Desperate Measures

Chapter 23 - May & June

The Quibbler, Special Addition to May Edition, Monday, May 19, 1997

Current Count of Suitors: 54

Excerpt from An Introduction to Veela, Chapter 13 - The Arts – Revered Craftsmen

"Oooh, only fifty-four left," Hermione said as she glanced at the headline of The Quibbler. "That's excellent, Harry."

Harry smiled brightly. "Yes, it is. It's even better than you think. I contacted my remaining suitors that I hadn't been on a date with yet and asked if they wanted to move their date up to an earlier time-slot. Everyone agreed and now I'll be done with the dates on June sixth."

"That's wonderful!" Hermione said with a grin. "Now you'll be able to take your end-of-year tests."

Harry's jaw dropped open in surprise at his friend's statement then he started laughing.

"Now, Harry, they're important," Hermione said sternly over Harry's laughter and the snickers of some of their closer housemates. "At the very least, you can use the results to tell where you need to do extra studying next year to catch up so you can do well on your N.E.W.T.s."

Harry just continued to laugh. Despite everything, Hermione was still concerned with N.E.W.T.s. The Sunday that she'd ripped Colin to pieces he had relayed to her everything Rookwood had told him. He'd just known that her display had been the sign he'd been waiting for. She'd been skeptical, of course, but had promised to hear out the representative to the Unspeakables before making a final decision about her so-called destiny. But it was just like his friend to ignore portents of doom and destruction in favor of doing well on tests that would be meaningless once the Ministry fell.

"Harry!" Hermione protested irritably.

Harry held up a hand to ask for patience and spent several moments controlling his laughter. When he'd managed he grinned at Hermione and said, "I tell you what. If the teachers allow it, because I bet some won't, I'll take the tests. But you have to promise not to nag me about school otherwise. All right?"

"All right," Hermione said with a small smile. She knew Harry was right, unfortunately. She wouldn't be surprised if half the teachers refused to allow Harry to take the tests due to his almost total absence from the year's classes.

Harry shook his head in amusement and forked a bite of eggs into his mouth. He got a thoughtful look on his face and when he'd swallowed his bite he said, "You know, sometimes I think I ought to actually thank Colin. It's because of him that I had so many suitors withdraw."

Neville nearly choked on his tea and Hermione got a pinched look on her face. Lavender was too busy gossiping with Parvati to listen in and offer even a non-verbal opinion.

"Don't you dare, Harry," Hermione said angrily. "You already interceded with the Veela Council. He deserved everything else he got."

"I know, I know," Harry said quickly. "And I wouldn't really. I just think it sometimes."

"If you did, you would hurt my and Liam Cadbury's suit against The Prophet," Neville added.

"I wouldn't really," Harry said again. "I wouldn't do that to you and Lavender. And not Liam, either, for that matter. I mean, how many men would be completely accepting of me snuggling up to their naked wife? It might have been perfectly innocent, and my life was on the line, but still."

"I'm surprised they talked about the possibility over Christmas," Neville said with lingering amazement. "I can't tell you how shocked I was when Lavender told me they'd decided to go ahead and risk a scandal if I ever needed her help like that because you were having problems with your magic. He's definitely a good man. I'm glad she married him. She's liked him forever."