Drarry Soulmates AU

Kwikspell and the Invitation

Harry walks into the castle from Quidditch practice covered in mud, freckling muddy footprints behind him. Walking along a deserted corridor he finds Nearly Headless Nick staring out of a window and muttering under his breath "...don't fulfill their requirements...half an inch, if that..." the ghost mutters. "Hello, Nick." Harry greets. "Hello, hello. You look troubled, young Potter." Nick says, folding a transparent letter tucking it inside his doublet. "So do you." Harry responds. "Ah, a matter of no importance...It's not as though I really wanted to join...Thought I'd apply, but apparently I 'don't fulfill requirements'- But you would think, wouldn't you, that getting hit forty-five times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?" Nick questions, pulling the letter back out his doublet. "Oh - yes." Harry quickly agrees. "I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head had come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However... 'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have parted company with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in hunt activities such as Horseback Head-Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfill our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.' Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore. So, what's bothering you? Anything I can do?" Nick asks, after reading the letter out to Harry.

"No. Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Sly-" Harry starts, being cut of by a high-pitched mewling from somewhere near his ankles. Looking down he finds himself being stared at by Mrs. Norris."You'd better get out of here, Harry. Filch isn't in a good mood, he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five. He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place-" Nick starts. "Right." Harry nods, going to leave. Suddenly, Filch bursts through a tapestry to Harry's right, wheezing and looking round for the rule-breaker with a thick tartan scarf round his head "Filth! Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potter!" he shouts, pointing at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. Waving gloomily at Nick in goodbye, Harry follows Filch to his office.

Walking inside he finds the office dingy and windowless, only being lit by a single oil lamp from the ceiling. Looking round he sees wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls, containing details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Filch grabs a quill from a pot on his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment. "Dung, great sizzling dragon bogies... frog brains... rat intestines... I've had enough of it... make an example... where's the form... yes..." he mumbles to himself, getting a large roll of parchment from his desk drawer and stretching it out in front of him. Dipping his black quill into the ink well he starts filling the form out "Name... Harry Potter. Crime..." Filch starts. "It was only a bit of mud!" Harry complains. "It's only a bit of mud to you, boy, but to me it's an extra hour scrubbing! Crime... befouling the castle... suggested sentence..." Filch trails off, stopping when there's a loud bang on the ceiling of the office. "PEEVES! I'll have you this time, I'll have you!" Filch exclaims, running out the room with Mrs Norris running alongside.

Sighing, Harry sits in a moth eaten chair next to the desk as he waits for Filch. Looking at the desk he sees a large, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front, quickly glancing at the door Harry picks the envelope up and reads the front Kwikspell A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic. Harry opens it and pulls out the parchment inside
Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wandwork? There is an answer! Kwikspell is an all-new, fail-safe, quick-result, easy-learn course. Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method! Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes: "I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the center of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!" Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says: "My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course and I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"

Harry looks through the rest of the envelope's contents, as he's reading 'Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips)', he hears shuffling footsteps outside telling him that Filch was coming back. Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope he quickly puts it back onto the desk as the door opens, Filch looking extremely happy "That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable! We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet-" he tells Mrs Norris, stopping when he sees Harry and the envelope that was lying two feet away from where it was originally. He goes red in the face and storms over, stuffing the envelope into a draw "Have you - did you read -?" he asks. "No." Harry lies. "If I thought you'd read my private - not that it's mine - for a friend - be that as it may - however - Very well - go - and don't breathe a word - not that - however, if you didn't read - go now, I have to write up Peeves' report - go -" Filch says, stumbling over his words.
　　
Harry quickly speeds out the office, up the corridor and back upstairs "Harry! Harry! Did it work?" Nick asks, gliding out a classroom. Looking in the classroom, Harry sees the wreckage of a large black and gold cabinet that looks like it had been dropped from a great height "I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office. Thought it might distract him-" Nick explains. "Was that you? Yeah, it worked, I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!" Harry smiles, cutting the ghost off. The two of them start heading down the corridor, Harry noticing the letter that is still in Nick's hand "I wish there was something I could do for you about the Headless Hunt." he tells him. Nick stops making Harry walk right through him, making him feel like he'd just gone through an icy shower "But there is something you could do for me, Harry - would I be asking too much - but no, you wouldn't want -" Nick rambles. "What is it?" Harry asks. "Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth deathday." Nick explains. "Oh. Right." Harry responds, not knowing what to say. "I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country. It would be such an honor if you would attend. Mr Malfoy, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger would be most welcome, too, of course - but I daresay you'd rather go to the school feast?" Nick explains. No, I'll come." Harry tells him. " My dear boy! Harry Potter, at my deathday party! And, do you think you could possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?" Nick asks. "Of - of course." Harry nods, making Nick smile happily and gratefully at him.

After cleaning up, Harry walks over to Draco, Hermione and Ron and explains what happened "A deathday party? I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those - it'll be fascinating!" Hermione exclaims. "Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died? Sounds dead depressing to me..." Ron trails off, looking at his half finished potions homework. "Hermione is right, it could be interesting." Draco shrugs. Harry looks over to Fred and George who had just fed firework to a fire salamander that they'd 'saved' from Care of Magical Creatures "Could be worse, I could have got detention with Filch." he says. "For something that wasn't even your fault. George was telling is about practice when he and Fred got back, sounds like it was rough." Draco responds, holding Harry's hand. "Slytherin are going to thrash us." Harry groans. Draco goes to respond but is cut off by the salamander that had just whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room as tangerine stars showered from its mouth.