Chapter 39: Seeker MovesSummary:Hazel has a race, learns a few things, and gets a bad surprise.
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextDuring practice, Hazel remembered the Ball was a thing, and groaned. "Any luck finding partners, you guys?" she asked of the other Champions.
"Yeah, I asked Beatrice Haywood to go with me, she said yes," Cedric replied between spells. Haywood was this year's Head Girl, Hazel recalled vaguely.
"I'm going with Cho Chang, one of your Ravenclaw girls," Fleur said.
"I'd rather not say," Krum muttered, not pausing in his destruction of the dummies.
"I haven't found anyone yet," Hazel admitted, cringing on the inside.
Cedric was surprised at that. "Really? But you're-"
"-the Girl Who Lived? The big hero who saves Hogwarts every year, who brought back the Dueling Club and runs it single-handedly, who had to be forced to drop a few classes because of this damn Tournament?" she retorted, scoffing. "Sure, I'm all that, but I'm also a swotty little Dark Lady Junior who practices Unforgivable Curses on conjured animals every weekend, and I can tame basilisks, and talk to snakes and dragons and God knows what other foul things."
"And you dislike boys, yes?" Fleur asked wisely.
"Very. But they keep on asking me to the Ball! Do they think they can fix me or something?"
"That's stupid if they really think that," Cedric said reassuringly. "There's nothing to fix."
"At this rate I'm gonna wind up with Pansy Parkinson," she complained. "We don't really like each other, you know?"
"It is only one dance," Fleur replied. "I believe you are close with that little Lovegood girl, yes?" Hazel felt her expression devolve into a soppy grin, and the French girl laughed. "Ah yes, I can see it quite plainly. But she turned you down, no? Why ever would she do this?"
"She said she wanted to watch me dancing with other girls," Hazel mumbled, feeling her face going red.
Fleur laughed again. "La voyeuse~"
Hazel shook her head. "Come on, I think we've done enough practicing. Krum and I have a race to run!"
Fleur waved and walked off, apparently not interested in broom racing. Hazel and Krum grabbed their brooms and went back to the obstacle course, and Cedric explained the rules again while they got ready for the race. Then he raised his wand to create a sharp bang, and they were off!
All her worries fell away in the rush and euphoria of flight, and Hazel zipped ahead, darting through the first ring and executing a perfect aileron roll before the next ring. She didn't have time to look for Krum, she had a race to win!
The next maneuver she flipped around midair and flew backward, laughing at Krum who was barely on her tail; he laughed back before she switched around again and went on flying. She was smaller and slightly more aerodynamic, and she had a Firebolt and a preternatural connection to it. Krum was probably used to flying dirty, but if he couldn't reach her he couldn't cheat, right?
Somehow he pulled alongside her, and tried to bump her out of the way so he could flick through the ring rushing up on them. She let him do it twice; on the third bump she flicked up and over, and his own momentum carried him too far off course. The split second he needed to recover let her pull ahead again,and she zipped a tight circle around the final pole at the end!
Cedric gave a second blast of his wand to signify the end of the race, and Hazel darted straight up as high as she could get, and then did her swan dive trick off her broom, plummeting head-first toward the ground with her broom zooming alongside her; at the last second she grabbed it again and remounted, jerking herself to a sharp stop inches from the grass!
"Well played," Krum said, smiling for the first time Hazel could remember. Well, in person at least, she thought he might have smiled during the World Cup. "You're not a bad flier, Potter."
"Thank you," she replied, smiling back and offering her hand. "You think I could fly professionally one day?"
"Perhaps. I think I promised to teach you some moves, then?"
"Can I learn too?" Cedric asked as he approached them. Krum shrugged, and the three Seekers spent the afternoon going over maneuvers. They were pretty advanced, requiring a solid broom and extensive prior Quidditch training, and Hazel felt like she barely made the cut against the older and more experienced boys.
The important part was that she learned them anyway, she told herself later. One day it'd be her teaching others the tricks of flying, hopefully as soon as next year!
It was very late in the day when they decided to call a halt, and Hazel flew over to check on her team. They were still drilling, she noticed appreciatively. "Oi! Bring it in, you lot!" she yelled, flicking her wand to create a loud bang and summon the Bludgers and Snitch back down. "Draco, how'd it go?"
"Like clockwork," he replied confidently. "Harper caught the Snitch five times, everyone else flew as well as they ever have. If we keep this up we'll be ready for next year!"
"Good, good. Head on in for dinner, sounds like you earned it!" The team cheered and went for the changing room, Hazel and Draco trailing along behind.
"How'd your race go?" he asked after they were back into their regular things and heading back for the castle.
"Oh, we saw Cedric and Fleur practicing against the training dummies so we joined them for a while, then Cedric refereed the race for us afterward. I won, but I think Krum let me win; there's no way he was flying all out, not an international Quidditch star like him."
"Or maybe you're just that good," Draco countered, shrugging. "You are pretty good at flying, you know."
"Shut it, ass-kisser," she replied, knocking his shoulder and laughing. "Wipe the brown off your nose or people are gonna wonder where you've been all day!"
"It's not ass kissing if it's true, is it?" he retorted. They went on like that up to the castle, and sat down to have dinner.
She overheard Krum talking to his Durmstrang friends: "I had a race with Hazel Potter today, she can really fly." His tone of voice sounded like boasting to her, which seemed a little weird. Why would he brag about losing to a much younger player? "She won by a hair, even."
"She is much smaller than you, Viktor, and she has a Firebolt," one of them pointed out. "Anyone can win with a Firebolt!"
"Then I would have won, for we both have Firebolts," he retorted. "After the race, okay, she flew straight up into the air and then jumped off her broom! Went straight down for the ground like you and I would dive into the ocean back home, broom at her side. At the very last second she called it back and stopped herself!"
"Aw, Viktor, you're pulling our leg," another one said. "No one would have the stones to do a stunt like that, they would mess it up and die!"
"Pulling your leg, am I?" He stood up and yelled across the Hall. "Diggory! Tell them I am not lying about our race earlier."
"He's not lying, I saw the whole thing!" he called back. "Hazel won fair and square, then she did this crazy swan dive! It was insane, she's insane!" He saw her watching and winked. "But in a good way."
"You guys are the crazy ones," she replied, raising her voice. "Talking up some fourthie like me!"
"I've never heard Krum say two words to anyone outside his school," Millicent said wonderingly. "And now he's talking about you, Hazel."
"I guess he really likes flying?" she replied, shrugging. Glancing back over the other tables, she caught Hermione giving her a weird look; cocking an eyebrow in return elicited rolled eyes and a sigh. What was that all about? she wondered.
On the way down she thought about why Krum had suddenly opened up. Was it really as simple as he liked flying that much? Or that he only wanted to hang out with other good fliers? She'd have to ask him directly, when she had time.
The next day, a Sunday, Hazel was ready for a nice rough dueling club, but her plans were derailed at the receipt of a letter from a fierce-looking great horned owl. "It's from Gringotts," she said wonderingly, noticing the seal on the front.
Heir Potter,
Gringotts has completed its audit of Slytherin holdings on record, as well as a secondary audit of Potter accounts and properties. Representatives will be awaiting your presence at eleven-o'clock this morning at the Hog's Head Inn to discuss these matters in detail.
Shadescorn XI
Chief of Records
"Wonderful, the fucking Hog's Head again." She finished eating and went up to the High Table. "Professor Dumbledore?"
"Yes, Hazel?" the Headmaster replied.
"Er, it's not a Hogsmeade weekend, but I need to meet with a Gringotts representative this morning at the Hog's Head. Do you know if any of the prefects would have time?"
"Severus has accompanied you there before, I see no reason to prevent him from doing so again," he replied, eyes twinkling as he glanced at the Potions Master.
"It's at eleven, sir," Hazel explained, showing the letter to Snape.
"I must find a NEWT student to attend to some lower-year grading, then I will be at your disposal, Miss Potter." She bowed at that, and turned away, heading back down to clean up for her impromptu meeting. Why they couldn't schedule it further ahead was beyond her; possibly some difference in cultures? Whatever.
On a whim she dug up the betting slip from the World Cup and pocketed it. She could resolve that particular dilemma while she was down there.
"Draco, do goblins always schedule meetings when it's inconvenient for us?" she asked him when he came into the common room.
"They certainly do," he confirmed. "Don't be too put out though, we expect them to be available for us whenever we drop in at the bank, after all."
"Oh." When he put it like that it seemed more reasonable by far. She practiced carving by the fire until it was time to leave, then stood up. "Make my excuses to the club, would you? I don't know how long this meeting will last, so it'd be best not to plan on my being there at all."
"You got it," Draco replied, and she turned to head out and upstairs.
At the doors, she found Snape waiting for her, and they set off without further ado. "What is this meeting about, Miss Potter?" he asked at one point.
"You know as much as I do, sir," she replied, showing him the letter again. "They finished auditing the Potter and Slytherin accounts, and wished to discuss the details with me."
"If they felt the need to send one of their own all the way to Hogsmeade, then whatever they uncovered was most likely problematic to a degree."
"That's no good."
They crossed into Hogsmeade and went past the various shops, up the isolated lane that led to the dingy Inn she loathed. Nothing seemed to indicate anything had changed, the exterior was still just as rundown as before. Weirdly enough, the sign said it was closed. "Let's get this over with," she said in a resigned tone of voice, pulling the door open and walking in.
Notes:Happy Halloween, nerds~
Chapter 40: RevelationsSummary:Hazel learns more than she bargained for when she meets with the goblins. Snape is unnervingly forthcoming as well. What's a girl to do?
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextThe interior of the Hog's Head Inn was as awful as she remembered, and that put Hazel in a bad mood. It was completely empty save for Aberforth behind the bar and a pair of goblins at one of the tables; she recognized them as Griphook and Gnashfang. "Griphook, Gnashfang." She sat down across from them, but Snape kept to his feet, looming over her shoulder. She saw them hesitating at the presence of the Professor, and cleared her throat. "Severus Snape has my complete trust and confidence, whatever you have to say can be spoken to him as well. Now, what do you have for me?"
The goblins gazed at her, taking in her new scars, the remnants of her hair. Then Griphook cleared his throat. "As the letter explained, we have completed audits of the Potter and Slytherin accounts. Despite our initial impressions we were able to locate minor vaults in the Gaunt name, containing moderate amounts of wealth and a few small deeds, and as requested they were transferred to your possession."
Aberforth approached with a tray of drinks; a tea service and a few glasses of butterbeer. She reached for one of the glasses, and the goblins prepared tea for themselves. Once the barman was out of earshot she continued. "What sort of properties are tied to the deeds?"
Gnashfang spoke up. "Regretfully, most of the actual properties have long since been lost to redevelopment, however there still exists the hovel outside Little Hangleton, as well as a small cave system in the hills of Ireland. The ring of Selima Slytherin should allow you secure access to both properties, though considering the last Heir of Slytherin I would be prepared for extra security measures if you decide to visit."
She cocked an eyebrow at that. "And who was that, exactly?"
Snape shifted slightly as he spoke. "The Dark Lord, of course. Were you not aware of this already, Miss Potter?"
"Oh, right." There was something disconcerting about the idea. "Does that mean Riddle and I are related?"
"Without a doubt, Heir Potter. Would you like Gringotts to investigate?" Griphook asked.
"Yes, but do so discreetly, of course. What else did you uncover?"
"You may be disappointed to learn the Potter line had no titles or lordships associated with them. They were relatively new in the greater scheme of things, and made a habit of snubbing the older gentry instead of seeking their favor."
"I do not understand, are the Potters not descendants of the Peverell line?" Snape asked.
Griphook frowned. "Wizard's politics are not within our purview, but our records indicate that your ancestors made a habit of marrying Squibs and Muggleborns, which was enough to be denied inclusion in the Sacred Twenty-Eight. You do, however, control a large amount of physical wealth, as well as considerable interest in many businesses and working properties. Based off of certain papers Lord Black has filed, it is assumed he will eventually abdicate all lordships and titles, and at that point you could easily assert yourself as Lady Black and absorb them into a renewed Potter lineage."
That was her future more or less assured, she realized. No time to think about it now. "What sort of businesses do I partly own?"
"See for yourself." Gnashfang pulled a sheet of parchment out and offered it to her. It was a long list indeed, she realized, and noted many apothecaries and breweries, as well as broomstick manufacturers and tree farms. Sleekeazy's was among them, along with Ellerby & Spudmore, the company behind the Firebolt.
"That's a lot," she murmured, blinking at the list. She pulled out one of her self-inking quills and circled a number of the names before handing it to Griphook. "Look into acquiring a controlling interest in the companies I highlighted, would you? I think it's time the world remembered who I really am."
Griphook studied the list briefly, then grinned toothily. "We can easily do this, Heir Potter. However, if I might make a suggestion?" She nodded, and he snapped his fingers, highlighting a few more names. "These other companies are rather weak at the moment, and open to a quick and complete takeover. And we could use that as leverage against the larger and more secure companies on your list."
"Nice, do it then." She thought for a second. "So, that name, Riddle. It isn't a wizarding family, is it?"
"Indeed not, the Riddle family used to be the primary landowners around Little Hangleton, until they were all murdered by Morfin Gaunt for reasons unknown. Their manor house still stands on the outskirts of the village, though by all accounts it has fallen into disrepair since the family was wiped out."
Gaunt, Riddle… "Somehow the Gaunts and the Riddles got involved with each other, and the Dark Lord was the result. Can you look into this as well, while researching my connection to him?"
"It will be done." Both goblins nodded. "Are there any more questions?"
"Yes, actually, though it isn't related to anything we discussed." She brought out the betting slip, detailing her ridiculous bet and the astronomical odds against it. "I had a bet with Mr Ludovic Bagman on the Quidditch World Cup, and he has yet to pay up on it. Is this something you can sort out?"
Griphook eyed the slip wearily, sighing. "Not at the moment, no. Mr Bagman's winnings from the Cup had to go toward other debts that night, and he has yet to fully satisfy those."
Debts to the goblins, she reckoned. Those were the only debts they would place above wizards' debts. Or so she assumed. "Would I be correct in assuming these 'other debts' of his were to the goblins? I can't imagine any other circumstance where you would not allow someone to pay what they owe."
That question sparked a muttered argument between the two goblins, which lasted for nearly a minute. Finally, Griphook looked up. "It is not our policy to discuss the debts of customers with others. However, considering you are affected by his delinquency and have already guessed the truth, we will confirm, this once, that his debts are indeed to the bank itself."
She nodded in understanding. "The debt he owes me is useful leverage I am unwilling to surrender just yet. However, could you perhaps set up additional debits against his account so that others can be paid off? My close friends, Fred and George Weasley, are especially eager to have this affair discreetly resolved."
"Yes, they have written to us on your urging already," Gnashfang agreed. "Your suggestion is elegant indeed, we will endeavor to prosecute its implementation. Now, if there was nothing else?"
She looked to Snape, who shrugged. "I don't think so. Many thanks to you both."
"Of course." Griphook pulled several sheets of parchment and handed them over. "An in-depth accounting of all your wealth, Heir Potter, which you may peruse at your leisure. Any later questions may be forwarded by owl, as usual."
"Indeed." They all stood and nodded, and the goblins bustled out the door. Hazel glanced at the barman. "How much did you overhear, Mr Aberforth?"
The old man snorted. "Piss off, Potter, I ain't no snitch. 'Sides, I was downstairs."
She shrugged and went for the door, stepping outside and waiting for Snape. He joined her a moment later, and they set off. "Would you care for lunch at the Three Broomsticks, Miss Potter?"
"Yes please, sir." They went on down to the other Inn, which was loud and crowded, but smelled infinitely better, and Hazel was more at ease. They took seats at the back of the main room, and she got fish and chips, while Snape settled for a bowl of soup.
"How do you think that meeting went, sir?" she asked after their food arrived.
He shrugged. "Well enough. You seem to have an adequate grasp of wizarding etiquette, at least."
"How do you think I could be related to the Dark Lord?"
He considered his reply for a moment. "It would be unwise to speculate. That you are, is a fact beyond dispute. You both speak Parseltongue, you both are Heirs of Slytherin and could tame his basilisk. You should direct these questions to the Headmaster; he knew the Dark Lord when he was merely Tom Riddle, and has made it his business to know as much as he could since then."
She ate in silence for a few moments, trying not to be sullen. "Have you made any progress finding him? Or figuring out how they managed to spike the Tournament?"
"Upon the discovery of Jorkins' dead body at Malfoy Manor, the entire building was ransacked from top to bottom, and evidence suggested the Dark Lord and his minions had been rooming there. However, it has proven difficult to get official attention to this evidence, as there is resistance from the highest levels of the Ministry concerning any hint of the Dark Lord's return."
"You mean Fudge."
He nodded briefly. "The Minister has known peace during his reign, and relies heavily on Dumbledore's advice and influence. In the beginning of his administration he sent owls twice a day begging for aid on this or that affair; since then he had grown comfortable in his power, and does not look kindly on anything that could disrupt his regime, or the peace he imagines he has fought for."
"He sounds like an idiot."
"But a useful idiot." He sipped his butterbeer. "We do have allies in the Ministry, of course. Madam Bones is on our side, and many of the Aurors, and Arthur Weasley has a surprising amount of influence; even Narcissa, though she is preoccupied with opposing her husband and prosecuting the divorce."
"What about Crouch, or Bagman? They're up here often enough."
That brought a scowl to his face. "Bagman is useless for anything serious, and drowning in debt besides. And Barty's health is failing him of late; he has stopped going into the Ministry altogether and is relying on his assistant to attend to matters regarding the Tournament and his Department."
"I bet Percy's over the moon about that. Though, wouldn't he be on our side as well?"
"Perhaps, but Dumbledore believed it was not a good time to approach him; regardless of his performance in school, Mr Weasley is still very new to his job."
Hazel ate in silence for another few moments. "Why are you so open with me, sir? As long as I've known you, you've hardly ever refused to answer whatever I ask."
This time his reply was swift. "I would rather you know things up front, Miss Potter, and from a reliable source. The alternative is allowing resentment and curiosity to overcome you, which is something I wish to avoid. Not to mention the risk of learning things in an incomplete or biased fashion."
He leaned forward, dark eyes intense. "I hope you realize, by now, that if I do refuse to answer a question of yours, that I do so for a reason, and that I have every intention of answering later, when the reason for my refusal is no longer relevant. Your trust is paramount to me, Miss Potter, and I will not willingly endanger that."
She was touched by his honesty, and could only nod. "I understand, Professor, thank you."
"Of course." He looked down, and shortly finished his soup. "I will not lie, your cooperation with Rita Skeeter has been effective in eliciting these outcomes. There is nothing the Ministry dislikes so much as being publicly shamed, and Skeeter is quite proficient at that."
"Good! Better she focus on them instead of me, right?"
"Quite." He nodded in agreement. "I had my misgivings when Narcissa communicated the plan you had concocted with her, but the results are undeniable."
"What about the other investigation? The one around the school?"
He shook his head. "That one isn't going so well, unfortunately. Dumbledore has relied on Mad-Eye, who's been poking about in his own way, but his reports have not been encouraging."
She sighed glumly. "We need a full-time investigator. Moody has his teaching responsibilities taking most of his time, after all."
"As do we all."
She finished eating, wiped her mouth and stood up. "Thanks for lunch, sir, and for escorting me down here. It's probably time to head back, no?"
"Probably." He settled the bill, then they proceeded out the door. "Is there any shopping you wish to accomplish before we leave? The next official visit is not for some time."
"I suppose we could browse, if you don't mind."
She bought a few things she needed, and they returned to the castle, where she decided she was tired and returned to the common room instead of attending the dueling club. She did the rest of her homework, and wrote a letter to Sirius about her meeting with the goblins; it was likely he was already aware, since he was her guardian, but she still figured he would appreciate being kept in the loop.
On the way up to the Owlery she ran into Professor Moody again. "I'm just heading to see my owl, sir," she said grudgingly.
"Is that so?" He fell into step behind her, and she could feel his eyes on her back. "Figured out your egg yet?"
"I have, actually, though it's no business of yours." She glared back at him. "What's your problem anyway? You're shitty to my friends but you suck up to me in private."
He cackled slightly at that. "Dumbledore didn't just bring me here to teach, you know." He paused to gulp from his smelly flask. "He's too busy to look into these Dark Lord rumors, so I'm doing it for him. All on your say-so, if you've forgotten."
"Whatever you say, sir." She faced ahead and kept walking. "So have you found anything?"
"A few leads here and there. No suspects yet though. And the hunt for the Dark Lord isn't going so well either, we think he's got a mole in the ranks."
"Ranks?"
"The Order of the Phoenix." He had another gulp and put the flask away. "Resistance group Dumbledore started during the Dark Lord's first rise to power; now he's restarted it. Ministry was mostly useless back then too."
It was weirdly reassuring to know people took her seriously, if only behind the scenes. "Well, I have figured out the egg. And I've got a few plans to deal with the Lake, too."
Moody nodded thoughtfully. "Always nice to have backup plans."
"Yeah, I've learned the Bubble-Head Charm and a spell to turn socks into flippers, and I've been practicing underwater casting. Whatever they'll take from me, I'll get it back."
"The word you want is who ever, Potter." He rolled his eyes for effect. "Oops, forget I said that."
Whoever? Great, they were gonna be kidnappers now too. "Dumbledore won't let them come to real harm, I hope." They reached the Owlery and she called Hedwig down, slipping her a few treats and tying the letter to her feet before bringing her to the window. "I still don't trust you, Professor Moody, no matter what you inadvertently let slip around me."
"Good. It's a foolish wizard who trusts easily, after all. Now head back down, it's nearly time for dinner."
"Yes sir." She left him behind and went for the Great Hall, where dinner and her friends would shortly be ready.
Notes:I'm experimenting with a slightly different writing style for this chapter, trying to cut back on said-isms. Let me know what you think, if this works or if I should stay with how I've always written.
Chapter 41: UltimatumsSummary:How much bullshit can one ball bring with it? Kind of a lot, as our heroine finds out.
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextThe Yule Ball drew ever closer, and Hazel kept herself occupied with homework and Task preparations, privately resigned to opening the Ball with Pansy at her side. It wouldn't be so bad, she reckoned, since Pansy would only be there for the opening dance before scuttling off to dance with boys.
Pansy herself had yet to come to this realization, if her growing panic every night was any indication. "No one's asked me yet! At this rate I'll be stuck going alone!"
"Relax, Parkinson, you won't dance alone," Hazel called out as she finished her routine.
"What, you think I'll dance with you, Potter?"
"Sure, why not?" She cleared her throat exaggeratedly. "WIll you come to the Yule Ball with me, Miss Parkinson?"
Daphne laughed. "See, Pansy? I told you someone would ask you out eventually."
"Potter doesn't ask people, she hands down ultimatums and just gets her way by default. Ugh, I can't believe this…"
"It'll be easier if you accept it gracefully." Hazel went and sat next to her. "Come on, let's get used to it now, alright?"
"Ugh." Pansy glowered but didn't stop her from touching her knee or kissing the side of her neck. "I'm not too scrawny for you, am I, Potter?"
"Not anymore. And call me Hazel. Pansy."
Pansy's face went red at that, and she pushed her away before hiding behind the curtains of her bed. "Go be perverted on your side of the dorm!"
Hazel and the others laughed, and she went back to her own bed.
The holidays arrived, and she couldn't recall a time when so many students had decided to stay at the castle. It felt even more crowded with the foreign students, too. She kept herself busy with holiday assignments, snowball fights, flying and hanging out with Luna. Not to mention teasing Pansy.
Like right then, in one of the main hallways. "Let go of me," Pansy muttered, ineffectually pushing Hazel's arm off. "People are watching!"
"I know, isn't it exciting?" Hazel glanced around the hallway. People were watching alright, but they weren't staring. "This is the perfect time to come out of the closet, Parkinson, unless you wanna surprise everyone at the Ball?"
Pansy was red in the face, and she could feel the girl trembling. "Can't we do this in private?"
"In private, huh?"
She crossed her arms and looked away, sulking cutely. "I obviously can't stop you entirely. Fat cow pervert…"
Hazel tried not to laugh. "If that's the excuse you need to make it through."
"It's not fair, girls are supposed to be small and soft, you're… neither of those things."
"All the better to manhandle you, my dear~" This time she really did laugh, and Pansy pouted even harder. "Oh Parkinson, you're too much."
"...I thought you were calling me by my name now?"
"Only during special moments."
Pansy stopped walking, trembling and even more red in the face. "Well? What are you waiting for, H-Hazel?"
"Hm? Out here, with everyone watching~?"
"Y-You're going to do something weird anyway, you might as w- mmf!"
A few minutes later Hazel stepped back and let Pansy down from the wall where she'd pinned her and snogged her. "Weird enough for you~?" She could only whimper for a moment, and dash away, leaving Hazel laughing in her wake. Some of their audience laughed too, and after a moment she kept going.
Later that evening, in the common room, Hazel rolled her eyes. "The Ball's in a few days, is everyone ready?"
"I know we are," Blaise replied, giving Millicent a shrewd look.
Daphne was eager to gossip, as always. "Yeah, I'd say everyone's ready, except a few Gryffindor prats. I heard your mate Weasley got stuck with some second-year girl, can you believe that?"
"I actually can, yeah." They had made up after the first Task, but there had still been some distance between the two of them since then. And honestly, Hazel was relieved; Ron could be a little overbearing sometimes, though she didn't doubt his loyalty. "Are you ready, Parkinson?"
Pansy huffed and hid her face behind a book. "Don't worry about me, Potter, I'll be ready. Worry about yourself, you disgraceful cow!"
"I'll worry about whoever I want, you scrawny little stick!" Hazel shot back, laughing. "Now gimme my book back, you don't even take that class."
Pansy rolled her eyes and dropped the Runes book, and Hazel put it back in her bag. "Does Lovegood always feel so helpless around you, Potter?"
"Well, no, usually I'm the helpless one with her. It's different with you because you like being bullied and pushed around. I can tell."
Pansy went red in the face at the accusation. "W-What gives you that idea? Who would get off on being bullied? That's silly!"
"Not as silly as you~" Hazel pulled her close and kissed her firmly, and she huffed but kissed back shyly. "Not so bad, is it?"
"I guess not." She was red faced and breathless, as if she'd never get used to kissing. "Damn you, Potter…"
"Get a room, you two," Draco drawled, even though he was busy with Daphne.
" You get a room, Draco, you're just as bad as we are," Hazel shot back. She thought she knew what was bothering him though; she had basically been courting his mother before, and maybe the remnants of his traditional upbringing didn't like the sight of her acting all lovey with his friend.
Although, maybe getting a room wasn't such a bad idea? Or a Room, as it were… Oh yes, her and Pansy in the Room of Requirement sounded just fine. Maybe Luna too!
No, dammit, she'd have to make sure Moody wasn't prowling around. So that meant the Map and the Cloak, as well. Stupid teachers and their stupid all-seeing relics…
Eventually she noticed Pansy had gone silent, and turned to check on her. "Parkinson?"
"Hold still," she growled, forcing her to look ahead again. "These scars on your head, I still can't believe how stupid you were."
"I told you before, that was the-"
"-the only way you could get the egg? Like hell, the others did just fine without getting burnt so badly! You're such an idiot!"
"Maybe, but for now I'm your idiot~"
That shut her up, and she looked away again. "Idiot…"
The Yule Ball drew closer every day, and Hazel kept herself preoccupied as best she could. Luna approved wholeheartedly when she learned who Hazel was taking to the dance; she approved so hard that Hazel was left a little breathless and weak in the knees afterward, in fact.
Pansy herself, though, didn't seem so keen on the new twist to their relationship. She couldn't take her eyes off Hazel, of course, but she seemed withdrawn, only weakly responding to Hazel's teasing. Hazel was afraid to know why, and suspected it had to do with Pansy's father.
A few nights before the Ball, she decided to confront Pansy directly. "Parkinson, what's going on? You aren't yourself anymore these days."
Pansy sighed and toyed with a long piece of parchment in her hands. "M-My father found out about my choice of dance partner," she said in a subdued voice, handing the parchment to Hazel. She took it with a frown and skimmed the elaborate, flowery prose: …made a choice that has left me and many others…attend the Yule Ball with none other than Hazel Potter…indiscretion could be overlooked if you were not our only child…duty to our traditions, my dear, and I am ashamed…may think that this is only a single event…
Hazel tilted her head to one side to make sense of the words. "Did he dictate to someone else? I can't put my finger on it, but this doesn't quite feel like it was written, and the handwriting is feminine."
"He's more comfortable speaking, so probably. Seriously, it's just one dance. It's not like we'll be dancing together all night long anyway."
"Would that be so bad?" she asked, smirking. Pansy flushed and hid her face, and she giggled. "Well, I'm sure you'll find a nice boy who'd be willing to sweep you away in his strong arms, but for now you're stuck with me. So deal with it!"
And she pounced on her for another snogging session.
The next day she went up to the library to look something up, and while heading through the stacks she heard giggling and whispers. The voices seemed familiar, so she slipped around to peek. To her surprise she saw Krum and Hermione, acting like old flames!
She ducked back out of sight before they saw her, and waited for them to move on. When they did she slipped back out and looked at the section they were standing by. It was the section on alchemy, strangely enough, or at least a few sanitized books on the theory; the real stuff was in the Restricted Section, she figured.
She assumed Krum had asked Hermione to the Ball, which made sense. Neither of them had wanted to discuss their partners, after all. And Hermione had given her a strange look the night Krum was bragging about their race! "Not so strange anymore," she murmured with a giggle, going back to her own business. In spite of herself, she was excited for the Yule Ball!
Notes:Kudos to those of you who guessed Pansy would be her partner! Though it probably wasn't hard to guess, lol
Chapter 42: No More CowsSummary:Hazel and Pansy compare their dress robes. It goes about as one might expect.
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextTwo days before the Ball, Pansy intercepted her after lunch. "Come with me, Potter," she said imperiously, dragging her to the common room. "We need to make sure our outfits match."
"Huh? Why is that so important?" She was confused, but allowed herself to be dragged along anyway. "I'm not gonna change my outfit now, the Ball is in two days!"
"You don't have to! But if I need to tweak my dress, I'd rather know now instead of five minutes before the dancing starts!" Pansy insisted, still dragging Hazel. "Ugh, why are you so heavy! Stupid fat cow…"
Hazel sighed, dug in her heels and brought Pansy up short, snatching her by the wrist and forcing her to turn around. "Listen, Parkinson, I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop poking at my weight and figure, got it? Of course I'm gonna be bigger than other girls, but I'm certainly not fat, and it hurts that you seem to want to make me think I am."
"Then why are you always going on about how skinny I am?"
"A, you being underweight and underfed is an actualproblem that could have actual consequences, and B, lately I only do it when you start calling me a cow. So, no more cows or sticks, got it?"
"F-Fine, now will you move already?" She went back to pulling at her arm, and she rolled her eyes again and went back to following.
They wound up in the dorm, and Pansy turned to her with a glower. "Well? Show me your robes for the Ball!"
"What, here? Now? If you wanted to see me naked you just had to ask~" Pansy turned red and ran into the bathroom, and Hazel laughed out loud. Fortunately the kilt and shirt were easy to put on, and she couldn't help a shiver as the tight jacket hugged her figure. "Okay, I'm ready."
Pansy came back in and gawked. "Ugh, you never said you were wearing a kilt. It's fine, we can coordinate."
"Well, I hated the girls' robes, and when I saw this in the boys' section I fell in love right there. I really like the way it fits and the way it swirls around, don't you?"
She shrugged and looked away. "It's not awful. I'll get McGonagall to help me fix the colors on mine, we'll make this work."
"Are you gonna try yours on too?. Since you saw mine, after all."
"Alright, but go to the-"
"No, I'll wait right here," and she sat down on the bed. Pansy glared and crossed her arms, and Hazel gazed coolly back, gradually raising an eyebrow the longer the staredown went.
"Ugh!" Pansy gave up and flounced to her wardrobe. "You're such a fucking pervert!"
Hazel just smirked and watched Pansy change, not bothering to hide it. She had definitely improved since the beginning of the year, had put on weight and gained her health back. It just made her worry more about how to protect her over the summer.
The dress robes were pale pink and extremely frilly, and Hazel could tell she was having trouble getting into them. "Don't they fit anymore?"
"No. I was fitted for these at the end of the summer, before… well, before." Before she came back to Hogwarts and got away from her father, she meant.
Hazel growled in the back of her throat at the reminder, and a funny expression crossed Pansy's face. "Well, put your normal clothes back on, we've got to go see McGonagall." She changed back into her own robes, grabbed Pansy's dress and the kilt outfit, and her hand and dragged her from the room.
Fortunately she was in her office, and she looked up at the disheveled teens barging in. "Miss Potter, Miss Parkinson." She put her paperwork to one side. "What seems to be the hurry?"
"It's my robes, ma'am. They don't match Potter's kilt, and they don't fit either." Pansy put her frilly pink dress on the desk and cringed back.
McGonagall examined the girly robes. "Hardly surprising. Though the circumstances of the robes no longer fitting are hardly cause for long faces, hm?"
Hazel blinked in surprise. "How do you-?"
"How ill informed do you assume we are, Potter? Now then, I can adjust the coloring easily enough, but one of our house-elves can adjust the size and fit much better than I can."
"Why is that, Professor?"
"House-elf magic has more resilience when it comes to clothes and the wishes of their masters. Miss Parkinson, what color do you wish your dress robes to take on?"
"I'd like them to match Potter's outfit," Pansy said in a small voice. Hazel placed her own dress clothes on the desk too, and McGonagall made no comment on the unusual choice of robes for a girl apart from a raised eyebrow.
"Miss Parkinson, it would be simple for me to adjust the coloration, but even with matching hues, the style of your robes and Miss Potter's outfit would hardly be a pleasing combination. I happen to have a few dresses and sashes that could be easily modified to fit and compliment, if you would agree."
"Not too outdated, are they?"
"Certainly not." The professor snapped her fingers, and Moxy appeared with a small pop. "Moxy, attend to us please. Miss Parkinson needs a new set of robes."
"Moxy is happy to help!" she squeaked, beaming at Hazel and Pansy.
McGonagall flicked her wand and a wardrobe banged open, releasing a long, colorful sash and a sleek black set of dress robes. Moxy eyed Pansy critically for a moment, then snapped her fingers, causing the robes to flutter as they adjusted to fit properly; meanwhile the professor flicked her wand and the colors of the sash changed to fit Hazel's kilt.
"Try these on, Miss Parkinson. Moxy will help if necessary." She conjured a privacy screen with a wave of her wand, and Pansy stepped behind it, Moxy following behind.
While waiting, McGonagall gave Hazel a look. "What do you intend to do about your hair, Miss Potter?"
"Huh?" Caught off guard by the question, she struggled for an answer. "Er. I figured I'd use a little Sleekeazy's to make it behave, maybe do a braid or something. Nothing too fancy." She reached up and grazed a finger along the burned side of her head. "I'm gonna let this stand by itself, of course. I won't hide my scars, any of them."
"No one would dare ask you to, I'm sure."
Hazel was saved from further comment when Pansy appeared from behind the screen. The new robes were a vast improvement. "You look amazing, Parkinson."
"Um, thanks."
"You may go, Miss Potter. Miss Parkinson, stay behind so I can speak to you in private." Hazel shrugged, gathered her dress robes and left the room, though she waited outside for Pansy to appear again.
She appeared ten minutes later, looking shaken. "What did she want?"
"Nothing," Pansy replied at first, looking mulish. Then she sighed and her shoulder slumped. "Ugh, she wants me to start taking nutrient potions so I can fill out faster. Says she's going to talk to Snape about it so I can't get out of it."
"That's a good idea, and I'll have Milicent keep an eye on you too so you drink every drop." Hazel wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself.
"Just what I need, more people hovering over my shoulder at meals."
"Hey, come on." Hazel slipped an arm around her shoulders. "We do it because we care, alright? We care about you, Pansy Parkinson, the real you."
"The… the real me?"
"Yeah, the real you who just need to get away from your family's ideology, and especially away from your father's fucked up plans for your future. That's not the real you." She leaned down and kissed her forehead. "This is."
Pansy sighed, then shifted slightly beneath Hazel's arm, turned her head up. "Do that again. Kiss me again, Hazel."
"Gladly," she replied, holding her close and leaning down.
A few minutes later she leaned away again, quite smug and pleased with herself. "Not fair," Pansy moaned, quivering slightly. "How are you so good at everything…"
"I've had a lot of practice, as you very well know. Now come on, we should take our things back to the dorm."
Pansy followed her down, looking slightly reassured. "I'm still worried about my dad, but… but when I'm with you and the others, it's hard to stay worried. I won't have to deal with him until summer, unless he sends another letter."
"I'll think of something, don't worry." It was more urgent than ever that she talk to Snape. "I'll worry about it after the Ball, though."
Back in their dorm, they found the other girls comparing dresses and techniques. Tracey looked up. "Where've you two been? Pansy, where's your dress?"
"It, um, it didn't fit anymore, so I had to get it adjusted, and McGonagall decided I'd be better off with a new one. It matches Hazel's kilt, at least."
"What? Kilt?"
Hazel rolled her eyes and changed into the outfit, right there in front of everyone. "See? Kilt!"
"Any particular reason the top is a little too small?" Daphne teased.
"Two reasons actually!" They all giggled, even Pansy. Hazel changed back into her regular school robes, again without any shame. "So I'm guessing we're ready?"
"Seems like it. The Ball's gonna be a blast. Do you guys think you'll get lucky?"
"I dunno, will I?" Hazel gave Pansy a significant look. Apparently Pansy didn't trust her voice right then, because she flushed red and looked away.
Eventually it was time for dinner, and they went upstairs in good spirits. The Great Hall was in fine form, with frost-covered walls and garlands of mistletoe and ivy criss-crossing the ceiling. Hazel sat next to Pansy and ate with one hand; the other hand was preoccupied teasing Pansy beneath the table.
Light steps came up behind her and someone covered her eyes. "Guess who~" came the sing-song voice of her dear Luna. "I'm so glad to see you making friends, Hazel. Especially with Pansy!"
"Thanks Luna. Are you going with anyone?"
"No, I'll be by myself. But that's fine, I'm sure Pansy will let us dance a few times~"
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Absolutely."
Luna drifted off, and Hazel did something with her hand to make Pansy stiffen and go red. "Don't tease my real girlfriend, Pansy. And don't think about running away either. Just sit there and finish eating."
"Don't forget your potion either," Millicent added, hiding a smirk at the sight of Pansy being taken apart so casually.
"I'm surrounded by demons in human guise." She pulled a vial from her pocket and downed the contents. "Ugh, nasty stuff…"
Notes:I've gotten a lot of comments lately, and some of them focus on the unpleasant things Hazel has done. In light of that I'd like to remind everyone that she is not a nice person; she might be a goodperson if you squint, but she's not nice. She's a teenager with some bad role models, who was raised by some very intolerant people.
Will she get better? Maybe. Will she do so deliberately? Probably not! I didn't put the "Morally Gray Harry Potter" tag on the story for no reason. That said, I do appreciate every comment and kudo, so thank you to everyone who leaves one!
Chapter 43: The Big DaySummary:Christmas! Why do they still call it Christmas when half of them are pagan? Beats me!
Chapter TextChristmas arrived at last, though Hazel didn't get to enjoy lying in like she had planned. A number of small voices were muttering away very near to her:
"Yous is not belonging here! Yous is not Hogwarts elves!"
"Kreacher serves the House of Black, and Mistress Hazel is the Heir."
"Dobby is a free elf and is coming and going as he pleases!"
"All three of you shut the fuck up," Hazel snarled, opening her eyes. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Bringing Miss Hazel her presents," all three house-elves said at the same time. She saw Kreacher, Dobby and Moxy standing at the foot of her bed; Kreacher looked resentful as ever, but the other two were much happier to be here. She thought.
"Thanks, I guess." She yawned and pushed the blankets aside. "Clear off before you wake up the others, alright?"
The three house-elves disappeared with quiet pop s, and Hazel proceeded to get out of bed. The others were getting up as well, no doubt roused by the sound of the elves arguing. "Merry Christmas, ladies," Hazel called as she dove into her gifts. Dobby had wrapped a pair of mismatched socks, which she suspected he had made himself; Moxy had given her a bottle of butterbeer; Kreacher had included a silver pendant with the Black family crest. Curious, she held it against her ring, and when it didn't react she shrugged and slipped it around her neck with her other necklaces.
The rest of her presents were more interesting. The Dursleys had sent a signed card containing a fifty-pound note, which was a record for holiday generosity from them. Hermione had sent a book on British and Irish Quidditch teams; from Sirius she got a Swiss army knife with attachments to break any lock or undo any knot. There was the usual assortment of jewelry from her Slytherin friends, some of which she wore and some of which she put away.
And, of course, a sweater and a cake from Mrs Weasley. She put the sweater on and waved everyone else over. "Who wants cake before breakfast?"
"Cake sounds great." Millicent half-dragged Pansy behind her over to Hazel's bed. "Nice pendant, by the way, cheers for that."
"Who sends you cake every holiday anyway?" Tracey asked.
"Mrs Weasley." She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "She's a really good cook, almost as good as the house-elves here at the castle."
"I bet you wouldn't say that around any of her kids," Daphne teased, and they all giggled. Hazel couldn't disagree, and giggled harder.
Eventually they got dressed and went up for breakfast. The Great Hall was even more breathtaking in the morning sunlight, with the ice and frost glistening brightly in all directions. Hazel ate with one hand again while teasing Pansy under the table, and everyone pretended not to notice. She noticed quite a few people sporting feathers at the Gryffindor table, and wondered if Fred and George had some new flavor of fuckery they were working on.
Sure enough, after breakfast they both came up to her with identical shit-eating grins on their faces. "Hey Hazel, want a biscuit?"
She cocked an eyebrow at them both."I'm not gonna turn into Big Bird if I eat that, am I? I saw the mess at the Gryffindor table earlier, boys."
"Yeah well, we had to try." George put the biscuit away with a shrug. "Canary Creams! We're making a fortune on them!"
"Not enough to make up for old Bagman giving us the slip, mind you. But we've been in touch with Gringotts, so we'll be getting our money one way or another."
"I wonder what's taking them so long? I had a word with Griphook and Gnashfang a few weeks ago and they said they'd look into expediting your debt being settled."
"Hopefully it happens soon, we could definitely use some extra capital."
"Capital that isn't controlled by Mum."
"You don't seem so worried about getting paid back.".
"A, his debt is useful to me in a way that money isn't right now, and B, I'm loaded. Why do you think I put a bet that big down in the first place? I didn't wanna mention it before because people get funny about money, even on the magical side."
They both shrugged at that. "We figured you had an inheritance."
"Plus, you're in Slytherin, and they always have more money than they know what to do with."
"If you guys need capital to develop your stuff, why not ask for investors? It wouldn't be begging if you phrased it right, and you'd have to pay them back eventually, but you guys are brilliant and I'm sure people would love to invest in jokes and pranks."
"People like you?"
She shrugged. "Sure, I'm people. Come up with a good proposal and I'll forward it to Griphook, but I don't see any reason not to follow my own advice."
They shook hands and went their separate ways, the boys heading out for snowball fights and Hazel back to the common room to do the last of her holiday assignments. No point getting dirty with the Ball coming up on them, she figured.
She was just putting the finishing touches on a tricky essay for Divination when Pansy walked in and sat down next to her. "I heard you conspiring with the Weasley twins, you know."
"Did anyone else hear us?" They'd been in the hallways, after all, someone was bound to overhear even if they were whispering.
"If they did, they didn't care. What was all that about a debt, anyway?"
Hazel sighed again. "It was on the World Cup, the twins and I bet that Ireland would win but Bulgaria would catch the Snitch. The odds were astronomical, but Krum pulled it off in the end."
"That's stupid, why would he go for the Snitch when his team was so far behind?"
"I guess he wanted the game to end on his own terms, or that's how Narcissa explained it. Anyway, Bagman tried paying us with leprechaun gold, but Sirius spotted it and told him off, so now he owes all three of us big time, along with anyone else who bet with him. And he couldn't pay us that night because the goblins were there and he owed them a lot of money first!"
"And you've been blackmailing Bagman with it ever since. Clever, Potter, very clever." Pansy sounded impressed.
"Blackmail is a strong word! I prefer to call it strategic pressure. I need every advantage I can get in this tournament, you know."
"I can imagine having a tournament judge in your pocket can come in handy." Then she grew serious. "How are you going to get his help for the second Task?"
The second Task. That reminded Hazel of her chat with Moody. "I'll need my rings down there, to summon my dagger. After the Ball I'm gonna talk to the other Champions, try and get them to cooperate for the Task. I have a feeling it'll be more dangerous than we realize."
Pansy gave her a searching look. "Sounds like you know something."
"I do, but I'd rather not say what it is. Don't worry about it just yet, alright?"
Pansy was silent while Hazel focused on homework, then she sighed. "How do you do it? After everything that's happened, how can you be… you?"
"What do you mean, Parkinson?" She wasn't really paying attention, instead she was focused on her Transfiguration essay.
"Well, you've got no shame whatsoever, for one thing. You're just always so… confident, so sure of yourself. As if you could never be wrong, and the universe would rewrite itself to make you right no matter what you did."
Hazel blinked, and then burst out laughing. "That's ridiculous! Where did that even come from?"
"Shut up! You know what I mean…"
"Oh, Pansy." She leaned in and hugged her closely. "I don't have expectations holding me back, that's all. And my family couldn't give a shit less what I do or who I do it with, either." Not completely true, she was sure the Dursleys would care very much who she was doing, but they didn't matter. "So I'm free to be myself, and to hell with anyone who says otherwise!"
Pansy was silent for a few moments. "So what you're saying is… what you're saying is that you can do those things because you're not a pureblood?"
"That's a simplistic way to look at it, but you aren't wrong." She didn't know how to explain it any better, unfortunately. "So, are you ready for the Ball?"
"No." Pansy shrank back a bit. "This isn't going like I thought it would. Like I'd hoped it would. I wanted for Draco and I to lead the dancing, to be prim and proper and traditional… but Daphne asked him first, and then no one asked me until you did."
"After weeks of bullying you out of the closet, you mean?" Hazel shook her head. "Lemme focus for now, alright? I don't have much left to do here, and then after lunch I'm all yours~"
"Don't say things like that! You've got Lovegood waiting for you, don't pretend we're together that way."
"So? I'll dance with Luna and our friends and anyone else who wants to dance with me, maybe even a boy or two if they don't mind following. And I'll dance with you too, of course~"
"After everything we've been through, you'd better dance with me," Pansy muttered, looking away. Hazel laughed and tried to focus on the last of her assignments, though it was hard with Pansy looking all cute and sulky next to her.
Lunch that day was tense and expectant, and it seemed to Hazel that in spite of the glorious spread before them, with hundreds of turkeys and puddings and everything else, that no one was quite eating with their usual appetite. Doubtless they were looking forward to the Ball, and to the attendant feast.
She didn't let that stop her, and ate with her usual gusto, waiting until Pansy had taken her potion and ate at least half her plate before her fingers slipped down to tease her once again. After lunch she slipped outside with the boys to work off some of the calories, and went back inside at four o'clock to start getting ready.
Not that she planned on taking that long, but she couldn't deny the girls a chance to fuss over her.
"Hazel, wait up!" She turned to see Hermione hurrying to catch up to her. "Heading down to get ready?"
"I mean, I don't think I'll need four hours, but I know the girls'll wanna fuss over me like they always do."
"I know I'll need a while, if only to get my hair under control." She tugged at her frizzy brown hair with a frown. "I've got plenty of Sleekeazy's put aside, at least."
Hazel reached up and brushed the bare side of her head. "Is it that big of a deal? I had honestly planned on letting mine hang off, maybe put it in a braid or whatever."
"...you can be quiet now," Hermione said with exaggerated primness, after a few moments spent staring at Hazel with a distinctly unimpressed look on her face. Hazel giggled and apologized, and after a moment Hermione went back to smiling and laughing over the imminent Yule Ball.