FicWad

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Rowling is known for being sloppy with dates, and that's why every school year begins with September 1st on a Sunday with a full week of classes. I have enough of an obsessive compulsive streak that I need to have a better handle on the calendar than that. I've used Halloween from Prisoner of Azkaban being a Saturday as my starting point, since that was a very important day in canon. In Goblet of Fire, Halloween is again on a Saturday, but here it will be on a Sunday instead. This changes a few minor things, such as Harry and company having one of Moody's first classes since that first day is Thursday in this story, instead of Monday as in the book.

Sorry if that bothers people. I also don't like quoting chunks straight from canon, so the lesson on the Unforgivable Curses will mostly be skipped over. I assume everyone reading this has read the books or at least seen the movies anyway.

-oOoOoOo-

Luna had intuitively known that he could use a hug after the opening feast. Of course, who wouldn't want a hug from a sweetheart like Luna?

Still, it kept Harry's bad mood at bay for at least a few minutes as he climbed the stairs up towards the Gryffindor tower.

Ron and his brothers were very animated as they discussed the Triwizard Tournament and trying to enter it, regardless of the age restriction. Several others joined them in this conversation, as a crowd of brave Gryffindors all ignored the part about the death toll. Hermione and Pansy were both staying beside Harry though, who had nothing to say. Both of them understood the scowl on his face- Hemione had looked right at him when Dumbledore mentioned Halloween, knowing Harry's belief that the day was cursed for him.

Pansy was already running ideas over in her head of what might be the best way to take his mind off it.

Parvati and Lavender were straggling a bit behind the rest of their year mates, having a hushed exchange of their own. They were unaware of how much Harry hated the holiday and thus didn't understand his bad mood.

When they got to the Gryffindor common room, Ron noticed Harry wasn't taking part in the talk about the tournament.

"Hey, Harry, what do you think? The tournament sounds pretty exciting, right?"

"I think I'd prefer just playing quidditch, actually."

"Yeah, it's lame that they're canceling quidditch, but it should be pretty thrilling whatever they come up with, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Harry shrugged.

"What's the matter, mate?"

"Don't worry about it, Ron. I'll see you in the morning."

Harry wasn't surprised that Ron didn't understand what was bothering him. He had been keeping so much from his old friend for the last year, the distance continually growing between them. Halloween was still just a reason to have a celebration for Ron- even last year, with Harry's absence and Sirius' break in, didn't get across just how much the day felt like it was under a curse.

Hermione understood though, as she hugged Harry before she headed off to her dorm, whispering that she would help him with whatever happened. It was nice to know just how much he could count on her.

Pansy followed him through the entrance to their quarters and did not let him sit down on the couch- she took him directly to the bedroom.

Before he could begin to speak, she pressed a finger to his lips, pulled off his robe, and slowly started unbuttoning his shirt. Harry let her lead as she worked to calm his temper. He was lucky that she knew how to take such good care of him.

-oOoOoOo-

Waking the next morning, Harry looked down at the witch in his arms, in his bed, and closed his eyes as he softly kissed her forehead. He wasn't religious but he privately thanked God or anyone else who might have been listening for having Pansy in his life. He didn't know what he would do without her.

Pansy was surprised when Harry didn't press for a shared shower, but he admitted that they should try to hurry so they would have time to deal with the new term's schedule and breakfast, especially if they wanted a chance to talk to Luna for a few minutes. It was pretty inconvenient having a close friend in a different house and year.

There were more than a few people having trouble getting up that first morning back at Hogwarts, so only Hermione joined them as they made their way to the Great Hall.

Luna was waiting for them with bright eyes though and a plate full of a properly strange breakfast combination. Harry was used to pouring syrup on pancakes, waffles, or even sausage occasionally, but scrambled eggs and apple slices had not occurred to him before.

He had to admit that Luna was right, as they all tasted pretty good together. Meanwhile, Pansy rolled her eyes and handed him a more standard, and healthy, plate of food that she had made up for him.

The rest of their class mates trickled down to breakfast over the next half hour. Neville, Parvati, and Lavender all arrived fairly soon and started talking about which classes they were looking forward to the most and wondering about their new teachers. Dean, Seamus, and a grumpy looking Ron joined them a few minutes later, and all three quickly started to eat as they listened to Harry telling everyone what he had heard about Slughorn.

If Sirius was right, they might be more than just relieved at having someone other than Snape teaching Potions. Professor Slughorn could possibly even make some of them enjoy the class, which would be a hell of a shock to the system.

Luna had to go over to the Ravenclaw table all too soon though, as the teachers eventually started to pass out schedules. The fact that people tended to congregate with the rest of their year mates made the process simpler on the staff.

Harry's first day would start with Transfiguration, and he and Pansy then had a free period before lunch. That was a blessing as he hoped to speak with McGonagall immediately.

Interestingly, their afternoon class was going to be one of the first Defense classes taught by Moody, which perked Harry right up. He had high hopes for the class and the professor in particular this year.

-oOoOoOo-

Sitting through Transfiguration was a struggle, especially since McGonagall lectured the entire time and there was nothing practical to the lesson. That meant Harry had time to stress out and worry. Not only could he feel his own nerves building, but he could tell that he was bothering Pansy as well.

As soon as it ended, Harry got up and walked over to the Gryffindor head of house.

"Professor McGonagall?"

"Mr. Potter, do you have a question already?"

"A request actually. I would like to leave the school again on Halloween. It will be on a Sunday this year, so I am assuming that I could make a similar arrangement as I did last year, professor."

"I see. The Triwizard Tournament does complicate things a bit. I believe you would be allowed to leave for the day but would have to be back in time for the feast, as this will be a rather special occasion for Hogwarts."

Harry shrunk at that.

"I was hoping that I would not have to be back until curfew actually."

"May I ask your reason, Mr. Potter?"

"I can give you three, professor McGonagall," he answered with a grimace. "My first year, the Halloween feast was interrupted by a troll that nearly got myself and Hermione killed. My second year, the feast was marked by the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Last year, during the feast, Sirius Black tried to break in. Frankly, professor, I hate Halloween. I pretty much expect nothing but the worst on that day."

"I can understand that," she replied with a hint of a frown. "I will speak to the headmaster about your request, but I believe he will answer the same as I already have. Unfortunately, this is going to be a bit of a spectacle, and that means that Hogwarts' most famous student will be expected to attend."

Harry had to sigh.

"I see. Well, please let me know once you've spoken with the headmaster."

"I will, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, professor."

-oOoOoOo-

Pansy took him for a walk outside during the free period they had. The rest of the Gryffindors had all scattered while he had been speaking to McGonagall. They saw Dean and Seamus headed towards the quidditch pitch as several people were flying during the warm, sunny day.

Harry was feeling thoroughly disgruntled already, just a day into the new school year. Pansy led him down near the shore of the lake and told him to stretch out and put his head in her lap, where she proceeded to begin running her hands through his hair as Harry closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.

"I really wish it was still summer," he grumbled.

"I know, and I agree to some extent. But we have things that we need to get done. Just concentrate on what we can control. We'll deal with the rest later."

"Okay. I know you're right, it's just frustrating. You know something bad is going to happen with this stupid tournament."

"You're probably right," Pansy admitted. "However, we do have one of the most decorated aurors ever teaching us this year, so at least Defense should be a strong point, and hopefully he'll be willing to teach us a bit more about what it was like to fight Death Eaters."

"That would be nice," Harry agreed. "I don't think I'll be able to count on having the situations as in my favor as they have been so far."

"I know. That's what scares me most."

"Remind me to talk to Dobby later. I wanted to ask him about the whole house-elf caught with a wand at the World Cup thing, but I forgot to mention it last night because I was so stressed out."

"Okay."

They relaxed quietly in the sunshine for a moment. Harry broke the silence with a content sigh.

"Thanks," he said as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. "I'm feeling better."

"Good. Want to go inside? We could get to lunch early and see how Luna's first day has been."

"Because you know she cheers me up," Harry smiled.

"She cheers us both up. You're not the only one worried about things."

"Sorry. I'll have to think of a proper way of repaying you for taking care of me like this."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something."

-oOoOoOo-

Luna had been having a wonderful first day, as she got one of Hagrid's first classes of the year. Just as he had done the previous year, he introduced the third years to hippogriffs.

Having already met, Luna was very happy to get to see Buckbeak again. The hippogriff was looking lovely according to her, and said creature apparently remembered her, as he was quick to return her bow. Hagrid gave her ten points for 'showing proper respect to a magnificent creature.' Harry had a feeling that wasn't quite how Hagrid would have put it, but he was glad to hear that she was enjoying herself.

Hermione, Ron, and the others were all speculating about what Defense Against the Dark Arts would be like this year, and Harry listened attentively to people like Ron and surprisingly Neville who both knew a fair amount about "Mad-Eye" Moody's impressive reputation for capturing more Dark Wizards than anyone else in recent history.

It was no wonder that he had so many wounds from such a dangerous career. Sadly, Moody's appearance was a good reason to not want to be an auror, although maybe not so much to people like Seamus and Dean, who both thought he looked wicked.

Harry would rather keep all his limbs and eyes, personally.

The discussion continued as they headed to the class, although Harry noticed Pansy drop back to speak with Parvati and Lavender, who were whispering about something. It brought a little smile to his face. Whenever Pansy was gossiping with the girls always entertained Harry. For one thing, he knew it was a form of stress relief for her, as strange as that may have seemed to him just a year ago. But also, some of the things he heard because of them were hilarious.

Others were just down right mean. It made Harry wonder if Pansy's vicious streak wasn't necessarily unusual among his female classmates.

And then some of the things they talked about were absolutely filthy. Harry thought that Seamus' mind lived in the gutter, but from what Harry heard second hand via Pansy, apparently there were at least some girls that would put him to shame.

They arrived at the classroom where they saw a couple of Slytherins waiting for them.

'This could be interesting,' Harry thought to himself as he saw Crabbe and Goyle coming down a different hallway. He knew both of their fathers were Death Eaters and wondered if Moody had had any previous dealings with them. Both boys were as taciturn as ever, and he wondered if either Nott or Zabini would try to step into Malfoy's old shoes to become the leader the thuggish boys seemed to need to follow around.

Harry was more right than he had guessed about just how interesting Moody's teaching could be. That day's lesson was both intense and informative. He covered the three unforgivable curses, and by the end of the period, most of the students were unnerved. Harry saw even a stoic like Daphne Greengrass flinch when an enlarged spider was hit with the Cruciatus curse.

Of course, silence was the only response to everyone else seeing the green of the killing curse in action for the first time. Harry recognized instantly what that flash of light the dementors had made him think of was. The confusing hazy images of an infant trying to understand murder.

Neville might have been the most unsettled though, as he was visibly shaking when he left the room, although only Pansy spotted this as Harry was already moving to speak with the professor.

"Professor Moody, do you have a minute?"

"Sure, Potter. What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to pick your brain about the Death Eaters."

"Aye, that's not too surprising. I heard you've run into issues with a couple of them yourself."

"That's one way of putting it," Harry answered. He tapped his scar and continued, "I've had a target on my head my whole life, and the attack at the Quidditch World Cup suggests that I should be on guard more than ever."

"That's a good quality to have. Especially rare for someone your age to have their head screwed on right. And I assume your miss here has reason to be wary as well. I don't imagine growing up with a Death Eater father was too pleasant, eh?"

"You would be right, professor," Pansy admitted. "Both of us want to be as prepared as we can if they are trying to mount a come back of some sort."

"I guess I'll have at least a couple of students really wanting to learn this year then," Moody said with a look that Harry couldn't read. It looked like a cross between a grin and a scowl, although with that many scars, who could know for sure? He quickly thought that professor Moody would probably be great at poker.

"I'll tell you two what. I've got a lot on my plate right now, getting into the swing of things as a teacher. Give me a couple of weeks and I should be able to arrange a time when we can really sit down and talk, and maybe I can give you both some extra things to work on."

"Thank you, professor," Pansy said gratefully.

"Yes, that would be greatly appreciated," Harry agreed. "Thank you, and for today's lesson too. It was the best class I've had in Defense yet."

"Alright, no need to kiss up. Go on you two."

As they left the class though, Harry was pretty sure that the old man had something like a smile on his face.

-oOoOoOo-

Dinner involved a lot of gossip, and not just by the usual duo, about what professor Moody's teaching was like. Pansy saw her boyfriend ignoring most of it, as he was just thrilled to have a massively experienced teacher for such an important class. Especially this year, with the rising external threats.

Plus, he had Luna to talk to again. Pansy had missed her too, even as odd as their growing friendship might seem to most of the school.

Harry wanted to go back to his quarters, supposedly to take a nap before Astronomy. She had a feeling he had something else on his mind though. And she was right as usual.

But they did end up getting more than an hour of sleep before going to the class late that night. Thankfully, they had a mostly free morning the next day after breakfast, and Dobby was already prepared for them to sleep in.

It was a nice, cool night, with only a hint of a breeze, but Pansy still used the darkness as an excuse to be much closer to Harry than they would have otherwise done in public. He would not have had much interest in the class anyway, and even after three years, she was still trying to justify the course as being anything other than a niche elective. Tonight, Saturn was in opposition. So what?

Following Harry's whispered instructions, they were the first two to leave as the lesson finally ended, and he threw his cloak over the them both as soon as they were out the door and around a corner from anyone else. Pansy felt a finger press against her lips and she nodded as he wrapped an arm around her and they slowly crept down a hallway that none of the others would probably take, as it didn't lead downstairs, nor towards either the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw towers.

Several minutes later, they were on the sixth floor when Harry pulled open a door to a broom closet.

"Is there a reason we aren't already back in our rooms?"

"Tradition," he answered smugly.

"Tradition?"

"Last year, we were probably the first couple in a broom closet."

"True, but that was also the only time we bothered with using a broom closet."

"I know," Harry agreed. "But I think last year, even with some messy parts, went pretty well for the two of us. We got to be together, we rid ourselves of several enemies without too many brushes with death-"

"That's a qualifier that I don't like hearing, but I guess you're right. The worst was probably Malfoy."

"Right, and even then, I wasn't too worried as he was clearly not taking me seriously, since he was so unraveled due to the dementors, as well as your devious little ploy."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I even had an entire month of peace."

"May 1994. Harry's quiet month at Hogwarts- I've got it marked in my journal," Pansy teased.

"Not to mention, we met Luna last year. That was a definite highlight."

"I still wish I could have seen you threaten to kill a bunch of twelve year old girls," she snorted.

"I'll show it to you the next time we're working on Occlumency."

"Deal. Now then, I believe we're in here for a reason."

Pansy remembered to silence the door before Harry's libido took over.

-oOoOoOo-

The next day they got to meet the other new teacher, Horace Slughorn. He was probably the oldest member of the staff other than Dumbledore, his hair was long gone other than his mustache, and it was clear that he had led a rather sedentary life as he was one of the most rotund wizards Harry had ever seen.

He also had the most pleasant and kindly demeanor of anyone from Slytherin that Harry had ever met, although Tracey Davis did seem fairly friendly and much more willing to interact with people from the other houses compared to any of the children of Death Eaters like Malfoy. According to Pansy, Davis was an even worse gossip than Parvati and Lavender, and much meaner behind closed doors as well. Harry could only wonder if Slughorn's act was all a facade too. Sirius had suggested that he was a schemer but certainly not evil.

The professor began the class by taking roll, and Harry noticed only a minor pause as Slughorn noted not only Harry but also Pansy. He had to assume that their situation had been explained to him, what with one of the Slytherins not rooming with the other girls of her year, since he was now the head of that house once again.

"Right. Now then, with that introduction out of the way, I've decided we'll start with something not too difficult to get this year off with a bit of a refresher. The Wideye Potion or otherwise known as..."

Several hands went up at his expectant pause, including Pansy's and Hermione's on either side of Harry. Interestingly, Slughorn pointed to Pansy first.

"The Awakening Potion, professor," she answered.

"Yes, well done my dear. A point to Slytherin. This potion will prevent one from falling asleep, and that can be useful in a variety of situations, I can assure you. I have had to take it on occasion when brewing something particularly delicate.

"Now, as you can all see, the instructions for this potion are on the board," Slughorn noted a couple of muffled moans but continued on with a cheerful expression. "However, let us discuss the ingredients a bit. The directions are the how, but it is very useful to know the why as well.

"First of all, we have billywig stings. Can anyone tell me why they are the ingredient we start the brewing with?"

There were fewer hands raised this time. The witches on either side of Harry were only joined by Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini from Slytherin.

"How about a Gryffindor for this one- miss Granger?"

"While the sting of a billywig can cause levitation, it also causes giddiness. The billywig is also a very fast moving creature, and its components are thought to retain this quality in that they act as a form of stimulant."

"Excellent and thorough, miss Granger. Three points to Gryffindor. Yes, a stimulant is an obvious necessity for a potion meant to keep one awake. Giddiness is also a plus, as keeping one's mood positive when working long hours can be just as useful as the physical benefits.

"Next we come to our second ingredient of note- snake fangs, which are crushed in this instance. Who can tell me why they are used?"

Harry noticed that the same four students raised their hands, and this time Slughorn called on Zabini.

"Snake fangs help make potions more digestible, although only from non-venomous breeds of snake. Fangs from venomous snakes, on the other hand, are used in poisons."

Leave it to the son of a serial killer to know about poisons.

"Correct, and good work on knowing why we specifically use the fangs only from certain snakes. Three points to Slytherin.

"While those are the two main active ingredients for the beginning of the potion, also of note, we add two sprigs of aconite before we are finished. Who can tell me why?"

Only the three witches had their hands raised this time.

"Gentlemen, it looks like the ladies will be outdoing you today," Slughorn said with a smile. "Miss Greengrass, your turn."

"Aconite has been long used for medicinal purposes, but for this potion in particular it is thought to give a bit of an extra kick which can both increase the duration of the effect for those wanting to stay awake, as well as strengthen its secondary use- to awaken someone who has been drugged or suffered a concussion."

"Indeed, well done, miss Greengrass. Three points for another thorough explanation. Now then, although I doubt any of you would have had the occasion to need such a thing, have any of you had experience with this potion before?"

This time, only a single hand was raised, and it was Harry's.

"Mr. Potter, what a surprise!" Slughorn chortled. "I'm not sure if you want us to know why you might have had need to take such a potion, but I wonder if you could tell us about it's potential downside."

"While it will allow you to stay awake, your body will still need to rest eventually, so once it wears off you will feel exhausted," Harry replied.

"Exactly. Three points to Gryffindor," the professor added with a smile. "Thus we come to the potential danger of taking this potion too often. The body needs rest, and even magic can not stem that need for too long without severe consequences. There was a Greek wizard two centuries ago who became addicted to the potion as he worked on a new spell to strengthen the body's muscles. After three straight weeks without sleep, he started telling everyone about his discovery that the pyramids of Egypt were built by Swiss Gnomes before being stolen by a talking nundu that was nearly a mile long."

A few laughs broke out at that, which was probably not a sound that had been heard in that classroom in many, many years. They went along well with the first positive points Harry had ever received in the class.

"Alright, enough of that. This is a simple enough potion that everyone should be able to make it with plenty of time in today's class. While gathering your ingredients, please take a look at the cauldron on my desk. In it, you can see what you are aiming for. Please note both the green color as well as a nice smooth consistency. Now, get to work."

Harry did take a quick peak at the teacher's cauldron. Everything about this lesson was a step up from Snape, especially being given the chance to see an example of what they should create before they began. Slughorn was already looking like one of the best instructors Harry had seen at Hogwarts.

And that estimation went up even more as the man went around the room actually helping to correct the students, answering questions, and offering advice when he saw someone about to make a mistake.

By the end of the period, everyone had successfully brewed an acceptable potion- including the perpetually dense Crabbe and Goyle as well as the previously terrified Neville. Ron had only been corrected once by Hermione, which Slughorn gave her another two points for assisting a fellow student and that made her very pleased, and Ron ended the class with one of the best potions he had ever produced.

Similarly, Harry breezed through the lesson with so much less stress than the three previous years. Slughorn happily told him that his potion could have earned an outstanding if he had crushed the snake fangs a bit more thoroughly. It had ended up the correct color but was slightly too thick. The professor said that it was certainly good enough to use, but not up to snuff for what a shop would sell.

One other difference was that the professor took small samples from the three best potions (produced by Pansy, Hermione, and Daphne, all of whom earned another 3 points for outstanding work) and handed out small vials to the class with the suggestion that they could be most useful for their next late night Astronomy lesson.

The period came to an end and everyone gathered up their things, preparing to leave.

"Mr. Potter, could you stay behind for a moment?"

"Certainly professor."

Pansy waited with Harry as usual, which the old professor nodded at with a smile as the room emptied out before he began to speak again.

"When Albus visited me this summer, I must admit that the idea of teaching you was one of the main reasons I was convinced to come back to dear old Hogwarts. I taught your parents, you know. Yours as well miss Parkin- er, excuse me, Pansy."

"Thank you, professor. We had heard as much from Sirius Black," she responded.

"Ah yes, Mr. Potter's recently exonerated godfather," Slughorn said with a small titter. "I taught him as well, of course. He and James Potter were as thick as thieves all throughout their time here. I always wondered at how quickly everyone assumed he would betray your father, Harry. Just because the Blacks had a sometimes negative reputation. Bah! I taught all three of his cousins as well, and both Andromeda and Narcissa were outstanding witches, no matter how different their choices in husbands later on.

"Unfortunately, dear Regulus did get mixed up with a darker crowd. We never did find out what exactly happened to the poor boy," the professor trailed off for a moment, reflecting on his old students.

"Look at me, getting off on a tangent," he said with a pause before beginning again, merrily. "While Black and Potter were good students, I was never as close with either of them as I might have liked.

"However, your mother Lily was one of my absolute favorites. So brilliant and lovely, and quite the cheek on her as well. She would tease me so when I bemoaned the fact that she wasn't a member of my house. No matter the circumstances of her birth, she was more than cunning enough to have been in Slytherin. As for ambition, well, she could have gone so very far. She could have been a potions master, definitely. If only things had been different, I would have liked to seen her replace me rather than Severus. Of course, Filius often argued that she would have made a better apprentice to him instead. Not to mention that I know, unofficially of course, a member of the Unspeakables who wanted to recruit her.

"Poor Lily," he lamented. "The end of the war was not celebrated in my home, not when it cost such an incredibly gifted young witch her life."

"I appreciate that, professor," Harry answered. "You know, I've long thought that she must have done something that night to stop him. The idea that a spell failed for some unexplained reason has always bothered me. Who knows what truly might have happened? As the only living survivor, I certainly never testified about it.

"I would prefer for people to credit her with the Dark Lord's defeat. That would be better than people thinking I somehow have a magical forehead."

"Ho-ho, indeed Harry, indeed. A magical forehead, hah! I can understand why that scar might bother you. However, you should also realize how much it, and all it entails, can help you in the long run. You and your famous scar are a symbol to a great number of people."

"I've come to better understand that some over the last year," Harry agreed.

"Yes, well, I won't keep you too long this evening, but I would like to extend to you an open invitation to speak with me more about your parents. To you as well, Pansy. I wouldn't want to presume, but I think I might be able to tell you some things about your mother that you may enjoy hearing. She was in my house as you must know. Class of 1975, a good year for Chateau Petrus as I recall. In fact, I may still have a bottle," he chuckled to himself.

"Anyway, swing by some time. Maybe some weekend afternoon we could share some tea?"

"I would like that professor Slughorn," Harry answered.

"Yes, thank you, professor," Pansy added.

"Excellent, well off you go then. Enjoy dinner. I believe there may even be roast duck tonight," he said to himself happily as Harry and Pansy headed for the door, bidding him goodbye.

They walked in silence for a few moments before they got to the stairs heading up out of the dungeons.

"Maybe this year won't be so bad," Harry suggested. "It looks like we have two more really good teachers at least."

"Slughorn was a breath of fresh air compared to Snape. I take it his ingratiating little talk didn't bother you then?"

"It wasn't nearly as bad as Sirius led me to believe. I mean, he basically admitted that he was excited to teach me. He was more honest than I would have thought about it, and I'll take that over the alternative. Plus, that's the first time any teacher has ever talked to me about my parents willingly, which is especially nice with all he had to say about my mum. Even with Sirius, he always talks a lot more about my dad.

"I mean, yeah, I have her diaries, but it's still nice to hear from someone else about her."

"I understand, Harry. That's one good thing going for us so far."

"I'm just worried what we're going to have thrown at us next."

"Look at it this way. We're three days down, twenty seven more to go before we can officially label this as the second quiet, peaceful month of your time here at Hogwarts," Pansy said with a small giggle.

"You probably just jinxed us."

"We'll see. I'm going to take a page out of Luna's book and try being more positive."

"Good luck with that," Harry snorted. "I'll stay vigilant, like Moody would want."

"Look out, Harry. Keep talking like that and Granger won't be the only one who's a teacher's pet."

"I'll take the label if it keeps us safe."

"Good, you should probably start getting used to it. Professor Slughorn looks like he'll be fawning over you as well."

"I'll have to readjust to my fame now that we're back here. At least the professors won't be sending me any betrothal offers."

"You never know, Harry. Slughorn is known for all of his contacts with famous witches and wizards. Maybe he could set you up? Or there are other options here too. Professor Sinistra is pretty young, after all."

Harry groaned as they neared the Great Hall, which was already starting to fill up with people arriving for dinner.

"Please don't joke about that. I was having such a good day."

"I'm sure Luna can cheer you up," Pansy smirked. Said blonde was waving at them, already at the Gryffindor table, as Ron came by clapping Harry on the shoulder.

Harry waited a moment as he passed then leaned in to whisper in Pansy's ear.

"Now that the weekend is here, we have all night to cheer each other up."

"Would that work better than Luna?" she asked quietly.

"Do you even have to ask?"