Chapter 40
"That was amazing, Harrykins!" the twins chorused eagerly. Neville and Tom looked pale and weak, but they both smiled.
Sirius and Remus pulled Harry into a hug. "Don't scare us like that again," Remus choked.
"I will have to scare you again twice more," Harry said dryly, squeezing back. "And I was perfectly fine."
"What's the clue!" Draco exclaimed, earning chuckles from the other Slytherins.
"Yeah, open it!" Sirius agreed eagerly, as he and his husband released their godson.
Regulus rolled his eyes. "Impatient as always, Siri."
"Shut up," Sirius whined.
Harry put the egg on the table. "Protective charms, and cover your ears, just in case."
When everyone had their hands over their ears, and Fred and George had cast protective charms, Harry opened the egg.
Instantly, the loudest shriek Harry had ever heard filled the room. The other occupants cowered and cringed. Harry quickly shut it, wincing.
"What the heck was that!" Neville exclaimed.
"A language," Luna responded serenely. "One you can't understand in the air."
"In the air?" Harry frowned. After a pause, he said, "Oh... in the water. I'm going to draw a bath." He smirked at Tom, who turned bright red. "Care to-"
"Don't even think about it," Remus, Sirius, and Regulus chorused sharply.
Harry scowled. "Too late."
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Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this:
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
To recover what we took.
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"Quiet!" Severus barked. Instantly, the Gryffindor/Slytherin class silenced. "Before you leave, there is something you must know."
Regulus sighed. "I'll tell them, love, you have a habit of overdramatisizing things like this."
"I do not!" Severus hissed indignantly, over the quiet snickers from the Slytherins.
"This Christmas, we will be having a ball," Regulus said calmly. "The Yule Ball-"
He was interrupted by squeals from half of the girls in the room and groans from the boys. A glare from Severus silenced them.
"The Yule Ball," Regulus continued, "is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament, and an opportunity to socialize and welcome our foreign guests. The ball is only open to fourth years and above, unless you invite a younger student to come with you, of course."
Patil, Tracey, Pansy, and Brown burst into giggles, staring at Harry. Harry ignored them.
"You may wear dress robes, but you don't have to," Regulus continued. "The ball will be at the Great Hall, and it will begin at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight."
Severus swept his dark gaze across the classroom, silencing the whispers that had started up. "While the Yule Ball is a chance to... let our hair down," he sneered, causing Regulus to roll his eyes in gentle exasperation, "that does not mean you are allowed to act out. You will behave, and there will be no... rule-breaking." Harry assumed that by 'rule-breaking,' he meant sex.
It didn't escape Harry's notice that half the class looked disappointed at that.
The bell rang, and the Gryffindors sped out of the classroom, minus Seamus and Dean.
"You're coming with me to the ball," Dean ordered Seamus.
Seamus grinned. "Of course."
"Harry, stay behind, please," Regulus called. "Severus and I have something to discuss with you."
Harry sighed, then waved at hand at the Slytherins, most of whom left without another word. Draco, Blaise, Seamus, and Dean stayed put.
When the room was empty other than the two professors and Harry's friends, Harry walked up to Severus' desk. "Yes, Uncle Reg?"
Regulus gave him a faintly sympathetic look. "It's tradition that the champions and their partners open the dance."
Harry scowled. "Of freaking course. I can't dance."
"Everyone can dance, Harry," Regulus said calmly. "And Severus and I are going to teach the Slytherins how to dance, don't worry."
Harry and the friends in his year were just sitting down for dinner when Fred, George, Tom, and Luna came over to them.
"Hey, little dragon," Fred grinned as he and George plopped down on either side of Harry. "Has someone asked you to the ball yet?"
"Five people, all of whom I said 'no' to," Draco replied, blushing.
"Do you-" began Fred.
"-want to-" George started, eyes on Luna.
"-go to-"
"-the ball-"
"-with me, little dragon?" Fred finished.
"-little moon?" said George.
This sent the Slytherins into hysterics.
"Of course," Luna giggled. Draco just nodded, his face as red as a tomato.
"Harry, do you want to-" Tom began.
"Do you want to go to the ball with me, Harry?" came a sickly-sweet voice from behind him.
Without even turning, Harry said, "No, I will not go to the ball with you, Genevra. Yes, I will go to the ball with you, Ambroise."
"WHAT!" the Weasley girl shrieked. "You can't go with a boy! That's disgusting!"
"Uh, actually, you can, Weasley, and it's not disgusting," Seamus sneered. "I'm going with Dean, and Fred's going with Draco."
"Well I wasn't talking to you, faggot," Weasley said coldly.
"Detention, Miss Weasley!" McGonagall barked from the teacher's table. "For three weeks! And fifty points from Gryffindor!"
"WHAT!"
"Sit down, Miss Weasley," Regulus said softly, deep disappointment coloring his tone. Instantly, the entire Great Hall silenced, nearly every face looking slightly guilty. Harry chuckled; the entire school seemed to love Regulus.
Except the two blood-traitor Weasleys and Granger, who were now scowling at McGonagall and Severus' husband.
"Um... Blaise... I don't have a date yet," Neville said nervously. "D'you... would you-"
"Yes," Blaise blurted, then blushed. "I was going to ask you," he complained, causing snickers from the twins and Draco.
Neville's cheeks flushed, and he smiled shyly. "Thanks, Blaise."
Theo rolled his eyes playfully. "Gays."
"Asexuals," Blaise retorted, causing more laughter.
The Black Knights:
King: Anguis (Harry)
Queen: Amber (Tom)
Rooks: Alpha (Remus) & Shere Khan (Regulus)
Knights: General Shen (Draco) & Prince (Severus)
Bishops: Samwise (Neville) & Redbeard (Seamus)
Higher Pawns: Morgan (Luna; seer); Grim (Sirius; Guard); Oberon (Fred; Creator); Puck (George; Creator); Shadow (Kingsley, Recruiter); Blackbeard (Dean, Creator); Venom (Blaise, Stealth); Khepri (Skeeter, Spy); Hathi (Winston, Wandmaker); Howl (Cedric, Sleeper Agent, Ministry); Kaa (Viktor, Sleeper Agent, Bulgarian Ministry of Magic); Siren (Fleur, Sleeper, Veela) Scarlet (Charlie, Dragon Trainer)
Junior Marauders:
Leader: Harry (Scales)
Members: Tom (Red); Remus (Moony); Sirius (Padfoot); Regulus (Stripes); Severus (Snarl); Draco (Albino); Neville (Fuzzy); Seamus (Bandit); Luna (Radish); Fred (Flame); George (Sparky); Kingsley (Don); Dean (Tarzan); Blaise (Strike); Winston (Gray); Cedric (Loyal); Viktor (Regal); Fleur (Blaze); Charlie (Nuts)
Charlie's Animagus form is a red squirrel.
I removed the last two lines because ⎯ honestly, would McGonagall lie about not getting the 'treasure' back? It was just to get the champions back within an hour, and it didn't work, anyway.