Chapter 25: April Fool
Chapter 25: April Fool
1. It was--a bit of a shock at first. But--well, they're both over the age of consent. She's already sixteen, he'll be sixteen soon.
Remember, in the PS universe the age of consent is 15, based on the idea that this was considered high hundreds of years earlier, when Muggles routinely married (girls, anyway) at the age of 11 or 12 and boys weren't exactly discouraged from sexual activity at about the same age or slightly older; the governors of Hogwarts wanted to discourage wizards and witches marrying on about the same schedule as Muggles in order to complete their magical educations, or at least more of their education. It also seemed to me that in many ways wizards are somewhat reluctant to bring their laws in line with Muggle custom (since this was bucking a Muggle custom of the time), as if the Muggle ways were superior. Hence the retention of a younger age, from an earlier time. (But also a very pragmatic attitude about giving girls of 15 or older access to a certain potion, assuring that they can complete their educations regardless of their social lives.)
2. "We're kinsmen! We're in the same clan! Oh, I cannot believe I'm in the same clan as Harry Potter..."
Far be it from me to pass up an opportunity for Colin to fanboy Harry Potter. :)
3. Blaise Zabini and Niamh Quirke appeared to be partners, in a blue and green tartan with a red and yellow overlay.
Someone on the Schnoogle message boards congratulated me for "knowing" that Blaise was a boy after reading this chapter. I don't know--it always seemed obvious to me, due to Blaise Pascal.
4. "This is Neville," she said then, realizing that she ought to introduce him to her oldest brother. "Neville, this is Bill."
They shook hands, each of them looking a little like they were squeezing too hard. Bill smiled. "Nice to meet you Neville. You know that if you ever hurt my baby sister I will personally kill you." He smiled broadly, having said this in the friendliest voice imaginable. Neville looked at him with his mouth open. Ginny's eyes were wild.
"Bill!"
Now George had come over with Angelina and Fred with Susan Bones. They'd heard what Bill had said. Bill laughed, clapped Neville on the shoulder. Neville winced. "Just kidding, Neville! Just kidding!"
Fred and George looked at Neville very seriously (especially for them). "No he's not," they said in unison.
That'll give Harry something to think about! Er, and Neville, too. I also like an oportunity to have the twins be in sync.
5. "Hermione! I didn't know you played the cello!"
Aaaaand--more foreshadowing for the sequel.
6. "She's Head Girl," his son said helpfully; he sounded just a bit like he was bragging. Harry wondered how many Alicia-on-a-horse fantasies had gone through his head since he'd met her in the entrance hall at the school.
Of course, in the sequel(s), he and Harry actually get to see her on a horse.
7. "Hello, again, Mr. Malfoy. Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said in a rather loud voice. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might dance with Alicia? You won't be without a partner; Hermione doesn't mind dancing with you, do you Hermione?"
She smiled at Harry. "Not at all." Draco Malfoy, confused, tucked her arm in his, preparing to return to the dance floor. Before that, though, Hermione turned to his parents, smiling brightly and saying, "My parents are dentists."
Now, that was just FUN. And evidently, a lot of people who aren't me enjoyed it as well. ;)
8. "If you don't mind, Potter, I think I'd like my date back."
Harry stepped back from Alicia, thanking her for the dance, and then he realized, I'm dancing with Ginny now. He took her in his arms; he had very little choice but to look in her face, since she was so tall, unlike Alicia. He swallowed, trying not to think about how it felt to hold her, his hand at her waist, his other hand wrapped around hers, her long fingers lightly wrapped around his shoulder. She looked at him, too. Her gaze was impassive. Harry again found that he had a hard time looking away from her.
Not that he should be trying...
9. "So," he said softly, "do you know who sent the school owls?"
Her face looked blank. "What school owls?"
Which is how Harry knows that Draco hasn't completely taken Ginny into his confidence.
10. "I noticed ye're wearin' clan MacGregor. Ye know, don't ye, that clan Lamont and clan MacGregor are forever linked, don't ye?"
The story Sirius/Lucas tells is an actual Scottish legend about these clans, to which I enjoyed giving a wizarding twist. It's also another death-by-disarming story, which will be relevant repeatedly in the sequels (and the prequel).
11. Draco Malfoy had taken off his jacket, waistcoat and necktie and unbuttoned his shirt a little, but left his cuffs securely fastened at the wrist. Harry looked at Ginny standing only about ten feet away. Harry ached, seeing how she gazed at him. Her fifteenth birthday was just over a week away.
Oh, the triangle that is Harry/Ginny/Draco...
12. Harry ran toward the mayhem without thought
I've heard it said that this is how you know if someone should be a cop or firefighter--that their instinct is to run TOWARD trouble.
13. Suddenly, Arabella stopped; Harry stared. Her hair was changing color, and her face. She put her hands up to her face, held a strand of hair before her eyes, then turned and ran the other way down the High Street. Her potion must have worn off, Harry thought. But as her face was changing, something about her seemed familiar...
There's a reason for that, Harry.
14. Then Ginny was running toward them, throwing her arms around Ron and weeping, followed by Bill and Fred and George putting their hands on his shoulder, looking concerned. Then Harry saw her approaching, walking next to Parvati, saw the raw emotion on her face. She started moving faster, then she was running, and Harry thought she would knock him over with the force of her embrace.
Hermione threw her arms around Ron, sobbing, and he gathered her to him, looking like this was why he was glad not to be dead. He put his cheek on her hair and now there was blood and plaster dust on the top of her head. Bill looked fascinated; Parvati did not look happy.
She pulled back from Ron, crying freely. "You're all right. You're--" she choked and couldn't speak for a second. He smiled down at her, his arms still around her. Harry felt tears prickle against his eyelids. He was standing so close to them; he could see the look in both of their eyes.
This was actually one of the first things I wrote--Hermione and Ron after the Three Broomsticks explosion. Ah, how I tortured those poor kids...
15. "Potter, if someone really is out to get you--then it's not paranoia. It's called facing facts."
Well, that really is what they say, isn't it? (That it's not paranoia if someone really is out to get you.)
16. "My mum and dad are both rabbis. They weren't even sure they were going to let me come to Hogwarts when I got the letter. But my mum decided to be very philosophical about it, finally. Said that I had a gift; it would be rude to throw it back in God's face. The important thing is what you do with your gifts. And now, I'm the only one in Ancient Runes who can make head or tail of the Hebrew and Aramaic spells, so I'm one up on everyone else." Hermione looked envious."
Of COURSE Hermione's going to be envious of this! I did enjoy creating Ruth, who is appearing here basically as set-up for a rather long sequence in the sequel--and one of my favorite parts of that fic.
17. He thought of the Daily Prophet article that had come out after the explosion at the Three Broomsticks. There had been an old photo of him from the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament; he was small and pale and scared-looking. It looked laughable; the article said that Harry Potter had apprehended a Death Eater, along with retired Auror Mad-Eye Moody. A weak-looking little boy and an old man. How much of a threat could these Death Eaters have been, really, to be taken by them? That was the upshot of the article. No mention was made of Voldemort's return; it was as though these Death Eaters were simply having a lark, and got caught. There was no image of the smoking rubble, although there was a quote from Madam Rosmerta with her assertion that it had been Sirius Black who had masterminded it; those caught were merely his stooges.
At least I got this right--that the Daily Prophet is never actually concerned about getting the story right. ;)
18. He wished he could transform now and run into the forest; Hermione was looking back and forth between him and Ginny with a furious expression; she had noticed the bruise on Ginny's neck. He sat next to her and whispered, "She met him behind the hut." Hermione nodded when she heard this, but she still looked at Harry oddly.
Probably because she's more aware of his true feelings at this point than he is.
1. It was--a bit of a shock at first. But--well, they're both over the age of consent. She's already sixteen, he'll be sixteen soon.
Remember, in the PS universe the age of consent is 15, based on the idea that this was considered high hundreds of years earlier, when Muggles routinely married (girls, anyway) at the age of 11 or 12 and boys weren't exactly discouraged from sexual activity at about the same age or slightly older; the governors of Hogwarts wanted to discourage wizards and witches marrying on about the same schedule as Muggles in order to complete their magical educations, or at least more of their education. It also seemed to me that in many ways wizards are somewhat reluctant to bring their laws in line with Muggle custom (since this was bucking a Muggle custom of the time), as if the Muggle ways were superior. Hence the retention of a younger age, from an earlier time. (But also a very pragmatic attitude about giving girls of 15 or older access to a certain potion, assuring that they can complete their educations regardless of their social lives.)
2. "We're kinsmen! We're in the same clan! Oh, I cannot believe I'm in the same clan as Harry Potter..."
Far be it from me to pass up an opportunity for Colin to fanboy Harry Potter. :)
3. Blaise Zabini and Niamh Quirke appeared to be partners, in a blue and green tartan with a red and yellow overlay.
Someone on the Schnoogle message boards congratulated me for "knowing" that Blaise was a boy after reading this chapter. I don't know--it always seemed obvious to me, due to Blaise Pascal.
4. "This is Neville," she said then, realizing that she ought to introduce him to her oldest brother. "Neville, this is Bill."
They shook hands, each of them looking a little like they were squeezing too hard. Bill smiled. "Nice to meet you Neville. You know that if you ever hurt my baby sister I will personally kill you." He smiled broadly, having said this in the friendliest voice imaginable. Neville looked at him with his mouth open. Ginny's eyes were wild.
"Bill!"
Now George had come over with Angelina and Fred with Susan Bones. They'd heard what Bill had said. Bill laughed, clapped Neville on the shoulder. Neville winced. "Just kidding, Neville! Just kidding!"
Fred and George looked at Neville very seriously (especially for them). "No he's not," they said in unison.
That'll give Harry something to think about! Er, and Neville, too. I also like an oportunity to have the twins be in sync.
5. "Hermione! I didn't know you played the cello!"
Aaaaand--more foreshadowing for the sequel.
6. "She's Head Girl," his son said helpfully; he sounded just a bit like he was bragging. Harry wondered how many Alicia-on-a-horse fantasies had gone through his head since he'd met her in the entrance hall at the school.
Of course, in the sequel(s), he and Harry actually get to see her on a horse.
7. "Hello, again, Mr. Malfoy. Mrs. Malfoy," Harry said in a rather loud voice. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might dance with Alicia? You won't be without a partner; Hermione doesn't mind dancing with you, do you Hermione?"
She smiled at Harry. "Not at all." Draco Malfoy, confused, tucked her arm in his, preparing to return to the dance floor. Before that, though, Hermione turned to his parents, smiling brightly and saying, "My parents are dentists."
Now, that was just FUN. And evidently, a lot of people who aren't me enjoyed it as well. ;)
8. "If you don't mind, Potter, I think I'd like my date back."
Harry stepped back from Alicia, thanking her for the dance, and then he realized, I'm dancing with Ginny now. He took her in his arms; he had very little choice but to look in her face, since she was so tall, unlike Alicia. He swallowed, trying not to think about how it felt to hold her, his hand at her waist, his other hand wrapped around hers, her long fingers lightly wrapped around his shoulder. She looked at him, too. Her gaze was impassive. Harry again found that he had a hard time looking away from her.
Not that he should be trying...
9. "So," he said softly, "do you know who sent the school owls?"
Her face looked blank. "What school owls?"
Which is how Harry knows that Draco hasn't completely taken Ginny into his confidence.
10. "I noticed ye're wearin' clan MacGregor. Ye know, don't ye, that clan Lamont and clan MacGregor are forever linked, don't ye?"
The story Sirius/Lucas tells is an actual Scottish legend about these clans, to which I enjoyed giving a wizarding twist. It's also another death-by-disarming story, which will be relevant repeatedly in the sequels (and the prequel).
11. Draco Malfoy had taken off his jacket, waistcoat and necktie and unbuttoned his shirt a little, but left his cuffs securely fastened at the wrist. Harry looked at Ginny standing only about ten feet away. Harry ached, seeing how she gazed at him. Her fifteenth birthday was just over a week away.
Oh, the triangle that is Harry/Ginny/Draco...
12. Harry ran toward the mayhem without thought
I've heard it said that this is how you know if someone should be a cop or firefighter--that their instinct is to run TOWARD trouble.
13. Suddenly, Arabella stopped; Harry stared. Her hair was changing color, and her face. She put her hands up to her face, held a strand of hair before her eyes, then turned and ran the other way down the High Street. Her potion must have worn off, Harry thought. But as her face was changing, something about her seemed familiar...
There's a reason for that, Harry.
14. Then Ginny was running toward them, throwing her arms around Ron and weeping, followed by Bill and Fred and George putting their hands on his shoulder, looking concerned. Then Harry saw her approaching, walking next to Parvati, saw the raw emotion on her face. She started moving faster, then she was running, and Harry thought she would knock him over with the force of her embrace.
Hermione threw her arms around Ron, sobbing, and he gathered her to him, looking like this was why he was glad not to be dead. He put his cheek on her hair and now there was blood and plaster dust on the top of her head. Bill looked fascinated; Parvati did not look happy.
She pulled back from Ron, crying freely. "You're all right. You're--" she choked and couldn't speak for a second. He smiled down at her, his arms still around her. Harry felt tears prickle against his eyelids. He was standing so close to them; he could see the look in both of their eyes.
This was actually one of the first things I wrote--Hermione and Ron after the Three Broomsticks explosion. Ah, how I tortured those poor kids...
15. "Potter, if someone really is out to get you--then it's not paranoia. It's called facing facts."
Well, that really is what they say, isn't it? (That it's not paranoia if someone really is out to get you.)
16. "My mum and dad are both rabbis. They weren't even sure they were going to let me come to Hogwarts when I got the letter. But my mum decided to be very philosophical about it, finally. Said that I had a gift; it would be rude to throw it back in God's face. The important thing is what you do with your gifts. And now, I'm the only one in Ancient Runes who can make head or tail of the Hebrew and Aramaic spells, so I'm one up on everyone else." Hermione looked envious."
Of COURSE Hermione's going to be envious of this! I did enjoy creating Ruth, who is appearing here basically as set-up for a rather long sequence in the sequel--and one of my favorite parts of that fic.
17. He thought of the Daily Prophet article that had come out after the explosion at the Three Broomsticks. There had been an old photo of him from the beginning of the Triwizard Tournament; he was small and pale and scared-looking. It looked laughable; the article said that Harry Potter had apprehended a Death Eater, along with retired Auror Mad-Eye Moody. A weak-looking little boy and an old man. How much of a threat could these Death Eaters have been, really, to be taken by them? That was the upshot of the article. No mention was made of Voldemort's return; it was as though these Death Eaters were simply having a lark, and got caught. There was no image of the smoking rubble, although there was a quote from Madam Rosmerta with her assertion that it had been Sirius Black who had masterminded it; those caught were merely his stooges.
At least I got this right--that the Daily Prophet is never actually concerned about getting the story right. ;)
18. He wished he could transform now and run into the forest; Hermione was looking back and forth between him and Ginny with a furious expression; she had noticed the bruise on Ginny's neck. He sat next to her and whispered, "She met him behind the hut." Hermione nodded when she heard this, but she still looked at Harry oddly.
Probably because she's more aware of his true feelings at this point than he is.