Chapter 25: Beauxbatons Part 1
The first week flew by for Harry who settled into his new classes easily. The structure of the classes was much the same as Hogwarts but the content varied enough that he was able to feign interest a bit more for his usual standard education subjects instead of risking reliving HJP's lessons. What helped though was the group of friends Harry had found on day one. Of the Quidditch Team there were only 5 in his Year but they were all close friends that were more than happy to entertain the new exchange student. Jules, Aimee, and Clarissa in particular had pretty much the same schedule as Harry and happily showed him around. Aimee had also seemingly given up on trying to win Harry's affections pretty early but it seemed to him that she was pushing Clarissa to make a move. The Game agreed.
Sense Intention Skill increased! It is now 35!
He thoroughly enjoyed the different electives offered though and had managed to sign up for 3 of them at the cost of being able to drop History of Magic by testing out. The teacher wasn't happy about it but apparently the exchange program had some personal choice perks available to them so at least Harry didn't feel he was taking advantage of his status. The first elective he had signed up for was Fencing of course, and his grin found its match in Clarissa who had become his regular sparring partner in the class. The class itself featured all three fencing disciplines; the foil, the epee, and the saber. At the start he had thought, wrongly, that his Sword skill would apply to the foil and epee used in Fencing. Sure it had some overlap but after 3 quick hits from Clarissa it became apparent that his skill wouldn't be the deciding factor like he had hoped. The whippy nature of the sword was also counter to his previous hard hitting style that utilized his Strength. Also Harry was delighted to find that he could 'will' certain Boons off when needed as his Blacksmithing Boon Hammer! [Your blows hit with an unexpected force. Results Vary. (1 to Strength Base Score] had disfigured one of the student's weapons when Harry swept it away to the astonishment of the teacher. However a new Notification quickly helped Harry get his feet under him and within a few days had caught up with his peers.
Fencing Skill unlocked! It is now 32!
With the acquisition of the Riposte Boon which gave him an increased ability to parry and counters and the steadily growing skill along with a healthy boost from his Stats, Harry was finally able to hold his own with the foil and epee to the growing annoyance of Clarissa. She knew not to be too mad though as Harry's dominating performance with the saber still had many of the students hesitant to face him again for that discipline and thus she only thought he was very talented.
"You've been practicing hard," Clarissa stated after they had traded blows under the watchful eye of the teacher, "Trying to impress me?"
Harry smiled disarmingly despite her clipped tone, taking some wind out of her sails. She had still won after all, "I've just had a really good partner. I've used swords before but never Fenced before now. Thanks for putting up with my slow start. Do you want me to try to impress you?"
The brunette huffed and, ignoring his question, tossed her mask onto the bench where they were unstrapping their gear before heading to separate changing rooms, "Slow start? Most students need at least a week to hold a foil right. They avoid the epee at least for a few months. And most don't get to hold a saber for a year at least. Though I guess saber is your forte since you still haven't lost with that one"
The saber was definitely Harry's favorite. It was much closer to his own sword and with the increase in the striking area that counted as a hit he was able to utilize more of his skills in the bouts. It was also firmly in the Sword category netting him a few skill increases. The pair parted ways at the locker rooms to change and walked together to lunch discussing the finer points of their bout earlier.
Sword Skill increased! It is now 58!
Break*
Another elective Harry chose was another non-magical one, that of dancing. Specifically ballet. They offered tap but he chose ballet purely for the potential boons, hoping they'd increase his balance and footwork. At least that's what he told himself. Aimee had brought it up during the first night when she had asked Harry what some of his hobbies were. At her request, as the female dominated school had very few males in the class, Harry had approached the Headmistress to add it to the schedule which was approved with little trouble. It had nothing to do with the cute girls in leotards.
Here his skill in Dancing, and the Boon Quick Learner, helped him progress very quickly. So meteoric was his rise over the other males in the class that on the third day the teacher had approached Harry about starring alongside Aimee in one of the upcoming shows the class was putting on. Puppy dog eyes were fully deployed by the partner in question and Harry could find no reason not to accept.
Ballet Skill increased! It is now 41!
Boon: Pas de Deux selected! Your synergy with a partner is easier to obtain.
Break*
Harry's favorite elective though was Cursebreaking. It was the very first class he signed up for when looking into Beauxbatons, due to his natural interest in the subject being a former Horcrux and knowing what he'd need to deal with in the future. The main reason though was Astoria. Harry knew that many Cursebreakers had looked into the Malediction that plagued the females of the Greengrass name to little success beyond the current treatment methods but none of them had the Gamer privileges. This was Harry's hope at least as the young Lord threw himself into the study and then some. Initially the Headmistress had been hesitant to allow a younger student into a class meant for OWL and above but after the reassurances from Albus that the Chosen One would benefit greatly from the experience Harry was allowed to attend. It was the only time thus far that Harry had flexed his status while abroad and he resolved to keep it to a minimum if he could. This class led to a lot of self study and Harry promised himself to find time to go to the Library during the weekend both for supplemental literature and because Skill books were a thing though he doubted there were too many that Hogwarts didn't also carry.
The surprise of this class? Fleur Delacour. Harry hadn't forgotten that she attended this school but at the same time kind of had. Knowing that she met Bill through Cursebreaking, and then seeing the class offered hadn't really sparked the 2 and 2 equation until the day he entered the classroom.
"Students, please welcome Harry here to the class. He will be joining us for the month that he is here. You can sit alongside Ms. Delacour Harry." The teacher motioned over to the only empty seat in the class, which was the closest seat to Fleur who sat in the back corner. Harry immediately recognized her ephemeral, almost unnatural beauty though she didn't give him the time of day.
The Veela was flipping through the textbook with little care as to what was going on around her. She did, however, look up when Harry took the seat beside her. A simple scoff escaped her lips when she saw it was another boy. To her immense surprise, after a quick hello, Harry focused fully on the class. Notes taken, questions asked and answered. No sign of the usual bumbling mess that males become when this close to her. The only other adjacent student was a female who, being in front of Fleur, had an easier time ignoring her. For Harry it was a different story. Ignoring the incredibly attractive girl was hard. So hard in fact that just meeting her eyes for that brief moment as he took his seat resulted in something unexpected.
Allure resisted!
Allure resisted!
Allure resisted!
1 Willpower earned!
And so began the unintentional but welcomed Willpower training. After the first day Harry made a point to greet and talk with the girl before class started. It took only a couple of days before Harry was greeted with a smile as well and the two began an unlikely friendship despite the age gap which Fleur had been shocked to hear about as she had mistook him as a 5th Year. Harry enjoyed her unexpected jokes and impressive work ethic while Fleur was happy that someone of the opposite sex wasn't after more than she wanted to give. It had taken a bit for her to let down even the smallest of her walls as Fleur had been in this situation before with other boys, those strong enough or willful enough to ignore her magical charms, but they were usually putting up a front and waiting for an opportunity. Lord Potter however seemed absent of these ulterior motives and it was a breath of fresh air.
Cursebreaking Skill unlocked! It is now 1!
Cursebreaking Skill increased! It is now 27! One Skill Boon available!
1 Willpower!
1 Willpower!
1 Willpower!
Break*
Daphne stared at her reflection for a moment, double and triple checking the application of her make-up and her outfit. The Greengrass heir had taken to keeping the mirror on her at all times as it seemed to give her a sense of security. Not with the intention to run to Harry with all of her problems, of course, Daphne had too much dignity for that and felt the Head of House Potter had done enough already. It was the closeness it had brought between the sisters. Since the day the pair acquired the interesting artifacts they had made a nightly routine of talking. Sometimes just maintaining the connection while they went about prepping for sleep.
It was the first Hogsmeade weekend and there had been no sign of Harry. After a quick conversation on Potter's 2nd night in France he had let the Greengrass Sisters know that it was unlikely he would be attending the weekend as he was still settling into the school. Daphne could tell there were other reasons but she didn't press. Astoria did but she was unable to get much out of the boy.
Deciding that her outfit was appropriately placed Daphne grabbed a simple hat to help block the light drizzling rain the morning sun had brought. Her wand waved a few times to reinforce it with the Rain Repellant and Warming Charms Harry had taught her and with Tracey's jealous eyes the spells were copied on her companion for the day. Astoria was jealous and wanted to see her sister off but today was another treatment day so the younger Greengrass would be in the Infirmary but the promise of chocolate and a Butterbeer were extracted the previous night during their talks.
Break*
The Village of Hogsmeade was quaint as usual though as with any Hogsmeade weekend it was decidedly more busy. Students bustled between buildings with a joy that countered the dreary weather. Local animals relished the attention of the younger crowds, and distant relatives of the students who lived in the village were greeted with enthusiasm. The blonde had spotted Hermione a few times but it seemed the bookish Gryffindor had forgiven her original redheaded friend and both pairs kept to themselves beyond a simple hello. Daphne and Tracey had already made their rounds and exited the Three Broomsticks with an extra couple of Butterbeers tucked into bags laden with their day's purchases. They were almost out of the Village when a dreaded voice called to them from behind.
"Oh? Well if it isn't the Heir Greengrass! And her little Half-Blood pet! I thought you'd have stopped following the Ice Queen after she stole your boyfriend Davis" The rough voice of Marcus Flint cut across the street making Daphne whip her head over prepared to give a fierce retort. The entourage of upper years around the Flint boy brought her up short however, and instead her face leveled into her usual stoic mask as escape plans began forming.
Tracey held no compunctions however, always the less level headed of the two, and a rude gesture was sent in return which only made the older male smirk. "Now now, no need for that Davis. It's good to see friendship prevail. Besides, you probably taught her all of Potter's buttons right? Here let us help you with those and we can find somewhere drier. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold in this rain"
Daphne resisted a moment when the burly form of Bletchley snatched her bags from her hands and made a show of holding out his elbow. Internally she fumed but already too many students were looking on and the political minefield that was Slytherin House prevented her from excusing herself. Instead she met Tracey's eyes and noted the fire there making her smile.
The smile was quickly dashed as Flint came up to her other side, "I haven't said so yet but you look absolutely stunning today"
"I was actually planning on heading back to the Castle, put away my purchases before dinner" Daphne tried to step away but Flint's wand pressed into her side, hidden from view.
"Nonsense, Derrick and Bole here can take your stuff to the Castle" Flint indicated the pair of Slytherin Beaters who smirked and nodded. Bole reached out and pulled Tracey's bags from her hands who put up a valiant effort until the upper year pushed her in frustration causing Tracey to cry out as she fell.
As Tracey landed in the mud someone called out, "Hey! Leave them alone!"
Flint's entourage turned and saw a sea of red. The Weasley brothers and the Gryffindor Quidditch team were joined by a slew of attendants from Harry's summer birthday party. More than one had their wand drawn and at the ready. Outnumbered 3 to 1 the Slytherins were quick to back off. Hermione stepped forward from behind the wall of taller Weasleys and helped Tracey pick herself up, Vanishing the mud from her clothes and using some sort of spell that Daphne couldn't quite catch to help counter the already forming bruise on her friend's face.
"Hand us the bags and be on your way" Percy regarded Bole with a level glare and the older boy dumbly handed the bags over, no match for the fiery redhead.
"What's a bunch of Lions doing following us? We weren't doin' anythin'" Flint argued from his position behind Bletchley.
Cedric and Percy, both Prefects, seemed to be of one mind and spoke at the same time, "15 points from Slytherin for harassing a fellow student"
Cedric nodded at Percy and took a few steps up to Daphne, "Are you alright Heir Greengrass?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Daphne said, having to look up at the attractive Hufflepuff's face being a head and a half shorter, her eyes flicked away when Cedric smiled but came back quickly and she gave him what amounted to a return smile from the Ice Queen, the slightest twitch of her lips. Tracey was being fussed over by the Weasley brothers and the Quidditch players who had formed a friendship with the Davis girl talking about Quidditch during the party. The rest of the Slytherins knew they weren't going to get past the group so instead stomped back up to Hogwarts.
"How did you know to follow us?" Tracey asked Fred who grinned and gestured at the youngest Weasley hiding in the back of the group.
"Ron here noticed Flint tailing you, and told Hermione who came to get us from the Three Broomsticks. A few groups overheard or saw us leaving the Village and followed. Before we knew it we had an army" Fred's grin grew into a smile when Ron's ears turned red at the attention he was being afforded now but instead of teasing his little brother Fred just patted Ron on the back.
Ron scratched the back of his head and stared at the floor sheepishly, and when he spoke it was a bit of a mumble, "Flint's a creep and I didn't trust him."
A deep breath was drawn and Ron met Daphne's eyes before bowing deeply and saying in a much stronger voice, "I also wanted to apologize for my behavior over the summer. There's no excuse for the way I acted."
Daphne saw his gaze flick to Hermione who nodded almost subtly enough. Internally the blonde grinned and made a note to invite Hermione to some of their nightly calls.
"You can make up for it by carrying these" Daphne said, draping Tracey's and her bags over Ron's neck and almost knocking him over to the laughter of the group.
Break*
"Saturday morning." Harry sighed. Today was the day that he had been supposed to be going with Katie to Hogsmeade, and now he was opting to stay in France instead. Harry had spoken with Katie before he left for Beauxbatons but the excitement and craziness of the werewolf attack had put a weird spin on their interactions, Katie being unsure if she wanted a spotlight like the one that naturally followed the young Lord, and both had decided not to pursue anything. Now instead of accompanying a cute girl to Hogsmeade he was in his room for an extended workout session to grind out the last stubborn level of his Weight Training.
Weight Training Skill increased! It is now 25! One Skill Boon available!
The Notification came just as there was a quiet knock on the door. Harry got up from his position on the bench, carefully placing his weights down. A wandless Tempus on the way to the door revealed it to be about 11 AM and his practiced gaze swept over his Hotbar just in case. The knock started once more but was interrupted by Harry pulling the door open.
"O-Oh. Hi." Clarissa took in the sight in front of her, Harry having forgotten he was shirtless, "W…we were going to go for a walk and were passing your room"
Harry noticed her eyes start dropping lower and his brain caught up with the moment finally. The door slammed shut and Vivienne could be heard giggling in the hallway. "I'll be out in a second" Harry called out.
"Wow, no wonder he had no problem catching you midair. Even the ballet outfits don't show him off like that" Aimee chimed in, muffled though it was through the door. This prompted Vivienne to laugh louder and a faint smack could be heard, presumably from Clarissa in response to her friend.
Harry's head rested against the door and he took the moment that a normal person would be given to get dressed to instead fight down the blush creeping up his neck. He was in track pants and little else, the room having gotten warm once he had settled into his routine. Pushing for his skill increase had worked up a decent layer of sweat as well. Not only that but looking down Harry noticed that with the threshold of 25 hit on his Weight Training his developing muscles had gotten a bit more of a cut look to them. Sighing and praying for the day that his Puberty=Truck Perk would stop making simple interactions so embarrassing, Harry took out his wand to fix his hair and used a few self-care Charms to clean himself up. He went with a light jacket over a clean shirt and swapped his track pants for jeans. A pair of boots completed the look and a much more collected Harry opened the door once more. Vivienne's wolf whistle almost made him close it again.
"I'm not sure which I prefer, the clean or the messy look" Vivienne grinned at the redhead who took it in stride, the well endowed girl's antics well known by this point despite being only a week into his month here. Harry still wasn't sure if his stoicism was the correct response as it seemed to just make her try to fluster him more often. Aimee whispered something in the upper year's and Vivienne burst into laughter again. Harry opted to ignore them and instead regarded Clarissa who was still blushing slightly.
"Lead the way," Harry said, breaking the brunette girl out of her internal musings, and motioned down the hallway, prompting the group to begin walking.
Break*
The autumn chill was approaching quickly but all of them had on something warm and the sun was generous as the day turned into noon. . Clarissa noticed early on that Harry was quiet as the quartet walked the grounds outside. Vivienne was ahead with Aimee and they were whispering in a conspiratorial manner. Students milled about in the courtyards and on the grounds, a few indistinct shapes could be seen in the distance flying above the Pitch.
Their route went along a gravel path that wound through the grounds, passing statues and garden decorations donated from past alumni. The crunch of their steps and the whispers from the pair in front of them was the only sound around them for the moment. Aimee turned for a moment and regarded them before sending a very much not subtle thumbs up to Clarissa who ignored it in favor of studying the tall redhead next to her who luckily hadn't noticed since Harry's attention was on the grounds. He had seen much of this from the windows and during his first day's tour but this was his first real time reading some of the plaques and learning about the history of Beauxbatons.
"What has you so quiet?" Clarissa asked in a hushed tone, and Harry slowed his longer strides a bit to make it easier both to talk and for the shorter girl to keep up.
"I've got a lot on my mind lately, nothing to worry about" Harry smiled at her.
"Okay. Umm… I-I've been meaning to ask but you're not… you're not with someone are you?" Hopeful but hesitant eyes were all Harry could see when he stopped to look at her. "I know it seems like a sudden thing to ask and all bu-"
"No. I'm not. Almost was, before I left to come here, and that's part of what's on my mind. It was a whole thing but we were actually supposed to be on a date earlier today, back at Hogwarts. Actually I guess there were 2 that I was supposed to… it's probably better that I start over." Harry went on to explain what Hogsmeade was, then Tracey, at least the barebones of it, and then Katie. He opted to leave out the duel, the weird living situation, and the werewolf attack as none of his French peers had brought up anything Harry Potter related which he appreciated. Their topics eventually went to other things and Harry found that Clarissa was actually a very good listener and before they knew it Vivienne and Aimee had disappeared somewhere and the two were alone. The topics had turned to their home lives and Harry learned that Clarissa had another 2 siblings, one already graduated and another who just recently turned 6.
"You live alone? What's that like?" Clarissa asked, leading them to a bench in front of the Fountain of Flamel.
"Well not quite alone, but it's nice. I kind of went overboard with my construction but it's been great so far and I find myself looking forward to going there on holidays and breaks from school." Harry explained. They sat like this for a while just pleasantly getting to know each other.
Break*
"Ron said that? And with a bow too? Wow. I bet Percy was the one who taught him, though his mom was likely the one that put him up to it. According to Hermione he also apologized to her just yesterday." Harry said as Daphne's retelling came to an end. It had taken a while to get there as Harry had interrupted more than once to make sure that she was okay and that Tracey was as well.
"It was unexpected but welcome. They walked with us the rest of the way, and Ron even carried our bags for most of it. Seems he learned his lesson after you punched him" Daphne's admission brought a question from Tracey in the background but Harry could see Daphne send her friend a sharp look that said 'Later'.
"You didn't tell me Tracey was there" Harry said guardedly. He was currently laying back in his bed in his usual Mirror-call position with the mirror floating above him. Daphne was much the same in her modest nightgown with the covers pulled up almost to her chin, she had copied his floating technique on the mirror and was quite comfy as a result.
"Is it a problem that she is? She's my roommate and it's late, I'm not going to kick her out every time we talk" Daphne's tone had a note of warning in it and Harry conceded the point.
"No you're right, sorry." Harry acquiesced and Daphne talked a bit more about how her classes were going so far. It was interesting to hear about Potions without Snape being painted as a bad guy. Apparently Neville was getting a bit better and Snape had seemed to tone down a bit. Harry wondered if that was due to his own absence in the class.
"What about you? You haven't told me about your week yet" Daphne asked in an effort to get the focus on someone else. She enjoyed talking to Harry but talking about herself in any capacity was among her least favorite things to do.
Harry grimaced just slightly but knew this would likely come up a few times in the future. His courage warred and lost to his desire to keep talking to the intelligent blonde in case his biggest news was ill received. "Well… Classes are good, if a bit normal all things considered. Electives are really cool, they have a much wider selection here than Hogwarts with a lot of non-magical options as well. It's strange that they don't have houses but their Quidditch system seems fun. If you're able to put together a team then you're allowed to compete for the year. Currently they have 6 teams but I've already seen a group of 2nd Years training to put together something in a couple years. Trades are really common and many teams that end up not working out instead end up combining."
Tracey perked up in the background at the mention of Quidditch but went back to her night prep when Daphne quickly steered the conversation elsewhere, "That… seems interesting. What electives did you end up picking? It didn't come up last time we talked"
"Well Fencing of course, Beauxbatons has a top notch Fencing program and regularly hosts the All Europe Fencing Competition. My teacher wants me to compete as a surprise entry from Hogwarts later in the year but I'm undecided. Uhh, I also signed up for their ballet program" Harry said the last part in a hushed tone, still slightly embarrassed about it but firm in his decision. It was a very fun class and his dancing Boons seemed to extend into combat as well in interesting ways as he had found out in Fencing. The synergy from Pas de Deux applied to his opponent and made it easier to anticipate attacks against him as well as execute attacks that tended to surprise his opponents.
Tracey could be heard once more in the background, "Oh I bet he looks great in tights!"
Harry didn't get to respond before Daphne's face had turned beet red.
"Sorry!" Tracey said from her position in front of the mirror, brush paused mid-stroke. It resumed at the same time she started speaking again, "That was rude of me. Is he still on? Tell him I'm sorr- ow!"
One of Daphne's many pillows had almost whistled through the air before it impacted her friend. Another was firmly over Daphne's face but Tracey could still hear her friend's groan of frustration even through the thick down, "Why did you have to put that thought in my head!"
Harry's face matched her own but stated, "I don't wear tights"
Daphne removed the pillow and settled it back into her massive pile. Why one person needed so many pillows Harry would never know. "That doesn't matter and it's not something we're gonna talk about. Move on please"
"I signed up for Cursebreaking but that one took a bit of urging from Professor Dumbledore before I was allowed in '' Harry was quick to take the out and put the attention somewhere else. "It's easily my favorite so far and very informative"
"Harry…" Daphne stated, tearing up a bit. She knew from the look on his face, and some past conversations, that he must have been partially motivated by Astoria's condition despite Daphne's warnings about the futility and false hopes. "We talked about this, Astoria has already been looked at by some of the top Cursebreakers in the world and they all were unable to do anything. The best we hired was only able to provide a new blend for the medication and that's already made a huge impact."
"I know, I know I just… If I can find something while I'm abroad, I want to have the knowledge necessary to recognize it, you know?" Harry said this part with a firm conviction that Daphne knew she couldn't shake, but he quickly followed up with a more reasonable argument, "Plus it's a fascinating subject which affects me given my past history with Voldemort"
Daphne nodded, acquiescing to his assurances that it wasn't 100% for Astoria, but was still impressed with how much Harry seemed to already care for the younger Greengrass in just their short time together.
Their talk continued a little longer, talking about some of the friends Harry had made so far. When he started bringing up Clarissa, alarms went off in Daphne's head, and then he brought up how earlier today had gone. Luckily Daphne was able to hide any disappointment about yet another girl aiming for Harry's affections. She ignored what any of the feelings burning their way through her stomach meant and instead congratulated him.
Break*
"She's right you know, he probably does look great in tights" Astoria grinned at her sister's red face. "That's probably how he won that Clarissa girl over"
"Will everyone shut up about Harry and tights? I don't need to picture that! He doesn't even wear them!" Daphne was taking her turn in front of the mirror before bed. Brushing her hair and yelling at her sister were very difficult to do in tandem but she persevered.
"I bet your picture is more complete than most, what with catching him naked that one time" Astoria could barely get the words out, cackling at her sister's stricken expression. Tracey's gasp in the background only made her laugh harder despite the tube in her nose leading to a coughing fit. She wasn't able to recover quickly enough to follow up before her sister cut off the connection.
"You saw Harr" Was all that could be heard before the mirror went dormant. Astoria laughed for a little while longer, her expression taking on a bit of melancholy. Daphne had told her sister about Harry's new elective choice and it both thrilled and worried her that The Boy Who Lived was going to take a crack at the curse that plagued her family. Hope fought a fierce battle in her heart against acceptance and Astoria wasn't sure she could handle another false claim of fixing her.
Break*
And so the next week came and went, with a few noticeable changes. Harry and Clarissa were inseparable outside of class. Not to the same extent as Patricia and Matthew were with the displays of affection but Harry wanted to enjoy the limited time they had. That was definitely the hard part of it all for Harry, and Clarissa as well, knowing that in just a couple weeks he'd be returning to Hogwarts for a short stint before heading to the next school. Indecision raged inside him on if he should extend his stay at Beauxbatons another month. The Cursebreaking class was a factor as well with Harry thoroughly enjoying the content. His skill ups from the first few days had already slowed down as well, only gaining 4 increases.
Cursebreaking Skill increased! It is now 31!
Knowing there was little to be done about it for now Harry focused on the breathless girl before him. Aimee twirled clockwise once, twice, and on the third spin struck her leg up high and fell forward. The back of her knee hooked around his outstretched arm and his other came to her rear leg. With a flex he lifted and spun counter clockwise then launched her up where she floated for just a moment thanks to a quick wandless and wordless Levitation Charm, quickly becoming a specialty of their dance number.
A firm grip on her waist and Harry dropped the charm and lowered the girl down. Together they danced across the stage to the swell of music before both hit the last few notes with exaggerated movements. Neither had much breath left, yet both had a large smile. It was their best practice to date and the class they were performing with agreed in the form of as loud of an applause as their 20 or so could manage.
Ballet Skill increased! It is now 52! New Boon Available!
Charms Skill increased! It is now 65!
Ding! Level Up! You are now level 10! Please Rest to Complete Level-Up!
Fencing was strange, at least for the first day. Harry had tried holding back as he didn't want to hurt his now girlfriend but she seemed to have none of the same hesitations. After the 2nd bout with Clarissa thoroughly trouncing him the brunette put him in his place with an extra hard jab.
"Wake up! I don't want to hear some crap about not wanting to beat me anymore just cause we're dating. En Garde!" Harry grinned and focused. His decision didn't need to be made right now about extending his stay. Astoria wouldn't be cured tomorrow. What mattered was the here and now, and what he did with it.
"En Garde!" Harry declared, and the ping of steel on steel rang out.
Break*
"All that matters is right now" The vivid green eyes stared at the statue in the fountain. Nicolas Flamel. Creator of the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of stony features were plain all things told, however there was a subtle spark to the eyes that told of wisdom and experience that few could match. What drew Harry here wasn't just the architecture though. It was the subtle alchemical symbols hidden from view, visible to his Mage Sight enhanced eyes.
And the big golden exclamation point floating over one of the bricks on the outer edge.
Beaxbatons Dungeon. Enter? Yes or No?