章節 87: Year Four - Chapter Fourteen

Tackle-hugs delivered at blinding speed were not the way to go on my poor, sorrowful neck and bones. I ended up on the cold, hard ground of Hogwarts' courtyard before I could as much as say 'Hello there, Megan, Amanda, Wayne, and random fans'.

The mass of robes and red cheeks and faces from embarrassment were enough to lighten my mood at the thought I might need a visit to the infirmary at a later date to get my spine fixed, and as Wayne politely helped me back up, he hugged me too in a surprising show of concern.

"That was a bloody dangerous task, I swore off chocolate if you made it, you git," Wayne all but exploded in a flurry of words, "Can't have any for a month," he sniffled, "but I'm so glad you're okay!" he tightened his hug around my neck, making me nearly choke.

"Gah! Air! Oxygen!" I said, coughing ever so slightly as I thumped gently Wayne's back, who finally relented. I took a deep breath, and then the air was taken out of my lungs by Amanda's playful punch.

"You go at it! Knew you had it in the bag, didn't I?" she said, grinning brightly.

"That you did," I answered in turn.

"Hey," Megan quipped, "I believed in you too."

"That you did too," I added with a knowing nod.

"Bloody magnificent work, mate!" Ron hooted from the far end, at least, I deemed that was his voice.

Even Harry Potter joined the cheers, and since this was a School Event, rather than a House one, everyone felt the need to triumphantly celebrate with me. "Umbrus! Umbrus! Open the egg! Let us hear!" as the cries rose, I sighed and plopped the egg open. The deafening shrieks that followed made everyone wish they hadn't been celebrating me, and thus I closed it ever so quickly.

"Don't worry," I said, as soon as the ears stopped ringing. "I got this in the bag."

Or in the bathroom, as things went.

Yet, as I later realized, there was another, far more dangerous task at hand I needed to deal with.

"Professor McGonagall," I said, seriously looking at the elderly witch, who was surprised to see me come inside her office so late, "I need a hand with something, and your expertise is most required."

The Professor's eyebrows both rose. Then they both settled back. "No, Mister Umbrus, I will not allow the human transfiguration of the Giant Squid, or of a Gargoyle statue, to be your dancing partner."

"But is it theoretically possible?" I asked, trying to keep my smile on my face even as I took nervous sips of the offered tea. I had eyed the scones, but dared not bite into them in case I needed a proper interruptus-moment.

"Mister Umbrus, everything is theoretically possible in Transfiguration, but the sheer size of the Giant Squid makes it impossible," professor McGonagall remarked dryly. "And no, using a shrinking charm would only add more, far more, complicated variables," she added as an afterthought, as if somebody else had already asked her that question, a long time before.

I narrowed my eyes. Was someone trying to steal Squiddie away from me?

"The Headmaster suggested a more amenable shape for the Giant Squid in order to bring her elsewhere, Mister Umbrus," McGonagall continued, as if reading my mind. "The Squid refused. She enjoys the lake, and the treats the students throw at her."

I rubbed my chin. "But if I just convinced her-"

"Miss Umbrus," Professor McGonagall said quite sternly, "Convince a girl to be your dancing partner."

"Professor, I don't want to die," I answered quite naturally. "Thus, I'll do the only possible thing; if the target's smaller than the Giant Squid, it can work, right?"

"If you are an expert at transfiguration like the Headmaster, and have studied very carefully for a few years, Mister Umbrus," professor McGonagall sighed. "Your incredible charmwork on those Gargoyles aside, which has Professor Flitwick in tears even now, silly child, just ask a girl out. I have inside knowledge they don't bite, you know?" she had a thin smile on her face, even as she shook her head gently. I bit into a scone, and grumbled. She had no idea what lies she had just spouted.

I walked out of there looking defeated, but not utterly so. My steps met with those of the dunderhead trio, who had probably been going back to their dormitories. "Hey, you three," I said with a wave of the hand, "Would you rather be poisoned or have your bones broken with a beater's bat?"

The three stopped, puzzled. "Is neither a viable option?" Harry asked. Hermione caught on, and giggled.

"We didn't say a word to anyone about your room in the sewers-" Ron blurted out, only for Harry's hand to quickly seal his lips. Hermione blinked, and then her eyes narrowed.

"So it's in the sewers, uh," she grumbled, looking straight at me. "Fine," she huffed. "I am above such things now."

"Do you have a date for the Yule ball, Hermione?" I asked next, nonchalantly eyeing her.

"I value my life," Hermione said very quickly. She was quite smart at putting two and two together.

"The Yule-what?" Ron asked, much to Harry's surprise too.

"Professor McGonagall was going to say it at your next lesson, but we had her first, so..." I grimaced, "Need to find a date for the ball, which is on Christmas too, so you know how things are-"

Ron winced. "Ouch, man," he shook his head.

Harry made a small smile, "I suppose I'll tell Sirius you can't make it, then."

"Sorry about that, but as the Champion of Hogwarts, I actually have to participate in it," I said with a grimace of my own. "And have a partner to dance with." Some giggling schoolgirls had meanwhile found me, and one of them was being pushed to the front of the others. "So, I'm sorry about this," I added, "But I need to run."

That is thus what I did, as the girl that had been gathering her courage realized I had literally vaulted over the window, and made a break for the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Maybe I could transfigure a Centaur, or an Acromantula, or a Troll. Yes, I could transfigure a Troll, or a pumpkin.

Perhaps if I transfigured the roaming Nundu and gave it cat ears, it would be the very beast of all worlds. Or a Manticore; I could go to the ball with a manticore.

The snow was meanwhile piling up, and as it came down thickly, there was little I could do but sit by the lake's shores while mulling over my thoughts. It was quite unfair of me. Nothing had to come out of a silly ball. No expectations, no mistletoe, nothing but a simple ball which, by itself, wouldn't even be that difficult to dance to.

So then, why was I running away? Because what I believed and what others believed wouldn't be the same.

A tentacle rose from the lake's depths, and I sighed. "If only you could conveniently reveal yourself as some kind of Animagus who lost its memories," I grumbled to the tentacle, "Then perhaps I'd be able to bring you to the Yule ball. You know, one of those shitty fanfictions where Hedwig's in truth a nice, sexy lady and Harry's the heir of everything and everyone. Well, I'd like it if you were human."

The tentacle remained overhead. "If only you had ears that could hear me," I sighed as I charmed my robes to be Impervius, and warm, and then dumped myself deep into the waters of the lake. I couldn't have known of the dragons before the tournament, because I didn't bother asking. Thus when Fleur had told me, I had to act ignorant of it. Now, it was time to return the favor. Even if it meant braving the very chilly waters of the lake.

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, And to recover what we took, But past an hour, the prospect's black, Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.

The egg's voice was even melodious as I held my breath to listen on to it. By the time I was done, and stepped out, I closed the egg and trudged upon the snow while inwardly thanking the gods that the warming charm existed. The snow was sticking to my clothes, and yet melting at the same time. I needed but a flick of the wand to dry it off, but before doing that, I needed to show proof that I wasn't actually lying through my teeth to get to see a wet Veela.

Thus, I knocked at the carriage door of the Beauxbatons' carriage.

A boy opened the door up while shuddering from the cold, and then stared at me ever so briefly in what was a mixture of awe and sheer shock. I grinned back, my eyes twinkling. "Is Fleur Delacour here? I've come to return the favor given. Please notify her quickly, it's freezing out here."

"Wouldn't you rather come inside?" he asked, in French.

"Nah, I'd wet the carpets," I answered. "Guess those would be a mess to clean. A cold gets fixed with a Pepperup potion real quick though, so..." I even chattered my teeth a bit, and the boy hastily nodded before closing the door.

A few interminable seconds later the door opened again, to reveal the sour-looking face of a slightly peeved Fleur Delacour. "What is it?" she asked, "Come to laugh?"

"The egg, put it under water," I said. "It's mermish," I continued. "You can only listen to it if it's under water, and you're under water too." I rubbed the back of my head. "I just wanted to apologize if I made it look like I was playing you for a fool. It's just I didn't know it was dragons until you told me, and I didn't want to sound arrogant by saying I had a plan about it after you did tell me."

I gave her a small nod of my head, "I'll be out of your hair now. Just be careful that spells cast under water come out differently than if cast over it. Take that into consideration when thinking about a plan, and read Hogwarts a History to find out the creatures that live underwater there."

With that said, I began to walk away.

"Why are you telling me this?" Fleur asked, and I stopped to turn, and look at her.

"Because the egg mentions they'll take something important to us," I answered dryly. "And if we don't get it back in one hour, then it will be lost forever. And I don't want that to happen to anyone, no matter who they are, or what they feel about me."

Then, I gave her one last smile and left.

Had I mastered the ancient art of eye-twinkling?

Have I been deemed worthy of the Eye-Twinkling, Master Dumbledore?