Chapter 16 - HOGSMEADE HURRAH

Daphne POV

Tracey and I were waiting at the path that led to Shrieking Shack, we looked off into the distance at the supposed cursed place. It certainly gave off a cursed vibe. The shattered windows and the battered wooden frames of the house.

Where is Harry? It has been almost twenty minutes since we got to the path…He wouldn't have stood me up right?

I was started to get worried when I heard the most insufferable voice ever.

"I knew you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me Greengrass, although I can offer someplace better than the Shrieking Shack".

I turned around, completely irritated, and saw the ferret with his two goons flanking him. Having absolutely no patience with Malfoy I angrily responded.

"Go away Malfoy, I thought I had already made it perfectly clear that I don't want to be associated with you!".

Malfoy twitched slightly and curled his hand into a fist, he however calmly continued with his narcissistic speech.

"Now now Greengrass, you are here for a reason, it must have been because you understood who your betters are. Being betrothed to me is an honor after all".

I wanted to puke at the thought of marrying Malfoy.

I then spat at him, "No, now get lost Malfoy".

Malfoy then lost his composure and glared at me.

"Boys, I think it is time we teach Greengrass...how to respect her superiors!"

He said it with a glint of perversion in his eyes. I felt disgusted at how Malfoy looked at me.

Before I could even retort, Tracey cut in.

"Hahaha, hope you don't mean yourself!"

Malfoy's perverted look became venomous as he glared hard at Tracey.

"URGH! How dare you speak to me, you half-blooded-"

WHAMMM! I would have laughed out loud if it weren't for our current position. Malfoy turned around to look who just threw a small tree branch at his face.

"Who is there?"

While he was distracted, I quickly reached into my coat pocket and took out my wand. I was about to hex the lot of them when Malfoy got struck by another tree branch in the face. His ate a mouthful of leaves from the branch. He then fell down on his butt and sprawled all over the floor. Tracey and I couldn't help but laugh at the unsightly position Malfoy was in. He scrambled to his feet whilst spitting the leaves out and shoved Crabbe.

"Don't stand there! Do something!"

Crabbe and Goyle both looked at each, completely bewildered.

He actually expected those two dunderheads to do something?

Then Goyle's beanie was somehow pulled down in front eyes and at almost the same time, Crabbe's pants were pulled down to his ankles. Tracey hollered with laughter. Malfoy paled as he looked around trying to find who was doing this to them. Crabbe then let loosed a girly scream that rivaled Tori's as he was launched forward onto the floor.

While Malfoy was staring shocked at what was happening to Crabbe, Goyle's scarf started yanking him around in circles. Then all of a sudden as if someone invisible let go of the scarf and Goyle was launched onto his butt as well.

Someone invisible…? Harry! It must be him!

However, it seemed like Harry wasn't done, Malfoy's legs then got yanked up as he fell onto his back. While he lied down on his back, Harry held his legs and started pulling him along the path towards the Shrieking Shack. Malfoy was wriggling like a worm trying to get loose from the seemingly invisible force pulling him towards the cursed place.

Tracey then collapsed with laughter and I couldn't help let loose and join in as well. Malfoy's feet then slackened and hit the ground with a thud after Harry pulled him about ten meters or so away from where Tracey and I were standing. As soon as he was free, the ferret scrambled to his feet and started sprinting away. Crabbe was standing up, almost having put his pants on when Malfoy shoved him to the ground again.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Malfoy then continued running off with Crabbe and Goyle closely on his ferret tail. Tracey was still crying with laughter when I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I didn't even need to turn around before he revealed himself.

"Harry!"

Then out of nowhere, Harry popped out cackling with unrestrained laughter. Tracey with tears in her eyes managed to get out.

"Oh, Hahaha, th-at was absolutely brilliant, Oh my...Hahaha, Harry!"

The three of us then laughed for a good while. Tracey then headed for Honeydukes, she was going to get some goodies before heading back to Hogwarts early. Harry and I then watched her go as we wandered around the outskirts of Hogsmeade. It was best if nobody saw us together yet anyway, I can't imagine Weasley's reaction if he saw me with Harry.

It felt wrong though, sneaking around like this… But I guess I need to settle with this for now…

After Tracey left, Harry and I broke into a comfortable conversation about school. Although at times he did seem nervous…

Heck, even I was nervous!...

He did seem a lot more comfortable around me. I was glad that he was getting more comfortable around me and trusting me. I subconsciously without even thinking latched onto his arm and snuggled my head in his chest as we kept walking and talking.

Harry POV

I don't know why it felt so perfect, it just did. When Tracey left us and I was talking with Daphne, I felt that although she seemed nervous at first, I mean, so was I, she started to relax and smile. I don't know when or why she latched onto my arm and buried her head into my chest, but it felt perfect. Her blonde locks resting under my chin, the warmth from out body contact with her clutching my arm… it all seemed too perfect to be real.

Why did I feel this way? Do I like Daphne? Scratch that I do! But is Daphne doing this because she likes me?

I was then pulled out of the moment when I heard a loud dog barking from behind me. I turned around with Daphne still latched onto my arm and saw a big black dog barking. The second I turned the dog started running away.

Strange… why did the dog run…?

Then the temperature dropped all of a sudden. I know it's cold in Scotland, but it is only the second week of October, a month and a half since school started...No...this is… I looked up to the sky and that murky feeling in my gut tugged at me. The sky started to get dark as it became cloudy. The wind picked up, the trees around us rustling as the leaves fell to the floor and started to decay.

I then pulled out my wand instantly and Daphne did the same. All of a sudden a dementor dove at us from behind the trees. I quickly pushed Daphne out of the way as the dementor narrowly missed her. I then pointed my wand out towards the dementor that passed and conjured out my patronus. My silvery bright stag then bolted into a sprint and blasted the dementor away from Daphne and I. I looked up and saw another two dementors lingering above us. They then dived down, but not towards me…

Daphne!

I quickly withdrew my patronus back, having my stag charge towards Daphne. Daphne screamed as the dementors approached her. Just before the demonters could begin feasting on her soul, my stag got there just in time! It repelled the two dementors, making them scream in agony. The dementors then hurriedly flew away. I then dissolved my patronus and quickly rushed over to Daphne. She then pulled me into a hug as if her life depended on it.

"Harry I…"

Then a chorus of screams sounded in the distance. I looked up and realized the sky was still dark, it was still cold. Blast it! I looked over at Hogsmeade village and an infestation of dementors swarming around it. I also saw two faint silvery-white lights. That must be the patronuses from two professors who are on station there. They can't defend all the students!

But can I do it? On the train, I did a full body patronus that severely drained my magical reserves… It also only repelled dozens of dementors. There had to be at least a hundred, that was a giant swarm around the village center. NO! I have to do it, even if I become a squib. Dumbledore won't get news of this in time...somebody might die before he gets here.

I looked at Daphne, and she bravely gave me a nod, despite having been drenched in tears. I then let go of Daphne and stood up and walked forward slightly before pointing my wand at the village. Then I cleared my mind and thought back to my happiest memory, I let the memory itself consume me.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" I yelled out.

The silver stag burst forward and lit up the sky. It then sprinted towards the village radiating pure magical power as waves of bright silver light pulsed out from the stag. The dementors started to disperse, but the patronus was not big enough! Some areas were still not covered! Dementors were still around the edges of Hogsmeade!

Then amidst my thoughts of my happiest memories, while channeling the patronus, I saw Daphne, her smile and laughter. The time we spent together in the hospital wing, our journey down to the chamber, the time I spent teaching her arithmancy, our time between classes in the last month, and our time at Hogsmeade... A tear then fell down my cheek as I smiled at the beautiful memories. With that, something clicked within me, and I was able to push my patronus to the absolute pinnacle.

A sudden burst of magic pulsed out of my wand and strengthened the full body patronus that I had conjured already. The light was blinding! My silver stag then screeched and danced around in the sky and let loose another wave of bright light. This light then pierced through the dark clouds formed by the dementors in the sky. The bright rays swept across all of Hogsmeade and beyond its borders. It blasted all of the damn dementors out of Hogsmeade!

After the dementors were gone I then slowly dissolved my patronus, the light slowly dying. I then lowered my wand and staggered instantly. I leaned down and clutched my knees and started gasping for air. However, I wasn't given a chance to recover as I was tackled to the ground by Daphne with a hug. We lay there on the grass, her clutching me tightly, for goodness knows how long.