Harry Potter gets smart and takes control - The Goblet

Chapter 61: A Reckoning

Harry, Hermione, Fred, George and Neville, did indeed eat dinner at the Gryffindor table, but the one in the kitchens, not the one in the Great Hall. It was interesting seeing the elves bustle around, sending food along the four house tables and up into the great hall. But the elves seemed happy to see them, and Tippy came up and hugged Harry's knees before bustling away to finish preparing the dinner.

They were joined by Luna, who looked at Harry and said in the way of greeting, "Oh! All the Bumble-zingers stalking are gone, Harry!"

Harry thought a moment, recalling the last time she'd said something similar and said, "yes, I had help shifting them over the break."

"That's good," she said dreamily, looking rather satisfied.

"Luna?" Harry asked carefully, "can you tell me if you see any more Bumble-zingers stalking me? Or any of us? We've been working hard to get rid of them, but I'm worried they'll come back."

She looked at him for a long moment, then beamed and nodded.

They spent an enjoyable meal in the kitchens talking about their holidays, and Luna's plans for the next edition of the Quibbler. With the contract, she had made with Harry, and her subsequent articles, her father was letting her do more and more for the paper; to Luna's delight.

Winky brought over steaming plates piled high with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. And Harry left the kitchens feeling happy and content, if uncomfortably full some time later.

*

Filius Flitwick cast his gaze intently along his house table, watching his students. Ever since Severus's revelation about his Raven's bullying Ms Lovegood, he'd been keeping a closer eye on them. He'd been horrified to learn how much subtle nastiness was going on. The number of mornings Ms Lovegood for one was missing shoes, items of clothing or books, had astounded him. He'd been spending more time marking papers in the common room recently and was pleased to see that slowly, his presence and former hand was paying off.

He frowned. Ms Lovegood was missing from the feast. He cast a practised eye over the rest of the hall, noticing who else was missing.

Ah, yes, he thought, not surprised and summoned an elf, discretely, to confirm his suspicions.

"They're missing again," Severus said as he sat down next to Filius, "and I know Minerva tried to order them to be at the Gryffindor table for the feast tonight. As if that would go down well with the rest of the red and gold dunderheads."

The elf popped back in, whispered something in Filius's ear then popped away again.

Filius snorted, "they are at the Gryffindor table, but the one down in the kitchens, not the hall like she meant!"

Severus took a sip of wine, to stop himself snickering, and they both turned to Minerva, who was deep in conversation with Albus and didn't look happy. She did not seem to have noticed so many of her students missing.

"she should have been more specific in her orders then," he said to Filius before turning to Minerva.

Intending to gleefully poke a hornet's nest, Severus asked, "you're missing some of your lions, Minerva."

It was fun baiting her, especially when he was treated to that pinched expression as if she's sucked on a lemon as she cast an eye down her house's table.

"Who knows what the twins are up to, but Ms Granger and Mr Longbottom seemed to have picked up Potter's unfortunate habit of seeming to disappear, and break the rules! That boy! You were right Severus! He needs a sterner hand. We've let him get away with far too much."