Chapter 20 – A Romantic Meal for Thirteen
The students had quickly been dispersed back to their common rooms as soon as the teachers arrived to deal with the situation. James had been thankful that this time he wasn't the one to find the graffiti alone and had been in the Great Hall with everyone else when it had presumably been done so at least no suspicion would fall on him being somehow involved.
The next morning straight after breakfast Professor McGonagall had called an urgent assembly to address all the students.
"I'm sure by now you're all aware of what occurred yesterday evening after dinner," she said with a stern face. "This is not the first instance of graffiti but mark my words it will be the last. Whoever is behind this will be found and will be expelled. This has gone far beyond a 'harmless' prank. Anyone who knows anything should report to me immediately. You are dismissed."
Professor McGonagall walked to the side of the room where Godwin was stood and they began what looked like an intense conversation before leaving the hall together as the rest of the students filed out.
There was a subdued atmosphere as the day's lessons began. Professor Sinclair who was usually quite animated and always in a good mood seemed sombre and had them going over theory in their textbooks rather than attempting anything practical. And Potions was just the same. Slughorn gave them an exercise to research the properties of various potion ingredients which he had them do in silence.
When it came to James' free period before lunch he debated what to do. Should he speak to McGonagall? Should he confess all? But what if she thought he was behind the graffiti? He might be expelled. Though he could just tell her about the boy he had seen by the graffiti on the Great Hall doors just before he discovered the fire. After all it was already known he was present when that happened so it wouldn't be incriminating himself further but at least it would set McGonagall and Godwin on to trying to locate this boy, not that James had much of a description of him to give them. After much deliberating he decided to head to McGonagall's office.
He approached the gargoyle and realised he had no way of getting up without a password but hoped somehow McGonagall would know he was outside waiting and let him in.
"Mr Potter, I was wondering when you would come to see me," McGonagall said, making James jump as he turned around to see her approaching along the corridor.
"You were?" James said back in surprise.
"Well yes, too be honest I'm surprised it's taken you this long," she said, her face still just as serious as it had been during the assembly that morning.
"Well I thought about coming before but I didn't know what to say, I mean I didn't really understand it all myself," James said, feeling guilty he hadn't confessed sooner seeing as McGonagall seemed to already know everything.
"Well it's only natural. I knew eventually you would have heard what the graffiti in the dungeon had said and with it mentioning of 'the heir' and your family history, you're bound to be worried, especially after finding that wand in your trunk."
"Oh yeah right," James said with a sigh of relief that she didn't actually know about everything that had been happening to him.
"Let's go up to my office and talk about it," McGonagall said before uttering the password to open the way up.
Once they were sat at the headmistress' desk, James remained silent, waiting for McGonagall to start the conversation.
"I'm not sure if you're aware but when that wand was found in your trunk I had a suspicion that it may have once belonged to Voldemort or at least a wand that was deliberately chosen because it resembled his old wand."
"You did?" James gasped.
"Yes, obviously I mentioned this to Godwin at the time and also to your parents," said McGonagall.
"My parents?" James said, a little surprised.
"Well yes. James you must understand that being the son of Harry Potter obviously makes you somewhat infamous yourself and with everything that happened to your father, well I couldn't ignore the coincidence that a wand like Voldemort's turned up in your trunk. As soon as I had finished speaking to Godwin I wrote to your parents to let them know everything and I have been in contact with them constantly since. They didn't want me to say anything to you because they didn't want to worry you. But what with more graffiti I felt it was time you knew."
"Do you think Voldemort could be back?" James asked rather apprehensively.
"James believe me when I say Voldemort is dead. Your father defeated him and he is not coming back," Professor McGonagall answered in a confident tone.
"Well he came back before, when everyone thought he was gone," James noted.
"Well that was different, and not everyone believed he was gone for good and certainly because of what we know now we know how he managed to survive before."
"Because he put parts of his soul into Horcruxes?" James asked.
"Exactly. And they were all destroyed."
"But what if they weren't? What if there was another one that no one knew about?" James asked, thinking it was a possibility.
"You don't think your father ever wondered that himself?" McGonagall replied. "Wondered if maybe one day he could come back again? Ever since that night when your father was just a baby and the curse that was meant to kill him rebounded and hit Voldemort, your father and Voldemort were connected when part of his soul entered your father. That connection was always there and your father over the years often felt Voldemort's presence. But ever since that day he defeated him he had never felt him again. His scar has never hurt since. Voldemort is gone."
"So that message is referring to a new heir then?" James asked, thinking if Voldemort was definitely gone then it had to be referring to someone else.
"That message is just a silly prank by a student. You shouldn't take any notice of it. It means nothing," McGonagall said, dismissing the notion.
But James wasn't convinced.
"There is something professor," James said a little timidly. "I know I should have mentioned it at the time but I saw a boy by the door to the Great Hall when I found that graffiti. I didn't say anything because I thought the boy was just like me, he had just stumbled on the graffiti by accident and had nothing to do with it. I mean he might well have had nothing to do with it but he might have seen something before I arrived."
"Who was the boy?" McGonagall asked, with a sudden urgency in her voice.
"That's the other thing. I didn't really see his face. He was short, probably a first or second year and had black hair, shortish but messy. And I thought I saw him again on the train. Just after someone had released that Dark Powder when I went along to see what had happened to that girl who had collapsed. He was near her compartment and ran off."
"Well that could prove helpful," McGonagall said, thinking things through in her head. "I will let Godwin know at once. As you say he may have not been involved but he may have seen something. Thank you and rest assured we will find out who is behind all of this."
James left McGonagall's office feeling a little better that now he wasn't the only one looking for the boy. Hopefully with the headmistress and Godwin on the case they'd soon find him and James might finally start getting some answers.
Though they certainly didn't come quickly as a couple of weeks went by and he hadn't heard any more but Godwin was still staying at Hogwarts and at least there had been no further incidents.
James headed back to his dormitory after a long day of classes.
"Hold up and I'll come down with you to dinner," James shouted to Noah who was about to leave their room.
"I thought you had that supper thing with Slughorn tonight?" Noah said as he turned back to James.
"Is it the last Friday of the month already?" James replied, having completely forgotten about it what with everything else he was worrying about. And more importantly he had forgotten to put Slughorn straight about Polly. The professor still thought he liked her and said he was going to plan some surprises for the evening. It was the last thing James needed.
"I don't think I'll go," James said, really not wanting to spend an evening with Polly, especially when Slughorn would be playing matchmaker between them.
"You have to go," Noah pleaded. "We're doing our presentation on the merits of potion remedies for allergies next week. If you don't go he'll probably give us a bad mark."
"So you want me to make a fool of myself just so you can get a good mark?" James replied in frustration.
"Yes," Noah said without any hint of sarcasm.
Against James' better judgment he went to the supper but once again he took a pack of Puking Pastilles with him as a backup in case he needed an excuse to leave.
When he got there most of the other guests had already arrived including Polly who looked totally different. James had only ever seen her in her school robes or in casual clothes at weekends but now she was in a rather elegant black dress with silver diagonal stripes and her red hair was up in a bun.
"Ah welcome Potter. Come and take a seat next to your friend Miss Green here," Slughorn said welcoming him and directing him to the empty seat next to Polly on the sofa.
James looked at Polly awkwardly and he could see she was itching to tell Slughorn that they weren't actually friends but she remained silent.
"Ackley get Potter a drink will you," Slughorn ordered to another guest before turning to James. "I think you're going to like tonight's dinner very much Potter," Slughorn said with a wink and James was already regretting coming.
Once everyone had arrived they moved to the dining table and Slughorn guided Polly to her seat, whilst James purposely made a beeline for a chair as far away from her as possible.
"No Potter over here please," Slughorn said, pulling out the chair next to Polly for him to sit on. "We have a special seating arrangement tonight," he said with another wink.
"Where shall I sit professor?" one of the other guests asked once James had reluctantly sat down next to Polly.
"Oh where ever you want, I don't care," Slughorn said dismissively, his attention solely focused on James and Polly. "That's a lovely dress by the way Miss Green. Isn't it lovely Potter?"
"Er yeah sure," James said, not even bothering to look at Polly.
Professor Slughorn went and took his seat opposite James and Polly so he could have a good view of them all night as he waved his wand and the first course started to be served.
"I thought we'd start with oysters tonight, which I'm sure you'll appreciate Potter," Slughorn said with yet another wink.
James looked at the plate of half a dozen shells with a slimy, greyish glob in each. It certainly didn't look appetising.
"What does he mean by you'd appreciate these?" Polly, who was a little confused, whispered to James. "And do you think there's something wrong with his eye? He seems to have a twitch."
"I think he just thought I liked seafood," James lied. He knew exactly why Slughorn had chosen oysters. They were meant to be an aphrodisiac. Though James thought it was slightly disturbing that Slughorn was giving an aphrodisiac to a pair of eleven year olds.
James managed to eat one of the oysters and just about managed to not throw it straight back up again. The Puking Pastilles seemed surplus to requirement right now. He couldn't handle any of the other oysters but noticed Polly was just as disgusted by them as he was. But Polly didn't want to offend her host, especially as she had wanted to join the Slug Club for so long. So when no one was looking she was placing the oysters on her lap before using a vanishing spell to make them disappear. James wished he knew that spell too right now.
"Here give yours to me," Polly whispered, having caught James watching her.
James sneaked his oysters under the table when he thought he wasn't being watched and soon Polly had them vanished.
"Thanks," he said, actually grateful that he was sat next to her now.
"Well you did get me the invite but we're even now," Polly replied.
The next course came and Slughorn seemed excited as plates covered by silver cloches floated down in front of everyone and he watched James and Polly carefully as the cloches lifted up revealing salmon and dauphinoise potatoes, both of which had been moulded into heart shapes. James glanced up to Slughorn who looked almost giddy, while everyone else looked down at their plates, a little bemused but no one said anything. They all just presumed it must be some sort of early Valentines theme, even though it was still two weeks away.
At least this course was tasty unlike the oysters and James tucked into his, quickly rearranging the food so it no longer resembled hearts.
"So Miss Green, what do your parents do?" Slughorn asked between mouthfuls of food and noticing that James had Polly had not said much to each other all evening and trying to spark some conversation between them.
"Well I never knew my father," Polly said, rather mournfully. "He walked out on my mother not long after I was born. And my mum passed away a few years ago."
"Oh well I am sorry to hear that," Slughorn said, regretting bringing up the topic now.
"But my mum owned a book shop with her sister in Godric's Hollow. I live with my aunt now and she still runs the shop. It's probably where I get my love of reading from, growing up around all those books," Polly said, a little more cheerful now she was talking about her aunt and books.
"Growing up in a bookshop must have been so enlightening, isn't that so Potter?" Slughorn said, trying to bring James into the conversation.
"What? Oh yeah sure," James said, not fully paying attention and still thinking about Polly's upbringing. He had no idea her mother had passed away or that she was now brought up by her aunt. He even knew the bookshop she was on about. James' father had taken him and his family to Godric's Hollow many times before as it had been where his grandparents had lived and he'd been in that bookshop. He might have even been served by Polly's mother in there.
After the main course had been finished and the plates had been cleared away, James thought about making an excuse to leave before dessert was served. He hated to think what sort of romantic surprise Slughorn had up his sleeve for this course.
"Excuse me professor but I think I might have to leave," James said as he went to stand up.
"Wait no you can't," Slughorn replied, rather forcibly and James presumed it was because he hadn't finished playing cupid as Slughorn looked around the table. "I've just realised there's thirteen at this table. You can't leave."
"Why not?" James said perplexed.
"Because it's bad luck. If you have thirteen people at a table the first person to leave will be the first to die. I meant to uninvite Kenworthy so there'd only be twelve of us but I completely forgot."
A boy two seats from James suddenly looked very insulted but Slughorn didn't even seem to notice but James remained firmly in his seat. He didn't believe in the superstition but right now he didn't want to tempt fate and bring any unnecessary bad luck on himself.
Slughorn looked around the table as if trying to work out which student was the most expendable and therefore should rise first to spare the others as everyone looked at each other, all seeming slightly tense.
"Oh for heaven's sake," Polly said, sliding her chair out and standing. "It's just a silly superstition."
Slughorn let out a rather large gasp in shock as everyone else stared at Polly, who now felt very self-conscious before sitting down again.
"I'm so sorry Potter," Slughorn said to James with a look of anguish on his face and Polly turned to James, feeling confused.
Slughorn had hastily served dessert to lift the slightly gloomy mood that now hung over the meal. It was a chocolate cake, that was once again heart shaped. There was even a little individual chocolate cupid that flew around each person's cake.
"There's also a little surprise. If you pour cream on top of your cake it will arrange itself into the name of your true love," Slughorn said, excitedly.
James didn't pour any cream on his and advised Polly to not as well, knowing that Slughorn had probably bewitched there cakes to not show their true love but to say each other's names.
"But I like cream," Polly said back and reached for a jug of it as everyone else was pouring cream on their cakes and excitedly seeing the results.
"But it's fattening," James said, trying to think hastily of a reason why she shouldn't have any.
"Don't be silly," Polly fumed.
"But what if that's what kills you? A coronary from too much fatty foods."
"You're just being stupid now," Polly remarked back.
"Look over there," James said thinking quickly. "Is that the ghost of Godric Gryffindor?"
As soon as Polly turned, James quickly switched their cakes around before she turned back.
"What are you talking about?" Polly moaned, having seen nothing. "What's got into you tonight?"
Polly picked up the jug of cream and poured it over her cake and watched with anticipation. James was feeling apprehensive too as he watched the word 'Polly' form on top of her cake in cream.
"I guess you love yourself but we all knew that already," a relieved James said smugly and finally got to enjoy his own cake, which was delicious.