"I just don't like the idea of a couple of Gryffindors spying on me," the group mumbled in agreement.
"I wouldn't worry about it too much," he offered with a reassuring smile.
...
She smiled back, 'I knew it!' echoing through her mind when she noticed one of Harry's tells, knowing that the Ravenclaw was up to something and was most likely going to try to get it for himself, or already had it.
"So, what are we going to do about the Chamber? Tell the staff or not?" Tonks asked the room.
"I believe we should, but let's make sure that we have all the facts first. After that, then we can go together as a group," Harry suggested. "That way we all get the credit."
"What if some of us don't want to take credit for this?" Blaise asked, playing the role of devil's advocate. "Like you said earlier, this could paint targets on our backs for retaliation; I'd rather not have to worry about getting cursed in the back."
"Then you won't be mentioned," Harry offered simply.
"Or we could just ask the staff to keep your involvement quiet if you're scared," Tracy added with a grin of her own. "Just means more credit for me."
"So you don't care about angering this 'heir' or even Lord Malfoy?" Blaise countered quickly, showing a fair bit of emotion.
"I'm just a half-blood," Tracy spat, her eyes locking with his. "I'm beneath them already as far as they're concerned. It would be nice to see them brought low for a change. I'd love to see how the mighty have fallen."
"How about we change the subject before angry words are spoken that we'll all regret," Tonks offered, looking between the pair. "It's the Gryffindor against Hufflepuff match this weekend, so who's playing in Neville's place?"
"Cormac McLaggen, a third year. He's considered a bit of a know-it-all loudmouth," Harry voiced with another yawn, before shooting Penny and Padma pointed looks as if blaming them for his exhaustion. "I've put 5G on Hufflepuff to win; Cormac is untested."
...
( Dorm Room )
"Let's talk, Harry," Penny expressed firmly, following him into his room as he collapsed face down onto his soft bed, as the full effects of the Pepper-Up Potion he had taken earlier wore off and the inevitable major crash in energy occurred.
"Can't this wait until tomorrow?" he begged, wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep for a week straight.
"No," Penny expressed firmly, taking no pity on him. "You have that map, don't you?"
He saw no point in lying to her, as he just wanted her to leave so he could get some much-needed sleep. "Yes," he answered simply. "It's mine by right of blood," stating his reasoning.
"You don't care that Neville had a major falling out with his friends due to that map, do you?" the elder girl asked, testing his morality, her arms crossing over her large chest in disapproval.
"No, why would I?" he answered simply and bluntly, his eyes shutting on their own accord. Whatever Penny said next was a blur of words with no meaning to his mind, as he shifted into the realm of dreams and sexual fantasies.
...
"Harry, can you stay behind for a minute?" Professor Flitwick requested as the Charms class ended. Walking over to the professor's desk, he privately wondered what his head of house wanted to discuss, before several possible scenarios came to mind.
First was the fact that he had missed a lesson on Monday morning without a sick note, another was that he was leaving the school next Thursday for a business trip with Sirius, and then there was Luna.
"What is it you wanted to see me about, Professor?" he asked quickly, knowing that Padma was standing outside the classroom waiting for him.
"You weren't in DADA on Monday. Any reason why?" his head of house asked from behind his desk, already knowing Harry's poor opinion of the subject's teacher.
"Overslept," he replied with a dismissive shrug, before adding, "Not that it matters. I could take my DADA OWLs right now and most likely get an acceptable without much effort on my part."
"Rather arrogant of you, don't you think, Harry?" the Charms master said with a bit of disapproval in his voice.
"I prefer to think of it as merely well-founded self-confidence," he countered easily without pause, already expecting the professor's remarks.
He was more than aware that he was far ahead of his peers in combat prowess, all thanks to his independent training, which quite frankly consumed a great deal of his free time. Having a deranged killer making a few attempts on your life also helped greatly in the motivation department.
In his free time he was either training with Tonks, doing homework, practicing or training for Quidditch, exercising, engaging in his various independent studies, such as becoming an Animagus, or tutoring Luna, not to mention keeping an eye on his extensive business assets and ongoing business projects, all the while trying to solve the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets… oh, and looking out for Peter and his next try to kill him.
"But then again, I've been dueling with my cousin since my first year and already knew a dozen third-year spells by the end of first year. With Peter about, dueling fills up any free time I have."
"I'm afraid that I'll still have to assign you a detention for this Thursday night," the Charms master stated with a sigh of disapproval, most likely trying to make him feel guilty, but utterly failing at it.
"Ok," he said simply. "Anything else?"
"How's your mentoring of Luna going?"
He kept his answer short and to the point, as he wasn't in a mood for a protracted discussion today. "Fine, she is a model student." Plus, he was annoyed at the detention for speaking the truth and it being assigned for missing such a worthless lesson anyway.
"Any problems?" the Charms master pushed.
"Nope," he answered, feeling no need to expand upon his answer.
"And the bullying?" the professor asked.
"On the decline. Chang and her friends are still a problem. A lot of students still call her 'Looney Luna,'" he voiced with his own disapproval.
"That is unfortunate," the Charms master expressed with another sigh.
'No shit,' he mentally replied before asking, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"
"Yes, I received a notice from your godfather stating that he'll be removing you from the school this next Thursday on family matters," the half-goblin said, looking at him seriously. "The headmaster has already voiced his disapproval to Sirius for the interruption to your schooling."
"It's not really any of his concern," he countered with a wave of his hand, dismissing the point. "And as the heir to a Most Ancient and Noble House, I need to be aware of the dealings my godfather, acting as my guardian, does in my name. This will be the first of many such times, I expect, over the course of my education," Harry expressed, making his position crystal clear on the matter.
"If it becomes a concern, I'll just drop Quidditch, since it takes up a lot of my free time and energy," he added, remembering how his head of house had been dancing in the stands as the Ravenclaw team dominated Slytherin with his help. He would drop the sport easily, as it held little long-term benefit to his goals outside Hogwarts.
"I never said that," the professor stated hurriedly, before frowning, clearly realizing that he had just been manipulated by a second year, even if it was likely unintentional on Harry's part.
"Is there anything else?" Harry asked.
"No, you can go," Professor Flitwick answered, waving his own hand to dismiss him.
...
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