#Like…Dobby wasn’t wrong to tell Harry not to come back to school

[arliedraws]

I love Chamber of Secrets because I think we don’t consider enough how fucking nuts it would be if there was a dangerous creature going around turning students into stone (basically) but the government was like “Let’s just keep the school open and see how this plays out.”

[calummss]

The Draught Of Secret Affection | Harry Potter

masterlist

summary: you are best friends with ron and spend most of your time together, but it seems that someone is envious of what you two share

words: 1.5K

requested by: @frost-queen

a/n: re-uploading

Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry has been your home for almost six years. Never in a million years would you have thought this place to feel so much like home than it has. You vividly remember your mum handing you the Platform 9¾ ticket, and running through the King’s Cross Station wall. When the train finally left the station, all compartments were full and there was no free seat in sight, until you came across two boys.

‘Do you mind?’ you asked. ‘Everywhere else is full.’

‘Not at all.’ the black haired boy smiled, scooting over.

You sat down next to him. ‘My name’s Y/N Y/L/N.’

‘I’m Ron Weasley.’

‘And I’m Harry. Harry Potter.’

And that’s how you met them. Harry and Ron have been your closest friends since, though you’d say you were a bit closer to Ron. You did everything together: copied each other’s homework (which earned you a ‘Hermione side-eye’, studied, went to Hagrids etc. You were inseparable since day 1.

———

‘Hey Y/N, wait up!’ you heard Ron call after you. ‘Looks like we’re both late for Potions.’ he snickered.

‘That would be correct Ronald and I’m trying to not make it later than we already are.’

The two of you were scurrying down the empty hallways trying to get to Snape’s dungeon in time; which was useless because when you stepped down the dusty stairwell, you could see that all students had already entered the classroom.

‘Oh for god’s sake.’ you cursed.

You knocked on the old wooden door and opened it to see Professor Snape already starting with their lesson.

‘Nice of you two to finally join us. Tell me—where you trying to be punctual or did you just decide to cut time on your Potion?’

‘I’m so sorry Professor.’ you said.

Ron was quiet. This would get him in trouble…, you forcefully but unobtrusively stepped on his foot earning a small yelp.

‘Yes Professor, we really didn’t mean to.’ he winced out in pain.

You scanned the dungeon to see Harry waiting at your usual seats. You gave him a quick but confused smile, moving your lips to mouth ‘thank you’.

‘I suppose you’ll be able to find your seats, Ms Y/L/N and Weasley…’

‘Yes Professor.’ you both muttered before wiggling your way through the back row.

You grabbed your book and quill, and placed them onto the table, grinning.

‘What?’ Ron asked.

‘Nothing, I just thought it was funny.’

The two of you shared a laugh before you noticed Harry staring.

‘Is there something on my face, Harry?’

‘Oh, no…, I’m sorry I just zoned out I guess.’ he smiled, turning his body towards the front of the class.

Something has been off with Harry for weeks and you had no idea why. He looked angrier than usual. You suspected it to be because Dumbledore but you weren’t too sure. Who knows what he was dealing with.

‘Now in the next two weeks we’ll be making the Draught of Living Death. I’ve decided to make this a partner project, meaning you may choose your partners. At the end of the lesson you’ll bring the potion to my desk and name your partner. Any questions? No? Good. Start working.’

You lowered your head to the desk in annoyance, ‘Oh come on. The Draught of Living Death? Couldn’t we make something nice like ‘Amortentia’? Does Hogwarts always have to be this dark?’

You stared over at Ron with thin lips. Ron stood up and walked towards the potions cabinet grabbing everything the two of you would need.

‘Do you want to be partners?’ Harry hesitated.

‘Sorry Harry, I’m already working with Ron. Maybe you could ask Hermione. I’m sure she’s a way better partner than I am.’

‘Yeah, ask Hermione.’ he muttered to himself, getting up and waddled to Hermione with all his belongings.

‘What was that about?’ Ron reappeared with full arms.

Carefully placing the items onto the chair, you grabbed the cauldron and started lining up the ingredients.

‘I don’t know.’ you shrugged, glancing over to Hermione and Harry, who quickly looked away. ‘I didn’t say anything wrong did I?’

‘Not to my knowledge no.’

‘Well we better start working, otherwise Snape will have another reason to hate us.’ you huffed, grabbing the infusion of Wormwood.

You continued your potion until class was over. Ron was out the door in a second, leaving you to bring the potion to Snape. You quickly said both your and Ron’s names and headed outside to the courtyard with Harry, Ron and Hermione waiting.

‘Are we ready to go to Hagrids then?’ you smiled, trotting over the wet plaster stones.

‘Actually,’ Hermione stepped forward. ‘I was thinking that Ron and I could go to Hagrids and help him out, whilst you and Harry could continue to find some stuff on potions in the library?’

Harry’s head turned to Hermione in an instant.

‘Okay, well, are you sure?’ you chewed your lip.

‘Yes, yes, now go. We need the information at dinner time.’

And with that they left. You stared at your feet, feeling awkward. It seemed like Harry wasn’t fond of you. Maybe he d-

‘Coming?’ Harry snapped you out of your thoughts.

‘Of course.’ you smiled again, catching up with him.

Harry and you spent the afternoon in the back row of the library. Every once in a while the two of you let out a rather loud laugh, causing Ms Pince to snap at you.

‘Hey Y/N.’

‘Yes?’ your eyes glanced up from the big book you were currently invested in.

‘I was wondering if you’d like to join me for dinner today.’

You tilted your head. ‘We always sit together, Harry.’ you chuckled. ‘Do you want to trade places with Ron?’

‘No, not like that,’ he started. ‘I mean, if I could organise a dinner for just us, would you be interested in coming?’

‘I mean, yes of course. Is there any reason ‘why’ or…?’

‘I just thought it could be fun.’

‘I like the idea, do I get to know when and where?’

‘Meet me outside the kitchens at 6:30pm. I’ll be waiting for you there.’

You gave him a bright smile and continued your reading, head buzzing with questions about the weird conversation you were just engaged in.

You soon finished your reading and headed to the common room, stomach churning. You had no idea what to expect. You’ve always had a fondness for Harry but never would you have thought that he would ask you out on a date. Well, he didn’t say ‘date’ but it sounded like it. I mean which pair of friends eat dinner alone? Specifically asking not to eat with the others? You were sure something was going to happen. Your mind pondered with questions until you checked the time. 6:25pm—SHIT. You sprinted across the common room, down the stairwells and through the corridors to see Dobby standing in front of the door.

‘Dobby? Where’s Harry?’ you turned your head in every possible direction. Still panting you placed your hands onto your knees trying to catch your breath.

‘He’s inside waiting for you.’ his high pitched voice cheered.

He opened the door and through the dimly lit room you were able to see Harry standing in front of a set dinner table.

‘Did you do all this?’ you scanned the room in amazement.

‘Yeah.’

He sat you down and poured you a drink before sitting down himself.

‘Actually,’ he stared into the bottom of his goblet. ‘There’s something I need to tell you.’

You nodded. At this point you had no idea what was about to happen.

‘I’ve been meaning to tell you this since second year, but you always hang out with Ron, I barely had a chance to do this properly…’

‘Harry, what on earth are you trying to tell me? You don’t like Ron anymore? But I thought he wa-‘

‘No! What? Of course not! It’s about you.’

‘About me? What have I done?’ you furrowed your eyebrows.

‘God,’ Harry mumbled under his breath.‘It’s not that.’

‘Not what?’

‘I like you, okay!’ Harry blurted.

You said nothing.

‘I’ve liked you for four years now, and I can’t pretend like I don’t feel anything, but you’re always around Ron and you barely pay attention to me when he’s around. Besides, you know Ron...he likes to make fun of me and I just needed this (he scans the room with his eyes) to be serious.’

‘Harry, I don’t know what to say,’

‘You don’t have to say anything, it’s stupid a-‘

‘Harry! Please let me finish!’

Harry sat back in his chair, trying to ease himself.

‘I thought you stopped liking me because of how you acted the past weeks, and it was so unlike you, but I understand now. You are jealous.’

Harry opened his mouth but you stopped him before he could say anything.

‘And before you interrupt me again.’ you stated, getting up from the chair and walking towards Harry. ‘I like you too.’

Harry’s went wide and his cheeks glowed a pale pink.

‘You do?’

‘I do.’

You placed your hands on his face and pulled him into a kiss. The kiss was soft, yet full with energy. You broke the kiss and stared into his blue eyes.

‘I do.’

[comfortwriting]

Ashtray Part 3 - D.M

Masterlist, Requesting Rules, Writing Prompts

Please read parts 1 and 2 if you haven’t already

Draco Malfoy x Fem Reader 

Warnings: Mention of food and eating, swearing, smoking.

“You’re not one of us”

“I trusted you, my feelings for you were… pure”

“How could you do this to us? to Ron, to Harry, to me!”

“if you aren’t sure that you’ll stay with me, there’s no point in us being together”

Everything your once best friends and now ex-boyfriend said kept you awake, night after night, ringing in your ear like the worlds loudest bell. You felt as if everyone in the entire school hated you - you were no longer wanted in Gryffindor and you weren’t good enough to be in Slytherin, and everyone in Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw decided amongst themselves where you belonged; in whichever house they loathed the most.

You couldn’t sit in the great hall to eat without the glares, whispers and insults, so you spent more time in the kitchens with the house elves, getting to know Winky and sympathising with her missing her master whilst Dobby encouraged you to apologise to Harry, trying his hardest not to speak badly about Draco so he wouldn’t have to iron his hands.

You could no longer spend time in the common room to read beside the fire unless it was empty, but even then there were reminders of your betrayal plastered on the notice board, covering Fred and George’s sample testing for their Skiving Snack boxes. Instead, you sat alone outside against the tree beside the lake, doing your homework and reading, anything to take your mind off things.

“Not surprised you’re all alone” Draco snapped at you whilst passing by with his cronies, he wretched at the sight of you smoking again “you’re as bad as I thought, back to your horrible habits, filthy ashtray.”

You exhaled the smoke, ignoring Draco whilst his friends laughed, you hated how he was back to hating your guts whilst you were still in love with him, but deep down, something inside of you knew he didn’t mean a single thing he said to you, hating was easier for him than being able to love.

Even though it hurt to hear him insult you, you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling sadly, knowing that once he did everything in his power to stop you smoking and called you ‘Ashtray’ in a none insulting but more cheeky teasing way.

When bedtime rolled around, you would focus long and hard, finally being able to have the room of requirement to yourself, occasionally being woken up Dobby, begging you once again to “patch things up with Mr Potter”.

You were truly isolated, even in class, no one wanted to sit or partner up with you, often resulting in you either working by yourself or alongside your professors.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” Dumbledore asked, staring at you through his half-moon spectacles.

“Oh please do make the right choice Miss Y/L/N, your O.W.Ls are coming up!” Professor McGonagall sighed, reaching into her tartan biscuit tin, handing you a Ginger Newt, her hand now shaking.

Tracing the outline of the Ginger Newt in your hand and staring at it, you pondered your thoughts and looked up at Professor McGonagall, then Dumbledore.

Like many other students - Hogwarts was your home, over the summer holidays you longed to be back at school, refusing to go home at the end of other terms and during Christmas break; but after everything that happened, between you, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco, Hogwarts no longer felt like home to you - you started to get sick of the place.

“I’ve decided that...” you took a deep breath and sighed “at the end of term I will be leaving Hogwarts and return to a Muggle school.”

Professor McGonagall shook her head in frustration, letting go the lid on her biscuit tin causing it to slam down, making a clang “that’s in three weeks time!” she panicked “how can you go to a Muggle school before your-”

“Minerva” Dumbledore called out softly, putting his hands out in front of him in defence “Miss Y/L/N has made her decision, if she changes her mind I don’t doubt she will tell us.”

3 weeks and you’ll never have to come back to Hogwarts again, it will be just a distant memory, a dream, a different reality that does not exist - you’ll have a second chance at the beginning of your adult life, living amongst Muggles and giving up magic altogether.

You instantly felt better about no longer having to be shunned by everyone, being accused of being a death eater, and you no longer had to worry about your complicated O.W.Ls or the ridiculous stacks of parchment for homework waiting on your desk that would determine your future.

Ron stared at you during your potions class, scowling at you whilst Snape gave you orders around the classroom to help him observe students, clean cauldrons, and get more ingredients from his secret stores instead of doing the same work like everyone else.

“Bloody git” Ron muttered “look at her, doesn’t have to do any work in any class she’s in”

Hermione felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach, as your dorm mate she couldn’t deny that seeing your empty bed made her feel down and worry about you, even if she hated you at the moment for what happened.

“Well” Hermione replied, focusing on her work, trying to not look over at you “unlike us, she won’t be passing any O.W.Ls”

“Serves her right” Ron muttered again, adding his ingredients into the cauldron.

Harry stared at you, hatred running through his veins along with jealousy and sadness. Seeing you kiss Draco broke his heart, deep down inside, every morning when he woke up and every night before bed Harry swore to himself that he couldn’t ever forgive you.

At first, Harry didn’t want to believe that you had fallen for his enemy, the son of Voldemort's supporters who hated his guts and went out of their way to bully and torment Harry, Hermione, The Weasleys and anyone else beneath them. He tried to convince himself that you were bewitched or fell victim to a strong love potion, but when you refused to be open and tell the truth, hiding away from him - to Harry, your face no longer represented that of an angel, instead, it represented the mask of a death eater.

Part of him felt delighted you were being publicly shunned, but something small inside of his bellowed, telling him that this was all wrong and that what he wants isn’t going to happen because it isn’t meant to be.

Once class came to a close, everyone left but you, because you had no need to study until your Muggle Study books and mock papers arrived, you were forced to stay behind, cleaning and running more errands for your professors.

Draco and Pansy Parkinson were the last to leave, he strutted past your desk, his glare had enough force to strike you down “become a teacher's pet have you now, Ashtray? You’re becoming more insufferable than Hermione.” he spat, smirking as Pansy roared with laughter.

You rolled your eyes, trying your hardest to play it cool, but deep down inside you wanted to pull Draco in the most meaningful embrace and kiss to prove to him of your love and trust.

You wanted to prove your trust and friendship to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but like Draco - they didn’t give you a chance, let alone the time of day if you were to pass by.

Snape finished marking his reports for his student's parents, handing the rolls of parchment to you to put into envelopes one by one, the last one he handed to you, you slowly placed into an emerald green envelope as Snape ordered “address this one to Mr and Mrs Malfoy, of Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, England.

Your heart pained again, even more, this time, the memories of you and Draco flicking through his family pictures at his Manor house filled your head, playing like a movie in your mind. You could feel your heart sink slowly into your tummy, hearing Draco’s laugh and replaying the best memories you two both shared, torturing yourself.

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on,” Draco said softly, handing you a slice of his green apple.

You blushed and shook your head, staring at the picnic blanket before finally meeting Draco’s gaze “I love you, Draco.”

Draco smiled and pursed his lips, licking them he replied “I love you too, Y/N.”

You paused for a moment, your quill hovering over the envelope, the past memories stabbing you like a hot poker, you swallowed hard and took a deep breath, finally repeating Snape’s instructions.

You knew much to the discomfort of the Malfoy’s, their manor was used as the base of operations for Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Draco rarely mentioned it, but you knew that he wasn’t given a choice, that his father as always, forced his hands into fires he wanted nothing to do with.

Placing the emerald envelope in the stack for the Owls to collect, Snape dismissed you, you got out of your chair and walked over to the door.

“Do take care, Miss Y/L/N, as you study for your Muggle exams” Snape called out.

You turned around to look at him, slightly confused by his sudden words of kindness as he never treated you any different to any other student.

“Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.” He spoke again, you knew at that moment Snape was aware of you and Draco, and everything else that happened

You recognised the quote and smiled slightly “Shakespeare?” You replied, opening the dungeon door.

Snape flashed a rare smile and went back to focusing on the work on his desk, walking out of his class he waved his hand, closing the door behind you.

Ron, Hermione and Harry were waiting outside for you, they didn’t want to patch things up, yet they still felt entitled enough to ask you questions, as if you owed them explanations and answers.

“Helping him are you?” Ron snapped, making you jump out of your skin.

“It’s none of your business” you replied quietly, walking out of the dungeons, and down the halls.

Harry scoffed, feeling the anger boil inside of him “everything became our business when you betrayed us!" he raised his voice at you.

You began to walk faster, trying to throw them off your track as you made your way to Dumbledore's office, hoping they would clear off.

“You would know that I wasn’t betraying you if you gave me a chance to explain!” You hissed, your throat burning.

Stopping outside Dumbledore’s office, your owl swooped down and dropped your study materials in your arms, you clutched onto your books and study papers as your owl took flight, Hermione squinted at your books, reading the titles down the spines to herself quietly.

Before Harry or Ron could reply, or ask another question, Dumbledore came out by surprise, interrupting your argument “I see you have got everything you need” he spoke out, pointing to your books.

You nodded, ignoring your old friends who stood behind you “did my acceptance letter arrive yet?” you asked, staring at him.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded “it did indeed, your parents are most delighted and are waiting eagerly for your return - Harry, Ron, Hermione, please do excuse us” Dumbledore turned his back on them, telling you to follow him into his office.

Harry stared at Dumbledore, giving him a pleading look to tell him what's going on, but Dumbledore ignored him, taking you under his wing.

“For her return?” Ron asked, pacing around the common room, “where is she going?”

“and Dumbledore protecting her like that, Y/N has never been close to him nor has she ever needed a meeting with him” Harry replied, the two of them coming up with their own theories.

Hermione didn’t respond, she focused on stroking Crookshanks, sleeping on her knee, deep in thought about the Muggle books you were cradling, her face dropping when she realised “she’s leaving Hogwarts” Hermione blurted out “Y/N is leaving Hogwarts!”

Tag list: @amourtentiaa @reeophidian @inglourious-imagines @alwaysnforeverfangirl @sycathorn-slush @blackqueens01 @astramalfoy

[fanfics4all]

Torture

Request: Yes / No 

Requests are closed <3 Have a nice day/night

Harry Potter x Fem!Lupin!Reader 

Word count: 4190 (Probably could have gotten to the torture party quicker, but I just had to add backstory lol)

Warnings: Torture obviously, and Dobby’s death

Y/N: Your Name 

Y/N/N: Your Nickname

A/N:  Bingo card made by @slyttherins​

PLEASE DO NOT STEAL MY WORK, I WORK HARD ON MY FICS AND IT’S NOT COOL TO STEAL SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK! 

If you want to be on the tag list for anything (My series fics, specific character fics, or just all of them) All you have to do is send me an ask and I will add you! 

Masterlist 

(Not my photo, credit to whoever made it!)

Harry and I have been together since he and Cho broke up. Now we were in our seventh year and everything was going to hell. Professor Snape had killed Dumbledore and was now in charge of Hogwarts. I feared going back to school, but I feared for Harry more. So, when the summer was coming to an end and my older brother Remus said he was going with the Order to Harry’s I immediately demanded to go with him. 

“Y/N/N, it’s dangerous.” He said. 

“This is my boyfriend’s life in danger. I am coming with you.” I said, standing my ground. 

“Y/N/N… if anything happened to you Mum and Dad would kill me.” He sighed. 

“If anything happens to you or Harry, you won’t have to worry about Mum and Dad.” I threatened. 

“There’s nothing I can do to convince you to stay home with Edward, is there?” He sighed again. 

“Not a thing. And if you go without me I’ll just follow you.” I shrugged and he sighed once again. 

“Fine, fine. You can join me, but you better not leave my side.” He said and I smiled. 

“Thank you!” I said and hugged him. 

Before we went off to Harry’s house, The Order met up to discuss what would be happening. You-Know-Who was searching for Harry. He was going to go after him and we needed to act first. We were the only line of defence for Harry and I was going to fight for both our lives till the very end. Once the plan was in order we all got on our brooms and headed for Harry. When we all landed Harry opened the door and I ran up to him, throwing my arms around him and holding him tightly. He hugged me back and I leaned up to kiss him. 

“What are you doing here?” He asked shocked. 

“Did you honestly think I would just sit around while your life was in danger?” I laughed and walked into the room with the others. 

“I tried to get her to stay home, but she’s stubborn.” Remus said and I smiled. 

“All righ’ ‘arry? Yeh look fit.” Hagrid said with a smile. 

“Yeah, he’s ruddy gorgeous. What say we get undercover before someone murders him.” Mad-Eye said in his usual rough tone. 

“I thought you were looking after the Prime Minister, Kingsley?” Harry asked. 

“You’re most important.” Kingsley answered. Harry smiled and Bill Weasley walked in, extending his hand to Harry. 

“Hello, Harry. Bill Weasley.” He introduced himself. 

“Wasn’t alway this handsome.” Fred joked. 

“Dead ugly.” George joined in. 

“True enough. Owe it all to a werewolf by the name of Greyback. Hope to repay the favor one day.” Bill said. Fleur walked in next to him and kissed his cheek. 

“You are still beautiful to me, William.” She said. 

“Just remember, Fleur, once you’re married, Bill takes his steaks on the raw side now.” Remus said, finally walking into the room with Tonks. 

“My husband, the joker. By the way, wait until you hear the news! Remus and I are-” 

“Alright, alright! You’ll all have time for a cozy catch-up later! We’ve got to get the hell out of here and soon!” Mad-Eye cut her off. He dropped a sack by his feet and turned to Harry. 

“Potter, you’re underage, which means you’ve still got the Trace on you.” He said. 

“The Trace?” Harry asked. 

“You sneeze and the Ministry will know who wipes your nose. Point is, we have to use those means of transport the Trace can’t detect, brooms, thestrals, and the like. We’ll go in pairs. That way if anyone’s out there waiting for us- and I reckon there will be- they won’t know which Harry Potter is the real one.” He explained. 

“The real one?” Harry asked. 

“I believe you’re familiar with this particular brew.” He said, pulling out a flask. 

“No! Absolutely not!” Harry exclaimed. 

“I told you he’d take it well.” Hermione sighed. 

“If you think I’m going to let people risk their lives for me-” 

“Never done that before, have we?” Ron joked, cutting him off. 

“This is different. Taking that. Becoming me- no.” Harry said. 

“Well, none of us really fancy it, mate.” Fred said. 

“Yeah, imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as scrawny, specky git forever.” George joked. 

“Reckon Y/N would love having more than one Harry.” Fred added and I rolled my eyes. 

“Piss off, the both of you.” I said and they laughed. 

“Everyone here’s of age, Potter, and they’ve all agreed to take the risk.” Mad-Eye said. 

“Technically, I’ve been coerced. Mundungus Fletcher, Mr. Potter. I’ve always been a huge admirer.” Mundungus introduced and just about everyone rolled their eyes. 

“Nip it, Mundungus! Alright, Granger, as discussed.” Mad-Eye said. Hermione nodded slightly and grabbed a bit of Harry’s hair and pulled. 

“Blimey, Hermione!” Harry groaned. 

“Straight in here, if you please.” Mad-Eye said, holding open the flask. Smoke rushed out the top and he handed it to George first. 

“For those of you who haven’t taken Polyjuice Potion before, fair warning. It tastes like goblin piss.” Mad-Eye said. 

“Have a lot of experience with that, do you, Mad-eye?” Fred joked. Mad-Eye’s eye rotated towards Fred. 

“Just trying to defuse the tension.” Fred said. George took the first sip, then Fred, Ron, Hermione, Fleure, Mundungus, and finally it was passed to me. 

“Y/N? No! Lupin, you can’t seriously be alright with this!” Harry said, before I could take a sip. Everyone else was already transforming. 

“I’m not, but like I said, she’s stubborn.” Remus sighed. 

“Who’s she gonna ride with?” He asked and everyone was silent. That was something they haven’t figured out yet. 

“I’ll go on my own. They won’t expect it and probably will just leave me be.” I shrugged. 

“Absolutely not!” Remus said. 

“It would look less specious than two Harrys riding together.” I pointed out. 

“Very well.” Mad-Eye nodded. 

“What? You can’t be serious! What if she gets hurt? There’s no one with her to protect her!” Remus said. 

“She can’t go on her own!” Harry said. 

“Y/N, are you willing to take the risk?” Mad-Eye asked and everyone looked my way. 

“If it means Harry is safe, then of course.” I answered. 

“She agrees, now hurry up and drink so we can get on with this.” He said. Before my brother or boyfriend could stop me I took a gulp of the awful potion and handed the flask back to Mad-Eye. I soon also looked like Harry. 

“Wow, we’re identical!” Fred and George said together. 

“Not yet you aren’t.” Mad-Eye said. He walked over to the sack he dropped earlier and dumped out eight pairs of identical clothing. 

“Don’t you have something a bit more sporty, do you?” George asked. 

“Yes, don’t fancy this colour at all.” Fred agreed. 

“Fancy this, you’re not you, so shut it and strip.” He said to the twins and turned to Harry. 

“You’ll need to change too, Potter.” He said. All of us started stripping, and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that it was a bit awkward. 

“Bill, look away… I’m ‘ideous.” Fleur said dramatically and I rolled my eyes. 

“I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo!” Ron said with a smirk. 

“Harry, your eyesight really is awful.” Hermione said, wobbling a bit. 

“Don’t worry Harry, I still love you.” I said and he smiled. 

“Blimey. I almost forgot!” Mad-Eye rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a bunch of glasses. 

“Right then. We’ll be pairing off. Each Potter will have a protector, except for Y/N, As for you, Harry…” Mad-Eye started. 

“Yes?” Everyone but me answered, again I rolled my eyes. 

“The real Harry! Where the devil are you, anyway?” He asked. 

“Here.” Harry said, walking towards him. 

“You’ll ride with Hagrid.” He finished. 

“Brought yeh here sixteen years ago when you were barely bigger than a Bowtruckle. Seems only righ’ I should be the one ter take yeh away.” Hagrid said and I smiled at how sentimental he could be. 

“Yeah, it’s all very touching. Let’s go.” Mad-Eye said and stormed out of the house. Everyone got on their brooms and thestrals, while Hagrid got on his motorbike. As the real Harry walked out of the house Hagrid tapped the sidecar for him. Instead of going to him he walked over to me. 

“Please be careful, love.” He whispered. 

“I’ll be fine. And if for some reason I’m not then you and Remus can tell me you told me so.” I smirked. 

“Harry, we need ter go!” Hagrid called him. 

“Go, I’ll see you soon.” I smiled and he nodded. He got in Hagrid’s sidecar and everyone looked towards Mad-Eye. 

“Good luck, everyone. On the count of three. One… two…” Before he could finish Hagrid’s bike came to life and off he went. Everyone flew to the skies and split off. It wasn’t long until an uneasy feeling filled the air. Death Eaters dropped from the clouds and started surrounding us. Green flashes lit up the sky as they tried to hit us. I glanced ahead and saw the real Harry was getting away. Everyone was splitting off more and I found myself alone. I couldn’t see anyone ahead or behind me, no one was around to help me if I needed it. I pushed those thoughts away. This is for Harry. This is so he’s safe. Suddenly three Death Eaters came out of nowhere and shot a spell at my broom. My broom stopped flying and was now pulling me towards the ground. Fear gripped my heart as the wind harshly hit my face. I suddenly stopped falling and was grabbed by one of the Death Eaters. 

“Think he’s the real one?” The one holding me asked. 

“No, they wouldn’t let the real Potter go off on his own.” Another answered. 

“Doesn’t matter if he’s the real one or not, he could have information. Let’s take him with us. Bellatrix will get ‘im to talk.” The last one said. My eyes widened and my throat went dry. Harry and Remus were going to kill me if Bellatrix didn’t first. 

I didn’t say a word as we arrived at Malfoy Manor. I knew the potion was going to wear off soon and they would know exactly who I was. Just as we were arriving at the large gate I could feel myself turning back into myself. 

“Oi, looks like you was right, this ain’t the real Potter.” The one gripping my arm said. 

“She’ll still be of some use.” Another said. We walked up to the gate and standing on the other side was Bellatrix, Lucius, and Narcissa Malfoy. Bellatrix walked forward and the Death Eater holding me pushed me against the metal bars. 

“She was a fake Potter, but we thought she might have information.” One said. 

“Bring her in.” Bellatrix said with an evil smirk. I was roughly brought into the Manor and pushed down to my knees. 

“Call Draco, he might know who she is to Potter.” Bellatrix said. She kneeled down in front of me and roughly pulled my chin up to I was facing her. 

“Tell me dearie, why were you left all on your own?” She asked, but I said nothing. 

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” She asked with a smirk. We heard footsteps enter the room and I saw Draco. His eyes widened slightly and I saw worry swimming in them. 

“Draco, I was hoping you would know who our guest is.” Bellatrix said, turning to face him and letting go of my face. 

“S-She went to Hogwarts.” He answered. It was obvious he was scared and that he didn’t want to give me up. 

“We know that much, but who is she to Potter?” She asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Draco stared at me for a moment and gulped. 

“Now Draco, all you need to do is tell us. She could be the key to keeping the Dark Lord from killing all of us.” His Father said. It was now my turn to gulp. Sure Draco was a huge git to my boyfriend and friends, but he oddly never said anything about me. Always just questioning why I was with Harry. Perhaps it was because I was nice to him despite everything he did. 

“I’m Y/N Lupin. Harry’s girlfriend.” I answered and everyone looked at me in shock, Draco especially. 

“See dear, that wasn’t so hard.” Bellatrix said, her smirk growing and seeming to get more evil. 

“If you simply answer all my questions then no harm will come to you.” She said, walking closer to me again. 

“I will not betray my friends, family, or boyfriend.” I answered with a hard stare. 

“Then this will be a very hard time for you.” She said, her fake kindness dropping. 

She wasn’t lying when she said that. At first it was just little cuts with her knife. It was painful, but nothing I couldn’t handle. However, she was just warming up. She then moved on to the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. Even when the spell was over the pain still lingered for a little while. That lasted a month or so, I’m not entirely sure, but once she realized that I wouldn’t be talking by that means she moved on. She said she didn’t want to damage me to the point I couldn’t say anything. Nothing she was doing was working and I could tell she was getting frustrated. That’s when she had her brilliant idea. She brought me up from the cellar and standing there was Lucius, Narcissa, and Grayback. I felt my blood run cold and boil at the same time. He was the man that hurt my poor brother at the age of five! 

“I’m sure you know Fenrir well.” Bellatrix smirked. She pushed me to the ground and held me down. 

“Now, I’m going to let him do the same thing he did to your brother, unless you tell me what I want to know.” She said. 

“Where is Harry Potter?” She asked. 

“Now that you’ve all taken over the Ministry, he could be anywhere.” I answered. I didn’t know where he would be at this point. I didn’t know what the plan was. 

“Liar!” She shouted and started carving something into my arm. 

“Tell me where he is!” She shouted at me. 

“I don’t know!  Please! I don’t know!” I cried out in pain. 

“You are a pathetic little liar. Fenrir!” She called and got off me. 

“I think it’s time you gave her a little gift.” She said, that evil smirk appearing on her face once again. 

“With pleasure.” He smirked. He crawled over to me and sniffed me. He laughed and licked the blood that split from my arm. 

“I’m going to enjoy this.” He said and bit into the same arm that Bellatrix carved into. I screamed and cried as his sharp teeth drug into my skin. He was suddenly pulled off me and Narcissa was there placing something on my arm. 

“Wormtail! Come lock our new little puppy up. I suspect she’ll become hungry soon.” Bellatrix smirked. I was pulled off the ground and brought back down to the cellar. Wormtail locked a metal collar around my neck and smirked. 

“Be a good dog and keep the howling down.” He said and left with a laugh. 

It wasn’t long after he left that I started transforming. I thought the Cruciatus Curse was the worst pain I’ve ever felt, but that was wrong. Transforming into a werewolf was way more painful. It felt as though all my bones were breaking and shifting into different places. It felt like my mind was going hazy and I had no control over myself. I felt the hunger hit me and the need to hunt became strong. I tried to run, but the collar around my neck kept me in place. I screamed, growled, and howled trying to get out of the chains and to something to eat. When I realized that I couldn't, I started hurting myself. I clawed at my neck and arms, ripping the skin from my body. That was the longest night of my life. And the next few days I felt incredibly ill and weak. It didn’t help that they were hardly feeding me anymore. 

That was how it went from then on. They didn’t bother torturing me for information anymore, I was now torturing myself. They had done the worst to me and now were just leaving me with my own thoughts. Remus would blame himself for this. I know he was going to say how he should have tried harder to make me stay home. Or how he should have made sure he was with me the night we all split up. I knew Harry would blame himself too. He’d say how it was his fault all this happened. All because I was with him. 

“Y/N?” Someone asked quietly and I looked up to see Draco. He was standing over me and I pushed myself closer to the wall. 

“Please, don’t come any closer…” I whispered. 

“What did they do to you?” He asked, kneeling down, but not coming extremely close. 

“They made me like my brother…” I answered and his eyes widened. 

“Grayback?” He asked and I nodded. 

“They’ve kidnapped Luna, they’re bringing her here.” He said. 

“They’re keeping her with me? I’ll kill her!” I cried. 

“No, you won’t. You’re locked up and can’t get to her, she’s smart enough to not come near you.” He said. 

“I’ll bring you something to eat later tonight, I know they’re starving you.” He said. 

“Why do you care so much?” I asked. 

“You’re one of the only people who was ever nice to me.” He answered with a small smile and stood up. 

“I’ll see you tonight.” He said and left. 

Just as Draco said, Luna was thrown into the cellar with me. She looked at me with wide eyes and came towards me. 

“Y/N?” She asked. 

“Luna, stay away.” I said. 

“Why? Why are you in chains?” She asked confused. 

“I-I’m a werewolf now… So please just stay away.” I begged. 

“Oh Y/N, I’m so sorry.” She said and took a few steps my way. 

“Please Luna! Just stay back, I don’t want to hurt anyone.” I cried. 

“You’re not in your wolf for now Y/N, you won’t hurt me.” She smiled and came to sit next to me. 

“I don’t know when the full moon is…” I whispered. 

“Then I’ll stay away at night, but you need a friend right now.” She said and hugged me. It was the first kind touch I had since I got here. She was right, I needed that. 

A month went by and as promised Luna stayed away from me each night to be safe. When the night was finished and I was back to human Luna came to comfort me. She helped keep me distracted and even helped Draco when he came to check on me. The two of them patched up my wounds that I had given myself. Luna was sitting with me and talking about something her Dad had written about in their paper. I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept drifting off to Harry and my brother. 

“What are we gonna do? We can’t leave Hermione alone with her!” A new voice said and Luna and I looked at each other confused. 

“Ron?” She asked as she got up and looked around the corner. 

“Harry?” She asked and my heart skipped a beat. 

“Luna?” Harry asked and a few tears fell down my face. 

“Y/N is here too, just this way.” She said. She came back around the corner with Ron and Harry following her. 

“Y/N!” Harry said, his face looking a bit odd, but it was definitely him. He ran up and hugged me and I held him back. 

“What happened to you? Why are you locked up like this?” He asked, worry clear in his voice 

“They tried to get me to tell them where you were…” I answered. 

“What did they do to you?” He asked again. 

“Grayback…” I whispered and his eyes widened. 

“You’re…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. 

“I’m just like Remus now…” I whispered. 

“I’m so sorry Y/N.” He said and pulled me to him. 

“We’ll get you out of here, I promise. 

“There’s no way out of here. We’ve tried everything. It’s enchanted.” Ollivander said. He was here before I was, same with Griphook. Harry pulled up his pant leg and pulled out a piece of mirror. 

“You’re bleeding, Harry. That’s a curious thing to keep in your sock.” Luna said. 

“Help us.” He whispered to it. Then quickly put it away as footsteps grew closer. Ron and Harry ran towards the door as it opened. 

“Let her go!” Ron growled. 

“Shut up! Get back!” Wormtail growled at them. 

“You, goblin, come with me.” He said and then they left. 

“Aah!” A new voice said suddenly. 

“Dobby? What are you doing here?” Harry asked. 

“Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter, of course.” He answered. 

“Dobby will always be there for Harry Potter.” He added. 

“You can apparate in and out of this room? Could you take us with you?” Harry asked. 

“Of course, sir. I’m an elf.” Dobby answered like it was obvious. 

“Works for me.” Ron said. 

“Dobby, I want you to take Luna, Y/N, and Mr. Ollivander-” 

“Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth.” Ron cut him off. 

“Trust me.” He added. 

“Whenever you’re ready, sir.” Luna said. 

“Sir? I like her very much.” Dobby said and they made their way over to me. 

“Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds.” He said and Luna grabbed my hand. We were suddenly out of the cellar and on a beach. There was a little cottage that was quite cute, I wondered who it belonged to. Luna kneeled next to me and smiled. 

“Are you alright?” She asked. I felt my neck and the chain was no longer on my neck, but I felt some blood dripping down from where it dug into my skin. 

“I should be, but I shouldn’t be around anyone. The next full moon could be soon for all I know.” I said, slightly freaking out at just the thought of hurting my friends. 

“Shh Y/N, we’re free and safe now. Just enjoy that.” She smiled. I suppose she was right, but Harry wasn’t with us yet. 

It wasn’t that long until the others arrived. Their landing was a little rougher than ours, however. 

“You’re alright. We’re safe. We’re all safe.” Ron said to Hermione. 

“Harry Potter.” Dobby said and we all looked at him. 

“Dobby. Dobby! No, just… hold on.” Harry said and ran to him, holding him in his arms. 

“Hold on. Look, just hold on, okay?” Harry begged. 

“We’ll fix you. Hermione will have something. In your bag, Hermione? Hermione? What is it? Help me!” Harry begged, but she didn’t move. 

“Such a beautiful place… to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend… Harry Potter.” Dobby said, his last words he’ll ever speak. No one moved except for Luna. 

“We should close his eyes, don’t you think?” She said, kneeling next to them. Harry nodded and she gently closed his eyes. 

“There. Now he could be sleeping.” She said. 

“I want to bury him. Properly, without magic.” He said and everyone nodded. I got up and made my way  to him. 

“I’ll help you.” I said and he nodded. We all buried him without magic, but in the end it was just Harry and I left at his grave. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. I should have stopped you from taking that stupid potion.” He said and I shook my head. 

“Stop it. This isn’t your fault.” I said. 

“Yes it is Y/N, it is entirely my fault! You were brought into this mess because of me!” He said and I hushed him with a kiss. 

“Stop it. I love you Harry Potter and I would have done this no matter what. You and Remus are going to blame yourselves for the rest of your lives, but I will not ever blame either of you.” I said and he went to say something, but I stopped him with a kiss. 

“Whatever it is, don’t say it.” I said and he sighed. 

“Remus is going to kill me.” He said and I shook my head. 

“Not if he knows what’s good for him.” I said. That was when everything turned around. I was safe and with Harry and my friends. I’d allow myself these few moments of peace before the full moon came to ruin it again. But for now, I need to focus on the good. I needed to be happy that I was reunited with Harry and my friends.

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[alindakb]

The Yule Ball Revelations - part 3 - by Alinda

“Master Harry, wake up.”

Someone is pulling on Harry’s sleeve. He must have fallen asleep last night. He slowly opens his eyes to see Dobby standing bend over him.

“You need to hurry, master Harry,” the elf says. “You need to save young master Malfoy.”

Harry blinks his eyes. The room is filled with light.

“What is going on?” Ron says from his left.

“It’s time for the second task. Master Harry needs to go now and save the thing he will miss the most,” Dobby answers. He pulls on Harry’s sleeve again to get him to move.

Harry sits up straight and signs. “I can’t, Dobby. We haven’t found a way for me to stay underwater. I won’t be able to do it.”

“No, sir. Dobby knows how. You need to take the Gillyweed.” He pushes some kind of herb into Harry’s hand. “Now hurry. You need to get young master Malfoy back.”

“What is he on about?” Ron asks. “Why does he think you have to rescue Malfoy? Like he will be the one thing you will miss the most?”

Harry looks out of the window as he stands up. He doesn’t answer Ron’s questions, he doesn’t think he can. It’s great that Ron doesn’t care about Harry being gay, but Harry is sure Ron will never be okay with Harry having the hots for Draco Malfoy.

“Oh no. No, you don’t,” Ron says. “The thing you and Hermione been keeping from me. It’s this, isn’t it? You’ve got the hots for Malfoy!?!”

Harry swallows and looks at Ron. His face is red and his hands are clenching next to his body. He’s rigid and Harry doesn’t blame him.

“I know it’s stupid, okay. And impossible. And never going to happen. So you don’t have to worry about anything,” Harry snaps. He knew Ron would never understand.

“Master Harry, please. You need to go now. The task is about the start,” Dobby repeats. He pulls on Harry’s robe and Harry starts to follow him out of the library. Ron doesn’t say a word. It feels like Harry has just lost his best friend. But he can’t think of that right now. He has a task to perform. Apparently, he has to go and save Malfoy from the mermaids. He’ll have to save the thing he will miss the most.

-x-x-x-x-x-

“Pansy, you weren’t there. You didn’t hear him stutter. It was weird. Like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t get the words over his lips. I always knew he was stupid. But this, it triumphs it all.” Draco sits down on the sofa and stares at the fire. Tomorrow is the next tasks, and if the rumours are correct, Potter will have to retrieve something from the great lake. Draco sure hopes the idiot knows how to swim.

“Oh, Draco, don’t be a drama queen,” Pansy counters. “So Potter tripped over his own words. It’s not like you always say what you want when he’s around.”

“I know, alright. I’m an idiot too,” Draco says. “Now hold your promise and don’t open that can of worms again.”

“Fine,” Pansy snaps. “You could make that easier if you didn’t bring him up, like all the time.”

Draco shakes his head. He knows this. He can’t help it. Potter is always on his mind.

The door to the common room opens and Professor Snape steps into the room. He looks around and motions for Draco to follow him when he spots him. Draco gets up and shakes his head. “I’ll be back later,” he tells Pansy.

Professor Snape guides Draco out of the dungeons. “Where are we going, sir?” Draco asks. He has no clue what this is all about. Surely it can’t be about his little tumble down the stairs with Potter last week. Madam Pomfrey healed all the wounds and cuts and that was it.

“You are wanted by the headmaster,” Professor Snape answers.

“Why?” Draco asks.

“I’m sure he will explain. Now hurry up, we don’t have all day,” the professor snaps. It seems he’s in a bad mood again and even though Draco wants to ask a million more questions, he knows when to keep his mouth shut around his head of house.

They reach Dumbledore’s office and Draco is surprised to see Granger, Chang and one of the younger Beauxbatons students. He has no clue why he would be summoned to a meeting with these three. It’s not like they have anything in common.

“Ah, you’re all here now,” the headmaster says. “Good. I’m sure you are all wondering why you’re here.”

“Yes, sir. If you don’t mind. I need to get back to the library,” Granger says.

“I see,” Dumbledore answers. “Harry’s still struggling I guess. But don’t you worry, Miss Granger. He’s a good lad, he will manage.”

Granger doesn’t seem to agree and Draco kind of agrees with her. If Potter hasn’t figured out what he has to do tomorrow, then he’s going to need the help of his smart-ass Mudblood.

“But what I was about to say. I’m here to ask a favour from all of you. As you might have heard, as nothing ever stays a secret in this school, our champions will have to retrieve something from the Great Lake tomorrow. These somethings are the person that they will miss the most,” Dumbledore explains.

Draco laughs. “And who of the champions will miss me? I get Granger and Chang, being Potter’s and Diggory’s girlfriends. And I’m sure the French girl is related to Delacour. But how in Merlin’s name am I the thing that Krum will miss the most?”

Granger looks at Draco likes he’s a fool. “I’m not his girlfriend,” she says.

“Quite right. And a good question, Mister Malfoy,” Dumbledore says. “But it’s not Mister Potter that will miss Miss Granger the most. She’s here because mister Krum has taken a liking in her.”

“You’re saying, I’m the person Potter will miss the most?” Draco stutters. They most all have gone insane. In which universe does the person someone will miss the most come down to the one person they hate the most?

“That is correct,” Dumbledore says.

“Albus, I told you this was insane. Malfoy has nothing to do with Potter. I don’t see why he should risk anything for him,” Professor Snape says. Dumbledore answers something, Draco is sure, but his eyes are fixed on Granger. She refuses to look at Draco. Draco is sure she knows why he would be the person that Potter will miss the most. If only Draco would be able to talk to her for a second. Because it can’t be that he likes Draco, can it? That would be insane.

“It’s all perfectly save. All you four have to do is take this potion and you will sleep. You won’t notice anything of the tasks. And the Mermen have promised to keep you safe for the duration of the task. Nothing will come to you,” Dumbledore says.

Draco eyes the potion and shakes his head. What will everyone think when Potter has to rescue him? What would father say if he hears? It’s beneath them, unheard of. No way that Draco will be doing this.

But then again. There was last week. Potter seemed more upset with himself than with Draco. He stuttered. Said he didn’t mean to say what he said, that he just wanted to talk. It was stupid. But what if it was his way of trying to reach out to Draco?

Only Potter can’t be gay. That would be insane. He’s the boy who lived. The saviour of the wizarding world. Nobody will want to have a gay saviour. But then again, nobody wants a gay Malfoy heir either. And they got that anyway.

“I’ll do it,” Draco says. He’s crazy for believing that this means more than it does, but what does he have to lose? And the smile Granger sends his way right now is promising.

-x-x-x-x-x-

“Oh, don’t worry about it all, Ron,” Hermione says on Harry’s left. She was rescued by Krum moments after Cedric had taken Cho up to the surface of the lake. Harry hadn’t wanted to leave with just Malfoy. It was wrong to leave the others down there. He knows now that he was a fool to think that they would truly be lost after the bespoken time had passed.

“Don’t worry, she says,” Ron shouts back. “You got kidnapped by the Merfolk, and you tell me not to worry.”

“She wasn’t kidnapped, Weasel,” Malfoy says from Harry’s other side. He sits next to Harry, their hands close to each other. Malfoy’s pinkie on top of Harry’s below the blanket that falls around them to keep them warm.

“Keep out of it, Ferret,” Ron snaps.

Hermione signs. “Ron, stop it. He’s right. We had to agree with this. If I’d told them I didn’t want to do it, they would have found another person to take my place. Nobody forced us.”

Harry turns to look at Malfoy next to him. Had Malfoy agreed to be held underwater for over an hour so Harry could come and rescue him? It’s insane. Why would he ever agree to something like that? Harry hasn’t missed the shouts of Malfoy’s friends when they saw Draco get out of the lake with Harry. He heard the hateful words just as well as Malfoy must-have. And still, he chose to do this voluntarily.

“What you’re staring at, Potter?” Malfoy asks.

Harry shakes his head and looks back towards the lake. The judges are still deliberating about something. Harry doesn’t care if he’s honest. He came back last, so he won’t be scoring great. Not that it matters. Harry never wanted to be in this tournament at all, so who cares if he wins or loses?

“Harry, please tell Hermione that it’s my job to worry,” Ron says.

“You talking to me now?” Harry asks him.

“What?” Ron asks in surprise at the same time as Hermione looks at Harry.

“Did you two have a fight?” she asks.

“Someone didn’t believe that Malfoy would be the person I would miss the most,” Harry tells her. The pinkie on top of his squeezes lightly and Harry feels his cheeks heat up. He isn’t sure, but someone wouldn’t hold your pinkie if they didn’t care, would they?

“Ronald Bilius Weasley,” Hermione states as she stands up. “You fought with Harry on the day of the task because of his crush? Are you insane?”

Harry doesn’t hear what Ron says in response. His ears are ringing as the words of Hermione plant themselves in his brain. There is no way Malfoy hasn’t heard them, just like everyone around. Tomorrow it will be in the papers how the ‘boy who lived’ has the hots for his nemesis, the Malfoy heir. Tomorrow the entire wizarding world will know he’s gay.

“Don’t freak out, Potter,” Malfoy says. Harry turns his head and looks at him.

“You don’t mind. Tomorrow everyone will know about this. It will be in the papers,” Harry stutters.

Malfoy stands up, pulls his blanket tighter around his body. “I thought you were a Gryffindor, but turns out you’re an even bigger coward than me,” he says before he turns and walks away.

Harry stares at Malfoy, at his downturned head as he strives away from the lake. He’s right, Harry is acting like a coward. Just moments ago he was sitting next to Draco Malfoy, holding his pinkie like it was the most natural thing in the world. Harry wants to hold it again. And not just under a blanket. He wants the world to know that he’s fallen for Malfoy. It’s time he starts acting like a true Gryffindor. He stands up and runs after Malfoy.

“Draco, wait,” he shouts.

Malfoy stops and turns to look at Harry. “You called me Draco,” he says.

“Yeah,” Harry confirms as he stops in front of Draco. “I thought it was appropriate, as I’m about to kiss you.”

The corners of Draco’s mouth turn into a smile as Harry takes his face in his hands. Harry kisses against the smile and it’s perfect.

“Fine, I won’t snug Hermione all the time anymore when you’re around,” Ron shouts from behind them. “Just take your tongue out of the Ferret and let me apologise. And Ferret, I hope you like chess, because we are playing tomorrow as I have to be your friend now.”

Harry kisses Draco for some time longer, just to get back at Ron. And also because it’s the best thing in the world.

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 79: The House-Elf Liberation Front

Their landing seemed to be louder than usual, as Alice crashed into a hard floor once more, she noted how surprisingly cold and smooth it was, and the banging residing all around her as she tried to quickly sit up echoed, along with one person screaming in pain.

She reached up blindly, sensing more than seeing something on her left and trying to pull on it to help her to her feet, but then yelping in her own intense pain as something crashed onto her head. She released it and fell back to the floor, now wincing and cursing in even more pain as she rolled onto her back instead and looked up at a stove. She'd pulled it open on her head, explaining the deep painful throbbing that was occurring, but at least the screaming had somewhat stopped, so as she carefully raised it back up and scooted carefully away to try getting to her feet once more, she was much more careful about how.

They were in a kitchen, a very large one. There were four long islands all with steaming pots, simmering pans, and hot stoves piping away for a fresh meal, and they'd landed in the middle of it. Remus Lupin was across from her, eyes streaming in pain as he rubbed at his freshly burned arm, she winced in sympathy as she realized he must have landed on the overturned gravy dripping on the counter. There was a casserole with hash quickly turning brown in the oven she'd just collided with, and sizzling bacon grease wafted the whole area from the warm fireplace behind them Frank had almost landed in. She hurried to his side while he winced and cursed, brushing soot from his robes and saying how he'd be happy never to be near fire again after all this.

"Who on Earth has a need for this kitchen?" Lily asked in fascination, prodding at a pot full of nearly three dozen simmering eggs ready to be shelled not far away.

"You mean you don't know?" James Potter all but materialized behind her, that same smile back on his face they hadn't seen in quite a while now as he indulged himself in his favorite past time, harassing her.

She just looked to him in silent exasperation, clearly aware whatever she said he'd continue anyways, and so he did. "We're in the Hogwarts kitchen!" The grand gesture he used to say as much was actually worthy of the environment.

Alice had guessed as much, it was a Hufflepuff tradition to find the place without hints from anyone else because they were all told how close it was to their dormitory. So far she'd been slacking on that, but now she'd be the second in her dorm to do it.

"I didn't really think Hogwarts had a kitchens," Frank blinked in surprise. "I thought the food just, appeared."

"It's a Gamp's Law thing, that's not possible," Potter disagreed with a friendly enough smile that still looked superiorly smug to them as he finished, "you'll learn about that in Transfiguration much later."

Sirius Black, apparently deciding a kitchen wasn't dangerous enough he needed to stay as a dog, called out to him as a distraction and he took off with one last lingering look at Lily.

The three Marauders converged around Remus, who was still nursing his burning arm, but then as they looked around they realized once more someone was missing.

Regulus had found himself in what must be the pantry, more food in here than there had been wands at Ollivanders, he couldn't imagine an army going through this amount in several lifetimes. Still, he could hear the others conversations and even louder landings and was traversing the space curiously to get out when he came across the wrong kind of door. It was diminutive to him, but Kreacher would fit through just fine, and this curiosity beat out the others as he knelt down to pop it open. He poked his head in and smiled in delight upon what he found, and considered going in to explore more and keeping this to himself when he heard Sirius start calling out for him.

Hanging his head, but deciding it would be better to heed him than cause that idiot to get into a panic after the last one he just went through, he finally found his way to an almost human sized door and pushed it open instead and nearly ran smack into Sirius.

"You'll never believe what I found," he told him with repressed delight, as he spun back around and lead the way. They all followed him without protest, and had to nearly break their backs to get through the door to find the rows of beds in here.

Each was miniature, most were straight and uniform with a single blanket and pillow cleanly pressed, at least the few dozen rows they saw were. The one closest to them was the only one with a trunk at the end, and it was cracked open, the contents of which were socks of every shape and color neatly folded, along with an odd assortment of clothes in just as fine a state, and the book resting on top.

Lily poked her head in last curiously, finding it almost depressing this place seemed more jail-like than anything. She really felt for Hermione's campaign the more she heard of it, surely these house-elves had personalities they'd like to attach to the meager space provided for them, what was with the one oddball bed Sirius Black was attempting to break as he flopped down on top of with a laugh as it barely fit his rump.

"I'll bet that one belongs to Dopey," a quiet voice muttered behind her, and she whirled on the spot to find Remus Lupin surprisingly close to her, but eyeing his friend affectionately. She snorted in surprise to hear such a Muggle reference from him, quite the rarity in this school for even the populace that did know of such things rarely ever brought it up, as if that would just further define them.

Remus Lupin was now looking at her in just as much surprise, taking a quick step back and giving her a sheepish look. She smiled uncomfortably as she forced herself to meet his eyes, she'd been rather avoiding thinking of him, or rather realizing she now owed an allegiance to either Snape or these Marauder idiots. When they got out of here, would she- should she tell Sev that he'd been right all along...

She startled even harder as Alice had apparently picked up the book and began reading, while the Marauders had quickly grown bored and were now ransacking the kitchens in the span it took her to read out the chapter title, The House-Elf Liberation Front. Frank stayed behind and was eyeing the miniature beds with longing, as if he was contemplating shoving a few together and getting comfortable. She couldn't blame him as she yawned herself, but leaned back comfortably against the wall for now.

Harry was enjoying the company of both of his friends once more on their way up to the owlery, but she found herself to be quite grateful to be down here instead as she plucked a few grapes hanging nearby. It was nice to hear of something so relaxing once more, just Harry sending off a letter to his godfather about how he'd survived, rather than having to hear of him living through said dragon experience.

Invigorated by the fruit, and getting a chill in place from standing in the cool air around all this food, Lily began exploring the endless isles, plucking up jerkies, cheese, and and even ripping off a hunk of bread at her leisure from the schools kitchens as she tried to sort out her life while Harry actually enjoyed this party the Gryffindor's were throwing him in celebration.

Alice was smiling along at the events as well, Hermione getting the twins to tell how to get into the kitchens was the obvious lead up to how they wound up down here, clearly Hermione was going to take them up on that. Then she smiled even more broadly as Neville laughed along at those Canary Creams, ingenious little tricks she'd admit.

Frank was shifting about sluggishly beside her, and she wanted to cling to the good mood as long as she could, so she marked her place and the two began traveling the isles as well, coming across the pastries themselves not long after. The two had a very good laugh about thinking of the twins slipping in some Canary Creams into everyone's morning breakfast, it was certainly the kind of thing they could see the Marauders doing at least, as they helped themselves to a load. After they had their fill, they went back out to the kitchen proper, and she settled comfortably in Franks arms in front of the fireplace to keep going.

It was almost a pleasant experience again, maybe the two of them would invest in this being their studying spot in the future once they got out of this mess. Surely the house-elves wouldn't mind the company? The rest of the group was actually being pretty quite for once as well, likely pigging themselves out while they had the chance in the cupboards, the most chaos that was being caused was from the books and Hagrid attempting to get the Blast-Ended Skrewts to hibernate. It wasn't exactly encouraging, Rita Skeeter showing up again to cause trouble for Hagrid was now inevitable in this future, but thankfully nothing exploded at the moment.

Things even continued in a nice, calm pace as another Divination class was laughed through, Alice really hoped that was an option soon in Hogwarts time for just a nice layabout class. Then Hermione was back with a splash, dragging Harry through the castle, seemingly down to her common room if she wouldn't have guessed the destination already. "I can't believe it's so close," Alice pouted. "I've been a right idiot not to have noticed."

"Cheer up love," Frank kissed her temple, "I'm sure not every Hufflepuff's even found it, not every student sets out to find every secret place in this castle after all."

They all got quite a surprise though when Harry went in, and one elf in particular greeted him enthusiastically.

"Dobby's back!" Sirius said in surprise, nearly dropping the whole ham he'd been trying to shove into his bag.

"Yes Sirius, we heard," Remus rolled his eyes as he popped the last bite of waffle with jelly filling into his mouth.

"That's adorable," James grinned, juggling oranges purely for his own amusement, the peelings of the six he'd already devoured littered across the floor. "I'm glad that insane little house-elf is somewhere not with the Malfoy's anymore!"

Peter only hesitated a moment. Nobody had said anything against him following them down the cured meats isle, but nobody had said anything for it either. If they were just going to go on and pretend this had never happened, well, he could be game with that. "As long as he didn't bring along anymore insane Bludgers with him."

Remus gave him a forced kind of smile, Peter had seen Sirius give Regulus more friendly looks lately than he got, and James just looked sort of sad like he wasn't sure how to respond at all. Of course things couldn't be that easy, but at least they were all trying. They proceeded in subdued silence through the storages of food, stuffing every available bag and pocket silly. It quickly became apparent the strange trunk they'd seen full of clothes had been Dobby's, he worked here now like an actual member of the staff strangely enough. Winky too, well, sort of. They'd honestly forgotten about her, but her interaction was still less strange than Dobby's.

Regulus found himself fascinated at the juxtaposition of Dobby and Winky. He'd climbed up the food wracks carefully, so as not to needlessly squash or touch anything with his shoes, nearly up to the ceiling and casting the ground almost out of sight but found his own preference of delicacies the school only rarely served, including those odd peppermint humbugs. He chewed thoughtfully on the whole house-elf thing this Muggleborn Granger still wouldn't let go, Winky was behaving perfectly normally while Dobby was the odd one out here. He wouldn't lie though, as silly as the idea was of paying a house-elf, he was rather fond of the idea. Kreacher was so lively at just the smallest kind word said to him, was it possible he'd be even happier with a knut now and again? It certainly wouldn't hurt to try.

He even found himself smiling as Harry got on so well with Dobby, now that the elf wasn't trying to kill him, and they had a nice chat. Harry found out something odd to do with Crouch even, though no details from Winky, and Regulus hoped the others really heard what had just happened as well, something he'd figured out long ago. Kreacher was a wealth of information on things his parents didn't like to talk about, he'd learned almost as much from chatting with his elf as he did from them. He hoped all the others listening realized they weren't just invisible servants like so many others seemed to think. The bite of leftover bouillabaisse he'd been sampling got stuck in his throat a bit as he realized this was once again something he'd been so different about other purebloods on, was it really just his fate to be different from everyone?

Sighing with distaste that had nothing to do with the foreign foods, he stored an extra can of kippers into his pocket and went back to mentally memorizing where in the castle the kitchens were, he'd definitely love to make a return visit.

[romioneficfest]

Soul Searching

Title: Soul Searching

Prompt/Summary: Hermione admits she was wrong.

Rating: K

Name:

Brief Summary: Hermione admits the way she went about House Elf rights when she was younger wasn’t quite how she should have handled things.

Content Warning: None

Notes: This is very AU and contains an in-depth discussion of house-elf rights.

“You know, Ron,” she said quietly, “you were right and I was wrong.”

Blimey, the Hermione Granger he knew never admitted she was wrong! Ron looked at her with trepidation.

“Um, uh, are you a pod person that’s taken over my girlfriend’s body?” They had watched a Muggle movie called The Invasion of the Body-Snatchers a couple days ago.

Hermione rolled her eyes and ignored him.

“I stand by my position that house-elves have a right to freedom,” she explained, “But I was wrong to try and hide those hats in the Gryffindor common room and trick the school house-elves into picking them up. And you were right to call me out on it. It was underhanded and very patronizing of me. I never asked them what they wanted, not even once. I fell short of my high ideals of equality and fairness and justice and…No wonder they were all so offended!”

Ron’s mouth closed with an audible snap.

“Don’t feel too bad, sweetheart,” He said gently. “Everyone fucks up. And I reckon we’ve both got a lot to learn about house-elves. I didn’t even see how rough they had it until you pointed it out!”

The words seemed to calm her down. A small hand slipped into his as they walked along the beach of Shell Cottage. The setting sun blazed and glowed the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, like a phoenix soaring over the horizon.

“House-elves are oppressed,” Hermione mused. “and any legitimate movement for social change has to center their struggle and prioritize their right to self-determination. But I was wrong…I should have known better than to think I knew better than them. I see now that I have no right to tell them what their liberation should look like, or what their relationship to their traditional occupation should be.”

She sighed, and placed her hands over her temples. “As a witch and member of the very class that oppresses them, I was way out of line. And I honestly don’t know how to fix it.”

“Hermione, we’ve been over this before,” Ron said patiently. “you can’t be right all the time. None of us can. You wouldn’t be human if you could! And sometimes, there are no easy answers. Life isn’t a textbook, you know, it doesn’t come with an answer key at the back. Even the house-elves can’t seem to agree what’s best for them. And to be honest, we wizards and witches are so loud we kind of drown them out.”

They were silent for a while. Ron and Hermione were both haunted by Dobby’s near-death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. But the elf had largely recovered from his injuries, thanks to the devoted care of Harry and surprisingly, Winky. Winky and Dobby had hated each other for a long time, due to their vastly different stances on house-elf rights. Still, Dobby was a hero of the War and highly respected by his people. Her friendship with Dobby helped Winky sober up and get over being dismissed by Mr. Crouch. Ron still didn’t get what she’d seen in the crusty old geezer, but he was glad to see she’d finally moved on with her life.

Hermione gave a watery smile. “Dobby and Winky’s political stances are not as opposed as they seem. Both of them support better working conditions for their people, and neither of them condone actual abuse at the hands of humans. It’s just that Winky has a lot of pride in her people’s traditional occupation of domestic labor. And we have to admit that labor has value and is important! Essential, even. Most of the wizarding world runs on it.”

“I mean, only rich people can afford house-elves,” Ron said, “my family hasn’t had one in like, centuries. But Hogwarts would be shot without them, that’s for sure. And I’m pretty sure the Malfoys would starve to death without them.”

“Isn’t it odd that much of the wizarding world can be so dependent on another race of beings and yet so contemptuous of them?” Hermione wondered. “The Death Eaters didn’t emerge in a vacuum. The systems of oppression that produced them are still with us in the form of violence against house-elves, Muggle-borns, werewolves, and goblins.”

His girlfriend used a lot of big words, especially when discussing her grand social theories about the world. But Ron always got the gist of what she was saying. He’d been around her long enough.

“Hermione,” Ron said in a low voice. “You got seven Os on all your NEWTS! Seven Os. That’s kind of a big deal. You could be anything you want. But you always said you wanted to do some good in the world. So why don’t you make SPEW a full-time thing and fight for the rights of these people? I think you’d be good at it. You’ve just gotta be sure you involve them and stay in touch with what they want.”

She looked up at him, startled.

“You don’t think it would be stupid?”

“Of course not! I became an Auror for you, remember? And I’d work double-time to support you if that’s what it took.”

He couldn’t really blame his girlfriend for doubting him on this stuff. Sometimes, he still wondered what she saw in a boor like him. Ron felt twinges of shame for the things he’d said about SPEW before the war. Auror training taught him that hatred and bigotry were powerful sources of Dark magic. Voldemort’s soul had been a shitty, rotten, maggot-filled cesspool of both. No wonder the twisted old snake had wanted to tear it apart.

George had offered him a post at the joke shop, but in the end, Ron couldn’t bring himself to replace Fred. He just couldn’t. Losing Fred had felt like losing a limb. Ron let the pain fuel him for his next round with the Death Eaters. He clenched his teeth and fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

“I swear, Hermione,” he growled, “I won’t rest until every single Death Eater and all the fuckers who sucked up to them are brought to justice.”

Hermione glowed, her face shining bright like moonbeams and starlight and all that mushy and dramatic bullshit he didn’t get. “I know you won’t.”

She curled into him. His face was very warm, and he could feel it turning as red as his hair. Ron swallowed hard and held her against his chest, feeling like one of the gallant knights in the stories his mum used to tell him. It was a damn fine feeling, he decided.

“I think I’m going to take your advice. My parents want me to apply for a post in the Ministry, but I think it’s as much my destiny to be an activist as it’s yours to be an Auror.”

The stars sparkled above them like a diamond in a wedding ring.

“I have a confession to make,” Hermione whispered.

“Oh, yeah?”

“When we were at school, I had a crush on you for so long that I was afraid of what would happen when we finally got together. My greatest fear was that we didn’t share the same values, and that it would drive us apart. I don’t have that fear anymore.”

“I was afraid of fucking us up, too,” he admitted quietly.

“You know, there’s a Muggle saying I once read in a book,” Hermione said. “Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

Ron thought of the final battle of Hogwarts, when he’d been the one to remember the house-elves and warn them to leave the kitchen for their safety. They all fought valiantly at Harry’s side to protect the school and defeat Voldemort. His girlfriend was a tough witch to impress, but he knew he’d got through to her that night. He thought of how proud he and Hermione were of Harry, who’d fulfilled the prophecy and become the first DADA Professor in many decades to last more than one year in the post.

“Well, sweetheart, that sure does sound like us.”

Hermione beamed brightly up at him and snuggled closer. “Thank you, Ron. Thank you for supporting me in the cause we both believe in.”

The sun slipped over the horizon, and the blue water splashed onto the powdery white sand of the beach. Hermione’s face turned up like a flower in spring, and she raised her lips to his. Ron felt his mind go blank at the taste of her cherry-red mouth. He didn’t want to ruin it by talking, so he lifted her clean off the ground, just as he’d done for their first kiss. Hermione’s bushy brown hair tumbled across his face, smelling all sweet and fresh like new parchment and freshly mowed grass and the perfume he’d bought her long ago. And she giggled into the kiss. Ron had wanted this for half his bloody life, but he knew then he would never get enough.

[stargazing-enby]

🎃A Drarry Halloween story...🎃

[ID: a night sky background with a row of pumpkins at the bottom and the words “Pumpkin Boy by OTPshipper98” written in the middle. End ID]

Drarry | 6.5k | Teen and Up | Fluff, Angst, Pre-Hogwarts, Trick or Treating, Child Abuse (Abusive Dursley Family), Childhood Crushes, Bickering | Read on AO3 | Read in Spanish | There’s fanart!

“Come oooon! I promise I’ll be back by eight. They won’t even notice I left! They’re too busy entertaining their boring guests, they’ll just assume I went to bed!”

The elf cringed at his tone. “Dobby is still not thinking this is a good idea, Master Draco.”

“I don’t care what you think!” he snapped. “This is my last chance to do this before I have to spend every Halloween at Hogwarts, and you are not going to ruin this for me. That’s an order.”

Pride filled his chest as Dobby bowed at his feet and stretched out his arm. He’d done it! He’d convinced Dobby! Oh, Merlin, he was really doing this. He was going to Muggle London. All of his friends had said they’d do it this year, and he was determined to have the best story to tell when he saw them all again.

“Where to?” the elf muttered, shaking. “The city centre?”

“No. That’s where all my friends will be, and I want my story to be a surprise. Take me to…” He looked around, trying to come up with any Muggle place he knew the name of. He shrugged. “To the last Muggle place my father ordered you to Apparate to.”

A loud crack, a pull at the pit of his stomach, and they were gone.

He looked around and immediately wrinkled his nose. “Where are we? This place looks ghastly.” And scary, but he didn’t say that out loud.

“In P-Privet Drive, Master Draco.” Dobby let go of his hand. “This is where—”

“I don’t care. Where are the houses and the Muggle kids?”

“They are being this way, Master Draco.”

***

“Jade, wait for me!”

“Uuuhh, I’m gonna kill you!”

“Aaahhh! Noooo!!!”

Harry snickered. That had to be the silliest ghost costume he had seen all evening, and yet those two idiots were running like their life depended on it. They were so gullible—ghosts didn’t even exist!

He brought another one of the chocolates he’d nicked from Dudley’s bag to his mouth. Five more to go. He’d have to finish them before the Dursleys got back home, or he knew he’d get in trouble.

Another group of kids approached 4 Privet Drive, and he spied on them from between the flowers of Aunt Petunia’s fuchsia bush. Ah, he knew those girls—they were the popular group from year 4. He wondered if they’d be as popular the next day of school if their classmates were to realise the resemblance between their group costume and the stinky, over-boiled shrimps Mrs Figg cooked on special occasions.

Pity he was the only kid in town who’d had to suffer Mrs Figg’s poor cooking skills.

Another kid walked past. Harry almost missed him, because he was wearing what looked like a really expensive costume of Death—his cloak was a deep shade of black and covered his whole body, and he was carrying some sort of… bag, over his shoulder. It was so big, it looked as though he was about to carry a corpse with it. He would have made quite a realistic impression, had it not been for the pointy hat that rose from his head, which kind of made him look like a gigantic walking cone of ice cream.

But none of that really mattered, because this kid was new. Harry had never seen him before, and he didn't seem to know where he was going—he kept staring at 5 Privet Drive, as though wondering if the house would bite him if he approached it.

This was his chance of making a friend—one that Dudley couldn't possibly have threatened into hating him yet.

Quickly, he crawled towards the window and climbed into the living room. He almost turned on the lights, but thought better of it and resorted to squinting as he searched of something that could resemble a costume. The old wardrobe in which aunt Petunia kept her old scarves caught his eye, but he didn't dare use one of those. It did remind him, though, of the ragged scarf he’d nicked from the back of Dudley’s wardrobe to wipe the blood of a scratch on his knee the previous spring. He’d hidden it under his bed, and he was pretty sure it was still there.

Two minutes later, Harry looked himself in the mirror and saw a half-decent impersonation of a pirate. His glasses were a bit crooked, but at least they held the scarf in place so that it covered his eye. His clothes were baggy and a bit stinky, but for once he didn’t care—weren’t pirates stinky after all?

He was about to run out again when he remembered—he had to cover his scar! He couldn't risk the wind moving his fringe—he was sure that kid would think him a freak if he saw it. That was what the Dursleys always called him.

Did pirates wear hats? Well, Harry shrugged, grabbing one of Dudley's old ones, now they do.

He stepped outside, frantically searching for that pointy hat. The kid was nowhere to be seen, he realised, his heart jumping.

He advanced a few more steps, but hesitated. Walking all the way to the road was not a good idea; if the Dursleys somehow found out he’d escaped Mrs Figg’s creepy old guest room, he’d be doomed.

Harry still couldn’t see that kid. Feeling disappointed, he grabbed a stick from the front yard and hit the grass. Ugh, he shouldn’t have left his stupid bush.

“What are you supposed to be?”

Harry jumped around. It was the pointy boy! The adjective really did suit him, Harry realised—his chin was extremely sharp, and his eyebrow was raised in an almost perfect triangle as he stared at Harry with a skeptical sneer.

“Er… I’m a pirate. See? This is my sword.” He raised the stick in the air.

“Really?” The boy had a very posh accent, too. “Because you look like you just escaped Azkaban prison, honestly.”

“Azka-what?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t know what that is.” His sneer deepened. “I don’t know why I thought talking to a Muggle would be a good idea.”

“What did you just call me?” Gosh, the kid was weird. And a bit mean. But Harry kind of liked him already—it wasn’t hard to see that he was trying to hide the fact that he was lost, and that made his anger feel endearing rather than annoying.

“Nothing.”

Harry didn’t really know what to say to that. A moment passed and the kid shuffled a bit.

“What are you dressed up as?” Harry asked.

The kid huffed. “You should check your glasses if you have to ask! I’m a wizard, of course!”

“That’s not how wizards look,” he pointed out.

“Excuse me?!”

The boy’s offended expression was so harmless and exaggerated that it actually made Harry snicker. “It’s not my fault you look like Death!”

“I most certainly do not look like Death!”

Man, the kid was proud. Harry sighed. He really should change subjects if he wanted to have any chance at becoming friends with him.

He pulled a chocolate from his pocket and handed it to him. “Here. What’s your name?”

The kid eyed him suspiciously. “Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. Yours?”

“That’s such an uncommon name.” Draco still hadn’t accepted the chocolate, but Harry kept his arm stretched out. “I’m Harry.”

Draco pulled a face, but finally took the chocolate. “I don’t like that name.”

“Why not?” Harry frowned. “What's wrong with it?”

“Nothing, I just don’t like it.” Draco inspected the chocolate thoroughly, as though he’d never seen a pumpkin wrapping before. “I think I’ll just call you something else.”

“What?!”

He brought the chocolate to his mouth and hummed. “From now on, I’ll call you Pumpkin Boy.”

“You’re so weird,” Harry said. When Draco raised his chin defiantly, Harry smirked. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist, Pointy Boy. I like weird.”

“You’re such an entitled git!”

“Well you’re a pointy brat,” he shot back.

Draco clenched his fists. “Are you going to come trick or treating with me or what?”

Harry’s heart jumped at that. Him? Trick or treating? Oh, god, he’d get in so much trouble if the Dursleys found out. But he really wanted to befriend Draco. Who wanted to go trick or treating with him!

“Sure,” he said casually. “Let’s go.”

Read the rest on AO3

[drarryies]

The Second Task (Drarry)

Summary: Instead of Ron being in the Black lake for task two, Draco is

No one had yet to find about Draco and Harry's relationship. No one had yet to catch them snogging in deserted broom closets. No one had yet to catch their longing stares and sly smiles at each other throughout the day. No one had yet to catch their hands briefly touching when they pass each other in the halls. No one had yet to catch Harry in the Slytherin dorm or vice versa. No one had noticed how all of their fights looked staged. Or so they thought.

When Dumbledore found out that Harry had taken Parvati Patil to The Yule Ball he wasn't surprised. He also wasn't surprised to catch Harry and Draco sneaking off with each other in the middle of a dance. Though he was surprised to find that they came back to the Ball not looking like they had snogged but instead looking as if they had gone through hell. Harry's eyes were red and had tear streaks running down his dismembered face, which he quickly tried to wipe off. And as for Draco, he was in worse shape. His usual pale face was somehow even more pale while as Harry, also had red eyes that was pure evidence of crying.

Dumbledore, being a huge Drarry shipper, was worried about the pair. Since the day he had overheard their confessions to each other on the Astronomy Tower, he had been convinced that the couple were soulmates. Had they broken up?

He quickly got up from his seat at the table and carefully walked over to Harry, who was sitting at one of the many empty tables. Dumbledore pretended to spot him wiping off his tears.

"Oh, Harry, what's wrong?" Dumbledore asked the boy who was now hunched down in his chair.

Harry jumped at his name being said and tried to wipe his tears off even faster than before. "Oh, i-it's just al-allergies."

Dumbledore made a noise as if he was thinking and after a few seconds he answered. "So, I assume you're allergic to Draco Malfoy and him vice versa? You walked off with the boy perfectly fine but when you came back I guess you started to have...an allergic reaction. Am I right or do you want to tell me the real story?"

Harry's face flushed as he turned away from Dumbledore, embarrassed. Dumbledore just smiled and put a hand on his shoulder as a reassuring act to show Harry that he could trust him. He gave a weak smile back but it quickly disappeared as he glanced back at the blond haired boy who was sitting at another empty table. Draco had been staring at the boy with an extremely sad expression twisted on his face, but when he saw Harry's startling green eyes on his he quickly looked away. After a few seconds of Draco's face in his own palms, he stood up from his chair and run-walked out of large room.

Harry glanced back at Dumbledore, his eyes unmistakably miserable, and followed Draco out.

Dumbledore just stood where Harry had just been while his eyes were focused on the spot where Draco and Harry had just disappeared. After a couple of seconds of this, he felt a large hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Madam Maxime holding a hand out to him.

"Care to 'ance?" the half-giant asked. Dumbledore just nodded and took her hand, while they glided to the dance floor.

                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The morning of the second task was torture for Harry, who had been up all night trying to find out how to breath underwater for an hour. But the real reason he was miserable was because he missed Draco. He had completely disappeared with no explanation.

Ever since their fight at The Yule Ball, their arguments had gotten more serious and physical. But unlike a toxic relationship, they both knew that the other one loved them dearly. And their fights were nothing compared to that.

But Draco hadn't came back like he promised when he left Harry in the library. And after that he couldn't focus because his worry for him had over thrown any other thought he had. He remembered what his purpose of going to research was when he was abruptly awaken by Dobby. He was about have a panic attack when he realized that now Draco was gone AND he didn't know how to do the second task.

"Don't worry, Dobby has the answer!" The house elf said, showing him the gillyweed. Harry let out a small sigh of relief and took it from him, thanking him. "No worries, but Dobby has been assigned to lead you to the Black Lake."

And so he followed him. His own footsteps echoed throughout his mind as they finally reached the dark water with the school already there. Draco was not there.

Dumbledore came up behind him an placed his hand on his shoulder "Calm down, Harry. I'm sure this task will breeze through. But it looks like something else is on your mind, do you want to ask me something?"

Harry looked into the old man's eyes, ready to say something. But at the last second he closed his mouth and shook his head. Dumbledore was not pleased that the boy had yet again denied to tell him the truth.

"Okay, well get going. You need to get ready with the other champions." He said in the most calm tone he could muster. Harry let out a brief whisper and headed for the dock, gillyweed in hand.

And right before the cannons went off he stuffed it in his mouth and quickly swallowed it and dived into the water. The gillyweed had a horrible taste with a weird texture. And for a moment he thought it hadn't worked. Until he felt the gills forming, his feet turning into flippers, and his hand turning into rough spread apart skin.

He quickly set off so he could get this over with. He just wanted to know where Draco was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he heard the high pitched voices and songs he knew he had successfully swam to where the mermaids were. And when he trudged through what looked like seaweed, he was presented with hundreds of them. They were all gathered around four...people? As he swam forwards to get a closer look he saw him.

Draco.

He was suspended by his feet, while his body was almost floating in the water. He looked peaceful. Draco surely couldn't be Harry's insensitive. Could he? At that moment he spotted Hermione hanging next to him. What was going on?

He quickly paddle my way through the water to Draco and Hermione. But when he got to them he didn't know quite what to do. Does he release Draco or Hermione? While caught up in his pondering, he felt a poke in his ribcage and grimaced slightly. He looked over at the mermaid that had just stabbed him in the stomach with his trident with a glare at the half fish pointed to Draco. Harry tried to say something but was quickly reminded that he was under when the only thing that came out of his mouth was bubbles.

There was nothing he could do but try and get Draco out of the Black Lake. Harry also knew that he was the first to arrive considering that all four champion's person was still here.

When were they going to get here? he thought. What if they don't make it in time? What if-

Another poke in the ribs. Harry mouthed the word "fine" as he started to hack off the seaweed that was keeping Draco leveled. When it finally broke, he grabbed his arm and yanked him towards Hermione with him. But when he started to free Hermione, he felt the same sharp pain course through his body.

"What now" he again tried to say but clearly wasn't heard as the mermaid hissed

"Only one!" What was he going to do? He couldn't just leave Hermione here with the...,He glanced at the mermaid's trident again, ..dangerous fish.

At that thought, Victor Krum out of no where, swooped down with his head being transformed into a shark and bit Hermione free. He quickly swam away without even looking at Harry who now was just floating with Draco at his side.

With Hermione out of the way, Harry could see clear as day Cho stuck in the same situation as Hermione once was.

Harry started to panic. Should he just swim to the surface and trust that someone would come and get them? Or should he stay and wait it out while potentially losing the challenge?

He chose the latter and kept a tight grip on Draco's arm whilst every five seconds, glancing to see if he was alright. And of course he was. After about five minutes of this, Cedric came to rescue Cho and Draco and Harry were left with what looked like a relative of Fleur.

Harry was about to have a full blown panic attack now. The time had surely ended a few minutes ago and Harry now had to carry to people up to the surface while the gillyweed wore off.

He decided to make it quick so he didn't die at the bottom of The Black Lake and hastily got the blond girl free and grabbed her arm so he had them both at his side.

He could now feel his fins and gills wearing off, as swam up towards the sunlight beaming into the water from above. When the trio reached the surface, Harry could feel water coming out of his nose. And it felt horrible.

He thought people would be cheering as The Boy Who Lived successfully completed the second task with two people, but the crowd was silent. He realized why when he looked over his shoulder at the pale faced boy whilst paddling back to shore. Draco and the girl had come out of the spell and were now following behind Harry, all coughing like crazy.

+++++++++++++++++++++

Once all champions and and 'the people they would wish the most' were safe and had blankets wrapped around their shoulders (courtesy of Madam Pomfrey), is when the murmurs had started.

"Why was Draco in the lake? Was he for Harry?"

"What's going on with Draco and Harry?"

"Do you think they're in a secret gay relationship?"

"Was Draco in the lake a mistake? Did they mean to put the Weasley?"

"Who's top and who's bottom?"

"A Death Eater should not be associated with Harry Potter"

"omg otp"

But the whispers stopped when Harry took Draco's fragile and shivering body in his arms and cupped his face in his hands while doing the unthinkable in front of the whole school.

Harry Potter kissed Draco Malfoy.

It didn't last long, as the couple didn't want it to go overboard, but it was still full of passion and heat. There were gasp, aw's, ew's, and lots of screaming but all Harry could make out of the large crowds was Dumbledore giving him a sly wink and smirk.

[somenewsarah]

Goodbye For Now

Requested: Yes: “Hi I love your work! I was wondering if you could do a Draco Malfoy x reader. Where they’re at Malfoy Manor during deathly hollows. And the reader has always been best friends with the trio so she’s with them and hasn’t seen Draco since they left. And they aren’t really dating but they kind of act like it sometimes I guess and everyone (people at Hogwarts and trio)  knows they like each other and kind of just say they’re dating. But could you have them get brought in and the death eaters want her because she’s pretty and she needs help from Draco but he can’t break their cover to his parents or anyone. But he takes her to his room and kisses her and wants to keep her safe and she hears Hermione and is scared but needs comforting, but then has to leave with the others and Dobby. And they share a final kiss before she touches they others to teleport and Draco gives her his ring or something cute idk. Idk hahaha. I know it’s so much. Please do whatever you need to do to make it simpler.”

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Genre: Angst/fluff? Maybe? Idk hahaha

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 2.4K

The Burrow is in full swing, and you’re just doing your best from getting swept up in it. At this particular moment, you’re hanging decorations in the garden with Hermione for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, who you weren’t particularly fond of.

“If you had told me during the Triwizard Tournament that I’d be decorating for that heinous creature of a girl’s wedding, I’d have laughed in your face,” you huff, using your wand to straighten out the fairy lights.

“The only reason you don’t like Fleur is because Draco made comments about her,” Hermione snickers.

“That’s not true,” you gasp, trying to hide your smile from her. “I don’t like her because she’s a ditz. She was the first one out of the second task, and the first one to quit the third, and the Goblet thought she was the most qualified for the tournament?”

“You’re not exactly wrong,” Hermione laughs, stringing photos along the fairy lights. “But also because Draco made comments about her.”

You laugh, rolling your eyes. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”

“You can’t hide from it forever, Y/N. Everyone knows you fancy him, and he you.”

“I might fancy him, but he definitely does not return it,” you scoff, trying to shrug off the wave of hurt that it brings.

“Oh, of course, because Harry kisses my forehead, gives me shoulder massages, carries my books, buys me expensive gifts all the time, and defies his entire upbringing just to be my friend. Sure, he doesn’t fancy you.”

“Hermione,” you sigh. “We’ve had this conversation before. It’s nice to be able to be with him the way we are at school, but other than that, there’s no realistic chance of us making anything of it. You know how his parents are. I’m not a muggle-born, but even half-bloods aren’t good enough for them. It’s pure blood or nothing. Besides, his parents don’t even know I exist to him.”

“Oh, so you’re Malfoy’s dirty little secret, then?”

“’Mione,” you groan, throwing the rest of the hangers at her. She laughs, but doesn’t push the subject any farther.

“Come on, this is finished. We need to get ready for the wedding. Have you picked out a dress yet?”

You had. Coincidentally, you’d complained to Draco about the wedding before summer rolled around, before all the awful things with Albus Dumbledore happened and Draco took part in his death, and he’d bought you a dress to wear. You’d never tell anyone where you really got it, but it was the most beautiful piece you owned. You almost felt bad- you could never condone Draco’s lifestyle as a Death Eater, even if he didn’t truly want to be a part of it, but you did love the dress.

It was an emerald green silk with a lace overlay. The neckline scooped down to an almost inappropriate length, but stopped short; it was enough to show that you had some cleavage but not enough to be asked to change by Mrs. Weasley. The bottom of your dress flowed around you toes, and your hair fell in waves around your shoulders. A crown of baby’s breath and lilies adorned your head, and you kept your makeup light.

“I thought Fleur was the bride,” Fred Weasley jokes as you make your way downstairs.

“Oh, Y/N, that dress is just darling!” Mrs. Weasley exclaims. “You must tell me where you got it from!”

“It was a gift,” you lie swiftly. “From Hogsmeade I’m sure.”

“It looks lovely. Run back upstairs and hurry the boys along, yes?”

“Absolutely,” you smile. You turn on your heels, heading back up what felt like twenty flights of stairs to hurry along Harry and Ron.

“Y/N,” Hermione calls from your shared room with Ginny Weasley. “Could you come help me?”

You enter the room, looking at her from head to toe.

“Hermione,” you exclaim. “You look fantastic! I think everyone coming is looking to show up Fleur, and for good reason.”

“Oh, stop it,” she says, waving you off. “Help me zip this, yeah?”

~

The wedding goes off without a hitch. You spend most of your time at the reception dancing with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with the occasional slow dance with one of the twins. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley really knew how to throw a party, and Bill and Fleur make their rounds, thanking everyone for coming and for all their help, even though now wasn’t really the greatest time for a celebration.

It comes so quickly you don’t even realize that it’s there. A glowing blue orb announcing that the ministry has fallen. Death Eaters fill the tent, and at once you search for Draco. You’re able to run out of the tent, knowing that what was going to happen; Harry had filled you all in about his search for Horcruxes in his fight to destroy Voldemort once and for all, and you were going with him.

Draco is waiting for you outside. You rush to him, knowing you only have seconds before you must go.

“I’m going with Harry,” you say quickly. “I won’t be at school, so don’t look for me. Please, Draco, don’t come looking for me. Do what you have to do.”

“Be careful. You know he only wants to kill Harry. Promise me you’re going to be careful,” he rushes, his fingers in your hair, holding you head steady.

“Draco, I promise.”

“They’re going to hunt him. If you see them, run. Find a way to let me know where you are, and I’ll come get you. I promise you this,” he says, kissing your forehead softly. Although the inside is chaos and people are running around you as if you aren’t there, you feel a wave of calm. “I knew that dress was the right one.”

“Now’s not the time,” you smile. You lean up wrapping your arms around his neck for a brief hug. He kisses your cheek. “Be safe. I have to go.”

You release him and turn back to the tent, willing yourself not to look over your shoulder. If things went south, you’d find him.

~

The Horcrux hangs around your neck. You’re irritable and angry and you’re snapping at everyone, but it was the only way to keep it safe until you could find a way to destroy it. Ron had long since gone, and Harry and Hermione were more on edge each day.

“Here,” Harry says, holding his hand out to me. “I’ll take it for a while. Give yourself a break.”

“Fine,” you sigh. You rip the Horcrux from your neck and place it in his hand. The coldness almost instantly leaves your body, and you drop back onto your cot, resting your hands over your eyes.

“Get some sleep,” Harry whispers, trying not to wake Hermione. “I’ll take the first watch.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

~

The rustling of the leaves catches your ear. Hermione stands next to you, looking out into the deep forest covered in orange leaves.

“Someone’s out there,” Hermione whispers. “I don’t know who it could be.”

“We need to run,” you whisper back, looking over your shoulder at Ron and Harry. “We aren’t safe anymore.”

“They won’t be able to see us. We’re protected by an invisibility charm.”

“What if they’re wizards? Won’t they know we’re here?”

Before she could answer, though, they materialized, and you’d never felt more afraid in your entire life. Snatchers. Many of them, too. They start down the hill, stopping to listen for any signs of movement of human life.

“He said it, didn’t he?” Hermione sighs. The name ‘Voldemort’ was taboo. Anyone who said it had an automatic trace on them, and Harry had just let it slip again.

“He did,” Ron says.

Suddenly, one of the snatchers is at the wall of the invisibility charm, and almost like he knows that it’s there, he knocks through it. The wall crumbles.

“Run!” You shout, taking off in the direction opposite the gang. Hermione and Harry are hot on your trail, followed closely by Ron. There were only three wands between the four of you, and you use your own to fire spells at the snatchers, trying to knock them off your tracks.

~

Your arm burns, fingernails dig into your skin, and your head pounds as your hauled up the cobblestone path of Malfoy Manor. It’d been hours since you’d been caught, and you were praying for some way for Draco to get you out of this safely.

You’re brought inside and dumped on the floor in front of Bellatrix. She walks straight to Harry, whose face had been disturbed past the point of recognition.

“Is it him? Is it the Potter boy?” Bellatrix asks, kneeling in front of Harry. “Oh, to be the one to bring Harry Potter to the Dark Lord!”

“Don’t forget who really brought him in,” the snatcher sneers. “I’ll be expecting my reward.”

“Yes, yes,” Bellatrix dismisses. “Draco, come here. Maybe you can tell us who our new friends are.”

Draco is pushed forward from the shadows, and your heart leaps. He makes eye contact with you briefly, and you can see just how scared he is. You shake your head, silently begging him not to sell Harry out.

“I- I can’t be sure,” Draco stammers, looking between Harry and you. Bellatrix notices the flicker in his eyes.

“Ah, and who is this? We have Weasley, the blood-traitor. Granger, the mudblood. And you, the pretty one,” she spits the word as if it were dirty.

“Please,” you beg once, your voice drowning out. “Draco!”

“Draco?” Bellatrix asks, a lilt in her voice. She eyes the Sword of Gryffindor in one of the snatcher’s hands and quickly immobilizes them. “Why don’t you dispose of this one, dear nephew. Someone take the boys to the cellar, I want to have a little chat with our friend here, girl to girl!”

Peter Pettigrew is quick to pull Harry and Ron to the cellar, and as he does, Draco roughly pulls you to your feet, putting on quite the show of pushing you out of the room, out of view from the other Death Eaters and his parents. You look back at Hermione, your eyes wide as Bellatrix remains in her face.

You’re pulled into the parlor, away from the scene unfolding in the sitting area, though Hermione’s screams don’t go unnoticed. Draco’s grip softens on you and he quickly pulls you into his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers, stroking your hair. “I’m going to get you out of this, I promise.”

“Draco,” you whimper, holding onto him. “I tried to run and fight them off so I could get to you, but there were too many of them. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, Y/N,” he whispers. He pulls you back, rubbing his thumb along a small cut on your cheek. “This won’t last forever. I’m going to get you all out of here.”

“But what about you?”

“I have to say,” he says, his eyes imploring your own. “But I’ll come and find you. It won’t be forever.”

You nod, resting your forehead on his shoulder. You shudder as you hear Hermione’s deafening screams, and Draco holds you even tighter.

“I’ve been working on something for you,” he says. You pull away from him, and he opens his front jacket pocket and removes a silver chain with a little encrusted ruby in the center.

“Draco, it’s beautiful,” you say, taking it in your hands.

“It’s not just a necklace. Use it to let me know you’re safe. It can send messages to my room that can’t be taken or intercepted,” he says. He takes the necklace from your hands and clasps it around your neck carefully. “I studied all year long last year with Flitwick to get the charms down to enchant it for you. We should head back soon, but don’t lose that, no matter what you do.”

“Is this goodbye?” You ask, looking up at him.

“It’s only goodbye for now,” he says, holding you at arm’s length. “When this is over and done with, I will come and find you, Y/N. We’ll finally be together, because I don’t think I could bare it any longer if we weren’t.

Hermione’s screams quiet down, but not for long. Suddenly, a loud crash rings throughout the manor.

“Draco?” You start.

“We’re out of time, my love,” he smiles at you sadly, then kisses your forehead, his lips lingering on your skin. “That’ll be your ticket out. I’m gonna make a show of bringing you back in, but I won’t hurt you, okay?”

“Okay,” you whisper, your eyes watering. Draco grabs your arm again and you’re pushed out of the parlor and back into the sitting room. You struggle in his grasp, forcing his hands from you as you run to the other side of the room, in between the spells being thrown around, to join Harry, Ron, Hermione, Griphook, and Dobby.

“You stupid elf!” Bellatrix exclaims. “You could’ve killed me!”

“Dobby never means to kill,” Dobby explains. “Dobby only meant to maim, or harm, or seriously injure.”

Narcissa Malfoy is the first to move. She rounds her wand above her head, but before she can even fire a spell, Dobby snaps his fingers, and her wand is in his hands.

“How dare you take a witches’ wand!” Bellatrix exclaims, huffing up. You eye Draco, offering him a small smile as tears fall down your cheeks, your heart pounding. “How dare you defy your Masters!”

Dobby straightens up. “Dobby has no masters. Dobby is a free elf.”

And with that, he snaps his fingers once again, and you’re pulled from the manor.

~

Harry sobs over Dobby’s grave, but you can’t find it in your heart to cry anymore. Hermione has been quiet ever since ‘mudblood’ was engraved into her wrist. Ron does his best to comfort her, but it’s really no use.

You walk to the ocean alone, feeling the sand between your toes. Your fingers involuntarily reach for your neck, and you feel the necklace that Draco clasped around your neck just before you could escape with the others.

You rub the ruby softly, holding it between your fingers as it begins to warm up and glow. You lean down, whispering into it: “Goodbye for now, Draco. I’ll see you on the other side.”

And on the other side you did.

 @painttedskies

[hati-writes]

Harry Potter and the Family who Loved him Year Two

What if Harry Potter had been raised by a family who gave him all the love and support he needed? What would change about the Harry Potter stories if Harry had been raised by the Weasleys rather than the Dursleys?

Part One is here

Link to the story on Ao3 is here

___

The summer after his first year at Hogwarts passed in a happy sunlit blur for Harry and his family. Ginny was highly excited to be going to Hogwarts in September and badgered Ron and Harry with a million questions as to what it would be like. Charlie gave them weekly updates on Norbert’s progress and the twins persuaded Harry and Ron to help them, ahem, “borrow” their dad’s battered muggle car to test that it worked well. They didn’t even crash it! Not that that made any difference to the scolding they all got when they returned home, breathless and delighted with themselves. Mrs Weasley was less than delighted and all four boys ended up de-gnoming the garden and pulling up weeds for hours. Still, it had been worth it they blithely decided.

It took almost two weeks for Harry to notice he wasn’t getting any mail, and even then only because Hermione mentioned in one of her letters to Ron that ‘I was surprised you would be better at replying to letters than Harry, can you tell him to hurry up and write back?’. Mystified Harry checked with his parents, Errol hadn’t brought any mail for him at all, and neither had Hedwig or any other owl.

Mr Weasley was alarmed when this was brought to his attention, being well aware of how difficult it was to interfere with the owl post. He consulted with his eldest son and Bill came home for a week to check up on the status of the house wards. They could find no evidence of tampering, which only made them more suspicious. Worried, Arthur invited over Moody to see if there was any dark magic around. Mrs Weasley threatened her children into behaving for their guest and chased them upstairs while Moody was examining the wards, for fear that the twins would play some sort of prank that would send Moody in a paranoid state and end up with the kitchen demolished or something.

Banished to their bedroom Harry and Ron had been playing chess when they were visited by a house elf. Ron was gobsmacked, Harry had been raised to be polite though and invited Dobby to sit down. This cued tears and self inflicted punishment. The boys did their best to keep him quiet, not wanting to incur their mother’s wrath any further. Dobby eventually revealed he had been stealing Harry’s mail and that Harry was not to go back to Hogwarts. As expected, Harry refused to consider that particular notion.

Dobby wouldn’t give up that easily however and sprinted downstairs, closely followed by Ron and Harry who were just in time to see him shoot a stinging hex at a distracted Mad Eye Moody and vanish. Moody, predictably, reacted like it was an attack from fully trained dark wizards and Harry and Ron leapt for cover as the wall behind them was blown to smithereens.

Moody apologised of course and managed to fix the wall up better than ever , but the damage was done. Ron and Harry were grounded for the rest of the summer. No flying, no visiting the village, no chess and all homework completed. Mrs Weasley even confiscated Harry’s new broom just to be certain there would be no illicit Quidditch games before school, no matter how much Harry begged that he needed to practise, he was on the team! Harry did notice that Ron got quiet whenever Harry mentioned that and resolved to discuss it with Hermionie when he next saw her. The other outcome of Harry and Ron being grounded was the twins getting bored enough to let Ginny play seriously with them. She was much better than anyone had realised actually. Harry was impressed.

When the time came for the Diagon Alley shop Ron and Harry were thrilled, they’d been itching to get out of the house for weeks now and the prospect of minor freedom was intoxicating. Harry of course knew how to use floo powder properly and, with no desire to incur his parent’s anger yet again, he went straight to Diagon Alley. There they met with Hermione and her parents as well as bumping into Hagrid. The bookstore was overflowing with middle aged witches with stars in their eyes and all the Weasley children eyed the banner proclaiming the author signing with apprehension. They were all too aware of their mother’s infatuation with the blond man, and none of them felt overly inclined to be favourable to him.

Lockhart never noticed Harry in the crowd, another red haired boy in second hand clothes standing with his family. Lucius Malfoy on the other hand was very aware of all of the Weasley’s, and the Potter they thought of as their own. His comments towards Hermione had Harry and his brothers furious, and then when he started on their father...well, if Arthur hadn’t punched Lucius then his children might have!

But there were no further incidents and September first and all the usual chaos of sending children off to school descended upon the Burrow. Even more so that usual, this was the first year that all the children in the house would be leaving! Six children to get up and dressed and fully packed for the eleven o’clock train to Hogwarts. Mrs Weasley had been heard to enthuse about all the relaxation she was going to get now she and Arthur would have the house to themselves. 

Harry and Ron waited for the rest of the family to go through the barrier before following. Or trying to. The barrier was blocked somehow, and they stared in dismay as the clock ticked over past the hour and the train left. Ron’s idea of taking the car was regarded as sheer genius by Harry and the two of them cheerfully set off to fly all the way to Scotland.

They rethought the plan after a few hours of hot, uncomfortable, and hungry driving. Even moreso when the invisibility booster failed and they had to be constantly wary of being spotted by muggles. They managed to get to school without any real incidents though. At least until they crashed into the Whomping Willow. They came out of that incident with several bruises and scratches each, a snapped wand and no car. Exchanging looks they came to the gloomy realisation that their mother was going to kill them, and when they went to the entrance hall and found Snape waiting for them they decided she might not get a chance.

Snape didn’t even say anything to them, just took them to his office, continuing to avoid looking at Harry, and leaving them there. The lack of shouting was somehow even more unnerving than threats of expulsion or dismemberment. Both brothers were convinced they were going to be thrown out. McGonagall shouted enough for two Snapes, and Dumbledore’s disappointment was even worse. The two eventually made their way up to Gryffindor Tower, still feeling as though they had narrowly escaped death or worse to be greeted by a disapproving and annoyed Hermione who thought they’d stolen the car just for  lark or something.

Discovering Lockhart was their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher did not improve their first week. They’d already coped with seeing two red envelopes flying towards them at breakfast, both screeching discordantly at them while the rest of the school looked on and laughed. Harry had tried to hide behind a pile of sausages while Ron had gone brighter red than his hair. At least Hermionie seemed to think they’d been punished enough and was back to being their friend again. But that was small comfort for Harry as Lockhart corralled him outside Herbology, apologising elaborately for not recognising him earlier and assuring him that Lockhart would help his celebrity shine through, that Lockhart would be Harry’s guide and advisor and that he could make it so no one ever mistook Harry Potter for a Weasley ever again. Harry stiffly informed him that he was a Weasley and he didn’t want to be recognised as a celebrity. Lockhart seemed not to hear.

After dealing with Lockhart Harry was even more irritated to find a first year following him around with a camera and constantly calling him Harry Potter. Unsure of how best to deal with either situation he simply did his best to avoid both Colin Creevy and Lockhart. Which was difficult when one was your teacher and the other in your house. He was relieved when Quidditch came around, he’d spoken to Hermionie about Ron seeming upset over Harry being on the team and she’d had a suggestion he wanted to talk to Wood about.

Wood was eager to talk, and Harry’s suggestion made him nod thoughtfully, though he said he’d have to think it over. This was enough for Harry and he was smiling happily as they stepped out onto the pitch. Only to be faced by Draco and the Slytherin team. In the ensuing fight it was revealed just how badly Ron’s wand was broken. Ron, Harry and Hermionie retreated to Hagrid’s hut where Harry plunked his head on the table and declared this had definitely been his worst week of school ever.

School however did slowly improve, Harry and Ron fell into their usual routine of classes, homework, Quidditch practise and relaxing. Lockhart had claimed Harry for detention much to his annoyance and had him answering fan mail for hours on end. The detention was only finished when Harry heard a mysterious voice making threats from within the walls. Concerned he told his twin and his friend but they didn’t have any ideas.

Harry was also becoming worried about Ginny. She was his little sister, he’d known her as long as he could remember and Ginny was usually bright and chatty and full of questions and enjoyment in everything she did. But since coming to school she seemed to have become quiet and sad, withdrawn...almost washed out. Harry shared his worries with Ron, but neither of them were certain how best to help. Ginny denied anything was wrong whenever they pressed her about it.

Finally after Quidditch practise one night Wood held back Harry to talk to him, he admitted it was a good idea, to start to train up reserve players for Gryffindor team and he would let Ron try out for reserve keeper sometime soon. In his excitement to tell his twin the news Harry ran full pelt through the castle, slamming into Filch and getting in trouble yet again. Honestly, he’d been in trouble almost constantly this year, or at least it felt like he had! He did however get invited to a Death Day party by Nearly Headless Nick.

Unforunately the party ended with Harry, Hermionie and Ron standing next to a petrified Mrs Norris and half the school suspecting them of murder. Ron muttered that this seemed par the course for the way this year was heading. At least Dumbledore didn’t seem to think they’d done anything, though Snape seemed more suspicious, wondering aloud why they hadn’t been at the feast. 

Hermionie asked Binns about the Chamber of Secrets and all three of them became convinced Malfoy must be the heir. They began trying to think of a plan to find out the truth, hampered only by the disastrous end to Harry’s Quidditch match against Slytherin. As though he’d needed any extra reason to dislike Lockhart… Colin Creevy’s petrification and Dobby’s clandestine visit made their search for the truth even more important.

The duelling club was an unmitigated disaster, though considering who the host was that wasn’t really a surprise to anyone. Harry was well aware he was a Parselmouth of course, his mother had caught him earnestly trying to convince a grass snake to go and scare the twins after they’d turned Ron’s teddy into a spider. The next morning his dad had sat Harry down and carefully explained that there was nothing wrong with him, but people might get scared if they knew he could speak to snakes so he should only do it in an emergency. Harry deemed it an emergency when the snake seemed about to attack Justin Finch Fletchly and revealed his secret to the whole school.

His brothers and sister knew about it of course, and they stuck by him through the suspicion of the school. Ron never left his side, Percy took to lecturing groups of students on the history of Parseltongue, Ginny showed a flash of her old self and promised to play the worst possible prank on him to distract him (this one worried Harry, Ginny had a fiendish imagination) and the twins tried their level best to turn the whole situation into a joke, loudly proclaiming Harry was the Heir in such over the top ridiculous manner that no one seemed able to take the idea seriously.

Hermione’s idea for catching Draco turned out to be slow and difficult, but on Christmas morning the potion was ready. Mr and Mrs Weasley had practically begged all their children to come home for the holidays, all things considered but truthfully hadn’t been surprised when they’d all decided to stay, all of them were Gryffindors after all, they weren’t the type to run away from danger. Case in point Harry and Ron spent their Christmas afternoon sneaking into the Slytherin common room to question Malfoy. They got no useful information and both boys were only barely able to retrain themselves from getting into a fight when Malfoy began insulting their father. Only the failure of the Polyjuice kept Harry from punching Malfoy as hard as he could.

Ginny’s prank became obvious on Valentines day. Harry swore he would never forgive his younger sister as he tried his best to flee from the dwarf chasing behind him. Ginny leaned against the wall as he struggled, smirking and looking more like herself than she had in weeks. Harry’s bag ripped, throwing all his equipment everywhere, including the strange diary he’d found in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom. Harry didn’t notice Ginny’s face turning white as she stared at the book, too preoccupied as he was by trying to gather his things and dealing with the laughter of everyone nearby.

That night Harry tried writing in the diary and soon had more answers about the heir of Slytherin than he might have wanted. Shaken and unsure, he and his brother discussed with Hermione how best to ask Hagrid about it. However, the diary was stolen away again before they could question it further, and by someone in Gryffindor tower at that! They grew ever more concerned and resolved they had to talk to Hagrid, no matter how awkward it might be. They decided to wait until after the Quidditch match that was upcoming. Ron had been training as reserve keeper since Christmas and was thrilled to be more of a part of the games, even if he wouldn’t be playing in this match. But before they could even kick off, the match was cancelled and Ron and Harry had to deal with the sudden loss of Hermione to petrification.

They snuck out to see Hagrid. But that ended with Hagrid arrested and Dumbledore pushed out of the school. All they were left with was a cryptic clue. Harry knew about Ron’s fear of spiders of course, he’d been there when the eight year old Fred had screamed at Ron in anger and Ron’s teddy had squirmed and warped until it was a spider half the size of the five year old. It had turned back after a few minutes of course, an eight year old’s accidental magic wasn’t that powerful really, but the damage had been done. Ron had thrown the teddy into the fireplace and hated spiders ever since.

But for Hermione Ron would face his deep seated terror of spiders. Once the spiders had been found he and Harry snuck out that very night and went deep into the Forbidden Forest. They met Aragog and barely escaped from him, only saved by the old and battered car they’d crashed into the Whomping WIllow months previously. No answers had been found in the forest and Harry and Ron returned to their beds dispirited and worried.

Harry realised that Moaning Myrtle had the key to the whole mystery and he and Ron snuck off to talk to her. After a brief detour by Hermione’s hospital room where they learned what sort of monster they were up against, they had all the answers they needed and were on their way to the teachers lounge when the announcement was made. Hiding in a cloak closet, listening as the teachers discussed what had happened. Both Harry and Ron felt as though they had suffered a physical blow when it was revealed who exactly had been taken by the monster.

Harry returned to the common room, feeling like his heart had shrivelled up into stone, how and Ron and him not noticed? Why hadn’t they taken better care of their little sister. He sat with his brothers, none of them saying much as they all tried not to contemplate the awfulness of reality. Harry felt the first pangs of real, true grief tug at him, and it was a relief when Ron and he decided to go and speak to Lockhart. Any task, any distraction was worth it right now.

Lockhart turned out to be a fraud and, reckless with grief and fear, Ron and Harry decided to go and fetch Ginny on their own. If there was even the slimmest chance their sister was still alive then they had to find her and bring her home safely. They found the entrance and, taking Lockhart with them, went down to battle a Basilisk and save their sister.

The fight was hard, Ron was separated from Harry. Lockhart tried to use Ron’s wand, broken during their crash landing at the Whomping Willow and ended up wiping his own memories. Harry continued on alone. Parseltongue got him through the doors to face the shadow of Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle who insisted on addressing him as Harry Potter, no matter how tersely Harry corrected him as to his surname. Tom Riddle who took Harry’s wand as he tried to lift up his younger sister to carry her to safety. Tom Riddle who revealed his true name as Lord Voldemort and brought forth the Basilisk. Harry barely survived the fight with Slytherin’s monster but with the help of Fawkes and the sorting hat, he overcame the diary and the beast both, driving the Basilisk fang deep into the pages of the slim volume and watching the ink pool and splash. Behind him Ginny woke up with a gasp.

Ginny was crying and apologising, trying to explain how she’d wanted to come and talk to her brothers, but that she felt like she’d betrayed Harry. Because Harry was her brother and she knew that was all he ever wanted to be, but Tom had become obsessed when she’d let slip about Harry’s past and Ginny had felt as though she’d betrayed her brother by revealing his original surname. The guilt had stopped her coming to her family for help until she was too far under Tom’s control. Harry hugged her and told her it was alright, he didn’t blame her at all, he was just relieved she was safe. Then Fawkes guided Ginny, Harry, Ron and the befuddled Lockhart out of the Basilisk’s lair and to the safety of Dumbledore and their parents.

The Weasley’s cried and hugged all their children close, half scolding, half praising them. Harry and Ron told Dumbledore their story and Ginny tearfully confessed to her part when Dumbledore asked how Voldemort had enchanted a Hogwarts student. Dumbledore asked Harry to stay behind after everyone else left, but Ron insisted on staying with his twin and Harry nodded when Dumbledore looked at him questioningly. Dumbledore explained about the sword, and the true meaning of courage.

Moments later Lucius arrived. Harry and Ron both instantly recognised Dobby and in a single glance they formed a plan, Dobby may have got them into a lot of trouble over the year, but he didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Ron ran ahead to slow down Lucius as Harry quickly took the diary back and stuffed it inside a sock. A few minutes later Dobby had been freed and Ron and Harry ran down to the Feast, laughing and happy again. The year had been full of trouble, but everything was made right again as Hagrid came back, and Hermione ran over to hug them both, and all their brothers were over the moon to have their whole family safe and well again. Gryffindor won and Harry thought his face would tear he was smiling so hard. All was right in the world once more.

Tag List:

@sparklylovegiver

@janinethewitch

@nerdinacoolway

@sincerelybirchtree

@lyoth737

[futurewriter2000]

It’ll pass

A/N: I’m really proud of this one. I think it’s really good despite the idea was really hard to write but I DID IT . Anyways hope you guys like it <3<3

PAIRING: George Weasley x reder

Request: Any one of the twins wesley x Ravenclaw reader. In which the reader has a passion for him from the first year of hogwarts and knows the difference between the two, but to hide their feelings pretends not to be able to differentiate them until one day they decide to play a prank in her and she angrily reveals that he knows that he is not the brother and describes the difference between him and his brother. I myself liked a boy who was a twin and did it so he would not find out jajaja

xx

Sugar, flour, and milk make the perfect combination of pale white mass just like his light skin. If you add three more eggs and four spoons of choco, you get chocolate brown mass, just like his eyes. You turn around to take the cinnamon and you stop to observe it as it reminded you of his hair. Well, they weren’t exactly of the colour cinnamon but no matter what you did, or which ingredient you picked, it reminded you of him.

You sighed and put the cinnamon down.

“ If he knew!” you turned around to face the house elves. “ If he only knew how stupid he makes me feel to think like this!” you groaned and realized they were all staring at you with their wide eyes.

“ Is Miss (y/l/n) talking of Mister Weasley again?” spoke the elf that beamed its way to her and sat down.

“ Unfortunately. ” you spoke and put your head on your palms, looking at the mess you’ve created.

“ Mister Weasley is a great friend of Harry Potter. He always follows him around but can be mean around Dobby.” he continued, starting to glare a bit.

“ Not Ron Weasley.” you laughed and lifted your head from your palms. “ George Weasley.” you spoke quieter this time, afraid to admit it.

“ I do not know of that Weasley.” Dobby wrinkled his forehead and looked at you with his wide eyes, keen on finding out more of him.

“ Well, he always roams the school with his brother, Fred.” you started talking while the elf listened. “ They are twins, identical in every way. To others but not me.” you simpered and started playing with your fingers. Your cheeks grew hot just by thinking about him, talking about your crush on George Weasley out loud made you feel all sorts of joy. “ Fred is the loud one in the pair while George is quieter. Don’t get me wrong, he is loud when he is with or without his brother but he’s calmer than him. They share the same dream, same ambition but George is always the one who looks at the consequences of their action. He also has rounder eyes than Fred. Fred has more narrow eye shape- and if you look at George close enough you can see a bit hazel in his eyes while Fred has complete brown...” you drifted off, your mind completely blinded by the smile on your lips. “ In Transfiguration, he sits right behind the desk where the sun shines through a window. I’m a row behind him but the way the sun sharpens his freckles- and you can see the lines as well. Fred doesn’t have them as much as George, maybe because Fred was always the more reckless one than the other. But-”

“ Miss (y/l/n)?” Dobby cut in and you looked up at him. “ Are you alright?”

You felt confused by his question, smiling while you asked him. “ Yes, of course, I’m alright. Why?”

“ Your cheeks are completely red.” he nodded and you put your hands on the burning cheeks. “ And there is a little spark in your eyes when you speak of him.” he now smiled, fully aware what he was talking.

You buried your head in your palms and got off your chair. “ Well, I’ll go off to bed because- well because I want to.” your tongue started to get tied and you stumbled out of the kitchen, leaving the house elves to clean up the mess.

‘ There is no spark in my eyes. ‘ you smiled, walking to the Ravenclaw tower. “ No, no, no.’ you continued but couldn’t help but feel out of breath more of thinking of him than climbing the stairs.

“ UGH!” you closed the door of your dorm and looked at the ceiling. “ Why him?”

---

It seemed so easy sometimes, to just close your eyes and imagine him and you, being more than acquaintances but when you open your eyes all there is, is just that.

The only thing you can do is get up, wash up, dress and go to class, waiting to see him.

And there he was with his brother Fred, scheming whatever they had in plan. The gorgeous eyes, the freckles, the hair,...

He looked, he saw, he smiled.

That was everything you ever got from him and it drove you furious to only receive that small portion of him when everything you wanted was him and you closer than this.

But soon this way of thinking erased itself from your mind. You didn’t see it coming, not for a long chance but they were masters when it came to pranking and joking, which to be clear was fun in games when it wasn’t too brutal.

“ What the hell Weasleys!” you walked up to them, growing redder by the second.

“ Good morning to you as well, (Y/n)!” George smiled innocently.

“ Oh, yeah right. Let me rephrase that.” you stretched a fake smile, the glare still present though. “ Good morning, Fred.” you nodded at Fred, later at George. “ George. How are you? “ but before they could reply, you cut in first taking a step closer to both of them. “ Let me tell how I am- OR BETTER YET how my little cousin is. She is CRYING in her room, not letting anyone, not even her roommates in because - oH here is when it gets fun- two identical gingers pulled a prank on her, EMBARRASSING her in front of her whole class!”

“ Oh, you mean-”

“ Shut up!” you pointed at Fred and the smile quickly vanished from his face. George smirked at when you snapped at Fred but you quickly changed that too. “ Funny is it? A Third-year being laughed at when everything that matters to a thirteen-year-old is not being embarrassed. She’s THIRTEEN, do you know how fragile a girl is at that age!”

“ Come off it, (y/n). We were just joking around.” said Fred, a bit irritated by your anger.

“ It’ll pass.” continued George, waving his hand and smirking at his best friend.

“ So you wouldn’t mind me kicking your arse, because that will pass too, wouldn’t it George!” you snapped and Fred beside him laughed.

“ I think you’re referring to the twin next to me. I’m Fred.” he wiggled his eyebrows, removing your pointing finger from him to point as his brother.

“ Aren’t I Fred?” Fred next to him wondered in a mischievous smile and smiling. “ Oh, nope. You’re Fred.” he pointed at George before looking back at you. “ He’s Fred.”

“ Cut the bullshit, Fred.” you glared but was immediately interrupted by their laugh.

“ I told you. I’m George.” Fred taunted and George beside him leaned on his brother’s shoulder.

“ I’m Fred.” George said, smirking.

But you had it. You had it over your head by now and by their stupid, childish behavior.

“ You filthy twats!” you spat out. “ I’m Fred. No, I’m Fred.” you imitated them and their grin quickly faded. “ Do you think I’m that dumb to not see the difference between you two gingers? Do you think I got into Ravenclaw for my stupidity!? Huh!” you were now bellowing through the whole corridor and was about red as their hair. “ The one with the annoying laugh!” you waved your hand over Fred and looked at George. “ The one with rounder eyes!” you pushed him lightly on the shoulder. “ The “first” one.” you waved at Fred again. “ The taller one.” you now looked at George. “ But Gryffindors will be Gryffindors, thinking they are the best house and that the others are just below! Well, guess what! I’m a Ravenclaw! And I can be braver than any Gryffindor, kinder than any Hufflepuff and more cunning than any Slytherin! But I’m a Ravenclaw and I am not dense to not see the differences between TWO GITS who think it’s alright bullying a Third year!!” you were now so close to George that the only thing keeping the two of you apart was your steaming breath.

But you stared at those wonderful eyes and saw the freckles that adorned his light skin. The only one who was in your mind though was just your little cousin, crying in the Ravenclaw tower of something those wonderful eyes, those freckles, that hair, and that smile has done.

So, you stepped on his foot with all your force and stormed away.

He was screaming in pain, Fred quiet until you were in a safer distance. “ The hell, (y/n)!” George took a hold of your foot.

“ Don’t you worry. It’ll pass!” you spoke angrily before turning around the corner and going up to find your cousin.

---

From all the people you believed would go that far, he was not one of them. To you he was flawless. No flaw, no mistake, no wrong. He was simply George Weasley, the kindest, bravest and the most handsome.

But knowing he hurt someone close to your heart took you from the clouds to reality grounds. So you opened your eyes, got up, washed up, dressed and walked down to your first class.

You walked in and you saw him with his brother, sitting and joking around as usual. He his head your way.

He looked. He saw. He smiled.

And it let a feeling in the pit of your stomach emerge from its depths. As much as you wanted to smile and wave back, as much as the you a few days ago would as you did for the past years...you couldn’t.

You turned your head away and sat down.

His hand slowly fell down from the air. He thought it was just a moment of anger, of something that would quickly pass. But the reaction he got from you today was the trigger for his guilt to actually become present. It started nibbling on him, slowly, every day eating away a bigger piece of him.

And the tables have turned.

He was sitting behind you in another class and his eyes were glued to you.

Would he not get your smiles anymore? Or your giggles and your laugh? Will he not ever talk to the person who has made him nothing but comfortable and happy? Will he leave Hogwarts with a weight on his back, knowing how wrong he did by you and your cousin? And what if one day he sees you and you won’t smile at him like you used to? Will he have to pretend that the two of you were nothing but strangers from the very beginning?

---

In the same way, whenever he was around, you felt a bit happier, a bit more yourself than when he wasn’t around. Now you knew he was watching you and you were afraid to move a muscle, thinking of doing something wrong or embarrassing.

And at one point, you could barely eat. So, you got up furiously and stormed from the Great Hall.

How furious you were when you knew he still affected you even when you knew how imperfect he was? Only God could know this secret. It almost made you cry at how deep your feelings for him clawed.

But then a hand grabbed yours and he pulled you around. Before you could react to anything, warm hands were on your cheeks and soft lips pressed on yours.

If he had any clue what he was doing, he wouldn’t be doing this. But he was going with his gut feeling and it was telling him to kiss you. To kiss you softly, compassionately and not to make the kiss too long.

He pulled away, looking at your reaction which was by now confused. You were without words- Hell, you were without a heartbeat. It was even more perfect than you had ever thought it would be with him.

“ I can’t say how sorry I am for what Fred and I did to your little cousin. But the more I tried to talk to you the further you walked away from me and the only solution that I knew how to get you, was by kissing you. “ he started and you only watched, your voice gone completely. “ I don’t want you to be mad for me kissing you but I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now. “ he smiled and you returned it.

“ You did?” your voice seemed to come back for only a question before disappearing again.

“ I’ve fancied you for a while now. When Dobby told-”

“ Dobby?” you furrowed your eyebrows at him. “ That elf!”  you squinted your eyes, remembering how you told him everything about your feelings towards George not only but a few weeks ago.

“ When Dobby...” he smiled, cupping your cheeks and looking at you with his sweet eyes. “ ...told Ron and Ron told me that you liked me, I felt even more horrible for what I have done to you and your cousin. Sometimes we do get carried away with our pranks but trust me we don’t want to cause any harm to anyone. So, please forgive me.”

“ I’m not the one you should be apologizing for.” you put his hands from your cheeks and held them in your own. “ But when you do apologise to her, you know where to find me.” you smiled and kissed his cheek a goodbye, your heart fluttering in your chest.

[aidanchaser]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Everyone Lives AU

Table of Contents beta’d by @ageofzero

Chapter Two Dobby’s Warning

Harry and Dudley stared at the strange creature that appeared in the middle of Dudley’s toy room. It wasn’t very large, but its ears were over-sized for its tiny body, and its large green eyes were the size of Neville’s Remembrall. It had a long thin nose, and around its thin, tiny body it wore what looked like an old pillowcase, except with armholes.

“What is it?” Dudley whispered to Harry.

“I think it’s a house-elf,” Harry whispered back, but he had never seen one in person before.

“What’s a house-elf?”

“Er — Hello,” Harry said to the possible house-elf. “I’m Harry Potter. This is my cousin Dudley.”

The possible house-elf bowed low to the ground. “It is an honor to meet Harry Potter and his family!” Its voice was high and squeaky, like Harry imagined the way a cat might sound if it could talk.

“Thanks,” but Harry frowned, rather puzzled. “Who are you?”

“Dobby, sir. Dobby the house-elf.”

“Um, you don’t need to call me ‘sir’ — Just Harry is fine.”

Dobby sucked in a deep breath and his eyes began to glisten with water works. Then the breath and the tears came out in a sudden cry of, “Never, ever —” The house-elf’s wailing was loud and high-pitched. Harry was sure every Muggle on the block must be able to hear him. Dudley covered his ears and Harry shushed Dobby.

“Are you boys alright?” Aunt Petunia called upstairs.

“Fine,” Harry shouted back.

Dudley stared at him. “Fine? This thing is — is —”

Lily had given Harry a stern warning about using magic in front of Dudley, and his Aunt and Uncle, and James gave him a big lecture about the Statute of Secrecy, and how Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were the sort who might be offended by magic, so Harry was not about to let his Aunt, Uncle, or parents find out there was a house-elf upstairs.

“It’s not going to hurt us,” Harry said. “Right, Dobby?”

“Dobby would never,” Dobby wailed, “hurt Harry Potter or his family!”

Harry shushed Dobby again. “Keep it down. This is a Muggle house. You shouldn’t be here.”

“But Dobby had to come,” Dobby said, and wrung his hands in the odd pillowcase hanging from his shoulders. “Dobby had to see Harry Potter.”

“Well, alright, come to my house for tea tomorrow.”

This only set Dobby off again and Harry desperately tried to quiet him. “I didn’t mean to offend —”

“Offend Dobby? Dobby has never been asked to tea — treated like an equal — by a wizard —”

Harry shushed Dobby and desperately tried to quiet him. He looked to Dudley for help, but Dudley was only gaping at them both.

“You can’t have met too many decent wizards,” Harry said, but this turned out to be the wrong choice of words.

For a moment, Dobby looked as if he might agree with Harry. Then he suddenly said, “Bad Dobby!” and he picked up a toy cricket bat, rather dusty, and hit himself in the head. “Bad Dobby!”

“Stop it,” Harry hissed.

They heard footsteps on the stairs.

Harry quickly threw Dobby into Dudley’s toy box and closed the lid.

“What’s going on up here?” Aunt Petunia said, and stuck her head through the door.

“Nothing,” Harry said quickly.

“Watching telly,” Dudley said, but his voice was rather shaky.

“Oh,” Petunia said. She looked between the two boys and the television. “How nice.” And she went back downstairs.

Harry opened the toy box up and Dudley said, “Did that thing call you a wizard?”

“Er —” Harry didn’t know how to explain himself.

“Harry Potter is the greatest wizard that ever lived,” Dobby said as he climbed out of the toy box.

“I’m really not,” Harry said.

“Harry Potter is humble and modest,” Dobby said with adoring eyes. “Harry Potter speaks not of his twice triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”

“Well, that was just — that isn’t really me, I just —”

“What’s it mean by that?” Dudley asked Harry.

Harry tried very hard to think about how to explain it all to a Muggle and still protect the Statute of Secrecy. “Did you see the James Bond movie?” Sirius had taken him, and made him promise not to tell Lily. It had been more violent than either expected.

“Yes.”

“You know in the beginning, how they arrest the drug dealer, and he comes back?”

“Yes.”

“It’s like that.”

“You’re a drug dealer?”

“No — I’m James Bond. You-Know-Who is the drug dealer.”

“I don’t know who.”

“Er — Voldemort.”

Dobby gasped. “So brave — to say his name —”

Harry shushed Dobby, and Dudley still looked very confused. “I’m James Bond, there’s a bad guy who is the drug dealer, and when I was a baby, something happened and I almost killed him. He came back to get revenge last summer, and I beat him again.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, exactly. It’s all very accidental.”

“Harry Potter is valiant, and bold!” Dobby protested. “He has braved so many dangers. But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him…. Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”

Harry frowned at Dobby. “Of course I’m going back.”

“What’s Hogwarts?” Dudley asked.

“My school,” Harry said.

“That’s an ugly school name.”

Harry didn’t get to explain. Dobby interrupted, “Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good to lose,” Dobby insisted. “If Harry goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger.”

“Is it about You-Know-Who?” Harry asked.

Dobby shook his head.

“Well, then, it should be fine. You know about Dumbledore, right?”

“I don’t know who Dumbledore is,” Dudley said.

“Um — He’s like Agent M.”

“Oh.” Dudley nodded. This he could understand.

Dobby’s explanation was the one Harry was familiar with. “Albus Dumbledore is the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby as heard Dumbledores powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength —”

“See, there you go. I’ll be perfectly safe at Hogwarts.”

“— But sir,” Dobby dropped his voice to a whisper, “there are powers Dumbledore doesn’t… powers no decent wizard….”

But before Dobby could finish, he began bashing his head into the wall.

“I’ll just ask them to turn the television down,” Aunt Petunia’s voice rang on the steps.

Dudley and Harry both grabbed Dobby and put him in the toy box.

She opened the door and glanced at each of the boys. They were obviously guilty of something, but she could not discern the slightest clue from the room.

“You’re sure you’re alright?” she asked.

“Yes.” They both answered.

She waited another moment, trying to determine what they were lying about. She looked at the television set, then back at the boys. Finally she went back downstairs.

Dudley opened the toybox.

Dobby climbed out and repeated his warning. “Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts.”

Harry Potter shook his head. “Honestly, what could be worse than You-Know-Who?”

Dudley stared at Harry with a puzzled expression. “What sort of school would you want to go back to?” But Harry ignored this because he was not sure how to say it was a magic school without saying it was magic.

Dobby opened his mouth, but then quickly closed it and banged the lid of the toy box over his head. “Bad Dobby, Bad!” he repeated, until Harry and Dudley pulled him out of it.

“It doesn’t seem very bright,” Dudley said to Harry.

Harry didn’t think it fair of Dudley to judge without determining a reason. “Dobby, why do you keep hitting yourself?” he asked.

“Dobby must punish himself, for thinking ill of Dobby’s family.”

Harry didn’t know what to say about that. He didn’t know much about house-elves, but he did know they were bound to serve a particular family. So there was a family, out there somewhere, that Dobby belonged to, and they were plotting something worse than You-Know-Who. That did sound unsettling, but Harry couldn’t see how anything dangerous would truly happen at Hogwarts. At least, he could think of nothing more dangerous than You-Know-Who attaching his soul to one of the professor’s and trying to steal the Elixir of Life.

“Dobby, I appreciate the warning, but I have to go back to Hogwarts. I’ll be careful, really.”

“Harry Potter must promise.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then Harry Potter leaves Dobby no choice.”

And all the toys in Dudley’s room slowly lifted off the ground. The race cars, the toy soldiers, the television, the game systems, everything.

“Dobby, don’t —” Harry said.

“Harry Potter must promise.”

“Put them down!” Dudley said. “I’m sorry I called you stupid!”

“Harry Potter must promise not to go back to Hogwarts!”

“No,” Harry said fiercely.

Dobby snapped his fingers and everything after that happened very quickly.

Dudley’s toys came crashing down. Dudley started screaming. Dobby vanished. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. The door burst open and Petunia, Vernon, James, and Lily all came in to see what had happened.

Harry tried to explain, but Dudley was still screaming, and Aunt Petunia was trying to quiet him. Uncle Vernon shouted at them to get out. Lily made apologies, tightened her hand around Harry’s arm, and they left.

When they were out on the street, Harry said, “I didn’t do it.”

Lily and James exchanged a glance, and then Lily said, “You’re twelve now, Harry. I know magic can be hard to control when you get upset, but you need to learn.”

“I didn’t do it,” Harry protested.

By now they had reached the dark corner of the street and Lily Side-Apparated him home. There was an owl waiting on their front porch with an envelope in its beak.

Lily took the letter and read it quickly. She opened the front door for Harry and said, “Go get ready for bed.”

“But —”

“Go.”

Harry went upstairs, pounding his feet the whole way, even on the fourth step, setting off the alarm in the house and the portraits rushing about. James scolded him as he rushed to calm the paintings, but Harry wasn’t listening. It wasn’t fair. The charm in Dudley’s room hadn’t been his fault and he didn’t understand why his parents were so upset with him. It hadn’t even seemed like his parents liked Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon’s company.

Once upstairs, Harry brushed his teeth and put his pajamas on, but he didn’t get into bed. He sat at his desk and turned his wand over in his hands. It hadn’t been his fault, and his parents weren’t listening and it wasn’t fair.

There was a gentle knock at his door and his father came in.

“Alright, Harry?” he said with a smile.

“I didn’t do it,” Harry said.

“Okay, okay.” James sat down on Harry’s bed and motioned for Harry to join him. “Tell me what happened.”

So Harry did. He told him about Dobby, and the warning, and the Hover Charm, and Dobby Disapparating. “I swear I didn’t cast that spell, no matter what the letter said.”

“The Trace is a bit tricky,” James said with a small smile. “Especially when you’re in the presence of Muggles. And house-elfs are tricky things on their own. I believe you. It’s only that your mother’s a bit upset. She wanted tonight to go well, but — ah, well.”

Harry sat quietly on his bed, leaning against his father. He sort of understood why his mother was upset, but he didn’t want her to be upset with him.

“Dad — why don’t we have house-elfs?” he asked.

James laughed. “We did have house-elfs. Before you were born.”

“Really?”

“Your grandmother set them free before she died.

“Why?”

“She believed in equality for all magical and non-magical Beings”

“I thought house-elfs had to serve.”

“It’s a magically binding contract, until the wizard family they belong to gives them an article of clothing. Honestly, lots of house-elfs would be loathe to leave their house. Ours stayed on even after your grandmother let them go. They took care of the house until your mum and I went into hiding during the war.”

“This house-elf didn’t seem to like his family very much.”

“Not all families believe in equal treatment for magical Beasts and Beings.”

“But we do.”

“Yes, and the Tonks, and the Weasleys, and the Boneses. And Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.”

“But not Sirius’s family?” Harry said.

James shook his head. “No, they didn’t think so.”

“You don’t have a sister like Mom does, right?”

James laughed. “No. I’m an only child. Like you.”

“And Sirius?”

“Sirius’s family isn’t around anymore.”

“We’re his family,” Harry said.

James smiled. “Yes.”

“And Uncle Remus?”

“We’re his family, too.” James kissed Harry’s forehead. “Time for bed, Snitch.”

“Mum has to tuck me in, too,” Harry protested.

James sighed. “I think she might’ve already gone to bed. She’s pretty upset about tonight.”

“But I didn’t do it,” Harry said

“I know. She’s not mad at you. It’s like — if Mum didn’t get along with Sirius, how do you think I’d feel?”

“That’d be awful.”

“It’s like that. I’ll make sure you and her talk in the morning, okay?”

Harry nodded and James kissed his forehead one more time. “And happy birthday. We’ll be sure to celebrate it proper tomorrow.”

[alindakb]

Dear Harry / Forever Yours, Draco - 31 July 1992 - by Alinda

31 July 1992

Dear Harry,

I wish I could be with you today to celebrate your birthday. That would have been so much better than to be stuck here at home, having scheduled play dates with Theo, Vincent, Gregory and Pansy. You would say I’m a bit old for play dates by now, being twelve and in boarding school, but my father doesn’t seem to understand that. He made it clear that they are the only persons I’m allowed to see this summer and I’m afraid to argue with father. He’s so angry at me. It seems that Theo had told his father about my feelings for you and his father told my father.

Father gave me the silent treatment for the first week of the holiday. He acted like I wasn’t even at home. He didn’t wait for me at the start of dinner and he would order the house elves to serve the next course before I could finish my plate. He would not even respond when I tried to talk to him. You remember I told you about the time I broke a very old family heirloom and how father didn’t speak to me for a month. Well, this was worse, back than he didn’t look at me like I was the biggest disappointment ever. He does now and that just makes me feel worse.

Father was already upset about the fact I only managed to become first in our year with potions. Mother had warned me about this before we arrived home from King Cross Station. She assured me that father would sure get over himself when he would realise that my grades are better than his grades ever were. We both hadn’t any idea that he was more upset about the fact that I’m a homosexual than he is about my grades. We only discovered this fact when I came downstairs on the first Saturday of the holiday with a letter I wanted to send to you. Father forgot all his manners when he heard me telling Mother that the letter was meant for you. Without a word he pulled it out of my hands and tore it into a million pieces. I must confess that I had tears in my eyes when he did this. Once he was finished destroying my letter he told me in an icy voice that I was not to contact you in any way and that it would be in my best interest to stay away from you if I wanted to continue my education at Hogwarts.

After this, father gave me a speech about how I was not to tarnish the Malfoy name and that Malfoy’s don’t fall in love, most of all not with someone of the same gender. I’m to finish my education without ever laying an eye on you again. Father also said he would start looking for a suitable girl, one who would be part of the sacred twenty-eight and who would have learnt all the proper ways to behave. A suitable girl for me to marry and have a son with, to continue the Malfoy line. Mother tried to reason with father, explain to him that there was no shame in having a male lover on the side, but Father wouldn’t hear her. Not that I want you as a lover on the side, that would never be enough for me, but to let them believe that, for now, would have made it possible for me to be with you.

I must confess that I cried myself to sleep that night. I had been so hopeful when you didn’t react badly to the small kiss I gave you on your cheek and now it all seems lost. I’m afraid I will never be able to be with you the way I want to and that hurts more than I expected.

I wish I could let you know why I haven’t written you any letters as I had promised. You know it’s not like me to break my promises and I assure you it is not for a lack of trying. I ordered Dobby to send you one, but he didn’t dare to. He said it was better if you wouldn’t hear from me, that the great Harry Potter didn’t need to get into trouble because of me. I think he is more in love with you than I am. Because I am, you know, in love with you. I think I have been for a while now.

Dobby keeps asking me about you, what you are like and if it’s true that you have defeated the Dark Lord twice in your short life. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about you, even if it is only with a silly house elf that always gets himself in trouble.

After Dobby refused, I came up with another plan. The next day I made sure I woke up before father and made my way to the owlery, only to find out that the door was locked. When I asked mother about it later that day, she said that father had locked it with charms and spells. This means there is no way I’m will be able to get in there without him finding out.

I also asked Pansy and Gregory if they could take a letter for you and send it, but they both refused. Pansy said I should forget about you. She agrees with father. She said that my feelings for you are wrong and that I should try to forget I ever had them. I think she hopes that she will be the proper girl my father will find for me so that she can marry into the Malfoy family one day.

Gregory was more understanding, but he also refused to send a letter to you for me. He said he would hate it if one of our fathers would find out and he would not be allowed to see me anymore. That it would do me no good if I would get isolated because of my predicament. Yes, Gregory used the word predicament, can you believe it? I appreciate his concern and his loyalty to me. He confided in me that he prefers to be my friend. He has never really like Theo and ever since Vincent and Theo almost beat you to death he has been wondering why he’s still friends with both of them. He also mentioned that he was relieved when I started looking out for you.

I sound like a girl, complaining about my own problems, although all I really want to know is how you are maintaining. How is everything fairing at your place? I hope your aunt and uncle don’t give you too much grieve. And I sincerely hope that you didn’t tell them that you are not allowed to use magic outside the boundaries of Hogwarts. I’m sure it will improve your living conditions by multitudes when you can threaten to harm them with your magic. I’m really sorry I can’t rescue you from them as I promised. You must be so disappointed in me right now. I don’t know why I keep screwing everything up. It’s like I do everything wrong when it comes to you. First I make you feel unwelcome at school and make your life a living hell, thinking you are just a pathetic half-blood. I’m sorry about that. I still feel guilty about that, if it hadn’t been for me, singling you out at the start of the year, maybe Theo would have never started to beat you and bully you. I know now that it was wrong for me to take out my own insecurities on you.

I really thought I hated you until that day I saw you smile during one of our flying lessons. I will never forget it, that bright smile on your face. You hadn’t smiled like that until that moment, you were always so miserable. But to see you smile like that, it made my heart miss a beat. I couldn’t stop thinking of you after that, I still can’t. I fall asleep with you on my mind and wake up thinking about you.

When Theo and Vincent beat you up so bad that you had to spend two weeks in the hospital wing, I lost my temper. I had never been so angry in my entire life. They beat you up only a week after I had told them to leave you alone. Sometimes I think it is because I told them to leave you alone, that they went after you harder than ever before. And I’m not proud of losing my temper with them, and it might have been better if I had, but I couldn’t help myself. I’m sure you have heard that Theo and I had a massive fight when you fighting for your life. Theo accused me of being bent, and the fool I was, I confirmed it and confessed that I love you. I can tell you, coming out as a homosexual towards your friends shows you who is truly your friend and who isn’t. And Theo falls in the last category. As you know Theo and I don’t talk to each other anymore if we don’t have to. He told me that I was disgusting and it’s clear that he never wants to be here when our fathers gather and force us to spend time together this holiday.

I still can’t believe we became friends after. I don’t know how you found it to forgive me for all my indiscretions, but I’m grateful for it. To get to know you, to find out that you are funny, smart and extremely kind was amazing and I’m sad that I can’t continue to get to know you better. Nevertheless, I can’t go against my father. I’m sorry I’m a coward, afraid of his father’s wrath. I really am. I don’t think I’ve ever felt remorse like this. I hope that one day I will get the change to explain to you why I had to let you go and we might maybe be friends again in the future.

One more thing, you were right. Writing it all out even knowing you will never read this makes me feel a little closer to you.

I love you and I miss you,

Forever yours,

[halothenthehorns]

All in the Family

Chapter 36: Dobby's Reward

Her ears were still ringing, vision blurry and unmanageable, but still Lily forced herself back to her feet, staggering into something very solid, stone-like. She froze, breathing so harsh it was hurting her chest as she fumbled around now realizing it was true and continued darkness rather than a lack of sight on her part.

She had to keep calm, she kept telling herself. Whatever was beneath her fingers didn't feel human, or snakelike for that matter, but the cold marble surely was one of their group only paralyzed and not truly dead! She was the only one proficient enough in potions to reverse-

"Lumos!" A now all too familiar voice spoke quietly from right behind her, Potter's wand revealing a solid stone wall icy smooth to the touch under her grip, the ceiling hanging low enough over their heads they could reach up and touch it. Small comfort though it was, it helped that the place was dry and stale, small and isolated, the opposite of the endless void like place from before. She turned quickly to the boy holding his wand aloft, eyes quickly scanning their surroundings. She couldn't blame him, though there were no snakes in sight, this place still seemed far too likely to hold more danger. There was nothing distinctive at all about the place, no clue where on earth they could be, and they didn't care, as she did another careful count. There were only seven people present, counting herself.

The Black brothers were still shaking from wet and fright as they sat up carefully, Lupin hovering over them both. Alice and Frank were assisting each other to their feet and keeping their wands aloft. The place was so bare, there was no way she could miss him, yet, "where's Pettigrew? Where's Peter?"

"Here," came the small voice from right behind Potter, still half crouched on the floor and remarkably pale, almost blending into the background. Lily did a double take, her eyes nearly popping out of her head as she stared at him, hard, and not entirely in relief, though it was there that he hadn't died back in the Chamber. She swore he hadn't been in this room a second ago.

"Good man Pete!" Potter declared, his voice shaking no matter how hard he tried to hitch a smile onto his face and beam around at everyone. "We all survived, I vote we not go for round two!"

"There is a first time for everything," the elder Black groaned as he took Lupin's hand and let himself be hoisted to his feet, then returned the favor and offered the same to his kid brother. He didn't take it, and hadn't yet moved to more than flip over and rest on his backside, chest still heaving as painfully as hers was.

Potter clapped his friend on the shoulder and helped him to his feet, still giving him a relieved smile Lily couldn't shake. Perhaps he hadn't noticed his friend at first either? She just couldn't shake the idea-

"So where are we now?" Frank demanded, bending down and peeling the book from his shoe.

It was a fair question. Certainly nowhere they recognized, and nothing at all to indicate an answer. The only thing of note was a very sturdy door behind them the couple and even they had no urge to try at this point. Merlin only knew what was on the other side, and for now there was nothing in here trying to kill them, so they'd take it.

"Who cares," Lupin groaned, hand still on his friend's back as he kept massaging his ribs. "We're not in the Chamber anymore, can we just enjoy this moment." He slumped back against the wall himself and closed his eyes like he was ready for a nap.

Smith returned with something and Longbottom began reading, but Sirius wouldn't even be distracted by whatever Dobby still had to do with this as the chapter title indicted. He crouched down next to his brother and quietly asked, "hey, you okay? You took a nasty hit."

Regulus didn't answer for so long Sirius started to grow worried before he finally got the answer, "it's all a lie."

"Err, yeah, most things in life tend to be," Sirius agreed with baffled chipper, anything to get his brothers eyes to focus, but they weren't. Longbottom had already read through Ginny getting to reunite with her parents and Dumbledore awarding Harry and Ron for this stupid stunt. Everybody was sinking to the floor in exhaustion and looking relieved to just be able to do that for a moment. Yet Regulus still had a look upon his face like at any moment he'd turn his head and find his death.

It wasn't until Dumbledore mentioned Harry likely having some of Voldemort's powers in him that Regulus reacted again, and all he did was flinch and pull his legs into his chest, like the little kid hiding up in the attic refusing to come down until Sirius had promised their parents had stopped fighting.

Sirius could barely fathom himself what all they'd heard, that everything they'd ever been told about the Dark Lord was false. The man, the mortal who claimed to be more, was in fact trying to purge the world based on a big fat lie. Sirius would have laughed under any other circumstances, but apparently his little brother didn't seem to be finding it as funny.

He tried to imagine it from the kids point of view, but the problem was he'd never given in to believing such a thing as what their parents had wanted of the world, what Regulus had readily adopted. He was only fourteen and everything he'd ever known had been shattered, and Sirius was helpless to offer anything because he no longer knew anything about this boy. He knew more about his three best friends than his own brother.

Turning instinctively to them for help, he saw that Moony really was fixing to fall asleep, barely keeping his eyes open and slumped against the wall like he was. The sky above must be housing a moon not long after it was full. Even not having experienced the change with it would cause his friend to feel the exhaustion it should have. James was watching him with a puckered brow and clear worry, but was also taking the time to engage Evans while she was in a sociable mood, apparently living through a life or death situation had put her in a better mood towards him. She hadn't sprinted to the opposite side of the room yet at least, even if she was keeping an arms distance from him and he didn't seem likely to increase that. Peter still looked shell-shocked, which Sirius couldn't blame him for. Wormtail deserved bloody two hundred points to Gryffindor and more for what he'd pulled, he hadn't needed to see the act to hear what was going on and what gave them the chance to get out of that place.

Lucius Malfoy and Dobby arrived back on the scene as some kind of distraction, and that all made a sickening kind of sense as the little house-elf made it perfectly clear what was going on. Sirius was forced to watch again as Regulus recoiled into himself, and he refused to just sit around and let his little brother dwell on all things pure-blood going on around him, so he spit out the first question that came to mind as loud as he could, "speaking of things hiding in plain sight, exactly who was carrying around Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and not sharing such a thing? I mean, I'm not criticizing the use, but come on, that's a rather significant detail to share don't you think!"

Silence for a moment, as everyone looked at everyone else waiting for the crack, until finally the last person Sirius expected to spoke up, "it was mine."

"Where did you get that? Without me knowing about it?!" Sirius demanded of his kid brother.

"Father bought some for me over the summer in Knockturn Alley," Regulus murmured without looking at any of them. He said nothing more, and Sirius bit down on his lip to stop himself demanding more of this explanation. Like why he was carrying it around with him today ( yesterday?) during class.

Alice sensed the awkward silence lingering, and really she didn't want anybody else to ask what else was being hidden on their persons, so cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke up, "well, I think I've sussed out where we might be. I'd hazard a guess this is where Dobby sleeps. Makes sense doesn't it? The Malfoy's would have him down in the dungeons when he wasn't running their house. We seem to pop up wherever something's happening in a person's life to do with the story, apparently it doesn't always have to be Harry."

Nobody argued the point, it made as much sense as the rest of this mess. Lily's hand tightened along her wand in frustration as Malfoy took out his loss of not being able to murder an entire school and a little girl out on Dobby. The chapter title still lingered in her mind, distracting her from everything else now. Dobby may have gone about it in the wrong way, but he certainly did deserve a reward for all he'd tried to do in helping Harry!

Then he got it, and they all worried that somehow Harry had made things incredibly worse. Freeing a house-elf was not in fact a reward at all to those creatures, but the truly baffling part was Dobby's reaction. He actually seemed happy! It made no sense to any of them, from reputation and whispered stories any other house-elf would be having a nervous breakdown. Dobby was all but cheering. None of them could really complain of the development, when it possibly saved Harry's life from a vengeful Malfoy. They all suspected that little critter was going to make another appearance though, how could he not after such an event?

The last really eventful thing was the all around cheer of Hagrid being rightfully returned, and Percy acting like an idiot all year because of a secret girlfriend of all things. Frank reached the end, back to Harry having to go with those bastard Dursley's again, and all anyone could really hope was that they wouldn't be sent to Privet Drive again.

[skamfairy]

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - thoughts after reading it for the first time

honestly guys this book TOOK ME FOR A RIDE like my thoughts are gonna be even more incoherent than usual so bear with me HARRY AND I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT 

okay so

Harry continues to be the light of my life. he’s the most sweetest, compassionate, brave, caring, determined and considerate angel in the world. HOW HE WAITED TO MAKE SURE ALL THE PEOPLE WERE SAFE DURING THE MERMAID CHALLENGE, how worried he was about sirius, how much he missed ron when he stopped talking to him. the angst cranked up high in this one and it both broke my heart and made me love this boy even more. he’s my everything. 

CEDRIC DIGGORY im so sad. i really liked him. he was a nice and good guy im so sad and i wasn’t expecting this. it breaks my heart that harry blames himself when all he wanted was for him and cedric to win it together. I hate it it’s so unfair you guys SO UNFAIR

that rita skeeter woman is so annoying no wonder she’s a bug

Ron and Hermione have weird jealous energy going on seriously the teen angst is HERE 

also Ron and Harry’s fight made me really sad but i like that we’re getting a deeper look on ron’s insecurites and struggles because we haven’t really touched on it since the first book. how he’s always in other peoples shadows and worries he’ll never be acknowledged for anything on his own merit :(( i hope this gets explored more but i also hope harry and ron never fight ever again because harry was so depressed without him. Ron is his family, ron is his everything just DON’T FIGHT

I TRUSTED MOODY i did. i really liked him you guys have no idea. i loved him a lot and i thought he was helpful and a good teacher and more understanding than others but IT WAS ALL A LIE IM i feel so betrayed and SO DUMB i can’t get one bad guy right you guys. I am gonna try harder to get the next one right I WILL GET IT RIGHT THIS TIME but seriously moody’s reveal was amazing and that whole story was written incredibly well i’m amazed. 

VOLDEMORT IS BACK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK GUYS HELP HELP HELP OH MY GOD IM i knew he would come back i was sure he would but now that it’s happened and seeing that i’m just IM SO !!!!!!!! fuck fuck fuck and the death eaters !!! MALFOY AND CRABBE AND GOYLE’S PARENTS ARE ALL CONFIRMED AS DEATH EATERS. BUT IT GETS WORSE

What. In. The. World. Is. Wrong. With. DUMBLEDORE?????? like seriously why is he trusting snape?? it’s so frustrating. he’s been shown that he can’t trust people time and time again yet, HE TRUSTS A DEATH EATER??? he’s not your spy you fool he’s voldemorts spy??? like come on he’s done nothing but bullied kids and made Harry’s life a living hell. he hates him and he hated his parents. he hated harry’s parents and dumbledore knows this?? like seriously i don’t get this what has he done to proven that he’s trustworthy?? (besides that one time he saved harry’s life but we all know voldemort needed harry alive to be reborn so nope) and then he tells him and sirius that they are on the same side? bitch i think not?? sirius doesn’t wear that botched tattoo buddy. i’m sorry i just don’t understand and he’s not giving us any reason like im really worried he’s being played and we’re all screwed. also snape was extra cruel in this book can he just stop bullying my faves?

I love sirius <3 i love that harry finally has a parental figure who cares so much about him and worries about him and wants him to just be safe and he can talk to him and trust him i just <3 MY HEART

the twins rock my world as always, i would die for them and the ending when harry gave him the money to start their joke shop and he said that they all could use some laughs now more than ever just,,,,,,MADE MY HEART SO WARM?? like i really love that comment in all seriousness because it’s so true. people forget that things like comedy and lighthearted fun stuff like that is just as important as anything else you could do. making people laugh is beautiful and kind and the best kind of job anyone could do and it’s beautiful that they want to do that and i love that harry pointed that out in the end. after always being kinda berated by percy (and also by molly sometimes) for not being serious enough, the fact that they are pranksters and capable of spreading laughter was finally acknowledged as a beautiful strength and im just !!!! THIS IS A GOOD MESSAGE AND WHY I ADORE MY TWINS i literally could talk all day about how much i love them they are two of my fave characters in the whole series im just <3 babies 

DOBBY !!! yay he’s back and he’s looking out for harry at hogwarts im so <3 i loved the house elves involvement in this it made me so happy i love them 

I’m proabably leaving out so many things because this book WAS A LOT to process and my mind is bouncing in so many different directions about it. But overall I absolutely adore this book it’s probably my fave right now BUT I’VE SAID THAT ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ONE SO FAR hjsjhashjasjh it just keeps getting better. the angst, the tournament, the different wizard schools, voldemort rising !!!! ITS SO MUCH AND SO GOOD THIS IS MY KIND OF BOOK IM LIVING i can’t believe how much everything is changing now and i’m scared for my faves but im also excited THIS IS AHHHH I literally have no idea what’s gonna happen next, not a clue. Like i don’t even have any theories right now because i’m still so stunned about where we just left off it’s crazy i don’t know how to think. i guess i’m just convinced that snape is bad news and i’m annoyed at dumbledore for insisting on trusting him. i’m also annoyed that dumbledore makes harry go back to the dursley’s every year. I’m ALSO annoyed that fudge put the dementors on barty jr so he couldn’t use the truth potion in court and prove wormtail is alive and clear sirius’s name IM JUST STRESSED AHHHHHH like i have no clue what’s happening next but this book has marked a huge change and this both terrifies and excites me. I’ll see you all when i start book five AHHHHH