"They're staring, you know," Luna said as she tore into her mountain of pancakes and waffles the next day at breakfast. Harry was kind of amazed by it, especially the way she had thrown in a layer of fruit right in the middle and yet it hadn't toppled over.
"I'm kind of used to it by now," he shrugged.
"It is a pretty striking photo," Pansy added, as she flipped back to the cover of the Daily Prophet.
The Boy Who Lived... Again!
There in all his dying and resurrecting glory was Harry Potter, front and center as he stood up and blasted the Dark Lord with a cutter just moments after being hit by the killing curse. For once, she was actually planning on keeping the paper, despite how she usually felt about it. It still made her chuckle to think that Harry mostly kept up his subscription to give Hedwig something to do.
Pansy looked up and saw the blatant gawking from those who had their own copies. She didn't bother to contain her snort. Even some of the teachers were staring, although Slughorn looked happy and rather relieved. She supposed he was one of the very few that might have an idea of why Harry's newest miracle had occurred.
That's assuming she was correct about thinking it had to do with this supposed 'accidental' horcrux that tied his scar to Riddle. She still wasn't sure she could believe that anyone could accidentally do something like that. Pansy sighed as she thought about everything- she supposed getting Harry alone so he could tell her everything was something she would need to do sooner rather than later.
However, even with all that going on, she was in a positively wonderful mood that morning. Considering it was not yet ten o'clock on a Sunday, that was rather strange. She usually preferred sleeping in on the weekends, but they had gone to bed somewhat early the night before, and neither of them had wanted Dobby to strain himself making breakfast in bed for them.
Saving Harry's life meant he got a day off. Even if he didn't want it, necessarily, but Harry needed to be sure that he was completely better after the strain from the day before. Poor Dobby must be bored out of his mind, she thought. Maybe taking care of his fish family would keep him occupied for a little while.
"So, what are we going to do today?" she asked as Harry and Luna continued to eat, seemingly impervious to everyone else in the Great Hall.
"I've got to meet the headmaster this afternoon," he replied between bites. "He wants to talk about what happened yesterday, I guess."
"That's probably a good guess, Harry," Luna said before grinning. "But you will tell me if he wants to talk about his role in the conspiracy to overthrow the citrus industry I hope? Why else would they serve pumpkin juice at breakfast year round? It isn't even good as a Halloween themed rarity. Most non-insane people would prefer orange juice. And as someone who is an expert on insanity, I believe I should know all about this topic."
"Fair enough," Harry chuckled. "I'll try to remember and ask him, although the house-elves might be more help. They have been putting more fruit out for us ever since I was entered into that tournament last year."
"Right, so I guess Pansy and I will have the afternoon all to ourselves then. We can talk about shoes and boys and hairdos."
"Really?" Harry looked over at Luna, thoroughly confused.
"Of course not, don't be silly. It was a joke," Luna scoffed. "I don't even like wearing shoes most of the time. Pansy is only interested in one boy. And... actually, I suppose we could talk about hair. I'm not sure there's all that much to discuss on the subject though."
"It's nice out, we could go for a walk after we eat," Pansy piped up. "You both could probably use the exercise after those enormous breakfasts you're eating."
"I think she just called us fat," Harry whispered to Luna, who giggled in response. "A walk does sound nice though. Between OWLs coming up and Angie's training schedule for the quidditch final, I might not have enough free time in the near future."
Shortly after lunch, Harry left the two grinning girls and climbed up the stairs to go meet Dumbledore. The headmaster was already waiting for him, and Harry was not surprised to see that he also had his pensieve out. What was a bit of a shock was seeing Moody waiting as well.
"Ah, Harry, welcome and thank you for coming. Alastor and I have been reviewing his memory of the battle yesterday. I am terribly sorry that you had to get involved in such a thing," Dumbledore said with a somber look on his face. "At the same time, I am very pleased to see that you all were able to survive without too many permanent injuries."
"This old mug of mine apparently doesn't count," Alastor chuckled.
"I think it gives you character," Harry said with a grin.
"Maybe I should try using that line."
"I would be interested in seeing that," Dumbledore said with a smile.
"No way, Albus," Moody grunted in return. "I still remember 1963. You are a terrible wingman."
"Ah, well, I believe we should get to the point anyway, before we traumatize young mister Potter. I have a couple of questions for you, Harry, if you wouldn't mind indulging me for a little while."
"Sure."
"Excellent. I believe we will start with the prophecy orb itself. I couldn't tell from Alastor's memory, but I assume you gave them the correct orb that once held the prophecy about you and Voldemort?"
"Yeah. It was just a dark piece of glass, so I didn't see any harm in it."
"It may be possible for Tom to discover a way to retrieve the recording from the darkened orb, but I don't suppose I can blame you."
"He can't actually do that, can he?" Moody asked.
"Not that I'm aware. I would classify it as fairly unlikely, but I wouldn't rule anything out with Tom." Albus sat back down in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. "This could actually benefit us."
"How so?" Harry asked.
"If he devotes much time and effort to discovering a way to unravel the prophecy, it would be less time for Tom to build up an army and cause more destruction."
"I'd take it, but I won't count on it," Alastor replied. "We should assume he'll strike again soon. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst."
"Yes, you always have said that," Dumbledore nodded. "As a 'semi-retired' auror, I believe it would be best for you to help Amelia stay ready in case of any more attacks. Meanwhile, I will hope for the best and think on how we may be able to use this to our advantage. I believe I will have a specific project to work on over the summer.
"But now, back to you, Harry. May I ask why you were willing to be the bait, so to speak, when the fighting first broke out?"
"Someone needed to and the prophecy was leverage I could use that no one else could. Plus, it gave us a chance to turn the trap around on them, which worked pretty well."
"And your house-elf Dobby was also instrumental in the rescue of Xenophilius," Dumbledore nodded. "I saw that he was wounded in the battle. I hope he was able to recover from his wounds."
"He seemed fine this morning, but I asked him to take the day off for rest." Harry grinned for a moment. "Dobby tried to argue with me, but I threatened to sic Winky on him if he didn't listen to me."
"Winky- I believe she was the former house-elf of the Crouch family."
"She was," Harry agreed. "Luna talked to her when she was so depressed last year, so now she is bonded to the Lovegoods."
"Excellent," Dumbledore smiled. "I am very pleased to hear that she has a family again. I hope that is working out well for all of them."
"As far as I know."
"Good." Dumbledore stroked his beard for a moment as he sat back in his chair. "Next, from what we have seen, it appears that young Barty Crouch succeeded in escaping with the orb. However, he appears to have been the only Death Eater to escape. I believe Tom may almost be out of followers. Hopefully, that will be good news, but we must also be wary of the fact that it may also make him desperate. Desperate men can do shocking things at times, and that doesn't take into account both the madness and power that Voldemort possesses. You in particular should be careful during the summer, Harry. He could go after you once again since you do seem to be a constant thorn in his side."
"I will. I'm sure I could talk Pansy into taking a long vacation if we need to."
"It might be for the best, and I hope you enjoy the summer. I believe you deserve the break after everything you've been through lately. Not to mention your upcoming exams."
"Yeah, and I've got to help win the quidditch cup too or Angelina might kill me."
Alastor snorted at that while Dumbledore merely grinned.
"There are many who have treated the quidditch matches as some of the most important parts of their years at Hogwarts. I believe miss Johnson may be interested in a career in the field, so captaining a championship team would look good for her. I'm almost certain it helped your former colleague mister Wood as he got started. May I ask, have you ever considered it, Harry? You are quite skilled on a broom."
"Eh," he shrugged. "I like flying, but the obsessive nature of my captains have sometimes made practicing a chore. I assumed that professional teams would be even worse about that sort of thing, and I doubt I would want to spend ten hours a day on a broom in the hopes that I somehow get an extra two percent better or something."
"Minerva might be disappointed to hear that, but I'll let you tell her yourself," Dumbledore replied. "If you hadn't heard, there will be a career counseling meeting between all fifth years and their heads of house in a couple of weeks. It should help you to consider which NEWT level studies would be most important for the future. As well, it can give you some insight into which of your OWL exams one might wish to prioritize studying.
"But onto the last thing I wanted to speak with you about," Dumbledore straightened up and looked more serious. "Your miraculous survival of yet another killing curse."
When he said nothing else, Harry decided to break the silence.
"What about it?"
"It was quite remarkable. Would you like to know more about why and how that happened?"
"I apparently had an 'accidental horcrux' in my scar," Harry shrugged.
"How did you know that?"
"Professor Slughorn told me last fall."
"I see," Dumbledore sat back with a sigh. "I had hoped not to burden you with that knowledge while you are still so young. It may all be for the best now, as I would have to assume that you are no longer carrying that weight on your shoulders. Normally, I would not want this information to spread to other ears, but I have been reminded that I am not alone in my fight against the Dark Arts, and I suppose that I can trust Alastor on this above almost anyone else. But you should be aware also, Harry, after everything that you've done. It is my belief that Tom created several of the terrible things, and I have been working on tracking down information on what they may have been. That is what I plan on spending my summer working on."
"I would offer to help, but it might be better for me to concentrate on tracking down Riddle and Junior before they get up to causing much more chaos," Alastor suggested. "I never was as skilled with all that esoteric stuff like you Albus. You might want to think about getting in touch with a cursebreaker though, if there are any you can trust."
"I will consider it," Dumbledore nodded. "First, I want the two of you to know some things in case anything happens to me. It is my belief that Tom created seven of them, counting your scar, accidental though it may have been. For some good news though, three have already been destroyed. The cursed diary from your second year, the snake that you killed in the graveyard, and now the scar. That leaves four more before Tom will be once again mortal.
"I would like to show the both of you a couple of memories that may help us determine what exactly Tom may have used to create his horcruxes. If you will both join me in the pensieve, I will explain further."
The next couple of hours sped by as Harry listened to Dumbledore lecture about the maternal origins of Tom Riddle, from the inbred Gaunts, as well as his penchant for thievery which Harry had already been clued in on. Then it was time to watch the young Tom Riddle manipulate an old woman into showing off a treasured family heirloom before he murdered her and framed a pitiful house-elf. That last bit actually might have angered Harry the most, as he was very fond of the creatures. Not only for Dobby's sake, but Winky's as well.
Through it all, he remained silent. He wasn't sure why exactly, but for some reason he just knew that he shouldn't say a word about his own knowledge of where the surviving horcruxes remained.
But when Dumbledore mentioned that he believed he had a lead for the ring, Harry knew that there was something odd about it. Something that he should have figured out already.
Yet he kept his own council and waited.
Once he was finally dismissed, Harry returned to his quarters.
He smiled and tip-toed across the room when he found Pansy and Luna napping on the couch together. Pansy had been on the far end, her head resting where the arm met the back cushion, with her legs stretched out. Luna was half on top of her, head in her lap and an arm around her waist as she used his girlfriend as a pillow.
He really wished he could remember where the camera was.
Harry sneaked into the bedroom and silenced the door. Once he found his mirror, he called Sirius.
"Harry?" his godfather eventually answered, his hair messier than usual. "Please don't tell me we already have another emergency."
"No, nothing like that. Did I catch you at a bad time?"
"Yes- I mean, no, of course not," Sirius said as he yelped. and then nearly dropped the mirror. "It's just that-"
"You have saved my honor, Harry!" a gleeful voice called out before the giggling face of Kathryn Nott appeared in the mirror. "Sirius might have taken advantage of me if you hadn't called. And we can't have that, now can we?"
"Certainly not," Harry answered with a grin. "I could probably come over if you need help keeping him in line."
"That's alright. I'm getting the hang of it," she said before whispering conspiratorially, "I've started practicing already, and we should have a lot more opportunities for me to work on him."
"Oh?"
"I've decided that he may be worth marrying after all," Kathryn sighed then lifted her chin. "Even if he isn't good enough for me, in truth."
"Hey! I'm right here!"
"We know!" Harry and Kathryn both said in response before beginning to laugh.
"I'm not sure why I'm marrying you," Sirius said with a frown as he wrestled the mirror away from her.
"As I recall-" Harry began.
"Don't you dare-"
"What did he say?" Kathryn asked, peeking over Sirius' shoulder.
"Don't answer that!"
"I don't know. I think it would be bad manners to refuse a lady's request," Harry teased. Sirius pouted, and Harry could practically hear the dog's whine if he had been Padfoot at the time. That clinched it for him. "He said that you are smoking hot."
"Did he now?" Kathryn grinned.
"You're the worst Harry," Sirius groaned as she giggled behind him. "Well, good news, we've moved the wedding up. It's next weekend!"
"What? Really?"
"That battle yesterday made me sick of waiting," Sirius answered.
"And strangely, I seem to have fallen for your godfather," Kathryn added. "Do you think something's wrong with me, Harry?"
"Well..." he thought for a moment before smirking. "I don't think he would stoop to using a love potion, but you might want to check to be sure."
"I wouldn't do that! I'm just naturally charming," Sirius argued.
"You do have your moments," Kathryn said.
"I think I see why this is so fun now," Harry smiled. "It's usually Pansy and Luna teaming up to tag-team tease me."
"We should talk more often then," Kathryn grinned.
"Right, enough of this now," Sirius said as he stood up and pulled away from his soon-to-be wife. "Did you call me for a reason? Or is it just pick on Sirius day?"
"Can't it be both?" As his godfather started to growl, Harry raised a hand in surrender. "I wanted to ask you about doing me a favor, but it can wait. If the wedding is going to be in a week, do you already have a honeymoon planned?"
"I do actually," Sirius replied. "But I'm not telling either of you since you have been taking the piss out of me."
"Fine," Harry shrugged. "When will you be back?"
"It will be a couple of weeks."
"Two weeks? Oh good, I knew I was marrying you for a reason," Kathryn teased.
"You know what this means, Harry?"
"What?"
"Next Sunday will be the wedding."
"I'll be there."
"I know," Sirius said with a smirk. "But your presence will also be required next Friday evening."
"Why?"
"For the bachelor party. You should prepare to get incredibly drunk."
"Sirius! He's not old enough to get seriously drunk yet."
"When you're with Sirius Black, you can't help but get seriously drunk."
"Oh no," Harry groaned. "You actually set him up for a pun? What is wrong with you?"
"I can't help it," Kathryn giggled. "He brings out the worst in me. Try to keep him from doing anything too terribly embarrassing, won't you Harry? Somewhat embarrassing is fine, just keep it from being anything that would make me want to stop the wedding."
"I'll see what I can do," he agreed.
"Thanks."
"I'll let you two go then. Have fun, and I'll see you soon."
Harry put the mirror away and sat down on the bed with a smile. After all Sirius had been through, he deserved some happiness.
He'd have to try to remember to bring a camera though, as embarrassing Sirius would definitely be on the agenda for next weekend. Harry might have to deliver any photos later though. He'd have to remember and find out when Kathryn's birthday was.
The camera idea made him think of getting a picture of the girls out on the couch, and Harry broke down and realized he needed the help.
"Dobby?"
"Master Harry sir! Dobby knew you would not make him suffer so! Dobby is more than ready to help." The elf was practically jumping for joy at finally being called. Harry shook his head before he replied.
"Are you sure you feel alright? I don't want you to aggravate any injuries from the battle."
"Master Harry shouldn't be so silly," Dobby laughed. "Dobby has a powerful master, which means Dobby's magic is powerful, and Dobby has healed powerfully. Now, what can Dobby do?"
"Alright, alright. I still want you to let me know if you need anything, okay? You did save my life yesterday."
"Then Dobby requests that master Harry give Dobby something to do."
"Fine, be that way," Harry grinned. "I was hoping you knew where the camera was. I want to get a picture of the girls before I have to wake them in time for dinner."
Dobby's fingers were snapping and he was already holding the camera before Harry had finished his sentence.
"Can't Dobby have something harder to do? Please?"
Harry could only shake his head in amusement. "Okay. Do you remember that cheesecake that Pansy liked so much? It was white chocolate raspberry."
"Oh yes. Miss Pansy loved it so much she made those noises she usually only makes when master Harry is in the bedroom with her."
"Um, yeah, right," Harry blushed. Dobby didn't usually mention that sort of thing. Maybe it was payback for making him take part of the day off? "Anyway, I was wondering if you could make some of that for tonight. I'd like to have a treat for... you know, actually, maybe we should do a picnic. It has been pretty warm today, so... Yeah, I think that's what I'll do. Do you think you could have that made and placed into a basket for us by about nine o'clock?"
"Of course sir," Dobby grinned. "That will be a piece of cake for Dobby. A piece of cheesecake!"
Harry chuckled and thanked him as Dobby smiled and left to get to work.
He was pleased when he went back out to find the two girls still dozing away. Harry made sure he had the frame lined up just right before he snapped a couple of pictures and the girls woke up with the sound.
"What?" Luna murmured as she drowsily sat up. "What time is it?"
Harry had tucked the camera behind his back as they opened their eyes. He felt Dobby take it from him and he promised that he would have to do something nice for the little guy later.
"It's almost dinner, so I'm afraid nap time is over."
"What did Dumbledore want?" Pansy asked after yawning.
"Nothing too important," Harry shrugged.
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'll tell you later, but why don't we go eat first?"
Pansy had been wondering about Harry's pleasantly calm demeanor all day long. The stares from most of the room had felt bothersome even to her when they went to dinner, and yet he barely seemed to notice as they made small talk and ate. Luna was unflappable as always of course. She mulled this over as she mostly listened to the two of them.
After their meal, Harry whispered to her that he had something special planned for later that evening. She wasn't sure how much later he might mean, but she'd had a nice long nap that afternoon. They did have classes the next day though.
They walked Luna to the Ravenclaw tower once she'd had enough dessert and then slowly made their way back towards their quarters hand in hand. He didn't have much to say, but she imagined that he would want to wait for privacy before they got into discussing anything important. When the Fat Lady's portrait swung open to let them into the Gryffindor common room, they were met by more stares as the room went quiet.
Pansy was about to get annoyed, but Harry just tugged her along to their rooms. As the door shut behind them, he merely pulled her over to the couch with a smile on his face.
"How can that not bother you?" she practically shrieked.
"They just can't help themselves," Harry grinned. "They're all blinded by your beauty. How can I blame them for that?"
She snorted but sat down and tried to relax. "You know that isn't why they're staring."
"Yeah, but who cares? I think I'd like to be done worrying over other people."
"Are you going to tell me exactly what happened yesterday? If I felt a presence that almost certainly had to be my mother, then you must have seen... something."
"Oh, I did," he nodded. "I'm just waiting for Dobby to have something ready."
"Dobby was ready while master Harry was still eating," the elf said as he appeared and set down a picnic basket on the table in front of them. "Dobby also thought a drink would be needed and gathered a blanket. Master Harry doesn't always remember everything, but that's what Dobby is for!"
"You're the best, Dobby," Harry chuckled as the elf blushed and reached out his hands.
"Isn't it a little late for a picnic?" Pansy asked.
"We have magic, so I don't think we'll have any problems. Besides, you had a nice little nap this afternoon. If anyone should be worried about staying up too late, it's me. But we also have History in the morning."
"You know, we might want to pay attention in that class at some point. We do have our OWLs coming up."
"I don't think I'm physically capable of staying awake when listening to Binns' voice."
"You're incorrigible," she scoffed. "But you might have a point. Still, we could try reading the text while in the class to prepare."
"One more nap won't make that much difference."
"Alright," she stood up and grabbed Dobby's hand. Harry checked his pocket and took hold as well.
They popped out onto a clear area of the grounds south of the castle. The water from the lake gently lapping against the shore was the only sound they could hear. Harry cast a notice-me-not charm so they wouldn't be disturbed and then conjured some small blue flames that he guided into a bowl and then began setting up their picnic area.
"You're getting some extra boyfriend points tonight," she said, making him laugh. "Are you wanting a reward some time soon? Because you might want to think about that. I've got a couple of ideas."
"I'm sure you do. Your creativity is one of the things I love about you." Harry sat on the blanket spread on the ground and beckoned for her to join him. He reached into the basket and pulled out two plates.
"Is that cheesecake?"
"Yeah, that white chocolate raspberry kind that you liked so much. Did you know that Dobby went to spy on that restaurant so that he could learn how to make it properly? I think I might have encouraged his sneaky side too much."
"Nonsense. You can never be too sneaky," she said as she sat down beside him and took her first bite. Pansy moaned happily- Dobby had done a marvelous job yet again. "And if this is the result of Dobby's efforts, then we should encourage him even more."
"I'm glad you approve."
"Are you trying to butter me up?" Pansy asked before shuddering again when she took another bite.
"Not really. But I did have something to ask you."
"What?"
"I was wondering if you would like to go shopping once we finish the term here."
"Of course I want to go shopping," she replied.
"I meant for something specific," he said as he set his plate aside. Harry pulled something out of a pocket and looked at her seriously, even as his smile remained. "It's said that a brush with death can make you reconsider things in your life. Well, that sort of happened for me, although it didn't really change that much, now that I think about it. I've just decided that I don't like waiting. So, this summer, I think we should start visiting jewelry stores."
"For?" she asked, not trying to jump to conclusions, no matter how much part of her wanted to.
"I'd like to have a ring that I can put in a box like this," he answered, showing what was in his hand. "That way I can properly propose that we get married as soon as possible. But, I also realize that you have much better taste than me- and if you're going to be wearing a ring for decades and decades to come, then I want to make sure that we get the perfect one. I don't trust myself to do that. I lucked out in finding the perfect girl; I doubt I could find the perfect ring too."
"We don't have to go to that much trouble," she replied, even as she also started trying to picture the ring she wanted.
"You deserve it. You'll only be getting the one engagement ring, so I want it to be amazing."
"Amazing might cost a lot."
"That's fine. I don't know if you've heard, but I'm kind of rich. Once those bounties roll in for the Death Eaters I killed, we'll be even more rich. I think we can afford to splurge a bit for something like this."
Pansy decided not to control herself anymore, other than very briefly setting her unfinished cheesecake out of the way before launching herself at him. They fell back onto the blanket as she proceeded to try to snog his lights out.
When she finally came up for air, sitting astride him, Pansy looked down and smiled at Harry's neck. She might have left a mark or two on him, and she wasn't planning on letting him heal it before showing off her handiwork to the rest of the school tomorrow. Anyone that might not approve could piss off.
"I love you," she said with a sigh. "Now, why don't you tell me what happened?"
"Alright. You'll need to get off me if you want me to be able to think properly."
"Of course," she giggled. "My poor Harry can only think with one head at a time. I guess we might want to finish the cheesecake first too."
"Yeah, and I'm curious about what drinks Dobby picked out."
Pansy began eating again while Harry checked the basket.
"Hmm," he muttered. "Dobby must have been reading my mind."
"Why?"
"We're celebrating, apparently," Harry answered as he pulled a couple of long stemmed glasses out and then a bottle.
"Is that champagne?" she asked, unable to tell for certain in the dim light.
"It is."
"Where did Dobby get that?" Pansy asked. "Did you plan that far out?"
"No, but I won't turn it down."
"Well, you did sort of ask me to marry you," she said with a smirk. "I guess a celebration is in order."
"I propose a toast then," Harry said just before the loud pop of the cork. He poured them each a glass, barely managing not to spill anything. "To the woman worth coming back from the dead for."
"Harry-" he cut her off with a kiss before passing over the champagne.
"To you, my love." He raised his glass and she couldn't help but grin.
"Fine, to me."
They clinked their glasses together and each took a drink of bubbly.
"This is good," she said. "I think this is the same type we had at the Delacours for New Year's."
"I wonder if that's where he got it from."
"Maybe." Pansy took another drink and stretched her legs out on the blanket. "So, talk Harry. I've waited long enough."
"Okay." He took another drink and then set the glass off to the side before laying back and looking up at the stars. Pansy followed his lead and lay next to him.
"It's a nice night. Not many clouds, so we've got a great view." He hummed to himself for a moment. "I think that's a good place to start. We view our lives... really, the only way we can I suppose. It's not like you can easily detach yourself, but I saw something far beyond me when I died. At least, I think I died. Or pretty close to it, anyway."
"What was it?" she whispered as she curled up next to him, noticing Harry still staring up into the sky.
"Everything, for a moment anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw something practically infinite," he muttered before turning to look at her for a moment. "Sorry if that sounds strange, but it was a pretty strange experience. I met Death."
"Death?"
"Well, he said it was like a manifestation of Death that a mortal would be able to understand."
"He?"
"Yeah, he took the form of a rather wealthy looking older man. He wore this nicely tailored suit. And he told me a lot of things. Do you remember when Slughorn told us about the horcruxes? And how I guessed that I had one- an accidental one, supposedly- that tied me to him through my scar? Well, that turned out to be true, only it isn't anymore. The little slice of Riddle that was feeding off of me is now gone."
"That's a relief."
"Yeah, he said that what happened was one of the simpler ways of separating what he called the parasite from me. You remember what I told you about how Riddle had looked like this little practically skeletal baby-thing before he got a body back? That's pretty much what it looked like, only more pitiful in a way."
"Pitiful? Please don't tell me you pity that monster."
"Not really," Harry said even as he cocked his head to the side and scanned the stars above him. "I mean, he is a crazy, evil bastard who deserves to die, but I found out just how badly he screwed up. The horcruxes were a terrible mistake."
"What do you mean?"
"There is an afterlife, so that means you're stuck with me in this world and the next."
Pansy giggled and reached over to take his hand in hers. "I think I can manage. I haven't gotten sick of you yet."
"I'd hope not." He smiled for a second and then looked back up. "Anyway, on the other hand, Riddle is out of luck. Apparently, tearing your soul into little pieces in order to try to become immortal means that as those pieces are destroyed in life, they also get destroyed in death. The soul isn't meant to be mangled like that. When what's left of Tom Riddle finally dies, all he'll face is oblivion. And the sad thing, for him anyway, is that he's doomed himself."
"We've still got to get rid of those things before he can be killed though."
"It won't be a problem. I sort of performed Legilimency on the piece that was in my scar. Death told me that I should take what knowledge I wanted from it before it dissolved into nothingness. During that brief moment, it still had some connection to the other pieces, so I got a sort of vision of where each of them are."
"So, we can destroy them and then anyone will be able to kill him. You won't have to do everything, right?"
"I won't necessarily have to, but I think I might end up doing it anyway."
"Why?" Pansy whined. "Why does it always have to be you? For fuck's sake, Harry, let Moody and Sirius and even Dumbledore do shit like this. Riddle isn't your fault and he shouldn't be our fucking problem."
"Don't worry sweetheart," he said with a reassuring tone before kissing the top of her head. "I'll be fine."
"How can you be sure?"
"Well, I've got Death on my side, for one thing."
"What?!"
"Oh yeah, I've still got a lot more to tell you. Did you know that Death can get bored?"
Pansy started to laugh but Harry was apparently serious. "You've got to be kidding me."
"No, he specifically wants to help me so that he can keep us humans around for a long time. Apparently, we entertain him. Oh, and have you heard of the Deathly Hallows?"
"From the children's story?"
"Yeah. The story got some parts of it wrong, and he was pretty annoyed by how Death comes off as this evil jerk trying to trick the brothers into dying, but the three items are all real."
"No way."
"Yep. Here, wait just a second." Harry sat up and pulled his invisibility cloak out of the extended pocket he always kept it in and handed it over. "You are now holding in your hand Death's own cloak from the story. It has been passed down through my family for centuries and it has never worn out."
"But then-"
"I should be gathering the other two some time this summer, according to him anyway. I guess that means something is going to happen to the headmaster." Harry scratched his chin.
"What about him?"
"Oh, he's got the Elder Wand. Death said that I should have all of them within a few months. I wonder if that means that I'll steal it from Dumbledore. I don't think I would kill him for it, but if Riddle somehow did, then he would try to take it, and I'm pretty sure I won't be trying to get in the middle of a fight between those two. Hmm. I guess we'll see soon enough."
"So, if you gather all three, will you be the legendary Master of Death?"
"No, that's just something humans made up. Mortals couldn't be allowed that much power over such an important cosmic force like Death. But, he did sort of hint that I might want to hold onto the wand. The stone, on the other hand, I will be keeping away from everyone. Even you."
"Why?"
"Because it is cursed. Anyone who uses it is driven to cause their own deaths. That part in the story about the second brother killing himself- that's pretty much what it does to everyone. We aren't supposed to try to contact the other side like that. Oh, and I need you to promise me something- you cannot mention this to Luna."
"You think she would want to contact her mother."
"Death pretty much told me so. He warned me about it- he called the Lovegoods 'true believers' in the stories about the Deathly Hallows. I'm not going to let Luna kill herself."
"Yeah, okay, I promise. Luna means too much to me to risk it."
"She is our girl," Harry chuckled. "And I did promise Xeno I would take care of her if I needed to. Now that I think of it, it might be smart for me to think about using the Fidelius charm. We did learn about it last year from Flitwick. Although... I don't remember why exactly. Were we researching it because my parents had used it?"
Pansy shook her head. "I don't remember either. But let's stay focused. What else about Death?"
"Oh right, so yeah, Death and I made a bargain. He will look out for us and I will become a conduit for him to interact with the mortal world. He made it sound like humans were doomed otherwise."
"Why would we be doomed?"
"Pollution and things like that," Harry answered as he closed his eyes. "I'm not sure what all he's going to do, but he made it sound like there would be some big things- really powerful things- that would be necessary to save us. Did I mention that we entertain him? He showed me that there are something like seven hundred worlds in our galaxy right now with life on them, but none of them are at the same level of evolution as us. I think some have come before us, and some will definitely come after, but for now, Death is invested in keeping us around."
"So that he won't get bored," Pansy snorted. "That still sounds crazy."
"Apparently eternity can get really tedious if you don't have ways to amuse yourself. We happen to be one of those ways for Death. Since he was offering his help, I wasn't going to argue with him. I just hope he was right.
"You know, he made it seem like Riddle was no big deal," Harry said as he lay back down. "He said that in the greater scheme of things, there were much bigger problems. I think that's why he wanted me to deal with him on my own. Like... like I'm supposed to deal with him because he wasn't worth Death's time. Although, he did say he would step in if he needs to, but..."
"But you think you can do it on your own," Pansy sighed, placing her hand on top of Harry's chest. "Haven't you done enough?"
"Trust me, everything's going to be alright." Harry glanced over at her with a smile. "Besides, I'm going to make Sirius help with at least part of it. And I guess you could too, if you want."
"What do you mean?"
"Destroying the horcruxes," Harry replied as he looked back up at the stars. "Three of them should be fairly easy. We'll need to wait a little while though. Sirius is getting married next weekend."
"Next weekend? Why that soon? I thought it was going to be this summer."
"After the battle, he didn't want to wait anymore." Harry chuckled to himself. "And he has somehow tricked Kathryn Nott into falling for him. The wedding is going to be next Sunday. I assume you'll be my date."
"Of course. Are you going to be part of the wedding itself?"
"No. They're going with a smaller ceremony. After what just happened, I don't think we want me being there to screw up things for the happy couple. If the press found out I was there, they'd probably swarm the place. Plus, he and Lupin are still pals, so Lupin's going to be his best man."
"Do you mind that?"
"Not really. It might have been fun to be more involved under different circumstances, but I think this will be for the best." Harry closed his eyes and thought for a moment before chuckling. "I do have to warn you that I will be busy next Friday night as my presence is required for the bachelor party."
"Oh my... with Sirius, that could be..."
"Yeah, I'm hoping he won't try to get me so drunk that I have to spend the rest of the weekend vomiting. If I'm lucky, my wonderful girlfriend might take care of me when I get home."
"We'll see," Pansy said with a smirk. "But, shouldn't that be your wonderful fiancee now?"
"Well, when I sort of asked, you didn't sort of answer."
"Too late to take it back, Harry," she laughed. "You're going to be spending an awful lot of money buying me an astoundingly gorgeous ring, and then you're going to have to come up with an amazing proposal to convince me to keep you."
"Challenge accepted," he chuckled.
And with that they both relaxed under the stars and set their worries aside. They had much better things to think about.
It was the next day as Potions ended that Pansy found herself splitting away from Harry before lunch. She told him that she would meet him in the Great Hall in a bit. But first, she had something to take care of in the bathroom- and she made sure that Lavender wasn't going with Parvati.
Once she had seen they were definitely alone, she charmed the door for privacy and waited for Parvati to finish her business. Pansy was washing her hands at the sinks and watching in the mirror.
"Did you tell anyone?" she asked just before Parvati could turn the water on.
"What?"
"At the ministry the other day- you kissed Harry. Did you tell anyone?"
Parvati flinched and stared at her hands for a moment. When she looked up, Pansy already knew the answer.
"I... I might have mentioned it to my sister when I got back," Parvati admitted. "She was really worried about me, and she's known how I've felt about him for a long time. Padma still thinks I'm crazy, so I sort of wanted to just... I don't know."
"I understand, I think," Pansy said. "Is that all?"
"Well..." Parvati finished washing and started drying her hands before finally grimacing as she looked in the mirror. "I might have also said something to Lavender."
Pansy laughed.
"I know," Parvati groaned. "She's my best friend, but now the whole school's going to know. I'm sorry."
"You know, I'm not actually that mad," Pansy said with a smirk. "You did help save Luna's dad, and Harry told me about how you even killed one of the Death Eaters. But telling Lavender, that's going to cost you."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, once I hear about it going around, then I'll have to confront you, obviously. It will be very public. I can't let other girls think they can just snog Harry whenever they feel like it. You're just going to have to deal with my anger. If you're lucky though, I might be able to subtly warn you when it's coming. How's your numbing charm?"
"Good. Why?"
"You might want to start practice numbing your left cheek. I'm right handed."
"Huh?" Parvati's eyes flashed with recognition after a second of thought. "Oh. Yeah, I got it. Thanks for not being too mad at me."
"I'm in too good a mood to let anything screw that up."
"As much as I might not have enjoyed watching you two snog like that in the middle of the ministry's lobby, it was infinitely preferable to seeing Harry hit by that curse. That was the worst thing I'd ever felt; if I was ever around the dementors again, I think it might be what they made me relive. Even worse, it came right as we all thought we'd won and survived the battle and everything." Parvati sighed. "I'm glad everything turned out okay."
"Me too," Pansy agreed. "Ready for lunch?"
"Yeah. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What is Arithmancy like? It's not what I imagined Harry or you would be interested in. I've heard it was really stuffy and filled with maths, and honestly it sounded like the sort of thing Hermione would adore. I think I'd rather claw my eyes out than take a class like that."
"It is pretty dry at times, but I've always been pretty good with numbers," Pansy shrugged. "I think Harry would tell you that it's his least favorite of the electives we've taken, but Care of Magical Creatures hasn't been the same ever since he accidentally killed that dragon. Hagrid's never completely forgiven him for that."
"Hagrid is mental."
"I think we all know that," Pansy snorted. "Do you actually like Divination? I've heard it's rather... silly."
Parvati giggled in reply. "Professor Trelawney does have her moments, but there are parts of it I really like. I mean, I know that horoscopes can be really open-ended, but with something like predicting the weather- that's really useful. Just imagine wearing a cute outfit to Hogsmeade, not knowing that it was going to be pouring rain later that day, and then your favorite blouse got soaked and the wrong sort of boys were staring at you. Yuck!"
"But I'm sure you wouldn't mind if it was a little see through around... say, Harry?"
"Of course not!" Parvati stuck her nose in the air. "We all know that Harry is a gentleman."
"A gentleman that you would happily let stare at your boobs," Pansy chuckled.
They were both still grinning as they went to lunch.
Unfortunately, the rumor was already making the rounds later that afternoon, so Pansy gave Parvati a glare as they left the last class of the day. Professor Watts already had them going over things they would need to learn for the OWLs, which were just over a month away.
Pansy could tell that a lot of people were shocked by how loud the slap was when they got down to dinner that evening. She'd seen Parvati slip into the restroom after Defense, so she had to assume she was prepared.
She didn't bother saying anything. Pansy figured the little brief bit of violence was enough of a message.
And she might have rather possessively taken hold of Harry's arm for the next couple of days, just in case. There were still a number of girls eyeing Harry even more than usual. The next morning's paper had already dubbed him the Chosen One on the front page. That one third year girl Vane was practically salivating while watching him at meals.
Luna helped out by sitting on Harry's other side so they had a small buffer zone.
Pansy had a feeling that she might have to make a couple more displays to get some of the fans to leave them be. She doubted Harry would mind, but she was still considering how far she might need to go.
The mail started to pour in almost immediately. Harry was once again beloved, now loudly dubbed the Chosen One. While there were people who were merely encouraging, those who thanked him for saving them all once again quickly started to grate on him. He hadn't done anything to try to save the world, he was merely trying to help the people he cared about. The public seemed to want to make him into something much more grandiose, and Harry found it fairly annoying.
But that was nothing compared to the people who wrote in asking him what he would do next. Or how he would stop 'you-know-who' for good.
Or why he hadn't already done so- there were actually two different arseholes who sent in letters asking precisely that. Pansy started to rant about useless fucking ingrates, but Harry merely sighed and chucked the parchment onto the fire.
He'd learned his lessons about the fickle public, so he was going to try to mostly ignore it.
"Welcome, everyone, to our last meeting," Harry began and immediately the groans started. He grinned in response. "I suppose I should be proud that you all seem to have enjoyed this little gathering of ours. Unfortunately, a number of us have some very big exams coming up, so I don't really think we can spend too much more time here."
"But you-know-who is still out there," someone piped up from the rear of the room.
"Call him Tom Riddle," Harry said with a slight grimace. "He is still out there, but he's had a big loss recently. You might have heard something about it- I believe the paper may have had a story or two in the last few issues."
There was a lot of laughter at that, some of it still a touch nervous as everyone seemed to be even more awed than usual by Harry. The people in that room had gotten to know him a bit better over the course of the year though, and Pansy was thankful that most of the girls there seemed to have realized that he was taken. Even Susan Bones had gotten the message, so Pansy had to assume that it would be rude for her to sneer at the girl as much as she used to.
"Now, I have it on good authority-" Harry gestured towards the rear of the room, where Watts was once again watching and he nodded in return. "For those of us who have these big exams coming up, the Patronus is known as a very advanced spell. Some of you have learned it, and most of the rest of you have been getting closer. If you can conjure one, I am fairly certain that it will help improve your score in Defense. I was thinking we could work on it a bit more tonight, and if any of you are wanting to continue later, just remember to have a partner in case you wear yourselves out."
"Aren't you worried about Riddle though? He tried to kill you," Neville said.
"Yeah, and he's tried before a few times too. You'd think he might have learned a lesson by now," Harry answered with a small smirk. "I'm still here."
"It looks like the Prophet finally got something right for once," Fred said.
"Yeah, Harry really must be the Chosen One," George added with a grin. "I believe in you anyway, mate."
"I've been called worse things before," Harry shrugged. "But we aren't here to discuss the paper. Let's work on the Patronus. Everyone should have at least one partner to watch you as you cast, just in case you push too hard. I'll go around the room and try to offer advice where I can. Any other questions before we begin?"
"Do you think you'll run this again next year?" Susan asked, clearly hopeful.
"I'd like to think there won't be any reason for me to need to do so," Harry replied with a smile. "We'll just have to see how things go between now and next fall. Right then, everyone, remember to use your most powerful positive feelings and let's see what everybody's got."
Cries of Expecto Patronum were soon ringing out all across the room.
A few days later, Pansy was once again sitting on her couch with Luna. Depeche Mode's Violator was playing in the background- ever since she'd told the story about the little blue dress that she'd teased Harry with starting three summers ago, and hence, why Blue Dress was his favorite song on the album, it had become one of Luna's favorites as well.
The two of them had been working on a couple of assignments, Charms for Pansy and Potions for Luna, while taking only the occasional break for bouts of girl talk.
"It's too bad that Harry decided to cancel Surviving Death Eaters 101," Luna said as she pushed her parchment aside. "I understand why he did, but I'll miss it. It was a lot of fun. I suppose we won't need to worry as much with all the Death Eaters dead. Or almost all of them, anyway."
"The girls in Slytherin who needed to fight last winter probably got the most out of all the training," Pansy added.
"Unfortunately so," Luna agreed. "Although, I think Harry might have needed the group more than any of us."
"What do you mean?"
"It pushed him to really think about everything that needed to happen. Between keeping his friends alive and safe, to knowing just how far the good guys might need to go in order to fight fire with fire, and building up a larger group that can fight off the dementors if the need arises- they are still out there somewhere, remember? Harry's had all of that on his mind; he's been shouldering the burden admirably, but I hope that he won't need to do it anymore. I don't want my best friend to have to be the Chosen One. I'd rather he just have normal things to worry about. Like ways to surprise his girlfriend."
"You know something," Pansy said, her eyes lighting up as she noticed Luna's change of tone. "What is he planning?"
"I had to help him with a potion," she answered with a dreamy grin. "Believe me, you don't want this spoiled. You'll love it."
"I don't like surprises."
"First of all, stop pouting, that won't work on me," Luna replied. "Secondly, I know you've liked some of Harry's surprises before. Such as how he got rid of your father for you."
"I was worried at the time."
"Which made it that much better once you found out," Luna added. "And as I recall, it also helped you perform the role of the surprised daughter even better."
"Fine," Pansy sighed.
Luna yawned. "I thought he might be home by now."
"You don't have to stay up all night with me, sweetie."
"I don't mind," Luna shrugged. "I'm kind of looking forward to seeing one of Dobby's breakfasts."
"Alright, but you might have to take the other bedroom tonight. I'm hoping Harry will be functional enough for us to have some fun before we go to sleep."
"Lucky you," Luna teased.
"Let's hope so," Pansy replied with a smirk. "But if not, then Harry might not be the most pleasant person to wake up with tomorrow."
"Don't you already have a potion for him?"
"And a sobering charm will probably be leaving my wand as soon as he shows up."
"Can I come eat breakfast in bed with you once we're all awake?" Luna asked.
"I suppose we should get dressed first and make sure Harry is capable of taking in solid food."
"Don't go to any trouble on my account," Luna said. "I won't mind at all if neither of you is dressed."
"Of course," Pansy snorted.
"Besides, it might be fun to feed Harry if he's still feeling bad. It could be like a sick little kid." Luna got a gleeful expression. "That could be good practice for my role as Aunty Luna someday. Just imagine little Harry junior pouting as he says his tummy feels bad. 'Aunty Luna's got medicine for you, so open up.' He'll love me, of course, so it won't be any trouble at all."
"Maybe not. What if he says, 'medicine tastes yucky. I don't wanna.' Then he'll go back to pouting and you'll have to work harder."
"All Aunty Luna medicines will taste yummy though."
"Luna, tiramisu isn't actually a medicine."
"Hush you heathen," Luna scolded. "It always makes me feel better."
"That's because you have a sweet tooth the size of Hagrid," Pansy snorted. Before the conversation could continue, Dobby and Harry appeared. The elf had a camera in his other hand and he disappeared with it as Harry fell over.
"Honey, I'm home!" he giggled.
"Oh dear, it does look pretty serious," Luna sighed.
"Pretty serious?" Harry laughed again. "I don't think he's pretty at all. Girls are pretty, not Sirius."
"This is bad," Pansy groaned. "He would never think puns like that were funny normally." She looked down at her very inebriated boyfriend, who was still giggling to himself as he rolled around on the floor. One of the nice things about Harry was that he was at least a happy drunk. "Did you have fun tonight?"
"Strippers," Harry snorted. "Bad then good."
"Oh, are strippers fun?" Luna asked. "I haven't seen that before, but I'd like to someday."
"Lupin had this one come out, she was sooo fat," Harry chuckled. "Sirius looked like he was going to cry while she danced for him. But then- then the real one came out and she was this really hot blonde."
"I'm liking where this is going," Luna said as Pansy got up, shaking her head and considering if she should cast the sobering charm on him yet. She could always see if Harry admitted anything that she could hold over his head, which was pretty tempting. Pansy decided to wait for a moment; curiosity got the better of her.
"Sirius was really happy then," Harry continued. "He said, 'this is what I'm looking forward to. Why do you think I planned for a two week honeymoon?' And I said, 'why?' And he said, he said because he was panning on shagging for two weeks straight. That sounds like fun to me. Do you think I could get Pansy to do that on our honeymoon?"
"What did this hot blonde stripper look like, Harry?" Luna asked. "I want you to paint me a vivid picture."
"Oh, you know. She was like, kinda tall... but that might have been the heels," Harry frowned for a moment. "I wasn't really standing up, you know? And I was sort of looking up at her, so it was hard to tell for sure. And she had big boobs, but..."
"But what?"
"I don't think they were real."
"Fake boobies?" Luna asked. "How would someone do that?"
"No, I mean like she'd had a boob job," Harry answered.
"Harry, I know what a blow job is, and I know what a hand job is," Luna lectured. "I can imagine what a boob job would be, but I don't see how that means that her boobies were fake."
"No, um... a boob job is another way of saying a breast um... what is it called?" Harry scratched his head for a moment. "I mean, some people get a surgery to make their boobs bigger. You know, like in the muggle world. Do witches have a way of doing something like that?"
"A surgery," Luna scowled. "That doesn't sound very fun. And yes, there are a couple of ways to do something like that with magic. Why do you ask?"
Harry shrugged. Pansy was watching him carefully for an answer.
"What were we talking about?" he asked before rubbing his head. "And why haven't either of you cast a, a... a non-drunky spell at me yet?"
"You're kind of funny like that," Luna said with a smile. "I think I like drunk Harry. You're much better than my father. Daddy tends to get rather maudlin. That's why we keep the house alcohol free usually. He's so much more funny on mushrooms."
"Mushrooms are good on pizza," Harry said.
"Not those types of mushrooms."
"Right, right," Harry nodded. "Pansy, will you fix me up now?"
"I don't know, will you make it worth my while?"
"Of course." He waggled his eyebrows and grinned. "I'm more than ready for that."
"I'll let you two enjoy yourselves then," Luna said as she got up. "Don't forget his hangover potion before breakfast."
"I won't, sweetie," Pansy replied. "Now, what am I going to do with you?"
"I've got a lot of good ideas. They involve us taking all these pesky clothes off though."
"Maybe I'm not in the mood for something like that." Harry's face fell and Pansy stifled a smirk. "You did just tell me that you spent the night ogling other women."
"I'm not the one that decided to go to a strip club," Harry protested. "Besides, none of them were as hot as you."
"Really?"
"Yeah, remember that time, um... it was after the dragon," Harry smiled brightly. "You did the sexy stripping that evening. Remember that? That was like the best night of my life. One of them, anyway."
"I'm glad you think so."
"Yeah, you should really do that again some time."
"You want me to strip for you?" Pansy asked with a grin. "I thought you liked taking my clothes off."
"That's fun too," he nodded before reaching up to grab his head. "I... ugh, I think I might need to go to the bathroom. I probably had too much to drink tonight."
"I can tell," Pansy snorted.
"That's not my fault either," Harry groaned. "Tonks was there."
"Really? I thought this was going to be an all guys sort of thing." Pansy took pity on him then and used her wand as she didn't want to have to deal with him vomiting in the middle of the room.
"Thanks," he said as the sobering charm washed over him. "She looked like a guy when we first got there, so I didn't recognize her, but then I turned around and it was back to good old pink haired little Nymmie. Sirius called her that, and I think she was seriously considering hexing him in front of all the muggles. But then she mostly ignored him and started talking to me a lot. And then she introduced me to jelly shots.
"And we had a lot of them."
"How many is a lot?"
"I was too drunk to count by then," Harry replied as he crawled over to the couch and put his head in her lap. "I love you, you know?"
"I know."
"I think my head should feel better soon, and then I'm hoping to show you just how much in the bedroom."
"It's almost two, Harry." Pansy yawned and he cracked open one of his eyes at her. "You're lucky I waited up for you."
He yawned as well. It was apparently contagious. "I guess we could always have fun tomorrow. Just don't make me try to stand up yet."
She giggled and played with his hair for a moment. "Please tell me you got some pictures of Sirius acting like a fool."
"Of course," Harry grinned without opening his eyes. "Evidence and more reasons to take the piss out of him were the main reasons I went."
"Good boy," she teased, scratching behind his ears. Harry made a softly grumbling happy sound, something like a purr while Pansy yawned again. It was really late, and she was more than ready for bed. Fun could wait till tomorrow as far as she was concerned. Now she just needed to convince Harry of the same thing.
She took a moment to relax and enjoy the quiet, but she had to look down again when she heard Harry start to snore. "Dobby, please tell me you're still up."
"Dobby is here miss."
"Thank you," she exhaled. "Help me get Harry into bed please."
"Miss doesn't usually need help with that," Dobby replied.
"You're such a joker sometimes," Pansy smirked once the elf floated him up from off her lap. "Will you mind making breakfast for Luna tomorrow too?"
"No, but Dobby thinks that Winky might want to help. Dobby and Winky tries not to fight when our families do things together."
"Thanks. With the wedding only another day away, I believe Harry and I will have plenty for you to do over the weekend anyway."
"Miss Pansy says the nicest things."