Natsu Dragneel and the Order of the Phoenix

Seen and Unforeseen

Mira said vaguely that she did not know how soon Jason's interview with Natsu would appear in The Quibbler, that her father was expecting a "'lovely long article on recent sightings of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks,'"- "and of course, that'll be a very important story, so Natsu might have to wait for the following issue," said Mira.

Natsu had not found it an easy experience to talk about the night when Acnologia had returned.

Jason had pressed him for every little detail and he had given him everything he could remember, knowing that this was his one big opportunity to tell the world the truth. He wondered how people would react to the story. He guessed that it would confirm a lot of people in the view that he was completely insane, not least because his story would be appearing alongside utter rubbish about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. But the breakout of Seilah Lestrange and her fellow Death Eaters had given Natsu a burning desire to do something, whether or not it worked...

"Can't wait to see what Eisenwald thinks of you going public," said Wally, sounding awestruck at dinner on Monday night. Loke was shoveling down large amounts of chicken and ham pie on Wally's other side, but Natsu knew he was listening.

"It's the right thing to do, Flame Brain," said Gajeel, who was sitting opposite him. He was rather pale, but went on in a low voice, "It must have been... tough... talking about it... was it?"

"Yeah," mumbled Natsu, "but people have got to know what Acnologia's capable of, haven't they?"

"That's right," said Gajeel, nodding, "and his Death Eaters, too... people should know..."

Gajeel left his sentence hanging and returned to his baked potato. Loke looked up, but when he caught Natsu's eye he looked quickly back at his plate again. After a while, Wally, Loke and Gajeel departed for the common room, leaving Natsu and Lucy at the table waiting for Gray, who had not yet had dinner because of Quidditch practice.

Lisanna Strauss walked into the Hall with her friend Jenny. Natsu's stomach gave an unpleasant lurch, but she did not look over at the Gryffindor table, and sat down with her back to him.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you," said Lucy brightly, glancing over at the Hufflepuff table, "what happened on your date with Lisanna? How come you were back so early?"

"Er... well, it was..." said Natsu, pulling a dish of rhubarb crumble towards him and helping himself to seconds, "a complete fiasco, now you mention it."

And he told her what had happened in Madam Puddifoot's teashop.

"... so then," he finished several minutes later, as the final bit of crumble disappeared, "she jumps up, right, and says, 'I'll see you around, Natsu,' and runs out of the place!" He put down his spoon and looked at Lucy. "I mean, what was all that about? What was going on?"

Lucy glanced over at the back of Lisanna's head and sighed.

"Oh, Natsu" she said sadly. "Well, I'm sorry, but you were a bit tactless."

"Me, tactless?" said Natsu, outraged. "One minute we were getting on fine, next minute she was telling me that Midnight asked her out and how she used to go and snog Bickslow in that stupid teashop - how was I supposed to feel about that?"

"Well, you see," said Lucy, with the patient air of someone explaining that one plus one equals two to an over-emotional toddler, "you shouldn't have told her that you wanted to meet me halfway through your date."

"But, but," spluttered Natsu, "but - you told me to meet you at twelve and to bring her along, how was I supposed to do that without telling her?"

"You should have told her differently," said Lucy, still with that maddeningly patient air. "You should have said it was really annoying, but I'd made you promise to come along to the Three Broomsticks, and you really didn't want to go, you'd much rather spend the whole day with her, but unfortunately you thought you really ought to meet me and would she please, please come along with you and hopefully you'd be able to get away more quickly. And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am, too," Lucy added as an afterthought.