Private message to Harry

[alt_rabastan]

Hey, kid. That was some impressive dueling today- think you and Draco should both do well on the exam next week, if you keep up like that, with the excellent stances, good, expansive shield spells, and quick-thinking curses. Good show.

You haven't popped by for tea this week, so I thought I'd let you know my door is open, any old time. Heard you might have to go to the Ball with someone other than Cho Chang. Sorry to hear that- I know you were looking forward to getting to know her. And then there's a lot of other pressing things coming up, too, that you might want to talk about.

And say, I was going to ask Draco about this because I can always count on him for a blunt assessment, but I figured you might offer a fairer one. What do you know about Daphne Greengrass? That is to say, I've never had to give her detention before, and didn't think her the type to court it. Is she usually so unpredictable?

Comments

[alt_harry]

Yeah. I guess it's sort of all over the school. It would've been better if she'd told me right from the start. That she was seeing Diggory already. And Diggory has had a hard enough time of it without my taking his girlfriend to the ball.

I don't know what happened with Daphne, but it's not like her. I mean, she fights with Milli sometimes, but they're usually really good friends, and she's never hexed her like that before. She broke things off with Zabini lately. Maybe that's part of it. But she seems happy enough with her date to the ball.

[alt_rabastan]

There are more people than just you who are looking out for Diggory, don't you worry. But that was an honourable thing to do. And if she and Diggory don't work out in the long run, she'll remember it.

Oh? Who's she going to the ball with, then?

And, this question will sound odd, but humour me: have you ever noticed her using pink parchment before?

[alt_harry]

She's going with Bole.

And yeah, she has pink parchment. I'm pretty sure. Why?

[alt_rabastan]

Bole... He's a bit older than her. One of my newts, too.

Anyway, nevermind all that. I'm just trying to help out a good friend of mine.

And what about you? Tea sometime soon? Have you thought about who you might go to the ball with now that Cho Chang is going with Cedric Diggory?

[alt_harry]

I think I'll ask Honoria Sandoval.

And yeah. Tea soon would be good.

Mr Malfoy is coming to the Yule Ball, isn't he?

[alt_rabastan]

She's a nice girl. You should do it.

I imagine that he'll probably be there for at least some portion of it, since he's on the board of governors, and has had a hand in the music and some of the other planned entertainments.

I can't say whether he plans to stay long or not.

[alt_harry]

With my luck she'll already have said yes to Krum.

Do you think he'll want to meet? About that thing he wants me to do? Or will it wait until the second task?

[alt_rabastan]

I don't know what kind of timeline he has planned, but you can be certain that he will follow up on it in the near future.

Harry, you should call it what it is: Cruciation. Not saying it won't make it easier, I'm sorry to tell you.

[alt_harry]

Okay.

I don't

I don't have to practise cruciation on her, do I? To get ready?

I mean, I know I have to be able to show that I can. And then use it when it's necessary. For punishment.

But if it's only supposed to be for punishment, I don't think it's right for me to crucio her just for practise.

[alt_rabastan]

No, no. It's not about practising in that way, it's about mental preparation. I mean, if you want to find a couple of mice or something, it might actually help with the mental preparation bit, but-

You have to want to do it.

That's what's going to be hard. You're going to have to see the situation as something that's going to do you both good, in the long run. Because it means that people will trust that you can manage her, and then will hopefully stop trying to make you prove that you can. Do you see what I mean?

Believe me, if I could talk Lucius out of this, I would, but I fear it would only make things worse for you both. I suspect that both he -and perhaps even the Headmistress, too- have been pressured by your father to prove that you're "flying right," especially now that we have foreign guests in the castle.

[alt_harry]

Sort of.

I mean, I know I've got to do it. And why. It'll be hard to want to do it. Really want to do it.

I don't have to like it to want to do it, do I? Because I don't want it to be like that.

[alt_rabastan]

It'll be hard, yes.

Try to think of it as a way to keep from having to watch her be cruciated by Lucius again. Or your Father.

Bloody Erebus, no you don't have to like it. Wanting to do something out of duty, or as a means of discipline, is not the same as wanting to do something for pleasure. Or for revenge.

[alt_harry]

Okay.

Right.

Maybe we could talk more at tea. About how to focus more on that part of it, so I can want it enough.

[alt_rabastan]

Sure we can. Like I said, my door's open any old time.

[alt_harry]

Okay.

And thanks.