Harry potter and the Time of Retirement
Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Chapter 79 – Year 4
As Harry approached her, Greengrass gave him a hesitant smile that soon disappeared. "Potter" she said, expressionless.
"Daphne" said Harry, way more warmly. "Please call me Harry, for tonight. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas" she repeated, taking a deep breath. "Are we going?"
"We are" he confirmed, moving to her left side and offering his arm. "Let's have a pleasant evening together."
As they walked away from the entrance to Slytherin's common room, Harry could notice a couple stares following him – one of them from Goyle, who had remained silent in a corner the whole time. As he and Greengrass left, Harry could notice within the corner of his sight how Goyle had walked back inside his common room. Snorting lightly in disdain, Harry refocused his attention on his date who had said nothing else so far.
"You look enchanting" started Harry, trying to break the awkward silence. "I like how the colors match between your clothes and your jewelry. Green and silver, obviously" he concluded, in a teasing tone.
"A bit cliché, maybe, but I always liked them even beyond the house meaning" said Greengrass, quietly. "Thanks, anyway. You don't look half bad yourself."
"I wonder where I messed up the other half" quipped Harry, smiling. "I shouldn't complain, for us guys it's easier. Clean formal robes and a bit of combing works wonders already."
"Don't be so sure, Pott… Harry" countered Daphne. "Girls like to look at pretty boys too, you know? Extra efforts are always appreciated."
"Oh, I see" said Harry, right as they reached the already open doors of the Great Hall. "I'll remember it. What is that?" he asked, as they passed by the open main gates.
"So pretty…" commented Greengrass, stopping. From there they had a view of the area in front of the castle and could admire the rosebushes that had been planted there, surrounded by the lights of hundreds of fairies.
Harry too stopped to look, before noticing how everyone else was walking inside the Hall. Recalling old memories, he kindly pulled the arm of his date. "We should hurry, I fear" he said. "I think they want us all to be inside when the Champions make their grand entrance."
"Of course they do" commented Daphne, sniffing and restarting to walk. "In this kind of events most of us are considered mere background."
As they entered she gave a long stare at the three couples of the Champions, waiting nearby the entrance. Once they were far enough, she turned towards Harry with an impish smile.
"Davis is such a loser" she whispered. "He was looking at that French girl like a starving dog. Diggory looked way more respectable. And who was the girl on Krum's arm? Another French tart?"
"I am not sure, but she looked a little like Granger" answered Harry, evenly. "It was hard to tell, her hairstyle is quite different tonight."
"….she had quite a makeover, then" added Daphne, snobbily. "Didn't she look nice?" she asked, looking at Harry.
"She did?" answered Harry in mild fake surprise. "I guess, for those who like her new flashy style. I much prefer what you went for tonight, if you don't mind me saying it."
"I don't" said Daphne, a light blush coming to her face. Harry, on the side of his mouth, tried to hide a half smirk – Ginny, his Ginny, had been much more subtle than that. 'She was also decades older, of course' he thought with a mental sigh. Greengrass' behavior just reinforced his feeling he was taking his dearest Lily Luna to some father-daughter event.
Recovering his focus he stopped at the end of one of the two lines of students that were flanking the entrance, Greengrass at his side. There they waited in silence for the final strugglers to get in, lazily looking around the Hall. Couples of all kind and ages could be seen standing in the two lines, including those formed by one or occasionally two foreign students. Amused, Harry recognized several of his classmates. With a relieved nod he noticed how Sally was there too, standing next to what seemed like an older boy in silence, before she took a sip from a flask. 'Booze already?' thought Harry with a frown.
'And that boy… a green tie. Is she dancing with a Slytherin, of all people?' wondered Harry, puzzled, before moving his gaze and his attention towards the decorations. In truth, the Great Hall was astounding that night: the walls were covered in sparkling ice, while the ceiling was crossed with garlands of ivy and mistletoe. Just like he remembered the four large tables that normally hosted the four houses were gone, replaced by several dozens of smaller, lantern-light tables. The main section was untouched and, sitting at its top table, Harry could recognize there several faces.
Dumbledore, of course; the two foreign principals, Ludo Bagman, Mr. Crouch and, at his side, Percy Wesley. The latter in particular had been staring at Harry but moved on his eyes quickly once spotted. With interest Harry noticed how Madame Maxine was already looking towards and smiling at Hagrid who was staring unabashedly back at her in return.
A movement from his date drew his attention back: the Champions were walking in, them and their escorts covered in a spotlight coming from somewhere in the enchanted ceiling. Harry could see several glares directed at both Hermione and Fleur Delacour, but neither of them seemed to care in the slightest. As the Champions finally sat down together with the other v.i.p., everyone else followed suit at the smaller tables.
On their way Harry noticed a table with some free seats where Malfoy and Parkinson were already making themselves comfortable and was sorely tempted, for a second, to join them: nothing easier to distract a girl than to place her close to her friends. In the end he still gave up and moved on to a still empty table, preferring to entertain Greengrass himself than having to spend all night together with Malfoy and Parkinson.
"Thank you, Harry" said Daphne with a smile and a nod, sitting down, as he pulled her chair. He sat down next to her, as several students of other years did the same in the other empty seats, and he picked up the menu'. "Another mix of dishes from England and our guests' countries, I see" he commented.
"How do we even order something, anyway? I don't see any house elves" wondered Daphne, turning her head around.
"If there are none around, I imagine the food will simply appear once we choose it. Maybe it is enough to call for it?" asked Harry casually, well aware of how that was exactly how it worked. "Butterbeer" he declared, and instantly his cup was filled with his choice drink. Daphne, and several other heads around them to be honest, nodded at the sight and started ordering their own meal.
"Do you like French cuisine, Harry?" asked Daphne, between one bite and the other, at the sight of several of the dishes he had ordered. "Don't you find it greasy?"
"A more generous description would be tasty and warm" answered Harry in jest, all while enjoying his dinner. "And the answer is yes, anyway. I went there often for my holidays, so call it an acquired taste. Bon appétit."
"I haven't travelled much" said Daphne in return. "During summer we visit a lot of our relatives and family friends, but always inside England."
"You are not missing much" said Harry with a shrug. "There are very few differences when it comes to purely magical communities, at least with France. I fear, embarrassing as it is, that one needs to go to muggle cities to see something truly out of the ordinary."
"My parents were always… sarcastic at the idea of doing such a tour" said Daphne, her voice unreadable. "They say that, for all their innovations and baubles, muggles remain muggles."
"I don't agree with them, not completely" argued Harry with a peaceful smile "but I know this is not the kind of topic I should raise at dinnertime."
"Were your muggles relatives those that taught you good manners, Harry?" asked Daphne. "And mind you, I mean it in a positive way. Good for them, if they did."
"Good for me too, if this is your reaction" answered Harry. "And, not really. They are a bit vulgar, if you ask me – and learning how to properly behave in public is something I was glad to learn even if just to distance myself from them."
"I see. Muggles" she said, dismissive, with just a bit of poison in her voice. "Good for you for leaving them, Harry. Although… I heard about what happened to your home, some months ago. I was sorry to hear that."
At this Harry looked straight in her eyes, searching for deceit – and finding none. 'Just a little girl, nothing to do with her parents' ideals' he conceded, before relaxing his expression. "I was quite sorry myself. There are bad people, truly bad people around, Daphne. Real criminals, that deserve a severe punishment."
"I wonder if some of them think they are in the right. That their reasons are just, even if their actions are somehow… reproachable" she said, unsure. Harry sighed.
"Some, maybe. What I wonder about, instead, is if they understand the risks involved in such actions" said Harry. At Greengrass's puzzled expression, he continued. "For what I know too many don't realize the risk, the quite real risk, of being hurt back by their target. Or simply being sent to Azkaban for years of their lives. Very few people care about some vague ideals enough to risk so much, when they understand it could really happen."
"I don't know" she commented eventually, shaking her head. Harry sighed again.
"Don't make that face, please. This is another unpleasant topic, one that has nothing to do with you, and it's my fault I pursued it. Let's move on to something lighter."
"Like what?" she asked, evenly, while sipping her drink. She was done with food, apparently.
"New couples, for example. Plenty of fodder for gossip, around us" proposed Harry with a smile. "What about you, is there anyone that shocks you?"
"Shock is a strong word" she said, turning her stare around. "With Slytherins no, not really, at least in our year. Maybe Granger really is the top news for tonight – I had no idea she had been flirting with Krum. Quite sneaky of her."
"Either she has been a mistress of seduction in disguise all these years, or it was Krum that approached her" countered Harry with a small laugh. "She is drawing a lot of attention either way, hardly positive too. Who else?"
"Your housemate, Smith, is here with a Slytherin" she continued. "I heard that he has often been seen with her lately, I guess he decided to make his move. And…" she went on, before giggling cruelly. "And what was Weasley thinking when he wore that piece of trash? I can't believe Patil accepted to come with him. She must be regretting it, anyway."
"Poor Ronald" said Harry, grimacing. "Not his fault his family is… hardly rich. I know you Slytherins don't like Gryffindors, but they are not that bad. Neither is he."
"You have always been understanding towards them, Harry, but they don't deserve your good will" she countered, shaking her head. "Weasleys in particular are a constant embarrassment, and…"
Daphne had to stop, as Dumbledore stood up and asked everyone else to do the same. Soon all tables had been magically emptied of dishes and pushed aside, and in the right side of the hall stood now a raised platform with several musical instruments appearing on it. Soon after, with great cheers from the students, the "Weird Sisters" appeared on stage and after a couple words of circumstance they picked up their instruments, right as the Champions and their escorts moved in the center of the Hall, everyone else watching them.
For half a minute everyone stood silent, watching the three couples starting the dance. Soon though more and more students joined them on the floor. Noticing Daphne's demanding stare, Harry sniggered and offered her his hand. "Would you do me the honor?" he asked, with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"I hope I can trust you to lead me well, Harry" she answered, taking it and following him to the outer circle. What followed was quite a normal slow dance: Greengrass was, unsurprisingly, quite a good dancer and even Harry's mediocre skills – mostly hands on lessons given to him by his wife – were enough to twirl her around without bumping into each other or stepping on her shoes; something that, Harry was quite sure, would have not been appreciated.
After the first dance another followed, and another, and another; only after the fifth song, as both of them started to pant and their skin was shining under the lights due to some sweat, Harry offered her to take a break with Daphne quickly accepting. Sitting down at one of the free tables surrounding the dancers they tried to order drinks as during dinner, failing in the process. "I'll go and find some" said Harry, standing up. "What would you prefer?"
Once he came back he found, with some mild displeasure that he easily hid, how Draco and Pansy were now seating with Daphne and the two girls were busy in conversation. Sitting down and offering Daphne her drink – which she accepted with a gracious smile, but without abandoning her conversation with Pansy – Harry was immediately spoken to by Draco.
"Oy, Potter. Aren't you glad I convinced you to come here with a lady? You should thank me" said the boy, smirking.
"I am having fun, won't deny that. What about you, Malfoy? How much in pain are Parkinson's feet?" countered Harry, sighing.
"They are not, obviously. I am a great dancer" bragged Draco, unabashedly. "It's a great night all right. My only problem is with the band. Sisters might be wrong, but those guys certainly deserve the Weird part of their name."
"So long as the music is good…" said Harry, sipping his drink. "I am starting to be a little tired already, to be honest. Maybe I'll offer Daphne a last couple dances, but after those I am out."
"Plenty have left already" added Draco with a shrug. "Including that little muggleborn fan of yours; I saw her send your way a lot of hateful stares, I'll let you know."
Harry frowned at Draco for this comment but otherwise said nothing – it was absolutely not Malfoy's business, but what was the point in starting a fight? Unaware or not, Malfoy continued talking. "I wonder how many have gone back to their common rooms, though. I heard the gardens are filling up with couples already."
"For purely innocent reasons, I am sure. Will you be touring the garden decorations with Pansy, too?" answered Harry, hiding his irritation.
"That is not the kind of question a gentleman would ask or answer, Potter" said Draco, with a smug smile. "Still, just between the two of us… Yes. Do the same, the garden is quite interesting tonight."
Harry nodded and turned silent. After a minute Draco turned towards Pansy, and soon they were back on the dance floor. Daphne, too, turned towards Harry.
"Everyone is having quite the night, Harry. I, too, am having a lot more fun than I thought" she started, smiling happily, before freezing and grimacing. "Heaven, that didn't come out right."
"Could have been taken either way…. I'll take it as a compliment" said Harry with a shrug. "I am almost done for the night, but I would be happy to have a final dance together, if you want."
"Yes, that sounds lovely" she said, standing up and waiting for his hand. "Let's go."
Soon, they were in the center of the hall - the missing students and the lack of Champions leaving the remaining dancers a lot more space to move. Compared to their first one, where Daphne had been much more tense, she was clearly letting herself go now – which made Harry smile too, in self satisfaction. 'At least her tales tomorrow won't crush my reputation' he thought with an inner smirk.
After two songs, the Hall clearly only half as full as in the start of the ball, Daphne took Harry's arm one final time and started walking outside, him following dutifully.
"It is probably time for me to escort you back home" said Harry, once they were out of the Hall. "Or the rough copy our dormitories are, at least."
Greengrass sighed, and turned towards Harry – no smile in her face now. "It's too early, Harry. Everyone is still awake. The garden is pretty, let's tour it a little before going to sleep."
"We are both tired" countered Harry, shaking his head. "And I had plenty of fun already, with no need for us to freeze ourselves in the dark."
"Nevertheless, I made you a promise" she said quietly, in a sad tone. "A great girl like you shouldn't make that kind of promises, let alone keeping them" countered Harry, turning towards her. Right then and there, with her expression looking once again frail and defenseless, she looked younger than ever to his eyes. He stopped and took up both her hands.
"I had a wonderful night, that I will always remember with pleasure. I won't be able to do that, if it continues. Besides, anyone could tell you don't want to go."
"I want to" she insisted weakly, but Harry paid her no mind. Linking his arm to hers once again, he started walking towards Slytherin common room and she didn't resist. Both were silent all the way.
"Here we are" he said once they were at the entrance of her common room; no one was in sight. "I still hope that you, too, had a pleasant night."
Daphne sighed again and seemed almost to deflate. "I did. Tonight is my very first date with a boy, you know? And you couldn't have been better, Harry."
Turning her head around, making sure they were still alone, she took a step forward and took his head between her hands, before leaving a small peck on his cheek. As she stepped back, though, her expression was focused and full of energy once again. "Good luck, Potter. Good luck" she said, before turning abruptly and walking away. Harry stood there, watching her step inside Slytherin's common room. With a shrug, feeling tired and old, he too walked away.
XxXxX
'I hope all my efforts pay off' thought Harry, as he walked back to his common room. 'I mean, it was still fun, but tiring and creepy as hell' he concluded, thinking back of Greengrass' final offers. Shaking his head, he tapped on the lid of the barrel that covered the entrance and stepped in.
The common room wasn't crowded, but it was still possible to see several students mulling around. Most in their fancy Ball clothes, a few already in their nightwear. At one table he spotted Wayne, Megan and Sally sitting down and he approached them.
"Hello everyo…" he started, only for Sally to stand up and leave the common room entirely, heading outside. Harry watched her go, perplexed, and sat down. "So, did you two had fun at the ball?" he asked.
"I did" answered Wayne. "Food and music were great, and I got asked to dance by one of the Patil, don't ask me which one."
"I know one of them was there with Ronald Weasley" added Megan. "So… that one?" she concluded, snorting cruelly.
"Amusing" commented Harry, unlatching his tie and letting his neck breath. It had been a long night.
"You had quite some fun too, didn't you Potter?" said Wayne, with a smirk. "Sally here was quite open in complaining about it. Said you and Greengrass kept dancing all night long, stuck to each other like two lovebirds."
"I don't know how to deal with that girl anymore" said Harry, tiredly. "After a while one just want to be left alone, you know?"
"What a gentleman" said Megan, scoffing, and talking about other couples.
They all chatted about the ball for a while, before Harry stood up and said he was going to sleep. Wayne wished him goodnight, but Megan followed him. "Harry, one second" she said.
"What?" he asked, without even stopping. She stopped him, by grabbing his arm. "Maybe I shouldn't interfere so much but go and talk with Sally if you can. Now, I mean."
"I am done pandering to her" he pointed out, more harshly than he wanted to. "Besides, I am probably the last person she wants to see right now."
"It's the opposite" said Megan. "She said so herself when it was only us girls before, and was quite insisting on it. She wishes you would go to her and make peace."
"Make… peace? She literally run away the second I came back" asked Harry, puzzled.
"You don't know how girls are, Harry" said Megan, rolling her eyes. "Of course she is embarrassed. But she was really insisting, she begged for my help openly. So be a decent bloke and go to her, she should be waiting for you somewhere on the ground floor."
"This is quite weird" insisted Harry, frowning. "She was never pushy like that. And I had a long night already."
"Ow, stop complaining and go, Potter" said Megan. "I promised to help. Sisterhood duty. Come on, do it as a favor to me if you need to."
"I owe you no favors" said Harry, before sighing. "Well, I have nothing better to do beside sleeping. But I swear I can't wait for all this ball madness to be over."
"Sure, whatever" added Megan in a sweet voice. "Have fun and say hi from me!"
Harry scowled and walked out once again. 'Can't I have some peace? My daughter wasn't this bad…. I think. We raised her better than this.'
Walking quickly he toured the whole ground floor of the castle before finding her, standing all alone in a side hallway. "Sally, are you ok?" he asked, tiredly.
She turned, looking at him with wariness, before showing a sad expression. With slow steps she got close, only to hug him tightly. "There, there" said Harry, condescendingly, patting her back. But, without letting him go, she distanced herself barely enough to, suddenly, kiss him straight on the lips, eyes fully open. Harry remained stunned for a second, quite surprised.
Not as surprised, though, as he became a second afterward when he felt something thin pierce his neck. He tried to push her away, screaming, but she held on with all her strength and her mouth was muffling his voice. Too late he tried to punch her, because he suddenly felt his strength abandon his body leaving his punches unable to make her do more than some grunt of pain until he was all but paralyzed in her arm, only his eyes moving. Without much care, she left him fall on the floor.
"Disgusting" she said, rubbing her mouth with her sleeve, before kicking him in the side. From behind a nearby statue, with the telltale silhouette that revealed a common invisibility mantle, another shape approached. "It worked?" asked a voice that Harry recognized with horror – it was Draco Malfoy.
"Sure did" answered Sally, aggressively. "But it's not time to yap yet. Open the passageway."
The shape, Draco, obeyed and one of the many secret shortcuts of the castle opened. Harry, eyes roaming around desperately, felt his two aggressors pulling him up and dragging him through the opening. As the secret door closed behind them, Sally grumbled.
"This was a good start" she said "but only a start. If there are guards watching over him, they will chase us soon. Start dragging."
"We should stun him" suggested Draco, only for Sally – 'Polyjuice!' realized Harry, desperately. If she wasn't under Imperio, as it looked, it must have been that – to shake her head. "His open eyes are what could save us if we meet a professor before we leave the wards. Now, for the final time, shut up and work."
"Why would anyone chase us, anyway" complained Malfoy in a low voice, but obviously not low enough as he drew a growl from Sally who was otherwise busy casting Lumos with her wand.
"Have you forgotten everything from our meeting? They have that damn map of his" she all but snarled. "We might be untraceable, but he is not. They might get alarmed once we take him out of the castle."
"Did you really have to kiss him, anyway?" asked Malfoy, in a semi disgusted tone, as they moved. Sally froze and then turned with a face full of cold fury.
"I did it because it was safer. And not even your father will save you from my wand if I hear anyone else mention that detail, brat" answered Sally with a glare. "We all must do what we have been ordered to. And, by the way" she continued, moving her malevolent stare to Harry, who stopped his desperate attempts to get a silent Finite to counter the effect of whatever he had been poisoned with.
"You should have really took your chances with that Greengrass doll, Potter" continued Sally, tauntingly. "She had been ordered to let you have all the fun you wanted, so long as you remained dumbly unaware. No one would have disturbed you two."
"Gross" added Malfoy, with a grunt of effort as he kept dragged Harry. "And she is not some tool to be used like that."
"You are way too soft if you think that" continued Sally, wand kept high and moving once again. "We are all tools in our lord's plans. You, me, her. Besides, once Potter is dead and our lord back to power no one will dare raise the topic. It would be like criticizing him."
From then on they moved in silence and, not long after, the tunnel was over and they were in one corner of the gardens. Carefully, Sally placed one of Harry's arm on her shoulder and started walking outside. "Be on guard for anyone approaching" she whispered to the ever following shape of Malfoy. "Your friends should be around to distract the faculty, but we can't count too much on them."
Slowly, as Harry was bigger and heavier than her lithe frame, Sally walked him farther and farther away from the castle. Desperately Harry tried to cast something, anything, that would help. He was getting dizzy, and the pale Lumos he managed to cast at one point disappeared after a solid punch in the stomach from Sally. An Accio aimed at some bushes covering a kissing couple hidden nearby drew the same, together with some useless yelps from the two lovebirds.
"Almost there" whispered Sally, only for Malfoy to speak again. "Someone is approaching, fast. A man."
Sally immediately sat on the ground, hugging Harry. "Get ready to stun him, if needed." As the stranger approached, she placed his lips on Harry's once again.
"Harry, what do you think you are doing?" boomed a voice. 'Lupin' thought Harry, frantically.
"Can't you guess it yourself?" complained Sally in a girlish, indignant voice. "Leave us alone."
"Oh. I see. But even then, Harry…" started Lupin, clearly embarrassed. "You and your friend must stay inside the castle, you know that. Maybe" he continued with a chuckle "maybe I can share with you two a list of some nice broom closets, but…"
Harry, meanwhile, was getting more and more desperate. 'That idiot thinks this is a joke!' he thought, furiously, before realizing Malfoy could stun Lupin any second. 'All or nothing. Accio Mantle!' he thought, trying to focus beyond the mist now deeply covering his mind.
And a mantle, indeed, must have flew towards them stroking a surprised Lupin on the way. As the man turned, Harry – whose sight was not completely in his directions – could hear an exclamation of surprise, before various lights and spellcast started to fill the dark night.
"Bloody hell" cursed Sally, abandoning all pretenses, as Lupin and what must have been Draco were dueling. "Come, you filthy brat" she continued, roughly dragging Harry away.
"Stay where you… damn!" shouted Lupin, with a voice that got more and more distant with each second. Less than two minutes later, with lights and sounds still in the close distance, Sally stopped. "Done. I have been told to make sure you heard this" she said, taking a simple pebble and keeping Harry's gaze straight by pulling his hair. "Bastard trash."
As she spoke Harry felt the usual pop and squeezing feeling of a portkey. Seconds afterward, they appeared in a room with bare stone walls. Wasting no time with more remarks Sally, wand in hand, cast Stupefy right between Harry's eyes.