Harry walked into the Great Hall the next morning during breakfast, and everyone turned to look at him, the guy who had vanished for the first four days of term.
Footsteps sounded rapidly, and Harry barely had time to look towards them before he was attacked by a fierce hug. Daphne squeezed Harry so tight he had to wonder if his ribs were going to crack.
Then, she kissed him full on the mouth just as hard as she was squeezing him.
"I can't believe you saved her." Daphne whispered to him. Harry squeezed Daphne, and rested his chin on the top of the blond's head.
"I couldn't just let her die." Harry said simply. Daphne looked up at him with glowing blue eyes.
"I know. And that's why I love you." Daphne smiled.
"I love you, too." Harry smiled back, and wrapped his arm around Daphne's shoulders, leading her back to the Slytherin table, where Harry and Daphne sat down in the space between Tracey and Gabby, with Harry next to Gabrielle and Daphne next to Tracey.
"I missed you!" Gabrielle exclaimed, and threw her arms around Harry. Harry squeezed the extremely sexy young Veela back, and Gabrielle kissed him, warm but quick.
"So, what did I miss?" Harry asked.
"Other than me?" Fleur smiled, walking up.
"Hey! I never got to welcome you to Hogwarts, did I?" Harry realized.
"Non, you left too quickly." Fleur shook her head. Harry looked at the symbol on her robe.
"The hell kind of house crest is that?" Harry squinted at the crest, which was a sky blue B with a silver backdrop.
Fleur smirked.
"It isn't. I have my own private rooms, away from all ze other students." Fleur gloated.
"Seriously?" Harry asked. Fleur nodded slyly.
"If you wanted to join me, 'Arry, you are more zan welcome." Fleur winked.
"I'd love to." Harry grinned. Daphne made a sound of surprise.
"C'mon, Daph. Share a bed with a Fleur, or have to listen to Crabbe and Goyle snore like mountain trolls? Not to mention dealing with Draco's whining. The only good thing about that room is Blaise." Harry scoffed.
"I promise I am a much better roommate." Fleur assured Harry.
"Well, I'm sold." Harry smiled. Fleur dropped a wink at Harry and headed away to sit with Cassandra. Harry suspected they may have become friends after his birthday party, when he suggested Fleur talk to
"What class do you have first?" Daphne asked.
"Beats me. I don't have a schedule." Harry shrugged.
"I've got yours." Blaise said from a few seats down, holding up a scroll of parchment. Blaise tossed it down to Harry, who caught it. Harry unfurled the scroll, and scanned it.
"Uh, today I have Arithmancy, Transfiguration, and Astronomy at night." Harry read aloud.
"We have none of the same classes!" Daphne gasped, looking down at their schedules.
"No way." Harry said in disbelief.
"No, you guys have Potions together." Gabrielle pointed out, looking at Friday's schedule.
"One class all week." Daphne despaired.
"Don't worry, Daph. We'll still spend plenty of time together. Who cares whether or not we sit in a classroom together?" Harry asked, shrugging.
Daphne nodded.
"You're right. I'm just overthinking it." Daphne nodded. Harry squeezed Daphne's thigh reassuringly, and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"There is nothing and no one in this world that would make me stop loving you." Harry whispered in Daphne's ear, "Especially not something as simple as not having the same classes."
Daphne smiled at Harry, and the married couple to be exchanged a loving kiss. Gabrielle frowned and turned away.
———
Harry walked into Arithmancy and found Hermione sitting in the front row.
"You're going to make me look like a good student." Harry greeted Hermione.
"Hilarious." Hermione rolled her eyes, but a smile played across her lips.
"I certainly thought so." Harry grinned.
"I'm surprised you're taking Arithmancy." Hermione said, "It's a lot of numbers and calculations."
"What? Really? I just heard the professor was hot." Harry shrugged. Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"I'm not going to bail you out if you don't pay attention to Professor Vector." Hermione said.
"Hermione, I'm just kidding. I didn't join a class just because the professor was hot, though that may have been a factor. Mum told me that Professor Trelawney's a total fraud, but I've always been interested in the future, so I figured I'd look into more scientific methods of identifying the future." Harry said.
"I'm so proud of you." Hermione beamed. Harry laughed, and just then the door to Professor Vector's office opened and she emerged from it.
Harry admired Professor Septima Vector's body as she walked out a form-fitting black robe. She had blond hair, bright green eyes, and a fit body. She was insanely curvy, with a huge ass, and perky breasts that, while not particularly large, protruded prominently in her robe. She was in her late twenties, Harry guessed, and absolutely gorgeous.
Septima's eyes roved the… probably fifteen or so students in the class, among them were Hermione, Harry, Mandy Brocklehurst, Michael Corner, and Cho Chang.
"Now, we have some third years in this class, who are probably relatively new to mixed year classes. In this class, I like to assign new third year students a mentor of sorts, from fourth and fifth year students." Septima explained.
"Oh, that sounds really interesting!" Hermione exclaimed quietly.
"I've pre-paired the third years up. Mandy Brocklehurst is with Eddie Carmichael, Michael Corner with Marcus Belby, Hermione Granger with Cormac McLaggen, and Harry Potter with Cho Chang." Septima read off the list.
Harry glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the pretty Chinese girl, who smiled back at him.
"How do you do that?" Hermione whispered.
"Do what?" Harry forward.
"Just luck into the best possible scenarios. Cho's, like, a genius. I've seen her working in our common room, she's insanely smart." Hermione said.
"And beautiful." Harry grinned.
"She's not bad looking." Hermione blushed. Harry raised an eyebrow.
Before he could comment, Septima spoke up.
"Alright, third years, if you'd please sit with your assigned mentors, I'll start walking you through the first assignment, which will be calculating the next week's events using the Voltshar Algorithm." Septima began. Harry and Hermione said quick goodbyes to each other then separated to sit with Cho and Cormac, respectively.
Harry sat down quite close to Cho, and she gave him a warm smile, propping her chin on her hand.
"What are the odds we end up partners?" Cho asked playfully.
"I'm pretty sure one out of four." Harry said.
"True." Cho smiled, "I'm glad I got you, though. Especially over Michael Corner."
Harry chuckled and nodded.
"Agreed." Harry said.