Chapter 1205 - Ch: 4-6

Chapter 4

The day of the first task dawned bright and clear, and the great hall was filled with excited chatter as the students discussed what might be required of their champions. At the Gryffindor table, Harry and Hermione were in their usual places with plates of lunch in front of them, but neither one had much of an appetite. They had spent the last four nights with Daphne in the Room of Requirement coming up with plan after plan for Harry to get past his dragon. Last night they had decided to take a break and just spend time together as friends, including another group cuddle on the couch, much to their shared enjoyment. They had spent a few hours just talking and laughing, discussing everything except the tournament and the first task. When they left the room that night each had felt confident that they had done everything they could to prepare Harry for the task ahead of him. Despite their extensive planning, they couldn't help but think about all the things that might go wrong today, leaving them all with a heavy set of nerves. Harry though was more used to dealing with the jitters than the girls were, having felt them each time he stepped onto the Quidditch pitch before a game. He knew this time that the stakes were much higher than a trophy at the end of the year, however.

As Harry and Hermione walked together to the champions' tent, they felt Daphne slide up next to them and covertly grasp Harry's hand. Exchanging a small squeeze of mutual support, she broke away from them and headed to the area of the stands dominated by the silver and green of Slytherin House. As the reached the tent entrance, Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck in one of her signature bone-crushing hugs, which he enthusiastically returned. Their embrace was cut short by the flash of a camera from their right. As they jumped apart in surprise, they were greeted by the sickly-sweet voice of Rita Skeeter.

"Ah, young love! Tell me, Harry, who is this delightful young lady come to wish you luck?" Adopting the techniques taught to them by Daphne, the teens simply ignored the reporter, much to her irritation. With another quick hug and a whispered 'good luck,' Hermione was off to the stands to cheer for her friend. Casting a dark look at Rita, Harry quickly turned and entered the champions' tent.

The crowd cheering told Harry that Viktor Krum had succeeded in obtaining his egg from the dragon, though he wondered what all the booing was about earlier. Quickly going through the plans he and the girls had made, he remembered the suggestion given to him by Professor Moody that he summon his broomstick and try to out-fly the dragon. The girls had scoffed at that idea, telling him that dragons were some of the best natural flyers in the world, and that to try and get past them on a broomstick would be suicide. Thankfully his girls had come through for him, and Harry was armed with a list of plans and the spells to enact them. Interestingly enough, the plan that had impressed the girls the most had come from Harry himself. He got the idea after reading through one of the books from his vault. Now he hoped that it would be enough.

"The fourth champion of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Mr. Harry Potter!" Blocking out the mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd, Harry took a moment to center himself before slipping carefully into the arena. He could see that the Quidditch pitch had been transformed into a dirt clearing, littered with boulders and debris most likely intended as cover from the angry dragons. Harry noticed scorch marks and great gouges carved into the dirt from the previous champions' attempts at dealing with their dragons. Clamping down on his jangling nerves, Harry's eyes darted quickly around the arena, seeking out his dragon. He didn't have to look far, because not twenty yards in front of him stood the largest creature he had ever seen. Angry yellow eyes peered at him over a snout filled with razor-sharp teeth as Harry's eyes scanned the length of the dragon's body. The beast was covered with thick scaly hide, and Harry gulped when he caught sight of the long spikes on the dragon's tail that gave it its fearsome name.

Shaking free of his temporary paralysis, Harry instead began searching the area for an object that he could use for the first part of his plan. Spying a suitable stick a few feet from him, Harry carefully maneuvered himself over to it, never taking his eyes off the dragon. Moving slowly, so as not to startle the angry mother, Harry picked up the stick and concentrated on his first spell.

Growing up with his whale of a cousin Dudley, Harry was forced to watch as his aunt and uncle showered the boy with gifts and toys almost constantly. It seemed that anything that could be used to taunt or injure Harry had at some point made its way into Dudley's sausage fingers, usually with the encouragement to use them on Harry with abandon. One such instrument of torture had been one of Dudley's favorites for an entire summer before it strangely disappeared one afternoon. By that time aunt Petunia had given her Diddy Duddykins a whole slew of new toys, so it was never given a second thought. Harry, however, had found it quite entertaining while spending time alone in the park near his house. Over time he grew to be quite good with it; so good, in fact, that he was about to go up against a dragon with it.

With the object he sought pictured clearly in his mind, Harry spoke the incantation to perform the transfiguration. The muggleborn wizards and witches in the stands began laughing at Harry when they recognized the slingshot he now held, and the purebloods quickly picked up the taunting. Loudest of all was a grating voice from the Slytherin section as Draco Malfoy made his presence known.

"That all you got, Potter? That's your big play? You should've stayed under your bed this morning, Scarhead! Now we're all going to get to enjoy watching that dragon tear you apart!" Harry looked up at Malfoy with a calculating expression on his face, as if judging the distance between them. Malfoy only laughed harder, thinking that Harry was attempting to hit him from that distance.

Smiling faintly, Harry turned back to make sure the dragon was still where he last saw her. Seeing that she hadn't moved, Harry bent down again and picked up two small rocks. Pocketing one, he pointed his wand at the other and spoke a few words. Those in the stands closest to the arena could see the rock glow a faint blue before Harry put his wand away and loaded the slingshot. Taking careful aim, Harry pulled back the elastic and launched the rock toward the dragon. Rather than connecting with the golden egg, however, the rock sailed past it and right into a large pile of fresh dragon dung. The watching crowd gasped in shock as the entire pile of dung disappeared in a flash. Their attention was drawn from the arena by a ruckus in the Slytherin stands.

Again the crowd roared with laughter, only this time the target wasn't Harry. The pointing and laughing of the crowd quickly drew all attention to the spot where Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle sat, each covered head to toe with warm dragon dung. While Crabbe and Goyle appeared either shocked into silence or too stupid to notice, the same couldn't be said for the pompous ponce between them. He was currently screaming every obscenity he could think of, and a few more he just made up, toward the figure smirking at him from the center of the arena.

Harry glanced over to the Gryffindor side to see Ron and the twins falling over with laughter, along with most of his house. He smiled when he spotted Hermione, cheering and waving like a madwoman. The tears of mirth in her hazel eyes warmed Harry's heart, as did the matching tears he found in Daphne's azure orbs when their eyes met a moment later.

The next sets of eyes he found were located in the judges' booth, but these showed a completely opposite reaction. A mixture of shock and outrage from the four judges told Harry that they didn't see the humor in turning their tournament into a prank, but at the moment Harry couldn't care less. Smirking into the not so twinkly eyes of his headmaster, Harry pulled the second rock from his pocket and recast the portkey spell. Turning back to the dragon, which had still not moved from her spot, Harry carefully circled around until he had a clear view of the golden egg. Taking very careful aim so as not to accidentally portkey the angry dragon on top of his head, Harry lined up the shot and loosed the projectile. His aim was true, and in another bright flash the golden egg appeared just above Harry's outstretched arms, where he caught it easily. He quickly made his way to the arena exit before the dragon could see what he held in his arms as the crowd exploded into cheers.

Harry was ushered into the medical tent by an amused Madame Pomphrey, who cast several diagnostic charms on him before declaring him completely unharmed. Telling him she needed to go see to Malfoy, the mediwitch congratulated him on his 'colorful' performance before chuckling her way out of the tent. No sooner had the flap closed than it was torn open again by Hermione and Daphne, who quickly made their way over to where Harry was sitting. Hermione wasted no time in throwing herself into his arms, where she proceeded to gush about how proud she was of his performance and how glad she was that he was unhurt. After a moment Harry and Hermione noticed that Daphne hadn't joined them. While keeping one arm around each other, they looked over and saw her standing nervously a few feet from them, anxiously wringing her hands. The Gryffindors could tell that she was unsure about congratulating Harry in public, but they weren't about to let her just stand there. Sharing a look of understanding, Harry and Hermione looked back to Daphne for a moment before holding their free arms open in invitation. With a smile that lit up the tent, Daphne rushed into her friends' arms and joined Hermione in congratulating Harry on a job well done. Their laughter was cut short however by an angry outburst from the door of the tent.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?" The trio broke their embrace to find Ronald Weasley standing just inside the tent flap, quickly turning a most interesting shade of purple. At his glare Daphne tried to pull away but was stopped by Harry's arm held firmly around her waist.

"They were congratulating me on surviving the first task, Ron. That's what friends do you know." Ron was too angry to catch the steel in Harry's voice, but the girls knew that things were about to get interesting.

"Friends? Harry, she's a Slytherin! They're nothing but dark wizards in the making! You can't be friends with them! What's wrong with you?" Here he turned to Hermione. "And you, Hermione. How is it that you can be hugging Harry, but you haven't said a word to me in weeks? Where's my hug?" Hermione was openly gaping at the red headed idiot, Daphne's glare could petrify a basilisk, and Harry was barely keeping his magic under control. Ron, it seemed, was totally oblivious to the hole he was digging for himself.

"Honestly, Harry, I think the stress of this tournament has gotten to you. I mean, you and I both know that it should be me in here congratulating you, not a slimy Slytherin. After all, I've been your biggest supporter since day one, haven't I mate?" By now all three teens' mouths had hit the floor at the sheer stupidity of Ron's comments. "Now come on, mate! I'm sure the twins are throwing a huge party in the common room and you don't want to miss that! Then Hermione can run off to the library while you and I play a good game of wizard's chess. It'll be just like old times! What do you say?" Harry felt Hermione's shoulders slump under his arm. Turning to look at her, he saw the same look of dejection he noticed on her face that day by the lake. Seeing it again now, Harry understood. Hermione was afraid that after all was said and done, Harry would forgive Ron and things would go back to the way they were, leaving her on the outside again. She thought that even after all they had been through together, Harry would go back to sitting around playing chess and talking Quidditch rather than spending time with her, researching in the library or studying together. He suddenly realized that he would much rather continue hanging out with her and Daphne than spend any time at all socializing with the idiot in front of them.

"I say no, mate." This time Ron did notice the sarcasm Harry placed on the last word. "I'm not sure what planet you've been living on for the last month, but let me tell you what it's been like around here. I've watched one of my best friends turn on me in a flash over some stupid bloody tournament, even after I told him repeatedly that I didn't enter myself and that whoever did was probably trying to get me killed. I've listened to this person do his best to turn my housemates against me, claiming I stole the chance for glory and fame that should've been his! Meanwhile, my other best friend has worked tirelessly to make sure I survive this bloody spectacle, giving up all her free time to help me prepare to compete in a task that should be way over my head. Along the way, we both found a new friend who's come to mean more to us than our old one ever did." As he said this, Harry turned to look at Daphne, who smiled at him through the happy tears in her eyes. "Now, after I risk my life facing off against a bloody dragon, I find myself faced with this same person coming up to me as if he hasn't been busy stabbing me in the back for the last few weeks! He interrupts my celebration with the only two people who have stood by me through this entire ordeal to tell me that things can go back to the way they were, as if I'd even want them to! I'd much rather spend time with the 'slimy Slytherin' and the 'know-it-all bookworm' over Ronald bloody Weasley any day!"

As Harry had been speaking, Ron's entire face had turned the same shade of red as his fiery hair. After standing there for a few moments looking very much like a fish out of water, he finally spun on his heel and stormed out of the medical tent, leaving Harry with his arms full of two very happy witches. Before they could begin making their way back to the castle, the tent flap was pulled back again to admit Professor Dumbledore, followed closely by Igor Karkarov, Madame Maxime, and Barty Crouch, each one looking quite displeased. Harry stood calmly watching them approach, not relinquishing his hold on either girl beside him. When the judges reached the three teens it was Dumbledore who spoke.

"Harry, my boy, I must congratulate you on a most amusing performance. However, my fellow judges and I are most interested in where you learned to make portkeys? They are, after all, strictly policed by the Ministry, and only a Head of House or someone licensed by the Ministry has the right to create one. Would you be so kind as to explain?" Harry of course knew the Ministry's regulations on portkey creation, having read them in the book from his family vault. However, he wasn't about to tell Dumbledore that he was legally allowed to make them due to his status as head of two Most Ancient and Noble Families. As he frantically searched for an answer that would placate the headmaster, he was saved by the quick thinking of the brunette witch on his right arm.

"Oh, I'm afraid that would be my fault, Headmaster. I found some notes on how to make them scribbled into the margins of a book in the library and thought it might be a better way for Harry to get to and from his relatives' house rather than having them drive all the way to King's Cross. I had no idea they were controlled by the Ministry or I wouldn't have dreamed of suggesting it to him. Please don't punish him for my mistake, sir." Harry and Daphne were amazed at the speed at which Hermione concocted such a detailed and believable lie, not to mention the way she delivered it to one of the most powerful wizards in Britain with a truly contrite expression. Daphne wondered if the Sorting Hat had been convinced by more than one Gryffindor to be placed in that house rather than Slytherin their first year.

"Worry not, Ms. Granger. It was, after all, a simple mistake. I must say that it was also one of the most…creative uses of the portkey charm that I have ever seen. If this was a school related event, I believe I would be awarding you house points. As it is not, however, I'm afraid you'll have to make due with the knowledge that you are now tied with Mr. Krum for first place. The egg you collected contains a clue relating to the second task, which will occur in late February. Now, I believe there is a celebration occurring in Gryffindor tower that is missing its guest of honor. Good day Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Ms. Greengrass." The old wizard nodded to each teen in turn before ushering the other three judges out of the medical tent. Harry and the girls followed soon after, walking arm in arm up the path to the castle. None of them noticed Draco Malfoy watching their progress, his hateful glare promising retribution for his public humiliation very soon.

The week following the completion of the first task saw a drastic change in the attitudes of Harry's classmates. After saying goodbye to Daphne at the entrance to the dungeons, Harry and Hermione made their way back to their own common room to find a victory celebration in full swing. Much to his annoyance, Harry was immediately engulfed by people congratulating him on his success and showering him with handshakes, hugs, and friendly slaps on the back. The twins were exceptionally vocal in their praise of his prank on Malfoy and took great delight in mimicking the look on the face of the newly-crowned 'Slytherin Shithead.' The only Gryffindor not in a celebratory mood was Ron, who spent a few minutes sulking in a corner before storming angrily up to the 4th year boys' dormitories.

The party mood was dampened when Harry finally relented and opened the egg, only to immediately clamp it shut as a piercing wail echoed through the common room. Harry noticed the calculating look on Hermione's face and knew that she was already wracking her brain to solve the puzzle of the egg. Before too long Harry had had enough of feigning politeness to the very people who had been vilifying him the very day before, so claiming exhaustion he gave Hermione a warm hug before bidding the revelers goodnight.

The next morning saw much of the same treatment for Harry, with students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff making their way over to his spot at the Gryffindor table during breakfast to express their congratulations for his performance during the first task. Ron sat as far away from him as possible, shooting angry glares at him while devouring his breakfast with his usual fervor. Harry was thankful that Ginny and Neville, who had taken seats across the table from him, were content to treat him as if nothing was out of the ordinary. While neither had been very vocal about it, he knew that they had been supportive of his claims of not entering himself in the tournament. He knew it was just in their natures not to make waves with their housemates, but he still acknowledged their silent support.

Potions class later that morning saw Harry's good mood evaporate. 50 house points lost and a vanished potion after two hours of work left Harry on the verge of losing his temper, and only Hermione's hand on his arm kept him from causing some major damage. Just outside the classroom as they were leaving, Malfoy attempted to curse Harry in the back but his spell went awry as his arm was jostled by a passing student. The spell instead hit Hermione, whose teeth began to swell painfully in her mouth. Deciding he would deal with Malfoy later, Harry quickly rushed Hermione off to the hospital wing where Madame Pomphrey made quick work of reversing the spell, which actually fixed Hermione's slightly oversized front teeth. Harry made sure to tell Hermione that her smile was even more beautiful now, which earned him a blush and a kiss on the cheek.

When the trio got together that night in the Room of Requirement, Daphne also noticed the change in Hermione's appearance and thought it was a small improvement on an already beautiful smile. Hermione's blush returned, but she refrained from kissing Daphne's cheek, even after Harry cheekily mentioned her reaction to his similar comment. At Hermione's request, Harry brought along his egg and the trio spent a few hours trying to figure out what the wailing was trying to tell them. Before they left for the night they were relieved when Dobby popped in with three vials of headache remedy for them.

By the end of the week things had returned to normal, until Professor McGonagall announced the Yule Ball and asked Harry to stay after class during Transfiguration. Hermione was waiting outside when the raven-haired teen emerged from the classroom, deep in thought. At her questioning look he simply said 'tonight' and she nodded, figuring it was something to do with the tournament. He didn't mention it again, and she didn't bring it up again, until they entered the Room of Requirement to find Daphne already waiting for them, reading a book on charms and sipping pumpkin juice. Her smile at their entrance tuned to a concerned frown when she saw the distracted look on Harry's face.

"Harry? What's wrong?" She patted the spot on the couch next to her for Harry to sit. He flopped heavily into the offered spot, with Hermione taking a seat on his other side wearing a look of concern equal to Daphne's.

"Alright Harry, you've been stewing on something all day. Why don't you tell us what's bothering you and we'll see what we can do to help you?" Hermione had watched Harry all day and knew that whatever was on his mind was bothering him greatly.

"It's the Yule Ball." Both girls blinked in surprise. Whatever they had expected to have Harry so upset, this was not it. They patiently watched Harry fidget with the hem of his robes for a minute, gathering his thoughts. "Professor McGonagall told me today that as a champion, I have to open the dancing at the ball. She told me that I have to have a…a date." The girls both let out breaths they didn't know they were holding, relieved that Harry's problem was something as simple as finding a date to the ball.

"Oh Harry," Hermione giggled, "Is that all? I'm sure you could ask any girl in the castle and they'd be happy to go with you! You really don't give yourself enough credit you know."

"She's right, Harry," Daphne added. "I would bet anything that there will be girls lining up for a chance to go to the ball with the Boy-Who-Lived! I don't see what you're so worried about! I mean, it's not like you're Ronald Weasley or something!" Hermione chuckled at Daphne's jibe, but Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"That's just it, Daph," he muttered through his fingers. "They all want to go with the Boy-Who-Lived, not me. I'm just Harry. All they would see is the chance to be seen on the arm of a celebrity, and you both know how much I hate my fame. It would be miserable."

"Well the answer is simple, Harry." Hermione told him soothingly, "You just have to find someone who sees you as just Harry and not the Boy-Who-Lived." Daphne nodded her agreement and began rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Not bloody likely," Harry sighed. "The only witches I know who can do that are the two of you, and as much as I would love to have either of you on my arm for the Yule Ball, I couldn't possibly choose between you. So, you can see my problem. Well, that, and I don't know how to dance." Both girls' hearts fluttered at the thought of going to the ball with Harry, but they could see his dilemma about choosing between them. Suddenly, Daphne's mouth spread into a sly grin.

"Well, I'm fairly certain that between the two of us," Daphne indicated herself and Hermione, "we can have you dancing like a pro in no time. As to your date situation, you're right. It wouldn't be fair to have to choose between us, and I think it's very noble of you to consider our feelings like that. However, like Hermione said, the answer is simple." Harry looked up at her with a curious expression on his face. "Since we're your only options for dates to the ball, but you can't choose between us, I guess that means that you have to take both of us." Daphne's suggestion was met by a two simultaneous shouts of 'WHAT!' from Harry and Hermione, causing Daphne to chuckle. "It makes perfect sense! This way you get to go with someone who sees the real you and not just your celebrity, and Hermione and I get to get dressed up and go dancing on the arm of the only wizard in the castle that either of us would want to attend the ball with. It's a perfect solution!" Harry simple stared at her with a gobsmacked expression while Hermione's face threatened to break from her ear-to-ear grin. Harry shook himself from his daze and gave Daphne a concerned look.

"But Daph, what happened to not letting the school know that you were friends with us? Wouldn't you going to the ball as one of my dates kind of bollocks that?" Daphne waved his concern off with her hand.

"Oh don't worry about that Harry. I'm sure by now the kneazle's out of the bag due to Weasley's huge mouth spouting off all over the castle about you and Hermione throwing him over for a slimy Slytherin. Besides, the only people who would make a fuss about it are now deathly afraid of you after you trounced Malfoy in the great hall and then made a fool of him in front of the three biggest schools in Europe. The true Slytherins in the school would see it as me getting close to you in order to either get dirt on you or con my way into your confidence for personal gain, which if you remember was my original objective, minus the manipulation of course. Everyone else's opinions don't matter a knut, so there wouldn't be any problem there. Most importantly however," Daphne took Harry's hand in one of her own, and then reached across him to take one of Hermione's as well. "I'm tired of hiding my friendship with the two most important people in my life from everybody else, and I think the Yule Ball would be a perfect opportunity for us to bring it out into the open. What do you say?" Harry and Hermione smiled at Daphne's hopeful expression, before Harry turned to Hermione to gauge her feelings. In answer, Hermione took Harry's other hand in her left, completing the circle, and smiled warmly at him. Returning her smile, Harry looked between the two beautiful girls for a moment before he spoke.

"Would you two lovely ladies do me the great honor of being my dates to the Yule Ball?" The girls squealed with delight before throwing themselves into Harry's arms. After a bone-crushing three way hug and more than a few kisses planted on Harry's cheeks, the girls separated from Harry and ran off to a corner of the room, talking excitedly about dresses and shoes and other girly things that Harry didn't understand. For his part Harry simply sat in wonder, not quite willing to believe that his luck could have turned around so completely from where it was at Halloween. Part of him couldn't shake the feeling that his good fortune was too good to last.

Chapter 5

That night after the trio went their separate ways Harry sat down with quill and parchment and wrote a letter to Sirius detailing his performance during the first task and the developments with Ron and Daphne. He urged his godfather to be careful when returning to Britain and asked him if there was another way for the two of them to communicate without involving Harry's very recognizable owl. Harry also asked Sirius for some information that he might find useful in learning to handle his Lordships. Daphne had been an invaluable resource regarding pureblood law and tradition, especially when dealing with Malfoy, but Harry felt that his godfather might have more to say on the subject.

A couple days later a nondescript brown post owl dropped a package in front of Harry during breakfast. Opening it he found a mirror wrapped in a piece of parchment with the words 'map password' in Sirius's handwriting. Giving Hermione a significant look, the pair rushed out of the great hall and up to the 7th floor, with Daphne not far behind after seeing them leave. As they got comfortable on the couch, Harry touched his wand to the parchment and said the magic words. The ink swirled and reformed to simply say 'say your godfather's name while holding the mirror.' Shrugging his shoulders at Hermione and Daphne, Harry spoke clearly towards the mirror 'Sirius Black.' The teens were shocked when the smiling face of the fugitive appeared in the mirror and greeted them.

"Hey there pup! Good to see you! Hermione, you're looking lovely as ever. I'm glad to see you have been keeping our boy in line." Hermione blushed and smiled shyly at Harry. Sirius then caught sight of Daphne's amused smirk over Harry's other shoulder. "Oh ho! This enchanting young lady must be Daphne Greengrass. Yes, Harry mentioned that he's had two beautiful witches keeping him out of trouble this year. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm actually an old friend of your father you know. In fact, the Blacks and Greengrasses have had business dealings going back several generations. Remind me sometime to tell you a few stories from our younger days that would make your head spin!" He turned back to a smiling Harry. "Harry, my boy, it really is great to see you. What do you think of the mirror?"

"It's brilliant! Where is it from?" Harry's enthusiastic response caused the old dog to chuckle.

"Remus and I invented them during our time there at Hogwarts. We would use them to coordinate pranks and talk to each other during detentions." Seeing the hopeful look on Hermione's face Sirius addressed her. "Yes, Hermione, I'll check with Moony and see if he remembers how we made them. I daresay that as smart as you are you could probably improve on our design." Sirius's words caused something in Harry's memory to click.

"That reminds me! When you were here did you ever hear about something the house elves call the Come-and-Go room, or the Room of Requirement?" At Sirius's negative head shake, Harry and the girls explained to him the wonderful room they were in and its awesome capabilities, leaving the old prankster almost drooling.

"Merlin, but that room would've been useful for planning pranks! I'm guessing that it doesn't show up on the Map then?" Harry nodded. "Well that should be easy enough to fix. I'll have to put you in touch with Moony though; he and Lily did most of the charms work on it." Harry was shocked. He had been under the impression that his mother disapproved of the Marauders' antics. To find out that she had been instrumental in creating the Marauders' Map made Harry wonder just what he might find in the journal he had locked in his trunk. "Anyway pup, tell me more about what's been going on around old Hoggy Hogwarts lately. Done any pranking?" Harry and the girls spent the next two hours updating Sirius on the year's events to date. When Harry described dropping the dragon dung on Malfoy they were sure that the old Marauder's howling laughter could be heard in the Beauxbatons carriage. After a pleasant evening of catching up and letting Sirius and the girls get to know each other, it was almost curfew.

"Alright, you three, this has been a wonderful evening that has done wonders for this old dog's soul. Be sure to keep this mirror and use it whenever you need to talk about anything. I'm staying at my family's old manor. It's under the Fidelius so I'm not in any danger, but it's just me and the crazy house elf alone in this big old house. Keep me updated on things around the castle, and keep him out of trouble you two!" The smiling girls each laid their head on Harry's shoulder.

"We will." They chorused in unison, eliciting a round of giggles. Sirius cocked his eyebrow at Harry.

"On second thought it may be these two that get you into trouble in the first place!" Sirius and the girls broke into laughter at Harry's mock glare and Harry broke off the call. The trio sat in comfortable silence for a minute more before checking the Map and heading off to their beds.

It was a week before the Yule Ball and the trio had just finished another dance lesson. The truth was that Harry had been dancing very well after only a few lessons, but the girls weren't about to give up their nightly time in his arms. They had still kept up their routine of studying and spell practice to the point that all three of them were past N.E.W.T. level with most subjects and Hermione could now throw off Daphne's Imperious Curse, although neither girl could resist Harry's yet.

Bidding Daphne goodnight, Harry and Hermione made their way back to Gryffindor tower hesitantly, not looking forward to the welcome they were sure to receive. Ever since the confrontation after the first task Ron had become more vocal in his animosity toward Harry. Neville, Ginny, and the twins had done their best to dissuade his complaining, but Ron's jealousy usually proved too great to contain. He had attempted on many occasions to persuade Hermione to abandon Harry but was soundly rebuffed every time. As a result, his grades were abysmal and he was in danger of being held back a year. This did not help his attitude toward Harry, as he viewed Hermione's homework help as just one more thing of his that Harry had stolen from him.

When they entered the common room they found the red head waiting for them, but to their surprise he completely ignored Harry and instead focused his attention on Hermione.

"Herms!" Hermione cringed at the hated nickname. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! I was beginning to think you were avoiding me or something!" Hermione's look clearly stated to everyone but Ron that that was exactly what she had been doing.

"What do you want, Ronald?" As usual, Ron was completely oblivious to the ice in her voice.

"Well, I was thinking." Harry and Hermione cocked an eyebrow at the unlikelihood of that statement. "I need a date to the ball. Then I thought, 'hey! Hermione's a girl!' And since I know nobody's asked you yet, I figured you could go with me! If things go well you might even get a goodnight snog!"

Every male in the common room winced at Ron's tactless delivery while every female present was looking at him as if he was something to scrape off their shoe. The whole school was fairly certain that Hermione would attend the ball with Harry, and those who saw the stormy look now darkening his features knew that guess was right. If Harry was angry over Ron's insensitive comments however, it was nothing compared to Hermione's fury as she exploded on the red headed prat.

"You vile, disgusting, loathsome, irritating imbecile! For your information, Ronald, I've had a date since the day the ball was announced! And even if I didn't, I would rather go with one of Hagrid's bloody skrewts than attend the ball with you!" Ron's temper would not let that go unanswered.

"Oh really?" he scoffed. "And just who is this mystery date then?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Harry of course! That should've been obvious even to someone as dense as you!" Ron waved his hand dismissively.

"Nice try Hermione, but we all know Harry's probably going with that Slytherin bitch Greengrass." Harry's hackles rose immediately at Ron's insult of Daphne, and he could feel his nails digging into his palms as he fought to keep from beating the git senseless. Hermione, however, knew a much more effective way to deal with Ron.

"Actually, you're right Ron," she said, causing him to smirk in triumph. "He's actually escorting both of us to the ball." Ron's angry outburst was interrupted by the twins bowling him to the ground to get to Harry.

"Wow, Harry!"

"Two birds!"

"The Ice Queen of Slytherin-"

"and the Genius of Gryffindor-"

"Together!" they said in unison.

"Ickle Ronniekins here can't even land one date-"

"and Harry winds up with the two hottest witches in his year!" Here the twins hit their knees in front of Harry with their hands clasped in a praying gesture in front of them.

"We'll give you our fortunes-"

"everything we have-"

"if you tell us your secret-"

"Please!" After saying the last word together the twins adopted their best puppy dog eyes and blinked pleadingly at Harry. By now Ron had collected a full head of steam and his temper roared to life.

"Damn you Potter! You can't let me have anything can you? Money, fame, glory, and now my date to the Yule Ball! I'm sick of it! I'm always the one stuck in the shadow of the great Harry Potter. I hate you! Stay away from me, my family, and especially my sister! That goes for you too, Hermione!" The twins shook their heads sadly at their younger brother while Ginny looked ready to hex him herself. When they turned to face Harry, the twins were suddenly all business.

"He doesn't speak for the rest of the family, you two. " Harry thought it was George speaking.

"You know you're both welcome at the Burrow anytime," Probably-Fred added. From where she stood next to Neville, Ginny piped up.

"That goes for me too, Harry. I'll even save you a dance at the ball if you'd like." Harry gave her a warm smile, causing the girl to blush to her roots.

"It would be my pleasure, Gin." Ginny smiled and nodded shyly.

"I do not envy you when mum hears what you've said tonight, little brother," Fred said to Ron.

"And rest assured she most certainly will hear everything you've said tonight, from all three of us." George added.

"I'd be looking for a howler soon if I were you," Ginny said. Just then everyone was startled by the appearance of a frantic Dobby.

"Master Harry Potter and Miss Mione must come quick! The bad master and his friends be's hurting you's Miss Daphne!" Harry and Hermione drew their wands and made to follow Dobby out of the common room but were stopped by a still-fuming Ron.

"I don't think so, Potter," he sneered. "If the snakes want to off each other that's their business, but it's time you two showed some Gryffindor loyalty for a change. If you want to go help your Slytherin bitch you'll have to get through m…" Ron's threat was interrupted by Harry's fist impacting his face. Ron hadn't hit the floor before the pair was through the portrait hole rushing to help their friend.

As Daphne made her way towards the dungeons humming the melody to the last song she and Harry had danced to, she was startled by Draco Malfoy appearing from behind a pillar in front of her, blocking her path. She instantly schooled her features into her Ice Queen persona and stopped in her tracks.

"Malfoy," she said in a monotone. Malfoy regarded her with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hello Greengrass. Fancy meeting you here? Out for a little nighttime stroll are we?" Draco's tone was casual, but there was a glint in his eyes that chilled Daphne's spine.

"I don't see how that's any business of yours, Malfoy." Though calm on the outside, Daphne's instincts were telling her to run as fast as she could.

"Oh, but I think it is." Malfoy began stepping toward her menacingly as he spoke, slowly forcing her backwards. "You see, when I notice someone from a respectable family getting cozy with that pathetic half-blood Potter, even going so far as to help him prepare for the tournament along with his mudblood bitch, it becomes my business." Daphne suddenly found herself being grabbed roughly from behind as Crabbe and Goyle made their presence known. Daphne cursed herself for letting them get the drop on her.

"The Dark Lord doesn't take kindly to blood-traitors, Greengrass." Draco's face was mere inches from her own, his breath hot and sour in her nose.

"The Dark Lord is dead," Daphne spat. Draco merely smiled.

"Make no mistake, he will return. And when he does, he'll reward his faithful richly – and punish his enemies severely. I wonder how he'll reward me, for example, when I tell him how I discovered a blood-traitor in my midst and…removed her before she could become a threat." Draco's smile widened at the brief flash of fear that escaped Daphne's mask. "Think of the joy he'll feel when I describe to him the anguish on Harry Potter's face when he sees your broken body. Imagine, if you will, the Dark Lord laughing as I tell him how the mudblood cried over your grave. Who knows? Maybe I'll step in and offer her some…comfort." Daphne lunged at him, tears trailing down her cheeks as she fought to free herself. Draco used his thumb to gently wipe away her tears and whispered, "Don't worry, Greengrass, your death won't be in vain. It will serve as a reminder to anyone who would oppose the Dark Lord that to do so has severe consequences."

"He'll kill you, you know." Despite her tears, Daphne's voice was filled with steely conviction. "He'll destroy you, you and your pathetic Dark Lord. You think killing me will break him? Harry Potter is more of a wizard, more of a man, than you'll ever hope to be." With a snarl Draco reached back and slapped her viciously. Daphne could taste warm copper as blood began trickling from the cut on her lip. "You're a fool, Draco," she said, giving him a bloody smile. "You don't know Harry like I do. When he finds out what you've done there won't be a force on this earth that will stop him from tearing you and these two goons apart. And I promise you, Draco, wherever I am, you will hear me laughing as you die." As Daphne's smirk met Malfoy's sneer, he gave an inarticulate cry of rage before punching Daphne in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Daphne felt her ribs break as Malfoy's fists connected again and again. She collapsed to her knees as Crabbe and Goyle released her, only for Draco's knee to smash hard into her face, shattering her nose. Barely conscious, she felt herself being dragged towards the stone staircase leading to the dungeons. Draco hauled her roughly to her feet and turned her so she stood facing the edge of the stairs.

"Who's laughing now?" Draco hissed in her ear before shoving her forward. Daphne didn't have breath to scream as she tumbled painfully down the staircase. She heard bones snapping as she fell, finally coming to a sudden stop on the cold dungeon floor. Her last thought before darkness took her was of a man with unruly black hair, a pair of strong arms, and two gorgeous green eyes.

Harry and Hermione's footsteps echoed off the stone walls as they rushed after Dobby toward the entrance to the dungeons. When they came to the top of the staircase the sight that met them at the bottom brought them up short.

Daphne lay in a twisted heap, her right arm and left leg bent at impossible angles, her long blonde hair stained red in the quickly expanding pool of blood surrounding her body. Desperately calling their friend's name, the two teens rushed down the stairs as fast as they could. When they reached the fallen girl Hermione cast several diagnostic charms before placing her under a stasis charm.

"Oh Harry," she almost sobbed. "She's in really bad shape. We need to get to her to Madame Pomphrey straight away!" Quickly Harry levitated the unconscious girl and began floating her to the hospital wing. The doors had barely opened before Harry and Hermione began yelling for the mediwitch, who emerged from her office and quickly directed them to place Daphne in a nearby bed. Madame Pomphrey immediately began casting her own diagnostic charms and calling for blood replenishing and bone knitting potions.

"Good work placing her in stasis you two. Hermione, the potions cabinet is right over there, quickly!" Hermione rushed to comply with her demands while Harry did his best to stay out of the way, his eyes never leaving Daphne. He watched as Madame Pomphrey closed the girl's cuts and straightened her broken limbs, all the while eyeing a glowing orb of red light floating above Daphne's body that pulsed with her erratic heartbeat. Her wand was a blur as she worked frantically to save Daphne's life, but it was clear from the activity of the monitor spell that her efforts wouldn't be enough. Her eyes widened in horror as the orb gave a final pulse before stilling. Madame Pomphrey's shoulders slumped in defeat as Hermione threw herself into Harry's arms sobbing.

"I'm sorry," the mediwitch mumbled, "I did everything I could. It was just too much for her heart to take." The older witch had tears in her eyes as Harry just looked on in shock, not wanting to believe that his friend was gone. Suddenly something Daphne had told them during one of their study sessions popped into his mind. Gently transferring the sobbing Hermione into Madame Pomphrey's arms, he drew his wand from the pocket of his robes.

"Please trust me," he said to the healer, who nodded mutely at the pleading look in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, Harry leveled his wand.

"Crucio!"

Madame Pomphrey screamed as Daphne's body bucked under the curse. Hermione, having figured out what Harry was trying to do, was using all her strength to restrain the frantic witch. Ignoring her furious protests, Harry focused on powering the spell as Daphne had taught them.

"Crucio!" As Daphne's body convulsed again, the monitor orb floating above her flashed and pulsed twice before stilling. This brought the healer up short. Never in her career as a mediwitch had she ever seen someone brought back from cardiac arrest. The fact that Harry Potter was using one of the Unforgivables to perform this miracle struck her dumb. No longer fighting against Hermione, she stood in awe and prayed that the boy would be successful where she had failed.

"Crucio!" Once again the orb showed a few faint pulses before falling still. Harry had tears in his eyes as he fought to save Daphne's life. Pouring all of his love and affection for the girl into his magic, Harry tried one more time.

"Come on Daph," he whispered. "Crucio!"

Beat…

Beat…

…

Beat…beat…beat…

Harry was tackled to the ground by an overjoyed Hermione as they watched Daphne's heart regain a rhythm. Madame Pomphrey quickly worked to stabilize the girl as Harry and Hermione held each other, sobbing with relief. After a few minutes of work, the healer drew them both up into a crushing hug.

"Harry, that was absolutely stunning! Everything we know says it's impossible to bring someone back once the heart stops but by Merlin you did it! To think that that horrible curse could perform such a miracle! Oh, my boy, I'll never forget this as long as I live! You saved her life Harry." Madame Pomphrey held the happy teens at arm's length, beaming at them through relieved tears. "She'll be unconscious for a few days but she'll pull through. Of course you're welcome to visit her as often as you like." Wiping her tears away, she suddenly grew serious. "Now, I think you should make yourselves scarce before the headmaster shows up and you're forced to answer some awkward questions. I'll tell him that you brought her in, but no more. Miracle or not, that curse still carries a lifetime sentence in Azkaban. However, after what I've just seen I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years it revolutionizes wizarding medicine. Thank you both for bringing her to me, I'll take care of her for you." Hugging the two teens again, she gently shooed them out of the infirmary. Once the doors were closed, Harry stared at them for a moment, letting his nerves calm. Hermione watched as his look of elation morphed slowly into one of cold determination before he took off at a brisk pace toward Gryffindor tower, making her run to catch up.

"Harry?" she asked tentatively. "Harry, what are you going to do?"

"I need to talk to Sirius," he replied. "I need his advice."

"You mean you're not going after Malfoy?" she asked. She could only guess what Harry was feeling right now, considering how badly she wanted to find the blonde ferret and curse him into oblivion herself for hurting her sister in all but blood. She shuddered to think of what Harry would do to him.

"Oh, don't worry about that Hermione," he said without breaking stride. "I'm going after him alright, but not right now." Harry stopped and turned to face her, his green eyes alight with a fire that made her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat. "I'm going to destroy him, Hermione. I'm going to destroy him, his Death Eater father, and those two brainless morons of his. He'll rue the day he ever heard the name Harry Potter by the time I'm through with him."

"So why do you need to talk to Sirius?" The predatory grin on Harry's face sent a shiver down her spine.

"Because," he said, "up till now Malfoy has only been dealing with Harry James Potter, 4th year Hogwarts student. It's time he learned what happens to people who mess with Lord Harry James Potter-Black, Head of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses. He doesn't realize it yet, but he just reaped the whirlwind." The power in Harry's voice threatened to turn Hermione into a pile of hormonal goo. She took his arm and gave him a sultry smile.

"Well then, I guess we have an appointment to keep with your godfather. Shall we, my Lord?" Grinning, Harry took one of her hands and brought it up to his lips, causing her to shiver.

"As my Lady wishes."

Harry and Hermione spent the next week in the room of Requirement taking lessons on pureblood politics from Sirius. He had been outraged when they told him of Daphne's attempted murder and extremely proud of his godson's actions in saving her life. Hermione took to the lessons with a stronger fervor than usual, fueled by her concern for Daphne and her anger towards Malfoy. As Sirius lectured, she took detailed notes for them to study from later, and some of her questions had the old Marauder scouring the Black library for the answers. The more Harry learned, the more he realized why Dumbledore had kept his lordship from him. He was surprised to learn what power he wielded as the head of two such powerful families; power which would make him much more difficult to control. Harry set that thought aside to deal with later.

After discussing it with Hermione and Sirius, they had decided that Harry and Hermione should attend the Yule Ball in Daphne's honor. This is how Harry found himself standing next to a nervous looking Neville as they awaited the arrival of their dates. Harry's heart leapt to his throat as he caught his first glimpse of Hermione descending the stairs from the girls' dorms in a stunning periwinkle dress that proved without a doubt that Hermione Granger was definitely a girl. Her usually bushy hair was elegantly styled, with curly ringlets framing her face. However, it was the radiant smile that blossomed on her face as their eyes met that took his breath away. He didn't even notice Ginny following a few steps behind her in an emerald green dress that set off her fiery hair and pale complexion beautifully.

"You look…I mean…you...wow." Hermione giggled at the effect she was having on him.

"You clean up pretty well yourself, Potter," she said as she took his arm and allowed him to lead her through the portrait hole behind Neville and Ginny. As the two couples began making their way to the great hall, Harry was having trouble keeping his eyes off of the vision of beauty on his arm. Hermione thought she could quite easily get used to receiving such attention from Harry. Along the way their thoughts and conversation turned to the absent member of their trio, whom they had visited every day since saving her life.

"I wish Daphne could've been here with us," Hermione said.

"So do I. I know how much she was looking forward to the ball." Hermione sighed.

"It just feels like something's missing, you know? It's like we're…incomplete somehow, without her here." Harry nodded in agreement.

"I feel the same way. I do feel much better about being here tonight knowing that she's going to be alright. I also feel like we owe it to her to enjoy ourselves tonight, to not let Malfoy see that he's gotten to us. I think Daph would approve." Hermione's answering smile showed that she thought so too. By now they had reached the entrance to the hall. As the doors opened and Professor McGonagall ushered the champions through, Harry leaned in close to Hermione's ear and whispered, "At least I still get to dance with one of the two most beautiful witches in the castle tonight." Hermione blushed and smiled brightly as they entered the hall and made their way up to the champions' table, each determined to have a good time despite the Daphne-shaped hole they felt in their hearts.

After dinner and a few hours of dancing, the couple left the great hall to take a stroll through the cool air of the grounds, which had been decorated for the Yule festivities. It had been a wonderful night for both of them, despite the hateful glares they had received from a dateless Ron and a smug-looking Malfoy. The only thing that could've made the night better was if Daphne could've been there to enjoy it with them. That was why after receiving word from Tracy Davis and her date Blaise Zabini that Daphne was awake, the Gryffindor duo quickly made their way to the hospital wing. Carefully opening the doors in case she was asleep, they saw their friend lying in her bed where they last saw her, tears leaking out of her beautiful blue eyes. In a flash they flew across the room and wrapped the startled witch in a warm embrace. Daphne held them tightly and sobbed into Harry's shoulder as the reality of what had almost happened slammed home. Eventually they were able to calm her down enough to speak.

"Oh Harry, H-Hermione, I was so s-s-scared!" She choked out. "It was Malfoy. He c-caught me on my way back to the common room. He said he was going to ki…kill me to send you a message. I tried to fight back but Crabbe and Goyle had my arms and I couldn't reach my wand. I thought I was never going to see either of you again!" Daphne broke down in a fresh round of sobs as her friends held her tight and whispered soothing words in her ears. After her sobbing turned to subdued sniffles, Harry drew back and held her at arm's length to look her in the eyes.

"Daphne, listen to me, alright? It'll take a lot more than that bastard is capable of to take you away from us." Hermione wrapped her arms around the shaking witch as Harry spoke. "You're our best friend Daph, and we love you. We promise we won't let anything else happen to you, and anybody trying to hurt you will have to get through us first!" Hermione was adding her own tears to Daphne's as she nodded her head into the blonde witch's shoulder.

"But Harry, you can't be there to protect me all the time," Daphne said. "You know once he finds out I'm alive he'll come for me. What if he tries again when you're not around?" Harry could see the fear in her eyes, and it broke his heart.

"I'll always be there for you Daph, don't ever doubt that. And if for some reason I'm not, I'll still be looking out for you. Dobby!" With a pop the elf appeared next to Daphne's bed. She gave a watery laugh as he bowed to her in his strange ensemble of mismatched socks and stocking caps. "Dobby, you are to protect Daphne whenever she is not in mine or Hermione's presence. You are not to let anyone harm her, is that understood?" Dobby nodded enthusiastically, nearly dislodging some of the many hats stacked precariously on his head. The tinkling sound of Daphne laughing at the little elf's antics was music to her friends' ears. "Thank you, my friend. You're a good elf." Dobby puffed out his chest with pride before nodding sharply and popping away.

"Alright, enough of that," said Daphne. "I have my two favorite people sitting here looking absolutely gorgeous so that means tonight was the Yule Ball. Now, since I couldn't be there to dance with my handsome prince, you'll just have to tell me all about it and take me dancing as soon as I'm out of this bed!" She then sat listening intently as Harry and Hermione described every detail of the evening that they could remember. Hermione's retelling of Harry's whispered words to her as they entered the great hall earned him a kiss on the cheek and a dazzling smile. She chuckled at the image of Ron sitting alone all night looking miserable and almost fell out of the bed laughing when Hermione described Malfoy's expression as 'looking like someone had just killed his puppy.' Daphne was delighted that her friends had had such a wonderful time, and it touched her deeply when they told her that the only thing missing was her on Harry's other arm. Eventually Madame Pomphrey came out to tell them that it was time for her patient to get some sleep, but that they could spend as much time as they wanted with her from now until classes resumed after the New Year. After the healer had bid them goodnight and returned to her office, Daphne gave Hermione a long hug before taking Harry's hands in her own.

"Harry, Madame Pomphrey explained to me how you both brought me here and how you saved my life. I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for me." When Harry went to interrupt he was silenced by her finger pressing on his lips. "Let me finish, Harry. When I thought I was…going to die," she dropped her eyes to her lap, gazing at her hands. "My last thought was of you." When she raised her head there were fresh tears glistening in her eyes. "And then you came and saved me, like something out of one of those children's books written about the fantastic adventures of Harry Potter." She smiled as Harry rolled his eyes. "Do you know how many girls our age grew up dreaming about Prince Harry Potter slaying the dragon and whisking them away on his Hippogriff? Well, I've seen you beat a dragon, and Hermione told me the story about you saving Buckbeak." Hermione smiled wistfully at the memory of her arms around him that night. "And no matter what anybody says Mr. Potter, you most definitely are a prince." Harry blushed and ducked his head bashfully. Daphne cupped his face with her hands, gently lifting his head until they were face to face. Then she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. After a few blissful moments, she broke the kiss and both girls giggled at the dazed look on his face.

"I think you broke him," Hermione whispered.

"Oh I'm sure you'll be able to straighten him out fairly easily," Daphne replied with a sly grin. Hermione blushed and nodded. "Now," Daphne said, turning once more to Harry, "I've got the prince, and the goodnight kiss, so it's time for the fond farewell. But you still owe me a dance, Potter!" Harry took her hand in his and kissed it, causing her to blush.

"It would be my absolute pleasure, Ms. Greengrass." He replied smoothly, causing her heart to race. With a final round of hugs, Harry and Hermione slipped out of the hospital wing and walked quietly, hand-in-hand back to Gryffindor tower. Stopping at the foot of the stairs separating the boys' and girls' dormitories, neither teen was ready to say goodnight just yet. Taking a few moments to simply gaze at each other, it was Harry who finally broke the silence.

"I had a really great time with you tonight, Hermione. You really were the most beautiful girl at the ball, and I was honored to have you on my arm." Hermione graced him with a warm smile.

"Thank you Harry, it means a lot to hear you say that. I had a wonderful time as well. In fact it was the most romantic night I've ever had, except for flying on Buckbeak with you." Harry nodded; that night had been the subject of many of his more pleasant dreams in the time since it had happened. "There's only one thing now that would make this night perfect." At Harry's puzzled expression, Hermione stood on tiptoe and captured his lips with her own. Wrapping her arms around his neck she opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. After a few minutes the need for oxygen forced them to separate, resting their foreheads against each other and breathing heavily. "You know those books about you did get something right. You really are a prince, Harry." She tenderly kissed him again. "A prince who's won both our hearts." After another gentle kiss, Hermione took a few steps up towards the girls' dorms before stopping to look at him one more time. "Goodnight Harry. And thank you for a perfect night." Harry watched her until she passed out of sight into her dorm before heading up to his own bed, where he dreamed of dancing with his two beautiful witches.

Chapter 6

It was another week before Madame Pomphrey declared Daphne fit enough to be released from the hospital wing, but with her friends spending every day keeping her company the time passed quickly. The New Year was brought in by Harry officially asking the girls to be his girlfriends, earning him two searing New Year's kisses. Harry and Hermione brought Daphne up to speed on the plan they had developed with Sirius's help, and after making a few suggestions and minor tweaks she declared it worthy of Salazar Slytherin himself. One of her suggestions was to include Tracy and Astoria, as well as Neville, Ginny, and the twins, to which Harry immediately agreed. They decided that the best time to act would be the first day back from winter holiday when the majority of the students from all three schools would be present in the great hall. It was a day they all anxiously awaited.

As the students fresh from holiday began trickling into the great hall for breakfast they knew immediately that something was up. Sitting calmly at the Gryffindor table across from Neville, Ginny, and the twins was Daphne Greengrass and her sister Astoria, along with Tracy Davis, with Harry and Hermione on either side of Daphne. The rest of the Gryffindors seemed only mildly curious at the additions to their table; except for Ron, whose glare could curdle dairy. The other houses were just waiting for the fireworks to start. They didn't have to wait long as Malfoy and his two sidekicks sauntered into the hall to make their morning appearance.

"What the hell are you three doing?" His shout silenced the hall and drew everyone's rapt attention. When Draco noticed that it was Daphne sitting alive and well between Harry and Hermione, his eyes widened and the color drained from his face. Not looking up from her meal, Daphne baited the trap.

"Surprised to see me Draco?" He quickly schooled his features back into his trademark sneer.

"Why should I be, Greengrass? After all, I always knew the three of you were a bunch of worthless blood-traitors. Though I must say, even you could do better than the likes of Potter and the mudblood." Now it was time for Harry to lure him in for the kill.

"Coming from someone who keeps two trained monkeys as friends, I would take that as a compliment Daph." Crabbe and Goyle wore their customary blank expressions while Malfoy's face quickly turned red with rage as the hall erupted into laughter.

"Nobody was speaking to you, Scarhead," he spat.

"Well I guess that makes you a nobody then, doesn't it?" Harry sounded bored with the entire conversation, which only served to further infuriate Malfoy.

"Fool! I am Draco Malfoy, heir to the Noble House of Malfoy! You're nothing but a pathetic orphan surrounded by his band of freaks and losers!"

"Better to be the orphan of heroes than the bigoted son of a Death Eater." There were surprised hisses around the hall as everyone listening drew a surprised breath.

"You leave my father out of this! When he hears of your insolence he'll…"

"He'll do nothing," Harry interrupted, "except bluster and rant about how superior he is when the truth of the matter is that without his stolen money to use for bribes, the name Malfoy would mean nothing! "

"My father is not a thief! He is a noble and honorable man…"

"…who claimed the Imperius Curse to avoid Azkaban for torturing and killing innocent people during the last war. The fact is that his nobility is only as deep as his coin purse and if you look past that you find a coward who can't wait to kiss the hem of Voldemort's robes like a slave. That's not nobility, Draco. That's pathetic." Not a whisper could be heard in the great hall as Harry's words hung in the air. He knew that Draco's pride would not allow such insults to go unanswered; in fact, he was counting on it. Daphne had told him that Snape and Malfoy like to use Harry's own temper against him, so he decided to fight fire with fire. And just as Harry predicted, Malfoy walked right into the trap.

"That's it, Potter! It's high time someone teaches you to respect your betters! I, Draco Ares Malfoy, heir of the Noble House of Malfoy, challenge you, Harry James Potter, to a wizard's duel!" The hall broke out in excited whispers at the idea of witnessing such a spectacle. It was quickly explained to those who didn't know that a challenge of a wizard's duel must be answered, but to decline would do irreparable damage to one's honor. To the surprise of many, the twins refused to take bets on the outcome of the duel. To them, this was serious.

From his seat at the head table, Professor Dumbledore had watched with interest as the two young wizards traded insults and barbs. As with their last confrontation, the headmaster was content to take a stance of noninterference and see how they resolved their issues on their own. He was particularly interested in how Mr. Potter dealt with the verbal abuse being directed his way. Dumbledore had been prepared for Harry to completely ignore Mr. Malfoy as he did previously, but when he actually started returning fire the old man's ears perked up. He was beginning to see that his time spent in the company of Ms. Granger and Ms. Greengrass was causing Harry to develop a backbone. Albus thought it was a good thing that Harry was unaware of his lordship of House Potter, because if he did, it would be almost impossible to convince him to return to his relatives for the summer. It would also mean that Dumbledore would have very little if any control over the boy's actions, and would therefore be unable to mold the boy as he saw fit for the 'greater good.' He decided that he would keep a closer eye on young Mr. Potter's development throughout the trials of the tournament, but for now he must step in and defuse this situation before the boy could say something to make it worse.

"Harry, my boy, it seems you've found yourself in a sticky situation. Please, allow me to instruct you on the proper etiquette for declining such a duel." Hackles raised on the backs of the listening purebloods at the headmaster's intrusion. Not only was such interference a breach of protocol, but he was about to lead Harry directly to public disgrace! Harry, however, was not about to listen to Dumbledore this time. Thanks to Sirius's tutelage, he was well versed in most pureblood traditions, including ones surrounding dueling. As such, he knew exactly how to answer Draco's challenge since it was this very challenge that had been Harry's goal from the beginning. Standing to face the blonde wizard, Harry allowed his Potter Head of House ring to become visible, which placed the Potter crest on the right breast of his robes directly over the Hogwarts crest. Draco paled as he saw this and knew immediately that he had been led into a masterful trap. However, due to the nature of his challenge, he had no choice but to go through with it and hope for the best, knowing that as the heir to a lesser house than Harry's, his defeat would mean disaster for his family. Smirking into the terrified eyes of the Malfoy heir, Harry answered the challenge.

"I, Harry James Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, accept the challenge of a wizard's duel made by Draco Ares Malfoy, Heir of the Noble House of Malfoy. Duelmaster Flitwick," Harry said, turning to the former dueling champion and current Hogwarts charms professor, "would you do the honors of erecting the dueling platform and acting as referee?" Flitwick had sensed the setup as soon as Harry addressed him by his dueling title rather than as a professor, but he felt personally that Draco Malfoy deserved the arse-kicking he was about to receive for the years of torment he had heaped on Harry and his friends.

"It would be my honor, Lord Potter," he replied, and began constructing the dueling area and warding it to protect the spectators from wayward spellfire. Dumbledore stood and angrily shouted at Harry, "Mr. Potter, I demand you stop this at once! There will be no dueling of any kind in my school!" Harry fixed the headmaster with a steely glare.

"I'm afraid you're too late, headmaster," he replied. "Maybe if you had acted, say, three years earlier to reign in Malfoy's attitude towards me then it wouldn't have come to this. As it is, a challenge has been issued and accepted, and by law must be dealt with immediately. Since you refuse to show people the consequences of their actions, I will. Now, if you'll excuse me." Dumbledore could only watch as Harry and Draco made their way to opposite ends of the dueling platform and stood facing each other, wands at the ready.

"What are the terms?" Flitwick asked Harry, whose right it was to choose as he was the one issued the challenge.

"No Unforgivables. First blood or first to yield. No seconds." Harry clearly stated, receiving a nod from the referee.

"Very well. Lord Potter, Mr. Malfoy, you may begin!" The two opponents bowed to each other and stood poised to strike. Malfoy could barely keep himself from shaking as he was stared down by a pair of fiery green eyes that had a certain pair of witches in the audience drooling. Neither wizard moved for what seemed like an eternity before the spells started flying in a flurry of motion.

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Both spells were dodged, though for Draco it was a close call. It was immediately clear to everyone that the blond boy was at a severe disadvantage due to Harry's near constant training for the tournament. Deciding that he might as well hurt Harry while he had the chance, Draco started throwing some of the more lethal spells in his arsenal.

"Diffindo!"

Harry easily ducked the cutting curse before returning one of his own, followed by a bludgeoning hex that connected with Draco's right shoulder. Draco answered with a bone-breaking curse that Harry sidestepped and countered with another cutting curse. Draco tripped and fell to the platform as he moved to dodge the curse and Harry was immediately on the offensive. Firing bludgeoning hexes with pinpoint accuracy, Harry managed to blast Malfoy's wand off the platform and out of his reach. Raising his wand again, few missed the irony of Harry's next spell choice.

"Serpensortia!"

Gasps were heard from the spectators as an enormous black snake erupted from the tip of Harry's wand. Draco's eyes widened in terror as Harry commanded the snake in Parseltongue.

"Kill the blonde one."

The snake nodded once and began slithering its way towards Draco, who sat frozen in fear watching its approach. Harry glanced at the girls to see them looking on with grim determination on their faces. Harry knew that Draco would be receiving no calls for mercy from them. As the snake reached Draco and coiled itself to strike, the terrified wizard found his voice.

"I yield! I yield, Potter!"

"Stop!" The snake relaxed and returned to Harry who gently stroked its head.

"Go to my mates," he commanded, pointing at Hermione and Daphne. "We will release you safely in the hunting ground outside."

"As you command, Speaker," the snake answered before slithering off the platform and over to Daphne and Hermione. Hermione calmly bent down and allowed the snake to climb up her arm and drape itself over her shoulders, where Daphne playfully tickled it under its chin. Smiling at his girls, Harry turned to regard the wizard cowering before him. So as not to be overheard, he bent down close to Draco's ear.

"Yielding was the smartest thing you've ever done with regards to me," he whispered. "Now I'm going to do to you what you tried to do to Daphne. I'm going to kill you, Draco Malfoy, and use you as an example of what happens to those who threaten me or those I love." Standing, Harry spoke so that he could be heard by everyone in the hall.

"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby claim victory over Draco Malfoy, Heir to the Noble House of Malfoy. As such, I claim right of restitution." This drew shocked gasps from the purebloods, as rights of restitution were only claimed when victory in the duel was insufficient to satisfy the victor's honor. Considering the turbulent history between the two competitors, everyone knew that Harry was not about to show mercy. "Therefore, as Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, I hereby declare the line of Malfoy to be extinct with the current Head of that House, one Lucius Malfoy. From this day forth, Draco Malfoy shall be known as Draco Black, of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, in accordance with his mother's maiden heritage." Shock turned to confusion with this turn of events. Rather than punishing him, Harry had just elevated Draco to be slightly below his own social station, a considerable step above his previous one. Harry let the tension build for a few moments before allowing the other shoe to drop.

"Furthermore, as Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black," Harry declared, once again stunning the hall into silence as the Black family ring appeared on his finger and the Black family crest materialized next to the Potter arms on his robes, "I hereby cast you forever from the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. From this day forth, Draco Black will be known as Draco No-Name, of no house, declaring his disgrace for all to bear witness. I claim this by right of restitution; so mote it be." A flash of magic around Draco and Harry signaled the acceptance of Harry's decree, ending the Malfoy line and leaving Draco orphaned and destitute. The blonde boy was now curled in the fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. Harry didn't even give him a second glance.

"Now hear me." Harry barely spoke above a whisper, but it carried to every ear in the hall. "Draco No-Name made the drastic mistake of attacking unprovoked one who is dear to my heart." His eyes flicked to Daphne, who smiled. "This is the only warning any of you will receive. I hereby place Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass, and Tracy Davis under the protection of the houses of Potter and Black." As he spoke their names, the Potter and Black crests appeared on the right sleeve of each of the girls' robes, signifying Harry's protection. "I also name Neville Longbottom, Ginerva Weasley, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley as Friends of my House. Anyone who harms any of them will incur the wrath of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses. As you can see," Harry said, pointing to Draco, "I do not show mercy. Anyone attacking a member of my House will be met with swift and terrible retribution. You have been warned." With that, Harry stepped from the platform and moved to collect Daphne and Hermione. With a girl on each arm, Harry sought out Professor McGonagall.

"Professor," he said, "I would like to take up residence in the Gryffindor Lord's quarters. Can this be arranged by tonight?"

Blinking back her surprise, Minerva answered, "of course, Mist…I mean, Lord Potter. I'm assuming you would like accommodations for the rest of your…entourage as well?" Harry smiled at the stern witch's term for the four girls.

"Please Professor, it's just Harry. And yes, I think it would be best for their safety if they were to move in with me. I promise that nothing…squirrely will take place. I just want to keep them safe." The girls all smiled at Harry's thoughtfulness, while Hermione and Daphne began imagining just what Harry meant by 'squirrely.'

"It will be done. Now, it looks like the headmaster would like a word with you." McGonagall pointed to the spot behind Harry where Professor Dumbledore stood next to his fuming potions master. "On a personal note, Harry, Poppy told me about what you two did for Ms. Greengrass here. I'm assuming she's who you were referring to when you mentioned someone who was 'dear to your heart.'" At Harry's bashful nod, she smiled and continued. "I thought so. In that case, fifty points each to both of you for saving the life of another student, and another fifty points to you Mr. Potter for a most impressive and entertaining lesson in pureblood etiquette. Now, I believe we've kept the headmaster waiting long enough." With a slight bow, Minerva took her leave. Sighing and steeling himself for another confrontation, Harry turned to face an angry Albus Dumbledore as he strode purposely into the group's path.

"Mr. Potter, you are to accompany me to my office immediately," he said, but was stopped by a shake of Harry's head.

"No sir," the boy answered. "Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of them. They are members of my House under my protection, and I will not leave them alone for reasons of their safety. Also, I would appreciate it if you would refer to me by my correct title."

"Lord Potter, I assure you that no harm will come to them while inside this castle." Harry scoffed.

"No offense headmaster, but their safety is my responsibility now, not yours. As such I will be seeing to their protection personally. Now, unless there is anything else, we really do need to get to class." Albus Dumbledore was not used to being dismissed by a student, and it soured his mood even more.

"Harry, I really wish you would've consulted me before taking up your place as Head of House," he sighed. "I'm afraid you're just not ready to handle the responsibilities it entails." Harry, however, wasn't fooled.

"You mean you wish I was still under your control, don't you sir?" Before the old man could interject, Harry continued. "The fact is that I should've been informed of my status as Head of House three years ago, but somehow you failed to do so. I imagine you did so on purpose. Not only did it keep me ignorant of the wizarding world, it also allowed you to ship me off to my horrible relatives every summer to be treated like a slave and starved! You knew that as soon as I became emancipated by my lordship that I would never willingly set foot on Privet Drive again, so you denied me my rightful heritage and deliberately kept me in the dark. Frankly sir, the more I find out about the legacy my parents left me, the more I'm beginning to wonder just what sort of game you're playing at?" Dumbledore attempted to backpedal, adopting his best grandfatherly tone.

"Now Harry, my boy, I assure you that there was no deception involved. The fact is that it must've just slipped my mind. I'm sure you can understand that a man with my responsibilities cannot hope to keep track of the personal affairs of every student in this school, can't you? You must trust me Harry. I'm only doing what's best for you, after all."

"That's Lord Potter if you please sir, and I believe that it's time for me to start looking out for myself and those I care about. In three years here I've faced a giant three-headed dog, two defense teachers who tried to kill me, a thousand-year-old basilisk, a mass-murdering psychopath, a pack of dementors, and the true betrayer of my parents, and now this year I find myself entered into this stupid bloody tournament. If that is what you call protection, I'll take my chances on my own." It was then that Snape exploded.

"Potter! You have gone too far this time! Your arrogance is truly astounding. Do you really think this little stunt will amount to anything? Obviously you suffer from delusions of grandeur, just like your father. Unlike some who pander to your every whim, I am not some Boy-Who-Lived sycophant! Pack your things, Potter, I'll see you home by supper!"

"That's funny," Harry said. "I always thought Professor Dumbledore was the only one with the authority to expel students. Of course if you had your way, I wouldn't have received my first Hogwarts letter to begin with. Lucky for me you're not the headmaster then, isn't it?" Snape's face turned purple with rage.

"Why you arrogant little bastard! How dare you-"

"No, how dare you?" Harry interrupted. "How dare you bully and punish an eleven-year-old boy for the transgressions of the father he never got to know? How dare you hate and belittle the child of the woman you claimed to love above all others just because she refused to forgive you for calling her a 'mudblood'? How dare you seek revenge on a student because his mother had the nerve to marry your childhood enemy? But most importantly, how dare you even speak to me of my parents when you are responsible for their deaths?" As Harry was speaking, the entire hall fell silent and watched the color drain from the hated professor's face. At his final declaration, the hall erupted into startled gasps and frantic whispers. The Hall fell silent again as Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

"Mr. Potter, I do not believe that this is the time or place for this discussion. I would also very much like to know how you came to such a conclusion." Harry pulled a slim leather book from the inside pocket of his robes and waved it around.

"This is my mother's journal which I retrieved from my family vault recently. In it she writes, among other things, the story of her childhood friend Severus and his violent rivalry with James Potter and his friends. It talks about all the times she defended him from their pranks and taunting through the years, until one night he lashed out in anger, calling her a 'filthy mudblood'. She describes how she turned away his further advances and declarations of love until her marriage to my father, after which they stopped. It was some time after that that she was told that an old friend turned Death Eater had given the Dark Lord some information that lead to her family becoming a target for execution." The temperature in the great hall seemed to drop as every student with the exception of a few Slytherins fixed Professor Snape with hateful glares. The entire faculty with the exception of the headmaster was giving him the same scathing looks, with McGonagall and Flitwick twitching to draw their wands. Trying desperately to force the nervousness from his voice, Dumbledore tried to disarm the volatile situation.

"Harry my boy, I must insist that we take this conversation somewhere more private so that we might reach an understanding over this unfortunate incident."

"How dare you defend him!" Harry roared. "Him, the Death Eater who pointed Voldemort at my family and has continued to do everything in his power to make my life hell ever since I set foot in this castle! He destroyed my family, my life, and then has the gall to dishonor their memories to my face, and you let him! And he dares to call me arrogant." Snape, who had been quietly seething throughout the entire exchange, suddenly drew his wand and launched an unknown curse at Harry. With an angry swipe of his wand Harry batted the curse away before blasting Snape off his feet with a powerful banishing charm. As he looked up at the enchanted ceiling of the great hall gasping for breath, Snape's vision was suddenly filled with the glowing green eyes of the Boy-Who-Lived glaring at him with barely controlled fury. He spoke in a whisper that somehow carried to every ear in the great hall.

"I should kill you right now for what you've done to me and my family. Instead, I think I'll let you in on a little secret." Harry leaned just a little bit closer. "You were right. I am just like my father. Like him, I hate you with every fiber of my being. Like him, I look forward to the day when you finally get what's coming to you. And like him, I have the unconditional love of Lily Marie Potter, who died saving my life. The last mention of you in her journal is when she cursed you for all eternity for what you've done. I hope you're prepared when you move on to your next great adventure, because I promise you that my mother will be waiting for you on the other side, and after the way you've treated her son all these years, she will be anything but merciful."

Giving the shaken man a final glare, Harry turned and strode past a gaping Dumbledore and out of the hall, immediately followed by Hermione and Daphne. The rest of Harry's group followed at a more sedate pace, leaving the rest of the hall in shocked silence.

That night Harry and the girls were shown through a doorway a few feet from the Fat Lady's portrait that led to the Gryffindor lord's suite. After setting the password (Hermione and Daphne insisted on 'green-eyed prince,') McGonagall led them into their new quarters. The doorway opened up into a cozy common room with four doors leading off from it. Harry was given the master bedroom next to the doorway to the connected bathroom, while the girls split the other two rooms with Daphne and her sister in one and Hermione and Tracy in the other. After McGonagall had bid them goodnight with a stern look in Harry's direction, the teens quickly settled in and met in their common room to discuss the situation. Harry sat between Hermione and Daphne on the couch while Tracy and Astoria took the two armchairs that sat facing them. After they all got comfy, Daphne was the first to speak.

"Harry, that was wonderful the way you dealt with Draco today," she said, snuggling into his arm. "You handled the situation like a true pureblood lord, and now everyone will think twice before messing with you. I also noticed quite a few jealous looks from some of the witches in the hall today as we were leaving. You sure do know how to make an impression!" This brought laughter to the room as everyone chuckled at Harry's sudden blush.

"Yes, well, it was the least I could do after what he did to you," Harry said. "I was within my rights to kill him right then and there, but the last thing I need is to give the Prophet more ammunition. Besides, what I did hurt him a lot more than killing him would have. I think he'll soon find out that without the Malfoy name backing him up, his support in Slytherin will leave quicker than you can say 'boo.'" The girls all nodded at Harry's prediction, three of them having firsthand experience within the house of snakes. Harry noticed that Astoria looking anxious in her new surroundings, and decided to try and befriend the young girl.

"Astoria?" The girl looked up and shyly met his eyes. "I'm sorry that I separated you from your friends today," Harry said. "I know what it's like to be moved around with no say in where I go, but I wouldn't have done it if I thought I could keep you safe in the Slytherin dorms." Astoria continued meeting his eyes, which Harry took as a sign to continue. "I know we don't know each other very well, but I would be delighted if we could be friends. I want you to know that your sister is very special to me, and that makes you my sister too, if you'll have me as a brother." This brought a wide smile to the young blonde's face. Even though she was only a first year, she had been hearing stories about Harry Potter all her life and especially once Daphne started Hogwarts. She had hoped for the chance to meet him, but being in Slytherin and three years behind him made that almost impossible until today. Now he was asking if he could be her big brother, something she'd wanted her entire life! At her enthusiastic nod, Harry smiled widely and held his arms open for a hug. Like a shot she was out of her chair and had her arms wrapped around her new brother, squeezing him tight. The tearful smile on Daphne's face told him that he had handled the situation with her sister perfectly. The young girl settled into Harry's lap with her arms still around him as Harry and Hermione got to know Tracy a little better. After a while Harry excused himself and stood, gently cradling a sleeping Astoria in his arms. Daphne joined him as he left to tuck her into her new bed, after which he received a passionate snog from Daphne before returning to the others. Hermione pouted at Harry's slightly disheveled look until he sat down next to her and gave her a grin that told her she'd be receiving the same attention before saying goodnight. The now much happier girl lifted his arm and placed it over her shoulders, with Daphne doing the same on his other side. Tracy gave them a coy smile, but didn't comment.

"Alright, now that Astoria is asleep we can talk about what happened today," Harry said with a grim look on his face. "I'm not putting it past Draco to try and get revenge on me for today, which is why you are all here and under my protection. Now I know that all three of you are fully capable of taking care of yourselves, but Astoria's not, and I would feel much better if one of us could escort her to her classes as much as possible."

"That won't be a problem," Daphne said. "We always walk together to class since our schedules are almost the same, so she won't even know that we're protecting her."

"Good," Harry replied. "That's one worry off my mind. Tracy, Daphne and Hermione have been with me almost constantly since Halloween helping me prepare for the tournament. You're more than welcome to join us in our studying and spell practice, and any input you may have on the tasks I will gladly listen to. I'm finding that listening to the women in my life has brought me nothing but good things, so now that you're a member of my House I see you as one more source of good advice." This comment earned him kisses from Hermione and Daphne and a bright smile from Tracy.

"Well Pot…Harry," she quickly amended at his raised eyebrow, "I'm not sure how much help I'll be really, but if I can I will. I also wanted to thank you personally for getting me out of the dungeons. I'm not sure how much Daphne told you about what it's like to be a girl living in the house of snakes, but let me tell you that it's not pleasant. Daphne and I managed to avoid attracting much attention, but you learn quickly how to drive off some of the more…persistent boys. Some of them were even starting to look at Astoria a little longer than necessary." Harry felt Daphne shudder under his arm. "Anyway, that's enough of that. Now, where in Merlin's name did the Gryffindor Golden Boy learn pureblood dueling traditions?" Harry brought Tracy up to speed on the situation with Sirius and how he became Lord Black. After hearing the whole story, Tracy was shocked to learn all the adventures that Harry and Hermione had been through in the last few years. Seeing the looks Harry was receiving from Hermione and Daphne, she wisely decided to take her leave and go to bed. It was much later when she noticed Hermione sneaking into the room, a silly grin plastered on her swollen lips.