Bellatrix watched the dementors drag the blonde man out of her cell. Took them long enough, she thought with a sniff. There was blood and fingernails everywhere! She knew she lived in a dump but she still had standards.
"Black! Letter for you." The guard threw it at her cell and hurried off. Nice to know she still struck fear in the hearts of wizards everywhere. Opening the letter, she narrowed her eyes as she saw who it was from.
"Dear Mrs. Black,
My name is Harry Potter. Mr. Malfoy said you were going to take care of Lockhart so thanks for that. It's a shame you're so crazy or we could become pen pals. If the Dark Lord ever comes back, I'll let you hug him before Draco murders him. Mrs. Malfoy told me you liked butterscotch so here you go. Sorry it's covered in fuzz. Sirius told me you tortured Neville's parents so I made sure to roll it on the ground in the owlry. So I'm not really sorry.
Love Harry." She took out the filthy hard candy and plucked off all the feathers.
"Bella, please don't tell me you're going to eat that." Her husband's voice echoed from down the hall. She just popped it into her mouth instead of answering. The flavors burst in her mouth and she sighed in happiness. She loved butterscotch. When the Dark Lord was still around, she ate it with every meal. Sucking on the candy, she read the letter again.
Perhaps the Potter boy was alright. At least he had manners. Maybe she could convince her master not to rip the boy to shreds when he returned. Sharpening her rat bones, she hummed off tune to the sound of the other prisoners' screams.
~~~~~~
Draco watched his Mother show the students a proper dueling stance and couldn't help puffing up with pride. She was an outstanding duelist and it was about time she got the recognition she deserved.
"Alright! Who would like to see a real duel?" His Father asked and the Gryffindor's in his class shouted their excitement. His Father was surprisingly popular among the students.
"Let's welcome our surprise guest, Professor Flitwick!" Their Charms Professor came in, waving enthusiastically at the cheers he received. Everyone knew he was a world renowned duelist. It was one of the main reasons no one acted up in his class. His Mother was bouncing in excitement and his Father was watching every move. The duel began and it was insane. Spells were flying back and forth quicker than he could process. His Mother ripped a chunk of the ceiling out and Flitwick transfigured it into a flock of birds.
"Expelliarmus!" His Mother's wand flew out of her hand and everyone held their breath. She didn't stop her advancement and pulled daggers out of her sleeves. Professor Flitwick just grinned and took out a knife from his boot. They met in the middle and Draco couldn't compare it to anything but a dance. They moved so fluidly. Twirling and dodging their opponents next moves, it was breathtaking. It eventually came to a draw, neither one giving an inch.
"And that's why you need to learn self defense, children! Cissy would have been a dead flobberworm without her wand but she used her skills to her advantage! I want a two page essay on the best technique to use when losing your wand! It's due Friday. Class dismissed." As the other students left, he watched his Mother smack his Father's arse. Wicked, another traumatizing memory to store away.
"You did a wonderful job, darling." She gushed and he was horrified to see his Father blushing.
"Thank you for dueling with me, Filius."
"It was my pleasure, dear. I haven't had that much fun in ages." Draco rolled his eyes and before he left said "by the way Mother, half of Hogwarts thinks Father and Uncle are in a relationship. I heard the Ravenclaw's are taking bets on who you will murder first."
~~~~~
Harry stared at the mangy owl that had delivered his letter. It was missing an eye and looked like it had lost a fight with a lawnmower. Gingerly taking the letter from its claw, he carefully opened it.
"Dear Potter
Thank you for the butterscotch. It is my favorite candy. Don't worry about Lockhart, he's dementor food now. When the Dark Lord returns, I will try and have him spare you. Don't count on it though. I can't imagine how wounded his pride is to be murdered by a baby. Please tell little Longbottom if we ever meet, I will give him one free stabbing. It's the least I could do.
Love Bella"
He shook something out of the envelope and a thin bone fell out. It seemed she had made him some sort of shank? Wicked. He tucked it into his braid. Maybe he could stab the Headmaster with it. He went to search for Draco when he ran into Tonks.
"Wotcher Harry! Did you hear about Professor Snape and Uncle Lucius? Absolutely scandalous!" She snickered, her hair a pretty blonde color today.
"Tonks! We both know that's just a nasty rumor someone made up." She slung her arm around his shoulder and said "I'll have you know there's nothing nasty about it! I would know, I made it up." Harry giggled at the older girl's admission.
"I heard Mrs. Malfoy is going to duel Mr. Severus at dawn and whoever wins, will conquer Mr. Malfoy's heart."
"Well I heard that Professor Snape is already dead and it's his undying love that keeps him going." They both laughed at how ridiculous everyone was being before going to the kitchens. A warm cup of cocoa sounded wonderful in the cool weather. Soon it would be Yule again and he couldn't wait for everyone to be together again.
~~~~~~
Viktor Krum sighed as he tried to finish his homework. He never seemed to get caught up. It probably didn't help that he left it for the last minute because he was so focused on Quidditch. He glanced at the picture he had framed on his desk. It was a picture of Harry and Heir Malfoy making snowmen. He and Harry wrote to each other every couple of months. He had almost had a heart attack when he heard about Bubbles. Honestly, how was his school still open with all of the shenanigans Harry got into? He thought about writing to Heir Malfoy about Harry's love for danger but figured his Father would be upset if he had to duel so young. He tried to focus on finishing his school work but decided he deserved a break and reached for his broom.
Flying through the air, he felt his muscles relax. Harry had told him Heir Malfoy was going to try out for their school team and he was curious if he was any good. He would love to play against him. Maybe the prize could be a kiss from Harry. He couldn't help but snort at the image he created. He had no romantic feelings for his younger friend but he thought the Malfoy boy's reactions were hilarious and couldn't help himself.
"Oi! Viktor! The Headmaster says if you fall behind in class, he will be furious." His classmate shouted out to him. He reluctantly landed and went back to his desk. He would die if he couldn't play Quidditch. Two hours later he finally finished his school work and flopped down on his bed. Perhaps he would see if Harry wanted to come visit him. He couldn't wait to hear about Heir Malfoy's reaction to his offer!
~~~~~~
"I won't take it easy on you just because you're Harry's little boyfriend." Hermione snorted at Flint's words. The whole club plus Luna and Percy had shown up to cheer on their President. It was finally Quidditch season and everyone seemed to go barmy. She had seen Professor McGonagall shouting plays back and forth with Oliver Wood over breakfast. It was a shame Wood and Flint weren't in the same House. They would have been unstoppable.
"Has anyone seen Harry?" George whispered to them and they all shook their heads. It wasn't like him to miss something so important to Draco. She saw her President scan the growing crowd for his beloved before kicking off the ground. Twenty minutes into practice she was worried Draco wasn't going to make it. His heart didn't seem to be in it. Ron grabbed her shoulder and said "Look!" Running down the hill was Harry. His hair was in two ponytails and he had pompoms. His white sweater had a giant green D on the front. He grinned as he came to a stop beside them.
"Sorry I was late! It was such a pain trying to figure out how to make pompoms!" They all knew the second Draco saw Harry because he almost fell off his broom and was hanging on by one hand. He managed to pull himself up and wipe the drool running down his face.
"Go Draco! If you can't do it, no one can! I believe in you!" Harry kept shouting out encouragements while shaking his pompoms.
"Alright, I'll let you know by next week if you made the team!" Flint said and the crowd slowly started to disperse. Draco made a beeline for Harry and fell onto one knee.
"Harry my soulmate, one of these days my heart will stop beating. You are the reason I wake up every morning." Draco continued to wax poetry and she shared her handkerchief with Ron. He was actually very sensitive and they liked to share romance novels.
"If you don't make the team, I won't tell Marcus the Gryffindor password anymore!" Harry declared and she watched Percy's face fall before he chased down his boyfriend. She laughed at how cheesy everyone was and let the twins escort her towards the castle. She had just enough time to add an extra inch to her Potions essay. Professor Snape would appreciate it, she was sure.