Harry Potter and the Goblin Rebellion

Chapter 34 - Ravenclaw Common Room

It seemed odd to Harry to be carried off from the Quidditch pitch, still in his Gryffindor quidditch robes, on the shoulders of all these Ravenclaws. But then, he thought, 'these are all friends and they are celebrating the results of something I did, and I'm happy for their happiness.' Harry knew that Madam Pomfrey would have no trouble handling his teammates' injuries. He decided to relax and enjoy the tide of celebration.

As they made their way to the castle, Harry noticed Luna Lovegood gesturing to him. She kept tapping her forehead with the heel of her hand and pointing to him. Harry checked his head but felt nothing. Finally she worked her way into the mass of students carrying him toward the dungeons where the Ravenclaw dorm was and slipped him a scrap of parchment. He opened it and found it said "hit your head on the lintel." He hoped it would make sense when they got to the Ravenclaw common room and decided he would play along. Luna was not a practical joker, after all, so it was probably good advice.

They proceeded down to the dungeon, making no effort to hide the route or the password from Harry. Harry was thrilled and honored at the show of trust and the change from previous years. They came to a dark oaken panel flanked by two sets of armor. Stuart Ackerley spoke the password to the left-hand set. The panel lifted ("very like a muggle garage" thought Harry), and they entered a narrowing tunnel. Before long they had to shift him to just two shoulders, and Michael Corner and Terry Boot each took a side.

Harry saw a cherrywood lintel that couldn't have been more than seven and a half feet up over a stone door barely wide enough for one large man. Su Li ran ahead and opened the door with a touch and Harry finally saw what Luna meant about hitting his head, only the note had said to do it, rather than warning him to watch out. As they approached the lintel Harry prepared himself and ducked down to fit through, but made sure that he clunked his head against it so that it was much noisier than it was painful. A cheer went up from all the Ravenclaws, so Harry understood it to be some sort of House tradition. Finally they were all inside, but before Terry and Michael would put him down, Cho gestured for them to keep holding him and jumped onto a large rectangular table. Then she pulled out a jingly three pointed jester's hat and pressed it onto Harry's head.

"What's this?" said Harry, reaching up for the hat.

"Oh, no, Harry, don't remove it," said Cho, laughing happily, "all our guests get to wear the snogging hat when they first visit."

Harry looked at her sidelong, "Snogging hat - is it enchanted and what do I have to do?"

"Oh, yes, of course it's enchanted, this is Hogwarts after all, and we Ravenclaws take pride in our charms! If you try to pull it off before you meet the terms, your hair will stay attached to it and grow to fill in the space between it and your head - it will just keep growing and if you cut it, it will reattach. What you have to do to remove it is get a kiss from every girl here," explained Cho.

"Well, finally a charmed object I can appreciate," said Harry, "So, Cho, you're right here. Let's have a start."

"Not so fast, Harry, a couple of speeches first. First me, as the captain of the team, I want to thank you for a masterful catch and not letting our last game get in the way of things. By the way, so everybody knows, that was a grand ruse making Malfoy think you were planning to throw the cup our way. One thing you ought to learn as a Seeker is that most anything the other Seeker does is a trick, and you fooled him twice today. Brilliant!"

Cho started cheering for Harry and waving her arms for the others to join in, which they did.

When that cheer died down, she went on, "At least as important, we also want you to be here for our celebration to thank you for what you've done for us and the whole school with the DA. We've all become more confident, better witched and wizards, and better friends with all the other houses. We know you've put a lot of yourself into it, and we really appreciate it. There was a time when you were just the 'Famous Harry Potter' - or maybe that was 'Crazy Harry Potter' - and our quidditch enemy, but now you are our friend and our coach."

"Coach! Coach! Coach! Coach!" went up the cheer until he lifted his hands. He worked himself off of Michael and Terry's shoulders onto the table. "Let me assure you," he said to them all, "that the appreciation is mutual. And not just from me, but from students throughout Hogwarts. I have been so impressed with all that you have accomplished this year, and I know that I have been made a better and stronger wizard by sharing this training with all of you. As for the game, it feels a bit odd to be celebrating losing the Quidditch Cup, but under the circumstances, it's just fine by me. For nearly two years, and particularly this year, my eyes have been on a far greater prize than the Cup - a time when we can all live without fear. I believe when all good people join together to prepare to resist those who would harm and oppress us, we move toward that goal. I am thrilled to spend some time with you good friends who have worked so hard to bring us all closer to that time."

A further cheer went up and Harry beamed at them. He turned to Cho, who was still on the large table, and, taking her hand to pull her toward him, he said, "C'mere Cho, you're first."

"Well, okay then, I guess I've got to show the others how. After all," she winked at the Ravenclaw girls, "I've done this with him before."

She tilted her head upward and let Harry bend down a bit to kiss her. Instead of the expected light peck though, he gave her a solid and enthusiastic kiss, lasting no less than a quarter of a minute. He lifted up, gave a cheery jingle to the bells on the snogging hat, and grinned at her. She acted dizzy and mouthed "Whew!" while miming wiping sweat from her forehead. The Ravenclaws cheered and Harry jumped down from the table, and then lifted Cho down. He went about the Ravenclaws, greeting them all, jostling with the boys and collecting additional kisses from the girls.

Food, pumpkin juice and butterbeer were brought in, and Professor Flitwick himself made a point of bringing Harry a butterbeer. At that point, Harry finally got a chance to have a seat and chat for a few minutes and look around the Ravenclaw common room. It looked very much like a very plush and comfortable library, with books lining most walls where there were not fireplaces or magically conjured picture windows. There were balconies surrounding the central area with various tables, nooks, and alcoves for study, games, or conversation.

"Wow," said Harry to Professor Flitwick, "I had no idea what Ravenclaw's common room was like. I'd better not tell Hermione Granger about this, or she'll be too jealous."

Professor Flitwick laughed and chirped "Yes, she would indeed have done well with us, but I cannot deny she has done very well where she is."

"Oh, absolutely. I know I'd be lost without her," said Harry.

"Perhaps her placement had as much to do with you as it did with her, although from what I have heard, being around you has likewise brought out the best of Gryffindor qualities in her," observed Professor Flitwick.

"I don't know as I can claim any credit. I think being very brave is a part of the job description for being my friend."

They heard a slight whimper and then quick footsteps. Harry turned and through a bookshelf saw a figure heading hurriedly away. He needed only a glimpse to see it was Marietta.

"Don't discount your influence, my boy. I can't tell you how much easier teaching has been this year: enough so that I have noted it. All the students in the DA have been mastering their skills much more readily, and I can see them behaving more personably and cooperatively with others. I don't know if it is the sense of a higher purpose, or spending time in a large group, or maybe it's just you rubbing off on them, Potter, but it certainly makes teaching easy. Keep it up!

"Oh, I don't know if you've had much time to stay in touch with Dobby with all you've been doing, but he and Melony are growing yet closer still. I have little doubt that if the goblins could recognize Dobby as one of them, we'd have a marriage in no time. Aah, but goblins too often value gold only for the glitter."

As Harry listened to Professor Flitwick, his scar started to hurt and then became very intense. As it became too intense, he pressed his hand against the scar and started rubbing it.

Professor Flitwick nodded knowingly and smiled, "Forgive me for enjoying your pain, Potter, but it represents good news indeed. The Wizengamot was set to vote today on the Apparation Charm law. Now I can play the mind-reader: The enemy is angry because the law has been turned down. Does that fit with what you are feeling?"

"Yes, mostly," said Harry, "but there's something more. There's disappointment that there won't be a rebellion just now, and he's determined to pursue another plan."

"Well, Potter, we'll keep our eyes and ears open then, shall we not? I'd better go and report to the Headmaster. Before I go, though, it looks like you could use some help with that hat. Let's see, I saw you already with Miss Brocklehurst, Miss Patil, and Miss Li. How about Miss Quirke and Miss Turpin?"

"Yeah, I've kissed them." He looked around, remembering whom he had kissed. "I think I'm only missing Luna and Marietta."

"Well, than, I don't see Miss Edgecombe around but there's Miss Lovegood over there. I'm sure she'll give you the help you need. I'll see you Monday, if Dobby and Melony don't ask to drop in on you during their date this evening."

"Either way, I'll look forward to it," shaking Flitwick's hand and then walking over to sit next to Luna.

"I suppose you want a kiss," she said offhandedly.

"Well, not if it's going to bring you down."

"Oh, it's not," she said with a smile, "not me anyway."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Marietta. I see things, you know, that many others don't pay attention to," said Luna, then adding offhandedly, "Of course, I miss some things that others catch. She hasn't relaxed since the game started and those Slytherins were playing so roughly. She reacted a little when the others were hurt, but looked like she would cry when you got hit and when you did that maneuver that got Malfoy. I saw that she stood on a balcony and watched you speak to us all with very faraway eyes. Oh, and she has watched every kiss you've shared this afternoon. I don't think others have noticed, but I notice."

Then Luna smiled, "I'd say it's not the sort of interest one has from afar. You two have been seeing each other, haven't you?"

Harry smiled, "You clever Ravenclaw. Yes, we did for just a little bit. Then she broke it off."

"The danger?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Well, she reacted most adversely to the risks and to the kisses. Of course, she could have prevented the kisses by being there to give them herself. We don't pull out the Snogging Hat for guests who have steadies. That leaves the danger. Besides, I already know she doesn't deal well with danger."

"Wow," said Harry, "if it wasn't my life you were dissecting, I'd want to listen to you all day explaining things."

Luna started laughing uproariously, like he had just recited the funniest limerick ever. "Harry, you could have done that any time. Ah, but you do have a lot to take you away from such things, don't you? Oh, well, someday you'll be able to dip your hands into the water for a long cool drink."

"Erm, okay. Say, do you know where Marietta is?" asked Harry.

Luna shot out her hand through an open spot on a shelf and grabbed a piece of cloth. "Right here - listening all the time. Marietta, you come here and talk to him. Harry, I'll give you my kiss now. I can't tell you if or how you'll get the last one you'll need."

She gave him a quick kiss and left the two of them alone at the alcove she had been in.

Marietta sat next to him and said tersely, "So, do you want to just get it over with?"

"No, not just yet," answered Harry.

"Well then, what?"

"You know I'd like to have a lot more, openly, till ... I don't know till when. I want to be able to find out more about us and see how far things really could go. I still care for you Marietta. I still hurt for you."

"I do, too, Harry. And I hate it. I just can't deal with it. You weren't even injured beyond bruises and I was nearly a basket case. What would I do if you were really hurt? How would I be if we really were a couple? I just don't know how to be brave. That's why we can't ...," she trailed off.

"Right then, if that's the way it must be, " said Harry, "Just give me a last kiss, just enough to let me get this hat off, if that's all you can stand of me."

Marietta stood up, drawing Harry up with her. She looked deep into his eyes and lifted up to kiss him, pulling him close, wrapping herself up in him, losing all sense of time in him. Suddenly, they both heard a howl.

"Whoooo-ooo! Snog him, Marietta!" It was Cho, still in a celebratory ecstasy.

"Marietta," she said, "we have got to get you a boyfriend, if that's how you kiss Harry just to get the snogging hat off. You'd do wonders for a boy like that!"

Harry smiled knowingly, looking into Marietta's eyes, "Yes, she could make a boy very happy indeed."

Then he turned to Cho, tossing her the hat. "Thanks for having me over here, Cho. I am truly happy for Ravenclaw and pleased to have been included in the celebration, but I've really got to get up to the Hospital Wing and check on my team."

Cho hooted again and yelled, "Thanks again, Harry. See you Tuesday."

Then Cho turned to Marietta and said, "Come on, you can't mope around after a kiss like that. Let's go find some games."

Harry walked over to the stone door, which opened as he approached it. He reached up and placed his hands over the door, leaning, and looked back at Cho and Marietta. Marietta was looking back toward him, even as Cho was pulling her along. Harry patted the lintel as he passed through and then the stone door closed behind him.