Chapter 16 - Chapter 14

The fourth year Slytherins were so engrossed in their conversation that it took them a full minute to realise that half of the Great Hall was looking in their direction. They had just started trying to figure out what was going on, when Millie opened her copy of the Prophet and gasped.

"Look!" she exclaimed, laying the paper flat on the table so the others could see.

"You're a lord?" Tracey whispered, turning to look at Harry.

"I am."

"Are you sure about this?" Daphne asked, somewhat uncertainly.

"Definitely."

Her eyes searched his face for a moment, but she seemed to find what she was looking for and relaxed.

"Good," she replied, then turned back to finish reading the article.

"You don't seem too surprised to learn that your boyfriend is a lord," Millie pointed out.

"I've known since he went to Gringotts to claim it," Daphne replied with a smile, and she couldn't help but chuckle at the bemused looks on their friends' faces.

"Remember the day we started dating, how I was by myself when I joined you at the Three Broomsticks?"

"So, that's why..." mumbled Theo. "Damn, Harry. Any more surprises?"

"A couple," Harry replied, taking a bite of toast. "Nothing my friends need to worry about, though."

"But this... this will have significant repercussions," Blaise remarked, pointing to the paper.

"For whom?" Harry replied, appearing entirely unconcerned by the matter.

None of them got a chance to answer, because at that moment, Dobby popped in with a message for Harry.

"Master, you have a message from the wolf and the mutt," Dobby informed him, and Harry raised an eyebrow and took the letter. He expected them to contact him today, for obvious reasons, but he was a little surprised by how quickly the missive came. They must have written him and called for Dobby the second they finished reading.

"The wolf and the mutt?" asked Tracey, unfamiliar with the monikers.

"Lord Black and Professor Lupin," Daphne clarified.

"As you know, Sirius is my godfather and I consider Remus my uncle," Harry explained, opening the envelope and reading the letter.

"They were both close to my parents, and they're the closest I have to a proper family. And according to this," he said, holding up the letter, "they read the Prophet and want me to meet with them today to explain myself. Too bad I already have plans."

"Tell them to meet you in Hogsmeade," suggested Daphne, reading the letter over his shoulder. "I don't think any of us mind. You don't see them very often, so if nothing else, you can have lunch with them."

Harry shrugged.

"We'll see," he replied, and started penning a reply after being handed a conjured parchment and calligraphy pen, courtesy of Dobby. After a couple minutes of writing, he sealed the message and handed it to Dobby, who took it and popped away.

"What do you say we walk to Hogsmeade, instead of taking a carriage?" Harry asked out of the blue, recapturing his friends' attention.

"Walk? What for?" Pansy asked with a small scowl.

"Why not? We can have a nice stroll, take the time to appreciate the view of the snow-covered grounds, refresh ourselves in the crisp morning air," Harry listed off.

"Freeze ourselves, catch a cold, tire ourselves out before we even get to the village..." Blaise chimed in.

"Fine, I'm in," said Theo, to disbelieving looks from Tracey, Blaise, Millie, and Pansy.

"What? It's not like we have anything better to do, do we?"

"Well… It would be something different, that's for sure," Millie added.

"Besides, you're a wizard," said Daphne with a grin. "Try using magic."

Harry laughed.

"Oh, fine, let's go," Blaise replied in exasperation. Millie smiled, and the others just looked around at each other and shrugged. Seeing she was outnumbered, Pansy sighed and stood up.

"Let's go, then," she said, and they all stood up from the table and started making their way up the aisle, ignoring the looks the others in the Great Hall were giving them.

They had just made it to the door when there was a shriek from the Gryffindor table.

"NEVILLE!" cried the hated voice of Hermione Granger.

"It sounds like somebody read the paper," Harry muttered to his friends, a satisfied smirk on his face.

Granger was now shaking the front page of the paper in front of Longbottom's nose, who was sitting across the table from her, next to Ron Weasley. The pudgy boy turned as white as a sheet and swayed in place for a moment, before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted, face-first into his scrambled eggs.

"NEVILLE!" she yelped, trying to help rouse her housemate.

The fourth year Slytherins laughed at Longbottom's rather pathetic display, joined by their housemates and even some of the Ravenclaws. The handful of students who understood the magnitude of Harry's announcement shared a few apprehensive looks and were waiting to see what would happen next.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Granger shouted, rounding on Harry.

The hall went completely silent once everyone realised who it was Granger intended to confront. Harry didn't seem bothered in the least. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the reaction he had caused.

"HOW DARE YOU LIE LIKE THAT, AND HUMILIATE POOR NEVILLE?"

"Shows what you know, mudblood," Harry hissed, and gasps rang out around the hall. Fortunately for Harry, though, there were no teachers in the Great Hall at that moment.

"What? How… How dare you?" cried Granger, her face turning red as she prepared to go on a rant.

"Cry me a river, bitch," Harry bit back, his voice tinged with anger. "Or better yet, give me a reason to end the torture that is being forced to share this castle with the likes of you."

Granger recoiled at Harry's venomous retort, and she wasn't the only one.

"Hey, you can't talk to her like that, you filthy snake!" shouted a red-faced Ron Weasley, getting up from his seat to stand next to his friend.

"You think you're so special, don't you, Potter? Well, guess what, YOU'RE NOT BETTER THAN ME!"

"Please, Weasel," Harry scoffed. "It's common knowledge that everyone is better than you. You're lazy, you're rude, loud, obnoxious, and you have terrible manners. You do nothing all day, yet you expect the world to be handed to you on a silver platter. And let us not forget the fact that you're just as bigoted as Malfoy."

Harry chuckled as Weasley's eyes bulged as he started spluttering. Daphne was observing the other students in the hall, and she was surprised to see how many of them were nodding in agreement at Harry's appraisal.

"Well, on second thought, maybe Longbottom is worse than you, since he's a blood traitor and practically a squib..." Harry said, pretending to deliberate for a moment. "I guess I was wrong, you are better than someone. Congratulations, you're not as worthless as I thought."

"SLUGULUS ERUCTO!"

Harry lazily flicked his wand, and the spell vanished in mid-air.

"Really, Weasel? Slug vomiting, again? Don't you know any other spells?" Harry taunted.

Before the redhead could respond, his wand flew from his hand and out of reach. He attempted to shout something at Harry, but the only sound that came out of his mouth was the loud braying of a donkey, making the whole Great Hall burst into hysterics.

"Now, now, Weasel, no need to be such an ass," Harry jeered, triggering another round of laughter.

Now completely enraged, Ron charged straight at Harry, but he didn't make it very far. With another flick of Harry's wand, Weasley's body froze in place and thudded to the ground.

"You've changed!" Granger cried, bringing everyone's attention back to her, while Weasley fumed from the floor, his face and ears practically glowing red.

"Have I?" he questioned, glaring at the girl.

"Please, do share with us your wisdom," he requested, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "How exactly have I changed, oh brightest witch of our age?"

"How can you even stand to look at yourself in the mirror when you act like that?" Granger shrieked in indignation.

"This is nothing like you! You used to be kind, and supportive of your friends, but now you're just a bully like Malfoy, walking around as if you own the place, like we're all beneath you. You even have your own sycophants following you around, just like he does," Granger spat, her insult not lost on the fourth year Slytherins.

"What happened to the brave, caring boy who jumped on the back of the troll and stuck his wand up its nose to save me? What happened to the selfless boy who risked his life to kill a giant basilisk to rescue a girl and save the school? What happened to the boy that faced over one hundred dementors to save his wrongfully accused godfather?"

Not being familiar with those stories, most of the students were either gaping at the pair or looking around at each other in confusion, the exception being the Slytherins, many of whom shivered at the mention of the basilisk. Having viewed Harry's memory of the event just days before, they were intimately familiar with the nightmare set loose in their school just two years prior.

Harry started clapping slowly, a look of condescension on his face.

"That boy? He was forced to grow up, after he was betrayed by those who were supposed to be his family. What was it you said on Halloween? Ah yes, I clearly used dark magic, because there was no other way I could've circumvented Dumbledore's wards. As I recall, you also told me that my behaviour was unbecoming of a Gryffindor, and I was thereby banished from the house."

Half of the lions continued to glare at him, while some of the others actually seemed embarrassed. Neither reaction seemed to affect Harry, as he demonstrated by turning his back on all of them.

"Then again, I never was a real Gryffindor, was I? In any case, I have better things to do than stand here talking to you," he said dismissively, and started walking away.

He noticed Daphne's amused smirk and added, "Much better things."

"I said I'm sorry!" begged Granger, her tears starting to flow. "I'm sorry! We're sorry! Why won't you forgive us?"

Harry stopped in his tracks. Daphne saw the anger rising up in him, and for a moment, she was scared of what he might do. To her relief, he just laughed, though his eyes were devoid of humour.

"After everything you did?" he asked. He was starting to see red, and it took every ounce of his willpower to stop himself from striking her down right then and there. He focused on his goals, and how he needed to control his anger if he ever wanted to achieve them. He managed to collect himself, but his voice was still dripping with hate when he turned back to deliver his retort.

"I will never forgive you."

Daphne realised that Harry was no longer speaking just about what had happened after Halloween. He had to be thinking about something from his past, the bleak future where he'd lost everything. However, when her eyes met his, he smiled at her.

"You accuse me of thinking I'm better than everyone? What about you, Granger? You fancy yourself a leader, don't you? You think you're always right, and that everyone should do what you tell them to, because there's no way you could ever be wrong."

Harry saw the two newcomers standing just inside the entrance of the Great Hall and smirked. Nobody else had noticed their arrival, because they were too focused on the confrontation between him and Granger.

"Your problem is that you overestimate your intelligence, Granger. You have little knowledge of this world, yet you think our entire society should change to conform to your views. And why? Because in your mind, you're the only one who knows what's best, all thanks to your precious muggle logic."

Harry made a disgusted face as he spoke, while Granger looked outraged.

"Longbottom was a fool to listen to your drivel. He chose to follow your lead instead of upholding his family honour and the oaths of his ancestors, and look what that's given him," Harry said, gesturing to the still-unconscious boy.

"Honestly, could he be any more pathetic? He could've approached me at any time to help explain what I needed to know. He could've defended me on Halloween, but what did he do? He allowed an uppity muggleborn to tell him, the sole heir of a noble house, what to believe and how to act. He threw away centuries of friendship and brotherhood at the words of one person, one who had no evidence to support her claims."

"And how does Heir Longbottom justify his unwavering faith in your word? When confronted with the consequences of his actions, how does he respond? Ah yes, he fainted into his own breakfast. I suppose that's a sufficient demonstration of his character."

Mortified by the dressing-down she'd just received, Granger ran away from the Great Hall with tears in her eyes. Laughter followed her out of the hall, though her exit caused the students to finally notice the late arrivals.

Professor McGonagall was standing there, glowering at Harry, but it was the older woman with her that caught everyone's attention. She was richly dressed, wearing expensive robes topped with a cloak made from the fur of some exotic animal. Her most identifiable feature was easily her extravagant hat, upon which was perched a large, stuffed vulture. The woman was struggling to maintain an impassive countenance, and it seemed like her anger was ready to break through at any moment.

Every pureblood in the room knew who the woman was. Augusta Longbottom was considered a formidable witch, and not one to be trifled with. If her current demeanour was any indication, Neville Longbottom was doomed.

"Lord Potter, I presume," the older woman inquired, before McGonagall had a chance to say anything.

"Yes. And you are?" Harry asked frostily, pretending not to know who she was. In all honesty, even if he didn't know the woman from his past life, her legendary hat was a dead giveaway.

"I am the Dowager Augusta Longbottom," the woman replied, an eyebrow rising imperceptibly.

"I would like to arrange a meeting between our two houses, Lord Potter," the dowager said, and Harry just looked back at her with a bored expression.

"Unfortunately, I'm currently booked through next summer," he replied, and anyone nearby could see the woman's eyebrow twitching. "You may send an owl though. Perhaps my house-elf will be able to schedule something suitable for us in the future."

Not everyone caught on to Harry's veiled insult, but the purebloods understood exactly what he'd meant. Harry had essentially told her that she and her house were so undeserving of his time, that he'd instruct his house-elf to deal with her. He then turned his back on the bristling dowager and addressed his friends.

"Let's go, we've wasted enough time as it is," Harry said, moving to Daphne's side and offering her his arm. "Shall we take our leave, my dear lady?"

"I would be delighted, my Lord Potter," Daphne replied loftily, taking his arm. Ignoring everyone else around them, the couple turned and marched out of the Great Hall, followed by their friends, who had decided to mimic their behaviour.

"That was AMAZING," Pansy exclaimed, once they were far enough from the Great Hall, and the others started cracking up.

"You knew the dowager was there the whole time, didn't you?" asked Daphne, and Harry nodded.

"I saw when she arrived with McGonagall. I couldn't pass up the chance to twist the knife a bit, could I?" Harry replied, making Daphne chuckle.

They walked through the Hogwarts grounds towards the gates, laughing and sharing the reactions they'd noticed to the altercation in the Great Hall. Nobody bothered questioning Harry about his reasons, trusting him to do what was best for himself and his house. Besides, him being the new Lord of House Potter was far more interesting than talking about how much of a failure Longbottom was.

"You don't look like a lord," Theo said with a smirk. "Don't expect me to start kissing your arse now."

"Thank Merlin for that," Harry laughed, joined by the rest. For them, he was still Harry despite his new status. He was the guy they'd spent three years disliking without even knowing him, who was now one of their closest friends. He had proven to be cunning, resourceful, and a talented wizard who respected magical culture, but most importantly, he was one of them. It may have taken a few years, but Harry Potter had finally found his home in the house of the snakes, where he'd always belonged.

"I have a question," Millie announced, as the group exited through the front gate. "What could've possessed you to stick your wand up a troll's nose?"

Harry cringed at the memory.

"I was a little brat with one month of magical education," he huffed. The others all laughed, but Daphne thought he was cute when he pouted.

"Still, very Gryffindorish," Tracey replied with a smirk. "And kind of romantic, in a way."

Harry gagged, and Daphne spun around to glare at Tracey.

"Tracey, for my sanity's sake, please, never insinuate that again," Harry choked, clearly disgusted. "I thought I was going to lose my breakfast."

"I didn't mean it like that," Tracey protested. "I only meant..."

She wasn't able to finish her thought, as she was interrupted by a snowball hitting her right in the face.

"Just shut up," Daphne teased. She had her wand out and was levitating another snowball.

Tracey blinked a couple of times, before she caught sight of Daphne smirking at her and realised what happened.

"Oh, you're so on, Greengrass," Tracey replied, ducking and picking up a snowball and hurling it towards Daphne, who dodged it, then flicked her wand to sling the hovering snowball at her friend.

"Hey, no magic," complained Tracey, ducking behind her boyfriend.

"Why not? I don't want my hands to get cold, and besides, it's more fun this way," Daphne responded with a grin. She banished another snowball at Tracey, but it ended up hitting Theo instead.

"Hey, watch it," Theo complained. He drew his own wand and retaliated against Daphne, who ducked, causing Theo's snowball to smack Harry in the nose instead.

"So, I guess this means war?" Harry declared, drawing his own wand and backing Daphne up by slinging two snowballs at once in the direction of Tracey and Theo.

"Aww, is Harry-poo coming to save his Daphy?" Tracey laughed, only to be forced to duck an assault from Daphne. Neither of them noticed how Harry had frozen for a moment, before snapping out of it after catching a snowball to the chest.

"Do you think we should do something?" asked Blaise, watching the two couples firing snowballs at one another. His reply came in the form of a snowball thrown by Tracey.

"Oi, what are you five doing just standing there? Join in the fun," Tracey demanded with a huge grin, and the others looked at each other and seemed to come to an agreement.

"Whoops," Tracey thought to herself, as Blaise, Millie, Pansy, Greg, and Vince all drew their wands and started casting their own snowballs back at the other four.

"We're being attacked from behind!" shouted an amused Theo, dodging one ball and preparing to return fire.

"Truce?" Daphne proposed, and with a nod, the four teamed up to take on their attackers.

Preoccupied as they were, they paid no mind to the carriages passing them by, transporting students from the castle to the village. The students in the carriages, however, had their faces plastered against the windows, not believing what they were seeing. Why were there nine Slytherins in the middle of a huge snowball fight, and looking like they were having the time of their lives? Weren't the snakes always supposed to be stoic and serious?

The smaller group of Harry, Daphne, Theo, and Tracey conjured a small wall in front of them and ducked down behind it as they continued their snowy counterattack. Not to be outdone, the group of five made their own wall and tried arcing their snowballs up and over, with little success. After nearly thirty minutes of battle, it seemed they'd arrived at a standoff.

"So..." started Tracey, somewhat out of breath. "Truce?"

"Truce," Millie called back, and the two groups came out from behind their walls and met in the middle.

"That was fun," Millie grinned.

"It was until they made the wall. I didn't hit any of them after that," complained Pansy.

With a snort, Tracey replied, "Hey, there were five of you."

The nine Slytherins laughed and had started casting Drying Charms on their snow-covered clothing, when Dobby made another appearance.

"Master, another message for you," Dobby said, extending Harry an envelope.

Harry quickly read the message.

"My uncles understand that I already have plans, but they would still like to meet with me at the Three Broomsticks around lunchtime."

"It's up to you," Daphne told him, so Harry nodded and turned to Dobby.

"Tell them I'll be there, but I'll be bringing my friends with me," Harry said, and Dobby grinned. "If they're going to interrupt my day, the least they could do is buy us lunch."

"With a bit of luck, they'll try to embarrass you," Dobby replied, and Harry hummed in response.

"While you're at it, ask them to make sure they act their age, at least," Harry said, earning a laugh from Dobby and a few puzzled looks from the others.

The group continued their journey into Hogsmeade, oblivious to the befuddled looks other students were giving them. None of them needed anything in particular from the village, so they decided to just wander around for a bit. They eventually wound up in Honeydukes, taking the opportunity to restock on sweets. A few of them may have gone a bit overboard, so Harry summoned Dobby to help them with all their bags.

"Handy," Pansy commented.

"Did anything interesting happen after we left?" Harry asked.

An evil grin appeared on Dobby's face.

"As soon as you left, Longbottom's grandmother woke him up and dragged him to an empty classroom. She ranted at him for a good while, saying he had a lot of explaining to do, and even gave him a good spanking."

Harry snickered as he pictured the scene unfolding, the rest of his friends joining him.

"Then, she told him he'd be going home with her for the rest of the holidays, and that he wouldn't be allowed to attend the ball tomorrow. McGonagall tried to intervene on Longbottom's behalf, but his grandmother wasn't having any of it. The old bat was already furious, but then Longbottom started crying, which seemed to make her even angrier. They left by floo about ten minutes ago."

"The dowager must not have wanted to make too much of a scene in front of everyone," Millie mused. "If she was that bad at the school, Longbottom must be really in for it now that he's home."

The others all agreed, but none of them felt much sympathy for the Gryffindor, especially not Harry. Checking the time, Harry saw that it was getting close to noon and that they needed to get going.

"Dobby, please take these to our dorms," Harry said, indicating their bags.

The elf snapped his fingers and the bags disappeared. He popped away again after a slight bow, and the group collected themselves and headed to the Three Broomsticks.

~BREAK~

The nine friends entered the Three Broomsticks together and saw the Lord Black and their former DADA professor sharing a booth, talking amongst themselves and sipping their drinks. They weaved their way through the tables and had almost reached the booth by the time Sirius caught sight of them. He was wearing a grim expression, and he stood up and approached Harry before they could even reach the table.

"We need to talk," Sirius said severely, not even bothering to greet his godson and ignoring the other teens. Harry didn't let it bother him though, because he could tell Sirius was really worried, even if he hid it better than Remus.

"Good morning to you too, Sirius. And you, Remus, nice to see you as well," Harry replied sarcastically, making his godfather roll his eyes while Lupin chuckled.

"Harry..." attempted Sirius, but Harry raised his hand to interrupt him.

"What would you have done in my place?" the boy asked.

The question caught the older man by surprise. He'd mostly been concerned about the potential fallout of Harry's letter, but he hadn't yet considered it from that angle. He took a long look at his godson, and seeing how serious he was about this, he deflated slightly.

"You know, you're starting to remind me of your grandfather, and to an extent, my grandfather too. Both of them were ruthless bastards when it came to their enemies, and neither would ever allow a slight against their honour to go unpunished," Sirius reflected.

"To answer your question, I really don't know what I would do," he continued. "Dealing with matters like this was never something I pictured myself doing. That said, I'm fairly certain I know what those two would've done, if they were ever slighted in the way you described. Either of them would've made it their mission to destroy the reputation of the name Longbottom, and they would've done so in a flashy, and very public manner, just to make sure all of Magical Britain knew what happened."

Sirius sighed as he delivered his explanation. This wasn't how he'd pictured their conversation going, but he found himself begrudgingly agreeing with what Harry had done.

"If that's the case, then you at least know where I'm coming from," Harry responded. "I've taken on the mantle of Lord Potter at age fourteen, and I'm the last of my line. You know I can't afford to be viewed as weak by the other lords, or else they'll eat me alive. I have to be seen as strong and decisive, and that includes how I respond to slights against my house."

Sirius listened thoughtfully as his godson explained his point of view, the intense look he had sported at the beginning of the conversation slowly being replaced by a look of resignation.

"Knowing all that, can you blame me for doing something that should've been done a long time ago?" Harry asked, and Sirius reluctantly shook his head. He'd come here to make Harry see reason, but instead, he found himself endorsing his godson's actions and reminiscing about the two men that had been his greatest influences in life.

"You'll probably take some heat for this, cub, are you certain?" Remus chimed in, still feeling concerned.

"Cub?" asked Pansy, voicing what they were all thinking. Her question managed to make the two men finally take notice of the other eight Slytherins.

"Yeah, Uncle Remus is a werewolf, as you may remember from last year, and calling me 'cub' is his little joke," Harry explained, and they all looked a bit nervous at the reminder.

"Oh, come on, it's not like he can change without a full moon."

"It's fine, Harry," Remus replied in a conciliatory tone.

"No, it's not," sighed Daphne, extending her hand. "Hello, Professor. It's nice to see you again."

Remus smiled and shook Daphne's hand.

"Very nice to meet you again, Ms. Greengrass. And please, call me Remus, as I am no longer your teacher."

"You were the best DADA teacher we've had, though," she replied, and the others were quick to agree.

"She's a keeper, alright," said Sirius, who was smiling proudly.

"Couldn't agree more," Harry grinned, and Daphne flushed slightly.

"By the way, I'd like you to meet Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis, Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe," he said, gesturing to each in turn.

"Ah, yes...I've met some of your parents," Sirius replied, somewhat frostily, as he appeared to scrutinise each of them. The Slytherins understood how there might be some animosity there, and either shuffled uncomfortably or simply looked down in embarrassment.

"However, if my godson trusts you, that's good enough for me," he finished with a grin, his expression brightening. The sudden shift in tone may have been a little confusing, but it was certainly welcome.

"Sirius, please stop scaring my friends. You were supposed to drop the dangerous criminal act after your exoneration, remember?" Harry countered, and Remus chuckled.

"You need to relax, pup, you're too uptight," Sirius pouted, and Tracey mouthed 'pup?' to Daphne questioningly, receiving only a shrug in reply. "Besides, it's Christmas! It's the time for being jolly and all that. So, what exactly do you all have planned for today?"

"Having lunch, but that's about it," Harry replied. "It's the holidays, so it's not like we have a busy schedule."

Sirius laughed.

"Well, I'm in," he replied. "We can even make it our Christmas lunch, and you're all invited as well," Sirius announced to the other eight teens, who looked surprised at the invitation, and also somewhat confused by the older man's behaviour. They had all heard stories about the infamous Sirius Black, but the real thing was nothing like the rumours. The members of the Black family were known to be dark and dangerous, but Sirius was much more easy-going and Gryffindorish than any of them could have imagined.

"Sirius, maybe we should just leave and let the kids have their day out..." Remus started, attempting to do the teens a favour.

"Oh, come on, Moony. Think about it. If we stay, we can embarrass Harry by sharing stories about him as a baby! We can get to know his friends a bit, particularly his girlfriend..." Sirius replied, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Besides, the bill is on Harry, in celebration of his lordship," claimed Sirius.

"Wait a minute, what?" Harry interjected.

"It's traditional! We have to celebrate, it's almost as important as coming of age," Sirius insisted, finding Harry's reaction quite amusing.

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Your lordship, I mean. Shouldn't you be celebrating too?"

"Oh, pup, Remus and I took care of that, don't you worry," he assured him, flashing a roguish grin. "Today the party is all yours."

"Damn tightwad," Harry grumbled, making everyone laugh.

"Embarrassing stories, you said?" asked Tracey, stepping forward.

"My name is Tracey Davis, Lord Black, Professor Lupin. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, her familiar mischievous grin appearing on her face. "We should talk…"

As it turned out, the Slytherins rather enjoyed having lunch with the two older men. What surprised Harry the most was that he'd actually heard several stories for the first time that day. Sirius and Remus regaled them with stories about their time in Hogwarts, including their own pranking days and their various adventures around the castle.

True to their word, they shared plenty of embarrassing baby stories about Harry, like the one when he was about a year old, and his father had bought him a baby sized broomstick. Harry had taken it and flown upside down around the house, evading capture for several minutes before his mother finally caught up to him. Then, there was the one where Harry got the hiccups, then started having bouts of accidental magic every hiccup and practically demolished the house. Daphne's favourite had to be the story where James Potter kept pretending to steal Harry's nose, and Harry proceeded to bawl uncontrollably until his father returned the nose to his face.

Not one to miss out on the fun, Tracey offered up plenty of stories about Harry and Daphne – nothing bad, of course, just enough to make the couple blush every now and then.

Once Harry had been well and truly embarrassed, Sirius took the opportunity to review his stay in "Azkaban Resort," as he put it. He was sure to mention the lousy room service, the inattentive and/or incompetent management, plus the overly draughty rooms and uncomfortable beds, and he recommended none of them stay there for any length of time. Had they not spent the afternoon getting a feel for his sense of humour, the teens probably would have thought the Lord Black was a bit daft.

This was the Daphne's first opportunity to spend time with Harry's family, and she enjoyed every minute. They'd been very accepting of her, and she felt relieved by how easily she was able to relax around them. Even Harry was pleasantly surprised by how much fun he was having, even if he was on the receiving end of much of the day's humour. He too was pleased that his uncles had so easily accepted Daphne and their friends.

Neither of them realised it, but a smile crossed Lord Black's face every time he saw them huddle close together or share a look with one another. It reminded the man of another young couple, but that had been a very long time ago, before everything went wrong.

The afternoon flew by, and before long it was four o'clock, time to head back to Hogwarts. After saying their goodbyes, Sirius and Remus apparated home, and the teens joined the queue to take the carriages back to the castle.

Curiously, nobody mentioned anything about Longbottom to Harry, not even the teachers. Harry had expected some hostility from the Gryffindors, but at dinner they hadn't reacted to his presence at all, aside from a few extra glares sent his way by a certain group of redheads and one bushy-haired girl.

After dinner, Harry met with Professor Flitwick, as they'd agreed upon at the lake the day before. Harry shared everything he knew about Ice Lore, which led to a lengthy discussion on ancient magics, the Charms professor being quite knowledgeable on the subject. Besides being an outstanding duellist and an even better teacher, Flitwick was, above all else, a fantastic storyteller. Even if he'd already heard most of them, Harry gladly listened as the older man recounted his own journeys to magical discovery, and other assorted tales from his youth.

Harry barely made it back to the common room in time for curfew. He sat with his friends for a while, reflecting on the day. It felt good to finally take a step towards destroying his enemies, plus he'd gotten to introduce his friends to his uncles and spend the afternoon with them. All in all, it had been a good day, and the next one should be even better. Tomorrow was Christmas, after all, and everyone was looking forward to the Yule Ball.

~BREAK~

That Christmas morning was easily the best Harry had experienced in decades.

Harry's friends had gone in together to buy him a set of assorted Quidditch supplies and broom maintenance equipment, which served as a not-so-subtle hint that they expected him to take his place on the Slytherin team next year. Daphne wasn't sure what to get him, so she settled on a large box of his favourites from Honeydukes. She was a little embarrassed by how impersonal her gift was, but he insisted it was more than enough.

"You already gave me what I wanted most," he whispered in her ear, and she relaxed immediately and gave him a grateful smile before kissing him soundly.

Seeing as how they'd only been friends for a short while, at least in this timeline, Harry decided that books would be the most appropriate gifts this year. He already knew plenty about them and their interests, which made it easy for him to pick out volumes they'd appreciate.

He'd given Daphne an up-to-date text on Healing magic, which she loved, though he'd also hinted that it wouldn't be her only gift. Millie got a book of rare and obscure potions, which would serve her well in her career as a Potions Mistress. He gave Blaise a book on Transfiguration, his favourite subject, but more importantly, he'd dropped some hints about potential business opportunities he could take advantage of. In the future, Blaise had run a successful import/export business, having a particular knack for obtaining hard to find items, including rare ingredients for his wife's potions. He'd gotten his start in his sixth year by acquiring goods from Hogsmeade for the younger students, for a small fee of course, and Harry was hoping to give him a head start.

It was too early for Law books, so Tracey got something on useful charms. He gave Theo the same DADA book his uncles had given him in his fifth year, along with a promise to practice together. Not many were familiar with Crabbe and Goyle's interests, but Harry was, and got Vince a book of exotic plants and Greg an encyclopaedia of magical creatures. He didn't know as much about Pansy's interests, so she got a Transfiguration book similar to Blaise's. With the way things had already changed from his original timeline, he was optimistic they'd end up being better friends this time around.

Sirius and Remus had also sent him his gifts via Dobby, including an album filled with pictures of him with his parents, from when he was a baby. Never one to miss a pranking opportunity, Sirius also sent him a fully illustrated book on puberty for young wizards, which had his friends howling.

They'd spent most of the afternoon lazing around the common room, until the girls disappeared to begin their preparations for the ball. The boys decided to retreat to their dorms and kill some time, finding the minutes seemed to drag on with nothing else to do.

"I still don't believe they went to get ready at three o'clock," Blaise said, laying back on his bed.

"Women," mumbled Theo, earning a snort from Harry.

"I bet that when you see her, you won't be able to take your eyes off her," replied Vince from his bed, where he was sitting and reading his new creatures book. "Just don't forget to compliment her on how good she looks."

The all turned to look at the boy, a little befuddled by his out-of-character statement.

"Anything you'd like to share with the rest of us, Vince?" Theo asked.

Vincent mumbled something unintelligible.

"Come again?"

"He read a book called Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches," Greg explained, munching on a piece of chocolate. "He's going to try applying what he's learned tonight."

Vince hid his face behind his book, pretending to ignore the others' amused reactions.

"Good luck, man," replied Harry. "If I may give you some advice, just be honest with her and you'll be fine. What about you, Greg?"

"I'll be there, but I'm letting Vince go first."

"How is it all going to work? I mean with dancing and stuff, there being two of you and only one of her?" Blaise asked. "Did you work out a schedule, or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," replied Greg, leaving it at that.

The other boys just looked at each other and shrugged, figuring it was better not to pry. Besides, they'd all find out soon enough anyway.

"What time is it?" asked Theo.

"Nearly half past five," Blaise replied. "We still have an hour until the ball."

"I suppose we should start getting ready," Harry noted, getting up from the bed.

"Are any of you nervous?" asked Blaise, receiving four replies in the affirmative.

"Good, I thought it was just me."

"Are you nervous because you have to open the ball?" Vince asked Harry, who was kneeling by his trunk, taking out the towel and toiletries Dobby had left there earlier.

"No, I'm more focused on not screwing up Daph's evening than the ball itself," Harry replied, standing up. "I'd like to say it'll be perfect, but it's me, so something's bound to happen..." he mumbled. Theo laughed.

"You're whipped."

"Look who's talking," Harry's responded, gathering up everything he needed from the bed. "Let's face it, we all are, and we're not lesser men because of it. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to take a nice, long shower."

The boys shrugged, and one by one they all started preparing to do the same. By a quarter past six, they were all dressed and ready to go.

Harry's formal robes were black with silver trim, just like he'd agreed with Daphne, and he was wearing a silver shirt with a black bowtie. He combed his hair the best he could, but there wasn't much he could to with it. He wasn't too bothered, since his messy hair was part of his charm, or at least that's what Daphne had told him. He examined himself in the mirror one last time, and satisfied with what he saw, he turned around to check on his housemates.

Theo's robes were midnight blue, closed at the chest so the shirt underneath was mostly hidden. He'd opted for a white bowtie and had also attempted to comb his hair properly. Feeling pleased with himself, he nodded at his reflection and straightened his tie.

Blaise decided on black robes with purple trim, which were similar in style to Theo's. Vince and Greg had dressed similarly in moss green robes with matching bowties, except Vince's were open at the chest while Greg's were closed.

Now fully dressed, the five boys just stood around surveying each other for a moment, not sure what to do next.

"Don't we all look fancy?" Vince cracked, and they all laughed, which helped relax the atmosphere.

"Dobby!" called Harry, and the familiar house-elf appeared before them.

"Looking very sharp, Master. How can I be of service?"

"Thank you, Dobby", he grinned. "One bottle of liquid courage and five glasses, if you will."

Dobby snapped his fingers and a small table appeared, on top of which was one bottle of firewhisky and five crystal glasses.

"Thank you, Dobby. Enjoy your evening."

"Thank you, Master. May yours be even better," Dobby said, popping away.

"Liquid courage?" Theo asked curiously, as Harry busied himself filling the glasses and passing them out to his friends.

"Let's make a toast," Harry suggested, raising his glass. "To a perfect evening for us and our ladies."

"Cheers," they said, and all took a drink.

~BREAK~

The Slytherin common room was packed, mostly with boys waiting for their dates. The various colours and styles on display made for an unusual sight, compared the usual sea of black school robes. The fourth year boys came down from their dorm just in time to see Alistair leaving with Ursula on his arm, followed closely by Brian and Eliza.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long for their dates.

Millie and Pansy were the first to appear, coming down the stairs together. Pansy was wearing a sleeveless, long-skirted dress in the same shade of green as Greg's and Vince's robes. She had curled her hair for the occasion, a style none of them had seen on her before, but it suited her. She happily smiled at her two boys and took her place in between them.

Millie was obviously nervous, but she visibly relaxed and let out a small chuckle when she saw the look on Blaise's face.

"You look beautiful," he said, staring slack-jawed at his girlfriend, who was wearing a flowing purple dress that accentuated her best features. Her hair was long and wavy, falling down her back, and in Blaise's eyes she was practically glowing. It was a sight he would never want to forget.

"I think I'm in love," Blaise thought to himself, as he kissed Millie's hand in a gentlemanly way.

Tracey was next to arrive, wearing a long, dark blue dress that showed off her toned arms. She was beaming at Theo as she came down the stairs, the locks of her short hairstyle falling over the right side of her face.

"You look smart," she told Theo. "So, what do you think?"

"You look beautiful, just as I knew you would," Theo replied. Tracey beamed at him again and rewarded his compliment with a kiss.

Daphne took a step out of the dorm, and for Harry, time seemed to stop for a moment. She was wearing a black, form-fitting, sleeveless dress with delicate silver embellishments around the neckline. Her golden hair was long and curly, falling gracefully about her shoulders. She slowly walked down the stairs, and Harry's smile kept growing larger, the closer she got to him.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, and he took a step towards her and wrapped one arm around her waist.

"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he whispered, and kissed her softly on the lips.

"Flatterer," she replied, and smiled back at him softly.

"There's something missing, though," Harry said, which got her attention.

"Dobby!"

Dobby popped in next to Harry handing him a rectangular box, then popped away with a grin.

"This is for you, Daphne..." he said, presenting it to her.

Daphne took the box from him and slowly opened it, letting out an audible gasp when she saw what was inside. Nestled in the velvet lining was an enormous emerald pendant set in silver, the very same necklace Harry had secretly crafted in the Chamber. Daphne couldn't believe what she was seeing; not only was it unbelievably beautiful, but the gem appeared to be giving off a soft, green glow.

"What do you think?" he asked her. "Do you like it?"

"It's incredible," she whispered, gently removing the necklace from the box.

"May I?" Harry asked with a smile, taking it from Daphne and helping fasten the clasp behind her neck. "The pendant is imbued with some powerful enchantments, which may prove useful someday. I attuned it to your magic and your magic only, so it will only work for you."

"What do you mean?" she asked, only to be distracted by a squeal.

"Merlin, Daphne, what is that?" Pansy blurted out, and the others turned around curiously and looked at the couple.

"Whaaaa?" exclaimed Tracey, catching sight of the necklace.

Daphne smiled as Harry have her a one-armed hug around the waist.

"How do I look?" Daphne asked Harry, seeing their friends' awed expressions.

"Even more beautiful than before, if that's possible," replied Harry, drawing his wand from his sleeve and conjuring a mirror in front of them. "What do you think?"

Daphne didn't speak. She just gazed at her reflection, reaching up to touch the necklace with her hand.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "I love it. Thank you."

"Then you should wear it every day," Harry whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and kissing her on the cheek. They stayed that way for a while, ignoring everyone else and looking at their reflection in the conjured mirror. Standing together this way suddenly reminded Daphne of the memory of their wedding, the one memory that had changed her life.

"Harry?" Daphne whispered.

"Yes?"

"Could you...not wear your glasses today?" she asked softly. "I know that it's part of..."

"Sure," he replied, not giving her time to finish her sentence. "If you don't want me to, then I won't."

Harry removed his glasses and placed them in the pocket of his robe.

"Better?" he kidded, and she smiled back at him.

"Just a little bit," she teased back.

"Uh, hello?" called Blaise, reminding the couple they weren't the only people in the room. "Maybe we should get going?"

"Yes, we should," Harry agreed, releasing Daphne and offering her his arm.

"Would my lady indulge me by permitting me to escort her to the ballroom?" he said with a flourish.

"I believe I shall, my lord," she replied with a smile, taking Harry's arm.

"Won't you need your glasses?" asked Millie, slightly confused.

"Ah, Millie, because it's Christmas, I'll let you in on a secret," Harry said, whispering conspiratorially. "I haven't needed glasses for some time now."

Harry laughed as their eyes widened in surprise at the revelation, while Daphne just smiled and shook her head.

"But... how?" asked Pansy, and Harry shrugged.

"Magic," he replied. "I can tell you all about it later, if you want. Shall we?" Harry asked.

They all nodded, then Harry and Daphne took the lead and started walking, followed by Theo and Tracey, Blaise and Millie, and finally Pansy, on the arms of her two boys. Before long, they reached the entrance to the Great Hall, but Professor McGonagall approached them before they could go any further.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," the professor greeted them. She was showing her festive spirit by wearing somewhat conservative green dress robes with a red carnation on her chest.

"Mr. Potter, you and your date are to proceed to the room adjacent to the Great Hall, where the champions are gathering until it's time to make the grand entrance. The rest of you, please join your fellow students in the Great Hall."

After a few parting words, they all proceeded to follow McGonagall's instructions. Daphne and Harry entered the room to find that the other three champions were already there, along with Cedric's date, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw.

"Ah, 'Arry, Daphne," Fleur said with a smile, as she noticed them coming through the door.

"Good evening," Harry said, returning her smile.

"Velcome, Harry, Daphne," Viktor said pleasantly, and Harry acknowledged his greeting with a nod.

"We were vaiting you."

"Not for too long, I hope. What about your dates?" replied Harry, and Viktor chuckled.

"She's here," the Bulgarian replied, waving at a smiling Fleur.

"You look very 'andsome, 'Arry. Did you use a spell to drop ze glasses? Daphne, you look très belle," Fleur complimented, earning a smile from the two younger teens.

"Thank you, Fleur. You look quite beautiful yourself," Daphne replied with a smile.

"Not as much as you, though," Harry pretended to whisper, causing Daphne to elbow him lightly in the ribs, which in turn made Fleur and the others chuckle.

"Ah, 'e is a flirter. You are a very lucky girl, non?" she grinned, then caught sight of Daphne's pendant.

"Mon Dieu, Daphne, zat is a most beautiful necklace. Is it an 'eirloom?"

"Thank you," Daphne replied, smiling proudly. "I don't really know, actually. Harry gave it to me just this evening."

"A Christmas gift for my beautiful girlfriend," he added, choosing to ignore the wide-eyed looks that followed.

"Cedric, Cho, very nice to see you as well," saluted Harry, receiving a friendly nod in reply. Cedric was still a bit unsure about how to deal with the youngest champion.

"So, tell us, how did this happen?" Harry asked, gesturing at Viktor and Fleur.

"I vas in library, doing work and thinking who to ask, vhen Fleur showed up," the Bulgarian started.

"And I was trying to 'ave a moment of peace from ze many invitations to ze ball and ze many boys drooling," Fleur added with a sigh. "We spoke about our problems and asked each other zat day."

"I think you make a lovely couple," said Daphne, with a hint of teasing. Fleur actually started to blush, but she recovered quickly.

"Nuzzing like zat, Daphne," she replied, missing Viktor's nervous look. "We are just 'ere as friends."

"If you say so..." Daphne replied with a smirk, then noticed the looks Diggory and Chang were giving her.

"Something wrong?"

"It's just curious..." the girl replied. "We've all been used to the Ice Queen, and then suddenly, well, you show up."

"Today is a special occasion, Chang," Daphne responded. "I'm allowed to be happy, aren't I?"

"Of course, you are," Harry replied, wrapping his arms around her from behind, much like he had earlier in the common room. Daphne smiled contentedly and relaxed back into him, and Fleur actually giggled. Cedric and Cho just looked at each other in surprise, unused to seeing Slytherins displaying their softer side.

They were still in the same positions and making small talk when the judges came to retrieve them.

Cedric and Cho were to lead the procession into the Great Hall, followed by Fleur and Krum. As they waited their turn, Harry was focused on Daphne, hardly believing his luck that he was there with her. She noticed the way he was intently looking at her and almost blushed.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, and he just smiled back at her.

"No, for the first time in a long time, everything is perfect," he said quietly, giving her quick kiss before following the others into the Great Hall.

They entered the hall to see that it had been completely transformed for the ball. The walls had been covered in sparkling silver frost, and snow was gently falling from the ceiling, only to disappear before it reached anyone's head. Garlands of mistletoe and ivy crisscrossed the room, and the house tables had been replaced by smaller, circular tables with small lanterns set on top. The applauding students and other guests were gathered on opposite sides of the room, leaving a corridor for the champions to pass through as they made their way to head table.

There were several reporters in the room, the most noticeable being Rita Skeeter in her golden robes and insect-like glasses. She and her cameraman were lurking near the dais where the head table sat, no doubt searching for the next unfortunate victim of her poison quill.

Daphne smiled as she spotted her friends in the sea of people, smiling and clapping to show their support, along with the rest of their housemates. Harry, however, was unfortunate enough to spot Weasley in the crowd, who was scowling at them from his spot in between Granger and his own sister. Ginny was absolutely seething, standing red-faced with her arms crossed and casting hateful glares towards Daphne. Harry hoped those three would be smart enough to stay away, but he would keep a watchful eye, just in case.

Once the champions had reached the dais, they were directed to turn and face the crowd and pose for a few photographs before taking their seats. The table's other occupants were the heads of the three schools, Professor McGonagall, Ludo Bagman, and Percy Weasley – who was filling Crouch's spot for the evening. Harry escorted Daphne to her seat, then sat down next to her. Cedric and Cho were seated on Harry's left, while Fleur and Krum were on Daphne's right. When everyone was seated and the commotion had finally started to die down, Dumbledore rose and gathered everyone's attention.

"In the spirit of cooperation and friendship, we welcome our champions, our guests, and each and every one of you to our Yule celebration. May our evening be filled with merriment and joy on this special evening," the headmaster started.

"It is traditional for the headmaster of the hosting school to say a few words at the start of Yule Ball," he continued, pausing for a moment as everyone looked at him expectantly. "I certainly hope mine have been enough."

Amused laughter filled the Great Hall.

"Let the feast begin!" Dumbledore proclaimed cheerfully, and with a wave of his arms, the lights dimmed, and soft music started playing in the background, soon to be drowned out by the sound of many conversations taking place at the same time.

"Is 'e always like zis?" whispered Fleur, and Daphne actually giggled.

"Most of the time, yes. Sometimes it's hard to tell if he's a genius or completely mad," she replied, making the older girl chuckle.

The conversation was soon in full swing, with the champions and their dates laughing and sharing stories with one another. Dinner was soon served, using a most ingenious method of having each person speak their order aloud, their meal then magically appearing on the plate in front of them. The evening had been enjoyable, and so far, everyone had gotten on well together, so it seemed somewhat fitting that the first batch of unpleasantness would be initiated by yet another obnoxious redhead.

"You caused us quite a problem, Potter," Percy Weasley called, completely unprompted, from his spot down the table from the champions.

"Pardon?" asked Harry, and all activity at the table stopped.

"When you killed the dragon, the Ministry had to pay large fine to the Dragon Reserve. Yes, the Ministry suffered a huge expense, all because of your antics," Weasley said in his most pompous tone, looking accusingly at the younger wizard.

Harry casually set his cutlery down on the table and stared at the redhead.

"Is that so?"

"Oh, yes," he continued, oblivious to the taunt in Harry's voice. "Personally, I think you should have been penalised for killing the dragon. Better yet, you should have been disqualified for such a blatant display of dark magic. Using Parseltongue in public… The Aurors should have been called at once, and you should have been fined for endangering the audience."

"Well then, Mr. Weasley, with that kind of bias it's quite fortunate that you are not in any position of responsibility," Harry retorted, smirking at the look of indignation on the git's face. "In fact, this seems like a perfect opportunity for me to inform you exactly how much I care for the Ministry's plight."

Harry smiled contemptuously.

"Not one bit. I have absolutely no interest in any difficulties faced by the Ministry of Magic. You see, as I was able to prove several weeks ago, I was forcibly entered in the Triwizard Tournament by an unknown party. I had no desire to participate, and my only goal from the beginning has been to survive the tournament intact, by any means necessary," Harry explained, noticing that everyone at the table was listening in.

"Let's talk about the dragon, shall we? There I was, fourteen years old and forced by your Ministry to challenge an irate dragon, and not just any dragon, mind you, but a Hungarian Horntail, one of the deadliest breeds in existence. As I said, my only goal was to walk away unharmed, so I tried to avoid conflict and communicate with it by speaking Parseltongue. Dragons and snakes are both reptiles, so it seemed plausible, and anyone who was in school two years ago already knew I was a Parselmouth."

"Unfortunately, the dragon was already so angry that she wasn't interested in listening and immediately attacked me. I personally blame the tournament organisers and dragon handlers for that," Harry said. Percy scoffed, but otherwise had no response.

"Think about it. Put yourself in the dragon's place. You were taken from your home, subdued by being shackled and repeatedly cursed by wizards, and put on display in front of hundreds of noisy humans, while your eggs were being threatened. How would any of us react in a similar situation?"

"Quite badly, I'd wager," Daphne commented. She looked over at Weasley, who seemed like he was regretting opening his mouth in the first place.

"Quite so, my dear," Harry replied, placing his hand on top of hers.

"I've explained that the dragon's death was unintentional, though everyone seems to conveniently forget that part. It likely wouldn't have happened at all, if the dragon hadn't broken free. Anyhow, misguided as he was, I do believe that Mr. Weasley still made an excellent point earlier."

Harry's statement raised several eyebrows around the table, but Daphne had a feeling he was preparing to go in for the kill.

"Safety. I'm sure everyone here remembers how the dragon broke free from her chains and was able to fly after me?" he asked, and the others all nodded along.

"I think we all agree that I wasn't the only one in danger. As Mr. Weasley suggested, the entire audience was in mortal peril from the moment the dragon broke free, and those responsible should be held accountable. With that in mind, I believe I'll draft a communication to everyone who was present at the task and encourage them to seek compensation directly from the Ministry."

Weasley paled.

"After all, was it not the Ministry's responsibility to oversee the safety of the task? Yes, I think that's a splendid solution. And don't worry, Mr. Weasley, I will, of course, be giving you full credit for the idea."

Daphne couldn't stop herself from grinning at the judges' alarmed expressions, especially Weasley's, who had paled even further and was now white as a sheet. Bagman was spluttering some excuse or another, but no one else paid him any mind.

"Now, Harry, let's not be hasty," Dumbledore chimed in, trying to defuse the situation.

Harry ignored him, mainly because Daphne had pulled his attention back to her by squeezing his hand. They shared a smile with one another, her face beaming with pride.

"Well said," she told him.

"Oh, and Weasley?" said Harry, momentarily moving his eyes away from his girlfriend's to glare at the redhead. "There are no rules dictating what magic can and cannot be used in the tournament."

"~~So, keep your stupid opinions to yourself, you worthless excuse for a wizard~~," Harry hissed in Parseltongue, making everyone at the table shiver uncomfortably, except for Daphne, who by now was used to hearing the snake language and was no longer bothered by it.

"Behave, Harry," she playfully admonished.

"Of course, my dear," he said with a smile. "How are you enjoying your meal?"

"The food is good, and the entertainment is better," she replied, making Harry chuckle. "However, it did remind me that you've never revealed what you actually said to the dragon."

"Oh, the usual. I greeted her and told her I wasn't a threat, then attempted to explain what was happening. She didn't take it very well."

"Obviously. What did you say after she breathed fire at you? You seemed quite angry."

"Oh," Harry chuckled. "I said I really didn't like her interrupting me when I was talking."

Daphne laughed and shook her head.

"Try another stupid plan in the second task and I'll hurt you," she warned, but she was still smiling at him.

"I know," he replied softly, then sat up straighter to address the rest of the table.

"Speaking of the second task, let this be a warning to you, headmasters, Mr. Bagman," he started in a commanding voice. "Should any harm come to the one I would miss the most, heads will roll."

Both the organisers and the champions looked at Harry with wide eyes.

"Solved the clue, da?" Viktor asked and Harry nodded, returning to his meal.

"Is that a threat, Potter?" asked Weasley angrily.

"Yes, it is, Weasley, and it's Lord Potter to you," he replied coldly.

The table was completely silent for a few moments, until Cedric started laughing, followed by Cho, Viktor, and Fleur. Daphne just glared at Bagman, making sure she let him know exactly what she thought of the coming task.

"I hear you are both Seeker, da? Ve should play game," suggested Krum, changing the subject and looking at Cedric and Harry.

"I can't speak for Harry, but I think that sounds like a great idea," replied Cedric. "Cho's the Seeker for her team too."

Harry tapped his chin with his finger and said, "Well, technically I'm not a Seeker anymore, since my house team already has one..."

Daphne snorted.

"Although my friends have informed me that I'm expected to try out for the position next year."

Viktor nodded at Harry and turned to Fleur and Daphne.

"Vhat about you, ladies? Do you play?"

"Not really," replied Daphne. "I'm not much of a flyer."

"We'll have to fix that," Harry grinned, earning a playful glare from Daphne.

"I've played as a Chaser wiz my family a few times," Fleur replied amusedly. "But I would like to see a game 'appen, it would be a bonding experience for ze schools."

"Speaking of bonding experiences," said Dumbledore, regaining everyone's attention. "I was informed of a most amazing activity that occurred at the lake two days ago. I've been told that a large number of students from all three schools were using spells to freeze the water for ice skating?"

"Oui, zat is right," replied Fleur with a smile.

"I was also told that our Mr. Potter and the fourth year Slytherins were the main instigators?" the headmaster asked again.

"Honestly, Headmaster, when you say it like that, it sounds as if it were a bad thing," complained Harry, making the rest of the teens laugh, and even Dumbledore joined in.

"Not at all, Mr. Potter, quite the opposite, in fact," Dumbledore replied.

"Professor Flitwick informed me of his conclusions after analysing the ice. I was actually quite pleased to learn that it was Hogwarts students who started the interaction. I only wish that more students decided to join in the fun."

McGonagall was frowning at the headmaster's words, but she refrained from commenting.

"Speaking of fun, did I hear something about a snowball fight yesterday, on the way to Hogsmeade?" Dumbledore added, his eyes twinkling.

"Ah… People know about that?" asked Harry. Daphne's cheeks flushed for a moment, being that she was the one who started it.

"We all saw it from the carriages," Cho corrected.

"Well, it was fun," replied Harry, and the champions and Dumbledore all chuckled. The atmosphere had relaxed again, and everyone went back to their meals and engaged in polite conversation.

It was several minutes later, after everyone seemed to have finished their meals, when Dumbledore rose from his seat and clapped his hands twice, asking for everyone's attention.

"Once again, I would like to wish you all a pleasant evening," the old wizard greeted. "Would the champions and their partners please make their way to the dance floor to officially open the Yule Ball?"

The plates disappeared from the tables and the lights dimmed, and the students applauded as the champions and their dates moved towards the centre of the hall.

"Nervous?" asked Harry, and Daphne shook her head.

"Not really. You?"

"Not at all. The only thing that matters is that you're here with me."

Daphne smiled as the two settled into their positions. A slow waltz started playing, and they took the first of their well-rehearsed dance steps. Daphne could feel dozens of eyes on her as they moved around the floor, but she found that she really didn't care. She just gazed deeply into Harry's emerald eyes and shut out everything else.

Slowly, other couples joined the three in the middle of the hall, not that Harry noticed. He didn't take his eyes off her the entire time, completely oblivious to the fact that they'd already danced through several songs without taking a break.

"Really Harry, will you stop looking at me like that?" Daphne said as she twirled in Harry's arms.

"Why?" he asked with grin. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, but you have this stupid grin on your face and it's embarrassing," she teased, making Harry chuckle.

"I've hated Christmas for a long time, you know?" Harry whispered.

"It beats Halloween on my list of most hated days by a lot. For decades, I've spent this day brooding, either crying to the point of exhaustion or drinking myself into oblivion...with both my wand and the Resurrection Stone within reach," Harry admitted. Daphne was now looking up at him in concern.

"Every year, I told myself I had three options. I could summon the souls of those I loved the most, kill myself and end it all, or be a coward and do nothing."

His admission alarmed Daphne, but she tried her hardest to stay calm and let him keep talking.

"I was strong, I was ruthless, but my memories of Christmas were enough to make me almost give up. For sixty years, I've been a coward. I was afraid to summon you, because I was afraid you'd reject me after all I'd done, and everything I failed to do. I didn't have the courage to kill myself, because I was afraid of not seeing you in the afterlife."

Daphne saw tears forming in Harry's eyes. What could he have done that was bad enough to make him fear her rejection?

"Pathetic, aren't I?"

"No," she replied softly, caressing his cheek. "Don't say those things. You're a powerful wizard, and a good man. I'm glad you didn't do anything stupid, and I bet my other self would've been too."

Harry chuckled, and for a moment Daphne was concerned.

"No, Daph, I'm not a good man," he insisted, touching her hand. "I did things..."

"I don't care what you did," she replied firmly. "You had your reasons, that much I'm sure of. You already told me you killed people. You told me about the wars. You had to kill a lot of people, didn't you?"

Harry nodded.

"I trust you had a good reason for it?"

"Yes..." he whispered.

"Then why are you so concerned?" she asked. "If I don't mind, why do you think my older self would?"

Harry didn't reply, he just looked down, avoiding her eyes.

Daphne wasn't going to let him do this to himself, not today. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately on the lips, holding him tightly to her. He didn't put up much resistance. Feeling him relax into her, she gave herself fully to the kiss and reflected on how comfortable and safe she felt with him. So little time had passed since they had started dating, but she was completely smitten. Just thinking about it made her grin.

"Now, stop being an idiot," she ordered, pulling back so she could look him in the eyes. "You're here with me, and you better enjoy it, because I don't want to spend my evening with a brooder."

"I think I can give it a try," he replied, recovering his smile.

"Let's take a break," she said, taking Harry by the hand and pulling him in the direction of the table where they'd seen their friends sitting. They were all still there, in the middle of what appeared to be an amusing conversation.

"You two were enjoying yourselves out there, weren't you?" asked Pansy with a grin. "Dancing together, exploring each other's throats..."

"Ha-ha," Daphne said blithely, raising an eyebrow in Pansy's direction. "Yes, I was. Jealous?"

Pansy pretended to scoff and clutched her chest, grinning at her friend all the while.

"Shouldn't you be out there enjoying yourselves as well, instead of just sitting here?" asked Harry. He was confused when the others only laughed at him in response.

"Harry, mate, have you been so focused on your girlfriend that you missed the fact that you've danced through seven songs?" laughed Blaise. "You didn't notice we were out there dancing right next to you for a while?"

Harry looked to Daphne, who just shrugged at him and smiled.

"Am I really that distracting?" she smirked.

"Yes, you are..." he responded cheekily, but any further reply was drowned out by a loud voice.

"ALL RIGHT HOGWARTS, ARE YOU READY FOR SOME REAL MUSIC?"

Their eyes shot to the stage, where several wizards were picking up their instruments.

"YES!" shrieked both Pansy and Millie, dragging Vince, Greg, and Blaise with them into the crowd that was forming in front of the stage.

"Damn, I knew Pansy was a huge fan of the Weird Sisters, but Millie too?" remarked Tracey, laughing.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Do you want anything?"

"Punch will do, thank you," Daphne replied, and Harry left after dropping a soft kiss on her cheek.

"What?" asked Theo after a moment, noticing Tracey was looking at him expectantly.

"I'm thirsty," she replied, and he sighed in relief.

"Damn it, woman, I thought I had done something... or not, I never know," Theo complained.

"Oh, do you have a guilty conscience, Theo?" Tracey asked with a mock glare.

Theo looked as if he was going to try to say something witty, but then gave it up as a bad job.

"I'm going to get some punch," he said, rolling his eyes and leaving a giggling Tracey at the table.

"I can see you're having fun," Daphne joked, and Tracey grinned.

"So are you. Tell me everything," Tracey demanded.

Daphne chuckled, but unfortunately, their conversation was about to be rudely interrupted.

"Having fun?" asked a cold voice from beside them.

The two girls turned and saw both Granger and the Weaselette standing there, glaring at them. Granger was wearing a periwinkle blue dress, the Weaselette a pale green dress with a red waistband. They may have even looked nice, had it not been for their unpleasant expressions.

"What do you want?" asked Daphne, slipping back into her Ice Queen persona. Tracey remained silent and settled for returning their glare.

"Rude, aren't you?" replied Granger. "Ginny asked you a question."

"And I fail to understand how it is any of her business," Daphne retorted, making the younger girl fume even more.

"It's all your fault, you slimy snake!" Weaselette shouted, unknowingly attracting the attention of those nearby, which happened to include four older Slytherins.

"I was supposed to come with Neville! If you and the rest of the filthy snakes hadn't filled Harry's head with lies, Neville would be here, and I wouldn't have to come without a date. I could've even danced with Harry!"

Her rant was so absurd that all Daphne could do was wrinkle her nose in disgust. Could the bint be any more delusional? Would she ever grow up?

"I'm not even going to bother responding to that. Go away," replied Daphne, which only angered the girl further. Granger, who was trying and failing at looking superior, saw that her friend was getting close to losing her temper and decided to actually use her brain.

"Let's go, Ginny. They're not worthy of our time," she said haughtily. The two Slytherin girls just looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Weaselette shouted, her face getting redder.

"You!" replied Tracey, covering her mouth.

"You're both pathetic," Daphne said icily, rising from her seat. "You blame me, blame us for taking Harry from you? When are you going to grow up and admit that it was all your fault?"

"However, I do need to thank you," Daphne said, her expressionless mask replaced by a smug smile. The other girls were taken aback by the sudden shift, especially Tracey.

"Thanks to your betrayal, Harry became a part of our lives. My life. Thank you for being idiots and giving me such an amazing and supportive man. Just imagine, all that I have now - Harry's caring and support, his teachings, access to the Chamber of Secrets and incredibly old magic, and best of all, simply being a part of his life and having him in mine. All that might have been yours, so thank you."

Daphne sat back in her chair, satisfied that the other girls had gotten the message.

"Now go away, we were having a conversation and you are both unneeded and unwanted."

"Do you love him?" Tracey asked, grinning ear to ear.

"It's probably too early to answer that…" Daphne replied quietly, blushing, "…but I think so." Tracey squealed in happiness.

"YOU BITCH!" shouted Weaselette, irate that she was being ignored by the two Slytherins. The redhead drew her wand and cast a sickly yellow curse at Daphne, who despite the warning remained frozen in place, her eyes wide. Before she could even think about dodging, a green flash surrounded her, and a long black shadow appeared before her and swallowed the curse.

She was shaken from her daze by the terrified cries of both Granger and Weaselette. Granger was on the floor, attempting to crawl away from the massive snake, and Weaselette was screaming in pain and terror. The gigantic snake had clamped its jaws around her wand arm and was shaking its head, whipping the Weasley girl back and forth through the air.

The ball came to a screeching halt, terrified shouts filling the room as people caught sight of the massive snake and the violent display unfolding. The beast was nearly thirty feet long and almost a foot thick, its scales dark and sturdy looking. It continued slinging Weaselette around like a ragdoll, until with a sickening crack, she finally came loose and went flying across the floor.

The snake drew itself up to its full height and hissed threateningly, triggering another round of terrified screaming. More than one person's dinner made a reappearance when they saw the tattered remains of an arm drop out of its mouth, blood dripping from its massive jaws.

"Z-Zael?" Daphne said weakly, recognising the massive snake in front of her.

"Daphne!" cried Tracey, grabbing her friend by the arm. Ursula, Eliza, Alistair, and Brian surrounded the pair, having silently observed the entire confrontation.

"What the..." started Ursula, only to be interrupted by a furious voice.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" shouted the unmistakable voice of Harry Potter, who had just Faded in between Daphne and the snake. He turned to Daphne and quickly searched her for injuries, relaxing slightly once he confirmed she was fine, if a little shaken.

"Daph... I was afraid I lost you again," he whispered, and Daphne felt him trembling. She hugged him softly and tried to reassure him.

"Harry, I'm fine," she whispered in his ear, a little shakily. He looked at her with pleading eyes and kissed her.

"GINNY!" shouted Granger, running to the redhead's side. The girl was unconscious on the floor, a crimson puddle pooling underneath her.

"SHE'S BLEEDING! MADAM POMFREY!"

A few people tried to cast spells at the snake, only for Harry to deflect them all with a shield. He was holding Daphne with one arm around her waist, his magic flaring so violently that it made his hair and robes billow as if blown by a strong breeze.

"I ASKED WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!" he bellowed again, his expression feral.

By that time, Dumbledore and the rest of the staff had gathered around them, wands in hand.

"Mr. Potter, what is the meaning of this?" demanded the ancient wizard, receiving a hateful glare in return.

"KAEL, protect your mistress!" Harry ordered, letting go of his girlfriend and stepping forward. The snake turned and coiled itself in front of Daphne in a defensive posture. Tracey and Theo were huddled protectively around Daphne, with Eliza, Brian, Alistair, and Ursula right behind them.

"Mr. Potter! I demand you to lower your wand right now and stop with..." started an outraged McGonagall, only to be cut off by Harry.

"IT'S LORD POTTER TO YOU, DEPUTY!" Harry shouted back, his magic whirling around him like a raging storm, as his brain caught up to what had happened.

"It was the Weaselette, wasn't it? She attacked Daphne. She attacked my girlfriend, again! That's the only explanation for why Kael would come out to protect her."

No one said a word.

"Kael?" Daphne whispered questioningly.

"Lord Potter, please, let us all calm down and..."

"YOU SON OF A MUDBLOOD WHORE!" came a shout from Percy Weasley, of all people, who was drawing his wand, seemingly intent on taking revenge for his sister.

"REDUCTO! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS! STUPEFY!"

Harry glared at the redhead and quickly snapped his own wand to the right. Weasley's spells changed trajectory mid-air and collided with the opposite wall. Harry's rebuttal was so fast that he didn't even see it until it struck him in the chest, making him cry out in pain as he was thrown backwards.

"DAMN YOU, POTTER!" shouted the youngest Weasley male, casting his own Reducto at Harry, who lazily deflected it and sent his own silent spell back at him. Heavy chains appeared and wrapped themselves around Weasley, squeezing him until he cried out in pain. Those standing nearby thought they heard the sound of bones cracking.

The Weasley twins looked like they wanted to have a go, but they wisely chose to stay with Madam Pomfrey, who was working on the stump of their sister's arm.

"ENOUGH!" shouted Dumbledore, his magically enhanced voice achieving its purpose. "There will be no more fighting! Lord Potter, stand down!"

"NO!" Harry replied defiantly, glaring at Dumbledore. "I am sick and tired of having to deal with that shit and her family attacking me, my girlfriend, and my friends. They will NOT take everything from me again!"

Daphne's eyes widened at that, worried that in his rage, Harry would start accidentally spilling his secrets.

"What does he mean?" asked Tracey, still terrified, hugging Theo.

"Put down your wand, Harry. Please, calm down and let us discuss this rationally," Dumbledore pleaded. "We will have to call for the Aurors because of the dark spells, but I am sure..."

"Are you even listening to me, old man?" demanded Harry. "I am the Lord Potter, and I am within my rights to defend my family!"

"Ms. Greengrass is not your family, Harry," attempted Dumbledore.

"Daphne is my girlfriend, and she's formally under my house's protection. That alone means she's as good as family," Harry countered.

"You could have killed Ms. Weasley!" accused McGonagall, who was torn between being angry and terrified.

"I did nothing," Harry retorted. "Kael was a gift I gave my girlfriend to make sure she was protected from attacks. As you can see, Kael does its job very well," he added, glaring at the headmaster.

"That little blood traitor whore attacked my girlfriend, and it had to be a powerful spell for Kael to come out. How do you justify that?"

"I cannot justify what she did, Harry, however, your own actions were also dangerous..." started Dumbledore, only to be interrupted by Alistair Pince.

"Now just a damned moment, Headmaster," the boy said, prompting everyone turn towards him.

"We saw everything, and I can assure you that neither Lord Potter nor Ms. Greengrass are at fault for what happened. Granger and Weasley came over here uninvited, and it was Weasley that cursed Ms. Greengrass first. Judging by her shocked reaction, I have to conclude that Ms. Greengrass had no idea that was going to happen."

"And let's not forget that Ms. Greengrass did not draw her wand at all. She clearly wasn't expecting an attack, and likely would have been cursed if that...snake hadn't appeared to protect her," concluded Eliza, Brian and Ursula nodding in agreement.

"Still, the DMLE will be notified," replied Dumbledore.

"Yes, I am sure Ms. Greengrass will want to speak to the Aurors about this attack," replied Alistair, smirking. "Had it not been for Lord Potter's gift to Ms. Greengrass, she might have been critically injured."

"And don't even try to use that dark magic nonsense against me," Harry said. "Kael is part of my family magic, and I am well within my rights to use it to protect whomever I want. We were attacked by three different Weasleys tonight, and they must answer for it."

Daphne looked on as Harry was defending her while she stood by, doing and saying nothing. She was starting to feel weak and inadequate, and she definitely didn't like it. Angry with herself for relying on Harry to fight her battles, Daphne stepped forward.

"You can tell that bitch if she wants to curse me so badly, she can do it in a witch's duel," Daphne announced coldly, stunning even Harry. "No quarter given. I've had it with her, Granger, and the pig. It ends now."

Harry turned his head to look at Daphne, his expression a mix of respect and concern.

"I'll be Daphne's second, if she wants me," Harry stated without hesitation. Daphne gave him a subtle nod and squeezed his hand.

Dumbledore sighed, realising there was nothing he could do. He knew the law, and since Harry was a lord, he was indeed permitted to use family magic to protect his family and his vassals. He was concerned that this ongoing conflict between Harry and his former friends was getting out of hand, and Ms. Greengrass's declaration had done nothing to ease his worries.

He liked the Weasleys. They were good people, but they were definitely blinded by their disdain for all things dark, or at least what they perceived to be dark. He supposed he needed to have a long talk with Arthur Weasley, after attempting to salvage as much of the situation as he could.

"Minerva, call the DMLE, please," the older wizard asked, and the witch nodded curtly and left the room.

The ball was ruined. Hopefully, he could prevent the situation from deteriorating even further.