A week had passed since the events of Halloween, and Harry and Laura had settled into a routine of visiting Tracey and Daphne's classes, spending time by the lake with their cousin and keeping out of the way of crazy Hogwarts students. The Former two had been much more enjoyable for the two cousins than the latter.
Harry smiled as he sat down on the bench for lunch in the great hall that day, There weren't many students at that point as classes were on and as it wasn't an important meal, The houses were allowed to mingle. This is how Harry found himself across from Tracey, staring dreamily into her eyes while Luna giggled at the two of them and the Weasley twins sat down next to the pair.
He was snapped from his deep thoughts of asking Tracey out when one of the Weasley Twins asked "Harry, We've been wanting to find you since you arrived. How have you been?"
Somehow, he really didn't know how, but he managed to pull himself away from Tracy's beautiful hazel eyes and say "Pretty good…erm Fred or is it George….either way, I've been pretty good outside of avoiding your crazy younger siblings." The two flinched and the other twin replied to him, "Sorry about that, our mum has put these big massive fantasy stories in their heads…and they just can't get over them. We've tried talking to them-" The other twin then followed up "-But it's like they're deaf when it comes to respecting privacy. We could probably hook you up with some stuff to make them think twice though."
Harry's eyes lit up at such a suggestion but a single glare from Madam Bourgious made him think twice about it and he replied, "I would love to but I think my mums would kill me. Thanks for the offer though…but seriously which one of you is Fred and which one is George?"
The two faced each other before both putting a hand over their hearts "So you're telling me our lovely mr Dupain-Cheng Couffaine can't tell us apart? That's shocking." Before the two burst out into a fit of laughter. They then pointed at each other and said "That's Fred-" Pointed at themselves "-and That's George. Got it Memorised?!" Harry shook his head and the two high-fived.
That's when Harry remembered The twin's conversation with Tracey during the world cup and asked gently and quietly "So what happened with that prank stuff that Tracey ordered before the summer." The entire group went quiet, Luna even stopped eating. The silence was deafening but then finally Tracey said "It's probably best we talk about it without any professors or prefects around. Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow? We can talk about it then?"
Hogsmeade was the town just outside of Hogwarts, If Harry remembered correctly, "Sure, I would love to join you. What time do you plan on leaving?"
Later that Evening
Looking out the window, Laura watched as the Sky grew Dark. She couldn't wait for it to be pitch dark outside so that she, Léa and Harry could transform and run around in their hero forms. It was going to be the first night where it was truly dark enough -early enough- for them to not have to worry about being caught. They couldn't be out for too long because Harry was going to Hogsmeade with Tracey the following day but that was fine. Just a little bit would be enough for Laura to scratch her itch.
From their room, they helped Harry pick a semi-formal outfit for going to the local Village with Léa choosing the black cargo trousers and Laura deciding on a black shirt with silver crisscross patterns on it which Harry would wear on top of the Red T-Shirt he had picked. Before long it came time for them to finally leave.
The darkness set in and in the distance, they could hear the owls hooting away and they transformed. Harry and Léa wasted no time shooting up into the sky with powerful gusts of air before going into the forest. She got on all 4's and started running into the forest, climbing up the first tree she could and leaping from branch to branch with perfect precision, the creases and crinkles of the branches were felt under her hands and Laura felt relaxed. She was in her element.
Looking up she could see Harry and Léa chasing each other around the sky, she continued to leap through the trees until the entire sky lit up a bright red. Fire. Her direction changed direction in an instant and she started to leap towards the flames, if a forest fire had somehow started here, it could burn the entire Forbidden Forest down in seconds.
As she jumped she looked down at the ground she could see Centaur's, Acromulantua's, Nifflers and more fleeing through the forest away from the flames. Continuing to jump she started to see signs of the fires being put out already. Were these controlled fires? She was cut off from her thoughts as there was a loud Rooooooaaaarrr
The sound chilled Laura to her bones, she recognised that sound. It had been nearly 3 years since the school trip to Romania but there was no doubt in her mind at what the sound was.
Dragons
And judging by the sound several in distress Dragons. She whistled sharply and both her cousins landed on the branch next to her, the entire branch bending under their weight as she said "Dragons?!" The other two's eyes widened "Dragons here? I thought most dragons were extinct this far west." Harry muttered as there was another loud roar. She hushed them and listened closely and heard the voice oversay "So is the iron belly ready for the competition?"
"Not really but we've got three days until it needs to be…Just don't let that idiot Weasley know how much we're pushing the dragon. He treats them like they have emotions pfft."
The first trial was in three days…they were going to use dragons in the first trial and it sounds like they were going to abuse them. Laura bit her lip and told her cousins what she heard. Looks of concern entered their faces, they needed to intervene. Scanning around the clearing she checked for any other potential people who could interrupt this little beat-down before she left down behind them. She practically vanished into the shadows with her eyes being the only thing that showed and said, her voice full of anger "So you're pushing a dragon too far…I hope you both burn alive." The two men jumped back, hitting the tree. They went to scramble when Harry and Léa dropped down on either side of them and said "Evening Gents, you know, Animals probably show more sympathy than you monsters."
With Léa backhanding one of them, "No creature should be pushed to do something they don't want to." The two men were scared to their bones and Laura smirked as she escaped the shadow her cat-like fangs showing "If we ever hear about you abusing animals again. We will hunt you both down and kill you. Do you understand?!"
They nodded before running past her, ears rolling down their faces. When she turned back to face her cousins she saw them giving her disappointed glances and she said with a shrug "What?! I'm not actually going to kill them. Just putting the fear of god into them." They roll their eyes at her and the group starts moving again before the two men could bring any more of their friends over.
Hogsmeade ~The Next day
The air was bitter that morning yet Harry barely felt it as his face was lit up warmly from the blush that was created by Tracey as she dragged him along the path to Hogsmeade. The girl was just as headstrong as Laura was and yet she had a kindness to her that Harry couldn't explain.
When they arrived in Hogsmeade, they found the town bursting to its foundations as three different schools gathered for the day in the small Scottish town. With a groan, Tracey said, "The twins better of gotten us a table!" Before repositioning her hand in his and pulling him towards an old pub, the three broomsticks inn.
As they entered the pub, Harry's lungs were immediately met by smoke and alcohol. The smells filled his lungs and he struggled to not fall into a coughing fit but Tracey pulled him through the crowds of people and he noticed the log fire heating the bar. At least it wasn't someone smoking in a crowded area he thought. Through all of the chatter, he managed to hear Tracey say "There over there!" Pointing to the far corner underneath the stairs to the second floor. Jerking his neck slightly he saw the two red-headed twigs sitting sipping some butterbeer. How had she seen them before he had?
Before he could wonder anymore his arm nearly got tugged out of his sockets by Tracey who continued to drag him over towards the twins. When they arrived at the table Fed and George grinned with one of them saying "You guys made it! We didn't think it was going to be so busy down here but it filled up quickly-" The other continued "So we ordered you guys some butterbeer just so you guys would have something to drink"
Tracey thanked them before looking at him strangely as he stared at the drink, "What's wrong, You drank the last butterbeer we had?" Sitting down he grabbed hold of the mug and said "Just not used to having something non-Alcholic when in a pub. But it'll do for this."
Tracey sighed in relief that nothing serious was wrong sat down beside him and took a deep glug of her drink before slamming the glass against the table and whipping away the foam left on her face, "So you wanted to know about the big prank right?"
Harry nodded "When we all met for the first time at the world cup, you seemed very serious about it." The other three nodded gravely as Tracey began to speak "We were…You see Hogwarts has a big blood status problem at Hogwarts; Made worse by the last war."
Taking a small sip of his drink Harry nodded solemnly, he knew all about the war against Voldemort from when he decided to look into his own past the one time, Voldemort and his cronies were fascists through and through. "And to put it simply, the children of those who were on He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named side, The Death Eaters, they taught their children to be just as cruel and vile as they were"
Deep regret entered Harry's heart as he realised that the fascists had not been imprisoned like his textbooks had told him. "A few of them are in mine and Daphne's year, in our very house even. As a Half-Blood, a large target is painted on my back. My Dad who was a Wizard apparently betrayed his blood to have children with a muggle. Daphne's family stayed out of the last war and were branded by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as Blood Traitors, made worse when Daphne befriended me on the train to Hogwarts."
She then looked up at the twins who sighed before one of them said "In our first two years before your year arrived at Hogwarts we were classed as blood traitors as our family has been for generations but it wasn't so bad. We had people willing to stand up for us but then this first year joined. A Malfoy." The other picked up with "As George's tone almost certainly tells you, Malfoy aren't good news. Lucius Malfoy was a dark wizard who claimed he was being controlled by the imperious curse during the war. Between having friends in high places and lots of money. He got off scot-free." George started once again "Malfoy Sr raised his son to be even more hateful and things have gotten bad over the past 4 years."
With a rustle, Tracey bulled up her jumper and Harry had to gasp as he saw a long scar going up her right arm "Last year he got particularly bad, When I was away from Daphne for a few minutes, he grabbed my arm and created a deep a gash on it using a knife full of dark magic. He tried to sexually assault Daphne last year when she stood up to him for trying to intimidate her sister, He harassed Susan Bones and he just constantly made life hell for non-pure bloods."
sexually assault, The words echoed in Harry's ears and he felt his blood boil, his fists curl and he bolted up in his seat, his hardening as he said "He did what?!" Tracey grabbed his arm and pulled him down "He thankfully never managed to succeed at much other than cutting my arm last year..but it was getting too close for comfort and we worried about what he might bring to the castle next, what he might try on Daphne or Susan…or what the next attempt on my life would be. So Daphne, Myself and Susan met up right at the end of the year, right here to discuss what we were going to do."
That's when Fred burst into the conversation "And myself and George just so happened to overhear the conversation and as Hogwart's current best pranksters we decided to help, Putting Malfoy in his place for good was too good of an opportunity to let up."
Tracey smiled as she seemed to remember what they had done and gleefully said "So Susan and Daphne came up with the plan, it was complicated though and the Twins knew it would take time, so it was my job to make sure the Twings kept on track."
Harry raised his voice, anger still beneath everything "So what happened?!"
2 Months prior ~ 5th of September
There was a chill in the castle that morning and Tracey wished she had brought her thicker cloak; it was the first sign that Autumn had arrived, that the trees that surrounded the castle would be losing their leaves and everyone would start getting grumpier.
Daphne stormed on ahead of her, anger in her eyes which looked like they were made of ice, she wasn't used to her best friend being so closed off. But she followed behind her and asked gently "Daph, what's going on?" Her friend glared slightly "I just got a message from Susan, A Slytherin just attacked Abbott" Tracey's eyes widened and asked, "Where?"
Daphne just turned on her heels and pointed diagonally up "Just outside Quirell's old classroom. Susan's meeting us there." Tracey stormed forwards a renewed anger within her, she knew Malfoy was involved somehow. Either directly or indirectly but he had to be involved. They clambered up the stairs and they found Susan, her wand out aimed at 4 Slytherins and a Ravenclaw who all had their own wands aimed at her.
Tracey scowled as she saw Malfoy. She knew it. The Two went on either side of Susan and pulled out their wands and aimed them at the group. Gently, Daphne asked, "This lot hasn't hurt you have they, Susan?" Their friend shook her head "Not yet no…but they got close to violating Hannah."
Deciding to end this sooner rather than later Tracey called out "Expelliarmus!" a burst of red magic shot from her wand and collided with Goyle whose wand went flying from his slippy hands. Malfoy Growled "Boys, let's show these traitors where they belong!"
Tracey had to dodge out of the way as one of the group sent a Stupefy at her. Her two friends were much better than her however casting protego's as the other responded with a wave of spells but eventually Malfoy had enough and charged towards them and broke through the shields with brunt force, knocking into Susan who went tumbling to the ground. The sound of a crack as Draco broke Susan's arm rattled in Tracey's brain before Draco turned his wand on her "Petrificus Totalus" Rope shot from his wand and tied her up, Witht the robe getting so tight around her wrist that it forced her to drop her wand.
Draco turned to face Daphne and said said "I'll finish them later, but first I want to make them watch as I finally claim my prize. You made a mistake denying me your sister last year, You could have avoided all of this Greengrass and brought your house back into honour." Daphne growled, "Go to hell Malfoy!"
Malfoy rolled up his sleeves as he approached Daphne who stepped back against the wall, He went to touch her waist when there was a flash of bright light that shot from her belt buckle before a boom-boom-boom! Draco yelled out in pain and Daphne gasped and said "Hahaha, it worked, Your little ploy ends here Malfoy thanks to the Weasley twins. An alert has been sent to them and they're going to alert Professor McGonagall right away. His rune they created is mighty powerful don't you think? Now Glacius!" Ice shot from Daphne's wand and collided with Draco's lower half and in a deadly whisper she muttered "Now that the Weasley twins have done their part. Let me show you why they've called me the Ice Queen" Before stepping down right between his legs; a scream of agony was heard throughout the castle."
Harry gasped "She broke his-" Tracey grinned "Yup, he was sent to St Mungo's and His Dad has temporarily pulled him from school. He's trying to press charges but Susan's aunt is putting up a fight worthy of Merlin."
Fred and George then spoke in unison "But you didn't get to use half of the things in our Rune-" Suddenly there was a slight cough and someone behind Harry said "That might be a good thing you two, you could have probably killed Malfoy with how much you packed into that Rune. You impressed my Auntie which is really saying something."
The twins grinned and Harry looked up to see a girl the same age as him and Laura, with Strawberry Blond Hair, aqua blue eyes and freckles. The girl smiled at them all and said "Mind if I join you guys." Fred and George shuffled up and said "Here you go." The girl sat across from Harry and Tracey and Tracey smacked her hand against her face "Duh introductions. Harry this is Susan Bones, Susan this is Harry Dupain-Cheng."
Sticking his hand out for Susan to shake he said "Nice to meet you Susan" She took his hand and shook it "Likewise, Harry." Maybe if he had come to Hogwarts all those years ago, he might have not been as lonely as he thought he might have been.
The Catacombs of Paris ~Dawn of the First Task ~The Next Day
Hawkmoth pressed her finger hand against the wall slightly, a grin on her face "Hmm a tournament…the perfect breeding ground for negative emotions and look at who is there, Harry Dupain-Cheng and Laura Césaire. I wonder how Ladybug and Chat Noir react when their children are thrust into an Akuma attack that will set the wizarding world ablaze. HAHAHAHAHA"
