Side Dishes
12th Course – Speaking With Words 5: The Fourth Year Part 3
As per tradition, takes place all over the timeline with the first instance starting at the 63rd Course of Taste, when Daphne, Tracey, and Blaise met the group outside of class and they began to work together.
The atmosphere was still a smidge awkward and chilly, but with the good food and the slow exploratory conversation, it was warming up slightly. They were starting to feel more at ease around each other, with Pansy and Millicent smoothing out the little bumps in the conversation between the two new groups. They eventually finished lunch, with the three newcomers looking more impressed, and started nibbling on a plate of biscuits Harry set out for afters.
"Okay, so what should we make?" Parvati said. "You're good at making all sorts of things but we should find something easier and doable especially if we need to make a lot of it."
They looked at the handout listing what to expect for the Festival. It had a general layout of where the stalls and booths would be, a rough estimate of the amount of people, and other things and rules they had to abide by.
"Probably something that you can eat with one hand or while standing," Harry said. "We won't have tables or anything like that. Nothing too strange since it will be for general people. Can't really cater to a specific group or anything, nor should we."
"Everyone likes sweets," Lavender said. "Well, mostly everyone." After some more chatting done by the group without input from the Slytherins, Lavender looked over and frowned. "Is something wrong?" she asked sweetly, looking at Daphne directly.
Daphne looked like she was in pain but as soon as she was called out, it smoothed into pleasant blandness. "No, nothing at all," she demurred insincerely.
"No please, you're here and a part of the team, right?" Lavender asked, her smile sharp and all teeth.
Daphne's veneer cracked slightly and she took a deep breath. "Very well. Did you honestly think that you can just make something and people will flock to you and buy it just because it tastes good?"
"Something like that," Parvati said, frowning.
Daphne sighed and rubbed her eyes. "That is almost adorably naïve of you. However, we must treat this Festival like a business because it is, in fact, very much like one. We have to be able to attract people. We have to have a theme. We have to consider the competition. We have to do so much more than just come up with something 'tasty' and then hope for the best."
"The Greengrasses own one of the largest shipping companies in Wizarding Britain," Millicent said. "They work with a lot of businesses."
"It's a festival though," Hermione said.
"It is more than just a festival," Daphne countered. "You have two…three other schools involved and you better believe the foreign schools will be doing everything in their power to prove their superiority over Hogwarts, all the schools actually. They want to compete strongly and come out on top. Any chance to knock Hogwarts down will be taken and they will want to be the best in any way they can. If we do not take this seriously, then there will be no success."
"We weren't exactly going into this to beat everyone down and prove we're the best," Padma argued.
"Then why do it at all?" Blaise asked.
"Not everything is a competition," Luna frowned.
"Except this is," Daphne insisted. "If you go in without a plan and without conviction, then you will fail and your efforts will be for naught. And why even try if you are not even going to try at an acceptably adequate level?"
"Hey, we didn't ask you to be here," Parvati said, eyes flashing. "There's the door, princess."
"Do not call me princess," Daphne said, heated.
"And here we go," Sunny sighed, tail whipping back and forth with irritation.
"Are they usually like this?" Hedwig asked, fluffing up with irritation too.
"They can be," Sunny sighed again.
"Guys," Harry said and was soundly ignored.
"What's the matter, princess? Don't like being called one while acting like one?" Parvati continued.
"Hey, leave her alone, I don't see or hear you saying anything helpful," Tracey cut in.
"Hey, guys," Harry said a little louder and was still ignored.
"And you leave her alone," Padma bit back.
A fight was brewing, even the blind could see and the deaf could hear it coming. Pansy and Millicent looked a little panicked, trying to calm both sides down while each got more heated. Voices rose and arms waved with more than a few throttled rude hand gestures.
Harry walked over to Hedwig. "Do you mind helping me please?" he asked.
She nuzzled him. "Never! I got this." She inflated, breathing deep and filling her lungs with air.
"SKRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEE!" (HEY! ALL OF YOU! SHUT UP!)
Everyone shouted with alarm and gasped and jumped, looking at the source of the blood-curdling screech. They gulped and flinched at the thunderous look on Hedwig's face. She was completely fluffed up and looking at everyone with narrowed amber eyes and she tapped the tabletop with a single talon emphatically. "You babies shut the hell up and listen to Chick!"
"Thank you, Hedwig," Harry said, rubbing her head and feeding her an owl treat. "You're the best."
Hedwig chomped on the treat with enthusiasm, giving Harry's hand a nuzzle and looking up at him adoringly before her head turned back around and she looked at the sheepish others, licking her beak slowly. Sunny shared her ire, glaring at the others while Crookshanks continued to slumber, unperturbed.
Harry sat back down at the table, everyone's eyes following him. "Okay, I get this is the first time we've really interacted outside of class and we all have different motivations for doing this. But I want to approach this as a team, together. For what it's worth, I don't think anyone's wrong right now completely, but let's try to be a little more…nice about it."
"Or else!" Hedwig barked.
-0-
The next day after classes, they congregated at the clubroom once more. Something simmered on the hob, filling the air with a rich savory scent.
"Oooh, I wonder what that is," Parvati said. She reached for the lid and then yelped when Hedwig swooped down and pecked her hand.
"No peeking!"
"Hey! Come on, not even a peek?" She sighed when Hedwig mooned her, flicking her tail feathers at her. "No fair," she grumbled.
Daphne and Tracey had caught the act and they looked at each other. "I have never seen an owl behave that way," Daphne said.
"She's great," Lavender smiled, giggling when Hedwig tugged on her hair playfully.
"I'm a delight," Hedwig cheeped. She gave Daphne a superior look. "And other owls 'don't behave that way' because they're not nearly as good as me."
"We're good to go," Harry said when he walked in.
"We've been approved?" Lavender asked excitedly.
Harry nodded and smiled. "Yup!"
"We haven't even finalized everything though," Tracey gasped.
"Apparently our plan is still really involved and laid out well, and we're trusted," Harry said.
"Mmhmm," Parvati hummed. "'We're trusted' alright. Hey! I see you!" She glowered at Hedwig who had creeped up with her beak opened for a nip.
"Hmm, so you do," Hedwig mused as she stood there, hovering over Parvati with her beak parted. "Oh well, might as well commit."
Harry chuckled when Hedwig nipped Parvati anyways and waddled off when Parvati shook her nipped hand at her. "I think I'll try to make a beef stew though," he said and smiled sadly when the others looked at him softly. "I mean, it'll be really cold and stew sounds great. You get a lot of stew for the cost of the ingredients and a nice cup of it will be easy to eat. I think it's a great idea to use scotch beef and if dragon meat is possible and tastes good to add to it, might work out well.
-0-
Harry did not go out, choosing to stay behind to do extra prep and to check on the simmering stew and the baking biscuits and bread. Almost everyone else left to go wander about first save for Luna who was content to stay behind with Harry. She rewarmed the stone warmers and tucked them into the blankets that Hedwig, Sunny, and Crookshanks were using. The kneazles had stayed pretty close to them for the warmth while Hedwig would flutter about and come back to sit on them to warm back up.
"It's so cold," Crookshanks complained, shivering slightly. "Why are we out here again?"
"To support Chick and the others," Hedwig hooted.
"Oh right, fair," Crookshanks sighed, snuggling deeper into the material.
"It'll be worth it," Sunny said, sitting on her blanket and freshly warmed stone warmers. "I hope."
"Chick is the best cook and chef. They'll win," Hedwig said confidently.
-0-
"Ah! Hello my pretty!" Perenelle smiled when Hedwig came fluttering down and landed neatly on her head, plumping down. Most of the onlookers gasped at that, eyes-goggling at the sight but Perenelle paid them no mind. "Thank you, my head was feeling a bit cold. Are you here to lead me to my boy?" She smiled brightly when Hedwig nodded. ("I sure am! Come on then. You look like you could use some food.) "Then let us go!" She set off when Hedwig hooted and flapped her wings and pointed with one of them.
"To Chick and the tasty food!" Hedwig hooted, flapping her wings.
-0-
"What does your cane do?" Parvati asked eagerly. "Does it do the whole 'wind blowing look suave' thing Nicolas' does?"
"Grandmother Penny took that charm off," Harry grinned while the others laughed. "She said I didn't need something so self-aggrandizing. But it does have something even better." He took the cane and tapped it on the ground twice. The girls exclaimed when the silver owl extended its wings and a long crossbar extended from the collar just below the owl. The cane stood upright when Harry let go, balanced perfectly. Hedwig kicked the door to her cage open and flew to the magical roost and plumped down on it comfortably, hooting happily.
"It's very comfortable and looks very nice," she cheeped.
"A mobile roost?" Lavender asked, laughing. "That's amazing!"
"isn't it great? And when it's extended like that, only I can move it. And only when I want to move it." He kicked the cane and Hedwig did not move a bit, not even a feather moved. But when he grabbed the cane and lifted, the cane moved. When he put it back down, it remained standing and stable as before.
"Not even a feather out of place! He's a little annoying, but he is very good at magic."
"That's incredible," Padma said. "The magic that went into making that must have been complicated!"
"Grandmother and Auntie Andi talked about the enchanting for a long time. It sounded really cool and really complicated," Harry nodded.
"Uh, question," Parvati asked, looking concerned all of a sudden. "Can Hedwig pick up the cane?"
Harry smiled. "Not in roost position. When it's loose however, she can. She already had a sword fight with Dora with it."
"Of course she did," Lavender smiled when Hedwig cheeped.
"Pinky was bothering me and tried to steal one of my sandwiches! I wasn't having that."
"Can you do magic with it if you put your wand into it?" Padma asked.
"No, but Grandfather already said he'd make me another one eventually to do that. I can summon the cane back to me without my wand and it's incredible durable and nearly impervious. Plus the roost mode as you see. Oh and only people I want touching it can move it." Harry started laughing. "Hedwig already does this funny thing with it too. You should see it."
"Oh this is fun!"
Hedwig clacked her beak eagerly and she climbed down the shaft of the cane, standing perpendicular to the ground. She started flapping and soon the compartment was full of wild laughter as Hedwig spun around the cane, a blur of white feathers as she spun around the cane, holding onto it with her talons. She screeched happily as she spun, the screech sounding suspiciously like an extended wheeee.
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"That's amazing!" Lavender said, tears of laughter streaming down her face.
Hedwig eventually slowed and she climbed back up the cane slowly, her eyes spinning ever so slightly as she swayed back and forth a little. Harry petted her head and helped her regain her balance. "She gets a bit dizzy as you see. It's really funny and she enjoys it."
"More than a bit," Hedwig hooted shakily. "But it's fun to do every once in a while! Gives you a new perspective on things. Messes with the head a bit as you see."
-0-
"Wow!" Lavender and Parvati exclaimed when they looked around. "This is awesome!"
Harry had gotten his friends and had brought them to the new room and everyone walked around, looking at everything with awe and anticipation.
"I can't believe we have a room like this," Pansy said. "This is wonderful!"
"Seriously," Sue said. "Thanks for sharing it with us, Harry."
"Of course, we're all friends here," Harry said stoutly. "Plus we got it because of what we did for the Festival together."
"It's okay if we're here though?" Ron asked weakly.
"You would have helped if you weren't helping the twins," Harry said. "Besides, you're still friends." Ron, Ginny, Terry, and Susan looked happy at that.
"Wow, there's even cat beds," Millicent said, smiling at Sunny and Crookshanks claiming one each. "And a roost and nest for Hedwig."
"Oh this is nice and comfy," Crookshanks purred sleepily.
"Very nice," Sunny agreed.
"The house elves know what's important," Hedwig cheeped comfortably. "They're good like that."
"It was really nice of them to bring the things from the clubroom here and replace the clubroom ones," Luna said as she looked at the stove and oven.
"Yeah, I got attached to them," Harry said. He hung his aprons and his knife bag on hooks from the wall and put the scales, the self-stirring cauldron, the portable ice box, and the wok down on a rack next to the others. "This is going to be great."
"We should call it something," Padma said. "The room. That way we know where people are and where to meet and all that."
"Good idea," Hermione said. "But what?"
"What do we all have in common?" Neville asked.
"We all kinda think Draco is a prick," Ron said, making everyone laugh.
"Ugh, let's not ruin this place by relating it to him," Blaise groaned.
"The Uncommon Room," Harry said all of a sudden. "It's sort of like our new common room, where we can just relax and study and hang out while doing things."
"I love it," Lavender said brightly.
"It's got a fun feel to it," Tracey said.
"Awesome," Harry smiled when everyone agreed. "Now let's celebrate by eating together. How do burgers sound?"
"Delicious," Millicent said happily.
"I'll also make some sausages for sausage sandwiches," Harry said. "And no slapping or throwing them about."
"Tell her that!" Parvati and Hermione said at the same time, pointing at each other.
"I've missed things," Susan said wryly as some people laughed and others looked equally confused.
They split up in various groups. Harry started preparing the food, aided by Padma, Pansy, Millicent, Susan, and Sue. Lavender, Parvati, Hermione, Neville, Ron, Daphne, Blaise, and Terry started organizing the other side of the room, moving chairs and tables about and organizing the book shelves and the fabric and other equipment cupboard and cabinets. Luna and Tracey and Ginny started decorating the room with various things. Soon they were sitting around a few tables pushed together, eating happily on burgers and sausage sandwiches with piles and piles of chips.
"You look happy," Lavender said to a very happy looking Harry.
"I am happy," Harry said softly. "We have this wonderful new place to hang out and be together. And I've always wanted to eat like this, a part of group of people who are just happy to be there. It feels nice."
She smiled. "It really does."
-0-
"What's wrong," Harry asked. He had returned to the Uncommon Room and saw Parvati looking grumpy and Hermione and Padma looking smug.
Lavender's face was red from suppressed laughter. "We're reviewing stuff for the Academic Event and Hermione and Padma are taking Parvati to task when Parvati said she was doing better in class with the extra reviewing we've been doing."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Harry asked. "Doing better in class, not being taken to task I mean."
"Sure is, usually," Lavender said, giggling a little.
"Well I think it's a perk for participating in the Academic Event," Harry smiled. "We can review for classes and get better marks and do well there."
"Hey, that's a great point, Harry!" Parvati said loudly, smiling. "I don't know why I didn't see it that way, you're right!"
"Wait, hey!" Hermione said. "I said that the other day!"
"Huh, I don't recall that," Parvati said, pretending to think hard.
"She totally did and I've been telling you stuff like that for years!" Padma cried.
"No, I'd remember that if it happened," Parvati hummed, looking away.
"You just don't want to admit we're right and you're taking the easy way out!" Hermione shouted.
"You just called Harry easy!" Parvati shouted back.
"What?! I mean, yes, but not like that, and don't deflect!" Hermione gave Harry and apologetic look with flushed features.
"Just admit we're right!" Padma growled.
"Never! Over your fat arse I will!"
The others howled with laughter as a fight broke out between the Patils and Hermione. Things were flung back and forth before the fight turned physical.
"Are you not going to aid her?" Daphne asked with a smile.
Tracey shook her head. "She can handle herself. She's doing just fine," Tracey smiled when Hermione pinned Parvati and Padma walloped her a roll of parchment.
"Harry, help!" Parvati squawked.
"Go on then," Harry said, smiling at Hedwig who had been watching with interest.
"Ooh! Permission?! Say no more!"
Needing no further urging, Hedwig lifted the pillow she was sitting on and fell to with a will and a gleeful bark. Hermione and Padma shrieked when Hedwig belabored them with the pillow, chasing them about the room with Parvati following after.
"I am still the best at pillow fighting!" she hooted happily as she chased them. "Experience it first hand! Or wing. You know what I mean."
"She pillow fights," Daphne said, watching the scene with wide eyes. "Your owl pillow fights."
"Lavender and her sisters taught her. She's very good at it," Harry said proudly.
"Is there anything she does not do?" Daphne asked.
"We haven't found it yet."
-0-
"I'm glad there will be an ICW and Ministry presence," Hermione said once everyone stopped laughing. "Dueling is rather dangerous, isn't?"
"It can be," Susan said. "But yeah, Auntie told me she'll be here with an Auror group and the ICW group overseeing things will be one of the professional dueling groups so that things remain as safe as possible. Plus Healers from St Mungo's. She also mentioned that there will be additional protections."
"I wonder what kinds," Pansy said.
Susan lowered her voice. "Apparently some of the best ones from Gringotts' Dueling Division."
"Hey!" Hedwig had arrived as she normally did during breakfast and was helping herself to Harry's bacon. As she bent to take a piece, Harry took it and slid it away from her. She looked up at him, eyes wide from hurt betrayal, before she realized Harry was waggling it at her. "Oh! Tug o' bacon! Yay! Breakfast and play!" She bit onto the end and started tugging back on it, trying to wrench it from Harry's hand.
Harry was playing tug of war with a piece of bacon with Hedwig and looked up to see the others looking at him. "What?" he asked. Hedwig took advantage of his lapse of attention and snatched the rest of the rasher from him, cheeping victory through a full beak.
"Ha! I got it this time! You have to pay attention Chick! Multi-tasking is important."
"Is that true?" Fleur asked. She and her friends as well as Viktor and a few of his had been joining Harry's group for meals, much to the disappointment of other students and the delight of the professors. The two groups had looked blankly when the others looked at Harry. "That Gringotts goblins are providing the additional measures?"
"Oh yeah, they are," Harry nodded.
"Why are they doing that?" Sophie asked. "Are the Gringotts goblins here more polite to the magicals?"
"No," the Pureblood and Society-familiar friends said, shaking their heads.
"Even the ones in Central and Eastern Europe are not so cooperative sometimes," Viktor said. "How did you manage to obtain their assistance?"
"I asked," Harry said. He smiled when Hedwig picked up another piece and twisted her head, thwapping him in the hand with it until he grabbed it so he could play with her some more.
"More! Bacon tastes better when won!"
"You…asked," Colette repeated, eyebrows raised. "And they agreed? Just like that?"
"Well they went to the ICW and the Ministry to negotiate terms and the like," Harry said, pulling on the rasher. "But they'd agreed to work with the Ministry and ICW as long as they got paid for their work. They told me they would offer a small discount because of me though. I told them they didn't have to though and so they used it as a negotiating tool."
"Why would they do that for you?" Ana asked, deeply surprised.
"I worked with them before," Harry said. He managed to break the rasher in half and he waggled it at Hedwig until she swallowed her piece and she pounced once more, latching onto the free end. "I'm still technically an employee of theirs and they said it would be dishonorable not to take care of one of their own." He looked pleased and proud when he said that.
"He cooked in their main kitchen over the summer," Lavender said proudly. "And he's friends with the Head Chef of Gringotts."
"And he is familiar with the Director," Pansy said smugly, enjoying the look of shock on the faces of the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
"You're not competing though, are you?" Hermione asked. "I didn't think you'd be interested."
"Oh I'm not," Harry agreed. "But I'm glad for the extra protections for any of you that are. I want you all to be as safe as possible." He ate the tiny bit of bacon left after Hedwig managed to tear the lion's share from the piece they were using. "I offered to help pay for it but they told me to don't be silly. The Ministry and the ICW could afford their services."
"How can he sound so blasé?" Aimee asked, still looking shocked. "He's playing with his owl while just saying that he asked, asked, Gringotts to do something and they did it for him without any problems or concessions on his part?! And he has worked for them before?!"
"Harry is very kind," Luna said, her smile bright and warm, "as I told you before."
-0-
"Thanks Auntie Ari," Harry said, hugging the older woman.
She squeezed him back. "You're welcome! I'm glad to have trained her and it worked out wonderfully."
They were having a victory party in the Uncommon Room, celebrating everyone's wins. The Beauxbatons Quartet were there as well as Viktor and his closest. They ate pizza and drank milkshakes, talking about the duels they had and saw and exchanging tips and bits of knowledge.
Everyone asked how to cast the Slapping Jinx and Lavender had happily obliged. Which then led to everyone slapping each other, much more gently and with a lot more hilarity, and with people admiring each other's magically constructed hands.
"Watch out!" Lavender shouted.
"Watch out for wha-AAAAAAH!" Hedwig flew head over talon as her bed was accidently slapped by Blaise's shimmering rose-gold hand. Deeply offended and incensed, Hedwig flew right at him. "HEY! I WAS NAPPING! HOW DARE YOU!"
"I'm sorry!" Blaise shouted as he ran, hands over his head as Hedwig beat at him with her wings. The others dissolved into laughter as they watched her chastise him strenuously.
After a few moments, Harry reached up and neatly plucked Hedwig from the air in mid-flight, hugging her to him and popping her special owl treats into her open beak. "That's enough," he said, smiling. "It was an accident and you punished him enough and he won't do it again."
"It's not nearly enough!" Hedwig hooted through a full beak. "I was just minding my own business and he had to be a dumb prat! I'll accident his head! Do you hear me you puffed up peacock! I'm going to-" Her hooting was cut off when Harry fed her bacon and she chewed angrily, scowling at a cowed Blaise.
A missed slap cast by Blaise had knocked Hedwig's bed over, with her in it, and she chased him about the Uncommon Room screeching angrily and beating him about the head with her wings. That put an end to the slapping to prevent further accidents. She only stopped when Harry caught her in midair again and fed her owl treats and bacon until she was mollified.
"The slap spell is great," Harry said.
"Isn't it? And it's very versatile. Changing the shape of the hand in your mind and the speed of the slap can give you all sorts of options. I'll teach you a variant of it where you can do fun stuff like this." She twirled her wand and a crimson hand came into being and made a rude gesture.
Harry guffawed at the glowing magical hand giving the salute. "You're the best."
"Don't you forget it," Ariana said smugly, hugging him comfortably.
-0-
"Do you want a sous?" Sophie asked, tying her hair up and putting her apron on. "In case you need assistance?"
"I think I'll be okay," Harry grinned as he tied a bandanna around his hair and put his own apron on.
"Uhm, Hermione, is your kitty okay?" Aimee asked Hermione, looking down at Crookshanks in her lap with a concerned look. "He started coughing."
Hermione looked down. "Oh no, he's fine. That's him snickering."
"He…snickers? Oh, the others are too." Aimee gaped at the sight of Crookshanks, Sunny, and Hedwig snickering and giving Sophie pitying looks that involved head-shaking and eye-rolling and expressive mooning.
"What an idiot," Sunny snorted, waggling her rear and flicking her tail at Sophie.
"Chick is the best and she's going to learn that the hard way," Hedwig agreed, emphatically rolling her rump at Sophie and flicking her tail feathers at her.
"They know that Harry doesn't need an assistant," Hermione smiled. "Some of us can do small things but nothing close to what he does. He's worked in professional kitchens."
"He has?" Aimee gasped.
"Oh good, this will knock her down some," Colette said gleefully. "One of Sophie and Fleur's aunts owns a nice little place in Paris and Sophie worked there from time to time so she thinks herself skilled."
"To be fair, she is not bad," Aimee giggled. "Compared to us she is more than not bad."
"No, but Harry is more dedicated so this will be fun," Colette smiled.
-0-
Hedwig sat on one of the farthest points of the castle's roost, looking over at the Quidditch pitch. It was the final task for the TriWizard Tournament and she looked over with semi-interest. She had flown over the maze earlier and while she contemplated spending time with Harry while he watched the Task as it was done, she had decided not to. She figured it was a touch too crowded for her tastes and even when she figured out what the task was, it seemed boring to her.
At least, until the ziggurat wall broke and lethifolds poured out of the enclosure. Then the walls of the maze fell, allowing the other creatures and spells loose to run amok and cause mayhem.
"That can't be good," she thought, looking over. Her eyes narrowed as she saw a few familiar silvery forms flying around and saw them tear a lethifold apart. "Wait, that's Chick's Patronus! Patroni?" She felt something thrum inside her chest and she launched herself into space, flying towards the pitch. Her eyes focused and she gasped with horror as she saw Harry slump to the ground, exhausted from casting the spell and creating three magical guardians. Horror became rage when she saw someone come to stand over Harry, not someone she recognized, and the form radiated harmful intent. "Chick! I'm coming!"
Quirrell stood over Harry, seething. He looked around at the Aurors and the professors reasserting control, taking down the creatures and repairing things. He had spent a lot of magic and time protecting the Sanguis students and helping Lucius rescue Draco. He had then rushed over but saw one lethifold be destroyed and the other chased away. For a moment, no one noticed him standing there over Harry. His eyes shifted and Voldemort looked down at Harry's form with unconcealed hatred.
"You have foiled me three times," Voldemort hissed. "Three times too many! There will not be a fourth." He raised his wand. A keening cry caught his attention and he looked up.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY BOY!"
Hedwig slammed into him, digging her talons into his face and she kicked as hard as she could, raking and screeching. He howled in pain, trying to fend her off with his hands since he dropped his wand when she made impact. She finally disengaged, kicking him away and she landed over Harry, wings mantles and eyes blazing. She screamed again, daring Voldemort to come close. "You! Stay the hell away or I'll claw out your eyes and make you eat them! Back off! NOW!"
"I will kill you!" Voldemort screamed back, he scrabbled for his wand. He took a step forward and aimed his wand again, a Curse on his lips. A shimmer appeared between him and Hedwig and Harry and he took a step back as magic manifested as a cloud of blades, creating a barrier between them.
"Back off!" Dora walked up, wand up and out. "Back the fuck off, now!"
"I was trying to help!" Voldemort shouted, clutching his torn face. "The owl attacked me!"
"You were about to hurt my chick!" Hedwig screeched.
"Better work on your sales pitch because I'm not buying it! She won't attack you if you mean well." Dora's hair turned midnight black and long and her eyes a deep sapphire blue. "I won't say it again, back off!"
"Bella?" Voldemort gasped, red eyes wide.
Dora stopped. "What did you call me?" she asked, deeply confused.
Others appeared. Dumbledore arrived with Aurors and professors behind him. He took a look at everything all at once. "What happened?!"
"I found him over Harry with his wand out," Dora said, her wand still there and the cloud of blades floating there. "Hedwig was protecting Harry from him!"
"I was trying to help him," Quirrell shouted, clutching his face. "The owl attacked me unprovoked!"
"I was plenty provoked! Nothing about you screams benevolent so you back off!"
"And she won't attack anyone that legitimately means well," Dora spat back.
"He saved my daughter!" Sebastain pushed his way through the crowd. "My niece informed me! His Patronus saved her!"
"I saw them, they were owls," Remus said firmly. "He protected the students here. I have seen his Patronus before."
"Tonks, drop the barrier and escort Harry and his owl to the Matron or a medic," Amelia ordered. "Do you need to see a Healer as well?" she asked Quirrell.
"No need," Quirrell said coldly, tapping his face with his wand and hissing as the skin reknit itself. He glared after Dora leaving with Harry and Hedwig. "I am removing my Champion from this, and my students! It is clear that the assurances for the safety of the students made by Hogwarts were nothing but lies! Hogwarts has fallen into disgrace!" He turned and walked over to Lucuis, Draco, and the others waiting to one side. Soon they left the pitch altogether.
"How absurd," Maxime sniffed. "Hogwarts was not completely responsible for all this. The Ministry and the ICW had a hand in preparations."
"Thank you, Olympe," Dumbledore said heavily. He rubbed his eyes. "I do fully intend on getting to the bottom of all this."
"Don't worry, we will," Amelia growled.
-0-
Harry groaned, blinking slowly. "What happened?" he asked, voice raspy and tired.
"Harry!"
He found himself surrounded by people and he looked up at his concerned friends. "What happened? Are you all alright?"
"Are we alright?" Lavender tearfully. "We're fine, are you okay?!"
"I think so," he said shakily. "I feel really tired."
"You exhausted your magic once again," Pomfrey said, smiling down at him looking half-proud and half-exasperated. "You summoned your Patronus and pushed yourself beyond your limits, summoning more than one."
"I didn't even know I could do that," he said. He blinked when he realized Hedwig was sitting on his stomach and was giving him a remarkably similar look of pride and exasperation.
"You need to stop scaring the shite out of me," she scolded. "You'll turn me grey and I don't want to be grey!"
He poked her belly and winced when she nipped his finger hard. "Okay, you're the real Hedwig."
"I am the real Hedwig! You better not be keeping company with any other owls, much less snowy ones!"
"How did you know to cast the Patronus Charm?" Pansy asked.
"Those things felt like Dementors," Harry said. "And I saw Remus, er Professor Lupin cast a Patronus way out by the ziggurat thing and figured to do the same."
"Well reasoned." Dumbledore appeared and looked down at Harry. "Harry, are you okay?"
"I think so. Right?" He looked up at Pomfrey.
She snorted gently. "Aside from exhausting yourself, yes, you are."
"We have you to thank," Dumbledore said. "Your actions saved your fellow classmates and your friends, as well as Miss Sophie BeauSoleil and Miss Gabrielle Delacour."
"Oh thank goodness," Harry groaned. "I hoped they were okay. Is everyone else okay?"
"Luckily there were only injuries and light ones," Pomfrey said.
"Rest easy," Dumbledore said. "The Aurors are examining things and we will make a formal announcement soon. Thank you, Harry. As always, you are an incredible young man." He bowed sincerely and left. Pomfrey left to go check on the other people who were injured, leaving Harry with his friends.
Face red, Harry whooped when Dora hauled him up and hugged him hard. "Hi Dora," he wheezed.
"Don't do that!" she scolded, her hair short and grey. "Scared the life out of me when I saw you lying senseless on the ground!"
"Sorry," Harry said. He felt touched by her concern and hugged her even harder.
She sniffled a little and shook her head, her hair turning black and messy. "I gotta get back and help. Remember: me thrilling heroics, you stay safe and look pretty. And cook me things." She hugged him again and let him go gently, rising to her feet. "I'll see you later. Good job Hedwig." She held her hand out and Hedwig bonked it with her head, hooting softly. With a wave, she left.
"Good job to you too," Hedwig hooted.
"Must you always do that?" Pansy asked, giving him a look. "Jumping in like that?"
"He's a Gryffindor, of course he does," Blaise said, shaking his head.
"I just couldn't let that happen to a little girl," Harry protested. "Who would I be if I could've done something but didn't? She's just a little kid." He shrugged sheepishly. "I didn't want to let her get hurt."
"Of course you didn't," Parvati said softly. "But that's what makes you, you."
"When did Hedwig get here?" Harry asked, hugging her as she cheeped at him.
"I came when I felt you cast the Patronus Charm and saw that pale arsehole standing over you. I didn't like the look of him and I wasn't about to let him do anything to you. You are my chick dammit."
"We don't know. When Dora brought you over to be checked, she was with you," Hermione said. "Everything was mad and we didn't know what was going on so we sort of went to where they medi-magicals set things up thinking you'd show up eventually, one way or another."
"I do end up going to the Infirmary every year, don't I?" Harry sighed.
"Yes you do. Stop it! Be strong like me!" Hedwig hooted.
-0-0-0-
TheSphynx - Sometimes the most obvious answer needs someone slightly apart from everything to point it out. I knew I wanted to make this chapter after writing out how the food was handled in the main story and was glad how outrageous the chapter was.
odonnellzoo99 - I knew it would be a thing when I was planning out their wedding. I knew it would also need a little more silliness to make things shake out the way they did in the story.
Shroudy9 - I don't know, there was a lot of fun dialogue between Gabriel, Elodie, and Jules in my opinion.
Wentley - I thought it would be a fun way for things to, somewhat realistically, end up.
Hufflepuffzd96 - I really liked how this chapter flowed and it was a lot of fun to write.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - I thought it would make sense for that group of individuals. All are accomplished chefs in charge of big kitchens and have a small problem listening to someone else while genuinely caring about Harry. Thanks for reading.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - That part was one of my favorite bits in the chapter. No one caring about Gabriel's opinion and willing to fight with him over it.
alix33 - I very much enjoyed writing it. Glad you liked it.
poka - Pretty much. I thought it would be plausible that they all would want the best for Harry while being quite egotistical in their own ways and it would come to a head. I thought it would be fitting that Harry would be disgruntled that he wouldn't be cooking a lot either and the others knowing he'd be like that.
HoneyBear84 - Thank you.
guest - Thank you. Glad you liked it.