Harry Potter : Flash Forward

But how did it happen?" asked Tracey. "Sorry. I know it's private. But, I really want to know!"

Harry shook his head and gave them the story they'd worked out on the train.

"Typical Gryffindor," snorted Blaise. "You just decided to kiss her and see what she'd do?"

"Pretty much," Harry replied with a shrug. "I thought the worse she could do was slap me and hex me a few times."

"Not very Slytherin," said Horace.

"No, but I never said there wasn't a reason the Hat chose Gryffindor as it's second choice for me," he replied.

"And then you kissed Hermione?" asked Tracey.

"It was more like I kissed Harry," replied Hermione. "I saw the glow between him and Daphne and wanted to see if it would do the same for me. It did. Daphne told us what the glow meant."

"But, this is a private secret, guys," said Daphne. "It's not information to be shared. Alright? We shared it with you because you're friends."

"And, what about a certain pair of redheads?" asked Blaise. "What happened there?"

All three of the original teens scowled a little.

"Young Miss Weasley attempted to slip Harry a combined love and loyalty potion," said Daphne. "I guess she wanted Harry for herself."

"Both are difficult to brew," said Blaise. "I didn't think she'd have the knowledge or skills to brew something like that."

"She doesn't," said Hermione. "Harry and I stayed at the Weasley's home, The Burrow, for the last week of school holidays. I spied Missus Weasley brewing them and alerted Harry and Daphne to what she was doing."

"So, we kept an eye on both of the youngest two to see which one was going to attempt to dose us," said Daphne. "It turns out they both had the potions on their persons when young Ginevra made her move."

"Any idea what's going to happen to them?" asked Tracey.

"Not yet," Daphne scowled. "I suspect Madam Bones is still investigating. I'm sure we'll hear more when those investigations are completed, though."

Talk moved on to other matters as the six teens settled back to less serious subjects. It was about an hour later when Dobby popped in with drinks and small canapés for every one.

"Wasn't that the Malfoy house elf?" asked Horace, a little confused on seeing Dobby.

"It was," replied Harry with a smirk. "I tricked Lucy into freeing him at the end of second year. After giving him just over a year of freedom, I asked Dobby if he wanted to bond with me when we returned to the castle at the beginning of the week. He accepted."

"And the clothes?" asked Horace. "How did you manage to give him clothes and not break the bond?"

"I didn't," Harry responded a little smugly. "I told him what I'd like to see him wearing. And he took it from there. He's now wearing his own clothes without me having given them to him."

"Clever," said Blaise, a little surprised. "I think I might tell my mum how you managed that."

Harry gave him a little gesture telling the other boy he didn't mind him telling his mother how to do it.

"I'm actually surprised no one's thought of it before," said Hermione.

"I'm not," Daphne disagreed. "What a house elf wears is sign of their bondage to the House. Many purebloods... and it's usually only purebloods that have house elves... want their house elves to appear as slaves. It makes them feel better about themselves, I suppose.

"Then, there're folks like us. We just didn't know we could do it differently. I guess, we never really thought about it. But, we should have."

"Be that as it may," said Harry. "Up here, we're out of the information loop, so to speak," said Harry. "We only hear about the information people think we want to hear. What rumours are floating around about us?"

"Not much," said Tracey. "There're quite a few witches not very happy Harry's no longer available. And, a few of the male purebloods are annoyed they can no longer push their heads of houses to arrange a betrothal between them and Daphne. I'm more worried about things like the love potions you spoke of young Weasley attempting."

"They won't work," said Daphne. "Part of the magic of the bond is that love potions... and pretty much any form of mind altering substance or charm... will no longer work on us. We're now immune."

"Handy," mused Blaise. "I wish the rest of us were so protected."

"Learn the detection charms," said Hermione. "And, if anyone asks, tell them you're copying the idea from Professor Moody. You notice he detects his food and drink every time he sits at the head table for his meals?"

"Is that what he's doing?" asked Horace. "I wondered."

"He's paranoid," scowled Tracey. "He thinks everyone's out to kill him by poisoning him."

"It's not a bad frame of mine to be in if people are actually out to try and poison you," smirked Harry right back.

"True," she sighed.

"However, he makes the perfect excuse to start using the charms to detect for such potions," said Hermione. "That's how Harry detected the potions Ginny Weasley tried to slip him."

By the time curfew approached, the six had spent the rest of the evening talking about far less serious subjects and getting to know one another better.

After they'd gone, Harry said, "That was nice. I'm disappointed your sister didn't want to come, though."

"She'll join us tomorrow when my parents are here," smiled Daphne. "I think she might have also have had a little bit of a crush on you, though, Harry. She wasn't happy to learn I'd 'snagged' you first."

"Errph!" Harry grimaced. "I don't like the whole fangirl thing. They're smitten with the whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' thing rather than 'Just Harry'. I think, if they actually got to know me; they'd be disappointed."

"No, they wouldn't," she smiled.

"She's right," sighed Hermione. "Harry Potter's even better than the 'Boy-Who-Lived'."

Blushing a little, Harry said, "And, with that embarrassing little situation, I think I'm going to head for bed."

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