Here I go playing in JKR's sandbox again
Hey gang, the muse hit me last night and I got another chapter out. Hope you enjoy.
Harry, under his cloak, with all he owned, was entering the guest quarters assigned to Lord Black. "I was just as you predicted." Harry sighed to his elders.
As November set and December began, Hunter and Arcturus alternated their training of young Harry. He was given leave to attend meals with his classmates and attended some classes with his fellow Gryffindors. Classes such as Transfiguration, were much better learned from McGonagall, as she was an accredited Mistress in the field. Potions on the other hand, was now entirely under the tutelage of Arcturus. Hunter was in charge of the physical training of Harry and made particular use of various sword-wielding.
The other main goal was the health of the Potter heir. Harry was the proverbial runt of the litter and that was not going to improve without help. Hunter was training his physical body, Arcturus was using various potions, and Harry was as a result, eating almost as much as Ron.
So focused was Harry on practicing and trying to figure out the egg, that he forgot about the Yule Ball until McGonagall taught basic dancing. When Harry approached Hunter and Arcturus, in something of a panic, Hunter simply smiled.
Hunter's lessons, both the martial arts and the sword-wielding, he explained, were making Harry lighter on his feet and more fluid. Dancing would be a simple transition and would help in said lessons. This eased part of Harry's mind. But the second part terrified him still. He had to find a date. That meant he had to ask a girl!
Arcturus laughed mightily at this, while Hunter, who remembered this dilemma, chuckled but only slightly. That prompted something of an intervention. Harry was given not only "the talk" but lessons on courting witches by both Arcturus and Hunter. Hunter smiled as he realized the horror they were sparing Harry. As now, Sirius would not be doing this to Harry.
As Harry was preparing for the tournament, Hunter used the days Harry was with Arcturus, to prepare the Chamber of Secrets. Rendering and removing the basilisk corpse was only the first issue. There were many more steps before they could use this as Harry's training facility.
Cleaning the inside of the chamber, then filtering the water so that it could be used for a swimming pool, more lighting, and then some kind of homage to the other three founders. Hunter placed a large statue of each founder opposite the existing one of Salazar Slytherin so that in the center of the chamber, you would appear to be supervised (or judged) by all four. Then Hunter moved to the outside.
There was little to start with there. Cleaning away the debris of rat bones and small pests. He also had to add a few columns to support a corridor. Luckily he had much of the raw materials scattered about the area and what he needed to get was paid for with the money from the basilisk parts. The "plan" had always included using Hogwarts' hospitality to start, but to move into the chamber as soon as possible. Hunter was hoping for Yule, but more likely it would be the new year.
While all this was going on, the Wizarding world was in a tizzy. The Lord Black had returned (many thought from the dead) and this caused many a plan to be derailed.
Dumbledore was absolutely terrified that he no longer had control of Harry. Arcturus had used several old laws to gain guardianship of the boy before offering aid in the tournament. This would make it so, not only would Harry not be following the headmaster's plan, but that he would not return to the Dursleys in the summer. The protections he had set up after that fateful Halloween would be lost. Harry would not willingly return there with these two dark mages offering to take him in.
And there was the second issue. Snape. Severus had often scanned Harry's thoughts to gauge what the boy and his friends were up to and reported it to Albus. Now he was getting nothing. And Severus was enraged that Harry was now being taught Potions by Arcturus. He seemed to take it as some king of personal affront.
Dumbledore could not allow Harry to go down the dark path. They had already changed the boy. Made him colder. The way he refused to forgive his classmates and his best friend young Mr. Weasley, was proof of that. While the teachers reported that Harry was still the same child that they knew before, they admitted he seemed more driven. They just assumed it was his accepting the task before him an attributed the change in attitude as natural. He still spoke regularly with Me. Granger, and the Weasley twins. And according to McGonagall, had seemed to take Neville under his wing. Merlin knew that boy needed the help. Perhaps he could use that friendship?
Lucius Malfoy was apoplectic when he heard of Arcturus Black's arrival. For years Lucius had been using the regency of the House of Black to further his agenda, His wife being a daughter of the house, gave his son the right as heir. With no other Blacks to claim it, it would go to Draco. But while Sirius Back was unable to take the mantle of Lord Black, his existence prevented Draco from making that claim. He already had plans for Sirius to be eliminated, now he would have to add more. Arcturus was old and would be simple, but this Heir apparent. Hunter would be much harder. If what was written in the letter from Draco was true, this Hunter had not only put down Draco (publicly and embarrassingly) but had all but neutered Severus and challenged Dumbledore. Hunter Black was a liability that had to be destroyed.
When Harry wasn't training like a demon with Hunter and Arcturus, he did spend time as a typical teenager. And since Ron had yet to make an apology, Neville lucked out and seemed to be Harry's new right hand. Unlike most of the guys, Neville took to the opportunity in an honest fashion and built a true friendship. When Ron finally did make a decent apology, Neville was kept in the group. Added to what was now a foursome.
Working with Harry had been a boon, and he was going to take a chance. He would make the Yule Ball his coming out party so to speak.
Hermione drug Harry to the kitchens one evening and Harry was surprised to find Dobby working there. Dobby was ecstatic to see Harry and along with the other elves was treating the boy like royalty. Dobby explained why some of the elves avoided him in the kitchens. Unlike the rest of them, Dobby was a free elf. The others were bound to the castle. This sent Hermione on a tirade about slavery. Dobby also pointed out Winky who was in a bad way.
Apparently butterbeer was much more intoxicating to house elves and the poor little creature was in a drunken depression. She very much missed Mr. Crouch. Hermione had the bit in her teeth and was determined to free the elves just as Harry had done for Dobby. Over the next few weeks, Hermione created S.P.E.W. The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. She conned Harry, Neville and Ron to be members. It wasn't doing much but it did keep her busy.
Ron made a feeble attempt to ask Hermione to the ball, and found a way to insult her in the process. Harry laughed, but he was just as useless at asking for a date. He failed repeatedly to ask Cho and when he finally did muster the courage, she had already agreed to go with Cedric. Ron suggested Harry take Ginny and Harry acted on it. But he was too late. Ginny had already agreed to go with Neville though, and Harry asked if she'd save him a dance.
Ron went into his depression about a date and finally ended up in the common room after a failure in asking Fleur Delacour to be his date. As Ginny explained Ron's humongous failure, Harry saw the Patil Twins and debated asking them. In the end he did and thankfully they accepted so he and Ron had dates now. Harry noticed that since the champion selection, he and Ron were growing more and more apart. He was much more comfortable with the twins and was working with Neville to bring him out of his shell. Ron was becoming an annoying little brother. He still liked Ron, but the immaturity was infuriating.
The night of the Yule Ball was not starting good. Mrs. Weasley because she knew, was able to got Harry some proper dress robes. Since she was using his money, she could get him good robes. For her own family though she had to cut corners. Fred and George got a plain but decent set for each of them, but for Ron she had some luck. He fit into a set they had from years ago. They were old and had frilly lace on them but they were in good shape.
When Ron saw what Harry was wearing he went mental. He hated being poor. Harry was able to snap him out of it, but once Hermione showed up his attitude went to pot again. Ron was sulking from the moment he saw Hermione. She had not told them who she was going with so it was a shock to see her with Viktor Krum. The bigger shock was that Hermione had put in the effort and looked beautiful. She was absolutely hot! Harry was just beginning to appreciate girls but he knew what he liked to look at.
Because he was around Neville so much, and Hunter's lessons, Harry knew how to dance and Pavarti had a good time. Harry was terrified when McGonagall told him, he and the other champions were obligated to start the first dance, but once he got through it, he danced with Pavarti, Susan Bones, Hanna Abbot, Ginny, Hermione and Padma Patil also.
As good an impression as Harry was making, it was Neville who was stealing the show this evening. Neville looked like he was on cloud nine as he waltzed with Ginny. Many who saw this new Neville were aghast, and Ginny was getting some heated looks from the other girls.
Ron was in a snit most of the night. Not only due to Ginny and Neville, but Hermione with Krum. Harry saw how the Weasley Twins acted and decided he would prefer to be like them, and decided to party. He even took a turn on the dance floor with McGonagall. By the end of the night, Harry was dancing with a Patil Twin on each arm so that Padma did not feel slighted by Ron's stupidity as he had taken to sitting, sulking, and starring at Hermione. Hermione was with Krum and Ron just couldn't deal with it. Before each girl was escorted to their dorm, they snogged Harry senseless. It served to only confuse Harry, but he found he liked it.
After Pavarti went to her room, Harry heard someone sobbing from the darkness and went to investigate. He found a very distraught Hermione. She was very upset with Ron and said he had ruined the night for her. Harry spent some time calming her down and letting her cry on his shoulder. He finally got her to laugh some and then Hermione slowly grabbed him and began snogging him. Harry was lost in the feeling and was reciprocating nicely, when he realized what he was doing and stopped.
"Hermione, we shouldn't be doing this." Harry said. Hermione didn't understand and thought it was her. "You think I'm ugly." She turned away and started crying again. Harry started to get frustrated. "No, Hermione, I think you're beautiful, but you're my best friend, and I don't want to take advantage of you when you're upset." Harry forced Hermione to look at him. "I like you and would do almost anything for you, but I'm not in love with you. Do you… understand that?"
Hermione was just starring into his eyes for a moment before she hugged him like Mrs. Weasley. Hermione knew most blokes would have tried to take advantage of her. She didn't even want to think what would have happened if Seamus Finnegan had found her. She kicked herself for ever doubting Harry. Once they let go, they each went to bed. By morning, Hermione was back to her old self again and joined Harry at breakfast.