Chapter 45: Secret!
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Harry sat at the Gryffindor table. As with the day after his arrival, it was near deserted, though the other houses had a few more students present.
He was focusing on his breakfast, but promptly looked up at the sound of the bench opposite him creaking under someone's weight.
Most of Gryffindor were afraid to have any interactions further than congratulating him upon his defeat of Malfoy - the news of which had spread fast. It had gained their respect, though.
As predicted, it was not a Hogwarts student, but instead one of Beauxbatons. "Maria," he greeted after swallowing a mouthful of food.
"Nice to see you." And it was, though it was nicer to see Fleur, and mainly from behind, though he didn't think it was prudent to mention that.
"You haven't talked to me since you got here," she said bluntly.
Not stopping eating, Harry cast his mind back over the past few days. "That is correct." After it remained silent for a few seconds, he continued, "Do you want me to say anything about that?" He frowned. "There wasn't really any reason for me to speak to you - unless you know how to swordfight-"
'You are many times stronger than her and not exactly very good at concealing your strength in physical combat.'
"Actually, never mind the sword-fighting." Once again, he paused. "I'm still thinking of reasons for me to speak to you, by the way."
Maria rolled her eyes, and Harry suspected she thought that he was joking. "Anyway, I was wondering if you have any plans for the First Task."
With a nod, Harry said, "Yeah, I'm going to turn up, kill everything in my way, and then bask in the audience's awe. I do actually know what the task is, though."
"Really?"
For a few seconds, all was silent. "Oh," Harry said, as if shocked. "Did you want me to tell you?" He hummed thoughtfully. "Na, I don't think I trust you not to run off and tell Delacour."
Maria stared at him incredulously, and said, "I kept your other secret for years."
"You did," Harry confirmed, "but you didn't have anything to gain from telling that one."
"And what, exactly, do I have to gain from spreading this one?"
"You give your school a higher chance of doing well in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
She raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you really think I care about my school?"
"No, but I know that it would gain you political favour, and I think you care about that."
"I'm honestly not going to tell anyone," she said. "I just wanted to make friends with you."
As he glanced over to the Ravenclaw table, at which a few Beauxbatons students were sat, not so subtly glancing at them, realisation suddenly dawned upon him. A grin slowly spread across his face.
"So you want your friends to think you're friends with the oh-so-mighty Boy-Who-Lived?" The slight reddening of Maria's cheeks immediately made him aware that he was correct.
"Is this for some underhanded political reason? Somehow, I don't think so." With a smirk, he narrowed his eyes. "Does the Mafia princess want to look cool?"
"No, it's just-"
"Or perhaps, her friends have encouraged her to go and talk to the amazing Boy-Who-Lived because of his amazing attractiveness, and because she has a crush on him." He paused as she reddened further.
"Am I doing this whole teasing thing right? I hear friends do this to each other, but Marco might have been lying, seeing as he's pretty much my only friend."
'I am deeply offended, Harry. How could you ever say anything like that?'
"Oh, I stand corrected. I also have an imaginary friend, but he doesn't have any friends except me. Anyway, speaking of Marco, he's also the reason I can't return your eternal affections and have sex with you, no matter how much you may want to." He paused and hummed thoughtfully.
"Actually, maybe I will, but only if you beg. If I'm going to piss off Marco, I at least need a bit of an ego boost."
By this point, Maria was extremely red, and had stood to walk away. "That's a no then?" Harry called after her, attempting to not break out into laughter.
'You certainly have a way with women,' Loki commented.
'I know, I'm a complete casanova.' He watched her leave, wishing the Beauxbatons uniform was a bit tighter. 'Hopefully this'll mean she won't bother us again - for a while, at least.'
'Maybe. Now I believe you intended on attending a few lessons today?'
A while later, Harry felt himself entering the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors, which much to his amusement, included Malfoy.
For some reason, he had allowed Loki to convince him to go to the class in case it included anything he didn't already know, though he thought that very unlikely.
Glancing around the classroom a bit, Harry sat down on what appeared to be the Gryffindor side of the classroom.
Other students piled in, and then finally came the teacher. Harry had only seen the man once or twice, seeing as both of them frequently skipped meals, and he was quite glad of it, for if there was a living representation of ugliness, this man would be it.
His face seemed to composed entirely of scar tissue, with one particularly large injury having taken his eye, and another his leg.
Mad-Eye Moody was apparently his name, though Harry felt that the adjective didn't only apply to his magic optical replacement.
"Right," he bellowed, his voice deep and raspy as he waved his wand at a piece of chalk and it began to write upon the blackboard, "the Ministry didn't want me to do this, but today we will be learning about the three Unforgivable Curses."
'That's...odd,' Loki commented. 'Though now that I think about it, he probably isn't actually going to teach the children how to do them.'
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If you want to read ahead by 10 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
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