Part 15

A/N

- A bunch of new "characters" put in. Almost none of them actually will be seen going forward, except as a concept. (Kind of like Sally Anne Perks for JKR, who makes an appearance here.) It's more a statement of a certain character's loss of control of a certain institution.

- One of the "new characters" is actually from a scene I once wrote that went nowhere. The outcome of that scene is in this story. The rest are just random name generators.

- P.S. I hate making up character names. In one story, I needed a Chinese bad wizard, so I used google translate for Chinese "bad wizard" and a commenter actually called me on it. Like did I know that I named a guy Bad Wizard? *snicker*

- Thank you all for reading along. School is back and it's mad. Posts will be less frequent, but I will finish this someday. I solemnly swear. Thank you also, those of you who comment, for doing so. I read them all, I promise. I sometimes respond here, sometimes in direct messages. But I'm lazy, so I don't always respond. Bad birdwoman.

~~ and back to school ~~

"Yes, yes, and thank you to the marvelous house elf staff for such a wonderful repast. And now that we have been fed and watered, I would beg your indulgence, as I have a number of very important announcements. It would behoove you all to listen until the end."

Leave it to Dumbledore to make the announcement that he was making announcements so long-winded. Neville thought, ungenerously.

Albus Dumbledore was standing at the front of Hogwarts' Great Hall, presiding over the opening feast for the 1994-95 school year. It was the start of a pivotal year; he could feel it in his bones. The changes wrought over the last year had been hard for the headmaster to reconcile, however he had no choice but to move forward. Then, the ministry had stepped in and introduced new policies… He knew, on paper the policies made sense, but Dumbledore couldn't help but feel Hogwarts slip even more from his grasp with all of this change.

The students looked up toward the head table – and a new, secondary staff table – noting the many different faces. The care teacher hadn't shown up yet – some sort of problem with some animal – but would be in to be introduced with all of the other new teachers. Hagrid was missing, too, but the students knew that man couldn't teach Care.

"We have several changes to our staff this year. With the departure of Potions Master Snape (there was some clapping and whistling that even Dumbledore's glare couldn't quelch), Professor Aurora Sinistra will now be Slytherin head. Senior Professors Sinistra, Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall have all brought in apprentices or journeymen. Please welcome Fortney Webb, journeyman in astronomy from the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardy; Rachel Bones, a Hogwarts graduate from 1990 and Professor Flitwick's newest apprentice; Elijah Swiftwater, also an Ilvermorny graduate and a journeyman studying under Professor McGonagall, and finally Hellbore Beck, a graduate of Durmstrang and new apprentice to Professor Sprout."

There was polite applause as each of the new or returning faces stood to be introduced. Students wondered why they were being formally introduced to the professors' aides. Usually, those folks did their research and graded the professors' papers. They didn't, as a rule, interact with the students. Of course, there usually weren't so many of them in one year. Flitwick and Sprout had waiting lists; the others hadn't taken on any trainees since Harry had started at Hogwarts.

"As a new policy going forward," Dumbledore continued as the new hires sat and the applause died, "journeymen and apprentices to our masters will take a more active role in Hogwarts day to day operations. All of our new staff will be teaching the one of the lower years classes and aiding in the NEWTS classes in these professors' respective areas. Additionally, they will be the house monitors for Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor dorms. No year will have more than one non-master teaching a major subject, and all OWL and NEWT subjects will be taught by a full professor."

There was a great deal of murmuring at this announcement. It was obvious someone had decided that the heads of house were not doing their jobs properly. Harry knew that the pranks Fred and George sometimes wanted to do could certainly be thought of as bullying (though Harry had been shutting them down the last year) and wouldn't be tolerated if an actual adult had any sway in the common room. Other tables were chatting amongst themselves, wondering how this would impact house politics.

Only Slytherin remained mostly silent. The snakes almost always took a "wait and see" approach.

"Our new potions professor, Master Sanjay Patil, is a graduate of the Mauryan Magical Institute. Master Patil… yes, he is related to our own Padma and Parvati… also has a journeyman, Miss Anu Rojur, who will be co-teaching all sections of potions."

Harry looked over at Parvati who was smiling in a teasing manner at Lavender, who was aghast. Apparently, Parvati hadn't shared the prime gossip with her best friend before it was announced.

"Our new defense professor is Master Ismael Juma. Master Juma is a graduate of the Uagadou School of Magic, and one of his mastery specialties was curse breaking. He has already broken the curse on the defense position, so we expect that Master Juma will be here for many years and is currently taking applications for an apprentice, so will teach all forms this term."

The man stood and smiled, and his smile was infectious. Harry had a good feeling about most of these changes in faculty. A part of him couldn't help but conclude that Dumbledore's obvious discomfort in loss of control was at the root of Harry's own happiness.

It was petty, but there you have it.

"Mr. Hagrid has returned to his role of Keeper of the Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts," there was a smattering of applause there, as most were fond of Hagrid but a bit afraid of his class. Harry had heard nightmare stories of what he'd introduced the NEWTS students to. "Our new care teacher, ahh, here he is, fresh from helping a thestral finish foaling, is Charlie Weasley, beast master and Hogwarts graduate, class of 1988."

"NO WAY!" The twins were flabbergasted, and their older brother winked at them from his new position at the head table. They had gotten wind of some international tournament coming – they had thought that was why Charlie was in Britain.

"Yes, yes, welcome back, Professor Weasley. Welcome to all our staff and faculty, new and returning. And with that, I move to the evening's announcements. Healer Panakos reminds all students that a yearly physical must be on file. If your parents have taken you to a healer, the records must be forwarded or you will have to have a physical here. Madame Pince reminds you all that the silence of the library is to be respected at all times, and that the restricted section is exactly that. Mr. Filch reminds us all of the proscribed items list. The forbidden forest remains forbidden. Madame Hooch…"

The students were getting antsy, thinking the headmaster was done speaking. They wanted to gossip about the new faculty. In fact, many were already talking, despite the fact that Dumbledore had not dismissed them or sat down.

"New teachers," Ron murmured, looking at the full head table and side table. They'd not had a side staff table in the four years his friends had attended.

"Lots of them," Hermione agreed. "I wonder where they got the budget to get journeymen?"

"It's part of a government initiative," Harry said. "Something about not enough masteries in the country. The best way to boost the numbers is train more."

"Well perhaps they should stop quashing opportunities." Hermione snarked.

"I think you'll find that the laws are going to become more open in the coming years." Neville said. He'd been doing an in-depth study of how his Grandmother had voted since she'd re-taken the seat. It looked very much like the Longbottom vote had been up for sale.

Water under the bridge, but it still grated his cheese.

"Really?" Hermione asked, interested.

"Percy said that he overheard…" Ron started whispering as Dumbledore tried to get the room's attention again. "A bunch of the people who voted against inclusion and awarding based on merit have either passed from the Burning or don't have the funds to bribe anymore."

Hermione's eyes went wide at that. The Wizengamot sessions were going to be very interesting in the near future. She wondered if Sirius would give her a run down.

Harry listened to what Ron said with a warm spot in his heart. He planned to toast the changes with Fezziwig, as it was the balm that was bankrupting the bastards.

"And with all these reminders of things that are the same, I have one more change," Dumbledore began again, with a freshly applied volume charm, "Yes, yet another surprise. The quidditch season this year has been cancelled." The catcalls began immediately only to fall at the open glares from the head table. "Hogwarts will instead host the Tri Wizard Tournament!"

The whispers began. Triwizard tournament? What was that?

"The TriWizard Tournament is a grand historical tradition in which one student is chosen to represent each of the three main European schools: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, the Durmstrang Institute and our very own Hogwarts School. The three chosen students will compete in tasks that will challenge their wit, their courage, and their very magic. They will compete for international fame, prestige, and a monetary prize of one thousand galleons. Hogwarts will be hosting this tournament, and the other two schools will be sending great entourages to participate in the events. The entire spectacle will begin in October with the arrival of our guests, whom I hope you will all welcome openly and enthusiastically.

"With this, I end this feast. Please remember that tomorrow is our first day of classes; your heads or monitors will hand out the schedules tomorrow as you break your fast."

~~scene~~

The fallout in the great hall had been almost cataclysmically loud. The students all made their way to their common rooms; the Gryffindors were no different.

"I can't believe they're canceling quidditch." Andrew Cleveley groused. Andrew was a seventh year who had played on club teams and as a reserve at school, but had never had a chance to start as he was a keeper one year behind Oliver Wood.

"For a tournament only one person can participate in, no less!" Faye Dunbar didn't play, but she loved watching the matches.

"Tough luck, Cleveley," Angelina shook her head.

"You could win the tournament," Kenneth Towler offered.

Andrew shook his head in disgust. "If I get the Hogwarts slot, If I beat the other competitors. Considering that I've been reserve keeper for six years, I doubt my luck will change."

"Well, yeah, but say you enter and win? Then you'll be famous," Towler continued.

"Yeah?" Andrew sneered. "Name me another winner."

Silence. There was nothing but silence in the room.

"Well, the thousand galleons would be nice," Angelina consoled.

"Wait, I can see Harrikins thinking devious thoughts," Fred Weasley said with a grin. He hoped Harry had some sort of way around this "no quidditch" thing. Quidditch was one of the things that made the school year tolerable.

"I can practically smell Potter thinking devious thoughts," George corrected.

"Oi, I shower," Harry defended, getting a few laughs. "Anyway. We can use this. The official season is canned, but we could ask the other schools to participate in a bracket or round robin."

"But they won't have their whole schools, which would put them at a disadvantage," Katie said.

"You know the staff won't let anything happen if it gives one school an unfair advantage," Alicia sighed.

"Well, we could have rules," Harry said slowly as he thought it out. "Every team would have to have one player from each school… More, at least one player on each team that's female, at least one player that's male. At least one pure blood and at least one mixed blood… you get what I mean?"

Neville shook his head with his eyes narrowed. "Hang on, that's like 7 players right there."

"No, I see where he's going with this," Ron said. "Say one team has a bloke from Durmstrung…"

"Durmstrang," Hermione corrected.

"Yeah, that place," Ron agreed as a few in the common room laughed. "Then you get one bird from the French school."

"Beauxbatons," Hermione said in a flawless accent.

"Oooh, Hermione, when you talk French it's so sexy," Ron teased

"Eww. Ronald. Do not say the word sexy to me. Disgusting." Hermione's expression captured the word: 'revulsion.'

They all laughed at that.

"So, from that Beauxbatons," Ron exaggerated the accent and hu-hu-huhhed at the end, causing Hermione to roll her eyes, "you get a bird that's a half blood. The gent from the north is a pureblood: it's a requirement for that school." The outrage from the half and new bloods in the room was palpable. "You only need a Hogwarts student at that point to fill Harry's requirements. Then you could add anyone you wanted. If we get eight teams rostered, we can do a championship over the time they're here. It's brilliant, mate." Ron looked to Harry with approval. If Harry proposed it, the staff might allow it. If they allowed it, a lot more students than just the house teams would get to play.

It was a win-win.

"That actually sounds like a lot of fun, and it would give a lot more students the opportunity to play!" Hermione was pleased at the idea; Ron was pleased that his logic was in line with Hermione's. Everyone knew Hermione had superior logic.

"We should ask Madame Hooch to put it to the headmaster," Angelina offered.

Fred shook his head. "Harry should ask Madame Hooch. It's more likely to float if it has the Boy Who Crapped His Nappies attached to it."

Some in the room froze at the cut, but Harry grinned. "Will do!"

The very next morning, before classes, Harry and Hermione approached Madame Hooch as she left the Great Hall after breaking her fast. In an empty classroom, Harry outlined the proposal to the flying instructor who listened with narrowed eyes and a thoughtful expression.

"What about younger students? It would be a good way to get them playing so next year's teams would know the lower years talents"

"OK…" Harry thought about it. "What if we have no more than 5 of the students on a team can be from 5th, 6th or 7th years?"

"That would do it," Rolanda confirmed with a short nod. She liked the idea of an intermural league; it would certainly bolster relations between the schools. That, alone, would sell it to the old man and his henchwoman. Of course, if it had quidditch involved, Minerva would buy it, hook, line, and sinker. "Write it up. I'll propose it to Dumbledore and McGonagall."

"It's already written," Hermione muttered as she added the clauses about ages.

Harry grinned. Hermione was absolutely the best.

"Madame Hooch, do you remember Hermione Granger? She's my best friend."

"I remember you, Granger. Afraid of brooms." One eyebrow raised, the flying coach looked at what she considered an anomaly of a witch.

"If you had better brooms," Hermione defended, "perhaps I wouldn't have been."

"Come on, Hermione, you're practically perfect in every way. It's okay that you're scared of brooms," Harry cajoled.

"I am not Marry Poppins, and I am not scared of brooms, Harry Potter. You take that back." Hermione kept her expression serious, somehow, as she handed the parchment to Madame Hooch.

"Well," Madame Hooch cut in as the two kids began to bicker, "I'll take this proposal to the headmaster. I can't see why he'd block it since it pushes inter-school cooperation. Good job. Ten points to Gryffindor."

"Hey! Cool! Thanks!" Harry'd never gotten points before classes before. And for something he was actually kind of chuffed about.

Maybe this would be a good year.

~~scene~~

In an office in London, there were two who were not having such a good year.

"Cornelius, something must be done. I had to give up my villa in Spain," Delores Umbridge groused at her boss.

Fudge commiserated. Since they had lost the BWL income stream, they'd both had to give up luxuries. But he shook his head at his sometime advisor cum enforcer. "I agree that the cuts we've had to make are painful, but I am uncertain what you would have me do."

"Are none of the Lords giving you due this session?"

Cornelius sighed. "Many of our generous friends are among the imperiused. They are using what free galleons they have to purchase the balm, and have stepped back from the Wizengamot, not needing my sway for any particular legislative push."

"The balm," Delores spit out, but schooled her expression. "Though I am glad that our associates have treatment options, I cannot believe that this miracle balm is nothing but a manner in which to hamstring the elite of our society. Have the unspeakables studied it? Can we get our potions masters to replicate it?"

Fudge sighed as he sat back. "Croaker said the potions masters on his team have studied it. It uses ingredients they do not have access to. There is also foreign magics on it they cannot replicate."

"Foreign magics?" It was preposterous, and dangerous. Umbridge railed at the idea that foreign magics were infiltrating British society. "It must be poisoning our friends!"

Shaking his head, Cornelius sighed. "Lucius swears that he cannot be without it. Look what happened to Junius when he stopped getting it?"

"Those wretched creatures should never have been able to deny him what he needed," Delores heard that the sales associates for the balm were werewolves, for Circe's sake. That, alone, made the treatment suspect. "We should pass a law, banning those mongrels from interacting with normal magicals."

"You will have no support in the Wizengamot," Cornelius warned. "Lucius has emphasized to me that if we do anything to endanger the production of this balm, we will be out."

Delores's brow furrowed as she tried to think of another way around the puppy-snatch. "Where did the burning come from? Do the unspeakables know?"

"Croaker says it was a curse on You-Know-Who," Fudge confided. "No one knows who accomplished it, though."

After a few moments of silent contemplation, Delores rendered judgment. "I personally believe it must have been Black." Although Delores currently blamed all her woes on Sirius Black, in this case she was actually correct. "The timing is too coincidental. He's the impetuous sort: though none of us particularly liked the Dark Lord, punishing anyone who just happened to somewhat agree with the wizard seems like it's just the thing that reprobate would do."

"The salient point," Cornelius put in, "is that Lucius and the others can no longer support us. It would not be so bad if we still had our other revenue stream," Fudge lamented. They'd made such a pretty penny off the Boy Who Lived books and paraphernalia. "I do have information on why production was halted and all products recalled. It seems that Black's lawyer – the friend of the cousin who married the muddy wizard?" Umbridge nodded, knowing who all the major and minor players in the Ministry were. "He's sued the publishers. They never got permission to use Potter's face or name."

"We're the ministry," Delores pooh-poohed. "We don't need permission."

"Unfortunately, we do," the minister contradicted his undersecretary. "Potter is one of the old families. If we'd gone with the muddy mother, well, it mightn't have sold as well, but we could still make money from it."

The two lamented silently before Delores spoke again.

"Black." The name was an epithet from her mouth. "Are we sure he's stable? He was in Azkaban, with the dementors and the warding. If he's not stable, perhaps the ministry could handle his fiscal concerns."

Fudge saw right through her. And if he saw, others would see faster. "If you tried to control the vaults of the Black family, it would set a precedent that would make the other families… quite wroth with you," Fudge warned.

Umbridge harrumphed, conceding the point. "Black has been nothing but trouble. First, his little problems have caused the ICW to question our ministry. As though the ICW has a right to do so. Then Black sued your personal estates. Now, he blocks our revenue from the Boy Who Lived books? Where is his loyalty and respect for his betters?"

The fact that he was head of one of the oldest families in British magical society certainly made Sirius Black much higher on the 'social betters' scale in Britain, but Fudge knew he'd not win anything pointing that fact out. "The tribunal did take a dozen of the best years of his life." Fudge referred to the tribunal as though it was something removed from him, as though it hadn't been made up of none other than himself, Bagnold, and Crouch.

"It is his duty to do what the ministry wishes," Umbridge stated authoritatively.

"Would you?" Fudge questioned. "Truly? Without complaint?"

"I do whatever is necessary." The woman's cold voice was a harbinger of no good. But so long as she was on his side, Fudge didn't worry needlessly.

Their eyes met in understanding.

~~scene~~

School had been going well until Friday afternoon when Harry had his first run in with a professor.

Of course, it had to be the new Potions professor.

"Mr. Potter, please stay after class." The professor's voice was musical in its brogue, but Harry heard nerves, reprimand… something. It made him uncomfortable.

Hermione, Neville, and Ron stood at the door, waiting for Harry. He'd done nothing wrong in class, and they'd seen enough bias against their friend in the past to worry. "If you three would wait out in the hall?" Professor Patil ordered, and they had no choice but to leave.

Hermione's eyes caught Harry's, asking if he was okay with her leaving. Harry shrugged and nodded shortly. He'd tell her what happened when he left.

"Mr. Potter, I would start by saying you're not in any sort of trouble," the teacher reassured as he directed a charm to clear the board and another to close up the sample container from Harry's class.

Harry relaxed a bit at that and smiled. "What can I do for you, Professor Patil?"

"Actually, it's what I can do for you. I'm offering you extra tuition."

Harry furrowed his brow. He and Hermione were the best brewers in Gryffindor at that point. But maybe the man was trying to make amends for Snape's… Snape-i-ness. "Sir, I already have a potions tutor."

"Not in potions, child," Patil turned around for the first time and faced Harry, a calm expression on his face.

"Sir?" Harry was confused.

"We haven't spoken English since the students left," Sanjay Patil hissed at the Boy Who Lived, then smiled again.

"Parsel then," Harry concluded with a grin. He'd figured out a lot by experimentation, but to have someone else who could practice?

"Yes, I'm a parselmouth and I practice parsel magic. Not all speakers do, you know," Patil said as he sat on the edge of a freshly-cleaned lab table.

No longer one to accept that anyone would do something for him without recompense of some sort, Harry narrowed his gaze at the Indian man. "Why are you offering me this?"

Patil sighed heavily. "My cousin – your housemate's father – was quite ashamed of how his daughters treated you when you were revealed as a speaker."

Harry remembered Parvati calling him "snake boy" and Padma watching, blank stared, as some of her fellow Claws hexed Harry in the halls. The whole time, they had a speaker in their own family?

Yeah, if Harry's kid acted like that to another speaker, Harry'd be ashamed, too.

"You see," the professor continued, "the gift runs deep in our family. Where we are from, there is no shame in it. In fact, it's considered quite a boon to be able to speak the tongue of the serpent. Australia, Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Africa are awash in those beasties. What many here don't know is that snakes have enhanced magic. You can tell from the various venoms how powerful of creatures they are. It makes them dangerous… and useful." Harry nodded, thinking about how the basilisk venom worked in healing potions. "Speaking the tongue is a guarantee job a family, and a good life where I'm from."

"So why have you come here?" Harry asked. "When it gets out you're a parselmouth, you might even lose this job."

Patil nodded. "As I said, my cousin was deeply ashamed of how his daughters treated you. His honor was impugned. He asked me to come to help you as a way of balancing the scales. I spent the last year, finishing off my contract and came this year to approach you and offer tutelage. It just so happened that the faculty position was open; almost like fate, which I do not believe in." The man smiled, and Harry found it warm and genuine. Harry smiled back as the professor continued. "I am, however, surprised that you are caught flat-footed by this. Surely one of my cousins would have told you about me, when they tendered their apologies?"

Harry rubbed his neck, uncomfortable. "Yeah, well, I know Parvati tried to talk to me last year. But I was kind of a major git. All year." Looking back, Harry could acknowledge just how angry he'd been the majority of term his third year. He'd gotten better by June, but also by then, most students (and even some teachers) were giving him a wide berth.

"From what I understand," Sanjay said slowly, equitably, "you had reason."

"Not reasons; excuses," Harry didn't let himself off the hook, and then he sighed. "Yet another thing to talk to my mind healer about, I suppose," he muttered.

"Well, the offer stands," Professor Patil stood, moving to the door.

Harry followed. When the teacher stopped and turned to survey his student, Harry nodded. "I think I'd like that."

~~scene~~

Several students were gathered in the great hall Sunday afternoon, as a gale had blown in and there were few more comforting things in a Scottish gale than elf-served tea.

"Master Juma is very knowledgeable about creatures," Luna explained as Hermione fixed them each a mug, adding extra honey to Luna's. "You know that third year curriculum is about defense against creatures, primarily? Well, he used the boggart lesson from last year, and he had some doxies, then he showed memories through a projection pensieve of a ghoul and a Uovo Pepo. It was quite exhilarating."

"What Luna means is that it was horrifying," Ginny added as she sat down next to Hermione. She'd kept up the offensive – trying to make herself Hermione's friend. Hermione hadn't the ability – or general meanness – to tell the ginger to push off. Hermione did, however, remain remote.

"I like the artwork in his room," Susan Bones added from her seat across from Hermione. The group of girls were from different houses and all had the same idea to make the dreary afternoon a little warmer. "I think they're mostly pictures from the pensieve, so they're extra realistic. He seems like a good teacher. I'm glad we have him, though having Mister Webb for astronomy hasn't been too bad."

"Who are you kidding, Sue? We're all barely awake for astronomy; it wouldn't matter if Phil Greenwood were teaching it," Hannah Abbott snarked, referring to the lead singer of the Weird Sisters.

"Mister Swiftwater is absolutely fantastic at transfiguration. I didn't think anyone could be as good as Professor McGonagall," Sandy Greenip, a third year Hufflepuff, added.

"How is your sister handling being a teacher instead of a student?" Hermione asked Susan.

"Well, she has firsties, so they're still a little scared of being away from home. Hopefully, since there aren't any Potters or Weasleys in the form, it should be a calm term for her."

"Oi," Ginny said with slight offense, then she laughed, shrugging. "Nah, you're right. Potters and Weasleys are trouble."

"I do wish there were more to do around here than study. I heard Potter pitched an intermural quidditch season, once the other schools get here," Tracey Davis looked to Hermione who nodded. "That's excellent. We have a couple of seventh years who wanted to go pro. They have a chance now."

It was as close as a Slytherin would ever come to openly thanking Harry for anything.

"I can't wait to see the other schools, what they're like," Sally Anne Perks added. "They're going to find Hogwarts to be dead boring," the bubbly fourth year lamented.

"We should ask professors and house monitors to start clubs," Hermione posited. "There are enough adults here this year that they should have time to sponsor them, even if the students head them up."

"That's a thought," Daphne Greengrass chewed on her lip. Clubs would be a great way to observe other students, maybe get information. How was a Slytherin supposed to get intel if they never really mixed with the other houses?

"I would love to have a dance class," Sally Anne added. "I take dance at home. A lot of us do."

"Any of the arts, really, since they were all gutted from the curriculum over fifty years ago," Sandy added. "My gran said that when the muggle world started changing so much, the differences were too great for even instruction. Some on the board didn't want to teach muggle arts, but others said it was necessary to understand the muggle world to remain hidden. They couldn't agree, so just…"

"Threw out the baby with the bathwater," Tracey finished. "Typical."

Hermione got out a piece of parchment.

"Okay, dancing. Flitwick still has the choir, yes?"

"Yes," Hannah confirmed.

"Visual arts, both magical and muggle. Anything else?" Hermione polled the group.

"Lockhart's duelling club was a good idea, if that ponce should never have taken it on," Ginny added.

"Other sports, perhaps broom racing?" "Fencing?" "Gymnastics?" The ideas for sport kept rolling, since not many Hogwarts students generally had an outlet for physical exertion, beyond the endless staircases in the school.

"What about a games club?" Hannah asked. "We have gobstones and chess, but there are several card and board games we could play together. Perhaps a student a week could bring a game to introduce to the club?" she added.

Hermione continued to jot down notes. "It might be a good time to ask around if there are other pastimes that could be brought to Hogwarts, especially things at other schools."

Greengrass raised an eyebrow. That kind of politicking was usually beyond a Gryffindor to think of. "Excellent idea. The new professors and assistants should have better ideas there. And we can approach them to see if they'd sponsor a club at the same time."

"Maybe we could see if we can learn some French? What's the language for that Durmstrang place?" Sandy asked.

"They actually speak English," Susan answered. "Their students come from all over the continent, so that's the common language. French lessons would be a good idea, across the board, though."

The girls' discussion petered out as the rest of the students started to wander in for the evening meal. "I'll make copies of this and give to all of you. Maybe we can meet – say, Tuesday after classes? Here? And divvy up next steps?" Hermione closed up her writing instruments and looked at the other girls, who nodded their heads.

Harry came and stood next to Hermione, saying hi to the other students she had been sitting with. Most of them greeted him in a semi-friendly manner – except Susan and Hannah. Those two were still cool, and Harry wasn't quite sure what he'd done to make them so.

He didn't know it was because he was a parselmouth. The Hufflepuffs still held a bit of a grudge for what had happened to Justin, whom they both thought was rather cute. And he was a puff. Harry remained persona non grata to them.

"What was that about, then?" Ron asked as Harry talked a bit with Luna before she went to the Ravenclaw table.

"Oh, we were just drinking tea to keep warm on this beastly day. We got talking about the new staff and the foreign students coming and we're going to try to put some stuff together to welcome them."

"Cool," Harry said, smiling a little then tilted his head. "We should do some research on the tournament," he continued. "I hear the drawing is Halloween."

His eyes met Hermione's.

"Think your bad luck will put you in the soup, mate?" Ron asked as he sat in a seat formerly warmed by a Slytherin bird.

"It had better not," Harry said firmly. "I'm going to ask Sirius how we can make sure I don't get entered."

Other students come in for dinner and the talk became more general. Throughout the meal, Harry felt an itch between his shoulder blades, as though someone was watching him. When the meal was over, the group made their way back to the tower. Harry noticed Parvati by herself, trying to get into Harry's little group.

He remembered that her cousin said she had tried to speak with him before, and he remembered blowing her off. The look she gave him now was a bit of a plea, and he decided to stop being an arse.

"Hey Parv. Everything okay?" Harry asked in a neutral tone when they were in a relatively secluded corner of the common room.

"Yeah. I saw my cousin held you back after class Friday," Parvati added nervously.

"Yeah. He seems cool."

Parvati smiled, and it warmed her eyes. "He is." Then she took a deep breath in a sigh. "Look, Harry. I need to apologize. when the whole thing happened with the basilisk, I… I just followed everyone else. I'm not strong. I…" Her voice trailed off.

Harry took pity on her. "I suppose I owe you an apology myself," he picked up the conversation. "I was so angry at everyone last year. Teachers… mostly I blamed the teachers. But when you tried to talk to me, all I knew that you were best friends with Lavender and she likes to talk… to everybody… about everything."

Parvati burst into a tinkle of laughter. Eyes around the room looked at the couple, wondering if they were becoming a couple. Many of those eyes were narrowed in displeasure.

"She does. She doesn't mean anything by it. In fact, when Lav saw how hurt you were or rather," she paused, trying to think of how to explain it, "how… awful it sounded: talking about what those Muggles did. Well, she still likes to talk but now she only says nice things."

"Well, that's good, then," Harry finished lamely.

After a beat of silence, Parvati bravely started again. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Harry nodded.

"I get why you wouldn't talk to me. But, why did you shut Padma down? She's not a gossip." Parvati and Padma were different as sun and moon, but they loved each other and saw hurt to the other as hurt to each.

"Well, that has more to do with Luna," Harry answered.

"Luna?" This totally came out of left field for Parvati.

"I got to be pretty good friends with Luna almost from the beginning of the year last year," Harry explained. "It's pretty obvious that her housemates bully her incessantly. Her shoes, her jewelry picture of her mom who died… they all went missing with regularity. I had my elf getting her stuff back, but until she got blood-locks… those witches just bully her constantly." It had taken quite a bit of Harry's self-control to call them witches.

"Pads would never!" Parvati protested.

"Maybe not," Harry shrugged, not willing to fight about her sister's role in the torment, "but I saw in 10 seconds that her shoes didn't match. They only left her left shoes. It wasn't funny pranks they were pulling. It was mean-spirited and nasty. I really don't want anything to do with bullies. Or people who allow other people to be bullies."

"She probably doesn't know." At Harry's scoff, Parvati shook her head. "Look, Padma is clueless. Her head is in a book more than Granger's is. Pads doesn't notice anything about anyone around her. It took whole school shunning you for her to even realize that you were outed as a parselmouth. She has her own problems in Ravenclaw. She keeps her head down. I guarantee you she didn't know your friend was being bullied."

Harry sighed. He had seen it before. Some participated. Some turned to blind eye. And some just didn't see. Almost no one ever stood up.

"All right, I'll buy that. Anyway, thanks. Your cousin seems really cool and I could use some help with the parsel stuff."

Parvati smiled with relief.

Her father would be pleased.