This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter universe, which are trademarked by J.K. Rowling. I do not claim ownership of these characters nor the locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, etc. that are Rowling's creations. This work also includes Pokemon, which belong to the Pokemon Company, and I again claim no ownership of these characters.
I thank both Rowling and the Pokemon Company for the universes they have created that allows me to do something like this for my own entertainment and, hopefully, the entertainment of the readers.
Harry wasn't given a lot of time to contemplate McGonagall's advice or Luna's pearls of wisdom as the easter holiday began and with it opened the dam that was keeping Hermione's neuroticism at bay.
With two weeks with no classes Hermione had them working like crazy, in the library, in the common room, occasionally even in the Great Hall during meals. Hermione always got crazy during exam time, it was part of who she was that she just couldn't relax when the pressure was on, but this year she was going above and beyond anything they'd seen before.
What was in name a holiday became a torturous stretch where Harry and Ron fought tooth and nail for whatever free time they could, cherishing the few opportunities they had to escape to the Quidditch Pitch for practice as it was about the only time they could relax and not have to deal with Hermione's incessant muttering.
It didn't get much better once classes started again, though the classes themselves provided a bit more variety, which was a blessed relief, even if they weren't that much easier to deal with than Hermione.
And so it was a relief when, after managing to persuade Hermione to go for a walk to get some fresh air, she got distracted by something else.
"Espurr is incredibly powerful," she told them as she displayed her newly caught Pokémon at the start of the next DA meeting. "Obviously it doesn't look physically strong but it has really good special attack, at least once it evolves." Harry held out his Pokédex.
"Espurr, the Restraint Pokémon," it said. "The organ that emits its intense psychic power is sheltered by its ears to keep power from leaking out."
"I haven't been able to properly test out his capabilities," Hermione told them. "After all, Umbridge doesn't allow any battling and I'm so swamped with revision. I'd really like it if we could battle you, Harry."
"Eh, sure," said Harry. He'd been down to battle Fred and his Magmar but since Hermione was originally supposed to be using Buizel against George's Electabuzz it was easy to make a swap. He told Fred and George their new instructions, receiving matching grins in return, and turned back to face Hermione.
"Pikachu, lets go," he called, releasing the small electric type. Pikachu, whilst more than capable of dealing with Espurr, was not as strong as Charizard and not as valuable to Angelina as Talonflame. "Okay, Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"Espurr, Light Screen!" Pikachu's attack fizzled uselessly against the glowing yellow box that sprung up around Espurr.
"Iron Tail!" Pikachu charged forwards and swung his metallic tail at the tiny Pokémon.
"Reflect!"
'Dual screens', Harry thought as Pikachu, after trying his best to break through, was repelled by the Reflect. This was such a Hermione Pokémon.
"Use Confusion!" Espurr's round little eyes glowed and Pikachu, having taken a tumble when his last attack was repelled, was lifted into the air.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Harry instructed. Espurr wasn't experienced in battle and had made a mistake in not attacking while he could. Pikachu did not need to move to fire off his electric attack and even though the Light Screen took the brunt of the hit Espurr still lost his focus and Pikachu landed on all fours.
"Now Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu charged forwards, his body surrounded by sparking electricity, and crossed the short distance to slam into the Reflect barrier that stood between him and his target. Though halted in his path the Reflect was obviously not strong enough to hold him, cracking under the pressure and giving Espurr only a matter of moments before he was hit.
"Espurr, use Psybeam!" As Hermione finished her command the last resistance in the Reflect barrier fell, the Reflect crashing into pieces as Pikachu charged forwards. Espurr, standing directly in his path, lifted his ears.
A blast erupted, Pikachu being thrown backwards and Harry, along with everyone else in the clearing, doubling over to cover their ears as a high pitched shriek emanated from beneath Espurr's ears. It was terrible, Harry barely able to even think as he crouched down and tried to make himself as small as possible.
"Espurr! Stop!" Hermione's voice was just noticeable past the terrible noise and to Harry's relief the clearing fell silent. His ears ringing, Harry looked up to find Espurr standing innocently before him, ears back down to cover his attack.
"What was that?!" Dean's shout broke the silence and at once seemed to kick everyone back into motion.
"Sorry," said Hermione, looking guilty. "I'd never tried that before. I knew it was going to be loud but…"
For the rest of the session Hermione spent the time working one on one with Espurr to try and control the power that the tiny little Pokémon had on offer. Harry, meanwhile, free from his battling duties, wandered around, watching the battles with interest.
The members of the DA had certainly got stronger in the time they'd been practicing and it was noticeable in everyone. Even as he watched Harry saw Neville's Larvitar evolve into a Pupitar, giving his congratulations as he passed. It wasn't even an uncommon occurrence any more. They were just getting stronger every single day.
"Psst, Harry," Seamus muttered, drawing him over as he passed. Seamus was matched up with Dean today, his Hawlucha going punch for punch with the much larger Hariyama. It seemed like the two Pokémon were more invested in their test of strength against one another rather than winning the battle so while Dean turned his attention to his Glalie floating next to him Seamus spoke with Harry.
"I'm glad I caught you, I've been wanting to ask you something," he said, his voice quiet which piqued Harry's curiosity. What was so important Seamus didn't want people overhearing?
"What is it?" He asked, turning so he could face out towards the rest of the group, ensuring no one could overhear without him noticing.
"It's about Greengrass, eh, Daphne," Seamus muttered and Harry felt his heart sink. He hadn't spoken to Daphne since their disastrous encounter the day of Trelawney's firing. Her reaction to his presence had if anything got even worse than before.
"See, tell me to shove it if I'm getting in the middle of something, but I reckon something happened with you two, and… I don't know, I'm curious or something." Harry frowned.
"Why do you think something happened?" Harry asked, although admitting it was quite obvious to anyone who saw them together.
"Well, you know, she kind of avoids you," Seamus said uneasily. "Which is weird since you kind of run this whole thing and she's working for you. I just thought she'd talk to you or, you know, acknowledge your existence. I'm just curious. There's something up, right?"
Harry sighed. How to answer this without giving away things he was not ready to share with anyone yet, not least Seamus who, if possible, was even denser about people's feelings and emotions than Ron was.
"It's nothing," he said eventually. Seamus waited expectantly. "Daphne and I had, well, we had a disagreement. We're not friends, or even on speaking terms I don't think. We're just on the same side. I still think she's here to help us."
"Yeah, definitely," said Seamus. Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, I mean, for a Slytherin she's not too bad. I reckon if she was going to turn us in she'd probably have done that already." Which made sense, and was part of the reasoning Harry had in his head for Daphne's continued support, but the way in which Seamus said it made him wonder if there wasn't something he was keeping to himself. Like Harry himself he wondered if Seamus wasn't being entirely honest with him.
"Harry!" Hermione made an appearance before him, dodging through the battling pairs with Espurr held in her arms. "Have you checked the time?" Harry looked at his watch.
"Alright, I think that's it for today," he said loudly and the various battles came to a stop. There was even a groan of disappointment. "Good work everyone, I'm really impressed by how far you've all come. Now, I know Gryffindor have Quidditch practice tomorrow and Ravenclaw on Thursday," he glanced over to Cho for confirmation. "So I say we all meet up again on Friday. Same time, same place. I'll see you all then."
At that Seamus stepped forward, Gardevoir floating in from the periphery and beginning the process of sending all the students back to their respective dormitories. As the area started to clear Ron and Hermione approached him.
"Everyone's looking really good," Hermione said positively.
"Yeah, especially Neville," Ron agreed. By his side stood Arcanine, baring a few scratches from battle. "Pupitar isn't even in his final evolution stage and he's already really strong. I can't wait to see what happens when he evolves into a Tyranitar."
"He'll be a force, that's for sure."
"Harry?"
Harry's attention was torn from his best friends at the sound of his name and he turned to find Cho Chang standing before him.
"Erm, hi," he said lamely. Cho just gave a small smile.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you," she said softly. "In private." Those last words were aimed over his shoulder at Hermione and Ron who had been listening in.
"Wait…," Ron said but Hermione hushed him, grabbing hold of his arm and pulling him away. Harry watched as the two of them reached Seamus, the only ones left other than Harry and Cho. Seamus listened to Hermione say something and then glanced over. Harry gave him a thumbs up and, after a quick nod, Seamus, Hermione and Ron disappeared.
"Good, I'm glad we're alone now," Cho said, sounding relieved. With the disappearance of Gardevoir the small fires that burned around the clearing had disappeared. But with this being the first days of May they still had some natural light, although little made it down to where they were standing such that Cho's features were still somewhat shadowed.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked uncertainly. She needed his help with something, obviously.
Cho frowned. "Nothing's wrong," she said, though she didn't sound totally convinced. "I just wanted to talk with you. About… you know."
"Oh," Harry said softly. He should have seen this coming. After all, he was the last person who had seen Cedric alive and now he looked back he realised this wasn't the first time Cho had tried to get him alone to talk.
Cho's head was ducked slightly, her hair obscuring her features, and Harry was taken aback when she let out a sniff. A single tear trickled down her cheek.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I just, find it difficult to talk about him. Even now."
"It's okay," Harry assured her. "I know. It is tough for me too. And I didn't know him as well as you did." He barely knew him at all, in truth. If it hadn't been for the Tri-Pokémon Tournament Cho would have had no reason to come to him over anyone else.
"He always liked you," Cho admitted and Harry felt his heart constrict. "He always thought you were a really decent guy."
"Well, I'm nothing compared to him," Harry said awkwardly. How do you react to getting praised by a dead man?
"Don't put yourself down," Cho told him and he was surprised when she moved closer. "He'd have been happy with what you were doing, helping us learn to defend ourselves." Her head dropped. "I only wish you'd had a chance to teach him." Harry's eyes widened.
"No," he said immediately. "No, Cedric was strong. Stronger than me."
"But you escaped," Cho pointed out. "And Cedric…" she couldn't finish her sentence.
"That… that wasn't anything to do with skill," Harry told her. He needed her to understand this. "I would have been in Cedric's place if Voldemort had wanted him instead of me." Cho flinched as he said the name and Harry inwardly cursed himself for not having more tact.
"He was good, Cho," Harry said, trying to put as much genuine honesty into his voice as possible. "He was strong, he was chosen as champion and he beat Fleur and Krum. He was a good man, Cho. I know you know this."
Cho's face was literally inches from his and for once her tears had stopped. Her eyes glistened as she stared unblinkingly up at Harry and Harry met her stare with purpose and without hesitation, trying with all his might to show her that he was telling the truth.
He couldn't have prepared himself for what came next. Even with many hours thought he'd never come up with an appropriate way to handle it. As Harry tried his hardest to show Cho his honesty she saw something else, and she leaned in and kissed him.
Harry jerked back, shocked, and it took him a moment to realise just how badly he had screwed up. Cho, standing in the exact spot where she had just moments ago kissed him, looked horrified.
"Cho," Harry said quickly, stepping forward. "I'm sorry, Cho… Cho!" But Cho Chang wouldn't listen. She had turned away from him, tears streaming down her cheeks the last thing Harry glimpsed as she rushed off towards the trees.
"Cho!" Harry called after her, some part of him realising that she could get into a lot of trouble running off into the trees in such a state with no idea of where she was. Those worries were answered, however, as Gardevoir appeared almost by magic in the crying girl's path and a moment later the two of them were gone.
A sarcastic clap echoed around the clearing. Harry turned, his emotions pulled in all directions, to see Daphne Greengrass step out from the trees. She had her hands held at shoulder height and gave one last, obvious, clap before fixing Harry with a sardonic look.
"Congratulations, Potter," she said, her voice easily carrying the distance between them. "You have successfully screwed up worse than you managed with me. You continue to amaze."
Harry stepped forward.
"I thought you were denying what happened between us," Harry challenged, choosing to fight this fight rather than think over what had happened with Cho. "What changed?" Daphne shrugged.
"I had a think about it," she said. "As awful as the experience was I can't blame a Gryffindor for acting impulsively. It's like blaming a Goldeen for swimming."
"How generous," Harry responded dryly. "And what exactly were you doing here? I know you haven't been to all our meetings, don't even try and pretend." Despite herself Daphne looked impressed.
"I wanted to see what was going on," Daphne told him. "What my efforts were going to."
"And?" Harry asked.
"I'm impressed," admitted Daphne. "You've even managed to get airheads like Brown and Patil battling semi-competently." That was about as much of a compliment as she was ever going to give.
"You could join, if you want," Harry said, although immediately he knew the answer.
"Not a chance in hell, Potter," Daphne countered, smirking slightly that he'd even asked. "You know someone will let slip I was here."
"Colin hasn't said anything," Harry pointed out.
"Creevey worships you and the ground you walk on," Daphne countered. "As sycophantic as his behaviour is it does come in useful at times." It seemed to be a uniquely Slytherin trait the ability to both compliment and insult in the same sentence. Harry shook his head.
"So what now?" He asked, fixing Daphne with a look. "You've come to watch, now you have. Just why did you bother, anyway? Last time we spoke you said you didn't even care. I remember the words quite distinctly." Daphne hesitated. That in itself caught Harry's interest.
"My reasons are my own," she said stiffly. Harry's eyebrows raised.
"You have reasons?" Harry asked. He'd assumed she had been lying. "Wait, if you weren't here to see what was going on and you don't care about me then… what do you care about?"
There was no denying it, Daphne looked extremely uncomfortable and it took a moment for Harry to see it for what it was as Daphne Greengrass never looked uncomfortable. She was always calm, composed and in control. What possibly could have changed? Well, there was only one thing Harry knew of that could do it.
"It's a boy," Harry said and Daphne jumped, looking alarmed. That was all Harry needed to know he was right. "You like someone, someone in the DA." He scratched his chin, thinking. "And it must be someone you can't be seen with in public, so either a Gryffindor or maybe a Hufflepuff. And it can't just be physical attraction, no, so that must mean…" his eyes went wide and he looked back at Daphne thinking of the one person he had seen recently showing the exact same behaviour. "Seamus?!" Daphne's cheeks went red.
"Say a word to anyone and I will kill you," she threatened but it had no effect. Harry's smile was broad even in the face of her words.
"You like Seamus, I can't believe it," he muttered before letting out a small laugh. "And you were having a go at me for lack of tact." Daphne scowled. "You're right, I was terrible, my bad, but come on, you've got to see how this is funny."
Daphne just stood there, looking mortified as Harry laughed himself almost to tears before he realised that perhaps this wasn't the best way to be reacting and he started to calm down.
"Eh, okay, wow," he said, feeling quite warm and flustered. "So, Seamus, when did this happen?" Daphne glowered at him but he met her gaze and eventually she dropped her head.
"Last term," she muttered. "When you had me come over with Gardevoir the first time."
"That long ago," Harry wondered. This made so much sense now. Daphne always spoke to Seamus almost exclusively when she came over, now he realised why. And this explained just why Daphne had reacted so badly to him kissing her. She hadn't just been mad at him, she'd been confused.
"Yes, look, don't say anything," Daphne said sharply. "Nothing can happen so just… drop it."
"Nothing can happen?" Harry questioned. "Why not?" Daphne rolled her eyes.
"Gryffindor and Slytherin, Potter," she said derisively. "We're rivals, enemies, in the middle of a war of all things."
"You won't always be though," Harry said and he was struck by how he seemed to be repeating the advice McGonagall had given him. "In just over two years we'll be out of here and then Gryffindor and Slytherin won't mean much anymore."
"But there'll still be a war," Daphne pointed out. "And until then what am I supposed to do? Wait two years for a guy who probably doesn't even like me like that. Pull yourself together, Potter." Harry shook his head.
"You're a strong girl with powerful Pokémon," Harry told her. "One of which can literally teleport you right to Seamus without anyone seeing. You're not penned in or left with no choice. You can do anything. An evening stroll through the forest," Harry gestured around him. "Easy. Done."
"Not easy," Daphne denied.
"Maybe," Harry admitted. "But for something that can be so good… isn't it worth the effort?"
He never got a response to that question, Gardevoir had teleported her trainer away moments later, but Harry felt like he'd got through. Maybe it wouldn't come to anything, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin was pretty much unheard of, but maybe it would. With more hope than he'd had in a while Harry went to sleep and dreamt of a day when things would be better.
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
To those of you who answered the question of the day in the last chapter thank you, there were some very interesting responses. I was especially interested by the fact that only Vaporeon, Leafeon and Glaceon weren't mentioned as being anyone's favourites, and also how Flareon and Sylveon were some people's favourite and other people's least favourite Pokémon. It just goes to show that everyone looks for different things when they judge Pokémon.
The question of the day will again be from a reviewer. You can see the important part of the review down below:
Jacebralor : - ... A question for you, the author, though, with potential for a future question of the chapter, what's your favourite Pokémon type? I mean, between TMs and move tutors, you could have a single type party that has an effective counter against anything you come up against. As of gen V, for example, my ideal moveset for Charizard is Flamethrower, Thunder Punch, Steel Wing, and Sky Drop or Fly, depending if I have another flyer in the party or not, shoring up his weaknesses against most of the types he has disadvantage against.
This is actually a very hard question for me to answer and I couldn't really come up with a single type. If I absolutely had to choose my gut reaction is steel type. I love Pokemon like Aggron, Scizor, Aegislash and Bastiodon. But also I love a lot of fighting types, like Infernape and Lucario (another steel type), ground types, like Torterra and Garchomp, electric types, like Luxray and Electivire, and dark types, like Weavile and Bisharp (again, another steel type). And of course you can't forget dragon types.
In truth I think there's probably at least one Pokémon I absolutely love of every typing, which makes it so hard to choose, but as I've said if I absolutely had to choose one I think it would be steel.
So what are your thoughts? Which typing do you like the most? Which do you think is the best? This may not be the same as your favourite.
Leave your answers in the reviews and I'll see you in the next chapter.