Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 8: The Birthday Party (Pt 1)

After breakfast, the Potters gave Harry and the Longbottoms a tour of Potter Manor while they waited for the press to arrive. As it happened, the adults on both sides thought it best that Harry attend the "availability" but not participate unless one of the interviewers pushed for it. Today, the members of the press included two reporters from The Prophet (one of whom was the infamous gossip columnist Rita Skeeter) plus a photographer; Xenophilius Lovegood, owner and sole employee for The Quibbler, which was either a satirical magazine or the ravings of a madman depending on who you asked; a reporter for the Wizarding Wireless; three reporters from Teen Witch Weekly; plus another five from various foreign papers. When the time came, Harry accompanied the Potters to the parlor where the press availability was to be held, but he sat in the back and did little except smile winningly while James Potter provided an edited but plausible explanation of why no one had ever heard of him before. James also asked the assembled journalists to "respect Harry's privacy and that of the family during this challenging time."

Despite that admonition, Harry actually did get a few questions, but mostly innocuous ones. "How are you adapting to wizarding life?" "What was life like in the Muggle world?" A question from Teen Witch Weekly about what kind of hair-care products he favored (he name-checked Lavender Brown as having introduced him to Sleekeazy). Finally, a pinched-face woman in a horrific leopard-print outfit and pince-nez glasses who identified herself as Rita Skeeter asked about rumors that James had sent him a Howler on the first morning of classes out of anger over his Slytherin Sorting. James started to answer, but Harry interrupted with an answer of his own.

"As I'm sure you're aware, Miss Skeeter, the Howler was more than a rumor, seeing as how it went off in front of several hundred of my fellow students. However, that was nearly a year ago, and my father and I have worked diligently to move past it and rebuild our relationship." Harry turned towards James and smiled at him, and to his relief, the man at least had the good sense to smile back in front of the reporters. "While it was somewhat embarrassing at the time, I do understand that it was a great shock to everyone for me to be the first Slytherin Potter in over 200 years or more. Indeed, apparently the first Potter to go to any House other than Gryffindor in that time. However, my father has profusely apologized for sending it, I have accepted his apology, and together we've moved on. My goal now is to show the entire world that there's nothing wrong with being a Slytherin Potter. That I can uphold my family's traditions of honor and courage despite personally being more cunning than brave. And most importantly, that Slytherin House has more to offer Wizarding Britain than just the bigoted lackeys of a failed dark lord who was destroyed by my brother more than a decade ago."

"Well said, sir! Well said indeed!" exclaimed Xeno Lovegood, who started applauding, and several other reporters, after a moment of confusion, joined in. For her part, Skeeter just looked at Harry speculatively before writing something down on her pad. Harry wasn't sure, but he also thought she gave a quick glance in the direction of James and Peter while she was writing.

Soon after, the press conference ended with the remaining questions focused on how much money the Potters expected to haul in today and what were some of their proposed projects for the Charitable Trust. Afterwards, the group moved to the front lawn of the estate, where buffet tables were set up on one side (decorated in Gryffindor colors, naturally) with smaller tables arranged for people to sit and eat in the middle. On the opposite side was a single long table already covered in gifts from Jim's adoring fans, as well as from people who merely found it politically or socially expedient to act like Jim's adoring fans. Ginny was among the throng already surrounding Jim, as was a hyperactive young girl who looked like a slightly smaller Daphne Greengrass. There was another girl there with blonde hair and big blue eyes who caught Harry's attention, mainly because she kept looking back and forth between Jim and Harry with an increasingly perturbed expression. Beyond that group, James Potter was shaking hands with a group of older and more socially important well-wishers. Harry recognized Dumbledore, of course, along with Minister Cornelius Fudge, DMLE Director Amelia Bones, and Chief Auror Rufus Scrimgeour. Dumbledore noticed Harry looking in their direction, and he smiled and raised a glass of punch in salute. Harry nodded back at him respectfully.