Chaos and Order - A Multiverse Fanfic

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"— LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, HARRY, AND BLACK COULD HAVE DIED —"

Sitting far from the Gryffindor table, Darcie, Daphne, and Hermione listened to the Howler, stunned.

"— ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK. IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT, AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

A ringing silence fell.

The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

Hermione closed Voyages with Vampires and leaned left.

"Got what they deserved!" she snapped. "What were they thinking?!"

Daphne found a blushing Ginny next to Ron and shook her head, feeling pity for the poor girl. There will be no shortage of boys and girls making fun of her for that.

She caressed a yellow-furred plushie shaking her head.

"Did either of you get a Howler before?" Hermione asked, poking the plushie, too.

Hermione, of course, had asked it for the sake of conversation. It was Darcie and Daphne, the two most perfect witches and friends. How could they ever…

"Yes."

"Uh, huh…"

Hermione looked at the two girls. Shocked. "No way…"

Darcie remembered the Howler she had received in Diagon Alley.

That day, all the shopkeepers had come out from their shops, listening to Narcissa's deafening roars.

Daphne also remembered hers.

Mrs. Rachel Greengrass was an easy-going witch.

But, that particular day, when Daphne had lied to her mother, covering for Darcie, she had received hers as well.

Darcie and Daphne shared a glance, terror lingering in their eyes.

"Darcie…"

The girls' heads snapped up, and they found Professor Snape eying them oddly.

"Good morning, Professor," Darcie greeted, standing up

"Sit," Snape drawled, noticing the oddity. He passed a bundle of parchment to Hermione and said, "Give one to everyone in your class."

Then he looked at Darcie. "Come. I want to hear your strategy for the Tournament."

Professor Snape turned around and marched away, his black cloak billowing like fog on the ground.

Darcie made a face, rolling her eyes.

"Darcie!"

"Coming, Professor!" Darcie gave a quick tap on the plushie's head and ran away.

Daphne and Hermione saw her disappearing out of the Great Hall and opened the Parchments.

It mentioned a detailed outline for the Triwizard Tournament.

For the Intra-School Competitions, the rules were pretty simple.

All students who were interested needed to submit their names to the Head of their House before the end of the week.

Then magical duels would be conducted on Saturdays under the eyes of four Heads until the final ten students were selected.

Sundays were reserved for the older group of fifth to seventh years.

"Why magical duels?" Hermione complained. "Duels are not the best criteria…"

Daphne nodded, agreeing with her.

"Duels are not the best…" she said, remembering their last year's challenges. "… Still, it's something everyone must be proficient in.

"Darcie told me the ministry's getting desperate to recruit more Aurors. Given that, it makes sense that they are giving duels the center stage."

Hermione made a face.

Smiling, she asked, "Can we use Spells…"

Daphne's mouth twitched. "… It will be difficult… They will throw us in Azkaban."

Suddenly, the yellow-furred plushie on Daphne's lap stirred. Blue-tipped legs came poking out as four blue eyes opened up.

"… tik-tik?" the Pokemon clicked.

"So cuteeeeeeeee!" Hermione poked its cheeks, leaning over to not let anyone see it. "What's this one called?"

Daphne remembered the name that had appeared in her mind when she had used her Spell — Magical Conjuration.

"It's called… Joltik."

…

Harry and Draco ran toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom —

— with Colin Creevey right behind them, hopping on his little legs.

"Harry!" Colin shouted, attracting eyes and ears in the corridor. "Harry! Your signature!"

Harry just wanted to bury his head somewhere.

"Famous Potter…" Draco hissed. "Can't even cross a corridor without someone asking for a signature…"

Harry made a face at Draco. "Don't even start…"

"Harry!" Colin shouted again, running, now himself being chased by Filch the Caretaker. Surprisingly, both were running at the same pace. "Black told me you were giving signatures!"

"I'm gonna…" Harry almost cursed. "… That's why he was grinning…"

Draco's lips twitched.

Of course, Black was behind something like this.

"Harry!" Colin shouted again, Filch trying to grab him from behind. "I want your and Darcie's signature on the same page! Already got hers!!!"

Draco stopped. "Little shit!"

Harry grabbed Draco and kept running, pulling him away. "We'll get late."

Behind them, an out-of-breath Filch finally caught Colin's robe, but the little Gryffindor just slipped out. He did lose the sight of Harry, though.

When they finally entered the classroom, with Slytherins and Gryffindors already seated, they found Black standing at the very front next to Lockhart.

They also instantly saw Ron as his face had gone red and not in shame.

"Ah, Mr. Potter!" Lockhart said, smiling. "I was just letting everyone know how the foul incident with the Whomping Willow was the idea of one bad student. Take your seats."

Harry and Draco joined Ron, both staring right at Black, who grinned back at them.

Lockhart picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award — but I don't talk about that.

"I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

A few girls smiled at that.

After that, Lockhart gave all test papers, which were full of questions on himself.

He even shoved one of them at Black, still keeping him standing in front of the class.

When all was done, he collected the papers, tutting all the while. Not many remembered that his favorite color was lilac.

"Oh, someone got all the right answers!" Lockhart exclaimed as a class of the most stunned students looked at him with sheer disbelief. "Who's Arlen Black?!"

Harry, Ron, and Draco's eyes popped out.

Behind Lockhart, Black coughed.

The Professor turned around and, like students, also stared at Black with pure shock. "You?!"

Black put a hand over his heart. "Big fan, sir," he said. "Last time, talking to you opened my eyes. Truly. You are a great wizard…"

Lockhart beamed.

"… Not only a great wizard. I would say you are the greatest wizard…"

Lockhart couldn't help but grin at the students.

"… Not only the greatest wizard. I would say you aren't even a man…"

"Oh, thank you, thank you…" Lockhart shook his head, laughing.

And the entire class laughed along with him.

When Lockhart realized what Black had said, he sent him outside the class.

"Now — be warned!" he shouted when it was all quiet again. "It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizardkind!"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"Sir," Hermione said, looking annoyed, "can you teach us some spells for the Intra-School Competition?"

For once, even the Gryffindors agreed with the Slytherin girl.

"That I will, Miss Granger," he said, remembering her name from the test papers. "That, I will. But this is also important. You do know that you can use magical creatures for the duel, right?"

Hermione threw a massive look at Daphne, whose eyes had also gained sparks.

"Now, I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them."

As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

Draco scoffed. "You call them—dangerous?"

"Mr. Malfoy…" Lockhart smiled slyly, "… only if you had half the wits of your sister…"

Then, ignoring the redness on Draco's face, he shouted, "Let's see what you make of them!" He opened the cage.

Among the chaos, sitting inside the class and standing outside in the corridor, both Harry and Black suddenly heard a hiss, the hair on the back of their neck standing up.

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