Rating:
PG-13
House:
Schnoogle
Characters:
Harry Potter Hermione Granger Parvati Patil Ron Weasley
Genres:
Romance Drama
Era:
Multiple Eras
Spoilers:
Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire
Stats:
Published: 05/29/2003
Updated: 06/11/2003
Words: 119,713
Chapters: 25
Hits: 162,459

Dance With Me Harry

Aerie22

Story Summary:
COMPLETED. During the summer after his fourth year, after Uncle Vernon beats Harry, the only thing that keeps him going is thinking about Hermione's kiss at the train station. But once the authorities intervene, he is sent to live among the Muggles, where he learns about life and love. But will this help him win Hermione's heart? Or will Voldemort strike first?

Chapter 15

Chapter Summary:
During the summer after his fourth year, the only thing that keeps Harry going amid the Dursleys’ neglect and abuse is thinking about Hermione’s kiss at the train station. But when the authorities intervene, he is sent to live among the Muggles, where he learns about life and love. But will this help him win Hermione’s heart? Or will Voldemort strike first?
Posted:
06/11/2003
Hits:
5,124

DANCE WITH ME HARRY

By Aerie22

CHAPTER 15

Prefects

Ron, Hermione and Harry walked casually into the Great Hall for lunch. Harry gave a glance around the table as he approached and got an idea. "Hey, I think I'm going to take lunch with the firsties today."

Ron started. "Why?"

Hermione gave him a speculative look. "Should I come, too?" she said in a concerned voice.

Harry smiled. "If you want. I just thought it would be nice to talk to them informally. Just to chat. I guess they treat my little get-togethers with them in the common room like meetings or something. All stiff and formal. It would be nice to sit down with them informally and just chat. And somebody's got to teach them table manners," he said with a chuckle.

Hermione laughed. "And who's going to teach you table manners."

"I don't need any more training. I've learned all I know from Ron."

Both Hermione and Harry burst into laughter, but Ron blushed and sulked.

Hermione looked at Harry. "Well, if it's not prefect business, I guess I really should settle down and review my notes for this afternoon's History of Magic class during lunch. You don't mind, do you?"

Harry shook his head. "No problem, I guess." Actually, Harry would have liked Hermione along just to be near her. But he also understood that the firsties were more reserved around Hermione than around him, so maybe it was for the best. He wandered over to the front of the Gryffindor table and slid into an empty chair between Violet Brown and Willie Peters.

"Are we all here?" he said with a smile.

Violet looked at Harry, startled. "Well, Pat should be here any minute."

Pat McGrady came sauntering up and then stopped to see Harry in his usual chair. He then looked at Tom Richardson, who nodded and moved over one to make room next to Violet. Harry chuckled inwardly at the silent by-play and at the smug look Genie Beauvoir was giving Tom from across the table.

"Well, now that I've managed to disrupt all your carefully planned seating arrangements, I just thought I'd ask how classes are going with everyone," Harry said with a smile.

There were noncommittal mumbles coming from the first years. Harry shook his head. "Okay, who's your favorite teacher?"

Again, there were noncommittal responses, when suddenly Samantha from across the table piped in. "I like Professor Moody."

Harry started. Of all the professors he had, he would have thought Moody would be the most intimidating, especially to a muggle-raised girl like Samantha.

Samantha gave him a quizzical look. "Well, he is. He reminds me of my grandpa George. He has a peg leg, too, and is all scarred up from wrestling a shark once. And he's all gruff and stern, but underneath he's sweet. And Professor Moody is teaching us all this stuff just like I thought about when I found out I was a witch. You know, hexes and battling scary creatures and evil wizards. He's really good."

Harry saw several other first years giving Samantha an amazed expression and had to smile. "How about you, Cassandra?"

She gave a small smile. "I like Professor Sprout. I like learning about plants and raising them. And she's really nice. And I like Professor Flitwick, too."

There were several nods around the table. The he turned to Mike and Steve, who were sitting next to Samantha on the other side. "How about you guys? Who's your favorite? Madame Hooch?"

Steve made a face but Mike quietly spoke. "Nah. She doesn't let us do anything. It's like we're on training brooms again."

Willie snorted in agreement.

Harry smiled. "Well, not everybody is as experienced on a broom as you are."

Mike shrugged, and Steve spoke. "Flitwick." Mike nodded.

Harry turned to Willie. "Well, what about you," he said as the food magically appeared.

"Professor Hagrid," he said with a smile. "He's cool."

Maura smiled. "I think he's sweet. He's my favorite, too."

Violet snorted. Harry turned to her. "And who's your favorite, Violet?"

She gave him a sidelong look. "Well, I like Madame Trelawney..." and several of the girls nodded, including Samantha and Cassandra, while the boys seemed to roll their eyes as a group. She then gave the rest of the table a stern glance. "And I like Professor Snape."

There suddenly were groans from the rest of the first years.

Violet glared at the rest of the firsties. "I think he's very mysterious...and kind of sexy."

"Vampire," Willie said under his breath, feigning a sneeze, as Mike, Steve and Maura giggled. Violet continued to glare at that end of the table.

Samantha made a face. "He's kind of mean, but I think it's interesting, brewing up magic potions and all."

Harry nodded. "But remember. You're not just learning recipes. You are trying to understand how potions are going to be part of your lives when you grow up. Like, a way of life," he said, looking her in the eye. Hermione had gotten annoyed when Harry had told her about Snape's lecture to him. But at least in this case, he thought maybe Snape was right.

Harry looked past Violet. "Pat?"

The Irish boy frowned and pondered. "Hagrid. He understands animals. He's a good man, I'm thinking."

Finally, he turned to the last two firsties, The Beaver and The Toad. "And you?"

"Charms," Genie said.

"Flitwick," Tom agreed.

Harry smiled. "He is nice, isn't he?"

Genie nodded. "But it's more than that. I see my parents and relatives using charms all the time in the hotels. I always wanted to be able to do that. My parents let me try a few at home. But I really always wanted to be good in charms."

Tom nodded. "My father and, especially, my grandfather, are really good in charms. That's why their clothing business does so well. Everything that comes out of the factories is thoroughly charmed against wear and tear. And their assistant charmers are the best. They don't let anything go out the door unless it has a top quality charm."

Harry was busy ladling more vegetable soup into his bowl as he looked up and down the table. "No votes for Professor McGonagall? Or...Professor Binns?"

There was some more groaning among the first years.

"Professor McGonagall is okay. She's a little strict and can be boring, even when she's trying to be interesting," Samantha said.

Mike frowned. "She docked me five house points for not paying attention in class."

Harry shook his head. "Well..."

"Binns is the worst," Genie said.

Steve grunted. "At least he doesn't dock you points," he said sullenly.

"I like Peeves," said Willie, brightly. Suddenly, Maura elbowed him.

Harry gave Willie a sharp look. "And where have you met Peeves?"

Willie looked abashed. "Uhh...around."

Harry shook his head. "Around at night, after curfew, no doubt."

Willie looked nervous and Maura shifted uncomfortably.

Harry sighed. "Look, if you get caught out after curfew, it could mean house points. But it also could mean detention. In my first year, Hermione, Ron and I got caught out visiting Hagrid after curfew and got detention. We were sent into the Forbidden Forest to help Hagrid and Voldemort almost killed me. I don't think they would do that to you, but whatever detention you serve won't be pleasant, let me assure you."

Violet sat up a little straighter in surprise. "You got detention?"

Harry nodded. "Normally, I'm perfect in every way--except when I get caught," he said with a chuckle.

The group began to relax a little. As they ate, Harry would throw out questions or comments and listen to complaints or observations by his group. However, at one point, he noticed what seemed to be silent communication going on across the table from him between Samantha and Cassandra. Finally, Cassandra shook her head and the two went back to eating. Harry was going to ask what was going on, but merely shrugged.

As the meal ended, Harry rose and bade his farewells to his people. "Well, that was fun. But I promise you all that I won't be coming over here very often. So tonight at dinner you can go back to plotting the overthrow of Hogwarts in peace," he said with a smile.

The first years all gave him a smile and Harry was off to History of Magic class.

* * *

It was the second Wednesday of the term, and the last class had just ended. This meant that Harry and Hermione would be attending their first formal prefects meeting. The previous Wednesday, the heads of the various houses had met with their prefects to go over rule changes and deportment of prefects, as well a schedules and assignments.

Harry wasn't sure what to expect. He had heard from some of the other prefects that he should be expecting to be bored for anywhere up to an hour, although they admitted that the meetings usually lasted no more than a half hour.

But Harry approached the meeting with some trepidation. Draco Malfoy would be there.

Harry's confrontation with Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express had made the rounds. And he was aware that Malfoy had heard the occasional reference to 'House Elf' from people in the hallways, usually from unidentifiable voices. He had heard them, himself.

But Malfoy had been strangely quiet. He still had his trademark smirk, particularly in Potions class, where Professor Snape continued to be tough on the Gryffindors, although not as bad as in the past. But Harry had heard that Malfoy had been disappearing for an hour or two at a time, without Crabbe and Goyle. He didn't know what to make of it, but he wasn't looking forward to any further confrontation with the Slytherin.

As he entered the meeting room, he was interested to see that several tables were arranged in a square and that there were nameplates in front of each chair. And he was doubly interested to see that the seating arrangements were not by house, but by year. He wandered over and found that the near side of the table was where the fifth years sat. The first two names were Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan, followed by Mandy Brocklehurst and Terry Boot, then Hermione and Harry, then Millicent Bulstrode and Malfoy.

He would be between Millicent and Hermione. He smiled. Good. He didn't have to sit next to Malfoy. And Hermione didn't have to sit next to Millicent. Hermione still didn't like Millicent from second year, when the she and the Slytherin girl ended up in a wrestling match during Gilderoy Lockhart's ill-fated dueling club. And he harbored suspicions that Hermione still held it against Millicent that she almost turned into Millicent's cat after her fiasco over the polyjuice potion.

Hermione was taking her seat as several other prefects wandered in. Suddenly, Mandy strode in and, taking a quick look around, went straight to her seat, saying a brief hello to Harry and Hermione. Terry Boot ambled in and examined the room in a detached manner, before sitting down next to Hermione.

Harry leaned back in his chair, when the chair next to his was yanked out. He turned to see Millicent dump her satchel on the table in front of her. She turned to give Harry a speculative look. Harry suddenly got an evil grin. He recalled her teasing him on the Hogwarts Express about his 'favorite Potions professor.'

"Hello, Millie," he said with a cocked eyebrow.

Millicent paused as she was about to sit. Harry knew nobody called her Millie and he wondered what her reaction would be.

Her face split into a wide grin. "Hello, Pottie," she said, chuckling.

Harry joined her. She was all right, for a Slytherin.

Then the chair next to her moved and Malfoy sat down. Harry looked at him until Draco turned to acknowledge the look. Harry nodded. All he got in response was a narrow-eyed look before Malfoy pulled a notebook out and started perusing its contents.

* * *

The meeting went by quickly. Professor McGonagall asked the fifth year prefects to introduce themselves and made some brief remarks about not taking house points away for merely minor infractions of rules, looking pointedly at Hermione, and not using house points to settle interhouse rivalries, looking at Harry and Malfoy, then Ernie and Mandy. Then she introduced Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor as Head Girl and Roger Davies of Ravenclaw as Head Boy.

Davies immediately took the center chair at head of the table as McGonagall left, much to Angelina's wide-eyed annoyance. The meeting simply covered basic issues of responsibilities. No one seemed to have any questions, concerns or new business, although he saw Hermione biting her lip as if she wanted to say something, and Mandy grabbed Terry's arm to keep him from starting. So, in less than a half hour, the meeting was over.

Draco left immediately.

Harry quickly got his carry-all and picked it up, turning to leave.

"In a hurry to go off snogging, Pottie?" Millicent said with a smile.

Harry chuckled. "Only if you're coming along, Millie," he said with a smile.

She returned the smile. "You have a minute?"

Harry looked at her, then nodded.

They watched as the others left. Hermione gave Harry a quick, concerned look, then shrugged and left, as well.

He turned again to Millicent in expectation. "You didn't hold me back here just to seduce me," he said with only a half-humorous tone.

She shook her head. "It's Draco. You know he hates you."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Since when is that news."

She shook her head. "Look, we all heard about what happened between you two on the train. It's not that he ever much liked you. But he always seemed to feel that whenever he ran into you, he would be in control. I'm not so sure he feels that way anymore. And I know he hates that feeling."

Harry pursed his lips and nodded vaguely.

She continued. "Look, ever since we got here, he's been brooding. And he's been disappearing. Not that that's all that unusual. But Gregory and Vincent usually know what's going on. Now, half the time they're in a panic, not knowing where he is."

Harry looked thoughtful. "Something to do with Voldemort?"

He saw her right eye twitch slightly at his use of the name. "I...don't think so. I don't know what you think of us, but we're not exactly Death Eater headquarters in Slytherin House."

Harry lowered his head, thinking furiously. "So you think it's personal. Maybe what I said about his father?"

Millicent sighed. "Listen, the Malfoys are a little different in that sense. It's like...he's loyal to the name. The House of Malfoy. I don't know how to explain it."

Harry nodded. "The Malfoy clan."

Millicent blinked. "The Malfoys aren't a clan," she said in a firm voice.

Harry looked at her and shrugged. "Same difference."

She tilted her head with a quizzical look. "You don't understand, do you?"

Harry gave her a puzzled look. "Well, I know about clans. The Browns. The Adairs. The Macnairs. Whatever."

Millicent leaned back and shook her head. "You really are a Muggle, aren't you," she said.

Harry gave her a suspicious frown.

Millicent sighed. "You want to know about wizarding society? You want to know about my world?"

Harry's frown faded and he became intrigued. "Sure."

Millicent pursued her lips, lost in thought. Finally, she began.

"For most of our history, the real power in the wizarding world rested in the clans. You know, big land-owning families. They maintained and extended their power and holdings by alliances through marriages. And occasionally by going to war with each other."

Harry shrugged. "Sounds like the Malfoys."

Millicent shook her head. "No. The clans basically kept the peace. Marriage alliances and blood ties kept the warfare to a minimum. But some families resisted this approach. Families like the Malfoys. Most were eventually swallowed up by the clans. Like the Keith family. You should know about them. Your classmate, Lavender Brown is a Keith. The Brown clan absorbed them about two hundred years ago through a series of marriages. That's why there's a Northern Branch and a Southern Branch of the Brown clan."

Harry looked at her, both puzzled and curious. "But the Malfoys weren't absorbed?"

Millicent shook her head. "A few families resisted the clans. Some through luck or shrewdness or less formal alliances than as with the clans. Like your family."

Harry blinked in surprise. "My family?"

She nodded. "Your family's holdings were up against the Welsh border and the mountains on one side and it had a series of alliances with other strong families on the other side. And the Potters were always smart. I guess you are the exception."

Harry nodded, then started at Millicent's joke. He gave her a cocked eyebrow and a half smile in acknowledgement.

Suddenly, his face clouded. "But the Malfoys...?"

"The Malfoys carefully cultivated a vicious reputation. They were a big land-owning family. So neighboring clans always had their eye on them. But the Malfoys nurtured their reputation as a defense against the clans. And anyone who they perceived as a threat, or who they perceived to be a opportunity for exploitation, were potential targets. There are stories of assassinations or poisonings whenever a neighboring clan started to stir near the Malfoy borders. After a while, the clans left the Malfoys alone. But they've always maintained that closed, hostile reputation. And they've always put the interests of the family above the those of the individual family members. That's the way they were raised. Draco has always been a Malfoy first, and Draco second."

Harry stared at her. "What does that mean?"

Millicent sighed. "It means an attack on one, and insult to one, is an attack or insult to the entire family."

Harry sighed.

Millicent nodded. "So when you insulted Draco's father, and insulted him, you insulted everything Draco was raised to believe in. You struck at the core of his existence, his identity."

Harry looked up at the tall, stocky girl, who was looking at him intently. "You seem to know all about him. You know all this from living in Slytherin House?"

Millicent shook her head sadly. "No, Harry. There's one other thing you should know about the Malfoys. They do make marriage alliances, of sorts, especially where they think they can gain money or power from them."

Harry watched her closely. "And..."

"Lucius Malfoy approached my father about a possible match. Between him and me," she said quietly.

Harry started. "You and Draco?"

She shook her head sadly. "My father said no. I was a little put out at first. I was only twelve. I didn't know any better. Or didn't until my father explained to me about the Malfoys," she said, giving him a sad, wistful smile.

Harry reached out and gave her hand a friendly squeeze. "You're better than that," he whispered softly.

Millicent nodded. "Thanks, Harry."

The Slytherin and the Gryffindor sat in companionable silence for several minutes. Finally, Harry closed his eyes and lowered his head and spoke. "So you think he's planning something against me? Or the people I'm close to?"

She made a face. "I don't know, Harry. I really don't know. I just thought I should let you know."

Harry waited, but that seemed to be it. Finally, He nodded. "Thanks, Millicent."

She smiled softly. "Oh, you can call me Millie."

Harry gave her a smile, and she turned to pack her satchel. Then he got another devilish grin. "You sure you won't reconsider about snogging?"

She looked at him, her face now brighter than it had been. "I don't think so. I've got my reputation to think of."

Harry chuckled. "Your reputation?"

"Yes, my reputation for having good taste," she said with a grin and walked out of the room.