Dance With Me Harry

DANCE WITH ME HARRY

By Aerie22

CHAPTER 20

Tuesday

Ron had been right, Harry thought. He had been neglecting his children. Hermione had been no better, vanishing into the library or up in her dorm room, out of sight. In the three weeks leading up to the library fiasco, as Harry was now thinking of it, he had been a regular presence in the lives of the first years, sitting in with them in their little corner of the common room to answer questions and hear complaints. But the past week, the first years rarely saw him, and a few were a little resentful or upset.

No one was more upset than Samantha. She had come to look at Harry as the next best thing to her big brother Mickey. Harry might be a two or three years younger than Mickey, but he brought the same sympathetic ear to her concerns as her big brother and Harry's sudden absence in her life, even for just a week, worried her.

"Harry, are you all right?" she said with a sympathetic expression as Harry finally reappeared in the common room the night of his tearful conversation with Ron. "Ron said you were sick."

Harry gave her a wan smile. "I'm much better now," he said quietly. Then he noticed Cassandra also looking at him with anxious eyes. "Thank you for your concern, Samantha. And you too, Cassandra."

Samantha smiled. "It's all right, Harry. You can call me Sam. And you can call Cassandra Cassie."

Harry smiled back. "Well, Sam and Cassie. The dynamic duo," he said chuckling.

The two girls laughed, but he noticed that the laughter didn't reach Cassie's eyes. "So what have I missed? Any problems?"

Sam and Cassie shrugged. "Everything's okay, I guess," Sam said flatly.

Harry frowned. "No guessing allowed," he said in a firm but friendly manner. "If you've got any problems, let me know. Cassie?"

Cassie shrugged, noncommittally.

Harry became even more serious. "Listen. If there's something bothering you, either of you, I want to know. I'm not just a prefect, I'm your friend...or I hope I am."

Cassie shrugged again, but Sam turned serious now. "Boys can be real jerks, sometimes."

Harry leaned back. He almost smiled, but saw Cassie's frown deepen. "Has somebody been bothering you...either of you? One of the other first years?"

Cassie shook her head. "An older boy, from another house," she said with the first words he'd heard from her.

Harry started. "Not one of the Slytherins?" he said angrily.

Sam jumped in. "No. He's a Quidditch player from Ravenclaw. John Smith?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Smythe." He knew Smythe to be a tough fifth year beater with an arrogant attitude. "What's he been doing?" Harry said, his tone now low and deadly serious.

Sam leaned forward. "He keeps saying things to Cassie...about how he wants to get her alone to show her something. And he grabs her," she whispered.

Harry stared in shock. Cassie was eleven years old. How could a fifth year be so interested as to harass and intimidate such a young girl like that in so vulgar a manner. Harry's eyes clouded. "Where does this usually happen?" he said in a growl.

Cassie looked up at Harry with a frightened look. But Sam was the first to speak. "In the dungeons. They have Defense Against the Dark Arts at the same time we have Potions. So he's usually there when we are."

Harry was absolutely furious. "Have you told any of the professors about this? McGonagall, maybe?"

The two girls shook their heads slowly. "We thought we would tell you first," Sam said.

Harry's eyes clouded. He made to rise, but reconsidered. It was now past curfew and he had no way of getting into Ravenclaw House. He could owl Terry Boot or Mandy Brocklehurst, the two Ravenclaw fifth year prefects, but at this hour, little would be accomplished other than getting himself caught out after curfew. And Terry was something of a blockhead, for all his intelligence, and would probably hem and haw. Mandy, on the other hand, at least showed some backbone in their few prefect meetings. He would wait until tomorrow morning.

He turned to the girls. "When is your Potions class?" he asked

"First thing in the morning, right after breakfast," Sam replied.

Harry nodded. He had Charms class two flights up before heading down to the dungeons for his Defense Against the Dark Arts class in the morning. "I'll get down there as soon as I can after your Potions class and try to have a word with Mr. Smythe. A very serious word," he said sternly.

* * *

The next day, he talked briefly to Professor Flitwick about leaving class early. Flitwick agreed reluctantly to allow Harry out five minutes early after Harry refused to tell him the specific reason for his early departure other than to say he had to check on something regarding his prefect duties. "I'll let you go only because I trust you, Mister Potter. But don't let this become a habit," the tiny professor said with a speculative eye.

So Harry was at the natural convergence point for Potions and DADA students when classes let out. But he didn't see Sam or Cassie, or Smythe, for that matter, at first. Then he heard Sam's voice.

"You get your hands off of her," she roared in a high-pitched voice.

Harry was on the move instantly. He saw Smythe in an alcove, where he had Cassie cornered with Sam pushing to get between the two. Suddenly he heard a smack and Smythe reeled back momentarily.

In an instant, Harry had a handful of Smythe's hair, yanking it back, with his wand jammed in the soft tissue under Smythe's chin. "If you as much as look at any of my first years again, Smythe, I'll quarter you and leave the pieces in Dumbledore's office," he growled.

Smythe tried to struggle, but Harry only jammed his wand deeper into Smythe's flesh. "Do you understand, you son-of-a-bitch?" he growled in a low voice, poking Smythe again with his wand.

"Freeze!!!" the students heard a gruff, accented voice command.

Harry, never taking his eyes off Smythe, growled again. "Not until this piece of shyte agrees to leave my girls alone.

"Let him go, Harry," Moody commanded again, this time in a calmer voice.

Harry shut his eyes. Then, with a quick movement, removed the wand from under Smythe's chin and slammed the boy into a wall. "You heard me, Smythe. I'll kill you if you ever touch any of them again," he growled.

By this time Moody had grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him away from Smythe, feeling a chill. "Now what in holy hell was that all about, Mister Potter.

But Sam had already grabbed Moody, herself. "You leave Harry alone!" she yelled. "He's just protecting us from that arsehole! That bastard's lucky I'm not a little stronger. I'd'a cut his balls off," she screamed.

By this time, a crowd had gathered. Cassie, who was in tears, slowly removed her wand and started to point it at Smythe. Mike Burwasher, who, along with his mate Steve Shaunessy, had returned to see what the commotion was about, quickly grabbed Cassie's arm and deflected the elementary hex she had tried to use on Smythe.

Amid the chaos, Mandy Brocklehurst came running to find out what the problem was with Terry Boot in her wake. She looked down at her stunned house mate. "John. What the hell have you done now?"

Moody, who had only seen Harry move against Smythe with unbelievable speed and fury, was at a loss. "All right, everybody. Get to your classrooms. Now!!!" he yelled as, by this time, the corridor was clogged with third year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs arriving for their Potions class, fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins arriving for their DADA classes, first year Gryffindors and Slytherins who had slowly returned to the dungeons after leaving Potions as had the fifth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs who had just left their DADA classes.

"Get to your classrooms!!! NOW!!!" Moody yelled again, pulling out his wand threateningly. "Now you, Potter, and you two, Bauman and Young. Into my office now. And Boot. Help Smythe up and bring him along," he commanded. He turned to the rest of the students milling around in the hallways. I said, get to your classrooms! DADA students, review your texts. I'll be along shortly!"

"But his nose is all bloody," Boot complained.

Moody rolled his normal eye. "Brocklehurst! Help Boot. And don't let Smythe bleed all over you."

* * *

"What in holy hell was that all about!!!" Moody roared when he got the six students into his office.

"He grabbed me," Cassie said in a small but determined voice. "We told Harry last night and he came to protect us," she said, a tear rolling down her cheek as she looked at Harry with reverence.

"That's not true..." a groggy Smythe muttered.

"It certainly is true, you sodding pervert," Sam screamed at him. "My brother Mickey would gut you like a herring..."

"Shut up, all of you!!!" Moody screamed, his magic eye seeming to spin in its socket. "Now...one at a time. Miss Young. What happened."

Cassie suddenly raised her chin and stared at the professor. "For the past week or so, that person..." she said, pointing to Smythe, "...has been saying things to me. Bad things. And trying to grab me a couple times down here in the dungeons. So last night, we told Harry," she said, smiling her protector. "And Harry said he would take care of the problem. And this morning, when this person..." again nodding at Smythe, "grabbed me and pulled me into the doorway, my friend Sam slapped him and then Harry came to rescue us." She gave a curt nod.

Moody turned to Smythe. "Mister Smythe?"

Smythe looked panicked. "I...just wanted to ask the girls something about Harry...you know, they're all in Gryffindor House...I don't understand what happened after that. I was beat up," he stammered.

Moody glared at Smythe. "And what would you be wanting to know about Harry that you couldn't ask him direct?"

Smythe's panic seemed to increase. "Well...I...uh...wanted to know about their Quidditch team...you know...about when they planned to practice..."

Moody nodded. "And two first year girls would be able to tell you that...in a dark alcove, no less...that you couldn't discover by asking anyone else??"

Smythe shifted uncomfortably.

"Potter? What do you have to say?"

Harry was sunk down in a side chair, a furious expression on his face. He was quiet for a few moments. "Sam and Cassie told me last night that he'd been bothering them...making inappropriate comments...maybe even lewd ones. I should have known about this from the start, but I wasn't paying attention. I don't know why I should be a prefect, letting this go on without knowing about it." Then he turned and gave Moody an angry stare. "But nobody is going to mistreat my people. Nobody!"

Moody then looked up at Terry and Mandy. "Anything to add?"

Terry shrugged. "I don't know. I wasn't there. I didn't see anything."

Mandy gave Terry a dirty look and turned to Moody. "John has been having some problems in Ravenclaw with a couple of the girls. Nothing serious from what I can tell, but a few of the girls have been avoiding him lately. Nothing specific. At least I haven't heard anything specific."

Moody nodded, understanding too well. "All righty. This is something for the headmaster to handle. Boot? Brocklehurst? Please take Smythe up to the headmaster's office. I'll write you a note for Professor Dumbledore. And one for whosoever class you are now missing." He then turned to Sam and Cassie. "Miss Bauman. Miss Young. If you feel up to it, I'll write you a note to your professor for being late for class. However, if you wish to return to your quarters, I'll understand and write a note for that."

Sam and Cassie exchanged glances and nodded. "We'll go to class," Cassie said. "I like Professor Sprout," she said with a half smile.

Moody nodded. Then he turned to Harry. "Mister Potter. I admire what you did. But I think I would have handled it quite differently. I'd like a few words with you before we return to class."

With that, Moody wrote out the appropriate notes to give to Terry, Mandy, Sam and Cassie and dismissed them. "Paperwork," Moody muttered. "Bad as the Ministry."

When the door was closed, Moody turned to Harry. Suddenly, his face split into an evil-looking gap-toothed grin. "Yer damned right, I would have handled it differently. I'd'a killed the bugger."

Harry started and a smile slowly spread across his face. But the smile just as slowly faded. "I should have been there for them earlier," he said with a mournful smile. "I guess I was a bit preoccupied."

Moody gave Harry his version of a fatherly grin. "Girl trouble?"

Harry ruefully shook his head. "I guess so."

Moody began his cackling laugh again. "And what's with the mouth on the young gel, there. She swears like a fish-monger."

Harry chuckled mildly. "Well, she is a fisherman's daughter..."

Moody cackled again. "I'll nae be continuing the ditty that starts with that line."

Harry shook his head.

Moody nodded in understanding. "Listen, Potter. We've been going over some of your hexes together these past few weeks, but I never saw anyone move like you did out there. Where'd you pick that up? That's nothing you learned playing Quidditch and it ain't anything you learned from our private lessons."

Harry shrugged. "It's something I picked up over the summer. A Muggle thing. It's called karate."

Moody's eyebrows, such as they were, rose. "What discipline? Tae Kwan do? Hapkido?"

Harry shook his head. "No...no formal discipline. I'm learning on my own. One of my Muggle neighbors from this summer learned from a master in Hong Kong years ago and he gave me a basic training regimen and some guidance. Maybe some day I'll get a chance for some formal training. But right now, I just train for speed, agility and focus."

Moody nodded. "I know a couple aurors who might be able to help you. Ever think of becoming an auror?"

Harry shook his head. "Maybe if Voldemort is still out there...and I'm still around. Otherwise, I'd like to work with kids...like Sam and Cassie and the rest of my firsties. I'd like to be able to help Muggle-born witches and wizards adjust to this world."

Moody sighed and nodded. "Don't worry, Potter. I do believe that you will outlive Voldemort by a good long while. Well, we better gettin' to class. Tell you what. I'll write you a note if you write me one."

Harry chuckled as the two got up to go to DADA class together.

* * *

Harry, Sam and Cassie were called into Dumbledore's office at lunchtime and had a long chat over sandwiches with the headmaster. The aged headmaster was visibly shaken by Sam and Cassie's description of what had been going on. Finally, he dismissed the girls, but asked Harry to stay behind.

"Harry, this is an extremely unpleasant situation for all of us," he said solemnly. "We all appreciate your efforts to protect your young people."

Harry hung his head. "I deserve no credit. I should have known this was going on as soon as it started. I saw that Cassie was concerned about something over a week ago when I had lunch with my firsties. But I didn't press her on it. I'm a fool. And a bad friend to them," he said sadly.

Dumbledore sighed. "You did all you could. More than almost anyone. Thanks goodness nothing serious happened. I would never have forgiven myself."

Harry sighed, nodding his head in sorrow.

"Harry," Dumbledore said mildly. "You did right. But did you have to hurt him?"

Harry looked up. He didn't know what to say. "I suppose not. But I didn't exactly feel like mulling the issue over at the time. He was bothering one of my children. An innocent little girl. Someone I care about. And if someone does something like that to someone I love, I will not hesitate."

Dumbledore sighed again. "Harry, you have a great power. But uncontrolled, that power can be dangerous. I just don't want to see you hurt anyone. Or get hurt yourself."

Harry now felt ashamed. He hung his head. "I know Professor," he said quietly.

"Harry," the Headmaster said quietly. "If it is sin to get angry, there will be no one to talk to in heaven. All I am saying is do not let your anger rule you. Or push you to do things that will hurt others. You need only understand that."

Harry nodded again, his head still down.

Dumbledore smiled. "You did little to be ashamed of today. You acted in a way you thought was right. I would have done it differently. But do not dwell on it. Just remember, we are here, the Professors and I, to help where we can. Come to us next time."

Harry nodded.

"Very well, I will not keep you. There is much to be done today, for both of us, I am sure."

With that, Harry rose a left.

* * *

Harry's confrontation with Smythe had encouraged several of the younger girls from Ravenclaw to complain of Smythe's questionable behavior, often tearfully. Dumbledore shook his head. There but for the grace of God there were no molestations, no assaults, but Dumbledore felt it was in everybody's best interest that Smythe spend some time away before being considered for readmittance.

By suppertime, word of Harry's confrontation with Smythe had spread throughout the school. Several students, particularly from Ravenclaw, quietly thanked Harry for making a stand, including Padma Patil who, with her sister Parvati, gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. Even Millicent Bulstrode, one of the Slytherin fifth year prefects gave him a quick and strong handshake in the corridor outside the Great Hall before supper. Draco Malfoy, the other Slytherin fifth year prefect, said nothing as he passed which, by Harry's reckoning, was the Malfoy equivalent of a handshake.

Hermione, on the other hand, was tearful. "I'm sorry, Harry," she said quickly. "I should have been there for them. Thanks."

Harry just managed to get his own brief apology for whatever grief she was feeling over the library incident as she fled.

Harry was staring at Hermione's back as she scurried off when he felt a familiar arm over his shoulder. "Jeez, Harry. You always get to have all the fun," Ron said with a laugh. "To tell the truth, I would have killed the bastard had I known."

Harry turned to Ron. "Don't tell anyone, but Moody told me the same thing," he said with a crooked smile.

Ron leaned his head back and laughed. "Aye, thar's a man af't me own heart," he said in a reasonable impersonation of Moody's accent. "Now. let's see what new mischief your children have gotten themselves into."

The two friends walked off together.