11 Chapter 11: Lesson Learned

"Oh Jules..." Apolline Delacour giggled as her husband tossed her to the bed. She struck an artful and seductive pose, while Julian hurried to remove his coat and jacket.

Their date had gone very well, and the wine had helped loosen their inhibitions. Tonight was a night for passion, a night of love making and nothing else. The warm wind blew from the open balcony of their Marseilles beach house, caressing their bodies and enhancing the ambiance of the room.

Apolline smiled at her husband while the full moon bathed her skin, making her glow like a goddess from the heavens. If there was such a night for passion and sex, this was it.

Julian Delacour gave a predatory smile to his wife as he crawled towards the bed while Apolline giggled as her wrists were suddenly tied by silky scarves to the posts of the bed. The Delacour couple loved role playing, since it only heightened the pleasure they both felt.

"Oh Merlin... I didn't know they were kinky. Good job son!"

"I have to give it to your son... that's one fine catch."

"I never thought my baby boy would grow up to be like this... I remember when I first vanished his first poo poo."

The Delacour couple froze and stared wide eyed at each other. Julian climbed off his wife and scrambled to wrap his waist with the blanket while he looked around for the source of the noise.

"Ohhh Mama!"

"Nice Rack..."

"Julian!" Apolline screamed as the other portraits leered at her. "Untie me!"

Julian nodded and vanished the scarves and his wife used the large pillows to hide her assets. Apolline peered looked around the walls looking for the source of the voices.

"Honey, when did we have the portraits of your ancestors hung in your bedroom?" Apolline asked, recognizing the pictures of the old men winking at her. She glared back at the portraits and grabbed another pillow to hide her creamy white thighs from view.

"And where are the muggle paintings I bought?" Apolline added, looking around the walls. She had chosen to decorate this room with muggle scenic paintings to ensure privacy in the bedroom whenever she and Julian played their 'games'.

Julian peered through the gloom and stepped closer to the painting of his deceased mother. He knew he had a smaller painting of her in the private library in Paris and not of this size.

"Mother?" Julian asked."Where did you come from?"

"Jules!" Francesca Delacour greeted her son, though she wore a small grin in her face. "I'm from our ancestor's collection, Perenelle Flamel. Harry asked me if I wanted to see a nice view of the beach and of course I agreed..."

"That Thief..." Julian gritted his teeth with frustration. He looked around and wondered what else was missing or misplaced in their beach house. He looked at his wife who was still trying to hide her modesty from his forefathers' lecherous gazes and sighed in defeat. He hated playing Harry's game.

*************

"Welcome to Defense against the Dark Arts class..." The flamboyant man descended the stairs from his office, his golden cape draped across one shoulder.

The girls all sighed as one as Gilderoy Lockhart gave them a winning smile worthy of some award in a local witch magazine, with his shiny white teeth gleaming in the early morning sun. The Defense Professor gave the second years the basic speech he had used so far for the fourth and seventh years, proudly showing of his titles and awards that he won. The girls sat on the edge of their seats, soaking up the stories their professor told them while most of the students immediately grew bored, since for some reason the man irritated them.

"First... we shall first have a surprise quiz..." Gilderoy Lockhart passed sheets of parchment to the front of the class and the front row students took one and passed them to their classmates behind them.

"Professor... what is this supposed to be?" Michael Corner asked as he read the questions while he absently passed the last parchment to his roommate behind them.

"This quiz will determine if your have really read my autobiography... Magical Me." Gilderoy smiled at the young second year student. "Time... starts now. You have thirty minutes."

The students immediately drew their ink bottles and quills and soon the sound of quills scratching the parchment was heard around the defense room.

Hermione eagerly answered the questions and even before it reached the ten minute mark, she was sitting proudly on her seat smiling at the Defense professor who paced the front of the room, practicing the cape swirl that he had seen Professor Snape perform yesterday.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzZZZ...

The students stopped writing as they looked around the room, looking for the source of the loud snore and Gilderoy paused in mid step, surprised at the sound.

ZZZZZZzzzz... SNORK!

The boys sniggered and Michael sighed as he heard the sound behind him. Harry was sleeping again, but it seems that The-Boy-Who-Lived forgot that he was not in the history classroom and their teacher was not a ghost.

"Who is that?" Gilderoy Lockhart demanded as he looked at the sleeping boy while Michael Corner tried to wake up his roommate. The sleeping boy was drooling on the test paper and it irritated the Defense Professor.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up!" Michael whispered and the young thief slowly opened his eyes, irritated that someone disturbed his nap.

"What?" Harry yawned and he stretched his arms.

"You were sleeping in class!" Michael whispered as he looked back at the Defense Professor who was glaring at them.

"Oh... thanks." Harry whispered back. The man's speech was utterly boring, and he had a late night with Tonks who had insisted Kit stay with her while she watched a horror movie.

"You have drool in your face." Michael whispered and Harry searched his robes for his hanky. Finding none, he spotted the damp paper on his desk and crumpled it and used it as a tissue. He smelled Pansy Parkinson's pungent perfume and he sneezed into the paper, blowing off his nose on it.

The male students burst into laughter, even Draco Malfoy who had to admire the audacity of the aloof boy and studious boy.

"Who are you young man?" Gilderoy demanded. "I'm afraid that you have scored zero for today's quiz... and twenty points from your house."

"Professor, that's Harry Potter." Hermione Granger said as she gave her best friend a disapproving look.

"Harry Potter!" Gilderoy immediately smiled at his fellow celebrity. "Come forward Mister Potter... maybe you could help me with today's lesson and regain those points back."

"What do I have to do?" The second year students asked as he stepped in front of the class.

"You will... help me reenact my battle with the werewolf" Gilderoy patted the boy's shoulder. This would be a good opportunity to rub shoulders with a fellow celebrity. "Pass your papers to the front, time is up."

Hermione volunteered to collect the papers and the rest of the second year class eagerly looked on to what their Defense Professor was up to.

"Stand there Harry... and you're going to be the fearsome Werewolf." Gilderoy positioned the boy to face him. "While I... Gilderoy Lockhart will attempt to subdue you and cure you of your Lycanthropy."

"In my battle with the fearsome werewolf..." Gilderoy faced the class who was looking on eagerly at the strange lesson. "I had wrestled with him since he had knocked out my wand... I was defenseless. I was about to be eaten alive, or turned into a werewolf myself."

Hermione gasped as she covered her mouth, though she was not alone.

"But Gilderoy Lockhart is not that easy to defeat." The Defense Professor said boldly, looking at his students in the eye. "And so I wrestled with the mindless, savage creature."

"Now Harry, can you do a howl of a werewolf?" Gilderoy asked.

"No." Harry said immediately while he looked at the man wondering what he was up to. He had not forgotten that incident at Diagon Alley where the flamboyant man had eaten his sandwich without permission.

"It's simple..." Gilderoy smiled. "Can you do... Awwwooooo?"

"Awoooo?" Harry asked and he shot a look at his fellow male students who were sniggering in their seats.

"Yes that!" Gilderoy encouraged his fellow celebrity. "Now raise your hands in front of you and do it again."

Harry muttered under his breath and raised his hands. "Awu..."

Gilderoy clapped his hands in delight. "Yes that's it!" He turned to the rest of the class and continued his fearsome tale. "Now, the savage werewolf had just swiped my wand in front of me... and I stood my ground and faced him... while a cold wind blew in my face as the full moon gave the surrounding forest an ethereal glow."

He turned to his fellow celebrity and grinned. "Now try to attack me Harry, and attempt to subdue me... without using magic."

"Huh?" Harry asked dumbly.

"Attack me... lunge towards me." Gilderoy encouraged his student as he struck a heroic pose, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest. "Try to incapacitate me."

"Okay..." Harry said. He eyed the celebrity professor in front of him and in a flash he kicked the man's shin... hard.

"Gahhh!" Gilderoy jumped up and down as pain seared up his leg while half the class burst into laughter. The Defense Professor started hopping on one foot while he massaged his bruised leg with his hand.

"Are you ok professor?" Harry asked, trying not to smile.

"I'm fine Harry... good kick." Gilderoy's eyes watered as he gave a tight smile. After massaging the pain away from his leg he stood up. "An unusual attack... I was giving you a chance. Try again Harry."

Gilderoy stood in a stance, ready for the young boy's attack.

"Again?" Harry asked as he grinned at the Defense Professor.

"Again." Gilderoy said. He faced the rest of the class and smiled again. "The Werewolf is known for its strength, and the one I wrestled with had arms as thick as my body. Go ahead Harry."

"Awuuu!!!" Harry raised his in the air and prepared to attack, raising his leg halfway up his body.

"I've seen that stance somewhere...." Hermione whispered to Padma. "In a movie... but I can't recall the title. We watched it this summer with Harry..."

"That's the spirit!" Gilderoy said happily. He prepared an attack on his feet again and he tensed his arms, ready to deflect the boy's left kick and wrestle him to ground using his superior strength and weight.

Harry jumped again and instead of using his left leg, he kicked with his right while in the air. His foot landed squarely on Gilderoy's groin, sending the five time winner of Witch Weekly's most charming smile award to the ground moaning in pain.

"Now I remember... the Karate Kid!" Hermione declared.

***********************

"Again. You're not doing it properly!"Julian scolded his future son in law. "You must learn to focus... you have the strength and willpower to resist, but your mind just wanders too much."

The young boy nodded and focused his shields again, ready for the mental attack. He stared at the blank wall, trying to ignore the gleam of shiny hair of Fleur and her amused face from the balcony.

"Legillimens!" Julian said as he waved his wand while staring at the young thief's eyes.

Harry felt the tendrils probing his mind, looking for signs of weakness. He clenched his fists when he felt the pressure in a particular spot increase and he tried to maintain his wavering shields. He tried to hold on and push back, but the pressure was too much and his meager shields collapsed.

Images of his current thoughts flashed through his mind, and he knew he wasn't the one in control. After a few more moments the foreign presence withdrew and Harry massaged his temple as he felt a headache developing.

"That was much better." Julian said, satisfied with Harry's progress. "Good work."

"I barely stopped you." Harry said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"But at least now you can detect when a legilimencer is trying to get in your mind. Unlike our exercises, you can break away the connection by looking away from their eyes." Julian said. He looked at the young boy and grinned. "Who was the girl Harry? The one with purple hair?"

"Just a friend." Harry muttered. He did not want to give any more information, since he considered the Tonks residence his fall back if he needed to run away at a moment's notice.

"What girl?" Fleur asked curiously as she stepped back into the study.

Harry started playing with his latest trinket, a habit he developed whenever he was bored or nervous. "Nothing Fleur... It's a figment of your father's imagination."

"You aren't cheating on me are you Harry?" Fleur asked as she crossed her arms and stared at the boy who lived. "Because if you are... then we will call the wedding off and you'll live with the weasels. Do you want that Harry?"

Julian smiled at her daughter's antics. The interactions of her eldest and the young Potter heir never failed to entertain him, be it a battle to destruction between legions of dolls and action figures or questions about married life.

"They're called the Weasley's Fleur." Harry replied.

"Pfft... It is the same." Fleur said. She tossed her silver hair and smiled as Harry stroked a stray strand back into place. "Now... who is this girl with purple hair? And don't say Papa imagined it, he does not have an ounce of imagination in his body."

Julian raised an eyebrow. He begged to differ... Apolline claimed he had a very creative and perverted mind in the bedroom.

"She's a good friend." Harry said, wondering why Fleur was asking these questions. He absently played with wisps of her hair, admiring the sheen it gave against the morning light. "She ... and her mum took me in before I met you."

Fleur eyed her future husband for a moment. "Very well Harry, but there is something you are not telling me. You should learn to trust me... Or else I will not cook for you when we are married.... and you will go hungry."

"But you don't know how to cook." Harry pointed out.

"I was bluffing, future husband. Anton will cook for us..." Fleur said. "Fine... I won't play with you anymore..."

"No!" Harry said, his eyes going wide. He was enjoying his 'play dates' with Fleur, and the older girl was good at animation charms as well.

Fleur grinned as she winked at her father who was biting his cheeks to keep from laughing. "Do you promise to trust me more? After all we will be married in the future."

"All right..." Harry admitted defeat. He jumped off the desk and headed to his room preparing for his class for today.

"You better watch out once Harry wises up." Julian warned her daughter. "He's a very smart kid, and he might try and get revenge when he realizes that you are taking advantage of his naivety."

Fleur nodded admitting to this fact. Her future husband was very perceptive, and sooner or later he would realize that she was just teasing him.

"I do not understand why we have to keep my betrothal with Harry a secret." Fleur said as she sat down on the couch.

"Dumbledore suggested that we keep it a secret." Julian said, as he continued reading the local paper. "He is concerned about attracting undue attention to Harry in Hogwarts... Is there a problem flower?"

Fleur smiled at her father's name for her. He was the only one that she allowed to call him with that. "The boys in school are annoying... they are persistent." Fleur replied. "I had hoped, with the announcement that I am already betrothed, they would cease their pitiful advances."

Julian frowned for a moment, deep in thought. "I will ask Harry if he is fine if we released the news to the press. The decision is up to him."

"He will agree if he learns of my situation at school." Fleur said confidently. "My future husband is a brave and noble wizard."

**********************

"Bye mum! Bye Kit!" Tonks said. She leaned down and kissed her mother on the cheek and fondly nuzzled her pet's nose who was sitting on top of the table.

Meow

Tonks smiled and stepped out of the door and immediately hid in the backyard. She decided that it was time to see where her Kit wandered the whole day and check if it was a safe enough place. The metamorphagus thought it maybe a place where cats hung out, or, maybe Kit had found a playmate.

Tonks narrowed her eyes when Kit jumped through the cat flap and started to run down towards the small park. Tonks shifted her form to an older woman and followed discreetly, making sure she had enough distance from her pet to not arouse his suspicion, but close enough to see where he was heading.

The wind immediately blew and Tonks had her first lesson in stealth and tracking, skills needed for the Auror Academy. Her scent was brought by the wind to Kit and the cat immediately picked up her unique smell.

The young cat stopped and turned around, facing the weird looking woman.

Meow

Tonks looked around to make sure no one was looking and quickly morphed to her regular form. "All right smartass, you caught me."

Kit sat still, wondering why Tonks had decided to follow him now. He had transfiguration in ten minutes, and he was sure Hermione and Padma would be looking for him.

"Don't just sit there Kit!" Tonks knelt down in front of her pet. "Show me where you spend your day. I want to make sure your safe wherever you go."

Kit lunged up to Tonks and she knew he wanted to be carried.

"Lazy Kit." Tonks said fondly as she cradled him. "I suppose you want to go to the park? Is that where you spend the whole day?"

Kit nodded and closed his, enjoying his personal public park transportation unit. He rubbed his head and fur on Tonk's chest, trying to get a good massage. The older girl smiled and headed to the park, scratching the spot behind her pet's ears.

As they reached the park, Tonks was surprised when the Kitten licked her nose before leaping off her arms. The young cat ran towards the trees in a pace Tonks thought he was not capable of and soon disappeared among the bushes.

Tonks hurried to the park, looking for her pet and realized that Kit had just disappeared. She discreetly tried to summon her pet back to him but she was alone in the park. Admitting that Kit had managed to escape her, she proceeded back home wondering where the cute little bugger disappeared to.

******************

"You're almost late Mister Potter." Minerva said. The young second year nodded and discreetly smiled back and Minerva had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling back.

Harry sat down on his usual spot between Hermione and Michael and took out his transfiguration textbook.

"Where were you?" Hermione whispered.

"I was sleeping." Harry said. "I woke up late."

"Michael said you did not sleep in your bed last night." Hermione said.

"I slept in an unused classroom." The Boy Who Lived replied.

Hermione raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying his excuse for even a moment and was about to reply when McGonagall interrupted her.

"There will be time for discussion for our lesson during the practical part of the period Miss Granger." McGonagall said.

"Sorry Professor" Hermione said as she ducked her head down, shooting her friend suspicious looks.

The transfiguration class finished too soon for Harry, as he was really enjoying transfiguring the beetles into shiny buttons. Hermione immediately walked beside him as he headed down for lunch, his mind already wondering what the noon meal is.

"Where did you go this time?" Hermione asked.

"I decided to take a nap in an unused classroom." Harry said. "When I woke up, there was only twenty minutes before transfiguration so I had to rush."

"What were you doing there?" Padma asked as she moved to Harry's other side.

"I was practicing spells... hexes and Jinxes." Harry said. He looked at Hermione closer and grinned. "Admit it Hermione, you're not learning from Professor Lockhart either."

Padma rolled her eyes as the debate began. Harry always made fun of their defense professor while Hermione defended him with vigor.

"I am learning! It's just you don't take his class seriously. You just sit at the back sleeping with your eyes open. I still can't figure how you do that." Hermione said.

"Practice..." Harry said proudly. "Years and years of practice."

"Surely you're learning something from him." Hermione said. "He is a great teacher, he wrote all those popular best-selling books!."

"I learned something from him, and he's very good at it too." Harry observed. "He's very good at acting."

*************

"I like it here." Harry said, looking around the tall towers.

"See, I told you it would be worth it." Michael Corner said happily. "There's Cho, our new seeker."

Harry ignored the quidditch players doing exercises at the pitch and leaned back on the wooden benches. He realized he had missed out on not going to the pitch, this as a great spot to nap and he particularly liked the cool wind blowing in front of his face.

"What position do you like to play if you're on the team?" Michael asked. "I want to be a chaser, I think that's where all the action is."

"Nothing..." Harry yawned and smiled lazily at the cool breeze. He heard the Quidditch team begin their drills and he opened one eye to observe the action.

Michael Corner shook his head and moved closer to the rail to observe the older, curvier girls that looked gorgeous in their quidditch uniforms.

A glint of gold caught Harry's eye and with reflexes honed from pick pocketing for years, he snatched the spherical golden ball in his right hand. He partially opened his hand and grinned with delight when he saw a chestnut sized winged golden ball struggling in his grip.

"Awesome..." Harry whispered.

"See, I told you that you will enjoy watching Quidditch." Michael Corner said as he continued to look at the formation of the three chasers.

"Yeah..." Harry said absently. He stowed the struggling snitch in the pocket of his jacket and closed his eyes. He would play with his latest toy later.

"Hey Harry, do you think Cho's pretty?" Michael asked. When he did not hear a reply, he looked back at his roommate. He shook his head when he saw that Harry was lying down on the bench with his arms behind his back, sleeping with a smile on his face.

He looked back at the drills performed by the house team, and heard the Quidditch captain shouting at his seeker that the practice will not be over until she caught the snitch.

***************

The young thief was humming as he tried to remove the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy from the wall. He was looking for a decor like he had seen in the Delacour mansion and decided that his room at his headquarters needed some furnishing. Barnabas looked on curiously at the young thief, but unlike portraits and paintings, he was unable to speak.

Harry frowned as he tried to tug the Tapestry but it refused to budge. He had already removed the complex charm on the wall, but the top of the tapestry was refusing to give way.

"What are you doing?"

Harry immediately turned around and spotted a young first year girl who had freckles on her face like the Weasley's.

"Nothing..." Harry replied.

"You're trying to steal it aren't you?" The girl said. "That won't work... there's a permanent sticking charm on top of it. You have to cut it off."

"How'd you know?" Harry asked warily. The young girl for some reason unnerved him.

"I've done it before years ago." The girl said. She peered closer at the young thief who was wearing a mask. "Who are you?"

"No one." Harry stared back. "You're a first year aren't you? Why did you say years ago?"

The girl noticed her slip of the tongue and sneered again. "I have my secrets... just like yours." This young thief with a mask amused her, and he reminded the girl of her exploits decades ago. She couldn't have witnesses... she needed to kill the roosters without being seen and decided to summon her servant and have this thief killed.

"Come to me... Georgina..."

"Who is Georgina?" Harry asked curiously.

"You speak the sacred tongue?" The girl asked surprised as she looked at the masked thief.

"What sacred tongue?" Harry replied, not knowing that he was speaking in parseltongue.

"The noble language of our ancestors... parseltongue." The girl said eyeing the boy. He could be a descendant of the Salazar Slytherin, and even a relative.

"Master.... you have returned..."

Harry immediately turned around when he heard the voice and spotted a large snake with yellow eyes staring at him. The snake's head was the size of a small car, and he was sure that it could even swallow Hagrid whole.

"Bloody hell!" Harry stood back as he removed his wand ready to attack the creature.

"Have no fear... descendant of Slytherin." The girl said as she walked closer to the snake and massaged its head. "This is my pet... Georgina, a basilisk."

"A basilisk!" Harry couldn't help staring back at the yellow eyes. He knew he was supposed to be dead just staring at those eyes.

"You have little to fear from her." The girl said as she smiled at her descendant. "Those who speak the noble tongue of Salazar Slytherin are safe from her powers."

Harry backed away slowly, contemplating if he should run and escape. "Who... who are you?"

"Just call me Tom... descendant." The girl said. She smirked at the masked boy and decided to help him. After all, when 'she' was student before, she had resorted to stealing a few precious artifacts to finance 'her' projects, and the Gaunt Fortune was gone, squabbled by her grandfather.

"Here." The girl said as she slashed the tapestry, ripping it neatly from where it was attached. "I don't know why you are stealing this tapestry... there are better artifacts in the trophy room."

"Uhh... thanks..." Harry said as he rolled the large tapestry. The girl seriously freaked her out, along with her big ass snake.

"My pleasure descendant." The girl said. "Now run along... I have business to do. Make sure to stay inside the Slytherin Common rooms, so that they will not blame you for what happened."

"What business?" Harry asked.

"The school needs to be cleansed of filth." The girl said.

Harry looked around and observed the dusty suits of armor. "Yeah, the old castle's getting quite dirty." Filch had been struggling to clean every mess since a prankster had decided that it would be fun to throw stink bombs at the opposite corridor during dinner.

"You want to help? I'm good at cleaning." Harry offered. The girl helped him with the tapestry after all and it was only proper to offer his services. "I know a few spells for that too."

The girl smiled at his offer. This young masked thief could be the first of her servants in his new order, and he was family after all.

"I can handle it..." The girl said confidently. "Dumbledore might suspect you. I don't want one of the heirs of Salazar Slytherin getting expelled. It is undignified for our proud heritage."

"The old coot?" Harry asked, wondering why Dumbledore would get angry for cleaning the school.

"I like what you call him." The girl cackled with delight. "I like you descendant. Meet me at the Halloween feast in the second year's bathroom. We have much to discuss."

"Okay..." Harry said. He yelped when he felt the long tongue of the basilisk gently tickle his face. He shivered in fear as he stared as the large snake passed him.

The girl nodded and walked off, her pet following her down the corridor. The entity needed more time to assume his form, and the girl was surprisingly strong willed. She was resisting even now, and young Tom riddle was trying to infuse his memories and personality into the young girl to make the transition easier.

Making sure that the corridor was clear, the young thief tucked the tapestry under his arm and faded towards his headquarters. He needed to ask the old man about this.

******************