had given them peace of mind.
"Listen, I need to put my things away." He had started making his way up the stairs. "Once I do and can grab a book, I'll come back down."
He was up the stairs and back down within minutes. When he made it to the area of the common room where his year mates were gathered, he took up his usual spot next to Daphne.
"You missed breakfast," she said quietly, eyes still trained on her book.
"I grabbed a bite from the kitchen when I realized it was over." Leaning over her placed his head on her shoulder, where he beamed up at her. "Don't worry Daphne, your Harry is here now."
Sparing him a short emotionless look, Daphne turned back to her book, not dignifying him with a response. It didn't seem to bother her that his head was still on her shoulder.
"Mate, one of these days she's going to flip on you." Anthony said grinning.
"Probably, and if she ever does, I'm sure I'll have deserved it, for one reason or another." He admitted, sitting up and opening his book to the section on the illusion spell.
From everything he had read about the spell, he was surprised that there weren't more people who used it. The only real limits the spell had were those of its caster. You needed detailed knowledge of the aspects of what you were attempting to cast an illusion of, coupled with a highly detailed mental image of what you wanted the illusion to appear as. Of course, once he had read more about it, the more he realized why only a small minority could really use the spell for more than just simple tricks.
The first problem came as you were casting the spell. It wouldn't do to have only a vague image in mind if you wanted to produce a convincing illusion. If you were to cast one of a female, but were mainly focusing on certain 'parts' of her, then the illusion would come out with only the strongly visualized areas looking real, while the rest would be blurry and out of focus. Meaning if you lacked the concentration to picture what you wanted in its entirety, then there was no real reason to even attempt the spell.
Then there was the problem of the tangibility of the illusion. Yes, anyone who was near one could see, hear, and even smell it, if you had focused enough on the illusion, but if they were to attempt to physically touch it, all they would accomplish in feeling would be air. Not to mention, it could not create the heat from a flame, the dampness of water, or even the chill of ice. The spell relied heavily on all of your senses essentially fooling themselves. It went without saying that one could not taste the illusion.
The final problem came once the illusion was up and running. A constant stream of magic had to be continuously fed to the illusion to keep it visible and following your will. And while it would only take small levels of magic to power an illusion, of, say a dog. It would take immensely more power than the average wizard had to create and sustain one of a dragon. Couple this with casting other spells and you could easily kill yourself from magical exhaustion.
Luckily for Harry, even before coming to this world, he would have had more than enough magic to power large sized illusions, for an impressive amount of time. But now that he had the power boost from the magic of this improved body, he was sure he would be able to cast almost anything once he had his already sharper than before mind was improved.
He was lost in thought of ways to use the spell to his advantage in battle, when he sensed someone standing over him. Glancing up, he found Cho standing before him, her hands fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt, giving him a small glimpse of her stomach. The smile she was giving him was of genuine happiness to see him, but it was her dark eyes that revealed how agitated she was.
"Would you like to sit down?" He patted the open space beside him that was opposite of where Daphne sat.
Cho nodded as she claimed the offered spot. He could see she had come to him for a reason. What that reason was, he didn't know. But as she silently played with her fingers, sending him glances every few seconds, he figured she would bring up whatever was on her mind when she was ready.
Taking a deep breath, Cho blurted out her reason for coming to him. "Are you as nervous as I am about tryouts? I feel like my heart is about to explode from the anticipation!"
Closing his book, he turned, giving her his full attention. "I'm a little nervous, yeah," he lied, knowing it would make her feel better to know she wasn't in her jitters. "But you don't have anything to worry about. I'm sure you'll be golden once you're out there and in the sky."
"Do you really think so?" She asked, her worry shining through her words. It was obvious she needed reassurance and had come to him for it. "I mean you haven't even seen me fly before, let alone play at a position I'm not used to. How do you know I won't go out there and end up being knocked from my broom by a bludger within the first thirty seconds?"
He remembered how awful the Ravenclaw chasers had been in his first year. That, coupled with how gifted a flyer Cho had always been, gave him the confidence that she'd make the team. At least he hoped so, for all he knew there could be future World Cup players trying out for the team in this timeline.
"It doesn't matter why I feel that way, what matters is how you feel," Harry answered sagely. "If you go out there thinking you're going to lose, then you've already lost," delicately he took her hand in his, giving her a type of physical comfort. "But if you go out there filled with the certainty that you're going to go out there and kill it, then no one can stop you."
"And while it may make little to no difference at all," he added a small amount of pressure to her hand that sent a different type of butterflies to her stomach, "know that I'll be cheering you on, no matter what happens."
Cho beamed at him as his words of encouragement washed over her. She had come to him with a small amount of hope that he'd be able to take her mind off the bout of nervousness she had been plagued with since waking that morning. Instead, he had completely banished them from her mind and had replaced them with a far more productive mindset, one in which she knew making the team wasn't going to be the impossible task that it had seemed to be just minutes before.
"Thank you," she said with a cute, but determined look gracing her face. Before Harry knew what was happening, Cho had her arms around him pulling him into her chest that showed no signs of blossoming anytime soon.
Her lack of womanly assets aside, Harry enjoyed the hug as much as normal man would when being hugged by a Veela. Yes, he had spent the summer being embraced by Lily, Ivy, and when he was really lucky Iris, but he could safely say the novelty of being held by another had not worn off for him yet. After all, he had spent the first seventeen years of his life, only getting hugs every once in a while by Hermione and Mrs. Weasly. The way he saw it, he was entitled to enjoy all the hugs he could get.
Around the embracing duo, the male and female first years were discussing the scene unfolding before them.
"Harry spends a lot of time with girls doesn't he?" Anthony said as he thought about himself being hugged by a pretty girl like the one holding his friend at the moment. "I mean he always hangs out with us guys, but if a girl comes anywhere near us, he tends to zoom in on her."
"He does," Kevin agreed as he gave a grim shake of the head, "but what I don't get is why!"
Kevin, who like most 'claws was a very smart boy, had unlike all of his dorm mates, who had only recently started noticing girls as more than long haired boys who peed sitting down, yet to start seeing any appeal in the opposite sex. As he watched Harry and the nameless girl with him, he failed to notice the incredulous looks he was receiving from both the boys and girls in his year.
Blaise, who enjoyed watching people and studying their nature, snorted at his dorm mate's cluelessness. "It seems someone has yet to reach that special mental plateau when it comes to dealing with the fairer sex!" He drawled to the snorts and giggles of his friends.
"What?" Kevin asked as he finally noticed the laughing coming from his friends. Causing their laughter to renew. "Seriously what's so bloody funny?"
Ignorant to the first year's antics, Harry, Cho, and even Daphne spent the time after Cho's surprise hug talking together. And while Daphne conversed as much as she normally did, Harry could tell the girls liked each other. The group of three would have continued to converse, if they had not been interrupted by the sound of an owl barking.
A familiar snow colored owl flew through an open window across the room from the three, a letter and a package tied to her leg. Gliding through the air she landed package first in Harry's raised hands.
"Have a good flight girl?" He asked as he carefully pulled his feathered friend down into his lap, relieving her of her burden.
Cho watched as her crush interacted with the owl she was sure was his. "She's beautiful," she gasped as she and Daphne ran soothing fingers over her feathers.
Hedwig who loved attention straightened herself proudly at Cho's words, as if she knew she was special.
"That she is," he agreed, proud that his familiar could elicit such responses from people. He quickly finished untying his mail and opened the envelope.
The letter had turned out to be from his father, who Harry had yet to receive any mail from since arriving at school. James apologized profusely for being unable to contact him sooner. As a penance for his tardiness in writing, he had sent Harry a scroll full of spells he felt that could come in handy. While most of the spells where well above the range of a normal first years skill level, he believed in his son's talent for magic enough to know he'd get them down faster than he'd expect him too.
James letter also served to inform him that along with the spells he had sent, there was a copy of the old laws set for the Potters, Bones, Blacks, and Longbottoms he had promised Harry before he left for Hogwarts, as well as a gift from his mother. James informed him that she had spent a good amount of time on it and that the next time Harry 'saw' her he was to thank her for her hard work.
James had finished the letter by telling him how proud he was of him for getting into Ravenclaw, and that he understood why he hadn't taken any of the youngest Malfoy or Longbottom's words laying down. Lastly, he gave a half-hearted warning to not get 'caught' causing any trouble, before telling him he loved and missed him and hoped to 'see' him soon.
Harry had been sure he knew what his mum was working on since he had received her first letter. After seeing all the hints James had dropped in his letter, Harry was positive he knew what she had sent him and couldn't wait to test it out.
He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of Cho cooing at his owl.
"I can see that Cho and Daphne are still feeding your already majestic sized ego, ah Hedwig."
Said avian was too busy enjoying the attention she was receiving to do anything besides bark weakly at him.
Cho lightly swatted his arm. "Don't be mean to her," she chided playfully. "Such a pretty girl deserves all the attention she wants. Isn't that so, Lady Hedwig?"
Hedwig responded with a blissful hoot that let him know she whole-heartedly agreed with his female friend.
"Brilliant, you've both turned my owl against me." Harry dead-panned, before the smirk he wore when messing with people made its way to his lips. Slowly and sensually, he snaked his arms around both Daphne and Cho's waists, the latter of the two squeaking at the unexpected contact. "But you make a good point, pretty girls do deserve all the attention they want!" Going one step further, he pulled both girls until the space that had separated the three became a thing of the past.
Daphne either didn't notice, or didn't care that her friend had just invaded her personal space as she continued to lightly stroke Hedwig. Cho on the other hand, had lost all the focus that had previously been on her crush's owl and was now acutely aware of how her side was now taut with his own.
"What's wrong Cho, you suddenly seem very quiet?" His smirk had turned into a devious smile that turned Cho a shade redder. "Sorry," he apologized taking his arms from around both her and Daphne. "I just really enjoy seeing you blush and trying to get reactions out of Daphne."
She nodded light headedly, not knowing how to feel about the guy she liked flirting with the other girl. Sure she and everybody else who had watched him interact with any pretty girl, knew that he was a shameless flirt and that didn't bother her. What did bother her was the fact that the girl he spent most of his time with was a classic beauty. She had even heard third year boys comment on the stoic first year's looks. And the fact that she rarely showed any emotion made it impossible to tell if she saw Harry as simply a friend, or something more. One thing was for certain, no matter what, she was not going to act like those older girls, who made fools of themselves because their boyfriend, or guy they liked smiled at another girl. Cho had too much respect for herself than to lower herself to that level.
"Its fine," she said honestly.
'It's good to see that she's not as jealous as her older self had been.' He thought, feeling relieved. "Do you two mind watching Hedwig until I can run upstairs and get her an owl treat?"
Surprisingly it was Daphne who answered him. "We'll watch her," she told him as she placed Hedwig in her lap, Cho nodding her agreement as she slid into the spot he had just vacated.
The door to his dorm room swung shut behind him as he ripped open the package his father had sent. Sitting on his bed, he laid the scroll of spells and the book of laws beside him, turning his attention on the oval shaped gift that had also been wrapped. Quickly tearing off the plain brown wrapping paper, he found a beautiful oval mirror placed in a frame made of a mix of gold and silver that had been crafted to look like battling waves.
Holding it by its arches, he quietly spoke the words that had been carved into the waves; at what he was guessing was the bottom of the mirror.
"Potter Family." At once a flash of blue light rolled over the reflective surface of the mirror. Harry had been expecting to see the mirror to show him his family right away, but realized how foolish that had been after a few seconds of nothing happening after the initial wave of blue.
He was close to giving up and trying again later, when a voice he hadn't been expecting to hear, greeted him.
"Hello Harry," called the cheerful voice of Astoria Greengrass. Looking up at him from the confines of the mirror was the bronze skinned beauty. Her eyes so much like those of the rest of her family's shining up at him, giving him a glimpse at the joy she was experiencing.
"Hey Tori," he beamed down at the girl whose father wanted to strangle him. "I didn't expect to see you, though I have to say I'm happy I get to. How have you been?"
"I'm great!" She replied excitedly. "Your family invited me over for the weekend. Right now Lily and Ivy are in the greenhouse, James was called into work, and Iris is downstairs getting us something to drink. We've been using her training wand, trying to learn as much as we can."
"And how are you two doing?" He asked, lying back on his bed. "Learning anything?"
"Iris has learned a lot of the spells already and the few I've tried have all come easily enough."
"I'm happy to hear that, maybe you'll end up in Ravenclaw, with me and your sister." Astoria's smile grew at his words. "Speaking of our emotionless flower, would you like to see her?"
"I'd love to," Tori exclaimed as she bouncing in place at the thought of getting to see her sister.
"Alright, I'll go get her. While I do, you can go get Iris and the others and call me back."
"Okay," she agreed instantly. "See you in a minute!"
Harry quickly grabbed Hedwig's treats and dashed back down stairs.
"Daphne grab your things and come with me," he ordered. "I have to show you something."
Daphne listened to him without question as she did Harry saw Cho's disappointed look.
"I'm sorry Cho. That was awfully rude of me," he said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "Would you like to come with us? You can meet my mom, sisters, and Tori, Daphne's sister." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Daphne hasten to put her things away.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want to intrude," Cho responded half-heartedly. She really wanted to spend more time with him.
"Nonsense," he waved his hands dismissively. "If you want to come with us, then do so! I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't want you to come!"
Cho looked at him doubtfully, thinking that her presence would be an intrusion on their time with family. She was going to tell him so, but as she glanced into his excited eyes she could tell his invitation had been an genuine offer to meet his family and not something offered so as not to offend her.
"I'd love to meet your family - that is if it's alright with you Daphne," she asked turning to the quiet beauty? "If you would feel uncomfortable with me there, or simply want some privacy, then I don't want to be a bother."
Daphne was still trying to gather all her things as fast as she could without breaking any of the objects in her bag. Those who were watching the scene unfold had never seen the stoic girl move with such purpose. "Its fine," she answered as she shouldered her bag and turned to her best friend. "Can we go now?"
Harry chuckled at the eagerness she was unintentionally showing. Nodding that they could in fact go; he led the two to the tower entrance, where he held it open for them. As he went to follow them out, he saw Cho's friend Marietta glaring at him. Feeling the anger and dislike he held for her rise up, he channeled a bit of the hate he knew was the old-Harry's and sent her a glare that would have made any Death Eater proud. He was rewarded by her looking as if he had struck her. Smiling to himself he silently swung the entrance closed.
"Harry, I don't mean to sound like I doubt you," Cho said hesitantly, taking in the dusty room he had led them to. "But I have a hard time believing your family is going to be in an abandoned classroom."
Harry had Hedwig set on the back of one of the few chairs still left in the filth covered room, feeding her a owl treat. "Alright, you caught me," he said in mock-defeat, turning to face the two girls. "I lured you both here, so I wouldn't have to share either of you with the rest of the common room."
Cho raised an eyebrow in amusement, clearly she knew he was joking. Daphne on the other hand looked pissed. Her features had taken on a sharp look even though her face was blank.
"It was a joke!" Harry told her quickly, reaching into the bag he had brought with him, pulling out the communication mirror his mother had sent. "Give it a few minutes and you'll get to see Tori."
Both Daphne and Cho were some of the brightest students in their respective years. So it came as no surprise to Harry when they both zoomed in on the mirror he was holding with a look of understanding in their eyes.
"A two-way mirror?" Daphne asked taking a closer look at said mirror.
"Yup! My mum made it," he said with obvious pride. "Well, she put the enchantments on it. I kind of doubt she made the mirror. The frame itself looks to be goblin made."
"Its breath taking!" Cho had come up to him and had started running a finger along the frame.
"First, Hedwig's beautiful, now my mirror is breath taking," he said giving her an overly dramatic look of hurt. "Yet, you haven't said if you think I'm good looking or not. If wasn't for Katie's words on the train, I'd think you didn't find me appealing."
A blushing Cho looked to be on the verge of saying a comeback, but before she could utter a word she was cut off.
"Harry!"
Harry and Cho both jumped at the sudden calling of his name. From the surface of the mirror was a wild haired Ivy, dirt covering her clothes and face. She looked as if she had been 'helping' Lily in the greenhouse. Standing around her was a still beaming Tori, a concerned looking Lily, and Iris who had an unreadable expression on her face as she glanced back and forth Between Cho and Harry.
"Ivy!" Harry exclamed. It would have been impossible for him at that moment to describe the amount of joy he was feeling at the sight of his family. However, past all the happiness he was experiencing, in the back of his mind he was hoping that his mum and Iris hadn't heard him talking to Cho, but from the looks they were both sporting, he knew they more than likely had. "I've missed you - all of you!"
"I miss you," the smallest redhead cried out, "when are you coming home?"
"I'll be home at Christmas, but now that I have the mirror mum sent me, we can talk every day. I'll even try and read to you when I get the time." His smile grew as Ivy cheered and did a cute little dance. Turning his attention to his mother and Iris, he could see they were as happy as he was about Ivy's excitement, though Iris was still throwing Cho suspicious looks. "Thank you, by the way mum, I love my gift. I can already tell I'm going to be using it a lot."
Hearing that he enjoyed his gift, washed away the worry Lily had felt when she seen her son flirting with the pretty girl beside him. "I'm happy you like it," she said smiling. "You know honey," Lily said as she watched Astoria and Daphne talking to each other, "If you tap the frame with your wand the mirror will grow. But be warned it's a good size mirror, so be careful when doing so."
After Harry had handed the mirror over to Daphne, he pushed the teacher's desk against the wall. Unshrinking the mirror he propped up on the desk and took a step back. The mirror was as beautiful in its full-size state as it was when it fit in his two hands. It came as a relief that his mother had the forethought to put a feather weight charm on the now Vanity sized mirror. He didn't know if he would have been able to hold on to it if it weighed as much as it look like it did.
"Mum, Ivy, Iris, Tori, I'd like you all to meet Cho." She smiled shyly at the group of females in the mirror. "Cho, this is my mum Lily, little Ivy, blue eyes there is Astoria, and finally the potions genius Iris." As he introduced each of them, he pointed them out to her.
"It's nice to meet you all." Cho wasn't blind and could see the looks Iris was giving her, nor did she miss how the young girl had blushed when her brother had introduced her. "It's great to finally meet you Iris. Harry's told me a lot about you."
Iris's eyes widened a fraction at that piece of info. She hadn't been expecting this... girl to have been told anything about her. "It's nice to meet you too," she replied evenly.
Before any of the gathered were aware of it, they had spent hours talking. As time had passed Iris's glances at Cho had become noticeably softer, but were still weary. Ivy had spent the time telling Harry all about what she thought of as important while he had been away. While Lily talked with not only Harry, but Daphne and Cho as well. The Greengrass sisters had joined the conversation after having finished their own. In all, the group had enjoyed themselves and would have more than likely continued to do so, had it not been for the sound of the Potter's Grandfather clock ringing.
"Wait a minute," Harry gasped, his eyes going wide. "What time is it?" Not waiting for an answer, he hurriedly used his wand to check. "Ahh shi-"
"Harry!"
"Sorry mum," He apologized as he ran to a window to allow Hedwig out. "It's just that quidditch tryouts are in fifteen."
"Oh no!" Cho exclaimed as she to hopped up worriedly not knowing what to do.
"I know! Listen I'll... um - I guess it would be called mirroring? I'll mirror you guys later."
"Harry," called the monotone voice of Daphne. "Would you let me keep using your mirror? After I'm done I'll bring it back to the tower."
"Of course yo-" Lily started, only to be cut off by Harry.
"No!" He said harsher than he had been meaning to. All noise on both sides of the mirror ceased at once.
"Harry James Potter!" Lily called out sternly. She was appalled by how he had spoken to Daphne. Iris, Astoria, and even Cho were all giving him looks that showed their displeasure by how he had spoken to her.
Daphne who was well known for not showing any emotions, was unable to keep the brief flash of hurt that crossed her face hidden. "Its fine," she said quietly, standing up slowly she made her way to the door. "I'll write to you later."
Harry realizing he had hurt her feelings was across the room faster than any of those watching expected. Her hand grasped firmly in his, he turned her to face him, giving her a look that was miles more serious than any she had seen on him to date.
"I'm sorry - I didn't mean that to come out as harshly as it did." Everyone could hear the sincerity of his words. "I don't care if you use the mirror from sun up to sun down, but I don't want you in an abandoned class room by yourself."
Her features back to what was normal for her, she shrugged her shoulders without meeting his eyes. "It doesn't matter," she replied curtly.
"I know it's stupid of me, but I worry about you," he told her, trying to convey his feelings to her through his voice. Moving so that she was once again looking him in the eye he continued, "You said it yourself, people either love me or hate me. And you and I both know there are many in this school who don't love me. Some may even go so far as to take a chance to get at me by going for my best friend."
He could tell by the look in her eyes, she understood where he was coming from. "But even if that wasn't the case, I still wouldn't want you off by yourself in an empty classroom, where if something happened to you, no one would be able to help. So, I'm sorry that I was rude with how I said it, but I stand by it all the same. No, you cannot stay here and use the mirror. Now if you'd like to use it in the common room, library, or even your dorm room, feel free."
Daphne was having a hard time keeping her lips from doing that infuriating twitch, they do when she was happy. Over the short amount of time they had been attending Hogwarts, Harry had fast become her best friend. It felt good knowing he cared about her as much as she did about him.
"You're not my father, Potter." She said trying for some heat in her voice, she didn't know why but she felt incredibly embarrassed and wanted to try and hide it from those watching them. "Don't think you can tell me what to do!"
Harry had spent enough time with Daphne that he could easily tell why she sounded upset. It came as no surprise to him that she was trying to mask her feelings from others. Along with being bad with crowds of people, she rarely showed any emotion, making her unused to how to react when she felt them strongly in public.
He smiled down at her, not realizing what all those watching had, that he had yet to release her hand from his own. "I won't, but know this Greenie. I have ways of finding anyone I want in this castle and if I find you off running around by yourself, where I think it might be dangerous for you. I'll come hunt you down and bring you back to where I can keep an eye on you." His smile grew as he leaned toward her. "And if I have to, I'll throw you over my shoulder to do so." The slight incline of her lips were all he needed to know that he was forgiven.
"Guys!" Iris called out, breaking up the moment her brother and friend were sharing. She really didn't like that they were holding hands as they looked into each other's eyes. "Don't the two of you have to be at the quidditch tryouts soon?"
"Bullocks!"
"Harry!"
S2ndC
"Faster," he called over his shoulder, laughing even though they were more than likely going to be late.
In response Cho pushed herself faster even though she was already going at her top speed. Harry had to give her props; she was a lot faster than he had expected her to be, and was definitely in better shape than he had given her credit for.
"I wonder... do you think they'll still let us tryout if we're late?"
Hand on her rib, Cho tried in vain to stop the pain in her side from throbbing. "Doubtful," she answered, trying to control her erratic breathing. "I know you can go faster, why don't you go on ahead?"
"If you're late it'll be my fault." She started to say that he wasn't, but a look from him stopped her. "And if you're late, then I'll be late with you."
She flashed him a grateful smile as the quidditch field came into sight. From the way all those who were already there were standing, the tryouts had yet to start. Both Harry and Cho came to a stop at the edge of one of the many small groups of hopefuls, the latter of the two panting from the run down.
"I'm not going to lie," Harry said, ignoring the dirty looks and whispers he was receiving, "I honestly thought we were going to be late."
Cho snorted, trying not to laugh. Her hand flashed to her horrified etched face. She was mortified at the sound she had just made in front of the boy she liked. The blush that had appeared on her cheeks could have lit the darkest of caves.
She was saved from further embarrassing herself by the arrival of Ravenclaws quidditch captain and keeper, Carter Kirkwood.
"Alright you lot, gather round and shut up!" Now it was Harry's turn to snort. Something told him this guy wasn't going to be as light hearted as Oliver was. "As some of you know, this is my seventh and final year here at Hogwarts. For the past five years I've wanted to be a part of the team that gets to hold the quidditch cup high above their heads at the end of the season. And each and every year, I've been left disappointed. So this year, we'll be doing things differently than those who have lead this team before me."
There was muttering to break out at his words. Harry could tell the man before him may not have been goofy like Oliver, but he was just as obsessed with getting the cup as Oliver had been in his final year.
"I said shut up!" Carter roared, getting what he wanted at once. "Now unlike in years past, where if you played the year before then you automatically made it the next, this year all spots are open, even those that have returning players from last season." Once again talking broke out amongst those in attendance, most sounding cheerful, while two or three looked to be upset about the new rule. Harry assumed they were the returning players.
"Damn it! For a group of Ravenclaws, your all about as smart as potion addicted troll. I remember telling you to shut up, but since you all seem to be slow on the uptake, let put it in a way I know you'll hear me. Next time someone talks without my permission, they will be turned away, no matter how good they are!"
"That is one stressed bloke!" Harry whispered to wide eyed Cho, who simply nodded her agreement.
"I want you all to sort yourselves by what position you're going out for." Carter instructed. "If you're all able to accomplish that, we'll start with beater tryouts, then chasers, and finish up with the seekers. Line up in groups in that order."
Wishing Cho luck, Harry made his way to the smallest group by far. Standing at the end where seekers were to gather, was one lone player. The reason this young man stood alone was the reputation he had garnered himself the year before when he had tried out for the same spot.
From how the gossip around the common room told it, he was a ruthless player, who would do anything to catch the snitch. He was said to be the standard for all Ravenclaws to stand by when on the ground, but when he entered the sky he turned as ruthless as any Slytherin. And if that was true then Harry knew he was going to be having a hard time with him.
The sixth year's name was Gillian Lockwood. He was a shaggy haired, stocky young man, who in Harry's opinion was built more along the lines of a keeper or beater, than he was a seeker. And while most of the time, Gillian's size would be an advantage for anyone playing seeker against him, it was a major disadvantage for Harry. Not only would his size help him push Harry around, but he also had a broom that would far outshine the school broom Harry was clutching at the moment.
Harry smiled internally as a look of shock crossed Gillian's face when he approached the older boy. Coming to a stop in front of him, Harry had expected to be sneered or glared at, but not to receive a smile and a nod of the head.
Nodding back Harry turned to face Carter and wait for further instruction. "Wow," the Potter heir deadpanned. "I had expected you to tell me to beat it, or laugh in my face when you saw me trying out. Happy to see I was wrong... for once."
Gillian chuckled. "I'd say that your expectations were unfounded, but in all honesty you were right to be worried." Stepping forward, so that they would have been shoulder to shoulder had Harry been a little taller, Gillian glanced down at the bold first year. "Once I get in the air - I become a completely different person." Harry nodded his understanding, respecting the sixth year for being upfront with him. "I'd like to apologize ahead of time, if I get too carried away up there and hurt you - I'd like you to know it's not personal."
"No problem," Harry said innocently. "Quidditch is a rough game, emotions get high, adrenalin gets to pumping, and people end up hurt. Just know this, I won't take anything you do up there lying down. I live by a policy - if someone gets you, don't get even, get them better!"
"Now that's a policy I could get behind," Gillian said with obvious approval in his voice. Both he and Harry had taken to watching the stands fill with Ravenclaws wanting to watch the tryouts. "It's very Slytherin in its nature, don't you think."
Gazing up at the older boy, Harry gave him a look that told him that he was not someone to cross. "They do say Slytherins prosper!"
Gillian and Harry stared at each other for over a minute before both broke out in laughter. Harry had thought that he would dislike the boy, but so far he could see himself becoming good friends with him.
"Oi! You, the girly looking firsty!" The voice of Carter Kirkwood called, breaking Harry out of his good mood. He sneered at the Quidditch captain as most of those trying out for the team howled with laughter, some going as far as to make cat-calls at him. "What are you doing out here? You can't even have your own broom on school grounds! What would possess you to make think you had a chance at making the team?"
"I saw how shitty the quidditch captain looked and thought that if you're the standard then I could easily make the team," Harry called back without missing a beat. He smiled at the renewed laughter his words had drawn.
Carter looked taken aback for a second, before he schooled his features into a scowl. "Think ya funny do ya? Well let's see how funny you are as you make your way back up to the tower. You're banned from tryouts!" Sending Harry one more glare he turned his focus back to the remaining hopefuls. "Now that the trash has been taken care of! I wan-"
"Hey captain," Harry yelled in a mocking voice.
"You're still here, aye? I thought I told you to scram!"
"Oh you did," he said in mock seriousness, "but I have an offer you won't want to pass up!"
Carter stared at the firsty with a mild interest in his eyes. "An offer ya say?" All those on the on the field were paying rapt attention to the back and forth of the first and seventh year students. "And what kind of offer do you have for me that's going to keep me from dragging you off this field by that pretty head of hair of yours?"
Harry had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from cursing the asshole. Harry was more than aware that he leaned more toward looking like a girl than he did a boy, and if he was to be honest about it, he liked it. But to hear someone mock him about it pissed him off.
"It's more of a bet than a offer, really." Harry sent him a bored look, he knew that would piss the boy off.
"What could you have to bet that I would want?" Carter sneered, the look on the kids face was really getting to him.
"A brand new Nimbus 2000," Harry said, watching as a hungry look entered the eyes of most of those on the field, Carter included.
"I'm listening," Carter smirked.
"You let me fly against Gillian here," he reached up and smacked said boy on the back, "for the spot of seeker. If I beat him to the snitch, I get the seeker spot on the team and get to keep my broom, but if I should lose, you get my broom."
An evil smile crossed the captain's face. "Let's say on the off chance you do win," Carter said looking as if he thought the idea of Harry besting Gillian as laughable, "what about your broom situation? I'd love nothing more than to take that fine broom off your hands, but if you were to make the team, I'd end up with a seeker on a school broom. A team with a seeker on a broom like that can't win me my cup."
"What if I told you I know of a way that I could use my Nimbus in each game, and still be well within the school rules?"
"I'd say you have yourself deal," Carter announced with victory in his eyes.
Harry glanced over at Gillian and had a brilliant idea come to him. "I only have one request!" Carter waved his hands impatiently, telling him to go on. "Let the seeker tryout go first!"
Sighing deeply Carter asked, "Why do ya want to go first?"
Harry sent him the cockiest smile most of those watching had ever seen. "Because after I win my spot on the team, Gillian will be able to try out for one of the beater spots."
Carter shook his head in disbelief at the first year. He was suddenly feeling as if the deal he had made wasn't his smartest move. "Whatever - fine! Seekers get ready; you have five minutes to prep!"
Excitement built quickly amongst those in the stands and on the field. Somehow those in the cheering section had heard what all had been said and were looking forward to the coming seeker battle as much as those who were waiting to try out for the team. A number of them wanted to see the cocky first year eat his words and the look of loss on his face when he had to give up his broom, but just as many of them wanted to see if the first year could back up his words.
Standing across from each other already mounting their brooms, were Gillian and Harry. The case restraining the snitch set an even distance between the two. Carter walked cat like up to the box as he sent both boys looks that spoke of him taking in the measure of them. Kneeling he sent them each one last look, before releasing the tiny golden ball. "GO!"
Both seekers shot straight up into the air, the nose of their broom pointing to the sun. Harry who was looking for the snitch, wasn't ready for it when Gillian slammed the bottom of his broom against Harry's, the hard wood of their mounts smashing into both their hands leaving both boys fingers bloody.
Gillian who had initiated the blow was able to recover easily enough and had straightened out to go look for the snitch. Harry however, had to wrap his legs around the handle to keep from falling off his suddenly upside broom.
'Damn they were not kidding about this bloke!' Harry thought as he righted his self gracefully to start his own search for a small flash of gold. 'He'll kill me if I'm not careful.'
For a time both boys flew in circles as they scanned every inch of the sky for their goal. Harry had thought he had seen something gold when he felt, rather than saw, Gillian behind him. Relying on his trusted instincts, he swung himself as hard as he could into a barrel roll, avoiding being rammed out of the sky by the stocky boy, by barely a second.
Coming full roll, Harry shot forward on his broom catching up to an unexpecting Gillian, who had gone back to looking for the snitch. As soon as his broom was in reaching distance, Harry used his seeker reflexes and grabbed the tail end of his opponent's broom almost sending him head first to the ground well below them.
Cackling evilly, Harry shot away from the arm flailing boy. It just happened to be his luck that as he sped away from Gillian that he caught sight of the snitch as it speed across the front of the opposite goal posts. Taking advantage of his competition's distraction, he laid flat to the shaft of the broom he was on, using all of his natural talent and numerous hours of training gained skills to push the broom to its absolute limit.
He was more than a third away from the rapidly direction changing ball when he felt the wind being knocked out of him as the stocky form of Gillian smashed into his side. It was a testament to his flying skill that Harry was able to hang on to his broom and in the air after taking the hit he had.
Lying flat to his broom once again, Harry took in deep gasps of breath as he trailed the older boy, trying to use his slip-stream to help him catch up. Slowly, but surely, Harry inched closer to his abuser, all the while thinking that had he been on a decent broom the match would already be over.
Sooner than he had expected and Gillian had hoped, Harry was once again neck and neck with the other boy. He was thanking Merlin, God, Buddha, and anyone else he could think of for the older boy's size and how it had slowed him enough that he could catch up. Had he been built in a more stream-lined fashion, the snitch would have already been caught.
However, Harry learned at that second to keep his head in the game when playing against Gillian Lockwood. Out of nowhere Gillian lashed out sideways with his elbow catching Harry right above his left eye giving him a nasty cut that poured blood, robbing him of his vision in his left eye.
No matter how good Harry was on a broom had he not grabbed Gillian's broomstick a moment before his elbow made contact, he would have been thrown off his own. As it was he had slowed both himself and Gillian down as he continued to hold on to his broom for all he was worth.
Gillian knowing Harry was holding his broom to both slow him down and to keep himself from falling to the ground below, tried prying the first years grip off his broom, but to no such luck. All he could do was steer them after the snitch and hope that the boy would let go soon.
Harry who had already recovered from the vicious blow, was biding his time, until he had a chance to strike back. His moment came as Gillian let out a frustrated growl as he looked longingly at the snitch. Taking a page from the older boy's book, Harry put all of his body weight into swinging his elbow into Gillian's waist, causing him to let out a loud grunt of pain as Harry speed forward toward the snitch.
Gillian not wanting to lose his dream of playing seeker, pushed through the pain , focusing on Harry and the snitch. Watching the first year following the snitch into a wide right turn, he saw his way to end it. Laying flat to his broom in much the same way his new friend had done multiple times against him, he aimed his broom so that he'd hit Harry, knocking him out of the sky, while it would also put him back on the trail of the snitch.
Harry was only a couple of feet behind the snitch when out of the corner of his eye he saw the shaggy haired teen on a crash course with him. Pulling back on his broom with all his might, he tried avoiding his opponent, but was only half way successful.
As one, all those who had been watching the amazing match, gasped in horrified shock as Gillian was catapulted off his broom, while at the same time the first years school supplied broom front end was snapped off. Everyone was torn between seeing if Gillian would be okay and the suddenly faster broom the first year was on.
Harry hadn't known what to think when the front of his broom was sent flying with Gillian. But his broom speeding up somehow, hadn't crossed his mind. Fighting for control with the still speeding up broom, he wrestled it in the direction of the snitch, following it in to its steep dive. He caught up with it in seconds and was holding it a second later, but that wasn't important at the moment. The rapidly approaching ground had his full attention.
Using the last bit of strength his exhausted arms had, he once again pulled up with all his might, but it was for naut. leveling out just a few inches above the ground he thought he was in the clear, until his feet slammed into the ground snapping both his ankles from the impact. Crying out in pain he inadvertently let go of the severed broom and was sent tumbling to the ground at speeds unknown, where he blacked out from pain.
He was woken moments later as half of those who had been watching the match surrounded him, the others standing at the other end of the field over what he was guessing was Gillian.
Cho was the first to reach him, tears falling freely from her beautiful eyes. "What were you thinking you idiot?" She yelled in a choked voice. "I thought you were dead when you hit the ground!" She looked as if she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him, but every time she reached out to him, she would quickly draw her arms back to herself.
Harry went to speak, but started coughing violently before he could say anything.
This was the scene a red-eyed Daphne came upon. In her hand was the mirror his mother had sent him, its surface showed an empty Potter family kitchen. Seeing this Harry felt his insides turn to ice.
"Daphne please tell me you didn'-" He started, but that was as far as he got before she cut him off.
"Shut up!" She growled in a voice that was the bi-polar opposite of her normal tone.
All those who had come to check on Harry took a step back from the now shaking girl. The only one to not budge was Cho who was still fighting with herself over whether or not she should wrap him in a hug.
"How dare you do that to me, Harry James Potter?" Harry felt his dread deepen when he saw tears fall from Daphne 'Ice Queen' Greengrass's eyes. "You have the nerve to tell me what is and isn't safe for me, then you run off and try and get yourself killed? I thought I meant more to you than that! What about your mother, Ivy, Iris, and Tori, huh? You know they were watching you on the two way mirror right? Do you have any idea what it was like to watch you dive toward the ground like that? Or what it felt like to see you hit the ground like a rag doll dropped off the Astronomy tower?"
The first year Ravenclaws who had shown up a few seconds behind Daphne would have voiced their agreement to everything she had said so far, had it not been for the feeling of the girl's magic rolling off her. No one, including Harry had any idea she had such a large amount of magic in her.
Harry was snapped out of his awe and dread filled musing by Daphne stomping toward him and grabbing him by the front of his now ripped cotton shirt. "The second you get out of the infirmary, I'm going to make you pay and you're not going to run from me, but sit there and take it. Aren't you?" He nodded dumbly as she released his shirt.
An air of awkwardness settled over those who had gathered around the downed first year. None daring to break it, for the fear of drawing Daphne's ire.
"Potter!" Yelled the pumped-up voice of Carter Kirkwood, soon followed by the man himself. "That was amazing flying! I can say with full confidence that you deserve the seeker spot! But man, if you're able to do all that on a school broom, I can't wait to see what ya capable of on a Nimbus! The quidditch cup, after years of chasing it, only to be left disappointed, I'll finally get it, and it's all thanks to you!"
It wasn't until he finished his speech, he realized he was on the wrong end of two very angry looking witches' glares. Daphne and Cho both stood with their hands on their hips giving the seventh year death glares.
"Right, uh, well Madam Pomfrey is on the way... so I'll just be going then." He was half way across the field before he put his wand to his throat, seconds later his magnified voice washed over the two crowds. "RAVENCLAW'S TRYOUTS ARE HERE BY PUT ON HOLD TILL FURTHER NOTICE!"
Harry was avoiding looking Daphne in the face by watching Carter's retreating figure when Professor Flitwick showed up looking about as worried as one would expect him to be.
"Mister Potter, how are you feeling?" The short professor squeaked in concern. "Are you experiencing any shortness of breath?"
"Na, I'm fine! Just a bit banged up." He answered shrugging his shoulders.
Cho by now had had stopped glaring at the Carter and had turned back to Harry, her features softening as she eyed his bloody and bruised body. Daphne on the other hand scoffed at his answer as she directed her glare at him.
'She's really going to make me pay,' he thought wearily.
"That's good then," Flitwick said sounding happy that it wasn't as bad as it looked. Flicking his wand he healed the cut over Harry's eye and vanished the still wet blood from his face and neck. "You look to be in no condition to be walking. I'll be levitating you to the infirmary if that's alright with you?"
"Be my guest," Harry said as he winced from shifting his weight. "Normally I'd refuse such a thing, but at the moment both my ankles are shattered."
Had the emotions that crossed Daphne's tear streaked face been different, Harry would have enjoyed giving her a light ribbing. But when the rage that had marred her features was washed away by that of worry to the point of looking sick, he knew he had majorly screwed up.
He had been attempting to make his female friend show her emotions ever since they had become friends, but now that she was he didn't think he could stomach much more. Sure Hermione had been upset every time he had received an injury, but to see Daphne who rarely showed how she felt, looking as if she was about to cry over him again, made him feel like he had broken her trust and spit on their friendship.
Glancing over at Cho, he sighed in defeat as he saw she didn't look to be taking his injuryies any better than Daphne was.
"Don't worry you two; this isn't anything Madom Pomfrey can't fix in one sitting." He said trying to reassure the two who seemed the most worried about him. "I'll have to spend the night in the infirmary at the most, and if I do I'll be out in time for breakfast in the morning."
"He's quite right ladies," Flitwick confirmed. Both girls relaxed, if only a small fraction at the tiny professor's words. "Now then off we go Mister Potter, I have to contact your parents about th-"
"Oh no," Harry groaned falling back with his hands covering his face. "Daphne is it true that my mum and the others saw all that?"
"Yes they did," she responded, the heat that had been in her voice earlier making a reappearance.
"We better hurry then." His words drew many a questioning look. "If I know my mum, she'll be storming the castle gates any moment now, if she isn't already on the school grounds."
He had been right in his assumption of Lily's actions. Flitwick with a floating Harry, worried Cho and Daphne, who was so worked up she didn't know what she was feeling at the moment, hadn't made it through the infirmary doors before a panicking Lily followed by Astoria, and Iris, whom had Ivy on her hip had rushed them. All of whom were firing off questions and talking over one another, each too worried about Harry to realize that their words were little more than gibberish.
"Alright calm down!" Waving his hands, Harry was able to calm them. "First off, I'm fine! Secondly," he said as Flitwick floated him onto a bed, before leaving to give the group some privacy, "I haven't seen you girls in person for a while, I think I at the very least deserve a hug, don't you?"
Instantly Lily had swooped in, latching onto his right side careful to not hurt him any further, while Ivy who had wiggled herself out of Iris's arms, had struggled to climb onto the bed and claimed his left, where she hugged herself to him as tightly as her little arms would let her.
Harry enjoyed the contact with them. It had been far too long since he had last received a hug from the two. As Lily pulled away, he looked expectantly at Iris who had watched her mother and little sister hug him wistfully. Now that it was her turn to hug him she an air bashfulness around her.
Growing impatient waiting for the hug that he would never admit out loud that he had been looking forward to the most, he held his arm out motioning her to him.
Iris didn't need any more of an incentive. Racing across the room she launched herself at him, following Ivy's lead in pulling him to herself as tightly as she could at the same time he wrapped his arm around her. Like her, he too tried to lessen the distance between them, craving to be close to her.
Harry ignored the pain he was in, as a wave of Iris's scent washed over him. Breathing in deeply, he pulled her body still closer to his, enjoying the feeling of her against him as her she buried her head into the crook of his neck, breathing just as deeply as he was.
Those watching the siblings, misjudged the intensity in which they were holding each other, for the worry of a sister who witnessed her brother become injured and the happiness of an older brother reunited with his younger sister. Unknown to all, even the two that were a part of said hug, were the intense feeling being spurred from the contact they were sharing with one another.
Iris, who knew what sex was and had only recently started the changes that would turn her into a woman, knew only that she felt things for Harry, things she had never before experienced for another. As she basked in the feeling of being in his strong embrace, Iris was sure of one thing, Astoria had been right. She did have a crush on her brother.
He knew it was wrong, especially with those around them watching, but couldn't help enjoying having Iris's body taut with his own. Her nonexistent chest pressed to his side, head buried in his neck taking deep rhythmic breaths that sent chills down his spine as her warm breath played across the skin, exposed by his tattered shirt. Her own scent of wild strawberries filling his head as he rubbed her back in a way that bordered on being sensual.
He felt his euphoria shatter as his body starting to react to the sensations and desire he was experiencing. Panicking, his mind raced for a way he could hide his rising problem without drawing more attention to 'it'. If the group of women around him, all of whom possessed a high leveled intellect, were to witness his reaction to Iris's hug, then it would be all too easy for them to figure out his secret feelings for her.
Iris in an act showing she planned to stay attached to Harry, innocently placed her leg over his as she pulled her head from his neck only to lay it on his chest. She did so unknowingly of how the placement of knee so close to his groin was effecting him, nor how her center being pressed to his thigh was driving him crazy with need.
Just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and both Iris and Ivy (whom was still snuggled up to his left) on to the floor, so he could cover himself, the door slammed open scaring the groups attention away from him.
Madam Pomfrey entered the room with a floating Gillian in tow. Harry seeing an opportunity to save himself from ridicule and shame, used the healer's entrance as chance to slide from a laying position to a sitting one, while at the same time reaching around the small redhead to readjust his shorts.
He breathed a deep sigh of relief at having avoided a very bad situation, not paying attention to a word the healer was saying to him and the rest of his group.
Unbeknownst to him, his assumption of his problem going unnoticed couldn't have been farther from the truth. In fact two of the females in the room noticed his body's reaction. Both of their young sharp minds going into overdrive as they used all of their willpower to hide the reactions they were feeling, from bursting free.
"Mister Potter!" The healer said raising her already strict sounding voice. "I asked what possessed you to push yourself to such lengths for a position on team that would be meaningless if you were to get yourself killed?"
"I wasn't trying to kill myself, maybe break my back, but not kill myself." He answered cheekily earning himself a punch in the arm from Iris and hisses from the gathered females. "Bloody hell," he squeaked as he rubbed his shoulder, "it was a joke! Merlin, do you find it to be a good idea to hit an injured man?"
"Man my ass, more like a git," Iris mumbled, leaning back on the bed beside him instead of on him like before.
"Joke or not, even magic can't heal a broken spine, and from what those who witnessed your and mister Lockwood's little stunt say, you both could have very easily ended up that way, or worse!" As she lectured him, Madam Pomfrey waved her wand in complicated patterns over the still unconscious Gillian.
Looking satisfied she nodded at the still unmoving sixth year, turning she made her way across the room giving Iris and Ivy a shooing gesture with her hands. Iris looking reluctant got up right away. Ivy however, gave the stern looking witch a fierce glare, or as fierce of a glare that an adorable redhead four-year-old could give.
"No! You're being mean to my Harry!" Ivy yelled as she unhooked herself from him so that she could stand on the bed in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest.
Madam Promfrey features softened as she looked at the little girl who was willing to stand up to an adult to protect her brother.
"Ivy! You don't talk to people like that," lily chided her daughter, walking over to her she gently picked her up as to not disturb the bed her injured son was laying on. "She's just trying to help your brother, honey. I'm sorry Poppy, she's very protective of him."
"But she's being mean!" Ivy pointed out looking to everyone trying to appeal to them, but only received smiles that stemmed from her cuteness.
"Ivy baby, don't worry, Madam Pomfrey isn't mad at me, she's just worried about me." Ivy gave him a look of disbelief that caused her to look like a confused kitten. "After she's done making me all better, you can come sit with me some more."
Ivy gave Madam Pomfrey one more glare before nodding her agreement.
Madam Pomfrey knew firsthand how fast a child's mood could change, with this in mind she quickly set to work diagnosing all the damage the boy before her had reeked on his body.
"Every bone from your ankle down, broken. All of the ribs on your left side bruised, two of which are cracked. Eight fractured fingers and over seventy percent of your body is bruising as we speak." She announced to those gathered, earning him looks of sympathy. "Count yourself lucky Mister Potter, that you're not worse off. I'll be back in a minute to set all of your damaged bones right and with the potions you will need to help you recover."
As the aged healer left them, the two youngest Potters made their way back to Harry's side, at the same time as Lily, Cho, Daphne, and Astoria moved closer to his bed.
Lily sighed as she watched her precious son interact with the group of young girls around him. She felt a headache coming on as thought of how he could very easily end up acting like James had, with both quidditch and the opposite sex. She pulled herself out of her musing, intent on getting to the bottom of what had given him the idea that he was allowed to act in such a reckless manner.
"Harry," she said pulling his and those around his bed, attention. "What - why - how could you be so reckless? You could have died over a stupid little ball. I know for a fact that you have a brilliant mind, so why didn't you use it?"
Feeling very small, Harry stared at his clutched hands, afraid to look his mother in the eye. "I wanted to prove myself," he told her honestly. "I don't like to lose... at anything. Whether it be sports, academics, or anything else. I know I'm the best and want to prove it to everyone. I want to be able to, at the end of the year, look back and see time not wasted with foolish nonsense, but of me leaving, having left my mark. I want you, Iris, Ivy, and dad to be proud of me. After I wasted so much time by being a monster, I wanted to prove to you that all of you letting me back in to your hearts wasn't a mistake."
By the time he had finished talking Iris had once again wrapped him in a hug. The girls around him all looked to be upset by his words, but understood where he was coming from. Cho, who didn't know anything about Harry's past behavior, had many questions running through her mind, but held her tongue. She would have to ask Daphne later what he had been talking about, but for now all that was important was that Harry was going to be okay.
"Oh honey," Lily said softly, her eyes moist with unshed tears. "No matter what we'll always be proud of you. We would rather have a son who was average, than one that got himself killed by being vain. But I think we all know how amazing you are, and we all love you. And not a one of us regret letting you into our lives. You've completed our family, making it better as you did so."
Harry smiled at the sincerity of her words. Not for the first time, he realized just how lucky he was to get a second chance at life.
"Lily," Madam Pomfrey called out giving his mother pause. "Do you think you could help me administer these potions to young Mister Lockwood?" Lily nodded she could before giving Harry a look that made it clear they were not finished talking.
Feeling the day's events catching up to him, he tiredly laid his head on Iris's, who still had him wrapped in an embrace. Closing his eyes he practically hummed in content as both of his sisters snuggled into him.
"You two look more like a young couple, than you do brother and sister," Astoria commented, serving to turn both Harry and Iris red and reminding him of her habit of saying whatever popped into her pretty head.
"Astoria," Daphne said in her monotone. While her voice had returned to what was the norm for the girl, her face was still set in a scowl. "Mouth filter!"
Astoria looked abashed as those gathered around her shared a small laugh. It didn't escape any of those around the bed that even after the youngest Greengrass's words the brother and sister had yet to part from one another like most siblings would have after being told they looked like a couple. Many a question flowed through the minds of the three girls watching them, though none of them dared voice them, whether it be for fear of what answer they would receive, not caring, or that they knew they would get their answers later.
"Alright young ladies I'll be needing you both to move once more, so I may fix those bones of his."
After many obscenities had passed his lips and being reprimanded by his mother for each one, Harry was once again in possession of fully healed body. Though he had made it very clear to all in attendance, he would have preferred the pain and soreness that accompanied the bruising over the taste of the potions he was forced to down.
Lily silently mused over her next course of action as she stared her nervous looking son in the eye. "So what should I tell your father about what happened here today?"
"I'm just throwing it out there, but maybe you could tell him, his first year son beat out a sixth year for the spot of seeker on his house team, all the while looking dashing as he gallantly flew through the air!" Cho and Astoria had giggled as he winked at them, Ivy in her innocence had laughed along with the two older girls. His momentary playfulness was squashed by the three sets of eyes glaring at him. It was clear, Lily, Iris, and Daphne found nothing amusing about his current situation.
"Maybe I shouldn't give you the permission you need to play quidditch? Since obviously you don't know when you should be serious!" Lily had projected an aura that said she meant her threat, however, on the inside she was fighting with herself. Even though he had told her himself to not hold back from showing her displeasure for his actions, she was terrified that she would end up pushing her son away again.
Harry's reaction to her threat was comical as he had nearly fallen off his bed. "Please no," he begged as he crawled across his covers to his mother. "I promise I won't do anything as nit witted as that ever again, just please don't stop me from being on the team! I've been good the whole time I've been here. No pranks, no fights - well not since the day of the sorting, but I told you about all that, so it doesn't count. Let's see what else... oh, I'm top of all of my classes, I go out of my way to help others in their studies, and if you don't let me play I won't get to see you, dad, Ivy and Iris in person until Christmas."
Lily tried to keep her serious expression in place, but slowly it slipped as her son listed reasons he should get to play quidditch. He was so much like James at times.
"Alright, alright, you can play, but if I see you getting hurt like that again then it's no more quidditch for you. Understand?"
"Yes ma'am," he gave her a mock salute making the girls snigger.
"Now then since Poppy has cleared you to leave as long as you come for a checkup in the morning, why don't we all go for a walk on the grounds?"
S2ndC
"Before you all leave, I'd like for each of you too give me your opinion of Mister Longbottom," Albus Dumbledore asked his staff, "and how he has been doing in class!"
It was Sunday night and the second staff meeting of the year had just come to a close.
"He has an ego the size of this castle," Snape drawled, looking bored. "I wouldn't be surprised if he had Mister Smith clap every time he wipes his as-"
"Severus!" McGonagal snapped heatedly. "I will not have you talking about one of my lions, nor any other student that way!"
"She is correct Severus, you are a Professor of this school." Dumbledore said sounding disappointed in the potions master. "As such you will refrain from making such remarks. Do as the muggle saying goes 'If you don't have anything nice to say, then say nothing at all!' "
Snape sneered, but said nothing else as he leaned against the wall, looking as if he wished to be somewhere else.
"Mister Longbottom is a very gifted student." Supplied Flitwick, paying no mind to the childish acting professor. "He has so far been able to cast any spells I have given to him, by the end of the lesson. However," hesitation had entered the diminutive mans voice, "Severus isn't wrong. He has as you would expect from one who has grown up in the lime light, a very large head. Even though he isn't the top of his year and is outdone in several classes by several different people, he still proceeds to act as if he was Merlin himself."
There was many a nod coming from the gathered professors in the room. They had all seen and talked to one another about his behavior. It was a joke amongst them all about how atrocious his actions would become if he were to be the head student in his year.
"As I said, a huge ego, one that has only grown now that he has been given permission to join his house's quidditch team." Snape said in a bored tone, ignoring the glare McGonagal was sending him, in favor of looking at the high vaulted ceiling.
"His being on the Gryffindor's quidditch team is not what's being called into question, but his behavior." McGongal looked as if she would like nothing more than to box Snape's greasy head. "Besides Gryffindor is not the only house to have a first year as seeker. Am I right Fillious?"
"You are correct my dear, but unlike young Neville, Mister Potter earned his spot during tryouts. Where as Longbottom got his while breaking school rules by flying against young Malfoy, when they both should have been on the ground waiting for Madam Hooch." Flitwick said, his voice laced with his disagreement at how the rules had been bent for the boy. "I do wonder... how badly Neville will take the news that young Harry has outdone him again?"
"What do you mean Fillious?" Albus questioned, he was interested in hearing more about the Potter heir.
"After the event of the sorting took place, Neville feels as if Mister Potter has taken his thunder." McGonagal said rolling her eyes. She sometimes wondered why she dealt with children in the first place. "These feelings have only increased since Mister Potter has become, hands down the brightest student I and those in this room, have ever had the pleasure of teaching." She received many looks of surprise at the tone of dislike she had used when talking about the youngest male Potter.
Albus sat forward, steeping his hands in front of his face as he took in this information. Glancing over to Snape he saw the barest of hints of anger on the man's face.
"Severus, what do you think of the boy?" He asked his friend.
"I thought you said to keep quiet if I had nothing nice to say?" He asked as a cruel smirk played across his lips.
"Severus," Dumbledore chided.
"He is talented in potions, though that can be credited to him having studied the subject with his mother before attending Hogwarts," he said as he finally graced those in the room with a bored look. "If he's been given early lessons on potion making, then it's likely he has been in all of his subjects. I could see it now, the great James and Lily Potter giving their spawn an advantage over others so as not to look bad."
"No," McGonagal spoke up. "I am certain that the Potters were not giving him, or any other of their children advance lessons. In fact they were barely able to stay in the same room with him the last time I visited them."
"Would you be opposed to elaborate, Minvera?" Albus asked, trying to encourage her to tell more about young Harry.
"Every time I have visited the Potters over the years, Harry has been nothing short of a monster," she said her lips thinning. "He had the nerve to call me an a wrinkled old bint the last time I saw him outside of Hogwarts."
Those in the room shared shocked looks at this piece of information. They could not believe that the kind helpful boy they knew from their classes would say such a thing, the only exception was Flitwick who was nodding as she spoke and Snape who had snorted as he attempted to keep from laughing as he imagined the look on the cat animagus's face when the boy had spoken to her that way.
"Surely you jest Min?" Asked an incredulous Sprout. "He's always been such a charmer in my lessons. Going out of his way to help those around him, after he's done his assignment. It's adorable seeing all the young ladies blush as he kindly asks if they would like any help."
"She's right," Flitwick said agreeing with McGonagal, much to the shock of the others in the room. "The relationship between Harry and his parent's was strained for the longest time. He once called me the bastard child of a street walking hag and a retarded goblin. However," he called over the cries of outrage and a single snort from a lockjawled Snape, "when I last contacted Lily, she informed me that after certain events this summer, Harry had completely changed for the better, and I have to say I agree."
Gaining control over the laughter that threatened to burst forth, Snape fixed a sneer onto his face. "He's just like Longbottom, full of himself."
"Severus you're mad because he outsmarted you," Professor Sinistra accused. "But while we are talking about it, it was petty, even for you, to bring up that obscure rule about bags being in the Great Hall during Dinner."
"If it was so petty then why did none of you stop me?" Snape asked, his sneer going full force.
"Because we try to not undermineour fellow Professors in front of the student body," said an exasperated McGonagal.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all adults here, let's try to at least act like it," Dumbledore's words instantly quieted the room. "Thank you all for allowing this old man to keep you a bit longer. You're all dismissed, good night!" As the last of his staff left the room, Albus pondered the enigma that was Harry Potter.
From everything he had learned, the boy was brilliant, even going as far as reminding Albus of himself and two others he knew. And that's what scared him most, that he reminded him of three boys who had all made choices that had caused others to lose their lives. Tom for his charm and power. Gellert for talent with magic and dashing good looks . And himself, Harry was so like him in his raw power and talent for all branches of magic. One young boy who had the best of the three most powerful wizards in modern history. It was as alarming as it was fascinating.
Dumdledore sagged in his chair, feeling his hundred some years of life catching up to him. What would he do if Harry turned out to be a Dark Lord in the making? Albus only knew one thing for certain. No matter what the future held, he was sure young Harry would be in the thick of it!
AN: So how was this chapter? I know that even though there is a lot here that not a lot happened. Next Chapter things will start moving in the right direction and those of you who think his life is hunky dory will see not everything is golden for him. Next chapter most of you may HATE me for how it ends. Also what were all of your thoughts on the last part of the chapter and the quidditch scene? I had a lot of fun writing it.
ANsorry: A lot has happened to me and this story in the past month since it was last updated. Know it will never be dropped, but there will be times that I won't be able to update. The next chapter is already done, but I will not be posting it for at least two weeks. The reason for this is because in case I'm not able to get another chapter out of me, or for some reason I can't get to a laptop then It won't be as long a wait as this time.