[a/n]An opportunity to get acquainted with Eleanor and her Dad.
Harry Does Different DXXIXa
Ambassador Columbus
"Open it! Open it! Open it! Open it! Open it!" the assembled Gryffindors, including their American guest were cheering the defeater of the horntail.
*SCREECH* When Harry complied the noise was sufficient.
Seamus Finnegan protested "Me bloody ears'er bleeden!" as he fled the Common Room.
"No great loss." Said Harry, loud enough for others to hear. Everyone knew how the Great Chess War, and its preceding events, divided the Fourth-Year-Boys' dorm. The several burly older boys who were bouncing the young hero on their shoulders eased him down.
Ron demanded "Tha bloody 'ell wazzat bou?"
"Want something?" asked Harry as he broke a 2-minute long kiss. He might have used the distant form-of-address, but he was conscious of the other Weasleys in the room so "Got something to say, Ronald?"
Looking from side to side nervously, the British redhead offered gruffly "Hafta be a ruddy nutter to want to go toe-to-toe with a dragon, I guess."
"Or to stab a friend in the back over it." Harry shot back. A most visible sign of his views was the joined hands with his particular American redhead. And patience quickly evaporating, he shrugged "Ready for the party, E? And come on Hermione, love to have you."
Offended, the wizard snapped "Yo! She's the foreigner here! I got more rights."
"You got the right to apologize to your friend, Weasley." Eleanor shot back. Though not a shy sort, this was the first time the American girl interjected herself in the dispute. "Seriously, be a man. Don't - - -!" her remark cut off by a sharp shove. A brief shriek, stumbled over an end table, but caught by a just appeared Professor McGonagall.
Other than seeing the save, nothing else registered. He saw red, as in blood "Now I've had it! You knocked her down, why don't you try knocking me down?"
"Potter! Stand down!" the stentorian voice commanded harshly "Ronald Weasley, that was a disgraceful display! 50 points from Gryffindor and a month's detention. Your parents will be informed of what I saw by owl. Tonight you will be confined to the Sixth-Year dorm with your brothers. Mr. Levi, as Prefect, I assume you can setup a ward to prevent his leaving for the night? Mr. Potter, Miss Columbus, my office now."
Abcij
Part penalty, part precaution, another consequence of Ron's behavior came to pass on Christmas Eve. The redhead boy was absent from the Yule Ball. The large Head Table was filled with dignitaries, and eight empty seats. There were some minutes before the opening dance, so plenty of time to chat. Wards existed to allow even the most distant witch or wizard to be heard by all.
"I did some research to your family, Mr. Ambassador." Karkaroff's thick Eastern European English crossed the table "I wonder if perhaps you might be related to the famous Spaniard?"
The dark-haired man with glasses answered lightly "Fact is, the explorer was Italian, Headmaster. Just thought I would mention it. As may be, despite naming my production company 1492, I am not able to make such a claim."
"It does not surprise me." Karkaroff continued, coldly "Nothing but rustics and provincials in that land of nobodies."
The red-haired woman smiled thinly "Moments such as these are why ambassadors have wives. We get to say what might be impolitic. My husband is a self-made multi-millionaire. Even in terms of your Galleons. His last five movies have made well over a billion Dollars."
"A veneer of money does nothing to allay the stench of Mudbloods." Sneered a Cornish accent.
The Ambassador smiled "And yet, I imagine, Mr. Parkinson, my considerable new blood and new wealth has enormous power to forgive any number of sins. That is if the several rather archaic inquiries into Eleanor's marriageability is any indication."
"Ambassador Columbus, I am sure Earl Parkinson meant no insult." The host interjected "Is that not so, Ian?"
Karkaroff was back in the conversation "I see no reason for your presence, or benefit to this affair."
"MACUSA is seeking to follow the example of our nomag fellow countrymen." Came ready answer "We should foster friendly relations with our English cousins. On a more personal level, my lovely Monica wanted to see the castle our daughter has described. And I, as a father, naturally needed to meet the boy sniffing around my oldest."
Too young for Hogwarts, the smallest redhead exclaimed "Ellie says Harry's a fox!"
"Zee boy iz animagus!" the giantess Headmistress protested "Eggsplane Dumblydoor why ve vere not informed!"
Unaffectedly, Mrs. Columbus chastised her "Isabella! You are much too young to be speaking like that."
"I'm seven and three-quarters!" the offended child proclaimed.
The host stood, without any indication how he knew, and clapped his hands "Ladies and gentlemen, guests, friends! Please welcome our TriWizard champions
Abcij
The Beauxbatons' champion was just barely able to keep her date from drooling. While at the moment, Hermione was a bit distracted from her date by pitying her friend getting crucified by Mr. Columbus. "Quite the dance all of you put on. Particularly you, Eleanor and Harry, such ease must have come from long hours of practice. Private lessons instead of class?"
"I noticed, sir" the brunette witch offered "that the athleticism of Quidditch does translate well to the dance floor. Viktor and I did spend some time practicing, not by an inordinate amount."
Eleanor eyed her father with disfavor and acted on it "Well, Harry, I think your performance was excellent. My personal preference is the slow dancing. Don't you think? Cheek to cheek and all. They call it snogging here, Daddy."
"Sir, ma'am. Nice to meet you." Harry offered to his girlfriend's parents, politely. Without any indication he was bothered by any part of the dinner conversation, which did target him.
To deflect her husband, Monica spoke up "Another sight worth seeing; Madam Bones? I believe your niece, Susan, has been remarked as a near twin of our Eleanor. Brendan rooms with the First-Year Hufflepuffs and even he thought so."
"I see a similarity, Mrs. Columbus." The Head of Britain's DMLE was noncommittal "I can imagine the children amusing themselves with the coincidence, but that's about all."
The Lady Parkinson snorted delicately "Do be careful, Amelia. The peasants might be coming for your House."
"Really Scarlett, show some tact." Madam Bones retorted "These events are meant to foster international friendships. And despite being younger than some of our citizens, MACUSA is an important player on that stage."
The Earl apologized smoothly "My wife, of course meant no offense to you, Ambassador."
"If none was intended, then none is to be taken, Ian." Chris' courteous fractional bow showed no sign of irony.
Abcij
With the official functions of the evening concluded, everyone came and went at the Head Table. The Ambassador was dancing with his daughter, no doubt grilling her. Harry had just finished a dance with Ginny Weasley and was now dancing with someone who quite closely resembled her.
The Ambassador's wife was away fulfilling a duty dance with Viktor Krum when Susan Bones stopped by "Auntie? Can I present my escort? Katsuji Yamazaki. Fifth-Year-Hufflepuff." And while Amelia had an iron-lady reputation in government, her parenting was of a softer touch. The three talked amiably for a while.
"Well this should be fun." Commented Harry, scowl becoming a grin. This duty dance with the French champion had been more onerous so he was not speaking to Fleur. The very instant it was polite, he circled the table and smirked down to the redhead in Hufflepuff robes, saying "You're in my seat."
She looked up at him …askance… All those present looked shocked. Susan did get up, waved him into the seat. Then sat in his lap. Total silence fell when the pair kissed. Amelia managed to analyze the situation in the second before her restraint snapped. Susan's Hufflepuff escort had a slightly bemused expression that no teenage boy would display if the surface events were accurate. Sometime in the last hour the kids had pulled a twin-switch. She'd never admit to anyone just how long the number one Law Enforcement officer of Britain had been fooled. But given the nature of the prank, and the surroundings, with obviously firewhiskey spiked butterbeer, she surreptitiously set her wand on her thigh.
Chris was less than happy with his duty dance with the French giantess. Defending the kid he'd seen groping his daughter, among other things, were an accumulation of irritants for the MACUSA Ambassador. And more of the same presented itself at the table. If it wasn't bad enough! This time it wasn't even Eleanor! The brat was cheating on HIS DAUGHTER out in public! "How dare - -"
"Hey Susan? How do they manage to breathe while stuck like that?" Isabella Columbus was part of a near-Quidditch-team group of redheads approaching the Head Table. Amelia's eyebrow quirked at the convenience of the timing. There were indeed, though, subtle markers identifying her niece.
The girl she was speaking to had Gryffindor dress robes on, answered, arm over the smaller redhead's shoulder "Well, luckily we mostly breathe through our noses."
"Somebody better explain what is going on!" the loud music did nothing drown out the hostility in the Ambassador's tone.
Harry looked up innocently, hand on his kissing-partner's knee "Nothing sir. Not like Me and E are the only ones …ahh… well - -"
"It's called snogging here, Daddy." She was idly twirling her fingers through Harry's hair.
Chris was still highly agitated, but less heated. He gestured at the two lookalikes "But you're wearing …and you… that dorm logo Eleanor wears." He did not know which girl to look at.
"Mr. Ambassador, I myself did not notice at first." Amelia thought the man needed an out "But our children, though not related, engaged in what I well imagine these Weasley boys indulge in. Called a twin-switch."
Fred and George gave disarming grins, bowed and offered "At your service Madam."
"And you have no difficulty telling them apart?" Chris' towering rage was becoming embarrassment.
Harry shrugged "Nah. But then, I can tell those twin terrors apart. And I don't know if you saw the Patil twins. One's in Gryffindor, the other's a Ravenclaw."
"How do you tell them apart?" the pranked father was now merely curious.
Winking at the Weasleys Harry answered "THAT I promised never to answer. Sorry. Eleanor and Susan? Well … I know how everyone says they look even more than twins, like the same person even. I just don't see it." He added quickly to the Hufflepuff "Not that you're not pretty." Before concluding "Dunno, maybe it's magic."
"Flatterer." Susan patted his shoulder as she asked her escort to dance.
Meanwhile, the three school Heads were sitting in council, finalizing the details of how the next challenge would best play out. And just who would be participating.