"Farewell Ball, Plans in Motion"
N/A: I think I got a bit sidetracked in this arc. Mmm… well, I already have a plan to restructure everything, hehe. Simple: let's just finish this arc once and for all and go back to Hogwarts, hahaha.
…
"Ha! At last, I am free. Be on guard, bastards, for my sword knows no forgiveness," exclaimed Cadogan the moment the ropes loosened, immediately rising with every intention of entering battle.
"Hold still for a moment," said Nicolas as he stepped forward. With a simple flick of his wand, he tapped directly in the center of a rune. In that very instant, Cadogan's body became completely paralyzed, as though the entire structure of the golem had frozen solid. It took only a single rune to stop him, one that seemed to connect all the others. Nicolas had done it with the simplest of gestures, after observing it only once.
Harry and the others turned their heads slowly, processing what had just happened. While it had cost them sweat and effort to try to restrain their own invention, their professor had solved the problem with a motion so simple it made clear just how far they still had to go in the field of alchemy. They shouldn't let themselves get too proud for having created a couple of interesting golems; after all, perhaps Nicolas Flamel himself could build them with ease if he truly wanted to.
Meanwhile, Nicolas opened the small hatch in the golem's chest and pulled out the canvas upon which Cadogan himself was painted. He tossed it to the students before turning his attention to examining every rune with intense focus.
Luna was the first to catch the canvas, and she unfolded it curiously.
There stood Sir Cadogan, scowling with a deeply annoyed expression, while his rather unenthusiastic steed simply munched on the grass painted behind him.
"You're lucky I have no way of confronting you right now! Otherwise, I would have sent you straight to meet your creators," Cadogan huffed, ranting endlessly.
"Mmm… maybe we can put him into my ballerina," said Astoria with a mischievous smile, pulling from her enchanted bag a tiny golem dressed in a pink tutu.
Inspired, Luna remembered her own and quickly brought out a strange animal golem, a mix between a rhinoceros and a beaver, with the same idea in mind.
Cadogan looked at the two little creatures, each barely thirty centimeters tall… and without saying a word, turned on his heel and bolted, fleeing without hesitation. His donkey-steed, however, only glanced at him for a moment before returning to grazing peacefully.
Of course, Cadogan didn't really have many places to run.
The children watched him dash across the canvas, clutching his armor, just as Wanda approached the group.
"I thought you were going to use that machine for the fair," she remarked calmly.
"That was the plan," Harry answered with a smile. "But the last time we tested it, we created a small army… and we figured it would be far too dangerous if someone got ideas about using it the wrong way."
Wanda studied him for a moment. If they thought what they had done before was dangerous, but not this, then they were far more confused than she had imagined. Still, she didn't comment. In the end, they could do whatever they wanted: she would always support them.
"It's truly magnificent!" Nicolas's excited voice carried across the room as he continued examining the runes. Then he looked up at them, his eyes gleaming. "You really do surpass yourselves at every turn. I'm truly proud of you. Tomorrow, you'll crush the fair," he declared with growing enthusiasm. "Come, let's go eat something while you tell me how you came up with all these improvements."
"Ah, but we can't," Daphne interjected, her smile sly and aimed at Benoît. "We're about to be punished… maybe even expelled."
All eyes in the room turned toward Benoît, including the headmistress's.
"Eh… ah… no, no, of course not. It seems there's been some confusion," the boy stammered quickly. "We only brought them here because of complaints from other students, so they could have a quieter place without so much noise."
"So we can leave?" Harry asked with a grin.
"There's no need to even ask. Of course… yes, a confusion, only a confusion," repeated the president of the discipline committee, sweat dripping down his face.
"Then let's go," said Fred with a broad smile, taking the lead. George followed immediately after, both of them taking full advantage of the moment. Benoît watched them leave, his face dark with anger, but he said nothing more.
Luna and Astoria each took one of Ginny's sides and joined the group as they walked out with the professors.
"By the way, that lovely smell of roses is coming from you three," Nicolas remarked to the girls with a friendly smile. "And your clothes are covered in petals… so you must have been the ones behind the fountain. Truly brilliant work."
Astoria and Luna lifted their heads proudly, while Ginny's expression remained puzzled.
At that moment, Harry's gaze shifted and met Ginny's. He felt a touch of sympathy for her: standing between the two little princesses wasn't easy. Not that there was anything wrong with them, but Luna and Astoria were spoiled by everyone for being the youngest, even by their own group, which made their personalities rather free-spirited… perhaps too much so. For someone unaccustomed, like Ginny, it was easy to be swept away by their little madness.
Ginny felt the weight of someone's eyes on her and turned, meeting Harry's gaze. He gave her a gentle smile, as if silently sending her strength to endure the two princesses.
That smile was enough to make Ginny flush scarlet and quickly lower her head.
Meanwhile, Daphne, Hermione, and Draco, who had witnessed it all, exchanged glances before muttering in unison: "Playboy." It seemed Harry would never shake off that title, no matter how much time passed.
…
After the science fair, where the result had been obvious to everyone, Harry, Draco, Daphne, and Hermione's group took first place. However, they declined the sponsorship and instead allowed the money to be used to fund the entire Alchemy Club.
Then came the final exams. As always, the first through fourth places were occupied by the group. But there was a surprise: Neville managed to reach fifth place. Having the best student in the class teaching him patiently, while at the same time giving his absolute best in order to bring his mother a perfect report card, was enough to work true magic.
And no, it wasn't because of strange potions Harry kept slipping into Neville's drinks when he wasn't looking. Of course not. The truth was, Neville no longer felt as clumsy as before, as if a great weight had been lifted from his mind. For some time now, even his nightmares and the most painful memories—where his parents appeared being tortured—had begun to fade.
The change became even more evident after that chance encounter with Professor Maximoff in the corridors, just as Neville was heading to join the group for study.
Finally, the day of farewell at Beauxbatons arrived. For the closing celebration, a grand ballroom dance was organized. To be honest, the academy held a ball every month, so everyone was more than used to it by now.
…
At the exit of the dormitory building, Harry adjusted his suit with evident satisfaction.
"Ah… at last we'll go home. And after that, back to Hogwarts," he said, dressed like a true gentleman: a tailored black suit, perfectly tied tie, and fabric of the highest quality. The dark color gave him an elegant and dignified air that suited him perfectly.
Without his rune glasses and with his hair slicked back, his attractiveness only increased. In fact, since he almost never took off those glasses anymore, for many girls it was a novelty to see him like this, which made several glances linger on him as they passed.
At his side waited Draco, impeccable in an entirely white suit. His blond hair, neatly combed to the side, accentuated his aristocratic bearing.
Together, they projected a magnetic image. Harry, with his friendly attitude and slight smile, seemed approachable, easy to talk to. Draco, on the other hand, maintained his serious expression and proud air that kept others at a distance. Ironically, it was the opposite of their usual roles: Harry was usually the reserved one, the one who kept a cold demeanor to avoid unwanted approaches, reminiscent of Edward himself. That barrier protected him from being constantly bothered as "the boy who lived." Over time, he had learned that almost everyone who came near him did so with some ulterior motive, so he only allowed his friends close. But today, he was in a good mood.
The reason was simple: they were returning to England. And that suspicious professor would stop trying to court his mother.
Yes, Harry had seen with his own eyes how Dominic would show up in Wanda's office now and then with flowers, reciting poetry, or even inviting her to dinner. Wanda always rejected him, of course, but he stubbornly tried again and again. He was like a less ridiculous version of Lockhart: calmer, more serious, but just as persistent.
At that moment, Neville appeared, dressed in an elegant suit. Nervously, he smoothed his hair with his hands as he quickly approached his friends with a wide smile.
"Are the girls still getting ready?" he asked, pulling out a pocket watch almost identical to the ones Draco and the others carried. It had been a gift from Sirius after their first school year. Now, at the end of the second, Neville had one too, which filled him with pride.
"They're taking forever," Draco grumbled, impatience in his voice.
"You seem particularly annoyed today," Harry observed, studying his friend with interest.
For them, waiting for the girls was normal. They always took longer to get ready, and the boys accepted it as part of the ritual.
Harry let his gaze wander until he noticed a girl who kept staring at Draco as she walked into the castle. It was Pansy Parkinson.
"Mmm." Harry muttered with a faint, teasing smile. "I thought you had broken off the engagement."
After all, every now and then Pansy managed to corner Draco for a chat, and he always returned annoyed afterward.
"They still refuse to break such an old contract," Draco replied, his anger clear. "They claim that doing so would endanger both families, that the magical bond is too strong. Idiots! All they want is to cling to the Malfoys now that the resort, the competition center, the magical hotel, and the magical amusement park are finished. They know if they lose their chance to bind themselves to us, they're finished. As if my mother didn't know it was them who sent saboteurs to attack the workers, trying to ruin the construction."
His fury was plain on his face. When he had heard that his mother was attacked, rage had consumed him. Luckily, Wanda had come to help, and afterward Sirius was stationed as guardian of the site. There were a few more attempts, but Sirius—though somewhat reckless—proved himself a formidable fighter, repelling every assault.
The enemies tried shifting tactics, but Edward had already hired specialized security and placed emergency Portkeys throughout the projects. The adults were forced to move constantly, protecting workers and sites, which prevented them from spending Christmas and the holidays at home. Now everything was finished. With golems guarding the facilities and reinforced magical barriers, no one dared attack anymore. Meanwhile, wizards, witches, and even muggles familiar with the magical world filled those places daily, turning them into true gold mines created by the alliance of all the families.
They had even invested in muggle projects to secure economic power there as well, such as a five-star hotel.
Harry watched Draco's frustration, then shook his head slightly. "The world of betrothals… is something we'll never understand," he remarked.
Neville nodded silently.
Draco scoffed, looking away.
"We're finished!" came Daphne's voice as she emerged with the other girls.
Luna and Astoria wore matching blue dresses, decorated with tiny stars that shimmered magically. They twirled their hems with delight, thrilled at how the starlight glistened even more.
Hermione wore a pastel-colored dress, her hair styled in a bun adorned with a small tiara made from braids of her own hair. Daphne, by contrast, wore pink, her wavy hair neatly gathered and decorated with tiny roses.
"Let's just have fun tonight and stop thinking about annoying things," Harry said, giving Draco a friendly pat on the shoulder.
…
Another quick N/A: Yes, I know you're going to ask me about Dominic and all that. Don't worry, I already had it planned. He wasn't going to end here at Beauxbatons.