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Harry Potter was mere hours from his most terrifying adventure yet. He sat cross legged in his bed, the curtains shut.
Sixth year had challenges aplenty. Running a secret defence club, still being tortured by that horrible quill, looking at Umbridge, having to hear her awful contrived little-girl voice for a second year.
But Valentines day. Today.
Harry looked at the card. A red heart on a cream background. Tasteful, mature.
Inside: he opened it again, carefully.
‘Most beautiful girl in school. Be mine. Harry’ in his very best handwriting.
Harry’s hands were too wet, he wiped them on the bed, and carefully put the card into the envelope. Parchment envelope, carefully addressed
‘Prettiest girl in the School’
Hopefully Ginny would do more than cheer up. Michael Corner had stopped taking her to Hogsmeade.
Harry shut the envelope and using his wand, melted a blob of wax onto the seam; Stamping it with the butt of his wand. It’s not like he had some poncy signet ring. Even Neville had one. Being an orphan sucked. And Sirius… well Harry had ruined that by being stupid.
Harry looked at the letter. All ready to go.
Harry got out of his bed and went to the tower window, opening it.
Cold air billowed in.
“Harry!” yelled Dean “It’s fucking freezing out there.”
Harry stuck his head out the window and whistled.
Within moments, a white shape darted out of the owlery and gained altitude fast.
Hedwig landed on Harry’s robed arm and looked about imperiously. “Prek” she barked.
“I’ve got you a letter Hedwig, to deliver to, well you know.” said Harry, and he leaned towards his owl. “Ginny, the prettiest girl in the school.” he said quietly.
Hedwig stuck out her beak, opened it.
Harry put the letter in her beak and said “Go now Hedwig. Deliver it at breakfast, but not too early.”
Hedwig bobbed her head and with a single flap, cleared Harry’s arm and flew out the window.
Harry closed the window and the cold breeze stopped.
“You’re such a showoff” said Dean “Whistling for your owl.”
“Well if I don’t whistle she takes ten minutes to come if I just want her to” explained Harry.
Dean groaned and put the pillow over his own head.
“That owl of yours is like ...” Seamus stopped talking, and sat there, red-faced “Like someone else” he said.
Harry already dressed, went downstairs, found Hermione, who was sitting waiting in the couch by the fire.
“Where’s Ron?” she asked.
“Sleeping in” said Harry. “The usual”
Harry and Hermione strolled down to breakfast.
Harry sat happily, and slowly drank a cup of tea. Late breakfast, Hedwig would give Ginny the Valentine, and she’d understand. Every time Harry saw her with someone, he felt so jealous.
“Harry, are you all right?” said Hermione.
“I’m fine” said Harry “Why are you asking?”
“It’s just, your hand?” said Hermione. Harry looked down at his right hand. It was clenched around a fork so hard, all his fingers had gone white. He let go of it, surprised. The fork clattered softly on the table.
Harry decided it was time to have breakfast.
If he was quick… he could have his mouth clean for a possible kiss later.
He took some bacon, a sausage, mushrooms and serving spoonful of scrambled eggs.
He started eating slowly, enjoying the lack of food-competition with Ron still abed.
The Great hall filled up and the noise of people talking and eating increased.
Harry contrived to have drunk some pumpkin juice, wiped his mouth and nibbled a few strawberries by mid-breakfast. That would make his lips nice, right?
The hall was pretty much full, Ron having down onto the bench next to him, and starting to load a plate.
“Harry, Hermione” said Ron, ladling food onto his plate.
“Ron” said Hermione.
Harry saw a little bit later that Ginny had sat down and was drinking a mug of something. He started to feel nervous. Not long now.
The owls delivering the Daily Prophet arrived first; a swarm of brown owls.
Hermione loudly unrolled her copy and ostentatiously started reading.
Post owls started arriving.
Harry had the sinking realisation that he hadn’t bribed Hedwig with food. She could be a slightly moody owl, and Filch didn’t put out owl food till quite a bit later.
With a sinking stomach, a vision of Hedwig sitting grumpily on her perch, Harry waited.
Suddenly Harry saw Hedwig fly in through the ceiling window and fly in broad circles around the hall. She’d come. She kept circling.
Oh. she was going to tease Harry. She’d never done that before.
Then again, he’d never used her to send a letter inside Hogwarts before.
Hedwig suddenly decided to stop mucking around and descended. In entirely the wrong part of the hall and landed on the Slytherin table. By… Daphne Greengrass, the blonde that apart from being pretty was a complete non-entity to Harry. A blonde. Oh! that damn owl.
Greengrass took the letter from Hedwig, patted her on the head, and gave her some sort of food. Hedwig’s bark was easy to hear from all this way away, and she flew off.
“That’s really odd. That owl looked just like Hedwig.” said Ron. “Weird.”
Harry stared. Daphne Greengrass looked at the letter, and smiled. Okay, she had a pretty smile.
She turned the letter over and her eyes grew large, and she hugged the letter.
Harry wondered just what was wrong with; Hedwig, and this blonde, in that order. She had a letter, she could at least open it and Harry could get on with dying of embarrassment.
One of her table-mates; the curly brown haired one. Lacey, Harry thought, elbowed Daphne, who said something softly, and Daphne shied away.
Finally, after much ribbing from her friend Lacey, she stopped hugging the letter and took out the card. She blushed. A sixth year, and she blushed at a card. She opened it, and froze.
Harry thought, this is the bit where I’m going to be hunted down by two Slytherin witches, and hexed. Instead, she shut the card and put it back in the envelope, and put it into her book bag; then drew her wand and charmed her bag. Anti-theft spell, most likely.
She sat straight again, put her wand in her sleeve and looked directly at Harry. She gave a small smile. And then waved, tentatively.
Bloody hell, he was worse than dead.
Hermione’s voice cut though the air like a conjured flaming dagger. “So, Daphne Greengrass Harry” she said “A bold choice of Valentine.”
“A Slytherin, mate” said Ron, then looked up from his food at the Slytherin table “Well, I guess if snotty blondes are your thing” he said “She’s fit I suppose.”
“Ron!” exclaimed Hermione. “You can’t call girls fit!”
“Hermione I dunno why you’re complaining. You’re a fit girl too” said Ron bluntly.
Harry looked over and Hermione was sitting, a blush on her cheeks, mouth opening and closing.
“Ron” said Harry.
“Yeah what?” asked Ron, getting back to breakfast.
“You broke Hermione” said Harry “you might need to give her a kiss. Get her brain restarted.”
Ron turned his head to see Hermione, still blushing.
“You can’t say that mate.” said Ron “I can’t kiss Hermione. Then she’d know I fancy her.”
Ron slowly deflated into a groan.
“Harry Cupid” said Fay, cynically. “Will either of them speak again…. Will any of us care?”
“Hey Fay” said Harry “Be nice… Ron’s rubbish with feelings and Hermione’s… shy.”
“Be Nice.” said Fay bitterly. “We’ve been in the same house for Six years and this is the first time you’ve ever talked to me!”
“I’ve had a lot on my mind” said Harry, idly noting Greengrass getting up and leaving with Lacey.
Hermione got up from the table with her overloaded bookbag and tapped Ron on the shoulder.
“Ron. We need to talk” said Hermione.
“I’m sorry please don’t hex me” said Ron in a whiny voice.
Ron left silently with Hermione.
Harry checked the weird clock by the points tubes. Time to get moving, time for a walk up to the Transfiguration classroom. Harry realised. With the Slytherins. With … Daphne Greengrass who was hugging his accidental valentine. Still, Madam Pomfrey did good work and had a soft spot for Harry.
Harry got to Transfiguration in time to… oh have to talk to Daphne and Lacey Davis.
“Davis, Greengrass” said Harry, looking at the floor.
“Potter” said Daphne Greengrass. She sounded really posh.
Harry looked up from the floor. Daphne Greengrass was looking at Harry hopefully. She had blue eyes.
“Um, about that” said Harry. Quickly before more people turned up, he scolded himself.
“That was...”
“Beautiful and I accept. Hogsmeade this Saturday” she said clearly. Harry vaguely recalled she sang in the choir. She certainly had a pretty voice. Shame she hardly talked. He glanced at her school robes. They seemed quite full of witch, in a… interesting sort of way. Harry smiled nervously.
It wasn’t till lunchtime that Harry saw Ginny again, arguing with one of her roommates. He looked at her cute freckles, her flame red hair. His best friends little sister. He glanced over at the Slytherin table, where a blonde sat, eating and distratedly reading... what looked look a novel. On the other side of the table, back to Harry, Lacey was casting some sort of charm… a privacy charm of some sort. A younger brown-haired girl next to Daphne, with a family resemblance was pestering Daphne. Daphne put her book down, got a couple of bread-sticks, handed the younger girl one and had a swordfight for a little while, before putting her bread-stick in her soup and picking up her book.
Slytherins had fun at lunch. A snippet of a song by a hat from Harry’s youth came to him
“...in Slytherin you’ll make real friends….”
Maybe they weren’t all awful. He hoped Daphne Greengrass was understanding on Saturday.
Harry ate some soup. There was no way he was wasting a bread-stick as a sword.
He glanced back at Ginny discreetly. She was eating toast. Like… a regular person.
Saturday came all too quickly.
Ron was getting dressed and took real care over is appearance today, and cleaned his teeth twice.
“What’s going on?” asked Harry.
“D-date” stuttered Ron “With Hermione. You’ll have to find something else to do.”
Harry blinked. They were going to date. At Hogsmeade. Harry relaxed. There was nothing for Harry to worry about. If Ron and Hermione were going on a date, earth was about to be hit by a giant meteor or something. Giants. Maybe giants, stepping on everyone.
Harry cleaned his teeth, anyway and brushed ineffectively at his hair.
He went down to the front door alone. With only all of Griffindor over second year for company.
He got in a carriage, and Luna Lovegood came along for the ride. Harry couldn't remember what she said, but it was either profound or completely insane.
As Harry was about to get out of the carriage Luna said “Harry, Daphne Greengrass is a very shy girl and you gave her a valentine. This is a date and she’s got expectations. Be nice to her. I think she’s my fourth cousin, or my third cousin once removed. I can’t remember.”
“You’re the only person who noticed” said Harry. “Hedwig is the only white owl at school”
“And nobody believed Harry Potter would send a pretty Slytherin girl a valentine. She’s probably the prettiest girl in your year; especially if you’re a white owl.”
Harry got out and went to the Three Broomsticks, sudden urge to drown his sorrows on 0.5% butterbeer.
A bottle of butterbeer later, Harry settled in to wait. And wait.
Hours passed.
Lacey Davis ducked in the door, looked around nervously, saw Harry and relaxed. She walked over and sat next to Harry, rather, Harry thought like a rather bad spy in a spy film.
“She’s coming. It’s been a difficult start” said Lacey.
“Davis” said Harry, who was feeling confused and nervous now.
“Call me Tracey” said … erk Tracey. “She’s the tiniest bit nervous. Oh, and the back room’s booked.”
“The back room” croaked Harry.
“Well, what Slytherin witch would go on a public date with Harry Potter, without finding out of he was worth it first” said Tracey, who drifted off to … Harry supposed the back room.
Harry waited a bit more and someone came in wearing a deeply hooded cloak. And gloves.
They walked over … a little stiffly to Harry, crooked a finger and turned and walked briskly to the back room. The least subtle secretive meeting ever.
Harry shut the door and the hooded figure; who was the only person here apparently, lowered her hood. It was Daphne Greengrass, wearing a black eyemask.
“Harry Potter” she said.
“Dap..” started Harry. She cut him off “I’m Incognito” she said.
“Incognito?”
“You don’t know who I am” she said.
“Yes I do” said Harry.
“Officially, you don’t” said Daphne. Harry puzzled over this for a bit.
“So you liked the Valentine then?” asked Harry.
Tracey Davis was sitting in the corner of the room, her wand drawn.
“Oh yes” she said and blushed “Prettiest girl in the school” she said and hid her face.
She’s really shy, thought Harry.
“Well, uh yeah” said Harry.
Daphne unhooked her sliver cloak hooks and took off her cloak. Harry inhaled, involuntarily. She was wearing a dress. A ball-dressy sort of dress. She twirled around.
“Nice dress” said Harry. Pretty girl, in pretty dress, in back room of pub. Almost alone with Harry.
“If you thought I was pretty, you should have asked me to the Yule ball” said Daphne.
Harry thought about that for a bit. “In fourth year?”
“Well, you were a terrible date” said Daphne. “I trust you can get over that?”
The thing, thought Harry, about girls from Hogwarts, is that every excruciatingly embarrassing thing you’d ever done was common knowledge to all of them. And they’re witches.
“That was a very embarrassing night for me” said Harry.
“Well, lets have a drink and you can tell me a joke or something?” asked Daphne, turning and going to a sideboard, where she poured two goblets from a jug.
Harry took it from her, and took a sip.
“Wine!” he exclaimed.
“Well I’m not going to talk to Harry Potter in a back room incognito sober, am I” said Daphne. “I’d die of fear.”
“I’m nothing to worry about” said Harry.
“What if you took advantage of a poor, defenceless witch?” she asked, and stood still. Tracey giggled.
“I wouldn’t take advantage of anyone.” said Harry.
“Do I have to beg?” she asked, gulping some wine. “All I want is a kiss!”
“Oh” said Harry, the wine sitting in his stomach, and he tried to kiss Daphne Greengrass. It was awkward to get an angle that worked…. Then a kiss. Her lips were soft and everything was okay. The girl wasn’t sobbing about her dead boyfriend or anything.
Harry leaned back.
“Is that okay?” she asked.
“I liked it” said Harry honestly.
“Well, we could do it again?” asked Daphne, and she kissed Harry. Tracey wolf-whistled. Harry felt slightly irritated by having a chaperone… but he understood where she was coming from.
Being kissed by a pretty girl, in a pretty dress, in incognito in the back room of a pub was… all in all, Harry thought not bad.
Harry swigged some more wine.
Daphne explained that stamping your sealing wax with your actual wand was a very old-fashioned and romantic thing. She kissed him again.
A bit later, Harry was feeling a bit wobbly, and oddly disconnected from himself. Not in a 'I’ve had too much pain' way, but in a … I might be a bit drunk way.
“Harry Potter, are you drunk?” asked Daphne Greengrass.
“I dunno. I think so. I’ve not been drunk much” said Harry.
“Well, seeing as you’re drunk, have a sobering potion, or you’ll be sick later” said Daphne sensibly.
“Sobering potion?”
“On the sideboard. Green vials” said Daphne, leaning back against a table.
Harry wondered if he wanted to be sober. “Do I want to be sober?”
“You do, and so do I” said Daphne.
Harry handed Daphne a vial and drank the one he still had. Tasted … awful.
Moments later, his mind cleared. “I was drunk. You got me drunk in the back room of a bar, Miss?”
“Incognito” said Daphne Greengrass, sounding much less drunk. “Miss Incognito.”
Harry looked at the sideboard. Wine. Green vials, empty now, and a covered platter, and a pair of silver vials.
“What’s the silver vial for?” asked Harry
“For Later” said Daphne. “There should be food in the platter.”
There was, in fact, a selection of things on the platter, all kept warm by a warming charm.
“Oh… nice” said Harry, taking a small sausage roll.
They talked. Harry distinctly remembered being drunk with Daphne Greengrass, and saying some pretty dumb things, and kissing. He looked at Daphne Greengrass who was daintily eating a tiny piece of toast with bubbled orange stuff on it.
“Miss Incognito?” he asked.
She finished biting the toast thing and wiped her lips. The pink… tasty lips.
“I think I’d like to kiss you again” said Harry. Tracey gasped.
“Oh, really” she said, and blushed “I suppose you can, Tracey, get lost”
Tracey left.
That bubble toast stuff left her lips a bit salty. Harry finished kissing her and gazed into her eyes, stupidly.
Pretty eyes really. Harry felt silly and took one of the small toast things, and ate some. It tasted of fish, which was a surprise, but okay.
Daphne eyed a tiny sausage roll and poked it. “I’ll get pastry all over my dress” she said.
Harry felt gentlemanly and tucked a napkin around her collar. She gave Harry a look, like “You just handled me.” and then ate the sausage roll in three leisurely bites.
Daphne was, Harry realised, chewing her food rather more and taking small bites. She wiped her mouth between bites and sips too. Harry could do that.
Lunch drew to a close, and Harry drank the last sip of pumpkin juice.
“What are the potions about?” asked Harry.
“Oh, they cause a small memory loss, from the time of a green potion to the time of the silver one” said Daphne “In case the date had been so terrible you wanted to forget it”
“I uh, had fun” said Harry “Miss Incognito.”
“I wondered if you’d suggest I take my dress off to keep the pastry off it?” asked Daphne playfully.
“Miss Incognito, I hardly know you” said Harry jokingly. She’d catch cold after all.
“So, we should throw the silver potions in the fireplace” said Daphne.
“Yes, I’d like that” said Harry.
Daphne reached over and grabbed the silver potions and dashed them into the fireplace.
“Now, Mister Potter, I’d like to tell you my secret” said Daphne, and she took off the mask.
“Daphne Greengrass, the prettiest girl in the school!” said Harry.
“The very same” said Daphne, and she batted her eyelashes at Harry “One last kiss, then I’m afraid Miss Incognito must leave.”
“Oh, why?”
“I’ve got charms homework” she admitted. “The essay on different basis functions for dancing animations.”
“Oh that one” said Harry.
“Are you even making an effort?” asked Daphne “My boyfriend can’t be some… slacker.”
“It’s hard… I’m doing … things that take up time” said Harry.
Daphne nodded “Helping Weasley spell must take a long time” she said.
“Ron’s not stupid… just incredibly lazy” said Harry “He’s dating Hermione now, so he’ll have to buck his ideas up”
“And you think dating me does not oblige you to buck your ideas up?” asked Daphne in a very aristocratic tone.
“Its just… Voldemort’s back and … there’s things...”
Harry was drawn out for hours. He looked at his watch “Oh bugger” he said “We’ve talked till four.”
“You will not use that word around me” said Daphne “Chosen one or not. I think you should ignore Dumbledore’s instructions and send word to Amelia Bones; Susan’s aunt. She’s the head of the DMLE, this sort of thing is her job. Not yours, and not the Headmasters.”
“He is the one who defeated Grindlewald” said Harry.
“Who’s in prison, not dead” said Daphne “Voldemort’s minions are… everywhere” she said pointedly “You know Draco is one.” Harry nodded. He’d been sure Draco was… a bad guy now.
“Write Amelia and give Susan the letter. Umbridge will be tampering with your mail” said Daphne.
“What makes you think that?” asked Harry.
“Even an incompetent villain like Umbridge can work out you’ll owl someone she doesn’t want to get a message” said Daphne. “Now I’m inconveniently late for my essay.”
“Sorry” said Harry.
“Look, you needed setting straight on some things. I’ll have to go to the library after dinner to write my essay” she said.
Harry nodded “Letter to Susan before dinner” he said.
“Oh good, you’re a quick leaner” said Daphne, and put her mask back on.
“Oh Miss incognito” said Harry.
Miss Incognito blew a kiss and put her cloak back on and left.
Harry sat for a moment and wondered what kind of person had sword fights with bread-sticks, dressed as Miss Incognito and hardly talked outside of, a … locked room. A shy one who read a lot of books for fun, Harry suspected. And was Luna’s fourth cousin. Or something.
Harry went back to the castle, to his dorm and wrote a three foot long rambling essay for Amelia Bones. Dobby was happy to take the scroll to Susan.
“How’d the date go” asked Ron, cautiously at dinner.
“Great” said Harry, distractedly “How was yours?”
“Um… complicated” said Ron. “Complicated”
Hermione sat down next to Ron, but not too close and started getting her dinner silently, not looking over.
“Hello Hermione” said Harry.
“Hello Harry” said Hermione.
“Hello, Hermione” said Ron.
Hermione looked at Ron briefly “Ron” she said.
“Hermione, did you have a nice day?” asked Harry. Ron went pink and gestured at Harry.
Hermione continued to focus on her food. “It started well but went downhill” she said, quietly.
“Mine was very unusual.” said Harry “Miss… well, she insisted I make more effort in class, and on assignments”
Ron was silently mouthing at Harry, and froze when Hermione looked up at Harry “Oh, did she?” said Hermione unnaturally calmly “How odd. Why would a girlfriend not want a boyfriend to be a slacker?”
“I think it’s about self-respect” said Harry thinking “If a witch want to be all she can, she probably wants her boyfriend to be making all he can of himself too” he said.
“What a mature attitude” said Hermione pointedly.
“Well, I’ve got to go to the library” said Harry “Charms essay on basis functions for animation” he said and started to get up.
“You did that essay on Wednesday night” said Hermione.
“I did a first draft on Wednesday night” said Harry, rising.
Hermiones’ remarkably strong hand pushed Harry’s shoulder down.
“Harry, what’s gotten into you?” asked Hermione.
“My girlfriends’ got some very pleasant ways of increasing motivation” said Harry, and smiled to Hermione.
Hermione blushed. “Harry” she exclaimed “One date”
“One long, mysterious date” said Harry.
“What was mysterious about it?” asked Hermione eagerly.
“Well, me not telling you for starters” said Harry, and he got up.
He noticed Susan Bones gave him a discreet nod as he got over the trestle stool.
The charms essay, with a pretty witch working by his side, took a while to revise. Daphne had found completely different books to Harry. The essay, which by eight Harry thought of as ‘finished’ was pretty good. Daphne hadn’t said much… but then again; they were in the library.
Harry pulled his unfinished transfiguration essay out of his book-bag and started finding textbooks.
“You must think me a bit slow” said Daphne as he sat down.
“I did the first draft on Wednesday” said Harry “You only started today.”
“Can I look at your essay?” asked Daphne.
“Just don’t copy it, Flitwick might notice” said Harry, and slid her the scroll. She read through it slowly.
“Are you all right?” asked Harry
“I just… my eyes hurt” said Daphne.
“So you need glasses?” asked Harry.
“I have glasses” said Daphne mournfully “I look stupid in them.”
“Put them on, give your eyes a rest” said Harry, who, as he couldn’t see a damn thing without his, thought reading and having sore eyes was a bit rough.
Daphne rummaged in her book bag and got out a green silk glasses case; and put on her glasses and looked up. Harry’s heart stopped. Daphne had large, sunglass-shaped reading glasses with thin gold frames. She looked incredibly intelligent, and Harry’s pants tightened uncomfortably. Her eyes looked bigger; which was silly, the lenses were quite thin.
“I look hideous, don’t I”?” said Daphne.
“You look really … clever and incredibly pretty” said Harry in a strangled tone “Bloody hell.”
“Do you have a thing about girls in glasses, Mr Potter?” said Daphne teasingly and Harry groaned.
Daphne smiled broadly, “Oh this is going to be such fun” she said.
“Can you wear them to walk around, or just for reading?” asked Harry… totally nonchalantly.
“Just for reading, and not for potions; they steam up” said Daphne. “That’s why I’m not doing sixth year potions… and I’m rubbish at it”
“Impervious charm, and I’ve got this really good potions textbook...” said Harry.
Harry stayed very late in the library and got most of his Transfiguration essay written, then walked with the bespectacled Daphne Greengrass along the third floor until they passed a classroom.
“Daphne, can we go in the classroom… and … kiss?” asked Harry.
“I should have worn these outside dorms before” said Daphne lightly and consented to enter a classroom.
Harry held incredibly brainy-looking, pretty Daphne Greengrass and snogged her. After some hesitation, she snogged back, and Harry felt very excited.
“Calm down Harry” whispered Daphne “You’ll rip my clothes off and ravish me”
“Urk” said Harry.
“Daphne gave Harry a big, tonguing kiss and pressed herself against Harry “Now promise me you won’t take any risks today?” she said.
“Does snogging my girlfriend count?”
“Keeping her out after curfew does” said Daphne. “I think I’ll take my glasses off now.”
She did and Harry kissed the brow of her nose. “Can’t kiss there with glasses”
“Well” said Daphne “You’d better get going. I’ve got to go down four floors and you're going up four.”
“I could walk you” said Harry.
“And irritate the other Slytherins, no thank you” said Daphne.
“Tracey’s your best friend isn’t she?”
“Pretty much. That and Astoria… she’s my little sister, but she has brown hair.”
“Bread-stick fight”
“She can be a bit childish” said Daphne.
“Goodnight” said Harry, and he kissed the side of her hair and left.
Daphne sighed “What a man” she said.
--==0==--
Harry had Divination second period, and nothing after, so he went to the Room of Requirement afterwards and looked around. Someone had moved stuff around; he got the good potions book back and followed the trail of disruption. It ended at a wooden cabinet with nothing in it. It was a bit worm-eaten. Harry looked around. He should get Daphne a present. Girls like jewellery.
“Accio Jewellery!” he belted out as hard as he could and clouds of fast moving shiny rocks and metal appeared… Harry ducked behind the cabinet, which took a pounding. It looked, Harry thought like someone had shot it over and over with a shotgun. The jewellery was okay. Piles of stuff. He pulled a shirt out of a pile of trash and scourgify’ed it and knotted it into a sack. It was mostly unmatched earrings; but he did find a few pairs. Those he wrapped in conjured tissues and put in his pocket. A pile of rings, some plain silver, some gold, some coppery, and some with stones. Most of the rings were small, with small, dull stones. A few of the big hair-band jewellery things a girl might wear. One was small, golden and the stones were battered. Harry looked at it “A bit rubbish” he thought, but when he picked it up to throw it back, it felt like he’d touched a live wire, and his scar hurt. He dropped it. Bloody thing must be cursed. There was a nice silvery headband thingy, so Harry conjured a tissue for that too.
The good stuff separated with tissues from the … maybe pawnable junk, Harry found a different rag to wrap the cursed headband in. The bundle tied off, he started picking his way out of the heaps of lost, broken and just old stuff.
There were some cool looking old swords; a dagger would be cool. Handy if he got attacked by a giant spider again too.
“Accio Dagger” caused Daggers to shoot towards Harry. He cast a hasty shield and Harry was surrounded by fallen daggers. Oh. Harry needed to know if they were cursed. What had Sirius said… mostly don’t touch things. The 'detect curses' charm was in the textbook. It could wait.
Harry left the room of lost things and went to the Griffindor common room; on the same floor after all, and stowed his ill-gotten gains; and took out the good stuff. He needed a box. Where was a mouse when you needed one.
He settled for transfiguring a parchment box made with his potions knife and spell-o-taped it into a silver box. A bit of the old shirt transfigured into velvet, and he put the best earrings and ring in. The good headband didn’t fit. It could wait. He put the box in his bag, it was time to do some essays.
Daphne Greengrass looked up at Harry in her glasses, a little nervously. Harry smiled and sat down next to her. She relaxed.
An hour or so later, he casually put a silver box on her essay.
She opened the box and gasped. She examined the jewellery and shook her head at Harry “vintage jewellery. Where did you get it?” she asked.
“Let me have some secrets” said Harry softly.
“Is it family jewellery?” asked Daphne.
“No, just a present for you” said Harry. Daphne blushed. Where she saw a ring in the box, she elbowed Harry “A ring, already?”
“It’s a present” said Harry “Not… you know.”
“Oh. Well” said Daphne, and she took the golden ring out and looked at it. A quick buff, and she tried it on, her right hand. “Nice” she said.
“Best one so far” said Harry obliquely.
“Are you going to make a habit of giving me expensive jewellery?” asked Daphne.
“Probably” said Harry. Daphne hugged herself. Harry was so old-fashioned.
The next double free period Harry had, he took a stolen school broom and went to the chamber of secrets invisible. The diary had been impossible to destroy, but basilisk venom does everything.
Harry got out of the loos with a stone transfigured into a small chest, full of fangs. They seemed as useful as anything Harry had ever found.
The cursed headband thing died in a cloud of black smoke and a spine-chilling scream. Harry took it to the headmasters' office; and guessed “Acid pops”.
The gargoyle moved to the side and Harry went up to see the Headmaster.
Headmaster Dumbledore was surprised, to say the least.
“Harry, I wasn’t expecting you. And you found… this is the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw” said the Headmaster.
“It was cursed, I used a basilisk fang on it” said Harry.
Headmaster Dumbledore looked thoughtful “I have a theory about these things”
“I’ve written to Amelia Bones, and she’s on the job” said Harry.
The Headmaster looked pained “I was hoping we could keep this a bit more secret than that” said Professor Dumbledore.
“Well, it’s just it’s her Job, isn’t it?” said Harry “So she can do Her job, and you can tell her your useful things… maybe before everything’s gone horribly wrong. Oh, that reminds me, Draco Malfoy’s a death eater.”
“Don’t Worry Harry, I’m dealing with that” said the Headmaster.
“Um… did you hear me, sir. He’s a marked member of an illegal terrorist organisation. They murder people.”
“I now that Harry, but I have a plan, where young Draco won’t murder anyone, and return to the light”
“Right” said Harry “And someone was trying to repair this strange old cabinet in a secret room, it was covered in runes”
“A cabinet?”
“Really big, I mean , you could get in it, it was so big” said Harry “didn’t someone get locked in a magic cabinet and go completely mental?”
“And someone was trying to repair it?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was Draco Malfoy” said Harry.
The Headmaster got a look on his face that Ron got when he was playing chess. “Hmmm”
“Well, I’m getting Draco some help” said Harry brightly “Amelia Bones knows he’s marked, so He’ll be getting a nice cosy prison cell”
The Headmaster looked thoughtful for a bit “Well, that will work I suppose” he said. “I really do wish you hadn’t told Amelia Bones. Some of this is very secret, and needs to stay secret”
“Well, Tom Riddle’s back, and going to try to kill me, so I thought DMLE seemed like a good idea” said Harry “I’ll be forwarding this to Amelia” Harry waved the corroded headband.
“Harry, I’d better do that, you mail may be being tampered with” said Professor Dumbledore.
“About that?” said Harry “I’m not happy about that. And I know two different reporters. Maybe if it was in, say The Quibbler?”
“Ah… Harry it’s all very complicated and Minster Fudge is trying to block me, to get me thrown out as Headmaster, and as Chief Warlock.”
“Sounds difficult” said Harry “Maybe if you had an ally, like say Amelia Bones?”
Professor Dumbledore sent Harry off with what Harry was fairly sure was a dirty look.
Harry gave Neville a letter to give to his ‘friend’ Hannah in Hufflepuff who was Susan's best friend. Who would send it along to her Aunty Amelia.
When Neville came back an hour later mussed, Harry said “I’m sorry Neville, you were attacked?”
Neville blushed.
“Prat” muttered Neville.
Draco wasn’t at Breakfast. Just… gone.
Professor Umbridge was sitting looking toady.
At Dinner Ginny told Ron, Harry and Hermione quietly “Umbridge is missing, wasn’t at DADA”
By the end of dinner the Hogwarts rumour mill had ground out that Umbridge had been seen flying like a swan over the lake. Or run off with Filch. Except Filch turned up late for dinner.
Professor Dumbledore stood up and went to the eagle lectern and waited for quiet. It came quickly.
“I have an announcement to make” said Professor Dumbledore “Professor Umbridge has had to go to the ministry unexpectedly, a very urgent, very serious matter. We will be getting a temporary Defence teacher in, supplied by the Ministry on Monday. Defence class is a study period for Defence until Monday” he said.
Harry thought...it worked. It actually worked. He looked over at the Slytherin table. Daphne Greengrass was sitting next to Tracey and Astoria, while Pansy looked a bit confused.
Daphne was facing away from Harry. She looked... like she always did. Then she held her right hand out to Pansy flashing her ring and giggled.
Pansy, clearly under a privacy charm asked some sort of question and Daphne made a little waving gesture. A dismissive sort of gesture.
A muffled “But who” finally leaked out of the privacy charm. Pansy looked quite distraught.
Tracey waved her wand, probably cancelling a spell and said quietly, but loud enough that Harry could hear “Nobody you’d date.”
Harry felt perversely proud of that. He never wanted to be the sort of boy the Pansy Parkinson's of the world wanted to date.
Harry spent rather more time in the library studying and doing assignments than he had. The result was a succession of ‘EE’ grades for his assignments. If the last part of evenings had Harry kissing a bespectacled blonde in an empty classroom, well one had to find motivation somehow.
The less astute Death Eaters are rounded up in a series of successes for the Auror office. Things settle down to political fighting.
Tom Riddle junior. Harry was told very quietly one evening by Madam Bones, had…. Turned over a new leaf and was now working for the Ministry, in a very special way. Apparently having external parts of his soul made him very vulnerable to a special magic, that made him a thing called a Lich, which was now the security on a particularly important bit of the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries.