Harry searched for a dance partner among Hogwarts students, but most had paired up—Gafgarion with Agrias, Draco with Pansy, Zabini with Tracey. After Zacharias Smith stole his prospect, Harry feared dancing with Farkas until a voice intervened.
"Trouble, Potter?" Daphne Greengrass, confident in a green Slytherin dress, her black hair flowing, stood with a taller, blue-haired girl.
"Yeah, big trouble. You're Daphne Greengrass, right?" Harry asked, unsure. At Hogwarts, she was reserved, unremarkable. Today, she was vibrant.
"Forgetting a face you saw every morning? Are those glasses decorative?" Daphne teased.
We barely talked, Harry thought. Her boldness was new—perhaps she hid it around Pansy.
"This is Meliadore Folz from Beauxbatons," Daphne said, introducing her friend. "I'm Farkas Sadalfas, Harry's friend, Slytherin. Will you dance with me?" Farkas asked Meliadore.
"I'm looking for a partner too," Meliadore replied, glancing at Daphne. Harry sensed a setup but ignored it.
Daphne's parents urged her to befriend Harry. "The Greengrass family faces poor treatment among pure-bloods. Connections matter," her father said. Daphne orchestrated pairings—Pansy with Draco, Tracey with Zabini, Millicent with Azrael—clearing her path to Harry. Her only miscalculation: Harry didn't recognize her dolled-up appearance.
"Let's dance. I'm a terrible lead, so guide me," Harry said, tossing pride aside.
Daphne frowned. "I can keep up with any tempo. You'll regret not leading."
They danced to erratic wizarding tunes and a slow Muggle classic. Daphne navigated the complex wizarding music effortlessly, humming along. Without Sirius's lessons, Harry would've stumbled. Thank you, Sirius, he thought.
"Impressive, Daphne. Didn't know you were this athletic. No Quidditch?" Harry asked post-dance.
Daphne scoffed. "Quidditch is for boys. Ladies chasing balls or swinging clubs lacks elegance."
Harry noted Slytherin's subtle sexism—pure-blood families often erased women from genealogies or after marriage. Daphne, raised strictly, never dreamed of flying.
Everyone seemed at ease dancing, except Farkas, who, untrained, frustrated Meliadore. Harry moved to help, but Daphne grabbed his arm. "Stop, Potter. This is a battlefield. The unfit fall. We've trained since childhood."
"He's my friend, here on Azrael's invite," Harry protested.
"He should've begged Azrael for lessons. Think of me appeasing Meliadore later," Daphne snapped.
Banarge Bist whispered to Albert Bist, who cast Tarantallegra on Farkas, enabling him to dance flawlessly. "Too soft," Daphne muttered. "We earned our skill."
Harry, who learned via Sirius's magic, stayed silent and offered her juice. They watched the dancers quietly until Harry asked, "Was dorm life tough?"
"Why?" Daphne replied.
"You seem livelier here."
Harry noticed others—Gafgarion and Agrias danced joyfully despite house rivalries; McLaggen, arrogant but sociable, danced with a Slytherin girl; Tracey, who scorned Hufflepuffs, danced with Smith. Many seemed freer here.
"Act like this at Hogwarts, and you'd be pummeled," Daphne said.
Harry chuckled. "True." Only Draco's the same everywhere.
He recalled Gafgarion urging him to "be Slytherin." Did he secretly resent it?
Daphne rambled for twenty minutes about Hogwarts, surprising Harry with her dislike of Snape's favoritism. People are more reasonable than I thought.
"Dorm life—four to a room—was rough. I'd only slept alone," Daphne said.
"Same as us. Mess around with magic, talk nonsense, sleep when tired," Harry joked.
"Barbaric," Daphne said, twirling her hair. "Shouldn't have asked."
"Slytherin's great, though. Meeting everyone this summer's been nice," Harry said.
"That's Slytherin's strength—bonding at events like this, parting with 'see you next year.' It's our normal," Daphne said, proud.
"Hope I'm back next year," Harry replied, anxious yet excited about Hogwarts, feeling ready to face its dangers.
Farkas approached. "Harry, Banarge invited me to Flitwick's Dueling Club after my end-of-year award. Cool, right?"
"Awesome, Farkas!" Harry cheered.
Daphne smirked. Banarge wants Harry, using Farkas as bait. Hufflepuff sincerity? Nonsense. Slytherin tactics weren't exclusive—she admired Banarge's cunning.
"Second-year Inquiry Club's just Thursdays and Fridays. Okay?" Farkas asked.
"Do what you want. We'll cheer you on," Harry said.
New bonds formed: Tracey became Zabini's girlfriend, Farkas joined the Dueling Club, and Harry saw Daphne as a closer friend. Other connections sparked too.
The boys buzzed over Azrael's family unveiling the Nimbus 2001, surpassing the 2000 model. Sirius smiled at Draco's childlike excitement. Peaceful times.
The broom's high cost suited pros, not students, signaling the wizarding world's prosperity. Sirius and Lucius parted amicably on the surface, despite underlying tension. Sirius probed about Dobby but got nothing—Lucius hid his tracks.
The party wasn't fruitless for Sirius. Signing autographs for Harry's friends was mortifying, but their decency reassured him, echoing his old gang. Draco's flawed, but Harry keeps him at arm's length.
Sirius once loathed such gatherings, where pure-bloods casually cursed Muggles. This party was healthier, though oppressive undertones lingered. Sirius prioritized shielding Harry from Lucius and others, ignoring lesser issues, hating himself for it.
Attending opened Sirius to social invitations. The elite world was a battleground of wealth and power, not elegance. He planned to decline most but accepted some, like Azrael's family, for Harry's sake.
Harry needs watching. The kids are fine, but the adults might poison him with twisted ideas.
Sirius's suspicion of Lucius extended to the Greengrasses. Unknown to most, Daphne's uncle, Frock Greengrass, was a Death Eater. Sirius, during Order missions, saw Frock's unmasked face. Not a skilled fighter, Frock was repelled but harmed many. He vanished during the war, listed as missing, blamed on Voldemort's followers, clearing the Greengrass name.
Frock, using Polyjuice in his final battle, died under a Killing Curse as someone else. Unrecognized by Lucius or other Death Eaters, the Greengrasses escaped stigma. Sirius, unaware of this, still distrusted them.
Leaving the dome, Sirius visited the Black family home before returning, knowing he'd grow to hate himself but unaware that day would bring relief.
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