Chapter Forty – Punishing Boys

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. Me, I'm just a PR professional. I don't profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world. However, its her sandbox and she's left the gate unlatched so we can go in and play a bit. Which, I've done.

Chapter Forty – Punishing Boys

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As a family, after the exchange of gifts, they visited the Grangers, then the Davises, then on to the Abbotts. The others were by special invitation during the afternoon round after they had lunch with the Abbotts.

Harry and Daphne visited a short time with Gran and Neville at Longbottom Hall, as they were due to visit Saint Mungo's to see Neville's parents. Then went on to Bones Manor to visit with Aunt Amelia and Susan, and finally to the Black House to visit Sirius and Remus. They returned well before dinner, with Sirius and Remus in tow as they had to be home before the older Greengrasses headed off to the Ministry Yule Ball.

Tracey, Susan, Neville and Hannah all had permission to overnight at Greengrass Estate because Sirius and Remus promised to oversee all of the kids including Astoria. Remus was able to visit because it was a day over halfway through the lunar cycle and was effectively a new moon.

The eight kids spent the late afternoon and early evening talking about all the gifts they received. Harry was especially proud of the new trunks he bought each for Daphne, Astoria and Hermione. Each trunk was a match to his own with double compartments, a magical signature lock and each with their names and House crests on top next to the leading edge.

Astoria was a little sad it wasn't jewellery like she received from Harry the previous year, until she received a second gift from Harry. It was a fine silver necklace with the name Astoria, also in fine silver in a kind of Old English script, hanging from two points on the chain.

On seeing it, Astoria squealed and took it to Harry demanding he put it around her neck for her. As she sat on the floor with her back to him, he manipulated the tiny clasp until the chain was properly affixed.

Later, Harry told Cygnus and Isabel it was an emergency portkey that would take her to Saint Mungo's. All she had to do was grasp her name in her fist and call 'Help!'.

The second gift he bought Daphne was a set of silver hairclips with Slytherin green inlays that she could wear with her Hogwarts uniform.

Harry received a set of Quidditch balls and two beaters bats in their own enchanted box, a stronger set of Quidditch armour, and a new broom servicing kit from Hermione. Most important of all, was a wizarding photo album from the group, except Hermione because she couldn't help, of photographs of himself and his parents they'd spent all last summer scrounging for from friends of his parents and the staff of Hogwarts.

While the late afternoon was spent playing a bit of Quidditch, he spent a lot of that evening going through the photographs and reading the little captions beneath them that said when and where the photographs were taken. It was his most treasured gift.

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On the ride back to school, before Harry had a chance to lock the door to their compartment, they were again joined by Luna.

The Seven just looked at one another and shrugged it away. This time, Neville locked the door with the Door Sealing Charm. When it worked he grinned and said he'd been practicing it on his bedroom door at home.

After only a few minutes into the journey, Luna suddenly said to Hermione in her light voice, "Congratulations on finding out you're the Head of what was thought an extinct House, Lady Hermione. I'm ever so pleased for you."

"Errr - thank you, Luna," she stammered. "I appreciate your kind words. But, please call me Hermione."

"Thank you, Hermione," said a dreamy Luna. "Daddy will probably want to me to interview you, at some time, as you're the first of the extinct Houses to revert back to Active status."

"Oh - alright," replied Hermione. "But - just not yet, alright?"

"I know," replied Luna. "You won't be ready for a while yet." Then she went back to reading her newsmagazine.

Harry wasn't the only one confused by what the young Ravenclaw was saying. But, he didn't want to seem rude to the girl, so just let her be.

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Back at Hogwarts the students quickly returned to their routine of classes. Only now, Harry was also having to get used to everyone thinking he was the Heir of Slytherin. The entire student body, except his six friends, Luna and the Weasley twins, gave him a wide berth. The Weasley twins even pranked him by waiting for him outside classes, some days, and escorting him around the castle.

They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry and his friends down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through!"

They were stopped by their older brother, Percy, a Gryffindor Sixth Year Prefect, who was deeply disapproving of this behaviour. "It is not a laughing matter," he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry's in a hurry."

"Yeah, he's off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant," said George, chortling.

Harry didn't mind. It made a mockery of the whole 'Heir of Slytherin' thing; and made him feel better that the twins, at least, thought the idea of his being Slytherin's heir was quite ludicrous. But, their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Tracey knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything; and you're getting all the credit for his father's dirty work."

Having managed to escape from the Weasley twins, one afternoon, by way of his invisibility cloak. Harry was heading for the corridor where Mrs Norris was attacked when he heard caretaker Filch.

"...even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore..." His footsteps receded along the out-of-sight corridor and he heard a distant door slam.

Harry poked his head around the corner and could see Filch had long gone. He was once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked. And, at a glance, he could see what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor. And it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of the girl's bathroom. Now that Filch had stopped shouting, he could hear wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

Harry wondered who the girl was who was crying, and was about to investigate when he realised it must have been that ghost the girls told him about, Moaning Myrtle. Instead, he decided it wasn't worth finding out and left, continuing on his way.

He'd managed to sneak past the flooding and was just about to leave the corridor when he saw a First Year Gryffindor girl coming the other way. It was young Ginevra Weasley, and she was walking as if in a daze. He was going to stop her and ask her if she was alright when he realised that she couldn't see him, anyway, under the invisibility cloak. Talking to her meant removing the cloak; and removing the cloak meant tolerating the whole fear of him being the Heir of Slytherin probably even from her.

Instead, he sighed as he watched her go and hurried on. He'd check with the twins later to ask if their sister was alright.

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It was New Years Eve when it became public knowledge via the Daily Prophet that the previously thought extinct House of Dagworth-Granger had been reactivated. However, it wasn't public knowledge as to the identity of the new Head of House.

As Harry had expected, it wasn't long before someone in the Ministry was sufficiently bribed by the Daily Prophet to release the information to them on the sly. It became front page news that the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Dagworth-Granger was Hermione only a few days after their return to Hogwarts.

Harry had planned to send an immediate owl message to Cygnus and Wendell when it occurred but, as it was front page news, he knew both men would be aware of it the same time he was.

When the Daily Prophet was read by the students and staff, word quickly spread around the tables. Most were quite surprised, and some were pleased for her. However, there were some dirty looks directed Hermione's way from the Slytherin table.

Before things got out of hand, Harry and Daphne escorted Hermione to the front of the head table and stood with her facing the students.

He called, "May I have everyone's attention, please." It wasn't necessary, though, as they already had it. "I know the Daily Prophet is often full of lies and untruths..." 'Ha! Take that!' "...but, in this instance, they are essentially correct.

"Through diligent research over the past few months, just before Christmas it was discovered our friend, Miss Hermione Jean Granger, is a direct descendant of Hector Dagworth-Granger, the first Lord and Head of the Noble and Ancient House of Dagworth-Granger."

As planned, Hermione lifted her right hand and showed her Head of House ring.

"This, of course, means she is not a muggleborn; but is, instead, a half-blood like me," continued Harry. "I'm sure you'll congratulate her on this discovery when you have the opportunity. For Lady Hermione, this means she has the burden of taking seat within the Wizengamot when she comes of age, and will be formally known as Lady Hermione Jean Dagworth-Granger.

"In the mean time, she will remain Miss Hermione Granger here at school unless, of course, she is emancipated earlier."

Harry and Daphne then stepped apart from her. Daphne gave a slow low curtsey while Harry gave a bow accorded one Head of House to another. Then Hermione gave a slow and slightly deeper curtsey back.

What Harry and Daphne were pleased to note was the number of bows and curtseys accorded Hermione from the students and staff, before light applause broke out. Even some of the Slytherins of noble stock, though they were clearly unhappy to do so, accorded her the courtesy. Harry and Daphne were not surprised to note Malfoy wasn't one of them.

Harry and Daphne then escorted a blushing, quite embarrassed, Hermione back to her seat.

The owls started flocking in the very next day. The group helped her sort through them and forward on everything of relevance to Cygnus.

Thankfully, there were no 'suspect' documents or packages. However, every time they discovered a betrothal contract, Hermione didn't know whether to blush in embarrassment or anger. It was even worse for her, when one of those contracts was for a boy attending Hogwarts at that time. She couldn't help but look in their direction.

On his offer, Hermione left it to Harry, as her Protector, to approach the boys concerned and let them know the contract would be formally refused once initial matters relating to her public recognition were resolved.

He had the most fun doing it when one of the boys happened to be Cedric Diggory.

At lunch, on the day it was received, he approached the Fourth Year Hufflepuff and asked to speak with him in private. They left the Great Hall and went into the antechamber off the Entrance Hall.

"What is this about, Potter?" asked the older boy, clearly annoyed to have been called away from his friends.

"Mister Diggory," said Harry, in his official voice. "As Protector of Lady Hermione, and at her request, the duty has fallen to me to unofficially inform you at this time that, though Lady Hermione is honoured your father believes she will make an excellent wife for you, his offer of a betrothal contract between yourself and her, will not be accepted at this time."

As he was talking, the older boy's face slowly changed from one of consternation and curiosity, to one of complete shock and embarrassment.

"I - He didn't!" he spluttered.

"I take it from your expression and words you were unaware of this," said Harry. "Then, you have my apologies I be the bearer of such news."

"I'm - I'm going to kill him!" the older boy said.

Harry grinned and said, "If it makes you feel better, I found out about my betrothal the day I went to the bank to see if I had any money left to me by my parents; only to find I was in an unescapable betrothal arrangement to a girl I'd never even heard of, let alone met before."

The older boy snorted and said, "No, it doesn't." Though, it was clear his thoughts were on other matters.

Harry just grinned even wider before stepping back, offering the older boy a Head of House bow, which was almost unconsciously returned, and leaving him in the antechamber to his thoughts.

Walking back into the Great Hall, he went up to the group of friends the older boy had been sitting with and said, "Cedric's just received a bit of a shock. He'll be along in a few moments, after he's collected his thoughts."

On returning to his own group of friends, he said to Hermione, "That's Mister Diggory done. Like one of the others, he was unaware of it."

They were just discussing another when Diggory walked in and went straight to his friends. He said a few words to them and then, looking a little flushed, walked straight up to where Hermione was sitting with Harry and the others.

When Hermione noticed him, Diggory gave a formal bow.

As Susan was sitting right alongside Hermione, on the side away from Diggory, she immediately began whispering in Hermione's ear.

Hermione stood with Susan standing right behind her. She then formally curtseyed back with only the slightest of bobs. The Hall went silent as they watched the formal exchange.

"Lady Hermione," the older boy quietly said, clearly uncomfortable. "I was unaware my father had offered you a betrothal contract. If I was aware of it in advance I would have - engaged in heated words with him on the matter.

"Please accept my apologies on behalf of House Diggory for my father's - presumptuousness."

With Susan whispering in her ear, Hermione replied, "Mister Diggory, on behalf of House Dagworth-Granger, I accept your apology on behalf of House Diggory; and hope this matter will not come between us."

"I will ensure it does not, Lady Hermione," the boy said. "Thank you." Then he gave another formal bow to which Hermione responded with a curtsey of her own.

Diggory quickly left and returned to his friends giving Harry a nod of acknowledgement on the way past, still very lightly blushing in embarrassment. The hubbub of conversation returned among the tables.

"Now that took courage," said Harry.

The others agreed.

"And, Hermione?" asked Harry looking towards the still embarrassed girl. "That was very well done."

"It was Susan..." began Hermione.

"Hush!" said Susan, riding over the top of her. "It was you. I just provided you with the formal phrasing."

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January faded into February and, though the attacks seemed to have stopped, the other students were still skittish around Harry. However, most seemed to believe the attacks had stopped for good.

Peeves wasn't helping matters though; he kept popping up in the crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potter, you rotter..." now with a dance routine to match.

Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. Neville and Hermione overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so, while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration.

"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he had said to her, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him."

They also said Lockhart was planning some sort of morale-booster.

And it became quite clear what that morale-booster was on the 14th February. As he hadn't had much sleep the night before, finalising his Valentine's Day gift for Daphne, when Harry entered the Great Hall he thought for a moment he'd walked through the wrong doors.

The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the enchanted ceiling. Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where the others were sitting; and Hermione, Susan and Hannah seemed to have been overcome with giggles.

Daphne was looking at him while holding a twined pair of sapphire blue roses. As he approached she stood up and stepped over the bench seat before grabbing him by a fistful of his robes, yanking him in close, and snogging him in front of everybody.

This time, Harry chose to ignore the catcalls. Although there were far fewer than the last year.

Once he was allowed to come up for air, he asked, "Alright, does someone want to tell me what's going on?"

"You mean, besides your betrothed snogging you senseless?" asked Tracey with a giggle.

"I mean, with the decorations," blushed Harry, trying to growl back.

"To hell with the decorations," said Daphne, cutting in. "I want to know about my roses. Why and how blue?"

"Well, the how is a simple Colour Changing Charm," he replied. "I took white rosebuds and turned them sapphire blue. The why, is so you can have them shrunk and transfigured to enamelled metal like last year's roses, and then be able to wear them with the jewellery I bought you Christmas before last."

She reached across and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. "That's very thoughtful; and I love them."

"You're welcome," he softly replied.

Finally, properly pulling apart, he asked the others, "Anyway, what's with all the giggling?"

Susan just pointed at the head table and said, "Lockhart!"

Harry, while taking seat with Daphne, looked up just in time to see Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle twitching in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" shouted the fop. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and, through the doors to the Entrance Hall, marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. And not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion!

"Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. And Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.

When the owl mail came in, each of their girls received a rose in their own house colours with a card. This year, the card and roses came from both Neville and Harry. Harry had decided to help Neville out with the Colour Changing Charm for each of the roses.

Tracey and Daphne each received a silver rose with green edging, Susan and Hannah each received a gold rose with black edging, and Hermione received a red rose with gold edging. Both boys were suitably rewarded similar to Neville's reward the previous year. And, just because they could, Luna received her own 'friendship' card, together with a blue rose with bronze edging.

When she saw the other girls kissing Neville and Harry on the cheek, she came over and planted her own on each boy's cheek, as well. "Thank you, Neville. Thank you, Harry," she said with an odd expression. "I shall treasure this, always." And returned to the Ravenclaw table.

"You gave Luna one?" Daphne asked Harry, with her own odd expression.

Harry shrugged and said, "We had the spare. Besides, I never see her with any friends. And our offer of friendship should make her day for her."

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Harry was sitting with the others, except for Neville and Hermione, in their room within the Come and Go Room when Neville came barrelling in out of breath. He ran up to the back of the nearest couch and, placing both hands on the back of it, bent over.

Hannah walked over and asked, "Neville? What ever is the matter?"

Neville gave a wave signifying he was okay and looked up at Harry with almost a panicky expression. "Harry!" he wheezed. "You need - to run!"

Surprised, Harry asked, "Run? Why?"

Panting, Neville replied, "Hermione - received - an account statement - from the goblins - concerning her - family vaults!"

Harry suddenly sat up straight and, in a small voice, said, "Uh-oh!"

Still panting, Neville said, "She's on - the warpath - and coming - here!"

"Harry? What. Did. You. Do?" said Daphne glaring at him.

"Errr - I gave Hermione a 'welcome to the ennobled club' gift," he replied, a little fearful.

"Harry! She's right - behind me!" said a near-frantic Neville.

"Yeah," he replied. "I need to go."

"Go where?" asked Susan.

"Hide!" replied Harry getting up and about to make his way to the doors.

Suddenly the doors to the room banged open and Hermione stood there, panting hard. She looked furious. Neville elped and scampered over the couch to move to stand just behind Harry.

"Harry James Potter!" she barked. "And, Neville Francis Longbottom!"

"Oh, shite!" said Harry staring at Hermione in full Wrath-of-the-Gods mode. "She used our full names."

"Now; Hermione..." he tried.

She stepped more fully into the room and slammed the door behind her. "Don't - you - dare - try to come up with a lame excuse for this!" she screeched, waving a set of Gringotts bank statements at the pair of them.

"Errr..." stammered Harry, before turning to a just as afraid Neville and muttering, "We need to get past her, Nev. You run around one side and I'll run around the other. It should make her hesitate long enough for us to make our escape."

Neville just nodded without taking his eyes off Hermione.

"What did you pair of reprobates do?" asked Susan with her own angry voice.

"Not much, really," replied Harry, not looking towards her. "It was just a small thing. Nothing to get upset about, really."

"A small thing?" snarled Hermione, having clearly heard. "A SMALL thing?"

"Get ready, Nev," muttered Harry out the side of his mouth.

Hermione came stomping over. Both boys were happy they had a couch between her and them.

Just as she reached the back of the couch, Harry snapped out, "Now!" and both boys took off in opposite directions circling around the angry girl towards the door.

"Come back here!" she screeched at them.

"Not a chance!" yelled Harry, as he and Neville reached the door a half second apart.

Harry yanked the door open and Neville darted outside with Harry hot on his heels. They both took off for the secret passage, planning on getting out of the vicinity as quickly as possible.

Inside the room, Hermione was glaring at the door and growling.

"Hermione?" called Daphne. "Perhaps you should calm down, take a seat, and tell us what our two disobedient boys have done."

After a few moments, Hermione huffed, releasing a lot of her anger. She walked around the couch and plonked herself down upon it.

She then handed the documents that were clutched tightly in her hand to Daphne and growled, "They're not the only disobedient boys. Your father and Sirius are as much to blame. However, I can only get my hands on those two, at the moment."

Taking the documents, Daphne smoothed them out and began to read what was bothering Hermione so much.

After a few seconds she looked up and, in a soft voice, said, "Oh, dear."

"What did they do?" asked Hannah.

Hermione sat back in her seat, crossed her arms and fumed quietly, muttering to herself.

Gathering herself, Daphne replied, "Well, what Harry, Neville - through his Gran - my father, and Sirius did - was transfer money into the Dagworth-Granger vaults."

Frowning, Hannah asked, "How much?"

"One hundred and sixty thousand Galleons!" snarled Hermione.

"How much?" squeaked Tracey.

"One hundred and sixty thousand Galleons!" snarled Hermione for a second time as if she hadn't done it already.

The other girls were stunned.

The first to recover, Susan asked, "But, why?"

Rifling through the documents, Daphne said, "According to the included documents, they're four separate open-ended loans of nil interest - For the purpose of re-establishing the Noble and Ancient House of Dagworth-Granger."

After a few moments Tracey started laughing.

"It's not funny!" snarled Hermione.

"Oh, yes, it is!" replied Tracey. "And it's brilliant!"

The others thought that through for a bit before Daphne said, "She's right. It's brilliant."

Surprised enough to knock her down from furious to just annoyed, Hermione asked, "Why?"

"It's an incredibly Slytherin thing to do," said Tracey. "Now, you're beholden to their four Houses. So, when it comes out that you wish to form an alliance with their Houses - which would be politically wise, by the way - no one would question it."

"Secondly," said Daphne, thinking. "It's a most noble thing to do for their fellow Head of a Noble House. It shows solidarity among the nobility, which is always a good thing."

"They didn't ask first!" snapped Hermione.

"Which is even better," replied Daphne. "You're too noble to ask for help. And they're too noble not to give it. It'll also embarrass their political opponents within the Wizengamot."

The others except Hermione were nodding in understanding.

"Daphne and Tracey are right, Hermione. This is a good thing they've done," said Susan.

"It's still a lot of money!" grumbled Hermione.

"Not at our level," said Daphne. "This only represents a small investment for our Houses."

"My Dad's going to flip out when he sees this," said Hermione.

"You leave him up to my father and Sirius," replied Daphne. "They'll explain it to him enough to get him to accept the help it is."

"So, I'm not allowed to tear strips off either of them?" grumble-whined the girl.

"Oh, no," said Susan. "You still get to do that. After all, they're boys; and they should have at least let us know what they were going to do."

"So, how do I get back at them?" asked Hermione, much calmer.

"Why, we're going to play on their being gentlemen for starters," said Tracey with an evil grin. "Here's what we're going to do..."

All five girls sat forward from where they were sitting - and plotted revenge. Harry and Neville felt simultaneous shivers down their backs.

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The next evening found both Harry and Neville sprawled off their bench seats opposite each other and over the table. The girls were sitting not far apart, prim and proper, with evil smirks on their faces.

The rest of the nearby student body was surreptitiously watching with interest.

"I'm dying!" moaned Neville.

"Me too!" moaned Harry.

"Come now, gentlemen," said Hannah, primly. "It's only the proper thing to do, to carry a lady's bag for her."

"You put every heavy book you had in your bag!" whined Harry.

"Hermione's was worse!" whimpered Neville.

"Well, you didn't expect us to lug that heavy weight around, did you?" asked Susan.

"You should be grateful we deigned to allow you the honour of carrying them for us," said Tracey, a bit prissily.

Both boys spent the time between meals and classes lugging sometimes two, occasionally three, other bags on top of their own, through the castle. And the girls weren't backwards in offering the service of the boys to carry the bags for other girls.

Harry, if he was a true gentleman, would have admitted Neville had it worse, because he always had Hermione with him. Without a Second Year female Ravenclaw in their group Harry got off a little easier. However, Neville was also a little bigger than Harry, and had the extra muscle mass from working in the family greenhouse over summer.

"I didn't think there was such a thing as an evil Hufflepuff," moaned Neville. "Until today."

"The Slytherins are still worse," moaned Harry. "They're more - creative."

"Eat your dinner, you two!" said Daphne with a lightly scolding voice. "We want to get some combat training in, tonight."

"Oh, good," sighed Neville. "You can train while I study."

"Sorry, no," said Hermione. "We want to train against real people."

"There's five of you," moaned Harry. "That's enough."

"Sorry, future husband of mine," said Daphne, not sounding at all sorry. "We've voted and decided its girls against boys, tonight."

"Oh, Merlin!" whimpered Harry.

"Shield Charms and Stinging Hexes only," said Hannah. "You'll need to eat up so you can build your strength back up for tonight."

Neville just whimpered while Harry gave signs he'd gone catatonic.

The girls all grinned at each other. The boys in the student body sitting near by just thanked Merlin they were not on the receiving end of the punishment Harry and Neville were obviously receiving.

_‗_

-==(oIo)==-

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