Leo & The Dementor

The moonlight shown through the snow-covered windows into the Gryffindor common room. Two figures were discussing the holiday coming up by the fire.

"Hey! Albus!" said one of them loudly, throwing a pillow at the figure across from him. He was a boy, no more than fifteen, and was wearing robes with a lion embroidered on them. His midlength, straight, sandy-brown hair swung in front of his twinkling blue eyes. He pushed it away as he was shouting at the other figure in front of him. "Wake up!"

Albus was trying to decide on inviting Leo over for the holiday, or forgetting he ever thought such a thing. The danger there might outweigh the fun they would have. He was stirred back into his surroundings by his friend. "Huh? Oh. Sorry 'bout that," he said in a meek tone. "Leo, how would you like to come over for the holiday?" Albus was wearing the same robes as him, but slightly more disheveled since he had just gotten in ten minutes before.

He had been out on the grounds with a Ravenclaw that wouldn't leave him alone until she received a goodnight kiss. Unfortunately for him, she proved she wanted more than just a kiss. He was barely able to run for his common room before she started anything. Normally, he would've allowed it, but with that particular Ravenclaw... He decided no.

Leo was hoping he would be able to get away from home when he got back anyways, so this went perfectly along with his plans. Being as he usually would just snowboard with his Muggle friends during the holiday to stay away from the house. "Really? That would be great!" And then there was always Lily, he thought. Then that thought struck a bad chord in his mind. "Wait... What will your father do if he sees me and Lily- um- more than friendly?"

Albus laughed at his friend. "Don't worry about Dad. He is really nice about the boys Lily fancies. You aren't thinking about doing anything with her, are you?" he asked, looking daringly at his best friend.

The Potters' little girl; the perfect angel of the great Potters; the magnificent and beautiful baby of the hero, Harry Potter, was one girl that most boys wouldn't even dare attempt to date. For one, there were her cousins, aunts, and uncles at the school that would love a chance to skin anyone that would hurt their sweet little Lily. And then, of course, her brothers. The two most popular guys in the school. Albus being the best seeker the school had ever had, and James being the best Chaser. And along with Albus' academic records; they were just the perfect kids, and no one would dare bat an eye if they decided to get revenge for their little sister.

Leo, although knowing the danger, had been thinking about Lily more than just his friend's little sister lately. But, his friendship with James and Albus was more important than a small crush on their sister. At least, he hoped it was just a crush. "Nope," he said, hoping that Albus would leave it alone for now.

Albus smirked at him. "You do know that I wouldn't care if you ever dated her, right? As long as you didn't hurt her," he said innocently with nothing innocent in mind if it ever did happen. He started rocking his chair back on its legs. "James, on the other hand... Might not be so easily convinced." And, as if on cue, James walked into the room and plopped down besides his little brother. James looked a lot like his brother, but without the sparkling emerald eyes. He was only a year older than them, so age was never a problem.

"What wouldn't I be easily convinced on?" he asked, looking at both of them. Albus snorted and Leo looked away.

"Nothing, James. Nothing at all," Leo said looking through the window into the dreamy night sky. "I wish I could fly out there tonight. It's beautiful," he said, speaking more to himself than to anyone.

James and Albus looked at each other and Leo looked between them both. The brothers grinned a sinister grin and nodded. "Let's go," they said together. All three boys headed up their stairs to get their cloaks, brooms, and for James to get his father's Invisibility Cloak. They all met down by the fire again, threw the cloak over themselves, and walked through the portrait hole. As they walked through the stairs Albus told James about asking Leo to stay over for the holidays. James loved the idea.

"Oh, you have to come! It will be great having the King Lion and his Potters altogether outside of the school," James said, delighted in taking his friend in. Then, he stopped suddenly. The cloak drew off him. He had ran to catch up and threw it back on. They stood there for a moment in silence, then James asked the question that Leo and Albus had forgotten. "What is your mum going to say?"

Both Albus and Leo looked quickly at each other and started laughing. "Oh no!" they said mockingly to each other. James thought they had gone mad. "Do you think she would notice if I didn't come home?" Leo said between laughs.

"What's so funny? Why wouldn't she want you home for Christmas?" James asked bewildered.

Leo straightened up and motioned for them to walk and talk. "I'm sorry James, I thought we told you about that. My mum hates me. She hates you. She hates anything that's not related to the Dark Arts. I love her for her bitterness. It makes me laugh," he said calmly. Albus chuckled again.

James was shocked by his best friend's laughter and nonchalantness towards his mother's cruelty. "You don't even care?" he asked astonished.

Leo sighed and Albus decided to cut in. "Bro, Leo will tell you in the morning. Let's go fly before the teachers wake up," he said opening the Astrology Tower door. They leapt out the window and took off on their brooms through the moonlit night.

They landed in the Owlery so Albus could send an owl to his father asking for permission for Leo to stay. They figured the owl would make it back in the remaining three days before they left on the train. Once the owl was off with the parchment attached to its leg, they took off again, skimming across the beautiful, night air.

As the sun began to rise, they made their way back up to the Astrology Tower, but was met with something that was the complete opposite of how they were feeling.

The Headmistress was standing there with her stern, never-cross-me face glaring at them. They landed and hoped that she was an illusion that someone had set as a joke, but were quickly disappointed as she pointed at the door. Her fury was shown in her eyes and they sheepishly, shoulders sunk, walked out of the tower to her office.

The Headmistress spoke something that none of the boys cared to remember and they began their trek up the spiraling stairs. The boys looked at each other and hung their heads again, expecting their doom had come at last.

They looked up one more time to see the most shocking thing they had ever seen in their life, a smile, or more of a smirk, but as long as it wasn't a death-glare, they would take it.

"My, my, my. The Potters at last have found their way into my office," she said sitting down in a large, mahogany chair behind her desk. She motioned for them to sit and they did so. Her dark green eyes were piercing into each of the three students and making them shudder from the inside out. "I was wondering when I'd finally catch you. My, how many times have I caught either your father or your grandfather in this situation. Let's say... enough.

"You've been on my watchlist since you came here boys, maybe not you, Mr. Koenig, but after third year... oh, you were right up there with them," she said smiling at James and Albus. "I bet you're wondering why I'm being so nice right now, no?" They nodded nervously. "Well, I thought at first that catching you would be the greatest victory for me yet, but I was wrong. I talked to your father's headmaster, Albus' namesake, and he betted me that I wouldn't catch you for years." The boys looked at each other and raised their eyebrows asking silently "What?" The Headmistress clapped her hands and they snapped their heads forward. "Well, it seems that by me making that bet I lose the privilege to expel, warn, or even punish you. This is me, Minerva McGonagall, accepting defeat to Albus Dumbledore, Albus Potter, James Potter, and the- What do they call you? Ah, yes.- The King Lion." She stood from her chair, the boys followed ensuit, and she held out her hand.

The boys' mouths hung open, along with their many thoughts, which they closed quickly. The three shook her hand as she motioned towards the door, needing no invitation, the boys left the office and began walking towards their dorm in silence.

Finally, James spoke up. "What... Just happened?" he asked to the other boys. They shrugged and stopped moving.

Albus suddenly grinned, the grin that would make even a Unicorn think bad thoughts. "I think we just got told we're the cleverest people in Hogwarts history," he said.

All three boys started laughing and began their walk again. They climbed through the portrait hole and found a few people already up. They looked at each other and started laughing again, as they made their way back out into the corridor to take off on another flight.

The days went by with little happening. Little ever did happen at Hogwarts, unless the King Lion and his Potters decide to do something to spice things up, but out of respect for their headmistress, they stayed subdued. They made jokes about how they should thank Dumbledore, how the bet was made, and whether or not they would be as lucky next time. On Tuesday, they got a reply from Albus and James' dad about Leo staying over. He said it was fine, and that he was anxious to meet the great King Lion himself. Leo was a little nervous, but knew that the great Harry Potter was just a normal person... Who just so happened to defeat the greatest dark wizard in a hundred years.

They got all their things ready to go and walked down to the train together. Leo had been wanting to tell Lily, but Albus had told him not to, and that it would be a great surprise. When Leo had seen Lily walking with two of her friends down to the train laughing, he stopped in his tracks and caught his breath. He stood there rooted to the spot, mesmerized by her features. Her shiny red hair waved in the breeze with her robes. Her smile entranced him even more, and until Albus had waved a hand in front of his face did he realize what he was doing. Albus chortled a laugh and grinned at him. Leo didn't think this holiday was going to end with pleasant friendships anymore.

Leo and Albus caught up to James with his friend, Gunther. They got on the train and found a compartment to themselves. At least, they were alone till the door opened and Lily and her friends came in.

"Sorry, but the others are all taken," she said apologetically looking straight at Leo. Leo gazed at her, and lost his breathing again, but quickly snapped back when she smiled at him.

Albus laughed, but quickly covered it when Lily glared at him. James was more interested in the blonde behind Lily than anything else in the compartment. "No worries Lils. Frankie, come take a seat over here," James said raising his eyebrows suggestively at the blonde. She had her hair up in a tight bun with several strands luring out seductively. She took the offered seat on James' left and cuddled up close to him.

Albus smirked at his brother, then turned to see the brunette in the doorway sheepishly gazing at him. He motioned for her to come over and she did.

Leaving the Lily, the flowering and gorgeous sister of the two most popular boys in the school and daughter to the hero of the magical world, and the King Lion, the biggest trouble maker, including for girls, since the Weasley twins and the Marauders, standing there gazing at each other from both sides of the compartment.

Albus, James and Gunther started laughing at the sight of their gazing and that brought Leo and Lily back to normal thinking. They put their heads down and looked away, taking the seat by the window together. They glanced at each other and grinned. The Potter brothers thought it was hilarious and Gunther was trying to join in, but was feeling slightly left out of the current joke. With no girl swooning over him, he decided it best to go and find one.

Gunther stood up and the room looked at him expectantly for a second. "Well, I'll be going then. I need to go find a girl to swoon over me so I won't be left behind," he said grinning. Hoping they caught it was a half-serious joke. The girls caught on though and jumped up and ran to him, throwing their arms around him.

"Please, no, don't go!" Frankie said gripping his leg. James' face fell behind her.

"But, what will I do if you go and leave me with just Albus to swoon over?" the brunette, Lexy, said making Albus give a harrumph from his seat.

"Please, Gunther! Stay with us!"

Lily just stayed in her seat during it all laughing with Leo. They bumped each other and looked daringly into each other's eyes. Leo couldn't help but think how pretty her emerald eyes were shining in the compartment light. And Lily couldn't help but think how amazing his twinkling blue eyes were when they reflected off of hers.

They just kept on gazing till they noticed the silence that had been brought upon them. Leo furrowed his brow and turned to see Albus grinning, Gunther holding in a laugh, and James... Well, something he had never see James have on his face. Almost like... Anger. The girls looked longingly at the sight of them, almost hoping that Albus and James would gaze at them the same way.

Albus glanced over at James and saw the anger quickly building to fury in his eyes. He knew that the only way to stop this was to make a joke about it, or play it off as something prearranged, but couldn't think of anything funny about it or how to make a good excuse. James quickly had a scowl on his face as he got up and grabbed Leo by the front of the robes and hauled him out into the hall outside the compartment.

Albus and Gunther looked at each other, scared for Leo's safety and scared for James might be going to Azkaban. They got to their feet and told the girls, who were shocked out of their minds, to stay put. They hurried out to the hall, closing the door behind them.

James had Leo up against the wall, an inch or two off the ground. Leo looked sorrowful as he hung there, but he didn't look scared or angry as one would think. He was sorry that he had made his friend mad, and was going to take anything he had coming.

"Why Lily? Why my sister!" James screamed at him. "You can have any girl in the whole bloody school, but you choose your bestmate's sister?" After seeing Leo's apologetic look, he let him slide down the wall to his feet. A few heads were popping out of their compartments to watch the scene.

"Because, James, she's the only girl I know of that knew me before I was 'The King Lion'," Leo said. James was about to pull out his wand, but kept himself controlled long enough to let go of Leo and walk backwards to lean against the wall.

"I'm sorry bud. I thought you were going to use her like all the Hufflepuffs from last year," James said sliding down the wall to sit. Leo came over and patted his shoulder and sat down next to him.

"It's alright. I figured you would be mad anyways, but trust me when I say that making her sad or hurt is not what I want to do," Leo said with a laugh. "I can just see your dad walking through the entrance hall doors and scream 'Where's the King Lion!' and then I'd wet myself. I don't think you need to worry about me, buddy." They got back to their feet and hugged each other apologizing.

Gunther and Albus were standing off to the side watching them closely. They started laughing when James and Leo came over to them, arms around each other's shoulders.

"We're going to have a bumpy ride, aren't we?" Gunther asked.

Leo looked at Albus and James and gave out a satisfied grunt. "Maybe more."

They all went back to the compartment and sat down. Leo was surprised to see Lily sitting over by Lexy and Albus instead of by the window with him. James told her it was alright and she excitedly leapt back over to Leo blushing. He laughed with her and looked into her eyes once more.

"This ride is going to be the first of many," he thought. And they sat talking about different things that had happened in their various subjects all the way to King's Cross station.

Author's Note: I know that this chapter was really small and doesn't really carry much about the plot, but I think the little things I put in it will show to be of some importance later on. Hope you enjoyed and will enjoy the next chapter.