Chapter 11 – Starting Round Two
The reaction to his second interview was decidedly mixed. Some thought he had been unnecessarily and unfairly harsh. Others thought his test had been harsh, but it had been both fair and necessary. Still others thought the whole thing hysterical.
Neville had been among the latter and had nearly choked on his food when he had read the fourth question because he had started laughing so hard. Harry was surprised, but pleased, at the reaction. He would really have to ask Neville where and why he had learned about Veela enough to understand the question before it was explained.
Several of the Gryffindors, and not a few from other houses, had looked at Neville as if he was crazy, not understanding his mirth until they had read a bit farther in the article. And even then most people were embarrassed and flustered instead of amused. Hermione especially had turned a lovely red.
Deciding to stir the pot – because he really did need these harmless amusements – Harry had told everyone not to worry, he and his mate would engage in normal anal intercourse after the mating. The various hues of red had deepened a couple shades and poor Neville had nearly fallen off the bench he had laughed so hard.
That week he had hoped to be able to attend a few classes like he had the previous Thursday and Friday. He and his chaperone had worked hard on Saturday and Sunday to go through all the response parchments and send out appropriate postcards of acceptance or dismissal. And, of course, to get an accurate count. That still left Harry with the assigning of meeting times to the remaining suitors, which he had done Monday after the interview with Mr. Lovegood.
But...he hadn't counted on the mail.
There were more than a few letters, though not as many as he had feared, from dismissed suitors complaining about Harry's tests, all of which he had dutifully filed but basically ignored. Then there was the mail from the suitors he had accepted – Harry wouldn't be surprised if every single one of them had sent him a letter and present. He couldn't say for sure since he still had bundles he hadn't even touched. And, lastly, there was the mail from people who weren't courting him but still felt they had a right to comment, either positively or negatively, on how he conducted his life. These he had also basically ignored.
So, he was reading and answering mail...again.
The last week of October looked as if it would be basically the same, with Harry working diligently on his mail deficit. The weekly present from "D" was a much appreciated bright spot, however.
Draco's gift this last Monday of October was quite different than the weeks previously and Harry was pretty sure that the pool money was going to have to be set aside to carry over to the next week. The accompanying letter stated that "D" would like to continue to remain anonymous, if at all possible, but that he did understand that Harry would be evaluating the magical compatibility of suitors and hoped that Harry would accept the enclosed present in lieu of a face-to-face meeting.
Harry lifted the bracelet with its glowing charm from its packaging and cradled it in hand, feeling the magic coursing through the small charm.
Ron barked out a mean laugh and scoffed nastily, "A baby bracelet? What a stupid present."
Hermione looked puzzled and asked, "What's a baby bracelet?"
Ron sneered but went back to his breakfast without another word.
Harry absently thought that he was going to have to send a thank you note to Molly Weasley for hauling her son back in line – mostly. He could probably get half the House to sign it, too, the way Ron had been annoying everyone with his belligerent attitude. He expected Ron was going to explode, though, when he found out his brothers were some of Harry's suitors, mother's threats or not.
As Harry didn't seem inclined to answer, Lavender took it upon herself to explain. "A baby bracelet is a bracelet that mothers give to their babies when they're leaving for the day. It has a charm on it that carries a bit of the mother's magic so that the baby can feel the mother even though she's not there. The bracelets are to comfort the baby and to keep them from giving babysitters too much trouble. Most children grow out of it by the time they are four or five."
"So, it's offensive?" Hermione questioned, wanting to understand the implications of the gift. "It's like saying that Harry's a baby?"
Lavender nodded reluctantly and said, "It could be taken that way, yes."
"I like it," Harry said quietly.
Everybody was silent.
"You like it?" Ron asked in utter disbelief. "It's stupid. Just because you..."
Somebody had obviously kicked Ron under the table and it was probably a good thing for everybody that Ron once again went back to his breakfast in disgust instead of continuing to speak.
"I don't expect you to understand, Ron, but I like it," Harry said and put on the bracelet, struggling only a little bit with the clasp.
Not only did Harry like it, but he was impressed with it as well. The bracelet itself was rather nice; it was made from platinum and the largish chain links were somewhat delicate looking but still had a masculine feel overall. The charm was a simple sphere of green. Harry smiled slightly in amusement at the not-so-subtle Slytherin colors. Plus, Draco had been very clever. He had found a way to keep his identity a secret but still give Harry the opportunity to feel his magic without actually unmasking himself. Very clever indeed.
Harry wasn't surprised that the nature of his newest present flew across the school grapevine twice as fast as usual. What he would have been surprised about was just how much notice some people were taking of how often he fondled the small charm, though he was aware himself just how often he did. The feeling he got from the charm was nice; it felt like comfort and safety and support all rolled into one magical hug. Having never received such things on a regular basis, he reached for the charm's magic several times an hour. Harry also wouldn't have been surprised at just how smug Draco Malfoy was feeling.
And Draco was feeling incredibly smug. So much so that Pansy had kicked him several times that day during meals to keep his expression blank when he had seen Harry reach for the charm. During dinner and after the latest sharp kick, Draco had looked at Pansy with a haughtily raised eyebrow and an expression that clearly said "I told you so." Pansy scowled back and stabbed at her dinner with a pout; Draco knew it was the best apology he was going to get for her doubt about the gift. His great-grandmother, too, had expressed a great deal of concern. Draco had held firm, though, and now both ladies were going to have to eat their words.
Draco knew that one of the things Harry was looking for in a mate was safety and security. What better way could Draco show that he would always be there for Harry than by sharing a piece of his magic? Despite the loud, and logical, protests from Pansy and his great-grandmother, Draco had known that such a present would touch Harry deeply. And judging from Harry's reaction, he was right.
Next week, he would go back to addressing Harry's wardrobe.
The Quibbler, Special Flyer, Monday, November 4, 1996
Current Count of Suitors: 1,012
Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 2 - Halfling Gender & Genetics: Female, Y-Male, X-Male
Thursday had seen Harry and his chaperone at Madam Puddifoot's in preparation for the next two months of meet-and-greets. Several wards and monitoring spells were cast in various rooms and over the building itself. One was a special type of time-limited privacy spell set on the building so that anyone entering could not speak about the goings on until the evening of December 20th – the last day of scheduled meetings. The spell – a combination between a ward and a charm – would ensure that the nature of his third test did not get out to the public at large until after all the suitors had been evaluated. At least, the details wouldn't be leaked from the suitors or other patrons. Additional spells were placed to counter other means of visual and auditory spying and monitoring that would likely be employed by any number of rabid reporters. Madam Puddifoot was happy to oblige their tinkering, and well she should – Harry was paying her twenty galleons a day for her cooperation and assistance in his little scheme.
Friday had been the first day of the meetings and had gone pretty much as he had anticipated. He had stayed in the Great Hall long enough to collect his mail then had left to meet his chaperone and two guards at the main gate and make their way to Madam Puddifoot's. At eight thirty they had retired to the private room they had prepared the day before to munch on treats and watch – on the specially spelled wall – the reactions of the suitors as they arrived and asked for him. The first suitor, handsome and well-dressed, had arrived at five minutes to nine and promptly approached the proprietress to ask for Mr. Harry Potter.
Then the fun had begun.
Madam Puddifoot had been brilliant. She had promptly retrieved an appointment book and politely asked for the man's name. She had then looked in the book, tapped her quill a few times, looked up and said with bland professionalism, "I don't have your name on my list, young man. You're not scheduled to be here today and I'm afraid I can't let you in to see Mr. Potter."
The young man in question had shown only mild surprise and asked, "Are you certain, Madam? I have a letter here stating that I'm to be here at nine o'clock."
"I'm quite certain, sir. Your name is not on the schedule."
The man had taken out his letter and passed it to Madam Puddifoot and asked politely, "Would you mind taking this to Mr. Potter and double checking my appointment time? If there is a problem, perhaps he can provide another date and time."
Madam Puddifoot had made a good show of reading through the invitation and making appropriate thoughtful sounds before she had said, "Very well. Please wait a moment."
By the time the woman had made it to the private room, Harry had already filled out a pre-prepared postcard stating, "Congratulations. You have passed my test of respect through civility in the face of unforeseen obstacles. There will be a luncheon at noon for all those who pass this morning's trial. Please let me know if you are unable to attend."
The man had laughed when he read the postcard then bowed to the proprietress and left, stating he would be back later for the luncheon. Out of the twelve suitors that had arrived that morning at fifteen minute increments, only two were given the "you-were-rude-and-are-dismissed" postcard. The remaining suitors had all arrived timely for the luncheon and, as none of the warning spells in the luncheon room had been triggered, Harry, his guards, and his still-fully-cloaked chaperone had joined them.
During the luncheon Harry had made sure to make physical contact with each of his suitors to get a feel for their magic and had also subtly sniffed them. He had made careful mental notes and when the luncheon – which had gone pleasantly well – was over, he had returned to the private room with his chaperone. While watching and evaluating that afternoon's suitors for that evening's group dinner, he had sent out a further set of postcards to that morning's suitors indicating their current status of accepted/dismissed. All in all, he had eliminated two for being rude, three for magic incompatibility, and one for wearing cologne. Veela had excellent olfactory senses and positively hated strong smelling perfumes and colognes – another very basic fact that would have been in any factual book on Veelas. Wearing it to meet a potential half-Veela mate had been a big mistake on the suitor's part.
Friday's dinner and Saturday's and Sunday's luncheons – because he wasn't giving up his entire weekends for these meetings – had gone similarly. Still, it was tiring. By the time Monday rolled around, Harry was very much looking forward to the distraction of his weekly present from Draco via the huge eagle and the playful gambling of his housemates.
A pair of gloves and a nice scarf would have been nice since it was starting to really get chilly, but the knee-high dragon hide boots were just as good. Especially since they had a permanent warming/cooling temperature-control charm on them and his current shoes – which he promptly trashed – were less than desirable in damp environs much less in full out rain and snow. Plus, they were amazingly comfortable. Thank Merlin for sizing charms.
Maybe the gloves and scarf would come next week.
The Quibbler, Special Addition to November's Edition, Monday, November 11, 1996
Current Count of Suitors: 955
Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 3 - Marriage, Mating & Reproduction
Harry was reluctant to head to breakfast this morning, despite mostly looking forward to Draco's present. The prior week had been nerve-wracking. He had originally planned to answer his mail at Madam Puddifoot's during the breaks between arriving suitors. Instead, he had found that evaluating suitors as they interacted with Madam Puddifoot was actually a lot more disrupting than he had thought it would be. As a result, he had fallen dangerously behind on his mail and spent both Saturday and Sunday afternoons catching up on writing replies instead of on the limited hobbies and social life he did have. He was not a happy wizard.
Not to mention, the constant feeling of other people's magic was making him jittery. In a way, this was good. As the weeks went by, he would become more and more particular about whose magic he did and did not like the feel of, eliminating more and more suitors for compatibility alone. One the other hand, it made him peevish.
Plus, it had been really, really cold this past week. He was going to be really, really annoyed if Draco didn't send him gloves and scarf this week.
As the desired gloves (with warming charms similar to his boots) and scarf (enchanted to stick to itself so it didn't move about once put in place) did arrive, Draco never found out just how close he had come to being eliminated due to plain crabbiness.
The Quibbler, Special Flyer, Monday, November 18, 1996
Current Count of Suitors: 888
Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 4 - Family Structure & Material Inheritance
The second full week of meetings had been very similar to the first. However, he was much less stressed. He had decided to never again give up his free time to answer mail and if a suitor got pissy over how long it took Harry to respond, well, it just gave him an excellent reason to eliminate said suitor, now didn't it?
He had also come to a decision about Draco's request to be excused from the meetings. Harry perfectly understood that the request had been made because Draco was still too uncomfortable to reveal himself. Still, the test was designed to see how his suitors responded to frustration, to being blocked in their desires, if they would vent their temper or if they would calmly assess and try to solve the problem, and he wanted to see how Draco would respond in that situation.
Eventually, Harry had come to the conclusion that Draco had already shown him what he was looking for. Hadn't Draco shown persistence and problem solving abilities in simply pursuing this courtship at all, especially given Harry's previous opinion of him? Hadn't all the letters been respectful? And, given who he was, wouldn't Draco be endangered if he happened to show up for a meeting, whether or not he was polite to Madam Puddifoot? It wasn't as if Draco could offer up a non-parentally-approved excuse to be out of Hogwarts at any time other than for a Hogsmeade weekend and Harry had no intention of missing the next one. In addition, being half-Veela himself, Harry knew that Draco wouldn't have worn cologne and also knew, due to the baby bracelet, that Draco's magic was compatible.
So it was that when Nichol flew down with this week's package that Harry had another postcard ready for her to return to...wherever she came from that, in addition to his weekly thank you, stated that Harry would make an exception and excuse "D" from the meetings. It had been three weeks since Draco's request and Harry was sure the other boy was getting nervous, although he hadn't once shown it.
Harry launched Nichol and sat back down with his package. As his temper was much more amenable this week than last his housemates happily indulged themselves in yet another betting pool. He flashed a quick smile and unwrapped the box. He retrieved the letter and couldn't help but laugh as he read Draco's embarrassed admission that he was rather a bit of an accessory freak and hoped that Harry enjoyed the enclosed belts and interchangeable buckles as much as he did. Harry could feel the curiosity of his housemates rising with each passing moment, but he continued to read the letter. They could wait a few minutes. Finally, he finished the letter and refolded it with a small smile.
"Well?" asked Ginny only a little impatiently, her curiosity burning bright in her eyes.
"Belts," he said then grinned when the fifth-year girls all whooped and cheered when the news reached them.
"They went in together for a whole sickle," Dean said in explanation as he passed the pouch of coins down the table to Ginny and the other celebrating girls.
Harry snorted in amusement. "Getting into high stakes there!"
"Is there something special about the belts?" Hermione asked with a small frown.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he turned his attention from Dean.
"Well," Hermione said slowly then elaborated, "It's just that the gifts from this suitor are usually noteworthy in some way. Belts seem rather, um, boring, I guess."
Harry nodded then said with a smirk, "I see. Well, there are three of them in different widths, they're dragon-hide, they have chameleon charms on them so I can make them match my pants if I want, and there are four different interchangeable belt buckles. Noteworthy enough?"
Hermione smirked back, although it didn't look as good on her as it did on Harry, and nodded without comment.
"Oooh, buckles. Can we see?" Lavender asked eagerly.
Harry paused and all the nearby students, except an apparently oblivious Lavender, tensed in nervous anticipation of an eruption of temper. There were varying looks of relief and surprise when Harry, instead of issuing a scathing reply, said, "Sure, Lav."
A quick peak into the box showed the three currently-black belts coiled on the left and four tissue-wrapped packages on the right. Harry took all four bundles out of the box and set them on the table. He had more than just a Gryffindor audience as he gently unwrapped the first buckle.
"This is the Ravenclaw one," Harry said as he passed it across the table to Lavender. "It's a stylized raven in bronze holding a lapis lazuli stone in its claws."
"Oooh, pretty," Lavender cooed as she traced the gemstone. Her statement was met with agreeing murmurs from around her as others strove to get a look at the buckle. Not many were successful as the buckle was only about two inches by three inches. Harry kept a keen eye on the piece as Lavender showed it around. A few minutes later she handed it back.
Harry carefully re-wrapped the buckle and slipped it back into the box on his lap. Then he carefully unwrapped a second buckle and passed it over. "Slytherin. A silver ouroboros around an oval of malachite."
"Are the other two Gryffindor and Hufflepuff?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded as he watched Lavender examine and show off the second buckle. "To honor the school I attend," he said. And while that was what Draco had written, Harry wondered if this might be a subtle test in reverse. Would Harry Potter, the Gryffindor Golden Boy, have the guts to wear a Slytherin symbol? Or was he simply blowing smoke when he had stated in the second interview that he didn't mind what Hogwarts house his future mate was from, if indeed they had attended the school at all? He resolved to wear all four buckles, proudly and visibly, over the next month.
--HPDM--
Draco sat cross-legged on his bed and stared at the envelope sitting in front of him, his thoughts going around in circles. He hoped the envelope – ostensibly from his great-grandmother – finally held the reply to Draco's plea to forgo a face-to-face meeting. What if Harry had refused? Could Draco try to change his mind? How would he do that? Somehow he would have to because there was no way he could get to the meeting unless it just happened to coincide with a Hogsmeade weekend – which wasn't likely. So he hoped that Harry had accepted. But what if he didn't? What if Harry refused?
"You'll never know if you don't even open it," Pansy said from behind him.
"Merlin!" Draco exclaimed as he whipped around to face his friend. He clutched his chest as his heart raced from the shock of her appearance. "You didn't have to sneak up on me!"
Pansy rolled her eyes. "I didn't sneak up on you. You just weren't paying attention," she said impatiently. "So, are you going to open the letter and see if you've gotten your answer or are you going to angst over it all night like some pitiful Hufflepuff?"
Draco scowled but picked up the envelope and defiantly ripped it open. He read the enclosed postcard and, while relieved, wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He passed it to Pansy.
"I accept the baby bracelet in lieu of a face-to-face meeting. Thank you for the gloves and scarf, blah, blah, blah," Pansy read then looked up disbelievingly. "That's it? No explanation?"
"I guess he figured that the acceptance was enough of an explanation," Draco said with a shrug. He smirked at Pansy's now outraged face and added, "I've passed round two."
Pansy scowled. "And round three?" she asked.
Draco frowned. "That's what I'm concerned about. There's no mention of the next test and there's no word from those who've already attended the meetings."
"They've been spelled silent," Pansy reminded her friend.
"I know," Draco said. He shook his head and verbalized his thoughts in the hopes that Pansy could help him figure out what to do next. "I don't think he would leave me at any more of a disadvantage than any other suitor, so that means they don't know what the next test is either. You have any ideas?"
Pansy climbed onto Draco's bed and made herself comfortable leaning against several pillows. She narrowed her eyes in thought and stared for several minutes at the dark green canopy. "The first round was a double test," she said slowly. "He looked for punctuality and knowledge, both of which he classified under the category of respect. This second round is probably a double test as well somehow. He's testing for magic compatibility, obviously, and you passed that test with the baby charm."
"And the second part?" Draco asked curiously.
"I'd wager it's something having to do with respect," Pansy said slowly, picking at the quilt beneath her. "Something that you've also passed somehow."
"I would have to have passed it through my letters," Draco said.
Pansy nodded distractedly. "Yes, but what exactly?"
"My stories?" Draco suggested. "I've been telling him about myself through my letters like I promised."
"That might be it, actually," Pansy said thoughtfully. "Not your stories so much as the fact that you've kept your promise. That shows respect."
Draco narrowed his eyes then shook his head. "While I'm sure it's to my benefit that I've kept my promise, I don't think that's it. That's something I'm doing, though, not everyone."
"I'm sure you're not the only one telling stories, dear," Pansy said a tad scornfully.
"Probably not," Draco admitted easily. "Nevertheless, I don't think that is the second test I passed. If there is a second test."
"I'm sure there is," Pansy said then suggested, "Maybe something to do with Veela?"
Draco shook his head again. "No. With the failure of so many in round one because they didn't read about Veelas, I'm sure everyone brushed up on their Veela knowledge just to make sure they didn't get caught out in the future. I did and I'm half-Veela myself!"
Pansy uttered an agreeable sound and went back to thinking. A couple minutes later she sighed and said, "I don't know. I need more information. It's rather a moot point, however, as you've somehow passed."
"I'd still like to know what it was that I passed," Draco said wryly.
"I'm sure," Pansy said with a small grin. "Let's get back to test number three."
Now it was Draco's turn to sigh. "I've no idea. Maybe he'll send a note about it once the test gets closer."
"Or maybe it's something you need to think of yourself," Pansy said. "And if you don't..."
Draco groaned in frustration. "That's what I'm afraid of."