The Son of Lord Voldemort

Chapter 52

The second term began and everyone seemed less tense than they had been before the holidays. Aurors still stood guard around the school but the students did their best not to think about the petrifications that had happened during the last term. Every time one of the petrified victims would be named the subject would instantly change. Harrison and his friends were advancing more in terms of turning into their Animagus form. Harrison and Leo were the farthest along with Theo and Daphne not far behind. Jenna was having the most trouble so Harrison would spend time every evening talking her through it.

Soon February came and, with it, the sun began to shine weakly on Hogwarts once again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Zacharias and Nearly Headless Nick, and Professor Sprout was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and sensitive, meaning that they were leaving childhood fast.

"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for re-potting again," Harrison heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."

A week into February Harrison was lining up for transfiguration when he heard Gilderoy Lockhart gloating about how he had made the attacks stop.

"I don't think there will be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think that Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught them. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on them." Harrison sneered at the man, is he truly that delusional? He looked at Leo and Blaise who were both glaring daggers at the lilac clad professor. "You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say anymore just now, but I think I know just the thing..." Lockhart tapped his nose again and strode off.

Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth. Harrison thought, for a moment, that he'd walked through the wrong doors. The walls were covered with large, lurid, pink flowers. Worse still, heart-shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling. He exchanged disgusted looks with Draco, Leo, Blaise and Theo then walked to the Slytherin table.

He looked around the hall and saw that many girls had been overcome with giggles. The faces of all the boys in Slytherin were ones of disgust or incredulity. Even the girly Daphne looked like she was going to be sick as pink heart-shaped confetti landed on her eggs. Glancing up at the staff table, he saw that Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harrison could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro.

"Please tell me this is a bad dream," Odette Warrington sneered. "This confetti keeps falling on my breakfast."

"I wouldn't try drinking anything if I were you," a scowling Marcus warned.

Harrison picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice and saw pink confetti clumped together floating over the orange liquid. He grimaced as he sat the goblet down and pushed it away. He felt like he was in a horrid romance novel, and he hated romance novels.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards!" His chest was puffed out like he had just won the Quidditch World Cup.

"Why the hell would anyone send that idiot a Valentine?" Draco sneered while wiping confetti off his robes.

"Some people are too idiotic to see that he's a fraud," Cass pointed out as she wrinkled her nose.

"Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!" Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them wearing golden wings and carrying harps. Harrison noticed that all of the Slytherins looked like they wanted to lynch Lockhart, he couldn't blame them, if he could pick one person for the basilisk to kill, it would be Lockhart, even if he had to pick between him and Ron.

"He made them dress up like cupids," Theo stated incredulously. "How demeaning."

"I will kill anyone who sends me a valentine via those little creatures," Cass said threateningly and her eyes narrowed when Blaise got a mischievous smirk. "I'm not joking Blaise."

"My friendly card-carrying cupids!" Beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!" Blaise snorted while Callum Warren choked on his bacon. "And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!" Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.

All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver Valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers. Harrison received dozens of cards from Slytherins, Ravenclaws and a few Hufflepuffs. He noticed Daphne sending the cards jealous looks but he didn't dwell on it. During dinner a particular surly looking dwarf stopped behind Blaise who turned around and glared disdainfully. The Great Hall went silent when the dwarf loudly cleared his throat and strummed his harp.

"Blaise Zabini?" The dwarf asked but Blaise didn't answer.

"Yeah, that's him," Ron yelled loudly across the hall. Several Slytherins including Anastasia sent hateful looks towards the red head.

"You have a singing Valentine," the dwarf informed him and Blaise's eyes widened slightly in horror. "And here it is," the dwarf began roughly, "his eyes are as blue as the ocean, his hair is as dark as night, I wish he was mine, he's really divine, the cutest boy in Slytherin."

Several people choked on their drinks as the valentine was read. The Great Hall burst into laughter and Blaise's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Ron, Dean and Seamus were the loudest out of everyone and Ron was banging one of his fists on the Gryffindor table. Blaise glared at everyone but it was hard to take it seriously when he was so obviously embarrassed. Harrison noticed one person at the Gryffindor table not laughing, Ginny Weasley. His eyes narrowed when he saw that she just looked embarrassed.

"I think Ginny Weasley sent him that Valentine," Harrison whispered to Draco.

Draco grimaced. "What?" Harrison nudged his head in her direction and Draco looked over. "She looks embarrassed." Draco's grimace slowly morphed into a smirk. "The weaselette likes Blaise, oh this is too sweet. I'm going to rub that in Weasley's face."

"No," Harrison said sharply and Draco looked confused. "This information might come in handy later, we can tell the others but no one else." Draco slowly nodded his head in agreement.